Real Life Living

See Ya 'Round

2011-08-29T22:51:00.001-05:00

Hello readers. I am just dropping in to let you know that I'll be extending my blog break indefinitely.

First, I want to say that all is well. I just need to shift my focus away from blogging for the time being.

This year has been one of the better ones for us financially, thanks largely to that big out-of-town project Shane's been working on. We're very thankful Shane's been working steadily, but again, largely because of that job, this has also been one of the most chaotic years we've experienced. Some days it feels like all I can do to keep up with the all changes. I need some serious down-time to figure out where I am amidst the confusion and where I want to be in terms of family, projects and goals.

Also, after writing posts for the past four years (my first here was on September 10, 2007), I feel as if I've accomplished most of what I was trying to accomplish and have written most of what I wanted to write regarding debt reduction, frugality, and cooking. I just don't have much else to say.

As the focus of our home life moves slightly away from debt reduction and "bottom-line" frugality, and moves more toward homesteading, green living, simple living and healthier food choices, I may find that I do have more to say. Whether I say anything...and whether I say it here or somewhere else on the Web...remains to be seen.

I refer to my own posts here often, especially for recipes, and I hope others do, too. For that reason, I am leaving Real Life Living online. Meanwhile, I'll still be in touch with you on your blogs and on Facebook. If we aren't "friends" yet, feel free to send me a request.

TTFN

2011-08-23T07:41:00.000-05:00

It's time for another blog break.

Oh, I know...I spend more time taking blog breaks than I do blogging. Chalk it up to a weird year around here. Shane's been gone, all told, for about 15 weeks this year so far, my mom passed away, we had that awful (and long) heat wave that kept me from being as productive outside as I might have been. It's been an unusual year, to say the least.

I didn't have much problem slipping into a routine when Shane was gone in the spring, but this time around, I'm having the worst time trying to find my groove. There is a lot of work that can't be done until he's back to help me, but there's plenty I could be doing if I'd just get my lazy butt off the computer.

Which is what I'm going to do. No posts for a while...although I'll be reading your blogs and showing up on FB once in a while (probably).

I just didn't want to leave you hanging, wondering if I'd dropped off the face of the earth. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, so I'll just say...

Ta Ta For Now!

This Little Piggy Came Home

2011-08-22T12:34:00.003-05:00

This morning went and picked up the processed pork from the hog we bought a couple of weeks ago. The farmer who sold it to us estimated it at around 250 pounds live weight, but it must have been closer to 300 pounds, as the hanging weight (the weight after it has been gutted and bled out) was 209 pounds. The standard rule for pork is that hanging weight is about 70% of live weight.

The amount of "usable" pork I brought home was about 175 pounds. That includes neckbones, heart, liver and quite a bit of fat -- I'll render some lard from the fat, and it's possible that I'll eat the liver (no one else here will), but the heart and the rest of the "scrap" will eventually be made into homemade cat food.

That leaves about 150 pounds of truly edible meat. The cost of the hog was $250, the cost of processing (including curing and smoking the hams, hocks and bacon) was $193. Divide that by 150 and you get 2.95 per pound for hormone-free, antibiotic- free, humanely-raised pork. If you count in the fat, organs and scrap, it brings it down to $2.53 per pound. Either way, not bad.

Here's what a 300 pound hog might look like in your freezer. Note that cuts are often a matter of choice. I opted for baby back ribs and boneless whole loin. I wouldn't have been able to get those if I'd opted for bone-in chops or the fancy pork crown roast. I can't wait to eat some of this pig a little later this week.

150-175 pounds of pork in the world's ugliest (and not so nice-smelling) freezer.
Square box of white powder is baking soda.

Cured and smoked bacon - 17 packages - 17 pounds total
Cured and smoked jowl (jaw bacon) - 2 packages - 1.25 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham hocks - 6 packages - 6.75 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham (shank portion) - 2 packages - 18 pounds total
Cured and smoked ham (butt portion) - 2 packages - 18.5 pounds total
Seasoned breakfast sausage - 12 packages - 13 pounds total

Shoulder roasts - 4 packages - 15 pounds total
Ground pork - 12 packages - 13.25 pounds total
Spareribs - 2 packages - 5.25 pounds total
Loin back ribs (baby back ribs) - 2 packages - 3 pounds total
Whole tenderloin* - 2 packages - 10.5 pounds total
True tenderloin** - 2 packages - 2.75 pounds total
Pork steaks - 4 packages - 13.75 pounds total
Boneless loin chops - 8 packages - 9.75 pounds total

Neck bones - 2 packages - 3 pounds total
Liver - 4 packages - 3.5 pounds total
Heart - 1 package - .5 pound total
Fat for lard and scrap - 2 packages - 18 pounds total

* I usually see this in store sold as "Whole Pork Loin".
** I usually see this in the store sold as "Tenderloin".

Yet Another Update

2011-08-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

The bank officer just contacted me and said that, after closer examination of our receipt, she believes that the gift card was never actually redeemed. That would explain why there were two debit transactions, but still doesn't explain why they posted an hour apart.

The gift card probably still has $100 on it. Shane threw it in the trash in the camper, and that trash was eventually thrown into the campground dumpster. The card is probably long gone, but I hope some lucky person did find it and was curious enough to find it if it had any funds on it.

Meanwhile, the bank will still credit us the $100 and will still try to get their money back from Wal-Mart. I'm not certain whether the bank still needs Shane's signature, but I'm going to mail the form to him just in case.

Unless something major changes, I consider this issue resolved and won't be updating further. But I will advise this: Hang on to those spent gift cards for a week or so, even if you think you've emptied them! They may not be empty at all!

Debit Dispute Update

2011-08-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

I got a phone call this morning from my BBF (best banking friend) who confirmed what Shane and I were thinking...that our bank wasn't doing enough for us.

After some much-appreciated coaching from my friend, I decided to take the receipt and a copy of my online statement and talk to a bank officer. As I was explaining the situation, she interrupted me to say that she herself had looked into the transaction after I had called yesterday, and suspects the Wal-Mart cashier ran the gift card incorrectly and wound up $100 short on her drawer at the end of the shift. At that point, she (or her manager) "corrected" it by charging another $100 to our debit card.

That it is even possible is a pretty scary prospect if you ask me.

The bank officer also said that while yes, it's true that I could withdraw our money and close the account and that I could request that Shane's debit card be closed, leaving him high and dry, I cannot dispute a transaction on his card in order to protect our money. Only the actual cardholder can do that. That seems a little backwards.

So, I have the form to mail to Shane so he can sign it and send it back to the bank. He could fax it, but he doesn't have access to a fax machine. Once the banks receives it, they will deposit the $100 into our account and will dispute the charges with Wal-Mart on our behalf. That's more like it.

As for the employee I spoke to yesterday, I lodged an informal complaint against her because I thought she was rude, condescending and apathetic about helping me resolve the issue. The bank officer assured me that she would speak to the employee about her CS skills, but also said that 1) the employee shouldn't have been talking to me in the first place because she mediates with the merchants and isn't trained to deal with bank customers and 2) that unfortunately, in the majority of cases when a wife says that her husband didn't make a transaction it turns out that he did and the wife just didn't know about it. I assume that goes the other way as well, where the husband doesn't know about the wife's transactions. I think that's a sad way to run a marriage. And I still don't think those two points justify the employee's behavior.

Anyway, I feel better now that it appears something will be done to get our money back. I'll post about the outcome, but I don't expect to know anything for sure for at least a couple of weeks.

Trader Joe's. Meh.

2011-08-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

I finally visited one of our two new Trader Joe's stores this morning. Color me not especially impressed. On a 10-point scale, I give it a good, solid 5.

The good:

They have a nice selection of cheeses at decent prices. Prices were comparable to cheeses at warehouse clubs, but the selection was probably a bit better and the package sizes weren't mega.
I saw some hard-to-find ingredients like white (clear) balsamic vinegar. I've been looking for it elsewhere for a while.
AT $2.49 per pound, they have the best price I've seen anywhere for organic free-range chicken. I usually don't find it for less than $4.00 a pound (and therefore, don't buy it).

The bad:

Most produce was being sold by the piece when it is usually sold by the pound in other stores. This makes comparing prices difficult. Bananas seemed cheap at 19¢ each, but I weighed them at home and they came to 42¢ per pound. That's a very average price around here.
I had hoped for better prices overall, but most prices were just average. For example, non-organic milk was about the same price I pay at Aldi (which shares the same parent company as Trader Joe's), and organic milk was right in line with the prices I see in most supermarkets.

The ugly:

I had been told TJ's was a great place to buy bulk ingredients for scratch cooking, but instead I saw an extremely large variety of processed foods and semi-prepared foods. There were lots of bottled sauces, mixes, frozen entrees, frozen vegetables in sauces, frozen pies, pre-cut vegetables and salads, etc. Some of these were quite interesting (like a frozen pasta entree with brie and asparagus), but they were expensive. Because I cook primarily from scratch, these items were a huge turn-off for me.

Specific to this location:

Being on the Kansas side of the state line, the store doesn't sell beer or wine, which is a big draw in other locations.
The store was uncomfortably cold inside. Even the employees were complaining about it.

Now, I'm not saying I didn't buy anything there (I did) or that I won't go back (I probably will), but I don't plan to make this store part of my weekly shopping routine. I can't imagine I'd want or need to go there more than every couple of months.

If you're curious about what I bought, or the prices, here's the list:

1 qt. buttermilk - 1.19
1/2 gal. whole milk - 1.99
17 oz. (1/2 ltr.) white balsamic vinegar - 2.29
7 oz. Fontina cheese - 2.15
2 lb. oat bran - 2.69
16 oz. plain Greek-style yogurt - 2.49
4.5 pound organic, free-range whole chicken - 11.11
2 pounds sweet potatoes - 1.79
2.25 pounds bananas - .95

Is there a Trader Joe's store in your area? If so, what do you think of it?

So Frustrated

2011-08-17T16:41:00.000-05:00

Seems folks either love or hate Wal-Mart and for a multitude of reasons. I've tried to remain fairly neutral about the company, shopping there when I must and avoiding it when I can.

That said, the time has come that I have a beef with a particular store, or maybe with an employee within that store. I'm not sure which yet.

Last weekend, we shopped in a Wal-Mart store while we were on our camping trip. There were some things for the camper that we had to have (couldn't do without) and the ONLY place in town to buy said things is Wal-Mart. We picked up a few other items while there and rang up a total of $135.38.

Shane remembered that he had a Visa Gift Card that he had earned as a safety incentive at work. It was for $100 and he redeemed it on that purchase, leaving a balance of $35.38. He paid the balance with his debit card (his card that draws from our joint account). We left the store, went to camp and didn't go back into town at all during our trip.

Today I was looking at our online bank statement and saw that there were two transactions, coming through from that Wal-Mart, but on two different days. The first was for $35.38 and the second was for $100 even.

I called Wal-Mart first, and they looked at their tapes, files or whatever it is they use these days and say the transaction is good.

I called our bank, and they looked at their records and say there are TWO transactions from that store, the first around 4:30 p.m. for $35.38 and the second for $100 -- an hour later -- as a debit. I told the bank lady that it wasn't possible, because we made only one transaction and weren't even in town an hour later. The bank lady says that I need to just ask my husband because maybe I don't know that he made another transaction and that regardless, Shane has to be the one to dispute it because it was his card. It doesn't matter that it is a joint account or that he's an 8-hour drive away and may be gone for weeks.

Meanwhile, Shane's card has never left his possession, the transactions he's made since he's been gone are posting fine, and no other wayward charges are evident.

So, just WTF am I supposed to do now? I feel confident the bank is only posting what they received from Wal-Mart. I think $100 is enough to fight for. In fact, I think we ought to fight it on principal, but I don't see how when Shane's so far away until who knows when.

I feel like a little bitty minnow trying to take on a whale.

The Simplicity of Small Spaces

2011-08-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

Source

I used to clean house for a friend of Shane's who at first lived in a very modest home of about 600 square feet. He had very modest, useful possessions and very few extraneous items. The house was a breeze to clean.

Then, through an inheritance of sorts, he moved into a much larger home, purchased some much more luxurious yet useful possessions, and still had very few extraneous items. The new house was also a breeze to clean, never looked cluttered and didn't tie him down when he traveled frequently for work.

So, obviously, a small space isn't a requirement for a simple lifestyle. But I think a simple lifestyle is required to live in a small space.

Enjoying our first weekend in the camper spurred a discussion about life as "full-timers" who live in their camper or RV year round, which morphed into a discussion of living in tiny houses in general.

Out of necessity, we'd quickly pare down, weed out and purge all but he most necessary or precious of possessions. Potential purchases would be weighed carefully to determine if they were worth the real estate they'd occupy.

Having not done it yet, we can't be sure, but it seems to us that living in a travel trailer would be somewhat different than living in a tiny house like this. An RVer would maintain fewer possessions, while the tiny homesteader, being tethered to a piece of ground in a more permanent way, would be able to acquire and keep more things since some could be kept outside the structure.

Naturally, there would be other factors to consider, like whether we're bothered by small spaces (we aren't) and how well we get along with each other (we think we could live this way, but we know couples who probably couldn't).

We like the idea, this "forced simplicity". At this time, we aren't looking to move, but if the time comes, we're pretty sure we want to down-size. Maybe not all the way to tiny, but to small, at the very least. While others might see a small space as confinement, we think this type of simplicity would be liberating.

Which raises the questions, "Why aren't we simplifying already? If size doesn't matter, then why not begin now?" I'm not sure we've even begun to understand all the answers yet.

What do you think? Could you be a full-timer in an RV or live in a pint-sized house? Do you think you'd enjoy it, either alone or with another person? What about non-essential possessions -- how easily could you give them up? And maybe more importantly, if you think you'd enjoy "livin' small", what's stopping you now?

Tuesday Tip - Neat And Easy Way To Store Silicone Baking Mats

2011-08-16T06:00:00.005-05:00

Parchment paper still has it's place in my kitchen, but I've recently converted to silicone baking mats for most of my baking. I use the empty rolls from paper towels to keep the mats neatly tucked into a drawer between uses. The rolls are just right for the "half sheet pan" sized mats. For larger mats, I think you could use a roll on each end.

I like them plain, but if you're crafty, you could decorate them to suit your taste.

The Grand Tour

2011-08-15T15:24:00.001-05:00

Per Sluggy's request, here is the camper p@rn.

First, the tour of the grounds:

Address: Site 58, Long Shoal Campground, Truman Lake, MO

That margarita cooler on the corner of the table is not mine.
(As far as you know.)

Shane, doing something. Not sure what.

Required kitschy string lights.

And now, a tour of the mansion itself:

Master bedroom with built-in overhead cabinetry and adjoining living room.

I say couch, Shane says sofa, my dad says divan. What do you call it?

Under-bed storage.

"Front" door and clothes closet (being misc.-used).

View from the living room. Fridge, stove, sink.

Closer view of the kitchen.

Food pantry.

Double sink...

but they are very tiny.

Three-burner gas stove with oven.

Overhead micro.

Pull-completely-out drawers.

Stereo with CD player.

Dining area with overhead storage. Situated directly across from stove.

There's a Kat in the camper.

Shower and toilet.

Vanity with sink. Shower is fed through sink faucet.

Kat's bedroom tucked in the back behind the kitchen and bathroom.

"Back" door near Kat's bed.

And that concludes our tour.
Shane drove away with the camper at 9:00 this morning -- next stop, Garden City, KS.

Crazy

2011-08-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little crazy around here, thus the lack of posts.

The first thing that happened was that I just didn't feel like posting, so I didn't.

Then I went to help my dad and sisters sort through some of my mom's things. I thought about posting that, but it wasn't nearly as emotional or interesting as one might think, and we were done with it in a couple of hours.

On our way to see my dad, we saw a travel trailer for sale and stopped to check it out. It fit every want and need we have in a travel trailer at this time...which meant it wasn't a pop-up but was still lightweight enough to pull with our half-ton pickup, and it cost only an arm instead of an arm and a leg. So, with the help of our credit union, we bought it. I'll post pics of it after the weekend.

(And yes, I know..I know...taking on debt and all that...but it's the way we decided to do this...)

Shane has been working as usual, but yesterday they flipped his schedule to accommodate a night job, so he worked overnight last night and will work overnight again tonight. They're doing a small job in a shopping mall, so they can't do the work during the day.

He'll get home sometime in the wee hours tomorrow morning, will rest for a while, and then we are driving the 100 or so miles to pick up the camper. We'll camp in it a night or two while we're already near the lake, then bring it home either Saturday or Sunday. We'll be home just in time for Shane to reload it and take it with him to live in while he's at work in Garden City, KS, again.

We knew he'd have to go back, but we didn't find out it would be THIS weekend until just yesterday. I've learned to not even ask how long he thinks he'll be gone, because they either won't tell him or it won't matter what they tell him. He'll be there until they tell him to go home, and it either will or won't be his last time out there.

Wednesday of next week, Kat starts back to school. This summer has gone far better than I thought it possibly could, thanks to a chore chart for her and some clear-cut rules about what she could and couldn't get away with over vacation. All the same, I'm ready for her to be back in class.

