good bye march - hello april

Strawberries with soy yogurt and pecans

Time seems to be flying.  I'm so happy I decided to share with you our desire to pay off our mortgage as aggressively as we can.  It has changed the way I look at everything and kept me focused.  Showing you all the ways I live has made me realize that I may be addicted to having less. I find myself dreaming of ways to make do with less.  Also, someone in the comments mentioned the TV show Hoarders.  I had never seen it before and so I watched it.  Seeing the pain and agony people go through all created by stuff is heartbreaking isn't it?  It seems worse for those who inherited a lot of stuff. They are so emotionally conflicted over it and wind up doing so much damage to themselves and their loved ones.  It's all so tragic.  It just strengthens my resolve to live as lightly as possible.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

2 cups chopped broccoli
1 small potato
1/2 onion
Bring to boil in 4 cups of vegetable stock or water and 2 veggies cubes
Puree and serve

Pasta with mushrooms

Saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, season with s and p
Add 1 15oz can chopped tomato
Season with basil and garlic
Toss in spaghetti

Breakfast Parfait

1/4 cup raw oatmeal then layered with fruit and soy yogurt.  I used berries, bananas and oranges

Easy Vegan Lasagna - again

This isn't the most appetizing looking dish but it is delicious.  For those of you who have made the lasagna, this is the same filling just put into a saute pan and browned.  Delish with a side salad.

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Fresh salad greens with strawberries and pecans drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar

So for the month of April my focus is going to be to step away from the computer.  I am spending way too much time online and need to recharge.  I'll be around, just less. Please have a wonderful April and thank you so so much for all the love and support you give me.  You truly are the best readers any blog could ever ask for.

Mucho Love,
Janet

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groceries - march week 3

Hello there.  Before I get into the grocery shopping I'd like to say that this month has been a hectic one in that we have aging and ailing relatives 700 miles away and we've been back and forth so much...well everything is a little out of whack around here.

So the total is $31.29.  I was excited because the .99 store had wine stocked.  It was $2.99 a bottle and I've been wanting to try their wines.  I will wait til after Lent and let you know how it is.  If they continue to stock it I'll pick up more to try all in the name of research...for you.

Also, the lovely Jen from the blog, Dwell on these Things has tagged me in an 11 things about me thing. Remember when these types of posts went around and around on the internet?  I haven't seen one in years so I thought why not?  Hard to imagine there are 11 things you don't know about me but lets give it a swirl.

1.  This blog is just a small part of my life.  I think most blogs are that way.

2.  And yet knowing that, I still find myself jealous of other bloggers lives.

3.  My closet, drawers, kitchen and life get messy just like yours does.

4.  I skip exercise when I'm too tired or not in the mood and feel pretty guilty about it.

5.  I have a good marriage but we sometimes fight, shout and give ea other the silent treatment.

6.  I'm feeling a blogging break coming on.

7.  I hope to one day be and extra in a Wes Anderson movie.  I've always wanted to be a Tenenbaum.

8.  I try to put the best pictures I can up of my house and garden and then worry that you think I'm perfect.

9.  I fight being lazy every single day.

10. I think I'd make an excellent recluse.

11. I can't think of another one.  Whoops, just thought of one.  I'm quick to anger but working hard on that.

Thank you Jen!  And if you'd like to join in on the 11 thing thing...then do!

Hope to be back later with a post on organizing the bedroom/closet.

See you soonish.

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gardener's pie

In honor of St. Patrick's day I made a vegan version of a Sheppard's pie. I had leftovers in the refrigerator that needed to be used and this was the perfect recipe to use them in.  I sauteed my veggies in vegetable broth (otherwise I'd have used white wine) I really don't drink that much but I'm giving up the sauce for Lent, which is proving harder than I thought it'd be.  I slipped over this last weekend but I'm determinedly back on the wagon, or is it off the wagon? Anyway...


