Mar 6, 2013 |
That’s an inside joke between me and Dot. You can read about it here. It’s one of our little catchphrases that’s grown into a life of its own. When something keeps interfering with the end goal, you can hear us chuckle and shout, “I just wanna eat my stinkin’ food!”
So. This post isn’t really about all that. But it is about food. And a goal.
I’m hosting my annual Pampered Chef party. Have you ever heard of Pampered Chef? It’s one of those Direct Home Marketing businesses like Mary Kay or Tupperware. I used to sell it. This product sold itself! It’s that great. It really is.
After I bought my house, I hosted two shows. It’s so much fun. It’s like inviting your friends for a dinner party that somebody else caters. And you know I’m all about the food, right?! So… yeah. Recipes. Friends. Someone else doing the cooking for once. It’s a blast!
Anyway… on April 7th, I’m hosting a show. My wish list keeps growing. Mostly I’m after the egg slicer, free with any $60 total order. My mom has the egg slicer. I use it every chance I get. It slices boiled eggs, soft fruits, cheeses. This toy is amazing!
And then I saw their new herb infuser. This great little gizmo that you can use to drop fresh herbs, berries, or citrus into your drinks, soups, stews.. whatever you brew.
Of course, we can use a new set of their outdoor picnic glasses. Those are our favorites. We use them all the time. These wonderful large cups are fun to hold, and they hold a lot!
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I invite you to check out my friend Holly’s website, here. If you see something you like, I invite you place an order. Product can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. (no P.O. Box) for a nominal charge. You can add your total to my party (a win-win for everyone) by searching for Host first name “Molly” last name “Jo”.
Pampered Chef is wonderful. Long-lasting. Enduring. And it makes being in the kitchen fun. Don’t believe me? Host a Pampered Chef of your own and find out!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
I’d post photos, but I’m prohibited by copyright laws… I guess you’ll just have to click on Holly’s link to see for yourself.
~Happy Eating!
Mar 5, 2013 |
Before I devoted more efforts to my Unemployment Cookbook and other writing projects, I blogged much more regularly. From August 2011 through November 2012 I blogged every day. Every. Single. Day.
And while most of it was wonderful, you must admit, there were times when you, as a reader, weren’t too keen on the fact that I wrote every single day. Quality over Quantity was not always my motto.
Of course, now it is. Now, with the Cookbook in production, A Study on the Ten Commandments in pre-editing stages, joining the California Writer’s Club, working a full-time day job, Meal Planning and starting this year’s Housing Project, I’m busier than ever before.
My relationship with Dot has changed. She’s 18 now, an adult. But she’s still my child.
Me & Dot
Our time together is more precious to me as our conversations are deeper than before, and our outings more adventurous. I love hearing about her college experiences. I like a little less that she drives. A lot. She loves it. And I love having another driver in the family. But I dislike the whole waiting-up-until-she-gets-home-no-matter-what-time-it-is thing. [Side Note to My Mother: I am now, and assuredly will always be, grateful for the endless mothering moments you endured without losing your sanity. You are my example!]
So… as you can surmise, I most definitely have not been mindlessly blogging of late. Previously, on my Facebook page, I would link up the posts from a year ago any particular day. Since I haven’t been Blogging daily since the holidays, that little task went by the wayside.
As a way of getting back into Better Blogging, and to make up for that lack thereof, the following are a few links from the Year-Ago Files for the the month of February.
Happy Reading!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Teaching My Teenager How to Drive (Or, Rather, How She Taught Me to Teach Her)
“Life is What Happens When You Make Other Plans…” Yadayadayada…
A Good Name
Teeter><Totter
For The Birds
Unsure
This Thing Called Pinterest
Beholding Beauty
Mojo Book Review: “The Haunting of America” by Jean Anderson
Why Does Being Politically Correct Mean the Loss of Common Sense?
Davy Jones is Dead
Mar 4, 2013 |
Ever since WinCo discovered my WinCo Wins and Meal Planning posts, we’ve had a wonderful relationship. They let me share my Food and Savings posts. I get to share their incredibly low prices. It’s a Win-Win situation for everyone!
