Today was the 8th wedding anniversary for my husband and I. The original plan was to go out for a nice dinner, a rare treat. You know what they say, plans are made to be broken. Right?
About 1:30 this afternoon I get a call from the school that April is sick and needs to be picked up. I left work to go get her. When I got to the school she was laying down and did look a little sick and pale. I took her home and she changed into pajamas. I put on cartoons and suggested we take a nap. Well, I fell asleep and woke up to her climbing on metal circular staircase like some kind of monkey. Yeah, real sick.
Then we had some family business that came up (on my side of the family) and needed to be addressed. So I spent about 2-3 hours on the phone trying to help get it all taken care of.
Our anniversary supper? A $4 burrito from some little shop that just opened a week ago. Oh well. At least I didn't have to cook!
Unfortunately I don't have a tip prepared for this evening. To be completely honest I wasn't even planning on getting on the computer tonight. Tomorrow night I will have 2 tips. Promise!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The end of another weekend
Boy did this weekend fly by! We were so busy. Yesterday we picked up food that we ordered through the Angel Food Ministries. Boy what a good deal that was! One of the guys that works there was helping me to carry my purchases out to the car and was commenting on how big the program has grown here over the past months. It's no wonder when everyone is so strapped finanancially and the prices of everything are skyrocketing! It's such a great program and it's wonderful that there are no income requirements. Seems all to often its the middle income people who especially feel the pinch. The lower income get assistance, the wealthy....well they don't need anything. But the middle income people have to scrape to get by because they make too much to qualify for anything - of course they look at the income pretax and don't consider any living expenses. Oh well. Hopefully when we have a new president things will turn around. Although I seriously doubt they have that much control and it will take YEARS to get the country out of the enormous amount of debt that GW seems to have acquired.
Today church was wonderful. The Sunday school kids sang a song during the service. It's so nice to see some of them so passionate about God. Sometimes I'm not sure how much April is actually listening and she'll surprise me at an unexpected time (usually when I'm driving the car) by saying something like..."Mom, do you know who is in the car with us?" I'll ask "Who?" and she'll say "God and Jesus. Pastor says that they are in front of us, behind us, below us, and above us." Then I'll know she's at least getting something from it. She loves listening to Christian Rock in the car too. I get so tired of listening to the same songs over and over, but at least its good music! I really enjoy listening to KLOVE.
On to the tip of the day! One thing I like to eat is bacon. But it's such a pain to cook, grease splatters everywhere and they curl up and shrink to nothing. There are 2 ways to avoid this. One is to cook them at about 400 degrees for about 10 minutes (cooking times vary by oven). The other way is to place the bacon in a large frying pan and then to place another pan on the top of the bacon. Lift it periodically to check if it's cooked. This also heats the pan that is weighing down the bacon to cook both sides.
Today church was wonderful. The Sunday school kids sang a song during the service. It's so nice to see some of them so passionate about God. Sometimes I'm not sure how much April is actually listening and she'll surprise me at an unexpected time (usually when I'm driving the car) by saying something like..."Mom, do you know who is in the car with us?" I'll ask "Who?" and she'll say "God and Jesus. Pastor says that they are in front of us, behind us, below us, and above us." Then I'll know she's at least getting something from it. She loves listening to Christian Rock in the car too. I get so tired of listening to the same songs over and over, but at least its good music! I really enjoy listening to KLOVE.
On to the tip of the day! One thing I like to eat is bacon. But it's such a pain to cook, grease splatters everywhere and they curl up and shrink to nothing. There are 2 ways to avoid this. One is to cook them at about 400 degrees for about 10 minutes (cooking times vary by oven). The other way is to place the bacon in a large frying pan and then to place another pan on the top of the bacon. Lift it periodically to check if it's cooked. This also heats the pan that is weighing down the bacon to cook both sides.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Recipe Swap Friday
Today is Recipe Swap Friday over at Gayle's blog. The recipe I decided to add today is for Shrimp & Rice with a Little Spice. This is a recipe for your slow cooker & is so good!
Shrimp & Rice with a Little Spice
1 - 6 oz box wild rice
10 oz can Rotel tomatoes*
2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 lb salad shrimp
In the slow cooker add the box of rice & the seasoning pack that came with it, the can of Rotel, chicken broth, celery, onion, & garlic. Cook for 6 hours on low. Add salad shrimp & cook for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with crusty bread & butter.
