It would be so easy just to post a few pictures but I will actually write instead.

I will share some pictures that Little Boy Blue took this weekend on his camping trip.

Dear husband and Little Boy Blue went camping with the Boy Scout Troop this

weekend. They trekked up a mountain for about a 5 mile hike. By way of gps, their campsite was much, much less than a mile away from the top of the mountain. The house was abuzz upon their return with tales of all they did. They agreed the food was good, really good. They both liked all the food that was served. The nights were terribly frigid and they both were cold at times but were thankful for the wonderful invention known as hand warmers.

It is funny, you can spend an hour and a half once a week, fifty weeks out of the year with the same group of people but not really develop friendships. Spend a Saturday and a few hour drive with some of the same people and you have stories to share for a lifetime and new friendships. Is it because you hung back with the kid that was struggling walking up the mountain and stayed with him so he wouldn't be alone? Is it because you helped to teach someone younger a skill or is it just because you are all sleeping out in nature covered by a big blanket of stars and everyone knows who does and does not snore, sleepwalk, etc. ? I don't know... but it does happen and we are all grateful for those friendships no matter what spawns them.

Showers and naps were the first things on the agenda after the arrival home this afternoon but not before talk, plans and hopes of the next camping trip.

Little Miss Muffet and I did enjoy our girls weekend. After she finished selling Girl Scout cookies, it was off to find a restaurant. We have special memories from past outings such as this. There was the time at Johnny Carino's when we just ordered Italian Cream Sodas and dessert. That was of course B.C. (Before Celiac). It was decadent and yummy!

We tossed around a few ideas, a steakhouse, Chik-Fil-A, a deli ... where would we eat ... what sounded good ... SUSHI!! Of course! I took a detour to to the local Benihanna type restaurant. Well, the good news was there was only one party in front of us. The bad news was it was a party of fourteen. We were looking at a thirty minute wait but our tummies couldn't wait that long. After a quick inquiry about the wait if we were only eating sushi, we were immediately ushered to a table. Not having to wait for a grill table was great. We were finished before the party of 14 was seated. California Rolls, Philadelphia Rolls, Wasabi, Cucumber Salad, Seaweed Salad. So yummy, so good! So hungry three hours later. We had great fun; we used our chopsticks. LMM commented she liked her stainless steel chopsticks much better than the wooden pull-aparts. Next time maybe we will plan ahead and she can bring her own along with our wheat-free tamari sauce. It was so odd not being able to pour any soy sauce on our food but we managed without it. We went to the book store and perused the shelves of magazines, sat in formerly comfy chairs (no joke -- they used to have padding, well maybe they have padding but no springs, seriously you sit down and just keep going, going, going until you have sunk down until you almost reach the floor). We had fun sharing about the magazines, pointing at pictures, oohing and aahing, whispering and laughing.

We decided on our purchases and decided to top off the night with Blizzards from DQ. We made a major discovery, they no longer carry cotton candy blizzards. It has been many months (about 8) since I had one. They told me they may bring them back at a later date. You know when you crave something, you can almost taste it, your taste buds are sitting on the edge of their chairs just waiting to experience the burst of flavor, then the salivating stops because they no longer carry that flavor. It's kind of like those taste buds just sunk down, down, down in those formerly comfy chairs at the bookstore. Well, I'm a big girl and it was girls weekend so I just chose something else but with CHOCOLATE. We returned home and watched one of my favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama. Remember, it was girls weekend -- chocolate and chick flicks, what could be better!

Saturday there were errands to run or we would have gone to the movies to see another chick flick. Confessions of a Shopaholic. Only a matinee though. Can you believe regular movie tickets are $9.50?! Since the kiddoes were little, seeing a movie at the movie theater was always a surprise and special treat usually associated with their birthday. One time we watched two movies back to back. 101 Dalmations then we went and bought tickets to the next movie, I don't even remember the name but it was animated and about basketball. The kiddoes thought it was awesome to see two movies on the same day. These days we go to the drive-in. What a wonderful invention! Double features for the price of a matinee. Sometimes we pack supper, soft drinks, snacks, blankets, pillows and the portable radio and off we go to the movies. We always buy the popcorn there, gotta have that movie popcorn with extra butter. LBB and LMM are growing up but going to the movies is still a special treat that creates excitement and it is still a special treat.

Well, I didn't even know what I was going to post about but I rambled on and on enough, I guess this will count as a post. :) Have a blessed week!

awaiting spring...

Frugality

Since becoming a single income family over sixteen years ago, I have implemented many different ways of being frugal. These have changed over the years as needs and income levels have changed.



I'm feeling the need to be careful and be more frugal these days. To see what I am already doing and areas where I could do more I thought I would list them here.



