Tea, Crumpets, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

don't throw your money away

Posted by Michele
07:46 AM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Don't Throw Your Money Away
by S. L. Simmons
Five easy tips to save $590 on your food budget this year

Would you like to help the planet and save an easy $590 this
year? It's not a gimmick. Many families can save an easy $590
without even having to give up their lattes from Starbucks,
turn down the heat, or ride their bikes to work. All it takes
is a little better menu planning.

According to research from the University of Arizona, the
average American family throws out nearly $600 in food
annually, often due to good intentions but poor follow
through. Research shows that most food shopping is done on the
weekends, when shoppers are fresh and well rested. With good
intentions to eat healthy, they buy an assortment of fresh
fruits and vegetables with plans to make healthy foods,
perhaps a fresh fruit salad and green salad with dinner each
weeknight. Then Monday comes and brutal reality strikes. The
enthusiastic, health conscious shoppers from the weekend come
home from work tired, hungry and cranky, order carry out
pizzas with garlic fries and the family soda special, and
forget about the tasty fresh produce sitting forlornly in the
crisper. Or maybe they don't forget about the produce. They
may even feel guilty about it. But they order the pizza, soda
and garlic fries just the same. By the end of the week, the
fruits and vegetables, wilted and spoiled, are tossed in the
trash. Then the weekend comes, and the tired, fast food
aficionados are once again transformed into the enthusiastic,
health conscious, well-intentioned grocery shoppers, and the
vicious cycle repeats.

If the above description matches what goes on in your
household, how can you stop this cycle of produce and budget
abuse and save money on your food expenses this year? Try the
tips below.

1. Buy canned, frozen or dried fruits and vegetables instead
of fresh. Sure, fresh produce tastes great and is highly
nutritious, but be a realist. If your family is throwing out
perishable food regularly, then cut back on how much fresh
food you buy each week. Buy fruits and vegetables that will
keep until you really have the time to prepare and eat them.
Frozen mangos and frozen strawberries placed in a blender with
some apple juice makes a tasty, healthy smoothie.

2. Grocery shop several times a week and just buy enough fresh
food for a few days at a time. In my family, we have found
that it is less complex to plan two to three days out than it
is to plan for a whole week. Plus shopping more often makes it
easier to know what is in the fridge and be able to use up
leftovers before they spoil.

3. Get a slow cooker and make your meals in the morning before
you go to work or get tired out from doing housework and
taking care of the kids. With slow cookers, you can start
baked potatoes, baked apples, baked winter squash and a wide
variety of soups and casseroles with fresh vegetables in the
morning and come home later in the day to a house filled with
great aromas. A healthy meal will be waiting for you and your
family.

4. Plan your meals in advance and only buy what you need to
make those meals. For easy weekday meal ideas, I like to buy
cookbooks with dishes you can make with three to five
ingredients. I've learned to avoid cookbooks that have
"simple," "fast" or "easy" in the titles. What is simple, fast
and easy for someone who loves to cook and whose only job is
to write cookbooks for a living often means meals you can make
in under an hour or two. I'm more into what can I make that is
healthy in 15 minutes or less. Simple is a relative term often
abused by cookbook authors, but three ingredients is three
ingredients.

5. Buy fruits and vegetables with long shelf lives to keep on
hand for those times when you find you do have the time and
energy to prepare and cook fresh produce. These include
apples, potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage and winter squash.
Diced onions and root vegetables, tossed with a little olive
oil and roasted in the oven, make a great side dish in about
10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of baking time. Sliced
carrots, onions and cabbage stir fried in a wok with a little
sesame oil is another simple and healthy side for a quick week
night meal.

If you can reduce waste and save $600 from your food bill each
year, in twenty-five years, you will have saved $15,000 (or
more if you invest your savings each year and let the interest
compound).
_________________________

S. L. Simmons is a frugal mom of two who enjoys finding
creative ways to live simply and inexpensively. Visit her web
site at http://www.alwaysfrugal.com/frugal-living.html for
more tips on saving money, household budgeting and living
frugally.

Copyright 2008 Always Frugal. Reprinted with permission.

Take the Next Step:
- Can you use an extra $600 this year? Me too. So let's try
the above tips and save money on our food expenses this year.

hair care on the cheap

Posted by Michele
07:38 AM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Hair Care on the Cheap
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Maintain a great style that's easy on your wallet

Shampoo and hair styling products go right down the drain
along with the money you spent on them. And doesn't it seem
like yesterday that your kids all had haircuts? Now they're
looking shaggy already! The following tips can help you can
maintain a great style that's easy on your wallet.