*This dish is mildly spicy. If you like more spice you can add additional chiles. If you do not like any spice substitute the Rotel for a can of diced tomatoes.
Shrimp & Rice with a Little Spice
1 - 6 oz box wild rice
10 oz can Rotel tomatoes*
2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 lb salad shrimp
In the slow cooker add the box of rice & the seasoning pack that came with it, the can of Rotel, chicken broth, celery, onion, & garlic. Cook for 6 hours on low. Add salad shrimp & cook for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with crusty bread & butter.
*This dish is mildly spicy. If you like more spice you can add additional chiles. If you do not like any spice substitute the Rotel for a can of diced tomatoes.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tis the Season.......for sinus infections....
I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a horrible sinus headache. The sore throat went away as the day progressed, but the headache is worse. I always seem to be plagued with sinus infections this time of year. I really hate that.
However, feeling like someone has hit me in the face with a baseball has not kept me from experimenting. : ) Tonight we decided to try to make some homemade granola bars. We used a recipe I found on Allrecipes. We used 1/2 a cup of dried mango and 1/2 cup of dried coconut instead of 3/4 cup of raisins. I started to cut it while it was still hot, but decided it was too early. (I just wanted to try them!) I know they were really yummy before they were cooked!
Oh, I almost forgot. I stopped and bought a behavioral reward chart on my way home from work tonight at a local school supply store. After I got home I sat down with April and we set up some chores and expectations together. Out of a possible 9 stars for today she has 4 so far with the possiblity of another 2 or 3 before the night is over.
Tip of the day: When shopping for groceries see if your grocery store has bulk bins. They are a great place to pick up those items that you may only need a cup or two of. For example: I was looking for couscous at our local Hy-vee and found it for almost $3 for a 12 oz box. I decided to check out the bulk bins (located in the health food section) and found it for $1.29 for 16 oz. I only needed 1 cup for a recipe, so my couscous cost me less than $0.45. It may not have any seasonings, but then you can season it exactly to your taste. They are a great place for picking up oatmeal, granola, dried fruits, flax seed, wheat germ, etc. It's far better than paying for a box of something that you'll never use before it goes bad!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Reward Chart
April is 6, well 6 going 16. She suddenly wants to be the boss and argue about everything. Where
did my little girl go and who is this person in her place???
It all started with one of those nights last night when the kid is VERY TIRED and you don't let them do anything simply because you "don't love" them or because "they hate you". Tonight she asked to go to a friend's house. The answer of course was "no" because of her behavior last night (actually it's been happening frequently, I think it's a testing thing to see what she can get away with). So tonight she proceeded to go into her room and cried about an hour about how mean we are to her. When she finally calmed down I went in and talked to her about how the behavior lately is unacceptable and that if it continues she will not be able to go to friends homes, rent movies, etc. I think "the talk" finally went somewhere and we talked about making a reward chart for her to earn things or outings. If anyone knows of a good link to download one or has any suggestions let me know!
Today's tip: One of our local stores has bone-in chicken breasts for $0.99/lb. They are the full breasts and end up being about $2.00 each. I ask for them to be wrapped one breast to a pack. I usually just throw them in the freezer. When it comes time to cook them I cut the meat off of the bone. There is usually quite a bit of meat still there. I will throw this into a freezer safe bag. I do this each time I take a breast out to use. After I have a few sets of bones from the breasts I will throw them in a pot of water and boil till the remaining meat comes off of the bones. Then remove the bones, add some chicken bouillon (per the directions on the packaging). Throw in some diced carrots, onion, and celery, maybe even some mushrooms if you have them on hand. When the veggies are tender add some noodles. Depending on how many veggies and noodles you add you will end up with either chicken and noodles or chicken noodle soup. It's especially yummy with some warm, fresh bread!
did my little girl go and who is this person in her place???
It all started with one of those nights last night when the kid is VERY TIRED and you don't let them do anything simply because you "don't love" them or because "they hate you". Tonight she asked to go to a friend's house. The answer of course was "no" because of her behavior last night (actually it's been happening frequently, I think it's a testing thing to see what she can get away with). So tonight she proceeded to go into her room and cried about an hour about how mean we are to her. When she finally calmed down I went in and talked to her about how the behavior lately is unacceptable and that if it continues she will not be able to go to friends homes, rent movies, etc. I think "the talk" finally went somewhere and we talked about making a reward chart for her to earn things or outings. If anyone knows of a good link to download one or has any suggestions let me know!
