Cut your grocery bill.

Feeding a family on a budget can be such a challenge. It seems that lately at our house the budget is shrinking as the cost of food and other supplies are rising at a rapid rate, but never fear there is hope.  There light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

Money saving mom, Crystal Paine has partnered up with some incredible people to bring you Grocery University.  I have been a follower of Crystal and her blog  for about 5 years. It began as I embarked upon learning how to coupon and how to save money. During the process I stumbled upon her blog and have not looked back. I have learned many a skill from her writings. She is a true inspiration.


The information that she and her associates share should prove itself invaluable.  They have spent many years learning how to win at the "grocery game"  They are ready and willing to share and teach others the skills that they have spent a lifetime learning by trial and error.  I am grateful for those who have learned and are willing to help me so that I don't have to learn by trial and error. I love having someone that will help me see and avoid the most common traps and pitfalls.


You can get your own Grocery University Course by clicking the link below.


 
                                                                

It gets even better!  They are launching a brand new updated version of the course TOMMORROW: Tuesday August 19th. 

Mark your Calendar (and your alarm) 
Tuesday August 19th
Beginning at  5 am central time


5 am price is $2.97
8 am pricing is $3.97
11 am $4.97
2 pm   $5.97
5 pm   $6.97
8 pm   $7.97
11 pm  $8.97

 
Happy shopping

This post contains affiliate links.  You can read the full disclosure by clicking on the privacy policy tab at the top of the page.  

How to remove chewing gum from about anything.

Chewing gum, what a sticky icky mess when it gets in places it does not belong, but never fear, there is an easy and economical way to remove chewing gum from almost anything.

Who knew, that peanut butter could unstick the gum from nearly anything

Peanut butter will remove gum from things like:

Carpet, and tile
Clothing
Furniture
Hair
even a bubble popped on the face and into the eyebrows can be cleaned with peanut butter



The oils in peanut butter have a way of neutralizing the sticky part of the chewing gum. It begins to dissolve the chewing gum into a soft and almost slippery mass that is then easily removed from whatever it is stuck to. 


It is really easy to do:  Just smear the peanut butter over the gum and rub it in.  Let it sit for a minute or two then work the gum and peanut butter mass loose with your fingers.  

I have used this trick on several occasions and it works perfectly.  The only trouble is getting rid of the grease stain that can be left from the peanut butter.  I have found that on carpet, clothing and other items that Dawn dish soap is a great agent for getting rid of the leftover peanut butter residue. 


I saved my favorite blouse this way and I have saved several children and parents from the frustrating thoughts of having to cut the gum from hair.  I hope that this helps.

 

Disclaimer:  Please use this at your own risk. The peanut butter could stain some items.  I would not use it on a dry clean only items.  

Winning the grocery store game part 3

In case you missed them........

PART 1

PART 2


In part 1 I covered how to navigate the store to avoid getting caught by impulse buys, Part 2 covered how to navigate the ads to find the best deals. Part 3 is all about finding the markdowns and unadvertised/less advertised deals. In other words, know where your store hides the best deals.

1. Know your store. Some very important information to know is......

a. Where are the discount bins found?
b. When does your store mark down things like produce, dairy, and meat items?
c. How do they label the marked down items?



Nearly every store has a place that they put discounted items (scratch and dented, or close to expiring foods). Oftentimes it is found in a corner. Sometimes it is a shopping cart that they have placed with a sign. Being aware of, looking for, and finding these items can lead to huge savings.  I save quite a bit by buying foods that are near their expiration dates and freezing or otherwise storing them. Check out my thoughts on nearly expired foods. Just be aware and buy only those things that you will use.

Knowing when they mark down food can lead to the best choices.  I know that one of my favorite stores makes mark downs in the afternoon, so if I go to that store in the late afternoon I get the best choice. By evening, everything is pretty well picked over and the best of the bargains are gone.

