Another Christmas done and gone...

The once glorious tree gleaming with twinkling lights, silver and gold ball, and carefully placed ornaments, is now looking a bit worse for ware. It is resembling a middle aged man who is thinning on top, a bit to round in the middle, and is grasping desperately to resemble his former glory.

My children, who only 48 hrs. ago where chaneling the arc angel himself, have now slipped back to there former selves who have gone deaf to my requests to dump the trash or take kitchen scraps out to the chickens.

The 3 yr old who was working so hard at staying on the "Nice List" has came down with a bug of some kind, and is making everyone in ear shot suffer right along with her.... If Shannon isn't feeling good, aint no one feeling good!!!

25 days of "Peace on Earth, good will to man" and with little to no fan fair it is all placed neatly (or not so neatly) in the box under the bed to rest for 358 days, and we are launched back to the real world of a sluggish economy, bill's that must be paid, and to much month and not enough money.

The job market is not good, we are now trying to live on a fourth of what is needed to make bills. I am going to see if we can get back on WIC. That was a big help last year, I hope we can do it again.

I am working on a plan.... I will post it once I get it all figured out...stay tuned for more "Feeling the Pinch" tips and ideas I am working on.

Recaping 2009

Yes, it's that time of year again…Garlands on the mantel...Cookies in the oven...Voices raised in joyous song...Isn't Christmas wonderful? Granted I have yet to set foot in a department store, or fight to find a parking spot at the mall. All the same I am filled with a wonderful feeling of Christmas Cheer! Maybe it's because the house is filled with the excitement of the season that only a 3 year old trying so hard to stay on the Nice List can bring. Or it could be the "Christmas Cheer" that is making my eggnog so wonderfully delicious!

I thought it would be nice to recap the 2009 year and so we start out in January with a cruise to Mexico! They don't call it a "Fun Ship" because there is nothing to do, that's for sure! Everyone had a good time. It was on this ship that we came to realize it might be a good idea to put Shannon into Pre-School where she could play with kids her own age. She was very upset to find not everyone "Minds Her" the way her mom and dad do.

For the next few months we where totally occupied with Basketball season, 4-H Projects, the County Fair and Softball. Jessica had a good basketball season, no broken bones, twisted ankles, or jammed finger to report. However we had lots of bruises, and Jessica is sure that every referee in the county is out to get her.

Both girls took animals to the fair this year. Jessica took a hog and Becca took a lamb. I even entered a few items myself. We all did well bring home blue ribbons, and lots of dirty clothes. During the year I took a job with a local high school filling in for there cafeteria cook while she recovered from surgery. I had lots of fun and really enjoyed the work.

Soon enough summer came and we where knee deep in the hay season and my darling husband was super busy with everything he has to do to get the hay off the fields. What better time for the girls and I to go on a Road Trip! We packed up the Ol' 4 Runner and headed north!

We made our way up I-5 and found ourselves at the Forest Edge Bed and Breakfast, aka my sister in laws house. I highly recommend the Alexander Suite, it is wonderful! While we where up there Jessica had her 14th birthday. What better way to say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” than a day trip to Forks, Washington to see if we could find any vampires or werewolves. Sadly we didn't run into Edward Cullen or Jacob Black, but we did see some beautiful sights in the Olympic Rain Forest.

In August summer vacation was coming to an end and I got a phone call asking if I would be interested in a permanent position at the school I was working at earlier in the year as the manager of the kitchens and cook for the high school. I said yes, and joined the ranks of working moms across the nation. I really enjoy the job, I get to cook for 100 hungry kids everyday!

In October, my darling hubby was able to go on a Deer & Elk hunt in Idaho. He had a successful hunt and filled both tags.

Which brings us here at the holidays once again, and the start of another basketball season. Both Jessica and Becca are playing this year. Our schedule is a bit crazy but we are enjoying ourselves all the same!

Well that about sums up our year. My eggnog is almost gone and I think I have occupied enough of your time.

We would like to wish you the very best for the New Year. May you be blessed with good health and lots of happy memories to share the next time we are together!

Back To The Real World.

It has been quite a while since our Washington Trip. We had a great time! I posted pictures on facebook and that is about as far as I got. The girls and I had a great time!

One of the best pictures was snapped on the first night. We stopped at my folks place and mom had made an awesome dinner for us. The cousins got to catch up. They hadn't seen each other all summer so there was lots to tell...

Now that Summer Vacation is over and the kids are back to school I thought life would slow back down and I would get caught up on some long neglected chores around the house that I had been putting off. Not going to happen......

Why you might ask???

