New Beginnings

Hi, All,

I'm not going to blog here anymore, but I recently started back with a new address.  If you're interested, I'd love for you to join me at....

A Quiet Country Life

It's not terribly different from 'here'.  I just needed a new beginning.  Thanks for your grace and understanding.  :)

Printmaking

We did some printmaking last week.  Daughter used a piece of a clean meat tray to draw her image.  Her mom forgot to take a picture of that.  Sorry.

There was a lot of vocabulary to learn.  Daughter is using a brayer to create this pretty color on the ink plate.  The ink is water soluble printmaking ink, and now, Daughter knows all those terms and what they mean.

Here, Daughter is transferring ink from the brayer to her image.

Happy Cats?  That's where we volunteer once a month!

She printed her image in four colors.  She made the aqua color from blue and yellow, and the orange color from red and yellow.  Printmaking is a lot of fun, and she did a great job! :)

This Week's Dinner Menu

I've stopped 'planning' breakfast and lunch, because breakfasts are fairly simple things like cereal, oatmeal, toast or eggs, and because lunches are either leftovers from a supper or something fairly simple that we have on hand.  So...here is our dinner plan, along with a to-do list of things I need to make for the week.

beef fajitas with onions and peppers on corn tortillas, salads, cuties
turkey wings buffalo style, baked potatoes, sauteed asparagus with pepper and garlic, pears
eggs over easy, Portuguese sausage, steamed rice, kimchee, green beans, peaches
tuna salad lettuce roll-ups, crackers, carrots and celery with ranch dressing, minneola tangelos
hamburger salad with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, mustard, pickles, etc., apples
ham and potato soup with vegetables, fruit salad

I'll be scratch-cooking a lot of the items above.  In addition, I need to make:
popcorn
salsa
bread
something to take to church Sunday morning (I'm thinking pumpkin bread)
some gluten-free experiments

Did you plan meals for the week?

Frugal Accomplishments for the Week

We went to the supermarket to purchase some produce.  I had a coupon from the store that saved me $1 on $4 (or more) spent on fruit.  I really love Minneola tangelos, and they were .99 a pound, so mostly, I got those....and a banana.  The oranges I had picked out put me at about $3.80, so the banana put us over the $4 so we could save the $1.  I also stocked up on plain tortilla chips that were .80 per 10 oz. bag.  Cutie tangerines were available as a free sample, so Daughter and I each had one.

We used the wood stove to supplement our heating and reduce our propane usage.

The regulator valve in the master bath was acting up.  We called the manufacturer and got a replacement part (lifetime warranty, $5 shipping) and Husband replaced it.  We had already figured out the problem, but if we hadn't we could have called the manufacturer, described the problem, and they would have helped us figure it out.  So...if you're not sure, give them a call and see if they will help! :)

A friend and I are trading play dates once a week, so that our daughters can spend some time together and also so that we can do some things we need to do now and then that may not be fun, interesting or appropriate for kids to attend.

Grandma and Grandpa sent a Girls Day box for Daughter.  Girls Day is a special day in Japan when  tea, snacks and your favorite doll come together for a special tea party.  (Yes, this is very much over-simplified, thank you for your grace.)  We enjoyed having a special time to celebrate.  We invited a friend and her doll, and we supplemented with a few other snacks and some fresh fruit, served with lemon-ginger tea and honey.

We combined errands to save trips to town.  Some things were done Sunday on the way home from church, and the rest took place on Wednesday, when I had an appointment in town.

I've been subbing a little at the library, win-win for everyone concerned.  We borrowed movies, books and other media from the library at zero cost.

I made salsa, franks and beans w/rice, king ranch chicken, pork stew w/rice, deviled eggs,  roast turkey,  mashed potatoes, gravy, glazed carrots,  marinated 3-bean salad, strawberry slush and lunchroom cookies.  I prepped lots of fruits and veggies too.  All of the above was gluten-free - woo hoo!

I also made Irish Soda Bread for the first time ever!  It called for buttermilk...which I Mac-Gyvered out of water, milk powder, lemon juice and some past-date-but-still-fine half and half.  It was super good soda bread.  I can't believe I never made it before!  (This was not even remotely gluten-free.)

I continued horse and barn-cat sitting for a neighbor.  She told me it was OK for me to take some of the wasted hay for my bunnies, so I topped off my hay can.

