Another hot week - light menu's

This is a fairly quiet week, but we won't be home on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, so no meals are planned for those days. (We've decided to drive the Rt 127 "World's Longest Yard Sale" route). All meals are from what I have on hand, including leftover roast chicken from Saturday. Also, it's going to be another hot week, so meals are lighter with the least amount of cooking possible.

Monday Chef Salad: Mixed lettuce, garden tomatoes, green peppers, leftover chicken, cucumbers, brocolli florets, onion, cheese cubes, croutons Tuesday Egg salad (Jeff), Tuna Salad (me) Bagels Sliced tomatoes Wednesday Steak on the grill Green salad, sliced tomatoes Thursday Crock pot Stew Beef w/ tomato onion sauce Rice, Steamed Zucchini

I honestly don't plan breakfasts or lunches, as some folks do. I do make Jeff a full breakfast every morning. It can be as easy as cereal and toast, or more involved. This morning I made him a very easy Breakfast Burrito, because he was running late and wanted to take breakfast with him. It's another one of those recipes that I use according to what I have on hand. Breakfast Burrito 1 tortilla 1 egg 1/4 cup meat (this can be 2 slices of bacon, 2 link sausages, or chopped ham or leftover steak) 1 slice of cheese Optional: diced or chopped veggies of your choice (mushrooms, onions, green peppers, whatever) Very lightly moisten two paper towels with water. You want them just barely damp. Put one towel flat in the bottom of your microwave, place the tortilla on top, then layer on the second towel. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. This "steams" your tortilla so it's soft and fresh. If using bacon or sausage, cook meat thoroughly in small fry pan according to directions, remove from pan. Drain any fat from pan. Dice or chop meat. Pam Spray (or small amount of butter) the pan, and crack the egg and add it into the pan. Return meat to pan, and add veggies if you desire. No need to add milk, just a bit of salt and pepper if desired. Stir egg mixture gently with fork as it cooks. Lay tortilla out flat. Cut piece of cheese in half, and lay lengthwise down middle of tortilla. Add egg/meat/veggie mixture on top of cheese. (Optional: Spoon a light layer of your favorite salsa over the egg mixture.) Roll up tortilla burrito-style. Wrap in aluminum foil so it holds it's shape if being eaten on the way to work. Obviously the recipe is for just one serving. I have made these two at a time, let one cool on the counter, then wrap in aluminum foil and put in the fridge. Jeff had it for breakfast the next morning and said it was great.

Declutter Challenge continues

I've been doing my declutter-once-a-day to meet the requirements of the Declutter Challenge over at My Simpler Life. And the challenge is "catching"! My DIL Lisa sent me Before and After pictures yesterday of the major decluttering she did in her guest room! To catch up (I didn't read about the challenge until August 2, so I was one day behind), on Sunday I did two decluttering jobs. First, I decluttered my mail slot (a place where uninteresting paperwork goes when you have no idea what else to do with it -- which probably means it should have been thrown out in the first place): And for my "catch up" decluttering, I also cleaned out the magazines on the end table in the Family Room: This morning, while I was getting dressed and ready for the day, I decluttered the master bathroom's medicine chest of old medicine, empty fragrance bottles, and... well, junk! It's amazing how quick it is to complete these small decluttering tasks, and yet how much clutter they are relieving me of!

Frugal medicine?

Over the counter and prescription medicine coupons - pet medicine coupons? I had no idea! But there it is - Internet Drug Coupons, recommended by AARP. In just checking drugs and over-the-counter items my family uses, I can already see that we will save literally hundreds of dollars with this site! No affiliation -- and I've not yet printed coupons from there. If you do, come back and let me know how it went!

