This Week's Veggie Box

Goodwill, Dollar Tree & My Art -- What a Combo!

Things around here seem to be moving along at a pretty even pace.  The days have fallen into a routine of sorts, and I'm slowly feeling more and more like myself.  Patience isn't my best virtue, but I'm getting there.  This is just a quick video of a few things I've been up to -- most of my days are spent doing the routine.  I'm spending a lot of time doing painting and paper crafts.  I dont' seem to be able to really sit and read or crochet.  That is okay.  I'm enjoying what I am doing.

Plan with Me and a Sneak Peek of My Latest Art Projects

Frugal Happenings (May 20 to May 26)

Sunday May 20

• We took my daughter out to get her birthday present.  This was budgeted for, but was still a big ticket item.  She's been asking for an Apple watch for a while, and she is one of those people who truly uses her gadgetry.
• I bought a small package of canvases for a class on Monday.
• We went to Staples and had something laminated (a requirement) and purchased some pens my daughter needed.  We used rewards from returning toner cartridges to pay for the pens.
• While we were out we decided to hit drive thru, but while waiting in line decided to head home and heat up leftovers instead....so at least one frugal win for the day.
• I used the crockpot to cook two meals worth of Greek Lemon Chicken.

Monday May 21

• I had physical therapy and was actually allowed to walk without the walker.  Not frugal, but totally worth the cost!  Thank goodness for insurance helping cover part of the cost is all I can say!
• I attended my art class and was the only person that showed up.  I ended up having a private art lesson for $15.  
• I paid a medical bill online to save on postage.  I am also paying these on our CC and then immediately paying them off.  I'm doing this for tracking purposes for taxes and for the rewards.  (As soon as they hit the statement I pay the CC.)

Tuesday -- Thursday

• I came home feeling miserable with what turned into a full blown migraine.  I was down from about 5:30 Monday night until basically Friday morning.  I did minimal anything so in that respect life was pretty frugal.  I believe my daughter picked up two cartons of eggs for us.  That was the extent of our spending.  Mostly I didn't eat and she fended for herself....from whatever was on hand and whatever was easy.  She did pick up the farm box for me.

Friday May 25

• I had an eye doctor's appointment.  My vision has not returned to normal since that last "spell" and my doctor has ordered more tests.  She is worried I have lost part of my field of vision.  I'll be having tests in June to see if we can figure out what is going on.  For now, I am driving the mile to physical therapy.  I literally go down a parking lot type road from my house to there -- and that is it.  It's limiting, but we feel like it is safest for now.
• We went to the library, and I picked up a couple of refresher course type painting books.

Saturday May 26

• Michaels was offering canvas and a few other painting supplies at prices ranging between 50 and 70% off.  I picked up right many supplies.  I was careful to be selective and even though I felt like I spent a lot, I am set for 6 months on most of my supplies.
• I picked up two glass oil bottles from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  
• I had my hair trimmed, and my daughter had her hair cut and colored.  
• We made homemade pizza.

Ultimately this week was a weird mix of spending and not spending.  Nothing except my big purchase of art supplies wasn't budgeted and planned for.  However, technically even the art supplies have a budget line.  I simply hadn't intended to pick them all up at once.  

YouTube Creator Tag

This just shares a little bit about me and how/why I set up my YouTube channel.

CSA Box Week 5

Dirty Page Brownies Recipe

These are great pantry basics brownies.  They have a good texture for slicing and freezing, which makes them perfect for baking in large batches.

Weekend Shopping for Guests

We’ve had an unusual month of shopping patterns.  A combination of guests coming and going and changes in my cooking habits have had us in and out of the store more frequently than normal.  The end of last week was no exception.  We went from feeding two to three to having six on hand.  I also needed to make two dishes to carry to my sister and brother in law’s get together.

Frugal Happenings Week Week 3 May 18

Sunday

• We ate leftovers for lunch.
• We watched a movie using the Roku/internet.

Monday

• I used a single lingering hamburger bun to make my husband a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for breakfast.
• I was able to use an online service to avoid having to go out to pay a bill.
• I baked oatmeal bars using supplies I had on hand.

Tuesday

• I cooked a turkey roast in the crockpot. I reheated leftover rice to go with it, made some gravy using the broth, and sautéed the last of our asparagus.  We had enough leftovers for the next day.  A low energy kind of day.
• My husband was traveling so I cooked him a hearty breakfast before he left and packed him coffee to go.  Far healthier and much more frugal than eating on the road.
• We had popcorn for a snack.

