I have a pay-as-you-go phone plan for my $4.99 cheapo phone. When I load minutes, I check online for coupon codes to enter at check-out. By doing so, I wind up with an extra 40 or 50 minutes of free airtime. It takes about 60 seconds to find a coupon code, and I get enough extra minutes for about 80 brief texts. Since I mostly use my phone for texting my daughters concerning when they'll be home each day, this is like getting a month of free end-of-day texting for my phone. I don't want to be responsible for sending someone to a "bad" site, but if you google your phone plan company + "coupon codes" your search should bring you to a site with listings of active codes, plus some reviews or comments to get an idea of whether or not the codes will work. Sometimes a coupon code is expired or only designed to be use once. When that happens, I simply back-up and try a different code. Within one or two tries I find a working code. Last Thursday I added airtime and used a code for 40 free minutes. My minutes cost me about 7.8 cents each, so I got $3.15 worth of free airtime for 60 seconds of work, or an hourly wage of $189.00. Not too shabby.
By the way, I love my dumb-phone. It does what I need it to do for under $10 per month, and I have a nice pic of my kids as my screen saver every time I turn it on. Everyone else in my household has a smartphone, but I am really okay with not having one. The money that I save by using a non-smartphone goes to things that matter more to me, like travel.
Mini-update -- after mentioning I'd added minutes to my phone to one daughter, she told me that she had wanted to buy me a smartphone as a belated birthday and Christmas present. Very sweet of her, but I declined. I honestly am just fine with my dumb-phone. By the way, I'm not trying to convince anyone else to want what I want. My point is that knowing what we want and what we don't want saves money and simplifies choices.
Monday, August 28, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
Preparing meals when I don't feel like it
One of the difficulties with depression is that every last chore feels like so much more work than it ever did before. For me, putting on shoes felt like a lot of work. (That's hard to imagine, isn't it?) So, for most of winter, spring and summer, if I didn't need to go somewhere I just wore slippers all day, even outside in the garden, in the yard, or on the deck. It was just simpler.
Now if this is just shoes, can you imagine what cooking feels like? It's been a struggle to make high-quality meals while not feeling myself, and while taking on some added work in the form of classes and seminars to prepare to go back to work and/or start a business. However, I do like to eat.
My solution has been to take the simple route as much as possible. We've had a lot of hot dog dinners. I have been buying bread and buns instead of baking regularly. I'm not scavenging in the garden as much, but buying produce instead. And side dishes for meals are simple but delicious foods.
Some for instances of simple but delicious sides this week. . .
fresh figs from the garden to top cut up fruit
a dressing to top a green salad -- pureed basil, cherry tomatoes, garlic and the tail end of a vinaigrette, using a stick blender in a cup to puree
blueberry coffee cake, where the tiring part was picking the blueberries; otherwise, to make coffee cake, I add less liquid and more sugar to my standard scratch pancake recipe, then top with a cinnamon crumb topping -- no recipe or cookbook to get out.
just plain strawberries, delicious, fresh, but plain. It is so unlike me to not even slice the strawberries.
I have had to be selective in how I use my time and energy. Good food matters, but fancy food does not.
Not every day has been hard. I don't go around with a glum look on my face all of the time. And I do think that I am having more positive days than I had been.
A different take on my Cheap & Cheerful menus. What was on your menu this past week? The summer fresh foods will be yielding to autumn comfort foods soon. Is there any particular summer food that you will miss? Have a great weekend!
Now if this is just shoes, can you imagine what cooking feels like? It's been a struggle to make high-quality meals while not feeling myself, and while taking on some added work in the form of classes and seminars to prepare to go back to work and/or start a business. However, I do like to eat.
My solution has been to take the simple route as much as possible. We've had a lot of hot dog dinners. I have been buying bread and buns instead of baking regularly. I'm not scavenging in the garden as much, but buying produce instead. And side dishes for meals are simple but delicious foods.
Some for instances of simple but delicious sides this week. . .
fresh figs from the garden to top cut up fruit
a dressing to top a green salad -- pureed basil, cherry tomatoes, garlic and the tail end of a vinaigrette, using a stick blender in a cup to puree
blueberry coffee cake, where the tiring part was picking the blueberries; otherwise, to make coffee cake, I add less liquid and more sugar to my standard scratch pancake recipe, then top with a cinnamon crumb topping -- no recipe or cookbook to get out.
just plain strawberries, delicious, fresh, but plain. It is so unlike me to not even slice the strawberries.
I have had to be selective in how I use my time and energy. Good food matters, but fancy food does not.
Not every day has been hard. I don't go around with a glum look on my face all of the time. And I do think that I am having more positive days than I had been.
A different take on my Cheap & Cheerful menus. What was on your menu this past week? The summer fresh foods will be yielding to autumn comfort foods soon. Is there any particular summer food that you will miss? Have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 24, 2017
The Two-fold Benefit of Not Wasting the Fat
Yesterday, I cooked a couple of pieces of bacon at breakfast. Doing so left me with several tablespoons of flavorful bacon fat. I poured off the fat into a custard cup to use later, and afterward sauteed some onions in the greasy pan. I didn't have immediate use for the sauteed onions, so I scooped them onto the top of a large container of frozen soup. They'll add flavor when I reheat this as supper some evening. I typically do this when I cook bacon, pour off what I can and then saute onions or celery in the greasy pan, to add to something later, freezing if I need to (great for doing the onions and celery ahead of time, for stuffing).
I do this (make sure I use every bit of the flavorful fat) for two reasons. When you buy bacon (or any meat, for that matter) you are paying for the fat as well as the lean portion. In frugal terms, it makes sense to use the fat as well as the lean (obviously, health issues trump frugality). I don't want to waste something for which I have paid good money.
 |
| After pouring off most of the fat, it only takes about 1/2 cup of diced vegetables to de-grease a pan. |
In addition, I have to wash that greasy pan. Cooking some vegetables in the greasy pan removes some of the fat from the pan. This means that not only is my washing chore easier, but I use less detergent, hot water and elbow grease. It's a win all around.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
So, what's going on with me?
