Cheap & Cheerful Meals This Past Week

I didn't record what we ate, but I can remember most of it.

Over the weekend. . .

Entrees

rice and black beans

scrambled eggs

Side dishes

cooked carrots

cole slaw

brown rice

hashbrowns

green salad

During the week. . .

Entrees

baked ham (two nights)

ham, peas, macaroni and cheese casserole

bean, rice and cheese burritos

black bean pie (bean burger mixture baked in a pie pan)

Side dishes

sweet potato souffle

green beans

broccoli

fresh strawberries and bananas

brown rice

macaroni and broccoli in olive oil and garlic

green salad

Desserts all week

chocolate ice cream

brownies

vanilla pudding

caramel popcorn

The only desserts that I made was a large batch of vanilla pudding when it looked like some milk might turn sour soon. Someone else made the brownies and caramel corn, and the ice cream is from a purchase of buckets of ice cream in spring. The ham was in the freezer for a year and a half. It was mostly okay, but parts of it tasted more porky to me. The strawberries and salad greens are from the garden. I thought I also cooked some snow peas from the garden this week, but I don't remember how I served them. 

I'm already thinking toward the 4th. I've asked one daughter to work with siblings to make dinner that night, as I've got projects that I'm working on, and frankly, I need a break. She agreed. All they'll have to do is come up with a couple of side dishes. I have hot dogs in the fridge, and I'll buy buns. I have a bag of potato chips and everything needed to make s'mores. Sounds simple enough, right? For those of you in Canada, will you be doing a cookout on Saturday, for Canada Day?

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and if you're traveling, stay safe.

Successes With Making Yogurt After a Long Break

I hadn't made yogurt in at least a year. I just lost interest in making it, and my family wasn't eating it as readily. But in cleaning out the freezers, I found a few containers of homemade yogurt to use as starter. Combine that with early in the month I had picked up a gallon of whole milk. So . . .

The other day I did make yogurt, again, and had several areas of success that I thought I'd share.

• using old starter --the starter in my freezer was about one and a half years old, and it still worked! Who knew the starter would stay viable for so long?!
• chain yogurting for years -- the starter that I used this week is a direct descendant from my original container of Yoplait, bought in July of 2012. I think that's incredible. I never expected my starter to last for all of these years. Every few batches, the day after making yogurt I pack several small containers to use as starter for future batches, and keep in a 0 degree F freezer. It just keeps on going.
• incubating part of the yogurt for less time, to have some of it ready sooner -- I like to leave the yogurt to incubate overnight, but one daughter was asking if any would be ready for her to pack in her lunch, before morning. In that moment, I was thinking, well no, as I'd be leaving it in the incubator overnight, and then it would need to set up in the fridge for several hours. And then it occurred to me that I don't have to leave all of the jars in the incubator overnight. I could take one out after 3 or 4 hours and refrigerate, but leave the other 3 jars to incubate the length of time I prefer, for flavor and thickness. While this doesn't seem like such a monumental thing, it was to me as I was thinking outside of the box and doing one thing with part of the yogurt and another thing with the other part. When I think outside of my own boxes it makes me feel like I am opening up new opportunities for myself.
• adding milk powder to add extra nutrients to the yogurt -- two of my kids are not eating as much as they should (for completely different reasons), so I wanted to add a few extra nutrients to the foods that I prepare. I added dry milk powder to the heating milk. This isn't new or novel. A lot of yogurt-makers do this to thicken skim or low-fat milk in yogurt. But I've not done this before, and I was pleased with how well it worked. No noticeable change in texture or taste, except it is slightly thicker.

For anyone interested in my original attempts with making yogurt, this post covers what I did in July of 2012, along with a couple of follow-ups to that post.

Stretching a Small Can of Tuna

I know I am not the only one who does this; so tell me what do you add, to stretch a can of tuna?

