A Toaster Oven Life

The U.S. is approximately 42 days into the 94 day long summer of 2014. Although it has not been the warmest summer on record, it is still hot here most days; too hot to turn on the oven. Our high Monday was 100 and Tuesday 96 degrees. With these kinds of high temperatures, the last thing I want to do is heat up the house cooking with open flames and ovens. What I've come to learn is that the crock pot and toaster oven are really helpful when it comes to preparing a meal without overheating myself or over working the air-conditioning. I'm fully convinced that if I was suddenly down sized into living in a very small space and had only space enough for a tiny little kitchen, I'd be fine with an under counter sized fridge (as long as it is self defrosting and has a separate freezer) a 2 burner hotplate, a strong microwave, a crock pot and a good convection toaster oven. Honestly I never thought I would be able to prepare backed goods or baked meals in a toaster oven, but I'm doing it and it's working great! Granted, my family is small, but I'm just glad it helps me keep what I cook to meal size! (read: I have a little problem cooking too much food! :)) So, I'm working on a little series on Toaster Oven cooking.

Any of my existing recipes that require the oven, I'll make certain to have some instructions that cover how to best cook the meal in a toaster oven.  I use and suggest the KitchenAid 12-inch Convection Bake Countertop Oven. It really is the best one I've ever owned. The convection baking part makes for very even cooking. Some recipes do require multiple batch baking sessions. For instance, a 6 cup muffin tin fits perfectly in the toaster oven, but most recipes make 12 (Hint: half the recipe!). So I bake in batches or as indicated before, split the recipe into a smaller portion. The best part of all, my kitchen and home stay relatively cool.

I was really missing baking for my family and on a whim decided to try doing it in the toaster oven. One recipe led to another and before I knew it, I was baking all the time. I even baked the bacon for our Club Sandwiches on Tuesday night in the toaster oven and it was perfectly cooked! Tonight I'm making another of my favorite kinds of meals, a One Pot dish. If I'm cooking a short pasta shape in my dish it is easily transformed into a One Pot dish by eliminating the pasta boiling part. Tonight is Skillet Nancy Orecchiette. Be sure to check out the recipe in the sidebar. The trick to cooking any short cut pasta from its dry state in a skillet, is to make sure that for every 2.5-3 cups of dry pasta, that you have 4.5 cups of liquid/water besides any sauce that you want to have left behind. In the case of the dish above, I will be using white wine and chicken stock as my cooking liquid, with cream, pecorino cheese and butter playing the part of the 'sauce' ingredients. Orecchiette is one of my favorite pasta shapes. In Italian it means, "little ear" and I love how the Italians name the pasta shapes with such sweetness. Little Ears...it just tickles me! I hope you try the skillet pasta and I hope you love it as much as we do!

That's it for today. I will continue work on my Toaster Oven series, but for now, be sure to check out the recipe for Scones in the sidebar. Until later when I'll write more about the adventures of family cooking in a Toaster Oven and other nonsense, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Projects

Good morning! I'm feeling much better today and working on new things. There are always great projects in the works, but I'm not always ready to work on them. This year, I'm thinking of myself and what I want to do, instead of what I should do. Yes, I still want to lose weight. I think it's important to get myself fit, but that's for another blog (read my other blog on this subject, link in the right hand sidebar). In this blog, I want to share what I'm doing elsewhere in life. This week, I begin the process of creating this year's Halloween costume! Okay, so now you're wondering about how important this could possibly be. Since I'm starting on it 3 full months in advance, I guess it's fairly important. A project like this takes lots of organization and design. Therefore, this venture incorporates two of my best skills: creativity and planning! I believe I'm creative and inventive. When it comes to planning, that brings my love of words and design together. I dream things up and then just apply words to the dream. So, my creative and project planning enterprise for the next few months is my Halloween costume. In the past, my office has been very elaborate with its Halloween celebrations. I've won the costume contest multiple times. Here are a few of the entries over recent years:

In recent years I've been Madame Butterfly, A really scary ghost (Boo!! You are VERY Afraid!), A Dark Fairy Queen and The Andromeda Galaxy (for which I dyed my hair, for REAL, BLACK!). The blue hair in the Madame Butterfly costume and white of the ghost were temporary, but not so with the Andromeda Galaxy costume. I really, dyed my hair black. It took more than 3 years to fade and grow out. I looked hideous for those three years! It was supposed to be the kind of dye that washes out in 21 washes. Not so!! My hair is fairly light and it just sucked up the black and so I had to endure, for the sake of Halloween, the growing out process. Never, again! The Dark Fairy Queen was my last costume. It took hours of work to make the tutu! I had wings, a tiara and a wand. I was HOT STUFF!! Okay, not really, but I still won the contest!

I am not certain of what this year's costume will be, but it will involve lots of face makeup, a lightweight costume that I can hand make and props. There is one particular idea that I'd like to tackle, but there is a prop I have to locate before I can even consider it. I'll update the blog regularly on the process of developing this year's costume.

Nancy's Buttermilk Scones

Late Friday afternoon, I baked up some scones! Be sure to check out the recipe for these I've posted in the right sidebar under "Recipes". This is a very basic and easy way of making scones. In my opinion, the best way, too! MaMaw sure did know a thing or two about a baked good. Good for me that I listened and learned a few things! These are really delicious. I hope you try them and I hope you love them as much as we do!

That's it for today! I'm enjoying the weekend and having a blast with my project planning. I hope you're having a great time where you live. Until next time, when I'll share more of life with The HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

The Garden Explodes

Wow! The week has really flown by again. I know that this is a product of my advancing years, but really, it can slow down now. Work is keeping me busy and I do like to be occupied for the most part. This week I didn't feel so very well and thus, didn't do anything very special. My focus was on being able to work effectively and it took all of my energy to do that; being under the weather. Yesterday was the worst of it, but I seem to be a bit better today. We'll see how it goes.

On Fridays during the summer, my work hours are reduced to about 6, which is great. This gives me the opportunity to start summertime activities a bit sooner and spend a little more time with my family. I'm very thankful to my company for allowing these summer hours each year. It means I have to eat my lunch while working each day, instead of getting away from my desk, but it's worth it to be able to stop work early on Fridays. Of course, if there is a disaster, I keep working, but so far so good this summer.

Speaking of summer, this has been a really great one; memorable in so many ways. First, it's the first time in YEARS that we haven't seen a 100 degree day before now. The forecast keeps saying we'll be there, but so far no. A few days ago we got a cool front that gave us a high of 72 degrees! What?? In the middle of July??? It's grand! Summers here can be brutal, but this year, lovely! In the spirit of all this lovely weather, I thought I'd give you a little view of the garden show that is our deck:

Yes, the plant you see in the lower right-hand corner of the photo collage is CORN! We put out dry corn on the cob for the squirrels (they give us quite a show trying to get to that corn) and one of the creatures planted a kernel in one of our pots and it has taken off.  What you see is the tassel on the top and we have two ears of corn coming up!  I'll have more pictures of this unusual crop as it matures. We've been reading up on what it's like to grow corn. It's terribly complicated!! The other plants are: Vinca, Petunia, Turk's Cap and a couple of others I can't name, off hand. I love gardening, but don't have time for it. Others in my family handle this and beautifully, don't you think?