Gardener's Pie

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 celery rib chopped
1 or 2 carrots sliced
3 cups mixed vegetables
1/2 cup cooked lentils (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable broth or white wine
1 cup white sauce
2 cups mashed potatoes

Saute the onion, celery and carrots until soft but still with some bite in them
Add the 3 cups mixed veggies - I used mushrooms and peas and I also added the lentils
Cook until all the veggies are heated through
Add the vegetable broth.
Simmer until all the broth has been absorbed by the veggies
Stir in basic white sauce
Put in 9" pie pan
Cover with 2 cups mashed potatoes

White Sauce

2 T Earth Balance
2 T flour
1 cup soy milk

Melt margarine and then whisk in flour until thoroughly mixed
Pour in soy milk and bring to boil
As soon as sauce is thickened remove from heat
Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 t pepper

Bake at 400 degrees for 1/2 hour

Really this recipe sounds harder than it is.  It is so forgiving.  You can use any veggie combo that you like. You can skip the white sauce.  You could do a pastry top or a puff pastry top. You really can't go wrong.
The point is to use what you have and what's easy.

As you can see my grocery total is only $17 for the first week of March.  We were in Utah for a few days so that's why it is so low.  I'm still amazed at how this grocery thing is keeping me on track spending-wise.  We are only 2 weeks away from the start of the second quarter of the year.  Our goal is to pay off the house in 5 years or 60 months.  So only 56 more months to go.  :)

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grocery shopping - march

First week of March total $25.50.  I feel like I'm weighing in at Weight Watcher's.  We went out to dinner one of the nights for our anniversary at Caprice Cafe . It poured rain and reminded us of the day we married.  Whoever said that when it rains on your wedding day it's bad luck was dead wrong. We also had lunch in Hollywood with our kids one afternoon at Mendocino Farms.  Both outings were delicious and it was so nice that someone else did the dishes.  I suppose that is the best part of eating out.  Okay, okay what else?  Nothing, so have a delightful week. x

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february wrap-up

$99.40 is the total I spent on groceries for the month of February.  I'm happy with that.  My goal is to spend no more than $100 a month and so I just made it.  What is so strange to me is that even though I'm spending less than half of what I normally would, I have more food in the house and we are eating better than ever before.  I have to hand it to the blog for this because of the accountability factor.  Another thing I've noticed this month is that things are getting easier, or maybe I should say things are falling into a groove. Before if I was missing an ingredient for a dish, I'd run to the market and get it.  I'm just not doing that these days.  I improvise or just wait.  I would always run into a store for one thing and come out with 3 or 4 or more even.  That added substantially to my grocery bill and oftentimes led to waste.  Another thing is that I feel we are eating a lot healthier.  Eating fresh food prepared at home just can't be beat.  At times even the best restaurants disappoint.  So again, win win.  I haven't been tempted to buy much of anything either. I hope that continues.  Our overall goal is to pay off the mortgage in 5 years so we are now 3 months closer to that.  I know it seems like an eternity away and lots of things can go wrong that would derail us but staying the course is the only way this is going to happen.  I have to stay focused and that's where the blog is helping the most.  Lots of you have sent me your grocery receipts and say you are motivated too for lots of different reasons, that in turn inspires me to keep going.  

During the month of March I'd like to continue the grocery shopping accountability but I will be posting the receipts at the end of the week.  That way if we were to be out of town I won't be announcing it to the world beforehand.  You know what I mean?  Also, during March my goal/hope is to do a series on organizing the house.  A lot of you have asked for that and I will do my best to deliver.    

So have a decent weekend and see you soon.

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some things we ate this month

here we go, here we go...

Whole wheat pasta with asparagus.  Cook pasta and when almost finished drop in asparagus for a few minutes.  Drain, stir in Earth Balance margarine, red pepper flakes and pepper.  Top with bread crumbs.

Tofurky Peppered slices with chips.

Grapefruit, blackberries and blueberry soy yogurt.

Lettuces with thinly sliced radish, onion in vegan buttermilk dressing.

Vegan Buttermilk dressing - 1/2 cup plain soymilk, 2 T white vinegar, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 t season salt
Put in covered jar and shake.

Chocolate soymilk, 1 cup spinach, 1 banana, ice.  Blend then drink. :)

Yukon gold potatoes, bell peppers, onion sauteed and served in whole wheat tortilla.

Another sandwich...more chips.

Mixed salad greens tomatoes with buttermilk dressing

Thin spaghetti with thin asparagus. Prepared same way as first pasta dish up there.

Veggie Chili in tortilla bowl.

This is either a freshly squeezed glass of grapefruit juice or a greyhound.  win win.

Baked potato topped with chili in wrap.

