Northwest Mamma

Wish I Were a Tree Frog

2012-01-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of people, I hate New Year's resolutions. Frankly, I get bored with them and the routine that comes with them. My resolutions typically last about 3 weeks before I quietly slide back into the habit I was trying to break. Why did I make resolutions this year? Who knows. One of my resolutions is to drink more water.

Since I like water about as much as I like resolutions, this will be interesting. Today, I was able to drink 64 ounces throughout the day. How did I know this? Because I measured every ounce before I poured it into my really-cool-tall-and-skinny-without-any-ounce-marks-water-bottle. It makes me feel tall and skinny just drinking from it. I had to do that twice because my tall skinny orange water bottle is fairly wimpy and only holds 32 ounces which is why short and squatty water bottles are probably better in the long run. Ha! Take that tall skinny water bottle.

Back to the water. Did you know that frogs just have to SIT in water and it absorbs into their body. Sure, our tree frog looks completely bloated for a while BUT that would be much easier. Moving on... 64 ounces of water is WAY more than I thought it could be. I need to get used to peeing a lot more. Since that interferes with my productivity I immediately came to the conclusion that drinking water is unproductive. HOWEVER, I caught myself and talked myself out of that negative thought since I'm trying to stick with it so it doesn't become the shortest News Year's resolution in my personal history. Hopefully tomorrow, when I drink enough water to fill a small aquarium, I'll feel as happy about ~~peeing~~ drinking it as I did today.

Winco Prices

2011-10-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

If you're comparing prices and wondering if buying in bulk will save you money, here are the Winco bulk prices in Spokane, WA as of 10/15/11

Apple Bran Muffin Mix $1.54 per pound

Baking Powder $1.13 per pound

Baking Soda 50¢ per pound

Brown Gravy Mix $2.30 per pound

Brownie Mix 96¢ per pound

Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet) $4.59 per pound

Clover Honey $3.66 per pound

Corn Muffin Mix $2.05 per pound

Pancake Mix 75¢ per pound

Pizza Crust Mix 55¢ per pound

Sea Salt 21¢ per pound

Sugar, Brown 68¢ per pound

Sugar, Granulated 68¢ per pound

Sugar, Powdered 68¢ per pound

I don't sell gelato or crêpes

2011-10-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not a restaurant or a store and I don't sell gelato or crêpes. However, for the past week, I've been getting calls to that effect because an unnamed online map says that I sell of them. Thanks, unnamed map.

Since this was an "opportunity" (which is the Disney-ever-so-happy-and-delusional way of saying that it's an "irritating and ridiculous problem), I decided to refer people to my two favorite places, Madeline's and Ferrante's. I want them to do well and always be so when I have a hankering for crêpes and gelato which is actually right NOW while I write this. Dang.

Now for the legal stuff... no, I don't have any ties to either one and I'm not getting paid to say any of this.

The moment of truth

2011-09-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Me: (face down on the chiropractor's table)

Chiropractor: (making small talk) Are you still running?

Me: (Really? Can't he see that my butt has as much shape as pancake batter on a hot griddle? Of COURSE I'm NOT running! Should I be? Is he looking at my butt?) Ummmm. Not right now.

We Follow the Sun

2011-07-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Boise, 90 to 100+ degree days were normal in the summer. Since moving to Spokane, I wilt on an 80 degree day. I'd rather run in 15 degrees than 80 degrees any day. I have no idea when it happened but and I could make excuses like, "oh, it's much more humid here" but that wouldn't change the fact that I'm a wimp.

I'm a wimp without A/C.

Last week our A/C went out. At the time, it was cooler and getting through the summer sans A/C seemed doable. I was going get our family through the rest of the summer without A/C because I had a plan - or I thought I did. How hard could it be? Get a couple fans, keep the lights off and voila! Right? Uh, no. I forgot to factor in my children. I've stopped counting how many times I've heard them say, "It's hot in here" or "can we PLEASEEEE get a new air conditioner?"

Now, I realize that they're working as a team of three to wear me down. I can't let that happen. What started as a simple money-saving strategy is now more about principle.

To win this A/C competition, I realized that I had to enhance my plan. What used to be controlled automatically by the thermostat would now be controlled by me. To make it work, we would need to follow the sun by opening and closing blinds and windows strategically.

