tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68357870071643776222011-12-30T14:57:26.507-08:00Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.comBlogger2031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-46532898861198718152011-01-28T21:48:00.000-08:002011-01-28T22:14:55.107-08:00

Tonight I taught a freezer cooking class and it was so fun! I promised that I would update my blog with information and recipes so here we go:To find my Mega Cooking tips click here and hereHere are some recipes that are already on my site:Chicken TetraziniCincinnati ChiliTaco Stuffed ShellsSloppy JoesBroccoli Cheese SoupYou can go to this page for some other freezer cooking ideas on my site:

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-57629170493608044402009-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:002009-06-14T20:15:15.651-07:00

Thanks to all the people who have asked where the heck I've been. The truth is, life got a little overwhelming and something had to give. The blog was the easiest thing to let go. After all, the kids still have to eat and work still has to get done.However, I'm off work until September (the joys of working for a school) and I'm going to have more time to post stuff. I've come across some

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-78809488810213847252009-03-15T18:28:00.000-07:002009-03-15T19:09:55.075-07:00

One last week until Spring Break! I'm so excited. Since I work for a school, I get a whole week off, too. I'm looking forward to getting some projects done, going out to lunch with my sister, and sleeping!During Spring Break I'm going to do some Mega Cooking, too. So this week I'll be planning what I want to cook, making lists, etc.I also got a new cook book. Well, it is not new, I've

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-83250110939247986222009-03-12T15:43:00.000-07:002009-03-12T16:06:32.794-07:00

When I am serving soup for dinner I have to make sure that we have good stuff to go with it. My husband doesn't really consider soup a "meal," it's just a starter. I have had to work hard to convince him otherwise. I try to make sure that my soups are hearty and I always have good sides to go with it. Especially some yummy bread.Homemade yeast bread is the best accompaniment to soup,

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-24459267473739803562009-03-09T15:47:00.000-07:002009-03-09T22:34:46.109-07:00

One of the easiest and yummiest ways I save money is to serve soup and bread once a week. Broth based soups are relatively low-fat and can be incredibly cheap. I especially like bean and/or lentil soups so that we get our protein and the beans and lentils fill us up. I especially like to pair our soup with some kind of homemade bread. It could be actual yeast bread (whole-wheat bread, French

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-58472349513664180732009-03-08T16:12:00.000-07:002009-03-08T20:37:42.361-07:00

It snowed here last night. I love snow. But I am sick of winter. Can spring please, please, please hurry up? I'm tired of being cold. I'm tired of being stuck inside. I'm tired of my chickens being up to their ankles in mud!Sunny skies, warm breezes, the smell of flowers and fresh cut grass. These are the things I long for. I know that it is just a few weeks away - but I want it NOW!This

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-68342145293937182342009-03-06T10:09:00.000-08:002009-03-06T11:26:11.686-08:00

One of my cheapest meals is my Navajo Tacos. You make some fry-bread, top it with refried beans, some cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. And then anything else you normally put on tacos (guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc). Everything is pretty cheap, especially if you make the refried beans at home!I was very intimidated by making refried beans at home. It seemed complex and mysterious. Until I

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-60500427559151062892009-03-04T08:41:00.000-08:002009-03-04T09:06:56.895-08:00

This is my 200th post on my blog! So in honor of that I'll be posting 200 things you didn't know about Jill!Just kidding!It really is my 200th post but even I don't know 200 things about me. Instead I'm going to post one of my favorite bean recipes, baked beans.Baked beans are so versatile. You can use them as a side dish for all sorts of things. We like them as a main dish, either with

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-49545029767196924172009-03-02T08:55:00.000-08:002009-03-02T15:25:01.959-08:00

I did not grow up eating beans. Oh sure, occasionally my mom would open a can of pork and beans. And for summer pot lucks my grandma made a mean pot of baked beans (well, she opened a can of baked beans and doctored them, but they were really good!). But generally, we got our protein from meat and our sides were salad and fruit.My kids will grow up telling their children, "Your Grandma Jill,

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-5867539213942988812009-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:002009-03-01T20:10:22.785-08:00

I'm having so much fun doing this "Frugal Feasting" series! I've posted some yummy recipes and I've gotten great feedback from everyone. The whole idea of the Frugal Feasting series is to help people eat great while not spending a ton of money.So far I've posted about Mega Cooking and posted one of my favorite mega-cooking recipes, Cincinnati Chili.I've posted about baking at home and posted

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-75330843636936750842009-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:002009-02-27T20:41:09.219-08:00

I have had this recipe in my recipe binder forever. I came in one of those "please buy our recipe card collection" packets. The ones where they give you some sample cards and then want you to pay lots of money for more card, you know? I didn't buy the "more" cards, but I kept the sample ones.I've been meaning to try this recipe for years and somehow it just never made it to the top of the

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-61472674675599696222009-02-26T15:54:00.000-08:002009-02-26T20:22:32.774-08:00

I have posted a LOT of bread recipes in my blogging life. I decided to gather all the links together in one post. It will make it so much easier for all of you to find the bread recipe you are looking for. Aren't I nice?Actually, I have a really sick little girl and re-posting is faster than making up new stuff so I'm going to take the easy way out today.Monkey Bread is one of my families

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-33710857815242476752009-02-25T17:34:00.000-08:002009-02-27T20:51:08.310-08:00

