7-24-10

8:00AM

84 degrees out already.
The heat index today is supposed
to be somewhere between 100 to 110.

My internet and home phone is not working
or runs REALLY slow. Don't know what
the problem is. I don't know if it
is the cable company or the modems.

I think I will work on getting my
one wooden shelf hung in the kitchen
today. With Tony having the pager
on call and them running the guys
at work like crazy working over some,
it has been delayed.
Might get some laundry done also.
It should take no time today to dry
clothes on the line.
But first I have to wait for some
ibuprofen to kick in as my back
is stiff this morning again.
Need to have time to work out the kinks.

I've got the air condition set on
76-77. You would think that wouldn't
feel nice in here but once you step
outside in what feels like 100+,
then step back inside, it feels great!

I might make some zucchini bread sometime
soon in the crock. I still have a lot
leftover of the huge zucchini that my friend
gave me. Don't want to waste it!

Well I'm off here to get the kitchen tidied
up and go tear wires and modems apart
to see if I can figure out why we don't
have internet or phone. I have no clue
when it comes to this stuff so ain't
looking forward to it!!

Kitchen, slowly but surely coming
together.

Remember what it looked like before?
This has got to make my life
easier having more shelves!






________________________________________

12:00PM

According to the weather channel it
is 90 degrees out and feel like 100!!!
It's only noon so we'll see how hot
it will get this afternoon. Whew!

Tucked inside a darkened house today
to stay cool. Told the kids not to
go outside today and play. Jonathan
thought he would just go outside
and play in the shade. Let's just say
that didn't last too long!

___________________________________

With my internet being down and
getting behind with posts
I wanted to show pics of the car
coming home yesterday.

This is a project car and is in
no way perfect. I think the first
thing we will work on is getting
a wiring harness and try to rewire
the whole electrical system.
Doesn't that sound like fun???
It looks like someone rewired something
and many wires are running everywhere
under the hood. Some connected and some
not. I'd feel safer if we put in all
new!

Me and Jonathan gave it a bath soon
after it's arrival. Needed to get
the grime off the paint. One step
in helping preserve it. The other
is having a roof over it. Keeps out
most weather and sun which can cause
dry rot.

This car will be a project the whole
family can come together and do.
This teaches the kids how to
work together. They learn to work
on cars in the process and how to take
care of them. Then one day it can
belong to them and is something
they can look forward to if they help
take care of it.













____________________________________

2:00PM

Just returned from Tony's work.
All I got to say is that it is FREAKIN'
hot out there!! Tony asked if I wanted
to stop at a few yard sales on the way
back home. I said just keep going home!
I don't know why it is, but it seems like
there is more yard sales the hotter it is.

Weather channel says 92 degrees
but the heat index is 102!!!!!

________________________________________

3:00PM

Pulled some things out of the freezer
to start thawing out. Here's a few
things I will be making in the next
couple of days:

1. Cheeseburger Potato Soup
* I don't have sour cream or onions but
I do have French Onion dip that I will
use in place of those two things.

Here's a tip for picky eaters that I found in
it's reviews:

I use my food process to chop the onions, carrots and celery small to hide them from picky eaters. I don't thicken with the butter and flour, I just use instant potato flakes which uses less fat and is easier. Flavor is the same.

It's a great recipe for freezing

2. Chicken Cordon Bleu
Not sure how I am making this.
I have swiss cheese, bacon
and chicken leg quarters.

3. Maple Crock Pot Salmon

INGREDIENTS

* 4 Fresh Atlantic Salmon portions
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
* 1/8 tsp. ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon portions in a shallow dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon portions in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning over at 15 minutes.
3. Drain the salmon steaks and discard used marinade.
4. Wrap in tin foil packets
5. Put into crock pot.
See recipe from yesterday for Crock Pot Fish

_______________________________________

4:40PM

Supper in the making for
tomorrow.




Crock #1
Got chicken leg quarters skinned then
wrapped in bacon put in the crock pot.
I used little round tins saved from
pot pies in the bottom of the crock
pot to put the chicken on.



Crock #2
Got a chocolate zucchini bread
in another crock.



____________________________________________

From: Examiner.com

Almost KFC Coleslaw

This is the best coleslaw we have ever had. The flavors blend and intensify with time, so if possible, make this the day before you plan on eating it.

Ingredients:

8 cups very finely chopped green cabbage (1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
1/2 cup mayonnaise OR 1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk*
2-1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Be sure that the cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces. Place in a large bowl.
In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise or sour cream, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper; beat until smooth. Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
For a buttermilk substitution, mix 1/2 tsp. white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/4 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes before using. I use a commercial slaw mixture instead of cutting up cabbage and carrots myself. It saved me a bit of time, but feel free to start from scratch. Also, I replaced the salt with celery salt.

