Of course, I had to make a corsage for his cute little date (she's looking very lovely, herself)! Here's how it turned out.
Have fun, son............but not to much fun!
Showing posts with label reminiscing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reminiscing. Show all posts
Saturday, November 6, 2010
My Baby's Going To A Dance
Of course, I had to make a corsage for his cute little date (she's looking very lovely, herself)! Here's how it turned out.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Holy Moses, I've Become My Grandmother and A Handy Tip!
Tonight I have been making potato salad for our church's annual father/son camp out. I will gladly do this because the testosterone level at my house will drop by 2/3 for 24 glorious hours! Every toilet seat in the house will remain in the prone position during this time! Dear daughter (child #2) and I will be able to watch "chick" flicks, and/ or have control of the remote. We will not have to watch sports or the Outdoor Channel. We can eat chocolate and feel zero guilt.Oh, the joy in small things! Anyway, I have been making salad for the last 30 minutes. I always worry when I cook for family/ neighborhood/ church parties that there will not be enough food (I have never actually been to any of those functions when there wasn't oodles of food leftover), so I always make a little extra (just in case). Well, I just finished, and as I lifted the bowl I realized it much weigh at least twenty pounds (this IS NOT an exaggeration)! Take a look for yourself:
I really had to laugh about this, because the Tupperware bowl that the salad is in was my Grandma's. I inherited it when she passed away last year (that's not the funny part. I miss my sweet Grandma). The funny part is that my Grandma could not make any salad unless it ended up feeding an army (which is why Grandma's salad was always called "Army Salad"), and it usually ended up in this bowl. All of my growing up years this bowl brought macaroni or potato salad to our family parties. Leftover's (and there were always leftover's) went home with assorted relatives (in five pound cottage cheese containers she would save for just such an occasion). I must be her posterity (or channeling her spirit), because I just realized I do that exact same thing (except I save three pound sour cream and Cool Whip containers for just such an occasion). Heaven help us!
Now, for the handy tip. I scored squeeze bottles of Kraft Mayo for dirt cheap at the grocery store last month (because they were at their sell by date). I was using these to make the potato salad. I used one up completely, but the neck of the jar was not big enough to put a rubber scraper inside to scrape it clean (also a SIN!). I always add pickle juice to my potato salad, and because this salad weighs a ton, I need about 1/3 cup of pickle juice. I put a funnel in the neck of the jar, and poured the juice into the empty mayo container. Then, I put the lid back on tightly (this is important if you don't to wear the pickle juice/mayo concoction), and gave it a good shaking. It cleaned the side of the jar and the mayo was thin enough to pour out of the jar into the salad. If you are not a pickle juice lover a little milk will do the same thing and not change the flavor. Now, I can sleep tonight. The salad is in the fridge chilling, and I didn't waste an once of mayonaise. Grandma would be so proud!
I really had to laugh about this, because the Tupperware bowl that the salad is in was my Grandma's. I inherited it when she passed away last year (that's not the funny part. I miss my sweet Grandma). The funny part is that my Grandma could not make any salad unless it ended up feeding an army (which is why Grandma's salad was always called "Army Salad"), and it usually ended up in this bowl. All of my growing up years this bowl brought macaroni or potato salad to our family parties. Leftover's (and there were always leftover's) went home with assorted relatives (in five pound cottage cheese containers she would save for just such an occasion). I must be her posterity (or channeling her spirit), because I just realized I do that exact same thing (except I save three pound sour cream and Cool Whip containers for just such an occasion). Heaven help us!
Now, for the handy tip. I scored squeeze bottles of Kraft Mayo for dirt cheap at the grocery store last month (because they were at their sell by date). I was using these to make the potato salad. I used one up completely, but the neck of the jar was not big enough to put a rubber scraper inside to scrape it clean (also a SIN!). I always add pickle juice to my potato salad, and because this salad weighs a ton, I need about 1/3 cup of pickle juice. I put a funnel in the neck of the jar, and poured the juice into the empty mayo container. Then, I put the lid back on tightly (this is important if you don't to wear the pickle juice/mayo concoction), and gave it a good shaking. It cleaned the side of the jar and the mayo was thin enough to pour out of the jar into the salad. If you are not a pickle juice lover a little milk will do the same thing and not change the flavor. Now, I can sleep tonight. The salad is in the fridge chilling, and I didn't waste an once of mayonaise. Grandma would be so proud!
