Yesterdays Meatloaf Is Todays Sloppy Joes

Remember that song Adam Sandler wrote "Lunch Lady Land"? "Yesterdays meatloaf is todays Sloppy Joes." With a little creative thinking it's possible to use yesterdays leftovers and make them into something totally different your family will love.

For lunch I boiled 12 boneles skinless chicken tenders shredded celery, carrots and onions, salt and pepper to make a delicious broth.

With 6 chicken tenders I made chicken salad. Chopped up the chicken, adding a little shredded red onion, shredded celery, dried cranberries, pecans, apples, mayonaise, salt and pepper.

Did you know at Pita Jungle you can buy a fresh warm, pita for only 39 cents? I will take a scoop of chicken salad and buy a pita and make a delicious lunch. Or I might even go to Fry's and purchase 1/4 cup of their tuna salad, buy a Pita Jungle pita and have a delicious lunch. (That's how I make eating out more affordable.) It costs me 39 cents with my own filling instead of $5.00.

For dinner I made chicken pot pie using left over 6 pieces of chicken and broth, chopped up 2 potatoes, 1 carrot and boiled them til tender.

Chopped up the chicken in chunks and added it to the broth with salt and pepper, threw in frozen peas and corn, the potatoes and carrots, thickened it with milk with flour mixed in.

Poured in a pie tin. Salt & pepper to taste. Made a top crust only useing 1/2 box of Betty Crocker Pie Crust (Smart & Final $2.09 since I only used 1/2 the cost was $1.04 :) Popped it into the oven @425.

My husband had 3 servings, our daughter loved it and praised me for a delicious dinner.

 If I had purchased 3 chicken pot pies at KFC it would have been $15.00 plus the gas to pick it up.

Or if I felt like Mexican food I could take the cooked chicken tenders, shred them and mix with two tablespoons of salsa, add salt & pepper. Fry corn tortillas in canola oil to soften. Add a tablespoon of chicken mixture roll into little flutes or taquitos. Fry in canola oil til crispy. Serve with guacomole & salsa.

Have you seen "The 100 Foot Journey"? Did it make you hungry for Chicken Curry? I had leftover boiled chicken so I cut it into chunks, heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped up 1/2 onion and brown with chicken. Poured in 2 cups of broth, chopped up potatoes and simmerred til soft. Took 1/4 cup of water mixed in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. brought chicken with potatoes and broth to a boil and poured in cornstarch constantly stirring to thicken broth. Added 1 Tablespoon of yellow curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Serve over white rice.

Hungry for Chinese Stir Fry? Take those same boiled 6 chicken tenders... chop them in pieces fry them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir fry in 1 packege of Frys frozen Kroger Stir Fry Vegetables. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons of honey, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/2 teaspoon hot red peppers or Sirachi Sauce, and cup of broth. Thicken with 1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup water made into thick paste. Serve with rice.

Statistics show 45% of our food budget is spent on meals outside the home. So if we buy ingredients for different recipes... like curry powder, corn tortillas, a box of Betty Crocker Pie Crust, Soy Sauce, frozen Kroger Stir Fry Vegetables and keep them on hand we can turn our leftovers into something easy and delicious. And enjoy living happily below our means!

With the extra half of the pie crust maybe I'll bake an apple pie (top crust only saving $ and carbs) for dessert tomorrow. Cost of 5 granny smith apples = $1.19. No one will care or guess... as Adam Sandler sang: "Yesterdays meatloaf is todays Sloppy Joes!"

Want To Save $800 A Year?

Would you like to save $800 a year? You could IF you make one change... order tap water, yes H20 when you eat out. The average family spends $800 a year ordering drinks at restaurants.

 I order water with lemon & squeeze the lemon sprinkle in some sugar or better add a few drops of SunNector stevia ...one penny a drop= fresh lemonaide.

Emily my daughter spent $3.00 a day  on her Starbucks coffee habit.  She's an ex-barrista so I bought her a Caprisso Expresso Maker (@ the thrift store for $3.50) now before work she makes coffee and puts it in her Starbuck's mug.

