Filling the Tins: Drinking Chocolate Mix

I took the easy way out on this one. I bought Nesquik in single serve packets. It is pre-measured for both the cocoa and sugar, and the cocoa in Nesquik does not clump at the bottom of the mug the way baking cocoa does. Other than the Nesquik, I used powdered instant milk, powdered non-dairy creamer, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows, all of which I had on hand for our own cocoa mix in a jar. The Nesquik came from Dollar Tree. These cute cellophane cones were in my stash from a previous year.

The total hands on time was about 15-20 minutes, and my cost (including ingredients that I had on hand) was about $1.70 for two cones, each making 12 ounces of rich drinking chocolate.

I like the layered look, so I made up each cone separately. Working with the cone in a drinking glass (to keep it upright), I first scooped in 1/3 cup of instant milk. On top of that, I added 2 tablespoons of non-dairy coffee creamer. Then, I poured in a packet of Nesquik.

I chopped 3 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate chips for each cone, spooning in on top of the Nesquik.

I wrapped about 1/3 cup of mini marshmallows in a piece of plastic wrap and placed on top of the drinking chocolate mix. These cones are secured with a twist tie.

My goal with the tins is to average about $2.00 to $2.50 per each tin. So far, I'm under that goal, leaving some extra in the budget for tomorrow's tin. 

Cocoa mix in a jar or baggie is a great last-minute gift idea or stocking stuffer that doesn't take much time or expertise. 

Filling the Tins: Peppermint and White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

No baking skill required.

These sweet pretzels will fill one of the medium-sized tins in my tower. A batch of 60 pretzels took 30 minutes of time and cost about $2.00. The pretzels and candy canes were from Dollar Tree, and the white chocolate was a combination of white baking chocolate and vanilla candy coating (I had the two items in my pantry). I used less than half the bag of pretzels, about half a bag of white baking chips, and 11 mini candy canes. I also used Crisco shortening to obtain a good dipping viscosity to the baking chips.

I prepared my candy cane pieces by laying the canes in the individual packages on the counter, and I broke them up with a hammer.

When I was ready to sprinkle the candy cane bits, I simply snipped the end off of each package and poured out.

I melted the baking chips in a shallow dish in the microwave, adding the Crisco in small amounts until it was the right consistency. A fork works well for tossing and removing the dipped pretzels.

I worked on 15 pretzels at a time. Dipping, then placing on a waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

Next, I sprinkled them with peppermint bits, then I began another 15 pretzels. Once the baking sheet was full, I slipped it into the fridge.

While the pretzels firmed up, I prepared the tin by lining with waxed paper. Do you know how to make a sheet of waxed or tissue paper fit a box or tin near perfectly without cutting? This is a little trick I learned in a gift-wrapping job when I was young. 

You hold the sheet of paper over your empty tin or box and fold up a portion, in the very center of the paper, until the near and far edges of the paper fit the opening. Then you crease the paper into place.

This is half of the batch. I'll add a couple more when the second tray comes out of the fridge, and there will be some leftover for our family.

I made these with white chocolate because that is the type of which I have a surplus. Semi-sweet chocolate is also delicious on pretzels, with or without candy cane bits, and it's even easier to get to the right dipping consistency. White chocolate has a higher sugar content than semi-sweet and care needs to be taken when melting it, lest it scorch. Use brief bursts of time in the microwave, and remelt the dipping chocolate as needed during the dipping process.

Filling the Tins: Nacho Cheese Popcorn

I thought I'd show you what my plans are for the tins that I spruced up about 10 days ago. I have already mentioned that the smallest tin will be filled with spiced nuts. For the largest tin, my daughter is going to make her fabulous flavored popcorn. This daughter is particular about popcorn. She likes the flavored ones, like what you sometimes receive in a large tin as a gift. She made some two-cheese popcorn a few weeks ago that I sampled and thoroughly agreed that it was delicious.

She uses a couple of products -- a butter-flavored oil to pop the kernels in, popcorn salt, and cheese popcorn flavoring. She says that the popcorn flavorings are least expensive at WinCo and Walmart (much more expensive at Fred Meyer and other grocery stores). While plain popcorn is much cheaper, these flavorings take the popcorn up a notch, making it a great gift, if bagged up or for filling a tin, or for a party treat that is comparable to something like Chex mix or chips but much cheaper. Anyway, cheese popcorn will fill the bottom and largest tin of the tower.

My daughter follows a procedure that a friend who works in a movie theater suggested. She pops the kernels in the butter-flavored oil mixed with some of the popcorn salt (we buy Flavocal popcorn salt at Cash and Carry). After the popcorn is popped, she tosses it with some of the white cheddar seasoning and nacho cheese seasoning. I mention her procedure as it never had occurred to me to pop the kernels in oil with the salt. Previously, we always sprinkled the salt over the popped kernels.

So, that's the largest tin's filling.

I Love the Savings

Many supermarket receipts include a savings amount for your current shopping trip. This is nothing new -- stores have been including this information for a while. What is new is the receipt from the library for the two videos that I checked out this past week. Below the information about the titles of the dvds it says, "You just saved $49.98 by using your library. That is the suggested retail price of the items checked out."

I just thought that was a cool reminder of how much money our library saves us. I should start a running total to see how much I save in one year. While it's true that I likely would not have bought all of the items that I have borrowed from the library this past year, I did consider buying a copy of the Christmas movie that I checked out. So, I guess you could say that I really did save about $25 with this recent visit.

Hot Flashes 2.0

In the spring, I mentioned reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes by cutting out caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas. My hot flashes began in January of this year and making this huge reduction in caffeine brought those flashes down to a minimum, overnight. My primary source of caffeine was brewed coffee. I cut back to half caffeinated/half decaf brewed coffee, then went to all decaf brewed coffee. In late summer, wanting to reduce my caffeine even more, I switched from brewed decaf to instant decaf. The amount of caffeine in either preparation for coffee sounds insignificant, but when you figure that a person (me) may be consuming 5 or 6 cups of decaf per day, the amount of caffeine can add up to that of one or two cups if caffeinated coffee, over the course of a day. Some individuals are more sensitive to caffeine and every reduction possible is beneficial. This was the case for me.

