My favorite recipe sites

I used to collect cookbooks until we began downsizing.  Once we started downsizing I realized they took up too much space. Plus, I realized that I was using my own personal cookbooks and online recipes more than the cookbooks.

I have 2 favorite recipe sites online that I probably use at least 4 times a week. These sites have replaced most of my cookbooks.

 Food
All Recipes

I use their search engine to find a recipe. Once the the page comes up with the recipes, you'll see at the top a pull down link that says 'revelance'. Click on it and choose 'rating'. By doing so it will automatically arrange the recipes according to their rating. Below the top rated recipes you'll find helpful reviews.  I always read these to get ideas on how to improve the recipe or to find out what ingredients can be replaced.

Be sure to sign up as a member so that you can make a cookbook. This feature allows you to save the recipes. I love this feature because it saves me money (no more cookbooks or cooking magazines) and storing space since I don't have to print out the recipes. 

The Food site also has a feature where you can filter food items you have available. It will bring up available recipes for the items you have on hand.

Do you have any favorite recipe sites?

High electrical bills & Clotheslines

Happy Day! The sun was shining.. no fog.. with a slight breeze and temps in the 60's. I know that may seem hard to believe considering the weather back east.  I almost feel guilty telling you that I ran around most  of the day with a short sleeved shirt. Glorious!

The clothesline was one of the features I scoped out immediately when we first interviewed for our job as caregivers. Hanging clothes has been a long time practice that has always helped to save money.  Frankly, I find the practice quite therapeutic.

So with such a beautiful day upon us .. and laundry before me... I tried out Miss Alice's clothesline. I believe this is the first time I haven't strung my own clothesline. It's a nice one, too. Professional.

Living in someone's home we make every effort to conserve energy. I think it pleases Miss Alice that I am making an effort to stretch 'her' pennies and not just my own.

Hanging clothes is a simple task. There are few rules. I take a rag and clean the lines. You'll probably think my marbles are loose but I find a bit of satisfaction in organizing my laundry as I hang it. I like to hang 'like' items together. If I have 'unmentionables' in the load I will hang those on the back lines and place longer items on the rows in front to hide them. Never leave your clothes pins outside after dark or they won't last long and be sure to bring your clothes in before the night air falls or your clothes will be damp. If the clothing is wrinkled then I'll toss them in the dryer for 5 minutes. This practice will also take the stiffness out of the towels and underwear. Crunchy undies are not fun! :-)

No dryer sheet fragrance can compare to the fresh, crisp scent of air lined bed linens. It's one of God's free pleasures and man has yet to duplicate it.

Do you use a clothesline? Or do you prefer drying racks? Or just say 'forget the whole thing'! :-)

Simple Breadmaking

As I look back over today I'm feeling good about what I was able to accomplish.  Some days just flow.. very few interruptions and much accomplished. Today was one of those days. I was able to finish a variety of tasks which is always very fulfilling. Yet, I understand that it's necessary for my conformity (to be more like Jesus) that I not be allowed this luxury consistently. It's good to bow my will to the Father's and to learn to adapt to His schedule rather than mine.

I've been trying to find time to bake bread for quite a few days and finally today was the day. I find breadmaking much easier and less time consuming since I learned to use my bread machine's dough cycle to do the initial work of the kneeding and rising.  Once the dough cycle is finished I drop the dough into a greased loaf pan and let it rise in a warm oven for nearly an hour and then bake it to a golden brown.
In my quest to stretch my pennies (until they scream for mercy) .... I've learned I have to bake and cook ahead of time. If I wait until I'm out of an item then oftentimes I'll give in to the temptation to purchase the item instead.  I was blessed with some large hotdogs from a food pantry. My husband wanted a chili dog so I made whole wheat hot dog rolls today and froze them until the mood hits him.  I also made a loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread and gave half to my mother since she loves it for toast in the mornings.  We try not to eat a lot of bread but my husband still likes his occasional sandwich.

