WFMW - Frugal Womanhood AND Giveaway!

****IMPORTANT INFORMATION - A lot of the winners of my giveaways miss out on their winnings because they aren't subscribed to my feed and don't remember to check back to see if they've won. Please take a minute and subscribe at the top of this page. If a winner is picked and there is no response within 48 hours, I have to pick a new winner. Many times the notifying e-mail that I send to you gets sent to junk-mail so if you are subscribed you'll then have two ways of being notified. Thanks guys.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would learn so much from trying to be frugal. But fortunately my commitment to frugality has led me to some treasures that in wealthier days I would have passed up...never even considered...missed out on. And today's giveaway is one of the things that I'm so glad I gave a try.

The Lunapad company sells 100% cotton reusable menstrual pads, pantyliners and menstrual panties along with several other products. Now, just a few years ago I would have balked at the thought of any kind of reusable menstrual product but as you can see HERE, I'm quickly becoming a convert. Not only is it extremely cost effective to be able to skip buying tampons or pads every month (think...a penny per use), but it's also so good for the environment considering over 14 billion tampons, applicators and pads end up in landfills every year.

Being a tampon user and not much of a pad or pantyliner user I was hesitant to revert back to my teenage years of wearing what seemed like a diaper for the duration of my period but since the Lunapads company sent me some samples in various sizes and absorbency's I thought, "What the heck," and gave it a try.

Lunapad products come in cute prints and designs so that appealed to the girliness in me. But they were also very comfortable...no sticky wings getting bent in the wrong direction and sticking to my leg (or worse), no extreme bulkiness, no strange odors, and no rough fabrics. They were soft and thin and very comfortable. And when it came time to wash them, I thought surely they would be ruined. But I rinsed them in cold water and then washed them in warm and they came out looking like they had never had anything on them. And with all cotton fabrics, the more they are washed, the softer they get.

I'm sold!

So I'm excited to let you know that the Lunapads company wants to give away not one...not two...but THREE sampler packs worth $24.99 each to three lucky winners.

Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment to enter . Please include an e-mail address to contact you with.


• For an extra entry post about this giveaway on your blog and come back to leave a second comment.

And in the meantime go over and check out the Lunapads website to see all the things they offer. They have been gracious enough to provide

a special code for the Grocery Cart Challenge readers to use that will save you 10% extra on any purchase over $35. Just use the code "gcc09" at checkout!

My favorite items were the Lunapanties (which are on sale right now) and the Mini Pads on my lighter days when it was overkill to use my DivaCup.

Open to US and Canada residents. Giveaway ends on Sunday, April 5th. Winner to be announced on Monday, April 6th and will have 48 hours to respond.

Good Luck!

***Participating in Works For Me Wednesday.

Weekly Shopping Trip

I'm noticing that prices are really going down on dairy products. A block of cheese was costing close to $7 just a few months ago and now it's under $4. And milk was close to $4 a gallon and is now under $2 on a pretty consistent basis. Although gas is up. (sigh) How are things looking in your area?

I found some amazing produce deals. I love fresh ginger but it's so expensive. I found a huge amount for a buck and I'll have to get creative to use it up. I also found 2 packs of strawberries for an awesome deal. I love it when I can get the fresh stuff so cheap!

S & S Liquidators

4 bags of pretzels (kid treats) $1.96
2 large cans of spaghetti sauce $1.38
8 apples $1.00
2 huge ginger roots $1.00
3 cans of veggies $1.17
15 lb potatoes $1.99
2 cartons of strawberries $1.50
1 bunch of bananas $.50

Grocery Outlet

Garbage bags $.99
razors $.99
4 toothbrushes $1.98
frozen peas $.79
Frozen french fries $1.99
2 cups shredded mozzarella $1.99
Gallon Milk $1.99
4 packs of franks $2.00
2 pkgs. ground turkey $1.98
Ketchup $2.99
Romano $1.99
Instant potatoes $.99
Canned olives $.79
Pork sausage $1.29

Win-co

1/2 lb Bulk baking powder $.64
2.5 lbs bulk brown sugar $1.42
25 lbs flour $7.78
paper napkins $1.68
Tomatoes $1.77
Orange Juice $.98
Strawberry Yogurt $1.78
2 lb cheddar cheese $3.98

Grand Total $54.28

If you 'd like to share your shopping trip with the rest of us just jump right in but please remember to link directly to your post, not your homepage, and to provide a link back to the Grocery Cart Challenge. This linky is just for your shopping trip. The recipe swap is on Fridays.

