Cozy Cottage

Coping With Rising Prices

The rising price of gas and food is causing our family to have to make more changes to our budget. When an unexpected cost came our way, I used to be able to cut the food budget to come up with the extra money.  Well those days are no longer. In fact, we are having to increase our budget to cover food and gas.  So..here are a few things we are doing to stretch our money and make things work. Please feel free to comment on what you all are doing to account for the increase in prices.

1)  We are trying to stretch the time between filling gas to two weeks if possible. This is tough. It means combining trips at all times and making good lists so we don't have repeat trips. 

2) We don't usually go to movies or spend money on entertainment. We don't have cable and network television is not fit for watching so we joined Netflix. The movies come to our door so we save on gas that way too. We rent old TV shows like Leave It To Beaver that have 6 episodes on one CD and types of good old shows like that.  For a total of $16 a month we can watch decent stuff and enjoy each others company at home as a family.  You can spend as little as $4.99 a month but since we don't have cable we got the 3-out-at-a-time plan.

3) We really try not to buy pre-packaged or processed food as much as possible. That type of food is usually more expensive and loaded with preservatives, chemicals, and dyes that can cause cancer. We make food from scratch.

4) We do not drink soda at all. Maybe for special occasions we will induldge in a few 2 liters or make lemonade but other than that we drink water. In the summer we make good ol' decaf sun tea.  Occasionally we will buy juice but it's usually just loaded with sugar and calories. It's best to eat your fruit anyway rather than drink it. I'm thankful that my kids grew up getting used to just drinking water so they don't ask for any thing else.

5) With the ever increasing prices of meat, we are trying to eat more vegetarian meals. One day a week, we put a pot of beans in the crockpot with taco seasoning and make Taco Bowls out of them. Add a little lettuce, cheese, homemade guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and a few corn chips and you end up with a cheap, healthy, filling meal.  We also have stuffed baked potatoes with steamed brocolli, rice, and cheese sauce on another day. It does our bodies good to skip meat once in a while. We've also had tacos made with lentils and taco seasoning. They are great!

6) Going to the cash envelope system really helps keep us on a budget. It's not always convenient to go to the bank and get cash, but everytime we do, I can really stick to the budget a whole lot easier. I have looked into the online systems that use virtual envelopes....Mvelopes but it is a monthly cost that I can't justify at this time. One could easily set up a system like that on Excel to keep track of how much money is left to spend in each category. You would just have to be disciplined and keep a tally in your purse of how much you have left to spend.

There are many more things we are doing to save money and I'm learning more tips from others weekly! What kinds of things are you doing to save in these changing times?

Results of My Once a Month Shopping Test

Hi everyone. I've been asked about how my monthly shopping tests have turned out. After shopping for a month at a time for 3 months, I have arrived at a mixed conclusion.  I think overall shopping monthly is a good thing.  Buying meat in bulk and breaking it down into smaller categories saves money. I have also been able to buy other things in bulk, like a huge container of salsa and a big tub of sour cream.  That all helps. 

Where I have not been pleased is when we have birthdays or holidays and I am finding myself in the store for those special occasions.  I failed to plan for those at the beginning of the month so I wasn't prepared. I ended up spending way more than I should have.  My daughter had a birthday in January and then I spent more in February for Valentines day to make a fancy dinner and dessert. Had I planned properly, none of those days would have been an issue to my budget.

So far in March, I've been okay, but it's only the 8th!  Also, I am finding that when I go to Albertson's to get my weekly produce I am attracted to the "loss leader" specials so I end up spending more then too! 

So with all that said and done, I think the monthly shopping could work better than it is. I am tempted to do something different in April to see what works best. I am thinking that if I switch to a completely cash system for groceries, then I won't be able to overspend. I also think that if I go back to shopping weekly and taking advantage of the loss leaders, then I might save money and then the occasional holiday and celebration days won't be an issue either.

What experiences have you all had with your grocery shopping excursions? If you shop monthly, how do you handle your weekly produce and milk stops?

I'd love to hear your ideas and experiences. I love your comments!

I'll keep at it because I am determined to get this under control!

Tammy

Monthly Shopping Outcome

Happy New Year!  I am determined one way or another to keep within my budget this year! One area that can get out of control quickly is our grocery budget.  Our goal is $65 per week for 2 adults and 2 kids (1 teen and 1 pre-teen) and this is just for food. We budget another $25 per week for any paper goods, tin foil, baggies, TP, kleenex, toiletries, etc.  So $90 a week max is our goal and it equates to $360 per month.

