Mexican lasagna

Also known as clean-out-the-fridge lasagna, lol. Had some refried beans (homemade), cheese, and sour cream to use up so I made one of my old standbys, Mexican lasagna. This is much easier than enchiladas and I think a little more forgiving. I don't really have a recipe, but here's what the layers were this time (from bottom to top, since that's how it is built):

corn tortillas
refried beans + a little chopped green onion + a little cheese
corn tortillas
cooked chicken + a little sour cream + green salsa
corn tortillas
refried beans + a little chopped green onion + a little cheese
corn tortillas
cooked chicken + a little sour cream + green salsa
corn tortillas
salsa, cheese, chopped olives

I just dropped all the ingredients onto the corn tortillas in dribs and drabs, they weren't solid layers. Also, I poured about 1/4 cup of water over top layer of corn tortillas before adding the last layer of salsa, cheese, and chopped olives. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sometimes I add some frozen corn, sometimes I use regular salsa, sometimes I add some tomato sauce, sometimes I add green chilies. Obviously, it never turns out the same, lol.

All right, all right, I know some of you want measurements. Honestly, I never measure anything when I make this. But I do know I used one 16 oz jar of salsa, about 1/3 of a 16 oz container of sour cream (that's all that was left), about 1 cup of shredded cheese, and a sandwich baggie of shredded chicken (from my recent cooking marathon), and used a 2 qt. casserole dish. Does that help?

My cooking marathon

I decided to spend a recent day off doing a cooking marathon so it wasn't really a vacation day. The good news is I had enough food to last a few days and to share. The bad news is my freezer is overstuffed. (Someday, I'm going to spring for an extra freezer.)

Chicken and turkey stock, plus the meat I picked off the bones. Yes, that's a layer of fat you see on top. I leave it on until I'm going to use the stock, then I decide how much to keep/discard.
Soup (there was more, but I had given some away already), cooked chicken (there were three packages), winter melon (again, I gave away half), and marinated chicken. I figured on some night when I didn't know what to cook, I could pull out the chicken and do a quick stir fry.

The winter melon is from my mom. She gave it to me last year and I finally decided to cut it up (yes, they really do last for months). It was stored in the garage. I didn't end up cooking any since I made the other soup. If anyone wants some seeds, let me know.
Last, but not least, a container of washed and chopped salad greens and another of washed Swiss chard. Cleaning the veggies on the weekends makes it so much easier to eat healthy during the week.
I was exhausted, but pleased with the day's work. Like I said, the only bad thing is my freezer is overstuffed. It is ice cream season and there's no room for any.

Too full

I feel like everything in my life is full and not in a good way. Work days are waaay too full. My camera's memory card is full (and I'm behind on blogging). My computer's hard drive is too full and isn't running efficiently. The only thing that isn't full is my wallet.

Five on Friday

1. I got a great deal on a plane ticket to see the folks. Unfortunately, I have to come home Saturday instead of Sunday; otherwise the fare would have been $79 more. Also unfortunately, the car rental will be more than the airfare. Hopefully, prices will come down before the end of the month.
2. Work is still crazy busy. I don't see it slowing down any time soon.
3. I'm actually missing scrapbooking. Maybe I'll get back to it someday.
   
4. I'm thankful for a 4-day weekend. Yep, I'm taking an extra day off.
   
5. I'm considering changing the name of my blog and maybe the focus. Stay tuned.
   

Five on Friday is a random collection of thoughts for the week. I usually post a Five on Friday (or Six on Saturday) when I haven't blogged during the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts below or on your own blog and link back here.

Six on Saturday

1. I caved and bought more squash seeds and a bell pepper plant since none of what I planted has sprouted yet.
2. I'm not as fashion-challenged as I thought. I bought a new dress a few weeks ago on clearance, but was reluctant to wear it to work because I thought it might be too casual. The dress will be going into permanent rotation since I got three compliments on it.
3. The planning committee for this summer's whitefly convention neglected to tell me my backyard was selected for this year's big event (I didn't realize my yard was even in the running). Since they've now overstayed their welcome, does anyone have any advice on getting rid of them? I can't even figure out which plants they're staying at. The bearded irises, which are the usual suspects, are clean.
4. In the past month or so, I've gained five pounds and I can't figure out why. I'm pretty bummed about it since as soon as I noticed, I've trying to get rid of them and haven't been able to.
   
5. I bought a bunch of cookbooks from a friend and now I need to figure out which books I can get rid of now (in keeping with the one-in, one-out attempt to avoid clutter).
6. We went to a garage sale this morning and I spent a whopping $1.25 for a few craft supplies and a couple dishes. Again, I need to get rid of a few things to maintain balance.
   

Six on Saturday is a random collection of thoughts from the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments or on your own blog and link back here.

TGIF!

I've been confused as to what day it was all week. Monday, I wore jeans to work (I was working off site), which normally is a Friday or weekend outfit. Tuesday, I woke up and thought it was Sunday. That night, I went over to a friend's house to meet her for dinner and I was a week early (surprise!). Wednesday, it was jeans again (and an hour and a half to drive 40 miles home from working off site again, yuck). Today, it's Friday, at least for me. Thank goodness I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow.

Toss it!

I look forward to clothes wearing out. I know that sounds strange, but since I'm loathe to get rid of anything usable, I usually wear my clothes till they wear out. Actually, I'm quite disappointed in the quality of this shirt. I haven't worn it that often and it is only five or so years old. It is kind of embarrassing how long I keep my clothes. You can't estimate how old a photo is by what I'm wearing because I might have owned that clothing for 10 or more years.

On the plus side, I've got some new rags. With my new frugality mentality (make that new extra frugal mentality since I've always been frugal), I'm turning all my worn out clothes into rags. Hey, maybe this means I'll clean more...ha!