Chocolate chip tea cake

In a bowl...

1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

mix in...

3/4 c chocolate milk
1/2 c salad oil
1 c sugar
1 t vanilla extract

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Pour in loaf pan and bake at 350 1 hr

Chickenless strips with yukon gold mashed potatoes and asparagus

Tofu *Egg* Salad - via An Urban Cottage

1/2 block firm tofu drained and pressed
1 celery stalk
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup vegenaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

combine all ingredients and chill.

French Toast with Blackberries

Slice bread and dip into mixture of 1 cup soy or almond milk, cinnamon and 2 T orange zest.
Brown on skillet.

Chopped salad with peanuts and spicy asian slaw dressing

My grocery receipt for this week. $23.83

So I'd say 90% of my groceries were purchased at the .99 store this month and we ate very well.
Another successful month!

How are things going for you?  Any big changes or set backs you'd care to share?

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pasta with mushrooms in white wine shallot sauce + grocery shopping

Kinda fancy.  Seriously easy.

Ingredients

1 package thin spaghetti
1 package mushrooms sliced
1 teaspoon flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup white wine
2 shallots sliced thin (if you don't have shallots then you can use onion and some fresh garlic)
1 Tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper

Get your pasta started and then start sauteing the mushrooms and shallots in a little bit of olive oil. Season with thyme, salt and pepper and when they are nicely browned, sprinkle with flour then add the broth and wine.  Let that reduce to half and by that time your pasta should be done.  Drain it well and then add it directly into the saute pan, keep cooking while the pasta begins to absorb the broth and wine. When it is absorbed it is finished.
Serve with a nice green salad, fresh baguette and if you want to really fancy it up, this chocolate cake for dessert.

My total for the week, $22.71

I have things in the pantry and freezer that I really want to use up by the end of the month so I'm keeping the shopping light.  I suppose that is why my pantry looks so bare all the time.  I only like to buy what I will use fairly quickly.  If I run out of anything I'll let you know.  I also bought 3 random items...a spray nozzle for the hose, a 3 pronged weeder and a eye shadow compact to test out.  I swear there isn't anything that store doesn't carry.

So that's it.  Make nice today.

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navy bean soup & groceries

Good eating at low cost.  That's the name of the recipe on the back of the navy bean package.  And they are right about that.

1 12 oz bag of navy beans
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 medium onion
1 bay leaf
1 teasponn liquid smoke
salt and pepper

Make sure to wash and sort the beans first and then soak overnight.  After soaking, rinse and put in a good soup pot or dutch oven and fill with a quart of water and the chopped carrots, celery, onion, liquid smoke and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours or until beans are soft.  I then add the salt and pepper and carefully blend 1/2 the mixture in my blender or you could use a stick blender.
Adjust the seasonings and you are done.  Totally stick to your ribs kinda soup that cost pennies per serving.

My receipts from Saturday, total spent, $21.50.

I'm planning to make pasta with a white wine, shallot and mushroom sauce.  Vegetarian chili and I'm not sure yet what I'm doing with the asparagus.  I hang my head in shame over the not one but two bags of chips purchased.  I was almost to the checkout stand and there was a display for Earth Balance Chips.  One plain with sea salt and the other with vegan cheddar cheese.  What can I say?  I can attest to the beauty of the cheddar cheese chips, they were delicious.  Also, last week I purchased some frozen spring rolls, not a fan, but maybe it's just me.  Anyway that's it. Hope your Tuesday isn't terrible.

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point nine nine

Maybe if we fancy up its name people won't be so put off by it. Remember when Tarjay used to be known as Target? So instead of the .99 store, Point Nine Nine?  Truth be told, I know a few people who should be shopping here but wouldn't be caught dead inside. I'm not exaggerating when I say there is a lot of stigma attached to this store. I personally don't get the reluctance, but I don't get a lot of things these days. Sounding so old.

What's not to love?  Super clean, well lit, 3x the aisle width of Trader Joe's, everything under the sun, fresh nutritious food, friendly staff and everything (except eggs and milk, which I never buy anyway) is .99 or Less.  The food is the same food that regular supermarkets carry, in fact most of it comes from orders that those regular markets have cancelled.  It's other markets mistakes in ordering that the .99 store capitalizes on.  When I'm there shopping I feel as if I'm in the middle of the best kept secret ever.

