tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11567191948600990752011-11-16T11:16:31.883-08:00Surviving and thriving on penniesSaving money,Living a healthy green lifestyle, doing things you enjoy,
being greener, spreading the "green" around in more ways than one. I hope my blog inspires you to be greener!Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.comBlogger758125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-39338234823869124292011-11-16T11:16:00.000-08:002011-11-16T11:16:31.898-08:002011-11-16T11:16:31.898-08:00My naughty and nice list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QXrilXCdZA/TsP9s6rjhtI/AAAAAAAAB2o/cCWgH8-74os/s1600/santalist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QXrilXCdZA/TsP9s6rjhtI/AAAAAAAAB2o/cCWgH8-74os/s320/santalist.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>This Friday is the last day for my girls to turn in their list to Santa. "Santa" needs the list to give the elves because it takes a long time to make each gift. Or Friday is the day we do our Christmas shopping. You can believe which ever option you want. For my girls its do or die time and they have been working very hard at thinking of what they want or need. <br />
<br />
We have been talking to my 7 year old twins about how Santa expects them to be good all year and not just for this month. As I'm telling them this I started to think about if I had been good. After a few minutes I started to realize that maybe I should practice my own medicine. Or mommy would be getting a big fat lump of coal this year. <br />
<br />
So today I decided to write myself a good and bad list of things I have done this year. This way I could see everything and determine whether I would be getting any coal under the tree or not. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">NAUGHTY LIST</span></strong><br />
<br />
-Stopped <a href="http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2010/01/laundry-soap-for-less-than-penny-per.html">making</a> & using my own liquid laundry soap. I really missed the smell of store bought soap so I have been using the Eco friendly kind. I am using half the amount to save money. <br />
<strong><span style="background-color: white;">I can fix this by using up my store bought and start making my own again. This will save me a bunch of money. Just suck it up Nancy sheesh.</span></strong><br />
<br />
-Driving my kids to school when I should be walking & driving more in general.<br />
<strong>Since I carpool with neighbors this isn't all that bad. BUT I now will walk anytime its not raining. I live only 3 blocks away so there's no excuse. I have been driving my bug more because its mine and I can only drive it by myself when the kids are in school. But it uses less gas than my euro van and makes me happy. Wanted a bug since I was little and I finally have one.</strong><br />
<br />
-I stopped making my own bread.<br />
<strong>Well I get my bread free from the <a href="http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2011/03/scappoose-bread-place-and-thrift-shop.html">bread store</a> so I'm saving money this way. BUT all the bread items come in plastic. I went from zero plastic waste with making my own to several plastic bags a week. Ugh. I will start making my own bread again but still get the free bread when I need it. I would be making bread non stop otherwise. 4 kids lunches a day is a lot of bread.</strong><br />
<br />
-I have been eating out more. <br />
<strong>Okay I admit I'm hooked on Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha. DAMN THEM!!!! I bought a few of them this last month and I should of known better. Damn liquid happiness! I will stop buying them and cry in the dark by myself. I sometimes meet my husband for lunch but its never fast food and only once in a while. This is the first year were able to do this so I won't stop this naughty thing. Sorry but I love my time with my hubby.</strong><br />
<br />
-I purchased beauty products instead of making my own.<br />
<strong>I started to notice lines around my eyes and completely freaked out. Up until now I have been able to make my own products and have good luck with them. Obviously I need more moisturizer and work. While shopping at my favorite natural store I came across some beauty products for 75% off. So I snagged myself some goat milk all natural eye cream, moisturizer, and face mask for around $10. That's a </strong>screaming<strong> deal. So I feel bad for spending that money but don't feel bad about spending it on myself. </strong><br />
<br />
-Spent more money on new clothing<br />
<strong>I bought myself a pair of jeans for $24, spent $35 on undies and bought myself a $20 dress. Until this year I have not allowed myself to buy myself anything new unless it was under garments. Due to my thin build its hard to find jeans so when I found them that cheap I snagged them. Undies are always new but this time I bought some "wow factor" ones...I'll just leave it at that. And the dress ....well it screamed "me" and it was over 50% off. I buy my children everything so this year I decided to once in a while splurge on myself. I'll try to only buy if its a really good deal.</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">NICE LIST</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>I expanded my garden & was able to store my produce to use for the whole year. <br />
<strong>We build 2 very large garden beds using untreated wood. Topped them off with copper to keep the slugs out naturally. I also purchased and used my greenhouse for many things. I rotated my crops and planted things all year long. I also expanded my garden to the front yard by adding a few beds up there using left over wood. End results were plenty of produce which I canned, froze or dehydrated. This way I can enjoy green beans all year long and make pumpkin baked goods anytime I want. Also saved me a bundle of $$$$$</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>Replaced all our windows in our house. <br />
<strong>Wow is all I can say. After we replaced them we never had to put our A/C during the summer. I am truly amazed what new windows can do to your home. We did all the work ourselves which saved us a bundle of $$. Total spent for 8 odd shaped window </strong>and<strong> a sliding glass door was $1,500. Woot woot! </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>Added insulation to our attic.<br />
<strong>We just did this last month so I'm not sure exactly how this will help out. We spent about $700 for materials and the machine was free because we bought over $200 in products. My husband was up in the attic spreading and I was in the garage stuffing the machine. Only took about 2 hours so it was pretty fast. We saved a bundle because we did it ourselves. </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>I ran the <a href="http://www.runwithpaula.com/helvetia-half">Helvatia Half </a>this year and improved my time. <br />
<strong>I have always enjoyed running but it wasn't until 2010 that I actually ran in a race. I plan on running the Helvatia Half each year and plan to add a new one each year as well. 2012 my new run will be the <a href="http://www.runwithpaula.com/hippie-chick-half">Hippie Chick Half</a> with my oldest daughter. Each race I will try to improve my time and enjoy the whole experience. From improving my health to enjoying my surroundings.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>I volunteer at my daughters school two times a week.<br />
<strong>I also volunteer for events when they need me. Just recently I helped with 3 of my daughters Fall parties. My children LOVE when I'm at their school and get to see them. I love helping the teachers out because they need it so much these days. Instead of planning my volunteer days around my life I decided to plan my life around them. Its a win win if you ask me.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>-</strong>We are gathering hats, scarfs, gloves, jackets and blankets to hand out to the needy this winter.<br />
<strong>My husband is the one who brought this up this year. What a great thing to teach to our children. We are blessed and healthy so why not try to help others? I have been gathering things from friends and family and been buying them when I find good deals. So far we have a good stash but are in need for more. So if any of my friends/family have more let me know. For those I don't know I encourage you to give to the needy. Clothing or food it doesn't matter. Just give!</strong><br />
<br />
After making this list I believe that I will be getting no coal for Christmas. I realize I'm not perfect and I make mistakes just like everyone else. My mistakes are not the usual ones and may seem silly to some but they are things that I feel bad about. I have this inner struggle with being as green as possible but I am human and have my cravings and wants. I can change my mistakes very easily and will learn from them. I also can better myself each year. <br />
<br />
What about you?<br />
<br />
Do you have a inner struggle when it comes to being green?<br />
<br />
Try to make a naughty/nice list and see if you learn from it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-3933823482386912429?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-23074508593915709132011-11-14T13:33:00.000-08:002011-11-14T13:33:36.582-08:002011-11-14T13:33:36.582-08:00$50 a week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBgHTk_pmKo/TsGGH5Sa6YI/AAAAAAAAB2g/isd2X0Aq6D0/s1600/zzzz+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" nda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBgHTk_pmKo/TsGGH5Sa6YI/AAAAAAAAB2g/isd2X0Aq6D0/s400/zzzz+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This week was a maintenance week for me. I have plenty of veggies frozen from the garden and still have plenty of pasta/rice from before. So this week it was just the fresh items I needed. <br />
<br />
New Seasons<br />
<br />
$2.69 Gallon of rbst free milk<br />
$4.19 Ground Sirloin 5% fat ground beef ($3.99 per lb sale this week)<br />
$2.42 Nitrate Free bacon ends (cheaper than bacon slices! )<br />
<br />
Total minus bag refund $9.25<br />
<br />
Whole Foods<br />
<br />
$1.89 rbst free Vit D 1/2 gallon milk (used for creamer)<br />
$1.99 Free range veg fed eggs<br />
$3.99 Fragrance Free Lotion (my daughter is allergic to just about everything)<br />
$4.99 3 bean dark coffee beans whole<br />
<br />
Total=$12.86<br />
<br />
Trader Joe's<br />
<br />
$3.98 Two bags of puffiest white cheddar puffs (my girls lunch snacks)<br />
<br />
Total=$3.98<br />
<br />
Albertsons<br />
<br />
$4.99 Tillamook 2lb block white cheddar w/coupon (normally $9.99 woot woot!)<br />
$2.50 Darigold Butter (usually $4.39 woot woot!)<br />
$1.25 Frozen Apple Juice (on sale. Using for daughters science project)<br />
<br />
Total=8.74<br />
<br />
Fred Meyers<br />
<br />
$2.69 International Creamer Cinnabon<br />
$2.69 International Creamer White Chocolate (my husband wanted these)<br />
<br />
Total=$5.38<br />
<br />
GRAND TOTAL=$40.21<br />
<br />
I'm under budget by about $10. Payday isn't till Friday so money is tight right now. I'm trying to save where I can because it seems like prices of any type of food has increased. To offset those cost I am trying to cook as much as possible and have no extra expenses. Just going to have to get creative. <br />
<br />
So have you noticed all the prices going up? <br />
<br />
Anyone else notice the shortage of organic sugar in the bulk? <br />
<br />
Have your peanut butter prices gone up? <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-2307450859391570913?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-21242219194204588462011-11-12T09:36:00.000-08:002011-11-12T10:44:37.088-08:002011-11-12T10:44:37.088-08:00The A to Z Guide to Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u19IvUEUiyw/Tr6mcwoAetI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/nMhjxMFbVnQ/s1600/Alphabet_web2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" nda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u19IvUEUiyw/Tr6mcwoAetI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/nMhjxMFbVnQ/s400/Alphabet_web2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The A to Z Guide to Me<br />
<br />
I totally stealing this and would love to give credit to whoever started it but cannot find that person. So I will give credit to <a href="http://www.thecrunchychicken.com/2011/11/a-to-z-guide-to-me.html">Crunchy Chicken</a> and call it good. Enjoy and pass it on!<br />
<br />
Age-35 but feel more like 20<br />
<br />
Bed Size-Queen. Big enough to scoot away from the hubby when I'm hot but small enough so I don't go too far away.<br />
<br />
Chore I hate-Bathrooms, putting away clothes, sweeping and dusting. That's one right? <br />
<br />
Dogs-One dog and her name is Riley. She's afraid of everything but is strangely addicted to the red laser. Even more strange is the fact that I can play with the laser for hours. Run dog and cat....run<br />
<br />
Essential start to my day-Coffee whom I owe everything to.<br />
<br />
Favorite color-Any shade of green and deep purple.<br />
<br />
Gold or silver-I prefer silver but some how gold slips into my life. Beggars can't be choosers.<br />
<br />
Height-5'5 on a good day. <br />
<br />
Instruments-iPhone. Only thing I know how to use that makes noise besides my mouth.<br />
<br />
Job title-Mom, wife, sister, daughter and volunteer. Or as I like to be called Awesome.<br />
<br />
Kids-4. Alyssa 13, Hailey 11, Emma 7 and Megan 7. This is why I'm crazy.<br />
<br />
Live-Southeast Portland, Clackamas, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, St Helen's and now Northwest Portland Oregon.<br />
<br />
Mother's Name-Debra, Debbie or as I call her Mom.<br />
<br />
Nickname-Mama, mom, Mah Ther, honey, nany, aunt nany and Nanc. I'm sure there are some I'm leaving out as well.<br />
<br />
Overnight hospital stays-Each time I gave birth which was 3 times. Also the day my father passed away. Technically I didn't sleep over but I was there ALL day long. Never want to do that ever again. Although I should note that the hospital food has come a long way so...<br />
