Becoming a 9-5 Family

So we are half way through Week 2 of our new lifestyle, and boy has it been a rollercoaster ride. We are still adjusting to this new schedule that we have never experienced before. Like I said in my earlier post, hubby is home EVERY DAY now. This means we can actually start buying fruit that won't go to waste, and that a whole loaf of bread (sometimes two!) gets eaten without wasting any. It means getting to eat at home every day and packing lunches. Very, very new to me. It seems as if things are getting more expensive right at the time that Murphy is visiting our house. After taking a long, hard look at the bank accounts today, I was slapped with reality and my frugal genes (yes, I have more than one!) kicked into TURBO POWER! or was it TURTLE POWER! ....anyway...

A few posts ago I showed off my 99 cent organic loot. In that lot was a bunch of flour, so I decided that I am done with buying ready-made bread. I actually made a list today and baking bread was on it. I had success thanks to a candy thermometer and the Good Housekeeping Cookbook from the 70s. That thing has never failed me, and if my Mom thinks she is getting it back, well she's just nutty. And because the job market here has been reduced to only two columns of non-nursing jobs, I will be baking all of our bread.

Another thing that I have been doing more of lately is hanging laundry in the house. Thanks to the crazy Arctic air sweeping the nation, I haven't really wanted to be outside handling cold wet clothes. I've been hanging them in open closets and the shower. My Mom started doing this when I was a teenager; we lived in an apartment and running the dryer meant skipping a meal.

I sometimes run the little heater in the bathroom to get things started. I usually leave the clothes overnight and fluff them in the morning.

Sometimes I kick myself for not doing these things all the time, thinking "Just imagine how much we could have saved!", but I've been trying to stay sane about it. I've realized that the ultimate way to be frugal would be living in an eco-village off of the grid somewhere peeing on our plants (I'm not knocking those that do). The rest of us are just doing our best with the mental capacity God gave us that allows for multitasking. Everyday I am trying to do better and realize my own strength,

and that's all I can do, is try. It's all any of us can do.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Orzo

Tonight I am making some orzo with dinner, so I thought I would share how I make this quick and easy side...

You can cook orzo just as you do rice. When tender, drain, and add some tomato sauce, cinnamon, and paprika. Quick and easy and adds a different, more sweet kind of flavor when you're looking to spice up dinner! Goes great with meats... Enjoy!

Frugal Camping

This past weekend we went camping at Riverside Park in Bay City, Texas. This place is near my mother's house so it is a nice place for all of us to meet up and enjoy some time. It costs $18 a night for full hookups, so we usually have someone's RV and a couple of tents. When you divide the price by everyone it is quite cheap, and cheaper than a hotel! Now mind you that our normal way of camping is not exactly "roughing it"! Here are a few pics of the place and some frugal camping tips to go along with them.



- Stay away from ice in the coolers. Everything will be soggy by the end of your trip. Invest in some ice packs instead.

- Omelets in a bag - put all omelet ingredients into a Ziploc bag. Remove air and seal. Place in a pot of boiling water until package floats to the top. (thanks Mom)

- Cook canned foods directly on the grill. Open the lid slightly and you have a little oven in there!

-Use what nature gave you: wood for fire and roasting marshmallow, rivers and lakes for washing clothes, and fish for eating!

- Bring dishes and silverware that you can reuse. Keep down the waste by not using paper products.

- Invest in a decent-sized tent. Not only will you have room for your family but also for the rest of your belongings in case it rains. Our tent has enough room for us and a table in case we have to spend more time in there.

- Aluminum foil! You can cook on it, or in it, or wrap potatoes in it, or deflect the sun with it! Bring it!

A-Penny-Saved Tip

Today's tip: save leftover butter stick wrappers to grease pans. I put all of mine in a ziploc bag in the freezer and they are ready to use at anytime. Tonight I made brownies and greased the pan in a matter of seconds. Use it up, wear it out....


We will be camping for the next few days so no posts until Sunday! Have a great weekend...

Lentils: The New Meat

My husband is changing jobs at the beginning of the year and we are going to have to economize. Every week I am trying to do something newly frugal, and this week I decided to tackle lentils. Lentils are a staple in a Greek diet but I had never really given them a chance. Turns out, lentils are legumes that are 26% protein and high in iron. This is a nice alternative to meats, especially when there's a drought in the meat-on-sale department. At Wal-Mart, a 1 lb. bag of lentils costs $.92. I made lentil soup, or soupa faki in Greek, using only 1 cup of lentils, or half the bag. The whole meal costs less than a dollar and is pretty filling! Here is the recipe:

1 cup lentils
1 quart water
3-5 large fresh carrots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tsps. salt
oregano to taste
pepper to taste

Wash lentils in a strainer under cold water. Check for tiny pebbles and sticks. Set aside. Cut carrots and onions. Set aside. Bring water to a boil in a medium soup pot and add all ingredients except salt. Bring to a boil again, then reduce and simmer for 2 hours. If soup begins to thicken too much for your taste, add water. Add salt in the last ten minutes of cooking time. Serve with feta cheese, fresh bread, and kalamata olives, and a glass of wine for a true Greek meal.



Voila! You have a nutrient-rich meal for not a lot of money!