Tasty, Easy, Inexpensive Granola

I got this recipe online at Recipezaar. It's really easy to make and will keep in an airtight container for about a week. (We usually eat it up way before that since it is so yummy!) I was looking for a granola recipe with easy, simple ingredients. We like to eat this as cereal or on top of our yogurt. I usually double the recipe.

Quick 'n' Crunchy Granola - Serves 4 to 6
3 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (uncooked)
1/3 cup Butter or Margarine
1/3 cup Honey
1/4 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla (I often put a little more!)
1-2 teaspoons Cinnamon (We added this one-optional.)

1. Melt butter in microwave.
2. Heat honey in microwave for 45 seconds (if too thick.)
3. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. (I sometimes mix the other ingredients first, then add to the oats.)
4. Pour into cookie sheet with a lip or baking pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes. Very important to stir once while baking.
6. Stir again and cool completely.
7. Store in air-tight container.

Inexpensive Furniture

The key to finding a good deal on furniture is patience. Wait for it! Here is an example of some of the different ways to get decent furniture without paying a fortune. (Excuse the lack of decoration in the picture!)

The rug was bought at Lowes 75% off. It was normally $400, on sale for $100.

An end table you can't really see (Christmas Tree on it) was $40 at Cost Plus because it was missing a knob ... something easily fixed.

The armoire and two side consoles were between $500 & $600 at an outlet store in the scratch and dent section. Do small scratch and dents really matter? Call it patina!

The leather and wood ottoman was $120 at a model home furniture sale. There are companies who handle these events. You can check their web sites for upcoming sales. All the ones I've been to have long lines when they open and are cash and carry. These sales can be a really great place to get furniture. You have to be careful though, sometimes the furniture in model homes isn't that sturdy.

The couches are hand-me-downs. They were "messed-up" and needed the attention of an upholstery shop to the tune of about $400, but still MUCH cheaper than buying them at a furniture store and great for the environment.

Another wonderful furniture option (also good for the environment) and a cost effective way to buy unique furniture is to shop antique stores. You can really get some great deals if you shop around!

Ideas for Inexpensive Christmas Gifts

I've been busy, busy lately so haven't posted for a while. Thought I'd get back on the saddle with a post on various sites with ideas for inexpensive Christmas gifts.

This year the best thing we did to save money was buy at the after Christmas sales last year. We are still using gifts we bought last year! Also, I'm making homemade bread for teachers and people at church and am giving gifts of photography in frames I got on sale. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I'm using leftover Halloween candy for the Christmas stockings. I'm also using the Christmas sales to pre-buy gifts for upcoming kids birthdays.

Who says gifts have to be new? We can also nab them at Thrift Stores and feel good that we're doing good things for the environment.

One of my favorite gifts to get is salsa ... simple, healthy and inexpensive. May the force be with you while you strive for frugality this season!

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/money/personalfinance/pkgholiday/20081103_orig_savemoney (Have to go through the slide show)

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/money/personalfinance/pkgholiday/200812_omag_cheap_gifts (Have to go through the slide show)

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/money/63giftsunder10dollars.htm

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/gifts/Cheap_Christmas_Gift_Ideas.htm (This one is really good ... has lots of links ... homemade gifts, food gifts, free gifts.)

http://rubyglen.com/articles/handmadechristmas.htm

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/consuminginterests/blog/2009/12/cheap_easy_lastminute_homemade.html

Savoring the Little Moments

Stress. Lately it seems I can't hide from it. The economy ... so many people suffering ... our children ... surgery ... church and school ... homework ... looking for a house ...

I'm trying to figure out how to keep from exploding in the coming year. The thought that keeps occurring to me is that I need to enjoy daily the small, pleasurable moments of my life.

I'm reminded of a book I read a few years ago by Anna Quindlen, "A Short Guide to a Happy Life." She talks about witnessing family members die and how it has given her a greater appreciation for life. I watched my own mother die fairly young and realize life is short, but it is still so difficult for me to simply slow down and enjoy. Here are a few quotes from her book:

"The lights came on ... I was never again going to be able to see life as anything except a great gift. It's ironic that we forget so often how wonderful life really is."

"It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes ... It is so easy to exist instead of live. Unless you know there is a clock ticking. So many of us changed our lives when we heard a biological clock and decided to have kids. But that sound is a murmur compared to the tolling of mortality."

"Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over the dunes, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over a pond and a stand of pines. Get a life in which you pay attention to the baby as she scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a Cheerio with her thumb and first finger. Turn off your cell phone. Turn off your regular phone, for that matter. Keep still. Be present."

" ... think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived."

May we all live "The Good Life" in our small moments.