We used some items we had on hand - some extra/scrap carpeting, a table that we've had for nearly 25 years and some carpet-grip backing - to set up a grooming area in the bunny barn.  I need to get the Angoras used to grooming.  I take them out first thing, put them on the carpet piece (traction makes them more comfortable) with a bit of hay and brush them lightly all over.  It's working well so far.

This one sort of snuck up on me.  I was going to buy some of that aerosol whipped cream to put on jello, hot cocoa, etc.  They were out, so I just bought some whipping cream instead.  It is much less costly per ounce.  Better, I was able to use it lots of different ways.  I did whip some for jello, but I also used some in a supper recipe.  The recipe called for half and half, which I didn't have (because I used it in the Irish Soda Bread)...so I used about 2/3 water and the rest whipping cream.  Later in the week, I added a bit of cream to frozen strawberry smoothies too.  Super yum.  We still have lots left, and the use by date is far away.  I think this is a better solution for us, since it's much more versatile.

Lunch at home, with a compendium of dragons.

Dollar Tree had some Nabisco Fruit Cookies - 10.5 oz packages of lemon ones.  I had coupons for .75 off the same cookies, so I was able to purchase them for .25 per package.  This is one of those random lucky moments when I happened to have a coupon that fit with an item they had on the shelf.  They also have the Asian Fish Taco Recipe Starters (Kraft), and I have .55 coupons, (so they would be .45), but they contain wheat.  The cookies can be used for snacks, but I don't really want to cook a dinner that one of us can't have, so I passed on those...though I might pick up one or two to donate to the food pantry.

Most of our laundry was done with homemade laundry soap.  I did one load with a free sample I got the other day - a pod pack?  I don't even remember.  All of it was hung to dry in our basement.

I picked up a small cabinet that fits really well in our dining area.  It was used, and only $10.  I paid for it with funds from selling some things we had that we no longer needed.  Also, this meant I could move a larger cabinet out of our dining area, which left it feeling much more open and spacious.  That cabinet was moved to Daughter's room, where it is probably full of legos.  I'm encouraging her to decide how she uses it, so I have had less input.  She's growing up, and it's time for her to feel more ownership and responsibility for her space.

Daughter started piano lessons this week.  In and of itself, I don't know that it's frugal...I mean, I'm not bartering for the lessons or anything like that, but I do very much like her instructor.  She is incredibly talented and makes the lessons fun.  Her prices are very reasonable I think - $15 per lesson - and we live near her, so we are not driving far for the lessons.  The other frugal things we do make these funds possible, and I am happy we are able to give our daughter this opportunity.

I hope you had a good, happy, frugal week!  I'd love to hear about it, if you feel like leaving a comment. :)

-Laura at TenThingsFarm

This Week's Dinner Menu

I didn't make a specific list for breakfasts, lunches or snacks this week - mostly because we just look in the fridge, see what needs to be used, and then we make it into something.  That said, asparagus was on sale for .98 a pound, and I have about a pound that I plan to roast and have with eggs for breakfast and as a lunch side.  I was also given some quail eggs, which I plan to hard-cook for one morning's breakfast.

Some of our fruits and vegetables (and quail eggs!) for this week.

I'm working several evenings this week, so I need some simple suppers I can either make ahead or make quickly when I get home.  Here's this week's supper plan.

franks and beans w/onions over rice, sliced oranges

king ranch chicken, salad, jello

Asian pork stew over rice, apples

nachos, strawberry smoothies

grilled steak, baked potatoes w/butter and sour cream, steamed broccoli

leftover night

marinated roast turkey, mashed potatoes w/gravy, 3-bean salad, glazed carrots

In addition to the scratch cooking listed above, I'll need to make some salsa, and I'd like to make some of those oatmeal/peanut butter/cocoa 'lunchroom cookies'.  That's the plan!

Sunday dinner this past week - cheese enchiladas, Mexican rice, lettuce, limes and sour cream - yum!

What are you making this week?

Frugal Accomplishments This Past Week

We had a busy week with lots going on...at least for me.  I have friends who are on-the-go a lot more than I am, and I just don't know how they manage it all.  Anyway, here's a summary of our frugal accomplishments for the week.

We ate meals at home, even on our run-around days, to save money (and time!)

