Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

This is about the easiest (and maybe healthiest) macaroni and cheese you'll ever make. It has only four ingredients, it's high in protein and takes one dish to prepare.

The Easiest Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese

16 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni

16 ounces water

16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and stir it up good. Cook at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir thoroughly. Be sure to stir and scrape the sides well or it won't turn out as creamy as it should. Put back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes. Keep a good eye on it after the 20 minute mark and cook until pasta is just done or it will dry out.

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

Free Movies Again This Summer

Regal Cinemas is gearing up for another summer of free movies. I think it's so cool that they are doing this for the kids this summer. What fun to spend an afternoon at the movies with the kids, especially for free! Go HERE to find a location near you and to see what's playing.

10 Way To Reuse It: Dryer Lint

Ok. This week was kind of fun. I seriously never thought dryer lint had even one use, I mean come on, it's LINT for crying out loud. But I was standing in the shower wracking my brain this week for something that most people don't even think twice about, something I have an abundance of, something I could save from it's garbage can grave. And now I give you 10 ideas that, even if you don't use them, may open your eyes to the possibilities in our trash cans.

1. Make Clay! Put 1 1/2 C of dryer lint in a sauce pan. Add 1 C water. Add 1/2 C of flour and stir until smooth. Add 2 drops of vegetable oil. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until it forms peaks and has a solid consistency. Place on newspaper to cool. You may use it for molding as you would any clay then allow to dry for 3 days.
2. Compost It! Yes, even dryer lint can break down into nutrients for your garden.
3. Nesting. You know that expensive nesting material you can get at pet stores for you rodents? Try your lint instead. It's warm, clean and cozy and looks just like the real thing.
   
4. Mulch It. Use dryer lint in your houseplants. Put a layer on top of the soil. The water will soak through and the lint will keep the top layer of soil from drying out which means you don't have to water as much.
5. Make A Fire starter. Lint catches on fire quickly. If you're camping in the wind or rain take a homemade fire starter to get yourself warm and toasty. Stuff lint into an old egg carton, pour wax over the lint and then pop out your twelve homemade fire starters. You can use these at home too.
6. Give It To The Birds. Sprinkle it in your yard and watch the birds haul it away for their nests.
7. Make Papier Mache. Kids need to make a project for school? Make the most frugal papier mache ever! Go HERE for directions.
8. Homemade Paper. Not only is it a great experiment for the kids but think of how much money they charge for that fancy shmancy rugged homemade paper?
9. Spin It. Ok, so it's not wool but did you know that lint can be made into yarn? Yep. If you're a fiber artist, give it a try.
10. Get Artistic. Here's a link to some amazing art that was created from dryer lint. Like, on-display, art-show kind of art. Seriously!

For more great WFMW ideas, go here.

GCC Shopping Round Up

So, I have this great recipe for French Dip Sandwiches on my menu this week but when I went to find the 4 lb boneless chuck roast (which is the cheapest cut you can get) I nearly lost it in the grocery store. It was a good 20 bucks worth of meet! I seriously considered throwing caution to the wind and just tossing it in my cart anyway. But, I just couldn't do it. I was going to go with a different roast but when I asked the butcher he told me that the other roasts won't shred properly. I noticed the butcher was marking pork roasts down and decided to change from beef roast to a pork chuck roast but even THAT was a lot of money. He did tell me some valuable info though. He let me know that pork Carnita made THE best shredded pork sandwiches in the crockpot and at half the SALE price of the marked down pork chuck roast. I was sold and I think I love my butcher now. Why have I waited this long to start asking him questions?

So here's how it went today...

Franz (Dang, I missed the Saturday 2/$1 deal.)

3 loaves of bread and pack of buns $5.00


Dollar Tree

Deodorant $1.00
2 toothpaste $2.00

Win-co

Milk $1.98
2 cans chili $1.76
frozen blueberries $1.68
10lbs flour $3.23
sugar $2.34
4 lbs Pork Carnita $5.49
3 lbs ground beef $5.37
5 dozen large eggs $5.20
1.8lbs apples $1.76
margarine $.68
BBQ sauce $1.49
green pepper $.98
2 cans albacore tuna $2.24
3.6 lbs bananas $2.09

Grand Total $44.29

I found myself with lots of veggies and some grapes left as well as frozen and canned fruit and veggies so I didn't have to go hog wild on produce this week.

