Menu Planning Monday w/Budget Beef

The weather is getting colder, and meals seem to be getting warmer. My menues are limited this week to what I have on hand and in the freezer (unless I stop quilting long enough to go to the grocery store this week). So here's what's planned so far. Monday Ham and Cheese Omelettes (See "Budget Buster Ham" at the end of this post) Fried Potatoes Fruit Cocktail Toasted English Muffins Tuesday Spaghetti Squash with canned spaghetti sauce (I prefer Hunt's) and meatballs (Make extra meatballs for Sunday and for freezer) Green salad Wednesday Crockpot Beef Barley Soup (See Budget Beef tip below) Biscuits Thursday Pork Roast w/garlic and Rosemary Oven fried sweet potatoes Spinach Friday Leftover Beef Barley Soup Crackers Saturday Cook's Choice (in other words - I have no idea!) Sunday Meatball Subs Green salad Budget Beef for Soups and Stews My grocery store (Krogers) frequently has "Chuck Roast" on sale for less than $2.00 per pound. I purchase the largest one I can find (and sometimes more than one if the price is under $1.79 lb.), usually about five or six pounds. I freeze the roast for about 3 or 4 hours so it is just starting to harden, but can be cut with a knife. I find it's easier to cut this way. I remove the obvious fat, if necessary. Then I cut the roast into 1 1/2 inch cubes, and fill ziploc sandwich bags with about one pound of meat each, then toss all of these bags into a large ziploc freezer bag and label. Stew meat currently goes for about $3.99 a pound here, so I save about 50% by buying the roast and cutting it myself!

My Flea Market Finds

Jeff finished his work project late last night, and wanted to reward himself with a trip to the local Flea Market today, so off we went. I had some great finds! Locally grown fresh veggies -- three spaghetti squash (that will keep very well for several months in my basement), green onions, gorgeous large sweet potatoes, and beautiful green peppers -- all for $5.00. Of course, I found fabric. Actually, Jeff found it and told me about it. These are not quilting fabrics, but home dec fabrics. About six yards total for $5.00. This photo doesn't do the fabric justice. Some will be used for purses and some will be used for pillows for my family room. This sweet Nutcracker Christmas plate. It has some problems (a bit of paint chipped on his hat and feet) but I still love it. I collect nutcrackers, so this will be a nice addition at Christmas time. $1.00 for the plate. A bag of a LOT of polyester ribbons in a rainbow of colors. Most are 10 yard spools, half full or better. $1.00. I like to add these to the edge of a plain white pillowcase just to goose up the pillowcase a bit. A box of trinkets! I've been looking at these on Ebay after I saw this "I Spy Bag" on Etsy. I don't think I'll include the pipes or beer cans, but other than that, there's good stuff in here! Another $1.00. And, my favorite find, a toy sewing machine for Brayden! Made in 1976, it can be hand cranked or battery operated with a foot petal. It's a bit dirty, but will clean up nicely (I'll take the Holly Hobby stickers off so it's a little less girlie. Jeff suggested I paint it in camoflage! LOL). And, most importantly, it works beautifully and the foot stays at just the right height so your fingers can't get near the tip of the needle. I will set up a little table and chairs in my quilting room for him, and he can sit and sew as much as he wants, and I can sew on my machine at the same time. The man wanted $8.00 for it, and I got it for $6.00. It was a beautiful, crisp, cool morning here in southwestern Ohio and perfect weather for cruising the flea market (Turtle Creek). I'm happy with every thing I bought!

Easy breezy weekend and Christmas planning

It feels like it's been a long time since I had an entire weekend I could call my own -- but here it is! Jeff has a project for work that is keeping him chained to his desk busy in his office upstairs, so I have decided to spend the entire weekend sewing! Yippy Skippy! Although the economic "crisis" hasn't directly affected our day to day expenses at this point (having gas drop $2 per gallon has helped cover other increases), our retirement money has been hit and hit hard. So we have begun allocating more money into savings to make up for the hits we've been taking in the stock market, which, of course, means less cash for Christmas spending this year. This morning Jeff and I took a few minutes and discussed our holiday budget, and came to an agreement on what we can afford this year without having to use credit cards or dive into savings. I'm glad that we came to an agreement on dollar amounts and I'm glad we talked about this early enough that I can get going on Christmas present plans. (Ahhh... I remember the days when my kids were very young that I would have all my Christmas shopping done by October 1st!) It also helps me figure out where I have to pick up the slack with homemade gifts. I will say this. I think it's critical for partners to discuss budgets early and often. It's a terrible thing when an unexpected expense comes up and one spouse has to explain to the other why there isn't money in XYZ account that was supposed to be there. When we sit down and discuss and agree on our budget, there's a degree of trust there. He trusts me to spend only what we agree on, and I trust him to do the same. (This also alleviates that Christmas morning "Ohmygawd, he spent XXX dollars on ME but I only spent XXX dollars on him!" I know - it's the thought that counts... blah blah blah blah. But you don't want to come off LESS thoughtful than the other person!) I am finishing up my laundry this morning, and putting Christmas present ideas on paper so I can make a list of sewing gifts to make, and make a list of what I can buy online. I hope to start online purchases this week. Then I'm heading to my quilt room and hi ho hi ho, it's a-sewing I will go! Happy, happy birthday to my sister Gail and my friend Lynn!!!!