To get an idea of how much caffeine is in various preparation methods and roasts, healthline.com provides some data. So, I live in Coffeeland, USA. Starbucks Pike Place Roast Decaf (the standard Starbucks decaf for my area) has about 20 milligrams of caffeine per 12 oz. cup. Home-brewed, supermarket coffee-in-a-can grounds have around 7 to 8 milligrams of caffeine per 12 oz. cup. Grocery store instant decaf granules (the kind in a jar, not the Starbucks single-serve packets) provide about 3.1 to 3.8 milligrams of caffeine per 12 oz. cup. The choice for instant coffee now saves me about 85 milligrams of caffeine per day, in comparison to the brewed decaf that I had been drinking all winter and spring. That is about the amount of caffeine in an 8 oz cup of caffeinated coffee. For this period in my life, this is important for my comfort. My hot flashes are rare, now. This may in part be due to my body making the adjustment to reduced estrogen levels. I am unwilling to experiment with a cup of caffeinated coffee to see if hot flashes resume. (I like not feeling sweaty.)

I do drink a lot of decaf coffee each day. I enjoy the flavor. So, I made the maximum concession, while still finding enjoyment in the activity. It was a matter of weighing benefits against costs. As long as I felt the benefits (no hot flashes or heart palpitations) outweighed the costs (sacrificing some of the pleasurable flavor in brewed coffee), I was willing to make this change. In addition, the heart palpitations that I had lived with for decades practically vanished. I had a brief spell of an irregular heart beat two or three evenings in a row, last summer, but that has been it. I don't know what caused that aberration, but I do associate the near-cessation of palpitations with cutting out caffeine.

There are some bonuses to drinking instant decaf, now. It's quicker to prepare. There are no filters to buy, and no basket or filter holder plus carafe to wash out. The counter space where my coffee set-up previously sat is now freed up for other kitchen activity, or just a cleaner-looking space. I can take my instant coffee granules with me when I go to food courts and similar take-out counter-service restaurants, asking for a cup of hot water to go. I  fact, when I was at the airport recently, I walked up to the Starbucks counter and asked what the charge for a cup of hot water would be. They said it was free. I took my hot water to a table near my gate, mixed in a spoon of instant granules and made a "free" cup of coffee for myself. I wouldn't do this in a restaurant where I sat at one of their tables. That would just seem tacky to me. But in a take-away situation, I don't see why not, if the establishment is willing to provide a free cup of hot water.

Anyway, I am glad to be able to wear fleece again. The occasional hot flashes that I do experience are limited to specific scenarios, such as an anxiety attack or a fever. I am working on calming myself during anxiety attacks. It's similar to a biofeedback process. The feedback comes not from electrical sensors, but from the hot flash, itself. You know the saying, "every cloud has a silver lining?" Well, the silver lining of my hot flashes has been finding ways to live a physically and emotionally healthier life.

How I Made $83 an Hour

First, let me say this, I was super reluctant to take this route. Really, there are some things for which I don't like to compromise my comfort or convenience. When traveling by air, I like the convenience of arriving at the airport by my own car, which entails the expense of high parking rates at the airport. Nonetheless, I am willing to pay for parking, either at the airport proper or at a discounted, off-site parking location, just so I can be more comfortable getting there.

I recently went out of town for a few days. My departing flight was super early in the morning, and my returning flight was late at night. I am especially not a fan of the off-site parking joints when it means I have to get up extra early for a flight or be there long after dark (kinda sketchy area near the airport). So, I had talked myself into paying the full rate at the airport, which would have cost about $140 for the days that my car sat parked. A few days before leaving town, my car began acting up. I didn't have time to get it looked at, and I was very concerned about driving the hour and fifteen each way to the airport. In addition, I didn't have anyone that I could ask for a ride. (Due to the distance, I consider a ride to the airport to be a pretty big favor.) I looked into shuttle possibilities, but as both of my daughters were coming with me, a shuttle would have cost close to $200. After spending a weekend on the fence about driving, taking a shuttle, or daring the public transit, I made a last-minute decision to take a series of 2 public buses and 1 stretch on light-rail for my transport to and from the airport. We had to walk a mile to the bus stop (with heavy backpacks, and yes, it was uphill part of the way) and ride public transportation, which took 2 hours. However, it was worth it, as our cost was $25.50 in total for the 3 of us to get to and from the airport, yielding a savings of $114.50. The additional time, compared to driving to/from, was about one and a half hours. Going on these figures, I estimate my hourly savings' rate at about $76.33. But wait, it gets better. Gas for my car to get to and from the airport would have cost about $10, giving me a total savings of $124.50 or $83/ hour for my time. Of course, I had to get both daughters on board with this crazy plan. So I offered each of them an incentive, $25 to spend any way they wanted while we were out of town. When you're young, beautiful, and broke, $25 sounds pretty enticing (or at least it did for my two daughters). They said, "let's go for it," and we did. With "sharing" that awesome hourly rate (bribing offering an incentive of $50 total to my daughters), my hourly rate for a little inconvenience dropped to $49.67. That's not bad, and I think it was worth the inconvenience.

I also like to remind myself that when I "earn" money by saving what I had planned on spending, those "earnings" are not subject to income taxes. If I had taken a paid job for that same amount of money, income taxes would have eaten into the earnings, and I would have had to work more hours to earn that sum. And truth be told, my area of expertise is in a very un-lucrative field. Convincing someone into paying me $83 per hour would be a tough sell.

Who knows, maybe my car would have made it to the airport and back, or maybe it wouldn't have. I'm glad I didn't chance it. It's in the shop now, and I'm hoping the repairs are not too exorbitant. The good news, though -- now that I've done the bus and rail to the airport, and discovered it wasn't bad at all, I will take this route again. The bonus is we all got a bit of exercise before sitting on a plane for a few hours.

You know, when we travel, I think nothing of taking public transit in other cities. And I take the bus whenever I want to go into Seattle. So, I'm kind of surprised that it took me this long to take transit to and from the airport. I guess I just need a little push in the right direction every now and then.

How about you? Has there been something that you've were reluctant to try, but you did and were glad for the push to get you into that experience?

A Wonderful Box from Last Summer's Free Piles

One late-summer or early-fall evening while driving home, my daughter and I spied this box on a free pile. I snagged it without thoroughly looking through the contents, as I could see it was filled with nice Christmas crafting material. I put it in my trunk and left it there until last week.

Wow! This is full of wonderful material. There are spools of ribbon, several grapevine wreaths and balls, vines, silk flowers, pine cones, ornaments, pots, florist foam, and other tidbits. The stuff was all jumbled together, with tangled ribbon holding everything in large masses. After untangling the ribbon and separating items into piles, I could see that I had found a treasure trove of crafting material.

I have already begun using some of the contents, as you saw on the lid of the tin that I spruced up. So much fun to have new supplies! We'll be making wreaths later this week, and I have a kissing ball in mind with one of the grapevine balls, burgundy ribbon, and silk roses. Lots of fun times at no cost to me.