Well the high school that I was subbing in the kitchen for called me shortly after we got back from Washington and asked me if I would like to apply for that job permanently. My hubby and I had talked about this, and what would I do if a position came up full time. We had decided that if it came with a family health insurance package and retirement program that would benefit the family and working outside the home would be worth it.

So long story short I took the job and started working the middle of August. The plus side of it is I am home by 3pm. I have all the same holidays off as the kids, I get summers off, we have an awesome health care package, Hubby and I will be able to retire and not depend on Social Security.

The bad side, (and its not really that bad) little miss Shannon is in preschool from 8 am - 2:00 pm, she is learning lots and has loads of fun. She gets to paint, write her name, learn all the wonderful things you need to know before you start kindergarten. I am lucky, I know her teacher at the center and everyone that works there. She is surrounded by people who truly care about her but I guess I have Mothers guilt, for not doing for her the same things I did for her sisters.

So now the Stay at Home Mom, has ventured out into the working world. So far its going ok. I have yet to learn time management skills when it comes to household chores. I am hoping that this Labor Day holiday I can get the house in order and WE as a family can keep it running smooth.

I will let you know how that works out.....

P.S. I tryed adding the pics to this post but it didn't work to well, sorry.

I linked some pics. from Facebook.

VACATION!!!

Port Orchard Wa.

Once upon a time a long long time ago, before the Great Recession of 2008- AKA Tough Econimic Times, AKA Sorry girls mom and dad have no money for fun stuff. You get the point. Back to my story....

The girls and I would take a road trip up to Port Orchard Washington to visit Aunt Suzanne, Uncle Monte, Christopher and Alex ( we fondly call them The Barbarians of The North) We have not done this trip for 2 year. But that all ends today!!!! We are off on our grand adventure in 6 hours! We have lots to do to get ready, but the one I am most excited about is we are getting a NEW CAMERA!!!! That means I will be able to let you all get a better glimps of the goings on here on the farm.

So off I go, I will be back in a few weeks with lots of stories and pictures to share.

You thought I was kidding....

I have been working on my dresser.... This is how it has looked for the past 7 months... Scary, I am not proud, but it is what it is.... 

It took me little less than an hour but what a difference!!! 

The Lazy Days Of Summer, Yeah Right!!!

Hello my adoring followers! LOL I am back from the land of "The Job That Didn't End!" 

I took a temporary job in October at a school cafeteria that was only to last six weeks and I ended up staying for the whole school year! I loved it, but I think my kids missed out on having mom at home. We managed to get to all the games, 4-H meetings, and lodes of other events we had going on, but it was hectic to say the least!  

Now school is out for summer, my temporary job has ended and I am slowly putting the house back together!

Who knew that a house could get so cluttered? 

                                                   

For the last 7 month the best I can say about the house is . "It's tidy enough not to kill someone." It is possible that it could seriously injure or perhaps maim an individual from a falling stack of half folded laundry, or blind an unsuspecting someone by a falling ceiling fan dust glob. 

Now I need to get the girls to rally and help me tidy up, I think bribery and blackmail are in order. I also am not afraid of resorting to the occasional threat of great bodily injury, or severe butt trauma if they do not help out!!!  

I am desperate! and desperate times call for desperate measures!!!!

Did I mention I am desperate??? 

                                                         

I need to work on my time management skills. I don't know how people find the time to work, keep the house tidy, animals feed, kids to all there appointments, games, practices, school... And still have time to Facebook, Blog, and all the wonderful things the WWW has to offer.  I cant even post here on a regular basis... 

I will try to be better, but who am I kidding. I will still have weeks... no months between posts. 

This April is again quite busy, we have softball, 4-H, school, and the hay is ready! Yeahhh! 

We had a wonderful Easter! We had a small group of 40, twenty of them where kids! We had a great egg hunt! Even a prize egg for the adults! Not your run of the mill prize candy egg, no we had a lottery ticket filled egg!  It was fun to see the adults looking just as hard for there egg as the kids where. 

The 4-H project animals are doing well. We have 30 days till fair so its down to the final push for getting them "Fair Ready" We also had to turn in fair entry forms today. I got the kids all filled out and thought I would give it a go as well and entered a few things. Apricot and Blackberry Jam, Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, Berry Pie, and my grandmas white bread. I will let you know how we all do... I could even take a picture or two if I remember to bring my camera and charge the batteries. 

Well I had better get to my TO DO list. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Update April 14, 2009: 

I have been doing this $35.00 a week challange since Feb. and it has saved me so much money! I have to say it is not easy feeding a family of 6 (3 adults and 3 kids) but it can be done. There is nothing gormet about the meals I

have came up with, but they are satifying. I think my saving grace has been the freezer that was well stocked going into winter.