My favorite form of exercise

We're doing a walking challenge at work. The big goal is to walk and to walk more. I can do that! We have a few hundred employees participating, in teams of seven. While the goal to get healthier, there is not supposed to any competition. For example, the site where we log in our steps will not show us our teammates' steps, only the team total. We can also see where our team ranks within the company. So of course, there is a bit of competition. While it would be nice to be in the top 10, I doubt that will happen since the some of the top teams have marathoners and even one guy training for an Ironman. And the other top teams have the warehouse workers on them and they walk all day. My team? We sit at the computer all day.
I'm sorry to say that I'm dragging my team down, with my average number of steps less than half of the team average. One day, we went to a botanical garden and walked for three hours. You would have thought that was worth several thousand steps. But no! I was still under the team average. (Some of my team members suspect I have a bad pedometer. I like to think that I glide when I walk so my steps don't register.) Working in the garden doesn't increase my step count significantly, unfortunately. But housekeeping does help. I guess dashing out to the garage to do laundry burns more calories than I thought.

Now, I'm happy to report I hit my all-time high! It was simple and really didn't feel like any effort. What's my trick? I went to the mall, lol. Boosting the economy and getting healthy at the same time...I always knew that shopping was my favorite form of exercise.

Frugal tip: banana treat

A quick tip if you have some overripe bananas and don't feel like baking banana bread: frozen banana slices. They make a yummy snack and don't have that overripe "bite" or mushiness. Of course, you can't let them sit around, otherwise they do get mushy. If you make smoothies, you could probably add them to the blender, like frozen berries. Sometimes, I have a few slices after dinner instead of ice cream.
Simply slice the bananas and place them in a single layer on a pie tin, baking sheet, or other freezer safe flat surface. Place in the freezer for a hour or more. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

My Big Lots find

Yes, even though I am supposed to be reducing, not increasing my scrapbook stash, I couldn't resist these albums. Although I love the look of post-bound albums, I've found that 3-ring binders are more convenient. I don't have any more room in my 3-ring albums, but since most albums are $20 to $30, I've resisted buying any for while. When I saw these, I couldn't pass them up. Granted, these aren't the highest quality albums (I think the outside is some sort of coated paper), but at $8 each, they're a bargain!

Six on Saturday

1. A very sweet person sent me some moon cakes. I think I've had them once in the past three years. They just are something I don't think about buying for myself, but I love 'em! Thanks J!
   
2. My step average is higher than I expected, but still waaay lower than the rest of the team's. :(
3. I had a butternut squash, brown rice, green onion, cheese, and cucumber burrito for lunch. Also known as let's-empty-out-the-leftovers-for-lunch burrito. It was surprisingly tasty.
   
4. Today I weeded, weeded, weeded, and then planted beets and astilbe (perennial flower). I would have planted basil, but I have no idea where I put the seed packet. I'm still waiting for the bell peppers and squash to sprout. You'd think I would see something after three weeks, shouldn't I?
5. Sigh, even though it was a short work week, it was really intense. Let's just say that I hate it when a new operating system is on the horizon.
   
6. I need to get back to Five on Friday so I don't have to think of so many things to write, lol.
   

Six on Saturday is a random collection of thoughts from the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments or on your own blog and link back here.

Scrapbook garage sale

Was I there to buy or sell? To sell, of course, lol! (more on the buying later) Here's what was left. I didn't do as well as I did last time, but I didn't expect to since I already sold most of my "big stuff" like tools. Even so, I did pretty well for selling stuff that was 3, 4, or more years old. And it just goes to show, you never know who will want what. Last time, I sold one book and a couple magazines. This time, I sold almost all of my books (it helped that I discounted most of them to $1) and several magazines.
Thankfully, only one person asked to bargain (I hate bargaining) and I almost refused to because she wanted 50 cents off an $8.50 total and it included some of my beloved Junkitz paper. Plus I had everything bargain priced already (10 to 25% of original price and most things were new in package). But I gave it to her since I am determined to reduce my stash. After getting rid of stuff at the first garage sale, it was easier to add more to my get-rid-of pile. Unfortunately, I didn't really do much prep this time, otherwise I probably could have gotten rid of even more stuff.

I did end up spending a bit more than I planned (I had planned on spending $0). Yes, those are QuicKutz in the lower right corner of the photo below. If you look closely at the blue basket in the first picture above, you can see the back of several QK (I did sell quite a few). So why am I adding to my collection??? Can I justify the addition of the QK by saying I didn't pay for them? My table neighbor insisted I take them after I bought some paper from her. Plus, I had given her part of my lunch. Being nice pays off.

You can see vintage Chatterbox and KI in the last photo. I thought this was a pretty good haul for $13.25 (everything in the last two photos). The red brads alone would have been more than that if purchased new. Now I'm off to see what else I can get rid of from my I-had-to-have-it-but-never-used-it stash.

Garden update

Since I'm not organized enough to keep a garden calendar, I thought I would post some photos to remind me what I was growing when. The photos are from last week. I didn't include photos of the bell peppers or squash because they haven't sprouted yet. :(

Japanese cucumber

Swiss chard (I sowed some more, but they haven't come up yet). If you look closely to the left, you can see some green onion.

My new-to-me upside down planter. A friend was getting rid of his so I thought I would try it. I've got four tomato plants and one eggplant in it, probably too many, but I ended up with an extra plant and didn't know where to put it. We added that white board so hopefully the plant in the back will get some reflected sunlight.

Chinese long bean (string bean). These are my grandmother's seeds. Every year, my mom lets a few beans go to seed for the next year. And now I'm doing the same thing.

Wax beans. My first time growing them.

I have a couple more tomato plants that I didn't take pictures of. I want to plant beets and basil and that's it for this year.

Six on Saturday

1. I carpooled five days this week. The good part is I saved on gas and enjoyed my carpooler's company. The bad part is she likes working extra long days.
2. I'm up early today and already showered and took care of the garden. I guess this is a good way to start the long weekend, but I wish I slept in.
   
3. I probably didn't sleep in because of anticipation of the LSS garage sale today. If I do half as well as last time, I'll be thrilled since I sold most of my "big stuff" already.
   
4. We're going to a BBQ on Monday and I'll be bringing a new recipe or two. If they turn out, I'll post the results.
5. I'm loving Pinterest! But it looks like you need a Facebook or Twitter account to join. If anyone knows of another way to join, please let me know since I know some people would might enjoy Pinterest but don't belong to any social networking sites.
6. There's a walk challenge at work and everyone participating received pedometers. It is pathetic how few steps I take a day. My goal is to increase my step average every week.
   

