11-7-12

8:10am

I was doing some research about people

using timers on their deep freezers to help

cut the costs of their electric bill.

Timers at a home improvement store

cost $7 to $20.  You need a heavy duty one

that is at least 15 amps with a three prong outlet.

It costs around $10 to $20 a month to run

a stand alone freezer and it all depends on how

old it is and if it is an energy star appliance.

Energy star appliances says you will save at least

10% by using their products.  Mine is an energy star. 

Then I got to looking into how to cut costs on 

our gas water heater.  There are no timers for those.

All I can say to that is to put a one of those 

hot water heater blankets around it.

They run around $15 to $20.

I found a brand new one at a church sale for $1.00!

Now if you have an electric water heater

they do make timers for those where you can have

it shut off during certain hours like overnight

or while you are at work. 

Got supper going in the crock.

I thawed out what I thought was pork chops the other day

only to discover they were pork ribs.

So today I put a bottle of BBQ sauce

and those ribs in the crock at about 7:30am

on low heat.  The longer or higher heat you cook

them the more tender they will be.

Same goes for any meat you are able to purchase

that is cheaper and tougher.

I'll shred these up once done and remove any bones

and return them back to the BBQ sauce.

Serving with homemade mashed potatoes

and homemade rolls.  These will be the same rolls

I want to take for Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws.

Want to try them out first. I'm going to put mine

into a cupcake tin to bake them.

9:10am

Got my roll dough going in the bread machine.

Here's a few tip and changes I made to the recipe.

I did 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour.

By adding the whole wheat flour to dough

is not supposed to make the bread so heavy

as opposed to using nothing but all purpose flour.

Also when adding the flour to the machine

don't scoop it out of the bag with the measuring cup.

Instead spoon it out into your cup to measure it.

This is my first time using these tips I read about

online so will let you know how they turn out. 


10:15am


Roll dough is done in the bread machine.
Got it divided up and rolled into 16 rolls.
I used 1/4 measuring cup for the dough
to keep them all the same size.
They are now rising again with a warmed towel over them.  
I put a kitchen towel in the microwave for 20 seconds. 
Once baked they'll be brushed with honey & garlic butter.

12:25pm


The rolls turned out light and fluffy.
I can't taste the sharp cheddar cheese in them.
I think next time I would add some Splenda
to them because I like my rolls a little sweeter.
I added 2 tablespoons brown sugar
and that wasn't enough.
Maybe next time I'll make them
with 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 3 cups all purpose flour. 
I make rolls sometimes out of a white or butter
cake mix and love how sweet those are
but they seem heavier than an ordinary roll.

1:00pm

MAIL CALL

I love when Kroger sends me a bunch of coupons
that I can use on their store brand & name brand products,
sometimes for free items.
This time I can get a free can of Kroger 
soup and dressing.  I've had better freebie coupons
from them but can't complain.

Also got a $5.00 off a $50 purchase at Menards coupon.
Don't have $50 to spend at Menards :0(



I believe that the Christmas holiday should not
start until Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed!
This morning upon returning home from
the bus stop I noticed a house with 
Christmas decorations lit up in their front yard!
Not sure how long it has been there as we haven't
gone too many places in the evenings
trying to save on gas and to keep from buying stuff.
I haven't had to get gas this week and are still using the $30
of gas gotten earlier last week.  If we went anywhere
we use hubby's car which is better on gas.  Only using the truck

to go to and from the bus stop.

Now I do plan to go to Kroger tonight.
Needs some basic stuff.  I saw they had turkeys
on sale for .78 cents a pound with 
a $10 purchase.  Plus I just got 
$1.00 off a Kroger turkey today in the mail.
Oh I'm sure they won't have 10-12 pound turkeys
but ones that are over 20 pounds.
If that's the case then I won't get one.
I could make several meals out of one turkey! 


4:20pm


Supper is almost done.
Got the ribs shredded up and now are working
on boiling some cut up potatoes for
mashed potatoes.  I realized I don't have any
milk to put into the potatoes so started 
looking around the fridge for an alternative.
I will be using bacon ranch dressing instead.
Sounds yummy. 