Emily taught me @ Starbucks to order 1 shot of expresso (I bring in my own Starbucks plastic cup (Em bought me @ the 1/2 price after Xmas sale) with a little Hersheys syrup and ice... pour in the 1 shot of expresso, add cream & stir and I enjoy a Tall,  iced capuccino for $1.75 verses $3.00:)

My secret when I do casual dining @ restaurants like Los Compadres, Someburros, Carolinas, McDonalds or Knock Kneed Lobster (all with counter service) I put a coke in my purse or take my own Iced Tea in my pretty Starbuck's plastic glass and enjoy the savings:)

For saving at the State Fair in October I bought the cutest red and white stripped little canvas backpack and will stuff it with cold bottled waters, and Coke (saving $5.00 a pop:) Plus theres nothing like the rush of sneaking it in;)

I found a healthy alternative to soda I mix one 3oz packet of Fortune Delight http//HealthyInternetTeaHouse.blogspot.com with Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and ice for a refreshing, hydrating, kidney supporting drink that gives me a natural lift in the afternoon!

Extreme Couponing Or Buying On Sale?

Which is better for saving clipping coupons or buying on sale? Both are great ways to save/earn money. When you find an item on sale and you are able to use a coupon that's called a "double play" and it gives you quite the savings/earnings rush!

Have you ever had a coupon and the sales item was out of stock? That's what happened to our daughter and she was upset over the effort she put into buying the paper, clipping the coupon, going to the store and the shelf was empty:(  The answer to this problem is ask the cashier for a raincheck that you can use for the sale price when the item is restocked.

My neice "Frugal Zealot" has a wonderful Facebook page teaching the art of "extreme couponing". One tip she shared was: "On Sunday go to The Dollar Tree Store and buy a Sunday paper ($1.00)  for Sunday's coupons."  "Alicia's Deals in Az" has a Facebook page where she shares daily saving/earnings that are currently available by useing coupons. Both sites are well worth your time!

"Alicia's Deals in Az" (Facebook page) gave a link for a coupon on Labor Day for a Free medium sub at Firehouse Subs when you purchase a medium sub, chips, & drink. Fox Restaurants are offering 25% off on Labor Day. On August 31 Baskin Robbins is offering regular cones for $1.31.



Enjoy your savings/earnings!

Cooking Simply Below Your Means

I watched a re-run of  "The Brady Bunch" (life was so much simpler) and was inspired to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner (that's what they were having;)

Alice made cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for 6 kids look like the normal thing to do and EASY.

I used 1/2 pound of 93% hamburger from Sprouts. Added Contadina bread crumbs, 1 egg, chopped red onion, salt, pepper, a few shakes of garlic salt, and a tablespoon of oregano leaves. Mixed this together, formed them into little balls and browned in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Poured a jar of Bertoli Spaghetti sauce with olive oil & garlic in a pot, added the meat balls and drippings.

Boiled 1/2 pack of angel hair pasta for 4 minutes (for aldente). Strained and rinced with cold water.

Cut up some zuchinni squash in small strips and steamed them, and steamed spinach this helps me eat less noodles.

Topped  with parmesan cheese... Or for really easy I buy 1/2 pint of meat sauce from Olive Garden and cook my own spaghetti. It's only $4.50 and serves 3 adults.

Buying the Olive Garden sauce (they'll even throw in an Italian Dressing if I ask for it) makes me feel just like I ate at Olive Garden... but still living happily below our means!

You Don't Need A Million Dollars To Retire Here's Why

You don't need a million dollars to retire. Whew, I was relieved to read that! Casey Eberhart said: "When your income from residual income streams is equal to or surpasses your bills, then you can retire." My husband and I meet those requirements with our Social Security and my little online store.

Living simply is not about denying yourself. It's about eliminating the stuff (material things and commitments = getting up every morning for a job) things that don't bring you happiness and surrounding yourself with only things you love and use. It's about having the right mix of convenience and simplicity.

 My husband and I enjoy our computer and cell phones that keep us connected to the world. Our 2000 Toyota Camry is essential and paid off. Our home is a condo off Scottsdale Road which is one of the few experiments in the United States where everyone purchases them together. Our homeowners association fee is $402.00 a month. To save us from throwing money out the window Chuck has been experimenting with styrofoam insulation for our arcadia door and windows to cut our electric bill(we live in Arizona 110 degrees this summer). Installing a reverse osmosis water filter is now saving us $30 a month and hauling water bottles. Purchasing a modem and router saves us $25 a month on the rental from Cox Cable. We enjoy movies and went to see "The Hundred Yard Journey", taking advantage of the Senior Discount for $6.50. We don't have cable television so just watch regular antenna t.v. rent Redbox DVD's or I have collected tons of my favorite classics on video tape. If Chuck loved sports we wouldn't deprive him...just find a way of adding it into our budget.

When we eat out we use coupons or freebies like "Chic-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day"... by dressing like a cow you get a free meal and drink! Or Joe's Barbeque has customer appreciation day offering a FREE meal once a year. When the Diamondbacks win Taco Bell gives away 3 Free tacos with the purchase of a drink.