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

Almost KFC chicken

Ingredients:

16 pieces of chicken (4 legs, 4 thighs, 4 wings, 4 breasts), skin on, bone in (I prefer 8 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless)
2 envelopes Italian Salad Dressing Mix , divided
2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Frank's)
1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
3-1/2 to 4 cups oil, divided

Directions:

Place chicken in shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of the salad dressing mix and hot pepper sauce; turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to marinate. Mix flour and remaining salad dressing mix in plastic bag. Shake 1 chicken piece at a time to coat. Heat 2 cups of oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 8 pieces of chicken; brown on all sides. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Repeat from oil step through cooking step with remaining chicken.
YIELD: 16 pieces (depending on appetites 4 to 8 servings)

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

It's been several months since my family and I have been to KFC (formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken). The last time we went we spent close to $50 for 4 people for dinner. OUCH! $50 for chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy and coleslaw? $50 is about half my grocery budget for one week. I vowed never again! Not only did it cost us an outrageous amount of money, but none of us felt very well after wards.

If only I had just taken a little extra time in my menu planning that week, we could have had our own version (aka Copycat version) of KFC for about $10, and not felt poorly (or poor!) afterward.

Round out your at home KFC experience with Almost KFC coleslaw and Almost KFC chicken.

Almost KFC Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups self-rising***
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk****
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.
In a large bowl blend together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening using two knives or a pastry tool. Add milk and mix well.
Turn out onto a floured surface (mix a bit of baking powder with the flour). Knead a bit to pick up the flour until dough is slightly stiff. Roll or pat out into a 9x5 rectangle and use a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or water glass) to cut biscuits out.
Place in an 8x8-inch round cake pan or 8x8-inch square baking dish (the biscuits will touch) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Makes about 12

Rachael's Recipe Notes:

***If you don't have self-rising flour, use all-purpose flour with an extra 1 Tbsp. of baking powder and an extra 1 tsp. of baking soda.
****You can use 3/4 cup regular milk with 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar in place of the buttermilk.

_______________________________________

Just got notice that my friends will
be on Wall To Wall Sports tonight
so be sure to check it out!!
This is their second time on there!

Join Dom Tiberi and Dan Fronczak
for Wall to Wall Sports,
Saturdays and Sundays at 11:35 p.m. only on 10TV.

Would you like to sign up to be on
Wall to Wall Sports?

Wall To Wall Sports audience sign-up

___________________________________________

With the temps being so hot out I have
spent my afternoon/evening cleaning
my kitchen top to bottom. Doesn't
look like my same kitchen.
I'm sure you would agree Kendra/Dewaine,
I know you saw what it looked like
when I had it wiped out the other
day weeding and wiping it out, LOL!
You couldn't see the floor or countertops.
But that's how I clean. It gets
messy before it gets a total cleaning.




________________________________________

I tried some of my crock pot chicken,
YUMMY! It does taste a little like
a rotisserie chicken.

To make it Cordon Bleu I melted some
swiss cheese on top then poured
a lil bacon ranch dressing on top.
Everyone loved it! Jonathan said,
Man this stuff is GOOOOD!"
This recipe will be a keeper for sure!
Normally Cordon Bleu is chicken breast
stuffed with swiss cheese and bacon.
Can't afford chicken breast around here
so used chicken leg quarters instead.
Tasted just as good!



And here's my Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I didn't have oil so used some cinnamon
applesauce in it's place. I didn't add
sugar and instead used a large box
of sugar-free pudding. I sprinkled
some brown sugar on top along with some
semi- sweet chocolate chips. I did all
this to reduce sugar and fat.

Both kids ate it and liked it.
I did not dare tell them it
had zucchini in it or they probably
wouldn't have touched it with
a 10 foot pole.

I almost screwed up and asked them
if they tried the zucchini bread.
Christopher was like, IT HAS ZUCCHINI
IN IT! I said, I meant to say
chocolate pudding cake not zucchini bread.
LOL




________________________________________



I ran across this website for a book
called DINNER IS IN THE JAR.
Of course I don't have money to buy the book
and I cannot locate it at the library.
But it is an idea to think about doing.
I'm sure I could google something
and find some jar mixes.
If I do I'll be sure to keep a list
of recipe that I find :0)

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

Side Dish Mixes


MYO Copycat Stove Top Stuffing Mix


Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Homemade Hamburger Help

Friendship Soup Mix in a Jar

Potato Soup Mix

Noodle Mixes & Bean Mixes

Texas Two Step Soup

Shake N Bake Mix

Herbed Rice Mix

Tortilla Soup

Chili in a Jar

Chicken Soup With Noodles

Beef Barley Soup

Boston Baked Beans

Almost Hamburger Helper Mix in a Jar

Red Beans and Rice

Rice Pilaf Mix

Onion Soup Mix

7-23-10

Not sure about going to garage sales this morning.
I saw on the news that the heat index could get up
to 105 degrees today. So will sit here and await
the arrival of the tow truck. Have no idea,
other than this morning, of when it's coming.

One of the things I look for when buying an old
car is that it has most of it's pieces and parts.
Meaning it has all it's trim, molding, paneling,
emblems, knobs and items of that sort.
All those pieces start adding up
if missing. This will not be an overnight
project but will probably take many years
to put together. It will also need
completely sanded down and repainted.
It does have a few rust spots
on the top where a vinyl top was.
Other than that the rust is minimal.