Six on Saturday is a random collection of thoughts for the week. Feel free to post your own thoughts below or on your own blog and link back here.

The price was right

Mr. Fix-it was reluctant to try this new fabric softener, but I insisted on buying it because it was free with coupons. For free, we'll try it.

Six on Saturday

1. It's NSD (National Scrapbook Day for you non-scrapbookers) and I'm not scrapping. But I am window shopping.
2. I made a huge batch of spaghetti sauce to take to the Italian Aunties. They seemed to enjoy it so I guess I pass the kitchen test after all these years (or maybe they were just being polite).
3. Once again, I've been working too much. But you should be proud of me. On my days off last week, I only checked my voice mail three times and my e-mail a few times.
4. I still need to put most of the garden in, though I did buy two tomato plants. I need to get a few more, otherwise we won't have enough to freeze.
5. I don't like my new haircut. But that's because I'm trying to grow out my bangs and there isn't much my hairdresser can do with them.
6. Haven't ridden the bike in a couple weeks and I actually miss it. Does this mean I might actually enjoy exercising?
   

I clicked my heels...

three times and I was still at the office. I guess I don't have the right ruby slippers.

Sweet!

We didn't have anything for dessert so Mr. Fix-it took the mini banana muffins I made and frosted them with almond butter (and yes, he also sliced them in half and added almond butter between the layers). Yum!

Orchids

My white orchids finally bloomed after being dormant for a few years. It had been so long, Mr. Fix-it forgot what colors we had. He clipped one stem to enjoy inside and it lasted more than a month in a vase.

Blueberry muffins

Adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe. I really like this recipe because it makes six muffins, just the right number for us and they are not too sweet.
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely scooped, not packed
1 egg
1/3 cup half and half
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 6 oz fresh blueberries (about 3/4 to 1 cup)

Directions

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Mix in the sugar.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, just until moistened. Then gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Fill six paper-lined muffin cups (I use a Pampered Chef muffin pan).
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Five on Friday

1. I had the day off and spend most of it doing housework and yardwork. I guess that means I can relax this weekend.
2. I made lunch, mini banana muffins (recipe to come), and dinner. I think Mr. Fix-it likes it when I have the day off.
   
3. Why is my closet still stuffed if I got rid of a ton of clothes?
4. All of my memory cards are full. Time to delete and archive.
   
5. We still haven't decided what we're doing for Easter.
   

Five on Friday

1. It was a beautiful day today, but I was stuck inside doing market research. We did take a walk during the lunch break, but now I'm paying for it since I didn't put on enough sunscreen this morning.
2. I wish I was the Pioneer Woman so that I could have a yard full of tulips.
3. We're having a garage sale tomorrow. I hope it is successful.
4. Work has been a huge drain on me. I haven't put in that many more hours per week, but the intense workload is taking its toll.
5. I think I need to join Pinterest (like I don't spend enough time online as it is). Anyone have a spare invitation?
   

Fresh fish

Hmmm, I sure hope there isn't a hidden door between the two businesses.

Bye-bye Borders

I wasn't planning on hitting Border's clearance sale, but we happened to be in the area a couple weeks ago so we stopped in. There wasn't much left, despite the prices not being that good. I don't think 20 to 30% off a bargain. I did have a handful of magazines (at 50% off) that tempted me, but ended up getting only these two (Mr. Fix-it was not thrilled about me bringing more magazines home).
If you're interested in where to shop after Border's closes, check these independent book stores.

Corned beef and cabbage

I finally got around to cooking our corned beef and cabbage this weekend (I really look forward to the sales around St. Patrick's Day). I usually just boil (simmer) the corned beef and then add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. This year, I tried something new, first the simmer, and then I baked the corned beef with a coating of brown sugar and mustard. So yummy! I don't have an exact recipe, but here's what I did. All the changing of water was to try to reduce the salt (based on what I read online). I'm not sure if it made a difference though.

1. Cover the corned beef with water and let sit for an hour. Discard the water.
   
2. Refill the pot and bring the water to a simmer. Again, discard the water (it will probably be scummy).
3. Refill the pot and bring the water to a simmer again.
   
4. Simmer the beef for about an hour per pound, minus 1/2 hour (that's for baking time).
5. Transfer the corned beef to a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
6. Mix some brown sugar and mustard together and coat the top of the corned beef. (I used about 1/3 cup of brown sugar [not packed] and 2 tablespoons of mustard.)
   
7. Bake for about 1/2 hour. You end up with a yummy topping similar to a Honey-Baked ham.
   

While the corned beef is baking, you can boil the potatoes and cabbage in the cooking water.

This was so delicious! I think this is Mr. Fix-it's new favorite.

For sale

The recent LSS garage sale was a success! I had done them in the past without selling much (or ending up spending as much as I made), but this time, I was determined to make a dent in my stash. Plus, I think this store had the "right crowd," not too cutting edge and not too cheap either.
I brought five baskets filled to the brim like this one, a box of magazines, plus some tools, albums, and other big stuff. I actually had more stuff, but after I discovered that the tables were only 5 feet long and all the sellers were crammed in together, I left some stuff in the car. As it was, I had to put 1/3 of my stuff on the floor. I came came home with three empty baskets, most of the magazines, and just a couple of the big items. That's a lot of 25 and 50 cents items gone.

It was interesting what sold and what didn't. Tiny metal frames (actually anything metal) went quickly, as did Cuttlebug and Sizzix embossing folders. Quickutz did not move too well, even at $2 for NIP (new in package) club dies. Alpha sticker sheets, if priced at 25 or 50 cents sold, but sheets at $1 didn't. Punches and deco scissors (all NIP) sold well also. I wish my old magazines sold. I guess I'll donate them to the library for their sale. Paper sold okay. I didn't organize mine like I had for previous sales. I have a Cropper Hopper full of paper that I don't want any more that I take to crops to giveaway. Some people organized their paper by theme to sell, but I decided that was too much work. At 10 cents a sheet, I was happy to get rid of a few dozen sheets. Next time, I think I'll price them at 3/25 cents and maybe I can get rid of more. The woman next to me had premade pages that she was selling for $1-$2 each. They were from classes she taught. She said she sold over $100 worth!

