Homemade Hamburger Buns

Last week I made hamburger buns and they turned out so good! They were so pretty when they came out of the oven that I had to have one, I made myself a PB and J sandwich with a still warm bun. We had these with Sloppy Joes the next day, the rest were put in the freezer for future meals. I've made buns before but have never been real happy with the results, this is the first time I've been pleased with both the taste and appearance of my hamburger buns. My recipe came from a blog called Maidens of Worth, found after a Google search for homemade hamburger buns, I wanted a new recipe for buns and I wasn't disappointed. I let my dough rise about 90 minutes before shaping into buns, the recipe doesn't have a long rise time but I thought it should rise a bit.

Frugal Shower Caddy

This post was recommended by my husband, who thought that my idea was fantastic, he thought it should be on Works for me Wednesday, but I'm a little late so Frugal Fridays it is. Honestly I think it's ugly and not real classy but it's working for us right now.
We live in a VERY humid climate, mold and mildew is an issue, and it's recommend that we dry out the shower after each use. To make drying the shower easier I didn't want to have shampoo bottles and such stored on the bath tub ledge and I know from past experience the bottoms of shampoo bottles get all mildewy and leave rings behind when left on the tub ledge. I really wanted a fancy shower caddy, but couldn't find one less than $12 and Greg hates buying "unnecessary" things. Of course I whined about it for a long time, thinking that a shower caddy was necessary and he was being unfair because he doesn't clean the shower and I do. Once I got over my bad attitude about not buying stuff I thought we needed, I decided to make do with what we had at home. I took a plastic flower pot left over from an a house plant that was recently replanted, I drilled a hole it in and hung it on a hook. The pot fits three bottles nicely and has built in drainage holes, if it gets mildewy I can just throw it in the dishwasher. If I ever come across some cheap spray paint I would like to paint it, but it's not really needed. My re-purposed plant pot was a good solution for us, I got my shower caddy albeit it ugly and we didn't spend any money (keeping the husband happy).

Head on over to Biblical Womanhood for more Frugal Friday Ideas.

Redesigned Decor.

Our walls are bare and white. I'd love some color but for now they're white. We don't have a lot of things to put on the walls. You can imagine how upset I was when I dropped one of my few picture frames and broke the glass. We have concrete walls, when we moved in we were given little picture hooks designed for concrete walls, the problem is that the hook doesn't really work just right for hanging all things.

Determined to have something on our walls, I made the best of what I had. I glued a button on an ugly white hook that didn't fit the frame's hanger on the back. Taking advantage of my now glassless frame I added some embellishments including a tag that slightly hangs out of the frame. I hung my frame with an old polka dot scarf cut to size and stapled it to the back.
The look is eclectic and a little artsy fartsy, but I kind of like it.

Orange Cupcakes!

We went to a BBQ about two weeks ago, and these orange cupcakes were a big hit. People couldn't believe that the candied oranges were real oranges rind and all. The cupcakes are just a basic white cake recipe with orange zest and orange juice added to the batter.


The candied oranges are super easy to make, just simmer sliced oranges in sugar water until the peels turn translucent, I tossed my orange slices in sugar after they were cooled and dried. My inspiration for candied oranges were taken from a Cooking Light recipe here, Obviously I changed it a bit. I think the candied oranges taste better than the gummy kind you buy at a candy shop. You could also candy lemons and limes.

Easter Sunday

I thought I'd share a picture of my colored eggs. I invited a new friend over a few days ago to dye some eggs, I had fun.


Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen!


Luke 24: 1-6


I miss my family and I miss Easter Dinner and I miss Easter baskets, I didn't have a new dress for church, we still haven't found a church that fits and today is Easter, I went to church all alone because Greg had to work and and and and..........I've shed more than a few tears this weekend But today, right now I set aside my emotions and I rejoice because I serve the one true living God, Jesus Christ and He is Risen! Praise the Lord my God never fails me!