We shop at Walmart mostly because they're cheaper.  But I have found that in walking all the way across the store (sometimes several times when I forget things) I often see "specials" or "clearance" items or other things that really catch my eye.  I am not always disciplined like I should be and extra things end up in the cart. 

So.........I have decided to shop only monthly for all our groceries and toiletries to keep out of the stores.  It was a big task because I had to plan meals for an entire month, including breakfast and lunch items and snacks.  I figure we can put a little aside to get fresh produce weekly ($10 maybe) but nothing else. I am hoping that this will enable us to save money by only buying what we need on the list and save money by buying meat and other things in bulk.

Well today I tested my plan out and I was very pleased with the results.  My homeschooled children came with me to help with the loading and unloading. 

My normal grocery/toiletry budget for the month is $360 and I ended up only spending $214.98!  So I saved $145!!!!! I would have never been able to shave off $36 a week to reach that amount shopping weeklyl! I am praying that this will truly last us a month.  I will still need to spend about $5 for milk and probably another $35 in fresh produce for the rest of the month but that still saves me $105!!! Not only did I save $105 but much more if I would have thrown extra things in the cart and gone over my budget, as I've been frequently doing during the holidays. 

I'll let you know in a month how this is working. I hid a few snacks and chips in the basement so we can have new stuff every week and won't feel "deprived".  We do not drink soda and I tried to stay away from the processed stuff as much as possible, no cereal, etc. 

I'm not exactly sure why I saved so much more than my normal weekly budget other than the meat in bulk was cheaper. But that doesn't account for all of the $105. Whatever the reason, I'm happy as a clam! And....I dont' have to walk back into that place again for another month....at least I'm praying for that anyway! ~smile

I bought ground beef and chicken breast in bulk and seperated them when I got home. I needed 7 pkgs of beef for the meals I planned for the month. I bought 5lbs of beef and stretched it out to cover all 7 meals. We will be using less meat in those meals and adding beans or lentils when I can. This saves money and increases fiber and health at the same time. I also pre-made my meatloaf and formed it into a loaf shape so when it comes up on the menu, I can just pop it into the oven.

We'll be snacking on apples, homemade muffins, oranges, pears, and carrots with Ranch dip. Dinners are simple with a main course, vegetable or salad, and bread or homemade muffin or cornbread. Lunches are also simple with leftovers, sandwiches, mac n cheese, hotdogs(turkey), etc. Breakfasts are again, HM muffins, oatmeal, eggs, HM pancakes, etc. 

We drink mostly water with occasional milk and juice so that saves money too. 

I'm sure many of you ladies already shop monthly and I would love to hear how it works for you and what things you do to save money. I have done the once a month cooking in the past and that helps too but you still have to buy your lunches, breakfasts, and snacks. So I can relax now knowing my meals are planned and I have all the ingredients to make each and every item from now until the beginning of February!

Blessings

This Week's Menu's

Here is our menu for this week:

Monday:

Tator Tot Casserole, corn on the cob, salad, biscuits

Tuesday:

Freezer Enchiladas (from once a month cooking), homemade guacamole, tortilla chips

Wednesday:

BBQ chicken, sliced potatoes & onions, salad

Thursday:

Homemade pizza

Friday:

Appetizers & game night at a friend's house 

Saturday:

Crockpot chicken & rice, veggies & Ranch dip

Sunday:

Tacos, mexican rice, salad

Tom's Garden

I thought I'd show you some pictures from our backyard. My husband loves putting in ponds and planting flowers and making things look beautiful.  This is a picture of half of our backyard from earlier this summer.....

Here is part of the other side of the backyard...

I do not share his green thumb. But I do enjoy the fruits of his labor! It's wonderful to sit out on our deck and listen to the running water and the birds singing on a crisp, sunny morning!

~Blessings,

Tammy

Bunnies & Tulips

Beautiful spring is here in Colorado! We've had several soaking rain days and it has done wonders to our trees and flowers! I wanted to share some photos with you of my husband's tulips and a really cute baby bunny that found his way into our garden.

And here is that cute baby bunny.....

Emergency Preparedness

I've been thinking a lot lately about being prepared for emergencies. I've really felt the need to have a plan and stock up on necessities. I am not doing anything out of fear because my trust is in the Lord Jesus and He will take care of us. However, the bible exhorts us over and over to be planners and to store up food and to be wise. So with that in mind we're preparing to be prepared. Here's what my family and I have done so far.....

