Black Bean Enchiladas

Many of you have asked for my black bean enchilada recipe and to be honest I don't really have one.  I just kind of throw crap together and it is, what it is.  So I'll tell you what I usually do.

This

and this

become this

In an oiled 9" X 13" baking pan I layer corn tortillas with two cups of cooked black beans and a can of diced tomatoes mixed in with some kind of veggies, usually frozen corn, chopped onions, carrots, zucchini and bell peppers, that I've sautéed in some olive oil.  You can use whatever veggies you like.

A layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan

a layer of tortillas

a layer of the bean and veggie mixture, then sprinkle with cheese

and repeat until you get to the top of the pan and top with more sauce

I top each layer with some shredded medium or sharp cheddar and canned red enchilada sauce.  Place a sheet of foil over the top and bake in a preheated 350°oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.  I like to let it sit about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.  It is wonderful with a little dollop of sour cream too.

and a final sprinkle of cheese
Cover with foil and it is ready for the overn!

Pretty simple and always delicious.  Healthy too!

Big Debt Goal Paid Off! - Mission Accomplished!!!

Whaaa hoooooo!!!  Friday morning I logged online, sent in my final payment and kissed that puppy good bye!  And boy, oh, boy does it ever feel good!  Yes, indeed.  Whaaa hoooooo!!!!

If you have followed my blog for any length of time you've known that I've had some struggles.  In 2o12 I lost my job.  It was an odd thing that happened that day.  My bosses decided to let me go as their devoted and hardworking office manager, because of pressure by their church to give one of their members a job.  Did it take me completely by surprise?  Well, not really.  We had already hired two people from their church, even though we didn't have any openings at the time, so I was aware of what was going on.  And since I was one of the few remaining employees who didn't belong to said church... well.  And since my departure all non church member employees have systematically been replaced.  But that is beside the point now, although that is was began this whole story.

I decided to open my own business and at first I was doing really quite well for a brand new business, until I got sick.  My energy and momentum was washed out to sea, replaced by fear and anxiety about my future.  I also realized, much to my surprise, I didn't do well working alone.  I craved co-workers and the social aspect of going to work each day.  I needed to get healthy and then I need to get another job working with people.

My doctor suggested, given my health issues and my emotional state at the time, that a change of venue would probably be a really good thing for me.  I needed a warmer climate and a new adventure to focus on.  The girls and I were super excited and we began to make our preparations and get ready to go.  We were moving to Arizona!

Like I said, if you have followed my blog for any length of time you know that we didn't quite make it to Arizona and you pretty much know how that all went down.  It wasn't pretty.  In fact, it was freaking ridiculous at everything that happened, but you make the best of your situation and you keep on trucking.  Even when what you really want to do is curl up into a ball and cry yourself to sleep...

Fast forward...

By the time we moved back into our home over Labor Day Weekend in 2014 I had acquired some pretty substantial debt.  I had debt from starting the business, medical bill debt, debt acquired from expenditures related to the failed move and having to tow my truck back to Boise and some additional debt from trying to keep our chins above water while I figured out what to do next and found a job.  Over $27,000!

It could have been a whole lot worse, but it wasn't.  I could have declared bankruptcy and, given the circumstances, I'm sure a judge would have granted me that.  But, I got myself into this situation and I was pretty confident I could get myself out.

So I got busy and set a goal.  I mapped out a plan (and Thursday I'm going to give you a summary of what I did).  Now, just one month shy of the three year mark, that debt is paid.  It's over, it's done and that chapter is officially closed.  And it feels really, really good.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

Sunday was a day of rest.  Other than watching a couple movies on Netflix, cooking a couple of meals and washing the dishes we did nothing but sit around our living room and just spend some well earned downtime together.  In our pajamas.  We read, I wrote.  It was wonderful.

Monday, I was back at it.  On the way home from work I stopped off to fill up the truck at Fred Meyer.  I used my rewards points to save a whopping 40¢ a gallon.  With a 10 gallon fill up I saved $4.00!  This is why I do what I do folks!

