Friday, the drive to simplify became too much for me, and I FINALLY listed Andrew's old baby furniture on craigslist. I mean, posted at 6pm, had my buyer (as in, "we'll take it") by 8pm, out the door yesterday morning, and a cool stack of cash in my pocket. And an empty bedroom upstairs. Win-win situation.
And the funny part is, this morning Stop Buying Crap was talking about a similar experience.
That got the old grey-matter churning about the economy today, and how it's quickly becoming that used goods are the "new" new goods. If you don't believe me, visit a new car dealership today. The stench of desperation is palpable. Despite all forms of crazy rebates/employee pricing/etc, new cars just aren't moving (unless you're talking hybrid, but that's another post). I'll bet all those new car dealership owners were wishing they'd purchased a "buy here, pay here" right now!
My friend Christine was telling me how the other day she stopped by the local Goodwill store to pick up some pants for her husband, and turned around and left because the line to checkout was stretching to the rear of the store. Meanwhile, the department stores at the malls have to put out rack after rack of clearance items to get customers into their doors.
Would you believe frugality is coming en vogue?
Back to my point - look around your house today and see what you can list on craigslist. Push your used goods into the market to keep this ball rolling. Wouldn't it be great if we could use this movement to send a message to manufacturers that we demand quality instead of quantity? Bring our jobs back from China and make us products that will last long enough to be on future craigslist posts? Man, as a consumer, I've never felt so powerful!
10.19.2008
10.18.2008
Middle of the Night - Tiger Rant
I'm so darn tired of seeing that alarm clock say 2:00 and it's still dark outside. This happens about once a week, usually when I have something going on in the morning - I must think about stuff in my sleep and just wait for that 2am potty trip to push me beyond the cusp of sleepiness. Fun.
Tonight, as I reflect, I'm thanking God for a particular blessing in my life. This week I took our cat, Tiger, to the vet to get a flea bath, some Advantix, and a distemper shot. I got a call from the vet around lunchtime that Tiger's gums were pale and they wanted to run some blood tests on him. You know, nothing makes you realize how much you take something for granted until it's gone. That was the longest afternoon I've had in awhile. I was just terrified that this was going to be bad - I suspected they were testing for feline leukemia, and called a friend to confirm that. Thankfully, God came through and Tiger tested negative (whew!).
When I picked him up from the vet, I got a chance to ask the question that's been niggling at me for awhile...what kind of cat is Tiger? He found us about a year ago, he jumped into a driver's car at the store and refused to leave. We took him to the animal shelter because we were sure someone out there missed him - he's an incredibly friendly cat, and he's fixed and front-declawed. The Miami County Animal Shelter listed him on the website as a brown tabby, which is at odds with his spotted pattern. So, while paying my vet bill, I asked, and got a strange answer...he's probably half Bengal. Huh?
Tonight, as I reflect, I'm thanking God for a particular blessing in my life. This week I took our cat, Tiger, to the vet to get a flea bath, some Advantix, and a distemper shot. I got a call from the vet around lunchtime that Tiger's gums were pale and they wanted to run some blood tests on him. You know, nothing makes you realize how much you take something for granted until it's gone. That was the longest afternoon I've had in awhile. I was just terrified that this was going to be bad - I suspected they were testing for feline leukemia, and called a friend to confirm that. Thankfully, God came through and Tiger tested negative (whew!). 
When I picked him up from the vet, I got a chance to ask the question that's been niggling at me for awhile...what kind of cat is Tiger? He found us about a year ago, he jumped into a driver's car at the store and refused to leave. We took him to the animal shelter because we were sure someone out there missed him - he's an incredibly friendly cat, and he's fixed and front-declawed. The Miami County Animal Shelter listed him on the website as a brown tabby, which is at odds with his spotted pattern. So, while paying my vet bill, I asked, and got a strange answer...he's probably half Bengal. Huh? Then I started researching the breed, and it all began to make sense. Some of Tiger's best traits are common for the Bengal cat - extremely bright, vocal, large-sized, very friendly. All the things we saw in him and fell in love with that first night.
As I sit here now, he's patiently waiting for the laptop to vacate HIS space. And I know what he'll do, curl up on my lap for some lovin'. And when I stop petting him, he'll reach up that paw, stroke my face, and remind me that HE's not done being loved. 
Tiger, you're a blessing in my life. I thank God He brought you to us. Thank you for being part of our family.
10.17.2008
10.16.2008
Happy Day!!!
My friend and I went to Salvation Army yesterday to pick up some old, worn flannel shirts (stay tuned to find out why), and I found something I'd been looking for. I'd perused the internet, eBay, Walmart for a thermos - a real one, for coffee - and I couldn't believe our expensive they were! $30 on the Thermos website! Hee hee, found a classic 1974 thermos, avocado green and all, for $0.99.
It doesn't take much to make my day, huh? :)
It doesn't take much to make my day, huh? :)
10.15.2008
Where Does the Money Go?
I'm almost done reading "Where Does the Money Go? Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis" by Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson. This book is a real wake-up call. Written in (early) 2008, it's full of relevant information concerning government spending and taxes. Well worth the read.One of the book's focuses is the Social Security program, and the bleak future we can expect from it. When Social Security was installed back in the 30's, the average life expectancy was 62. Today it's 77. The baby boomers (the generation, born in the 50's, that's heading into retirement right now) are the biggest generation since the program started. And, since Social Security is pay-as-you-go, we're heading into some deep waters. Couple that with the fact that the Social Security pot is full of nothing but government IOU's (treasury bills), we can expect some tax reform and/or some benefits reform in the next few years.
But even better news is Medicare, which is paying out more than it's taking in TODAY, and the projections for the next 40 years are very scary. People are living longer, sure, but they're also living sicker. Healthcare costs are up, even for Uncle Sam.
The National Debt is another hot-button we really need to watch, especially in light of the last few weeks. Right now China owns a bunch of treasury bills, they're a country that's not exactly in our friendship circle, and they just watched the Wall Street debacle. If they decide to start pushing their money elsewhere, what we've seen the last few days will be mere hiccup. None of our presidents-to-be are discussing the national debt and how they plan to approach it, they're too busy yammering about healthcare and the economy (both important, but so is the money we owe).
Just some high(low)lights from the book. If you have a minute, pick it up at the library. Thankfully it's not a boring read, it's written by people from Public Agenda Online, so the language is very user-friendly. Not like you need anything else to worry about right now, but knowledge is power.
10.11.2008
What's New Here...
Yeah, it's been a little quiet on Mumblings. Maybe we'd be more accurate calling it "murmurings" right now. Truth be told, there's a lot going on here, just not really appropriate blog content.
So far this week has been a record sales week at the store. And not in a good way. I guess I understand, everyone is responding to the economic rollercoaster we've all ridden this week (VERTIGO!), and they're feeling that it'll be hard to spend that $20 on pizza. I get that. Unfortunately it's putting us in a horrible position, and bringing things to a head rather quickly.
I'm an action person. I don't like to sit on an idea for long, I want to put it into practice. It makes Yasar and I very compatable, he's one to contemplate. Anyway, I'm feeling this desperate urge to simplify our lives. I'm laying awake at night, figuring what household items to post on craigslist. To start really going through the basement in earnest and get rid of as much as we can. I guess this is my way of gearing up for worst case scenario, as the doors to our other options slam shut.
Bottom line, I'm scared. I have this uneasy feeling our lives are about to be completely upheaved, and we're going to be left loading up a truck with our very favorite belongings and heading back east. Not the worst thing ever, at least we have places to go, and we'll still have each other, but that underlying malaise is constantly there. The antidepressants are doing nothing to relieve it.
Yet, even through this, the "Footprints in the Sand" poem still comes to mind. God doesn't promise that we'll not face trials in this life, but He does promise to carry us through them. When I list my blessings, they may not be many at this time, but the ones I have are huge. My Lord and my family are all I need.
So far this week has been a record sales week at the store. And not in a good way. I guess I understand, everyone is responding to the economic rollercoaster we've all ridden this week (VERTIGO!), and they're feeling that it'll be hard to spend that $20 on pizza. I get that. Unfortunately it's putting us in a horrible position, and bringing things to a head rather quickly.
I'm an action person. I don't like to sit on an idea for long, I want to put it into practice. It makes Yasar and I very compatable, he's one to contemplate. Anyway, I'm feeling this desperate urge to simplify our lives. I'm laying awake at night, figuring what household items to post on craigslist. To start really going through the basement in earnest and get rid of as much as we can. I guess this is my way of gearing up for worst case scenario, as the doors to our other options slam shut.
Bottom line, I'm scared. I have this uneasy feeling our lives are about to be completely upheaved, and we're going to be left loading up a truck with our very favorite belongings and heading back east. Not the worst thing ever, at least we have places to go, and we'll still have each other, but that underlying malaise is constantly there. The antidepressants are doing nothing to relieve it.
Yet, even through this, the "Footprints in the Sand" poem still comes to mind. God doesn't promise that we'll not face trials in this life, but He does promise to carry us through them. When I list my blessings, they may not be many at this time, but the ones I have are huge. My Lord and my family are all I need.
10.10.2008
10.08.2008
Our Bailout Dollars, Hard at Work
Yesterday My Two Dollars threw out a story about what the AIG bigwigs are doing with their $85 billion dollar government handout....namely dropping a paltry $400,000 on a spa retreat for those poor, overworked corporate guys.
David, I'm speechless, too. Unfortunately not surprised, but definitely speechless. I mean, these people put themselves in the positions they're in due to fiscal irresponsibility...did you really think throwing them an $85 billion dollar life preserver would suddenly morph them into accountable individuals? We should live so long.
And now the fed has considering buying a whole bunch of unsecured debt? I thought our money was going to buy foreclosed properties that it could eventually recoup and maybe (cough cough) pay John and Jane Q Public back the funds we'll be putting into this venture. With the rate of bankruptcy going up, do I really want to be stuck holding that bag? Ha, as if we have a choice.
You know, at least the AIG guys are getting a spa weekend out of this. Maybe they're the smart ones, anyway.
Enough rant.
David, I'm speechless, too. Unfortunately not surprised, but definitely speechless. I mean, these people put themselves in the positions they're in due to fiscal irresponsibility...did you really think throwing them an $85 billion dollar life preserver would suddenly morph them into accountable individuals? We should live so long.
And now the fed has considering buying a whole bunch of unsecured debt? I thought our money was going to buy foreclosed properties that it could eventually recoup and maybe (cough cough) pay John and Jane Q Public back the funds we'll be putting into this venture. With the rate of bankruptcy going up, do I really want to be stuck holding that bag? Ha, as if we have a choice.
You know, at least the AIG guys are getting a spa weekend out of this. Maybe they're the smart ones, anyway.
Enough rant.
10.05.2008
Riz a Fasuli
Riz a fasuli loosely translates to "rice with beans". This is a delicious dish that, even DH claims, is better than his mom makes. Yeah, hearing that gives me a warm & fuzzy feelin'.
Rice. Some people look at rice as a great mystery. But, really, it's sooo easy. Your ratio of regular white rice to water is 1:2-and-a-little-bit. Our favorite rice recipe is:
1/3 cup crushed vermicelli
2 tbsp butter
2 cups regular Uncle Ben's white rice
4 1/4 cups water
2 Maggi chicken stock cubes (or 4 chicken boullion cubes)
1 tbsp salt - optional
In a saucepan, cook vermicelli and butter until vermicelli is well toasted. Add rice, stir until all grains are shiny with the butter. Add water, stock cubes, and salt. Cook on high until boiling, drop heat to very low (barely bubbling) and cover. Cook until liquid is gone. DO NOT STIR once you add the liquid.
Now, the fasuli.
1/4 lb of lean beef, trimmed and diced into small cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs frozen green beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large can pureed tomatoes
salt, pepper, tabasco to taste
In the microwave, cook green beans with a little water until tender. In a large dutch oven, fry beef in olive oil on high heat until well cooked. Add cooked green beans & cooking liquid, onion, potato, and about 1 cup of tap water. Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are almost tender. Add tomaotes and spices, continue to cook until potatoes are completely done.
Serve fasuli over riz. This recipe makes a ton, so it's hard to determine price-per-serving. It will feed my family, plus about 2 meals of leftovers.
Rice. Some people look at rice as a great mystery. But, really, it's sooo easy. Your ratio of regular white rice to water is 1:2-and-a-little-bit. Our favorite rice recipe is:
1/3 cup crushed vermicelli
2 tbsp butter
2 cups regular Uncle Ben's white rice
4 1/4 cups water
2 Maggi chicken stock cubes (or 4 chicken boullion cubes)
1 tbsp salt - optional
In a saucepan, cook vermicelli and butter until vermicelli is well toasted. Add rice, stir until all grains are shiny with the butter. Add water, stock cubes, and salt. Cook on high until boiling, drop heat to very low (barely bubbling) and cover. Cook until liquid is gone. DO NOT STIR once you add the liquid.
Now, the fasuli.
1/4 lb of lean beef, trimmed and diced into small cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs frozen green beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large can pureed tomatoes
salt, pepper, tabasco to taste
In the microwave, cook green beans with a little water until tender. In a large dutch oven, fry beef in olive oil on high heat until well cooked. Add cooked green beans & cooking liquid, onion, potato, and about 1 cup of tap water. Cover, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are almost tender. Add tomaotes and spices, continue to cook until potatoes are completely done.
Serve fasuli over riz. This recipe makes a ton, so it's hard to determine price-per-serving. It will feed my family, plus about 2 meals of leftovers.
10.04.2008
"I Got the Bail Out Blues"
Ahhh. Well, at least the waiting is over. We've just sold our future to China, paid for some rum tariffs and wooden arrow shafts, and handed over a blank check to Wall Street. All in one fell swoop.
I was talking to a friend yesterday about this, and he said that many people believe that, in the last days, America won't even exist. Scary stuff, and it feels like we're on a greased chute, headed straight for it.
Insomnia rules the night tonight. Wonder why?
God bless America.