Only a week into and I can sense my resolve wavering but I need to remain strong so I've gone on the offensive. I use my children as the litmus test to see if my plan was working. Any mention of how warm it is sends me searching through the house for curtains to close and lights to turn off. It's been a lot more work that I originally thought. I frequently check the temperature inside and outside the house and adjust accordingly.

Hopefully, I can maintain this throughout the next eight weeks. Until then, I'll continue to keep our house dark like a cave and hear the constant hum of the fans which are slightly more tolerable than the vesuvula.

(Image courtesy of E. Mahan)

Motivation

2011-06-30T23:31:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted because, frankly, life happens and then you realize that it's been almost four months since your last moment of downtime. Anyway, it't not because of lack of motivation... it's lack of time. Hopefully that will change now that it is summer. Happy Fourth!

My New Year's Resolution

2011-03-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

This year's resolution seemed simple enough... get up in the morning and make breakfast for my family. It went flawlessly with four very thankful people sitting around my kitchen table every morning until the third week when we had dissension. It started with, "I'm tired of eggs" and became a low rumble. Granted, they had more than 2 weeks straight of eggs cooked in some format, BUT didn't a nice hot breakfast make up for that?

My middle child put their head on the table and refused to eat. "You'll be hungry at school if you don't eat now," I said, suddenly agreeing with them and not wanting to eat any of the eggs on my own plate. Since I had started playing the Mom role by saying, "eat your breakfast" it was going to be hard to get out of this one.

I began eyeing the dog to see how I could slip him the eggs on my plate without anyone noticing. No chance. All eyes were on me. They gave me the most pitiful, pleading looks as each one asked to be excused from the table.

It was several weeks before we had eggs again and I got resistance then, too. I had to get creative but I was running out of ideas. Pretty soon I was scouring every cookbook and online site I could find and quickly realized that there's not a lot of variety in breakfast. I felt like sneaking a Perkin's menu out of their restaurant and trying to cook something new off of it each day.

What fixed that problem was time off... we all got sick and breakfast didn't happen as it had been for a week and a half. They went back to eating cold cereal and decided it was much better to put up with whatever Mom made than to make it themselves. Yesterday we had eggs. Today we had eggs. Tomorrow I have no idea what we will have but it won't be eggs.

Kid Crepes

2011-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe for crepes that uses the Krusteaz pancake mix. I've modified it after making it about a dozen times. My kids say that my crepes are just as good as Pig 'n Pancake in Lincoln City. LOL!

Here's the recipe:
1 cup pancake mix
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
Pinch of flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
Small amount of oil

Mix it all together. It should be fairly thin. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To cook: heat a non-stick fry Pam on medium high and spray with Pam. Put about 1/4 cup batter in panama swirl it around until it covers the pam in a thin layer. As the crepe cooks, the edges l begin to dry and pull away from the pan. Carefully loosen the edges and flip over to cook the other side. (my newest trick is to flip the crepe in the pan without using a spatula). Spray the pan before each crepe to help keep them thin and light. Some people put butter in their batter but we are already loading them up with other unhealthy things do we go the low-cal way with Pam. Sometimes I will cook the crepes the night before and reheat them in the morning. We serve them with strawberries and whipping cream or syrup.

Going down to see Santa?

2010-12-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's a yearly event for many people. We've carried on this decades-old family tradition started by my husband and his sister. Now that we have grown to two families of 4 adults with 6 kids we feel like we've got it down to a science. Here's a big tip: Call ahead to find out when Santa's breaks are. This is especially important if you are going with small children. A 15 min wait will seem like an eternity to keep a child calm and occupied in their perfectly ironed dress and hair bows. Either go at the beginning of his shift or the end but going anytime in between risks a lengthy break.

What in tarnation is that sound?!

2010-12-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

Crickets. We have a heard of crickets in the house.

Why, oh, why, do we have crickets? It's all because I saved a little green frog that came home with one of the girls from camp then hid under the dog's water bowl. It fell into the sink and scared the life out of me when I turned the bowl upside down to wash it. The frog is lucky I got a hold of myself and covered the drain before it got into the garbage disposal.

I think the frog hates the sound of the crickets just as much as I do. It hides under a bunch of moss and stares me down as if I ruined its life. By the way, keeping a frog is about as fun as watching paint dry. Every now and then it eats something. The crickets are almost too large for the frog to eat so it usually only eats half and leaves the remaining cricket carnage everywhere.