Perhaps it would have been better to package stuff as bundles (it certainly would have been easier to add thing up), but that would have taken more time. Basically, I went though my stash and threw it into one of six piles (25 cents, 50 cents, $1, $2, $4, and special prices). Then I printed out price labels and Mr. Fix-it helped me label everything except the special priced items. That was a huge help. I really tried to price things to sell and remove any emotion to what I was getting rid of. Most items were priced from 10-25% of retail and most stuff was in its original package. Hardly anyone tried to bargain which was a relief to me since I hate bargaining.

The sale was a success for the LSS too. The owner said this was the best Saturday she's had in months, which means that people were looking for bargains and doing regular shopping too.

I was thrilled with how much I sold, but then I lost sleep that night thinking maybe I should have priced things higher. I just need to keep reminding myself that that stuff is gone and I'm happy for the space.

As for my scrapbook accounting, overall, I sold more than I spent so far this year, even counting the crop that was a bust and the table fee for the garage sale. I usually don't count crop fees (or my flight/car costs to crops) as part of my scrapbooking cost, but I started to this year.

So, see anything you need? I'll give you the special blog reader discount. :)

Five on Friday

1. My heart is breaking for the people of Japan. My coworker's wife is visiting family there. Although they are no where near the coast or earthquake, she's reported that the rice stores are already out of stock.
2. Wish me luck on the LSS garage sale tomorrow. Hopefully I'll sell more than the table cost and I won't be tempted to buy much. (Thank you Mr. Fix-it for helping me put price stickers on everything.)
3. In a couple weeks, we'll be fully staffed again, thank goodness.
4. That means I'll be doing a lot more training classes. You know, because I have so much time on my hands.
   
5. In light of #1, please make sure you have an emergency preparedness kit.
   

Recipes I'd like to try

I spend waaaay too much time reading food blogs or chasing down recipes. Funny thing is I hardly ever follow recipes, even though I have about a million bookmarked. Here's a few that caught my eye recently. Maybe you'll find something interesting. I'd love to hear a report if you try any of these.

Mozzarella stuffed meatballs
Home cured corned beef
Glazed cinnamon scones
Buttermilk syrup
Miso chicken
Graham crackers
Thomas Keller Oreos
Juice pulp crackers (although since I don't juice and don't own a dehydrator, I doubt I'll be trying this one any time soon)
Granola

Six on Saturday

Since I missed Five on Friday, I decided to go for Six on Saturday.

1. Brought a bunch of stuff to my BIL's garage sale and made $59. Not bad for a couple hours of hanging out. Plus I got some exercise since the kids and I went for a couple of walks.
2. Check out the PSA Stamp Camp blog. I've decided I need lots of these stamps. :)
3. I'm not looking forward to missing an hour of sleep. Especially since I'm going to a conference tomorrow.
4. I'm spending the next week digging through my scrapbook stash and deciding what I can get rid of. Based on today's garage sale, I'm getting better at letting go of stuff at a cheap price. I'd rather have the money and it is out of my house.
5. I wonder if Facebook will notice a decrease in traffic since so many people are giving up FB for Lent.
6. I repotted the avocado tree since we're not sure where we're going to plant it. Hopefully the new pot will keep it happy for a couple months.
   

Five on Friday

1. I put a small scrape on our car today. Thank goodness it can be buffed out.
2. It looks like it will be a busy March for us. We've got something to do every weekend.
3. We had awesome spaghetti sauce for dinner two nights this week. I pulled it out of the freezer to make dinner prep easier. I wish I could remember how I made it. (My sauce come out different every time I make it since I usually use whatever I have on hand.)
4. I finally harvested enough snow peas for two servings. It only took a week.
5. I really miss scrapbooking. Wonder if I'll ever get back to it.
   

Five on Friday

1. Won't you be my neighbor? There's a house for sale on my street with a fancy kitchen, a pool, and me for a neighbor! And it is priced $50K less than last year. What are you waiting for?
2. You could take all that savings and put it towards gas since it is now $3.69/gallon.
3. It is raining again. Guess I won't be working in the yard this weekend. Maybe I'll make soup.
   
4. We're getting our taxes done this weekend. Fun, fun, fun.
5. I've attended more than 25 meetings this month and there are at least five more scheduled before this month ends (yes, five more today and Monday). Whew, I'm tired!
   

Simplify: Baby steps

I've added a few minimalism and simplicity blogs to my Reader (which is cluttering my Reader, but let's not go there). What's the difference between the two? I'm not sure, but here's a good explanation. I think I'm more into the simplicity than minimalism. I like my little luxuries.

So what am I doing to simplify my life? I'm trying, trying, trying to declutter. It is a difficult task since I'm a packrat. One big step is to get rid of boxes. I have a tendency to stuff things into boxes to sort later. But somehow, later never comes.

I'm doing okay on my clothing rule of new in, old out. I got a couple of great turtlenecks at Target (only $7!) and even at that cheap price, I was still able to stick with my rule. In the past, I would have justified keeping everything in my closet "because the other stuff costs more." But I'm not allowing myself to put the new clothes away until the old clothes has been added to the giveaway bin so I had to get rid of the old stuff to avoid more clutter.

As for groceries, I'm trying not to stockpile as much. Really, how much pasta does one need? (Although a third of the pasta stash is already gone.) I've only made small trips to the grocery stores in the past month and our diet hasn't suffered at all.

Baby steps, but steps in the right direction.

Five on Friday

1. I'm happy that it is the weekend and Monday is a holiday.
2. If you're interested in reducing your paper towel usage, this is a great article.
   
