Our family loves potato soup, but they are incredibly particular about the recipe. For them, this is the only recipe that will do. It makes a wonderfully rich and creamy soup that serves 6 at our house.
Cream of Potato Soup
5-6 large potatoes, cubed
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup flour
1 egg (Plus 1-2 Tablespoons water if needed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
additional salt to taste.
Place potatoes, onions, and margarine in a large pot. Add enough water so that potatoes are covered with about an inch of water. Cook uncovered on medium high heat until onions are transparent and potatoes have softened. Stir frequently.
In a medium size bowl, mix flour, egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix until dough begins to hold together in the shape of small dumplings. You may need to add a tablespoon of water at a time to get the correct consistency. Try not to get the dough too moist. (This may take some experiementation, but don't worry. The appearance may suffer a little but the soup should still taste fine.)
Add dough to boiling soup mixture and stir. Reduce heat to medium. Immediately add evaportated milk. Stir constantly until soup begins to boil again. Remove from heat. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Money saving Recipe: Make your own granola
My family loves granola. I keep ours in a clear container in the kitchen where passers-by with an urge to munch can see it. Inside the container is a small measuring cup that I use as a sort of "dipper" for transferring the cereal to a bowl. My 10 year old son is my biggest customer. I'm glad he's just as happy with granola as most kids would be with cookies or chips.
For decades, granola has been my favorite cereal too. But reading the boxes left me disappointed with the sugar content of those commercial brands. And I was no fan of the pricing, either. That's why I've been making my own granola for a while now.
Mixing up my own cereal has lots of advantages. I can buy and add in things without any artificial colorings or preservatives. I get to control how much sugar goes into the mix. I can make "designer" granola with all kinds of healthy things my family likes, like dried cranberries and walnuts. I can mix the spices in a way they prefer (lots of cinnamon and vanilla, please!), and I can control the cost. I can buy a large box of oats for about $1.49 at the "no frills" grocery store where I shop. (A package of raisins costs slightly less.) With just those two ingredients, plus syrup, I can make a LOT of cereal. When I don't have lots of "add ins" on hand, I make a basic recipe and put in what I do have. It still gets eaten in a hurry!
For a bare-bones kind of basic Granola recipe I use:
4 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats
1 cup raisins
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (We often use a combination of the two.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl, mix oats and raisins and anything else you'd like to add. (See list below for some of the things we've used.) Set aside. In a small saucepan, thin syrup by heating. Add spices to syrup and pour over the oat mix. Stir well.
Divide granola and spread onto two large cookie sheets. Place in oven. (No need to preheat.) Set oven at 250 F. After 8-10 minutes, turn off heat, but leave granola in the oven for the next hour. (Be absolutely sure to turn oven off. This gentle cooking will give the fruit a nice, chewy texture. Continuing to cook the cereal ruins the dried fruit. If you prefer to bake your oats longer, or at higher temperatures, wait until you bring your oats out of the oven to add the fruit.)
Break up granola and store in an airtight container. That's it!
Depending on what I have in the pantry, I've added the following items to our granola.
Dried cranberries
walnuts
almonds
pecans
wheat germ
sunflower seeds
soybean nuts
We don't usually buy other types of dried fruit, but I'm sure other fruit, especially dried apples would work well, too. Feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own!
For decades, granola has been my favorite cereal too. But reading the boxes left me disappointed with the sugar content of those commercial brands. And I was no fan of the pricing, either. That's why I've been making my own granola for a while now.
Mixing up my own cereal has lots of advantages. I can buy and add in things without any artificial colorings or preservatives. I get to control how much sugar goes into the mix. I can make "designer" granola with all kinds of healthy things my family likes, like dried cranberries and walnuts. I can mix the spices in a way they prefer (lots of cinnamon and vanilla, please!), and I can control the cost. I can buy a large box of oats for about $1.49 at the "no frills" grocery store where I shop. (A package of raisins costs slightly less.) With just those two ingredients, plus syrup, I can make a LOT of cereal. When I don't have lots of "add ins" on hand, I make a basic recipe and put in what I do have. It still gets eaten in a hurry!
For a bare-bones kind of basic Granola recipe I use:
4 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats
1 cup raisins
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (We often use a combination of the two.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl, mix oats and raisins and anything else you'd like to add. (See list below for some of the things we've used.) Set aside. In a small saucepan, thin syrup by heating. Add spices to syrup and pour over the oat mix. Stir well.
Divide granola and spread onto two large cookie sheets. Place in oven. (No need to preheat.) Set oven at 250 F. After 8-10 minutes, turn off heat, but leave granola in the oven for the next hour. (Be absolutely sure to turn oven off. This gentle cooking will give the fruit a nice, chewy texture. Continuing to cook the cereal ruins the dried fruit. If you prefer to bake your oats longer, or at higher temperatures, wait until you bring your oats out of the oven to add the fruit.)
Break up granola and store in an airtight container. That's it!
Depending on what I have in the pantry, I've added the following items to our granola.
Dried cranberries
walnuts
almonds
pecans
wheat germ
sunflower seeds
soybean nuts
We don't usually buy other types of dried fruit, but I'm sure other fruit, especially dried apples would work well, too. Feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Can You Afford To Be A Stay At Home Mom? Ideas For Saving Money
How much do you really earn? I mean really. Too often we take it for granted that we're increasing our spending capacity by an amount that's reasonably close to our salary. That being the case, we don't bother to do the math.
