Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/21-27 2019

   Christmas has come and gone.  We were so blessed with wonderful and meaningful gifts and lots of time with family.  We divided our Christmas celebration in two because illness prevented Jaysn, Rachel and Steven from joining us for the first family celebration.  We did the first round on the Sunday before Christmas and the last one, with Jaysn, Rachel and Steven, on Christmas day.  This did allow me to rest between celebrations and give me more one on one time with each person.

   This Frugal Friday Wrap Up is just going to be a list for the full week of what we did (and I can remember) because I did not take the time to write it all down each day.  I spent a lot of time in bed and resting between celebrations.  So here it is in no particular order:

~We all contributed to the holiday foods at our get togethers.  I made it really easy on myself by doing precooked meatballs and Little Smokies sausages in BBQ sauce in the crockpot.  I also took a premade cheese ball, along with crackers.  We were going to do s'mores also but decided with all the homemade candies and cookies to postpone them until we do a big snowman party within the next few months.  I just set all the s'more making supplies aside to be used later.
~Jeff and I finally got my hair cut on Tuesday.
~I made Malibu Chicken and homemade mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner.
~I also made Lemon Chicken Pasta using some peppers that I had previously bought and cut up and thrown in the freezer.  This made several meals for us.
~Tea time at night has become a wonderful ritual that I have been enjoying.  I use each tea bag at least 2 times before tossing it.
~I had things on my shopping list that I decided not to pick up because once I saw the prices at the store, I choked and decided we would just redo the menu.
~Another meal we enjoyed was homemade Salsbury Steak and rice for dinner and the leftovers provided several more meals.  It made this weeks meal plan really easy and freed me up to rest as much as I needed.
~By Friday night I was in need to some calming music so I pulled up my friend Gary Haleamau's playlist on YouTube.  He has the most amazing falsetto voice.  Hearing him always takes me back to our childhood days growing up and singing together.
~We gave out lots of homemade breads and candies to friends and family.
~We picked up some reduced priced Italaian bread, 3 packages of bagels, cookies, lunchmeat and a $3.98 foot long sandwich.  I also got 2 bottles of my favorite seasonal creamer.  We froze 2 packages of the bagels and had the shared the sandwich on the way home.  It was huge and I could not finish my half so Jeff took the rest of it to work that night.
~We did NOT shop the after Christmas 50% off sales.  We have so much already and did not need anything at all.
~We pulled some deli rolls that I had previously gotten at a reduced price out of the freezer for Jeff to use to make sandwiches during the week.
~Our hot tub was used to sooth sore muscles and my cane( that I got from the thrift store) came in handy this week also.
~We once again shopped our gift closet for some fun gifts for family that I had picked up over the course of the year.
~Jeff and I have been enjoying his 3 day work week over Christmas week.  It has allowed us to both get all the sleep we need and to watch some fun shows.

    I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

Holidays and Happenings When You are Chronically Ill

   

   We have been so blessed to have had a busy Fall and beginning of Winter.  Our Josh and Lauren got married in October at beautiful mountain lodge in Montana and family and friends came from all over the world (literally) to join in this wonderful celebration!  It was a whirlwind of fun, love, laughter and getting to know our new extended family and visiting with lots of loved ones.  We then brought one of our dearest friends (who we call our sister) home with us and the visiting continued with here and her mother.

   My sister Leonie came for a visit and after almost 37 years apart, we had so much to catch up on!  We celebrated Thanksgiving together with most of our kids, all the grandkids, and cousin, took her to see the Christmas lights in Coeurd'Alene, Idaho, and went shopping for some things that she needed for her upcoming trip to China.  It was a long awaited and prayed for trip for both her and I and one that I will always treasure.