Monday, April 12, 2010
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!
Isn't this picture great? I found it hanging on the wall in the bathroom of my favorite second hand shop, one day, when child #4 (then 3 years old couldn't hold it anymore). I instantly fell in love with it. Since, the shop had become a favorite haunt of mine (who doesn't love browsing through other peoples treasures) I had built a repoire with the owner. After commenting on how wonderful the picture was I asked her if she would be willing to sell it. At first I could tell she was reluctant, but after visiting for awhile she realized her treasured photo would go to a good home. She sold it to me for $5.00 (a bargain, I thought). The shop owner had discovered it in a box she had bought from an estate sale, she too had fallen in love with it. It reminded her of her mother!
It has had "pride of place" hanging above my washing machine ever since. I'm sure we have all "walked a mile" in her shoes more than once! Thank Heavens for modern appliances! Imagine hanging out a large families worth of undies (and everything else) on the clothesline every Monday morning!!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Yeah! I Found My Friend!
I'm so excited!!!! I have discovered the my dear friend's blog. She moved out of my neighborhood several years ago, and I had lost touch with her. She is the kind of friend that you can unburden your troubles and traumas (or should I say dramas) on; she will always listen and never judge. We shared many laughs and tears together. Baseball season has not been the same since she left. Anyway, She has always been an amazing cook, and I can thank her for many of my tried and true recipes. As I read through her blog yesterday it was like a trip down memory lane. Like the times she brought my family Chicken Cordon Blue casserole and Poppy Seed Chicken after the births of my two youngest children. I also remember how my hubby raved about her Delicious Salsa for months, and begged me to get the recipe (I am VERY salsa challenged!). Her Old Fashioned Pot Pie is the only recipe my family will eat. Now I have discovered a new recipe on her blog for Enchilada Sauce that I am going to give a try tomorrow night (I can hardly wait). Thanks Tiff for all the great recipes! I hope you don't mind my sharing your brilliance with every one. You have come to my rescue, again!
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Reason Why!
I suppose I jumped the gun a little bit, and started posting willy nilly last month without explaining why I started this blog! So bear with me as I bore you with my monologue. Hopefully you won't think I'm completely insane when you are done reading it!
About a year and a half ago when the economy started going south, the weather went crazy and crops were destroyed , gas and food prices skyrocketed, and "the world seemed to be going to **** in a hand basket" ( as my grandma used to say) I freaked out a little bit (okay, a lot). How was I going to make ends meet, especially since our income seemed to be shrinking and our financial responsibilities increasing? I had been spoiled for far to long, I decided! Now, don't get me wrong we are not rich (monetarily) by any means, but we have always lived a comfortable life. Mainly because my husband and I have worked hard and tried to live within our means. I got to thinking about how history always repeats itself, and the current circumstances in the world around us were reminding me more and more of The Great Depression. I wanted to figure out how my Great Grandmother's generation had survived and raised families in dire circumstances.
First of all, I headed to the library and checked out books on The Great Depression and World War II. They were fascinating reading, and I learned several things.
1. Everyone became resourceful. Waste not, want not took on a whole new meaning. They weren't just being frugal; they were trying to keep their families alive.
2. Nothing went to waste....nothing.
3. Everybody who was able grew a garden and raised chickens. They either sold the surplus, or shared with those less fortunate.
4. Most did not rely on the government to bail them out. They took a sense of pride in taking care of their own.
5. They were not selfish or stingy either! If some one in their community was truly struggling (and most were) people would share whatever they had to lighten their neighbors burdens.
6. Most of that generation reminisced later in their lives not about hardship and suffering, but about the simple pleasures, and the fine sense of community everyone shared!