I had the opportunity to meet the woman who kept her free pile stocked all summer, when she held a garage sale in early July. Apparently, she and her young family were moving out of the area and, therefore, were lightening the load of what to bring to the new house. Not only does she have an interest in crafting, but she also shares my passion for studying art and artists. Their home was just a few blocks from ours, and I was so sorry to discover this kindred spirit just as she was leaving the area. She gave me a few of her art books for my own library, which I'll treasure as mementos of this chance encounter.

Super Easy, Garlic Cheesey Bread

This was a great accompaniment to a pot of homemade soup, this past week. Four ingredients, minimal effort, and very yummy.

1 can of biscuit dough
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4-6 tablespoons shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 X 8-inch baking dish.

Melt butter and stir in garlic. Cut biscuits into quarters and dip into the melted butter/garlic. Place in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden.
I used Parmesan (what I had), but I think these would be delicious with cheddar -- more melty and gooey.

Serves 4.

The Finished Tins

So, yesterday I showed you the assortment of tins that I chose with which to build a treat tower and the results of spray painting 2 of the tins gold. Here's what I did to finish those tins.

The lid of the small round tin has an embossed design.

I covered that lid with a wreath of faux greenery, berries, and blossoms, using a hot glue gun.

I also hot-glued a red ribbon around the bottom part of the large square tin, so it would harmonize with the other tins. Here is a side view of the stack. (The lid does fit properly on the bottom tin. I just didn't want to press it on just yet -- waiting for the paint to harden.)

And here's what the top of the stack looks like. I think it's pretty. I could spray paint all of the tins gold, but I like the way this looks as it is. What do you think?

Reminder of what the tins looked like before.

My total cost for these tins? Nothing. The tins, spray paint, faux greenery, ribbon, and glue stick were items that I already had. I'm pretty pleased. When I make a gift, I try to make it as attractive as possible, so that even finicky recipients will be pleased.

The Treat Tower: The Tins

I've seen these in catalogs for years and always wanted to receive one. I know. The crazy things we wish for, right? Anyway, as mentioned yesterday, I am putting together a tower for a gift, using some of my stash of tins. Here's a photo of the tins that I think will work.

There are 5 tins altogether. The top one and bottom 3 (the poinsettia 2 are side by side) are vendor tins. The bottom and top one have labels on them, while the 2 poinsettia tins just say "Happy Holidays." My thought is I only need to paint the bottom and top tins in the photo, as the other 3 will look fine, as is. I'm using some gold spray paint on those two. I've just sprayed the first coat and will do a second coat in a bit. If any of the design shows through, I'll add some extra trim, like ribbon or spray "snow." The top tin has a raised design on the lid. I plan on covering that with a silk blossom, wreath of silk leaves, or large bow, hot-glued onto the top.

I just checked the tins, and the paint is looking good. Here are the bottoms to the tins. The color is kind of off in the photo. They are definitely gold, and not coppery.

No printing shows through, but I think I will wrap a band of red ribbon around the bottom tin to thematically tie it into the rest of the tins.

On spray painting tins -- I cleaned the interiors with soapy water and dried well, using a toothpick to clean out the crack where the base meets the side. I also used rubbing alcohol to thoroughly clean the exterior, so the paint would adhere evenly. I did not do anything else to prepare the tins. I place the tins, upside down, on boxes, in order to spray the sides evenly, without getting paint inside. I plan on leaving the tins open for a week or so, before putting lids back on, to let the paint thoroughly harden. I am very pleased with how the tins painted. As far as I can tell for now, this is a great solution for sprucing up tins.

Old-Time Spiced Nuts

This is one of my mother's recipes that she found in a ca. 1950s' cookbook. The original recipe called for pecan halves, but I've always used mixed nuts. If using salted nuts, reduce or omit the salt in the recipe. In addition, as there is egg white in the recipe, you may find the info on the foodsafety.gov to be reassuring. The recommendation is to heat an item containing raw, unpasteurized eggs to 160 F degrees. These nuts are baked at 250 degrees for an hour.

Here's the recipe:

Spiced Nuts

2 tablespoons cold water
1 slightly beaten egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups nuts

Preheat oven to 250 F degrees. Butter a large, shallow baking sheet.

Add water to slightly beaten egg white. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt. Let stand 15 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.

Dip the nuts into the mixture. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake in a slow oven (250 F degrees) until golden, about 1 hour. (You may need to reduce the baking time slightly for previously roasted nuts.)

That's it! Super simple and makes a delicious holiday treat with less sugar than cookies or candies.

I am making these nuts for a gift. (I'll make sure to make enough for leftovers for our family!) I am putting together a treat and snack tower, using holiday tins. Something along the lines of the below photo:

My tins are a motley assortment, so I plan to spiff a couple of them up with a coating of spray paint. (I have gold paint at home.) The spiced nuts will fill one of the top, smaller containers.

The Festive Holiday Foods that I Found in My Fridge and Freezer

One of my goals for the next few months is to use up everything in the fridges and freezers, saving some money on grocery purchases in the bargain. Here is what was lingering that I can turn into some festive holiday dishes:

• fruitcake fruit -- yes, I actually like fruitcake and intend to honor my mother's memory by making her recipe
• pecans and almonds for baking and Swedish Christmas rice pudding -- a Christmas Eve dessert
• almond paste for homemade, Christmas morning Danish pastry
• smoked salmon -- even though it's been frozen, when thawed and mixed with cream cheese it makes a good spread
• frozen mounds of whipped cream -- good for homemade eggnog
• frozen croissants
• a variety of sausages -- I'll use some in a savory New Year's Eve pie
• several types of homemade pickles, jams, and marmalades
• frozen berries -- the frozen, wild blackberries make a good pancake syrup for cold winter mornings
• cream cheese -- good for pumpkin cheesecake (my daughters make this and it is soooo good)
• mixed nuts -- I plan on making spiced nuts as a gift and for ourselves with these
• baking chocolate, dipping chocolate, and chocolate chips
• peppermint oil for making peppermint patties
• phyllo dough
• lots of standard baking supplies, such as flour, butter, granulated and powdered sugar, spices, extracts, oil, and crisco

With so many wonderful ingredients already in the house there is little I need to buy at the grocery store for holiday treats.

Today, I am . . .