The size of canned tuna that I have always thought was the "regular" can is now the 5-ounce can. It used to be 7 ounces. When I was growing up, there were three sizes, the jumbo, large family size ( I don't even know how many ounces that was), the "regular" size can, that up until a few years ago was 7 ounces, and the individual size can, which I think was about 3 ounces.  That "regular" can has shrunk over the years. A 7-ounce can used to be large enough to make 3 or 4 sandwiches.  Shrinking down to a 5-ounce size, it's pretty tough to get enough tuna for that many sandwiches. So, I stretch tuna.

Friday, I made tuna salad on beds of lettuce, to go with fresh-baked bread.  To the tuna, I added cooked rice, chopped celery, chives, lots of relish and mayo, and 1 chopped, boiled egg.  It was easily enough for 4 mounds of tuna. Obviously, we're not getting the amount of protein that we used to get from a 7-ounce can. However, I'm hopeful that by adding a chopped egg, we've added some protein.

So, what do you add to stretch a can of tuna?

Foreign Language Magazines to Use as Gift Wrap and Gift Tags

I snatched this from a free pile over the weekend.

We were returning home-I was tired-We passed a free pile in front of someone's home-One daughter asked if we could turn around-I obliged.

My daughter was after a pair of roller blades in the pile. My other daughter saw some bottles that she thought would make good sketching pieces. I just sat in the car and waited for the two of them to finish fishing through someone's trash free pile. One of them knocked on the window and said there were some cookbooks and crafting stuff. Okay. Got me. I'm not hugely keen on handling stuff that really does look like it could use a good washing up. Lucky me, though, this magazine was at the top of a stack.

Besides the fact that the photography in the magazine is truly beautiful, what makes a foreign language magazine or book so suitable for use in crafting, gift wrap or gift tags is that with text in another language, it adds to, rather than distracts from, the decorative aspect.

Do you remember the small, squat canning jars that I picked up on clearance a month ago? I mentioned they would become part of this Christmas's gifting, using some for beeswax candles. I'm thinking that maybe some of those jars would be nice filled with homemade mustard. Pages from this magazine would make nice wrapping for kitchen-inspired gifts.

Even the pages which are mostly text have decorative appeal.

When You Find Yourself Walking in the Darkness, Carry a Flashlight and Grab Onto Someone's Hand

A "flashlight" can come in many forms. For a person of faith, a flashlight might be their book of faith. I know for me, reading scriptures from my faith steadies me. My Bible is my main flashlight. There can be smaller flashlights to carry in the darkness, along with the main one.  In addition to having my words of faith to hold on to, I also am spending time with my thoughts, through journaling.  I recently began a very simple and brief journal.

What makes this journal effective is:

• It is very brief, no more than 2 sentences in the morning and 2 sentences at night. In fact, they needn't even be complete sentences. I can use phrases and keywords in place of sentences, if that is all I have. 
• It is a routine of twice per day, in the morning and in the evening. The routine works for me.
• The morning entry sets up my day.  In 1 or 2 sentences, I write my hope for the day. It can be a plan for something specific that day, like ordering new socks, or spending an hour with a family member. Or it can be more vague, like trying to only say positive things for the day. Because the morning entry is so brief and simple, I can easily check with myself, as the day is progressing, as to whether or not I am or have fulfilled my hope.
• The evening entry pushes me to reflect on the good from the day. In 1 or 2 sentences, I identify either a pleasant moment, an accomplishment, or a realization from the day. It's a gratitude entry.

Anyway, this is part of what I am doing to pull myself out of a dark place. Last week, you all reached your hands out to me, and I grabbed on. Thank you. 

Hi there . . .

Hi friends,
Thank you, all, so much for your thoughts and kindness. Life still sucks, big time. I can't change what other people are doing. I'm just stuck with it. Anyway, I am trying to pull myself up.

In the past couple of weeks, I have . . .

eaten way too many mug cakes (and let's face it, chocolate is the best when it comes to mug cakes).

the following week I began watching what I was eating as the pounds were creeping on. (I'm using myfitnesspal.com to track my foods and exercise. I'm down a couple of pounds already.)