I'm just taking notes about some prices
of a few decorative things this car needs.
I like to get ideas of what things
will cost in the future. When we go
to swap meets this is something to keep
in mind when wheelin' and dealin'.
Know what it sells for and know who
is price gouging!

It's taken me 11 years to learn about
Trans Ams and now I am starting from
scratch learning about this car that I
absolutely know nothing about!
So every now and then you will see
me take notes about it so I can learn.

These are the only decorative pieces I know
it needs at the moment. Hub caps are iffy
if we go with another rim then it won't be
needed. But if we go original then it will.

These items are not something I am getting
at the moment. Like I said it could
take years to put together and acquire
parts for. Can't afford to do it
all at once so will do a little
bit each year.

$70+shipping Ebay
set of 4 hubcaps


$4.50+shipping Ebay
charger stick on emblem


$200+shipping Ebay
charger hood ornament


________________________________________________


9-9:30AM

Decided to clean up the carport area
and sweep the entire driveway.
For being early in the morning it sure
is hot as heck out there. I shouldn't
be sweating this much this early!

__________________________________


SCHOOL SUPPLY DEALS

BIG LOTS

70 sheet spiral notebooks
10 for $1.00 limit 10

10 pack glue sticks $1.00

10 pack folders $1.00

___________________________________

HINTS AND TIPS

Frozen Storage Solution

I found one more good use for the abundance of old tube socks left over from when I had teens in the house. I use pint-sized glass jars for freezer storage instead of plastic, but without some kind of protection around the jar, they are easily broken and can make a big mess. I cut up the old, but clean tube sock and slip a jar into it before filling. I cut the sock short enough so it doesn't cover the lid. I then put my label on the lid. While thawing, I leave the jar in the sock.
H.

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

homemade Magic Eraser
Take a bowl and pour in some arm and hammer baking soda then pour a little
white vinegar over it -- it will foam up and just make a paste with it =
use it on the spots just like magic eraser using a wash cloth. As your
paste gets too dry - add a bit more vinegar.

____________________________________

CROCKPOT RECIPES

I love my crockpot during the Summer
months! It beats having to heat
up the house by turning the oven on!

I found a great crockpot cooking
website called Crockpot365
or a Year of Slow Cooking.

I picked and chose a few recipes
I might want to try sometime.
Still haven't gotten through
the whole blog as there are
a ton of crock recipes there!

I might give my peanut butter
banana bread recipe sometime
in the crock.




CROCKPOT ROTISSERIE STYLE CHICKEN

To satisfy our rotisserie chicken cravings, I threw a whole chicken in the crockpot last night covered in an awesome seasoning blend. I also took off all of the chicken skin. The result? A moist, delicious rotisserie-want-to-be with virtually no fat.

The Ingredients

--1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds)
--2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
--1 tsp paprika
--1 tsp onion powder
--1/2 tsp dried thyme
--1 tsp Italian seasoning
--1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--pinch of chili pepper (probably not necessary)

--4 whole garlic cloves (optional)
--1 yellow onion, quartered (optional)

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart crockpot for a 5 pound bird. It fit nicely.

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. This takes a while, and is gross. Keep small children away so you don't freak out about salmonella. I skin whole chickens because I hate the idea of the chicken fat simmering all day in the crock---it also looks disgusting when the chicken is cooked because it's all slimy and icky.

I get it that I'm weird. If chicken skin makes you happy, then by all means, ignore me.

In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot.

If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I used 2tsp of kosher salt, and the meat was no where near as salty as a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I was surprised at how not-spicy the meat was (even the part coated in the mix) although I added a bunch of pepper. We were pleased with the flavor, and the kids ate their portions without saying anything---which is always good.

TIP: TO get a better "roast effect"
either make several foil balls or wrap several potatoes in foil, place them in the crock pot, put the chicken on top of the foil - cook as usual...

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

FOIL PACKET TILAPIA SLOW COOKER RECIPE

I love making fish in the crockpot. I love making pretty much anything in the crockpot, but the ease of making fish is just so wonderful, I'm surprised everyone doesn't cook fish this way.
It's easy.
It's moist and flavorful.
It doesn't heat up the house on a hot day.
it doesn't stink up the kitchen.
and clean up is practically non-existent.

Ingredients:

-- 3 or 4 filets of Tilapia (or other favorite white fish)
--1/4 cup mayonnaise
--1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar. I've made it before with Parmesan and it was amazing. If I was planning a trip to the store specifically to get ingredients for this dish I would pick Parmesan.)
--juice of 2 lemons
--4 chopped garlic cloves
--pinch each of salt and black pepper


The Directions:

--mix all ingredients (except for the fish. definitely not the fish.) in a bowl

--lay out a piece of foil

--rub sauce mixture on both sides of fish

--fold foil over and make a little packet for the fish

--put all the packets into the crockpot

--cook on LOW for 2-4 hours; fish should flake easily with a fork

PLEASE take care when taking the packet out of the crockpot and when opening it. It will be hot.