Would you like to spend more time at home with your family? Are you afraid you'd never be able to afford it? Don't give up yet. A large portion of two parent families who desire to do so, can afford to allow Mom to at stay home. For some families it may be possible by simply cutting back on expenses in some areas. But for most of us, there's little fat in our budget left to trim.
For these families, it's time to see how much difference there is between Mom's take home pay, and what it costs for her to earn that pay.
First, remember to think of what you're earning in terms of net pay. While it's true that some of those deductions may go to fund your future retirement--and that IS important--the truth is, it's the amount that's left over in your net pay that has an immediate impact on your family's budget, and will determine whether you can afford to stay home.
From your net pay you need to make plenty of subtractions to discover what you really "earn." Going to work costs money!
One of the most obvious costs for parents of young children is that of child care. Depending on where you live, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) estimates that the average cost of child care for a 4 year old ranges from $3,016 to $9,628 per child per year. The cost is even higher for infants. Calculate your family's cost, minus any child care credits you claim on your taxes, and subtract that from your net pay.
Also subtract out any costs associated with child care that you would not have if you stayed home. Include in your total, costs for special foods, entertainment and clothing, duplicate toys, etc., that goes beyond what your child would need at home. Do you have to drive out of your way to drop the kids off. Calculate that cost, too.
Next, is there a vehicle that you could do without if you stayed home? Many families these days own a car for each driver and a separate car or mini van for family use. Eliminate one of these, and at the very least you lessen your insurance, car tag, and maintenance costs for that vehicle. You may also lose a monthly payment as well. Subtract your savings from your net pay.
Now, what does it cost you, personally, to go to work? Does your job require a special wardrobe, special shoes, safety gear, etc.? How much do you spend per year on gasoline or public transportation to get to your job site? Do you eat out, or otherwise pay more for lunch or snacks than you would at home?
Do you pay union dues, regularly buy unnecessary items that coworkers (or their children) are selling? Do you contribute to a slush fund for flowers or gifts for coworkers and bosses? Do you buy special supplies for your job? Do you have any type of education expenses associated with work, but not reimbursed by your employer? Add these up and subtract them from your take home pay, too.
Next, what could you SAVE by staying home? Remember money saved is the same as money earned. Do you buy fast food, bring home a pizza, or go out to a restaurant more often than you'd like, simply because you're too tired, or too short on time to cook? Would this change if you could be at home? Calculate your likely savings. Since this is money you are now spending, deduct it from your net pay.
As a full time Mom, would you be more likely to browse weekly flyers, clip coupons, or comparison shop for a wide variety of items your family purchases? If so, this is extra money that you could be saving. Subtract it from your take home pay.
Are there ways your spouse or other family members would save money by having you at home? Perhaps you'd choose to send your husband with a packed lunch, cut the kids' hair, do your own taxes, plant a vegetable garden, mow your own yard, etc. (Not that you NEED to do all of that, but would you do SOME of it?) If you are currently paying anybody to do anything for you that'd you'd do yourself if you had the time, calculate your potential savings and deduct it from the running total of what you really make.
Consider, too, that there are tax breaks for families with qualifying incomes. It's called the Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC), and was designed to offset a portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. In 2007, if you had less than $39,783 (for a married couple filing jointly) in income, and had two or more qualifying children, you are eligible for the credit. Those with one qualifying child and income under $33,241 ($35,241 for joint filers) are also eligible. Depending on your income, you could get back up to $4716 for the latest tax year. If working at home as a full time mom would move you to this income bracket, be sure to consider this in your decision making process. You might want to do a search for online calculators that can give you a good idea of how much you can expect to save.
Finally, is there something you'd like to do from home to earn money. Would you provide child care on occassion, give piano lessons, or teach a craft? Estimate the amount. It may not be much, but chances are, it's something. Deduct this too, from your total.
To see how it all works, let's take a hypothetical teacher who's "salary" is $30,000. A worksheet of her real yearly earnings might look like this: (Costs are estimated for the year.)
Net Pay $24,362.00
YEARLY EXPENSES
Non Deductible Cost of Day Care for two children -9, 720.00
Extra Car Payment - 5040.00
Insurance for the extra car - 965.00
Maintenance, tires, car wash, etc. for the extra car - 750.00
Gasoline - 920.00
Lunch - 540.00
Union Dues - 750.00
Purchases from coworkers - 150.00
Slush fund contributions - 75.00
Out of pocket expenses for classroom supplies/materials -750.00
Non reimbursed education expenses - 775.00
Fast food savings (2 meals per week for family) - 1504.00
Savings on convenience foods - 830.00
Savings by couponing, comparison shopping, etc. - 120.00
Savings on clothing, shoes, hosiery, etc. - 850.00
Dry Cleaning - 360.00
Savings on husband's lunch (packs 2 x weekly now) - 325.00
Savings--Enjoys gardening & preserving food - 350.00
Earnings--Babysits two Wednesday Mornings per month - 840.00
______________
TOTAL DEDUCTIONS FROM NET PAY $25, 614.00
Would you like to spend more time at home with your family? Are you afraid you'd never be able to afford it? Don't give up yet. A large portion of two parent families who desire to do so, can afford to allow Mom to at stay home. For some families it may be possible by simply cutting back on expenses in some areas. But for most of us, there's little fat in our budget left to trim.