   Jeff hurt his knee again and we made yet another trip to the doctor only to find out that it was really bad with lots of damage and most likely needs surgery.  He has an appointment for an MRI in January and then goes to an orthopedic surgeon to see if they can fix it or if he is going to need total knee replacement surgery (the doctor is already leaning towards the latter).  He got really stressed about the possibility of upcoming surgery and having to take all the recovery time off of work.  He does not want to let his employer down.  This led to lots of stress here at home for both he and I and trying to come up with a plan for the possible loss of income during that time period and trying to cut costs now so we can come up with the money for the surgery somehow.  Since we are a single income family (his), this really is a huge cause of concern.

   We also have been busy getting ready for Christmas and doing lots of baking and candy making.  We did cut back on things like sending out cards this year and our gifts to others are finally being sent out this week (Happy New Year!).  We did our first round of Christmas over the weekend and will do another this week with Jaysn, Rachel and Steven since they were not able to join us for round one with Steven having been ill.  I so enjoy Christmas with our family!

   With all the things above, we have spent quite a bit of money, time and energy, which is to be expected.  For a healthy person, this would all take it's toll on you, but for someone with a chronic illness, this is overwhelming and can lead to all sorts of complications, setbacks and issues. 

   Eating lots of goodies and different foods had definitely ramped up my IBS.  Oh my goodness.  These past 3 months my poor body has not known how to handle all of this so it has rebelled big time.  Pepto Bismal has been my friend and I have even taken it "preemtively" just to be on the safe side when I know we are going to be having things that may upset my stomach.  Bloating, gas, upset stomach and sticking close to home just in case...neeed I go on?  Yuck!  I have also gained weight due to all the calorie rich goodies.  Not good.  I am trying to make things here at home for Jeff and I that I know are easy on both our tummies as much as possible and eat healthier in general.

   Sleep is something that continues to be an issue.  I either cannnot sleep or I get to the point where the not sleeping has reached a critical point and I crash and cannot stay awake.  At those times I end up napping, which I know my body needs, but it ends up throwing me back into the not being able to sleep at night cycle.  This is my "normal" year round, but it gets so much worse during busy times of the year and the holiday season.  

   The body aches and brain fog also kick into high gear.  I can't think straight or find the right words more often than not.  My body hurts so badly that I am near tears frequently and all my senses are hightened.  I find myself needing to retreat from the world and stay in a quiet and dark room because sounds and bright lights are overwhelming.  This leads to depression, which is not fun.  I know that people see me enjoying being with friends and family, and I really do enjoy and need that, but what they don't see is the aftermath and the leading up to it when I am totally spent, in pain, and exhausted.

   I do try to pace myself so that I can enjoy those special times with those I love most in the world.  I refuse to give those times up because honestly, that is what brings me joy and keeps me going.  Anyone who knows anything about me knows that the most important thing in my life is my family...they are our treasures here on earth and how precious they all are to us!

   I have a few commitments in January that I will be keeping, but everything else will be put on hold.  I need the time to just let down, relax and recover for a bit.  My health will always be a struggle for me, but I need to get back to a slower pace and try to find a balance once again.  Our family all knows this and they have been wonderfully supportive of both Jeff and I.  Our kids, wanting to take some financial pressure off of Jeff and I, bought us a ton of wood pellets for our stove and delivered them to us over the weekend.  This is something that we needed and with the added medical costs coming in for Jeff's knee, meant that financially it was going to be a stretch to meet all of our bills.  I will admit that I got all teared up when I found out they were doing this for us.  What a blessing they and the pellets are.  That should get us through another 2-3 months, depending on how cold the weather gets.

   Yes, being chronically ill makes it hard to enjoy the holidays and happenings at times and yes, I pay dearly for doing so but I refuse to let this stop me from participating in all that I am able to.  There is a huge price to pay for me but it is worth it. 

   

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/14-12/20 2019

Saturday (a major shopping day):

~We went to Safeway and got 2 boxes of Ritz crackers for .99 each, a cheese ball that was half off and then and additional 20% off that, a free package of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 2 packages of Krab meat for half off.  I froze the Krab to use for salads, dips, sushi and wontons. Oh we also got candy bars at 2 for $1 to use for s'mores.