Then things might start getting back to what I'm beginning to think of as normal for 2011 -- which isn't very normal at all.

Tuesday Tip - Over The Sink "Clothesline"

2011-08-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I had Shane string a length of wire over the sink a couple of weeks ago, and attached some craft-sized mini clothespin. I use this "clothesline" to hang wet gloves and washed plastic bags for reuse.

I had been using a baby bottle drying rack for my plastic bags, but it took up more space than I liked on the counter and the bags took too long to dry sometimes. This line across the sink works a lot better for me.

Tuesday Tip - Exfoliate Your Bathtub...And Your Potatoes

2011-08-02T07:40:00.001-05:00

In addition to sloughing away dead skin from your body, use a pair of exfoliating bath gloves to clean your bathtub and shower. After your shower, while the shower and tub are still wet, put on gloves and rub your hands over shower and tub surfaces. You'll be able to feel where soap scum has built up and just scrub it away. Use a gentle cleanser to to do this...or don't. The choice is yours. Wash the gloves with bath soap or shampoo, rinse well, then hang gloves to dry when you're done.

I don't know where I read about this tip, but it's one of the best tips I've found lately. Use a separate pair of exfoliating gloves in the kitchen to clean veggies. They are especially good for cleaning potatoes. When you're finished, just wash them with dish soap and rinse well, then hang them to dry.

These gloves are only $1 a pair at stores like Dollar Tree and Deals.

Heat Wave Winter Planning

2011-08-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

Like much of the country, especially the Midwest, we're in the midst of a lengthy heat wave. In spite of the heat, Shane and I have been planning for winter (and beyond actually).

We've wanted to buy a whole hog for some time, but in the past, we couldn't get everything to fall into place. The price needed to be right, the money needed to be on hand, and timing was crucial. This year, all the pieces lined up and fell right together.

Yesterday we were scouring the craigslist ads for our area and found a nearby farmer selling a couple of butcher hogs. We'll be buying one from him this week. It's already scheduled to go to the butcher tomorrow, and the fresh meat will be ready by Friday. Or we can (and probably will) wait a couple of weeks to pick all of the meat up when the smoked cuts are done. I'll also be asking for some of the fat to render quality, non-hydrogenated lard (unless they will render it for me there) and some of the organ meats for making homemade food for our cats.

We usually won't pay more than $2 a pound for pork in the grocery store, which limits the cuts we can buy to what typically goes on sale here. For us, it's usually whole pork loin or loin chops, country ribs, pork butt roast and breakfast sausage and ham around the winter holidays. With the purchase this whole hog, we'll get all of the cuts, including bacon, tenderloin, hams and ribs, for about $2.86 a pound. That's an estimate, of course; we won't know exactly how much meat we'll get until the processing is done. The pork will be from a hog that is hormone- and antibiotic-free, and raised in a large pen instead of in feedlot confinement. I think we're making a pretty good deal. The amount of pork we'll get will probably last more than a year, as long as it's wrapped and frozen properly.

In addition to the pork, Shane hopes to get more red meat for the freezer this fall. Having venison in our freezer this past year has saved a lot on our grocery bill since we haven't had to buy beef. We all love the meat -- even Kat -- and look forward to stocking the freezer with it again this year. In addition, venison is generally considered a healthier meat choice than beef.

With pork and venison in the freezer, along with strawberries we picked earlier this summer and produce from our garden, we'll be fairly well set for the coming winter and beyond.

What, if anything, have you been doing to plan for your winter food stores? Is it something you think about ahead of time, or do you wait until you need food to buy it?

What I Bought - July 2011

2011-07-31T18:00:00.003-05:00

Here is the recap of my July grocery spending. This is mostly for my own reference, although I know there are one or two of you out there who enjoy this kind of post as well.

I ended July with a total of $155.38 spent on groceries. That includes sales tax, and is just for food items bought at the store to consume at home. It doesn't include any household, pet or HBA items, nor any meals bought away from home. Also, we are a family of three.

This month looks a little different than most. Shane was finally back home all month, but the first week of the month we were on vacation, so no groceries were bought that week. Quite a bit of the produce this month was purchased at one or more of our local farmers' markets -- these items are marked with an asterisk (*). Several bulk items (albeit in small amounts) were purchased at Whole Foods. Canned green beans are one of the few veggies Kat will eat without fail, so I stocked up while they were on sale. I stocked up on sale sugar and flour, too.

Otherwise, most of the rest was bought at Aldi, as usual. The remaining items were bought at other grocery stores when on sale or when I just had to have something not available at Aldi. Unless I've listed a brand name, all items are store brands.

Considering the amount of bulk and organic food I bought, I think I did well this month. Here's what I bought for $155.38:

MEAT, POULTRY AND EGGS
Farm fresh eggs - dozen - 3
Bacon - pound - 2

SEAFOOD
Tuna in water - 5 ounce can - 1

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Cantaloupe - medium - 1*
Zucchini squash - small - 1*
Yellow squash - small - 1*
Tomatoes - large - 6*
Cucumber - very large - 2*
Plums - medium - 2
Corn - ears - 40*
Green bell peppers - medium - 2*
Tomatillos - pint box - 1*
Banana peppers - pint box - 1*
Jalapenos - pint box - 1*
Limes - 7*
Organic carrots - pound - 1
Iceberg lettuce - head - 2
Mushrooms - 8 ounce carton - 1
Green beans - cans - 14

DAIRY
Half and half - quart - 2
Whole milk - gallon - 1
Butter - pounds - 4
Smoked gouda cheese- pound - 1.5
Cream cheese - 8 ounce - 2
Sour cream - 16 ounces - 1
Evaporated milk - can - 1
Cottage cheese - pounds - 3

PASTA, GRAINS, BEANS
Whole wheat penne pasta - ounces - 13
Bulk organic quinoa, yellow - ounces - 8
Bulk organic cornmeal, yellow - ounces - 8
Bulk organic brown basmati rice - ounces - 6
Bulk organic bulgur wheat - ounces - 4

BREADS
Burger buns - 8-pack - 3 (for a cookout we attended)

BAKING/COOKING STAPLES
Sugar - pounds - 5
C&H sugar - pounds - 12
Honey, local - pint - 1
Flour, unbleached white - pounds - 10

CONDIMENTS/SPICES/HERBS
Spicy mustard - 12 ounces - 1
Yellow mustard - 16 ounces - 1
Black olives - 6 ounce can - 2
Green Spanish olives - jar - 1
Rice wine vinegar - 24 ounces - 1
Worcestershire sauce - 10 ounce - 1
Bulk beet powder - ounce - 1 (for a specific recipe)
Bulk sea salt - pound - 1
Bulk salted sunflower seeds - ounces -10
Citric acid powder - ounces - 8 (for canning, etc.)
Pasta sauce, organic - 26 ounce jar - 1

SNACKS
Cheese puffs - bag - 1
Tortilla chips - bag - 4
Potato chips - bag - 2
Saltine crackers - box - 1
Pretzels - bag - 1
Shell-on peanuts - pounds - 3
Club-type crackers - box - 1

BEVERAGES
Pepsi - 2 ltr - 1 (for a cookout we attended)
Sierra Mist - 2 ltr - 1 (for a cookout we attended)

SEMI-PREPARED MEALS
None

Flashback Friday - Chicken Breasts Diane

2011-07-29T06:00:00.006-05:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays. Every now and then -- on a Friday, obviously -- I'll re-post something I wrote way back when.

This post is from January 28, 2008. The chicken recipe I posted Monday reminded me of this one, which I liked much better.

**********

I've been carrying this recipe around in my card file for years, and I have no idea where I originally found it. But had I known it was going to be this delicious, I would have tried it a long time ago.

Although there are several ingredients, it goes together quickly and easily. I served the chicken on a bed of noodles and drizzled the extra sauce over the top.

Chicken Breasts Diane

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

3 Tablespoons chopped green onion

Juice of half a lime (or lemon)

4 ounces (4 Tablespoons) brandy (could use apple juice)

3 Tablespoons chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used just a tad more)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Cut each chicken breast half in half, making 8 pieces total. Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap until even thickness, about 3/8" thick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat 1 Tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in large skillet. Cook 4 chicken pieces over high heat for four minutes on each side. Do not cook longer. Transfer to a warm serving platter. Add another 1 Tablespoon each of olive oil and butter to skillet, then cook the remaining 4 pieces of chicken.

Add green onion, lime juice, brandy, parsley and mustard to pan. Cook for 15-30 seconds, whisking constantly. Whisk in chicken broth until sauce is smooth. Whisk in remaining 1 Tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings.

My Hair

2011-07-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

I'm all about the no-frills approach to most things, including my hair. I just don't want to be bothered by it or have to bother with it. I quit coloring it about four years ago, and except for a trim or two, hadn't cut it in three years or so. Or maybe it was five years ago for the color and four years ago for the cut. I just don't remember.

Anyway, I had grown kind of attached to my long hair, not because it was pretty at all, but because it was easy (up in some kind of bun or twist most days) and also because it was the only time in my life that I'd grown all of my hair one length without layers or bangs. But lately, I've been tired of it. So I found a style online that I liked and went in to get it cut this morning.

It has a little more character now, but is still long enough to put up if I want. Here are the pics. Be kind.

Before, basically all one length, air-dried (the underside is wavy like a cocker spaniel's ears...LOL).

The new cut, also just air-dried into the natural waves, curls and because of the humidity, a little extra frizz.

New cut after using the flat iron on it. This will probably be the every day style for me, but I think I can play with a curling iron to "fancy it up" if I need to.

If This Isn't Real Life, Then I Don't Know What Is

2011-07-28T07:15:00.000-05:00

I need to water the tomatoes, buy groceries, take Kat to the pool, and I'm seriously toying with the idea of getting a haircut today (pics to follow if/when I do).

While I'm gone, read THIS -- Erica talks about keeping it real in the Blogosphere Fantasy World. It's another great post from NW Edible Life.

So Random

2011-07-27T06:00:00.072-05:00

Today is school enrollment day. I'm so excited. I get to go stand in lines all morning.

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Woke from one of those brakes-won't-brake, wipers-won't-wipe kind of dreams the other morning. They say it means I have no control over my life and I can't see the situation clearly. To which I say, "pfffft".

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We've decided to take down the half-built sun room on our back deck and move it to the ground as a greenhouse, then redesign our deck, add some more raised garden beds, and build or get a chicken coop by next spring. Not to mention that water is somehow getting under our kitchen floor at the back sliding door so we'll need to locate and fix the water seepage issue, replace the sliding door system and replace the kitchen flooring. This should really be done soon, since we can see daylight around the sliding door, even when it's closed. And did I mention Shane has to go out of town again for work...soonish? I have no clear vision how we're going to get all of this done or how we'll pay for it. I feel like my life is out of control and I'm powerless to stop it.

See dream interpretation above.

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It's said that blogging can help you work through and clarify obstacles in your life. It's also cheaper than a therapist.

See dream interpretation above.

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Kat and I are at an impasse. We both want to do something today. I want to go bowling, but she doesn't. She wants to go to the pool, but I don't. Whatever shall we do?

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Catnip hangover.

Spiced Carrot Side Dish

2011-07-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

I saw a recipe, I'm not sure where, for some kind of African carrot "salad". Sorry for the ambiguity, but at my age, my memory isn't what it used to be. When I searched on Google, I came up with a ton of recipes. Then I came up with this one. To me, it's not a salad, since it's served warm or at room temperature. But it is good. I really liked it, and Shane said it was awesome. His comment was awesome, since he's not a lover of carrots.

This made just enough for Shane and me -- Kat took her required bite, but that's it -- so adjust as needed to serve your family.

PS: I think this recipe would work great with sweet potatoes instead of carrots, too.

Spiced Carrot Side Dish
4 large carrots
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (fresh preferred, dry acceptable)
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and peel carrots. Cook carrots until soft by whatever method you choose (I prefer steaming or microwaving with just a tiny bit of water). Coarsely mash carrots and set aside.

In small pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in coriander and caraway seeds. Cook and stir for about 1 minute or until spices become aromatic.

Pour butter mixture over mashed carrots, toss in chopped parsley and stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 2 servings.

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This post is being linked to this week's Hearth and Soul Blog Hop with Premeditated Leftovers and Mom's Sunday Cafe.

Kansas City Family Fun: UniverSoul Circus

2011-07-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: For my readers in and around the Kansas City area, the following is a press release announcing local performances of the UniverSoul Circus. I was contacted this morning about publishing the announcement on my blog. In return, my family was given tickets to one of their performances, but after taking a look at their website, I think the show sounds wonderful and I would have gladly agreed to promote the circus without having received tickets.

After all...who doesn't love a circus?

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2011

HEADING TO KANSAS CITY JULY 27-31
UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS TRANSFORMS THE HEART AND SOUL OF AMERICA WITH A SHOW THAT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD!

“THE AWESOMEST SHOW EVER”

We’re on a Mission to be the Most Liked Circus in the World!

“The Awesomest Show Ever” to take place under the big top is heading to Kansas City as UniverSoul Circus brings the most electrifying and interactive single ring extravaganza to the Liberty Parking Lot of Kemper Arena, July 27-31. Tickets are on sale now.

There’s no doubt about it – the 243 year history of the modern circus has finally been reborn in the form of UniverSoul Circus, nationally recognized for its unique brand of high energy audience interaction and thrilling circus artistry. Whether you’re dancing in the aisles with the Ringmaster; rapping to The Sugarhill Gang; volunteering for the “Soul Train Line;” singing 2,200-part harmony with the kids to Sponge Bob Square Pants, or enjoying a musical finale with the entire cast line-dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – there’s something for everyone to interact with at UniverSoul Circus, recently proclaimed by a youthful online fan as “The Awesomest Show Ever.”

WHEN:
July 27-31

WHERE:
Liberty Parking Lot, Kemper Arena
West 16th St. & Liberty St., Kansas City, MO 64102

TICKETS:
Tickets prices $11 to $26. Children under 1 are FREE
All tickets available by Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and 1-800-745-3000.

SHOWTIMES:
Wednesday, July 27 @ 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday-Friday, July 28-29 @ 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 30 @ 12 noon, 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 31 @ 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Visit www.universoulcircus.com for more info, show times, and schedules. Also follow us on www.facebook.com/universoulcircus and www.twitter.com/universoulcirc

UniverSoul Circus is on a mission to be the most liked circus in the world by acquiring 1 million “Likes” on Facebook by December 2011, the end of its 2011 tour season. It’s as simple as going to www.facebook.com/universoulcircus and pressing the “Like” button. You’re going to love our show, but you can “Like” us now on Facebook.

The UniverSoul Circus line up for 2011 will flat out blow you away. New acts include the beautiful and enchanting Rahel of Ethiopia will twist and turn her way into our hearts with a cutting edge presentation of contortion we like to call Pretty Girl Rocks. If that’s not enough we traveled all the way to Dalian, China to unearth Modern Biker Girls, a group of amazing young ladies who will put any extreme biker to shame with their amazing two-wheel, non-motorized, dexterity. And we’ve brought new meaning to the Russian Swing Act, armed with an acrobatic attitude and a whole lotta rhythm as they swing themselves into the upper echelons of our big top.

“We are a circus with a rhythm and beat all our own,” said UniverSoul Circus Founder and CEO Cedric Walker. “We will always produce a show filled with soul and hip hop music, and we will always feature only the most dynamic performers from around the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re an urbanite or a suburbanite, old school or new school, generation X or Y, pre-school, high school or grad school – I strongly believe everyone will find something to enjoy at our show.”

And the rest of our amazing cast of UniverSoul Circus performers include, a daredevil motorcycle globe act, trickster dogs, high wire, tigers, Caribbean and stilt dancers, and elephants.

The Cast:
Act Type – Act Name – Hometown
1. *Prelude/Opening – The Transformers – United States, Trinidad & Tobago
2. *Bicycle Girls – Modern Biker Girls Troupe – Dalian, China
3. *Russian Swing – Russian Swing – Belarus
4. *Contortionist – Rahel – Pretty Girl Rocks – Ethiopia
5. Aerial Straps – Jean Claude – France
6. Ringmaster – Tony Tone – Memphis, TN
7. Ringmaster’s Sidekick – Zeke (Zanda Charles) – Hartford, CT
8. Caribbean Dancers – Caribbean Heat – Trinidad and Tobago
9. Trick Dogs – Olate Dogs – Chile
10. High wire – Gabonese High Wire – Gabon, Africa
11. Tigers – John Jairo presents Tigers – Ecuador
12. Stilt Dancers – Stilts – Trinidad &Tobago
13. Motorcycle Daredevils – The Globe – Colombia
14. Elephants – Soul Circus Divas – USA
*New with the circus in 2011

Audience participation under the big top and overwhelmingly positive fan feedback on online communities such as Facebook, Twitter and Ticketmaster have established UniverSoul Circus as the most entertaining and inspiring, interactive circus in the world. The following is a small sampling of audience feedback received in 2011 from Ticketmaster.com.

