Dodge & Weave

Am I crazy, or what?

2012-02-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

I got an odd look when I mentioned this to someone ...

Occasionally, I'm blessed with a gift card for gasoline, be it from a credit-card
rebate, or a survey, or a gift.

Now, it's tempting to just use the card and get the free stuff. But a $10 card
doesn't go all that far. (Let's get real: a $25 or $50 card doesn't go all that far
either.)

So, I used the latest card like a high-value coupon. I got $10 in gas using the
gift card. Then I bought another $10 worth of gas. So I have $20 worth of gas
in the car, but only paid $10 for it. To my way of thinking, I just cut the price of
gas in half ... if it's $3.50 a gallon, normally, I just paid $1.75 a gallon.

I suppose I can play with the numbers any way I want, but what counts to me
is that my wallet isn't being bitten quite so hard (and is going to be bitten a lot harder if what I'm reading is true.)

In case you're wondering why your grocery bill is going up

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

A recent story brought this bit of cheery news ...

According to the Wall Street Journal, stores have raised the prices of private-label nonperishable food by 5.3%, compared to a 1.9% increase for goods made by national brands. Store-brand versions of perishable goods rose in price by 12%, compared to 8% for name brands.

Apparently, part of the problem is that shoppers are becoming loyal to store brands (for reasons other than price). Some stores are also upscaling their house brand and raising prices accordingly.

The old rules still hold true, it seems. Gotta pay attention to prices (and keep looking for tricks to keep costs down).

The full story
http://moneyland.time.com/2012/02/02/why-were-now-paying-more-for-generic-groceries/#ixzz1lrI231Mv

Mopping up

2012-02-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

My steam mop died recently.

This was bad news for me, because I hate mopping the kitchen floor. Anyway, I've been trying to find something to use (preferably something not too messy) until I decide about buying another steam mop.

(I'd really prefer new vinyl flooring ... unfortunately, they don't make self-mopping vinyl just yet.)

I was thinking about buying one of those "Wet-Jet" mops when I got an idea. I kept the cloth "pads" from the steam mop ... really, just a piece of towel-like fabric with a couple of pieces of Velcro attached.

I wrapped the pad around my sponge mop .. and it fit. I took out my handy bottle of vinegar/ water mix, sprayed down a section of the floor and mopped. Spray, mop ... repeat.

It worked reasonably well. When one side of the pad got too dirty, I just flipped it over. And it's washable!

I just realized that I probably could make more pads out of old tube socks. Hmm.

I'd still rather have a self-mopping floor. Gotta work on that...

January freebies

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

It was an eclectic month ...

EmergenC
AmLactin lotion
Invisible Glass wipes
Benefiber
20-oz Coke
16-oz bottled ice tea
2 bags sweet chili Doritos
3 packs football cards
1 oil change
1 car wash
Mega-red fish oil
1 hot chocolate

What a mess!

2012-02-01T18:30:00.002-05:00

Some times it's good to buy in bulk ...

But it's not good when a 200oz bottle of laundry detergent falls off its perch and spews its contents all over the floor ...

I found a 4-foot-wide (and spreading) puddle of gooey liquid in front of the washer and dryer. Won't repeat what I said -- this is a family friendly blog.

Fortunately, the floor isn't carpeted. But I still needed to clean up the mess.

So, if you're ever in this position, a dustpan is a good tool to scoop off the top layer of liquid. (Fortunately, DH was handy to clean up said dustpan before I used it.)

I scooped the liquid into a smaller, empty detergent bottle ... it filled almost the entire 50-ounce container. (And yeah, I know there's an ick factor for some folks, but I'm going to be using that detergent for something.)

In a stoke of luck, there was a basket of rags and rugs nearby, all set to go in the washer. I used the rags to mop the rest of the goo off the floor. (Why make more laundry? Besides, some of those rags could stand to be pre-treated, LOL!)

I popped the dustpan and the bottles into a bucket to clean off the goo ... in a last bit of recycling, I poured that soapy water into the commode.

If nothing else, I have the cleanest floor in town ...

Monday menu: Chili-chicken soup

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

This is for my friend BB over at Stretcher:

Chili-chicken and dumplings

1 tablespoon vegetable (or canola) oil
1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt (use 2 teaspoons if you're using homemade broth)
6 cups chicken broth

Dumplings
2 cups baking mix (I use the lower fat version; your own dumpling recipe would work, too.)
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken, onion, chili powder and salt in oil, stirring frequently, until chicken is browned. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix baking mix and milk until soft dough forms. Fold in cilantro and cumin. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into simmering soup. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover; cook 10 minutes longer.

Note: The first time I made this, I used the full recipe and had way too many dumplings. The second time, I halved it, and didn't have enough. So I'm giving you the full recipe and letting you decide for yourself.

Chomping on dishes?

2012-01-25T00:15:00.002-05:00

Ever hear of a dishwasher taking a bite out of your dishes?

A couple of years ago, the dinnerware here at the Casa de Chaos was replaced (it was bought used, and getting pretty worn). So a nice pile of coupons and gift cards earned with rebates paid for a set of brightly colored dishes.

But something is odd ... chips are appearing around the edges. I admit things get clanked around, but gee whiz, it's not like I use them for a juggling act.

My friends at Stretcher suggested painting the chips with some acrylic craft paint. So I took photos of the plates and hauled the camera off to the craft store so I could get a good match. (Ya know how many shades are out there? Yikes!)

So, the plates were painted, then put in the dishwasher. When I took them out ... they were chipped!

First, I thought that the paint had washed off. But no, I found the spots that had been repaired ... and the paint held. These are new chips!

I'm at a loss. I don't think the dishwasher arm is hitting the plates. Nothing else that goes in seems to be damaged -- including the bowls from the set. Are bits of food being whizzed around at supersonic speed? Or do they just not make plates like they used to?

That tab's going to be a bit higher this year

2012-01-21T21:43:00.003-05:00

Sounds like the cost of restaurant meals is going up. From the Tampa Times:

Experts predict restaurant food and beverage prices to increase 5 percent or more this year. From fine dining to fast food, the restaurant industry will find it hard to absorb increased food prices without passing those additional costs on to consumers.

Course, this line doesn't make me feel any more confident about my own budget:

But the future looks expensive. The latest USDA commodity price forecast predicts 2012 beef and chicken prices to increase by 9 percent and 5 percent ...

I do feel for folks in the restaurant business. It's got to be tough, especially for smaller eateries. I know we've cut back on our restaurant trips ... or have been looking harder for bargains. From the looks of it, we may be cutting back even more.

The story: http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/food-prices-in-2012-may-be-hard-to-stomach/1210880

A bit of spring

2012-01-18T23:49:00.003-05:00

A small sign of spring: One of the big box hardware stores had seeds on sale this past week (11 for 99 cents! Whoot!)

Not the greatest selection (I think the locusts must have beat me to the display), but I did score a few packages of heirloom wax beans, some turnips, and basil and parsley.