~Walmart  had 3 pound bags of mandarins for $1, a loaf of garlic bread for .71, some bagels for .71, a 6 count of donuts for .89, and a bag of 24 rolls for $2.62.  We also picked up a marked down sandwich there and had that for a late lunch.

~The Dollar Tree was our next stop and we got 3 jars of pesto, a Christmas towel, and a 2 pack of hot pads.

~While Jeff was in getting a gift for our DIL at a certain store, I went next door to the thrift store and found 2 books for .47 each and some elastic hairbands for .94 for a large package of them (brand new).

~Winco was where we did the majority of our shopping.  I am always amazed at how reasonably things are priced there.

~The Asian market was where I found my udon noodles and organic miso.  I use these for soups during the cold weather months.  They are comfort food for me.

~We watched the movie "Christmas Vacation" and I had a cocktail with some homemade raspberry gin and tonic.

Sunday:

~Jeff and I hot tubbed in the evening.

~I divided up the package of 24 rolls into 4 smaller packages and froze 3 of them for future use.

~With it being colder, I baked up a tray full of sweet and red potatoes.  I then diced some of them up and made some hash to go along with the Portuguese sausage for dinner.  I also scrambled up 3 eggs to go with that for Jeff.  The other potatoes will be used later in the week.

~We watched the movie "The Shakiest Gun in the West" on YouTube.

Monday:
~We borrowed 3 movies from the library.
~There is a family going through a rough time and a dear friends is trying to help make it a good Christmas for them.  She asked for help from her friends and I, along with many others, are gathering needed and wanted items to help this family.  I was able to drop off a bag full of fun and pampering items along with some much needed hygiene items for them today.  I had everything I needed in my gift and HBA closets.  We have been blessed in the past at Christmas when we were going through a rough time and it feels wonderful to be able to help another family going through a rough time also.
~Using what I had on hand and what needed to be used up, I made an enchilada stack casserole and a spinach salad with fresh mandarin oranges for dinner.  I took my time and enjoyed the process of making a nice and filling meal for Jeff and I.  I made a lot, so there are leftovers for later.
~I've been drawn to simple living and Christmas type videos a lot more lately.  YouTube has a great selection of these to enjoy and learn from.  It gives me inspiration and makes me appreciate and use what I do have.
~Spending some time each day just relaxing and looking at the lights and decorations on our tree while sipping a cup of tea and listening to Christmas carols has become a ritual this time of year that I am treasuring.  It has been several years since we have been able to have a tree and I did not realize just how much I missed it until this year.

Tuesday:
~Another rough night so very little sleep was had.  This made for a very low key day.  I watched more videos on ways to save more money.
~Walmart called and said I had a prescription ready so Jeff and I headed in to pick it up.  We also picked up lots of reduced priced breads, meats, and a cheesecake along with some bananas and an onion. I love when the students are gone and lots of stuff is marked down.
~Jeff took me out for our early Christmas date.  We both brought home half of our dinners so there is another meal to be enjoyed for each of us.

Wednesday:
~Jeff moved that last of the wood pellets onto the porch so that they are easy for us to get to.
~Today was my baking day.  I made 2 large loaves of sandwich bread, 5 small loaves of cranberry -orange bread, and 2 1/2 dozen cranberry-orange muffins.
~We packaged up the muffins and small loaves in pretty Christmas bags.  Some of them are for family and some are for friends.
~We had our leftovers from Tuesday night's meal out for dinner.
~I watched some shows online.
~My legs have really been acting up at night so I drank some Tonic water to help with that.

Thursday:
~Uncle Bob and Aunt Norma gave us a beautiful Christmas card and a gift card for Pizza Hut.
~We took muffins over to them as their gift from us and had a nice visit.
~I worked on laundry here using only half the recommended amount of detergent since that is all we really need and it actually saves on the wear and tear of the washer too.
~I was having trouble sleeping again (surprise, surprise) so I made some homemade candies in the early morning hours.  I knew that I was getting down to the wire since we are doing Christmas this weekend with our kids, grandkids and my cousin who live in this area.  I also could feel a big Fibro crash coming on so I also knew it was now or possibly not getting it done at all.
~After making the candies, I was a bit hungry so I made myself a cup of hot miso soup.  I buy my miso paste at the Asian store and it lasts me about 6 months for a container so I am able to make a cup of the soup for pennies.

