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Sunday, January 22, 2017

LIVING ON A CLOUD

Hello dear friends! Hope you all are well this fine Sunday!  This week has been strange weather-wise, we've had dense fog ever day.  It makes me feel like I'm living on a cloud. Some may say this time of year is bleak,  but to me it has a serene beauty.  Being the plain brown wren that I am, I'm not one to go in for too much flashiness, so the soft silvered days of a January thaw suits me just fine.  There's a cozy feeling to it, as though we are all alone in the world.  The weather has been warm enough to go outside and study the lacy silhouettes of the branches against the skies.
Aren't they beautiful?  If only I could capture their true beauty!

A Few Thrifty Things I Thought of This Week

In my last post I wrote about grocery shopping on a budget, one of the things I forgot to mention is that when shopping for produce that has a single price per item, such as the head of  lettuce I bought this week, it pays to  take the time to weigh them and get the most for your money. I bought almost a pound more lettuce  for the same price as the smaller heads. 

I also wrote about keeping the menu simple.  A lot of recipes these days are just  silly,  they must think people have nothing better to do with their time than hunt down strange and obscure ingredients.  Or someone would spend $20 on ingredients for a batch of brownies (a recent recipe I saw).  When we  first set up housekeeping our beloved Gramps gave me an old cookbook printed in the 1930s.  Almost all the recipes were straight forward and most had fewer than ten ingredients.  If you want to find some simple  inexpensive recipes, hunt down an old cookbook, pre mid-1950s. Many  have menus, also.   You can find them at estate sales and at antique stores and often for less than a modern cookbook.  Old cookbooks put out by ladies' organizations are also a great resource for those that want to cook simply.

 You may or may not know this about me, but I have very long hair that most of the time I wear in a braid.  I was standing in the beauty aisle the other day, studying the options for  rubber bands.  They had these pretty ones made of elasticized ribbon, but the price!  Four little ribbons for $3!  So I went down the craft aisle, and there they had a better selection of the same type of ribbon in packages with about 50 times more ribbon for half the price.  So I'd say it pays to venture into other parts of the store.

 Menu For the Week

I promised dear anonymous that I would write about our weekly menu for the week, so here it goes:

I've already written about what we have breakfast in the previous post, and since we all get up at different times, it varies from person to person.  Since I have wait a half-hour after taking my thyroid medication before eating, I usually just skip breakfast all together or have a cup of coffee.

Lunch is our main meal of the day:

Monday: Bean burritos and a salad. Made from our own refried beans, home canned salsa and about 4 oz. of cheese.  The flour tortillas were bought from the reduced-for-quick-sale bin.

Tuesday:  The leftover burritos and a Big Mac salad.

Wednesday: Oven fried eggrolls and stir-fried vegetables.  We used cabbage, sprouts, carrots and a jar of our home-canned white chicken for the filling.  The vegetables were one of those frozen bags of vegetables.

Thursday:   Beef pot pie made from our own carrots, potatoes, peas, onions and home-canned beef.

Friday: The leftover pot pie and a hearty throw everything-in-it green salad.

Saturday:  We ate at Subway, because I had enough points for a free sub. Jamie got a footlong special that was $6 and Ran and I split the free one.  So for $6, the three of us ate out.

Today: We had a brunch of fried potatoes, sausages, eggs and a fruit compote.  The potatoes and onions were home-grown, the sausages were canned late last year when I ran into a deal on Jimmy Dean sausage for 99 cents/ lb.  Eggs are still cheap here.. And the compote consisted of our own fruit that I canned last Summer.

For dinner we either eat the leftovers, or make sandwiches (from the $1.49 deli ends and pieces or my homed-canned meat), or have homemade hummus with carrot and celery sticks and crackers, or have some cheese and crackers.  Most of the time I skip dinner because I am on a very restrictive diet because of my low-functioning  thyroid.

