Life, in six words

Today started off like many mornings, rushed to get to an appointment. I dropped Nora Beth off at the sitter and while driving to my appointment, I changed the radio station from kid bop music to the Oprah network. There was a discussion with a writer from Smith Magazine discussing Six Word Memoirs. This is a premise of a new book, just released. The topic intrigued me. How would I summarize my life in 6 words? How would someone else summarize my life? Their life? Is this summary final? Can it change from day to day, like shoes?

This thought obsessed me all day. What would I say? Would it be profound? Intellectual? Funny? Sarcastic? Emotional? Who am I? What has my life been?

Found love. Planted garden. Smiled often.

That's it! If I do not second guess myself, this is my life. It has meanings on many levels, not just the most obvious. It speaks to me and about me - at least in my own mind.

So for anyone reading this, does this do me justice?

What are your six words?

Under the Big Top!

Tonight I took Nora Beth, Shianne and her friend Holly to see the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. I had never been to a real large production circus before, so I was just as excited as the girls. We arrived just in time for the pre-show. The girls were able to go down to the center ring and meet some of the performers, see some acts close up and try on some costumes. They were surprised on how heavy the costumes were with all the sequins.
We were all amazed by the strength and flexibility of the performers. These two guys were able to bend in ways that I did not think was possible for the human body!

Nora Beth was amazed by the show. Her eyes were as big as possible. She never complained through the three hour production, even though it was WAY past her bedtime. She was very excited about her "Big Hat" that came with the cotton candy. She wore it through the whole show. When we arrived home, she insisted on having the hat in her bed with her.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I have to meet with my adoption mama. There is a very strong chance that her baby will be arriving tomorrow. Shianne has orientation at her new school. I also need to find a way to get the house clean and carpets shampooed since Lamar's mother is arriving on Saturday morning for a visit. Tomorrow is one of those days that I need a clone of myself!

Food Budget....THE END!!!

We arrived home from our trip with nothing in our fridge. I had done such a good job with food for the previous few days that we used just about everything up so there was no waste. What little produce I had, I gave to a friend since it would be past its prime when we returned. Breakfast was a rough one. No milk, bread or eggs in the fridge. Shianne found some french toast that I had frozen and made that for both Nora Beth and herself.

While on the trip we still stayed conscious of the food budget. Normally, Lamar would load up at the convenience store just before we left with soda, candy and chips. I packed a cooler for us with water, apples, jerky, nuts and crackers. The girls were content with these snacks and we did not buy the crap.

I made it to the grocery store in the afternoon and got the much needed basics. I kept to my list of essentials and did not allow myself any extras. This would be my last trip to the store under this budget.

So, for our final meal I made Indian Butter Chicken, coconut rice and steamed vegetables with my favorite popping seeds on them. The popping seeds come from a local woman who makes up her own curry blend. Our whole family loves her blends.
Now that we have come to the end - how did we do? I am happy to report that we were right on budget. This would be difficult to stick to on a regular basis, but it would be possible. I just really like to use some "exotic" foods for some of my specialties. Lamar and I talked about this and we are still going to keep a close eye on what we are spending on food, but allow for a little larger budget.

While in Costco yesterday I noticed that many of my regular items have gone up in price, some by as much as $2 per item. I am really seeing the stores bump up prices to accommodate for the increase in gas prices. This increase can really affect the budget. What are the holidays going to look like this year? I recently created a list of 200 basic grocery items and did a comparison between 4 local grocery stores on each item. I will have to adjust this list to show the price increase. Costco may no longer give me the best price on many of our staples.

So what is my next challenge, you ask? In October, I am joining some friends for the Locavore Challenge. I will post more details as we get closer, but the premise of being a Locavore is to eat only foods that originate in your local area. I just finished reading the book Plenty just in time for this challenge. This one should be interesting.

Are we home yet?

