Cleaning out the freezer I found BEEF

May 5, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

Slowly, I’m working through my pantry and freezer to use up what I already have. I opened the small freezer to the fridge I have in the basement and found 2 packages of beef! One package has 2 good cuts of steak and the other package has 2 filets off a round steak. Boy, was I glad! I was explaining to John about our May financial situation and shared with him how we needed to be very conservative this month in our spending. I was recounting some of the meat I know I have on hand mostly pork and chicken plus a small turkey which I will use for guests and I had thought I was completely out of beef. Imagine my joy & thankfulness to discover that I had some left! We do eat a couple of meatless meals a week using my fresh eggs that my wee hens gift to me every morning and/or legumes.
Gathering up the bits and saving the pennies. I love it!

Veggies in the Fridge

Apr 14, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Gardening, saving money

  My focus for this upcoming week will be to use the vegetables I have in the fridge. Sometimes it’s good to take everything out, make a list and incorporate them into meals to prevent waste. I do my marketing once a month, use my fresh veggies on hand and then move to the the canned and frozen vegetables I have.

Until my cupboards/pantry/freezer are reasonably bare, I will continue to work on my existing budget of 50€ a month (about $67 USD per month, at the current exchange rate). For the month of April, I have about 4,55€ left, which is plenty for that odd baguette I may need or a head of lettuce. I’m actually more likely to whip up some pita bread or Navajo fry bread than buy bread.

I have diced green & red pepper in the freezer if I need those of a recipe.

List of veggies I have:

1 tomato
1 small head of Romaine lettuce
2½ zucchini squash

12 potatoes

3 onions

4 carrots

a few celery stocks

1 lemon

2 ½ limes

fresh cilantro

fresh garlic

2 leeks

½ bag of fresh spinach

4 Simple ways to save on Veggies:

1. Seasonal produce is cheaper produce.  If it’s the dead of winter, frozen is the way to go.
2. Use the leftovers + cooking liquid for making cream of vegetable soup.
3. When in season or at a good price, I buy extra to freeze or can so that I can bank the savings  year round.
4. grow what you can… even if it’s just parsley in a pot on the patio.

Chicken meals #4 & 5

Jan 10, 2012 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, saving money

We keep eating off those 3 whole chickens I bought last week… this time pan fried chicken breasts with diced tomatoes for me… low-carbing it…that’s #4 meal and #5 is using the last breast for a chicken salad spread for sandwiches. I still have wings & a few legs & thighs to use up this week. Right now they are resting in the freezer. I also have chicken stock for a soup. It sure feels good to use every scrape and keep our grocery costs down.
I heard on the news today that people are living on 6% less money this last year since the year before. Our income has slowly gone down over the last 4 years but thankfully frugality has keep us going just fine!

Day #30… the end of this challenge & I DID it!

Dec 11, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    4 Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, recipes, saving money, Spain

HOORAY! I did it and I was able to save all but 10€ of my grocery money for (hopefully) a celebration trip with my  husband in May 2012. I’m a planner… I’ve learned that fun & relaxation just does not  happen… I have  to plan for it and create it! In any case… I was able to serve meals for 30 days using my pantry and freezer contents + the 10€ for extras.  It really is a sense of accomplishment! Ok…Will I stop here? Yes & NO. I still have a lot in the freezer… why buy more? I think actually that I’ll continue to eat out of the pantry & freezer and TRY to get to the bottom of it. It would be so great to see it empty! In fact this will be a good project for me… to pull one thing out of the freezer each day and ‘work with it’!

The last 30 days I spent: 9,84€

I have left: 0,16€

Tomorrow I’m having some ladies over from church to show them how to make some cut-out Christmas cookies. These are not your ordinary sugar cookies, but a wonderful sour cream pastry that are tender. They are a hit around here! I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

I’ll serve the cookies and this coffee to my church friends:

Mocha-Mint Coffee

6 cups freshly brewed coffee
4 squares (1-ounce each) semi-sweet
baking chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 peppermint sticks or candy canes
Pour the hot coffee into large
saucepan and stir in the chocolate. Heat
over low heat 5 minutes or until chocolate
is melted, stirring occasionally. Pour
the milk into a microwave-safe container
and heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes,
or until hot (or heat in another saucepan
over medium high heat until hot, not
boiling). Add milk and extract to the
coffee chocolate mixture; stir until well
blended. Carefully ladle into 8 mugs.
Garnish each serving with a peppermint
stick. Yield: 8 servings.

