8-17-10

9:50AM

Today I think I am going to start
working on freezer breakfasts for
back to school mornings.
-Homemade Rolls
for sausage, egg & cheese sandwiches
-pop tarts

Going to Kroger this morning
to get a few things.
Time to stock up on things for
school lunches also because this
is the time of year that anything
school related is on sale.

It seems I have to wait about
a month before getting the reduced
lunch approval from the school.
So in the meantime I try to
round up things for their lunches
that are cheap.

Here is the recipe I use to make
simple no knead yeast rolls.

JIFFY DINNER ROLLS

1 (4 oz.) box Jiffy cake mix (yellow or white)
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. hot tap water
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour

Combine first 3 ingredients, add water and flour to make a soft dough. Will be sticky. Cover and let rise to double. Stir dough down and spoon on to a well-floured board. Gently turn a couple of times to coat with flour. Shape into balls the size for rolls and place in greased muffin pans. Cover and let rise approximately 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Rolls can be reheated with good results.

--------------

POP TARTS

Here is a simple technique to use
when making the dough for pop tarts.
You can find the recipe here.

Make the dough and insert into
gallon size zip bags.

Flatten inside the bags with
rolling pin.

Put in freezer until frozen.

Remove and allow to thaw some.

Using a pizza cutter, cut
rectangle pieces the size
of a pop tart.

Place filling on one then
top with another and crimp
edges with fork.





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11:30AM

Just returned from Kroger. I spent more
than I would have like but I am trying
to stock up also on things for kids' lunches
while they are on sale.

I spent $49 after coupons.
I'm hoping once the kids return
to school to get my grocery budget
back to $35 to $45 a week!!!

Stupid me should of bought something
else that was cheap and I could
have used a coupon I had for $5 off
a $50 purchase at Kroger.
I keep forgetting I have this coupon.
Jonathan found it a couple weeks
ago on the floor of Kroger!

According to my receipt
and the mark down I got
I saved $34.77.
Not the greatest shopping
trip but I did save money!!

Plus I am almost to the point
of hitting the .20 cents off
each gallon of Kroger gas.

Watch gas prices. Some areas
are in different tax brackets
and that's why gas is more
expensive. Buying gas near
where we live is cheaper than
buying gas in Upper Arlington
near where Tony works!!

I found a couple good mark downs.
$7.99 12pc. deli chicken marked down to $1.99, got 2.
$1.99 Italian bread loaves marked down to .49 cents.

Other sales:

$3 Heft zip bags for $1.00

4 pack pudding cups .70 cents each

I am usually not a fan of buying
Chef Boyardee canned items because
of price. But today I bought 9 cans
@ .70 cents each. Plan to use these
in thermos type containers for the
kids to have a hot lunch. 1 can
will be 2 servings.

Bought some frozen rib patties.
These are reg. $2 for $1.

Welch's grape Jelly 32ounce for $1.39 each

And a bunch of other things for
a buck or less.











To hopefully keep kids out of the
food for school lunches I put
everything on the top shelf
out of reach!! I am seriously
thinking about getting a keyed
door lock handle for our coat
closet and storing snacks and
other items in there to keep kids
out of!
I have problems keeping cheese in the
house as the kids will sneak and
snack on it. To prevent them from
doing this I now store it in
empty butter bowls. They think
it's butter and don't get into it!!
Works like a charm!




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Do you ever have a ton of t-shirts
you don't know what to do with?
Here's a great way to recycle them
by making underwear! No need to buy
a pattern. Use a pair of your old
underwear and carefully tear apart
with a seam ripper to make your
own pattern pieces. Just remember
or take pictures along the way
so you can be able to assemble
it all back together.
Make some cute undies with sayings
and pictures from those t-shirts
also.

Gonna have to keep this in mind
when DDn as I run across a lot
of t-shirts.

UNDERWEAR FROM T-SHIRTS

MORE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDING VIDEO
TO SHOW YOU HOW TO SEW ON ELASTIC

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FLEAS IN YOUR HOME?

Tip: Borax for Fleas

Fleas--Now is the time to rid your house with natural products. Save a bundle. Mostly, be kind to your animals. Spread dry 20 Mule team Borax, about 1 and a half to 2 cups per average size carpeted room. That is where the fleas live and breed in your house.

Leave for 2 weeks without vacuuming so the cycle covers eggs, larvae and adults. You will have eliminated your household fleas for at least a year and a half.

_____________________________________

MAKING YOUR HOME SMELL GOOD

SIMMERING CANDLES

I don't like to light candles
around the house with animals
and kids for fear of forgetting
to blow them out or getting
knocked over.
A much safer way to have your
home smelling good is to round
up some leftover scented candles
which can be found cheap at
yard sales or in my case found
while DDn.
Use a knife to scrape wax out of
bottom of glass jar and put into
a potpourri warmer, a mini crock pot.
Set in a place out of reach from
kids.
When you want to remove wax
just unplug and allow to harden.
Then scrape out with knife.
To me this is so much cheaper
than buying all those fancy
air fresheners. And it makes
the house smell soooooo good!