Wednesday

• This was not a no spend day.  We actually shopped at three stores.
• at Michaels we bought supplies for our art class and some small planner supplies for my daughter.  These were bought with a combination of coupons and sales.
• at Marshalls (which is doing a grand opening week) we found my daughter several work appropriate tops.  On Tuesday we went through her wardrobe and determined what we thought she needed to supplement her current summer wardrobe.  We also bought me two pairs of shoes.  One pair of leather loafers that were regularly $65 and on sale for $40 and one pair of black dress sandals that were on sale, but I cannot remember the exact price as I am typing.  All of my summer shoes were either heels or wedges and I don't foresee me wearing them this summer.  I will be keeping my eyes out for one more pair of sandals.
• at Ulta I bought a hair dryer to replace one that died.  I also bought new foundation.  My skin has changed -- I don't know if it is a result of the weather, hormones, or my new medication.  Either way my old foundation isn't working.  The new one I've chosen is more expensive, but I dont have to add a separate SPF so I'm going to go with it for now. I will be keeping my eyes open for any coupons Clinique might offer though.  I also bought eyeliner.  My daughter picked up a bottle of nail polish.
• When we got home we treated ourselves to home pedicures.
• We made a trip to the library (with my husband) in the evening and I checked out some large print mysteries to read.  I also checked out a cookbook to read for inspiration.
• We needed to replace a toilet seat and took advantage of Lowes 10% military discount to reduce the cost slightly.

Thursday

• My daughter and I attended an art class together.  We were able to share most of our supplies helping keep the cost down. 

Friday

• We had a huge weekend planned with family events and out of state guests coming in.  I had physical therapy and some shopping that had to be done.  
• We picked up some items for the weekend.  Going from feeding two to six for a few days requires some adjustments.  We also pulled together some gift baskets for the youngest children, and I bought some crafting supplies.
• By the time we made it home midday I was exhausted.  We put supper in the crockpot.  I did bake a cake -- using a mix and canned frosting from my pantry.  Not my first preference, but everyone enjoyed it.

Saturday

• My contribution to the family dinner was two crockpots of macaroni and cheese. This was the easiest dish for me to make and I really appreciate them letting me do that part.  

We didn't have a low spend week.  Nothing too outrageous and pretty much everything that was spent was on the calendar so we knew it was all coming....no shocks so to speak.  

Plan with Me for the Upcoming Week

How my upcoming week is shaping up and a glimpse at an exchange I am participating in.

An Adorable Visitor and Week 4 CSA Box

Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Oat Bars Recipe (with "regular" flour directions included)

Chocolate Chunk Oat Bars Recipe

1 cup of Better Batter flour (or all purpose flour if not making gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats certified gluten free (or not gluten free as desired)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks (I like Enjoy Life brand), divided

Preheat oven 375 F.  Grease an 8" square pan and set aside.
In small bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in oats.  Set aside.
In larger bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add egg, water, and vanilla mixing until well blended.  Stir in flour and oats.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of chocolates.
Spread dough evenly in the pan.  Sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of chips on top of the bars and press down slightly.  Bake about 30 minutes or until the center feels firm.  Cool on wire rack.

Cut into bars.

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Bars

I'm feeling better each day, and I really wanted to get into the kitchen and bake something.  However, I didn't want to do anything that would require me to spend hours in the kitchen.  I decided to try these oatmeal bars from a book we picked up from Goodwill for 25 cents.  It has nothing but cookie recipes.

I altered the recipe to make them gluten free and to make certain they were nut free.

Week 3 CSA Box

Week Planned Out and a High Minded Cat

My daughter gave me a few planner related items for my Mother's Day gift.  I'm loving them.  I'm being extra careful to keep lists of things just in case something slips my mind.  I'm blaming it on medication for now....LOL  It's not horrible, but a list is nice to have around.  Plus we have planned out weeks in advance right many appointments for medical things and having everything written down in one spot really helps me make sure I don't overlap appointments.

I've included some bonus footage of one of our crazy cats.  Ironically my cats that live with me full time never get on my counter or my cabinets.  They occasionally get on the island and as a result I always clean it thoroughly before I use it for cooking.  This cat, who normally stays with my husband, honors no boundaries.

Frugal Happenings Second Week of May

Sunday May 6th

• We had a lingering banana and a scant cup of lingering gluten free Bisquick.  I added a packet of instant oats to buff it up and we ended up with 6 banana oat muffins when it was all said and done.  
• To make sure we are not wasting produce from our CSA box I planned taco salads.  We used ground beef from the freezer, lettuce and tomatoes from our box, and dairy from the stock up.  I was out of premade seasoning so we pulled together our own.  I opened home canned black beans and added a jar of home canned corn -- stirred in a small can of green chilies -- and let it "cook" in the crockpot for adding to the salads.  
• I priced my GF pasta at the local stores online and compared it to Amazon's price.  The Amazon price in bulk was better so I placed an order.  Money spent, but savings in the long run.

Monday May 7th

• My daughter hung clothes to dry.
• I turned the leftover beans and corn from the night before into soup by adding a can of tomatoes and various dehydrated veggies from my pantry.  For protein I chopped up a lone leftover turkey burger from the refrigerator.  
• My daughter and I culled some items in the kitchen to rearrange things for my ease, and I chose two pans that were my grandmama's to pass on to my sister.
• Our old bed frame that I bought second hand for $100 broke.  I shopped around online and had a new one shipped to me for less than renting a truck would be.  We didn’t need new mattresses, etc. I also didn’t need or want a super nice frame.  I have a nice metal frame at our home away from home that is mine.  When we “retire and consolidate to one home” it will come back to our master bedroom.
• My daughter baked a cake using supplies from our pantry.  We sent home part of it with my sister.