Today's tip: One of our local stores has bone-in chicken breasts for $0.99/lb. They are the full breasts and end up being about $2.00 each. I ask for them to be wrapped one breast to a pack. I usually just throw them in the freezer. When it comes time to cook them I cut the meat off of the bone. There is usually quite a bit of meat still there. I will throw this into a freezer safe bag. I do this each time I take a breast out to use. After I have a few sets of bones from the breasts I will throw them in a pot of water and boil till the remaining meat comes off of the bones. Then remove the bones, add some chicken bouillon (per the directions on the packaging). Throw in some diced carrots, onion, and celery, maybe even some mushrooms if you have them on hand. When the veggies are tender add some noodles. Depending on how many veggies and noodles you add you will end up with either chicken and noodles or chicken noodle soup. It's especially yummy with some warm, fresh bread!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Oh the things I could be doing!
I don't know about anyone else, but around 10:00 in the morning I start thinking about what I could be accomplishing at home if I were there instead of at work. I begin making a mental list of all the things I am going to accomplish once I get home. Once I walk through the doors to my home I instantly forget everything that was on my "list". Tonight, however, I am happy to report that I actually accomplished a couple of the things on my list. For supper I made tuna and noodles. After I cleaned up from supper I started in right away on finishing up the apples. I successfully canned 7 pints of apples in a yummy lightly sugared syrup. I admit to eating a couple spoonfuls of the apples during the process. In another day or two I'll be able to start in on the pears.
Right after finishing the canning April and I read a couple books. Then right before my eyes the meltdown began. It started because she wanted pop. Being the good mommy I told her no. Wow, talk about unleashing the beast! She was promptly sent to her room. Not 5 seconds later the doorbell rang - it was the Schwann's man. I told him that I wasn't going to order anything. I came back inside and shut the door. April apparently decided that she didn't like it that I ordered nothing and told me that I was a dummy for not ordering. Hm. Guess who isn't going to get to do ANYTHING for the next week?
Today's tip: Is how to make your own shower cleaner. (My mom actually emailed this to me.) Fill a 32 oz plastic spray bottle with 1 cup of vinegar, 2-3 tablespoons Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 oz fabric softener, and enough water to fill the bottle. Spray the entire shower/tub after each bath/shower and after a few days it will sparkle!
Right after finishing the canning April and I read a couple books. Then right before my eyes the meltdown began. It started because she wanted pop. Being the good mommy I told her no. Wow, talk about unleashing the beast! She was promptly sent to her room. Not 5 seconds later the doorbell rang - it was the Schwann's man. I told him that I wasn't going to order anything. I came back inside and shut the door. April apparently decided that she didn't like it that I ordered nothing and told me that I was a dummy for not ordering. Hm. Guess who isn't going to get to do ANYTHING for the next week?
Today's tip: Is how to make your own shower cleaner. (My mom actually emailed this to me.) Fill a 32 oz plastic spray bottle with 1 cup of vinegar, 2-3 tablespoons Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 oz fabric softener, and enough water to fill the bottle. Spray the entire shower/tub after each bath/shower and after a few days it will sparkle!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Happy Monday!
Boy did today go fast! That is a wonderful thing when it's Monday.
After work I had to run to the store and get laundry soap. The last time we needed laundry soap I made it. It was from a recipe I found on the Budget Living Board for Taste of Home. (Here is the link: http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/t/665030.aspx). I had some $2 off coupons for any size container of Gain laundry soap. I scoped out the laundry soap and even with my coupon it would be $3 for a container so small that I'd surely have to go back next week to more. Instead I bought the Borax and Washing Soda to make my own again. I still need to pick up a bar of Fels Naptha but I've only seen it at the local Hy-vee (I was at Walmart) so I'll have to stop there to pick it up. The last time I bought the items to make laundry soap was back in June or July and we are just now needing to buy new stuff. $6 for 2-3 months worth of laundry soap? Now that is a bargain. Anyone have sensitive skin and wondering if it's worth a try? Well, my daughter has lots of allergies and sensitivities and we have not had a single problem with her since we have been using the homemade laundry soap.