I was talking to a friend yesterday about this, and he said that many people believe that, in the last days, America won't even exist. Scary stuff, and it feels like we're on a greased chute, headed straight for it.
Insomnia rules the night tonight. Wonder why?
God bless America.
10.03.2008
10.01.2008
My Husband, A Chef He Ain't
We were making some steaks on Sunday for dinner (before you gasp at my unfrugalityness, they came in the Angel Food box...no way I'd ever purchase them otherwise!), and I had some rice on the stove. We were looking for a green vegetable to go with our meal. I asked Yasar to make some of his Middle Eastern salad, he was more than happy to oblige and started chopping away.
At the same time, I found a recipe for chai in my Taste of home cookbook. Chai is one of my favorite cold-weather drinks, but I thought you had to buy it in powdered form. I was so excited to find a recipe, and immediately started digging through my spice cabinet to see if I had all the components to the recipe.
I'm pulling spices, and tending steaks, and not really paying attention to Yasar. Then I smell something funny...the potent aroma of cloves. I turn around and see Yasar dumping powdered cloves liberally on his salad. I started laughing when he said the pepper smelled different. He thought it was a container of black pepper I'd laid there for his salad.
My husband, always opening culinary windows for us. And keeping us in stitches.
At the same time, I found a recipe for chai in my Taste of home cookbook. Chai is one of my favorite cold-weather drinks, but I thought you had to buy it in powdered form. I was so excited to find a recipe, and immediately started digging through my spice cabinet to see if I had all the components to the recipe.
I'm pulling spices, and tending steaks, and not really paying attention to Yasar. Then I smell something funny...the potent aroma of cloves. I turn around and see Yasar dumping powdered cloves liberally on his salad. I started laughing when he said the pepper smelled different. He thought it was a container of black pepper I'd laid there for his salad.
My husband, always opening culinary windows for us. And keeping us in stitches.
9.30.2008
Grocery Challenge - September
This month has been a bomb. I know better than to shop while hungry, yet I did it (twice) and it's reflected in our spending. Better luck next month (fingers crossed).
Edible Grocery - $308.54
Inedible Grocery - $41.17
Health - $25.49
Miscellaneous - $214.58
Restaurant - $103.87
Gas - $157.84
Our miscellaneous catagory is higher than I'd like, and I can pinpoint it down to Andrew's Thomas the Tank Engine visit and Operation Christmas Child, both of which won't be recurring (whew!). We ate out as a family once this month, and took Andrew and his friend Amanda to Chuck E Cheese (that's expensive, even with a coupon!), and still did our weekly McDonald's meeting-of-the-moms. Gas is about where I expected it to be.
I'm on the fence about next month's goals. I really wanted to try to survive on whatever's in the pantry/freezer, but now I'm rethinking that (see previous post). It would be so great to spend under $100 in groceries in a month - that's my ultimate goal. I know we probably couldn't make that a monthly occurance, but just once I really want to hit that mark.
Edible Grocery - $308.54
Inedible Grocery - $41.17
Health - $25.49
Miscellaneous - $214.58
Restaurant - $103.87
Gas - $157.84
Our miscellaneous catagory is higher than I'd like, and I can pinpoint it down to Andrew's Thomas the Tank Engine visit and Operation Christmas Child, both of which won't be recurring (whew!). We ate out as a family once this month, and took Andrew and his friend Amanda to Chuck E Cheese (that's expensive, even with a coupon!), and still did our weekly McDonald's meeting-of-the-moms. Gas is about where I expected it to be.
I'm on the fence about next month's goals. I really wanted to try to survive on whatever's in the pantry/freezer, but now I'm rethinking that (see previous post). It would be so great to spend under $100 in groceries in a month - that's my ultimate goal. I know we probably couldn't make that a monthly occurance, but just once I really want to hit that mark.
No Bail Out? Huh?!?!?
Just when we were all resigned to giving over MORE tax dollars to Uncle Sam to bail out the Wall Street Wizards, somebody dropped a big bomb. No bail out package? It got voted down? Somewhere in my head, Toolman Tim is going "arugh???"
You'd think I'd be relieved. You'd be partially right. From all the different opinions lobbed into my Google Reader every day, this bailout plan was a necessary evil. The US economy is completely unstable right now, the bailout was a shot in the dark at stabilizing (read: no guarantees) our economy and world economy. Yes, when the US economy hiccups, it's felt the world over.
No pressure, John Q.
Anyway, now that the bill has been axed by the House, the RSS Reader is strangely quiet. No more Chicken Little theories. There's probably only 2 or 3 blogs talking about it. The silence is definitely ominous. Personally, I'm an information girl. Give me what you got, and let me work it out. I don't like this head-in-the-sand way of dealing with this situation. So I'm a little on-edge.
Do I still see bread lines in our future? You betcha. Bill or no bill, Americans are going to have to figure out a new way to live. We frugalistas are going to become more valuable. Don't believe me? Check out my Feedjit and see how many people are hitting my Angel Food Ministries entry. Some of us are already seeing the writing on the wall, and are looking for other viable options to feed our families. But, strangely, the restaurant parking lots were still full last night. Denial?
You know, my plan for next month was to limit grocery spending to the trinity (bread/milk/eggs) and see if we could eat out of the pantry and freezer. Now I'm wondering if that's such a good idea. Do I really want to deplete my stockpile when things are so uncertain? What do you think?
You'd think I'd be relieved. You'd be partially right. From all the different opinions lobbed into my Google Reader every day, this bailout plan was a necessary evil. The US economy is completely unstable right now, the bailout was a shot in the dark at stabilizing (read: no guarantees) our economy and world economy. Yes, when the US economy hiccups, it's felt the world over.
No pressure, John Q.
Anyway, now that the bill has been axed by the House, the RSS Reader is strangely quiet. No more Chicken Little theories. There's probably only 2 or 3 blogs talking about it. The silence is definitely ominous. Personally, I'm an information girl. Give me what you got, and let me work it out. I don't like this head-in-the-sand way of dealing with this situation. So I'm a little on-edge.
Do I still see bread lines in our future? You betcha. Bill or no bill, Americans are going to have to figure out a new way to live. We frugalistas are going to become more valuable. Don't believe me? Check out my Feedjit and see how many people are hitting my Angel Food Ministries entry. Some of us are already seeing the writing on the wall, and are looking for other viable options to feed our families. But, strangely, the restaurant parking lots were still full last night. Denial?
You know, my plan for next month was to limit grocery spending to the trinity (bread/milk/eggs) and see if we could eat out of the pantry and freezer. Now I'm wondering if that's such a good idea. Do I really want to deplete my stockpile when things are so uncertain? What do you think?
9.27.2008
PepperBeef Sandwiches
Adapted from the Taste of Home cookbook, these loose-meat sandwiches are a hit at crockpot get-togethers.
1 4-lb lean beef roast ($12.00)
1 jar pepperoncinis ($1.99)
1/4 cup water (negligible)
3 tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.25)
2 tsp garlic salt ($0.25)
1 large onion, quartered and sliced ($0.50)
12 hard rolls ($1.99)
12 slices provolone cheese ($2.99)
Chunk meat and put into crockpot. Mix together peppers and pepper liquid, water, seasonings, and onion. Pour on top of beef. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours. Shred with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to serve onto rolls. Top with provolone. Enjoy. Freeze leftovers.
Makes 12 servings @ $1.66 per serving.
1 4-lb lean beef roast ($12.00)
1 jar pepperoncinis ($1.99)
1/4 cup water (negligible)
3 tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.25)
2 tsp garlic salt ($0.25)
1 large onion, quartered and sliced ($0.50)
12 hard rolls ($1.99)
12 slices provolone cheese ($2.99)
Chunk meat and put into crockpot. Mix together peppers and pepper liquid, water, seasonings, and onion. Pour on top of beef. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours. Shred with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to serve onto rolls. Top with provolone. Enjoy. Freeze leftovers.
Makes 12 servings @ $1.66 per serving.
9.26.2008
9.25.2008
Coincidence....
My neighbor is a staunch Democrat. He's got his Obama/Biden sign out on his lawn. And, every time my eye skips over it, I get alarmed. Has anyone else noticed how much Osama looks like Obama, and Biden is not such a stretch from Bin Laden?
I'm not suggesting anything, just throwing out what I've noticed.
I'm not suggesting anything, just throwing out what I've noticed.
9.24.2008
Bail Out Fear and Frustration
These last few days have gone by in a red haze. My RSS Reader is stuffed with financial and consumer blogs, and everyone seems to be reporting on the new bailout plan the government is working on to "save Wall Street". Every single one of these new reports raises my blood pressure just a little bit.
This seems like such an irresponsible move on the part of the US Government. I can only akin it to letting a murdering spouse collect that hefty life insurance policy. We're basically rewarding all those greedy financial institutions for their chancy decisions. It's a no-lose situation for them. Do you know who's going to be on the losing end?
That's right. The American taxpayer. John and Jane Q. Public.
For the first time in my 30+ years, I look at America and don't feel hopeful. I feel scared. I see a bad time ahead, not just in my personal situation, but in the whole country. Bread lines. I drive down the street here and shake my head in wonder that Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday's parking lots are still jam-packed. I wonder how people can still swallow that expensive food without wondering how that $40 they're spending will affect them next year at this time. I don't understand the two new houses being built in our neighborhood - with the housing market being what it is, who would new-build a home right now?
And, my biggest question of all, why would Obama and McCain fight over who gets to hold this whole smelly bag come January? They're far braver than I. Or dumber.
Let's keep praying for our country right now.
This seems like such an irresponsible move on the part of the US Government. I can only akin it to letting a murdering spouse collect that hefty life insurance policy. We're basically rewarding all those greedy financial institutions for their chancy decisions. It's a no-lose situation for them. Do you know who's going to be on the losing end?
That's right. The American taxpayer. John and Jane Q. Public.
For the first time in my 30+ years, I look at America and don't feel hopeful. I feel scared. I see a bad time ahead, not just in my personal situation, but in the whole country. Bread lines. I drive down the street here and shake my head in wonder that Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday's parking lots are still jam-packed. I wonder how people can still swallow that expensive food without wondering how that $40 they're spending will affect them next year at this time. I don't understand the two new houses being built in our neighborhood - with the housing market being what it is, who would new-build a home right now?
And, my biggest question of all, why would Obama and McCain fight over who gets to hold this whole smelly bag come January? They're far braver than I. Or dumber.
Let's keep praying for our country right now.
9.21.2008
Embarrassing Medical Exams
1. A man comes into the ER and yells . . .' My wife's going to have her baby in the cab,' I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to a parked cab, lifted the lady's dress and began to take off her under- wear. Suddenly I noticed that therewere several cabs - - - and I was in the wrong one.
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco
2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. ' Real big breaths,'. .I instructed. 'Yes, they used to be,'. . . replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA
3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a Wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a 'massive internal fart.'
Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg
4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiodoctor, the patient said that he was having trouble with one of his medications. ' Which one ?'.. . I asked. 'The patch; the Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it!' I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had overfifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA
5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked 'How long have you been bed ridden?' After a look of complete confusion she then answered . . .' Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband passed away.'
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson- Corvallis, OR
6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a man I asked, 'So how's your breakfast this morning?''The man replied, 'It's very good except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to getused to the taste.'. . . I then asked to see the jelly and he produced a foil packet labeled ' KY Jelly.'
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI
7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman withpurple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos,and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read . . .' Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said 'Sorry . . . had to mow the lawn.'
Submitted by RN, no name
8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams... To cover my embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?' She replied with tears running down her cheeksfrom laughing so hard . .' No doctor, but the song you were whistling was ' I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.'
Dr. wouldn't submit his name
Thanks Joy! These are hysterical!
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco
2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. ' Real big breaths,'. .I instructed. 'Yes, they used to be,'. . . replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA
3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a Wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a 'massive internal fart.'
Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg
4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiodoctor, the patient said that he was having trouble with one of his medications. ' Which one ?'.. . I asked. 'The patch; the Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it!' I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had overfifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA
5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked 'How long have you been bed ridden?' After a look of complete confusion she then answered . . .' Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband passed away.'
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson- Corvallis, OR
6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a man I asked, 'So how's your breakfast this morning?''The man replied, 'It's very good except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to getused to the taste.'. . . I then asked to see the jelly and he produced a foil packet labeled ' KY Jelly.'
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI
7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman withpurple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos,and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read . . .' Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said 'Sorry . . . had to mow the lawn.'
Submitted by RN, no name
8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams... To cover my embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?' She replied with tears running down her cheeksfrom laughing so hard . .' No doctor, but the song you were whistling was ' I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.'
Dr. wouldn't submit his name
Thanks Joy! These are hysterical!
9.20.2008
Andrew's First Trumpet Recital
Andrew's having such a blast with this lucky find - he sure enjoys it alot more than the keyboard we bought for him. :)
9.19.2008
Operation Christmas Child
This past Sunday they distributed the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes at church. I was delighted, this is one ministry that, despite our current financial crisis, we're getting involved in.
We brought home three of the boxes available (this year Samaritan's Purse is providing the boxes, no more scrounging for leftover shoeboxes!). Andrew had a bunch of questions. Rather then answering them, after lunch we sat down at the computer and watched the 10-minute movie on the website. About halfway through, Andrew turned to me and asked why these children had no toys, and to my surprise I started sobbing. Every year this ministry shows me exactly how greedy I am. I kind of go through a personal crisis, like that scene in Schindler's List where Schindler starts removing his jewelry and saying how that watch could have bought another Jew. I look at all we have around us, yet we're still on the fast track to moremoremore. I feel deprived, when I have a roof and clean water and plenty to eat. I have the love of my family, and the love of Jesus. I am wealthy beyond my imagination.
So Andrew and I set off to fill the boxes. We've chosen two girls 5-8 years old, and one boy 9-12 years old. Andrew was very excited, choosing items to put in the boxes, from markers and Hot Wheels cars, to My Little Pony figures and Littlest Petshop pets. We bought puzzles, toothbrushes, and candy; bookmarks, Silly Putty, and bubble gum. And we've imagined the faces of the children when they open the boxes and enjoy the toys. We see their mouths reading the words of the books on Jesus. We pray they will feel the love from our family and from Jesus.