The weather was warmish?  Less cold?  There were days we didn't really need a big fire to keep the house warm, so I tried something a little different.  I shut the vents in all three bedrooms and kept those rooms closed off during the day.  That way, the heat gain we get from sunny windows, cooking, etc. in the main part of the house was more effective at keeping the main rooms warmer.

We turned an old sweater into a kitty bed.  We'll be donating it to a local cat shelter.

We got books and media from the library.  Daughter is currently reading Wesley the Owl.  She says it's the best. book. ever!!

I made popcorn, enchilada sauce, chicken enchilada soup, pico de gallo, salsa, taco salad, taco seasoning, enchiladas, Mexican rice, potato salad, kalua pork and beef stew.  It was a tasty week!  I also made the menu for the coming week, which will be up soon.

We had a free field trip to a falconer's home.  His falcons are currently out of town at a breeding program, but we met one of his hawks.  Sonoma is a female Harris Hawk.  Isn't she beautiful?  Many thanks to Bob of Wings Over Colorado for all the information and education.  It was amazing!

At the store, I did what I do - price match, match sales and coupons, and stock up where it makes sense to.

I sold some household items that we no longer needed - some clothes Daughter outgrew, a couple of kitchen items, etc.  See the cutters below?  I got them in a bag at Goodwill - $2, for two of each size.  I sold one of each size for....$2, so mine were free! :)

I did some subbing at the library.  Every little bit helps.

I answered an ad for rabbits, because I need some for a series of library programs.  We are not raising rabbits for meat anymore, so I knew I'd be getting some when the time came around.  I found a person who was willing to 'rent' the rabbits to me, which is wonderful.  It's less costly for me, and he will get back very tame rabbits that have been fed for several weeks.  Photos soon!

How was your week?  Did you keep things frugal?

Connect.

'Connect' is my word for the year.  It's a touchstone of sorts, when I am trying to set goals, decide what to do or how to spend my time.  It's been a good word so far.

I started this book last year and lost momentum around the holidays.  I've decided to re-start it and complete it this time.  If you want to feel more connected with God, I would suggest this book - it is amazing.

I've also got this one that I think will help me with practical, down-to-earth ideas about how to connect with others in a healthy, positive way.

It has been good for me to think about what it means to connect.  I've been more honest with friends and it's made it a lot easier to say no to things that would take time away from what's important for me and for my family.

I've paid better attention to how I feel as well.  It has led me to walk more regularly and drink more water.  I'm making food choices that are a little better, and I've lost a few pounds.

To be honest, I've cried a lot.  That is starting to let up now.  I feel braver, more sure of what matters, and less uncertain.  I also feel like I'm just getting started!

Yes.  Connect is a good word for me right now.  What is keeping you busy these days?

Menu for the Week

Planning a menu helps me at least three different ways.  It helps me use what I have on hand so that we don't waste food.  It helps me provide better balance through the course of the week (a soup day, something Asian, something Italian, something Mexican, etc.).  Finally, it keeps me from having to figure out supper every. single. day.  Love me some meal planning!  Here's this week's plan, which started Sunday:

Breakfasts:
eggs, cheese & salsa with toast or corn tortillas
peanut butter toast, apples, cocoa
cereal, almond milk, fruit
oatmeal with raisins and pears, almond milk

Lunches:
macaroni and cheese, carrot and celery sticks, apples
pbj on oatmeal yeast bread, carrots and celery, fruit
leftovers from suppers

It's true - I'll put most anything in a corn tortilla and call it a taco.  Yay for leftovers!

Suppers:
rotisserie chicken, potato salad, green beans, peach crisp
kalua pork, rice, sesame spinach, kimchee
taco salads
chicken-vegetable soup, sliced cheese, apples
Italian sausage, pasta with sauce, zucchini and onion saute'
beef stew curry over rice, jello
leftovers

Snacks:
popcorn
ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and raisins)
chips and salsa
cereal-dry fruit mix
peach crisp

What's on the menu at your place this week?

Frugal Accomplishments

At Daughter's request, I made her a very, very simple stuffed animal.  She loves it, and is so happy!  It was made from supplies we had on hand....pink fabric, a sharpie, pink thread and stuffing from an old pillow.  She's been playing with 'Kirby' ever since we sewed him together!  Here he is, having breakfast.

I'm told that Kirby LOVES tomatoes....

I kept up with my walking, which is good for health and stress-relief.

