Happy Birthday Sam

Today is the big 2 for little SAM Happy Birthday. Friday the 13th is a good day.

Thursday things

Today I washed out three icing buckets. I am making a washer for the RV. I have a drying rack. I ordered this mobile washer today to use as well. To complete my set up I would like a new wringer mop bucket to wring the clothes out. I will take pictures when I get to actually use this set up.
http://www.breathingwasher.com/index.htm

I ordered the kit to make this home made water filter today. It is like a Berkey but WAY cheaper. It was invented by Texas Baptist men who use it when they do missionary work in foreign countries. I think for the RV I will use 2 gallon buckets instead of the 6 gallon buckets in the picture. In an RV you have to think small.
http://shop.monolithic.com/products/just-water-ceramic-drip-filter

Blessings,

Mrs. Jeffrey Olson

A Must Read Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I'm A Victim Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Store Manager responds

The store manager where I was attempting to dumpster dive responded quite kindly and quickly to my inquiry. He said that there are rules and laws against dumpster diving. That the store could be fined huge fines. He didn't say anything about me getting a ticket as the lady yesterday did. He did say that next time I was in to ask about old produce and if they had any that hadn't made it out to the dumpster yet I could have it, but that they couldn't save it in the backroom. He was very pleasant.

Happy Early Valentines Day

This cake was done by a professional. I could go on a rant about our school system but I will just laugh instead. Huge me and I will huge you. Happy Valentines Day.

Groceries

3 -2#jars of honey @ 5.99 = 17.97

total spent this year:412.11
total saved this year: 136.26

Freebies today
16 packages of chocolate pop tarts
1 can ravioli
4 pkgs. coffee
2 bags charcoal
2 progresso soup
2 cans chicken
I could have had a huge box of salad and green peppers but this lady came out of the store and told me I couldn't dumpster dive. I am going to call the store manager and see what he says. It is a waste to just let it go to the dump.
I am not ashamed to dumpster dive. In fact I cant wait to move to Tulsa to dive there. I guess it might be better to go at night though. In these tough times I am sure we will be seeing more and more of this. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, less waste in the landfill.
Edited to add: I just emailed cooperate to ask their policy on dumpster diving. I will let you know what they say.

Kitchen tip Tuesday-soften brown sugar-make your own

Have you ever had brown sugar get hard? It is impossible to use in that state. You certainly cant measure it.

An easy fix. Put it in the microwave for a min. or two until it softens up. Easy peasey lemon squeezy.

Make your own brown sugar with regular white sugar and molasses. Just put some white sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon or two of molasses. Take a spoon and mix it thoroughly. If it is not dark enough add more molasses. If its too dark or wet add more white sugar.

Wow what a letter

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.
When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit.
The complaint:
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.
The response:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.
.A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

I liked this

Ask not what your

Mother can do for you.

Ask what you can

do for your

Mother.

groceries

1 box cheerios 3.19 on sale for 1.67 mq .50 doubled = .67
2 cottonelle toilet paper @ .99 = 1.98 2 .50 mq doubled = free
total spent .67
2nd store
2 gal milk @ 2.99= 5.98
4 progresso soup @ 4 for 5.00- 3.20 mq=1.80
total spent 7.78

total saved today 6.20
total spent today 8.45

total spent this year 394.14
total saved this year136.26

Missonary Video

I found this video on a new blog I looked at. I do not know anything about the blog itself but I did want to share the video. Its 10 min. 31 sec. long about a missionary. What a rejoicing the angels must have done.
http://glorious-hope.blogspot.com/

Groceries

I bought most of the groceries I need for this week. The milk was so high at Wal-Mart I only bought one gallon. I will get another two gallons Monday at Walgreen's when I get Hannah.
Spinach 1.88
1-gal milk 2% 3.18
2-bags tortilla mix 2.78 each (it wasn't any cheaper to buy the 25# so I just bought 2 5# bags)
2# Monterrey Jack cheese 7.38
2-cream cheese 1.27 each
total spent 20.54
I didn't get any jar lids because they were clear across the store and I didn't want to walk all the way over there. LAZY.
total spent this year 385.69
total saved this year 130.06 (I need to remember this is not accurate because I did not start this til part way through January.)

Grocery list

This is my grocery list for this week.
2-cream cheese
1- fresh spinach
2-gal milk
25# tortilla mix
white cheese
canning jar lids (I am trying to remember to get a couple of these each time I shop so when I need them I have them)
I will record what I actually bought and how much I spent when I buy the groceries.

Menu Plan

Sunday-veggie burgers with cream of soup in crock pot
Monday-Lazy lasagna
Tuesday-Spinach enchiladas
Wednesday-Tacos
Thursday-Stromboli
Friday-Chicken over spaghetti (I can't remember what this is called)
Saturday-Homemade Pizza


It has really helped to have a menu plan. I am getting more used to using it. I have not made it through the week without changing it a bit but for the most part we do stick to it.
It has really cut down on my grocery buying as well. Another thing that helped is limiting the girls milk consumption. One week we went through 6 gallons of milk. That is way too much. I then told them 2 or 3 was the limit and when it was gone I would not buy more until the next week. It was amazing how the milk started lasting longer.
I also decided not to buy bread anymore. I will either make it or we will have biscuits or do without. That too has cut down the grocery bill.
I learned how to make my own tortillas and that is a big money saver as well. Thanks for the tip Rosemary. They are actually almost round now. And the taste is so much better than store bought.
I have plenty of groceries and so unless there is a really good sale I should be able to stay from the grocery store for the most part.