“This show was truly amazing. The acts were exciting, unbelievable, breathtaking and awesome. The ringmaster is the greatest announcer ever!!! There is no other circus in the world that can compare to the UniverSoul Circus.”
Baltimore, MD

“The stunts, music and show were all great! I loved the variety of nationalities performing and the level of talent was top notch.”
Norfolk, VA

“My children and I danced and laughed like never before. Audience participation was at an all time high.”
Queens, NY

“The event was well worth its weight in gold.”
Bronx, NY

“This was my first time attending this circus and it was amazing. I would recommend this show to anyone.”
Raleigh, NC

“It was one of the best times we've ever had. The circus had something for everyone, from toddlers to big kids like me (I'm 41).”
Richmond, VA

“The circus was great. My little girl loved it. It's a great place to take your family.”
Atlanta, GA

“Good, clean, wholesome fun. Fantastic circus! Can hardly wait for it to come back next year!”
Miami, FL

About UniverSoul Circus
UniverSoul is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America along with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey and Cirque du Soleil. UniverSoul’s fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned it a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events, along with other shows including Sesame Street Live, Disney on Ice, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The circus was founded in Atlanta by concert and theatre promoter, Cedric Walker. Now in its 18th year, the circus will perform over 500 shows in 32 major markets.

Chicken In Creamy Almond Sauce

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've had this recipe in my card file for years, but I'm just now getting around to trying it. Shane liked it a lot. Kat liked it, but would prefer I left out the almonds next time. I liked it, but think a splash of white wine in the sauce would be quite nice. Or maybe some sauteed mushrooms. In my opinion, it's one of those recipes that's a good starting point for making an even better dish.

Chicken In Creamy Almond Sauce

3 large chicken breast halves
2/3 cup sliced almond
2 Tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch (can use potato starch, Mochiko or 2 Tablespoons flour)
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons orange marmalade (I used frozen orange juice concentrate by necessity)
2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Cut chicken breast halves in half and pound to 1/4-inch thickness, resulting in 6 cutlets.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Toast almond slices in butter just until they begin to brown. Remove from butter and set them aside.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and, over medium heat, brown in the butter that is already in the pan.

Meanwhile, whisk milk and broth into cornstarch and heat over medium high heat until bubbly and slightly thickened. Stir in mustard and orange marmalade. Stir in about half of almonds. Pour sauce over chicken in pan. Continue cooking chicken and sauce until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Spoon sauce over top and garnish with remaining almond slices.

Serves 4 to 6.

Flashback Friday - Awesome Blender Pancakes

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays. Every now and then -- on a Friday, obviously -- I'll re-post something I wrote way back when.

This post is from October 14, 2007. These are the best pancakes I've ever tasted. Your mileage may vary.

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If you're a big breakfast eater, this pancake recipe will quickly become a favorite. And if you're like us and not really into the early morning meal, they might be what it takes to change your mind. They're the best pancakes we've ever eaten.

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

1 cup milk
3/4 cup wheat kernels (aka wheatberries)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons honey or sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put milk and wheat berries in blender. Blend on high for about 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend a few seconds until mixed. Batter will be thinner than most pancake batters. Pour batter onto lightly oiled, hot griddle or skillet. Serve with butter and syrup or honey.

Makes approx. ten 5-inch pancakes.

Source: Pleasant Hill Grain Company.

Product Review: Bissel Little Green Machine

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is not a paid review. It's just my opinion of a product that I think works well.

You might remember that we got new carpeting a few months ago. We love it, and our cats love it, but the honeymoon officially ended about a week ago when one of the cats threw up on the carpet, leaving a very noticeable dark stain.

Shane, in typical Boy Scout fashion (although he was never a Boy Scout), was prepared. When we bought the carpeting, he also bought a Bissell Green Machine and some of their Pet Stain for Compacts solution. It cleaned the vomit stain up in no time.

It's easy to use. The nozzle attachment sprays the solution onto the stain, has a brush to scrub the stain, then is used to suck up the solution, water and dirt. The entire process takes about a minute, unless you pre-treat, in which case it takes about 5 minutes.

Now, once Shane gets started with something like this, he just can't stop. He also cleaned the upholstery on our two recliners and all four of our dining room chairs. We bought these chairs five years ago, when Kat was just 3, so her chair was the worst, with it's toddler and pre-schooler food stains. Here's the before:

And here is the after, just a few minutes later:

The Green Machine is lightweight and very portable, easy to use and really does the job. For small clean-up jobs, it's so much more convenient than lugging our our Kirby carpet cleaner (also a good product, but a behemoth).

Regular price on these is around $80. I think we found ours on sale for about $65 or $70. I can tell already it will be money well spent, and I'd recommend this cleaner to anyone.

Click here for the specs, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Corn On The Cob Grilling Tip

2011-07-20T06:01:00.003-05:00

I've never had much luck in the past with grilling ears of corn. They would always come out burned or undercooked. Until now.

I learned about this method from my sister-in-law when we stayed with them in Colorado. Just shuck the ears of corn, wash them and rap them in a wet paper towel. The towel should not be dripping wet, but I've found it works better if it's a little more than just damp.

Then wrap the towel and corn in foil.

Grill over medium-low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

The corn has cooked (steamed, really) perfectly every time we've tried this (5 or 6 times so far) and if it gets done before the rest of your meal, it stays hot for a long time as long as it's still wrapped in the foil.

Don't forget that you can toss the paper towel into your compost bin (since there is no animal fat on it) and smooth out and wipe down the foil for another use.

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This post is being linked to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop with Premeditated Leftovers and Mom's Sunday Cafe.

A Garden Update

2011-07-19T06:00:00.017-05:00

Our poor garden just isn't what it could be this year. It's not been neglected entirely, but between our trip and Shane being gone much of the season, it just wasn't "doted upon" like it has been in the past.

Well, the green beans actually were neglected, so we've decided to just let them dry on the vine, either saving them for seed or trying to eat them as dry beans.

At the last minute, I decided NOT to plant zucchini, okra, eggplant or cucumbers this year after all. I just didn't feel as if I could keep up with it at that time, and I still think it was a good decision.

We just pulled up onions and garlic to dry a bit before we store them, and we harvested about a cup of strawberries which isn't bad for their first year, and they're still bearing.

Ripening strawberry.

We still have some Swiss chard, but unfortunately, all of our collard greens were bug-eaten and our very few raspberries and blackberries were bird-eaten.

What we do still have is potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and tomatoes. Boy, do we have tomatoes! Between the plants we set out intentionally and all the volunteers, we have 45 to 50 plants!

Some of our tomatoes.

A few more...more still elsewhere in the garden.

We were late to get them out, so they are just starting to produce. We picked our first tomato last Wednesday. We haven't dug any of the potatoes yet, but the tops are starting to die off, so we'll dig them soon.

I'm not even sure if we'll like the Jerusalem artichoke roots, but if not, they make a pretty ornamental plant anyway.

Jerusalem Artichokes along fence. They will have sunflower-like blossoms.

Also, we have some volunteer squash-like plants -- two kinds -- growing from the compost bin. We're just waiting for them to set on so we can determine whether they are edible squash or ornamental gourds. Could be either one.

Squash blossom of some sort.

Mostly Meatless Monday - Smoky Mac & Cheese With Bacon

2011-07-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I bought some smoked gouda the other day and thought it would be great in some homemade mac & cheese, so I came up with this recipe. Leave the bacon out for a meatless meal and it would still taste great, I think.

Smoky Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon

6 slices of bacon, fried, drained and crumbled
1 box (13.25 ounces) whole wheat penne pasta
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon flour (I used 1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
1/2 cup half and half cream
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese

Fry bacon, drain and crumble, then set it aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cream and milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cheeses until melted, then remove from heat. Stir most of the bacon pieces into the cheese sauce mixture, reserving a tablespoon or two of bacon pieces for garnish.

Stir cheese sauce into cooked pasta until evenly coated. Spoon into serving dish and garnish with reserved bacon pieces.

Makes 4 to 6 main-dish sized servings.

Flashback Friday - Paying The Bills

2011-07-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays. Every now and then -- on a Friday, obviously -- I'll re-post something I wrote way back when.

This post is from September 28, 2007. I still think switching to some kind of an envelope system of budgeting is one of the best thing we ever did for our personal finances. I'm still a huge fan of Budget for Windows by Snowmint. There are other programs that will do identical or similar things for you; this is just the one I chose and I love it.

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Paying the bills...the actual act of sending the payments...seems to be a popular topic recently on several of the personal finance blogs and websites I frequent.

By simply staying on top of your bills and keeping your checkbook balanced, you can avoid unnecessary late fees and overdraft charges. Anyone who even occasionally forgets to pay a bill on time or forgets to record an ATM withdrawal, knows these fees can add up in a hurry. I used to do both until I realized that it was because I wasn't organized pay my bills or balance my checkbook often enough.

Getting organized, for me, happened in two distinct steps. First was keeping a list each month of the bills I needed to pay, when they were due, and when I should send the payment. I keep mine simple by listing bills on a sheet of paper in a small spiral or steno notebook, then drawing a line through each bill as I pay it. At the end of the month, I write everything down on the next sheet in the book. Of course, there are more elaborate systems; I think whatever works for someone is the system they should use.

My list helped me to remember to pay everything on time without leaving anything out, but it did nothing to ensure that I would have enough money to pay a bill when it came due. Over and over, I read about the good ol' fashioned envelope method of budgeting, in which you cash your paycheck and distribute the whole of it into physical envelopes marked with categories such as groceries, utilities, mortgage, car payment, and so forth. I liked the idea, but not the execution. I simply wasn't comfortable with the idea of carrying around that much cash or that many envelopes.

Instead, I did the same thing, but only on paper. Using a standard 13-column ledger, I "distributed" our money into "envelopes", one per column, and tracked all of our spending.

The first step was to decide how much of our income should be allotted to the various envelopes. We want enough in each envelope that we don't need to worry if bills will be covered, but not so much that money is just sitting in an envelope when it could literally be better spent elsewhere.

Second, we decided to go "cashless" for the most part. Whenever possible, we pay for goods and services using our debit card, online bill-paying and the occasional credit card transaction. We love to go to garage sales, and those obviously require cash, and we pay our daycare provider with a check each week, but at least 95% of our spending is done electronically.

Third, we also began getting (and saving) a receipt for EVERYTHING we buy, even if it's just a pack of gum or a soda at the gas station.

On a semi-regular schedule, I would round up all of our receipts, make sure everything was recorded in our checkbook correctly, then enter ALL of our transactions into the ledger. If everything was entered correctly, and my math was error-free, the checkbook and the ledger would balance and both would agree with the monthly bank statement.

This worked very well, and almost immediately our financial situation improved. Everything was getting paid on time, our bank account wasn't overdrawn, and we could tell exactly where our spending strengths and weaknesses were. But the work involved in setting it up and keeping it up manually was daunting. I easily spent a 3-4 hours at a time working on it, and I often failed to maintain it every week. If I made a mistake in my figures, it could take hours or even days to locate and correct. But because of the difference it made for us, I was unwilling to give it up.

At some point, I was fortunate enough to read about a computer programs that would do automatically what I'd been doing manually. There are no doubt many of these programs available, but the one I read about was called Mvelopes. I'd read great things about Mvelopes, but instead of it being an application that I could download or purchase on a CD, it required a membership fee (currently ranging between $7.90 and $13.20 a month). I didn't want to pay the fee, so I continued to search.

I found another program, its name long forgotten, with a free trial download. It downloaded fine, but I found it cumbersome to work with and full of glitches. Then I found one called Budget for Windows by Snowmint Creative Solutions. It, too, had a free trial download. I downloaded it and had it completely set up in about half an hour. I absolutely loved it and purchased the download right away. It's easy to use, has a helpful tutorial, free upgrades and is very affordable. It even has colorful representations of envelopes, making it as close to the "envelope system" as you can get without actual paper envelopes.

t about the same time, our bank made online account viewing and bill paying available, which I signed up for immediately.

With these tools in place -- my list of bills, Budget for Windows and online banking -- I can now track our income and spending very quickly. I take on our budgeting "chore" once a week now. The steps are the same. I cross off the bills from my list as I pay them, except I pay them electronically now. We are still cashless and still save all of our receipts, which I record in our checkbook. Only now, I also look at our transactions online to make sure that no receipts have accidentally got lost and no online purchases or deposits (eBay, etc.) have been forgotten. When my checkbook balances with the bank's figures, then I enter everything into Budget. When it balances with the checkbook and bank, I not only know my math is correct, but I also know exactly how much money we have available and what it's been set aside for.

Paying bills and balancing the checkbook now takes about 20 minutes each week, and I suppose it's geeky to say, I actually look forward to it. At the very least, I don't dread it the way I once did.

BTW, when our old computer crashed about a year ago, I had back-ups of our working Budget files but not the application itself. I ended up purchasing another download, but within a day I'd found the receipt and download code from my original purchase. I emailed Snowmint and they immediately refunded my second purchase and allowed me to use my original download code. That's excellent customer service.

This isn't a sponsored post or anything like that. Just my personal endorsement of a product that, along with a couple of habit changes, made a huge improvement in our lives.

Quinoa Salad

2011-07-14T06:00:00.003-05:00

I saw a quinoa salad recently HERE, but over the weekend when I wanted to try it, our internet service was intermittent to the point I couldn't get back to the recipe in time to use it. I came up with this one instead, from memory. It's similar, but made with red quinoa and no oil. It would probably be more attractive with white (beige) quinoa, but red is what I had on hand.

Shane and I enjoyed it. It made a little more than two servings served as a side dish with some pan-grilled shrimp. I ate the rest the next day for breakfast. It's sweet and slightly tart, making it a good dish for any meal. It's pretty healthy, too.

This would be good, I think, with just about any combination of fruits and veggies. Strawberries, celery, green bell peppers, blueberries, tomatoes and shredded carrot all sound good to me. An addition of herbs would be nice, too.

Red Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup red quinoa
1 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 medium plum, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup honey (I used local raw honey)
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a small or medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until grain is tender and water is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in fruits, vegetables and dressing ingredients until well-combined. Let set for at least an hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 2-3 side dish servings.

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This post is being to linked to the Hearth and Soul Hop #56 with Premeditated Leftovers and Mom's Sunday Cafe.

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

The Star Wars Break Dancing Team...

with a little ballet...

River Dance...

and Matrix thrown in for good measure.

Kat's Birthday Cupcakes (Cherry Chocolate Malt Cupcakes)

2011-07-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

These are the cupcakes I made for Kat's pre-birthday birthday party a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, I'm not sure if I liked them or not.

Yes, they were very photogenic. They are just pretty as can be -- and I liked that about them. On the other hand, I started with this recipe, and absolutely hated the cocoa-cream cheese frosting, so I changed that to a simple chocolate butter cream.

The cupcakes themselves are extremely moist and dense. More like a fudgy brownie or a heavy, moist banana bread. I think I would have preferred a cakier cupcake. But the flavor was good. The malt flavoring got lost, I think, but the cherry and the chocolate were front and center. I also liked that the recipe makes just 12 cupcakes. A bigger batch is too much for our family.

These freeze very well and I think they tasted a little better after freezing. Just flash freeze them on a tray, then wrap each individually. Be sure to unwrap before thawing (in fridge or on the countertop) so that the wrapping doesn't stick to the frosting.

One more thing -- I just don't think Whoppers are nearly as good as they were when I was a kid. Anyone else notice that they just don't taste the same?

Anyhoo...here is the original recipe, and here is what I did instead.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE MALT CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES

1 stick (8 Tbs) softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used minis)
1 cup cherry preserves (I blended in food processor to make a smooth consistency)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate malt powder (I used Carnation brand)
pinch of salt (I omitted because I used salted butter)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup all-purpose white, 1/2 cup white whole wheat)

FROSTING (big batch; you could make half...better if made the day before)

3-1/2 sticks butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt - only if using unsalted butter
1 teaspoon corn syrup (can omit)
2 pounds (approx. 6-1/4 cups) powdered sugar
1/4 cup water

GARNISH
1 (5 oz.) package of Malt Balls (Whoppers), crushed, for garnish
12 whole maraschino cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to soften, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the cherry jam, sugar, salt and beaten eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well combined stir in the flour.

Scrape and pour into the muffin papers in cupcake pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until toothpick test comes our clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

To make frosting, cream together butter, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and corn syrup. Slowly mix in powdered sugar. Add water to desired consistency. Frosting will be a very light brown, but will darken by the next day. It will also have a more pronounced chocolate flavor the next day.

When the cupcakes are cool, pipe icing on cooled cupcakes using a large star tip. Sprinkle with crushed malt balls and top each cupcake with a cherry.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Tangy, Spicy Pan-Fried Potatoes

2011-07-11T07:25:00.002-05:00

These are the potatoes I made for Kat's pre-birthday birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, so I'm sure I'll be making them again.

Tangy, Spicy Pan-Fried Potatoes

1 pound russet potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
4 slices pickled jalapenos, minced
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I crushed some whole seeds)
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 Tablespoons peanut oil (or oil of choice)
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I used my home-infused chive blossom vinegar)
3 Tablespoons water

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl; toss with onion, garlic powder, jalapeno, cumin, coriander and salt.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook potatoes over medium to high heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping browned bits from pan. Add rice vinegar and water. Continue to cook until all liquid is evaporated and potatoes are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Serves 4. Can add bits of leftover chopped meat to make a hearty side dish for 2.

