How to Make an Ordinary Birthday Cake Look Great, in Little Time

With very little time to devote to making a cake look pretty on a budget, I planned ahead with this latest one. I baked the cake layers a week ahead, and kept frozen. I had cans of frosting bought on clearance for 37 cents a can. I had some pretty doilies bought at 80% off after Christmas at Michael's Crafts  two years ago. I used a beautiful cake stand that was a wedding gift 30 years ago. I added artificial flowers which I already had, for the top decor.

On the morning of the birthday

An hour before frosting the cake, I took the layers out of the freezer and set on the counter to come to room temperature. At the time of frosting, I cleaned up the silver base of the cake pedestal with my jeweler's rouge polishing cloth and washed and dried the glass top.

I had gold and white doilies to choose from. I chose the gold as I thought it would make the cake look even more special. The doily cost about 5 cents.

On top of the gold doily, I set strips of waxed paper over the outside edge, to protect the doily from messy frosting. You'll see in a minute what this step does.

I set the bottom layer on the waxed paper and doily lined pedestal and began the frosting.  I used not quite two cans of frosting. The reason this frosting was on markdown, I believe is that it was an unusual flavor. It is cinnamon bun flavored frosting, to be used in conjunction with a cinnamon bun cookie mix, also promoted last fall. I bought several of each when I found them on clearance.

When using canned frosting to ice a cake, it's helpful to stir the can up, well, just before spreading. The frosting spreads more readily after stirring. I frosted the entire cake and smoothed the side and top with an offset spatula (easier to use for frosting than a table knife).

It was time to take the waxed paper out. I make sure the cake is centered on the pedestal, adjusting as needed. Holding onto the waxed paper strips on the far side of the cake, I gently slide the near waxed paper strip halfway out. If the frosting is coming away from the cake with the waxed paper, I simply "cut" it off with a table knife by scoring where I want the frosting to break. I go all around the cake and gently slide all pieces of waxed paper in this way, hanging onto the far sheets of waxed paper as I go (this keeps the cake from moving off center). Lastly, I finished pulling all of the waxed paper strips out.

These are the waxed paper strips which caught the excess frosting that would have otherwise looked messy on the cake pedestal and doily.

Last, the top of the cake needed decor. I took some inexpensive artificial flowers and pulled several blooms and leaves off of the stems.

These were dusty, so I washed them in the salad spinner, then patted dry. The reason I mention they were inexpensive is this variety can pull apart and then be put back together again, as opposed to being completely fused, stems to blossoms. I made a pile of blooms and leaves on top of the cake. And there it is, one homemade, reasonably easy and quick, lovely birthday cake that I think would rival any bakery cake.

Frugality doesn't always mean doing things the hard way. Sometimes, it just means doing things the smart and thoughtful way.

An Amazing Salad Using Some of That Bargain Cabbage From St. Patrick's Day

We had this salad on my daughters' birthday. Not an exact recipe, but more of a guideline; the dressing is definitely "to taste".

Ingredients:

shredded cabbage
2 tangerines, peeled, sectioned and halved (not only to make bite-size pieces, but also to release juice)
vegetable oil
ground ginger
soy sauce
vinegar

I combined the oil, ginger, soy sauce and vinegar in the bottom of a bowl. The I tossed with the cabbage and tangerine pieces. This made good use of some rather aging tangerines. They still tasted delicious, but the peels were less than attractive.

I served this salad with a Chinese dinner for their birthday. It was delicious, and inexpensive!

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for St.Patrick's Day Week

Friday

• black bean chili (I made an extra large batch for the freezer and lunches during the week)
• homemade corn tortilla chips 
• tangerines

Saturday

• leftover sandwiches, potato chips, veggies and dip and fresh fruit, from a luncheon at which I worked during the day

Sunday

husband cooks 

• pot roast, with carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and gravy
• fresh watermelon (gifted after working a luncheon)

Monday (leftover night)

• leftover pot roast and gravy
• leftover fresh fruit
• green salad (with gifted cherry tomatoes and lettuce that I bought)

Tuesday

husband cooks

• lentil and rice curried casserole
• chutney on the side
• watermelon, grapes and cherry tomatoes (all gifted to us)

Wednesday

• ham, egg and bread strata (from freezer)
• leftover curry/rice/lentil casserole, with choice of leftover pot roast gravy or chutney
• green salad
• bananas

Thursday

• lentil and ham soup from the freezer
• bread and butter
• bananas
• cole slaw

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I used the clearance sugar cookie dough from after Christmas (55 cents/package) and some clearance green sugar crystals from after Christmas several years ago, and made some treats for us yesterday. I ate way too many myself! But they were pretty good.

This was a clean out the refrigerator week for us. On Wednesday, I used up some lingering rhubarb sauce, cranberry sauce and orange juice in a smoothie. I discovered that the curried lentil and rice casserole was delicious with pot roast gravy at lunch, one day, so I offered that with a dinner one night. Today, I will use up the various non-sweet liquids in the fridge, along with the last of one bundle of limp celery, in a large pot of soup.

Another busy weekend coming up for me. I hope that you have a great weekend!

Revere Bowls

In the background of my picture of forsythia stems the other day, was a bowl that I've been using in decor for this past year. This is a Revere bowl. Several manufacturers have had these on the market over the years; many brides received one or many as wedding gifts, in the 1960s and 1970s.  Revere bowls come in graduated sizes, and are silver plate, for the most part. Their design is a simple, fluted bowl on a shallow pedestal base.

Brand new, an 8-inch diameter version can cost $100 or more. In vintage stores, I see them for sale, priced between $10 and $25, in this size. I also watch for them in thrift stores, and they do turn up. I have three bowls, now, all of different sizes. My last purchase, an 8-inch diameter Revere bowl from Value Village last summer, was $4.99.

I love the simplicity of design in these bowls. Without a lot of ornamental detail, the beauty is in the the silver.  At Thanksgiving, I used it as a serving bowl; lined with a cloth napkin, it held warm dinner rolls.  It sparkled at holiday time, filled with silver sleigh bells and red glass balls. I'm thinking in summer this bowl will be lovely holding some of my larger seashells, and a large aqua glass ball that always makes me think of glass fishnet floats.

