Frugal Challenge - Feeding Your Family On Less

Let me start this post with this. Every morning I get up and make a cup of coffee, turn on the computer and watch Stu Varney on Fox Business News. My favorite show. I am a nerd I know. But what I do follow closely is the economy and let me also say this, folks we are not only heading for another recession, I don't believe we ever came out of the last one. What "recovery" there was, was so weak, that most of us are not better off than we were last year or the year before but either stagnant if you are lucky or doing worse.

I do not foresee improvement for a very long time, if ever. This is perhaps the new America. Let's all hope I am completely off the mark but I suspect I am not. BUT for my kids sake, I hope there are brighter days ahead. That all being said, whew, I am taking some of the summer months to double down on money saving areas in our house. 

First off is food. It is a huge expense in this house. We feed five adults and one little one.

I must keep focused on spending as little as possible to feed us while making meals, nutritious and satsifying.

One area of our food budget that will be watched carefully is meals out. We usually pick up dinner lately once a week but I would like to cut that to once every two weeks. The urge to pick up meals comes on days when I am busy or don't have a plan. I am making sure the pantry is stocked with easy homemade fast 

food. One favorite is make your own nachos. I cook up some ground turkey, open up some beans and dice up and set out whatever might taste good on nachos. Everyone makes their own and clean up is easy.

Even Q loves nacho night. We will have it at least once or twice a month to save on running out for take out.

Using up every last bit of food. If we cannot possibly eat it, then the chickens may get it but with things like odd slices of bread and buns in your bread box, why not make garlic toast out of it? My family loves when I do this. Great filler too when extra guests decide to have dinner with us.

Eat as much as we can out of our own garden. I have been replanting square foot areas from seed every two weeks so we always have a supply of extra salad fixins or veggies for dinner. That has been one of my goals this year and I have stayed committed to always have new plantings in as soon as something else comes out.

Oh how I love a Starbucks run but I am saving that for special treats with hubby on the weekends. It is just so spendy to pick up a coffee there. My replacement coffee maker has come so I am back in business with the Keurig. Love it!! I may treat myself to some tasty creamers as a bottle spent on that with a coupon lasts a while and makes the morning cup extra yummy. Less temptation to run into the coffee shops.

Don't forget to check out this post for a chance to win the Venus $50 VISA gift card.

Wow Us Wed.
Raising Homemakers
Frugally Sustainable
Handy Man Crafty Woman

Glads!!

My sister in law gifted me with these gorgeous gladiolas. In red of course as she knows how I love anything red.

I did not edit the color at all. That is how vibrant these flowers were. So gorgeous. I would love to grow some glads. All gardens used to have them but you don't see them as much these days. Is it too late to plant gladiola bulbs this year?

Tuna Noodle Mac Salad

You know it is summer in our house when mom starts making what we call "tuna mac." Everyone including hubby loves this simple dish and when it is hot outside, I will make this early in the day to keep the kitchen cool in the evening. It is good alone for supper with some cut up fruit or as a side dish to BLT's or whatever floats your boat. My mother made this my entire life so I have been eating it for 40 some years.

Tuna Mac
1/2 pound noodles
2 cans of tuna drained
3 stalks of celery chopped
some chopped green onion or chives. I use chives as I always have them growing.
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 bell pepper diced
splash of dill pickle juice
2 tablespoons of dill relish or chopped pickles
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 sour cream (adjust the mayo and sour cream to your liking)
salt and pepper

Boil the noodles. Rinse and drain. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least several hours and enjoy.

Linking to:
Lower Case Letters
More the Merrier
BNOTP
Morris Tribe
Table Top Tuesday
Heart and Home
Bowl full of Lemons
Wow Us Wed.

So Proud of My Girl! Raising a Strong Willed Child

On Thursday night we attended an award's dinner for this girl. Our #1. First born. Oldest.
She is graduating next week but the ceremony was for an award for top of her class in registered nursing. I already told you all that but I just wanted to do a post for her. Sweetie dad and I are so proud of you. You have worked so hard. Youngest ever to be admitted to the program, never taking a semester or break off. You pushed yourself hard and it has shown. Always carrying a full load at the hospital, volunteering and working sometimes two jobs while keeping those grades high. You are awesome. We love you and are so over the moon for your future. We know you will succeed no matter where you land.

Here is this girl her first day of clinical in her stiff blue scrubs. So cute. I think people thought some kid was going to be working on them at the hospital.

This girl was the typical first born. In charge and bossy from day one. She was so head strong and strong willed, that I often wondered what kind of trouble she would be getting into when she grew up. It really worried me. Take a strong willed child and a strong willed mother and you can imagine the battles we had. I was far from the perfect mother with her and just did not know what to do with her sometimes. Her first year of homeschooling, she was always sent to her room for refusing to do her work. Well looking back I would have done a lot of things different but she was my first born and what did I know.

