The Erratic Homemaker

Wooo-Hooooo...We have power!

2008-09-16T21:11:00.002-04:00

We have been without power for a few days. Luckily we had not made the big trip to the store yet! We lost a few items but managed to save most of the items in our freezer.

I am busy trying to catch up but should be back soon.
I hope everyone else is doing well!

Daily Bread.....

2008-09-11T19:18:00.004-04:00

Its been an interesting week. I've been busy working on a few things. I edited out some baby stuff and a few bags full of clothing, cleaned out a few neglected areas, dealt with a fussy baby, and took care of some appointments.

The biggest meal this week was a lasagna dinner. During my last cooking session we made 3 lasagnas for the freezer and they have been a hit. We were out our freezer garlic bread so I picked some up from Meijer and it was way to salty!
We also had white bean chili, chili cheese tater tots (trying to hide the fact they were a little freezer burned), sauteed smoked sausage and cabbage and Iron chef night (create your own dish from leftovers).

I only made one sweet thing this week and it was honey nut marshmallow treats. Just a rice krispie treat recipe with honey nut chex instead of rice cereal and 1/2 cup peanut butter added. Pretty good.

My grocery budget runs from the middle of one month to the next because that's how DH tracks the bills. We are planning a big trip on Monday so I am trying to get prepared and clean out the fridge and pantry before then.

Homeschooling has been going well. We switched to math-u-see this year for DD's math and it has been great. We also were lucky enough to find a homeschool class nearby that she can attend once a week that is affordable.

All in all, its been a good week :)

I can't restock fast enough!

2008-09-09T21:30:00.002-04:00

I think its time to resign myself to new price points. Loss leaders are still out there but harder to fine and I am running through things quickly. I miss 3/$1 boxes of pasta at Meijer, 10/10 cheese, peanut butter and taco chips at Kroger and any kind of sale on my much loved potatoes.

With the price of gas its been easier and in many cases cheaper to stock up with a once a month trip to Costco. Cheese is much cheaper at our Costco ( even Aldi is higher), Romaine 6 packs are better (Meijer went up recently, had been the same price for about a year) and even pasta has been the same price as most of the alternatives. It makes me wonder if its worth the effort to even look at the ads this month!

Meijer actually has a decent sale this week and I ordered some coupons on Sunday to help score a few bargains this week. I can shop while running errands on Friday and Saturday to save on gas. We used to be close to all the stores but now we are about 25 minutes away from where we like to shop.

I really want to find a great sale on potatoes. My kids love twice baked potatoes in their lunchboxes. We usually freeze large quantities of them and also I love, love potato soup. I am also worried about vegetable prices when all the summer deals go away. I am completely out of frozen broccoli and green beans. It usually takes 2 of the 1 lb bags per dinner so I want to try The large bags of the GFS and Costco brands to see if they will be be a good deal for us. I really like the sweet corn at GFS but I did not care for the mixed vegetable blends I have tried there.
Costco is new here and I have not tried the frozen vegetable they carry yet.

What are your favorite frozen or canned veggies or what do you turn to when you run out of fresh options?

Sniff..sniff...

2008-09-08T16:56:00.002-04:00

My baby is growing up. My oldest will be 16 in December. A few things have happened recently:

-He has his temps and is learning to drive
-He has a job lined up so he can start as soon as he turns 16
-He just asked a girl to homecoming (!!!!!!!!)***

Sigh. I'm quite sure if I was to let my hair color grow out I would discover my first grey hairs.

Sniff.

***this may not be as big a deal as I am making it as he has up to this point had zero interest in girls.

Daily bread.....

2008-09-04T08:23:00.006-04:00

We had a busy weekend and are still finding our feet with our new schedule. DH's schedule is crazy right now and he spent most of the holiday weekend at work. I finally managed to get my shopping and errands done on Tuesday.

Last night was a salad night. everyone put together their own salad. Mine is at the right. I had already made homemade croutons and salad prep earlier so it was a easy meal.