1. My top Christmas request was a clothes line. Cost: The price of a bag of concrete. We had all of the other supplies. The clothes line is up now. I'll save money on electricity once I actually use the clothes line.



2. I'm making my own laundry detergent. The first batch of laundry detergent was powder. I hadn't used powdered detergent in probably 14 years. My second batch was in the big five gallon bucket and was liquid. It didn't gel up as it was supposed to, but I am going to try something a bit different next time and it should gel then, otherwise it is working just fine.



3. Vinegar is our new laundry softener. 2 gallons is a little over $3, and that's without using coupons. No, clothes don't smell like vinegar and they are surprisingly soft. There aren't any unpronounceable ingredients either.



4. Jigsaw puzzles are cheap entertainment. I found some for $1 at Dollar Tree. Board games, dominoes, and cards are also cheap entertainment and promote family togetherness.



5. The temperatures are becoming more mild now in anticipation of spring. I have turned off the heater for the most part. We turn on some electric tower heaters in the morning to heat up the house and we have electric blankets on our beds if they are needed at night. We have been able to open the windows a few days when the temperatures have been in the mid to upper 70's. I hope to cut down on our electric bill and take advantage of the moderate temperatures.



6. I changed our telephone service and bundled it with our Internet. Yes, I had to agree to a two year contract. Instead of paying $45 for Internet and $65 for telephone monthly, we pay $65 for both - a monthly savings of $45 - that a savings of $540 a year!!



7. I've begun to use coupons again. A local health food store has a website, I can print off the coupons I will use from their site. Another has 20% off on certain days off certain items. I saw Albertson's is advertising double and triple coupons again. Another grocery store has loads of in store coupons and the register prints off coupons with your receipt. I received a $4 off coupon on paper towels. Awesome deal.



8. I make a two week menu then make my grocery list from it. I have made forms that have all the usual grocery items listed. If I don't need it that time, I just mark it out. I still keep my grocery list on the fridge when we run out of something, that allows me to accurately mark off those things we don't need. Making a menu lets us plan in advance for when we eat out. On those busy days when we would have gone out to eat, I use the crockpot -- so much better than drive-thru food. Freezer cooking helps tremendously also.



9. Freezing bananas. Laugh if you want, but if you've ever found those last few bananas that didn't get eaten because they were getting brown spots on them, then a day later they oozed some kind of goop and had to be thrown away -- you don't laugh then. Now oozy bananas have been eliminated. We always have frozen bananas for smoothies now. This was an attempt to be aware and not waste money by wasting food. This also includes forgotten lettuce in the crisper and sprouting potatoes in the pantry.



10. We take our own beverages with us when we go into town for errands. Four soft drinks can be $10. Three times a week is $30 =$1560 a year! Wow! What an expense! Plus, we save cans and cash them in. We don't make a lot but we are recycling.



11. I had been buying 6 to 8 cases of water a month. I found a Brita water pitcher on sale and am keeping my eyes open for the lowest price and coupons for the replacement filters. $4 per case of water = $32 a month. $384 a year for water. With prices I've paid so far for the replacement filters, it will cost about $80 a year for these - a savings of $300. I hope to find a really good price and save even more. I'm also saving more money by not having to go to the recycling center as often to take the plastic bottles.



12. Discount makeup and other hba items. How? I let other people pay for mine. How? I sell Avon. My customers orders cover the cost of my orders or at least greatly reduce what I have to pay. Even without customers, the price I pay is discounted.



13. I am an avid reader and so are my children. I use Paperback Swap. I have received several books that would have cost me $25 to $40 if I had to buy them. All for the cost of one credit, which was the cost of postage to send a book I didn't want or was finished with(about $2.50). Paperback Swap lists my savings at over $600, but that's at $4.50 a book. So the savings is so much greater, the convenience is wonderful too.



14. Actually, I am surprised I have been able to list this many items. I did spend money to save money a week ago. I bought some organic seed starter soil mix and the trays to plant seeds in for my own transplants. I also bought some organic heirloom seeds along with having some on hand. In a couple of months I won't be guessing what kind of tomato transplants are at the nursery. I'll have my own transplants and I'll be planting the vegetables I want because I won't have to just choose from the selection that is left over or from what someone else chose.



15. Okay, this one is kind of frivolous but nonetheless it's still saving money. We don't frequent Starbucks often, but I learned something recently. I opened some mail that I had originally just thought was junk mail. Not exactly -- there was a Starbucks gift card in there. I saved a percentage on my purchase by using that gift card. That was cool. Then I registered my card and I get free perks for doing that (free refills, free syrups, etc.) The only reason we went to Starbucks was because of the gift card. Since I have Celiac, I can't eat any of the pastries there which saves money too!



