Thursday, March 31, 2011
April is here!
April means Easter! April means green grass! April means chicks, bunnies and butterflies. My crocuses are blooming and my daffodils are ready to! ! ! YAY!! Sping cannot get warm enough fast enough for me.... Have a blessed beginning of April!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Healthful Asian Soup
One of my favorite restaraunt style soup recipes!! Is actually a Doctor recommended 'diet' soup. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! I adjust as I need to, today I omitted tofu and cilantro, although the diet exchange will vary a bit then. Great w/beef broth and sirloin steak pieces in place of shrimp. 1 TBS. peanut oil (today I used Mandarin Olive oil) 1/4c. chopped fresh ginger (keeps well in the freezer) 1/4c. garlic 2 cont. (32oz ea) plus 2 cups fat free chicken broth 1/2 c. cornstarch 1 pkg. (10.5oz) extra firm Tofu, cut into 1/4" pieces 1 can (8oz) sliced bamboo shoots, drained 1 can (8oz) straw mushrooms, drained (may be in some stir fry mixes already) 1/2 c. soy sauce 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar (or more :)) 1 TBS. sugar 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 2 bags (16 oz ea) Oriental style frozen veggies (Costco 5.5 lb bag 3 x recipes & has mushrooms) 1lb. fresh peeled, deveined or canned or frozen shrimp 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro 1 pkg. (10 oz) spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic & ginger, cook until tender about 3-4 mins. Combine 1 c. broth w/ the cornstarch until smooth. To pot add cornstarch mix and remaining broth, tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, & crushed red pepper; bring to a boil and cook unti thickened. Add frozen veggies, shrimp & cilantro. Simmer until shrimp is just opaque, about 10 mins. Stir in spinach just until wilted. Makes 20 cups. Per cup: 87 cal's, 9 g. protein, 2 g. fat, 35 mg. chol, 9 g. carbs, 751 mg. sodium, 2 g. fiber. Red Pepper, Ginger, Garlic all have protective effects against heart disease & certain cancers. Tofu helps lower cholesterol and relieve hot flashes. Shrimp is super lean protein w/1g. fat per serving, contains Omega-3's as well. 1) Have up to 8 cups a day 2) Enjoy one mini meal a day 3) Take a multivitamin mineral supplement ( a good one) 4) Sip 8 (8oz) glasses of water a day Stay on plan no longer than one week at a time. ENJOY!!!!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Budget Tip 2
So this takes , of course, going back to Step 1 and listing all of your bills.
You need a chart. Some use a spreadsheet (wish I could remember how).... :)
it could be a calendar specifically for this.
Mine is a small poster board because it is noticeable; 1 and 1/4 inch wide columns x 1/2 inch rows. It has the months of the year across the top, one for each column. Along the left side going down it has my main consumer debt....credit cards, specialty like JCPenneys. A space or two in case more come up and then my mortgage and household utilities in the next several spaces going down the left side. (Remember it is all rows and columns.) I leave a couple spaces and then have my business bills in a row. I will try to draw this out one day soon.
So ...for example under January one spot down there is a space and to the left the first bill was Capital One....in this box it has balance owed to this account and maybe minimun payment.
Left upper corner is triangled off w/ a line - I write the payment I am paying. The right lower corner is an opposite triangle and I mark it off red to show payment paid for January when I pay it. Right in front of me I pick out the bill I want to go away quickly or that I know I can pay off easily soon. I put as much as I can spare into that payment!! When that bill is paid off in the next few months, I have x amount of money to add to the next bill I am targeting. Some bills of course are rotating monthly but I pay and mark them as soon as they come in or as soon as I sit down to pay several. I know what has been paid and is not by glancing at those red corners. I am prepared for what is still due. March is almost all marked although I have a couple that don't come due until the end of the month. Some April bills get paid in March so that looks good in front of you and just feels secure because you are facing what can be overwhelming. Carpe Diem!
You need a chart. Some use a spreadsheet (wish I could remember how).... :)
it could be a calendar specifically for this.
