10 Ways To Reuse It : Paper Bags

When I go to the grocery store sometimes I forget my reusable grocery bags. I know that's a heinous crime in the world of green living but yeah, it happens. So without my reusable bags, it's easy to accumulate a stack of paper bags that get shoved under my sink. And the stack can get out of control fast. So here are a few productive ways to reuse your paper grocery sacks.

1. Use it to ripen fruit. Place unripened fruit in a paper bag in a dark place and the ethylene in the fruit gets trapped in the bag and quickens the ripening process.
   
2. Make texture in your painted walls. Paint a base coat of color on your walls. Get another pain color a few shades lighter or darker and dip a wadded up paper bag in the paint. Gently dab on walls for an effect similar to ragging. I did this in my bathroom and it came out looking like Italian stucco.
   
3. Clean out your car. I leave a few paper bags tucked in my suburban. Every few weeks, when kids stuff starts to accumulate on the floor of my vehicle, I open up a few bags and shove it all in there so I can get it back in the house to be sorted and put away.
4. Grow your garden. When I get ready to put my homemade compost into my garden I put a layer of brown grocery sacks down first. They are a great organic additive, suffocate any weeds underneath them and then decompose fast to add nutrients to my garden along with the compost.
5. Make book covers. I remember doing this as a kid in School. Cut open the paperback and fasten it around the outside of your textbook. Then let your kids make custom decorated book covers.
6. Make Homemade Wrapping Paper. We do this alot and it's the same concept as the textbook covers. The kids wrap the present in the unprinted side of the bag and then decorate it with special drawings, sweet sayings or even glued on photos.
7. Ship things in the mail. I mail books or packages covered in brown paper bag. It saves on shipping supplies and it's easy to write the address on the package.
8. Catch Grease. When I cook bacon or other greasy foods, I use a paper bag to soak up the extra grease before serving. It's free and easy to clean up.
9. Clean silk flowers. Clean your silk flowers or greenery by shaking them, with salt, in a paper bag. The salt removes any dust or grime stuck to them.
10. Simple Snow Removal. Place flattened paper bags on the windshield and secure with the wipers. In the morning when you are ready to drive off, simply pull off the paper bag and all the snow comes off in one quick movement. No more frozen fingers or wet gloves.

Check back next week for more of "10 Ways To Reuse It" and for more great ideas go visit Works For Me Wednesday.

Creative Cooking

I always learn something about myself when I shop from my cupboards: I LOVE A CHALLENGE! I think I'm a challenge junkie because it kind of lights a creative fire under my otherwise lazy bum and I find that our food is just a little bit more interesting than on a planned week. Tonight's dinner started with these ingredients...



I cooked up the rice. I really wanted to use brown but didn't have the extra time so I used Jasmine....

doubled this white sauce recipe using whipping cream (I know, but it was SO good) and added 1 cup of cheddar to it....

Stir fried the mushrooms, broccoli and leftover chicken in a little butter....


Layered it in a casserole dish (rice-meat and veggies-sauce) and cooked it at 350 for 30 minutes.

It was yummy enough to have seconds and leftovers for tomorrows lunch.

Tomorrow we'll do blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Not too bad for pantry cooking.

Menu Plan Monday - I Don't Wanna!

Ever have one of those days? I'm having it today. Head pounding...cranky with the kids...could snap at any moment. That's me tonight. So I'm rebelling. I'm not gonna make a menu plan. Now, I've said these words before and lived to regret it, but I'm still going to throw caution to the wind and do it anyway.