You know the joke -- "enough about me, let's talk about you. What do you think of me?" Anyway. . .
I knew that at some point I would write this post. I just wasn't together enough to actually write it, until now. So, what is going on with me? I am struggling terribly with depression these days. Not the blues, not just a bad day or string of bad days, but full-blown depression. It began to settle in about a year and a half ago. One of my daughters made a comment about my lack of joy, no smiles, and no laughs last summer. I couldn't pull myself out of this and knew I couldn't continue to live in such emotional pain. I began seeing a therapist a year ago. She had me see my doctor and rule out several medical possibilities. I have addressed one medical situation and continue to do as instructed with that. But the depression has persisted. I can't make it go away, but I can work on uncovering the thought processes and behaviors that I continue with, that cause me to allow other people to treat me poorly. It's no coincidence that several people in my life treat me poorly. It is how they say -- we teach people how to treat us.
This past year I've felt utterly broken. And now I am beginning to put the pieces back together and forge a different path for myself. I feel better getting this out there, and letting you all know why I am not always engaged here. It's not you, it's me. So, yeah, the big D, depression. It's really nasty stuff. But oddly, I am grateful for it. As through addressing depression I have begun to find peace and acceptance of myself, instead of always scrambling after love and acceptance from others.
Anyway, that's what's going on with me. I am working hard to get it together. The week away that I had did wonders for my perspective. I continue to work on my issues, and work towards a future. I apologize if my disappearing a few times this past spring and summer caused any concern for you. I'll be okay. Hope all is well for you.
I knew that at some point I would write this post. I just wasn't together enough to actually write it, until now. So, what is going on with me? I am struggling terribly with depression these days. Not the blues, not just a bad day or string of bad days, but full-blown depression. It began to settle in about a year and a half ago. One of my daughters made a comment about my lack of joy, no smiles, and no laughs last summer. I couldn't pull myself out of this and knew I couldn't continue to live in such emotional pain. I began seeing a therapist a year ago. She had me see my doctor and rule out several medical possibilities. I have addressed one medical situation and continue to do as instructed with that. But the depression has persisted. I can't make it go away, but I can work on uncovering the thought processes and behaviors that I continue with, that cause me to allow other people to treat me poorly. It's no coincidence that several people in my life treat me poorly. It is how they say -- we teach people how to treat us.
This past year I've felt utterly broken. And now I am beginning to put the pieces back together and forge a different path for myself. I feel better getting this out there, and letting you all know why I am not always engaged here. It's not you, it's me. So, yeah, the big D, depression. It's really nasty stuff. But oddly, I am grateful for it. As through addressing depression I have begun to find peace and acceptance of myself, instead of always scrambling after love and acceptance from others.
Anyway, that's what's going on with me. I am working hard to get it together. The week away that I had did wonders for my perspective. I continue to work on my issues, and work towards a future. I apologize if my disappearing a few times this past spring and summer caused any concern for you. I'll be okay. Hope all is well for you.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Cucumber Water
Last week I drank copious amounts of cucumber-lemon water. It was delicious and the perfect thirst-quencher when hot. Yesterday, I made a quart for myself. I didn't have a lemon at home, but do have cucumbers. I took about 1-inch of the end of a cucumber (including the stem bit that I would normally toss), and sliced it very thin to expose as much surface of the cucumber as possible. I dropped the cucumber slices into a glass, one-quart jar (glass is important) and filled with filtered water from the fridge. The water picked up the cucumber flavor within minutes.
When I am done with this one-inch section of cucumber I'll puree it into a vegetable drink. Nothing wasted.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Eclipse-mania
The Pacific Northwest is enmeshed in eclipse-mania today. It's all anyone was talking about at church yesterday. I know people who have traveled to Oregon to get a sighting of it in its totality. Those "special glasses" are sold-out throughout the Seattle area. The solar eclipse begins just after 9 AM and is complete by about 11:30 AM, in my area. Will you be in a spot to catch this eclipse?
Update: !0:20 AM
The yard is eerily darkened. Everywhere there is semi-shade from trees, there are these crescent-shaped light patches. I noticed them first in the back yard, then went out in front and the same thing on the driveway and the lawn. thought I'd share --
Update: !0:20 AM
The yard is eerily darkened. Everywhere there is semi-shade from trees, there are these crescent-shaped light patches. I noticed them first in the back yard, then went out in front and the same thing on the driveway and the lawn. thought I'd share --
Obviously, I'm photographing them from different angles. IRL, they are all aligned the same direction.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Cold Meal for a Hot Day
We are in the middle of a heat wave, here in Seattle. No A/C, just a couple of floor fans, and it is very warm in the house. Not wanting to heat the house when making dinner yesterday I took a suggestion from the comments a while back on using canned tuna. I made a macaroni-tuna salad. It was very tasty, refreshing, and used the odd bits of this and that without feeling like a "leftover" meal.
To one can of tuna I added 2 ounces of cheddar, diced, 1 boiled egg, chopped, about 10 ounces of dry macaroni, cooked, 3 green onions, some lettuce and kale, the last of the green olives, 5 large cherry tomatoes, mayonnaise and lots of sweet pickle relish. I didn't have enough leafy greens to make beds under the salad, so I just chopped the greens and added them to the macaroni. It worked well. I prepared the salad early in the day and left it to chill until serving. No overheated kitchen for me!
Tonight, I'm making microwaved baked potatoes, topped with chopped, microwave-steamed kale, some diced ham and a cheese sauce. It should all go together quickly, and not create too much kitchen heat.
How about you? What are your favorite heat wave suppers?
