Saturday, April 4, 2020

My Frugal Week ~



Like many of you, we've stayed home every day this week due to the "stay at home" order. 


We are using up what food we have on hand, also like many of you, not going to the grocery store, and trying to be resourceful with what we have here. 


I took everything out of the pantry and cleaned and organized it better than it was before. 

On Monday I made up a new recipe for
cheese dip

On Tuesday I made a double batch of
Mexican Rice and included onions, peas, and carrots, so it had a lot of vegetables. I also used homemade chicken broth that I made and froze last week and used up some taco sauce that no one was fond of, but couldn't taste in the recipe. 

We had the rice for lunch that day with some tortilla chips and cheese. It is a very affordable and meatless dish to save money and stretch what we have on hand. I made a double batch, so we will use it as a filler for tacos one night this week too. 
               
I also made a batch of
Bean & Cheese Enchiladas for dinner on Tuesday. This was also dinner on Wednesday along with a cheese quesadilla on the side.      

On Wednesday I made a batch of
Banana Pancakes using up some bananas that were on the verge. Since I had my griddle out I used it to make the pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and cheese quesadillas to go along with dinner. 

Other frugal things I've done this week include: 


We've been able to access the Tennessee Reads Overdrive website this week and watched Life of a King for free. This movie is based on a true story and was a really good film. 

Sewing...there is plenty of time to work on some projects. I also repaired several cloth pads for my daughter. 

We watched
Ratatouille for our family movie night this week.


We also watched Historian Jerry Apps remembering his childhood in Waushara County, Wisconsin in Farm Story on YouTube. His story is told through his personal memories and photos from the community. 

Apps evokes memories of a time when almost as many Americans lived on farms as in cities, and examines day-to-day rural life. Fieldwork was done with horses, cows were milked by hand, lanterns were the source of light, and community was essential for survival.


How has your week been? 

Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~
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18 comments:

  1. Your recipes all look delicious. I too am trying to look back in history to help my brain understand these measures are for safety and throughout time, people managed to live thrive despite hard times.

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    1. Thank you, Sam. Definitely a good view point of yours.

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  2. Your meals sound really good. I have many meatless meals here as well. I am always full and don't miss it a bit.
    It is amazing all the projects everyone is finding to do. Sounds like some good TV/movie watching as well.
    Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl. I enjoy meatless meals without the meat as well. There are some terrific dishes out there without meat to enjoy.

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  3. Thank you for sharing the farm story. I shared it with my grandma, 81 who was laid off from her childcare job and is trying to keep busy at her home in Iowa. SC doesn't currently have a stay at home order, which is frustrating as every state around us does. I out to the store after work on my "Friday" and replenish what we have used throughout the week. I'm trying my hand at sewing some face masks, some to keep and some to donate. I read an article about the lab-tested filtering ability of blue shop towels, so I'm following that pattern. A lot of people I've seen in my area are wearing masks in public made out of highly breathable cotton, which has minimal filtering power. We were able to get outside and want many flowers, fruit bushes, and veggies this week. I'm looking forward to preserving in the fall.

    Nichole

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    1. Oh, I am looking forward to preserving again too, Nichole. I know there are people who do not enjoy time in the kitchen, but I am not one of them. LOL

      It took a while for the TN governor to enact the stay at home order, but he finally did. I hope it helps and hope SC will follow soon too. I hope your grandma likes the video. I really enjoyed it. :)

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  4. I'm glad you're still posting. Thank you. It's good to hear from you, Arlene

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    1. It's so good to see you, Arlene. Thank you! :)

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  5. Online Library Services- Have you tried Hoopla? They give you between 10-15 rentals a month. There are big movies over at Hoopla like Marvel Movies. There are a few others that your local library might have too. We have Hoopla, RBDigital, Libby (OverDrive) & Tumblebooks (Videos and Books for Kids) If your library allows it you can link to other county libraries to really expand your selection. Before the virus I was working to get ours to start a broader linking system. You can find all these on the main page of your Libraries web site.

    DH is essential. Nerve wracking but it is becoming norm. We lost five to Covid. Nursing home outbreak. Family and friends are devastated. I cried hard for several days.

    Went out to pick up groceries for the week. Was gone ten minutes. It was heavenly. My dog was so happy for a ride in the truck. :)

    Life hasn't changed much here. DH is still working. I am still a homemaker. Before this I only went shopping at the Dollar Stores, Thrifting & Library. Had an occasional stock up at WalMart. Life hasn't really changed here for our family. I do miss my weekly jaunts but no complaining. I am happy my life was simple and content before COVID. Happy it's still simple and content. The only thing that has changed is we just don't go out when my DH is home from work. Flatten the Curve. It is the most important.

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  6. Yes, flattening the curve is so important, Safyne. And I will say that we stayed home a lot before the pandemic, so this isn't as hard on us as we are used to being home. At least when I'm not working. When I'm working that is constantly on my mind as I don't always know what to expect from day to day with subbing. Will I be working tomorrow or no? It is on my mind regularly when school is in session.

    I will have to try Hoopla and see what I can find. Thank you for all the suggestions.

    I'm so sorry you lost five to Covid. That is so sad. My heart goes out to you. :(

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  7. We are staying at home, and trying to stretch our store trips as much as possible. We're getting to 8-9 days, and think we will go the full 14, given the latest guidance to stay at home if at all possible during the upcoming peak.

    We had kebabs & rice yesterday, and today I'm planning pork carnitas in the crockpot.

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    1. Oh, those both sound like good meals. You all are doing a great job of staying home. I'm grateful we've been able to get some items online and delivered. We spray them down outside though before coming into the house with them and leave the packaging material outside.

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  8. Jerry Apps relates my early childhood with my grandparents. Smiled as I listened. Documentaries teach and entertain me. Ken Burns's Dust Bowl documentary details John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, too. We are sheltered in willingly except if a prescription is needed, and they seldom renew at the same time. Take care all.
    -memphis metro

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    1. I really enjoyed listening to the Jerry Apps video as well. And the Dust Bowl and Grapes of Wrath was also interesting. Another one that I like is the Sargent York film. I've watched it in a US History class at the high school and the students are really into it as well. I love the documentaries like this.

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    2. My thinker may be "thunk out," but I never recall being taught about the Dust Bowl in any American history class, although I had elementary, high school, and college classes. Ken Burns's DUST BOWL documentary stands among the best.

      You are near Alvin York's home, aren't you? Being a Gary Cooper fan, it is a favorite film of mine.

      A friend is tuning up our whole-house air conditioner today. HOT for Wednesday will be 85 degrees. We will be moving on up.
      -memphis metro

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    3. We were really close to Alvin York's home when we lived in Pikeville and had been to it several times.

      It s really warm here today too, 79 when I checked just now. I spent some time outside, but the pollen count is high, so not too long.

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  9. 82-degree high today, but weather is playing see-saw: changing all the time.

    Years ago, My Man (DH) and I made 2 or 3 trips to Nashville annually to revisit Andrew Jackson's Home, The Hermitage; the Capitol Building; the State Museum; Frist Museum of Art; and whatever else struck our fancy. Took a DD and friend when they were in high school to see The Phantom of the Opera in Nashville. Must claim Memphis's Orpheum had the best presentation I ever saw, and I saw "Phantom" twice in London, England.
    -memphis metro

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