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

Crockpot French Toast Bake


French toast! In the crockpot! While you sleep!

Life has just gotten even better.

Heather emailed me a french toast recipe that she has made a few times in the crockpot successfully. She points out that since she lives in Las Vegas, turning on the oven in 100-degree-weather is just not going to happen.

The Ingredients.

I used a 6 qt Smart-Pot Crock-Pot for this. I'd recommend a 5 or 6qt for this dish. If you have a smaller crockpot, scale back a bit. Maybe only use 1/2 a loaf of bread.

Grease the inside of your crockpot very well with butter, shortening, or cooking spray. Slice your bread into large slices (if it's already sliced, just dump it in) and place the bread into the crockpot.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Pour on top of the bread.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is done when the bread has soaked up all of the liquid and the egg has cooked (you can tell because you'll see bits of cooked egg stuck to the bread). The bread will expand---it's like one of those spongy foam things that come in the capsules and turn into a dinosaur. Very cool.

After 8 hours, I had a bit of liquid left in the crockpot, but the bread on top was browned nicely and the egg was done. I took the lid off and went hunting for the camera, and then checked email, and then watered the garden. 30 minutes had passed before I remembered that I had left the lid off of the crockpot, and that it was still plugged in. BUT! all the moisture was gone and the french toast was perfect.

so there you go. I'd give that a try.

_______________________________________




Sneak peek at Walgreens ad for next week.

I'm cutting back on some shopping
so I don't have coupon matchups
done up for Walgreens.

____________________________________________



WHY MICROWAVE COOKING IS BAD FOR YOU

_____________________________________________

1:15PM

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting
for this freakin tow truck to get here.
Tony called once about 2 hours ago and said
the tow truck driver said he just got to
the car. Said he got the street wrong.
Went to 3rd St. instead of Church St.
Don't we carry a notepad to write things
down??? 2 hours goes by and I'm starting
to wonder where he's at. Tony calls him back.
The tow truck driver said he just got to
the car and was putting it on the truck.
HELLOOOOooo!! That's what he said 2 hours
ago!! Then he had to get our address again
because he forgot it. AHHHHHHH!
Get a freakin pad of paper to write things on!!!
So I am still sitting and waiting and waiting
and waiting and getting flustered wasting
my day away. So much for it being here
this morning, huh.

__________________________________________________

1:30-6:40PM

Internet and phone hasn't been working.
Cable has been good though.
Been a lil frustrating.

7-22-10

7-8:45AM

Whew, don't know what it is this morning
but my stomach doesn't feel the greatest.
Keep having to run to the potty.
Maybe it's something I ate or maybe
it's from stress.

Today I hope to start working on
hanging my shelves. Don't have anyone
coming over to do fencing nor do I have
anywhere to go this morning or afternoon.
But later on this evening will be making
a trip to Newark to pay for the charger
and have our friend roll back it home.

Will have to probably wait for Tony
to help me with putting up the wooden
shelf. We bought some hollow wall
anchors to hang it up with because
we cannot find studs in the one
kitchen wall!
So think I will get started soon
with hanging the wired shelves
in the basement stairwell.
First need to swig some Pepto!

Here is a before picture of the basement
stairwell. The big open area is where
my other wooden shelf was located.

Next project would be to hang a metal
towel bar on the opposite wall across
from this. Because I don't use many
paper towels I need a place to hang
my wet cleaning rags.



10:50AM

Here are my shelves rearranged
and more put up. I ended up with
more storage in my basement stairwell
and will have more storage in my
kitchen. So far it's all working
out as planned.
Total spent for 8 shelves $5.00!
Ok now time to put stuff on them.




My horoscope for today.

The Moon clashes with Saturn today, bringing tension to the surface. You may feel personally threatened by what is going on around you.

Hmmmm, this seems to describe me feeling
worried about spending money on a couple
big items at the moment.

_________________________________________

12:15PM

Still working on finding my kitchen.
It looks like I am just moving
in with boxes and baskets of stuff
sitting on the floor trying to
relocate and find a place for everything.

I have many spices that I had on storage shelves,
stove and in a drawer. I can finally now
put them all in one place.
These shelves with store baking items
and cleaning supplies.
When there are many move outs during
college graduation time, we find tons
of cleaning supplies. I very rarely
have to buy any. So I usually get
a bunch at once from people throwing
them away and need a place to store
it. This will last me for about a
year then.




This is where my towel bar will go.
Was in Zettler's last night and didn't
think to get the screws at the time
to hang this up.



Above my towel bar I will start putting
my seeds I have saved from the garden.
I have them in labeled plastic zip
bags and push pinned to the wall.
Perfect place to put them with
less humidity and light.



________________________________________

1:30PM

Still in the kitchen trying to figure
out things and get things put away.

I did prop my one wooden shelf up
to see what it would look like.
For what I need, it works perfect.
Perfect to put pop bottles on,
store cereal and other boxes, cans
and bread.