Oh, I almost forgot! I have a GREAT giveaway starting on Wednesday so be sure and check back.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm thinking of participating in our local farmers market by selling some home baked goodies and vegetable starts. So this week I'll be trying out some new bread recipes and getting my extra seeds planted. You'll see in my menu a recipe for Angel Bread and I'm also going to try some Honey Oatmeal Bread. Mmmm. Fresh bread slathered with butter is the only rival to my chocolate craving.

Breakfasts

Leftover muffins from the freezer

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Mix

Apple Pan Goody

Cranberry Scones & Yogurt

Fruit (quick breakfast, busy day)
Pancakes

Toast and fruit (another quick morning)

Dinners

Tostado's with Lentil Filling

Baked Ziti, green beans

Baked Rice and Artichoke Hearts, steamed herb peas

Vegetarian Soup and Angel Bread

Skillet Taco Macaroni and sauteed corn

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Leftover Night

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - Homemade Mixes

One of the biggest frugal buzzwords is "homemade". You just can't beat the savings when you can skip the need to pay for the labor, packaging or shipping. Plus the healthiness of home mixes far outweighs their store bought versions. And one of the most stained up, dog eared cookbooks in my cupboard is chock full of recipes for homemade mixes to make in large batches and keep in your cupboards for quick and easy use.

If you don't already have a copy of The Make-A-Mix Cookbook then go check it out at your local library or follow my link in the left sidebar under "I Recommend". Every frugal kitchen should have it. It has everything from spice mixes, Bisquick type mixes, homemade puddings, cake mixes and breads. And then there are all sorts of recipes from dinner to dessert that you can use your homemade mixes in. They are wholesome, quick and easy to put together. Here's one of my favorites.

Quick Mix (homemade Bisquick but better)

8 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups instant non-fat dry milk or buttermilk powder
2 1/4 cups vegetable shortening

Sift together dry ingredients. Use pastry cutter to cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture. Put in airtight container. Label with date and contents. Store in a cool dry place. Use within 10 - 12 weeks. Makes about 13 cups.

This mix can be used for recipes that can be found in the book, like....

Super Duper Doughnuts
Morning Muffins
Quick Pancakes
Golden Cornbread
Rolled Biscuits
Curried Shrimp Rounds
Tuna Cheese Swirls
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
Apple Walnut Cake
English Griddle Scones

Just to name a few.

If you'd like to share a recipe:

PLEASE remember to link directly to your post, not your homepage.
PLEASE remember to provide a link from your post back to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Frugal Gardening Makes Me Happy

I've really become a simple girl. It used to be a morning starbucks, a new piece of jewelry or maybe the latest vacation that would make me giddy with excitement. Now? Well, how about a 20lb bag of fertilizer (that's poop for all you city folk) and some potting soil?

I'm getting ready to start my seeds indoors in the next few days. I was all out of recycled plastic pots to start my seeds in so I cruised the internet and found a way to use old newspaper for seedling pots.

So Exciting! (well, for me anyway)

And Free! (are you excited yet?)

So here's the instructions on how to make your own FREE seed starting pots.

How to Create Seed-Starting Pots From Newspapers -- powered by eHow.com

And here's some of my FREE finished pots. (wait, I said that already)

Gonna plant tomorrow.

***the recipe swap will go up later tonight***

Juice Recipes For What Ails Ya

So here are some great recipes that we use with our juicer to ward off illness or the yucks. They are are from The Juiceman's Power Of Juicing. (Check my right sidebar under "I Recommend". I've found the book really cheap on Amazon.)

For Bladder Infections, Canker Sores, or Fever Blisters

3 apples washed and cut into wedges...skin, seeds and all.
1 cup washed cranberries.

Wipes it out in a matter of hours with only one dose.

To Build Our Immune System When A Cold Is Coming On (Like V8)

6 carrots
2 stalks of celery
small handful of parsley
1 clove of garlic
1 large tomato

~~~~~or~~~~~

2 apples
1 orange

Nausea, Morning Sickness, Motion Sickness

2 apples
1 pear
1 inch knob of ginger root

For Fasting:

Waldorf Salad Juice (helps maintain your sodium and potassium balance)

4 apples
2 stalks of celery

~~~~~or~~~~~

The Broccoli Cheer (actually pretty good)
4 carrots
3 to 4 broccoli florets with stems
1/2 apple

The book has remedies for regular ailments like acid stomach, acne, constipation, sinus problems and headaches as well as some recipes for more serious stuff like ulcers, diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. Although personally I'd go to a doctor for the more serious stuff and just supplement with the juices. It also has recipes for greying hair (need to try THAT one) eye problems, brittle nails, thicker hair, healthy skin and other stuff. It's definitely a great resources and really cheap to purchase.