Knowing how to spot the markdowns is useful information.  My favorite store uses a yellow tag on the shelf to show a markdown. I keep my eyes open for them. These can be great deals, but the killer deals (in this particular store) comes when the food has been marked down already and they want it gone. When this happens, they will add an additional savings with a bright yellow store coupon which I also love.  My heart jumps for joy when I find a yellow price tag on the shelf and a yellow coupon sticker too (Double whammy).

I have had several friends ask if I could come shopping with them because I have a habit of being able to sniff out those great deals from across the store. It takes a little practice, but well worth the efforts.  



2. Does your store have a rewards program/ shoppers card?  

Using your shopping card is a great way to save at the grocery store. I frequent Smiths food and Drug. They have the shoppers card/rewards program. I can save on groceries with the card, but more than that, I save up points to use to save on fuel. Another bonus is they send coupons tailored to me and my shopping habits. The send me paper coupons was well offering e-coupons which are loaded right to my card. It is nice because the coupons savings comes off automatically.
 

3. Sign up for e-mail or text alerts/ become a Facebook or Twitter fan.

This can be a great way to find extra savings, sometimes stores will send out an e-alert about  a special one time buy.  Remember to use the skills learned in the other lessons and not get caught up in impulse buying just because you got a special invite by text or e-mail.  With the information age there are many more ways to find a bargain. There are websites and apps that can alert you to special clearance items that may be lurking in your store, just beware that in the large chain stores, clearance items can vary from store to store, so just because someone in a neighboring city found a great deal, does not mean that you will have the same luck in your store. Keep your eyes and ears out and deals will begin to find you. 

I hope that you have found some useful information in this series, and that it has blessed your life. Come back soon for more frugal adventures here at life less hurried.

winning the grocery store game part 2

Feeding a family on a budget is not an easy task. In part 1 avoiding the impulse buy we covered the added expense that can happen when you get caught up in impulse shopping. Part 2 is all about shopping the sales and planning menus around sale items.



What's for dinner? The answer usually lies in what's on sale this week.

Combine the sale items with a well stocked pantry and you have the ability to feed a family well on a small amount of money.

It is hard for me to create a meal using ingredients bought at full price. The bargain hunter inside of me comes out screaming and kicking.  A big portion of feeding my family on a budget is not paying full price. These are some of the tricks I use to keep the family happily fed.     


1. Know the sale cycles and buy multiple items to last until the next sale. It is typically 2 months between good stock up sales for most items. For example, my local store gets pasta on sale with those deals that go something like this... Buy 6 save $3 with your card.  It can lead to substantial savings. This last sale the pasta ended up being 49 cents a piece. I bought 24 of them. It cost me $11.76. The everyday price for this particular pasta was $1.39, I saved 90 cents a package which made a total of $21.60 saved. With pasta on hand I can make casseroles, pasta dishes, soups, salads etc.  I also use pasta from the pantry to make our Homemade mac and cheese for a quick lunch.

If you notice, the pasta is rarely on sale at the same time as the pasta sauce. They do this on purpose. Most of the time you will pick up the pasta on sale and then buy the sauce at full price to go with it. You can outsmart them. Buy the pasta when it is on sale, and few weeks later when the sauce is on sale stock up on it. I have learned to pick up each of the individual pieces for a meal when they are on sale. Very rarely (if ever) do I pick up all the things for a complete meal in one shopping trip. This little trick alone saves me tons of money.

It takes some time to build up a pantry, but the results are worth it. You can begin by setting aside a small portion of the grocery budget every week to add to your "Stockpile fund" When the deals come along you will have some money set aside to take advantage of them.

2. Get to know your grocery ads.  Grocery stores often plaster a good deal on the front page of the ad trying to get you into the store, once they lure you in, they snag you with an impulse buy which we have already covered in part 1. So, now you know how to avoid being caught by their snares, be sure to check out those front page deals and use them to your advantage.