• making pizza from scratch for my family's dinner 
• wrapping Christmas gifts with gently used wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows
• making gift tags out of the fronts of Christmas cards from years' past
• making new bows out of scraps of ribbon
• listening to Christmas music that I downloaded for free through our library's connection to Freegal
• number 5 on the holds' list at the library for a favorite Christmas movie
• wearing pants and a top that I got at the thrift store
• recovering from a busy but fun and frugal weekend
• enjoying the Advent calendar (new and in sealed package) that I bought last January at Goodwill for 25 cents
• back!

How's life been for you?

The Coin-less Sofa Cushions

My two daughters had a late night on Saturday, watching movies in the family room. They pulled the sofa cushions off of the sofa, to use on the floor in front of the tv. Anyway, on Sunday morning, one daughter was putting the room back to rights as I was passing the doorway. She asked why we never find money in our sofa, under the cushions. I wanted to answer with something quasi-humorous about us being so poor that even our sofa has no money. But that wouldn't be true. The answer is that we are simply so careful with our money that we take care with even the dimes and pennies. That doesn't mean we don't have an occasional unplanned expense or splurge. But it does mean that we are mindful with our money. We set some aside for those emergencies or repairs, and add an amount into our budget for splurges. And every penny is counted.

Perhaps it would be shocking for you to know that lately we have treated ourselves to lunch out after church each week. We have felt the need to connect at least once per week, as a way of bonding our family and enjoying time spent together. But we also didn't want to burden any one individual with meal prep or planning activities. (Plus, if we do something in our home, it is just too easy for one or more family members to excuse themselves from the group, in order to tend to something else.) Despite spending a little bit of money on this weekly treat, we are still keeping that expense pretty low. We frequent non-tipping restaurants, use coupons, and order judiciously. I think we all realize that it would be pretty spoiled of us to complain about any aspect of our frugal way of eating out. This once-per-week treat is accounted for in our budget. It is never a break-the-bank sort of outing. Yesterday, we spent about $14.50 for four of us to have burgers, fries, salads, and a parfait. The point of our outings is to connect, not gourmet-dine.

Back to the poverty of our sofa. I think if we ever so much as found a penny under its cushions, we'd mount it and hang it on the wall. I've found toys, hair ties, and scraps of paper under there, but no coins. This is a good thing for us, I think. It means that we continue to plan for the future and our expected/unexpected needs, watching the coins as well as the dollars. By doing so, we are still enjoying a treat, here and there, and able to give generously, where ever it is needed.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for Mid-October

Saturday

• nachos platter with chips, beans, rice, beef, peppers, tomatoes (no cheese -- all out)
• apple wedges
• celery sticks

Sunday

• oven-roasted sausage, vegetables, potatoes

Monday

• pumpkin and sausage soup
• brown rice or crackers

Tuesday

• waffles with blackberry sauce and yogurt topping
• bacon
• applesauce

Wednesday

• a delicious casserole of leftovers -- bacon, sausage, mushrooms, rice, zucchini, green onions, and turkey stock. You can't go wrong when leftovers are bacon and sausage.
• steamed cauliflower
• pecan pie

Thursday

• beef and bean chili from the freezer
• baby carrots, celery sticks, olives, ranch dip
• toast

Friday

• looks like it will be another Friday night, frozen corndog and sweet potato fries dinner tonight. It's easy, quick, and had minimal cost. I'll also add some steamed cauliflower.

As this third week of the month winds down I am turning to treats hidden in the "secret" pantry, frozen goodies, and canned items. I bring a couple of packaged treats out of that secret pantry once per week. Yesterday I pulled out a box of granola bars and wheat thin-type crackers, as well as a can of frozen pomegranate juice concentrate from the freezer. We still have a lot of tasty foods in the house, so all is well. 

Anything especially good on your menu this past week? Have a wonderful weekend!

Trading Early in the Week Evening Relaxing Time for Easier Supper Prep Later in the Week

Do you have a day of the week where you have more energy than the other days? I seem to have more energy on Mondays than any other day of the week. My energy quickly goes downhill as the work week progresses. Last week, instead of telling myself that I didn't have energy to cook on a Thursday or a Friday, I harnessed my Monday energy and prepared a couple of meals for the freezer, after everyone was done with dinner. When Thursday and Friday rolled around, I got the night off from cooking. Then this week, I continued with this program of late-evening cooking, and it looks like I will have another easy end of the week. The bonus was that I was able to use up more perishable ingredients before they expired.

I was thinking about what I would have done with my Monday evening. I likely would have read stuff online, played solitaire, or watched a show. I'll have other chances to do those kinds of activities later in the week. For now, I'm really glad that I spent my Monday evening cooking ahead. Curious what I made? I made a cheese, green pepper, and mushroom pizza and a rice, mushroom, and beef casserole.

Going Old-School with the Garage Door

My upper arms could use a work-out anyway. Our house was built in the late-1970s and has the original electric garage door opener. One problem, the handheld remotes are both broken. We bought a soldering gun several years ago, and I have been soldering a key wire into place, repeatedly. It breaks off, I solder it back on, etc. That worked for years. Not so, this past spring. It broke off and even after soldering it back on, the remote doesn't work. It looks like the contact pad is plain worn out.

For several months, I used the interior switch for the door openers, opening the garage door from inside the garage, backing the car out, getting out of the car, closing the garage door from the inside of the garage, going out a back door of the garage, around the house, and to the driveway. That works, but it was far from convenient.

The remotes are no longer available for our very old model, and now is not the time to buy a new garage door opener and have it installed. So, what to do. My daughter had some time this summer to do some jobs for me. So, she and I picked out some heavy-duty handles from Home Depot's website (for about $7.50 each), she went to the store, then came home and installed handles on both doors. Afterward, she unhooked the brace which attaches the electric opener to the door. We now open and close the garage door just as my parents did when I was a girl, with our muscles. It's actually a good stretch for me everyday. And I think it was a valuable lesson for my daughter to work with me on a workable solution to our problem that would not cost us a bunch of money, and didn't require any expertise to achieve.

So, is this any less inconvenient than using the interior switch inside the garage? I would have to say that the old-school way is slightly better. Obviously, having a working electric garage door would be preferable. But for now, we have a solution with which we're satisfied.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for October

Friday

• frozen corn dogs
• sweet potato fries
• cinnamon applesauce

Saturday

• scrambled eggs
• *roasted potatoes
• *tomatoes, *zucchini, and Brussels sprouts sauteed together

Sunday

• *vegetable and bean soup
• crackers
• plums 
• lettuce, cucumber, and *tomato salad

Monday

• peanut butter and *strawberry jam sandwiches
• *apple wedges
• lettuce, cucumber, and *tomato salad

Tuesday

• ramen, vegetable, and egg soup
• crackers
• applesauce

Wednesday

• sausage, pumpkin, mushroom, sage sauce over pasta
• *tomato and cucumber salad

Thursday

• homemade hamburgers on buns, with *tomato slices
• coleslaw
• *winter squash

*indicates item is from our garden

Late at night, when I couldn't sleep, I calculated the cost of our homemade burgers. (I know, some folks count sheep. I count dollars and cents.) Anyway, I used 1 pound of ground beef, at $2.24/lb, 4 buns, on markdown for 35 cents/4, tomatoes from our garden, some seasonings, dried onions, and garlic powder, at about 10 cents. So, for 4 quarter-pounders we spent $2.69, or 67 cents each. That's a super deal!