Prepared an emergency "survival" bag to grab quickly if we needed to evacuate.
Inside that bag I have the following:
Canned food, water, pocket knives, toilet paper, emergency foil blankets, waterproof matches and candles, flashlight, batteries, hand crank radio & light, barrier masks, fishing materials (bait, line, hooks, etc), toiletries, towels, trashbags, rope, & more...

I have also started stocking up on canned goods, wheat berries, millet, popcorn, water, beans and rice, and items to bake with like baking powder, honey, etc.  We also have extra propane tanks for our gas grill in case we'd ever be without electricity.

I also think it is important to get out of debt as quickly as possible. We've heard about an impending economic crash for a while now and it's only a matter of time before we start to see some changes. I think it is always wise to be out of debt as the bible states. It's just hard to do it "quickly".
It's always a good thing to have cash readily available in an emergency where you may not be able to go to the bank. My goal is to have a few hundred saved at home for easy access.
Has anyone else felt the need to prepare?

Packing the Pantry

I have been so blesssed by reading everyone's comments about their kitchen pantry closets and what they keep them stocked with. I have learned so much about how to better care for my family in this area. I used to have little respect for my pantry. I would consider it a place to store junk, canned goods and everything else that wouldn't fit elsewhere. But I have discovered that a pantry can be such a blessing to me in my kitchen.

For inspiration on this I recalled both of my grandmother's kitchens. Both were excellent cooks and neither of them had a kitchen pantry. Instead they had a cellar or a corner of the basement under the stairs to store excess food. They utilized their space wisely and stored all kinds of wonderful canned foods, fruits and vegetables. They could always accomodate last minute company with ease knowing they had food ready to prepare into a meal. And boy, did they ever have the company!

They probably would have loved to have the convenience of walking two steps to their pantry to gather whatever they needed. As it was, they ran down the stairs several times a day to get things they needed as they cooked their daily meals.

After reading the message boards and recalling my grandmothers, I realized that I was taking my pantry for granted and not using it wisely. It should be well stocked with useful, nutritious things to eat and make into meals, not filled with processed, expensive junk, or unused appliances or boxes. I realized I needed to use this space wisely to help me bless my family. And so I did!

I want to share with you some things I learned about stocking my pantry from other, more experienced women:
1) We use sucanat instead of white sugar. It's healthier than the refined stuff.
2) Replaced instant white rice with brown, basmati, and jasmine rice.
3) Drastically reduced refined white flour and use wheat or spelt from grinding my own wheat berries. Much more fiber and vitamins!
4) Cut way down on the chips (we used to eat 2 to 3 bags per week..think of the salt alone!). Now we snack on pretzels, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
5) Keep extra baking soda, powder, salt, etc on hand so I can bake more and don't run out of ingredients. We have made homemade cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes, granola, crackers (still working on that one), and much more. They are so much healthier and cheaper than the processed, store bought kind.
6) Replaced canola oil with olive and vegetable oil. Canola is not supposed to be good for you at all.
7) Cut down on processed cereals (we still buy only occasionally when we can afford to...we just love them unfortunately!). Now we mostly eat homemade granola or oatmeal.
8) Replaced quick cooking oatmeal with old fashioned oatmeal. Healthier!
9) Slowly replacing white pasta with the whole grain kind. There are many more brands to choose from these days.
10) Keep ingredients for quick meals on hand like spaghetti and sauce; taco shells, taco sauce, seasonings (I make my own now), & black olives for tacos; tuna for sandwiches, etc.

And this is only 10 things I have learned. I continue to learn all the time and strive to make healthier choices. It takes time and doesn't happen overnight. But I have noticed that the "simpler" my pantry becomes, the healthier and happier we all are! Getting down to basic ingredients and making my own food is sooo much better in the long run.  And, that's how God intended for this to be! Not all quick and processed because our bodies were not made for that type of food....but rather SIMPLE! 
Here is a picture of my pantry, nothing fancy.....have a blessed day!

Wonderful Quiche!

Cooking Day a Success!

Yes, it turned out great! We ended up with 22 meals plus 3 servings of marinade for grilled meat.  We started at 9:00 am and were completely done by 2:00 pm with clean up and packing our coolers and everything!

