September Budget Review

Here's an overview of how much I had planned on spending on EVERYTHING this month and how it actually worked out. Our retirement and medical premium is taken out already.

Savings Account:  planned/actual:  $400

Household Expenses: (mortgage, utilities, garbage, Internet...)
planned: $1488  actual: $1346.91

Credit/Loan Payments: (includes gym membership, credit card, student loan, personal loan)
planned: $585 actual: $645.52

Cars: (including car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance) 
planned:  $481 actual: $392.96

Groceries/Drug Store:  planned $400 actual: $308.92

Entertainment: planned: $300 actual: $264.50

Spending Money:  planned: $300 actual: $240                                                          

Other: including unexpected vet bill, magazine renewal, dog equipment and plants for outside:  $203

Total Expenses: $3801.81
Total Income:  $3996.08

Excess: $194.27

I am incredibly thrilled to have $200 left AFTER we already put 10% in our savings account.  We have multiple small repairs that need to be done on the house, so I'll be starting a house fund with this money.  And if the car goes down, then we'll have it set aside for that, too. 

Tomato Jam

Well, I tried making tomato jam for the first time this year.  I made plenty of marinara, too, but wanted something a little more special to give as gifts to people this Christmas. 



What you see here is the 5 jars I saved out for gift giving, I also made a year's supply for our house!  This jam makes and INCREDIBLE condiment for burgers.  I've been making a lot of bacon/blue cheese burgers, and this is a perfect topper.  Also, it is tasty with cream cheese as a cracker topper (you could get fancy with this combo for a dinner party).

I used the recipe out of Preserving the Harvest, and thought it was wonderful!  Next on my list is the liver pate that is in the freezer chapter of the book.  I love liver pate, but I can't really eat a whole recipe myself, so  pate that is designed to be frozen is perfect, because I can have lots of smaller batches in the freezer.  I'm waiting until closer to the holidays before I tackle this one, though! 



Here's a pic of the finished product, all "wrapped up" and ready for gift giving.

How to feed a family of four dinner for a week for under $50 at Publix

Even though I tend to plan my meals around more than just one stores sale items for one week, I was interested to see what I would feed a family of four for a week if I had to.  Here's what I came up with using mainly sale items.  Although we won't be eating this meal this week, these are all things that we enjoy eating from time to time. I also tried to make sure each meal had a protein and a veggie and all that stuff.  I'm sure it is not the healthiest menu on the planet, but it will feed a family of four and help to meet all the food pyramid requirements!

Monday: Beef Tacos, refried beans
Tuesday: BBQ chicken, broccoli with cheese sauce, baked beans, cucumbers
Wednesday: Creamy Shrimp/Asparagus Pasta, breadsticks, salad
Thursday: Veggie Packed Tomato Soup with cheese sandwiches
Friday: Roast Beef Stuffed Sandwich , salad
Saturday: BBQ chicken Pizza, veggie, bread sticks
Sunday: Pasta Primavera, cut up veggies

This menu is taken from the Publix sale that starts 9/29.

Monday: Beef Tacos, beans, lettuce tomato (Total: $7.43)
Kraft  Shredded Cheese  2/$4, use the -$5/5 Kraft Cheese or Dairy Products Rolling ($1)
Old El Paso Refried Beans 4/$5, use the -$0.50/1 Old El Paso Product ($.25)
Old El Paso Dinner Kit,  BOGO $2.95, use the -$0.50/1 Old El Paso Product ($.50)
Tomatoes on the Vine, $2.49/lb-buy 1/2 pound to dice ($1.25)
Fresh Express Lettuce Shreds 8 oz bag, $1.69 use the -$0.55/1 FE Blend Salads Rolling ($1.14)

Ground Beef and Ground Pork for Meatloaf, $3.29/lb ($3.29)

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken, frozen veggie, baked beans, cut up cucumbers ($6.79)

Green Giant Frozen Broccoli/cheese  10/$10 use-$0.50/1 Green Giant Frozen Vegetables Rolling (free)

Kraft Barbecue Sauce,  BOGO $1.48 use -$.25/1 Kraft Barbecue Sauce Peelie ($.25) (use 1/2 bottle)
3 lb Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs, $1.29/lb-($3.87)
Bush’s Best Baked Beans 21 to 28 oz, 3/$5 ($1.67)
Cucumbers, 2/$1 ($1)

