tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22310409909961077702024-03-05T07:36:04.376-08:00Miss MoneyPenny Stretches a BuckMiss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.comBlogger431125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-92010697897588581162015-06-17T09:12:00.000-07:002015-06-17T09:12:07.252-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 6/17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Don Juan, the climbing rose, was getting all leggy and blooms were hanging every which way because he had ran out of trellis, so I decided to neaten him up. In the process I ended up with a lovely smelly bouquet and Don looks a lot better. He really responds to being chopped down in February.<br />
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As you can tell I don't water the grass which makes it kind of hard to drive the croquet hoops into the ground but here is my garden so far. I had four crops of radishes and several heads of lettuce before it got too hot. I've heavily seeded the wheel barrow and the chair pot with nasturtium seeds with some sweet peas thrown in for good measure this year instead of food plants.<br />
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The deck with the strawberry tower and raspberries in the background.<br />
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I started my begonias from little Costco bulbs but they have been having a hard time keeping up with the lobelia on steroids. I planted four bulbs in this pot and the hanging pot but everyday I have to go out and move the lobelia out of the way. I've NEVER had this problem with lobelia.<br />
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This is a miniature rose that Miss Pamela gave me a few years ago at our annual ladies' birthday party. I love this rose!! but this year it has been attacked by spit bugs which are really called spittle bugs if we are being polite. I'm organic so I don't use any type of poison except Sluggo which is not supposed to hurt pets, bees, or birds so I gave it a good hard spray of water and practically blew the poor thing out of its pot. It has recovered and is now starting to bloom and I haven't seen any spit bugs since. Knock on wood.<br />
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This year I bought an extra large potato bag from <a href="http://gardeners.com/">Gardeners.com</a> instead of planting them in my limited garden space. Here they are. There ended up being about 100 pounds of Short's Magic Soil by the time I filled it up. They are blooming now so when they start to yellow I'll dig around in there and see what I get.<br />
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My deck plants don't seem very imaginative this year but I was on a budget. As it turns out that is a good thing because Poppy, the Boston Terror, flies off the deck in a mad rage to go fence fight the neighbors pit bull and shockingly knocks my pots off the deck - usually upside down. The dog only weighs 15 pounds!!<br />
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The bird bath has been very popular with the birds this year - more than normal. Maybe it is because the lemon balm is growing around it making it more private. I've yet to see any frogs in there but they are all over the place this year...little green guys with big croaks.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. On Monday I bought a piece of Copper River Sockeye and it was delicious but, anyway, I was talking to the fish lady and she said it was going to be on the ad again this week. She was worried because the fish guys only gave her 50 pounds and said that there may not be any for this week, so check your fish counter before you put it on your menu.<br />
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Also - for families with teenage cereal eaters (and I know from experience that they can eat a box at a sitting) you can buy four General Mills cereals for $8 and get a free gallon of QFC milk. And QFC is still running their Buy 5/Save $5 promo so check that out, too.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for "real food" this week:<br />
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QFC Butter - $2.49/lb<br />
Alaska Sockeye Salmon Fillets - $7.97/lb<br />
Fresh Pacific Cod Fillets - $7.99/lb<br />
Draper Valley Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - BOGO<br />
Lean Ground Beef - $5.99/lb<br />
Ribeye Steaks - $7.88/lb<br />
Asparagus - $2.49/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $2/lb<br />
Greens - $1.50/bunch<br />
Oregon Blueberries - $3.50/18oz<br />
Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.49/lb<br />
Romaine, Butter, Red, or Green Leaf Lettuce - $1.50/ea<br />
Washington Large Red Cherries - $2.99/lb<br />
Yellow Peaches or Nectarines - $1.99/lb<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I took advantage of the sale on Roma tomatoes for $ .99 a pound. Well, I bought more than I could eat so five of them were getting a little long in the tooth. I cut them in half and put them on a pan with a rack cut side up. I seasoned them liberally with salt and pepper and a drop of olive oil and roasted them for a couple of hours at 325. They came out all flattened and yummy. My idea was to use them on my salads but I added a couple to my sandwich and it took it to a higher level of yumminess.<br />
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Now you know that Miss MoneyPenny has been single for 20 years and I think I know what part of the problem is:<br />
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This is a shot of nighttime in the MoneyPenny bedroom. On the left is Suzy, in the middle is Pici, and then the cat. I don't know why they insist on sleeping crosswise on the bed but I've gotten real good at sleeping on my little sliver of bed. And, of course, the Boston Terror is wrapped up way down deep in her king sized blanket to the left of Suzy.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-16050272789672766922015-06-10T17:01:00.001-07:002015-06-10T17:01:06.227-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 6/10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_2vRGGQLa2b5cOmJzBYxibqjKCpxNnVqhwaSyQ1wIqBiAD36cyvrcUQ5DhQfIj_ZJM3Q5zmuI4kr7KiGoRahWoPMRBogvdsX_LdvOdxr5DFfqfEbeQAnaplW5MZnW8locrmQiRAPL-A/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_2vRGGQLa2b5cOmJzBYxibqjKCpxNnVqhwaSyQ1wIqBiAD36cyvrcUQ5DhQfIj_ZJM3Q5zmuI4kr7KiGoRahWoPMRBogvdsX_LdvOdxr5DFfqfEbeQAnaplW5MZnW8locrmQiRAPL-A/s400/IMG_0141.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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I mentioned last time that Miss Jeannie has been in of all places, Turkey. The guy on the news the other night said that after the recent elections that Turkey is a dangerous place, so I hope they have moved on to London by now. I love this picture especially since I just noticed that the big humpy guy is still tied up.<br />
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My garden is finally in!! I still have at least two pots to fill with flowers and I need to get my basil going in the green house. <br />
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Now the watering begins. I water my front and side flower beds once a week for one hour so that means five moves of the sprinkler and then I attach to the flat granny hose sprinkler that I have laid out in my new bed. Really it is just a border between me and the wild and crazy guy next door who has wild and crazy parties and they all park on my yard. Anyway it consists of three barberries and two red twigged maples which need a lot of watering the first couple of years to get them established.<br />
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I have to confess that I fell asleep in my chair after lunch yesterday and one of the beds got watered for two hours. Ka ching!! Bring on the water bill!!<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. Yahootie!! Fresh Copper River Sockeye Salmon fillets are on sale for $9.99 a pound. Weather permitting, of course. My favorite way to cook salmon is to roast it at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until just barely done. I put little blobs of butter all over it and give it a good covering of lemon pepper and it is to die for. And cold leftover salmon is delish in a green salad with a lemony dressing.<br />
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Also QFC is running their Buy 5/Save $5 promo and there are some good deals to be had. Remember you don't have to buy five items of the same thing. You can mix and match to your little heart's content.<br />
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Here are my suggestions:<br />
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Nancy's Yogurt - $2.50/qt<br />
Draper Valley Whole Chickens - $1.29/lb<br />
Fresh Copper River Sockeye Salmon fillets - $9.99/lb<br />
Fresh NW Cooked Shrimp Meat - $5.99/lb<br />
Fresh Dover Sole Fillets - $6.99/lb<br />
Nathan's Beef Franks - $2.99/14oz<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $2/lb<br />
Medium Hass Avocados - $ .99/ea\<br />
Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $1.68/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.25/ea<br />
English Cucumber - $1.25/ea<br />
Whole Pineapple - $3/ea<br />
Yellow Peaches or Nectarines - $1.99/lb<br />
Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $1.29/lb<br />
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You can tell it is summer when Poppy, the Boston Terror, is out sunning herself in her very own deck chair. And it is her very own chair. This crappy chair is around 30 years old and not safe for any human butt but she is light enough that she doesn't fall through. I keep intending to get rid of it but, yet, here it is again this summer - complete with her very own cushion.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-12784821654658573012015-06-03T08:56:00.000-07:002015-06-03T08:56:30.611-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 6/3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now you know that Miss MoneyPenny is not a world traveller. I'm a real homebody except for a few forays down to Oregon or fun day trips. I also love to go RVing and used to go all the time with my favorite ex husband but none of the current men in my life have an RV. But my dear friend Miss Jeannie loves to get on airplanes and go all over the world.<br />
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At lunch one day, she announced that she and her cute husband, Dan, were headed to Turkey to visit his daughter who is in the Air Force. OMG!! I asked her if she couldn't go someplace a little further away from all that violence over there....like Paris or Venice. But she is a dare devil and went anyway. The above picture was taken from her hotel in Ankara, which is the capital of Turkey, and the place looks just beautiful. She says the only scary thing there is that pedestrians do not have the right of way and you have to be a fast runner, which she is. I will be glad to see her safely back home.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. Copper River salmon is at QFC (weather permitting) and it is going for $8.99 a pound. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?? The only drawback, and for me it is a biggie, the damned fish is whole which means that somebody has to cut it up. I'm terrible at this because my favorite ex husband always did this and he did it with an electric knife with absolutely no waste. He was a master at this and could even fillet fish after a half rack of beer with no problem. <br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
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Tully's Coffee - $5.99/12oz<br />
Best Foods Mayonnaise - $3.49/30oz<br />
McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning - $1.50/ea<br />
Fage Greek Yogurt - $3/17.6oz<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1/16oz<br />
Draper Valley Chicken Breasts - BOGO<br />
Laura's Lean Ground Beef - $5.99/lb<br />
Whole Fresh Wild Copper River Salmon - $8.99/lb<br />
Asparagus - $1.99/lb<br />
Mangoes - $1/ea<br />
Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $1.99/lb<br />
Washington Red Cherries - $2.99/lb<br />
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This picture is a big pot of dwarfish sweet peas. I saw these in Territorial Seed's spring catalog and just had to try them. My plan is that they will be a big pot of lovely smelling wonderfulness on my deck. I was a little worried because they took forever to sprout but here they are...finally!!<br />
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This is what the pack looks like and supposedly they are for pots and don't need a trellis. I'll keep you posted on this.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-66978989858908554642015-05-27T08:38:00.000-07:002015-05-27T08:38:04.171-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 5/27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9cDQQwh6dDqfgsPdlbMYHOmKBT_LaeaLKqXZx2RM1wXi8xO10QBUUoFypXdq-22UZG7RKArvY0j37Uh2Vr0szMvScw-CZvG9EFhKkL4TE-q89O6wCFSPuCKtpLZthzy4RXgiEyKV9oc/s1600/20150523_150823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9cDQQwh6dDqfgsPdlbMYHOmKBT_LaeaLKqXZx2RM1wXi8xO10QBUUoFypXdq-22UZG7RKArvY0j37Uh2Vr0szMvScw-CZvG9EFhKkL4TE-q89O6wCFSPuCKtpLZthzy4RXgiEyKV9oc/s320/20150523_150823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now readers of Miss MoneyPenny know that her partner in crime for the last 30 years is Miss MaggieMae. Usually after we finish up with the craziness that is Costco we head on down the road to Starbucks. While we were there last Saturday we viewed Miss MaggieMae's granddaughter Miss Sage's first art show. Miss Sage is nine years old and she is a smart cookie. She talked the manager of Starbucks into letting her hang her art with half the proceeds going to charity. See what I mean??<br />