WFMW - Save On Doctor Bills And Prescriptions

Doctors visits cost alot of money. Especially when you are self employed and the cost of health insurance can equal two house payments every month. So we deal with most of the bumps, bruises, colds, and other owies right here at home with good old fashioned home remedies. That's not to say that we don't go to the doctor when it's something that requires more knowledge than I have. But my years of working in a doctors office gave me lots of insider info and practical remedies that I've used at home since hanging up my scrubs a few years ago.

Every once in a while I, or someone else in my family, will get a bladder or urinary tract infection. Those suckers are painful to say the least. We used to treat them by buying processed cranberry juice and swigging it daily while taking an antibiotic prescribed by a doctor. Granted we would buy the organic unsweetened juice, the best you can by when it comes to store bought, but we've found a better way.

I have a juicer that takes care of it for me now. (See my right sidebar under "I Recommend" to see which juicer I have.) One 16 oz glass of fresh juiced cranberries and apples makes a pure drink that knocks our bladder infections out in a matter of hours. It's incredible how much more potent and nutritious and yummy the fresh juice is then even the best store bought. And it only takes one glass of the pure stuff to wipe out an infection.

When it's cranberry season I stock up and keep them in my freezer until the need arises for another dose. There are also drinks we make for when we feel a cold coming on, an upset stomach, or when Chris or I decide to fast but still need some nutrients in our bodies. I can't tell you how much I love my juicer.

For more Works For Me Wednesday tips go visit HERE.

Weekly Shopping Trip

I had someone ask me, "Why don't you plan your menu around current grocery deals?"

That's a really good question and here's my answer.

I DO plan around current grocery deals but it's usually a week or two in arrears. Let me explain. I plan my meals around what I already have on hand so that I only have to buy a few items to finish a dish. But I also keep my eyes open as I'm shopping for super deals that fit within my budget but can be used in the weeks to come. For example, this week I came upon a deal for ground turkey (which I prefer over hamburger). It was $.99 per lb so I managed to squeeze two pounds into my budget for this week and I'll put them in my freezer to be used later in the month.

So that's how I work around the current grocery deals and still stay within the budget AND the menu plan. To find out more about just HOW I do this you can start right here, here and then here.

S & S Liquidators

Crest Whitestrips $4.99

Wolfgang Pucks Veggie Broth $.79

2 cans beef broth $.78

8 Red Delicious apples $2.00

5 Roma Tomatoes $1.00

4 yellow onions $1.00

4 cream of chicken soup $2.36

4 tomato sauce $1.56

Aussie Sprunch Spray $1.99

Grocery Outlet

2 lbs ground turkey $1.98

2 lbs frozen tater tots $1.29

2 packs shredded mozzarella $3.98

2 packs shredded cheddar $3.98

Conditioner $1.99

4 double rolls of TP $2.99

3 lbs bananas $1.79

bag of spinach $1.99

sliced fresh mushrooms $1.79

cottage cheese $1.89

shredded Asiago $1.99

Franz

7 loaves of bread $6.68

Win-Co


5 dozen eggs $6.66
Frozen broccoli $.98
Gallon Milk $1.98
paper lunch sacks $.92
Bulk Arborio Rice $1.75
Bulk Equal packets $1.20



Grand Total $62.30

How was your shopping trip this week?

Menu Plan Monday

I've got a nice laid back week ahead of me. There's not SO much on my plate that I'm feeling overwhelmed. That's the way I like it.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with apples and brown sugar

Pancakes

Cranberry Scones and sliced bananas

Banana Cocoa Smoothies

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Oatmeal

Toast and homemade jam

Dinners

Tater Tot Green Bean Surprise

Crockpot Lasagna and salad

Baked Salmon, Broccoli Rice Casserole

Oven Baked Risotto with Sausage and Tomatoes

Potluck - Spinach Salad with Honey Bacon Dressing

Leftover Night

Scrambled eggs, toast, fried potatoes

Check back tomorrow when I hit the stores. You can see if I fit all the ingredients for these recipes into my $60 budget. Even I don't know the answer to that yet.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - Freezer Bag Ice Cream

I teach a class once a week at a homeschool co-op I belong to. This session I did a thematic unit on chocolate, which if you know anything about me at all, is right up my alley. Yes, I CAN make chocolate educational. Truly, it was just an excuse for me to eat chocolate every week but if I can actually educate the kids too.....well, it's all gooooood.

So I've covered Language Arts (chocolate poems), Math (graphing and multiplication with M&M's) History (origins of chocolate), and Health (nutritional info on each wrapper) but I have yet to cover Science.