Day #23 of the grocery challenge & oranges!

Dec 4, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Baking, blessings, Blogroll, Bobbie's Store, Grocery Challenge, recipes, saving money, Spain

Look what a neighbor brought me!

December 4th, 2011~Sunday

I always feel so cared for by the Lord when I receive gifts from HIM. Last week while in the village,  a neighbor dropped by to give me a bag of oranges from her tree. Wasn’t that nice?! Of course I am so thankful for her but I know that my loving Father directs these gifts to me. It’s personal.

The oranges  will be perfect to serve to a guest coming, for fresh juice, and for baking an orange cake for Bible study. It feels like one of those cooking shows where the contestants are handed a picnic hamper with food in it and the chefs have to be creative and make different courses out of the ingredients.

I don’t want to waste one single precious orange!

What I have spent: 7,26€

What I have left: 2,74€

Beat and Bake Orange Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Frosting:

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

*because this frosting recipe uses so much powdered sugar, which I’m low on,  I’m going to make the cake in a bundt pan and then a glaze using the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 – 8 inch round cake pans, loaf pan, 9×13 pan or bundt pan.  In a measuring cup, combine milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, oil, beaten eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest. Set aside.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix in sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

To make Orange Butter Frosting: Cream butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons orange juice to bring to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla and 1 teaspoon orange zest.

my beverage shelf in the pantry

Here is the beverage shelf in my pantry. I’m making HUGE progress on the ‘milk shelf’. I still have  boxes of whole milk and for my non-fat milk requirements, I have a can of dried milk. The other milk products I have are: several cans of evaporated milk, one can of sweetened condensed milk & dried coconut milk. Sometimes I just forget to use the coconut milk! About the beverage section of my pantry; I have my individual juices above, and below are re-purposed plastic bottles with drinking water in case of an emergency. One the milk shelf, I would usually have it full with whole milk, 2% and non-fat. I’ve used all but the whole milk.

Day #20 and bit about my ‘freedom account’

Dec 1, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money, Spain

   December 1st, 2011

I have spent so far: 7,26€

I have left: 2,74€ ~  Yesterday I had to buy a small jar of ‘lite mayo’ for the egg salad sandwiches. Yes, we could have eaten something else, but I was focusing on the  french bread I need to use (I made canapes) and the 3 hard-boiled eggs I had. Anyway, the jar of mayo cost me, 0,65€. Funny… I have 3 jars of mayo in Madrid!

Debt-Proof Living (formerly The Cheapskate Monthly), urges that each household create and manage what she refers to as a “Freedom Account.”

Included in this account might be items such as car repairs (usually expensive; almost always unexpected), vacations (very expensive, but also very plan-able), medical bills (always expensive; almost always unexpected), six- or twelve-month insurance premiums, insurance deductibles, work clothes, Christmas gifts, and other items like these. You know all these expenses are going to show up sooner or later; with many of them, you just don’t know when.

And what about expenses like Christmas? That one hits at the same time each year.  Yet people simply do not take the time to build up the necessary funds beforehand. Thus, December rolls around, and out come the handy credit cards. Next July comes through … you’re still paying for last December (not me!)

Think of the Freedom Account as a sort of holding fund. You deposit small sums into it each month because you are thinking ahead: You’re anticipating bigger, specific expenses down the road.

Simple  steps to set up a freedom account: Read more »

Day #16 how to budget

Nov 27, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    4 Comments    Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, Canning/Preserving, food, recipes, saving money, Spain

November 27th, 2011~Sunday

I hope you’ll take the time to watch this 6:21 video I added below. The end of it is the best. It’s a great motivator to reduce spending in one area in order to have money for the things that are important to you.  My 30 day challenge  is to save all  but 10€ of my grocery money in order to add it to the budget line items that need to be funded. It’s amazing how much we already have in  our cupboards and freezers instead of going to the market to buy more.