I made oatmeal yeast bread, rather than buying pre-made bread.  I think it's better for us, and I know it tastes better.

We used a sale, coupons and a gift card to get some pasta sauce free at Target.  If we hadn't had the gift card, it would have been .50 per jar, which is a great deal!  I also got a coupon for a free Snickers from a Facebook game, and the overage on that coupon applied toward the pasta sauce.

I made a menu for the coming week, to make sure I use items we have on hand.

tacos made with assorted leftovers - asparagus, mushrooms, sausage, queso fresco, cilantro,
sriracha, salsa and chipotle ranch sauce

We combined errands to save on time and fuel.

We used the wood stove to reduce our propane usage.

I used homemade laundry soap and drying racks to do the laundry.

We donated some items we no longer need.  Our donations will help others who need them.  We also took books to the used book store for trade credit.

I subbed a bit at the library.  I also accepted an offer for temporary employment scoring standardized test questions for Pearson Education.

We checked out books and media from the library, free of charge.

That's my list - how did you do this past week in the frugality department?

Accomplishments - Frugal or Otherwise

Um...it's been a while.  Sorry.  I've just been busy and tired and kind of overwhelmed and tired and lazy.  And tired.  Here are some things that have been happening...with less detail than usual, most likely.  At least now you know I'm still alive, though.

Ms. Hughes

Ms. Patmore

The ladies are sharing a cage for now - they are still young and I want to keep them together while I can.
I do have more cage space though, so I can adjust as needed.

We got a couple of English Angora rabbits.  I wanted them for the bunny rabbit programs we'll be doing for the library in March.  I've shown photos of them in years past, but this year, the kids will get to see the real deal.  These two had just been shorn because of (humans who had) allergies and were in fairly good shape...a little lean, maybe.  They are both does, both quite sweet, and looking better and better every day.  I made an Angora feed mix for them (Angoras need extra fiber to help prevent wool block), and we are on the road to spoiling them rotten.  The rabbits ended up being free, which I was not expecting...but by the time I bought rabbit pellets, sweet feed, black oil sunflower seeds, bird seed, flax, etc., they didn't feel nearly so free, hee hee.  I have named them Mrs. Huges and Mrs. Patmore...because I am silly.

This is the mixed feed we made.  Pretty!

I made JapChae, from scratch, and gluten free. It was too much noodle, not enough veg, but still okay.  We are cooking gluten-free at home, but those of us who can still have gluten are having it, to use up items we have on hand in our pantry.  So far, so good.

I had such high hopes for this recipe...it was just okay.  Kimchee is good, at least! :)

We went to a friend's house to have fondue.  It was SO fun and very tasty, and just YUM.  We took some fresh fruit and the ingredients to make chocolate fondue.  Do you know what goes in chocolate fondue?  Heat a cup of heavy cream until it just starts to simmer.  Dump in a bag of chocolate chips and a pinch of salt.  Turn the heat super low and use a whisk to combine.  There.  You just made chocolate fondue...and a lot of  it.  You can make a half recipe - just use a pinchlet of salt and half of much cream and chocolate chips.  Easy!

I've continued to use homemade laundry soap and drying racks to keep our laundry expenses to a minimum.

If you read here regularly, you know that in the past month or two I've gotten three $25 gift cards to Kmart for transferring prescriptions.  We have watched for sales and deals, and we've stocked up on toilet paper, kleenex, toilet paper, snacks, toilet paper, feminine hygiene stuff and yes, toilet paper.  Something like 100 rolls of toilet paper...some of them double rolls or bigger.  And I still have nearly $30 in gift card to spend.  I'll likely use it to get more toilet paper, LOL.

Still reading books and getting movies from the library.  Our library continues to be an awesome resource.

Getting the rabbits meant I eventually had to clean out the bunny barn, or die of embarrassment when friends came over.  I chose life, and cleaned out the bunny barn.  It looks much better.  So if you know me in real life, I'll likely let you back there now. :)

This is actually 'after'...and it's much tidier than it was before!

My shelving is the headboard from an old bed - works for me!  Feed is in one trash can, hay in the other.
The mowing deck will go back on the mower come spring, and the tiller will be moved as well.