3. Going out to lunch and dinner four times this week is hard on the pocketbook and caused a major weight increase...temporary I hope
   
4. I'm looking forward to celebrating my nephew's birthday this weekend.
   
5. We've having an incredible storm here tonight. I hope the backyard is still one piece tomorrow.
   

How I continue to avoid technology

I went to the bank today (actually an S&L) to ask about the monthly fee they were implementing for my checking account. With the last two takeovers, my account type was grandfathered in and I was never charged a monthly fee because I have direct deposit. I was hoping for the same thing this time. The banker (should I call him an S&Ler?) asked for my ID and ATM card. Sorry, I don't use the ATM. How about a debit card? Sorry, don't have one of those either. But here's my checkbook with the account number. Unfortunately, with this latest takeover, my direct deposit amount isn't high enough to avoid a monthly fee. Fortunately, since I have multiple accounts there, something else qualified me for free checking (but now that I think about it, I think he was looking at the wrong account so now I have to go back and clarify).

Then he asked me if I'd like to sign up for e-mails. No thanks. Online banking? No thanks. Did I have a cell phone? Yes. Would I like to receive texts? Nope, don't have texting on my phone. I think I confused him. I'm pretty sure most customers aren't like me, lol.

Five on Friday

1. I'm really bummed that today is one of my favorite coworker's last day.
2. I've got 192 unread posts in Reader. I'm just a little behind...which is surprising considering how much time I spend on the computer.
   
3. It is Friday and I've got two days off. Yay!
4. My nose is running; I hope I'm not getting a cold.
   
5. This making a list thing is harder than I thought it would be.
   

A mistake doesn’t mean you’re fired

As I was running around putting out fires this morning, the newest member of our team (she’s been here less than a month) called me over. There was a slightly panicked look in her eye when she confessed that she made a mistake. It took me a few minutes to wrap my head around the mistake, then I had to admit that I didn’t know the answer (or really, how to fix the problem since it involves several groups). I was able to help her backtrack as to how the mistake occurred so she could prevent it in the future and also clearly answer any questions when grilled by our manager. As it turns out, he took it calmly also (although he was slightly less calm when discussing it with me later).

The employee was surprised at how well we took it. I confessed that this morning was hectic with two video conferences back to back (and not enough time to prep) and that if she had told us any other time, our reactions might have been different. But the reality is getting mad wouldn’t solve anything and the best thing to do would be to figure out a solution. Hopefully, I’ll be this calm tomorrow when I hear back from the other parties that this affects.

The enchanted cilantro forest

I've been bringing bunches in to work every week. There's no way I could eat all of this.

It was a Hello Kitty birthday

It was the twins' birthday celebration yesterday. Hello Kitty was everywhere, including this cute cake their mom made (red velvet!). All the presents were Hello Kitty themed, including these, lol. Woo hoo! Big girl panties! Here was my present to them. Doesn't look that exciting, does it? A stack of paper.But it turns into this: The girls, their friend, and I played several rounds of the memory/match/concentration game. I didn't know that they already were familiar with the game, having played it on the computer. But I'll bet it wasn't Hello Kitty! I ended up giving one set to the girls and another set to their little friend. It was really difficult for her to understand that she could play with all the presents, but couldn't take anjavascript:void(0)y home. It was fun to make use of my scrap supplies; I did buy the Hello Kitty dies just to make stuff for the girls since I've outgrown Hello Kitty. (How's that for justification of my purchases?)

(I need add three 12x12 sheets used to my scrapbook accounting total)

Today's harvest

It's a start...

Saving on groceries: coupons

Coupons? Who wants to spend time clipping out little rectangles and organizing them? I don't "want" to, but they are an easy way to save quite a bit on your grocery or HBA (Health/Beauty Aids) bill.

If you're looking for coupon match ups and deals, check out Money Saving Mom, Coupon Pro, or the forums at Hot Coupon World. You may also find some local bloggers/websites who do match ups in your area. Those sites are good because they often list the store locations with the best deals or clearance markdowns.

Target and some grocery stores "stack" coupons. That means you can use one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon on the the same item. Be careful when printing/clipping "store" coupons. Sometimes they are really manufacturer coupons, even though they are in the store ad or printed from the store website. If you do this, be prepared with the store policy. I've had checkers refuse to take multiple coupons or allow me to stack coupons.

I almost always shop with coupons. I usually buy the Sunday paper on Saturday so I can get a sneak peek at the coupons. I got into this habit because one local store used to put 3-day specials in the Sunday paper. They stopped that a few years ago, but I never got out of the habit. I recently got a Groupon deal for a competing newspaper and it was worth it just to get the better coupons. (disclosure: if you sign up for Groupon via the link, I may get a referral bonus)

If you don't want to subscribe to the newspaper (or if coupons aren't available in your Sunday paper), you can buy coupons on ebay, from a coupon clipping service, or see if a friend will pass them on to you. If I'm out for Sunday brunch or passing by an outdoor cafe, I'm not above picking up abandoned coupon flyers or asking people for their coupons. I'm more prone to do this if I know there are awesome coupons that week. You can check out preview sites or forums at hotcouponworld.com. You can also print coupons at coupons.com, redplum, and smart source. (You'll need to download an app to print the coupons; I've never been able to get the smart source printer to work.) You can also load coupons on your cell phone, but since my cell phone is just a phone, I haven't done that.

Sometimes, you get coupons at the register (called Catalinas, after the company that markets them). They are usually for a product you just bought or may be for a competing product. If the Catalina is especially good, I've been know to put my groceries in the car and then turn around and buy that one item on the Catalina. (Catalinas count as manufacturer's coupons.)

I'm not a rabid couponer and (usually) won't drive out of my way for deals. I also don't shop at CVS or Walgreens because I don't want to figure out their coupon deals on top of the shopping I already do. Call me lazy (or practical since I know my limits). You'll need to figure out what works for you. Do you want to clip coupons only for brands you're familiar with (say, Kraft salad dressing)? Or do you want to clip coupons for everything in a category (all salad dressings).

Clipping coupons takes more time than I'd like so I usually try to multitask and clip the coupons when I'm a passenger in the car or while watching TV. Same with the sorting.