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
July 2017 Grocery Spending Journal
July 1. Safeway. I have a coupon for hot dog buns at 50 cents a package, plus blueberries and cherries are on sale. (Safeway is just around the corner, and I needed to get out of the house, anyway.) I bought 2 packages of buns, 2 18-oz containers of blueberries for $2.99 each, and a little over a lb of Rainer cherries for $2.99/lb. Total spent $10.15.
July 4. Senior Discount Day at Fred Meyer. I bought 1 gallon of whole milk (for yogurt) at $1.79, 2 gallons of 2% milk at $1.61 each, large can of coffee and large can of decaf for $5.39 each, 8 packages of 6-ct fun size Baby Ruth, on clearance for 49 cents each (Halloween candy and some treats for us), 3 10-ct packages of flour tortillas, 89 cents each, 7 loaves of wheat bread, 80 cents each (freezing most for later in the month), 1 lb of butter for $2.24 (limit one with coupon), 2 packages of hotdogs, 80 cents each, 1 package of Hebrew Nationals, $2.50, 1 box of saltine crackers, 90 cents, 4 15-oz jars of peanut butter for 89 cents each, 2 half-gallons of almond milk, $1.85 each, 24-oz ketchup, 90 cents, 2 lbs of cherries, $2.99/lb, 4 reg. bananas and 14 baby bananas for 39 cents/lb, 2 lbs of broccoli crowns, 99 cents/lb, 3/4 lb of sunflower seeds, $1.79/lb, 1 box of artificial sweetener at 99 cents, 4 family packs of bone-in chicken breasts at 87 cents/lb. I also got a 5 oz. package of gummi bears as a freebie. Total spent -- $72.97.
July 6. I had a long appointment earlier in the day, and afterward checked out the produce stand in their parking lot. The prices felt too high, so I didn't buy anything. However, I knew that cherries were on sale at Albertson's for $1.88/ lb, and Albertson's would be on my way home. I stopped in and bought a bag of cherries. $4.15
July 9. On the way home from church I once again stopped at Albertson's for cherries. This will be my last batch as they're just not as good as the first few batches, from early in the season. $4.55
This is where I found myself too busy to document what I spent on what. However, in looking at my credit card statement, I can give you an idea of what I spent on groceries for the remainder of the month.
On July 11 I went to QFC (a regular grocery store chain in our area. They have kinda high prices, but I do well checking the markdowns there. I spent $24.22 and bought blueberries, coffee, carrots, bananas, and broccoli, trying to only buy the sale produce items and stay as close to $20 as I could.
On July 19 I went back to QFC and found a lot of markdowns. I bought several boxes of breakfast cereal, Kashi granola-type bars, watermelon, peaches, plums, stir-fry mix, carrots, a bag of baby carrots/broccoli/cauliflower, cabbage, bananas, a box of 6 donuts, milk and maybe something else that I can't remember. I spent $49.20.
On July 30, a quick stop at Albertson's on the way home from church and we bought more bananas (they're cheap and highly portable), eggs, milk, potatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, lettuce, and more carrots (carrots are a bargain staple for us). I spent $24.26.
Forgive me if I don't update my complete list below, with the last 3 store trips. What I know, though, is that I spent $189.48. Not too bad, considering I didn't shop as I usually do. Today is August 1, and Senior Shopping day at Fred Meyer. I decided to skip it this month. I just got a huge project turned in an hour ago, then took care of bills, and now it's hot today, and I'm tired and just don't want to go out. I'll stay cooler overall if I stay in.
My super-duper busy period is coming to a close. Yay! I've got about a week's worth of hard work to get through, and then . . . I'm taking a vacation. Yep! "I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" (well, yes, I do, I have a plane ticket with a return date, so I do in fact know when I'll be back). I am sooooo looking forward to this vacation. After I return I think I'll have more time to post regularly again. And until then, I'll be here as often as I think I have anything relevant to say. I hope all is well with you, and that you're enjoying your summer.
What I Bought:
Produce
36 oz. blueberries
1 lb Rainer cherries
2 lbs red cherries
4 regular bananas
14 baby bananas
2 lbs broccoli crowns
Meat
Dairy
2 gallons 2% milk
1 gallon whole milk
1 lb butter
1 gallon almond milk
22 lbs of chicken breasts
Pantry
2 packages hot dog buns
1 can coffee
1 can decaf
48 fun size candy bars
30 flour tortilla
2 packages cheap hot dogs
1 package Hebrew Nationals
7 loaves bread
box of saltine crackers
4 jars of peanut butter
bottle ketchup
3/4 lb sunflower seeds
small package gummi bears (freebie)
July 4. Senior Discount Day at Fred Meyer. I bought 1 gallon of whole milk (for yogurt) at $1.79, 2 gallons of 2% milk at $1.61 each, large can of coffee and large can of decaf for $5.39 each, 8 packages of 6-ct fun size Baby Ruth, on clearance for 49 cents each (Halloween candy and some treats for us), 3 10-ct packages of flour tortillas, 89 cents each, 7 loaves of wheat bread, 80 cents each (freezing most for later in the month), 1 lb of butter for $2.24 (limit one with coupon), 2 packages of hotdogs, 80 cents each, 1 package of Hebrew Nationals, $2.50, 1 box of saltine crackers, 90 cents, 4 15-oz jars of peanut butter for 89 cents each, 2 half-gallons of almond milk, $1.85 each, 24-oz ketchup, 90 cents, 2 lbs of cherries, $2.99/lb, 4 reg. bananas and 14 baby bananas for 39 cents/lb, 2 lbs of broccoli crowns, 99 cents/lb, 3/4 lb of sunflower seeds, $1.79/lb, 1 box of artificial sweetener at 99 cents, 4 family packs of bone-in chicken breasts at 87 cents/lb. I also got a 5 oz. package of gummi bears as a freebie. Total spent -- $72.97.
