Soup for the Winter Doldrums

As you can plainly see, the amaryllis is getting tall, but still no bulb or second set of leaves.  It might be just bloomed out.  We'll see.  I'll keep hitting it with Miracle Gro and see what happens.

Since my soup file only has two soups that I make on a regular basis, it is easy for me to keep track of the ingredients and make sure I have them on hand when the spirit moves me to make a pot of soup.  A couple of weeks ago QFC had colored peppers on sale, so I grabbed three of them and tucked them away in the crisper.  I also had sour cream left from Christmas dinner, so I was in business.

I cut the peppers in fourths, added an onion, box of cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves and put them in a large bowl.  Then I added salt, pepper, pepper flakes and olive oil and using my hands, mixed it all up and then slid the whole thing out on a large baking sheet, and roasted it for one hour at 400.  Half way through I gave it a good stir.

When the veggies were all roasty and yummy, I dumped them into the blender with a couple cups of chicken broth and gave it a good whirl.  I tasted and added just the right dollop of sour cream to give it smoothness and gave it another whirl.  Done!!

When I had a bowl at lunch with a piece of homemade bread, I was just sure I had died and gone to heaven.  It was so brightly delicious and full of vitamins, it should be illegal.  This picture doesn't do the color justice but you can see how beautiful and smooth it is:

This came in the mail the other day.  Be sure and check anything that comes from Macy's, so that it doesn't get thrown out because it looks like junk mail.  What is so great about it is that it is like a $10 bill to be used at Macy's.  Usually, you have to spend $30 and then get $10 off.  Or, it can't be used on makeup or a myriad of other items.  If your item costs $10, it's free!!

Hummer Update:

I've heard people say that they have hummers all year long but I never have...until now, and they are hitting the feeder hard.  I wish that there was something that I could offer them besides sugar water but I've been told to not add bird vitamins or anything else.  If anyone knows about this, would you let me know??

QFC Grocery Basket 12/26

As I was cleaning up after Christmas dinner I got to thinking about my mom.  She used to say that there must have been a mix up at the hospital when I was born because I didn't fit with the family.  It didn't hurt my feelings because I agreed with her.  Surely I belonged with the Astorbilts, not this struggling working class family, but it was Mom who was the oddball, in more ways than one.

During WWII Mom was in the Navy.  She was stationed in Washington, D.C. and that was the happiest time of her life.  We have pictures of her dressed in her uniform and she was the tiniest, cutest thing you ever saw.  She looked to be having so much fun with her friends.  She loved nice clothes and cared about things such as flatware and crystal which didn't go with her life at all after the war. 

She married my dad, a farm boy turned log truck driver and proceeded to have three kids between the end of 1948 and September of 1952.  They really struggled financially until my dad left trucking and bought into the tire business but his heart never left trucking.

My sister and I have come to really appreciate how hard Mom worked for her family.  It was especially difficult for her because she was an intellectual and preferred to be quiet by herself.  Instead she got a husband who loved westerns and three loud and demanding kids who never gave her any peace.

The lovely velvet lined box of flatware was hers and I always take it out for special occasions.  My sister has her crystal.  These things were important to Mom and now they are cherished by us.

And on that note, let's take a look at the QFC ad for this week.  Now, you know that Miss MoneyPenny is suspicious of BOGO when it comes to meat and the chicken breasts that are in the ad are a perfect example of why.  According to the ad you will save up to $7.49 a pound.  Surely they aren't charging $7.49 a pound for chicken breasts!! 

So I called QFC and talked to the butcher.  He said they were $6.99 per pound, so I have no idea where the $7.49 came from, but that means with the BOGO you are paying around $3.50 a pound, which is not that good of a deal.  Be careful with BOGOs when it comes to meat.  You can usually do much better on a price per pound sale.

Here are the standouts this week:

Franz Bread - $2.50/loaf
Seattle Sour Dough Bread - 50% off
Simple Truth Cage Free Eggs - $2.50/doz
Chicken of the Sea Tuna - $1/ea (think food bank)
Valley Fresh Chicken - $1/50z can (food bank)
Classico Pasta Sauce - 50% off (I like their pesto - coupon S/11/18 for $1 off 2)
Chobani Greek Yogurt - $1/6oz
Voskos Greek Yogurt - $1/5.3oz
Softsoap Liquid Hand Soap - $ .88/ea
Pork Shoulder Roast - $1.49/lb
California Cuties Clementines - $4.99/3lb bag ($ .50 coupon S/12/2/)
Large Lemons - $ .50/ea
Medium Hass Avocados - $1/ea
Roma Tomatoes - $1.25/lb

Leftover reminder:

Take care of any leftover holiday meat before it goes bad.  That prime rib was expensive.  I have a couple of thick slices of prime rib left that is going to go into a tasty soup.  When I waited tables down at the Rafters in Portland in the 70s, they used to take the leftover prime rib and au jus and make a very popular soup the next day.  This is delicious with vegetables, with or without noodles.  I have a couple of leftover baked potatoes that I'm going to cube up and throw in, also.  Any leftover veggies are good, too.