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I apologize for the quality of these photos but I took them with my phone while my butt was in the middle of a table of six very nice people. When I explained what I was up to they got up and looked at Miss Sage's art. They were very gracious. The lady in the photo says her daughter goes to school with Miss Sage so she didn't mind being in the picture.<br />
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Half of the pictures had already sold. It made me kind of misty when I read the cards next to the pictures with the title and each one of them said "by Sage". This was my favorite but it had already sold or it would be hanging on my wall. It is called Seattle:<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. The front page said that Copper River salmon is here but no price. Hmm. I think that we will be paying a premium for fresh fish from now on due to all the stuff the we hear about on the news. Over fishing, global warming, El Nino, on and on. At QFC the price of fresh halibut never went below $19.99 a pound. Us fish lovers need to rethink our protein budget.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for the week and don't forget the digital coupons on the QFC site:<br />
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Seattle's Best Coffee - $4.99/12 oz<br />
La Victoria Salsa - $2.50/16oz<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1/16oz<br />
QFC Milk - $ .99/1/2gal<br />
Boneless Pork Top Loin Chops - BOGO<br />
Ribeye Steak - $7.88/lb<br />
Kroger Smoke Sausage - $2.50/14oz (great on BBQ)<br />
QFC Large Eggs - $1.50/doz<br />
Blueberries - $3.99/18oz<br />
Asparagus - $2.49/lb<br />
Avocados - $ .99/ea<br />
Red or Green Seedless Grapes - $1.88/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.25/ea<br />
Sweet Vidalia Onions - $ .99/lb<br />
Roma Tomatoes - $ .99/lb<br />
Yellow or Zucchini Squash - $1.29/lb<br />
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This is my garden so far. I was gonna cut back this year. Famous last words. I'm trying out a couple of things this year. I'm growing my spuds in a big potato bag instead of the garden because they were taking over the place. I decided to grow my summer squashes and cucumbers in the garden instead of the wheel barrow. And I installed trellises in the hopes that I could get them to grow up instead of all over the yard, which they will probable do anyway.<br />
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So far I've been eating a lot of lettuce and radishes. I also made a batch of rhubarb sauce and I'm starting to get a few ripe strawberries. It will be a while for the blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries but they are all covered in berries. Eating from the MoneyPenny plantation is truly the best way to eat organic food, get good exercise, and stretch that buck. The strange flip flop tan is optional.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-60220016629431203062015-05-20T13:09:00.003-07:002015-05-20T13:09:54.535-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 5/20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of weeks ago I drove down to Seaside, Oregon and met up with my sister, Miss SmartyPants. We had glorious weather for the four days that we were there as you can tell from this photo of the sunset from our balcony. Actually, the first day it was 81 degrees!! The only problem was a huge die-off of jellyfish so it was pretty miserable getting down to the water. In fact, I think that I still have jellyfish gick on the bottoms of my flip flops.<br />
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One of our days we drove to McMinnville to see our very favorite Aunt Barbara. She is the last of our older relatives but she is gonna be around for a long time. She has always treated us like we were her kids even though she has four of her own. When my mom had a long stay in the hospital she cared for my sister. She took this on while in the middle of having a new baby and her own little toddler. I can't imagine three kids in diapers. Here she is (in yellow) with her best friend Bonnie:<br />
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I wanted to show you how gorgeous my dogwood is this year. It would have been a better shot from the other way but I didn't think that you needed to see the neighbor's garbage pile.<br />
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Here is a closeup of the petals:<br />
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This beautiful old fashioned iris came from Miss Judith and it is everything that an iris should be. One time I cut a bouquet of irises and put in a few stems of Don Juan the rose. It was so over the top fragrant that I couldn't have it in the house with me.<br />
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This is my first batch of French Breakfast radishes. I planted all my cool weather crops early this year and didn't get burned by cold weather. I've also been eating lettuce and I made rhubarb/strawberry sauce from the Skidder rhubarb. I used half the sugar and it was still plenty sweet.<br />
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I want to tell you about my new cool tool. This thing is put out by Fiskar and they call it a planting tool. The gals up at Hadlock Building Supply Garden Center assured me that it was the best thing since pizza for weeding. So I put it up on the counter with my other stuff and went home to use it. They were totally right!! Best weeder ever!! but the second time I used it I broke it. I knew it had a lifetime guarantee so I dug out my receipt and went back up to get another one.<br />
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Come to find out it wasn't listed on the receipt. Everybody was embarrassed, including me. I said well it looks like I stole this thing, then I broke it, and now I want another one but I will pay for one of them. They gave me a new one that I have worked the devil out of and it is just fine. They found that there was rust in the welding join, so it must have been a lemon.<br />
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Anyway - buy one of these. It is under ten bucks and you can also use it for a weapon:<br />
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Did you have a good Mother's Day?? My son, the plumber, went out fishing and Miss PeggyRae and I went down to the Valley Tavern and had beer and hot dogs to rev ourselves up for some serious nursery hopping. My Mother's Day card had a fifty in it which I promptly spent at the first nursery. My receipt came to $48.79 which is cutting it pretty close. Now that was a great Mother's Day!!<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. Will wonders never cease?? The ad is for one week only this time and they are heavy on Memorial Day weekend cookout stuff. I was expecting to see wild fresh salmon this week but if they have it it didn't make the ad.<br />
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Here are my suggestions:<br />
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Peet's Coffee - $6.99/12oz<br />
Hebrew National Beef Franks - $3.50/pack<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.25/16oz<br />
Draper Valley Boneless Skinless Breasts - BOGO<br />
Boneless Pork Top Loin Chops - $3.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Halibut Fillets - $19.99/lb<br />
Lean Ground Beef - $5.99/lb<br />
Ribeye Steak - $7.88/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $3.99/2lb<br />
Asparagus - $1.99/lb<br />
Medium Hass Avocados - $ .99/ea<br />
Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.49/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.25/ea<br />
Fresh Cut Tulips - $10/3 five stem bunches (15)<br />
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Every morning after all the critters have been watered, fed, and medicated I grab my coffee and sit in my chair and watch Charlie Rose on CBS. All the animals join me except the Boston Terror. She heads back to bed and doesn't get up until I make the bed or the UPS truck drives by - whichever comes first. I don't know if she loves the driver or hates him but she barks her head off at him and his truck.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-51081716830001344232015-04-15T10:46:00.001-07:002015-04-15T10:46:41.216-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 4/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you paid your taxes yet?? I just wrote out the check and put it in the mail. Now that I'm retired I take care of my own taxes instead of having my employer do it and I hate it!! I know that it is apples and oranges but I didn't feel it so bad when it was done for me. How juvenile is that?? Anyway, I have a spot in my monthly budget for taxes or else I would have to use savings and I really don't like to touch my savings. Something else to think about when you are planning your retirement.<br />
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I know you hear this from me every year about this time but try to hold off buying those oh so tender plants that are showing up at the market. Like you, I'm raring to plant my pots on the deck but with nighttime temps at freezing or below, they would quickly be wiped out. The best I could hope for would be that they would sulk and never really reach their full potential. And that would be a big waste of time and money. <br />
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If you have to have a pot right now, and I do, try a big blast of purple pansies. They don't mind a little cold. In fact they don't even care if it snows on them. I've actually seen this. But - as far as petunias and geraniums are concerned, unless you are really sheltered, wait until May when night temps are well above freezing.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. First QFC is running their Buy 4/Save $4 promo so if there are any packaged items that you need be sure and check it out. Also fillet of sole is on sale so think about cooking Miss Jeannie's recipe from last week. You can't go wrong with any of her recipes and that is from my experience.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
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Franz Organic Bread - $2.99/loaf<br />
Simple Truth Organic Beans - $1/can<br />
Kroger Cottage Cheese - $2.50/24oz<br />
QFC Milk - $1.25/1/2gal<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - BOGO<br />
Fresh NW Cooked Shrimp Meat - $5.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Dover Fillet of Sole - $6.99/lb<br />
Hormel Marinated Pork Tenderloins - BOGO<br />
Laura's Lean Ground Beef - $5.99/lb<br />
Anjou or Red Pears - $ .99/lb<br />
Asparagus - $2.49/lb<br />
Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower - $ .99/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $2/lb<br />
Eggplant - $1.50/ea<br />
Organic Bunch Beets or Carrots - $2/bunch<br />
Roma Tomatoes - $ .99/lb<br />
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If you have started up the grilling season at your house give the marinated pork tenderloins a try. They also make good kabobs with peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks. If I could eat shellfish I would be making myself a giant salad with that fresh shrimp meat. I remember the days when I made Shrimp Louies complete with the dressing and hard cooked eggs. To round out the meal I would cut French bread in half and slather with butter and Parmesan cheese and put it under the broiler. Beat that for a tasty meal at a good price.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-39729012164801208192015-04-08T12:25:00.000-07:002015-04-08T12:25:31.465-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 4/8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7miYcXfLlH9V58JRaq-dUKHkKsVKLAkhdspdcyxtoBKUFfkvUlzRCBKWK51Sqvj__v-fNlWaSMUVNZuxNkzbsQ4yXRtG4tSZvzWgczuHmD22QBaDbnT2GEY0RvO0Dji-CqkdfEe6CqL4/s1600/11129328_10205074065844292_698977879383825525_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7miYcXfLlH9V58JRaq-dUKHkKsVKLAkhdspdcyxtoBKUFfkvUlzRCBKWK51Sqvj__v-fNlWaSMUVNZuxNkzbsQ4yXRtG4tSZvzWgczuHmD22QBaDbnT2GEY0RvO0Dji-CqkdfEe6CqL4/s1600/11129328_10205074065844292_698977879383825525_n%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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How was your Easter?? Wasn't it a gorgeous day?? Rarely do we get to hunt our Easter eggs in such nice weather. This is Miss AslynGrace and she is taking pretend pictures with her pink camera. I have a feeling that she is gonna be a good little photographer by the time she gets a real one.<br />
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You may wonder why we are all sitting out in the parking lot. My son, the plumber, and his Uncle Jeff, pictured below, were putting together Miss AslynGrace's new playhouse and it was good entertainment. This is going to be quite the house when they finally finish it. It has the cutest kitchen and Aslyn was in there doing her cooking while they were working and cussing. Now these are two talented guys, so it was funny listening to them get beat up by a play house.<br />
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If you had ham for Easter and you have any left, now is the time to do something with the leftovers or get them in the freezer. We had barbecue because we are not fans of ham but I do miss that old ham bone because it makes a pot of navy beans taste yummy. Talk about stretching a buck...you can't do better than a big pot of tasty beans and if you add a pan of cornbread, we are talking heaven here.<br />
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And speaking of heaven - Miss Jeannie rose to the challenge and sent her recipe for fillet of sole. She says that it is an old Julia Child recipe and is very easy and delicious. I'm gonna try it the next time fillet of sole comes on sale which is quite often. Here it is:<br />