Until today!

Today we will be doing a scientific experiment to learn about the state of matter and the chemical reaction between salt and ice. All in an educational ploy to have an excuse to make homemade ice cream in my class.

The kids and I tested it out at home first to make sure it would work and it was yummy and easy. So if you have an urge for ice cream or need a fun treat for your kids, here's the recipe.

Homemade Freezer Bag Ice Cream

1 cup milk (chocolate milk works too)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups crushed ice
3 tablespoons regular salt
1 gallon size freezer bag
1 sandwich size freezer bag

Pour one cup of milk and the sugar in the sandwich bag, squeeze out as much air as you can and seal tightly.

Put the smaller bag inside the larger bag and pour the ice and salt all around and then seal tightly.

Shake bag vigorously for 4 - 6 minutes (fun for the kids to take turns and we used a towel when our hands got too cold)

Carefully open the bags and eat.

Can't wait to see what you have to share this week.

Please remember to link directly to your recipe post, not to your homepage.
Please remember to provide a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from your post.

Frugal Pet Care

****For those of you who are new here, I write a regular column on frugality for my local newspaper. This was my article for the week. It stemmed from the many reader questions I get on the topic of maintaining the health of a pet when on a strict budget. I hope it's helpful to you as well.

Nobody ever told me that being a mother meant I would also end up being a pet owner. But it wasn’t too far into my parenting career before one of my kids looked up at me with their big blue eyes brimming with hope and asked, “Mommy, can I have a pet?” And from that day on I was not only the mother and primary caregiver of four children but a succession of pets that included half a dozen fish, 4 lizards, 4 hamsters, one dog, 2 snakes a frog, and numerous insects in mason jars.

And if you think caring for kids can cut into your budget, wait until you see the vet bill when your dog or cat needs some TLC. But as with every other area of our spending, even pet ownership has some areas where we can creatively cut costs and still keep our furry friends in good health.

I set about doing some research and found out that many dog and cat owners save money on shots by administering them at home. So I called Dells Feed and Farm Supply in Longview and sure enough, you can purchase the syringe, the whole set of shots for your pet, and get a mini lesson on how to administer it, all for $10. That will not only save you the cost of an office visit but in many cases it’s a huge decrease in what you’ll be charged for the vaccine directly from the vet.

If you’re a cat owner then you probably make a regular purchase of litter for your cat’s box. Did you know that there are some no-cost alternatives that are thought to be even healthier for your cat than the chemicals you’ll find in packaged litter? HERE I found a recipe that uses a combination of old shredded newspapers or junk mail and baking soda. The baking soda absorbs moisture and odors and is also harmless to your cat. Others have used sawdust or dried sand from a beach and just scooped out the clumps as needed.

Did you know that baking soda can be used to shampoo your dog? Just sprinkle some on your dogs coat, rub it in with your hands and then give them a good brushing. It’s leaves their coat shiny, clean and odor free. The baking soda acts to neutralize any odors while the gritty texture grabs and removes any stuck on dirt and oils. Not only is it perfume free and extremely inexpensive but there are no harsh chemicals to irritate the skin and it naturally kills fleas.

Which brings us to those pesky blood suckers that can plague our pets and our homes. To keep fleas away from your dog you can slip a clove of garlic into their diet every other day. The garlic odor is excreted through their skin and repels fleas. A brewers yeast tablet can be used in the same way.

I spoke with Lisa Durling, a local herbalist, owner of Gypsy Trader Imports, and my sister, and she said that she has used herbal remedies to keep fleas away from her cats and dogs for years. She recommends a recipe for an herbal flea dip made from rosemary which can also keep ticks away. She also suggests a spray made from a mixture of water and steeped lavender leaves or another spray that includes a small amount of tea tree oil and water.

There are many ways to cut costs when it comes to keeping our pets healthy. A good diet and plenty of exercise can go a long way in avoiding many health issues. And of course when a problem does arise that is beyond your comfort level to deal with, a good vet is worth every penny. But if you choose to use a few of these tips you’ll see a nice decrease in your yearly pet budget.



Herbal Flea Dip from doggienews.com

Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon ( 8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over the dog until it's saturated. Do not rinse off and allow the dog to dry naturally. Perfect for a warm sunny day.

Herbal Flea Spray #1 from Lisa at gypsytraderimports.com

Fill a spray bottle with water and add 3-5 drops of tea treat oil. Spray on your dog or cat coat and allow to dry. Tea tree oil is an antiseptic and not only repels fleas but also has the added benefit of helping in the treatment of insect bites.


