Out With The Old; In With The New – Kid’s Room

Right before Christmas is when I spring clean my children’s bedroom.  A little early, I know, but much needed I assure you.  By this time my little darlings have amassed quite a bit of junk dragged home from school.  They have most likely had enough of a growth spurt that it is time to purge the shoes and clothing too.  A lot of toys are outgrown and need to go elsewhere. 

I start by hauling everything out of the closet and we go through it.  Clothes and shoes that don’t fit are placed in a pile to be donated.  What remains gets put back in an organized manner. 

Then we move one child’s bed to clear out the accumulation underneath.  We scoop it all into a pile.  The bedding is removed and washed.  We sort through the pile to make more piles– trash, donate, put away.  Trash is bagged up, donated items added to the donate pile and what remains is put away.  I vacuum where the bed was and suck up the cobwebs, wash the walls, then put the bed back in place.  Then we move onto the next child’s bed and repeat the same process. 

By the time we have cleared the majority of the pile the laundry is done on the first bed and I make that one up while the girls finish clearing the second pile.  We move on to the dressers next by taking everything out and purging the worn out and the out grown.  What remains is re-folded and put away. 

Then we bag up the donations and take them to the garage and the girls haul out the trash.  We finish by making up bed number two, vacuuming and the girls wash the doors and door jambs to remove dirt and finger prints. 

After about four hours the process is completed.  I am pooped and the girls are thrilled at the transformation in their room.  They always seem to sleep better that night as well.  In six months I will repeat this process once again, about the time school lets out for the summer. 

As they get older the process seems to get easier, they are more helpful and the mess seems to be less and less.  I am always amazed at all the paper that is accumulated as a result of school, but I always breathe better once the process is completed and I think they do too.  Usually by the time I am ready to start this project they are ready too. 

There is now room for their Christmas gifts and I am not afraid for company to see their bedroom either.  Plus everything is fresh and clean, just how I like it….for now, anyway.

Parenting – The Hardest Job You Will Ever Love

“The U.S. Army – The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love”. 

I remember when that slogan was used in their recruiting ads on television and radio several years ago.  I’m afraid they were mistaken, however.  Theirs would be the second hardest job in my opinion.  Being a parent would be the first.  It is a lot of work! 

·                     It is 24/7 – 365 days a year (366 if it’s a leap year) with no paid holidays or vacations.

·                     The pay is terrible, in fact it costs you money!  In order to support this job you will need another one.

·                     There are no promotions, no ladders to climb for a better position.

·                     You are in it for life and there is no retirement package at the end.

·                     Like the Army this job will test you, both physically and emotionally, in ways you never imagined.

·                     There are no procedure manuals; you will have to figure it out on your own.  No drill sergeant to train you for endurance and no instructors to fine tune you either.

·                     You are going to make mistakes – a lot of them.

·                     Just when you think you are getting the hang of it you’ll find out you don’t.

·                     You will be extremely under-appreciated most of the time.

·                     There is no one on Earth who can do it quite like you can.  No substitute will ever be able to fill your shoes.

·                     You can never quit. 

No one in their right mind would take a job like this if offered by an employer, but instead we create it for ourselves and can’t imagine not doing so.  In fact, most families create this job multiple times over. 

Nonetheless, we eagerly and excitedly sign up for this job and we love it!  Can’t imagine not having it (maybe some days we might think about it) and look forward to it every day.  In fact, we stand back and look at our children and thank God, for we are truly blessed. 

Every day we are given the opportunity to begin our job anew, to do better than the day before.  We learn more, we do more, we try harder and the greatest reward is the love that grows as a result of all your efforts.  Just when you think you couldn’t possibly love your children any more you wake to find you do.  It just keeps growing. 

So to all those parents out there - hang in there.  It isn’t almost over!  Not by a long shot.

Easy Almond Coffee Cake

This delicious recipe was adapted from my great-grandmother’s cookbook. 

Easy Almond Coffee Cake 

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

½ c. sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, beaten

1 c. sour milk

3 Tbs. canola oil 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray an 8” x 8” square baking pan with non stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl measure all dry ingredients and stir to combine, make a well in the center.  Measure all the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir just to combine.  Do not over mix.  Pour batter into baking pan, set aside. 

Topping 

2 Tbs. melted butter

½ tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbs. flour

3 Tbs. brown sugar

¼ cup oatmeal

3 Tbs. slice almonds 

Combine butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour and oatmeal in bowl and mix until smooth.  Spread evenly over the top of cake batter.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until top springs back at the touch.  Serve warm with butter, if desired. 

Easy Pecan Coffee Cake – substitute ¼ c. of pecan halves for almonds.

Grocery Shopping

To maximize savings and minimize effort and trips to the store requires a little bit of planning.  I start first with my grocery list and my meal plan and go from there. 

Grocery List 

My grocery list is a copy of my Pantry List printed off of my computer.  I have three months worth of lists going at the same time. 

