Lucy's Frugal Living

Fitness, Junk Mail, Vitamins, Cookies & Quote

2008-07-16T10:29:00.012-05:00

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PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST FOR ADULTS
Remember in school, when everyone would do the Presidential Fitness Test and you could compete with scores to be in the best shape possible? Well, now it’s available for adults as well. Head to this site for lots of ideas for getting active, staying in shape, and measuring your progress in endurance, strength, and flexibility. POST IT…on your bathroom mirror.

Stop Junk Mail! Save Trees!

GreenDimes stops your entire household's junk mail and plants 10 trees on your behalf for $20. We also offer you the choice to remove only the catalogs you don't want. Check it out here:
Our impact is huge. In just over a year, we've stopped 3 million pounds of junk mail and saved/planted 1,000,000 trees. We have over 75,000 happy members and have gotten a ton of press - NY Times, Ellen, Good Morning America to name a few.
Note from Lucy: I'm not a tree hugger, but it would be nice to save some trees and stop some of that junk mail.....

VITAMINS FOR EASILY UPSET STOMACHS:
While we should always try to get our vitamins from food, some of us need some supplementation (always check with your doctor first). But many people have problems with vitamins upsetting their stomachs. So here are some tips to ease that problem. First, try taking the vitamins with food, or at least milk; avoid an empty stomach. If you still have an upset stomach, then try taking liquid vitamins which are absorbed more readily. Nature Made is a major company that has recently started a line of liquid vitamins, including B, C, D, calcium, and multis. There are also some vitamins that are in liquid form naturally like E, CoQ10, and Flaxseed/Fish oils. If all else fails, adults can also take children’s vitamin/mineral supplements. If the chewables are still causing problems, consider the gummy versions. POST IT…with your vitamins.

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RECIPE: MICHELLE OBAMA’S SHORTBREAD COOKIES (from Family Circle magazine) A couple of weeks ago we had Cindy McCains cookie recipe, now I have found Michelle Obama’s recipe…… Which one do you like?
Ingredients:
• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond liqueur)
• 1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest
• 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 beaten egg white
• Chopped nuts or dried fruit (optional)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar.
2. Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in Amaretto and zest.
3. Stir in flour and salt until combined.
4. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smoothly as possible.
5. Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
6. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm. Makes 6 ½ dozen.
POST IT…on your shopping list, in your recipe box, and on your computer.
Click here: To print out in recipe card sizes.

All of the above items came from the Make a Note weekly emails that I get.

I like this statement:
"We are not born into this world with fixed habits. Neither do we inherit a noble character. Instead, as children of God, we are given the privilege and opportunity of choosing which way of life we will follow—which habits we will form. Confucius said that the nature of men is always the same. It is their habits that separate them. Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action. Good habits are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. It is not in the great moments of test and trial that character is built. That is only when it is displayed. The habits that direct our lives and form our character are fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routine of life. They are acquired by practice."
--Delbert L. Stapley, "Good Habits Develop Good Character", Ensign, Nov. 1974, 20

Note from Lucy: I'll be out of town this weekend and won't be back till late Monday night. I'll get my first and last look at Yankee Stadium before they tear it down. After watching the home run derby and the All Star Game, last night, I am really getting excited about seeing the stadium in real life. Bonnie will be here to hold the fort down and feed the cat, no worries!

Have a great week everyone!

A letter to the Editor......

2008-07-14T06:46:00.002-05:00

This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple.

NOT printed in the Orange County Paper........

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the Orange County Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to 'print' it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of lette rs to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who h ad sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2008, with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges, Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules; one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

Note from Lucy: This is not something I usually put up on my blog, but it pretty well describes how I feel about Immigration.

Have a great week everyone.

Have you ever tried this cake?

2008-07-10T20:06:00.001-05:00

7up Cake: Recipe sent in by P.R. Montgomery

3 – sticks of butter
3 – cups Sugar
3 – Eggs
½ tsp. – Vanilla Extract
1 – (12 ounce) can 7up
3 – cups Sifted flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan.
Cream butter, sugar and eggs; add vanilla. In three rounds, alternate adding 7up and flour into the mixture. Pour cake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, o until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The heat at hand:
In The Barbecue! Bible, Steven Raichlen recommends the “Mississippi test” for those who don’t have grill thermometers, Hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals or gas fire and count “one Mississippi, two Mississippi,” etc., until the heat causes you to pull away. The number of seconds you can hold your hand above the heat roughly corresponds to these temperatures:
High Heat (650 degrees): 1 to 2 seconds
Medium High (400-450): 4 to 5 seconds
Medium (350) …………. 6 to 7 seconds
Medium-low (300)……... 8 to 10 seconds
Low (250-275)…………. 12 to 15 seconds

Organizing Tips for recipes:

Purge: Organizing recipes is like organizing anything else. Purge first, and be ruthless. Honestly, will you ever make that multistep Sweet Corn and Peach Trifle that requires cornmeal cake, corn pastry cream, roasted peach filling and candied corn kernels? And if you ever decide to make dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), surely you can locate another recipe.

Think: Before investing time or money in an organizational system, ask yourself what you want most, the ability to search your collection? To scale recipes up or down so that your white-bean chili will work for two people or 30? To calculate the nutritional content of Aunt Millie’s yam and pineapple casserole? Or do you value holding a recipe card written in your grandmother’s hand? How you answer such questions will guide you to the solution that suits you.

Categorize: Consider how you typically select recipes. By course (appetizer, main dish, dessert)? By function (fast and easy, for the grill)? By ingredient or season?

Update: The longer you let clipped recipes accumulate in a pile, the more daunting the prospect of organizing them. Sort and organize as you collect. Otherwise you will end up with a box in the attic, such as the one described by Cypress baker Connie Rosenthal: “I don’t look at it, but I can’t throw it away. The box is just up there living its own life.”

Backup: If you keep your recipes in a computer program, be sure to back up the files.

Note from Lucy: Yep! Sounds like me. I have a bag of recipes that sound wonderful and I might want to try someday. My “handful” of recipes that I always use are located in the kitchen drawer where I can get my hands on them. I love the recipe cards that are handed down from TF’s mom and grandmother. My favorite “chocolate glaze” recipe was cut off of the Duncan Hines box many years ago. My pancake recipe is cut off the Pioneer baking mix box. I also have recipes saved on my computer. I actually did use the Crockpot Breakfast Casserole for the Fourth of July church activity. I suppose it is time to purge the recipes in the Ziplock bag…….How do you handle your recipes?

All of today’s news comes from the Houston Chronicle “Flavor” section dated July 9, 2008.

On a personal note: Three weeks ago I pulled some muscles in my right arm while cutting some tree limbs. It has healed up well. Last night I slipped and turned my right ankle. Am I trying to kill myself???? I have gone years without incident and within three weeks, I have hurt myself twice. TF and I leave for New York next week and I should be healed by then……I’m keeping my fingers crossed….

Have a great week everyone.

More Dollar Stretcher tidbits.............

2008-07-05T23:49:00.002-05:00

Make Your Home Flea-Free

When I buy flea collars for my three dogs, I use the extra that I cut off to put in my vacuum cleaner bag to kill any fleas that are sucked up! It helps to keep the house flea
free. Allison F. in Texas.
Note from Lucy: Here in Texas we are always looking for ways to keep the fleas off of our pets. It doesn’t get cold enough down here to “freeze” off the fleas during the winter months. I have used the extra bits of flea collars and put them under the couch cushions….

Save Your Clothes

I learned years ago quite by accident just how much dryers wear out clothing. The boss's wife came into the office wearing the same outfit I had on that day. Her outfit was badly faded and mine still looked great. I drip-dried mine on the shower rod. She dried her outfit in the clothes dryer. Her outfit looked years older. We bought them at the same store around the same time.