Vacation Cost Recap And A Few More Photos

2011-07-10T11:45:00.002-05:00

This is the last post about our vacation and is an expense recap. Shane was able to borrow a camera from his sister that takes much better pics than our own camera, so I've created a separate page for those shots. You can click HERE, or under "Pages" in my sidebar

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Mostly to satisfy my own curiosity, I've compiled a quick breakdown of our vacation costs. I don't know how other people like to spend their vacation, but we like to keep busy, with a little down-time mixed in. We weren't on the go every waking moment, but we ended up doing most of what we wanted to do. Two things we might have done -- a zip-line activity and rafting -- would have required a lot more time and a little more money than we were willing to spend, and that lovely swirling, swooping helicopter ride through the Royal Gorge was just out of the question financially.

Before we left, I was guessing $1000 as a reasonable amount to spend for this particular trip. Here's how it went and how I think it would compare to an "average" family vacation:

Sleeping accommodations - $30. We spent four nights at my sister-in-law's house and two nights in a motel. Our first motel stay was free because of their hot tub problems and our second night was only $30 because of a discount voucher we had. We definitely came out ahead on this. Had we spent all six nights in a motel, it could easily have cost us $500 or more.

Meals out - $344. We were away from home for 19 meal times. We ate in restaurants for 10 of them. Except for Subway on our last day, we avoided fast food places and except for three of our meals, we avoided chain restaurants all together. We didn't eat "health foods" by any means, but I think we avoided most of the really worthless junk. We also tried a few new and unusual foods. Had we taken some of our own food or eaten more meals at the in-laws' house, we could have saved a little money. On the other hand, if we'd eaten every meal out, even at fast-food joints, we would have spent as much or probably more.

Snacks and drinks - $28. Sometimes when we travel we have a lot of snacks or drinks, either in the van or at the attractions we visit. We didn't do much of that this trip, because we took our own bottles of water and cans of soda -- $12 of the $28 dollars here was for ice for the cooler. In addition, we were eating so well (mostly in quantity, but also in quality) that we didn't feel the need to snack between meals.

Gasoline - $227. We traveled approximately 1400 miles. Gasoline prices were, on average, $3.45 a gallon, and we still had about 1/3 of tank of gas left when we got home. It's hard to compare this to other families because of vehicle differences, destination differences, etc. Also, the in-laws drove us around to some attractions, so there were about 500 miles that were on their vehicle.

Activities and Attraction Admissions - $205. We paid to get into the parks at Cliff Dwellings, Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge, Cave of the Winds and Prairie Dog Town. There was no charge to get into Garden of the Gods or Pulpit Rock Park. Other families may have remembered to grab the discount coupons to many of these places; we absent-mindedly left them sitting on the dresser. Also, most of these attractions are available as part of a package deal. That, too, could have saved us money, but because of time restraints, we didn't want to lock ourselves into a package deal.

Souvenirs - $165. Does that sound like a lot? It does to me, although in our defense, none of it was cheesy shot glasses, snow globes or chunks of fool's gold. $10 of it was a gift for the little boy who (with the help of his mom) watered our garden while we were gone. $25 of it was toys and trinkets Kat bought with her own money. We bought some post cards to send to Kat's great-grandparents. Shane bought a bill cap (the only souvenir we bought that has the word "Colorado" printed on it) and some ocarina flutes that he's wanted and passed up in other places. For myself, I bought a sterling-dipped aspen leaf pendant, a sterling silver ring and some fridge magnets. Not the kitschy kind with the state or park name printed on them, but some nicer magnets with strong holding power to replace some of the ugly, weak ones on our fridge right now. In comparison to other families, I think our spending on souvenirs was probably moderate.

Incidentals - $105. This includes turnpike tolls, an extra birthday gift for Kat that probably wouldn't have been purchased had we not been on vacation, a few pool toys, sunscreen for Shane, Redbox movies for Kat to watch on the long drive home, and two replacement swimsuits thanks to the motel's blunder. Other families may have been better organized and not needed any incidentals. On the other hand, other families may have included shopping as a main feature of their vacation.

Grand Total for 7 days and 6 nights - $1104 or about $158 a day. All in all, I think we did fairly well. When I asked Shane how much he thought we had spent, he said $1100. I'm not sure if he was tracking expenses in his head, or if he just got lucky.

So, what do you think? Considering all we did and all we ate, did we do ok? Or do you think we spent too much?

Everybody's Gotta Eat

2011-07-07T10:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a great post I found it this morning at Northwest Edible Life. It's a little "in your face", but the message is clear and it's a good one, I think. Everybody's gotta eat, and we are all going to need to pull together to keep our options open in the future.

I'm proud to say that in my birth family, there are a quite few of what we like to call "hip-billies". You know, a cross between a hippie and a hillbilly. It's rare in the same family, and especially in the same person, but it does happen. So, for me, it was easy to whole-heartedly agree with Erica when she says libs and cons (and everyone else) can be on the same side when it comes to food and farming issues.

Sometimes the line is very fine indeed.

Vacation, Days 5 And 6 (And 7, But It Hardly Counts)

2011-07-06T17:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. It wasn't intentional; time just got away from me, and I'd still rather work on "my" computer (the old desktop) than "Shane's" computer (the new laptop). The new one is faster, but I'm faster on this old one.

I shared some of Day 5's pictures with you in the last post. That was Monday morning, when we drove up to the summit of Pikes Peak. Poor Shane! He had a bit of altitude sickness at the top. So did my BFF when we went a couple of decades ago. I'm not going to say that I don't feel the altitude, it was noticeable both times I've been to the summit, but just not enough to bother me for a short stay.

After we came back down to the in-laws' house, I took off on my own for a while and drove to the south side of Denver to meet Tug. We've been cyber friends for a few years now and we figured since I was in the neighborhood, relatively speaking, we should take the opportunity to meet. We had a great lunch at a place called Rock Bottom Brewery. I broke my "no chain restaurants" rule for this one, since I'd never been to one, and because I had read they brew their beers on site.

Now, we each had our waiter take pictures of us together, but all of them on my camera were blurry. I'd blame it on the camera, but since Tug says none of hers came out, either, we're going to blame it on the waiter. But I did have my priorities in order and was able to get some good shots of the food.

My shrimp and lobster tacos.

Tug's shrimp and lobster sandwich.

And here's one of me going topless...

Me, in the Tug Bug.

Later that night, we celebrated Kat's birthday by having some cake, ice cream and a few gifts...

Kat blowing out the candles on her strawberry/angel food/jello cake.

And finished off the night by climbing up on the roof and watching fireworks from four different locations, the best by far being those at the Air Force Academy.

On Day 6, our last day in Colorado, we said our goodbyes and headed off to one last attraction -- the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. This was my second favorite part of the trip, topped only by the Royal Gorge. And fortunately, I got some of my best pics of the trip here.

And, of course, we ate one more time before heading back toward Kansas. We tried this place, called Manitou Pancake and Steak House. Again, it was one of those restaurants that's not much to look at, but appeared to be busy with both tourists and locals.

Shane's "Incline" Skillet (chunky potatoes, chicken fried steak, sausage gravy, two eggs and cheese). He demolished it.

Kat's Chicken Fried Chicken with potatoes, gravy, veggies and salad. She ate all of it but the veggies. She had a huge appetite the entire trip.

My Pikes Peak Skillet (chunky potatoes, a patty of Angus beef, pork green chili, two eggs and cheese). This is the only meal that really got the best of me during our trip. I was only able to eat half of it.

On full bellies and a full tank of gas, we drove about 7 hours, stopping only to get more gas and to eat dinner. Kat and Shane were both wanting fried chicken, but I didn't want KFC, so we decided on Golden Corral buffet. I didn't take pics, because it's just like all the other steak buffet places.

We stayed again in the same AmericInn Hotel in Salina that we stayed in on the way out. We considered staying somewhere else, and had even looked into a few hotel chains in both Hays and Colby, KS. Either of those places would have divided our drive a little more evenly, but I wasn't able to locate a room with two queen beds (all were either one king or two doubles...neither option worked for us). So, once we found out we'd have to stay in Salina anyway, we bit the bullet and just stayed in the same place since we still had a discount voucher.

It was a little better than last time. The hotel seemed to be just as full, but it was not nearly as noisy. The hot tub had not been fixed, but rather it had been drained and was "under repair". It served it's purpose, and it was cheap. We realize now that the hotel where Shane has been staying in Garden City is their "gem", so to speak. It's in all of their brochures, posters and on their website, and it seems that their other locations just don't live up to the one in GC.

Which brings us to today, which was Day 7 and filled with nothing but driving home. It doesn't really count, in my book. We rode for miles, we ate lunch at Subway (I was outnumbered) and I read the entire time.

It was a fun trip, and I may have one more post (a photo dump of sorts and a cost re-cap). Colorado is a nice place to visit, and I understand the appeal for some people, but I'm very glad to be back home in Missouri!

Just Pictures For Now

2011-07-05T00:31:00.000-05:00

It's already after midnight and I'm too tired to post about Day 5 of our vacation. It was a good day, but I just can't stay up any longer. I'll try to post about it tomorrow from the motel room as we make our way back home.

Meanwhile, here are some pics of Pikes Peak.

From 6 miles up the Pikes Peak Highway.

Another shot from the lake.

From the summit. The lake at the left is the same one in the first two photos.

West, from the summit.

East from the summit, looking at Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs.

Looking Northeast, I think.

Northwest, I think. Dark area is the shadow of a cloud.

Proof.

Vacation, Day 4: The Royal Gorge (Twice)

2011-07-03T23:23:00.002-05:00

Almost our entire day today was spent at The Royal Gorge. We did stop and eat breakfast at a little bagel and sandwich place, but I flat out forgot the pics. Oh well, if you've seen one breakfast burrito, you've seen them all.

The Royal Gorge has been my favorite part of the trip so far. I loved it all...the beautiful canyon, the suspension bridge, the air tram back across the canyon and the incline ride to the bottom of the canyon.

Suspension bridge across the Royal Gorge and the Arkansas River.

A view from the bridge (we walked across).

A view of the bridge from the sky tram. Notice the red helicopter flying UNDER the bridge. If not for the expense, Shane and I would have loved to have taken the copter ride.

A view of the bridge from the bottom of the canyon.

Goofy self-portrait shot at the bottom of the canyon.

Picture that a kind stranger took of us.

A view as we were coming back up the incline.

We skipped lunch, so our second "royal gorge" of the day was all of us pigging out at Michael's on Main in Canon City, CO. And once again, being patient with some less than stellar service got us some free stuff. We all ordered our meals, but for some reason Kat's lasagna was late getting to the table. It was supposed to have been only a few minutes late, but the rest of us were finished with our meals and she still didn't have hers. BIL wanted to make a scene, but we talked him off that ledge. Instead we were patient and polite and the manager -- of her own accord -- comped Kat's meal and also gave all five of us a free gelato dessert. Although the lasagna wasn't worth that kind of wait, it was made very well, as was all of the food we had there.

Here is my plate of Spicy Lamb and Cheese Tortellini on Arugula. Of course, the picture doesn't do it justice. In spite of the kitchen foul-up, we would go to Michael's again if we are ever in the area. Not likely, but you never know.

Pasta at Michael's. MUCH better than the food we had in Salina.

Vacation, Day 3: Having A Ball...Or Two Or Three

2011-07-02T21:58:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning we were off to a slow start after staying up late the night before. After coffee and toast, we headed out fro some sight-seeing.

Our first stop was Garden of the Gods. Here are some of our pics from there, but I'm so disappointed with them. I got better pics of this place with a 110 pocket camera 25 or so years ago.

Garden of the Gods

Kat at the Garden of the Gods

We followed that up with a tour through Cave of the Winds. Here are some outside pics, but I couldn't get any good inside shots.

Area around Cave of the Winds.

Add Area around Cave of the Winds.

Area around Cave of the Winds.

We were ready for lunch, so we ate at Stagecoach Inn in Manitou Springs, CO. Kind of quaint on the outside, in a tourist-y sort of way.

Stagecoach Inn in Manitou Springs, CO.

My buffalo burger with green chile and pepper jack cheese.

Shane and I split an order of Rocky Mountain Oysters. Oh yes, we DID go there!

Shane, having a ball...so to speak.

After our meal, a thunderstorm popped up, so we headed back to the house and just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, not doing much of anything. I didn't even get a photo of the tacos we had for supper, but I promise they weren't made with any "weird" animals or animal parts.

Vacation, Day 2: Prairie Dogs and A Nice Back Deck View

2011-07-02T16:56:00.001-05:00

After a hotel breakfast (which was what it was...we had few expectations for anything other than the typical waffles, yogurt, etc.) we checked out of the hotel owing nothing for Thursday night's room, and we also got our points re-credited as promised. We handled the complaint politely from our end and the hotel staff were professional on their end, so all is well.

Most of Friday was spent driving, but we broke up the monotony with a trip to the Hays, KS, Wal-Mart for end-of-season, cheap replacement swimsuits and an adapter so we can use our MP3 players in the van. I'll tell you, that was exciting.

We had lunch at Colonial Steak House in Oakley, KS. It doesn't look like much, but with about 25 trucks with both local and out-of-state plates sitting in the parking lot, we figured it would be good. We weren't disappointed. Everything on the buffet was good, but the fried chicken was the real star.

Colonial Steak House in Oakley, KS.

Buffet offerings.

Kat, with farmers and tourists in the background.

A shot that Kat took of me.

What's more, it was across the road from Prairie Dog Town! Prairie Dog Town is about the cheesiest of roadside attractions you'll find, but it ended up being worth the price of admission for all the fun we had with this little miss who was very friendly with us. We probably could have petted her, but we decided it was best to limit the relationship to conversation over lunch (treats we gave her).

Little prairie dog on the prairie.

Prairie dog eating a Milk Bone.

So close...

...almost close enough to touch.

We finally made it to Colorado Springs and to Shane's sister and BIL's house around 6:00 in the evening. Here is a view of Pikes Peak from their back deck. The haze is from smoke from wildfires to the south.

Hazy Pikes Peak view from the back deck.

Here is Kat playing in the back yard (just dirt for now...it's being landscaped soon) with the dogs.

Kat with Izzy and Tory, who's almost out of frame on the right.

And here's dinner. Steaks and chopped salads, along with some drink concoction that remains without a name. That's a huge steak, I know, but I shared mine with Kat.

Steak on the grill with a big salad.

Shane with his sister.

Kat with Shane's brother-in-law.

It was such a lovely night that we stayed outside late, eating and drinking...maybe too much of both...until midnight. Which of course, felt like 1:00 a.m. to us. I was too tired to blog then...better late than never, I guess.

(BTW, I thoroughly dislike my current camera. Our last camera was a similar style in a different brand and liked it so much better. This one seems to give me inconsistent results and the user manual leaves MUCH to be desired. I apologize all the less than wonderful pictures.)

Vacation, Day 1: How We Might Get Our Motel Room For Free

2011-06-30T23:30:00.003-05:00

We left for our vacation yesterday around 10:00 in the morning, made a couple of stops before we got out of town, then headed west.

Food is always an important part of any trip for us. But this is vacation, which means were going to lighten up just a little on the frugality for the next week. We won't go hog wild, but we aren't going to eat bologna sandwiches in our motel room, either. Our plan of attack for meals is to avoid the chain restaurants and fast food places and instead eat only at the privately-owned establishments. Our hope is to avoid a lot of the food additives that can make us feel yucky, as well as hoping we'll get better quality cooking. We'll also eat some home-cooked meals during the time we stay with Shane's sister and brother-in-law.

We arrived in Lawrence, KS, around lunch time, so Shane suggested we eat at Biemer's BBQ, a place he had discovered a couple of years ago when he was on a job in Lawrence. It was a great idea and between the three of us, we quickly polished off a pulled pork sandwich with fries (for me) and a full slab of ribs with fries for Shane and potato salad for Kat. The food was amazing and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. All accompanied by some great blues music over the sound system. We'd recommend this joint to anyone.

It appears to sit between a junk yard and an RV dealership, but really it doesn't.

Yum! Pork ribs.

Yum! Pulled pork.

Yum! Pigs.

Victims of bad camera shutter timing.

After lunch we drove on, stopping at a place called Grandma Hoerner's. The highway sign said they sold organic and natural foods, so I was expecting bulk foods and health foods. Instead, they actually sold gourmet jams, jellies, barbecue sauces, salsas, relishes and the like. We didn't buy anything, but it was worth the stop because Kat had an opportunity to watch a commercial bottling operation through large display windows. It was pretty interesting to watch.

Our drive on into Salina, KS, was uneventful, except for this reading from our on-board thermometer. Yep, it really was that hot.

I know we were traveling west. A person can get confused in this kind of heat.

Once in Salina, we checked into our room. We are staying at a place called AmericInn. It's the same chain where Shane has been staying while he works away from home. They have a rewards program in which patrons can earn point for each night they stay, then after they amass ten points, they can cash in for either $40 cash or $50 in room credit. We opted to use some of the points we've accrued to discount our room both last night and when we stay there again on the way home. More about this in a few minutes.

