Little Red Hen Consignment Tagging Service—New Suggested Pricing Guide!

I’ve told you about Little Red Hen Consignment Tagging Service previously, and how awesome Kristen is at making the consignment process so much easier for folks here in East TN.  I was excited to recently hear about her new pricing guide resource from Family Friendly Knoxville:

This guide, specific to Knoxville, offers a comprehensive pricing guide and is being offered for free.  Well organized and categorized, consignors will learn how to price items based on tiers such as Bargain, Basic, Better and Boutique, with suggested pricing ranges in each category.  There are also helpful hints included in the guide.

Check out the full post for all of the scoop and be sure to visit the Little Red Hen Consignment Tagging Service website for more info on how Kristen can make your life a little easier (and profitable!).  The spring consignment season is upon us—be sure to contact her soon to inquire about how her services can help you.

Meal Planning, Week of January 15th

“Cooking gives you control over what you put into your body and it’s cheaper than eating out or taking in. Food you make yourself tastes better, and it’s better for the environment, for your body, for your family. It’s just plain better.”~Mark Bittman

This meal plan is for a family of 3.  We often have at least one friend or family member over to share a meal with us during the week.  Since I factor the cost of the meal when I first prepare it, leftovers will be marked as $0.  When we dine out, it comes from a different part of the family budget and those expenses will also show $0.

This is the time of the year that I work on eating from our stores of food.  I clean out the fridge, dry storage, freezer, and pantry as much as I can to make way for the growing season.  Since we’re planning on purchasing even more beef this year than we did last, I’m also reserving a bit of our savings for that purpose.

Kid Konnection Meal

One night a week, we help with the children’s program at church.

Spaghetti O’s
Green Beans
Corn
Carrots and dip
Milk and juice to drink

Approximate cost—$0, from church budget

Ways I saved on this meal—This year, my goal is to feed the kiddos healthier meals.  Right now I’m in the process of cleaning out the shelves and using up some of the more processed foods.  Tonight I’ll counterbalance the Spaghetti O’s with vegetables, and milk and juice to drink.  The green beans were donated from a church member who canned them from the veg she picked out of her garden.  The last time I made these for the kids they were a huge hit!  I’ll pick up some corn and carrot sticks to serve as well.

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Meal 2

One Skillet Dinner
Carrot sticks
Apple Slices

Approximate cost--$6 (this will make enough for two meals)

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought some local beef and organic apples when I was at Three Rivers Market last week, and I scored 10% off of my purchase as part of their membership appreciation days.  The rice that I’ll use for the dish was also bought there a couple of weeks ago when it was on sale.  The black beans were some leftover in the freezer and the other veggies were from the garden.  The cheese and carrot sticks were bought on sale.  The Ro*tel was on sale, and I used a coupon as part of a Mega Event sale last year around the Super Bowl.

This is one of those cook once eat twice kind of dishes.  I’ll add it to the freezer or save it in the fridge for later in the week.  The photo above is what a doubled recipe will make.

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Meal 3

Pumpkin Pasta

Approximate cost—$3

Ways I saved on this meal—I saw a recipe for pumpkin pasta recently, and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since.  Because it is my first time to make it, I’ll use canned pumpkin, but if I like it, I’ll later experiment by using butternut squash from our garden.  Instead of cream I’ll use whole milk, which will reduce the cost and calories (and maybe the taste, but we’ll see.  I do love real cream!).  The organic butter was bought on close out sale.  It doesn’t expire for months, but it looked like the grocer wanted to make room for other products.  Bonus for me!  The canned pumpkin was bought on sale and with a coupon after the holidays two winters ago (January 2011).  I always watch for those seasonal items to go on sale and then stock up.  Canned pumpkin is a great addition to your food storage because it is versatile and full of vitamins.  It gets a bad reputation because so many people add tons of sweeteners to it when baking, but that isn’t necessary.  The pasta was free when bought as part of a Kroger Mega Event with coupons.  The Parmesan that I’ll use for this was on closeout and I had a Sargeanto coupon for it, making it around $1 a bag.  Normally I buy Parmesan in big blogs and grate it as needed, but I couldn’t resist this price. 

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Meal 4

Leftovers

Approximate cost—$0

Ways I saved on this meal—At least one time a week I try to pull something out of the freezer or use up any leftovers that are in the fridge.  This not only reduces waste but it makes mealtime a little easier on busy nights.

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Meal 5

Breakfast for dinner

Egg Scramble
Hash brown potatoes
Fruit salad
Either whole wheat toast or some kind of homemade bread (popovers, some sort of quick bread, biscuits, or whole wheat bread from the bread maker)

Approximate cost--$3-$4, depending on the type of bread

Ways I saved on this meal—I like to plan at least one of our weekly meals as a breakfast type of meal.  This reduces cost, and the dishes are usually a cinch to make.  I’ve been in the mood to bake lately, and I suspect that the bread for this meal will be a whole wheat loaf from the bread maker.  Super simple, inexpensive and yum! The wheat is some that I’ll mill from grain that we bought a few years ago as a bulk purchase.  The yeast is some that I need to use before it expires, and the honey was bought from Pratt’s Market.  I get it by the quart and it is right at $10—the cheapest I’ve found local honey.  The eggs are from a local farmer and the veg will be from the garden and from what we froze from the summer garden.  I recently read the idea to use your waffle iron to make hash browns, and I’ve been tempted to try it.  I almost always overcrowd the pan and the hash browns end up steaming instead of developing a nice golden brown crust.  I’m hoping this cooking technique will help.  The potatoes were bought on sale.  The fruit will most likely be assorted berries from those we picked last summer and froze.

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Meal 6

Venison Tenderloin
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Peas

Approximate cost--$2.50

Ways I saved on this meal—The venison is some that my sister and brother-in-law gave us from a deer he took last year.  I’ll top it with some dijon mustard (on sale with coupon), and onions and rosemary from the garden.  To make full use of the oven heat, I’ll roast some potatoes (bought on sale) with a big of olive oil (organic, bought at TRM on sale with coupon) and rosemary (free from the garden).  The peas are some that were bought in the freezer section for $1 a pack.  How I look forward to fresh peas in just a few months!

I know game meats aren’t for everyone, and I know not all of us  have access to them but they are a great money saver!  See the link above (“venison”) for some of my game meat tips.

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Meal 7—Repeat from last week. My dad took us out for Asian food last week, and I never made this meal.