<br />
Pet Peeve-People who drive like slugs on the highway but speed down regular streets. WTF? People who park their big ass trucks into compact car spots. I park my euro van way out in the parking lot because of this. People who don't use their turn signals. I literally want to bash my vehicle into them each time I see this. I'm seeing a pattern here.<br />
<br />
Quote from a movie="My daddy HATES these boots!" Anyone tell me which movie this quote came from?<br />
<br />
Right hand or left hand? Right hand. All but 3 of my kids are right handed as well. Emma has to be different of course.<br />
<br />
Siblings-I am the youngest of 5. 4 brothers and 1 sister. Tim, Mark, Dave and Deb. I only grew up with my sister but these last few years I have been given a chance to grow up with my brothers. Love you guys.<br />
<br />
Time I wake up-During the week 7am but during the weekends I try to sleep in as much as possible. I LOVE my sleep. But my kids like to ruin it for me so I'm usually up at 8:30am.<br />
<br />
Underwear-Well I own too many because I cannot say no to a good cute pair of undies. How many can one lady own? Well apparently like a hundred. Story goes that my grandmother from my DNA dad's side said always wear clean undies because you never know if your going to be in an accident and get your clothes cut off. Always wanna look like a lady. Yeah and you wonder why I'm weird.<br />
<br />
Vegetable I hate-Love everything except okra and eggplant. It's all about the texture. <br />
<br />
What makes me run late-My kids. (fist in air)<br />
<br />
X-rays-None that I can think of.<br />
<br />
Yummy food I make-If you ask me I say everything. Ask Alyssa and it would be Macaroni and cheese.<br />
<br />
Zoo animal-Strangely my favorite thing at the <a href="http://www.oregonzoo.org/">Oregon Zoo</a> is the farm animals. All of which you can see if you just drive on the country roads out here. Well sometimes in friends backyards too. <br />
<br />
Fun huh? Pass on and have fun.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-2124221919420458846?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-75553613732508161752011-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:002011-11-06T11:47:31.798-08:002011-11-06T11:47:31.798-08:00Stretch marks can suck it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCQetH1kll8/Trbbfy-h8mI/AAAAAAAABzQ/kpMMrzfStGc/s1600/pregnantlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCQetH1kll8/Trbbfy-h8mI/AAAAAAAABzQ/kpMMrzfStGc/s400/pregnantlove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When I thought of pregnancy the first thing that came to mind was this. I had no idea my body would stretch beyond its limits. For some reason I thought my body was just made to do this so it would stretch and go back to normal. My first pregnancy I didn't gain much weight except for in my belly. This was years before I was living a green lifestyle. I was 20 and I didn't think of my body and the affects pregnancy would have on it. I wasn't thinking of products or their ingredients. All I knew was that my stomach was itchy from the stretching and I needed something to make it stop. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k42KQaD3kUM/Trbbi3XQSUI/AAAAAAAABzY/GWzmMFd65R8/s1600/PHG_1359_PregnancySymptomsStretchMarksSkinChanges_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k42KQaD3kUM/Trbbi3XQSUI/AAAAAAAABzY/GWzmMFd65R8/s400/PHG_1359_PregnancySymptomsStretchMarksSkinChanges_thumb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>My second pregnancy was a different story. I still didn't know or understand products and their ingredients. This time I craved Pepsi and Dairy Queen. A cheeseburger, fries and a Pepsi to be exact. Memories of getting my favorite meal and waiting till I got home to enjoy and devour each bite when I got home and all that going down the tube when I dropped my Pepsi and cried for a half an hour on the porch. Lovely memories like that. Well as you can imagine I gained a bit more weight with my second pregnancy. Even better was the fact that the baby weight spread to my legs, neck and fingers. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0jQkBM2GQQ/Trbblx1duRI/AAAAAAAABzg/u-G2JcRfvPM/s1600/horrorpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0jQkBM2GQQ/Trbblx1duRI/AAAAAAAABzg/u-G2JcRfvPM/s320/horrorpicture.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>Then in 2003 I found out I was pregnant with twins. All I remember was leaving the doctors office and my husband was quiet all the way home. We pulled into the driveway and got out of the car still in silence. My neighbor came outside and asked how the doctors visit was and if we knew what we were having. One word came out of my husband. Twins. It wasn't that we were upset...more shock than anything. I convinced my husband to have another baby insuring him that we would definitely having a boy. Two girls already so it was a definite thing. 100% sure. But no. Instead we were having twins. Doubling our children in one pregnancy. Later we would find out we were having twin girls. Yeah. No more kids for us. We learned our lesson. <br />
<br />
Now to get an idea of who I am just imagine this. I'm 5'5 and small framed. Ever since Ive stopped actually growing I have weighted about 105 pounds. Ive had the body of a boy. No boobs not butt no nothing. Always waiting for puberty to kick in. Just ask my classmates. Only when I was pregnant did I ever gain any weight. So you can imagine what my little body did when I was pregnant. My single pregnancies made me look like I ate a basketball. Then with the twins I looked like I was smuggling a beach ball in my shirt. All the weight went into my belly and you would never have known I was pregnant looking at me from behind. Now just imagine what that does to a persons skin. <br />
<br />
Okay.....here it is.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hAv1iva0Cfs/TrbbsY2lSSI/AAAAAAAABzo/btcLDrR9970/s1600/stretchmarks+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hAv1iva0Cfs/TrbbsY2lSSI/AAAAAAAABzo/btcLDrR9970/s400/stretchmarks+025.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Yep, that's me. No its not a boy. Want to know my secret to no stretch marks? Vitamin E and olive oil. That's it. Ive given birth (close your eyes men....all natural no C sections and breastfed each one of my children) to four children. Two of which were born on the same day. Now I'm not in as good as shape as before kids. Looks flat huh? Yeah not so much. I'm just skinny and I run a lot. Makes you want to run with my in my next half marathon huh? I don't use any toxic products. I try to make everything I can from nature. I am as green as I can get. I eat pretty healthy but I have my moments. I'm not perfect in any way. I'm just fumbling my way through life just like everyone of you. I just hit the jackpot when it came to this.<br />
<br />
You hear that stretch marks? GO SUCK IT!<br />
<br />
Directions: Each day I slathered myself with either vitamin E or olive oil. Pretty easy huh?<br />
<br />
Now that I have exposed myself to you how about exposing yourself to others.<br />
What did you use when you were pregnant? <br />
Do you have a secret recipe?<br />
Did you get stretch marks?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-7555361373250816175?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-32335299279388908422011-11-05T18:46:00.000-07:002011-11-05T18:46:31.538-07:002011-11-05T18:46:31.538-07:00Biryani Rice with chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUiSQ_TBlaQ/TrXffLJt5MI/AAAAAAAABzI/KtqU6XQVn14/s1600/biryanirice+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUiSQ_TBlaQ/TrXffLJt5MI/AAAAAAAABzI/KtqU6XQVn14/s400/biryanirice+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>While I was at Trader Joe's on Friday they were handing out samples of this yummy food called Biryani Rice. It was $5.99 for a bag plus $2.49 for the chutney plus $1.99 for coconut water. It was pretty darn good and I thought maybe it would be nice to try something new at home. To buy this from Trader Joe's I would of needed 2 bags of the rice mixture and one jar of chutney. Total dinner would cost me $16.46 and that is the reason I was determined to make it myself. <br />
<br />
Biryani Rice with chicken<br />
<br />
1 chicken breast<br />
Rice<br />
water<br />
1/4 cup of chopped onion<br />
1 cup of frozen pea's (or fresh)<br />
1/2 cup of red bell peppers chopped<br />
1/2 apple peeled/chopped<br />
1/4 cup raisins<br />
1 can of garbanzo beans<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
2 palm fulls of curry powder<br />
6 cups of coconut water (or 6 1/2 cups of water boiled with coconut for 10 minutes. Strain and use water)<br />
1 tsp of butter<br />
<br />
1. Ccoconut and 6 1/2 cups of water simmered on medium heat for 10 minutes. Strain and set aside water till you need it.<br />
<br />
2. In a separate pan saute apple, red peppers and onion till tender. Once tender add in curry powder, salt, peas and chicken. Add water till the water covers the chicken. Drain and add in your garbanzo beans. Boil till you are left with half the water you added in the first place. Turn off heat, mix in your teaspoon of butter and leave.<br />
<br />
3. Take coconut water and 3 cups of white rice and put into a large pot. Heat till boiling then turn down heat to medium low and put a lid on it. After a few minutes you will notice the water is almost gone and you will see holes in the rice where steam is coming through. Turn heat off and set aside for 10 minutes. This ensures that the rice will absorb all the water and your end results will be soft and fluffy rice. <br />
<br />
4. Once the rice is done add in your curry mixture and mix till you see no more white rice. Put a lid on this and let set for another 5 minutes. Again this ensures that the rice will absorb all the liquids till nice and fluffy. <br />
<br />
5. Put rice into bowl with 1 tbsp of chutney. Done!<br />
<br />
Here is what my cost was to make this whole dish.<br />
<br />
$1.19 chicken breast ($5.99 for bag of 5 breast)<br />
.50 3 cups white rice (at $1 per lb)<br />
FREE water<br />
FREE onion(my sister gave me them)<br />
.41 frozen pea's (bag has 6 cups was $4.99)<br />
.33 frozen red peppers (used about 1 which bought for 3/$1)<br />
.10 organic apple (was .79 per lb, used 1/2 apple)<br />
.41 raisins (used 1/4 cup pack was 3 cups at $2.49)<br />
.99 can of organic garbanzo beans<br />
.99 curry powder ($1.99 jar used 1/2)<br />
.10 Organic coconut flakes (was $5.99 per lb used very little)<br />
1.24 Chutney ($2.49 per jar used 1/2)<br />
<br />
Butter/salt I had<br />
<br />
TOTAL COST=$6.26<br />
Serves my family of 6 plus enough left overs for lunch tomorrow. Makes about 9/10 cups. <br />
<br />
Honestly I was a little freaked out by apples and raisins in the rice. I have never been a fan of sweet stuff in my main meals and the thought of chewing on them freaked me out. BUT once this dish done there were no chunks of either of them and you would never know they were there unless you made this dish. If you like the taste of them try not cooking them all the way. <br />
<br />
This meal is slightly spicy so if you cannot handle spice then instead of adding coconut water try adding coconut milk. Or maybe try adding some plain yogurt for another added creamy flavor. <br />
<br />
Nancy<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-3233529927938890842?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-17795004831314084042011-11-04T15:05:00.000-07:002011-11-04T15:05:44.320-07:002011-11-04T15:05:44.320-07:00$50 a week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pvJNH0gbjCM/TrReCDKWIEI/AAAAAAAABzA/N0ZVCxr9ijI/s1600/Halloween2011+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pvJNH0gbjCM/TrReCDKWIEI/AAAAAAAABzA/N0ZVCxr9ijI/s400/Halloween2011+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This week I didn't really need any fresh veggies or fruit because I still have some from last week. Today's shopping was about snacks, new food items and things we ran out of. <br />
<br />
Grocery Outlet<br />
<br />
$5.94 Organic Garbanzo Beans-Really into hummus right now. Easy and healthy snack.<br />
$2.69 Oats-I don't normally buy these prepackaged but my daughter needs the package for school.<br />
$2.99 Challenge Butter<br />
$5.99 Salami 2lbs-Usually deli has it $4.99 per lb so I'm saving $4 by buying this way<br />
$1.98 Organic Kidney Beans 2 cans<br />
$2.38 Tomato Soup 2 cans. My oldest is loving grilled cheese with soup.<br />
.59 Mustard<br />
$1.98 Organic Black Beans 2 cans<br />
$1.98 Organic Pinto Beans<br />
<br />
TOTAL=$26.52 <br />
<br />
Whole Foods<br />
<br />
$4.99 5lbs of White Rice<br />
$3.99 12 rolls of Recycled Bathroom Tissue<br />
$4.99 Stainless Steel Cleaner/Wax (damn Kitchen Aid fridge is starting to rust. WTF?)<br />
$2.50 RBST Free Milk 1 gallon<br />
$4.99 Coffee Beans Whole 1lb<br />
<br />
TOTAL=$21.46<br />
<br />
Trader Joes<br />
<br />
$3.98 Puffy treats 2 bags<br />
$3.87 Organic Pasta 3 bags<br />
$2.29 Ginger/Mango Chutney (new recipe)<br />
$1.99 Curry Powder (new recipe)<br />
$2.69 Organic Raisins (new recipe plus for snacks)<br />
$3.29 Jasmine Rice 3lbs<br />
<br />
TOTAL=$18.11<br />
<br />
<br />
GRAND TOTAL=$66.09<br />
<br />
So I blew my budget. As you can see I got a little carried away with the organic beans but in my own defense this was a good price and I wanted to get them while the Grocery Outlet had them. Things sell out and are lost forever in that place. You really cannot snooze or you will lose. Now I will not have to buy these for a long time. <br />
<br />
I am not in the red because last week I went way under budget. My favorite produce stand was closing for the season so I scored some great deals on fresh produce. He was selling everything at 50% off and I went a bit nuts. <br />
<br />