Frugal chicken dinner from coupons and sales

I've discovered that "brand loyalty", frugal shopping and clipping coupons are not compatible. For example, I always buy XXX brand Spaghetti sauce (if you're like me, you've bought the same brand for the past 20 years!) for $1.69 a jar. But a recent sale on Ragu sauces, combined with coupons, allowed me to buy jars at .67 each. The new frugal shopper in me kicks in and out goes the "brand loyalty". Two weeks ago, I found several foods on sale that I had coupons for, but they were foods I had never tried. The price, however, made it worth buying. These two items were Patak's (Indian) Tomato and Onion Sauce, and Middle Eastern's Garlic and Parmesian Couscous. Jeff and I had the most wonderful dinner last night -- using both of these new foods. I'd purchased whole chickens on sale at .88 lb., popped one in my crockpot yesterday morning with a bit of water in the bottom (less than 1/2 inch) and a whole onion (quartered) in the cavity, and covered the chicken with about 1 cup of Patak's sauce. I set the crockpot on High, and left it for 6 hours. At the end of the 6 hours, I placed the chicken in a baking pan, added another 1/2 cup of sauce on top, and baked the chicken at 375 for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, I prepared the Couscous and steamed some fresh green beans. When I took the chicken out of the oven, I added a bit of water to the cooked-down sauce in the bottom of the roaster, to make a bit of extra sauce for the couscous. Everything was wonderful! The sauce was a very mild flavored addition to the chicken - you didn't really taste a tomatoe-y flavor, but more a wonderful combination of very mild spices and a hint of mint! Very clean and light tasting. When I served the chicken, I put some of the sauce and the cooked onion on top of the couscous, and that also added a nice mild flavor to a fairly bland couscous. The green beans were the perfect accompaniment. Because of the coupons and sales, dinner was less than $1 per person, and we have plenty of leftovers. (One full meal, plus another three meals from leftover chicken.) A word about the chicken. I love roast chicken, but the price of it on non-sale weeks can get up to over $2 a pound. Watch your local store for whole frying chickens on sale, almost always under $1 per pound. I usually pick up two or three of the plumpest, fattest whole chickens I can find, and stock the freezer. These whole frying chickens can be tougher than a normal roasting chicken, but if you cook it slowly (the crockpost is perfect) with a bit of steam (water or chicken broth), it is just as juicy and tender as the more expensive roaster. Once it's cooked through, pop it in a 375 degree oven to brown it up, and you'll have a wonderful, tender roast chicken. For two people, you can get almost a week's worth of meals from this one chicken, especially if it's a time of year when you can make soup. This meal has opened my eyes to trying new foods. When we finished our dinner, I told Jeff "I feel like I went out to eat." Of course, he looked at me funny, but I added, "That's a meal of ingredients I never would have thought to buy." So let your couponing and sales open your eyes to new food adventures!

CVS Gift Card Giveaway

Have you figured out how to shop CVS for free or nearly free products? Do you know what an ECB is? Do you understand how to combine coupons with CVS deals and sometimes walk away making money on your purchases? It most definitely can be done! And now, you can read step by step instructions on how the process works (and more importantly, how it can work for YOU) at the Centsible Savings web site. The one thing most people fail to understand is that to you need to spend some "seed money" to get the whole process going. That's right - you need to spend money to make money. But to make it a little easier for you, Centible Savings web site is having a $5 CVS Gift Card Giveaway! Leave a comment on her web site before 08/09 and you'll be in the drawing. If you're an experienced CVS shopper, you know you can put that $5 to good use. If you're new to the whole CVS thing, the $5 will start you off on your first frugal venture to ECB land! Good luck!

I'm joining the Declutter Challenge!

One of my favorite blogs is My Simpler Life -- all about organizing and decluttering, which is something I strive for try to do dream about, but just never seem to completely accomplish. Although decluttering isn't as major an issue as organizing, there is still much decluttering that can be done around here. When I read Beth's challenge, I didn't hesitate to join in. The basic rule of the challenge is to declutter at least one item per day for the entire month of August. You can read more details here. The other part of the challenge is to blog about your decluttering, with photos! It's funny that after spending an entire lifetime being a "collector" and married to a wonderful man who is also a "collector", that suddenly I crave simplicity in my life. I want things around me that are important, meaningful and make me smile. I want to look around my house and love the things I see. I do not want to look around and see items I don't care about or no longer use or that simply "exist" because they've always been there. After 20 years of being in the same house, there's a lot of those around here! Why not join me in this challenge? Whether you do it for one day or all 31 days of August, I'm betting that everyone who reads this has clutter and would like to rid themselves of it. Do you know what clutter is? Marcia at Organising Queen blog is a partner in this challenge, and has a great article on "What is Clutter" you can read here. Since the Challenge started yesterday (August 1), I'm a day behind but will catch up today. Today I am going to challenge myself to declutter my linen closet. This is actually one of my favorite decluttering jobs because the end result gives me such peace -- is there anything so satisfying as seeing sheets and towels all folded beautifully and in a line on the shelf? LOL Yeah...I know... it's a curse... I'll be back to add photos... BEFORE:Oh my, how embarassing to show this to the world! And just FYI - dear husband "organized" this linen closet about a month ago. His idea of organizing (which omits the all-important decluttering!) and mine vary greatly (though I appreciate his effort!). AFTER: Top Shelf: Extra blankets and pillows. Next Shelf: Sheets and pillowcases. Third Shelf: Towels, washcloths, beach towels, bath mats. Fourth Shelf: Left - Personal supplies - extra shampoo, soap, etc. Right - Cleaning and paper goods. Floor: Vac on right, humidifier (with filter and cleaner). WHAT I GOT RID OF: A full basket of old towels - stained, strings hanging off the sides, torn. (I've moved them to the rag box in the garage.) Old blankets, an old humidifier that doesn't have the filter, an old jewelry box, misc. torn or ripped pillowcases. Not shown is a trash can full of old shampoo, body wash no one liked, out-dated medicines and old cleaners. THOUGHTS: As I look at the Before and After pictures above, I can feel a difference in myself physically. I cringe, tighten-up, squint my eyes when I look at the Before photo. But when I see the After photo, I feel calm, relaxed, pleased with what I've done and with what I see. Having my house organized and decluttered gives me a definite physical sense of peacefulness. I realize when I look around my house and see clutter, it physically makes me feel tense, because I know it's there and it's always in the back of my mind in my mental "To Do List". Clutter creates an inability to relax completely and be at peace with my surroundings. The more I think about it, the more I'm grateful for this Challenge!