July 6. I had a long appointment earlier in the day, and afterward checked out the produce stand in their parking lot. The prices felt too high, so I didn't buy anything. However, I knew that cherries were on sale at Albertson's for $1.88/ lb, and Albertson's would be on my way home. I stopped in and bought a bag of cherries. $4.15
July 9. On the way home from church I once again stopped at Albertson's for cherries. This will be my last batch as they're just not as good as the first few batches, from early in the season. $4.55
This is where I found myself too busy to document what I spent on what. However, in looking at my credit card statement, I can give you an idea of what I spent on groceries for the remainder of the month.
On July 11 I went to QFC (a regular grocery store chain in our area. They have kinda high prices, but I do well checking the markdowns there. I spent $24.22 and bought blueberries, coffee, carrots, bananas, and broccoli, trying to only buy the sale produce items and stay as close to $20 as I could.
On July 19 I went back to QFC and found a lot of markdowns. I bought several boxes of breakfast cereal, Kashi granola-type bars, watermelon, peaches, plums, stir-fry mix, carrots, a bag of baby carrots/broccoli/cauliflower, cabbage, bananas, a box of 6 donuts, milk and maybe something else that I can't remember. I spent $49.20.
On July 30, a quick stop at Albertson's on the way home from church and we bought more bananas (they're cheap and highly portable), eggs, milk, potatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, lettuce, and more carrots (carrots are a bargain staple for us). I spent $24.26.
Forgive me if I don't update my complete list below, with the last 3 store trips. What I know, though, is that I spent $189.48. Not too bad, considering I didn't shop as I usually do. Today is August 1, and Senior Shopping day at Fred Meyer. I decided to skip it this month. I just got a huge project turned in an hour ago, then took care of bills, and now it's hot today, and I'm tired and just don't want to go out. I'll stay cooler overall if I stay in.
My super-duper busy period is coming to a close. Yay! I've got about a week's worth of hard work to get through, and then . . . I'm taking a vacation. Yep! "I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again" (well, yes, I do, I have a plane ticket with a return date, so I do in fact know when I'll be back). I am sooooo looking forward to this vacation. After I return I think I'll have more time to post regularly again. And until then, I'll be here as often as I think I have anything relevant to say. I hope all is well with you, and that you're enjoying your summer.
What I Bought:
Produce
36 oz. blueberries
1 lb Rainer cherries
2 lbs red cherries
4 regular bananas
14 baby bananas
2 lbs broccoli crowns
Meat
Dairy
2 gallons 2% milk
1 gallon whole milk
1 lb butter
1 gallon almond milk
22 lbs of chicken breasts
Pantry
2 packages hot dog buns
1 can coffee
1 can decaf
48 fun size candy bars
30 flour tortilla
2 packages cheap hot dogs
1 package Hebrew Nationals
7 loaves bread
box of saltine crackers
4 jars of peanut butter
bottle ketchup
3/4 lb sunflower seeds
small package gummi bears (freebie)
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Cheaper Than Take-out!
Last night's dinner was a treat for me after getting a major job completed. I was in the grocery store in the late afternoon picking up some fruit and I came upon these stir-fry bags on markdown. This one is snow peas, broccoli and bok choi with a sesame pepper sauce packet. At $1.49 I thought it was worth a gamble. Once home, I added some diced chicken breast and marked down mushrooms. I served this over brown rice, along with a fruit salad consisting of berries from our garden, grapes given to me and 2 marked down bananas. All-inclusive, dinner for the entire family cost about $5. That's really not too bad. And it was quite delicious. The sauce packet was flavorful enough even with chicken and mushrooms added. I didn't need to add a single extra thing.
And this is for Carol -- quickie marinara from tomato paste.
- tomato paste
- olive oil
- garlic powder or granules
- dried oregano
- minced basil
- cayenne or other ground red pepper (optional)
- salt
- water
- microwavable bowl
I stir this all together in the microwavable bowl, heat and either toss with pasta or use as pizza sauce.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
I haven't been frugal this past week,
but then again, I haven't been not frugal (if that makes any sense).
I'm still here, just busy with a big assignment, taking care of the home and arranging repairs, and being a mom.
When I'm really busy, spending money on anything takes a back seat for a while. Shopping is time-consuming. We've eaten mostly from our supplies at home, with one very brief grocery shopping trip to pick up vegetables and fruit. If I had had more time, I might have browsed the store longer and found items that I thought we needed, and spent more. But as it turned out, we really didn't need more than some bananas, blueberries, carrots and broccoli to get through the week. I also didn't shop for anything for the house or personal stuff. Just no time. So there is an upside to being especially busy.
Simple meals at home often take less hands-on time to prepare than driving out to pick up dinner at a restaurant. My simple meals are not at all in the gourmet-league, more like fried hotdogs with rice and plain veggies, or ramen noodle soup enhanced with chicken and vegetables. Tonight it will be some sort of quick pasta dish, making a quickie marinara sauce from tomato paste, herbs and garlic powder, then poured over cooked noodles. A few more weeks and I will have more time for better meals again, and blogging more, too!
I hope all is well at your end.
I'm still here, just busy with a big assignment, taking care of the home and arranging repairs, and being a mom.
When I'm really busy, spending money on anything takes a back seat for a while. Shopping is time-consuming. We've eaten mostly from our supplies at home, with one very brief grocery shopping trip to pick up vegetables and fruit. If I had had more time, I might have browsed the store longer and found items that I thought we needed, and spent more. But as it turned out, we really didn't need more than some bananas, blueberries, carrots and broccoli to get through the week. I also didn't shop for anything for the house or personal stuff. Just no time. So there is an upside to being especially busy.
