Did anyone else do this back in the day?

My daughter uses that expression: "back in the day." Not sure what day she's talking about, but in this case I'm talking around the 1960s.

I don't know why this memory popped into my head this morning. When I was in grammar school, I can remember that we often made corsages for our friends' birthdays. My sister, who is 4 years older than me, probably did it in high school, too, but by the time I got there it was the 1970s and nice little things like that just weren't 'in.'

We would take one of those cheap bows you stick on top of packages and add either a piece of gum (always Bazooka!) or a mini Tootsie roll to each loop until we had the number of years old the friend was. Sometimes, you had to add streamers for more ribbons. I think we sometimes did this with pennies. Hey, back then 8 cents actually bought something.

Did anyone else do that? Or do they still give out handmade candy corsages?

:)

Frugal Friday: CC warning

There are lots of great tips for living frugally over at "Life as Mom," so go check them out here:

http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/07/frugal-friday-save-money-on-birthdays.html

Here is my tip. If you are lucky enough to be able to pay off a credit card, there is something you need to keep in mind. Just because the card is 'closed' doesn't mean there won't be some charge on it!

I have recently been able, thanks to the best husband on earth, to pay off most of my big, fat debt. As I pay off a card, I also close it. But I double-checked the next month to make sure the balance was at $0. Well! To my surprise I found out this isn't always true. Yes, there will be no more charges from outside sources. But what about the CC's own finance charges?

You could pay off the current balance on a card, without knowing that your finance charges weren't scheduled to show up for a day or so. Those charges go on your card. And there you are, happily thinking of $0 balances, while those sneaky charges lay in the dark, waiting to make your life miserable!

So...take a second look at any CCs you close and make sure they really are finished and done!

BTW, IMHO...credit card companies are legalized loan-sharking establishments. Thank goodness there will be regulations to stop this nonsense in the next few years!

He did it!

My fourth and youngest, Nicholas (Nicky to us, Nick to his friends) graduated high school today. It was a nice ceremony that ran just under two hours. There was a dark cloud in the nearby sky, but it moved away from us. Pleasant breezes took care of the heat that usually plagues these outdoor ceremonies. (And to think, I had four personal fans in my pocketbook!)

Nick will be attending a local community college. He recently took a two-day program meant to assess his strengths. We haven't gotten the results back, but he's best at math and science. (He's great at history, too, if the topic interests him.) The program will help him pick his major.

With the economy as it is, many more kids than before are attending community colleges. This means a longer waiting list. We got our notice that Nicky's application is being processed. I'm pretty sure he's in. He has the grades and I think community colleges have to accept local residents as long as they qualify. It isn't like Harvard. Thank goodness...it isn't like the tuition there, either.

So the future begins. I only have two of four kids living home now. It is weird to come home and know the house will be empty for a few hours.

My frugal, florist daughter

Katherine and I had a nice lunch at an all-you-can-eat Sushi buffet today, followed up by a visit to Michael's Crafts store. I didn't buy much--just some glue and yarn. But it's fun to look at things. Katherine picks up a small package and says, "I'd sure like to meet the idiot who'd buy this!"
It was a packet of broken up dried leaves, named "leaf confetti", which I suppose is used in card-making or scrapbooking. The price was $3.99! And I'm talking a packet that would fit in the palm of your hand. Why would she call the buyer of such an item an idiot?
Because this is the kind of thing she sweeps off the floor of the floral department at her store, LOL!
Honestly, the things people will pay for, right?

We should all get along like this!

I was lucky enough to have my camera ready when I discovered my cat, Melody, taking a snooze with my ferret, Austin! Melody was even grooming him. How sweet is that?

Grrrrocery Pet Peeves

There are two things I find really annoying at the supermarket:

1)People who park their cart dead-center in the middle of an aisle so you can't get around them.

2)People who come up behind you on the self-checkout line and start their order before you're finished bagging your own. Thank you, but I'd rather not have my bread smashed by your 12-pack of Snapple!

Yep, someone needs to make an official 'Grocery Etiquette' guide!

Make a Freezer Map

We have one of those freezers that opens from the top. It's one of the best household investments we ever made, but if you have one, you know what a pain they are when you want to find something.

Mike and I are making a great effort to be debt-free by the end of the year, and one of the ways I'm helping is by upping my frugal efforts at food shopping. What better way than to use as much as I have on hand as possible?

