Small Successes

This week I have:

1. Seen both the bottom of the hamper and the diaper pail...AT THE SAME TIME!!!

2. Prepared and served a lunch for my grandmother's birthday. We had Lasagna, Focaccia Bread, and a homemade lemon cake. If only we had a birthday everyday...YUM!

3. Frozen a bunch of my dried beans to be better prepared for all of my upcoming soups.

Dried Beans Made Easy

In honor of Soup Season, I spent my morning preparing my dried beans. I used to use canned beans merely for their convenience. When I started to compare the prices of the canned beans to dried beans, I knew I had to make the sacrifice and extra effort to start buying dried beans. Since last soup season, I bought 25lbs of kidney beans and 25lbs of black beans. Now, I'm stuck...there's no turning back!

I always found the worst part of dried beans was not being able to use beans to create a dinner in 30 minutes. You have to soak them, cook them, it just takes forever! It was then that I decided to enlist the help of my freezer. I now soak (and drain) them ahead of time and freeze in portion sized bags. I then use them just as I would a normal can of beans.

Convenient and cost effective!

Soup Season Has Begun!

I would like to officially announce that Soup Season has begun in our house!! I know, I know, I shouldn't be this excited. I can't stand the cold and the only thing that makes it better is a big bowl of soup. MMMMmmm! In our house, we tend to eat soup atleast five times a week during the cold months (in Maine, that's pretty much the entire year).

I started Soup Season with a new recipe, Chile and Beef Soup. I got the idea from an actual recipe, but altered it quite a bit. Here's our version of Chile and Beef Soup. I tend to make HUGE pots of soup and freeze the extra in dinner size portions for fast meals.

Chile and Beef Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans or 8 ounces chopped green chiles
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced (Hubby's allergic, so we skipped this)
• 8 tablespoons flour
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes (or stewed tomatoes, whatever's in the pantry)
• 5 cups beef broth (I tend to use bouillon cubes. Not as yummy, but TONS cheaper.)
• 2 cans beans (any kind, kidney works well), drained and rinsed

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and ground beef; cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until beef is browned. Add garlic, bell pepper, chopped green chile pepper, and flour; stir to blend. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in beans. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serves 8.

Obituary of My Crock-Pot

My dear crock-pot ended it's life on Sunday, September 26, 2010. He came to us as a wedding gift and has been working for our family ever since.

He loved to cook for us, but mostly enjoyed being filled with beautiful pots of yogurt. Never letting us down, his dinners were always prepared to perfection and on time.

His life ended abruptly when an unnamed one year old dropped a glass jar inside. He was built so strong, but his end could not be prevented. He will be missed by many.

Survivors include, but are not limited to, the glass jar, pots and pans, a stand mixer, blender, and several utensils. He was predeceased by a wooden bowl.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent directly to his owner for his replacement.

Small Successes

This week I have:

1. Finished the baby shower gift for my soon to be born Godson!!

2. Actually saw my kitchen table in it's entirety! It doesn't help that it doubles (or triples??) as hubby's office and my sewing desk.

3. Canned 11 quarts of applesauce. Bring it on winter! We're ready!! (Ok, not really...you can stay away. I was enjoying summer).

Pouch Slings

The sling for my Godson

I have recently begun an adventure of sewing my own pouch slings. My first attempts have been very successful including one for a friend and her baby (my soon to be born Godson).

With this new found enjoyment, I have been contemplating making and selling them. There are many slings out there, but this one is small enough for my purse and therefore very useful for on the go baby-wearing. I am also looking forward to using it with a newborn as it cradles a baby very well.

Peter showing off Mommy's sling

Now is where you come in. I have found many beautiful fabrics and prints online but have not yet purchased them in fear of an endeavor that may or may not succeed. Would you purchase a pouch sling for yourself or for someone you know? Do you think I'm crazy? Let me know all of your thoughts!

Tons and Tons of Applesauce!

Directions to make applesauce:

Step 1: Get super tired toddler to take a 3 hours nap. CHECK!

I recently discovered that my father-in-law has this "super cool strainer" thing that makes applesauce a million times easier, smoother, and all around better. I borrowed it, and the experiment began.

I first quartered all of the apples (I had a little less than a bushel of Macintosh, Cortland, and Gala). I didn't bother peeling, coring, or seeding. I was going to test the "super cool strainer" and see what it really could do.

I boiled the apples, about half a peck at a time, until they were soft.

I then put them through the "super cool strainer" and WOW!! This could not be any easier!! It was instant applesauce!

At this point, toddler wakes up. Turn on WeeSing in Sillyville to buy another hour of time.

I then canned, processed, and VOILA! I have 11 quarts of the most delicious applesauce!

Christmas Wish List: A "Super Cool Strainer" thing.

Small Successes

This week I have:

1. Found time to go on a couple of walks with my little guy (including to the Farmer's Market!).

2. Put away all of the "baby" toys.

3. We have completed the first year of our budgeting system. And...it works great!!!

Homemade Cream Cheese

After making my homemade yogurt, I like to take some of it and make cream cheese.

You'll need a bowl, a strainer, and a light cloth (I use a flour sack).

Put the strainer in the bowl and place the cloth inside the strainer. Pour your yogurt into the cloth. Place it in the fridge for about 8 hours (or until it reaches the desired consistency). The whey will drip into the bowl and the cream cheese will be in the cloth.

This cream cheese is slightly tangier than what you would find in the store, but once you eat it with something, you won't notice. Don't throw out the whey. This is the most nutritious part! You can use it for baking and making ricotta! Right now, my whey is sitting in the fridge while I decide it's destiny.