Still need to get a few packages of bush beans, but looks like I'm in good shape for planting.

Now, let's hope for a "normal" spring. Then again, considering that temps here are bouncing from oh, 50s to the teens, I'm a bit worried.

Menu Monday: Grandma's meatballs

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

These are pretty tasty ... and the recipe is easy to cut down if you don't happen to want 6 dozen meatballs.

3 eggs
3 c bread crumbs
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3 lbs ground beef
In large mixing bowl, beat eggs, stir in milk, breadcrumbs, onion and salt. Add meat and mix well.
Shape into 6 doz. 1-inch balls and set on ungreased baking pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove meatballs from pan and place them on another pan or a rack to cool. Freeze.

My wake-up call

2012-01-14T17:00:00.001-05:00

I was awakened this morning by Senior Cat, who was frantically pawing at my shoulder.

I turned over to look at her and immediately put my hand on something .. er .. wet.

Seems the little dear wanted to alert me that she'd coughed up a hairball on my pillow. (Oh, gee, thanks!)

I know ... this has nothing to do with frugality. Just thought I'd report on how my day was going.

And how's yours?

Free coffee

2012-01-12T22:10:00.006-05:00

If you could use some free java (and hey, it's snowing here; I certainly could use a warm drink)

Stop by your local Starbucks and taste-test some of their new roasts. I understand there are free samples involved, too.

The link: http://roast.starbucks.com/en-us/

Change the oil? Not yet!

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

This likely isn't good news for the oil companies or the garages that do oil changes, but according to a Los Angeles Times story, California has launched a campaign to persuade its drivers (and it does have a lot of them) not to have their vehicles' oil changed every 3,000 miles.

According to the state agency launching the campaign, changing motor oil according to manufacturer specifications would reduce oil demand in California by about 10 million gallons a year.

The state has created a Web site where you can plug in your vehicle's make, model and year, and get the manufacturer's specs on when to change the oil. When I tried it, I learned that I should go 7,500 miles between oil changes.

I'd already lengthened my oil-change intervals to 5,000 miles, but the idea of saving an extra $20 or $40 a year? Hey, I'll make the sacrifice for the environment!

Here are the links:www.checkyournumber.org
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/15/business/la-fi-autos-oil-change-20111215

BTW: The check your number site was running slowly when I used it. Oh, and as usual, your savings may vary.

Taking the easy way out

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

We've been Mr and Mrs. Fix-it here at the casa de chaos lately ... gluing a broken drawer, restringing a roman shade, replacing a headlight bulb ...

One of my missions has been to get through the pile of mending ... 98% of which is patching the knees on DH's work-outside pants.

Normally, I'd machine-sew the patch on and hand stitch the rough edges ... but that takes time I don't really have right now. And it's a pain in the neck to wrestle a pant leg around a sewing machine.
So I decided to get efficient. I bought a role of iron-on adhesive .... a few snips, and a few minutes with an iron .. and voila! Patched pants.

Now the one drawback: I haven't washed any of these pants yet. More importantly, I haven't run them through the dryer. So I may get a nasty surprise ... or not...

UPDATE: It worked! Ran a pair of those pants through the washer and dryer -- the patch held. Unfortunately, the pants developed another hole, right below the patch! $%!#!!!

December freebies

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Not a bad way to end the year ...

Woolite dark
Bag of Fritos
AmLactin lotion
Seattle's Best coffee
Dove smoothing oil
Post-it tabs
Kirkland body lotion
2 ice cream cones
4 reusable tote bags

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and frugal 2012!

They don't waste any time, do they?

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

'Twas the day after Christmas
And the dollar store displays
Were packed tight with goodies
In various ways

But the goodies weren't decorated
With Santas and sleights
They were adorned with hearts
All for Valentine's Day!

Bad poetry aside ... the workers were busy yesterday. The remnants of the Christmas goodies (which was pretty much a box of wrapping paper, a box of tissue paper and a few bags of bows) were piled into a couple of boxes with a 50% off sign.

But all was not lost. I did score 3 rolls of wrapping paper for 50 cents each!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

For all who celebrate this day, best wishes from us here at the casa de chaos. Hope it's a wonderful day with friends and family! And maybe tomorrow, we'll get some rest ... LOL!

Christmas improv 2

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

I like to use tie-on tags for gift bags (makes it easier to reuse them, LOL!)

Unfortunately, I ran short of the card tags, but had plenty of sticky tags. I did happen to have a sheet of card stock used to make business cards. So, apply one sticky tag, punch a hole in the corner, and poof! One tie-on gift tag.

You could certainly cut cards stock or paper to fit (and color card stock would look pretty darn good). But I'm just on a mission to get stuff out of my house ;)

Christmas improv 1

2011-12-21T14:45:00.004-05:00

I ran a bit short of gift bags, and didn't want to delay gift wrapping to go buy more.

So, a white "shopping bag" and a bit of clip art saved the day.

(I printed it onto label paper so it would have adhesive, but I think double-stick tape would work as well.)

What do you mean, we're out?

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

One of the pitfalls of keeping a "pantry" of anything is that sometimes you think you're better prepared than you really are.

Case in point: I've been wrapping Christmas gifts tonight. I looked for a small gift box .... nope.

Tape? Oh sure, three rolls. Ack! All three rolls are down to the end!

I can punt on the small box and use a gift bag instead. The tape is a different matter.

Well, at least it isn't Christmas Eve!

Stay safe out there

2011-12-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

There've been reports of car break-ins and ATM robberies in my city recently. Seems that the holidays don't always bring out the best in some folks.

So, since it certainly isn't frugal to be robbed, or to deal with a smashed-out car window, here are a few safety tips for holiday shopping:

When you park

Always park

Lock valuables

Shop during the day

Don't carry

When paying

Have your car keys

Look inside

Be aware

ATM safety tips

Visit ATM's

If you see

Various sources, including Peoria, Ill., police; University of Oklahoma

Going with the flow

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Howdy ... been off a couple of days trying to get some headway on Christmas ...

Anyway, looks like we're "downsizing" Christmas this year -- but not because of the economy. More like because of a couple of naughty little cats.

Actually, I expected it -- over the years, I've learned that young cats and Christmas decorations don't mix well. (For her first holiday, Senior Cat dared getting catnip coal by knocking over a fully decorated 6-foot tree.)

But hope springs eternal. So we put the (now 7-foot) tree up, sans decorations, and waited to see what our new residents would do. All went well for a while, until we caught Little Girl trying to climb it. Another look, and we realized why: Big Boy was sitting in the middle of the tree! (IMHO, any artificial tree that can hold a 12lb cat is darn well made.)

So, down with the big tree. Instead, we pulled out my late DM's tabletop tree, which after 20+ years has a bit of a Charlie Brown look to it. But a few lights, and lots of unbreakable decorations, and we got a tree.