Frugal Craft Storage

To keep my craft items organized I love to use labels, they are so easy to make and items look organized and cute at the same time. To keep organization frugal I have to be a little creative when it comes to containers. I have containers and bins that I've purchased over the years, but my craft supplies have increased beyond the containers I own. Rather than buy some more craft containers I've taken a milk or juice carton, cut it to size and wrapped it in pretty paper like a present and attached a cute label identifying it's contents. My milk carton container is functional and looks prettier than anything you could buy at a store plus it takes up hardly any space on my craft table.

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesdays

For Frugal Tips check out Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood

Menu Plan Monday March 17-23

My computer is being tinkered with by Greg, it's all torn apart and it makes me sad to use Greg's computer, it's just not the same. While I wait on my computer to be put back together I may be posting less often.

Monday 17 - To the neighbor's house-whom I just met this last week at the school, and found out we live three houses apart, it will be fun to get to know some of our neighbors a little more.
Tuesday 18 - Sloppy Joes and roasted potato wedges
Wednesday 19 - Burritos and Mexican Rice (Chips and homemade salsa too!)
Thursday 20 - Leftovers
Friday 21 - Homemade Pizza - last week's pizza was super good so it's on the menu again
Saturday 22 - Pasta and chicken cutlets
Sunday 23 - Leftovers

I know it's a sparse menu with a dinner out and two leftover nights. If I don't plan for leftovers our fridge is quickly overfilled and produce goes to waste, because I've bought and planned a little too much.

Check out Organizing Junkie for more great menu plans.

Psalms 33:5

The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

A short one this week, easy to memorize.

Take along your calculator

My big fat frugal tip of the day is to take a small calculator with you to the grocery store, even if your are not a coupon queen. In my recently reorganized coupon box I have a little room on the side for a calculator. With it's new home, I never forget to take along my calculator when I go grocery shopping, which means no more stopping and crowding the aisle while I fumble with my cell phone calculator because I left mine at home. The biggest or smallest box isn't always the best deal and with several different sizes, prices and brands, it can be tough to decide which item is the best buy.
Today my calculator came through for me. I am easily distracted with eye-catching pretty packages and convenience products. I have to work hard to avoid marketing ploys and save money. When buying dishwasher detergent I had a great coupon for $1 off. The individual dishwasher soap tabs were almost the same price as a box of powdered soap (same brand). I love those dishwasher tabs and they were on sale and I had a coupon, WOO HOO! I was willing to spend a few cents more for a little convenience and a pretty package but my frugal mind never stops and the price of the tabs were easily calculated in my head at a little over 10 cents each (easy math) as I put them in my cart. 10 cents per load, ummm? how much per load would the box of plain powdered soap cost me? A little bit of calculator action showed me that the price per load was less than 2 cents (this was also on sale and with my coupon was cheap too) WOW! the dishwasher tabs are 5 times more expensive. (this may not always be the case) I gladly put them back on the shelf and picked up the box of powdered soap, telling myself that I didn't like all the packaging produced from individual soap tabs anyways.
Without my calculator I would have never been able to easily figure the price per load, I would have more than likely grabbed my dishwasher soap tabs quite happy with my coupon and went on my merry way.

To put it in perspective how big of savings this was:

20 tabs with my coupon costs $2.39 effectively 20 washes
1 box (75 oz) with coupon $1.99 -this took a little math but, If using the same amount of powdered soap as one soap tab (by weight) the box will yield 106 washes.

At the grocery store I wrote down how much weight the box of soap tabs was. When I went home I weighed out enough dishwasher powder to equal the weight of one soap tab. I found that it was enough powdered soap to fill my soap dispenser about half way. I know this seems like a lot of work, I normally don't do all this work for the sake of frugality after all time management is just as important as saving a few dollars, but I was wondering if my calculations in the grocery store were accurate and curiosity always gets the better of me. I found that I probably use to much soap in the dishwasher, if filling it halfway will get my dishes clean and I may not get 106 washes out of my one box unless I'm careful to fill the dispenser only halfway each time.

Becuase I was thinking about this post and I was on a math roll, I calculated how much it would cost me in dishwasher soap for one month (30 washes)

the soap tabs at 11.9 cents each times 30 = $3.57
the powdered soap at 1.8 cents (a measurement equal to the weight of one tab) times 30 = $0.56

I effectively saved myself $3 this month just on dishwasher soap.