My inventory on hand is this:

Lots of rice and beans
Leftover chicken meat from a roast earlier in the week
A frozen turkey breast and a whole turkey in the freezer
Lots of berries, lettuce, broccoli, mushrooms, tangerines, carrots and celery
Frozen pumpkin puree
basic baking supplies and spices
frozen loaves of bread
a freezer full of homemade broth
a little bit of fresh and powdered milk
eggs
a variety of canned goods

That's not too bad. I can last at least to mid week on that, right? The only thing we might miss are bananas and apples but I'm feeling up to the challenge of getting creative....just not tonight. So, if I find that I need to shop this week I'll fill you in. But it looks like I'll be doing lots of baking and thinking ahead. We'll see how it goes.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Just got back from a road trip today involving three hours of sleep the night before...and lots of teenagers....and a whole lot of Starbucks so I could drive the 2 1/2 hours home without falling asleep. While my brain recharges, please feel free to jump right in and share a recipe with us. Please remember to link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Goodnight all! (snore)

10 Ways To Reuse It : Plastic Milk Jugs

I got to thinking one day as I was rinsing out an empty milk jug, getting ready to use it for something other than holding my milk, "Do most people just throw this away and not give it a second thought?" Because most things in my house get used for two or three different purposes before I reluctantly think I've used it for all I can and toss it in the garbage. And my next thought was, "Wouldn't it be neat to have a regular feature on my blog letting people know the different ways they can reuse ordinary household items to get every frugal bit of life out of it before it heads to the overcrowded landfill?" So....ta da! A new feature was born. Every week I'll put up a post called "10 Ways To Reuse It" hopefully to get your mind creatively thinking of ways to reuse what you might have thought was all used up. If you have an item you'd like me to feature, send me an email and I'll come up with some ways to use it up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think most of us empty at least one milk jug a week. Did you know that when you throw them away and they get hauled to the landfill they just sit there, never decomposing? So why not give them new life? Make them work for you to organize your life, store your stuff, or put a smile on your kids faces. Here are a few ideas.

• When you thaw meat in the fridge does it sometimes leak all over your shelves? Cut the top off your milk jug and use the plastic bottom to thaw your meat in. No more leaky juices and you can wash and reuse it numerous times.
  
• Use the top part of the milk jug as a funnel.
• Cut a hand size hole in the top of the jug opposite the handle and use it to store dog biscuits, golf balls or clothes pins.
• A full freezer is an efficient freezer. Wash out and fill your milk jugs with water and store in your freezer. When a freezer is full it takes less energy to keep it cold. Water expands though so leave a little room at the top of your jug when filling or the container will crack.
• When you're camping pull one of your water jugs out of your home freezer and use it to keep your cooler cold.
  
• Cut a hole in the top opposite the handle and use to store your toilet brush in.
• Cut the top off right where it starts to widen, put some gravel in the bottom and set a tea light in it for a beautiful glowing luminary for outdoor parties.
• Make a bird feeder!
• Fill with your bulk grains. Wash out and let dry really well and then store rice, beans, or cornmeal in them. They are easy to pour out and measure too.
  
• Cut the bottom off and shape it into a scoop with a handle. Use it to scoop out dog food or even for the kids to use in their sand box.

To check out WFMW go here.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I felt like I found some good deals today. I have a few sack lunches to make this week as the teens, a few of their friends, and I hit the road for a few days and need to take lunches on day one. I got a super deal on soy milk as well as a $1 off on a whole chicken. I also had to replace my Arm and Hammer Washing Soda which is the main ingredient in our laundry soap and household cleaners. I only buy two boxes of this per year and it cleans my whole house including laundry. Isn't that a great deal? So make sure you check out my laundry and cleaning recipes if you haven't already. It saves so much money to make your own and works just as well if not better. And last but not least, my sister and brother in law came and helped chop down a tree in my backyard a few days ago so that my garden could get more sun. I'll be making them (and us) a French Silk Pie as a thank you.

Here's how it went.