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I tried to make it bigger but the next step up was so big that it didn't fit on the page. Basically what you do is salt and flour your sole and saute it in butter. Keep it warm in the oven and melt more butter in the pan. Add capers, parsley and lemon juice. Serve over the sole with lemon slices and lots of pepper. This has to be good.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. In my opinion this is a crappy ad. I call them as I see them. Luckily my pantry and fridge are well stocked so we won't starve at the MoneyPenny house but this is definitely a good week for that pot of beans or split pea soup.<br />
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Here are the highlights:<br />
<br />
Draper Valley Whole Chicken - $ .99/lb<br />
Flank Steak - $6.99/lb<br />
Anjou or Red Pears - $ .99/lb<br />
English Cucumbers - $1.25/ea<br />
Minneola Tangelos - $ .99/lb<br />
Organic Kale - $1.50/bunch<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.25/ea<br />
Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $1.29/lb<br />
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When I got home Sunday evening after the festivities I discovered that the Easter Bunny had left me a basket on the front porch. My good buddy, Mr Daniel, has parents that grow a huge organic garden up Port Angeles way and they are good enough to share some of their seed potatoes with me. Good timing because I just received my new giant potato grow bag. On Monday I went over to Chimacum Corner Farmstand and bought a big bag of Short's Miracle Dirt. Let the planting begin. <br />
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A week ago I cleaned out the strawberry bed and gave it a good jolt of new compost. Yesterday I noticed that the plants are covered in white flowers and you know what that means!! Yep - lots of strawberries gonna be happening. I can't wait!!Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-87926528968199983092015-04-01T16:50:00.000-07:002015-04-01T16:50:40.361-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 4/1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was able to get a snap of my wheel barrow daffodils before they faded. Who knew that you could grow so much cool stuff in an old wheel barrow?? I put it out to pasture after it sent me to the ER. The darned thing is actually too big for lady garden use. My favorite ex husband bought this for me years ago and like everything else he bought it had to be heavy duty. I'm actually still using one of the hoses that he bought in 1990. It is so heavy that I can hardly carry it.<br />
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This is Lou in 2015. Lou was my daughter-in-law's mother and she was a sweetheart of a lady. After she passed Miss PeggyRae split up her giant shamrock and gave away pieces to people that cared about Lou. I got this one and it is still in its original pot. It goes crazy and blooms all spring and summer. Come fall she gets leggy and sad looking so I give her a butch and let her winter in the guest room. She always lets me know when she is ready for prime time. I bring her out and give her a good jolt of food and away she goes.<br />
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I want to mention that Miss Jeannie sent me a text telling me that she has a killer recipe for fillet of sole after I posted the ad last week. Okay, girl, let's see it. I'll share when I hear from her. Miss Jeannie and I were roomies for a year and I can vouch for her amazing cooking skills, so this should be good.<br />
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Are you getting ready for Easter?? Easter is one of my favorite holidays. My mother always made a big deal out of Easter. We would get a new outfit (handmade by her), go to church, have an Easter egg hunt, and she would cook a big ham dinner. I carried on the tradition except for the outfit and church part. Now the kids do it and they have a diabolical adult Easter egg hunt that really brings out the worst in us. We don't drink before the hunt so you can see how serious we are. None of us like ham so usually barbecue is on the menu.<br />
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If you are having ham be sure and get bone-in so that you can make navy bean or split pea soup afterwards. Also be sure and get those eggs back in the fridge soon so they don't go bad on you before you can make deviled eggs. I've never been sick from bad Easter eggs but I imagine that it can't be pleasant.<br />
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Okay, let's look at the ad for this week. The first thing I notice is there aren't any big sales on eggs. What is the deal with that?? Anyway - asparagus and strawberries are going for $1.88 per pound. I like to make strawberry shortcake for Easter and I make actual shortcakes - none of those icky spongy things that taste like sweet mushy something. You can make the shortcakes ahead so they aren't a hassle at the last minute. My mom always buttered them first before adding the strawberries. I know it sounds strange but it was delish.<br />
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Here are my suggestions:<br />
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Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs - $2.50/doz<br />
Private Selection Spices - 33% off<br />
Tillamook Cheese - $5.99/2lb<br />
Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Slice Half Ham - $1.88/lb<br />
Top Round Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Alaska Cod Fillets - $7.99/lb<br />
Asparagus - $1.88/lb<br />
Celery - $ .99/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $1.88/lb<br />
Green Beans - $1.99/lb<br />
Green Onions or Radishes - $ .69/bunch<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .99/lb<br />
Organic Broccoli - $1.49/lb<br />
Red Garnet or Jewel Yams - $ .99/lb<br />
Whole Pineapple - $2.50/ea<br />
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My sister posted this on Facebook for growing viney things like squash and pumpkins since they take up a lot of space in raised beds. I think that this is a great idea and I'm gonna try it. When everything is done growing just shoot the whole thing into the compost. Genius!!Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-88384220064343686842015-03-25T13:01:00.001-07:002015-03-25T13:01:56.410-07:00QFC Grocery Basket 3/25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhGmcX64gh0TQhkBU0qjeURWAHcleZSO4HtqT4E_9gvpeQ23rjONX1ABfs2ke2fYIMw4yEKHWD2EFrCS_yhxOEKJFhodjOjbS9rpEK4Vu8qFlhFvP1HXzQjALZ_GNv4ymuDVUauAKtlQ/s1600/100_2042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhGmcX64gh0TQhkBU0qjeURWAHcleZSO4HtqT4E_9gvpeQ23rjONX1ABfs2ke2fYIMw4yEKHWD2EFrCS_yhxOEKJFhodjOjbS9rpEK4Vu8qFlhFvP1HXzQjALZ_GNv4ymuDVUauAKtlQ/s1600/100_2042.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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When Miss MoneyPenny finally goes bankrupt and is drug off to debtor's prison it will be because of this old girl. Remember how Miss MoneyPenny told you that the wild card in your budget is either your health or your pets?? I've been proving it to you for the last three years. <br />
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Two years ago I spent a tenth of my income on her vet bills and got pretty close last year, but what are you gonna do?? Pici is still a wonderful little girl as long as she gets her meds and an occasional steroid shot which isn't bad for a 15 year old schnauzer. Yesterday morning I set her on the floor and she took off after the cat. What could be better than that??<br />
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I've been doing a lot of planting in my veggie gardens. We have had such a warm winter and spring that it is perfect for getting in the cool weather crops that love to bolt in the heat we have been having for the last few summers. I remember, back in the day, when I grew lettuce all summer long. So far I've got my lettuce, carrots, radishes (already coming up) and parsley in. The beets are next for my pickled beets.<br />
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I noticed that the purple clematis hasn't shown its face yet. Maybe I finally killed it, or I should say Poppy, the Boston Terror, when she was fence fighting the neighbor's pit bull. Anyway I had a pack of sweet peas so I decided that they would look great on that trellis and smell wonderful along with the climbing Lucia rose and the lilac.<br />
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I haven't planted sweet peas since I lived in Portland. We lived in a duplex that had a six foot fenced in small yard and patio. I promptly dug up the little yard and planted it in veggies. I cleaned up the sweet smelling old rose along the fence and planted sweet peas. It smelled like heaven. On hot summer nights I would get home from waiting tables and discover my favorite ex husband and his buddies sitting out there drinking beer and smoking dope. They called it the arboretum.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. Remember when we wrung our hands and gnashed our teeth at paying $16.99 a pound for fresh halibut last year?? Well, that was nothing!! Get ready to pay $19.99 if you can't live without it this year. Man, I never knew how lucky I was to have a husband who loved to fish. Of course, there was the expense of the boat and all that beer.<br />
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Also, QFC is running their Buy 10/Save/$5 promo again so if there are any canned or packaged goods that you need check it out.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
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Best Foods Mayonnaise - $2.99/30oz<br />
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1/ea<br />
QFC Large Eggs - $1.79/doz<br />
Starbucks Coffee - $6.99/12oz<br />
QFC Milk - $ .99/1;2gal<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Dover Sole - $6.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Halibut - $19.99/lb<br />
Pears - $ .99/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries - $2.50/lb<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">Fugi,</span> Gala, Braeburn Apples - $ .99/lb<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .99/lb<br />
Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.99/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.25/ea<br />
English Cucumbers - $1.25/ea<br />
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Buy 10/Save $5 items:<br />
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Land O'Lakes Butter - $1.99/lb<br />
Marie Callender/s Pot Pies - $1.78/ea<br />
Del Monte Tomatoes - $ .69/ea<br />
Barilla Pasta - $ 69/ea<br />
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The above picture is what I get up to every morning and sometimes, it is worse. Poppy, the Boston Terror, drags everything out every night including her toys, cat bed, dog blanket, and always the couch blanket. She usually ends the evening with herself all wrapped up in the couch blanket. The KnowItAlls have a huge dog toy box and when she stays there she drags everyone of them out. They left it one time so I could appreciate the mess when I picked her up.<br />
Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-4389319219380226112015-02-25T11:55:00.001-08:002015-02-25T11:55:20.698-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 2/25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who are these people?? The man is Dr. Robert Lustig and the lady is Cindy Gershen. You might remember that he wrote a huge bestseller about the dangers of added sugar in our diet and all the processed food that we now all consume. Miss MoneyPenny went to school to become a dietitian but got waylaid by the library world but I'm still very interested in nutrition. I read his book and thought that it made perfect sense but I just kept on with my bad habits.<br />
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Well, I caught him on PBS the other night and what he had to say hit me right between the eyes. I KNOW all of this stuff but still choose to drink my coffee with a healthy dose of Coffee Mate every morning. If I don't have Coffee Mate I don't drink coffee which means that I'm really just drinking my Coffee Mate every morning and this really gives my poor old system a real jolt. This sets me up for the rest of the day and not in a good way.<br />
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What I'm leading up to here is that I'm going off the Coffee Mate again. Anyone who knows me knows that this is really hard because it seems I've picked up a real addiction. This whole dessert thing, and my coffee is really a dessert, has to be brought under control. My plan is to partake of a yummy dessert once a week like he suggests, like I used to when I was slender, and make it a seriously decadent treat. <br />
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I'll keep you posted but in the meantime pick up his Fat Chance Cookbook because it goes over his ideas without all the footnotes and is easier to absorb. And by the way, Cindy lost 100 pounds in six months just following his suggestions and has kept it off for 15 years.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. The best deal this week is QFC butter at $1.99 a pound, so stock up because it freezes just fine. I also want to mention that according to my Puget Sound Fresh chart nothing that is fresh and local is on sale at QFC this week. What is up with that?? Anyway check out your local co-op and you will find it all and for a good price.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for "real food" this week:<br />
<br />
Mission Flour Tortillas - $2/8ct<br />
QFC Milk - $ .99/half gal<br />
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1/10-12oz<br />
Simple Truth Organic Canned Beans - $1/15oz<br />