Now, if I can just keep the little beggars from trying to snag the ornaments ...

Christmas music downloads

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Here's something a little different for your holiday music collection. The U.S. Army Chorus is offering 18 free MP3s of Christmas carols on its site.

http://www.usarmyband.com/audio/christmas_with_the_chorus.html

(If you like blues or classical, the site also offers MP3s from the Army's string and brass quartets, as well as streaming Internet broadcasts of concerts.)

November freebies

2011-12-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

It's not quantity, but quality ;)

Head & Shoulders shampoo/conditioner
Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal
3 Twinings tea bags
Aveeno shampoo/conditioner
1 bottle Dr. Pepper 10

Garden report: All done

2011-11-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

We took advantage of a recent weekend's mild weather to clean out the garden. It's sad to see the empty beds out there now.

Overall, it was a pretty good year. Couple of gallons of green beans (since the pole beans came in late, I was picking beans into the first week or two of November.)

The last of the green tomatoes are ripening now ... neat to have fresh tomatoes with salad after Thanksgiving.

It was a very good year for peppers. The cayenne produced enough that I won't be needing to plant any next year!!

We also dispatched one of our two pumpkins. This was a smaller one, so it only made about 6 cups of puree. The other Mr. Pumpkin was roasted and produced 10 cups of fruit.

I'm looking forward to some pumpkin soup!

Menu Monday: Cranberry applesauce

2011-11-28T20:12:00.002-05:00

A good way to use your stocks of cranberries and apples. We had this at Thanksgiving this year instead of traditional cranberry sauce.

5 apples (we like Jonathan for the tartness) peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (don't worry about cutting them up)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Combine apples, cranberries and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer about a half hour, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft.
Stir in sugar and orange peel. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher. Should be slightly chunky. If a bit tart, add another tablespoon of sugar.

Talk about sugar shock

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

In the "Oh, my gosh!" category ...

You've heard of turducken, which is a duck and a chicken stuffed inside a turkey. Here's the dessert version: a "Cherpumple."

Bascially, this is a 3-layer cake -- spice, yellow and white -- with A PIE baked into each layer. (Cherry, pumpkin and apple)

I don't particuarly want one of these ... but if you're feeling adventurous ... and have cake pans big enough ... here are links to the story, and to a recipe.

And if you do make one, please send me a photo!

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2011/11/cherpumple-the-turducken-of-the-holiday-dessert-table/

http://www.charlesphoenix.com/2010/10/cherpumple-monster-pie-cake-new-test-kitchen-video/

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for all of you who have dropped by to read and to comment this year!

However you celebrate the holiday this year, I wish you a happy day.....

Today's tip

2011-11-22T00:35:00.002-05:00

I found another use for the plastic coffee canisters!

My mini rose bush needed protection from below-freezing temps, so I turned one of those canisters over it. So far, so good!

That didn't work out

2011-11-13T23:56:00.002-05:00

I mentioned that the heating/cooling company offered me a special rate to clean my furnace ....

They haven't gotten here to do the job, it seems. They've canceled on me -- twice.

OK ... I get the message. Too bad, because we were a long-time customer.

I called another company that's running a special for new customers. They're supposed to come out next week. Wish me luck ...

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who have served. And a special thanks to the families of those who have served!

October freebies

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Was a bit light this month ... but I'm always grateful ....

Chex Mix (FAC)
Bumblebee tuna (FAC)
1 bag Fritos
1 cup Hardee's coffee
Kleenex
1 beer
Post-it labels, tabs
1 pkg microwave popcorn

Menu Monday: Chicken Paprikas

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

OK, BB, this one's for you:

1 onion chopped
4 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon paprkia
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2-3 lbs chicken pieces (to lighten things up, I use 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces)
1 1/2 cups water
8 oz of sour cream (Note: fat free sour cream works fine. Greek yogurt does not)

Brown onion in oil, add seasonings and chicken; brown. Add water, cover and let simmer until chicken is tender (45 minutes to an hour, depending on what kind of chicken you use). If the juices seems to be running low, it's OK to add a bit of water, but don't turn it into soup.
Remove chicken, add sour cream to drippings in pan and mix well. Return chicken to pan, add dumplings (see below) and heat through.

Dumplings
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients together until you get a soft dough. (add more water if needed) Drop by half-teaspoonfuls into boiling salted water and cook about 10 minutes (or until dumpings are cooked through). Drain, then add to chicken/sauce mixture.

Note: This makes a lot of dumplings ... I tend to cut the recipe by a third ...

Time to fall back

2011-11-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

Daylight savings time ends this morning. So remember to set your clocks (and everything else in the house) back an hour.

PS: Don't forget to check the batteries in your smoke detectors!

Pardon me while I bang my head against the wall

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

The insurance company my employer uses has been sending me emails all summer. I needed to fill out a health risk assessment, it said, or face A BIG HONKING INCREASE IN MY PREMIUMS!!!!

I'd done my best to ignore them, but finally, the deadline approached. So I made a trip to my doc's office to get the results of my last physical. Then I spent a good hour registering on their Web site and filling out the survey.

Today, my company sends out a notice: It's changing health insurers next year!

And, oh, yeah, I could see a BIG HONKING INCREASE in my premiums ....

Gee, thanks ....

(Ya know, these decisions aren't made on a whim. Would have been nice to be warned .... )

Craft alert!

2011-11-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

Have a bunch of those plastic coffee containers around the house?

Wondering what to do with them?

Seems the folks that make them have a Web site that allows you to print out decorative labels. (They suggest using actual label sheets, but I suppose glue would work nicely, too). You can gussie up the containers for just about any holiday.

It even has a couple of flowery prints that I'd like to try -- methinks those containers would make dandy flower pots. I also think that covering it with clear contact paper would be a good idea ... just so the ink wouldn't be ruined by water dribbles.

Anyway, here's the link:
www.folgers.com/promotions/can-decorator.aspx?utm_source=oct-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wakinupclub&cid=em_wuc_111031

Halloween greetings!

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

For those who celebrate, have a safe and frugal holiday!

The higher cost of entertainment

2011-10-28T22:35:00.003-04:00

Add something else to the list of prices going up ...:

Got this email from the folks at Redbox: Starting on Monday, October 31, the daily rental charge for DVDs will change to $1.20 a day.* The price change is due to rising operating expenses, including new increases in debit card fees.

I was a bit confused by this reference to debit card fees ... but apparently the law that capped the swipe fee that banks are allowed to charge also raised the fees that can be charged for small transactions.

I suppose in the overall scheme of things, an extra 20 cents isn't bad ... unless you rent a whole stack of DVDs at once. On the other hand, it begins to make the competition a wee bit more attractive.

Inadvertant negotiations

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, you get a surprise ....

I called our usual HVAC company to schedule the fall tune-up for our furnace (thought it would be nice to do this before we start getting snow).