Mine is a small poster board because it is noticeable; 1 and 1/4 inch wide columns x 1/2 inch rows. It has the months of the year across the top, one for each column. Along the left side going down it has my main consumer debt....credit cards, specialty like JCPenneys. A space or two in case more come up and then my mortgage and household utilities in the next several spaces going down the left side. (Remember it is all rows and columns.) I leave a couple spaces and then have my business bills in a row. I will try to draw this out one day soon.
So ...for example under January one spot down there is a space and to the left the first bill was Capital One....in this box it has balance owed to this account and maybe minimun payment.
Left upper corner is triangled off w/ a line - I write the payment I am paying. The right lower corner is an opposite triangle and I mark it off red to show payment paid for January when I pay it. Right in front of me I pick out the bill I want to go away quickly or that I know I can pay off easily soon. I put as much as I can spare into that payment!! When that bill is paid off in the next few months, I have x amount of money to add to the next bill I am targeting. Some bills of course are rotating monthly but I pay and mark them as soon as they come in or as soon as I sit down to pay several. I know what has been paid and is not by glancing at those red corners. I am prepared for what is still due. March is almost all marked although I have a couple that don't come due until the end of the month. Some April bills get paid in March so that looks good in front of you and just feels secure because you are facing what can be overwhelming. Carpe Diem!
Hi All! One neat thing I found today! Something new to try...
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, teacher, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Find her on Twitter at @amandahaascooks or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onefamilyonemeal.
"Lasagna can take so long to prepare, but everyone loves it and my kids love to help me assemble it. So one day, I decided to see if I could make an edible one in 10 minutes for less than $15. I caved and bought jarred pasta sauce. (The “365” Brand of organic pasta sauce from Whole Foods was delicious and low in sugar.) And I used the “no-boil” lasagna noodles that would probably get me arrested in Italy. But truly, it turned out to be an amazing weeknight meal. As for the 10 minute assembly, I had 7 seconds left on the clock when I put it in the oven!
Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups grated mozzarella
15 oz cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
25 oz. jar tomato sauce
18 “No-Boil” lasagna noodles, 3” x 7”
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the cottage cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
Assemble the lasagna: In the bottom of a 9”X13” baking pan, spread cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom. Use 6 lasagna noodles (or 3 if using larger noodles) to cover the bottom of the pan, allowing them to overlap a tad if you need. Spread of the cheese mixture over the noodles, then top with a third of the remaining tomato sauce. Add another layer of noodles and cover with the other of the cheese mixture. Pour another third of the sauce over the cheese. Top with the last 6 small noodles (or 3 large), then spread the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. (You can refrigerate it for up to 8 hours if you’re not cooking it right away.)
Bake the lasagna covered for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until it’s bubbly and the noodles have softened, about 10-20 minutes longer. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting."

Lydie - commented on Mar 14, 2011
Just another thought - My mom (who was a public school teacher for many years and never had much time to prepare meals during the school year) sort of "invented" a new way to make "lasagna" - some will think it's crazy, but MAN - it is GOOD! (I've served it on youth mission trips and the teens LOVE IT!) Do whatever you want sauce, meat, spinach, etc-wise but instead of ANY kind of noodles, my mom used plain ole sliced bread! She would put a layer of bread (you can use white or wheat), then sauce (with or without meat), then a layer of cheese (she used shredded cheddar and shredded mozerella) - then another layer of bread, sauce, cheese, etc. Let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes or so - then pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted. UMMMMM it is AWESOME! Try it before you knock it!
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, teacher, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Find her on Twitter at @amandahaascooks or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onefamilyonemeal.
"Lasagna can take so long to prepare, but everyone loves it and my kids love to help me assemble it. So one day, I decided to see if I could make an edible one in 10 minutes for less than $15. I caved and bought jarred pasta sauce. (The “365” Brand of organic pasta sauce from Whole Foods was delicious and low in sugar.) And I used the “no-boil” lasagna noodles that would probably get me arrested in Italy. But truly, it turned out to be an amazing weeknight meal. As for the 10 minute assembly, I had 7 seconds left on the clock when I put it in the oven!
Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups grated mozzarella
15 oz cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
25 oz. jar tomato sauce
18 “No-Boil” lasagna noodles, 3” x 7”
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the cottage cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
Assemble the lasagna: In the bottom of a 9”X13” baking pan, spread cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom. Use 6 lasagna noodles (or 3 if using larger noodles) to cover the bottom of the pan, allowing them to overlap a tad if you need. Spread of the cheese mixture over the noodles, then top with a third of the remaining tomato sauce. Add another layer of noodles and cover with the other of the cheese mixture. Pour another third of the sauce over the cheese. Top with the last 6 small noodles (or 3 large), then spread the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. (You can refrigerate it for up to 8 hours if you’re not cooking it right away.)
Bake the lasagna covered for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until it’s bubbly and the noodles have softened, about 10-20 minutes longer. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting."

Lydie - commented on Mar 14, 2011
Just another thought - My mom (who was a public school teacher for many years and never had much time to prepare meals during the school year) sort of "invented" a new way to make "lasagna" - some will think it's crazy, but MAN - it is GOOD! (I've served it on youth mission trips and the teens LOVE IT!) Do whatever you want sauce, meat, spinach, etc-wise but instead of ANY kind of noodles, my mom used plain ole sliced bread! She would put a layer of bread (you can use white or wheat), then sauce (with or without meat), then a layer of cheese (she used shredded cheddar and shredded mozerella) - then another layer of bread, sauce, cheese, etc. Let it sit on the counter for 45 minutes or so - then pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted. UMMMMM it is AWESOME! Try it before you knock it!
RICE...one of the healthiest, easiest most cost effective foods you can use in your menu. A very low to non allergenic food it goes a long way and can be fixed into almost any flavor of meal or soup. Check out your rice options and think of flavors you like. Google the flavor of meal you like with rice as a key word...see what you can come up with! Have a great day!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Woohoo! Monday is here again~ I am so happy that I could go to Costco this week but I DO NOT HAVE TO! I am looking at what I have on the shelf and planning my meals this week. Now, I rarely do this because we are so busy that it is easier for me to cook on the fly. This week I want to look at what we have and not write any checks that are not NEEDS. My one week committment to myself is to spend nothing.... that is not neccessary for us to make it through the week. On Saturday it is a wrestling tournament all day... I am packing all we need for the day. Water will be the only allowed concession stand purchase - for health and money savings!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Another saving tip
I had a fun Signature Homestyles Party! We agreed these are just such good 'girl' times to visit and the having to slow down is worth it.
I was spraying oil in my pan this morning and realized I have neglected to share one of my biggest savers! The Pampered Chef Oil Spritzer (no, I am not a consultant ) is amazing. When you buy Pam or any pan spray it contains propellers, usually air but sometimes butanes....additives to keep it thin and is an aerosol normally.
In case you have not looked at the oil spritzer... you fill it up halfway with the oil you commonly use. So now you have eliminated buying Pam from your budget and I believe that spritzer is around $10.00. Pump it up and spray! So simple. Every once in awhile you have to wash the pump part with straw in boiling soapy water. Letting the air pressure off after each use does help. I have had mine about 5 years.
I also purchased one for my homemade bug repellant mix, less spendy and no harsh poisins, especially NO DEET! That's a whole 'nother blog...
May you sleep restfully and be blessed with sunshine in your heart on the 'morrow!
I was spraying oil in my pan this morning and realized I have neglected to share one of my biggest savers! The Pampered Chef Oil Spritzer (no, I am not a consultant ) is amazing. When you buy Pam or any pan spray it contains propellers, usually air but sometimes butanes....additives to keep it thin and is an aerosol normally.
In case you have not looked at the oil spritzer... you fill it up halfway with the oil you commonly use. So now you have eliminated buying Pam from your budget and I believe that spritzer is around $10.00. Pump it up and spray! So simple. Every once in awhile you have to wash the pump part with straw in boiling soapy water. Letting the air pressure off after each use does help. I have had mine about 5 years.
I also purchased one for my homemade bug repellant mix, less spendy and no harsh poisins, especially NO DEET! That's a whole 'nother blog...
May you sleep restfully and be blessed with sunshine in your heart on the 'morrow!
Savings you can see!