Simple meals at home often take less hands-on time to prepare than driving out to pick up dinner at a restaurant. My simple meals are not at all in the gourmet-league, more like fried hotdogs with rice and plain veggies, or ramen noodle soup enhanced with chicken and vegetables. Tonight it will be some sort of quick pasta dish, making a quickie marinara sauce from tomato paste, herbs and garlic powder, then poured over cooked noodles. A few more weeks and I will have more time for better meals again, and blogging more, too!
I hope all is well at your end.
Monday, July 10, 2017
I won't be around much for the next week. . .
I have a lot going on this week, and I'm struggling to do it all. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Friday, July 7, 2017
It's Been Another Busy Week
I did not record any meals this week, again. With the 4th of July, Senior Shopping Day (which is an exhausting shopping excursion for me), a 3-hour meeting yesterday, and trying to get some other work taken care of meant that I got meals on the table, but not much time to record. I do have a pretty good memory, though.
What we ate (but not in this order) --
What we ate (but not in this order) --
- baked chicken breasts, with rice pilaf, and leftover jello salad
- hot dogs cooked over a fire, s'mores, red, white & blue jello salad, potato chips, steamed broccoli, sparkling pear cider and 7-up
- chicken, black bean, Swiss chard and onion wrap sandwiches (using the leftover chicken from the baked chicken), fruit salad of blueberries, strawberries and baby bananas (these were marked down to 39 cents/lb, along with other aging bananas)
- ham and lentil soup, cheddar bay biscuits, lettuce and cabbage salad
- ham and scrambled eggs, green beans, brown rice
- peanuts and garlic noodles, deep-fried rhubarb, carrots and onions
- lentil burritos, cole slaw
On Senior Discount Day I picked up about 22 lbs of bone-in chicken breasts, at 87 cents/lb. The breasts are large, in total 16 of them, so over a pound each. I found that 2 baked breasts were enough meat for all of us, with some meaty bones remaining. Right after serving dinner, I popped the meaty bones into the crockpot, covered with 2 cups of water, and set to simmer overnight. By the next morning, the meat was falling off the bones, leaving me with about 1 1/2 cups of meat, and 2 cups of stock. This leftover meat was plenty for making 7 wrap sandwiches. I may be able to get 22 meals out of the chicken that I bought.
The other things that I bought on Senior Day included 7 loaves of bread (to freeze for later this month), more hot dogs, more flour tortillas, peanut butter, and several packages of fun-size candy bars (some for the family as a treat, and some for Hallowe'en). These candy bars were being discontinued by the store, so marked down to 49 cents/ package of 6. Believe it or not, October is only 3 months away!
I hope you had a wonderful week! What was on your menu this past week? Have a great weekend!
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Substituting Herb Vinegar for Lemon Juice in a Chicken Recipe
I was making a Mediterranean-inspired baked chicken dish last night, the recipe for which calls for lemon juice. Maybe you recall, about a month ago I discovered that my jug of lemon juice no longer looked or smelled quite right, so it was allocated to cleaning supplies. I have yet to replace that jug.
So, thinking about pie recipes which were flavored with vinegar in the olden days, I thought maybe a variation on the vinegar would work in this recipe. I went online and found that yes, indeed, vinegar is used as a substitute for lemon juice in some instances. The cooks which suggested this often suggested half as much vinegar as a recipe would call for in lemon juice. that sounded a bit strong for me, so I went with about 1/4 to 1/3 of the amount of an herb vinegar, than what I would have used in lemon juice. This particular herb vinegar was made last summer using rosemary from my garden. The flavor was compatible with the other flavors in the dish that I was making.
The result -- it worked well. I did not taste like lemon, but it had that nice tang that lemon juice will give to a dish. In a pinch, this did work. Other substitutions which were offered for lemon juice included lime juice (of course), white wine, orange juice, and sherry. I also think that unsweetened, white grape juice might make a good substitution for lemon juice. The choice of any of these would depend on the type of dish one was modifying. And it helps to keep in mind that you are essentially creating a new dish, with new flavors, and not simply replicating the old one.
Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the vinegar substitution worked in the marinade for the baked chicken and the subsequent gravy.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Here's My Red, White, and Blue Jello Salad
Is it a salad if it tastes like dessert? Blue jello with fresh blueberries on the bottom layer, topped with whipped cream that I had frozen in mounds since late fall, then smoothed after thawing, and finally fresh strawberries from our garden. It looks pretty, I think. And it was simple to make. Here's a side view, too.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Happy 4th!
Wishing you a safe and sane holiday! I made a blue jello salad, filled with blueberries, and will top with whipped cream, and fresh strawberries from the garden, later today. The blue jello had been lingering in the pantry from some event 6 years ago! And the whipped cream is in the freezer, leftover from late fall. I did splurge on the blueberries, though. It was the best thing I could think of to use the blue jello.
And of course, I'll get out my Liberty Blue dishes, and patriotic table runner. My plan is to set up a long table on the deck for dinner, then we can sit around the fire to toast marshmallows afterward.
Any special plans for you and yours? Stay safe!
Happy 4th of July!
And of course, I'll get out my Liberty Blue dishes, and patriotic table runner. My plan is to set up a long table on the deck for dinner, then we can sit around the fire to toast marshmallows afterward.
Any special plans for you and yours? Stay safe!
Happy 4th of July!