Had a coupon for a $40 furnace "inspection." Is this the same as the tune-up, I asked.
Well, no. The company was charging $40 for someone to just look at the thing ...

Er .. so how much is a tune-up? $90, was the answer.

Since I had a competitor's coupon that offered an actual tune-up for $55, I decided to pass. When I told her no thanks, she suggested their service plan, which would bring the cost down to $80.

No thanks, I said again.

At that point, she mentioned that they had an online special ... a furnace tune-up for $45.

That was an offer I couldn't refuse. So I scheduled a call. We'll see how it works out ...

Free pasta - sort of

2011-10-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Today is World Pasta Day!

To celebrate, some Italian restaurants are a pasta deal:

Fazoli's -- If you get their e-mails, print out the coupon to get a free spaghetti with sauce if you purchase a drink. (Note, this actually is good on Wednesday 10/26)

Buca de Beppo -- If you buy a small or large pasta or entree, you'll get a free serving of spaghetti and sauce, plus a 1 pound package of dry spaghetti to take home. (I suggest calling ahead on this one.)

Spaghetti Warehouse -- Like them on Facebook and get a BOGO coupon for a spaghetti entre.

Today's tip: online buying

2011-10-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

Since the buying season is almost at hand ...

If you're purchasing any large items ... like power tools or electronics ... consider buying online at the store's site and arranging for pickup at the brick-and-mortar store (provided the store offers that service, of course).

I tried this on Black Friday last year. Got in and out of the store in no time flat, and no worries that the item would be sold out. It also avoids those nasty shipping charges ;)

And sometimes, you get a nice surprise. The last time we bought something, the item's online sale price was $10 cheaper than the sale price in the store!

Thrift store musings

2011-10-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

We've been hunting for some household items for the casa de chaos. Since the retail price of these items is more than we prefer to pay, we've decided to buy them used.

Now buying used is certainly an exercise in patience. Just because you want something, it doesn't mean that it will automatically become available at the thrift store, KWIM?

And since we're stopping in the stores on a regular basis, we've had to learn something else ... restraint! Thrift stores have all these cool things ... a nice shirt here, a holiday decoration there ... we could easily blow our budget and more ...

In the meantime, I have a new thrift-store mission, courtesy of a friend. She's teaching at a kindergarten in an area with some significant poverty.

She's asked us to be on the lookout for children's clothes. Little kids (as all parents know) can have some messy accidents. So the school keeps a supply of clothes on hand for such emergencies. Unfortunately, the clothing seldom comes back ... and the supply is dwindling.

So this I can do ... hey, I'm going to be hanging around the thrift store anyway ..

Garden report: We're out of time

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

All good things must come to an end, it seems. The weather report says that we'll get a hard freeze this week, so it's time to shut down the garden.

Bit by bit, I'm bringing things in: the peppers, the green tomatoes, the beans.
I've cut herbs for drying. Fortunately, most of them are in pots, so I can bring them in until we get another mild spell (and of course, we will ;)

I've got geraniums to pot up for overwintering, and my rosebush needs to be cut back and mulched. Now I've got to find room for all these pots!

Sigh. It's sad, especially when I see that the beans and the pepper plants are still flowering. But it looks like we're out of time.

Menu Monday: Pumpkin drops

2011-10-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Here's a recipe for one of my favorite cookies:

1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (cooked, pureed carrots are a great substitute)
1/2 cup shortening (or oil)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, pumpkin and shortening. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix in raisins (then nuts, if using).
Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Makes about 4 dozen.

Good until ...

2011-10-12T12:18:00.002-04:00

One of the supermarkets in my city is advertising "Good 'till New Year's" pricing.

Nice, but what happens after New Year's? Back to original prices, or even-higher prices?

Good news and bad news

2011-10-09T00:02:00.000-04:00

The good news ...

From USA Today:

Consumers may catch a break on the price of gasoline and baked goods and sweets as the Thanksgiving-Christmas season approaches, thanks to a sudden tumble in worldwide commodity markets.

Flour prices have risen more than 50% this year, according to Jeremy Reichart, vice president of Orchestrate Management, which operates several restaurants and a food market in Des Moines. But they should fall in coming months, as the price of wheat has tumbled 25% since last summer, according to the Chicago Board of Trade.

Good news for baking season, but, I'm not too sure about the gasoline prices, given that in my neighborhood, they just jumped 35 cents a gallon.

The bad news ...

From the Los Angeles Times:

Warehouse club Costco Wholesale Corp. will raise annual membership fees 10% amid rising costs.
The company will raise annual membership fees by $5 for U.S. individual, business and business add-on customers as well as for Canada business members. Those members will now pay an annual fee of $55.
U.S. and Canadian executive members, meanwhile, will see their annual membership fees increase to $110 from $100.

Not a big increase, but still ... ouch.

The full stories:

www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-costco-fees-earnings-20111006,0,3022819.story

www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2011-10-04/consumer-prices/50662332/1

Well, duh!

2011-10-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

The electric bill seemed a bit high this month, so we went on a 'vampire' hunt -- looking for things that draw power even when they're not used. (That is, besides the lights ....)

For starters, we realized that our now-busticated TV was still plugged in, happily drawing power for its "instant-on" feature. Ditto for the converter box.
I discovered that the breadmaker was still plugged in, also drawing power for its timer.

I also pulled out the Felaway diffuser, which is supposed to help calm skittish cats down. It had gone dry ... and unfortunately wasn't much help anyway.

We also yanked the plug on a couple of other appliances we weren't using, though I'm not sure if they were drawing any power.

Hopefully, pulling a few of these vampires took a small bite out of the bill ....

September freebies

2011-10-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

Not a bad month ... got some unusual things.

1 cappuccino
Honey Nut Cheerios
Dannon Greek yogurt
Dove candy bar
1 beer
1 latte
Nieva body wash
Crave cat treats
BK chicken nuggets
Hardee's coffee
Stadium Jerky
2 Amazon mp3s

Monday menu: Savory Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a bread machine recipe for a wonderful savory pumpkin bread. This is good for sandwiches and makes great toast (especially with a bit of butter).

Directions for 1.5 lb loaf

6-8 ounces of water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dry milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Measure all ingredients into bread pan, in order. Place machine on basic setting and whatever type of crust you like. (I do medium)

I use fresh pumpkin with this, and I've found that either boiled or roasted pumpkin works well. Just make sure it's smashed into the consistency of canned pumpkin. (lumps aren't good)
For a fat-free version, substitute applesauce for the oil.

(and if someone wants the measurements for a 2lb loaf, message me and I'll send them along).

Garden report: Going slowly

2011-10-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

We're still harvesting here at the casa de chaos. It's like the garden is trying to get a second wind ... some of the bush beans are producing again, and the pole beans are finally providing a handful at a time.

Still have plenty of peppers and tomatoes ... and my eggplant has snapped to it --- it's producing three more fruits.