Franz

8 loaves of bread $4

S & S Liquidators

12 capri suns $1
2 soy milk $.98
7 reeses's hearts $1
PB crackers $.99
3 tomato soup $1.47

Grocery Outlet

Shampoo $1.99
Conditioner $1.99
Whole chicken ($1 off) $5.01
Frozen strawberries $1.99
razors $1.99
6 toothbrushes $2.97
toothpaste $.99
3 mac & cheese $1
2 cans green beans $1
Taco chips $1.78

Win-co

Washing Soda $2.70
Vanilla yogurt $1.78
5 dozen eggs $8.24
10lbs flour $3.23
2 gallons milk $4.76
2 graham crusts $2.04
butter $1.98
whipping cream $3.08
1.25 lbs bulk granola $1.98
2.6 lbs bananas $1.50
baking chocolate $1.98
3.2 lbs apples $2.84
1.4 lbs broccoli $2.37
canned olives $.95

Grand Total $69.58

Would you like to tell us about your great shopping trip or a super deal you found? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm out of town for a few days this week so I have a couple meals off. When I took stock of my fridge and freezer before making my menu plan, I found some hamburger, tilapia from last week that I never used (had scrambled eggs instead) canned tuna, a small chunk of ham, and lots of homemade stock in my freezer, so my menu plan is based around those things. Here's what's cooking.

Breakfast

Leftover pancakes from the freezer
Yogurt, granola and blueberry parfaits
fruit and hard boiled eggs (quick breakfast before I hit the road)
Husband cooking while I'm gone
fruit and hard boiled eggs (another quick breakfast before co-op)
French toast
Easy baked ham and eggs

Dinners

Grilled Tuna and Cheese, green salad
Homemade chicken noodle soup and cheese toast
Crockpot Roast Chicken, green beans and canned peaches
Husband is cooking while I'm gone
Garlic Tilapia, steamed broccoli
Taco Salad
Leftover Buffet Night

For more great menu plans go HERE.

Hitting The Road

Are there any readers in the Silverdale, Washington First Class Co-op? I'll be there on Wednesday and Thursday and would love to meet you! Send me an email and let me know.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

I have a confession to make. This unassuming little plastic bin...



is my bored-kid kit.

And whenever I hear one of them holler, "Mom, I'm bored!" I pull it out and suddenly I have an hour of free time. And I don't care how old or young my kids are, they never tire of blowing bubbles. Every time one of the kids comes home from a birthday party with a jar of bubbles, I save it. I have a dozen or so now, wands and all, and the jar you see in the picture? It's full of super cheap but seriously strong homemade bubble brew.

Homemade Bubbles

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups dishwashing soap
  

In a large bowl stir water and corn syrup until combined. Add dishwashing liquid and stir very gently until well mixed. (Try not to make any bubbles.) Dip (don't stir) bubble wands into bubble liquid and blow bubbles.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Creatively Free Shoe Inserts

You know those expensive padded shoe inserts that you can by in the store? Lot's of people use them for extra cushion in their shoes, especially if they have a job that requires lots of standing. Well, I have a really smart friend who shared the secret of getting free inserts for his shoes and he wants me to pass it on to you.

He goes to the carpet stores and asks for the leftover carpet padding from their jobs. You know, the remnants that they'll never use and are headed for the garbage. Then he brings them home, lays his old inserts on top and cuts them to match. The carpet padding is extra strong and cushiony and they last about a week before he has to cut out another pair.

All free I might add!

So next time you're reaching for pair of over priced inserts, just hop back in your car and drive to the carpet store. You'll save a bundle of money.

Freezing Cookie Dough

The teens are off today for their World View class and needed a treat to bring. I came across the BEST oatmeal raisin cookie recipe! They are chewy and buttery and I just happened to have a giant supply of free raisins from a few months back that I needed to use up.

I made a double batch and just cooked up a few dozen to take. But I had so much leftover that I decided to freeze the dough. I formed them into balls, froze them on a cookie sheet and when they were hardened, transferred them to a freezer bag.

Next time when the kids are wanting a snack all I have to do is pull them out of the freezer, put them on a cookie sheet and cook them for a few extra minutes to thaw and then finish baking. That will save me so much time when we have our next cookie craving.

