4-9-14

7:30am

Well this sucks.

I just read on Facebook that they closed ALL

Ci Ci's Pizza Buffets in central Ohio.

We had been planning to take the kids there 

and would have been so disappointed to have driven

there to have found out the hard way.

We'd go there for birthdays or just because.

Going to miss the macaroni & cheese pizzas!

12:40pm


Here is the next contest I found that I have been
racking my brain over for ideas.
It's the EGGO YOUR WAY contest.
Grand prize is $10,000.
Two first prizes of $2,500.
And 8 finalists will win a year of Eggo products.
It's from 3/31 to 6/23.

4-8-14

12:10pm

Well I was going to make pork chops

for supper til I realized I didn't have any in the freezer.

So now I am making a pork roast in the crock

with a can of sauerkraut and some potatoes.

Last night had to stop in Kroger for

basic stuff like milk, bread, butter.

I found a couple of angel food cakes

marked down to .50 cents each from $4.00!

I like to make Angel Lush out of them.

I don't have pineapple but I do have 

peaches and that sounds just as good.

You could probably use any flavored pudding

and cool whip alone without any fruit as well.

Remove cake from container, slice it into thirds.

Layer it back into the container with toppings

then put into freezer for when you need a quick dessert.

5:00pm

Check out this score that my friend shared with me!!!

All he asked was $5.00 for gas money!!!

I counted a total of 55 boxes of

"velveeta" style cheese.

At 2 pounds each that comes out to 110 pounds of FREE cheese!!!

That's enough cheese to have 1 block a month

for almost 5 years!!
55 blocks x's $5.00 each is $275 worth of cheese!!!

Time to clear up some space in my freezer!

I hope they freeze ok lol.

Then hubby walks in with a couple trash bags

of food he found in an empty apartment that was FREE.

It's been a good day!

9:00pm


I am so ready for bed.  Ever since supper I've
been pretty much laying around and have felt sooo tired.
I don't know why.  I took a nap today.

4-6-14

1:55pm

Went to the flea market this morning

for the first time this year.

I got...

Jar of Peter Pan peanut butter $1.00

Large box of extra cheddar goldfish crackers $1.00

3 beef jerky sticks with cheese 3 for $1.00

For hubby I got this bit tool set for $4.00.

He's always needing bits and they are not cheap to replace.

If you are a backyard do it yourselfer mechanic

then it's good to have manuals like

Chilton or Haynes.  But they can get costly

at $28+ a piece.

Sure the library has them but most of the time

you can't find them there because they are checked out

and there is a reserve waiting list for them.

If something needs fixed I can't wait on a book!

You could also find repair info or videos online

but sometimes even that takes too long.

I found this one for my Suburban for only $3.00.

Just got done eating lunch.

I made BBQ chicken, baked beans and mac & cheese.

Well time to go change the laundry over, ughhh.

7:30pm


The NASCAR race got postponed til tomorrow due to
rain so hubby had some free time and we went for a hike,
or two or three, yeah three different hikes!
Oh yeah, I'm feeling that right now.
Up and down ravines, hills, over downed trees, through brush,
you name it lol.
Then once home we ate, I changed the laundry over
and got some hung up then went and helped hubby
put the transmission in the car.
A transmission!  
Ranks up there for me like putting in a motor.
Been there done that also in past years,
how about 2-3 of them LOL.
301, 403 & a 400 in this same car.
I'm too pooped to pop but still have to trudge on somehow.
Still have laundry to finish up, get everything
ready for everyone for work and school tomorrow
and then lastly give the kids hair cuts because
it's been put off too long.

4-5-14

9:35am

Wanted to show you some of the goodies

hubby found at work yesterday and brought home.

Food.

Clock.

Wind chime.

20 large solar lights.

I had always thought about putting solar lights

on our fence like this below but could not

afford the "good" lights at $5.00 each!

And if I have a few extras I could make

a solar lamp post for along the front walkway

or some lights for window sills.

I have this little lamp.

Remove the stake of the solar light

and glue it on top in the light socket.

Set lamp shade on top.

Sit it in a bay window sill to charge.

At night it will light up.

Or you could glue the solar light

top in a candle holder.

12:50pm

Getting ready to go to a friend's birthday party.

