Thrifty Thursday: Turn Up the Heat or Put on a Sweater??

I recently read a post that many people keep their programmable temperature in their house at 62 degrees in order to save money on heat.  My husband and I got into a big discussion about this because he feels that is too cold to keep a house (he would rather have it at 67 minimum).  We were discussing whether it mattered whether you had gas heat or electric heat.  We have gas heat and have since we have been in this house (which has been over 10 years) so I don't know if I remember anything differently.

I like the temperature in the house cooler.  When the gas heat turns on, it blows hot air all over the place and is really hot for anyone standing in its path.  When I was pregnant, just the heat turn on could make me sick so there were many runs to turn up the temperature so that the heat would shut off.  I guess the pregnancy just magnified the fact that I prefer to be cold.  I love to snuggle under my blanket and I love to wear layers but I don't like hot air.  Does anyone else have this problem??

Well, my husband likes the house pretty warm so our temperature is set for higher until he leaves for work and it clicks lower when he leaves.  Isn't that smart?  Then, about an hour before he gets home, it clicks in to start up the heat again until 11:15 pm when we should be in bed it goes to colder because we should be warm under the covers by then.  I am normally pretty comfortable without the added heat especially while we are sleeping because I love to be snuggled under the covers. 

The best way to deal with it is to be out of the house.  I try to plan activities for most of the morning from at least 10 am until at least 2 pm.  When we are out and about, it doesn't matter what the temperature is at home right?  Some people say that changing the temperature in the house isn't good for the system and doesn't save money but I have found that it really does change our bills so I am going to continue to do it while making sure to monitor the costs.

In order to combat the cold, I normally wear socks and sweaters around the house.  Now with winter in full swing here, I wear slippers around to keep off the cold hard wood floors.  I had some Pooh slipper but they were getting really thin so I went back to the closet to see what other slippers were in there and I found these which I got ages ago at a Target clearance.  Aren't they cute?  Even better because they highly entertained my son :) Funny because the reason that I had to stop wearing slippers was when he was little, he used to take them off my feet and try to eat them.  YUCK!!  Now, he puts them on my feet when I don't have them.  How thoughtful!!!

How much savings does it add up to??  The difference for us between 2009 and 2012 gas bills was almost $232 for the year.  Just in the last year, the gas bill went down $115 from 2011 to 2012 when the prices were rising at the same time.  I hope that staying on track saves money over the coming years but I don't know if there is anything else to cut in the heating bill.  Now I have to work on our electric bill which is for almost everything else in the house but one step at at time.

Do you like to crank the heat or put on a sweater???  Happy medium of some heat and some sweater??  Have you changed how you use the heat over the last few years??  Has it made a difference in the cost??  Do you have any ideas for cutting down on electricity costs??

The Uncommom Appeal of Clouds Book Review

The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (9) by Alexander McCall Smith was sitting on the shelf at the library.  I was shocked and I grabbed it and put it in my bag before we even went to storytime.  Can you see me looking around like a thief making sure that I wasn't caught with this brand new book??  It was kind of funny but I didn't even know the new book was out (and I was hoping that I didn't miss a book but I had no way of knowing without my trusty list of what I read).

In this book, Isabel is asked to help a friend recover a painting that is stolen from Duncan Monrowe's house.  After meeting with a lawyer, setting up a meeting to see the painting, and going through the whole process of providing support, Isabel came up with a plan.  The plan worked and the painting was returned to the owner.  During this process, Isabel and her husband, Jamie were going through some issues with her housekeeper, Grace.  There are always a million things going on in these books and although they might be classified as mystery, I don't consider them suspenseful thrillers.  They are just great stories with great characters!!

I hope that you check out this series and others by Alexander McCall Smith.  I love the Isabel Dallhousie series as much as the No. 1 Detective Agency.  Make sure you check out this and the earlier books in the series.  Let me know what you think and which ones are your favorite!!!  Of course, if you are like me whatever you read last is your favorite :)

Taco Pockets

I decided on a pizza night that I was going to be crazy and not pizza!!!  What!!!  Okay, I made the pizza dough and I was going to make taco pizza with the leftover taco meat but I decided to make what my husband called taco pockets.  It is almost like a homemade hot pocket with taco meat and cheese inside.

First I made the dough and waited for it to rise.

I rolled out the small piece of dough and put the taco meat and cheese in the middle.  Normally, I would have heated the meat to make it easier to scoop but without a microwave, it seemed easier to just scoop cold.

Then, I folded over the two sides and smooshed them together.  I sealed the ends so that none of the insides could get out.  I put them with the sealed side on the bottom of my baking sheet.  I made three because that is how much taco meat I had left.

Here is what they look like after they are baked.  Aren't they huge??

I thought that I would eat one and my husband would eat the other two but we both just ate one and I got to put the last one in the freezer so we have one later for a nice hot lunch!!  Check out that yummy inside.

For this, I used my normal pizza dough recipe and my normal taco meat and shredded cheddar cheese.  It is a great way to use any leftovers to turn them into a new meal.  If I had rice, I would normally have added that too :)  I hope that you try this new twist on the pizza ingredients and make yourself some taco pockets for dinner (and hope to get a few for the freezer).  I promise your family will love them!!

Shared on Homemade Mondays

Menu Plan Monday 2/25

Monday- Buffalo Pizza with sweet potato fries and tater tots (for our dinner guests)
Tuesday- Chicken Fajita Wraps
Wednesday- Sausage Pasta with garlic knots
Thursday- Sweet and Sour Chicken with simply fried rice
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Saturday- Leftovers/Grilled Cheese and soup
Sunday- Breakfast/Frozen Pizza

I can't believe that is already the end of the month.  I was flipping the pages back and forth in the calendar and I was still having a hard time believing that this week was going to start March!!!  I guess I better get busy on the menu plan since I was caught off guard that it was already here :)  Hope you had a yummy month and are ready for the new one!