I kept walking.  I don't walk a lot, but just doing some every day helps me.  It also meant I had to take in my pants, because they got too big.  That's a big YAY!  Since last April, I've lost about 30 pounds.  I still have many pounds to go, but hey, I've lost 30, and that's significant!  It's slow and steady, but I'm not going to complain, especially in a post where' I've mentioned JapChae and chocolate fondue.  We won't talk about how much soda I shouldn't drink.  Nope.  Not going there.  Did I mention I'm down 30 pounds?  Hee.

Daughter has gotten a lot more social of late...having friends over to play, having her first attempt at a sleepover, going on more playdates, etc.  It's nice...and I think it's good for her.

I wasted time on Facebook.

I combed the mats out of the rabbits, trimmed their nails, and I'm getting them used to me.  They'll both let me hold them on their backs, like babies.  Mrs. Patmore almost falls asleep now when we do this.  Aww.....

I made this.  It is a couple of corn tortillas, cooked with a little butter in a nonstick pan, until lightly browned.  On top of that is some homemade (gluten free) enchilada sauce, then egg scrambled with queso fresco (which I got on markdown for about 25 cents per 10 oz - and I got something like fifteen of them, which I put into the freezer).  Over that is some homemade salsa, a little more queso fresco and fresh cilantro.  This is an incredibly tasty way to start, or end, pretty much any day.

Seriously delicious!

I dismantled, cleaned, and reassembled the wood stove and parts of the chimney.  It's enough to make a girl want to go solar. ;)

I made scarves, and a hat.  And more scarves.  The chicken project this coming year is going to be stellar!  Meanwhile, my friend Kelly is making these adorable cowls and fingerless gloves and stuff.

My husband went to Las Vegas for a few days when his parents were there on vacation.  This is awesome, because they live in Hawaii, and by seeing them in Las Vegas instead of flying to Hawaii, he saved hundreds of dollars on the plane ticket.  Daughter and I stayed home, because they really want to play/gamble, and she and I can't be in the casinos. (Well, I could, but then she'd be unattended, so..no.)  So we had a mama-daughter weekend while he had a good visit with his parents.  Husband brought home cute little coconut-lime-verbena soaps and some shampoo and conditioner samples for me.  Also...lots of chocolate from Trader Joe's, which makes him a very, very good Husband.  :)

I found out that the church I attend has bible studies that we can check out to do at home and/or in small groups.  This is awesome for me, because I can get something to listen to during the day that helps me grow spiritually and/or learn something, without having to purchase something I might only read/listen to one time.  I'm doing a study of the book of Esther right now.

I've been subbing quite a bit at the library - as much as 20 hours per week.  Since we can't plan for this income, it is always nice when there is so much of it. :)

I made kimchee.  This makes us happy.

I got a 1 gallon pickle crock at Goodwill a while back, and it is perfect for making kimchee. 

I was unattentive, and my chocolate mint plant died of neglect.  Meanwhile, my poinsettia is thriving.  I kind of wish that whole scenario was reversed.

It's winter, so I've been catching mice in the henhouse.  With a trap...I am clarifying because that first sentence makes me sound like I sit in there, ready to pounce, but no - I use a catch-all trap.  There are openings where they can get in, but they can't get back out.  It is a wonderful thing.  We have two of them, so I set up the second catch-all in the bunny barn, because where there is grain, mice are soon to follow.

After a mouse goes in the little hole, things shift from his/her weight, and they are sealed inside.
The trap can intake multiple mice per night if need be.  

I changed the very full bag inside my vacuum cleaner, and it works SO much better.  I know.  Duh.

I continued to buy whatever produce was on sale, to shop sales combined with coupons, and stay with in our $160 a month grocery/household/toiletries budget.  I admit, those KMart gift cards make it easier, since I don't really count them (they were free, and KMart's prices run high in our book, so we just use them for whatever is the better deal...mainly, toilet paper).

I started a Gifts of the Spirit study at church, did a personal inventory, and I'm learning all about Spiritual Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit.  I am really interested in becoming a Stephen Minister at some point.  The next training set I've found locally starts in September.  Of 2015.  Mew.  Hopefully, something will come along sooner.

There were other things, I suppose, but that gives you some idea of what we've been up to lately.  Thanks for your patience - sorry I took so long.  What have you been doing with yourself these days?

Grocery Shopping (end of January) and Menu (beginning of February)

Hello, all!  I wanted to tally up the food/household expenditures for January and see where we landed.  As a reminder, our monthly budget for food, household items (like cleaning supplies) and toiletries is $160 per month.  I try not to use the entire amount, because it's nice to have some extra $$ available when there is a good sale on meat, for example.