Incidentally, it is silver plate and does tarnish. I know, who has time to polish silver, right? Almost 20 years ago, my mother-in-law gave me the handiest thing for polishing silver. It's called a jeweler's rouge polishing cloth. I've seen them on Amazon and at WalMart. If you have silver but don't use it due to the upkeep, these cloths are amazing. I am still using that original cloth, almost 20 years later. They cost between $6 and $10, but outlast multiple jars of commercial polish. Mine was a hand-me-down 20 years ago, and it is still going strong. I love the look of silver and so I am willing to take a few minutes per month to polish a small piece or two.

I'm a lover of polished silver, sparkling crystal, flickering candlelight, and bouquets of flowers. Fortunately, I can find all of the above at thrift stores, vintage shops, on clearance, or in my garden. Life's luxuries on a whisper thin budget.

Returning Food at the Grocery Store

Have you ever returned a food product to the grocery store? I think this sounds strange to a lot of people, perhaps because we undervalue our food supply.  I have been in that mental place, where I have wondered if it would be worth the effort to return a food item.

A week ago, boneless, skinless chicken breasts were on sale at Fred Meyer, for $1.47/lb. I bought 3 large packages, almost 18 pounds of chicken. By the time I was done shopping, my head was pretty tired. Most of the time, I will check my receipt thoroughly, as I'm walking out of the store. You know how it is, there's someone behind you wanting you to move out of the store faster, or give them your cart, or you just feel like you need to get your weary body home. It's not like the grocery store provides a nice little seating area, so that you can take a few-minute break, and look over your receipt.

The day after I bought the chicken, I was dividing up the packages into smaller bundles for the freezer. That's when I noticed the price tags didn't read $1.47/lb, but $1.99/lb. Ugh! This was a substantial difference in price, totaling almost $7 of overcharge.  I needed to go out that afternoon, and would be driving near the store. So, I tore the labels off of the packages, cleaned them up a bit, and wrapped in a paper towel. I grabbed my add and my receipt, and off I went to Fred Meyer. Fortunately, the store was practically empty and I had no wait at the customer service desk. The lady helping me was as nice as can be, and not only refunded the correct amount, but rounded it up to a full $7.

What I have heard from others is that if the food item that you want to return is of a perishable nature, you may not need the food itself, but part of the packaging along with your receipt. Timeliness goes a long way when presenting your case to the customer service desk. That is to say, if you bring evidence of your problem food product, like packaging and receipt, within a couple of days of purchase, you'll likely be offered a refund or replacement product.

Anyway, with my meat purchase, I only needed the label, not all of the packaging. If produce was purchased in a bag (like a bag of oranges), you may want to bring the rest of that bag back to the store. As it was still early in that sale cycle, the grocery store had the opportunity to make sure all the rest of the labels were correct, and my actions may have saved someone else the expense of mistakenly overpaying for chicken.

Cuttings From Our Very Delayed Late-Winter Garden

It has been an unusually cold winter, here. The crocus are just now in bloom; however, it is so chilly that I have no desire to go outside and look at them. I view those lovely harbingers of spring through my front window.

A week ago, I did get out and cut some branches of forsythia, to force into bloom indoors. Most of my living room is in shades of spa blue and cream. I thought a hit of yellow would be just the right splash for this room.  I put the cuttings into the mason jars that I painted in spa blue and sea foam green acrylics last fall.

My grandmother always took cuttings from her crabapple and cherry trees, and forsythia shrubs, to bring indoors in late winter. I knew it was almost spring when I visited and would find a beautiful vase of blossoming branches on the coffee table near her fireplace. Do you ever take cuttings of blossoming branches to bring indoors for their floral effects?

Almost as Convenient as a Bakery Cake

My two daughters will have a birthday later this week.  I have always baked my children's birthday cakes, even when time was short. There are a few ways to make a homemade cake more convenient for the cook. One can make an cake that is intended to be kept in the freezer, such as an ice cream cake. One can use a mix and canned frosting. Or, as I do, one can bake the layers, wrap in plastic film and keep in the freezer, well in advance, then thaw and ice on the big day.

The last couple of months have seen me struggling under a tightly-packed schedule. This hasn't changed. I am trying to fit everything in, yet also trying to make a big day, a special one. This is how I manage the cake.

About a week or two before their birthday,  I bake the cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze until the day that I'm ready to frost. I cannot express just how convenient it really is to have the cake baked and ready to go. I bake the layers on a day when I do have spare time, and then it sits in the freezer, like convenience food, to be pulled out at the last minute. Frozen cake layers thaw in about 1 hour. All that is needed is some icing and candles.

One afternoon last week, I baked a couple of cakes. I was making a quick pumpkin snack cake for dessert that night, so I reused the mixing bowl to make the batter for the birthday cake. I had all of the cake-baking ingredients out and ready to use, anyway. It felt like no chore at all to be baking the extra cakes.

After the layers cooled, I wrapped them in plastic wrap and they now sit in the freezer, waiting for Friday. I'll use a can of clearance frosting (37 cents) to ice the cake, sticking to a tight budget on a tight schedule. Not only will my cake save us money, but it really won't take much time to get it frosted on their birthday.

The same freezer stash cooking that I use with casseroles and soups for busy upcoming days is applied to baking birthday cakes.



On another, related note, I bought plastic cling wrap in the large, commercial size for the first time. I've only bought plastic wrap in the small grocery store boxes, so buying in this very large size is a change for me. The standard grocery store box has 200 feet of film, and will last about 1 year in our household. This box has 2000 feet of film, so it should last for 10 years. That feels like such a long time. I sometimes have uneasy feelings about a purchase so far in advance. I'll get over it, and at some point, I will be grateful to have bought this. Price-wise, the last grocery store box of film cost $1.19 for 200 feet, on markdown for a damaged box. This box cost $7.95 for 2000 feet.  A 200-foot amount of this box cost about 79 cents, so I saved about 1/3 of the cost of buying my plastic wrap at the grocery store.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for Early March

Friday

• ham sandwiches on homemade French bread
• canned corn
• canned green beans
• cookies

Saturday

husband cooks

• vegetarian enchiladas
• oranges
• brown rice

Sunday

• ham, French bread and egg strata
• grapes
• celery and carrots sticks
• cookies

Monday

• ham, egg and vegetable fried rice
• tangerines

Tuesday

• lentil and ham soup, with canned pumpkin, celery, onions and garlic
• French bread and butter
• apples

Wednesday

• hot dogs in buns (budget hot dogs, budget buns -- 18 cents per hot dog/bun combo)
• canned green beans sauteed with mushrooms
• rhubarb-blackberry sauce from the freezer

Thursday

• baked chicken breasts
• onion, peppers, garlic, sauteed and added to strips of chicken, wrapped in a
• flour tortilla
• canned pineapple
• pumpkin spice snack cake

How was your week? Do you have spring weather where you live? Anything interesting on your menu this past week?

