Category Archives: holidays

>Buy nothing day? Buy locally day?

Posted on by
2

>Almost. I almost made it through Black Friday without buying anything. I avoided the craziness of the midnight and 4 AM openings; in fact, I avoided the big box stores altogether. Chuck and Amigo went to Kohls in the afternoon to buy a few things, and I got nominated to pick up bunny food after my other errands.

I mailed two packages (one a catalog return, the other Sun-Lovin’ Rat headed home to Ontario) at the postal outpost inside the drugstore. Then I headed toward the pharmacy and found out that due to renewal regulations, I couldn’t pick up both of my prescriptions. Instead of saving the time and gas of making one trip, I had to go back later. How much later? “You can pick up the other one at the earliest…. tomorrow,” declared the pharmacist. Growl. He had the courtesy to let me know that next month it’ll probably work out to renew them together. Whew.
After the pharmacy came a mini-grocery trip to supplement the leftovers in the house and pick up bunny food. Produce is outrageously expensive right now. Makes me wish I had a greenhouse and could grow my own!
So that was Friday. I didn’t face the madness of Black Friday, but I didn’t join the “buy nothing” crowd, either. Independent to the end, that’s me.
As for Saturday: I saw signs and notices in our newspaper asking people to “Support Small Businesses” and “Shop Local” on Saturday. Upon further review I realized it was part of a national movement. La Petite had a few places in mind, boutiques in our small and lovely downtown, so we planned an afternoon there. I offered to pick up the tab for our beverages,since there are several nice coffeehouses along the way.
Alas, it was not to be. She got some bad news (an unsuccessful job interview), and wasn’t ready to leave the house. Chuck did his share to keep me home, too, by dropping a rototiller on his big toe. The right foot, of course, making the drive to the ER my responsibility.
Well, local shops, I’ll be back. It might not be on the sponsored day, but I’m loyal. I’ll get there.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Holiday shopping the thrift-y way

Posted on by
4

>I admit it. I’ve been growing greener every year with my holiday buying. Wrapping, too, but that’s another story.

Two years ago I gave reusable shopping bags to everyone on my list.
Last year most extended family members received anti-static dryer balls.
This year: I’m not sure. Cloth napkins? That would work for a few of the folks, but not all. Gifts in a jar? That would be a good start; I usually give these to the people who work closely with me at school. Homemade jams? If I have enough, that could work.
Think. Think. Think. Thank Winnie-the-Pooh for this inspirational thought. Think. Think. Think. While I’m pondering the options and considering keeping my pocketbook and philosophies loaded with green, take a look around the blogosphere for others with thrifty gift ideas.
The Elegant Thrifter has authored and published The Find; The Housing works book of decorating with thrift shop treasures, flea market objects, and vintage details. Check out the blog for ideas and techniques and frugal fun.
The Thrifty Chicks update infrequently, but when they do, it’s worth reading.
Leah at Suddenly Frugal champions all things lean and green. Recently she gave advice on maximizing the value of your holiday spending and how the US Postal Service keeps the season green.
Sonya at Dime Store Thrift posts great finds and creative ideas and even has her own Etsy shop for selling her thrifty creations.
If you’re more bargain cyber-shopper than thrifter, go to WantNot.net. Her tag line “Having it all with less” accurately reflects her personal philosophy and her posts are full of bargains and humor.
Meanwhile, I continue to think, think, think. I don’t have a green theme gift yet; maybe this is the year I won’t find one that works for all. While I ponder the possibilities, I’ll slice up last year’s holiday and birthday cards for reuse as gift tags. At least I’ll feel useful that way.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Daisy’s Turkey Impossible Pot Pie

Posted on by
3

>Perhaps you’ve heard of the faux- pot pie trick, using biscuit mix instead of a pie crust. I’d heard it, but never used it. With a refrigerator full of turkey and other random turkey-related ingredients, I decided to try this. Here’s the resulting formula, Daisy style.