My Grandmother Belle Wise retired on $75.00 a month. My grandfather died in his early 30's leaving her a widow. Since she couldn't read or write she struggled working as a cook to feed 3 young children. I remember watching as she signed her checks with an X. My mother (who raised her own 8 children) bought her a small one bedroom house in Arizona. She had no hot water would just boil water on the stove and fill a metal tub for baths and washing her clothes. Simple budgeting allowed her to pay her electric and water bills.

She had enough left over for food 100% whole wheat bread, pound cake, hamburger, chicken and oatmeal, cream of wheat, & spinach. She would walk a mile to the store & take the bus home with her groceries. Her special treat consisted of one six pack of Coors beer & a pouch of Bull Duram tobacco. My grandmother was always neat and clean, wore an apron, her hair in a perfect bun. Cleaned her little house, cooked chicken and dumplings, watched Divorce Court and Queen For A Day on her black and white t.v., sat in her rocking chair rocking her dog (when us babies were all grown), smoked a corn cob pipe and later chewed her tobacco and spit it neatly in a can. My older brother Bob would take her for a drive and buy her a hamburger and strawberry milkshake which she loved.Was able to save $5.00 a month in her Xmas fund. She enjoyed her simple retirement for many years until the age of 86. It's funny I never thought of her as poor but as loved and happy.

Simplifying is not difficult. It's not about depriving yourself of basics. It's about not confusing spending with living comfortably or having fun. Comfort is mainly about living without constant stress and fun is mainly about what you do rather than what you spend.

What small steps have you taken to live a simpler life?

I Found A Store That Pays Me $1.00 For Every Item I Buy!

Would you like to shop at such a store? You probably already do! Do you have a 99 Cent Store in your neighborhood?

The 99cent chef buys all his ingredients from the 99 Cent Store and shares his cheap recipes on his blog: http://the99centchef.blogspot.com

No he doesn't just buy things like stale cookies, chips and brand X things. He buys healthy, fresh things like red, yellow and green peppers and teaches us how to grill them. He video blogs recipes for yummy, healthy dishes like carne asada tacos, homemade guacomole, and pico de gallo, and pecan crusted fish on a bed of fresh spinach with strawberry vinegrette! The 99 cent chef's blog is well worth your time check it out!

Have you heard about the man who lost 250 pounds in 18 months on the 99 Cent Diet? http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/dollar-store-diet-man-shops-99-cent-store-19372275

Guess where he shopped? He had only a limited budget and wanted to lose weight so a friend suggested the 99 Cent Store. He checked it out and bought things like, oatmeal, raisins, nuts, bananas, apples, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, tuna fish, eggs, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and m&m's (for cheating) all healthy foods costing no more than 99 cents! His 99 Cent Diet is his secret for healthy affordable weight loss!

He walks daily for his exercise saying: "The earth is my treadmill and it's free."

I love the 99 Cent Store! And I've the discovered the secret of saving/earning money by shopping there. For every item I purchase for 99 cents I earn $1.00 and sometimes more. At another store the same item would cost me $1.00 more and (sometimes even more).

For example, yesterday I bought a package of 3 romaine lettuce hearts for 99cents. At Trader Joe's the same item would cost me $2.99. So I earned $1.99 just from buying my fresh lettuce there. I made a Chinese Salad with this lettuce and with dressing made from the oriental flavor Top Ramen (@5/ 99 cents) and Lee's Soy Sauce (all bought at the 99 Cent Store;) Everyone raved about how delicious it was!

99 Cent Deals: Asparagus Cantelope Bell Peppers Red/Yellow?Green Peppers @2/99 cents Brocolli Tomatoes Carrots Celery Bag of brown onions Del Monte Ketchup Farmer John's Pork Sausage Links Liverwurst 1 lb C&H Brown Sugar 1 lb C&H Powdered Sugar Top Ramen (Nissan) Oriental Flavor 5/$1.00,Lee's Soy Sauce Yellow Potatoes 3 lb bag Cambells Mushroom Soup Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup Spagettio's Hormel Ham (big thick piece) Tortino Pizza Rolls...

Paper/Plastic Savings Paper Towels I buy the "Big Quality" 150 sheets (great for napkins they're already cut!) Foil Plastic Wrap Wax Paper 15 count Freezer Gallon Zip Baggies 10 Quart Freezer Zip Baggies 50 Baggies with ties Kleenex 175 count

***Warning you can become obcessed with the 99 Cent Store savings/earnings.

One older lady was in line in front of me with $50.00 worth of items. She offered to let me go first but I thanked her and told her I wasn't in a hurry.

