Frugal Adventures

 Frugal Adventures

One of my favorite things to do is to explore and enjoy trails.  My youngest really enjoys the outdoors.  He spends a lot of his time playing outside.  He has become my walking buddy.  

There are quite a few trails in my area.  Free or frugal, depending on which trails I use.  Some require a pass.  Those trails that require a pass I will purchase a year long pass and then plan to use it as much as possible.  I don't do those every year.  The majority of the time I pick a free trail to enjoy.  Once my son is older we may switch things up and do more of the other trails.  

It was a beautiful day, so we stopped at one of the trails that follows a river.  He had a blast.  He ran and explored, full of joy.  Rock throwing into the river was a fun activity.  Inspecting trees and rocks.  Asking many, many questions.  The boy loves rocks and sticks.  He collects both. This turned into a good activity for him to burn off some energy.  

Watching him explore his environment gives me joy.  He absorbs everything around him.  A good homeschooling activity even if he is just a toddler.  Playing in the sand, running through the woods, exploring, inspecting rocks, sticks, etc may seem like play to us, but for him it is hands on learning.  It may not be measurable, but he is learning about everything around him, in his way. 

Now that warmer weather is here we will be hitting up trails as much as possible.  It brightens his mood while physically wearing him out.  

Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe

 Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl is a simple, quick and frugal dish.  It only has a few ingredients and can easily being adjusted to fit different tastes or flavor profiles.

In my family everyone has a different taste preference.  Toppings or add ins can completely change this dish up to fit everyone.

Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl

1 lb. ground beef

12 oz bag of coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage

1 Tbs.  butter

1/2 finely diced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 diced pepper (or more if desired)

1/2 c. beef or chicken broth

1 tsp.  each salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

Optional toppings or add ins: sriracha, orange ginger sauce, sour cream, soy sauce, liquid aminos, etc

In a large skillet pan melt the butter and saute the onions, garlic and peppers until tender.  Add the ground beef cooking until done.  Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder mixing well.  Add the broth and the cabbage.  Stir well until well mixed.  Cover and cook over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally until cabbage is to the desired texture.  We prefer very tender.  Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

At this point you could add a variety of sauces or other seasonings to the dish.  We prefer to serve it and then each person adds whatever they like to top it.  Another option, though probably unusual, is to top with shredded cheese and let it melt.  Sour cream is also chosen on occasion.

A New Homeschooling Journey

 Now that my toddler, Raf,  is closing in on 4 years old I am starting to aim him toward homeschooling.  For me, this will be a dive back into homeschooling.  I am looking forward to encouraging his curious and inquisitive nature.

 I homeschooled my oldest kids, now adults, from 4th grade until graduation.  Starting out with preschool will be an adjustment for me.   With my other two kids I started with a regular curriculum and slowly changed things up as we went along.  With my daughter we ended up mostly led by her interests, with required subjects added in.  By the end she was doing mostly part time work and life skills.  

I have a lot of regrets, in the fact that I was working full time, limiting what and how I could educate them.  Now, I face another challenge.  Trying to figure out where to start with a strong willed toddler, a full time remote job, part time in person job, a disabled adult child that requires full time care, a house to take care of, along with a myriad of other things that I am responsible for.  

Due to everything in my life right now, I have decided to mish mash a few methods together.  He is naturally picking things up on his own.  He knows numbers, letters,  shapes, colors, and recognizes a few words all on his own without pushing him.  Our main style is going to be unschooling focused with as much play and outdoor time as possible.  As he draws interest in things I will bring supports in to help him learn.  I refuse to push him through anything.  I want him to learn and not just memorize.  

Life skills are already a big part of our day.  Giving him as much independence as possible to continue to build confidence in himself and learn naturally.  To let him explore his interests and delve into them as much as he desires.  

Now that Spring is upon us we are spending a ton of time outdoors.  He is exploring the woods, our back yard, anything and everything that he is drawn to.  He has discovered bugs underneath rocks and logs.  Raf wants to know about everything he sees and hears, asking many, many questions throughout the day.  

The world is changing and I would like him to have the ability to apply himself in any direction he desires.  Raf is a determined, strong willed child that sees something he wants and goes after it. As frustrating as this may be at times, these traits will take him far in the world.

Easy Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

After experimenting with a few different Keto Chocolate chip cookie recipes I ended up merging a few of them together.  That is where this recipe comes from.  This has become my favorite keto cookie for both texture and flavor.