Friday:
~Part of my Christmas gift came in from my mom.  She made me winter themed pillow sham covers and I love them!  She also sent us some Christmas towels because she had so many and decided to share the wealth.
~Jeff and I made and  packaged up 4 batches of homemade candies.  I think we are done with all of it now.
~We went to see our oldest two grandson, Bradley and Isaiah, along with their cousins and two little girls that I used to have in the MOPS program, in a dance recital.  Heather's mother, Tammy, is their teacher.  It was so much fun to see all the kids dancing and everyone having a good time.  I got to catch up with an old friend there too!
~We were able to deliver some Christmas gifts for Heather's side of the family while at the recital.
~I was craving something Asian inspired for dinner so I made some spicy Udon and Miso soup with Napa cabbage and green onions.

Praying that you all have a wonderful Christmas with your friends and family!  Be blessed!

Homemade Pancake Mix Recipe (as requested)

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/7-12/13 2019

 

    Well...our budget is about to take another nasty hit.  This past weekend, Jeff twisted wrong and searing pain shot through his knee.  Yes, the same knee that had been giving him trouble before.  At that time, he had a small tear in his meniscus.  Apparently there was more damage to it even then than we knew about.  He had orthoscopic surgery on it about 38 years ago for some damage at that time and it looks like there may be more surgery in the near future.  Jeff and I headed to the doctor on Monday to get the knee checked out and the x-rays showed a mess in there between things fraying, bad arthritis with bone growth and something else going on behind his kneecap.  Now we wait for his appointment for an MRI and then a trip to the orthopedic doctor.  This is going to be expensive and we need to start preparing for it now.



Saturday:
~I did not get to sleep until around 6 a.m., so I then slept until almost 1 p.m..  We stayed home and watched movies completely missing our town's Christmas celebrations (Round 1).
~We hot tubbed that night also.
~I cut Jeff's hair.

Sunday:
~We took a trip down to the valley at the last minute to go to Harbor Freight to pick up a tool kit thingy that was on sale and used a coupon on top of the sale price for 20% off.  We ran into one of my old students, who was working there, and had a really nice visit.
~We stopped at St. Vincent De Paul and Goodwill and found some things there too.  I'm always amazed at how many brand new items are donated.  We were able to get 2 gifts for Christmas, some books, a cute mug, a brand new Eddie Bauer jacket, some leggings, candles and a new cd.
~The next stop was Grocery Outlet where we found amazing deals on acorn squash, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, won ton wrappers, pastrami, spices, pizzas, salad stuff and I found my pear cider that I love so much.  This was also where Jeff's knee decided it hated him and was going to cause him so much pain.
~We filled up on gas before heading back up the hill since with was .35 cheaper per gallon down there than up near us.
~The last stop was the Dollar Tree back up in Pullman, where I picked up a few things that I needed to make candy with and some cute holiday paper plates for our family party.
~Our internet was down, so my friend Shannon let me log on through hers to check a few things.
~Shannon came over for a visit and we had brownies....yum!
~Jeff and I watched a Christmas movie we borrowed from the library.

Jeff enjoying licking to bowl after making brownies.

Monday:
~Jeff and I went to his doctor's appointment and I "interviewed" the doctor to see if he would be a good fit to be my new primary care doctor and how much he knew about Fibromyalgia also.
~Internet still down...2 phone calls to technical support later and I finally got an appointment to get it fixed on Wednesday.
~Again, I was able to borrow internet from my friend so I could check on a few things online.
~We returned some movies we borrowed from the library.
~I took a 2 hour nap.  I had been falling asleep at the doctor's office so I knew that there was now way I was going to make it through the rest of the day without one.
~Two more loaves of bread were made.
~We had one of the salad kits and I added some Cajon turkey diced up to it.  I also threw in the remainder of the bag of spinach that we had been working on before it went bad.  I mixed up some cheddar biscuits and put those in the oven to bake after the bread came out.  We had the biscuits as part of our dinner too.
~Jeff brought in one of the clock radios that has a cd player in it for me so that I could listen to Christmas music.  He had to unplug our large CD player in the living room so that he could plug in the Christmas tree. I can now happily listen to some of my favorite Christmas CDs once more.