To me, this ministry embodies the truest meaning of Christmas. And we're so grateful to be a small part of it.
We brought home three of the boxes available (this year Samaritan's Purse is providing the boxes, no more scrounging for leftover shoeboxes!). Andrew had a bunch of questions. Rather then answering them, after lunch we sat down at the computer and watched the 10-minute movie on the website. About halfway through, Andrew turned to me and asked why these children had no toys, and to my surprise I started sobbing. Every year this ministry shows me exactly how greedy I am. I kind of go through a personal crisis, like that scene in Schindler's List where Schindler starts removing his jewelry and saying how that watch could have bought another Jew. I look at all we have around us, yet we're still on the fast track to moremoremore. I feel deprived, when I have a roof and clean water and plenty to eat. I have the love of my family, and the love of Jesus. I am wealthy beyond my imagination.
So Andrew and I set off to fill the boxes. We've chosen two girls 5-8 years old, and one boy 9-12 years old. Andrew was very excited, choosing items to put in the boxes, from markers and Hot Wheels cars, to My Little Pony figures and Littlest Petshop pets. We bought puzzles, toothbrushes, and candy; bookmarks, Silly Putty, and bubble gum. And we've imagined the faces of the children when they open the boxes and enjoy the toys. We see their mouths reading the words of the books on Jesus. We pray they will feel the love from our family and from Jesus.
To me, this ministry embodies the truest meaning of Christmas. And we're so grateful to be a small part of it.
9.17.2008
Homemade Cheese Danish
This recipe comes via my sister, Beth. Trust me when I say, it's divine. Definitely company-worthy. A hit at brunches. Mm-mmm!
2 packages crescent rolls (Walmart brand $1.29 each) - $2.58
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened - $0.99 each on sale - $1.98
1 cup sugar - $0.50
1 egg yolk - $0.15
1 tsp vanilla - $0.25 homemade
Line ungreased 9x13 pan with one pack crescent rolls, press seams together. Cream together cream cheese, sugar, yolk, and vanilla. Spread onto rolls. Top with second package of rolls.
Mix together and sprinkle on top:
1/2 cup AP flour - $0.25
1/4 cup margarine - $0.25
1/4 cup sugar - $0.15
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, refrigerate leftovers. And save me a piece.
Total recipe $6.11. Serves 18 @ $0.34 per serving.
2 packages crescent rolls (Walmart brand $1.29 each) - $2.58
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened - $0.99 each on sale - $1.98
1 cup sugar - $0.50
1 egg yolk - $0.15
1 tsp vanilla - $0.25 homemade
Line ungreased 9x13 pan with one pack crescent rolls, press seams together. Cream together cream cheese, sugar, yolk, and vanilla. Spread onto rolls. Top with second package of rolls.
Mix together and sprinkle on top:
1/2 cup AP flour - $0.25
1/4 cup margarine - $0.25
1/4 cup sugar - $0.15
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 375 for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, refrigerate leftovers. And save me a piece.
Total recipe $6.11. Serves 18 @ $0.34 per serving.
9.15.2008
Could Hurricane Ike be an Answer to Fervent Prayer?
We went to church yesterday as usual. And, in one part of the message, Pastor Shawn was talking about someone he knew who was being tormented in the workplace by a coworker. The group got together and prayed that God remove this influence from his friend's life. And, within the week, not only was the coworker terminated, but the friend was promoted into that person's position. When God is with you, who can be against you, right?
Some of you may remember my rants about the situation we're in with the pizza franchise and debt and the economy and yadda yadda. Well, Yasar and I prayed fervently for God to intervene in our situation. And boy, did He ever!
Ohio was hit with monsterous winds that were leftovers from Hurricane Ike yesterday afternoon - gusts in Dayton recorded at up to 75mph. This went on for about 4 hours, then it started to drizzle, and it all went away. We, along with 100,000 other DP&L customers, lost power here at the house. Many traffic lights here in Troy are still dark as we speak, mostly from the huge trees in this town taking down power lines.
Also, our top 2 competitors in the Troy pizza game were (and still are) without power.
So yeah, the store got BOMBED last night. We had record sales. It's almost a curse, this was unplanned so we're trying to figure out where we can get extra dough, cheese, pepperoni, etc. to get us through until our next delivery. Yasar was disappointed that he didn't get to watch his beloved Steelers on national TV last night (the power was out anyway), but he was ecstatic to be busy makin' money at the store.
Moral of this story? When you pray for deliverance, be ready for God to deliver you in a BIG way! Pray with expectations!
Some of you may remember my rants about the situation we're in with the pizza franchise and debt and the economy and yadda yadda. Well, Yasar and I prayed fervently for God to intervene in our situation. And boy, did He ever!
Ohio was hit with monsterous winds that were leftovers from Hurricane Ike yesterday afternoon - gusts in Dayton recorded at up to 75mph. This went on for about 4 hours, then it started to drizzle, and it all went away. We, along with 100,000 other DP&L customers, lost power here at the house. Many traffic lights here in Troy are still dark as we speak, mostly from the huge trees in this town taking down power lines.
Also, our top 2 competitors in the Troy pizza game were (and still are) without power.
So yeah, the store got BOMBED last night. We had record sales. It's almost a curse, this was unplanned so we're trying to figure out where we can get extra dough, cheese, pepperoni, etc. to get us through until our next delivery. Yasar was disappointed that he didn't get to watch his beloved Steelers on national TV last night (the power was out anyway), but he was ecstatic to be busy makin' money at the store.
Moral of this story? When you pray for deliverance, be ready for God to deliver you in a BIG way! Pray with expectations!
9.14.2008
Cannie Shapiro Made Me Cry!
For the record, I'm not an overly emotional person. Though known to cry ay the occasional movie, books generally leave me unfazed. I enjoy them, but when I'm done with one I put it down and move on to the next one. Until this week.
I read Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner a few years ago. It's a great book, about plus-sized Cannie Shapiro and her larger-than-life life. She meets the man of her dreams, gets spurned, gets pregnant by him, hobnobs with a bunch of movie stars, comes home to Philly to meet the man of her dreams and have her baby. In this book, I cried out when I read the circumstances surrounding her delivery of her daughter, Joy. This book haunted me, and left me shaking.
Fast forward a few years. I just got done reading Certain Girls, which is the story of Cannie and Joy thirteen years later. Joy's going through the struggles that involve a coming-of-age girl, with the added bonus of the hearing aides she's so self-conscious about. When she discovers Cannie wrote a novel based loosely on her past, Joy decides she's going to finally learn the truth about her history for herself. Things finally fall together so that a happy ending looms....
And then the crushing blow. I won't give it away, in case you decide to pick up this book for yourself, but I couldn't contain my hurt and outrage, then sadness, when I finished this book. I thought Cannie was finaly going to get the happily-ever-after she's surely earned by now, but the author had other ideas.
For the record, I've read everything Weiner has put out (that I know of - since one of Cannie's jobs has been as a ghostwriter, I have to wonder if Weiner hasn't been dabbling in that arena, too). I love her writing. In Her Shoes was a good book (and a not-so-good movie), Goodnight Nobody was a spicy little thriller, and Little Earthquakes was a sweet, touching read that I truly enjoyed. The Guy Not Taken, well, I'm not too fond of the short story, and many of these stories seemed incomplete, which further drives me nuts.
Jay-Dub, I just wanted to say how much I love your work. And I hope there's another Cannie book in you. One where she will arise victorious, her prince will come, and she'll head off into the sunset, happily ever after. Please. Because the ending of Certain Girls is making me lose sleep!!!!
9.13.2008
Bed Bath & Beyond Common Decency
Just got done reading a blog entry from the Consumerist, which told the disturbing story of a customer who spotted an unresponsive toddler locked in a hot car in Bed Bath & Beyond's parking lot, requested that a sales rep inside call 911 or use the in-store PA system, and was turned down flat.
BB&B corporate backed up that employee's decision.
My blood pressure just spiked and the rants are going on in my head. I have alot of trouble understanding why any decent human being would knowingly jeopardize a child's life. But for a corporting to condone that type of behaviour is inexcusable. You can believe that BB&B will never again see a single one of my consumer dollars, and I hope you'll join me on this.
And justice was served...the manager was charged with failure to report neglect of a child, which carries a fine and jail time. I'm glad the law prevailed where the corporation failed.
The child will be okay. BB&B, I sincerely hope your bottom line will not fare so well.
BB&B corporate backed up that employee's decision.
My blood pressure just spiked and the rants are going on in my head. I have alot of trouble understanding why any decent human being would knowingly jeopardize a child's life. But for a corporting to condone that type of behaviour is inexcusable. You can believe that BB&B will never again see a single one of my consumer dollars, and I hope you'll join me on this.
And justice was served...the manager was charged with failure to report neglect of a child, which carries a fine and jail time. I'm glad the law prevailed where the corporation failed.
The child will be okay. BB&B, I sincerely hope your bottom line will not fare so well.
9.11.2008
Thermos Lunch
1 lb ground meat of choice (we use chicken breast)
2 cups water
1 21-oz can pork & beans
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 1/2 cup macaroni, uncooked
In a dutch oven, brown meat completely; drain if necessary. Add water, pork & beans, tomatoes, and sloppy joe mix. Bring to a boil, add macaroni and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladel into thermoses. Makes 8 servings
Notes: this looks soupy upon completion, but it's designed for the macaroni to continue to cook in the thermos (or fridge). It's a very good, hearty, low fat lunch. Many days this was the lunch I looked forward to at the nursing home, and it fuelled me through the rest of my shift, and then some.
Enjoy! :)
2 cups water
1 21-oz can pork & beans
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 1/2 cup macaroni, uncooked
In a dutch oven, brown meat completely; drain if necessary. Add water, pork & beans, tomatoes, and sloppy joe mix. Bring to a boil, add macaroni and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladel into thermoses. Makes 8 servings
Notes: this looks soupy upon completion, but it's designed for the macaroni to continue to cook in the thermos (or fridge). It's a very good, hearty, low fat lunch. Many days this was the lunch I looked forward to at the nursing home, and it fuelled me through the rest of my shift, and then some.
Enjoy! :)
9.09.2008
Huh?
Spotted at the grocery store today:
Rachel Ray is now making dog food. Not a joke.
Now it's official, the "White Oprah" is trying to take over the world in ways O.G. never dreamed. Oprah only had aspirations for presidential office, while Ray-ray is striving for COMPLETE WORLD DOMINATION. A few Food Network shows, a daytime talk show, a magazine, commercials spots, and now puppy chow.
Any comments as to what her next conquest will be? A theme park? A line of automobiles? Ray-Ray Airlines?
Rachel Ray is now making dog food. Not a joke.
Now it's official, the "White Oprah" is trying to take over the world in ways O.G. never dreamed. Oprah only had aspirations for presidential office, while Ray-ray is striving for COMPLETE WORLD DOMINATION. A few Food Network shows, a daytime talk show, a magazine, commercials spots, and now puppy chow.
Any comments as to what her next conquest will be? A theme park? A line of automobiles? Ray-Ray Airlines?
9.08.2008
Does This Sam's Club Membership Make Me Look Bulky?
A recent post in Quest for Four Pillars discussed the bulk-buying experience, if it's economically sound, and the ins-and-outs of storing large amounts of consumables. This got me thinking about our Sam's Club membership and if it's really worth the money we pay for it every month.
As a small business, last year our Sam's Club membership cost us $35, probably the same it costs anyone else - the big perk with a small business membership is extended hours. And from a business perspective, we probably recoup about half of that amount just in buying thermal credit card paper there (it's ridiculously expensive at Staples!). But other than the tiny paper rolls, there's no business-related purchases made. I guess we just get the benefit of having the business absorb our membership fees.
If you've spent any time on this blog, you know I love to be frugal. It's a necessity for us, as we're not in the financial position to be otherwise. And it's also become a hobby, hopefully one that will last throughout our lives and be passed on to our son. So Sam's can be a little tricky for us, since we thrift shop for clothes, have no need/extra cash for new electronics/jewelry/furniture/etc, and we don't gernerally buy name brand consumables.
So what I try to concentrate on when we do make our bi-annual restocking trip to Sam's is staples. A 25 lb. sack of flour, a 12 lb. sack of rice, frozen fish fillets, giant rolls of plastic wrap, and the like. We also gravitate towards the clearance rack in the back of the store, sometimes they have great deals there - but these will mostly be used for gifting. I love to look through the book section, if only to jot down ideas of books to reserve at the library. And usually we allow for an impulse buy in the produce section, this seems to keep Andrew behaviorally on-track and doesn't leave him reeling from sugar shock on the 12-mile ride home.
And, on that train of thought, I'd like to stop and backtrack a moment. Just down the street from Sam's is our family's favorite restaurant, the Golden Corral. One thing I absolutely refuse to do is to walk in to Sam's Club hungry (unless it's Sample Saturday, when we encourage growly tummies - can you say "free lunch"?). So, if Yasar's along for the ride, we're stopping to eat first. I'm convinced the $25 we'll spend at a restaurant will be money saved on impulse shopping later.
In the past we've purchased electronics at Sam's, two different printer/scanner/fax's and a few paper shredders come to mind. I'm not impressed with their electronics. You're basically forced to buy one of two or three models, and you're probably not versed on the pros & cons of those models. Out of those four purchases listed above, only one worked as expected. We've learned an expensive lesson, and generally purchase off the internet now. We may not save money, but at least we get to look at others' reviews of the products before we hand over our hard-earned cash.
And that's my last point about Sam's. We bring cash. Period. Sam's can be a money-sucking void if you go in there without parameters. One of ours is that we have a limited amount to spend. And Sam's helps this effort, in a way, since they only take Mastercard and Discover, and debit cards. Since we only carry Visa, and our check card isn't worth the plastic it's made of, we don't really run into too many unplanned purchases.