For these families, it's time to see how much difference there is between Mom's take home pay, and what it costs for her to earn that pay.
First, remember to think of what you're earning in terms of net pay. While it's true that some of those deductions may go to fund your future retirement--and that IS important--the truth is, it's the amount that's left over in your net pay that has an immediate impact on your family's budget, and will determine whether you can afford to stay home.
From your net pay you need to make plenty of subtractions to discover what you really "earn." Going to work costs money!
One of the most obvious costs for parents of young children is that of child care. Depending on where you live, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) estimates that the average cost of child care for a 4 year old ranges from $3,016 to $9,628 per child per year. The cost is even higher for infants. Calculate your family's cost, minus any child care credits you claim on your taxes, and subtract that from your net pay.
Also subtract out any costs associated with child care that you would not have if you stayed home. Include in your total, costs for special foods, entertainment and clothing, duplicate toys, etc., that goes beyond what your child would need at home. Do you have to drive out of your way to drop the kids off. Calculate that cost, too.
Next, is there a vehicle that you could do without if you stayed home? Many families these days own a car for each driver and a separate car or mini van for family use. Eliminate one of these, and at the very least you lessen your insurance, car tag, and maintenance costs for that vehicle. You may also lose a monthly payment as well. Subtract your savings from your net pay.
Now, what does it cost you, personally, to go to work? Does your job require a special wardrobe, special shoes, safety gear, etc.? How much do you spend per year on gasoline or public transportation to get to your job site? Do you eat out, or otherwise pay more for lunch or snacks than you would at home?
Do you pay union dues, regularly buy unnecessary items that coworkers (or their children) are selling? Do you contribute to a slush fund for flowers or gifts for coworkers and bosses? Do you buy special supplies for your job? Do you have any type of education expenses associated with work, but not reimbursed by your employer? Add these up and subtract them from your take home pay, too.
Next, what could you SAVE by staying home? Remember money saved is the same as money earned. Do you buy fast food, bring home a pizza, or go out to a restaurant more often than you'd like, simply because you're too tired, or too short on time to cook? Would this change if you could be at home? Calculate your likely savings. Since this is money you are now spending, deduct it from your net pay.
As a full time Mom, would you be more likely to browse weekly flyers, clip coupons, or comparison shop for a wide variety of items your family purchases? If so, this is extra money that you could be saving. Subtract it from your take home pay.
Are there ways your spouse or other family members would save money by having you at home? Perhaps you'd choose to send your husband with a packed lunch, cut the kids' hair, do your own taxes, plant a vegetable garden, mow your own yard, etc. (Not that you NEED to do all of that, but would you do SOME of it?) If you are currently paying anybody to do anything for you that'd you'd do yourself if you had the time, calculate your potential savings and deduct it from the running total of what you really make.
Consider, too, that there are tax breaks for families with qualifying incomes. It's called the Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC), and was designed to offset a portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. In 2007, if you had less than $39,783 (for a married couple filing jointly) in income, and had two or more qualifying children, you are eligible for the credit. Those with one qualifying child and income under $33,241 ($35,241 for joint filers) are also eligible. Depending on your income, you could get back up to $4716 for the latest tax year. If working at home as a full time mom would move you to this income bracket, be sure to consider this in your decision making process. You might want to do a search for online calculators that can give you a good idea of how much you can expect to save.
Finally, is there something you'd like to do from home to earn money. Would you provide child care on occassion, give piano lessons, or teach a craft? Estimate the amount. It may not be much, but chances are, it's something. Deduct this too, from your total.
To see how it all works, let's take a hypothetical teacher who's "salary" is $30,000. A worksheet of her real yearly earnings might look like this: (Costs are estimated for the year.)
Net Pay $24,362.00
YEARLY EXPENSES
Non Deductible Cost of Day Care for two children -9, 720.00
Extra Car Payment - 5040.00
Insurance for the extra car - 965.00
Maintenance, tires, car wash, etc. for the extra car - 750.00
Gasoline - 920.00
Lunch - 540.00
Union Dues - 750.00
Purchases from coworkers - 150.00
Slush fund contributions - 75.00
Out of pocket expenses for classroom supplies/materials -750.00
Non reimbursed education expenses - 775.00
Fast food savings (2 meals per week for family) - 1504.00
Savings on convenience foods - 830.00
Savings by couponing, comparison shopping, etc. - 120.00
Savings on clothing, shoes, hosiery, etc. - 850.00
Dry Cleaning - 360.00
Savings on husband's lunch (packs 2 x weekly now) - 325.00
Savings--Enjoys gardening & preserving food - 350.00
Earnings--Babysits two Wednesday Mornings per month - 840.00
______________
TOTAL DEDUCTIONS FROM NET PAY $25, 614.00
Notice that the deductions from net pay are larger than the net pay itself! For this family, Mom could actually save money by staying home. True, the family had to give up a third car, and Mom's retirement contributions are at a stand still until she returns to work, but for Moms who are motivated to do so, staying home and caring for a family has more than enough value in itself to make up for these losses.
Every family is unique. Chances are that yours is already being frugal, and would not save quite as much as our hypothetical teacher did. Still, you might be amazed at how much it really does cost you to go to work. Becoming a "domestic engineer" might be easier than you think!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Old Fashioned Pancake Recipe
Although it's March, you couldn't tell it by looking out our living room window this morning. There's about a foot of snow covering the ground.