I keep my coupons in this box (I purchased it years ago; yes, those are rust stains). If you only clip a few coupons, a recycled envelope works. Or you could buy a coupon organizer (most are too small for me). Some avid couponers organize their coupons in binders, using baseball card holders to store the coupons. I thought about it, but decided it was too much work. You could also keep the flyers intact and just cut out coupons as you need them.

Some things I never buy without coupons (and usually combined with a sale):
cereal
crackers
canned foods
yogurt (except for Greek yogurt)
feminine products
toilet paper
shampoo
toothpaste/toothbrushes

Keep your coupons near your keys or shopping bags or in your car so that you don't forget to take them to the store. Good luck with your savings!

Saving at the grocery store series (topics subject to change):
My grocery budget
Coupons (this post)
Making a list (coming soon)
Checking it twice (coming soon)
Other ways to save (coming soon)

Scrapbook accounting update

Three weeks into the year and I'm doing okay on the scrapbook accounting front. I'd feel a little better if I actually sold some stuff to pay for what I'm buying, but listing it somewhere just seems like too much work right now.

Used/given away:
22 letter size paper
38 yards of fiber/ribbon
1 ribbon pack
6 buttons
2 brads
3 flowers
3 gems
7 sticker sheets
1 stamp
1 embellishment pack

Purchased (-$25.15):
2 embellishment packs
9 12x12 paper
1 sticker sheet
2 yards ribbon
1 tool (Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher)

March update
Purchased tool (-$20)
LSS garage sale(-$10)
Purchased (-4.25)
5 embellishment packs
5 sticker sheets
Sold $153

Why didn't I think of that sooner?

I was looking for some stationery to write a quick note (and I didn't feel like making a card), when I spotted this paper in my scrapbook stash. Why not not use the back of this pretty paper? So I did.(Thanks for the paper S. See, I'm using it even if not on a scrapbook page.)

Hamburger soup

or maybe I should call this Hamburger Stew since there isn't a lot of liquid. This soup is easy to put together and reheats well.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)
2 tsps olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4-5 carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
1-2 ribs of celery (about 3/4 cup)
3 medium potatoes chopped (about 4 cups)
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 can of water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
dash of pepper

Directions

1. Brown ground beef and onion in olive oil until the meat is cooked and the onions are transluscent. (Note: if you use ground beef with a higher fat content, you can omit the olive oil. You may also need to drain any excess fat.)
   
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
3. Partially cover and simmer for at least an hour.

The salt in the canned tomatoes and sodium in the celery added enough salt for us. You may need to add salt for your taste.

This soup is more like a light stew. You can add another can of diced tomatoes, plus another can of water if you want this to be more soup-like.

Makes about 3 quarts.

Saving on groceries: my budget

My friend Kristin asked for some grocery shopping tips and I thought, "What? I'm no expert!". But we do live frugally so if I can help anyone by writing down what we do, then I'm happy to do it. I hope to make this an ongoing topic on my blog since it fits in with my desire to save more money this year. I started an outline, broke down the topics into more details, and wrote and wrote and wrote. After I got to eight paragraphs, I knew I had to publish this information in separate posts so neither of us was overwhelmed.

Let's start with some background. I'm not a frugality or financial expert, but we do manage to live okay on what we have. Nor am I an extreme couponer, but I am an extreme saver (more than 30% of my paycheck goes into retirement/savings plans) and I couldn't do that if I didn't save in other places, like groceries. I'm not giving the 30% number to brag, but hopefully to inspire you. A few years ago, my friend (who was making about the same as me) told me she was paying double her mortgage to pay it off faster. Again, this wasn't bragging, but merely a factual statement that she was hoping to pay off her house sooner than 30 years and how she was going about it. I knew we wouldn't be able to do make double mortgage payments, but I was inspired to save more because of what she said.

According to the USDA, the average cost of food for Nov. 2010 for my family/age group was $347.80 to $690.20, depending on if you're thrifty or liberal with your grocery shopping. I'm not sure how the cost of living in different cities comes into play; frankly, I didn't read all 80 pages of the dry report.

We spend around $380/month on "food"; that amount includes vitamins, paper goods, shampoo, soap, and other consumables, which the USDA doesn't include. I group these items together because sometimes I buy paper goods/soap/etc. at the grocery store and sometimes I buy food at Target. It just makes my bookkeeping easier. If you add in our dining out budget, we're still below the USDA average cost for a liberal monthly cost of food. I think we're doing quite well, especially since we live in a high cost of living area. According to the news gas averages $3.35/gallon here. Ouch!

If you're looking at cutting your grocery budget, looking at the USDA average can give you an idea if you're on the right track. Of course, if you live in an expensive area, entertain a lot, buy all organic, or have food allergies or other dietary needs (sorry, chocolate is not a dietary need), your costs will most likely be higher. You can easily track your spending for a few weeks (or even better, a few months) on a spreadsheet. I don't have a specific amount I spend per week, but since I know what our average grocery/consumable costs are, I just keep that in mind while shopping. It doesn't bother me to spend $70 one week if there are great sales because I know I'll spend less the next week. For example, yesterday, I bought vitamins and probiotics at the natural food store, which added another $40+ to the total. That's enough to last us two months and I'll keep my eye out for the next sale so I don't overspend.

Saving at the grocery store series (topics subject to change):
My grocery budget (this post)
Coupons (coming soon)
Making a list (coming soon)
Checking it twice (coming soon)
Other ways to save (coming soon)

Free Rice

I thought I'd post this again in case anyone wants to play.

Check out this website. It is a fun way to test your vocabulary and get rice donated to the UN World Food Program. Each time you get a word wrong, the vocabulary level drops by one. If you get three right in a row, the vocabulary level increases by one. So it is really easy to drop levels, but not so easy to go up.