Wednesday:  Creamy Shrimp/Asparagus Pasta, breadsticks, salad ($7.81)
2 Knorr Sides-Alfredo,  BOGO $1.29 -use 2-$0.45/1 Knorr Item, Tearpad (add $.51)
1/2 lb XL White Shrimp, Previously frozen,  $6.99/lb ($3.5)
1 lb Asparagus, $2.49/lb ($2.49)
Use the extra lettuce/tomato from Monday and the extra cucumber from Tuesday to make a salad
1 (buy 2, use one)Pillsbury  Breadsticks or  3/$5 use-$1/2 Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads Rolling ($2.33)

(I would use any veggie I had around the house, garlic, onion, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms...what ever. I would also use plain pasta and make my own sauce with any combo of  butter, oil, cream, wine, milk, broth that I had in the house.)

Thursday:  Veggie Packed Tomato Soup with cheese sandwiches ($6.78)
2 Cans Progresso Tomato/basil Soup,  BOGO $2.29-use -$0.50/2 Prog. Soup 8/8/2010 GM Insert ($1.29)
1 Can Diced tomatoes (estimated: $1)
1 medium butternut squash (estimated $2.5)
6 slices of Kraft Cheese Kraft American Cheese Singles, 2/$4use the -$5/5 Kraft Cheese Rolling ($1)
Nature’s BOGO $3.49-use -$0.75/1 Nature’s Own Premium Specialty   ($.99)
Mix the soup, tomato, and boil and mash the squash and mix into soup, you can add any herbs or some milk/cream/cream cheese/Parmesan to make it creamier if you want)

Friday:  Roast Beef Stuffed Sandwich (adapted from Pampered Chef) and a salad ($9.75)
2 Pillsbury  Pizza Crust  3/$5-use 2 $0.35/1 Pillsbury  Pizza Crust 9/12/2010 GM Insert   ($1.92)
Hillshire Farm Deli Select Lunch Meats, roast beef, 3/$10-use $1/1 HF Deli Select Rolling ($2.33)
1 package of Kraft white slices (see Kraft deals above) ($1)
1 green pepper ($1)
1 small onion ($1)
(garlic, Italian seasoning,egg)
Premium Salad Kits, 2/$5 ($2.50)

-Chop up pepper, onion and saute with spices a few minutes.
-Roll out a pizza crust and layer half the beef, cheese, and pepper mix over the whole thing.  Roll up (the long way) to make a pinwheel like effect.  Then repeat with the other pizza crust and remaining ingredients.
-Set the two loafs on a pizza pan, connecting them at the edges to make a "wreath" shape.
-Brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 T of water if desired and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
-use some of the ragu from Sunday as dipping sauce

Saturday BBQ chicken Pizza, veggie, bread sticks ($7.58)
Mission Soft Taco Flour Tortillas, Medium, 10 ct, BOGO $2.59 ($1.30)
2 lb Split Chicken Breast, (cooked and shredded) $1.89/lb ($3.78)
Kraft shredded cheese (see Kraft deal above)-($1)
left over BBQ sauce
shredded carrots  (estimated $1.5)
green giant veggies (free)
breadsticks leftover from unused package on wednesday

Sunday: Pasta Primavera, cut up veggies ($3.69)
2 Ragu Pasta Sauce, BOGO $3.35 use-$1/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce 9/12/2010 RP Insert (exp 10/10/2010)
and $0.50/2 Ragu Pasta Sauce TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 9/30/2010) ($1.35)
1 Barilla Piccolini BOGO $1.27 use $0.55/1 Barilla Piccolini Pasta 8/29/2010 SS Insert ($.09)
2 Green Giant mixed veggies (free)
cucumbers 2/$1 ($1)
Tomatoes on the Vine, $2.49/lb-buy 1/2 pound to slice ($1.25)

Grand Total: $49.83 (you will have to buy 2 extra Kraft cheese items to use the coupon, so the bill will be $2 extra plus tax, of course)

Rite Aid Savings $4.19 for $75.37 worth of stuff

I went into my RA shopping trip this week with $12 in UP rewards.  This makes me feel like I got some great deals!  So I 'forced' my husband into coming with me so that I could do 2 transactions without feeling too annoying.

Transaction #1:  (I did the PG Promotion)
1 Tide HE detergent:  (used a $2 Q)
2 Old Spice deodorants (used a BOGO Q)
2 Gillette Body Washes (used a $2 Q, free WYB deo Q)
1 Gillette deodorant
1 Pantene 2 in 1
1 Pantene conditioner ($1/2 Q)
Also used a $5/25 RA Q

 Total after Q's and Up rewards: $2.31 
(I received $10 in UP rewards to put towards next transaction, also I'll be getting $4 in SCR)

Transaction #2
1 Crest 3D Toothpaste (used $1 off)
2 Charmin Basic Toilet Paper-24 rolls total (used $1 and $.25 Q)
1 Theraflu (used $2 off Q)
1 Orbit Mist Gum (used RA VV $.50)
I also used a $4/20 VV Q

Total after Q's and UP Rewards: $1.88
(I also received $5 UP rewards for next time)

I spent $4.19 for $75.37 worth of product.

Now to be fair, let's do the 'real math'.  I spent $4.19 and burned $12 in UP, I got $5 back in UP and will get $4 back in SCR, so really I spent $7.19 (if you want to get technical)! Either way, I nailed it.

Menu Planning Monday

I'm trying to spend as little as possible at the grocery store this week.  I've got about $3 left in the grocery fund to last through the end of the month, becasue I sacrificed $100 to get some new bushes and grass seed, and my husband went crazy with the debit card at the bar ($35 gone in a flash). So you'll notice that I've made a shopping list of the things I'll actually have to buy for this menu. Everything else is from the panty/freezer.

Monday: Gorden's fish fillets, garlic mashed potatoes, cole slaw
Tuesday:  beef/lentil soup with garlic knots
Wednesday: leftovers from yesterday
Thursday:  Creamy scallop pasta with a veggie and garlic knots if there's any left
Friday:  BLTs,  pasta salad, any veggie that needs to be eaten
Saturday: sun-dried tomato basil burgers, fried potatoes, veggie
Sunday:  leftovers or go out






Shopping List: bacon,  tomato, cucumber,   maybe lettuce, maybe some broccoli or asparagus to go with the pasta thursday.

Not too bad, should be under $10 easily! Thank goodness October will be here in a matter of days.  Then I can start the budget over again.

swiss steak

I found the swiss steak recipe somewhere online but can't remember the link. I"ll post it here but don't take credit for it...it is awesome.

Swiss Steak Freezer Recipe
2 lbs round steak, ½" thick cut
¼ cup flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil
½ cup green pepper, minced
1 ¼ cup onion, minced
1 16-oz can tomatoes
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Cut steak into 8 individual pieces, using a fork to pierce each side of each piece. In a small bowl, combine flour, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Top one side of the steak pieces with half this mixture, then use a meat mallet to pound the flour mixture into the steak. Flip the pieces over and repeat.
In large skillet, heat oil and brown meat for about 15 minutes, turning frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover skillet and allow to simmer for 1 hour, adding small amounts of water as needed.
In a separate bowl, combine green pepper, onion, tomatoes, salt and ¼ tsp pepper, mixing well. Add to skillet, cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Divide skillet contents in half (including tomato sauce mixture), and place in 8x8 freezer containers - foil is best so you can reheat right in container. Allow to cool, seal and label with cooking instructions.
On cooking day: Remove from freezer while oven is preheating to 400F. Remove lid and bake for 30-40 minutes or until steak is tender. Serve with rice or noodles.

This recipe is awesome! I had to separtate it into two large frying pans, and then into two 9x9 square pans to freeze and it was perfect for two people. We both ate a full meal adding potatoes or pasta and a veggie) and had a leftover serving for lundh the next day! Then, there was another pan left for another meal.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.


Not a great week for veggies in our house...and I"m not really sure why.  The quarter of an avocado and the few Tablespoons of fresh salsa were left over from a chicken southwest salad I made at least 10 days ago.  I thought hubby used it all when he made his salad but I guess not! Also, some basil from the garden in the baggie...too gross to show!  Then there is about 2 servings of green beans that I ignored and about 1/4 Cup of shredded carrots.  Other than that are 2 pieces of pesto/sun dried tomato/chicken pizza.  It's great fresh out of the oven, but the leftovers lack...so no surprise 2 pieces went by the wayside.