Herdez Salsa - $2/16oz<br />
Kroger Cottage Cheese - $1.50/16oz<br />
QFC Butter - $1.99/lb<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Whole Chickens - $1.29/lb<br />
Lean Ground Beef - $5.99/lb<br />
Medium Avocados - $ .99/ea<br />
Cara Cara Navel Oranges - $ .99/lb<br />
Organic Fuji Apples - $1.99/lb<br />
Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.99/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $ .99/ea<br />
Zucchini or Yellow Squash - $1.29/lb<br />
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Reminder:<br />
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Be on the lookout for your American Express bill. Miss MaggieMae got her rebate check this month. I still haven't seen mine. Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-6540029795769041682015-02-18T11:33:00.000-08:002015-02-18T11:33:11.849-08:00Photo Dump 2/18<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You can always tell when Miss MoneyPenny is done with winter when the Christmas wreath tops the garbage can. Usually Mis KnowItAll comes over and jerks it off the door and gives me a disgusted look but I beat her to it this year. I got my wreath from Costco last Christmas for $15 and it was a good deal. That was a really fresh wreath. Even though it looks a little bedraggled it still had not dropped any needles, so I will be back for another one this Christmas.<br />
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And because I'm done with winter I'm starting spring with a big pot of primroses by the front door. I got these at QFC on Saturday for $1 each and they are very healthy. You notice that on the side of the pot there is a little viola from somewhere. Remember that slugs and snails are thrilled with primroses, so hit them with the Sluggo. In fact I will be doing the whole perimeter of the house again in my effort to battle them. This actually works pretty well.<br />
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This brunnera called "Jack Frost" started coming up about two weeks ago and is now sporting his pretty blue flowers. This plant just thrills me and I'm gonna see if I can't find a couple more. This guy only wants good dirt, a little water and sunshine and he is good to go. I cut him down to the ground when he dies off in the late fall. That's it!!<br />
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Don't you just love crocus?? They are always the first bulb to show up in my flower bed. I've got patches of them all over the place and can't even remember the last time I planted any.<br />
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And speaking of crocus - here is the single giant crocus coming up in one of my raised vegetable beds again this year. The raised beds must be a lot more fertile that the flower beds judging by the size of him.<br />
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I noticed that the flowering plums in my neighborhood all have a blush to them. On closer inspection it looks like they are getting ready to do their thing and be all beautiful. I don't know why and it breaks my heart but it seems like every year when they are all budded out and gorgeous we get a big giant wind storm and the ground looks like it is covered in pink snow.<br />
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Even though I was wearing gloves I still got this nasty blister. What a bad spot. Now that it is healing it is itching me crazy.<br />
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This is my beloved Italian garlic looking all green. I planted double what I did the year before and selected large cloves so I should have a wonderful crop this summer.<br />
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I planted these daffodils in the zucchini barrel years ago and they keep coming up every spring. They are just about to burst out into beautiful yellow flowers.<br />
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Who knew that African Violets bloom pretty much all year?? These are ready for bigger pots again. When I water them I set them in a pan of warm water and let them soak all day with a little Miracle Gro added. My grandma told me that they like north light and hate to be moved. Okay. So I follow her advice.<br />
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Here is my big fat check from Ebates. I don't do a lot of shopping any more so my check was only $43 but it is money for nothing. My sister who shops for her three grandchildren and her accounting business buys everything online and gets huge checks. Basically all you do is go through the Ebates site on your way to Macy's or Home Depot or whatever and you rack up a percentage of what you spend. Easy peasy. Yesterday Macy's was going for 6% so if you bought $100 worth of merchandise you would have $6 added to your Ebates account. This can really add up over time and it truly is money for nothing.<br />
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I also want to mention that it looks like Costco and American Express are getting a divorce and it will be final March 2016. There are negotiations with other cards like Capital One going on. This will be easier for me because the only place in my little town that accepts Amex is QFC and Chevron.<br />
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Remember to be on the lookout for your Costco Rebate Check in your Amex bill. They say it is for February billing so that must make it the March bill. I don't know for sure but keep an eye out and don't throw it away like I did once. EEK!!Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-23577242996484900792015-02-11T12:15:00.000-08:002015-02-11T12:15:02.602-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 2/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first started <strike>channeling</strike> I mean writing Miss MoneyPenny I was working a full time job with a lot more income than I am living on now. Now that I'm retired my income is down about a third and I do pretty good. If I had it to do over, I would have made sure that my mortgage was paid and that was totally doable back in the day when I was spending like a maniac. But I didn't. Luckily for me my mortgage is quite low, and as my sister says, pretty cheap rent.<br />
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One of the big reasons that I started blogging was because of QFC. Now, I'm not a big fan of QFC. I think it is terrible that such a high priced market decided to come to our very working class town. Granted - we have Port Ludlow on one side and Kala Point on the other but for the most part it really is the rest of us. We are the retired, homeless, underemployed single moms, and hard working families who struggle to make ends meet.<br />
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Since our local market is QFC I searched the web for bloggers that covered the deals. At that time I couldn't find anybody doing it. They covered Safeway and Albertson's, but no QFC. I contacted a couple of them and asked why there was no QFC. The best answer that I got was that it was too damned expensive. Okay, but other than QFC we had the baby beginnings of Chimacum Corner Farmstand which was starting to grow from a local Sunday Farmers Market so it was all we had. So I jumped in.<br />
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My mission with Miss MoneyPenny was to search out the best deals on "real food" each week from the ad. This has not been as easy as you would think because in the three and half years since I started posting, food prices have gone through the roof. No surprise to anyone who grocery shops, I'm sure.<br />
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I now have a four pronged approach to grocery shopping that doesn't just involve QFC and it is pretty cost effective while providing good food and other grocery items. First - I always check out the QFC ad and circle the deals. Second - and because I have storage I get as much toilet paper, cleaning products, cereal, almond milk, coffee, etc. kind of stuff at Costco. I try to time everything with their coupons which really adds to the savings. Third - I grow a small kitchen garden which provides several different veggies and berries. And lastly - during the winter months I get a lot of produce from Chimacum Corner Farmstand.<br />
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My sister fell in love with this store when she was here last year taking care of me after hip surgery. Remember she is the one who thinks that a kale salad with a couple of eggs on top is a fine breakfast. Anyway this is a picture of some of their produce before they expanded. During our growing season they get their produce from our local growers. In the winters they try to get it as close as possible and organic.<br />
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Okay - so let's look at the ad for this week. Again, it is a two weeker - meaning that it runs through the 24th. I want to mention a couple of nonfood items. Tulips!! don't they just make you happy?? They do me. Anyway, they are on for three bunches for $10. It was not in the ad but I've noticed that they have been offering their beautiful primroses for $1 each which is cheaper that Walmart at $1.38. I'm gonna take down the Christmas wreath this weekend and plant some by the front door.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
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Franz Natural Bread - BOGO<br />
Spice Island Spices - 50% off<br />
Peet's Coffee - $6.99/12oz bag<br />
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1/10-12oz<br />
Marie Callendar's Chicken Pot Pies - $1.88/ea<br />
Draper Valley Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - BOGO<br />
Fresh Wild Dover Sole Fillets - $5.99/lb<br />
Fresh Wild Pacific Cod Fillets - $5.99/lb<br />
Flank Steak - $6.99/lb<br />
Asparagus - $1.77/lb<br />
Driscoll's Strawberries (California?) - $2.50/lb<br />
Eggplant or English Cukes - $1.50/ea<br />
Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts - $1.99/lb<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .99/lb<br />
Organic Lady Alice Apples - $1.99/lb<br />
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Since I bought Brussels sprouts, carrots with their leafy tops, and beautiful lettuce at the Farmstand I will only be picking up the asparagus and strawberries, if they smell good. I will also be getting a couple of the spices as I'm almost out of cinnamon and red pepper flakes. And the cod. Man, I love the cod. You do know that QFC in Port Hadlock has one of the best fish markets around??<br />
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I want to share with you a yummy recipe that I got from the Barefoot Contessa for Brussels sprouts.<br />
All you do is clean a pound of sprouts and cut them in half. Add a quarter pound of pancetta, diced. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 20 to 30 minutes until browned and the pancetta is cooked. Stir halfway through. When done, drizzle with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. So crazy delicious that I eat the whole pan.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-80882216188151914692015-01-21T12:09:00.000-08:002015-01-21T12:09:30.263-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 1/21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Check out the little nubbins coming up in my Autumn Sedum!! These little babies are the first to show their faces in late winter and the last ones blooming in early winter. Every flower bed loves to have them in the mix. They are almost maintenance free except for that "prune in June" thing where you pinch them down a third or so to avoid the floppsies when they bloom.<br />
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Changing the subject to Bradley Cooper - if you want to see a movie that will get you going, one way or the other, go see American Sniper. I'm not a war movie person but I usually enjoy anything that Clint Eastwood does and I'm a big fan of Bradley. I'm not gonna lie to you. This is a hard movie to watch but if you are at all curious about what goes on over in the Mideast this might answer some questions. I also came away with a deeper understanding of our vets...and appreciation.<br />
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Okay - moving on to the grocery ad for this week. A couple of things to mention are the fresh Alaska cod and the asparagus. Most people prefer the little skinny spears of asparagus but really the fatter ones are much more tender. When I'm washing the asparagus I take each spear and give it a bend. It will break where the tender spot is. The tough ends go out to the compost pile to join the wormies.<br />
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The last time that the cod was on sale I bought enough for two meals. I cut it up and soaked it in beer and then dusted it with Krusteaz Bake "n Fry Mix. I baked it at 400 until done, turning once as it browned on the bottom. It was so good with a squeeze of lemon that I ate the whole thing in one sitting. So much for my plans.<br />
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If you have been jonesing for berries as I have, QFC has them on sale for $2.50. A couple of weeks ago I purchased the blueberries that were on sale and they were just not wonderful. Once you get used to eating berries out of your backyard, nothing else measures up. If you are planning on buying the berries give them a good sniff. Usually if they smell good they will taste good.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
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Mission Flour Tortillas - $1.25/10ct<br />
QFC Milk - $ .99/half gal<br />
Kroger Cottage Cheese - $1.50/16 oz<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.50/16oz<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Boneless Top Sirloin Steak - $6.99/lb<br />