Monday, July 3, 2017
June 2017 Grocery Spending Journal
June. 4. Picking up a daughter late on a Sunday. She needs her bus pass filled so we swing by QFC. Their bus/customer service desk is closed. Rats! I'll have to get up early tomorrow and take her to the transit center before she needs to get on a bus for class. Oh well, while here, I'll check some aisles. I buy milk, four 1/2 gals (99 cents each), 1 half gallon of almond milk (1.99), 12 "baking" bananas, 49 cents lb (I dug through all of them and found two bundles still in the okay-for-eating stage), and 1 large loaf of bread for $1.25. The price on bread is way too high, but we need bread, and I won't have time for even the simplest bread this evening. Bread, milk and bananas -- a person could live on that for a couple of days, if need be. I also bought some birthday candles for fall birthdays, on clearance. Total spent on food -- $9.26
June 6. Senior Discount Day at Fred Meyer. First thing, they brought back the coffee and cookies for seniors. They hadn't been offering that for the last several months. Having it again was a pleasant surprise. What I bought -- 10 half-gallons of milk, for 89 cents each, 1 half gallon almond milk, $2.25, 3 packages of store brand hot dogs for 80 cents each, 2 packages of Hebrew National hot dogs for $2.99 each (saving these for the 4th of July and maybe another cook-out), 1 package of hot dog buns for 80 cents, 1 16 oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate for $1.35, 15 bananas at 39 cents/lb, 1 1/4 lbs of strawberries for 99 cents, 4 dozen eggs for 89 cents/dozen, 3 packages of flour tortillas for 89 cents/package, 1 bag of sour chewy candy for free (a Friday Freebie), 4 5-ounce cans of tuna for 62 cents each, 2 bags of potato chips for $1.69 each, 3 boxes of graham crackers for $1.35 each, 1 box of saltines for 89 cents, 4 packages of ramen soup for 25 cents each, and 1 16-ct box of frozen corn dogs for $3.37. Total spent -- $47.15
Yes, that was my shopping cart, and no, I haven't completely lost my mind. A couple of prompts for this diversion from my regular shopping. I noticed a week ago that one daughter had bought herself some ramen for a quick to make lunch. So I thought I would just keep some on hand for her. I also thought saltine crackers might be nice to have on hand to go with homemade soup or salads, or to make PPJ on crackers (always a favorite), or melted cheese on crackers, again quick lunch thought. The tuna was for easy to make sandwich dinners. I'm not a huge fan of tuna, but the rest of the family will like it, and tuna sandwiches or tuna salad on garden lettuce would be a quick and easy dinner. The graham crackers, potato chips and Hebrew Nationals were a special this week, so I thought I'd stock up for holiday BBQs (4th of July just around the corner). And the corn dogs were a great deal for super quick dinners that I know my family would love. After coupon and discount, they came out to 21 cents each. About as fast as getting any sort of take out, but a fraction of the price. A change from my regular shopping. But I think I should be able to stay within my spending allotment, even with this shopping. I'll make a run by the produce stand or ethnic market for produce soon.
June 12. Desperate for produce, but struggling with fatigue this week. I chose to go to Cash & Carry for produce as they have most of what I want, at okay prices (better than supermarkets, overall). I could have run to several stores, but the way I've been feeling, that just would not be sensible. I bought 50 lbs of yellow onions for $7.95, 10 lbs of potatoes for $1.57, 3 lbs of dried cranberries for $7.37, 18 oz of fresh blueberries for $4.28, 4 lbs of fresh strawberries for $5.98, 10 lbs of cooking carrots for $3.98, 5 lbs of baby carrots (snacking) for $3.28, 5 lbs of frozen peas for $3.99, 5 lbs of frozen green beans for $3.99, 2 lbs of frozen broccoli for $2.27, 1 head of Romain lettuce for $1.18, 2 head of green cabbage for $1.38 each, 12 bananas at 47 cents/lb, 5 lb block of mild cheddar for $11.18, and 25 lbs of salt for $4.59.
Yes, you read that last one correctly, 25 pounds of salt! For the past two senior discount days (May and June) I have had salt on my list, but somehow have spaced out and totally forgotten it. We have been using the popcorn salt, the pickling salt, the Kosher salt, all of the expensive salts, for ordinary cooking. When I got to Cash & Carry I thought I'd just pick up the salt there. But it was over a dollar for a canister (26 oz)! I'm used to paying 55 cents for a canister. So, I wondered, what's the price per pound on salt in the big bags? And how long would a big bag take us to use? I got out my phone and used the calculator function to figure the cost per 26 oz, same as a canister. In the 25 lb bag, that much salt is 29 cents. That's a little over half price of buying salt with my discount at Fred Meyer. As for how long it would take us to use it all, I figured we would go through this much salt in no more than 3 years. I'm still in the "lots of baking and cooking from scratch" phase of life, so this is probably pretty accurate. And salt keeps indefinitely, plus I have the space. Anyway, total spent at Cash & Carry -- $67.73
Total spent so far this month -- $124.14
June 14. My daughter suffered a concussion at work this week. The doctor recommended she eat a very healthy diet, while recovering, and especially blueberries. She finished off the fresh blueberries bought 2 days ago, so I went out to buy frozen ones for smoothies. I went to Dollar Tree and bought 6 10-oz bags of blueberries, for $6.
June 15. My husband and two of the kids are meeting the kids' aunt downtown for dinner. The third kid has a concussion and is resting so stayed home with me. I asked what she would most like for dinner and she agreed that burgers would be great. I picked up a large burger and large order of sweet potato fries for us to share. It's an expensive burger place but about the only fast food burgers that I like. $9.37 for our dinner.
June 16. One daughter wanted a ride to Fred Meyer after church to pick up something for her dad for Father's Day. While she was getting what she needed, I picked up a loaf of bread ($1.25) and 2 dozen eggs (79 cents/dozen). Total spent $2.83
June 23. After dropping a daughter off at work my son and I went by Fred Meyer. Eggs are on sale for 79 cents/dozen. My son got 2 dozen eggs, and I bought 2 dozen eggs, plus a loaf of bread (89 cents), 4 very ripe bananas at 39 cents/lb, 1 bottle of sparkling iced tea (freebie), 1 package of beef jerkey (freebie) and 1 large bottle of Ocean Spray juice (freebie). Total spent $4.71.
After we picked up our groceries at Fred Meyer, I went to Starbucks and bought an egg white-spinach wrap, and met my son at Five Guys where he got a burger, fries, water, and the free peanuts. Total spent $14.72. I grabbed the bottle of sparkling iced tea that I got for free at Fred Meyer and the two of us had a long lunch together on the lovely patio outside of Five Guys.
