Just Busy!

I'm sorry for not posting in a week!  And I have no excuse other than I've been busy, and it's nothing really worth talking about, but I will try to catch you up. 

To catch you up on the last post, the exercise plan is going.   How well I cannot say, but it's going!

Let's see, I told you about my trip to BJ's to stock up on household things.  And I am loving the new toy - the Cuisinart grill!  I've done boneless pork loin chops, sandwiches and grilled veggies on it.  My favorite so far is grilled asparagus!  I toss the spears in olive oil, then sprinkle them with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt - just a bit of that - and then I grill them until they are just looking a bit tender.  Then I put them in a warm oven just a couple of minutes, and they are tender but still have a bite to them, and they taste wonderful.  And let me say that I haven't always liked asparagus - it is definitely an acquired taste, but now it is one of my favorite veggies, and can be found on sale frequently. (and it's really, really good for you - shhhhhh!)

Hmmm, then on Friday of last week I worked in my studio/office getting things picked up and put away.  I now have a small table for etsy and ebay things which helps a lot.  They are no longer stacked on the floor under my work table.  I have been buying organizational stuff, like the cart above for my cardstock, and a bunch of these . . .

 . . . in 4 different sizes, and now have things in pretty good shape - except for my ribbon.  I still cannot get a handle on how to efficiently and effectively store the multitudinous ribbons I own!  Remember THIS post from early January?  Well, it's not working for me!  At All!  So I am now trying to come up with a better system, and it's making me crazy!  The problem is two-fold.  One, I just have so much of the stuff, and Two, is that there is no rhyme or reason as to how they came to me.  I have some that are on rolls, but they are in the minority.  Most of the satin ribbons that I have came from a vendor at a local antique market and they came in bundles.  Others came from craft stores where I bought just a couple of yards.  Still others came from Etsy sellers who neatly wound the ribbon around sweet tags.

I have tried the plastic with holes in it to hang the ribbon on - not working.  Also tried winding the ribbon on old fashioned wooden clothes pins - really not working.  And I tried winding the ribbon onto cardboard rectangles.  They worked best, I think, but I never cut the rectangles exactly the same size, so getting them organized was a problem.  I now have two of the bins like the ones above that are 7.5 quart size.  They are approximately 7" high X 7" wide X 10" long, and they are what I want to use for my ribbon.  No lace, no trims, just ribbon.

Last night I sat with a pile of ribbon on my work table and just racked my brain (or what is left of it) and came up with what I hope is a solution.  I found a tag on one of my Cricut cartridges (tagleft @ 2.5" on Plantin SchoolBook) that fits very well in this bin.  I can put dividers in the bins, one right down the middle of each, and stand the tags up in two rows.  The tags will be cut from chipoard.  There are two cool things about this solution.  One is that I can wind the ribbon around and tuck the top end into the hole in the tag to hold it secure.  The other is that I can write on the chipboard the size, color and type of ribbon so that when I run out, I can take it to the store (or the computer if I'm buying online) and have it right there in my hand.  For ribbons that I have larger quantities of, I will cut off 3 yards or so and put it on the tag, and the rest will go into a large plastic drawer to store.  I will write that on the tag, too!  "More of this ribbon in drawer".

Overall I think this should work well, although it will be a lot of work.  But I can take a bag of tags, ribbon and a pen and work on them at night when watching TV, when we are out riding, or at nighttime when we are camping.  It will take a while, but if this storage system works, it will be worth while.  As info, I am now bidding on some chipboard on ebay that will be used to make the tags.

Boy, that was longer than I had intended, but somehow getting it written down helps the thinking process!

Saturday I stayed home all day and played most of the day, then made us a great dinner!  Hubby went to our local meat market (more about that below) and got two black angus ribeye steaks.  I marinated them briefly in olive oil, balsamic vinegar (just a touch), salt and pepper, then put them on a very hot grill.  I also baked potatoes and grilled zucchini and asparagus on the Cuisinart grill.while the steaks were cooking outside on the big grill.  We had a glass of wine and a great baguette with Danish butter, too.  Those were the best steaks I have ever cooked, and they were just perfect! 