Sometimes while I'm fixing dinner I suddenly realize that this meal would really benefit from having some bread on the side. Only, it's 15 minutes until the food is done and I haven't started any bread!! Arrgh!Then I take a deep breath and start making Soft Breadsticks. And 15 minutes later, we have bread with dinner. All is right with the world.I got this recipe from Taste of Home magazine

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-44776347899714549442009-02-24T08:34:00.000-08:002009-02-25T08:46:05.667-08:00

Have you every gone to a really, really good bakery and come out with a loaf of just plain, incredibly delicious bread? Or been out to eat and they bring the bread out first and you forget all about the main course you ordered because the bread is what you really want to eat all night? I have figured out how to make it at home.I adore bread. My oldest daughter asked me the other night, "Mom,

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-45846222088493206392009-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:002009-02-24T07:21:03.499-08:00

I'm not sure if pancakes count as "baking" but they are a bread-type item. Plus, we had this recipe for dinner tonight and they were so good! And really healthy and surprisingly easy.This recipe comes from the book The Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon. If you are at all interested in vegetarian cooking (even if you are only looking to do it once a week or so) I highly recommend

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-68160789568620099752009-02-22T19:32:00.000-08:002009-02-22T19:41:05.767-08:00

This week on Frugal Feasting we are going to be talking about something that saves me a ton of money - baking at home!I almost never buy cookies, snacks, or most kinds of baked goods. I do buy sandwich bread because I have yet to perfect sandwich bread. But a loaf of French bread? Ha! A bag of dinner rolls? Never! A tube of refrigerated biscuit dough? Are you kidding?!!Join me this week as I

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-6263871247852197922009-02-21T18:03:00.000-08:002009-02-22T14:34:59.528-08:00

In our house, we have a very simple but much loved lentil and rice dish that we call, amazingly enough, Lentil Rice Casserole. This dish is prepared on the stove-top and I have never been able to figure out how to make it with brown rice, I always use white.While perusing over at the Grocery Cart Challenge (a site I would really recommend if you are looking to help lower your food budget), I

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-30864216153324411122009-02-18T14:53:00.000-08:002009-02-18T21:54:39.814-08:00

Another really cheap and meat-free meal that we have recently discovered is Cheese Souffle. This recipe also came from my friend Kari. It is really good. Not particularly low-fat but so yummy!Bread and Cheese Soufflé6 eggs beaten 2 1/3 c milk 1 small can green chilies 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt 1 stick melted butter 1 loaf fresh French bread Grated cheese (save for

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-13947414405968822282009-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:002009-02-17T14:39:38.798-08:00

I have mentioned this recipe a couple of times in the last week. I have gotten several requests for it, so here goes!When I first heard the ingredient list for this recipe, it seemed to me that it would not work. How would it set up, I wondered? If I had read this recipe in a book or online, I never would have tried it, it just sounded too weird. But a good friend of mine suggested this

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-91123379512382953522009-02-16T18:30:00.000-08:002009-02-17T14:41:18.865-08:00

One of the things that my family does to save money on food is that we eat meatless several times a week.Saving money isn't the only reason we eat meatless. We also do it to save the planet - the UN has suggested that people eat at least one meatless meal a week to help curb greenhouse gas production.We also do it to save our health. A vegetarian diet (one in which meat is replaced with high

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-51346533724906115702009-02-15T18:47:00.000-08:002009-02-15T19:38:11.527-08:00

This week on Frugal Feasting we are going to be talking about meatless cooking. This is one of the ways we save money on our groceries. We have meatless meals at least twice a week (and sometimes more).We all have meatless meals sometimes and I'm going to give you a list of meals that will work for even the most ardent meat lover. And I'm also going to give you some of our favorite meatless

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-18841022091851697092009-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-13T06:00:06.406-08:00

Remember a long time ago when I said that I was a nanny for a year with a family in Washington DC? Remember when I said that the family was vegetarian and I was in charge of cooking dinner for them during the week? Remember when I said that I loved that year and found some of my favorite cookbooks? Well, if you don't remember me telling you that the first time, just pretend you do.One of those

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-43896966168197052932009-02-12T09:07:00.000-08:002009-02-12T09:28:34.881-08:00

Everyone here at my house is sick. Just last week I congratulated myself on our lack of sickness this winter. "Oh, we must be practicing good handwashing skills. We must be eating healthy and getting enough sleep. We are so good."Pride goeth before the fall, as they say. We are all sick. A really bad winter cold - snuffles, coughing, sore throats, sneezing, the works. That'll teach me to

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-15916133493621731992009-02-10T16:21:00.001-08:002009-02-10T17:07:56.164-08:00

One of my favorite cookbooks is my More With Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. I did a lengthy review on it before and I would recommend reading the review (not just because I wrote it, but also because it has a lot of information about why the book was written). This book is such a great book for people looking to save money on groceries.I recently went back to my More With Less Cookbook

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-70232368279807327062009-02-09T07:39:00.000-08:002009-02-09T09:49:41.274-08:00

In my quest to lower my food bill, one tool has been invaluable: cookbooks!Let me first state that I'm addicted to cookbooks. My husband laughs at me because I read them like novels. I check them out from the library and read them at night before I go to bed. I've almost always got a cookbook "going" beside my bed - a big bookmark about half-way through. Most cookbooks are good for just that

