Menu Plan Monday ~ May 13, 2024

 

My Frugal Week

Guess what I found while thrifting last week? 

A food chopper! The price was $7.00 (New ones are selling for $22.00) at a very expensive thrift store. It was one of the few things we bought there as the prices were outrageous! 

They had a pair of pants in my size with the clearance price of $1.00 from Walmart still attached and they were trying to sell them for $15.00.  Crazy prices, but I do have a food chopper again. I used it Saturday night to chop onions and then on Sunday I chopped pineapple and it works like a dream. 

Photo of the Week

Four new cloth napkins, which are 100% cotton, which I prefer. These are the bigger size and measure 20 inches by 20 inches, which I also prefer over the smaller cloth napkins.

What’s for Breakfast

We enjoyed a free breakfast buffet at the hotel on Thursday & Friday mornings. They had scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage gravy, a waffle station, fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal and milk, chocolate muffins, bagels, toast, and danishes along with coffee, tea, and several fruit juices.

Tuesday ~ Grilled Chicken Salad at home.

Wednesday ~ This was our first night in Atlanta and we ate at Taco Mac. Bailey had the  Chattahoochee Burger with Bacon, smoked Gouda, caramelized onions, fried pickles, smoky BBQ mayo, and an egg on top. 

I had the Peachtree burger with caramelized onions, American cheese, bread and butter pickles, lettuce, and '79 sauce, which reminded me of Big Mac sauce. We both had the fried pickles and it was so much food that I didn't finish my burger and we took the fried pickles back to the hotel. 

Thursday ~ This was the night of the concert, so we stayed in and ordered food from Taza Grill via Grub Hub to our hotel room. This was Mediterranean fare, and Bailey had the Chicken Alfredo Pasta with a side of Crab Macaroni Salad while I had the Chicken Kebab Dinner Plate. 

Friday ~ We were so tired from thrifting, but stopped at the Hibachi Buffet in Duluth, Georgia and had the best Sesame Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken ever! They also had this jello dish that was a creamy yellow, which I believe was orange juice. It was so good and refreshing. They had bowl fulls of fresh watermelon and BIG strawberries. It was all so delicious. 

Saturday ~ Back home and to our regular dinners. Lemon Pepper Salmon, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Butter Beans, and Corn. 

Sunday ~ Mother's Day - Bailey picked up my favorite pizza from our local Italian restaurant, Rafael's Italian Restaurant. She also picked up drinks from Sonic, fresh pineapple and two slices of cheesecake at Walmart. 

While she was there she found some rotisserie chickens on mark down for $3.20 and picked up two of those. I'll take the meat off of those today and freeze for later meals. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

Regarding the safety of our food, I did hear back from my neighbor who is a lineman for TVA and he said everything, but seafood should be fine, so I do have some fish in the freezer, which I will toss.  

Please come back next week to see what we have on our menu this week. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Saturday Update

Hello to all my friends! 

We've been gone this week to a concert & thrifting trip in Atlanta since Wednesday. The storms came through here Wednesday evening around 6 pm and so I am trying to determine how long our power was off. 

According to our electric company's Smart Hub, it was off starting sometime on Wednesday, all day on Thursday, and part of Friday, but I don't know for how long.

I'm trying to figure out if I need to throw food away or not. I sent a text to my neighbor who works for the electric company to ask his opinion and I'm waiting to hear back. 

Here is a photo of a set of rainbow bowls that I picked up this week. These are melamine bowls, which I love, as they are not too heavy to use. 

It was so funny, I originally found the set with three bowls and as I continued shopping the kitchen section (my favorite place in any thrift store), I found two other bowls both in different spots. It was like a treasure hunt. 

I'll share various pictures throughout the week as I update you all on what's been happening here this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Thursday Update

 Hello to all my friends! This is just a note to say that there won’t be a Frugal Friday post this week. We have a few things going on here this week, but I wanted to let you all know we are safe and sound from the storms, which hit our area pretty hard. I’ll be back soon with an update. 💕 

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in Our Frugal Kitchen ~ May 6, 2024

                                 

My Frugal Week

We use parmesan cheese here regularly and I save the lids as they fit very well on a mason jar. I've been making my own spice jars for a while now using a pint size canning jar with parmesan lid and a homemade label. The mason jar will hold two of the Great Value spice jars easily. 

Recently I measured the space under my kitchen sink and went to the store to find two containers for each side. It had to be small enough to fit under the drain pipe and the bottom of the sink. 