We left the cool comfort of our room to go to Target, because we forgot Kat's pool toys and needed more toothpaste for her, too. We decided to go ahead and eat dinner while we were out and I suggested a place called Martinelli's Little Italy. On several internet review sites, it got great ratings. We'll never understand why. The food was perfectly edible, but perfectly mediocre.

Blah! Rotini carbonara.

Blah! Lasagna.

Blah! Blurry s'ghetti and meatballs.

Check out her basket. Fruit, candy and cigarettes.

Back to the room and into the pool we went. We all swam for a while and Kat swam for a long while and had a great time.

Mermaid girl.

Splashin' around.

Unfortunately, Shane and I decided to get in the hot tub for a while. Oops! The chlorine levels must have been off the chart. Here is what Shane's navy blue print trunks looked like when we got out.

Not a good color for a redhead.

And here is the top of my swimsuit. I have no idea why only the chest area was affected, but the chemicals seem to have eaten right through the spandex.

Boo hoo! This suit was nearly new.

We immediately told the management, then went to the room to get out of the suits and shower. Shane went back to the front desk and discussed the matter. The management had already closed down the hot tub so no one else's skin or swimsuits would be at risk. She said that she couldn't do anything to make it right with us until morning, when the general manager came in, but that she was going to try to not only comp out our room for the night, but would also try to get our points returned to our account and give us a couple of complimentary points to boot.

And so ended the first day of our vacation. Tomorrow night I'll try to post an update on the room remedy, what we find to eat on the rest of our drive into Colorado, and anything interesting (or not so interesting) we find to do on the way.

Kat's Early Birthday

2011-06-30T06:50:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who wrote a guest post for me during the past week or so. I truly appreciate your generosity and can't wait to try those recipes! I plan to get back to regular or at least semi-regular posts starting...well...with this post.

We're heading out for our trip to Colorado later today, but I wanted to share some of the pics from Kat's early birthday gathering last evening. Kat's actual birthday (July 4th!) will happen while we're gone, but so that her mom and step-dad could celebrate with us, we decided to have a small gathering a few days early. I suspect there will be another small celebration for her on the 4th...at the very least, we'll arrange for a few fireworks.

First the food...

Salad bar.

Spicy, tangy potatoes (recipe soon).

Plate full of yummy things.


Cherry-chocolate malt cupcakes (recipe soon).

Then the family...

Kat with her mom, Jean, and step-dad, M.

Finally, the fun...

New PJs for the trip.

Tangled!

Lego Star Wars book she's been wanting for months.


Pillow Pet that Santa forgot to bring at Christmas.

Plus a bonus! Kat wrote a fan letter to Darth Vader a few weeks ago and here's what she received by way of reply...

Opening the mail.

Stickers, tattoos, trading cards, pin, and a mini-DVD. Also a very nice letter from LucasFilms that was personalized enough that we know for sure they took time to actually read her fan letter.

What I Bought - June 2011

2011-06-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

Here is my recap of my June grocery spending. This is mostly for my own reference, although I know there are a couple of you out there who enjoy this kind of post as well.

I ended June with a total of $99.67 spent on groceries. That includes sales tax, and is just for food items bought at the store to consume at home. It doesn't include any household, pet or HBA items, nor any meals bought away from home. Also, we are a family of three.

Most of the groceries were bought at Aldi. The rest was bought at other grocery stores when on sale or when I just had to have something not available at Aldi. Unless I've listed a brand name, all items are store brands.

A lot of factors kept our grocery spending low this month. June saw Shane working away from home again for the entire month, which automatically lowers our grocery bill since Kat and I tend to eat smaller meals, snack around or just scrounge for whatever is hanging out in the fridge. Not that Shane would turn his nose up at the same things, they just probably wouldn't be filling enough for him.

Between the extreme heat early in the month and my mom passing away at mid-month, I spent the entire 4-week period eating less than I normally would have. I didn't need to buy any groceries at all the second week of the month, and bought very little during the other weeks.

Here's what I bought for $99.67:

MEAT, POULTRY AND EGGS
Farm fresh eggs - dozen - 2
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounds - 8

SEAFOOD
Tuna - 5 ounce can - 3
Fish sticks - 48 ct. box - 1

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Iceberg lettuce - head - 2
Red seedless grapes - pound - 1.5
Mushrooms - 8 ounce carton - 1
Russet potatoes - pounds - 10
Green bell peppers - 3
Avocados - 2

DAIRY
French onion dip - 12 ounces - 2
Whole milk - gallon - 1
Shredded co-jack cheese - 8 ounces - 1
Shredded cheddar cheese - pound - 1
Half-n-half - quart - 1
Cottage cheese - 24 ounce carton - 1
Cream cheese - 8 ounces - 1
Sour cream - 16 ounces - 1

PASTA, GRAINS, BEANS
Lipton/Knorr pasta side dishes - packets - 2*

BREADS
Oat bran bread - loaf -1

BAKING/COOKING STAPLES
Powdered sugar - pounds - 2
All-purpose flour - pounds - 5
Sugar - pounds - 5

CONDIMENTS/SPICES/HERBS
Smuckers cherry preserves - 12 ounces - 1 (for a cake recipe)
Skippy Natural peanut butter - 18 ounce - 2
BBQ sauce - 18 ounces - 1
Tomato sauce - 8 ounces - 2
Taco seasoning mix - packet - 1
Nutritional yeast, bulk - ounces - 6.5

SNACKS
Potato chips - bag - 3
Tortilla chips - bag - 1
Pretzels - bag - 1
Woven wheat crackers - box - 1
Gummy worms - bag - 1
Sesame sticks - pound - 1
Clif energy bar, peanut butter - 1
Whoppers candy - theater-size box - 1 (for a cake recipe)

BEVERAGES
None

SEMI-PREPARED MEALS
Chicken and Cheese Taquitos - 40 count -1

* I fell for the old "sale + coupon = free" routine on these, which was foolish because we don't even like them. We ate about half of one package and put the other in the food donation bin at the grocery store.

Guest Post - Orange-Polenta Pound Cake

2011-06-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is a guest post from Jenn at A Cook's Quest. I will be returning to regular posting very soon.

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There is something wonderful about the texture cornmeal adds to a recipe. When I stumbled onto this cake recipe I knew instantly that I wanted to try it. It not only had cornmeal in it, but also the flavor of oranges, which lemon is my favorite of the citrus fruits. How could it be bad?

It isn’t a one bowl cake, but I didn’t mind cleaning a few extras after I tasted it. The crumb is tender and fine, with a wonderful texture thanks to the cornmeal. I think it is sweet enough for a summer dessert, but not too sweet to have for a brunch (maybe even breakfast). I sprinkled it with powdered sugar for a fast and pretty finish. But next time I think I might top it with macerated berries and fresh whipped cream, Oh My! I hope you ENJOY!

Orange-Polenta Pound Cake

Recipe Source: More magazine, June, 2011 edition, modified slighlyt by A Cook’s Quest

2 sticks of butter, softened, plus more for the pan

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

Zest of one orange

1 cup sugar

5 eggs, separated

Juice of one orange

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a fluted tube pan or a loaf pan with butter.

Mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a small bowl, and set aside. In another bowl, (I used my food processor) cream the butter until it’s smooth. Add ¾ cup of the sugar, and process until it’s well blended; then add the remaining sugar. Continue mixing until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl down as necessary. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks one at a time. Add the orange juice and process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, don’t over mix. The mixture will be very thick.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into the other mixture thoroughly but gently.

Turn the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean. Depending on your pan this can be anywhere from 1-1 ½ hours. Let the cake rest 5 minutes then invert onto a rack. Remove the pan and turn right side up. Allow to cool completely then top with powdered sugar, an orange glaze or just eat it as it is.

Guest Post - Favoritist EVER Hot & Sour Soup and Pork, Pepper & Carrot Stir-Fry

2011-06-28T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is a guest post from McVal at Sew Not My Day. I will resume regular posting soon.

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Thank you Annie Jones for letting me guest host for you today! We miss you and hope you’re back soon. She never ceases to amaze me with her thrift and good recipe ideas!

But… anywhoo…

My hubs and I used to go out to our fave Chinese restaurant all the time before kids. The Hot and Sour soup was our absolute favorite! After kids, we had to go to Chinese buffets where the kids could get the authentic Chinese food. You know… sugared donuts and jello cubes.

Also because you can only bring so many McDonald’s kids meals into the Chinese sit down restaurant before they start getting suspicious about your allergy stories.

So anyway, once when sitting in the doctor’s office waiting my turn, I found the following recipe in a magazine. HAD to try it out! So I “tore” the page out of the magazine and took it home… SSH!!! It had gotten torn and dirty since so I make a copy of it and that and several other “good old stand bys” and they’re taped forever on the inside of my cabinet door.

Because as you may or may not know, I will die in this house…. Just ask my daughter! (I’m not really… I just don’t plan to move again EVER!)

Pork, Pepper & Carrot Stir-Fry
Rice wine vinegar lends a sweet-sour flavor to this saucy stir-fry.

1.5 lbs lean boneless pork – but really I’ve made it with just any kind of pork sliced up.
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp cooking oil
6 medium carrots, thinly bias sliced (3 cups)
2 cups shredded cabbage (if you want. We add that for more bulk and to stretch it)
2 sweet red peppers, cut into thin bite-size strips(2 cups)
2 small onions, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
Hot cooked rice

· cut pork into matchstick sized strips, or just smaller chunks
· for sauce, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger and the crushed red pepper. Set aside.
· Preheat a wok or 12 inch skillet over high heat. Add oil (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Add carrots, sweet red peppers, onions and garlic. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok.
· Add 1/3 of pork to hot wok or skillet. Stir-try about 3 minutes or till no longer pink. Remove pork. Repeat twice with the remaining pork. Return all the pork to the wok. Push pork from center of wok.
· Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Return veggies to wok. Stir ingredients together. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or till heated through. (Reserved 3 cups of the pork mixture and chill up to 48 hours or freeze for Hot and Sour soup later on)
· Serve remaining portion over hot cooked rice.
· Makes 4 servings.

Oriental Hot and Sour Soup
Crushed red pepper adds the hotness while rice wine vinegar makes it sour

3 cups Pork, Pepper and Carrot Stir-Fry (thawed If frozen) From the recipe in the bottom picture.
1 49.5 oz can chicken broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage with or without carrot
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

· In a big pot on the stove combine broth, soy sauce & crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling. Add the 3 cups reserved stir-fry & shredded cabbage and vinegar.
· Return to boiling. Spoon into 4 soup bowls. Makes 4 servings.

I’ll leave out the nutritional info because that’s on the pic of the recipe and also because I don’t add the mushrooms or tofu. Sometimes I add tofu, but very rarely as most of my family hates the stuff.

Enjoy!

Guest Post - Family Favorite Macaroni Salad

2011-06-27T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is a guest post from Melynda at Mom's Sunday Cafe. I will resume regular posting soon.

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When our summer comes, I will once again make this salad. Right now the rains have just stopped, for a day or two.

But back to summer, or at least weather that is warm enough to BBQ or enjoy your meal outside. This is just old-fashioned macaroni salad. You can use salad macaroni (short tubes of macaroni, just like commercial prepared salads in the grocery case), but I like the small shell macaroni. The little hollows will catch small bits, and they are fun to eat! Make the salad in the morning, keep it in the fridge and it will be ready when you need it to be. No last minute fussing.

Family Favorite Macaroni Salad

3/4 c small shell macaroni
2/3 c frozen peas
2 stalks celery (I prefer the inner stalks for this salad, they are tender and sweet)
4 eggs, hard cooked, peeled and diced
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/3 c diced "bread and butter" style pickles
1 tomato, diced (baseball size is nice amount)
1/4 c sliced black olives

3/4 c mayonnaise (use light or full fat)
3 T pickle liquid
1/4 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste (1/8 tsp is good)
2 T Dijon style mustard
2 T milk

Cook macaroni as package directs, at the last minute before draining, add the peas to thaw, drain well. Transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining salad ingredients.

In small bowl, combine dressing ingredients, mixing until dressing is smooth and creamy. Pour over macaroni and fold dressing into the macaroni salad gently. Transfer to a clean serving bowl, cover and place in fridge until serving time. Serves 8.

Enjoy!

Guest Post - Turtle Brownies

2011-06-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is a guest post by Alea Milham from Premeditated Leftovers. I will resume regular posting soon.

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I think there is a good chance that my husband married me for my brownies. He denies it, but I am pretty sure it was, at the very least, a contributing factor. What is so special about my brownies? I am always creating new varieties. When I tell my family that I am going to make brownies they are left in suspense until I present them with the finished product.

Every time I make a new batch my husband declares it his favorite. He waits until a piece has been cut and then he “just evens the edges”. As long as one piece has been removed from the pan, my husband can finish the rest of the batch without ever cutting a piece. He just keeps evening the edges until there is nothing left to even. Once the pan is empty he asks me when I am going to make another batch.

Turtle Brownies

Ingredients:

4 – 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup caramel sauce (you can use store bought)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350^o F. Grease and flour a 13x9 pan. I use the wrappers from the butter to grease the pan.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter.

Pour chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, eggs, water and mix well. Mix in flour, baking soda, and sugar. Stir pecans into batter until just mixed.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Drop caramel sauce into the batter by the spoonful:

Run a knife through the batter to swirl the caramel sauce into the brownie mixture:

Bake at 350^o F for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan before serving.

Last week I took on a big project around the house, didn’t have time to finish it and the house was still a disaster about 30 minutes before my husband was going to arrive home. I told my daughter that her dad wasn’t going to be pleased with the mess and she said, “You’re like Amelia Bedelia, as long as you bake him brownies, he will overlook your messes”. I decided to use the 30 minutes before my husband arrived home to bake rather than clean. ;-)

Alea Milham, of Premeditated Leftovers, has been married for 21 years to an amazing man, who has the unique ability to fix everything she breaks. They have three children, for whom Alea has forsaken a conventional career to homeschool. Her husband’s career with the Navy has caused them to live a nomadic existence, but has also provided countless field trip opportunities for their children. They currently live on 2 acres in the high desert, where Alea enjoys organic gardening and managing their small menagerie.

Guest Post - How To Make Foaming Hand Soap

2011-06-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Over the next several days, I will be featuring some guest posts. Through the wonderful network that is blogging, some very thoughtful and generous ladies have offered to fill in for me for a short while. Some of these ladies are new acquaintances to me and I have found some great new blogs. If you are not already familiar with these bloggers (and even if you are), please take a minute to click through and check out their blogs.

First up is a guest post from Melissa at Frugal Creativity, who originally published this post and photo on April 28 of this year. She has graciously given me permission to re-publish it here.

**********

My family likes foaming hand soaps, but I can't bring myself to pay for new bottles--or even refills--every time we run out.

We're the ones who refill the liquid soap bottles at least a dozen times before we replace them! I've tried refilling the bottles for liquid soap with body wash (which was about half the price, at the time), but it was too concentrated. So we're back to refilling the liquid soap dispensers from the jumbo-super-economy size bottles.

For the foaming soap, though, I came across this tip on another blog--I forget which one!--and I've been using it regularly.

When the foaming-soap dispenser is empty, remove the cap. To the empty bottle, add about one tablespoon of body wash. (I've also used liquid dish soap, but the body wash gives better results.) Slowly add enough water to fill the bottle about three-quarters full. Replace the cap (or hold your hand over the bottle opening) and shake carefully. Replace the cap, if you haven't done so. Press the pump a few times to prime it, and you're ready to go.

This body wash, even when it's not on sale, costs about $3.00 for 13.5 ounces. If it makes 25 refills, that works out to about 12 cents per refill. It's not the best for greasy hands or after handling raw meat. But for most of the times I wash my hands in the kitchen, this is what I use.

Flashback Friday - Reminiscing

2011-06-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

Reminiscing

I'm not ready to write about my mom yet, but here is something I wrote a few years ago about my paternal grandparents. I hope you'll click through and give it a read. It's from January 8, 2008.

Call Out For Guest Posters

2011-06-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

Popping in for just a minute to say hello, that I'm doing ok, that I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers during the past week and to say that I'm not quite ready to come back to blogging.

Shane, Kat and I have a vacation trip planned for the first week of July. Depending on how things go, I may work my way back into blogging with some posts about our trip as it happens. If not, then I won't be back until after the trip is over, sometime around July 7.

Meanwhile, my bloggy friend Alea at Premeditated Leftovers has graciously offered to do a guest post for me.

Would anyone else like to guest post, also? Your post could be about anything I would normally post here...or anything I wouldn't. Well...almost anything.

If you're interested, please let me know soonish, via email, at imannies@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Mourning

2011-06-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

Grief, to me, is a very private emotion. Even as a child I understood that I prefer to handle my grief in my own way, in my own time, and especially in my own space.

My mom passed away early this morning. While she will be missed dearly, her death did not come as a surprise. She had been bedridden for most of the last year and ill much longer than that. I was prepared for her passing and actually can see it as a good thing, because for the last year she was in pain much of the time and in some degree of discomfort all of the time.