Arroz con pollo—note that I have a very Americanized version (or maybe I should say Gabrielleized version) of this recipe included in the link

Approximate cost--$4

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought the chicken on sale at Kroger and froze a few extra packs.  I’ll cook the chicken in water at a very low heat (almost as if poaching it).  This keeps the meat tender.  Normally one would poach in a flavorful cooking liquid, but since I want to reserve the broth and freeze it to add to other dishes, I’ll keep the cooking liquid as water with a little salt and pepper.  Once cooked, I’ll debone the chicken and cook the rest of the recipe as noted in the link above.  The organic brown rice was bought recently at Three Rivers for just under $1.50/lb.  The onions are free from the garden, and the bell peppers were some from the garden that I froze last year.  The peas and carrots were on sale at Kroger.  The garlic was free from my dad.  The coconut oil was bought in bulk for a deep discount at Mountain Rose Herbs.  I’ll top it with a bit of the sour cream and salsa I mentioned above in the baked potato meal, and some of the jalapenos I put up last year from our garden.

~~~~~

Challenge for the Week—Exercise, exercise, exercise

Update from last week--

A few weeks ago I started writing about how I set weekly goals for myself, and thus far, posting about the progress has been a great way for me to stay accountable and keep on track with my goals.  Not sure if anyone else is getting anything out of this, but I hope so.

Last week, I wrote the goal to start a weekly practice for our family of learning Bible verses:

I was inspired to start a tradition in our family of having a Bible verse of the week.  I’ll write out a Bible verse each week and will keep it at the dinner table.  Whenever we sit for meals (which is pretty often in our household), we’ll read over the verse together and learn it by heart.  This week’s verse will be from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible.

How did I do?  I am so glad we started doing this!  Thus far we’ve memorized two verses—Philipians 4:13 and Romans 8:28 (two of my favorites).  Hubby has picked the verse for this week, and we’ll start practicing it tonight.  As part of introducing the verse, we talk as a family about what it means and how it relates to the Bible as a whole and other Biblical stories.  Then, at each meal, we practice the verse together.  We will most definitely continue this as part of our meal time conversation for weeks to come.

Goals for this week--

This week’s goal doesn’t really relate to anything I’ve been reading. I’ve become increasingly aware lately about what a gift of love it is for those you care for to take care of your health.  Eating right and exercising always were a self centered activity for me up until the point when we became pregnant.  (Note that when I say “self centered” I’m not referring to narcissistic.  I’m referring to how we perceive our own health—it is for the good of self).  Then all of the sudden someone else was dependant upon me to take care of myself.  What I put into my body and how I cared for it mattered to someone else, and I paid attention to every little part of that.  Then after our daughter weaned, I became a little more lax.  I still tried to eat healthy and exercise because she was watching me, but it was easier to slack. 

Because I work with older adults and because I help to care for my dad, I have a reminder of how important it is to take care of your health.  It wasn’t until I my dad started to have some problems with his health and I was taking a more active role in his care that it hit me that one day our daughter might be in the same role.  I realized that it is an act of love to her, to my husband, to my friends and family to take care of myself.  The longer I stay strong and healthy, the longer I’m able to be there for them. 

I started a new exercise regimen that is a lot more fast paced for me.  Normally I do a little yoga here and there, some walking with jogging mixed in, and stay active in our yard.  I’d been reading from other bloggers the progress that they had made with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred, and I decided that it was worth trying.  I started the daily DVD a week ago.  The first exercise practice kicked my tushie.  I have worked out with trainers before, and they have pushed me but never like this.  I was so sore after the first day and then pulled a muscle the third day.  If it hadn’t been for the support of my Hubby also using the DVD daily, I might not have lasted.  I have stuck with it, and I’m starting to see some positive changes.  My legs and arms are feeling stronger and more toned, and I notice that I have a little more energy. 

I want to keep the momentum going because I know that if I stop for a day then one day will become three and eventually the DVD will have dust on it.  As part of my goals for the week, I’m planning to:

1.  Make sure that each day on my calendar includes “workout” listed on it as a priority.  All too often I’ll plan a day packed full of activities, chores, and other priorities without ever thinking about exercise.  If I don’t prioritize it, it won’t happen.

2.  I want to workout using the DVD every day this week.  Yep, every day—no days off.  If I can find a way to adapt to the exercises after a pulled muscle then I can find a way to do them even when I  have a packed day or am “too tired”.  If I allow myself an excuse, guess what?  I’ll use it. 

Did any of you start a new exercise program as part of your New Year Resolutions?  If so, how is it going?  Have any of you used the DVD I mentioned above?

Independence Days Update, December through January

For those of you who don’t know, these posts are inspired by the work of Sharon Astyk.  They have become a sort of garden/sustainability/living simply journal for our family.

Since I last wrote in December, we’ve had a few snows here in East TN.  The first was just a few snowflakes and then it was gone, and the second was enough to delay schools for an hour and then by around 10am had mostly disappeared.  With the winter weather, we’ve been enjoying warm evenings by the fireplace with occasional roasted marshmallows as a nightcap. 

I put the garden to rest—FINALLY—and feel much better when I look outside the window.  I still need to buy a little more straw to add to the large garden bed, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if I didn’t add it.  It isn’t too much longer until I’ll be planting the first wave of peas (I usually plant them as a succession crop, beginning the last week in January if I can manage it).  And speaking of waves, waves and waves of seed catalogs are arriving in the post each day and are making me feel as happy as I did as a kid when the big Sears toy catalog would arrive around Christmas. 

This time of the year is usually a break for our family.  While we’ve been a little busier than we normally are in January with a more active work schedule, school resuming, and caring for my dad, we’ve enjoyed the sense of stillness that January brings.  There is something peaceful about this month—the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, there are fewer household responsibilities with the garden and yard, and our calendars are a little less packed with activities.  We have a sweet excitement about what this year will bring and what goals we have set to accomplish. 

This is the season for sipping on a pot of tea and relaxing with a good book.  This is the season that I plan and make lists—where will I put rhubarb this year?  How can we open up more space for more fruit trees?  When can we start the big bathroom renovation project?  Normal people purge, organize and deep clean in the spring, but January and early February is the time of the year that I do those tasks.  This is the time for fresh starts, snuggling with loved ones, staying in your pjs until your good and ready to get dressed, and taking a lovely, decadent break.  January, how I love thee!

The notes below are based on the last few months--

What did I plant?—Nada, zilch, zip. 

What did I harvest?— You’ll see the photo of carrots above.  This is the first year that I’ve had a fairly successful crop of carrots, and I’ll definitely be planting more and a few varieties next year.  I had no idea that they would last throughout the heat of summer into winter and still be tender and juicy and sweet.  Who knew!?  I’ve also picked a bit of kale that rejuvenated itself, some broccoli that decided to flower, lots of green onions, and a few herbs. 

What did I preserve?—Other than soup and freezing some extra green onions, I haven’t preserved much. 

