6-9-11

10:15am

Just home from a church sale.

Only went to one.  They changed the

date on the other one to tomorrow.

We got to the other church sale about

10 minutes early.  There was literally

40 people standing in line waiting

for the doors to open!

And talk about hot and sticky.

This church had no air conditioning!

We stopped in Kroger on the way

home because the one Kroger

yesterday didn't have the pop I like.

No sooner home and trying to get

stuff put away and a migraine decided

to strike.  I have blurred vision at the moment

so are doing my best to type.

Tony called not long ago.  They are

sending him home from work.

He had lots of congestion and

has been having coughing attacks.

He did get a doctor's appointment

for 4:40pm today.  So we'll

probably be in yet another Kroger

this evening for prescriptions.

I told him while in the doctors office

to have the doctor update and refill

all his prescriptions.  Why make seperate

doctor visits that will cost you,

when you can try to do everything 

in one visit.

Kroger deal I found-

large package of pork loin boneless chops

was- $10.74

manager special- $5.79

I hope to get 2-3 meals from this one package.

Here's my deals from the 

church sale today.

47 tin pie pans- .45 cents

These will come in handy for

holidays.  I can use them to put

cookies in for gifts.

I'm gonna say they run about

$2.00 a 2 pack at Kroger.

So about $46 worth of tin pie pans!!

About 6-7 different letter and number

stencils- $2.50

I can use the large set to make letters

for the church's food pantry box.

Huge box of craft sticks.

Can use these for popsicles- .50 cents

Slicer- .25 cents

I have one just like it and have had

many same ones over the years.

I love them for slicing potatoes.

It makes all the potato slices

the same thickness which helps

when baking or frying.

Couple bags of cupcake decorations.

.10 & .05 cents

2- 16.7 ounce brand new, not expired

Benefiber 125 servings.

$1.00 each

This stuff is over $29 for one cansiter

on Amazon!!

So $2.00 for $58 worth of Benefiber!!

new 30 ounce Jean Nate after bath splash

.25 cents.

This was $25 marked down to 

$13.50 on Amazon!!

New bottle of Stetson cologne .25 cents.

Digital photo keychain new- .50 cents

these go for $19.99 at walgreens!!

Nintendo DS game case .50 cents

12 mini bunt cake pans .60 cents

I've been wanting some of these

for a long time!

Pie pan with lid/carrying handle .50 cents.

I have one just like this already and love it!

 A full size foam mattress pad $1.00

And lastly a camo t-shirt for .50 cents

Christopher picked this out.

-------------------------------------

11:00am

Well Tony just walked through the 

door.  Time to make lunch for everyone.

--------------------------------

Tony saw the doctor this evening.
He has an upper respiratory infection.
Me and the kids waited in the waiting
room.  It didn't seem like he was
back with the doctor very long.
I didn't even have time to browse
through half of a magazine if that
tells ya anything.
Tony came out and said to me the doc
came in the room, listened to his lungs
and left the room saying he'd be right
back but never returned.
A nurse came back with prescription
paperwork and discharge instructions
and sent him home.
He said doc didn't even spend
two minutes with him.


We pay around $300+ a month if not
more for health insurance.
This is ridiculous that a doctor
now a days can't even spend a little
amount of time with you.
Who's to say he even made
the correct diagnostic in such
a short amount of time.


I sit through traffic lights that
are longer than doctor's visits now.
Maybe doctors should stand out
on street corners and give physicals
while waiting at red lights.


And what's sickening is that in that
two minutes of a diagnostic
the doctor's office will probably charge
our insurance a couple hundred dollars
if not more!


Went to Kroger to get prescriptions
right after the doctor's appointment.
Why do doctor's write out prescriptions
for things that are over the counter?
Such as Mucinex and Afrin nasal spray.
Couldn't they just put those medicines
on the discharge papers?


I found some more deals at Kroger
this evening.