Did you have a shopping trip 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.

Menu Plan Monday

I wrapped up some commitments last week so I'm looking forward to a little more free time to get my veggie starts in the ground and spend a little more time in the kitchen. I already planted my potatoes and walla walla sweets but it's time to get those beans and herbs in the ground and get the tomatoes used to the outside weather rather than the climate controlled bay window they've gotten used to. Can't wait to get a little garden dirt under my fingernails this week. In the meantime, this is what's cooking at our house.

Breakfast

Oatmeal with raisins
Veggie omelets
Caramel apple oven pancake
Blueberry muffins and fresh fruit
Eggs, sausage and toast
Leftover muffins and fruit
Oatmeal and raisins

Dinner

Spaghetti and green beans
Homemade Chili and green salad
French Dip Sandwiches and fresh veggies with dip
Baked potato bar with chili and cheese toppings
Grilled Tuna Sandwiches and sliced apples
Homemade veggie and pasta soup with rolls
Leftover Buffet Night (aka: clean out the fridge)

For more great menu plans go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Welcome to the Grocery Cart Challenge recipe swap. Normally this is where I'd put up a tried and true recipe from my personal collection but tonight I'm just going to turn it over to all of you with your great recipes. Have fun!

**If you'd like to leave a recipe link, please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

1O Ways To Reuse It: Plastic Bottles

We sometimes have an over abundance of plastic bottles. The kids will go through spurts where they spend spare money on soda pop, they'll get sports treats with water bottles in them, or we have parties where we have leftover 2 liter bottles. They are big and bulky and a landfill nuisance. So here are some ways to get more use from your plastic bottles.

1. Make a funnel. We cut off the top spout of the bottle, invert it and use it to add oil to the lawnmower, car and weed wacker. You can use one in the kitchen too.


2. Flush Cheaper. If you fill a one or two litter bottle with water and put it in your toilet tank, you'll use less water when flushing. The filled bottle in heavy enough to stay on the bottom instead of floating up and the space it takes up keeps your tank from filling all the way but still give you a good flush.


3. Store Pantry Items. Make sure they are washed and dried well and then store bulk small grains in them. It's so easy to pour out just as much rice as you need from the narrow opening of the bottle. Great for cornmeal, lentils or other small beans, sugar, and barley.
   


4. Make a bird feeder station. This is a simple and fun activity for the kids. Instructions are here.


5. Homemade Juicer. Some bottles have a piece in the bottom that sticks up just like a hand juicer. Cut the base off and use the same way. The sides catch the juice. Here's a picture.


6. Medicine Doser. Did you use the little measuring cup that comes with your child's Tylenol? Use the bottle lid to replace it. Just make sure you measure and mark it well.
   


7. Make your own year round herb garden. Do you have a sunny windowsill in your kitchen. Cut the tops off the bottles and fill with dirt. Plant some low growing herbs in there and grow them year round in your sunny window. Nothing beats fresh herbs when cooking and this doesn't take much space. You can decorate or spray paint the containers to match your kitchen colors.
   


8. Make A Rain Gauge. We live where it rains alot. It's fun to measure how much rain we have and turn it into a science project. Here's some directions to make your own.


9. Frugal Coffee Maker. This would be great for camping. Cut the bottle into two pieces. Turn the top upside down so it is a funnel. Hold the funnel in place, and then place a coffee filter inside. Put ground coffee on the filter and pour hot water over it.


10. Make a Raft. Seriously. THIS is just one of many out there on the net. Kinda looks like some good summer fun. Can you say Huckleberry Finn for the modern child?

For more WFMW tips go HERE.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I have some exciting new for locals. S & S liquidators has their new freezer cases set up and chilling! I can't wait to see what they'll be offering in there. Also, don't forget that Franz bread store has 2 for $1 on Saturdays. I forgot last week and just couldn't get myself to go and pay full price so we stayed breadless.

Here's what I found this week...