We left Gold Beach this morning and headed up the Oregon Coast. Near Bandon we stopped at a wildlife petting zoo. Shianne was really looking forward to this. Here we are holding an 8 week lion cub. It was very sweet.
There were many animals roaming free. We were able to feed them. Nora Beth thought the animals swarming her for food was a bit overwhelming. We finally got her calmed down enough to get close to a pygmy goat.

We were able to hold some special animals. We held an albino skunk (descented) and this very cute opossum. It was blind and cross eyed, but had a face to melt your heart.

Afterwards we headed north to Lincoln City. We stopped at the outlet mall for some school shopping. I was so excited to find some clothes for Shianne. She has outgrown the childrens section, but is not yet ready for the styles in the juniors. This makes shopping difficult for her this year.

On the way home we heard the chiming of "are we home yet!"

Family trip, day 2

After sleeping in, we went to the beach to start the day. There was lots of running and playing. It was not very warm, but the shoes came off. The sand under your feet has to be one of the best feelings, in my opinion. The girls think the same way I do.
We went on a jet boat trip up the Rogue River. This is something Lamar had been looking forward to. Shianne loved it, but Nora found a way to complain the whole way. There was lots of wildlife to view. We saw deer, osprey, ducks, otters, seals, herons, elk and even a bald eagle. The latter was a very fortunate site. It was beautiful to see it perched high in a tree overlooking the river valley.

We did get wet on the trip, but that just added to the experience. On the way back down river we saw a beautiful sunset. We were all tired by the end of the day. A soak in the hot tub was definitely in order.

Are We There Yet?

We left early this morning for our trip. I really wanted to show the girls the Redwoods in N. California. The trip started out great. About the time the Jamba Juices ran dry the "are we there yet?" started to chime from the back seat. I put in a movie and all was well. When we bought our van, I thought the VCR was a bit excessive, but now, I can not live without it for a long trip.

We made great time getting to the California/Oregon border. There is a small grove of Redwoods just over the state line. The girls were amazed with how big the trees were. Shianne had been through the Redwoods before Nora Beth was born.

We stopped and walked around a bit. Nora was just amazed by the size of the trees. Of course, Shianne was looking for bugs and other creepy crawly things. The forest smelled so good. A wonderful sweet earthy scent.

We left the Redwoods and headed north to Gold Beach. This is where we would spend the next few days. The girls were so excited to see the ocean. We rented a cabin next to the beach. They also enjoyed the hot tub overlooking the ocean.

We quickly made it to the beach to let the girls run off some energy. The tide was in and the wind was blowing. We saw a kite being flown by someone who obviously knew what he was doing.

The girls looked for fun rocks to throw. Of course, Nora Beth began to dance to her own music. It was very cute to watch her spontaneous but elaborate production.

A Little Mermaid and BBQ Fun

Nora Beth found this towel in the upstairs bathroom today. I had forgotten all about it. She was so excited that she had to take a bath just so she could wear the towel!

We went to a BBQ at a friends house tonight. Of course, Nora Beth was not hungry when the food was in front of her, but as soon as the cake came out, she was STARVING! Her piece of cake was gone quickly.

The girls had fun riding the tractor toys down the hill. Nora Beth was surprised when the tractor went so fast. Shianne of course loved the speed. Fortunately there were hay bails set out to cushion any "out of control" tractors.

Lamar had fun playing "Sling Ball." Of course his game got better (in his eyes only) as he finished his snow cone flavored with vodka! We must find us this game for our next BBQ (Slingball that is, we have the vodka LOL!)

We even got a picture of Lamar and I together. It was a fun evening, but we had to cut it short since we are leaving for our trip early in the morning.

I'm Bringing Home A Baby...Ladybug

I thought today was going to be another uneventful day. I baked a loaf of banana bread and took it to one of my mamas. On our way home we stopped at an estate sale. I saw some great stuff that already had sold tags on it. On our way through the house all I was seeing was some overpriced junk. Then we hit the kitchen. It was as if light was shining down on the counter top on the cast iron and le crueset cookware. I walked away with three excellent condition pans, in exactly the sizes I wanted for $4.00! Total! I am not sure if the person pricing the stuff did not know what they were selling or if they just wanted the stuff gone, either way, I benefited! I got out of there quick with my find and did not look back.