For me a mixture of coconut flour, almond flour and xanthan gum produce the best texture.  If I use just coconut flour it produces a cookie that is just too dry for my taste.  When using just almond flour you get a very crumbly cookie.  Xanthan gum helps bring the two together to a better texture.

Cookies made with just butter as the fat are good.  But I love the taste of cream cheese sugar cookies.  This recipe gives the best of both in one cookie.

These cookies hold up well.  They last for about a week in an airtight container on the counter before starting to get dry.

Easy Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. Coconut flour

1/2 c. Sweetener ( I prefer Monkfruit)

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Tbs. Almond flour

1/2 tsp.  Xanthan Gum

3 Eggs

1/4 c. Butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 

1/2 c.  Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the butter and cream cheese.  Mix until smooth and well combined.  Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time, mixing well after each.  Add the sweetener, mixing until well combined.  

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix until smooth.

Fold in the chocolate chips.  Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes.

Spoon by the tablespoon onto the baking sheets.  Bake for 12 -14 minutes.  Cool before removing from the sheets.

Store in an airtight container.

  Baby Led Weaning Keto Style

With myself living a meat based keto lifestyle my goal was to continue this with my son.  He was about 4.5 months old when I started.  He was sitting up on his own and showing an intense interest in the food being eaten around him.

I wanted to minimize the risk of choking on food, but I also didn't want him eating purees.  I started with steamed veggies such as broccoli and carrots.  I gave him large strips of cooked steak and let him gum on it and suck on it.  He loved this the most.  He absolutely loved cheese sticks as well.  He would suck on them and gum them forever.  As he got better at moving food around in his mouth I moved on to berries.  Mushed blueberries and raspberries.  Eventually I gave him blackberries.  He wanted to try everything he saw me eating.  I let him taste almost everything.  He usually just wanted to lick it and taste it.

Now that he is 3 he eats or at least tries almost everything.  He has no qualms to going up to anyone eating and asking for a bite.  He prefers food with flavor.  He will stick his nose up at bland food.  

A short list of foods he started out with:

    1.  Steamed veggies

    2.  Cheese Sticks

    3.  Large pieces of cooked meat

    4.  Avocado slices

    5.  Keto Ratio yogurt

As he was more and more able to move food around and mash it in his mouth I added in:

    1.  Mushed berries

    2.  Steamed and seasoned squash cubes

    3.  Scrambled eggs

    4.  Sausage sticks

   

Once he mastered chewing and swallowing his food I added in:

    1.  Small bite size pieces of tender meat

    2.  Small pieces of cheese

    3.  Keto Ratio yogurt with berries and granola

    4.  Shredded chicken

    5.  Pulled Pork

As he continued to master chewing, swallowing, and using utensils I started to offer him everything I was eating.  He has developed his own taste preferences.  To this day he seems to prefer his food either cold or room temperature.

With drinking in mind I started him on a small shot glass size cup with a tiny amount of water in it.  It took him a lot of practice to actually get it to his mouth and drink it.  He preferred to dump it, stick his hands in it, and splash in the spilled water.  It was well worth the mess.  At 3 years old now, he uses a regular cup easily.  Uses the water dispenser on the refrigerator to fill it.

I had a huge fear of him choking when I started out.  I quickly learned that he was capable of knowing his limits.  He had a few times of gagging on food, but coughed it out all on his own.  He seemed to learn from these incidents.  Food was played with more than eaten for a long time.  That is ok.  He was learning from this through feeling and manipulating the food.  He was engaging all his senses and thoroughly enjoying himself.

Frugally Preparing for Baby

 When I found out I was pregnant my brain immediately started calculating the cost of preparing for this baby.  They need a lot of stuff, and I'm not talking extras... I'm talking basic essentials.  My youngest was going to be turning 18 shortly after this little one was born.  I had nothing other than a few special things I kept back from my other kids.  I had to start over.  I also knew that I wouldn't be having anymore after this either.  The challenge to do this as frugally as possible began.

I decided to start figuring out what I would absolutely need once the baby was here.  I made lists of essentials and wants.  From this I decided I would need a plan.  I decided I would start as soon as possible, even though I was high risk for a variety of reasons.  

My search slowly began. I knew this would give me time to gradually spread the cost over a longer time.  I also knew that it was unlikely that I would have a baby shower.  I decided to figure out a way or ways to collect everything I needed without having to rely on gifts from others. This was a multi-step process that required patience and work.