The night before that we had a taco dip (kinda like 7 layer dip) with beans, taco chicken from the freezer, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, onions and radishes. This was a large plate that we served with chips and salsa. One of my DH's coworkers gifted us a large amount of salsa this week and we have been really enjoying it.

I am trying to adjust to early mornings again and I am having a really hard time reseting my clock. I am a night owl, always have been :)

I don't mention homeschooling much...

2008-08-26T23:36:00.002-04:00

I have 2 highschoolers in public school, a 11 yr old who is homeschooled and a 14 month old I plan on homeschooling but I tend to avoid talking about it much. I have found since I do both I tend to not fit in either side. I think its a really personal choice and have run into quite a bit of hostility from both sides.

It is also complicated by the fact my homeschooler is my only girl and people tend to grab on to that fact. It's not because she is a girl but because I was introduced to homeschooling only a few years ago and at the time she was the one benefiting the least from a public education. If I could go back and do it over I would have home schooled both my boys at least through middle school. We are in a really great school district so I feel lucky to also have that option.

This will be our third year homeschooling and the first year we don't use a packaged curriculum. I still feel like a complete amateur but my daughter has really benefited from learning at home at her own pace. We have discussed homeschooling the 2 teenagers but for right now they are really happy with the academic options and environment they have in the school they attend. I have to admit to being intimidated by the thought of dealing with teaching high school. My husband originally wanted my daughter to return to school when she hits 9th grade but he has since changed his mind. He is a little worried the the baby will be all alone if he is homeschooled because of the 10 year gap in ages between our last 2 children but as we have found more and more groups and activities for home educated children he has seemed to be less concerned about this.

Just wanted to let you know in case you were confused by the fact I talk about sending children off to school and about homeschooling :)

Daily bread and lunch stuff.......

2008-08-25T21:44:00.005-04:00

We had salads for dinner tonight. The deli had ham, turkey and Muenster cheese (my favorite) on sale. I bought enough for today and so we could throw a few sandwiches in the freezer.

My GFS just started carrying these tortillas and they are really soft and great for wrapping burritos. They were 1.49 for 12 so I picked up a few packages when I did my bulk shopping trip.

Rice wraps are always a hit with the kids. We made a spicy Mexican style rice ( I just replaced 1/3 of the water with hot salsa) and added corn and black beans. We used 1/2 cup for each burrito and sprinkled on a little cheese. I flash froze them and then placed them a big freezer bag. Most of the time I wrap them in plastic wrap so I can just grab them and add them to a lunch box but I was out of plastic wrap. They thaw most of the way by lunch time so they are easy to reheat. Its better to make smaller burritos and just use 2 if you need a bigger portion so they reheat well.

We made about 20 rice wraps.

Sandwiches freeze well if you use a light layer of margarine to keep the bread from getting soggy and don't stuff them. I pack some fresh toppings on the side on the day they are served. Don't use super cheap quality lunch meat that is mostly water for a better sandwich.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-25T09:24:00.002-04:00

Today is a busy day. We have a appointment at the school to change my sons schedule, haircuts, more school supply shopping, a small grocery store trip, a pet store trip and more. School starts for us tomorrow.

On Mondays we hit a neat local deli that always has 2 meats and 2 cheeses on sale (usually less than $3 lb) and we make salads and/or sandwiches. I plan on getting enough to freeze some sandwiches for lunch boxes. Small buns with a light layer of margarine seems to work out the best for freezing. I have enough stuff on hand to make rice wraps also so that should give us 2 grab and go choices to start off lunchbox season.

This weeks menu:

Monday-Chef Salads
Tuesday- Smoked Sausage hash with banana peppers, fruit salad
Wednesday- Shanghai noodles
Thursday-Iron Chef night (leftover buffet)
Friday- Red beans and rice ( spicy tomato sauce with smoked sausage)
Saturday-Pizza
Sunday-Lasagna, salad and garlic bread

I hope everyone has a great week. Check out what others are serving up at Menu Plan Monday.