I am trying a new recipe and once I make it I will take a picture and share the recipe with you. Well honestly I don't have an actual recipe. I was at Trader Joe's and they had a sample of this rice dish so I wrote down the ingredients and thought "I can make that!" . So we will see. lol<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-1779500483131408404?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-15620052646183793572011-11-04T12:17:00.001-07:002011-11-04T12:18:33.621-07:002011-11-04T12:18:33.621-07:00Chinook books are here!Only $20 and full of great green deals!! Don't forget to get their free app for your phone! <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Mz_8t4dniBA/TrQ6h9DJc-I/AAAAAAAABy4/HaqyjA8lOyE/s640/blogger-image-895268096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Mz_8t4dniBA/TrQ6h9DJc-I/AAAAAAAABy4/HaqyjA8lOyE/s640/blogger-image-895268096.jpg" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-1562005264618379357?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-43684249464641572712011-11-04T11:57:00.001-07:002011-11-04T11:58:21.492-07:002011-11-04T11:58:21.492-07:00Oh no...I went nuts and cut my hair. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xEXyidUq07I/TrQ1y7L4c-I/AAAAAAAAByw/saCX3zRSs58/s640/blogger-image-636237616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xEXyidUq07I/TrQ1y7L4c-I/AAAAAAAAByw/saCX3zRSs58/s640/blogger-image-636237616.jpg" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-4368424946464157271?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-74009731662051549662011-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:002011-10-31T09:42:27.245-07:002011-10-31T09:42:27.245-07:00Sunday drive down memory laneTodays post is dedicated to my Mom and Grandma Mary. Both I owe everything I know. <br />
<br />
Yesterday we decided to go on a Sunday Drive. In my mind Sunday drive means my Aunt Robin and Uncle Jim driving us around in their car. We all packed in like sardines and once you were in there was no way of getting out. Hours of driving around looking out the window when I would much rather be home playing with my toys. What a drag! Well that's how I felt back then. Today I appreciate all those Sunday drives because they taught me to appreciate nature for what it is. <br />
<br />
My husband had a plan in his head and we were along for the ride. I knew it would involve some sort of logging road because he grew up in the sticks of Gales Creek Oregon. What I didn't know was that I would be going down memory lane as well. <br />
<br />
We hit highway 26 headed towards the beach direction. The first stop was a favorite of mine. When I was younger my Aunt Eva and Uncle Lu ran a cute Log Cabin Restaurant on Old Wilson River Highway. Anytime there was a holiday or birthday we all headed out there to eat and celebrate. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyvZqX8H4W8/Tq7Dl4sXjTI/AAAAAAAABw4/ES1agNP2pus/s1600/Oct+2011+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cyvZqX8H4W8/Tq7Dl4sXjTI/AAAAAAAABw4/ES1agNP2pus/s400/Oct+2011+070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It looks pretty much the same even with new owners. Sign is still very inviting and bright as ever. It was nice to see that there are no major changes. It felt like coming home to be honest. Well minus all the family and crazy relatives. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXDfajRcRRQ/Tq7D4FZfJ-I/AAAAAAAABxQ/XCqT-D1PKAE/s1600/Oct+2011+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXDfajRcRRQ/Tq7D4FZfJ-I/AAAAAAAABxQ/XCqT-D1PKAE/s400/Oct+2011+066.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The same rustic doors welcome you and that old annoying step up that you knew was there but still always tripped on it. These days they put a sign up. I still tripped on it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCWomZ3f7YM/Tq7D00Hb9AI/AAAAAAAABxI/l5d5v62-FIc/s1600/Oct+2011+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KCWomZ3f7YM/Tq7D00Hb9AI/AAAAAAAABxI/l5d5v62-FIc/s400/Oct+2011+063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My favorite part of the place is this massive fireplace. During the winter holidays we would come in freezing and warm up next to the fire that was nice and toasty. Its still as beautiful as I remembered it. The new owners are trying to turn it into a gas fireplace. I told him nothing is as good as a wood burning fireplace and it would change the atmosphere. Not sure if I changed his mind but it saddens me to think of this beautiful fireplace going to waste. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0_4svm6ncvc/Tq7NVVqFhqI/AAAAAAAAByo/vz8ssIIbDY8/s1600/log+cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0_4svm6ncvc/Tq7NVVqFhqI/AAAAAAAAByo/vz8ssIIbDY8/s400/log+cabin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I found this old picture on Google. This is what it looked like when my family ran it. As you can see the same red hanging lights are still still there. Carpet has been replaced with red carpet. See what I mean about the cheesy table clothes? Smaller tables make it more intimate. Mental note: Track down old photos from family. <br />
<br />
<br />
The chairs are all the same as I remembered but the tables and cheesy table clothes pretty much ruined it for me. We ordered food which came on random china. Food was not as good but nothing to complain about. The prices are rock bottom but the coffee tasted like rocks. But don't take my word for it because I'm spoiled by amazing coffee from Portland. If you like Folgers then this is your kind of coffee. Our waitress went to school with one of my cousins. It was a family affair and one of them was always there. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-mjpfEN_C8/Tq7D7bu_EEI/AAAAAAAABxY/Ool2YNikYQo/s1600/Oct+2011+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-mjpfEN_C8/Tq7D7bu_EEI/AAAAAAAABxY/Ool2YNikYQo/s400/Oct+2011+057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>What thing I did love was all the coloring books and crayons they had. This is a huge bonus when you have kids. My girls didn't get bored once. One thing I did miss about the cabin was all the old antiques and family pictures. The walls were filled to the brim with things. As a kid I remember sitting down staring at the walls. So many old tools that really intrigued me. There was two old large pictures of a couple that I was told was our relatives. As a child they totally freaked me out. No smiles? Now I know that it was just like that back then. But I was FREAKED by it when I was younger. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgE-qfV5a8s/Tq7DsdTuUhI/AAAAAAAABxA/zBpcgggBi64/s1600/Oct+2011+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgE-qfV5a8s/Tq7DsdTuUhI/AAAAAAAABxA/zBpcgggBi64/s400/Oct+2011+065.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Last but not least I had to make sure the bar top was still the same. Phew! It was. The bar had coins that spelled LOG CABIN LOG CABIN. They are encased in resin so there is no way anyone is getting them out. I dreamed of how I could get those dollar coins out of there. Just think of all the candy and toys I could buy? Seriously every time we went there this was in my thoughts. <br />
<br />
But anyways this was the highlight of my day. I love visiting all the places from my past. I want my girls to know how we grew up and appreciate everything that comes their way. The Log Cabin was and is one of my favorite places. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KP7l5XH2-M/Tq7ILVd7P7I/AAAAAAAABxk/NHJtZ_XlbxQ/s1600/Oct+2011+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2KP7l5XH2-M/Tq7ILVd7P7I/AAAAAAAABxk/NHJtZ_XlbxQ/s400/Oct+2011+076.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>After we filled our bellies we started driving into the woods. I couldn't imagine myself living anywhere else besides Oregon. Green everywhere your eyes can look. Whats not to love about that? Ferns carpet the forest floor and trees take over the sky. The smell....oh my gosh the smell is Divine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7T760kEicy0/Tq7IPZMtmHI/AAAAAAAABxs/n1fyjfV0osw/s1600/Oct+2011+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7T760kEicy0/Tq7IPZMtmHI/AAAAAAAABxs/n1fyjfV0osw/s400/Oct+2011+102.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>We stopped by a park out in the middle of no where to take a pit stop. It was so beautiful that we decided to take a hike down to a creek. Just look how inviting this trail is. I want to live here. I want to wake up to this everyday. I want to hear this every morning. Well until I need a coffee then back to real life I go. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZWEi8HeS5Q/Tq7IXYFjzVI/AAAAAAAABx4/vk8z9Yfo6uw/s1600/Oct+2011+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZWEi8HeS5Q/Tq7IXYFjzVI/AAAAAAAABx4/vk8z9Yfo6uw/s400/Oct+2011+103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We follow the curvy trail for about 15 minutes. My girls have walking sticks and poke any plant they find weird. I trail behind taking pictures of mushrooms and trees. They are my friends. In my mind. You get the idea. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKUpgB9liRI/Tq7IdIxRrlI/AAAAAAAAByA/yovQ93wzgIY/s1600/Oct+2011+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KKUpgB9liRI/Tq7IdIxRrlI/AAAAAAAAByA/yovQ93wzgIY/s400/Oct+2011+112.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I felt like we were in a fairy tale. Like we were trying to catch the rabbit and were about to run into a tea party. Where's the queen? I'll cut her head off! But we didn't see any rabbit or tea party. Just beautiful trees everywhere. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ceFtRLge6wU/Tq7Ih2BcT2I/AAAAAAAAByI/TJayrZPYQtg/s1600/Oct+2011+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ceFtRLge6wU/Tq7Ih2BcT2I/AAAAAAAAByI/TJayrZPYQtg/s400/Oct+2011+116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We finally found the creek and quickly threw rocks in it. The twins never get to throw rocks so they didn't waste any time throwing them. Hailey loves taking in the scenery and Alyssa was trying to make the biggest splash with her rocks. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iw4RVEumMDk/Tq7ImpZn9WI/AAAAAAAAByU/Ig_X2_N3FqU/s1600/Oct+2011+130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iw4RVEumMDk/Tq7ImpZn9WI/AAAAAAAAByU/Ig_X2_N3FqU/s400/Oct+2011+130.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Megan oh Megan. Off in her own little world poking things in the water. My girls were at home. They wanted a creek to have in their back yard. We could just put it in our pockets and no one would know. Totally possible. Maybe. Okay no. But they can dream.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAsYPnmtKi8/Tq7IqCanKfI/AAAAAAAAByc/Taoiel62QqQ/s1600/Oct+2011+159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAsYPnmtKi8/Tq7IqCanKfI/AAAAAAAAByc/Taoiel62QqQ/s400/Oct+2011+159.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed back up to the truck. Enjoyed all the peaceful sounds all the way up. Goodbye beautiful forest. Until next time. I leave with a smile on my face and heart. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-7400973166205154966?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-10854847940410675382011-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:002011-10-29T12:34:41.652-07:002011-10-29T12:34:41.652-07:00Fall Bucket List 2011I was reading a favorite blog of mine called <a href="http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2011/10/fall-bucket-list.html">The Green Phone Booth</a> and thought this would be a great thing to do. Many people have a bucket list but not me. I have never really thought about it until recently. It takes time to sit down and think about everything you want to do before you die. Having four children in my home its really hard for me to get any time alone to even think about making a bucket list. So I will start by just making a Fall bucket list. <br />
<br />
-Take more Fall walks with the kids. <br />
<br />
-Gather leaves and make Fall art. We put a leaf on the table then put a paper over the leaf and rub crayons on it. They make beautiful impressions on the paper and make great wall art.<br />
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-Drink more hot cocoa<br />
<br />
-Make yummy thick warm soups<br />
<br />
-PUMPKIN PUMPKIN PUMPKIN-Make lots of pumpkin muffins n such<br />
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-Enjoy the rest of the goodies from the garden that are still growing. Kale and even tomatoes if you can believe that.<br />
<br />
-Sit by the fire and enjoy it fully.<br />
<br />
-Snuggle with the hubby<br />
<br />
-Wear sweaters as much as I can<br />
<br />
-Wear my favorite boots till they wear out. <br />
<br />
-Start wearing my rubber boots because they look neglected.<br />
<br />
-Wear every single one of my knit hats. None left behind!<br />
<br />
-Take a Fall drive with the kids<br />
<br />
-Take nature walks with the kids<br />
<br />
-Spend more time with my friends/family<br />
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So what about you? What would you put on your Fall bucket list?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-1085484794041067538?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-61329739749070061992011-10-26T18:26:00.001-07:002011-10-26T18:42:11.764-07:002011-10-26T18:42:11.764-07:00TestTesting blogger app. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-6132973974907006199?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-73844901565812065512011-10-26T16:25:00.000-07:002011-10-26T16:25:03.805-07:002011-10-26T16:25:03.805-07:00Unexpected steals and dealsI have been sick with strep throat this week. It was a gift from my twins. So nice of them. I felt a little bit better today so I decided to run a few errands. I ran to Whole Foods to return 2 soup thermos that I had bought for my twins to use for school. They had a plastic bpa free lid and bottom but the rest was metal and had cute little princesses on them. Well the bottom plastic part had a small hole in it so that water would be able to run out after being washed. Yeah the water never left and I know its just going to rust. Back to Whole Foods they went! I picked up a few things there and only ended up spending about $10 after my credit from returning the thermos. Then I decided to stop by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marks-NW-Fresh-Produce/332881094137">Marks Nw Fresh</a> Produce.<br />