Tuesday May 8th

• We continued to use up items on hand.  I used pantry, freezer, and farm box supplies to make a crock pot chicken alfredo.  It was an easy meal.
• We rummaged through my daughter’s backpacks and found one I could use for a temporary purse to carry when using the walker....free and I’m really hoping short term.
• I checked out a large print book from the library.  I’m still having some vision issues, but want to hold off a few more weeks before returning to the eye doctor in hopes that things begin to straighten themselves out.  I picked up two cookbooks.  One was a dud and one was a keeper.

Wednesday May 9th

• I pulled a package of “yellow sticker” ribs from the freezer that had 6 good sized pieces. I put them in the crockpot with some BBQ sauce for a simple meat for supper.  For sides we went with instant potatoes and sautéed asparagus.  Nice and easy.
• My husband came home and we attended a free concert on the town commons.  It took a little more work and effort to get me there, but it was totally worth it.  I needed the normalcy of getting out.  

Thursday May 10th

• I placed my first grocery order using the Walmart pick up app.  I normally like to “see” my groceries, but I felt like the first order of business was to conserve my energy.  I had a few items on my list that we had depleted in our last “use it up” campaign as well as some items we need over the next two weeks.  My son and his family are coming home and while I didn’t need much I had a few items I wanted simply because they will make things easier on me.  
• We picked up our CSA box and we so far have had no waste from them.

Friday May 11th

• I had physical therapy and we went out to run errands. I needed some non slip socks and couldn’t find any. We found some slippers on clearance for $6.  We also bought me a backpack. My daughter’s had these straps that slide all around to be used as a purse, too. It kept tripping me up.  
• While we were out anyway I visited our newly relocated Michaels to pick up a gift, which I cannot share here.  However, I did use coupons to reduce this cost. I picked up a journal insert for my planner.
• We picked up some bread (wheat and gluten free) from Aldi so that I won’t have to bake any this weekend.

Saturday May 12th

• We got up early and pulled supplies from my pantry to make my grandson's requested blueberry pancakes.  
• We picked up an already potted plant to go by the front door (outside).  We were able to use my husband's military discount to get 10% off.  This was easier than trying to manhandle the potting soil, etc.
• We picked up a $5 take and bake pizza from Aldi and served with a salad for lunch.  
• Supper was our crockpot cubed steak.  I ended up only needed 1 1/2 packages so I put 4 slices in the freezer for a second meal.  (I still had enough leftovers for a lunch for one.)
• We baked a pan of brownies using a Dollar Tree box.

All in all I don't think it was a bad week.  We kind of live on a sliding scale and we were within what I consider our safe parameters.  

Trying Walmart’s Pick Up Service

Our son and his family are visiting for the weekend.  They’re combining some time with her family for graduations and Mother’s Day and some time with us.  I knew I would have physical therapy just before they would arrive, and I didn’t know how I would feel by the time they’d get here.  I made the executive decision to try Walmart’s grocery pickup service.

I had some gaps in my pantry and some items I needed for this weekend.  I also picked up some convenience items. Right now my focus is on taking care of what I can do and on healing.  While I am not out to blow the budget, we have decided that making some allowances is well worth it right now.  As always, my philosophy is that even convenience foods at home is less than sending people out to pick up take away.

I was pleasantly surprised with how easy the process was.  I placed my order online and spent just under $175.  A good portion of that being items for the family visit this weekend plus our Mother’s Day breakfast.  I also planned a big meal that included $22 worth of beef, and I bought a turkey roast.  The actual pantry and true “household groceries” really weren’t that horrible.

I checked in on the phone when we left the house and when we arrived they brought the groceries out and loaded them into the car.  I did not have to even get out.  I signed the “reader” in the car, and we came back home.  Everything was exactly as I had ordered, the produce was in excellent shape, etc.  I don’t know that I will use this service all the time, but I will definitely consider it again in the future.

A Sweet Gift (And a Laugh)

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Thank you all for the well wishes.  I’m mending.  Never as fast as I want because I am not used to being still, but I am grateful none the less.  I’m relying quite heavily on the crockpot for my meals.  I’m aiming for cooking supper and eating leftovers midday on the next day.  It is a cycle I prefer anyway.  It also works well because I wake up feeling refreshed and at my strongest.  My daughter, who still declines to be on camera, helped me film this one.  It was actually good enough that we will keep sauce hidden in the pantry just for this.  (I’m sure you could easily use homemade sauce and perhaps I’ll test it in the future.)

MIA

It's been a bit of a rough ride around here.  Those of you that have been here for a while know I have had some past medical issues.  Recently I had what I can only refer to as a spell...that resulted in temporary paralysis of my left side, a 3 day stay in the stroke ICU, and a list of prescriptions with names I cannot pronounce.  I'm on the mend though.