We average 2 loads of laundry a week.  This bottle of detergent will last between 3 and 4 months.  Get in my basket now.  I've used it and it is good.  Although I am not trying to get out grass stained knees any longer but I think with a little pre-wash scrubbing or soaking it'd be fine.

Beauty and health products galore.

It's so handy that they are open 9 days a week.

These are just a few snaps I took on my last visit.  There is so much more...housewares, hardware, office supplies, toys.  Anyway, I thought you'd like a peep into my Point Nine Nine store and I hope you guys have a better idea of what it looks like and how it is run.

It's Wednesday right?  Make it good.

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february groceries part 1

Hey February, I'm still going strong with my NY resolutions.  The watching my spending in all areas of my life is going well.  No shopping, nada, zilch, zip.
I've organized my small record collection, kept track of my groceries like never in the history of this family, stayed true blue vegan (which is just life now and not any kind of accomplishment, but still) and stayed out of everyone's business that I have no business in and that means everyone...except me.  So basically I'm on a 31 day roll.

Total between the .99 store and Trader Joe's, $31.36.  That fork is laying there because it was windy here Saturday (incaseyouwerewondering.)

This week I'm planning on making a vegan lasagna and navy bean soup.  Also, I'll be using up the sauerkraut and rye bread in all ways possible.  The .99 Store had those dark chocolate bars but this time with mint which is Larry's favorite way to eat chocolate. They get an A+.  We've both fallen for that sparkling water from France.  I hope they keep stocking it. I also threw in a package of vegetable spring rolls.  They are completely vegan and I'll report back to any fellow .99 shoppers how they taste. Paired with some rice and a salad they'll be a lazy dinner.

I strolled through the farmers market on Saturday morning and couldn't bring myself to pay $4 for a head of lettuce.  We still have some fresh veggies that need eaten so maybe next week?  We'll see.  Right now my main focus is on saving money and I feel the veggies I'm getting at the .99 store are healthy and inexpensive.

I do get weak inside Trader Joe's.  They have so many beautiful foods to choose from.  I'm currently having an affair with the Ezekiel Sprouted Cinnamon bread.  I bought their Ginger Pear Tea which I didn't need but that didn't stop me. Please note that this will be 2 weeks in a row without any chips.


That's it.

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january wrap up

The only thing blooming in my garden right now.

I think I will try to end each month with a wrap up of sorts, you know looking back and seeing how things went. What worked and what didn't.

1.  Ok, so I think January has to go down as a 5 star month for my finances and I have you and the blog to thank. Staying committed was much easier with you along.  I looked at our bank statements from last January and we spent an average of $75 a week at the grocery stores and were also eating out a lot. So starting the new year like this is so motivating. All the money we saved this month was added to the principal of our mortgage. I wish I had woken up financially speaking, sooner. And I'm not just talking about grocery shopping.  I just wish paying my mortgage off had been a priority earlier in my life.  It always just seemed like such a large debt that would never go away but now I realize it is a lot like that saying...how do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.

2.  In February I will try shopping the farmers markets and see if I can buy local and still keep my expenses down.  We will see how that goes.  I don't know how you guys feel about me continuing the series.  It is an eye opener but I can see where it is boring too.  I really don't want this to become just a food blog.  So let me know what you think.

3.  Another thing I got from this grocery series is that seeing my groceries laid out like that really opened my eyes to exactly what I am eating.  For instance, the chips.  They went into my cart so easily.  But then had to be in that photo I took.  I realized I really don't want to be eating a bag of chips every week. Wait let me rephrase that...I'd love to eat a bag of chips every week but health-wise, I shouldn't.

4.  Also being so mindful about my groceries spilled over into every other aspect of my life (no shopping anywhere) so savings, savings everywhere.

5.  The rose garden is done.  All the roses have been pruned, new wells dug around each one and they've all been fed. What a job.

6.  A huge, huge thank you to everyone who tried one of the recipes I posted and to all of you who left comments.  The comment section of this blog is better than the blog itself.  I'm telling you this blog is nothing without you.  Thank you for putting up with my blather.  Seriously.

7.  And lastly, here are some links that I came across this month I'd like to share with you...

A reader here, Ashley, put up this link in the comment section.  I've added it to my Vegan Resource List.  What a fabulous link it is for vegan's or wanna be's.  You guys often ask questions that I can't answer and this site is a wealth of good info. Vegan Health.