I took pictures of what we ended up with and how it all looked packed into my freezer. I have read on a lot of message boards that some people are reluctant to give freezer cooking a try because they only have the space above their refrigerator and don't feel that is enough. Well, I packed all 22 meals into my little side by side freezer and it all fit. I even had extra stuff on my top shelf that could have been taken out to make more room had we made a full 30 meals. I do have a chest freezer in my garage for back up. But even if I didn't, I would have had room for more.

If you don't have a lot of freezer space, just make 2 weeks worth of meals at one time. It is so worth it to have food on hand for those busy days. Using gallon size freezer bags sure helps with storage. Freezing the bags flat really allows me extra room to store a lot.

One of our favorite recipes that we made is the Cheesy Pasta Shells. I thought I would share the recipe with you.

This is from the 30 Day Gourmet Cookbook:
Cheese Filled Shells
40 Jumbo pasta shells (12 oz box)
32 oz Cottage cheese (we used ricotta and eliminated the eggs below)
16 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs (may omit if using ricotta)
3/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
28 oz  Spaghetti sauce (will be used when serving)
Containers: Rigid containers for shells, freezer bags for sauce
Assembly directions:
Cook jumbo shells 1/2 recommended time until just limp. Drain. Cool in single layer on pan or waxed paper. Combine cheeses, eggs, oregano, salt & pepper. Fill each shell with 2 T cheese mixture.  (We used a small ice cream scoop and it worked well)
Freezing and Cooking Directions:
Freeze quantity of shells for one meal in a rigid container. Freeze sauce in freezer bag. To serve, thaw cheese filled shells and sauce. Spread 1/2 c sauce in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Arrange shells in dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Warm at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Note: May use Alfredo sauce in place of spaghetti sauce.

As I am writing this recipe to you, my cheesy shells are almost done and I am salivating at the lovely smell. I can't wait to sink my teeth into that first yummy bite! Enjoy!
Here is a picture of my shells before I baked them:

Freezer Cooking

Thank You!

Welcome friends! And thanks to all of you who left comments on my blog. I am not sure how to respond to you individually yet, so I'll just post something for all to see here! I'm still trying to find my way around.

I am looking forward to checking out your blogs as well! Thanks and see you soon!

Blessings,

Tammy 

Recipes For The $35 Budget Meal Plan

Below are the recipes for the budget meal plan.  Not every recipe is super healthy, esp the desserts. But I believe everyone needs a little junk food once in a while ~smile! 

Homemade Bread
This recipe would be good to use for toast or sandwiches.

6 cups unbleached flour (1/2 wheat & 1/2 white could be used instead)
1 pkg yeast or 2 TB
1 1/4 cup warm water (115 degrees approx)
1 cup warm milk
2 TB sugar
1 TB butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp salt

In large mixing bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of flour and yeast. Add water, milk, sugar, butter, and salt. Beat with mixer on low to med speed for 30 sec. Beat on high for 3 min. Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. (If using a Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer, add all flour to mixer and mix on high for 5 minutes)
Turn dough out on floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball. Place in greased bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down dough, divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 min. Grease two loaf pans. Shape into loaf pans, cover, and let rise until double in size. Bake in 375degree oven for 30 to 40 min. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

Homemade Tortillas
from Laines Letters www.lainesletters.com

1/2 c. lukewarm water
1/4 c. oil
1 t. salt
2 c. bread flour

Put in order in the bread machine and hit dough cycle. Let knead really well until it is a nice ball. Take out and cover with a bow to let rest for at least 20 minutes. Repeat process if you would like more tortillas. (I usually make a couple of doughs.) When you are ready to roll out, cut each ball of dough into 8 balls. Roll out each ball into a round circle. Cook immediately over a hot, dry skillet (I prefer black iron for this), or put in between wax paper to cook one at a time later on. Keep well covered so they won't dry out. You cook each one about 1 minute on each side until they are lightly brown. They are delicious hot with some butter!

Refried Beans
by Crystal Miller www.thefamilyhomestead.com

This is a simple recipe from Crystal that makes great burritos!
3 cups pinto beans
12 cups water
1 T salt
4 to 5 T butter
Cook beans in water with salt added until very soft, usually about 3 hours. After beans have cooked well, heat a large frying pan with the butter. When butter is melted and pan is heated, scoop out beans, with minimal liquid into frying pan and begin mashing with a potato masher. Add bean liquid as needed to get the consistency you want. Add more beans and liquid until the batch is finished (this amount can be halved or unused portions frozen). You may add additional salt if desired.