So is Sam's worth it? In our family, definitely. When you weigh it out, it's one place where Yasar doesn't mind shopping, there's usually lots to look at, the food quality is great, and savings can be generous with a little forethought. I wish we had a Costco to compare it to, but they haven't reached our area yet. It's okay, the moral of this story is sometimes less options are better.
Unless you're talking electronics.
As a small business, last year our Sam's Club membership cost us $35, probably the same it costs anyone else - the big perk with a small business membership is extended hours. And from a business perspective, we probably recoup about half of that amount just in buying thermal credit card paper there (it's ridiculously expensive at Staples!). But other than the tiny paper rolls, there's no business-related purchases made. I guess we just get the benefit of having the business absorb our membership fees.
If you've spent any time on this blog, you know I love to be frugal. It's a necessity for us, as we're not in the financial position to be otherwise. And it's also become a hobby, hopefully one that will last throughout our lives and be passed on to our son. So Sam's can be a little tricky for us, since we thrift shop for clothes, have no need/extra cash for new electronics/jewelry/furniture/etc, and we don't gernerally buy name brand consumables.
So what I try to concentrate on when we do make our bi-annual restocking trip to Sam's is staples. A 25 lb. sack of flour, a 12 lb. sack of rice, frozen fish fillets, giant rolls of plastic wrap, and the like. We also gravitate towards the clearance rack in the back of the store, sometimes they have great deals there - but these will mostly be used for gifting. I love to look through the book section, if only to jot down ideas of books to reserve at the library. And usually we allow for an impulse buy in the produce section, this seems to keep Andrew behaviorally on-track and doesn't leave him reeling from sugar shock on the 12-mile ride home.
And, on that train of thought, I'd like to stop and backtrack a moment. Just down the street from Sam's is our family's favorite restaurant, the Golden Corral. One thing I absolutely refuse to do is to walk in to Sam's Club hungry (unless it's Sample Saturday, when we encourage growly tummies - can you say "free lunch"?). So, if Yasar's along for the ride, we're stopping to eat first. I'm convinced the $25 we'll spend at a restaurant will be money saved on impulse shopping later.
In the past we've purchased electronics at Sam's, two different printer/scanner/fax's and a few paper shredders come to mind. I'm not impressed with their electronics. You're basically forced to buy one of two or three models, and you're probably not versed on the pros & cons of those models. Out of those four purchases listed above, only one worked as expected. We've learned an expensive lesson, and generally purchase off the internet now. We may not save money, but at least we get to look at others' reviews of the products before we hand over our hard-earned cash.
And that's my last point about Sam's. We bring cash. Period. Sam's can be a money-sucking void if you go in there without parameters. One of ours is that we have a limited amount to spend. And Sam's helps this effort, in a way, since they only take Mastercard and Discover, and debit cards. Since we only carry Visa, and our check card isn't worth the plastic it's made of, we don't really run into too many unplanned purchases.
So is Sam's worth it? In our family, definitely. When you weigh it out, it's one place where Yasar doesn't mind shopping, there's usually lots to look at, the food quality is great, and savings can be generous with a little forethought. I wish we had a Costco to compare it to, but they haven't reached our area yet. It's okay, the moral of this story is sometimes less options are better.
Unless you're talking electronics.
9.06.2008
9.03.2008
100 Must-Have Foods (with a strong PA Dutch influence)
Inspired by a little blog called SlashFood, I thought I'd try to sum up a uniquely American culinary experience. From my own perspective, these are the must-try foods to complete your own personal gastronomic journey.
1. chicken corn noodle soup from a fire company's kitchen
2. chow chow
3. lard-cooked chips
4. red beet eggs
5. whoopie pies
6. shoofly pie
7. Spring Glen chicken pot pie
8. velveeta shells and cheese with canned stewed tomatoes
9. my daddy's tuna a la king on toast
10. falafel
11. shawarma
12. riz a fasuli
13. foul mumuddas
14. a sun-warmed tomato, sliced and sprinkled with sea salt
15. sushi
16. caviar spread on cheap bologna
17. red grapes and cheap American cheese in the same bite
18. homemade lemon curd
19. homemade iced tea
20. Laughing Cow cheese on pita bread with cucumber slices
21. fried ice cream
22. anything with chorizo
23. those green beans they serve at the Chinese buffet
24. bacon, onion, and green olive pizza
25. any kind of Indian food
26. Maxwell House
27. my brother's strawberry pie
28. Italian sandwiches from V&S
29. Chincoteague crabcakes
30. chicken & dumplings
31. fish chowder
32. blue cheese burgers
33. bacon blueberry waffles
34. buckeyes
35. Baby Ruth washed down with Countrytime lemonade
36. frozen Snickers bar
37. frozen Tootsie Rolls
38. parmesan peppercorn chicken wings
39. that dark chocolate cake from Golden Corral
40. taco baked potatoes
41. asparagus & smoked gouda quiche
42. Wilber buds
43. ramen noodles
44. chicken curry with jasmine rice
45. Italian beef sandwiches
46. PA Dutch version of chili
47. gremom's brown butter red beets
48. gremom's brown butter noodles
49. gremom's brown butter haddock (before you knock it, you should know they lived well into their 90's!)
50. grilled eggplant and zucchini
51. popcorn with Old Bay seasoning
52. rugalach
53. cardamom bread
54. mamooul
55. pumpkin seeds
56. pecan pie
57. roast chicken with rosemary
58. syrian breakfast
59. peanut butter Twix
60. s'mores
61. spiced apple cider
62. warm artichoke dip
63. guacamole
64. fried cabbage w/ caraway seeds
65. gizmos
66. buttermilk biscuits
67. fried potatoes
68. David's ranch eggs
69. peanut butter bananas
70. lasagna from Little Italy, NY NY
71. Wayfar chocolate milk
72. Hershey fudge
73. Lebanon bologna
74. ring bologna with cold ketchup
75. blue cheese stuffed olives
76. grilled pecan stickies
77. Berks fiesta dogs
78. Dietrich's smoked sausage with horseradish
79. dried beef & gravy over home fries
80. zattar
81. mommy's meatloaf burgers
82. greek salad
83. BLT
84. leftover Easter ham, sliced and fried
85. steamed clams and drawn butter
86. Sno-kist chocolate & vanilla twist soft-serve
87. Boehringer's boiled burgers
88. and their hand-cut fries with malt vinegar
89. Beth's mexican tacos
90. caramel apples
91. Lemon Nekot crackers
92. Pop Rocks
93. Icy Tea
94. turkey club sandwich
95. pastrami on rye
96. gyro
97. soft pretzels and ice cream
98. Sturgis Little Cheesers
99. the Chink's chicken chow mein
100. TASTYKAKES!
Feel free to comment and criticize/add your own opinions.
1. chicken corn noodle soup from a fire company's kitchen
2. chow chow
3. lard-cooked chips
4. red beet eggs
5. whoopie pies
6. shoofly pie
7. Spring Glen chicken pot pie
8. velveeta shells and cheese with canned stewed tomatoes
9. my daddy's tuna a la king on toast
10. falafel
11. shawarma
12. riz a fasuli
13. foul mumuddas
14. a sun-warmed tomato, sliced and sprinkled with sea salt
15. sushi
16. caviar spread on cheap bologna
17. red grapes and cheap American cheese in the same bite
18. homemade lemon curd
19. homemade iced tea
20. Laughing Cow cheese on pita bread with cucumber slices
21. fried ice cream
22. anything with chorizo
23. those green beans they serve at the Chinese buffet
24. bacon, onion, and green olive pizza
25. any kind of Indian food
26. Maxwell House
27. my brother's strawberry pie
28. Italian sandwiches from V&S
29. Chincoteague crabcakes
30. chicken & dumplings
31. fish chowder
32. blue cheese burgers
33. bacon blueberry waffles
34. buckeyes
35. Baby Ruth washed down with Countrytime lemonade
36. frozen Snickers bar
37. frozen Tootsie Rolls
38. parmesan peppercorn chicken wings
39. that dark chocolate cake from Golden Corral
40. taco baked potatoes
41. asparagus & smoked gouda quiche
42. Wilber buds
43. ramen noodles
44. chicken curry with jasmine rice
45. Italian beef sandwiches
46. PA Dutch version of chili
47. gremom's brown butter red beets
48. gremom's brown butter noodles
49. gremom's brown butter haddock (before you knock it, you should know they lived well into their 90's!)
50. grilled eggplant and zucchini
51. popcorn with Old Bay seasoning
52. rugalach
53. cardamom bread
54. mamooul
55. pumpkin seeds
56. pecan pie
57. roast chicken with rosemary
58. syrian breakfast
59. peanut butter Twix
60. s'mores
61. spiced apple cider
62. warm artichoke dip
63. guacamole
64. fried cabbage w/ caraway seeds
65. gizmos
66. buttermilk biscuits
67. fried potatoes
68. David's ranch eggs
69. peanut butter bananas
70. lasagna from Little Italy, NY NY
71. Wayfar chocolate milk
72. Hershey fudge
73. Lebanon bologna
74. ring bologna with cold ketchup
75. blue cheese stuffed olives
76. grilled pecan stickies
77. Berks fiesta dogs
78. Dietrich's smoked sausage with horseradish
79. dried beef & gravy over home fries
80. zattar
81. mommy's meatloaf burgers
82. greek salad
83. BLT
84. leftover Easter ham, sliced and fried
85. steamed clams and drawn butter
86. Sno-kist chocolate & vanilla twist soft-serve
87. Boehringer's boiled burgers
88. and their hand-cut fries with malt vinegar
89. Beth's mexican tacos
90. caramel apples
91. Lemon Nekot crackers
92. Pop Rocks
93. Icy Tea
94. turkey club sandwich
95. pastrami on rye
96. gyro
97. soft pretzels and ice cream
98. Sturgis Little Cheesers
99. the Chink's chicken chow mein
100. TASTYKAKES!
Feel free to comment and criticize/add your own opinions.
9.02.2008
9.01.2008
My Materialistic Son
They say 4-going-on-5 is an impressionable age. I'd say they're right, but may have the gift of understatement. Andrew's a sweet kid, but a bit of a follower. And, like most kids his age, everything advertised on TV becomes part of his wish list. I thought it was bad before, but this past week has shoved him into overdrive.
It all started with the Audi dealership. Hubby had to take his car down to the dealer to get the stereo reprogrammed. And, while they were waiting for the service to be completed, it seems that Andrew got to check out all the expensive cars in the lot. Heck, the nice receptionist even gave Andrew a little Matchbox car Audi to take with him.
Then, to add fuel to the fire, the next day Andrew and hubby headed off for the Disneyland of opulence. Hubby's family is pretty well off. They've got a huge home, expensive cars, vacation properties, yadda yadda. So after a few days of being thrusted into the fire, Andrew came home with a terrific hunger for all things expensive.
Top it all off with a husband who naturally wants to indulge Andrew and give him everything he didn't have as a youngster, and we've got a mess on our hands.
Hence, the allowance.
What we're doing is working with a basic chore chart and star stickers. Each sticker is worth a nickel. If he completes his task with minimum direction, he gets 2 stars, if he needs to be reminded it's reduced to one star, and if I have to hover over him it's a no-pay. I know some of you out there will say how harsh that sounds, or that a child Andrew's age isn't capable of understanding the foundations of finances, but unfortunately this is the life we're living.
Hubby isn't the only one who wants to indulge Andrew, you know. It tears at my heart when Andrew asks for something and I'm left to explain that we don't have the means at this time. I know it's an important lesson, and can prevent him from future heartbreak, but that doesn't make it less painful.
So therein comes Part B of the plan. The 80-10-10 plan. Yeah, yawn, haven't heard that one before, right? But it's something I missed in my childhood, and I wonder where I'd be if I hadn't. I think, if I'd saved 10% of all the money I'd ever made, man-oh-man....
So, go ahead. Flame me if you want. But maybe, just maybe, if Andrew's earning his own money, he'll start to grasp the concept of fiscal responsibility early. I'm hoping, because just today he told me how he's going to "waste all the money he wants when he grows up".
Yikes!
8.31.2008
Grocery Challenge - August
This month it seems like we've struggled for every penny saved. Could it be that the cost of living has gone up even more than the last few months? It's always my goal to do better than the last month, and this month looks as if it's been a success, until you factor in the gift card my wonderful mother sent me when she read my "eating out of the dumpster" post (I thought I made it clear that was an experiment, but maybe she didn't get that).
We've also recently discovered the Salvation Army thrift store, and their 50% Off Wednesdays. This has been very helpful in getting Andrew ready for school (next week!). Last year I was left reeling in sticker-shock, he went from a 3T to a 5T in one year...and since he was "too good" for used clothes, it cost us a bundle! This year, outside of an investment in an LL Bean bookbag (lifetime guarantee, woo-hoo!) and two pairs of new sneakers, we really didn't spend very much on back-to-school shopping.
Side note: the boys' trip to PA...I don't think I ever realized how much it cost to take a road trip. Almost $150 in gas, $24 in Turnpike tolls, and about $10 in treats for Andrew (I packed them a HUGE lunch to see them through round-trip, but that got factored into the grocery budget). I'm glad they got their vacation out of their system, it'll be awhile before we can afford to do that again.
Also new this month is the "cash or credit" category. I was curious just how much we count on our credit card for day-to-day life. I'm pleased with the answer to that question. Aside of the new sneakers and the backpack, and some pay-at-the-pump gas, we really didn't put much on plastic. We could easily go without plastic, and that's the first step to digging ourselves out of the quagmire. Score one for the home team!
Anyway, let's get down to the numbers:
Grocery-Food: $255.34
Grocery-Nonfood: $10.62
Health: $79.76
Misc: $275.83
Restaurant: $55.22
Gas: $275.00
Trimming techniques for September?
It's going to get tough next month. Andrew has some extracurricular activities coming due - he starts dance classes, and visiting Thomas the Tank Engine, and starting AWANAS. In order to pay for this, we need to seriously conserve in other areas.
And, again, we need to limit the amount of times we expose ourselves to "opportunities to spend". We spent money 43 different times this past month. Granted, some of it was getting gas & incidentals on the trips (8 different stops), so this shouldn't be difficult to correct for September.
