Life's Accidental Journey

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Tuna Patties

Recipe (and trust me, I use the word loosely) follows pics.

I start with several small, or 3-4 big packs of light tuna. Of course you can used canned as well. I found these packs on sale Buy-1-Get-1-Free. I've also heard that you can substitute canned Salmon, but have never tried it that way.

As per most of my concoctions, chop some onion. This is about a cup.

Throw in a handful of Parmesan cheese.

A cup or so of breadcrumbs

This is the special ingredient. A couple of tablespoons of this makes them nice and spicy. Of course, use which spices you like.

A handful of shredded cheese (they do not taste cheesy at all, this just tends to make them moist and can certainly be omitted)

A tablespoon or so of chopped garlic or to taste

Dump in the tuna (and not shown but needed, 1 large egg)

I have no idea why Worcestershire is so good in this, but it is. I use a few shakes.

Mix it all together

Spoon it out on a greased pan.

Douse liberally with olive oil (this gives it a crunchier exterior)

In the oven at 425 for about 15-20 minutes. I then turn on the broiler to brown them a bit.

And this is the finished product

Preheat oven to 425

Recipe:

7 single serve packs of light tuna (or possibly equal amounts of Salmon?)

1 cup of chopped onion

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup (or more) bread crumbs

2 T Greek seasoning (or whatever you like)

½ (or so) cup of shredded cheese

1 T chopped garlic (or to taste)

1 L Egg ***Not pictured, but needed to bind ingredients***

1 T (or so) Worcestershire

Mix and shape into patties, place on greased baking pan. Douse with olive oil. Cook for 15-20 min. at 425. May need to broil for a minute or two afterward to brown a bit.

Serve with homemade tartar sauce (and my girls like to add ketchup, like with fish sticks?)

***These are actually very, very good fried. Just mix them up as directed and then fry in small quantities in a skillet with an inch or so of med/high hot oil until golden brown (several minutes per side). But be warned, they splatter and pop hot oil like nobodies business. That's the only reason I bake them now. I can't stand the oil splatters.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

It's gonna be a busy week. We have our local Homeschool Curriculum Fair (the big one) here this week and I'm chairing the volunteer committee that staffs one of our co-op's booths.

So all the more reason to stay organized with a meal plan. And also keep it really simple this week.

Monday - Spicy black beans and rice with chopped onion. Homemade bread.

Tuesday - Bean soup (made from leftover spicy black beans) and cornbread.

Wednesday - Jennifer's recipe for Baked Ranch Chicken. Squash casserole.

Thursday - Egg Salad Sandwiches, some type of easy pudding pie.

Friday - Eat Out (Homeschool Curriculum Fair all day)

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Frugal Friday Laundry

Washing clothes for a family of 5 can be expensive. Or not so expensive.

A few ways I save on laundry:

1. I can spend $15 at S*ams for a big bucket of laundry detergent or I can spent approximately 52¢ to make the same amount.

I've posted before about how I make my own laundry detergent. I've done this pretty much exclusively for a year now and have had no problems (or complaints) at all.

2. I wash everything I can in cold water, year round. The only thing that gets hot water is the whites (occasionally) when I use the Yellow Out. I know it's cheaper to use cold water on the gas bill and it's more than likely easier on the clothing.

3. I usually (time permitting) hang most of our clothing* to dry year round. I do not have an outside clothes line. I have this:

Just a simple drying rack.

It's easy to put up in the pantry on laundry day. It holds almost 2 full loads of clothing if I'm mindful of how I position them.

Use the ends.

Here I've added hangers to add extra space.

The stuff is dry in a few hours unless the weather is icky and even then it's dry the next day. And I don't have to run the dryer, which saves on the electric bill. Plus, it's definitely easier on the clothing than machine drying. No shrinking!

The contraptions collapses to nothing when not in use. And is easy to put away.

*Towels and jeans get dried in the dryer. I've found that they tend to want to mildew if hung to dry inside.

ETA: You can find the info on washing soda (one of the ingredients in homemade laundry detergent) here. Thanks for bringing it up CharityGrace

For more frugal tips, be sure to visit Crystal at Biblical Womanhood.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

A Question

Andrea asked if I still made my own laundry detergent and expressed that she was having trouble finding the washing soda. I started to answer her in the comments, but it got too long. Plus I figured she might not be the only one having trouble finding the washing soda, so I wanted to tell how I ended up with it as well.

Yes, I still make almost all of my own laundry detergent. Occasionally if I get super busy and I find some on cheap, cheap sale (less than $2 for 40+ loads) then I'll buy it.

Finding the washing soda was a problem for me too. And no, you can't (in my experience, though I've heard of other that do it) substitute baking soda.

First thing I would do is to ask the store you shop at if they would carry it for you. Lots of stores are happy to get shoppers requests. They may want the UPC# and it's either 33200-03020 or 033200-030201. :D

You can also call this # -

1-800-524-1328

And they'll tell you what stores stock it closest to you. This is what I did and found that they sold it in a little town 30 or so minutes away. The next time I was close, I grabbed about 7-8 boxes while I was there.

And of course you can always buy it online.

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/

or

amazon.com

But the shipping is really high, so be mindful and see that you are still getting a great deal.

I know this sounds like a lot of work just to get the ingredient, but the savings can be so huge that I definitely think it's worth the effort.

Hope this answered your question. I love to talk about this type of thing, so any other questions/comments ask away!

Nothing to See Here

The schedule is going pretty good. I've not had any big changes so far but I did fail to schedule a time to clean the top of the fridge. That is the dustiest place for some reason. And it's visible when you walk down the stairs.

Today the sun it out. WooHoo! It's been rainly and cloudy and muggy for so many days that I thought my hair might start to grow mold. Really (almost). The humidity here in this valley can at times be over the top.

I failed to mention that a few weeks ago my bread machine died. Yes, the lovely $5 monstrosity. The machine actually still works, but the rubber piece that holds the kneading bar in came out and when I attempted to wash it out, some little teeny springs came out?

This same bread machine that I paid $5 for is now going used on eBay for like $100. And they're old and you can't buy parts for them anymore. So I decided to go with another one. I'll post about it when it comes. My family really misses the homemade bread.

At Stephanie's Blog she'd mentioned a while ago about some Celtic Sea Salt.

We've typically bought salt from a little natural store downtown, but it's not convenient at all. So I finally broke down and got the kind that Stephanie recommends.

I've not tried it all yet, but the salt and pepper in the grinders are pretty unbelievable.

Best get the day going.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

My Family's Favorite Meatloaf

I've been meaning to put this up for a while. I think I could literally make this meatloaf every single week and have no complaints.

Recipe follows pics.

You start out with bell pepper and onion. I only had a small bell pepper from the garden. It worked out fine. Just throw in as much as you have/want. This is probably about 3/4 cup of bell pepper and 2 or 2 ½ cup onion. I like it chopped fairly small.

Dump it into a big mixing bowl with about a cup of Parmesan Cheese.

I add basil, parsley, oregano, and chopped garlic. I don't measure, but if I had to measure I'd say roughly a tablespoon of each spice and 2 T of garlic. I also add a big splash of something wet. I like a seasoning called Allegro. But Worcestershire is fine too. (A big splash equals about 2 T I would estimate.)

Spray a baking dish. This one is odd sized. About 9 X 11. Any size will do. It just changes the cooking time if the meatloaf is thicker.

Add a good squeeze of some type of mustard.

A big squeeze of ketchup (maybe 1/2 cup).

A couple of eggs.

A couple of cups of breadcrumbs.

Appr. 2 lbs. of your favorite hamburger meat. Note: I really don't think the leanest works well in meatloaf. We use ground chuck.

Appr. 1½ C shredded Cheddar cheese.

Mix it up GENTLY.
This makes such a HUGE difference in the finished product. If you don't want it dense and heavy, mix it gently. Then gently shape it into your sprayed pan. (Excuse the gloves. I just have to.)

In another small bowl, pour in 8oz or so of tomato sauce and about ½ cup ketchup.