Herbal Flea Spray #2 from Lisa at gypsytraderimports.com

Boil a handful of lavender leaves in water. Cool, strain and pour into a spray bottle. Spray on your dog or cat coat and allow to dry. Lavender is an antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory and can help heal any wounds left from flea bites.

Giveaway Winner

The winner of the EcostoreUSA giveaway is....

Sherry Oconnor!

Congratulations!

Sherry will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond. Thanks everyone for participating.

Look for the next giveaway coming soon!

Weekly Shopping Trip - Ha, Ha, Everyone Laugh At The Lentil Girl

I have hilarious friends. They are tried and true and know me so well. Did I also mention that some of them make fun of me and my lentils? So when it was my birthday last week, one of my friends sent me the gift of meat. No kidding. I laughed my head off. I don't think I've very recieved MEAT for a birthday present. I received 4 lbs of hamburger, some fresh salmon, italian sausage, some chicken breasts and some homemade jam and berries.

I'm sure the lentil razzing won't stop though.

I also had a potluck to go to this week and I chose a grape salad thinking that I could get the bargain grapes that I bought a few weeks ago.

Hah!

They weren't there and I ended up spending almost $10 on that salad. All I have to say is it better be good!


Franz

5 loaves of bread $4.70

S & S Liquidators

Giant can of coffee $4.99
Enchilada sauce $.69
12 apples $1.50
2 bunches of bananas $1.58
2 cans spaghetti sauce $1.38
1 can tomato sauce $.39

Grocery Outlet

8 double rolls of TP $5.98
2 lbs spaghetti $1.69
rotini $.99
4 bars of soap $.99
nose strips $.99
frozen corn $.79
sour cream $1.29
2 cans green beans $1.18


Win-co

1 1/4 lbs bulk oats $.49
4.5 lbs grapes $7.41
3/4 lb bulk granola $.96
cream cheese $.98
1.5 lbs broccoli crowns $1.84
syrup $1.98
3 lbs bulk sugar $1.58
1/4 lb bulk pecans $1.18
2 1/4 lbs bulk popcorn $1.71
vanilla yogurt $1.78
2 lb carrotts $.98
Bulk equal packets $.60
gallon milk $1.98

Grand Total $52.60

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see who won the FREE Dishwasher detergent from EcostoreUSA. And if you haven't entered yet, you have until the end of the day tomorrow.

Menu Plan Monday

Erin over at $5 dinners is hosting menu plan Monday this week so head on over there for more great ideas.

Breakfasts

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Breakfast in a Mug

Apple French Toast Casserole

Yogurt, Raspberry and Granola Parfaits

Muffins from the freezer

Pancakes

Oatmeal with apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon

Dinners

Potluck - Grape Salad

Easy Enchiladas and spicy corn

Spaghetti with green beans and garlic rolls

Lentil and Italian Sausage soup (no recipe) with buttery bread machine rolls

Breakfast for dinner- eggs and toast

Stir Fry Chicken with Garlic Sauce, Steamed Veggies, Sticky Rice

Leftover Night

Check back tomorrow to see how my $60 grocery shopping trip went and on Wednesday we'll see who the winner is for the latest giveaway.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Sometimes I find fruit on sale for freakishly low prices. And now that the growing season is upon us, this will happen more frequently. And sometimes I find it at such a discount that I buy a lot, so much that we can't eat it all. When that happens I like to dry it for snacks. We've successfully done this with bananas, apples, pears, pineapple and cranberries. And its' such a yummy, healthy snack for the kids. So here's how you can do it too. It's so easy.

How To Dry Fruit In Your Oven

• Wash and peel fruit and then cut into slices. If working with bananas, apples or pears soak in acidic juice (pineapple or lemon) to keep from turning brown.
• Lay fruit on a parchment covered baking sheet, making sure that the pieces don't touch.
• Place tray in oven and set oven for 200 degrees just enough to have a warm dry environment for the fruit. It takes several hours for it to dry.
• Remove from oven when fruit is chewy, not crunchy or squishy.

So what's cooking at your house this week?

Frugally Feeding The Bottomless Teenager

Michelle at Leaving Excess asked...

OK, Gayle. I am desperate! My 12 year old son (will be 13 in April) is eating me out of house and home, but he wants meals for snacks. He is constantly whining that he needs "real food" not snacks. You know if he could go shopping he would pick out microwavable crud that is overly expensive. Any suggestions on keeping us both happy? Thanks!

Boy it's sure simpler to be frugal when you just have two adults and a couple of babies in your house, but let me tell you, when you hit the teenage years you really get put to the test. Teenagers are notorious for many things, one of which is eating you out of house and home. And we've managed to figure out a few tricks around here to feed their insatiable appetite and not break the bank.