<br />
I entered a contest over at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marks-NW-Fresh-Produce/332881094137">Marks NW Fresh Produce</a> stand. It was one of those guess the pumpkin weight games. The pumpkin looked about my size so I guessed it was 115 pounds. A week or two later Mark called me and told me I won. Woot woot! I had forgotten about the contest or what I even entered to win. I won the very large pumpkin and $50 cash! Today I stopped by to pick up my winnings and found out Mark will only be open till tomorrow and everything is 50% off. Woot woot! I picked up all this stuff using my $50 winnings and still have $10 left in my pocket. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO9o2Mfnqbs/TqiSi-4xc3I/AAAAAAAABv0/HVvO5UQHEnU/s1600/marksdeals+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO9o2Mfnqbs/TqiSi-4xc3I/AAAAAAAABv0/HVvO5UQHEnU/s400/marksdeals+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My goal was to buy things that would be easy to store and last a long time. $24 of the bill was for the 5 pounds of local honey you see next to the potatoes.I needed honey really bad! Local eggs were only $2.25 a dozen. These are usually $6 or more in the stores around here so I really got a deal on those. The corn you see was free because they need to be used today or tomorrow. Potatoes were only $1.60 for a 10 pound bag. They are not organic but I couldn't pass up a good deal. Pumpkins I snagged for only 25 cents each. As you can see I really did get a good deal considering I spent no money out of my pocket and came out with $10. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OqCxn2kAjsI/TqiSlbPR1_I/AAAAAAAABv8/aWlHCkiZalU/s1600/marksdeals+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OqCxn2kAjsI/TqiSlbPR1_I/AAAAAAAABv8/aWlHCkiZalU/s400/marksdeals+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Tomatoes went right in the oven to be roasted. I'm really into roasted tomatoes this year. Once done and cooled these will go in the freezer for later meals. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7cdJQi34TEY/TqiSolRzswI/AAAAAAAABwE/D6SBm7h6adQ/s1600/marksdeals+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7cdJQi34TEY/TqiSolRzswI/AAAAAAAABwE/D6SBm7h6adQ/s400/marksdeals+003.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>While the tomatoes roasted I decided to make a batch of peanut butter. 2 cups of peanuts + 2 minutes in the food processor= awesome peanut butter!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BxFeUgnF0jo/TqiSrYU4GJI/AAAAAAAABwQ/BtK2UBuIEhA/s1600/marksdeals+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BxFeUgnF0jo/TqiSrYU4GJI/AAAAAAAABwQ/BtK2UBuIEhA/s400/marksdeals+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Picked up 2 bottles of organic concord grape juice for only $2.99 each and some pectin for about $4. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gttx5QGjXso/TqiSzXWS_MI/AAAAAAAABwk/vtYQs_A-bco/s1600/marksdeals+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gttx5QGjXso/TqiSzXWS_MI/AAAAAAAABwk/vtYQs_A-bco/s400/marksdeals+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I did a little of this....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vl_BSKVdyAg/TqiSu_ZoJrI/AAAAAAAABwY/ISq76Gjdzjo/s1600/marksdeals+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vl_BSKVdyAg/TqiSu_ZoJrI/AAAAAAAABwY/ISq76Gjdzjo/s400/marksdeals+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>A little of that. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUB8wiAObXM/TqiS3OQNIBI/AAAAAAAABws/XV-B0HdI5uE/s1600/marksdeals+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JUB8wiAObXM/TqiS3OQNIBI/AAAAAAAABws/XV-B0HdI5uE/s400/marksdeals+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>And then your end result is grape jelly. This batch is going in the freezer. I just love me some good grape jelly. <br />
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After I was done with all this I started to get a migraine. My throat and left ear started hurting again and it triggered a migraine. Off to lay down I go. At least I did a few things today. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-7384490156581206551?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-64085722358988121712011-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:002011-10-17T12:46:05.183-07:002011-10-17T12:46:05.183-07:00Lake View Farms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8s5CtW7uZZs/Tpx-F39M-RI/AAAAAAAABtc/8GGNtX-jAYo/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8s5CtW7uZZs/Tpx-F39M-RI/AAAAAAAABtc/8GGNtX-jAYo/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Sunday was a beautiful warm sunny day here in Oregon. Since I didn't get any pumpkins from the garden this year we decided to visit Lake View Farms to get them. We have taken them here a few times but it had been a few years and the younger girls do not remember it. So we put on our boots and headed on out. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1yU6c84POU/Tpx-6Pxo_zI/AAAAAAAABt4/KH8j9-rpl-4/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1yU6c84POU/Tpx-6Pxo_zI/AAAAAAAABt4/KH8j9-rpl-4/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>What I love about Lake View Farms is that you get a boat and train ride. Who doesn't like that? Most people do the train ride down to the pumpkin patch first. We decided this year to do it backwards and hit the boat ride first. This saved us a bunch of time. Honestly I wasn't sure if my girls would handle standing in line for more than 5 minutes. We stood in line for only 5 minutes and we were able to relax and enjoy the experience instead of keeping our kids entertained so they didn't beat on each other. Yes even girls this.<br />
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The boat ride was about 5 minutes long. It takes you from the beginning of the farm to the pumpkin patch. You pass the scary lake creature that pops up out of the water, the lonely fisherman and also some pirates. Kids loved this feature. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvhEJjNcyTw/Tpx-KJbKyUI/AAAAAAAABtk/2ImjCoQH9FU/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvhEJjNcyTw/Tpx-KJbKyUI/AAAAAAAABtk/2ImjCoQH9FU/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+071.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Off the boat and onto the pumpkin patch! All was fun, exciting, beautiful and then this happened. Look what I found. Some inconsiderate people decided to leave their garbage in the patch for all of us to see. Talk about rude. Really pisses me off because there are plenty of garbage cans and recycling cans. Honestly people you have no excuse. Never mind..lets try to focus on having fun. Off to find pumpkins!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ET38XwDGCCI/Tpx_ATKEDNI/AAAAAAAABuA/8-kCy_Y9OE8/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ET38XwDGCCI/Tpx_ATKEDNI/AAAAAAAABuA/8-kCy_Y9OE8/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+084.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Then we found this. Who leaves their crack laying around? Seriously Emma pull your pants up! lol<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pigBPOx34h8/Tpx-OHEULNI/AAAAAAAABts/_GF6LpXAD5I/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pigBPOx34h8/Tpx-OHEULNI/AAAAAAAABts/_GF6LpXAD5I/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>And then we find this. You people are really pissing me off. We all come out to nature to find a great pumpkin to take home and instead we come and leave with this in our minds. Way to go lazy butts. Way to go.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlgzORfRA-k/Tpx_EuE04jI/AAAAAAAABuI/-LkcqAfNAw0/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlgzORfRA-k/Tpx_EuE04jI/AAAAAAAABuI/-LkcqAfNAw0/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Still annoyed by the garbage we keep looking for the perfect pumpkin. Then I look around. Oh my gosh how beautiful......I cant even describe how beautiful it was. Fields upon fields of different crops and wonderful little farms speckled the landscape. Oh how I want to live here. Think they would mind if I dropped my house out here and settled down? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0adX012A48/Tpx_IckVHDI/AAAAAAAABuU/hNDOllbM2iw/s1600/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0adX012A48/Tpx_IckVHDI/AAAAAAAABuU/hNDOllbM2iw/s400/PUMPKIN+PATCH+2011+110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We finally picked our perfect pumpkins and loaded onto the train. Its a small 2 minute train ride but will last forever in my kids memories. Out of all the pumpkin patches we have been to this one is our favorite. Its jammed packed and for around $35 for a family of 6 its really not that much money. We opted not to get food there, didn't buy any cute decorations, passed up the Caterpillar rides, no pony rides and passed on the corn maze. So even though we didn't take up all the options our kids didn't even notice. There is a ton of fun to be had here. <br />
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If your in the Portland Hillsboro area you must check out Lake View Farms. <br />
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Lake View Farms<br />
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32055 NW North Ave.<br />
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North Plains, OR 97133<br />
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503-647-2336<br />
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Check out their site <a href="http://thelakeviewfarms.com/index.html">here</a> and get directions and maps.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-6408572235898812171?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-29684327568528797632011-10-12T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-17T12:08:08.140-07:002011-10-17T12:08:08.140-07:00Your junk makes me happyToday I spent several hours at my local Goodwill Outlet. I go every few months to buy anything we need. My wardrobe was lacking any sense of style so I was on the hunt for anything for myself. I did find a bit of tops and some cute free flowing cardigans. Luckily I was able to find a few pairs of Teva flip flops (my favorite!) and a cute pair of flats. If you can believe it I also found a pair of Tom shoes for one of the twins. They were a bit tattered but will make good play shoes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpmWp8Tv9SE/TpY5I3OL31I/AAAAAAAABsg/FM1nyaKAY7U/s1600/goodwill+goodies+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xpmWp8Tv9SE/TpY5I3OL31I/AAAAAAAABsg/FM1nyaKAY7U/s400/goodwill+goodies+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I picked this cute thing up for only $6.00. I think it had been there for a while so they marked it cheap. The bottom drawer was missing pulls which is why it probably was there for so long. It was a bit dingy as well so I cleaned it up and added knobs that I was able to get from my grandmothers house. Those glass knobs are really old and add a nice touch to this piece. This will stay as is and nothing else done to it. I love the distressed look. This will be put in my twins bedroom and one day I will add a vintage mirror above it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FL7FbviOPIk/TpY5LtngRKI/AAAAAAAABso/2N0XFJQpDkI/s1600/goodwill+goodies+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FL7FbviOPIk/TpY5LtngRKI/AAAAAAAABso/2N0XFJQpDkI/s400/goodwill+goodies+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I have a beautiful red (painted it)half circle shelf that I picked up years ago. It originally was in a kitchen back when they made kitchen cabinets out of metal. Well today I found this piece and I plan to marry them. Since its in good condition I think I will keep the original paint. It is made to hang on the wall so I will hang this above my red shelf which I plan to paint black now. One day we will be repainting our kitchen cabinets black and it will match perfectly. Love when a plan comes together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UoHcvoUuhH8/TpY5O71XdVI/AAAAAAAABsw/LntEuOcts4c/s1600/goodwill+goodies+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UoHcvoUuhH8/TpY5O71XdVI/AAAAAAAABsw/LntEuOcts4c/s400/goodwill+goodies+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAUlJRQ1nW4/TpY5askCXtI/AAAAAAAABtM/Vc11MWNAhF0/s1600/goodwill+goodies+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VAUlJRQ1nW4/TpY5askCXtI/AAAAAAAABtM/Vc11MWNAhF0/s400/goodwill+goodies+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I picked this little beauty the other day from a regular Goodwill store for only $6.99 I already own a rice cooker but as you can see the inside metal bowl has Teflon black coating that really worries me. Really trying to stay clear of Teflon and this is the last item to go. Also the lid is glass and impossible to clean the vent hole. So when I saw this I had to have it. This is a old one with just a metal bowl with no coating and has a metal lid. I tried it out tonight and it works perfectly. So my newer one is out and this old thing is in. I just love the color. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-xHr4OqZFY/TpY5TJLP9QI/AAAAAAAABs4/hfVVHmFv08A/s1600/goodwill+goodies+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-xHr4OqZFY/TpY5TJLP9QI/AAAAAAAABs4/hfVVHmFv08A/s400/goodwill+goodies+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>You can find just about anything at Goodwill's. These cute little wooden Halloween decorations only cost me 99 cents. I love all earthy type of decorations. The Little orange glass item is a hand blown glass tea light holder. Snagged that one for half price so it was only 49 cents. Its so pretty. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9mElaoyg08/TpY5WwQgEBI/AAAAAAAABtE/wwSi0Hnn6Wc/s1600/goodwill+goodies+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t9mElaoyg08/TpY5WwQgEBI/AAAAAAAABtE/wwSi0Hnn6Wc/s400/goodwill+goodies+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can find lots of gardening items and even bird items. This very large bird feeder is hand made. Would of cost me over $30 new but I snagged this for only $4.99. Woot woot! Also I found some biodegradable seed starter pots for 99 cents. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So as you can see I spent way too much time at Goodwill and very little money. I just love a thrifty find!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-2968432756852879763?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-61026819054848728572011-10-11T10:40:00.000-07:002011-10-11T10:40:49.693-07:002011-10-11T10:40:49.693-07:00My urge to amass the yieldI really cannot explain it but each year I have this primal instinct to gather food for the winter. My husband things I'm crazy sometimes because of the things I do. Sorry honey! I try to grow a good garden each year and try to preserve all the food for later usage. It's like my body knows that soon I will not have the option to go out in the garden and enjoy a freshly grown meal so I need to prepare for when I wont have that option. Maybe its my inner pioneer self?<br />