Tuesday:
~I started off my morning with a nice cup of coffee and listened to Celtic Christmas music.  I had bought a Celtic Christmas  3 CD set last year at a thrift store and this is the first time I am listening to it.  I absolutely love it.
~I borrowed some books from the library and am currently reading them.  There is such a great range to choose from and I so enjoy having this wonderful resource at my fingertips and right here in town.
~It was another nap day for me.  Apparently my body has decided that it wants to head back into another flare...yuck!
~Dinner was eggrolls from the freezer for me and sandwiches for Jeff.
~We watched the movie "Sweet Home Alabama".  It's one of our favorites.
~Going through my cookbook collection, I ran across the book "Grandmother's Country Cookbook".  It was first published in 1966 and has some great recipes in it.  I am enjoying reading it and getting some good ideas.
~We have lots of sample sized soups and shampoos that I have accumulated over the years and are trying to use some of them up.
~With our upcoming expenses due to Jeff's need for an MRI and possible surgery, we are rethinking our gifting for this Christmas.  I'll be doing more homemade candies, breads and cookies and less store bought things.  Jeff and I also agreed that we would not exchange gifts between ourselves this year and instead, we would save that money to go towards the upcoming medical bills and take some financial pressure off of each other.  I was the one to approach him with this idea because seeing him stressed about finances stresses me out also.
~I placed some new materials requests with our library in hopes that they can locate certain books for me to read or even purchase them for the library system.

Dinner salad and cheddar biscuits.

Wednesday:
~Frontier replaced our modem for free since it was their issue and not ours that caused our computer service to go down.
~Dinner was venison steaks and pesto/red pepper pasta.  Venison was free from Chris and the pasta and pesto were from the Dollar Tree.  Peppers were from a sale earlier in the year, diced up and frozen until needed.
~With our internet back up, we were able to watch more episodes of "Hot in Cleveland".
~About 2 hours before Jeff was due to leave for work, his knee went out on him again and he was in severe pain.  Luckily my cane is adjustable to he was able to use that to get around home but he had to call into work and let them know that he was not going to be able to do his job.  He did offer to still drive the truck, but he would not be able to get in and out to make the deliveries needed.  He felt awful about not being able to do his job on such short notice.  They had him stay home.

Thursday:
~Jeff was stressing about having let people down at work due to his knee.  When he or I am stressed, I make comfort food so I had him choose anything he wanted.  He chose salmon loaf so that is what we had along with rice, spinach salad and carrot sticks for dinner.
~I watched some TV shows online.
~Jeff and I had a long talk about things we can do looking towards the future to make our home more productive garden wise and also about some ways we can make money from home.  I finally got Jeff to agree to put in a compost bin made out of old pallets again so we can make our own compost.
~Jeff and I also watched a disaster movie on YouTube.  I know, it's strange but I just love those kind of movies.

Salmon loaf and pesto and red pepper pasta.

Friday:
~I'm loving listening to Christmas music via YouTube.  They have the music that I grew up listening to like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis.  These were some of my mother's favorites so we had them playing every year.  She even recorded them for me when I was in college so I could have them playing in my home, scratchy old record sounds and all.
~We received a wonderful gift of Esther Price candies in the mail from my Uncle Gary and Aunt April.  He spoils me! It could not have come at a better time since I woke up very upset after a night of horrible nightmares.
~Going through my bookshelves, I found a old paperback cookbook called "Grandmother's Country Cookbook" that was first published in 1966.  It has so many great recipes and anecdotes in it.

