Verdict

From Aliisa:

Today, I decided it was time to clean the bath tub. I really needed to clean it last week but with everything going on, I just hadnt gotten to it. When I got into my cabinet to get my vinegar/water solution, I noticed that I had some tub cleaner that I had never finished. So I decided today I would use that. I sprayed it on and let it sit for a few minutes while I put a load of laundry on and then went to wipe it clean. Only, it didnt wipe clean. I had to scrub it, which is something I dont normally have to do. So, instead of cleaning the tub with that cleanser, I rinsed it down, sprinkled my baking soda and sprayed the whole thing down with my vinegar/water solution, let it sit for a couple of minutes and then......I WIPED it clean!!! I have now thrown out the other stuff and have decided that if I didnt love my homemade cleansers before (which I did), I totally LOVE them now!!!

Christmas Bargains

From Aliisa:

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was lovely as usual. We had family and friends over for Christmas breakfast, even broke out the fine china...it was beautiful.

And of course we are those people that get out the day after and go shopping. Normally we stock up on paper, bows and gift tags but we had done such a great job last year that we didnt need to do any of that. However, we did stock up our gift closet. Every year after Christmas, we pick up gifts that would normally cost $10 to $20 at 1/2 off and store them in a closet. I get gifts for birthday parties that my daughter might attend, I pick up gifts for my MIL or SIL's birthdays. Unfortunately, we almost never find great deals for the guys but we save so much on the other stuff that its ok. So as of right now, we have 3 gifts for birthday parties, my MIL's birthday gift, both SIL's birthday gifts and a mother's day gift all ready for this year. And the best part is that none of them were over $10. I truly LOVE shopping after Christmas!!!

We are also the type of people that decorate inside and outside. We have lights and things in the yard and music to go with all of it so we keep our eyes open for bargains after Christmas for the yard. We got a wonderful, life size Nativity that was regularly $200, 75% off plus I had a $10 off coupon if you spent $50. The Nativity came out to be $40....You cant beat that!!!

Such bargains at this time of year, Im always so thankful for them.

Egg Substitution

From Aliisa:

Today I decided to make some banana muffins, so I got out all my ingredients and began stirring it all together only to find (after everything is in the bowl) oh no...I have no eggs. Now at this point there are lots of things running through my head...I could put it in the fridge until tomorrow when I can get eggs, I know there is a substitution using soy flour but I dont have any, am I going to have to waste this batch? And all sorts of others. So I got online to see if there is another substitution other than soy flour. Well guess what? There are several.

So I thought I would share a few:

This is the one I used:
2 tablespoons gluten flour or unbleached white flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 2 tablespoons water

You can also use:
As Binders
1/2 large mashed banana
1/4 cup apple sauce or pureed prunes
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons water, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon baking powder
Combine one packet of unflavored gelatin with one cup boiling water - 3 tablespoons of this mixture equal one egg
1 tablespoon apricot puree
1/4 cup of soft tofu
1/4 cup soy milk

As Leavening
2 tablespoons carbonated water and 2 teaspoons baking flour
1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 tablespoon vinegar (add vinegar separately at the end for rising)
Dissolve 1 teaspoon yeast in 1/4 cup warm water
1 heaping tablespoon of soy flour and one tablespoon water
1 tablespoon bean flour and 1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons gluten flour or unbleached white flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons corn, 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 2 tablespoons water

Hope this helps if you ever need to substitute. Mine worked out great!!!

Thankful

From Aliisa:

Last night we found out that a family from our church lost everything in a fire. My heart goes out to them, I cant even imagine what that must be like. So today, I am trying to figure out what they might need that I have to give. Its so hard to know what the right things are to send to them.

Some of the items I have gathered are: 2 Bibles, I bought some medications to help restock their medicine cabinet. A shower curtain, a rug, a PS2 for the kids and some spices to help restock their spice cabinet and a couple of cookbooks. I will also be gathering up some christmas ornaments and lights for them.

Im still looking through our stuff and Im sure I will come across some more stuff we can give.

My thoughts and prayers go out to this family. I am thankful that no one was hurt or lost and that all possessions can be replaced.

Homemade Ornaments

From Aliisa:

So I finally got one of my ornaments completely finished. I am posting a picture for everyone. These were really easy and very inexpensive.

Im pretty pleased with how they are turning out. I spent about $10 for all the materials to make 20 of them. And of course I wont use every bit of the materials but it ends up costing about $.50 each. Cant beat that!!

Creamed Brats

From Aliisa:

Im posting this for the Recipe Swap over a Gayle's Grocery Cart Challenge. Check it out for lots of wonderful recipes!!

Im not a big fan of brats (bratwurst) but this is definately one way I like it. It is really easy and cooks up quick.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs brats
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
3 T all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup milk

Use either fully cooked brats or not. Brown/cook brats in a skillet with 2T oil. When done, remove from skillet and slice into 1/2 inch slices; set aside.

Add onion, green pepper and mustard to drippings in skillet. Cook till onion is tender.

Stir in flour and salt and then add broth and milk all at once.

Cook till thickened and bubbly.

Add brat slices back in, reduct heat and cover for 5 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked noodles or rice.

**I like to double the gravy part....so there is lots of gravy to cover the noodles or rice.

Charity Day

From Aliisa:

I have decided that today is charity day. There are several places that are asking for donated items so today I am going through our stuff to donate items we dont need, dont use or have plenty of. Our church is taking donations for the food pantry so I am giving some of the items I have stocked up on to them. Emily's school is taking donations of toiletry items, reading materials, games, blankets and winter items. Since I stocked up on toothpaste many months ago I have put some of that in there, along with some bar soap, puzzles that she no longer works, some books I have read and anything else I come across. And then her brownie troupe is taking donations of clothes and toys. I have already bagged up a trash bag worth of clothes and shoes and a bag of stuffed animals. Later I will have Emily bag up any toys she doesnt want anymore.

I love this time of year, not only do I get the privilege of helping others but I also get to clean out some stuff.

My favorite charity has always been toys for tots. I think its so important for the children to receive a toy at christmas time. (I know its not about the toys but about celebrating the birth of Christ, but I hate the thought of a child going without something special on that day) I always put aside a small amount to buy a couple of toys to put into the bin.

Im off to round up some more stuff....lots and lots to do!!

Another frugal Christmas idea

From Sundy:
One year, I was down to about $20 in my Christmas budget, but I felt that I wanted to make a little something for the kids' aunts, uncles, etc. on their father's side of their family (about 12 people or so).

So I bought some scrapbooking cardstock ($1 per 8 sheets at the dollar store), and I made origami star boxes. Then I put several home-baked snickerdoodles in storage bags, which I then wrapped with leftover coordinating tissue that I happened to have and put them in the boxes.

Now, unfortunately, I did not realize that about half of the recipients had, in the last few years, been diagnosed diabetic. Otherwise, I would have adjusted that in the recipe.

Anyhooooo...this was was a very, very inexpensive (both time-wise and money-wise) way for me to still give a little something to those relatives...and I was happy to do it.

Today's To Do List

From Aliisa:

I got up early this morning to make apple muffins for breakfast. I had a boxed mix because my MIL cleaned out her cabinets and gave it to us. It said it made 24 muffins. I have already made 24 and still have enough for more!! I have to go finish those. I would like to make some banana muffins today but those are low on my to do list.

I do have to find a recipe for mint hot chocolate. My daughter, Emily loves the stuff and I have decided to make some mix and wrap it for under the tree. Im also making one for our dear friends to add to their christmas bag.

I still have to finish my ornaments and Im planning on working on those today.

Thankfully, I have finished all of my Christmas cards but I do have to go get stamps so I can mail them all.

I also need to make some pancakes to put into the freezer, hopefully I will get to that today as well.

And of course I have to work out here in a bit.

I also have to make dinner early because I have my ladies group tonight...which also means I have to get dressed and put on makeup etc....

OK....so now that I have typed that all out, I guess I better get to work.

Have a great day!!

$5 dinner challenge and giveaway

From Aliisa:

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was wonderful but Im glad the 5 day holiday is over.

I was catching up on some reading this morning and I ran across a challenge and giveaway over at $5dinners. She does some great things over there and really inspires me to make more inexpensive but well balanced meals. I would like to challenge you to head over there and check it out. The contest looks like fun and we will be able to find lots of frugal recipes which is always a winner in my book!!

So head on over there and take a peek.

Happy Thanksgiving

From Aliisa:

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Dishwashing Detergent

From Aliisa:

Awhile back I posted that the homemade dishwashing detergent I made didnt work. It leaves my glasses looking cloudy, so I stopped using it. Now, I hate to waste anything so I have kept it all this time wondering what I was going to use it for. I realized last week that maybe I could use it with the store bought detergent and extend my uses with it. So, last week I bought whatever was on sale and read the label. It said to fill both dishes in the dishwasher with the detergent. Now I have read that you only need 1T - 2 T per load so I measured it out. 1 T of the store bought and 1 T of my very inexpensive homemade detergent and my dishes have come out clean each time I have used it. I am very happy with the results and in the long run, it does save me money.....not as much as it would if I could make it homemade but it saves me money non the less.