Prepared as I feel I am, there will still be grieving to do. I'll be stepping away from the blog for the next several days...maybe a week or two. I appreciate your thoughts, prayers and concerns, but I have turned off comments for this post so I may deal with my grief in my own way. I am requesting that you also do not leave comments on my Facebook pages at this time because I do not know if everyone who needs to be told of my mom's passing has been notified yet. I'll return when it feels right.

Thanks for your understanding and friendship.

Sunday Garage Sale Showcase

2011-06-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

Kat and I managed to squeeze in just a handful of garage sales this weekend as we were driving somewhere else.

The only things I found for myself were a couple of those small round pill organizers for 25¢ each. Shane and I use them when we travel.

Kat found this porcelain doll in a case for $1. The case has a broken latch, but the doll and clothing are in excellent condition. Oops! They were in excellent condition, but now the doll has a severe leg injury that Dr. Shane will have to repair when he gets home -- he's better at fine detail than I am. The case looks old, but I don't think it is...the tag on the bottom has a bar code.

She also got to fill a bag with ~~junk~~ toys for $1. It chose a pretty nice doll in it that we think is BFC doll (same company that makes Bratz and Moxie Girls, but the BFCs are tastefully dressed and made-up). She also chose a dream catcher to go over her bed, a stuffed cat and a red Star Wars light saber. In order to keep these "new" toys, she agreed to put a few of her older toys into the thrift store donation bag.

Did you go to sales this week? If so, what did you find?

Flashback Friday - Frappuccino Knockoff

2011-06-10T06:40:00.000-05:00

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I like those canned or bottled creamy coffee drinks made by Starbucks and other companies, but I never want to pay the price for them, so I came up with a copy cat recipe. I haven't done a side-by-side taste comparison, but I think this concoction tastes pretty good.

It's much cheaper than the ready-made version, even if you choose to buy and use the Starbucks coffee at home. I've done just that, but honestly, I like the French roast and dark roast versions of Wal-Mart's Great Value brand. That's what I usually use. Use whatever coffee is your favorite.

I also use evaporated milk instead of regular (refrigerated) milk or half and half. I like the creaminess of the evaporated milk. What's more, a half a cup of evapomilk has the same amount of calcium as a full cup of regular milk. I'm concerned about my calcium intake, so this is an important factor for me. If you're worried about calories, the name brand evapomilk usually come in a fat-free version, yet still have a creamy texture.

Here's the quick math, based on a little online research for amounts per pound:

Wal-Mart Coffee - approx. $3.50 per pound / 25 (8-oz.) cups per pound = 14¢
Aldi Sugar - 40¢ per pound /32 Tablespoons per pound = 1¢ per Tablespoon x 2 = 2¢
Aldi Evaporated Milk - 69¢ per 12 oz. can = 6¢ per ounce x 4 = 24¢

Total for 12 ounces of coffee drink = 40¢ (about 75¢ if you use Starbucks coffee)

And here's the quick recipe:

Annie's Chilled Cappuccino
8 oz. strong hot coffee
2 Tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Stir sugar into hot coffee until it dissolves. Stir in evaporated milk. Pour into jar or travel mug with a lid. Chill several hours; shake well before drinking.

Optional: Add chocolate syrup (or any other flavor) to taste.

Makes 12 ounces.

Better Than Expected!

2011-06-08T12:26:00.000-05:00

I recently hosted a NOVICA giveaway, and also received a gift certificate for myself. While I'm not technically required to review the gift I chose, I wanted to share it with you anyway because I'm so pleased with it.

To begin, I ordered the gift on the same day I posted the giveaway, which was May 26. I received an email on June 2 stating that my gift had shipped from Mexico and was guaranteed to arrive by Father's Day, June 19. On June 6, I received a tracking number for Fed Ex, since the package had reached the US, stating it could take a couple days before I would see live tracking information. I didn't even have a chance to track the package before it arrived at my door this morning. The platter I ordered was wrapped in 3-4 layers of bubble wrap, then gift wrapped, then boxed; it arrived in perfect condition. For shipping, NOVICA gets an A+.

The platter itself was much better than I had expected. It was hard to tell in the photo on their website just how substantial and three-dimensional the platter really is. It has 3 deep outer partitions for vegetables or chips and an inner partition for dip or salsa. The apple pattern is beautiful and is textured in some areas. For craftsmanship, NOVICA gets an A+ as well.

And although I didn't plan it, the yellow and orange colors in the platter go beautifully with the blown glass stemware I received from NOVICA in December. For sheer luck, I get an A+.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my gift and with the service NOVICA provides.

Done Enough - Kat's Room Remodel

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, I'm tired of waiting to get all the little tiny details done on Kat's room. I'm going to go ahead and post some pics.

Here's what the room looked like right after we first moved in back in 2006, when Kat was just three years old. This was before she came to live with us, and it was to be a guest room, mostly for her, but for other guests as well.

My daughter Jean, won the American Royal Children's Art Contest with that
funny above the bed back in the early 90s.

And this was the room in 2008, a little while after she moved in with us. She was almost five when Shane built her loft bed.

Pink!

Here is the room just before we started making some changes.

7yo girls think everything is a keepsake.

The little rocking chair was mine when I was a child.
Most definitely an antique by now.

If you're wondering, the lockers came from a job that Shane worked on at KU.
He was able to buy them for just a few dollars each.


Holes in her closet door, actually made by the previous owners' kids.

And here is what her room looks like now. Finishing touches are still needed, like some posters on the wall, and a corkboard attached to the entire end of the bank of lockers. This room is on the west end of the house, so I bought one pink "block out" panel for each window, to help make the room darker at bedtime and to help keep it cooler. One each works, but I think the windows will look better if I put two on them.

The loft bed was cut down to a platform bed just tall enough to slide the aqua and purple totes underneath.

The old white dresser was painted purple and the part of a desk that the chair slides under was cut off to make a small nightstand type dresser.

New door, sans holes.

This room is much more suited to a sophisticated 8yo girl, don't you think?

Monday Morning Chit Chat - Peace and Quiet Edition

2011-06-06T07:02:00.000-05:00

And that peace and quiet will last for about another hour or so until Kat wakes up to her first official day of summer vacation. Oh well, I'll take it while I can get it.

How was your weekend? I had a fairly low-key weekend this time. I dropped Kat off at her mom's house on Saturday morning and picked a route home that I knew would promise a lot of garage sales. I wasn't disappointed, either. I found some much-needed items (a bench and a file cabinet), as well as a few other needs and wants. I shared those yesterday, here.

It was a hot day, so when I made it back home instead of mowing the grass right away, I did a few chores in the house and then waited until about 6:30 to start mowing. I thought it would be terrible because the temps were still in the 90s and the humidity was high (as always). But you know what? Mowing wasn't bad at all. I usually take a couple of quick breaks while I mow, but this time I only took one. I think maybe I'm just in better shape than I was at the beginning of the season. Shane had done a really good job of weed-eating last time, so I didn't have to do that, either. Still, by the time I was done, it was dusk, so I didn't do much else the rest of the day except shower and read fora while in bed.

Yesterday I got up at 5:00 a.m., did my morning chores, then headed outside to water the gardens. By 7:00 a.m. was as done and one the road to visit my parents, who live about an hour and half away. I had been invited for breakfast...but little did I know that my Dad was going to put me to work cooking! I didn't mind, and we had a simple but tasty breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy and sliced tomatoes. I visited with them for a while, then found my way back home in the mid-afternoon. Kat arrived home around 3:30 or 4:00 and after supper, we didn't do much.

Today is going to be another hot day, so I need to hit the garden early again. I need to clear out the spinach and bring it in to blanch and freeze. It's almost done for the season. I also need to plant some ornamentals that my dad dug up from his lawn for me.

I need to scan and email a copy of our truck title to our insurance company so they can pay out on a fender-bender that Shane had last week. For those who didn't read it on my Facebook page, he backed into a low flat-bed trailer with our truck one morning. It was in the motel parking lot where he and his foreman are staying, and somehow neither of them noticed it there. (In their defense, it was at 5:30 in the morning and not yet light outside.) It didn't hurt the trailer, but it crunched up our truck a bit.

The rest of the week will see the start of swim lessons for Kat, maybe a trip to the library, maybe a trip to the bowling center for our first "Kids Bowl Free" game. Or not...it kind of depends on our moods and attitudes, if you know what I mean.

That's about it for this week. What's going on in your world?

NOVICA Giveaway Winner

2011-06-06T06:42:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to say my readers have wonderful taste! You all picked some beautiful items for your wish list!

And now...the winner of the NOVICA giveaway is.....

Dmarie, at Better Me, Better World! Congratulations! Please email me at imannies@gmail.com within 48 hours of this post to claim your prize!

Sunday Garage Sale Showcase

2011-06-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

My retrospective menus are an idea I picked up from Karen at Abundance On A Dime. Now I'm going to pirate another idea from her - her weekly yard sale review. This could be a fairly regular Sunday feature for me during the warm months, and a little less frequent when cooler weather forces me to rely only on thrift store shopping for second-hand bargains.

Wow -- it's been a month since I posted my garage sale finds. I finally made it out to some sales this past Friday and Saturday. Here is what I found:

A winter-time jar candle warmer for $2. I especially like that this has a winter theme rather than a Christmas theme. This way, I can have it out from late November until the end February or so.

When we moved our computer desk to put in the carpet, we broke it (not solid wood, obviously). We replaced it with a craigslist desk, but the new desk doesn't have integrated file drawers. So, we were in need of this $10 file cabinet. It's not going to stay that color, though.

A set of a dozen Captain Underpants books for Kat. $3 total.

Also as a result of getting new carpet, we needed a bench by the front door to sit on to put on and take off our shoes. Very sturdy solid wood, maple perhaps. $10.

A few clothing items for Kat and me. Gray shorts and a top for her ($1) and three tops for me ($2.50). I really like the print peasant-style top I bought for myself, although I'm not sure if I will keep it because I detest ironing.

Did you go to sales this week? If so, what did you find?

You Can't Win If You Don't Enter!

2011-06-04T06:36:00.001-05:00

One more reminder to enter my NOVICA giveaway. There are some great items to choose from and less than ten entries so far, so your chances are good! I'll be accepting entries until the end of the day tomorrow, June 5.

The Wonderful World of Kohlrabi

2011-06-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

That's a little tongue-in-cheek there, since I definitely don't know all there is to know about kohlrabi myself, but I'm learning.

Kohlrabi, sometimes called a cabbage turnip or German turnip is indeed part of the cabbage family. The stem swells to a bulb-like shape and is often considered the "main event", although the greens and stalks are edible as well. There are purple and green varieties, but as far as I can tell, the flavor is about the same. In my opinion, they taste a little more cabbage-y than turnip-y.

We planted a few kohlrabi plants this year, and here are some of the things I've done with them:

Grilled Kohlrabi Slices

For this recipe I used the bulbous stem. I peeled the tougher outer skin away (you wouldn't have to if you picked them very young), sliced it and placed the slices on non-stick foil. I drizzled the slices with olive oil and sprinkled them with coarse sea salt and black pepper, then sealed the foil into packets. The packets went on the grill for 10 to 15 minutes while we were grilling venison steaks. Once done and plated, we drizzled the slices with a little balsamic vinegar and they were delicious.

Kohlrabi Stalk Slaw

I took the stalks from the kohlrabi I grilled above and broke them into pieces about three inches long, then placed those in the food processor with the chopping blade in place. I added about a cup of water to the bowl as well. The water keeps the vegetables swirling and chopping instead of sticking to the sides.

I gave it a quick whirl until the stalks were finely chopped, then strained all through a small colander. (This is the same method I use to make cabbage slaw and it works so much better than using a hand shredder, I think.)

I drained the stalks well and dressed them with a mixture of mayo, raw honey, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. I didn't measure anything, I just guessed at it all. I stirred the dressing into the slaw, making sure to keep it fairly dry since I know the juices from the veggies will seep out over time. In the end, this slaw tasted nearly identical to slaw made with cabbage.

Kohlrabi Chips

To make kohlrabi chips, the greens, or tops, come into play. After washing the large leaves, I blotted them dry and cut some into strips. I laid those strips on baking sheets lined with silicone mats (you can use parchment instead) and sprayed them with peanut oil. I used peanut oil because it's what's in my spray bottle, but I know a lot of people make these chips using olive oil sprayed or brushed onto the greens. Then I just sprinkled them with some seasoning.

I made three trays of these and seasoned each differently: one had garlic pepper seasoning, one had some rib rub (similar to the seasoning on barbecue potato chips) and one had just coarse sea salt. Kat didn't want to try these, so I ended up eating all of all three flavors! Hey, they shrink down a lot, so it wasn't like I stuffed myself. Of the three flavors, I thought the plain sea salt was the best. I really enjoyed these and will make them again, either with kohlrabi or with other hearty greens.

Let's not forget simply sauteing the tops just like any other greens.

Finally, I froze a couple of servings of the stem (bulb) by cubing and blanching it first, and froze a few servings of the greens by giving them a quick steam (using only the water that was clinging to them after washing them), letting them cool and bagging them into freezer bags.

They're economical, too. All of these dishes came from from just five kohlrabi plants!

Compostable Carryout Containers

2011-06-02T23:09:00.002-05:00

I had lunch today with a friend at a place called Hamburger Mary's, which is a small chain of about ten restaurants across the country. They make an awesome meatloaf sandwich that was awesomely huge, so I asked for a carry out box. I was so happy when they brought me this:

I know the pics aren't good, but this is a fully compostable container made from sugar cane fiber. It's going straight onto the compost bin in the morning.

It's a line called Monogram Sustain from U.S. Foodservice. Per their website:

Monogram Sustain™ is the line of products that takes a renewable resource approach to foodservice disposables. Made from corn, sugarcane, or potatoes, Monogram Sustain™ items contain raw materials that are biodegradable, compostable, petroleum free, nonallergenic and nontoxic.

Kudos to US Foodservice for offering these, and kudos to Hamburger Mary's for using them. If they can do it, so can everyone else!

Has anyone else seen these yet?

What I Bought - May 2011

2011-06-01T06:40:00.008-05:00

Here is my recap of my May grocery spending. This is mostly for my own reference, although I know there are a couple of you out there who enjoy this kind of post as well.

I ended May with a total of $213.33 spent on groceries. That includes sales tax, and is just for food items bought at the store to consume at home. It doesn't include any household, pet or HBA items, nor any meals bought away from home. Also, we are a family of three.

Most of the groceries were bought at Aldi. The rest was bought at other grocery stores when on sale or when I just had to have something not available at Aldi. Unless I've listed a brand name, all items are store brands.

This month increased quite a bit over last month and is our most expensive month so far this year. Shane came home from his work trip on 5/13, so he was here half the month and I admit that I spoiled him with some favorites. We hosted a cookout on 5/28 and bought just a few things that we wouldn't have otherwise bought.

Kat had a school field trip that required lunch items in completely disposable wrapping, so I bought some juice pouches and a Lunchable. Finally, my daughter Jean and I went to a couple of u-pick farms where I bought 13 pounds of strawberries and a couple of pounds of asparagus; combined they added $34 to this month's total.

Here's what I bought for $213.33:

MEAT, POULTRY AND EGGS
Farm fresh eggs - dozen -3
80% lean ground beef - pounds -7
93% lean Honeysuckle ground turkey - pounds - 2
Polska Kielbasa - pound - 1
Chorizo sausage - pound - 1
Oscar Meyer hot dogs - pound - 2
Hot dogs - pound - 2
Turkey breast lunch meat - pound - 1
Cotto salami - pound - 1

SEAFOOD
Tuna - 5 ounce cans - 3

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Strawberries - pound - 1
Cucumber - 1
Avocados - 2
Jalapeno pepper - 1
Peppers and tomatoes - small amount from salad bar for a recipe
Simply Potatoes hash browns - 20 oz. bag - 1
Dried apricots - 8 ounce - 1
Dried plums (prunes) - 8 ounce - 2
Peaches - 28 ounce can - 1
Cucumber - 1
Strawberries - pounds - 13
Asparagus - pounds - 3

DAIRY
Quesadilla/Fresco melting cheese - 8 oz - 1
Kraft American singles - 12 oz. - 2
Cottage cheese - 24 oz. - 1
Buttermilk - quart - 1
Regular whole milk - gallon - 2
Yogurt - 6 ounce - 4
Butter - pound - 6
Shredded cheddar cheese - pound - 1
Provolone slices - pound - 1
Sour cream - 16 ounces - 1

PASTA, GRAINS, BEANS
Kraft Homestyle mac and cheese - box -1
Pinto beans, dry - pound - 2
Black beans, dry - pound - 1
Pork and beans - 15 ounce cans - 2

BREADS
Oat bran bread - loaf -3
German pumpernickel bread - small loaf - 1
Burger buns - 8 count - 2
Hot dog buns - 8 count - 2

BAKING/COOKING STAPLES
White whole wheat flour - pounds - 5

CONDIMENTS/SPICES/HERBS
Kraft ranch dressing - 16 ounce - 1
Ranch dressing - 16 ounce - 1
Chili sauce - 12 ounce - 1
Dill pickle slices - quart - 2
Kraft Miracle Whip - quart - 2
Kraft mayo - quart - 1
French onion dip - 8 ounce - 1
Black olives - can - 1
Green olives - jar - 1
Sweetened condensed milk - 14 ounce - 2 (used to make coffee creamer, thus condiment)
Diced pimientos - 2 ounce jar - 1

SNACKS
Multi-grain chips - bag -1
Potato chips - bag - 4
Tortilla chips - bag - 2
Cheese curls - bag - 2
Pringles - 1
Saltines - box - 2
Pistachios - 16 ounce bag - 2
Fudge/Caramel Ice Cream Treats - 6 count - 1
Peanuts (in shell) - pounds - 3.5 (Shane requested)
Thin wheat crackers - 13 ounces - 1
Breyer's Ice Cream - 48 ounce - 2
Sugar (waffle) cones for ice cream - 12 count - 1

BEVERAGES
Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Juice - 64 ounce - 1
Ruby red grapefruit juice- 64 ounce -2
Pepsi - 2 liter - 4
Cola - 2 liter - 1
Drink pouches - 10 count - 1 (for school field trip)

SEMI-PREPARED MEALS
Oscar Meyer Lunchable - 1 (for school field trip)
Bakery chocolate ring (Bundt) cake - 1 (I had a craving during the carpet project and no time to bake, even from a mix. )

Garden Tuesday - Flags

2011-05-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

My mom always called irises, "flags". We transplanted irises from my parents' lawn last year into four locations in our yard, and while all the plants look big and healthy, only this one has bloomed. This is the same two blossoms, taken from different angles.

