Search Results for: blog getting started with slow cooking

Cooking & Cleaning & Planning

After a lovely Christmas vacation with family my wife and I are now back at our own place and back to our “normal” lives. My wife started back to work early as she is already back to teaching in the classroom. I have one week before I need to return to work and school. This free time is slightly deceptive because I’ll also be working on planning the course I’ll be teaching next semester. I’ve also started organizing materials for my impending doctoral exams during this week. Some of my time, however, has been spent cooking and cleaning. On the … Continue reading →

Cheap Summer Snack Ideas

School is out and the living is easy. Days are filled with fun in the sun, adventures in the yard, camp, amusement parks and more. All of that activity makes kids hungry but reluctant to slow down. Here come the summer snacks to the rescue. Kids can fill up on nutritious high energy snacks without adding additional money to the grocery budget. The secret is all in how you play it. So, while the kids get excited about all of their accomplishments this summer, mom can earn a few extra points with the following cheap snack ideas. Popcorn Homemade popcorn … Continue reading →

Christmas Morning Part II

While I was cooking and baking Christmas breakfast, our son was insistent that we help him find a pair of his “toy” drum sticks.  I insisted that he should check under the tree and see if Santa left a long and narrow gift.  I told him that if Santa was going to go through all the trouble of getting him a drum, that it would be pretty silly of Santa to not bring him some drum sticks too.  Our son searched under the tree but thought that every gift was long and narrow!  After I pointed him to the right … Continue reading →

The Unthinkable Happened

The unthinkable happened. In the middle of cooking a meal the other night, our crock pot died. It was working when I’d turned it on and when I checked an hour or so later. The next time I went to add another ingredient, it was cold. I had no idea how long it had been off. I hastily transferred the meal to a casserole dish and put it in the oven. As I thought about it, I got more than my money’s worth out of my slow cooker.It must have been a good twenty years old and has plenty of … Continue reading →

Meal Planning: Ham Today, Chicken Tomorrow

Actually the title of this post is a little deceiving. It actually should read something along the lines Ham yesterday and Chicken today. As I wrote in previous posts, I am making a concerted effort to cut those coupons and match up those sales items, freezer cooking and meal planning to reduce our grocery budget. So far, it has been so good. We have gone from a food expense of about $150 a week to one of about $60 a week, which is more than half off. Plus, during this time we have actually cut down on eating out and … Continue reading →

50-Cent Bread

While 50-cent bread may seem more likely to be the name of a new music group than an actual line item on the grocery list, it can be done. Have you seen the cost of bread lately? Try getting a smallish loaf for under $3. It is nearly impossible, even for the store brand around here. If you want a large family-sized loaf, forget about it. Still, today I went to the store and bought four large family-sized loaves of sandwich bread for only $2, or $.50 cents a loaf. One went on the counter, and the other three went … Continue reading →

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Reinvents Himself – Part I

We have a WWE clock in our garage that my husband has had for at least eight years. Every once in while when I am coming in from the car, I heard The Rock say “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” In case you haven’t noticed, what The Rock is cooking up is a new image for himself. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has gone from WWE superstar to movie star in a small amount of time and very successfully, I might add. He is even getting a new name – his old one. If you look at the … Continue reading →

What Have I Done to My Marriage? – Part Two, The Meltdown

In a previous article I wrote about some behind-the-scenes drama I’ve been enduring with the big changes in my marriage. Drama that could have threatened it even this early on in our new arrangement–-if I’d let it. I’ll get to the part about the salvation strategies I employed in another article, but first I’ll give you an idea of why I needed to call on them at all. Honeymoon’s Over Today marks a week and a half since my mom and I returned home. (Well, to my existing home and what is becoming her new one.) The first few days … Continue reading →

Frugal Week in Review: January 21st Through January 27th

With talk of a recession, many more people are examining the frugal lifestyle. It just makes sense. For those of us to whom living frugally is just part of our lives, batting down the hatches and finding ways to save even more is a good thing. This past week, we have had some interesting articles, such as ones examining wringer washers and crockpots. Don’t miss them! January 21st Habitat for Humanity HomeStore If you are looking for a frugal and feel-good way to update, renovate or redesign your home, check out this great resource! Frugal Living Week in Review: January … Continue reading →

Caring for Yourself and Your Family During the Holidays

The holiday season is fast approaching, and it is important to take time to care for yourself physically during this hectic time. Additionally you need to make sure that you are taking care of your family as well. It is important to remember that the Word of Wisdom counsels us to have moderation in all things. Here are a few tips to help you and your family stay healthy over the holidays. 1) Before the rush begins take time now to make freezer meals for your family to use on your busy days. Additionally you may want to use your … Continue reading →