So, I encourage you to give it a try. Just mix 1 cup borax with 1 cup baking soda and use 1 T per load added with 1 T of whatever brand you normally use.

hmmmm...I wonder if I could use 1/2 T of each and still have clean dishes.....I think that is an experiment for another day!!

Back on the Exercise wagon

From Aliisa:

I know I havent posted in a week but I really havent felt like it. I have spent the week really concentrating on me, something I dont do all that often. It started on Sunday when I found that I couldnt wear my black slacks, they were just a tad bit too tight....which started my day off just perfect. After complaining about it, I wore something else. This led to my evaluation on Monday. Im not thin, havent been in quite awhile, however this week Im feeling even bigger than I have in awhile.....so....I dared to step on the scales. I gained 6 pounds....bad but not nearly as bad as I thought based on how I felt in my clothes...and thus it began.

I have slowly dragged myself back on the exercise wagon that I fell off of before summer. Its so easy to fall off and stay off but man is it hard to drag yourself back on it....I think it moves too fast *lol*.

I managed to workout 4 days this week, I skipped yesterday because I went grocery shopping in the morning which led to putting groceries away and cleaning out the fridge and then cleaning the kitchen again and by the time I was done...my day was close to over and it was almost time for Emily to come home from school.

The progess is slow but Im bound and determined to at the very least, not gain anything over the holidays!!

And to prove how dedicated I am to my exercise and eating right...we are making homemade pizzas for dinner tonight *lol* I think I shall stay away from the dreaded scales for awhile!!!

Links for Frugal Christmas presents under $10

From Sundy:

Here are three links that have many frugal Christmas ideas for under $10.

63 ideas at Better Budgeting

100 ideas at Associated Content

Bunches and bunches at No Brain

Happy hunting! :)

Frugal Christmas present idea

From Sundy:

One idea that I've used many times in the last 20 years is extremely frugal (at least for me). I cut out words, phrases, and pictures from various magazines that describe the person for whom I'm making the gift. Then I decoupage them on the inside of a wooden box (the smallest ones at Walmart cost 97 cents). Then I will either paint the outside in the person's favorite color or leave it unfinished with a layer of decoupage over the outside. I suppose one could also put the person's name on the outside.

Voila! The receiver can open the box anytime to see all the love and care and thought inside. Mostly I've made this gift for guys (the majority of men that I know love boxes to put stuff in), but it would work for girls, too.

The decoupage medium is sold at Walmart. I believe it was about $5 the last time I bought some, and I have enough still in the bottle for several more boxes. I've heard you can also use white glue, but I've never tried it.

I cut up an old clean dish sponge to apply the medium, and although I have bought boxes before, I've also used old ring and watch boxes, as well as an old child's jewelry box before.

It is one of the most frugal gifts I've given. My husband still has the one that I made for him while we were dating.

Altogether Tamale Pie

From Aliisa:

Well its recipe swap time again at the Grocery Cart Challenge. If you havent checked it out, head over there. Gayle has lots of useful information as well as lots of recipes to look at.

Today, Im sharing my Altogether Tamale Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 c. yellow corn meal
1 1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves or garlic powder
3/4 lb. ground meat (I used turkey)
2 c. canned tomatoes, crushed ( I used diced because that's what I keep on hand)
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix or 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 c. whole kernel corn or 1 can of corn
6 oz grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Mix the first 3 ingredients and set aside. Cook onion, meat, tomatoes, garlic and chili seasoning together. Add corn and mix. Pour in corn meal mixture and pour into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick is clean from the center. Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven until melted.

How I survive without a grocery list

From Sundy:

In a perfect month, this is how I shop for groceries. (Of course, I rarely get the perfect month, so I generally try to do as much of this as I can manage.)

I think one of the reasons that I don’t plan meals, per se, is that I know that in any given two week period (my pay period), I’m going to make some sort of Italian/pasta meal, some sort of chili, some sort of Mexican meal, chicken dishes, ground meat dishes, etc. etc.

So, what I like to do is buy all of the basics that I need for those two weeks. They’re generally the same ingredients, and I’ve been using this method long enough that I really don’t think much about it anymore. I just walk down the grocery aisles and get pretty much the same things each shopping trip. That way when I have additional items that I need to add because I’m making something “off the beaten path,” there aren’t that many extra things to remember.

The following are the basic ingredients that I use for most of my meals. How I put them together to create various meals is mostly just a matter of different cooking methods and/or different spices, with the occasional added ingredients that may not be on my basic “Stock Up” list.

This method works for me. Your mileage may vary. (Since I’m not traveling down the grocery aisles as I write this, I may have missed an item or two…but I think I’ve pretty much got them all listed.) When I have a new recipe that I want to try, again I find that I generally have most of what I need on hand already. Anything extra is added to my white board on my fridge, and by the time I get ready to go to the store, I have it firmly in my head what I need to get.


Weekly or bi-weekly (whether I need them or not)
Chickens (2-4)
Ground turkey
Kielbasas
Other meats (depends on sales prices)
Diced and/or stewed tomatoes (seasoned and unseasoned)
Beans (ranch, kidney, black, refried, etc)
Chopped green chilies and/or tomato/chili mixtures
Pastas (I try to vary the types from month to month, but I always have angel hair)
Rice (brown and/or white)
Tuna
Canned and frozen vegetables (esp. broccoli, since we eat a lot of it)
Fresh onions, potatoes, and carrots (my “basic trio” of veggies)
Lettuce (This is only if the prices are low…I find it interesting that lettuce is the only vegetable that is only sold fresh.)
Fresh, canned, and frozen fruits (I try to vary this according to what’s on sale, but as a general rule, I like to have my “basic trio” of apples, oranges, and bananas on hand.)
Hot dogs
Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella)
Refrigerator biscuits (I get the cheapest ones, because I don’t really use them as biscuits, but as quick and easy dumplings, casserole toppers, etc.)
Lunch meats
Milk
Yogurt
Eggs
Cream cheese
Sour cream
Bread
Tortillas (flour and corn)

Monthly or bi-monthly
Olive Oil/Vinegar
Sugar
Garlic (I buy a large jar of pre-minced garlic for $3, which works out cheaper for me than buying individual cloves.)
Cereal/Oatmeal (I buy the largest bags/boxes of whatever has the lowest unit price.)
Peanut butter
Butter
Jelly

As needed (some of these will become weekly or bi-weekly as I up my breadmaking)
Flour
Yeast
Baking Soda/Powder
Parmesan cheese
Spices and herbs
Molasses
Nuts/seeds
Teabags (I generally buy pekoe types for making iced tea and at least one herbal)

Non-grocery items are on an as-needed basis….well, we buy toilet paper at least every two weeks!

NOTE: There are times when I’ve had to seriously trim all of this back (for example, when hubby has a week or two of downtime from his construction work). I do have a $30 grocery list that I fall back on during those times, but because I have a good stock from previous shopping trips, this is rarely a big problem for us.

SECOND NOTE: Most of these are very basic ingredients; however, some are convenience items that I can -- and sometimes do -- make from scratch instead, particularly when we're having to use the $30 list.

LAST NOTE (I promise!): My hubby is slowly coming around to realize that chips, cookies, candy, and soda are NOT basic food groups...but he does bring those home from time to time.

My week so far

From Aliisa:

I have been so busy most of the week that I havent really taken the time to post; however I did keep up with reading the other blogs.

Monday, I really just worked around the house trying to get it all cleaned up for company on Tuesday night.

Tuesday, my daughter was out of school so after finishing up the house, I took her to lunch and then we went to paint ceramics. We had a great time and it was pretty inexpensive. They run a discount if you come in during the week in the middle of the day. So we bought $17 worth of ornaments, painted them and then only spent $10 after the discount....yea!! Then we came home and made cookies. Tuesday night my ladies group came over for a demonstration on how to make laundry soap. They were all shocked at how easy it was. I had told them many times that it was super simple but until they watched me make it, they didnt really grasp just how easy it is. We had a great time!!

I must admit, yesterday I took the day off. I didnt post, I didnt clean for the most part...I just spent the day crochetting all of my ornaments that I give out as gifts. This year I am making wreaths. I spent the majority of the year saving milk rings so that I could use those instead of buying the expensive rings. I must say that they have turned out great!! Im going to be adding some decorations to each ornament so when I get done, I will post a picture.

