The continuation of the crazed coupon-er's savings

And so, I'm not just crazy with saving money in my pantry but also with household items.  But, first things first.

Freezing your veggies:
Choose your fav veggies.  Bring a pot of water to an active boil and dump in your fresh green beans, bell peppers(best to buy them when they are on sale for freezing purposes), broccoli, asparagus...etc.  Make sure they are chopped, diced or minced how you like them.  Let them boil for approx three minutes.  You don't want them to fully cook.  Then, quickly, dump them into a colander/strainer and run them under cold water.  This is called blanching.  A fool proof method and way easier than canning!  Make sure to mark the date on your freezer bag, along with the name of which veggie.  Voila.

Potatoes and Rice -- Now, I mentioned potatoes and rice.  First, I have often frozen a batch of mashed potatoes but there is another way to freeze your taters.  Dice them and wait for your water to boil.  Dump them in for 3-5 minutes.  Once they're done let them set in icy water for 5-10 minutes.  Package and freeze.  So easy and it saves you from having to throw out your potatoes because they have eyes growing in their heads...

Rice -- Well, the only experience I have with freezing rice is with a certain Russian dish I make, Ploff/Plov.  I make a huge batch of this dish and then freeze the rest.  How many times...too many to count and the turn out has been great upon the re-heat.  You can freeze rice casseroles, too.  Wait, I just remembered that I've frozen just pain white rice.  Either way, it's fully cooked when it goes into the freezer.

 
No, you're not looking at a shelf in CVS or Walgreen's.  But this is my laundry closet.  Eight, yes, eight bottles of detergent.  There is one hiding in the back...And half of those I got for free.  They run close to $8 for the smaller bottles and $12 for the larger.  I don't pay more than $5.99 for the smaller bottle.  CVS is my friend.  I get amazing coupons for being a member of their rewards system on top of clipping coupons from the Sunday paper.  I wouldn't recommending stepping two feet inside that store without a coupon...they are just too expensive otherwise.  But, you couldn't find better deals when you're armed and ready.

All together now...the underside of my kitchen sink is lined with dish soaps!  Dishwasher and dishwashing.  I also have an arsenal of Clorox spray bottles, Clorox wipes, and all other sorts of cleaning paraphernalia.  And, once again, half of it was free.
The beauty of couponing is your coupons usually coincide with your local grocers sales.  And, if some of the coupons you clip don't match with the sales the store is having that week, don't worry because the next week they will match.  It's a game and you have to be smarter than the system.  Make them pay you.

I do.  I get free money every time I push my cart down the aisles.

This is how I shop. Like a crazed coupon clipper who listens to the rhythm of her pantry.

It took me over the course of six months to get this crazy.  Mad hunting for coupons, sitting the library filtering through miralax, puppy chow and Excedrin coupons to find the gold nugget -- .55cents off Land o' Lakes Butter.  Yes, I'm that crazy.  But I don't mind.  Even my four year old understands how important those "coopuns" are to me.  I faithfully buy two, yes two, Sunday papers.  One from the town I live in and one from a neighboring town.  The coupons are not always the same in each paper.  The $3.25 I shell out every Sunday, except for Holidays because they don't print coupons, pays for its self ten, sometimes twenty times over.  

So, that is step one.  TWO papers, every Sunday.  Not too shabby.  Because I know when I go shopping I will save NO less than $30.  The most I have ever saved in one go was $98.  Yeah.  I gulped.  Waited until I was outside, did the shout dance and called my husband.

Now, on to the nitty gritty.

Here is a list of items that I buy consistently to stock:
Chicken broth/ Beef Broth
Cream of Mushroom, chicken, celery
Tomato sauce, paste and diced tomatoes
Beans (black, pinto and pink)
Noodles (jumbo shells, mini penne, vermicelli)
Tuna
Marinated artichoke hearts (for casseroles)
Salsa
Ketchup
French Fried Onions
Water Chestnuts
Jelly
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Juice
Flour (depending on how often you use it, I now make my own pancake batter so I tend to use a little more)

Here is a list of the items I buy to freeze:
Shredded cheese (sharp, mild cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella, parmesean)
Bread
Bacon
Butter (yes, I freeze butter)
Chicken
Pork (shoulder, and center cut pieces, labeled frozen and cut according to how much we eat)
Ground Turkey rounds
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Potatoes (if I made too many mashed potatoes over dinner, I freeze the remainder...I will go more into depth about other ways to freeze your 'taters')
Rice (more on this later)
Asparagus
Green Onions
Store bought, Pre-bagged mixed veggies (for soups and stir frys)

Store bought, Pre-bagged frozen corn (for soups)

Ok, there is SO much to talk about concerning these lists.  I buy a whole lot more than what I listed, but it varies.  It depends on what type of foods I'm cooking and what time of year it is.  I tend to buy more beans and frozen corn in the winter...all of the soups I make.  And in the summer I buy more hamburger buns(bread) and ketchup.  Either way, you will find the rhythm of your pantry.
One trick is to -- take advantage of the B1G1.  That is: BUY ONE GET ONE FREE.  Shoot.  If it's something you use a lot, get it!  Especially if it has a long shelf life like: ketchup, soy sauce, juice, mayo.  Also, the bread( know it doesn't have a lot of shelf life but it's expensive and is frequently B1G1).  We eat a fair amount of bread.  Not so much sandwich breads but when it's on sale I buy three loaves and pop two in the freezer.