January had some learning curve to it, which just goes to show that even when you have been working with a budget for a long time, there is always something new to learn or figure out.  As I've mentioned several times, a member of our little family has been staying away from gluten because of multiple symptoms.  Happily, there seems to be some real healing taking place, and all of those symptoms (and more) have decreased.  I have learned some interesting things - did you know that 'enriched' rice is not gluten free?  The enrichment is sourced from wheat products.  That meant that even though I had a fair amount of rice on hand, we had to get different rice.  Soy sauce has wheat in it too...tamari does not, and they are similar enough that we can make that work.  However...you can pick up a gallon of soy sauce for a pretty good price.  Tamari does not have the higher demand, so it costs a little more.  This has definitely been a month when I was grateful that we had plenty of food in our pantry, and are not purchasing groceries week-to-week.  While some things will not work for 'gluten free', many of the foods we have on hand work just fine, so it was a matter of reading labels and paying attention.  Those of us who can eat gluten will eat the wheat (and other gluten foods) we have on hand, but I am going to be keeping less of that sort of thing on hand in the long run.

Specialty items that are gluten free are more costly.  I mean...I can get wheat based pasta for free or nearly free often enough that I don't really purchase it...not with money, anyway.  We found some gluten-free corn pasta for 1.50 - for 12 ounces - and that is a pretty good price, so we got some.  When we do have pasta, I will cook both kinds, so that the gluten free pastas last longer.  Mind you, I'm not complaining about the expense or the need to make some adjustments - I'm truly grateful that we are able to do it within our budget!

So, that was our challenge this month - replacing some items here and there (tamari for soy sauce, some pastas, a different rice, etc.) to keep our meals safe for everyone involved while keeping them somewhat similar.

I did buy a few more things at the end of the month.  Here they are:

Dollar Tree had some Kraft dressings, and I had a coupon for .75 off 2.  I also picked up another bag of tortilla chips while they are 'bonus' bags - 11 oz. for $1  Total was $2.25.

$2.25 at Dollar Tree

I did some price matching to get some produce and a few other odds and ends, too.  We are really enjoying the fresh pineapple, so I got one at the end of the sale again, for $1.  Sour cream was $1 too.  Hot dogs were .50 per pack (and they are gluten free!), celery and lettuce, .88 each, apples were 1.63 (.88 a pound), so our total was $6.39

Wal-Mart $6.39

At the tail-end of the month I got a few things from the new sale.  The tortillas were .78 after the coupon I had.  Shave gel was free (I had a coupon from the manufacturer).  We got the pizza for Daughter and her friend when they had a sleepover ($2), the avocados were $1 for both, and so was the chili after coupon, and the tomatoes were .68.  Total spent - $5.46

Wal-Mart $5.46

Finally, we went to the Asian Market, and, er...I can't find the receipt.  The two kinds of rice noodles and both heads of won-bok (which I use to make kimchee) were under $6..but let's just say $6, since I'm not sure.  Sorry.

Total spent for January $151.28...which is more than we've spent in a single month in a long, long time.  We're usually right around $120, including some stocking up.

Total remaining, which will be set aside for bulk buys $8.72

We have ended the month with a full crisper drawer and plenty of items in the pantry and freezer, which is a good thing.


Menu
We are going into a week where I am doing a fair amount of subbing at the library, and a few days, it is near or during suppertime.  I've been squirreling away some freezer meals - or at least some sides or entree's - to help make the week easier for everyone.  Here is this week's plan:

Breakfasts:
cereal with almond milk, fruit
scrambled eggs w/cheese and corn tortillas, tomato juice
peanut butter toast, apples, cocoa
cinnamon rolls, applesauce, almond milk

Lunches:
leftovers from supper when available
soup from the freezer
cheese, crackers and apple slices
pbj, carrots and celery, fruit

Suppers:
taco salads
kahlua pig, rice, kimchee, carrot-raisin salad
crock pot chicken w/KFC spice, mashed potatoes, green beans, pineapple
king ranch chicken, salad, peaches
chili over rice, apples
beef broccoli with rice noodles, mandarin oranges
leftovers

Snacks:
frozen fruit smoothies
popcorn
peanut butter and crackers


What are you cookin' up this week?