Today, I have decided to do some baking. Im trying to test out some recipes for Christmas baking. Plus I will be making not only a couple of loaves of peasant bread but Im thinking of trying my hand at a couple of loaves of french bread. I will let you know how it works out. If it looks good and tastes good, I will be adding some french bread to my Christmas gift bags.

So....Im off to dirty up my kitchen and make my house smell heavenly!!!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

From Sundy:

Here's a super-easy cookie recipe that I doctored up a bit. The basic recipe is 1 box cake mix, 1/2 cup oil, and 2 eggs. Then you add whatever you like into the mix before baking.

1 box of cake mix
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread the mixture in a cookie sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and slice into bars or squares. I usually cut the whole panful into small cookie-sized squares and then pop them all in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for maximum peanut-butter-cup-ness!

Easy Cheeseburger Pie

From Sundy:

Here's a last-minute throw-together I made last night. I'm sure there are versions of this recipe all over the Internet, but here's my version. It took me less than 15 minutes to put the whole thing together, and about 8 minutes to cook.


(***I added extra garlic because we're all sick, and garlic is a natural antibiotic.)

1 med onion
1-2 T minced garlic***
olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
Cheese (8-16 oz, depending on taste)
1 can refrigerator biscuits

1. Sweat out 1 chopped medium onion and 1-2 tablespoons of garlic in some olive oil, then brown 1 lb. of ground turkey in the same pan. Some of the onion will carmelize as all the ingredients cook, giving it a sweetish flavor. Add salt, pepper, etc. to taste. Strain if necessary.

2. Pour your meat mixture into a 9x9 casserole dish and top with cheese. I used Velveeta because that's what I had on hand, but you could use any kind of cheese you like.

3. Open and separate refrigerator biscuits. Mash each biscuit until it's a little flatter, then top your casserole with the biscuits. Bake according to biscuit directions.

4. I added some ketchup and a little bit of pickle relish to my portion, which made it taste even more like a "5 & dime" cheeseburger.

My son and husband really seemed to enjoy this dish, so it's been put on my mental "repeat recipe" list. :) (Oh...I forgot to say that I also added leftover canned corn to the meat mixture to use it up. No one even noticed!)

Buying groceries

From Sundy:

I have a little trick that I use in the grocery store (along with all of the wonderful advice that I've read in myriads of articles, blogs, etc.). There is the sage advice to never shop when you're hungry. Then there's the very sound suggestion that you shop with cash only and stick to your list (my list is in my head, but I can usually handle that). There's also the less-repeated piece of wisdom that says you should shop during off-peak hours so that you won't make hasty decisions just so you can get out of a crowded store.

My own personal trick? As I drop each item into my cart, I round up to the nearest dollar in my head and keep a running total as I shop. (Of course, this means that I need to shop alone, so I am not distracted.)

My trip might go something like this. Drop in a 10 pound bag of potatoes at $2.50. That's 3. Add three loaves of bread...4, 5, 6. Five cans of beans...7, 8. Chuck in a reduced turkey breast that isn't on my list, but is a GREAT bargain...9, 10, 11.

And on I go, until I get to the checkout. This way, I am very rarely surprised by the total amount due. It's what works for me.

Poor, poor gullible me! :)

From Sundy:

One of my hubby's favorite pastime is to tell me something outrageous just to see if I'll believe it. Actually, now that I think about it, most of my past boyfriends had the same hobby. One told me that a crazy, axe-wielding man had caused the scar on his shin...years later, I found out that I had bought a tall tale-- hook, line and sinker. Another told me that he had been an internationally renowned cliff diver in Mexico. His parents were QUITE surprised when I told them that, since they hadn't known...and he had a really good laugh at my expense. Oh joy.

Ya know, some of these I could put down to just me being young and very, very trusting and naive at the time. But now I'm older. And I still buy the occasional "guy lie." (Note: I hope I'm being clear that these are cases of teasing jokesters...not the same as when someone lies to try to hide or get away with something. Those destroy trust...these are more like pranks, if you see what I'm saying.)

Here's a years' old memory...hubby had taken me to a club, where he proceeded to buy me shots of something really yummy called "Goldschlager." I had three or four of them, in addition to a beer.

Now, it should be noted that I am a "two-beer girl." I cannot drink more than two beers without getting much too loopy for my own good. And I rarely do mixed drinks anymore. But those tiny glasses of cinnamon-flavored, gold-flaked tastiness were irresistible...at least, until I told my husband at 10 pm that it was time to pour me into the car and take me home, 'cause the room was spinning!

On the 5 mile journey back to the house, I asked him to please pull over so I could be sick.

"I can't, honey, there's a cop behind us. Just breathe in and out...relax...it's just a couple more minutes until you're in bed. You can do this."

So I followed his instructions, slowly breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. I closed my eyes...oops! That's not good. I opened them and kept my eyes on the car taillights in front of us. Finally, we were home.

"Feeling better?" he asks, and when I nod, he says, "That's good, 'cause there never was a cop behind us."

$5 Dinners

From Aliisa:

I have been spending quite abit of time checking out the $5 dinners blog and it has me really thinking. Im wondering just how much I spend per meal. Now, she calculates everything and to be honest, I dont think I could calculate things like spices or oils. Some of those I buy in such bulk and have had them for so long that I couldnt tell you what I paid for them. But, I do know the prices of the main ingredients. So Im thinking about keeping a record of what I make and how much each meal is.

I must admit, Im am very interested to see just how much I am spending per dinner. Im going to have to really work on figuring out some prices such as the 20lb bag of rice I bought at the Asian Food Store for $20, or the 10lb bag of potatoes I just bought for $2.50. Lots to think about.

I challenge some of you to look at your meals and figure out what you are spending. Lets see if we can add some $5 dinners to our menus!!

Alicia's Angla Enchiladas

From Sundy:

My oldest son's gorgeous, smart girlfriend made these for us Sunday night, and she was so enthused about her recipe and also our site, that I feel like I just must post her recipe. They were SOOOOO good and very quick.

2-4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2 (12-15 oz?) cans of red enchilada sauce
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8-12 tortillas (large is best, but the regular size ones are fine, too)

1. Preheat broiler to 400 degrees.
2. Mix one can sauce with shredded chicken.
3. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and some cheese. Roll them and line them up in a casserole pan.
4. Pour the other can of sauce over the whole mess, then top with the rest of your cheese.
5. Broil until the cheese is melted. Serve with rice and beans.

Super-yummy!

Halloween on the southern end

From Sundy:
OMG, so much fun. One son came home (from college) dressed as an "emo," the other son stayed with his new girlfriend, and the youngest son (15) wanted to be the Joker. It was a last minute decision, so it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to find a can of green hair spray...white, red, blue, black...finally after I checked the fourth store, there was one can of green hair spray. I must say, he looked really fabulous. I thought I had a good picture of him, but it was too dark.

A bazillion children came to our house. My husband had rigged up some spooky music and added a blacklight to our decor...really cool! We ran out of candy twenty minutes after the children-storm began, and my hubby had to run to the store for more. I could not disappoint all of those sweet little faces! In past years, a few bags of candy has been more than enough, but since the big H was on a Friday, I guess everyone went all out! LOL We finally had to put a sign on our door that we'd run out twice, and to please NOT TRICK US! :)

Then our oldest came down with his girlfriend and the two grandsons (15 mos and 3 years old). We didn't get to see them until the next day, even though the plan was to have them at Grandma Sundy's and Grandpa Todd's for pumpkin carving, etc. Oh well...best laid plans, and all that jazz. Good thing I had bought little mini pumpkins instead.

Oh! I have to share this...hubby and I agreed to babysit Sunday evening, and hubby insisted that he would be able to put the baby to sleep. So he laid down with him, and pretty soon I heard Baby crying in that "I'm-very-upset-with-you-now-let-me-GO" tone. By the time I got in there, he was laying on his back next to my husband, choking on his own saliva. I had just started saying, "Turn him over so he won't puke," when too late! he puked all over my husband, the blanket, his very favorite stuffed dog, and of course himself!

My husband jumps up, thrusts the baby at me (oh, thank you, honey), and runs to the bathroom to have his own little "session." He can't stand the smell...makes him urk.

I was sitting in a very awkward position, holding a very odorous and messy (and by now screaming) baby, trying to get to a standing position without getting too much of the yuck on me. I'm calling out to my husband, "I'll get it cleaned up, if you'll just come here and hold him for a minute." I'm thinking that if he'll just soothe the baby, I can get the mess cleaned up in no time.

Hubby surprised me to no end when he declared that HE would clean up the mess, if I would get Baby settled down to sleep. (YAY! YAY!) So I got Baby (and me) all cleaned up and changed into fresh jammies, and in no time, I was cuddling him on the couch and he passed out.

To me, there is very little so peaceful and calming as holding a baby as he falls asleep...when they do that little sigh and snuggle in deeper into your arms...ah....all is right in the world....