My reading got me to thinking about my Grandmother's and Great Grandmother. They were a hard working group of ladies, to be sure. I can remember my little Great Grandma carefully pulling apart the empty wax paper liner from a box of cereal, smoothing it out, and rolling it into the ever growing roll to be used in place of waxed paper. She also washed the plastic silverware and cups after every family picnic, too (I swear some of that silverware was as old as I was). I also remember hours spent every summer of my childhood helping Grandma or Grandpa weeding, and harvesting garden. Monday was always bread baking day at Grandma Johnson's. Out came her big enamelware dishpan, in went the ingredients (she never followed a recipe), and out came nine beautiful loaves of bread (and maybe sconces with homemade jam, and garden veggies for lunch if we were lucky)! WE were also constantly amazed how Grandma could take the leftovers from Sunday dinner (barely enough to feed one person), and after adding a little of this, and a little of that, TA DA, she could feed eight hungry people. I also thought of how my mother worked hard to feed and clothe six kids, using the skills she learned from her mother, without us ever feeling that we were poor. Bless them for teaching me basic homemaking skills (sewing, cooking, cleaning, crocheting, canning, gardening, etc.). If I was the product of these fine women, I certainly shouldn't be whining. It was time to step it up and make them proud.
How was I going to take the lessons I had learned and make them feasible for a modern generation (me)! I wasn't quite ready to raise chickens and churn butter, but there had to be plenty of other ways I could make my budget stretch! Back to the library I went. This time to check out books on frugality. My turning point was when I checked The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn and read it (she is a frugal genius in my eyes and I will probably refer to her often). She made me realize that there are hundreds of ways to save money and think outside of the garbage. Then my wonderful sister in law ( and you know who you are, Shannon) clued me in to Pinching Your Pennies. I was already a sale shopper and coupon clipper, but this website made it so much easier to find and exploit good sales!!
One of my blessings is that I live in a tight knit neighborhood. Most of the families share, swap, and watch out for each other. We laugh that there has been a perpetual bag of hand me downs circulating for years now. Take what you need , add what you don't, and pass it along. Needless to say, we have a great since of community. As my neighbors and I have struggled together, I have had them ask me advice on all sorts of subjects ( I was enrichment counselor in our ward for three years; so most know the skills listed on my Domestic Resume). Last year several families started gardens. All of sudden gardening and canning questions started popping up. I ended up teaching a class on Squarefoot Gardening for Relief Society. Next came questions about sewing and mending, and then where can I find a good deal on.......? As everyone started cooking more from scratch I would get phone calls asking me for substitutions and equivalents in cooking. When I started saving oodles of money on my groceries because of PYP and matching coupons with sales ( not to mention greatly increasing my food storage with all of my great deals) everyone wanted to know how I did it. (I'm really not patting myself on the back, I promise!)
I have loved helping make my friends, family, and neighbors lives easier with little snippets of info, but I knew there might be others who could be interested in simple ideas and information on making their budget stretch a little further. Finally, a couple months ago my sister in law (yes, you Shannon) convinced me that if I started a blog #1) it is great free therapy, #2) I can share the clever tips and ideas that I come across, #3) maybe I can help someone else make it through "The Great Recession". If there was one thing I have learned along my frugal journey is that we are all in this together!! United we stand, but divided we fall!
About a year and a half ago when the economy started going south, the weather went crazy and crops were destroyed , gas and food prices skyrocketed, and "the world seemed to be going to **** in a hand basket" ( as my grandma used to say) I freaked out a little bit (okay, a lot). How was I going to make ends meet, especially since our income seemed to be shrinking and our financial responsibilities increasing? I had been spoiled for far to long, I decided! Now, don't get me wrong we are not rich (monetarily) by any means, but we have always lived a comfortable life. Mainly because my husband and I have worked hard and tried to live within our means. I got to thinking about how history always repeats itself, and the current circumstances in the world around us were reminding me more and more of The Great Depression. I wanted to figure out how my Great Grandmother's generation had survived and raised families in dire circumstances.