One last note for the month of September - Andrew will start "working" for his allowance. More on that in a future post. I will be counting paying Andrew as an expense, rather than counting what he chooses to spend his money on.
So that's it, guys. August in a nutshell. Was it a success? Was it a flop? Both, and neither. Chalk it up to another learning experience.
We've also recently discovered the Salvation Army thrift store, and their 50% Off Wednesdays. This has been very helpful in getting Andrew ready for school (next week!). Last year I was left reeling in sticker-shock, he went from a 3T to a 5T in one year...and since he was "too good" for used clothes, it cost us a bundle! This year, outside of an investment in an LL Bean bookbag (lifetime guarantee, woo-hoo!) and two pairs of new sneakers, we really didn't spend very much on back-to-school shopping.
Side note: the boys' trip to PA...I don't think I ever realized how much it cost to take a road trip. Almost $150 in gas, $24 in Turnpike tolls, and about $10 in treats for Andrew (I packed them a HUGE lunch to see them through round-trip, but that got factored into the grocery budget). I'm glad they got their vacation out of their system, it'll be awhile before we can afford to do that again.
Also new this month is the "cash or credit" category. I was curious just how much we count on our credit card for day-to-day life. I'm pleased with the answer to that question. Aside of the new sneakers and the backpack, and some pay-at-the-pump gas, we really didn't put much on plastic. We could easily go without plastic, and that's the first step to digging ourselves out of the quagmire. Score one for the home team!
Anyway, let's get down to the numbers:
Grocery-Food: $255.34
Grocery-Nonfood: $10.62
Health: $79.76
Misc: $275.83
Restaurant: $55.22
Gas: $275.00
Trimming techniques for September?
It's going to get tough next month. Andrew has some extracurricular activities coming due - he starts dance classes, and visiting Thomas the Tank Engine, and starting AWANAS. In order to pay for this, we need to seriously conserve in other areas.
And, again, we need to limit the amount of times we expose ourselves to "opportunities to spend". We spent money 43 different times this past month. Granted, some of it was getting gas & incidentals on the trips (8 different stops), so this shouldn't be difficult to correct for September.
One last note for the month of September - Andrew will start "working" for his allowance. More on that in a future post. I will be counting paying Andrew as an expense, rather than counting what he chooses to spend his money on.
So that's it, guys. August in a nutshell. Was it a success? Was it a flop? Both, and neither. Chalk it up to another learning experience.
8.29.2008
Requesting Prayers
Push is coming to shove. Business decisons will have to be made shortly. There's a lot going on here, and we need your prayers to help us get through this immediate crisis.
Thanks....
Thanks....
8.28.2008
Starbucks New Breakfast Line?
An article in USA Today Tuesday reported that Starbucks is unveiling a new breakfast line, complete with higher fiber, lower fat options to encourage more wallet-dumping at the counter. While this is no real surprise, surely Fourbucks is feeling the pinch of the economic downturn at least as much as anyone else, their chosen medium left me with my mouth agape.
A fruit & nut bar? Protein shake? Apple bran muffin (with real fruit)? OATMEAL?
Okay, people, who in their right mind would buy oatmeal from Fourbucks? The cheapest, one of the easiest to make, completely customizable, a frugal staple in our kitchen...would I actually PAY for someone else to make it for me?
And, if I would ever waste a good ten-spot at the Starbucks, am I going to purchase something I can make at home for pennies, or indulge in a guilty pleasure, like a froo-froo coffee and one of those biscotti-thingys? That's a no-brainer...I would never waste the $10.
This is proof-positive that there's a sucker born every minute. People will be lining up for a basically healthy breakfast that Starbucks will be corrupting in an effort to make it taste better/prepare easier/cost less, rather than lining up at their own microwaves in the morning and enjoying unadulterated, made-to-order, uber-cheap way to start their day.
Starbucks has made a market out of those suckers and their coffee habits. Now we're adding a whole new layer of stupid.
A fruit & nut bar? Protein shake? Apple bran muffin (with real fruit)? OATMEAL?
Okay, people, who in their right mind would buy oatmeal from Fourbucks? The cheapest, one of the easiest to make, completely customizable, a frugal staple in our kitchen...would I actually PAY for someone else to make it for me?
And, if I would ever waste a good ten-spot at the Starbucks, am I going to purchase something I can make at home for pennies, or indulge in a guilty pleasure, like a froo-froo coffee and one of those biscotti-thingys? That's a no-brainer...I would never waste the $10.
This is proof-positive that there's a sucker born every minute. People will be lining up for a basically healthy breakfast that Starbucks will be corrupting in an effort to make it taste better/prepare easier/cost less, rather than lining up at their own microwaves in the morning and enjoying unadulterated, made-to-order, uber-cheap way to start their day.
Starbucks has made a market out of those suckers and their coffee habits. Now we're adding a whole new layer of stupid.
8.26.2008
School Daze
So many of my friends and fellow bloggers have reported that their kids are back in school, or headed back this week, and how that's influencing their lives. There's been so much anticipation...heck, I even have a friend who gleefully reports the number of days/hours until her kids start every time I see her (we won't dog her, she's got three at home and a man working over-the-road). So why don't I feel the same?
It's disconcerting to look at our calendar for September. Andrew's only 4-going-on-5, but he's already got such a full agenda. Dance classes, AWANAS, preschool, weekly McD's mommy meets, almost-weekly outings with Riverside, Lowe's Build & Grows every other Saturday. It's enough to make a grown-up want to crawl in bed and duck under the covers, I'm anxious to see how he'll do it all. Thank God he's a far more social individual than his mom, he really thrives on interacting with others.
So I look on the month of September with mild trepidation. I'm so happy he'll be busy and doing things he loves, but at the same time I'm worried that, at the ripe old age of 4, he'll start to feel the burnout. He's always been happiest when he's busy, and much more manageable when he has something to look forward to, so I just pray that this coming month is filled with blessings for him and maybe a little strength and stamina for his mom.
It's disconcerting to look at our calendar for September. Andrew's only 4-going-on-5, but he's already got such a full agenda. Dance classes, AWANAS, preschool, weekly McD's mommy meets, almost-weekly outings with Riverside, Lowe's Build & Grows every other Saturday. It's enough to make a grown-up want to crawl in bed and duck under the covers, I'm anxious to see how he'll do it all. Thank God he's a far more social individual than his mom, he really thrives on interacting with others.
So I look on the month of September with mild trepidation. I'm so happy he'll be busy and doing things he loves, but at the same time I'm worried that, at the ripe old age of 4, he'll start to feel the burnout. He's always been happiest when he's busy, and much more manageable when he has something to look forward to, so I just pray that this coming month is filled with blessings for him and maybe a little strength and stamina for his mom.
8.24.2008
What It Means to be Lonely
The house feels so empty. The cats are on edge. Nothing feels the same. It's chick-TV, or quiet. There are no dishes to do, no laundry to fold, no pots to stir. Nothing to do but....ahhhhhh, breathe.
My boys left Friday to visit family a few hundred miles away. They've made the trip safely, and are having a great time. Meanwhile, I'm a bit at loose ends. It's wonderful, peaceful with just a touch of melancholy. For someone who feels as if she's in perpetual motion, it's pleasantly disconcerting to just be still.
It'll be short-lived, to be sure. My boys are expected back tomorrow afternoon. Life will return to normal, hustle-bustle, demands and whining, hugs and kisses, purposefulness.
So I'm going to enjoy tonight.
My boys left Friday to visit family a few hundred miles away. They've made the trip safely, and are having a great time. Meanwhile, I'm a bit at loose ends. It's wonderful, peaceful with just a touch of melancholy. For someone who feels as if she's in perpetual motion, it's pleasantly disconcerting to just be still.
It'll be short-lived, to be sure. My boys are expected back tomorrow afternoon. Life will return to normal, hustle-bustle, demands and whining, hugs and kisses, purposefulness.
So I'm going to enjoy tonight.
8.22.2008
Leftover Pies
Food Processor Pie Crust
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening (not butter flavored)
1 tsp white vinegar
5 1/2 tbsp ice water
1/4 cup chopped herbs, optional
Throw into food processor. Run until dough forms into a ball, which will take about 30 seconds. Remove from processor, push into a lump, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while getting the pie stuff together. Repeat, as the following recipe will make 2 pies.
Leftover Pie
4 cups leftover meat (roast, chicken, pork)
2 lbs cooked vegetables (frozen nuked peas~n~carrots, leftover mashed potatoes, whatever's left in the fridge)
1 can "cream of" soup (compatible with meat choice)
1 pack powdered gravy (compatible with meat choice)
In a saucepan, prepare powdered gravy. Whisk in cream soup, set aside.
Roll out pie crusts to make 4 total. Layer crust in pie pan. Layer on half the meat, half the vegetables, and half the gravy/soup mixture. Wet edges of bottom crust with water, apply top crust, vent, trim, and flute. Repeat with second pie.
From here I usually cover one with plastic wrap, date, and freeze. Once defrosted, cook as instructed.
Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Turn off oven, but allow pie to rest in unpoened oven for another 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy.
We generally do a white meat chicken pie, with peas and carrots, and we add like to add chopped rosemary to our pie crust. these keep well in the freezer, are pretty enough for company, or make a great gift for someone.
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening (not butter flavored)
1 tsp white vinegar
5 1/2 tbsp ice water
1/4 cup chopped herbs, optional
Throw into food processor. Run until dough forms into a ball, which will take about 30 seconds. Remove from processor, push into a lump, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while getting the pie stuff together. Repeat, as the following recipe will make 2 pies.
Leftover Pie
4 cups leftover meat (roast, chicken, pork)
2 lbs cooked vegetables (frozen nuked peas~n~carrots, leftover mashed potatoes, whatever's left in the fridge)
1 can "cream of" soup (compatible with meat choice)
1 pack powdered gravy (compatible with meat choice)
In a saucepan, prepare powdered gravy. Whisk in cream soup, set aside.
Roll out pie crusts to make 4 total. Layer crust in pie pan. Layer on half the meat, half the vegetables, and half the gravy/soup mixture. Wet edges of bottom crust with water, apply top crust, vent, trim, and flute. Repeat with second pie.
From here I usually cover one with plastic wrap, date, and freeze. Once defrosted, cook as instructed.
Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Turn off oven, but allow pie to rest in unpoened oven for another 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy.
We generally do a white meat chicken pie, with peas and carrots, and we add like to add chopped rosemary to our pie crust. these keep well in the freezer, are pretty enough for company, or make a great gift for someone.
8.21.2008
Italian Zucchini Stew
This is what we did to consume the abundance of yellow squash & zucchini going bad in the vegetable crisper drawer.
1 large yellow squash, peeled and diced - $0.33
1 large zucchini, diced - $0.33
1 large onion, diced - $0.25
2 chicken boullion cubes - $0.25
2 cups tap water - pennies
1 can italian stewed tomatoes - $0.50
TONS of good italian seasoning - $0.50
shredded parmesan, crusty bread, optional
Combine all ingredients in a good-sized pot. Cook until vegetables are tender. You could puree this, but I like mine chunky. Serve with parm and some crusty bread for a wholesome, frugal, and filling meal.
Serves about 6. Cost per serving $0.36.
1 large yellow squash, peeled and diced - $0.33
1 large zucchini, diced - $0.33
1 large onion, diced - $0.25
2 chicken boullion cubes - $0.25
2 cups tap water - pennies
1 can italian stewed tomatoes - $0.50
TONS of good italian seasoning - $0.50
shredded parmesan, crusty bread, optional
Combine all ingredients in a good-sized pot. Cook until vegetables are tender. You could puree this, but I like mine chunky. Serve with parm and some crusty bread for a wholesome, frugal, and filling meal.
Serves about 6. Cost per serving $0.36.
8.20.2008
Miscarriage
It's hard to believe that, had we not miscarried our last pregnancy, we'd have a 2-year-old underfoot right now.
These are the kinds of thoughts running through my mind right now. It's been 3 years since the miscarriage, and the distance has made it easier to look at it objectively. Would I have wanted another child? On a biological level, my hormones scream YESYESYES! I'm created by God to harbor new life, to shape and mold the future, to love a child so much it tears at your heart. People around me are fulfilling their destinies. Yes, the proverbial biological clock ticks away.
But do I want another baby? Do I want to go through sleepless nights, breastfeeding, diapers, hormone imbalance, labor and delivery, etc etc, again? You should hear the battle going on between my ears when I ask myself that question. Rational thought versus biological drive. I'm intimidating myself here.
I'm sure the joke will be on me, when the stick finally turns pink somewhere around my 40th birthday. I'll be one of those crazy women with a college student and a preschool student at the same time.
However it turns out, I won't forget the baby I lost on 8/20/2005. And someday I'm going to finally meet my angel up in heaven.
These are the kinds of thoughts running through my mind right now. It's been 3 years since the miscarriage, and the distance has made it easier to look at it objectively. Would I have wanted another child? On a biological level, my hormones scream YESYESYES! I'm created by God to harbor new life, to shape and mold the future, to love a child so much it tears at your heart. People around me are fulfilling their destinies. Yes, the proverbial biological clock ticks away.
But do I want another baby? Do I want to go through sleepless nights, breastfeeding, diapers, hormone imbalance, labor and delivery, etc etc, again? You should hear the battle going on between my ears when I ask myself that question. Rational thought versus biological drive. I'm intimidating myself here.
I'm sure the joke will be on me, when the stick finally turns pink somewhere around my 40th birthday. I'll be one of those crazy women with a college student and a preschool student at the same time.
However it turns out, I won't forget the baby I lost on 8/20/2005. And someday I'm going to finally meet my angel up in heaven.
8.18.2008
Walmart + 4-year-old = Total Meltdown
Yesterday Andrew and I decided to head over to Walmart to see if his preschool had submitted a school supply list for the upcoming year (it's his first year in public preschool, so I wasn't sure that they wouldn't be requesting 4 boxes of Kleenex and 2 rolls of paper towels). There was a few other things on my list, and I wanted to just cruise the aisles a little and try to distract myself from our current financial crisis.