Let me tell you a little secret.... I have come to find out that the best deals are not always so easy to see. I have been surprised as I have looked at the ads and found gems hidden in small print in the middle pages of the grocery ads. Be sure to check out the entire ad not just those deals that are being "sold" to you on the front page in large print.  I used to just glance over the ads and often would miss those hidden gems. It is worth my time to check out the entire ad. Once I have seen the ad and gone over it, I make a list highlighting the deals. Once I have compiled a list of the good deals, I put a star by those things that I may want to stock up on if the budget allows.


3. Combining sales with coupons can lead to great savings. This is the only way to coupon. This is the way the great couponers have made their mark. Couponing can turn everyday sales into super sales.  I always check the ads, then I check to see if coupons are available for the items on my list. With coupons that you can print at home, and companies that allow you to load coupons right to your shoppers card, there is no reason to not take advantage of coupon savings. There are also coupon apps that you can use on your smart phones. You do not need to be a total coupon freak, but having a few couponing skills can really pay off for you.

A full cup is a great online resource for knowing if there is a coupon available for products that you want to buy.  You can use their advanced coupon search to see if there is a coupon available.  I also use grocery smarts as a couponing source. Many of my local stores are listed and they make it easy to find the coupons that go with the ads. Knowing what is on sale and what coupons are available to match can really save you money. The time spent is well worth it.


So, spend a little time, get out and learn some new skills. Make the advertised sales work to your advantage. With a little time and effort you will be putting money back in your pockets. 

What are your best tips for stockpiling and finding sale items?
Leave a comment below so we can all learn.   

The art and skill of repurposing items

The skills of repurposing or reusing items is becoming extinct in some parts of the country. We live in a "disposable society" Being frugal is not a part of life as it once was. Grandma was good at using what she had and making it work for her it was part of life. We can follow in Grandma's footsteps by repurposing or reusing items around the house.

Repurposing items can be good family fun. One of our more recent large adventures was turning the no longer needed dog house into a chicken coop. It was a fun family adventure for us. It was a good challenge for the kids. A broken deck will soon be a tree house, and old chimney bricks will someday be a brick oven. These are just some of the big projects we are working on as a family, but there are plenty of little things that you can do in an afternoon.   


 Here is a link to Great repurposing blog post. There are some really great ideas in that post. I hope that it will get your juices flowing and help you to make your home a better place.  

Now it is your turn; leave a comment below telling us about your adventures with repurposing an item or what plans you have for your family.


  

Using up leftovers

leftover rice becomes rice pudding

My husband loves homemade pudding. Whenever we cook rice he wants to be sure that we have leftovers so that we can make rice pudding.  He  makes sure to remind me that we need to cook enough to make pudding. He has been known to request rice for dinner just so we can have rice pudding afterwards. This is the recipe that we have developed over the years.

photo from Bing images

Leftover rice pudding

In a medium sized saucepan mix together

1 can (12 ounce) evaporated milk
1/2 to 1 cup leftover cooked  rice
1/2 cup water
Cook this mixture over medium heat until the rice plumps up and gets softened, and creamy (about 10-15 minutes).


1 1/2 cups milk (2% is what we usually have)
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 whole eggs
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs into the milk, whisking well.
Pour this milk mix into the hot rice mixture. Bring the entire thing to a boil.

Finish the pudding with;
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Cinnamon to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon or so)
raisins or dried fruit if you like


It can be served warm or cold.  Although, hot from the pan (with a steaming mouth) is my husband's favorite way to eat it.










This post shared as part of real food Wednesdays

 

DIY newspaper logs

As a couponer I get several copies of the Sunday newspaper. I decided to start rolling newspaper logs as a way to recycle those papers.

 There are several methods to making newspaper logs. Many of these methods involve wetting the newspapers and rolling them on a broom handle etc. This was not for me. It sounded  hard, and too messy. I found another method that works well. I can fold them in the evening after the children go to bed.


