Saving Money…
The Garden:
I wanted to tell you that my garden is growing very well. So far, we are eating radishes (well, I am, John doesn’t care for them) and all of our salads are coming from the lettuce I grow. I snip off just enough each day to make our salad. Did you know that radish greens are eatable? It’s been raining so I’m saving on water too! One of the simple pleasures I have is returning from a week of work in the village to see how much my little garden has grown.
Canning: I have done much this year already and and plenty of jam. The olives are done and I’m looking forward to getting some apples on sale to make apple sauce and pie filling.
Today, John and I have finished the green olive cure and here is the result: 
Also, look at these jars of quince that I canned: They will be used for pies and jams this year. Please click on the photo for a larger view. 
Bargains: I bought a ready made pizza on sale at the Lidl (German store) for only 1,40€ after the 30% mark-down. I put on some mozzarella cheese, and parmesan to it’s skimpy presentation and John and I had a fairly decent supper for a good price.
Blessings: We have received some really great blessings from friends. I honestly believe that the Lord is providing for us in this special way. Here are some of the recent blessings from Joye, Debora and Sue:
Jerky, TP, toothpaste, candy, bath soap, pretty smelling bath things, dried cherries, deodorant, 8 cans of albacore tuna, spices, office supplies, lip gloss, tea and more!
I am excited to think of all the recipes I can use that albacore in! I am so thankful for these gals and the wonderful surprise of packages in the mail! It’s a real treat!
Tom and Jeanne sent me the money for my ticket to France!!! Wasn’t that the nicest blessing? I hadn’t seen these grands, or ANY grandkids since they came for Christmas last year. They are so cute and it was the loveliest of treats to be with them. The flight is only 1 hr and 20 mins from Madrid.
Ways I save:
- I have purchased dried beans; pinto, red beans, white and black beans. I then pressure cooked them separately, divide them in baggies and froze them. I thought at my .49¢ (euro cents) a jar was a good price for the cooked beans, but I can get 6 portions of beans for the price of 2 if I buy them dry, cook and freeze them.
- Today I once again used my pressure cooker to cook 1 lb (about 500grs) of stew beef. This small amount will stretch to make 3 meals: ♥Shredded beef tacos for today+re-fried beans and salad.♥Nachos (with fried tortilla chips I make, lettuce, salsa, beans & cheese) for Sunday and ♥rolled tacos+ Mexican rice+salad for Monday♥Plus, the added bonus of about 3 cups of really nice beef broth to make a soup.
- I saved the juice of the pickles I canned last summer and added 3 hard-boiled eggs to it. In 3 or 4 days, these I will have delicious “pickled eggs”.
- I snip off the tops of my onions from the garden to make “scallions”. I use what I need and dry the rest for future use.
My trip to France: I had a fun trip to France to see Anita and 2 grands, Elijah and Ana. It was relaxing but the weather was rainy the whole time. We got out of the house a couple of times but then, I went to see them, not have fantastic weather.
Please leave you comments! I love to hear from you.
I’m still looking for ways to save and reduce…
There has been some good sales on produce here and I’ve taken advantage of some of them. Here are some examples:
Pineapple: I bought 5 lovely pineapples for .69 euros cents a kilo and I have made, 3 kinds of jam, pineapple salsa and canned pineapple. 
It’s a lot of fun for me and a nice hobby that also saves me money.
Here is the broccoli and carrots photo that I tried to load last time. These have to be frozen because I don’t have a pressure canner.
A neighbor made some “membrillo” or a sweet paste made out of quince and eaten with cheese. We love the stuff! Here is a photo: 
What else have we done? Well, we are trying to sell some household items. We always appreciate your prayers in these matters.
I did stock up on a sale of chickens so I won’t be buying any meat for a while. Also I saw in a flyer that sweet potatoes are now in season ( we can only buy them a couple of months a year) and are only 1€ a kilo! I plan to stock up. I won’t be able to can them due to me not having that pressure canner, but I will store them in a cool place and look on-line for some tricks. My freezer is full.
Can you send me your money saving ideas? I’d appreciate any wisdom I can get.
A new month with new challenges
Thank you for your prayers for us! Aren’t these interesting times? We feel sometimes that we have so many challenges & trials but even in the midst of those, we know that in the Lord there is always hope. I continue to find ways to save on the ‘ol grocery budget. Some budget items have been lowered, while others have been raised, like house and fuel costs. Here are some of the “new moves” we have made:
- we’re now unplugging the water/house heating unit during the day (it’s a diesel fuel tank we have filled) and just turn it on for our showers at night/ wear sweaters in the house.
- we try to run any errands only once a week
- John fixed the dishwasher! This saved us at least 100€
- the garden is growing… we are hoping for a “crop” soon
- eating a lot more legumes
- eating less meat
- buying ONLY the 30% off meat and poultry (that is out of code the next day)
- I bought enough broccoli on sale last week to last about 4 months. I will blanch and freeze it today after I give my English class to the neighbor kids (ministry, not a job)
Bummers of the week:
- the heating system needed a new part that cost us 100€ ($145)…ugh
- this is a bummer/blessing: a couple in our church is getting married and the customs are different here. We each give the money for the meal that is held after the wedding ceremony at a restaurant ( at least 60€ for each person… this is a 5or 6 course meal) + we add the money for the gift for the couple on top of that. Weddings are great…. but boy are they expensive in Spain. My friends are all talking about going out to buy their new outfits and getting their hair done the day of the wedding. I will wear something I already have, and do my own hair! We all have these “unexpected expenses” that we deal with.
We hope that you are seeing victory in your lives and are feeling hopeful.
* I tried to upload some photos but I am getting an error message. I’ll try again later.
The Blessings we receive!
Remember the last posting where I said it would an interesting week because we had so few vegetables? Well, here is what our neighbor, Juan brought to us yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge.
WOW,eh? chard, lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. The Lord is so generous to us!
Yesterday I made Kolache, pronounced: Ko-latch-ee (a treat from former Czechoslovakia), using the jams I have made.
These will serve as breakfasts for us and for guests when they drop in.
Here are some good ideas from an internet site:
Not Just One, but Ten Ways to Save
- Bring your own pop to work instead of using the machine. √-don’t buy soda in machines, rarely at the market unless we have guests.
- Combine several errands and save it in gas.√- do this already!
- Give up a convenience item like bag salad, cleaning wipes, or snack packs.√-don’t buy these
- Eat leftovers for lunch.√- check! We do this!
- Hang a load of wash.√- we do this… no choice, we don’t have a dryer
- Rent a movie instead of going to the theater.√- we have our own DVD’s from gifts & I have also purchased some on special. We don’t go to the theater.
- Play with the kids at the park instead of going to an attraction that charges entrance fees.√- doesn’t apply
- Repair something instead of replacing it.√- John is very handy. Our dishwasher won’t drain now… we are hoping for a cheap solution.
- Make what you need instead of buying it (cookies, home decor, birthday cards or gifts).√- probably all but making are own gifts…
- Buy a used item instead of a new one.√-not buying at all!
Do you have any that would benefit us all?
Our food budget and saving anyway I can!
My blessings for this week: I am so humbled by the Lords goodness and generosity in my life!
Between the high cost of European living, the bad exchange rate, the expenses of our ministry, and upcoming commitments I am looking for ways to make every cent count. I depend on the Lord to inspire me and teach me.
I would challenge anyone to write down and take note of what comes in their lives. It’s a blessed exercise.
- Our kids Anita and Neil, sent us a bag of goodies with a friend of ours who visited them in France. We especially liked the kids drawings.
- Our friend Joye, sent a a fun box of really useful items. I immediately, changed my toothbrush to the new one, took the soaps she sent and the hand-soap (it’s really neat stuff that comes out foamy! Wild eh?) with us to the village. She included office goodies and things I have to buy but hate spending cash on! These items will save a bundle and extend my grocery funds. Love it!
- We were walking in the village yesterday and an old guy was kind enough to give us a bottle of wine for cooking that he made. It’s quite cloudy but I will find a use for it!
- Ana gave me a canister of diet malt and 2 “diet/health teas” which she just couldn’t stomach. I thought I could drink the diet malt/substitute but it tasted SO BAD that I had to chase it with a handful of peanuts to take the taste out of my mouth!! HAHAHA. She did warn me. The teas taste”ok”. We have this guy in our church (Swiss) who sold this stuff to them (it is a German product). We had Ana and Angel for pizza last week and we had plenty of good laughs over this! That’s a blessing!
- A friend of ours who wrote a book sent it to us! I’ll have to write my review of it when I’m finished.
- Our friends Inigo and Elena, brought us cookies and a sachet from France!
- our neighbor Juan, in San Martin brought us a bucket of figs.
I was able to make 5 jars of fig conserve (with nuts).