If you like expensive brands of hair care products, scan the
weekly flyers for Rite Aid and Walgreens. Both drug store
chains often promote free-after-rebate sales on premium
shampoo and other hair care products. You can also apply
manufacturer coupons towards them and, in essence, get paid to
purchase your items at these stores. Instead of spending the
approximate $30 on shampoo and hair care products for my
family annually, I'm paid an average of $6 per year. Both
chains let you enter receipts online so there's no need to
clip UPC symbols or mail in anything.

Instead of springing for premium or salon brands, try out a
less expensive one. A top sales representative for Nexxus once
told me privately that if you can't afford her products to use
Suave's line. When I can't score rebate shampoo and
conditioner, I've also found that White Rain shampoo or
conditioner, $.75 for a 16.5-ounce bottle at Dollar General,
does a good job at cleaning and conditioning my hair.

Some dollar stores accept manufacturer's coupons. Familiarize
yourself with the brands they carry and use coupons
accordingly for deep discounts on good brands.

As another strategy, send away for free shampoo samples (see
sites below). Even if you have a favorite brand, several
stylists have told me that occasionally switching shampoos
will rev up your hair.

Don't over-use products. Many people over age 30 do not need
to wash their hair daily. In fact, doing so can damage hair
and dry out the scalp. Try skipping a day and see how it goes.
Reduce the amount of shampoo and styling products you apply to
your hair. Would a smaller dab of gel work just as well?

Consider re-purposing less expensive products to do the job of
a more expensive one. Marlene, a mom of three girls in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, uses diluted conditioner in a
spray bottle for her children's de-tangler instead of
purchasing pre-made de-tangler. A few pennies' worth of
conditioner is a far cry from the usual $3.69 for Johnson's No
More Tangles.

Marlene's dad, another thrifty consumer, uses petroleum jelly
as a styling aid. He's in his 70's and has a beautiful head of
hair. I'm not sure that the petroleum jelly can take credit,
but at least it doesn't seem to damage his hair.

Many hair styling smoothers and leave-in conditioners are very
concentrated and if you dispense a small amount in your hands
and thin it out with water, it works even better than full
strength.

Without question, hair coloring, straightening and perms at
salons cost more than doing it yourself at home; however,
going au natural has become in vogue. Many top stylists urge
their clients to work with, not against, their natural texture
and color.

Consider all the celebrities sporting silver locks, such as
George Clooney and Jamie Lee Curtis. With proper care, gray
can be great. Since it's often dryer and coarser than the
pigmented hair it replaced, it's important to condition gray
hair more often and to treat it gently. Go easy with chemicals
to straighten or curl it and skip tight hair accessories or
braids.

Your haircut can determine how much styling product you use
and how often you'll need a haircut. Consult with your stylist
as to what type of cut would complement your looks and require
little maintenance. If you can go eight weeks between haircuts
instead of the prescribed six, you'll save.

Complex cuts can also be difficult for less expensive salons
to achieve because their stylists often have fewer years of
experience. By switching from an inverted bob with a stacked
back to a simpler, one-level bob, which the lower-priced salon
can easily handle, I save about $150 annually (six $25
haircuts per year compared with six $50 haircuts).

During the summertime, I sometimes skip a few cuts since I put
my hair up in ponytails and buns so much anyway. The extra
length makes it easier to secure.

If you live in a larger city, consider surrendering your locks
to a beauty school student. Many schools give free haircuts to
allow their students practice on live clients. And don't
worry. They're carefully supervised by an instructor, so
you're sure to get a great look.

Ready to lose some major length? Some salons offer free or
discounted haircuts if you donate the hair to organizations
such as Locks of Love, which makes hairpieces for cancer
patients.

Learning to cut your own hair and that of your family's can
also reap a big savings. Again, simple styles will help out
here. Invest in a good set of haircutting shears and clippers
to keep your girls' and boys' hair looking neat. A $60
haircutting set will easily pay for itself within six months
for most families. And perhaps your savvy with the shears will
increase until you're cutting your spouse's hair, too.

great advice

Posted by Michele
07:29 AM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Great advice from Solomon:

"There is no use thinking of what might have been."

Ecclesiastes 1:15

(The Living Bible)

a baby's hug

Posted by Michele
07:16 AM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

This is the most heartwarming story I have read in a long time. I just wanted to share it with you!

~ A Baby's Hug ~

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks,
'What do we do?'

Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.

My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'

Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'

the generous wife

Posted by Michele
06:23 AM, Thursday, January 1, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Keep your word. When you tell your husband that you will do something (or not do something), then follow through. He is important and when you keep your word you are respecting him and your relationship.