1. Start with one section of the newspaper,  lay it on a flat surface.

2. Fold it in half lengthwise now you have a long slender rectangle measuring approx 21" x 6"

3. Fold it in half width wise now you should have a section of paper measuring approx 6" x  10.5"


4. Make five or six  of these

5. Stack them up one on top of another turning every other layer over. (alternating cut edges and folded edges). This makes for easier rolling and lighting later on.

6. Roll this stack of folded newspapers into a  tight log  about 2-3 inches thick

7. Tie the log on each end, you can use strips of cotton t-shirt, string, or a thin wire

8. Store in a dry place until ready to burn.

As an added note, use only the regular newsprint pages. Do not use the glossy ads.  Do not use plastic, nylon, rayon. or other synthetics for tying the logs.

A regular daily edition of the newspaper will make 1-2 logs.  Sunday/ Special editions will make 2-4
Four newspaper logs will last about 1 hour for heating. They produce about the same heat equivalent of a similar sized stick of wood.


This is a great project for children.  You could make a bunch of logs and donate to those who may be in need.

Make your own mustard

Making your own mustard is very easy. I made some as Christmas gifts. My sister in law loved it. She hails from Russia and has been very disappointed with American mustard which "lack mustard flavor". My mustard packed a punch, but was very tasty.  Those who ate it really enjoyed it.

To make mustard you need only a few ingredients

1/2 cup mustard powder
6 Tablespoons mustard seeds ( the darker seeds tend to have more kick)
3 tablespoons of vinegar (experiment with different flavors here) I used balsamic and cider vinegar in mine
1/2 cup warm water
1-2 teaspoons salt
any additional spices you want (garlic, onion, tarragon, sugar, just to name a few)
Turmeric  may be added for a more pleasing color.


                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                         © Oleg_ | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

1. cover the mustard seeds with water and soak them until they can be easily crushed (1-2 hours)

2. process the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or a food processor until desired grind is achieved  I processed mine fairly fine. I did leave some texture to the seeds I like it a bit grainy, yet I do not like whole seeds.

3. Place in a clean container and refrigerate for about 2 weeks

4. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary

5. Enjoy on your favorite sandwich or other food.


There are three great advantages to making your own mustard.
1. It is economical. It costs just a few pennies to make.
2. You can control what goes into it. Commercially prepared mustard can have too many added things in it. (preservatives, and natural flavors etc).
3. It can be very yummy for your taste buds.

Go ahead try it, you will never go back to plain old mustard again.


For some interesting reading about natural flavors, I have included some links below

the truth about natural flavors
natural flavors/ not so natural



shared at beyond the peel keep it real thursdays

Bulgar a how to guide

Bulgar what is it?  For many areas of the world bulgar is a staple of life. Bulgar is nothing more than wheat berries that have been cleaned, par-cooked, dried/toasted, and cracked into smaller pieces. For many it is confused with cracked  wheat which is just what it's name implies; wheat that has been cracked open. The two; although looking alike, cannot be interchanged. (Cracked wheat takes an awful lot of cooking to become edible.)

"Bulgur has been called by many names. The Roman word for it was cerealis; Israelites called it dagan. Other Middle Easterners called it arisah, which is how it was referred to in the Bible. Biblical scholars translate arisah as "the first of the coarse meal" and, according to Biblical archeologists, was a porridge or gruel prepared from parboiled and sun-dried wheat. The word bulgur itself has various iterations: burghul, burghoul, balgour and boulgur, to name just a few."  (taken from sunnylandmills.com)

© Shahinkia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

What do you do with Bulgar?
Salads, soups, pilafs, stuffing, breakfast cereal, and as a meat extender are some of the most popular ways to use bulgar.

There are 4 basic ways to prepare bulgar

1. Non pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
2 1/2 cups liquid
cook in a covered saucepan over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed about 20-30 minutes
remove from the heat and let stand covered for an additional 10 minutes the grains will dry out and will easily fluff with a fork

2. Hot pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
3-4 cups boiling liquid
let stand 40 minutes or longer
drain through a cheesecloth and squeeze out the extra liquid

3. cold pre-soak method
1 cup bulgar
3-4 cups water
let stand for 2 - 21/2 hours
drain through a cheesecloth and squeeze out the extra liquid.

