Meandering thoughts...

So my thoughts are meandering, and I thought I would share.

I got an email from the folks at Active Gear, you know, the ones who sell those Pearl mugs (stainless steel wrapped with porcelain and decorated with a great design now with lids so little hands cannot dip themselves in!). I adore the Pearl mugs, they are the only reason I get to drink a hot beverage from start to finish, I think every mom needs one. So if you need a late Easter gift, or an early Mother's day gift, or just know a mom of little ones who needs one, check them out. Enter code Spring07 to get 30% off your order of $30 or more. Once you use the code, you cannot use it again...but other folks can!

Clearly I do not learn from my mistakes, yesterday Miss Pear and I ran a marathon of errands again because Mr. Pear was telecommuting and therefore we could have the car. We went to CVS to correct our overcharge - they reimbursed me at regular price, not the sale price with card, even though I presented my card, so I was up about a dollar or so. Then we went to Vons to correct the wrong price on my Monday shopping, their guarantee is that if you are charged incorrectly we reimburse you the entire price of the product - I had bought a box of diapers so I got just over $30 back...yup, made my day too! Then I did a shop at Vons and my savings were only $4 short of what I spent - my goal is to eventually consistently save more than I spend...more about that later in this post. Then on to Henry's for fruit, veggies, and milk, and home to drop off our purchases. Trip 2 was Costco Gas, Costco to exchange the shorts I got for Miss Pear that were small in the waste which is shocking because she has a teeny tiny waste, and Stater Brothers on the way home because of a great sale on veggies, and cream cheese, and I had coupons, so what could I do!

Oh, and to the truck that almost ran me over, the car that almost backed into me, the semi that first almost side swiped me and then tried to run me off the road, and the Suburban that cut me off twice, all while going from CVS to Vons - I apologize for being invisible - the only excuse I can think of for this fit of bad driving by others I was subjected to!

We were so exhausted when we got home as the temperature had sored! So we had lunch and rested. I made two taco pies - one for supper, one for the freezer and we had a great afternoon/evening. But we did run to Target quickly in the evening because it was that or go today, and Target on a Saturday makes me twitch!

Today we did a quick tidy and vacuum because someone was coming to see our house. Rather than wait around we went out to get our Easter cards, and then for lunch. We got home, they were not early like they were going to try. So we put Miss Pear down for her nap (she did not). We gave up on napping and played outside - no one arrived. We finally went for a drive to check into something, and got home to find out that no one showed up. All this for nothing. I am really tired of this ... but that is a post in itself.

So tonight we are very tired, and have someone different theoretically scheduled to come see our house while we are at church tomorrow morning, and I must say, that if they do not show up, you will definitely get to read all the reasons I am tired of this malarkey!

Oh, and you will probably hear a lot about couponing and getting good deals on household items and groceries as I am making a concerted effort to get both budget items down in cost. We are trying to move up closer to Mr. Pear's job, which is a more expensive area, and also, have some very specific savings goals, so this is basically my contribution. My first goal is to buy all our groceries and household items with just my grocery budget money, and then to cut that. So I am working to get my CVS Extra Care Bucks going, and to work the coupon system, and shop smart while still keeping in mind that heart disease runs in both our families, so a lean diet is vital.

But what is really on my mind is how happy I am that we had a nice day as a family, together, even though there were things going on, we still had fun! We ever got our roses and mandarin orange tree fertilized.

We also watered the pots of dirt where theoretically tomatoes and carrots are growing....

It was a good day. I love my little family and being with them! When things are not going quite as well as I would like, all I have to do is look at my family for a very tangible reminder of God's overwhelming goodness and blessing to me.

You could win a Dyson Vacuum!

5 minutes for Mom is giving a way a Dyson Slim Vacuum! You know the line of vacuums I mean, of course - the bagless ones that suck like all get out ... in a good way!

On checking their site there are already 485 hopefulls to win, but all you have to do is sign up with Mr. Linky over yonder! If you click on the link in my post you will go right to the site. Head on over, sign up too!

I don't know about you, but winning a vacuum would be nice...

Freeze it Friday - Ground Beef Recipe

I have a secret for you - you can make meatballs, meatloaf and hamburger patties all from the same recipe. This is my always hamburger patty recipe, but it works great for all three.

For every 2 lbs of meat add:
1 egg
1 pkg onion soup mix
half - 1 cup bread crumbs.