Harris Teeter Shopping Day #4

I actually did two separate transactions for this to try to make sure that I didn't mess up the rain checks and that I got the evic zvr coupons.  It was a good thing because none of the evic zvr coupons came off and the customer service person had to pull everything up on the computer and issue a credit back.

I got free Mahatma rice and Uncle Ben's rice for free.  We will have lots of rice for the next few months :)

One of the HT managers that coupons, told me that I had to get the Stouffer's deal which didn't even cross my path when I was looking but it was a great deal so I grabbed three lasagna.  Lasagna is something that I have still not made from scratch and it is a great busy night meal.  I can throw it in the oven and go back to taking care of my crazy 4 year old without worrying about what we are having for dinner.

I used the rain check on the Snapware plastic two packs and the Smart Balance butter.

I got the Garnier Shampoo and Garnier Hairspray to take advantage of the $1 evic zvr coupon off each.  I also took advantage of the Pepsi deal which was a great evic zvr coupon because it was on sale at my store for $1.25 and I had $1/2 coupon and realized that I had a $0.50 coupon to use on the third one!!  Then, I got the $2.19 evic for the shelf price.  It was a super great money maker.  I was excited!!!

I decided to add some more Doritos since I already shot my budget for the month and it was a great price which was hard to pass up at $1.88 each with sale and coupon.  I know that they won't go to waste...  I think that everyone in my house is a big fan!!  Hoping to stop buying them so that we stop eating them :)

Total OOP $11.92
Total Savings $66.55 + (Snapware RC and $3.69 Smart Balance RC)

Have to check the Snapware shelf cost to update all savings!

Shared on Frugal Follies, Southern Savers, Couponing and Cooking and Grocery Shopping for Free

Harris Teeter Shopping Trip #3

Back to Harris Teeter kid free with my preschool break to do my shopping.  I grabbed three Kelloggs cereals to take advantage of the sale, coupon, and evic coupon (which didn't come off and I had to get back manually).  I thought my son would love the cereal but he also asked for dinosaur egg oatmeal so I had to grab two of them and they were the last two left on the shelf.  Whew!  Crisis averted and we are stocked up.

On my way towards the next aisle, I saw there were two kinds of cresent rolls on sale.  I picked out the really big ones because I though that I could make a yummy rolled something for dinner some night so I picked the $1.69.  The coupon was $1/2 and there was an evic which I thought was $1 but was only $0.50.  They ended up being $0.44 each, plus I should get some saving star money back too.  It certainly will get used even if it isn't in the plan yet.

The Tasters Choice section was empty but I happened upon a display later in the store that had a bunch of boxes still left so I quickly grabbed four boxes since my mother in law is coming to visit and she loves her coffee.  I will pull out the coffee pot but some mornings she likes to do the quick kind so hopefully that is enough for her trip :)

I got free Uncle Ben's rice, Hinode rice, and Mott's To Go.  The Pepsi turned out to be a money maker so I was super excited that there was some still on the shelf.  I used the rain check on the Snapware items to get them free after coupon.

I used a rain check to get the Campbell's Chunky soup for $0.97 each and then added another healthy choice soup that was on sale for $1 in order to use the $1 off three healthy choice.  All three were $0.94 which seemed like a good deal for some good soup that I could eat for lunch.

At the end, I decided to splurge on the Doritos because they were on sale and there was a tear pad next to it so they worked out to $1.88 per bag which is a great price since they are now priced at $4.29!!!  Talk about a crazy price.  They are a family favorite treat so I am sure we will really enjoy them!!

Another great trip which I got a ton of food that I am going to have to work into the menu soon :)

Total OOP $12.42
Total Savings $65.86 + (2.50 Snapware RC and $3.06 Campbell's RC)= $71.42

Didn't know the Campbell's price so I used the $2.50 sale price to figure out something until I can check the shelf price to figure out savings and I will update from $3.06.

Shared on Frugal Follies, Southern Savers, Couponing and Cooking and Grocery Shopping for Free

Harris Teeter Shopping Trip #2

Second day of the sale is Thursday which is the day that I have my son and he is not in school.  We went to have lots of fun at Play n Learn in the morning and then followed it by running errands with Harris Teeter as the last one.  I was super glad to make in a quick trip and it was to the store that wasn't my normal one.  I realized quickly that I didn't know where anything was and that is bad with a tired 4 year old who didn't get the shopping cart that he wanted and was only hanging on by the free cookie!!!

First stop was the produce section where I saw plenty of mangoes (doesn't that look weird plural) so I grabbed two.  I was super excited to see the Cinnamon Jacks (and so was my son) and the Cheerios.  I decided to splurge on the pop tarts because the store had them on sale for $2.19 and I had just printed a coupon so they were $1.19.  My son voted that we get another thing of Ramen... the bad part of bringing him is that he doesn't believe that I got some yesterday because he didn't see them the last time he was in the cupboard. 

They were fully stocked with Diet Pepsi so I grabbed my three and was super excited by that money maker to save some money on the rest of the stuff in the cart.  We are stocked up on soda for more than I have had in a year :)  I guess this means that I can share.

On the way past the open dairy cases in the back of the store, I saw the Bob Evans sausage on sale for half off so after coupon it was super cheap so I will cook it up and throw it in the freezer for our pizzas.  The coupons were quickly expiring so I was super happy that I got to use them because they don't come out that often.

Lastly, grabbed the Bayer Aspirin for my dad and Vitamins for my husband in the personal care section.  I checked for the Snapware and they didn't carry the ones that I was looking for!!!  Shucks, they probably would have had stock because they were much better stocked than my store.  I knew that there was a bunch more of stuff that I needed but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what to look for... even forgot the last thing on the list because I folded the paper and it was below the fold.  I was just lucky to get what I got with a tired 4 year old.