We came home and the girls went out to pick blackberries while I cleaned up my new pans. Nora Beth quickly came back into the house with her find.

She was so excited to have the ladybug crawl around on her arm.

She named the ladybug Sarah.

The childhood song comes to mind "I am bringing home a baby bumble bee, won't my mother be so proud of me...."

I am happy to say that this ladybug did not have the same ending as the bumble bee in the song. This ladybug will live out it's life in my garden.

As for dinner, I decided to do a steak on the grill. Since we had a vegetarian dinner last night, I thought I should do some meat tonight so Lamar did not start to foam at the mouth. Remember that I did not allow him to get the fillet Mignon, but I did get him a steak at another store. I put this on the grill with some zucchini and made some braised red cabbage with apples, onions and bacon with balsamic vinegar. Very tasty and I am still on budget.

We will be going out of town on Sunday for a few days. I will prorate next weeks meal budget to reflect our days gone. I have already packed some snacks to keep us away from the fast food restaurants while on the road.

Food Budget, Day 15

Today was another uneventful day. We did some work around the house. I met with a pregnant mama (and yes, she did show up today, but 35 minutes late). Shianne picked out a new book at the library to read this weekend while we are driving.



The fridge is really beginning to look empty. Not much in there. I am going to refrain from going to the grocery store since we are leaving on a small getaway on Sunday. I decided to make Lentil Enchiladas with Roasted Corn Salsa. I had a recipe, but did not have all the ingredients, so I improvised. Lamar grumbled when I told him what was for dinner, but he cleaned his plate and went back for seconds. It was surprisingly simple to make and incredibly budget friendly and healthy. We had some watermelon for desert.



I was feeling rather over-stimulated tonight. Everyone is now in bed and I am enjoying a glass of red wine, watching a movie (it is embarrassing how long the Netflix hang around before I actually have a chance to watch them) and catching up on e-mails.

Frustration, food budget, day 14

Today was a rather uneventful day. We played lazy and stayed in PJ's until 2:00. I finished several small projects - most importantly I finally decided on a new bag to carry my laptop in - as I said, it was a very uneventful day.

I did have to meet with a pregnant mom. Unfortunately she stood me up. I am providing doula services for her under my non-profit, so basically I am volunteering my services to support her. I have another doula helping me out and she drove 45 minutes for this appointment. The pregnant mom just found something better to do with her afternoon than meet with us. I know that not everyone understands the value of labor support, but this mom really needs the support. Hopefully she will show up tomorrow.

As for dinner, I made a stir fry. I had some random vegetables that needed to be used. I sauteed these with two chicken breasts and made some brown rice. It was very yummy.



Tomorrow marks the start of Week 3. I need to get some produce, but that is about it. We are doing really well. I took the garbage out tonight and noticed that it is only half full. The same with the recycling container. We usually like to indulge in some yummy wine, but there were no wine bottles in the glass container. My favorite bottle of $30 Pinot does not fit into the budget. This budget can barely support Two Buck Chuck!

Berry Goodness

Shianne and Nora Beth picked some blackberries from the neighbors yard today. These berries are so yummy. For lunch we made one of our favorites - cottage cheese (or plain yogurt), wheat germ, local honey and the berries. It was so delicious. There are enough berries to enjoy over ice cream tonight. We will do some more picking next week for canning.

For dinner we will pan grill some razor clams that the girls and I dug in July. With the clams I will saute some veggies and make cheddar garlic biscuits. This meal is very budget friendly. The clams were free outside of the cost of the $7 annual permit and the veggies will all come from the garden or the farmers market.
This is a picture of the girls from our clamming trip in July. They had so much fun. It became a game for them to find the clam holes. We had friends over that night to enjoy our clam bounty. Even after our huge dinner, I was able to put enough clams in the freezer for two more meals. We will definately be going clamming again in the next few weeks.

I finally got to do some work in the garden today. The new planters got soil. I planted lettuces, peas, fennel, kale and carrots for the fall crop. I am excited to see if these will actually grow.

Rainy Day Fun

I had grand plans of doing yard work today. This was quickly cancelled when I realized it was raining. Instead I worked inside on little projects. While I was busy, the girls decided to build a fort in Shianne's room. They were so proud of their creation.

I went to a class in Portland last night. I had planned for Lamar to feed himself and the girls leftover mojo pork with rice and some veggies. I set the rice cooker on delay so the rice would be perfect when he got home with the girls. When I left all looked well. I later found out that the rice cooker did not work and there was no rice cooked. What a bummer. Fortunately, Lamar figured something out and everyone ate. No idea what happened with the cooker, but it definitely does not work now. It does not really hurt my feelings, I did not really like this rice cooker anyways.

The class I took was on Whole Grains and Meal Planning. Most of the information was a repeat for me, but it was interesting to hear it presented in a new way. I also shared the info with the teacher that I created for the monthly food budget project I am doing. She was very excited to see it and it will be used as a reference for her business now. I did not realize how much attention this project would create.

This and That

Today had a bit of everything. I stayed up late watching the lightning storm last night then got up early so I could start to cook for the potluck I was hosting tonight. I had many RSVPs from other doulas, but not everyone showed up. Fortunately the food everyone brought was wonderful. I made a Vegan Coconut Cheesecake and a Raw Vegan Lasagna. Both were delicious. I had intended on taking pictures of them, but I got to talking and forgot. Bad me. As a general rule in our house, Lamar will not voluntarily eat anything with tofu or coconut. He devoured the cheesecake and asked me to make it again. This is HUGE for him.

The potluck was around dinner time, so I did not make a separate dinner. The dishes I made fit in with the budget. It really helped that I was able to get the produce needed for the Lasagna from my garden. I finally found the right place to set the basil, so it is now producing beautiful leaves for me to pick.

Lora is continuing to work on the pictures of the girls she took last week. Here is one she just sent to me. I love how it turned out. To see more of these you can look on her blog or her website. I can't wait to make prints. I also met with a pregnant mom today. She is due at the end of this month. Many of you know about this already, but I have started a non-profit called Adoption Doulas that provides doulas for moms who are choosing adoption for their infants. These moms need so much support and a doula can provide the much needed neutral support just for her. I have plans to be gone for many days over the next month, so another doula is helping me out with this mom. I am really holding on to the vision that we will both be able to attend her birth, but as proven many times in the past, babies come when they want to, not when it is convenient for the doula!

Tomorrow, I am going to do some work in the garden with the girls and take a class on Whole Grains. I have been looking forward to this class for quite some time, but I have had to reschedule it twice because of my pregnant mamas.

My late night and early morning are starting to catch up with me. I am off to bed - even the Olympics won't keep me awake tonight!

Party like a Rock Star!

Tonight I went to a charity dinner auction with my friend Lora. The theme was "Party like a Rock Star." Our table had a 50's theme so we donned the Pink Lady look. There were some great costumes and a fun crowd. Of course, I am a sucker for charity events and I came home with some auction items - a tea basket and a wine basket. We got silly on the dance floor. An all around fun evening.

For the food budget, I made a Cuban meal tonight. Mojo pork with Cuban black beans. Lamar ended up being the only one eating it, but there is plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch tomorrow when I will be busy getting ready for the doula potluck I am hosting. This meal is a favorite of mine. Not only is it easy to prepare and throw in the crock pot, but it is very budget friendly and so dang good I could lick the plate!

The girls helped me in the garden today. We pulled weeds and made some raised planters. We need to get the fall crop in the ground. We are going to do some lettuces, kale, peas, beans and carrots.