For the last two months, I’ve strived hard to provide hearty, healthy meals for my family while saving money.
One benefit I’ve discovered is when I eat healthy, I eat less. I can pack in two cheeseburgers, a large fries, and a Shamrock shake in fifteen minutes or less when I’m hungry. My breakfast of choice will always be the McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin with Egg.
My Favorite From McDonald’s
But when I eat healthy, the nutrition fills me up so I don’t blimp out. Being an unofficial spokesperson for WinCo makes me more aware of my food budget. I want to do them proud! After all, WinCo is responsible for these great savings.
For March, I took inventory of my pantry and freezer and realized I needed to buy very little. With plenty of frozen meats and leftovers from the previous Meal Plans, the bulk of my food shopping went to healthy lunch items.
How does lunch for under a dollar sound to you? It sounds like a Win-Win to me!
WinCo Wins!
I bought five dozen eggs for $5.84. That’s less than $0.10 each! The string cheese? $0.12 each. Flour tortilla: $0.20. Celery and carrot: about $0.15 total. And the yogurt? This is the most expensive item, ringing up an entire half dollar. Where else could you get such a healthy, delicious, filling lunch for less than a buck and change?
Oh, the coffee? Not to worry. I use my recyclable Starbucks cup and fill it from home.
Protein. Dairy. Veggies. Grains. And coffee.
As you can see, This Girl is all about the savings without giving anything up.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 4, 2013 |
Look at those eyes!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 3, 2013 |
Last year I started My Housing Project: Blog posts directly related to the improvement of my property.
With yesterday being the first nice weekend day in months, Mom came over and the three of us started cleaning up the front yard.
Leaves at the Fence
Leafy Trail
While they raked and bagged piles and piles of leaves, I dug up root balls for two rose shrubs and one Euonymus. The second Euonymus shrub is only partly uprooted, as the roots grow like moss and grab into the soil for nearly a foot. Those are easy enough to break with the shovel but it’s the actual thick root I’m having trouble with. After all the other digging and uprooting, I just couldn’t continue in the hard desert sand to finish it yesterday.
I didn’t photograph my efforts. I wish I had, for the Before and After. From now on, I will.
We celebrated with a Shamrock shake from McDonald’s, and it was so pleasant to see the newly cleaned yard when we drove back home. It’s still dirt, but at least now it’s clean dirt.
There’s still a pile of leaves against the fence corner. With a few more black bags, they’ll be gone.
What really excites me is that the birds are returning. For the first time since September, I cleaned and filled the bird bath as well as set out seed, peanuts, and cracked corn. It took my birds all of one hour to rediscover their buffet.
That means they’re also flocking to the nearby Joshua Tree. Which I happily discovered, is about to bloom.
Joshua Tree Buds
Joshua Tree Buds Up Close
Look at those buds!
Another Bud!
The Whole Picture
Soon they’ll flower for a short time, then fall off and leave the beginning of a branch. Joshua Trees only bloom once every two or more years, and this is the first time mine has done so. It’s a quick process, as the bloom has grown and spread since my first seeing it yesterday. I know my Cactus Wrens will be thrilled as their home gets a new level or two!
Once I pull up the five half-dead Lilac bushes along the north fence, I hope to line it with Italian Cypress. Italian Cypress grow quite well in the desert, and they’re a wonderful shelter for birds as well as an attractive property divider. Some yards have them spaced intermittently; others plant them closely together. I love how they grow tall and thin. Some can reach as high as fifty feet! Some local nurseries have them available for less than $5 each, and my planning calls for eight or nine. These are the 3-gallon size. Sure, that’s small to start with, but since they grow so fast, I’m fine with watching them from the beginning!
I also hope to afford a raised bed gardening system for my tomatoes and herbs.
I may not be able to finance it all this summer; but the plan is the start.
And I can’t wait to get started. One plant at a time.
My birds are a little excited about it, too.
Bird Bathing
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
