Frugal week, quick meals and a sign of spring to come

 I mended two items.

We found an automatic washer close to what my son uses that I do like. It's a little bigger than his so my comforter will fit so no more laundromat ($360 savings/yr) and the washer was on sale so one and half years of NOT going to laundromat will pay for the washer. Top with the fact it will wring out the clothes more than my wringer washer does so the dryer won't run as long. I will still  use the drying rack and clothes line just like always. The washer comes in on Thursday and we decided to pick it up ourselves to not pay the fee for delivery.

We tightened the clothesline as it's a decent couple of days and I should be able to use it somewhat with doing laundry this week.

I cut some boxes up to use to wrap extra fabric around when I finish putting my sewing room together. Which will not be this week since it's nice I will be outside in the gardens.

We went out to eat for our anniversary to our favorite steakhouse. Went during the afternoon to pay the cheaper prices, brought home enough leftovers for 2 meals as neither of us eat that much any more.

We went to a home show to see what is happening in that end, getting ideas for when we build and some ideas to pass to our son as he is looking at doing some changes in the home he bought a couple years ago. We ate brunch at Big Boy's using a coupon we still had so didn't need to eat any lunch. We finished some odds and ends in the frig for our dinner and went for ice cream for our dessert for our anniversary.

Checked the gardens to see what work was needed done before we started planting and make sure I have all the supplies I need for that.

Meal wise...

Quick and simple and cheap..

Pulled meatloaf from freezer(I always bake a second one and cool overnight and slice and package for freezer) and leftover mashed potatoes I had froze and leftover corn, Cherry pie filling in shortcakes for dessert (10 min total time, basic plate and nuke while putting cherry pie filling on shortcakes)

Pulled precooked hamburger from freezer and homemade pasta sauce from pantry for pasta, made cheese and garlic biscuits using Bisquick. Tossed what was left of the roasted winter sq in the sauce. (prep time...5 min, cook time 15 min, not including oven warming up...took less time to cook pasta that( I started with hot water and in a skillet to cut time on cooking pasta ) than it did to deal with the biscuits. Next time I will preheat oven before getting pasta around.

Pulled precooked bulk sausage, tossed with potatoes (boiled with skin on, cooled overnight and then skinned and diced) in frying pan and mixed in a couple beaten eggs. Served with toast and combination of leftover fruit.

Made soup from odds and ends and ham broth

tonight I am using leftovers from steakhouse to make philly steak pizza, pizza crust was from Tightwad gazette and takes about 10 min, I'll prebaked it while nuking the bell peppers,onions and mushrooms I will be adding to the leftover steak I cut up. Prep time 15 min, cook time 20 (I make 2 pizzas) Tropical fruit blend with kiwi added for the dessert. I have a late doctor appt today.

I plan on to eat from the frig freezers this week to clear those out.

My spring flowers, pretty sure they are my tulips LOL... even though I KNOW winter will be hitting again in a couple of days, it made me smile to see the beginning of spring.

Mid month Goal check in

Happy Valentine's day to each and everyone. No Hubby didn't give me flowers. Hubby doesn't do that sort of thing.I'll be lucky if Hubby remembers what today is when he comes in from work. I bought these for myself last year. Didn't spend the money this year.Decided I wanted hand towels and cloths for the bathroom more than flowers. I prefer to change towels and cloths daily and hadn't replaced the ones that wore out last year...we both have been sicker this year and I think that is part of the issue since I only do laundry once a week. With a wringer washer it's not toss it in and walk away.

I did my mid month goal check this morning... we have eaten out 2 times with 3 as the limit I wanted. Last night was a last minute eat out...I went to a doctor appt and it ended up with the doctor removing a spot that was cancer off my nose that hadn't been planned but he didn't feel I should drive another two hours (round trip ) for a 2 min procedure as it wasn't deep. On the negative side I drove myself and I wear glasses right where the spot is/was and it hurt like all get out with the my glasses and I ended up with a migraine by time I got home. I used grocery money to pay for the eating out.

SO where am I at.

Dogs budget is good, nothing has came out of their budget.I know dog food will come out this week since Menard's has their 11% rebate going on.

Our grocery budget is doing really good even with the Taco Bell run last night we have only spend $50. I got milk for $1.58 for a gallon and lg eggs for 59¢ a dozen and portibella mushrooms for 79¢ a lb this week. No limit on the eggs (I got 10 dozen) but was on the mushrooms.

We have ate from the pantry. I baked the last ham that was in the freezer. I have ham broth to can today and ham fat to strain and freeze today also along with apples, oranges, pumpkins and all else that needs to be dealt with that was in winter storage that will be getting icky with the coming of Spring. I made note of what we didn't use to compare to what we stored so I don't get as much this coming year.

We are doing the programs for our health ins. Have met the min requirement already and are working towards the next level. There are 3 levels and each level helps lower the cost of what we pay next year.

I still haven't finished the cookies and candy for the kids...SIGH.

I have been getting 50,000 steps a week even without walking the perimeter daily. Weather has either been too cold which makes me hurt or too wet with walking in mud as the perimeter isn't very grassy.

I haven't been doing my yoga but have been doing the stretches and PT my therapist told me to do at home.

I missed 2 days of shining my sink (not back to back)but caught them up the next day. I missed 2 days of decluttering but since I am down to 94 places to declutter for the year I am not too worried about that.

I started my great grandson's afghan yesterday at the doctor's office.

One on the sweet potato's that I started for slips isn't doing anything so I tossed it this morning and will start another one this afternoon

The mudroom frig freezer that I am working on emptying got filled back up with leftovers. I think I am going to have a eat from the freezer week next week to bring it back down. I do know we have several ice packs that I am probably going to get rid of a few. I need to make veggie broth also, that will clear out a pretty good spot as I keep that veggies peelings in the freezer.

I rolled my coins and put that in my savings this week. We put Hubby's attendance bonus in one week and his overtime in last week. I have the fives I've been saving for this week. We are trying to put something extra each week in the savings.

I am still struggling with my Home Blessing routine. I've got the shine the windows,shine the sink and take out the trash down. Dusting, swish and swipe , sweeping,vacuuming and mopping is still not regular...well the swish isn't daily but it's often enough because we have rusty water and it leaves a nasty ring in the toilet if you don't clean if often enough LOL.

How are you doing ?

I don't use a crock pot or Instant pot..one pot meals

even though I have both. But I do have one pot meals that I make  when I am busy. They are dishes that can be put together ahead of time and then just put on the stove or in the oven. If they are going in the oven so it the sides that includes dessert and sometimes the bread.

Green beans, diced potatoes, onion and ham chunks.(pot)

Cabbage, chunked potatoes , chunked carrots and ham chunks (or bacon or no meat)(pot)

Cabbage, potatoes and smoked sausage coins (pot or skillet)

Hash (any meat with any diced veggie) (Skillet)

SOPP . smoked sausage coins, onions, potatoes and peppers (I use colored peppers) Skillet

Tuna Noodle with peas (skillet or pot)

chicken a la king (pot or deep skillet)

Goulash (boil pasta in skillet first , cooks quicker and you are only having to wash one pan)

chicken and dumplings (pot or skillet)

chuck wagon beans (pork and beans, hamburger or bulk sausage) skillet,fry meat first , either leave grease in or wipe out.