   
   As the week went on, things got pretty stressful and that sent me into another flare.  I tried to remain calm on the outside and strong for my hubby, but on the inside, I was a mess.  Our oldest grandson Bradley also got his third concussion after roughhousing with his brother.  He seems to be doing okay, but I tell you, it really worried this Grammie.  As my son Chris, who is also an EMT said "It looks like there is no football playing in the future for him."  I stayed home for the rest of the week after Jeff's doctor's appointment on Monday and that really was for the best.  There is a bad flu going around that is laying people out for a week or more, and I am desperately trying to avoid it.  Be blessed all!


   

Frugal Friday Wrap Up (a hodgepodge of several weeks)

   

Apple slices with warm caramel dip.

   I have been awful about keeping track of all my frugal doings lately.  I mean to get them typed out each day, but I get distracted and then "poof" that thought is out of my head.  Luckily I have been taking pictures of some things, so hopefully that will help jog my memory a bit...we can hope right? 😁  I'm still in a flare after all the fun we had with my sister's visit recently so Jeff and I have been playing lots of charades since I can't get the word from my brain to my mouth and sometimes, I can't even think of the word.  At least life is never boring for my hubby since he never knows when he will be playing "guess what I am thinking or trying to say" with me.

   Anyway, here are some of the things that I can and do remember:  *All of the pictures in  this post are of food...yes, we like to eat!  😉

Fast and easy dinner of spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread.

~My sister's flight was cancelled on her way here and she had to be rebooked on another flight.  That meant Jeff and I had to stay in Spokane for another 10 hours before her next flight arrived.  Jeff and I took advantage of the time by going to thrift stores and out to dinner.  We found some great deals.  Isaiah had been wanting a "puffy vest" as he calls it and we found him a red one that fit perfectly.  We also found some much needed pants and jeans for Steven.  I got 2 pairs of brand new Lularoe leggings, a Lularoe dress and Jeff found some shirts.  I had also been on the search for those body pillows shaped like a huge elongated "C" that are marketed as pregnancy pillows.  I heard that they might also be helpful to people who have fibromyalgia.  At one of the thrift stores we went to they had brand new ones, some in boxes and one "store display" model (which did not have a price tag).  I talked to the manager there and told her what I wanted to try to use it for so she gave it to me for $9.99 as opposed to the ones that were in the boxes marked for $29.99. God bless that lady for that amazing deal!  And yes, there are some nights where it really does help me sleep and others where I still need to stretch out more.
~Jeff found a bicycle seat cover at Goodwill.  I also found a brand new dress shirt for Bradley, a brand new Brighton brand purse ($7.99 and retails for over $300) and 2 shirts for myself.  Jeff found some tire chains that should fit my car so he can take the brand new ones that we have not used yet back to the Les Swab where we spent way too much money on them. It was Senior discount day so we got everything for 20% off and one of the shirts was a half off colored tag also.

Spinach, apple and feta salad with homemade dressing.

~I used a $25 gift card at Walmart to help stock up on a few things that we needed there.  I also found a summer pajama gown on clearance for $3, so I put that away for warmer weather to come.  We are now stocked up on cat food, dog food, kitty litter, and a few personal care items.  Jeff also picked up oil and a filter for my car and I found the last of the Christmas gifts that I needed for the grandboys.
~Jeff changed the oil and filter in my car.  It was overdue!
~We have been watching Christmas movies that I borrowed from the library.
~I made a chicken Shepard's pie with some pot pie filling that I had previously made and thrown in the freezer.  I added some leftover green beans, some French fried onions and another can of cream of mushroom soup to the filling.  I then made some red mashed potatoes, spread those over the top and added a layer of freshly grated cheddar cheese to the top and popped it into the oven.  It was so good!

Chicken Shepard's Pot Pie.