I'm going to freeze the ribs for that day in deepest winter when I will slobber them up with barbecue sauce and wrap them in foil and slow bake them.  It will be just the ticket to get me out of the doldrums that February can bring.

World Ending Budgeting

 

 

Well, we made it through another world ending prediction and since we are still here it is time to start thinking about the 2013 budget.  Miss MoneyPenny thinks that a budget is a beautiful thing.  Weird, huh??  A budget can set you free to realize your financial dreams and help you to get a good night's sleep in the bargain.

 

I've been retired since June and living on Social Security, state pension (28+ years at the library) and a small income from bookkeeping for my son, the plumber.  Since I won't be 65 until November 2013 I've been forking over $600 a month for health insurance.  I had this all figured out to the penny before I retired but now that I'm living it, there needs to be some changes.  After all, a budget would not be useful if we couldn't keep tweaking it to get what we need from it.

 

The first thing that I need to address is a new ledger as mine is falling apart.  I use a simple three column ledger divided into three parts.  The first part is my monthly living expenses and it is divided into several tabbed pages, such as mortgage, utilities, gas, food, etc.

 

The second part is also divided into several tabbed pages and I call this "Living the dream" because this is where some exciting things can happen like cruises, for instance.  I also have tabs for car expenses, vet bills, medical bills, home maintenance, Christmas, etc.  Every month I allocate a certain amount to each of these funds so that I am prepared for car insurance or repairs, doctor bills or a new dish washer.

 

The third part of my budget is just a page but it is a record of my savings.  I believe in continuing to save through retirement.  Why not??

 

Deciding on what your categories are takes some thinking and planning.  I walked around with a notebook for a while and entered every cent.  This is irritating but very helpful for setting up a budget.  This is really the only way to figure out what you spend and how you spend it every month.  Those lattes really add up.  Who knew??

 

I'm learning now that I'm retired that some tweaking is in order.  Mostly what I need to do is put less money in the grocery fund and move the extra over to utilities because I don't spend as much on food as I did when I worked but I'm using more water.  I'm getting a $25 raise at the beginning of the year, so it is going right into my recreation fund as I never have enough.  The other funds in this part of the budget are working well so will leave them alone.

 

If you are a reader of this blog, you know that the big problem in my budget is my aging dogs.  The $100 that I put into this fund is not working.  What to do.  I can't keep taking money out of savings for this.  There is only one solution and that is to put more money aside every month.  I'm thinking that I will put $10 less in my other funds and add it to the vet fund and see how that works.  It is always a work in progress.

 

It took me a long time to learn it but if you don't take care of your finances, they won't take care of you, either.  Time spent thinking and planning about how to use our money wisely, is not time wasted.  It is really exhilarating when it all comes together and you feel like a genius.  Trust me on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

QFC Grocery Basket 12/19

 

My great granddaughter, Aslyn Grace, is turning out to be a beauty just like her mom.  She is going to make Christmas very special this year.  Nothing like babies at Christmas time.

 

Today was filter changing day at the MoneyPenny household.  I change furnace filters with the season, sometimes ignoring summer if I've not used the furnace.  My little timer on the Brita also indicated a new filter is in order.  I washed out the Brita and soaked the filter and headed for the laundry room to tackle the furnace.

 

This is the first time that I have changed the filter on my new furnace and I got so irritated that my glasses fogged up and the dogs went and hid.  Changing out the filter was nothing but getting that #*^%$# door back on was an exercise in frustration because of this thing:

 

And there are two of them.  The first one worked like a dream but this one would not latch.  You may ask why not just leave it??  Well, because the furnace does not work without it being latched.  Who knew??  I remember that the guys who installed the furnace seemed to be having trouble getting it to latch but they were always able to do it.  Not me.  I finally figured that it was a little off, so I stuck a screw driver in the edge and lifted and it went in.  I think that this warrants a call to Air-Flo, don't you??