Add a big splash (appr. 2 T) vinegar.

Add in about 1/4 cup of sweetener (here I'm using Splenda)

Mix it all into a nice sauce.

Drench the uncooked meatloaf with this yummy sauce.

And after a mere 75 (or so) minutes, you have your finished meatloaf.

RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 375°

1 Large Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 T Dried Basil
1 T Dried Oregano
1 T Dried Parsley Flakes
2 T Chopped Garlic
2 T Allegro or Worcestershire Sauce
2 T Mustard
½ Cup Ketchup
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Breadcrumbs
2 lb Ground Chuck
1½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Gently mix all of this together and pat it into a prepared dish.

Tomato Topping:
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
½ Cup Ketchup
2 T Vinegar
¼ Cup Sweetener (Sugar/Splenda)

Mix well and top the raw meatloaf. Cook meatloaf uncovered for approximately 75 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temp of 165°.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Chore List

Okay, here is my newly revised chore list. The girls are expected to do as well on each chore as I would do. They get a hefty (in my opinion) allowance for all their hard work.

Again, this schedule was created for Fall when the middle of the week is busy with outside activities. That's why M and F is so full.

We've not even done this a full week yet, so it's likely to change as I see fit. But I think it's a good place to start.

Jillian (9)

Monday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

6. Fix Couch

7. Dust

8. Wipe Down Stove, Refrigerator and Dishwasher

9. Mop Downstairs Bathroom

10. Put Bags in Empty Trash

Tuesday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

Wednesday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

6. Fix Couch

Thursday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

6. Empty Trashes

Friday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

6. Fix Couch

7. Windex (Including Back Porch Table)

8. Carry Up Clothing and Shoes From Laundry Room

9. Mop Upstairs Bathrooms

Saturday -

1. Water Dogs

2. Make Sure Dogs Have Food (leave note for Daddy if they are low)

3. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

4. Make Bed

5. Get Mail

6. Stock Bathrooms with TP

Julia (12)

Monday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

4. Vacuum Downstairs (Including Steps)

5. Clean out Car

6. Wipe Down Banisters, Light Switches and Doorknobs

7. Clean Upstairs Bathroom Counter tops and Mirrors

8. Empty Trashes

Tuesday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

4. Fix Couch

Wednesday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

Thursday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

4. Fix Couch

5. Put Bags in Empty Trashes

Friday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

4. Vacuum Upstairs

5. Clean out Car

6. Carry Up Clothing and Shoes From Laundry Room

7. Clean Laundry Room Counter top, Mirror, Freezer and Washer and Dryer

Saturday -

1. Unload and Load Dishwasher

2. Carry up and Put Away Clothes

3. Make Bed

4. Fix couch

5. Refill all Soaps

Mom -

Monday -

1. Menu-Plan-Monday

2. Detail Kitchen

3. Microwave

4. Fridge and Freezer

5. Wipe Down Cabinets

6. Toaster Oven

7. Make Bed

8. Laundry

9. Make any Needed Convenience Foods. Muffin Batter. Yogurt. Instant Oatmeal. Granola. Etc.

10. Review Sales Papers

Tuesday -

1. Make Bed

2. Put up Clothing

3. Errands

4. Put away everything bought

Wednesday -

1. Make Bed

2. Put up Clothing

3. Help Mike with anything while girls are gone

Thursday -

1. Make Bed

2. Put up Clothing

3. Tubs and Toilets

4. Make Grocery List

Friday -

1. Make Bed

2. Laundry

3. Kitchen Floor

4. Frugal Friday

5. Make Menu Plan For Monday

6. Weeding

7. Sweep Front Porch

8. Put up Clothing

9. Do Bills and Office Work

10. Sweep Back Porch

11. Work on Kitchen Prep. Making Breadcrumbs. Shredding Zucchini. Cookie Dough to Freeze. Etc.

Saturday -

1. Make Bed

2. Put up Clothing

3. Work on Detail Project (ex: clean out a drawer, organize pantry, etc)

4. Work on Monthly Project or Fun Stuff with Girls

I've obviously not included things for myself like making meals or cleaning up from meals. The only reason I've put things like "make bed" is because I tend to forget about it at times. And I'm terrible at hanging up clothing until it gets to be a stack.