Thankfulness

2008-08-24T11:52:00.003-04:00

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet, than a house full of feasting, with strife.
Proverbs 17:1

We went to my mother in laws yesterday for a cook-out. My husbands mother is always so sweet and has always made me feel welcome in her home. You always know what to expect. The menu rarely varies and is always very good. The presentation always simple, often in reused butter tubs so a lid can be popped on and food can be sent home. Her plates often walk out the door, never to return. There is always lots of love and laughter.

I am very thankful for her influence in my life.

Double ouch...

2008-08-23T18:02:00.002-04:00

Ummm... yesterday I posted about us having less accidents and medical bills than usual this year. That was before 4:30 am when the little one decided to stick his finger in my eye, resulting in "corneal abrasion". I promise my blog is not going to become a daily blog of me whining about my latest ailment.

Looking for a positive note, the boys really enjoyed the educational discussion about what parts of the body heal the fastest. We were advised that the the tongue heals the fastest followed by the eyes which led to many wonderful stories about people biting through their tongues (thanks for sharing honey) and other gory tales.

I get to wear sunglasses in and out of the house for a few days. Hopefully the neighbors don't think I've had a mid-life crises and that I'm just trying to look cool :)

Ouch....

2008-08-22T17:42:00.003-04:00

I'm a big baby when it comes to the dentist. I went yesterday and I'm still moody and in pain. I have put off going for so long that I have to have a lot of work done. I actually knew I had to have some previous work undone but I was stalling. I also can't hold my jaw open for very long as the last time I had major work done my jaw locked up for 11 days. So yesterday was my 1st visit of 3. It really did not go to bad ( as far as torture goes) but I'm not looking forward to the next 2 visits. I would stretch out the visits a little more but I want to get the bills posted to my medical savings account so I can make sure I use up the money we have in it. We have more leftover this year as we seem to have had less emergencies and childhood accidents then usual. I am very grateful for that. Luckily we have reimbursement for over the counter medicines so if I don't use it up on my teeth then I can use it to stock up on allergy medicines and tylenol (preferably at CVS with some ECBS back).

Man, I really want some candy right now.Somebody stop me :)

Daily Bread....

2008-08-19T08:55:00.004-04:00

We've been trying some of the things we made for the freezer like this lasagna. DH and the kids loved it. I thought it was ok. It only spent a few days in the freezer. I have not put the recipe up yet as I am having a hard time reading my notes through all the tomato sauce I spilled on it :)

We made chicken taco salads using the chicken taco meat. We usually use chili on our taco salads but this was a nice change.

We've gone through a lot of fruit lately. Strawberries, bananas and watermelon. They have been great buys. We grew little tomatoes this year and also ended up with a few apples off of our young apple tree. We have a pear tree but it got attacked by something and it seems to have killed off the top of the tree. Hopefully it will come back ok next year.

Crockpot Chicken taco Meat

2008-08-15T23:26:00.002-04:00

I found this on Recipezaar when I was searching for a few things to try for the freezer. I made a test batch and everyone liked it so much that I made a second batch. We had it on taco salads and nachos so far but I'm sure it would be just as good in tacos.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Meat

3 Tablespoons taco seasoning ( store bought or homemade)
1 cup chicken broth ( I used 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon chicken base)
1 lb boneless chicken breast ( I used almost 2 lbs each time)

Combine seasoning and liquid and place with chicken into crock pot. Cover and cook 6-8 hours ( it took closer to 5 in my crock pot). This shreds super easy.