First of all, I headed to the library and checked out books on The Great Depression and World War II. They were fascinating reading, and I learned several things.
1. Everyone became resourceful. Waste not, want not took on a whole new meaning. They weren't just being frugal; they were trying to keep their families alive.
2. Nothing went to waste....nothing.
3. Everybody who was able grew a garden and raised chickens. They either sold the surplus, or shared with those less fortunate.
4. Most did not rely on the government to bail them out. They took a sense of pride in taking care of their own.
5. They were not selfish or stingy either! If some one in their community was truly struggling (and most were) people would share whatever they had to lighten their neighbors burdens.
6. Most of that generation reminisced later in their lives not about hardship and suffering, but about the simple pleasures, and the fine sense of community everyone shared!
My reading got me to thinking about my Grandmother's and Great Grandmother. They were a hard working group of ladies, to be sure. I can remember my little Great Grandma carefully pulling apart the empty wax paper liner from a box of cereal, smoothing it out, and rolling it into the ever growing roll to be used in place of waxed paper. She also washed the plastic silverware and cups after every family picnic, too (I swear some of that silverware was as old as I was). I also remember hours spent every summer of my childhood helping Grandma or Grandpa weeding, and harvesting garden. Monday was always bread baking day at Grandma Johnson's. Out came her big enamelware dishpan, in went the ingredients (she never followed a recipe), and out came nine beautiful loaves of bread (and maybe sconces with homemade jam, and garden veggies for lunch if we were lucky)! WE were also constantly amazed how Grandma could take the leftovers from Sunday dinner (barely enough to feed one person), and after adding a little of this, and a little of that, TA DA, she could feed eight hungry people. I also thought of how my mother worked hard to feed and clothe six kids, using the skills she learned from her mother, without us ever feeling that we were poor. Bless them for teaching me basic homemaking skills (sewing, cooking, cleaning, crocheting, canning, gardening, etc.). If I was the product of these fine women, I certainly shouldn't be whining. It was time to step it up and make them proud.
How was I going to take the lessons I had learned and make them feasible for a modern generation (me)! I wasn't quite ready to raise chickens and churn butter, but there had to be plenty of other ways I could make my budget stretch! Back to the library I went. This time to check out books on frugality. My turning point was when I checked The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn and read it (she is a frugal genius in my eyes and I will probably refer to her often). She made me realize that there are hundreds of ways to save money and think outside of the garbage. Then my wonderful sister in law ( and you know who you are, Shannon) clued me in to Pinching Your Pennies. I was already a sale shopper and coupon clipper, but this website made it so much easier to find and exploit good sales!!
One of my blessings is that I live in a tight knit neighborhood. Most of the families share, swap, and watch out for each other. We laugh that there has been a perpetual bag of hand me downs circulating for years now. Take what you need , add what you don't, and pass it along. Needless to say, we have a great since of community. As my neighbors and I have struggled together, I have had them ask me advice on all sorts of subjects ( I was enrichment counselor in our ward for three years; so most know the skills listed on my Domestic Resume). Last year several families started gardens. All of sudden gardening and canning questions started popping up. I ended up teaching a class on Squarefoot Gardening for Relief Society. Next came questions about sewing and mending, and then where can I find a good deal on.......? As everyone started cooking more from scratch I would get phone calls asking me for substitutions and equivalents in cooking. When I started saving oodles of money on my groceries because of PYP and matching coupons with sales ( not to mention greatly increasing my food storage with all of my great deals) everyone wanted to know how I did it. (I'm really not patting myself on the back, I promise!)
I have loved helping make my friends, family, and neighbors lives easier with little snippets of info, but I knew there might be others who could be interested in simple ideas and information on making their budget stretch a little further. Finally, a couple months ago my sister in law (yes, you Shannon) convinced me that if I started a blog #1) it is great free therapy, #2) I can share the clever tips and ideas that I come across, #3) maybe I can help someone else make it through "The Great Recession". If there was one thing I have learned along my frugal journey is that we are all in this together!! United we stand, but divided we fall!
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