Well, the crickets can make all the sound they want because all they are doing is ringing the dinner bell for that frog who will hunt down the sound then bore it's eyes through me in satisfaction.

Post-Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-11-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. We did. There is just one problem... we don't have any leftovers. We didn't come home from Thanksgiving dinner with any leftovers so our fridge is rather bare and sad-looking. We need leftovers so we are going to make some. That sounds counter-intuitive because we make dinner and have leftovers. However, I'm not shooting for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner re-do. Our Thanksgiving dinner was perfect enough. We just don't have any cranberries, stuffing, turkey or mashed potatoes and gravy. So, now I need to cook them up so we have lunch for this next week. This is the bet part... nothing needs to get done on time since everything is being cooked as a leftover. What a strange and exciting thought. What if I approached all dinners as "leftovers"? That takes away a lot of stress. Interesting...

Great red blends...

2010-11-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their favorite wines. I like full-bodied, sweet wines that don't turn my mouth inside out. Here are three great blends to try...

2008Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte
Townshend T3
2008 Maryhill Winemaker's Red

iGuard the iPod

2010-10-25T11:39:00.001-07:00

My daughter often tries to sneak her iPod online after bedtime. Our solution is to either unplug the wireless or deal with a ridiculously slow router 95% of the time so I can catch her when she unknowingly bumps me offline. So far it is working but we've also begun iPod check-in at 8:30 pm which guarantees she won't be online... We call it iGuard.

If women had invented...

2010-10-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

If women had invented toilets they would have put the handle to flush it on the floor so women don't have to touch it.

If women had invented boxers they would have sewn a pocket in the front so men don't have their hand down their pants at night.

If women had invented football games the game would only last 1 hour with two 10 minute breaks every 20 minutes. Any sport lasting 3 hours or more was invented by a man to get them out of the house.

Black and White Gingham Ribbon Makes Everything Prettier

2010-10-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

Stand still long enough in my house and you'll probably get a gingham bow tied on you. I love black and white gingham ribbon mixed with stripes and polka dots. Mix that with Fall, my favorite time of year, and you get an explosion of color and harvest decor in my house. Recently, I've found some great garland buys at Wal-Mart of all places for just $5. I've found you have to get them while they are there and Wal-Mart tends to put things out a little too early. Now, if someone can just point me to a pumpkin patch that isn't still green.

A place I need to go visit... I've heard so much about them.

2010-10-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.huntandgatherantiques.com/events.html

Dirt Clods and Gardens...

2010-09-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that the target of our frustration and irritation is often not the cause of it?

The target then becomes the dumping ground for all the "dirt" we carry around as baggage. Sometimes we throw that dirt at them fast and furious oblivious to their shocked reaction. Sometimes they have done something so minor that the reaction they get from us is completely out of context with whatever wrong they committed.

The dirt clods continue to be thrown at them. Some large, some small. Some old, some new. Ironically, the dirt bags never get empty no matter how much dirt we unload. Usually, we realize this truth to far into the dirt dump to fix what we have done and the target of our dump, the person who doesn't deserve it, crumbles.

The same ironic truth holds true in reverse... no matter how much dirt we try to unpile from our undeserving target, it never seems to be gone. They will carry around remnants of the dirt you threw at them for a long time and may even try to unload it onto someone else. It becomes a never-ending cycle.

When we have a lot of dirt, the best thing we can do for our selves and those around us is to find a healthy way to deal with it as soon as possible.... make a garden, plant flowers, plant a cactus for all that matter, but try very, very hard not to start throwing it at those around you. Hopefully, your dirt can go on to help grow beautiful things instead of being a tool of destruction for yourself and those around you.

Amazing Garbage

2010-07-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

If someone gave you a bag of trash what would you make out of it? Here's what one artist did. http://masterblog.front.lv/2007/06/21/art-not-garbage/

Container Gardening...

2010-07-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

VERY cool small area gardening idea from aHa! Modern Living: http://www.ahamodernliving.com/blog/tag/container-gardening/

Ferrante's Fresh Mini-Pizza Dough and more...

2010-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are lucky to live within walking distance to several great restaurants. One of them is Ferrante Marketplace Cafe. I have completely fallen in love with their gelato which, by the way, typically has less fat and sugar than traditional ice cream (our kids love it, too).