Franz

4 loaves of bread $2.00

S & S Liquidators

Electrosol $2.99
Tomato soup $.49
6 apples $2.00

Grocery Outlet

Whole chicken w/ $1 off $5.89
L'oreal hair color $3.99
polish remover $.99
12 double rolls TP $5.99

Winco

Milk $1.98
Hydro cortisone cream $2.18
lunch bags $.92
Club soda $1.49
BBQ sauce $3.59 (low carb = expensive)
2 nasal sprays $2.72
fresh mushrooms $1.78
green beans $.58
butter $1.98
bleach $.98
spring greens $1.98
Swiss cheese $4.31
sausages $3.48
pork butt $6.97

Grand Total $59.28

Would you like to share your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

We have a birthday in the house this week so we'll get to eat out for breakfast one morning. I also have a home school mom's event this week and I'll be bringing this yummy Broccoli Salad.

Here's what's cooking at our house...

Breakfasts

Freezer Pancakes
Eggs and sausage
French toast with berry syrup
Birthday Breakfast Out!
Oatmeal with apples and brown sugar
Veggie and cheddar omelets
Freezer Pancakes

Dinners

(modified) Crust less Mushroom and Swiss Quiche, grapes
Whole Crockpot Chicken, green salad, freezer rolls
Chicken and veggie soup, garlic toast
Pulled Pork Sandwiches, veggies and dip
Spaghetti, green beans
Leftover Buffett
Grilled cheese and tomato soup

For more great Menu Plans go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

A reader asked for my iced green tea recipe and it's really easy. But before I get to that I want to point out some great health reasons to have green tea readily available rather than the more common black tea. Researchers have found that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells There is also research that shows drinking green tea lowers cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad. It's also believed to be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune function. It has Vitamin C, several B vitamins which are water soluble and quickly released, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, manganese, fluoride and it's full of antioxidants.

AND it has a nice mellow flavor.

Be aware that green tea does contain some caffeine. HERE is an article that tells you how much caffeine is in it as well as how to decrease it while you're brewing it.

So here's how to make ANY kind of iced tea.

Put 4 tea bags in a 2 quart pitcher. Pour about two inches of boiling water over the bags and put the lid on. Let set for 15 minutes to brew. After 15 minutes remove the tea bags (these can go directly in your compost). Resist the urge to squeeze them. If you do, you run the risk of making your tea bitter. Then fill your container with cool water and refrigerate. At our house we all have different sweetener levels so I don't pre-sweeten the tea. We sweeten it in our glasses with honey or sugar. With honey and a bit of lemon juice, it tastes a lot like Arizona Green Tea.

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.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Coffee Grounds

Most people don't think of coffee grounds as having any use other than, well, to make a cup of coffee. But grounds have a life way beyond a shot of caffeine in the morning. Here's what you can do with them.

1. Clean your fireplace. You know when you're cleaning the fireplace, inevitably ashes get launched in the air and all over your house? Well, no more. Sprinkle your moist coffee grounds over the ashes before you clean them up. The moisture absorbs most of the dust so if doesn't land on your furniture.
   
2. Clean the stuck-on foods off your pans. Every once in a while something I cook either burns or sticks really bad to my pan. Coffee grounds are abrasive and acidic and work great to scrub. Just add a little water and a heaping spoonful of grounds to your pan and scrub away.
   
3. Keep cats out of your garden. Every year when I get my garden soil all ready to plant, every neighborhood cat from miles away comes and considers it their own personal litter box. I guess the appeal is just too strong. But for some reason cats don't like the smell of coffee. If you sprinkle a perimeter of grounds around your garden beds, the cats will walk away.
   
4. Deodorize your freezer. Coffee grounds absorb odors without leaving a coffee smell of their own. If you dry them out on a cookie sheet and then put them in an old plastic container with holes poked in the top, it will soak up any freezer odors. No more buying baking soda!
5. Remove garlic, fish or onion smell from your hands while cooking. Rub your hands with coffee grounds and then rinse. Then wash with soap. Your hands will smell fresh and clean again.
6. Win the war against grays. Are you a brunette? Coffee grounds are a natural hair dye. After washing, rub in some coffee grounds for a shine boost, softness and gentle color. Let set for a few minutes and then rinse out.
   