** I can't get pictures to load this evening, will try again later :)

Taco / Chili Seasoning

2008-08-15T22:55:00.002-04:00

I recently discovered ( on accident) that the recipe I use for taco seasoning and the recipe I use for chili seasoning are almost exactly the same. Actually half the time I just wing it but when I cook in bulk I can't afford to mess up so I use a recipe. By adjusting it a little ( it is extremely flexible) I am using the following mix for both chili and tacos. This is adapted from this taco seasoning and this chili seasoning. You may also be interested in Whole Foods Natural Seasoning. Test a small batch and adjust according to your families tastes before using on a large scale.

Taco/Chili Seasoning (and notes)

1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons chili powder (quality varies widely by brand)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or pepper flakes)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano ( I usually substitute italian seasoning)

To use mix in tacos:
Add seasoning mix to 3/4 cup water. Brown 1 lb. ground beef in skillet, add seasoning mix/water to pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add additional salt to taste ( I think it needs a little extra at the end).

When I make chili in a roaster ( 18 quart) I add a x4 recipe of this mix.

Although we consider this fairly mild (we like spicy food) its easy to omit, increase, or decrease just about any of the individual ingredients. If you are trying to reduce salt in your diet you can omit it but it really makes a difference when using the mix for taco meat. Most meats benefit from a little salt in the seasoning.

Friday finds.........

2008-08-15T12:20:00.003-04:00

Well, my laptop is still not working. They only half way fixed it. So it will be going back to best buy for the 4th time.

But on a more positive note I found some nice things this morning at garage sales including this Step 2 Kangaroo climber for $10.

We pushed everything to the side in the living room so he can play with it inside for awhile but it will probably be going in the back yard. I also bought a few kitchen items and clothing. Not bad for a quick trip out :)

My laptop is coming home!!!!!!

2008-08-14T15:37:00.002-04:00

Finally. DH picked it up on his way to work and will be bringing it home tonight.I have about a dozen posts I want to put up and having my laptop back will be so much easier! It's faster and easier to use then our other computers. Hopefully it still has all my feeds on it so I can catch up with all the blogs I usually follow.

DH and the little guy have had a rough few days. DH has had a lot of stress at work and has been working 10-11 hour days and working through lunch because of all the chaos. He is coming home early tonight and taking a 3 day weekend. Little guy has been teething (back teeth) and has not appreciated momma spending so much time in the kitchen. He is smiling more today so I hope he is through it now.

DH wants to watch a movie tonight with kids. If I can get the little guy to sleep a little early I am looking forward to a few hours of quiet catch-up computer time tonight. Knock on wood :)

Bulk cooking chicken*

2008-08-13T22:01:00.003-04:00

*under construction ( ugh..horrible picture)

-Future edits will include a few tests of different ways to bulk cook chicken and notes on the results.

I cooked approximately 23 pounds of bone in chicken in my 18 quart roaster and it was probably the best batch of chicken we have made to date, at least before going into the freezer :)

Previous attempts have not been bad but have been inconsistent.

Crockpot chicken has been the most difficult because I have tried it many different ways with different "recipes" without taking enough notes to pin down the inconsistencies. I have had great chicken but also chicken that has turned out dry, unpleasant textured and once even kinda slimy after thawing (ewwwww!). Variables have included type of chicken pieces, amount and type of liquid, seasonings and cook time.

I think one issue is my crockpot is just way to hot. Modern crockpots tend to be hotter than older models and even low is way to hot on mine. I also prefer to use my roasters as they hold so much. I have 2 -18 quart roasters and besides cleaning them they are great.

Type of chicken makes a big difference. I love using boneless chicken because there is less mess but because they are trimmed of fat there also tends to be less moisture and flavor so you don't end up with as flavorful a meat or stock. My opinion (just my 2 cents) is a mixture of dark and light results in the best final product.

The last best batch of chicken we made:

23 lbs bone-in chicken (about 60% breasts/40% thighs)
3 Tablespoons favorite all-purpose seasoning**
Enough liquid to cover
Celery,carrots,onion scraps,garlic***

I turned the heat up to high to give it a good start and then set it on 300.