Here's the recipe if you're interested:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

GCC Shopping Round Up

It was back to Monday morning shopping for me this week and WOW was it much less crowded. When it's so crazy at the store it makes it really hard to concentrate and I have to admit....I get cranky. So if I you saw me in the store last Sunday and I looked grumpy, my apologies. Today, I had a smile of relief on my face. Here's how the shopping went.


S & S Liquidators

dishwasher tablets $2.99
tomato and red pepper soup $.79
head of lettuce $.79
10 tomatoes $2.00
4 pack albacore tuna $3.99

Grocery Outlet

Hair spray $2.99
24 double rolls of Charmin $8.99
Cotton balls $.99

Win-co

sausage links $2.48
milk $2.38
3 lbs hamburger $5.25
tilapia $2.38
ham $6.58
salad mix $1.98
canned green beans $.68
cream cheese $.98
2 packs fresh mushrooms $3.56
7 apples $2.14
butter $1.98
frozen broccoli $1.28
fresh broccoli $1.48
bananas $1.39
carrots $.88

Grand Total $58.95

Would you like to share your own shopping trip, a great deal you found or a coupon that did great things for you this week? Please link directly to your own post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

I have a few nights off this week. The kids are with grandparents one night and the other night we are having dinner with extended family. I also have a TON of homemade stock in my freezer so I'm going to try and use it up over the next few weeks by making homemade soup or stew on a regular basis. I usually just toss in some pasta, spices and fresh veggies in my broth for a frugal and healthy meal.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal
Ham and Swiss Quiche
Full English Breakfast
Pancakes with berries on top
Crumb Topped Banana Muffins
Oatmeal
Leftover Pancakes

Dinners

Taco Salad
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Baked Tilapia, green beans
Kids gone (leftovers for me)
Dinner with in-laws
Homemade Soup and garlic cheese toast
Leftover Night

For more great menu plans go visit HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

I'm just a little bit excited about the recipe this week. It's one of those things that just goes to show that there isn't ANYTHING that you can't make at home. It's gummy worms! These little guys are so easy and so fun to make with your kids. And if you're trying to watch your kids (or your) sugar intake, these are also sugar free.

Gummy Worms

1 3oz box of sugar free jello
5 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan until it resembles play dough. Heat over low until melted. Once completely melted pour into 8 x 8 greased pan and freeze for 5 minutes. When very firm tip pan upside down to remove and then cut with a pizza cutter into wormy strips. They won't last long.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Couponing 101

I get asked a lot about couponing and I'll be the first to admit that I know zilch...nothing...nada. BUT, I do have friends who do. So Maryann from Coupon $avvy in Cowlitz Co. has put together this beginners guide for people like me. Thanks for doing this Maryann!

Couponing started out as survival for my family but soon turned into a new way of life.

Over the last year I have suffered many trial and errors but through my journey found a way to feed my family of 7 for $25.00 a week.

If you are ready to start your own frugal journey here are a few easy to follow steps.

Where do you find the Coupons?

~The sunday paper is the best way to start collecting coupons. I buy anywhere from 7-15 paper a week.

~eBay is a great place to buy coupons.

~Magazines often have multiple coupons. The best one is All You magazine sold at Walmart

~Online sites such as Coupons.com offer many high value coupons

I have my coupons, now what?

~The biggest mistake beginers make is rushing out and using coupons.

I want to make the biggest bang for my buck so I wait to use my coupon until the item goes on sale.

~Before making your weekly menu, take note of what you have on hand in your pantry. This single task saves me a ton of money.

As a couponer I have had the opportunity to build a large overstock of items my family eats regularly, by doing this I only have to purchase the fresh fruits, veggies and dairy products.

~Just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it! Unless you know your family will use the product, don't buy it. Remember you are trying to save money.

~In the beginning I thought I had to rush out a score every deal, this became very overwhelming and took way too much time. Remember deals are always coming and going and every deal isn't a GOOD deal.