I was reflecting on boneless, skinless, chicken breasts this morning. Now, I had a dear who raised our chickens this last year...but we needed just a bit more. I have come to the wise (heehee) conclusion that it is better to buy meat with as little bone and fat as possible so that you are only buying meat. Here are the deals my local butcher offers.. All natural, no hormones or genetic modifications. Chicken breasts boneless, skinless at 2.99 a pound. 1pound ground beef tubes 1.99. This burger doesn't melt away in your pan - Less than 5% fat - extremely lean. Goes way farther than an 80/20 or 70/30 mix (which leaves you with one third meat). I found chicken breast from Great Value (yes, all natural with natural chicken broth) at our Grocery Surplus outlet for 10 pound bag for 8.99! Two dollars less than the 10 pound bag at Costco for 19.99/ Costco is your best value unlesss you have a 'ding and dent' store. Those breasts are huge! I can cook and slice one for a taco salad for this family of 8! I can bake up 3 to have generous servings for the family, (yes,we WOULD eat more if I cooked it.) Nobody goes hungry here! So BUY YOUR MEAT LEAN! Always check what you are actually getting. And don't be afraid to use a little less ground in the recipe - we will get to money saving recipes soon! Have a great day!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I'm sure you had time to start looking at receipts and adding up that meat bill! HAHA! The work of a mom is never done....so for now.
The key to being frugal is knowing what is a necessity and what is a want. If you have a roof over your head, your bills paid, and a little bit to savings then you are NEED free!
If you are struggling look at your list of bills. I have a chart with every bill, when it is due and the balance if applicable. Which one can you see paying off? Is one under $100 ? Sacrifice going out to eat and the movie and pay that bill off! One down. How many to go. Now you have that payment to apply next time around!
May you be blessed with the satisfaction of knowing your bills are paid for February!
The key to being frugal is knowing what is a necessity and what is a want. If you have a roof over your head, your bills paid, and a little bit to savings then you are NEED free!
If you are struggling look at your list of bills. I have a chart with every bill, when it is due and the balance if applicable. Which one can you see paying off? Is one under $100 ? Sacrifice going out to eat and the movie and pay that bill off! One down. How many to go. Now you have that payment to apply next time around!
May you be blessed with the satisfaction of knowing your bills are paid for February!
Tip done, vent time!
We spent Saturday at a wrestling tournament. Very proud of my boys, as always. My youngest and oldest lost two and were out. My middle took a respectable third and should not have lost the match that he did. He was the better wrestler but he stalled too much time out and was scoring his points to win as the last towel flew in! So it was a very good learning experience for him ( he's a bit cocky) and his coaches...very good times. I am so impressed, FINALLY, with the latest coaching adjustments in Little Guy Wrestling. I actually wrote Thank You notes to the volunteering wonders we have been blessed with! Hopefully they will be more than volunteers soon. Just neat to see an upswing after so many years.
So, I was the ranting mom last night after the school board meeting about our football program but I found some possible support in the ranks, which makes me very hopeful. Even if the results I desire are not achieved I am so relieved to have vented away!! And my wonderful and beautiful friend just cracks me up with her shame at honestly pointing out the flaws in our 'opposing' leader's philosophy! She felt so bad and I feel the honest points were incredible, if in his face....
Do you ever feel like this:
"As an adult ( wait , yah I am one, right?) why do some insist on treating me like I don't know anything? Why would someone speak down to another adult like they don't know what they are about?"
I truly feel that we have a school administration here and TIGHT 'good ole boys club' who feel they are above the rest! No one can touch them and they know best because they hold the administrative, teaching, and coaching positions. Which makes no sense to me when our kids and taxes pay their wages. Do you know our school board has nothing to say about personnel? They aren't allowed to listen or comment on personnel during a school board meeting. You have to go talk to the offending party, then supervisor of, then the Principal, then the Superintendent: if it isn't resolved. The only way that an issue with an employee can come before the board is if you can prove they have violated District policy. Or in the case of sexual harrassment it goes a little higher.
I am beginning to think that tenure and job security is a very bad thing. Where is the accountability factor? If they were worried for their position maybe they would be a much better competitor in the teaching/coaching world. I am not knocking teachers, I know some incredible ones and they have one of the hardest jobs out there. I am complaining about a system that enables the sub par leaders to be above reproach. Thank you for letting me share my ramblings.