It does not stick out past the
pass through window which is something
I wanted.

Just had a thought and will act upon it
next. The wood that I added up top for
mounting looks too dark and sticks out
like a sore thumb. I got some leftover
paint I used on the walls and will
paint that piece to look like part of
the wall.

This shelf has been with me the last
15-16 years. I designed it and mom
had it built for me.
There used to be another cross shelf
where you see the pop sitting.
Lost that when I hit the shelf into
the carport when moving.
It's been with me through 11 moves!

I have moved at least 16 times that I can
think of in the past 22 years!!
I am so glad now to have a house and
grow roots!!





_________________________________________

2:15PM

And wallah, I fixed the problem with
a couple coats of paint on the shelf.
Now it seems to blend in with the wall!




________________________________________

2:30PM

Today's garden goodies,
cucumbers, banana & hungarian peppers
and grape tomatoes.



_____________________________________________

Went to Newark this evening and of course
it poured down rain on the way there.
The guy that was supposed to of towed
the car home tonight conveniently forgot
about it. Grrrr. Anyway he's supposed to
go get it tomorrow and bring it here.
But we got the title to it, it's notarized,
and it's officially ours.

_____________________________________________

Hey lookie I found another 1974 Dodge
Charger in Newark. This one is $6000!
I like what we paid for ours!
Ours needs some work but I can
deal with that.

7-21-10

8:00AM

Moving slow this morning with muscle
stiffness. I'm in one of my moods
where my mind is working overtime
so bear with my thoughts as I type.

I am starting to get into one of my
moods where I get bummed or a little
depressed when spending large amounts
of money. I already cut back
on everything I can and when situations
arise that means spending large amounts
of money I start worrying. I am a worry
wart. I don't think day to day about money.
I worry about money over the months to
come and upcoming events that will require
more spending than normal. For example:
back to school supplies and clothes,
school pictures (those alone run over $50
for 2 kids), Halloween, school
parties, Thanksgiving meal, then lastly
there's Christmas. So those things and
everything in between like doctor bills,
utility bills, car repairs
and buying food and stuff for the home.

We have more taxes taken out of Tony's
paycheck that way we can get more back
at tax time. To me it's like building
up a savings account and then being
able to use the tax refund along with
Tony's paychecks to live off of throughout
the year. But more taxes taken out means
less paychecks every other week.
We survive and are doing much better than
about 5 years ago when we were literally
living paycheck to paycheck, wondering
how to pay bills, and having literally
less than $20 a week to run on. I knew
where ATM's were that would actually give
out $5 increments if I needed to get that
last $5 out of our bank account. Back
then we only had a savings account because
Tony's work went to direct deposit with
paychecks. We didn't have a checking account.
We didn't use coupons back then because
I didn't know how people were using them
to get cheap of free stuff. Now I know
after doing research.

So if you've lived the life I have
pretty much lived all my life struggling with
money then you know where I am coming
from. You know where you are and where
you could be if you are not careful with
money.

Some people frown upon how we do things
to save money, whether is scrounging
colleges for freebies this time
of year, or buying second hand, or
making do with what we have and not
buying the latest items in the store
to keep up with the Jones'. They can keep
on curling that upper lip. I'm not on
any kind of welfare or help using their
tax dollars. But I probably could be
so they better turn and look away. I choose
not to be.

I don't normally watch MTV but last night
I watched a show that was interesting.
It was called, If You Really Knew Me.
It was about a high school wanting
to do away with all these cliques.
You have jocks, preppies, loners,
nerds and so on.

They wanted them all to come together
and learn about one another to realize
we all go through problems and hard times.
And they wanted these kids
not to judge one another because of
what's on the outside because
"If You Really Knew Me" you would
see me as a different person.

Almost all the kids ended up
crying and supporting one another
after they learned about those
who they picked on or called
names to.

This is me talking:

So if you really knew me, you would
know the the bumpy road I had to travel
to get to where I am today. While it's
less of a bumpy road it still has it's
curves and a few speed bumps along the way.
I still have not found the fast lane
to take me to freedom so I take the
road less traveled that may be a little
slower, unpaved and have a few ruts in
them. Not by choice but as a matter
of survival.

______________________________________

3:45PM

I have not accomplished a whole lot
today other than buying fence posts
and having Dewaine put them in.
They are in the ground and stablized.
Won't be til Monday til the cement
gets put in.
I did get my one wooden shelf fixed.
It didn't require other shelves being
cut out. Instead I just turned it
upside down so the larger shelf was
on the bottom but I had to add a
piece of wood on it to be able
to mount it to the wall.
We'll see how things go this evening
to see about getting it put up.


______________________________________



_____________________________________________

8:20PM

Had to run to Zettler to get some
toggle screws for my shelf so I can
get it put up soon. Well, before
I scream because I can't move around
my kitchen.

Then we stopped in McDonald's
and got the kids each a FREE
smoothie.

The the last stop was Kroger
to get some more pop while
I had coupons and they had a
sale on it this week.