Here is an example of a
pure vanilla candle I found the
other day. Someone threw it out
because it was burnt down too much
to light.

I think the smell is more intensified
by melting it in a crock rather
than burning a candle and it lasts
much longer also.

Sometimes everyone thinks I am
baking something when it's just
the candle simmering, LOL.




________________________________

1:15PM

I am currently working on getting
some pie crust dough made for the
homemade pop tarts.
I am using this
Flaky Food Processor Pie Crust recipe.

My tip is to pre-measure the butter
and shortening and put it in the
freezer to get really cold.



______________________________________

Well it's that time again, 1:30PM
and the internet is not working,
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

What is it about this time of day???

______________________________________

2:00PM

Got the pie dough made and rolled
out in zip bags. Just put into freezer.
Will work on the pop tarts later this
afternoon when the dough's had time
to chill.



______________________________________




Boy if you needed a cheap place to live
where you owned the lot this would be it
for $8,000 plus $480 yearly fees & tax
which include trash & water & all
grounds maintenance!
Includes deck, shed, 2 gravel drive ways,,
fire pit.
900 square feet.
Found it on another ad marked down to $6,000!

Has it's own security, gated community,
swimming pool, store, youth center,
laundry mat, bingo hall, 4 stocked ponds,
restaurant, corner lot, sleeps 6,
club house along with
many planned activities.

I'm just browsing Craigslist.
Just thinking of the things people
could do to live for very cheap!!
Can you imagine only having
to pay $480 a YEAR to live there???
That's providing you paid for your
home/camper with cash.

This sounds like a great place
to retire when you don't have
much money.

---------------------

OK imagination is running wild, LOL.
Here's an instant garage for Tony
for only $1200!!
Says it's big enough to put 2 suburbans
side by side in it!
Now how in the world would you
haul something like that home???
And would the city allow you to put
it on your lot???
The pic looks a little funny
because the wind blew this
over.
Hmmm would they take $1,000???
Compare that to having an
actual garage built for $10,000+!
Probably lots more for a 2 car.

Do they make a roll back this big, LOL.



_________________________________

3:10PM





Have dessert baking in the oven for
tonight.
I used a gingerbread cookie mix
and made it according to directions.
Put in greased baking dish.

In another bowl I add 8 ounces
softened cream cheese,
1 cup milk and 3 ounce package
of pumpkin spice instant pudding.

Once the cake is done and cooled
I will top it with the cheesecake
mixture and put in fridge to chill.

Some of us like summer time veggies
and treats during the Winter months.
So how about Fall time treats
for the Summer months for a change
of pace.
Unfortunately you have to stock
up on things like gingerbread
cookies mixes and pumpkin pudding
when they go on clearance after
the holidays. I don't think you
would find them in the store now.
You could use any flavor cookie mix
and any flavor of pudding.

Total cost for my gingerbread
cheesecake-

$1.00 cream cheese
.50 cents cookie mix
.25 cent pudding
plus egg, milk, butter

So somewhere between $2.00
to $2.50 I'm guessing to make this
with the marked down items.

Supper-

$2.00 12 piece deli chicken
.50 cents Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes
.30 cents 2 ears of corn cut in half to make 4

so $2.80 for supper
plus 1/2 cheesecake dessert $1.25

$4.05 for 4 servings or $1.01 a serving.

__________________________________

4:00PM

First batch of homemade pop tarts
are done.
These taste soooo much better than
any store bought pop tart with
the pie crust dough!!




________________________________

7:15PM

Having a late supper. Tony
had to work over today.

Along with supper I managed
to get 2 lunches packed up
for Tony this week.



_________________________________

I know I can be weird at times and
think too much but that's one
of the reasons
for my blog, lol. To put
thoughts down into words.

I all the time wonder the stupidest
things. So today's thoughts
and questions are...

Why is it when most men own and ride
a motorcycle do they let their hair
grow out long like a girl???
What is the whole point to this???
Is it a tradition and if so how
did it get started???
Do they have a feminine side???

ANSWER

No answer found.

AND

What puts the stink in poop?

ANSWER

Because feces has bacteria in it.

8-16-10

7:40AM

Here's the photos from the fence project
yesterday. It took about 2.25 hours to do.














__________________________________

9:50AM

Today is picture day with sooo many
pictures between the fence and DDn.

