Few Recipes This Week July 7-13

I posted a picture on Friday of the English Muffin Bread I made here.   I found the recipe on Pinterest but here is the link to the original blog it was posted on, One Good Thing by Jillee . It was very good and I will for sure be making it again.

There are several Farmers Markets around us.  Yesterday I went to a fairly new one near my house and bought some blueberries.  Today Kid # 5 and I went to the bigger one along the river front here.  I also bought some blueberries there.  When we came home I decided to make a cobbler with some of them.  I used this recipe. 

Here is how it turned out, hubby ate some before I could get a photo :)

 

Last night we had this Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad.  It was awesome! 

 

Edit* - forgot to mention, I used dried tortellini from Aldi.  I cooked two packages, rinsed in cold water and then went from there.  I also used canned diced tomatoes ( also from Aldi) because that was what I had on hand.  I did use some fresh basil but I didn't have enough so I added some dried basil too. 

 

 

I recently tried this, cocktail drink recipe also.  It was not to bad :)

 

 

Food Waste

Once in awhile I try to remember to snap a photo of our food waste for the week.  This is it.  Not to shabby I guess.  I got the idea to do this from reading over at The Frugal Girl.  She use to do this and post about it.  Not sure if she still does but it seems like a good idea to me :)

I hope to do it more often so maybe I will have more weeks with no pictures then ones with :)

 

5 Things I Did That Were Frugal This Week

1. Made use of our clothesline

2. Cut open my tube of tinted moisturizer to use it all up.

3. Ran my dishwasher only when it was full ( I had taken a few things out before I snapped the photo)

4. Made 4 loaves of English muffin bread instead of buying English muffins. I had all ingredients to make.

5. Made a fruit fly trap using items I already had and it worked fabulously!

Few Things I Made For My Grandson

I have been trying to use up some of the fabric and craft supplies I have bought on clearence and at garage sales.  Sometimes when I see things I might use in the future that is cheap I buy it even if I don't have a plan for it. 

I decided I would like to make a few things for my grandson, that would be useful to his parents, so I made them some burp clothes and a couple of blankets. 

I think they turned out good :)

Feeling Trapped

With Kid # 5 in a full leg cast, it is not easy to get around and go places.  We both feel a little trapped in the house.  Hopefully as she gets better with her crutches and more confident moving around this feeling will go away.  We had a friend loan us a portable wheelchair, so that has helped some in being able to get out and go places.

One would think since we have been spending so much time at home, I would have more to show for it, but really I don't lol.  I guess if I really think about it, my laundry is done and my house is clean.  I just need more motivation to get my projects done.

I have started a curtain for my closet in my bedroom.  It is really the last project to do so that I can call my bedroom done.  Started it the key word here though, I am not really motivated to finish it :(

I have a skirt I made for myself that I need to finish.  Today I plan to stop and pick up the elastic I need for it.  Hopefully I will be able to show it all to you by tomorrow.

I  have started a wall gallery project in my hallway, key work again is started.  I really need to finish that and decide what pictures I would like to place there.  Right now there is just cutouts from newspaper of the frames taped to the wall.

I spend alot of time waiting on Kid # 5.  You just don't realize how self reliant a 10 year old really is until they can't get around on their own.  Right now she can't even shower, so we are having to do sponge bathes and wash her hair in the sink.  Next week she will get a different leg cast which will be water proof so then we can go back to showering.

Anyway, that is my little pitty party for the day.  Really the summer has not been that bad and I do like that I have been spending alot of time with Kid #5, she won't always be 10 and before I know it she will be grown too :(

Searl House Summer Happenings 2013

1. I wrote about Kid # 5 hurting her knee here.  After having an MRI we discovered it was more serious then we thought.  Last Wednesday she had surgery on it.  She now has a nice light blue cast until next week.  She will then get that one off and get a new cast for another 4 weeks.   She will spend all the rest of her summer in a cast.  After that she will have physical therapy for most of the rest of the year.  Not what we were hoping for at all, but we are adjusting.

2.  A few weeks ago my husbands grandmother passed away.  She was 105 years old.  Yesterday we attended a memorial service for her.  My hubby's family has all been here visiting for the weekend.  Including his brother and wife who we have not seen in 5 years. It has been a nice visit and I am sad to see them leave!

3. We have blown our budget for most of the summer so far.  I hope to get back on track for the rest of the summer.  We will see.

4.  I have started my Christmas shopping already.  Have you?

5. This week I plan to buy several pounds of hamburger which is on sale at our local Kroger until tomorrow night.   I am going to use most of it to make some freezer meals to use when school starts.  The starting of school is always hectic around here.  It will be doubly so since Kid # 5 will be making many trips to the Dr and I will be working a few hours 5 days a week this year.  I think having freezer meals will make my life easier.

6. This week Kid # 3's tuition for her first semester of community college is due for the fall.  Kid #3 is splitting this cost with us.  I am so proud of her for saving up her portion.  My extra income from working in the spring is what paid for our portion.  It is now paid in full with cash!  Now we just have to get books.  I have purchased her one so far on our local face book site for $40.  A $20 savings from anywhere else I could find it used.  We just have 3 more books to purchase and then that is done also.

7.  I have a new skirt I am working on.  I hope to be able to show pictures of that soon.  Hopefully a few other projects soon also.

That is what has been happening here in a nutshell.  Hope every one is having a nice summer.

5 Things I Did That Were Fugal This Week

1. Made Kid # 5 this dress from an up-cycled tshirt, and other materials I already owned. Free dress and the straps can be changed to different colors also.

2. Made a big pot of fresh green beans ( which I bought local), potatoes ( which needed to be used up), and diced ham from the freezer. There should be enough for at least one dinner, a couple lunches for my hubby and then a freezer dinner also.

3. Sold something small out of my garage and made $5. Every little bit helps.

4. Made Kid #1 a birthday cake completely from scratch using items I already had.

5. Took deviled eggs to my family reunion. I already had all the items on hand to make them. They were a big hit and I did not have a single one left :)