I vow to respect my veggies better next week!  Maybe a soup or rice mixed with all leftover veggies next Thursday...  I do have a large head of cabbage that I have NO idea what to do with.  I guess I could make Cole slaw but would love some other ideas or good slaw recipes (I hate fried cabbage, though).

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

What's for dinner?

I got a great deal on some beef at Bi Lo this week.  For $7.00 I got 4.5 pounds of beef.  One roast, one package of stew meat, and one steak looking thing that I didn't know what it was and cup into stew chunks!

So the 2.5 pounds of chunks went into the freezer (I'm thinking beef/barley soup and either stew or beef stroganoff) and the roast went into the crock pot.  I love how a small roast can provide our little family of 2 so many options.  One day, we'll eat it with a potato and a veggie as a roast beef meal.  Then We'll put it on a bun with chips and the broth and have a French Dip.  It can also go into tacos, enchiladas, omelette's, or a quick soup.  We eat on $4 roast for days and never have leftovers!

This roast I just threw in the crock pot with onions, beef broth, and a little Lipton's onion soup mix.  It'll be ready to go in 8-10 hours.  If I had mushrooms, I'd put those in there too, but we're out.


(I ended up buying some portabellas the next day, sauted them in Pam and then simmered in the juice)

This does change my menu plan a bit, but I can't ever stick to it at the end of the week anyway.  So here's the changes:  Thursday: french dips, Friday: Steakhouse omelet with feta rolls and a small salad, Saturday: beef tacos.

My Birthday

Well it was my birthday yesterday and it was a great day.  There were no major plans, but I did have the day scheduled to suit me and 32 year old self!

Basically the day before I made sure the house was clean and the laundry was done, that way, I wouldn't have to do anything I really didn't want to.  I did not have to work, so my whole day was free.  Now, 20 minutes into my morning I did have to clean up dog poop, and I also did a load of dishes, but that was more so I could look at a nice clean kitchen.

I enjoyed my coffee, played with the pooch, and watched my recorded programs on TV all morning.  I showered about 11:00 so I could be clean and beautiful for my Kohl's shopping trip.  I had $60 sent to me by my parents and grandparents, so I bought 3 shirts at Kohl's, got $10 Kohl's cash back, and got a pair of corduroy's at the good will.  I spent 59.63!

Go home around 3:00, and waited for my husband.   We hung out awhile and then headed out to my all time new favorite restaurant.   I had a  $25.00 off of a $35.00 purchase (from restaurant.com) and we used it right!

ME: 1 glass of pinot, cornbread, catfish nuggets, shrimp and grits, white chocolate bread pudding
HUSBAND: 1 Newcastle Ale, cornbread, shared nuggets, steakhouse pasta, shared bread pudding

After tip, we still spend $44.00 but we got our money's worth!

Then, we went to a local bar and played trivia.  We tied for first place, but then got second when we blew the tiebreaker question.  Oh well, we were ready to leave and could have never spent the extra prize money anyway!



Great day, and here's a shot of what my sweet husband brought home.


I love flowers!

Homemade Blackberry Cordial

I still have 3 weeks to go until I can taste my creation, but as the weeks pass, I become more and more excited.  Toward the end of August, when the blackberries were coming to an end, I decided to do some "preserving".  By following this recipe I made some delicious looking cordial.

I started by filling 2 quart jars with 1 Cup of sugar each.  Then stuffed them full of clean fresh blackberries and filled with (pretty cheap) vodka until the berries were covered.  Then you just shake gently to mix and let stand for 6 weeks.  The first few weeks the sugar was collecting on the bottom but by week 2  it was completely mixed.  Now I just remember to mix gently once a weekend.

By mid-October, I'll be having a nice cocktail, and I'm also looking forward to trying it to flavor iced-tea like the recipe suggests.  If I end up pregnant this will also make a nice Christmas present, if not, then it probably won't make it until Christmas!!

(Also notice the jars of marinara on the right...they're delicious and I'll be opening a jar this weekend to make my eggplant parm.)