I've been blessed to find whole wheat flour and white flour for breadmaking at $1.50 (5#). I have not figured out how much each loaf costs but I would venture to say that it's much less than half as much as the store bought loaves since you rarely can find a healthy loaf of bread for less than $3.00. I found a bread slicer at a thrift store for less than $3.00 which slices a thin piece for sandwiches.

A few days ago I made whole wheat tortillas. I froze them for future meals. In the past I've always made white flour tortillas so this was the first time I tried my hand at a whole wheat recipe.

Here are a few of the bread type items I try to make at home instead of paying high prices at the grocery store:

- Tortillas

- Sandwich bread
- Hot dog buns
- Hamburger buns
- Pizza crust

Do you make your own bread items? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Things I DON'T throw away!

This will be an ongoing list but I'll start with this for now. I'll update as I'm reminded of other things I don't throw away and as I develop new habits.

Some may wonder why a person would go to all the trouble of saving re-usable items. I see it as a way to make money at home. If I save an item that cost me nothing or re-use an item I have already paid for then it's as if I am putting money in our pockets.  It will save me from having to purchase that item in the future. It's a small little paycheck.. so to speak. :-)  Small amounts of this and that saved over a period of time will add up.

I'm currently reading, "We had everything but money". The book is full of real life stories of people who lived during the depression and how they survived. I hope to write a book review on it when I finish. I'm finding it very helpful in this area of using it up, doing without and making do.

-  Used tinfoil. (I wash/dry it unless it had been used for meat.)
-  Vegetable plastic bags from produce section. Also the plastic wrap for the newspaper.
-  Buttons off of clothing that is too worn to pass on.
-  Worn out towels get made into rags. I MAYBE buy one roll of paper towels a year but instead use rags. Also used for the batting in potholders.
-  My grandmother saved old blankets to use as a lining in her quilts.
- Nylons that have a hole on only one leg. Cut off that leg below the dark panty line and do the same with another pair = 1 pair nylons.
- Glass jars. I use them to discard grease safely without clogging drains.
-  Rubber bands brought home from produce (ex. broccoli).
- Bread wrappers (muffins, tortilla)
- Butter wrappers. (I put these in a 'used' plastic bag and keep them near the shortening to use instead of Pam).
- Small amounts of my leftover herb tea. I have a glass pitcher in the fridge that becomes the final destination for the last bits of lukewarm tea. Just add water and I have a lovely iced herb tea. Yum! My favorite. 
- Worn out jeans are used for quilts.
- Bread heels go in the freezer to use for bread crumbs. I dry them out in the oven, then season with garlic powder and parsley and give them a whirl in the food processor.
- Cereal: I save the plastic bag to reuse. Most box mixes of any kind (cake, Rice-a-Roni, etc. can be re-used).
- Worn out T-shirts get cut down into small squares and used for 'cloth toilet paper'.
- The cardboard roll of a paper towel. I wrap my used plastic bags around the cardboard roll and then secure with a rubber band. They fit nicely in the drawer. I also use the cardboard roll to store extension cords.
- Leftover fruit. Just pop the entire banana.. peel included.. into a bag and freeze. When you get three bananas you can make banana bread or banana cake. Pieces of soft fruit such as peaches and apricots can be simmered until mushy with a little honey or sugar added and eaten as stewed fruit.  Pieces of  peaches, apricots and berries and bananas can be frozen for smoothies.
- The last bit of almond milk (it could be milk instead) in my cereal bowl. I put it in a marked container to use the next morning.
-  Leftover meat bones get frozen for future broth.
-  Leftover small bits of veggies (you could also save rice and noodles) get put in a container marked 'soup' in the freezer to use in batches of soup.
-  Sunday comics are used for children's wrapping paper.
-  Slivers of bar soap are put in a jar under the sink filled half way with water to use for hand soap later. Or can be saved to use in homemade laundry soap.
-  I save the tissue paper, bows and wrapping paper my gifts come in.
-  String from pet food, oatmeal bags, flour bags.
- The last bit of lipstick in a tube. I use a lipstick brush to use it up.
-  Meat drippings leftover from hamburger or any other meat to be used in homemade broth.  Just pop it in the freezer in a marked container for soup.  I also use a small amount (1 tsp.) on my dogs dry food to help her coat look shiny.
-  Plastic containers I purchase items in get re-used for leftovers. I mark them with masking tape each time I use them.