Keep in mind that my dishwasher soap example is just something that happened to me and I used it here as an example to show the importance of calculating unit price. This was a unique example because both soaps were on a great sale and I had a coupon that could be used for either item.

A few tips on using your calculator when shopping:

First, always check the shelf price tag, at my grocery store a unit price is printed right on the tag and tells me how much the item is per pound or ounce. This is the easiest way to find the best price, one look tells me that brand A is 35 cents an ounce and brand B is 42 cents an ounce. The calculator comes in handy when I have a coupon for brand B and want to find out if brand B is a better buy than brand A with my coupon. A little simple math is all it takes - subtract the coupon from the price, with the new price divide by the total number of ounces giving you the price per ounce which you can than compare to brand A and find the best deal with or without a coupon.
I also use my little calculator when the unit price on the tag isn't shown with the same unit, one tag may say price per ounce and another lists price per pound. To find the price per ounce I take my calculator, punch in the price and divide by the number of ounces listed on the package, the resulting number is how much each ounce costs.
It may seem silly to tinker around with your calculator in the grocery store-in reality it doesn't take much time and more often than not the shelf tag will give you the unit price. Still, keep your calculator handy, it's always nice to quickly find the best price and know that you're getting the best deal.


For more great Frugal Friday tips go to Biblical Womanhood.

Keeping Envelopes Handy with a Cash Budget

Greg and I jumped on the Dave Ramsey band wagon a few months after being married. We quickly paid off all our debts began an emergency fund and have since than been a little fanatical about our finances and keeping a tight budget. Our budget has changed over the years and we seem to always tinker with it. We first started out with an all cash budget using envelopes, we had an envelope for gas, groceries, clothes, entertainment, you name it we had an envelope for it. We've learned to simplify things a bit since those first few months. It's not real convenient to carry envelopes of cash around and we always felt uncomfortable having a month's worth of cash sitting in my purse. Once we tried forgoing using cash, but realized it was harder to stay on budget. After examining things we realized the two categories that seemed to be overspent if left unchecked were groceries and entertainment. Now we only take out cash for those two things, once the cash is gone it's gone. This method has simplified our budget, we stay on track and we don't hassle with too much cash.
I like to keep the two envelopes on the fridge and take out only the cash I need. With the envelopes in a permanent spot I never worry about where I put the money last. I also store the month's receipts in the envelopes. It's the best of both worlds-the restriction of cash where needed and the convenience of a debit card for all else. It works for us.

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday Tips

Keeping a Recipe Binder

Keeping a recipe binder has been one of the best things I could do as a home cook. When I started keeping a binder with recipes it was a place for me to store printed out recipes and my monthly menu plans. It has morphed into something so much better. I no longer print out my menu plans, I didn't reference them anyways and it's all saved on my computer. What's in my Recipe binder is every successful and favorite recipe. No more searching through cook books and no more long internet searches looking for a recipe, it's all in the book. Only tried and true recipes make it in the binder. Most recipes are printed from internet sites, some I've re-typed from a cookbook, and some are torn from the back of food packages. If I try a new recipe and it turns out great the recipe goes in the binder along with the date and any notes about changes I've made. I use tabs to organize the recipes, the tabs have labels such as Chicken, Breads, Salads, Soups, Breakfast, and so forth. This recipe binder is such a great way to keep recipes organized. If get stuck when planning my menus I often browse my recipe binder, I always stumble across a recipe that has not been made in awhile and was a favorite. It's especially helpful to read my notes on the recipe page, some recipes even have a cost per serving calculated, I haven't done that for all of the recipes, but it's nice to see.

I heartily recommend starting your own recipe binder filled with your own tried and true recipes, it will become the most referenced and well used tool in the kitchen.

Visit Tammy's Recipes for more Kitchen Tip Tuesday Ideas.

Eeeeekkkkkk! A Snake!