And boy, did I ever get distracted.
Someone must have swapped my loving, cheerful son with a materialistic madman. He had the worst case of the "gimmes" I've ever seen! He was running at everything, grabbing and pulling, making me feel like the most incompetent parent ever to push a grocery cart down Walmart's hallowed halls. Finally he got to be too much, hiding inside the clothing carrals, and momma decided he'd be safer inside the cart.
From there, the situation just continued to decompose. He started jumping in the cart, swinging his weight around and making it hard to steer (ever since my tumble into the garden, my shoulder's been a bit messed up, and it hurts when it's wrenched around). He's grabbing at everything, and mouthing off, and basically making the whole shopping trip miserable.
And then he dumped a container of popcorn chicken at the checkout.
And momma snapped.
Misbehavior I can handle, wasting money is beyond my scope right now.
You know life's completely got control of you when you're ranting like a lunatic at a 4-year-old, in a hot car in the middle of a parking lot, while people walk by you and gawk.
But the punchline is, about half an hour after getting home, I couldn't stop hugging him.
Go figure.
And boy, did I ever get distracted.
Someone must have swapped my loving, cheerful son with a materialistic madman. He had the worst case of the "gimmes" I've ever seen! He was running at everything, grabbing and pulling, making me feel like the most incompetent parent ever to push a grocery cart down Walmart's hallowed halls. Finally he got to be too much, hiding inside the clothing carrals, and momma decided he'd be safer inside the cart.
From there, the situation just continued to decompose. He started jumping in the cart, swinging his weight around and making it hard to steer (ever since my tumble into the garden, my shoulder's been a bit messed up, and it hurts when it's wrenched around). He's grabbing at everything, and mouthing off, and basically making the whole shopping trip miserable.
And then he dumped a container of popcorn chicken at the checkout.
And momma snapped.
Misbehavior I can handle, wasting money is beyond my scope right now.
You know life's completely got control of you when you're ranting like a lunatic at a 4-year-old, in a hot car in the middle of a parking lot, while people walk by you and gawk.
But the punchline is, about half an hour after getting home, I couldn't stop hugging him.
Go figure.
8.17.2008
The "B" Word
This is the hardest post I've ever attempted to write. Social stigma aside, admitting the exploring bankruptcy is basically admitting to complete failure. But despite all our efforts to change the course of our financial lives, it's obvious that bankruptcy is quickly becoming our only option.
In a nutshell, my husband purchased a pizza delivery franchise in August of 2004. About 6 months later, we made the colossal mistake of building a home (no, we haven't been stung by the ARM bug, one of my stipulations to the mortgage was a 30 year fixed rate, whew!).
I don't have to tell you what's happened to the economy...goods are getting more expensive, people are using less "expendible" income, minimum wage has increased along with gas prices. Our royalties and rent went up. Sales went down. You don't need to be a mathmatician to see where this is going.
Fast forward a few years, when we made a decision to purchase another location, only to have that one tank out in a little more than a year and put us even further behind. Now our flagship store is weighed down by debt from that defunct venture as well as all its own pressures.
So the current state is this: We've been working in the store something like 75 hours a week, the both of us, unpaid since I think May? We've gotten to the point where we can keep up with the business expenses as long as the unsecured debt is put on hold. Creditors are calling. Their threats don't even phase me anymore. Want to put a lien on my house/car/business/fill-in-the-blank? Knock yourself out! You're asking me to borrow money from family to pay you? Hahhhahahaahahaha! Never happen - they know better than to give me money! You want me to use my personal credit cards to pay a business expense? Been there, done that, and FINALLY learned that lesson. In fact, the sad thing is that we'll probably have to file a personal and a business Chapter 7 simultaneously because we've run the heck out of our personal credit cards to fund the business payroll.
I listen to Dave Ramsey almost every day, looking for some loophole, some stone we've left unturned. I read constantly about different methods of redemption. I pray about it. But our situation prevents me from getting a full time job, unless they'll pay me $12/hour so I can cover childcare and afford to pay someone to take my place in the store. I can't even maintain a steady part-time job because of DH's strange hours and responsibility to the store. I've tried to concentrate on reducing costs where I can, meaning inside the home, and the fruit of our efforts are plain to see - check out the grocery challenge links. We're still not even within megaphone-amplified shouting distance of making a dent in our debt.
And it's affecting my family on a personal level. DH has complained of chest pain at the ripe old age of 35. When things are particularly bad, I get short with DH and Andrew. Then depression sets in, and I can't get motivated to do anything but read more financial content. I've been staring down my bushy eyebrows in the mirror for the last 3 months, and cannot motivate myself to get out the wax, nuke the water, spread it on, and rrrrripppp! I obsess about finding free entertainment, clearance items at the grocery store, and a great buy at the Goodwill. And, as expected, marital relations hit an all-time low.
And I live in fear. Fear of going through bankruptcy. Fear of the 8 year limit between filings (what if we have a major medical disaster right after we file?). Fear about what we'll do after the bankruptcy, if the business has to be relinquished (strangely, you can find tons of info on personal bankruptcy on the internet, but things are very hush-hush when it comes to corporate...I guess we'll get all those answers from a lawyer, huh?). What I don't fear is making the same mistake twice. We've been living basically without our credit cards for quite awhile, and I think we've got the groove of cash-money-living going on.
So, gentle reader, it's my goal to document this process in a candid and earnest way for your reading pleasure. There seems to be little real-world, see-this-is-happening-to-me-and-if-you're-experiencing-this-and-feeling-this-way-you're-not-alone information out there to be had. I mean, I've read a crapload of case studies, but they're impersonal and don't describe the stress/mental anguish/guilt/ambivalence that I'm feeling right now.
I hope this helps someone. I really do.
So la-la-la-la live out loud...... ~SCC
In a nutshell, my husband purchased a pizza delivery franchise in August of 2004. About 6 months later, we made the colossal mistake of building a home (no, we haven't been stung by the ARM bug, one of my stipulations to the mortgage was a 30 year fixed rate, whew!).
I don't have to tell you what's happened to the economy...goods are getting more expensive, people are using less "expendible" income, minimum wage has increased along with gas prices. Our royalties and rent went up. Sales went down. You don't need to be a mathmatician to see where this is going.
Fast forward a few years, when we made a decision to purchase another location, only to have that one tank out in a little more than a year and put us even further behind. Now our flagship store is weighed down by debt from that defunct venture as well as all its own pressures.
So the current state is this: We've been working in the store something like 75 hours a week, the both of us, unpaid since I think May? We've gotten to the point where we can keep up with the business expenses as long as the unsecured debt is put on hold. Creditors are calling. Their threats don't even phase me anymore. Want to put a lien on my house/car/business/fill-in-the-blank? Knock yourself out! You're asking me to borrow money from family to pay you? Hahhhahahaahahaha! Never happen - they know better than to give me money! You want me to use my personal credit cards to pay a business expense? Been there, done that, and FINALLY learned that lesson. In fact, the sad thing is that we'll probably have to file a personal and a business Chapter 7 simultaneously because we've run the heck out of our personal credit cards to fund the business payroll.
I listen to Dave Ramsey almost every day, looking for some loophole, some stone we've left unturned. I read constantly about different methods of redemption. I pray about it. But our situation prevents me from getting a full time job, unless they'll pay me $12/hour so I can cover childcare and afford to pay someone to take my place in the store. I can't even maintain a steady part-time job because of DH's strange hours and responsibility to the store. I've tried to concentrate on reducing costs where I can, meaning inside the home, and the fruit of our efforts are plain to see - check out the grocery challenge links. We're still not even within megaphone-amplified shouting distance of making a dent in our debt.
And it's affecting my family on a personal level. DH has complained of chest pain at the ripe old age of 35. When things are particularly bad, I get short with DH and Andrew. Then depression sets in, and I can't get motivated to do anything but read more financial content. I've been staring down my bushy eyebrows in the mirror for the last 3 months, and cannot motivate myself to get out the wax, nuke the water, spread it on, and rrrrripppp! I obsess about finding free entertainment, clearance items at the grocery store, and a great buy at the Goodwill. And, as expected, marital relations hit an all-time low.
And I live in fear. Fear of going through bankruptcy. Fear of the 8 year limit between filings (what if we have a major medical disaster right after we file?). Fear about what we'll do after the bankruptcy, if the business has to be relinquished (strangely, you can find tons of info on personal bankruptcy on the internet, but things are very hush-hush when it comes to corporate...I guess we'll get all those answers from a lawyer, huh?). What I don't fear is making the same mistake twice. We've been living basically without our credit cards for quite awhile, and I think we've got the groove of cash-money-living going on.
So, gentle reader, it's my goal to document this process in a candid and earnest way for your reading pleasure. There seems to be little real-world, see-this-is-happening-to-me-and-if-you're-experiencing-this-and-feeling-this-way-you're-not-alone information out there to be had. I mean, I've read a crapload of case studies, but they're impersonal and don't describe the stress/mental anguish/guilt/ambivalence that I'm feeling right now.
I hope this helps someone. I really do.
So la-la-la-la live out loud...... ~SCC
8.16.2008
Saturday Weekly Weigh In
This week has been such a struggle. It seems that, no matter the amount of effort put forth, the rewards are meager. I can only attribute this to the level of stress in our home at present. While I won't bore you with details, we're looking into some pretty heavy-duty overhaulin' of our circumstances, and it's a scary picture to behold.
So this week I'm down 9.2 lbs total.
From a clean eating standpoint, our current food budget doesn't allow for the sheer amount of protein required for weight loss. I'm eating alot of rice and beans/lentils to attempt at complete protein, and I'm pleased with the combination (a little taco seasoning could make doo-doo taste wonderful!). I'm also trying to incorporate some Biblical truths regarding our food supply - one of the hardest of which is the complete elimination of pork. Can you sympathize with the difficulty of putting pepperoni on 25 pizzas a day without sticking just one little one in your mouth? It's quite a challenge!
Hopefully the coming week will be an improvement. I still intend of getting at least a 1-day fast in, but I'm not sure where. And I need to concentrate on getting in a bit more exercise than I have been - it's so much more tempting to veg on the couch than do sit-ups...can I get a witness?
So this week I'm down 9.2 lbs total.
From a clean eating standpoint, our current food budget doesn't allow for the sheer amount of protein required for weight loss. I'm eating alot of rice and beans/lentils to attempt at complete protein, and I'm pleased with the combination (a little taco seasoning could make doo-doo taste wonderful!). I'm also trying to incorporate some Biblical truths regarding our food supply - one of the hardest of which is the complete elimination of pork. Can you sympathize with the difficulty of putting pepperoni on 25 pizzas a day without sticking just one little one in your mouth? It's quite a challenge!
Hopefully the coming week will be an improvement. I still intend of getting at least a 1-day fast in, but I'm not sure where. And I need to concentrate on getting in a bit more exercise than I have been - it's so much more tempting to veg on the couch than do sit-ups...can I get a witness?
8.14.2008
Betty Crocker Refrigerator Potato Dough + Uses
Basic Recipe:
1 package active dry yeast ($0.30)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115F) (pennies)
2/3 cup + 1 tsp sugar ($0.25)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (pennies)
2/3 cup shortening ($0.25)
2 eggs ($0.25)
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes ($0.50 instant)
6 1/2 to 7 cups AP flour ($1.00)
Dissolve yeast + 1 tsp sugar in warm water, let bloom for about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours. Can be stored in refrigerator at 45 degrees or below up to 5 days. Keep covered.
Punch down dough; divide dough into 4 parts for Casserole, Cloverleaf, Crescents, Fan Tans, Four-leaf Clover and Parker House Rolls. Divide dough into 3 parts for Orange Butterhorn Rolls, Apricot Cream Cake, Cinnamon Braid, Rich Nut Roll, Parker House Rolls, Braided Dinner Rolls and Hamburger Buns. Divide in half for loaves.
Casserole: Shape bits of 1/4 of dough into 1-inch balls. Place in lightly greased round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 3 dozen rolls.
Cloverleaf: Shape bits of 1/4 of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Crescents: Roll 1/4 of dough into 12-inch circle. Spread with margarine or butter, softened. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, with points underneath, on greased cookie sheet; curve slightly. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 16 rolls.
Fan Tans: Roll 1/4 of dough into rectangle, 13x9 inches. Spread with margarine or butter, softened. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, 1 1/2 inches wide. Stack strips evenly, one on top of the other; cut into 12 pieces, each about 1 inch wide. Place cut side down in greased muffin cups; brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Four-leaf Clover: Shape 1/4 of dough into 2-inch balls. Place each ball in greased muffin cup. With scissors, snip each ball in half, then into quarters. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. About 1 dozen rolls.
Parker House Rolls: Roll 1/4 of dough into rectangle, 13x9 inches. Cut into 3-inch circles; brush with margarine or butter, softened. Fold so top half overlaps slightly. Press edges together. Place close together in greased round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 10 rolls.
Orange Butterhorn Rolls: Divide 1/3 of dough in half; roll each half into 10-inch circle. Spread 2 tablespoons Orange Glaze (below) on outside of circle, leaving 2-inch circle in the center without glaze. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, points underneath, on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Spread remaining glaze on hot rolls. Makes 24 rolls.
Orange Glaze: Mix 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened, 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar until smooth and of desired consistency. If necessary, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons additional orange juice.
Apricot Cream Cake: Roll 1/3 of dough into 15-inch circle; place over greased 9-inch ring mold. Fit dough into ring mold (outer edge of circle will come to rim of mold). Spoon Cream Cheese Filling (below) on dough. Lap edge of circle over filling; seal to inside ring of dough. Cut a cross in dough which covers the center of the mold. Fold each triangle formed back over ring and pinch each point to the dough to seal securely. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 350F. Bake 30 minutes. Remove Apricot Cream Cake from pan; place top side up on serving plate. Heat 1/2 cup apricot jam until melted; spoon on ring. Sift 1 tablespoon powdered sugar on top.