The majority of what I am buying this month is actually for the coming month’s meal plans which are not yet completed.  The reason for this is because I can plan meals around what I already have on hand. 

Only about 25% or less of what I purchase this month is actually for this month – milk and dairy items, eggs, fresh produce and the occasional forgotten item.  The rest is for the future. 

Meal Planner 

I plan my meals a month at a time based on what is already available in my pantry and freezer.  I have a long list of favorite meals I keep to draw inspiration from as well as a few new recipes to try from time to time. 

My menu plan is not set in stone and I like having the flexibility to swap days around depending on schedule or mood changes. 

I like to keep a couple of frozen meals in the freezer for “just in case”.  Having a backup plan can really be a budget saver. 

Sales Ads & Coupons 

When the majority of my shopping is for the future it allows me to take better advantage of the sales.  I love when meats go on sale or hit the markdown bin.  I purchase them at that time to freeze so I am not routinely paying regular price which is much, much higher. 

I like to check the ads on a weekly basis and purchase those items I need with a coupon to maximize my savings.  I make a strict list and go in and get out with just those items.  If you stop and buy additional items then you will negate your savings.  I love when I can go home and mark off the items on my grocery lists. 

I am also willing to walk away if it turns out the sales aren’t really as good as they originally seem.  I have actually left stores without buying anything because, for instance, the meat didn’t look as good as I would have liked or the quantity of something was smaller than I expected. 

Remember, just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you should buy it.  Especially if you don’t need it in the first place. 

Have A Budget 

Have a budget and stick to it.  If you have trouble with this and find yourself going over budget regularly consider using cash.  When it is gone, it is gone.  Knowing that will also help you decide what items you really need and what items you can wait to purchase another time. 

Grocery Shopping 

I do my big shopping trip once a month.  Then in a couple of weeks I go again to get milk and fresh produce.  Occasionally I will stop to take advantage of really good sales in between trips but I try not to.  I definitely don’t want go to the store more than once a week.  Less is best. 

Pick a time when you aren’t tired or hungry and you have plenty of time.  I personally like Friday night.  Most people are just there to pick up one or two items so the aisles aren’t too crowded and the shelves are fully stocked.  I like to wind down after a work week by trolling the aisles, but that’s me.  I also like that I don’t have to interrupt my weekend. 

I make grocery shopping a family affair.  It is also a learning experience for all of us.  I use this opportunity teach my children about food, nutrition, prices, savings, value and how to work within a budget, use coupons and watch for bargains. 

My girls love to pick out apples and select mushrooms.  They enjoy seeing all the different things and suggesting future menus.  I love it when they see something new and we discuss whether we want to try it and what we’d do with it.  Tofu was quite the adventure at one time.  I also love having their help at check out when we have to bag our own groceries. 

Rain Checks

If the store runs out of a particular item on sale and you really want it then ask if they have a substitute item.  Quite often they will but if they don’t then ask for a rain check.  I use rain checks a lot but when you do make sure and watch that the cashier gives you the correct price and keep a copy of the ad just in case.  I usually staple the ad to the rain check and keep it in my coupon envelope.  Then there is no question about it. 

Quantities 

Stocking up is great but be careful not to purchase too much of any item.  There is no point to owning 100 cans of tuna if you won’t be able to eat it before the cans begin to bulge. 

Be mindful of food storage.  Do you have a temperature controlled space to keep groceries?  Extreme heat or cold and fluctuating temperatures isn’t a good environment for food storage.  Is there a lot of light exposure?  A cool dark space, free from insects is perfect for most pantry items. 

Use up what you have before you buy more if you already have a lot of something.  Although, this week, canned spaghetti sauce is at a great buy I already have quite a bit in storage so I need to pass on it, unfortunately.  I always hate to pass up a really good deal. 

Produce is probably my biggest challenge.  I try not to overbuy but sometimes you just don’t get it used up or you forget you have it.  There is no savings in any food that get wasted. 

Run Out Or Run Low? 

Even with the best planning sometimes you run out or run low on something or you flat forget to get it.  Don’t do without just do something else.  Rather than bust the budget or make a special trip to the store find something else you can make instead.  Or pull out your frozen backup item.  Even better – make soup! 

Have any great tips to add?  I’d love to hear what you do to save money and time at the grocery store.  Need a copy of my pantry list?  Let me know and I will send it to you.

Sunday Breakfast

Every Sunday morning I like to make a nice big breakfast for my family.  We usually eat around 10:00, therefore it is technically brunch, and then we have an early supper and skip lunch completely.  My youngest feels very strongly that skipping a meal is completely unacceptable so I usually plan a mid afternoon snack to bridge the gap between brunch and supper. 

Although I keep the meal itself pretty simple we do like to jazz it up and make it seem more special.  We set the table using our nicer dishes and glassware.  China is often used on Sunday at our house as well as nicer paper napkins or cloth napkins.  Nothing seems more sophisticated to an eight year old than sipping orange juice out of a wine glass. 