We also have some roses, but they aren't producing much at the moment. The bush that grows the largest blossoms is in the shade too much. We got all if it's blooms in spring. The same is true for the climbing rose up along the front of the house. However, we do have a couple of miniature rose bushes that are just amazing at putting out flowers. One has been around for many years and simply can't be stopped. It is constantly under attack by some insect or another, but puts out little blooms regularly. I call it, "The Little Tiny Bush That Could." Here is a blossom cut for me yesterday:

The blossoms my look like they've been a bit chewed by something, but they just keep coming. This one is in a lovely cup of water on my desk so that I can admire it while I work. I think it's a beautiful thing.

That's it from the world of The HumbleVoyager. I'm working on some projects that I hope to share more about soon. Other than that, it's all about relishing the summer. Thanks for stopping by and enjoying the garden! Until later when I'll share more of life here in Central Texas, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

It's Sunday!

Sunday is my most favorite day of the week. Why, I hear you asking? Because I do not leave my home on Sunday if I absolutely don't have to. Yes, it is completely possible to worship from home! Thanks for asking! Until recently, I haven't had the opportunity to really enjoy my home, because I was away from it working so much. It's better today, since I work 3 days a week from here, but Sunday is the day where I get to do anything I want. Laundry is one thing that usually goes on in the background, but even that is changing up a bit!

Today, I'm cooking! If you read my other blog where I'm documenting my weight loss journey, then you know that food is a challenge for me, but just because something is a challenge doesn't mean it should be avoided. Oh, NO!! I embrace food. I love everything about food and I'm good at working with it. Some of my best creativity comes when I'm around food.  On this Sunday, I'm cooking two Crock Pot dishes: Pork Sirloin Roast (fresh ham) and Double Garlic, Ginger, Chili & Lime Chicken (now, that's a mouthful!).

Check out the recipe section for how to make this deliciously simple roast!

Check out the recipe section to see how to make this simple dish!

One thing I did yesterday was make no-churn ice cream. There are about a thousand recipes on YouTube for this and I've tried a couple. The best recipe I found was by Noreen of Noreen's Kitchen. She makes a Strawberry Cheesecake No-Churn Ice Cream that looked so divine I just had to make some. Be sure to check out Noreen's Kitchen on YouTube and look for this recipe. She has lots of great dishes and she shares lots of content each week. I'd link to her, but she has rules about that and I don't want to get it wrong or get on her bad side! Just go find her and try her recipes. Here is what my ice cream looks like:

This is really, REALLY delicious!  Go find the recipe on YouTube on the Noreen's Kitchen channel!!

The container I used for the ice cream is a 64 oz. or 8 cup Glad container and the recipe filled this, plus a half-filled 3 cup Glad container, as well. So, the recipe makes more than a half gallon. When it is frozen it will be hard, but use a sturdy scoop and you'll have no trouble getting it to your bowl! We are now working on our own variations of flavors for this. I'm sure all of the summer fruit will be making an appearance in this ice cream mix at my house! Yes, if you read my other blogs you'll know that I'm trying to get my weight down. That doesn't mean I can't make ice cream and even have a spoonful if I want it, but no, I'll not be eating a lot of this. As Noreen says, "This is a 'sometimes' food!" For me, it may have to be an almost never food!! But I still loved making it!!

So, that's it for today! I'm cooking, writing and just doing what I love. Until later when I'll bring you more from the world around me, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

A Great Day in HumbleVoyager Land

This is the weirdest summer we've had in quite a while. Our area is known for the unpredictability of the weather, but in reality, weather forecasting has never been better. My head is spinning from all of the different people who have 'theories' about why the weather is SO different this year. I just listen and think, "That's a very interesting idea; a load of hog wash, but very interesting." And then I go on about my business. So, while we anxiously await some rain over here, I thought I'd catch you up on the doin's in HumbleVoyager land.

Working from home is going okay. If you read my post from yesterday, you'll know that I'm focused on the benefits and working through the issues. It appears that the spot in which I sit to complete my work at home, is the worst possible spot for my office cell phone. GREAT! I may have to start using my personal cell phone for work calls. Can't be helped. I have to sit here. There really is no other comfortable place for me to work. Besides, I've moved for the last time! My history of living in this house for the past 31 years is fair proof of just what I think of moving.

Exercise is going well. I'm enjoying the videos I've selected to complete each day and I'm able to get my workout in right here in the house. For the moment, that is perfect for me. I really do feel better getting that workout in. I slept so much better last night and I'm convinced it was due to the 1 mile walk I had. Be sure to check out the posting A Game Called Transform to get to the links that will take you to the videos I'm using from YouTube. They really are great! I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm extra heavy at the moment and it will take about 40 lbs. lost for me to start to feel like I'm making progress. Until then, in the words of my sister, I just, "Keep it moving!"

Tonight we're having a much lighter version of Chicken Cordon Bleu for supper, inspired by Sarah Carey from Everyday Food. Be sure to click the link and check out her video of the dish. I changed a couple of things. First, I used ham (Kretchmar's Ham Off The Bone from the deli) instead of Canadian Bacon in my dish. Next, I like Gruyere instead of regular swiss. Finally, I used crushed potato chips for the toping instead of panko bread crumbs and olive oil. To keep the temperature down in my house I used the toaster oven to complete the dish. I served the dish with a standard Cucumber Salad. It really was delicious and so easy! Thank you, Sarah!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu without frying!  Yummy!!

That's it for tonight. I really enjoyed the day and I hope you found happiness, as well. Tomorrow is Friday, when I'll enjoy a half-day of work and be able to prepare nicely for my weekend. Until then, please visit YouTube and watch Sarah Carey make Chicken Cordon Bleu and other great meals and Godspeed, Voyagers!!

A Game Called Transform

Life is full of changes. That goes for work, as well as personal life. I made friends with change a long time ago. In my humble opinion, that is a must if you're going to be able to endure the pain and sometimes struggle with making successful change. This week, I'm working on business and personal changes. One of the things I try to manage is the amount of change I have happening at any given time. I love change, but I do not seem to function well trying to juggle multiple changes at once, but sometimes, it just cannot be avoided.

I've heard it said that it takes 21 days to successfully change a habit. Some say its that you have to do something 21 times to make it habit. But there are all kinds of habits. Talk to a habitual drinker or smoker and I'm sure they will laugh at your 21 days and times! Some habits are just so engrained that they are a struggle to modify no matter how deep your conviction for change. Then there are also physical restraints. For instance, I may really want to change my eating habits and become a Vegan. However, my physical make-up simply doesn't support a total Vegan way of eating. I need the iron that meat provides. On top of that, I really like a little meat in my diet. So, I'm not a Vegan.

There a four major changes that I must make now that really, I have no choice about. That means cold turkey change is in order and my thinking (read: attitude) will make or break the process of building these new habits. What are they, you ask? Here's a quick list! (Ah...I love a quickie list!)

• Work - I have built a habit of traveling the 11 miles to my office, 5 days a week for over 27 years. As of this week, I now work only 2 days per week at my office and the other 3 days, I work from home. My total travel time for the 11 miles with traffic is usually about 30 minutes. I was not eager to start this new work arrangement, but after checking my thinking (read: attitude) and writing down a list (Really? Go figure!) of all the good things that come from working from home part of the time, I'm really glad to be making this change. Here are what I perceive as the benefits:
• Commute time cut from 5 hours per week to 2
• Miles on my car of 110 miles per week is down to 44
• Instead of 1 tank of gas per week, I'm now using less than 1/2 tank
• I'm able to start and end work earlier in the day when I'm at home
• I'm more comfortable (I like my work area at home very much!)
• I'm not going to wear as many of my 'work' clothes each week, which should make them last longer
• I have less interruptions at home (even with other people here)
• I can enjoy my home more
• I'm not polluting the air as much since I'm not driving as much
• I'm one less car on the roads where I live
• The benefits seem endless!
• But what about the drawbacks?
• I'm not seeing the people I work with as much
• I no longer have a private office, but must share space with another manager (I still have my own desk, but there could potentially be another person in the room with me.)
• I may miss out on some office wide events
• Personal - Exercise. I like to exercise, but when you gain weight it really is hard to do most exercise routines. However, hard or not, I miss exercise in my life and the wonderful benefits of it and I want it back. So, back it is coming. What I've learned about myself is that I HAVE to make it fun. So, the game is this, find at least 6 different exercise routines that I can perform and then use each one on a different day Monday through Saturday (Sunday is my day of rest). Here are the routines I've selected (all available on YouTube and links provided):
• FitnessBlender's Low Impact Cardio Workout for Beginners
• Leslie Sansone's Start Walking At Home 1 Mile
• Biggest Loser Power Walk 1
• FitnessBlender's Beginner Boot Camp Workout
• Leslie Sansone's Start Walking At Home 2 Miles
• Biggest Loser Power Walk 2
• Personal - Food. I like...no, I LOVE food. I love everything about it. I love buying it, cooking, planning it, serving it, cleaning up after it, you name it. I LOVE it! And, I'm good at it. The distressing part is it doesn't really love me back, so much. I have to watch what I eat. I've lost and gained weight lots of times, but most successfully in 2008 I lost 107 lbs. only to gain it back when I injured myself and had to have emergency surgery, then my brother was diagnosed with cancer, then I was diagnosed with my own cancer and had to have surgery all within a 2 year period following the weight loss. So, what did I have? I had weight gain! Everything has settled down and now is the time for me to re-remove the 107 lbs. plus take it further and get even more gone...for GOOD! After all I've learned, here is how it will work:
• There is no time limit...I don't care how long it takes! I'm not running a race this time
• Exercise every day except Sunday.
• Eat what I want in smaller portions, making sure to have plenty of vegetables and fruit
• Make sure that every day of the process is fun and that I'm having food I LIKE.
• Weigh weekly for now and move to daily as soon as I am less than 200 lbs. (This is key! When I gained the weight back, one of the things that made it easy was I stopped weighing myself!) I do not fear the scale! It helps to keep me honest.
• Personal - Tea. Caffeine is something I was warned about when I lost my kidney to Renal Cell Carcinoma. When you have one kidney, too much meat and caffeine is not a good thing for you. Too much protein and caffeine make the remaining kidney work too hard. Now is the time to make sure I correct that. Tea had to leave my life. I've waved it off now for good and I won't be bringing it back again. I drink water. Call me dull, but it is just easier this way.

So that's it. I'm over here making changes. I know that everyone is working to improve their life experience and I'm no different. Although my nature is to just be happy, I am deeply unhappy with what I've done to myself, just by neglecting exercise and runaway eating. I chose this and I don't want it. So, I have to undo what I've done and that means choosing something new! For me, it means:

exercise - eating with some restraint - monitoring

The exercise, eating and monitoring is going on over on my weight loss journey blog at www.pleasestepawayfromthecupcake.blogspot.com. Be sure to check it out and see how I'm doing!  Until tomorrow when I'll share something new from the world of The HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

A half dozen roses, just because they are beautiful!

The End of the $27 Grocery Challenge

I've given myself many challenges over the years and this not the last, but I must say that this one was as difficult as it was short. Thank goodness it's over and of what was learned. In order to make the challenge wrap-up easier to read, I've put the details into bulleted lists (Ah, lists...the stuff of great joy).

The Challenge

• Feed myself with healthy foods for $27 US$ or less in groceries for one week
• The food must accommodate 3 meals per day and a snack
• The groceries must be made up of healthy foods
• I had to make sure there was at least one item that could be considered a pantry item
• One item had to be considered a 'treat'

To read what I came up with at the grocery store and how I planned the meals, be sure to read the other postings in this series.

What I Learned

1. It is completely possible to purchase healthy foods on a very limited budget.
2. The variety will be as limited as the budget. (i.e. The lower the budget the more likely the same foods will have to be eaten more frequently.)
3. Part of the joy of life is being able to eat the foods you love.
4. I never think about food once I am in bed. (This is very significant, because I now know I have a tool for stopping the thought of food when it becomes burdensome.)
5. Adding a volume (say, 1 quart) of water to a meal will definitely cut down on the ability to consume more food than is needed.
6. A person can feed themselves on as little as $27 US per week.
7. I'm absolutely thankful for work that allows me to be able to afford a larger grocery budget.
8. A lower budget for groceries can lead to greater food creativity.
9. The human spirit wears thin when foods desired cannot be obtained.
10. A unsatisfied appetite definitely motivates working hard.
11. The kindness of friends is a beautiful thing and should lead one to be a better friend in return.

The Benefits of the Challenge

• I lost 6 lbs.
• I successfully endured the pain of eliminating caffeine from my diet.
• I proved a person can eat healthily on a budget of $27 US per week.
• I endured the test, making me stronger.
• I learned new things about myself.
• I'm more thankful than ever for the ability to work and earn a living that supports the ability to have foods I like.
• I'll never again take for granted what God provides.

Challenges are just tests and the tested is most successful when they are prepared. My favorite saying on this is, "Don't be scared. Be prepared!" I don't know who said it first, but I know it rings true. I'm not only prepared to live on less money, I have the opportunity, God given, I believe, to be prepared for a time when food or money may be scarce. During the challenge I had to not only eat on less and less variety, but I had to be creative and resourceful. I'm thankful for the knowledge that I can be both.

Now, on to the next challenge. We'll see what materializes. For now, I just want to enjoy this beautiful Sunday! As a celebration of the new week and a larger grocery budget, I made pickles!

I missed things like pickles during the challenge and so I made these pickles from a recipe I found on Foodnetwork.com of Refrigerator Pickles. The recipe is really simple. I don't know how they taste yet, but it seemed like a fine recipe to me. These jars are equivalent to 1 pint + 1 half pint or 24 oz. I liked them for this application better than quart jars because of the wide mouth design. It made packing the vegetables in more easy. In these jars I pickled:

• Cucumbers (Baby Seedless)
• Mini Bell Peppers
• Green Beans
• Green Onions
• Jalapeño Peppers
• Brussel Sprouts
• Garlic

I know I could have just bought some pickles at the store, but what I really wanted was something I made myself. I have no idea if these pkcles will be any good, but you have to start somewhere. From here I'll make tweaks until the recipe is just like I like it! I hope you give it a try. Thanks to Foodnetwork.com for providing the inspiration!!

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by and checking in on the challenge. We'll just have to see what challenges me most next. Until then, keep your chin up and Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Please Step Away from the Cupcake

The title says it all, but it's also the name of my new blog! I'm still trying to change my physique and so I'm now writing about that voyage on the new blog:

www.pleasestepawayfromthecupcake.blogspot.com

Phew! That's a mouthful!! A mouthful is right and just exactly what will you find there? A weekly posting of what my weight is (in comparison to the last week), what I'm doing to exercise my old body and a brief account of the kinds of foods I'm eating. I'll also share tips, what I'm learning and anything new about the work to lose a person from my body, that might be interesting. The postings there are planned for Sundays, but they could adjust due to life! Be sure to check out the site!

Today, I wanted to share just a few truths about Cupcakes that you may not be aware of. In fact, these are the top 10 reasons you should not make friends with cupcakes.

Top 10 Reasons To Stop Befriending Cupcakes

1. Cupcakes are pretty faces with evil intent. That's right, cupcakes have that pretty shape and sweet nature, but their objective is unwholesome and dare I say it, diabolical! Why do you think they call those chocolate ones "Devil's Food"?
2. Cupcakes are not smart. Go ahead! Ask a cupcake some simple questions. Just see what you get!! Nothing!! Stupid cupcake!
3. Cupcakes take you high and then drop you, splat, on the ground. Eat a cupcake and your vitality skyrockets for a few minutes only to then be hurled to the ground with zero energy. That cupcake is probably laughing maniacally as you slam into the pavement. Bad cupcake!!
4. Cupcakes have no morals. They work to get you hooked. Then they put pressure on you to eat one more, then one more until you're addicted and have to start a twelve-step program to escape their clutches! Bad, BAD cupcake!
5. Cupcakes are shameless. You can try to tell them how bad they are, but they just stare at you with that frosting, glistening in the sunlight. Outrageous!!
6. Cupcakes lie. They tell you they are wholesome and made with 'real' ingredients, but they lie. They aren't nutritious at all, they are just calories that stick to your gut and make you fat!
7. Cupcakes can't solve problems. Eating cupcakes only creates new problems. The solutions to life's problems cannot be found at the bottom of a cupcake cup!
8. Cupcakes aren't strong. Go ahead, try to get your cupcake friend to bench press 10 lbs.! Your friend will be crumbs! Weakling!!
9. Cupcakes are malicious. They look so sweet, but really their only intent is to get you to think they are the last cupcake on earth. When you do, you're hooked and soon you're inviting all the cupcake friends over. Once they're in the door, they are so hard to evict!
10. Cupcakes have no soul. They could care less about your soul either. Cupcakes try to make you treasure them, but since they have no soul you quickly find they are just trying to steal yours! Don't let them do it! Please, just step away from the cupcakes!

That's my take on cupcakes. Yes, they are pretty and tasty. I've eaten my fair share of them over the years, but I know their evil truth now. Don't let those varmints try their evil ways on you. Just step away and remember, they are not to be trusted.

That's my fun for today. Until tomorrow when I'll share more about life in the land of The HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Life Interests

Put a magnifying glass to your life and I'm certain you'll identify lots of interests coming and going, in and out of focus. I'm no different! But with that scrutiny, I'll bet you find some things that are life-long interests that without them in your life you, wouldn't be you.

Being able to write this blog posting is the fulfillment of a life-long interest for me. I don't consider myself a great writer, but rather a compelled one who would simply not be the person she is without the opportunity to write. I know that I was put on this earth for many reasons. One of those reasons is my son. Step back from that and it means I was put here to be the wife of the man who is his father. Step back from that and I had to be the daughter of my parents and so on and so on. It all has purpose. Life, has purpose! Sometimes I wonder why I had to have the upbringing that I experienced. Why, indeed!?! But then I remember, reason and purpose. I couldn't be the person I am without it or fulfill my purpose, either.

Another of my life-long interests is photography. No, I never took a lesson or studied it or am even particularly good at (notice the photo to the right...the leaves are in focus, but the flower, not so much) it by the standards of 'professional' photographers, but I love it. I love taking pictures of what I like, looking at them, conjuring up the memories associated with them and more. I probably know more about photography than I give myself credit for, but it doesn't matter. Taking pictures and sharing them in this and other blogs, makes me happy and is interesting to me.

Food is another of my life interests. Interestingly, it brings together many of my interests into one place. I can write about food, take pictures of food, share my food with others, be creative, learn about food and eat great food! Wow!! Food is important for life, but it is very important TO my life as I associate myself very directly with it. I have a habit of saying how the things of life (i.e. my car, my home, my clothes, my office space and etc.) don't define me. However, I would definitely use 'good home cook' as part of my personal self-definition. I wish I were a better one and am always looking to improve.

The list could go on and on! I'm thankful to God (whom I believe in and know I am saved by His grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ) for my life and for the ability to think, love and enjoy the life he has given me, regardless of the circumstances. Certainly I'm a poor example of God's creation, but I am not perfect, just forgiven.

What are your life interests? What do you believe is the reason for your being here? Oh, yes, I'm interested. See, that's another of my life-long interests: Other People! God loves people more than anything and so do I! Until tomorrow, when I'll fulfill more of my life interests by writing another blog posting and maybe posting a picture of my world or two, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 365

The of the 365 Day Renovation of Nancy has come to an end. As I said before, this was more about improvement than full out renovation. There were 5 things I wanted to improve during the last 365 days:

• Eating
• Exercise
• Thinking
• Teeth
• Skin

Let me just say that eating and exercise were just an incredible whirlwind of activity. Here is what I learned in the last 365 days that I can point to as improvements:

1. Eating is not complicated; should be kept simple; have what you like; eat less of it.
2. Exercise is not negotiable; should be fun; needs to be daily except for one day per week for rest.

I lost weight and gained it back during this last 365 days. Why? Because I fought what was right in front of my eyes. This isn't complicated. Eat sensibly (and I do mean sensibly) most of the time; of the things I like and have a treat once in a while (i.e. twice a month). I can do this now! I actually like exercise and will enjoy doing the things I like again.

In the area of teeth and skin, I got the best rating from my dentist ever, so I believe my results were confirmed. In the past year I took the following steps to improve these two areas:

• Had a deep cleaning of my teeth.
• Flossed daily, without fail.
• Began using an electric tooth brush to improve my brushing.
• Brushed twice per day without fail.

My teeth went from scores of 4-6 on the gums to 1-3, with most areas at 1 or 2.  Really great!

For the skin, I began to see a Dermatologist. Even though I have terrible skin I'd never taken this step. I've followed her instructions and my skin is better than it ever has been. I suffer with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (It's nasty, so look it up at your own risk) and never really knew what it was. My case is moderate, but the flareups can be horrific. I've lived with it forever and was gifted it by my father at birth, who had a rather severe case of the disorder. On top of that, I also have Rosacea. Both conditions are under control and I'm very happy with the results!

The final area I wanted to renovate is my thinking. I made it a point to do three things in the past year that I'll call the Stop, Start and Continue Thinking Things:

• Stop - thinking that it's more important that everyone else be happy, first.
• Start - thinking I'm valuable.
• Continue - thinking that life will be exactly what I make out of it.

I've worked at this, but old habits die hard. The continue is fine, but stop and start have had a rocky road. I'm still working on this, but I am better. I've stood up for my own happiness, some and I'm better about seeing myself as valuable. I have more work to do, but I'll keep doing it. I feel better knowing I made progress.

So, that's it for the 365 Day series. I'm on to other things. The blog will still focus on my life interests and how I solve problems for myself. I hope you stop back by for more of life with the HumbleVoyager. Until tomorrow, when we'll be into something new, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 364

Only one more day till the end of the 365 day renovation of Nancy! I'm not so much renovated as I am improved. That's the goal -- constant improvement. Look for the final word on that on day 365 coming up tomorrow! This week is all about the $27 Grocery Challenge. Here are some things I discovered in the first half of the week (Started Sunday; Runs Through Saturday; Today is Wednesday):

• Hunger is really, honestly abated by simply drinking water (I know, you've heard that before and so have I, but I never actually tried it -- until now and it works!!)
• A budget of $27 for 1 week of food is challenging, but completely supports a healthy diet if you make the right choices
• A limited grocery budget will force you to be creative
• A limited grocery budget can help you stop some rather bad food habits (i.e. I love caffeine, but shouldn't have it. The limited budget this week isn't supporting my normal caffeine choice and thus, I'm eliminating caffeine from my diet! This will be something I take along into the future!)
• To eat successfully for one week on $27, one must:
• Know store prices
• Go to the store prepared with a list, but remain flexible if something else is a better deal
• Be ready to not eat meat
• Plan the meals so that there is confidence the groceries on the list will be enough for the week
• Be ready to identify all of the benefits of a limited grocery budget (i.e. be positive and not negative about the situation)

I'm confident that I'll continue to learn new things about myself and this way of handling food. I have an unhealthy relationship with food. Much of it I learned from my parents and I want it do die with me. Food was always the 'reward' in my parent's house and fast-food became very popular when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's. Fast-food can be healthy too, but I'm not ready to try that challenge, yet!

Today, I had a container of my homemade yogurt and a nice ripe banana for breakfast! It was delicious!! One thing is for sure, I will continue to make my own yogurt from now on. It's cheaper and better!

When I made this yogurt, I used some jars I had stashed in the cupboard. I sterilized them, but I still used a little plastic wrap between the lid and the jar once the yogurt was made. It is so easy to make and so delicious! I'll be having a similar breakfast tomorrow, no doubt! Lunch today was my pre-prepped Beans, Rice and Vegetables, but with the added volume of water, I only ate half and so now I have another half to eat at supper with some more of the yogurt! Yummy!!

That's it for today. I enjoyed the day; worked at what I love with a company that cares. It's all good! I thank God for this challenge and the freedom to make choices about how I live. Now, until tomorrow when I'll share more about life with the HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 363

The fun continued on the third day of the $27 Grocery Challenge. I had the overnight oatmeal for breakfast, pre-prepped lunch and for supper I made the pancakes again. They were so good yesterday for breakfast and they were the same for supper tonight. I needed something satisfying as well and the pancakes did the trick.

Today was my day to clean out my desk at the office, as I'm being relocated to a new desk to share an office with another manager. Both of us will be working from home at least 2 days per week, making the 'shared' office 'private' when we're actually in the building. It is actually my same office since it is rather large. The furniture is just being replaced with new desks so that it looks nice and fits nicely for two people. There were about a thousand people stopping by all day asking, "What are you doing?" For the most part, people seemed afraid I'd be leaving, but most were just curious. I'm an open book, so no problem!

While cleaning out my desk I was able to pack up several boxes of stuff to be kept, donated and tossed. (Sorry no pictures...not allowed to take pictures in the building.) It was a regular Clean Sweep event. My keep box was not too full and my toss box was huge (a ton of really old binders of nonsense). The donate box wasn't too shabby either. Hopefully my office teddy-bear and various decor will find nice new homes via the Goodwill!

That's it for today! The food is good on $27. Stay tuned for more updates. Until tomorrow when we'll see how the low-budget day ends, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 362

80's Style Nancy

My, oh my! I hadn't realized just how much food I've been eating until now. Okay, yes I knew, but didn't want to admit it, even to myself! The $27 Grocery Challenge means I can't just grab food whenever I want, but instead have to stick to 3 meals and 1 snack each day. Or I have to split the meals up into smaller portions so that I can eat more often. There isn't an endless supply of food for this week! My eyes are fully opened to just how much I've been OVEReating. I got so hungry last night after supper and really would have loved to have eaten something else. Fact is, I didn't need it. My head was hungry, but my stomach really wasn't. I think I just get bored with whatever I'm doing and the first thing I think of is food! There is one good thing I know about myself though; I do not think about food at all once I'm in bed. So, when it's late and I have that feeling that I want to eat something, if at all possible, I'll just go to bed. Problem solved! My stomach has GOT to shrink down and my brain has to get in line with the program. So, lots of self-talk is going to be happening over here with Nancy in the form of, "No, you aren't hungry so stop thinking you are!" and  "Really? Prove your hungry!" You know, thoughts like that. This week is helping me eat proper sized meals and limit sugar for the most part, so I'm hoping all of this will help me get my eating back in order.

One of the things I'll be tracking this week is how much my weight is effected by the $27 Grocery Challenge. At 305.2 lbs. (OUCH!) It's serious now. This is close to the heaviest I've ever weighed. Not a good thing. Not a good thing, at all! I weighed first thing on Sunday morning and I'll weigh again first thing next Sunday morning and report the findings. By virtue of all the vegetables, no meat and limited cheese, I'm hoping for some drastic pound drop-age! I won't change anything else this week, just to make sure I can point to a change in diet that effected the results.

I made some changes to the menu for today. I loved the overnight oats from yesterday, but I thought it would be good to try something else, just to show I can mix it up a little on $27. I took two of my eggs, some flour, some oatmeal, some milk and a packet of salt and made English style pancakes.

English Style Pancakes

The batter made 6 lovely thin, eggy pancakes (my favorite kind and easier than the American Style). I ate 3 of them for breakfast and saved 3 for snacks when I felt hungry throughout the day. I found a packet of Truvia in my handbag and sprinkled it over the pancakes. They really were satisfying. Just what I wanted. I didn't buy any bread, so I was missing the sensation of eating bread, my favorite food on earth! (I've been known to just eat a piece of bread for dessert!) The English probably wouldn't put the oatmeal in these pancakes, but I added a 1/2 cup just to be different and because I like experiments. Really, Nancy? We couldn't tell!!

I wanted to show that with a little imagination, I could take the pre-packaged lunch and do a little magic with it and turn it into something different! So, I got hold of a couple of ketchup packages we had from some fast food outlet (i.e. Whataburger). I caramelized the ketchup in a small pan and added the contents of one of my lunch packages and some water and turned it into soup! This zshoo-zshed (a made up word) up the meal a little and made it somewhat different. The flavors were still, black beans, vegetables and rice, but now it had a snappy tomato broth to swim around in! Fun!!

Vegetable, Rice and Bean Soup

The prepped lunch package made into soup was really good! It was so much soup I actually had 1/3 of it leftover for an afternoon snack. How awesome is that?

I added some rice to the evening meal to provide a bit more satisfaction there. Speaking of rice, I did a little research on the par-boiled rice that I purchased. It turns out this rice is much more nutritious and healthy than you may think! Par-boiled rice is 80% nutritionally similar to brown rice. Also, it is half of glycemic load as plain white rice and is a more 'resistant' starch. Plus, it is a better source of fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamin B-6 than white rice! I cooked it in the microwave (something I've never done before) and it really did turn out great!

Loose Tea Leaves

One thing that I miss this week besides bread, is the good tea. I typically purchase tea from a Middle Eastern market and spend about $6 for a box of 100 bags or $11 for a canister of loose tea leaves. The tea (Do Ghazal Tea) is a mixture of Super Ceylon and Earl Grey teas. It's fantastic and worth every penny, but with a small food budget, this tea was not possible this week. The tea I purchased will be okay for this week, but I am positive that were I in the position of really having only $27 for food, I would find a way to add $6 from somewhere to my budget just for this tea! Also, I would be willing to drink less to make sure I could afford it. Life is about making choices and every person has options, even those who have less funds, have options. The choices I make may indeed effect the number of options I have available, but the bottom line is I make the choices for me!

My neighbor commented that I couldn't be positive about the outcome of this week until Sunday, when it's over. I don't agree with him on this subject as I have portioned out all of my food and already know I have the right amount of food, plus some to spare. So, it's a matter of the definition of 'success' in the end. For me, I'll be using the following spreadsheet to gage my success:

On Sunday, an updated version of the spreadsheet will be posted and then I can decide what's next. I'm excited to see what happens the rest of the week when I'm back at work. Mentally, I'm looking forward to being able to answer all of the questions above in the right way. In my opinion, it's all in the way I think about it that will make the difference!

Thanks for stopping by to check up on the doin's over here. I'm having a great time being creative and proving I can do anything I set my mind and creativity to. Until tomorrow, when we'll catch-up and discover more about eating on $27 for a week, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 361

The days are ticking away in the 365 day series covering the Renovation of Nancy. I was unsuccessful in some ways and very successful in others. However, had I not decided to write this series, I may not have made any successful changes. Therefore, I'm calling it overall, a triumph! On Thursday, I'll write the final 365 day blog and bullet point the highs, lows and final results! I hope you stop back by then.

The $27USD Grocery Challenge is in full swing now. The food was purchased yesterday and will be consumed Sunday - Saturday, July 6-12. There were a few things I had said would be a part of this challenge and I want to provide an update on how I've done so far:

1. Can't spend over $27USD on food - Spent $26.68 (So far, so good...have to check back on this as we go to make sure I don't spend anything else to eat!)
2. I must have enough food for 21 meals and 7 snacks including beverages - I think I have it, plus some! (I'll outline what is leftover at the end and what was able to become part of a pantry.)
3. Must be healthy food - Bought lots of fruit and vegetables, eggs, milk, beans and rice; all healthy stuff!
4. Must contain at least one pantry staple - actually there are several that end up being pantry staples, which I'll explain as we go along, but flour is the designated item.
5. Must contain at least one thing that can be called "a treat" - Organic Thompson Raisins is my treat item.

I made half of my gallon of milk into yogurt last night (it turned out great, by the way) but I didn't end up prepping the lunches. I am doing so this morning. I have my beans cooking and will sauté vegetables and make rice as soon as they are done. Each lunch will have:

• 1/2 cup of Black Beans
• 1 cup of Rice
• 1 cup sautéed vegetables (mixed vegetables, broccoli, peppers and onions)
• 1/2 cup yogurt (homemade!)

I used one of my onions and a bell pepper, a full bag of frozen mixed vegetables and 1/4 of the big bag of frozen broccoli for the sautéed vegetables.  I'll post some photos at the end of the blog of the meals.

Breakfast will be some form of oatmeal each day. Today, it was Overnight Oatmeal. I've seen blog postings elsewhere on the web made in jars. I don't have a bunch of jars around (the one's I had I used for my yogurt). So I used a plastic (I know, I know, plastic's bad...yeah, yeah, whatever) container. This is delicious! It's my first time trying this and it's a fantastic way to eat Oatmeal in the summer! My recipe...

• 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal (no quick cooking one's here, please!)
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I like greek or strained here)
• 1/2 cup milk (I use whole milk because that is what I like)
• 1 T Raisins (put more if your budget allows!)
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• Stir it up and put it into the refrigerator and go to bed.
• Next morning, grab, stir and eat!

You can put anything you like into this. Your imagination can go WILD here. Just keep the oats, yogurt and milk all to one part measures. Honey would be good in this, but alas, my budget this week didn't support honey.

Supper will be an Omelet, Frittata or Strata with spinach, peppers, onions and cheese. I will make some extra rice to add to the mix when it is Strata time, but otherwise it's an omelet here.

I had thought I'd use some of the flour to make muffins, but I don't have 'sugar' and don't want to use my limited supply of sweetener I bought for my tea, in muffins. However, I am going to take 2 of my eggs and use them to make pancakes. I'll make the batter with flour, milk, egg yolks and tablespoon of oil (I made a trade with my neighbor and gave them some of my homemade yogurt for some oil) and whip the egg whites to stiff peaks to incorporate into the batter to provide 'lift'! I'll make as many 'cakes' as I can and divide these between my suppers. They should freeze nicely, so I'll make them up today! They won't be 'sweet' but they should be a nice bread to go along with my omelet each night.

My snack each day is a banana. If they start to get old looking, they will go into the freezer and become a smoothy with some yogurt and milk.

Breakfast

Overnight Oatmeal - May not look like much, but really was delicious!

Lunch

Lunch Meal Prep - Lunch for the rest of the week!

Lunch plated for today -- It was good and satisfying!

Supper

Spinach, Onion and Cheese Omelet -- a 1 egg wonder!

For a snack late in the afternoon, I had a banana and some of my homemade yogurt. It was really good! I haven't gotten around to making the pancakes yet, but I'll do that this evening. So, that was the first food day of the series of 7 total. My neighbor asked me what I was planning to do after this week. My response? I don't know. All I know is I'm having fun figuring out how to live on very little. Why? Because I can!!

That's it for today. Be sure to stop by tomorrow when the blog posting will undoubtedly be shorter and I'll talk more about my wacky ideas. Until then, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 360

The challenge begins! Yes, I started the "Feed Nancy for a week with $27USD" challenge!! Yea!!! As you may recall from one of my earlier postings, I was planning to go to Walmart to get the foods I would use this week. Well, this morning I went to HEB to get the groceries for the rest of my family (no, I didn't have a budget for that food and it was not anywhere near $27). While at the HEB, I wrote down all of the prices of the items I had on my personal challenge list so that I could compare them to  the equivalent prices at Walmart. About half way through the shopping at Walmart I realized that the prices aren't better at Walmart and in some cases are actually higher! So, I put everything back and proceeded to my local HEB, where I completed my shopping for $26.68! I have $0.32 to add to next week's $27! Yippie!! Extra budget!!! Okay, let me settle down here. I learned a lot by doing this:

1. It takes lots of planning and compromise to get $27USD worth of food for a week.
2. I will NOT eat meat. (At least not in the beginning...I'll explain this as the week goes on.)
3. I will have plenty of food volume.
4. There will be plenty of protein.
5. I can make balanced meals.
6. The meals will be healthy.

Here are some things I struggled with:

1. I wanted cheese with my eggs each night. Natural cheese was TOO expensive for this trip, but I was able to get real dairy American Cheese slices, which means I can have cheese. Not the cheese I would have preferred, but I'm good with this.
2. I couldn't afford oil, butter and cooking spray. I decided that cooking spray would be healthier for me and so I went with that. Margarine would have been much cheaper, but not healthy at all. Again, I compromised.
3. I think the $0.88 spent on flour may have been a bad idea...maybe. To make this a good spend I will make muffins, but I will have to 'borrow' some backing powder from my neighbor to do it.
4. I couldn't afford yogurt, so I bought a gallon of whole milk and will make half of it into yogurt tonight and the other half will be used with breakfast each day. (I will have to again, 'borrow' 3T of yogurt from my neighbor to use as 'starter'. I'll pay it back! I promise!!!)

I'll be updating the blog each day this week with how the challenge is going. I will meal prep 4 lunches tonight and make a couple of batches of Oatmeal Muffins this evening, as well. They are going to be 'snacks' next week. A couple of things I'll be focusing on over the next week (Sunday, 7/6-Saturday, 7/12) will be: how hungry I feel on this meal plan; how much weight I lose/gain on this meal plan; how 'satisfied' I felt on this meal plan. Regardless of the outcome, I'm really glad to be doing this. In the end, I'll learn something new and I like doing that!

That's it for today. Be sure to stop by tomorrow when I'll update you on the preps and how the meals are going. I can't wait to see what happens!! Until then, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 359

Happy Independence Day! We had a parade down the street in front of our house at 10 a.m. this morning. The neighborhood association put out notices yesterday 'insisting' that we have our vehicles off the street. None of the folks who came to watch the parade got the memo!

There were the usual pickup truck and trailer floats, people with gussied up dogs and the local sheriff and his posse. Last year we had horses, but no horses were in the parade this year. Anita's Express, which is the small tractor-pulled ride for the tots that runs through the park during events like this was here. All of the scouts and camp fire organizations had a presence, as well. There was so much candy thrown around that the neighborhood is likely to be bouncing off the walls all day!

The kids just love Anita's Express. I sat on the deck and capture a few shots of it passing through the park and it really looks like fun. Makes you want to be a kid again!

We'll be having the normal 4th of July fare this evening including Hamburgers with Dressed Up Potatoes, a Corn Salad and Strawberry Limeade! Um, um, good! I need to work out some kind of dessert...I'm thinking it will be jello based. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll post some photos of the dinner in tomorrow's blog and include recipes or at least a list of what I did. These things don't really have recipes. You just start throwing things into bowls and see what happened!! Until tomorrow, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 358

My 'Work From Home' Look

The challenge is changing, once again! Yes, I'm still over here thinking up a storm about the upcoming grocery challenge. It's become my focus this week, no kidding! First, let me just say that since I live in a house FULL of food for other people, it will be hard to keep my hands, as my mother would have put it, "to myself!" Nancy, don't be touchin' other people's food!! Yes, I'll have to work hard at that one. I'm very used to eating whenever and whatever I want around here and the challenge just isn't going to support that. This is a good thing, since I don't need to continue eating the way I have been, at all. Next, I'm still not quite sure about the menu for this first week challenge. Since I'm not used to meal planning with a limited budget like this, I have to be somewhat flexible about how I approach the whole thing. I'll learn a lot next week, I'm sure. So, here is the challenge as it stands right now:

• $27USD is all that can be spent for groceries for the next week, for myself
• I cannot use any food I have at home during the challenge week, for myself
• The food has to be the healthiest I can afford (i.e. make every attempt to buy healthy foods)
• There must be food for 21 meals including beverages and 7 snacks

Newly added to the challenge today:

• I must come home with at least one thing considered a 'pantry staple'
• I must purchase one food item that would be considered a 'treat'

I'll take pictures of the items and receipt and post them here and then prep everything for the week. Each day I'll update the blog on what I was eating and how I feel it's going.

I've thought a lot about things like growing some of my own food and what-not, but the fact is I don't have the space, time or inclination to do that. Although I have had gardens in the past, they were never a blooming (ha!) success. I would love it if I didn't have to work, but I do. I'm not complaining. I love my work! I just want to set the record straight: I won't be growing food.

One of the things I've learned while researching grocery options in my area is that there is more than HEB available in Austin! It is really easy to start to think that they are the only markets around, but actually there are other options. There are a couple of Fiesta Markets here. Not close, but could be options for me to try. Also, there are Walmart stores, Target, Randall's and Farmer's Markets! Not to mention we now have Trader Joe's and of course, Whole Foods and Central Market! So, after much ad comparing and reading online, I will be purchasing the food for the upcoming week from (drumroll please): Walmart! I was thinking I'd use HEB, but I've waffled and now I'm going to try Walmart. Actually, I'll be scanning HEB while purchasing my family's food (HEB has their favorites) and will make a mini-price list to compare as I'm shopping at Walmart. This will add to the research base and hopefully help me better plan for week 2 of the challenge. Oh, didn't I tell you? There will be more weeks of this!

That's it for today. Until tomorrow when I'll share some exciting snaps of the neighborhood Independence Day parade and final preparations for challenge shopping day on Saturday, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 357

This was a really quiet, productive day! I love my work and it loves me back. It's amazing what God lets me experience and sometimes everything works and I get a moment where I believe I really am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. It isn't often, mind you, but I felt that way today. I'm thankful for that.

I am continuing the work on my plan for the upcoming grocery challenge. Part of my preparations are about figuring out how I can not only feed myself for a week on $27 USD, but also work it so I honestly enjoy what I'm eating! That may be asking a lot, but I'm always up for a challenge! **smile**

As I've worked on this plan there are several side effects that I'm hoping to experience. For instance, I do believe I will be eating less food during the next week, which is good since I know I eat too much volume now. Next, I believe this experience will help me with my work to put food in the correct place in my life. In my humble opinion, I place to much personal value on food, which has nothing to do with what I'm actually spending. Finally, I'm tired of investing more than $10,000 USD per year in groceries! This madness just has to stop. When I look closely at where I spend our money, it is very clear very quickly what I value. Honestly, I didn't think I valued food that much, but I do. And, this is just groceries and does not count eating out! Madness...must...stop...now...please!!!!

I'm savoring photos of recent meals below. Were these meals good? Yes, but not fantastic. Were they worth the high cost (these were restaurant meals)? No, I really don't think so. I'm hoping I'll find my meals made with $27 next week to be even better on so many other levels besides just taste!

Meals from a recent trip to the north east!

We are almost to the final day of this 365 day series; just 8 more days to go. The next series will not be labeled by day numbers, but it will again be a 365 day work-in-progress. Thanks for checking in on me. We're busy thinking through the challenges ahead and really that keeps me out of the refrigerator. Now, if I could just figure out how to make myself start exercising again like I should...hmm. Until tomorrow, when I'll likely talk more about the life of a HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Day 356

Remember yesterday when I wrote about the $27 USD Grocery idea? (If you haven't read about that click here!) I said things would probably change and I think they will. I picked up the mail on my way in this afternoon and my local HEB (grocery store) ad was in the mailbox. There are some things on special in the coming week that would be GREAT for my $27 plan and so, the menu is going to change. (See, I told you it would!) Like I always say, "The trees aren't the only flexible things around here!" Yes, I'm full of nonsense!

For instance, Texas Corn on the Cob will be available 8 ears for $1! That is my side dish every night right there or an ingredient in a dish!! Also, chicken leg quarters are for $1 lb. However, fresh ground chuck patties are $1.97 lb., as well! So, I'm still thinking the plan through. I'm also not excited about eating eggs every day for breakfast. I don't, in general, eat eggs very often, so I'd rather have oatmeal or cheese toast most mornings. On the other hand, I do like an omelet in the evenings sometimes, so the eggs will be staying on the grocery list. So, the plan now is to go to the store armed with a list of ideas/options and calculator and look for the best deals. HEB is a good store. They have LOADS of in-store coupons. They don't do double coupons, but their prices are the best in the area. There aren't many options for groceries where I live. I've heard of discount grocery stores, but none of those are in this area at all. So, although I may buy many of the items I listed in yesterday's posting, I may in fact make a few changes now and some on the fly. I'm keeping an open mind here. I want my $27 to feed me well and make my point that you can eat very well on less money and be perfectly happy! In the end, I'll post a photograph of the receipt from the store to keep me honest and then we'll see what the meals look like for the week.

If you haven't noticed, I'm a person who CRAVES focus. I need projects, tasks, responsibilities. Call me any names you like, but this is what makes me happy. Whatever I do, I like to know it's purposeful. Do I NEED to spend only $27 on groceries? No, I can afford to spend more right now. Besides being purpose driven, I'm also a person who prefers to be prepared. The future seems bright and exciting when you're 22 years old, but cloudy and scary when you're 55. I have NO IDEA what tomorrow brings, but what I want to know is that I don't have to be afraid because I've got contingency plans. Part of being prepared is building self-confidence. Knowing I can go to the grocery store and feed myself for a whole week on $27 will give me some peace of mind and a little self-confidence. I guess I'm like the squirrels I watch in my front garden. They run around burying little bits of food for the cold winter days they know are ahead of them. This gives them the confidence they need to make it successfully through season after season, as they do. I've been through my own seasons of difficulties and I suspect I'll see them again before I'm gone. No need to be maudlin about it; much better to be prepared so when it happens you can look like you don't care! **smile**

We had a lovely Cold Meat Salad for supper tonight. Basically this is a composed salad that gets all tossed together right before serving. It was well received and made Salad Night a big hit. I forgot to take a picture of it, but trust me, it was good and filling!! I made it with a few lettuce leaves, 1/3 of a cucumber, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 of a sweet onion, 1/2 of an orange bell pepper, 5 baby carrots, 1 rib of celery, some roast beef from the deli (chopped) and some Irish cheddar (cut into matchsticks). Some people I feed don't like salad dressing, but others do. The one's who do had a choice of Avocado, Honey Mustard or Double Garlic Ginger Lime dressing. Yummy!! Salad night is very much here to stay for the summer! I will even be trying to figure out how to have 'Salad Night' in my little $27 experiment. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to think about what you could do with $27 to feed yourself for a week. I bet you'll be amazed at how creative you can be! So, until tomorrow when we'll see how much more I've thought about this exciting adventure, Godspeed, Voyagers!!

Regardless of how much money you spend on the meal, be sure to set the prettiest table that you can! Nothing on this table is expensive, but the 12 people served here knew that I loved them and just wanted them to be happy!