Porcupine meatballs

Boston baked beans

homemade baked beans

scalloped potatoes and ham

stuffed baked squash

fried cabbage and potatoes

Fried potatoes served with milk gravy and cornbread (grew up with this one when Dad didn't get anything while hunting or fishing.)

stew

pork and kraut

dried beef gravy/sausage gravy/hamburger gravy/ leftover meat gravy  served over bread (or biscuits or mashed potatoes or pasta)

Amish chicken roast ( pieces of chicken mixed in a bread stuffing/dressing and baked and served with gravy over it)

pot pie with leftover meat and veggies with leftover gravy (or make a cup of milk gravy...1 tbsp of butter (or grease of any kind) 1 tbsp of flour and 1 cup of milk)

Nonna's soup pot (bean soup on Monday, add veggies and water Tuesday, add rice and more water Wed and pasta and more water on Thursday add more water Friday and served over stale bread that was baked on Saturday and be grateful there was food on the table)

any meat that be roasted ...beef roast, round steak, cube steak, pork roast, pork steak, pork chops,Ribs short ribs, chicken whole or parts, turkey whole or parts, (I've been known to cut off the legs and wings before putting the turkey breast in the freezer. Gives me wings to either fix as a meal or make broth from)  Meatloaf, meatballs, salisbury steak,ham, ham steak, fish loaf (suppose to be salmon but Mom always used mackerel)Swiss steak,

Frugal week and not shopping

These paperwhites have brought more pleasure than we thought they would especially on today watching the sun shine down on them.I planted them in dirt because I plan to transplant them and hopefully have them again next year.

We have kept bread sacks to reuse.

We have kept the inserts out of cold cereal boxes/baking mix boxes etc to reuse as wax paper.

We kept what few plastic grocery bags we get (we use reusable mostly except for meat) to line the small trash cans in the house.

I made a different laundry soap and only made a little of it as I am not sure if it's going to clean as well. If it doesn't I can always use to to wash dishes with or scrub the floors or something. I won't throw it out for sure.

I double wrung our laundry here is our washer so you understand what I mean by wrung out .LOL

By doing that it cuts drying time in the dryer by 30 min. I hung some things on hangers after they were dried some in the dryer to finish drying, others went directly to the drying rack. I look forward to warm dry weather so I can use our clothes line.

I have been focusing on using my right hand to turn water on at the sinks..why? because I usually use my left and that means I am turning on the hot even when I don't need hot and that runs up the electric bill.

I've checked daily for frugal ideas at The Prudent Homemakers site. Picked the wisdom of Brandy and all that post on her site. 😊

We ate from the pantry even though there was a couple times we had "snacky" foods for meals because of what was going on...like when the furnace went on the blink and I spent most of the day curled in blankets trying to stay warm while the repairman (landlord's nephew) worked on it. We do have a couple space heaters that do an okay job but it was a very windy and cold day so they were struggling to keep the house warm. Even the dogs were curled up with me...or the blankets I should say. At least that isn't a bill I will get. BUT the regular maintenance bill I would get as the landlord doesn't fix what isn't broke. Nephew shows us how to do the regular maintenance so we wouldn't need to  pay someone else (his company only does repairs to what they install) to come do it.

We didn't go to the store to get the buy 2 get 3 free... even though I am craving beef and could have go 2 lbs of ground beef (and 3 lbs of ground sausage for free) I had to really look at the freezers and ask if I wanted to fill them back up....NOPE. I did find 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef in the freezer that is suppose to be fruits and veggies and was able to mix it with a 1lb of ground pork and make Swedish meatballs for last night's supper. SO this week I spent $0 on food.

This week is really busy for me. I have 2 doctor's appts possible 3 as the 3rd one is for filling out family leave papers for Hubby employer. I have 4 webinars to watch for our health ins. I am still spring/deep cleaning and have started planning/organizing seeds etc for this year's gardens.PLUS Saturday is our anniversary and we have chosen to go to the home show which is an hour from us but is in the area we are thinking of moving to when Hubby retires (some year LOL).Price of tickets is less than the local movie which Hubby wouldn't go to anyways.

Today I roasted butternut squash, delicata squash, sweet potatoes and acorn squash and diced them to add to meals through the week. I will also prep carrots,celery, onion, mushrooms and whatever else I find in frig as I prepare dinner tonight.

Tentative meal plan for this week

Bfast: oatmeal,  whatever dried fruit we want mixed in ,cream of wheat, home made egg Mcmuffin using leftover ham instead of Canadian bacon, muffins, French toast(in freezer) and eggs.

Lunch for me  is whatever is leftover or grilled cheese sandwich, Naan bread veggie pizza or crackers, cheese and fruit or cottage cheese and beets. Hubby's lunch is whatever we have leftover from dinner.

Sweets: Eggnog refrig pie, oatmeal and dried fruit bars, cookies (that I need to make for the kids anyways). Jello with fruit, orange jello with shredded carrot(Sunshine jello)

Dinner: spaghetti squash with leftover Swedish meatballs with pasta sauce and cheddar garlic biscuits/ lasagna noodle with mashed potatoes (Facebook recipe) with salad/ hash with root veggies/ mushroom sloppy joes (instead of tomato base sloppy joes it's made with cream of mushroom soup) either as sandwiches or over noodles to make poor man's stroganoff depending on what breads I bake this week/ big egg or casserole to finish off whatever needs ate up. Saturday we plan on eating out.

May you find beauty in your day

Frugal refresher course instructor

Okay it's my Dad. He will be 90 in May and when I go visit I always pick his brain for wisdom. He has "slight" dementia, actually, he thinks his memory is bad because he can't remember sometimes what he was looking for...We do that most days.

BUT when it comes to being frugal...there is NO memory problems what so ever  LOL.

I told him I had ate from the pantry all week, even made calzones. He asked if I baked my own breads...nope as we bought a lot of bread on sale for cheaper than I can make it and then I got the lecture about preservatives preserving my digestion system.

We talked about drinking water between drinking anything else and between bites of food (helps digestive system and him swallow, swallowing can be an issue as we age).

We talked about shopping at Aldi's (he gives a list to my niece that does all that type of thing for him as she's there and I'm not) Said his grocery budget went down by $25 a week because she buys nothing that isn't on the list. Even with him paying her, he is saving money so he thinks the clicklist at Kroger's is a good idea, better one if Aldi's was doing it.He( and my niece) has noticed that prices are higher at the beginning of the month and cheaper with more sales at the end of the month. So she does his non food and other items he gets from Walmart at the end of the month. We talked about what I had on my basic grocery list which he removed half  off the list. Said ...I would enjoy my food MORE if I ate in season for fresh produce...except for the mushrooms, he left the mushrooms on the list.

Carrots, celery, onions, white potatoes and sweet potatoes(only through late fall and winter for the sweet potatoes) and bananas and apples for the fruit. OH and the mushrooms. Right now cabbage is on his list.He might suck that one up as it's the base of the soup he makes every other week. Then he started about gardening. Not surprising as it's Feb.

We talked of planting early potatoes, mid-season potatoes and late potatoes. Late potatoes you can keep some back to replant. Early and mid-season not so much. We talked of heirloom seeds and what he would buy that wasn't heirloom.He still remembers helping his Dad gathering the tomato seeds from the bottom of the bucket for planting the next year. Growing transplants WITHOUT electric.

Starting the work in the gardens in early March as early potatoes, onions and turnips were going in Ides of March. Mid-season potatoes was 2 wks later and late season was mid-April.Granddad always was looking for any place he could put a spade in and turn the ground over to plant food.

I told him I bought the seeds for the next 2 yrs out of the money I saved from eating from the pantry. He said that's how it should be, anything to do with food including what I use to preserve it should come from the grocery budget. If I'm not growing enough (or buying it cheap enough like at the Amish produce sale) then I need to go without it. I told him I planned to do a covered garden for this coming winter. He said if he wasn't alive then he would be looking down watching me,probably wondering why I wanted to eat greens.I have been getting those statements for over 20 yrs..

I decided to not go to the store for perishables, got the milk at Menards when we were getting distilled water for the humidifier even though I paid 50 ¢ more than I would have at Aldi's which was just 1/2 mile away. It kept me away from the cube steak that has been calling my name for a week which I would have spent $10 on and I know that.

I bought a few more seeds that were discounted that I will use in the winter gardens only.

I started my second sweet potato for slips.

I made a list of what I need to plant in the garden and at what time. I need to list when to start transplants through the summer for the fall gardens. I still need to decide where to put what. Dad vetoed where I was putting the potatoes LOL.