Being snowed in has its advantages--and one of the best of those is "time." When roads, schools--and places of employment are closed, life takes on a deliciously leisure pace.
Because the morning is unhurried, there's time for what my family calls "The Big Breakfast." "Keep in mind, that our usual breakfast fare is cereal and milk!) "The Big Breakfast" can consist of many things, but it must be warm, home-cooked and plentiful. Eggs, sausage, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy are usually favorites in the line-up. (Considering the calories involved, it's a good thing that big breakfasts are fairly rare at our house!)
Homemade pancakes are one of my favorites. You don't have to keep a commercially prepared mix on hand when it's easy to make great tasting pancakes from scratch. Below is a favorite recipe.
Being snowed in has its advantages--and one of the best of those is "time." When roads, schools--and places of employment are closed, life takes on a deliciously leisure pace.
Because the morning is unhurried, there's time for what my family calls "The Big Breakfast." "Keep in mind, that our usual breakfast fare is cereal and milk!) "The Big Breakfast" can consist of many things, but it must be warm, home-cooked and plentiful. Eggs, sausage, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy are usually favorites in the line-up. (Considering the calories involved, it's a good thing that big breakfasts are fairly rare at our house!)
Homemade pancakes are one of my favorites. You don't have to keep a commercially prepared mix on hand when it's easy to make great tasting pancakes from scratch. Below is a favorite recipe.
Old-Fashioned Pancakes
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, and oil. Mix until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Fresh Food -- On Site
Gardening is another way our family saves money. You don't have to plant a large area to realize a savings on your grocery bill. Your "garden" can be in a window box planter, in flower pots on the deck, or even in small cups on your kitchen window sill--the perfect place for growing fresh herbs. Just a few well tended plants can produce a lot of food.
Gardeners tend to start looking forward to spring at about the same time Winter officially arrives. In late December, companies begin sending out their new seed and nursery catalogs. Our house receives about a dozen of these within a two week span of the new year. Obviously, I can't order from them all, but I welcome their arrival as a joyful reminder that spring will soon return.
Some of the garden catalogs contain wonderful deals on seeds, plants, trees and supplies. Catalogs such as Gurney's, Henry Field's, and Gardens Alive! contain coupons good for $25.00 off the total cost of your order when you spend an additional $25.00. Others, like R.H. Shumway's offer low cost seed, hard to find "old time" items and heritage varieties. Although their catalog has an "antique" look, and they don't offer coupon discounts, their garden guide has long been one of my favorites.
But you don't have to spend a lot of money to get started. I always check out one or more of the many varieties of "dollar stores" in our area. They generally carry a nice selection of plant and vegetable seed for just a quarter per package. Most of this seed grows very well, but unless you tend them closely, it can be difficult to get things like tomatoes, peppers and broccoli to grow sturdy enough to transplant into a garden or larger pot. (I usually prefer to buy these items as plants.) Vegetables like leaf lettuce, cucumber, spinach, zucchini, radishes and beans however, are easy. Just follow the directions on the back of the package and plant them where you want them. If they have water and sunshine, they'll grow--just make sure to give them the space they need.
Whether you're new to gardening, or have been at it for decades, you might want to request to have your name and address added to the Gardens Alive! mailing list if you don't already receive their free catalog. Each year their spring edition includes an illustrated guide to insects and plant diseases to help you care for your plants. Don't want the extra mail lying around the house? Just stop by their website at http://www.gardensalive.com/. Scroll down until you find the "useful information" section, and click on the green "Pest & Disease Guide" icon.
I love to watch my plants grow! What's even better is knowing that I'll have fresh, nutritious food to feed my family that will cost much less than I would have paid for it at the store. It's also a great learning experience for the kids. My 10 year old enjoys being allowed to plant and take care of a few vegetables of his own. He's especially proud when it comes time to harvest what he's grown.
If you have the space (It grows LARGE.), I'd recommend planting zucchini for young, first time gardeners. Zucchini generally grows faster than the weeds and provides and abundant harvest!
Happy Growing!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Cell Phone Cents
With three teenagers and one preteen in our house, there's a whole lot of talking going on...but not necessarily on the cell phone. To save money, I encourage the use of our land line phone whenever possible, especially for local calls.
However, two of our children have a driver's license. Living in a rural area as we do, the roads tend to be a little trickier, and trips to anywhere take a little longer. Equipping our three oldest children and my husband with a cell phone is a safety measure. I know they can reach me if they need too. And what's more, I can call them.
A traditional cell phone plan for the four of them, however, was not in our budget. Instead we found a pre-paid plan that really works for us. I stress to the kids that the phone is primarily for emergencies. As long as they keep a couple of minutes on it for that purpose, I'm okay. Excess minutes, or minutes they pay for themselves, can be used texting or chatting with friends.
Here's how it works for us...
We chose Tracfone as our prepaid service. I researched our choice carefully a couple of years ago before we purchased our first phone from them. Not only was it the best fit economically for our needs, but it provided the best coverage in our area--something that really mattered to me since the purpose for getting a cell phone to begin with was to be ever available in case of an emergency.
People are still surprised at the coverage our Tracfones get. Often, when folks with a higher priced monthly service are getting "two bars", we're standing right beside them getting full service, and in remote areas where "no one gets service," we usually do.