One of the best things I've found there (aside from that creamy frozen treat, great staff and food) is their mini-pizza dough. For $2 ea or 4 for $6, you can get mini rounds and let the kids make them at home (look up on the board next to the cash register for this info). Of course, they don't have that oven-fired taste but the kids will love them just the same.

Other delights: The toasted coconut and fudge gelato is HEAVEN. The Italian chopped salad is yummy and serves at least 2 people. The calazones take a little longer but are worth the wait. The "g.a.s.p." is our favorite... garlic, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomato, pesto pizza.

Here's something to know: They are not open Sunday or Monday so prepare in advance if necessary.

Winco Blueberry Muffin Mix

2010-06-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

My 4th grader made these for her dad this morning for Father's Day. They are SOOO easy and yummy.

Winco Blueberry Muffin Mix
3 cups Winco Blueberry Muffin Mix (note: 3 cups is approx 1 lb.)
3/4 cup cool water

Mix in bowl on low speed 1 minute, scrape down sides, continue to mix on low until batter is almost smooth. Grease or paper-line muffin pan, fill 1/2 to 2/3 full*, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Yield 18.

*We sprinkle some sugar on the tops just before they go in the oven. We've also put some brown sugar/butter mixture on there and it is FABULOUS.

So I lost my cell phone...

2010-04-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

Thankfully, I did not have an expensive one but they can become expensive if you don't agree to a new 2 year plan.

We went to AT&T to get a new phone and were told that the lowest priced phone they had was $249.99 without a contract. Ummmm.... no thank you.

I went home that night and decided to get a goPhone to replace mine since some of those were what they were trying to sell us in the store. Guess how much I paid for that? $49.99. Did the store ever suggest we do that? No, because they wanted the sale. With AT&T you can swap SIM cards and your ready to go. Guess what? I got a phone just like my old one. Thank you AT&T.

TV Sports Etiquette

2010-03-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

I was reminded tonight when I worked late that you don't walk in on a playoff game with 25 seconds left in double OT and ask your husband why the kids are still awake. Instantly, your husband will look at you like you just emerged from the Black Lagoon and utter unrecognizable words while trying to look at the TV screen at the same time as if he has a tick. Lesson learned.

Flank Steak at Costco

2010-03-22T18:28:00.001-07:00

My amazing sister-in-law and wonderful brother visited us this weekend. They are a blast! They brought with them yummy flank steak that they got at Costco. It was marinated to perfection. She said that the price difference was huge ($19 for 2 at Costco, versus $14 for 1 at Albertsons). The rest of the recipe is a family secret so I can't post that but it was de-li-cious!

Buy Corned Beef TODAY!

2010-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If your family is like ours then Corned Beef and Cabbage is one of their favorite meals. My husband found corned beef at Safeway for $1.29/lb so we got six. It was $3.29/lb at Costco. We typically cook two at a time because of the size of our family and the friends we have over for dinner but this will last us for a few meals.

Going to the Oregon Coast? Take your own shovel...

2010-03-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

We've been to the coast many times but last year we finally decided to dig for clams. It's almost embarrassing to say the we've not done that with our kids before after having gone there so much.

We set out to get a bucket and shovel. The visitors guide said that one shop in Lincoln City rented them. Once we got there we found out that not only was that not true but the shop didn't know how that information ever got in the guide. A trip to the hardware store was not great because we picked the time when they were closed. This next trip we are taking out shovels, boots, buckets and determination.