You may have noticed a few extra produce items for my family. After a couple of months of living off of canned vegetables and frozen fruit, I splurged last Friday and bought some fresh fruit: grapes, oranges, tangerines, apples and bananas. I also found peppers on markdown (3/$1) and mushrooms marked down ($1.29/8-oz). The fresh fruit is our splurge for the month. It's been so refreshing to have these juicy fruits.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

A Notebook Budget

I've been asked a couple of times to show how I budget using a notebook and pen. (Renee, if you're reading, I'm sorry this took so long.) My method is probably one step up from a budget on a napkin or back of an envelope; however, it has been extremely effective for our family for over 20 years.

You can spend money on a software program, buy fancy ledgers, or just jot down your spending on a sheet of paper, and have success. A budget's success hinges on the user's diligence more than anything else. Anyway, this works for us. I've shown it to friends in person, and you may find it helpful, or find something about it that you can use, tweaking it to suit your particular needs. I am sure there are ways that I could tweak it for my own use. For now, I'm happy with how it works for us, and don't want to bother changing anything with it.


The Pros

• A notebook budget is the "budget" way to begin individual financial planning. 
• I use cheap spiral bound notebooks that I pick up at back-to-school sales for about 20 cents each. Each month uses one page. There are typically 70 pages to a notebook.One notebook will last several years. 
• Uses basic math skills and a calculator, no fancy software program to figure out.
• It is highly portable and doesn't have an "on/off" switch. I can work my budget anyplace that I can take an 8x11-inch notebook.
• I can add new categories each month, without much hassle.
• I like that the entire page is visible and available. It is easy to update.
• Anyone in the family can either check the budget or enter an expenditure. No passwords required.

The Cons

• It can look messy by the end of the month.
• If I'm not diligent about recording expenditures, that aspect isn't accurate.
• It requires planning at the beginning of each month, which takes me about 1 hour.
• While I can access any of the information, to export info from the budget to some other document, such as tax forms, requires me to physically look something up and transfer that information myself. (This is as opposed to having a software program that I could access on my computer to transfer info out of and into some other document.)

At the bottom of this post is a full page from my notebook that has not been filled in with numbers. At the end of each month/beginning of a new month, I turn the page in my notebook and begin with setting up the page.

Just below, here, is the top bar from the budget page. The photo is not super clear, but I hope you can read it, as needed.

The Top Bar

Upper left -- income from the previous month (we live off of the previous month's income, plus any carry forward surplus from pervious months). For us, this includes my income, my husband's income and rent that we charge one adult child. My income can be composed of money that I earn through work, cash rebates from purchases, selling items, or gift cards that can be used in grocery or home improvement stores, that I earned through programs such as Swagbucks. A gift card to Starbucks doesn't really work well in a budget which requires expenditures in non-coffee drinking areas, although they are nice to have.

Upper right -- this is the carry forward budget surplus or deficit from the previous month. Our budget generally hovers around the income from the previous month, but sometimes, even we have unexpected expenses or reductions in income, especially with income that I earn, as that fluctuates vastly from one month to the next. I don't want us spending all of what I earn, or all of a windfall, in one month, but like to spread it out over several. With regards to deficits, keeping a running deficit only works if you have a cushion in your overall budget, like when we are saving for a new car, within our general checking account. We haven't bought that new car, yet, so that $3000 or so could be tapped, temporarily, to be repaid to ourselves, over the course of the next couple of months.

Lower far left -- the heading for the column for individual budget category carryovers + and -   I don't actually write this heading in each month (Carryover + -), because I know, myself that is what that column is for.

Lower left -- the month (this is March's page before I added the $$ amounts)

Middle -- the total month's budget is entered at the top of the middle column. The total month's budget is close to the income amount, +/- a few dollars. If the total budget is below the income $$, the surplus will be added to the Upper Right "budget surplus or deficit". If the total month's budget is above the income $$, then I will draw from the carry forward surplus from the previous month.

Beneath the total month's budget I itemize each category's budget amount, on its line (I'll get to that in a moment). *

Right -- the heading reads "spent". I don't actually write that out, as I know that is what this column is for.

So that's the top bar. There are 4 columns beneath the top bar.

Columns

Far left -- this is the carry over + or - from the previous month. This column is helpful for expenses which vary from month to month. So, if in February I budgeted $70 for electricity, but we only spent $65, I have a carryover of $5 to record in this column. That $5 is added to my monthly allotment for electricity, giving me $75 I could spend on electricity in March. Our electricity bills fluctuate from month to month, and season to season. The local electricity supplier has a wacky billing system. One month they actually visit the site to determine charges, the following they estimate (and very poorly at that). So it's very likely that my $70 or so in actual usage will be billed as $90 one month and $50 the next.

This column also allows us to save, within our checking account, for upcoming expenses, like a new water heater (this past fall, for instance). I can have a line for water heater replacement built in to the budget, and we put aside a small amount every month for this specific expense. Or, something like shoes or a new coat. We don't need new shoes or coats every month, but I can feed the savings for shoes/coats, through the clothing budget, setting aside $10 to $15 each month until we have enough for that purchase. By saving for specific expenses, we refrain from robbing something important like a new water heater, to buy shoes; but we insure that those shoes will not be put off indefinitely, and the money will indeed be there, at some pre-determined point. 

Deficits in this column are infrequent, as we try to always be prepared. They do come up, but can only be afforded if there are significant surpluses in other categories. When I am buying the year's supply of laundry detergent, as a for instance, I will buy it when I find a super great deal at Cash & Carry, in the large buckets. That alone will use up everything in the Non-food Household category. What if that is also the month that I buy a 6-month supply of bathroom tissue, as that may also be on a great sale? I will carry a deficit in that category, into the next month, to cover both of those purchases, as I know that these aren't items which we use carelessly or extravagantly, but more on an even level. And we'll be able to get back to no deficit in just a short amount of time.