12 pack diet tea .99 cents

Montgomery Inn Boathouse Cincinatti BBQ sauce
was $3.19
paid $1.00

2 pkgs of 14 count Bob Evans
maple sausage links
was $2.99
paid $1.49

Pepperjack cheese & nut log.
$2.49

Sliced fresh mushrooms .99 cents

-----------------------------


I've been working on my
next cupcake this evening.
I'm still tweaking it.

7:30pm


Well even though it's getting
late I have to go throw a load
of laundry in.

Tony's in bed and the kids are
swimming in their pool.
Hoping they will wear themselves out.
Still need to run down to Speedway
and return some movies to
the Blockbuster box.
Yogi Bear and Grownups wasn't all that.
Glad we didn't pay to see it in a theater.
When renting movies from a box
I suggest getting them in the early
morning.  You can have it all that
day and then the next day til 9:00pm.
So almost 2 days.
If you rent in the evening then it's
due back the next evening so it's
like only having it a day.


Tomorrow we'll be going to
another church sale and any
other yard sales in the area.

I saw yet another church sale this evening
at the corner of Henderson & High St.
but it's for Saturday.

6-8-11

7:35am

Another yucky, hot & sticky day.

Supposed to be 95 degrees

but feel like 100 degrees today.

I already went out and removed the

pool cover so it can allow

the water to warm in the heat.

And I also watered the veggies

& grapevine.  If you water

early morning or late evening

there's less evaporation and more

water that gets to the plants.

Garden Update

Early Girl Tomatoes

Sweet 100 Tomatoes

Beans

Banana Peppers

---------------------------------------

I saw these free Blockbuster Express

codes on Good Day Columbus Fox 28.

It's from Deal Seeking Mom.

Get up to five free DVD rentals at your local Blockbuster Express! Simply use one of the following codes:

• 22JMEB4 (good through 6/8)
• 25ASJA9 (good through 6/13)
• 29BACC2 (good through 6/13)
• 25JBHS7 (good through 6/13)
• 26RRAP8 (good through 6/13)

These can be used once per debit/credit card, so you can rent more than one for free by using different cards.

------------------------------

8:05am

Made up a batch of 

sugar-free vanilla pudding pops.

1 large box sugar-free pudding mix

3 cups fat-free milk

paper cups or muffin tins

popsicle sticks or plastic spoons.
I used silicone muffin pans.

Fill cups with pudding mix

and insert sticks or spoons

into centers.  Put in freezer until hardened.

Great fat-free, sugar-free treats

for kids and diabetics.

Another Summer time treat

for diabetics & kids-

Fruit with cream cheese dip

Mix 4 ounce fat-free cream

cheese with 1/4 cup low-sugar

or sugar-free marmalade

(or other preserves)

along with 1/4 tsp almond extract.

Serve with sliced apples, grapes, strawberries.

----------------------------------

9:05am

Got a couple batches of different
sized cupcakes baking.
I figured I'd bake them now
before the heat of the day.
Then I'll work on some more
cupcake creations.

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12:30pm

It's 89 degrees but feels like 94 degrees.
According to weather.com
they say we could have a high
today of 97 degrees.

I got all curtains and blinds closed.
The air conditioner is
set at 76 degrees and it feel nice
in here. I actually wear a sweater at times.
 If anyone thinks that it feels too
warm in here I tell them to
go outside for a few then come
back in.  76 degrees is a comfortable
temperature.  For every 3 degrees
you can adjust your thermostat
it can make a difference in your
electric bill.  

Kids have been planted in front
of tvs today so I made up some
lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches,
pringles chips and frozen pudding pops.
I then laid a blanket
on the grass out back and told
the kids we were having a 
picnic and watching the birds
at the bird bath while we ate.
The back yard is almost all shaded
so it felt nice out there.
That was one of the reasons for
getting this house, all the large trees.
It helps to keep half the backside
of the house cooler.  And by having
a house that faces North, we don't
get any direct sun.

 I have found the bird bath knocked
over a few times.  I figure it was
from squirrels or cats trying to get
a drink of water.  So to keep this
from happening I filled up the bowl
of another metal bird bath and
placed it on the ground for all
the four legged critters.

------------------------------------


2:00pm


92 but feels like 95 degrees.