Someday when I am over it and full of forgiveness I will share a comical freezer story with you, too! My Saturday, Sunday and Monday were an absolute blur. Here I go to work again and hope you all have a blessed day. Yes, even those above mentioned, I hope they have a blessed day!
So, I was the ranting mom last night after the school board meeting about our football program but I found some possible support in the ranks, which makes me very hopeful. Even if the results I desire are not achieved I am so relieved to have vented away!! And my wonderful and beautiful friend just cracks me up with her shame at honestly pointing out the flaws in our 'opposing' leader's philosophy! She felt so bad and I feel the honest points were incredible, if in his face....
Do you ever feel like this:
"As an adult ( wait , yah I am one, right?) why do some insist on treating me like I don't know anything? Why would someone speak down to another adult like they don't know what they are about?"
I truly feel that we have a school administration here and TIGHT 'good ole boys club' who feel they are above the rest! No one can touch them and they know best because they hold the administrative, teaching, and coaching positions. Which makes no sense to me when our kids and taxes pay their wages. Do you know our school board has nothing to say about personnel? They aren't allowed to listen or comment on personnel during a school board meeting. You have to go talk to the offending party, then supervisor of, then the Principal, then the Superintendent: if it isn't resolved. The only way that an issue with an employee can come before the board is if you can prove they have violated District policy. Or in the case of sexual harrassment it goes a little higher.
I am beginning to think that tenure and job security is a very bad thing. Where is the accountability factor? If they were worried for their position maybe they would be a much better competitor in the teaching/coaching world. I am not knocking teachers, I know some incredible ones and they have one of the hardest jobs out there. I am complaining about a system that enables the sub par leaders to be above reproach. Thank you for letting me share my ramblings.
Someday when I am over it and full of forgiveness I will share a comical freezer story with you, too! My Saturday, Sunday and Monday were an absolute blur. Here I go to work again and hope you all have a blessed day. Yes, even those above mentioned, I hope they have a blessed day!
Wow! What a weekend!
So, dear friends and others...I have been sadly remiss in tips. My next was ....ADD up your meat bill. I know this is a very painful thought when you feed a family, but please don't take lightly this 3.00+ a pound expense. For a family of four that is a serving. Over $3 a day then goes to meat. If you only eat one meat meal a day and inexpensive cuts that is a $90 a month bill....probably not truly reflective of how we use that protein so crucial to our diets. At this very low figure I would estimate a bit over $1000.00 a year. Now my family of 8 is just under that this last year and we bbq rib steak when we want. We have pork that cost us between $2 and $2.50 a pound to raise and have butchered. ( YAY! One I didn't do!) Our personally butchered hog costs us $1.50 a pound and that's a LOT of meat at that price. So we spent about $600.00 last year on our main meat, because we had a beef done the year before. Had a tiny chicken expense as my lovely sister raised them. All our meat is fresh, home grown, not genetically modified and I feel good letting my kids eat! Now that we are looking at a beef again, I decided to really track ever penny in my meat bill. If you would like tips on this let me know!!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Budget Tip 1
Tip of the Day! Ok, Tip of the Evening, you caught me!
Always be aware of your debt to income ratio...
Seems simple enough but I constantly talk to others who really don't know where they have come from financially or where they are going??? WHAT? You might say...
Start with a notebook. List every bill and what day it is due for the month. Some of you might have to wait until the bill comes in the mail to remember it. Write it down.
Step number 2 is as simple as a note of your income at the top right. Is it set? Does it vary?
Deduct your bills last month from your income. Are you looking at a number you can work with? Let's discuss ways to chart this next time. What do you currently use to budget your household?
Carpe Diem! (Sieze the day!)
Always be aware of your debt to income ratio...
Seems simple enough but I constantly talk to others who really don't know where they have come from financially or where they are going??? WHAT? You might say...
Start with a notebook. List every bill and what day it is due for the month. Some of you might have to wait until the bill comes in the mail to remember it. Write it down.
Step number 2 is as simple as a note of your income at the top right. Is it set? Does it vary?
Deduct your bills last month from your income. Are you looking at a number you can work with? Let's discuss ways to chart this next time. What do you currently use to budget your household?
Carpe Diem! (Sieze the day!)
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