Do you ever calculate the cost of your meals? If so, what do you think is an especially high-value meal to make at home?

Update on Remanufactured Ink Cartridges for Home Printers

It was just about this time, last year, that I posted on buying remanufactured ink jet cartridges for our old, but-still-running-well, printer. I bought a 3-pack for about $10 dollars per cartridge. (This post.) We have had a very good experience with these cartridges. They lasted about as long as full-priced ones from Office Depot (currently selling for $53.99 each at OD), and the problems have been minor and may have been the fault of the printer and not the cartridge. The issue we had was an ink smear on a couple of pages, and like I said, this may have been the fault of the very old printer (from c. late 1990s). Otherwise, the remanufactured cartridges worked as well for us as the HP brand.

In the comments of that initial post, it was mentioned that HP printers have had a "dynamic security feature" for the last 10 years or so. This "feature" renders no-name brand cartridges ineffective in more recent HP printers. However, older HP printers are some of the most durable printers made, continuing to work for decades (ours is a prime example -- about 20 years old, and going strong). I occasionally see HP printers at thrift stores. So, if someone is needing a printer for basic home use and only wants to spend a few dollars, buying a used HP at Goodwill or the like could be very affordable, especially when combined with remanufactured ink cartridges. It would be advantageous to check HP's website for info on a model sold second-hand, to see if that model had the "dynamic security feature." Here's a link to HP's site which indicates the models with the feature that prevents the use of remanufactured cartridges. At the bottom of that page, there is information on removing the security feature for printers which are listed.

I bring this all us because this week I had to order another batch of cartridges. Amazon was out of the 3-pack, so I bought a 2-pack for $18.74, including tax. That's less than $10 per cartridge. They're due to arrive in a week, so I'll let you know of any issues. If this batch works as well as the last, then the savings will be over $40 per cartridge. I think that's pretty good.

Don't You Just Love Free Piles?

One evening this past summer, I was driving out to pick up my daughter from her bus when I spied a nice-looking, very large basket on the ground. This corner of our neighborhood is known as the "free pile corner." It sits adjacent to the little library box (which is also awesome) and is known to have some good free stuff. The large basket caught my eye. I could tell there were more items; however, it was dark, and I didn't have time to stop.

After collecting my daughter, we decided to grab that basket, then check the rest of the pile. Oh, the free pile was awesome! In addition to this great big basket, there was a large flashlight (with functioning battery), a Sony portable radio, a pair of glass candlesticks, multiple candles (pillar and taper), a bunch of cleaning supplies, and some other stuff that we didn't need. We took all of the above-described items with us. When we got home, I discovered that amongst the cleaning supplies, that there was an almost full bottle of Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena spray, toilet cleaner, and window cleaner.

I am most thrilled by the Mrs. Meyer's spray as it makes the bathroom or kitchen smell so nice when I'm using it. The candles had all been previously burned, somewhat. But, you know, who cares about that, really. It's not like we're going to be eating them. Previously-used candles for free is great. (One daughter has been using the pillar candles when she takes luxurious baths.) The radio, flashlight, and glass candlesticks will be nice to have. And the basket has become the catchall kitchen basket. We actually have room for a large basket on the floor near the kitchen table. So, when I'm clearing the table of clutter (usually the junk mail that I still need to sort), I can pop it all into the basket. Our kitchen table is reclaimed for dining.

I am saddened that with the rainy weather comes an end to the free piles. Until next summer. . .

Weekend Morning at the Pumpkin Farm

Thank goodness I wore my retired sneakers, because the mud was a bit squishy in the pumpkin field.

The four of us made last-minute plans to visit the pumpkin farm, as everyone had the morning free. (It's rare when that happens for us. You probably have a similar situation), and the weather for Saturday looked promising, after a rainy Friday. The plan was to walk out the door by 9:00, and we did pretty well, leaving about 9:15. We've been to this farm before and remembered that their prices on treats were kind of high -- a buttered ear of corn on a stick for $3.50 and a cake donut for $1.00. So, en route, we stopped at Fred Meyer and bought a six-pack of Pumpkin-Spice donuts for $2.29 (or 38 cents each), less than half the price of the pumpkin farm donuts. And really, could you get any more appropriate with the donut flavor, than pumpkin for a trip to the pumpkin patch? On top of the donuts, we were each responsible for our own snacks and beverages (cheese, bananas, coffee, milk, or juice).

Admission to the farm was free, but there are a whole slew of activities for a price. You know me, we skipped any activity that had a charge, but we enjoyed the baby animals, looked through the gift shop, ate the free samples, and walked through the pumpkin field (yes, it was muddy), for free. We stopped by the fresh produce stand where my daughters each picked out a mini pumpkin for fall decor for their rooms (75 cents each), and then headed home.

A fun family outing that wasn't too expensive. We kept our costs down by bringing our snacks and beverages from home and buying a box of seasonal donuts from the grocery store. While I could have spent less on the mini pumpkins by buying them at the grocery store, this was an expense that I thought would create a nicer memory-impact, by actually choosing their little pumpkins at the farm. Of course, the cashier asked if we were waiting till later in the month to buy our jack-o-lanterns, and I replied that we grew pumpkins this summer and have them from our own garden. (The farm wanted between $2 and $25, depending on size, for pumpkins!) In past years, I've bought winter squash at this farm, inexpensively. Not so, this year. I'll just wait for a good deal at the grocery store, later in the month.

Morning was definitely the right time to go, as there was plenty of parking and little traffic. And at the far end of the pumpkin field, it felt like we were the only ones there. For someone who dislikes crowds, this was a perfect time to make family memories.

Will you do anything special to create autumn memories with your loved ones this year?