Left (just under the month heading) -- this column is for the name of each category. I budget every single expense category. If something comes up that doesn't fit any of our current categories, I add a new category and include it in the budget, like when I finally got myself a phone and a bus pass. I try to keep required expenses separate from non-required ones. So, something like Home Maintenance and Repairs is separate from Design/Interior or Landscape. A repair on a household appliance is necessary. I pretty new vase or flowers for the yard are not. Whenever I am making out the budget, if money is especially tight, the required categories get the funding, and I minimize the non-required ones.

There's a category titled "Extras". I don't have a name for this category, but it covers non-required expenses like a "just because" gift to someone, or a coffee out with a friend, or I put some money in the red kettle at the holidays and I need to account for it. We also have an "Entertainment" budget. this is for family entertainment, which could include eating in a restaurant, going to the movies or a play, or paid parking for an otherwise low-cost outing, any of the above, but reserved for family stuff.

We pay for part of our daughter's phone service, so that is included in the list. I have a specific amount that I feel I am willing to pay towards their phones. When they use more minutes than what I will pay for, they pick up the rest of the tab for the year. My husband has an iphone through his work, so that phone isn't included. Our landline is bundled with internet, so those two items are on the same line.

Center column -- this column is for the dollar amount budgeted for each category. On each line, to the right of the name for the category, I write in how much money I want to budget towards those expenses. When my month's budget is set up, this column is completely filled, top to bottom. I total all of the categories's budgets and the total needs to correspond to the income in the top bar. I often need to rework all or most of the numbers to get the total budgeted amount within the income.  The pink sticky, here, indicates this is the column for category budgets.

*After developing a budget that works within our income, I put the total amount of the budget (which will be close to the Income figure) in the Top Bar, as mentioned above in Top Bar -- Middle.

Right of budgeted amount for each category -- this is where the page gets messy over the course of the month. I use this area to keep a record of all expenses in each category. As I bring a receipt into the house, I record the $ spent on its category line. I do not record individual grocery purchases, however, as I now do that online. I just track a total $ amount for each month on that line. Before tracking groceries online, I used the back of the page for details of the groceries for each month.

For any additional large expense which requires a lot of detailing, such as a major home renovation, I track the budget, expenditures, and remaining balance, for that particular category, on the back side of the page, as I did with groceries for many years.

I hope this explains how a notebook budget works, for anyone curious. Feel free to ask questions, and I'll be happy to answer or clarify anything.

How Much Meat Does a Person Really Need?

I grew up in a time when it was assumed that a typical serving of meat would weigh about 4 ounces. It was also assumed that one would eat a full serving of meat at each of two meals per day. That would be a half-pound of meat per person. You've seen my grocery lists. You know that my family doesn't eat nearly that quantity of meat, daily. Our family eats far less meat, making up the needed protein in beans, eggs, grains and dairy. I was curious, though, just how much protein does a human body require daily? This is what I found out.

For every 2.2 pounds of body weight, an adult needs .8 grams of protein. So, for an adult woman weighing 125 pounds, that would be about 45 grams of protein. It doesn't need to all come from meat (or any of it, really), and ideally should be spread out over the course of the day.

Just some "for instances"

• A 3-ounce portion of beef averages 21 to 24 grams of protein. 
• 3.5 ounces of cooked, lean chicken breast (no skin) has about 30 grams of protein. 
• A chicken drumstick has 11 grams. 
• Cooked fish has about 6 grams of protein per ounce. 
• A 6-ounce can of tuna has 40 grams. 
• A single large egg has 6 grams, and a cup of milk has 8 grams. 
• I don't drink milk, but I do eat cheese. 1 ounce of cheddar has 7 or 8 grams of protein. 
• A half-cup of cooked beans has between 7 and 10 grams of protein.
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter have 8 grams of protein

An average chicken breast half (meaning, one lobe) weighs about 5.25 ounces today (up from 4 ounces in the 1980s, yes, chickens have gotten bigger!). If I cook two breast halves for our family of five, that's 10.50 ounces of lean chicken, or about 90 grams of protein, which results in about 18 grams of protein per person.

If I figure that I need roughly 45 grams per day, I could meet that requirement with what appears to be very little meat: 1 ounce of cheddar with a breakfast of one slice of whole wheat bread and some fruit; a lunch which has 1 egg, plus whole grains, fruit/veggies and a mug of tea latte made with soy milk; a snack of some almonds in the afternoon; and then I would only need 19 grams of protein with my dinner. If my dinner had beef in it, I would only need 2.5 ounces of beef to meet that 19 grams. However, I would likely be eating whole grains and veggies which contain some protein at dinner, thus reducing my meat-protein requirement to about 2 ounces, or 15 grams of protein. The meat could also be chicken legs, in which case one and a half chicken legs would be plenty of protein for my meal. If it were lean chicken breast that I was using for my animal protein, I would only need 1.75 ounces, or 1/3 of a breast half.

I just thought all of this was really enlightening. I know that my family has eaten on the low end of the meat spectrum, but I never fully realized that we were actually eating the healthy amount. We know that meat can be one of the more expensive items in the shopping cart; eating less meat will not only save money, but it will still be a healthy option for many of us.

A further way to save money -- a typical restaurant beef steak weighs 6 ounces. I would reach my daily intake of protein in a single steak dinner. This is all the more reason to split meals when dining out.

The adult requirements listed above assume a healthy, adult body, free from medical considerations, pregnancy, or heavy physical activity. When I was pregnant with twins (and growing two human beings inside of me), I was advised to consume 90-110 grams of protein per day, double what I would eat normally. This post is not to advise anyone to change their eating habits; however, if you have been eating less meat than you believe is customary, this post is meant to illuminate what some medical professionals recommend. For me, personally, this information allows me to rest assured that my family and I are getting enough protein on a daily basis. There have been meals when I looked at our plates and wondered if there was enough protein food.

sources used:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-meat-need-day-nutritionally-3643.html

https://www.verywell.com/high-protein-foods-and-the-amount-of-protein-in-each-2242514

https://www.reference.com/food/much-boneless-chicken-breast-weigh-6a5142aeda509c4b

A Lovely Sunday Outing That Didn't Break the Bank

It has not been warm enough to take our adventures to the outdoors. Instead, this past Sunday, one daughter and I spent a lovely afternoon visiting the Seattle Art Museum. This daughter had to visit the SAM for a class assignment, and I went with her for company and a nice outing for myself.