Loading my loyalty cards

~Couponing has come a long way in the last 20 years. It used to be we just cut out our coupons and that was it. Now we have text coupons, internet printables and ecoupons. I must admit I was slow at jumping onto the ecoupon bandwagon but now I wouldn't leave for the store without them.

An ecoupon is a coupon that you load directly to your store (Safeway or Fred Meyer) club card. What most people don't understand about ecoupons is that they can be stacked with your manufacture coupon aswell as a store coupon.

For example:

Yoplait yogurt is on sale at Safeway for $2

I use:

$1 manufacture coupon

$1 ecoupon from Shortcuts

$1 ecoupon from Cellfire

$.50 Safeway double

______________________

I just walked away with free yogurt and $1.50 in my hand!

Loading your club card is a simple task that can save you a lot nof money.

www.shortcuts.com

www.cellfire.com

www.safeway.com

Couponing has turned into something I enjoy and is no longer a source for survival.

By saving money on food and household products I am able to save my money for other things a family of 7 needs.

I wish you the best of luck on your new frugal journey,

Happy Clipping!!

~Maryann

Coupon $avvy in Cowlitz Co.

A Money Saving Project for You!

A reader had a GREAT idea! Wouldn't it be super if we could put together a resource that lists bargain grocery stores all across the United States with reviews from people who have been there and shopped? That way you can come visit, click on your state and find out where people are shopping in your area.

I'm loving that idea!

It's going to be an enormous task so here is where you can help.

Send an email to gaylebryant4(at)gmail.com and let me know:

1. the city and state that the store is located in.
2. Name of the store, address, phone number, and link to it's webpage (if it has one)
3. a review of your experience shopping there. Include any info that would help like what products you normally find, is there a special day for bargains or a special hidden spot in the store for markdowns?

This isn't a place to locate a deal that may run out, just a resource so that others in your area can find the outlet stores or cheapest places to shop for groceries. So don't send me any tips with expiration dates, or coupons that run out. Just store locations where you regularly find the best deals.

Finally we can have a resource all in one place, ALL across the States, that will save ALL of us some money. Let's help each other out.

Isn't that a great idea?

For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas go HERE.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I hit the Franz store on Saturday this week since they now have 2 loaves for a $1. And I shopped on a Sunday which I'll never do again. Does everybody shop on Sundays? It was so crowded we could have used stoplights in the aisles to keep traffic moving. I also tried a new grocery liquidator and it stunk. When you've been spoiled with great prices, you almost get a little bit mad when another comparable store tries to make you pay more. Lesson learned: if it ain't broke don't fix it. The fun part this week is that I get to cook for someone else. I'm part of a group of ladies that brings meals to new mommies. That's always fun. So you'll see a few irregular (for me) ingredients in my list today. Here's what I found.

Franz

8 loaves of bread $4.00

Prospector Liquidators

2 cans tomato soup $1.38
body wash $.99
2 cans sweetened condensed milk $1.38
canned green beans $. 69

Win-Co

7 apples $2.43
6 pears $1.91
Bananas $1.57
celery $.88
spring mix $1.98
frozen cauliflower $1.28
mushrooms $1.78
frozen blueberries $3.48
frozen mixed berries $2.00
2 packs TP $4.94
5 dozen eggs $7.59
milk $2.33
manicotti $1.89
caramel syrup $2.84
Giant Ragu $4.98
whipping cream $2.78
yogurt $1.78
lemon juice $1.58
2 sausage $4.46
bacon $2.44
pepperoni $1.70
mozzarella $5.27
olive $.95
2 cans mushrooms $.96
2 rolls sugar cookie dough $3.96
Parmesan $2.23
bulk brown sugar $1.53
bulk oats $.69
bulk baking powder $.54

Grand Total $77.19

Would you like to share your shopping trip, great bargain or super coupon? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu includes a meal for a new mom which I'll double and feed to my family too. Also there will be a a few days where I'll be out of town and instead of being super-mom and planning menu's for my hubby and kids, I'm letting them figure out their own meals. I think they can handle it. Plus my freezer is always full of leftover soups, frozen breads, and summer garden produce so I'm sure they'll find something to throw together.