Halloween

From Aliisa:

We had a very busy weekend which started on friday morning with Emily's class party. Then we went to lunch with her to have pizza and cake with yucky orange icing...makes me wonder what they are feeding our kids!

Friday afternoon we carved our pumpkin because we forgot to do it on Thursday. Usually we do it earlier but this year we wanted to save our pumpkin for cooking. So here is Emily with her carved pumpkin.

After that, we rushed around to get here ready for trick or treating...I even had time to do her makeup....mind you...Im not very good *lol*

Yes I know...looks funny but it was really cute...I promise *lol*

After trick or treating we went to a fall party and roasted hotdogs and had smores and ended the night with a hay ride. It was a very full night!!

Saturday we spent the day cooking up the pumpkin and putting in the sink. It went well but then the plastic pipes that came with the sink split and now, we have to go buy new ones...so unfortunately our sink is still not finished. But its all good....because it will be.

Saturday night we spent with friends...we had what we fondly call junk food night. It was alot of fun. We played the Wii and ate way too much food.

Sunday we visited a new church. We are now church hunting since Jarred is no longer working on Sunday mornings. We liked it but are still going to visit some others.

Monday I spent the day trying to gain some ground on the mess from the weekend. I made progress but didnt get it all done. So today I have to work on that some more.

And finally...this morning. Jarred and I got up really early so that we could go vote before it got busy. He was down there at 6am when the polls opened and I went around 6:15 when he got back. Its nice to be done with that.

So now I am off to work on the house....fun fun *lol*

Overwhelmed

From Sundy:
Today, I'm overwhelmed. Yes, I know, the day is just beginning, but it's not about my day or anything I still need to do or get or make....today I am emotionally overwhelmed.

A long-time friend has a terminal illness. I have known him since I was 16 years old, and I am now 42. I was in many plays with him in college. I student-taught under him. Once I started teaching, I emulated as many of his methods as I could. He's known my children since they were babies on blankets...and now the two oldest have graduated.

He is highly intelligent and talented and funny and creative and hard-working...and the illness is winning. It was beaten back once already, and now.... So many smart, creative, talented people that I won't get to see again until I myself go to see God....

Although I know God's plan is perfect, I am sometimes a child with my desires...I want those I love and care about to always be here. I know that simply isn't the way life is. But I want it to be different. I pray, pray, pray...and I am still tearing up everytime I think of him and how he will be gone....I can't even intelligently finish this post.

Today I am overwhelmed.

Update on the plummer

From Aliisa:

Well, the call to the plummer was definately not a frugal moment!! Turns out that while our pipes are old, they are still in good shape and all they needed was the nuts tightened. I cant believe I paid $50 to have 6 nuts tightened. Oh well....it was definately a $50 lesson that I will never repeat!!!

Our new bathroom

From Aliisa:

Well, we didnt get to finish the whole bathroom. Turns out our valves are leaking because they are very old and have been welded to the pipes. I called the plummer and he is coming out tomorrow to put in new valves. Then we can finish up. But here are the pictures so far.

Here are all the little 1" tiles that I took up with a hammer and screwdriver. Took me 5 hours to get it all done!!

This is the board you put down before you tile.

Here is our new tile. My husband cut it all and I laid it and grouted it. It wasnt easy but at least its done!!

Here it is almost done, just have to install the sink later. I love the paint color and I just love the tile!!!

I will post more pictures when the job is completed.

Convenience Mixes

From Aliisa:

I started my research into convenience mixes because I wanted an alternative to buying the expensive cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups. I found a great recipe but I also found lots of others too.

Here is the recipe for the cream of soups:

4 c. powdered milk
1 1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. instant chicken bouillon granules
4 tsp. dried onion flakes
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp basil - crushed dried
1 tsp. pepper

Measure all ingredients into a Ziploc Bag. Shake well, transfer to vacuum seal bag, seal and store up to a year.

To Use:
1/3 C mix
1 C water
Cook over low/med heat until thickened.

Variations: add 1/2 c. minced or chopped *_________*

*Choose One*:
Onions, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Broccoli, Celery, Cooked Chicken, Diced Potatoes, Tomato, Cooked Shrimp, etc.

For more convenience foods of all kinds, here are some links:

http://www.budget101.com/102mix.htm

http://www.momadvice.com/food/create_your_own_mixes.aspx

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeconveniencefoods.htm


There are several on these sites that look really good to me, I think I will have to pick up some ingredients and make some.

Enjoy!!

Frugal Halloween Decorations

From Sundy:

I heard a short blurb in the background on The Today Show this morning. The announcer said that last year, Americans spent approximately $5 billion on Halloween alone, and this year, that figure is expected to go up 14%. Well, I don't know about the rest of Americans, but I always figure that just because I spend more money, that doesn't mean I'm going to have more fun...so I economize as much as I can.

My children are older now. There is only one left in the house, and he's fifteen and a little past all the Halloween hoopla.

BUT! BUT!

My husband is NOT past it (and neither am I, really)...he is adorably excited about Halloween. Our grandchildren (1 and 3 years old) are supposed to be coming down to visit, and we want to decorate for Halloween and pass out candy.

My son agreed to help me, although he thought it was a little late to start. But I figure if we do one or two small decorating projects over the next few days, we should be able to have a frugally decorated house.

So....here are my planned projects.
1. Scarecrow(s) -- I've seen them for sale in the stores, and I think, "Why oh why would someone BUY these, when they can make them for free?" When I was little, I seem to remember doing that. Take some old pants and a long sleeve shirt, stuff them with crumpled up paper or scraps of whatever is on hand. Add shoes and gloves, and then for the head, an old pillowcase works GREAT! Top it with a hat, and you're done!

2. Ghost(s) -- throw an old sheet or pillowcase over a ball or balloon or crumpled up paper. Tie a string around the bottom of the "head." Attach a string to the top of the head (sew or safety pin), hang the little ghosties from your trees or your eaves -- and you're done. These can be large or small, depending on how you make them.

If you don't want to ruin your sheets by painting the eyes and mouth on (and let's face it, most of us don't), then you can pin them on or use children's paste. The paste will wash out as long as you pre-treat it. Or you can leave them without faces for a spooky effect. (FYI: Large squares of white tissue paper also work well if you have them on-hand.)

3. Window painting -- cover your windows with plastic wrap, then paint whatever you want! My husband wanted window clings, but I thought the ones I saw in the store were too tiny to warrant a buck for three little pictures. I already have the paint and the plastic wrap! :) One thought I had was to have several pairs of eyes peeking out from the windows and light them with our blacklight.

4. Chalk! Chalk is cheap. Draw spooky designs or fake tombstones or creepy sayings on the sidewalk leading up to your house. Since many little kids trick-or-treat before it's fully dark, they'll still be able to see what you've drawn.

5. Plastic milk jug ghost luminaries -- Cut a fist-sized hole in the back and string white lights inside (you can do a whole row of them this way if you have enough lights). Use a black marker to put a face on the jug.

These are my frugal ideas, using mostly stuff I already have on hand (which is my favorite way to do things).

Costumes for another post.... ;) Oh, the things I can do with a vinyl tablecloth or a bridesmaid's dress! LOL

Chili

From Aliisa:

My family and I love Chili. We eat chili and homemade bread, we love to put chili over baked potatoes and its really really good if you spoon a few spoonfuls into a salad and use it as the dressing. I have tried lots of different recipes and spice packages etc... but the one we like the best is this one:

Chili
1 lb lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
14 oz pinto beans, drained. (I used those bush's grilling beans and they were great)
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Make a double batch and try using the leftovers for another meal!!

Starting the day over

From Sundy:

On Wednesday, my day started with stepping in baby cat poo ( it was dark and my feet were bare!), progressed to no charge on the car battery so I was late getting to work, and it continued into the work day with lots and lots of bigwigs from corporate sites coming in to "visit," while I look like an uncombed wacko with a button on my shirt that would not stay buttoned.

So I e-mailed Aliisa, kvetched a bit (well, maybe more than a bit), and she lifted me right up! (I just love how we do that for each other.) So I started my day over again, determined not to let a "bad start" ruin the rest of my day!

I couldn't find a safety pin for my unruly button, but I did find a twist tie, of all things, in the bottom of my purse. I wrapped it around the back of my button. It didn't show from the front, but it did keep my shirt from flying open at inappropriate times. :)

My husband said he would fix the problem with my battery. All I had to do was pick up a ground cable on the way home from work, and he'd take care of the rest. I have an elderly car, and apparently the ground cable has been stretched and trimmed so many times that it was about a quarter of an inch too short to stay clamped into the battery terminal thingy. Every time I hit a bump, it would slip out.