An afternoon at the art museum can be almost as expensive as a matinee at the theater. If there is a special exhibition one is wanting to see, the price of admission is even higher. I knew for certain that my daughter would receive the student discount, but I was unsure if I would. I asked anyway; and I was delighted to be told that yes, indeed, I qualified. The rules for discounted admission vary from one museum to another, and one never knows until he or she asks. So, I did, and we saved $10.00 each on our admission.

To save additional money, we took the bus into town (no parking or gas costs), and we brought a late lunch plus thermos of coffee to enjoy at the tables, just outside of the cafe in the museum. The SAM offers free coat and bag checks with in and out privileges, so we didn't even need to carry our lunch around. We avoided buying souvenirs from the gift shop (although I think that is a wonderful way to support museums), and brought home the two complimentary brochures that they offered. And I brought a camera and took photos of the works, plus object labels, of those that I particularly enjoyed.


(The special exhibit was the Paul Allen (Microsoft founder) collection of landscapes. It includes paintings from the 1600s through the 1900s.)

For YHF:

Satisfying My Sweet Tooth with Homemade Almond Bark

Chocolate and almonds are good for heart health. Really! Almonds help prevent oxidation of fats, which leads to arterial plaque formation and chocolate improves blood flow to your heart and brain (healthyeating.sfgate.com). Does life get any better than this, with a medically-approved excuse to eat chocolate covered almonds? With this fantastic information, I set out to quench my sweet tooth, and on a budget, no less! I used grocery store semi-sweet chocolate chips and whole roasted almonds to make this confection, in my very ordinary kitchen; with mere minutes of hands-on effort; and using just my microwave, a sheet of waxed paper, and a glass bowl.

What I Did
I melted the chocolate chips in short bursts, with vigorous stirring, until the chips were a swirling, melty mass. After roasting the whole almonds, I spread them on a small sheet of waxed paper, followed by spooning the melted chocolate over all.

I tossed the coated almonds from the outside edges, and into the center, until everything was covered in chocolate. I let it sit overnight and that was it. Just to enhance the sense that this is indeed a treat item, after breaking into bite-size pieces I stored them in an empty See's chocolates box. "Make believe" is good.

The Exciting Part: Cost Breakdown

This product was probably the closest in quality to what I made at home. My candy had a higher proportion of almonds (the more expensive ingredient), but perhaps a slightly lower quality of semi-sweet chocolate.

I used about 1/3 cup of bulk bin whole almonds, roasted and unsalted, and 3/4 cup of WinCo semi-sweet chocolate chips. 1/3 cup of almonds weighs approximately 2.67 ounces, and 3/4 cup of chocolate chips weighs 4.5 ounces. My end product weighed about 7.17 ounces.

My almonds cost 75 cents for 1/3 cup, and the chocolate chips cost 63 cents, yielding a total cost for my candy at $1.38 for 7.17 ounces.

The Special Dark with almonds sell for $3.84 in a 12 ounce bag, at Wal-Mart. 7.17 ounces of Special Dark w/ almonds nuggets would cost $2.29, or 91 cents more than my homemade version.

Another way to look at the cost breakdown is this: the standard size Hershey bar with almonds weighs about 1.45 ounces. My product yields about 4.94 standard size bars. My cost per equivalent size bar is about 28 cents each bar. Not a bad deal for this chocolate-loving girl.

You already know that I am trying to stick to a budget and not buy luxury foods this month; making treats with the ingredients that I have in my kitchen is helping me maintain my resolve. I think I have some bags of milk chocolate chips in the pantry. Next time . . . homemade peanut butter cups!

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the First of March

Friday

• boxed macaroni and cheese (a freebie from a few weeks ago)
• canned green beans
• ambrosia salad, made from sliced bananas, canned pineapple chunks, mini marshmallows, and flaked coconut

Saturday
husband cooks

• rice and lentils
• sauteed canned tomatoes, with cheese
• carrot and celery sticks, with Ranch dressing

Sunday

• baked chicken breasts, in a sauce of onions, canned tomatoes, garlic, herbs, over
• linguine
• cole slaw

Monday

• beef stew, made with beef, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, potatoes, canned peas
• garlic toast

Tuesday

• hot dogs wrapped in scratch biscuit dough, with homemade honey mustard
• canned green beans
• canned corn
• cookies

Wednesday

my son's fiancee was over for dinner

• baked ham, with homemade cranberry mustard
• brown rice
• steamed carrots
• slaw with cabbage and celery
• garlic toast
• pumpkin pie

Thursday

• leftover ham
• leftover brown rice
• canned green beans
• blackberry-rhubarb sauce
• pumpkin pie

March, already! I am so anxious for spring, this year. It's been colder than usual in our area, so more soups, stews and other wintry meals. I baked a pumpkin pie this week, even. When I went out to the garden, yesterday, I could see the rhubarb poking through the soil. That prompted me to dream up some yummy rhubarb desserts. Just a few more weeks and that is a distinct possibility. All of those thoughts of rhubarb mean that I need to finish what is in the freezer. Rhubarb sauce will feature heavily for the next couple of weeks. Did I mention, I am so looking forward to spring.

What's been on your menu lately, and what foods are you dreaming about on these early days of March?

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Next Step in Planning to Keep Grocery Spending Within Budget

After making out my just-the-basics grocery list for March, along with a plan for sticking to it, I spent about 10 minutes brainstorming more of the details. In this brainstorm, I just listed a few suggestions for each category. Here are my categories for items to make ahead: breakfasts, casseroles, soups, treats, and breads.