1. Make snacks that are going to fill them up. You're teens aren't going to be satisfied with a piece of fruit to tide them over. If yours are anything like mine, it's a constant stream of, "Mom, is there anything to eat?" They are NEVER full. So make sure you are offering them snacks with ingredients that have fiber, whole grains or protein (beans or meat) which fills tummies much more than the empty calories in sugar or salt laden snacks.
2. Be prepared. If you normally cook two or three meals a day, when the you hit the teen years you could easily add one more meal to your cooking schedule. But who has the time for that? If you keep your freezer stocked with quick and easy homemade "fast food" then your teen can re-heat their own snack and not bother you with the preparation. Just double a dinner recipe one night and store the extra portions in the fridge. Do that a few times a week and you'll have a stockpile ready to go when they ask.
3. Offer foods they like. I'm learning that my funky vegetarian meals are tolerated at dinner but NOT as snack food. They want hot pockets, burritos, nachos, and other teen fare. And guess what, you don't have to buy that stuff, you can make it and it will be much healthier for them.

So here are a few recipes to get you started.

No Time Flat Nuked Nachos

Pizza Roll-Ups

French Toast Sticks

Make Ahead Wraps

Beef Taquitos

Pizza Pockets

Green Product Giveaway!

I know a lot of you out there are not only trying to be frugal but also to be environmentally aware. So when I had the chance to try a few chemical free, environmentally friendly products from Ecostoreusa, I was excited to find some alternatives to commercially produced supplies.

They sent me some laundry soap, dishwasher powder, bar soap and a dog ear wash to try. (Thanks for letting me use your dog as a guinea pig Emily!) and I've been scrubbing up a storm.

The first thing I noticed were the yummy smells. The laundry soap smelled of eucalyptus and my clothes came out so fresh and clean. After using homemade unscented laundry soap, this was quite a treat. And just like the homemade product, it has no chemicals and nothing nasty stuck to my clothing after it's been washed.

I make most of my cleaning products from homemade natural ingredients but that's not something that everyone really cares to do. And I've NEVER found a homemade alternative to dishwasher detergent that didn't leave a nasty film on my dishes. So that's one cleaning product that always gets purchased in our house. Their dishwasher powder had a fruity/citrus smell and left no residue. And it only takes one tablespoon to clean a whole load of dishes. I was VERY pleased.

And that my friends, is what I have to give away today. EcostoreUSA is offering one reader a bottle of their Non-toxic Auto Dish Powder (you can go HERE to check it out). They also have baby care, pet care and other household products too.

Here's what you can do to enter....

• Leave a comment with an email address so I can contact you when you win...it's as simple as that.

• For an extra entry, post about this giveaway on your blog and come back to leave a second comment to let me know you did it. (You're welcome to grab my button if you'd like)

A winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, March 18th. And don't forget to go check out Works For Me Wednesday over at their new digs for more great tips and good stuff.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I'm sorry I'm getting this up later than normal. Yesterday was my birthday and even though I still had to grocery shop and make dinner and all that other real-life stuff I had lots of fun interruptions during my day and evening that kept me from blogging.

Grocery Outlet

2 packs of double-roll TP $5.98

1/2 gallon soymilk $1.99

bandaids $.99

2 toothpaste $1.99

3 cans olives $2.37

bacon $1.69

salami $1.49

feta $1.59

two toothbrushes $.99

garbage bags $.99

Win-co

Top Ramen $3.98

2 cups mozzarella $1.27

sugar in the raw $.82

1/2 lb bulk sea salt $.10

3 1/2 lbs bulk popcorn $2.76

2 cream cheese $1.96

Romaine lettuce $1.68

2 packs tomato basil wraps $5.84

gallon milk $1.98

2 lb cheddar cheese $4.98

yogurt $1.48

margarine $2.04

strawberries $1.98

5 dozen eggs $6.18

Leaf lettuce $1.68

2 lbs bulk brown sugar $.85

fresh basil $.98

1/2 lb bulk seasoning salt $.89

cucumber $.48

1/3 lb baking cocoa $.87

grapes $2.75

1 lb bulk powdered milk $2.54

1/3 lb bulk chicken soup base $1.20

Turkey Ham $2.66

3 lbs apples $2.15

2 lbs roma tomatoes $1.73

4 lbs bananas $2.33

Grand Total $ 78.23

If you'd like to share your shopping trip this week just enter the link to your post (not your homepage) into Mr. Linky and PLEASE remember to include a link back to the Grocery Cart Challenge from your post.