Only problem is ... I'm running out of time. We may see a light frost tonight, and heavy frost could hit within two weeks.

I've been pulling tomatoes as they start to ripen ... they can finish the job inside where it's warmer. Otherwise, all I can do now is keep an eye on the weather reports ...

Free coffee!

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is National Coffee Day!

And it's a perfect day to get some free caffeine! Among those offering a free cup of joe are:

7-Eleven: From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., participating stores in the U.S. and Canada will give away free medium-size cups of hot coffee, any flavor.

Krispy Kreme: Guests can receive a free 12 oz cup of the House Blend at U.S. and Canada stores.

Thorntons: Get a free cup from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (for folks in the Midwest).

There are some reports on the internets that McDonald's has been giving out coffee this week, but I can't find any proof of a national giveway ... just for some select areas.

Updates

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Just a couple of follow-ups:

I mentioned wondering if the pumpkin shortage in the Northeast would raise prices here in the Midwest. So far, prices look to be the same, if not a bit lower ... time to clean out the freezer, LOL!

I finally got through to my doc's office and got the test I needed. Decided to drop by yesterday since I hadn't heard from them about the results ... (sigh). But the results were great! So I'm doing the happy dance!!

When it rains, it pours!

2011-09-25T19:55:00.004-04:00

Funny thing about the universe ... the minute you plan for a big expenditure, a lot of little ones start popping up, too. It's like everything in the house starts yelling: "Me! Me! Pay attention to me!"

We no sooner hired the painters for the outside work, than:

The TV screen went dark (got sound, no picture).

My cell phone screen has an odd splotch ... broken pixels, methinks.

The water filter leak defies our attempts to fix it ... so it's got to come out.

The toilet needs new 'innards'.

Of course, that doesn't include the chain saw that has to be replaced and the lawnmower that a new handle, and the new floor for the kitchen ...

Sigh ... one thing at a time ...

It finally gave out

2011-09-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

Can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I did this post about the Velux blanket that I salvaged:

http://dodgeandweave.blogspot.com/2009/10/reclamation-project-blanket.html

Well, time caught up with the old blanket ... it started getting threadbare at the top. I had another piece of fleece to use for a patch, but I decided to wash the blanket first to see if it would survive.

It didn't. In fact, it made another **$%@!! mess in my washer.

But in case you were wondering, the fleece strip survived just fine. I cut it off before I threw out the blanket.

Maybe I will make that fleece pad for the cats after all.

Another pumpkin shortage

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

If you live in the Northeast (as if you haven't had enough to worry about this year), expect your jack-o-lantern or pie pumpkins to cost more.

Seems like Hurricane Irene decimated the pumpkin crops there, and the markets are buying pumpkins from the Midwest to make up for the shortfall.

I also wonder if those of us in the Midwest will see higher prices, too, since farmers are selling off their surplus ...

Maybe I should check prices before I get in a hurry to use up the pumpkin in my freezer.

The full story:

http://online.wsj.com/article/APbfdf9e238f2c490d82e01402e9f8d509.html

Menu Monday: Instant oatmeal/whole wheat pancakes

2011-09-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a good way to use any instant oatmeal you may have:

1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages instant flavored oatmeal (or other whole-grain cereal, but not cream of wheat)

Soak the oats in the milk for about 10 minutes. Beat egg, then add oil and oats/milk mixture. Add flours, sugar, baking powder and salt to liquid. Mix gently until all ingredients are combined. Cook on lightly oiled griddle.

Makes about 12 medium-sized pancakes.

Off to the market

2011-09-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Recently, during a quick stop in Cleveland, Ohio, we got to see a real, live city market. The Westside Market was opened in 1912, and has continued to serve its urban neighborhood.

The times, I suppose, have forced some changes -- the market is only open four days a week. But there was a good crowd the day we were there.

I thought it was fascinating to walk around and look at all the various foods offered for sale. Cleveland has held on to its ethnic heritages, so it there were plenty of foods represented, from Italian to Eastern European.

Unfortunately, we couldn't buy anything perishable, but we did hit the coffee stand and a bakery for breakfast (and some cookies to take home). Also got a good deal on some produce (which is in a separate building).

It made me nostalgic for the city market in my hometown, which can't seem to make a go of it as a real market ...

Ring-ring, ring-ring

2011-09-15T10:40:00.002-04:00

Dear Doc:

You know that test you'd like me to take? I've been trying to call your office to schedule it, but I can't get a human being to answer the phone! Ten minutes of the "Our staff is busy loop" gets old ... especially at Day 3.

Enough,
From your about-to-be-former patient

Today's tip

2011-09-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

Had a small crisis: The zipper pull on DH's pants pocket (the one with the wallet) broke off.

Emergency fix: A small safety pin made a good stand-in.

Power up!

2011-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Did something cool this past week ... we were invited to test-drive an electric car. (Since this wasn't a blog-related event, I'm not going to mention the name.)

The car I got to drive was a cute little blue number. I'd seen photos of this vehicle, but in person, it looked smaller, closer to a sub-compact (but still cute).

Inside though, there seemed to be plenty of room. Instead of a traditional shifter, there was something that resembled a large button. And there wasn't an ignition key ... just a starter button.

I hit the starter button and heard ... nothing! Well, almost nothing ... the air conditioning fan came on. Otherwise, the only clue I had was the now-lit dashboard display.

Once on the road (and these folks get props for allowing us to use city streets), I have to admit this car was fun to drive. The ride was very smooth; steering was easy and responsive.

And this baby is peppy. Even in economy mode, it took little effort to break the speed limits ;)

So, great car. Drives well. Good for the environment. Sign me up.

But wait! There's a catch ... the price. $35,000 to $37,000, plus up to $2,000 to install the charger in my garage. (BTW, the range, I'm told, is about 100 miles on a full charge. And at the moment, there aren't a lot of public charging stations out there.)

Ouch! Frankly, a near $40,000 investment is way, way out of my price range. And some quick calculations show that at current gas prices, we'd likely save $8,000 over 100,000 miles. To be honest, I'm not sure how much we'd save on things like oil changes, though I'm not sure it would be enough to offset the extra costs. I'd love to see some real-life analysis on that.

Right now, the bottom line is that we won't be early adopters at the casa de chaos. Maybe once the technology becomes more popular, and the prices go down ...

August Freebies

2011-09-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

L'Oreal cream
Spenda Essentials
Snapple
Coke
Cottonelle wipes
Suave body wash
Kashi cereal
1 bottle water
Wisk detergent

Oh, boy, did I mess up

2011-08-31T00:01:00.001-04:00

Try as I might to be frugal, sometimes I do some absolutely boneheaded thing that will cost me $$

Case in point: I had to make some hotel reservations recently. I was doing it online, and the Web site was giving me trouble.

Anyway, got it done, put aside the reservation sheet and went on my merry way.

Not long before I had to leave, I discovered that the reservations were not for the day I'd intended. They were for the day after I'd made them. Why didn't I notice this before? Good question; wish I could answer it.