And this is what I came up with in about 10 minutes.

brainstorming breakfasts that I can make ahead
muffins
**pancakes (double batch a couple of times in the month, for the freezer)
waffles
**boiled eggs
toast
granola
**trail mix (easier to make than granola, but it can have granola chunks in it, if I want to add grains)

brainstorming casseroles that I can make ahead
ham and pasta with creamy sauce and green veg (broccoli?)
**ham fried rice with carrots, onions, cabbage (do 2 for freezer)
ham and potato casserole
**ham, cheese and egg strata, with bread (do 2 for freezer)

brainstorming soups I can make ahead
**lentil soup, using ham bone
vegetable-noodle with either chicken or beef
**chili con carne

brainstorming treats that I can make ahead
magic bars
English toffee
**almond bark
brownies
cupcakes
**banana muffins
toffee schnecken
cookie dough for the freezer

homemade breads that I can keep in stock
**French bread
**whole wheat sandwich
**scones (dough for the freezer? or baked ahead?)
dinner rolls

Once I made my lists, I went through and double-starred two or three from each category. These starred items are the ones that I feel will be the most do-able for me, this month. From what I had planned, as was outlined in yesterday's post, combined with this more detailed plan, I now have some very concrete ideas to help me stick to a "basics" grocery list.

Avoiding Editing My Thoughts
Okay, so remember my rule yesterday, to include ideas that might not even work? That's all part of brainstorming. I probably will not make toast ahead of time.

I don't edit my thoughts while brainstorming; because if I did, the whole process would slow down and I might miss something valuable. Who knows, now that I've even thought about making toast ahead of time, I might also some day figure out a way to make that do-able and tasty.

Asking for Input
There's one last step to this planning -- asking for feedback. This is where you all get to tell me your suggestions!! My ears are open for suggestions in any of the areas of breakfasts, casseroles, soups, treats, and breads. If you were operating with a rather generic pantry, fridge and freezer, what would you add to my list? (It's usually my daughters who give me their input. Today I'm reaching out to you.)



*Wednesday afternoon I baked a ham; that's where the ham-theme in the casseroles and soup originated.

Planning the Grocery Shopping for this Next Month

As it is now the beginning of a new month, I am preparing a master shopping list of necessary items. This will be a tighter month than previous ones, as I have depleted much of my stock of canned goods and long-keeping produce. In addition, March is a 31 day month -- more days to feed us all. On top of this, March is a birthday month for my two daughters. I have all I need to bake a cake, and I even think there may be ice cream in the freezer. I will still need some festive foods for the celebration dinner. It looks like I will need a plan to get though this month.

This is a basic list, there are no luxury items on this list.

1/2 lb cocoa powder

1 gallon vinegar

10 lbs apples

10 lbs oranges

45 bananas

10 to 15 lbs carrots

5 to 10 medium dozen eggs

10 lbs potatoes

3 peppers

3 bundles celery

a few heads of red and green cabbage (should be good deals on cabbage this month)

50 lbs brown rice

2 large boxes frozen spinach and collards

1 gallon soy or almond milk

4 or 5 gallons dairy milk

vegetable garden supplies
4 lbs raisins
2 lbs sunflower seeds
3 dozen flour tortillas
large package corn tortillas
whole chickens
lettuce (at the end of the month when the produce stand opens)
asparagus (at the end of the month, when the produce stand opens)

As I find deals on butter, meat and cheese, I will pick those up, too.  I will evaluate other "deals" as I find them.

How to Stick to a List

In addition to making my shopping list, I also spent some time, yesterday, planning how I would stick to a tight budget. I have a technique for this type of think-time. I brainstorm various ideas, and then after the brainstorming, I sift through my lists and formulate my plan. 

This is how I brainstorm:

I ask myself, "what can I do to make this happen?" Then, I randomly  list all the things that come to mind that I can do to plan for a tight month, even listing those items that I may not do after some thought. Here's my list.

• make a meal plan for all dinners
• make a suggestion list for all lunches
• bake and prepare lots of breakfast items ahead of time
• keep homemade bread in stock
• keep homemade treats in stock
• avoid buying luxuries/non-necessities
• take advantage of sales on milk, produce, meat and eggs
• use up pantry items, while waiting for better sales
• use oil instead of butter in most baking, save butter for bread, blend oil with butter for spreading, use olive oil for dipping/drizzling instead of butter for garlic bread or bread and butter with dinners
• use cream cheese for toast and muffins in place of butter
• make all of my own convenience foods for the month, by preparing ahead several dishes on weekend afternoons

Okay, so now I have a list. Next, I scrutinize the list, and put the items in order according to my estimated dollar savings, most to least.

• make a meal plan for all dinners
• make all of my own convenience foods for the month, by preparing ahead several dishes on weekend afternoons
• keep homemade bread in stock
• take advantage of sales on milk, produce, meat and eggs
• avoid buying luxuries/non-necessities
• keep homemade treats in stock
• use up pantry items, while waiting for better sales
• bake and prepare lots of breakfast items ahead of time
• make a suggestion list for all lunches
• use oil instead of butter in most baking, save butter for bread, blend oil with butter for spreading, use olive oil for dipping/drizzling instead of butter for garlic bread or bread and butter with dinners
• use cream cheese for toast and muffins in place of butter

These items are my stepping stones to meet my overall goal of reining in the spending for the month of March.  Having the list prioritized tells me what to focus on. Clearly, planning dinners in advance is something I value right now. Also, having pre-made meals ready and waiting for the week ahead is something that I think will help me save on groceries. The priority list is based on my needs for right now. Your priorities might be different.

With this list in hand, I can ask myself what I could do, today, to meet a stepping stone goal. Today, I can bake a large batch of whole wheat bread and some cookies. This priority list also means that if someone in the family offers help, I will know right off the top of my head, what would be beneficial.

Clarifying My List Items
In addition to making the lists, I often need to clarify some things for myself, such as defining list items. Maybe I need to define what those pre-made breakfast items should be, given what my ingredients on hand are. Or, what would be easy casseroles to make for the freezer over the weekend, given my on-hand ingredients. Or, what are my current luxuries?

I tackled that last question, and came up with this list: crackers, soup mixes, lunch fixings and take-out lunches, ready-made food items (unless on a great sale, like at Thanksgiving prices), prepared sweets, commercial bread, and candy.

Does this sound like extra work? It took me about 30 minutes, including thinking through some of my options. However, by making out this list, I stand to gain about $25 to $30 in savings on prepared foods or treats, lunches from takeaway places, and buying ingredients that I could make-do without. So, for 30 minutes of my time, a savings of $25 to $30, yields an hourly wage of about $50 or more. That's a pretty great wage, I think.

What's your takeaway from all of this? Maybe nothing. Or maybe, it might give you some ideas on thinking through your own budget woes. This brainstorming technique works for all manner of issues. You can transfer this idea to how to save for your next vacation, or how to lower your electricity usage, or how to make retirement more affordable. At the very least, having a typed out plan is comforting; every time the worry monster creeps in, you have an actual list that you can refer to, to allay those worries.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a peek into my mind and processes.