My menus for this week:
* this week will be interesting as I don’t intend to spend anything! I am out of all fresh vegetables except for lettuce. I also am using the lettuce from the pots I planted here in the village. I have 4 small potatoes in the fridge for the soup. I will market on Monday the 29th. I will spend up to 15 euros…less if I can!
Monday-1st plate: lentil soup & bread, 2nd plate: pork chops with mushroom gravy, rice, salad
Tuesday-1st plate: potato-cheese soup & bread, 2nd plate: tacos with ground beef, Mexican rice, salad
Wednesday-1st plate: lentil soup & bread, 2nd plate: hamburger patties, pasta with tomato sauce, peas
Thursday-1st plate: cream of tomato soup (homemade from last summers tomatoes) & bread, 2nd plate: chicken legs, polenta, canned peas (i just found in the cupboard)
Friday-1st plate: potato-cheese soup & bread, 2nd plate: German sausages, leftover Mexican rice, salad
Saturday- We leave the village today and head back to Madrid. I’ll pack a lunch as usual: grilled cheese sandwiches, is on the menu to hold us over until we get home. We rarely eat out and we just want to get back, unpack and settle in again.
Sunday-We’ll be in Madrid today so after church I will serve the roasted whole (30% off) that was baking while at church. 1st plate: leftover tomato soup, reinvented with some Thai curry spice, 2nd plate: Roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, brussel sprouts (in the freezer).
For breakfasts, John eats leftovers or I make a couple of batches of pancakes that he eats for several days. Last week I made two batches, one regular and one with nuts. These are good with my homemade jams. I have been eating a Special K bar each morning that our Jesseka sent to me. They “hold me over” and are easy since I am not a big breakfast eater.
For suppers, we eat a sandwich, or an egg with toast, or a salad.
How does my garden grow?
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herbgardens planted at private residences in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom during World War I & World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labour and rewarded by the produce grown. Making victory gardens became a part of daily life on the home front. 
I’m away from my little garden (MY VICTORY GARDEN) I planted in Madrid, but I did set the water timer to water every 8 hours for 3 mins. I’m enjoying watching them grow. I planted some cilantro seeds that my folks sent to me and the lettuce is in too. I am trying for plant a few lettuce seeds every week so I will not have to buy any more at the market. I figure I need 1 head of lettuce every 4 days. At the average price of $1.24 USD (.89 euro cents) that comes to (if my figures are correct) $112.14 USD per year savings! Just on lettuce! While here in the village, I have started some more broccoli plants in some egg cartons as well as a pot of lettuce.
Back in Madrid again!
We arrived back to Madrid to a whirlwind of activities and news. One of the ladies in our church had 2 of her sisters die in one week. Then the news of Evelyn who died from ovarian cancer at the age of 33. Apparently she didn’t know she had it and when she finally went to the hospital, she lasted just a short while. She and Rufus had just adopted a little boy, also from Nigeria this past year. We went to the funeral and the sealing of the tomb on Saturday. Our church has been going through some real losses these past couple of weeks.
As I mentioned in our prayerletter, we had friends over for meals both Friday and Sunday. We are also having a pizza night with 2 other families in the church this weekend.
The ‘ol grocery budget took a “hit” this week and I spent around 85€. I did get quite a bit of chicken for 30% off and depending upon how many guests we have for meals, will determine what I spend the next couple of weeks. The pizza cheese accounts for 20€ of what was spent. My goal still remains: reduce, reduce, reduce! We have gone to at least 2 “meatless” meals a week which seems so effortless to us because we really like beans.
I’ve planted my “winter garden” in our 10′ x 22′ piece of dirt in the yard. Daughters Rebekah and Bobbie sent me some great seeds, and they are in the ground. I brushed the dust off of the water timer and will install that in the next few days. I’m using up every last bit of fertilizer, potting soil and seeds that I have around the house, including seeds from the year 2000 and hoping for the best. My Mom, said that she sent me some seeds also and I am especially looking forward to the cilantro seeds. I bought 1 bunch of cilantro last week for 2,35€! Now that is just not right! I would have skipped it except we had guests for Mexican food and what would Mexican food be without cilantro??!! Anyway, I am looking at what I need, planting what I can, and praying for the Lord to bless, supply, and give me creativity. It’s very exciting for me to see how He answers my prayers.
Because I have been sharing about this area in our lives, I have heard from many friends and family who also are experiencing God’s blessings and watching HIM work! Can we ever get tired of hearing about His work in and for us?
Blessings last week:
- A box of treats from kids, Jesseka and Greg.This was very fun for us!