Bean Burritos

The kids love these! So simple and cheap to make
Refried beans
Homemade tortillas
shredded cheese to taste
Make refriend beans and spread 2 or 3 TB on a warmed tortilla. Top with shredded cheese, roll into a burrito and serve.  Can be served with salsa, sour cream or guacamole if you have those ingredients.

Oatmeal Cookies

2 1/4 c oatmeal
1/4 c sugar
3 Tb flour
2 eggs
3 TB butter
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non stick spray or butter the sheet. Mix oatmeal, sugar, and flour. Stir in eggs, butter and vanilla until well mixed. Drop by spoonful, 2 inches apart on sheet. Flatten each into a 2 1/2 inch circle. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Ground Turkey & Lentil Tacos

Ground beef may be used in place of the turkey if desired.
1 lb of ground turkey
3 TB chopped onion, if desired
2 c of cooked lentils
3/4 c water
2 TB taco seasoning
Brown ground turkey with onion. Add lentils, water and seasonings and cook on medium heat until water is cooked down. Can be served in taco shells. Another alternative is to make them into Turkey and Lentil Fried Burritos: Place a portion in a homemade tortilla, roll, and fry in skillet with a small amount of butter until lightly crisped and browned.

Chicken and Dumplings

Whole chicken
onion, celery, carrots

Homemade tortillas
spices
1/2 c cold milk
flour to thicken
Place chicken in large stock pot and cover with water. Cut up onion, celery and carrots and add to the water. Add salt and pepper ( I usually add about 2 TB salt). Cover with lid. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. When done, set aside 1 1/2 cups of the broth and save the remainder for chicken soup.Discard vegetables (I suppose they can be saved for vegetable soup or used in the compost bin). Remove the breast meat and place in a saucepan with the 1 1/2 cups of broth. Add small bits of meat to the remaining broth for your soup. Freeze the rest of the meat for burritos later in the week. Add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste if desired. Simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, add flour to the milk and stir until mixed well and is only slightly thickened. Add to the broth and stir. Cut up tortillas into one inch squares and place in saucepan. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour. Add water if necessary so it doesn't burn or cook dry. Tortillas will swell slightly and look & taste like dumplings.  (Note:  I have only used store bought tortillas for this recipe, I have not tried my own homemade tortillas with it yet, but it should work the same) Yummy recipe!

Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade chicken broth
Wide egg noodles or spaghetti noodles broken in half
Heat chicken broth to boiling, add noodles and simmer until done. May need to add more salt.

Cabbage Salad
This recipe uses one package of oriental ramen noodles. I did not add that to the previous shopping list so make sure you add it if you make this salad. The ramen noodles cost 10 cents a package. Even my kids like this recipe!

1/2 head of cabbage
3 Tb chopped onion (if desired)
1 pkg oriental ramen noodles
2 TB sliced almonds (if you have them)
1/2 c oil
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tb vinegar
Season packet from the ramen noodle pkg
Shred cabbage and mix with onion. Crumble ramen noodles onto a cookie sheet and add almonds if you are using them. Toast under your oven broiler for 2 minutes until lightly toasted and light brown.
Combine all other ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing and mix well. Just before serving add noodles to the cabbage and toss with dressing.

Coffee Cake

3 to 3 1/2 c flour
3 TB yeast
1/3 c sugar (or sucunat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
1/4 c butter
1 egg
In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 c flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. In saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until warm. Add to flour mix and blend. Add egg. Blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at med speed. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Spread evenly in well greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Cover. Let rise in warm oven(warm up to 170 then shut oven off)  for 25 minutes.
Combine:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c butter, softened
Sprinkle over batter. With back of spoon, press into batter. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Calzones

These are so easy to make! If your family doesn't like ground turkey, you can use beef or just make them with cheese and pizza sauce.
1 lb ground turkey, browned
1/2 jar (7 oz) of pizza sauce....save the rest for pizza later in the week
Homemade bread dough (see recipe above)..you only need 1/2 the dough recipe for these-save the other half for the cinnamon and sugar or cheesy breadsticks recipe below!
shredded cheese
Optional:  you may add chopped onion, chopped peppers, pepperoni, black olives, chopped carrots, or anything you have on hand that you like)
Divide dough after the first rising into 4 or 5 individual balls. Roll out each ball into a circle and top with pizza sauce, meat, cheese, and anything else you wish to add leaving a 1/2 inch space around the edges of the circle. Fold over in 1/2 and seal. Take a fork and crimp all along the edges. Place on greased cookie sheet or baking stone. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cinnamon and Sugar Breadsticks