Total OOP $7.85
Total Savings $41.96
(didn't get some evic zvr coupons so I ended up with cash back)

I ran out at about 7 pm to go to my store at home and use the rest of my coupons but they didn't have a lot of things in stock that late in the day.  I grabbed the few things that they had left and that I had forgotten from that morning.  I used a rain check to get the Windex for $3.00 each ($2 each after coupons).  Decided to get the Cottonelle even though I didn't have a coupon because it was cheaper than the one that I did have the coupon for!!  I normally don't stock up on toilet paper until it is super cheap but we are almost out!!!

I grabbed three Diet Pepsi and they only had 6 left on the shelf!!  Oh no, that doesn't bode well for my moneymaker for the rest of super doubles.

I remembered again that I had the Peter Pan peanut butter $1 evic coupon loaded and it was on sale for $2.50.  I also just opened our last jar of peanut butter that morning.  Of course, during check out my evic coupons didn't work but customer service came over and add them.  Thank goodness my store knows me because I can't handle the fight at other stores to get things done, especially after a long day.

I got lots of rain checks and was thinking that I needed to head out to another Harris Teeter because they were better stocked but I can't justify the trip out there.  Oh well, I guess we will figure out what I can get in the next few days left of the sale.

Total OOP $11.71
Total Savings $19.00 + 1.38 (Windex RC)= $20.38

Shared on Frugal Follies, Southern Savers, Couponing and Cooking and Grocery Shopping for Free

Weekly Goals 2/24

What a busy week!  I had so many things to do that I had to start writting it on the list to carry with me just to try to get done and not forget.  Do you ever have those weeks??  Go to bank, drop off prescription, return book at library, playdate, drop off registration paperwork for nursery school, get milk, and pick up prescription.  Plus, RSVP for baby shower and send friend card.  Who knew that this short of a list would take all day to accomplish?  Anyone with a toddler :)  Hoping that I can keep track of everything on the to do list without having to write it down but with Super Doubles started, it is probably a bad time to get organized for anything other than couponing!!!  Sadly a sickness brought the week to a halt on Friday but I am recovering and hope to be 100% by next week.  Hope you had a great week (less the sickness).

Last Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with family- We had a busy three day weekend followed by a fully planned week which went horribly wrong with an unexpected Mommy illness on Friday.  Lots of quality time doesn't usually mean Mommy lying in bed and trying not to move but luckily I think that it was just the medicine that I was on and not the flu (close call).
• Get to preschool on time- No preschool on Monday because of the holiday but the rest of the week went well for drop off and pick up (minus me driving too quickly on the way home on Friday because of the sickness and missing the playdate with our friends).
• Playdate at a friends house- We went to our friends house and had a blast.  My little guy got so exhausted that he fell asleep on the way home!!
• Playdate with friends at our house- We had a friend over after school to have lunch, play and give him his birthday present.  They had a blast and I think that my little guy could have kept playing all night!
• Go to Play n Learn Center- We had a great time playing with our friends on all of the slides, swings and trampolines.  We took a break for lunch and then we played for a few more minutes and left to run all of our errands.  It was a exhausting day and my little guy fell asleep in the car.  He only took 1 1/2 hour nap which was short but that might lead to a great night sleep since it wasn't a long nap.

Personal Goals

• Cut coupons- I cut the coupons from last week to get ready for Super Doubles and didn't organize my coupon basket until the day after super doubles started since I realized what a state it was in!!!
• Get coupons at library on Friday- UGH!!!  There is a coupon thief at the library who stripped all the ads out of the papers last week and just the coupons out this week.  I got a few which were just a one pager of the shampoo.  I am going to have to drive somewhere else on Friday to get my coupons.  Thinking about making a drive today because missing coupons makes me sad :(
• Shut off computer 6 nights to save energy- Shut off the computer every night and some days when I knew that we were going to be gone all day.  I thought that I was very responsible :)
• Go to Foot Doctor for check up- She looked at my sad toe and determine that we should do an MRI!!!  Really!!  Yup, here I am talking about an MRI and possible surgery on a toe.  I don't want surgery on my toe but I really would like to make the pain go away.  Note to all out there, treat your feet well because foot pain stinks!!  MRI scheduled for next week :(
• Exchange filter for new microwave- I dropped it off and it still wasn't in so they are going to send it in the mail to us.  UGH!!!  Oh well, checked off the list as long as we get it in the mail next week.
• Read Perish Twice by Robert Parker- I read this quickly and finished it on Sunday!
• Start Shrink Rap by Robert Parker- I started reading this one on Sunday night and had trouble putting it down but didn't finish until Monday.  I picked up the next book on the pile and read lots on Tuesday and finished quickly.  I was determined to take the next book a little slower and get other things done so I am still working on it :)

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 5 days of the week- I cleaned up for most of the week until the Friday sickness hit and I touched nothing... and the kitchen looked like it.  On Saturday morning, my husband moved all of the stuff around in the kitchen because he is patching up some microwave scratches and others in the kitchen.  Of course, he didn't wash dishes and put things away first so it looks like an explosion.  I hope that if I ignore it, the kitchen will be repainted and cleaned which was my birthday wish :)  My other wish was getting my kitchen aid mixer cleaned which he did a great job on.  I don't have the patience to clean it with toothpicks and q-tips but my husband took things apart and cleaned it all up....now I just have to keep it clean :)
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning- I did it early in the week and got the kitchen all spic and span before I went to bed...I stayed up until midght cleaning dishes, making bread, making iced tea, and cleaning the kitchen.  Not sure if it was the best bet to stay up that late but I got a lot of things done that I needed for the next day so it was mission accomplished.
• Clean out cereal cupboard (take everything out and clean cupboard)- I was so excited to get this one done.  I have pull out shelves in the cabinet and I cleaned the bottom under the shelves.  It was sort of dusty and gross.  I moved some stuff out of cupboard and combined boxes of granola bars.
• Clean out bowl cupboard (take out things that don't belong and clean cupboard)- I cleaned out the bowl cupboard of all of the playdough and other craft stuff into a plastic bin.  I moved lots of bowls around and cleaned out the cupboard. 
• I also made the extra step and cleaned out the plate cupboard too!!!  That one had a shelf liner in the bottom and I took it out and had to shake it out.  I also cleaned the serving bowl cupboard.  I cleaned out 4 drawers.  I have a few more cupboards to clean and I hope that I will add them to the list for next week but I will tell you that it makes a big difference in what they look like.  I hope that it makes that much difference in all the cupboards :)  Sadly, I am putting off the harder to clean cupboards until the end.