How did I work to reduce waste and live more simply?— Friends have passed a few more bags of clothes to our daughter,which is so nice!  We’ve been composting more regularly.  I’ve found that it works best for me to keep a dish with a lid on the counter for about a week and then dump the contents in the composter.  We’ve added some basic staples to the stockpile. I added about a 6 month supply of organic US brown rice from  Three Rivers Market and a few varieties of beans. 

How did I work at building and strengthening community food systems?—  I am so proud of the way that the food pantry at church looks with the new Shelf Reliance cansolidators.  A friend kindly donated another 2 to the pantry, giving us a total of 7 of them.  Boy has it made a difference!  A church friend and I spent a couple of hours getting everything sorted by date and food type and making up boxes for the next month.  The pantry is so much better organized.  The consolidation of the cans in a more compact space gives us more room to store other items.  I can’t tell you how many people I have dragged into the pantry to see how beautiful it is.  I will try to post a photo here so you can see, too. 

Did I try any new recipes or were there any special meals at our table?—  Tis the season for soup!  I’ve enjoyed making a few different types of soup, using foods that we added to storage from our summer garden.  My favorite by far has been seeing the fat, big as your spoon, Christmas lima beans in the broth with the other vegetables.  Yum!  For recipes, you can look under the “recipe” label on the left hand column.  The beauty of soup is that you do a little work, have a huge pot full of goodness, and then you have extras in the freezer when you want an easy supper or have a friend who is sick or could use a little comfort. 

Meal Planning, Getting Back to School

“If we had some eggs we could have eggs and ham, if we had some ham.”--Groucho Marx

This meal plan is for a family of 3.  We often have at least one friend or family member over to share a meal with us during the week.  Since I factor the cost of the meal when I first prepare it, leftovers will be marked as $0.  When we dine out, it comes from a different part of the family budget and those expenses will also show $0.

This is the time of the year that I work on eating from our stores of food.  I clean out the fridge, dry storage, freezer, and pantry as much as I can to make way for the growing season.  Since we’re planning on purchasing even more beef this year than we did last, I’m also reserving a bit of our savings for that purpose. 

Kid Konnection Meal

One night a week, we help with the children’s program at church.

Pizzas
Cucumbers
Carrot sticks

Approximate cost—$0, from church budget

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought the cucumbers and carrots at Kroger.  They were “on sale” at $1.25 for a bag of carrots and 59cts each for the cukes.  I am making an effort to give the kiddos at Kid Konnection more fruits and veggies this year, and since I didn’t want to make a separate trip elsewhere, I decided that price was good enough.  The pizzas are from Little Cesar’s with our tax free status, and per pizza this is the best price we’ve seen ($5 each).  We’ve made them in the church kitchen before, but since we feed to many kids and only have one oven, buying out makes more sense.

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Meal 2

Sausage
Sautéed Spinach
Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Approximate cost--$5

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought sausage at Kroger when they were running their last Carolina Pride BOGO sale.  With coupons, they were around $1 for a pack.  In truth, I’m trying to clear this out of the fridge as I’m a little over it. I bought a bunch of sweet potatoes at Kroger right before Christmas when they were 50cts/lb.  This isn’t nearly as good as the price last year (right at 30cts a pound if I remember correctly), but it was the best price I’d seen in a while.  Whenever I see a discount like that,I buy as many as I can store and can spare in the budget.  I bought a very large pack of organic spinach on sale, and we used it for salads and added to sandwiches for half of a week.  When it gets near its expiration, I through it into a pan with a little olive oil (organic, bought with coupon and sale at Three Rivers Market) and garlic (free, given to me by my dad) just until it wilts.  Then I add a little lemon juice (bottled, as I don’t have any fresh).

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Meal 3

Pasta and Sauce

Approximate cost—$1.25

Ways I saved on this meal—Since this week will be pretty packed, and we’ll be accustoming ourselves back into the school schedule, I planned a few easy meals this week.  This is one of the easiest.  I still have a few boxes of whole wheat pasta from Ronzoni that we picked up as part of a Mega Sale at Kroger with coupons for free.  I’ll add to that some sauce that I bought on sale with coupon for less than $1.  We’ll top it with just a bit of parmesan cheese that I bought on clear out with a coupon at Kroger.  Sometimes I’ll add a few veggies to the mix—sautéed green onions and fresh parsley from the garden, a few handfuls of shredded zucchini that I froze from the garden this summer, and maybe a few frozen peas.

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Meal 4

Leftover soup and either sandwiches or crackers

Approximate cost—$3

Ways I saved on this meal—Another one of the easy meals for this week.  I made a large pot of soup this weekend, and I had plenty leftover to freeze.  I’ll defrost it and add a few crackers and slices of cheese to the side, or if the family prefers, we can do some grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches.

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Meal 5

Baked potatoes with all of the fixings

Approximate cost--$3

Ways I saved on this meal—Again, a super simple meal.  I’ll set up a little bar with cheeses, sour cream, butter, slices of meat, steamed broccoli, green onions and salsa.  We’ll add any leftover soup from the container that I defrosted the previous night in cups on the side.  The green onions are free from the garden. The salsa is locally made and was bought in bulk from Three Rivers (10% case discount for being a member).  The organic butter was marked down, and I had a coupon (love that!).  The cheeses and sour cream were on sale, and I had coupons.  The broccoli, potatoes, and meat were on sale.  Notice a theme?  I rarely buy items that I don’t get some sort of discount on. 

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Meal 6

Lamb Roast
Irish soda bread?

Approximate cost--$9

Ways I saved on this meal—I have a small lamb roast in the freezer bought from a local farmer when I last purchased lamb.  I am trying to clean out the freezer and do not want such a delicacy to go to waste!  I’ll cook it in my Dutch oven, seared in olive oil then reduced down to super low heat for most of a day.  I’ll add onions, potatoes, and carrots to the pot.  Near the end, I’ll thicken the drippings with a blond roux to make a gravy.  If I get really industrious, I’ll make a bit of Irish soda bread to go with it.  Notice the price of this meal is significantly more than other meals?  One of the reasons I enjoy couponing is because it allows me to buy more of our foods from local sources.  I can save from our budget by purchasing something for free, say pasta, and then can use that money for other foods that we enjoy like lamb.

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Meal 7

Arroz con pollo—note that I have a very Americanized version (or maybe I should say Gabrielleized version) of this recipe included in the link

Approximate cost--$4

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought the chicken on sale at Kroger and froze a few extra packs.  I’ll cook the chicken in water at a very low heat (almost as if poaching it).  This keeps the meat tender.  Normally one would poach in a flavorful cooking liquid, but since I want to reserve the broth and freeze it to add to other dishes, I’ll keep the cooking liquid as water with a little salt and pepper.  Once cooked, I’ll debone the chicken and cook the rest of the recipe as noted in the link above.  The organic brown rice was bought recently at Three Rivers for just under $1.50/lb.  The onions are free from the garden, and the bell peppers were some from the garden that I froze last year.  The peas and carrots were on sale at Kroger.  The garlic was free from my dad.  The coconut oil was bought in bulk for a deep discount at Mountain Rose Herbs.  I’ll top it with a bit of the sour cream and salsa I mentioned above in the baked potato meal, and some of the jalapenos I put up last year from our garden.