I've been working on a cupcake.
It's gonna take awhile
with all the little details and things
that need put together.


----------------------------


4:45pm


Done with recent cupcake.


How hot is it outside?
I was taking pictures of my cupcake
outside in the grass.  It only took
seconds to do.  When I picked the
plate up out of the grass the roof
of the cupcake came crashing
down because the chocolate
holding it together melted that fast!!

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------------------------------------

5:15pm

Supper


Pollock fillets dipped in
italian dressing & egg
then dipped in italian bread crumbs
mixed with parmesan cheese &
Mrs. Dash seasoning.


Tuna pasta salad-


Twisty colored pasta
with italian & ranch dressing & parmesan mixed
in.  Added a can of diced tomatoes
and a large can of tuna fish.

--------------------------------------


9:00pm


I was browsing Family Dollar's
online ads and wanted to note
a few good deals I saw.
Good til 6-27


-ladies tops and shorts $4.00 each
-men's polo shirts $4.00 each
-cuddle soft fabric softener 51 loads $2.00


--------------------------------------


Tomorrow me, mom and the kids
are going to two church sales.
I'm amazed that they both are
on a Thursday.  That seemed unusual.
I'll let you know how it turns out.


Right now we're all getting ready
to head to bed.  Tony seems like he's
gotten what I have with the congestion
and coughing.  Mom's the same way.
And today a guy at my honey's work
left early to go to the doctor's.
Doc said he had bronchitis.
Not sure what is going around but
I sure wish it would go away!!!
In 3 days it will make a month
that I've been sick with it!!
You'd think with the warmer
weather we'd all be less sick.


----------------------------------

6-7-11

11:15am

Supposed to be a hot one today

and tomorrow! 92-94+ degrees. YUCK!

I took the kids down to Speedway

and got them each a 44 ounce slushie

for .89 cents each.

While there we decided to try out

the Blockbuster Express machine

for the first time.  It's one of

those machines that sit outside

gas stations that rent out movies

for $1.00 a day.  Can't beat that

to keep kids entertained.

And yes it does take debit cards

for those who don't have a credit card.

You can sign up online or at the

machine with your email address

to get special promotions like

free movie rentals!

If we went to the dollar theater

twice a month it would cost

$8 for all four of us.

This way we can get 8 movies

two times a week for a month

for the same price.

Today we rented 

Pure Country 2.

Didn't even know they had a 

2 out!

and

Death Race 2.

-------------------------------

1:30PM


The power around here started going
haywire.  It kept going on, off, on, off.
I figured there's a power overload with
the heat outside and everyone using
the air conditioner today.


1:40pm


Power went out.


2:20pm


Power came back on.


Tomorrow will probably be worse
with temps in the mid 90's.


-------------------------------------


Tonight for supper-


Tortilla cream cheese ranch & ham roll ups.


1- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
Whip together the above in bowl with mixer.
Spread a little onto a tortilla.
Lay a piece of ham over top.
Spread a little more cream cheese mix on 
top of ham.
Roll up.
 
I usually make these when going
to the race track.  Sounded good
to make for a hot day.
Might serve with some
macaroni & cheese.


----------------------------------


Made a trip over to Kroger this
evening to get some pop.
I found a large package of
catfish nuggets for $4.17
was $6.97.

I also got the kids some snacks 
like pretzels and graham crackers.
I also plan to use a few for
a cupcake I wanna make soon.

----------------------------------

6-6-11

8:30am

I got another cupcake submitted this morning.

I started on it last night before bed 

and finished it this morning.
I have 18 entries now in the contest.

SWAN

I used ridged potato chips

for the wings and tail.

They are covered in melted white chocolate.

Jelly bean feathers on top of cupcake

and around bottom for water.

-----------------------------------

8:45am


Kids decided to go for a swim
first thing this morning.
More power to them as I 
know that water is ice cold!!!