When done (clear at the bone) remove chicken and set in a bowl set over another bowl of ice. I have 18 qt restaurant size bowls but you can also use a large container set in a sink full of ice. Use a slotted spoon to fish out vegetables (save for another purpose or discard) and use a scoop or plastic container to also remove, strain and chill the stock. I chill overnight and then remove the hardened fat of the top. If you have never bulk cooked chicken the most important thing to remember is to debone it while it is still warm. Cold chicken is a pain to debone. This is a good job to sign up little helpers (or big helpers) for so you can make quick work of it and get it cooled down quickly.Portion and chop to use in your cooking plan or freeze as is to pull out as needed.

I use a lot of pyrex and plastic containers but when trying to streamline things I use sandwich and freezer bags. If I am focusing on just meat to add to quick dinners I usually portion into sandwich bags and then place them all into a large freezer bag. I can pull out a portion and reseal the larger freezer bag. Sandwich bags run less than .02 so I discard them and keep the larger freezer bag which stays clean so I can reuse it without having to wash baggies. It is still cheaper and less waste than the alternative of buying premade convienience food. This is especially helpful if you have a hectic schedule or are going through a busy season.

**I use Canadian steak seasoning from GFS. It is like Grill mates but much cheaper.

***I usually don't feel like eating much when I bulk cook/OAMC so I just save all the ends when I make a vegetable snack tray ahead of time to nibble on. This and a bunch of fresh fruit can be really helpful to help keep you going.

This post is a work in progress

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2008-08-13T18:12:00.003-04:00

***This will be marked under construction for a few weeks until the test batch has spent a few weeks in the freezer and has been taste tested again :)

You can find the recipe including a handy chart for multiplying the recipe at the 30 day gourmet website. Recipezaar also has a few similar versions including this one.

While eating it I kept thinking it would make a really good quesadilla filling.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
3/4 cup French's hot sauce*
2 1/2 cups Shredded or chopped chicken ( original recipe calls for 3 cups)
16 oz. Cream Cheese (2 bricks)
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese ( I used a cheddar-jack mix)

Gently heat hot sauce and chicken and then add cream cheese and ranch, stirring often till melted and creamy. Add cheese, continue stirring until smooth. Serve with taco chips, crackers or celery. Serve immediately or cool and freeze. Thaw before reheating.

*If you don't already have a bottle of this stuff in your fridge you are really missing out. Do not substitute tabasco sauce. A splash in egg dishes, soup and dips really adds a nice flavor.

Have you seen this?(nevermind)

2008-08-12T23:55:00.002-04:00

Ok, I posted a youtube video here but unfortunatly after the video ended it showed previews of inappropriate videos so I took it down.

The video is titled:

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

but the side bar of related videos is not family friendly. Anybody know how to fix it so they don't show? Or anywhere else to find the video?

Under construction....

2008-08-12T21:07:00.009-04:00

Chicken for tacos. I made 3 (2 cup) portions and saved a little to taste test in the morning.

White chili. I consider myself a messy but I must be a little OC at heart because I let my son make these labels and I had to fight the urge to redo them with the writing a little neater. I made 3 (2 qt) containers and also put some in the fridge for tomorrow.

Chicken in broth. Looks kinda unattractive in the flash :)

3 lasagnas. These pans have metal lids which makes them nice for stacking.

Southwestern soup. 2 containers for the freezer and a smaller one for the fridge.

Buffalo chicken dip. Yum. I made 3 but we had to eat one :)

Also made a big batch of chili.

I'm not very good at following recipes. When I want to make something I usually look up 3 or 4 versions of the recipe I am looking for and then wing it based on what I have on hand. Once in awhile something comes out really well and I end up wishing I had written down ingredients and quantities.

So, I am going to try to start posting recipes. Since a few of them will be for items that are going into the freezer they will be labeled "under construction" across the top until I have tested a batch that has been in the freezer for a few weeks. I will also include notes and pictures. This way I can link back to recipes when I post OAMC plans or participate in Menu Plan Monday.