Filling (a.k.a. “crust”)
1 1/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit mix
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp herbs (I used fresh thyme & rosemary, growing in pots on top of the piano)
Main Ingredients
1 cups turkey, cooked & chopped (I used dark meat)
1 1/2 cup vegetables (I used corn with a little broccoli & cauliflower)
1 cup mushroom pieces (optional; I left this out)
1/2 cup onions, diced (we had pearl onions leftover from soup; they were delicious in this)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers, red & green
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of Swiss and mild cheddar)
Preheat oven to 400. Spray two pie pans or 8 inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Thaw and drain vegetables. Mix meat, vegetables, and cheese in pie plates. Beat filling (crust) ingredients until smooth. Pour into pie pans over meat mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; serve warm.
According to the original, one pie pan serves two people. We found that one was almost enough to serve our family of four. 2/3 of the second pan was left over. Leftover leftovers! Delicious. Next time I make this, I’ll add gravy because the end result was a little dry. Chuck poured a little gravy over his second helping and pronounced it good, so I’ll take that under advisement.
For the original recipe, look to Healthy Home Recipes’ web site. They have more options and ideas for this one, and the link might just lead you to something else that you like.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Lulu.com Custom Photo Books

Posted on by
6

>Making gifts personal is a special and important part of Christmas. When Lulu asked me to try out their site by making a photo book, I thought of Christmas gifts right away. With La Petite’s photos and editing assistance, I put together a lovely book of her work.

Uploading the pictures was easy, although it took time. La Petite uses a professional quality camera, so her photos were quite high resolution. The time was worthwhile to make sure the book was good quality in the end.
Placing the photos in the book was a mixed success. The drop and drag function was simple, but many of the layouts were odd sizes that required cropping of the original photos. I would have appreciated the option to resize the space on the page rather than resizing the photos themselves.
I recommend choosing a theme right away. I made the mistake of placing photos in the book and then choosing a theme with the end result of changing photo dimensions. Had I chosen the theme first, I might have avoided some of the problem mentioned above. Themes are varied and can compliment any photo set from any occasion.
When the demo book arrives, we’re going to consider ordering more for gifts. Some people are hard to buy for; personal photo books are a great way to handle the gift dilemma.
Lulu.com will offer one reader a free photo book: a 8.5 X 8.5 in. 20 page hardcover book. If you’re interested, leave a comment and make sure I can contact you by email! I’ll put all the comments in a hat and pick one winner. Contest will close Friday, December 3, to give the winner a fighting chance and completing the book and getting it by Christmas.
Full disclosure: Lulu.com gave me one free photo book so I could experience the service and write a candid review. We’re considering buying a second copy if we’re pleased with the end result. There was no other compensation. Frankly, making the book was fun; it was enough compensation in itself!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Thanksgiving Preparations at Chez O.K.: Reprise

Posted on by
2

>Thanksgiving Dinner? No problem! I’ll call in the fairies. They’ll do everything.

The laundry fairy washes, dries, and presses the table linens, including the cloth napkins. If she’s feeling generous, the sheets and towels might get folded, too.
The turkey fairy will practice her specialty and make sure the bird is cooked and carved just in time for dinner. White meat and dark, it’ll all be moist and savory and leave just enough leftovers for sandwiches and a turkey noodle soup.
The baker fairy will take care of pies, pumpkin and otherwise. He’s an expert on flaky crust, selected spices, and the perfect portion of whipped cream. Don’t let that Simple Simon guy get in the way; the kitchen’s too small for anyone who begs to taste the wares.
The brownie — the cunning little house elf — will clean the home thoroughly, put the leaf in the big table, and get the extra chairs out of the basement.
I wouldn’t dream of neglecting the wine fairy: the sommelier so tiny she only recommends, never lifts, a bottle. Her taste is impeccable. Now if we could stop her before she over-imbibes and falls asleep on top of the piano…
Did I mention the decorator fairy? She’ll fix the fireplace mantel with something tasteful and seasonal before she makes sure the couch and rocker are properly arranged for the annual holiday gladiator contests known as NFL football.
The ambiance fairy keeps the wood fire crackling in the fireplace, the aromas wafting deliciously through the home, and the family discussions neutral.
The kitchen fairies: really, there must be a whole crew of these talented sprites. One to do the shopping early and avoid the crowds, another to make sure the cranberries are perfect (and local, of course), and a magical maestro with the potato masher. Then we’ll need a feisty fairy, one with attitude — yes, you, Tinkerbell, you can make the coffees.