I am trying to get outside everyday. I have pretty dahlias growing in a pot on the deck outside my room. I put some birdseed on the small table next to the dahlias, so I can watch the birds and squirrels come by for a snack. I have tried to get the garden all planted, but the slugs have been mighty opponents this year.

I have spent practically nothing on groceries in the last week, but am using what we have in stock at home.

We've had our share of ailments in the house: One daughter with a concussion; another daughter, son and myself with varying degrees of colds.

I've spent some time on pinterest looking for closet organizing and bathroom storage ideas. Does anyone here actually have enough shoes to need a separate closet just for shoes?

I did some online shopping for necessities, and saved on shipping. I ordered bras from Target, got free shipping, plus I was able to get more than one of the bras that I wanted in my size. Usually I find a style/size I like, but they only have one in my size. Ordering online not only saved on gas, but I was able to get more than one at a time. I knew what I wanted ahead of time. It's the same one I bought a couple of years ago, and they still carry it now.

I bought some Epsom Salts at Dollar Tree to use in baths for their magnesium benefit.

Meals this past week:

Burritos (twice, one with beef and beans, the other beans and rice), broccoli frittata, frozen corn dogs, hot dogs, homemade French fries, sandwiches -- all easy stuff.

I hope your weeks have been pleasant! And thank you all again for your kind thoughts and prayers. I'm okay, and will someday be better.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately

I'm tired, have a lot of work to do, am dealing with some rotten stuff in my life, and I'm pretty much a downer to be around.  What I know is this . . . life won't always be exactly as it is today. I'll be back very soon.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the Beginning of June

Friday

• hot dog taquitos
• cole slaw

Saturday (husband cooks)

• rice
• beans
• eggs
• rhubarb

Sunday (husband cooks)

• pumpkin rice souffle
• cole slaw

Monday

• Asian chicken noodle salad, on lettuce, with snow peas, celery, cabbage, chive blossoms, sesame seeds, garlic, with a chive blossom vinegar, soy sauce and oil dressing
• leftover pumpkin rice souffle

Tuesday

• corn dogs
• oven fried potatoes
• roasted carrots
• leftover pumpkin rice souffle
• strawberry and banana slices

Wednesday

• spinach, chive blossom and cheddar quiche
• brown rice
• strawberries and banana slices

Thursday

• waffles, topped with blackberries, pecans, whipped cream, and maple syrup
• banana slices

That's what we ate this past week. I have to say, my favorite meals this week were the frozen corn dogs and oven fries, and last night's waffles. I've done those waffles before, just like this with frozen blackberries, toasted pecans and whipped cream. They are pretty amazing. Even using kinda expensive ingredients, like the pecans, whipped cream and real maple syrup, I estimated hat a 2-waffle serving was still only about $1, which I think is not too bad.  The frozen corn dogs I bought in a 16-ct carton, at Fred Meyer, on sale, with electronic coupon and senior discount.  They came to about 21 cents each, which blows fast food out of the water, price-wise.

I hope you had a good week, and now have lovely plans for the weekend!

Grocery Shopping in Between the Holidays

This came up in discussion, here, recently.  In my area, I have found better sales a week or two outside of the holiday week, for those special holiday foods.  This week Fred Meyer (a Kroger affiliate) had Hebrew National hot dogs, potato chips, and graham crackers/marshmallows all on sale. These items are all what I think of as BBQ foods (graham crackers/marshmallows for s'mores).

Memorial Day was over a week ago, and we're still 3 weeks out from 4th of July week. My thinking is that the stores know they "have us" just before the holiday, but want to entice us outside of the holiday period, with season-specific sales, during those weeks when we might not be thinking cook-out.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I used this week, along with my discount for Senior Day, to grab some bargains to save until the 4th of July.  If I find these same items for less than I paid this week, it won't be by much. And if I don't find them at these prices, then I'm ahead of the game. Like with other treats, the potato chips and graham crackers are hidden in my "other" pantry, and the Hebrew Nationals have been designated "do not touch" and are in the garage fridge.

