Canton First Monday & Frugal ideas

OMG.....

I can't believe I slept soooo late, almost 9:30, all that walking at First Monday I guess.

Half the day is gone already!

Yesterday at First Monday

I wanted to take a few photos of all the great crafts, but it was so crowded in the sheds, there was no way!

We headed out on to the grounds for a little junking. (not nearly as crowded)

My friend Irma was with us & she's working on cross crafts, so we scouted for the parts & pieces she needed.  (You take different sizes & shapes of wooden crosses, somehow attach them together, then decorate in various ways.) She's making these for a craft fair in November to benefit The Cancer Society.

Here's one she found already painted.  That thing next to it in the cart is a gourd. She wants to decorate/paint it for Halloween.        

I collect dishware so that's what I was looking for. I found this cute Tea/Coffee Pot with the 2 cups & the sugar bowl. (NOTE) They are sitting atop THE RUNZA RECIPE. (a reminder to try the recipe again today)



Steve's mom, Annette was with us also, she likes to buy clothes & jewelry. She got a pretty green sweater & a necklace to match.

Steve found a fruit vendor & scored 8 pints of strawberries for $8.00. I'm thinking jam, preserves, maybe even freeze some for muffins or pancakes. (gave some to mom too)

Mom & Steve

We didn't stay too late, Irma had to get back & help out at the concessions for the football game.

Mom is 83 so we had to be mindful of that also.

We all had a good time & I got to take a few photos.





Fall is here







Bottle Tree



My frugal ideas for today

1. freeze way to ripe bananas for later use in smoothies, muffins, bread ETC

2. freeze stale chips, bread, cornbread to use in stuffing/dressing
3. save the water from boiling your chicken & freeze or can for later use as stock
4. simmer the washed celery ends, onion skins, garlic skins, ETC in a pot of water to make a veggie stock, freeze or can
5. if you have dogs, scatter the vacuum canister contents around the veggie garden, keeps the rabbits away

Feel free to share your frugal/smart ideas.

I'm headed to the kitchen for a day of cooking. Probably need to vacuum also!

Till next time

Bonjour

P.S. Even thou it's called first monday,
trade days last all weekend.

I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!!!

WELL.....

The cooking is finished & I'm back at the computer.

I like to have an espresso on Fridays just to get a chance to use my Fiesta Ware cup & saucer. I cook every Friday, making the meals for the week, that way I only have to turn on the oven once a week. Today I made sour cream chicken enchiladas, chicken & dressing, foccacia bread & DRUM ROLL PLEASE

RUNZA!  Well sort of.    Nancy, of El Vigilante posted a recipe for runza which sounded good but alas, I didn't have the proper ingredients so I improvised!

I used diced chicken that was sautéed in olive oil & oregano, diced, sautéed onion, garlic, celery, patti pan squash & poblano pepper with drained diced tomatoes thrown in for good measure. Didn't have mozzarella, used colby jack instead. Made foccacia bread dough in my super duper handy bread machine then proceeded on. I rolled out the dough like she said (sprinkled some herbs on the rolling board first) then filled & folded, COOL. Into the oven they went along with everything else & VIOLA, these really cool, hot pocket kind of thingies. Typically when I do a meat pie I use a pie dough recipe, this was way easier. (Just tasted, I say yummy!!) I want to try it the Italianio way too.

This recipe has all kind of possibilities, thanks El Vigilante, you are my new best friend.

OK, time to share! AKA things I do to be frugal,

1. make my own coffee creamer (found the recipe on another blog)

2. keep a 5 gal. bucket in the shower to capture water for reuse

3. Heat the water in a tea kettle to wash my dishes (no running the water till it gets hot)

4. wash my dishes in a dish pan (reuse the water outside to put in the flower/herb beds)

5. put my washed dishes in another dish pan till I'm done, then rinse (reuse the water outside to put in the flower/herb beds)

6. use a clothes line & indoor drying rack for laundry

7. have my computer, TV/stereo, microwave, cell phone charger, ETC on  power strips, turn off when not in use (sneaky little energy stealers)

8. make my own flavored instant oatmeal (thank you Backwoods Home Magazine)

9. take my breakfast & lunch to work (we leave at 6:30 so breakfast is in the break room at work)

10. grow herbs, fruits & nuts. (some times we even get veggies)

11. use a slow cooker, bread machine to save using the oven

12. try to never buy food in a box or can

13. buy meat on sale

14. cook from scratch

15. don't eat meat as a main course

16.cook for the dogs (they like human food mixed in with the dry, I add water to make a gravy)

17. wash & reuse ziploc bags

18. sew curtains, potholders, coasters, pillowcases, quilts and anything else I can think of

19. buy used, get free (my sewing machine cabinet was in the trash at my local thrift shop, a little sanding & paint made her beautiful again.

20. repurpose, the coffee cans hold zippers, elastic, ribbon ETC.

21. use fans to help keep the house cool (it's freaking hot in Texas)

22. close the blinds in summer (again, it's freaking hot in Texas)

23. buy white paint in the 5 gal. bucket, (way cheaper) buy a small can of the color in the darkest shade of your color choice & mix the 2 in a coffee can till it's the shade you want. (great for coordinating wall & trim color)

24. use diluted ammonia for any purpose cleaning

25. use the price per ounce listed on the shelf tag at the market to compare prices ( not always applicable, especially on spices, get out the calculator)

26. use a calculator to price per ounce everything else such as dish soap, laundry soap, cleaning products, (just because the bottle looks bigger doesn't mean it has more in it)

27. try to stay away from Wally World (they're the worst at marketing their product in larger containers with less product)

28. if you do eat out & it's not up to snuff, so to speak, go online, complain, state the facts, they want your business, they will make it right

29. before I purchase anything I consider how many hours I had to work to purchase said item, then I decide

Lets make it an ever 30.

30. save glass containers, lots of uses for those, buttons, salt, dried herbs....

OK, I shared, now it's your turn, do you have any frugal things that you do?

Hope to hear from you!

Bonjour