Total spent this month -- $161.77
June 24. Out running errands. I stop at Trader Joe's to buy bananas. I bought 14 bananas at 19 cents each, spending $2.66.
I also stopped at Grocery Outlet, to pick up Epsom Salts. I also bout an 11.5-oz can of vanilla-flavored coffee, for $1.58, and 3 17-oz bottles of sparkling flavored water, for 50 cents/each. (These last ones are a favorite treat of mine. I've gotten them as freebies from Fred Meyer on several occasions.) Total spent $3.08
This month, I used the grocery money to buy a couple of fast food meals to have with kids, on a one-on-one basis. It seemed like an appropriate time to do this. Financially, it worked out fine. I just hope this won't come back to bite me later.
June 26. One daughter and I spent a good part of the day at Pike Place market, in downtown Seattle before she went to her studio to paint for the afternoon. We snacked on all of the free samples and then bought ourselves some lunch. We stopped at a specialty cheese shop and bought the smallest package we could find of the smoked flagship cheddar, then went to the bakery and each chose a pastry, and finally stopped at a stand with fresh cherries and bought a tall cup of fresh cherries to share. We picked up free cups of ice water at every place that we went. I didn't track prices, but I started with a $20 bill, and I think I have about $2 and change leftover. So, I spent about $17.50. A "meal out" with each of my kids this month.
Total spent for June -- $185.01
What I bought
Produce
57 bananas
1 large can of orange juice concentrate
5 1/4 lbs of strawberries
50 lbs of onions
10 lbs potatoes
3 lbs dried cranberries
18 oz blueberries
10 lbs cooking carrots
5 lbs baby carrots
5 lbs frozen peas
5 lbs frozen green beans
2 lbs frozen broccoli
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 heads green cabbage
1 33 oz bottle of mixed flavor juice (freebie)
60 ounces frozen blueberries
Dairy
12 half gallons 2% milk
2 half gallons whole milk
2 half gallons almond milk
10 dozen eggs
5 lbs cheddar cheese
Meat
5 packages hot dogs
4 cans of tuna
16 corn dogs
a package of beef jerky (freebie)
Pantry
3 loaves of bread
30 flour tortillas
1 bag of sour chewy candy (freebie)
2 bags of potato chips
3 boxes of graham crackers
1 box of saltine crackers
4 packages of ramen soup
25 lbs salt
1 bottle sparkling iced tea (freebie)
small can of flavored coffee
3 individual bottles of sparkling flavored water
Other
3 meals out, 1 with each kid
The meals out with my kids were expensive for my budget, but worthwhile, for them and for me. I can afford it for right now. When I can no longer afford these, I'll figure something else out for one on one time with them.
I still had a surplus of $154.76, and a regular amount of $150, giving me a total of $304.76 for June available to spend. I spent $185.01, which leaves me with $119.75 in surplus to roll over into July.
June 6. Senior Discount Day at Fred Meyer. First thing, they brought back the coffee and cookies for seniors. They hadn't been offering that for the last several months. Having it again was a pleasant surprise. What I bought -- 10 half-gallons of milk, for 89 cents each, 1 half gallon almond milk, $2.25, 3 packages of store brand hot dogs for 80 cents each, 2 packages of Hebrew National hot dogs for $2.99 each (saving these for the 4th of July and maybe another cook-out), 1 package of hot dog buns for 80 cents, 1 16 oz can of frozen orange juice concentrate for $1.35, 15 bananas at 39 cents/lb, 1 1/4 lbs of strawberries for 99 cents, 4 dozen eggs for 89 cents/dozen, 3 packages of flour tortillas for 89 cents/package, 1 bag of sour chewy candy for free (a Friday Freebie), 4 5-ounce cans of tuna for 62 cents each, 2 bags of potato chips for $1.69 each, 3 boxes of graham crackers for $1.35 each, 1 box of saltines for 89 cents, 4 packages of ramen soup for 25 cents each, and 1 16-ct box of frozen corn dogs for $3.37. Total spent -- $47.15
Yes, that was my shopping cart, and no, I haven't completely lost my mind. A couple of prompts for this diversion from my regular shopping. I noticed a week ago that one daughter had bought herself some ramen for a quick to make lunch. So I thought I would just keep some on hand for her. I also thought saltine crackers might be nice to have on hand to go with homemade soup or salads, or to make PPJ on crackers (always a favorite), or melted cheese on crackers, again quick lunch thought. The tuna was for easy to make sandwich dinners. I'm not a huge fan of tuna, but the rest of the family will like it, and tuna sandwiches or tuna salad on garden lettuce would be a quick and easy dinner. The graham crackers, potato chips and Hebrew Nationals were a special this week, so I thought I'd stock up for holiday BBQs (4th of July just around the corner). And the corn dogs were a great deal for super quick dinners that I know my family would love. After coupon and discount, they came out to 21 cents each. About as fast as getting any sort of take out, but a fraction of the price. A change from my regular shopping. But I think I should be able to stay within my spending allotment, even with this shopping. I'll make a run by the produce stand or ethnic market for produce soon.
June 12. Desperate for produce, but struggling with fatigue this week. I chose to go to Cash & Carry for produce as they have most of what I want, at okay prices (better than supermarkets, overall). I could have run to several stores, but the way I've been feeling, that just would not be sensible. I bought 50 lbs of yellow onions for $7.95, 10 lbs of potatoes for $1.57, 3 lbs of dried cranberries for $7.37, 18 oz of fresh blueberries for $4.28, 4 lbs of fresh strawberries for $5.98, 10 lbs of cooking carrots for $3.98, 5 lbs of baby carrots (snacking) for $3.28, 5 lbs of frozen peas for $3.99, 5 lbs of frozen green beans for $3.99, 2 lbs of frozen broccoli for $2.27, 1 head of Romain lettuce for $1.18, 2 head of green cabbage for $1.38 each, 12 bananas at 47 cents/lb, 5 lb block of mild cheddar for $11.18, and 25 lbs of salt for $4.59.
