A Christmas Must Read

I'm sure many of you feel the same way I do - the holidays begin October 1st. That is when I begin dragging out the Halloween decorations. (My son finally got over the scariness of Halloween and looks forward to decorating.)

I have found that the calendar seems to fill up much faster this time of year. A free weekend is harder to come by, but I can't seem to find anything that I want to mark off. Then there is all of the baking I ache to do (yes, I do mean ache!) I love the fact that the kitchen is cool and I can stand to keep the oven on all day. I have lists galore. There's the Halloween party, Fall Festival at school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, kids' birthdays, Christmas shopping, church bazaar, Winter Party at school, Christmas, New Year's, etc. Oh yes, lest I forget that this is my very busy time at work.

We all know that this means Moms are tired, harried, stressed, and the list goes on..... I discovered a wonderful book this past weekend (I should have been tackling an item on one of my lists) that really puts it all humorously into perspective - "On Strike for Christmas" by Sheila Roberts. It kept me laughing and saying oh my. I highly recommend you find a couple of days, a few nights, or several lunch breaks to read it! Welcome to the holidays!

Menu & Recipes for October 11th

Happy Fall! We are even getting a taste of fall here in Texas.

I cannot believe how crazy everything is at the moment. I do apologize for not have recently posted. That will be changing!

I really hope that you enjoy the meals this week. There are some new cool weather comfort foods prepared in the crockpot. Such a marvelous way to prepare dinner!

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_15hsrcb4gh

Menu & Recipes for Week of September 13th

This week starts the cooler weather here in Texas. I have enjoyed watching the rain for the past three days. Horrible baseball weather - great baking weather!! Fall welcomes back all of my family's cool-weather, comfort foods. I am so excited to share them with you this season.

Have an a Fall-bulous week!

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_14gbz9hffp

Game Day Munchies

Football season has arrived. I know some of you are football widows, but I love football. Tonight's the kick-off and the game is on as I post this!

We do kick-off Sunday up right. I fix a nice breakfast and then start on the day's buffet of munchies. I make plenty to nibble on throughout the entire day. No, there is not a formal meal the remainder of the day (unless I make wings). There are Italian Sausage Balls, Turkey Roll-ups, Rotel Cheese Dip, Assorted chips, crackers, Football Brownies, Football Sugar Cookies, Vegetable Tray, and a Savory Dip. The recipes and tips are available at http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_13frhrkmfs

This should give you something to look forward to even if you don't enjoy the game. Have a great Sunday and go Cowboys!!

$5 Dinners

This week's menu is all about using what is already in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. I wanted to share a wonderful website called $5 Dinners. This is a great site for very inexpensive meals that feed a family of 4. Be sure to check it out at http://www.5dollardinners.com/

I challenge you to spend as little as possible on groceries this week. Take the money you save and stash it in the holiday shopping fund! The savings quickly add up. I do this about four times a year and easily stash about $500-600.

Pantry Cleanup Menu

This week is my quarterly Pantry Cleanup. I try to always keep a well stocked pantry so that I can whip up a quick meal or a quick dessert. I also stock up on those items I use frequently when there on sale and I have great coupons. This makes for excellent money savings as well as convenience. It does create the need for me to monitor what is in the pantry and keep an eye on the expiration dates. The result is Pantry Cleanup week.

This week, we will eat based upon what is already in the pantry, fridge, and freezer. (Bonus - we can stash the saved grocery money into savings!!!!) I have written out the meals for the week from my kitchen to give you some ideas. All of the meals are super simple and inexpensive.

Have a wonderful week!!

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_12f9kwdb49

Cell Phone Contract Loop Hole

I was recently having a conversation with a friend who was complaining about their cell phone contract. The monthly fees seemed to just keep going up and she felt that she could do better. This got me to thinking, there has to be some way to actually get out of a cell phone contract. Research revealed that there is already a website setup for this. Cellswapper allows you to trade contracts. What a wonderful idea! I'm hoping it isn't too late for my friend to do so.

http://www.cellswapper.com/