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday- Done
• Schedule at least 7 posts so that can spend more time with family- Done
• Review book reviews completed during the week (if done)- Done and scheduled
• Work on a few posts to work ahead for the coming week- I have a lot of posts scheduled through the beginning of March.
• Get all month end posts ready and updated- I updated all the books and recipes to make sure that I post the summary with all of the information on it.
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip- I got all of them posted for the week.

This Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with family
• Get to preschool on time
• Bilingual storytime
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activity and storytime
• Playtime at a friends house
• Playtime with friends (location to be determined)

Personal Goals

• Cut coupons (if I get them)
• Get coupons at library on Friday or find a new place to get them
• Shut off computer 6 nights to save energy
• Finish reading Blue Screen by Robert Parker
• Start last Sunny Randall novel!!!!
• More Super Doubles
• Get chicken at Aldi's meat sale on Wednesday

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 5 days of the week
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning
• Clean triangle cupboard with all my son's stuff
• Clean freezer
• Clean cabinet over fridge
• Cut up chicken and package for freezer

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday
• Schedule at least 7 posts so that can spend more time with family
• Review book reviews completed during the week (if done)
• Work on a few posts to work ahead for the coming week
• Post all month end updates 
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip

Small Vices Book Review

Small Vices (Spenser) by Robert B. Parker was the next book in the Spenser series which finally came into the library.  I actually had to skip ahead and read the next book in the series.  Luckily, it didn't mention anything about this book so I am going back in time and checking this one out now.

In this novel, Spenser is hired to find out if a person that was convicted of a crime was actually guilty.  During the process, he interviews a lot of people and starts to think that he isn't getting anywhere when four guys show up to his office to beat him up.  Luckily, he was very prepared for this and ran them out of the office quickly.  Later, another man comes to tell him that he is going to kill him while he is out to dinner with Susan, his girlfriend.  That man later shoots him three times before he can go over the bridge and throw himself in the water.  He almost died and was in the hospital for three weeks.  When released, he, Susan and Hawk went to California until he started to get better which was ten months.  They drove home to Boston and started to get back to their lives.  After almost a year, Spenser decided that he was going to finish the case that he was working on and that started with getting the man that had shot him. 

This was a really interesting book that was a lot different than the other books that I had read previously by the author.  I love the fact that they can still be surprising and not all the same after so many books.  I hope that you check out this and all the other Robert Parker series at your local library or bookstore.  They are super fun reads with a little bit of mystery and a whole lot of fun.  I think that they are worth reading and you will come to love the characters and look forward to their next adventure.  Let me know when you do read them, which ones are your favorites :)

Aldi's Shopping Trip 2/21

I was all the way out by the Aldi's playing with my little guy so we stopped to get more flour since I used up most of what was in the container already!!  I grabbed two bags.  The lettuce was for sale for $1.19 so I grabbed one head.  We also needed to get vinegar but they only had a small bottle.  Of well, small bottle it was since we had totally run out.  My husband promptly used almost the whole bottle to clean the humidifier.  He did save it so that I can clean my shower head too but I still need to get the big bottle from Wal-mart or wherever else I see a good deal.

This put me over the budget for the month but hard to justify waiting since Aldi's is so far from the house and we were already there so I thought that it was a good decision to get now and not wait even though we didn't need anything but the vinegar immediately.  The trade off of having a monthly budget when you get to the end of the month and the budget.  I made the decision that it was okay to go over since I had two low months and hoping that this takes away from next month.
Total OOP $5.29
Total Savings $1.80 (based on other stores pricing)

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Many years ago, we went to a friends house and had a fabulous dinner (Thanks Ann and Matt).  We used to do this thing where we would take turns hosting at each others house and making dinner.  Sometimes we made it before the guests got there or sometimes we made it together.  Other times we made pot luck based on what was left in the fridge.  If you have never tried this, it is super great because I would call her and say that I had salad and some chicken and she would say that she had the potatoes and dessert.  It usually worked out well that we could make a well rounded meal with the stuff in both our fridges...of course, this was pre-kids so there was a lot more flexibility but at least that meant that we could hang out without going out to dinner again and put off the grocery shopping one more day.  It was great because we got to try a lot of dishes that didn't normally make!!  What is the best way to come up with a new family favorite- steal it from another family :)

I asked her about the amazing roasted potatoes that we were eating after my husband (then boyfriend probably) ate the entire pan.  She said that you dumped a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip in a bag and shook it with a little olive oil and the potatoes.  What, that sounds easy!!  Why haven't I heard of this before!!

I quickly started making them at home.  However, I found that a lot of the good stuff was left in the bag so I decided to mix it in the baking pan and save the bag step (however fun in working out any frustrations of the day by shaking and smashing, I didn't want to loose the yummy flavors).  This time, I also tried the Harvest Dill dip mixed with the Ranch dip just to mix it up a little.

First, I cleaned and cut the potatoes.

I cube them really small and put them in the baking pan on top of olive oil.

When I am done filing the pan with potatoes, I top with the powder (either or both kinds).  Then I stir and add more olive oil as needed to make the powder almost mix in with the olive oil. 

Then they come out of the oven looking like this!!!

I love to scoop out the ones close to the edge for me (cause I like everything extra crispy or a little burnt) and then the others in the family get the center ones piled on their plates.

It is a super easy side dish that adds a lot of flavor and makes it look like you put in a lot of effort to make a different and yummy potato side.  I would say that it helps makes the potatoes go farther but that is never the case in our house because we are fighting over the last potato in the dish no matter how many potatoes I bake!!!  I highly recommend that you try it for your family sometime soon.