For some price comparisons -- with senior discount, I paid $1.35 for each box of graham crackers. when compared to Dollar Tree's graham crackers in a 10-oz box, the equivalent amount of Kroger's grahams (in a 14.4-oz box) were 93.75 cents, over 6 cents per box cheaper.  The Hebrew Nationals I am willing to spend as much as $3.99 per package. So I saved $1 per package.  The least expensive potato chips I can buy at Dollar Tree have 6 ounces in a bag.  The Kroger ones have 11.5 ounces in each bag.  I paid $1.69, with my discount.  A 6-ounce equivalent of the Kroger brand cost 88 cents. what I did not buy -- I did not buy the marshmallows. I can get a better deal at WinCo than $1 for the small bag advertised. And I make our own ketchup and buy mustard in gallon jars, so I save on those items outside of shopping Fred Meyer's "in-between" sale.

Roses, for Me? You Shouldn't Have!

Oh, you didn't.  I can count on one hand the number of purchased bouquets that I have received in the last couple of decades.  I really do love flowers. But I'm not about to sit around waiting for someone else to send me bouquets. So what does this bouquet-loving lady do?

Every spring and summer, I cut bouquets for myself every week. I keep them on the dresser in my room, or in the kitchen next to the sink, or in the bathroom next to the tub.  I put my own home-cut bouquets in the places where I most want to look at them. It simply makes me happy to have flowers in my spaces.

Earlier this spring, I had lilacs and irises. Monday was the first day of spring that I could cut enough roses for a small bouquet. This week, I have a half-dozen pink roses to bring cheer to my daily activities. Such a frugal but beautiful thing to do for myself.

Sesame Oil Flavor for a Salad by Toasting Hulled Sesame Seeds

(this 10-oz bottle sells for $5.53 on Amazon)

I was making a favorite Asian chicken and noodle salad for dinner last night and realized that I've been out of sesame oil for eons. At $4 or so for a small bottle, sesame oil has not been on my active shopping list since the early 2000s. It adds so much flavor to this salad, though, so I knew I'd be sad without that extra depth of flavor. To get that same sesame oil flavor I toasted hulled sesame seeds in a dry skillet until golden brown.

1/4 cup of toasted sesames added just the amount of flavor that I wanted for a family-size bowl of salad.

I was also out of green onions.

This time of year, my chive plants produce an abundance of blossoms. In addition to making flavored vinegar with the blossoms, I also add pulled apart blossoms to salads, soups and to top casseroles, for a little oniony flavor.

I don't know if you ever buy sesame oil, or if you happen across a recipe which calls for it. You can get a similar taste from toasting your own sesame seeds.  I buy sesame seeds in 1-lb bags for about $3 per pound. Sesame seeds keep in the freezer for a very long time, BTW.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the Last of May

Friday (just 2 for dinner)

• hot dogs in homemade buns 
• homemade French fries
• roasted carrot sticks
• sherbet

Saturday

• leftover pasta in sauce
• scrambled eggs
• frozen broccoli
• sherbet

Sunday (husband cooks)

• egg, cheese, and rice dish
• fried corn tortilla
• carrot sticks

Monday (Memorial Day)

• baked hot dogs in buns
• green salad (lettuce from garden), topped with olives, celery, roasted pecans, and prunes)
• sherbet

Tuesday

• black bean and cheese burritos
• roasted carrots
• olives
• sherbet

Wednesday

• baked chicken
• brown rice
• broccoli
• rhubarb pie

Thursday

• spinach frittata
• baked potatoes
• rhubarb pie
• what it really was -- waffles, whipped cream, frozen blackberries

Busy week. Life is having to take a back seat to some other situations and projects. I hope your week went well. What was on your menu this past week? Anything interesting? How do you change menus when the warm weather hits your area?

Have a wonderful weekend!

I've Got Something Major That I'm Working on Today

I'll be back tomorrow! What's on your plan for today? Happy first day of June!