16. Target pharmacy. Every 6 to 8 weeks, they have a coupon for a gift card worth $10 when you fill a new prescription there or transfer one. I save up the gift cards and use them for Christmas gifts -- free money! I'm only able to use the coupon when I get a prescription filled, it's got to be done, why not get a free $10 gift card. Also, Target often offers free gift cards when you buy certain items. If they are something that we use/need, I will get them at Target when that is offered, it's even better when I can use coupons.



There is also the usual 'I don't buy convenience foods'. I shop the perimeter of the grocery store first and don't go down aisles if I don't need anything on them. When I make lasagna, I make two and put one in the freezer. I double and triple pancake recipes in hopes of having enough left over to put in the freezer. I can't do this with waffles yet as I don't have a new waffle maker. I have two, but they were both used with wheat flour batters and with all the nooks and crannies I am not willing to use them with gluten free batters. For a couple of months

Looking forward to a new rank...

Tonight was troop elections in Boy Scouts for Little Boy Blue. He was elected Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. This is a position of great responsibility as he and the Senior Patrol Leader lead, train, and supervise the troop of boys. Boys drop out with bad leadership and participation grows with good leadership. They will do a grand job of leading the troop.

He will soon have his Scout Master Conference to finish earning his Life rank. Once he has obtained Life rank, he will begin work on his Eagle Scout rank. This is only weeks away.

Since he has a position of responsibility, this counts toward his requirements for Eagle Scout.

We asked the pastor Friday if there was anything at the church that LBB could do as an Eagle Project that would help out the church. Sunday evening we had our answer - the church has a dedicated library room, but it is not finished. Bookshelves need to be built, sanded, painted; books need to be sorted as well as cataloging the books. Who knows, maybe they can even help the pastor unpack the 15 boxes of books in his office and shelve them.

A year ago, Eagle seemed so far away -- not unattainable, but several ranks away. Now - a few weeks, my son will be a Life Scout and working on his Eagle.

Not to leave out Little Miss Muffet, we were informed of an opportunity that I think is just wonderful. She can go to the state Capitol and work as a page in the Capitol for a week through Girl Scouts. How awesome is that! I think LMM is very interested in this. We might have to juggle a few things to clear the calendar ... how many people can say they worked as a page in their state Capitol. Hopefully, this is something that can be worked into our schedule.

Weekly Menu

Here is our menu for the week...

Monday -
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Strawberries
Lunch: Salad
Supper: Crockpot Baked Potato Soup
Snack: yogurt and granola

Tuesday -
Breakfast: Muffins (not sure what kind yet), Fruit, Yogurt
Lunch: Leftover Baked Potato Soup
Supper: Tacos or Taco Salad
Snack: Spicy Jicama Strips

Wednesday -
Breakfast: grapefruit w/ agave syrup
Lunch: Sandwiches and Salad, homemade salad dressing
Supper: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes (or pureed steamed cauliflower), Brussel Sprouts
Snack: Apple Slices and Nutella

Thursday -
Breakfast: Yogurt, Granola, Fruit
Lunch: Tuna Salad served with apple slices, black grapes, sweet pepper strips
Supper: Lasagna, Salad, Gluten Free French Bread
Snack: Orange Slices sprinkled with cinnamon

Friday -
Breakfast: Oatmeal and Fruit
Lunch: Lettuce Wraps
Supper: Beans, Fried Potatoes, Salad OR Chop Suey
Snack: yogurt and fruit

Saturday -
Breakfast: Gluten Free French Toast, Fruit, Bacon
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Bacon Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries
Supper: Salmon, Grilled Crab Stuffed Shrimp wrapped in Bacon, Baked potatoes, Sauteed Green Beans, Molten Lava Cakes (Gluten Free, of course)
Snack: 7 layer Bean dip, nacho chips

The baked potatoes for the soup are left over from Sunday. It's easier to cook 12 baked potatoes at once than 6 at two different times. I also cooked more bacon than needed yesterday; we had bacon pieces on our baked potatoes last night and there is enough left over to be sprinkled on top of the baked potato soup. Every Monday is crockpot night. If I don't do this, we tend to eat out on Mondays.

Tuesday we are having muffins for breakfast. I have many, many wonderful muffin recipes that I have collected over the last 15 years. We have many favorites, among them are Blueberry-Banana and Ginger Pumpkin along with many others. Since going gluten-free almost a year ago, we have not enjoyed our weekly, or sometimes twice a week muffins. I'm not sure if I will replace the flour with my gluten-free flour mix in one of my existing recipes or if I will make gf muffins from one of my gf recipe books. I'm going to let the kiddoes choose.

On Thursday, supper will be so easy because the lasagna is already made and in the freezer. I made spaghetti on Saturday night and made three times as much sauce as I usually would. Part was for supper that night, part was for the lasagna, and part was for the freezer for pasta or for pizza sauce. Little Miss Muffet wanted to make the lasagna, so I handed the kitchen over to her. She was excited to make it herself, instead of just helping.

