Friday, June 3, 2022

First Frugal Friday of June 2022



Welcome to Friday! 

Quote of the Week

A rising tide lifts all ships. 
~ Jack Monroe ~ The Bootstrap Cook

 Update on my Mom 

My Mom has earned her angel wings as she passed away on Friday, May 27, 2022. She came to me in a dream that morning in her red nightshirt and was leaning into me to give me a hug. I sat up to hug her back and woke up and I knew in my heart she was leaving. She was the best Mom ever and I will love and miss her for the rest of my life. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts to me after her fall and illness. They have meant so much to me.

My Frugal Week

Bailey had book club last Friday, so we did not yard sale on that day.

We decided to stock up on cat food this week and bought four - thirty pound bags for $19.48 each. 

It really pays to hang on to some of your old cords and chargers. I keep mine in a ziplock bag and label them. Sometime this week I had lost the charger to my cordless headphones. Bailey has a bag of old chargers and we found one in there that works for the headphones. I have since found my charger, so now I have two of them.

We sent back Mom’s hospital bed on Tuesday. They were going to charge $12 per month for the next year, so she would own it outright. But there is no need for that now. 

Our local charity shop came by on Thursday as we donated her wheelchair, shower chair, bedside commode, brand new packs of diapers and pads. They allow people in our community to use these things for free as long as they need them, so we wanted other people to benefit from these items. I also sent along a box of food of items that she enjoyed but we would not eat, so others may benefit from them too.

Photo of the Week


Mom & Me ~ Summer 1980

Question of the Week

Did you know that some Corell dishes made before 1970 might contain lead in the paint? The white dishes, which are non painted, are fine. 

Saving Money In My Frugal Kitchen

With rising grocery costs facing us, I’ve been thinking about some of the dishes we used to make back when money was tighter. Dinners like baked potatoes, rice or macaroni and cheese, beans, etc. Several of our dinners this week reflected that as we want to make the best use of the resources we have available to us. 

Bailey went to multiple thrift stores on Thursday. She stopped in at both Kroger and IGA for meat markdowns and came home with three packages of chicken, four packages of hamburger meat, and several packages of already made hamburgers. All of that went into the freezer for future meals.

Meals This Week

Friday: Bean & Cheese Enchiladas. I used McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix with an eight ounce can of tomato sauce to make these enchiladas, which cost $1.90 to make. The Old El Paso enchilada sauce is $1.98 for a ten ounce can, so the price is similar. 

This was a meatless meal, which is a good way to save money since the cost of meat has went up in price with so many other things. 

Saturday:  Bailey’s uncle and cousins treated us to dinner delivered to our home since my Mom passed away. We decided on pizza from our local Italian restaurant. 

Sunday: Dirty Rice, Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad. 

Monday: Better Cheddars, Buttered Noodles, Carrots, Corn on the Cobb. 

Tuesday: Tuna Salad for lunch, Pizza for movie night. 

Wednesday: Macaroni & Cheese, October Beans ~ another meatless meal.

Thursday: I took the last two hamburgers from the freezer and the October beans from yesterday, added onions, tomatoes, and chili powder and made chili for dinner. Cheese, sour cream, and saltine crackers for those who wanted that. 

Recipe of the Week

This is the cake recipe that was involved in my question of the week last week. Is Watkins dessert mix the same thing as dry pudding mix? Several people asked for the recipe, so here it is in its entirety. It’s a delicious cake if you do get the chance to try it. 

Vanilla Filled Fudge Crown Cake

Ingredients: 

1 package (18.5 ounces) Swiss or milk chocolate cake mix
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 & 1/2 tablespoons Watkins vanilla dessert mix (pudding?)
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Watkins chocolate dessert mix (pudding?)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 4 tablespoons warm milk

Directions:

Prepare cake mix as package directs adding cinnamon.
Pour into a greased Bundt pan.
In a small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and dessert mix. 
Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
Pour evenly over cake batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until done. 
Remove from pan and let cool. 
Drizzle glaze over cake. 

Glaze Directions:

Combine powdered sugar, dessert mix, oil, and vanilla. 
Add enough milk to make desired consistency. 


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.

Belinda
~ Living within our Means ~
My Linktree

32 comments:

  1. I am so sorry to hear about your mother! I have wondered.
    That cake sounds delicious!

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  2. Belinda,
    I’m so sorry about your mom…I’m sure she’ll come to you in many different ways the rest of your life…she’ll be your guardian Angel! What a great picture of the two of you in 1980! I’ve never written to you before, but I’ve been enjoying your blog for over a year now! May God wrap his loving arms around you and Bailey during this difficult time…❤️ Janel in NJ

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  3. I'm sorry to hear of your mother's passing.
    Prayers to you and family during this very sad time.