What sucked was the gift I had didn't end up work

so had to run to the store to get another gift just now, AHHHH!

And here I thought I was one step ahead of the game

with not having to do anything at the last minute.

Can only stay for a few then gotta run to the South end

to pick up the boy's friend who is spending the night.

Will drop him back off

after we go to to the flea market on the 

South end tomorrow morning.

4-4-14

8:05am

Just spent the last 40 minutes making a double

batch of homemade noodles.

Didn't use the pasta roller.

Just tore off bits of dough and finger pressed out

and cut strips with kitchen shears.

2 cups flour (free) 

2 eggs (.32 cents)

and a little water to form the dough.

Later this afternoon I'll boil the noodles up.

Then in another pot I'll add the leftover gravy

from last night's supper, a can of beef broth (free),

a can of mushroom soup (free) and cut up deer roast.

Drain noodles and add deer gravy.

Serve over leftover mashed potatoes.

12:35pm

Something fun...
HERE'S a Walton's quiz you can take
to see what Walton's family member you are most like.
Here is mine...

You’re Olivia Walton!

You’re the heart and soul of your family and circle of friends, willing to open your home to strangers as well as loved ones. Though affectionate, kind, soft-spoken and gentle, you’re not afraid to speak your mind when you disapprove of something. You tend to live on the straight and narrow, but there’s an artistic side to you, as well. 

2:00pm


I might possibly have an order for 2 more diaper cakes
within the next month or so!!
Plus I plan to make 2 wedding towel cakes.
One with bath towels and one with kitchen towels.
Whew!  LOL!

Got a friend's grand daughter's birthday party
to go to tomorrow.
Now where did I put that gift lol.
I get gifts ahead of time and stash them places.
I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached.
busy, busy, busy.

Whelp, I got a load of laundry going,
the kids snack ready to go 
(pb&j sandwiches with bugles and 
water bottle with a fruit punch sugar free
drink packet) and I got supper pulled out
of the big freezer thawing in the fridge 
of bbq chicken for this weekend.
I took mom to Kroger and Roses earlier today.
I got some milk & pop so I shouldn't need
anything else from the grocery store this weekend.

Almost time to go get the kiddos from the bus stop.


4:40pm


Supper is done and ready to be served when
hubby gets home at 5:00pm.
I think this meal will also stretch into tomorrow's
lunch or supper as it made enough for an army lol.
That's a bonus for us.  I got two extra meals
from leftover potatoes, deer roast, carrots & gravy.
Throw in a little more gravy and some homemade
noodles and wallah, a new meal made from it all.
This is kinda like what I make for Thanksgiving
only that has chicken or turkey in it.

4-3-14

1:45pm

What a yucky rain day.

I guess it's better than snow so I shouldn't complain huh.

I do like the sounds of thunder here and there

because I find thunderstorms relaxing.

I've had supper in the crock most of the day.

1 large deer roast FREE

2 bags of mini carrots $2.00

1 carton beef broth $1.00

1 package mushroom gravy FREE

seasoning FREE

flour for gravy FREE

Later on right before supper I'll cut up and boil

some potatoes $1.00

TOTAL COST $4.00

I figure this can make 2 meals due to the size of the roast.

So let's say 8 servings at the least

at .50 cents a serving.

Maybe tomorrow for supper I'll make

leftover roast cut up with gravy and homemade noodles

over leftover mashed potatoes.

9:00pm

Tonight we went to the thrift store for something to do.

I'm needing shorts for my one son who

wants to start wearing them to school now.

He's outgrown most of his shorts from last year.

I also bought a book called

The Cake Mix Doctor for $2.92.

I've checked this book out of the library several

times and now I have my own :0)

It's a recipe book about turning cake mixes

into desserts that look and taste like

you made it from scratch.

I love cook books like this!

Well I'm hoping our friend will be able to

come home from the hospital tomorrow.

He says the doctors told him he has a bleeding ulcer.

He ended up losing 2 pints of blood from it

and that was the reason for the blood transfusion.

4-2-14

7:45am

So our truck driver neighbor came over yesterday evening

to help with loading a transmission into the back of our truck.

We took it out of the TA and are having a friend

put new seals in it for free.  We paid him a couple years

ago to do it and it's leaked since.  Figured we'd get it redone

while putting in a new torque converter.