I have learned a couple of things about cooking steaks on the grill, and they involve the use of two tools.   A good timer, and a good digital instant read thermometer.  I put them on and set the timer for 4 minutes.  When the 4 minutes are up I turn them, and change their position on the grill.  The one on back comes to front and vice versa.  Then I check the temperature.  We like our steaks about half way between medium and medium well, which is @ 165 degrees, but when the steaks get to 155 degrees or just above, take them off the grill - they will finish cooking on their own just fine.

Sunday we went riding again.  It was a lovely day, so we headed up to Franklin, NC and the road over Wayah Bald.  This is one of our favorite routes, and this trip was special, because the higher we got, the more snow there was still on the ground.  Now we had @ 2.5 - 3" of snow last Tuesday, but it is long gone, so we weren't really expecting this!  But the roads were clear and the scenery just beautiful!  HERE are a few pics (courtesy of Webshots) that you can see for yourself.  On the way home we stopped in Gainesville for dinner.  Remember I said that a little bit later!

Monday was Mama day.  Her sister who usually takes her on errands is visiting her son in Florida for a few weeks, and my worthless brother hadn't called her or answered her call in over a week, and she needed some things.  We went to 5 stores and it took 7 hours.  I was exhausted!  Enough said.

Yesterday (Tuesday)  I had to drive back to Gainesville (30 - 35 min each way) to the restaurant to pick up hubby's debit card, which he left in the little folder after he paid for our dinner.  So, while in Gainesville I stopped at Office Pros and looked for ribbon solutions, and didn't find any there.  Then I went to the feed store and bought 50 pounds of safflower seed (the birds are getting expensive!) and then went to Fergusons to order the meats for our freezer.  (see THIS post from last year)  I got the # 2 with a couple of changes, and bought a whole ribeye.  The steaks that hubby bought on Saturday were $11.99/lb, and it was almost $25 for two steaks (and they were way too thick!).  If you buy a whole ribeye they cut it to order and wrap it for the freezer for free, and they are just $7.99/lb.  I got 17 steaks for just under $100, and they will last us for more than a year, most likely.  It just makes sense!

While there, I bought something I haven't gotten in several years.  They sell the BEST cheesecakes, in their freezer section.  They are honestly just like the ones you get at the better restaurants.  Anyway, they now have the smaller sized cakes @ 6-7 inches aross for $2.99 or 2/$5!!!  I bought two and put them in the freezer.  They are great to pull out when you have company for dinner!

Please note:  I have learned a few things since our stocking up experiment from last year.  One, 50# of ground chuck was too much.  We are still eating on that, and so this year I an only getting 20#.  Two, the chicken breasts (80#) was too much!  The chicken doesn't keep that well, and we are still eating on it, too.  From now on I will go from time to time and buy 20# when we need it.  That one just didn't work for us.  And third, for the meats from Fergusons, there is no need to unwrap their hard work and re-pack the meats in food saver bags.  They do a great job, and I haven't had a single thing with freezer burn. 

And today it is raining.  And it's going to be raining tomorrow and Friday, too.   I will go pick up my freezer meat on Friday, and our 'meat' freezer will be stocked for another year plus.  On Saturday I go to my first meeting of the local "Mary Jane's Farmgirl" group called the Georgia Farmgirls!  They have a cute little house (the henhouse)  just 5 miles from here where they hold their meetings monthly.  I am very excited about this meeting and the opportunity to make new friends, and will let you know how it turns out!

So that is what is going on in my world.  Nothing truly exciting (except the upcoming meeting) but just taking day by day!    But sometimes day by day is a good thing!   Take care, friends!  Becky

Shopping The Sales - Grocery Sales, That Is!!!

Yesterday I made a run to my favorite local Kroger supermarket.  I really didn't need anything, but Kroger had a great sale this week, and I wanted to take advantage and stock up on a few things.  It was what they called their 'Mega' event and when you buy 10 qualifying items you get $5 off your bill, or 50 cents off per item.  I also had some pretty good coupons for a few of the items that were on sale, which made for even better 'per item' prices.  Here area few of the things I bought this trip . . .

And yes, these are actually some of the more 'junky' foods that I usually buy, but we would probably have done without them if they hadn't been on a great sale!  Let's start with the item on the bottom - Sargento Swiss Cheese.  Normally I would have bought Kroger brand Swiss cheese because it's just as good, and less expensive.  But not in this case . . .