Menu Plan Monday

We received a spontaneous invitation to go to a friends house for dinner on Sunday night. We jumped at the chance to hang out with some amazing friends. And for dinner we were served steaks, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies and biscuits with jam. Dessert....ice cream sundaes. Such treats for us on this budget of ours. My 13 year old has been kindly asking for less "weird lentil stuff" and more meat. I leaned over and whispered to him, "savor this steak, baby!"

Yes, sometimes there is a revolt to all this beans and rice.

Breakfasts

Muffins from the freezer

Oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar

Pancakes with blueberry syrup

Poached eggs and toast

Sliced bananas in milk

french toast

Amish baked oatmeal

Dinners

Leftovers

Chicken Noodle Soup and Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Lentil Burritos with tomatoes, sour cream, olives, cheese, corn tortillas

Hamburger Rice Skillet with green beans

Ham and Cheese Quiche with Easy Quiche Crust

Crockpot Potato Chowder, green salad, bread machine rolls (guests)

Antipasto wraps, Greek rice and feta salad (guests)

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Between fevers, puking kids and a quick emergency trip to the doctors office for a 5 year old with a burnt hand, I have no energy with which to dredge up a recipe. I do have to say that the Texas Style Lasagne that I doubled for tonight was so STINKING good. I hope the family that I took it to liked it as much as we did.

So without any further ado (because I'm about "ado'd" out)..........

(Please remember to link directly to your post, not your homepage.)
(Please remember to include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.)

Some Great Deals....or not. You decide.

I just got an e-mail from Amazon about some grocery deals they are having for the month of March. Looks like lots of good stuff:

• Annie’s Homegrown Mac & Cheese – Save up to 30% on eligible Annie’s products; 45% with Subscribe and Save
• Starbucks Coffee - Save $10 when you purchase two eligible Starbucks products
• Altoids, Wrigley, and Orbit - Save $15 when you spend $39 on eligible products
• Pet Food and Snacks – Save up to 50% on eligible pet food and snack products

And there's a whole lot more. So go take a look HERE and see what you can dig up for cheap. And if you find something REALLY good come back and let us know how you did it so we can get it too!

Great Books For Your Kitchen And Garden

I really like books. I could get lost in a used book store for hours, just devouring topics like homesteading, cooking, homeschooling, health, fiction, biographies....the list goes on and on. So when I came across a few that I thought might interest you, I decided to share.

If you come home every night with the question, “What am I going to make for dinner?” than the book Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik might just be the book for you. In it, the authors suggest using Warehouse stores like Costco to buy large quantities, prepare several meals in advance, and store them in your freezer for the convenience of later use. If, on your list of priorities, saving time rates slightly higher than saving money than this book will show you how to do just that.

It’s really a smart concept, too. It’s just so much easier to already have dinner made when you’re rushed in the evenings after a long day. And the recipes included in the book cover everything from meatless meals and breakfasts to sauces and main dish meats. Their plan seems to be very flexible in that it suggests tailoring your prep work to the specific needs of your family. If you want to do a marathon day of cooking than it’s possible. But if you just want to store a few meals at a time you can do that too.

The book will show you how to plan your meals and create a shopping list. It also covers how to get the most from your shopping trip, how to set up your kitchen for efficient use and how to prepare your meals for the freezer with proper labels and re-heating instructions. So if you’d like to have a home cooked meal ready for your family every night, Fix Freeze Feast can help you do it.

I freeze or can most of my garden produce, but sometime around mid winter I’d really like to be able to eat a sweet, homegrown, fresh, carrot rather than one that’s been sitting in a jar in my cupboard or it’s shameful cousin the flavorless grocery store carrot. And then I come across a book like Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage Of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike and Nancy Bubel and know that it’s possible.

This books is a smorgasbord of information on planning for and storing your harvest. And it not only covers fruit and vegetable storage techniques but it also covers grain, nut and egg storage as well. It also dispels the myth that a root cellar has to be a huge construction project by offering alternatives like using a basement, a cubbyhole under a porch, or a recycled delivery truck body conveniently buried in the side of a hill.

Root Cellaring goes into great detail teaching it’s reader how to prepare their harvest for storage, avoid spoilage, keep pests out, and build special storage containers for certain fruits and vegetables. It addresses humidity control, ventilation, accessibility, lighting and drainage. It also has numerous building plans for traditional root cellar construction and mouth watering recipes at the end of the book.