I usually make about six lbs at a time, which makes me 24 hamburgers, or 3 meatloafs, or 6 meals of meatballs.

Freezing instructions:

Meatballs - shape and cook at 350F until done. Cool and freeze in freezer bags. On cooking day, thaw, and cook with sauce as sauce requires.

Hamburgers - shape into patties, freeze on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper or wax paper, and same paper between the layers. Once frozen, cut the paper in between so that you can freeze them in freezer bags. On cooking day just thaw and BBQ

Meatloaf - divide up mixture as needed into freezer bags, squish out as much air as you can and freeze flat. Cooking day thaw, form into loaf and place in loaf pan, cook at 350F for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

P.S. As I am posting this today I do not see Mr. Linky up at the Soapy Dish, but it is kind of now or never for posting this morning, so I will link later.

Frugal Friday - No more than necessary

When I first began to seriously look at my household spending and begin taking serious steps to reduce our spending I asked a dear friend about some of the things she did to save money. She gave me great advice, and articulated something I knew, but did not do as well as I could. She said they had a motto in their house and it was:

No more than is necessary

She went on to explain that this meant not running more water than the needed because that ran up the water bill. This meant reaching for a sweater rather than the thermostat. This meant only ripping a piece of paper towel when that was all that was needed rather than the whole piece. She had a lot of examples.

But the fact of the matter is that it does not matter how great a deal we are getting if we are just wasting it once it gets home. So to save money overall we don't have to just look for good deals, we also have to use well what we have at home.

I finish with a story. A friend of our is fanatical almost about looking for deals. He has been talking about buying a house for about 3 - 5 years now. He reads fliers comparing prices on things he is not going to buy any time soon, or until he finally buys a house. He was shocked by the price of groceries down here. Yet he blows money recklessly in other areas, and once he buys it, he does not use it well. I remember my "frugal" friend using wrapping paper that I could wrap 2 or 3 presents the same size as the one he wrapped, and he used the whole piece. I remember him using bubble wrap and packing tape, and using twice as much as was necessary, but if the plane landed in water, his luggage would definitely have floated.... So, when he finally moves out and is buying all this for himself, he will be buying two to three times as much as I have to for my family. It is surprising what a difference this makes once it is all added up.


Bonus tip:
Speaking of using things wisely, back when we had two incomes I discovered the joy of Swiffer Dusters, and now Miss Pear has discovered the joy as well, so when she dusts she wants her own duster! Too Cute! Alexandra over at Happy Hearts at Home shared a great tip on WASHING SWIFFER DUSTERS! Definitely fitting with my theme of using what you have wisely, now that I can wash swiffers I can avoid buy more!

Now I am just a beginner in this whole venture, so head on over to Crystal's for tips from the experts!

Our Week...

...has been great!

Miss Pear and I discovered the joy of stamping, and while we did not advance far enough to do Easter cards this year, we had lots of fun while Mr. Pear was on his business trip.

Mr. Pear's business trip was successful, a his luggage arrived home with him this time. The only glitch was that his flight was delayed for two hours, so he did not get to see Miss Pear before bed time, but don't worry, she jumped right up when he went into her room to tuck her in!

We showed our home three times yesterday...I am always surprised how exhausting that is. I keep our home very neat as I clean to my plan each week, so it is generally just a quick tidy before they arrive, and two had made appointments the day before, so I had plenty of notice! But I guess it is the emotionally charged part that tires me out.

We got to eat the Strawberry Pie I made to welcome Mr. Pear home from his trip last night for supper because he was too tired when he arrived home Tuesday night to enjoy pie (did I mention that he loves pie?) He thought it was delicious, so I was happy.

Miss Pear and I were very busy this morning doing laundry and baking more hot cross buns and Blueberry, Banana, Oatmeal muffins (actually called BananaBerry Bombs - so good!) and generally having Kitchen Day.

I am loving making hot cross buns, so easy and delicious! This is only the second batch, but I am planning a fresh batch to be made for Easter because once Easter is over, I will not make these until Ash Wednesday again.

So posts are forthcoming about stamping with little ones, and I have been thinking about the verse in Proverbs 31 about "she does her husband good" and what this looks like in our family, so there will likely be a post about that too....

But for now, my wrist is very sore, so I am going to rest while Miss Pear does.