Menu Planning

Well here's my thoughts about what's on the menu this week.  I'm not doing a really great job of sticking to the plan on the weekend, but during the week it's pretty spot on.  As usual breakfast is cereal, oatmeal, or pancakes from the freezer and lunch is sandwiches or wraps (or leftovers).

Here's dinner:

Monday:  Buffalo stuffed chicken (a new favorite), rice and a veggie
Tuesday:  going out to dinner because it's my birthday!
               I printed a great Q off restaurant.com for the occasion.
Wednesday:  I'll be working late, so I'll eat 2 lunch options,
               and Charles is on his own
Thursday:  Cheese, crackers, brunschweiger (no clue on spelling), fruit plate
Friday: Phyllo Feta Rolls and a Greek salad (or I may make a bog pot of beef stew to keep
                 us for the weekend)
Sat or Sun: eggplant parm, garlic bread, salad or veggie

Making that Money: Swagbucks and Surveys

Well, I'm super excited and have no one to brag to! I hit my $100 mark on surveyspot today. I joined in March, but I didn't really do much with it until June...so in about 4 months I made $100 cash. Not bad for someone who would have spent that time in front of the computer fooling around anyway. I also scored quite a few free products. They have sent me: BBQ Kettle Chips, 2 cans mushroom soup, flavored rice mix, 2 bottles shampoo, Catalina dressing, and some granola bars. With the product tests, the idea is I try them out over a few days/weeks time and then give my honest opinion of them.

So if you're looking for a survey company to try, I recommend surveyspot.

I also used some of my Amazon gift cards today that I earned from Swagbucks. So far, after joining in June, I've earned $45. Also a good haul for doing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary! Today I ordered a copy of the dog training book we liked from the library, a dog "clicker" training tool, and a food scale (because mine warped after being left on the toaster oven). I'm SUPER excited!

So if you haven't tried Swagbucks yet, I also recommend that. It's easy, fun and profitable.

I'm saving up my Pay Pal money for a new vacuum.  I haven't spent any of the survey money, and I've also got a bit from random stuff I sold on eBay.  I do like to keep a few extra dollars in there if I need to buy some coupons or something.  But I'm saving for the $499 Dyson ball vacuum.  They are so cool looking!  I'm sort of thinking if I ever get that much money in my account, I might balk at paying that much for a vacuum, but we'll see.  Right now the $79 one I got at Target 4 years ago is not cutting it. If anyone has any experience with the Dyson, I'd love to hear your opinion!

This is why she's in the box

Our new little puppy is wonderful. After about 8 days she knows to "go" outside (accidents still happen, but not as frequently), she can "sit" on command, and she's learning about not biting and dinner manners.

Buuuuut, she still has a ways to go. I can't seem to keep her out of the office recycle box. So a bit of crate time is occasionally in order.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.



First off is about a cup of shredded chicken (taco flavored) mixed with Cuban black beans. My husband and I ate a ton of this, but it seemed to multiply. I only used 2 chicken breasts and one cup of black beans to start with. I'm throwing it away because I'm sick of looking at it, and after being 5 days old I won't eat it anymore.

Also a mixture of chopped pickles and onions. My husband makes this up anytime he grills sausage and always makes a ton. I teased him last weekend that I always end up throwing some away, but he insisted on making enough for 5 people, even though only 1 eats it.

And last is about 1/3 C of tatziki sauce. I thought I was going to make falafel again for dinner and we would have used this up, but I made other plans and now the cucumber in it is too watery.

Not too bad this week, I ended up throwing about 1 1/2 Cups of food away.

Working on Being Debt Free

When we got married about 4 years ago, our debts were a big part of our lives.

When we met, I had about $7,000 of credit card debt and about $3,000 left on my car loan. When we got married I had about $10,000 of credit card debt and $750 left on my car loan. The wedding is the cause of some of the extra charges, but my husband to be was also out of work the whole time and actively looking for a job out of state. So a lot of the financial burden was on me, and I only made $30,000 a year! We ended up moving 12 hours south 3 days after the wedding, so moving fees also got dumped on the card. (I also had student loans-maybe $4,000 that my parents were paying for me).

My husband had a $5,000 loan that he got from one of those checks they mail you. He also owed about $1,000 and $2500 on two store credit cards. He graduated from college right around the time we met and although he was actively looking for work, none was to be found. (He also had around $27,000 in student loans in deferment).

