Dec 29, 2012 |
I received a gift card for Christmas. I’m so very excited. Some people think gift cards are impersonal. I think gift cards are Potential. I plan to use this one for my January grocery budget.
The Unemployment Cookbook by Molly Jo Realy
I’m on a mission to save money and still feed my family well. I’m taking a page from my Cookbook, and starting with the recipe that started it all: Slow Cooker Ratatouille.
For just around $10, I’ll get the vegetables I need. I always keep olive oil and seasonings in the pantry.
Jan. 1: The Ratatouille will feed myself and Dot for two dinners.
Jan. 3: Drain the liquids and put half of the remaining seasoned vegetables on top a pizza crust. I always keep a frozen crust, so I’ll only need sauce and shredded cheese, about $7. This will feed us two dinners.
Jan. 5: Add the rest of the Ratatouille to my Baked Frittata. I usually keep eggs and milk in the house, but when I need to buy them, it costs close to $6 for both. I’ll already have shredded cheese from the pizza. The Frittata will feed us brunch and dinner for Saturday, and breakfast leftovers on Sunday.
Frittata
Jan. 6: My Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. I’ll need to buy just one pound of ground turkey, two cans of beans, and three cans of vegetables, near $8. I keep spices and onions in my pantry. This will feed us for three dinners, and I can take a serving for lunch.
Jan. 9: Potato Chip Casserole. I’ll need to buy the chips and chicken, approximately $5. I always keep milk and cream soups in my fridge and pantry. This goes fast, usually allowing for just one dinner and lunch leftovers.
Jan. 10: Texas Hash. I have all the ingredients except ground beef, average $4.I usually also need a green pepper. But I’ll have an extra pepper from the Ratatouille ingredients. I’ll use my FoodSaver to keep it fresh until I need it. Texas Hash will feed us at least three dinners.
And there I’ve scheduled 12 days of dinners for less than $40.00. Feeding two, sometimes three, adults. That’s less than $1.50 per person per meal.
For breakfasts, one box of Malt-o-Meal ($4), two boxes of instant oatmeal ($2 each), and a few yogurts (10 at $0.50 each). $13 total for a month of breakfasts.
I’m going to try new Bento lunch ideas (send some thoughts my way, Rachel!). Dot is on winter break for the month, so I’ll have some sandwich fixin’s for her, too. Each Bento averages $2. Lunches for the month should run us close to $50.
And that’s my Mojo Meal Plan for the first part of January, and then some. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 30, 2012
So, I’ve been sitting here thinking that it’s really not fair to those who have been with me all along, for me to give a free cookbook to someone who is just waiting in the wings to be my 50th an 100th subscribers.
So I’m changing the rules for the Cookbook Giveaway as follows:
Once I reach 50 subscribers to my Blog, I will use Random.org to select a random subscriber who will receive a free copy of the cookbook as soon as it’s published.
Once I reach 100 “likes” on my Facebook page, I will use Random.org to select a random follower who will receive a free copy of the cookbook as soon as it’s published.
There will only be one entry per person per prize, and only two prizes total (one for the Blog subscribers, one for the Facebook followers).
So spread the word via facebook, your blog, twitter, word of mouth… whatever it takes.
To “like” me on Facebook, click here.
To subscribe to my Blog, go to the right side of this post (if you’re reading this by email, click the title link to be taken to the actual blog) and enter your email address in the box where it reads “Subscribe By Email”.
These are two separate giveaways. There is no skill involved in winning. No monetary or substitution of prizes is allowed. The winners will be chosen completely at random through Random.Org once the required number of readers/followers has been reached.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 4, 2012
Every now and then I have some off-the-wall dreams.
Years ago, I dreamt (several times) that my friend Cynthia and I knew the people from The West Wing. Sometimes we were characters and sometimes we were actors and sometimes we were just part of the group.
Last summer I dreamt I was with the television writing crew for Flashpoint when one of the actors came up and instead of me being awestruck by him (although secretly I really was!), he just complimented me on my butter recipe and said, “You make great toast.”
There’s the one where I was a character in a crime drama, that when I wrote it out actually read more like a Heavenly visit. (You can read that sappy story here.)
About a month ago, I had a great dream about Johnny Depp falling in love with my ratatouille and endorsing my cookbook.
But on this New Year’s morning, I woke up right after dreaming of George. Clooney, to be exact. I was a few years older, living in a large apartment back east that was also where I worked as a Writer (note the Capital “W”, very exciting!).
I had people coming in and out constantly: family, friends, business associates. I came out of the Kitchen area and turned a corner into the foyer and literally ran into George Clooney. There. In my apartment. Something about meeting my business manager for whatever reasons. Even in my dream, I couldn’t pay attention because my brains scrambled like the eggs I had just cooked. We sat down and apparently I got a little too close to him because he looked at me a little strangely as I muttered something about the gods hearing my prayers…
But then the dream turned. It flash-forwarded as dreams do, and the next moment we were sitting in the same room across a coffee table laden with open notebooks and coffee cups (He complimented my coffee, by the way. That’s 3 for the celebrity chef status I’m going for!).
The notebooks were all kinds of information and ideas on how to help the children of Darfur. He educated me on the political climate, and I offered some serious fund-raising advice for feeding the people.
Together we sat for what must have been hours ~ too bad the actual dream didn’t last that long. But what did last was that feeling of urgency. That feeling of necessity to help others in need. Not just locally or federally, but globally.
Ever since I woke from that dream, I can’t – don’t want to – shake those feelings. It was so real. So authentic. So desperate. But I don’t have any notebooks filled with how-to-help information and ideas. I don’t have any news clippings and personal experiences in this realm.
And while one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to not make resolutions I know I can’t keep, I think this is one I should strive for. Even if I can’t accomplish anything, I need to at least try on this one. I need to find a way to bring attention to those in need, and I need to find a way to actually help them. No matter how little it seems.
But what can I do? I’m just a blogger, a chef, a mom. George doesn’t know me. I don’t know any political leaders. And I don’t know how to reach across oceans.
What can I do, George? Are you listening? Is anyone?
Because I am.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 19, 2011
I’ve been hunkering down under this laptop for what seems like an endless amount of days, but I am nearly done with the final draft of my cookbook.
That, along with the impending Christmas celebration events and tasks, I have nothing to write tonight except soon it will all be over.
Not the whole writing, just this week. I’m thrilled with everything that’s on my plate; but I can’t devote any energy tonight to an in-depth blog post.
So. You get this instead: my thanks for your tolerance, and the promise that my cookbook will soon be available for purchase.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 15, 2011
My posts this week have been short and focused on two things:
First, I’m working overtime to finish the rough draft of my cookbook. Tonight I plan to have it finished to send it off to my editor for review and finalization. It’s really exciting, to think that soon my dream will be a reality.
It’s just a little cookbooklet; nothing fancy, nothing great. But it’s mine.
And now I’m faced with questions like should I set up a second website, dedicated only to cooking, or only to the cookbook? How do I monitor sales? Should I establish a PayPal account? This is all new territory for me, and I’m feeling a little wow’d by the whole process. Excited, though; not anxious.
My second focus has been the weather. We never did get that big storm they said we would. And then out of the blue yesterday, we’re told to prepare for yet another winter storm coming in tonight. Well I don’t believe them.
Yeah, sure. It would be nice to get that snow they talked about last week. But we’re not supposed to get anything now except some high winds and a few raindrops. Which means we’ll prob’ly finally get that snow.
So I’ve been a little negligent in my posting; and I hope you’ll forgive me. Because when this week is over, I’m going to devote quite a few days of writing to holidays and Christmas posts. Things like, the history of Santa Claus. How I decorate my house. Easy cookie ideas. And maybe a fun little story or two.
Well that’s it. That’s what I’m up to this week.
What’s on your plate?