February 2017 Grocery Spending Journal

Silver white winters that melt into spring . . . okay now, so when does this melt into spring, here! Yep, woke up to snow, again.

Feb. 3 WinCo after an appointment in that area of town. I forgot to check my wallet for cash until I was in the waiting room for my appt. Yikes! $6 and coins. Luckily, I had a calculator with me. I tallied everything while I shopped, and made estimates on produce items. I bought 5 dozen medium eggs, for $4.48; 3 avocados at 58 cents each; 1 Roma tomato (for lunch that day), 21 cents; and 6 bananas for $1.25. Spent $7.68. As I was leaving the store, I counted all of my remaining coins -- 67 cents. I put my bag of groceries into the car and went back into the store to buy cocoa powder from the bulk bins. Spent 46 cents. (It is difficult to estimate the bulk items; and I didn't want to go over my 67 cents. What could I say -- "can you put 1 tablespoon of this back in the bin, please?") Total spent at WinCo -- $8.14

Next stop, Cash & Carry. They do take credit cards, so I had no need to keep a running tally while I shopped. I wanted the ground beef that was on sale for $19.90, but they were completely out of those 10-lb packages. Instead, I went ahead and bought the beef top sirloin, at $2.58/lb. It is a large piece that weighs 11.36 pounds. Yes, it is a lot of beef!! I have it in the garage fridge until I can cut it into 2-lb chunks for the freezer. Restaurant cuts of beef are sealed in airtight packaging, and keep for a couple of weeks, if refrigerated. I also bought 10 lbs of carrots; a 3-pack of celery; a 5-lb loaf of medium cheddar; 1 quart of soy milk; $1.58; 12.5 lbs of popcorn, $7.09; 1 gallon of vegetable oil, $6.59; 2 lbs of yeast, $6.97; 1 large head of green cabbage, $1.50; 1-lb box of cornstarch, 99 cents; and another 14 bananas at 47 cents/lb. At Cash & Carry I spent $75.02

Feb. 5. I needed gas, plus I had a coupon for a Freebie about to expire at Fred Meyer. So, off to get gas and run into the store. I actually had 3 Freebie coupons on my card that I could use. So, I picked up my can of soup (free), my Power Bar (free) and my box of Annie's macaroni and cheese (free). I also needed one loaf of bread to get us through 2 days until I could bake a large batch ($1.67). Total spent at Fred Meyer's -- $1.67

Month to date spent -- $84.83

Feb 7. Fred Meyer for Senior Day discount (I can't miss these opportunities). I need milk, and it's on sale for 89 cents/half gallon; I buy 10, the limit. Natural-style peanut butter is on sale for $1.50/15-oz jar; I buy 4 jars of chunky. (This goes on sale often enough, and I have some at home, still, so 4 jars seems like a reasonable amount for us. Four jars will last about 6 weeks in our house.) I buy three 8-packs of mixed meat hot dogs for 80 cents each. Hickory smoked almonds are on sale through this month for $4.99/lb (my price, w/discount, $4.49/lb). I still have lots of raw almonds, but smoked will be a nice change for snacking. I buy 1.45 lbs. I need alternative milk. I've been drinking almond milk. Today I find soy milk marked down for $1.25/half-gallon; I bought 2. The expiration date is in a week, but it should keep for a week beyond that date. I'll freeze one of the cartons to use later in the month. I found Pillsbury Cookie Mixes marked down to 42 cents/box; I bought 4 boxes. They also had cans of Pillsbury frosting marked down to 32 cents/can; I bought 8 cans. I'll be able to use the frosting on cakes this spring, summer and fall. I had a $10.83 reward from the fall reward's cycle to use. My total cost for today, $20.12

Month to date spent -- $  104.95

February 17. We are completely out of whole wheat flour. This is significant to our household, as we are accustomed to eating our baked goods made with about half whole wheat, half white flour. So I made a point of getting more ww flour today. I stopped at Cash & Carry, and dragged a 50-lb sack of stone-ground whole wheat flour on to the flatbed cart ($18.99). I also picked up 22 bananas, at 42 cents/lb (they worked out to 16.2 cents each), a 3-pack of celery ($2.33), a 25-lb bag of onions ($7.00), and a 10-lb bag of oranges ($7.73). The oranges are almost twice the price per pound that I prefer to spend, but I thought they'd be nice to have, now that we have gone through all of the orange juice. I'm okay with splurging when the foods are healthy. Total spent, $39.62

February 17. Also on my errands list was Fred Meyer, to pick up a prescription for my husband. While waiting for the rx to be ready, I used my 2 freebie coupons and got 1 Hershey's candy bar, and 1 container of Chobani yogurt, for free. And of course, I couldn't help but stop at the table of marked down Valentine's candy. It still seemed overpriced, except the bags of cherry-milk chocolate M&Ms, at $1.49/bag (the bags are about 9 ounces). I only bought 2 bags, in case they're not very good. I think that I'll save one bag till next year, and make sweet little bags of M&Ms for the Valentine's candies that I give the kids and husband. The other bag will be for cookies at some point. Total spent, $2.98

For the month, so far I've spent -- $147.55

I'm doing pretty well for grocery spending, this month. I had a surplus of $121.20 coming into February. When I add that to our monthly budgeted amount of $190, I have $311.20 to spend.

February 19. One daughter is going out of town for the week, for a theater thing. Most of her expenses will be covered; but $30 will not. I took $10 from the grocery budget and gave to her. That is roughly what I calculate for what I spend per person, per week, for food. Spent $10.

For the month, so far I've spent -- $157.55

It's now the 22 February. I am trying to hold out on spending any more on groceries for the month, in part just because it gives me a thrill to underspend, but also I really want to force us into using supplies in the freezer and pantry.  It's also good to just stay out of the stores during peak flu season.

Feb. 28. So, this is where the shopping month ends! I spent $157.55 for the month of February. I had $311.20 to spend, including the carry forward surplus from the month before. I have $153.65 left over! That amount will carry forward into March, and as March is a longer month, I will likely spend into it.

