Monday, April 28, 2008

Blog Carnival Winner $50 Visa Card!

I have got to start off with saying how very nice to have all the comments! You are the sweetest bunch of ladies! Almost everyone had something nice to say. It does the heart good.

I almost wish I hadn't asked what you'd buy though. It made me think of many, many things that I'd like to have as well! LOL

I wish I had 560 giftcards to give away. But I don't. I only have the one. Well, truth be told, I don't even have it in hand yet. But I will have it tomorrow. :)

And the winner is:

Tisha!

She said in her comment:

"I would use the money so my husband and I could go out on a date!! :) How fun, thanks for this great giveaway!"

I really hope you guys have fun on your night out if that's what you decide to do with the prize.

I've already emailed Tisha and if I don't hear back from her in the alloted time, I'll draw again. :)

Thank you all so much for participating. I will be visiting many of your blogs as time allows.

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Monday, April 21, 2008

Want A $50 Visa Giftcard? Give-A-Way Over!

Giveaway over! No more comments allowed. Winner to be picked soon!

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival Button



Time for another blog give-a-way! What a fun way to meet new and different bloggers and maybe win a little loot in the process!

Well, the loot at this site is gonna be...a $50 Visa Giftcard!

That's right. 50 smackeroos (in plastic form) to spend how you see fit. Mailed right to your door. Maybe you've been wanting a mixer? Or something from Amazon. Or how about some nice steaks at the grocery store? Hey, you can even buy gas with it!

Whatever you little heart desires.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling what you would like to buy with the giftcard between right-this-second-now and 4pm Saturday, April 26 when comments will be turned off. I know that's an odd time, but I promise I have my scheduling reasons. :)

Winner will be chosen with a random number generator and notified no later than Monday, April 28. If you don't say what you'd like to buy, your entry is void.

This contest is open to bloggers and non bloggers alike. But please make sure if you have a blog, to have an easy to find email link. And if you don't have a blog, you must leave a valid email address (how else will I get in touch with you when you win?).

You have 3 days to respond to the winning email notification, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

This contest is open to residents of the US only.

See how easy? Come on and comment!

Want to enter more contests? This would be the place to click!

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)



Seriously. I can't believe it's Monday already again. Every year as we wrap up the school year it takes me by surprise. Which is totally silly I know. And all the activities! From science fairs to Girl Scout dinners to play productions. And much, much more. Our schedule is starting to look scary.

We're changing things up a little here in the food department. Reevaluating how we feel nutritionally about certain foods. To tell the truth, we've gotten into eating some foods (sometimes) that are just not so healthy. White rice. White potatoes. More sweets than I would like to have here. Bacon. You know.

So I imagine our food budget is going to go out kicking and screaming. I will, of course, do what I can to keep it low. But I do want what we use to fuel our bodies to be as nutritional as possible without breaking the bank.

I am excited that our peach trees have teeny peaches on them. And it looks like we may get some cherries too this year! We've also planted more things recently, but I'll save that for a garden update post.

I've been reading Green Smoothie Girl's site and have found tons of inspiration. Though we will most likely never be vegetarian (though we were for a while). It just doesn't seem to work well for us.

Whew.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(I also make a whole wheat bread that I will soon calculate the costs and give the recipe.)

What I'm working with this week:
TONS of fresh root vegetables (Sam's trip) and a ridiculous amount of both fresh and frozen fruit.

Monday - Steaks (my husband picked some up from the grocery store yesterday and they were not on sale, but they look fabulous), collard greens, carrots and ww bread. $29.50

Tuesday - Steak (leftover) fried quinoa. Think of it as a healthier fried rice dish? (This is an experiment. It may not work.) $4

Wednesday - Church moving party. We'll probably have to grab something out.

Thursday - Grilled thin sliced pork chops, creamed corn, salad $23.75

Friday - Pork chops (leftover) with sauteed root vegetables over quinoa. $6.25

Total for the work week - $63.50

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Monday, April 07, 2008

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)



I finally got my freezers cleaned out (and the small one defrosted) last week. It was really past time. So now I at least know what I have and what I need. I also got the pantry dusted and straightened. It's amazing the little things that can make a difference. It really looks a lot better!

What (fresh) I'm working with this week:
Some leftover steak. We finally got to cookout again yesterday (in between church and our small group meeting) and we've got a little of the meat left. I also have cabbage and lots of eggs.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(Also, this is the estimate of these individual meals. Not included is the cost of drinks (tea, milk, occasionally soda, ect), desserts (which we have way too often), snacks, or any other meal of the day. This price does NOT reflect my grocery totals for the week.)

Monday - Steak fried rice $1.50

Tuesday - Thin sliced pork chops (cooked on the grill), sauteed cabbage $10

Wednesday - Dinner at the church. I'll bring some vegetable dish. $6

Thursday - Sauteed chicken and vegetables on lettuce $11.75

Friday - Leftover sauteed chicken/vegetable burritos $2.50

Total for the work week - $31.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

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Friday, April 04, 2008

Frugal Friday Another Banana Tip



We don't really have issues here about wasting food. I like to think it's because my expectations have always been that it's disrespectful to waste, but the truth could just as easily be that we're all good eaters. We like food.

However there are exceptions. Like when the bananas at the market are HUGE and no one wants that much banana in his/her cereal. So we might try to get someone to share. And there were times that if no one would, we'd simply forgo the banana.

Well, no more.


We simply slice off as much of a banana as we'd like to eat. Right through the peel. This is what was left of this particular banana.


After a day or so this is what the end looks like.


To use the rest of the banana, we simply slice a very small sliver off.


And the rest of the banana is as beautiful and fresh tasting as ever!

For more frugal ideas be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

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