My Grandmother's Recipes

When I was little, I used to go to my grandmother's house for at least two weeks every summer. Gramma always asked me what I wanted her to cook for me. I had three things that were my favorites -- her Cranberry Bread, her "Mystery Cake" and her braised short ribs cooked in a pressure cooker. Every grandchild thinks their grandmother is the World's Best Cook. I was no exception. Today while cleaning out a cookbook cupboard, I found Gramma's handwritten cookbook. Two of the three recipes I loved are there, in her beautiful, formal handwriting, but minimal instructions. Unfortunately, the Braised Short Ribs isn't there. But here are Gramma's recipes for Cranberry Bread and "Mystery Cake". Cranberry Bread 1/4 cup shortening 2 cups flour - (she has a handwritten note that you can use 1/4 cup wheat germ and 1 3/4 cup flour - who knew Gramma was trying to cook more healthy?!) 1 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup orange juice 1 tsp grated orange peel 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup cranberries (chopped) Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Combine peel, OJ and egg. Add to dry ingredients, mix. Add cranberries and nuts. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes, 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. Mystery Cake - Called this because if you told people what it really was - Tomato Soup Cake - they wouldn't eat it! Gramma made it, served it and THEN told people what was in it. Don't turn your nose up on this one - it is a truly flavorful, moist, dense cake! I actually prefer it without any kind of frosting, and treat it more like a Pumpkin Bread than a cake. Most people make Cream Cheese frosting to go with it. Some recipes call for chopped nuts, but we always preferred it without. 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp butter 1 can tomato soup 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 cups flour 1 cup raisins 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cloves Bake in (well-greased) loaf pan. 350 degrees. 40-50 minutes.

Scheduling my day

I always find that I have the most productive days when I schedule myself almost right down to the minute. I make my schedule for the day first thing every morning, and try to abide by that schedule all day long. It helps me from getting side-tracked (and from spending way too much time on the computer). Here's today's schedule: 6:00 - 7:30AM - Get up, shower, get dressed, make bed, feed cat and fish, check blogs 7:30-8:30 - Jeff's breakfast, pack his lunch, put in 1 load of laundry, sit down for breakfast 8:30 - 9:30 - Clean kitchen, clean out fridge, straighten food cabinets 9:30 - 10:30 - Blogs, email, web cruising 10:30 - 12:00 - Grocery shopping, library, put groceries away 12:00 - 1:00 - Start chili for dinner, computer time 1:00 - 2:00 - Vac downstairs, 1 load laundry, dust ceiling fan, good general pick up 2:00 - 5:30 - Quilting/sewing time 5:30 - 6:30 - Finish chili, make corn muffins 6:00 - 6:30 - Dinner 6:30 - 6:45 - Clean up kitchen 6:45 - 8:00 - Finish up all laundry, put away, plan day with Brayden tomorrow 8:00 - 10:00 - TV, work on hand sewing/embroidery 10:00 - 11:00 - Bath, reading, bed

Ohmygawd - you have got to go read this blog!

OK, blog surfing again this morning, and by pure luck stumbled on the FUNNIEST blog ever. An adult man posting the letters his over-protective mom writes to him. Hysterical! The Name of the Blog is Please Don't Eat Sushi - Love, Mom. Glad I wasn't drinking coffee because I'm SURE it would have come out my nose as I read this stuff! NOTE TO MY KIDS - See?? Told ja' I wasn't overprotective! Go read that blog so you can see the difference! LOL Every mom to adult kids needs to read this blog! You'll feel better about yourself. LOL