~~~~~

Locked out of Facebook

Please excuse my absence from Facebook for the last few days.  I’ve been locked out of my account, and I’m trying to get it reset.  Normally, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but since Facebook wants to send me a text, and I do not receive texts, I’m stuck.  They have a prompt that they will send me a code as a phone call, but unfortunately, I keep getting a message that says that they are busy and unable to send the code at this time.  If you have any ideas for me, I welcome them.  Until then, you can e-mail me if you have any questions or need to reach me.  Thanks for understanding!

Challenge for the week—Memorizing Bible Verses

Update from last week--

A few weeks ago I started writing about how I set weekly goals for myself, and thus far, posting about the progress has been a great way for me to stay accountable and keep on track with my goals.  Not sure if anyone else is getting anything out of this, but I hope so.

Last week, I wrote goals that related to a book I recently read, The Question Behind the Question.  

This week I want to work on asking myself how I can positively impact situations rather than becoming frustrated when something negative happens.  The book talks about how important it is to be accountable for yourself—you can’t change others and many times you can’t change situations, but you can control how you choose to interact and respond.  You can control what YOU DO. I read the book in about an hour, and while it wasn’t brand new information, it was a great reinforcement of what I already know through using cognitive behavioral therapy as a social worker—change the way you think about a situation, and you change the way you feel about it.  Those little changes add up and effect your relationships, your work, your life. 

Since this goal is a little hard to measure, I’m going to break it up into smaller goals that I can check off.  I’ll sign up for the QBQ e-newsletter so that I have little reminders as they arrive in my inbox.  When I notice myself becoming frustrated in a situation, I’ll stop and ask myself, “What can I do?”  Hopefully that use of self talk will spur me to positive action.  I’ll also make a few notes about the QBQ concepts and post them around the house.  We’ll see how it goes.

How did I do?  Pretty well.  I think that this is going to be something that I need to continuously remind myself to improve upon.  I found the intentional action of asking myself, “What can I do differently?” was helpful when I found myself frustrated or in a situation that I would normally see as negative.  For example, I used the QBQ today at the Kroger pharmacy.  I’m not a huge fan of their pharmacy, but my dad needed a medication filled and I was the gal for the job.  The clerk acted as if she was frustrated over having to help me when I asked her to make sure his insurance was properly processed.  When I noticed her storming around the pharmacy and acting frustrated, I reminded myself that I had a choice.  If first thought to myself that I wasn’t sure how her day had gone and this might be a hard one for her.  When she returned, I said, “I’m sorry that was so difficult.  Thank you for doing that for me.”  It changed the dynamic between us and her attitude towards helping me for the better. 

Last week when I wrote the post about reading the QBQ book, the author left a comment and asked for me to email him.  I was absolutely thrilled and even more so when he offered to send me a free copy of his follow up book to QBQ called Flipping the Switch!  I plan to read it next week and am very much looking forward to it.  I’ll keep you posted on what I learn.

Goals for this week--

I’m reading the book Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin.  I haven’t made it too far into the book yet, but I’m learning a lot.  At different points in the book, Rabbi Lapin talks about how important the oral tradition of telling the stories of the Torah are in the Jewish faith.  I realized that while we teach our daughter about the Bible, read from it to her, etc, we aren’t yet encouraging her to memorize verses.  While somewhat unrelated to the purpose of the book, I was inspired to start a tradition in our family of having a Bible verse of the week.  I’ll write out a Bible verse each week and will keep it at the dinner table.  Whenever we sit for meals (which is pretty often in our household), we’ll read over the verse together and learn it by heart.  This week’s verse will be from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible. 

As for the book, it is a longer read than some others I’ve tackled recently, though I’m finding it intriguing.  If you haven’t yet read it, I highly recommend you check it out of the library or order a copy.  Part of my family is Jewish, and it has helped me to better understand some of the differences and likenesses between cultures and faiths.  I’ve had quite a few “ah-ha” moments and have gained a new insights into approaches I can use in business and life in general. 

How many of you set New Year’s Resolutions for 2012?  How are you doing with them thus far?

Three Rivers Market, Matchups and Discount Days

Discount Days Ahead

For those who lucked out and received a Three Rivers Market Membership Interest from a friend or family member during the recent flurry of holiday gift-giving, congratulations! You'll be thanking them all over again when TRM Member Discount Days happen January 12th-15th.

The four day event includes loads of in-store demonstrations, product samples, family-friendly events and (wait for it...) TRM Members can pick a day to get 10% off their entire transaction. Don't forget, TRM Members get 10% off cases, which can add up to some super savings. Just be sure to place volume orders at least a week in advance to make sure they arrive in time.

If you didn't get that Membership Interest for Christmas, don't fret, become a member now! 

Our family has been very pleased with our membership and the many discounts and benefits it has brought us.  I’ve found it well worth the money, and if you are a TRM shopper, want to eat healthier this year, have food allergies, or like to support local stores, be sure to ask a store employee how to sign up.

There are some great deals happening this sales period.  For all of the matchups, be sure to check out Money Saving Maine-iac’s post here and here.

Produce Specials: January 4 - 17

• Organic Green Cabbage - 99¢ lb. (reg. 1.19 save 20¢)
This nutritional powerhouse is insanely versatile! Eat it raw, cooked, fermented (kimchi anyone?) Possibly the healthiest green vegetable for your food dollar. A snap to prepare, just heat a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a sauté pan, toss in a teaspoon or two of whole cumin seed, then add 3-6 cups of chopped cabbage and sauté until it softens. Finish with soy sauce, Bragg's liquid amino, or a pinch of salt. C'est yummy!

• Organic lemons - 5/$3 (reg. 79¢ ea. save 19¢) If one of your resolutions (see above) includes a cleanse, you should stock up now. If your resolution includes making more guacamole, or seviche, ditto. (I’ll be making some lemon curd this month!!)

• Organic Orlando Tangelo - 99¢ lb. (reg. $1.49 save 50¢) A great organic juicing citrus. Members receive a 10% discount on the 20 lb. case, stop by the Customer Service Desk to fill out a special order form.

Smart Toys and Books—Huge After Christmas Sale, Knoxville

I was in Smart Toys and Books today with our daughter shopping, and they have a TON of things marked down as part of an after Christmas sale.  Their Christmas items are 50% off, and they have a book table and back room with items marked down from 40% off to 75% off.  I noticed other sale prices marked throughout the store on various items. I spent a little less than $20 but have books and toys for 2 separate birthday gifts and more books to give as gifts next Christmas.  Love that!  If you happen to be on that side of town, you might want to check it out for yourself.

Easy Cobbler and the kind words of a soldier

Today I had the honor of preparing a meal for a family in our church who just lost a loved one.  I decided to make green bean casserole and my easy cobbler recipe with blueberries.  At the meal was a soldier, the grandson of the deceased, who is serving overseas.  At the end, all of the ladies were in the kitchen cleaning up, and he came in and gave me one of the best compliments I’d ever received.  He asked for another spoon to get another bite of the cobbler, mentioning that it tasted like home and that his grandmother had made it for him when he was younger.  Instead of a spoon I gave him a bowl and encouraged him to take all that he wanted.  When he left the room, I could do nothing but smile.  The thought of giving someone serving our country a taste of home when he was experiencing something as difficult as a loss made me feel like I’d done something useful and purposeful. 