You'll need the other 1/2 of the bread dough recipe for these! So yummy!
1/2 of the homemade bread dough recipe

Cinnamon
Sugar (You can also use brown sugar or sucanat)
Melted butter
After first rising divide dough into 12 balls. Roll out into 8 inch long logs. Make the logs into a twist. Place on greased cookie sheet. Baste each breadstick with melted butter then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to taste. Let rise until doubled and bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.   For cheesy breadsticks replace the cinnamon and sugar with garlic powder and shredded cheese. Let rise until doubled and bake for same amount of time.

Coleslaw
by Crystal Miller www.thefamilyhomestead.com

1 medium head cabbage, chopped very finely (can use other half of cabbage leftover)
¼ cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup fructose, or cane juice crystals
½ t. pepper
¼ cup milk
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
1 T white vinegar
2 T lemon juice

Put chopped cabbage and shredded carrots in a large bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add this to the cabbage and mix until cabbage is well coated with dressing.  Cover and refrigerate for minimum of 2 hours before serving.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar (may use all white sugar if you don't have brown)
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp soda
Cream butter and peanut butter. Add sugars. Cream thoroughly. Add egg. Add flour and soda. Work into creamed mixture. Form into balls; flatten with fork on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 min at 350 degrees.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground turkey
2 Tb minced onion
2 TB of tomato sauce (can also use steak sauce or ketchup)
1/2 pkg frozen peas
3 cups mashed potatoes
Brown turkey with onion in skillet. Add salt, pepper and steak sauce. Mix in peas. Place in a greased 9x9 inch baking dish. Make mashed potoatoes and spread over meat filling. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  (You can also add shredded cheese on top of the peas before adding the mashed potatoes for added flavor.

Chocolate Cake

2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c butter
1 3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
3 Tb cocoa (or you can use 3 oz of melted choc chips)
1 tsp vanilla
Grease and flour 13x 9 inch pan. In bowl, stir together flour, baking powder & soda, and salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl beat the butter with mixer. Add sugar, beat well. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in cocoa and vanilla. Add dry mixture and 1 1/4 c water alterately to beaten mixture. Pour batter in prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost if desired.

$35 Until PayDay Meal Plan

I thought I would post a meal plan I made up for when the budget is super tight. This plan will feed a family of four or more if the children are smaller (I have a teenager and one pre-teen that eats like a man).

The easiest place to cut out spending in a tight budget is the food category. This budget meal plan can be used any time one is short on cash or if money is needed for something else. In these cases, pray before you shop and ask the Lord to show you special deals and ways to stretch your dollars! I have found that when we had dessert for dinner, it made any meager meal seem more filling, knowing we had a sweet surprise waiting for us! So I included desserts into this plan.

For drinks, we stick with water. It's healthy and cheap! Those that drink tons of milk may need to cut back for a while or switch to powdered milk. Any juices we drink are occasional and are from frozen concentrate. We look for apples and oranges in the bags as they are usually less expensive.  For the winter, we ate a lot of salads, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, apples,oranges, and bananas. Stick with the fruits and veggies that are in season to save the most money. We also eat a lot of frozen veggies like peas and corn. They are a whole lot cheaper, fresher, and healthier than canned goods. I tried to make this menu as healthy as possible including fresh fruit & veggies for nutrition for the least amount of money. The trade off for spending less money at the grocery store means more time cooking in the kitchen. There are no store bought items like cookies, cakes, breads or tortillas. To save money on this plan, you will need to make these items. Recipes will follow. We also buy the store brands whenever possible and we don't buy organic fruits and vegetables. We would love to buy organic, but when the budget is tight we must forego this option.

For the budget meal plan below, I am assuming you have basic supplies like salt, pepper, baking soda & powder, oil, cocoa, etc. This meal plan is bare bones and does not include any snacks. You could provide homemade muffins, homemade cookies, fruit, or celery with peanut butter for inexpensive snacks.

Prices are based on Colorado pricing as of April 2006. Prices may vary state to state. I believe Colorado prices are higher than other states so you may be able to buy more where you live. Where I live, we do not pay sales tax on food so you will not see that added to the bill. If you pay for tax on food where you live, then eliminate an item or two from the shopping list to account for the tax (like the celery and jelly or something like that). We shop at discount grocery stores or at grocery chains that offer major deals on loss leaders and then only purchase those items that are on sale. We also bring only cash to the store so that we spend only the amount we can actually afford.