Some of the things I like to prepare for Sunday Breakfast include: 

·                     Waffles or pancakes with sausage or bacon and eggs

·                     Omelets with toast

·                     Muffins with scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon

·                     Coffee cake with scrambled eggs

·                     Hashbrowns, eggs and ham, bacon or sausage

·                     Hash – cubed potatoes, onion, diced ham, eggs

·                     Denver style scrambled eggs – ham, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and toast

·                     Homemade cinnamon rolls or pecan rolls and scrambled eggs

·                    Toasted English Muffin Bread with eggs, bacon or sausage and homemade jam

·                    Eggs Benedict – toasted English muffin bread, poached eggs, sliced  ham,  Hollandaise sauce

·                    Quiche with toast 

I also like to serve a nice beverage: 

·                     Hot Cocoa with marshmallows or a dollop of whipped cream

·                     Cappuccino or Lattes

·                     Coffee served with flavored creamer

·                     Orange juice or other fruit juice

·                     Tomato juice or vegetable juice

·                     Bloody Mary’s are nice sometimes, especially at the holidays

·                     Mimosas – alcoholic or non-alcoholic

·                     Hot buttered rum

·                     Sparkling fruit juices

·                     Chocolate or strawberry flavored milk

·                     Lattes

·                     Hot tea – Earl Grey, lemon, spice, orange spice

·                     Chai Tea

·                     Breakfast punch – orange juice, pineapple juice & lemon-lime soda 

One of my favorite easy “mochas” is to take a cup of coffee and add 3 Tbs. of my homemade cocoa mix to it.  Delicious and so simple! 

I like to make Sunday Breakfast an event by having my girls in the kitchen helping with the preparation, table setting and the clean up too.  I find they are much more willing to eat the things they aren’t especially fond of and to try new things if they had a hand in making it.  I also love the way they take ownership in the success of the meal and the steps they participated in.  It is really sweet how they will complement each other too. 

Sunday Breakfast is a perfect way to get your week off to a great start.

10 Things I Don’t Spend Money On

There are plenty of things I have to spend money on - gas for the car to get back and forth to work, child care, mortgage, heat, groceries, etc.  In order to maintain our budget and have money left for vacations and other fun stuff there are several items I choose not to spend my hard earned cash on as part of my daily routine.  Here is a list of some those items: 

1.                   Coffee drinks – lattes, mochas, cappuccinos

2.                  Pizza – frozen, take & bake, or delivery

3.                  Bottled water

4.                  20 oz. bottles of soda

5.                  Fast food

6.                  Artificial finger nails

7.                  Fancy cell phones & services

8.                  Premium gasoline

9.                  Music downloads

10.               Trash bags 

I am not going to say I won’t ever buy a mocha or a bottle of soda because occasionally I do.  Especially while on vacation or for a special occasion.  But, as a part of my everyday existence – no way! 

What do you choose not to spend your hard earned cash on?

Use It Up - Leftovers

For the past two weeks we have abandoned the monthly meal plan in favor of one of my favorite meal plans - clearing out the freezer.  I do this about every four months. 

This time we are clearing out all the pre-Thanksgiving leftovers I had put away in our freezer as well as using up the leftover items in our refrigerator and so far, we have enjoyed some really great meals.  Funny thing about leftovers is that sometimes they create more leftovers and thus the cycle continues. 

We ate leftover Thanksgiving dinner for four days.  In between I fixed a pasta meal so they weren’t concurrent.  After nearly a week of various items from the freezer I did make a pot of turkey and dumplings.  The soup included leftover frozen veggie broth and the tail end of a bag of frozen mixed veggies plus leftover turkey and a dab of gravy.  When we ran out of dumplings the last of the soup was served over leftover rice. 

Some of the items I pulled from the freezer: 

1.                   Ham and navy bean soup – 4 cups – one meal; one lunch

2.                  2 containers of Bolognese sauce – 4 cups each – two meals; four lunches

3.                  3 containers of vegetable broth – 1 ½ cups each – turkey and beef soup

4.                  Pot roast – about 2 cups chopped (beef barley soup) – two meals; two lunches

5.                  8” x 8” pan of Quesadilla Casserole – two meals; two lunches

6.                  Red Beans & Rice – 4 cups – one meal; one lunch

7.                  Turkey Chili – 2 cups (we made chili cheese omelets)-one meal; one lunch

8.                  Macaroni & Cheese – 4 cups – three lunches 

So far we have managed to clear an entire shelf in our side by side freezer in the kitchen and it appears that we will still be going into next week, most likely.  I still have a few items including a really meaty ham bone begging to become split pea soup. 

This has definitely been a real budget stretcher too.  So far I have spent less than $18 on groceries which was for milk, chocolate stars to make Christmas cookies with and a great buy on a package of rib eye steaks that will be our Christmas Dinner. 

If you need a budget reprieve look inside your freezer and see what there is lurking inside.  Use up all those leftover and older items before they get the chance to freezer burn.  Tap into your creative side and see what magnificent meals you can come up with.