We each have a notebook to keep the lists in. This one is mine.

Here it is opened up.

There is an overview sheet that summarizes each day stuck down in the page divider.

And then the actual list for the day is put in a clear protective sheet and put behind the page divider.

So how do you go about scheduling your week with children?

Menu-Plan-Monday

As each week goes by it seems that it's getting a little easier and more routine to plan out the meals. This week I'd planned to left-overs on Monday (today) but we ended up having 5 (yes, five) extra people over to eat and so there is very little left. We were actually pretty lucky to have enough to cover all the extras. So without anything thawed/planned, it's a simple night tonight.

All meals are supplemented with the garden's bounty. I try to keep a platter of raw peppers, squash, cucumbers and fresh basil in the fridge.

Monday - Pasta Salad with left over chicken.

Tuesday - Tuna Patties, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Mac and Cheese

Wednesday - Fish Pattie Sandwiches

Thursday - Burritos, beef and bean

Friday - Linguine with Marinara, Meatballs and Pesto

Saturday - My sisters BD. We'll eat out and probably have too much birthday cake.

Sunday - Cookout Day! Whatever looks good at the butcher (still haven't had the steaks I wanted a week ago)

For more menu ideas, don't forget to check out Laura, The Organizing Junkie.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Answer

Hey Lori, I've missed you!

(Lori asked about our chore list and schedules and I started to answer it in the comments but it just got too long.)

My girls both have birthdays in August and will be 10 and 13 when school starts back (or within a week of it). Jillian (who will be 10) is going into 6th grade (she's ahead). And Julia (who will be 13) will be going into 8th grade.

Most of their studies are at an honors co-op this year. It's almost like a private, Christian school, but it doesn't meet every day of the week.

The reason I was talking about a chore schedule is because it has to work around our "out of the house" days. Which will be 3 each week this year.

On Tuesday Julia goes one place and Jillian goes another. I'll spend the day running back and forth. On Wednesday, they both go to the same place and will be there for several hours. And on Thursday, Julia alone has a couple of classes.

Their challenge is to schedule their time to get the assignments done so they're not rushing at the last minute. While it wasn't the same last year, they both did great. But Jillian is starting middle school this year and it's a whole new ballgame. So I'm sure it will take some getting used to on all of our parts.

I'll see if I can figure out how to post the chore charts.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Crazy Busy Day

Today, inspired by Beth's Post about all the cleaning she's gotten done, I've really accomplished a lot!

One of the huge things I needed to do (time was) was to revamp our chore schedule. It was last updated during the school year last year and just wasn't working for us with our summer schedule. So today I sat down and not only worked it all out (that will work for our upcoming school year) BUT I also saved it in a word document so I can revamp it anytime I need to do so! One for each of the younger girls and me, for each day of the week that we do chores (M-T-W-Th-F-S).

And not only did we ALL do everything on our Friday list, but I also got a HUGE batch of muffin batter mixed up, AND pictures taken so I can blog all about it.

Frugal Friday Whiter Whites

Okay, I really feel like a 50's housewife commercial here. But I just can't help myself.

Does your white laundry ever start to look dingy? Does it just not pop like you want it to? What about those underarm or collar stains that look particularly bad on whites?

We had many white pieces of clothing that were just not worn anymore because of this. I'd tried soaking, bleaching, washing in scalding water, air drying, everything. Then one day I was at the store and saw this product.

It was only a few bucks (less than $4), so even though I didn't expect great results, I thought I'd give it a shot. As a matter of fact, I put so little stock in the product that it actually sat on my shelf for a couple of months before I decided to give it a try!

Finally one of my daughters came to me with a beloved shirt that she thought was ruined. She asked me if I could try to get it clean. I pulled out the product, got several other white* items of clothing and followed the directions for soaking (which I just did in my laundry room sink). I was surprised to learn that you didn't use the whole bottle, just ½ cup. So there were many loads of cleaning in this one container. I pretty much put them in to soak and forgot about it.