I decided to google the recipe since I make it up every time I do it and don't ever follow a recipe.  I also normally am cooking something else and throw these in at whatever temperature that the other things are cooking and and go until they are brown.  I figure that other people want a little more direction for their first time making them but do know that they are super flexible and you can throw them together however you want and bake them however you want and they will still be yummy!!!

Here is the recipe off the Hidden Valley Ranch website if you want to check it out but they use red potatoes and vegetable oil so I guess it can be changed to whatever you have on hand.  There seem to be tons of recipes out there on the internet but none are exactly as my friend, Ann, made them many years ago!!

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

4 tbsp Olive Oil (or to taste)

Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch (or store brand)

2-6 Potatoes

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with 2 tbsp olive oil.  Put cut potatoes into pan and top with packet of Hidden Valley Ranch powder.  Stir with fork or spatula until potatoes are evenly coated.  If the powder is not sticking add up to 2 more tbsps (or as needed) until the potatoes are fully coated.  Don't skimp on the oil to try to be more healthy or you will have lots of potatoes stuck to the pan that you can't eat!!

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.  Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you want more flavor, use less potatoes or two packets of seasonings for more potatoes.

If you are making a larger amount of potatoes, you may want to stir the potatoes during the baking process so that they all get browned and none are burnt  If they are mostly flat covering the whole surface, they will be fine and you don't have to stir if you are doing too many other things.

Shared at Homemade Mondays

Shop on Blossom Street Book Review

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber was the first in the series from the book that I read last month Hannah's list.  I decided that it was a good place to start the series and it really was!  It was about a group of women who were learning to knit and changing their lives at the same time.

Each chapter is from the point of view of a different person:

Lydia, the cancer survivor shop owner
Alix, the drug convicted rebel with purple hair
Carol, the IVF challenged hopeful mom
Jacqueline, the unhappily married older woman

All of the characters meet in the yarn shop owned by Lydia to take a knitting class to learn how to knit a baby blanket.  The great part about this book is that you get to hear every one's take on their situation, as well as on the others.  You end up falling in love with all the characters as they learn to grow and change.  Lydia starts dating and finds out that she has another brain tumor but decides that she doesn't want to fight since her father isn't there to help her.  Alix is taking the class in order to do community service for a drug conviction that wasn't even her drugs.  Carol has quit her job as a high powered executive to stay home to try to become pregnant with her last round of IVF so she decided that knitting a baby blanket was going to help her get pregnant.  Jacqueline found out that she is going to be a grandmother and in order to prove that she cares about her daughter in law and is going to be a good grandmother, she has decided to knit a baby blanket.  All of the characters grow and change in the book and it is amazing to see it all unfold.  I highly recommend reading it!!!

I hope that you check out this book and others in the series.  I am super glad that I came upon this author with a free book that I got previously, Hannah's list.  I decided to start at the beginning of the series.  I hope that you check out one from your local library or bookstore.  I look forward to getting any review of the series that you have tried out :)

Harris Teeter Super Doubles #1

I was so excited to hear that super doubles was coming up but then I didn't do anything to get ready.  I should have cleaned out my coupon basket and made my lists.  Instead, I headed into the first day of super doubles unprepared but ready to shop.  The good news is that my little guy is in school so I had a few hours so I didn't have to rush.  I got everything that I wanted and then brought it all home to put away before I went to get him at school.

I was all over the store and moved back and forth to get the things as I thought of them.  Not the best way to do the grocery store but it was all that was going to work for me since I was so disorganized.  My first stop was the Smart Balance milk so that I could make sure to get some before they were out which is clear to the back side of the store.

I got the Bayer aspirin next for my Dad.  Then, I grabbed the Vitamins for my husband.  I grabbed six boxes of Hefty Zipper Bags from an end cap and decided to add two boxes of Hefty trash bags which were above it.  I knew that I had plenty at home but I felt like it was too good of a deal to pass up.  I got six boxes of the Kraft Mac and Cheese shapes for my son.  Two boxes of Dinosaur oatmeal and one box of Cheerios for my son.  I got a 6 pack of Ramen noodles which my husband and son love.  I added four boxes of Uncle Ben's rice to the cart (What a great freebie).  At the end, I decided to add three things of Diet Pepsi.

Last minute, I decided to use a rain check to get my snapware containers which are perfect for lunch for everyone!!!  I super love them but I didn't know if I would have coupons left to use so I was glad to see that they had some of the ones that I wanted on the shelf.

At the register, everything rang up fine and most of the coupons.  I had to have a few coupons overridden.  The manager stuck around and we were talking and another manager came over to talk and see the total go down.  It is always fun to be friends with all of the managers.  The one was joking that she was standing there and I was bagging my own groceries but I totally don't mind when I am at the register with a great cashier and two wonderful managers, what could be better.  Well, my online coupons didn't come off :(  The manager added in the three that I remembered but then I only got $1.25 for the Pepsi instead of the $2.19 shelf price that it would have automatically taken off which was a difference of $0.94.  I forgot the Cascade one so I am going to return those which is why they aren't in the picture because I put them right back in the car.  I will subtract the total when I do the return :)

Total OOP $20.56- return $5.24= $15.32
Total Savings $88.14 + $3.75 (for rain check)= $91.89

Great savings even if there wasn't a lot of planning!!!

Shared on Frugal Follies, Southern Savers, Couponing and Cooking and Grocery Shopping for Free

Thrifty Thursday: Making Playdough

Don't you think that it is hard to get presents for kids that you aren't playing with all the time or they don't have the same interests as your kids?  It is so hard to figure out what birthday presents to give any kid that you don't know because you don't know what they are into and if they already have it.  My best solution is to make something that will keep them busy :)  I usually include a book, coloring book, crayons, glue sticks, stickers, and anything else that I have around that is fun and crafty.  This time I decided that I would make playdough to go in the activity kit too!!