May 2017 Grocery Shopping Journal

So, this is the month that I need to cut our grocery spending, even though my son is still living here. We have had a slew of heavy bills in the last couple of months. Bad, pretty bad. The only way to make the monthly budget work is to cut all areas of spending. I've set the grocery budget at $150.00 I also have a surplus that I can use of $221.17. So that brings my amount that I can spend up to $371.17. I don't want to spend all the surplus in one month, though. So I will endeavor to be careful with spending, once again.

May 2. Senior Discount day at Fred Meyer. I wouldn't miss the opportunity to save a few dollars. So, what I bought. The large box of powdered milk (makes 20 qts. least expensive per pound of the powdered), $13.76, vanilla soymilk, 1/2 gallon, $2.25, 8 oz mushrooms, 99 cents, 6 gallons of 2% and 1% milk (4 of 1, 2 of the other), $1.79 each, 5 lbs carrots, $2.69, 2 8-ct packages of cheap hot dogs, 80 cents each, 2 10-ct packages flour tortillas, 89 cents each, 80-oz jug of orange juice, $1.52, 1 dozen repackaged eggs, some large/some extra-large, 80 cents, 4 1-gallon pails of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, Neapolitan, rainbow sherbet), $2.69 each. Yes, I know, that is a lot of ice cream. In summer, when this brand goes on sale at our Fred Meyer, the price is usually $3.99 each. So, I bought the summer's supply now. Also bought gardening supplies, for $22.72. Total spent today, $69.61

I also bought lightbulbs, feminine hygiene supplies, and a gift while there. I spent just over $100, and the checker thought I did well, considering I filled a large cart. It felt like a lot of money to me, for not a whole lot of food (except ice cream). I still need to buy some produce and an assortment of other items that I pick up at other stores.

May 5. Stopped by WinCo and bought a 72-ct package of corn tortillas, $2.18, 1.35 lbs of cocoa powder ($3.08/lb) for $4.16, a few tablespoons of chili powder, at $3.52/lb,  23 bananas, at 52 cents/lb, 10-ounce bag of grape tomatoes, 98 cents, 5-lb bag of mandarin oranges, $5.98, 1.27 lb of raisins, at $1.79/lb, a handful of circus animal cookies for 55 cents, and a small amount of double dark French roast ground coffee, for $1.47. Total spent $22.53.  (Those last two items were a treat just for me. I didn't do anything for my birthday in April, so this was a belated birthday treat for me. Hopefully, I can do something with my family to celebrate my birthday at some point. Everyone is so busy, though, I don't see when this could happen.)

Total spent this month so far, $92.14.

May 6. My husband forgot to tell me he needed a RX picked up when I went out on Tuesday. So, I swung by Fred Meyer this afternoon, and while there, I got my two Friday Freebies -- a 10 oz bag of tortilla chips and a Yoplait Yogurt Dippers. I also bought a 2-lb container of strawberries for $2.88, a bottle of flavored water for $1 and a bottle of V-8 juice for $1.34. One daughter was with me, and we were going to have lunch out together, using a giftcard, at Panera. So, we picked up our drinks while at Fred Meyer. We usually have water to drink, but we splurged this time (yeah, shocked my daughter too). Anyway, total spent -- $5.22

May.11. Getting gas at Fred Meyer, and picking up a little more gardening supplies. Spent $9.37. Then also bought 1.39 lbs of asparagus at $1.99/lb. Total spent on garden and asparagus, $12.14.