It's not like I learned it from my elders or anything. I grew up gardening and preserving but never really the idea that you need to prepare for the day when you wont be able to enjoy fresh food. We were poor and my mother was a single parent who needed to feed 2 children. Government cheese, macaroni and cheese and hamburger helper were normal to us. But my mom preferred the taste of fresh and if there was a way to get it she did it. She grew up in a family who grew their own food because its what you had to do. Long before the days of prepared prepackaged foods you actually had to grow your own food. Yes that was life back in the day. Oh how I dream of those days and wish I could have my own little house on the prairie or live a Amish lifestyle. <br />
As the saying goes where there's a will there's a way. We didn't own a home but rather lived in apartments. This meant no soil to grow food and we needed to look elsewhere. My grandmother lived in a old farm house with property and always gardened. So many weekends were spent out at grandma's house helping her with gardening, yard chores, canning, preserving, and in trade we would get garden goodies. Tomato sauce, pickles, and zucchini relish were just a few things we looked forward to eating. So maybe this is where my urge to amass the yield comes from.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZHRby7QRh8/TpR6GLSX2TI/AAAAAAAABrQ/RV8oSUxQI6Q/s1600/winterstorage+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bZHRby7QRh8/TpR6GLSX2TI/AAAAAAAABrQ/RV8oSUxQI6Q/s400/winterstorage+001.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>I have to admit I'm scared of taking pictures of my food supply. But I want you to see that I'm not perfect and I struggle to live a green lifestyle just like all of you. But I'm not giving up and trying my best. Here you see drawers full of frozen beans, snap pea's and fruits I have grown or picked fresh from the farms. Carrots I have canned, stock I have made and froze, local store bought butter, and a red plastic tub of coffee. What you don't know is that I have owned that tub for 5 years and refill it each month with organic bulk coffee grounds. All those plastic Ziploc bags full of garden goodies were bought years ago and I wash and reuse them each year. Those glass jars were mostly bought used, given to me and a few I have bought new. You can also see meat I have bought from a local natural store. The meat is local, hormone free and wrapped in paper only. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KIiijjHIMI/TpR7rHHX5RI/AAAAAAAABr4/QYw8M_Ai24E/s1600/winterstorage+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KIiijjHIMI/TpR7rHHX5RI/AAAAAAAABr4/QYw8M_Ai24E/s400/winterstorage+002.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>This is my tiny pantry. On the bottom you see my crock pot, pressure cooker, and lots of large glass jars which I store my food in. Then you have my bread machine (really need to start using it again) and more glass jars. I have food on one shelf only. You will see that I only have one type of canned food right now and that is because I don't like canned food but have yet to grow enough tomatoes to make my own sauce. The can you see is Organic tomatoes which we use about 3-4 times a month. Lemon juice is for making our own lemonaid and saltines are for making our own peanut butter (homemade) cracker sandwiches for lunches. Then of course you have more glass jars, cookie cutters, baking dishes and items to use in making apple sauce. This is what you typically will find in our pantry. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BOCN3Qg2ac4/TpR8w8It-GI/AAAAAAAABsA/mwthLCVqjO0/s1600/winterstorage+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BOCN3Qg2ac4/TpR8w8It-GI/AAAAAAAABsA/mwthLCVqjO0/s400/winterstorage+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>And here you see my baking pantry. I buy almost all my items from the bulk section and keep them in large glass jars which I have bought or luckily was able to snag from my grandmothers house. Dark colored liquor bottle you see is my homemade vanilla. Store bought items were on sale/clearance are are from a local company. Organic sugar I find at Whole Foods and buy because its the cheapest I found so far. Still looking for bulk options on that item. I don't bake often but do make my food from scratch so all these items I use often. I'm no baker but I can cook like no one else. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-_myKZ4dHM/TpR9g1CmMvI/AAAAAAAABsM/UC_CNPtQhBo/s1600/winterstorage+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-_myKZ4dHM/TpR9g1CmMvI/AAAAAAAABsM/UC_CNPtQhBo/s400/winterstorage+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here is where I go crazy. Lots of jelly I made, lots of veggies from the garden I froze, and lots of other goodies. Bagged peas are a downer for me. My girls love the peas from Schwan's so I caved in and purchased some. I also have a soft spot for fresh pasta but it's not usually budget friendly unless its found on sale. When I do find it I buy a bunch and freezer it for later use. I am proud to say its made by a local Portland company near me. At $1.99 that's a steal. I also have vintage Tupperware containers (don't hate me!) with shredded zucchini or squash. I do not ever microwave these containers, hand wash them in warm water and only use them in the freezer. These are slowly replaced when I find deals on glass smaller containers. I also keep our large packs of chicken in here so I only have to buy it once a month. We feed our dog a raw diet and you can find meat cheaper in larger quantities. </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So are you a freak like myself? </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you feel the need to gather food? </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Does your freezer look like mine? </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Share your ideas and stories!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-6102681905484872857?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-1061350122522316792011-10-10T09:53:00.000-07:002011-10-10T09:53:41.708-07:002011-10-10T09:53:41.708-07:00Green Review Neti Stick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-517GEw6nr7w/TpMdEqoNSNI/AAAAAAAABrM/6cQ8YgAwAgg/s1600/netistick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-517GEw6nr7w/TpMdEqoNSNI/AAAAAAAABrM/6cQ8YgAwAgg/s1600/netistick.jpg" /></a> </div>Neti Stik is something I found as I wandered down the supplement aisle at Whole Foods. Having three people in my house who suffer from allergies, I'm always on the hunt for natural things to aid in our nasal issues. We own the Neti Pot but it seems that I am the only one that uses it on a regular basis. When I found this I was relieved because I knew that my girls were going to get some sinus relief without any arguments. <br />
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Neti Stik is a compact pocket size aromatherapy inhaler filled with essential oils. It contains peppermint, eucalyptus, menthol and lavender essential oils. You can use this alone or along with the Neti Pot. You can use the Neti Stik for sinus congestion relief during the cold, flu or allergy season. It also gives you a boost of energy. <br />
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Instructions: Simply put the stik into your nose carefully but not all the way. Plug the other nostril so no air can come in or out. Inhale through your nostril containing the Neti Stik. Hold your breath for a few seconds then let the air out. Now do the same thing with the other nostril. Easy peasy.<br />
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My Review:<br />
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I am loving the small compact size that I can toss into my purse or keep in my pocket. Its about the size of a OB Tampon. Seriously!<br />
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The Neti Stik has a wonderful scent and not harsh. No burning your nose hairs! <br />
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My kids actually ask for it.<br />
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Very budget friendly. At around $5 anyone can get this little joy.<br />
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Last for several months. I have owned mine for over 6 months now and still going strong.<br />
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Has no harsh chemicals or synthetic oils.<br />
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Can be recycled easily because its #7 plastic which most places take.<br />
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Best part is that it works! <br />
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Would I recommend this product? Yes with flying colors. Its the only thing my kids will use that I don't have to force them to use. They willingly look for it to use without me reminding them. It is also much cheaper than the traditional Neti Pot and easier to travel with. You can keep them in your purse, in the car and just about anywhere. And at only $5 anyone can buy this and not be broke. Normally I would try to make my own instead of having to buy it but I tried and failed. Well worth the money to buy this.<br />
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You can find this in any Whole Foods ( ask because its super tiny) or even on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?field-keywords=neti+stik&url=search-alias%3Daps">Amazon</a>. Or call your local health food store and see if they carry it. <br />
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Disclaimer is on the bottom right hand size of this page. The Himalayan Institute did not pay me to write this or send me this product. I purchased this product with my own money and these are my own opinions about this product. Enjoy!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-106135012252231679?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-69596557277483001172011-10-09T15:36:00.000-07:002011-10-09T15:36:55.984-07:002011-10-09T15:36:55.984-07:00Pie Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YGD0L-_z7o/TpIft_9Vb7I/AAAAAAAABrE/pUxttA5plf0/s1600/pie+cookies+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YGD0L-_z7o/TpIft_9Vb7I/AAAAAAAABrE/pUxttA5plf0/s640/pie+cookies+001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>When I was a little girl my mother used to make me these cookies. Growing up I thought they were just cookies that everyone ate. It wasn't until I was older that I realized we were the only ones eating these. They are super crispy and just a little sweet. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do to this very day. These are a favorite of my children now. Enjoy!<br />
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Simple Instructions:<br />
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Your favorite homemade pie crust or store bought pie crust<br />
cinnamon<br />
sugar<br />
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Roll out the dough pretty thin just as you would any sugar cookies. Use your favorite cookie cutters and have fun cutting out shapes. Put on cookie sheet. Sprinkle cinnamon (if you make your own you can add it to the dough) and then sprinkle some sugar on top of each cookie. Bake at 450 degree's until golden brown or about 8 minutes. Set out to cool and enjoy. <br />
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Yields about 2 dozen depending on what size cookie cutters you use.<br />
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These can be made for any holiday and you can cut out as much sugar as you want. I am not a cookie person because they are too sweet for me. These are perfect for those who enjoy a savory cookie. Add any sprinkles you want. Anyone ages 2 and up can make these. <br />
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Pretty easy huh? I mean think about everyone. The best part of the pie is the crust! Yummy!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-6959655727748300117?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-44868194837864538302011-10-04T16:46:00.000-07:002011-10-04T16:46:03.755-07:002011-10-04T16:46:03.755-07:00Budget Friendly Fall DecorationsDecorating for the season can get pretty expensive. Just wanted to show you a few ways we decorate each year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1HimpG6AiI/TouS1hcJNOI/AAAAAAAABqs/LwOr02PTqng/s1600/falldecorating+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1HimpG6AiI/TouS1hcJNOI/AAAAAAAABqs/LwOr02PTqng/s400/falldecorating+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The best way to buy nice decorations is after the season is over. Most stores will discount all their seasonal stuff the day after that season is over. If you wait a week or two you can snag them for 75% off. The garland you see was bought for $2.00 a few years ago. <br />