The big difference between our debts (which were about even) was our credit rating/payment habits. I had great credit and never made a late payment...ever. He was barely getting by and had no extra money to put on bills, so all of his debts were in collection.

Today we have about $450 left on a credit card, which is only because our oldest car broke down (yes the one I paid off right after the wedding) and we didn't have enough to pay cash for it set aside. We also own our own home and are making payments so that it will be paid off 17 years from now. We also have a second car (we went without for almost a year) and are putting money in a savings account and a retirement plan.

* I forgot to mention that although my students loans are all gone, his will be with us for a long time still!

We have a long way to go before we are "debt free" and may never totally get there, but we're working on it, making good decisions, and feeling great about it.

Here are a few tips I've found that really help with debt repayment:

-Use found money to pay down debts: I've fought my husband tooth and nail on this, and we occasionally have to compromise and blow half of the money on "stuff" and use the other half for debts, but it really works. We got $7500 as fist time home buyers, and $6000 went to our "worst" debt. The rest was gleefully spent by Charles at Lowe's!

-Get by on one car for awhile: It will save on insurance, maintenance, and of course a car payment. We went for one full year with one car. I woke up early and dropped hubby off at work and then drove myself later. He had to hitch a ride home about half of the time, and we couldn't have done it without good friends, but it really saved us! When we did finally get a second vehicle...it was appreciated so much more, too!

-Budget money for fun things or else you will fail: It is unrealistic to expect me and hubby to never go out to eat, go to the bar, see a concert/movie, shop, or travel. We love these things so I made a realistic budget. We both have $150 a month we can spend on whatever we want with no accountability. We also have another $300 in the budget for us to spend however we want together. I figure it's $75 a weekend (30 at a restaurant, 25 at the bar, 20 at a movie) but the money is flexible so we can have fun however we want. And if something major comes up, this is an extra $600 that we can use for an emergency and we'll just do without for the month.

*Don't let me leave you with the impression that we've always run through $600 on "stuff and entertainment", that first year it was probably more like $75 a month...it has grown as our income has grown and our debt has shrunk!

-Coupon: I save a ton of money every month by shopping the sales and using coupons. We now have way more in the cupboards and spend way less on the stuff we use everyday. If you don't know much about couponing I suggest checking out southernsavers.com or iheartpublix.com.

Rite Aid Savings-$2.93 spent for about $59 worth of stuff

It has been a long time since I've done a realy big drugstore trip. Basically, I have what I need for the next 6 months and am just flat out avoiding the stores to keep my grocery budget down. But, I was tempted by Rite Aid this week.

Here's what I got and how I did.

Transaction #1:

2 20oz Pepsi Max (BOGO Rite Aid Video Q)
1 bag Goldfish Crackers
2 Oral B toothbrushes (BOGO Q)
1 Reach toothbrush ($1 Q)
2 Playtex tampons ($2 Q, $1 Q)
Johnson Baby Lotion ($1 RA Q, $1 Q)
(I also used a $5 off RA Q)

Total was 10.28 and I recieved $13 in UP rewards and $2 SCR

Transaction #2:

2 EPT 3 count Pregnancy tests (2 $3 Q)
1 Listerine Pocket Pack (forgot my Q;()

(I used a $5 off RA Q and my $13 UP rewards)

Total was 10.65 and I recieved $16 UP rewards.

SOOOOOOOOOO,

total spent: 20.93
UP rewards left: 16
SCR coming: 2

I basicaly got all of this stuff for $2.93. It would have been cheaper if I could have found the RA coupon book, but my store didn't know anything about it. I could have used 2 $1 off Q's (and the RZ video value Q I forgot) making .07 on the transaction. Oh well!

Menu Plan

I didn't even bother to do a menu plan yesterday, because we went to CiCi's Pizza Buffet. Now though, it's on for the rest of the week.



Mon: go out
Tues: chicken, broccoli, butternut squash,
Wed:pork chops with mushroom soup, mashed potatos, cut up veggies
Thurs:chicken/pesto pizza, salad
Fri: blue cheese/bacon burgers, fried potatoes, veggie
Sat: left overs or go out?
Sun: roast beef dinner

Housetraining

We had a MAJOR victory yesterday at our house. Pepper asked to go outside to go potty all by herself. After 9 days of following her around and putting her out sometimes every twenty minutes, she's getting it!