Basic Pancakes

Pancakes are really cheap to make from scratch and quite tasty also! Mark Bittman, author of "How to Cook Everything" says of pancakes, "Americans must have been sadly alienated from the kitchen for pancake mixes to ever have gained a foothold in the market, for these are ridiculously easy to make." He has shamed me into never buying pancake mix again ... except maybe for camping! :) Click here for his recipe with lots of detail. Below is my edited version of his recipe:

Basic Pancakes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
2 eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups milk (I use skim milk)
2 tablespoons melted, cooled butter (optional) (I use olive or canola oil)
plus unmelted butter for cooking, or use neutral oil

I mix the dry ingredients, add the other ingredients into the same bowl and use a wisk to stir for about 30 seconds. Then cook 'em up!

We freeze these and waffles all the time for a really quick breakfast for the kids. Just throw them in the toaster frozen or nuke them and you're off!

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Found this recipe at tiphero.com a day too late! (By-the-way, Tip Hero is a great website to find money saving ideas.) I was making pumpkin pies with my left over pumpkin puree and all I needed was Sweetened Condensed Milk. I hate running to the store for one item. If I had this recipe it could have saved me the trip and also some money! Haven't tried it yet, but looks like it should work fine. If anyone tries it before I do, let me know how it worked for you! Happy Holiday baking!

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup dry powdered milk
1/3 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBS melted butter

Mix together in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate. Makes 1 1/4 cups or one can of homemade Eagle milk.

Fun Holiday Idea

A few years ago I got a fun idea for Halloween decorations from a friend of mine. She takes a picture of her daughter in her costume every Halloween and buys a cheap frame at Ross or at an after Halloween sale and frames it for the next year. I started doing this and have quite a few framed pictures now. I haven't paid more than a few dollars for each frame. It makes me smile every year. I think I'll really enjoy them when I'm an empty-nester and have all these fun memories to look at each year. I think this would also be really fun to do for Christmas.

Stealing from Little Children!

I just had the best idea. Tonight while my children sleep, I'm going to take some of their longer lasting Halloween candies and save them for their Christmas stockings. Now I can check Christmas stocking candy off my list. Yeah!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you have a very enjoyable Halloween! We're making pumpkin puree (for soup) and roasting seeds for the first time. Hope it turns out!

PS-Do not try the soup on this link unless you're diabetic with a heart problem and doctors have told you that you aren't allowed any good tasting food forever more! It was WAY too healthy to taste good! :) The pumpkin seeds turned out well though ... cleaned them, soaked in salt water a few hours, dried overnight ... tossed in olive oil, put on a little salt and baked in the microwave for a couple minutes.

Interesting Quote

“It isn’t so much that hard times are coming; the change observed is mostly soft times going.”
~Groucho Marx

Coupons

I like, but don't love coupons. My husband shops at Costco and we don't eat a lot of processed foods (many of the items offered are highly processed), so we don't have the need to go crazy with coupons, but I do like to use them to save a little here and there.

We don't subscribe to the local newspaper, but I get the weekly Sunday coupons from a relative who does. I save only the coupons we really use or think would be fun to try. My favorite coupons are for makeup. I save the makeup coupons and then when the local drugstore runs a 2 for 1 special on an item, I'll use my coupon in addition to the 2 for 1 special and get the items at a drastic reduction. I also like to use coupons to buy cleaning supplies and toiletries.

All of the items in the picture above were $1.00 off because a local grocery store ran a special where any coupon you brought in would be honored as if it was a $1.00 coupon. This made a 25 cent coupon worth $1.00. The Bryers ice cream (our favorite!) was already on sale for $1.99, so it made the ice cream 99 cents each.

Another thing I like to do with coupons is use them at Walmart. Walmart will match the sales other stores are having. You just have to take in your Wednesday grocery fliers to get the match. Then I try to find coupons on the sale items. You can really save money this way. By matching prices at Walmart, it saves me running all over the place to various stores. You can really save money by doing this, but it does take more time and some organization at the checkout stand. Also, they have a few rules, so good to check with your local Walmart to see what their matching policy is.

Cutting a Boy's Hair

When our boys were toddlers and starting to need haircuts, my husband told me there was no way we were going to pay the barber or hairdresser every few weeks to cut their hair. As fate would have it, I'm REALLY not good at cutting hair. What to do?

One day I was complaining about my situation to a gal who used to be a hairdresser. She told me about this quick way to cut a boy's hair if you're "hair challenged" like me. It's not the best haircut I've ever seen, but it gets the job done and keeps my husband from taking matters into his own hands and "Kojaking" my sons.

First you need a few supplies ...

Comb
Scissors (I use the kindergarten kind.)
A Hair Trimmer

Attachments to the Hair Trimmer (#8, #3 & #1).

Something to drape over the neck to keep hair off the body like a towel or cape.

Haircut:

When you cut with a hair trimmer, you want to cut with dry hair. (Believe me, I've tried it wet and it's not pretty!) Run the hair trimmer over the whole head with the #8 attachment. Go against the way the hair grows.