This post is being linked to this week's Garden Tuesday at Sidewalk Shoes. Find out more about Garden Tuesday by clicking HERE or on the image below.

"Feels Like Monday" Morning Chit Chat

2011-05-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

Today definitely feels like a Monday to me. To be honest, I'm surprised I even know what day it is at all, with all the busy-ness that's been going on around here. I hope all of you had a nice holiday weekend.

Ours was nice and not quite as busy as I thought it would be. Shane found out for sure on Friday that he would be leaving today to start work again in Garden City tomorrow. We were hoping he wouldn't have to leave until this coming Sunday, but the general contractor out there wouldn't budge on it. So, we ended up scaling back some of our weekend activities so that we could get Shane packed and ready.

On Saturday we went to Shane's mom's and step-dad's house for lunch. They grilled t-bones and made several side dishes; it turned out to be a really nice meal despite the weather being cool and drizzly. Afterward, we came home and relaxed for a couple of hours before hosting Shane's dad, step-mom and great nephew for a burger cookout. We had a really nice visit with them here at home. Here are a few pics from that:

Shane grilling in our still-not-finished sun room.

Kat, with Vincent in the background.

Me, with my mother-in-law L (Shane's step-mom).
I cut the top of my head off and now I look like my dad (bald).

My father-in-law G., relaxing. I don't think he was feeling well that day.

Shane's 2yo great-nephew, Vincent.

Silly smiley Vincent.

On Sunday, Shane and I took Kat to a place called Wild Rose Equine Center to go on a trail-ride. Kat has been on horses before, but just the small 1-2 minute rides at fairs and festivals. This trail ride was an hour-long, up and down hills, across streams, in open fields, etc. The ride was guided and were giving instructions, but no real assistance was offered in handling the horses. Kat did great! She handled her horse and the terrain beautifully, and we all had a wonderful time.

Our horses, all in a row.

Helping Kat mount her horse.

Happy Kat.

Shane and others in the group, waiting to ride.

Kat was in front of me on a horse named Mystique.

Shane was behind me on a horse named Reno.

And I was in the middle, on Twigger.

Ever the gardener, I'm pointing out some wild strawberry plants.

Waiting for the others to catch up.
I told Sluggy that I look like a toad on horseback in this one.
And see, I'm really not bald.


Kat the horsewoman.

After our ride, we stopped for some Chinese buffet for lunch. We were supposed to have helped my daughter and son-in-law put screens on the second-story windows of their house, be Shane felt like the ground was to muddy to support the ladder safely, so we cancelled on them and headed back home to do some packing and to mow the lawn.

Yesterday we were supposed to have visited my parents, but that would have taken most of the day, so I decided I will just go visit them without Shane in a few days or so. Instead, we stayed home, did the rest of the packing to get him ready for his trip, and then put our tomato and pepper plants in the ground. Well, we put some of them in the ground. There wasn't room yet for all of them (our peas and lettuces are still going...I had thought they'd be done by now) so some just got up-potted into larger containers.

Which brings us to today. Kat is at school for her last few days of regular school for the year. She'll be going to summer school, but that's for a different post. Shane is at the doctor's office trying to straighten out some prescription issues, then he'll come home and pack up the truck to go. He says he will be gone at least four weeks, but in all honesty, has no accurate idea how long he'll be gone this time. More work has been added to the existing job, and another unrelated small job has been contracted, so who knows. But hey...at least it's a job.

Things should calm down a little around home, though. Now, that sounds like it's because Shane is leaving, but that's not it. It's because we got most of what was urgent done and marked off the list. The dumpster will be picked up today, the PODS container will be picked up on Thursday, and things can slowly start returning to normal.

The rest of the week looks pretty quiet. I might be having lunch with a friend on Thursday, and Kat has an early-release day on Friday (her last day), but otherwise, things look pretty typical.

What did you do over the weekend? And what do you have planned ahead? If you have kids, are they out of school yet?

Which End Is Up?

2011-05-27T07:13:00.000-05:00

I can't tell anymore. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind around here, to say the least. I have "little behind syndrome". I'm a little behind on the laundry, a little behind on the gardening, a little behind on the bill paying, the house cleaning, the grocery shopping...you get the picture. Our normal is still pretty fast-paced compared to some families; the pace we've been keeping lately is just wearing me out!

Shane is leaving to return to Garden City, KS, on either May 31st or June 5. We hope it's not until the 5th, but he can't seem to get a confirmed answer yet. I'm looking forward to him leaving this time. Why?? Well, because the next time he comes home, it should be because that job is done and then things can return to "normal" around here.

Our three-day weekend will offer little reprieve. We'll be visiting Shane's mom and step-dad, visiting my parents, hosting Shane's dad and step-mom, helping my daughter and husband put up some screens, and if the weather allows, taking Kat on a trail ride. It will be a busy weekend, but at least it won't involve moving furniture or ripping up carpeting -- I hope.

Here's wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Weekend.

How 'Bout Something Fun For A Change? (Giveaway)

2011-05-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

Instead of talking about tornadoes or the end of the world, let's do something fun for a change! I've been asked once again by my friends at NOVICA to host a giveaway.

NOVICA is a fantastic website featuring handcrafted artwork, clothing, home decor and other items from artisans from all over the world. They are a great place to find corporate gifts; if you're in charge of that at work, it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas, anniversary or retirement gifts for your employees or co-workers. And if you're looking for fair trade gifts or green gifts, NOVICA is the place for you.

The only hard thing about shopping at NOVICA is deciding what to buy! I love their jewelry and clothes, and was really tempted by some of their home decor. I finally decided on this beautiful, yet useful, appetizer platter.

Novica is also introducing a new website called NOVICA Live! If you love handcrafted items, this is your opportunity to become a NOVICA consultant.

If you'd like to help artisans in another way, and have money to lend, you can join with others in NOVICA's Artisan Loans. Click the link for more information.

And now for the fun! I have been given the opportunity to give away one $50 NOVICA gift certificate code to one lucky reader. Here are the super simple rules:

1) Visit NOVICA and have fun browsing the website.

2) Come back here and leave a comment, telling me what you'd most like to have. This is your one-item wish list...money is no object. Please leave a way for me to contact you as well.

3) Leave your comment before the end of the day on Sunday, June 5.

4) On Monday, June 6, I'll draw a name at random from those who entered. That lucky person will have 48 hours to respond to my email or post in order to receive the gift code. Please keep in mind that the gift code amount is limited to $50 and must include shipping charges in that amount.

Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: I was provided with one $50 gift code for myself and an additional $50 code for one reader. I received no other compensation for this post or giveaway.

Barefootable Carpet!

2011-05-25T12:39:00.000-05:00

Interesting morning here in Missouri. It's taken me all morning to get this post done, because there have been numerous thunderstorms and tornadoes all across our area. We are all fine and the sun is shining here now.

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I don't like to go barefoot much, not even in the house. Any hard surface - even a smooth one like our laminate kitchen floor - hurts my feet. It feels like my feet don't have enough "padding" on the bottom. So, I wear shoes from the time I get dressed in the morning until late in the evening when I'm finally ready to sit down for the day. And our old worn-out carpet didn't tempt me in the least to kick off my shoes.

But this new carpet? Cushy! We're trying to keep it nice by not wearing our shoes on it, and it feels great under my feet. I still need shoes for the kitchen, garage, basement and outside, so I've been leaving a pair of Crocs or flip-flops at the kitchen doorway, but the rest of the time, I've been bare-footing!

We still don't have the house entirely put back together because we're sorting and purging as we bring things back in. For what it's worth, we've donated a full truck-load specifically to Joplin, a full van-load to Goodwill, two truckloads of scrap metal to a neighbor teen who is raising money (1/2 for Joplin and 1/2 for a trip he's taking to Denmark, and we've half-filled the 30 cu. yd. dumpster we've rented with trash and broken items. We're cleaning house!

Here are several photos, by room. In the first of each set (if I took one) is the old old, stained, yucky, nasty carpet that was put in not by the most previous owners, but the ones before that. Best guess is that it was 10-15 years old, with little or no care taken by the owners before us. We tried, but I have to admit, we gave up and didn't it give it much care beyond vacuuming during the last year or so.

The second of each set is how we lived for a couple of days while Shane worked the squeaks out of the floor. And finally, the third is the new carpet right after the install. Maybe (no promises) I'll put pics of the rooms again, once everything is back in place.

Kat's Room:

Our bedroom:


The only time you'll see my bed like this.

Tuxie putting her scent on everything new.

Computer room:

Living room:


The living room is the worst. Some stains from previous owners that we couldn't ever get out.

White powder caked on floor is broken down carpet pad and baking soda (Carpet Fresh stuff).
We swept up many piles of this stuff.

Hallway:

Please ignore the puppy poster. Not part of our normal decor. :)

They even carpeted our laundry chute box in our hall closet:

Drop Off Sites for Joplin Tornado Relief

2011-05-23T17:17:00.002-05:00

Here is the first bit of information for dropping off your donations for tornado relief. I will try to add more to this post within the next few days as I learn about them. I am taking these directly off the Internet, but have not personally verified any, so you may want to look up the phone number and make a call before driving.

High Blue Wellness Center, 16400 Mullen Road, Belton, MO, (in Wallace Park) is a drop off point for donations to Joplin. Immediate needs include socks, clothing, personal hygiene items, bottled water, batteries, flashlights & generators. Items can be dropped off in the pool party room at the center.
The New Life Community Church, 16111 Vicie Avenue in Belton, MO, is accepting donations for tornado victims. They are especially looking for items like prepackaged food, water, bedding, clothes and medical supplies.
Bishop Miege High School, 5041 Reinhardt Drive, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66205. They collected water, blankets, towels, boots, flashlights, batteries and radios. They do not want clothes at this time. The group also has a truck in the KCTV5 parking lot where people can continue the giving. The truck will be at KCTV5 until 8 p.m. Monday and again from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Summit Christian Academy and GracePointe Church in Lee’s Summit will make a trip to Joplin to drop off supplies Wednesday morning. They are looking for donations of bottled water, clothes, medical supplies, gas cans, generators, extension cords, non-perishable food items, toiletries and baby items including diapers, wipes, formula. Drop off locations Summit Christian Academy, 1500 S.W. Jefferson St., Lee’s Summit. Drop off times are until 4:30 p.m. today and 7:30 to 4:30 Tuesday.

Please Help If You Can

2011-05-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

Shane and I are still waiting for our carpet to be installed later today, but while we wait, we are continuing the decluttering we started last week.

Shane said he might need a "push" to start letting go of some things. Unfortunately, we found that push yesterday evening when Joplin, MO, was devastated by a deadly tornado. Joplin is a city of about 50,000 people located a few hours south of us.

For a number of reasons, neither of us can help in person. I think, at this time in our lives, we will be able to make a modest monetary donation. But another way we can help is to donate the items we're decluttering from our home directly to the tornado rescue efforts. I'm going to look into just how to get that done and will then post it here. I'm sure clothing, bedding, towels, health items and non-perishable food is what they need most at first. Later on, they'll need household items and furniture.

Joplin wasn't the only town hit over the weekend. I know the small town of Reading, KS, was also hit, as was the large city of Minneapolis. Maybe there were others. And don't forget the storms from a few weeks ago. People in Alabama and other states still need help and will for a while.

So, if you don't have money to spare, I urge you to think about donating tangible items that these survivors can use. I'm fairly certain someone at your local Red Cross can tell you how to get your things to those who need them.

If you don't have time to declutter and gather these things, then please, consider a small monetary donation. Any amount will help. Here is one place you can do that: Ozarks Red Cross.

If you are a Facebook user, this page has continuous updates: Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery

Thank you in advance for anything you are able to do.

You Won't See Me

2011-05-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, we have another change of plans, and so I will be taking a short blogging break after all.

Since Shane has only a limited amount of time home before he has to head back to work out of town, we decided to reschedule our carpet installation from June 6 to May 23.

Eeks! That's next Monday!

Between now and then we have to pack up all of our bookshelves, dressers, and desks. We have to empty closets at least three feet up from the ground. We have to move all the furniture off the carpeted areas. We have to rip up the old carpet (we're doing that ourselves, in part to save money), we have to figure out if we can eliminate some of the squeaks in the sub-flooring (the real reason we're taking the old carpet out ourselves), and we need to fill the roll-off dumpster we ordered with whatever else we can bear to get rid of while we're at it. Then Monday, the installers will come in with the new stuff. You can be sure we'd be doing that part ourselves, too, if we knew how.

On top of it all, we still have to garden, parent, sleep, eat, bathe, etc., amid all the chaos that will be our house until next Monday afternoon.

So, I'm signing out of my blog until next week. I'll be back Monday or Tuesday...with pictures!

See ya!

Radishes!

2011-05-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Some rain and really warm days caused my radishes to grow really quickly last week. Some of them were as big as plums or small apricots. So they wouldn't get woody or too spicy-hot, I had Kat pull all of them for me. Here are some of the things I've been doing with them:

Radish Greens Pesto - No measurements here. Just a couple of big handfuls of clean radish greens, some fresh Parmesan, some red pepper seasoning mix, some fresh garlic, some pistachios and of course, some olive oil. Give it a whirl, then adjust seasonings to your own taste. As long as you don't expect this to taste like basil pesto, I think you'll like it. It has a nice fresh flavor. Great as a light sauce for pasta, or spread on a slice of French or Italian bread.

Asian Sauteed Radish Greens - I love this one! I've made it twice in a week. The simple recipe is HERE. Try to use the peanut oil if you can, because it adds a really nice flavor with these greens. If you dare (I did!), leave the chunks of garlic in and eat those, too. I was out of agave, so I used honey instead. For an even stronger, darker flavor, try molasses.

Pickled Radish Slices - I used THIS recipe, making one change...I used the chive blossom vinegar I made last week instead of the red wine vinegar called for in the recipe. We're on our third jar of these since Shane got home last Friday. When a jar goes empty, he just slices some more radishes into the brine. Be warned, though! When you first open the jar after it's been closed for a while, the smell is a little unpleasant...LOL! But aren't they pretty to look at?

I also made a radish au gratin dish (sorry...it was very tasty but not photogenic) and Shane has been eating the rest of the radishes on salads or straight out of hand. They are one of his favorite veggie snack foods, and now...they are almost gone.

This post is being linked to this week's Hearth and Soul Hop 48 with Premeditated Leftovers. Head over to find other great links for this week!

Garden Tuesday - Volunteers Wanted

2011-05-17T09:49:00.002-05:00

We've found several volunteer tomato plants in our garden beds. The had to have come from seeds in our compost pile, since we haven't ever planted tomatoes in some of the beds where they are popping up. Oh, and the tomato plant growing IN the compost pile is another clue.

With Shane's help, we'll be trying to transplant these to more suitable locations to see if we can save any of them.

In with the Swiss Chard.

In a galvanized bucket where some strawberries didn't survive.

In between the raised bed and the matting we have between the beds.

In with the romaine lettuce.

This little one under some cauliflower leaves probably won't survive.

This one is in with the peas, but it's not a tomato -- it's a marigold!

This post is being linked to this week's Garden Tuesday at Sidewalk Shoes. Find out more about Garden Tuesday by clicking HERE or on the image below.

Monday Morning Chit Chat - Returning To Temporary Normal Edition

2011-05-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning, everyone. How was your weekend? Shane came home around 2:30 on Friday afternoon, so we spent the weekend trying to adjust to things being back to normal. I think we'll probably get it all figured out by the time he has to leave again in two or three weeks.