Last Week's Frugal Accomplishments

One reason my to-do list didn't get to-done....

There was some left-over heavy cream after I made a recipe last week.  I didn't want it to spoil, so I made a big batch of mashed potatoes, and used it there.  Some went into this week's shepherd's pie, some went into the freezer for future meals.

We stopped by KMart to pick up a second prescription transfer, so we got a second $25 gift card for free.  Once we were home, I realized that I had a prescription I could transfer, so Husband dropped it off one night after work, and I picked it up on a day I was in town for other reasons, getting us a third $25 gift card (we had also gotten one a little earlier this month).  KMart's prices are not as competitive as some other places we shop, so we are looking for sale/coupon opportunities to stretch the gift cards as far as we can.  Generally, we use them for things like toilet paper, shampoo or soap and cleaning supplies.  I am going to check on shelf-liner too, to spruce up the drawers in my kitchen.

We accepted a bag of gluten-free flour from a friend - it has an ingredient in it that prevents her from using it...it will give us an opportunity to do some experimenting.

We went hiking at the nature center.  There is a really nice visitor center and lots of lovely trails, all free to the public.  We planned to go out for supper afterward, and we drank water to make it a little more affordable.

We made a menu (posted here) to use foods we had on hand and produce that was in our fridge.  I made gluten-free enchilada sauce, Mexican rice, franks and beans, homemade pizza, buffalo chicken dip, shepherd's pie, a ham and vegetable soup, Greek lemon chicken and potatoes, lots of salad, and I prepped lots of fruits and vegetables.  I have a pretty good routine for this stuff, and I made extra where I could for future meals.

We purchase groceries when they are on sale, then create a menu from those items for
maximum saving and minimum spending.

The wood stove came in very handy this week, keeping us toasty warm on cold days.

I had been pet-sitting for a neighbor, who gave me a Wal-Mart gift card as a thank-you.  We will make it part of February's grocery budget, meaning that we will take out less cash for groceries and use the gift card instead.

I received a coupon for a free beverage.  I don't remember signing up for it, but often, I sign up, completely forget, and then I'm happily surprised when I get the coupon. :)  Like any other week, we used coupons combined with sales to save on food costs.

We had gotten a gas reward for $1 off per gallon, up to 35 gallons of fuel.  We have smaller vehicles, so the tanks are not large enough to take advantage of all that savings.  Husband resolved that by filling the tank on our little truck and then filling gas cans to get the remaining 35 gallons.  We can fill our car from the gas cans as needed.

My list isn't terribly long this week, but we did have a good week.  How was yours?  What frugal things did you do?

Grocery Shopping and Menu for Jan. 27-Feb.2

Grocery Shopping:

There were some good prices on produce this week - I picked up the items below, mostly by price-matching stores that are fairly far from home.  I also got some rice flour ($2.98), so I could make a gluten-free recipe for a night's supper.  The lime was .25, the hot dogs were .50 per package, grapefruit .48, tomatoes .23, cabbage, .66, bell pepper .48, zucchini .55, broccoli .37, pineapple $1 and lettuce .88 cents.

Wal-Mart with price-matches - $8.88

I picked up a bag of tortilla chips at Dollar tree, (for a dollar) because I wanted to try them and see if they are good.  I like them fine.  They are not certified gluten free, but I can eat them.  That will make the gf corn chips last longer.  I didn't take a photo, but hey, it's a bag of tortilla chips - you get the idea, right?

Toward the end of the week, there were some amazing coupons for non-dairy milk - check it out!

half gallons almond milk - .99 each after coupon, rice milk .04 moneymaker each after coupon.  Total $1.90

At Safeway we saved 82% after sales and coupons.  The mayo was .99 each after sale coupon, green tea .49 after sale and coupon, tp averaged .29 each after sale and coupon...and then tax brought it to $4.75 total.  Not bad...not bad at all!

$4.75 total at Safeway

We were in town for some other things and stopped by King Sooper to get a free yogurt we had loaded to our shopper card.  I picked up the mints and lemons from the markdown shelf - .79 for the mints and .99 for all three lemons.  The yogurt was free.