4. Boiled method 
1 cup bulgar
3 to 4 quarts water
bring to a boil reduce heat and boil 20 minutes
 drain the bulgar in a strainer and press the grains dry with the back of a spoon before serving


Once the bulgar is soaked or prepared, you can use it in a variety of dishes one of the best known is tabbouleh salad. In the United States it is most often used as a meat extender or made into a pilaf. Below are some links to bulgar recipes. 


eating well.com 
New York Times bulgar recipes


We did an experiment where we made our own bulgar. It was quite easy and the children loved helping to grind the toasted grain. 

To make your own Bulgar

1. place whole wheat kernels in a pan
2. add cool water to cover by about 2 inches
3. bring to a boil
4. turn of the heat and let the wheat sit for about 2 hours
5. drain off the excess water
6. spread the wheat in a thin layer on a baking sheet
7. dry in a 200 degree oven for 6-8 hours until dry and crisp
8. crack the dried wheat to desired size using a hand grinder, blender, or morter and pestle.

The kids really had a great time making the bulgar, and I got to use my new mortar and pestle that I got for Christmas. It was a fun experiment for all of us. Getting the children involved in the preparation of food is a great way to help them experience new foods.  I hope that you and your family will enjoy a new recipe made with bulgar.









© Winterling | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos




shared at keep it real thursdays

handmade salami

 Ground beef and a few spices turn into a wonderful treat for the holidays. It is so easy.....

To make your own salami

5 pounds ground beef (the fattier the better)
4 teaspoons Morton's tender quick curing salt (I easily found this at my local grocery store)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Mix spices and beef together let stand in the refrigerator for several hours
Roll the beef mix into 2 inch wide logs.
bake in a very slow oven 175 degrees  for 8 hours.
Store tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to a month.

play dough

                                   

I grew up with homemade playdough/Salt dough.  I have found a new recipe made with kool-aide powder. It is smoother than my mom's recipe and smells good too. I like it so much better. It does not crumble or leave residue on your hands.  It is really simple to make.




Kool aide play dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 envelope kool-aide unsweetened drink mix

mix dry ingredients in a medium sauce pan.
Stir in oil and water
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

cook on a medium high heat for a few minutes until the dough forms a ball. 



here is the dough as it formed in the pan
 it comes together quickly


remove to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and cool enough for the kids to handle. 

store in a zip top bag or a container with a tight fitting lid.

leftovers with purpose

A few months ago I wrote a post about making three meals out of a couple of steaks. The link is below
making three meals from a couple of steaks here are some more thoughts for repurposing leftovers

© Bberry | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

I love to cook meat and then extend it into several meals. A budget freindly cut of beef is the london broil. It is good eats and usually large enough to make several meals.

Recently we cooked a London broil and then made two other meals out of that meat

Meal 1 We made a large london broil. It turned out fabulous. We ate our fill for dinner along with some side salads.

Meal 2  We used the sliced beef to make a wonderful sandwich. We sliced a loaf of french bread in half and filled it with the meat, and piled on the toppings (avacado. peppers, onion, lettuce, tomato, olives)

Meal 3 Fajitas. Grilled meat with spicy peppers and onions wrapped up in a warm tortilla, what could be better than that.


If you have never had london broil or flank steak you are missing out on a great opportunity. These two cuts of meat give you alot of bang for your buck. 

When cooking a london broil or flank steak there are three basic rules to remember

1. marinade
2. cook to a medium rare
3. slice thin against the grain

I wrote an earlier post about marinades I have included the link below

marinade 101


beef marinade

4 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 of a medium onion grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
juice of half a  lemon
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
11/2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
mix all together and pour over 11/2-2 pounds of beef

I marinated this last london broil for about 3 hours, I then cooked it on the grill. You could also broil it. (hence the name london broil)

A good rule of thumb for cooking flank steak and london broil is to cook it about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. Typically they will cut london broil about 2 inches thick. (cook for  about 20 minutes) Flank steaks are usually a bit thinner 1 1/2 inches thick (cook for about 15 minutes)  Once cooked let sit for several minutes for the juice to settle back into the meat.