For reasons that became clear later, though I had no idea at the time, I decided on the spur of the moment to go get the cable at lunch. So I headed a few miles down the road to the auto parts store that we frequent. And yes, I mean "frequent" as in "frequently." LOL

They were out of that dumb cable everywhere, including out of state! The female clerk said it would be about 5-10 business days before they could get it to me. ARRRRGHHHH! (But see, I smile...it's not her fault.)



The clerk and I got to talking, and she said, "Hang on," and went outside to talk to a friend of hers. Then she had me come outside, too, and got her friend to fix the cable for free! :)

Somehow he got enough play in the cable that he got about 3 inches extra out of it! (I was reminded of Loaves and Fishes!) It took him about 5-10 minutes, tops. I know God sent him! :) If I had not decided to go to the store at that particular time, we would probably have never crossed paths.

Some people call these things coincidence...to me, a coincidence is God's way of showing us that everything and everyone is connected through Him. (GMC, a friend used to call it...God-Manipulated Coincidence.)

I tried to give my car's savior some money, and he said he was working the clock for someone else at the moment, and it was no big deal to him...so it was fixed for free! No parts, no labor.

Don'tcha just love that? :)

The Burning Pole

From Sundy:

I have a story to tell about the other day, but before I do, I wanted to post a related story that I wrote several years ago. For me, it marks the first time in my life of knowing beyond a doubt that God has me (and each of us) in His arms -- always. It is the beginning of my faith.

@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@**@*@

This really happened....

Many years ago, when I was still married to my first husband and had only two small children, my husband and I decided to go out for the evening. It was 4th of July weekend, we were young marrieds, and we had a babysitter! Grandmas are so nice that way. :)

So we invited another couple along and started to make the 90 minute car trip to "the big city." We were all laughing and talking, having a wonderful time. The two guys were up front, talking "guy talk," and we two girls were in the back (our choice), giggling up a storm.

Suddenly the little car started to slow down until we were traveling about 40 mph on the highway. "Look at that!" my husband says, pointing at something outside. We looked out the window and saw a tall telephone pole completely consumed in flames. It was a scary-- but awesome-- sight! Flames licking up into the sky...weird.

My husband said, "Well, it looks like someone already called it in." And sure enough, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles began to appear on the horizon, headed toward this column of fire. So we continued on our journey delayed by only a few seconds by this interesting sight.

We took our exit and began traveling down a ten-mile strip of road that was one lane each way. Suddenly a truck coming from the other direction struck the car right in front of us head-on! My husband had to slam on the brakes and swerve to avoid hitting it ourselves.

The little red car in front of us was spun around and stopped in its tracks-- while the truck that hit it reversed gears and sped away. We leaped out of the car to help the people that had been hurt in the accident, put out flares, call for EMS, etc.

All the while, the other girl and I were realizing that it could have-- WOULD have-- been US in this accident....if we hadn't slowed down for a few seconds to watch the burning telephone pole. The guys in the front seat were wearing seat belts, but we girls in the back were not. We would have been seriously hurt or killed.

It all turned out well, fortunately. The driver and the front seat passenger came out with minor injuries, and the girl in the back seat was a little more hurt (broken arm)...but she eventually recovered. She was wearing a seat belt.

What is the point of telling this story? I firmly believe that it was God at work. That burning telephone pole was more than an interesting sight...it was a message, not just for that moment, but for the rest of my life.

Talk about a burning bush! We were saved by just a few seconds from a serious accident. It was a bad situation, but it would have been much much worse if it had been us, due to us not wearing seat belts. Instead of slight injuries, people would have died or been more seriously hurt.

How many people get to directly KNOW that kind of information? How many times have I been delayed in driving to work because of something beyond my control? How many times did being delayed actually save my life or someone else's because of a missed event in time? How many times have I cried out to God, "WHY is this happening to me?" And then discover later (sometimes years after the fact) that those "bad times" were exactly what I needed to help me grow?

God has it ALL in control...and He knows every curve and climb and loop-de-loop in the design of each and every one of our lives. Even if our part of the journey feels AWFUL to us at the moment that we're in it, God is still there with us, holding us. What God has given us to help in our individual situations is always exactly what we need -- if we ask Him....maybe not always what we WANT, but always what we need.

Pumpkin Butter

From Aliisa:

My normal routine at this time of year is to gather my family up and head to the pumpkin patch where we scrutinize each and every pumpkin to find the proper size and shape for carving. Then we gather around the kitchen table and carve the pumpkin that we then watch rot and decay outside until its totally disgusting. Fun huh?

This year we decided to do something a little different. We talked to Emily (our 8 year old) and told her that we were going to have a more frugal halloween. Instead of going to the pumpkin patch, we went to the farmer's market where we got an even bigger pumpkin than usual for only $8. That is alot less money that it usually costs us for a smaller one. Then I bought 2 little ones for $1.10 each. We have decided not to carve our giant pumpkin until the day before halloween and then we are not putting a candle in it. This way, we can use the pumpkin after we are done. Emily has lots of plans for that pumpkin and it looks like I might have homemade pumpkin pie in my future.

Last night, I decided to attempt to do something with one of the small pumpkins. So I searched the internet for pumpkin butter recipes. If you have never had pumpkin butter....it is truly wonderful. I ended up using this recipe: pumpkin butter. It turned out great!! We love it on pancakes, biscuits and toast!! And it really didnt take that long since I cooked my pumpkin in the microwave and then pureed it.

Im thinking that pumpkin muffins might be the next thing in our future!!

A big project

From Aliisa:

I dont know how much blogging I will get done this week. Last night we decided to gut our 1/2 bath and start redoing it. So, today I have filled in all the holes and sanded the walls. I have cleaned them up and now Im putting a coat of primer on the walls. As soon as I am done, I will be going down to buy the paint. (we bought a tester yesterday) Im hoping to have the walls totally painted today and then tomorrow comes the big job.

We have 1" tiles in both our bathrooms that were laid in the 70's. So tomorrow I will be removing the tiles on the floor in the 1/2 bath. Im hoping to have the bathroom completely ready by friday when we lay the new tile floor. Then its new lights, new pedestal sink and a storage cabinet. I think its going to look great!!

I forgot to take before pictures so I will just post some pictures when we are done.

Back to work!!

Beefy Asian Rice

From Aliisa:

We really enjoy this meal, it makes alot and it tastes great!!

Beefy Asian Rice
Serves: 6 Start to Finish time: under 25 minutes

2 cans (14oz each) beef broth (I either use homemade or bullion to make it)
1 cup long grain rice
1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey all work great)
1 T vegetable oil
1 large onion
2 carrots
8 oz fresh button mushrooms (i have made this without the mushrooms also and its still great)
5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced or 1 1/2 T bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup regular or reduced sodium soy sauce.
2 T ketchup
2 T rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 T minced ginger or bottled ginger
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tsp Asian sasame oil

Directions:

1. Cook the rice in the beef broth

2. Heat oil and cook onions and carrots. Then add mushrooms to the skillet. Saute for a minute and then add the ground meat. Drain any fat.

3. Add garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar and ginger. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Add peas and sasame oil and stir. When rice is done, add to the skillet and stir until combined.

Serve at once passing additional soy sauce at the table if desired.

From Sundy:

Every family has a secret language.

When I say "secret," I don't necessarily mean we speak to each other in a language that no one else can understand. I'm talking about those words and phrases (or sometimes nonsense words) that form your intra-family communication. These are the things that you say to each other with complete understanding on both parts which might make other people who hear you raise their eyebrows and say, "Huh?" Sometimes they come from your children and are carried through the teen and adult years, and sometimes they arrive through the natural flirty-teasing that you have with your spouse or significant other.

For instance, in our family, cats are "kibbies" and dogs are "woh-wohs."

I keep food cold in the "Fridge-a-freighter," sometimes in "Lip-Zoc" bags.

When I put my hair up in a ponytail, I use a "hair pretty." (That and the Lip-Zocs were borrowed from my sister and her daughter -- and have completely stuck.)

Occasionally, I get very "corn-fused" about where my shoes (or some other temporarily misplaced item) might be, so I look in every "crook and nanny." If I find it, I might say to my husband, "Guess where I found my shoes?" No matter what his answer, I say, "Close, but no guitar!" (Yes, we are that strange.) :)

So....can anyone else relate....or am I "talking outta my elbow?"

My snotty shaving gel

From Aliisa:

Ok, first let me apologize for the title...horrible isnt it? Sorry.

Now, I had this idea the other day that I could save money turning bars of soap into liquid bath soap. You see, the liquid bath soap I love so much, cost a fortune. So, I did an experiment with a bar of Ivory soap I had here at the house. I read that you could grate the whole bar add 2 cups of water and you are done. Yea...I dont think so. I did this and when it cooled, my liquid soap was definately not liquid enough so, I squeezed it back into the pan and added more water. This made it better. However, when my daughter used it she didnt like the "squeeky clean feeling" she wanted soft skin....so....I squeezed it back out and added olive oil to it. You know, they make bars of soap out of olive oil but what they dont tell you is that 1. your soap doesnt suds up anymore and 2. it comes out like snot. So...this wasnt good for bathing and rather than trash the whole batch, I shaved my leggs with it. Guess what? It was the BEST shaving gel I have ever used!!! So here is my recipe...so to speak.