If you need to use the dryer, be sure to add a small, clean, dry towel to your load. I have one of those cheaper small bath towels set aside for just this purpose. This saves a lot of drying time. Before I started using this method, I had to put extra money in our apartment house dryers in order for my cotton socks and undies to get completely dry. Now I save that extra 75 cents a load and have saved a lot of money with this method. J. Grandmother & Great Grandmother of 41
Note from Lucy: I was looking at a pair of my pajama bottoms last night and wondering why they are wearing out so fast. The fabric around the top of the waist line is fraying and they are just too new to do that.

Soap Scum

Many people use Lemon Oil to polish their furniture; however, it is also a great way to clean soap scum from the shower doors. Have you ever noticed how no matter how hard you scrub those doors and how much glass cleaner or bathroom cleaner you use there is always that nasty film left on the doors? Next time you clean your bathroom just wipe a little lemon oil on the doors and you will see the soap scum just run away. Not only does it clean the soap scum, but it also puts an oily film on the doors, which repels the soap scum from building back up. Just wipe the doors occasionally with the lemon oil, and you will not have any more problems with soap scum. Also, you will have a lemony fresh scent. M.

Revenues from Bank Fees Up 41% in Four Years: Wow, this was an eye opener. The banks and credit card companies and using unique ideas to nickel and dime us to death with fees in these struggling times. Check it out.

Security freeze better than fraud alert: This was an interesting read considering, the fact, that TF had his lap top stolen and we decided to pay Life Lock to protect us for a year against identity theft.

Doing the student loan shuffle: Do you have kids who need to get a student loan? It’s going to be harder to obtain one with our economy the way it is: Check it out.

All of this information came from the Dollar Stretcher website. I really love this site because it has all kinds of articles to help out the American consumer and lots of tips… Here's another one that I liked.

Practical and Frugal Home Security: This article gave some great tips on securing your home. Check it out.

Note from Lucy: We had a great 4th of July again this year….It started off the night before, in the Woodlands, with the Houston Symphony playing wonderful patriotic music. The next morning I went to the pancake breakfast at the church, then home to nap, and watch my favorite movie for the fourth of July (Yankee Doodle Dandy). Around 6:00pm we had a dinner of BBQ ribs, chicken and sausage, some potato salad and baked beans. Then we were off to the Woodlands to watch the fireworks….I was so tired when I got home that I don’t even remember taking off my clothes and going to bed. I feel very grateful to live in this free country. I am such a cry baby when I hear patriotic music.

Have a great week everyone!

Fourth of July Weekend approaches……

2008-07-02T08:45:00.001-05:00

When was the Fourth of July first Celebrated? Read about it right here:

TF and I will be traveling to the Woodlands on the 3rd for the yearly Houston Symphony music celebration of the Fourth of July. Then on the fourth, early morning, we will go to our annual church “pancake breakfast and flag raising ceremony.” I will be taking a breakfast casserole and TF and I will join in the fun before going home to crash….lol This year we will “take it easy” by staying home and relaxing. We will probably watch the fireworks on TV and just chill out. Maybe I’ll cook some ribs, potato salad, cold slaw and fix a nice dinner, then again maybe not. Who knows, I’m playing it by ear this year. I’ll be missing my blog buddies who are up at Cliff’s enjoying blogstock and hoping they bring home lots of pictures. I know for sure that I will be making this refreshing “Watermelon Cooler” recipe by Paula Dean….yummmmmm!

Watermelon Cooler (by Paula Dean)

1 1/2 pounds (4 cups) sliced seedless watermelon, rind removed
1 cup lemon sorbet
1 lemon, zested
1 1/2 cups cold water
Watermelon wedges and mint, for garnish
In a food processor, blend watermelon, sorbet, and lemon zest until very smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cold water; cover and refrigerate until very cold. Serve over ice and garnish with watermelon wedges and mint.

A Few Frugal finds:
KEEP THAT CAST DRY
This one had to be invented by a child with a cast experience, or a parent tired of saying “no” to a child with a cast. Either way, if you have someone with a cast, you can benefit from this invention. At…http://www.xerosox.com You can find a way to waterproof casts, bandages, or even prosthetic limbs. You can order it yourself, but should also check with your doctor. POST IT…on the inside of your medicine cabinet. From Make a note.

Smilebox

Create a free Smilebox scrapbook in 5 minutes. Just drag photos into amazing e-designs. Email them free. Also create greetings, slideshows, photo books and postcards.
http://www.anrdoezrs.net/email-1399272-10460578 Found on the make a note webpage.

Spare Table

We love to entertain, but in our small home, dining room seating for guests can be quite a problem. Our solution was to purchase a five-foot long (rectangular) folding table and
store it in the kitchen space between the wall and the refrigerator. We can move it easily to the dining room or even bring it out to the backyard without a problem. It gives us
seating for six, looks nice with a tablecloth, and is stored out of the way. It was also inexpensive to purchase. Another bonus is when I am working in the kitchen, I can pull it out, unfold and use as an extra counter top! Kayla B. in Milwaukee, WI

PRESIDENTIAL COOKIES COOKBOOK
Did you know that Family Circle magazine’s Presidential Candidate Cookie Contest has predicted the outcome of the last 4 elections? Each of the final candidates’ spouses are asked to submit a cookie recipe, the magazine publishes them online and in print (look for the July issue), and readers vote for their favorite. They’ve done this for the last 4
elections and the husband of the each winner was elected President (see our recipe section below for how you can see this year’s recipes and vote). So you can see that Presidential Cookie recipes are a serious matter. Here’s a great cookbook for any cookie and/or history lover out there. Presidential Cookies by Bev Young is a collection of the favorite cookie recipes from George Washington to George W. Bush, with some historical commentary thrown in. The older recipes are adapted for current appliances. You can find out why the Kennedys’ gingerbread cookies were re-named Tuiles. You can read about how Teresa Heinz Kerry’s initial submission was rejected, and she had to send in another one. This would also be a great idea for history teachers, or a yummy history lesson for the whole family. So check it out or place an order at…
http://www.presidentialcookies.com Found on the make a note webpage.

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RECIPE: CINDY MCCAIN’S OATMEAL BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES
When I first found this website, Cindy McCain was in the lead, so we are reprinting her recipe (apparently some people were unhappy with an uncommon ingredient in Michelle Obama’s recipe). Who knows who will be leading when this issue goes to press. In past contests, it seems that the more classic recipes tend to be more popular.

Makes 5-1/2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1-2/3 cups butterscotch chips
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer
to a wire rack to cool.
POST IT…on your shopping list, in your recipe box, and on your computer.

Have a great safe weekend everyone!

The Tomato order is done………..

2008-06-28T08:37:00.002-05:00

At the end of May, I talked to a man who offered our church group a chance to purchase some produce at a great price. He was the friend of a farmer, from Hempstead, Texas, who’s main crop was tomatoes and watermelons. He also grew a smaller crop of squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, and cantaloupes. They offered us a 33 lb. box of steak tomatoes for $ 11.50 a box, same poundage of roma’s for $ 10.50 a box, big watermelons for $ 3.00 each and so forth. With food prices on the rise, I knew it was a good deal. I talked to our church group and they were excited about it so we scheduled some canning classes to teach people how to can tomatoes. Since we are not allowed to collect money on church property, we sent out the order form via email and had everyone mail in their “outside” orders.

Since many of the ladies were going to can their tomatoes, we ordered 30 copies of a book called, “So Easy to Preserve” at $ 15.00 each. The book is put out by the University of Georgia, it is 375 pages of information on canning, freezing and drying and it is awesome. I had pre-ordered these books and put it on my charge account and prayed that we would sell them all. I offered them as a first come, first served offer, letting people know that I only had a limited supply. Well, we sold all of them and are working on order # 2. Once you see the book, it sells itself.