Mini-Me

It is said that dogs and their owners begin to look like each other after a while. One could say that there are similarities between Lamar and Boba and myself and Zara (in another post I will add pictures to show). Does this similarity extend to friends? From the look of this picture I would have to say so. When I first met Lamar and his friend Mike, both had hair on their heads, no facial hair and smaller waists. Now look at them. There was no pre arrangement for this look. So who looks like who? Who is the owner and who is the dog? Both probably have some sort of comment on this, and I would have to sensor the responses. I am just getting a good laugh out of this!
It was really hot today, 100+ degrees. I got the bright idea to bake brownies. I had a meeting to go to for the Green Salem group. I got a new vegan cookbook recently and this recipe looked intriguing. No fat, no eggs. Surprisingly, these turned out quite well and I even fooled a non-healthy eater to like these and go back for seconds. Lamar was not quite as impressed. I will let the girls try them tomorrow - they are true dessert connoisseurs!

I made it to the grocery store today. Actually, I ended up going to three different ones, plus the farmers market. I reviewed my menu for the week and checked to see what I had on hand. I made a list and was determined to stick to it. I went to Costco first. Lamar wanted to add several things to the cart that were not on my list (or budget!) He wanted Fillet Mignon and lemon meringue tarts. The meat alone was 1/3 of my weekly budget. I stuck to my guns and did not allow these in my cart. I told him that I would get him a steak at one of my next stops. He finally conceded and I remained on track. I was really good and spent $57.01 on food. This even included what I need for a BBQ that I am hosting on Sunday. I am $3 under budget for the week, so for the month to date I am right on track!

For dinner I made fajitas, homemade tortillas, Spanish rice and refried beans. A yummy meal and always a hit with the family. Nothing came from a can or box. There was just the right amount left over for Lamar to take for lunch tomorrow.

I am still in awe of the birth I attended yesterday. The mom was just amazing. I do have to admit that it was really nice to go to bed last night and not have to worry about my phone ringing or setting up child care arrangements (plus a back up plan to be on the safe side). I have plans for my time off of attending births. I really want to play with the girls and get some projects done around the house. There is so much I want to do and only one of me.

It's a girl - FINALLY!

I had the pleasure of attending a whirlwind of a birth this afternoon. A beautiful baby girl made her appearance this evening. She was welcomed by two very surprised parents and an enthusiastic big sister. I love to be present for such a beautiful occasion. I love my work and the families I support.

Food budget, Day 14

We have survived this week and I never made another trip to the grocery store! YEAH! I am heading to the hospital with my still pregnant mama for an induction today. To make dinner easy, I made Thai Peanut Beef with carrots in the slow cooker. The sitter will add some rice noodles and dinner will be served!

I put the garbage out last night and noticed again that the can was only half full. This is two weeks in a row. I am buying less, so less is going to waste. I do not feel as if we are being deprived. I need to make a trip to the grocery store, but that will have to wait until a new baby arrives sometime today or tomorrow.

Food budget, Day 13

I ended up spending the day out at the birth center again. The girls were at home with the sitter while Lamar was at work. The weather was so hot that I did not want anything to be cooked in the kitchen so the house would stay cool. The girls were thrilled to be able to make their own sanwiches for dinner. Not very exciting, but they ate and it was healthy!

Girls in the Garden

I mentioned in the previous post about taking the girls to the Oregon Garden for a photo shoot. My friend Lora is starting a photography business, a dream of hers, and needed to practice with the location and lighting. Of course, I am thrilled that she uses my girls for her practice.

Shianne looks so grown up here.

Nora Beth was having a good time here.

Lora got the cutest tutu for Nora Beth to wear.

I took this photo of Nora Beth. She was looking the the flowers for ladybugs.

Here Nora Beth was playing "ballerina" I really think there are some ballet classes in her near future!

For the family members who are viewing this - don't worry - you will be seeing many more of these pictures as soon as I get them printed!

Food Budget, Day 12

Lamar was home again today. I ended up working overnight at the birth center last night. I got a nap in and we did some more work around the house. We each had plans this evening. Lamar had his golf league and I was planning on attending a birth, but ended up going to the Oregon Garden for a photo session with Lora.

Since we were gone for the night, I decided to make a nice lunch to hold us over. I made meatball subs and a green salad. They were very yummy.