When I went back later to do the wash, there was all this gross yellow goo floating in the water. Almost like wax? And it smelled kinda odd too.

So I went ahead and laundered a white only* load. And was literally amazed at the clothing that came out. The pieces that I'd soaked looked like new.

*I just can't stress white only enough. Having bragged on this product, let me just say that while it says it can possibly be used on some colors, I wouldn't go there unless the article of clothing is ruined either way. I ruined 2 of my husbands new shirts just because I washed them with some clothing that had been soaking.

This is some powerful stuff. Believe this. Read the instructions. All of them. Follow the directions carefully and keep it far, far from children's little hands.

I would say the small bottle contains at least 5 loads worth of bleachy-like cleanness, so depending on what you pay for your clothing, this could be a huge money saver.

For more Frugal Friday fun, take a peek at Crystal's Blog.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

The Day After Yesterday

I hope you all had a nice holiday. My husband has the remnants of a sinus infection (and is therefore not sleeping well) so we kept it pretty low key. Hotdogs and slaw. Rice Crispy Treats.

Never say I have no imagination.

If any of you have a Wal*Greens around, they are having a pretty good sale for the rest of the week. Among other (better) sales, they have their Fiber*One Cereal 3/$7. I happen to have a coupon, so I got it 3/$6. Which is pretty good for that type of cereal.

Unfortunately, my family thinks it tastes like twigs.

So I scanned many muffin recipes and came up with one to use up the cereal. I made up a batch (that was supposed to make 50 muffins, but only made 24. why does it always work like that with me?) and amazingly the family devoured them. I made a second batch the next day (well, I made the second pan, the last 12 of the 24. because the dough keeps in the fridge really well) and it's gone too!

I'll try to post the recipe soon.

Lots to do today, better get crackin.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Last week was a total wash. My husband was getting a head cold and requesting specific things for supper. And still I loved that I had something in mind every day to cook!

So if something looks like a repeat, it's not. It's just something that didn't get cooked last week. Also, we didn't make it to the butcher last week so I have almost no meat on hand. And I'm feeling totally unimaginative.

Monday - Pasta with homemade pesto sauce (the basil is in!) and roasted zucchini* (cause the zucchini is in too ;), bread and salad

Tuesday - Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Wednesday - Cookout for the 4th (will check the butcher for the best looking meat)

Thursday - Leftover cookout feast.

Friday - Spicy beans and buttermilk cornbread. Sliced onions.

Saturday - Pizza

Sunday - Cookout (no idea yet)

For much more (and better) Menu Plan Monday, be sure to visit Laura.

*Lori, I'll try to remember to take some pictures and show how I roast the zucchini. I basically just seed, slice, brush with oil and broil.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Things That Make You Feel Old

Around these parts I'm actually considered pretty computer literate. Look around the blog people. And still, I tell you it's true.

So I'd helped out a friend who needed some computer help. Stop laughing. I really did.

I got an email from her that said, "You....Rock!".

Which I showed to my husband. Feeling awfully puffed up and proud.

He sat looking at the email for a minute and then turned to me all serious like and said, "Why did she call you a rock?"

I couldn't make this stuff up.

Also I wanted to point out that today is my one year blogoversary. Yes, that's right. Exactly one year ago today I put up my first "test" post. I've accomplished exactly what I started out to do here. Meeting like minded, Christian women. I'm so grateful for each of you that reads here.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Frugal Friday Handsoap

For anyone that doesn't know, Crystal had her sweet baby last week. And she's already hosting Frugal Friday again. Amazing.

My Frugal Friday tip this week is really simple. We like good smelling liquid hand soap. I'll buy it at B*ath and Body when they have a great sale. But we have 2 bathrooms that need hand soap. A half bath/laundry room that needs hand soap and then, of course, the kitchen. So buying 4 hand soaps can add up. Especially when you wash your hands often, and we certainly do.

So I've finally found something that works really well for us.