Month to date spending -- $109.50

May 14. Cash & Carry, mainly for the last day of the butter on sale for $2.38/lb. I bought 14 lbs of butter, enough to last until early fall, I hope. I also bought a lot of produce: 10 lbs carrots ($3.98), 3 bundles celery ($4.40), 10 lbs potatoes ($1.57), 2 32-oz bags of chopped frozen broccoli ($2.27 each), 3-lb block of frozen spinach ($3.08), 2 heads of green cabbage ($1.36 each), 2 5-lb bags of Pink Lady apples ($4.03 each), 23 bananas (47 cents/lb), 1 gallon canola oil ($6.37), and 1 5-lb block of mild cheddar cheese ($10.67). Total spent $82.01

month to date spent -- 191.51

May 24. My son stopped at Cash & Carry for me and picked up 5 lbs of Pink Lady apples, $4.03, and 17 bananas at 42 cents/lb, for $2.59. Total spent $6.62

Month to date spent -- $198.13

May 28. Fred Meyer to pick up a lunch to finally celebrate my birthday. One daughter came with me and we chose a chocolate-raspberry torte, a prepared Caesar salad mix, a container of strawberries, a deli Asian chicken salad. I also picked up 3 freebies, the Ritz cracker chips, a Lindt truffle candy bar, and a pint of Silk soy creamer (supposed to be almond creamer but they didn't have it, so I asked if they would sub the soy). Total spent $18.28.

Total spent for the month -- $216.41

I had a total of $371.17 to spend, and I spent $216.41. That leaves me with a surplus of $154.76 going into June. I had a couple of splurges this month. Hopefully in June everything will be more normal. At least I have a supply of butter again.


What I bought:

Dairy
individual yogurt (Freebie)
large box of powdered milk
1/2 gallon soy milk
6 gallons milk
1 dozen eggs
4 gallons of ice cream
5 lbs cheddar cheese
14 lbs butter
Soy creamer, 16-oz (freebie)

Meat
16 hotdogs
Asian chicken salad, prepared from deli

Produce
1 individual bottle of V-8 juice
3 lbs strawberries
8 ounces mushrooms
15 lbs carrots
80 ounces orange juice
gardening supplies for the veggie and herb garden
63 bananas
10 ounces of grape tomatoes
5 lbs of mandarin oranges
1.27 lbs raisins
1.39 lbs of asparagus
15 lbs apples
3 bundles celery
10 lbs potatoes
2 heads of green cabbage
4 lbs of frozen broccoli
3 lbs of frozen spinach
one container of Caesar salad mix

Pantry
1 individual bottle of flavored water
10 oz bag tortilla chips (freebie)
20 flour tortillas
72 corn tortillas
1.35 lbs cocoa powder
small amount of chili powder
a handful of circus animal cookies
small amount of ground coffee
1 gallon canola oil
Lindt truffle bar (freebie)
Ritz cracker chips (freebie)

I bought a lot of produce this month. There were few treats, too, but not a lot. $33 of the budget was spent on butter. That butter should last through the summer. I'll be shopping again in just a couple of days. I seem to have fallen into a pattern of a big one or two shops at the beginning of the month, and then not a whole lot for the rest of the month. Anyone else find they do that, too? My thinking is it is in part a mental thing of not wanting to overspend the budget, as the month progresses, combined with the Senior Discount day which is early in the month, and I typically buy a large share of our food that day.

I feel like I didn't do a very good job of cutting spending.

Shopping for Vintage Dishes

I think that I've mentioned my obsession with dishes before. Yesterday was Value Village's Memorial Day 50% off sale. One of my daughters needed a ride to their store. So, I went, found myself some new stretchy, black casual pants, an ice cream scoop, and this platter.

The pattern is Wood & Sons "Summer Spray." It's ironstone, excellent condition, and I paid $4.99.

When I shop for dishes, I keep 4 things in mind:

• no chips, cracks, or crazing (if I really, really like a dish, I'll accept a little crazing, but no chips/cracks); also I check the surface for knife scratches. Knife scratches will give a good indication of previous use.
• they don't have to be the exact pattern that I already have, but similar in feel 
• the label on the back can give indications as to how old a dish might be, which is important for things like whether or not it's microwaveable
• I make guesstimates about resale value for items -- I like to pay about half of what I think it might currently sell for, on ebay or at a garage sale

I gave those considerations thought when shopping yesterday. No cracks or chips. I even turned down one bowl that I really liked because it had a chipped edge. For the most part, a chip would hinder my ability to resell a dish.