Then go up the sides of the head with the #3 attachment. I try to make my motions go floor to ceiling; a straight line up. You want to leave the hair on the top of the head longer and the sides shorter, so don't use the #3 attachment much higher on the head than about the top of the ears.

I clean-up the neck with the #1 attachment. I've tried doing the neck with no attachment and it was too painful for the kids.
Trim around the ears and any stray hairs you missed. (I like to use children's scissors so the boys don't get poked when they suddenly move ... as happens often.)
We usually have a candy reward after the haircut. If they are really struggling with the cut, then I will give them a lollipop or treat to hold during the haircut ... gets really messy, but seems to calm them down! Good luck!

Hulu

I just watched a biography of Hugh Jackman (by Biography) on Hulu. LOVE that my computer can now be used for entertainment. We only have basic cable, but get to watch programs on our computer for FREE.

Here is a list of web sites with a variety of TV shows and movies you can watch at your leisure ... on your computer. Just click on them to be directed to the web site.

Hulu
ABC
NBC
CBS
FOX
PBS
TV.com
FANCAST
joost
SPEEDCINE
sling

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe!

Everyone loves pizza, but sometimes takeout can get expensive. A friend of mine gave me this recipe for pizza dough. It is really good. I've tasted a lot of homemade doughs that taste kind of like the pizza you ate in the grade-school cafeteria. This dough tastes authentic and makes a really good thin-crust. You can put whatever you want on top.

The recipe originates from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. She tops her dough with tomatoes and basil. Here is the link.

I make it by topping with inexpensive spaghetti sauce I buy on sale (like Ragu) mozzarella cheese and usually fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden. It's also good with sun dried tomatoes. My husband likes to sneak in spinach chopped up with the Basil.

To make it really healthy, I use whole-wheat flour for the dough. You can mix half white flour and half whole-wheat flour also.

I like to double the recipe. One recipe will make a pizza about the size of one cookie sheet.

I take a lot of short cuts on this recipe. I mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with a spoon, use a fast-rising yeast, throw in the liquid ingredients, mix in the mixer, don't wait for it to rise and then just roll it out. It's a pretty dry dough and can be a little tough to roll out.

An inexpensive and healthy way to get your pizza fix!

(The pictures are of the pizza before it was baked.)

Library Card

I got a new library card yesterday (recently moved to a new neighborhood). There is a book I want to read, but don't want to purchase. It's a popular one so I was put on the waiting list, but that's ok .... the book usually costs about $26.00, but for me it will be FREE!

I can't believe all this little library has to offer. They have storytime for the little kids, beginning computer classes for adults, TONS of DVD's for children and adults, of course books and even music. All can be taken advantage of for FREE!

At most libraries you can reserve books and DVD's online. They will email you when the book or DVD is available and put them on hold for you.

I plan on spending lots of time at my new library!

Gratitude

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

-Melody Beattie

The Best (and Cheapest!) Hand and Body Scrub

When the seasons change my hands really dry out. In college, one of my roommates taught me how to make a really easy, inexpensive and effective hand and body scrub. I've tried much pricier scrubs and like this one best!

First, get out your white sugar and olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil, baby oil, etc.
Next, smear the oil all over your hands.
Add about a tablespoon or so of sugar.
Give your self a good scrub and then rinse with warm water.
I usually don't need lotion after this, but if my hands are really dry I'll follow the scrub with a good hand lotion. My mitts are one of my least favorite features. I can't believe I have posted pictures of them! :)

Redbox=Cheap Movies!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Redbox!

Ever since my first job at 15 working for Mann Theaters, I've loved movies. I got used to going for free at a young age and so now I get sticker shock every time I enter a theater. Redbox is a great alternative to get your fix ... for $1.00. Yes, if you're not familiar with Redbox, that's $1.00 per movie, per night.

These "red boxes" can be found in various stores, etc. and because you can rent and return at different locations, you can pick a movie up on the way home from work and then return it to a location close to your home.

If you want to keep the movie for a second night, no problem, but they do charge your credit card an additional dollar. I love that I don't have to deal with the guy behind the movie rental counter and that I can get the movie while I do my shopping. Super convenient!

Check it out at redbox.com ... you can even search and reserve movies online.

The Gift Stash

I'm a big believer in a "gift stash." Whenever I see something at an insanely good price, I snatch it up and put it in my gift stash. I learned this from my mother. This also makes heading to an impromptu party in a busy week much easier.

Today I have two birthdays, so I just went to the stash, wrapped with old Christmas wrapping paper my sister gave me and da-da! Done! (Obviously, most people aren't as tacky as me with the whole using old Christmas wrapping paper thing, but I feel good about myself for just getting them wrapped!)

Outlet Shopping

You can get great deals on quality purses when you shop outlets. I bought this Dooney Bourke purse in Cabazon, CA. The store price was a little less than $400.00. I paid $70.00. I went with a little more conservative design and leather so I could use it for a long time.