10 bottles Pepsi & Sierra Mist 2 liters
$3.70
8 bottles Sunkist, 7UP and Rootbeer 2 liters
$4.00
--------
$7.70 for 18 bottles pop PLUS
I got 2 free things of skittles
with more coupons I had.

Regular non sale price was $1.89
time 18 bottles would have been $34.02

So I saved a total of $26.32 with sales & coupons!!
Even the cashier was impressed.

Still have enough coupons to get
8 more bottles for $3.00 or .50 cents each.
Will get that Friday though.

Stockpiling my pop while I can
get it for cheap!
Will have a total of 34 bottles
by Friday for a total of $13.70!!
Average the price and that's .40 cents each!!

And yes I got all these coupons from
Speedway's pop bottles.

_________________________________________

Here's a few pics of the fence posts
today. Cement goes in Monday.

The one fence will be removed
and placed on the shorter side to extend
the other fence.

I have a handy man friend that is charging
me $10 an hour to do this. So if you have
any remodeling, building, tree cutting
or whatever you need done, let me know!
I'd hate to see what a fencing company
would charge me!!
It has to be done so we can protect
our vehicles and other belongings
in our yard. If it weren't for the stealing
I would have left it the way it was.

I'm sure a sub contractor would have charged
about $1,500 to $2,000 to put up a fence.
I figure it's gonna cost under $600
so it's a big savings knowing someone!!





___________________________________________

I was researching fences when I came
across this cute log cabin playhouse for kids
that can be made out of 6 stockade
fence panels! You can find directions
to make it HERE.
Once kids outgrow it you could use
it as your garden house to store things in!
You know me, I have to have a double
purpose for things!
Or what about a fancy doghouse?
Wouldn't it look soo cute with some
flower boxes under the windows or
around the railings?
Fence panels runs about $25 to $27 new.
Maybe we could find a few sections on
Craigslist for cheap or even free!
The possibilites for making something
like this and adding things here
and there are endless. Like a
plexiglass skylight.



_________________________________________

7-20-10

7:30AM

Boy am I feeling the effects of moving things
around yesterday! Body's stiff this morning.

Yesterday evening Tony got 3 pages
so we spent most of the evening at his
work then stopped by Kroger to get
a prescription.
While at his work
I managed to pick up a couple leftover
paper ads with coupons in them :0).
They won't put coupons in my ads that
hang on my door anymore because they
say I get them in my Sunday Dispatch
which sucks.
Oh also got the post hole digger
to start doing the fence.

While at Kroger I picked up:

8 bottles of 7up, Sunkist and root beer.
My coupons made them .38 cents each.
I still have more coupons to use
before this sale is over.

And I wanted to get some Cottonelle
12 double roll toilet paper for $3.99
with a catalina coupon I had.
They were out of it at Henderson Kroger.

I also got 4 boxes of 24 count Crayola
crayons at Kroger for .25 cents each.
Also found bagged lettuce marked down
to $1.29 and had a $1.00 off Kroger coupon
making it only .29 cents!

Slowly but surely getting all their school
supplies. I think all I have left to
get it glue sticks. Maybe some zip bags
and tissues but I may have some tissues
somewhere.

______________________________________________

9:15-9:45AM

Made some easy curtain valances.

Bought a cheap bed skirt at the thrift
store. Cut off the skirt part.
Sewed a hem to put rod through.

The color in the skirt seem
to go with the wall I just painted.
All warm colors.

I really need to make some more
curtains for the front window.
The ones I have up aren't the
greatest and are only temporary.







___________________________________________

Is this the coolest gadget or what.
I saw this last night on HSN, it's
a Martha Stewart Cricut(video link is under
their photo). Was $299
last night but now $399. I know I could
never afford it but it looked so cool.
You can put fondant icing into it to
cut out all different designs to put
on cakes, cookies, whatever!

I don't buy things on HSN but every now
and then like to watch just to see these
people make idiots out of themselves
trying to sell stuff. They get too excited
over the stupidest things.

___________________________________________

I know people will think I am crazy for
doing this, but I think I am going to
let my winning contest slide. Meaning I'm not
doing it, going to Cincinatti that is.
I will always know I was a grand prize winner
but I have too much going on around here
just to go for a quick trip to Cinci.
It's not like I'm going to get any money
or other prizes for doing it.
Hell they could at least give me
some free fabric softener for a year!
All it's for is to go see advertising
made for the scent I created.
Sure you get a free hotel stay and
free airplane tickets. But you have to
pay for your meals. So I'm not really
getting anything out of it other than
to see my product scent hitting
store shelves. I'm gonna let another
runner up take my place, aren't I nice!?

But I have another day to think it
over if I should change my mind.

_____________________________________



Remember this computer table below
that I got hubby from a yard sale
for cheap? Well it's a good
thing I only paid a couple dollars
for it because he hasn't really used
it.
So if you know me I try to repurpose
something if I can.
I think I will try to find some good
outdoor paint, maybe red, and paint it.
Then I hope he can use it as a mechanic's
table when working on the cars.
I also have some non slip
table grippie stuff I can glue down
on the tray so tools won't roll around.
He can roll it around and put his
pieces and parts on it instead of
losing it down in the motor somewhere.