Cards from the crop

The crop this past weekend was a bust. $45 for an all day crop. It included breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but for what we got, it wasn't worth it. The crop was supposed to start at 9:00, but the doors didn't open until 9:20. Not that we'd start scrapping as soon as we got in, but geez, we're paying for this. Start on time, especially since people were waiting for the doors to open. Breakfast was bagels, Krispy Kreme donuts, and OJ; that was okay. Lunch was teriyaki chicken bowls; tasty, but not a vegetable in sight (I'm not counting the sprinkling of green onions as a serving of veggies). Er, no vegetarian option? Okay, I understand that it is the scrapper's responsibility to inform you, but after an inquiry at lunch, you knew that there were vegetarians present. So why was dinner In-and-Out hamburgers? That was a disaster with half the orders wrong and other orders missing. Next time, I'm scrapping at home. Or, I'll wait for a free crop day. I did enjoy the company and we had a scrap celeb at our table. She was very sweet. Her style is totally not my style, but it was fun watching her build her pages. She used color combos I never thought of and lots of layers and tags.

My goal was 20 cards (such a modest goal) and I made 21 cards, woo hoo! Too bad it didn't make much of a dent in my stash. For accounting purposes, I'm counting each card as one sheet of letter-size paper since each card base is 1/2 sheet, plus many were lined and then whatever I used on the front. Supplied used: 21 letter size sheets of paper, 8 yards of fiber/ribbon, 6 buttons, 2 brads, 3 flowers, 3 gems. Maybe I need to learn how to add more layers to use more stuff. Here are a few of my favorites from the crop.

Another sales bust at Michaels

I heard that Michaels (the craft store) was clearancing some Cricut cartridges for only $9.99. Michaels sales are so weird. These cartridges were regularly $69.99, not that anyone would pay full price for them. You could easily find them online for $39.99, $29.99 if there's a sale, and less than $20 if you went the ebay route. If Michaels had priced them at $14.99 or maybe even $19.99, I think they still would have sold out.

Of course, the sale started on different days in different parts of the country and 2peas was abuzz with the deals or empty shelves people were finding. Me, since I didn't check out sale for a couple days, I was met with empty shelves. I'm not sure why I bothered. I hardly use my Cricut (I'm more of a Quickutz gal).

Winner, winner!

The good folks over at Random.org helped me pick the winners for my cardstock giveaway. According to my count, #7 is CraftyJen, #4 is Nancy, and #6 is CJJ. Jen, I have your address. Nancy and CJJ, I'll contact you for your addresses. Thanks for playing!

That was a different shopping trip

We went to a different grocery store from our usual since it was on the way home from running errands. Adding to the strangeness was I didn't have my coupon box with me. I have no idea why I didn't bring it. As it turns out, we really didn't need it because we bought a ton of stuff on clearance (and I know I didn't have coupons for any of this). Most of food has a sell by date of 1/12 or later so we're very comfortable buying it to eat/freeze this week. All this plus another bag of groceries for $16! Dry salami $0.79, regular price $5.49. Individual tapioca pudding $0.10. Cooked chicken breast (6 oz) $0.25, regular price $4.49; we're adding some sauce and having it for dinner tomorrow. Bean sprouts for $0.25. A frozen dinner for an emergency lunch or dinner. Our groceries usually have a much lower amount of packaged/processed foods, but I couldn't resist these deals. We may have to switch back to this store if we continue to get deals like these.

My scrapbook resolution

As with many of you, I have waaaay more supplies than I could ever use. But I can't seem to stop buying scrapbook goodies. Is there a 12 step program for me?

one tiny portion of my stash

I'm not one for new year's resolutions, but I've really got to get a handle on my roomful of supplies. So, for 2011, I resolve to get rid of, pass on, sell, or use the equivalent of everything I bring into the house. You might think I'm making a dent with my giveaway, but I'm not counting that. That would be too easy. Maybe I'll post an occasional update if you remind me.

Wish me luck. First hurdle, an all day crop tomorrow.

Thank you cards

(It has only taken a me months to post this.)

Last year, I received some really lovely birthday gifts and I wanted to send thank you notes that reflected my appreciation. I also wanted to use some new toys: a Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder (which I've since destroyed and need to replace) and a Fiskars punch that I got on clearance for only $2. There's a lot of layers on this card, but it is still flat enough to not to require extra postage, especially since I put a piece of cardstock over the front of the card when I mailed it.

I've always loved Basic Grey, but I find the patterns difficult to work with so I was happy to be able to use it on these cards. Plus, remember all that fiber we collected in multiple swaps, oh so many years ago? I was able to make a tiny dent in my collection.

Out with the old

Over the holiday break, I convinced Mr. Fix-it to take a few shopping trips so I could scout out some bargains. I didn't get a few things I wanted (a black belt, new coat, dress shoes and pants for work), but I get a few sweaters for work, two pairs of sneakers (mine are falling apart), three nightgowns (I don't really need them, but I couldn't resist since they were only $2 each), and nylons (yes, I still wear them).

In my quest to reduce the amount of crap in the house, I am trying to throw out something for every new item I bring in, so this means I needed to get rid of eight things (I'm not counting the nylons since they'll get thrown out eventually). In an ideal world, it would be one for one, but I couldn't bear to part with two pairs of shoes (I'm keeping my crappy sneakers for working in the yard). It was a struggle, but here's what is going into the giveaway box:Really, why am I keeping skirts that don't fit or blouses I don't like or a rose-colored suit that I haven't worn in 10 years? Who knows if anyone at Goodwill will want this stuff? All of it is still wearable (some of the tops have only been worn a few times), even if it isn't fashionable.

I did pick up another bargain, some of my favorite chocolate. I'm pretty sure the candy will taste just as good now as it would have before Christmas. It was only 40% off, but since the candy hardly ever goes on sale, I couldn't resist.

Got cardstock?

Have you ever submitted your name/e-mail to an online contest? Did you ever think that those contests were a scam or wonder if anyone ever won those contests? Well, real people do win those contests and I'm here to tell you about it. Core'dinations had a contest where you had to watch a video showing various techniques on how to alter their cardstock. I thought the video was well done, entered my name/e-mail, and promptly forgot all about the contest. Imagine my surprise weeks later to get an e-mail from Core'dinations. Still, I didn't want to believe anything until I had the goodies in hand.