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - BOGO<br />
Fresh Alaska Cod Fillets - $7.99/lb<br />
Asparagus - $2.99/lb<br />
Cucumbers - $ .69/ea<br />
Green Bell Peppers - $ .69/ea<br />
Eggplant - $1.50/ea<br />
Jazz Apples - $1.99/lb<br />
Organic Anjou Pears - $1.99/lb<br />
Organic Bunch Carrots or Beets - $2/bunch<br />
Strawberries - $2.50/lb (God only knows where they are from)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixipjRROzU0xpo_eHVMv1wcsXQeNFUF7zVcLB5xbE1vmqXNFD5XGXHoKm9f1nBuYMPWxDw-f0pK0B0d9yGOQbmurChHFuinoA95r2HiQqklqC3EfRyaFipTXnRbLA6fdY3imA3TfuIysw/s1600/IMG_20150115_071347_869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixipjRROzU0xpo_eHVMv1wcsXQeNFUF7zVcLB5xbE1vmqXNFD5XGXHoKm9f1nBuYMPWxDw-f0pK0B0d9yGOQbmurChHFuinoA95r2HiQqklqC3EfRyaFipTXnRbLA6fdY3imA3TfuIysw/s1600/IMG_20150115_071347_869.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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You might remember that I mentioned a few weeks ago that my sister eats salad for breakfast with eggs on top. She sent me this snap the other day of her breakfast. I'm gonna take the last of the Kale Salad Mix that I told you about last week and cook it up for lunch. I think that it will be very tasty with a couple of poached eggs and a buttered English muffin.<br />
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FYI:<br />
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Miss PeggyRae gave me a gift certificate to Red Robin and Miss MaggieMay and I had lunch there yesterday. I haven't eaten there since the 80s and I don't know why because that was a seriously good burger. They also have endless fries. I thought that the fries were just average. If you want crazy good fries, the best ever, go to Burgers Landing in Port Hadlock. They also have a good old fashioned burger that is pretty good and a very good price.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-32571927208924327852015-01-14T12:27:00.000-08:002015-01-14T12:27:39.583-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 1/14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKF36ukhqfIndBrmy0bX39Iy2_6EsnY2AlU3sfv9_Psq3LyKz0OYn0bQnQ3c8etzaj2LQ3ucWPaNT5hyWluXuF7ZLPxTlmlok-BPwG-CpzLuIIq7870ZZjxf9_rwBCQCFDyGNf9R9f2Q/s1600/20150108_124710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKF36ukhqfIndBrmy0bX39Iy2_6EsnY2AlU3sfv9_Psq3LyKz0OYn0bQnQ3c8etzaj2LQ3ucWPaNT5hyWluXuF7ZLPxTlmlok-BPwG-CpzLuIIq7870ZZjxf9_rwBCQCFDyGNf9R9f2Q/s1600/20150108_124710.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't know how the people across from us at the Mexican restaurant feel about being on the blog but they sure were enjoying Cooper, a.k.a. Coopy. I don't know how she does it but Miss CutiePie is the most relaxed new mama and it shows. He was happy the whole time we were eating lunch and all we had to do was occasionally pick up a launched toy. And I love his stylin' hair and big blue eyes.<br />
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Anyway, Miss MaggieMae and I went down to Costco yesterday so I could get my tires rotated. You do know that when you buy your tires from Costco you get them rotated for free?? They also check the pressure and balance and let you know how your tires are doing. Tires are an expensive investment plus very important for safety so it is important to take good care of them. Remember we are all about maintenance not repair.<br />
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Also I found the above salad mix while I was at Costco. I've gotten tired of lettuce and have been eating a lot of cole slaw lately, so I was excited about this mix. It contains kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and I don't know what all. It also comes with a pack of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, plus a couple packs of poppy seed dressing. I haven't tried the dressing yet because I make my own but I will give it a go next time I have this but I do use the cranberries and seeds. <br />
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This is a good salad and very filling. I've also added chicken and blue cheese crumbles to make it a main meal. Miss MaggieMae suggested throwing a handful into the old Vitamix next time I fire it up to make a smoothie. Good idea!! And it only costs $4.79 for this big bag. I know that my sister is gonna love this. She has salad for breakfast with a couple poached eggs on top. I may give that a try.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. This is a boring ad, no doubt about it, but there are primroses and they are going for a dollar each. I'm pretty sure that you shouldn't eat primroses but they sure can cheer up a dreary winter day and they are a harbinger of spring. Remember the Sluggo because the slugs love 'em. Also daffodils are $2.50 for a five stem bunch, so for $5 you could have a lovely bouquet of springness.<br />
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Here are the highlights:<br />
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Special K Cereal - $1.99/11-13oz<br />
Fage Greek Yogurt - $1/7oz<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.50/16oz<br />
Nancy' Yogurt - $2.50/qt<br />
Boneless Sirloin Tip Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Pork Loin Rib or Loin Chops - BOGO<br />
Broccoli Crowns - $ .99/lb<br />
Cauliflower - $ .99/lb<br />
Green Beans - $1.99/lb<br />
Brussels Sprouts - $1.99/lb<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .69/lb<br />
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Be sure and stock up on the oranges. This is their peak season and they are usually at their best. Also, the vitamin C can't hurt either during this cold and flu season.<br />
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<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-72554076513590617732015-01-07T12:36:00.000-08:002015-01-07T12:36:14.632-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 1/7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Miss MoneyPenny loves the Seahawks!! And they are in the playoffs again this year despite the pundits saying they are just a flash in the pan. I'm proud to say that I watched every game this year. Granted it was hard at the beginning of the season when they were trying to sort out the Percy Harvin mess and how could they really get rid of Golden Tate?? But, anyway, here they are again. They will be playing the Carolina Panthers on Saturday at 5:15 on Fox. Guess what I will be doing?? Go Hawks!!<br />
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Have you got the after holiday blahs?? I do. In fact Miss MaggieMay and I couldn't even think of anything to do yesterday. That's how bad it was. But today is a different matter. My knitting group is having a party today. Since everyone was so busy during the actual holidays we decided to get together today and have goodies and a knitting themed White Elephant. We can't buy anything. It has to come from our own collection. This should be interesting.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad this week. Now that we are done with the holiday feasting and trying to get back into our jeans, we need to start paying attention to what we are putting in our mouth. And what we are taking out of our wallets. I always overspend my grocery budget during the holidays so January can look pretty bleak with lots of stews and soups and no prime rib and oyster dressing. But soup and stew can be really good if you take the time and effort. What could be better that a hot steaming bowl of chicken soup with good homemade bread?? Nothing.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for "real food" at a good price:<br />
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Franz Bread - $2/loaf<br />
Tully's Coffee - $5.99/12oz bag<br />
Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce - $2.50/17oz<br />
Nancy's Yogurt - $2.50/qt<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Foster Farms Ground Turkey - $2.99/20oz pack<br />
Fresh Pacific Cod Fillets - $7.99/lb<br />
Fresh Petrale Fillets - $7.99/lb<br />
Fresh Whole Cooked Crab - $5.99/lb<br />
Blueberries - $4.99/18oz<br />
Anjou or Bosc Pears - $1.49/lb<br />
Green Beans - $1.99/lb<br />
Brussel Sprouts - $1.99/lb<br />
Greens - $2/bunch<br />
Jazz, Ambrosia, Sonya or Cripps Pink Apples - $1.49/lb<br />
Medium Hass Avocados - $ .99/ea<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.50/ea<br />
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QFC is also having their Buy5/Save $5 promo so check it out for any packaged products that you need. The little tags are all over the store.<br />
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<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-61010274018138850182015-01-02T13:04:00.000-08:002015-01-02T13:04:00.470-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 1/2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbynw1TIC2kEcQ9xOACPMnie2B2qTfq9QZWiAy_1sMKUjsTuAZiSDEuLRgEZhtT8MhRSpWJJDcneWSgaYlEw26FitemjVfv8lifUysnw_oBE9xKwQogTI3u2D4tc13QkTAvUqF2YvxqYQ/s1600/20141229_121159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbynw1TIC2kEcQ9xOACPMnie2B2qTfq9QZWiAy_1sMKUjsTuAZiSDEuLRgEZhtT8MhRSpWJJDcneWSgaYlEw26FitemjVfv8lifUysnw_oBE9xKwQogTI3u2D4tc13QkTAvUqF2YvxqYQ/s1600/20141229_121159.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was walking by one of my heater vents the other day and I noticed this pink stuff. I took a picture and sent it to my son, the plumber. He quickly texted back that it wasn't a good thing to have and he would be up soon. And he was. And under the house. It seems that I've got a big effing rat problem and it ain't gonna be fun or cheap to fix.<br />
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The first order of business is trapping the varmints. My son is going on a rat patrol campaign which involves a dozen traps baited with peanut butter and something else. I shudder when I think of this. Then the repair happens. Ka-Ching.<br />
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Now I'm worried that one of those creepy rodents is gonna come screaming out of the toilet and bite me on the butt. According to my son he has never seen such big rats. I'm so thrilled about all of this.<br />
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Anyway, check out the edge of my old dish drainer from God knows when. I'm thinking 60s, 70s, or maybe 80s with the brown color. All that whitish stuff is minerals from our hard water that doesn't come off even in the dishwasher. But check it out - I took advantage of the Kitchenaid dish drainer coupon at Costco the other day and got this little compact beauty:<br />
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I hand wash most of my dishes unless I'm cooking up a storm or entertaining. These are my dishes from breakfast and they fit perfectly. I don't know about you but I pretty much use the same dishes all the time. Now that I think of it one of my old boyfriends from the 70s said that a dishwasher was just an expensive place to store dirty dishes. He might have something there but I would still hate to be without my dishwasher.<br />
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Okay - let's look at our short timer ad. Nothing real exciting but QFC is running their Buy5/Get $5 promo so check it out if there are any packaged items that you need. I don't know about you but I have really been craving real and fresh food after the holiday feasting. I don't know why I do it, but I do. I always eat all the goodies and then feel rotten so there will be lots of fresh produce and fish at the MoneyPenny house from now on. <br />
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Here are my suggestions:<br />
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Dave's Killer Bread - $3.99/loaf<br />
Seattle's Best Coffee - $4.99/12oz bag<br />
Boneless Pork Top Loin Chops - BOGO<br />
Fresh Dove Sole Fillets - $6.99/lb<br />
Broccoli Crowns - $1.49/lb<br />
Cucumbers or Green Peppers - $ .69/ea<br />
Eggplant - $1.50/ea<br />
Gala, Fuji, or Braeburn Apples - $ .99/lb<br />
Grape Tomatoes - $2/10oz pack<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .69/lb<br />
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When a patch of warm sunshine is involved even mortal enemies can get along.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-17274497014432984992014-12-29T11:31:00.000-08:002014-12-29T11:31:25.197-08:00Christmas in Eugene Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When my sister and I get together for the holidays we put together a jigsaw puzzle. This is our latest effort and it was really tough. Look at all those white flowers and green trees. We actually gave up and went to bed with about 30 pieces left that all looked alike, so my sister finished it and sent this picture while we were on our way up I-5.<br />
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As I've mentioned before my sister and I love to cook together and it was a real treat to put together the Christmas Eve dinner. We decided this year that instead of oiling the roast we would rub it all over with butter. Everything is better with butter, right?? Then we doused it with Worcestershire Sauce and rubbed it down with Montreal Steak Seasoning.<br />
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We roasted it in a hot oven for 20 minutes, then turned it down to 325. Everything was going great until the neighbor from across the street arrived with a whole slew of micro beers from the Willamette Valley for a tasting party.<br />
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Somehow I only captured his back end as he was telling us about the different beers but you can see the two men holding dogs - the Bradster with Pici and my sister's ex holding her dog, Rosie. I don't know why I find that funny. Anyway - one thing led to another and before you knew it our roast was well done.<br />