WFMW - Handling Husband's Business Trips

So for those of you who don't know, Mr. Pear was on a business trip from Sunday to Tuesday night again this week, just like the one he had two weeks ago because it is apparently essential to visit the same plant twice with only a week and a half in between visits. And apparently we don't need our family time so go ahead and make him fly on Sunday, twice! After all, it's not like we are going to do anything on Sunday like go to church and have family time, it is not like we need time together as a family or anything...On, and don't get me started about the trip he is required to make the last week in April when he is gone from Wednesday to Sunday night, to return to work Monday morning. No, I am not bitter, what makes you say that????

The last trip was a disaster - Miss Pear was so out of sorts with time change and the confusion of my husband's bosses flights (the guy schedules this whole fiasco to leave Sunday, then calls 20 minutes before the shuttle is to arrive because his flight might be canceled - unfortunately it was not). It was a LONG trip, all three of us were a mess by the time it came to an end Tuesday night when Mr. Pear returned home - his luggage arrived the next day (I think it was waiting for the chaos to pass before returning...).

So we are discovering that business trips are going to be a bone of contention for a while, and especially hard when Mr. Pear commutes 80 miles each way for work making family time especially valuable and protected. (Yes, we are trying to move - would you like to buy a beautiful town home in Southern California?)

We knew we needed to do something different, so here is what we have found works well for us, keeping in mind we have one daughter, Miss Pear who is 22 months and a complete Daddy's girl.

1. The day before the trip explain clearly what is going to happen. Talk about it openly and thoroughly.

2. Day of the trip - Let Miss Pear help Mr. Pear pack, examine passport, steal socks, play with suitcase, whatever makes her happy, let her help.

3. Continue to explain clearly what is happening.

4. Mr. Pear left while Miss Pear was napping, so before she napped they laid on the floor together and talked about what was happening using key phrases like "I will be back after three naps and two sleeps" and "I will be coming home..." and "Be sure to help Mom-mom lots and give her lots of hugs and kisses."

5. When Miss Pear woke up, I reminded her that Daddy had left for his trip, and that because she had napped it was now only 2 naps and 2 sleeps...We continued to count this down.

6. Fun project - we had a fun project to learn - stamping! Miss Pear loves it - more about that in another post.

7. Distractions! Run errands - Monday morning we went out and ran errands - distraction and gets out energy.

8. Keep meals and housework easy - Miss Pear needs more attention when Mr. Pear travels - she likes it when we are both here, and so do I. Did I mention we ordered pizza Tuesday night after we found out Mr. Pears flight was delayed for two hours?

9. Do not plan anything big or energy consuming during this time.

10. Plan play dates - we usually do not have the car during the week, so we take advantage to go to friends houses.

11. Try to show some restraint when Mr. Pear returns home - Miss Pear likes the jumping up and down and clapping her hands while squealing with delight routine, I just grin like a happy fool...and then dance with Miss Pear!...Mr. Pear laughs at his girls and then joins in.

This works very well, and a smooth home life during travel makes me think slightly less evil thoughts about my husbands boss, and lets me enjoy both my time with my daughter and calls and emails with my husband. We are all so much happier.

Sooooooooooooooo happy (to quote both Roman Holiday, and Mrs. Dryer's Miss Corrie)

Works for me! Head on over to Mrs. Dryer's for other great tips!

Giving myself a stern talking to!

I have been reading Feminine Appeal, and am greatly enjoying it! If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend it, and look forward to posting a review once I am done.

One reminder from this fabulous book that was very timely was to not listen to my thoughts or feelings when they are telling me what I know to be contrary to the truth of scripture. Or to say it a different way - when I am thinking thoughts that I know are contrary to the truth of Scripture, or feeling emotions that are contrary to the truth of Scripture I MUST NOT INDULGE THEM! In fact, I must be as inhospitable to those feelings as possible!

There is a reason I needed this reminder - even though I know this!

Lately I have been feeling kind of forgotten. We are going through struggles, and while our family and friends were very good at first, they have their own lives, and it is not reasonable to expect them to be with us in this each step of the way when it is taking SO LONG in some cases, and when the crisis is basically over in others. But that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about feeling forgotten by God.

I understand what the Old Testament writers meant when they said that God remembered them:

Gen. 8:1 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.

Gen. 19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

Gen. 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Ex. 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

God had not forgotten them, but now it was time.

I have been praying for a number of big things for a long time, selling this home and moving, being able to afford a home in our new city, the healing from losing our child to miscarriage, the desire for a second child, being able to be a stay at home mom indefinitely - big things with no answers, all requiring a miracle.