Hubby uses his gas card to get 3¢ off a gal of gas. I use my Kroger pts.

I submitted my coke pts (which is ending in March ;( !  ) I'll probably donate the pts to USO as they no longer have what I always as a reward got available any more.

I stopped using plastic bags for things that go in my frig and used containers like the bacon I fried that I got free from Krogers.

I open curtains (and inside doors ) to let sun in,

I saved the grease from the sausage I fried for calzones and made sausage gravy for our dinner.

We turn the lights off when there is enough sun out.Hubby is bad about turning on lights and leaving them on. After 20 yrs he is now turning off the lights and opening the curtains .

I forced paper whites and put them in dirt so I can transplant them for next yr.

I did the mending.

I started cutting cardboard we had saved to use in the craft/sewing room for some of the fabric.I am peeling the "part" off that has writing on some of it.

We both did required things so our health ins won't cost us as much next year when we switch to the HSA.

I decluttered the office supplies and realized we didn't need anything except for printer ink next month.

I decluttered the bathroom and realized I was out of some things...completely OUT so that's on the buy list now.

Our youngest moved and gave us back some planter pots and a picnic table. The older daughter gave us a swing frame so I just need to get a swing for it instead of the whole thing. Mine broke and it's beyond being fixed

Hope I do better at being frugal this week

In the Gardens

But with the weather here in Northwest Ohio, it's 19° with winds at 7mph making the wind chill at 11° and I have no low tunnels (plastic over hoops that just cover the plants) so the gardening is in my head. Unless we count the paperwhites and Ameryst I am force blooming and the sweet potato that I have in water hoping for shouts to start slips.I really miss this rhubarb patch...though I am not looking forward to this springs work of separating it out, it needs to be done so it has more room. I have 2-3 people wanting my "extra" starts off it. Can there be extra when it comes to rhubarb?

I bought half my seed at Menards. They had 2017 Burpee seed at 1/3rd( some was almost half off) off and their 11% rebate. SCORE.
I ordered the rest using discounts. I stayed with what I know grows here at least 80% of the time. I gave up starting seeds a few years ago using grow lamps. Didn't get many out of it and the electric bill was just too high. Even though we have cut the bill almost in half on a regular bases, I'm not sure I want to try again right now. BUT I will start growing seeds for late fall and winter planting.

I have 68 different seeds (no broccoli, cauliflower,red or green cabbages,kohlrabi, as I get the transplants cheap at the auction...cheap is like anywhere from $3-$10 for a flat of 36-48 plants and that includes bell peppers, hot and mild peppers and tomatoes plants in May). We have decided to do winter gardening this year so I will be ordering a few more seeds to cover the winter. Same types that do will in the spring don't always do well in the fall.

I ordered another 10 yesterday and have 2 on the please notify if they come in stock again.

Right now the total cost is at $300 ( right on the mark) with a savings of $65. Those seeds will cover 2 years of planting some 3 yrs.  I figure $ $200 a year for seed. That's a lot of money I used the money we saved from eating from the pantry during the month of Jan to pay for it. But really it isn't when you look at that grocery bill and see I spend on average $125 a month on fresh produce. from Oct to April, sometimes May depending on the weather. IF I grow it and do succession plantings (something I haven't been doing) and interplanting like radishes with the beets, green onions around the tomato plants) and do a winter garden that bill should cut down quite a bit. I won't even attempt to grow my mushrooms. I know that in July I will have to prep the winter gardens. I'm adding more work to myself, work days will be longer and more . I also know that I have to sit down NOW and plan what needs to be done at what time because it's not my norm ...when to start seeds for those fall plantings as I will want the plants to be ready to put in those fall gardens for this winter. I need to check the supple of pvc pipes we have and their conditions along with plastic and purchase some good row cover. I used to read MotherofaHubbard blog...she's moved to Four Petal Farm and is on FaceBook if you want to check her out.She's in zone 6A and I'm in 6B so I need to adjust for that. We get colder 2 wks before her and warm up 2 wks after.

I am going to start some of my spring seeds in water/milk jugs like this   http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2011/01/making-a-greenhouse-sowing-seeds-updated/

I also pick the brains over at Old World Garden farms blog...they live across Ohio from me but the weather is usually very different, you wouldn't think so looking at a map. But we do get lake affect snow from Lake Michigan at times.

What are the goals for this gardening? that I can put fresh veggies on the table year around (which also means eating in season) and not spending money at the store...or money buying gas to run to the store. I know what has been put on the veggies or what sprays have been used (hot pepper spray to kill the bugs that eat the plant anyway, must have thought the spray was a condiment LOL)

I wouldn't have to spend $5 for a bunch of Swiss chard in mid winter when the garden seed is $1.99 for 250 seeds.

SO ready for spring.

Quick meals

quick meals  less than 30 min on the table... I make sure I keep the food required in the pantry to do this. I actually have a menu of these listed for me to see when I am thinking of eating out.

I precook ground beef, ground sausage(bulk) and ground pork when I bring it home. I try to keep 10 lbs of each in the deep freezer already done. I prep my veggies the day I shop or once a week so I am just grabbing veggies and not going: gee I don't feel like dealing with the carrots, onions and celery...we'll just eat out. I boil a few potatoes with skin on and then cool and refrigerate also. Doesn't take much reason to eat out..I will make taco meat and sloppy joes for the freezer also

Mac and cheese.Use small shells and boil in a skillet, less water means it heats faster.
 Can toss smoked sausage, ground sausage, ground hamb. ground pork or tuna. Mom used canned mackerel and canned salmon.

Tuna,mackerel or salmon patties, home fries and veggie

123 pasta(1 onion, 2 cups protein and 3 cups veggies usually leftovers with 1 lb of pasta and what ever sauce/gravy/cheese)

big egg (leftovers or what ever is cut up tossed in with eggs to make a fritta or open omelet)

omelets/fried egg sandwich/ egg salad sandwich

oven meal casserole (from my aunt when I got married, 2 cups of leftover meat covered by what ever veggie covered by sliced potatoes and some can of soup...she floated between cream soups, tomato soup and cheese soup cover and bake 20-30 min until hot at 350°)

hamburger pie using sloppy joes and instant mashed potatoes (pretty much the only thing I use instant mashed potatoes for)

grilled cheese (we change what cheese) and raw veggies.

grilled cheese with pizza sauce and pepperoni or some kind of "pizza" meat called Rocket Blaster by our school system.

subs or tortilla wraps with what ever we had on hand(sandwich bar) sometimes just scrambled eggs or a egg cooked flat like Subway does.

Rice or mashed potato bowls

nachos using tortilla chips chili and cheese

Chili over spag. for Cinncy chili

quesadillas

Soup either canned or leftovers tossed in broth (can add rice,pasta or potatoes if on light side)

Burritos (canned beans, sometimes add cheese or rice or both) Tostadas or enchiladas the same

Poorman's stroganoff  ground beef with cream of mushrooms soup and horseradish over pasta.

Breakfast for dinner...I am to make sure we have something for Hubby to pack as our dinner is his lunch to warm up at work. He doesn't eat sandwiches that much.

February Goals

Delicata winter squash... I also have butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash still to use up.

Eat from the pantry and limit eating out to 3 times this coming month (we will eat out once with Dad, and then there is Valentine's day and our anniversary that I think we should combine but Hubby thinks we might not as he would prefer once a week eating out. I think if I get back to bread baking and make tortilla wraps, sub buns along with calzones and pizzas, he won't care about eating out.We did set an amt of $120 for eating out for the month. That means if we go to Lock 16 we will be eating out twice instead of 3 or more and I set the budget at $180 for dairy and fresh produce The dogs budget is $80...yep they have their own budget and that includes vet and meds for them besides food and treats. I also plan to have the mudroom refrigerator freezer empty ...be eating what is in it by the end of the month . We also have a couple programs connected with our health ins that gives us points (which lowers what we pay) for eating real (no preservatives) and eating fewer processed foods (bake my own bread).I will finish the candy and cookies for the kids/grandkids and get them delivered.