The reason for this is that Tracfone doesn't actually own any cell phone towers. Instead, the company leases air time from a number of carriers, giving it the largest digital coverage area in the U.S.
Tracfone frequently offers a "bundle" that includes one reconditioned phone, (I've purchased several, and they're always nice phones) and two 60 minute cards for just under $20.00. Each card gives the user 90 days of service. If you activate your phone online, you get an extra 20 minutes of time and 60 days of service. In addition, Tracfone offers frequent bonus minutes of 20 to 60 minutes (occasionally more) on each card. Tracfone often sends these codes to its users via snail mail or e-mail. Extra codes can easily be found by doing a search online. I almost always get at least an extra 60 bonus minutes with each card.
In addition, new users who register their e-mail address with Tracfone will get another 20 minutes when they use their second card.
So, for $20, I usually get the following:
1 phone (most now are single rate phones with no roaming, and free in-coming text messages.)
280 anytime minutes
240 days, or about 8 months of service
If you do the math, you'll find this equates to $2.50 per month. I've decided that the peace of mind it gives me knowing that my kids have a phone at their disposal in case of an emergency is worth $2.50 per month--it's actually worth a lot more, but since our budget is very limited, Tracfone works especially well for us. My kids enjoy using up any minutes not reserved for emergencies, and they also like the fact that they can receive an unlimited amount of text messages free, as long as they have service time remaining. (Depending on the type of Tracfone, sending text messages usually costs .3 units.)
Tracfone is not for all users, but our family thinks it's wonderful when reserved primarily for emergency use. If you like to talk a lot, but still want to limit your cell phone spending, you might want to search out other prepaid plans available in your area. There are many to choose from these days, increasing the odds that you'll find one that meets your needs and still saves you money.
However, two of our children have a driver's license. Living in a rural area as we do, the roads tend to be a little trickier, and trips to anywhere take a little longer. Equipping our three oldest children and my husband with a cell phone is a safety measure. I know they can reach me if they need too. And what's more, I can call them.
A traditional cell phone plan for the four of them, however, was not in our budget. Instead we found a pre-paid plan that really works for us. I stress to the kids that the phone is primarily for emergencies. As long as they keep a couple of minutes on it for that purpose, I'm okay. Excess minutes, or minutes they pay for themselves, can be used texting or chatting with friends.
Here's how it works for us...
We chose Tracfone as our prepaid service. I researched our choice carefully a couple of years ago before we purchased our first phone from them. Not only was it the best fit economically for our needs, but it provided the best coverage in our area--something that really mattered to me since the purpose for getting a cell phone to begin with was to be ever available in case of an emergency.
People are still surprised at the coverage our Tracfones get. Often, when folks with a higher priced monthly service are getting "two bars", we're standing right beside them getting full service, and in remote areas where "no one gets service," we usually do.
The reason for this is that Tracfone doesn't actually own any cell phone towers. Instead, the company leases air time from a number of carriers, giving it the largest digital coverage area in the U.S.
Tracfone frequently offers a "bundle" that includes one reconditioned phone, (I've purchased several, and they're always nice phones) and two 60 minute cards for just under $20.00. Each card gives the user 90 days of service. If you activate your phone online, you get an extra 20 minutes of time and 60 days of service. In addition, Tracfone offers frequent bonus minutes of 20 to 60 minutes (occasionally more) on each card. Tracfone often sends these codes to its users via snail mail or e-mail. Extra codes can easily be found by doing a search online. I almost always get at least an extra 60 bonus minutes with each card.
In addition, new users who register their e-mail address with Tracfone will get another 20 minutes when they use their second card.
So, for $20, I usually get the following:
1 phone (most now are single rate phones with no roaming, and free in-coming text messages.)
280 anytime minutes
240 days, or about 8 months of service
If you do the math, you'll find this equates to $2.50 per month. I've decided that the peace of mind it gives me knowing that my kids have a phone at their disposal in case of an emergency is worth $2.50 per month--it's actually worth a lot more, but since our budget is very limited, Tracfone works especially well for us. My kids enjoy using up any minutes not reserved for emergencies, and they also like the fact that they can receive an unlimited amount of text messages free, as long as they have service time remaining. (Depending on the type of Tracfone, sending text messages usually costs .3 units.)
Tracfone is not for all users, but our family thinks it's wonderful when reserved primarily for emergency use. If you like to talk a lot, but still want to limit your cell phone spending, you might want to search out other prepaid plans available in your area. There are many to choose from these days, increasing the odds that you'll find one that meets your needs and still saves you money.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Homemade Sandwich Buns
"Ruth" and her husband "John" are friends of ours. They are well into their 80's, and have experienced remarkably good health. They go places, do things, and enjoy life. They are the kind of couple that makes others sit up and take notice.
They are obviously doing lots of things right.
My husband and I are little more than half their age, and already there are days when we feel old, creaky, and generally unwell.
We love to listen and learn from our friends, and one thing we've discovered is that Ruth makes most everything they eat from scratch. They rarely eat out. They don't purchase highly processed foods. In addition they are active gardeners. Because they raise much of their own food, they know that what they're eating is fresh and free of pesticides and preservatives.
Perhaps they both are simply blessed with good genes, but I prefer to think that what they choose to eat has a lot to do with their good health.
Still, I'm sometimes stumped. I do a LOT of home cooking, but I was raised in the era of cake mixes, sliced bread, Bisquick, and Hamburger Helper. How is it that Ruth's shopping list is so short and basic? Is it really possible to make so many things yourself? And can it be done economically?