Here's a mechanics rolling table
for $84 plus shipping!



Well it's 12:00PM.
Think I might grab a bite to eat.
Got most of the living room cleaned up.
Thought about carpet cleaning today
but decided against it due to it
creating humidity in the house.

So maybe I'll head outside
and work on getting the window tint
put on the tracker.
Tony said once I got it on he might
start driving it to work to save
on gas.
Still would like to sell this car,
& the blue Trans Am or possibly
trade for an Explorer.

__________________________________________

12:30PM to 4:20PM

Started doing the window tint. Got
as far as getting one window done when
Dewaine showed up to dig the holes
for the fence posts. Took him about
3 hours or so to dig nine, two feet deep
holes. Tomorrow morning we'll go get
the posts to set in the holes.
Then maybe next week work on getting
them cemented in and the fence panels up.






_______________________________________

4:30PM

Well I need to start hauling some things
to the basement, like the closet doors
from Jonathan's closet so I am able to
move around my kitchen.
Tonight we are having Taco Salad for supper.



_______________________________________

Got my living room tidied up.
Yesterday I hauled one of the chairs
out of there to make it more spacious.
It's now in Jonathan's room.

I think I came up with a plan with
what to do about shelving for my kitchen.
I need more storage space and the
shelves I have up aren't enough.
My counter and that area are starting
to become a clutter area because I
don't know where to put stuff.

I think I'm gonna use my shelf
I have in my basement stairwell.
Then replace that shelf in the
stairwell with the wire racks
I got at a yard sale. I already have
some in there so will have to rearrange
them all to make it work.
It'll be a lot of work and a mess
while doing, but the end results
should work better for me.
On the wooden shelf in the stairwell
there are two smaller shelves on
each side in the middle. I'm gonna
have Tony cut them out for me so there
is one large continuous shelf so I can
put pop bottles on it.
This shelf I want to hang is the exact
depth of the shelves that are already
hanging in the kitchen, PERFECT!!







Update on the shelving plan.
Tony had a great idea and said I should
hang the shelf upside down since that
already had a taller area to put pop
bottles on. Now all we need to do is
find a piece of wood to put on it
to use to mount to the wall.
That larger section of shelf actually
had another cross board there at one time.
When moving in this place I backed a pickup
up in the driveway with a load of stuff
and the shelf was sticking up too far
when I tried to back it up under the
carport. I hit the top of the carport
with it and it broke the one side off
and that shelf could no longer be used.
Well actually we used it on the one end
that broke to stabilize it.

___________________________________


I read an interesting article regarding
cholesterol medicines people are taking.
I'm not one fore doctors or prescribed
medicines unless it it absolutely
a must.
Instead of linking it I am putting here.
It's from Mercola.com
In my opinion drug companies don't care
if people die or have other health issues
as a result of taking their drugs.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, if you
haven't realized that by now.

I have read some of the symptoms
possible with the cholesterol meds
and now start to wonder if some of
Tony's problems he's been having lately
and in the past is a result of this
since he has many of the side
affects listed!

Here is the article. Makes you wonder!

Two years ago, a study known as the JUPITER trial suggested the cholesterol-lowering statin drug might prevent heart-related death in many more people than just those with high cholesterol.

Now, however, researchers say that the JUPITER results are flawed -- and that they do not support the benefits initially reported.

Not only is there no "striking decrease in coronary heart disease complications", but a new report has also called into question drug companies' involvement in such trials.

ABC News reports:

"... major discrepancies exists between the significant reductions in nonfatal stroke and heart attacks reported in the JUPITER trial and what has been found in other research ... 'The JUPITER data set appears biased,' [the researchers] wrote in conclusion."

Sources:
ABC News June 29, 2010
Video Transcript


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

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Tens of millions of Americans are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs—mostly statins—and some "experts" claim that many millions more should be taking them.

I couldn't disagree more.

Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that is, they act by blocking the enzyme in your liver that is responsible for making cholesterol (HMG-CoA reductase). The fact that statin drugs cause side effects is well established—there are now 900 studies proving their adverse effects, which run the gamut from muscle problems to increased cancer risk.

For starters, reported side effects include:

* Muscle problems, polyneuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet), and rhabdomyolysis (a serious degenerative muscle tissue condition)
* Anemia
* Acidosis
* Sexual dysfunction
* Immune depression
* Pancreas or liver dysfunction, including a potential increase in liver enzymes
* Cataracts

Muscle problems are the best known of statin drugs' adverse side effects, but cognitive problems and memory loss are also widely reported. A spectrum of other problems, ranging from blood glucose elevations to tendon problems, can also occur. There is evidence that taking statins may even increase your risk for Lou Gehrig's disease.