Bulk Items at Winco

2010-03-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

Almonds, Smoked $4.10/#
Bacon Bits (artificial/soy) $1.47/#
Baking Powder $1.08/#
Baking Soda $.50/#
Blueberries (Dried) $9.28/#
Cereal-Captain Crunch $1.62/#
Cereal-Cherrios $1.64/#
Cereal-Corn Flakes $1.57/#
Cereal-Frosted Flakes $1.59/#
Cereal-Fruit O's $1.74/#
Cereal-Granola $1.58/#
Cereal-Honey Nut Cherrios $1.79/#
Cereal-Raisin Bran $1.91/#
Cereal-Rice Crispies $1.56/#
Chex Mix $2.93/#
Chip-Semi-Sweet $2.24/#
Chips-Butterscotch $2.13/#
Corn Meal $.53/#
Corn Starch $.76/#
Cranberries (Dried) $3.76/#
Dog Biscuits $.79/#
Flour-Cake $.36/#
Flour-White $.33/#
Gravy Mix-Brown $2.31/#
Gravy Mix-Chicken $2.76/#
Gravy Mix-Country $2.30/#
Honey-Clover $2.94/#
Parmaesan Cheese $.76/#
Pasta-Angle Hair $.84/#
Pasta-Bows $1.09/#
Pasta-Egg Noodles $1.18/#
Pasta-Macaroni $.79/#
Pasta-Ravioli $4.33/#
Pasta-Rigatoni $.83/#
Pasta-Spaghetti $.79/#
Pasta-Tortellini $4.33/#
Popcorn, White Unpopped $.68/#
Pretzels $1.89/#
Raisins-Golden $2.08/#
Rice-Basmatti $1.42/#
Rice-Jasmine $.78/#
Rice-Short Brown $1.01/#
Salt-Sea Salt $.19/#
Seasoning-Taco $2.39/#
Soup Base-Chicken $3.15/#
Strawberries (Dried) 3.61/#
Sugar-Brown $.60/#
Sugar-Powdered $.58/#

Starbucks-like Oatmeal at Home

2010-02-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

I became quite attached to the Starbucks oatmeal but wanted something I could make at home. I went to Costco and got dried cranberries, blueberries and cherries. I found golden raisins, regular raisins, walnuts and slivered almonds in bulk. To keep it handy, I use some cool glass jars on the counter.

The best oatmeal I found for it was either the generic organic oatmeal at Fred Meyer or the all-time favorite Quaker quick oats. All it took was mixing the dried fruit together, mixing the nuts together, and putting everything in jars on the counter next to the jar of oatmeal and brown sugar. Breakfast has become even easier around the house because it's now as easy as 1-2-3... 1 half-cup of oatmeal, 2 small scoops dried fruit/nuts, 3 teaspoons brown sugar combined. The kids seem to think that the amount of brown sugar should be equal to the oatmeal but when they limit it and add milk, they are getting a great start to the morning.

During the week I take my oatmeal mixture* with me in a small snap-lock container and eat it about mid-morning.

(*The amount described is actually two servings with everything added.)

Christmas Takedown

2010-01-09T19:48:00.001-08:00

I woke up this morning and REALLY did not want tackle the Christmas Take Down. My sheets felt so soft... I could have stayed there all day. Our middle daughter had a friend stay the night and was up late so she was still sleeping. Our oldest was away at a sleepover and then... our son. WHEW! He was bouncing on the bed and anxious because he could not go downstairs where the girls were still sleeping. Suddenly, my perfect slumber was shattered.

Plan B... cuddle with my son who was able to settle down for a few minutes then he was off. Might as well get up and tackle Christmas.

This year was the fastest take down we've ever experienced. It wasn't because we worked faster. We worked together. We gave eacho of the kids a task they could handle. AND we gave them something we expected a little more from them and told them we were giving them more responsibility. We didn't hear the normal "I'm tired", "Are we done yet", "Do I have to".

Tonight we're hanging out and relaxing. It will be an early night for everyone.

Pandora Radio

2010-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine told me about Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com). Have you heard of it? It's very clear internet radio. You pick the channel (genre) you want to listen to and it plays through the music much like a traditional radio station except with less commercials and it is more clear. You're allowed to listen to 40 hours a month for free and that includes commercials. If you want to get rid of the commercials and have more hours you pay $30 for a year. You can hook it up to your stereo through your computer or mobile device.

We liked it for Christmas because it played a lot of great music and was all Christmas music. If you really like a song you can click on it and buy it through iTunes.

Try it out and let me know what you think...

Tuesday movie rentals...

2010-01-04T23:16:00.001-08:00

New dvd releases come out on Tuesdays. Redbox starts renting them first thing in the morning. Why not move your movie night to Tuesdays. For $1.09 and the cost of your popcorn you could be watching a great movie without waiting for them to be returned by someone else.

What are gifts worth?

2009-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

We've all done it... raced out to get a gift so we have SOMETHING to give. We don't spend that much time thinking about it and it shows.

This year, we decided to spend less (like everyone else) but to make it special by really putting a lot of thought into it. In the end, I didn't feel like I had to "count the number of gifts" I was giving each person because even if it was just one, it came from the heart.