Do you ladies have anything you'd like to add to this list?

Tightwad Tuesday: Tracking Expenses Challenge

Okay, so I'm posting Tightwad Tuesday a day late on Wednesday instead.  *Smile*   I got a bit side tracked with our move but I'm back in the saddle again.. at least for this week.. and hope to post TT a bit more regularly. 

I've learned some of my most frugal practices from the TWG. I like to make it a yearly goal to browse through it's pages to spark new frugal motivation so this year I decided to share some of  my favorite frugal  practices from TGW with you and hopefully start a few new ones.

The frugal tip for this week is keeping a journal of your spending expenses. I did try to keep tracking of how much I spent on groceries once and I definitely felt it was helpful. But, I've never tracked everything we've spent for an entire month.

This is a different financial season for my husband and I .. every penny LITERALLY counts with no room for error. Starting in October my budget dropped another $1,000 and we are now officially living below poverty level. Funny though ...  I don't feel poor. :-)  I am very, very blessed and well-taken care of by my Heavenly Father. Every need  my husband and I have is abundantly met and many 'wants', too.

 So, I'm considering keeping a journal in February. The purpose will be to monitor all 'optional' spending. There are still dollars slipping through my fingers and I'm hoping if I make an effort to write down every penny it might deter some unnecessary spending.

Do you keep a financial journal?

List of MOVING TIPS

I've moved enough in the last 5 years to feel as if I could qualify for the 'professional mover' title. I've learned a few tips a long the way that have been very helpful. Maybe these tips might help someone else.

Items needed:

• Black Sharpie markers
• Masking tape
• Packaging tape
• A ton of free boxes
• Colored round (garage sale) stickers
• Black garbage bags with tie strings
• Newspaper 

 - Make a 'Moving Notebook' where you keep all your important paperwork and checklists for the move. Be sure to keep track of the places you call to change your address, a sheet where you keep reminders, etc. 
- De-clutter as you pack. Have a box nearby for give away items. The more you get rid of the less you'll have to move.
- Pack in stages. If you have a move date that is a few weeks or more down the road use the weeks ahead  to 'pre-pack'. This strategy helps take the pressure off those last few hectic days before the move. Go through each room of the house and pack things you can live without until the moving date. Do this each week because the closer you get to the move the less items you'll need.  Leave the boxes in their original room (well marked with specific items listed on the outside of the box) so you can find an item quickly if need be.
- Color code the boxes and link to a map of the rooms in your new house. For instance, the kitchen could be a red round sticker (office supply stores sell garage sale stickers with multiple colors). Then make a map of the house and place a red sticker on the kitchen area and another red sticker on the box(es) of kitchen items. Make several maps and place them at the entrance of the house so that when your 'movers' bring in a box with a colored sticker they can look at the map and know which room to place the box. Be sure to also write the destination on the box in case the sticker falls off. :-)This will help take the pressure off of YOU as the 'go to gal'.
- Become friends with the produce manager at your local grocery store. I like the apple boxes best for packing because they are not too large and have a nice top. I also use banana boxes because they stack well and work great for larger items. Wine boxes work well for plates. Ask the produce manger what is the best time of day to pick up boxes and then call first thing the next morning.  Let him know you'll be there immediately to pick them up. ALWAYS get a TON more boxes than you think you'll need. Guaranteed you'll need more than you can imagine.You can also check Freecycle to see if anyone is getting rid of their moving boxes.
- You can post on Freecycle that you have moving boxes for pickup once the move is over. They should go fast. Or better yet, check to see if your city has a cardboard recycler who will pay you for your cardboard.
- Purchase a box of heavy black garbage bags (I bought mine at Costco) that have colored tie strings. I use these for pillows, blankets, bedspreads, towels and odd shaped items that won't fit into a box. Label the bag with a piece of masking tape.
- I also use black garbage bags to cover my clothes which keeps them from getting dirty. I gather no more than 5 items on a hanger and use rubber bands to tie the tops of the hanger together. Make sure you use clothes pins to secure any clothes that look like they will slip off the hanger. Pierce a hole in the bottom of the garbage bag and place the group of hangers through the hole. I cover all the clothes we won't be wearing weeks ahead of the move and leave them hanging in the closet. Just leave the clothes unwrapped that you'll wear the final days.  This practice makes it very easy to transport clothes without items falling off and getting dirty. If you're using a moving van you can hang the clothes on the side rails in the van.
- Cook food ahead of time and freeze so you don't have to cook the first week you're in your new home while you're unpacking and trying to get settled.
- If friends come to help they could put new shelf paper on the kitchen shelves while you're busy doing other things. I have 3 goals the first day we move in. 1). Beds  2). Eating and drinking utensils  3) Bathroom necessities such a T.P., towels and toothbrushes. If at all possible it's best to keep these boxes separated so you can find them easily.  If you have important medications make sure you take them personally in your own vehicle.
-Our pastor taught me to make sure every single item is in a box before the move. Make sure there are no stragglers.
-Feed your movers. Ex: Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken are both quick and easy solutions. My mom and sister were not able to help with the actual move this time but offered to be our rest stop. They made a wonderful lunch for the movers and gave us a warm place to rest.
-Save your movers backs by not packing too many heavy items in one box.
- Use your towels and sheets to wrap around your breakable glasses and dinnerware. Wrapping dishes in newspaper can leave them dirty.