Here are the items I had gone through
that were in the truck. The only thing
I didn't get a photo of was of a
velour style blow up mattress.
Been wanting one of those for the
back of the truck so just kept it
in there. And to think the big move
out rush ain't til this weekend.
This here ain't nothing!!!
This will be fun because Tony
has on call this week.
They are also down a person at
his work due to one getting fired
last week. This is what happens
when you start acting like a 2 year
old throwing things. That guy had been there around
25-30 years! Was it really worth
getting fired???













Was even finding clothes that
still had tags on them,
never worn! Who buys clothes
and never wears them???









I also have a tote full of clothes
I kept.
There was some cute tops in there
I am hoping to be able to wear.
Along with many jeans & pants
I want to try on the kids and do
some hemming if need be.
One pair had pink embroidery on
the pockets that fit Jonathan perfectly.
I plan to take a black permanent
sharpie marker and color over the
pink areas so he can wear them.

10:15AM

Well looks like I got lots more
laundry to do today. Got some on
the line that's been there all night
that I need to take down soon then
start working on washing more
loads.

11:40AM

Well the tote of clothes I planned
on keeping is dwindling down.
I went through and started trying
on the clothes and found that
most do not fit.

Ya know sooo many people turn their
noses up to DDn. I don't give a crap!!
I am not the only one who benefits
from doing this, this time of year.
I help out other families also.
At the moment I am helping out
at least 4-5 other families that
have low income levels like us
that cannot afford to buy some of these
things that I find.
And ya know, we all get to sport around
our designer labels like everyone else
except we didn't pay the extravagant
prices, we didn't pay anything for them,
nah nah nah nah nah to those people
who do!! And no one knows any different.

_________________________________




TIP OF THE DAY

To avoid those charges from ATM machines
that aren't your bank, go to a store
and make a minimal purchase and
when it asks you if you would like
to get money back, click yes.
No fee for doing this!!!
ATM fees now range from $2 to $3
each time you use them!!
Hey at least you got something at
the store instead of losing out
on $2-$3 at the ATM machine.

__________________________________



What to get someone for a baby shower
that has pretty much everything
they need like furniture and clothes.

Think practical!

Buy everyday items they will use
such as:

diapers, ointment, powder, lotion,
wipes, shampoo, baby food, baby cereal,
bottles, nipples, pacifiers, bottle
brushes, teething rings.

I would not recommend any formula
because you never know what kind
the baby will need.

This is what I want to do for
possibly 2 upcoming baby showers.
So if you
might be attending the same baby
shower I am please don't take my idea
as I have no clue what else to
buy or make!! It's just and idea
for any future baby showers.



Here's another video with a lot
of cute ideas.
You could also use washcloths and/or
hand towels to make the same
cake for bridal showers or
a wedding gift.



____________________________________

1:40PM

Well it seems to be this time of
day when the internet or phone
decides it doesn't want to work.

3:20PM

Internet is back on.
I'm getting REALLY tired of this crap!!!

_____________________________________

9:20PM

Not much of anything else happened today.
Other than doing laundry and doing
about 3 paged calls to Tony's work.
Drove through UV, nothing.
Move outs start up on the 20th.

8-15-10

10:00AM

Here's a couple more items we found.
A stereo receiver and a projection
alarm clock.
Still digging a few more things out
of the truck. Wait til you see how
many plastic shoe boxes I found.
I'm going to use all those to organize
school supplies and bathroom
toiletry items on a bookshelf.

I found this exact stereo receiver
on Ebay for $150 plus $32 shipping
for a total of $182!!

It Works!!









I know next week for a fact is
the big rush of move outs.
Yesterday while DDn we ran into
a friend of ours that works at UV.
He made the comment, "I was wondering
when you were gonna show up". LOL.
It's good to know people when DDn
at certain places because some
will run you off. We've had that
happen at Olentangy. But got to talking
to the maintenance worker so it's all
good. Some DD'rs give it a bad rap
because they make such a mess.
When we DD sometimes we pick up trash
and throw it away or other times
we pretend to be throwing stuff
away like empty pop bottles or
McD cups then take a lookie.
We try not to linger too long, just
grab and go. If it's a box or bag of
stuff just grab the whole thing
and throw it in the truck. Like
yesterday I threw 4 trash bags in the
truck. And just because it's a trash
bag don't assume it's trash. I always
rip open a part of them if I think
there are goodies inside. And don't
assume some of those store boxes
are empty. I checked one and it
actually had a Roomba Robot vac in it
that worked last year. Looked like it had
never been used!
And my biggest thing is to ALWAYS
carry a bottle of hand sanitizer.
I use this on my hands after every
dive. Dumpster diving does not mean
you actually get into dumpsters.
After all these years of doing it
I think I actually got in twice and
that was to retrieve computers which
we turned around and sold for $75.
Sure there are always people around
because they are moving. I don't let
it bother me. I will never see them
again. I've had some even bring
me some more things they had in their
apartment and others who have had us
inside their apartment to pick through
it. I have found digital cameras, flat
screen monitors, game systems, computers,
gosh, you name it I've probably found it,
including money!