For dessert this week I made old-fashioned cornstarch pudding to use up the milk that we had bought when the grandchildren visited.  Ran's been watching his diet very closely this week in anticipation of his yearly exam  next week, so I haven't been cooking or baking much. And we had homemade granola bars:

Don't Buy It, Make It

Granola Bars

2 1/2 C. oatmeal
1/2 C. nuts
1/3 C. honey or cane syrup
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
a dash of salt
1/2 C. dried fruit
1/4 C. chocolate chips
3 tbsp. peanut butter

Line an 8-inch pan with aluminum foil and butter well.
Toast the oatmeal and nuts in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, stirring half-way through, tasted as dark as you desire.
Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and peanut butter in a small saucepan.  Cook until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolves.  Pour over the oatmeal/nut mixture.  Stir in the dried fruits and chocolate chips.
Press into the prepared pan.  Refrigerate. Remove from pan and cut into bars.

You can experiment with this recipe to make it your own.  I used some cinnamon flavored chips instead of the chocolate ones and for the dried fruit, I used some Concord grape flavored dried cranberries (an impulse buy from Big Lots).  Since I try to eat at least two Brazil nuts a day for the selenium, I used those for the nuts. And different extracts too.  I'm thinking almond butter, almond extract, and dried cherries for February.

Thrifty Things We Did This Week

Knitted Ran a pair of mittens from some lovely tweed yarn that I found at the thrift store.

Ran helped a neighbor install hardwood floors in her bedroom and was rewarded with the leftover wood for firewood and woodworking.

Spent a grand total of $12.17 on groceries:  $2.50 for 8 oz. cheese, $1.50 for a quart of cream that was reduced for the strays, $1.42 for a head of cabbage, 79 cents for a head of iceburg lettuce, $1.25 for a package of Naan on the reduced bin, 72 cents for a bunch of green onions, $1.34 for some celery, $1.67  for packet of hummus seasoning, and 98 cents for a head of red leaf lettuce.

Ran made some kim-chee with the cabbage using a fermenting kit that we received for Christmas.

Watched the inauguration for free on YouTube.  No need for cable TV!

 Which reminds me, I've been biting my tongue through this entire post, trying not to write something that I'll regret later, so I'm going to cut this post short and wish you all a joyous week from the old Zempel boarding house!

Hugs,
Jane







 





















35 comments:

  1. You have been very busy. The fog is dense here as well. Nice but scary to drive in when it begins at night. I downloaded a ebook in order to learn how to knit. I always wanted to knit -mittens like the ones you are knitting for Ran would be so nice to do. Have a great day!

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    1. With your talent for crochet, Vickie, you ought to be able to pick up knitting without a hitch!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  2. Great post, Jane. I see that you oven fry your eggrolls and wonder if you spritz/brush them with oil then bake? That's what I did with our last double batch of them. Wondering how you do yours.

    Well, I'm not a political activist by any means, but I will say I was pleased with the prayers and Scriptures during the Inauguration. I heard there were more prayers offered than in any previous inauguration.

    Also, I was gaga-ed by the gorgeous powder blue ensemble the First Lady wore and only wished there'd been a bit (read that, a lot) more positive ease in the skirt of the dress. Loved the jacket and gloves, though.

    Have a lovely rest of the day!
    Toni

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    1. Hi Toni! I just basted them with olive oil using a basting brush.

      Yes, it was very nice indeed to hear the scriptures and prayers. And I thought that our new first lady was stunning in her ensemble (and it was by my favorite designer, Ralph Lauren). Wouldn't it be nice if gloves came back in style? But I don't see that happening as most of the fashion world is so anti-Trump, I'm sure they will say something unkind about them. Hope you are enjoying your day!

      HUgs
      Jane

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    2. Honestly, I don't think there's as many anti-Trump folks as they'd like us to believe. The (has been) media is no longer a good source of news. And I don't care if they like those gloves or not. I'm going to have myself a pair if I have to make them. LOL. I already have a nice long black pair that I got at a yard sale, but I need a light color or navy for spring. I'm already on the hunt for them. ;)

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    3. You won't believe this Toni, but just the other day, I was cleaning out a drawer and discovered I had several pairs of old-fashioned dress gloves and put them in a basket for my garage sale. If you'd like, I'd be glad to send a navy (dark navy) pair. Do you still have my e-mail? Gloved ladies of the world unite!
      J

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    4. Amen! *giggles*
      Wow, that's very nice of you, Jane! I would love those gloves, especially since I just checked the black ones and discovered they're not as long as I remembered. No, I don't have your email, but if you'll go to me blog there's a link on my profile to email me. If that fails let me know.