I plan to walk 50,000 steps a week (connected to ins also) and start my yoga back up.

We are rebuilding our savings...slow but steady. We decided on some changes to the budget but I am not sure if they will work in real life and we are making payments on the last 3 loans we have following the Dave Ramsey Snowball method.

I am continuing with shining my sink and adding the habit of decluttering (Flylady)

I am continuing with Declutter 365 (Taylor at Home Storage solutions 101) actually I am about halfway through the year because I skipped the ones that will take weeks if not a month to do to work on after I get the "faster" ones done.

I'll pull a couple recipes off Ree (The Pioneer Woman) site like MM favorite sandwich and onion strings. Smothered pork chops.Caramel apple pie and cinnamon rolls to please Hubby (might help the "let's eat out once a week" thing he has going on.

Start more sweet potato slips.

Plan the garden (I already made planting schedule) and start transplants toward end of month.

Finish processing oranges and pumpkins.

Continue working on time mgt and weekly home blessing routine.

Decide which pattern I am using for Great Grandson's afghan....I've changed my mind about every other day.

AND WHY DO I WANT ALL THIS ???

Because I want more life..
more pleasure, more baking, more crocheting, more sewing, more crafts, more writing and lot more time with family and friends.

Last Week frugal

My fortune out of my fortune cookie. I thought it was a good poke as I found it in the car when we went to town. We went to the local Hong Kong Buffet for Chinese New Year on Saturday. I had coupons and shared them with the others that went with us and the table behind me since they had children under 7 and we don't. Everyone else went shopping , we went home.

I grieved for Ree at Thepioneerwoman as they lost their nephew and their oldest dog with in days of each other this past week or so.

I made Brandy's Swiss Chard soup from ThePrudentHomemaker. Reread all the posts under last week's frugal post from Brandy. Reread eating from the pantry and saving.

Bought the Oliso Iron after reading the review at Steamykitchen by Jaden. Been putting that off because I wanted a heavy iron and wasn't finding any in the stores and really hate ordering something that I can't touch even though I know I can return it. This one does what I want it to the first time.

I found a recipe for Kale and Farrow(when I get some of that ) and info on making complete proteins while eating meatless from Terri  at Bluehousejournal.

I found a recipe for slow cooker ham and potatoes from Katie at goodlifeeats.

The soup recipes will be going into my rotation of soups I am now making at least once a week if not  more often.

I put Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball method in effect the beginning of Jan. That is doing  well. I also listed the savings as a bill and set it to automatic. THEN without telling Hubby as he has a the tendency to start shopping when I am trying to save. He used to farm and is very used to always living in debt and living on loans. NOT living that way is a struggle for him. I transfer any money not needed at the end of the month to the savings.

My mother in law told me they saved five dollar bills and that's what she used to buy the house when they retired from farming.She saved 20 yrs. When she started she thought it would help make a down payment at the end of each month she deposited the fives. Then after a year she decide any five, whether it was 5 ones of a 5 dollar bill. SO I am doing 5 ones and 5 dollar bills.In my savings.

Prepped veggies at the beginning of the week part of the Revive course that I took from Jessica at lifeasmom. OVER prepped so I cooked what was going to end of being pitched if I didn't and split it between the turkey(leftover turkey from another meal) to make 2 burritos for our lunches and the rest of the turkey and some of the veggies went into making last night's turkey and dumplings. I have a container of the veggies to go in the pasta or calzones tonight and the rest of the veggies got dumped into what was left of the mashed potatoes that was leftover that I made mashed potato patties.Had mashed potato mixture left so mixed that the veggies and froze it to reheat as a side or add milk/broth/water to for soup for myself. I can also take a container to Dad and he can reheat it for a side or soup...just thought if I added cheese and some meat it would be loaded mashed potatoes. LUNCH. LOL

I had tossed the bag the chicken came into the kitchen trash and the next day Hubby had to take it out because of the smell...felt it was a waste as the bag wasn't really full and the trash goes to the road on Monday mornings. He tossed some of the burn trash (we have open burn here and use a burn barrel. We don't put anything in it we wouldn't put in our gardens as the ashes either go in our gardens or in our landlord's fields). I told him for now on I would either do the chicken on Sunday or put the "trash" from it in a bag and in the frig or freezer.Not wasting another kitchen trash bag.

How was your week?

Frugal week and eating from the pantry.

The week started good....and then.. DOWN HILL SLIDE .isn't that how it usually goes?

Been eating for the pantry (pantry challenge over at Good Cheap Eats) , definitely haven't been eating out like we were.I have been focusing on clearing this freezer to the mudroom frig. Yesterday I pulled things out to see what was left...I have enough to make it to the end of Feb...HUM didn't think I could pack it that full and then  I wonder how many meals is in Monty that is the 27 cubic ft deep freezer. Guess I am going to find out.

We went to the store...kind of...Actually we went to Menards to get shelving for the root cellar section of the pantry in the basement. It was on sale and they had their 11 % rebate and we had 3 rebates to apply. Got two metal shelving units for $33 with the tax. COOL. ALSO got half the seeds for the gardens for 40% off and they are FRESH seed not last year's leftovers... add another 11 % taken off that when the rebate comes in...sigh, they had the chips on sale...chips is on the list for Feb,,,, yes I buy chips. Tortilla chips for nachos, taco salad, taco casserole, guac and salsa , cream cheese (Hubby likes it ). Fritos for taco salad, chili, spinach dip (it's the only time Hubby eats cooked spinach), potato chips for the times I am craving carbs, salt and needing potassium.and then I usually get something like puffed popcorn or cheese puffs for those times I crave crunch but can't eat raw veggies (CELERY CELERY CELERY). I got a nice variety and specified they had to last until March AND saved over 50% and I am still UNDER budget for the month.PLUS they will also get the  11% rebate. I hid the chips LOL.

We went to Walgreens as I had coupons on my card and a few paper coupons and got our year's supply of vitamins and supplements. I might have to pick up B vitamin depending on the blood work I get for next month. Saved over a 1/3rd. which is better than what I did last year as I only saved 15% last year and it averaged out to be $20 a month. This time it's averaging less than $9.for both us together. I have to take multi vitamin, vit D, Calcium, vit B. I have to float between 3 multi vitamins to keep my stomach from throwing a hissy.

Wed was my birthday, we thought we would go to town after Hubby got home from work and I would get my blood work (after fasting), then go get my free breakfast from Perkins and then get the tags and my license renewed then get the shelving and vitamins and some odds and ends at the store....it did NOT happen...Oh yeah I fasted ,,,went without my morning coffee (or tea) and about the time Hubby should have been getting in, he was calling me to come get him because the truck was broke down.

The day slid down hill from there. Truck wouldn't be jumped, came home to take the "box" we have on the trailer off (we use the box when at auction or this time was moving our daughter) went back and winched the truck on the trailer which took an HOUR and then hauled it to the mechanic at 30 mph back roads.Getting it off the trailer was easy as we parked so the truck would roll backwards without much of a push.

Then got the tags and my license and then WENT back to the truck to put the tags on it. I did run through Walmart and get printer paper ( I don't print picture when I print recipes and I usually copy and paste so I can change the font to one that doesn't use as much ink)as I was completely out and some pears and a gal of milk.  I used a gift card and it still has money on it. I got my blood work Friday,

Got home and found out that our neighbor's mother that used to be our neighbor had died and her viewing was that night at 4 so Hubby got 3 hrs sleep before he was back up and off we went to the viewing...meantime I had checked my email and found that Hubby's employer is changing health ins to a HSA in 2018.... we don't pay for our ins at all right now but we do pay a deductible and copays....been expecting the change for years so it didn't throw us but I decided to change the budget NOW to reflect that change so we are used to it by Jan of next year. THEN since I didn't get my free bfast Hubby was feeling bad for me so he called in to our favorite local restaurant and ordered me the fried chicken dinner to go. Dropped me off at home and went and got it...didn't think to check the order before he left the restaurant...half my meal wasn't there SIGH. I ended up cooking sides for myself and he called to complain. I went to bed early,

I cooked a big batch of bell peppers, onions with 1 lbs of smoked sausage cut in coins and added 2 qrts of home canned tomatoes. 1/3 went into pasta and cheese, another 1/3rd went over rice and the last was strained (juice was left for the rice one) and used in tortilla wraps. Should have saved some for the omelets I made later this week.