$1.78 at King Sooper

Finally (finally!) we stopped at Sprouts to take advantage of a sale on gluten free items.  The pasta was 1.50, tamari was $2 per bottle and the pizza crust mix was 2.39.  It is enough to make two 12 inch pizzas, so we'll just use it for our GF family member.  Yogurt raisins were .77 - that is not all of them, because we had already eaten some.  Daughter and Hubby also got a little chocolate honeycomb candy - .66, which did not make it to photo time.

Sprouts Market - $9.38

Total spent this week:  $26.69

Total spent for the month:  $131.18

Here are the previous posts in this series:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4


Menu:

Breakfasts
applesauce-cinnamon oatmeal, fresh fruit
hard boiled eggs, sliced cheese, V-8 juice
peanut butter toast, apples, cocoa
cereal, fruit, almond milk

Lunches
leftovers when available
soups from the freezer
pbj, carrots and celery, oranges
cheese, crackers and apples

Suppers
franks and beans over rice, sliced apples
Greek lemon chicken with potatoes, steamed broccoli, sautee'd zucchini
vegetable soup with ham, cheese and apples
cheese enchiladas, Mexican rice, green salad, pineapple sorbet
shepherd's pie, carrot and celery sticks, oranges
Superbowl:  homemade pizza, popcorn, carrot and celery sticks w/buffalo chicken dip, chips and salsa, apple cubes
leftovers

Snacks
popcorn
apples
cheese
graham crackers
applesauce

Frugal Accomplishments

For reasons we're not likely to ever understand, Tallulah Mae really enjoys draping her front paws over this cross
bar on the parson's bench.  This is one of the more normal things that she does.

We stayed home quite a lot this week.  Earlier this month there were a lot of appointments and such, so it felt good to get back into our at-home routine.

I took some items we had on hand and increased the usefulness of a corner in our basement.  We don't wear shoes in the house, so I hung a shoe-holder by the door and added some more coat hooks.  We were already using an old armoire as a place to hold gloves, scarves, etc.  It's not 'pretty', but it's fairly functional.  It makes me think of what Red Green always says...."If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."  That sounds about right. :)

I weeded the children's books in our home library.  The books we no longer want or need will go to the used book store first, to get some trade credit.  Anything that remains can be donated.

dirty clothes + homemade laundry soap + drying racks = low cost clean laundry :)

We got books and media from the library.  I also subbed six hours this week.

We had some pretty, warmer days, so we made sure to spend some time outdoors in the sunshine.  When it was cooler, we used our wood stove to keep the house warm.

I'm pet sitting, and I was able to bring home some wasted hay to use as bedding/litter in our henhouse.  (I had permission, and was told which stack I could take.)

We received a late Christmas present from my parents and brother.  They bought these pecans for .50 a pound and sent a box of them to us.  Yum!  They mailed them parcel post, which is supposed to take longer, but it was only a day longer than priority.

We planned a menu, which is here, and ate leftovers when there were some available.  I am trying to 'use down' our pantry a little, so I will be planning with that in mind over the next several weeks.  We didn't have that many leftovers for 'leftovers night', so we had panfried ham, baked potatoes and steamed cabbage with butter and caraway, all of which we had on hand.

We had some canned fruit this week.  I used the juice/syrup to help sweeten some fruit punch.  It adds a bit of fruit flavor and cuts down on the other sweeteners, plus nothing goes to waste.

Daughter and I have been having 'drawing time' at least a couple of days each week.  We just sit at the kitchen table with crayons, pencils, paper, etc - all things we already own - and we draw.  I sometimes like to draw prayers, and it is nice to just spend the time chatting, drawing and enjoying one another.  It doesn't really cost a thing, either.  (We have to do something with all that free copy paper we keep getting, yes?)

We are out of home-canned salsa, so I made some from a can of tomatoes, some fresh onion, fresh jalapeno, lime juice, chipotle, chili powder, cumin, garlic and salt.  It's tasty, and was very low cost to make.  I also made King Ranch Chicken Casserole (think Mexican lasagna) for the first time, and we really liked it a lot.  Gluten-free is not as hard as I thought it might be...at least so far. :)

Not the best photo, but this was so tasty!

I cleaned out the fridge this week - really deep cleaned it, which was good.  The frugal part?  There were a very few things that went to the hens as treats, but now that it's better organized, it's much easier to see what's there, keep the leftovers in a designated spot, etc.

I hope you had a good week!  What did you do to save money and make do?  Leave a comment if you please! :)

-Laura at TenThingsFarm