O. that's the other thing.  My freezer. 
It's a life saver/money saver.  Invest in a freezer.  There has to be some room in the garage for a small freezer.  That's what makes all of my "stocking up" work so well.  My freezer.

Back to the food...  It also comes in handy to freeze your leftovers.  I make rather large batches of homemade spaghetti sauce, chili, ploff and a few other things.  How many times have I NOT wanted to make dinner, or, been a little short on ingredients and it's not convenient to run to the store?  Too many.  So, I pull out my reserves and dinner is served!

I am going to stop here and do a second post on how to freeze some of these veggies.  And also talk about some of the other non-food items I stock up on.  I don't want to system overload everyone.  I hope this has been helpful.  If you have any questions...

Food

      I totally want to do a whole post on food.  Foods that I've never heard of, until recently.  Why I'm afraid to try them?  But, I'm very, very tempted to start spreading my palate (or making my tongue fat).  I think I have a rather large taste-base.  But, I don't think it's very diverse or sophisticated.  Mostly, I stick to basic ingredients.  I'm not much of a gourmet cook.  It's fun to try new recipes, mostly the ones that have ingredients I'm familiar with.  I serve a lot of Russian and Latin foods at home and we have worked hard to make sure our children love veggies.  Asparagus, Broccoli, Leafy Greens, Zucchini, Cucumber, Bell Pepper and such like, you have 'em, they'll eat 'em. 
      My seasonings are basic: salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, chicken bullion, cumin, bay leaves, coriander...
See, all of those I'm sure you've heard of.  So, now, here I am surfing the net.  Submerging myself in the world of the blogging foodie moms and feeling a little stupid because I don't know WHAT in the world a cippolini onion is, or pecorino cheese, a meyer lemon, uhm, semolina flour, and frisée lardon is beyond me.  I feel so inadequate as a cook.  Is there hope for me?  I think I just made a pact with myself, while I was doing dishes, after torturing my mind with all the things I don't know about cooking.

"You need to expand your family's palate."  (I'm talking to myself at this point...more like inaudible mumblings)

"Get brave, go to the store and just do it!"
"But that's sooo scary!  Some of those things we might not like and then there goes a whole meal down the drain."
" Ok, fine, then don't do it.  Wait, ok, do it, but try it in small increments, first."

And so the convo went for a while until I settled on the recipe that I would make to introduce our family to new tastes, and stuff.  *gulp*

Anyone up for some Potato Gratin With Broccoli/Kale Pesto And Balsamic Shallots?
Yeah, I know, sounds kinda cool.  I've never made pesto before.  We shall see what we shall see.  Right?

Ultra

So, I was skimming through the news online and I came across this clip about an Ultra-marathoner.  For those of you who know me, I have recently developed an affinity for running.  I will run at any time of the day, and in most weather including snow, but I prefer late afternoon when there is a breeze and it isn't blistering hot or freezing cold.  Ok, so that is NEVER the case in my neck of the woods, so, I have to settle for dusk when D is home from school so he can watch the babies.  And I run.  It feels so good.  Almost like drinking an energy drink, only better and without the crashing part afterward.   But, so, back to this Ultra-marathoner.  This particular lady is training to run 130 miles.  Nonstop.  One.hundred.thirty miles.  I thought it was a mistake.  But it's not and she's doing it.  With one leg.  She lost her other leg in a crash.  One leg.  She is a single mom and an Ultra-marathoner. 

Now, I'm not even close to running a real marathon, although I've set my goals, but I am, most definitely, an Ultra-mom.  And I kinda like it.  I'm growing into my position, through much difficulty learning patience, and finding that I cherish my mornings when I can stare at my little babies sleeping, snoring and making smacking sounds with their pudgy little lips.  I enjoy playing baseball and basketball with my little boy and running with him.  He is very much the runner now and he wears his special shoes every time.

They are watersocks.  Meant for wearing while you go swimming...not running.  But he doesn't care.  He thinks they make him run faster and he demonstrates his super speed for me every time before we set off together.  Of course, I bring the stroller because he's tired by the time we reach the next light pole but it's priceless.  He is so earnest, "Mahm, wess go wunning!"

And I enjoy making faces with my little girl, touching noses, munching on her soft little ears and humming together.  She and I sing together.  Our own little songs and she'll dance.  Her chubby little feet slapping on the wood floors.  We chase each other around the house and laugh and hide and scream.  That's the other thing we do.  We'll stand in the kitchen and shrill back and forth until one of us giggles.  