Back to the tomatoes: To make a long story short, we ended up buying almost 300 boxes of tomatoes, over 300 watermelons, and assorted boxes of the peppers, cucumbers, squash and cantaloupes. The order was so big that we divided the orders into two groups and had two different locations to deliver to. Thursday morning our first delivery was made and we off loaded the produce, inventoried it, divided it up and send it home with all of the purchasers. Each person that ordered a book picked it up with their order. Everything went off without a hitch. Yesterday, Friday, the second order was delivered. They were short seven boxes of roma tomatoes and 4 watermelons. With a few apologies and some refunding, the delivery went relatively well. We did these deliveries around 9:00am. and were finished by 11:00am. We have been getting rain in the afternoons, so we missed the rains on both days, thank goodness! I had planned to take pictures of all of this but I was so busy with the deliveries that I just didn’t have time to take any pictures.

Now, the good news! The farmer is considering doing a co-op with us. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will come thru. We will get fresh produce at below grocery store prices and make shopping a little less strenuous. Farm co-ops are an up and coming way to help you, the consumer, save money and help the farmer sell his crop.

Have a great week everyone!

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig....

2008-06-24T15:24:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm home from my week at the beach....It was fun and I had a great time with my two sisters, brother, and three other young family members. It began with me finishing off paying bills, turning in the tomato order and a flurry of other little odds and ends. I spent some really quility time with my family and what more can you ask? I sat under the beach umbrella reading and watching everyone else. My sisters and brother fished and swam till they could move no more. I walked on the beach, watch the pelican and sea gulls hunt for fish and walked barefoot in the sand. And yes, Jamie Dawn, I watched the "moon shine" over the water. It was a full moon and it couldn't have been more beautiful. We went crab hunting one night when it got dark and found one big crab and two small ones. Before we could head back to our camper, the large crab decided to "canablize" one of the smaller crabs. We decided to throw back all of the crabs and just head back. One of my favorite things to do was watch the pelicans flying over the water. They would start out sitting on the water, then they would fly, and then they would make a "dive bomb" for a fish down below. They looked like comokazi pilots making a bee line for their target.

To make a long story short, I did get some sun, coming home with a mild sun burn. We shopped on the Strand, we went out for pizza at a fabulous little pizza place, we walked our leggs off, we went to WalMart every day for ice and food, we played Chinese checks with a new champ every night, we barboqued, we ate water melon, we took down the owning on the trailer in record time when a storm came in on us quickly. We were lucky that we were around to do the job, some of the other campers were not so lucky and they had their ownings ripped off in a flash. All, I can say is, I had a great time. I can’t wait till next year…..

Now some wonderful recipes:

Stuffed Green Peppers

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese, divided 6 green peppers. tops removed & seeded

Combine all ingredients, except 1/4 cup cheese and green peppers. Stuff peppers. Arrange peppers in crockpot. Cover, cook on low 6-8 hours (high 3-4 hours). Sprinkle
with 1/4 cup cheese during the last 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, one turn of the pan
24 large gourmet stuffing mushroom caps, stems removed and reserved brushed with damp towel
Salt and pepper
Stuffing:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan
3/4 pound sweet bulk Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
20 stems mushrooms, finely chopped
1 rib of celery and green, leafy top from the heart of the stalk, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 slices white bread, toasted and buttered, chopped into small dice
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, 2 handfuls
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and mushroom caps and season caps with salt and pepper. Saute caps 5 to 7 minutes, until they are lightly browned and tender on edges. Turn caps up and let juices drain away from caps. Transfer caps to a small nonstick baking sheet. Wipe out skillet and return to heat. Add a touch of oil and sausage to the hot skillet. Brown and crumble sausage for 3 minutes. In a food processor pulse and chop the garlic, add mushroom stems and pulse to chop the mushroom stems. Add celery, onion and red bell pepper to the mushrooms and pulse to chop. Remove mixture from the processor and saute veggies and mushrooms over medium high heat another 3 to 5 minutes. Add dry, defrosted spinach and stir into stuffing. Add chopped bread and cheese to the pan and toss stuffing until bread is moist and stuffing is combined, 2 or 3 minutes. Fill caps with stuffing using a small scoop or large spoon. Place caps in hot oven and reduce heat to 450 degrees F. Bake 6 to 8 minutes to crisp edges of stuffing and set stuffing in mushrooms. Transfer stuffed mushrooms to a serving plate.

Herb and Garlic Grilled Vegetable Platter
Recipe By : Real Food for Real People - Serving Size : 6
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Zucchini -- or yellow squash, sliced
1 small Sweet Onion -- cut into wedges
12 medium Mushroom Caps -- cut into wedges
1 medium Eggplant -- thick sliced
2 medium Bell Peppers -- asst. colors, sliced in chunks
1 cup Lawry's Herb and Garlic Marinade with Lemon Juice

In large zip baggie, combine all ingredients and marinate in refrigerator for 30
minutes or overnight. Either thread onto skewers or place vegetables in grill
basket to grill over barbecue until tender.

Variations:
May cook in skillet until browned and tender.
May broil or oven roast at 450ºF until tender.

Picnic Idea: A great recipe to take along as a picnic side dish, to top a main
dish salad or to wrap up in a tortilla as a vegetarian sandwich.

Wrap Party Tip: Wrap fillings can be made up ahead and refrigerated. When ready to serve, allow vegetables to come to room temperature, place on buffet with tortillas and let guests serve themselves.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 91 Calories; 1g Fat (5.7% calories from
fat); 4g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1075mg
Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Have a great week everyone! The tomato order is being delivered on Thursday. I will take a few pictures of that event, so be ready folks......

Dollar Stretcher Tips and Real Age Advice

2008-06-14T20:22:00.002-05:00

Removing Wallpaper

A great way to remove wallpaper is to combine one cup of fabric softener with a pail of warm water. Sponge it on the paper and scrape. This works really well! If the wall paper is stubborn, gently score it with a fork. Roz in Canada
Note from Lucy: I know that this works because my SIL is a dry wall man and he does this all the time.

Shipping Small Fragile Items

When I had to ship something fragile, I put the item into a resealable bag, but I didn't close the bag all the way. Then, I inserted a straw into the bag and pinched the bag around it. To inflate the bag, I blew into the straw and then I quickly closed the bag. I packed it in a box with crumpled newspaper. I promise it works! Rachel B.
Note from Lucy: I shipped a package last Thursday. I bubble wrapped the item and then packed it into a small box with peanuts. Then I put this package into a larger box with the rest of the items and used more peanuts. We got word today the everything arrived in tip top shape.

Roach Free

A method of killing roaches is to mix equal parts of cornstarch and plaster of paris and then leave it out (in plastic lids under dressers, etc.). They eat the mixture because of the sugar in the cornstarch and the plaster hardens and kills them. My family lived in Brazil for many years, and this stuff worked miracles on reducing the roach population. KW
Note from Lucy: This sounds like an interesting way to rid your house of roaches. Has anyone ever tried this?

For those of you who live in Florida, this is a must in Hurricane season.

A Secret Inside

Be careful with new product packaging. For example, Wal-Mart had a new package on paper towels that said, "New Bigger Sheets." It was the same price. Sounds good, right? You need to check the square feet per roll! The sheets might be bigger, but they have less square footage per roll. My Wal-Mart not only decreased the roll size, but they also raised the price six cents! Luckily, I had bought all the old packages just before the price increase, so I'm set for a few weeks. Terri

More Efficient Freezer

A freezer runs better when as full as possible. If you need to fill it, just put ice in those areas. It will save money, and you will always have ice ready for those hot summer days coming up. Sue G.
Note from Lucy: If your freezer goes out it is important that you not open the door to the freezer. You can also insulate the freezer by wrapping it in newspaper and then wrapping it in a blanket. You would be amazed how well this works. Of course keeping a full freezer is important too.