I cooked 2 soup pots of rice. one for to make fried rice and the other for regular dishes or for bfast with raisins and milk.

I made eggroll casserole that made our dinner and then bagged 19 more servings(that way I can use it for my lunch, or Hubby"s lunch or for eggrolls or potstickers without thawing a lot of it) of it for the freezer. It used the last 2 heads of cabbages we had from last fall.

My GI doctor wanted me to read up on Ayurveda so I was able to do so through my Amazon kindle. I downloaded 12 books. I do unlimited, which is good for me as it's 20 miles one way to the nearest library and their selection isn't very good.I read several books at a time, nothing for me to go through a book or even two in a day. I don't watch tv except for the evening news and sometimes morning news for the weather and I limit time of the computer , I do NOT have Facebook on my phone or any other social media. I have started timing my time on Facebook when my youngest texted me and asked why I was still on FB after 30 min (I was reading some bloggers LOL)I read two hours every night and did when the kids were little, I read in bed instead of watching tv.

I have started dusting and sweeping more often to cut back on the issues with my allergies. Also using a nasal rinse twice a day and found if I do all of that I am not having to take the allergy meds or the Afrin spray...which is better for my tummy as Crony (what I call my Crohn's) isn't happy with allergy meds. also saves me over $20 a month. My daughter suggested I toss the throw blankets etc out over the clothes line even if it is freezing to help air them out instead of using the dryer.

I save all the junk mail envelopes and expired coupons and any piece of paper that can be used for notes etc.

I wash freezer bags that wasn't used for meat, foil and bread bags,

 I researched through the internet (and my Swagbucks)for the best prices for the last of my seeds I wanted to order and then ordered them using discount codes etc I cashed in my Swagbucks to claim my extra points for my birthday. I used what I cashed in for Amazon and then ordered Hubby a new tracker as his was no longer working with his phone and wouldn't connect to our health ins (ins does a point system, you do certain things like walking 50000 steps a week and get points that helps lower the costs of the health ins )Hubby had bought me a new one in Dec when he found them on sale but he didn't like what was on sale so didn't get a new one him self. I found what he liked on Amazon on sale and my Swagbucks paid for over half of it.

We decided to use my free bfast coupon this week as it expires. I then found a coupon for Perkins for Hubby to use for his meal when I decluttered area by the calendar. I don't usually keep Perkins coupons as it's not a place we go very often. THEN we decided to go Monday night since I have 2 doc appts to go to. I already have a lunch in the freezer for Hubby to take to work that night. I hope to get produce then also.IF not we will be going without because I'm not making a special trip to get it.

I went to The Prudent Homemaker site and read the frugal posts daily. Even if it means to reread, I always seem to find another piece of wisdom to try to keep the week frugal.

Blessed Be

last week's frugalness

I washed my produce before preparing it and put the skins in a bag in the freezer to make veggie broth when the bag is full which should be this week.

I canned 8 pints of oranges, dried the zest, added some of the zest to salt for citrus salt, put some of the peels in vinegar for citrus vinegar cleaner and prepped the nicer peels to make candy orange peels today.

We ate from the pantry doing the pantry challenge from Good Cheap Eats except for Saturday when Hubby brought a pizza home after working outside in the cold and wet with HAM radio group.

I dehydrated some more eggs and powdered them for storage. I noticed the price is starting to creep back up to a dollar a dozen. I would like to get more in storage but if I don't , I'm okay.

I put 14 qrts of turkey broth, 7 qrts of beef broth and 14 pints of ham broth.

I put 4 meals of ham in the freezer.

I canned 12 half pints of butter. I grew up canning butter so it doesn't worry me to do this.It is a personal choice.

I bumped a couple of errands and appts to the same days so we are only going to town 2 days this week instead of 4.

I baked a peach dump cake and took the extra peaches to add to peach jello.

I didn't keep track of what I was doing frugal and I think since I didn't I might not noticed that I could have been frugal or more frugal if I had been writing things down daily.

Blessed Be

What I plan to do this week

 These come from REVIVE course from Jessica Fisher fishmama.com

These week's goals.

Declutter 365 ( Taylor at Home storage solution 101). We are in the pantry...yesterday I measured all areas of where I store food and non food. We have thought 400 sq ft....NOPE. 700 sq ft. that's bigger than the house my youngest lives in with 3 kids. I took pictures yesterday, noticed clutter that I was "blanking" out when I was actually in the room along with some why did I sit that there? issues.  I won't be inventorying it ...HA HA. Nor will I be inventorying the 27 cubic chest deep freezer, 22 cubic chest deep freezer or 7 cubic chest deep freezer. I might the 2 refrigerators freezers. That is a BIG might.

I changed my zones from Flylady's zone to match my house better. The zone for this week is the upstairs bedrooms. I will also be focusing on 27 fling boogie 3 times a day out of these 3 rooms.I took pictures of this also. We'll see where I stand in these 3 rooms before I decide which is the project for this weekend.

I am doing Revive, using the time budget, time analysis, cleaning schedule  daily. Made a menu for bfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Doing snowball debt  from Dave Ramsey and focused on rebuilding the emergency fund. In with this I have gotten paperwork for my doctor to fill out to try to get my health ins to agree to pay for a medication not covered by my ins.My ins suggested it, that even if my ins doesn't pay it , I might be able to get my money back through my flex spending acct.

I've been reading The Prudent Homemaker daily gleaning the wisdom on the frugal posts but the others also. I just gave away a skirt that I loved but was huge on me that I could have taken in.. I do sew DUH. It took seeing Brandy's daughter in the skirt she took in to make me realize I need to stop with, this don't fit get rid of it and ask if I can redo it to make it fit.

I am processing food that will start going bad with spring coming.

Have a great week

Jan 15 to 21 menu

Due to changes in meds (and there will be another one in a couple weeks) I have sat down and wrote out the meds schedule and when I have to eat...because over half my meds need to have food with them but can't be taken close to other meds. I am really focused on serving sizes and getting more walking in as I don't want to gain weight.

Bfast menu is French toast with bacon/oatmeal bar with yogurt/apple muffin with yogurt/egg sandwich (bagel,bread or English muffin) cream of wheat with sausage patty/oatmeal with egg (how ever I want to fix it that morning LOL) and omelet.

Morning snack. My doctor strongly suggested pureed fruit with my new med which is what I take at this time so that will be what this snack is. I will set up my blender so if I don't have applesauce in the frig like I do right now, I can puree up what ever is on hand.

Lunch...SIGH... I am going to try to eat salads....daily.... I like salads, I always eat them when out, I eat a chef salad before I eat my pizza but let's get real...I HATE PREPPING SALADS. I just am not willing to pay that extra money to have it prepped for me LOL.... I have been known to eat what my friend calls salad sandwiches.So Sunday evening I will be prepping salads but in my head I will tell myself I am prepping veggies to use during the week in dinners instead...Sometimes I have to "mommy" myself.Salads will have a protein/carb with them due to meds.

Afternoon snack.This is around 2 pm when I have my tea, it will be mostly a small carb...biscotti, cookie, cake, fig newton, something small. I've done this for years so it's not a change.