I think there would be no way of doing this if I had to buy meat every week. So my #1 tip would

be to stock your freezer when you get the chance! It pays for itself in the long run!

Week 2 of my $35.00 a week grocery budget...

I just got back from the grocery store. I didn't go to my beloved WINCO this week.

I took a gamble and went to FOOD MAXX. I don't like the selection, or should I say the lack of selection that

Food Maxx offers, but when I got into WINCO parking lot and couldn't find a parking space and I wasn't getting anything

special I would go to the other store. I did pretty well, I did get my WIC so I got:

WIC

3 Gallons milk
2 lbs cheese
2 dozen eggs
2 boxes cold cereal
1 jar peanut butter
3 frozen apple juice

WEEKLY SHOPPING

10 lbs potatoes

3 heads lettuce

3 lbs. onions

1 bunch celery

2 bunches of green onions

2 lbs. grapes

1 box strawberries

2 lbs Italian sausage links

16 oz. cottage cheese

1 lb box lasagna noodles

12 oz bag frozen spinach

1 16 oz can spaghetti sauce

1 store brand Oreo cookie ( want to try a recipe this week, if I can keep everyone out of the cookies)

TOTAL$ 34.45

On the menu this week will be:

Breakfast is toast and eggs, cold cereal, oatmeal, or pancakes on the weekends. Lunch is always the same.

• Monday
  

Roast chicken with potatoes and carrots

Green salad

Canned Fruit

• Tuesday
  

Leftover Lasagna or tacos???

• Wednesday
  

Chicken and Green Chili Enchiladas

Green Salad

Fruit

• Thursday
  

Irish Stew with Soda bread

• Friday
  

Leftovers

• Saturday
  

4-H Dinner

• Sunday
  

BBQ Pork Ribs

Macaroni salad

Fruit salad

Rolls

Sunday Night Dinner

DINNER MENU 

****

Chicken Fried Steak 

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy 

Mixed Vegetables 

Green Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing 

Home Canned Pickled Beets 

Grandma's Chocolate Crazy Cake 

****

~COST OF DINNER~

Chuck Steak 4.50

Potatoes .56

Mixed Veg .83

Salad 1.18

Dressing .85 (weeks worth of dressing)

Beets 0.00

Cake 1.38

Total Cost: 

$2.00 per person 

This dinner was for 5 people so total cost was $10.00

This kinda blows the thought that you can eat out cheaper than cooking at home.  A family of 5 can't even eat at Fast Food for under ten dollars anymore. 

Grandma's Chocolate Crazy Cake 

This super easy recipe came from my Grandma Cassel, a very busy mother of 9 children. 

1 1/2 Cups Flour 

1 Cup Sugar 

3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder 

1 teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/2 teaspoon Salt 

5-6 Tablespoons Oil 

1 Tablespoon Vinegar 

1 teaspoon Vanilla 

1 Cup Water

Get your ingredients ready.

Pre-Heat oven to 350* F 

Spray baking pan (9x13) with non-stick spray. 

In mixing bowl mix first 5 ingredients. 

Add wet ingredients, mix together until you have a nice batter. 

Pour into baking pan. 

Bake for 30 min. or so. 

Let cool, frost if you wish, but the cake is wonderful just by itself.  

Enjoy!  

                                                

Weekly Menu

I thought I would post my weekly menu's for the month of February. I know its nothing new but in these tough financial times I think any ideas for saving money or making do with what we have on hand is much needed. If you can save time and money tough times don't seam so tough. At least that is my take on it.

I have set a goal for this month. I don't want to spend more than 5.00 a day on food. That will be around $150.00 for the grocery budget. I think I can do this. We are lucky to be enrolled in the WIC program. That helps out to stretch the budget.

As I have said before we have lots in the freezer and I am pretty well stocked up on the pantry basics. So all that is really needed is proper planning. We go through a lot of milk, I think for this month I am going to have to re-intorduce 50/50 Milk, that is half whole milk and half powder milk, since I have milk powder on hand it will give me 2 gallons milk for the cost of one gallon.

