If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

use your gadgets

To go with Sunday lunch,  I baked cornbread muffins in some miniature muffin pans that have been gathering dust in the cookie sheet drawers.  
The tiny cornbreads were so popular,  I used those mini-muffin pans again today 
and baked mini blueberry muffins with scrambled eggs for our breakfast.

The blueberry muffins were just as yummy and cute as the cornbread muffins.


I am going to look around my kitchen and pull out some other kitchen items I have not used lately.

Do you have any kitchen gadgets you  have not used in a long time?  

first round of breakfast eaters at Cafe Rhonda -
my parents were here for several days but left to go back to TX this morning.

Gavin and Amanda ate here too but they get here later than Nina and Elizabeth do.




 Toddler fun

 G and E had fun playing ring around a rosie this morning,  you can see in the last photo that they really like the  all fall down part.  

Walgreens and AARP

Frugal tip - if you shop at Walgreens and have an AARP membership - always hand your AARP to the cashier to scan when you check out.  The coupon machine will spit out some extra coupons for you,  usually one like $3 of your next $10 purchase of Walgreens items or $5 off your next $20 purchase as well as some discounts on other products.

The $2, and 2 $4 register rewards were from buying toothbrushes a few weeks ago.  I was expecting 2 of them but the 3rd one was a surprise.  I don't know if the AARP card triggered it or not.

I am not a dues-paying member of AARP,  I read about a sign up for a free membership a few months ago and got my membership card for free.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

(almost) Once a month grocery shopping

Doing a "big shop" once a month is still working for us.  It is a lot of work to make a long list, checking it twice,  then driving to Sams and maybe Aldis and Crest.  Putting away all the purchases is tricky too,  good thing I like to work puzzles!  
It is just really a big time saver all the rest of the month to not have to go shopping.
little fridge
We bought lots of oranges, clementines and grapefruit - they keep well.
full size fridge - more meat is in the small chest freezer
Can you see the bottom right drawer is full of romaine lettuce?  Each head is wrapped air tight in a plastic bag and should keep all month.  The grapes, strawberries and spring greens will be used first.
partial view of the pantry
Onions and potatoes are stored in crocks on the pantry floor.  I've been keeping the door shut on the pantry so it stays cooler in there and the root veggies have been keeping very well.

I still watch the local sales and have bought a few things.  One store had Pace salsa on sale for 99 cents for the Super Bowl and I got 24 jars.  That same store had butter for $1.99 a pound and I got 6 to put in the freezer.
I've also bought a few things at Walgreens but mostly I have stayed out of the stores.  I can't say I am really spending a lot less shopping this way but I am spending less time.