Now I'm not so naive as to think the work is done, but at least now I know she's progressing.

We must be doing something right.

Friday Food Waste

I've been inspired by The Frugal Girl to participate in her Friday food waste movement. What a neat idea to be held accountable for the food we throw away. So this week, I kept track of the food that I tossed.

No picture this week, it all happened so fast! But they looked just like this (didn't taste half as good as they looked).



Half of a pan of buttermilk biscuits. They were in the freezer for a few months and when I make them, they had a distinct "freezer burn" taste. We ate half for breakfast by covering the taste with butter, ham, and cheese...but tossed the other half to the birds. At least someone ate it!

New Family Member

Here's a little synopsis about how the first week with the new dog has went.
I wasn't sure I really wanted to get such a young dog, only because I was vaguely aware that it would be a lot of work. But my husband fell in love at the pound (a place I am too big of a wimp to go because I cry) and brought Pepper home. She is a chihuahua mix and only about 10 weeks old. First off let me say that she is adorable, I love her, and I am committed to doing the right thing involving training. The only problem was that I had no idea how to do that.

So I hit the library and learned TONS.

I came away from the books with an idea of what to do first. Most important to me was potty training. So here's what I gleaned from the books. A puppy has to go out at least once an hour. My puppy occasionally has to go three times an hour. To prevent puddles I'm finding that she needs to go out at least every 30 minutes when she is actively playing or exploring. I'm also finding that I need to be on her constantly to supervise. That means if I want to play a computer game, wash the dishes, or pee she needs to in my arms or in the box. It's exhausting!!

Also, the books suggest getting her on a little puppy schedule. One books schedule looks like this:

Early Morning: water, go outside, go back in box.
Morning: feed, water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Mid-morning: water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Lunchtime: feed, water, go outside, play for 30-60 minutes, go in box
Mid afternoon: water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Dinner: feed, water, go outside, play for 30-60 minutes, go in box
Mid evening:water, go outside, play for 15-30 minutes, go in box
Evening:go outside, go back in box.

I'm trying to stick (sort of) with this schedule, but I'm feeling a little guilt about box time. I hate to have her staying in the box for so long, although two different books suggest this and say NOT to feel guilty because it's good for them. So I tend to have her out and supervised a little more often. In my mind, this makes up for the days that I'm out or at work and she spends MORE time in the box.

So potty training is a chore, but will be more than worth it when she is housebroken.

This week we've also dealt with: tapeworms, giving cold medicine 2x a day, more carpet cleaning that I thought possible, more laundry than I thought possible, teeth that are surprisingly sharp, and interrupted sleep.

All in all it has been a long week, but I've enjoyed having an animal back in the house. I'm hoping that me and hubby can keep up the good work and help Pepper grow up to the best behaved and well trained dog possible.

Falafel

*not my picture-mine looks WAY messier than
this but tastes wonderful, I'll take a pic this
weekend and replace*

Falafel has turned out to be one of my favorite meals. It's cheap, simple, delicious, nutritious and meat-free. Here's how I do it.

I buy falafel mix in the box (picture a box of rice-a-roni or potatoes). You can find this for sure at a health food store, but I also get it in the "International" aisle at Food Lion, Bi-Lo (sometimes) and Ingles. A box is about $3.50 and I can get about 5 single size servings out of it. It's super easy. You measure out how much mix you want (it's powdered) and add water according to box directions. Then you wait 10 minutes for the water to absorb. As you're waiting, heat some oil for frying on the stove. After about ten minutes, form the mixture into small balls (think 2 Tablespoons) and fry a few minutes on each side (could be quicker if oil is VERY hot).

I serve this two ways.

1) as a sandwich (serve inside a pita pocket with tomatoes, lettuce, onion and tatziki sauce

2) as an entree (serve balls alone with a tomato/onion/cucumber salad and tatziki sauce over the falafel. Pita chips and hummus make an excellent side for this as well.

I make my own tatziki, but it is available in most deli sections by the hummus.