7. Make your own mushroom garden. Plant inoculated mushroom plugs in a jar full of moist coffee grounds. Repeat with more grounds and mushroom plugs until you run out of room. If you see mold, just remove it.
8. Touch up scratches on wood furniture. With kids around, my wood furniture is constantly getting scuffed or dinged. Now I'm all for the distressed look but sometimes enough is enough. Dip a cotton swab in moist grounds and touch up the scuff. This works best on darker wood.
   
9. Make a second batch of coffee. Keep your old grounds for the next day and just add half of what you would normally use. The taste difference is minimal and you've just made a new pot of coffee with a 50% savings.
10. Compost it! Coffee grounds add much needed acid to garden soil. Blueberries, radishes, beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes all like a slightly acidic soil.

For more WFMW tips go HERE.

The Milk Question

A reader emailed me...

Gayle, I've been reading your blog for a while now. I am trying to get our food bill down. (3 boys 12, 10, 4) I spend so much on milk and juice. How do you make one gallon of milk last a week? Carrie from NH

Beverages are one of the quickest ways to flush your grocery budget down the toilet. We've been told to believe that our kids must have multiple glasses of milk or juices to get the vitamins and minerals they need. And that is certainly one way to do it but not the only way.

Milk at our house isn't for chugging. I was raised in a milk drinking family. I would drink at least 4 tall glasses a day with meals and snacks. But I quickly realized how much that cost after I was married and had kids. I have one big milk drinker and 3 that could care less. I offer them one glass of milk per day if they want it but all the other times they have a choice of homemade iced green tea (so cheap and good for you) or homemade lemonade (still cheap) or the healthiest drink of all.....WATER. They don't NEED fruit juices, which most are made with sugar or corn syrup anyway and they don't NEED multiple gallons of milk per week. What they do need is a healthy balanced diet and maybe a good multi-vitamin.

And Calcium needs can be met through all sorts of foods besides milk;

• Salmon
• Tofu
• Rhubarb
• Yogurt
• Cheese
  
• Sardines
• Collard greens
• Spinach
• Turnip greens
• Okra
• White beans
• Baked beans
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Brussel sprouts
• Sesame seeds
• Bok choy
• Almonds

So at our house, 1 gallon of milk lasts a week to a week and a half. I use bulk powdered milk for baking and sometimes I even mix 1/2 fresh and 1/2 reconstituted-powdered in my milk jug as it starts to run out and the kids don't even know the difference.

These ideas have saved me HUGE on my grocery bill.

Thanks for your question.

GCC Shopping Round Up

I did a one store shop yesterday. Shopping was smooshed in between errands and classes in a 45 minute window. Not what I would recommend but at least we have food in the fridge until next week. Here's what I found...

Win-co

Ranch $.49
Egg noodles $1.18
Gallon milk $1.98
Sprunch spray $3.87
salsa $3.39
margarine $.98
green tea $1.18
Orange juice $1.18
Bulk powdered milk $3.97
can mushrooms $.49
can cream of chicken soup $.79
2 cans chili $1.78
can green beans $.49
can olives $.98
2 lbs cheddar $4.18
frozen veggies $1.18
cream cheese $.98
2 packs smoked sausage $2.36
flour $3.18
sugar $1.98
Bulk spaghettini $1.18
flour tortillas 2.19
eggs $6.18
brown sugar $.98
grapes 1.98
bananas $1.20
apples 1.89
fresh mushrooms $1.18
tomatoes $1.42
green onions $.49
carrots $3.18
Grand Total $58.48

Would you like to tell us about your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

(I'm having a problem with the link system I use so just leave your link info in the comments section. Thanks!)

Menu Plan Monday

We're finally having our extended family Easter this week so there's one day I don't have to cook. Plus, my kids are excited to see their favorite meal on the schedule. The one I have to double in size or risk getting none. So keep your eye out for Funky Chicken Sesame Noodles. I don't know if it's the actual meal or the fact that they get to use chopsticks that makes it so fun.

Here's what's cooking this week...

Breakfast

Oatmeal with brown sugar and applesauce
Blueberry pancakes
Zucchini Muffins and Creamsicle Smoothies
Leftover muffins (busy morning)
Scrambled eggs and toast
French toast with berries on top
Leftover Pancakes

Dinners

Crock pot Baked Potatoes with either chili/cheese or broccoli/cheese on top
Ground Beef Stroganoff over noodles, green beans
Slow cooker Sausage and Potatoes, fruit cups
Burritos
Funky Chicken Sesame Noodles, stir fry veggies
Dinner with extended family
Leftover Buffet

For more great menu plans go here.