I remember driving to work one day and hearing Dr. Dobson speak on the radio about "The Strong Willed Child." I had a glimmer of hope. He said that often the strong willed child, with good raisin', would turn out to be strong willed for the right things when they grew up. Well ,I am here to tell you, if you have one too, that this is so true. Forever the champion of the underdog, this girl has been such a blessing. When my mother was dying of cancer ten years ago, and you know what that does to a person, she never shied away from her. She was always there for my mom comforting her. She has paved her own way. If she wanted something, she went for it. Never afraid to confront a professor or take on what would make most of us cry. She is indeed strong. She is named after my mother, the strongest woman I know.

Thankfully she has always been a daddy's girl and he has settled many a dispute between us strong willed gals. I always defer to him when we have needed to make decisions for her future. He has been the perfect balance in our parenting.

She is my pride and joy and I just wanted her to know how much we love her and are so very excited for her future. Nursing is not an easy major and she has witnessed some things that I would crumble over but she has found her niche and her strength will be used for good and the health care field will be lucky to have her. I have a new found respect for nurses. Often they are the line between life and death for many patients. I have heard this from my daughter many a time as she has done her clinicals. They are the advocate for the patient who cannot fight for themselves. Congrats baby. Make is so #1.

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife
Raising Homemakers
Frugally Sustainable

Days Spent in the Sunshine

We have had some wonderfully warm days this past week. Q has spent them in her swimsuit and paddling pool while chickens run amok.

Children are so funny. She is not in the least bit afraid of them. They follow her all the time because she is the bearer of snacks. Here she is sharing some tortilla with them. The little dog is hoping someone drops something.

The chickens have finally become brave enough to venture into the planters and scratch around in there. Petunias though are a favorite.

An evening run to get a smoothie and checking on the veggie garden.

I save seeds from all my flowers and these surprised me in the veggie garden. I bet some little one planted them.

Our first basket full was sort of sparse but I sauteed the baby zukes with the blue kale. So good.

After dinner the girls headed out back.

Blowing bubbles with big sis.

I love these days of more unstructured time. A swim at the grandparents or a trip for frozen yogurt. Just simple ways to beat the heat. What's your favorite summer past time?

Warmth

It may be hot outside but I still love the house to have a cozy feel.

I love warm earthy colors and just have to have a few rooms devoted to them.

Sometimes, mostly when I am hormonal, I think I should get rid of all this stuff. Then I snap out of it and think what would I look at if it wasn't all there occupying all the empty spaces. I am just destined to live with lots of lovelies ( or crap to some folks).

Old crockery and brown transferware are some of my favorites.

Little Mia always makes me smile. She holds her flag proudly ever day of the year.

My kids are so used to, meaning they expect, the constant changes in the decor for each holiday and season. I cannot deprive them can I? That would be bad parenting. Who am I kidding, it is for ME!!  I knew you were on to me.
Oooo and I am such a proud momma. Went to an awards ceremony for my oldest last night, Top of her class for registered nursing. I could cry, I am so over the moon for her. I will do a nice post for her and for me as I am just so tickled.

Linking to:
Sunday Blog Love
Weekend Wrap Up Party
Seasonal Sundays
BNOTP

New Space for Me

I mentioned to hubby that it would be nice to have a little place for my laptop in the den and bam, he made it happen. He loves to move furniture. He gets that from his mom. We just moved the tables around in the den but what I love is that this little table was his grandma's. I love to use things that my family members have used for so long.

Grabbed on of my thrift store windsor chairs.

I love it. I can throw my camera up there while I am down here and not have it all over the couch.

And the best part is I can sit there and work and watch through the window, the chickies running around the backyard.

Linking to:
Simple Creations
Miss Mustard Seed
Show and Tell Friday
The Shabby Nest
SNS 136
BNOTP

Lavender to Freshen the Coop

Okay one last chicken post for now. The other day I was cutting back one of my many lavender plants and decided to toss the branches in the coop. Right away the chickens checked it out.

As they walked over it and stirred it around the smell of lavender was so strong and lovely.

I do it ever couple of days now and it smells so good as they continue to walk on it. I just rake it out when I clean. I even throw some into the henhouse where they sleep.

They love to come lay upon the stems when I toss it in. Maybe it is soothing to them like it is for us humans.

One thing I also noticed is that the days it is real fresh and the scent is strong, it seems to deter flies. I have lots of plants but I think I will plant some more so I have plenty to throw in over the summer months.

SNS 136

If You Are Considering Raising Backyard Chickens

I wanted to share some of my thoughts now that we have been raising chickens for a few months. I am no expert but here is what our experience has been as city chicken owners.