I would like to put a special focus on foods for the freezer since I get a lot of questions and emails specifically looking for more info on the subject.

I am inviting anyone who likes to freeze meals, snacks components, or anything else to share their recipes also. For example if I do a post about chili and you have a favorite recipe for chili posted on your blog ( tried and true, preferably with pictures) please email me a link and I will add it at the end of my post. Please only send me links to your blog and not recipe sites. Please feel free to email me before I post so I can start gathering info and links for future posts. If you have any suggestions or questions please feel free to email me.

I have been cooking yesterday and today and will try to start posting the recipes tomorrow.

Thursday finds...

2008-08-07T17:44:00.003-04:00

I found 2 garage sales today and picked up a few items. I love the color of the wood on this little dresser. Little guy approves as well.

Price: $5

It does not have a home yet. I have a few ideas but no firm plans.

DH has been looking for a record player and I found this neat one that folds up like a suitcase. I'm a sucker for vintage electronics. We have a few large stacks of records in the basement that I need to go through and edit.

Price $20

I spotted a few signs up in my little town so I may not need to go far to find some sales but I need to go grocery shopping now that we have the fridge all taken care of ready to go.

I need to refill my freezer with goodies before school starts. I would love to wait for cooler weather or a great sale but I have hit the point where we are so low on meats that I don't have a choice but to pay full price. I do have good amount of spicy bulk sausage left but eating that once a week is plenty for me. We probably have enough to last me at least 6 months. It is in 3 pound packages raw and I have been cooking it and repacking it into 1 1/2 cups portions to use in pizza pasta and "deconstructed" egg rolls. The kids like the egg roll dish which is basically shredded cabbage, spicy sausage sauteed with garlic and seasoned with ginger and soy sauce and served over rice with a few fried egg roll wrappers on the side. I guess a better name might be lazy egg rolls :)

I'm going to start with our favorites like chili, meatballs, reds beans in sauce for red beans and rice and taco meat. A batch of burritos using the taco meat would also be a nice start on lunch box season. I have some new things I would like to try but I need the basics first. Since I am thinking about trying to do a turkey in the roaster this year I should probably work on a turkey plan as well. I figure I better do a test turkey before the big day. I don't think I have ever purchased a turkey except on Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

My easy button is broke...

2008-08-06T07:47:00.002-04:00

I could tell you a really long funny story about my fridge saga but I'm sure you all are tired of hearing about my fridge. Lets just all hope its finally over today, that this one is not dented, I don't end up with anymore dents in my walls, and that nobody gets hurt. Actually a little prayer that I get a totally different delivery crew from the one that was here on Saturday would be helpful :)

Troubleshooting a problem entryway...

2008-07-31T17:20:00.002-04:00

I'm trying something new in front hall. My tiny front closet has been a constant battle. Opening it blocked the entryway and it was just to small and awkward to work for us. We also take our shoes off at the front door and needed a good place to put our shoes.

I tried a chest near the front door. It was nice to sit on but not quite right. I was debating 2 side by side chests so I would have something longer to fill my long hall. The plan was to try installing some hooks above for coats. Well luck would have it that at the same garage sale I found the perfect bench I also found a open cupboard/plate rack and decided to try the combination of the 2 to handle my entryway needs. the hooks are for cup storage but they are big enough to handle coats. I fell in love with the bench, its dark, not to deep and opens to hold plenty of shoes. It appears to be meant to be the foot board of a bed so I assume it is actually a blanket chest.

Lucky me, I happen to have baskets that fit on it. Here is a picture of it on the floor as I was trying out the baskets to see how they fit.

It holds 6 baskets and we are a family of 6 so each basket can hold items for each person (hats, gloves, whatever). I am planning on 2 or 3 tiny hooks on the side to hold keys. I think I will start with plastic stick on hooks until I am sure I like the set-up that way it can always go back to being a plate rack if this does not work out.