• SUNDAY

Breakfast

HRM Waffles

Sausage links

Orange Juice

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Chicken Fried Steak 

Mashed potatoes and gravy 

Mixed Veg

Rolls

• MONDAY

Breakfast

Cold Cereal

Orange wedges

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Spaghetti With Meat sauce

Green Beans

Salad with Italian dressing

Garlic Toast

• TUESDAY

Breakfast

Eggs & Toast

Orange Juice / Coffee

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Deer Enchiladas

Green Salad

Spanish Rice

Jello

• WEDNESDAY

Breakfast

Oatmeal

Orange Juice / Coffee

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Meatloaf

Mashed Potatoes & gravy

Salad

• THURSDAY

Breakfast

Pancakes & syrup

Milk

Orange wedges

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Beef and Bean Burritos

Green Salad

Fruit & Jello

• FRIDAY

Breakfast

Cereal

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

Dinner Surprise

Green Salad

French Bread

• SATURDAY

Breakfast

Muffins

Scrambled Eggs

Orange Juice

Lunch

Leftovers or Sandwiches

Dinner

BBQ Ribs / Chicken

Macaroni Salad

Garlic Bread

Food Budget for the week: $ 35.00

Shopping List

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

2 Gallons Milk

Lunch Meat

Sweet Pickles

Pimento

Olives

Berries

Bananas

Apples

The Importance of Brushing your teeth...

From Hopkins web site
The single best way to remove harmful plaque -- a thin, sticky film of bacteria -- from teeth and gums is to brush teeth regularly and properly.

Blaaa Blaaa Blaaaa.... My kids hear this all the time and do they listen????

"BRUSH YOUR TEETH OR THE SUGAR BUGS WILL EAT YOUR TEETH AND THEY WILL LOOK LIKE THIS!!!!!"
Ok, just kidding..... This is what happens when your youngest child gets into the chocolate chips and big sisters think it is so funny they snap a few pictures not telling anyone. Mom downloads pictures and gets a giggle from this and decides its to funny not to share with the WWW.

Meet or should I say Meat Bella....

Here is the newest member of the critter family. She will be here till the fair. May 13th. Hubby said, "She sure is pretty. Maybe we could buy her back for a breeding project."

Mind you this is the guy who swore we would never have any animals here.

"Can't go anywhere if you have critters!" He does have a point...

But we DON'T GO ANYWHERE anyways, so I don't see a problem.

(I think Mr. Rooster is soo pretty)

I found 4 eggs yesterday in the old dog house. I gathered them up and thought today I would check again.... Darn chickens didn't lay any eggs there. I don't know why they are doing this to me. I find there nest, get all excited about it, then they move it on me. I am all for a good egg hunt but only once a year chickies, please!

Rain...

Oh how nice it was to first smell, then see the rain come again! We needed this so very much! It was getting so dry farmers where turning the water on there trees to give them a much needed drink!

After weeks of lovely late spring weather ( upper 70's to 80's) I think the pigs have another openion about the rain.

They are in there little shelter under the heat lamp and sunggled up in some nice clean straw.

This morning the chickens where looking a bit worse for ware, but once the rain stopped they fluffed right up and are looking better than ever.

Here is Mr. Rooster keeping an eye on his "Chicks"

OH barnyard humor!

The lambs will be coming next! We need to work on waterproofing our shelters... This morning in the rain I was tarping the pigs bedroom so they could stay nice and dry... The chickens took shelter under the Water truck!

How ironic....

Update

Oh my gosh where has the time gone? I started working as a Sub in the school kitchens and lost track of everything I was starting or working on. 2008 in a re cap could be summed up in one word HECTIC!

2oo9 is starting out just as hectic as 2008 left...

The girls are still busy with School, 4H, GKA, & Sports. Shannon ( the baby) had her third birthday! They don't stay babies long. On the baby front my little sister had a baby boy on Thanksgiving day!

I posted an add on Craig's List for chickens and became the new owner of 8 chickens ( 7 hens and 1 rooster) They are a lot of fun. A neighbor is hatching some chickens right now and is going to give me a few so my flock will be growing. I think I will need to make a better/bigger pen.

Hubby got on board with the garden, we now have a HUGE winter garden! He is making plans for a nice size spring/summer garden as well. We are going to try and get another good harvest off the fruit trees. They are in bad shape but maybe we can save them with a little TLC.

We just got 2 pigs! 1 for my oldest daughters 4H project and 1 for the freezer. They are so cute right now. They are only 35 pounds right now so they can be cute. I told my daughter we need to work with them now so that when they are 200 pounds they can be handled.

In a few weeks we will be getting lambs for our middle daughters 4H project. Again 1 for her and the other for the freezer. I also made a contact for 1/2 a beef at the end of summer. So as of now all the meat for the year is lined up.

I am still working hard at sticking to a pretty tight budget. The economy is just as bad here in the sticks of Northern California as it is everywhere else in the world. It will get better..... Someday :)