- A package from kids Rebekah and Dave. Amazing!
- A letter with seeds from kids, Bobbie and Ron. They are in the ground!
- A package with sauce mixes from sister Sue!
- Several letters with encouraging news… especially from kids, John and Cheri!
- A jar of Kiwi jam… get this: I made fig jam and gave a jar to my friend Ana at church, and she, brought ME a jar of Kiwi jam! What fun!
- I prayed for some marked-down meat (30%) at the market and I was able to get several packages of chicken wings, legs, thighs and 1 whole chicken. I wanted the breasts but they were not on special so I passed.
- 4 kilos of tomatoes before we left the village.
Here are some photos of my freshly planted garden. Click on the photo to enlarge. It’s very exciting for me. The tree is a pomegranate with fruit on it.
What I have planted:
- lettuce- at .79 cents a head (cheapest price) I should save a bundle
- potatoes
- winter onions
- spinach
- Fava beans (haba here)
- chard
- beets
- carrots
- radishes
- brussel sprouts
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- peas
- garlic
On another note, John and I also set the alarm to get up last week at 4am (we go to bed at about 12-1am) to listen to Govenor Sarah Palin speak at the Republican National Convention (via FOX NEWS). We are very impressed with her and she seems to be a no-nonsense kinda gal. We will be voting absentee-ballot this November. Did any of you hear it? Your thoughts?
My 14th Week… spending amount: 15 euros
Here is my week of savings and how I did it. By the by you can click on the photos to see them enlarged.
Starting balance: 15 euros
What I spent:
3.65- toilet paper (grrrr)
1.47- 3 kilos of flour
1.37-1.5 liters of milk
1.37-1.5 liters of milk
.54- 200 grams of cream
.89- 1 kilo sugar
.69- toothpaste
.21- green pepper
.99- frozen bag of french fries (1kilo)
________________
11,18 euros
My menus for the week:
Thursday August 28th- 1st plate: Bean and rice soup, 2nd: beef and french fries, sliced tomatoes
Friday August 29th-1st plate: cream of tomato soup, 2nd plate: egg and salsa burritos, sliced tomatoes
Saturday August 30th-1st plate: Fish Chowder, 2nd plate: tuna casserole, sliced zucchini
Sunday August 31st-1st plate: Gazpacho, 2nd plate: beans and rice and salsa
Monday September 1st- today we leave for the village and what I normally do is pack a lunch. Supper will be what I have in the house in Loeches. Tuna, sprout and Tomato sandwiches
Tuesday September 2nd- ? after 2 months I don’t have a clue what I have there!
Wednesday September 3rd-?? to be determined
Blessings I received this week:
Peaches, tomatoes, and figs. I’m making fig jam!
What I baked:
I did very little baking, because we are heading back to Madrid on Monday. We were out of bread so I made a regular loaf of bread and a loaf of cinnamon bread.
I did make some cheese:
The 1st batch of cheese, the 2nd batch is with basil, here is a serving suggestion: some cheese with olive oil and freshly ground pepper on homemade bread or pita bread. This is really good and a fine supper with a salad or sliced vegetables.
How does my garden grow?
My plants are doing well. I will plant them in Madrid.
The Lord is providing and I am learning new skills. I have learned that when I ask the Lord for creativity, He gives it. All good things come from Him.
Pizza Dough Recipe
Here is the pizza dough recipe that was asked for. It is actually the PIZZA HUT recipe that I got from a book about copying restaurant food.
* If you want it to really taste like Pizza Hut dough, you should make it in the morning and refrigerate (with plastic wrap over it) make sure to punch down as needed during the day.
3/4 cup warm water ( 105°-115°F)
1 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1Tablespoon of sugar
2 ¼ cups of flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ Tablespoons of olive oil
Combine water, sugar and yeast in a bowl, stir and let set for about 5 mins or until it bubbles or foams. If it doesn’t, throw it out and start over.
Add the flour and salt gradually incorporating it into the yeast mixture, add oil. Knead until there is a smooth texture, about 10 minutes.
At this point you rub it with additional olive oil to rest for about 20 minuets, then stretch it on your pizza pan. This will make 2 thin crust or 1 think crust, or 6 mini’s.
Bake at your hottest oven setting and DO PREHEAT! Make sure your oven it VERY hot!
I have tried lots of sauces, but like plain tomato paste and then I sprinkle basil on it. Or a pesto is good too.
~You can bake a bunch and freeze them, then add toppings.