I found the Hefty 32 quart storage bin with a high rise lid. We have multiple sets of small tupperware for items like homemade jello cups, so one of the bins holds all my small containers. The other bin holds all my cleaning supplies. They make the whole area look less cluttered, which I like. 

Recipe of the Week

Pimento Cheese

Back in 1996 I was part of the Slim & Trim diet club and we would meet every Monday. We would often share recipes and had even made a cookbook at one time. One of the recipes I made was for pimento cheese, but I substituted cottage cheese fo the mayonnaise in the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups mayonnaise 

1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon finely grated onion 

1 (8-oz.) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 

1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese 

Celery sticks and assorted crackers

Directions:

Combine mayo, pimientos, worcestershire sauce, and grated onion.Shred the cheese and add to mayo mixture, stirring until blended. Store in the refrigerator up to one week. Serve with celery sticks or assorted crackers.

What’s for Dinner

Meatless Monday ~ Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Corn, Salad. 

Taco Tuesday ~ Walnut Shrimp, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Peas. 

Wednesday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Cole Slaw.

Thursday ~ Chicken Burrito Bowls

Friday ~ Stir Fried Chicken, Air Fried Sweet Potatoes, Cole Slaw, and Cucumber Tomato Salad. 

Saturday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl with Chicken, Stir Fry Vegetables, Cauliflower Rice, Cucumber Tomato Salad. 

Sunday ~ Chicken Teriyaki with Stir Fried Vegetables, Fried Rice. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

Items I have on hand include orange chicken, pork, cube steak, round steak, fajita chicken, chicken, sausage, and tuna. Please come back next week to see what we will have on our menu this week. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

First Frugal Friday of May 2024

 Welcome to Frugal Friday! 

My Frugal Week
It's been a whirlwind of activity this week as I went to the ortho doctor on Tuesday for shots in both knees. My BMI is very close to the range he wants in order to do my double knee replacement, so my next appointment will be with the surgeon in three months to discuss my options. 
Afterwards I went to Walmart, Gordon Foods, and Whole Foods. I also went to Trader Joe's after an appointment on Thursday to pick up some orange chicken and tahini. 
Twice this past week I cleaned up a bit downstairs and had more rubbish for the garbage man. I also cleaned off the back porch and disassembled a shelf and used zip ties to tie it together for the next consignment sale. 
Earlier in the week I bought some very large contractor garbage bags for downstairs. On Thursday I went down there and put some of the regular garbage bags into these heavy duty bags as some of the regular bags were so heavy they were busting through the bags. Hopefully these will solve this problem. 
I weeded the flower bed next to Dad's office door. It's early in the season, but things are already growing with this warm weather we are having. 
We were able to air out the house on multiple days this week as the weather was just beautiful and the cool breeze through the house felt good. 
On Saturday Bailey went to a couple of yard sales, but I stayed home to do laundry, clean, and visit as one of our neighbors was coming over. 
My Vidalia Chop Wizard bit the dust recently and I put the word out that I need another one. They are a dime a dozen on the second hand market, so I am not paying $22 for a new one. Bailey found an old fashioned chopper like this at the yard sale for $1.00, so I'll use it until we score a chop wizard.
Good Neighbors 
Sunday was a whirlwind of activity as several of the neighbors learned about Dad's passing. We had about half a dozen neighbors come over. One of them brought all of Dad's tractor implements all the way up to the house where they are in plain sight of my kitchen window. He offered to mow the lawn for me and plans to do that this week. 
Another neighbor came on Monday and weeded one area and trimmed the holly bushes for us. It’s in an area where Bailey parks her car and Bailey had been working on the area when her power saw broke. I told our neighbor Bailey was going to be thrilled when she saw it, and about that time Bailey drove up and was tickled pink when she saw it. 
We ended up selling Dad's tractor to the neighbor's father-in-law and sold an outbuilding off  Dad's property across the road to a different neighbor. It was a wonderful feeling of fellowship, community and comradery. They all know we are alone and vulnerable up here without Dad and they all told me to call them if we ever need anything. 
It did make me sad to see Dad's tractor drive down the driveway for the last time.  He bought it in 1991, so it's been a huge part of our lives here for over thirty years and I couldn't tell you how many hours he put on it working around our home. 
We also ended up selling Dad's 5th Wheel Camper this week, so it's been a very busy week here. 
Photo of the Week

Wildflowers currently growing on Dad's property across the road. 
Savings of the Week
I went to Gordon Foods to buy their large can of black olives, which is a better deal than the smaller cans at other stores. Gordon's 110 ounce can sells for $11.99, which works out to 66 cents for the six ounce can, which sells at Walmart for $1.94. So, big savings where black olives are concerned. 
Question of the Week
If you had the opportunity to purchase all the original The Tightwad Gazette newsletters in a three ring binder, would you buy them? And if so, what would you be willing to pay for them?
Avoiding Spending
This week was bill paying week, so I didn't avoid spending money, but all the bills have been paid, so I'm very grateful. 