So I decided to do an inventory of the freezer downstairs. Then it hit me: when you want to find something, what's better than a map? (If they create GPS for freezers, please lmk!)

I took everything out, and as I put it back in an orderly way, I did several things:

1. I used a piece of paper (on a clipboard) and drew a front-view of the freezer. Then I blocked off where each item went, and wrote down how many I have.

2. I took out things I need for dinners this week, which mostly includes meat I've browned or marinated and leftovers.

3. I put all of my daughter's diet foods in one area so she can take them down to her new apartment. This will free up almost 2 square feet of space!

4. I moved all the meat from the upstairs fridge's freezer to the downstairs, making more room upstairs. I'll get to that upstairs freezer another time.

So, if you are going to do an inventory anyway, think about creating a map, too!

Salad Festival!

There's a summer salad festival going on over at "A Heart for Home." I don't know about you, but I can never get enough salad! Here's the link:
http://a-heart4home.blogspot.com/2009/04/calling-all-salads.html

Here is a salad my family really enjoys. Because it has a cabbage base, instead of lettuce, it 'keeps' longer. You really do want to go for the celery seed and the Longhorn Colby cheese for this, as they 'make' the recipe!

Delicious Vegetable Salad

A small head of cabbage (or half a big head) cut in chunks--don't shred it, this ain't cole slaw!
About a cup of Longhorn Colby Cheese, also cut in chunks
Cherry tomatoes
Broccoli, cut up
Carrots and celery, cut up
Anything else you like!!!!

Put these all in a big bowl.

The dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard...or squirt of the 'wet' kind
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
A dash of onion powder
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (I think olive oil would be too strong.)

Mix all the dressing ingredients, except for the oil, in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about a minute (depending on how strong your microwave is). Then stir until the sugar is dissolved and everything is nicely blended. Drizzle in the oil and stir--or do like I do, and just put it in a jar and shake like crazy.

Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss. You can eat it like this, or later. You don't have to eat it warm--the heat is just to melt the sugar, I think!

All I know is, this tastes just as good a day later, if it lasts that long!

Gotta love this site

I'm the type of person who will check out a blog if it has a catchy name. Who could resist a name like "Sugarpie Farmhouse." You can almost smell the shortenin' bread. Okay, I'm from New York. I have no idea what shortenin' bread is or what it smells like. But I bet it smells like grandma's kitchen, you know?

Sugarpie Farmhouse is a homey site dedicated to all things hospitable and domestic. The girl talk forums (for Sugar Pie Sistas!) is full of great advice and encouragement.

Go check it out:

http://sugarpiefarmhouse.com/

WFMW: Idea for 'gifts' box

Check out this week's "Works for Me Wednesday" over at "We Are That Family."
http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

Here's my donation. I actually posted this Monday, but don't tell anyone that, okay? Nobody stopped by so I'm editing it to fit in with WFMW.

Do you keep a gifts box? You know, nice things you find on sale and keep for future use as gifts? I have an idea for you.

Check out CVS or Walgreen's (or maybe even your local supermarket) and see if they have any of those pre-made Easter baskets left. Frankly, IMHO, at full price they are a ripoff. But I picked up the last basket at CVS today for only 79 cents! It was 90% off. Besides the cheesy little bags of candy (which I'll give to my boys), it has a nice jumprope and a ball-and-jacks set. I couldn't buy one of those toys for 79 cents.

So they go in my 'giftie box. My kids are way past the birthday party age, as you know. But I babysit sometimes, and have a three-year-old nephew. So I keep my eyes open for goodies to use as gifts that won't break the bank.

Oh, and speaking of saving money: if you have a Passover section at your grocery store, check it out. Now that the holiday is over, you can find some really good buys there!

Mouthwatering Mondays

I found a new (to me) 'carnival' over at "A Southern Fairytale" http://asouthernfairytale.com/ and thought I would participate, too. It's called "Mouthwatering Mondays." I'm all for new recipes!

Here's mine:

Broccoli Salad

4 Cups of cut-up broccoli
A few handfuls of red, seedless grapes--cut in half if big
1 Cup mayo
1/3 Cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chopped Nuts

You'll notice I didn't put measurements in for the bacon or nuts--just knock yourself out, LOL!

Combine the broccoli and grapes.
Mix up mayo, sguar and vinegar.
Toss together.
Add the other ingredients.
Enjoy!