Last night there was a snake in our house! That's right in our house. Needless to say I didn't sleep very well last night. Greg was very tired and went to bed around 8, I stayed up and read my bible and cleaned up the kitchen. At 9:45 I throw my used kitchen towel in the laundry room and find a snake draped across the dryer and washing machine. Of course I scream and run through the house wildly, waking up Greg who was sound asleep. He takes a peek in the laundry room and scopes things out, I give him a flashlight, but he's brave and goes into the room and flips on the light. With the broom in hand, handle out he tries to pick up the snake from a distance, while I watch from afar on the verge of tears. The snake falls off the handle and slithers behind the washing machine as I feared. Greg than opens the back door adjacent to the laundry room, pulls out the washing machine, turns the broom to it's right side and manages to sweep the snake outside and quickly shut the door. We than spent the next half hour searching for holes where the snake may have come in. The back door is in need of new weather striping and there's a significant gap on the threshold, It's possible the snake came in that way. We placed duct tape between the door and the floor. The door may be unusable but no little critter will be crawling in from underneath. I'm shaken up, it seems in my distress Greg becomes extra brave, I didn't really think that he would take on a snake. Praise God he has more guts than I.

my picture came from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_tree_snake

Homemade Biscotti

I made biscotti today, these are twice baked, crisp Italian cookies, made for dunking in coffee or tea. I love making biscotti, they seem like such a treat to me because I associate them with fancy coffee shops that charge a large sum for their beautiful pastries and treats.
I tried something different with these biscotti and added some chocolate chips and hazelnuts, while not as pretty to look at, they taste great, and will be a really good accompaniment with coffee in the morning. Tonight I'm enjoying them with tea and they are wonderful.

Here's my recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup of pistachios (I often substitute whatever additions I have on hand)

Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the orange zest, vanilla, 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk (reserving the white). Stir just until combined than mix in pistachios. Knead 2-3 minutes on a lightly floured surface. the dough will be very stiff and may be crumbly add a few drops of water if needed to bring it together. Roll dough into a log and place on baking sheet, flatten top slightly. Brush the top using the reserved egg white. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 300, allow the log to cool slightly (so you don't burn yourself) using a serrated knife cut into 1/2 inch slices place flat-side down on the baking sheet and bake 8 minutes, flip over and bake an additional 8 minutes or until slightly colored, crisp and dry. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, store in an air tight container.

You can change this recipe up, it's tasty with pistachios but I've made it with dried fruits, pecans, walnuts, almonds, and whatever else I have on hand.
Don't skip the orange zest, it really adds a nice depth of flavor.

My husband's favorite is just plain hazelnut, I hope he enjoys the addition of chocolate chips. We'll find out tomorrow morning.

Menu Plan Monday March 10-16

As usual last week's menu plan didn't fit perfectly, so a few meals are being pushed ahead to this week.

Monday 3/10 Quesadillas- made with leftover Taco Casserole

Tuesday 3/11 Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday 3/12 Sesame Chicken - a new favorite; I've made this twice before, quick and tasty.

Thursday 3/13 Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday 3/14 Homemade Pizza

Saturday 3/15 Taco Soup with homemade Corn Bread

Sunday 3/16 Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

Head over to Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans.

My Mom's Yummy Taco Casserole

Last night I made taco casserole, it's so easy and yummy. It's a recipe dear to me because it was given to me from my mom. I haven't made it in at least 3 years. When my husband asked about it, I had to shoot my mom an e-mail for the recipe as I had misplaced mine. This meal is especially nice for leftovers, I spoon the casserole mixture onto tortillas the next day and make quesadillas, super easy. The recipe uses instant rice, which I confess is something I had to go to the store for, lucky for me it was on sale and I had a coupon. I changed it up a bit and added a can of diced tomatoes since I had them on hand. Here's the recipe:

1 lb of ground beef cooked
1 can of whole corn drained
1 can small sliced olives
1 can diced green chilies
1 package of taco season.
1 1/2 cup of instant rice-make sure it is instant you can use brown instant if you want
2 cups of water
1 cup of cheddar cheese save some to top

Cook ground beef and drain the fat, mix in taco seasoning according to package directions. Mix everything a large bowl place in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 375. Top with some cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

As a bonus this recipe freezes very well.