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Another great way to save money is to hit up your local $1 stores. The cute little silver spider you see was bought from my local Dollar Store. Ive seen the same spiders at other stores for twice that amount. <br />
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Oh and last but not least let your kids get creative. The cute ghost you see is made from toilet paper, string and a black pen. Let the kids explore in the recycling bin and have fun making stuff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rrsBw2PRPs/TouS5SAx6cI/AAAAAAAABq0/5aW60qi80fU/s1600/falldecorating+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rrsBw2PRPs/TouS5SAx6cI/AAAAAAAABq0/5aW60qi80fU/s400/falldecorating+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Another great tip is to use everyday items. I have some pretty glittery potpourri that I sprinkle cinnamon essential oil on each year. I put it into a pretty handmade plate and added two small votives I already owned. The light from the candle makes the sparkly pine cones shine. Love it. <br />
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Today I decided to add the patchwork pumpkins. I was at my local Michael's craft store and they have most of their Fall/Halloween items at 40% off. I paid around $6 for the both of them. These can be easily packed away each year and in no way can they get broken. Very kid friendly. These items make my table look nice.<br />
Note:I recently uploaded Michael's app on my phone and used their coupon. They scanned the bar code and whalah! 40% off baby! I know, I'm easily impressed. No paper involved and no tree's cut down for my coupon. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AqbPZx-6SJM/TouSvcrTeCI/AAAAAAAABqk/fxF8uOpz1qY/s1600/falldecorating+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AqbPZx-6SJM/TouSvcrTeCI/AAAAAAAABqk/fxF8uOpz1qY/s400/falldecorating+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I made a trip out to a friends parents farm the other day. Hay bales are usually $5 each but they sold me this one for only $2 because it was exposed to the rain and not so pretty on one side. I simply put the ugly side on the bottom and it looked perfect. I added a vase (my own) with some Fall leaves I found on clearance a few years back. <br />
The cute little scarecrow was another good buy I found at Michael's today. I think I paid around $3.99 for him. The reason I bought this little guy was because he can be easily packed away. The large ones you see in gardens were about the same price but were made very cheaply and I would not be able to store it well each year. <br />
The black blowup cat was a dollar store find that I kick myself for buying. Its plastic (I'm sure PVC) and will more than likely be popped by my kids soon. What I didn't take a picture of was a bat that was also a blow up and had a hole in it from day one. Yep I opened it, blew it up and it never held air. Seriously kicking myself now. Ugh. NEVER again. <br />
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The cute sign was also bought from the Dollar Store. Its made from some sort of wood and can be hung up on the wall. Now that's pretty cute. Well worth the dollar you pay for it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-raHiNwuNpQs/TouSzDWq3GI/AAAAAAAABqo/_kx1Jb4t7jg/s1600/falldecorating+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-raHiNwuNpQs/TouSzDWq3GI/AAAAAAAABqo/_kx1Jb4t7jg/s400/falldecorating+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My favorite thing this year are these pretty Mums. I just planted them so they have yet to spread out and fill in. I am normally not a flower kind of person because they don't give me anything back like produce would. I know its silly. This year I have been adding flowers everywhere and I'm so glad I did. I just love the colors of Fall flowers and it really does spruce up my bench area. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBueT-XABfo/TouYT6x6k6I/AAAAAAAABq8/-4oL1rALQ3k/s1600/fall+delights+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBueT-XABfo/TouYT6x6k6I/AAAAAAAABq8/-4oL1rALQ3k/s400/fall+delights+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Don't forget to grow your pumpkins/squash each year. I grew all of these in my garden this year. Not as big or as much as I wanted but it was something at least. Squash/pumpkins can be stored for weeks inside before used. So I like to keep them on my fireplace each year. Just look at those amazing colors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9I7ZwBlWaw/TouZfkwr0ZI/AAAAAAAABrA/32DKVqkfg6I/s1600/fall+delights+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9I7ZwBlWaw/TouZfkwr0ZI/AAAAAAAABrA/32DKVqkfg6I/s400/fall+delights+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Look for local farms and you will find lots of pumpkins/squash you never knew existed. I came across these a few years ago and have been hooked ever since. These decorate my house for weeks then when I'm done with them I bake them and use the puree for pumpkin muffins. They have beautiful moist (not to wet not to dry) flesh perfect for muffins. Each year I look for the most scared ugly looking ones. They are just so cool looking. <br />
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All that's left is all the paintings and drawings my kids will be bringing home from school. We also like to collect Fall leaves from around the neighborhood and make pretty pictures from them as well. Get creative and let the kids have fun decorating.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-4486819483786453830?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-8476315620303042462011-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:002011-10-03T09:57:38.603-07:002011-10-03T09:57:38.603-07:00Kicking that cold naturallyI'm feeling a bit under the weather this week. I suffer from horrible allergies and because I have yet to find a natural alternative that works for me, I take Costco allergy pills. These things are so far from natural so I only take them when I have to. Which leads to why I have a bad sinus infection and currently feeling crappy. I have not taken my allergy medication in about a month and seemed to be doing just fine. Something has been blooming this last week and like a dummy I didn't take any allergy medication. It's my fault I am dealing with this sinus infection. <br />
One of my daughters has a stomach bug and the other is dealing with a sinus infection as well. I try to be as natural as possible when it comes to taking anything to help us. Last night I resorted to taking a liquid NyQuil I found in my closet. I didn't get any sleep the night before so I broke down and took it. I slept like a bear in hibernation last night. I figured even if I didn't feel any better at least I would get a good nights rest. Nothing worst than being sick and not getting enough sleep. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPe3qFq9N5E/Tonj89Wap_I/AAAAAAAABqQ/UuOhtj3aP4Q/s1600/sick+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPe3qFq9N5E/Tonj89Wap_I/AAAAAAAABqQ/UuOhtj3aP4Q/s400/sick+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>About a week ago I updated my arsenal of herbs. I felt a little weird and just knew I was coming down with something. Armed with my iPhone I found all the organic tea products I could find. I then listed all the ingredients I didn't have at my home already. Luckily it was just a handful. I then looked in all the bulk herbs/spices and bought everything I needed. I'm so glad I did because we have been drinking tea non stop since. Once you start making your own tea you won't want to drink any bagged tea's. Really do not like the taste of those paper bags. <br />
Today's tea:<br />
Echinacea<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Lemon Myrtle</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Licorice Root</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Orange Peel-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Anise</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Chamomile</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SRvgeBta4To/Tonj__h9jJI/AAAAAAAABqU/huRTVHxuuqg/s1600/sick+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SRvgeBta4To/Tonj__h9jJI/AAAAAAAABqU/huRTVHxuuqg/s400/sick+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: yellow;">I have been taking EmergenC several times a day. Wish I could find it in bulk containers. Each one of these boxes has 30 little baggies in it. WAY too much packaging.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCLYpCY_vPc/TonkCGbb6NI/AAAAAAAABqY/HOS41dqCIOY/s1600/sick+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCLYpCY_vPc/TonkCGbb6NI/AAAAAAAABqY/HOS41dqCIOY/s400/sick+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The kids have been taking double the vitamins. These Trader Joe ones are a favorite because they are natural with no preservatives. The container can be reused or recycled. They also love the vitamin C wafers you can find also at Trader Joe's. My kids are not a fan of the neti pot just yet so they use the <a href="http://shop.himalayaninstitute.org/products/neti-stik">neti stick</a>. Works pretty well for them and I even use it often. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gn1lj5PBLY/TonkEDeCZTI/AAAAAAAABqc/WtxUPOeRmhE/s1600/sick+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gn1lj5PBLY/TonkEDeCZTI/AAAAAAAABqc/WtxUPOeRmhE/s400/sick+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">A new product we have been using is this. The fact that its tasteless is what really got me to buy it. Oh also it was on clearance for $3.99. Originally this tiny bottle was $21.99. Just spray in your mouth 3 squirts up to 6 times a day. It treats just about any symptoms you have. We will see if it actually helps. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hopefully none of you are suffering as much as we are. But if you are share with me how you deal with this. What do you use? Have any secret methods? Share!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-847631562030304246?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-81750529550512938242011-09-30T10:51:00.000-07:002011-09-30T10:51:42.543-07:002011-09-30T10:51:42.543-07:00Venting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSXmvzso1VU/ToYBlFVMF7I/AAAAAAAABqM/yiO9vgf7ylY/s1600/blog.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hSXmvzso1VU/ToYBlFVMF7I/AAAAAAAABqM/yiO9vgf7ylY/s400/blog.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Not sure if its because I'm feeling sick and in a grumpy mood or if its just that time of the month but I feel a rant coming on. So sit back and enjoy the ride.<br />
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I decided today that I was going to write everything that is on my mind. Over the past 3 years I have tried to write about what was on my mind, what products I liked, and what I thought my readers wanted to read about. It started out as a daily journal of my life and my goal to save money. In my journey to save money I discovered less packaging, environmental impact of my purchases, and you can in fact live a organic lifestyle on a budget. <br />
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Most the time I get many amazing comments from readers who love what I'm doing and have joined me in my journey. On occasion I get comments about how disgusting things are, how could I do that, and how I'm going too far with everything. I was alarmed at first and started rethinking everything I was writing. Well today I decided that I will no longer hold my thoughts back when it comes to living a greener lifestyle. <br />
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To those who find my post a bit too far my advise to you is stop reading this. Move on to another blog that you feel fits your life. There are so many amazing blogs out there you just need to find the one that fits you. I write about my journey and what has worked and not worked. I offer advise which you can take or not take it. Do with it what you will. But don't hate on me. I have so many people who love and support what I am doing and I would rather surround myself with them. <br />
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I read dozens of blogs some of which I love 100% and some of which I love 90%. Some are religious which is totally opposite of me, and some are just cheesy but I get good info from. It's not my job to judge them and point out that I don't like about what they write. Its a free country and people can write what they want. I can choose to go else where and don't waste my time stressing with it. <br />
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I write for myself and to help others. I love to show people that you really can save money and live a greener lifestyle. I love sharing products that are good for the environment. I love sharing with people. I love teaching people. I am who I am take it or leave it. Because when it comes down to it I don't care what people think about me. I'm green suck it. <br />
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So my question to you is do you have people judge you because of your lifestyle?<br />
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Do you lose sleep over what people think about you?<br />
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Do you bite your lip instead of speaking how you really feel?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-8175052955051293824?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-40457912427405463662011-09-28T11:13:00.000-07:002011-09-28T11:13:17.991-07:002011-09-28T11:13:17.991-07:00FALL<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