Shopping the Ethnic Food Aisle

I know I mentioned this before, concerning buying spices in the Hispanic section, you can often get great deals in the Ethnic section of the grocery store. Well, this past week I tried some cookies from the Hispanic section. I have to say, these are delicious. They are a lightly sweet tea cookie. For 65 cents a package, they are a steal. I had been buying a similar cookie in the Kosher section. But the price on that brand has gradually inched up to 85 cents a package (about same size as the Hispanic ones). These are a bargain and I will definitely be buying more.

I bought these at Fred Meyer. I didn't think to check the same section at WinCo, but my guess is they are even a few cents less there.

Do you shop the ethnic food aisles? If so, what products or types of products are a good deal for you?

Cheap and Cheerful Suppers for the First Week of October

pan-roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

It was a delicious week of autumnal foods. The weather turned chilly on Tuesday. I was eating dinner with one daughter and we were talking about the tomatoes in the garden, thinking they should be picked right away. So, we took a break from eating and went out to the garden to pick the rest of the large tomatoes. I'm so glad that we did, because the weather did not grow warmer, only wetter. The Brussels sprouts were on markdown -- such a treat to have! Oh and so were the mushrooms. I bought 3  1/2 pounds of marked down mushrooms. Now I'm getting hungry!

Here's what we ate this past week. Anything autumnal on your menu?

Saturday

• Kielbasa
• *Hashbrowns
• Corn tortillas topped with cheese and *tomato slices
• *Plums
• *Kale

Sunday

• Bean soup with *veggies
• *Apple wedges and *plum halves
• Crackers

Monday

• *Vegetable, egg and tofu fried rice
• leftover cake

Tuesday

• Beef, sausage, mushroom stew, with assorted *vegetables
• Bread
• *Apple wedges

Wednesday

• Chicken thighs in mushroom gravy (made double of the chicken and veggies, and froze a dinner for 4) -- I used a mushroom gravy mix, fresh mushrooms, celery, and green onions for the sauce. The gravy mix was 69 cents, a bargain considering it made for a simple meal.
• Roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes
• *Tossed salad
• Homemade Rice-a-roni

Thursday

• Beef and bean chili, using garden *tomatoes (made double, freezing leftovers for another dinner for 4)
• Crackers
• Applesauce

Friday (easy supper night, fast food without the drive-thru or expense)

• Corn dogs (WinCo -- 25 cents each)
• Sweet potato fries (Dollar Tree -- small bag, but enough for a family of four, $1)
• Tossed salad of *cucumber and *tomato from the garden and lettuce from WinCo, dressing made with mix from WinCo's bulk bins (about 50 cents for the salad and dressing)
• update on price of supper -- I decided to add 4 strips of turkey bacon to the salad, extra protein and flavor. That extra adds about 39 cents to the cost of dinner, and 2 grams of protein for each person. For dessert, we also added 4 chocolates from some Dollar Tree boxed chocolates (yes, you can sometimes buy boxed chocolates at Dollar Tree!), adding about 29 cents, total. The cost per person for dinner, then, is about 79 cents, plus beverages (2 members of the family may have a glass of milk each, the others stick to water; add 10 cents per glass of milk). Under $1 per person for a quick, easy, and fast food-ish meal.

*indicates item is from our garden or fruit trees

chicken thighs in mushroom gravy

Proud of Myself for Not Buying More Holiday Decorations

When it comes to holiday decorations I am not nearly as disciplined as I am with buying groceries. I like to pick up a new thing or two for the various holidays, even if its just at the dollar store. But this year, I resisted the impulse to buy any more fall holiday decorations, and just reused all of the decor that I've bought in previous years. I mixed it up a bit to make it look fresh for this year, putting decor pieces in different places. In the early years of making a home this is how I kept our space looking fresh, by moving things around.

For me, for right now, this is not as much about not spending money, but more about not accumulating more stuff. So, my rule for fall decorating is "don't unnecessarily add to the accumulation of stuff." The non-spoken part of that rule is that I "can" buy consumable items to use as holiday decor, such as pretty squashes. Besides, I think that natural items, such as squash and pumpkins, make some of the loveliest of fall decorations. They just have an upside, and that is that you get to eat them as fall turns over into winter.

Here's my kitchen door. Nothing fancy, but it makes coming and going through the kitchen (which, let's face it, our kitchen door is used by family and guests more than our front door) so pleasant. The faux leaf garland was from Dollar Tree the year before last, and used to wrap around the front "Welcome" sign. The bow at the top, also from DollarTree, graced an outdoor light fixture the past two years. The faux pumpkin is a must for outdoor pumpkins in our neighborhood (squirrels like to nibble on pumpkins left outside), and is from three years ago. And the window clings I already mentioned (you can't see them in the big photo, but they're on the upper portion of the glass inset). It's homey, did not cost me a penny this year, and won't add to the stuff in storage after fall is over.

P.S. I am so proud of myself for not buying more stuff. I have a bit of a "stuff addiction."

An October Afternoon

(These are the window clings that I bought last year at Dollar Tree. I saved them on their original plastic sheet, tucked in a drawer. Took me all of 5 minutes to put them up for the season. Second year using them -- if I use them for ten years, the cost will amortize to 10 cents per year. Not bad!))

Hi friends!
I'm back, that is, back in the best capacity that I can be for now.

One of my thoughts has been centered around how I can continue blogging when I'm down, tired, busy, or sick. I'm just going to try a few simpler things. For today, I'll catch you up on my start for October.

Okay, only the 3rd of October, and I am 3/4 done with October's grocery shopping. I have 4 stores at which I shop, and I've been to 3 so far. I hit Dollar Tree and bought all of the snacky stuff, plus a bunch of breakfast items, and bread, loads of bread. I hit the jackpot with their bread rack. They hd just put out a bunch of Oroweat -- English muffins, bread, bagels -- and I really stocked up. I think we may have enough bread in the freezer for 2 months. At $1 per loaf, it was a steal. They even had one of my all-time favorites, Honey Wheatberry.

Following Dollar Tree, I hit up WinCo for their great deals. WinCo has a fabulous bulk bin section. Some of the items in the bulk bins are as inexpensive as buying the institutional sized package at Cash and Carry. I keep a mental price book for the various staples. With this, I can quickly determine if something is a great buy or not. So, at WinCo this month I picked up various bulk bin staples, like whole wheat flour, ranch style dressing mix, chicken soup base, dried veggie soup mix (good for quick lunches or snacks for one), TVP, and some candy for Halloween treats. I also bought bagged cereal, frozen juice concentrate, breakfast sausage and turkey bacon, kielbasa, corn tortillas, produce, and a few other pantry items.