'Living small' and our new home!

I'm entering my second year of LIVING SMALL and frankly I really like it. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would someday live in a home that was 10 times less in size.. I would have thought it unbearable. But, here I am and we're as content as can be! God has given abundant grace and we have found great peace in not only living with less but also with LIVING SMALL.

Here are a few things I like about LIVING SMALL:

•  LIVING SMALL demands less of my time to clean which allows more time to invest in eternal priorities.   
• LIVING SMALL forces me to make the most of the space that I do have. Our new little cottage has less storage than we previously had so it forced me to consider and evaluate each item I own (literally). That is a good thing because it helps me to narrow my priorities in what I own! Less stuff equals less to take care of.
• LIVING SMALL helps to harness the shopping bug (a.k.a. GREED). I used to enjoy browsing the stores which generally ended up in another purchase. But no longer! I just don't have the room for anything else unless I get rid of something.  I honestly have lost all desire to window shop which in the long run is saving me money and helping me to live more comfortably on a very limited budget.
• LIVING SMALL has helped me to focus more on my important relationships than on STUFF>

It's possible that someday we may LIVE LARGE(r) than we are living now but I believe that our lives will be forever effected by the drastic challenge of LIVING SMALL. At least I hope so!

So here is a tour of our new little cottage.

This is our main living space. Our kitchen is on the left.
 I've stored our canned food out in the garage in cabinets.
My 'office' is to the right of this picture in the lower left hand corner.



Same room just from a different view. The door straight back
is the laundry room which we share with our little lady plus
a bathroom. The hall leads to her home.

My 'office'. The closet holds half of our clothes. Our little lady
(Mrs. A.) has been gracious to allow us the use of an extra closet in
her home. I really think we could get by with this one closet if
we had to. Maybe I'll downsize our clothes this year.

Our bedroom. Our bed just barely fit. We had less than a foot
at the end but lots of space on the sides. Our BB (beloved pet)
sleeps on the pillow next to the bed.

We are also blessed with a 2 car garage which has helped tremendously. I've stored extra cleaning products along with canned foods, an extra fridge, large cooking pots and appliances and extra toiletries.

I'm determined that we COULD live in just the space given minus the garage and extra closet. We would just not be allowed the luxury of a stocked pantry.

We have everything necessary to maintain our household.. plus a little more. Isn't that amazing?