tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75962942327867920132024-03-05T14:44:11.340-07:00Champagne Tastes, Beer BudgetI've often been accused of having just that... "Champagne Tastes and a Beer Budget." This little corner of the web will be home to recipes, tips, and money-saving strategies that I have had success with while living on one income in a world that says it can't be done. :)Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-85373981687354875942013-07-28T18:55:00.001-06:002013-07-28T18:55:29.202-06:00Thinking outside the box.... Jams & Jellies without added pectinSharing a few links that have rocked my jam-making world this season....
http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/how-to-make-pectin-free-jam.html
http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/create-your-own-signature-jam-by-mixing-and-matching-flavors.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/jam_without_pectin.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/jelly_without_pectin.html
... and a quick nod to canning safety, for Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-71767888747445438022013-03-31T19:50:00.000-06:002013-07-28T19:50:41.052-06:00Redecorating on the Cheap - Girl's BedroomRedecorating on the Cheap.
We're in this cute little house now, a 1960s bungalow on a corner lot in a decent part of town. It's also an older part of town, which means it has more than a closet-sized yard. YAY! Unfortunately, someone got the great idea that brown is a good neutral color to paint an entire house in. And also got the great idea that textured stucco would Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-52429023274094127052013-01-27T06:00:00.000-07:002013-01-27T06:00:01.875-07:00Save Money on Your Heating Bill
Dress appropriately and not for your own comfort. So many people wear short sleeve t-shirts around their homes in the dead of winter. Wear flannel shirts and sweaters or, even better, wear 2-3 layers of clothes and include them all. It isn’t unusual for me to wear a tank top, long sleeve t-shirt, flannel shirt and a sweater on top of that. That’s 4 layers.
Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-56412201591933938682013-01-26T10:52:00.000-07:002013-01-26T10:57:18.259-07:00Tips for Reducing Electric Bills
Keep your thermostat at 78-82 in the summer and 60-65 in the winter. For most people, this is the other way around. If you currently keep it much lower than this, try changing it over a couple months so you can get used to it.
Move down to the coolest part or up to the warmest part of the house. In the summer move all your beds and/or the TV down to the Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-82449173342937789382013-01-08T20:09:00.001-07:002013-01-08T20:09:39.697-07:00A yummy way to use that juicer pulpThe one thing I dislike about juicing is the pulp. What do you DO with it? Especially if you're making a lot of juice, that leads to a lot of pulp... I have fed a lot of it to our vermicomposters, but while that's useful it still seems like a waste. Enter light-bulb moment, and some inspiration from Hillbilly Housewife... this turned out to be really good! I didn't have any white flour, just Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-32336543758913979392012-12-24T19:50:00.000-07:002012-12-24T19:50:44.824-07:00Panettone Christmas Bread for the Bread MachineOriginal recipe from here...
http://www.food.com/recipe/panettone-christmas-bread-for-the-bread-machine-47087
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Add all Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-64422627274093679252012-11-01T18:50:00.001-06:002012-11-01T19:02:38.266-06:009 money rules to live by
Most surveys that measure financial literacy focus on teenagers, and the results are always grim.
In research by the nonprofit Jump$tart Coalition, which promotes personal finance education, the average high school student correctly answered just 48.3% of the questions covering money basics in 2008. That was down from 57.3% a decade earlier, but even that score was hardly distinguishing -- Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-64411649228428906982012-07-28T15:55:00.000-06:002012-07-28T15:55:34.108-06:00Making Beef Broth
We've been gifted with beef soup bones twice with our meat orders, but I had never gotten around to doing anything with them beyond tossing them in the freezer for "someday". Well, someday came around yesterday when I realized that my freezer wasn't closing tightly due to ice build-up around the edge. Thankfully that is the freezer that holds my flour and frozen fruit, so even if itKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-31823263913152969512011-10-25T17:34:00.000-06:002011-10-25T17:34:28.255-06:00Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes (and muffins!!)The original recipe came from www.makinglifedelicious.com, here: http://makinglifedelicious.com/2010/10/01/buttermilk-pumpkin-pancakes/
They turned out so good the kids wanted them for a second day! My day-two recipe variation is in red. This made about 16 pancakes plus a dozen muffins - which all disappeared by day's end.
Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes
▪ 1 1/4 cup all-purposeKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-23063550762419463772011-07-27T12:47:00.000-06:002011-07-27T12:47:40.856-06:00Jammin'I've been building up to this for a while... a jam-making day... my house smells dee-lish, the kitchen is a bit of a disaster, and the kids have been up to who knows what... LOL
Red Wine Strawberry Jam - this sounded like a good use of the leftover bit of red wine in the back of the fridge from a dinner some weeks ago. We'll see how it turns out.