Next stop, Fred Meyer for Senior discount day. I as able to get out early for my shopping at Fred Meyer. I have found that this is key for getting the marked down deals and regular sale items, especially now that our Fred Meyer has switched their sale-cycle to Wednesday through Tuesday. FM sale-cycle used to run Sunday through Saturday. So, on Senior day, there would still be plenty of the sale items available. Now with the sale cycle completing on Tuesday, (the day for senior discount), they are often out of the sale item. They will give me a raincheck, but when I come back to buy the raincheck item, it's no longer senior day, so I don't get the senior discount. Anyway, something peeving me about FM these days. So, I did get out early -- ran a brush through my hair, no shower, no make-up, grabbed my shoes and jacket and left. I bout enough milk, eggs and butter to get through the month, as well as coffee (decaf for me), more produce, hot dogs, applesauce, apple juice, and lots of meat. I found Italian and breakfast sausage on clearance, plus got a great deal on ground beef and chicken thighs. Yesterday afternoon, I spent some time dividing up the ground beef. This afternoon, I've been diving up the chicken thighs while cooking a couple of chicken and mushroom casseroles (one for tonight and leftovers for tomorrow, and the other for the freezer).

My last shopping stop will be Cash and Carry. But that will have to wait until we have room in the fridge and freezer. We're topped out right now. In recent months, I have limited my shopping to one stop per month at each of the 4 stores. I make these stops at the very beginning of the month, and I believe that this is working out pretty well for us. I buy a wide variety of produce, and we eat the short-keepers first, like berries, leafy greens, bananas, and any marked down produce I found on the rack. By the end of the month, we're eating cabbage, celery, carrots, onions, squash, apples, and oranges, as well as frozen and dried produce.

Among my chores this afternoon, I also washed a bunch of salad greens to keep in the fridge. I break leaves off of a head of Romaine, wash, then wrap in a tea towel and keep in the fridge in a plastic bag. I was tempted to buy the bagged lettuce for quick lunch salads, but I knew that if I spent 5-10 minutes washing my own lettuce, I would save a couple of dollars on salad greens.

I did buy lots of fun foods. For example, I bought a box of frozen corndogs from WinCo and some bags of sweet potato fries from Dollar Tree. You see where I'm heading with this, right? Friday night, a night when everyone wants a restaurant dinner (fast food or other), I have corndogs and fries planned. add in some apple wedges and a salad and my total cost for the family is under $3 ( with free apples and tomatoes from our garden). And I still have an easy dinner night.

Well, dinner is in the oven and on the stove. I need to clean up the kitchen before serving, so I'll wrap this up. I hope that you are having a wonderful October. Another time, I'll post some fun things that we're doing this month. Have a lovely evening!

An August sentiment: Where did these gigantic zucchini come from?

For those of you who keep vegetable gardens, you'll be able to appreciate this August sentiment -- each mammoth zucchini seems to be larger than the last. Wednesday, I thought I had "caught up" on all of the zucchini. Then Thursday afternoon I was picking tomatoes for dinner and found yet another mammoth zucchini hiding under the leaves. So, what's a cook to do?

Besides zucchini bread, relish, and veggie medleys, here's something really delicious that will use one very large zucchini in one blow -- baked, stuffed zucchini.

Here's the size of one from a couple of weeks ago. I put a banana next to it to give you an indication of size.

To stuff:
I used a melon baller to scoop out the center of each half. (Those scoops of zucchini flesh were then later chopped and added to vegetable soup.)
I stuffed mine with a mixture of cooked, chopped chicken breast, bread crumbs, herbs, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. After filling, I topped with additional Parmesan.
On an oiled baking sheet, I baked the stuffed halves for about 35 minutes, at about 350 degrees, until the cheese was browned on top. The zucchini part was crisp-tender.

You can also stuff with loose Italian sausage, or bread crumbs, herbs and cheese. Since you want the zucchini part to cook well, keep your fillings dense. So, if just doing bread crumbs with cheese, add a bit of milk, beaten egg, or just water to the crumb mixture. This way the filling and the zucchini will cook to about the same doneness.

Bumps in the transition from one cook to many cooks

When there was just one person in the home procuring, managing, and cooking all of the food, staying on top of all of the supplies was fairly straightforward. I knew what I had prepared, what was leftover, and what needed using up. Now, we have multiple cooks in the house, but still one person doing the procuring and managing of supplies. It's not readily known by the rest of the crew what we have in abundance or what needs using ASAP. Asking me what they can use is a regular occurrence. Not that this is bad, but it does put me in the position of saying, "don't use that" or "I'm saving that." Those kinds of statements make me sound like an ogre, when in fact all I'm really doing is trying to manage our stock until the next month rolls around, so that we can all enjoy the foods in the house.

My solution has been to create a weekly list of what we have in abundance and should be used. It's a simple list, kept on the refrigerator. I preface the list with a statement reflecting that the first items in each category are ones that should be used first. I also indicate that not everything is in ready-to-use condition, and may need harvesting. This week, in produce we have apples that need using, and in protein sources, we have lots of eggs. I've also included items that are saved for specific recipes, so those won't be used indiscriminately. Hopefully, this makes me seem less like an ogre about food.

My list focuses on produce and protein sources, as those are the items most frequently asked about. The produce is significant because we have items that won't keep terribly long. And the protein is asked about because it is not self-evident. Meat/eggs may be stored in the freezer, the fridge, or even pantry (canned meat). To complicate matters more, we have 3 freezers, 2 refrigerators, and multiple cabinets in the kitchen, along with 2 pantries. Everyone seems to figure out the grains and dairy products on their own. The bonus to making this list is the act of reading the list, by the cook on duty, stimulates thoughts on what to make. Since sometimes food is just food, reading a list that says we need to use eggs, zucchini, and apples may make a cook whose feeling less-than-inspired to simply scramble some eggs, steam zucchini, chop apples, and serve with bread. Just food, but it gets the job done.

We're seeing the financial benefit, as well, and wasting less fresh produce, which is super important right now as the garden is in high production. Just thought I'd share what is working for us.

Taking a vacation when there is not enough time or money for a full-fledged one

This past year has been busy and expensive, leaving little time or money to get away. So, how do we do a summer vacation under those circumstances? We take a one-day vacation. We choose a nearby tourist location, about 1 hour away from us. Then we get up with the birds and drive to that destination, staying as long as we feel like it. By the time we leave to come home, we often do feel like we've been on a vacation.