First of all I started stopping at local thrift stores.  Babies outgrow things really fast.  Buying inexpensive used clothing was my goal for almost all of the clothing I needed.  In my area there are only a couple of thrift stores with baby stuff that is inexpensive.  I checked in these stores repeatedly, only buying what I found was a good price for the item and its condition.  Also, calculating about the sizes the baby would need based on the seasons.

Another good resource was creating online gift registries.  Even though I had not planned to have a baby shower, I discovered that some retailers give you a free gift box or bag once you complete your registry.  Some places charge for delivery.  Those I avoided.  I ended up doing Amazon, Walmart, and Target.  The gifts had samples, full size bottles, onesies, a blanket, etc in them.  

I signed up for rewards programs for different baby companies.  I received free formula from similac and enfamil in the mail along with large value coupons.  Granted, I planned on breastfeeding until I went back to work, but I knew I would need to wean to a formula after a month or two.  This came in handy recently with a baby that was having breastfeeding issues.  I was able to try formula out without purchasing a full size container.  

Watching weekly sales at local stores saved me a lot of money.  I purchased a pack and play when a store ran a 30% off as well as a promotional credit off your next store purchase if you spent a certain amount.  I signed up for a rewards program for a store that has in store coupons every week.  There are regularly coupons for baby products in this program.  

For new stuff I checked the clearance racks of Kohl's, Meijer, Target and Walmart.  For Kohl's I was able to stack offers.  I have their credit card, receiving percentages off my purchases.  Sometimes they will send you additional coupons.  These can all be used on the clearanced items.  I was able to get some really nice new clothes at really really cheap prices.  Meijer, Target and Walmart were hit and miss.  I just regularly checked their baby departments clearance areas.  I was able to purchase quite a few items steeply reduced.

As for Amazon, I managed to save a bunch of money.  Purchasing items through the baby registry eventually earned me an additional discount.  You are able to add things to your registry and then move it to your cart from there.  This counts as a registry purchase.  I waited until I unlocked my extra discount and found a crib and mattress that I wanted for about the same price as found locally.  With the extra discount it was a lot cheaper and free shipping.  No figuring out how to haul it through a store and home.  Win win in my book.  Especially being pregnant. 

Finding a New Normal

 It's been a while.  I've been trying to find a new normal for my life.  I have had some major life changes since I was on here last.

I gave birth to a wonderful baby boy on August 1st.  He has been a blessing and a life changer.  Throughout my pregnancy I struggled to find a new normal.  Between my already challenging day to day life, life's demands, Covid, and being pregnant it was difficult.  Before I knew it he was here.  

Rafael's arrival has brought about more challenges than I anticipated.  I'm still learning how to balance taking care of a newborn following a c-section, taking care of my disabled adult son, getting my daughter back and forth to work, as well as keeping up a household.

For being only a month old, this little guy is challenging me in ways I don't remember with my other kids.  I started out exclusively breast feeding, and he was doing wonderfully.  This past week I have been supplementing with formula.  We have had several weeks of his constant hunger, and wanting to eat around the clock with short naps.  When I supplement he sleeps better and is a happy little guy.  I was really hoping to breast feed him as long as possible.  I am trying to come to terms with the fact that my milk is just not enough for him.  I want him to be as happy and healthy as possible, even if that means he ends up on just formula.  

Life has been so busy, even during my pregnancy, that I have come to rely on food prep.  I plan on sharing my version of food prep for my family that seems to work for us.

I struggled throughout my entire pregnancy about gaining weight.  It was hard on my mental health after having finally reached a weight I was content with.  I am still struggling with this as I still need to lose 20 pounds to get back to where I was before this pregnancy.  

The plan is to share here not just my frugality, but also my struggle to find a new normal.  I will share my journey as a new parent with 2 adult children, the good, the bad and the frugal.  The challenges are there, but that doesn't mean frugality has to take a hit.  Frugal living will remain a focus of our journey.

Simple and Frugal Chili

It is now comfort food season around here.  Chili is a go to meal for our family on a cold day.

When I make Chili I always do it in the crock pot.  It makes enough for about 3 or so meals for us.  I use a 6 quart crock pot.

Chili Recipe

3 15 oz. cans black beans
3 15 oz. cans kidney beans
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. water
3 peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
2-4 Tbs. chili seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. pork loin, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced

To start with, brown your ground beef, seasoning with 1 Tbs. chili seasoning mix.  Add to the crock pot.  Dice the pork, and add to the pot.  Dice the onion and peppers.  Add to the pot.  Add the garlic and 2 Tbs. chili seasoning.