http://www.foodreference.com/html/Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-45435367825026635122011-07-26T19:32:00.000-06:002011-07-27T19:32:23.096-06:00Butter!So ... I made butter. And it was easy. And delicious. :)
This page spells out the how-to really well - take a look: http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/?p=685 Basically you just over-whip cream until it separates, drain the buttermilk, then make pancakes with the buttermilk and serve with the butter ;)
Cost-effective? Not really, not compared toKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-50719032570170187682011-07-14T16:03:00.002-06:002011-07-14T16:03:46.468-06:00Air Drying Clothes Without A Clothesline
Air Drying Clothes Without A Clotheslineby Jill Cooperhttp://www.LivingOnADime.com
We all know that if we don't dry our clothes in the dryer we save on electricity, but many of us don't think about how the dryer reduces the life of our clothes. For a long time I couldn't understand why so many people were buying scads of socks and underwear for their families every few months. When my Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-50850065045487697022011-06-10T21:20:00.000-06:002011-06-10T21:20:39.199-06:00Recipe : Rhubarb CrispThis is my personally jazzed-up version of the traditional rhubarb crisp. I made the recipe-book version a few nights ago and, while it was good, it didn't really hit the spot I wanted it to hit. I like there to be lots of topping, and for it to lean toward crunchy. This variation on the standard recipe totally achieved that. Sorry, there's no picture... I took it to a Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-32303520856831016682011-04-29T08:09:00.000-06:002011-04-29T08:09:39.817-06:00Help for Families Affected by Tornadoes
Please click here if you are able to make a donation or would even just like to send a card of encouragement:Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-33186077377890403942011-04-28T06:00:00.000-06:002011-04-28T06:00:15.346-06:00Recipe : Multigrain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe found here: http://www.wholegraingourmet.com/recipes/43-cookies/22-multigrain-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
These turned out quite good, in spite of the overly healthy-sounding title. LOL I used a generous cup of Robin Hood multigrain flour instead of the white wheat flour and millet the recipe calls for, and it worked quite well. I also skipped the nuts becauseKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-42429771244205454802011-04-26T06:00:00.000-06:002011-04-26T06:00:10.069-06:00Recipe : Mile High Blueberry Muffins
http://www.recipesource.com/baked-goods/muffins/00/rec0068.html
These are fabulous muffins. Seriously. Definitely worth making!
Mile High Blueberry Muffins
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup plain yogurt -- room temperature Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-88327275369738273002011-04-25T06:00:00.002-06:002011-04-25T06:00:16.316-06:00Easter MenuJust thought I'd share what we had for Easter Dinner today...
Roast Turkey
- Dry brined for two days then roasted for 1/2 hour at 450 degrees followed by 6 hours at 300 degrees and about an hour at 350 degrees when I had to increase the temperature to bake some other things alongside.
Baked Ham
- Roasted at 450 degrees with the turkey then baked in Pampered Chef's "Deep Covered Baker" Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-63933623092914586742011-04-24T06:00:00.001-06:002011-04-24T06:00:08.440-06:00Paska (Easter Bread)
Recipe borrowed from one of my favorite recipe sites, here:http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2011/04/paska.html
The instructions are for using a kneading machine, which I don't have... I just followed through the same steps mixing by hand and it worked out fine. I didn't have any regular milk so I used So Good Coconut and it was fine... also had no lemon zest but I thought Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-24030164924148298662011-04-20T06:00:00.000-06:002011-04-20T06:00:14.422-06:00Are You on the Road to Debt and Destruction?ARE YOU ON THE ROAD TO DEBT AND DESTRUCTION?Copyright Deborah Taylor-HoughUsed with permission. All rights reserved.http://www.SimpleMom.comEvery year since 1996, over one million personal bankruptcies have been filed in the United States. The majority of these are the direct result of poorly managed consumer debt. I was informed recently that outstanding U.S. consumer debt (Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-50109763814971657752011-04-19T06:00:00.002-06:002011-04-19T06:00:09.623-06:00Recipe : My Chili Creation
This recipe is one I put together after reading several chili recipes online... I took what sounded like the best parts of each one, put them together, tweaked things a bit and voila! And now I'm going to be really generous and actually share it... even though this is one that I really ought to keep a secret. LOL
Chili
vegetable or olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-29287662546647184022011-04-14T06:00:00.005-06:002011-04-18T13:11:11.077-06:00Recipe : Chocolate Chip Cookies (with a secret ingredient)
This recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food. It sounds weird... and I guess it is... but I have it on the word of 2, 3, and 6 year olds that these are deelish. They sort of look like they have macadamia nuts in them, but without the expected crunch. So my advice is, warn adults, but don't say a Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-16593160769530764042011-04-11T06:00:00.000-06:002011-04-11T06:00:09.721-06:00Recipe : Mashed Potato CasseroleIf you're looking to fancy up your potatoes a bit without making things *too* complicated, this is a good recipe to try out. I didn't have any half-and-half, so I used chicken broth for all the liquid, and it still turned out all right, just a little on the yellow side. The flavor is excellent. :o) It was a hit with the hubby and the three-year-old potato fan; child who Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-79386959835785566152011-04-05T06:00:00.004-06:002011-04-05T06:00:02.588-06:00Thrifty Tip : Cleaning your Coffee Maker
No need to go out and buy special products to clean and deodorize your coffee maker... read on! Tips collected from all over the internet and assembled here for your convenience. :o)
Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the inside of the coffee pot, let it set for a little while. Adding a bit of salt will give more abrasion if there are stains. Scrub with a wet Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-19980261738145422432011-04-04T06:00:00.004-06:002011-04-04T06:00:10.890-06:00Recipe : Sweet Chocolate Chip Muffins
These muffins are a nice treat - sweet, light, and cake-like. They work well with blueberries as well!
Chocolate Chip Muffins
found here: http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/sweet-chocolate-chip-muffins/
(Makes 12 muffins or 40 mini)
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose plain flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp baking Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7596294232786792013.post-72461319903935385612011-03-30T06:00:00.007-06:002011-03-30T06:00:16.934-06:00Thrifty Tip : Non-Toxic and Inexpensive Carpet CleaningI have a carpet cleaner, and I love it. But I don't love the $8+ price tag for carpet shampoo, especially since it doesn't always deliver results, and some people suggest that using carpet shampoo actually leaves your carpet MORE dirty in the long run as it turns the fibers into sticky little dirt magnets. So, what to do?
This is where plain old, ordinary white vinegar is a shining Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06293832138354212402noreply@blogger.com1