Dinner this week...123 pasta (using leftovers up)/Eggroll Bowl (has rice)/ smoked sausage,bell peppers and onion over LO Rice/ham and scalloped potatoes casserole/ red beans and LO rice/Chicken breast (several varieties of precooked in freezer)with winter sq (depending on choice of chicken of which winter sq) and Risotto...probably beef,mushroom and radicchio

Evening snack...jello, pudding, custard, yogurt, frozen yogurt or juice, Maybe popcorn ...something very light but still enough I can take the last med that requires food.I might try to ride the exercise bike after the snack instead of riding it in the morning.Though taking a walk around the perimeter in the dark (I have a good flashlight) in the cold might help me sleep longer than 4 hrs.

What I am doing

Declutter 365 is going good.I have the upstair hall and staircase (stash dash and wait until I am going up for some other reason since we don't use the upstairs much any more. That's going to change) done and cleaned.

I worked on the butler's pantry, another dump until I go down to the basement area as the basement door is right there..which meant I was stepping over things to get to the dry goods that I can't store in the pantry in the basement or things I use daily (I don't store food in the kitchen cabinets, never have).

This is what it looked like before I started....

there is over 50 cake mixes on that top shelf. My youngest gave me a recipe to use them up making cookies .If I had 50 brownie mixes I would have everyone of my grandkids offering to bake them LOL.

I took some stuff and placed in 5 gal food grade buckets with lids and put in basement pantry including 30 of the cake mixes, kept no more than 2 of each kind plus brownie, muffin and cookie mixes I was given. I have a few things that were missing and didn't realize it until I cleaned it so today I will be making a grocery list of those items as right now they are just jotted down on the white out board on the side of the frig that sits at the doorway to this area.

I forgot to take a before picture of the pegboard I hang my pots and pans on (idea from Julia Child). To say the least it was a horrible mess since I had bought new pans  and the set had more pans than the set I got rid of (gave to grandson that got his own place) and never dealt with it. Hubby likes the new way because if he hangs it in the wrong spot it's be into another pan and he KNOWS that isn't how it's set up.  I got rid of the rice cooker that I haven't used since the kids left home (hum, 9 yrs?) and put the instant pot in its place so it's off the floor.

SO after 3 days of several hours a day this is what I now have.

and then I have this...I hang the tablecloths here. We don't use the baseboard heater (shut off at breaker box) so I use it for the cold cereal. I very seldom buy cereal unless it's on sale for less than $2 and I have coupons.AND if I can get a rebate from it it's even better. BUT Hubby likes his cold cereal and at least it's not the kind with tons of sugar. We are stocked for about 6 months if not more.

Hubby built this as a bookcase for me in 2005 when I started my business as a personal/private chef.It's purpose has changed several times through the years.I have a step stool that isn't in the picture that usually leans against it. It's being used upstairs at the moment. This is another one Hubby built. We had moved into a very small rental house that had a built in pantry wardrobe and there was this spot next to it that nothing fit in and I didn't have any place for my baking staples so Hubby built it to fit the area. When we moved here it fit in this corner but now it holds the teas, sodas,jello, pudding, and the booze. Just FYI, we don't drink 95 % of it. It's for cooking mostly that I used in my cheffing....I pawned some off on my bartending daughter for her and her coworkers to use coming up with new drinks etc. Still have some I am either going to have to pawn off or find recipes for since I have retired.Got a few from Mom before she passed away and a couple from a friend that brought it back from Italy. I plan to start working on the shelves that are in the staircase to the basement next. Kitchen is just wipe out cabinet and drawers and the top of the cabinets wiped out. I keep the kitchen decluttered mostly. The kitchen table gets a lot on it as it's the only work area and holds the coffee maker,my kitchenaid, tea box, water pitcher, cookie jar LOL ...it's only 24 inches by 40 inches so it's a work horse for it's size.

Pantry challenge frugal week

Hubby said he knows why we don't do menus ...I take the leftovers and keep adding to it to provide one more meal...  this was said after I cooked a combination of veggies to add to our subs and then served them in  4 more ways to provide meals. I put the last of them in enchiladas tonight but we still have enchiladas left for tomorrow so I guess that makes 5..it was 3 bell peppers, 1 jumbo onion and 1 lbs of mushrooms .. that I added 1/2 cup of cooked sausage, 1 cup of leftover cooked shredded beef and tonight I added refried beans to it... We had it this morning with eggs and country style gravy.

We had bbq ribs, mashed potatoes and kraut and repeated it the next day. I had poorman stroganoff (hamburger stroganoff with horseradish) over Ramen noodles.  I baked a ham and served it with mac and cheese and green beans. The next day we had ham sandwiches with leftover mac and cheese. I cut of what was left of the ham for 3 casseroles (put that ham in freezer) and simmered the bone to make ham broth for soup that I canned. I roasted a chuck roast and used it to make beef and homemade noodles with a molasses custard baked in wee be little pumpkins (usually used for decorations).

I canned beef broth and turkey broth and butter ....yes butter. I grew up with canning butter so I don't worry about doing it now. It's what we used during the summer because it would stay soft in the frig and leaving butter out during the summer was usually not good idea.

I mended a shirt for Hubby and 2 dog toys that the dogs got for Christmas.

We redid the 2017 budget. Had to increase some areas and decreased others to make it balance and still be able to put some back in savings. We did better financial in 2016 than we had the five years before that even though we lost income. I garden more and we get what I don't grow at the Amish produce auction instead of buying organic at the store.

We went to the store even though we are doing the pantry challenge. I matched non food coupons to the sales. Ended up getting 3 lbs of meat for free due to coupons and sales also. Got my dairy and produce that I was out of. Saved over 30 % so I felt better about going to the store. I downloaded the free Friday coupon from Krogers. Matched rebates with Mobisave, checkout51 and Ibotta.

I'm decluttering daily and repurposing things so I don't have to buy anything.

I started my sweet potato slips.

Hope everyone is safe, warm and having a good week

Jan menu and shopping

Since we are on the pantry challenge over at goodcheapeats. I decided we would only buy things that are on the basic weekly grocery list (no stocking up)...then Hubby decided we would only go to the store every 2 weeks...then I decided since we wasn't going to be in town for anything for 3 weeks we would go 3 weeks with picking up milk at the local IGA when he heads home from work in the mornings.

THEN I decided to not spend more that $100 for the month on food with the thought of closer to $50 for the month.

THEN ..ha ha I got to thinking about what would I be willing to buy

Apples as Hubby packs these in his lunches and also will eat them with peanut butter. Right now I have a good supply but by the end of the month I can see us need more.

Bananas as a requirement of my diet. This might be another pick up at the local IGA as I do NOT see me driving 30 min round trip for 7 bananas.

Celery, carrots,bell peppers, fresh mushrooms and dark greens. I have plenty of everything else in the pantry but I don't even have dried celery or dried carrots.

Vernor's ginger soda and Sprite...WHY because I am sick  😢and when my Crohn's flares up that's what the doctor's put me on also...especially the ginger soda. I do ginger tea but it can some times be too strong with my Crohn's so I drink the soda FLAT AND WARM.

AND the last would  be  milk, heavy cream, half and half and buttermilk. I have enough cottage cheese and cheese (dairy is my protein during Crohn's attacks) for the month. I have enough yogurt that if I need more I could make it if I had the milk to make it.

 I have the baking supplies for bread, biscuits,bagels, English muffins, flat bread, Naan bread, crescents (even though for some reason I have several store brand crescents ) and tortilla wraps.

The menu for the month

 Bfast we will rotate through pie, fruit muffins and fruit bread, oatmeal and cream of wheat (might do grits) Egg or bfast meat sandwich,  Sunday, Friday and Saturdays when Hubby working will be brunch...pancakes,waffles, French toast,frittatas (Big Egg is what Hubby calls it) or omelets. Not quite the Irish full fry but close.

Lunch, Hubby packs leftovers from our dinner or takes a lunch meat (can be meat I sliced off of roasts) wrap or sandwich. He prefers tortilla wraps or flat bread over regular bread most the time.