And sometimes I feel like God is not hearing me, and that He has forgotten me.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

God will never look down on us and say, "Oh, yes, you, Mrs Pear, I had forgotten about you, or I had misplaced you, but there you are. Oh, yes, you had that problem, I had forgotten about that, but now that you have remind Me, I will do something about it." This will never happen. God does not forget us, forget where we are, forget what we are facing or lose us. There will never be a coup in Heaven, God is seated on His throne eternally.

Sometimes I feel that I know God can do these things, but not for me.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

Sometimes I think that God has given up on me, that I have finally disappointed Him one too many times.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

I want to live the abundant life God calls His people too, but this means not indulging in this wrong thinking, in this pity party, it means being committed to the truth I know about God.

And so I give myself a stern talking to, and repeat to myself the truth of who God is, the truth of Scripture. And if I don't know a passage to contradict my wrong thinking, I go looking in His Word.

"Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:22-32

God sees, He knows, He cares, He loves. He is my God, and I am His girl, eternally.

Day Care linked to Bad Behaviour

Newsweek of all places posted the results of this very interesting study:

"A Downside to Day Care?

A new study finds that children who regularly attend day-care centers develop more behavioral problems in kindergarten than those that don’t."

I just want to highlight three answers because in California we were inundated with information by First 5 regarding how our children MUST be in preschool, which I understand is very different from Day Care, but there is a point to this, and that Day Care is perfectly fine for your child, in fact it is better for them than just being home all day for a variety of reasons. From talking to friends in other parts of the country, this is particularly acute in California.

"Newsweek: Most of the kids in your study spent a year or two at a day-care center prior to entering kindergarten. How did that affect their behavior later?
Burchinal: For those kids who have one or two years of day care, their level of problem behavior is typical. For children who spent more than that in center-based care, teachers report slightly more disruptive behaviors than are typical. In other words, the more time in day care, the more likely these kids showed problem behaviors.

Any idea why?
We did not look at why in this study, but other people have looked at this question and have some ideas. [One suggested reason is that] there’s been a move to make child-care programs more academic. Kids are supposed to start school knowing numbers and letters before kindergarten, and this process gives them less free time and forces them to do a lot more large-group activities and worksheets. It’s really hard for a 3- or 4-year old to sit and listen to the teacher talk for extended lengths of time. This may lead to more acting out. Another hypothesis is that child-care centers tend to not pay their staffs very well and there’s a lot of turnover. It’s very hard to keep well-trained staff members, and teaching good behavior to a group of kids requires a lot of training.

And you found that kids who never go to day care are the most well-behaved?
Yes, they show the fewest problem behaviors."

The article goes on to clarify that the parenting that helps is the one where the parents enjoy their children, spend time with them teach them etc is helpful to their children.

I always knew I was not harming my daughter by being a stay at home mom - gee, maybe I am actually helping her!

I would encourage you to read this short, one screen article.

More about this at Crystal's too - I would love some tax relief for choosing to stay home to care for my family.

Planting Seeds...we think

Oh, the bliss! Our seed order arrived!

We quickly, like the same day, had to plant!

We carefully filled our containers with mud. And planted two plants that were just for Miss Pear, in addition to two pots of tomatoes and one of little round carrots!

Miss Pear loved breaking up the mud!

We carefully patted down the mud - Miss Pear loved this part too, and was very, umm, enthusiastic! Yeah, that's it!

Then we planted seeds.

And Miss Pear wanted to dig again - in all three pots.

So we think the seeds are still there.

And we are going to have some mighty crooked rows of carrots...

And I am glad we planted two tomato plants in each pot because hopefully that means one of each is still there....

And I wonder if the basil in the center of the tomato pots is still there...

And, literally, Miss Pear and I stepped inside the house onto the mat and had to remove many articles of wet clothing - for Miss Pear this meant, well, everything, for me it just meant my jeans which was not too bad considering that Miss Pear had a squirt bottle and at one point the hose.....

The crooked rows, possible AWOL seeds, and wet messy clothing is all okay!

The plan was for this to be a fun project with Miss Pear, who was absolutely delighted (as were we, this was such a fun time!). Miss Pear, who at the age of 22 months has planted her first garden...assuming the seeds are still there of course.

Checking Receipts Pays Off

As you may remember, last week for Frugal Friday I posted about double checking receipts. This is my standard practice, but I have to confess I was beginning to wonder if it was worth it as my receipts had been very accurate lately.