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in our Frugal Kitchen ~ April 29, 2024

                                           

My Frugal Week

On Tuesday I boiled a carton of eighteen eggs to have for the week and also made a gallon of green tea. We continue to use what we have in our pantry and cook from scratch, mostly eating a whole foods diet rather than relying on processed food. 

I made a batch of Minestrone soup this week and made individual bowls for the freezer, which will be nice to pull out for lunches in the future. I ended up with seven individual portions for the freezer. 

Recipe of the Week

This recipe for Cucumber Salad first appeared in a Southern Living magazine that I had picked up at a yard sale one summer.  Since that time I've made this recipe dozens of times and it has become a tried and true family favorite. Perfect for when your garden is filled with cucumbers and tomatoes. 

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers
1 large tomato
1 small red bell pepper
1 small purple onion
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut cucumbers and remove seeds with a spoon.

Chop cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, and onion.
Whisk together oil and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. 

(I put the dressing ingredients in a jar & shake well)

Add cucumber mixture, tossing to coat. 

Cover and chill 3 hours.

Photo of the Week

Vegetables being sauteed in EVOO for minestrone soup. 

What’s for Lunch

Leftovers, 15 Beans Cajun Soup Beans, Yogurt & Fruit, Cottage Cheese Egg Salad.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ BBQ Pulled Pork, Green Beans with Onions, and Carrots.

Tuesday ~ Baked Fish, Baked Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Cauliflower. 

Wednesday ~ Salmon Patties, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans & Onions. 

Thursday ~ Hamburger Scramble, Homemade Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions. 

Friday ~ Bailey had book club, so I was on my own for dinner. I made a pot of the Sardinia Minestrone soup and had a bowl for my dinner. 

Saturday & Sunday~ Tacos, Red Onions, Lettuce, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (my favorite), Cucumber Tomato Salad, and Corn. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

We are serving at least one meatless meal this week to save money on meat, so I’ll make Bean & Cheese Enchiladas for dinner one night. I'm also making a Sausage Casserole with Cauliflower Rice. 

Later this week I’ll need to do some grocery shopping, so the rest of the week is undecided right now. Please come back next week to see what we end up making for these dinners. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Fourth Frugal Friday of April 2024

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
It's springtime in Tennessee and with that brings folklore about the cold weather snaps. This week we experienced Blackberry Winter when the blackberries are in bloom. 
There are three main Tennessee springtime winters:
Redbud Winter usually arrives in MarchDogwood Winter runs from late March through early AprilBlackberry Winter comes around the first of May 
When my birthday arrives in May, we know the cool weather has passed for the season. Same can be said in Autumn, when Bailey's birthday rolls around in late October, we know the hot weather is gone for the season. 

The representative for my trunk pump came last Friday to measure me. He had a family emergency the Friday before, which is why he didn't come. So now he will submit this to my insurance company and start the waiting period. 
On Saturday I had some errands to run and then came home and did some laundry. Bailey was running low on inventory, so it was a good time to go through my clothes and sort out any I no longer wear. Afterwards, I steamed them for her. I measured them on Tuesday and she had them listed by the end of the week. 
On Wednesday evening members of the church come by as I had some stuff to donate for their yard sale. They left here with two pickup truck loads to sell. They serve our community by giving away free food every two weeks and are using the funds from the sale towards this project and I can't think of a better place to donate these items. 
Freebies
The Fussy Librarian and Robin Reads are both websites offering free books to read.  
Photo of the Week

Bailey saved money this week by using up multiple press on nails. She had several left over, but not enough for a whole set. She called them Frankenstein nails. The ladies at her book club thought they were so cute. 
Savings of the Week
After physical therapy on Thursday I went into Food City for some sweet potatoes and found a package of cube steak and a package of round steak on markdown. So, I picked those up and put them in the freezer. It's been a long time since we've had either of those. 
It's been a quiet week here, how was your week? Any frugal wins to share?

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27