Enough of that.  Let's go grocery shopping.  QFC is still running the Buy 6, Save 6 promotion on General Mills and Kraft products.  Now would be a good time to stock up on GM cereals and there is a coupon ($1/2 12/9/S) to help make it a deal.  The two pound brick of Tillamook cheese in on for $4.99 and this is pretty close to a rock bottom price, so I'm going to buy the limit, which is two.  It doesn't go bad if you don't open it and I'm a big cheese eater.

Here are what I consider to be the standouts this week:

Sonicare Essence Power Toothbrush - $39.99 ($4 coupon 11/18/S)
Gevalia Coffee - $5.99/12 oz ($1.50 coupon 12/9/S) Promotion B6,$6
Challenge Butter - $2.50/ea
QFC Whipping Cream - $2/16oz
Tillamook Cheese - $4.99/2lb
Ribeye Roast - $7.99/lb
Hormel Cure 81 Spiral Ham - $1.79/lb
Anjou Pears - $1.49/lb
Broccoli/Cauliflower - $1/lb
Celery - $1/lb
Jazz/Junami Apples - $1.99/lb
Organic Carrots - $2.50/bunch
Sweet Potatoes - $1/lb
Lay's Potato Chips - BOGO (think chips & onion soup dip - love it)

Bird Guide Drawing Reminder:

The birds at my feeders are going through the seed like crazy during this cold, windy, snowy weather.  They are so much fun to watch as they jockey for position.  I hope they aren't fighting but it looks like a little push and shove to me.

Don't forget to leave a comment or like on Facebook to get entered into the drawing for the above pictured book.  My neighbor, Tina, is going to pick the winning name on Christmas Eve.

 

Prime Rib for Christmas

                              


Yesterday I had a visit with the butcher when I was at QFC.  He assured me that rib roast was not going to go for less than $7.99 a pound, so I picked up a nice six pounder.  Last year they went for $6.99 a pound at QFC but the cost of food is going up, so I should be grateful that it isn't any worse.

 Anyway, I've had good luck with their rib roasts in the past and they have cooked up tender and flavorful using my easy peasy method of roasting.  Ha!!  I bet you were worried that I was gonna put it in my crockpot, since I've been on a real binge lately, but it is going in the oven.

Last year after I wrote the prime rib post, my sister said that she had changed up our method a little and was quite happy with the results, so I tried it, with a change of my own.  She was right.  The flavor was wonderful and it looked just like the above picture.  Nice and crusty on the outside and tender on the inside.  Perfect!!

When you are buying your rib roast, you figure one rib per two people, so a three rib should feed six people generously.  Stick with this formula because one year I told the butcher that I was feeding six people when I pre-ordered and ended up with a $120 piece of meat!! so, be careful.

Roasting a rib roast really is easy peasy if you follow these instructions.  I've had terrible results when I cooked at a high temperature, so I roast at 325 for 30 minutes per pound to desired doneness, but keep your meat thermometer handy.  This is just a rough guide to use for planning dinner time.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels, then rub liberally all over with Worcestershire sauce, then with olive oil.  When you have it all oiled up, season heavily with Montreal Steak Seasoning, giving it a good rub down.  Roast it fat side up, uncovered.  When it is about 15 minutes from being done to your liking, remove it from the oven and tent it with foil for a nice rest, so the juices can redistribute.  That is it.  Couldn't be easier.

Baked or mashed potatoes traditionally go with prime rib but I love my sister's oyster stuffing and she has given up her recipe and I'm gonna share.

Fresh oysters - she suggests getting 3 times what you need
Eggs
Seasoned cracker crumbs
Flour
Seasoned stuffing cubes
Celery & onions
Chicken broth
Butter

Dredge your oysters in flour, then beaten eggs, then seasoned cracker crumbs.  Fry slowly in oil on medium heat.  When done, pass the lemons and eat them, saving enough for the stuffing.  This is how we do it, really!!

In one cube of butter, slowly saute chopped celery and onions.  In large bowl, mix stuffing cubes, vegetables & butter, and several eggs (you decide, this is a loose recipe).  Add chicken broth until you get the consistency that you like.  We don't like mushy stuffing.

In a buttered oblong dish, layer stuffing, then oysters, then stuffing, etc. until you run out of layers.  Roast with your meat, covered or uncovered, or both.

This is so good and it goes with turkey or prime rib.  I've been known to only eat this and my mom's yeast rolls at Christmas dinner.

P.S. Don't throw out those meaty ribs because they are unbelievable grilled with barbecue sauce the next day.  If it is too cold for grilling outside, wrap in foil and roast in the oven at 350.  I told the butcher about this and he says that he always does it, hiding the bones after he carves.  Good idea, that hiding thing.  There is always someone who wants to gnaw on a bone.

Free Shipping Monday!!

 

                                               


Now, you know that Miss MoneyPenny has been patiently waiting for today to do her last minute Christmas shopping because she really hates shipping costs.  They can sure ruin a good deal and some of them are really over the top.  What is with merchants who charge you more in shipping the more you buy??  Seems backwards to me.  I keep a little list of these guys and never buy from them, unless it is a free shipping day, like today.

Before you place your order, be sure and go over to ebates.com.  They will have a list of merchants who are offering free shipping and the percentage of cash back that you will receive in your Ebates account.  This really adds up if you do your shopping online and you will get a check in the mail from them quarterly.  My sister, Miss SmartyPants, really cleans up on this because she shops for her business through them.  If you aren't signed up, it is easy and free.  Check it out.

Yesterday was such a cold nasty day that I only ventured outside once, and that was to dig around in the compost.  Things are moving slowly on that front because the wormy guys are cold.  I made a pot of chicken soup and cleaned out the fridge and did a lot of knitting. 

My new project is a cowl and I got the idea from Cindy up at Port Hadlock Yarns.  If you have a ball of sock yarn that is just too expensive and beautiful to make a pair of socks, this pattern is for you and it is available at Ravelry.com for free.  This is what it looks like:

 

Here is mine:

 

It takes one ball of sock yarn and #5 Addi-Turbo 16" circular lace needles.  You really do need a pointy lace needle or you will be thinking up all kinds of new cuss words while you are trying to work all those K2togs.  Just sayin'.

Amaryllis Update:

I had just about given up on getting three years out of the amaryllis bulb.  I made a mistake this fall when I brought it indoors and put it in the closet and did not cut the summer growth off, so it was trying to support them in the dark.  When I brought it out, it was a slimy mess and I pruned it then but it had to sit and sulk for a while.  I hit it with the fertilizer to help it out and here is what popped out on Saturday:

Bird Guide Drawing Reminder:

Be sure and leave a comment so that you are in the drawing for the Puget Sound Bird Guide.  This is a good book for us backyard birders.  Likes on Facebook are entered, also.  Deadline is Christmas Eve.

                                     



Middle Class Musings

               

One day, not too long ago, I showed up at the KnowItAll's house about lunch time and they shared a delicious meal with me.  Another delicious thing over at their house is good conversation and we got to talking about the middle class and what it means today.  After I went home, that conversation stayed with me and I kept mulling it over, so I decided to turn the MoneyPenny Research Department loose on it and they came up with some interesting information.

I looked at lots of graphs and charts and decided on this one from mybudget360.com because it is very clear and easy to understand.  It is also kinda big but I wanted you to be able to see it.

You can see that "median" income is $50,221, which means half of households live on one side and half on the other side of that figure.  35% of us live below $35,000 which makes me wonder why all of us think that we are in the middle class or better.

Here is a rough breakdown on just what the many levels of "middle class" are:

Upper Middle Class                         $100,000-$150,000

Middle Class                                    $ 60,000-$100,000

Lower Middle Class                         $ 32,500-$ 60,000

Working Class                                  $ 23,000-$ 32,500

I threw in the last category because now that I am not working, I have, strangely enough, slid down into the Working Class.

I think that this information is important because, and as my friend, Jeannie, said today, it can help us get to reality when it comes to our finances.  Are our spending and financial planning really in line with our place on the graph??  And if they aren't - what do we need to do to get in that upper level??  More education or training or move??  Or is it even possible??  Do we even really want to make that kind of effort and commitment??  Where are we on the age graph??  Good questions.

If moving up into a higher income bracket isn't in the stars, getting real about spending and financial planning is the answer.  Otherwise, we could be putting our home and family at risk by living beyond our means.  Credit cards can only take you so far and then they get ugly.  I'm thinking that having your car repossessed or your home foreclosed on can't be much fun, either.

As I look at these figures, it has occurred to me that I've spent almost 10% of my entire annual income on vet bills!!  When you look at it like that, it becomes very real.  And scary.  It is driving home the sad truth that I can't afford my animals on a Working Class income, so attrition is in order.  I've been happily collecting pets like someone in the Upper Middle Class or maybe even higher up than that!! 

Bird Guide Drawing Reminder:

Leave a comment on this blog or "like" on Facebook to get entered into the drawing for the Birds of the Puget Sound Region book by Christmas Eve.  This is a great guide for local birds.