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    5. I hope you don't mind my chiming in but I LOVED Melania's outfit. It was on point! Also, I received from my sweetheart a pair of opera length, Italian leather, cashmere-lined gloves for Christmas in "cognac" and I felt very chic-by-proxy seeing the First Lady's gloves on Friday!
      Dana

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  3. I had to laugh when you mentioned weighing heads of lettuce because my husband noticed recently that 1 lb. packages of bacon seemed to be different weights! We weighed several of them in the produce section and they varied by 2-8 ounces. Guess which one we bought.

    I bite my tongue quite a lot too.

    Mimi

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    1. That's very interesting, Mimi! I never thought to weigh the packaged meat. Thanks for the tip! I have a feeling there will be a lot of tongue biting on both sides of the aisles for quite a while! Ha!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  4. Thanks for that recipe...I've been wanting a granola recipe and I know I can trust yours as being good!
    I think t.v. will soon be the thing of the past. And I am so sick of ads on tv and also on some blogs (which I quit looking at if there are ads.)
    It's been foggy here. I like how you always glean good advice for the simplest things such as weighing the produce that has a "for one" price!
    It is foggy here in the morning lately.
    The latest march is just using women as world-wide the marches were obviously paid for and organized by one who has tried to cause disharmony in the past! Hugs, Andrea

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    1. Well, it certainly will be interesting to see the contrast between these and the 27th's marchers won't it? OK, OK, biting my tongue now!

      We can only hope TV goes away. I don't miss it at all.

      You'd think eventually the fog would burn off, but it's constant here. One day the sun will come out, I hope!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  5. I have saved the granola recipe for later on when Grandson is back at University.

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    1. What a nice grandma you are to make goodies for you grandson, Jean! And you can customize them with all his favorites. Hope all is well, down under!

      HUgs
      Jane

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  6. Love the pictures! So peaceful1
    Your meals sound delicious! But how do you get by with eating only one meal a day yourself? Sorry about your thyroid problems. Hope it doesn't cause you too much difficulty.
    Thanks for the recipe. I make granola frequently, but your bars would be much more portable. I haven't made the korean sandwiches yet since I used all of my cabbage in a egg roll in a bowl recipe, but it is on the menu this week.
    Thanks for the tip about weighing produce. I hadn't thought of that.
    I have decided to give up facebook. The nasty political posts from both sides were getting to me. My final post was Phil 4:8, and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted.
    Hope you have a blessed week!

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    1. Forty plus years of experience, Kathy. Actually, I eat a pretty decent lunch and I'm usually not hungry in the evening. The thyroid issue is annoying that I can't lose weight easily, but I've learned to live with it.

      I don't understand the incivility that's out there. I don't blame you for quitting facebook. I've been thinking about what Jesus said about signs of the end of times and that the people would be out of control. Sometimes we have to retreat from the madness. Hope you have a nice quiet week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. Hi Jane, our evening meal is cooking and how nice to find your weekly post while I wait.
    About the inauguration, we did watch a good bit of it. My husband said he didn't ever remember watching one and I guess that's because he was in the workforce for 40+ years and was always working when they occurred. We both enjoyed all the military parts and seeing their dress uniforms. I was amazed there was so much praying and Bible reading.
    I'm sure the mainstream media will criticize Mrs Trump but they sure can't criticize her poise and beauty. She was just perfect in my opinion.

    And about packages weighing different, I always check tortillas, especially the ones made in smaller factories. I've found bags with 50% more tortillas than the label specified. That may be more of a thing closer to Mexico like we are, quite a few people from Mexico live in Oklahoma.

    I like your granola bar recipe. Some of the commercial made ones have a strange grain that crumbles and just makes a weird mess when the grands eat them.

    Have a good week my friend. ❤️

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    1. I think I've watched every inauguration since Pres. Carter, Rhonda. It's always exciting to hear the president take the oath of office and hear Hail to the Chief, whether I've voted for him or not. Just think, we are watching history!

      I hope the media will take it easy on Mrs. Trump. I doubt it though. I even heard some criticizing their little boy! Can you imagine? Now that's stepping over the boundaries and I don't care what anyone else says. I try to stay above the fray on all things political, but I did step in and say something about that!

      These bars can crumble too, but if you add more chips to stick them together, it shouldn't be a problem. Hope you have a lovely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. Happy Sunday!
    This is the second time you mentioned your own egg rolls in recent posts. Now that cooked cabbage is "approved" by the husband, I just need to find wonton wrappers (the small family owned groceries tend to stick with the basics).
    We've been enjoying the fog here in PA too. Makes me feel like we should move slow. And I agree with feeling alone, but that isn't my favorite feeling right now.
    Thank you for the granola bar recipe. It's been on my list To make for a grab and go snack. I like already that yours doesn't call for a lot of butter.
    I hope you have a wonderful week.
    Hugs, Jen

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  9. Eggrolls are easy-peasy, Jen. Even our small town grocery store carry wonton wrappers, you must shop in some really small family owned stores!

    After reading your blog, I understand that you might just out-thrift me, so I can see why you wouldn't want a lot of butter. Ha! Well, I hope you are surrounded by lots of love this week!

    Hugs
    Jane

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  10. I love fog, there is a wonderful silence that deadens the clatter! I dont have TV so did not watch your inauguration, but have heard a bit about it on the Radio.
    Thanks for sharing the Recipes, it is definitely one I will be trying. I chuckled when I reads about the lettuces, as I spent a couple of minutes in the supermarket last week prodding the bags and got one that had two in it!
    Have a lovely week.

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    1. I think that you are quite fortunate that you did not have to hear much about the goings on in Wshington DC,Sharon. I can only imagine what you did hear as our media is extremely biased. Being alert in the supermarket reaps nice rewards!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. That's an impressive difference between lettuces! I looked up the Big Mac salad, as I'd not heard of it. We've been having some fog here too. I made kimchee & sauerkraut for the first time in the past year or so, & was pleased with the results. I wasn't sure I could get past the kimchee's smell, but I do like it on vegi hotdogs. We don't have TV here, but I caught most of the inauguration on NPR while running errands. I picked up eggroll wrappers this weekend, so that's on my to do list this week. Hope yours is wonderful!

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    1. I know, Laurie! It was so much larger than all the other lettuces, I really did not need to weigh it, it was pretty obvious.
      Yeah, kimchee sure has stomach-churning qualities. Hope it is going to be good. Enjoy your rug hooking!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. I forgot to add, Laurie, that you can substitute vegan patties for the meat to make Big Mac salad vegetarian. Also, I don't use as much meat or cheese and cut back on the dressing. It's one of those salads that the guys love.

      Jane

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  12. Dear Jane,
    Thanks for your post. I have made my own granola bars several times in the past and they are really easy-peasy. I tend to put dried currants in mine as I like that they are small and are less expensive than the cranberries I see. Unfortunately, my daughters aren't as fond of them as I am so I end up eating them all!
    I like the fog too and that feeling it gives of being alone in the world. I'm reading Wuthering Heights right now and that fits right in.
    I just thought of an idea for a post: what you consider worth spending money on. I think you've hinted at it on a few occasions (like having a weakness for cheese.) :) What brought it to mind was, this past weekend I bought my daughter's birthday cake (only the 2nd time in 15 years) because I just wanted to avoid the stress of baking and decorating a cake for the party and having it not come out (which has happened more times than I care to admit.) The cake was expensive but absolutely delicious and while a bit of a splurge, I really enjoyed not having to worry about it this year. So, that's what I mean by having certain things that are worth it to you. Anyway, just a thought!
    I hope your week is peaceful.
    Sincerely,
    Dana

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    1. Your sweetheart has very elegant taste, Dana! Wuthering Heights! Maybe that is why I love the fog, it was one of my favorite books growing up. Thanks for the idea for a post, I've been running out of ideas. I'd buy a cake too, as my cakes are so ugly they'd be more suitable for punishment than a celebration. Hope you have a wonderful week, also!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. Hi Jane, your photos are always a joy to see. Quick story: we were at a Lancaster County PA farmer's market once and I bought the biggest head of cabbage I have ever seen. My husband saw me coming down the aisle with both arms full of this cabbage and said: "I take it they were priced each and not by the pound." He was, of course, correct! Have a good week.