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Darn that neighbor and his good beer but the roast turned out delicious anyway. Luckily there wasn't anyone there who wasn't happy without rare meat, or even medium meat, for that matter.<br />
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This is my brother Mikey. The older he gets the more he looks like our dad. He and his wife, Robin, live in Roseburg and they are raising their pretty little granddaughter, Miley.<br />
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It was hard to get all the grand kids together and sitting still. This is my best effort. Christmas is much more fun with kids around and these kids were having a fabulous time.<br />
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The Bradster was playing Scrabble with the kids at one time. I don't know what this game is but I do know that they beat him at everything. I did notice that he was allowing some very strange sounding words that I've never heard before when they were playing Scrabble. That might have had something to do with it.<br />
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<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-78955739104797682582014-12-18T14:12:00.001-08:002014-12-18T14:12:46.790-08:00Rib Roast Coupon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qL0mlulD3sAQwQojguWO9TYKG1mKYv4d_zMveLnsPEQECCOTi-THjcpA4WunSFdoO7cREFmaaL_SS4m4CnIH2wMP2BoRo5XzTtZRtRfmZcgGMhP7F41G9Ku3GL6qCjBQ2esNqfJ6CQo/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qL0mlulD3sAQwQojguWO9TYKG1mKYv4d_zMveLnsPEQECCOTi-THjcpA4WunSFdoO7cREFmaaL_SS4m4CnIH2wMP2BoRo5XzTtZRtRfmZcgGMhP7F41G9Ku3GL6qCjBQ2esNqfJ6CQo/s1600/images.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope that if you are buying a rib roast for Christmas dinner that you haven't done it yet. My sweet sister-in-law, Miss Denise, who works in the meat department of QFC, posted this link to a $10 coupon on Facebook this morning and I stole it. It's okay because I told her I was gonna do it. That's why she posted it. Right?? Anyway here is the <a href="http://kroger.softcoin.com/programs/kroger/digital_coupons/?banner=QFC&origin=QFCFace&assettag=atqfcfb&filtertag=ftqfcfb&clipsource=csqfcfb&ytp=001001010007008005005000">link</a> so you can get $10 off of the cost of your roast.<br />
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This is a digital coupon which will link right to your QFC card, so if you haven't registered your card now is the time. It's quick and easy and you can do it from the coupon page.<br />
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Merry Christmas Everyone!!Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-50758913868018791332014-12-17T12:28:00.000-08:002014-12-17T12:28:06.813-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 12/17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My sister, Miss SmartyPants, works at least 60 hours a week at her business plus she is raising her three grandchildren. Still she manages to get her Eugene house decorated for Christmas and maybe the one down on the coast for all I know.<br />
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And this is my next door neighbor Tina's place. It scares me when she gets up on the roof and hangs over. And, yes, that is a ten foot snowman. This picture doesn't do it justice but it is the only one that I took that shows the snowman because he lights up every few seconds.<br />
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This is my decorating. The ladies at the Nordland Garden Club forgot about me this year so I got my wreath at Costco for $15. Not only was it $10 cheaper, it is bigger and fresher and I think it looks very nice. Sorry ladies but I'm doing the Costco wreaths from now on.<br />
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I can't believe that it is almost Christmas already!! How did that happen?? The Bradster and I are doing something different this year. We are getting up seriously early on the 24th and heading for Oregon. We should be in Eugene by noon if we avoid the traffic. Sometimes getting through Portland during holiday rush hour traffic can be tricky. <br />
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My sister always has a big Christmas Eve dinner with lots of kids and relatives and we are going to join in this year. We are planning to get there early so I can help with the preparation of the prime rib dinner. We love to cook together and have turned out some amazing feasts over the years.<br />
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I want you to know that serving prime rib for Christmas is one of the easiest main dishes that you can do. Nothing like a turkey but it is also probably the most expensive. This year, at QFC, prime rib is going for $9.99 per pound which is $2 a pound more expensive than last year. <br />
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When you buy your roast you have to to decide on the size. You could go for a rib per person or decide how much you are gonna spend and that is it. Don't ask the butcher (who is usually your friend) because you might end up with a $120 roast like I did once. So, if you have $60 buy a six pound roast and call it good. With all the other goodies on the table you will be fine.<br />
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I never give leftovers to my guests. I keep it all for me, if there is any, that is. When I carve the roast I always hide the bones because they are delicious roasted with BBQ sauce later when the holidays are over and the days are dark and gloomy.<br />
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I consulted my sister to see how she was gonna do the roast this year. She said she was going to oil it up and rub Montreal Steak Seasoning all over it. This makes a fabulous roast. I like to do this too, but I also add a good lube of Worcestershire Sauce. Easy peasy.<br />
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She also said that she starts the roast out at 425 degrees for a bit (???) and then turns it down to 325 until done. I prefer a medium roast but some people think that is a sin. Use your meat thermometer to get it exactly like you want it. For rare you want to cook it about 23 minutes per pound but all this is variable depending on your oven. Example: 6 pound roast x 23 min = 138 min = 2 1/2 hours. I would start checking at two hours.<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad. This is a big ad and lasts through Christmas Day so I won't be doing the next ad until the 31st. Plus, I will be on the I-5 headed to Eugene.<br />
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If your budget won't expand for prime rib you could do a turkey because QFC is running the promo where you buy $30 worth of groceries you get a turkey for $ .69 a pound. I did this for Thanksgiving and it turned out great. You could also do a Hormel ham for $1.99 a pound or even Fresh Crab for $5.99 a pound.<br />
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I also want to mention that QFC is giving you a free gallon of milk if you buy four Chex cereals. I don't really care for the cereal but my Aunt Barbara used to make this killer Chex Mix with it, so that might be an idea if you need snacks.<br />
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Here are my suggestions:<br />
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Gold Medal Flour - $2.50/5lb<br />
Kroger Brown Sugar - $2/2lb<br />
Kroger Spices - 50% off<br />
McCafe Coffee - $6.99/12oz<br />
Chex Cereal - Buy 4/get free gal Milk ($3/box)<br />
Del Monte Vegetables - $ .50/can<br />
Swanson Broth - $2/qt<br />
Challenge Butter - $2.49/lb<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.50/16oz<br />
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - 3 for $5/8oz bar<br />
QFC Whipping Cream - $2.99/pint<br />
Tillamook Cheese - $5.99/2lb<br />
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1/12oz bag<br />
Boneless Sirloin Tip Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Rib Roast - $9.99/lb<br />
Fresh Cooked Dungeness Crab - $5.99/lb<br />
Hormel Cure 81 Half Spiral Ham - $1.99/lb<br />
Private Selection Turkey - $ .69/lb (must spend additional $30)<br />
Pears - $1.49/lb<br />
Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower - $ .99/lb<br />
Celery or Mayan Sweet Onions - $ .99/lb<br />
Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith Apples - $1.28/lb<br />
Green Beans or Brussels Sprouts - $1.99/lb<br />
Nature Sweet Tomatoes - $2.99/10.5oz<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.50/ea<br />
Sweet Potatoes or Yams - $ .99/lb<br />
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My son, the plumber, gave me a Macy's gift card for my birthday and this is how I spent some of it. I got it for 30% off plus another 10% from my Macy's Wallet and free shipping. And 6% went into my Ebates account. I hope that if you are doing online shopping that you are going through Ebates. It really does add up and it is nice to get that check.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-74996534703501966112014-12-13T13:28:00.000-08:002014-12-13T13:28:12.983-08:002014 Garden Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I searched through my pictures to find a pretty picture of my garden to remind me how beautiful it can be because it sure looks crappy right now:<br />
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Isn't this just God-awful?? Believe it or not but we had a big giant wind storm the other night and when I got up in the morning all the cardboard and big heavy wet rugs had been blown off. How could that be when they were weighted down with bricks?? That was a new one on me.<br />
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As you can see I've run out of rugs and cardboard so when I get a new box I quickly tear it down and go out to the garden. After I weed a patch that matches the size of my cardboard I mulch it with compost and cover it up. In the spring I just remove the cover from the section I want to plant and plant it. No weeds!! Genius.<br />
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I want to start with my successes from my gardening year. First I get my seeds only from Territorial and my plants from Red Dog Farm which is a local organic farm. In my experience they have worked the best in my gardening conditions.<br />
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Also, I now know for sure that I can only achieve success in growing basil and peppers by keeping them in my greenhouse all summer. I grew several different peppers from Red Dog and they all did really well. I also grew basil in the garden but it didn't compare to the greenhouse basil.<br />
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Now that I think about it I had good success with all my root crops and they were all grown from seed except the onions and potatoes. This was my best year ever for carrots and beets. I only grow beets for pickling and they are crazy good. I had potatoes all over the garden because last year's crop volunteered. I'm not gonna plant new ones next year and see what happens. The radishes were beautiful and sweet and one of the first things for harvest.<br />
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Onions are the best!! I love love the onions. This year I planted Walla Wallas, yellow onions, red onions, and shallots. I gave half of my starts to Tina and she grew them too.<br />
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And the garlic!! This was my first year with the garlic. I got my bulbs from a friend at my knitting group. She got them from a friend who smuggled them in from Italy. Everyone of the cloves that I planted grew into beautiful heads of garlic. I even braided my garlic. Now that was fun. This year I planted twice as much as last year using the biggest heads.<br />
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I have blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry beds and they produced wildly all summer due to the different bearing plants. I did not buy fruit from June until October. Oh, yeah. I also got a lot of blackberries from the vines that hang over my fence from the neighbors. I'm starting to worry that when I cut them back off my fence every fall that it just makes them come back like gangbusters. I don't know.<br />
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I had mixed luck with my tomatoes. I bought a Roma and a Sungold and put them in black tomato growing bags in the number 1 garden. The Sungold, of course, went crazy and produced very well. The Roma gave out 10 to 12 delicious tomatoes and curled up its toes, turned black, and died. I had literally hundred of volunteer tomato starts in my gardens this year. I pulled them like crazy but one got away from me and was quite large before I noticed it. I thought what the heck and let it grow. That thing gave off billions of cherry tomatoes. You never know.<br />
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This is the year of the volunteer because nasturtiums ending up taking over the green beans. I thought that they were pretty so I left them. Wrong. I had dinner sized nasturtium leaves and hardly any beans. You live, you learn.<br />
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Since I grow my zucchini in an old wheel barrow and my cucumbers in a big pot I thought that I would try seeds developed just for pots. I'm here to tell you that I did not get one zucchini or one cucumber. Who every heard of that?? I'm never doing that again. I don't know why it didn't work. It just didn't. Maybe I pissed off the gardening God. Who knows.<br />
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Last summer was just too hot for lettuce. My beautiful lettuce would just about be ready to harvest and the next day it would bolt. I've decided that I'm not growing lettuce any more. It takes up a lot of room when Chimacum Corners has beautiful lettuce grown locally and that is what I will be using from now on. However, I will still be planting chard because I love the heck out of it and it does very well in my garden.<br />
