Coffee Time

Ever have one of those weeks where by Wednesday you already feel you lived the week twice? It is Thursday and life has been so crazy busy this week that I just need my coffee. Yep, I am weak and it is what keeps me going. I admit my addiction but boy does that first cup in the morning taste good. A small treat in life to savor before another crazy day starts around here.

For me it is a time of reflection and a chance to organize my day.

Frugal Challenge Update - Laundry/Clothing

Wow is all I can say. You sure can see a rise in clothing prices. I am a Target shopper. Love them. They are coupon friendly and the prices are good and you can get such a variety of items under one roof. I am bummed though that they closed their garden centers. While in Target today I was really surprised at the rising prices of clothes. I have been on the hunt for some pants. The last pair I purchased was a pair of jeans six months ago. Now usually you can pick up a pair of Merona brand pants for under $20 but not now. I did find a pair but had to pay $25. Now I may sound cheap but $25 for pants at Target seems high but that was what they were asking. Don't get me wrong, I love the thrift stores too but haven't been able to find some that I liked. Heck they are even getting expensive. It's used stuff people. You can't charge what a retail store would charge. I digress.

Maybe I am in shock because I don't shop for clothes often. Rising cotton prices I fear and other inflationary factors are to blame. I really try to stretch out clothing budget by taking care of the clothes we own. I always check for stains and repair items that are worth keeping. No more does an item hang in my closet with the tags on it unworn. I try everything on at the store and make sure I love it before it comes home with me. Making my own laundry soap helps me to keep down the cost of maintaining our clothes. I had a couple of requests recently for the recipe. Here it the link to my laundry soap recipe. I have made one change to the recipe and that is I no longer dilute with water. I just mix the dry ingredients and use it that way. I decided to try it out to save on time and storage space and it is working great. I use the scoop from the OxyClean and only fill it half way. That is about a heaping tablespoon.

Easter Decor Part One

The spring bug has hit us and we have broke out some of the Easter decor.

A sweet little bunny on a kitchen shelf guarding the graters.

Changed up the table decor with another little bunny. Need to break out my white table cloth.

Some eggs added to a vintage grater.

A bunny with blue accents fits perfectly in my den.

This one is peeking out from behind the little birdbath.

A few people asked where I bought my bee hive and it is from a shop near me but I did see one online. Here is the link Bee Hive.

  Some very prim bunnies that were a gift. My kids make fun of them every year when I pull them out.

Spring Riot

It is a riot of color breaking out in the garden. I find myself out there with the camera everyday.

Hey this little guy is trying to eat my flowers.

The Iris are at their peak.

I wish I could capture the color of my Japanese Maple. It is so deep burgundy.

Have you ever seen one of these trees? It is a Henry Lauder's Walking Stick. Strange name and strange little tree with its curly twisted branches.

Chili Egg Casserole

This chili egg casserole is one of the many recipes that would be perfect for Easter or brunch or even as a potluck meal or side dish. I like to make it the night before and have it ready for Christmas morning.

Just in time for the weekend and perfect for brunch. This is served every year at our Easter brunch. Super easy and  delicious. I will give you the original version of this recipe as given to me almost twenty years
ago and let you know my modifications too. Both ways are yummy.

Chili Egg Casserole

10 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. butter melted (I use two tbl. spoons)
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
1 lb. grated Jack cheese. (I use about half of this to cut the fat a little)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
2 4oz. cans of chopped green chilies

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8x8 pans or one 9x13. Beat eggs, add all ingredients except chilies stir well. Pour half into pan/pans, top with chilies and add the rest of the mixture. Bake approx. 30 mins. or until a knife in the center comes out clear. It will get nice and golden brown on the top.

Simple Beauty

Sometimes without knowing it, we create beauty simply by living. Today, I was inspired by the basket of avocados and lemons from my in laws. The color was just beautiful. Yellow and green. Simple beauty tossed together in a basket. I was inspired.

Woe is me though. These are the last of their avocados. No more free guacamole.

Beauty in my breakfast. A yolk that will go to the dog. Lucky girl.

My breakfast of eggs, spinach and feta cheese. Did you know you can freeze feta. I do and just break off a chunk when I need it. It will thaw while cooking or take out a little earlier for salads.

Reseeded flowers. They come up here and there. Wherever they like.

Shades of Brown

I know it is spring and a time of color and pastels, but in my dining room, I will always have a place in my heart for the shades of cream and brown. I love the muted colors of primitives. The warmth and down home feeling of old crocks and dishware. No matter the season, I will always have my browns.

Stacked boxes are a favorite. They top an old piano that was used and abused by my husband's grandfather. He always left his coffee cups sans coasters and it still bares the rings. I just hide them with things.

Crocks and a jug found at the thrift store.

This lovely was a gift from my mother in law last Christmas.

This was always on my grandmother's dresser. She had very little, a woman of simple means, so I am happy that I have a few reminders of hers.

Transferware. I am always on the hunt for more.

Linking to:
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Between Naps on the Porch
Alphabe-Thursday
Show Off Your Stuff Party
Thrifty Thursday
My Romantic Home

Frugal Challenge Update - Free Is For Me

With rising costs for EVERYTHING, there is still nothing like getting something for free. While killing time waiting for my daughter I hit a couple stores for some freebies. Target was ho-hum this week but I did snag a free pair of toddler socks for my youngest. Right now Target.com has a coupon for $1 off of a Circo item and the basic socks are a dollar so they were free. Just scroll down on the site and the coupon link is on the left. If you are heading to Target, why not get some free socks for a little one.