Anyways we ask neighbor about not seeing his mom

at his house watching his kids and he says he and

his mom got into a spat and he now has a friend

watch his kids for $1200 a month.

I was all like, I'd watch them for that much

just joking to see what he would say which 

wasn't anything but put the thought into his head

because he's asked me many times before.

Now I kinda take that back when I think about it.

Ya gotta think about stuff like this before

just blurting out that you'd do it!!!

$1200 sounds like a lot but I don't think it's enough.

Think about it.  This guy has someone watch over his

kids from 9:00pm til the time they get on the bus

the next morning meaning they would be 

spending the night for about 11 hours for 3 kids.

Then watching them from about 3:00pm to 6:00pm,

another 3 hours for a total of 14 hours a day.

He works 6 days a week and most holidays

considering he's a truck driver.

That's 84 hours for one week for 3 kids!

336 hours in one month averages out to be $3.57 an hour

or $1.19 an hour per child.

Plus I'm sure I'd be furnishing food & other things for them.

Then I got to thinking what if his kids got sick

or injured?  He's not even in the state most of the time to 

have him come get them.  He drives over the road

every day.

So after thinking about it long and hard

I don't think I want the job of pretty much taking

on 3 more children full time and being mommy or nanny to them.

What if I  got sick and ended up in the hospital again

or have just days of not feeling so well and wanting

to do nothing but sleep because of the pain from Crohns?

Our family would not get to do things or

go places because of having the responsibility of

someone elses kids. 

What about Summer break and other holidays

school children have off?

Then you're talking 9pm to 6pm straight

for a total of 21 hours each day!!!

546 hours a month.

Uh that's too much for too little if you ask me.

He needs to get a new job to be able to spend

more time with his kids!!!

11:50am

Oh no.  I just learned that the guy that we were taking our transmission to, hubby's childhood friend,

is in the hospital with internal bleeding getting

blood transfusions today.

We was supposed to take it to him yesterday but

he said he was sick and didn't feel good.

He said he was dizzy but I chalked it up to

his inner ear infections he has had in the past.

Prayers needed for our friend.

1:35pm

Bills all done for the month and sent out.

My favorite time of the month...NOT.

10:10pm  

So this year I hadn't planned on planting any garden.

I was going to take a break from doing it.

It's a lot of work!

Now hubby comes home and tells me him

and a few other guys at work have a competition

going on this year to see who can grow 

the biggest tomato.

Well I buy tomato plants they usually

come in packs of 4 so there's 4 plants in the garden

I hadn't planned on doing this year.

BUT, I like competitions LOL.

So now I'm on the hunt for a large tomato 

producing plant either seeds or plant.

Big Zac.

Just taking a few notes on growing large tomatoes.

i grew these 4 in pots on my porch! i only get 4 hours of sunlight a day on my porch witch gives me hope 
that not much sun is needed if your going for a monster! just let one tomato grow per plant and trim the plant so its only one main stalk! (and shade the fruit ) 

I collected pollen from this plant and hand pollinated the flower that grew this fruit. So this Big Zac fruit was crossed with itself. 
I have no clue what it will grow into but i for one am going to plant a few of these seeds to try for another winner! 
when trying for a monster you need mega blooms ( fused blossoms ) to have a chance at a record. 

It's a lot of work to coax your tomatoes into really packing on the pounds. First of all, you'll need to provide the best basic care: full sun, fluffy soil with plenty of organic matter, lots of space between plants, an inch of water per week, and support (stakes or cages). Get the plants into the ground early and protect them with cloches. Hold off on mulching until the ground warms up and the plants begin to flower. Fertilize every two weeks with a dilute fish emulsion fertilizer (but be careful not to provide too much nitrogen, or you'll get a lot of foliage and few fruits).

Once the plants begin to grow, the real training begins. Allow only one stem to develop, and pluck off suckers (the sprouts that form between branches and the main stem) when they are very young. Remove all but two or three fruits from each plant. It's best to eliminate developing fruits at the top of the vine and leave older fruits at the bottom. Prune off tomatoes that develop farthest from the stem and leave one fruit per cluster. Prevent branches from breaking by supporting the tomatoes with pantyhose slings when they start to get really big.