Ssshhh... my grandson is having "me time"

Poor little Brayden Lee arrived sick sick sick this morning. Nasty stuffy chest and nose, with some labored breathing. The hot, humid air outside just about does him in, which is rough because all he wants to do is play outside. Today we went down to the basement playroom and got out his sandbox to play in for awhile... the basement is cool and dry and he felt better for a little while. After playtime, Brayden asked if we could read his "Monkey Book", so we headed for the family room. After a few minutes of reading, he asked if I could push one of the large leather chairs forward so he could get behind it, which I did and he disappeared behind the chair. Since there is a plug back there (with baby-proof caps in it), I was a little nervous about him being back there (two year olds and plugs don't mix), so I walked over to see what he was doing. He heard me coming and stood up, put his hand up as if to signal "Stop!" and said, "No, Umma... It's ME time!" He stood behind the chair and I could hear little grunty sounds...lol I said, "Oh, OK... I'll wait right over here. Let me know when you're done." What does "me time" mean to a 2 year old? Private time to load his diaper! And he did, indeed, say "All done, Umma!" when the time was appropriate -- and we changed his diaper and went on from there. As the day wore on, Brayden got more and more sick. Mary called her pediatrician and got an appointment. Brayden is having asthmatic problems from allergies and the hot humid weather, combined with his usual respiratory (croup) problem, for which he recieved an Rx for an antibiotic. Poor little thing had to have two breathing treatments this morning, and they switched him to a stronger medicine for his breathing machine (inhaler). Mary is going to have a longggg weekend.

Quality meat for a frugal price

We have pretty much given up steak here. The average price for a decent steak is about $6 per pound, and that just doesn't fit into my quest for frugal food shopping. But we are meat eaters here, and we do like good cuts of meat. Is it possible to find quality meat for under $2 per pound these days? Yes! Our local Kroger store has boneless pork loins on sale this week for $1.99 a pound. (A year ago the sale price was $1.79, then $1.88, and now $1.99 -- visual proof of the increase in gas prices.) Besides ground beef and whole chickens, there are not many cuts of meat I can get for this price -- so I'm going to take advantage of it. But what do you do with this giant 8 or 10 lb boneless pork loin? You give it over to the butcher in the store, and as him to cut it for you. The pork loin is actually two long pieces of meat, one on top of the other. I choose to have the butcher cut the entire loin in half, first -- one "half" will create two small pork roasts, which will give us two Sunday dinners, two leftover meals (usually a stir-fry), and at least four sandwiches for lunch. Next, I ask the butcher to cut the other half of the pork loin into 3/4 inch boneless pork chops. You can go thinner (1/2 inch would be the smallest I'd go) and get more chops from the loin, but we prefer the 3/4 inch. With a 7 lb roast, I'll get approximately 6 meals of 4 chops each, plus the end, which just doesn't form into a chop and which I cut into cubes to use in another stir fry meal or in soup during the winter. I also ask the butcher to wrap the roasts in freezer paper, so I don't have to do that when I get home. I break the boneless chops into meal-sized portions, wrap them in wax paper and then place them in a Ziploc freezer bag, and label the bag with type of food and date. I also label the roasts before I put them in the freezer. So for approximately $16.00 I will get 14 meals of a very good quality meat and including two Sunday "roasts". These pork loins seem to be on sale every two months or so, so the next time you see one for under $2 a pound, be sure and stock your freezer! Here's a recipe for Shake N'Bake-type mixture that you can use with these boneless pork chops: Make Your Own Shake'n Bake 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons bread crumbs OR corn meal 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon sugar scant 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder scant 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. 2. Prepare pork following the same technique as described on the box of the original mix using 6 chops. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then moisten the chop with water. Use a large plastic bag for the coating and use the same steps as described on the original package: "Shake 1 to 2 pieces at a time, in shaker bag with coating mixture. Discard any remaining mixture and bag. Bake at 400 degrees in ungreased or foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan until cooked through -- approximately 30 minutes.

Can Meatloaf taste good AND be healthy?