The grilled crab stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon is something that I made for my dear husband last Valentine's Day. I made two for each person, placed them on a salad plate, curved one to the left and one to the right which made a heart shape. This is a tradition I plan on continuing. A couple of weeks before Valentine's Day last year, dear husband was at a conference for work. One night at dinner he had a steak and this shrimp. He raved about it. When he and his boss returned home, I called his boss to help me get better understanding of this dish my husband loved so much. I found out it was like a crab cake mixture and took it from there. He was so surprised to see the shrimp and impressed that I went to the trouble to recreate it for him.

Ready for spring...

It is such a mild day outside. Right now it is 71 degrees. The mercury probably won't rise any higher today, but it is so nice. We opened the windows to allow the soft gentle breeze to flow in and let the stale winter air blow out. As I sit on the sofa, I can hear the birds chirp and the bamboo chimes clink.

It makes me want to go plant my vegetable seeds right now and to remove the dehydrated vegetation from the flowerbeds, but I know it's not time yet. So I'm enjoying the sounds and stillness. I don't even want to turn on the television, I don't want the intrusion of the stillness. I love days like these. I am thankful I don't have any errands to run and I can read, surf the net and enjoy the beautiful day. I am sure we will have winter weather again in a few days, so I am soaking all of this in. The dogs are enjoying the children running and playing outside with them.

This morning I created a few items I hope will aid in organization and will be great time savers to me. First I created a master list for shopping at Sam's Club. I listed all those items I buy from there (dog food, sour cream, grapes, etc.). Then I made one for the grocery store I normally shop at. I arranged the list by dairy, fruit, vegetables, canned goods, and so on. I left blank spaces on each of the pages so I can add those things I may want to add, such as shrimp which I don't buy every time. I will mark out those things I do not need so only those things I need to buy will be left on the page. I also need to make one for the health food store which will include our gluten free items. I also made a menu form which has spaces for breakfast, lunch, supper and a snack. It is a two week menu list. I have used other menus I have found on the web, I have made my own forms and have even made two month menus on a piece of notebook paper. Hopefully this menu form will prove effective for our family. Now I'm off to make my menu plans and grocery lists.

Crockpot Taco Soup

I knew this afternoon would be busy. We had a prom committee meeting and didn't know how long that would take. There were a few other errands to do so I knew we would not have much time to make supper tonight. I took out my trusty crock pot and decided what to make. I changed up my Taco Soup recipe and this is what I came up with. It was delicious by the way.

Crock pot Taco Soup
3 large frozen chicken breasts
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 can Rotel, do not drain
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 26.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Place frozen chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour in Rotel and diced tomatoes. Do not drain. You need their liquid for the soup. Drain and rinse the black beans. Place all of the other ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours. Shred chicken before serving.

Optional garnishes: squeeze of lime juice, grated cheese, dollop of sour cream, and/or a few tortilla chips crushed

You may notice there is no corn in this recipe. Add it if you would like. Little Boy Blue is allergic to corn, so I omit it.

Eat and enjoy!!

Scout Spirit

Wouldn't you know it, the first time I go to Bunco in 3 or 4 months, I miss something at Boy Scouts.

At the end of Boy Scouts tonight, a speech was given about a boy who demonstrates the scout spirit, does what he is asked and always asks how he can help. Then ... my son's name was called. We had no clue. He had no clue. One of his friends came up to him afterward and said, "When she was up there saying all that, I knew they were talking about you." Isn't that a sweet thing to say, in the context of one boy to another.

Wouldn't you know it, his momma wasn't there and his dad had stepped out to check on his sister in her Girl Scout room. Talk about timing. If I had been there, chances are I would have been in the Girl Scout room myself, so I still wouldn't have seen it.

It's really nice when someone else sees your child and knows what he does and how he conducts himself. I know my son and how he is, but to be recognized among his peers by a leader is something else. We are always proud of Little Boy Blue, it's nice when others are also and when there is public acknowledgement.

He will receive his Life rank shortly, which is the one before you receive your Eagle rank. He is already talking and thinking about planning his Eagle Project. He is going to meet with our pastor about possible projects that could be completed at our church. If there are none, then he is making back up plans to help at my aunt's church. He could very well accomplish his Eagle rank while he is 14.

Little Miss Muffet is almost ready to begin work on her Gold Award which is the Girl Scout equivalent to Eagle. Even though they are not twins, more times than not they do the same things at the same time. They lost their first tooth a week apart and lost their last tooth a week apart. That's not the first thing and won't be the last.

It makes you all smiley inside and out when recognition is given to your child, especially when they deserve it.

Way to go, Little Boy Blue!! We are proud of you!

We are proud of you too, Little Miss Muffet.