What I Bought

Dairy

5 dozen medium eggs
5 lbs of cheddar cheese
1 quart of soy milk
2 half-gallons of soy milk
10 half-gallons of milk (mixed 2% and whole)
1 small yogurt (freebie)

Meat

11.36 lbs beef top sirloin
3 12-oz packages of hot dogs

Produce

3 avocados
1 tomato
42 bananas
10 lbs of carrots
6 bundles of celery
1 head of green cabbage
25 lbs of onions
10 lbs of oranges

Pantry

.15 lb of cocoa powder
12.5 lbs of popcorn
1 gallon of vegetable oil
2 lbs of yeast
1 lb of cornstarch
1 can of soup (freebie)
1 box of macaroni and cheese (freebie)
1 Power Bar (freebie)
1 loaf of bread
4 15-oz jars of peanut butter
1.45 lbs smoked almonds
4 boxes of cookie mix
8 cans of frosting
50 lbs of whole wheat flour
1 Hershey candy bar (freebie)
2 large bags of M&Ms

Lunch Meat for Less

Are you a fan of the lunch meat sandwich? I do enjoy a nice meaty sandwich every now and again. However, I'm not a big fan of some aspects of deli lunch meat. I really don't care for not knowing what parts of the meat went into the chopped and pressed deli meats. The preservatives and additives are some of those questionable issues with cured meats of any kind. And then there's the price of deli-style lunch meat. Fortunately, there are a few alternatives which side step all of the above.

The traditional meatloaf sandwich is one of the least expensive of the meat sandwiches -- it never disappoints.

Leftover roasted turkey, chicken, pork and ham make mighty tasty sandwiches, and are a fraction of the price of deli meat.

And then there's one of my favorites, for its leanness, price, lack of extra ingredients, and ease of preparing -- the baked boneless, skinless, chicken breast.

I buy the boneless, skinless chicken breasts when I find them priced around $1.50 to $1.75 per pound. This is usually in the value package; so, when I get them home, I divide them into one and two breast mini-packages for the freezer.

To use, I thaw one or two, and then prepare for baking. I lightly butter the baking tray. Next, I drizzle about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over the tops, and turn to coat completely. Then, I season with a bit of salt, garlic powder and chili powder. I bake at 350 degrees F, for about 20-25 minutes, or until done. That's it. Easy-peasy. Once chilled and sliced, I have lunch meat for several days.

For a cost comparison, recently when I have bought deli lunchmeat, I've spent in the neighborhood of $3.75 to $6.00 per pound, depending on variety and sales. For home-baked chicken "lunch meat", my cost is under $2.00 per pound, including the seasonings and electricity for the baking.  The bonus is that I know what is in my meat, and I control sodium, fat and preservatives.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers the Last Week of February

This week went by in a blur, so I'll try to remember what we had for dinner each night. What I do know is that it was frugal. I wouldn't have had time to rush out for takeaway meals.

Friday

• turkey, vegetable and barley soup
• toasted cheese sandwiches
• orange wedges

Saturday
husband's night to cook

• wrap sandwiches
• carrots and celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing

Sunday

This was the night that we had leftovers from the fundraiser that I work.

• leftover assorted sandwiches
• leftover chips
• leftover fruit salad
• tossed salad made from leftover lettuce, cucumber slices and half of a tomato, topped with bleu cheese dressing
• a mix of the leftover egg salad, potato salad and cole slaw
• leftover cookies

Monday

• egg salad sandwiches
• soup from the freezer, turkey, vegetable and barley
• bananas

Tuesday

• soft tacos, made with 1 chicken breast, cooked onions, lettuce, black beans and salsa (really yummy!)
• canned corn
• cookies -- those jam-filled ones that I shower to you earlier this week

Wednesday

• black bean and lentil soup
• cheese quesadillas
• tossed salad (lettuce, cucumber slices, olives, bleu cheese dressing)
• cookies

Thursday

• pancakes, with real maple syrup (a treat that we are enjoying tremendously)
• scrambled eggs
• pumpkin souffle (I had canned pumpkin in the fridge needing using, and this sounded good with what else was planned)
• blackberry-rhubarb sauce from the freezer

I made it through the week. My back hurts from hunching over papers, as I edited. I'm exhausted and just want to go for a vacation on a tropical island. But I'm not quite done. I have to put together a portfolio for review. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?

Besides that, my one daughter comes home tomorrow morning. I'll be picking her up, with my other daughter with me. The three of us will do our galentine's thing, Saturday AM. We missed it on Valentine's, but aren't going to let this opportunity slip away from us. 

This past week, I think one of the tastiest things that I ate were the soft tacos. I'm usually not a big fan of flour tortilla tacos, preferring the texture of corn tortillas, but those chicken tacos were delicious. They were a hybrid between soft tacos and fajitas. We didn't add cheese, or sour cream or any usual taco toppings, but had the lettuce, olives, black beans, along with strips of cooked chicken and grilled onions. If I had had any peppers in the house, those would have made the tacos over the top!

This next week, I will finally have time to cook from scratch, again. As it happens, there is now room in the freezer for some prepared meals and soups. So, I'll get busy on the casserole-making and soup simmering. I've enjoyed not having to cook as much this winter.

The other thing that I am really looking forward to is flowers. Who else is ready for spring? I still have crocus bulbs in the fridge that need planting out. It shouldn't be too late. And I need to get started on some seeds this week. Oh, and then there's taxes. It is looking like a busy couple of weeks, but a nice change from everything that I've been working on.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Saving Crumbs (Now That Sounds Thrifty!)

In that tiny, hard to reach cabinet above the refrigerator, I stash the practically empty bags from potato and tortilla chips. Yes, we do occasionally receive bags of chips. These are most often freebies to us, either through a Friday Freebie coupon from Fred Meyer, or as a leftover from the fundraising luncheons for which I serve.

Today, my cupboard is hiding a bag of potato chip crumbs and a bag of blue corn tortilla chip bits. I keep these bags in this seldom used cabinet as they are less likely to be found, being out of the main pantry area of the kitchen. If they are not found, then no one will mistakenly think they are empty and trash them. Even in my frugal home, someone could toss out perfectly good potato chip crumbs. The nerve!

Why on earth would I hang onto the crumbs? These crumbs and bits make great toppings for salads and soups, in place of croutons. And as I don't buy croutons, having the crumbs on hand means that I don't have to go to the trouble to make croutons as often. No waste and it saves time.