Next, I hit the Albertson's across the road. I won't drive around for deals as gas is too expensive, but I plan trips to save fuel. This is where I scored the most freebies. My total for the items above was $5.40 with tax. I had coupons for every item but I paid $0 for the soda, 2 boxes of catfood and the half gallon of juice. The other items were reduced by coupons. Even the checker was surprised. My total before the coupons was over $15.  Again, I check hip2save.com several times a day for deals she has listed to request free coupons. That is how I got the juice coupon. A try me free deal. Just gave them my address and they send the coupon. There are so many sites out there but she is so on the ball and quick that she is my go to for deals. Yes, it does take a little of my time but I enjoy it and the thrill of the shop. I don't work any longer so I figure this is my job.

Tea Anyone?

My little one is into tea parties right now. We are all her victims, oh I mean guests. When no human will take part then her stuffed buddies must fill in. I had to snap the little table all set up.

I'd love this table in my size please. It would look great in my 50s kitchen.

He seems to be smiling. He must be enjoying the tea. I asked my daughter what they were having and she said, "Girl Grey." Love it!

Linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday

Rose Chintz Cottage

Coastal Charm

A Delightsome Life

Rednesday  Savvy Southern Style

Tuesday Two for Tea

BNOTP

Frugal Challenge Update - Cherry Picking The Cheap Grocery Shopping Deals

With rising food prices I am doubling my efforts to shop wisely buying items at their lowest prices and watching for the rock bottom grocery shopping deals. Today I had great fun. Two hours and three stores. I hit Target, Ralphs and CVS. I spent about an hour listing the grocery shopping deals this week I wanted and clipping the coupons. To conserve fuel I shopped in a circle and all the stores are only a few miles from where I live. 

And before you think we only eat junk food and drink too much soda, I am stocking up on things for this weekend as we have some friends and lots of teenagers coming to the house. 

I will have to pick up some produce but we have a great local produce market that has the freshest fruits and veggies at the lowest prices around. I can come home with 4 bags full of produce and fresh baked breads for around $10-$12. Can't beat that.

I am at a point in my stockpiling that I can cherry pick the deals and wait to buy other items when they go on sale again. This isn't always the case but for the most part it works this way.

Among the items I bought were two bags of dog food, baby diapers and wipes, shampoo, hair gel and Olay face wash and body wash. Tylenol, decongestant, meat and two containers of ice cream were also bought.

I squirrel away the snacks so the kids do not eat it all at once. I buy for upcoming holidays when I can get it cheap or free. The three bags of M&Ms will go in Easter baskets. All told I spent $69.27 for 65 items. At Target the checker was a young sweetie who was so surprised at my savings. I saved 26 dollars with coupons. I told her she could do it easily already working there. She was a doll.

We rarely eat dinner out and I cook most meals from scratch as it is the most economical way. I have a small garden too that gives us some fresh veggies in the summer.

Update: I do not coupon like I used to because couponing frankly has become much harder to make all the work of planning worth the saving. Also, we are eating less processed pre-packed foods and more homemade and from scratch cooking. I have always cooked dinner most every night but I am trying to make more of our food from scratch, like granola for cereal. Also, we garden year round and try and grow as much as we can in our yard.

Best Ever Cole Slaw Recipe

This recipe was my mother's. We call it "Best Ever" Cole slaw recipe because my brother in law used to say it was the best ever. Make it hours before you want to serve it so the flavors co-mingle.

Best Ever Cole Slaw Recipe

• One head green cabbage finely chopped (If the head of cabbage is huge you may want to add a little more of the dressing)
• 2 carrots grated (I use a box grater)
• 1 tsp. grated onion
• 1/2 c. Mayo
• 1/3 c. Sour Cream (I use low fat)
• 1 TB. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve at least a couple of hours, but longer is better. We like it creamy but you could cut a little of the mayo and sour cream to your liking.

Order in the Kitchen

Creating order in the kitchen is the most important way to have an organized kitchen. Everything should have a place. Kitchen items should be stored by similarity or by use. 

If you have a baking center then keep all the baking items stored nearby all in one place. If you can, also keep flour sugar and other ingredients in the same area. Organizing and older kitchen can often be difficult because we do not have the fancy new options someone does with a remodeled or newly built kitchen.

I have one of those minds that drowns in chaos and thrives in order. Now, I am not an organized person by nature and I have to work at it everyday to keep things in order. I love to open my cupboards and see exactly what I need right where it should be. That isn't easy with kids in the house. My simple old cupboards are a time warp. So many of the items I own are from my mother and hubby's grandmother. She was the original owner of this house and every cupboard is lined exactly in heavy vinyl. Makes it so easy to keep clean. Why would I ever get rid of them. I can just see her taking exact measurements and cutting these all out with precision.

I have really purged the items in my drawers as I don't have a lot of them. People in the 50's just did not have all the gadgets we have now. So first when you set to organize your kitchen, throw away or donate duplicate items you do not need. One or two of many items is all you could ever use.

I always had spice bottles all over in my cupboard so I decided to contain them in labeled little baskets from the dollar store. It has worked wonderfully.

Hands down five years later the basket organizers in my spice cabinet is the best way to organized spice bottles I have ever used. We still use it and and it prevents the little bottles going everywhere as well as it is a cheap way to organize your spices.

Let me know of any good secrets to organizing your kitchen. I am always looking for good ideas to make life easier.