I will have mushroom soup, tomato soup, potato soup or egg drop soup. I will also have PB and honey or grilled cheese sandwiches Egg salad or tuna salad with crackers is an option. Sometimes I just do "snacks" for lunch like cheese, crackers and pickles or olives

Dinner, I listed the proteins instead of the sides...I do sides based on what I have already eaten and what Vit I still need...like tonight I will need Vit A so I will make sure that what I eat will have that.

Dinners...

Seafood: mackerel patties, Salmon patties and tuna noodle casserole.

Soups and stews: Pasta e Fagioli (first day I don't add the pasta, second round I do) beef bourguignon or beef stew depending on if I want to make pot pie or add dumplings 2nd round. Brunswick stew, and bean soup.

Pork meals are roasted pork (LO pulled or Brunswick stew), pork chops, bulk sausage,sausage patties,smoked sausage, and ham (with lots of LO)

 Roasted beef (LO as stew, potpie or noodles) hamburger, fajitas, subs(mock Philly cheese steak) stroganoff  

Enchiladas with any meat

Grilled bologna ( from G&R Tavern in Waldo OH)

Homemade calzones and pizza

pasta , 123 pasta is a go to a lot...1 onion, 2 cups protein and 3 cups or more veggies... I will toss that combination on top of rice also.

We will do bfast for dinner also. I do have a list of meals that are stocked that can be prepared with in 15-20 min.

Jan 2nd pantry challenge

UGH....I caught the crud that is going around.Woke up with it and WHINED that for the large amount of steroids I am on that I shouldn't be SICK...

BUT I AM....WHINE WHINE WHINE...I did get a grilled cheese to go with that whine LOL

ANYWAYS.

While Hubby ate pie for bfast (low sugar) and I had crackers for bfast....we talked over what was going on the rest of the day for meals since I don't cook when I am sick.

I went with tomato soup and grilled cheese (sop up the whine LOL) for lunch and will have the last of the tomato soup for dinner.Probably with a PB and Honey sandwich or a grilled lunch meat. I have V8 Fusion to balance that.

Hubby is eating the last of the leftover ribs, mashed potatoes and kraut for his dinner and packing a lunch meat sandwich(probably a tortilla wrap instead of bread) for his lunch.

Today is our trash day so I cleaned the kitchen frig out. Wasn't as bad as it looked and I put some things in that freezer so it's on the full side now.

AND this is what it looks now

I seemed to have picked up a lot of crescent rolls for some reason that I am going to have to use up. Salad dressings etc, Mexican items and jelly/fruit butters are back in the storage containers so it's pull one thing out and not a hunt and find. Cottage cheese and yogurt left top next to salad stuff as I toss it with my salads just as often as not.Milk, juices are to the top and right, eggs, bacon and bacon grease to the bottom and right. Hubby's lunch drawer right has his apples, candy bar that he has with peanut butter and the lunch meat for when there is no leftovers for him to pack for lunch. Left drawer is veggies so there is no veggies still sitting on the jars in the doors. Under milk is leftovers and the large container of dark greens I am now suppose to eat regularly. The bottom drawer is CHEESE....lots and lots of cheese and it's not the only cheese in the house. I get cheese on sale and FREEZE it. YEP YEP YEP

Jan 1st pantry challenge

Berry pie for bfast
appetizers for lunch
ribs, kraut, mashed potatoes and apple pie for dinner
guac and chips for snack later.









I had an extra Flylady calendar and decided to use it in the kitchen to write what I actually cook (compared to what I put on the menu). I also noted what food  has what Vit etc in it to make sure that I have that covered.

This deep freezer is what I call baby as it is the 7 cf and the smallest. It is my focus to clear it and the 2 frig freezers first in this challenge.

Jan 2017 monthly goals

FOR the gardens:
start sweet potato slips

 start forcing paper whites and amaryllis.

 plan/plot what to plant where this spring/summer/fall check seeds and decide on what plants

  Organization/cleaning
 use declutter 365 starting in kitchen.(Home storage solutions 101)

 set a home blessing routine...reflect that it will have to float some due to health and doctor appts.
 work on time management issues ...I am horrible with time mgt.

  Sewing/crafts
keep mending current (not a basket at a time)

 make an afghan for great grandson

 make new aprons for myself

 set up/organize the sewing/craft room and remove things that should not be in that room. I'm having trouble deciding what will work and what won't in sitting the room up as it is a small room and there is no heat in that room without a heater being brought in to it.

  Financial
rebuild the savings as we are FINALLY out of the Ch 13 bankruptucy (slow pay) and are no longer limited on saving.

 purchase a 2nd dehydrator

 continue to pay off loans...we paid off 2 last year and have 3 left. Time frame is set for 4 yrs but I would like to get that done in less....

 Have money for Christmas already set aside by Oct 1st.

  Personal
 Keep Crohn's flare ups down by watching diet, eating smaller meals and more often and exercising.Hopefully the new meds with allow me to go into remission and come off meds completely for awhile. Walking with the dogs here at home at least 3 times a day even when cold (BURRRR) and going to the wellness center (5 miles away) to attend classes for free connected to Hubby's work. I've just been lazy about going. I have a girlfriend that is willing to do some classes with me and my doctor has "ordered" me to start lifting weights to rebuild my strength and bones.

  Kitchen/pantry

I need to shine my sink(Wash dishes) twice a day...

 I am doing the pantry challenge with Goodcheapeats this month. Our pantry is out of control as you will notice if you are reading my blog. My goal is to have the pantry cleared down so this late summer and early fall I have room for NEW food.It won't be empty but I would like to have it down about half.

 I also want to go back to baking my own breads

 I NEED to finish taking out the preservatives in my diet

. I need to have the kitchen set up to be able to process the food coming in faster so it's not just sitting.

2017 goals and "support "

My goals...to be chaos and clutter free, to have the last 3 debts paid off and to rebuild the savings and to eat healthy. My "support team" of family and friends of Hubby, my youngest daughter, my middle son, and my sister (of heart). My "support team" of bloggers... Brandy over at The Prudent Homemaker , she's my go to for frugal ideas and making the pantry last. Dave Ramsey with his Debt Snowball Method which has worked for YEARS on digging us back out after losing 2 yrs of income. Jessica Fisher ...lifeasmom and goodcheapeats for her pantry challenges , revive course and her personal planner that uses post-it notes...my favorite and it actually will work for me. Marla and the Flybabies at Flylady.net... From Chaos to Clean in 2017 , monthly habits (Jan is shine the sink) and fling boogies etc. She has been there "for" me since 2001. Taylor Flanery at Home Storage Solutions 101 for her declutter 365. Ree at The Pioneer Woman...she's my go to for "man meals" so Hubby doesn't feel deprived plus I love Charlie. Katie over at goodlifeeats.com for recipes. Jaden at Steamykitchen.com, not only for recipes but for reviews of products she uses. They are who I look to when I have fog brain.

Pantry Challenge 2017

This is from Jessica over at GoodCheapEats.com . She does a pantry challenge twice a year that I try to at least do 2 weeks of.

This year I plan to do a lot longer...like MONTHS...why? The goal is to clear out and restock after I've defrosted deep freezers and to wipe down and restock the pantry with the FRESH garden stuff that will come in this year.IT is also a goal to pay off the final 3 debts and rebuild the savings account. ALSO I want another dehydrator for this summer and this is a good way to save for that purchase.

This is not an easy task for me, I get the shakes when I see empty spots where food was. BUT I know if I don't focus on clearing it out every other year completely I will end up with food being wasted.I went hungry growing up. We lived where if we didn't grow it we didn't have it. When my parents divorced there was no meat on the table because Dad hunted and fished. We didn't buy meat at all.

I have rules...can only eat out twice in during the month...that might go to 3 times if we go see our parents as we take them out to eat when we do and that depends on my health and the weather as they live over an hour away and we don't see them every month.