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  4. I'm so sorry, my friend. Words are not enough. You've been in my thoughts. I hope you all find comfort in your memories with her. Hugs to Bailey as well.

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  5. I have had a feeling all week. You sure have been on my mind. I am soooo sorry for the loss of your Mom. How wonderful that 'she came' to say goodbye. Prayers and blessings be with you and Bailey and the rest of the family. She will always be with you in your heart and mind. HUGE hugs

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  6. I’m so sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. Hugs! To all of you. ❤️

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  7. I'm so very sorry to hear about your mom. Like others, I've been thinking of you. Sending lots of good thoughts to you & Bailey. Hugs.

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  8. I am so sorry to hear about your mother. What a testimony you have that she came to you in a dream. That was her way of saying that it was all right and that she is at peace. May God grant you, Bailey, and all your family the peace that only He can bring. Prayers for you all.

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  9. Sorry to hear about your mom. No matter our age when it happens, it is never easy. Mine earned her wings back in 2000. Hugs to you both during this time....

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  10. Belinda,

    I am so sorry. My heart is just broken. I loved hearing about her over the years. I am glad you were able to say goodbye in that very special way. I was worried about you & Bailey.

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  11. Belinda, so sorry to learn of your Mom's passing. I lost my Mom in April, and had a similar experience. I strangely work up at 3:30 in the morning from a sound sleep, on the day that she passed. I had such an odd feeling, and later learned that that was the exact time that she died. I am far more spiritual than religious, I interpret this to her saying goodbye. Hugs to you.

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  12. Hugs to you and your family.

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  13. I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers. Lynn Ewing

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  14. I'm so sorry to hear of your mom's passing. You all will be in my prayers for comfort during this difficult time.

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  15. Belinda, you have been on my mind all week. I am so very sorry to hear about your Mom. Blessings and peace to you and Bailey.

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  16. I am sorry for your loss. I looked up the mix and found this

    http://www.18hrwk. .com/products/ dessert-mixes.html

    I put spaces so it wouldn't look like spam. Hope it helps.

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  17. My deepest condolences to you and Bailey in the loss of your mom Belinda.How wonderful that The Lord let her come and hug you one last time on earth until you see her again!The same thing happened to me when my grandmother who raised me passed, my mother was mentally unstable and a drug and alcohol addict and I don't know who my father is so I am very grateful that I had loving grandparents in my life..How blessed you are to have had such a great relationship with her!I always think of the song "I can only imagine" in times of grief.Hugs,Peggy.

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  18. I am so sorry. It is hard to lose our Mom, but I'm glad that you have good memories. She sounds like a very special woman, and I love the picture of the two of you.
    Prayers for comfort.

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  19. Thank you for sharing your love of your mother and how wonderful to have your final goodbye from her in your memories.
    Huga
    Joy

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  20. I am sorry Belinda. Even though we knew my mom wasn't going to get better somehow it is still a shock. May you find peace knowing she isn't in any pain.

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  21. So sorry about your mom. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Gerry T.

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  22. Oh Belinda , I am so sorry about your mom, but how wonderful that she came to say goodby. I am in tears as I write this. Then giving away all her things for others who may be in need was so kind. You will be and are blessed my friend. That cake sounds so good and rich, no calories , just the way I like them:) If I was there I would give you a big hug.

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  23. I'm very sorry for your loss. I am a long-time reader and first-time commenter. From reading about how you cared for your Mom the last few months, I am sure that she knew how much you loved her.

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  24. Belinda, I am so sorry to read about your mother. She will be watching over you from now on.

    Your generosity in giving those items to others who could be in need is just what I knew you would do.

    Yum that cake sounds wonderful.

    God bless.

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  25. I am so sorry to read of your recent loss. Nothing can replace our mothers.

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  26. Belinda, I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. May your dear mom rest in peace. I know it's not easy to lose a parent. That's a beautiful pic of you both. Will keep you, Bailey & your family in prayer. Big hug.

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  27. So sorry to hear about your loss. Hard always. I pray you keep an eye on your own health and make healthy choices!

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  28. I'm so sorry for your loss. The way you wrote about your mom it was clear she was very dear to you and your family, and much loved.

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  29. Belinda and Bailey, I'm so sorry of your loss of your Mom. My love and hugs to you both.

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  30. Belinda, I'm so sorry I missed this. I'm very sorry to hear about your Mom. Their is nothing like a Mother to hear your troubles to because she always understands. I know you will miss her greatly.

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  31. My condolences on the death of your Mom. I am so very sorry for your loss. I appreciate your posts and I didn’t know that about Corelle! Ann

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