But today that all changed.

I had to call Vons because I did not get the sale price on diapers. They were great! The manager was so helpful!

I had to call CVS because I was charged for 4 toothbrushes when I only bought 3. They were not so great, I was hung up on or disconnected 4 times before I got to speak to a manager.

That adds up to approximately $8 in over charges.

In both cases I talked to the managers and I was told that I could fix the problem next time I was in, a special trip was not required.

So I would encourage you to check your receipts, and not just at the grocery store! Who knows how much extra we would pay each year if we did not!

C.S. Lewis - on sale!

So this morning Miss Pear and I ran errands, Mr. Pear is on business and we had the car. In a fit of insanity I decided it would be a good idea to hit CVS, Costco Gas, Costco, Vons, and Henry's Marketplace all in one trip, all in two hours. I was so exhausted when we got home. (I am literally laying on the bed, propped up on pillows with my laptop on my knees because I had to tell you two great deals I found).

When we were at Costco I found two deals so good I had to tell you - just in case you have a Costco membership, and they are offering the same deals where you are. (In addition to the gas that was about 25 cents less a gallon than everywhere else of course).

I am working on a baby gift for my brother-in-law and his wife who are expecting June 1. And I really wanted to find a Carter's sleeper on sale - I did, at Costco, for $5.49. So if you are in need of sleepers up to 9 months size, check it out.

In the book section I struck GOLD! At least in my avid reader opinion. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics for $14.29. (Regular price $24.95) This includes Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, Abolition of Man, Great Divorce, Problem of Pain, Miracles, and Grief Observed. While I have Mere Christianity in New Condition (I will be moving it to the gift drawer), I have wanted to read the others and have not, so now for the price of about 2 books, I have then all.

Sooooo happy (to quote from my favorite movie - Roman Holiday).

Chocolate Bottom Banana Squares

Last week Miss Pear and I made Chocolate Bottom Banana Squares, and they were delicious! The following morning company stopped in for coffee, so naturally I had to serve something, so I served this with confidence, and they loved it. In fact, I had to give them the recipe.

So I highly recommend this if you are looking for a banana bread/cake for chocolate lovers.

And if you make it, I would be happy to pop in to help taste test it for you....

Menu Plan Monday - March 24-31

Hi,

Planning breakfasts and lunches went as expected - lots of changes, but it was great to have the ideas there to work with, so I will continue that plan!

So without further ado, here is my menu plan, Saturday to Saturday as that is grocery shopping day!



Saturday

Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Lunch - Out for lunch - we were shopping for Miss Pear's big girl bed
Supper - Meatballs (from the freezer), sweet and sour sauce, rice, beans

Sunday

Breakfast - left over French Toast from Saturday
Lunch - BBQ Hamburgers
Supper - Turkey Veggie Meatloaf, veggie rice, and creamed corn
(Mr. Pear left for a business trip so we jammed into the menu things that are not his favorite, like the meatloaf and corn. He is back Tuesday night - two sleeps, but who is counting????)

Monday

Breakfast** - Hot Cross Buns and fruit
Lunch - Costco treat (if we are there at door opening we arrive home ready for lunch, so this is our solution - besides, we can indulge in another treat Mr. Pear doesn't care for - Turkey Rollers)
Supper - Macaroni and Ham bake, and some kind of veggie

Tuesday

Breakfast - Raisin Bagel and fruit
Lunch - Left over turkey rollers (it is always two lunches for us!)
Supper - Chicken fried rice and sweet and sour sauce (so there is a good supper waiting for Mr. Pear when he returns home late...can you tell I am eager for him to return?)

Wednesday

Breakfast - Yogurt and fruit
Lunch - Tuna sandwiches and veggies
Supper - Philly Cheese Steak wraps and Yam Fries, and strawberry pie!


Thursday

Breakfast - Raisin Bagel and fruit
Lunch - Macaroni bake leftovers
Supper - Pepperoni Rolls* and veggies or salad

Friday (day Mr. Pear telecommutes, if not Friday I will move breakfast and lunch to whatever day it is, but it is usually Friday)

Breakfast - Cinnamon buns and fruit (will make cinnamon buns day before)
Lunch - left over Pizza Rolls from last night
Supper - Taco Pie and Salad

Saturday

Breakfast - Waffles and Strawberry Syrup
Lunch - Cannot decide yet....
Supper - (Grocery shopping day, could not think this far out, so I will decide later or at least before we go grocery shopping next week!)