1 bar of Ivory soap grated
3 1/2 cups of water
1/4 cup olive oil

Melt together until all soap is melted. Pour into old soap or shampoo bottles and let cool. It looks disgusting but it feels great!!

Think I should sell it as "Aliisa's snotty shaving gel"? *lol* just kidding

A proud parent

From Aliisa:

My wonderful, wonderful husband works 1 full time job and 1 part time job so that I can be a stay at home mom. (Isnt he fantastic?) Recently he got a promotion and is now making the same amount with is full time job as he was making with both jobs...yea!!! So now the dilemma, do we keep both jobs and save some money? Or does he quit the part time job. Now, the part time job means he works wednesday night, friday night and sunday morning....we have to go to church on saturday nights.

So my husband, being the great man that he is, decided to include our daughter in the decision making process which boils down to more money or more time with dad. I was nervous, she is 8 and although I know we are doing a great job....I just dont know how I will take it if she chooses more money. So we posed the question to her and asked for her opinion. She asked LOTS of great questions, even asked if she could think about it for awhile....so we just waited. Finally she comes to us and says, I would rather have dad home than for him to work both jobs. I was so proud!!!

Later that night when we tucked her into bed, Jarred had walked out and I leaned over her and whispered, Im so proud of your opinion...you are so grown up and it really showed today. She smiled at me and said very matter of factly:

Well you know mom, money isnt everything!!

My 8 year old is so grown up and Im so proud!!!

Homemade Chicken soup with homemade noodles

From Aliisa:

Homemade Chicken Soup

I do cheat just a bit on this recipe but it turns out wonderful.

Ingredients
Boil 1 whole chicken or chicken breasts or parts whatever you have.
3 sliced carrots
3 chopped celery stalks
1 bay leaf
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
poultry seasoning
thyme

Directions
Boil chicken with bullion and bay leaf. Reserve liquid. Debone chicken and dice and place back into the broth. Add enough water to equal about 6 cups.

Bring soup to a boil and add carrots and celery, cook till tender.

Add both cans of cream of chicken soup

Season to taste with poultry seasoning and thyme.

To add noodles of any kind, bring soup to a boil...add noodles and cook until tender. Serve with warm bread.


When I make this soup, I make homemade Egg Noodles. They are so easy to make and always turn out wonderful!! They are very hearty and will help any soup be really filling.

Egg Noodles

2 1/2 cups flour
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 T butter

Stir flour and salt together. Mix egg, milk and butter together and add to the flour and salt mixture.

Knead till smooth (about 5 minutes)

Let rest 10 minutes

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Cut into strips like noodles (I use a pizza cutter) or you can cut into squares like dumplings. You can use immediately or let them lay out and dry before using.

To cook, bring soup to a boil, toss in noodles and cook until they all float.

Hope you enjoy!!

My Frugal Christmas Presents

From Aliisa:

My husband, Jarred and I have a gift account. I set a budget of what we could spend per person for birthdays and holidays. We do pretty well with it. I shop after Christmas alot and pick up marked down gifts that I give all year. (We have a gift closet we keep them in.) I even buy marked down things for birthday parties that my daughter will probably go to. I also do some homemade gifts. I have given afgans for wedding presents and every year I make a crochetted ornament for everyone on both sides of our family.

This year I decided for my ladies group, Im going to print out a small book with all my cleaning recipes and some other frugal recipes. Im going to bind it with yarn and give it to each one for Christmas. Also, since I have a lot of nieces and nephews in Texas...I have spent the year picking up inexpensive books here and there and now Im going to read them outloud to the computer and burn them on CD. This way they will have books on CD, read by their aunt. I am very excited about this one. I think it will be great!!

I would love to hear about your homemade gifts!!

Scoot -- a family recipe

From Sundy:

The other day I mentioned on my family's website that I was looking for the recipe for Scoot. Scoot is a catch-all casserole dish that various members of my family would make, particularly when we were young and "just starting out," as the saying goes. I have no idea why it was called Scoot.

I had never actually made Scoot myself, but I'd eaten plenty of it while visiting different people in the family. I don't know if any of us would call it comfort food, exactly, but it is certain that every member of our family has eaten Scoot at least once. It is a family dish that is thoroughly cheap and satisfying...even though it isn't exactly the healthiest stuff. (But then again, look at McDonald's double cheeseburger!) :)

So after all of my siblings and I went back and forth about who had the nerve to add raisins to the recipe (we all flatly denied it), my mom posted the recipe so that I could post it here. The italicized portions are me.

"Scoot is [basically] eggs, Spam, potatoes, onions, and corn. [Per can of Spam, you could probably use 1-2 eggs, 2-3 medium potatoes, 1 onion, and one can of corn, though your proportions may vary according to taste.]

"Dice the Spam and onions. For the potatoes, I use the frozen hash brown cubes. [Or you could cube your own potatoes.]

"Put the potatoes, onions and Spam in a frying pan with a little grease (this sounds healthy!) and cook till taters and onions are soft. Stir a lot. (I think the name might turn people off). Then add the eggs and corn and stir.

"Raisins? probably they were in there once...and I've eaten it with carrots --YUCK. It's kind of a leftover throw-it-in dish. It's just a casserole that is good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner....and cheap and tasty...but SO unhealthy. The Spam is high in fat and salt...then there is the oil, and potatoes are starchy.

"I think it would make a good breakfast dish for a large group. Kids might like to drown it in ketchup."

And we all did...drown it in ketchup. We like it like that. :)

This is just one of our "family recipes." If someone in the family mentions Scoot, we all know instantly what it means and what it tastes like. Connections....I just love my family!

Have a family recipe that you'd like to share?

Comfort Food

From Aliisa:

Today is one of those dreary days here in Illinois. The weather is chilly and the skies are gray and the rhythmic sounds of the rain make me want to cook. I know...weird huh? So I did a quick straighten job on my house this morning and then I set to work boiling chicken for chicken soup, making peasant bread and now I have decided to make homemade noodles. I LOVE homemade noodles but I dont make them very often. So today is the ultimate in my comfort food, you can NEVER go wrong with Homemade Chicken Noodle soup and homemade bread...yum!!!

Im off to cook!!

Bread

From Aliisa:

I have been reading Miriam's blog and Sally's blog alot lately and they both talk about making their own bread. This has me completely inching to make my own, but to be honest when I tried it years ago....it just didnt turn out as well as I would have liked. So here I am, years later and the only bread I make is the Peasant Bread recipe I got from Gayles Blog. So now, Im ready to try again. I would love some tips and some EASY bread recipes...preferably that use some wheat flour in them. We always eat wheat bread.

Thanks for sharing!!!

Dishwasher Detergent Verdict

From Aliisa:

Well I do have to say that I am disappointed in my homemade dishwasher detergent. I did lots of research attempting to make it better but ultimately no matter what I do, my glassware is cloudy! Lots of people have the same problem and say that vinegar is the solution but it doesnt seem to help me at all. I know its not my dishwasher since its only a year old so I guess its back to the store bought stuff.

If there is anyone out there that has a recipe for detergent for the dishwasher that works well for them, I would love to hear from you!!

Ode to my purse

From Sundy:

I was just thinking last night how much I love my purse. Yes, I know I'm being a bit silly...really, I am not a "fashionista." This is primarily about it's function.

I have owned many purses over the past 2 decades of different shapes, sizes, and colors...but really, this one is the perfect one for me at this time in my life.

Like Goldilocks says, "It's not too big, and it's not too small...it's just right." I never feel frustrated like I have done when I over-stuff a too-small bag, or when I lose things in a too-large bag.

It has three sections, with different sized pockets in each section, some zippered and some not. Everything has a place in my purse. It has a slotted part for debit and business cards, and a place for pictures, a compartment for meds, and even a spot for my cell phone and keys that makes them easy to locate. I have even carried a small crochet project in it.

It has a zippered fold-out flap, and a just-the-right-length strap. (Oooh, a little rhyme!)

It's sturdily constructed of real leather, in a soft neutral brown.

But the very, very best part about my favorite purse of all time?

It cost me $4 at Goodwill, and I found it by accident! :)

A weird kitchen thing from my past

From Sundy:

I was going to include this in my "7 weird kitchen things," but didn't, 'cause it was from the past.

Once upon a time, one of my sons had a science project. He chose "Recipes with Insects from Around the World."