Drain and rinse the beans.  Add to the pot.  Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and water.  Stir everything together until well mixed.  Put the lid on and turn on high.  Let cook for 4 or 5 hours.  Stir well.  Add more seasoning if desired.  Turn down to low and let cook for 2 more hours.  Serve.

Crochet Dishcloth

An easy crochet project for the home or to be used as a gift is the dishcloth or washcloth.  This is simple to make, even for the beginner, is inexpensive as well comes together quickly.  You can easily adjust it to the size you want without any issues.

To start with I am currently making a set of dishcloths for a family member.  They needed to be thin enough to be easily wrung out when wet.  For this I am using Lion Brand's Impeccable yarn with a size G hook.

Chain 41

Row 1:  sc in the 2nd chain from the hook, (ch 1, skip the next chain), sc in the next stitch.  Repeat this all the way to the end of your chain, ending in a sc.  Turn.

Row 2:  Chain 1.  Sc in the first sc, ch 1,  sc in the ch 1 space.  Continue across with a sc in a ch 1 space and a ch 1 over the sc of the previous row.

Row 3-36:  Ch 1 and sc in the first stitch of the row, sc in every ch 1 space, and ch 1 over every sc of the previous row.

To finish, evenly sc around the outside of the square, placing 3 sc in every corner.  Slip Stitch and weave in your ends.

This pattern can be done with any type of yarn.  Keep in mind that the thickness of the yarn may require a different size of hook.  A larger hook will yield a larger dishcloth with bigger holes.  A smaller hook will yield a smaller dishcloth with tighter holes.

Frugal Homemade Gift ideas

Gifting homemade items is a more personalized way to give gifts, at least in my eye.  It is also a way to save money during the holiday season.

Some homemade ideas to consider are:

Crochet or knit blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, slippers, sweaters, dish cloths, dish towels, pot holders, coasters, etc.

If you sew, make quilts, clothing items, bags, etc.

For those that can bake or enjoy making things in the kitchen, consider: Muffins, cookies, cake, bread, jams, applesauce, granola, etc.

If you enjoy making things but are short on time you may want to consider making nut clusters, sea foam, peanut brittle, cocoa mix, mug cake mixes, trail mix, mason jar mixes, etc

If you draw or paint:  Personally made cards, or a framed piece of artwork you have created.

Think about your skills and hobbies, the odds are pretty good there is something that you could utilize toward gift giving.

You could create a small cookbook for the budding cook in the family.  Pass on family favorite recipes this way.  There are so many ways you could do this.  You could type and print it all out, use a binder, notebook, index cards, photo copy your own recipes, etc.  

For the book worm in the family there is always the used bookstore.  Although this one should be done only if you know they wouldn't mind used books, and if you know what they read.

15 Christmas Gift Basket Ideas

For Christmas I usually put together gift baskets for those that I give to.  I like being able to customize the gift to the person receiving it.  Affordability is also a key component.  Doing these, I am able to give to more than just immediate family.  I also give to a few friends as well as a couple of businesses that I frequent.

There are a variety of types of gift boxes you can do.  Some themes are:

1.  Coffee lover:  Bag of coffee, creamer, mug or travel mug, cookies, snacks, etc

2.  Young Child:  Coloring books, colored pencils, markers, crayons, stickers, erasers, pencil sharpener, paint set, paint brushes, candy, etc.

3.  Play Dough Child:  Variety of play dough colors, form shapers, etc.

4.  Older Kid or Young Adult:  Coffee mug, mug cake packages, hot chocolate packets, cookies, candy, etc.

5.  Mom or Food lover:  Homemade jams, applesauce, food items, flavored oils, etc.

6.  Alcohol:  Flavored moonshine, shot glasses, snacks.

7.  Beauty #1:  Shampoo, conditioner, face wash, face mask, lotion, hair accessories, etc.

8:  Beauty #2:  Manicure set, lotion, nail polish, nail stickers, etc.

9.  Beauty #3: makeup, nail polish, makeup removing cloths, etc.

10.  Artist:  Sketchpad, pencils, eraser, markers, colored pencils, charcoal pencils, paint, paint brushes, etc.

11.  Movie Lover:  Movie, microwave popcorn, hot chocolate packets, snacks, etc.

12.  Food Lover #2:  Homemade breads, muffins, cookies, trail mix, hot cocoa packages, etc.

13.  Single Young Adult:  Coffee, hot cocoa single serve packages, single serve mug cake packages, mug or travel mug, snacks, et.