When our soap dispenser gets empty, I give it a quick wash in hot water.

I've found these D*awn Dish soaps to be VERY inexpensive when they're put on sale at C*VS or Wal*Greens. I rarely pay over 50¢ for one of these small bottles. This one is Apple Blossom and it smells really good. It's one of my favorites. But there are all different scents if this one isn't something that your family would enjoy.

I'll fill the dispenser about ¼ full of the dish soap.

Then gently add water to fill it the rest of the way full.

I then gently slosh it back and forth to combine the dish soap and the water. I've found that it stays pretty well mixed, though you may have to give it a slosh every now and again if it's not used often.

One bottle of the dish soap makes about 4-5 bottles of hand soap. Paying 50¢ a bottle for the dish soap, that's appr. 10¢ - 12¢ per bottle of hand soap.

I'd especially recommend this in the kitchen if you, like me, have a dishwasher and don't normally keep dish soap on the kitchen counter. It's so easy to use your hand soap as dish soap to wash the occasional dish. No more pulling your dish soap out from under the counter.

For more Frugal Friday tips visit Crystal at Biblical Womanhood.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Because Beth Said Pretty Please

:)

Potato salad is such a personal dish, it seems that everyone likes it different. This recipe is the one that I've made for years and years and everyone always comes back for more. It's modified (as is practically everything I make) from the old Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook.

Creamy Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes (appr. 2lbs)
½ cup finely (believe this) chopped onion
½ cup chopped sweet pickle
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
2 t sugar
2 t celery seed (an important ingredient, weird-I know)
2 t prepared mustard
2 t vinegar (or pickle juice)
1 ½ t salt

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (40 or less minutes usually). While potatoes boil, mix up rest of ingredients in a bowl. Peel and cube potatoes. Add to mayo mixture. Toss. Chill.

I like to do this when the potatoes are still hot. It makes for a more mushy potato salad. If you like your potato salad without the mush, cool the potatoes first and more gently fold mayo mix into potatoes.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Just to Host the Picture

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Book Review (The R*oad)

(I'm pretty careful to write (or talk) about books/movies with NO spoilers. I'm pretty sure I've not given anything away that you'd not want to know if you plan to read the book.)

I've read many O*prah Book Club books. Usually I really like the books. When I saw that she got an exclusive interview with the author, and how much she recommended the book, I decided to try it out. (As an aside, I was really wanting the Sara Donati book in the sidebar, but the bookstore didn't have it in stock and the paperback (which I prefer to read) was coming out in Sept. (I was told) so I decided to wait.)

Most of you probably don't know but I really like survivalism books. So having heard a bit about it, it seemed right up my alley.

Let me just say here that the book was a good read. Not at all what I was expecting and so dark in places that it took my breath away, but it had good content.

Having said that, and really disliking strong critique of someones work, the style of writing just drove me nuts.

There. I said it.

Did you know that there is not chapter one in the book? Really. I'm not joking. No chapters. Just different paragraphs.

And the boy and his father are not named, did you know that? No names. (And yes, I know many "reasons" why this would be done in writing. I get the writing style. But mostly it doesn't work for me. And in this case, it really doesn't work for me.) So at times it's hard to know who is saying what. Another reason you might not be able to tell who is saying what is because there are no "punctuation" indicating that someone is saying anything at all.

But that's not what drove me nuts. What drove me nuts was how flowery the style of writing was.

I know it's me. I know that others get a lot out of poetic writing styles, but I just don't. I don't "see" others flowery visions.

I like things plain and simple. Practical. I suppose I get overwhelmed when I need to decipher every second sentence.

My husband, on the other hand, thought the writing was beautiful. I'd read him a paragraph now and again that was driving me crazy and he didn't see it the same way at all. He thought the writing was stunning and poetic.

If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to pass it around. I'd really like to hear others thoughts on it.

Any takers?

Monday, June 25, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

This was a HUGE success here last week, even though I didn't follow everything exactly as written. The whole week seemed much less stressful, and I even felt I had more "down time" than normal. I really hope I can make a habit of this.