Natural Garden Protection

I sprinkle my eggshells around my shrubs. It is a deterrent for slugs. The eggshells also add nutrients to the soil. Mary Jo in Alamo, TN

RealAge Tip
4 Foods for Better ImmunityYour immune system is responsible for helping fight off everything from the common cold to cancer. A tall order!

Send in some reinforcements so it doesn't get battle fatigue. Here are four foods your immune system loves.

Sweet, Creamy, Steamy, Crunchy . . .
Oranges, yogurt, tea, and pumpkin seeds are the order of the day when it comes to giving your immune system a treat, according to RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of the best-selling (and now newly expanded and updated) YOU: The Owner's Manual. Here's how these four superfoods help:

1. Oranges are chock-full of vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that helps your immune system fend off disease-causing invaders. Other good C options: bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, and broccoli. Or take 400 milligrams of vitamin C three times daily. (Look up more C sources.)
2. Yogurt (unpasteurized) contains Lactobacillus acidophilus -- a healthy bacterium that helps thwart fungus-related infections. Or take a 20-milligram acidophilus supplement twice daily. (Here's another great natural fungicide.)
3. Tea is full of flavonoids, powerful vitamin-like substances that reduce immune-system aging. You'll also find them in oats, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, apples, and berries. (Boost your berry intake with this Triple Berry Blender Blaster.)
4. Pumpkin seeds are great year round, not just at Halloween, because they contain zinc -- a nutrient that's been shown to help reduce the average length of the common cold. (Find out how zinc can make exercise easier, too.)
Are your immunizations current? Get a checklist with this vaccine assessment.

RealAge Benefit: Protecting your immune system can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

Note from Lucy: I'll be leaving town early Monday morning to go on my yearly trip to the beach with my two sisters and my brother. Last year I didn't get to go because of TF's gall bladder surgery but this year is all go. I can hardly wait to feel the ocean breezes on my face, feel the sand between my toes and just listen to the waves come in and go out....I bought a new beach unbrella this year and I plan to use it as I sit on the beach and do my people watching. I will read my magazines, listen to the radio, enjoy the company of my family and just chill.....No phones, no computers or TV. I'm looking forward to walks on the beach, barboque, watching the moon shine over the water and my trips to Wal Mart to just look around. lol......

See ya a week from Monday......

We lost our Missy last week.....

2008-06-08T13:21:00.001-05:00

Last week was full of ups and downs. On the up side, I have been clipping hedges, tree limbs and lots of over growth in our back yard. Last year I didn’t do much clipping and the yard was beginning to look like a jungle out there. I decided to hire a young boy from our church to pick up all the chippings. He is trying to earn money for his scout camp and I decided he would be the perfect fit for this job. He came over in the mornings, while it was still coolish, to do the work. Well, last Thursday, he came with his younger brother and they started to work. I opened the gate so that the boys could come and go as they pleased. Missy, our dog, came out to keep the boys company. I usually don’t worry about her because she stays near the house and does not wonder. She played with the boys for a while and then went back into the yard.

I came into the house for a quick break and decided to wash the dishes, then I sat down to read the paper. TF got a call and he had to leave go do his job. He waved good buy and went outside. Within a few minutes, I heard Missy screech out in pain. I ran to the back door and TF was running in shouting that he had run over Missy. I looked outside and Missy was pulling herself thru the gate and to the back door. She wasn’t crying, but you could tell she was hurt. I ran for the front door and called Alec to come quickly. In the mean time TF grabbed a towel and gently placed her on it. He and Alec lifted Missy into my car and the boys and I took her immediately to the vets. All of this time, Missy never utter a sound of pain. I prayed that she was only slightly hurt, but it was not to be.

I vet put her on an examination table and had me pat her while she examined her. Missy is 13 years old and has been incontinent for the last year. The vet said that she was hard of hearing, which TF and I had suspected, and she had cataracts on both of her eyes. Her leg was fractured in several places and would need surgery. The vet gave me this look that I knew was no good. She said that with Missy’s age that the surgery would be tough and it might not take if she has soft bones. With being incontinent, hard of hearing, and almost blind the doctor said it would be better to put her to sleep. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I could hardly see, but I called my husband and had the doctor tell him what she thought was the right thing to do. I know that I didn’t want “puppy”, which is what we called her, to suffer any more pain. Deep down inside I knew it was the right thing to do, we both knew that we had to let her go.

Dr. Marshall, consoled me and did what she had to do. Missy was gone in a matter of minutes. I went out to take care of my bill and had to tell the boys what had happened. Alec understood right away but his brother Joseph, kept asking when we were going to take Missy home. I had to explain that Missy was going to a different home where she would feel no more pain. It was hard walking out of that clinic without my dog….I cried all the way home. TF has really had a hard time with this because he is the one that ran over her….He hated to put her thru so much pain.

This is how a day can go from the top of the roller coaster to the bottom in a matter of minutes…..On the way home I explained to Alec, thru my tears, that life is like a roller coaster. We have lots of ups and downs and it doesn’t matter how many we have that counts, what matters is how we handle them…….end of story.

Sorry, no frugal news this post. Have a great week everyone. Check out TF’s blog, here to see a picture of our Missy.

The Unnamed Meme!

2008-06-01T09:23:00.003-05:00

OK, Diane.....here is my meme....

In your entire life, have you ever...

gone on a blind date? Yes, once and it wasn’t fun. I never did that again.

skipped school? Nope, I never did.

watched someone die? I had to watch my dad die and it was really hard. He withered away for two weeks in the hospital and at the end I was praying for the Lord to just take him. I did not want to see him suffer any longer and he died that night.

been to Canada? No, never have.

been to Mexico? One year on vacation to the Rio Grande valley, we crossed the border at Matamoras for two hours and it was the scariest thing we ever did. Some Mexican got into my dad’s car and drove like a wild person. That was the last time we ever did that!

been to Florida? Yes. TF’s parents live in Vero Beach and we go down there to visit them once or twice a year now. My daughter is there right now to visit with them and she got to see the space shuttle take off. Oh yes, I have also been to Disneyworld. My dad, two sisters and my brother along with my son and middle daughter camped down there one year around the 4th of July. We saw a terrific fireworks display over the Indian River.....Awesome!

been on a plane? Yes, and we will be getting on one in July to go to New York City for a long weekend trip to see Yankee Stadium before it is torn down. I also was on a plane 3 weeks after 9/11, it was almost empty. I think there were about 10 people on that plane. There were also 3 middle eastern men on the plane. One of the men sat up front, one sat in the middle and the last one sat in the back of the plane. I think every person on the plane had their eyes on these men. I almost didn't get on the plane, but I figured that they wouldn't dare try it again.....I arrived safely in Denver..

been lost? Ocassionally, but I always find my way.

been on the opposite side of the country? I live in Houston, and I have been to Florida, New York and there around, to Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Big Ben Park. I have never been to California or the West Coast.

gone to Washington, DC? Yes, once, two weeks before 9/11.

swam in the ocean? Yep, Swam in the ocean outside of Vero Beach,Florida and, living in Houston, I have swam in the Gulf of Mexico many times.

had your booze taken away by the cops? Nope! I don’t drink so that would be an impossibility. If they want my Diet Dr.Pepper, they can have it.

lettered in a high school sport? No, I was in band all of my high school years…..loved it!

cried yourself to sleep? Yes, I think most everyone has.

played cops and robbers? Yes, but it was a long time ago. I did play detective once when my son sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night.

played dolls? Yes, I had a chatty Cathy….

recently colored with crayons? Yes, with two grandkids, it is a must.

sang Karaoke? Not in front of anyone!

paid for a meal with coins only? All the time! You are talking to Miss Frugal here!