I have  a list of meals that is stocked that can be made within 20 min. That is about the time it would take us to drive to the closest fast food drive through and get back. I would like to focus back on eating out a something SPECIAL and being at a sit down restaurant.

I can get items needed off the basic weekly grocery list Hubby and I wrote out the other night. Basic vegetables (carrots,celery etc) apples and bananas (requirement of my diet due to health) and dairy and if needed baking supplies.Still we decided to go every 2 wks to the store as he can stop and get milk at the local little store on the way home from work. I chose to wait 3 wks this first time as I just stocked the frigs for the holidays. I do have a monthly basic list but it is mostly staples for baking etc and I stock it usually at Sam's club. I will limit grocery store shopping when I do it to either Aldi's or click list at Krogers (except for a milk run if needed and that will be the local IGA)...that keeps me (and Hubby as he ALWAYS checks clearance and markdowns) from getting the sales. Ads will be tossed before coming in the house. If I don't see it I won't want to get that SALE.

Menu MUST provide potassium, magnesium,Vit.D,Vit E,Vit.K,Vit A, B12,zinc,folate,calcium,iron and LOW fiber.  Thank you to a new GI that caught that my Crohn's was not letting me absorb these.

SO here is the pictures of the two refrigerators and their freezers...just a start as I have 300 sq ft plus pantry and a butler's pantry and onions in an upstairs bedroom hanging in the closet and produce that needs dealt with under the bed and kitchen table and in crates in the mudroom.ALONG with Monty, 27 cf deep freezer (Montgomery Ward AKA Monty) Newbie (21 cf deep freezer, it's new) in the basement laundry room and Baby the 7 cf deep freezer in the mudroom....please be sitting when you finally see the pictures when I post tomorrow and Monday.

This is the mudroom frig and it's freezer. We used to use it for condiments when I was working as a personal chef and then it was beverages and now it is OVER FLOW of what ever I am processing...right now there is turkey broth and beef broth to can and still some baking items that are needed to finish the Christmas candy and cookies that didn't get done due to me being in the hospital right before Christmas. The cookies and candy are to be delivered by end of Jan.

This is the kitchen frig and it's freezer. SIGH. I do have containers in this frig that has some of it organized but it is definitely overloaded and stacked up. Be back tomorrow with more pictures and the menu.

New Year's eve Frugal wrap up of the week

I loaded Mobisave, Ibotta and Checkout 51 to my phone for rebates. Already have around $20 in rebates.

I saved $90 in coupons and sales at Krogers not counting the fuel pts that we will use this coming month.

I found a place to get a discount for the supplement my GI doctor has ordered for me to take that is NOT covered by my ins saving over half and it's shipped from the mfg .

I transferred my Pinecone pay to cover the journals I ordered for myself.

I transferred my Swagbucks to Amazon to pay for our subscribe and save order.

I inputted my coke pts and also got a free calendar (had to pay shipping) as a gift from Coke and Shutterfly.

I got 4x4 picture magnet from Walgreens for 99¢ to give to my in laws for the frig. Its a "selfie" off my cellphone picture of Hubby and me. I will be mailing it to them this week.

We found LED Christmas lights to replace the ones we lost this year. We had priced them at $35 a strand before Christmas and paid less than $7 a strand AFTER. Being LED will help keep the electric bill down next year also.

I got next year's Christmas cards for 1/4 th the price.

I saved the ham fat from the ham. turkey fat from the turkey and beef fat from the prime rib roast. Now in freezer. IF I don't use it for flavoring I will use to for the birds

I "simmered" turkey carcass for broth, prime rib bones for broth and bagged the meat off those for meals like noodles or casseroles for the freezer.

I froze the leftover strawberries we were given after a party.

I dehydrated eggs.

I fixed appetizers yesterday since we were home and tired of eating all the "buffets" we were invited to. We will have what is left of that today. The ribs I was going to fix is going to be for tomorrow instead which means I now have 2 meals in the freezer that isn't going to be used this week.Not sure if that is good or bad since the freezers are filled to the brim and so is both frigs.

Happy New Year's

End of the year

A storm is what I feel like I have been going through the last month or so. I now have a new GI doctor that is more into doing what works for me than just prescribing meds. She made some requests for changes in what I eat with the understanding I wasn't not to put us in any kind of problem financially or health wise (if it bothers me don't eat it) and keep her updated through email of how it is going. I will eventually have to have surgery. My ilium in too small (birth defect that was just caught) and it causing "back" ups when blocked and the pain meds I have taken decades for the back pain pretty much is what triggered the Crohn's. She changed the meds to something that should help more and added a supplement to add good bacteria to my gut...HOPE PRAY AND DANCE IN THE RAIN...

Meantime between  coming out of the hospital, dealing with Christmas (still have 1 candy and 6 types of cookies to deliver late Jan) I used Kroger's pts and Wagner pts for fuel (lots of driving long distance since the kids and both sets of parents live over an hr from us and we visited a friend that was in to see her parents , she's from Montana.

I used the leftover prime rib to make broth and meat for beef and noodles (and probable a casserole).

I used the leftover turkey to make broth and meat for noodles (and a couple casseroles for next month).

I saved the wrapping paper of a couple gifts we were given to reuse next year.

We got ham for 97¢/lb. I got 2 and then Hubby stopped in a couple days later and got 2 more. We are giving one to his parents.

I found bulk food storage containers to replace what finally gave way including new ones for the brown sugar and powdered sugar to keep ants out. This past year has been a battle and I have had to throw sugars out due to ants...went right through the containers I was using that I thought were airtight...NOPE. The containers were on sale and I went through my Swag bucks so that is even better. I got free shipping also.

I found good thick work socks at Rural King for Hubby and got free shipping and used a coupon .

I ordered the new office supplies going through Swag bucks and got them on sale. I ordered enough I hope to make it to school supply time this summer.

We went over our 2017 budget and figured out we have a couple areas too tight due to increase of prices around here so we are figuring out where to shift that from without taking away from the increase in savings. My new meds is one of those costs.

I did gag gifts for the 12 days of Christmas for the kids and grandkids. Great grandson got toys and Christmas ornament of him, his dad and his great great grandpa.

For the 12 days I did
1st= pear fruit cup (Dollar tree)
2nd = plastic turtles (Amazon on sale and used Swag bucks to pay for it) along with dove candy from Odd Lots.
3rd =feather's from JoAnn fabric black Friday
4 th = note that said messages was left and 4 positive messages written out by hand
5 th gold rings made from gold pipe cleaners
6th 6 tsp of dehydrated eggs
7th  7 tsp of Dead sea salt (swans were swimming in the Dead sea LOL)
8 m packages of Swiss miss hot cocoa except for my granddaughter that doesn't do any choc and she got shelf stable milk. She put it in her emergency supply since they have their own place.
9 lady's dancing needed candy canes that was given to us from a friend that didn't need any more for her own gifts
10 lords leaping for joy over 10 brownie cookies
11 pipers piping...they were preschoolers that "pipes" were made from drinking straws
12 drummers drumming...kids got a hoot out of it. I saved ever popcap I could including asking a friend to save hers so I could make "drums" out of the caps and hot glued a circle of linen paper on the cap and 2 small match sticks for the drum sticks...kids thought it was funny I used what was my TRASH for their gifts and then got to thinking about how many pops I had to drink to give each of them 12 drums ( over 200 until I admitted I had taken caps from them that they didn't realize what I was doing. I do coke points so that's what they thought I was doing LOL
I used paper from my late mother to wrap and only bought tape.

I could have done a lot better on the cost of the candy and cookies.... I didn't buy choc like I usually do so paid the price even with it on sale. Didn't make the run to Sam's club like I usually do and the costs showed it. Something I will have to change to handle that outlay this coming year.

We have to go visit Hubby's parents yet (tomorrow) and we have a neighborhood party tonight to take something to.

THEN it's take down Christmas , rest and start the New Year with new goals .