~Many good meals have been made with things that we have in the pantry, freezer and refrigerator and we have not had to pick up a ton of things from the grocery store lately.
~I'm so enjoying all the Christmas decorations that we have put up this year along with listening to Christmas music that I listen to via YouTube.  It is peaceful and pretty and really does help calm my soul.  It lifts my spirits too on the many darker days we are having now.
~While doing my big grocery stock up trip about 3 weeks ago, I was able to get a free turkey and put that away for a future family dinner.
~My sister brought me a bag full of vanilla bean pods that she grew in her garden in Tahiti so I will be using some of them to make homemade vanilla extract with.  I'll do some with rum, as she says that is the best, and try some with vodka, which is how I have always been done.  I have both rum and vodka on hand.
~Jeff was able to fix a strand of Christmas lights and the lights on a Christmas garland for me.
~I've been baking breads, pancakes and making us hearty meals.
~I have gotten into the habit of keeping a sweater on the back on my recliner to grab when I get a bit chilly.  I also have throw that I snuggle up under.  This way I can keep the heat down around 60F and still be very comfortable.
~As the weather is now colder, I have been raiding my tea stash and use each tea bag twice.  I have a huge assortment of teas and lots of apple cider mixes too.  These should keep me going for the entire season.
~Since sleep tends to elude me until the early morning hours, I have started watching the tv series "The Gilmore Girls" that I had bought previously at the thrift store.  It is nice to be able to lay in bed and watch something to help my mind calm down.

My version of a favorite Chipotle Pasta Salad from a favorite restaurant.

~For dinner on Thursday I recreated one of my favorite salads from a local restaurant.  I took one box of Suddenly Salad Chipotle Ranch, cooked that up, and added 1 stalk of cut up celery, 1/4 of a yellow pepper (diced) and a drained and rinsed can of black beans.  I also added some Cajun Turkey sliced up that I had gotten at the deli to boost the protein and also to make it more enticing to my hubby. 😉 ~I cut up the rest of the yellow pepper and froze it for future use.
~Safeway's Just4U deals have been pretty good lately and I have been taking advantage of them. I got a gallon of milk for $1.69, 2 cooking oils for $1.29 a bottle, 2 boxes of Cheerios for .99 each, free trash bags, free dishwashing liquid, and 2 dozen eggs for .99 a dozen.
~We were in need of more pancake mix, so I whipped up another container full.  I love this mix and it only takes me about a minute to whip a bunch of pancake batter when needed.
~I worked my points programs.

Homemade pancake mix.

   

   That is about it for now.  I'm currently listening to one of our little town's church bells playing Christmas carols.  It is something that I look forward to every year.  Tomorrow and Sunday is the big Christmas celebration here in town in the middle of the rolling hills of Palouse.  The towns all around us are doing the same.  It really is a wonderful time of the year!

When You Are Craving Arby's But Can't Go

   Jeff and I love Arby's roast beef sandwiches but, for us, they can be quite spendy when you consider that we have to drive about 28 miles to even get to the restaurant.  When you factor that in, along with the time it takes to drive there, eat, and drive back home and that we rarely get out of there for under $20, we had to come up with a different way to do things.  I decided that I could make them at home for a fraction of the price and it would be healthier too.

   I had bought hamburger buns on sale and a package of roast beef that was marked down at the Walmart deli.  I had both cheddar and swiss cheese at home, along with all the condiments needed.  In addition to this, there were sweet potatoes in the pantry that needed to be used along with an abundance of apples since we had recently stocked up on them when they were on sale.

   A large sweet potato was washed and sliced into thin rounds and then I used some salt and chipotle seasoning on them after praying them with some oil.  These were baked at 425F for 25 minutes.  About 10 minutes before they were finished baking, I got to work on the sandwiches.  I made Jeff's sandwiches with Miracle Whip, honey mustard, 2 slices of the roast beef for each sandwich and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese per sandwich.  Mine were made with honey mustard, 2 slices of roast beef per sandwich and some shredded swiss cheese.  I cooked them in the microwave, covered, for 1 minute so that they would be warmed up and the cheese would be melted.  I also cut up an apple into slices and Jeff and I shared that.