I really dislike purchasing fresh seeds every year for my garden. Not only is it an unnecessary expense but I just never know what kind of chemicals may have come in contact with the seeds that will be growing the vegetables that will feed my family. And every year I stare at my garden and wonder just how difficult it would be to save some of my organically grown seeds to replant with next year. And that thought is about as far as I get. Well this year will be different. The book Saving Seeds by Marc Rogers has come to my rescue.

Savings Seeds: The Gardeners Guide To Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds is a science lesson in itself. The author not only starts with the nitty gritty of what a seed is, but provides diagrams and drawings on the development of seed to plant. Building off of that, it talks about selecting the best seed “parents”, proper collection and storage, and testing your seeds for germination success.

Several chapters are devoted specifically to vegetables and their characteristics for saving seeds. It goes into great detail regarding their pollination, isolations needs, seed viability and life cycle. Photos and tips are provided to guide you to the best of your crops to harvest for seed. The information in the book is vast and could easily become overwhelming for a novice gardener like me, but by attempting the authors methods on just a few vegetables at a time I think that could be prevented. And if you’re a gardener with more experience, this book will be a great next step for having a self sufficient garden.

And flower gardeners, don’t feel left out. There’s a large section on flowering ornamentals as well as some fantastic seed sources and further reading lists at the end of book.

I’ve always been intrigued by the food preparation techniques of years gone by. We live in a time of such convenience, where it only takes a quick drive to the supermarket to find a huge variety of ready made foods, that it’s easy to miss out on the wholesomeness and tradition of making our own. So when I came across the book, The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, my visions of Caroline Ingalls churning butter in her wooden churn jumped to the forefront of my mind and I knew I wanted to give it a try.

The Home Creamery takes what could be an intimidating concept, making your own dairy products, and reveals how truly simple it is. It not only shows you how to make butter, yogurt and sour cream but also soft un-ripened cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta and mozzarella. And that’s just a sample of what this book has to offer. You’ll get a full education on setting up your own personal home creamery, the simple equipment you’ll need, and the basic steps and tips to successfully produce the freshest dairy products you’ve ever tasted. They don’t even compare to store bought. And thrown in with all that is a little bit of lore and history as well as a treasure trove of recipes to use up your freshly made creams and cheeses. This is a book that will be a great addition to any cooks collection.

So if any of these books interest you, you can find out more about them by following the link in my right sidebar under "I Recommend".

GCC Shopping Round Up

I hit the produce jackpot this week. S & S had some amazing deals.

S & S Liquidators

5 apples $1.00

Carton of organic beef broth $.79

2 vanilla soymilk $.98

4 kids snacks $.50

6 heads of garlic $1.00

5 roma tomatoes $1.00

bunch of bananas $.79

2 boxes of pasta $1.48

bag of grapes $.79

15 lbs potatoes $1.99

2 cans green chilis $.98

17 cans of veggies $6.63

Franz Bread Store

5 loaves of bread $4.70

Grocery Outlet

Corn Tortillas $3.79

2 tubs of cottage cheese $3.78

sour cream $1.29

disposable foil pan $1.49

4 double rolls of TP $2.99

8 cups grated cheese blend $6.99

2 cups shredded white cheddar $1.99

Win-co

5 dozen eggs $6.18

1/4 lb bulk chili powder $.57

1/8 lb bulk coconut $.17

1/2 lb bulk powdered milk $1.41

Worcestershire sauce $1.13

2 boxes of margarine $1.46

Frozen O.J. $.98

Gallon Milk $1.98

Grand Total $58.83

How did it go for you this week?

PLEASE remember to link directly to your post, not hour home page.

PLEASE remember to provide a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from your post.

Menu Plan Monday

It's been a while since I've fed others rather than just our family of 6. I'm part of a group that provides meals to new mom's, grieving families, or family's recovering from health problems. So this week you'll not only see a meal for company but also a doubled recipe to be taken to another family. If you plan well, it really is possible to spread the food luv around. Even on a tight budget. Oh, and remember the awesome purchase of fresh cranberries last week? They will start showing up in this weeks menu.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal

German Pancakes

Cranberry Streusel Muffins

Apple Pan Goody

Overnight Amish Oatmeal

Eggs and Toast

Leftover muffins

Dinners

Meatless Chili Mac and hot buttered peas

Tamale Lentil Casserole and coleslaw

Crockpot Whole Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

Texas Style Lasagna, green salad (doubled for another family as well as ours)

Chicken Noodle soup (with leftover chicken carcass) Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Chili, Sweet Cornbread, Cranberry Coleslaw (10 for dinner)

Leftover Night

and for snacks....5 minute chocolate mug cakes, Spicy Roasted Soybeans, Homemade Microwave Popcorn, Sugared Cranberries