Slice thin against the grain. What does that mean you may ask?  The link below explains it in great detail with pictures.
seroius food how to slice meat against the grain

In simple terms. Meat is a muscle of the animal. It can be hard work for our teeth to tear through that muscle. The goal of slicing against (or across) the grain is to cut the muscle into short strands that are easier for us to chew. Look at the meat and you can see the muscle fibers. This is expecially easy to see in a flank steak or in the picture above (it was cut the wrong way just so you know). If you slice this steak in the same direction as those lines, you'll have to chew through the fibers; whereas if you cut through them, the knife will have already done that work. Think of it similarly to slicing a stalk of celery. The strings are less likely to get caught in your teeth if you cut those strings into smaller lengths. You want to cut the meat fibers (strings) into short edible peices. if you cut alongside the fibers, you end up eating something more like a rubberband instead of nice tender meat. 

We love london broil and flank steaks. We love the versitility they provide for us. I love getting the most out of my food budget. 

our continuing adventures with the natural yeast

                                                                      © Jura13 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

We are continuing on our adventures with healthier eating. It is a challenge as the kids are back to school to pack a healthier lunch for them. Sandwiches are a favorite because they are easy and portable. Having a good bread is a real blessing to us.

The natural yeast is starting to work well for us. We are making bread every couple of days. The loaves are turning out alot lighter and tasty. We are getting the hang of waffles and pancakes too. On Sunday we had blueberry pancakes made from the yeast with strawberries and whip cream. It was such a delightful meal.

If you missed the earlier posts about  baking  with the natural yeast the links are below

our first adventures with natural yeast

best ever waffles made with natural yeast

I did not know how much of a difference it was making until my husband went to the store to buy a sandwich. He looked about, and finally settled a roast beef sandwich on a whole grain bread. He said that the bread was just "nasty" he was not impressed. The flavors of the natural yeast are so much better than the commercial stuff.

I recently read an article about the amount of salt in comercially prepared bread. It is a bit shocking, but not totally surprising to me. I have found that when food is devoid of nutrient rich flavor, salt and sugar added to make it taste better. Bread made with white flour "needs" more salt  than wheat bread to boost the flavor. I have found that I need less salt and sugar when baking with the natural yeast.

I have included a link to that article below

Dr Axe bread is worse than you think

I have recently been reading about whole grains and preparing them. I have been learning the art of cooking and soaking grains. That is part of the reason that the natural yeast is so good for us. It breaks down the grains to be more usable by our bodies. There are several articles and blogs out there that explain the art of soaking grains so much better than I can .The links are below

soaking grains and flours for optimum nutrition

nourishing gourmet soaked grains

nourishing gourmet soaked grains part 2

I hope that you will find this information useful as I have.

Freezing limes and ginger root

Who knew? you can freeze citrus fruits! I did not know this until I bought a bunch of limes. I got such a great deal, I got a little carried away. We used a bunch but there are still some left.

There are two different methods for freezing citrus fruits. Freeze them whole, or freeze the juice and rind.

The rind can be taken from the fruit and frozen in an a freezer bag.
The juice can be squeezed and poured into ice cube trays, frozen, then placed in freezer bags. It is recommended to measure the juice into 1 Tablespoon cubes for ease of use later on.

I chose to freeze the limes whole. Just pop them into a  ziptop style freezer bag and into the freezer they go. When you are ready to use them thaw a bit under running water, or thaw in the microwave for a few seconds on high.

As a side note:  The freezer changes the texture of the fruit, once frozen, it is only good for juicing or grating the rind. You can freeze lemons, limes, and oranges; then you will  have the juice or rind for your favorite dishes.