~I like to reheat or even finish it off in a hot skillet to crisp up the bottom… but I also have a clay pan (rectangular… and I will turn it upside down and bake on that) I will let you know how that works. I am going to try it anyway. If you have a stone, use it!
Ok, I just finished my baking for the week!
Here it is:
6 mini pizzas (using 1 recipe of pizza dough and different cheeses, & veggies)
zucchini pancakes (using that gorgeous zucchini the neighbor gave to us)
8 soft pretzles
12- Roti (flat bread from India)
mini peach turnovers ( peaches fell of the tree in our yard + I had 2 plums left over. The pie crust Dave and Rebekah brought to us when they visited)
2 loaves of white bread- (one has poppy seeds on top)
It’s nice to have the baking done for the week.
My 13th-Gotta give myself a raise… to 15 euros a week
This has been a good and fun week! Well, it’s been 12 weeks, 3 months of spending 10€ a week! This week, I have to give myself a raise… to 15€ a week instead of 10€. I am just out of too many baking items. After having our guests with us, and all the beverages (juice every morning, coffee, soda, chocolate milk for breakfast for the daughter) for the adults and their teenage daughter, I need a raise. Normally, I don’t have to buy that stuff in such quantity, but it was worth it too, because we love them and love being with them.
I still have plenty in the pantry, but the everyday staples and toiletries, have been depleted. I’m going to try to do the 15€ a week for a while but I also may decided to go back to 10€ and then do a quarterly “larger” marketing day of say, 50€. I will have to decide on that… My goal remains the same: use up my pantry, and save money for other “funds” or adjust for the changes in the economy as needed.
starting balance: 15 Euros
.49- 1 kilo of flour
.49- 1 kilo of flour
.49- 1 kilo of flour
.98- 1 kilo of sugar
.69- toothpaste
1.15- 1 dozen eggs
.75- margarine
.65- chicken hot dogs
.71- 1 liter of non fat milk
1.98- dish washing soap
2.65- 1 liter of olive oil
1.45- 1 liter of sunflower oil
___________________
12.28€ 
*- I am officially out of nuts of any kind in the village house. I think I may have some almonds in the Madrid house. We will live without them for a couple of weeks!
Menus for this week:
Breakfasts will be: oatmeal, banana bread with jam or peanut butter (Mom and Dad brought that for us last year)
Suppers will be: pita bread sandwiches, veggie sandwiches with all of the tomatoes, zucchini, sprouts and onions we have, or leftovers
John and I feel that we eat very well.
Thursday, August 20th- 1st plate: Gazpacho 2nd plate: Pinto beans and rice, salad
Friday, August 21st- 1st plate: Tomato soup 2nd plate: fish fillets, rice-a roni, pisto ( squash, tomatoes and onions)
Saturday, August 22nd-1st plate: bean soup (using leftover beans) 2nd Plate: Pasta and meat sauce, salad
Sunday, August 23rd-1st plate: fish chowder (leftovers from the fish) 2nd plate: Pork Loin, couscous, sliced tomatoes
Monday, August 24th-1st plate: cream of zucchini soup, 2nd plate beef fillets with mushroom gravy, spetzael, salad
Tuesday, August 25th-1st plate:Leftover soup, 2nd plate: pork Loin, rice, zucchini
Wednesday, August 26th-leftovers
Blessings I have received this week:
Look at these veggies! I took a photo each time I was given them. I have had so many tomatoes that I canned some of them… they just keep coming!
The green peppers have been diced and frozen on a cookie sheet then bagged for recipes during the winter.
How does my garden grow?
Here are my vegetable seeds that I started. I have peas, broccoli, haba beans (may be called fava beans in English…not sure), and lettuce. I made “pots” out of newspaper, using an empty can as a guide. As the plants sprout, I will then plant the whole thing into the ground, paper and all. I have a few peat pots in the house in Madrid, but I will use this method from now on to avoid the cost of buying them again.
My baking for last week:
This is the baked oatmeal that I have included on this blog. It is really good and full of dried fruit. Since we are still in the village and have run out of brown sugar here (we have some in Madrid), I used granulated sugar. It’s good but definitely better with brown sugar!
Chocolate snack cake (1 egg, water instead of milk) 
I wrapped them individually to keep them fresh.
Banana bread 
12 Pita breads- these are really yummy! 
Ok.. that’s all… tomorrow I will bake bread and other pastries for the week. I’ll post those later. I hope you will all stay encouraged in your own goals.
Madrid
55°