Thinking Ahead

Ok, last week was just crazy with my first week back at school, homeschooling the kids, baseball games, writing (the job kind), blogging and volunteer stuff. Somethings gotta change. This week I'm trying to think ahead and plan so we don't wind up tossing away the menu plan and eating scrambled eggs every night.

Today (amongst other things) I'm stocking up. I've got a batch of homemade yogurt setting up, buttery bread machine rolls rising to stick in the freezer, quarts of ice tea and lemonade all mixed up and I'm making up quad-batches of pancakes and french toast to put in the freezer for fast breakfasts. I'm determined to face this week head on and free up some kitchen time.

I can do this! (right?)

Don't Blink Or You'll Miss It

A few months ago the nice people at MomLife contacted me and wanted me to answer a few questions for them on video. So I did....and realized I'm better at writing than I am at speaking. But I sent it off anyway.

This week their new episode came out and lo and behold, I cringe as I write this, but if you look real close you'll see me flash up on the screen and talk like a zombie.

Yeah, I'm real proud.

But if you want a good laugh, here I am.

Gayle's Five Seconds Of Fame

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

This is a major comfort food for me. When my mother in law hosts some kind of family gathering this is usually on the dinner table and I make a total pig out of my self.

There, I said it.

It's a great way to use the leftover roast chicken that you've boiled off the bone (please tell me your being a good frugalist and doing this) and even though I'm generally opposed to recipes with canned cream of "something" soup or that include mayo (blech), I'm going to eat those words with this recipe.....maybe twice.

Chicken Divan

3 cups cooked chicken
3 cups broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups cooked rice
buttered bread crumbs (optional)

Place rice in the bottom of a greased 9 x 11 casserole dish. Top with chicken. Steam broccoli and place in a layer on top of the chicken. Mix both soups, mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over top of rice, chicken and broccoli. Top casserole with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please do!

Please include a link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please link back to the Grocery Cart Challenge from your post.

10 Ways To Reuse It : Egg Shells

Seriously, I think EVERYTHING has multiple uses. And just to show you what I mean, I'm going to take something that almost everyone just throws away without a second glance, and show you some different ways to get just a bit more life out of it. I'm talking about empty egg shells. And doesn't everyone have an over abundance of these right now after all those Easter egg hunts? I'm almost sick of eating up our colored eggs.

I'm just nerdy enough to really enjoy this and I hope you find some ways that you'll be able to get a second purpose from something you thought was garbage. Here's some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. I'd love to hear your ideas too!

1. Crush them up and throw them in the compost or directly in the soil around your plants. I know that's a no-brainer but I had to list it. The calcium is essential for cell growth in plants.
2. Do you have a metal thermos or coffee mug that's stained up from your coffee? Eggshells can clean it right out. Crack the eggshells and put them in the mug, add some water and shake it really good. The shells will remove residue without cracking the liner inside.
   
3. Take the bite out of your coffee. Add a washed egg shell to your coffee grounds inside the filter and then brew. The calcium in the shell removes the bitter taste from your coffee.
   
4. Clean your drains. Keep a few crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer. They gradually break up and travel down your pipes, cleaning them along the way. The calcium carbonate leaches through the water every time the water is run.
   
5. Keep slugs away from tender garden seedlings. Crack eggshells and circle your tender plants. Slugs don't like to crawl over the sharp shells and they'll stay away.
6. Organic eggshells are great to make your own calcium supplements. Just crush them up with a mortar and pestle and then fill gell caps from your local health food store.
   
7. Do the same for your pets. Powder them with a mortar and pestle and sprinkle over your dogs food. This is great for older dogs with bone density problems.
8. Make mosaics with the kids. The colored shells left over from Easter eggs can make great art. Use a little glue to make a design on paper and then sprinkle the shells on.
   
9. When making homemade stock throw a few shells in. It will add much needed calcium to your broth and will be strained out later.
10. Make homemade sidewalk chalk!

For more great ideas visit WFMW!