If you were to ask Ruth, she'd say, "yes."
Take the following recipe for sandwich buns for instance. Until I met Ruth, it never occurred to me that someone could (or would want) to make their own hamburger buns, but these buns are wonderful! No wonder Ruth and John prefer them over anything they can buy at the grocery store!
So, a few years ago, I asked Ruth for her recipe. Although these are sandwich buns, my children also like to eat them fresh from the oven, just like a roll. I hope you enjoy them, too.
Thanks, Ruth!
Ruth's Sandwich Buns
1 Cup butter or margarine cut into pieces
1/2 Cup honey
2 Cups boiling water
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 Cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
4-4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Place butter and honey in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over these and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water. Set aside. To honey mixture add eggs, baking powder and salt. Add in yeast mixture and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth.
Stir in enough all purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough becomes elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise one hour. Punch down and divide dough in half.
Roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. Cut with desired size biscuit cutter. (A 2 1/2" cutter makes 60 buns.) Let buns rise for another hour. Bake in preheated over at 350F. for 15-20 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
They are obviously doing lots of things right.
My husband and I are little more than half their age, and already there are days when we feel old, creaky, and generally unwell.
We love to listen and learn from our friends, and one thing we've discovered is that Ruth makes most everything they eat from scratch. They rarely eat out. They don't purchase highly processed foods. In addition they are active gardeners. Because they raise much of their own food, they know that what they're eating is fresh and free of pesticides and preservatives.
Perhaps they both are simply blessed with good genes, but I prefer to think that what they choose to eat has a lot to do with their good health.
Still, I'm sometimes stumped. I do a LOT of home cooking, but I was raised in the era of cake mixes, sliced bread, Bisquick, and Hamburger Helper. How is it that Ruth's shopping list is so short and basic? Is it really possible to make so many things yourself? And can it be done economically?
If you were to ask Ruth, she'd say, "yes."
Take the following recipe for sandwich buns for instance. Until I met Ruth, it never occurred to me that someone could (or would want) to make their own hamburger buns, but these buns are wonderful! No wonder Ruth and John prefer them over anything they can buy at the grocery store!
So, a few years ago, I asked Ruth for her recipe. Although these are sandwich buns, my children also like to eat them fresh from the oven, just like a roll. I hope you enjoy them, too.
Thanks, Ruth!
Ruth's Sandwich Buns
1 Cup butter or margarine cut into pieces
1/2 Cup honey
2 Cups boiling water
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 Cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
4-4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Place butter and honey in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over these and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water. Set aside. To honey mixture add eggs, baking powder and salt. Add in yeast mixture and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth.
Stir in enough all purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough becomes elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise one hour. Punch down and divide dough in half.
Roll dough out to 1/2" thickness. Cut with desired size biscuit cutter. (A 2 1/2" cutter makes 60 buns.) Let buns rise for another hour. Bake in preheated over at 350F. for 15-20 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hot Water Savings
Recently it seems the economic news doesn't change much on a day-to-day basis. I "check in" each morning, and generally read articles telling me that the price of oil is going up and the value of the dollar is headed down. This is definitely not good news for our family's budget.
If your budget is like ours, it may be stretched a little too tight for comfort just now. Although our family has pared back on non essential spending, we're feeling the pinch. For us, it was time to take an even harder look at the essentials. Was there room for reducing some of those expenses, too?
One day while working in the kitchen, it struck me. We were already using a lower setting for the temperature on our hot water, but it seemed a shame to have hot water ready 'round the clock when it often wasn't needed. From bouts with power outages I knew that hot water tanks do a good job of keeping hot water warm for a few hours without power. Was there a way I could predict the rhythm of our family's hot water useage, and have warm water on hand and ready for use, but only when we needed it?
I decided it was time to try. Obviously, our family wasn't using hot water, say, at 3:00 a.m. So, I began turning off the power to the tank after the last shower was taken each night. With the next month's bill, I saw about a $10.00 reduction in our electricity usage. I was excited. (As a stay at home mom, I'm inspired by the notion that money saved is as good as money earned, and I'd just found another way to "earn" a noticeable about of money!)
This was a good beginning, but I wasn't finished yet. Our home includes a college student who commutes to school. She actually runs three different schedules throughout the week. Now, I wasn't interested in flipping switches like a mad woman, based on who's coming and going, and what day of the week it happened to be. But I was interested in finding a general routine that rarely inconvenienced anyone, but also managed to save our busy family of six a little money. With a little effort, I got a feel for how long our tank keeps water comfortably warm, and how long it takes a full tank of cold water to heat up.
With a little experimenting I found a way to switch on the power to the tank (I switch it on at the breaker box) only once each day for a few hours, and yet keep everyone pretty happy. This produced a regular savings of more than $20.00 on our electric bill each month. It may not sound like much, but for us, it was definitely worth the effort.
The good thing is, now that I have it all figured out, I don't have to keep shutting the power off to the hot water tank at all. Our local home improvement store carries a timer for just this purpose. All I have to do is set it to automatically turn on the tank at the appropriate time each day. That's one less thing for me to remember!
If your budget is like ours, it may be stretched a little too tight for comfort just now. Although our family has pared back on non essential spending, we're feeling the pinch. For us, it was time to take an even harder look at the essentials. Was there room for reducing some of those expenses, too?