It's Toddler Tuesday

It's Toddler Tuesday! Time to share ideas of activities for Toddlers -- ages 2 to 4 years old. Whether you're a babysitter, grandma (like me), parent, sibling, daycare provider, aunt or nice neighbor, I hope you'll find some good ideas in this weekly post. If you have ideas to share, please post the idea on your blog, then leave a comment here. You're welcome to cut and paste the Toddler Tuesday banner to put on your blog. RAINY DAY / INSIDE ACTIVITIES Colder weather is settling in here in southwestern Ohio, and it reminds me of the upcoming months when my grandson, Brayden, and I will not be able to spend ninety percent of our days outside as we do now. So, time to gather up some ideas for inside activities! Animal Hide and Go Seek I've done this activity outside with Brayden, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't work just fine inside as well! I bought some very inexpensive plastic/rubber animals at a discount store -- I think there were about a dozen in the package. Before Brayden arrived in the morning, I hid six animals (in plain site) around the yard, then gave Brayden a bag and we went looking for wild animals! I told him there were "six wild animals", so when he found one, we would keep count (reinforcement of counting and numbers). When we do this activity in the house, I will contain it to one room or area -- if you get him wandering around the house, he'll lose focus on the activity before finding the animals! Pretend Veterinarian Help your child gather several stuffed animals. Pretend you are a pet owner with a sick or injured pet. Your child can examine and treat your pet. Additional props that make the pretend play more fun include a bathroom scale, a stethoscope, adhesive bandages and a dog leash. STOP and GO To Music Play various types of music (classical, rock and roll, polka, jazz, reggae, country western) and have your child move to the beat of the music. When the music stops, it's time to freeze. Start the music again and move and dance. Cooking Together I have "cooked" with Brayden several times now, and we both enjoy it. At this point, he is limited to "dumping" and stirring. Crockpot recipes work well for us -- lots of ingredients that I can cut and measure ahead of time. I try and have each ingredient measured and in it's own bowl or cup before he arrives in the morning. I put him on a stool at the kitchen counter, tell him what we're making, and describe each ingredient as I hand it to him to dump into the crockpot. He really enjoys it and enjoys smelling the food cooking throughout the day. (Though, bless his heart, he is a very picky eater and won't even taste his own cooking!) In the near future I plan on blowing the dust off my bread maker and teaching him about making bread. Any kind of cooking you can do that doesn't involve the stove or sharp knives is good! ================== A phrase I say when Brayden is a little frustrated when trying to accomplish a new task is "if it doesn't work at first, try, try again." He totally "gets it" and repeats the "try, try again" on his own now. It's a great phrase to teach young children and does help relieve their frustration, knowing that it's OK to not get something the very first time you try it. So I was delighted when I found this activity: I Think I Can For this activity you'll need the book The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. A library will have a copy, but this is one of those books you'll want to own. Materials * The Little Engine That Could Directions 1. Read the book The Little Engine That Could to your child. 2. Talk about how the little engine thought he could make it up the hill, even though it was a very hard thing to do. 3. Ask your child if she thinks she can do something that may seem hard at first, then play the "I Think I Can" game. 4. Ask your child to try different things like "Can you hop on one foot?" or "Can you touch your toes?" 5. Demonstrate for her, then say "I think I can, I think I can" as you hop or bend together. 6. Try this game when you're encouraging your child to pick up her toys. ("Do you think you can put away all your cars before I pick up these puzzles?") ===================== Bottles and Lids Materials -- Collection of bottles and lids of varying sizes Directions 1. Save small plastic bottles with screw-type lids. 2. Your toddler will have lots of fun matching lids to bottles, putting the lids on, taking the lids off, and starting all over again. 3. A bottle collection is also great fun for the bath, or for water play outdoors. ======================== Monkey, Monkey! Too often parents focus on the bad things children do, while letting the good slip by without comment. Brayden reacts extremely well to positive reinforcement. In fact, the other day we were at the festival mentioned in a previous post, and he did well talking to people, saying hello and good-bye, etc. When we got in the car, I said, "You know what I like about you, Brayden?" "Huh?" "I like how you say hello and good-bye to new people. That shows people what a very nice boy you are." That was all that was said. About two hours later, we went to MacDonald's and were sitting in a booth, I saw Brayden -- whenever anyone would walk by our table, he'd give them a quick wave, then look at me and smile. That was his listening to and acting on the positive reinforcement I'd given him! This is a simple way to reinforce and reward cooperation and kindness. Materials Plastic linking monkeys Directions 1. Hang a plastic monkey on the wall in a place where you can add more monkeys to make a chain. 2. When you catch your child being especially kind and cooperative (that is, playing quietly with siblings, helping out without being asked, picking up toys without being reminded, and so on), reward her with a monkey to add to the chain. 3. When the last monkey is hung, treat the whole family to an ice-cream sundae, trip to a local playground, or special afternoon of games. ================ Guessing Bag - I think this sounds like fun! I'm going to try this one this week. Brayden has a very inquisitive mind and I think he'll have fun with this game. I will start out slow -- put just one item (that he's very familiar with) in the bag to start with, and let him get a feel for the game before trying several items as described. Materials * Pillowcase or drawstring bag * Small, unbreakable household objects Directions 1. Place a variety of small, unbreakable household objects inside a bag. 2. Close the bag so the objects are not visible. 3. Have your child feel the objects through the bag and guess what they are. I'm looking for... MUSIC ACTIVITIES I need some help. I'm looking for ideas on for Music activities for Brayden. He is apparently VERY musically inclined and VERY interested in musical instruments. Does anyone have any experience with musical instruments for toddlers (age 2 1/2 - 3 yrs.)?? I'm sure it's too soon to start him on actual music lessons, but what are the alternatives? Currently he tries to finger the holes on a flute, uses a pick to strum songs on an autoharp and is madly in love with all things to do with guitars! I want to encourage this interest, but never past the point where it stops being fun. Any ideas??