Cream Cheese Filling:Beat 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, and 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Cinnamon Braid: Divide 1/3 of dough into 3 parts; roll each part into strand, 15 inches long. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Roll each strand in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place strands close together and braid gently and loosely. Seal ends securely and tuck under. Place in greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Brush braid with milk; sprinkle remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture on top. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 375F. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
Rich Nut Roll: Roll 1/3 of dough into rectangle, 12x10 inches. Spread Nut Filling (below) to within 1/2 inch of edge. Roll up tightly, beginning at 12-inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal securely. Stretch roll to make even. Place on greased cookie sheet; seal ends securely. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 350F. Beat 1 egg white slightly; brush roll with beaten egg white. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped nuts on top. Bake 40 minutes. While warm, drizzle mixture of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon half-and-half on top.
Nut Filling: Beat 1 egg white until stiff. Fold in 1 tablespoon flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
Bread Loaves: Increase salt to 2 teaspoons. Roll each half into rectangle, 18x9 inches. Roll up, beginning at 9-inch side. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place loaf, seam side down, in greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Brush loaves with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, about 2 hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Heat oven to 375F. Place loaves on low rack so tops of pan are in center of oven. Pans should not touch each other or sides of oven. Bake until deep golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from pans. Brush with margarine or butter, softened; cool on wire rack.
Braided Dinner Rolls
1/3 Potato Refrigerator Dough (above)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon poppy seed
3/4 teaspoon sesame seed.
Divide dough into 18 equal parts. Roll each part into rope, 7 inches long, on lightly floured surface. Place groups of 3 ropes each close together on lightly greased cookie sheet. Braid ropes gently and loosely. Do not stretch. Pinch ends to fasten; tuck under securely. Let rise until double, about 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 375F. Beat egg and water slightly; brush over braids. Sprinkle each of 3 braids with 1/4 teaspoon poppy seed and each of remaining 3 braids with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seed. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Makes 6 rolls.
Hamburger Buns
Divide 1/3 of Potato Refrigerator Dough (above) into 12 equal parts. Shape each part into smooth ball on lightly floured surface with lightly greased fingers; flatten. Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Brush buns with margarine or butter, softened; sprinkle with sesame seed or poppy seed. Bake until golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Whole recipe $2.55, serving size depends on use. This is the moistest, most beautiful bread dough ever made in my kitchen, and my family really enjoyed it. We hope yours does, too!
1 package active dry yeast ($0.30)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115F) (pennies)
2/3 cup + 1 tsp sugar ($0.25)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (pennies)
2/3 cup shortening ($0.25)
2 eggs ($0.25)
1 cup lukewarm mashed potatoes ($0.50 instant)
6 1/2 to 7 cups AP flour ($1.00)
Dissolve yeast + 1 tsp sugar in warm water, let bloom for about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours. Can be stored in refrigerator at 45 degrees or below up to 5 days. Keep covered.
Punch down dough; divide dough into 4 parts for Casserole, Cloverleaf, Crescents, Fan Tans, Four-leaf Clover and Parker House Rolls. Divide dough into 3 parts for Orange Butterhorn Rolls, Apricot Cream Cake, Cinnamon Braid, Rich Nut Roll, Parker House Rolls, Braided Dinner Rolls and Hamburger Buns. Divide in half for loaves.
Casserole: Shape bits of 1/4 of dough into 1-inch balls. Place in lightly greased round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 3 dozen rolls.
Cloverleaf: Shape bits of 1/4 of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Crescents: Roll 1/4 of dough into 12-inch circle. Spread with margarine or butter, softened. Cut into 16 wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, with points underneath, on greased cookie sheet; curve slightly. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 16 rolls.
Fan Tans: Roll 1/4 of dough into rectangle, 13x9 inches. Spread with margarine or butter, softened. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, 1 1/2 inches wide. Stack strips evenly, one on top of the other; cut into 12 pieces, each about 1 inch wide. Place cut side down in greased muffin cups; brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Four-leaf Clover: Shape 1/4 of dough into 2-inch balls. Place each ball in greased muffin cup. With scissors, snip each ball in half, then into quarters. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. About 1 dozen rolls.
Parker House Rolls: Roll 1/4 of dough into rectangle, 13x9 inches. Cut into 3-inch circles; brush with margarine or butter, softened. Fold so top half overlaps slightly. Press edges together. Place close together in greased round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Brush with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 10 rolls.
Orange Butterhorn Rolls: Divide 1/3 of dough in half; roll each half into 10-inch circle. Spread 2 tablespoons Orange Glaze (below) on outside of circle, leaving 2-inch circle in the center without glaze. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, points underneath, on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Bake until light brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Spread remaining glaze on hot rolls. Makes 24 rolls.
Orange Glaze: Mix 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened, 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar until smooth and of desired consistency. If necessary, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons additional orange juice.
Apricot Cream Cake: Roll 1/3 of dough into 15-inch circle; place over greased 9-inch ring mold. Fit dough into ring mold (outer edge of circle will come to rim of mold). Spoon Cream Cheese Filling (below) on dough. Lap edge of circle over filling; seal to inside ring of dough. Cut a cross in dough which covers the center of the mold. Fold each triangle formed back over ring and pinch each point to the dough to seal securely. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 350F. Bake 30 minutes. Remove Apricot Cream Cake from pan; place top side up on serving plate. Heat 1/2 cup apricot jam until melted; spoon on ring. Sift 1 tablespoon powdered sugar on top.
Cream Cheese Filling:Beat 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, and 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Cinnamon Braid: Divide 1/3 of dough into 3 parts; roll each part into strand, 15 inches long. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Roll each strand in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place strands close together and braid gently and loosely. Seal ends securely and tuck under. Place in greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Brush braid with milk; sprinkle remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture on top. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 375F. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
Rich Nut Roll: Roll 1/3 of dough into rectangle, 12x10 inches. Spread Nut Filling (below) to within 1/2 inch of edge. Roll up tightly, beginning at 12-inch side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal securely. Stretch roll to make even. Place on greased cookie sheet; seal ends securely. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Heat oven to 350F. Beat 1 egg white slightly; brush roll with beaten egg white. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped nuts on top. Bake 40 minutes. While warm, drizzle mixture of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon half-and-half on top.
Nut Filling: Beat 1 egg white until stiff. Fold in 1 tablespoon flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
Bread Loaves: Increase salt to 2 teaspoons. Roll each half into rectangle, 18x9 inches. Roll up, beginning at 9-inch side. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place loaf, seam side down, in greased loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches. Brush loaves with margarine or butter, softened. Let rise until double, about 2 hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Heat oven to 375F. Place loaves on low rack so tops of pan are in center of oven. Pans should not touch each other or sides of oven. Bake until deep golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from pans. Brush with margarine or butter, softened; cool on wire rack.
Braided Dinner Rolls
1/3 Potato Refrigerator Dough (above)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon poppy seed
3/4 teaspoon sesame seed.
Divide dough into 18 equal parts. Roll each part into rope, 7 inches long, on lightly floured surface. Place groups of 3 ropes each close together on lightly greased cookie sheet. Braid ropes gently and loosely. Do not stretch. Pinch ends to fasten; tuck under securely. Let rise until double, about 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 375F. Beat egg and water slightly; brush over braids. Sprinkle each of 3 braids with 1/4 teaspoon poppy seed and each of remaining 3 braids with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seed. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Makes 6 rolls.
Hamburger Buns
Divide 1/3 of Potato Refrigerator Dough (above) into 12 equal parts. Shape each part into smooth ball on lightly floured surface with lightly greased fingers; flatten. Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double, 45 to 60 minutes. Heat oven to 400F. Brush buns with margarine or butter, softened; sprinkle with sesame seed or poppy seed. Bake until golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
Whole recipe $2.55, serving size depends on use. This is the moistest, most beautiful bread dough ever made in my kitchen, and my family really enjoyed it. We hope yours does, too!
8.11.2008
IT'S CALLED A RHETORICAL QUESTION!
Okay, David, darling brother, when I asked if I'm that pathetic, I didn't expect you to answer me!!!
"OOOh -- pick me!
In the past 2 weeks, the topics have been (in descending order):
- Lack of fiber intake
- Sprained ankle
- Dumpster Diving
- Make your own dryer sheets
- Saltine-based snacks
(You know, I belong to the selective reading club, right?) :)
[By the way sis, keep living out loud!]"
Touche, David. Thanks for that little slice of sarcasm that I soooo look forward to. I was wonedring how long it would take to get flamed for the urban foraging experiment.
Now off to figure out if canned cat food can truly find a place on the food pyramid. :D
"OOOh -- pick me!
In the past 2 weeks, the topics have been (in descending order):
- Lack of fiber intake
- Sprained ankle
- Dumpster Diving
- Make your own dryer sheets
- Saltine-based snacks
(You know, I belong to the selective reading club, right?) :)
[By the way sis, keep living out loud!]"
Touche, David. Thanks for that little slice of sarcasm that I soooo look forward to. I was wonedring how long it would take to get flamed for the urban foraging experiment.
Now off to figure out if canned cat food can truly find a place on the food pyramid. :D
Monday Funny Adendum
Okay, I need to specify that the previous post is a joke my BFF Joy sent to my email. My mother just called and asked if it's true that I called Lifeline.....
Do I seem that pathetic to y'all?
Do I seem that pathetic to y'all?
Monday Funny - Or Is It?
Mental Health Outsourcing:
I was depressed last night, so I called Lifeline.
Got a call center in Pakistan.
I told them I was suicidal.
They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.
I was depressed last night, so I called Lifeline.
Got a call center in Pakistan.
I told them I was suicidal.
They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.
8.09.2008
Saturday Weekly Weigh-in
Today's weigh-in wasn't as good as expected. I've been bouncing up and down weight-wise all week, and I'm still trying to figure out what's my magic formula to melt away the blubber. At this point, the "Thou Shalt Not's" are more clearly defined, LOL!
One of the biggies I need to work on is fiber intake. This isn't easy, considering our budget is limited and I can't afford the fruits and veggies than were once common in our home. This week I'll be boning up on oatmeal and canned beans, with a lentil or two thrown in for flava.
Another hurtle for me is good old H2O. I'm not a fan. Period. And it's weird, I find as I get older that drinking water makes me choke fairly often, like going-down-the-wrong-pipe choke. Yup, in my wrinkly, decrepit early 30's, I'm already seeing the signs of aging. Sigh. Anyhoo, gotta work on the water intake.
Oy, and my twisted/sprained/possibly broken foot. Yeah, that's going to make for some easy exercising this coming week. Thank God I can walk on it, barely, by stamping on my heel. I'm soooo looking forward to lowing my calorie intake to compensate for the lask of exercise.
I also had a bad moment last night. Maybe it's a fat girl thing, but every time I read a book about changing to a healthy diet (currently reading What The Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell) the devilish imp in me starts grabbing naughty foods. And it's not just reading, I used to get lots of guilty pleasure by plopping in front of The Biggest Loser with a half gallon of Breyers. Sad, sad, sad.
So as we stand right now, from the starting point I'm down 8.8 lbs. And contemplating a 3-day fast to maybe cleanse all this glunk out of my system and pray for God to get me on track.
Happy weekend, all!
One of the biggies I need to work on is fiber intake. This isn't easy, considering our budget is limited and I can't afford the fruits and veggies than were once common in our home. This week I'll be boning up on oatmeal and canned beans, with a lentil or two thrown in for flava.
Another hurtle for me is good old H2O. I'm not a fan. Period. And it's weird, I find as I get older that drinking water makes me choke fairly often, like going-down-the-wrong-pipe choke. Yup, in my wrinkly, decrepit early 30's, I'm already seeing the signs of aging. Sigh. Anyhoo, gotta work on the water intake.
Oy, and my twisted/sprained/possibly broken foot. Yeah, that's going to make for some easy exercising this coming week. Thank God I can walk on it, barely, by stamping on my heel. I'm soooo looking forward to lowing my calorie intake to compensate for the lask of exercise.
I also had a bad moment last night. Maybe it's a fat girl thing, but every time I read a book about changing to a healthy diet (currently reading What The Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell) the devilish imp in me starts grabbing naughty foods. And it's not just reading, I used to get lots of guilty pleasure by plopping in front of The Biggest Loser with a half gallon of Breyers. Sad, sad, sad.
So as we stand right now, from the starting point I'm down 8.8 lbs. And contemplating a 3-day fast to maybe cleanse all this glunk out of my system and pray for God to get me on track.
Happy weekend, all!
8.08.2008
Oh, Misery!
What an idiot I am! I took a tumble into the garden this afternoon and now I'm layed up with an ice pack on my ankle. Good thing there's a huge backlog on my Google Reader to keep me occupied for a few hours, and after that a dessert of Dave Ramsey podcasts. Sudoku anyone?
Oh, and the urban foraging concept is lost on DH. Maybe he'll change his mind, maybe not. But I'm not holding my breath. :)
One more thing, before you go...please join us in sending our warmest congrats to Ryan and Sharon on welcoming their new arrival, Zechariah Emerson. Welcome to the land of the living dead, guys. 3am feedings, spit-up stained t-shirts, haven't-had-a-shower-for-three-days, ah, the joys of parenthood! (grin) You guys will be great parents, Ishmail is a lucky little fella. :)
Oh, and the urban foraging concept is lost on DH. Maybe he'll change his mind, maybe not. But I'm not holding my breath. :)
One more thing, before you go...please join us in sending our warmest congrats to Ryan and Sharon on welcoming their new arrival, Zechariah Emerson. Welcome to the land of the living dead, guys. 3am feedings, spit-up stained t-shirts, haven't-had-a-shower-for-three-days, ah, the joys of parenthood! (grin) You guys will be great parents, Ishmail is a lucky little fella. :)
Adventures in Urban Foraging
Okay, so I'm attempting to dignify my nocturnal activities. It's Dumpster Diving, Baby! And, being the frugalista I (cl)aim to be, I can't exactly not explore all aspects of frugality, right? So I'm giving this a week, to see if it's at all beneficial to our budget and lifestyle. Dare to come along?