And obviously, it was way too late to cancel. (Not to mention that I had to scramble to make new reservations.)

&(^&*%$$'!!!!

There is a happy ending. I contacted the hotel and explained the situation. They're giving me a free night for a future stay. So great customer service on their part.

As for me ... a big lesson in paying attention. Grrr....

Menu Monday: Southwestern sauce

2011-08-29T00:01:00.003-04:00

This makes a great salad dressing, or use it on sandwiches or wraps ...

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and ground pepper to taste

Measure all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended. Keeps nicely in refrigerator.

Lighten this up by using fat-free or light sour cream and light mayo..

Today's math problem

2011-08-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

A 200 ounce bottle of detergent advertises that it can do 112 loads of laundy. But the lowest mark on the measuring cup (for light loads, you see) holds 2 ounces of detergent.

But if I always used the 2-ounce measurement, I'd only have enough detergent to do 100 loads.

Does this mean I should use 1.66 ounces per load to get the 112? Or do 12 loads at 1 ounce, then the other 100 at 1.8 ounces? Ugh. Too much math for me.

Got a better idea ... I've marked the cup at the 1 ounce point. If that gets the laundry clean, I'll use that much ... then I'll get 200 loads.

Making appliances last

2011-08-25T10:54:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to pass on this story, which has some common-sense tips on maintaining appliances.

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113328-10701-2-how-to-make-home-appliances-last-longer?ywaad=ad0035&nc

Personally, I agree with keeping the dryer cleaned out. I'm religious about cleaning vents and lint traps, but dang, that lint can build up everywhere. Biggest shock I ever had was when a repairman opened up my old dryer .. and it was packed!

Also, on newer refrigerators, the condenser coils are sealed (at least mine is). I'm not sure just how you'd clean it.

Menu Monday: Ginger-curry lentils and chicken

2011-08-22T22:07:00.001-04:00

Had a request for this:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped and peeled
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup lentils (dried or canned)
1 tablespoon chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced

In a pot or deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups of water, lentils, ginger, curry and salt.

If using dried lentils
Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender (you may need to add more water.) During the last 10 minutes, add the chicken and allow to heat through. Remove chicken. Place lentils in serving bowl and top with chicken slices.

If using canned lentils
Add chicken to mixture, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Serve same as above.

Now, I have to add a tip: Be careful if you use green lentils. I did, and it gave the chicken a ... well... a light green hue. It was still quite tasty, and very filling, but it was ... green. So if your family might accuse you of serving very old chicken, go with the yellow, LOL!

Garden report: harvesting

2011-08-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Slowly, but surely, I'm harvesting veggies.

After a lull, the bush beans are producing again. And I no longer have to wonder about my Kentucky Wonder pole beans -- they're flowering. (yes, pun intended!)

My bell peppers aren't overly prolific, but the banana peppers and the cayenne peppers are doing nicely. My red peppers are coming along, though I suspect I have more flowers than actual fruit.

My tomatoes are ripening ... the yield's a bit off, not sure if the weather is to blame, or I need to shore up the soil a bit more.

I've planted some turnip greens to replace my lettuce, and need to replant cilantro
I need to dry more oregano and basil (or make pesto)

The bust: My Black Russian tomato just didn't take. I'll likely pull it and plant more beans (which will help the soil.)

And a note to my eggplant: The first fruit you produced was mighty tasty. Now, can I have another?

Thinking out of the 'box'

2011-08-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

We're talking kitty litter today ... (so if you're a bit squeamish ... I understand. We'll see you in a day or two.)

I knew when our cat population went to 3 that we'd have to add another litter box. But hey, the el-cheapo clay litter always worked well for my other cats. Scoop often, wash the boxes every couple of weeks and all was well.

Well, things change. With two active young'uns and with senior's box in a more trafficked area, it became apparent that cheapo clay wasn't going to cut it. Too messy ... too .. er smelly.

So began the Great Kitty Litter Hunt. First up: baking soda in regular litter. It helped, but not enough. (BTW, I don't buy artificially scented litter .. don't think it's good for the cats or my allergies ... but that's just me. Your mileage may vary.)

Next, a less-expensive brand of scoop litter. Again, it helped, but not enough, and it kept migrating outside the box ... even worse than the non-scoopable stuff.

Recycled paper pellets? I've tried that before, and odor control is a problem.

Wheat? Too dusty, I read.

Corn? Way expensive, probably because the demand for corn is high.

So that leaves ... pine. I bought a bag of store-brand pellets and gave it a try.

So far, so good. It doesn't track as much as the sandy stuff. Odor control is pretty good. After some "What is this stuff?" looks ... everyone seems to have adjusted.

Truthfully, I hate having to pay 3 times as much for litter ... but if it works ...

It's that time AGAIN?

2011-08-14T20:02:00.002-04:00

I was out shopping today, and guess what I saw?

Halloween decorations.

Thanksgiving decorations. (Or maybe they were fall decorations ... but there were definitely turkeys ...)

You know what's coming next, don't you?

Anyone want to lay a bet on whether the stores start playing Christmas carols before or after Labor Day?

Things are cooking

2011-08-11T01:19:00.003-04:00

I've been cooking here at the casa de chaos this week.

It all started with a rotisserie chicken (on sale and with a store coupon .. ca-ching!)

Got 2 dinners and 2 lunches out of it.

Then I took a cup of meat and used it for a curried lentil and chicken dish. (It's not the prettiest dish I ever made, but it's tasty.)

The lentil dish made for 2 dinners, and some left over for work lunches.

Then I "picked" the rest of the meat and put it in the freezer for stir fry, or a fast dinner.

Next up, sausage & bean soup. Can't be quite as stretchy: Just two dinners and 2 work lunches.

In between, I blanched 10 ears of corn for the freezer.

Now I just have to figure out what to have today ....

More shrinkage

2011-08-08T00:33:00.002-04:00

I wanted to buy some flashlight batteries at the dollar store ... only to discover that instead of 4 D batteries in a pack, there now are 3!

Seems kind of awkward ...

Things that make you go hmmm ....

2011-08-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

I've noticed something interesting about the sales at my local supermarkets. Seems like everyone is advertising "quantities"
Buy 10 items from this list and get $XX off your order.
Buy $30 worth of these products and get $X off your order.

I'm not sure if this is a reaction to extreme couponing (since most of my area stores now limit how many coupons they'll double, etc.), or if it's an attempt to keep folks (like me) from "cherry picking" the sale items, or if it's just a way to entice us to spend more $$ at their store.

To be honest, I find it a bit annoying. I don't feel like spending extra $$ just so I can get an extra 50 cents or so off the items I do want.

Maybe it's just a marketing fad ?