Yes, you read that last one correctly, 25 pounds of salt! For the past two senior discount days (May and June) I have had salt on my list, but somehow have spaced out and totally forgotten it. We have been using the popcorn salt, the pickling salt, the Kosher salt, all of the expensive salts, for ordinary cooking. When I got to Cash & Carry I thought I'd just pick up the salt there. But it was over a dollar for a canister (26 oz)! I'm used to paying 55 cents for a canister. So, I wondered, what's the price per pound on salt in the big bags? And how long would a big bag take us to use? I got out my phone and used the calculator function to figure the cost per 26 oz, same as a canister. In the 25 lb bag, that much salt is 29 cents. That's a little over half price of buying salt with my discount at Fred Meyer. As for how long it would take us to use it all, I figured we would go through this much salt in no more than 3 years. I'm still in the "lots of baking and cooking from scratch" phase of life, so this is probably pretty accurate. And salt keeps indefinitely, plus I have the space. Anyway, total spent at Cash & Carry -- $67.73
Total spent so far this month -- $124.14
June 14. My daughter suffered a concussion at work this week. The doctor recommended she eat a very healthy diet, while recovering, and especially blueberries. She finished off the fresh blueberries bought 2 days ago, so I went out to buy frozen ones for smoothies. I went to Dollar Tree and bought 6 10-oz bags of blueberries, for $6.
June 15. My husband and two of the kids are meeting the kids' aunt downtown for dinner. The third kid has a concussion and is resting so stayed home with me. I asked what she would most like for dinner and she agreed that burgers would be great. I picked up a large burger and large order of sweet potato fries for us to share. It's an expensive burger place but about the only fast food burgers that I like. $9.37 for our dinner.
June 16. One daughter wanted a ride to Fred Meyer after church to pick up something for her dad for Father's Day. While she was getting what she needed, I picked up a loaf of bread ($1.25) and 2 dozen eggs (79 cents/dozen). Total spent $2.83
June 23. After dropping a daughter off at work my son and I went by Fred Meyer. Eggs are on sale for 79 cents/dozen. My son got 2 dozen eggs, and I bought 2 dozen eggs, plus a loaf of bread (89 cents), 4 very ripe bananas at 39 cents/lb, 1 bottle of sparkling iced tea (freebie), 1 package of beef jerkey (freebie) and 1 large bottle of Ocean Spray juice (freebie). Total spent $4.71.
After we picked up our groceries at Fred Meyer, I went to Starbucks and bought an egg white-spinach wrap, and met my son at Five Guys where he got a burger, fries, water, and the free peanuts. Total spent $14.72. I grabbed the bottle of sparkling iced tea that I got for free at Fred Meyer and the two of us had a long lunch together on the lovely patio outside of Five Guys.
Total spent this month -- $161.77
June 24. Out running errands. I stop at Trader Joe's to buy bananas. I bought 14 bananas at 19 cents each, spending $2.66.
I also stopped at Grocery Outlet, to pick up Epsom Salts. I also bout an 11.5-oz can of vanilla-flavored coffee, for $1.58, and 3 17-oz bottles of sparkling flavored water, for 50 cents/each. (These last ones are a favorite treat of mine. I've gotten them as freebies from Fred Meyer on several occasions.) Total spent $3.08
This month, I used the grocery money to buy a couple of fast food meals to have with kids, on a one-on-one basis. It seemed like an appropriate time to do this. Financially, it worked out fine. I just hope this won't come back to bite me later.
June 26. One daughter and I spent a good part of the day at Pike Place market, in downtown Seattle before she went to her studio to paint for the afternoon. We snacked on all of the free samples and then bought ourselves some lunch. We stopped at a specialty cheese shop and bought the smallest package we could find of the smoked flagship cheddar, then went to the bakery and each chose a pastry, and finally stopped at a stand with fresh cherries and bought a tall cup of fresh cherries to share. We picked up free cups of ice water at every place that we went. I didn't track prices, but I started with a $20 bill, and I think I have about $2 and change leftover. So, I spent about $17.50. A "meal out" with each of my kids this month.
Total spent for June -- $185.01
What I bought
Produce
57 bananas
1 large can of orange juice concentrate
5 1/4 lbs of strawberries
50 lbs of onions
10 lbs potatoes
3 lbs dried cranberries
18 oz blueberries
10 lbs cooking carrots
5 lbs baby carrots
5 lbs frozen peas
5 lbs frozen green beans
2 lbs frozen broccoli
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 heads green cabbage
1 33 oz bottle of mixed flavor juice (freebie)
60 ounces frozen blueberries
Dairy
12 half gallons 2% milk
2 half gallons whole milk
2 half gallons almond milk
10 dozen eggs
5 lbs cheddar cheese
Meat
5 packages hot dogs
4 cans of tuna
16 corn dogs
a package of beef jerky (freebie)
Pantry
3 loaves of bread
30 flour tortillas
1 bag of sour chewy candy (freebie)
2 bags of potato chips
3 boxes of graham crackers
1 box of saltine crackers
4 packages of ramen soup
25 lbs salt
1 bottle sparkling iced tea (freebie)
small can of flavored coffee
3 individual bottles of sparkling flavored water
Other
3 meals out, 1 with each kid
The meals out with my kids were expensive for my budget, but worthwhile, for them and for me. I can afford it for right now. When I can no longer afford these, I'll figure something else out for one on one time with them.
I still had a surplus of $154.76, and a regular amount of $150, giving me a total of $304.76 for June available to spend. I spent $185.01, which leaves me with $119.75 in surplus to roll over into July.
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