Ginger root, It is fabulous. Great in the winter for making tea when you are sick. When you are cooking asian dishes, it tastes so much better than the dried stuff. There is no comparison. I keep ginger in the freezer for just such uses.

Peel the root, the place in a resealable freezer bag. Keep in the freezer for up to a year.
When I need some grated ginger root, I pull it out of the freezer and grate off what I need. I make sure to put it right back in the freezer. Now you will always have "fresh" ginger when needed.





this post shared with penny pinching party

This is the best slip and slide ever!!

We have fun at our house!  Alot of it is created on the spot. A few weeks ago when we saw the neighbor boys setting up a slip n slide, my son asked if we could set up our own. We went to the garage and found a peice of plastic sheeting. We layed it out on the grass putting it over the best slope we could find. Turn on the garden hose, and there you have it; "the best slip and slide ever".  

I grew up with "the waterslide" We had freinds with a great big grassy hill in the backyard. They bought a super jumbo roll of plastic sheeting about 5 feet wide and 20 feet long, and put it on the hill. Every summer we spent many a hour climbing and sliding down the hill. It was fun. It was a race to see who could make it to the end of the plastic. The plastic would bunch and puddle. Sliding through the puddles was a real joy. This was real summer fun.

We moved away when I was a young teen. Once in our new town I had a freind invite me over to slip n slide. "What's slip and slide?" I ask. "Oh it is  this water thing. You put it on your lawn, and slide on it." You can imagine my shock when she pulled out this tiny peice of plastic from a box. It was red and about a foot and a half wide and five feet long. It looked so small compared to what I grew up with, maybe it is because I am a teenager now, and I am so big now. She slid so easily across it, all smiles. I followed suit, getting a good running start, I promplty slid across it, off the end, and into the grass. I stopped about six feet later, complete with grassburn across my entire body.  It was not nearly wide enough, or long enough for a teenager. I did learn that a running start is not needed when riding a short "from the box" slip and slide. When you make your own (depending on the size) a running start can be helpful.

Back to the start. We set up our slide; and soon, those same neighbor boys were down to our house to see what was going on. They abandoned their slip n slide to come to our house with the "best slip and slide ever"


To make your own slip and slide/waterslide you will need :

1 hot summer day

A large roll of plastic sheeting. You will need something thick at least 3 mil. thick.
Ours was  3 mils thick and about 3 foot by 12 foot.  Whatever is affordable in your price range will do.

1 plot of grass.

A Garden hose

1 sprayer or sprinkler for the end of the hose (oprional)

A bunch of people to slide.



Add some nice summer drinks or popsicles and you have yourself a real summer  party on the spot.

Time to stock up on art supplies

It is that time of year again! School is right around the corner

                         TIME TO STOCK UP ON ART SUPPLIES FOR THE KIDS!


I always buy a ton of art supplies this time of year. It makes it nice in the winter when the kids need something to do. I go to the "magic" closet and there is stuff for making crafts on hand. We go through alot of crayons and glue at our house.This time of year they are practically giving some of it away; Pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, glue, notebooks, tape, scissors, etc.

It is worth my efforts to stock up now. It saves me a ton of money in the long run. When my husband needs a notebook, I have one on hand. I also keep some extra for birthday gifts. A notebook, along with stickers, pencils, erasers, etc. can be a nice enough gift for a younger child. (they do not have to know that it cost you pennies).

FILLING UP THE MAGIC CLOSET

All this stuff goes into the magic closet. It is the place where I keep all those things that I have bought for pennies on the dollar. My husband was commenting on my stash of stuff in the closet. "What is all this?" he says. "Valentines for the kids" I reply. I bought them at 90% off. It cost me pennies and I am prepared for February 14th. I bought some Easter novelties for pennies on the dollar, they too go into the magic closet.