Not in grocery budget but I did soooo good.

I got a bottle 8.45 oz of jet dry FREE saved 4.72
I got a bottle of touch of gray for men FREE saved 7.22
I paid 1.13 tax
The checker sure checked it over to make sure I had purchased the right stuff.

FREE is my favorite price.

Lovin it.

Saved today 11.94 whoo hoo

The saga of the tumbleweeds and tires. LOL

OK, so we took the wagon and the tire to town. Lupe was able to put a patch on it and fix it. Yippee. Then we get home and I try once again to start the tractor. Yes. But. It keeps dying. I finally figure out that if I hold the choke part way open it will run. So I was able to finish the tumbleweed whacking holding the choke open part way. I love it when things work out.
I figured out that I am an outdoor person. I feel better when I am able to work outside. The girls don't care for it much but its good for them too.
I came in and went to take a shower, my face was filthy, my clothes were filthy, it was great. So I guess when I'm feeling down I just need to go get dirty.

Mowing tumbleweeds and fixing tires

The tractor is acting up, great, just when I have a huge 100 yard long pile of tumbleweeds to mow and crunch. I love my tractor, but it works best when Jeff is here to do whatever he does to it and then says there ya go honey. It died mid length, so we had to string extension cord for a long way to put the charger on. Later it fires up again so I take a swing around the trees to let her warm up. So far so good. I start down the row of tumbleweeds and she's just a purring. Whoo hoo. Get er done. About the fourth swipe she decides to be cranky again so I chug up closer to the house this time before she has a final fit. Sure enough she dies. She's acting like she cant get any gas. I know there is gas in there because I checked twice. I hook her up to the charger once again. We'll see.
BTW this is the first time I have written about a machine in a female or male form, previously it was always it or tractor or whatever. Kinda sounded like a man wrote this.
So I decide to put the new inner tube in the tire on the wagon, it has tires kinda like a lawn mower. We messed the tire up sledding and taking fast corners, but the girls sure had fun. Anyway I got the new tube in and put a little air in and now I cant get the last part of the tire on. Good grief. Is there anything I can complete on my own? I called Bill the preacher and he is going to come over after Christina gets home and help me. I was sure I could do it myself.
Edited to add:
I tried one more time to fix the tire and this time succeeded in punching a hole in the brand new 12.00 inner tube. Now I have to take it to the tire shop. We loaded it up to take to town.

Tumbleweeds

This area is notorious for tumbleweeds. Trouble is, there is always a burn ban on. What to do? A lady who came to look at the house gave me an idea. She said her grandson rakes them away from the trees or fence line and then runs the bush hog over them a few times. I tried it and it works great. When you cant burn its either this or have the ugly tumbleweeds overtaking your place. I am hiring one of the Sunday school classes to rake the tumbleweeds away from the trees so I can mow over them. In the mean time the girls and I spend an hour or so whenever it isn't windy and not too cold doing some. Not windy is not often though.
I will try to remember to take a before and after pix if I can remember.

Pictures of my pantry

I think my camera needs replaced. Any way you get the idea I think. We live quite a ways away from grocery stores. There isn't even any place to buy milk. We do live a mile from a cheese factory but it is not a retail store. I just got the can organizers. I love them except my shelves are too narrow. It would be better on a wider shelf. Hopefully when we move we can have wider or deeper shelves.

ok but not another hit

The grits casserole was OK but not one to put on the favorite list. I'm not sure why as we like everything in it. Oh well, you cant win them all.

It was a hit

The sausage-rice bake was a hit. Not even one bite left. I used 2 1/2 cups of rice, next time I think I will use 3 1/2 cups. It was so very good. Another winner.
It was funny though, Joy complained the whole time I was cooking it, why do you always have to try these new strange recipes, what if its no good. Well guess what? She went back for seconds, I think everyone did.

Rice and Sausage Bake

1 # sausage, cooked with;

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

When the meat is done and the pepper and onion too add in;

1 small can of mushrooms, drained

2 to 2 1/2 c. left over rice

3 well beaten eggs

Place this into a 9X13 baking dish and top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and golden. About 25 min.

weekend shopping

2 # jalapeno peppers 1.58
2 2#cheezy loafs @ 4.29 =8.58
2 tortilla chips free saved 1.66ea.=3.32
2 1# sausage free saved2.39 ea =4.78
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies free saved .89 ea=1.78
2 bottles B-B-Q sauce sale .99 ea =1.98 saved 1.00 total
1 3 muskateer bar .69
There was a promotion where you bought the cheezy loaf and you got a bag of tortilla chips, a roll of sausage and a can of tomatoes free, I bought two of them, thats how I got the free stuff.

total spent 12.63
total saved 10.88

total spent this year 365.15
total saved this year 130.06

Menu Plan

Sunday-left overs
Monday-Mexican meatball soup
Tuesday-Rice & Sausage bake
Wednesday-Grits casserole
Thursday-Biscuits & gravy
Friday-Homemade pizza
Saturday-stir fry with rice