10:50AM

Ok here's the last of yesterday's haul.
Black purse, Samsonite bookbag,
18 plastic shoe boxes.
There was also some polo shirts
and a couple of large paper notebooks
not pictured.

And yes, whoever threw out those
shoe boxes actually used them for
shoes as I tossed a couple pairs
out of them. Too big for me at a size
8.5 to 9.5.
Who has that many shoes???
I have the basics:
tennis shoes, sandals, boots
and moccasin slip on shoes.
Get shoes in neutral colors
to match whatever outfit you're
wearing. No need to have a pair
in each color of the rainbow!!!





11:00AM

Well I need to start laundry and get it
hung up on the line. They are calling for
rain this afternoon. We're supposed to
start hanging fence panels today, YEAH!!

Tony doesn't think we should install these
6 foot fence panels over the driveway.
Instead he's thinking about a chain link
gate. I don't know how much they are.
We saw them at Lowes but there wasn't any
price on them.

___________________________________

Found another recipe for the freezer
for breakfast.

PEANUT BUTTER FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup milk
* 3 eggs
* 1/4 cup peanut butter
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 4 slices bread

Directions

1. Whisk together milk, eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
3. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve hot.

__________________________________

This morning's breakfast was
Fried Bologna & Egg Sandwiches.

I had a bunch of bologna in the
freezer. I stocked up on it when
I found the packages for .39 cents each!!

__________________________________

12:30PM

Got a load of laundry on the line
and another started in the washer.
Now I need to go down to the freezer
and figure out what to have for
lunch and supper today.
Running low on some things so need
to get creative with meals.

__________________________________

12:50PM

Got pizza dough going in the bread
machine. I used this recipe.
I also added in some Tuscan Blend
seasoning, garlic powder and some
dehydrated onions. I didn't have
oil so I melted some butter
and allowed it to cool before
adding to the mix, don't want to
kill the yeast. And I did
add 3-4 Tablespoons more of flour
because I thought the dough was
too sticky.

_________________________________

2:30PM

It's not delivery, It's homemade!

Wanna watch me pull a rabbit outta
my hat? I scrounged up some things
to make a couple homemade pizzas.
I had a bowl of veggies from the
garden- tomatoes, hungarian peppers,
green bell peppers. I also chopped
up an onion and found a jar of black
olives. Didn't even have an entire
package of cheese! Oh also had
a package of sausage patties in the freezer
I chopped and fried up.

The crust is excellent. Holds up
when picked up. It reminds be of
a Boballi crust since it kind of
bubbles up.

Oh yeah I used bacon ranch dressing
for the pizza sauce.

See what can be made when you don't
think you have much. Just start
combining things together.

TOPPINGS



UNBAKED CRUST



BAKED CRUST





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3:00PM

Time to get the laundry off the line
and hang up another load. Got yet
another load waiting in the washer.
Seriously thinking about hanging
up a third line like last year
as there is not enough line
to keep up with our laundry.

Ohhh I'm stuffed. 2 Pieces of
pizza for each of us did us in!

Time to go waddle out to the yard, lol.

Uh oh, I just checked the radar and
it looks like some rain is heading
our way. Might hold off hanging
this next load of laundry til
I see if we'll get rain or not.

_____________________________________

3:15-4:00PM

Rain decided to go North so I
got my next load of laundry hung up.

Me and Tony went out and he knocked
down a couple of the old fence panels.
WOW the yard looks so different
and much bigger!

Then we took out all the supports
to the new posts put in. We have
one post that didn't set right
or didn't have enough cement in it
because it wiggles too much.
So want to add more cement in
that hole.

Here soon we are gonna carry the new
fence panels out to the posts.

It is so hot and sticky out!!
So we are doing things with breaks
in between when it comes to dealing
with the outdoors.

If you enlarge the photos you can
see which post didn't set right.





________________________________________

5:00-7:30PM

Got the fence put up along the back.
This coming week we'll get up
the other 2 panels on the other side
facing the street.

Here's a sneak peak.


I'm too tired to post all the pics this
evening. But will get to it tomorrow morning.

After getting up the fence I took
the kids out to UV to get a McD's
Sundae. Then cruised through UV
for one more last look before the
weekend was over with. I got the
back end of the Suburban full of
stuff. Don't ask what at the moment
because I just grabbed boxes and bags.
Too tired to go through tonight so it
will be a surprise in the morning.
I do know I found a box of food, mostly
canned goods. I love it when they throw
their groceries away!

Oh, Jonathan found a Kroger Gift card
at UV. I had to stop by Kroger
before coming home to get some pop
so I asked the cashier to tell
me if there was anything left on
the card. There was $1.75 on it.
Hey any free money is good money!!