Regular price    $3.99

Sale price         $1.99

Mega Sale Discount   $.50

Coupon            $  .50

Double Coupon $  .50

I paid - $.49 - a savings of $3.50 or 87.7%

Next up, Kraft Cheddar Cheese.  I've said it on here before, and I'll definitely say it again  -  I PREFER Kroger brand cheddar cheese to Kraft - GASP!!!  I never thought I would say that, because for many years all I would buy was Kraft, but when I tried Kroger one time I was SOLD!  But, if the price is right, I'll go back to Kraft.  Here we go . . .

Regular price    $3.29

Sale Price          $1.49

Mega Sale Discount $.50

Coupon $ 1.00 for 2, (or $.50 per block)

I paid $0.49 - a savings of $2.80 or 85.1%

Do I have you interested yet???  Let's look at the Tostitos, and NO! these are not my new faves, but I yesterday I made the disturbing discovery that my Kroger doesn't sell those chips - {sigh}.  Anyway, with the sale and my coupon, it was worth the down grade to these chips. 

Regular price $3.85

Sale Price $2.88

Mega Sale Discount $.50

Coupon $ 1.00

I paid $1.38 - a savings of $2.47 or 64.2%

And the crackers.  I don't buy these often, but next weekend is the big (not!) Super Bowl Sunday, and I thought we'd want some snacks.  Hubby will be watching the game, I'll be in my studio making cards and watching anything but the big game!  So, here goes . . .

Since the crackers cost different prices, but were on sale and I had a coupon for $1 off of two boxes, here's how I look at the breakdown . . .

Ritz -

Regular Price   $2.75

Sale Price     $2.49

Mega Sale Discount  $0.50

Coupon  $1.00

I paid $0.99, a savings of $1.76 or 64%

Triscuit Thin Crisps -

Regular price    $2.49

Sale price     $2.19

Mega Sale Discount  $0.50

I paid $1.69, a savings of $0.80 or 32%

And last but not least, let's look at the chicken patties.  I keep these on hand because they are used in one of our favorite meals; one that is very easy and takes only 30 to 40 minutes start to finish to make!  Do any of you remember the old Sizzler restaurants???  Not Western Sizzler - that is totally different, but Sizzler was in the Atlanta area from the early 80's through early to mid 90's.  We LOVED Sizzler's Malibu Chicken, and I worked and worked until I got the sauce down, and now I make it myself. 

(Bonus recipe:  Malibu Chicken - cook patties according to directions - I use oven directions.  When done, top with sliced ham and then Swiss cheese.  Put under the broiler and let the cheese get melted and bubbly.  Make a dipping sauce - 2 TBLSP Mayo, 2 TBLSP horseradish SAUCE (not prepared horseradish) and mustard to taste. You are done!  I serve this with savory chicken veggie rice (homemade), sweet peas or green beans, and one of my favorite veggies, beets cooked in a bit of brown sugar and margarine.  I promise - 30 to 40 minutes start to finish!)

Regular price    $7.49

Sale price    $4.49

Mega Sale Discount  $0.50

Coupon  $1.00

I paid $2.99, or a savings of $4.50 or 60%

I had a budget this week of $60 - 70, and yes, I went over a bit.  My total bill was $71.47, and I went over because I decided at the last minute to buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner last night.  I saved (using coupons and sales) $47.14.  In other words, I got $118.61 worth of groceries for $71.47, and that's a savings of almost 40%.  Just because I took a few minutes to shop the sales flyer and clip a few coupons, I got so much more for my money.

Now, I understand that this may not work for you and your family, but for my family, it works great!  One difference may be our cooking styles.  I use few pre-made foods, but cook a lot from scratch, and not a lot of people do that these days. 

Do you remember last Feb/March when I did my big stocking up?  We bought meats and staples (flour, meal, sugar, oil) and canned goods and it has worked GREAT!!!  In fact, in the next few weeks I'll be doing it all over again.  I've learned a few things, so I'll be getting less of some things and more of others, but that's a good thing. 

Bottom line for me, second after the money we've saved, is the great feeling I get when I notice my pantry in the kitchen is looking a bit thin, to be able to run out into the garage on the shelves or in the freezers and go shopping in my own store, and not have to worry about 'running out' the 8-10 miles to the nearest supermarket for just one or two items.