The earth is changing;</div><div style="text-align: left;">The seasons turn round.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The autumn leaves flutter</div><div style="text-align: left;">Their way to the ground.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My own world is changing;</div><div style="text-align: left;">The seasons conspire</div><div style="text-align: left;">To grand me the peace</div><div style="text-align: left;">of a rest by the fire.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Melissa Pinol</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This poem is everything I love about the Fall season. I look forward to cold dry days when I walk my girls to school. The leaves changing such bold colors then falling down around us. Hot cocoa in front of the rip roaring fire crackling away. I am ready for Fall before Summer is even over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UivPgz6My78/ToNfSorq_QI/AAAAAAAABpo/44FcXtYgbeg/s1600/fall+delights+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UivPgz6My78/ToNfSorq_QI/AAAAAAAABpo/44FcXtYgbeg/s400/fall+delights+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
I tried growing my own pumpkins and squash but it was doomed from the beginning. I planted them in my yard where my dog has access. My thinking was that they do not put off a smell when ready so my dog wouldn't be interested in them. So a week or so after I planted them (and they started growing) my dog decided to dig in the dirt and spread them all over the yard. I scrambled to find them all and replanted them in my garden where the dog couldn't get them. They had plenty of water and sun but didn't really grow all that much. So this year I had only a small amount actually grow. This year we will have to go buy pumpkins to carve. Were excited because its been a while since we have had the experience of going to a farm and picking our own out while enjoying all the fun stuff that comes along with it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e8vzI1EZdro/ToNfYR3mVEI/AAAAAAAABpw/26nXvrzaGUY/s1600/fall+delights+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e8vzI1EZdro/ToNfYR3mVEI/AAAAAAAABpw/26nXvrzaGUY/s400/fall+delights+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took a trip to one of my favorite farms yesterday. I was on the hunt for blue pumpkins and was excited to find one with lots of fun markings. These pumpkins make the best moist pumpkin puree for any pumpkin recipe. At 49 cents per pound its a great deal! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT5FSApHDzs/ToNfV0BfpCI/AAAAAAAABps/VTFN1YFe_SE/s1600/fall+delights+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT5FSApHDzs/ToNfV0BfpCI/AAAAAAAABps/VTFN1YFe_SE/s400/fall+delights+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Just look how beautiful these are. Man I love Fall! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_ir-qTquKo/ToNfcMqY7pI/AAAAAAAABp0/0ccen0uMUMg/s1600/fall+delights+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_ir-qTquKo/ToNfcMqY7pI/AAAAAAAABp0/0ccen0uMUMg/s400/fall+delights+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last night it hit a all time low here in the NW Portland area. It was 39 degrees! I was worried about my tomatoes all night and actually lost a little sleep over it. So this morning I panicked and pulled all (5lbs worth) my tomatoes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MeUQC-gQKU/ToNffcxbg4I/AAAAAAAABp4/m98yWtm3Qrs/s1600/fall+delights+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MeUQC-gQKU/ToNffcxbg4I/AAAAAAAABp4/m98yWtm3Qrs/s400/fall+delights+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Look how beautiful these things are! I will be putting all these in paper bags to ripen so I can bake them. Roasted red tomato sauce is my favorite and will probably be put in my freezer for later use. Yummy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pmqFcr2mSvI/ToNfj-A870I/AAAAAAAABqA/0TVs2j5H9gc/s1600/fall+delights+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pmqFcr2mSvI/ToNfj-A870I/AAAAAAAABqA/0TVs2j5H9gc/s400/fall+delights+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>All Fall I will be saving any and all seeds I get from all the organic pumpkin/squash I buy. As long as they are organic I will be able to save them to grow my own next year. Here you see my pink banana squash seeds I am air drying right now. I didn't plant my banana squash in a sunny enough location so they didn't get as big as they should of been. Next year I will remember this! Once these are done and completely dry then I will keep them in a dark cool place until January. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRQXGhmCNUQ/ToNfoIebE0I/AAAAAAAABqE/aHn26-NPL9Y/s1600/fall+delights+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRQXGhmCNUQ/ToNfoIebE0I/AAAAAAAABqE/aHn26-NPL9Y/s400/fall+delights+012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I'm also reading a few books right now. These are my two current reads which I'm enjoying very much. My goal is to read one chapter in each book each day. So far so good. Today was about fast food commercials and how much our children are actually watching each week. 3 hours to be exact! Also learned about meat and how the food pyramid tricks you. I know exciting huh? <br />
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So what are you reading right now? <br />
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Whats going on in your garden?<br />
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Are you a Fall nut like myself?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-4045791242740546366?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-27964073920886715702011-09-24T11:54:00.000-07:002011-09-24T11:54:03.591-07:002011-09-24T11:54:03.591-07:00$50 a week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0-zhHTbJ7I/Tn4jE99KHZI/AAAAAAAABpc/RdVEV7ZnW-s/s1600/%252450saturday+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e0-zhHTbJ7I/Tn4jE99KHZI/AAAAAAAABpc/RdVEV7ZnW-s/s400/%252450saturday+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'm still getting lots of produce from my garden so this is why you won't see any in the picture. I'm using what I have and getting pretty creative with it. Also I still have some meat left in the freezer from previous shopping trips so I didn't need to buy anymore. Right now I'm mostly buying fresh items that I cannot freeze and snacks for my girls lunches. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods</a><br />
<br />
$2.50 RBST Free milk-we drink lots of water so we don't need much milk.<br />
$3.99 12 pack recycled toilet paper<br />
$1.78 2 cans of organic tomato paste-I use to make pizza sauce<br />
$1.49 <a href="http://sunshinedairyfoods.com/">Sunshine Dairy</a> Half n Half (my favorite and LOCAL!)<br />
FREE-They only had one 12 pack left but one egg was broken. I took it up to them and asked if I they had more. Took them a few minutes but found some and gave them to me for free for my troubles. LOVE THIS STORE!<br />
<br />
Donated my 10 cent bag credit to a local charity + all my change I had in my purse.<br />
<br />
Total=$9.76<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a><br />
<br />
$1.99 Sour Cream Puffs-lunch snacks for school lunches<br />
$1.99 Ruffled Veggie Chips<br />
$2.29 Fire Roasted Salsa Salt Free-glass jar will be reused. We eat chips n salsa for snacks<br />
$2.29 Fennel Toothpaste -my kids love this stuff<br />
$1.29 Organic Spaghetti Pasta<br />
$2.78 Organic Whole Wheat Pasta Fusilli<br />
$2.58 Pizza Dough Fresh -using to make pizza tonight. I'm no baker...I just cook damn good.<br />
$2.29 Kosher Dill Pickles-OMG are they good!<br />
<br />
Total=$17.50<br />
<br />
GRAND TOTAL=$27.26 <br />
I have $22.74 left for this week still. Not bad!<br />
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On the way home I checked out a garage sale that was by my home. I have a rule to only stop by is they are on the way where I am going this way I don't use up much needed gas. Remember the post I wrote for <a href="http://retrohousewifegoesgreen.com/2011/09/natural-savings-gardening-on-a-budget/">Retro House Wife Goes Green</a>? Here is a great example of how to save money.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iZCw3f_i5Pk/Tn4jHAAh8DI/AAAAAAAABpg/kB5BRwitzJ0/s1600/%252450saturday+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iZCw3f_i5Pk/Tn4jHAAh8DI/AAAAAAAABpg/kB5BRwitzJ0/s400/%252450saturday+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I found these two lovely metal pots for only 50 cents each. I will be cleaning them up and giving them a new coat of spray paint to freshen them up. Now that's a score!! These would of cost me at least $10 each if I bought them new. These will be used on my front porch or in front of either side of my garage. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-2796407392088671570?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-60804439174202722242011-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:002011-09-23T21:07:55.146-07:002011-09-23T21:07:55.146-07:00Meet Sean Gettings and Lisa Sharp. They are pretty cool.This week has been pretty good for the blog. I was asked to guest post in my friend Sean Gettings blog called <a href="http://seangettings.com/blog/">The Environmental Guy (and part-time background actor!)</a>. Head on over and read my guest post and learn some ways to get your children to recycle. Make sure to become a fan on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1479822776">Facebook</a> of his too. Those little girls in the picture are pretty darn cute. I hear they look like their mama....haha..<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-aTYsnCHk0/TnzZC6NzXoI/AAAAAAAABow/ABcS9RFNxZk/s1600/sean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-aTYsnCHk0/TnzZC6NzXoI/AAAAAAAABow/ABcS9RFNxZk/s400/sean.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>This is my friend <a href="http://seangettings.com/blog/">Sean Gettings</a>. He's pretty cool. We share a love for the earth and fight to protect it. If you love getting your nerd on and reading about recycling, solar panels, urban chickens and buying local and eating fresh then you will love his blog. Best part is that he is a local guy here in Portland and knows the in's and outs of Portland. He is married to Amy and has 2 beautiful children who I melt over each time I see a picture of them. Those curls!!! Lets give him some love and help him on his way. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ind8EaIPDXg/Tnzi9_X5NKI/AAAAAAAABpY/7FEM1MAf-8A/s1600/LisaSharp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ind8EaIPDXg/Tnzi9_X5NKI/AAAAAAAABpY/7FEM1MAf-8A/s320/LisaSharp.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br />
I also guest posted on my friend Lisa Sharp's blog called <a href="http://retrohousewifegoesgreen.com/2011/09/natural-savings-gardening-on-a-budget/">Retro Housewife Goes Green</a>. If you do not have a garden, want to start a garden or just don't know where to start then you have to check out my guest post. I love Lisa's blog and have been a fan of it for a long while now. Keep her in your favorites and be sure to check her blog out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/retrohousewifegoesgreen">Facebook</a> as well. I literally could go on and on about things she writes but just head on over there and get comfy because you will be on there a long time. Yep she's that good!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1f79Zh3tXM/TnzaDO-wCFI/AAAAAAAABo0/zE3BufEQgA8/s1600/pullingpeas+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1f79Zh3tXM/TnzaDO-wCFI/AAAAAAAABo0/zE3BufEQgA8/s400/pullingpeas+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My summer pea plants are done producing anything so I decided to pull them and replant peas for the winter garden. I also dead headed my marigolds and save some of the seeds for next year. The other flowers you see are a bit crazy looking but I'm leaving them for the birds to snack on. They love the seeds off of them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_UrWYM8Lg4/TnzaF2ddBHI/AAAAAAAABo4/PErXsSTeX8Y/s1600/pullingpeas+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_UrWYM8Lg4/TnzaF2ddBHI/AAAAAAAABo4/PErXsSTeX8Y/s400/pullingpeas+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Much better! Chicken wire really is the best for this area. You cannot see it and the peas love to climb it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-upCIWA_mkeU/TnzaJ911DxI/AAAAAAAABo8/xscR_kUS7xE/s1600/pullingpeas+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-upCIWA_mkeU/TnzaJ911DxI/AAAAAAAABo8/xscR_kUS7xE/s400/pullingpeas+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My scarlet beans are still thriving so I am keeping them for a bit longer. I pulled my cauliflower out because I didn't pick them in time and they flowered. Here you see lots of dirt area which I have planted lots of lettuce. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0C9pZR8LkIA/TnzaN1Lnq5I/AAAAAAAABpA/z9jbHyISIB4/s1600/pullingpeas+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0C9pZR8LkIA/TnzaN1Lnq5I/AAAAAAAABpA/z9jbHyISIB4/s400/pullingpeas+005.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For fun I planted corn in the garden beds. One bed doesn't get enough sun so the corn is only about a foot tall. This corn in the sunny bed is about 6 feet tall. I will use these to decorate the front of the house in October. Who knows, maybe I will get some corn out of it. Its my first time growing corn so I'm enjoying watching them grow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8JwvXm6dZU/TnzaS71kMkI/AAAAAAAABpI/Ndi46ccKBUA/s1600/pullingpeas+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8JwvXm6dZU/TnzaS71kMkI/AAAAAAAABpI/Ndi46ccKBUA/s400/pullingpeas+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These plants died a long time ago. The wooden box was a goodie I found at my grandma's and I grew some Alyssums in it which have all died. The pot on the right my daughter Megan planted some pea's which did pretty well. She was able to eat anything it produced (which was only about 4 pea's but was excited to eat</div><br />