Monday - Leftover cheeseburgers and hot dogs from cookout. Homemade coleslaw.

Tuesday - Grilled brats with kraut. Baked beans.

Wednesday - Pasta with homemade pesto sauce (the basil is in!) and roasted zucchini (cause the zucchini is in too ;), bread and salad.

Thursday - A dish that has no name. It's a type of white chili that I came up with long ago. I'll post pictures and directions. Name suggestions would be great, it's one of my family's favorites.

Friday - Leftovers poured over brown rice. Salad.

Saturday - Cookies. Ok, not really. But we have to make tons of them for a youth project so the likelihood is that we'll sample cookies most of the afternoon and not have much of an appetite for supper. So we'll probably have grilled cheese and tomato. Something lite and simple.

Sunday - Cookout Day! Hopefully steaks this week. We'll have to see what looks good at the butcher.

For more menu ideas visit Laura. The women there are most welcoming, warm and inviting. Not to mention intelligent and encouraging!

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Japanese Beetle (in my hair)

What a week! We've had company 3 times since Monday of this week. And all of it was spontaneous. And really nice. But not leaving much time to post at all.

I did finish my book. I'm normally a slow reader. Well, that's not true at all. I just normally don't have a lot of time at all to read. So I'll read as I go to sleep. Most nights getting only a few pages in before I'm too tired to stay awake any longer. But for some reason, I was able to read this book in just a few days.

I was thinking about doing a book review when I finish a book so that I can document what I like and dislike about it. But in all honesty I don't like to say negative things about someones work! LOL I'll have to think on it I suppose.

I went to the bookstore yesterday and just couldn't think of a thing I wanted to read. This is unusual for me as I usually have a list of books in queue. I finally found one (now in the sidebar). We'll see.

I basically like two kinds of books. Those that teach me something (can range wildly from sur*vivalism to food to politics) or those that entertain me. I love historical romance and am partial to series books. I'd love any suggestions of your favorite books.

I have to say here too what a blessing that menu plan was this week. It's something I plan to keep up. It made all the difference.

Oh, and the title of this post, I know in the picture my hair is straight. But my hair is naturally curly. And for some reason a bug magnet. So I was in the garden a couple of days ago (which I desperately need to make a photo of!) digging through some plant or another when I hear a loud BZZZZT! I look around and see nothing. So I continue on with my business.

I get done and come inside. Make myself a protein drink and sit down to check email. I feel something in my hair (on the top of my scalp). I reach up and something BZZZZT!'s under my hand. I throw my hear forward and try to brush the offender out of my hair. But I see nothing at all. Did I imagine it?

I go to the bathroom and can't see anything. So I look around and see this Japanese Beetle really tangled in the side of my hair.

Now, if any of you have ever had dealings with a Japanese Beetle, you know that they are sticky. And not at all small.

So here is this bug looking at me like "Are you gonna help me out of this mess or not?"

Let me stop here to say that I'm not at all good with bugs. I tend to freak a little. It's a long childhood trauma story best saved for another day.

So I'm a little freaked. And I'm trying to untangle this bug who is against my ear yelling BZZZZT! BZZZZT! Which I interpret as "Hurry Up!".

I end up getting him** out of the big clump of hair but he's still in 5-6 hairs that I just can't get undone. I reach into the drawer and pull out a pair of scissors and am finally able to untangle him where he falls (which I think is his death fall - but it turns out it was only exhaustion/exasperation) into the sink. I go to get some paper towel to get this bug out of the sink and he comes flying, kamikaze style, after me through the house.

Luckily I had dropped the scissors because I would have been running with scissors at this point.

He disappears and I can't find him. And to this day, occasionally I hear a BZZZT! coming from somewhere in the downstairs.

I'm sure he's waiting to get back in my hair to nest.

**I call the bug "him" but it could have well been a "her".

***No bugs were harmed in the making or telling of this tale.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Our Father's Day

I can't find the words to describe my husband.

So instead I'll tell you how he spent his Father's Day.