Homemade Yogurt - In the Crockpot!

I love making my own yogurt. It's less expensive and you don't have any added sugars, preservatives, and weird ingredients. I have used a yogurt maker which didn't make quite enough yogurt, there were too many containers to clean, and it just wasn't worth the space in the cupboards. I came across this recipe, which uses a crockpot, about a year ago and haven't gone back!

Things you'll need:

• Half a gallon of milk (I use whole milk, but my mom has great results with skim)
• 1/4 cup of store bought yogurt (plain, not flavored). Make sure it has "Live-active cultures"

Add the half gallon of milk to your crockpot and cook on Low for 2.5 hours.
Turn off the crockpot (do not open the cover) and let sit for 3 hours.
Remove approx. 2 cups of warm milk and stir in the yogurt. Only add 1/4 a cup, anymore than that and you'll have the opposite effect: runny yogurt!
Add the milk/yogurt mixture to the crockpot.
Cover the crockpot with a bath towel (to insulate) for 8-10 hours.
VOILA!! You have yogurt!

A few notes:
- Be sure to save 1/4 cup of yogurt for your next batch. You do not need to buy yogurt every time.
- If you would like a thicker yogurt, add powered milk to the milk when you first start the crockpot. The amount depends on your preference, start with a cup and experiment with future recipes. I do not personally use any, but my mother loves it (could be the different milks that we use).
-To flavor your yogurt, add granola, fruit, maple syrup, or anything else you can think of. I add whatever comes to mind when I sit down with a bowl.


Wait until you see the homemade cream cheese that I'm currently making from my yogurt!

Thrift Store Treasures

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love finding things at Yard Sales and Thrift Stores. I don't see the purpose of buying items straight from the store when you can find quality items second hand for a fraction of the price.

My mother often donates her clothing to St. Vincent's Thrift Shop. While she was there this weekend, the volunteers were setting up a Little Tikes kitchen and table set. Surprisingly, they were selling all of it for only $20! I went over this morning to check it out and decided to bring it home.

My favorite thing about buying second hand is seeing the quality within something old. It was extremely dirty, but after tons of elbow grease and exhausting my supply of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, Peter now has a beautiful kitchen set to play with! It is complete with a highchair, food, plates, utensils, and everything else a child needs for great imaginative play! The only thing that we don't seem to have is a stove/oven. Do you have one sitting in your basement or garage that isn't getting any use that might somewhat match our set? If not, I'm sure Peter's imagination will create a stove!

With all of these new toys, I decided to finally attack the dreaded chore I've been avoiding; sorting through and putting away all of Peter's baby toys. This is still a work in progress, but wait until you see what I'm doing to keep all of his "toddler" toys organized!

Soap Nuts

They're here! My new Soap Nuts have arrived!!

Peter's also excited about the new Soap Nuts!

I know, I know, it sounds weird. What are these nuts?

Soap Nuts are the dried berry of the Chinese Soapberry tree. Several months ago I discovered, by accident, that I should be a little more careful with what I wash my diapers with. So I went on a hunt. A friend of mine recommended using Maggie's Soap Nuts. I was skeptical at first, so I bought a small box. After bringing them home I immediately attacked my extremely dirty pail of diapers. To my surprise, they came out whiter than ever and they smelled like...nothing! There were no scents left behind to bother sensitive skin. For the first time, I experienced what "clean" is supposed to smell like!

After using my small box of Soap Nuts for months, I finally needed to order some more. This time, I went for the bag that can be used for up to 400 loads for only $34! What a bargain!

Future Engineer??

Ah, the beauty of wooden toys!

Budgeting Part 5

At long last, we have made it to the final part. Using your sheet with all your debt, here's how we pay it off!

When you receive your paycheck every week, take your pay and subtract your expenses from it. For example: Say you make $425 and your weekly expenses (everything on your category sheet plus what you're putting in the Extra category) is $350. $425-$350=$75. You have $75 that hasn't been assigned anywhere. This number will probably change weekly, so be sure to calculate it with every check. Take this $75 and apply it towards the debt on the top of your sheet (the debt with the highest interest rate).

Also, at the end of each month (remember that fiscal month we talked about earlier), look at all of your monthly categories and see what you have leftover from the month. Take all of that money and add it to your debt as well. At the end of the fiscal year, do the same with yearly expenses.

You will continue this process until the top debt is paid off.

Once the top debt is paid off, take whatever you were paying on that debt (the minimum payment) and all other remaining money (extra from your paycheck + extra from monthly expenses) to the second debt. Once the second debt is paid off, take what you were paying on the first and second debt plus the remaining money and apply it towards the third. Continue with this until you are debt free! In the meantime, make sure you are paying the minimum payment on all other debts.

It is up to you, but I would suggest, before paying off any debts, to make sure you have an emergency fund in your savings. Take the $75 and apply it towards your savings until you reach your desired amount. Personally, $2000 keeps me comforted, but it depends on your own personal finances.

If you don't have any debt, (WHOOHOOO! That's great!), you can use this same procedure to save so that you won't need any debt in the future. As soon as our student loans are paid off we're going to set aside as much money as possible. I'd love to never have a mortgage or to have a very small one that is paid off quickly.

I'm sure this all seems very overwhelming at first. Just remember that hiding from debt and unknown expenses doesn't help anything it just puts off the inevitable and makes things worse.

If anything I have said is unclear, you think I may have said something incorrect, or anything else, feel free to ask and let me know!


"Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish." Luke 14: 28-30