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Probably!

cheated on an exam? Never have! I had my chances but I just couldn’t do it. I have one of the biggest Consciences you can imagine.

made prank phone calls? If I did, I don’t remember it.

laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? No, but I have laughed hard enough to pee in my pants.

caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes, Don’t get that chance much here in Houston, but I have done it.

danced in the rain? Yes, I have danced, played, and skipped in the dirty gutter water while it rained. It sure was fun.

written a letter to Santa Claus? Yes.

been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes

watched the sunrise with someone you care about? One of my favorite things to do.

been arrested? Nope.

blown bubbles? I’ve blown lots of bubbles.

gone ice-skating. If you want to call it skating, I was on my butt more than on the skates.

been skinny dipping outdoors? No

had a nickname? Where do I start? My dad called my Lucy Belle or Lulu Belle. I’ve been called: LuLu, Luc the goose, Luc, Lucy Girl and a mired of other names….

been to Africa? No. Sounds like it would be fun.

eaten cookies for dinner? Yes and I have milk with those cookies to make it a complete meal.

been on TV? Not that I recall.

stolen any traffic signs? No

been in a car accident? Yes, several times. The first time I was around 11 years old and a lady ran a stop sign and hit my mom’s car. We didn’t have seat belts back then and I flew forward and hit my tooth on the dashboard. My tooth broke off and my mom was able to get my braces with the money she got from the insurance. Other accidents were minor ones and I was not hurt in any of them.

What is your....

mother's name? Louise Mary Hebner Spitler

favorite drink? Diet Dr. Pepper

favorite alcohol? I don’t Drink so I don’t have any favorites. Wait! I do like a virgin Strawberry Dakarie. (Did I even spell that right?)

birthplace? Houston Texas, The old Memorial Hospital downtown. It has been torn down now.

favorite vacation spot? Mountain areas of Colorado.

favorite salad dressing? Ranch

favorite pie? Chocolate Pudding pie.

favorite number? 3 or 5

favorite movie? Too many to put just one. Dave, National Treasure, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, Fried Green Tomatoes, Forest Gump, Fracture, and so many more.

favorite holiday? Christmas and I like Thanksgiving too.

favorite food? Fired Chicken is my all time favorite….

favorite day of the week? Any day that I wake up able to get up and go.

favorite brand of body wash? I don’t use body wash, I like soap.

favorite toothpaste? Well, right now I am using old fashioned, baking soda and peroxide. I mix it up and dip my toothbrush in and brush. Love it.

favorite smell? I have so many...Coffee brewing (I don’t drink it, but I like the smell), food cooking, the smell just after a rain storm, the fresh air smell up in the mountains and etc.

Do you have any...

tattoos? NO. None, nada, never.

body piercings? Same as tattoos!

Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? A two door car, and I will never get another one. I have always had a 4 door car, then I let my husband talk me into getting a two door, that was a mistake!! With Grandkids - never again.

What do you do to relax? Read or watch TV all by myself. Sometimes, a guiet evening alone with my husband will do the trick....

How do you see yourself in 10 years? Alive and kicking!

Anyone who would like to do this meme....go right ahead. This has been fun.

Did you Know about this?

2008-05-27T10:44:00.002-05:00

I received this email from a friend today. And, being the doubting Thomas that I am, went immediately to my roll of Reynolds wrap. Darned if that little tab isn't there ... on both ends yet!!

I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. The darn roll always comes out at the wrong time.

Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and looked at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, "Press here to lock end". Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. How long has this little locking tab been there? I then looked at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one, too. I then looked at a box of Saran wrap and it had one too! I can't count the number of times the Saran wrap roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up.

I'm sharing this with my friends that did not know this. I hope I'm not the only person that didn't know about this.

Note from Lucy: It's true, I went and looked.....

Have a great week everyone!

More Tidbits.......

2008-05-21T08:26:00.003-05:00

I was scouring the “Make a Note” website this morning and found this wonderful tidbits.

TAX HOLIDAYS
Some states have a variety of tax holidays, days when you can buy certain products without paying tax on them. Most of us are familiar with the school clothing/supplies holidays, but a few states are now doing hurricane and energy saving item tax holidays as well. To see if your state has tax holidays that can save you money, when they are, along with links to approved item lists and other information, go to...
http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html
Most of the hurricane holidays are imminent, so check your dates soon. NOTE TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS: If you are looking for your hurricane holiday, your state legislature decided to skip it this year, sorry. POST IT…on your computer and your calendar.

PROTECT YOUR FOOD FROM PLASTIC COMPOUNDS
Recent reports have found that more chemical compounds leech into our food from plastic containers than was originally thought. Many of us use a lot more plastic containers than we realize. So consider replacing plastic containers with glass or metal ones. Other items you might not think of that come into contact with food/drink…water bottles, travel mugs, measuring spoons/cups, cutting boards, utensils, pitchers, mixing bowls, etc. Here’s a link to an article with even more ideas on avoiding the chemicals…
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100176179#

RECIPE: FOR THAT INGREDIENT
It has been sitting in your cupboard for an eternity. That lone can or package of some ingredient that you bought at one time or another and never got around to using. You can’t even find the recipe you were going to use it with. Now you can find a way to use it without pouring through piles of recipes. Go to… http://allrecipes.com/Search/Ingredients.aspx
Enter the ingredient that you don’t have a recipe for, and then hit “Go” or enter. You will usually get a good variety of recipes to choose from. For example, I had a package of dry leek soup mix that had me at a loss. I entered it in, and now I have some veggie dip recipes and a slow cooked chicken dish to try. Hey, I’m guessing if it can come up with recipes for leek soup mix, then it can come up with recipes for your ingredient. It’s
a great way to clean out your cupboard a bit, without being wasteful. You may even find a new favorite recipe. POST IT…on the inside of the kitchen cupboard where you store your food, and/or with your recipes.

BACK ISSUE TREASURE: September 17th, 2003 Issue
(Hurricane Prep Sites, Legos, Practice Tests/Drills/Games, Italian Potato Salad, and More) Hurricane season isn’t that far away, and if you’d like to know what you might want to purchase during your state’s hurricane tax holiday, or how to prepare in other ways, check out the article in this back issue. You can also find a good source for Legos and practice tests/drills/games for almost any subject. Don’t forget the recipe for the Italian Potato Salad too. For all this & more, head to our back issue section by following the directions below. POST IT...on your computer.

BACK ISSUE RETRIEVAL
~~Via Web Site (All Issues...Eventually):
http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/index.htm , then click on "Back Issues", then scroll down to desired issue.
~~Via Automated Email (Issues from 8/98 to Present): Send a blank email to
make-a-note-issues@xc.org and follow directions you will receive by return email.
~~Via Request to Editor (ONLY Issues Prior to 8/98 for Readers UNABLE to Access Web Sites): Send date of requested issue to Editor at make-a-note@worldnet.att.net

Note from Lucy: If you love these hints you will love "Make a Note". Go check out their website and decide for yourself.

Have a great week everyone!

Helpful Hints......

2008-05-17T12:49:00.001-05:00

If found these on my Dollar Stretcher website today and thought they were worth sharing. I especially like the one about the onions, since I just had to through out a couple of them for that very reason…

Onions!