BTW, you could leave out the grapes and broccoli and use a cole slaw mix with this, too!

I like it!

I give the Chop Wizard a 9 out of 10. Only a nine because it is a bit of a pain to clean, but it comes with this weird comby thing that helps a lot. Also helps to use the spray hose from the sink to rinse off the stuck pieces before putting it in the dishwasher. Other than that, it works just like it claims. I was a choppin' fool last night, since we had sausages and peppers for dinner. If you can find a deal on one, or just want to swing the full price, I'd say "go for it."

It pays to wait

My kids gave me a $100 gift card for my birthday, and I've probably stretched it at least 2x as far as the ordinary person. "Ordinary person" does not, of course, include my fellow frugal bloggers!

Okay, so I've had my eye on the Vidalia Chop Wizard for a while now, but even with the gift card I wasn't sure I wanted to pay $20. So I kept passing it by.
What do you know? Today I found it on the clearance rack at Walgreen's for only $12.99! Seven dollars saved just by putting it off.

Think about it. How often do you just 'need' something, but it's really a 'want'? If you are willing to wait a bit, most of the time those 'wants' go on sale for a much better price. At the very least, if you wait until they show up on an "As Seen on TV" shelf, you won't have to pay for shipping.

I've heard a vast range of reviews for this puppy, mostly very good, so I'll have to let you know how I like it.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: electric knife

Do you have an electric knife? If you do, chances are it sits in a drawer forgotten most of the year. Well, it can be useful for more than carving roasts or turkeys! Use it to prep raw meat, too.

Today, I got a *BOGO deal on top round. This is what we usually put in the pasta sauce my husband makes on Sundays. Life is a lot easier when the meat is already cut up and ready to go.

So, today I took out my electric carving knife and went to work on two nice steaks. I was able to trim them and cut them into bite-sized pieces in half the time it would take for a regular knife. The pieces went into labelled bags and are now in the freezer. Four Sunday's worth of beef for sauce in less than 20 minutes! (BTW, we also add sausage and sometimes meatballs or brasciole. My husband makes a gooooood sauce.)

Hey, speaking of BOGO: whenever you have a deal like that where the items have various prices, be sure to match up the prices as closely as possible for the maximum savings. Remember, they always discount the lowest price, so you want that low price to be as close to the high price as possible.

For more great tips, visit "Tammy's Recipes" for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays. The link is over there on my sidebar!

Easy Onion Rings

I rarely fry anything. It makes too much of a mess. But once in a while, I get in the mood!

I don't have a deep fryer. I use a regular 3-quart pot and fill it about halfway up, then I use a thermometer to make sure I'm at the deep-fry temperature. Having your oil at the correct temp and making sure you have enough in the pot is key to successful frying.

So here is the recipe:

Onion cut into rings (Sweet onions like vidalias or mayans are best)
Complete Pancake Mix
Seltzer
any spice you like--I use just a bit of onion powder.

Mix the onion powder (or whatever) in with the pancake mix. Add seltzer until you have a nice consistency--not too thin, not too thick. Just a little thinner than actual pancake batter.

Dip the onions, then fry them a few at a time. Never overload your oil! You want to keep it at a steady temp, and too many goodies will bring it down. That will result in mushy onion rings. They cook up fast enough, so don't worry if you only do 2 or 3 at a time.

Drain on paper towels and add salt, as you go along.

Keep an eye on the temp, and either let the oil sit a minute to gain or remove from the burner for a few moments to let it cool again.

When you are all done, enjoy! But put a few in the freezer for the future. I flash-froze about 8 of them and put them in a bag. Today, I took them out and reheated them at 350 degrees in the toaster oven. They were great!

BTW, seltzer makes them 'puff' a little, so they come out just like diner onion rings.

PS...I strain and decant my oil into a canning jar and use it again. Twice is about my limit, but I think you can use it a few times with success.

CVS Trick

I can't believe it took me two years to figure this one out. Unfortunately, it won't work for everyone. But if you have a 'spending account' card, it will work for you.

In case you don't know, a spending account card comes from your insurance company. At the beginning of the year, you put a certain amount in the card. It's your money. This is like a debit card, except that it has a specific purpose. In my case, to buy medical things or services. Everything medical that is not covered by my insurance can be paid for with this card. (You have to use it up within the year or you lose it. And it comes right off the top as a tax deduction.)