July freebies

2011-08-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

Not a huge month in quantity, but got some nice things:

Chi-Chi's salsa (FAC)
Chex mix (FAC)
Kashi TLC pita crisps
Aveeno shampoo and conditioner
1 Glad trash bag
1 cup coffee (Hardee's)
Fiber Choice weight management
Jif to go
Wrigley's 5 gum

Clothesline 'rules'

2011-07-31T21:51:00.002-04:00

A friend passed this one along ... if you grew up with (or still use) them, you'll get a kick out of this:

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

1. You had to wash the clothesline before hanging any clothes - walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail. What would the neighbors think?

4. Wash day on a Monday! Never hang clothes on the weekend or Sunday for Heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!).

6. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather ... clothes would "freeze-dry".

7. Always gather the clothespins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothespins, but shared one of the clothespins with the next washed item.

9. Clothes off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?! On Tuesday . . . Well, that's a whole other subject!

Fortunately, we lived in a flat with a basement ... and a coal furnace, so no "freeze-dry" clothes for us.
What is this "ironing"? LOL!

Saving more at the $ store

2011-07-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Saw this story on the internets, and it does have some good points on buying dollar-store items rather than the name-brand stuff. But I think he could get that bill down a bit more. (Sentences in italic are from the story.)

Fabric softener sheets - Brand-name dryer sheets can often be used more than once, which is not the case with the dollar-store brand.
Cut them in half ... you still get twice the mileage. I've found a half sheet will take care of a full load. Even better -- combine a coupon and sale to get the name-brand sheets for less than $1. Then cut them in half and use them twice. You'll save even more.

Toilet cleaning bleach tablets - Who doesn't love these?
Er, I don't. Better idea -- take a splash of that bleach or the dishwashing detergent from the dollar store to clean your toilets.

Zipper sandwich bags - And because the bag is going to be thrown out after one use ...
This suggestion tends to make some folks go ballistic, but it is possible to wash bags. Even if they get one extra use, it's still one less box to buy ... and less landfill fodder. Another option: Try reusable containers. (Full disclosure here. I use a combination of bags and reusable containers for lunches. We do wash bags.)

Bleach spray cleaner - These counter cleaners are kitchen and bathroom must-haves ...
Buy a spray bottle at the dollar store. Pour maybe a quarter cup of the bleach in, and fill with water. Or make up a vinegar solution with the same proportions. Voila! Instant cleaner.

Anyway, the full story is here:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-Our-7-Favorite-ac-4043021979.html?x=0

Revved up

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Had a bit of frugal fun over the weekend ... braved the heat to attend a classic car show, a fundraiser for a local charity.

The problem with seeing classic cars these days, is that I'm old enough to remember when a lot of them were new!

Not the one on the right, though, LOL!

Menu Monday: Mulberry muffins

2011-07-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Found this on Allrecipes.com a few years ago, and it's been my go-to recipe for using up mulberries.

Mulberry muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup mulberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, milk, applesauce, egg and almond extract. Stir in flour mixture until batter is smooth. Fold in mulberries. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The recipe says it makes 6 jumbo muffins ... I usually get at least a dozen smaller ones.

Napkins anyone?

2011-07-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

One of my projects this summer has been to sew up some lunchbox napkins.

We've used cloth napkins at home for a couple of years, but we were still using paper napkins for lunches. It finally got through my head that we're not only throwing things into the landfills, we're spending $$ (well, a small amount of $$) that could be used elsewhere.

So, with a lot of measuring and a bit of sewing, I re-purposed some soft cotton fabric scraps. The napkins are a bit smaller than the average dinner size -- they're 12 1/2 to 12 1/4 -inch squares, but they do the job.

Knew I had a hit when DH asked me if he could have one of those classy napkins for his lunch ;)

I'm not sure what to make of this

2011-07-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Was in the grocery the other day and turned into an aisle where an older woman and a young lass of about 8 or 9 were looking at the paper towels.

When the woman picked up a package, the little girl exclaimed: "No! You can't get that one. It's not on TV."

Well, that didn't work

2011-07-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ever see the infomercial about the product you allegedly can spray on hoses, pipes and the like to stop leaks?

I was thinking about that the other day when my hose sprung a leak. And while I was in the garage, I happened to notice a can of pruning sealer.

Hmm. Looked like kind of the same stuff. And the can said it could be used to waterproof flower pots.

Why not? So I sprayed the area of the leak, and let it sit for a couple of days.

Turned the hose on ... and the water shot right out of the crack in the hose.

So much for that ...

Garden report: We've got beans!

2011-07-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

Been doing a bit of harvesting here at the casa de chaos. My bush and wax beans are starting to produced. Picked about a quart so far; looks like we'll be getting plenty.

I'm a bit puzzled about the pole beans. They're climbing nicely, but no flowers, or no signs of flowers. I know they come in later, but I figured I'd see something by now.

Picked 1 bell pepper and two banana peppers. Hoping I'll see more than 1 fruit from each of my bells ... otherwise, those will be expensive. My cayenne seems to like the front garden just fine.

Thinned out my cilantro, basil and oregano. Still have some salad greens, even in this heat.

Anybody know how to patch a screen?

2011-07-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

Is there some sort of not-obvious way to repair a window screen?

Seems Big Boy loves to swat at bugs .. and his claws have done a number on the screen. Don't want to replace it until he calms down a bit...

June freebies

2011-07-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Some very nice freebies here ...

Breakstone double cottage cheese
2 Garnier shampoo & conditioner
5-ct Zyrtec
1 bag Iams cat food
Oscar Meyer deli combo
Fiber choice
Miralax
1 Alpo
Stride gum
Wellness dog/cat food
Oscar Meyer sandwich combo

Happy July 4th

2011-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's Independence Day here in the U.S. Wishing everyone a safe ... and frugal ... holiday!

The Durham wheat blues

2011-07-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

From Bloomberg:

Unrelenting rainfall may have slashed U.S. planting of durum wheat to the lowest level in more than 50 years, fueling a surge in the price of pasta and noodles as mills scramble for supply of the grain.

Wondered how long it would be before we started hearing about more price hikes related to this year's disasters.

Might be time to pick up some extra pasta (and I'd suggest an extra bag of all-purpose and bread flour too, if you use them). Either that, or try the low-carb diet, which might be tough considering current meat prices.

The full story:

www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-24/pasta-price-may-surge-as-swamped-north-dakota-cuts-durum-supply.html

Some things are worth it

2011-06-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

High school reunion

$40 for fees

$35 for a tank of gas to get there and back

Connecting with old friends: Priceless

Menu Monday: Ginger-Curry Chicken

2011-06-27T00:13:00.001-04:00

My fiddle on a recipe I found:

1 tablespoon chopped ginger root
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 tablespoons water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a small bowl, stir together ginger, lemon juice,
curry powder, garlic, salt, cinnamon, water and
cayenne.

Place chicken in a baking dish (one with cover if
possible). Pour ginger-curry mixture over chicken
(add a bit more water if you want more sauce)
Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until
chicken is done.