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As usual I grew dill and cilantro in my garden, as well as sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos, zinnias, and marigolds. I believe, and I might be wrong, that flowers attract the bees for good pollination. Plus, they add so much to the beauty of the garden. And you can pick them for endless bouquets.<br />
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Growing a garden is a lot of work. There is no getting around it. And it can be heartbreaking. But if you want beautiful produce that you know is pure as the driven snow, go for it. And we still haven't talked about the effect of growing your own produce has on the grocery budget. Talk about stretching a buck. Not to mention the free exercise. <br />
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As I look back on my gardening year I think about how satisfying it is to go out in the garden every day and decide what the menu is going to be. Eating food that is perfectly ripe is a real joy. It just doesn't taste the same as what you get at QFC during the winter. Who knew that the humble carrot could be so good??<br />
<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-45457711337657476982014-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:002014-12-10T11:42:02.569-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 12/10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KZssZ_vJu9EFv9Jr14sW-rIw8Rlkoj0n2cPC_spPOXKSeDduJJugaXFB4q_LURZFcVbymKcEnytIpCe6K9OyUXBio138kHiMD_n04HQsYB7kHgKEXyuGretuZi-T1BjdelMLWJ4h02c/s1600/977773_426508924113871_1147719645_o%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KZssZ_vJu9EFv9Jr14sW-rIw8Rlkoj0n2cPC_spPOXKSeDduJJugaXFB4q_LURZFcVbymKcEnytIpCe6K9OyUXBio138kHiMD_n04HQsYB7kHgKEXyuGretuZi-T1BjdelMLWJ4h02c/s1600/977773_426508924113871_1147719645_o%5B1%5D.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
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My son, the plumber, has our family photos and every so often he will post one of them on Facebook. They always bring back old memories of when we were all young and definitely having a good time. I've mentioned before that my favorite ex-husband used to race stock cars and here is the proof. Look at all that beautiful hair on my son!! It makes me sad that at least three of these guys are dead, including my favorite ex-husband. He always said to live hard and die fast. He knew what he was talking about because that is just what he did.<br />
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This is when we hiked two miles into Surprise Lake to do a little spring fishing. It was just us and the bear who took a brand new two pound brick of Tillamook cheese from our camp site. We decided to leave then.<br />
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The only reason that we ended up on the Olympic Peninsula was because of the fishing. My son is holding his much loved old cat, Dee Dee, when we lived in Port Angeles. Look at the size of that salmon or maybe it is a steelhead. I can tell by the long underwear and the waders that this fish was caught in the winter. Probably on the Hoh or Bogachiel out on the West End.<br />
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My son and his friend Allen in front of our car repair business. They are still good friends to this day. I have no idea what they have been up to. Maybe one of their famous camping trips which were really just excuses to drink beer out in the woods.<br />
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Okay - enough tripping down memory lane. Let's talk grocery shopping. QFC has boneless chuck roast on sale this week for $3.99 a pound which is a pretty good price, so if your family likes meat, stock up. Once you get it home cut some of it up for stew before you put it in the freezer. Also, they are running their Buy 4/Save $4 promo, so if you need packaged goods check it out.<br />
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Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
<br />
Seattle's Best Coffee - $4.99/12oz bag<br />
Kroger Cottage cheese - $2.50/24 oz<br />
Kroger Spices - 50% off<br />
QFC Butter - $2.50/lb<br />
Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs - $2.50/doz<br />
Marie Callendar's Pot Pies - $2/ea<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $3.99/lb<br />
Fresh Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab - $5.99/lb<br />
Jennie-O Ground Turkey - $3.99/20 oz pack<br />
Eggplant - $1.50/ea<br />
Honeycrisp Apples - $1.88/lb<br />
Organic Anjou Pears - $1.79/lb<br />
Tomatoes on the Vine - $1.99/lb<br />
Colored Bell Peppers - $1.50/ea<br />
English Cucumbers - $1.50/ea<br />
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Update:<br />
<br />
Now you know how Miss MoneyPenny is all about getting a flu shot and I still think that. But there is a little problem this year with the virus. It took a left turn and mutated or something scientific so our vaccines are not as effective. From what I understand it is only about 60 percent effective but will still offer some protection if you do get the flu. In other words, you won't get as sick as if you hadn't had the shot. So I'm still recommending that you get your flu shot because getting less sick is a good thing. Don't you agree??<br />
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<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-68266821640728540272014-12-03T11:21:00.000-08:002014-12-03T11:23:53.265-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 12/3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy-vovitYMlDtIb2jEUPmpxsfzffiCdlK6QS2xC9_BC0lXHoVwf-9FKiyT_CXte0-on_peA0pR_6nB_hgCIUXQWVlspAhw0IdujZE0GSpVuoyLvre7GVinxrOemp35ldb2Y_YMwXgGTY/s1600/100_1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy-vovitYMlDtIb2jEUPmpxsfzffiCdlK6QS2xC9_BC0lXHoVwf-9FKiyT_CXte0-on_peA0pR_6nB_hgCIUXQWVlspAhw0IdujZE0GSpVuoyLvre7GVinxrOemp35ldb2Y_YMwXgGTY/s1600/100_1992.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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How did your Thanksgiving go?? And wasn't it hot that day?? It was so warm ( in the high 60s) that we had the door open while we were eating. Then this happened on Friday night and it is still so cold that my backyard is still white, although it is starting to warm up. This morning it was a tropical 21 degrees but it is still a full time job keeping the hummingbird feeders changed out because they freeze up so fast.<br />
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I used the cooking bag method for my turkey and it turned out better than I could have hoped. The white meat was so flavorful and juicy that no one ate the dark meat. Usually that is the first to go because the white meat is so dry nobody wants to try and choke it down. <br />
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I did discover that getting a greased up turkey into the cooking bag was really a two person job when I almost dropped the slippery devil on the floor trying to get it in the bag. But that was the only problem that I ran into. The directions on the box said that for my 11 pound bird it should take 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours and that was right on the money. We then left it on the counter for an hour wrapped tightly with aluminum foil and covered with two thick towels. It was still hot when we uncovered it to get the drippings for gravy.<br />
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Of course, I took all the bones and skin and made turkey broth jelly in my big oval crock pot. I wonder if breaking up the bones somehow turns the broth into jelly. Anyway, I made another one of Rachael Ray's soups with it. This one is a lentil soup with sausage and kale and it is very good. I followed the recipe except I used sweet Italian sausage instead of hot. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-kale-and-lentil-soup-recipe.html">here:</a><br />
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This is what it looks like:<br />
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Okay - let's look at the ad for this week. QFC is running their Buy 4/Save $4 so if there is anything in packaged goods that you need, check it out. <br />
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Here are my suggestions this week:<br />
<br />
Dave's Killer Bread - $3.99/loaf<br />
Kroger Brown Sugar - $2/2lb bag<br />
Kroger Spices - 50% off<br />
Seattle's Best Coffee - $4.99/12oz bag<br />
Rosarita Refried Beans - $1/can<br />
Nancy's Yogurt - $2/qt<br />
Marie Callendar's Pot Pies - $2/ea<br />
Boneless Chuck Roast - $4.99/lb<br />
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - BOGO<br />
Foster Farms Ground Turkey - $3.99/20oz<br />
Fresh Dover Sole Fillets - $6.99/lb<br />
Kroger Pasta - $1/ea<br />
Anjou, Bosc or Red Pears - $1.29/lb<br />
White Mushrooms - $1.99/8oz<br />
Junami Apples - $1.49/lb<br />
Large Navel Oranges - $ .69/lb<br />
Medium Hass Avocados - $ .99/ea<br />
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I also took some leftover turkey and made the Pad Thai recipe that I posted last time and it turned out really good. I followed the recipe except that I doubled the veggies and added a half pound of sliced mushrooms that were on Manager's Special. My QFC does not carry fresh bean sprouts due to too much ecoli (this from a produce clerk) so I used canned. I rinsed them well in cold water and they worked out okay. Instead of adding the carrots, sprouts, mushrooms, and scallions at the end, I stir fried them with the onion. And instead of grating the carrots I cut them up into little matchsticks.<br />
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This is the final product and, by the way, the sauce is a winner:<br />
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<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-55271201162079690572014-11-25T11:11:00.000-08:002014-11-25T11:11:46.156-08:00Small Business Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are you ready for Thanksgiving?? I am. Usually the Bradster and I go down to my son and daughter-in-law's for holidays but this year I'm cookin' because they are coming here. Including what the Bradster and Miss PeggyRae are bringing we are gonna have a feast.<br />
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I've been taking a hint from my mom and trying to do as much ahead as possible. Yesterday I made up my herb butter for the turkey. I used fresh thyme and sage (from my garden), lemon zest, and lots of cracked pepper and salt. I need it to be very flavorful because I'm gonna rub it all over the turkey before I put it in the cooking bag.<br />
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I hesitated to show this picture of my rolls because it shows how incredibly filthy my oven is due to melted cheese on toast. My appliance guy told me that if I want my stove to last do not use the self-cleaning feature. And, bless him, he said just scrape out the burned stuff and nothing else. I've taken him at his word. My KitchenAid stove is getting close to 25 years but sometimes the oven does let out a little smoke.<br />
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I had to try one of the rolls to make sure they were edible and they were. This is a Parker House Roll recipe from my breadmaker book and it is a winner. You just throw everything into the breadmaker, including an egg, and turn the thing on. It mixes, kneads, and does the first rise for you. You then take the beautiful dough and divide it up and make rolls. It rises again until double in a warm place covered with a clean towel. Then bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Another trick from Mom was to paint the hot tops with butter. <br />
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When totally cool I wrapped in heavy foil and froze them. I take them out the morning of to thaw. It just takes a few minutes in the oven while the turkey is being carved to heat them up. Outstanding with gobs of butter. It is Thanksgiving, after all.<br />
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I took advantage of the turkey deal at QFC and bought an 11 pounder. It has been in my fridge since Sunday and is still rock hard. According to the formula (for every 5 pounds, allow 24 hours) it should be thawed by this evening. My old fridge (also pushing 25 years) runs pretty cold but I suspect that by Thursday I should have a thawed bird.<br />
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Okay - let's talk about Small Business Saturday. Now you know that Miss MoneyPenny does not do Black Friday because it is just too crazy. Back in the late 90s Miss MaggieMae and I almost got into a fist fight with some rotten teenagers who came in the wrong way and took our parking spot that we had been looking forever for. I still can't believe that I didn't flatten their tires.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I do support SBS. My whole family has been about owning small businesses, including my son and both husbands. I'm one of those people who believe that small business is the backbone of our economy and if you want to get tough and build character try opening a small business. That being said I still love Costco.<br />
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One of the things that I'm gonna do on Saturday is get my hair cut and toes done at my local beauty shop. From there I could stop by Chimacum Corners and pick up some local produce. I could also stop at Hadlock Building Supply and Garden Center which is one of my very favorite stores. Then I could grab a pizza from Ferino's on my way home. To cap it off I could hit the 4:30 showing at The Rose of the new Stephen Hawking movie, The Theory of Everything.<br />