I stopped at the post office and dropped off some mail on my way to Albertsons to pick up a few groceries on sale and two 12ct packages of their double roll TP for $2.99 each.  I added that to my stash in the linen closet.  I used a customer appreciation coupon I downloaded to shave an additional $3 off my total.  Saving money on gas and groceries, not a bad way to end July and start August!

The rest of the week was pretty low key.  The girls did a lot of the cooking which was nice for me.  There were plenty of leftovers for our lunches too.

Thursday my darling oldest daughter got her braces off!  It was a big day for her.  She celebrated later that afternoon by taking a big ol' bite out of an apple, just like she said she would.

I worked enough overtime to cover my time away from work that morning with some to spare.  Always nice to have a little bit of extra on my paycheck.

Saturday morning I melted down some wax I had saved from a couple candles I'd burned up last winter.  I took a cute little jar I'd saved and washed up from another candle and made myself a new one.  I used an extra birthday candle I had for my wick.

After my candle making I went to Fred Meyer with my shopping list and a list of digital coupons I had loaded onto my rewards card.  I was able to get quite a few groceries for the week ahead and not spend a lot of money.  I bought produce on markdown too.

We stopped in at Home Depot to pick up another pressure treated post for our next fence repair.  It was plenty wet so it is going to cure over the next couple of weeks and then we'll use it to replace one of the broken ones.

My Friday Freebies

I'm sorry but even for free I seriously question the value in the Trios
About a tablespoon each of granola, dried apples & monterey jack cheese
Sorry Kraft, but this is ridiculous!  They can do so much better

I recycled a juice bottle by filling it with water, putting it in our chest freezer and turned it into an ice pack for our cooler.

We helped keep the hens cooler by making them gigantic ice cubes in cool whip containers to put in their water feeder.  We fed them our kitchen scraps throughout the week.  I sold a dozen eggs to a co-worker.

Went to put the shopping bags away

Oops!  There is something still in the bag to put away!

I composted eggs shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, onion skins and banana peels.

How was your thrifty week?

Back To School Shopping Is All Wrapped Up!

I keep my girls in clothes and shoes all year round.  This way I can take advantage of sales and clearance racks as I come across them as well as find nice items in thrift shops from time to time.  Using gift cards, store coupons and rebates along with sales and clearance prices helps me even more.  We are a single income family so every penny has to be wisely managed.

After going through clothes, shoes and school supplies we were able to determine the girls were pretty well set.  The only need items on the list were bras and college ruled spiral notebooks.  An extra school uniform for my youngest would be nice, but not the end of the world if we didn't get one.  I can totally work with that.

The oldest wanted to get her hair cut at a salon while the youngest wanted me to trim hers.  I was fine either way.  For my oldest, I put the ball in her court.  She called around to several salons before finding the one she wanted to go to and had even found a coupon online to save $2.  She also washed her hair before we left so we only had to pay for a cut.  I was super impressed with her for figuring this all out on her own.  So off to the mall we went.

We started with bra shopping at Dillards.  I was hoping to find the girls some bras on a good sale, or better yet, a clearance rack and use my $50 gift card I had acquired by redeeming cash back points from my Mastercard.  The less I had to spend, the better.  When we pulled up at the mall and parked  I noticed Dillards had a sign in the window advertising an additional 40% OFF on clearance prices.  I got super excited and rightfully so.  I was able to get each of the girls three really nice bras and the youngest two Calvin Klein sports bras for cheerleading and track for just under $50!  After the gift card = FREE bras!  For 8 bras!!!  FREE!!!

At Payless Shoes we found a really nice pair of dress shoes for the youngest to go with her orchestra dress and any other dress she might choose to wear.  We weren't planning on new shoes but they were on clearance for $10 (regularly $35) and I thought it would be nice for her to have an extra pair.  The girls don't need dress shoes often so I imagine these should hold up nicely for quite awhile.

My daughter got her haircut and after the coupon and a tip it only cost $18.50 at Master Cuts.  Her hair looks super cute too and she is quite pleased.  After her trip to the salon my oldest dashed off to a Hot Topic shop to pick up something she knew her sister would like for her birthday and it was on sale.  Her birthday isn't until November, but she's thinking ahead and I love it!