Here's how I do it:

1 6 oz container of Greek Yogurt (has to be real gk yogurt: cost $1)
1 t olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 C diced cucumber
salt

I don't really measure because as long as you are close to the measurements it will be fine. Just mix up and let sit in the fridge at least 30-45 minutes to let the flavors marry!

*** You can bake falafel in the oven, but the texture is not the same as frying...it still tastes wonderful.

***You can save the raw mixture in the fridge to fry another day, or fry all of it and warm it up as needed, I do both depending on if I want to be done frying or not!

Menu Planning Monday

Welcome Labor Day!

We were going to invite friends for a BBQ, but our brand new puppy has worms and we've decided to keep the public away until we can get her fixed back up. So the grill is being used for two instead of ten.

Monday: Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers, sunchips
Tuesday: Stuffed Buffalo Chicken, Carrots, rice
Wednesday: leftover/go out?
Thursday: leftover/go out?
Friday: Phyllo Feta Rolls, Greek salad,
Saturday: Falafel
Sunday: sundried tomato/basil burgers, roasted butternut squash, other veggie

Freezer cooking session

I did my first "freezer cooking session" about 5 weeks ago. Keep in mind that it's just my husband and me. We don't eat a full meal together every day. Wednesday's I'm working until nine, and Thursday's I'm working until seven, so I pack my own lunch those day's and DH is on his own. I hope and pray that he'll eat leftovers, but at least half of the time he either goes to the bar with a friend or eats fast food. Frankly, that's okay with me. He works hard and deserves to do whatever he wants to.

So our schedule looks like this:

Monday: I teach until about 5:00 and then cook a quick dinner (we like to eat early)
Tuesday: I have the day off so I like to cook something "fancy"
Wednesday: I pack a dinner and DH does leftovers or take out
Thursday: same as yesterday
Friday: We either go out to happy hour and buy dinner or I'll cook something at home and then we'll go out to meet friends
Saturday and Sunday: weekends are whatever...the more cash we have available the more likely we are to eat out...we often eat one or two main meals and then pick over the leftovers and assorted items in the fridge.

So anyway...I've got freezer cooking day number two planned and here it is.

I'm going to make:

Thai Chicken Wraps (I'll post my super easy/super awesome recipe soon)
Swiss Steak
Blue Cheese burgers
Tomato basil burgers
Stuffed Buffalo Chicken

If you haven't checked out onceamonthmom.com...do it. She posts a full month of menus and recipes. Everything looks great.

New Addition to the Family

This is Pepper. We adopted her only yesterday, and I have to say, I think it will be a great match. I had some concerns about adopting a puppy, only because I had never trained one before. I also had some concerns about "replacing" my beloved dog who died almost 18 months ago. But I think that everything is going to work out great!

She's sweet, seems smart enough to get the "going potty outside thing", and adorable.

I'm already enjoying having a little company with me this morning (although I could have done without a crying puppy last night at 4:30 in the morning). We took her out so she didn't have to hold it all night, and then she thought it was playtime. I think maybe I'll try NOT taking her out tonight and see how that goes!

Well, wish me luck!

$24.47 spent/$52.63 saved

So I made a "quick" run out to Bi-Lo and Publix this morning to pick up a few deals I couldn't pass up.

First, I spent $1.05 at Bi-Lo/saved $8.92 and bought 4 6.4oz tubes of Crest Toothpaste.

This is a great deal that I couldn't pass up even though we have enough toothpaste in the house to last at least 6 months. I've started a box in the spare room to put things that my church can use in the Shoebox for Kids Program we do at Christmas.

Then, I went to Publix. I spent $23.42 and saved $43.71.

I got 1 lb okra, 1 small bag baby carrots, 6 Yo-Plus yogurts, 1 Tampax Pearl (18 ct), 1 Milk Bone dog treat, 1 gallon milk, 2 pears, 5 bananas, .5 lb green beans, 3 2lb bags rice, 10 boxes noodles, 2/3 lb shrimp, 2 boxes Aunt Jemimah pancake mix, and 1 small Velveeta Cheese.

Since I'm also giving a box of food to the Carpenter's Table (a local food bank) with all the pasta, 2 of the rices, and all the pancake mix...I think I did pretty good.

I actually gave $31.39 worth of food/toothpaste away, and got $45.71 worth of food for my family. All for about $25.00.

You can't beat that!