As you know, onions rot if you leave them in plastic bags, and they tend to go bad when they touch other onions in a bag. Here's how to keep them longer. Take an old pair of panty hose that you don't wear any longer. Cut off one of the legs. Put an onion in the bottom of the foot. Tie a knot in the hose. Then, put in another onion and tie another knot. Keep repeating. When you're done, you can tie the onions up and hang them on a nail inside of the pantry or somewhere else. You only need to cut an onion off at a time when you need them. This works in both humid and dry climates. Mary A. in Cortaro, AZ

Preventing Garden Water Waste

It's time to set gardens again. One tip I tell friends is to recycle used water or soda bottles by cutting off the bottom and using it as a funnel in the garden. As I set out my tomato
plants (this is also good for other plants as well), I place a "funnel" in the hole too, so that when I need to water (we usually have a drought during summer), it goes directly to the
roots. I use a lot less water and I am not watering any weeds. Mary R.

Cheaper Wrapping Paper

Instead of buying boxes or using flimsy brown paper, use wallpaper to solve some of your shipping and mailing dilemmas. When I need to mail oversized books that don't fit into a manila envelope, I wrap them in wallpaper. When I don't have the right sized shipping box to send gifts to family/friends across the country, I use wallpaper to wrap and seal things that already have their own (non-packing) boxes. You can find really strong, sturdy wallpaper at thrift stores for a dollar or less. It's generally heavy weight and almost untearable, even by those machines they use at the USPS. I've never had a
package arrive damaged and the recipients almost always remark on how clever (and sometimes colorful) it is. Just attach the address on a sticky label and you're set!
Glenda in Chicago

Garage Sale Discipline

Garage sale season is upon us here again in PA after a long winter. I love to get great bargains at garage sales, but I can also end up spending more money than I should. I figure out which garage sales I will go to on the upcoming Saturday (I map it out using our local Pennysaver), then I figure out a budget. I withdraw that budgeted amount from the bank and keep it in the bank envelope that it comes in. This way, I don't have to carry my purse. Instead, I just keep the envelope in my wallet and I know how much money I have left to spend.

My 3-year-old also comes with me now to the sales and we usually take $5 out of her piggy bank for her to spend. We use the same idea, except she likes carrying around a little purse. This teaches her budgeting and how to purchase an item. We also discuss an item she may be wanting. If she says she wants something with a Disney princess on it, I let her get one item like that. Michelle in Freedom, PA

Restocking My "Gift Box"

I frequent garage sales weekly during the summer. Besides buying used clothing and furniture for my family, I stretch my budget by looking for new items. Often I can buy new kitchen or other items unused still in the box or package. I've purchased new Pampered Chef items, home decor, baby items, and clothing with tags. I store these items in my "gift box" and pull them out when I need a shower gift. I was able to buy a Pampered Chef pitcher still in the plastic and in the box for $3. I also purchased a PC food chopper new in the box for $5. This adds up to considerable savings in my gift budget. Rhonda H.
Note from Lucy: I keep a gift box too, but I usually get my items when they are on sale or marked down at a good price.

Have a great week everyone!

The Daffodil Principle

2008-05-12T20:42:00.003-05:00

( I received this from my friend Richard Sutton and it has always been a favorite of mine.)

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, 'Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.'

I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead 'I will come next Tuesday', I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned, cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

'Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!'

My daughter smiled calmly and said, 'We drive in this all the time, Mother.'
'Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!' I assured her.

'But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks,' Carolyn said. 'I'll drive. I'm used to this.'

'Carolyn,' I said sternly, 'Please turn around.'
'It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.'

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, ' Daffodil Garden .' We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

'Who did this?' I asked Carolyn.
'Just one woman,' Carolyn answered. 'She lives on the property. That's her home.' Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. 'Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking', was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. '50,000 bulbs,' it read. The second answer was, 'One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.' The third answer was, 'Began in 1958.'

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we, too, will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world .

'It makes me sad in a way,' I admitted to Carolyn. 'What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!'

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. 'Start tomorrow,' she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?'

Use the Daffodil Principle.
Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.

Have a great week everyone.

With Mothers Day upon us......

2008-05-08T22:16:00.004-05:00

WHY GOD MADE MOMS*
(Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions.) Thanks to Richard Sutton for sending me this one.

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Note from Lucy: It's been 24 years since my own mother died at the tender age of 57. I love her very much and still miss her today. She raised four children within 5 years of each other. I was the oldest, Barbara next at exactly 2 years to the date, then Pat 18 months later, and last but not least, my brother Donny, 15 months after Pat.....I always wondered why she was half crazy and after having kids of my own, I know why......I really don't know how she managed us all so close in age. We grew up with very little money but we felt rich with all the love that was shared. I feel very grateful to have had good parents. I wish my mom had been her longer to see her grandkids grow up, hopefully she is watching us all from above. Happy Mothers Day, Mom... (I have to say, that TF's mom is the best! I love her too.)

Vacation for Less....

2008-05-05T00:10:00.004-05:00

From the Dollar Stretcher website:
by Judith A. Filangeri
Cutting costs without cutting the pleasure out of the trip

Ahhh! The very thought of vacation makes us wax positively poetic. "Summer afternoon - summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language." Henry James certainly got that right. Now, let's get practical.

AAA has been tracking vacation costs since 1950, when the average daily cost of meals and lodging for a family of four was $13. As of 2007, food and lodging for that family was up to an average of $269 a day, with lodging being the main
inflation driver. Remember that "average" includes places like Hawaii, which are up over $600 a day, as well North Dakota, which are under $200. And then there's the skyrocketing cost of gas.

So if you're planning to pack the family suitcases and get out of town, whether to the cabin on the lake or more exotic fare, are there any ways to cut costs without cutting the pleasure out of the trip? You betcha!

Air Fares: If you're flying, check the Internet sites (Priceline.com, Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, etc.) and don't forget the actual airline sites. Many airlines offer special travel packages. Fares are also often lower if you fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The more flexible you can be the better chance you have at savings. Note from Lucy: TF and I just recently purchased some good airfare on www.cheaptickets.com

Auto Care and Repair: If you're driving, get your car checked out and tuned up at home before you go. You'll avoid potential expensive emergency towing and repairs.

Gas Prices: Get off the interstate if you can. Gas is always a few cents cheaper. And remember that a well-tuned car eats less gas.

Food: If you have the luxury of getting off the interstate, you can often find much less expensive restaurants. Consider a picnic in a park you will pass en route. A picnic has the added advantage of letting the kids run off some steam. Consider choosing a motel where the rooms have a kitchen. This is not to suggest that you make all your meals there. What kind of vacation is that? However, it's not a bad idea for the evening snack, the occasional pizza, or even for a continental breakfast. And you can keep picnic food for some of your day excursions in the room refrigerator. Note from Lucy: I try to pack a cooler with veggies that we can snack on as we travel. It can be refilled all during the trip.

Plan Ahead: If you know where you're going, write (or email)the local Chamber of Commerce or Bureau of Tourism. Tell them what your interests are. You will often get free maps, suggested hotels and restaurants, and valuable sight seeing tips. After all, these folks know the area a lot better than you do. Sometimes there are even discount coupons for restaurants and sights. If you're an AAA member, get a TripTik. Many motels and restaurants have free coupon booklets available. Keep in mind, also, that some local sights have picnic areas attached.
Note from Lucy: I usually purchase an Entertainment Book for the area we are going to for discount coupons to use on the trip. Right now you can get an Entertainment book for $ 15.00 on their website. I have ordered one for our trip, to New York City, this coming July..

Lodging: As with airfares, many hotels can be booked online. Whether you're booking online or stopping more spontaneously, remember that most hotels and motels offer discounts for AAA, for AARP, and sometimes just for asking. Even if you aren't sure you qualify for anything, always ask if there is a discount rate available. The worst that can happen is that they'll say no. And don't count on the travel websites having the lowest rates. Often the hotel website will offer a special that isn't available elsewhere. Note from Lucy: Check the Entertainment book for good hotel rates..