Breakfasts

Pancakes from the freezer
Cheddar and Veggie omelets with Bacon
French Toast and homemade syrup
Berry Banana Smoothies and Blueberry Muffins
Leftover muffins as we head out to our home-school co-op
Scrambled eggs, sausage and peaches
Leftover French Toast as we scramble to get to church

Dinners

Deep Dish Quiche Pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives
Sausage, mushroom and chicken casserole, green beans
Shortcut Sausage Manicotti, green salad, dulce de leche bars (for new mom and us)
Homemade chicken and veggie soup (made with homemade stock) & cheesebread
I'm Gone, Yahoo!
I'm Gone, Yippee!
Leftover Buffet (or if they've eaten it all we'll probably have some soup that I saved in the freezer)

For more menu plan ideas go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Ok, I realize I may be jumping the gun a little bit but the sun was out today and all I could think about was summer picnics and potlucks and it made me dig out this great and deliciously simple recipe I have for homemade BBQ beans. You can easily soak and cook dry beans to make this EVEN cheaper but either way it's a great low cost addition to any table. And even if you're in the part of the country that's still seeing snow, you can add some ground beef or sausage, a green salad and whip up a batch of cornbread for a warm cozy meal.

Slow Cooker Barbecued Beans

1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cans great northern beans rinsed and drained
2 cans black beans drained, reserve 1/2 cup liquid

In 10 inch skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Drain. In slow cooker, mix bacon, onion and remaining ingredients including reserved liquid. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

How To Start A Compost Pile

Being frugal means nothing goes to waste. When you use something up you stop to re-evaluate if there is some other creative way to use it. Can the container be used for something else? Would it make a fun craft project for the kids? Can that bone be boiled down for soup,? Does it have another use? And when you finally think you’ve got every inch of life squeezed out of it, then you toss it. Often times the last stop at our house is the compost bin.

Starting a compost bin is simple to do, doesn’t cost much money and takes very little space but some people may be wondering why bother? For us there are two reasons; it cuts down on our weekly amount of garbage and provides nutrient rich soil for our yard and garden. Did you know that roughly 40% off our garbage could actually be composted? It’s possible to put that waste to good use instead of sending it to the landfill and consuming all that energy to get it there.

So here’s how you can create simple and cost efficient compost for your own home.

First you need something to create your compost in. There are lots of different things you could construct, but to keep it simple a plastic garbage can with a lid will do. Not only is it reasonably inexpensive but it has a handy lid to keep critters out and is easily transportable around your yard when you’re ready to spread your nutrient rich soil around.

Next you need to make several holes in the sides and top of your bin. You can use a drill or even a knife to cut these. This will help air and moisture get in but will keep the neighborhood animals from getting at your garbage goodies. The holes need to be roughly ¼ to ½ inch in diameter and about a foot apart all the way around.

Then pick a place to keep it. You want to choose a place close to your house for easy access but also not too far from where you want to dump your finished compost. You’ll also want your bin to get some sun and rain when it’s available to aid in the decomposition, so don’t keep it in a covered area.

Now you’re ready to start adding to it. You’ll want to put a shallow layer of dirt in the bottom to get it started and then the fun begins. Here are some common everyday things that you can toss into your pile…


Paper napkins
vegetable or fruit peelings
Burlap coffee bags
Pet hair
Wood chips
dryer lint
Hay
Old spices
Pine needles
Leaves
Matches (paper or wood)
Bird cage cleanings
Paper towels
Grass clippings
rabbit or chicken manure
Hair clippings
Stale bread
coffee grounds
Wood ashes
Sawdust
Tea bags and grounds
Shredded newspapers
Paper shreds from your office shredder
Egg shells
Houseplant trimmings
Aquarium plants
Kleenex tissues
Tree bark
Q-tips (cotton swabs: cardboard, not plastic sticks)
Expired flower arrangements
Tobacco wastes
Guinea pig cage cleanings
Shredded cardboard
Peanut shells
Bread crusts
Cooked rice
Wooden toothpicks
Moss from last year's hanging baskets
Stale breakfast cereal
Pencil shavings
Brown paper bags
envelopes