So one day, I had a bag of crickets in my freezer and a cookie sheet full of ants in my oven -- on purpose!***

"Itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up into my mouth...Yum!"


***Yes, I know...it creeped me out, too....but he was 11 and adorably excited about the project, so I just had to bite the insides of my cheeks and keep on truckin'!

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

From Sundy:

Wow. That's about all I can say.

When this bill got moved from the House to the Senate, they added some things. Some things look promising...and some are...Just. Plain. Weird.

If you read all the way down the list, there are some very strange items added in towards the middle and the bottom sections. Really. I guess so maybe nobody would actually pay attention to them.

Like "Exempt from excise tax certain wooden arrow shafts for use by children."

Like "Extend cost recovery period for motor racing tracks."

Like "Clarify income averaging for settlement amounts received in connection with Exxon Valdez litigation."

Does this stuff really belong in this bill? Seriously?

I keep thinking perhaps some Senator's spouses or children or cousin's ex-roommates asked for a few little extras slipped into this bill to help them out personally.

*sigh*

We've been tagged!!!

Miriam over at My Country Cupboard tagged us and so here we are attempting to figure out how all of this works!

ok, Rule 1. Link to the person who tagged me...(see above) and post the rules on your blog.....(look to your left...lol)

Rule 2. Miriam changed this one so Sundy and I have to list 7 random/weird things about our kitchen or that we do in our kitchen. Sundy and I have decided to do 7 each...that way we both suffer by Miriam's hand *lol*

Aliisa's List

1. Whoever built my house must have been an amazon because in my pantry they put up shelves and just kept going up. The top shelf is about 9 feet up there and completely unusable...what were they thinking????

2. Ok, Im short....I admit it. I do have a step stool I keep in my kitchen but damn it, I dont always want to drag the thing out. So....I sometimes grab a cooking utensil and use it to make the object fall out of the cabinet so I can catch it. Its all good, as long as I dont break it *LOL*

3. Most people think its very weird that I keep my plates, bowls and plastic cups in one of the bottom cabinets. I know, its "normal" to keep them in an upper cabinet. However, in my defense, if I put them in an upper cabinet then I just have to get it down for my 8 year old every day when she sets the table. This way she can do it all on her own!!! And she can help me unload that stuff from the dishwasher and put it away. SEEEE there is a method to my madness!!!

4. I have a lower cabinet that has a lazy susan in it. I keep cereal there so that my daughter can get her own breakfast on Sunday mornings. Yes...lazy susan equals lazy Aliisa *s*

5. Above my cabinets I have a nice place to display stuff. What do I have up there you ask? I have a hatbox lid displayed on a plate stand, (yes I know...weird but it was the right color) I have empty wine bottles (I was being frugal...lol), and I have an empty Olive Oil metal can (in my defense, it does say from Italy on it). Yes I know...its weird...I do have normal stuff up there too..but those dont fit the weird category so I will save that for a normal conversation!

6. Im a little embarrassed to say this next one and yes I know what you are thinking...how can I be embarrassed when I have already admitted to knocking things off my shelves on purpose and displaying empty wine bottles???? Well about 6 months ago...or maybe more...I cant remember, we bought new roman shades for 2 of the windows in our kitchen. Now, let me just say...we have 4 windows in our kitchen. We hung them and decided we couldnt decide if we really liked them or not and that we would have to live with them for a bit to figure it out. So they are still up and we cant take them back and I still have the white blinds on the other two. I just dont look at it anymore *lol*

7. Last one...yea!!! Ok, I must admit that I have a collection of milk rings in my kitchen. Yes I know its weird and that I am weird for having them. In my defense, I enjoy crochetting and every Christmas I crochet everyone an ornament. A year ago, I decided that this years ornament would be a wreath. In order to make a wreath, I had to have a ring to crochet around to make the hole in the middle. So my frugal mind decided that milk jug rings would be a good frugal thing to use. So I have them all sitting in my kitchen waiting to be used. Hmmmm...maybe I will start on that today.

OK, so here is Sundy's List

1. My cupboards are the originals from when the house was built in 1955. I know this because one of the doors has a poison control sticker on it that is dated 1955, and the phone number is JU4-5111. Does anyone still remember that phone numbers used to be written and spoken that way? Anyway, they are still, for the most part, in very nice shape for being over five decades old...well, except for a broken drawer face.

2. I do not have a dishwasher....well, I used to have three "dishwashers", but two of them moved off to college, and one is SWAMPED with an extra-heavy high school load as well as other responsibilities. My husband is a very hard-working roofer/carpenter, so it has fallen on me to be the "dishwasher"...every day! (Note to self: start a "shiny new dishwasher" fund ASAP!)

3. This is not actually a weird thing in my kitchen yet, but it will be. :) Related to #2: In self-defense (!), I have a plan to pare down the total available dishes to what is necessary for three people (plus a spare cup or two). Everything else will be stored away. I have 6-8 each of plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, etc. What I want to have is just enough dishes readily available (the rest I plan to HIDE) so that I am not overwhelmed.

4. To complicate things further, I have no hot water in my kitchen (that is, until I get my tankless water heater in December). So I boil water on the stove, which has an added bonus of sterilizing my dishes. Once the water cools down a bit, that's when I do my dishes.

5. I have an entire shelf in my kitchen devoted to herbal teas! :)

6. I am a tall person, but the cupboard section above my kitchen sink is so high up that I have to stand on my tiptoes to reach it. It is also long and narrow...not much good for anything. So that's where I stash all of the empty jars that I save throughout the year. I use the empty jars to make crafts...and if I didn't stash them up there, my husband would throw them away! So, out of sight, out of mind (for him at least).

7. I have a very unusual color combination in my kitchen. It is blue, green, and orange (not pale Southwest colors). Actually, my living room and kitchen are sort of open to each other, so the LR also has those colors. Those are my kids' favorite colors, and I found a combo of shades and hues of those three colors that worked. (I had "Rent-House White" on the walls for so long that I went a little nuts!)

Rule 3, Tag 7 people. I do have to say that Sundy and I are pretty new to the blogging world. Im not sure we can tag 7 people but we can try.

1. Sally I love her blog, she totally inspires me to make more things homemade!! (From Aliisa)

2. Corrin at BrokeAsASpoke. I love how disciplined she is about recording her expenditures. And I'm quite impressed with how well she does from paid blogging.(From Sundy)

3. Bill from Poop-and-Boogies. I've only been checking his blog for about a week, but I've read many of the archives, and "I'm diggin' it." He's funny and smart and literate, and I just plain enjoy his style! Plus, once in a while, he throws in a line from one of my favorite all-time movies, The Princess Bride. (From Sundy)

4. Jaimie not only has her own intelligently written I've Paid Twice For This Already, but she is also now a guest writer on Frugal Hacks. She talks about "snowflaking" your debt away, and it's a wonderful concept that obviously works well in practice for her. (From Sundy)

5. I love Emily's blog, The Learning Never Stops. Unfortunately she is so busy, she definately doesnt need this tag...however....tag! Sorry. (From Aliisa)

I would tag more but Miriam took mine *pouts* just kidding Miriam. ...Although, I could have tagged you again huh?

Oh, Jiminy Crickets! As Aliisa said, we're so new to this...there are plenty of blogs that I read, but not many that I comment on. *sigh*

What a crazy week so far!!

From Aliisa:

You know, with one child and being a stay at home mom, I dont have really crazy weeks very often. However, this one has been completely out there. I started my week off with a new Bible study group that my MIL is teaching. Now Mondays are my day to catch up from the weekend. I wasnt prepared to miss my entire morning...so now, Im behind. I had to cook in a not so clean kitchen and my husband is having to pull out clean clothes from a basket because I didnt have time to fold everything and put it away. PLUS, I have homework for the study group. So Tuesday starts and I am WAY behind. Now on Tuesday I not only have to cook for my family but I also have to make something to take for a potluck to my ladies group and I have to do the regular Tuesday chores plus the Monday stuff I never got to. SOOOOO......My SIL comes over because she needs to talk...no problem. I cook while we talk. My kitchen got cleaned (but I messed it up again cooking), my dinner and pot luck got done, my husband is STILL pulling his clothes from the laundry basket and my floors look like I havent swept in a month...which isnt the case. My SIL leaves at 5:10pm, I shower, do my hair, makeup and get dressed and out the door at 5:45pm with my potluck in tow. Hubby has to do homework with the kiddo because I didnt have time AND I havent done my own homework for the study group. Wednesday....so today I went on a walking field trip with my daughter's class. We had lunch, went to a few places and took tours. Im finally home. My kitchen is a mess from yesterday, I have laundry to wash and my clean clothes are STILL in the basket, my floors are still filthy and I am pooped!!! OH and I still havent done my homework for the study group. What a week!!!! Will it ever end????

From Sundy:

Something to consider:

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think....you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wish it green!