1. Don't embark on this venture unless you have time to devote to it. Raising chicks is time consuming in that the maintenance of the brooder, or their little box, requires you to check on it several times during the day. Cleaning out the water, making sure the bedding is clean, checking that the heat lamp is at a good height. As with any baby animal, the first stage is the most time consuming. Plan on them being in the brooder at least a month give or take. I transitioned them to the coop during the day and brought them in at night for a few weeks. At that point they were too big for the bathroom and I made up a brooder in the garage. Once they were feathered out they started sleeping in the coop.

2. The biggest expense is not the chicks but the coop. Getting it dialed in is a learning curve. We are still making modifications and these all involve my husband as I am not a power tool gal. We went super cheap with the hen house, just an old modified cupboard, but the enclosure he did a nice job on. But you know what? I hate where it is at. I want to see the chickens from my windows so they are getting a new coop for the yard but will still use the bigger run during the day. So you see you really have to think about where you want the coop at.

3. You have to be home to let them out in the mornings or in at night. I choose to have them in their little sleeping box area at night. I sleep better knowing if something crawled into the coop, they would be protected. I let them out at 7:00 a.m. each morning. I am an early riser so no problem.

4. Be prepared to have ups and downs with this venture. I know once a year has passed and our system is in place, things will ease up. I almost died when I saw a rat in the coop. I can kill a spider with my bare hand but I hate vermin. They are after the feed and I now do not put feed in coop except first thing in the morning. After that they get greens in there or a small treat they will eat up right away, they have access to the feed when they are out roaming the backyard and where our cats and rat hunting dog is out with them. We have trapped one and our cat presented us with a rat on the front porch. Cats are invaluable animals in any environment. Our hunter has really decreased the vermin population from when we first moved into this house.

5. If you free range in your yard like me you have to come to terms with the damage the chickens will do to your garden. They have decided my potted plants are their favorite places to nibble. Some are holding up find to this but some are smashed from them sitting in them. I have been wanting to cut down on the number of potted plants in my yard anyway as replanting is expensive every year and the daily watering is laborious. Our summer heat wipes many of them out. I will keep all my pots along our patio by the fountain. They do not jump in these up against the wall. Other than the pots, they seem to not have destroyed anything else. They stir the compost daily and aerate the soil. My foundation plants are big enough, they are holding up well.

6. Chicken poop is a part of chickens. You will have to clean it from the coop and if you free range, your patio, if they have access. I love to let them roam and I have a small yard so hosing down my patio is nothing to me. Takes five minutes. But we are thinking of some cute fencing to deter them. We'll see.
Update: We now have a run and free range time in the yard is limited. This has made the chicken care so much easier and less cleaning up after them.

7. It is so wonderful if you know someone who has chickens, then you can ask them questions when you have concerns. I have been calmed down from many a crisis and realized they were not. These are farm animals, not babies and you have to view them as such. The best advice I have received from her.  Now you will be able to ask me questions.

8. There is so much to say but I want to sum up with this. Yes, this may have sounded a little scary but my intentions are to be totally honest. Who wants something to be sugar coated and then when you try it, you realized there is a difficult side or hard things to deal with. Really the hard stuff is so small. The joy I get from these chickens is crazy. I look forward to seeing them everyday and letting them roam the garden enjoying my greenery and flowers knowing they will repay me daily with wonderful, golden eggs.

Ribfest 2012 - Family Life

This year the jello poke cake went patriotic. My daughter did a wonderful job decorating it. It is such a refreshing cake. The recipe is here.

The decorations are just simple things from around the house and some flowers picked up at the market. I will transplant those into the garden when they are done blooming.

Filling the water balloons. I wonder when we are all screaming and the dog is barking like mad as the water balloons fly, do the neighbors think we are nuts or at least the noisiest folks on the block?

We drag out all our silly hats and wear them. It was hot so we needed them.

Horseshoes were the game of the day.

Q tried on every hat. This was my favorite on her little head. Too funny!

Aww the food.

And finally the ribs. They were excellent. We did half rub only and half with sauce for my daughter who has to have sauce. They were perfect.

Linking to:

Wow Us Wed.

Frugally Sustainable

Raising Homemakers

BNOTP

I Gotta Create

Functional Friday

Show and Tell Friday

SNS 136

Summer Fun Party

Grill. BBQ & Picnic Party

More the Merrier

City Chickens

I have decided my chicken are sleek city girls and they know it. They only choose the prettiest flowers pots for resting and hopping into.

They also sit upon their favorite bench in a color coordinated pattern.

Miss Puffy Cheeks has decided her former name of Henrietta is too farm girl for her and she prefers Miss Puffy Cheeks only. I say farm girl names are best!

This model is bored with her photograph being taken and is falling asleep in the job.

Linking to:
Tell Me Tuesday
Coastal Charm
Tues. Garden Party