It’s helpful to keep a container in your house to hold your raw materials. I use a recycled Costco dishwasher soap bucket under my sink to collect our kitchen scraps. The smaller the scraps that go in, the quicker the decomposition will happen so chop or crush them before putting them in the bucket. Also, you want to be sure to keep a balance between your brown ingredients (paper scraps, dirt) and your green ingredients (kitchen scraps, grass clippings). Make sure that your compost is damp. Most of they year my wonderfully wet climate takes care of this for me, but during the hotter summer months you want to make sure it is moist. You’ll also need to turn it periodically to keep air flowing and to speed up the decomposition process. The handy thing about the garbage can is that all you have to do is secure the lid and then tip it over and roll it around a couple of times. The other option is to use a pitch fork or shovel and stir it up a bit.

You can expect your pile to give off a little heat. That means it’s doing it’s job to break down into soil. Also you’ll probably see a few bugs and generally that’s not a problem. There shouldn’t be much more than a sweet dirt smell coming from your bin. If it starts to smell strong than your balance of green, brown, and wet ingredients may be off or it’s possible that you’ve thrown something you shouldn’t have into the bins. Never throw meat products in there.

So don’t be afraid to jump right in. Now is as great a time as any to start reducing your landfill waste and nourishing your yard.

For more WFMW ideas, go HERE.

Getting Stuff Done

Today is the day where I complete all those kitchen chores I've been putting off....


Making a batch of homemade yogurt....

and a double batch of laundry soap...

and filling all my squirt bottles with homemade all-purpose cleaner.


Dinner is in the crockpot, getting ready to make a crustless cheesecake and feeling good about all that I've accomplished.

Trying NOT to focus on all that I didn't.....trying.....trying....

GCC Shopping Round Up

I noticed that yesterday I forgot to post the link to the recipe for Chicken Alfredo so I remedied that today. AND I wanted to let you know that it was crazy delicious. I added mushrooms to the sauce and then served mine over steamed broccoli while the kids ate theirs over pasta. Absolutely decadent.

Also, if you're a local I have a little bargain tip for you. The Franz outlet now has bread on sale 2 for $1 on Saturdays. That's incredible so you might want to adjust your shopping day so you can get bread, bagels, English muffins and rolls at those low prices.

So here's how the shopping went today.

Franz

2 loves of bread, 2 bags of bagels, 1 bag of hoagie rolls $4.25

S & S

dishsoap $.79
Kotex $3.99
Reynolds Foil $.99

Grocery Outlet

Tortilla chips $1.69
Pork rinds $.99
diced tomatoes $.79
Pantene conditioner $4.99 (one of few brands I'm loyal to for my curly hair)
Tater tots $.99

Win-co

Hamburger buns $.93
Sour cream $1.08
Milk $2.33
Yogurt $1.68
whipping cream $2.78
ranch dressing $.43
italian dressing $1.44
3 lbs Ground beef $5.23
2 lbs mozzarella $5.27
fels naptha $1.12 (time for a new batch of laundry soap)
2 cream cheese $1.96
Parsley $.58
mushrooms $1.78
sugar free syrup $2.65
Bananas $1.12
bulk minced onion $1.15
onion $.39
green onions $.48
5 dozen eggs $6.88

Grand Total $58.75

The great new is that I stayed under my budget. The bad news is I depleted nearly all my stored up meat so I could be hurting next week. We'll just have to wait and see.

Would you like to share your grocery shopping trip, great coupon find, or super bargain? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.