From Sundy:

A few weeks ago, I was taking my (now adult) sons in the car on some errands. While we were stopped at a red light, I suddenly remembered when they were little and fighting in the backseat.

I had been at my wits' end one day with all of their yelling and carrying-on. I was ready to pull my hair out just to distract them from whatever three year olds fight about. Then I realized I could distract them another way.

"Hey! Hey, boys!" They looked up at my eyes peering at them through the rear-view mirror. "Look, the lights red, guys....can you wish it green for me?" And we'd all stare at the light, silently wishing it green. (Ah...the silence was BEAUTIFUL!)

Of course, it always worked! :)

Window Washing

From Sundy:

Actually, this one is from my Mom! :) Thanks for reading and contributing, Mom!

"Here's a tip for washing really dirty windows on the outside. It works well for car windshields too. You'll need a window squeegee, dishwashing liquid (JOY), paper towels,any old clean rag and a bucket.

"Put one capful of dishwashing liquid in about a half gallon ofwater, swish some. Using any old clean rag, wipe over the window with the soapy water. If it is a large window, split it up in sections, working top to bottom.

"After you wash over the window with the mixture, use your squeegee -- one swipe -- then wipe the squeegee with the towel and swipe again. As long as you dry the squeegee after each swipe, you won't have streaks and no smears, because the JOY is cutting through the grime that has built up on your windows.

WINDEX? SAVE YOUR MONEY! This does a better job."

Let's talk gravy!

From Sundy:

I remember when I absolutely despised cooking. Mostly, it was a confidence thing. I had no clue what to do! In fact, I was teased unmercifully by my college roommates if I had to refer to a cookbook on those rare occasions that I attempted to cook something. And because I didn't have any practice at cooking, those meals were generally not all that tasty. Vicious circle of self-doubt there!

Then when I became a parent and my children were smaller, I didn't think I had the time or the know-how to make a meal from scratch. I know now that I simply needed to learn a few basics and practice, practice, practice. I'm not saying I'm a fabulous cook, but I do get compliments from time to time now. :)

One of the most versatile basics of cooking that I learned was how to make gravy from scratch.

I know, I know...some of you are probably thinking the same things that I did. "Mine always has lumps in it" or "Mine usually just tastes like flour" or "But the mix is so EASY!" Making gravy, once you get the basics down pat, is super easy and quick, too...and you just have to remember that the key secret is constant whisking. I taught my son (over the phone) how to make it when he was 13, and he mastered it fairly quickly.

The Better Times webzine has a great webpage on gravy and all of it's variations, such as cheese sauce, mornay sauce, etc. Here are the basics for white gravy.

You are going to use equal amounts of butter and flour (usually 1 to 3 tablespoons of each) to each cup of milk. And yes, you can substitute margarine or oil or pan drippings, but no, you cannot make it in the microwave. After a few times, you'll be able to "eyeball measure" the amounts. (Oh, and make sure you have your three basic ingredients with you right from the start, because once you get started, you cannot stop or you'll ruin your gravy. Don't worry...it really only takes a couple of minutes.)

Are you ready? Go!

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour.

2. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the entire time. (Better Times suggests removing the pan from the heat, then pouring in the milk, then returning to the heat, but I've never had a problem keeping it on the heat.)

3. Keep whisking over the heat, until your gravy begins to thicken. Spice to taste.

Refer to the gravy page on Better Times for ways to vary this recipe to make brown gravy, cheese sauce, etc. :) They also list a gravy rescue method, just in case your gravy doesn't thicken the way you want it.

Remember: Constant Whisking! :)

Homemade Essential Oils

From Aliisa:

I began wondering the other day if there was a way to make my own essential oils since they are so expensive. It would be nice to put them in my laundry soap or in the dishwashing soap and have wonderful smelling stuff. So I did some research and here is a site that tells you how to do it. I started a very small batch today with orange peel since I had some oranges in the house. I dont know how it will turn out, but if it does...wow that would be an inexpensive solution. If you want to try it, click here for the website.

Me and the Wii

From Aliisa:

Yesterday we broke down and made a not so frugal purchase...we bought a Nintendo Wii. So here I am today at almost 4pm in the afternoon, I havent gotten much done on the house and Im just now sitting down to blog but I assure you, my Wii has gotten much attention today...*lol* I have had to literally pry myself and my daughter away from the games to get something done but oh how much fun we have had. We have spent much time standing in front of the tv and bowling, playing golf and baseball and we have even gotten out our little steering wheels and drove on the great tracks, racing around like nascar drivers looking like Mario and Luigi. Thank God tonight is family night so I dont have to have an excuse to play our video games *lol*

Dishwashing Detergent Recipe

From Aliisa:

I did some research last night on how to make detergent for the dishwasher. I came across alot of recipes but many talked about a film left on their dishes. I dont know about you but I would rather pay the money for the stuff at the store than deal with a film left on my dishes. Then I came across one that talked about the film and what to do to solve it. Apparently you need Citric Acid. So here is the recipe I found:

Dishwasher Detergent
In a plastic container with a firmly fitting lid, mix:

1 cup borax (20-Mule-Team Borax, available in any supermarket)

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup citric acid (available in brewing stores among other places--if you haven't tracked it down yet but must try this formula, use two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon, or you'll dye your dishwasher! and ONLY unsweetened Kool-Aid!)

30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixture
Put all of it in the container, shake it up.

To use, put a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher.

Im almost out of dishwashing detergent so I will be trying this out very soon. I will let you know the verdict.

Things I no longer buy

From Aliisa:

Sundy and I were talking yesterday about all the things I make. So I made a list of all the products I no longer buy because I make it all homemade. I must admit, when I put it on paper it was alot more than what I thought it was. So I thought I would share my list.

I no longer buy:
jetdry
comet
409
antibacterial wipes
windex
cleaner for my swiffer for the floors
laundry soap
downey
toilet bowl cleaner
tub and tile cleaner
bleach
fabreeze
air freshners

When I run out of my stain remover I will add that and then dishwasher detergent.

I must admit, Im pretty proud of myself!!

Ach...ache

From Sundy:

Monday, I woke up with the most horrific pain right under my shoulderblade. It hurt to turn my head from side to side; it hurt to raise my arms to the level of my shoulder...it just plain hurt. I didn't want to run straight to the doctor if I could take care of it myself, so I used some of the frugal home remedies that my time in the trenches of motherhood has taught me.

I filled an odd sock with rice, knotted the top, and microwaved it for about a minute. It made a nice spot of heat to apply to my shoulder. I like these better than a heating pad, because A) they are cheaper, B) easily made and applied, and C) I can't leave one on too long, because they naturally cool off after just the right amount of time.

Nope, no relief.

I put my back to the door jamb and tried to massage it out. Then when my hubby came home, I had him try to massage it out.

Nope, no relief.

Then there's ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory). I was once offered prescription strength Motrin (800 mg) at the hospital after a sprain. I turned it down when I realized that I could buy 250 OTC tablets of 200 mg ibuprofen (which makes basically 60+ doses) for a much cheaper price than fifteen 800 mg pills for $10 copay. So I tried three OTC ibuprofen tablets (600 mg total).

Nope, no relief.

So, I drank a cup of very, very strong chamomile tea and promptly went to sleep. I am a major light-weight, I know! ;) Melatonin is my alternate sleep aid, and I usually have to cut the pill in half!

The second day, the spasm was worse, spreading like a bar from one shoulderblade to the other. I could not even drive, without some serious pain, much less sit at my computer at work, so I called in.

I again tried all of my frugal tricks to loosen the spasm, but no dice. I even upped the ibuprofen to 800 mg. Nope. So after several hours, I decided that I would go see the doctor. Because even mommies have a limit to how much they can take. ;)

And let me explain...I'm not exactly a wimp when it comes to pain. I've endured much worse (childbirth comes vividly to mind), but this was the kind of pain that is a steady dull thump when you're sitting still, and a big ole smackeroo when you move...the kind of pain that makes you a bit nauseous, if you know what I'm talking about....

So when I got to my doctor, I explained everything I'd already tried, and he gave me a mild muscle relaxant to try, with a second prescription for pain "in case." Hopefully, this will do the trick. $10 copay to the doctor, and $8 and change for the two prescriptions. Not too bad, but I would have liked to have used that $18 for something for the family.

A friend seriously questioned why I hadn't just gone to the doctor immediately. The only thing I can really say is that usually my frugal home remedies work, and I don't need to shell out for the doctor's copay and the prescriptions. Also, as I was neither bleeding nor on fire, it wasn't enough of an urgent care need to me to warrant an immediate doctor visit.

So, yes...I did stay in pain for a few days while I tried to fix it on my own; however, I DID go to the doctor after only a few days. Most of the time, I don't even go to the doctor at all -- probably not such a good thing either....but there ya go.