So, tell me how you save money on your grocery bills!  What is your favorite store?  Do you use store brands?  Do you clip coupons?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Blessings, Becky

Stocking Up Camellia Cottage Style

My husband and I are a really great team! We try our best to keep open the lines of communication and discuss things from many different angles, then work to reach a decision that works for both of us. Sometimes that's hard to do, other times it all just comes together like it's supposed to do. One example of this was deciding what to do with an unexpected bonus hubby received from his job. He's worked there for 36+ years, and never in that time has he ever gotten a 'bonus', and he's been told it will never happen again - a one time deal, they said. His bonus was four weeks pay!

Now, right around the holidays, I felt God had put it on my heart that we really needed to be stocking up on food. I don't know why, but it was clear that was what I strongly felt we should be doing. One day we were talking and I brought that up to hubby, and he said he agreed. That's when he told me he had just that day found out about the upcoming bonus, and we started discussing how we could best use that money - that gift from God! It didn't take long before we agreed we should buy another freezer, and fill it and our current freezer (which sadly, was getting low on supplies) with meats and stock up on canned goods and other staples.

We didn't want to go overboard, partly because it wouldn't be a wise use of the money, but partly because we didn't want to get more than we could easily eat in a year's time. After all, food stuffs don't have an endless shelf life!

I looked online and at a few local stores and found a freezer that I thought would work, and we ordered it. Then I began planning what we should put in both freezers. We decided on:

• a 'freezer special' plus 50# of ground chuck from Fergusons - a local meat market,
• 80# of boneless skinless chicken breasts from the local Tyson 'company store' (market priced - a steal!),
• 40 - 50# of boneless pork loin from Kroger when they have it on sale,
• assorted canned goods (green beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, broths, soups, etc.)
• staples (flour, cornmeal, sugar, rice, etc.)

First up, the local meat market. I got a freezer special that included ground round, chicken breasts, pork chops, chuck roasts, ribs, cubed steak, ribeye steaks, bacon wrapped filet, bacon, etc. I also got an extra 50# of ground chuck. Here's what I came home with >>>

Two huge boxes of meat in the back of my car - I had to carry out a smaller box and use it to get all of the goodies into the house.

Box # 1 - such a beautiful sight!

Box # 2 - Why does the sight of lots of meat give me such a pleased as punch feeling???


Now, we've bought lots of meat from Fergusons since we moved here 5 1/2 years ago, but this was the first big freezer order we'd had from this market, so I didn't know what to expect 'packaging wise'. I had planned on unwrapping everything and sealing it up in food saver bags, but when I started opening up those packages, I found there was no need! Everything was tightly wrapped in thick plastic, then wrapped tightly in freezer paper. I still had to seal up the 50# of ground chuck because I told them to give it to me in bulk, but from now on, no more of that - since there's no extra charge, they can wrap it up for me!

I have a Food Saver brand vacuum sealer, and use it OFTEN! It's amazing how long things will keep in those bags if they are sealed properly. The bags are a bit expensive, but if you think ahead, you can make them a little more cost effective. How? I make each bag a little larger than it has to be, and when I use the product inside I wash the bags, hang them to dry in my pantry and RE-USE them! Depending on what you are storing, you can use a bag 3 - 4 times before it's too small to re-use.

Bacon, ground chuck, and assorted meats in white freezer paper - ready for the freezer.

Ten pounds of ground chuck, ready to be divided, weighed, packed and sealed.

Tools for the job - Food Saver (bags in the background), scissors, magic marker, and food and bread storage bags. I use the bags for lining the tray of the scales, and putting over my right hand for handling the meat. This is Kroger brand, and they are really inexpensive - less expensive than gloves anyway.

My scales. They are pretty basic, but they work! I actually bought these (new, in the box) at a flea market somewhere for just a few dollars, and they have paid for themselves many times over!

This was pretty much an afternoon's work, but now I have a nice supply of mostly beef in my freezer. Since the day I did those meats, I've also bought flour and cornmeal, sausage, canned goods, and tomorrow I'm going to buy the pork loin and chicken breasts. I'll share about these purchases in future posts.

The great part of all this - my freezers will be packed full of meats, and we'll have a good supply of staples as well. My husband's company has already cut back on his overtime, and he expects to lose it completely before long. That can make a $100 - $200 a week difference in our income. With all this food in house, we won't have to spend as much on groceries, and that will help a lot.

Are you stocking up? Planning for what may lie ahead? Or are you just sitting back and waiting to see what happens next? I'd love to hear your comments, suggestions, stance on how things are going with you these days! Blessings friends, Becky