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    1. Ha! Cabbage is always a good buy that way! We don't bother to grow cabbage because we can get it so inexpensively here. A couple years ago, I bought a 10 pound head for 39 cents! Enough to make a crock of sauerkraut. Now that's cheap eats! Hope you are finding time to quilt this month!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  14. Hi, Jane!
    We've had fog for most of the week, too. Like everyone else, it's calming and quiet. When I w.alked the dog, there wasn't a soul out. The dog stopped at one point and just looked up the hill. I wonder if she smelled a coyote or some other wild animal. It was all surreal with that fog.
    I probably don't hold my tongue enough. The older I get the less I care what others think of my opinion. Although, I try not to offer it unless asked.
    I weigh several things, too. I weighed cheese once that was 2oz. Short. I called the company and they sent me a 10.00 gift card. (I didn't weigh it until I got home.) It pays to keep on top of things?
    I wish you a sunny week, or days, ahead.

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    1. I think animals' instincts are working harder when the weather is off. Georgie has been spending a lot more time hiding out than usual.

      Ran said that I'm letting people know my views, but I don't care either. Since I'm not blogging to make money or become famous, if people don't like it, they can go elsewhere. I think it's just part of being real. I don't mind if others disagree with me, as long as they aren't abusive.

      It pays to complain. Ran once wrote to a shoe company (Rocket Dog) and told them that their shoes fell apart too quickly and the sent him a new pair of shoes. I've gotten coupons for free things that way. And I appreciate companies that will correct their mistakes. The ones that ignore complaints, I look askance at. Hope you are enjoying the warm spell!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  15. Hi Jane! I chuckled at the ending of your post where you said you had to "hold your tongue". Yes, you were probably wise to stay away from any potential firestorm of emotion if you meant current affairs. My job position requires me to remain neutral where politics is discussed and since most who mention it expect a response to their feelings my answer has remained "it will be an interesting 4 years" and there has been agreement no matter which candidate was voted for.

    I have been starting to get a little tired of winter weather and yesterday had a little hope of spring waiting by my front door. The garden seeds I always order after Christmas arrived. I know I have several months before they can go to into the ground but it still tells me winter isn't forever!

    Your recipe looks good and I will have to try it. Just for some humor I remember several years back when Betty Crocker reprinted their original cookbook. (I think it was probably something like a 1955 version.) A disclaimer was posted and included with the book that they weren't backing the quality of the recipes. When I opened the book I laughed. It was just all staple ingredients for basic meals. What were they thinking? Have a great week. -Sharon

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    1. Ha! I've been using the same phrase, Sharon!

      Just today, I asked Ran if he thought Spring would be early this year, and whether we should start our seeds early. I;m sure Winter will return, before Spring actually does arrive. To be honest, this cold dampness is worse than snowstorms to me.
      Love the disclaimer bu Betty Crocker. Thanks for giving me a laugh today. I guess by today's standards, simple basic meals seem unhealthy. Between the lead paint, asbestos,lack of safety guidelines and "unhealthy" meals, it's a miracle we all survived childhood!

      Hugs
      Jane

      PS: I forgot on my package of rubber bands, it said they shouldn't be used by children under 12! I think by 12, I had been braiding my hair by myself for about 4 years.

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  16. Hi Jane. :) I'm with you on the fog. As long as I can stay home, I totally enjoy being enveloped in it. I remember years ago finding a lot of packages of really nice hair elastic bands on clearance for .50 for about 20 bands in each package. I stocked up on them for my DIL who has super thick hair. She loved them! I think she may still have a few of them that the cat has not stolen from her yet. ;) I hope Ran's appointment goes well. Be blessed!

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    1. Isn't it funny, Debbie, that we are on opposite ends of the country but still have the same fog? Ran's appointment is just his annual physical, should go pretty smoothly, but thanks for the kind thoughts!

      Hugs
      Jane

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