Here’s a money saving idea for this week: instead of going out to eat after church or work this week, why not dust off that crock-pot.  Put your meat & potatoes (for example) in the morning and the tasty food will be waiting for you when you return in the evening.  Here’s an idea:

Easy to do & good to eat. Why go out to eat?

Crock-Pot Turkey Chili

• 1 lb cooked turkey (chopped)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small can chopped chilies
• 1 can black beans, undrained
• 1 can chickpeas, undrained
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained (or use the white beans but the red gives it a nice color)
• 1 large can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tablespoon chili powder, to taste

Add all ingredients to the crock-pot and cook on high for about 6 hours.

If you don’t have any leftover turkey to work with, you can use 1 lb ground turkey; browned or use chicken, pork or whatever you have.

You can  serve this with rice  cornbread,  or tortillas.

For all of you who like to can/preserve; this would be a fantastic recipe to put together (no need to cook for 6 hours) and then pressure can. You’d have it on the shelf  for the upcoming year. A healthier version of fast food.

Here are my menus for today:
Breakfast

Quiche~ still leftovers!!

Lunch
Turkey tacos

salad

Mexican rice

Dinner

Turkey Chili (above) & bread

I have spent so far:

4,27€ out of the 10,00€ I budgeted; leaving: 5,73€ left to spend
I am COMPLETELY out of:

Fresh tomatoes

non-fat milk~ but I have powdered

non-fat yogurt

I’m ‘making do’ without them

* I have 1 onion left but still green onions in the pot on the patio.

Day #15th… half way there!

Nov 26, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money, Spain

   November 26th, 2011

When you live on a fixed income or you can’t really increase your income, reducing expenditures can help us control our budgets and relieve some stress.  I  still have 5,73€ to spend on any grocery items ( and paper products) for the next 15 days. For paper napkins we are using all the little leftover ones that have ‘happy birthday’ or other printing. It does feel good to get to the bottom of some of the packages of things around the house. We’re also working though those little hotel soaps and shampoos.

Breakfast

quiche-leftover

Lunch

Left over Thanksgiving food

Dinner

Leftover Thanksgiving food.

For Great Crafts: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/jerushagish/

Day #14 of my 30day challenge

Nov 25, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    1 Comment     Posted under: blessings, Blogroll, Grocery Challenge, saving money

November 25th, 2011

On this 14th day of this challenge, I’ve spent:

1 bag of oat bran- 1,25 euros

2 baguettes- ,95 euro cents

3 Spanish breads- 1,17

1 chapata bread- ,90

For a total so far of: 4,27 spent on food in 14 days.

That leaves 5,73 euros for the next 16 days of this most recent challenge. I feel very confident that I can make this goal.

Items I’m out of:

• cheddar cheese (although I have some Gouda slices in the freezer)
• non-fat milk ( though I will use the powdered non-fat milk I have until that is used up!)
• pesto ( I finally used up that jar I have in the fridge! yippeeee, one one thing gone!!I won’t buy another until there is nothing else in the fridge!)
• I emptied 1 jar of mayonnaise yesterday and I’m working on a squeeze bottle of mayo I have in the fridge.
• I have NO fresh tomatoes

Day #12 and going great!

Nov 23, 2011 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Bobbie's Store, food, Grocery Challenge, saving money

One of the biggest keys to saving money is being organized. When you’re organized you’re protected from wasting precious time and money. It makes your whole life easier! Unfortunately being organized doesn’t come easy to everyone – but a challenge can help with that. It is a step-by-step, methodical process which has to be followed if you are to succeed. You will have no choice but to be highly organized – so relax and enjoy the feeling!

Today my meals will be:

Breakfast

Pizza quiche~ leftover

Lunch

Lamb chops~leftover from yesterdays lunch

and any other leftovers in order to clean out the fridge for the Thanksgiving meal.

Dinner

We  have meetings again at our house and I’ll prepare a variety of ‘tapas’ to serve. That will be our dinner.

So far in these last 12 days of only trying to spend 10 euros, I have bought:

1 bag of oat bran- 1,25 euros

2 baguettes- ,95 euro cents

Total Spent: 2,20euros

The oat bran was necessary because of a particular diet I’m on and  the baguettes because of the meetings at our house last night and the canapes I made and served.