---------------------------------------


I've been trying to stock up on 
$1.00 sales when I find them.
Yesterday at Kroger I got a dozen eggs for $1.00
(these usually run over $2.00 at regular price)
then found some smoked sausage for
$1.00 each and picked up 4 packages
for the freezer. (these run almost $3.00 when
not on sale) We also found
gallons of milk marked down to $1.89.
Got 2 of those.  Milk has been
around $2.50- $2.79 not on sale.


I want to head to Aldis in the near future
and buy a bunch of the 1 pound sausage
rolls for around $1.19.
Much cheaper than hamburger or
ground sausage and healthier for you too.
I don't care much for turkey burgers
but it's not too bad when mixed
into casseroles, hash, soups, chili,
spaghetti sauces and hamburger helper.
I once made sloppy joes with it
for a potluck for my hubby's work
and no one could tell it wasn't
hamburger or sausage!


This week I plan to make some
salads for meals since the
weather will be so hot.


Do not buy the bagged salads.
Even a dollar bag on sale doesn't
give you much.  I bought a head
of lettuce for $1.00 and should
get a couple meal salads out of it.


I plan to make chef salad for supper tonight.

1/2 head of lettuce .50 cents
4-5 hard boiled eggs .32 cents
2 pkgs chipped meats $1.18
(ham & turkey)
1 cup shredded cheese .83 cents
salad dressing .25 cents


Total: $3.08
serves 5 for a meal @ .61 cents a serving.



-----------------------------


Tuna Pasta Salad


1 box rainbow twist pasta $1.00
1 large can tuna fish .70 cents
mayo .25 cents
dry ranch mix .69 cents
can diced tomatoes .69 cents
1 cup shredded cheese .83 cents
chopped celery & onion .25 cents


Total: $4.41
makes 5 servings @ .88 cents a serving


----------------------------------


10:30am


Going to go take a Mucinex.  
My head still is clogged and
I keep blowing my nose.
It's been between 3 weeks now
with pneumonia and this 
sinus congestion!  


I might start on the closets today
putting all the Winter clothes away
in totes and hanging up all the
Summer clothes.
It's a task in itself and with the
way I feel we'll see how far I 
get with doing 3 closets
for 4 people.  


--------------------------------


I got this set of Tech Deck skaters
for Jonathan last weekend at
a yard sale for $2.00 for all.
I got these to add to his collection
I got him last year.
 

 ------------------------------------

4:00pm

Well I got one closet almost done
and working on another with
switching clothes around.
Also weeding out any ones
that are outgrown, stained
or just worn out.


----------------------------------


I was reading the newest Cosmoplitan
magazine, free subscription of course :0)
when I came across this recipe
that sounded yummy to try.
It didn't have a name so I'll just
call it Maple Bacon Popcorn.


4 strips of bacon
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup popping corn
1/4 cup maple syrup
salt, as needed


Cook the bacon in frying pan over low heat,
15 minutes per side.
Transfer onto a paper towel, reserving
the remaining fat.  Wait til bacon
is cool, then crumble, and set aside.


Pour bacon fat into a 3 quart sauce
pan with a tight lid, heat on high, and
pour in the corn.
Shake the pan.
Once it starts to pop quickly, lower
the heat to medium until the popcorn
is pushing at the cover.  Turn to low heat,
and let remaining kernels cook.


Melt butter in the microwave.  Pour
the popcorn into a bowl, drizzle with
the maple syrup and butter, add the
bacon, and sprinkle salt to taste.


---------------------------------------


This evening I took everyone out
to get ice cream.
McDonalds has ice cream cones
for .59 cents this Summer.


Other cheap treats include-
McDonalds hot fudge sundae for $1.00
or Speedway has slushies or fountain
drinks any size up to 44 ounces for
.89 cents.  
When you use your Speedy Rewards card-
-for every 6 speedy freeze, coffee, iced tea
or fountain drinks you buy you'll get
the 7th one free.
-buy 6 Mountain Dew, Pepsi & Coke 20 oz and
get the 7th free.  Has to be 6 of the same brand
to receive the 7th free.
These do not have to be in one transaction
purchase.  Your card will keep track
of how many purchased and when you
use it to purchase the 6th drink
you will get a free coupon.


------------------------------------