Breads
French Bread~
Oatmeal Bread~
Sourdough Bread -- third time using this starter
3 Four Bread~
Cinnamon Raisin Bread* (maybe, still thinking about this one.)


Cookies
Spicy Dad's
Frog Eyes
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal

Loaves and Muffins
Soy Banana Loaf~
Apple Loaf ~
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Banana stuff as I got a great deal!

Other
Strawberry Pie
Hot Cross Buns
Cinnamon Buns
Granola Bars
Granola
Fruit Leather

~ from the More with Less Cookbook (can be found on my sidebar if you want to check it out).

* Indicates a new recipe, a review will be posted after I have made it.

** During the week it is just Miss Pear and I for lunch

Freeze it Friday

Have you seen this??

The Soapy Dish is starting a new feature for swapping our fabulous Freezer Recipes and tips! This is the very first week, and they were sweet enough to link to my post for this weeks WFMW regarding how to freeze meals for the, well, for the freezer because I am just not sure where else you could freeze them.

And if you saw my post from last week you will know that this is a big part of how I organize my cooking and baking!

So needless to say, I am thrilled with this new Friday Feature and plan to play along regularly.

Now I could just cheat and share my Lazy Cabbage Roll recipe that you cook in the slow cooker and then freeze using the freezer bag method for easy side dishes, but that would be lame, so I share a different favorite with you, Taco Chili.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taco Chili

Great as an appetizer, a light lunch, or as a chili with the toppings on top.

2 x 1 1/3 packages ground turkey
1 finely chopped large onion
2 taco seasoning envelopes (1/2 cup if you buy the big container)
56 oz crushed or petite diced tomatoes
3 sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange or green) chopped
2 cups salsa (whatever flavor and heat you prefer)
3 x 15 oz black beans, rinsed (1-1.5 cup dried)

tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
more salsa
sour cream
whatever other topping sounds good


Brown turkey adding onions as they are chopped.

Once the turkey is cooked add the next ingredients and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Serve hot.

Freeze meal size portions using freezer bag method.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I make this I usually use dried black beans so I soak them over night, cook them for 12 minutes in my pressure cooker, and then this is the size that fits in my pressure cooker.

If I was doing a serious stock up I would double this and use my massive dutch oven.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you simmer it briefly before you freeze it, so it has the ease of leftovers - thaw, heat through - with the great features of freezer recipes - thaw, cook, as good as the first time!


Freeze it Friday Freezer tip
Keep a list of freezer meals that are ready to go in your freezer so that if you have an unexpected tough day you can peruse the list and pull something out. This recipe is great for a last minute need because it thaws very fast in either the microwave, putting the whole bag in hot water in the sink, or just a large enough pot.

This recipe has saved our lunches and suppers many times!

Frugal Friday - Check and Double Check

I have to confess, I studiously review our grocery receipts every week, checking prices, double checking multiples (i.e. I really did buy three of those, right?), and counting how many coupons were scanned, and doubled.

It is certainly not that I mistrust our checkers, I just mistrust their computers! (as you can tell by my post from last week...)

And I have to tell you, there have been many times where I have called the store over a discrepancy. In the area of California where I live there is a law that says if you are miss charged the item(s) in question are free, so not only am I ensuring I did not over pay, if there is an error I may get the item free.

It is important to do this as soon as you get home though. One Saturday before I started blogging, we were in a bit different area of the city to get our hair cut by our favorite hairdresser. The grocery store there was having fabulous sales. I had planned on buying a treat of Fruitloops as the small boxes were on a good sale. In the store there was a better sale posted for the large boxes, which I very happily scooped up.

When we got home and I reviewed the bill I noted that we had been charged FULL PRICE! I quickly called the store and was told that the sale had expired the day before. I said as nicely as I could that was nice, but the sale price was still posted on the shelves, and I would not have bought the cereal if I thought it was full price! They quickly went and checked the shelf, and sure enough, it was still marked as a sale. So I was promised that they would reimburse me the difference next time I was in. The following Saturday I presented my receipt and explained, and ended up getting my cereal for free, my favorite price.

This trick also helps me to understand how expensive the items I buy in bulk really are, and how much our fruits and veggies really are as both are usually posted by weight. This enables me to shop more frugally in the future!

While I am just learning the baby steps in saving money at groceries and being frugal, head on over to Crystal's to read how the experts do it!