Although I mentioned my big win to Mr. Fix-it, he obviously forgot about it because I got a phone call from him at work, "What the heck did you order? It weighs a ton!" There was a squeal of delight from me, followed by an embarrassed cough since I was, after all, in the non-soundproof/non-private cubicle at work. Who wouldn't be excited to win 500+ sheets of cardstock? But what the heck am I going to do with all that cardstock? After all, I probably have that many sheets of cardstock and patterned paper already (another embarrassed cough here). How about sharing the wealth? How about some of this? (this is a 20 sheet pack)Or this? (this is an 80 sheet pack)All you have to do leave a comment by January 7th. I'll pick two winners sometime over that weekend. How's that for a nice start to the new year?

The fine print: The cardstock will be shipped to US addresses only. I priced shipping these overseas and the cost was painful. But if you're overseas and leave a comment and I draw your lucky number, I'll send you some other scrappy goodness.

What I didn't do this year

This was a tough year for us. There was a lot that I didn't do.

• I didn't visit my parents enough, but they were understanding about it (and can any child ever visit their parent enough?).
• I didn't scrap much, but I hope to do more next year.
  
• I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't really gain weight either. I'm considering this two pound difference a temporary increase.
• I didn't buy a new car, but I hope to next year.
• I didn't lose it at work, even though we lost three people and will soon lose another.
• I didn't lose it at home, even with the passing of my FIL and my accident.
• I didn't buy a smart phone so I still have an incredibly cheap cell phone plan.
• I didn't sign up for cable, FIOS, or Dish so that's still hundreds of dollars I'm not spending. I'm pretty sure we'll be the last people in the US to sign up for cable.
  
• I didn't run up any credit card debt. Despite an increase in expenses and a decrease in income, we still managed to get by.
  

It wasn't an easy year, yet I am happy with how we dealt with it and how we got through the rough spots. I found strength (and vulnerability) I didn't know I had. I'm thankful for a loving and understanding husband and thoughtful and supportive friends and family. Thank you!

Wishing you a wonderful 2011! I hope that the new year brings permanent jobs, good health, happy families, and lots of love for you.

Marinated olives

I needed to take something to the department potluck and I wanted something easy. I signed up for an appetizer and decided to bring marinated artichoke hearts and marinated olives. The artichoke hearts came from a jar; the hard part of the prep was opening the jar. No, seriously, the lid was on so tight, it took us several tries to open the jar. As for the olives, I searched online and found several recipes, but either didn't have the right ingredients or thought the recipes were too complicated. Either my coworkers really like olives or I came up with a great recipe because I got lots of compliments from the cooks in the group. But really, how can you go wrong with garlic and olive oil? Here's my recipe (sorry, I don't have a photo).

Ingredients
1 can black olives
1 can green olives
Zest and juice from 1/2 of a medium lemon. The zest should be in strips.
2-3 short sprigs of thyme (the sprigs I had were about 4 inches long)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together. The olive oil/lemon juice should coat, but will not cover the olives. You may need to add a bit more olive oil.

Marinate overnight.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Add a few more sprigs of thyme for garnish.

Notes
Several recipes called for grated zest, but I thought that the peel was more attractive in strips. Also, I wanted the lemon flavor to be more subtle since I wasn't sure how the marinade would turn out.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs, vinegars, and olive oil.

Crafty enabler alert!

Thanks to my friend Holly (there's a link to her blog on the right), I found out some awesome sales via Splitcoaststampers.com. Check it out!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/shophop

And here a code (SANTA25) for 25% off at your​scrapbookst​ash.com. That includes sale items.

We haven't hit the post holiday sales yet. I'm pretty sure by the time we get to the stores, we'll only find XSs and XLs left, neither of which fit us.

The best Christmas present

(Sorry, I don't have a picture, but maybe I'll get one later. Besides, a photo will spoil the surprise.)

We spent Christmas eve at BIL's and had a delicious dinner (I need to get the soup recipe from my SIL). Afterward, we opened presents or rather, we tried to hold back the kids from opening presents until everyone got in the room. Little G got awesome presents from Nana and Papa. A little birdie must have told them about his love of Star Wars Legos since he received both the Wii game and pajamas. After that, he was glued to the Wii for the rest of the night. As for the girls, Nana and Papa gave them strollers for their Bitty Babies and matching PJs. The girls were so cute with their matching jammies and matching Bitty Babies.

But the best present? The one that actually made the girls gasp? I'll take credit for that gift thankyouverymuch! We gave them Hello Kitty and Ni Hao Kai Lan band aids. Yes, band aids. And even funnier was at dinner, Miss C was complaining about an owie and SIL said they were out of band aids. So after opening her present, Miss C had Nana help her put a band aid on the bruise her leg. Later, Miss E bumped her head, but managed to put a band aid on her forehead all by herself, which made it all better. They both proudly showed off their owies the rest of the night.

My new drinking buddies

Several months ago, we were at a local museum and as usual, we ended the visit with a trip to museum store. I liked this coffee mug and when I saw the price, half off, I liked it even more! It was from a previous exhibit so I guess it was out with the old.

As soon as I started using my new mug, I fell in love with it. First of all, it is china, not ceramic, so it is lighter. Plus, since the material is thinner, the mug actually holds more than a ceramic mug that's the same diameter. More tea for me!

I wanted to go back and get some more mugs, but the museum is a little out of the way, plus there weren't any new exhibits we wanted to see. Finally, months later, we went back. But of course, there weren't any more mugs on the clearance shelf. Bummer! But wait! Mr. Fix-it spotted one lone mug on display with other mugs and also found one for himself. I think he's taken the title to heart.
But I don't think there's much of a likeness.

Noodles

If you're tired of turkey and aren't quite ready for Christmas feasting, here are some links to interesting noodle dishes from some of my favorite food blogs:

I love handmade noodles; this blogger even included a video; I'm going to have to try this some day.

Here's another video on handmade noodles. I also like the shaved noodles.

I always order pad see ew when we go out for Thai food at lunch. Hey, I know it is a funny name, but it is tasty.

This post about sweet potato noodles was interesting, except for the pig intestines part.

La Fuji Mama (love the name) shows us how to make handmade undon noodles. I don't think I'm up to it.

Lest you think I only read Asian food blogs, here's a homey dish I want to try some day.

Hope you enjoyed this little recipe/blog round up.