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So you can see how easy it is to support local small businesses. And it is kind of neat that they know your name and greet you when you walk in. You are not gonna get that at Target or Walmart.<br />
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I was watching Melissa d'Arabian yesterday and she had a good idea for using up turkey leftovers. This is her recipe and I'm gonna give it a try:<br />
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<article><section><div class="tier-3 title">
<h1 itemprop="name">
Turkey Pad Thai</h1>
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<div class="lead-overview">
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<div class="avatar group" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<h6>
Recipe courtesy of <span itemprop="name">Melissa d'Arabian</span></h6>
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<figure><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/turkey-pad-thai-recipe.print.html#lightbox-recipe-image" title="Turkey Pad Thai"><img alt="Turkey Pad Thai" height="305" itemprop="image" src="http://foodnetwork.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2011/12/2/1/MN0507H_Turkey-Pad-Thai_s4x3.jpg.rend.sni12col.landscape.jpeg" title="Turkey Pad Thai" width="406" /> </a> <figcaption>Turkey Pad Thai</figcaption></figure></div>
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<div class="cooking-times">
<dl>
<dt class="total">Total Time:</dt>
<dd class="total">15 min</dd>
<dt>Prep:</dt>
<dd>10 min</dd>
<dt>Cook:</dt>
<dd>5 min</dd></dl>
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<div class="difficulty">
<dl>
<dt>Yield:</dt>
<dd itemprop="recipeYield">4 servings</dd></dl>
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<dt>Ingredients</dt>
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<div class="col18 ingredients">
<ul>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/4 cup boiling water</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/4 cup <a class="crosslink" debug="35 46" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sugar/index.html">brown sugar</a></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges for serving</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/4 cup <a class="crosslink" debug="117 127" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/fish-sauce/index.html">fish sauce</a></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 tablespoons rice vinegar</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed cooked turkey</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">8 ounces linguini, broken in half</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 tablespoons <a class="crosslink" debug="303 316" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/vegetable-oils/index.html">vegetable oil</a></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/2 yellow onion, sliced</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">3 <a class="crosslink" debug="354 367" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/garlic/index.html">cloves garlic</a>, minced</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">3 eggs, slightly beaten</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1 large carrot, grated</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup chopped peanuts</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup chopped fresh <a class="crosslink" debug="489 497" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cilantro/index.html">cilantro</a></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 cups bean sprouts</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">3 <a class="crosslink" debug="530 539" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/scallion/index.html">scallions</a>, cut into 3/4-inch pieces</li>
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<div class="col18 directions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
<h6>
Directions</h6>
To make the sauce: In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, <a class="crosslink" debug="128 140" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/rice-vinegar/index.html">rice vinegar</a>, and sriracha and stir. Place the leftover turkey in the <a class="crosslink" debug="198 206" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/pad-thai/index.html">pad Thai</a> sauce and let it absorb the flavors while prepping the rest of the dish. Next, prepare the pasta: cook the linguine one minute less than the manufacturer's directions. Drain, and set aside.<br />
Heat the oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat until very hot, almost smoking. Add the onions and <a class="crosslink" debug="515 523" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/stir-fry/index.html">stir fry</a> 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir. Then add the eggs and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the linguini and turkey with sauce and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Remove from heat and toss in grated carrot, peanuts, cilantro, <a class="crosslink" debug="752 764" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/bean-sprouts/index.html">bean sprouts</a> and scallion. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.<br />
<br />
<div class="copyright">
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian</div>
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Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-9106933183719496182014-11-19T12:17:00.001-08:002014-11-19T12:17:21.395-08:00QFC Grocery Basket 11/19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This precious little guy is Coopy and he is with his mommy, Miss CutiePie. Hard to believe that he has gotten so big and handsome. You can see what a charmer he is. Christmas at the CutiePie's will never be the same.<br />
<br />
I'm gonna get right with the ad for this week because it is a biggie. As predicted QFC has their turkey on sale for $ .69 a pound but of course there is a catch. Always with the catch trying to get more money out of our wallets. The deal is you have to spend $30 in additional groceries to get that price and that does not include the turkey. I guess they don't want us to swoop down and get all their turkeys and go buy our other stuff cheaper at Costco. Whatever.<br />
<br />
Here are my suggestions for this week:<br />
<br />
Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Cubes - $3/12-16oz<br />
Gold Medal Flour - $2.50/5lb<br />
Kroger Granulated Sugar - $1.99/4lb<br />
Kroger Spices - $2/ea<br />
Kroger Evaporated Milk - $1.25/12oz can<br />
Starbucks Coffee - $5.99/12oz (must buy 3 to get that price - sheesh!!)<br />
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup - $1/can<br />
Kroger Broth - $ .50/14oz can<br />
Libby's Pumpkin - $1.99/15oz can<br />
Swanson Broth - $2/qt<br />
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce - 3 for $5/14oz can<br />
Cool Whip - $1/8oz frozen<br />
Kroger Sour Cream - $1.50/16oz<br />
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - 3 for $5/8oz bar<br />
Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs - $2.40/doz<br />
Tillamook Cheese - $5.99/2lb<br />
Kroger Pie Shells - $2/2ct frozen<br />
Pillsbury Pie Crusts - $2.50/2ct refrigerated<br />
Cook's Ham $1.49/lb<br />
Fresh Cooked Dungeness Crab - $5.99/lb<br />
Fresh NW Natural Turkey Breast - $2.69/lb<br />
Private Selection Turkey - $ .69/lb with $30 purchase<br />
Asparagus - $2.99/lb<br />
Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower - $ .99/lb<br />
Celery - $ .69/lb<br />
Green Beans or Brussel Sprouts - $1.99/lb<br />
Organic Hard Squash - $ .99/lb<br />
Sweet Potatoes or Yams - $ .99/lb<br />
<br />
I told you that it was a big list. There are several things on the list that most likely have coupons, so if you use them, now is the time. Also go to QFC online and download your digital coupons. If you are a baker stock up on flour, spices, etc. They may not be on sale when it is time for Christmas baking so why take the chance??<br />
<br />
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<br />
I know, I know. You guys are getting sick of pictures of my homemade broth but I want to make sure that I drill into you how easy and cheap it is to make. This is my jellied broth before I skimmed the fat off. You can't get that kind of richness in a can.<br />
<br />
I usually hit Costco twice a month and each time I pick up one of their rotisserie chickens for $5. They are almost twice as big as QFC chickens and better tasting, in my opinion. <br />
<br />
When I've taken the meat off the bones I throw all the bones, skin, and any drippings into my crock pot. I usually break up the chicken carcass so it fits because I'm gonna add an onion (cut in quarters with the skin), a couple carrots, a couple ribs celery, a sliced lemon, a few peppercorns, salt, and a big bay leaf. Sometimes I add fresh thyme and sage from my garden. Then fill to about an inch below the top of your pot and turn it to low. I let it go all day and night. I then strain it and cool it before dividing it up into freezer containers.<br />
<br />
Now tell me - is that stock in the box this rich looking?? And was it practically free?? If you make a lot of soups, stews, etc. this is the way to go. Trust me on this.<br />
<br />Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2231040990996107770.post-44073134748607178552014-11-15T12:13:00.000-08:002014-11-15T12:13:44.820-08:00Miss MoneyPenny Talks Turkey Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Isn't it wonderful what cold fall temps do to the colors of what is left in the garden?? This sedum is called "Autumn Joy" and it certainly is. The flowers start out green in early summer and continue down the pinkish color chart to this gorgeous magenta. If I remember correctly Miss Judith gave me my first sedums and I have shared them with other gardeners that need a perfect spot of beauty in their garden. They are very easy to grow and only require a pinch (prune in June by at least a third) to keep them from getting the floppsies.<br />
<br />
Okay - let's talk turkey. Lucky for me my son the plumber cooks Thanksgiving at their house. Unlucky for me because I don't have leftovers but that is easily remedied by roasting up a turkey breast.<br />
<br />
I'm assuming, and I could be wrong, but I think that QFC will be putting turkey on sale this coming week. If they aren't on sale until next week there would not be enough time to thaw your bird. I've done a little research and have come up with this formula for safely thawing your turkey in the fridge:<br />
<br />
For every five pounds - allow 24 hours thawing time<br />
<br />
So for a 20 pound bird (20/5=4) it would be four days. Just to be safe I would start the thaw on Sunday. A thawed bird is safe for at least two days in the fridge.<br />
<br />
Miss MoneyPenny used to be famous for her dry turkey until a very sweet lady who used to volunteer at the library told me her secret and I have never looked back.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Yep - a cooking bag. These things are genius and so easy to use. All that you do is shake a tablespoon of flour in the bag. Place it in a roasting pan. I then add celery and onions. This is a good place to use your homemade herbed butters to slather the turkey over and under the skin and all around and then place it in the bag and tie it up. Cut six slits in the top of the bag and tuck the ends. Roast at 350 as per the chart that comes with the bag. Totally easy peasy.<br />
<br />
When the turkey is done carefully remove and pour out all the juices for your gravy. I add this to the giblets that I've been simmering on the stovetop. My son takes everything from under the turkey including the veggies and zips them up in the food proccessor for a base for his gravy. I've never had such good gravy...so dark and full of flavor.<br />
<br />
To stuff or not to stuff - that is the question. I say no and the government backs me up on this but if you can get your stuffing to 165 on your meat thermometer (of course, your turkey will be like the one in the movie Christmas Vacation)...rock yourself out.<br />
<br />
That being said I make crazy good stuffing and my sister has taken it to new heights by adding fried oysters. Here is what we do (remember we are talking holiday cooking here):<br />
<br />
1. Melt one cube of butter in a large saute pan.<br />
<br />
2. Add chopped onion and celery and cook until translucent.<br />
<br />
3. To stuffing mix add beaten eggs (4 to 6) and lots of poultry seasoning.<br />
<br />
4. Mix everything together wetting as needed with turkey or chicken stock.<br />
<br />
5. If using fried oysters (flour, egg, cracker crumbs) layer with the stuffing and bake (350) until done<br />
and crispy on top.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The Bradster and his brother the Dougster went on a European trip and he brought me back this beautiful scarf from Venice. This picture does not do it justice but it is Cashmere and is wide enough to be a shawl. I was going to iron it but I'm afraid I might scorch it so I'm gonna just wrap it around my neck and body heat will take care of it. It is so fine that you could probably get it through a ring.<br />
<br />
Reminder:<br />
<br />
Don't forget the hummers and the other birdies. During this cold snap I have awakened to the poor little things trying to get at the frozen feeder. I have two feeders so my remedy is to switch out the frozen one for the thawed one. I set the frozen one in my laundry sink to thaw.<br />
<br />
My recipe for hummingbird liquid is one cup of sugar to four cups of water. I boil one cup and add the sugar, then add to the rest of the water. This way it is not so hot and you can use it right away.Miss MoneyPennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10383602835338378343noreply@blogger.com0