Sunday is the only day that Mike isn't working from early in the morning until late in the evening. He enjoys resting on Sundays. We go to Church, we sometimes go to an outdoor market (we call it The Hippie Market, 'cause the first year it was open it had lots of people in 60ish clothing), we come home and read the paper and, weather permitting, hang out by the pool and relax. If it's rainy we'll watch movies or even sometimes nap. Friends are always welcome on Sundays and we usually have a few.

But since yesterday was Father's Day, our friends were celebrating with their fathers/children. Mike got a call from J. The guy whose wife died unexpectedly a little over a week ago. He wanted to come over and my husband didn't hesitate a second to tell him to come on over.

So J came over with his 6yo and 3yo (and also brought his younger sister). He was, as expected, a mess. Tired. Not sleeping. Lost.

Jillian (9) spent the day in the pool with the kids (and sometimes the sister) and Mike spent the day talking with J. We cooked a good meal and made sure he ate a little. And late in the day when he dozed off under the fan on the back porch, we talked quietly and let him rest.

My husband spent his Father's Day being a father to this young man who desperately needed some normalcy. Some encouragement. Someone to listen.

Mike doesn't like it when I talk him up to others. He always diminishes the good he does by saying that it's what anyone would do.

He's definitely a keeper.

Menu-Plan-Monday

I have got to be more responsible for my weekly menu planning. We rarely eat out, but I find that "What's for Dinner?" is a stressful question at times and that's just silly. If I don't plan ahead, there are several quick meals that I can get together in an hour or so, but those get old after a while. Aside from the fact that I should have better organizational skills.

So in my attempt to be more conscientious, I've decided to try Laura's

Monday - Grilled Cheeseburgers with Pasta Salad

Tuesday - Purple hull pea creole dish with buttermilk cornbread

Wednesday - Crockpot beef and vegetables, salad

Thursday - Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches with chips

Saturday - We'll be away from home, so I have no idea at this point.

Sunday - Cookout with friends. Sausages, Boudin, Hotdogs with slaw.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Unlikely Frugality

Have you ever sat down and figured out how much money you spend on razors in a given year?

It seems that people who really watch the sales can get razors pretty cheap. Especially when the sales are combined with coupons. But with summer upon us, a house with many females can go through the razors, cheap or not.

I'm not usually one to advocate spending money on a gadget to save money. Especially when the investment is as steep as this one. But this has really worked for me and I'll tell you why.

For some reason it seems the more I shave my legs, the more I have to shave my legs. It was getting to the point a few years back that I had to shave every day or I would have stubble. It also seemed that the cheap razors just weren't doing the job anymore. And those expensive razors are, well, expensive. Plus it was tiring and time consuming to have to shave every single day.

(As an aside, I can't believe that we can now pay up to $3 for a single disposable razor?!)

Anyway, I had read about epilators. I had also read the horror stories about epilators. But I decided to take the plunge and try it.

This is the one I ended up getting.

Like I said, the initial investment was steep. Approximately $100. But if I was conservatively just going through $5 in razors a month (and there was a time that I was spending more than that, for sure), it would take less than 2 years for this to pay for itself.

The fact is, I've used this same one for over 3 years now and it's still going strong.

But maybe more importantly, it's not only a money saver, it's a time saver.

I now epilate approximately once every 2 weeks. It takes about 10-15 minutes. To be totally fair, I have to say that I still shave about once a month as well. I do it for the exfoliation. I've heard that just using some type of loofah to exfoliate works just as well, though I've not tried that.

But isn't it painful? At this point, not at all.

The trick to using an epilator (for the first time) is this:

Do NOT wait and grow the hair out a little before the first use. Shave first. The next day, use the epilator. The next day, use it again. Etc.

The thing is, there is not a lot of hair growth in just a day, so it's not too painful at all. And within a couple of weeks of using it every day, you're pretty much hair free.

What does it feel like?

To be honest, it felt like little, teeny needle pricks at first to me. But like plucking eyebrows, it gets to the point that you hardly notice it.

And that's my off the wall frugal tip for today.

For more frugal ideas, be sure to check out Crystals Blog

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