That includes most OTC meds, which is where the CVS trick comes in. The other day, I used the card to stock up on some cold medicine, bandages, etc. One product gave me $3.00 in ECBs. I was also picking up some fabric softener that was BOGO (yes, I use vinegar and baking soda, but sometimes I just want something that smells nice), which made it 2 for 3.99. So I used the $3.00 ECB and got the softener for about 50 cents a bottle!

I hope this helps a few people out there to save a little money!

Oh, boy, an award!

Look what I got from Debbie J! Debbie's blog is Homemakingdreams.blogspot.com--the link is on my sidebar.

Debbie makes awesome things, including an adorable clothespin bag for me that I love! Check it out on the old post: http://sortafrugal.blogspot.com/2008/06/gift-from-debbie-j.html

Thanks, Debbie. You are definitely one of my favorite people!

Frugal Friday: Time Saver and a Thank You

First I want to say 'thanks' to Crystal over at Biblicalwomanhood for hosting 'Frugal Fridays' these past few years. I've learned so much from my fellow bloggers, and it has been a treat to find great tips all in one place. Crystal's passing the baton over to a fellow blogger. Details and today's tips here:
http://biblicalwomanhoodblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/frugal-friday-passing-on-baton.html

I've posted before about measuring out dry ingredients for several recipes at once. We all know one of the biggest kitchen messes involves measuring flour! (Okay, maybe that's only true in my kitchen.) But I'm not sure if I posted this idea: measure out the same recipe twice!

Today I'm making Tollhouse Cookies. When I measured out the flour and other dry ingredients, I also measured the same into an empty coffee can. Then I put the sugars I need into a small bag, which fits right in the can on top of the flour. I labeled the can and put it in my pantry. Now, in the future, I've got half the work done when we're in the mood for cookies!

Saving time=being frugal!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thoughts on Commercials

It's been a long time since I commented on TV commercials that bug me, so here goes.

Other bloggers have mentioned the "High Fructose Corn Syrup" commercials. I still don't 'get' the whole anti-HFCS thing except that the darned stuff is everywhere. I actually saw the one where the couple is on a picnic quite a few times before reading another blogger's (sorry, can't remember who--maybe Kelly the Kitchen Kop) post mentioning the popsicle. Then it hit me: who the heck brings a popsicle on a picnic? And only one????

Commercial two, for KFC: they show that you can't make the same chicken at home. Okay, I'll buy that you don't know what's in the secret spice mixture. But they have the kids buying chicken (probably full price) and a whole bag of flour. Even if you didn't have the flour at home, you aren't using the whole thing in your recipe! Duh! So maybe I can't duplicate the exact meal, but I sure can come close for a lot less.

And finally, a commercial for Applebee's, I think. I hate Applebee's. Lousy service, lousy food. Anyhoo...the commercial says you can eat there for the price of a meal at home. Then they advertise a 2 for $20 special.

Uhhh...do you know what I could make for $20 if I was only feeding myself and my husband? Hey, throw in two of the kids and I could still do better. $10 a person would mean really good steak and all kinds of sides, possibly even shrimp. A real special-occasion dinner, not a weeknight meal.

Who do these people think they are kidding?

BTW, I do eat out. I like to eat out, although we haven't done 'fancy' in years. (Our favorite is a seafood restaurant that is part seafood store. Good prices, great food.) I used to like KFC but I think they've gone downhill.

It's just the commercials that take us for dummies that get to me.

Sunday Scrapbooking Freebies

I've found some nice freebies for scrapbookers, card-makers, etc. I hope you enjoy them!
http://jonigray.blogspot.com/

Joni Gray has the prettiest "Snow Drops" kit in soft greens and white. There are other beautiful freebies on her blog, too!

http://katlen124.blogspot.com/

Over at KatLen Kreations you'll find an adorable and cheerful "Happy Birthday" kit in bright primary colors. It's part of a bigger "Blog Train," which means you'll also find links to other blogs offering birthday kits! How awesome is that? And, oh, my gosh, you have to scroll down and check out the baby goats! Oh, the cuteness!!!!!

Over at "Digitreats" are some cool alphabets! I like these because they download as individual letters rather than one sheet from A-Z.

http://digitreats.typepad.com/creativeteam/

BTW, I have downloaded and extracted these items with no problem at all. If you want to know how to do that, let me know. It helps to have some kind of scrapbooking or art program in which to use them, too.