$35 Meal Plan for a Week
Monday
Breakfast:  Oatmeal and toast with homemade bread
Lunch:  Bean burritos with homemade tortillas & oranges
Dinner:  BBQ Chicken legs, cooked carrots, homemade dinner rolls, oatmeal cookies

Tuesday
Breakfast:  Egg sandwich on homemade bread with OJ
Lunch:  Grilled cheese with peas and bananas
Dinner:  Tacos made with lentils & turkey meat, frozen corn, oranges

Wednesday
Breakfast:  Oatmeal and toast with homemade bread
Lunch:  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas
Dinner:  Chicken and dumplings, cabbage salad, coffee cake

Thursday:
Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs & toast
Lunch:  Mac n Cheese, oranges, leftover cabbage salad, leftover coffee cake
Dinner:  Calzones made with leftover turkey meat, carrots & celery sticks , homemade cheesy breadsticks

Friday
Breakfast:  Oatmeal and toast or just peanut butter toast
Lunch:  Bean burritos, bananas, peanut butter with celery sticks
Dinner:  Chicken noodle soup from leftover chicken, coleslaw, peanut butter cookies

Saturday
Breakfast:  Eggs & toast from homemade bread, or cheese omelets
Lunch:  Chicken burritos with leftover chicken, oranges, leftover coleslaw
Dinner:  Homemade pizza, cinnamon & sugar breadsticks

Sunday
Breakfast:  Pancakes & eggs or oatmeal and toast
Lunch:  Tuna salad sandwiches with homemade bread, carrot sticks
Dinner:  Shepherds Pie, dinner rolls, homemade chocolate cake

Shopping List:
2 cartons eggs $1.76
1 (42 oz) carton Old Fashioned Oats  $1.86
1 jar peanut butter $1.50
1 pkg unbleached flour $.99
1 bag of pinto beans $.69
1 box of Macaroni and cheese $.66
1 jar of jelly $.99
1 bag of carrots $.99
1 bag of lentils $.69
1 qt of milk $1.75
1 head of cabbage $1.50
1 bag of celery $1.07
1 bag of oranges $2.96
2 bunches of bananas $3.00
1 lg bag of frozen peas $.88
1 lg bag of frozen corn $.88
2 (1 lb) chubs of turkey $3.96
1 pkg of chicken legs $1.75
1 whole chicken $2.98
1 (8oz) pkg cheddar cheese $1.75
1 frozen OJ $.98
1 can tuna $.56
1 jar pizza sauce $.88
spaghetti noodles $.56
Total:  $35.59

Recipes will follow in the next blog for the above meal plan. Hope this helps!
Blessings,
Tammy

Ooey Gooey Brownies

I am teaching my children how to cook, bake, and get around in the kitchen. My eleven year old son, Austin, made these wonderful brownies for our family tonight. Here is the recipe:

Brownies:
3/4 cup unbleached flour  (can use whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar (we use Sucanat)
6 TB butter
2 TB water
12 oz chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
(may add 1/2 cup nuts if desired)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 11x7 pan. In small bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and water. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Add eggs, one at a time to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting squares. 
This recipe is very chewy! Yummy!

Mountain Sunsets

Don't you just love sunsets?  My husband took a beautiful picture of the sunset on Monday that I just have to share with you. I love this time of year!

Welcome To My New Blog!

Hello everyone! Yes, it's true! I have entered the Blogisphere World! I enjoy reading various blogs and have learned so much from them, so I thought, why not have a small corner of the web world to call my own! I figured this would be a great way to communicate to friends and family and share any homemaking tips I have learned along the way with others. 

My goal is to update my blog at least weekly, if not more. Here is what I have planned so far to add to this site:

Scrumptious recipes

Money saving tips

Budget meal plans & shopping lists

Homeschooling tips & ideas

Devotionals & anything the Lord is working with me on

Timesaving ideas

Decorating on a budget tips

Family happenings

And much, much more!

My husband is a huge gardener, as many of you already know, so I will be sharing his "garden masterpieces" (by way of pictures) with you occasionally.  My daughter loves to write so I will be having a "Maddy's Message" section for you to enjoy too.

Well, that's all for now. Be checking back soon for my first official homemaking article!

Blessings,

Tammy