I have made playdough on a few different occasions and it seems that every time I make them, I use a different recipe.  The first time I used a Kool-aid recipe that didn't require cooking or cream of tartar (which is a super expensive ingredient).  The second time was at a friends house where we cooked it on the stove and used cream of tartar.  The one of the stove turned out less sticky and was a little more like playdough but they were both usable and we still have them.

I decided to make a "Make Your Own Playdough Kit" for a birthday present instead of making the playdough.  Isn't half the fun doing activities with the kids?  I mixed all the dry ingredients together.

I put them into a zippered bag with the instructions on the front.

On the back, I put the whole recipe in case they wanted to refill the bag or know what was in it.  It is always great to pass on the great recipes to others.

This is a great idea to make ahead for your kids or to give as a gift.  I hope that you try to make it for yourself or for an activity present.  I promise that you won't be disappointed.  If I had thought about this addition earlier, I would have included cookie cutters and a rolling pin so keep your eyes out for neat playdough toys for cheap so that you can make a really neat activity bag!!!  Here is the recipe so that you can try your own.

Kool Aid Playdough

2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 packet Kool-Aid
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons oil

Mix the flour, salt and Kool-Aid together first so the color would magically appear when we added the water.   Add boiling water and oil and stir all the ingredients together until the mixture becomes crumbly, then knead with your hands for a few minutes until the play dough becomes a smooth ball.



Family Honor Book Review

Family Honor (Sunny Randall) by Robert B. Parker is the first book in the Sunny Randall series.  I picked it up while waiting for some of my books to come in at the library.  My mom loaned it to me after she had finished it.  The great thing about having the book on my shelf is that I can pick it up at anytime.  The other great thing that I put all the books that I still had left to read in one place so it was a quick choice off the shelves.  It was a little transition after reading so many Spenser series books to get into the new characters.

In this book, Detective Sunny Randall is working for a rich family who is missing their daughter, Millicent.  Sunny finds Millicent working as a hooker in Boston and fights her pimp to take her.  Sunny refuses to return Millicent to her parents because there is a real reason that she ran away which no one is telling her.  They stay at Sunny's house until two armed men come to take Millicent and Sunny shoots and kills one of them.  They have to hide out at Sunny's friends house to make sure no one else finds them.  The novel has a lot of surprise twists and turns leading to the end of the book with Sunny dealing with her feelings for her ex-husband, Richie. 

I can't wait to read the next book in the series and learn more about Sunny and all her friends.  I hope that you pick up this book at your local library and bookstore.  I think that this series is as good as the Jesse Stone and Spenser series (although different).  I hope that you check out each series and see which one is your favorite.  I like to start at the beginning and follow the characters as they grow but feel free to pick up any book and try it out.  I can't wait to hear what you think!!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know if you have ever had a day that just wasn't going right for you but today was that day.  I was wide awake and then I decided to lay under the covers a little longer since it was so cold.  Well, I fell back to sleep and was 15 minutes late when I woke up with a start.  UGH!  I thought that was going to be it for the day since I did all the dishes last night and washed, dried and folded the laundry.  We even had a talk with my son and he picked his stuffed animal that he was supposed to bring to school and put it in his bag...the night before!!!  Shouldn't everything have run like clockwork in the morning??

WRONG!!!  I got my son ready for his special pajama day.  I decided to go out and clean off the car and heat it up a little early.  Well, the car didn't start.  REALLY!!!  My husband had just gotten to work and he turned around and came home.  He backed the car out of the driveway and had to get it into the middle of our street (luckily, no traffic came by after he did it and the buses already went through).  We jumped it and it didn't work!!  Then my husband disconnected everything and did it again himself (yup, I helped the first time).  He jumped it and it worked. 

I drove my son to school a little too quickly and I made the end of the pick up line at 9:05.  I drove around and dropped off a library book and then realized that I left the house open...not just unlocked but the front door was literally wide open.  I went home and left the car running in the driveway while I called my husband to see when I could shut it off.  He said that it was okay to shut off but I should try to start it in 5 minutes.  Well, it was cold so I waited 2 minutes and it restarted easily.  YEAH!!!!

I decided to go back in and make my husband some chocolate chip cookies since those are his favorite and I really owed him.  I mixed everything up (taking pictures along the way to share) and preheated the oven.  Since it wasn't totally preheated, I ran outside and started up the car about 20 minutes after I had shut it off.  NOOOOO!!!  It didn't start.  I called my husband to let him know that my car hates the cold weather and it didn't start.  He is coming back home.  I told him that I made him hot chocolate chip cookies to make up for it.  He seemed happy enough.  He is going to jump me and take me to the store to get a new battery.  Did I mention that he replaced his battery less than 2 weeks ago??  When it rains, it pours!!  But then you get cookies :)  If you owe anyone, especially your husband, make these cookies!!  I highly recommend them.

I was going to make my go to Nestle Chocolate Chip cookies when I decided that it would be a chance to make one of the many other cookies that I picked out (plus, I only had three eggs left and I wanted to make a few other tasty treats).  I found this recipe a little while ago while I was blog hoping (my newest and most addictive hobby) on one of my new favorite blogs, Posed Perfection.  Check out her version of the recipe and the other great recipes on her site here.

I got out all the ingredients (pre blogging, I never did this and I pulled out things as I needed them and didn't even check to make sure I had enough of anything...so silly, this is way better because there are no emergency trips to the store).

Then, I put the butter, sugar, brown sugar and oil in the mixing bowl.

Then, I mixed until it was creamy.  I added the egg and the vanilla and mixed a little more. 

I mixed the dry ingredients in another bowl with the flour, quick oats, salt and baking soda. 

Then I gradually added them to the mixture. 