One day while working in the kitchen, it struck me. We were already using a lower setting for the temperature on our hot water, but it seemed a shame to have hot water ready 'round the clock when it often wasn't needed. From bouts with power outages I knew that hot water tanks do a good job of keeping hot water warm for a few hours without power. Was there a way I could predict the rhythm of our family's hot water useage, and have warm water on hand and ready for use, but only when we needed it?
I decided it was time to try. Obviously, our family wasn't using hot water, say, at 3:00 a.m. So, I began turning off the power to the tank after the last shower was taken each night. With the next month's bill, I saw about a $10.00 reduction in our electricity usage. I was excited. (As a stay at home mom, I'm inspired by the notion that money saved is as good as money earned, and I'd just found another way to "earn" a noticeable about of money!)
This was a good beginning, but I wasn't finished yet. Our home includes a college student who commutes to school. She actually runs three different schedules throughout the week. Now, I wasn't interested in flipping switches like a mad woman, based on who's coming and going, and what day of the week it happened to be. But I was interested in finding a general routine that rarely inconvenienced anyone, but also managed to save our busy family of six a little money. With a little effort, I got a feel for how long our tank keeps water comfortably warm, and how long it takes a full tank of cold water to heat up.
With a little experimenting I found a way to switch on the power to the tank (I switch it on at the breaker box) only once each day for a few hours, and yet keep everyone pretty happy. This produced a regular savings of more than $20.00 on our electric bill each month. It may not sound like much, but for us, it was definitely worth the effort.
The good thing is, now that I have it all figured out, I don't have to keep shutting the power off to the hot water tank at all. Our local home improvement store carries a timer for just this purpose. All I have to do is set it to automatically turn on the tank at the appropriate time each day. That's one less thing for me to remember!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe
I think it was my mother-in-law who first introduced me to broccoli soup. Growing up, I had enjoyed wonderful, hearty, aromatic, meals of meat and potatoes on our family farm in Ohio. And while broccoli was a nice enough vegetable, it was not, in my opinion, the stuff that soups are made of.
My mother-in-law convinced me otherwise. She had discovered that a tasty bowl of the soup was to be found at one of her favorite fast food restaurants. I sampled it, and was amazed. This was good food!
Much to our disappointment, it wasn't long before the restaurant discontinued the soup. In the years since then, I've often tried to duplicate its flavor. I've tried out various recipes, and experimented by deleting this and adding that. Nothing seemed to work.
It seems crazy, but I only recently realized that I was putting way too much emphasis on the "broccoli" and not enough on the "soup". I focused more on creating a soup base with the right flavor and added the broccoli almost as an after thought. It worked! What follows is a broccoli soup recipe that gets noticed. I recently took it in a crock pot to a gathering, and was surprised by the number of people who looked me up or phoned me for the recipe.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 head broccoli
2 cans evaporated milk
5 cups chicken stock*
1/2 teaspoon celery flakes**
2 cubes Knorr's chicken boullion
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 cups water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup flour
salt to taste
Wash broccoli and cut off florets. Set aside. In a large pot, place chicken stock, boullion cubes, onion, and celery flakes. Boil until onions are transparent. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Add to saucepan. Place the flour and 1-1/2 cups of water in a large shaker and shake until lumps are removed. Add to soup mixture. Add condensed milk and stir constantly until mixture returns to a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to boil. Add broccoli florets and return to boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Gently stir broccoli into soup base. Season to taste.
*Whenever I have broth left over from any recipe that uses chicken, I put the broth in a container and freeze it. This makes a much better soup than using commercial chicken broth. The broth doesn't have to be high in fat content. I often "roast' skinless chicken breasts in a small amount of water in my crockpot. The broth makes a wonderful flavoring.
**You can also use 3 ribs of fresh celery, diced.
My mother-in-law convinced me otherwise. She had discovered that a tasty bowl of the soup was to be found at one of her favorite fast food restaurants. I sampled it, and was amazed. This was good food!
Much to our disappointment, it wasn't long before the restaurant discontinued the soup. In the years since then, I've often tried to duplicate its flavor. I've tried out various recipes, and experimented by deleting this and adding that. Nothing seemed to work.
It seems crazy, but I only recently realized that I was putting way too much emphasis on the "broccoli" and not enough on the "soup". I focused more on creating a soup base with the right flavor and added the broccoli almost as an after thought. It worked! What follows is a broccoli soup recipe that gets noticed. I recently took it in a crock pot to a gathering, and was surprised by the number of people who looked me up or phoned me for the recipe.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 head broccoli
2 cans evaporated milk
5 cups chicken stock*
1/2 teaspoon celery flakes**
2 cubes Knorr's chicken boullion
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 cups water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup flour
salt to taste
Wash broccoli and cut off florets. Set aside. In a large pot, place chicken stock, boullion cubes, onion, and celery flakes. Boil until onions are transparent. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Add to saucepan. Place the flour and 1-1/2 cups of water in a large shaker and shake until lumps are removed. Add to soup mixture. Add condensed milk and stir constantly until mixture returns to a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to boil. Add broccoli florets and return to boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Gently stir broccoli into soup base. Season to taste.
*Whenever I have broth left over from any recipe that uses chicken, I put the broth in a container and freeze it. This makes a much better soup than using commercial chicken broth. The broth doesn't have to be high in fat content. I often "roast' skinless chicken breasts in a small amount of water in my crockpot. The broth makes a wonderful flavoring.