While she did that the youngest and I shopped for an extra school uniform at JC Penney.  I was happy to see those on sale as well.  We got her a pair of pants and a top for $22.  While there I spotted something I wanted to get the girls for Christmas that was also on sale so I grabbed that up when they weren't paying attention.  I put all of these things on my JC Penney card to earn reward points and will pay that balance off in full next month to avoid any interest charges.

After our little shopping excursion we left the mall and I took the girls to lunch at Red Lobster.  I used a gift card I had been given last year and only spent $23 on our lunch and a nice tip for our terrific waiter.  Our Saturday out to the mall and lunch, just us girls, was wonderful and we had a really nice time too.

Albertson's had the spiral notebooks on sale so while I did a little grocery shopping on Tuesday I picked up 8 of those for 19¢ each and two packages of notebook paper (just in case) on sale for 2/$1.00.  We are officially good to go.

Now I just have to pay for their student activity cards, yearbooks, cheerleader uniforms, band fees, school pictures......  yeah, it never really ends.  But, I am super happy that I am able to do all of this for them.  And without it being a financial hardship is a true blessing.

Goals For August

Phew!  I'm tuckered.  I may not have crossed off everything, but we got a ton of stuff done I'm quite pleased with how much we did.  Before I get the that, however, this is what I have planned for this month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Do some investment cooking

6.         Go on a hike (weather permitting)

7.         Learn to do something new

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Complete another small home improvement project

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Complete a Christmas project

12.        Enjoy a Family Movie Nite or a Family Game Nite!

13.        Complete a retirement/motorhome project

14.       Donate something (or some things) to the thrift store

15.        Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or a meal

Pretty much more of the same old, same old, but like I've said having this list really helps me stay more productive and get things done around here.  Not having a list means my productivity wanes a bit.

Refinished the last cabinet in the motorhome

Installed the countertop extension

This is how I did last month:

1.          Make or purchase a gift for someone

2.         Send a card or letter to someone

3.         Family Nite Out or Outing

4.         Be creative - sew or craft something

5.         Do some investment cooking

6.         Go on a hike too hot

7.         Learn to do something new

8.         Take my children out for a thrifty date

9.         Complete a small home improvement project lots of projects!

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Sell some things on eBay or Craigslist sadly, no time for this project

12.        Enjoy a Family Movie Nite or a Family Game Nite!

13.        Complete a retirement/motorhome project

14.       Donate something (or some things) to the thrift store one thing set aside

15.        Invite guests over for dessert, appetizers or a meal

Completed the renovation on this storage bay on the motorhome

Completed our chicken coop renovations

I am very much looking forward to getting some more things done in August.  Progress, progress, progress.

Muffins!  For the freezer

I hope you are enjoying your summer.

My Uber Thrifty Month In Review - July

All things considered July definitely turned out to be uber thrifty and I am so happy with how much mileage I got out of my dollars spent.  To begin with funds went into my retirement accounts and then I paid all of our monthly expenses well ahead of their due dates.  When it comes to spending, the bills get paid first.

Our power bill was the lowest it has been in a year which made me quite happy.  I was able to use the money I didn't spend on electricity toward extra groceries.  I spent more last month than I have in quite some time.  Fortunately, I was able to keep the costs lower by taking advantage of sales and buying quite a bit from markdown bins.

Surprisingly I ended the month of July with just under half a tank of gas in the car.  The truck was down to almost a quarter of a tank so I opted to fill her up this time and used my rewards points from my Fred Meyer card to shave off 40¢ a gallon!

We did a lot of repairs and improvement projects.  Our chicken coop needed a new roof and some reinforcements.  I re-used the wood from our old gate to make the necessary repairs at no cost and then spent $27 at Home Depot for a piece of PVC corrugated roofing materials, a small box of roofing nails and a piece of metal flashing.  I also spent $26 at the feed store for a new 2 gallon galvanized water feeder to replace the broken plastic one we had.  The hens had earned $14 recently in egg sales so the feeder only cost me $12 out of pocket.  That was a pretty good deal!

I spent $10 for an eight foot pressure treated 4X4 to replace one of our broken fence posts.  After a little hard work digging up the old one and putting in the new one the youngest and I put the two sections of fencing back up and declared that part of the project completed.