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Proverbs 24:26 NIV

Think generous! Lori <><

Copyright © 2001-2008 Lori J. Byerly
All Rights Reserved
http://www.the-generous-wife.com

the generous wife

Posted by Michele
09:51 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Our husbands need our kindness. It's that gentle consideration and helpfulness that warms them and opens their spirit. I really think that God gave women a unique kind of grace and beauty and an ability to be gentle and gracious (not that guys can't have those things, just think we have a feminine brand that guys hunger for). So the next time you talk to your husband, let gracious words fall off your tongue and the next time he needs some help, offer it with a smile and a gentle pat on the arm.

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. Mother Teresa

Lori <><

Copyright © 2001-2008 Lori J. Byerly
All Rights Reserved
http://www.the-generous-wife.com

spiced peach muffins

Posted by Michele
09:29 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Spiced Peach Muffins
These muffins are big, high-crowned affairs that seem to explode right
out of the muffin cup. We make them here with peaches, but they're
also delightful made with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.

Yields: 16 muffins

Ingredients:

* 4 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 cups dark brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* 4 peaches, diced (not peeled) or 3 cups small whole berries or other
fruit, diced
* granulated sugar

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg and
cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, vegetable oil and milk, then
gently stir in fruit. Grease 16 muffin cups, and heap batter into
cups; they'll be very full. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at
400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until muffins test done.

the generous wife

Posted by Michele
08:44 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2008 .. 2 comments .. Link

Brag on your man. :) Find an opportunity to tell someone good things about your husband. If he overhears he'll feel great. If he hears it after the fact from someone, he'll be deeply blessed that his wife is bragging about him behind his back.

I can live for two months on a good compliment. Mark Twain

cheddar cheese popovers

Posted by Michele
08:32 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Cheddar Cheese Popovers

4 T. butter
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 t. dry mustard
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Preheatoven to 375. Place eight 6 oz. custard cups on baking sheet. Measure 1 1/2 t. butte rinto each cup. Combine flour and dry mustard in large bowl. Gradually stir in water and milk until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is smooth. Fold in cheese. Place baking sheet with custard cups in oven 3 to 5 minute suntil butter melts and custard cups are hot. Fill cups 1/2 to 2/3 full with batter. Bake 45 minutes. Do not open oven until end of baking time. Remove popovers from cusstard cups; serve at once. makes 8

check your list twice

Posted by Michele
08:16 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2008 .. 1 comments .. Link

This is a little late for Christmas, but will be good advice for next year...

Check Your List Twice
by Shelly Burke
Knowing where you spend too much

As I was looking over my Christmas list the other day, it
occurred to me that there are two types of people we tend to
spend too much money on. They are the people who we would
spend any amount on, but they are happy with any gift and the
people who will not be happy with any gift no matter how much
money we spend.

I would spend any amount of money to get my husband, kids, mom
and dad, or sisters something they would truly love or make
their life easier. I used to spend a lot of money on gifts for
these loved ones. However, I've come to realize that they are
happy with whatever I give them, be it big or small,
extravagant or simple, just so it's given with love.

For the last few years my sisters, parents and I decided that
we would keep gift giving to a minimum. My sister now donates
money to a charity on our behalf. My other sister and I have
started a tradition of baking biscotti and making truffles for
everyone. This year, we took the treats to them when we
visited at Thanksgiving, saving money by not having to mail
anything.

I took a bunch of pictures at Thanksgiving, and will be making
collages (via computer) and sending these to family members to
enjoy all year. I get as much joy out of giving these less
expensive gifts, as I did giving more expensive ones. Plus, I
have the bonus of saving time and money and not stressing out
over finding the "perfect" gift.

I think we all have people in the second category on our list,
namely people who will not be happy no matter how much time,
effort, and money is put into their gift.

For many, many years, I spent way too much time and energy
trying to "please" one person in my family this way. I wanted
him to like me and to appreciate what I did, but the most he
did was to grunt and then throw my carefully chosen, expensive
gifts, on the floor.

Several years ago, I realized that I was never going to please
him and decided not to spend the time, energy or money on
gifts for him anymore. In the spirit of Christmas, we still
give him gifts, just not extravagant ones, and not with the
expectation of receiving thanks or appreciation for them.

We give gifts that are inexpensive and simple, such as
homemade candy or soup mixes, gloves, a coffee mug, or office
supplies. We give things that will be used and appreciated by
another family member if the original recipient doesn't. I've
given him books that I think he'll enjoy, but these are also
books that I know another family member will enjoy if he isn't
interested in reading them! We also give framed photos that
can be easily displayed, and perhaps will bring him some
happiness.
________________________

Shelly Burke, RN, of Shelmar Publications has written several
books, including "Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom's
Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home" and
"What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for
Life's Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations."