Saturday Treasures

Today is "City Wide Garage Sale" day in our town.

Our newspaper arrived Wednesday, complete with map and ads. Blonde 3 read through each ad and even high-lighted what she thought would be the "have to go to" sales.

She and I were out the door before 7:30 this morning. She didn't have much luck but I found a few treasures and spent a total of $2.25.

I purchased a corning ware pie plate to replace one that broke months ago. The holiday Debbie Mumm spreders will be a great little extra to give with a cheese ball and crackers to neighbors this Christmas. The wine charms will be a fun little extra to have when we entertain friends or family during the holidays. And what I consider to be the best bargain of all is the More Make A Mix Cookery book. I've checked this out from the library before and really enjoyed it. For a mere 25 cents, I'm now able to enjoy it anytime I want.

How Many Fish Does It Take?

How many fish does it take to make the fishing trip a success?

Just ONE.

Menu Plan Monday #19

This is our first official week of summer. The girls are glad to be out of school and I'm glad to get a break from making sure everyone has their homework done and back-packs ready to go.

Monday - Loaded Baked Potatoes, Baked Beans, Salad

Tuesday - Country Breakfast Pie*, Corn Muffins, Peaches

Wednesday - Sweet Sloppy Joes*, French Fries, Green Beans

Thursday - Oriental Chicken Legs (crock-pot), Brown Rice, Stir-Fry Veggies

Friday - Cheddar Mac Beef Casserole, Peas & Carrots, French Bread

I've recently re-read this cookbook (yes, I read them like novels). The * denotes recipes I'm trying this week from this book.

Country Breakfast Pie

4 slices bacon, cut in half

2 c. frozen country-style hashbrown potatoes w/onions & green peppers

6 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Place bacon in a 9" pieplate, cover w/paper towels.

Microwave at HIGH 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 minutes or until bacon is crisp; remove bacon, reserving drippings in pieplate. Drain and crumble bacon, and set aside.

Spread potato in same pieplate; microwave, uncovered at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes.

Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients; pour over potato mixture. Cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap; fold back a small edge of wrap to allow steam to escape. Microwave potato mixture at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes, giving dish a quarter-turn after 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese and crumbled bacon; cover and microwave at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving; cut into wedges. Makes 6 servings.

Sweet Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 -10 3/4oz. can tomato soup, undiluted

1-8oz. can tomato sauce

1 c. ketchup

2 T brown sugar (optional if you don't want a sweet taste)

1 T Worstershire sauce

1 t. prepared mustard

1/8 t. garlic powder

hamburger buns, toasted

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large skillet until beef is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Stir in soup and next 6 ingredients; simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve on toasted buns. Serves 4 (that's what it says in the recipe but my experience is that with 1 1/2# of beef, you can easily get 6 servings). I'm going to make a double-batch so we have leftovers for lunches.

First BBQ of the Season

It's official. School is out. Summer is here. And we've received an invitation to our first official BBQ of the season. I'm taking dessert.

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes - thought these would be good for the kiddos.

and Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Pie at the request of Lawman. He's a sucker for the chocolate-mint combination.

Elastic Required

More times than not, I'm happy to go shopping. However, there are two particular items I hate shopping for -- vehicles and swimsuits.



My vehicle is fine but given the current state of my swimsuit, shopping for a new one has been long overdue. No elastic left in either the top or the bottom. I mean seriously, any 40+ mother knows that high quality elastic is a necessity, especially in a swimsuit. Elastic was non-existent in my suit. So much so that my girls were hanging and my cheeks were bare. Oh, that's a visual, isn't it? I think we better move on.



I would like to say right up front that having a teenager and a tween in the dressing room while trying on swimsuits was quite humorous. I'm sure we created more than a few memories. And oh Lord, the comments. Let's just say it's a good thing that I'm comfortable in my own skin. I will have to admit that they were very helpful. And honest. That's probably an understatement.



I had my heart set on this suit. Apparently, women that wear Nike suits have no boobs. My girls just about had a stroke when they realized that their mother had that much cleavage.



This top was too low-cut. However, I can guarantee you that my 15 year old would think a low-cut neckline like this is totally appropriate for her. Well, her girls are still perky. She told me, "No, it makes your boobs look saggy." That's not what I needed to hear. I'm well aware that the perk has got up and left. Again, the need for high quality elasticity!



Finally, we decided on this and this. It was far and away the top choice. The girls say it makes me look perky and thin--words that this mama wants to hear over and over.

By Request

It only took one time making this recipe to realize that it was going to be a huge hit with the girls. It's now a regular on their request list for dinner.

Bacon Chicken Crescent Ring

2 tubes (8oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 can (10 oz) chunk white chicken, drained and flaked or 2 c. chopped, cooked chicken

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. chopped onion

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 T Dijon mustard

1 T Italian salad dressing mix

Grease a 14" pizza pan. Unroll crescent roll dough; separate into triangles. Place wide end of one triangle about 2-3" from the edge of prepared pan with point overhanging the edge of pan. Repeat with remaining triangles, overlapping wide ends (will look like the sun when complete).



In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over wide ends of dough. Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under wide ends (filling will be visible).




Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

Our girls like to have leftovers for breakfast (if there are any).

I'm Living Murphy's Law

Why is it that when you aren't pressed for time things go smoothly?

I've mentioned before that we're within days of the end of school. Blonde 2 is finishing up a biology project and preparing for a final as well. Why is it that when you have a deadline, things never go as planned?

We needed to replace the black ink cartridge in the printer. Simple enough, right? Of course not. No one in town had the correct cartridge. A salesperson at Staples guaranteed me that one they had in stock would work. Who am I to argue? I'm pretty limited when it comes to technical abilities.

Oh, and did I mention that Blonde 2 needed poster board? Well, shame on me for thinking I could purchase it at the local Dollar General. Every other freshman needed poster board too. All 300 of them. Okay, maybe not that many but as luck would have it, they were out when I arrived this evening. So I called my neighbor, who happens to be a teacher, in hopes that she'd have some. Sure enough!

So, back to the printer. Time to install that new ink cartridge. Of course, you guessed it. It didn't work.

Again, I called that teacher friend. Blonde 2 put her project on a jump drive and headed across the street. Oh but this couldn't be easy either. It required more than one trip.

Ah but finally.....project complete. Does Murphy's Law apply if you don't procrastinate?

Menu Plan Monday #17

As I mentioned at the beginning of this month, I am trying to stick to my grocery budget ($400 - $450). Kate, Toni and Joy are the reason for this. They've all done such a great job this month. If you haven't checked out their 3 Mom series, I recommend you stop by their sites to see just what it is they've been doing.

I did my second shopping trip for the month this weekend. And it was none too soon either. Our cabinets were empty. Just ask my kids. They'll be more than happy to tell you that, "there's nothing to eat." Do you ever hear that?

I had a lot of non-food items on my list this time (things like garden hoses and such) so I decided to shop at the supercenter to avoid having to make a 2nd stop. My total was $283 and easily $60 of that was not part of our food budget. So, add $223 to the $189 I spent last time and I'm at $412 for the month. I will probably need to go to the store before the holiday weekend as we are going to the lake cabin with friends (their cabin, not ours). I'm helping with food but I have no idea what I need to bring.

This is the last week of school. I took that into consideration as I was preparing my shopping list as it means that the girls and Lawman will be at home each day for lunch as of next week. Blonde 2 has finals at the high school this week which means some short days for her. She'll be home for lunches as of Thursday.

Here's our weekly plan:

Monday - Pork Enchiladas (made w/leftover pulled pork from the freezer), tortilla chips & salsa

Tuesday - Bacon Chicken Crescent Ring, Salad

Wednesday - Dinner out as we will be out of town that evening.

Thursday -

Lunch / Sandwiches & Chips

Dinner / Tacos (making a double batch of taco meat)

Friday -

Lunch / Super nachos (using leftover taco meat)

Dinner / Ham & Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, Fruit

As always, thank you to Laura for hosting MPM. There's lots of menu ideas available here.

Congratulations Graduates

There are many celebrations this weekend for high school and college graduates. We will be attending parties today for several high school grads to congratulate them on completion of this phase of life and wishing them success in their next endeavors.

I remember my own graduations from high school and college. Such a feeling of success as well as excitement and anxiety about what lay ahead of me. I didn't have a full-time job lined up when I graduated college and that bothered me. I had just received my Bachelor's degree and couldn't find a job. But, never fear. It all worked out. It required patience on my end.

This too will probably be the situation for some of the new graduates this year. All in due time my friend. Your day will come and everything will fall in place. Just be patient.

A Lunch Date

Lawman is working a lot of extra hours today (6pm today until 9am tomorrow). We decided if we were going to see each other at all that we better schedule a date. So, he picked me up for lunch. We finished early enough to take advantage of the warm weather by sitting in the park enjoying the sunshine, birds and a beautiful breeze. I just love those mid-day getaways!

And the Award Goes to...

I found this little surprise waiting for me this morning.

Kate, at A Simple Walk, awarded me an E for Excellent. I can't think of a better way to start my day. Thanks, Kate!

I now have the honor of passing this award on to others. And the award goes to...

Rechelle (aka The Country Doctor's Wife) - She's too funny for her own good.

Amanda at My Treasure Box - Her photos speak volumes. They don't even need captions.

Meredith at Like Merchant Ships - Serendipitous! Need I say more?

Menu Plan Monday #17

We are nearing the end of the school year and that has prompted me to think about the adjustments I will need to make in the next 10 days to our menu plan. During the school year, the girls eat lunch at school so it's a no-brainer for me. It will mean that I need to do a better job at planning for lunches (quick & easy) and snacks. It will mean spending a bit more at the grocery store but that is off-set by not having to pay for a school lunch account. I do tend to have more frozen pizzas and such on hand during the summer months but it's cheaper than trips to the drive-thru.

Here's what we'll be eating this week --

Monday - Hummus with pitas, fresh veggies, fruit and ice cream for dessert

Tuesday - Tuna salad sandwiches, fresh veggies, fruit

Wednesday - Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, peas

Thursday - Confetti Chicken Wraps (grilled chicken breast cut in thin strips and mixed w/pinto beans, corn, cheese and salsa)

Friday - Red Beans & Rice (Zatarrains Mix)

Saturday - A day out of the kitchen...we'll be attending graduation parties at both lunch time and dinner so we'll be eating there.

I hope to get some cookies baked this week too.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Meredith at Like Merchant Ships inspired this. A dear friend of ours lost his father on Friday. We knew they would be leaving town on Sunday so we took a basket of appetizer fare late Saturday afternoon -- grapes, nectarines, cream cheese spread, crostini, brownies and stuffed mushrooms. It didn't take long to put together and I know it was appreciated.

Lawman can't do anything on a small scale, including Mother's Day. He and the girls gave me two pieces of Polish Pottery -- one of my weaknesses. I received this heart-shaped platter from the girls and the vase from him. Each mother received a carnation at church today. Thanks family!

Happy Mother's Day

To All You Mothers....

Happy Mother's Day!

You are special. You are. For everything you do, big and small.

Find joy in all that you receive today (and everyday).

Fine Print...Read it folks and follow through.

Customer Service - - you either love it or hate it.

Last night I decided it was finally time to make a call to Sears Customer Service Department. A call that I had put off as long as possible. Why? Most of the time I get the customer service rep who doesn't speak fluent English, doesn't want to be helpful or isn't willing to ask a supervisor for assistance.

Not the case last night.

I dialed the toll free number, entered my credit card account number and was directed to Karen.

Before I called, I pulled my statements since 01/2008 so my firing power was right at my fingertips. So I was ready -- armed and dangerous as Lawman would say.

Lawman and I had made a purchase several months back that was a special offer. You know, 6 months no interest or some such deal. Anyway, in February I had called to find out our balance in order to pay it off. See, I had read the fine print at the bottom of our statement that said, "You must pay your balance in full prior to 4/1/08 in order to avoid interest." We weren't willing to pay interest so we decided we'd get this taken care of sooner rather than later.

Balance was $103.27. With receipt in hand, I explained to Karen that I had made this payment - in the store AND in the full amount due - on February 27. (Remember this.) I have my receipt to prove it. Could I give her a transaction number or some such hoo-ha to enable her to find it? Oh yes, she tells me, she can see that on my account. OK then, why didn't it eliminate that balance due?

There's a catch, as usual. Go figure.

You see, we were in need of some new tires for our car. On February 26 (one day before I made that payment, remember?) we purchased tires. $550 worth of tires and I paid for it with our credit card. Business as usual, right? Wrong. It works like this.

When you have a "promotional balance" and "other balance", the majority of your payments on account will apply to the "other balance" because it is accruing interest. Well, guess what my payment of $103.27 went to? Yep. Tires. I can guarantee you those dadgum tires had been on that account for less than 24 hours!

The reason I called in the first place is because we received our new statement in the mail a few days ago and a line item of "Interest Accrued" appeared....$148!! That's right folks. Interest on our "promotional purchase" and it was calculated to accrue from the first day of purchase to present. That's 6 mos. worth of interest (or some such magical number) on a balance that we thought we had paid off.

Well, bless Karen's heart. I'm tellin' ya I would send this girl a canned ham for her excellent customer service if I knew how to find her.

She "re-applied" our payment (some fancy jargon for fudging the books or tricking the computer?) to the promotional balance or actually, as much of it as she could. This left a "promo balance" due of $22.00 and she got her supervisor and he eliminated the $148 in interest. How's that for customer service? So now all I have to do is pay $22 before the 25th of this month to avoid interest again on that "promo purchase."

Personally, I think the whole "promo balance" should have disappeared but I wasn't about to argue with Karen. Not after what she just accomplished on my behalf. She's the best customer service rep I've worked with. Ever. Next time I call Sears for some help, I think I'll ask for her by name.

And Karen, what kind of ham do you prefer? Smoked or honey glazed?

Do Re Me Fa So La Ti Do

Saturday was the annual junior high band contest. Blonde 3 plays the clarinet in the 6th grade band. She'd tell you she doesn't like it but that's just because she doesn't want to admit it. She also plays the piano and she'd tell you the same thing about that. However, she never has to be told to practice. There are many mornings that we are given a concert before we ever get out of the house for school. See, she likes it that much.

For the contest she played with the entire band and also did a solo. Yes, that's right. She got up her nerve and performed on her own. In front of a judge. Brave soul, that girl. (I'd post a photo of her performing her solo except that my camera battery went dead!).

I'm happy to report that she did very well. She received a I-Superior Rating for her solo and the 6th grade band also received the same score. Play it again B3.

Mercury Rising

The mercury is rising which for me means it's time to get rid of the socks and shoes. I'm a barefoot kind of girl. If I could, I'd go barefoot or be in flip flops all year. Now mind you, I'm not the girl who has regular pedicures so my feet are not properly prepared to be bare but I do appreciate a pretty color on my toes. I love the feel of lush grass under foot too! Are you ready to bare it?

Menu Plan Monday #16

If you're feeling a crunch in the pocketbook due to the rising cost of gas and groceries, you might want to check out the 3Moms, 3Kitchens, 31Days segment that Kate, Joy and Toni are doing during the month of May. These ladies have graciously opened up their kitchens to us, allowing us to see just how they manage to stick to their grocery budgets--$300, $450 and $600 respectively. Just knowing what these gals are up to makes me think I better keep a close eye on my grocery budget and see if I can do as well as they do.

I did my menu planning/grocery shopping yesterday. And, what a good day I had at the grocery store. On Friday I received coupons in the mail for their valued customer program and I put them to good use yesterday. I saved $62.95 by using vendor coupons and store coupons. I spent $189.65 of the $200 I had budgeted. This will last us for 2 weeks; next shopping trip will be the 17th or 18th.

We are getting near to the end of the school year; 14.5 days left. My kids are counting, can you tell? With that comes a lot of extra activities as we try to cram it all in....band concerts, vocal concerts, end of semester projects and study sessions for finals.

Here's what we have on our menu this week...

Monday - Cinco de Mayo - Taco Salad Bowls, Guacamole, Tortilla Chips

Tuesday - Deli Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Fresh Fruit of choice

Wednesday - Stuffed Pasta Shells (ricotta, swiss and broccoli), Salad, Garlic Bread

Thursday - Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, French Fries, Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Friday - Corny Salmon Cakes, Brown Rice, Steamed Veggies

Today I made a tuna & cream cheese spread for crackers which Lawman and I will have with our lunches and the girls can have for an after-school snack. I also baked a Honey Bun Coffee Cake , from The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook by Anne Byrne, which we'll have for breakfast a couple of times this week and it can also serve as dessert.

Go to Laura's place for more Menu Plan Monday.

All Swimmers on Deck

This is our second home during the summer.

Both of our girls are members of the local swim team.

Official preparations for the upcoming season begin tonight.

Only 26 days until the first day of practice.
Rest assured that you will be seeing many pool side photos throughout the upcoming summer months.