GCC Shopping Round Up

Last week I didn't do the grocery link up and I'm sorry if you missed it. This week it's life as normal, well except for the fact that today was my first day back at college after a 20 year hiatus. Life is never dull around here and I'm wondering how my ever busy life might impact my spending and home cooking. Guess we'll both just have to wait and see.

I did notice that a bag of frozen corn somehow hitched a ride in my shopping bags today. I didn't put it in my cart but I ended up paying for it. I'm wondering if the guy in line in front of me got home and realized he was missing his corn.

It was also an extra crazy day today. I think I came and went from my house no less than 4 times with all our various Monday activities and I'm trying not to cringe as I think about how much gas that probably cost me. So please excuse the fact that it took way more pictures to photograph today (due to the chaos) and lots of stuff is upside down or turned around. At 11pm I'm afraid I'm too tired to do it over.

So, here's how the shopping went.

S & S Liquidators

Brownie mix $.99
2 soy milk $.98
4 garlic $1.00
diced tomatoes $.39
canned corn $.39
crackers $.99
2 large tomato soup $1.58
2 jars spaghetti sauce $1.98
2 bags of linguine $.98
dishwasher detergent $2.99

Grocery Outlet

Corn Chips $1.79
frozen corn $.79
Sausage patties $3.99
28oz tomatoes $.99
ponytail holders $.99
Ketchup $2.99
3 tomato paste $1.00


Win-co

Hamburger $5.90
.74 lbs Bulk granola $1.17
Frozen berries $2.00
lettuce $1.98
yogurt $1.78
canned beans $.68
3 lbs Bulk oats $.94
7 apples $2.62
ranch dressing mix $.43
Sour cream $1.68
2.32 lbs bananas $1.35
bulk dog rawhide (not pictured because dog ate it already) $3.02
nasal spray (not pictured) $1.36
1.25 lbs bulk cashews $6.24

Grand Total $55.96

Would you like to tell us about your shopping trip? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm so ready for a good shop this week. It takes more energy to think up a dinner everyday than to spend an hour once a week to plan out seven days worth of meals. So last weeks rebellion (I didn't menu plan at all) wasn't near as great as I thought it would be. It never really is but for some reason I feel like I periodically need a refresher course in WHY I need to menu plan. It worked.

Here's what's cooking this week.

Breakfast

Chocolate chip muffins and leftover Easter eggs
Yogurt, granola and berry parfaits
French Toast with blueberry syrup
PB and Banana Toast
Oatmeal w/ brown sugar and apples
Pancakes with homemade jam
Leftover pancakes or french toast
Dinners

Homemade veggie/bean soup, buttery bread machine rolls
Spaghetti, steamed broccoli, garlic bread
Crockpot Taco Soup and chips
Ground Beef Stroganoff over rice with green beans
Kids are gone so I'm not cooking
Scrambled eggs, toast, sausage
Leftover Buffet

For more menu ideas go HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Tile is over rated. When we bought our house it had 1960's tile and grout throughout all three bathrooms and in the entryway. Every shower and all the bathroom baseboards were tile. And I immediately came to the realization that I hate it. HATE IT! It's so hard to clean and keep the grout white.

Until...

I came across this recipe. Now, no big deal. My tile and grout look sparkly and clean.

Homemade Tile and Grout Cleaner

1/2 cup baking soda
1/3 cup ammonia
1/4 cup white vinegar
7 cups warm water

Put the water and then all the other ingredients in a gallon container and shake to mix. Make sure to keep this away from anything with bleach in it. Pour into a spray bottle and spray onto tile and grout. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then wipe with a damp cloth, sponge or scrub brush. This really cuts through soap scum well too.

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 here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

A Quick Store Run

Well, I lasted until Wednesday this week before I finally gave in and bought some groceries...without a plan...without a list. It wasn't pretty. But I got a few things to squeak us through the next few days until I can do my regular shop on Monday. No plan meant lots of convenience and junk food. Oh well. here's what I got.

15 lbs potatoes $1.99
3 boxes mac and cheese $1.00
Sausage patties $3.99
2 boxes of frozen burritos $5.98
Brownie mix $.99
Pasta $.79
Milk $2.79


Grand Total $17.53

This will contribute to a baked potato night, a pasta/marinara with broccoli night, and a junk food extravaganza night.

Check back tomorrow to link up for the Recipe Swap!