A long time ago, I read a short story from Southern Living magazine that talked about how Southerners give love through cooking.  When we know someone is having a baby, what do we do?  Make meal.  When someone is sick?  A pot of soup.  When someone is grieving? Something that tastes comforting, warm and hearty.  I was reminded of that story today and how all of us there helping with the meal were trying in some small way to show we cared.  Many of the recipes on the table were the specialties of each woman—Miss Jeanette’s meatloaf, Miss Pat’s dumplings, Miss Marcella’s fried okra.  Each bite represented a prayer sent up, a warm thought, a demonstration of how we mourn with them and are here for them. 

What are your special recipes that you make to show others you care?  Do you have a signature recipe that you make for potlucks and other functions?  If so, I’d love it if you shared a recipe or link here.

Christmas 2012—A few shop ahead tips

Now is a good time to take stock of your holiday gear.  What do you need for next Christmas?  Now is an excellent time to buy ahead as most stores have their holiday items at least 50% off. 

• Buy tissue paper and wrapping materials that are all red for Valentine’s or all green for St. Pat’s.  The basic colors usually go first, but if you happen to find any, scoop them up now.
• Don’t forget to compare prices.  Kroger had their tissue paper for half off.  A packet of it would be $1 with the discount, but it was only a few sheets.  I know I can purchase a large pack of it at the dollar store year round. 
• Now is the time to buy your greeting cards.  If they don’t all match, so what?  Who other than you will ever know?  If you are really concerned about it, you can send like cards to categories of people on your Christmas card list.  One style might go for work friends, another for relatives, another for church friends… 
• Many stores are running super-duper discounts on their seasonal products and gift sets.  Bath & Body Works is running their semi-annual sale, and gift baskets are deeply discounted.  A friend of mine always purchases some extra ones and takes them apart to give the individual pieces as gifts and reuses the basket.  She said that she always gets them for less than purchasing each piece.  Stores like JCPenney have their Christmas dishes and cooking tools on sale, and now might be a good time to buy a snowflake Bundt pan for great Aunt Martha, who loves to cook, for next year’s Christmas.
• Have a friend who is getting married or having a baby?  Start shopping seasonal items now.  A friend at a shower turned me on to the idea of giving a little extra gift of seasonal kitchen towels to a bride so that she has something festive for different holidays.  She buys a few after each holiday and divides them up for whenever she needs to give a bridal gift.  They are always a huge hit!  For a friend who is having a baby, you might do the same with bibs or burping cloths. 
• Don’t forget to double up on your savings by using coupons.  Many chocolate and candy companies issue manufacturer coupons that are still valid.  Stores like Bath & Body and JC Penney have printable coupons on their websites.  If possible, use your store loyalty cards to earn extra bonuses.  I like the store Eddie Bauer, and yesterday they were running a half off sale.  I had received some Christmas money, and I purchased a new pair of slacks.  Not only did I score a sweet discount, but I also earned points towards a future FREE gift certificate.

What about you?  What are your favorite items to buy ahead for next year’s holiday season?

Challenge for the Week—Asking the Question behind the Question

Update from last week--

Last week I started writing about how I set weekly goals for myself, and how I’m trying to be more intentional with expressing appreciation and gratitude towards others. 

First off, I want to write a note to my Hubby as part of his Christmas gift thanking him for the many ways that he provides for us and gives to us each and every day.  Next, I want to make a point at least one time a day to talk to our daughter about something she did that I appreciated or something that I noticed she did that I thought was awesome.  Since we eat suppers together as a family almost every night together, I thought that I might do so in front of her Daddy (and whatever other family members or friends are there).   Last, I want to make a point to write at least 3 letters of appreciation to others this week.  I might write more, but given that it is a week until Christmas, I’m thinking that 3 is more doable.

I accomplished these goals.  I wrote a letter to Hubby and could have written a novel.  He does so much for us that it was hard to write anything all inclusive.  While I didn’t always note positives to our daughter at mealtime, I did make a point to do so in front of Hubby or another relative at least one time a day.  I think it helped to bring out more of the positive behaviors through reinforcement.  I also sent letters of appreciation, but instead of 3, I wrote 5.  Today I spoke to someone who had received one of them in the mail.  She said that she had an awful day just before receiving it and that it meant a lot—knowing that something so simple can make such an impact makes me want to do much more of this kind of thing. 

Goals for this week--

On the Friday before Christmas, I read the book The Question Behind the Question.  This week I want to work on asking myself how I can positively impact situations rather than becoming frustrated when something negative happens.  The book talks about how important it is to be accountable for yourself—you can’t change others and many times you can’t change situations, but you can control how you choose to interact and respond.  You can control what YOU DO. I read the book in about an hour, and while it wasn’t brand new information, it was a great reinforcement of what I already know through using cognitive behavioral therapy as a social worker—change the way you think about a situation, and you change the way you feel about it.  Those little changes add up and effect your relationships, your work, your life. 

Since this goal is a little hard to measure, I’m going to break it up into smaller goals that I can check off.  I’ll sign up for the QBQ e-newsletter so that I have little reminders as they arrive in my inbox.  When I notice myself becoming frustrated in a situation, I’ll stop and ask myself, “What can I do?”  Hopefully that use of self talk will spur me to positive action.  I’ll also make a few notes about the QBQ concepts and post them around the house.  We’ll see how it goes. 

The QBQ book is about more than just self talk and making changes in yourself.  If you haven’t yet read it, I recommend you check it out from the library.  It could easily be used as a daily calendar read, as it is written in short chapter sound-bites that encourage the reader to try a different approach than he or she might already be using to a situation.  Good stuff!

New Year’s Day is around the corner—a big goal setting day for most people.  Have you given any thought to your goals for 2012?

How was your Christmas?

We had a lovely day yesterday.  Since I don’t make a habit of showing photos of my family on the blog, I can only include a few shots from the day.  I’m going to be cheesy and just include a couple of me.  ;)  This is the Christmas spread minus a few of the casseroles that weren’t put out yet.  All of the desserts were on the buffet table.  Nothing super fancy, but it was delicious. 

For church we all dressed up extra special.  Hubby was in one of his nicest suits and ties, and Daughter had Shirley Temple curls and a sweet dress (hand-me-down from our cousins).   You can see our tree in the background with the gorgeous crocheted ornaments and tree toppers that my sister made for me last year. 

Probably the biggest hit among the gifts for our daughter was a drum set she received from her PawPaw.  As I type I’m listening to a concert of drum beats from daughter with kazoo and recorders alternating from my Hubby.  Our neighbors are going to kill us! ;0)

Hoping that your Christmas was a sweet one! 

Pilot Travel Center, FREE Hot Beverage Refreshed

The Pilot Travel Center Facebook Page has a new coupon available for print for a FREE 16 oz hot beverage.  My new favorite is their latte machine that some centers have!  The coupon is valid through January 31st.

The Ultimate Savings

Coupons will save you money at the grocery store.

Organizing your home will save you time during busy weeks.

Preparing for emergencies and stockpiling could save your life.

The ultimate savings by far, though, came when Jesus was born in a manger all those years ago.  I hope that you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and that the Reason for the Season is carried in your heart now and always.  Blessings and a Ho, Ho, Ho!!