them). At this point I'm having fun getting creative with everything. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M5Aa_vHh0BY/TnzaW8OP7uI/AAAAAAAABpM/PGx3JSOD8dI/s1600/pullingpeas+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M5Aa_vHh0BY/TnzaW8OP7uI/AAAAAAAABpM/PGx3JSOD8dI/s400/pullingpeas+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I simply took the soil out and added some good organic soil to it. I planted spinach in the wooden box and pea's again in the pot. I love this stuff.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUGOma9Yr6g/TnzaaaSYA5I/AAAAAAAABpQ/4pJbYsLbKao/s1600/pullingpeas+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUGOma9Yr6g/TnzaaaSYA5I/AAAAAAAABpQ/4pJbYsLbKao/s400/pullingpeas+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Last but not least look who came out to play? Out of the 3 sunflowers I planted only one decided to grow super tall. I just love how beautiful it is. Think I will plant way more next year. Love love love them!<br />
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UPDATE: Less than 5 hours later a squirrel decided to rip the head off of this sunflower. Don't think it understood that the sunflower had not yet grown any seeds. So now I'm mad and sad. It's war you damn squirrels its war!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-6080443917420272224?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-47429376007825340002011-09-20T14:19:00.000-07:002011-09-20T14:19:22.129-07:002011-09-20T14:19:22.129-07:00I don't know what my problem is lately but I have been really slacking. I bought 2 dozen packs of Pepsi because we were craving it. Although they were aluminum which can be recycled it was just a bad choice on our part. I should of just bought one can and left it at that but no the sale price got me. They are all gone (off to recycling) and were not buying anymore ever again. Well hopefully.<br />
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School has been going for two weeks now and I'm just now getting into the groove of things. Its the first time in 13 years that I have had a few hours to myself. Instead of taking advantage and cleaning my house I decided to leave the house each day and hit the thrift shops. Well now there is no excitement while shopping because I have been to each one way too many times. Today has been the first day where I have been cleaning and actually getting things organized. <br />
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I did manage to go to the store and bought myself a few packs of bulbs. <a href="http://www.pallensmith.com/">P.Allen Smith</a> has a line of bulbs at Fred Meyers and I wanted to shout out to the world when it saw them. I normally do not buy bulbs because its always the same old boring plants for sale. P.Allen Smith has the best assortment of crazy beautiful plants. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JECkcvN3n4/TnkAhIJftXI/AAAAAAAABok/mXYt-UhU7wo/s1600/schubertii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JECkcvN3n4/TnkAhIJftXI/AAAAAAAABok/mXYt-UhU7wo/s400/schubertii.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>This pretty plant is called Allium Schubertii. Seriously how wicked is this plant? <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36_sI4ihnf4/TnkB6g8LzdI/AAAAAAAABoo/jQ-JuFNcgMU/s1600/ivoryqueen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36_sI4ihnf4/TnkB6g8LzdI/AAAAAAAABoo/jQ-JuFNcgMU/s400/ivoryqueen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Who doesn't love a flower ball? What a beautiful plant. Its called Allium Ivory Queen. This will be a plant people will stop to look at. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iHU15MngUZI/TnkCfJm66_I/AAAAAAAABos/XsrtyK7XoJI/s1600/purplesensation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iHU15MngUZI/TnkCfJm66_I/AAAAAAAABos/XsrtyK7XoJI/s400/purplesensation.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last but not least this is called Allium Purple Sensation. Just look at the deep color of these. Gosh I'm in love! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I plan on putting these in the best show I can. My yard will be the one that people on walks stop and look at. Love crazy colors and crazy shapes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Any of you have plant suggestions for me? Do you grow a crazy beautiful plant? Share!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-4742937600782534000?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1156719194860099075.post-50516088903731799642011-09-14T11:08:00.000-07:002011-09-14T11:08:09.552-07:002011-09-14T11:08:09.552-07:00Winter garden already?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGNkPxG9eac/TnDg3Yg3XEI/AAAAAAAABnk/8HR8m0a3-ac/s1600/seattletilth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGNkPxG9eac/TnDg3Yg3XEI/AAAAAAAABnk/8HR8m0a3-ac/s400/seattletilth.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I am so glad Fall is here. This week in Oregon the weather is getting a little colder and I am dreaming of hot soups and hot chocolate. In the garden its getting not so pretty because the summer growing season is coming to its end. Each week I go through and compost plants that are not producing anymore. My handy <a href="http://seattletilth.org/">Northwest Garden Guide</a> (available locally at <a href="http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/">New Seasons</a>) tells me I need to start planting for the winter garden. Why do I love this book so much? Well I could go on and on but its basically gardening for dummies. This book is well worth the $14.95 price tag for gardening goofs like myself. This book includes a detailed monthly gardening calendar that shows you what's happening in your garden through the seasons and when to plant vegetables, herbs and flowers. Here are more goodies.<br />
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-Maritime Northwest Climate Zone Map<br />
-Techniques to extend the growing season<br />
-Vegetable, herb and flower variety recommendations<br />
-Month-by-month gardening tips<br />
-Beneficial insect identification<br />
-How to beat common plant diseases organically<br />
-Getting organic outside the garden<br />
-Ideas for gardening with children<br />
-Seed and compost resources<br />
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Need I say more? Go grab this book for yourself!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8lbMU9BPC0I/TnDha7JUIFI/AAAAAAAABoY/4VWqSFfNgEA/s1600/wintergarden+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8lbMU9BPC0I/TnDha7JUIFI/AAAAAAAABoY/4VWqSFfNgEA/s400/wintergarden+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My second crop of beans are doing very well. My first crops were grown specifically to put in the freezer so we could enjoy these beans all winter long. We have about 15 pounds of beautiful burgundy, scarlet and blue lake beans. This crop will be for eating fresh each night and sharing with everyone. Just yesterday I was able to pick about 4 pounds of beans which I donated to a local senior center that distributes food to locals. I was also able to give some to my neighbors Jim and Hazel (HI!!!!) who we love dearly. They are allowed to pick anytime they want and take anything they want. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-53sKNldMhuE/TnDhXvSYYdI/AAAAAAAABoU/PdFuspxRgdA/s1600/wintergarden+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-53sKNldMhuE/TnDhXvSYYdI/AAAAAAAABoU/PdFuspxRgdA/s400/wintergarden+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>For some reason the big black bumble bee's LOVE my bean flowers and do not like when I'm picking them. I have to be real careful not to make them mad. Sorry bumble bee!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pv8L-YzWCs/TnDg9fV6WvI/AAAAAAAABno/m8J02gDkt-8/s1600/wintergarden+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pv8L-YzWCs/TnDg9fV6WvI/AAAAAAAABno/m8J02gDkt-8/s400/wintergarden+001.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>I also have a few second crops of burgundy bush beans. These are my favorite because of how beautiful in color they are. My kids love them and call them magic beans because when we cook them they turn green. Another great reason I love them is that you can plant them pretty much anywhere. I usually plant them randomly in flower beds, along walls, and just about anywhere. They are a small plant that gives and gives.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xx60YsOsGE8/TnDhUd3IpfI/AAAAAAAABoM/c9XlicI4tq4/s1600/wintergarden+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xx60YsOsGE8/TnDhUd3IpfI/AAAAAAAABoM/c9XlicI4tq4/s400/wintergarden+007.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>I also planted yellow wax beans for the first time this year. I would recommend these for people who love a mild flavor bean. They add such beautiful color to our meals so these will be in my garden from now on. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSjxvKdwzW0/TnDhLnAMYsI/AAAAAAAABn4/VarzLN5Gzk4/s1600/wintergarden+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSjxvKdwzW0/TnDhLnAMYsI/AAAAAAAABn4/VarzLN5Gzk4/s400/wintergarden+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My tomatoes are still giving even in September. This is a speckled Roma plant and I cannot wait to see the end result. I had way too many starts and instead of just throwing them out I decided to plant them everywhere in hopes of maybe getting something from them. Looks like I will! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMyj_pteF8U/TnDhBOUcpWI/AAAAAAAABns/wSjEV7Zd6pg/s1600/wintergarden+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMyj_pteF8U/TnDhBOUcpWI/AAAAAAAABns/wSjEV7Zd6pg/s400/wintergarden+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kale is a favorite of my girls so I decided I would go kale crazy. I planted them in pots...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0S3-yMonnA/TnDhEJuvvoI/AAAAAAAABnw/FITx427GmxM/s1600/wintergarden+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0S3-yMonnA/TnDhEJuvvoI/AAAAAAAABnw/FITx427GmxM/s400/wintergarden+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In anywhere and in between that I could stuff them....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MzhynxL2kss/TnDhH28x4WI/AAAAAAAABn0/EERkyS0530k/s1600/wintergarden+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MzhynxL2kss/TnDhH28x4WI/AAAAAAAABn0/EERkyS0530k/s400/wintergarden+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>and anywhere I pull a plant I toss some kale seeds in. Kale grown in your own garden is so much better than anything I have found in stores. So tender, so flavorful and can be used in so many ways. Kale chips will be requested from my girls but I dream of kale in soups. Yummy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2SHSpufPIE/TnDhN1u7MbI/AAAAAAAABoE/MlrVOyhZI8g/s1600/wintergarden+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2SHSpufPIE/TnDhN1u7MbI/AAAAAAAABoE/MlrVOyhZI8g/s400/wintergarden+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This has nothing to do with the winter garden but I wanted to show you something that makes me smile each day. Fred Meyers was having a 50% off plant sale and I picked up two jasmine plants for only $10. One plant had a small starter so I'm actually getting 3 plants. What a deal! These beautiful plants were in tiny tiny pots and the poor plants were so root bound. They only had 2 blooms because of this. I quickly separated the start from one plant then transplanted all 3 into very large pots and watered well. I don't want to plant them into the ground until I find a perfect spot for them. My goal is to plant them near a window so the beautiful smell will come right into my home. They will live in the greenhouse this winter if it gets too cold. I think they were thanking me by giving me such beautiful flowers this week. Your welcome!<br />
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Here is a list of things you can plant this month here in Oregon and Washington. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Sow Outdoors</span></strong><br />
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Carrot Family-cilantro, chervil<br />
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Mustard Family-arugula, cabbage(for spring harvest), first early market springtime.<br />
Cress-broadlieaf, landcress<br />
Mustard-gai chi, giant red, green in snow, green wave, mizuna<br />
Radish-misato flesh<br />
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Beet Family<br />
Spinach-winter bloomsdale, giant winter, skookum, tyee<br />
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Sunflower Family<br />
Endive-frisee, green curled, perfect, tres fine maraichere (often damaged by winter weather but some still try)<br />
Lettuce-bronze rodin, brune D'Hiver, little gem, perella red and green, rougette du midi, rubens red, winter density<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Late September (all overwintering)</span></strong><br />
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Carrot family-caraway<br />
carrot-merida<br />
chervil-brussels winter<br />
sweet cicely<br />
Grass Family-gramineae<br />
Overwintering Grains-barley, rye, spelt, tritcale, wheat<br />
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Mustard Family brassicaceae<br />
arugula<br />
arugula, rustic arugula sylvatica<br />
mustard-green in snow, green wave, mizu-na<br />
radish-misato rose flesh<br />
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pea family fabaeae<br />
peas, snow-chinese snow<br />
fava beans-aprovecho select, aquadulce, banner, sweet lorane<br />
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beet family chenopodiaceae<br />
beets-chioggia, lutz green leaf, winterkeeper, yellow intermediate mangel<br />
spinach-winter bloomsdale, giant winter, tyee<br />
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sunflower family compositae<br />
lettuce-brune d'hiver perella, red tinged winter, rubens red romaine, winter density, winter marvel<br />
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pea family fabaceae<br />
peas, snow:chinese snow<br />
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grass family gramineae<br />
overwintering grains-barley, rye, spelt, triticale, wheat<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1156719194860099075-5051608890373179964?l=hannaqueen.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Surviving and thriving on pennieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17549443211123230264noreply@blogger.com0