Memorable Quotes

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith. - Author Unknown

Monday, July 27, 2009

The Change Jar - Home Energy Audits

Texas summers are scorchers. I hate opening my electric bill from June through September. They aren't as bad since we had radiant barrier installed, but I'm sure there is more that we could do to make the house more energy efficient. Luckily, this comes with tax credits in most cases!

Oncor is working with an approved list of contractors to have free residential energy audits done along with some basic services. This is at deeply discounted rates or even free. Check it out and take a load off - energy that is. http://www.oncor.com/electricity/teem/default.aspx

Friday, July 24, 2009

Porch Know How

People ask me How To questions all of the time. I'm sure that some of you wonderful Porch Friends have a few as well. This is my invitation for you to send me your requests at nellescountry@yahoo.com I will try to respond to each one. If I'm stumped, then we'll put it out there for additional input. I can't wait to hear from you!

My Country Kitchen - Menu & Recipes July 27th

This week has flown by and I still have a long To Do list. How does that happen? Of course, grocery shopping is now at the top.

This week's menu contains a lot of meals that can be prepared without heating the kitchen up too much. Even the Pesto Chicken & Bowtie can be done without much heat - try a rotisserie chicken from the local market.

I hope you are enjoying these menues and recipes! Please feel free to send me any requests.

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_4dkmbrqd5

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Change Jar - Coupon Sites

I love saving money! It is like winning a game each time I save 40% or more on my grocery bill or gift shopping. Please make note of some of my favorite websites that help in saving.

http://promotionalcodes.com/
http://www.retailmenot.com/
http://www.dealtaker.com/
http://www.fatwallet.com/
http://www.restaurant.com/

EcoPrint - Computer Recycling

It is that time of year when we start considering new computers. Back to school is just around the corner and so much of today's assignments are computer-based. What about that old computer?

Staples and Best Buy will recycle your old computers - both laptops and desktops. There may be a $10 fee for some monitors and laptops, but Best Buy will give you a $10 Best Buy gift card in return. One last note, be sure to wipe the harddrive out before you take it in.

Be sure to schedule this trip with other errands to save gas and emissions. Just one less footprint on our environment.

Monday, July 20, 2009

My Country Kitchen - Menu for Week of July 20th

Here is the menu for this week. It contains a couple of items that are great to prepare ahead of time.

The Chicken Spaghetti can be started one night (boil the chicken) and completed within the next couple of days. The leftovers are an absolute favorite for lunches. This is also a great meal for families with older babies or toddlers on baby food. Just place the chicken spaghetti in a food processor and process until it reaches desired consistency.

The Italian Sausage Soup satisfies even my picky eater. It can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. I like prepare a double batch of this soup and freeze for future meals. It freezes well then you just thaw it out and add the orzo or rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

Enjoy! http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_4dkmbrqd5

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

My Country Kitchen - The Ultimate Grocery List

Picture this - you have spent the day doing all those errands on your list. Last stop was the grocery store. You are putting away the groceries when you realize you forgot something. Ugh! I hate that. Another trip to the store in this Texas heat.

No more, I found the most comprehensive, pre-printed grocery list ever!!! It is even called the Ultimatest Grocery List. Want one? Just visit www.grocerylists.org/ultimatest and print one off. There is even a bonus....you can peruse grocery lists that others have left behind.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Finally...One Stop Planning for Busy Families

Life is busy! I have a calendar on the pantry door, at work, on my cell phone and on post-it notes in my purse. Little reminders of who needs to be where, when and with what. My friends are always talking about how hard it is to keep up with their schedules. It seems impossible to keep everything in sync.

No more! There is an online family planning tool at www.cozi.com that will allow you to enter everyone's schedule, color-code each family member, import into Outlook, get cell phone reminders, or print out the calendar. Awesome!!!!

Friday, July 10, 2009

My Country Kitchen - Menu for Week of July 12th

It is that time of the week again. Time to think about a new menu. Here it is with recipes. Enjoy!

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_3vfjb5vhq

The Change Jar - Free Ringtones

Yes, I'm guilty! I love ringtones of my favorite songs. I love having special ringtones assigned to family & friends. It is great hearing our wedding song when my husband calls. It is also nice to know it is the boss calling so that I can redirect my thoughts (or not answer)!

I do not like the fees!! I recently found a couple of websites with free ringtones. Myxer even allows you to create a ring tone from mp3 files on your computer. Love it! Like ringtones? Take a stroll www.phonezoo.com or www.myxer.com

Thursday, July 9, 2009

My Country Kitchen - Lemon Pound Cake

Per request, here is a great summer dessert recipe!

Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup butter
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon extract, plus more if you like a lot of lemon flavor
10-12 drops yellow food color

Preheat oven to 350F (325F if using dark, nonstick pan). Spray 10 cup bundt or tube pan with nonstick baking spray (Baker's Joy works very well). In large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, milk, flour, and baking powder; mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, lemon extract and food color; beat well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. This is great served with fresh fruit or frozen sweetened strawberries and whip cream.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

My Country Kitchen - Freezing Fresh Berries

My family loves blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. They are really great right now while in season, but we want them all year long. There are a couple of great blueberry farms in East Texas where you can pick your own or buy them in bags. They are just as tasty after being frozen.

