Super Simple Shepherd's Pie

Happen to have two cups of leftover mashed potatoes lying around?  Then it's time to make a shepherd's pie and this is an easy one.  Thrifty too.

Shepherd's Pie

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup brown gravy

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups mashed potatoes

1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large heavy skillet brown beef and drain any fat.  Add gravy and vegetables and simmer ten minutes.  Pour mixture into a deep dish pie pan.  Cover with mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes or microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes.

I like to warm the potatoes in the microwave and add a little milk to loosen them up a bit so they are easier to spread.  I also like to use a gravy packet mixed with a cup of cold water if I don't happen have any left over.

I bake mine in the microwave so it is easy for me to get this meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.  My kids love it too.

The Joy Of Music

Music is a HUGE part of our life.  We listen to it all the time.  We sing, dance, and love to have little trivia games where we quiz each other about songs on the radio and who sings them as well as tidbits of information about our favorite bands.  We enjoy almost all genres of music too.

When my children were in elementary school I gave them the choice to join choir, band or orchestra.  It was their choice, but they had to pick at least one.  I feel very strongly that adding music to one's education is much more valuable to them than just singing or playing an instrument.  They learn so much more.

My oldest daughter plays the clarinet, my old clarinet, and has since the 5th grade.  She is totally following in Mom's footsteps and I love to see the excitement and passion she has for playing.  She has participated in music clinics and honor band in addition to her regular band classes at school.

My youngest daughter plays the violin, much to my delight.  We've never had anyone in my family be in an orchestra so she loves the fact that she is the first.  She began in the 4th grade and seems to have a natural aptitude and talent for the instrument.  She has had some private lessons and is getting ready to try out for honor orchestra next month.

Last Friday evening we attended the all-city junior high honor concert that my oldest daughter was in.  It was comprised of students in band, choir and orchestra from all of the junior high schools in Boise.  The concert was fantastic.

Borah High School

Saturday evening we went to the annual marching band competition.  My oldest will be in high school next year so she got a good look at what the marching bands do and she is extremely excited about it.  I loved watching those students march and play their hearts out.  I really loved watching the excitement in my girls as they had such a great time cheering them on and choosing their favorites.  Those kids did a phenomenal job.  Such pride and talent.

Boise High School

Along with developing a talent and gaining an appreciation for music children are exposed to so much more.  They learn how to work in a group and develop team building skills.  They learn to set goals and reach higher to attain them.  They develop spirit and camaraderie.  Not to mention they'll make memories that will last a lifetime.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

I used a cup of leftover pumpkin puree to make 4 dozen mini muffins.  I served some for Sunday brunch and we ate the rest throughout the week for our breakfast and snacks.

I used our shreddables to start a fire in our firepot.  We collected sticks that had fallen in the yard after a big windstorm for kindling and some scrap wood.  We'll add the ashes to the compost bin later on.

I cut the top off a milk jug to make a new collection container for our compost bin.  I keep it under the sink and empty it into our bin when it gets full.  I added the old one to our recycle bin.

I had one and half pork chops leftover from Sunday dinner so I chopped it up to make fried rice.  There was also a small dish of peas & carrots which I added in too.  This allowed me to save the chicken breast I had originally planned to use in the rice for another meal.

Sunday Dinner

I veered from our menu plan one evening.  I had 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes from Sunday dinner and 1/2 a cup of gravy so I used up along with a few other things to make us a shepherd's pie.  By the end of the week we had used up all of our leftovers and had no food waste.

We continued to do our free online yoga classes.  We also watched a Duran Duran concert on YouTube for free and listened to music.  I started re-watching the series Covert Affairs.  Love that show.

I ordered my oldest a new winter coat from JC Penney online.  It was on sale and then I received an extra 20% OFF.  I had it sent to the store at the mall so the shipping would be free.  The original price on the coat was $125 and after the sale price and discounts it ended up being 59.99.  Not too shabby, I think.

I used the proceeds from egg sales to purchase two 50# bags of feed for them for the winter.  Good job ladies!

I collected peppers and tomatoes from the garden.  Can you believe that our garden is still producing?  We fed our kitchen scraps to the chickens.  I composted coffee grounds, tea bags, garlic skins, egg shells and potato peels.

I did not do any grocery shopping this week.

The chickens blessed us with 26 eggs!

How thrifty were you last week?

Thinking Smaller

I love doing things on a much smaller scale now.  As you know I own a lot less stuff after purging and selling nearly everything I own and starting over.  We lived in an RV for a year (our tiny home adventure) and we loved it.  I learned many lessons about what I personally need to survive, what I don’t and how little that truly is.

After we moved back into our house (990 sq. ft.) I bought smaller pieces of furniture.  Instead of a couch we have a loveseat.  A small recliner.  Smaller dining table and chairs.  We have less bedding and linens.  We own fewer clothes.

I have fewer pots and pans than I used to, fewer dishes and glassware too.  Our dishes and glasses are also smaller in size.  And I find I, personally, eat less using the smaller dishes.  It helps me greatly with portion control and thereby weight control.  The kids just fill their plates and glasses more often, which is fine for them.  They are healthy growing teenage girls.