Meal Planning, Week of Christmas

“In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous.”~~Jane Grigson

This meal plan is for a family of 3.  We often have at least one friend or family member over to share a meal with us during the week.  Since I factor the cost of the meal when I first prepare it, leftovers will be marked as $0.  When we dine out, it comes from a different part of the family budget and those expenses will also show $0.

I’m still not believing it is going to be Christmas in just a few days!  As you notice by the quote choice, I usually stick with the tried and true favorites for our family.  While I love experimenting with recipes and new ingredients, if I don’t make the lime congealed salad, or “green stuff” as our family affectionately calls it, then my dad is going to be asking where it is.  The most unusual thing that I do is substitute some of the ingredients to make them a little lower in sugar for the benefit of my dad.  I make sure that we still have all of our favorites—black olives for our daughter, Sister Shubert’s rolls for Hubby and daughter, summer corn for Hubby…  And after the meal is done, all is cleaned up, and I sit down in the evening to reflect on the day, you’d better believe I’m going to have a glass of ice cold boiled custard to enjoy. 

The biggest advice for cost savings for holiday meals is to plan ahead.  I’ve been shopping for Christmas dinner for months.  If you count what I reserved from what I put up this summer, I’ve been planning for a half a year.  Given that it is only a few days until Christmas, you can’t really use that information to help you much right now.  Yet, think ahead to future holidays when shopping after Christmas sales.  You might catch a deal on a ham that you can freeze for Easter’s meal.  Some of the red wrapped candies can be used for Valentine’s gifts.  Sugar, butter, flour, and other baking staples are all good things to keep on hand for meal prep and baking.  When shopping, look at expiration dates and sale prices and see how they might work to your advantage.

Kid Konnection Meal

The KK meal is cancelled for this week because of Christmas break

Approximate cost—$0, from church budget

 ~~~~~

Meal 1

Baked Potatoes

Approximate cost--$2

Ways I saved on this meal—Since daughter and I had an afternoon snack with friends to celebrate Christmas, I decided to keep supper super simple and make baked potatoes.  I caught these on sale a week ago at Kroger. 

~~~~~

Meal 2

Sausage
Red Potatoes
Broccoli
Pears
Approximate cost--$5

Ways I saved on this meal—I paid $1.50 for the kielbasa after coupon and sale price.  The red potatoes were some that were marked down last week at the store.  The broccoli is on sale at Kroger this week, and the pears are some that I canned this year.  I simmer the pears in their canning liquid for about 30 minutes to an hour with a bit of butter (about a tablespoon or two or three) and a bit of cinnamon (maybe 1 t).  You can see that this isn’t exact.  I just kind of add what I have and what feels right that day.  As the juices cook, they thicken and the pears soften.  The result is something scrumptious. 

~~~~~

Meal 3

Daddy makes pizza
Crudités
Apple Slices

Approximate cost—$6

Ways I saved on this meal—I caught a great deal on frozen pizza a few weeks ago and bought a few extras.  This is an easy meal for Hubby to make, as I know that at least one night this week I’ll be at a late meeting. The veggies were all on sale when purchased, and the apples were $1/lb.

~~~~~

Meal 4

Breakfast for Supper

We’ll either have pancakes or eggs, toast, fruit, jams and jellies, and brie.

Approximate cost--$1-$6, depending on the choice

Ways I saved on this meal—When Hubby makes pancakes, he makes a large batch and freezes some.  If we choose to eat those, the cost will only be a bit of syrup (organic that I bought on sale with coupon at Three Rivers Market) and peanut butter (also bought on sale).  I know, I’m weird, I like pb on my pancakes.  The brie was some I bought at Kroger with a great BOGO sale and coupon.  We’ve so enjoyed eating it with the pomegranate jelly I made.  The fruit will be some of the berries we froze this summer.  The whole wheat toast was bought for a little less than $2 a loaf.  I didn’t have any great coupons, so this was just the sale price.  The eggs are some we received free from friends.

~~~~~

Christmas Dinner—Meals 5, 6, and 7

This is an expensive meal, but we will dine on it a few nights.  Last Christmas we had part of the turkey and dressing on Christmas Eve, which was a nice relaxing way to enjoy a day’s worth of cooking.  We’ll most likely do the same this year and enjoy this meal the day after too.  I’ll freeze the ham bone and turkey carcass to make beans and soup, respectively, in a few weeks. 

Ham
Turkey
Dressing
Green Bean Casserole
Corn
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Sister Shubert’s Rolls
Relishes
Sweet Potatoes
Lime Congealed Salad (my dad’s request)
Deviled Eggs
Desserts TBA—I keep waffling back and forth on what to make.  Chess pies? Red Velvet Cake? Cream Cheese Pound Cake? Southern Chocolate Pie? Banana Pudding?
Boiled Custard 
Approximate cost—Since I haven’t fully decided on what dessert and I haven’t bought the turkey yet, it is hard to estimate.  I’m guessing this meal will cost between $35-$45.  Since my dad is going to help with the cost of the turkey and some of the other ingredients, this lowers our out of pocket cost.

Ways I saved on this meal—I bought the ham for only $8 with coupon, sale, and finding a small ham at Kroger.  Since it is just the 4 of us, we didn’t need a large one.  The turkey was a last minute decision.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick with just doing a ham, but I decided that since Christmas only comes one time a year it was worth it.  I do a pretty simple turkey with a bit of butter, spices, and some herbs from the garden.  The cans of green beans were about a quarter a few weeks ago with a Kroger Mega Event sale, the cream of mushroom soup was even less than that, and the French fried onions were on sale with coupon.  The corn is some that I put up in the summer and was bought from a local farmer.  The relishes were all ones I canned from foods out of our garden or bought locally.  The gravy will be made with the pan drippings.  The eggs are some that a friend passed on to us for free.  Most of the dressing vegetable ingredients came from my garden.  The cornbread mix was on super sale, and the sausage was less than $2/lb with coupon.  The cranberry sauce was a little less than a dollar after sale and coupon.  The rolls are a request from Hubby and daughter, and even when bought with a coupon are still about $1.50.  Since my dad is a diabetic and this is already a carb laden meal, I’ll make roasted sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole.  The ingredients for the lime congealed salad were all bought on super sales—cream cheese, gelatin, pineapple, cool whip, and sugar.  I’ll make it with as much as I can that is sugar free since my dad is the main one who likes this.  The desserts are still up in the air.  I’ll probably decide what I have a hankering for the day before and go from there.  My guess is that either the chocolate pies or the chess pies would be the easiest and most cost efficient. I’m sure we’ll also have some gingerbread cookies and assortments of other cookies from this week’s baking. 

What is boiled custard you ask?  My Grandmother Jesse made homemade boiled custard every year for Christmas, and she would serve it as we celebrated with extended family.  It is quite similar to egg nog, but I find it a bit smoother.  It also doesn’t have the nutmeg flavor in it.  She never served it with any alcohol, and I prefer it “straight” as well.  It is becoming harder and harder to find in grocery stores, and I’ve yet to find it made by an organic manufacturer.  One of these days I’ll break down and make it myself, but this  year I’m going to stick with Kroger doing the work for me.  Unfortunately I do not have her recipe, and if you are also a boiled custard lover and have a good recipe you would be willing to share, I would so appreciate your passing it on to me. 