Other projects completed around the house were done by using and re-using items I already had on hand as well as some wood I had picked up from the FREE WOOD bin near my work.  My can of miscellaneous screws and fasteners really got a workout.  It is always nice to be able to build or fix things without having to run to the hardware store and spend a bunch of money all the time.

We ate out three times last month.  I took the girls and my oldest's boyfriend out to lunch at Pizza Pie Cafe and I used a digital coupon which included drinks spending less than $30.  A couple weeks later after finishing up the chicken coop roof and the fence post I took them all to Sizzler.  We enjoyed the salad bar and drank water, none of us are soda drinkers, and I spent $42.  Then while doing some back-to-school shopping I used a gift card and took the girls to Red Lobster for lunch.  After the gift card I spent $23 out of pocket for the remainder of our bill and a hefty tip for our fabulous waiter.  I try to keep our dining out budget at $50 a month, but we did have an extra person with us two of those times and so I was fine going over budget this time, especially since the BF helped out with some yard work one day, which I really appreciated and my girls have been helping out a ton with everything.

I am really pleased with how much I got done last month without having to spend a gob of money.  It always makes me feel truly satisfied knowing I've taken care of our financial obligations, maintained our home, cared for my children and even enjoyed a couple extras like going out to eat.  It makes all the hard work worth it.

Awwwwwgust

It has been a long time since I was really happy to see a new month arrive but I am happy to see August.  Usually when August arrives I'm a little sad because it is the last full month of summer and because my girls will be going back to start another school soon.  But not this time.

June was busy.  We began with a five day trip to the coast which is still the highlight of our summer.  We had a tremendous amount of fun.  After that we came home and got busy on projects.

We pulled weeds!  Boy howdy, did we pull weeds.  So much rain had fallen and they were plentiful.  We built a new gate, we built and added a handrail to our front porch, we expanded the chicken's pen area and added on a whole new section, we revamped the chicken feeder so they couldn't tip it over anymore and then we cleaned out and reorganized our garage.  And let's not forget about our new compost bin, which is working fabulously by the way.  We cut up a huge pile of scrap wood for our fire pot and stacked it in the backyard.  Plus the girls and I made stars.

And I did a lot of work on Laverne (makes me very happy!).  June was quite busy.

But July was nuts!

For one thing we've had a ton of company.  Not only did I entertain friends, like we normally do for meals and such and hosted an afternoon of pinochle with my girlfriends, but in July we had a total of 15 days with overnight guests.  For us, that is a lot and definitely not something we do very often.  I'm glad we did though.

During that time I didn't take any time off, except for 4th of July which is a paid holiday where I work.  In fact, I actually worked quite a bit of overtime last month, which I hadn't realized until I was looking at my pay statements..  In between guest visits, when I was not at work, I was in constant project mode and one weekend we kept on working on those projects even while guests were here.  Stuff needed to get done and I am super happy with everything we accomplished.

Our backyard is all cleaned up and looking really good, finally.  Our front yard doesn't look too shabby either.  I got the pond cleaning up and running and when the pump conked out I fixed it and got the pond running again.  The chicken coop has been repaired, shored up, re-roofed, cleaned, and the pen area expanded.  I bought  the chickens a new galvanized water feeder to replace the plastic one that broke last winter.  We replaced one of our broken fence posts that snapped last winter.  We spread out composted chicken manure on the lawn to add much needed nutrients to the soil (that's why we compost!).  And I managed to repair a few things around the house too.  And I did a couple more projects on Laverne!

The girls and I have cooked, baked, cleaned, done laundry, and grocery shopped.  I spent an evening mending clothes that were piling up on my sewing table and even managed a quick sewing project which netted me a few handmade gifts.  I think I know why I'm feeling a little tired these days.

Even with all that we have accomplished thus far there is still so much more to get done.  But now it is August so we start anew.  We were talking about it the other day and we have such a strong feeling of pride in what we've done.  I can really see how my girls feel that as they've learned new skills and done more to help out.  They are really going to do great when they have homes of their own.

Have any of you had a project filled summer?  What are some of the things you've been doing this summer?