Serve with rice, couscous or lentils.

Garden report

2011-06-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Things are moving right along. I'm about to harvest my first banana pepper!

Also, the bell peppers have teeny-tiny fruits, as does one of the Roma tomato plants. Lots of flowering going on, and the pole beans are slowly climbing up the trellis! My basil and mint are doing well, and the cooler weather is allowing the salad greens to hang on.

I have had some setbacks. A good number of Lima beans did not sprout. I'll replace with more bush beans.

My Black Russian tomato plant is looking sickly, so not sure if it will survive.

My oregano and cilantro seeds didn't sprout, or barely sprouted, so I bought plants to replace them. (I do intend to get my $$ out of them -- I've already harvested some for various dishes)

In the meantime ... I'm still picking mulberries!

Well, something's changed

2011-06-19T23:00:00.002-04:00

There's an grocer and a superstore here that have been notorious for being extremely unfriendly to Internet coupon users. After several bad experiences, I've taken most of my business to the superstore that is very coupon-friendly.

Anyway, in the past month, I decided to try an Internet coupon or two at the two stores. (And was prepared to not buy the item if there was a problem.) You know what, they took them. No "We don't take those," no staring at the coupon suspiciously and examining it from end to end, no attitude. Just a simple swipe over the bar code scanner.

Wow.

(Not that I'm planning to take all my shopping to those two stores ... I still have price issues with them.)

Today's tip

2011-06-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Went in to take a shower today and noticed that my plastic shower curtain was hanging at an unnatural angle.

Turns out that two of the holes had been torn from the hooks. (And gee, why do I think a couple of furbabies were responsible for this? Hmm.)

Anyway, I quickly needed a temporary hook (or 2) ... I spied a couple of clothespin hangars (hook on top, clothespin on the bottom, used for drying hand-washed stuff). I pinned two of them to the curtain, and voila! Instant curtain hooks.

Course, now I have to figure out how to repair the curtain ...

Silver-plated lining

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

As part of my decluttering efforts, I finally took a good look at the silverware drawer. Besides the stainless that DH and I have collected over the years, there sat a jumble of very tarnished flatware that I'd inherited from my late mother and aunts.

The flatware is nice enough, but outside of a couple of pieces, I never use it. Frankly, it's a pain to keep clean. (Don't think it's dishwasher safe.)

So, what to do? Maybe this is worth something, I decided. So a bit of research later, I discovered a couple of things:

1) It's silver plate, not sterling. Seems Wm. Rogers flatware was very popular in the first half of the 20th century.

2) So far, it's not worth much. Apparently there's not enough silver to make it worth selling to a metals dealer. As for collectors ... there are lots of unsold listings on eBay and other sites. There is a large company that sells/buys flatware patterns, but it only seems to be buying odd pieces, like serving forks.

So I'm still sorting .. and learning ... Ultimately, it may just land in a box. Unless I can come up with some killer craft item using flatware!

Time to cut the cord?

2011-06-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

Warning: Rant!

The phone company is now on my "you know what" list.

In the past two months, the combined DSL/landline bill at the casa de chaos has jumped by $8.50. Oddly enough, the actual increase is only $5, but higher prices mean higher taxes.

Wondering if this is the start of ever-escalating price hikes ... as more folks dump the landlines, those of us who are left are going to have to pick up more of the costs of maintaining them.

Admittedly, we're sort of stuck with the Internet option. Dial-up's too slow for our needs, so it's either DSL or cable (unless we want to steal the neighbors' wireless ... No, not really). And I dumped cable because of lousy TV service ... not sure I want to entrust my Internet to them.

But I'm really considering dumping the landline and replacing it with a pay-as-you-go cell phone for the house, and just buying the DSL. Lots of pros and cons to be considered ... but it's sure something to think about.

Well, it seemed like a good idea

2011-06-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ever do something that you thought would save money, but turned out to be a mistake?

Last year, we decided to get a subscription (with one of the national card companies) for e-mail greeting cards. We figured we'd get our money's worth in postage and time saved.

Eh! Turns out most of the folks we sent cards to never opened them. They were afraid that it was some sort of spam or virus carrier. Or it got sent to their spam file and they never saw it.

As for the younger members of the family, seems they don't pay attention to anything that's not on Facebook, or Twitter or texted to their phones. (and frankly, said company has very poor instructions for sending cards to FB ... never could get one to go there.)

The subscription is up for renewal ... I think we're gonna pass.

Redecorating

2011-06-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

I decided to try a new look ....

You like?

Menu Monday: Mulberry bread

2011-06-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's mulberry season here at the Casa de Chaos again! Which means I'm on a mission to get the last of last year's berries out of the freezer.

One of our favorites around here is ..

Mulberry Bread

1 cup mulberries (cranberries also work)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 orange
1 Tablespoon chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift dry ingedients together
Grate rind from orange, squeeze out juice. Add water to juice to make 3/4 cup of liquid.
Add rind, liquid, margarine and egg to dry ingredients; mix
Fold in mulberries and nuts
Pour into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan
Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Notes: Don't worry too much if you don't have fresh oranges. I've used 3/4 cup of frozen or bottled orange juice or even orange drink. Then toss in a tablespoon of dried orange peel.
As for nuts ... walnuts or pecans work equally well.

May freebies

2011-06-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

A very quiet month

Taster's Choice coffees
Breakstone cottage cheese
Uncle Ben's Ready Rice
Dove men's deodorant

Not going "buy" the book

2011-06-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

Something's obviously wrong with me ... I went into a used bookstore that was having a 20% off sale ... I had $$ to spend....

And I bought ... nothing.

I don't know ... maybe it was because I didn't find anything on my list. Maybe it's that pile of books on my cabinet that I've barely been able to touch. (I joke that I'm saving up my reading for retirement, LOL!) Maybe it's that I've been in decluttering mode lately ....

Maybe I should go take my temperature.

Garden report: Good to go!

2011-05-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

The garden is in!

This year's lineup:

Tomatoes (3 varieties)
Peppers ( 3 varieties)
Beans (5 varieties)

Everything has gotten, er, plenty of water with our torrential rains this past week. But my reward: The beans are sprouting. I also see tiny peppers on a couple of plants, but not sure that they'll survive.

Hopefully, the wacko weather (50s one day, 90s the next) won't mess things up too badly.

Free doughnuts

2011-05-27T00:02:00.003-04:00

June 3rd is National Doughnut day!

Interesting holiday .. it was founded in 1938 in part to honor the Salvation Army volunteers who handed out doughnuts to the "Doughboys" of WWI.

Anyway, to celebrate:

Krispy Kreme is giving away a free doughnut of any variety.

Dunkin' Donuts is giving away a doughnut, provided you buy a beverage. (Personally, I hope it can be something other than coffee ....)

If Tim Horton's participates this year, I'll update ...

Also, check with your local shop ... they may be giving away goodies, too.