The platter has no crazing whatsoever, a good sign; and few knife scratches. Platters generally don't receive a lot of use, in comparison to plates, bowls, cups or mugs. 

It's not a match for any of my patterns but it carries some of the feel of the patterns I use, such as the color palette is brown and burgundy on ivory. In addition, it's a transferware pattern, which means that a print has been transferred from an engraved copperplate onto a sheet of paper, then onto the unfired clay dish. The clay absorbs the design from the paper, and the dish is glazed and fired. This process gives transferware dishes a distinct look, like an engraved ink print. My Rose Chintz, Friendly Village, and Liberty Blue (the dinner plates that I use for 4th of July) patterns are all transferware. I find myself drawn to their look. This platter picks up both the browns of Friendly Village and burgundy of Rose Chintz, so I'll use it with either pattern.

The labels are always amusing to me. This one says that it is "detergent proof." I would hope so!! I checked the label, online, once I got home. This plate is likely from the 1960s. Yes, folks were using detergents before that decade, as early as the 30s in the US and the 40s in the UK. What I believe this label refers to is automatic dishwashers, and their detergent. Electric, home dishwashers really weren't common before the 1950s. Most folks were using dishwashing soap, not detergent, until about the mid-20th century. Initial detergents may not have been uniformly produced. Some may have been more caustic than others. Subsequently, there may have been fears that detergent could harm the finish or the inks under the glaze on the plates. Some china patterns were hand-painted, and definitely could not take detergent or any harsh washing conditions. But this dish manufacturer wanted the buyer to know that the platter would be safe washed with detergents, and probably in electric dishwashers. Anyway, the label on this plate indicates that it is from the 1960s. Why does that matter to me? If I want to resell it, having more info on the platter will improve the likelihood of a quick sale at a good price. Also, knowing its age, I won't allow this to go into the microwave.

For resale value, in the store I had guessed that I might be able to sell it for as much as $20 on ebay. I wasn't too far off. I think I could get $15 on ebay, which would still get me three times what I paid for it. If I were to sell it at a garage sale, in my neighborhood I'm sure I could $15 for it, if I set up my sale to look like one of my neighbors does. She sets up her garage sales to look like nice shops -- no junk, just nice vintage items.

I know that I buy a lot of dishes. I'm okay with that for two reasons: 1) it's one of very few passions (that cost money) that I have, 2) by keeping my frivolous spending to one category of items, I am creating a stockpile of a collection with which I could set up a shop, online. A collection of similar items gives me a genre, which in turn attracts a specialized customer base. It's something that I keep in mind when I'm shopping for dishes.

Anyway, that was my fun for the morning yesterday. And it didn't break the bank! 

Using Bottled Lemon Juice That Has Gone Off

I had this jug of lemon juice in the pantry from a purchase I made a little over a year ago. I think that I had calculated that we would need more lemon juice soon, when I found it on sale at Cash & Carry. And then an odd thing happened and no one was drinking homemade lemonade any more in our house. Years of everyone drinking the homemade lemonade, then suddenly no one wanted any. As a result, I didn't go through the bottle in the fridge as quickly.

The other day I did finish off that original bottle, and went to open the one from the pantry. Inside the jug it looked dark. I poured a little bit into a glass container, and it was definitely darker than normal. It smelled not quite as lemony, and maybe a little off. But, of course, I'm not sure. I'm not about to drink it; however, I didn't want to pour it out.

So . . .

Lemon juice is an acid and a good degreaser. I can attest that along with a little scrubbing, it makes a decent bathtub and sink cleaner. I also added a little to my (el cheapo) hand dishwashing liquid, to boost the degreasing ability. I'll be trying it in several cleaning applications.

Just couldn't allow myself to toss it out. If I can use this lemon juice where I would normally use vinegar, this will extend my current supply of vinegar substantially. Waste not, want not.