Lamar likes his subs on the messy side with lots of sauce and toppings. I sauteed some mushrooms and onions, topped this with my homemade meatballs and then it all got covered with sauce and Parmesan.

This week is almost over. I really need to go and get some fresh produce, bread and milk! It is so tempting to just go, but I am trying really hard to stick with this budget. I have never really thought much about what we really spend on food. I always just go to the store when I feel like it. This has definitely been a learning experience for myself and our family. Lamar is amazed that I have stuck with it.

Food Budget, Day 11

We spent the day doing yard work. I got some soil to add to the large planters in the back yard. We also removed most of the plants from the front yard and the barkdust from the flowerbeds was moved to the fence line. We are completely re-doing our front yard so we can have green grass and pretty flowers again. This is a project that will take us into the fall and hopefully by spring our front yard will be pretty again.

Dinner was quite simple tonight. I had some steak in the freezer and some vegetables that I threw on the grill with teriyaki sauce. I also made some barley. The whole meal was very yummy. We had some watermelon for dessert.

I am still waiting for a mama to begin labor. I am going to work at the birth center tonight for just a few hours. Tomorrow I am going to take Shianne shopping for some school clothes. It is hard to believe that school is just around the corner.

Concert!

Several months ago, Lamar purchased tickets with some friends to go see Crue Fest. The night finally arrived for us to go. This was a chance for us to let loose from our rather conservative daily lives. I was a little hesitant to go since I am still on call for one more birth, but my mama assured me that nothing was happening. We enjoyed dinner before the show. The bands playing were Trapt, Sixx AM, PapaRoach, BuckCherry and Motley Crue. I am a big BuckCherry fan and who can go wrong with Motley Crue - even if they have gotten old, soft around the edges and cut off their hair (it happens to the best of us!). We had a great time. Our original seats were up in the top 200 level and by the end of the show we were in the third row. One of our friends is a master at talking to the right people and getting us better seats. Our ears were still ringing in the morning!

Catching up!

Alright, I got a little behind and I need to catch up what has happened since Thursday. Thursday ended the first week of the food budget experiment. We ended up spending $57 on food. YEAH!!! UNDER BUDGET!!! With the first week successfully down, it is time to see what we can do with week 2.

On Friday I was very sick and unable to get off the couch. I enjoyed my time sleeping and watching movies, but was unable to make dinner. Lamar insisted on ordering pizza so I could continue to lay on the couch. I know the pizza will send us over the top. So here is what I have for week 2. With the pizza, grocery store trip and Costco purchase from last week we are at $66.87, $6.87 over budget for the week. No trips to the grocery store or farmers market for the rest of the week. Fortunately, we have plenty of produce to last the remainder of the week.

Here is what we did for meals for the weekend. Saturday I made homemade macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets for the girls since Lamar and I were going out (more on this later). On Sunday we spent the day at a local festival, got home at dinner time and decided to skip dinner since we were going to our neighbors for dessert and wine in an hour. We had a great time tasting wine and eating all the food that was laid out for us to enjoy! None of us missed skipping dinner.

It's a Girl

I had the honor of attending a beautiful birth this morning. Two wonderful parents welcomed their daughter. I could not have asked for a better hospital experience. Mom was completely respected. I am still smiling. I am on a complete birth high.

OK- I have to divert from the birth discussion. We just had a moment at our house. Lamar, Shianne and I are sitting and watching a movie. The topic of Manwich just came up in the movie and Shianne just asked "What is Manwich?" That made me smile, since I have never purchased this product. Lamar just about had a heart attack when he realized that our child does not know what Manwich is. Lamar is the king of canned food/processed products! I always make my own sloppy joe sauce, so of course she would not know what this canned product is. That made me smile.

