Two yummy treats

I am making rocky road brownies. Sometimes I add walnuts, sometimes chocolate syrup, but always the marshmallows :) You can use minis, but if you only have the big ones, cut them into quarters and add to your brownie mix. Mine's from a box from the dollar store, homemade would be fine too. I find it cheaper to use a mix for brownies because I only need an egg and water, instead of all the butter and sugar.

Last night I had a hankering for an Orange Julius. Instead of schlepping to the mall, I made my own in the magic bullet. Because I added banana, I am calling mine Orange Banoolius.

Here's what I did:

juiced two oranges (good for the wrinkly ones)

added frozen banana chunks ( I freeze mine before they rot for just this purpose)

1/2 cup milk

a bit of vanilla pudding I had left over 1/4 cup? yogurt would be good too.

Whizzed it all together in the bullet. YUM!!

Fun Saturday.

We went shopping at Zellers today and I bought $50 worth of loss leaders, including a ten pound bag of flour for 6.99! I also used three .75 coupons for wonder plus bread and since it was on sale, the coupons worked out to my getting a loaf free. We have tons of flour now, including whole wheat, so my plan is to make some whole wheat bread and other bread products like pitas and naan bread. Then we drove a few miles down the road to Enderby and filled up at 120.9 instead of 131.9, which saved us about 5.00. Not bad. We were out that way anyhow. Then we stopped at the Armstrong cheese factory and ate samples and bought some cheese. Besides Walmart, which sells it in a tiny bag, this is the only place my husband has found fresh cheese curds and as a French Canadian, he must have his cheese craving satisfied every so often. We rounded out the day's outing with the home show, trying out the massage chair and sampling things here and there. A great morning!

Ten convenience foods that are cheaper and better at home.

1. Garlic bread. I bought a loaf of french bread for a dollar. How much cheaper would it be if I made my own bread from scratch? I added my own butter, garlic whizzed up in the Magic Bullet and parsley flakes. Cheap and cheerful.

2. Chicken wrap snackers/burritos Try saying that ten times fast. They sell these for two bucks each, but I am sure they could be made a lot cheaper than that at home with grocery store stuff. Imagine with homemade tortillas! Dried beans!

3. Pad Thai. This is essentially a stir fry. Make it at home and eat it with chopsticks.

4. Pizza. I can make gourmet pizza for about half the price of so-so take out pizza, even when I cheat and buy the crust already made.

5. Popcorn/chips Buy a case of microwave popcorn and don't bother with the greasy stuff at the movie theatre. Or better yet, pop from bulk kernels. I always burn it, so I have quit doing this. Try caramel popcorn or marshmallow popcorn for a treat. Buy a big bag of chips and bag them up in snack bags for lunches. I get multi grain rounds and pack a bit of salsa with them. Yum.

6. Chili. I just made a vat of chili for 30-40 people for about .40 a serving at my aunt's party. Seriously, why would I want to pay $4 for a little bowl?

7. Chai tea lattes/espresso. Five bucks a cup?? Puhleese. It's tea/coffee and milk. Enough said.

8. Granola. Oh so freakin' cheap to make at home, plus you know what is in it and you can make a basic one and add other ingredients to your bowl at breakfast. I love this for summer, saves on commercial cereal costs.

9. Yogurt. Again, I love this in the summer for smoothies, baking and breakfast.

10. Jello/ pudding. Buy some containers and pack your own from a big bowl. You get more at lunch and it's cheaper.

Bits of Beauty

Not much to say, home from my aunty's birthday. The chill in the air did nothing to dispel the warmth in our hearts. I love my family!! Enjoy the beauty shots.

I have GOT to try this!!

I am going to make a top like this. It is amazing! Thanks to two butterflies for bringing it to my attention. I had a rare great sewing day yesterday and it has made me think that maybe I can actually sew after all. My machine is very temperamental. It is only a few years old but it was a starter machine to begin with and I feel I've outgrown it. My budget says otherwise, however, so, as Katy Wolk-Stanley, of the Non Consumer Advocate says, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Sage advice, to be sure.

I don't think I should have uploaded this photo of chocolate chip cookies though. I may need to make them and then sew my top even bigger.

Spring Cleaning part deux

Well, perhaps I was a bit ambitious in completing my whole spring clean in two days. I had to prioritize a bit in order to get it all looking in order again, and there is always more to do, but so far I am satisfied with my efforts. I tend to expect more of myself than is sometimes humanly possible, so I am working on that. Today, so far, I have completed:

-Pick up garbage/clutter -

-Put away shoes and coats -

-Sweep all floors

-Vacuum and deoderize carpet in master bedroom

-clear simons floor

-clean bathroom#2

Still to complete: Wipe down all surfaces, Clean windows Fold Laundry Put away "stuff" in baskets.

Oh, I also sewed an Elvis cape. More on that later. :)

Spring Cleaning and Menu Plan

Using the spring cleaning checklist from Cents to get Debt Free as a guide, I began my two day whirlwind cleaning spree. It's taken me much of the first day on the kitchen, but I hope the other chores won't be as time consuming.

Here's my list for Day One (today)

Kitchen:

Wash Dishes-done

Deep Clean Stove-done

Wash out Fridge-done

Sweep and scrub floors-done

Wipe down cupboards and counters-done

Run empty dishwasher with vinegar-done

Garbage/recycling-done

Living room:

P/U garbage and clutter-done

Dust-done

Sweep-done and mop vacuum

Clean sliding glass door

Febreze

Entry way:

Vac and mop

tidy closet (did a major closet overhaul recently so this should be easy)

wash mirror doors

Laundry area:

Vacuum around machines

Mop

Tidy cleaning supplies-done

Wipe down machines

Run washer on empty with vinegar-done

Bathroom #1

Clean organize-done

Menu Plan:

Monday:

Pinto Bean and rice soup (kitchen sink soup)

Cheddar cheese biscuits

Tuesday:

Frittatas and home fries

Wednesday:

Seafood linguine

Green salad

Thursday:

Pizza night.

Friday:

Homemade chili and cornbread for my aunty's party

Saturday :

At my Aunty's Birthday Party outta town wooot!!! Party food!

Sunday:

Leftovers/Soup and sandwiches