Because we don't have a hotel or even a campground stay, and our vacation is just one long day, we can afford a few luxuries which we would otherwise forgo. For example, we bring coffee, milk, and fresh fruit with us, but make our first stop of the day at a local bakery or donut shop, where everyone makes their selection. Then, we take our breakfast to a public park, preferably one with a nice view. The day before our mini-trip, we make a stop at the grocery store to buy snacks. I may spend as much as $15 on snacks for one day. But that cost is less than what we'd spend for one stop at a restaurant for snacks for all of us, let alone multiple stops. We also pack a picnic cooler full of lunch items, ice water, and juice, then find a nice park in which to picnic. In the late afternoon, when we're hot and tired, we stop in an ice cream shop for a cone, each. As a result of keeping our costs so low, we also treat ourselves to a souvenir or two, or splurge on admission tickets to some sort of entertainment, or a nice dinner out.

Why am I telling you all of this? This is the week that we're taking our one-day vacation. We've been planning this all summer, and now the time has arrived. Yep, I'm pretty excited to go away for a day.

We're going to a small tourist town by the name of Poulsbo. It's a 30-minute ferry ride, plus 30 minutes or so in driving from our house. It's on a bay, has a large public park on the waterfront, second-hand shops, tourist-type shops, art galleries, an aquarium, an historical museum, a church tower with bells ringing every hour, a Scandinavian bakery, lots of restaurants, a walking trail along the water's edge of the bay, and sometimes live entertainment outdoors.

If you had to choose one spot, about an hour-drive away from where you live, with lots to do to fill one day, where would you go?

Now this is summer to me -- fresh basil pesto

Another specialty food I like to make in summer is pesto. You can buy cheap pesto in the supermarket, the kind that comes in jars, priced around $3 for 6-8 ounces. But if you check the label, the ingredient list contains ingredients other than the basic basil leaves, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and pepper that you find in a recipe for this condiment. And if you read the reviews you'll find that the flavor can be very "off" on some of the jarred brands. You can also buy "fresh" pesto, the kind that comes in a plastic tub and must be kept refrigerated. Those are good, and in checking the ingredient list, the manufacturers stick to the basic pesto recipe. But they cost about $5 for a 6-oz plastic tub.

Pesto is super easy to make, and if you grow your own basil, and shop carefully for the other ingredients you can make a batch for about half of the supermarket price, in about 5 minutes (including washing the basil leaves), using a food processor.

How I buy the ingredients economically:

pine nuts -- I use about half the recommended amount because I don't like a super strong pine nut flavor. I like to just barely detect the pine nuts. You can buy pine nuts in bulk bins at some stores, for around $20/lb. That sounds like highway robbery, I know. If you go light on the pine nuts (like I do), you can get by with about a dollar's worth to make a batch of pesto. The the price does not seem so terrible, for the authentic pine nut pesto.  (You can also buy pine nuts through Amazon in an 8-oz packet for about $10. Pine nuts freeze very well, and since their flavor is so distinct, in our house, at least, they're not likely to get snacked on.) For more frugal pesto, almonds and/or walnuts are also good a choice and about 1/3 of the price of pine nuts. In fact, almonds are my "usual" nut for pesto.

olive oil --most recipes call for extra virgin olive oil. I use a blend of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part regular vegetable oil. I do this so that the pesto remains spreadable when refrigerated. But it also holds the cost down a bit. In addition, I use about 2/3 the amount of oil in the recipe, for a less oily condiment, and that also brings my cost down. I've been buying olive oil in the bulk section of WinCo. They have dispensers for a few liquid items, such as honey, olive oil, and agave syrup. It's a good price and I can buy however much I need.

Parmesan cheese -- I wait until I find a good sale, buy from bulk bins at WinCo, or I buy a large bag at Cash & Carry. The bulk bin kind of Parmesan is the powdery kind and not as good, IMO, as the fresh shreds. Fred Meyer had a coupon last week for 50 cents off Kroger brand Parmesan. The coupon combined with my Senior discount made the price reasonable-enough. I have also subbed some mozzarella for about half of the Parmesan, before, and still had a very delicious result.

basil -- if I didn't grown my own basil, I wouldn't buy fresh basil for the purpose of making pesto. There are alternative greens which can be used, but the basil flavor will not be there. I know someone who makes pesto with a variety of greens, and they enjoy it immensely. I do have basil in large pots on my deck, and there are more leaves that we can eat, unless I make pesto.

garlic -- for ease and price, I use dried garlic granules, bought in a bag in the Hispanic section. It's good, and super easy to use.

So, all totaled, the batch of authentic pesto that I made the other day (loosely following Ina Garten's recipe) using about half of the pine nuts, and no walnuts (allergy), not the full amount of oil, and in a 3:1 olive oil (from WinCo)/ vegetable oil ratio, Parmesan shreds bought on sale, with coupon, and with discount, garden basil, garlic granules, and some salt, I figured my 6-oz batch cost about $2.50, or about half the price of commercial fresh pesto.

A tip for keeping fresh pesto -- basil leaves oxidize and turn a very un-pretty brownish green. After each use, shake the contents down to level the top surface, then drizzle with a bit of oil and tilt the jar around a bit to coat the entire top surface of the pesto. When you use it again, stir the oil into the pesto first. Then after use, top with a bit of oil, again, as before. Kept refrigerated, pesto will last about a week. It can be frozen for about four months.

When is buying fruit for making preserves the frugal thing?

There are two kinds of jam that I think is frugal to make. 1) jam with any kind of free fruit. This would include fruit from our bushes and trees, foraged fruit, and any fresh fruit that is going soft and I would enjoy in jam. 2) The second kind of jam that I like to make does use purchased fruit. However, it is frugal if the only commercial versions of this flavor of jam are an expensive brand, such as cherry preserves or blueberry jam. Both of those flavors are only available in "gourmet" brands of jam, in my area.

A week ago I posted a photo of some Bonne Maman preserves jars.
This is a très expensive brand of jam. For some flavors, this is the only brand available in regular supermarkets.

I love blueberry jam. The 13-oz jars of Bonne Maman Blueberry Preserves are $4.99 at Fred Meyer or $4.69 at WinCo.

By making my own blueberry jam with purchased, fresh blueberries, I can make about 3 of those jars-worth of blueberry preserves for about $3.80, including berries, sugar, lemon juice, pectin, and new lids for the previously-used jars, for almost one-quarter of the cost. That's $1.27 for 13 ounces of homemade blueberry preserves. I use several sizes of jars in one batch, so some jars can be for our consumption, while others make perfect gifts.

   

While it may not be very frugal to make many types of jam with purchased fruit, it can be frugal to buy fruit to make specialty preserves. And, well, sometimes I'm just a "specialty" kind of gal. (Not that I'm high maintenance! ha ha)