As for the food budget for the day. As mentioned before, I was at a birth today. I ran some errands afterwards. The next thing I knew it was dinner time. Lamar wanted to go out for dinner or order a pizza. Both are budget busters. I had some frozen ravioli in the freezer and some leftover pasta sauce in the fridge from making pizza a few days ago. Shianne went and picked some fresh green beans from the garden. Dinner was suddenly coming together. I had some frozed pre-cooked hamburger (a true dinner saver) that I added to the sauce. I figured out that dinner cost about $6.00. Still well within out budget and much better than going out. I will sit down tomorrow and figure out exactly what I spent this last week for meals. It has definately made me think more and be conscious of the food we are using in the house.

One thing I have noticed in the past week is that we do not have the waste leaving the house that we normally do. I usually have an overflowing trash can on trash day. Today as I left the house, I noticed that our lid actually closed on the trash can. By being more conscious of what comes into the house, we are decreasing what is leaving the house. Not only good for our budget, but also for the environment. Lets see if this stays true for next week.

I still have one more mama ready to have a baby. I really think I will be busy with her tomorrow night, and this is not just wishfull thinking.

Here is to a beautiful birth today and another one tomorrow. Good Night!

Horsing Around

Two years ago we took a family vacation to central Oregon. We had a wonderful time. While visiting Sun River and riding horses we saw these great "play horses." I knew that we must have one of our own. It was a very simple concept. A large spool from the electric company, some scrap wood and some rope. I got the spool many months ago and it has been sitting abandoned in our back yard since. I finally decided that today was the day to make the horse. I could not find the picture of the original inspiration horse, so I just winged it.

It does not look quite like the one I had seen. I will play around with the nose. There is a full tail that you cannot see in the picture. The girls are thrilled to have something new to climb on. I love the fact that it did not cost me anything to make. Just about 2 hours of my time. It goes great with our homemade play structure that my brother made for Shianne as a surprise after we bought this house. Boba was excited that I made him something new to mark in the yard!

We are on day 6 of the food budget. Tonight I made Honey BBQ chicken with a Roasted Corn Salad. I got the recipe from the August Real Simple Magazine. Very simple to make. I will estimate that dinner cost about $5.00 total. The corn and green onions were fresh from the farmers market and I purchased the chicken on sale for $2.00/lb. A very tasty meal. There is enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

I still have not been called out for a laboring mama, but I think that may change tonight. I have been very stressed about both moms having their babies on the same day. I arranged today for a second backup doula just in case. Since I made extra arrangements, the moms are sure to have their babies on different days. Lets hope they are both here by Saturday morning. I have a concert to go to on Saturday!

Food Budget, Day 5

Today we enjoyed the zucchini bread for breakfast that I made yesterday. We had to go to Costco to get some food. This is a store that can definitely break the budget. I used to refer to it as the $100 store, but it is now the $200 store. I find that I spend more when Lamar is working than when he is not. Not sure why. I had a game plan today. I was going to stick to my list and not add anything else. I needed to get eggs, cheese, oatmeal, produce, salsa and tortilla chips. My grand total came to $91.12. This is obviously over my budget, but when you factor in what will be consumed in the week and what will be consumed over the month I am right on track. $21.02 will be consumed this week and $63.51 will be used over the month and $6.59 over the next 3 months. Sometimes it does pay to buy in bulk. I definitely have it figured out what is cheaper at Costco versus our local grocery store. Our store does carry quite a few organic options, especially in produce.

As for dinner tonight, I used a recipe from this months Real Simple magazine. It was for Spaghetti with Broccoli and Lemon. I expanded the recipe and added some leftover chicken from last night to make it a little heartier. This meal got rave reviews from everyone. It had a light summery flavor, but was very satisfying. There was enough left over for Lamar to take to work tomorrow.

Still no moms in labor. I am starting to get concerned since we have plans to go to a concert on Saturday and I am scheduled to take a class on Monday and Tuesday that will have me in Portland both days. Both events will be cancelled unless two babies arrive this week. I really enjoy both my clients right now and I know that when they have their babies will be the perfect time, but sometimes I like to be selfish and have a life of my own. I really should know better and not schedule a life anytime I have a mama due. I also do not like to have two mamas due at the same time, but it goes to show that when two moms who have due dates almost 3 weeks apart will almost always have their babies back to back, but mamas who have due dates on the same week have their babies 2 weeks apart. That is just the reality of my life. I really do love to attend births, sorry about my rant.