Statins currently available on the U.S. market are:

* Advicor (lovastatin with niacin) – Abbott
* Altoprev (lovastatin) – Shionogi Pharma
* Caduet [atorvastatin with amlodipine (Norvasc)] – Pfizer
* Crestor (rosuvastatin) - AstraZeneca
* Lescol (fluvastatin) – Novartis
* Lipitor (atorvastatin) - Pfizer
* Mevacor (lovastatin) – Merck
* Pravachol (pravastatin) -- Bristol-Myers Squibb
* Simcor (niacin/imvastatin) – Abbott
* Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) – Merck/Schering-Plough
* Zocor (simvastatin) – Merck

Ninety-Nine Out of 100 People do Not Need Statin Drugs

That these drugs have proliferated the market the way they have is a testimony to the power of marketing, corruption and corporate greed, because the odds are very high— greater than 100 to 1—that if you're taking a statin, you don't really need it.

The ONLY subgroup that might benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol.

And, even more importantly, cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease.

If your physician is urging you to check your total cholesterol, then you should know that this test will tell you virtually nothing about your risk of heart disease, unless it is 330 or higher.

HDL percentage is a far more potent indicator for heart disease risk. Here are the two ratios you should pay attention to:

1. HDL/Total Cholesterol Ratio: Should ideally be above 24 percent. If below 10 percent, you have a significantly elevated risk for heart disease.
2. Triglyceride/HDL Ratio: Should be below 2.

I have seen a number of people with total cholesterol levels over 250 who were actually at low risk for heart disease due to their elevated HDL levels. Conversely, I have seen many people with cholesterol levels under 200 who had a very high risk of heart disease, based on their low HDL.

Your body NEEDS cholesterol—it is important in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function.

There is also strong evidence that having too little cholesterol INCREASES your risk for cancer, memory loss, Parkinson's disease, hormonal imbalances, stroke, depression, suicide, and violent behavior.

Parents Beware: Outrageous New Push to Put Kids on Statin Drugs!

In a bold attempt to increase profits before the patent runs out, Pfizer has now introduced a chewable kid-friendly version of Lipitor. Its US patent for Lipitor expires in November 2011, and seeking to boost sales of the drug, children have become the new target market, and the conventional medical establishment is more than happy to oblige.

Researchers and many doctors are now calling for universal school screening of children to check for high cholesterol, to find those "in need of treatment." In addition, older siblings, parents and other family members might be prompted to get screened as well, the researchers say, which would uncover additional, previously undiagnosed adults in need of the drug.

This is clearly NOT the way to improve public health. On the contrary, it could produce a new, massive wave of extremely dire health consequences in just a few years time.

So rather than improving school lunches, which would cost about a dollar a day per child, they'd rather "invest" ten times that for tests and drugs that in no way, shape, or form address the root cause, which is an improper, unhealthy diet!

All they're doing is allowing all the industries to maintain or increase their profits: Big Pharma; Big Sugar; Big Corn and the processed food industry.

Who pays?

You, and your children! And in far more ways than one!

I will address this issue in depth in a future article, so please stay tuned…

If You Take Statins, You MUST Take CoQ10

If you take statin drugs without taking CoQ10, your health is at serious risk. Unfortunately, this describes the majority of people who take them in the United States.

CoQ10 is a cofactor (co-enzyme) that is essential for the creation of ATP molecules, which you need for cellular energy production. Organs such as your heart have higher energy requirements, and therefore require more CoQ10 to function properly.

Statins deplete your body of CoQ10, which can have devastating results.

Physicians rarely inform people of this risk and only occasionally advise them to take a CoQ10 supplement. As your body gets more and more depleted of CoQ10, you may suffer from fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness, and eventually heart failure.

Coenzyme Q10 is also very important in the process of neutralizing free radicals. So when your CoQ10 is depleted, you enter a vicious cycle of increased free radicals, loss of cellular energy, and damaged mitochondrial DNA.

If you decide to take a CoQ10 supplement and are over the age of 40, it is important to choose the reduced version, called ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is a FAR more effective form—I personally take 1-3 a day since it has such far ranging benefits.

Optimizing Your Cholesterol Levels, Naturally

There's really no reason to take statins and suffer the damaging health effects from these dangerous drugs.

The fact is that 75 percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin level, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol.

It follows, then, that my primary recommendations for safely regulating your cholesterol have to do with modifying your diet and lifestyle:

* Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your diet. Eat the right foods for your nutritional type, and consume a good portion of your food raw.
* Make sure you are getting plenty of high quality, animal-based omega 3 fats, such as krill oil.
* Other heart-healthy foods include olive oil, coconut and coconut oil, organic raw dairy products and eggs, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and organic grass-fed meats as appropriate for your nutritional type.
* Exercise daily. Make sure you incorporate peak fitness exercises, which also optimizes your human growth hormone (HGH) production.
* Address your emotional challenges. My favorite technique for stress management is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
* Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol excessively.
* Be sure to get plenty of good, restorative sleep.

Unlike statin drugs, which lower your cholesterol at the expense of your health, these lifestyle strategies represent a holistic approach that will benefit your overall health—which includes a healthy cardiovascular system.