When I cook I usually prepare smaller amounts still leaving us with adequate leftovers for an additional meal or two which helps us stretch our food supplies, controls food waste and saves me money in the long run.

Thinking smaller has meant I can operate more efficiently on a much smaller budget.  This has also freed up money for savings and debt reduction.  A surprising extra benefit is that my stress level has been dramatically reduced.  That has been really nice.

I love not having or needing as much stuff in my life and all that it entails.  It frees me up for tackling bigger things like getting ready for the college years looming just ahead and finishing my next novel.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I made these Sunday for brunch and they were delicious.  Not too sweet with just the right amount of spice.  Soft and fluffy too.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl mix dry ingredients together and set aside.  In a small bowl mix milk, egg, oil and vanilla.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients.  Add pumpkin and stir to combine.  Do not over mix.

Fill lightly oiled muffin tins about 2/3 full of batter.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350° oven.  Makes approximately 2 dozen muffins.

These were definitely a hit at our breakfast table.

You may also enjoy revisiting my Pumpkin Pancakes post.

Polish Your Shoes

Do you take time to polish your shoes?

My father taught me to polish my shoes when I was very young.  As a kid I wore corrective orthopedic shoes.  They were leather and very expensive so it was important that I take really good care of them.  They were also extremely UGLY.  I hated those shoes with a passion but that's a whole other story.

I find polishing my shoes kind of cathartic.  There is something said for taking good care of the things we own.  My shoes are no exception.  I try to invest in the highest quality shoes I can afford so I want to take care of them so I last.

Just as with those ugly orthopedic shoes I try to avoid mud and puddles.  If I do get them wet I get them dry as quickly as possible, wipe off any mud as soon as I can and keep them polished so they always look nice.  Polishing does other things as well.  It conditions the leather and helps it to last longer while putting on a nice protective barrier.  Plus I happen to love the smell of shoe polish.

I have always used KIWI shoe polish.  That's what my dad uses and so do I.  With a soft cloth I smooth on just enough to lightly coat the surface of the shoe.  Then I do the other one.  By the time I've finished the second shoe the first one it ready to be buffed.  With the soft cloth I buff the show and the matte finish becomes shiny, the leather is soft and renewed.  Then I buff the other one and my shoes look new again.

It takes very little time but the effort sure pays off in a big way.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

The girls and I started doing a free online yoga class Sunday.  We use the Roku on the TV to access it on Youtube and do it right in the living room.  I used to do yoga a lot but got away from it for awhile.  We are enjoying it but all I can say right now is "Owwww".  My poor body isn't used to this yet.

I met one of my dearest and closest friends for dinner Monday night at Sizzler.  They had their steak and salad bar for $9.99 which is what we usually pay for just the salad bar.  We sat and talked for 4 hours!  Went by in no time and we both decided we need to do this far more often than we actually do.  We had a blast.

While the oldest was at honor band practice the young one and I headed to the dollar store to see if they had some feathers she needed for a school project.  They didn’t, but what they did have was a ton of new items for holiday baking.  They even had molasses!  Needless to say I bought a few things.  We are pretty much set now for holiday baking supplies.

Canned pumpkin, molasses, ginger, graham cracker crusts and cherry pie filling.

We also went to Fred Meyer and Albertson's to pick up a few of their sales items and some fresh produce.  At Fred Meyer I found two tubs of icing on markdown for 79¢ each.  I used three of the coupons I was sent in the mail to save $2.45 on my produce purchase.  I took another survey to add bonus points for my rewards card for fuel.

I had another friend come over to share a bottle of wine I picked up at Albertson's for $3.50 on markdown and we decided it was pretty darn good.  I also prepared us a veggie tray and some cheese and crackers to munch on while we visited.  All of the items were in my refrigerator and pantry so it was nice and quick to put it all together.

I bartered a dozen eggs with one of my co-workers for some lemon cookies.  Yum!

Friday evening the girls and I went out to dinner for our Family Nite Out.  Afterward we stopped at Dillards at the mall to buy me a new bra using the $50 gift card I had ordered using my credit card rewards points.  Dillards typically doesn’t have sales on the bras I wear and I am pretty loyal to that specific brand because they are extremely comfortable and they fit me.  Plus they hold up really well.  They are als0 expensive so I usually only buy one a year.

Last year, however, I didn't buy one so I've been down to just two bras for awhile now and they are both shot.  So you can imagine how thrilled I was to go in there and see two racks of bras on clearance in my brand and my size.  I bought three!  I used my gift card and only had to pay an additional $23.00!  I am so excited!!!!

On the way home from Dillards we stopped at Michaels to pick up the craft supplies the young one needed for her school project.  I used a 50% OFF coupon and we only spent $5.

I picked tomatoes from the garden.  Our weather has been beautiful so we are still getting some.  I fed kitchen scraps to the chickens and composted eggs shells, coffee grounds, tea bags and banana peels.

We didn’t need to use either heat or A/C last week so that should save some on our electric.  It also rained mid week so we only watered the garden once and the lawn not at all.  The leaves on the trees are just beginning to turn color.

I made homemade salad dressing and started a new batch of beer brewing.  I also washed out a one gallon Ziploc bag to reuse.

Our chickens blessed us with 20 eggs.

How thrifty were you last week?