I love Christmas candy clearance. I usually buy hershey kisses.They come wrapped in red, silver, and green. It only takes a moment to sort out the red and silver for Valentines, and the green for Saint Patricks day. There are other red and white items that can be used for Valentines day. The trick is making sure that they do not have a winter/Christmas theme printed on them. I bought some red napkins a few years ago. They came in handy for wrapping Valentine treats.

Our Anniversary is in March I usally buy left over Valentine's day stuff for that. I have gotten some really cute items for my sweetheart and it only costs a fraction of the regular price. Just beware of "Happy Valentines" written all over it.

 A few words of advice: Candy can go stale over the course of a year. Do not  plan  on buying Christmas candy to give as gifts next Christmas. No no one likes a gift of stale candy. Only buy what you will truly use. Beware of the trap of buying because it is dirt cheap. I wrote a post about frugal ways being a blessing or a curse. If you missed it you can read it HERE.  You can save alot of time and money if you pay attention. Using the buy ahead priciple has really blessed my life.



Has your life been blessed by being prepared and buying ahead? if so, leave a comment and let us know about it.

Marinade 101

With the summer BBQ season in full swing, I thought I would share some Marinating wisdom.


A Marinade is a seasoned liquid in which meat, fish, veg, etc. are steeped before cooking.

A marinade consists of several key elements

1. something salty
2. something sweet
3. something acidic
4. Flavorings (herbs and spices).

Marinades can be very simple, or a marriage of complex flavors.

Why marinate?

To tenderize, moisturize, and flavor the food.

Each of the elements of a marinade help in this process. The acid breaks down the proteins in the meat and makes it tender. Salt helps to flavor the meat, and aids in the distribution of water throughout the meat so it does not dry out as easily during the cooking process. This is expecially true with lean cuts of meat such as boneless skinless chicken or fish. A balance between salty and sweet helps in the overall flavor profile. We crave that sweet salty balance. The sugar also aids in the browning process adding much flavor.There are many flavorings herbs etc that add to the overall aroma and flavor of the food. All these things combine together to create a great food experience.


How long does it take to marinate?


The larger and tougher the cut of meat the longer it takes. We want the acid in the marinade to penetrate the meat and break down the proteins. We also want to get the flavor into the meat and not just on the surface.

here are some suggested marinating times.

chicken bone in 1-2 hours
chicken boneless 20-50 minutes
Beef roast 2-3 hours
flank steak or london broil 1-2 hours
skirt steaks 30-50 minutes
pork chops or pork loin 30-60 minutes
pork butt or pork shoulder roast 2-3 hours
lamb chops 30-40 minutes
fish 10-20 minutes
shrimp shelled 10-20 minutes
shrimp with shell on 30-45 minutes
Vegetables 30 minutes


Marinate in the fridge in a non metalic container

this is my favorite marinade container  it is about  2 inches deep with a lid.

Marinate items in the fridge, stiring or turning several times through the marinade process. This ensures that all the food gets covered in goodness. Large Ziptop bags can make for mess free marinating.


 Why make your own marinade?

First of all, most marinades are super easy. Second, you know what went into it. Store bought marinades can have a bunch of ingredients that you may not want. Third, the cost is so much less when you make your own.





Here are a few of my favorite quick and easy marinades.


quick and easy marinade for turkey or chicken

12-16 ounces of a lemon lime soda
1 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
mix ingredients together and pour over 2-3 pounds of  bonless skinless chicken or turkey. let sit refrigerated for about 45 minutes then cook on a hot grill.



beef marinade

4 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 of a medium onion grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
juice of half a  lemon
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
11/2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
mix all together and pour over 11/2-2 pounds of beef

I use this often for a london broil or a flank steak marinating for about 2 hours before grilling


I just recently found a marinade for salmon that used the fresh mint in my garden It was yummy so I thought I would share it here

Minted Salmon

1 bunch fresh mint stems removed
1 bunch fresh parsley stems removed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

blend together in the food processor or blender
pour over 6 salmon portions 6 oz each.  marinate for about 10 minutes