Mom, you can send the fairies over to my house now that we’re hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Let them know that I’ll have their room ready and their favorite cookies baked. If they arrive on Sunday there should be enough time to get everything done.

Wait. What do you mean…they’re…not….real?

Originally posted in November of 2008. I’m still hoping these little helpers will make a stop at my house – they haven’t yet. Sniff. Sigh.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Cranberry Sauce with Lime and Ginger

Posted on by
1

>Our traditional cranberry sauce recipe reads like this:

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
3 cups cranberries
Bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes or until all berries have popped. Add cinnamon to taste.
I found a new one this year.
Cranberry Sauce with Lime and Ginger
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or maple flavored syrup (we’ll go for the real thing)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons finely shredded lime peel
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
In a medium heavy saucepan, stir together sugar, maple syrup, water, lime peel, and lime juice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
Stir in cranberries. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger. Simmer, uncovered, about 6 minutes more or until berries have popped and mixture starts to thicken, stirring occasionally. Cool.
Recipe found on Better Homes and Gardens Recipes web site – there may be more! Search them yourself.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on by
Reply

>The tomatoes are planted, the seeds are in, the herb garden is on the deck. But the most important display isn’t the bush or the pile of woodchips; it’s the flag flying in the front yard.

The parade route goes down a street half a block from our home; it’s the least we can do to show the colors.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Hershey’s Basket Blog Hop

Posted on by
1

>

Easter baskets = bunnies and chocolate. Hershey’s Chocolate has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network to sponsor Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop. For every participating blog post, Hershey’s will donate $10 to Children’s Miracle Network. Their goal is to reach $5000.

Since my house is home to some of the cutest bunnies, Easter or not, I wanted to share.

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

•Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
•Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
•Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
•Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
•Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
•Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
•Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

No Fooling: I am passing on a virtual Easter baskets to all the parent- bloggers I know in hopes that you will take a few minutes to participate in this Blog Hop as well and help support Children’s Miracle Network. (And if you don’t want the ears to that chocolate rabbit, I’ll be happy to help you out. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to eat it. Er, do it.)

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>He’s a good cook. Here’s the evidence.

Posted on by
1

>Poor Chuck. He just gets no respect. The minestrone disaster got all the attention, and it’s actually the exception to the rule. When he cooks, it’s usually delicious.

On Valentine’s Day we didn’t go out; we ate in. He made steak, stuffed peppers, a fabulous green salad, and then topped it off with an organic wine. I merely baked brownies (from a mix, to tell the truth), and suggested he top them with raspberries from the freezer. A little whipped cream, and we had dessert.

Points for presentation: top marks. Points for taste: fabulous. Points for being super capable in the kitchen: he’s a keeper.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Plant a tree in a Ponzi scheme?

Posted on by
1

>It’s really more of a pyramid. A pyramid process, that is; it’s still trees. Bloggers recruit more people to click on tree buttons, therefore planting more trees, and credit goes to the blogger for gathering more clicks for trees.

Does it make sense? Not yet? Okay, here’s the whole story.

Ruba.com is a new travel site that features travel guides and tour reviews. Ruba staff are also very environmentally conscious; they want the natural world to stay lovely for future travelers. To offset some of the negative effects of travel, Ruba is sponsoring a Ponzi Tree Scheme. For each badge planted on a blog, they’ll plant a tree. For each click on a blog’s tree button, another tree gets planted and the blogger gets credited with the tree. No cash changes hands, no swindles take place. Disappointed? I hope not. Ruba is working with Trees for the Future to make a positive impact on our world. By spreading the word through the blogosphere, they can raise the number of interested people and plant even more trees – up to a limit of 100,000. Ruba’s Ponzi Tree-Planting Scheme will run until Earth Day’s 40th Anniversary on April 22, 2010.

I’m a small-time blogger, but my readers are loyal and green. Please click on the Ruba.com tree-planting badge in the right sidebar. If you have a blog, please consider placing a badge in your sidebar, too. It’ll widen the network and increase the number of trees in our still-beautiful world.

This is not a sponsored post in any way. Ruba.com sent me the information and after browsing their site, I decided it was a valid program and a good cause. Earth Day began in Wisconsin, after all. I’m proud to contribute to it’s 40th anniversary.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares