I have two little boys who protest all attempts to get them to eat fruits and vegetables. So I've had to get sneaky. Turns out they'll eat fruits and vegetables when they've been turned into cookies! I recently made Amy's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and these were a huge hit with the entire family. They're actually pretty soft and cake-like... not really what I would call a traditional cookie, although they're shaped like them. I doubled the recipe because I had frozen fresh … [Read more...]
When your review your mental list of New Year's resolutions, does "Get Organized?" make an appearance? According to several sources, getting organized is often in the top ten most common resolutions. As for me, I am a huge advocate of being organized. Being organized in and of itself can save you money, but you can also do things that don't cost a thing to help clear the clutter, ease the stress and enable you to find what you need when you need it. If your goals include getting … [Read more...]
We had just signed the paperwork on a loan for a new car (our first consumer debt as a married couple). We had a lousy interest rate, but were thrilled to have shiny new wheels. And then we came home to discover a giant, dripping stain on our living room ceiling of our 1920s home. We had an ice dam, which occurs when the heat escaping from your home causes the snow on your roof to melt and than freeze and then melt again. The ice dam causes damage to your roof and can start leaking into … [Read more...]
I admire those of you who are taking the "No Eating Out Challenge." I don't really eat out often enough to make it much of a challenge for me to give up. Don't throw things at your screen, have plenty of other vices to work on. When I do eat out, I always look at the appetizers. It's the price that stops me from ordering them. I can't justify ordering something that costs as much as a whole meal but isn't. However, I have had some lovely meals where a number of us ordered appetizers AS … [Read more...]
In the nearly twenty years (gasp!) since I graduated from college, I have worked many late hours as a public accountant, been a stay at home mom for 8 years, worked part-time, and now, I work full-time while my husband is at home with the kids. One constant throughout all these years is that a homemade dinner can be a tricky thing to pull off night after night. Let's face it, making dinner has a tendency to sneak up on you at the last minute, making eating out tempting. Unfortunately, eating … [Read more...]
I must admit, I get a huge feeling of satisfaction from seeing things all neatly lined up, sorted or labeled. With a full-time job, four kids ranging in age from 4 - 14 and an active household, being organized is tightly tied to my ability to (sometimes barely) maintain my sanity. While I realize going through the process of organizing is about as fun as making a *yawn* budget to most people, it is as essential to your financial well being. Let me explain. Being organized allows me to … [Read more...]
I'm always on the hunt for recipes that come together in a jiffy and are tasty. The recipe I found on Food.com for Kielbasa, Tomatoes and Beans is one of our family's favorite meals. To make it a little more healthy, I use lean turkey kielbasa. We're big on garlic around here, so I usually add a few more cloves to the recipe. I love the way the spices work with the tangy taste of the tomatoes and the way the beans offset the kielbasa. This is a quick dish to throw together, and … [Read more...]