As I walked to my car I noticed she owned a big new commercial sized van and when she opened her door it was packed to the ceiling with 99 cent past purchases! She only had a small space for her basket full of new purchases!

A scary thought passed my mind: "There but for the grace of God go I." So I made a mental note to only buy things I'll immediately need and use!

A wise man once told me if you see something on sale (you don't need) and don't buy it = 100% savings.

My Family Secrets To Paying Off Our $6,900 Credit Card Debt

I'm happy to share our family secrets to living simply and being able to find money to pay off our credit card debt.

Step 1 Start with keeping a one month budget so you can track your spending and see where you're spending your money.
Here's what mine looked like:
Rent, SRP, Verizon, Health Insurance, Geiko Insurance, Cox Cable, Credit Cards, Groceries, Gas Restaurants, Movies, Dvd Rentals

Step 2 Make a list of everthing you spend money on in a month:
Shampoo, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Laundry Detergent, Baking Soda, Vinegar, Dish Soap, Trash Bags, Coffee, Chocolate Syrup, After Shave, Lipton Tea, Sugar, Hair Color, Bread, Butter

Step 3 Total your monthly expenses. This will give you your Monthly Budget and will let you know where you can cut your spending and immediately find extra money. Left over money means more to pay off debt and more to add to savings.

Step 4 Cut Spending
Example: Cut back on grocery budget. Buy on weekly sales. Check newspaper adds, Shop 99 Cent Store and Dollar Tree, Cut daily Starbucks making Lattes @ Home, Date Night, Happy Hour, find cheap things to do Alicia's Deals on Facebook or use coupons. Creative ways to have fun with family. 3 Free Tacos @ Taco Bell when Diamondbacks win (with only the price of a drink $1.79) Customer Appreciation Day @ Joes Barbeque Free Meal Cow Appreciation Day @ Chick fil A dress like a cow for a FREE meal. Cut cable bill by buying router and modem. Will save $25.00 a month on my bill. Bought Water Filter so now save $30.00 amonth on reverse osmosis water, plus gas, & my back not having to carry in water bottles. Updated our cell phones for free and joined Family Plan on Verizon cutting our cell phone bill.

Step 5 Write down you monthly income then subtact your adjusted cut expenses.
This will help you find extra money that you can use to throw at your debt. It's very hard to BUDGET = no fun but if you do make the effort you will find extra money (that's exciting) and see paying off credit cards is do able = stess relief! Building wealth = making sure your expenses are less than your income. Albert Einstein said: "A problem cannot be resolved at the same level of thinking that got you where you are today."

Because of finding ways to live simply and applying these steps my family will be credit card debt free in October 2014! Have you found ways to cut your expenses?

Newport Beach Vacation Economic Eating At Its Finest

For the past 18 years our family has rented a beach house in beautiful Newport Beach, California. My two sisters and I cook home-made meals our family has eaten their whole lives, which touch their heart with wonderful memories.

Everyone asks: "Why do you cook for 35 people... wouldn't it be easier to eat out?" The answer to why my sisters and I cook lies in the looks on each member of our family's faces when dinner is served. Delicacies like fish tacos, home made tamales, rice, beans, tortillas, home made salsa, and guacomole, broccoli beef, fried rice, sweet and sour pork, egg foo young, steak, grilled chicken, grllled shrimp, baked potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and Chinese salad .

California has the most delicious fruit! At Costco an oriental husband and wife were buying 8 huge watermelon. They lovingly helped me to pick out a a sweet watermelon for our family. It was huge and only $5.00. (Their secret: it's all in the solid thud sound you hear which shows if it's sweet.) At the local farmers market we bought fresh peaches that were sugar sweet. At Trader Joes fresh bananas, cherries, pineapple and Pink Lady apples, pears, grapes, and strawberries for everyone to enjoy.

Even the smallest babies in our family ask: "Is it Waffle Day with strawberries and whip cream yet?" I used my sisters double waffle iron. It made the job of making Belgian Waffles go twice as fast!

Can you imagine how much it would cost if 35 of us ate dinner out for a whole week? 35 X's $10.00 for 7 days of (gourmet) dinners = $2,400 (plus tip). The money we save more than pays for our beach house! It's convenient and fun buying the ingredients at Costco, Smart and Final, Trader Joes and the 99 Cent store in California? Truly economic eating at it's finest!