After it was fully mixed, I added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  I know that this is unheard of for a chocolate lover but I don't like a ton of chips in my cookies and my husband doesn't either... since we already determined that these are for him, I used smaller than the original recipe.  Check out this dough:

I used my cookie scoop to make cookies.  I don't know what I did before this scoop because I never made the cookies the same size.  It is so much easier with the scoop because there isn't any cookie small and burnt because it didn't need as much time as the other cookies.  I just put it and push it against the side and this dough was perfect because it came out so easily.

It makes nice size cookie which I put on my Silpat (my other favorite cooking supply).

Then, it cooks into a nice big cookies with a little edge of brown.

I hope that you try them for yourself because they are very tasty (and you can't even taste the healthy oatmeal addition).  Here is a few that I saved for you...okay they are here for the next few seconds but they might be gone soon so you might want to take note of the recipe and make your own.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(adapted from The Charm of Home and Posed Perfection)

1/3 cup softened butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, oil and sugars. Add in the egg and vanilla, combining thoroughly. In separate bowl, mix together the flour, quick oats, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are tan in color. Remove from oven and cool completely on parchment paper or wire rack.

Shared at Homemade Mondays

Menu Plan Monday 2/18

Monday- Olive Oil Pasta
Tuesday- House Autry Chicken Fingers with tater tots
Wednesday- Taco Rice
Thursday- Chicken and Rice Casserole with fresh taste coated chicken
Friday- Homemade Calazone
Saturday- Leftovers/Baked Potato Soup
Sunday- Brunch/???

Weekly Goals 2/17

I am planning for a really busy week to hopefully exhaust my son every day :)  Here is hoping that I don't exhaust myself more than needed in the process but there are a lot of things that we have planned for the week.  I hope that you had a super productive week and have a great week planned for the coming week.  I hope that I get a lot done and enjoy the three day weekend!!

Last Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with family- We had family in town over the weekend and got to spend lots of fun time together, plus we had a visit from Aunt Kimmie on Thursday :)
• Get to preschool on time- We had a great week getting to school...on day was a little close but we were still in the line before it was moving so we will call it a close call.
• Valentine's Day Storytime at the Library- They changed the theme to Chinese new year but we had a fun time hearing the stories and making a Chinese lantern and shaker.
• Playdate with friends- We had a friend over on Tuesday to play while her mommy went to the doctor.  The kids were great and entertained themselves for the most part.  We had a quick break to calm down while they watched a little TV.  Then we did an alphabet puzzle and played with alphabet stickers.  It helped to break up the running around and scream portion of the day :)

Personal Goals

• Cut coupons- Oops!!  I was going to do it on Thursday and it just got too busy but by Friday, I totally forgot to cut them... which is probably why I forgot to go to the library to get new ones!  I finally cut them on Saturday.
• Get coupons at library on Friday- I totally forgot to stop at the library!!!  Can you believe it?  I had to call my husband when he was leaving work to make him stop and get them.  I am really sad that I didn't remember earlier but I think that my brain is spent with a tough week.  Then he showed up at home and said that none of the papers had inserts in them!!!  WHAT??  Time for an investigation at other locations.
• Go to the Dentist- I went to the dentist and got my last bit of dental work done.  I was pretty excited to done with dental work for a little bit.  They are going to see me again in March for my cleaning so there really isn't a long break in between :)  Then the week changed because I broke my tooth and I was headed back to get another crown!!! UGH!!!
• Volunteer at school- I had so much fun last time I went into my little guys class that I wish that I picked a co-op school so I am super excited to go back.  I had a great time with all of the kids being super cute for Valentines Day.  They were so clingy today and everyone wanted to sit on my lap and read a book as well as have me sit with them at music class.  I had a blast.
• Shut off computer 6 nights to save energy- I did it even though I missed one night, I made up by turning it off for most of the day and I left the computer off one day while we were away all day.  I hope that I left it off lots and saved the computer and energy :)
• Finish reading The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (9) by Alexander McCall Smith- I actually ended up finishing this in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday/Monday.
• Start new book (so many to choose from so who knows what I will choose)- I started reading Rush of Wings and finished that on Tuesday.  I started Virgin River on Tuesday at the end of the day which I finished on Friday night.  Then, I started on the next book in the Sunny Randal series (which I currently have all of them on my side table).  I think that I will be going through a lot of these and I better get the rest of my list ready to reserve at the library after that :) 

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 5 days of the week- I cleaned up all this week with the exception of Thursday which I took the day off since it was my birthday.  I shouldn't have to clean too much on my birthday right?
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning- I did this on either Monday or Tuesday  (the week is a little bit of a blur) but I know it was super great the next morning to wake up to a clean kitchen.  I clean up every night but getting everything 100% cleaned up is a lot more work.

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday- I posted every day
• Schedule at least 7 posts so that can spend more time with family- I had all my posts up ahead of time to spend more free time with my family.  It is really great to have things done ahead so that I don't have to worry what is going to go up the next day. 
• Review book reviews completed during the week (if done)- Scheduled all reviews of the books that were read this week!!
• Work on a few posts to work ahead for the coming week- I got a few posts up for the rest of the month.  I still have a few others to work on which I hope to get done next week.
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip- Done

This Week:

Family Goals

• Spend time with family
• Get to preschool on time
• Playdate at a friends house
• Playdate with friends at our house
• Play n Learn Center

Personal Goals

• Cut coupons
• Get coupons at library on Friday
• Shut off computer 6 nights to save energy
• Go to Foot Doctor for check up
• Exchange filter for new microwave
• Read Perish Twice by Robert Parker
• Start Shrink Rap by Robert Parker

Home Management Goals

• Clean dishes, counters and floors at least 5 days of the week
• Clean dishes one night and not wait until the morning
• Clean out cereal cupboard (take everything out and clean cupboard)
• Clean out bowl cupboard (take out things that don't belong and clean cupboard)

Blog Goals

• Post one post everyday
• Schedule at least 7 posts so that can spend more time with family
• Review book reviews completed during the week (if done)
• Work on a few posts to work ahead for the coming week
• Get all month end posts ready and updated
• Post Weekly Goals, Menu Plan Monday, and Thrifty Thursday Tip

How I Plan a Monthly Menu

I know that there are a lot of people out there that thinks that this sounds like a monumental task but I swear it is really easy and saves lots of money.  It can also be done in a bunch of different ways to fit your family based on what you have on hand.  I am going to list out how I do it so that you can see how easy it is.