So far it has worked well for shoes and for holding items that need to be grabbed on the way out the door. Time will tell how well it works in the fall when we needs to manage coats and gloves.

Either way, I LOVE the bench and it will stay. I paid $70 for both pieces. Its kind of hard to tell from the picture but both pieces are very large. That is a adult size coat in the picture.

Its also nice to have something done this week. In addition to recovering from a sprained foot, my fridge died ( again). It just had a new compressor installed in August (it was covered at the time but took weeks to fix) . I am getting a new fridge in a few days complete with a 5 year extended warrenty :)

I did not make a frugal choice on my fridge. It was on sale but was most definitly not frugal. I would blame a recent string of 6 0r 7 emotionally draining and stressful events that have happened recently that caused me to make a impulsive splurge but I just really wanted it. DH loved it also so we can share the blame for the budget dent :)

Unexpected finds....Giant Eagle

2008-07-23T16:55:00.002-04:00

We recently found a great deal at Giant Eagle. I'm not a big fan of GE because their prices are so high but we do shop them for a few things like Coke, gift cards and prescriptions ( only with a free gas coupon) so that we can fill the gas tank on the beast with the rewards they offer. We have not had to pay full price to fill up since we bought it. We also have cookie cards for the kids so they can get free cookies when we shop.

When we stopped by the other day I noticed 2 shopping carts full of marked down cereal. Usually I pass the carts because the are rarely marked down much but this time they were actually a great deal. From .50 for GE rice squares and krispies, .75 for non frosted mini wheats, .99 for Curves cereal and 1.10 for Nature Valley granola cereal. I definitely stocked up. I bought A LOT! I did make sure to check dates and all of it is good well into 2009. Happy dance!

We used to get nifty little coupon books for Giant Eagle good towards meat and produce but we no longer receive those. I do like their cakes though and the organic roasted garlic bread. Yum!

Looking ahead...

2008-07-22T23:46:00.004-04:00

I'm already looking forward to fall. Crisp air, hearty meals, lunchboxes, and a routine that makes one really appreciate the weekends.

Last summer we kept very busy. This summer we scheduled very little except for swimming. I'm glad because many things have popped up that have been time consuming.

I bought the oldest 2 new lunchboxes already. I found some nice ones at Costco that expand as my 2 oldest boys are now young men with big appetites. I'm glad they still like a packed lunch.

School supplies bargains are appearing everywhere. The .10 notebooks and .05 folders scream out to me every fall begging to come home with me in obscene quantities.

Fall is potatoes and carrots in every form imaginable, pot roasts of different varieties and as many soups as my DH can take. I cant wait. I should plan on losing a extra 10 lbs now just to prepare.

I love sorting through school clothes. I love trying to put together a somewhat stylish wardrobe for my children mostly from garage sale deals, thrift stores, and a few internet bargains. My daughter was shocked to see how much clothes really cost last week when when we went out to spend her birthday money. The transition from boys clothes to young men's clothes has me scrambling a bit this year but I am optimistic I will find what I need.

My daughter used Switched on schoolhouse the last 2 years for homeschooling but we are putting together her curriculum this year. Its been fun looking through all the options. I only plan on buying a math program to start as we have a ton of educational materials leftover from her older brothers.

I relocated a packing area for Ebay stuff. My challenge to sort through all that stuff in the basement has been going really well. Between the garage sale and Craigslist I was able to get rid of a lot but I have a backlog of items to put on Ebay.

Staying off my foot this week is giving me lots of time to updates lists and sketch out plans. DH has requested we change a few things around here and he really likes lists and everything laid out on charts so I figure I can have some fun with that. Since he works so much I think it really helps him feel more on top of things if he can see whats going on at home.

I think I would like to host Thanksgiving again this year so I think I will try to start working ahead on that, last year went well but I would like to improve a few areas. I was thinking of trying to use a roaster to cook a turkey. Does anyone have any first hand experience with cooking a turkey this way?