Souvenirs: Ah, souvenirs. Wood carvings and trinkets (most of them made in Taiwan or Mexico) that are hardly local crafts unless you're in Taiwan or Mexico. Saving money here is exercising common sense and self-control. Are you really going to wear that serape or peasant blouse once you're home? Set a budget. For example, everyone gets to buy one thing only and no more than $XX.00. Or set a theme. We get souvenirs to jog the memory of happy times. Good memory joggers are postcards, key chains, or even ticket stubs and brochures from places you visit. Keep them all together and make a scrapbook with the kids when you get home or integrate them with your photos. T-shirts are another option. Or select one special item that can be hung on the Christmas tree to remember the family vacation.

Finally, leave yourself some down time. It's good to plan, but don't over plan. Just because you know every single sight seeing option in an area doesn't mean you have to visit them all. A vacation is not a to-do list. Sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury said it best: "Half the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness" Chill. Relax. You don't want to return from a vacation needing one more than when you left.

Have a wonderful vacation!

Note from Lucy: There are a lot of good ideas here which can save you money on this years vacation. Every year my brother and two sisters and I go on a week trip down to Galveston in June. This year we planned to go to Destin, Flordia for our trip. We planned this trip in Janurary and my sister Pat made the reservations at the RV park. As gas prices started going higher and higher, I called my sister and told her that it would not be wise to go such a distance. We calculated that it would cost us $ 200.00 each way and with two vechiles, that amounted to $ 800.00 just for gas. We decided that Galvestion would be much closer to home and less expensive to go to. The main purpose of the trip is to be together as family and that can be done anywhere.

Have a great week everyone....

Balance Transfer? Beware!

2008-04-28T07:32:00.002-05:00

Balance Transfer? Beware!
by Justin Ripley
Knowing the ins and outs of balance transfers

When I was in college, I got a summer job working at a call center for a major credit card issuer. When I first got the job, I thought it would be great. In an air-conditioned office, I would be sitting down and talking on the phone. It sure sounded a lot better than working on the construction site in the hot summer sun. However, after six weeks, I could no longer take the monotony of the job and the constant abuse on the phone. (We were telemarketing, of course.) So, I quit
the job but not without learning a great deal about the intricacies of the credit card industry. I also learned a number of tips that can help save you money.

Almost everyone has a credit card, usually several, but it's been my observation that most people don't really understand how they work. The credit card companies, of course, prefer it this way, as it makes it easier for them to make money on you.

You've probably received them. Calls or mail from credit card companies, soliciting you to transfer a balance from another credit card account to their credit card. It sounds like a good deal. They tell you that you can move an existing balance
from your MasterCard where you might be paying 19% interest to their Visa card where you will only pay 3% interest. They can tell you how much you'll save in the very first month, and if you're talking about a significant balance, the savings can
indeed be substantial. So, what's the problem? Why not take advantage?

Trick 1: It's Temporary

The first thing you need to know is that the balance transfer rate is temporary. It often lasts for only six months or maybe a year. After this period, the rate will skyrocket to something more like 19%. Most people know this though and can plan accordingly to pay the amount off before the rate goes back up. It's the most basic trick. In fact, I'd allege that it's the one they want you to see. If you think you know the trick you lower your guard, then they trick you again!

Trick 2: Those Devilish Details

"Payments will be applied to balances with lower APRs prior to balances with standard APRs." That statement or something similar to it will appear in the fine print of the offer. If you're being sold a balance transfer over the phone, the
salesperson is actually required to say it. But what exactly does it mean?

Generally, your credit card company distinguishes between different types of card use and the associated balances. Let's call these "buckets." The first bucket is the most common. It is the bucket where all purchases on your card go and it is
almost always at a high rate of interest. When you go out and buy a new HD television on your credit card, this is the bucket it falls in. A month later, you get a bill, and if you don't pay off the balance in full, you'll pay the high rate on
the remaining balance.

Bucket two is for cash advances. This is also at a high rate of interest. Sometimes even higher than the purchase rate. Some people are not aware of it, but you can actually use your credit card to get money from an ATM machine in the form of a
cash advance.

Bucket three is reserved for balance transfers and it is often a rate that is considerably lower than the other rates available on your card. This is where you most often see those 3% or even 0% introductory rates.

So, this is where the tricky business kicks in. Let's say you transferred $1200 from another card (Card A) to a great 0% interest rate offered to you by a competing card company (Card B). The introductory rate only lasts for six months, but you figure you can pay it all off by then by simply making monthly payments of $200. Instead of paying 19% on that balance, you'll now be paying 0% and saving a bunch of money. Then, after you make the balance transfer, you go out and purchase a bunch of stuff at Wal-Mart and use that same card. Maybe you also buy some gas. Heck, maybe it was an existing account and you were already holding a balance on it.

That $200 that you pay will first be applied to the balance in the 0% bucket. The balances sitting in the other buckets don't get paid off at all, and thus grow by the rate of interest being charged. The credit card company has effectively set up
a barrier preventing you from paying off those balances that are at higher rates of interest. Until you pay off all of that balance transfer, you will not be able to pay down the other balances. It's very tricky indeed.

A Few Other Things to Watch Out For

If you miss a payment, the introductory rate will be lost and revert to a much higher rate. Also, look out for fees that may be associated with the balance transfer. Often there is a one-time charge of $75 or more to transfer a balance.

To Transfer or Not to Transfer

Balance transfers are not all bad. If used correctly, balance transfers can be an awesome tool for saving money on credit card debts. You just need to know the ins and outs of how it all works. The credit card company relies on the fact that
people don't understand the intricacies. Do you think they'd make any money giving people such low rates? However, if you do understand the tricks and the pitfalls to avoid when using them, you can save yourself hundreds or even thousands of
dollars!

Take the Next Step:
- If considering a balance transfer, be sure that you understand all the tricks and the pitfalls. It can be an awesome tool in your financial arsenal ... if used correctly.
- Compare various balance transfer credit cards

Note from Lucy: I thought this article was very informative and wanted to pass it on. Banks are always looking for a way to make money off of it's customers and this is just a few of the tricks they use to lure us in to their special offers. If you are thinking about transfering a balance, the trick is in the fine print.....

Have a great week everyone.

The price of rice is going out of sight……

2008-04-23T23:35:00.002-05:00

I told you all about the price of wheat basically doubling in price, well once again a staple item, namely rice, has now doubled in price in the last six weeks. Tonight on the news they were announcing that Sam’s club, as of today, was limiting how much rice a person could buy. You are now allowed to buy four bags of rice per person. I found out from a friend that they have been limiting rice sales at Costco too. When TF. Left tonight for his church activity, I went to the Hong Kong food market and started pricing the rice there. I had my little notebook out writing things down when a little man, standing next to me, said “Three weeks ago this cost $ 12.50 cents and look at the price now”. He said this in the best English he could muster while shaking his head. This was a good quality of Jasmine rice in a 25 lb. bag for $ 21.75. I decided to head for Food Town where I found that the 4lb. bag of rice that was on sale last week for 99 cents was now $ 1.99. I decided to look around the store for prices on other brands. I found a 20 lb. bag of long grain white rice for $ 4.99 a bag. The little calculator, in my head, started computing how much that was per pound and it came to 25 cents per pound. I called a friend and she asked me to get her 2 bags and my married daughter wanted one bag. I ended up with six bags of rice. I will put this into appropriate containers and have it in storage for months to come. If you eat rice, you might consider stocking up on some before it goes up any higher.

Now, to go along with that rice, here is an awesome recipe for Arizona Chuck Wagon Beans that I found on the Chetday.com website.