Overall I was pretty happy with my shopping trip. I spent $28 on necessity items (shampoo, body soap, dish soap, the laundry soap, some meds for April's congestion, etc) and saved $14 by using coupons. Not too bad. I even picked up a "free" Red Box video on my out for April. (If you sign up at http://www.redbox.com/ they will send you a text message every Monday with a promo code for a free movie.) The only thing about the free movie is that you have to rent the video on Monday and if you want it to be truly free it will need to be returned Tuesday before 9pm. I take advantage of this most Mondays. Some months they have it on Wedsnesdays also.
Today's tip of the Day: Do you like those yummy instant oatmeal packets but hate spending the money? Buy a box of Quaker Instant Oats (the generic or off-brands that I've tried for this were too mushy for my taste, but if you like mushy oatmeal by all means by the cheaper stuff!), some dried fruit, cinnamon, and sugar/sweetner. Some of these items you may already have around the house. Dump your instant oats in a pretty large bowl, mix in some dried fruit, about 1/4 cup of cinnamon and a somewhat generous amount of sugar/sweetner (you can always add more sugar later to suit your taste). You can either store this in a large container that can be sealed tight, or you can pour into snack sized bags to make convenient servings to grab and make later. I am a fan of storing the larger quantity all together. Then you can scoop it into a small microwave safe container, add some water or milk, and heat it right in the same container. There is less waste and less money spent this way also. This recipe can be experimented with. We are partial to cinnamon and apples. But you could replace the apples with raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, dried peaches, etc. You could also add nuts. Another great option would be to omit the fruit from the original mixture and add a little fresh fruit when you add the liquid and heat your oatmeal.
After work I had to run to the store and get laundry soap. The last time we needed laundry soap I made it. It was from a recipe I found on the Budget Living Board for Taste of Home. (Here is the link: http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/t/665030.aspx). I had some $2 off coupons for any size container of Gain laundry soap. I scoped out the laundry soap and even with my coupon it would be $3 for a container so small that I'd surely have to go back next week to more. Instead I bought the Borax and Washing Soda to make my own again. I still need to pick up a bar of Fels Naptha but I've only seen it at the local Hy-vee (I was at Walmart) so I'll have to stop there to pick it up. The last time I bought the items to make laundry soap was back in June or July and we are just now needing to buy new stuff. $6 for 2-3 months worth of laundry soap? Now that is a bargain. Anyone have sensitive skin and wondering if it's worth a try? Well, my daughter has lots of allergies and sensitivities and we have not had a single problem with her since we have been using the homemade laundry soap.
Overall I was pretty happy with my shopping trip. I spent $28 on necessity items (shampoo, body soap, dish soap, the laundry soap, some meds for April's congestion, etc) and saved $14 by using coupons. Not too bad. I even picked up a "free" Red Box video on my out for April. (If you sign up at http://www.redbox.com/ they will send you a text message every Monday with a promo code for a free movie.) The only thing about the free movie is that you have to rent the video on Monday and if you want it to be truly free it will need to be returned Tuesday before 9pm. I take advantage of this most Mondays. Some months they have it on Wedsnesdays also.
Today's tip of the Day: Do you like those yummy instant oatmeal packets but hate spending the money? Buy a box of Quaker Instant Oats (the generic or off-brands that I've tried for this were too mushy for my taste, but if you like mushy oatmeal by all means by the cheaper stuff!), some dried fruit, cinnamon, and sugar/sweetner. Some of these items you may already have around the house. Dump your instant oats in a pretty large bowl, mix in some dried fruit, about 1/4 cup of cinnamon and a somewhat generous amount of sugar/sweetner (you can always add more sugar later to suit your taste). You can either store this in a large container that can be sealed tight, or you can pour into snack sized bags to make convenient servings to grab and make later. I am a fan of storing the larger quantity all together. Then you can scoop it into a small microwave safe container, add some water or milk, and heat it right in the same container. There is less waste and less money spent this way also. This recipe can be experimented with. We are partial to cinnamon and apples. But you could replace the apples with raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, dried peaches, etc. You could also add nuts. Another great option would be to omit the fruit from the original mixture and add a little fresh fruit when you add the liquid and heat your oatmeal.
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