My son and daughter-in-law visited us from Colorado this week, and while he was here, he asked to cook dinner for the family. Oh my...someone else cooking?!? YES! He did the grocery shopping once he arrived, and cooked dinner on Monday night. And he made his Mama proud, because this guy cooked a healthy, great-tasting meatloaf -- and lots of it! Made with ground turkey it had a wonderful flavor and, almost important as the original dish itself, made great leftover meatloaf sandwiches the next day. I asked for the recipe and fully intend on replacing my high-fat ground beef meatloaf with this yummy recipe from now on. Meatloaf Ingredients 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tbsp veg. oil 3 large shallots, finely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 10 ounces small white mushrooms, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves OR 1 tsp dried, crumbled sage leaves 1 large egg, lightly beaten Directions 1. In a large, non-stick skillet, bring the broth and oil to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and carrot and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until the shallots are softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool. 2. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil (Pam Spray) a baking sheet. 3. With your hands, thoroughly mix the turkey, bread crumbs, apple, parsley, and sage into the cooled vegetable mixture. Add the egg and mix well. Divide the mixture in half and on the baking sheet, shape each portion into an oval about 6 1/2 inches long, 4 inches wide, 1 1/2 inches high. Transfer the loaves to the baking sheet. 4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until cooked through. Let the meatloaf rest, loosely covered, for 5 minutes. Serves 6. First, this recipe made my house smell SO good that even little Brayden came into the kitchen with his little nose sniffing the air! I will say, I did not taste the apple, the carrots or the mushrooms. In fact, I don't care for mushrooms, but loved this meatloaf, and I think it's because he chopped everything SO fine that it was more about the texture these items added than the flavor. The finished loaf did not have a "light" poultry taste, but had more substance of flavors to it than you expect from a turkey meatloaf. He accompanied this dish with a salad of fresh (uncooked) chopped green beans, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onions and almonds -- all marinated in Italian dressing. Again, I'd never had uncooked green beans as a main ingredient in a salad before, and they were fabulous. Everyone in the family loved this meal -- including daughter who's on a strict diet, husband who is the meat and potato man, and grandson who won't eat anything!

Freecycle isn't working for me

I need to vent. Once again, I've offered something (a working gas grill) on our local freecycle group, had several people respond, chose one -- and that person didn't show up to pick up the grill. I wouldn't be frustrated if this was my first time, but this has happened nine times for the past ten items I've offered an item. I sent email to the group, explaining my frustration. The letter was as follows:

I have had one more no show on items I've offered on Freecycle. I'm not sure if those of you who respond to offers understand how truly rude, inconsiderate and time consuming it is to not to pick up the item you said you wanted. People who offer items take the time to prepare the item for posting, post the item, read through and sort through many email responses, select someone to receive the item, send directions for the pick-up, email all respondents back whether or not they received the item, remember what time and day to make the item available for pickup, and more. It is a time consuming process, but we do it to first, to help others out, and second, to keep items that are still useable out of the local landfill. When an item is not picked up as promised, the person offering must now put in more time, emailing the next in line, waiting for a response, again sending directions for pick-up, etc. For the past five items I have put up for offer, I have had NINE no-shows. And of those nine, not one person bothered to email me and say, "Oops, sorry, I can't make it today after all -- how about tomorrow?". The freecycle list is not a contest to see who can be the first to respond to items offered. It is not a case of "he who gets the most, wins". It is obvious from all the no shows that people who do not actually want or need the items are responding simply to see if they can "win" and perhaps have no intention of actually picking up the item. Someone who may have actually needed or wanted the item may not receive it because of this "No Show Game". It is easier, takes less time, and gives tax benefits to donate an item to Goodwill, than to post items on Freecycle and not have them picked up. Those of us offering items and going through this "no show game" tire of it quickly, know that donating an item is an easier and quicker option. I ask you to consider before responding to Offers on any Freecycle list. If you don't truly want or need the item, or have no intention or means of actually picking it up, please don't respond!!! It's THAT easy!! If you do want or need the item offered, but something happens that you can't pick up the item as scheduled, have the common decency to email the person offering the item and schedule a new pick up date!! Remember - there are people behind these Freecycle offers. And ALL people need to be treated with respect and courtesy.

I just don't get it. WHY do people respond to Freecycle offers who 1) don't have the vehicle to pick up an item or 2) don't really want the item?? And why oh why don't people have the decency to just drop an email and say, "Hey, I can't make it today - how about tomorrow?" But no -- not ONE no-show has so much as sent me any kind of notice that they can't pick up the item. Not one. I think I'm done with Freecycle. Although absolutely wonderful in it's intent (keep working items from going into our landfills), it's just not working for me in practice. What a shame. Like so many things in life these days, a few ruin it for many.