This meal is what I call Rib Buster.
It will sneak up on you after you eat too much of it
and you'll have to undo a pant's button, lol.


4:30pm


Hubby just called.
He got gas this morning for $3.21 a gallon.
It has now gone up to $3.49 a gallon 
this afternoon.
Go figure, the election is over.


4:55pm


Time to eat!!
Yummy!

6:50pm


Just returned from Kroger.
Spent $35 on groceries for the next week.
 $9 was for a turkey that was 12.74 pounds
and that was the smallest one they had!
I got the sale price of .78 cents a pound
and used a $1.00 off coupon on top that.
I knew that turkey would make several meals. 
And a 5lb bag of gerbil food marked down to $3.99.
Was $8.00!
I did save $22.38 with what little coupons I did have.
I had some freebie coupons
for a can of tomato soup and a bottle of salad dressing.
My son got an atta boy when he found 
two more Kroger coupons sitting on a shelf
for free a 24 pack of water and free dozen eggs!


I got really bummed in the store,
more like really pissed off.
We're struggling so bad to try and feed a family
of 4 buying store brands, mark downs, cheap ass hot dogs
and such and I look over and someone who is on
welfare has a cart that is overflowing from top to bottom
and underneath.  I can understand being on welfare
at times and needing assistance and trying
to make ends meet.  But when their cart is full of
high quality cut meats it pisses me off that
they are taking advantage of the welfare system
and not using that money very wisely.
I told Tony if I had my teeth in I'd be gritting and
spitting them right now.  It's not fair!!
You don't see my cart with a box of steaks,
many packages of thick ass cut pork chops and ribs,
several packages of expensive thick cut bacon,
not the Kroger or FMV brand, and who knows what
else.  I know she had a couple hundred dollars
in her cart for meat alone.  She could of bought
hamburger, sausage, hot dogs, bologna, turkey but
nooooo it was all high dollar butcher shop stuff.
Oh and I remember two big ass bags full
of those single serve potato chips.
I know those are probably a good $10 or more
for each bag.  She could have bought at
least 10 regular bags of Kroger chips for that amount if not more.
Come on now, someone at the welfare office
needs to teach these people how to spend
food stamps wisely.  Our tax dollars should 
not be feeding these people steaks when we 
cannot even afford them ourselves!!!

I'm done venting but not done being pissed.


7:40pm


Everyone's been hollering for snacks around
here because I refuse to buy any because
it's not a necessity.  So that means I have to
make most snacks if we want any.
I've been thinking about making some
of these Fake Betty Crocker Cookie mixes.
You can make them up ahead of time and
store them in zip bags.  Then when it comes
time to mix together and bake all you do is
pretty much add an egg and butter to them.
Mark on each bag with a sharpie of 
the ingredients you need to add to them
along with baking time and oven temp.

Here's one for Fake Jiffy Cornbread Mix.

Fake Betty Crocker Brownie Mix.

Fake Pillsbury Freezer Biscuits 





All these are MUCH cheaper to make at home
with ingredients you pretty much have in your
pantry and fridge.
These cookie pouches and brownie boxed mixes can cost
about $3.00 each not on sale.



8:50pm.

 


Off here to watch my ghostie shows
and snuggle up with the heating pad.
Body's starting to feel a little achy.
I hope and pray that it passes.
I can't be down and out at a time like
this when I have things to do and
homemade meals to make.
Like tomorrow morning I'm making
everyone an egg and cheese bagel for breakfast.
Found a package of bagels in the bottom
of the freezer that I didn't know I had.
Might make some homemade chili
with homemade cornbread tomorrow for supper
because I found a pound of hamburger that
was forgotten about and fell to the 
bottom of the freezer.
It's like I'm finding some treasures
in there I didn't know I had.
I'm digging deep I tell ya.
It's like we've hit Rock Freezer Bottom instead of Rock Bottom.
So if ya don't hear from me,
I fell in, lol.