Just because I watch this at least once a week and will never tire of it...My Friend Maya.

A peek into a friends kitchen storage.  Such Glamorous Simplicity.

Yuki's beautiful dining room.

A new blog I found, again through the comments here. Such A Beautiful Piece of Writing.

Are you thinking of going gray?  Stephen Andrew wrote an excellent post about it here.

And that my friends is a January wrap.  Tomorrow is the first day of February I will hopefully be back with my super bowl sandwich. (!)

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groceries - week 4

Here is the last grocery haul of this month.  You will see by my receipts that I bought dark chocolate and sparkling water both from France.  I love that.  Shopping at the .99 store has such a stigma attached to it and is looked down upon by a lot of people so when I see products that I know are sitting on the shelf of my fancy gourmet market with much much higher price tags, I get excited.

I also popped into Clarks which is my local health food store and bought my vegenaise and some soy cheese and Tofurky lunch slices.  I want to experiment with a vegan Reuben sandwich for Superbowl Sunday.  Is anyone else out there mourning the end of football season?

Anyway the total for the week is $23.18.  I cannot even begin to tell you how much I've loved doing this little grocery series with you.  It has kept my spending and eating on track.  More on the eating part coming soon.  And since I'm paying such close attention to what I'm spending at the market, it has really opened my eyes to what I spend elsewhere.  I'm sosososo happy to report that my grand total for the month of January groceries is $84.33.

This month has just fueled my passion for paying down my mortgage even more. Thank you for bearing with me and reading about the small details of my life but this blog is keeping me accountable.  How about you?  Have you changed the way you shop this month?  Did you see any improvement in the bottom line?  I love hearing from you.

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grocery shopping

Depending on what kind of person you are this post will either be fascinating or boring.  I'm always fascinated by how people spend and manage their money so you know what camp I'm in.

Last week I got a question in the comment section asking how I am able to spend $50 a week on groceries for the 2 of us.  To be honest I usually spend a lot less than $50.  I'm able to do this because I do most of my shopping at the .99 store.   I started shopping there when we were broke and I continue to shop there because it is smart.  I supplement what I get there with a trip to Trader Joe's or the farmers market.

A lot of people think the .99 store sells food that is past its due date (everything I bought had a minimum of 10 days til the expiration date) or is in some way inferior, but they are wrong. All products sold there meet all local, state and federal safety, labeling, environmental and all other laws and regulations.  If you purchase something that you feel is inferior in any way they will happily refund your money just like your local market would.

On Saturday's shopping trip I was able to purchase enough food for 2 weeks of breakfasting plus several dinners and lunches.  They don't always have vegan yogurts so that was exciting. I'll put a few spoonfuls of yogurt and chopped nuts over the fresh oranges and grapefruits my neighbor just gave me. Fresh apples and oatmeal will make up the other breakfasts.  We go through a lot of spinach in smoothies and the frozen mango is great paired with it. They always have fresh basics like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, shallots, mushrooms and so many other veggies that are perfect for soups and stews. A lot of the produce there is organic too.

The dinners I plan to make with this haul (and also use existing food I bought last week) will be 2 nights of spinach, black bean and potato enchiladas (5 lbs potatoes purchased last week for .99) with green sauce, vegetarian chili for at least 2 nights. 2 nights of spaghetti and salad. And 2 nights of black bean/veggie tacos.  1 night of fresh steamed veggies over mashed potatoes. Lunches will be a combination of salads, veggie sandwiches, leftovers and soups.  As you see our meals are quite mundane but they are healthy and filling.

Also, I buy other products there too.  Cleaning products, greeting cards...all sorts of things.  The savings really are dramatic.

If you are not on the west coast and are unfamiliar with the .99 store, here is an ABC News report on a man who lost a ton of weight (250 lbs!) eating at the .99 store.  I love his light bulb moment when he cleaned out his refrigerator. Made me (almost) want to jump up and throw out the chips I had just bought!  Also it's a good video because it shows the great choices available and that the store is clean and not what you might expect.  Here's the video.

Alrighty then, have you shopped the .99 store?  If so what are some of your favorite products?  Are you put off by the .99 store?  Do tell.

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