That's making it sound like a horrible adjustment, and that's not what I mean to say. Kat and I are glad that Shane is home. I'm just observing that it takes a little getting used to, having another adult around.

Kat was wound up all weekend and started misbehaving just a few hours after Shane got home. The weather was cold and gray, so we stayed inside all weekend, which didn't give Kat a chance to burn off any energy, either. We did a lot of work cleaning her room and sorting through her toys (in preps for getting the carpet installed soon -- everything will have to be moved out, so it's a good time to sort and purge, too). By the end of the weekend, she was overwhelmed, over-stimulated and had had enough. I understood, but at the same time, we were 3/4 of the way through and there was no way I was going to quit at that point, so we forged ahead and finished the job.

Also, it seems Shane and I are a little out of sync. In the past eight weeks, I've grown used to doing a little more work around here than usual, while he has gotten into the habit of not doing anything after work but sitting around and watching TV or playing on the computer (because, after all, what else is there to do after work in a small town when you live in a motel room?). I admit that there were a couple of times when I thought he should get up and do something, but didn't say it, because that would be selfish of me. I'm not the only one who needs time to adjust.

Anyway, we will find our "normal" soon enough and it will all be good again. It's just a little...um...different...right now.

In addition to cleaning Kat's room, Shane unpacked his things, went through some junk drawers in his dresser and purged some things, moved some things to better homes elsewhere in the house, called his parents and bought the router and other things we needed to make our laptop wireless in our house.

I did some cooking and cleaning, but mostly I helped Kat this weekend and spent some time messing around with our new laptop. This is our first laptop. I like the idea of having it, but I guess I just must be getting old because I'm having trouble getting used to the little differences between it and our desktop. It's no big deal, really, I just need to learn how to do things (keyboard shortcuts, etc.) that I do without thinking when I'm using the desktop. Just because they don't work when I try them on the laptop doesn't mean they can't be done. I just need to re-learn how to do them. I fully expect to love this laptop once I get used to it.

Shane is back at work today. Ironically, he has gone from working a job that was the farthest he's worked from our house to one that might just be the nearest he's ever worked to our home. I think we all appreciate that.

While he's gone today, and Kat is at school, I'll be making calls to see if we can reschedule the carpet installation sooner, and depending on how that goes, I'll be ordering a roll-off dumpster to put our old carpeting and some other junk in for disposal. I'll be ordering a new copy of Shane's birth certificate from the state because we have misplaced his original and need it for insurance purposes. I'll also be cancelling the camping reservations we have for Memorial Day weekend. We'd love to go, but there just isn't going to be time to do all we need and want to do during his short time home, so something had to give. Not that it will be ALL work around here while he's home. We have a couple of fun outings planned, but nothing that will take more than a day at a time.

If I have time later this afternoon, I may get a start on the mowing. If not, Shane said he'll do it. Either way, I really need to get outside and do some gardening. Our lettuce is going wild, and in fact, I've been giving some of it away to friends and neighbors. Our radishes were getting huge, so I went ahead and pulled all of them while they were still crisp and tasty and not split open too badly. I tried a radish au gratin last night and we all liked it, even Kat. The spinach will soon be more than we can keep up with raw, so I'll probably freeze a little of it, and the Swiss chard is just about ready for it's first visit to our table. Also, our berries are starting to set on our blueberry bushes. I hope to get some pictures for Garden Tuesday tomorrow.

I think that's about it for right now. It's just another busy day (and week) in paradise. What's going on with you this week?

Weekly Menu Retrospective - 5/8 to 5/14

2011-05-15T20:44:00.003-05:00

I'm a menu planner, but when I've tried to post my weekly menus here in the past, they weren't accurate because I often change things at the last minute. On the other hand, I really like being able to look back to see what we've eaten, what we loved, what we disliked, and most of all being able to link to the recipes on my menus that have come from other blogs. That's why I prefer to post my weekly menus after the fact.

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Sunday, May 8 - Polska Kielbasa, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries

I tried the new Kraft Homestyle Mac and Cheese in the blue pouch. I had a coupon that made it 49 cents. In my opinion, which will only cost you 2 cents, it's not nearly as good as homemade, but WAY better than the blue box stuff. I'm not sure, though, that's I'd buy it at full price.

Monday, May 9- Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf, Baked Brown Rice, Homemade Rolls, Sliced Strawberries

This turned out to be a really good meatloaf.

Tuesday, May 10 - Grilled Cheeseburgers on Homemade Buns, Tater Tots, Fresh Strawberry Smoothies

I made my burger as a copycat of a Big Mac ("special sauce", etc.), but Kat didn't want that many toppings. Our smoothies were just sliced strawberries, a little honey, a little milk and lots of ice cubes blended up until smooth.

Wednesday, May 11 - Leftovers from Monday.

We had leftovers of the stuffed meatloaf meal, except we had lettuce salad instead of sliced berries.

Thursday, May 12 - Leftovers from Tuesday.

We had leftovers of the burger meal, except we had onion rings instead of tater tots, and no smoothies.

Friday, May 13 - Barbecue Country-Style Pork Ribs, Macaroni Salad, Lettuce Salad, Asparagus, Green Beans, Rolls

This was Shane's homecoming meal. He was so tired of eating restaurant food that I probably could have made anything and he would have been happy.

Saturday, May 14 - Leftovers from Friday

There were plenty of leftovers for us to enjoy Friday's meal again.

No Bad Luck For Friday The 13th

2011-05-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

I had a "Flashback Friday" scheduled and ready to go when Blogger went down for maintenance. It appears that it's gone now...unless it somehow magically reappears later. If it does, fine. If not, I'll try again next week.

Meanwhile, this Friday the 13th is my lucky day. Shane is back home! He got home around 2:00 or so this afternoon. He may only be home two to three weeks, so we have lots to catch up on, including visiting family, working on projects and doing absolutely nothing when we can get away with it.

I am not going to call the upcoming couple of weeks a blogging break, because I expect to be able to post from time to time, but please don't expect my full offering of 4 to 7 posts a week. That just may not happen. Also, rest assured that I'll be reading your posts, even if I don't have time to comment every day.

My Newest Favorite Meatloaf

2011-05-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of meatloaf, and it's not often I try a new meatloaf recipe that I don't like. But this one, I really like. Kat loved, even with the layer of spinach in the middle!

It's based on THIS RECIPE from Full Bellies, Happy Kids. I'm sure the original recipe is great, but I made some changes simply because I didn't have identical ingredients on hand. Check out the recipe Sandra posted, then come back and take a look at mine. Some day, I'm sure I'll try the original, too.

Stuffed Meatloaf

2 cloves garlic, minced
several leaves of fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce (A-1 type)
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together turkey, beef, eggs, panko crumbs, basil, oregano and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce and steak sauce.

Spoon half of meat mixture onto a greased baking pan. Flatten and smooth out.

Top with half of the sauce mixture, enough spinach leaves to make a single layer and the shredded cheese.

Top with remaining meat, flatten again and then go around the edges and seal, pulling in the loaf away from the sides of the pan.

Spread the remaining sauce mixture on top.

Bake for about an hour or until meat registers at 170 degrees.

Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy with your favorite potatoes, rice or pasta side dish.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

2011-05-11T09:07:00.002-05:00

I've seen chive blossom vinegar mentioned on several blogs and often on Facebook the past couple of weeks. Since I just happened to have some chives growing in one of last year's herb pots, and they just happened to have bloomed, I decided to make some of this infused vinegar.

This is so easy, that I'm reluctant to call it a recipe. It's more of a process, I guess.

Snip some chive blossoms from their stems. Cut as many or as few as you like. I took about half of mine, leaving the rest to open more fully in a day or two.

Give them a good rinse and let them drain. If you like, you can spin them in a salad spinner or blot them with a towel. I just let mine sit in the colander for a little while.

Put the blossoms in a jar. I have lots of canning jars, so that's what I used, but you could also put them in a more decorative jar if you have one.

Fill the jar with regular white vinegar.

Let the blossoms sit in the vinegar for at least 48 hours. I suppose you could leave them longer, but I have no idea how long might be "too long".

The result is an attractively tinted vinegar with a subtle chive flavor. I'll be straining my vinegar either later this afternoon or in the morning. I plan to use it with a little oil (or maybe heated bacon fat) on a salad. I think just a little added to the filling of some deviled eggs would be great, too. Or maybe some picked whole eggs or quick cucumber refrigerator pickles and onions.

This is my first time making chive blossom vinegar, but my understanding is that it will last for weeks, if not months, and should be stored in a dark place (dark cabinet or inside the fridge) to keep the color from fading.

This post is being linked to this week's Hearth and Soul Hop 47 with Premeditated Leftovers and to Garden Variety Wednesday #5. Head over to both blogs to find other great links for this week!

Garden Tuesday - The Growing Is Showing

2011-05-10T07:08:00.001-05:00

Things are really starting to grow in my garden, thanks to some rain and a few really warm days.

Hosta and fern bed just outside our front door.

Hosta and some newly transplanted ferns in front of our house.

One of three old plow or disc blades that we have "planted" in our front beds.

I love this combo bird bath/hens and chicks planter.
Needs to be cleaned, though.

New rhododendron I added a couple of weeks ago.

Another of our four clematis. This one pinkish-purple.

Chive blossom.

Mixed red and green lettuce.

Radishes are now about golf ball size. Time to pull the rest.

Romaine lettuce.

Romaine, then beets. And yes, planted shovels at the end.

Snow peas. Didn't plant enough.

Swiss chard.

Spinach. Our first successful year with it.

This post is being linked to this week's Garden Tuesday at Sidewalk Shoes. Find out more about Garden Tuesday by clicking HERE or on the image below.

Monday Morning Chit Chat - Sunny Day Edition

2011-05-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Good morning. I hope all of you had a nice weekend and a nice Mother's Day, too.

My weekend was nice. I spent Saturday with Kat and my daughter Jean, going to garage sales and having lunch at a Chinese buffet. Saturday evening I talked to Shane on the phone for a while (like I do every evening when he's away) and read a bit before going to sleep. Sunday I volunteered at our city's recycle bins for a couple of hours, then mowed our lawn, hung some laundry, picked some lettuce and made supper. Kat was at Jean's for the day, so it was a quiet day for me.

Absolutely nothing exciting happened over the weekend, and sometimes those are the best kind.

My week ahead looks typical. I'll be outside in the garden the next couple of days and probably inside working later in the week. All of this is based on weather: we're having a mini-heatwave right now with temps in the upper 80s to lower 90s today and tomorrow, then maybe some rain on Wednesday, then cooler days at the end of the week. I'd like to get some tomatoes and peppers planted (I have the bedding plants on that grow rack in the kitchen), but I'm not sure I have a place to put them yet. I may have to up-pot them, then put them in the ground a little later, after some of the early vegetables are harvested.

The garden is really starting to take off now. I'll post more about it, and some pictures, tomorrow.

Not much else is planned for the week. I might have lunch with a friend and I've been hearing "that rumor" again, but I learned my lesson and I'm not even going to pass it on this time.

What do you have going on this week?

Sunday Garage Sale Showcase

2011-05-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, Kat and I picked up my daughter, Jean, and headed to some subdivision-wide garage sales in the northern parts of the city, not too far from her house. While several subdivision had sales, participation seemed low, with not many people holding sales. Those that were selling didn't seem to have a lot of merchandise.

I bought a pair of new flip-flops for quick jaunts out to the garden (50¢), a decorative plate that will probably show up under some food here on the blog eventually ($1), a couple of wooden planter boxes for $1 each, and this Singer Tiny Serger.

The lady who sold it said her father had bought it for her mother, who didn't sew at all. Oops! It hasn't been used other than for a test swatch. Online reviews were all over the place, with some people hating it and others loving it. I own a traditional sewing machine, but have never used a serger. This machine has very limited capabilities, but it will give me a good feel for how a serger works and will help me decide whether I want a better or one, or if a serger is something I just don't need or want. For $20 (that I can almost certainly get back if I decide to sell it instead of keep it), I decided to take the chance.

Not my picture, but the one I bought is just like this.

Jean bought a few things for her house, including a dozen or so spice jars for just $2 and a couple of wooden ladders that aren't sturdy enough for humans to climb, but are perfectly sturdy enough for plants to climb.

Kat was the big winner, since she had no trouble finding things she wanted or "needed". She is into all things Star Wars right now (I don't get it...never have...), and found several movies and a Darth Vader costume.

Let's not forget yesterday's "Item of the Day". This week's item of the day was the 20Q handheld electronic questions game. It's the little puck-shaped game that asks you to think about an object, then tries to guess what it is in 20 questions. I don't recall having seen them at a sale before, but we saw two of them, at one sale right after the other, each priced at just 25¢. Kat snatched up the first one. It's actually kind of fun and surprising just how often the machine can guess correctly.

Did you go to sales this week? If so, what did you find?

Weekly Menu Retrospective - 5/1 to 5/7

2011-05-08T07:39:00.001-05:00

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Sunday, May 1 - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Grapes

Kat and I ate a very large breakfast late in the morning, skipped lunch and had this light and easy supper.

Monday, May 2 - Roast Beef, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Salad, Asparagus Medley (with Radish slices and Radish Greens), Pickled Eggs

I apologized to Shane for missing what might have been the best roast I've made yet. I didn't think I did anything differently, it just turned out better for some reason.

Tuesday, May 3 - Chicken and Dumpling Bake, Salad, Green Beans, Picked Eggs

Wednesday, May 4 - Supper at Jean's

Kat and I drove to Shane's boss' house to pick up some ferns she wanted to share from her garden. On the way home, we stopped at my daughter, Jean's house. She fixed supper for us: a vegan Mexican casserole and a vegan apple coffee cake. Both were very good!

Thursday, May 5 - Leftovers from Tuesday.

I had planned on enchiladas or tacquitos to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but since we had Mexican the night before, I decided it was a better idea to just eat some of our leftovers.

Friday, May 6 - Hot Roast Beef Sandwich, Salad*, Radish Greens, Strawberries and Grapes

I used Monday's leftovers to make a cafe favorite - open-faced hot roast beef sandwiches. The salad was our first of the year grown entirely in our garden: romaine and leaf lettuces, radish slices, green onion bits, and just a bit of spinach, all with homemade Thousand Island Dressing. The dressing even included some of last years home-canned pickle relish.

Saturday, May 7 - Chicken and Rice Burrito, Chips

Kat, Jean and I were out all day and ate a big lunch at a Chinese Buffet. When I got home (alone, since Kat stayed with her mom), all I wanted was a quick snack, so I warmed the last chicken burrito I had frozen from last week.

Flashback Fridays: This Little Piggy

2011-05-06T06:38:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Flashback Fridays, a new ~~gimmick~~ series I'm starting here. This blog is 3-1/2 years old and there is actually a bit of useful information back in the archives. Every now and then -- on a Friday, obviously -- I'll re-post something I wrote way back when.

This post is from September 20, 2007. A bit has changed since I wrote this post. Kat is almost eight years old now and she has more chores. In addition to dropping laundry down the chute, she now is in charge of feeding the cats and is responsible for setting the table with napkins and silverware. She currently receives $2.00 a week in allowance. When her birthday rolls around this summer, she'll receive $3.00 a week and take on at least one more chore.

She also has three banks now instead of two. One is for her spending money (80% of her allowance), one is for long-term savings (10%) and one for a charitable donation (10%). Her charity of choice is the local pet shelter. Also, when she receives money as a gift or finds money (she found a $20 bill once in a parking lot), she has to put half if it into her long-term savings.

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I don't think I remember what I did with Jean in terms of allowance, and I'm sure I wasn't able to teach her much about saving and spending wisely. You know from my previous posts that I didn't know much myself.

As for my own childhood, I received an allowance, but it wasn't dependent on me doing chores around the house. It was simply a bit of spending money for things like make-up, records (yeah, I said records) and magazines. All of my necessities for school, including clothing, shoes, school supplies, and lunch money were provided by my parents. If my younger brother and I went to movies or skating, sometimes we'd pay for it ourselves, but other times my parents would foot the bill. I know now that they probably just wanted us out of the house for a while. It was cheaper than therapy.

We just started giving Kat an allowance on her 4th birthday. She gets 50¢ a week. While we don't want her allowance to be entirely dependent on her doing chores, we do want her to know that her contributions around the house are important. Her "chore" is to drop the laundry down the laundry chute for us most days. That and to general avoid being a holy terror around the house. She has two banks, a piggy and a bear. Half of her allowance goes in the piggy for spending and the other half goes in the bear is for saving.

She has only the vaguest concept of what money is for. She understands that she must give some money to the clerk at the store or the lady running the garage sale before she can get something she wants. She's having a really hard time with the concept of saving, so I put it in terms she can (kind of) grasp. I've told her that if she saves her bear money for a very, very long time, when she's a big girl, she can buy a car or even a house. She gets it...sort of.

Later, as her allowance increases, I'll probably have her dedicate a dime on the dollar to some kind of charitable contribution. I probably won't start that for a couple of years though, after she has a better grasp of coin denominations, counting, etc.

I'm curious what others are doing with allowances for kids. If you have creative ideas, please share!