**You can also use 3 ribs of fresh celery, diced.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Of Recipes, Budgets, Children and Home
There are some things that money can't buy. And as parents (and/or wives, or husbands) we try to make sure our home is filled with these. We give away our love, time, energy, and encouragement freely. And it's always nice to find that a little of that "free stuff" goes full circle and comes back to us again.
This is the first of what I hope will be many, many posts. I have many ideas to share, and plan to write daily. Much of what I have to say will not be new to many of you, but I hope you'll always be able to find something here that IS useful.
For those of you on a budget, (and who isn't these days?) I have lots of tricks I've learned for saving money. Although my husband and I have rotated responsibilites through the years, we've been determined to have one of us at home pretty much full time. We know our goals, and are aware of our parenting style and our short comings, so for us, keeping one parent at home full time just seemed like the way to go. It's a life we love, but it's led to some pretty creative budgeting!
We have four bright, active children ages 10 - 19. Before they were born we considered the idea of homeschooling, but we just really weren't sure what was best. We considered what the one and only school system in our entire county had to offer. (I had taught there previously.) We considered long bus rides. We considered our family values. We considered their social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. We considered our huge network of family and friends. Still, we weren't entirely sure what was best for them--all things considered. As the oldest ones began to reach school age, we sent them off. They had some great experiences, but in time we knew. We really did want to give home schooling a try. Our oldest attended public school up until 6th grade. She's now a sophomore in college. On the other end of the spectum is our youngest who has never attended a "real school."
In the process, we've learned lots of things about homeschooling--like where to find resources, how to promote social and intellectual development, and yes, how to get into college without a traditional diploma. We are still learning! I realize that home schooling doesn't fit every family's circumstances, but if it fits yours, you're welcome to check here periodically to see if any of our experiences can be of help.
My final thought today is about food. My husband and I both come from a long line of people for whom one of life's biggest joys is sharing a meal with family and friends. We look for healthy foods, crowd pleasing foods, and foods that fit our budget. Since I'm new at writing a blog and I'm still not sure how it all works (or how it's all going to look on here when I'm finished!), I'm going to share one of my shortest, simplest recipes. My teenage son loves this one for breakfast and requests it often, even though he doesn't really like apple butter. Because of our family's size, I double the recipe and use a 9x13 inch pan.
Apple Butter Bars
1-1/4 Cup flour
3/4 Cup butter or margarine--cut in pieces
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1-1/4 Cup quick cooking oats
3/4 Cup apple butter*
In a large bowl mix flour & sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in oats until well blended. Press 1/2 of mixture firmly in a greased 8" squre pan to form a compact layer. Spread apple butter almost to the edges. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the apple butter. Press firmly, but carefully. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven about 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into 2" squares.
* You might wish to experiment with various pie fillings.
Have a Great Day!
This is the first of what I hope will be many, many posts. I have many ideas to share, and plan to write daily. Much of what I have to say will not be new to many of you, but I hope you'll always be able to find something here that IS useful.
For those of you on a budget, (and who isn't these days?) I have lots of tricks I've learned for saving money. Although my husband and I have rotated responsibilites through the years, we've been determined to have one of us at home pretty much full time. We know our goals, and are aware of our parenting style and our short comings, so for us, keeping one parent at home full time just seemed like the way to go. It's a life we love, but it's led to some pretty creative budgeting!
We have four bright, active children ages 10 - 19. Before they were born we considered the idea of homeschooling, but we just really weren't sure what was best. We considered what the one and only school system in our entire county had to offer. (I had taught there previously.) We considered long bus rides. We considered our family values. We considered their social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. We considered our huge network of family and friends. Still, we weren't entirely sure what was best for them--all things considered. As the oldest ones began to reach school age, we sent them off. They had some great experiences, but in time we knew. We really did want to give home schooling a try. Our oldest attended public school up until 6th grade. She's now a sophomore in college. On the other end of the spectum is our youngest who has never attended a "real school."
In the process, we've learned lots of things about homeschooling--like where to find resources, how to promote social and intellectual development, and yes, how to get into college without a traditional diploma. We are still learning! I realize that home schooling doesn't fit every family's circumstances, but if it fits yours, you're welcome to check here periodically to see if any of our experiences can be of help.
My final thought today is about food. My husband and I both come from a long line of people for whom one of life's biggest joys is sharing a meal with family and friends. We look for healthy foods, crowd pleasing foods, and foods that fit our budget. Since I'm new at writing a blog and I'm still not sure how it all works (or how it's all going to look on here when I'm finished!), I'm going to share one of my shortest, simplest recipes. My teenage son loves this one for breakfast and requests it often, even though he doesn't really like apple butter. Because of our family's size, I double the recipe and use a 9x13 inch pan.
Apple Butter Bars
1-1/4 Cup flour
3/4 Cup butter or margarine--cut in pieces
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1-1/4 Cup quick cooking oats
3/4 Cup apple butter*
In a large bowl mix flour & sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in oats until well blended. Press 1/2 of mixture firmly in a greased 8" squre pan to form a compact layer. Spread apple butter almost to the edges. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the apple butter. Press firmly, but carefully. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven about 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into 2" squares.
* You might wish to experiment with various pie fillings.
Have a Great Day!
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