14.  Budding Baker:  Measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas, whisk, baking pans, cookie cutters, rolling pin, etc.

15.  Chocolate Lover:  Specialty or home made chocolate bars, chocolate nut clusters, brownies or brownie mix, homemade hot cocoa mix, chocolate covered pretzels,etc.

All of these gift basket ideas can be customizes to the person you are creating it for.  It can be as inexpensive or expensive as you want. 

If you have the time or inclination, a lot of gift basket items can be made.  this cuts down on the cost and enables you to customize the basket even easier to the person you are giving it to.

The dollar stores are a great place to look for gift basket items.  This is my go to place after I have made the gifts for the baskets.  It is a good place to round out your baskets.

Another good idea is to keep an eye out for sales throughout the year.  For those people you buy for every year, you have a good opportunity to find something at a steal of a deal. 

Keto Lifestyle

I have been following the Keto lifestyle for over a year now.  Initially it was a last attempt to lose weight.  I had tried so many other methods of weight loss that I figured I would give it one more go around.  I went into this with zero expectations.  I didn't think it would work because nothing else did, at least not long term.

I should probably take a step back and explain the 6 months earlier I went low carb to try to lose weight.  I started working out every day, no matter how tired I was.  I lost 20 pounds after about 4 months.  Then my weight stayed.  It started to creep  back on in little bits.  I was tired of it.

Going into Keto, I decided that the only way it would work was if I didn't have to count calories or macros.  I knew that if this was the case I would not stick with it.  I have a busy and stressful life, and if I wanted to give this a chance it needed to be as simple as possible.

My new diet started out by removing the non Keto foods.  I did not find substitutes for things at all.  No Keto baked goods, bread or desserts.  Instead I concentrated on the foods I was already eating that were Keto friendly.  I slowly started trying new foods as well.  My goal was to keep my diet high fat, while keeping it as simple as possible.

I waited a month before weighing myself.  I was surprised to see that I had lost a decent amount of weight.  From that point on the weight seemed to just fall off.  I was dropping clothing sizes pretty fast.  It was awesome, but it also brought out a bunch of other problems for me.  I knew if I did actually lose weight that I would have to deal with the psychological impact of it at some point.  When this hit, it hit hard.  It made me do a lot of evaluating of my life, actions,goals, needs and wants.  It forced me to come face to face with a lot of psychological baggage I had buried deep for a long time.  I started to realize some things, and make changes in my life.  Baby steps to future goals.

It's funny, looking back, that I was worried about the cost of replacing clothing if I did manage to lose weight and keep it off.  In reality that was an insignificant result of the journey.

I have been maintaining for 7 months now.  I have to say, maintaining is more difficult than the losing of the weight.  It is worth it though.  This is a lifestyle change, not a quick weight loss and then reverting back to old eating habits.  I have never felt better eating this way.

Frugal Christmas Gift Baskets

Since Christmas is less than a month away I figured I would share one of my favorite frugal gifts to give out.

I like assembling gift baskets or bags that are either consumable or  usable to the person receiving it. If you keep the person in mind as you assemble this basket, it will keep the the cost low but thoughtful.

I use a box about the size I want the basket to be.  You can reuse any box you have hanging around or ask for any boxes that are going to be tossed out at a local store.  Most places will happily give you any boxes that they are going to toss out.

To this box, cut off the top flaps, leaving your box with a bottom and sides.

Now, you need wrapping paper of whatever design you want.  Measure the length around your box as well as the height.  To the length add about an inch.  To the height add about 6 inches.  Cut this piece of wrapping paper off the roll.  Tape the paper to the box so that the height is in the middle of the total height of the paper.  Pull the paper around the box so that the other end meets the edge you taped.  Tape this spot. I try to start and end in a corner to make it look as seamless and neat as possible..

Fold the bottom paper that is overhanging as if you were wrapping a present.  Tape into place.

Fold in the top overhanging paper neatly.  Tape into place.

If you are like me, you may end up with this....

Add several pieces of tissue paper to the inside so that it over hangs the outside of the box in at least two places.  You have now created a frugal gift basket.

To spruce it up I wrap ribbon around the box, tie it and curl the ends.  Add a bow to the knot.  I also create tags out of card stock or colored paper.  Poke a hole in one corner.  Place a 3 to 4 inch piece of ribbon through this hole.  Tie in a knot.  Tape this loop just inside the box so the tag hangs in the front.  Make sure it is behind the tissue paper.  Another option or add on is to attach a dollar store ornament with the tag.