To freeze the berries
  • Wash under cold water
  • Spread out on towels to dry
  • Place in a single layer on jelly roll pan
  • Freeze for 2 hours
  • Place in freezer-safe container - I like to use the Foodsaver containers.

Gadget Garden - Foodsaver

The benefits of buying in bulk and/or buying what is on sale are well known. I do this a lot! I love to match my coupons to the sale ads for even bigger savings. There is also the great fresh produce this time of year. I love to pick blueberries and freeze them to use throughout the year. The Foodsaver is my go-to gadget for these types of items.

The Foodsaver is super easy to use, light-weight and works great. I split up and freeze steaks, bacon, chicken, fish, and fresh produce. I love their containers for my blueberries and strawberries! They one key to getting a good vacuum seal on the bags is to be sure that there is room on the sides for the air to move around the food.

They can be found almost anywhere. I suggest watching Kohls for sales. I was able to get the nicer one at 55% off plus an additional 20% off at Kohls. The sales usually apply to the bags too!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Change Jar - Discounted Gift Cards

I love gift cards! My son loves gift cards to Barnes & Noble and Blockbuster. They are great to use when teaching children how to budget and spend within their means.

Now, there is a website to buy gift cards at a discount. www.plasticjungle.com I love this website! I was able to purchase a Barnes & Noble gift card for 11% off. There are no shipping charges and no fees. Have a gift card you won't use? You can also sell or trade it at this site.

Monday, July 6, 2009

The Change Jar - Property Tax Appraisals

It is that time of year again. The mail brings those pesky property tax appraisals. How closely do you look at them? Do you notice the percentage by which the appraisal increased? What about the Homestead Exemption.

Now is the perfect time to really look at your appraisals. It can save you a lot of money! Recently, I was asked to help someone prepare to protest the appraised value for their property. The property value had been increased by 56% for structures only. This was for a rural home, barns and land. I suggested the property owners get a written statement from a realtor on market value and a replacement estimate for the shops and barns. They also requested the "worksheet" from the appraisal office. The "worksheet" is what the valuation is based upon. That worksheet was an eye opener! It was completely wrong. The "worksheet" showed overstated square footage for the shop, house, and barns, two sets of porches on the house, and a large enclosed carport. Even with the gross exaggerations, it still took multiple trips to the appraisal office.

The state does have limits on the amount that your property values can be raised each year. Many times, the appraisal districts bank on property owners not protesting the appraisals. They have nothing to loose. Our property value is raised each year and each year we protest. The result is always a reduction in the appraised value. In fact this year, it was decreased to an amount lower than last year's value. Stop hyperventilating - tax appraisal values are not the same as the market value of the house unless the house is less than two years old.

I have listed some of the steps to take to protest your property tax appraisal below. There is also a free kit available at www.AHAhome.com that is helpful. Yes, it does take a little work, but is worth it!

Protest Tips
  • Do it yourself or ask a friend. DO NOT use anyone who says that they can lower your appraisal for a fee!
  • Verify the square footage of your home
  • Check values for similar homes in your area. Checkout http://realestate.yahoo.com/Homevalues.
  • Check recent sales prices in your neighborhood. A realtor should be able to assist you with this. I have never had a problem getting one to pull up the MLS that shows the houses recently sold and still on the market in your area.
  • Take pictures of issues within the house that would lower the value. Examples are walls that have been colored on, old faucets and fixtures, bad carpet, roofing issues. Take advantage of free estimates on getting the items repaired. It is hard for the appraisal officer to argue with a written estimate.
  • Rural properties should ask for the "worksheet" that is being used. Make sure that there are no extra structures and that all measurements are correct.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

My Country Kitchen - July 6th Menu & Recipes

I have lost count on the number of times that I have been asked how I plan out my menus for the week. It is so easy to stop in or drive thru for the evening meal. I still relish my time in the kitchen preparing a meal for my family. Yes, I recognize that the evenings can be hectic and a quick solution is demanded. I have several staples I turn to for these nights. This week the menu includes one such staple. My family loves the Bertolli brand frozen meals. They are super quick, taste great and still allow us to sit down as a family to a healthy meal.

I am starting with the basics and those comfort meals. It seems everyone qualifies their request for menus with "It needs to be super simple or dummy proof." I have tried to accommodate this request for the first week. I will throw in more involved recipes as time passes, but don't fret. They will include tips and tricks along with the recipes. Don't hesitate to tweak any of my recipes to your taste.

Welcome to the dinner table....

Menu http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_0fpn6jzfj

Recipes http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7vbv4c_2crvq4jcg

Premier

Welcome to Nelle's Country! Here I will pass along thoughts, ideas, tips, menus and musings. Yes, I finally got it together and created the blog that everyone kept asking me to do.

I will pass along tidbits of information on a lot of forums - especially dishes from My Country Kitchen, finance tips from The Change Jar, the latest books I've perused in Hammock Readings as well as highlighting items still made in the U.S.A.

I hope each of you will find something helpful and give feedback on what you would like to see included. Pull up a chair and enjoy the porch.