Step 1:  Get a Calendar

There are free printable monthly calendars available online through many websites.  There is a great list at Money Saving Mom where you can download one that fits your needs.  Even if you don't do the whole month at one time, it is nice one to choose because you can fill it in as you go.  I usually order free calendars online through Pillsbury and Betty Crocker so I end up using one of the free calendars for meal planning.  If you decide that you want a meal planning calendar, they are 75% off at most bookstores too.

Step 2:  Take an inventory

Go through your pantry and write everything down that is in it.  I usually write a list that breaks things down into categories like Pasta, Canned goods, and Other.  If you have lots, write on the front and back of the paper.  It helps me not only to organize when I am looking for something but it helps me find things when it comes time.  Make sure you make note of multiples; Don't just write that you have macaroni and cheese but write that you have 6 (promise it will be helpful later).  On another sheet of paper, I go through the freezer and write everything that I have in there.  I usually write my chicken together, followed by pork chops, ground beef and any other meat product.  Then I turn over the paper (feel free to use another piece if you like) to write the non-meat things that I have like flour tortillas, chicken broth, shredded cheese, tater tots and others. 

Step 3:  Write a list of all the meals that your family likes to eat (and you can cook)

I did this a long time ago so obviously I don't go through and do it every month.  I ended up typing it up on the computer and adding a column for main meat component.  It helps to sort all the chicken dishes together so that if you have a package of chicken in your hands, you know that you aren't making sloppy joes since that calls for ground beef.  It is a good thing to go back and visit to add new dishes that your family likes that get added to the monthly meal planning in the future.

Step 4:  Sit Down and Plan out your days (make sure you bring steps 1-3 with you)

At the end of each month, I sit down with my calendar and my updated inventories and map out what I am going to have each day.  I start with a few nights of pasta (which I do once a week and plan on the nights that are going to busy or we are going to be out all day).  If I do an Olive Oil Spaghetti one week, the next week is Sausage Penne so that it feels like we aren't having the same thing all the time because it is only really once or twice a month (throwing in some Fried Zucchini Spaghetti to mix it up).  Then, I put down Homemade Pizza alternately with Homemade Calzone (which I usually do on Fridays).  Again, it is something that is similar because I am using a homemade pizza dough but we change the ingredients to do Buffalo Chicken Pizza or White Pesto Pizza so that we aren't eating sausage and pepperoni every week.  I fit in the other things that are in the freezer and pantry in the spaces.  I will put one day with marinated chicken and rice and the next week put a different chicken with pasta.  Having a calendar helps me to spread out the meals so that we aren't eating the same meal every night with different flavors.

Some people feel it is easier to have assigned days of the weeks with themes like:

Pasta
Chicken
Beef or Steak
Fish
No Meat or Vegetarian
Soup and/or Sandwich
Pizza
Breakfast for Dinner

Example of Week: 

Monday- Spiedies Chicken with white rice
Tuesday- Kraft Fresh Take Pork Chops with mac and cheese
Wednesday- French Dip Sloppy Joes with frozen rolls
Thursday- Olive Oil Spaghetti with pizza dippers
Friday- Homemade Calzone
Saturday- Chicken Tortilla Soup (from freezer)/ Herb Butter Whole Chicken
Sunday- Kielbasa with sweet potato fries/ Ground Beef Tacos

Step 5:  Separate out food for the week

I know that this seems like it isn't necessary but it is helpful to pull out the food you are going to need for the week.  If I have to defrost a whole chicken, I know that it takes at least 3 days in the fridge.  If I have to defrost chicken tenders, overnight is fine.  Usually ground beef takes 1-2 days in the fridge.  So planning ahead is the only way to make this work.  I have a downstairs freezer so over the weekend, I pull out all the things that I need and put them in the upstairs freezer or fridge based on the need for the week.  It is much easier if you have everything in one place so that you don't forget to defrost something and get to dinner time without anything to eat.

Step 6:  Write a Shopping List

I know that most people don't have a freezer and pantry full of a month worth of food although I think that you will be surprised.  I write a list of the things that we need that are perishable like lettuce with a little note that it is for tacos.  The great thing is that after you have purchased the lettuce, you can plan for salad another night because you know that you are going to have it in the house.  If I buy potatoes for the month, I try to plan multiple dishes that use potatoes and make sure that they are all used before they go bad.  If there is a vegetable that we like to have with a dish, I make note of what we would like to have but if there is a special deal when I get to the store, we end up having that veggie instead.  It saves a lot of time and money if you aren't wondering if you need more spaghetti sauce while you are at the store because you have them at home.  As you work on this planning process, you can work on stocking up on things at the lowest price.  If you know that you use spaghetti sauce (and your family has a favorite kind), when it is on sale you pick up four instead of just one then you have enough to last for a few months and you have saved that much money to put back into your budget.

Step 7:  Have a backup plan and be flexible

Especially when you start, make sure that you can substitute something in case the plan doesn't go right.  If you forget to take out the meat to defrost or you simply didn't have enough time to make the meal, have a few go to dishes that you can whip up.  I used to never plan for a pasta meal and that was my go to in case of an emergency.  Now I put it on the calendar and if things aren't working right, the nights get switched with the pasta night.  It still leaves the same things on the menu for the week just in a different order.  Whether you are doing this to save money, be healthier or whatever goal, a frozen pizza is not the end of the world as a dinner solution on a busy night.  It is still much more healthy and frugal than getting in the car and going to a restaurant.

Do you think that you can do this??  I do!!!  If I can do it, then I think that anyone can do it.  Do you want help??  I would love to help!!  Just let me know what questions you have and what I can do to help you start your way to saving money through menu planning.