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-87623928611162195802009-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:002009-02-09T15:11:27.491-08:00

For the past several weeks I have been doing my Frugal Feasting series. With these tough economic times, it seems that everyone is trying to save money on everything - especially food. So far in the series I've posted about Cooking in Bulk (Mega-Cooking), Buying things only on sale, avoiding eating out, and buying in bulk.One of the most important tricks for saving money in the kitchen is

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-11770217838231504932009-02-06T09:09:00.000-08:002009-02-06T16:13:51.517-08:00

I keep thinking of all these quick meals that we do around here to post for the "avoid eating out" week. Every time I think of something I say, "no, done that already." Finally I decided that I would post links to some of my quick meals that I've "done before."So here, in no particular order, are quick meals I've done before.One-Eyed EgyptiansThis is a fabulous breakfast, lunch or dinner. I

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-6651025960648451362009-02-05T22:52:00.000-08:002009-02-05T23:02:11.728-08:00

Quesadillas are one of my go-to meals when crunched for time (or energy). My sister calls these "flat bean burritos" because they have all the ingredients of a bean burrito, just flat! I almost always have a package of tortillas in the fridge or freezer and a can of refried beans in the pantry. I can almost always whipped these up in a flash.You can put whatever you want in these and use up

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-62070486913660383752009-02-04T09:20:00.000-08:002009-02-04T09:35:43.943-08:00

You remember in my last post when I said that I have a meal or two stashed in my freezer that only take 15 minutes in the microwave before they are ready to serve? This recipe is one of them. It is a kid-friendly quick meal that saves me from the local drive-thru. It is a freezer meal, which means you have to do some work to have it ready in the freezer. Thankfully, it doesn't even take all

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-76511829625055189332009-02-02T17:42:00.001-08:002009-02-02T18:50:55.190-08:00

We have heard a lot about ways to save money lately. It seems like even the news stations, like CNN and MSNBC, and newsmagazines like Time are doing stories about how to save money. Things like brewing your own coffee, brown bagging your lunch and cooking dinners at home get mentioned all the time. So we all know that one of the best ways to save money on your food budget is to eat out

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-50418350331180370392009-02-01T14:44:00.000-08:002009-02-01T21:00:08.665-08:00

The point of my series, Frugal Feasting, is to help us save money on groceries. So far, we have talked about buying in bulk, buying things on sale, and mega-cooking (including some tips for really Mega-Cooking). This week we are going to talk about the thing that saves me the most money of all - not going out for dinner!We very rarely go out to eat. When we do, it is a special occasion, and we

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-24779944065888125212009-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:002009-01-30T10:14:20.878-08:00

I got this recipe from a friend of mine. She and I do mega-cooking together. Her family loved this recipe but it is a lot of work to make so she wanted to do it once and get four or five meals out of it. We had never tried it but I agreed to add it to our list - she could do x4 the recipe and I would do x2 (and if my family hated it, I'd give the extra to her for her family). When I first

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-38099750343540321942009-01-29T09:11:00.000-08:002009-01-29T15:55:35.712-08:00

For this post I'm going to assume that you have decided to do a full-on, full-scale mega-cooking day. These instructions are for a big day, but you can use all these ideas no matter what level of multiple meal cooking you plan to do.One thing that applies to all freezer cooking is this rule: Always test your recipes out on your family before you make more than one! More on this later, but

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-74080919519982928812009-01-27T18:58:00.001-08:002009-01-27T19:43:02.739-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting this. It is finals week for my teenagers and my computer keeps getting stolen for paper-writing and researching. My favorite way to keep my food budget low and keep myself sane, is mega-cooking. You've heard this referred to as Once-a-Month cooking, Freezer cooking, batch cooking, or probably other things. I'm pretty sure I started calling it Mega-Cooking after

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-35688130863012943952009-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:002009-01-25T18:58:09.349-08:00

This week on Frugal Feasting we are going to be talking about Mega Cooking. Some people call this form of cooking Once a Month Cooking or Freezer Cooking or Batch Cooking. I call it Save My Bacon cooking!I love having a ton of stuff in my freezer to pull out at the last minute. This week we will talk about how to do it, some great recipes, and things to think about before you start.This week

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-3265064829893558842009-01-23T09:08:00.000-08:002009-01-23T09:28:29.910-08:00

Two of the things that I have "stockpiled" in my basement are lentils and rice. Rice is so versatile - you can use it in a million things. And lentils are a big hit in my house. I know not everyone is familiar with lentils and might not know what to do with them other than in a lentil soup. One of our favorite recipes (my daughter Jana has requested this for her birthday dinner before) is

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-60905572210727488762009-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-22T06:00:01.593-08:00

I got a new cookbook for Christmas. I got the Taste of Home Baking Book. I really, really like this cookbook. I love to bake and I love Taste of Home so it is a perfect pair. I have made several recipe and not one of them has flopped. As soon as my KitchenAid stand mixer gets fixed, I'm going to try even more. I love my KitchenAid stand mixer.I also love my apple-oatmeal bar recipe. As I

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-35899298717623827402009-01-20T22:15:00.000-08:002009-01-20T22:17:20.920-08:00

I'm not posting a recipe today because I have a sick kid to deal with. Family has to come first, ya know.I should be back tomorrow with a great new recipe for Apple-Berry Bars. Sorry for the delay and I'll see you tomorrow!Jill

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-6442718644327227672009-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:002009-01-19T21:38:31.038-08:00

I'm keeping my kids home from school Tuesday for the first two and a half hours. Why, you ask? Because I wanted them to see the historic inauguration of Barack Obama. Our schools waited until the last minute to decide if they were going to show it or not. I think they are going to, but I didn't want to chance my kids missing it. Plus, I have to admit, I wanted to watch it with them. They

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-32231000006749720602009-01-18T21:52:00.000-08:002009-01-19T11:03:33.154-08:00

I love going to Costco. I like to idea of getting things cheap and I'm also deeply committed to having a well stocked pantry. I really have to hold myself back when I'm in there! I really like it for getting certain things, but I have learned that somethings are better bought at the regular grocery store.So how do we decide what things are worth buying in bulk? I have four deciding factors:

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-76458184603810592622009-01-18T15:52:00.000-08:002009-01-18T21:14:08.373-08:00

This week on Frugal Feasting we are going to be talking about "Buying in Bulk." This can be a great way to save money on groceries and develop a great pantry. But not everything is great in mega-sized packages! We'll talk about what I buy in bulk and what I don't. I'll be posting lots of recipes using my bulk purchases - including "Apple Berry Bars" a delicious new cookie recipe I found!As

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-80804769169835046212009-01-17T13:29:00.000-08:002009-01-17T14:33:59.856-08:00

I never pay full price for cereal - NEVER! I mean really, $4.69 for a box of cereal that will feed my family 5 servings? Six servings if we are really lucky.Nope. Never.My personal rule is I won't spend more than $2.oo a box for cereal. And it has to contain more than 12 oz. I saw a box on sale the other day for $1.98 and thought I'd get some. Until I realized that there was 9 oz in the

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-86050273293900138502009-01-14T20:43:00.000-08:002009-01-15T07:37:50.731-08:00

In honor of "Buy stuff Cheap Week" I'm reposting the recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad. When I can get chicken for really cheap, this is a good way to stretch a couple of breasts to feed your whole family. This is my theory about meat: I very rarely serve meat as a "dish," I almost always serve it as an "ingredient." What I mean is, I stretch the chicken by adding it to cabbage to make a

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-87816822490870637172009-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-14T06:00:01.890-08:00

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to serve chicken to my family. It isn't the most low-fat way, but it is one of our favorites. I think it is because it is so tender because it is pounded thin. And flavorful because of all the seasoning on it.When you get your chicken for $1.49 a pound, it is also very cheap! I think my family is a low meat kind of family, it only takes two large chicken

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-43240213600849691292009-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:002009-01-13T11:59:00.718-08:00

I love this recipe because it is super easy, super cheap (if you buy stuff on sale) and everyone in my family loves it. Can't beat that!A few years ago one of the spaghetti sauce makers started marketing a "pasta bake" sauce. You put pasta in a pan, added the jar of sauce and one jar of water, covered the pan and baked it. I thought, you should be able to do that with just sauce, shouldn't you

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-66028623681426821582009-01-13T06:14:00.000-08:002009-01-13T06:14:00.690-08:00

(A brief break from Frugal Feasting. I'll post Last Thursday was not a good day. I was in a great mood until I got a call from my daughter."Mom, can you think of any other reason for a bunny to pull her fur?" Rabbit's pull their fur out to create a nest when they are about to give birth. That is how we knew our bunny, Thumper, was going to have babies four weeks ago. But pulling fur again?

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-25495259800523189442009-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-12T06:00:01.554-08:00

Every tightwad book or book on cheap eating will tell you that you should fill out a price-book. By having a price-book, you know what the lowest price is for anything and then you can only buy things at the lowest price. I totally agree that you should never pay full price for things - especially some things, however I have never had a price book.I tried several times to start a price-book but

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-22153709433588427062009-01-11T14:14:00.000-08:002009-01-11T21:08:15.036-08:00

I'm starting my "Frugal Feasting" series this week. I'm really excited to be doing this series. My favorite topic is food and the cheaper the better! This is going to be a great excuse for me to find some new cheap recipes.This week my focus is on the most basic part of cheap eating - buying stuff on sale! There are certain things I will never pay full price for. I'm going to go over these

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-2880942784800115382009-01-08T08:44:00.000-08:002009-01-08T08:58:25.654-08:00

I have been rather amiss at keeping my blog updated lately. Partly that was because of the holidays and I was busy and spending time with my kids over Christmas break. However, part of the problem was I just wasn't very focused on what I wanted to be doing here. I've been doing some thinking and I've come up with an idea! After much thought and brainstorming with Hubby and others, I've

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-58233773750507294092008-12-31T11:57:00.000-08:002008-12-31T12:22:18.493-08:00

Because I work for a school, I have had the last week and a half off and I have another 5 days before I go back to work. I'm really enjoying the break. But I know it is going to be over before I know it. I love my job! I really, really enjoy going to work everyday. But there are some adjustments when you go from a "stay-at-home" mom to a working mom. Getting dinner on the table is one of

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-8286881235698029422008-12-21T15:40:00.000-08:002008-12-21T22:30:12.123-08:00

Since the weather is so bad, and Christmas is on Thursday, this is going to be a weird week food-wise. Mostly eating out of the pantry and what we have on hand. In addition, it is Christmas break so the kids are home from school. I might be a little more organized in the lunch department, but I doubt it!Breakfasts:cerealtoast with jambagelswhatever else the kids can come up withChristmas

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-90549303146442325682008-12-21T11:39:00.000-08:002008-12-21T12:07:46.720-08:00

We are all going a little crazy here! It has been a week of bad weather here in the Northwest - something we are not used to. School was canceled three days last week and our Christmas parties last night and tonight have been canceled. We haven't been able (or willing) to get out much the last week.It is starting to wear on us. Case in point, last night. We were playing a game of Clue as a

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-8525739631640246352008-12-19T21:27:00.000-08:002008-12-20T17:19:09.083-08:00

Every year for the family Christmas brunch I am asked to bring two loaves of monkey bread. What is monkey bread, you ask? It is like bite-sized cinnamon rolls that are wonderful! My friend Kari heard that I was making monkey bread and said, "Will you please post the recipe on your blog?" Here at Jill's Crazy Life, we aim to please, so here, without further ado, is the recipe for Monkey Bread!

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-66298573531644875562008-12-19T11:04:00.000-08:002008-12-19T11:08:22.894-08:00

This picture is for my sister who doesn't believe that it is snowy here at my house. She lives about 5 miles away and it isn't snowy at her house. These were taken at 11 am on Friday. The forecast is for 6 - 10 inches tomorrow - I'm sure she'll get some then!!Jill

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-89782861452566757882008-12-17T13:06:00.000-08:002008-12-17T13:59:11.716-08:00

Please welcome the newest additions to the Crazyville household - three little baby bunnies! We bought our two youngest children pet bunnies back in May for their birthday. I told the pet store guy "I need two males or two females -I don't want baby bunnies." I was assured that the two we got were two boys."If we get babies, I'm bringing them back to you." I said. He just laughed, "Don't

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-43430821251566927992008-12-14T17:07:00.000-08:002008-12-14T18:22:30.835-08:00

It doesn't snow very often here in the Northwest. You can tell that by the fact that the TV stations in the area have pre-empted regular shows to talk about the weather all day. Reporters posted on every overpass in town, shots from ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) cameras of area roads, press conferences from the mayor of the city and the head of Tri-Met (our local bus/light rail).

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-11260307247328196832008-11-27T09:48:00.000-08:002008-11-27T09:58:21.076-08:00

On this day of thanks, I thought I would list a few of the many, many things I am thankful for.My home - it isn't always the neatest, cleanest place on earth, but it is warm and full of love.My family - I am really, really, really thankful for my family. They are so amazing and I love them so much. Food to eat - as we get ready to stuff ourselves, I'm thankful that we have food all year long.My

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-60415942940902410252008-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:002008-11-25T20:03:53.996-08:00

Many years ago I took a trip to the beach with friends. It was all girls (we called ourselves the "Beach Babes") and we had a fabulous time going out to lunch, poking around in the shops, walking on the beach, curling up with good books and, of course, talking - a lot! On one of our trips into town, we peeked into a small bookstore. I, of course, went straight for the cooking section. This

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-77457141753742265302008-11-23T19:24:00.000-08:002008-11-23T20:06:01.285-08:00

For more menu ideas, check out Organizing Junkie!I am hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday here at my house. I love Thanksgiving! I think it is my favorite holiday. I love the food, I love the feeling, I love having family over, I love the idea of a day to sit around and give thanks. I also love that it signals the start of the whole "Holiday Season."Because I'll be doing LOTS of cooking on

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-62309883064618951682008-11-13T19:26:00.000-08:002008-11-13T20:54:23.039-08:00

We have a few recipes in our house that are family favorites. Recipes that we turn to again and again. Recipes that people request on special occasions and when we just need comfort or familiarity. One-eyed Egyptians and ham fried rice are two of those such recipes. Whole wheat pan rolls is another.These rolls are really easy and make a whole bunch so there are always leftovers. Fortunately

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-52628260998661562582008-11-09T17:11:00.000-08:002008-11-09T20:41:07.825-08:00

I'm excited to be cooking without the restraints of the month of nothing but some things remain. We are keeping the soup and bread night each week and I'm going to continue to cook with beans at least once or twice a week. Beans are so good for us (as well as economical), so it just makes sense to eat them more. And my family likes them, too. I have lots of Italian sausage in the freezer so

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-77333107715635991932008-11-06T09:13:00.000-08:002008-11-07T18:19:58.962-08:00

Before I began my Month of Nothing I hoped that I would change my perception of money and my definition of "need." I didn't expect to actually learn anything that I didn't already know. And while most of the things I "learned" this month are actually just reminders of things I knew once upon a time but had forgotten, I actually learned a few new things. So here, in no particular order, are the

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-85183275938616993082008-11-04T18:31:00.000-08:002008-11-04T19:58:08.399-08:00

(It turns out that writing about what I learned from my Month of Nothing is harder than I thought it would be. Just so much, and hard to articulate it all. In addition, it is election night and I'm addicted to politics and can't pull myself away from the TV. I'll try to get it up tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this recipe which saved me many times during the Month of Nothing.)I love

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-90132332638356290462008-11-02T20:25:00.000-08:002008-11-02T20:47:24.234-08:00

Check out Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas!Menu planning this week was going to be fun because we can have whatever we want!! If I don't have something, I can go to the store!But then I sat down to plan and I ended up with a bunch of meals that are pretty cheap anyway. The one exception is we are having cheese-beer soup which takes a lot of cheese! And by the way, we are using

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-15197431518959046092008-10-31T22:55:00.000-07:002008-10-31T23:23:09.856-07:00

As if to mourn the end of my Month of Nothing, the weather turned gray and rainy today. This is what my walk to work looked like. It was very wet. In fact, I stopped to roll up my pant legs because I didn't want to work all day with wet pants! But I did walk to work, and it wasn't so bad. My goal is to keep walking. After all, I only live 6 blocks from work, it seems silly to drive.Meals

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-30604152048274245852008-10-30T21:35:00.001-07:002008-10-30T21:49:56.714-07:00

Last day of sunshine. It started raining this afternoon. *sigh* Somehow I'll survive. When we have the first really good NW rain storm, I'll be enjoying it. I really do love the rain.Today was good. We had oatmeal with berries for breakfast (I'm sure someone had cereal, probably Hubby). Lunch was buying for the little kids, yogurt, granola bars, bananas, crackers for the big kids.

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-52208188527677975502008-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:002008-10-29T21:52:12.859-07:00

Oh my gosh! I'm so excited! I only have two days left! Oh man. I'm so bummed. I only have two days left!Ok, so that's how I'm feeling. I'm really torn. I want to keep spending mindfully, rather than mindlessly. I want to save money and save the planet and teach my kids to respect money and to value and appreciate what they have. (Do you think I used the word "and" enough?) But I'm also

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-16454651698448641492008-10-27T22:06:00.000-07:002008-10-27T22:25:21.508-07:00

I baked today! Yeah me! Of course, we ate it all and I have nothing left. That's not exactly true, I made two loaves of bread and gave one away (we ate the other one) and I made homemade granola bars and I have those left, too. I was thinking today that this whole baking thing has been my hardest part about this eating cheap. I know that I could feed my family for less if I would bake and

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-7183845257943710732008-10-26T20:21:00.000-07:002008-10-26T20:39:48.408-07:00

What a fun weekend! Yesterday we did almost nothing of importance. Made a trip to the feed store (chickens needed feed and straw), cleaned house, made cinnamon rolls, finished reading my book, and slept in - not in that order, of course. I spent $20 and change at the feed store - food for chickens, one bale of straw, and some timothy hay for the bunnies. Can't let the animals starve!Today we

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-79204603153652620472008-10-24T22:22:00.000-07:002008-10-24T22:38:37.565-07:00

This is the view out of my front window. I love that tree. Every fall it turns this amazing shade of red. Of course, in the spring, the pollen off of that tree makes me miserable for a month! But I forgive the tree every fall as its leaves turn a beautiful shade of crimson.Today was another beautiful day here in the great Northwest. I walked to and from work - I needed gloves in the morning

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-24425573837613442812008-10-23T22:32:00.000-07:002008-10-23T22:47:14.302-07:00

Tonight we went and saw a play at a local high school. My cousin's daughter was playing the part of Gretel in "The Sound Of Music." It was so fun and the kids did such a fabulous job. I love to go see local high school plays. I was in several plays when I was in high school and watching those kids sing and dance and act their hearts out just takes me back in time. Unfortunately, the school

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-75401725090220033832008-10-22T20:40:00.000-07:002008-10-22T20:51:01.323-07:00

It is late, and I am tired so I'm going to dispense with the "chit chat" and just get on with it. Meals today were:Breakfast was bagels and English muffins all around. Oh, and orange juice.Lunch was lunch meat and cheese sticks, carrots, Cheezits, and an orange for me. Bagels and cream cheese for kids (with oranges, etc), leftovers for Hubby.Dinner was baked beans over rice with the last of the

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-79693111762236495442008-10-21T21:34:00.000-07:002008-10-21T21:54:22.962-07:00

I love fall in the Northwest. Today was such a beautiful day. It was cold and foggy in the morning and sunny and beautiful in the afternoon. What did I do on this beautiful day? I cleaned out a chicken coop! It needed it and it is all clean and sparkle-y! Happy chickens = many eggs!I was almost out of food in the house so I went grocery shopping. As I suspected I used all my $50 (plus 1.78

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-83837456828803569292008-10-20T21:59:00.001-07:002008-10-20T22:33:56.030-07:00

Mondays are so hard. I did not want to get up this morning and it was torture to get out of bed and get going. It was sunny when I got up but an hour later it was raining and windy. I just wanted to crawl back in bed and pull the covers over my head. But, no. I dutifully got ready, and went to work. I spend a long time straightening my hair. But this morning it wasn't worth it. It was

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-67457367325940833672008-10-19T17:03:00.000-07:002008-10-19T19:16:28.207-07:00

Still in our Month of Nothing and so planning cheap meals this week. I'm starting to run out of the things I stocked-up on. I'm sure I will spend the whole $50 this week, unlike the last two weeks.Meals for this week:Breakfasts:Homemade instant oatmeal. I'm so glad I learned this because my son LOVES this! On Tuesday of this week he had it for breakfast, after-school snack and asked for it

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-56427327395784388072008-10-18T20:40:00.001-07:002008-10-18T21:50:42.970-07:00

I'm sorry I didn't post last night but I got home really late and I was really tired. I was at a woman's conference last night and I got home late and had to get up early. I needed to get some dinner last night and I was really mad that I didn't pack one to take with me. I had to leave 20 minutes after I got home from work and I needed to change my clothes and get a few other things. Half way

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-6353863976375844152008-10-16T21:57:00.000-07:002008-10-16T22:27:23.295-07:00

Tonight I made one of my family's favorite dinners - Ham Fried Rice. Everyone loves it. Even my veggie kids, they just pick out the ham and give it to someone else who does like it. It is a really easy dish, super cheap, and uses up leftover meat and veggies. We traditionally make it with ham but I got the recipe from my mom and we always had with with pork when I was growing up. We use peas

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-58070949943007954372008-10-15T21:41:00.000-07:002008-10-15T21:54:44.890-07:00

I haven't had a cold - a real knock-down, drag-out cold - in a long time. But man, this thing has been rough! Finally today, day six, I'm starting to feel somewhat human again. It's about time!I walked to work today and learned something important. I will not be wearing skirts to work this winter - my legs were frozen by the time I got to work! And it's only October! I guess I could invest

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-622086419527666392008-10-14T21:33:00.000-07:002008-10-14T21:41:14.124-07:00

Today I went grocery shopping and I'm proud to say I did really, really well. Total: $40.38!That gives me $9 and change for the rest of the week. On Saturday I'm going to a conference and I will need to eat out at lunch (we aren't allowed to bring food into the conference center). So I'll have to spend less than $9 won't I?Meals for today:Breakfast was the last of the homemade bread with

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-71466185730189845872008-10-14T08:53:00.000-07:002008-10-14T09:14:55.290-07:00

I should have posted this last night but this cold finally caught up with me and I went to bed early. After watching "Chuck" of course, and skimming through "Dancing With the Stars." After all, we have to have priorities.Yesterday was a good day. The sun was shining, the crisp fall air is here in force, and for most of the day I felt really good. I walked to work - the car didn't move all day

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-46327667931273437712008-10-12T20:09:00.000-07:002008-10-13T14:50:30.492-07:00

I'm still in my "Month of Nothing" and going strong. I only spent $35 last week on groceries and I'm on track to do about the same for this week. I baked today so that we would have snacks for the week. I made another loaf of cinnamon swirl bread and then, because I have one kid who swears she doesn't like cinnamon, a made a loaf of cheddar swirl bread. It turned out pretty good. I just

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-12570574447551312972008-10-11T19:39:00.000-07:002008-10-11T21:03:47.847-07:00

Free grapes are great, unless you go crazy and bring home 70 lbs of them that you have to do something with today!That is what I did today. Stupid girl. We went out to a beautiful farm on Sauvie Island and we could pick as many grapes, apples or asian pears we wanted. There were tons of apples, but I'd already done applesauce for this year so I just got enough for lunchboxes for the next week

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-53896463219937889572008-10-10T21:15:00.000-07:002008-10-10T21:34:26.041-07:00

I had the day off today and it was lovely! I slept in, which did my cold a world of good. I still am very snuffily and drippy but I don't feel horrible.My sister and I went and visited my other sister in the hospital (she had surgery but is doing fine), and then we went out to lunch. Yes, you read that right, we went out to lunch. And I paid for my lunch. And I didn't feel guilty about it

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-75813655414139439042008-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:002008-10-09T20:51:11.338-07:00

This morning I had a headache. The kind that is centered right behind your nose and eyes, you know? I thought, "That's weird, it almost feels like a sinus headache." I took a couple of motrin and felt fine the rest of the day.Then while I was fixing dinner, it hit me."I'm getting a cold." I thought.Then 15 minutes later I started sneezing. Then the congestion hit. Then the body aches. About

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-27729212799529081502008-10-08T21:20:00.000-07:002008-10-08T21:31:00.539-07:00

Wah-hoo! I went grocery shopping today. I made a list in advance (after planning meals for the next week) and only got what was on my list.Drum roll please!$35.11!!And that included food for our bunnies!!! Yeah me! After I got through the check-out line and realized how low it was, I was kicking myself for saying no to a few things. I should have gotten more fruit for lunch boxes, for

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-40007476271492984762008-10-07T20:35:00.000-07:002008-10-08T08:06:25.931-07:00

I'm so tired! It has been a very long day. I went to the city council meeting tonight. I didn't speak but just me being there reminds everyone about chickens. I drove to work and to the city council meeting. I have a little less than 3/4 of a tank left in my car. I guess that is good since it is almost the 8th day of the month. I only drove to work because I was volunteering in Kaden's

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-43718765957390216522008-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:002008-10-06T16:59:43.906-07:00

Ok, this should have been posted last night but I was tired and completely forgot about it!We are still doing our month of nothing here in Crazyville, I have $20.76 left for this week, and - oh joy!- I realized that the new week starts on Wednesday. So, if I can make it to Wednesday, I can spend $70.76 on groceries. I probably won't though, I want to have money for later. Right now, we are

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-25990022414554067652008-10-05T19:38:00.000-07:002008-10-05T19:47:20.033-07:00

This whole one tank of gas for the month might be a problem. Today we went to a family birthday party. In was at my sister-in-law's house which, unfortunately, is about 40 minutes away from us. We used almost a quarter tank of gas today! Ugh! Well, we'll do the best we can. I made granola today so that maybe we can stretch the cheap cereal. Today for meals we all ate whatever we could find.

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-6895139556785064822008-10-04T21:12:00.000-07:002008-10-04T21:46:50.067-07:00

Gotta love Saturdays, unless you are so busy that you don't get to sit down all day!Remember those boxes of apples I talked about? They are now in the form of applesauce and in 20 quarts on my shelf. Not the boxes, just the apples. But you knew that, huh?I also worked with my neighbor to make her yard escape proof so that our chickens could get out of their enclosure and roam around the yard.

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-86987329504886958822008-10-03T21:07:00.000-07:002008-10-03T21:46:20.558-07:00

Today was a fun day. I went to work (I walked even though it was raining, yeah me!) and it was Friday treat day, that meant yummy treats in the staff room. Fridays are good days because I can usually get a lot of work done. I work in the library of an elementary school. I'm the media assistant - that means I check out the books, check in the books, re-shelve the books, mend the books, keep

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-58838308686758682612008-10-02T19:19:00.000-07:002008-10-02T20:19:28.148-07:00

Today was a day for walking. I walked to work, as I always do, and then after work I walked up to the high school. I had volunteered to work in the snack shack from 4 to 6. Thankfully, both work and the high school are only a few blocks away so it wasn't too bad. I did drive my car today. I was really trying to avoid it. Carina had a girls group meeting at church, Jim walked her there (

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-56058635204771368722008-10-02T09:09:00.000-07:002008-10-02T15:02:39.105-07:00

What to do with all those garden zucchinis? Other than zucchini bread (which I made two loaves of last night) this is what we do with it - make zucchini pie!I found this recipe in my mother's recipe box. My mom died when I was 17 years old, later in life I went to my dad and step-mom's house and "stole" a few things that I wanted to keep - her recipe file, some of her cookbooks, and a few other

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-44074559191993001752008-10-01T16:38:00.000-07:002008-10-01T19:06:43.996-07:00

I haven't spent one penny all day! Aren't you proud of me? This is gonna be easy!Ok, now back to reality. I really haven't spent anything today but, really, it's only been one day. I did go shopping last night so that I wouldn't start the month out with a deficit. My budget for Costco was $75 but I spent $81 (in my defense, $17 of that was toilet paper, not food). I spent $99 at Winco (less

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-87521110780979340302008-09-29T15:37:00.000-07:002008-09-29T17:35:36.822-07:00

We are about to embark on our Month of Nothing. I thought it would be good to explain how it is going to work, and why we decided to do it.Why we are doing this:In order to explain why we are doing this, I have to explain the opposite! We are not doing this because we "need" to save money (although couldn't we all stand to save some money - especially now in this economy?). We are doing just

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-83372564069574842832008-09-28T20:37:00.000-07:002008-09-28T21:12:42.317-07:00

After reading all about Mary's adventures with a month of nothing over at Owlhaven, I was intrigued. I really wanted to do something similar but wasn't sure if I'd be able to get my family to go along with it. Then my 15 yo saw the article, "My Family's No-Buy Experiment," in Reader's Digest and said, "Hey Mom, we should totally do this!"So, we're doing it.Starting October 1 (which is Wednesday

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-67098456319019289582008-09-27T21:30:00.000-07:002008-09-27T21:42:42.626-07:00

I had one of those days today. I went to bed last night disgusted with my house and my out-of-control life! I had things on my to-do list that had been on there for weeks. I needed to finally do a couple of those things and not be disgusted anymore.So, today I got up and got ready. Then I went and found some cheap apples ($6.00 for a 22 lb box of Galas - I bought four boxes) then came home and

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-8817295250489585832008-09-26T20:24:00.001-07:002008-09-26T21:10:59.304-07:00

I love fall! I love the leaves. I love the crisp cool mornings and evenings. I love the smell of fall in the air. The light feels different in the fall - maybe the different slant of the earth? I love going back to school. (I also love this picture, it is of my daughter Tali on a trip to Portland State University, my alma mater (go Viks!). My husband gave me a framed copy of this picture

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-89715204704982519072008-09-25T07:51:00.000-07:002008-09-25T08:02:25.526-07:00

I have owned a CrockPot for the past two years that I hate. I have been doing a slow burn over this slow cooker. It burns everything I cook! It drives me nuts. Have I stopped using it? No, I just have suffered. After all, it cost money and I should use it until I gotten out of it what I paid, right?Wrong! Sometimes it is just better to admit defeat and start over. I recently (Monday)

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-75586664027486429142008-09-21T20:43:00.000-07:002008-09-21T21:25:52.708-07:00

The last few weeks have been SO busy! I started a new job (which I love), gave two newspaper interviews - for The Oregonian and The Gresham Outlook, testified before our city council again, and wrote a response to one of the newspaper articles. In addition I have gotten lots of email, phone calls, etc of support for my chicken fight. I need EASY recipes this week!! Monday is my son's birthday

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835787007164377622.post-78385819769788478122008-09-20T12:55:00.000-07:002008-09-20T14:51:18.172-07:00

The article in the Gresham Outlook, titled "Something Fowl Afoot in Gresham Neighborhood," came out today. The pictures are great and in general the article is good.I do have a few corrections I'd like to make.1. My neighbor stated that "those chickens are 12 feet from my bedroom." In actuality, it is 18 feet from the coop to his property line and at least that again to his house. So "those

Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11699394534229559395noreply@blogger.com1