  Now, I may only have two children, so I might not be amongst the highest ranks of Ultra-momness but I've earned a few medals.  Like, the one where I stayed up 23 hours straight two days after giving birth to my precious little Romalise.  I was nursing everyone in the house back to health from a nasty flu.  And the one where I was getting up every hour, on the hour changing off between a screaming toddler and a screaming baby, and D...my wonderful D sleeping through this whole mess of a night.  And yes, I did make breakfast in the morning.  So, no, I can't run 130 miles, but I can clean up splattered poop, puke and food faster than you've ever seen.  I can stay up nursing my family back to health and clean the whole house the next day.  I can make dinner, kiss boo-boos, wipe away tears, sing, smile and love...

I'm an Ultra-mom.  And I know I'm not alone.

It's a battle. Who am I?

I'm a mother.  Wife.  Lover to my husband.  Educated woman.  Individual?  I don't know.  I am all things to all my little people -- and husband.  I am a homemaker.  I have the immune system of an elephant.  My ears rival that of the most fiercest land predator.  I have a sixth sense you don't want to mess with.  But, an individual?  Still don't know.  My voice has calming powers.  My hands have healing powers.  My eyes can freeze a three year old mid-step.  But being my own person?  Uhg.  THAT thing again?  Battling with knowing where I stop and start as an individual is a conundrum.  A huge one.  It's ok to have goals -- I tell myself this all the time.  I have even secretly written down a page full of endeavors I want to accomplish.  It's ok -- I tell myself -- to have these unpublished desires.  But every now and then I think my mind likes to play tricks on me.  The urge to take a job gets really, really strong.  So strong, my computer starts popping up websites that advertise positions available in all the fields I'm interested in *clears throat*.  It does...I promise. 

And then, it hit me.  The line is where ever I draw it.  Until I re-draw it.  So for now, a job is about two years away, heading back to school even further and well, a hoard of other things will just-have-to-wait.  And that's ok.  But it's not easy.  My heart wants so badly to do these little projects but just as badly it yearns to be with my babies.  Some things in life can never replace watching your baby roll over for the first time, go potty in the toilet like a big boy, brush her teeth like a big girl, having your baby sing in your ear and coo -- it is priceless.
 
So, my pedicure can wait.  I mean, all those other important things I talked about.

Skinny Slims

So, Cylas has done it again.  He has successfully grown out of nearly every pair of pants he owns.   His church pants...well, I'm just milking the last few weeks out of them.  So, I decided to recycle a pair of men's pants and create a pair of slimmies for my little boy.  It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too hard, either.  I found a tutorial online and I set my sights high.  First, I went, well, I had D go, to the thrift store and pick up a couple pairs of sacrificial pants so I could try my hand at re-fashioning them into a pair of slacks for my little mister.  And today, at my lesson, Ethel and I tore into them and came out with a fantastic pair of boys slacks!!  She was so surprised that the re-fashioning worked as well as it did.

 

I wish I had had the sense to take a picture of the "before" pair of pants.  They were a size 34x32.  The first thing I did to them was take the belt loops and the waist band off.  Once that was done, I cut the inseam and the outer seam of the pant.  Then, I put my modified pattern on and cut out a size 4t.  It was a little rough at first because the pattern I was working with was sized for a 2t.  Uhg.  Why do I always bite off more than I can chew?

 

  

Ethel kept me focused and at the end of two and a half hours we finished everything but the waist band!  So proud of myself.

And why is it that I'm more prone to do things backwards?  *tsk, tsk* I'm glad Ethel was there to keep it all going in the right direction.  It will take time for me to get comfortable with myself, the machine, the material, the scissors.  Sheesh.  But, here is a picture of the semi-finished product!!  The top of the pants look funky because I'm not done with the waist band.  I can't wait to do another pair of these!!

 

The Weekender...

Wow, if only.  A weekend getaway for me and hubster is virtually non-existent.  It doesn't help that I'm hopelessly in love with my little babies and have severe anxiety whenever I leave them for too long.  Uhg.  Such a dilemma.  I want a break but then when I'm able to get one I'm sick with worry and it ruins my break.  Shoot.  If my kids weren't so stinkin' cute and loveable

 

 

I wouldn't mind a three day weekend.  But I love these little rascals toooo much.  So, for now my "getaways" are limited to about three hours at a time about six months apart when I find a babysitter and some spare time between D's schooling and church activities.

And then, sometimes, duty calls and I have to answer like a good little grown up.  I'm the youth leader at our church and there is going to be a lock-in in a town, FOUR HOURS AWAY, and I'm going.  I'm going, the babies are staying and so is a piece of my heart.  *groan*

 Which brings me to my next dilemma, a bag to hold all of my stuff.  Stuff and stuff and no where to put it.  I've been looking for a while and man, the prices are so varied it's hard to choose between price, efficiency and quality.  You know that if you're going to spend $20 on something like this:

most likely you're going to not have the luxuries a bag twice as much would have like this:

*sigh* But all common sense and rational aside I think this is definitely something D and I would look good carrying on a short two day vacay to the city... (budgeting furiously)