Tomorrow, I will do a project for the girls in the backyard that I have been meaning to do for months. I am excited to finally get this done!

Snake Hunting

While I spent so much time in the kitchen today, the girls kept themselves busy by hunting snakes. Shianne just loves to catch anything creepy and crawly. No rock has been left unturned in our yard (or neighborhood!). Nora Beth likes to get in on the action also, but she is usually dressed as a princess. A tiara always helps find snakes. Here is today's find! At least Shianne found some gloves to wear today.

Food Budget, Day 4

I spent a good portion of the day in the kitchen today. I still do not have a mom in labor, so I thought I would cook to keep myself busy. It was really just a way to avoid the other projects that I need to do.

From the garden we picked some peas, zucchini and rhubarb. My rhubarb has been overly abundant this year. These are special plants to me since they belonged to my "Big Grandma." I took them from her garden when her house was sold and have moved them with me to three different houses. The just keep growing and giving me lots of red stalks.

I put a chicken in a stock pot and cooked. I made a rhubarb cobbler for dessert tonight. The zucchini was larger than I like for eating, so I made some zucchini bread for breakfast. The peas were cleaned and added to tonights salad.

We had oatmeal for breakfast (one of Nora Beths favorites!), sandwiches and broccoli for lunch (Shianne asked for seconds on the broccoli - her favorite!) and I made a spinach salad for dinner. The salad had spinach, peas, red cabbage, green onion, pasta and shredded chicken. I served this with some homemade buttermilk biscuits. Very yummy for a hot evening. This in one of the only salads I can get Lamar to eat. The veggies all came from my garden or the farmers market. I had picked the chicken up on sale about 1 month ago for 50 cents/lb. What a deal! I always stock up when it is at this price. I was well below budget today. We even had dessert!

I received many e-mails today about how I pre-cook hamburger and freeze it. At least I know people are reading this blog! I thought I would share some more of my time saving tips with you.

When I cooked the chicken on the stove today I added veggies and herbs to the water to make a very flavorful stock. I strained the liquid after cooking, let it cool and placed it in my fridge. After the chicken cooled, I picked the meat off and placed all the scraps/bones back in the stockpot with the cooked veggies/herbs. I added water and boiled again for about 30 minutes. This made even more yummy stock. I will let all the stock sit in the fridge tonight and in the morning I will skim off all the fat and freeze the stock in 2 cup increments so I can use it in future recipes. I try to avoid purchasing stock when it is so easy to make.

Whenever I am cutting up large amounts of veggies I put the scraps in the stockpot with some herbs and water and cook for about 1 hour. This makes yummy veggie stock. I then freeze it like the chicken stock.

Along with the ground hamburger tip, I also pre make meatballs, cook them and freeze them. very handy to throw in soup, pasta, make meatball sanwiches or even throw together a quick appetizer (think football season!)

I really do not like food to go to waste. I tend to freeze all kinds of things. The important thing to remember is to label all food. You do not want to defrost baked beans thinking you are going to have chili!

Whenever I make pasta sauce, enchilada sauce, mole or any other sauce, I always double or triple the recipe. It is just as easy to make a large batch as a small one. Of course, these get labeled and put into the freezer. Another great freezer item is leftover taco mix - great to make nachos with or add to taco salad. There have been many a night that dinner has been saved at the last minute because of all the random stuff I can pull out of our freezer.

If I have extra pasta left over, guess what, it goes in the freezer. This is great to have on hand and heat up with some cheese for your little mac and cheese lover. I also freeze mufffins, french toast and pancakes for the girls to have in the morning for breakfast. Shianne loves to heat these up herself and serve Nora Beth.

Does anyone have any other great tips? I am always looking for something new. Although I enjoy my time in the kitchen, I am always looking for new ideas to make it easier.

Put out some good thoughts for moms to go into labor!