Arizona Chuck Wagon Beans

1 lb dried navy or pinto beans
6 cups water
1/4 pound salt pork, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 pounds chuck steak, cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
8 ounces tomato sauce

Pick over beans and rinse well. Combine beans and water in a large kettle. Bring to boiling; cover; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour then pour
into slow cooker.

Brown salt pork in a large skillet; remove with a slowtted spoon to cooker; saute onion, garlic and green pepper in pan drippings; remove with slotted spoon to
cooker. Brown beef, a few pieces at a time in pan drippings; remove to cooker with slotted spoon; stir in salt, oregano, red pepper, cumin and tomato sauce. Add
more water, if necessary to bring liquid level above beans.

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours, or until beans are tender.

Talk to ya later.......

Just Lucy talking....

2008-04-07T22:51:00.002-05:00

No frugal advice today, I just want to talk. So much has been going on around here that I can’t seem to get it all done. I worked for 10 days straight working on the taxes so that I could take them over to the tax man in the best order possible. We don’t have a simple tax return, we own our own business and it requires a lot of paper work at times. I am so glad that my part is done, now it’s up to the tax man to finish it before the 15th. It feels like a ball and chain has been released from me and I am free for a while.

Tomorrow night I take my General Class Amateur Radio license test. I have been going to class for five weeks now and the time has come to take the test. This is much harder than I ever thought it would be. I have had to learn all about frequencies, radio bands, all kinds of electrical stuff, propagation, antennas, safety, and all kinds of mathematical formulas. This brain of mine is having a hard time processing it all and I am not sure if I will pass this test on the first round. If I don’t pass I will just study more and take it again in May. If you would like to see what one of the practice tests is about, click here and then click on General and give it a try.

Like Diane, I have been babysitting my two grandkids here and there and loving every minute of it, well almost every minute. JJ is 6 yrs. old and Jocelyne is 2 and a half. They really are good kids but they can wear Grandma out.

With my food storage calling at church, I have been very busy. Wheat prices are up almost double. Check out this article about the rising prices.

Here is a video from a bakery about the increases in anything made with wheat. I think you will find it very interesting.

So how does this involve me? Our church group is able to go in and dry-pack (put up) wheat at last years prices. The church is going thru its stores and selling it at last years prices until they run out. All of a sudden people are worried about food prices and they are working on their food storage…. As stake Dry-pack specialist, I am in charge of several groups of people who are working on their storage……I’m busier than a wet hen. Wait till they find out that rice is about to double in price….

I’ve also been listening to some of the presidential campaign rhetoric on TV and over the Internet. This has been a crazy campaign and I am ready for it to be over….fin…done. I’ve also been watching the news about some of the sadder things that go on in this world. We had a 14 yr. old middle school student who delivered a baby in the rest room of her school and then drowned it by trying to flush it down the toilet….She “claimed” that she did not know that she was pregnant…..How can you not know? I’ve had three kids and all three were “movers and shakers” in the womb. It is such a sad situation of what is going on in our society. Also something that worried me was the news of nine third graders who had planned, in detail, how to kill their teacher. The teacher had disciplined one of the students for standing on his desk…Is this a reason to kill her??? That took me a whole day to get off of my mind. I will bet that all of these students are allowed to watch whatever they want on TV. They see violence and think that it is perfectly acceptable…

On a happier note: Bonnie took JJ down to Ellington Field to see the return of the Astronauts a week ago last Thursday. They had returned from a trip in space where they had walked in space and visited the space station. They had flown in from Florida and were coming home to debrief. Bonnie and JJ got to talk and shake hands with all of the returning astronauts. Check out Bonnies blog for pictures and a funny story.

Well, have a great week everyone! Wish me luck on the test.

How to Have a Blow Out Yard Sale

2008-03-31T23:25:00.004-05:00

by Katherine E. Tapley Click here to Visit her website

Knowing the tricks to having a successful yard sale.

Yard sales pop up in the spring and summer like mushrooms, but there is a knack to having a successful one. The reasons you may want to have a yard sale are numerous. Despite the hard work involved in getting the sale together, it is a chance to
have fun, meet your neighbors, make money, lose money, get skunked, recycle, and clean out the clutter that has been accumulating.

The first order of business is to get a pad of paper and a pen and start going through the rooms in your house. What room has the most junk? Is it the kitchen, bedroom, garage? Check every corner of the closet, the shelves, etc. and evaluate
everything honestly. Don't get overly sentimental. If you haven't used the thing in 10 years, why keep it around collecting dust? When listing your "inventory," make notes like "Must go," "Takes up too much room," or "Can't part with it." This will help you organize what items will go in the yard sale. The greater assortment of goods, the larger your profit will be.

How your organize your merchandise is important. Items that are heaped together on a table tend to repell customers. You should measure the width and length of your table space and take a sheet of paper and draw a plan of how you are going to
lay your stuff out. Organizing things by price is a good idea. You could have a 50-cent section that will be attractive to kids, a dollar section, two-dollar section, etc.

How to price items is an essential yard sale art. Generally, there shouldn't too many items over $10. The junk you really want to move should be under $2, depending on the item. Expensive items such as antiques, big household appliances, etc. would be better off advertised in a newspaper or taken to a second hand store.

If you have electronics like televisions, radios, record players and tape recorders, the yard sale price should be one third of the original sale price. Paperback books should sell at a quarter, and hardbacks can go at $1. Records such as 45s will go for a quarter, cassettes at $1, and CDs at $3. Clothing can be 50 cents up to $5 and knickknacks like vases, ashtrays, and novelties can fetch $2 or less. Don't be
insulted if the customers dicker about the price. It is part of yard sale culture. People enjoy trying to bargain with the proprietor.

Advertising your yard sale is essential if you want to pull in the customers. An ad in the local paper with an attractive hook does the trick. For example, you could claim that your yard sale is a "bargain hunters paradise" or mention some
attractive or unusual items that you have for sale. Be creative in your ad. But don't say things like "Early birds will be shot on sight!" Signs with easy to see printing and arrows are good. You could even get your kids to wear placards on them and go around the neighborhood advertising your sale.

At the yard sale, you will want to have lots of change in your moneybox. A selection of coins, lower denomination bills, etc. will do. If it's a big sale, you might need up to $50 on hand to make change. Wearing a wrap around purse with a zipper is a
good idea, since your moneybox could get pinched. If a customer offers you a check, you have to make a quick decision about whether or not you are going to take it. If you do take the check, you should have the customer's driver's license on the back of the check. Otherwise, you could accept a deposit of money and hold the item for a time limit of three hours.

If you have left over items after the yard sale and you don't want them back to clutter up your life again, arrange to have the Salvation Army truck to come after your sale. You can also give to local centers for the homeless, Goodwill, etc.
Leftover books can be donated to hospitals, nursing homes, women's shelters, or the public library. If you have some high priced things left, you can put advertisements for them on bulletin boards or in the penny saver papers. To get rid of some of the excess stuff, you can also leave a box at the end of your driveway saying "Help Yourself." Now all you have left to do put your feet up and count the profit!
__________________

Note from Lucy: I know that I have to much "stuff" and should get to work decluttering my house. A yard sale is a terrific way to do this. Note that a yard sale is only good for people willing to come to your location and look at what you have. Another way to sale your stuff is to sell it on Ebay. Instead of having just a local market, you have people from all over the nation looking to buy. Five or six years ago TF decided that we needed to find a way to finance a new computer. He had some old locksmithing equiptment that he didn't use any more and so we decided to give Ebay a try. I'm telling you, it is amazing what people are willing to pay for an item. We made $ 1,500. in a matter of weeks and was able to pay cash for our new computer. If you can write a blog and post pictures, then you can sell on Ebay. All you have to do is go to Ebay and down load the instructions and start selling.

Have a great week everyone.