   When I broke down how much our meal cost. I came up with the figure of about $4.50 for everything.  We got better quality meat and cheese, the potato rounds were not deep fried and we had some healthy fruit to go with it all.  Our meal also tasted much better than anything we could have gotten at Arby's.  I know that some may question why I had 2 sandwiches also but that was the first meal I had eaten all day and I later had some cottage cheese around 10:30 at night.  I usually only eat 2 meals a day.

   Meals like this are easy for me to make and satisfy those cravings for "fast foods" that we love.  Considering that I never know how my health will be from day to day and that I don't have to get myself ready and dressed, in and out of the car, etc., and then come home exhausted, it is also an energy saver for me.  I was able to be in my jammies and rest between getting the sweet potatoes ready and in the oven for about 10 minutes before I needed to get started on the sandwiches and cut up the apple.  It may not seem like much, but for me, that can be the difference between me being able to get dinner made or having to have Jeff do it.  I do enjoy cooking and seeing how happy my hubby is to have some of his favorite meals, so this is a win-win all the way around. 🍔

Update on my Sister's Visit and Some Thoughts

   

   My sister is now home after a very busy but fun visit.  It is funny how after almost 37 years apart, we just seemed to pick right back up again and it was so easy just to be with each other.  All those inside jokes and memories came flooding back.  What I did find amazing though was how differently we saw and experienced things for the 3 years that we actually lived together.  My sister came to live with us during our Sophomore year of high school.  It's a long and complicated story and one that I finally was able to hear in full and fill in some blanks.  It was kind of like an international foster situation and was very stressful at times trying to blend her culture and ours.  I think we all grew from it though and the bonds between my sister, my brothers and I remain tight to this day.  I love her with all my heart and she will always be my sister no matter what.  I am so very thankful that she came up for a visit and got to experience snow, Christmas lights over the lake in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, a big family Thanksgiving, meeting most of my kids and grandkids, along with our cousin Jeremy and she got to see a mother moose and 2 baby moose walking around our town. 😁

   She and I also spent time decorating our home for Christmas whiole listening to Christmas music.  It was something that we really enjoyed doing together in our teens and it was so nice to do it with her once more.  We went shopping and got her a few more warm items that she could wear here and on her upcoming trip buying trip to China (she is now in real estate development in Tahiti and doing very well at it) and some gifts for friends back home.  We ate way too much good and rich food (which I am paying for now) but most of all, we talked helped each other work through some things in our lives from our pasts and current situations.  There was laughter, tears, lots of hugs and reassurances and it was wonderful to know that no matter how many years had passed, she and I were, still are and will always be there for one another no matter what.  Taking her to the airport and saying goodbye was so hard to do and I tried to remain strong for both of us when she broke down in tears.  We shared one last long and tight hug and kissed each other goodbye knowing that we would make sure to spend more time together now that we really have reconnected and realized just how much we really do need each other in our lives.  We are not getting any younger and have both had some pretty serious health issues so time is of the essence.

   While she was here, I pushed myself way too much even though she kept telling me to rest.  She has always been extremely protective of me. 😊  I was going on sheer addrenalin most of the time and I am glad I was able to keep going for as long as I did.  I did not want to miss out on a single moment with her.

   Now that she is gone, I am in crash and hopefully recovery mode.  My stomach issues are really bad with my IBS acting way up after all that rich food and running around so much.  My body is sore and I did have to use my cane while she was here one of the days when were were out and about.  Most of all, I am simply exhausted.  I have decided to just be good to myself and allow myself to nap when needed and not try to stay on a strict schedule right now.  Let's be real, I could not stay awake even if I wanted to at times.  I have needed lots of alone time too and have found myself retreating to our bedroom on a daily basis to escape the noise, light and yes, even my sweet hubby.  I required total peace, quiet and dark so I could rest and not be overwhelmed.

   The plan for the remainder of the week is to rest as much as possible, doing things that need to be done slowly and take lots of breaks between tasks.  So far this is working out well with me being able to keep up on the laundry, make some good meals, watch some movies and take lots of naps.  This is what my body and my soul needs at the moment, so that is what I am doing so that I will be ready for the next round of holiday festivities.

   Be blessed my friends!