~~~~~

Challenge for the Week

Do you set weekly goals for yourself?  I do, and I thought I might share some of my weekly goals here on the blog.  Perhaps you might want to join in some of the challenges from time to time or maybe you’ll get something out of the actual process of setting goals. Perhaps no one will read these, but hey, at least I’ll benefit.  ;) 

First off, why set goals?  Well, as the saying goes, if you aren’t aiming for anything, you’ll hit the mark every time.  I find that when I integrate goals into my to-do lists for the week, it keeps me in a more positive mood and being more productive.  It gives a sense of order to my week.   I don’t know about you, but there are times when I look at all that I have on my plate to accomplish and I wonder, “How on earth am I going to get all of this done?  Lord please help me!”  When I sort it out and set measurable goals to meet, timelines for my action plan, and consider what resources I have to help me accomplish those goals, all of the sudden I have a better handle on the situation.  Goals help vision come to fruit.  They are the nuts and bolts that give us a sense of direction.

When I teach people about goal setting, I first talk to them about operationalizing goals.  To operationalize is just a fancy way of answering the question, “What would it look like if I accomplished this goal?”  So, if my goal is to be happier, what would that look like?  How would I act and feel?  What would I be doing?  If my goal is to lose 5 pounds, what do I need to be doing to accomplish that goal? 

Once you have a more concrete idea in your head about your goal, put it into action words.  This involves keeping it simple enough to be something that you could check off a list.  Can you answer the question of whether or not it was accomplished with a simple yes or no answer?  If so, you have a goal that is simple.  Next, you need to make it doable.  If I say that I want to lose 30 pounds in a month, well not only is that just crazy, but it is also undoable for me.  Maybe if I were on a TV show and had an arsenal of fitness experts and healthcare teams to help me, but that isn’t my reality.  Sure, you want to reach high enough to make your goal worth doing and a bit challenging, but not so far that you are setting yourself up for failure.  Then you want to make sure your goal is measurable.  Does it have a time limit?  How will I know if I accomplish it?  Remember the part where you are asking yourself what would it look like and feel like if I accomplished this goal?  Return to that part if you are stumped on how to measure it.  Finally, make sure you write it down.  There is something magical about writing down a goal.  No longer is it something floating around in the atmosphere.  It is concrete and you are set to a purpose.  Does that mean you can’t revise your goal?  Of course not, but by writing it down, you’ll then have a better idea of how to revise it if changes are needed.

So, on to the challenge I’ve made for myself this week--  I’ve been reading Dave Ramsey’s book Entreleadership, and I’ve been listening to the podcasts that his team have put out on various aspects of leadership.  Because I listened to some of the podcasts with Hubby, I’m hearing them a little out of order.  Today, I listened to podcast 5 on recognition.  The speakers were talking about how important it is to recognize and show appreciation for those around you.  They encouraged you to make an intentional effort to recognize and commend times that those around you are doing something right. 

As I listened I thought of how easy it is to point out the negative.  At a restaurant if a server waits until your glass is completely empty before refilling it, that might be the thing that is noticed rather than all of the other things that he or she has done right during your dining experience.  Your child goes through an entire church service with good behavior but then starts to act up towards the end.  Do you commend how well he or she acted the majority of the time or express your disappointment at the end?  I know myself and I know what the answers are for me.  I really do try to look for what others do right and commend people publicly when I experience good customer service or are blessed by another’s actions.  I don’t tend to be a negative person by nature, yet, it is still easy for me to see the negative and grumble and complain about those things. 

I decided to challenge myself to intentionally recognize and show appreciation when I see others doing something well or right.  How will I measure this? What will this look like?   First off, I want to write a note to my Hubby as part of his Christmas gift thanking him for the many ways that he provides for us and gives to us each and every day.  Next, I want to make a point at least one time a day to talk to our daughter about something she did that I appreciated or something that I noticed she did that I thought was awesome.  Since we eat suppers together as a family almost every night together, I thought that I might do so in front of her Daddy (and whatever other family members or friends are there).   Last, I want to make a point to write at least 3 letters of appreciation to others this week.  I might write more, but given that it is a week until Christmas, I’m thinking that 3 is more doable. 

The reason I’m setting this goal is so that I will become more intentional when looking for times to praise others.  Does that mean that I don’t already give our daughter kudos, send thank you notes or tell my Hubby how lucky I am?  Of course not—it means that I’m working on doing those things in a more purposeful way.  I look forward to seeing how it goes. 

What about you?  What goals do you have for yourself this week?  How do you use goal work in your everyday life?

Ask for the greenery

As you know, I’m no longer posting tips of the day, but I will be adding a few posts here and there as they occur to me.  Yesterday I was in Kroger and saw two little sprigs of Christmas tree branches selling for $4 each!  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  Whenever we buy a Christmas tree, we always ask the farmer for any extra greenery he or she might have from trimming the bottom of the trees.  They are usually more than happy to throw in the extras because it keeps them from having to discard them.  I then use florist’s wire and wrap them in swags along the front porch for decoration.  I use bright red bows here and there, and it instantly feels like Christmas.  This year I used some of the bigger branches in some of my outdoor pots.  I stuck them into the dirt, and the result looks like a miniature Christmas tree.  I add some more greenery here and there in vases around the house to make use of whatever is left.  If I had paid for the same amount at Kroger, I would have paid over $60!!

Independence Days Update, the last few months

This is my first Independence Days Update in a few months.  For those of you who don’t know, these posts are inspired by the work of Sharon Astyk.  They have become a sort of garden/sustainability/living simply journal for our family. 

Since I last wrote in October, the weather made a few shifts back and forth to winter weather.  Today, I was walking around without a jacket and comfortable, and earlier in the week I was shivering even when bundled up—as is late autumn and early winter weather in East TN. 

The garden looks pitiful.  I still haven’t taken the time to do my end of the year cleanup.  My dad had some health problems for much of November, and I spent most of my time caring for him.  Last week I managed to get his garden tidied, and I hope that this weekend, I’ll have time to work on ours.  For most plants, I cut them off at the ground, rather than ripping them up.  This allows the roots to decay, leaving the micro-system of fungi and bacteria in place to help next year’s crops.  I pull out any tomatoes vines and put them into the passive compost pile.  I make a habit of never using composted tomatoes for fear of any possible blight left on the plants infecting next year’s beauties.  After all the rest is neat, I add a thick layer of leaf mold and decayed straw, being careful to pull the mulch away from where I have garlic planted. 

The notes below are based on the last few months--

What did I plant?—I planted another wave of bulbs with Hubby and daughter’s help.  I’m adding a garden to the front of the yard where we’ll plant figs in the spring.  I’ve heard too many people to count talk to me about the risk of planting figs in the ground in our zone in an unprotected environment, but I’m risking it.  Figs are just about my favorite fruit, and I love the thought of perhaps one day having enough to make preserved figs.  Only time will tell.  To prepare this bed, we have removed the grass and now have about 100 daffodils planted in each quadrant.  This will add some spring beauty to the bed as it becomes established. 

What did I harvest?— Daughter surprised me by harvesting some jalapenos that were still alive, and we had a quick lesson about the oils on peppers and how they can burn her skin and eyes.  I was pleased to see so much dill had volunteered and made some yummy red potatoes with dill the other night.  The kale was hit hard by bugs earlier in the year, and when I ripped it up, a few plants remained.  They have thrived in the cooler weather, and I used them for garlicky kale and kale and potato soup.  I’ve saved some more of the Christmas Lima Bean seeds and made a few flower arrangements out of the last of the cutting bed.  I yanked the last of the carrots, and we roasted them for a supper with my dad.  I’ve used some rosemary, green onions, and chives here and there in other recipes.  I cut the last of the butternut squash and have it saved in the cooler part of the house for the winter.

What did I preserve?—I made pomegranate jelly a few weeks ago, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. 

How did I work to reduce waste and live more simply?— Friends have passed a few bags of clothes to our daughter, and my aunt passed a few sweaters to me.  In early November, the church had their fall bazaar, and I made a major score when I found some audio tapes for children.  I bought the entire box, and we have shared some with her school and plan to share others with a friend later this week. 

I’ve not been composting as consistently as I should, and I need to get back in the habit of doing that.  Recycling has been much, much easier now that our city has a single stream recycling program.  Gone are the days of Hubby having to haul everything in the truck each month.  The bonus is that we’ve scored some fantastic Kashi coupons as part of the Recycle Bank program.  I found Kashi cereal marked down to $2.54 a box the other day, and I used $2 coupons to get them at a great price!

How did I work at building and strengthening community food systems?—  I used some money that I made at a coupon workshop to buy some organizers from Shelf Reliance for our church food pantry.  They should arrive this week, and I’ll spend a few hours with a friend getting the pantry in shape.  I continue to help with the men’s breakfast and children’s suppers at church. 

Did I try any new recipes or were there any special meals at our table?—  Daughter and I will start holiday baking sometime this week. I look forward to cutting gingerbread men and decorating cookies with her.  I can’t think of any new recipes I’ve tried lately other than the pomegranate jelly. 

Meal Planning, Getting back in the swing of meal planning

“As a child my family’s menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it.” Buddy Hackett

This meal plan is for a family of 3.  We often have at least one friend or family member over to share a meal with us during the week.  Since I factor the cost of the meal when I first prepare it, leftovers will be marked as $0.  When we dine out, it comes from a different part of the family budget and those expenses will also show $0.

Since I’ve been on a blogging hiatus, I’ve not been meal planning as diligently.  As a result, we’ve made a few more trips to restaurants than we normally would have.  Isn’t it funny how we all know that suppertime comes around every day at about the same time, and yet, we’re surprised by it if we don’t have a plan???  Here’s to hoping that getting back on track will help!

Kid Konnection Meal

One night a week, we help with the children’s program at church.

We are going super easy on this night because we’ll be taking the kids to perform at a local assisted living facility.  We’ll make some nachos. 

I’ve had a little “come to Jesus” with myself, as we would say in the South, about the foods we’ve been giving to the kiddos.  This is the last meal of the year, and part of my New Year’s resolution is to pay special attention to the nutritional quality of the foods.  I’ll hope to write more about that plan of action next year.

Approximate cost—$0, from church budget

Ways I saved on this meal—The chips were leftover from a church function.  The jalapenos were some that I canned.  The cheese and sour cream were donated.  ~~~~~

Meal 2

Roasted Chicken
Roasted Summer Squash
Steamed Broccoli
Garlicky Kale
Dilled Red Potatoes

Approximate cost--$5

Ways I saved on this meal—I paid 99cts/lb for regular chicken.  They didn’t have the type of organic chicken that I like at the store, and so I settled.  The squash and broccoli were some that my dad had bought too much of, and he passed it on to me.  I had roasted some squash in the oven before, and I decided that it would be a good way to use the full capacity of the oven once it was heated.  When I was in the garden last, I saw dill popping up everywhere, and when I saw red potatoes marked down at Kroger, I knew what I would be making tonight.  I had some Tuscan kale that survived the summer, and I decided to pick it.  You can see below what I did with most of it.  I had some leftover, and since I’m the only person in the house who really loves it, I did a quick pan sear in olive oil with a couple of cloves of garlic just for me. 

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Meal 3

Potato and Kale Soup

Approximate cost—$2

Ways I saved on this meal—I used one of the chicken breasts from the previous meal to make chicken broth for the base of the soup.  I used some onions I had frozen earlier in the year, organic celery and carrots from the store, and the kale from the garden.  The potatoes were some that I caught as part of a 4 day sale at Kroger.  I bought Cruze Dairy Farm milk at Three Rivers Market, and for organically grown milk, it is a great price at $6 per gallon.  I finished the soup with a bit of butter I had caught on sale at Kroger a few weeks back.  We’ll have soup with crackers (also bought on sale) tonight, and I’ll share the rest with a friend of mine who just had a baby. 

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Meal 4

Daddy makes pizza
Crudités
Apple Slices

Approximate cost—$6

Ways I saved on this meal—I caught a great deal on frozen pizza a few weeks ago and bought a few extras.  This is an easy meal for Hubby to make, as I know that at least one night this week I’ll be at a late meeting. The veggies were all on sale when purchased, and the apples were $1/lb.

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Meal 5

Breakfast for Supper

Eggs and Rice
Fruit Salad
Toast Points and Homemade Jam

Approximate cost--$3

Ways I saved on this meal—I usually plan at least 1 breakfast for supper meal per week.  These are usually fast meals for busy nights, and they cost less because they usually rely on eggs as the source of protein.  The eggs for the base of the meal were given to me by a friend who has chickens.  The veggies will be from the garden and what we’ve preserved in the freezer.  The organic brown rice was some that I made up earlier in the week.  It takes so long to cook that whenever I make it I always cook extra to have for other meals.  It was bought in bulk and on sale at Three Rivers Market a few months ago.  I’ll use some of the summer berries we froze earlier this year with a bit of peaches I canned and some bananas and apples to make the salad.  My price point for whole wheat bread is $2 or under.  With a great coupon, I scored it for less than that and froze a few loaves. 

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Meal 6

Tuna Fish Salad
Crackers
Leftover Soup (most likely some from the freezer)

Approximate cost--$3

Ways I saved on this meal—My price point for tuna is 69cts or less a can, and when I see it at this price, I try to buy a few extras.  I add carrots (sale), celery (sale), green onions (from the garden), apples (sale), mayo (great sale at Kroger a half a year ago, bought extras), Tony’s, and eggs (free from a friend) to my tuna fish salad. The crackers are generic ones from Kroger that were also on sale.

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Meal 7

Supper at church.  The youth are having a fundraiser before the Christmas program.

Approximate cost--$0, from a different part of the budget

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