Day 1
Spent the day "researching" my intended targets. Meaning trolling different grocery stores to see how they dispose of their refuse. And, I'm sorry to say, most of the larger retailers no longer use dumpsters...they use these completely-enclosed, pass-it-down-the-chute-and-straight-into-the-garbage containers. Only three locations looked as if they had potential.
Day 1 Later
Okay, one of those locations (grocery store) is directly under a streetlight on a fairly heavily-trafficked street. And, as noble as my intentions, I'm still unable to get by the stigma of being a trash-picker, and I'm not really interested in being publicized. The second location (also grocery store) was great, even had a pretty great find of a perfectly intact bag of hamburger buns in the dumpster, but alas, I was ill-equipped. I couldn't reach the darn thing! Got to fashion a stick with a hook on the end! And the last location (fast food), well, the employees were still there pretty late, so I didn't even try.
Day 2
Couldn't drag my behind out of bed. Will try again tomorrow.
Day 3
Hooked stick in hand, I checked out second location. I guess they get their trash pickup on Sundays or Mondays. I'd still love to get into that dumpster, even tonight, there were a bunch of tomatoes and a watermelon in there, but that thing is so deep, if I jumped in I'd never get out! And, since I'm doing this O Solo Mio, I'm not looking to get into a jam I can't get out of (I can't think of a more embarrassing situation than calling 911 from inside a local dumpster, the Troy Daily News would have a HEYDAY!).
(sidenote: if you Google "Dumpster Diving Troy Ohio", you come up with a MeetUp website with a bunch of people here in Miami/Montgomery County who are interested in starting a meeting about this. Hmmmm, is there like a whole subterranean culture of people who do this?)
Location 3 was paydirt! It wasn't the goodies I was wishing for, but definitely some usable stuff. The fam will be eatin' good tomorrow!
Day 4
Another cop-out night. I'm just an early AM person, and it's hard to drag my albeit smaller fanny out of bed when DH gets home from work at 1am. Tomorrow's another day....
Day 5
I feel weird, shopping at a store during the day, then hitting their dumpster for freebies by night. And it's getting so that handing over cash for what I know will be gratis in a day or so feels wasteful. Could I be moving over to the dark side? Hmmmm.
Anyway, we'll save the psychoanalysis for later. Location 2 was a hit tonight! I probably walked away with 15 lbs of barely-unsellable green grapes, and a beautiful loaf of Italian bread. The grapes are currently soaking in a sink full of mild bleach solution, since they were open in the dumpster. Once we're done picking through and eating the best of the bunches, I'll be turning the rest into raisins. There were also some pretty sexy beef roasts in the bin, but there has to be limits to this experiement, and we don't want to be human Petri dishes.
Not hitting third location tonight - hopefully I'll be visiting with Mr. Sandman by the time that location is ripe. Maybe tomorrow....
Day 6
I know I said this was going to be a week-long experiment, but DH is going to be working very late the next few nights, way too late for me to get up and forage safely. So I'm calling it off now.
Conclusion?
You know, this wasn't as painful as I'd feared in the beginning of the trial. I found a grocery store with a very accessible dumpster, and a penchant for acting in true "wasteful American" fashion. On that note, I'd like to send out snaps to Meijer, who not only clearances their meat department, but also takes the time to do it in both their produce and dairy department. Truth be known, these clearance carts are always regular stops on my grocery journies, and I rarely walk away without buying. With the economy being where it is, surely second location could benefit by adopting this practice - but please don't, because then I won't benefit from your freebie dumpster fodder!
Another thing - dumpster diving inspires creativity. You can't walk into a dumpster knowing what's going to be awaiting you, but you have to be prepared to think outside the proverbial box to use what you get. The Great Grape dilemma last night taught me that. It was really an A-HA! moment when the raisin idea popped into my head, since my first thought was tossing then browning grapes into my own trash can.
Am I going to continue doing this? Absolutely! It's a very attractive source of food, it's free, and with a little forethought, the time investment isn't that great at all. The one thing that would make this soooo much better would be company. A little teamwork could go a long way, both in prosperity and safety. I'm debating starting a Yahoo Group about urban foraging - we'll see where that thinking takes us.
Now I just have to come clean with DH. He's been so patient, watching me venture out in my dark outfits with a flashlight, and really he's been in the dark, too. While he's getting more open to frugal ideas, I just wasn't sure how he'd react to this. So I told him to trust me, I wasn't doing anything illegal (I hope it's not, but that still needs to be checked out), and I'd explain it all at the end of the week. Wish me luck on that, LOL!
Day 1
Spent the day "researching" my intended targets. Meaning trolling different grocery stores to see how they dispose of their refuse. And, I'm sorry to say, most of the larger retailers no longer use dumpsters...they use these completely-enclosed, pass-it-down-the-chute-and-straight-into-the-garbage containers. Only three locations looked as if they had potential.
Day 1 Later
Okay, one of those locations (grocery store) is directly under a streetlight on a fairly heavily-trafficked street. And, as noble as my intentions, I'm still unable to get by the stigma of being a trash-picker, and I'm not really interested in being publicized. The second location (also grocery store) was great, even had a pretty great find of a perfectly intact bag of hamburger buns in the dumpster, but alas, I was ill-equipped. I couldn't reach the darn thing! Got to fashion a stick with a hook on the end! And the last location (fast food), well, the employees were still there pretty late, so I didn't even try.
Day 2
Couldn't drag my behind out of bed. Will try again tomorrow.
Day 3
Hooked stick in hand, I checked out second location. I guess they get their trash pickup on Sundays or Mondays. I'd still love to get into that dumpster, even tonight, there were a bunch of tomatoes and a watermelon in there, but that thing is so deep, if I jumped in I'd never get out! And, since I'm doing this O Solo Mio, I'm not looking to get into a jam I can't get out of (I can't think of a more embarrassing situation than calling 911 from inside a local dumpster, the Troy Daily News would have a HEYDAY!).
(sidenote: if you Google "Dumpster Diving Troy Ohio", you come up with a MeetUp website with a bunch of people here in Miami/Montgomery County who are interested in starting a meeting about this. Hmmmm, is there like a whole subterranean culture of people who do this?)
Location 3 was paydirt! It wasn't the goodies I was wishing for, but definitely some usable stuff. The fam will be eatin' good tomorrow!
Day 4
Another cop-out night. I'm just an early AM person, and it's hard to drag my albeit smaller fanny out of bed when DH gets home from work at 1am. Tomorrow's another day....
Day 5
I feel weird, shopping at a store during the day, then hitting their dumpster for freebies by night. And it's getting so that handing over cash for what I know will be gratis in a day or so feels wasteful. Could I be moving over to the dark side? Hmmmm.
Anyway, we'll save the psychoanalysis for later. Location 2 was a hit tonight! I probably walked away with 15 lbs of barely-unsellable green grapes, and a beautiful loaf of Italian bread. The grapes are currently soaking in a sink full of mild bleach solution, since they were open in the dumpster. Once we're done picking through and eating the best of the bunches, I'll be turning the rest into raisins. There were also some pretty sexy beef roasts in the bin, but there has to be limits to this experiement, and we don't want to be human Petri dishes.
Not hitting third location tonight - hopefully I'll be visiting with Mr. Sandman by the time that location is ripe. Maybe tomorrow....
Day 6
I know I said this was going to be a week-long experiment, but DH is going to be working very late the next few nights, way too late for me to get up and forage safely. So I'm calling it off now.
Conclusion?
You know, this wasn't as painful as I'd feared in the beginning of the trial. I found a grocery store with a very accessible dumpster, and a penchant for acting in true "wasteful American" fashion. On that note, I'd like to send out snaps to Meijer, who not only clearances their meat department, but also takes the time to do it in both their produce and dairy department. Truth be known, these clearance carts are always regular stops on my grocery journies, and I rarely walk away without buying. With the economy being where it is, surely second location could benefit by adopting this practice - but please don't, because then I won't benefit from your freebie dumpster fodder!
Another thing - dumpster diving inspires creativity. You can't walk into a dumpster knowing what's going to be awaiting you, but you have to be prepared to think outside the proverbial box to use what you get. The Great Grape dilemma last night taught me that. It was really an A-HA! moment when the raisin idea popped into my head, since my first thought was tossing then browning grapes into my own trash can.
Am I going to continue doing this? Absolutely! It's a very attractive source of food, it's free, and with a little forethought, the time investment isn't that great at all. The one thing that would make this soooo much better would be company. A little teamwork could go a long way, both in prosperity and safety. I'm debating starting a Yahoo Group about urban foraging - we'll see where that thinking takes us.
Now I just have to come clean with DH. He's been so patient, watching me venture out in my dark outfits with a flashlight, and really he's been in the dark, too. While he's getting more open to frugal ideas, I just wasn't sure how he'd react to this. So I told him to trust me, I wasn't doing anything illegal (I hope it's not, but that still needs to be checked out), and I'd explain it all at the end of the week. Wish me luck on that, LOL!
8.06.2008
More Tips~n~Hints
I've had the pleasure of reading two of the Tightwad Gazette books this past week, and these are the tips that have been most intriguing:
The Perseids are coming! The night sky will be alight with shooting stars between August 10th and August 14th, peaking on the 12th. Free entertainment!
Check your local health department for free or low cost immunizations. This could easily be cheaper than paying even your copay.
For those with accordion-type radiators, put some foil-faced insulation between unit and the wall, foil-side facing into the room. This will reflect the heat into the room that would have been lost through the walls.
Instead of dryer sheets, invest in some cheap sponges and some Suavitel. Soak sponges in 50/50 Suavitel/water mix, squeeze out and toss into dryer with your laundry.
Instead of washing used Ziploc bags in the sink, turn them inside out and toss them in the wash with your whites. Just remember to fish them out before hitting the dryer.
Instead of car air fresheners, stash some whole cloves in your ashtray - they last a long time and smell wonderful.
To 1 cup laundry soap powder, add 40 to 50 drops food coloring. Add water by the teaspoon until powder becomes a liquid. Stir well, pack into an ice cube tray. Set in a sunny, dry place for 2 days. Pop out and give to your kid in the bath - you just made your own soap crayons!
Marinate beef cubes in leftover pickle juice for a few days for super-tender beef stew meat.
To combat airsickness, hold some of those plastic refreezable ice cubes in your hands during takeoff and landing.
Okay, I'm done. :)
The Perseids are coming! The night sky will be alight with shooting stars between August 10th and August 14th, peaking on the 12th. Free entertainment!
Check your local health department for free or low cost immunizations. This could easily be cheaper than paying even your copay.
For those with accordion-type radiators, put some foil-faced insulation between unit and the wall, foil-side facing into the room. This will reflect the heat into the room that would have been lost through the walls.
Instead of dryer sheets, invest in some cheap sponges and some Suavitel. Soak sponges in 50/50 Suavitel/water mix, squeeze out and toss into dryer with your laundry.
Instead of washing used Ziploc bags in the sink, turn them inside out and toss them in the wash with your whites. Just remember to fish them out before hitting the dryer.
Instead of car air fresheners, stash some whole cloves in your ashtray - they last a long time and smell wonderful.
To 1 cup laundry soap powder, add 40 to 50 drops food coloring. Add water by the teaspoon until powder becomes a liquid. Stir well, pack into an ice cube tray. Set in a sunny, dry place for 2 days. Pop out and give to your kid in the bath - you just made your own soap crayons!
Marinate beef cubes in leftover pickle juice for a few days for super-tender beef stew meat.
To combat airsickness, hold some of those plastic refreezable ice cubes in your hands during takeoff and landing.
Okay, I'm done. :)
8.04.2008
Has He Caught the Frugal Bug Yet?
I was soooo proud of my husband this past weekend. I came home from work to find a Great Clips coupon flier stuck to the fridge! Wow! I think he's finally getting it!
(though I wouldn't spend the $4.99 on a haircut I can do myself at home for free)
And then I saw that, also on the flier, was the Ohio State football schedule.
Oh, well. All good things, even proud moments, have to end, right?
And anyway, GO BUCKS! :)
(though I wouldn't spend the $4.99 on a haircut I can do myself at home for free)
And then I saw that, also on the flier, was the Ohio State football schedule.
Oh, well. All good things, even proud moments, have to end, right?
And anyway, GO BUCKS! :)
8.02.2008
Saturday Weigh-In - First Week
And the results are.....
Starting point minus 9.2 pounds!
Exercise-wise, I can't complain there, either. I find myself with bursts of energy that just won't be denied. The other day DH, Andrew, and I went to the park for a picnic, and I couldn't wait to get done so I could hoof it once around the track (okay, part of that was the big, luscious hunk of Colby sitting in front of me and SCREAMING my name, I just had to get away from it!). I've been concentrating on getting my 10,000 steps on my pedometer every day, but Andrew took off with my toy and now I'm lost without it!
Anyway, obviously something's working. Hurrah! I feel like I've won the first battle, but what about the war?
Thank God the war is nothing but a string of battles! There's hope for me yet!
8.01.2008
Saltine Candy Bites
Completely cover bottom of large jellyroll pan with parchment paper, then tile with saltines.
In a saucepan, melt 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter with 1/2 cup sugar. Pour evenly over saltines. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle one bag of chocolate chips over them. Return to oven just long enough for the chips to stick.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours, then break apart and serve.
Super easy and yummy, too!
Saltines - $0.99 per box
Butter - $0.80
Sugar - $0.25
Chocolate Chips - $1.50
Whole recipe $3.54, and could certainly be cheaper if the chips and butter are bought on sale. Take it with you next time you go to a gathering...you'll get raves, I promise!
In a saucepan, melt 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter with 1/2 cup sugar. Pour evenly over saltines. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle one bag of chocolate chips over them. Return to oven just long enough for the chips to stick.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours, then break apart and serve.
Super easy and yummy, too!
Saltines - $0.99 per box
Butter - $0.80
Sugar - $0.25
Chocolate Chips - $1.50
Whole recipe $3.54, and could certainly be cheaper if the chips and butter are bought on sale. Take it with you next time you go to a gathering...you'll get raves, I promise!
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