It's a big pet-peeve of mine when someone wraps something up just to give something. My son was being silly and wrapped up a "big box of air" as he called it. My husband and I were surprised when he opened it because it was empty. My son thought it was hilarious and giggled like crazy. It reminded me that a lot of presents that we give each other, if they are not thought through, end up being a big box of air.

Hopefully, as we move into 2010, we'll take the lessons of 2009 with us. For me, those are:
spend more time with family and friends and spend less money and time in stores.

Happy New Year!

I love Redbox...

2009-12-29T21:59:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again... "I love Redbox."

Tonight we watched G-Force with the kids. It was great. VERY worth the $1.09 (including tax). We've got the dvd set up in the basement which allows us to turn up the volume and have a semi-theater experience. We add in those vintage-looking popcorn containers, some red vines and M&M's and we've got a great night for under $5.

I have to say, G-Force was not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be very corny. It was well done, however and the kids loved it.

We had my husband's parents over on Sunday night and watched UP! as a family. That was fun, too. That night we made our signature mini pizzas. This time I threw on some garlic, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes.

Visit Your Own City

2009-12-22T09:42:00.001-08:00

You haven't really seen your city until you view through the eyes of a tourist. There are a ton of activities going on everyday that residents are not aware of. What is the best way to find out about these happenings? Go online to the visitors bureau (in Spokane it is www.visitspokane.com) or drop into a visitors center. You'll be surprised to find out what is out there to do and even free. Speaking of that, many Spokane residents are surprised to find out that the carriage rides in downtown Spokane during the Christmas shopping season are free because they are sponsored by STCU.

If you're planning on a "staycation" or mini-vay-cay, why not stay at a local hotel and really treat yourself? Although your house may be only miles away it is like walking into another world without the pressing day-to-days that we all face. The bonus of staying in your own city is that you can take advantage of many mid-week deals offered by hotels and restaurants. No matter what you decide to do, turn the view of your own city upside down and see it from another point of view.

Couch Shopping...

2009-12-15T12:08:00.001-08:00

No, we're not in the market for new furniture. Couch shopping was how I did much of my holiday shopping this year... particularly with Amazon's super saver shipping. I only have a couple days left to shop that way with Amazon before things start arriving after Christmas but it's worked out great this year. I like shopping from home because 1) I'm not pressured to buy right then and can save things in my "shopping cart", 2) I save on gas AND shipping, 3) I can comparison shop. If you can take advantage of free shipping, it is a blessing. If you need a free shipping code, start with http://www.retailmenot.com.

Julie & Julia

2009-12-11T01:30:00.000-08:00

We watched Julie & Julia and I have to say it is one of my favorite movies of the year. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is now on my Christmas list and I've let my husband know that it is at Costco :-)

I've been cooking out of a different cookbook, "The Joy of Cooking", for many years. Aside from not having little section tabs on the side like a dictionary, it has a ton of information. The movie sneaks quite a bit of the history of that book into the mix and even a sponsorship placement in Julie's kitchen. The "Joy of Cooking" IS my kitchen dictionary and has got me out of a jam more than once. One thing I did not know is that not every recipe was tested. Apparently, that is not the case for Julia Child's book. Now, I can't wait to get her cookbook. And take a peek at Julie Powell's blog.

Like many of us, I'm concerned about fat and calories. Cooking the dishes in these two books is definitely a treat rather than an everyday event. Just looking at the recipes in the "Joy of Cooking" and previewing Julia Child's book makes me feel like the pounds are piling on. Although I wish I had the metabolism to eat only from these books, I do not. Every dish prepared ends up being a guilty pleasure. But recently, one book I read, "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano, reminded me that it is OK to eat wonderful food BUT it is all about moderation (which explains the teeny tiny portions in French restaurants).

By now, you're probably wondering how this post fits into this blog. Well, let me explain. 2009 has taught me a lot of great things but frankly, I'm not sad to see it go. One of those things is to focus on my family and bring everyone together around the dinner table. It serves multiple purposes from spending quality time together to saving money and serving your family great home-cooked food. It has also showed me the joy in the little things that I overlooked because I was hurried. I hope that 2009 has given you a gift somehow despite what it has taken away from so many of us.

If you have a chance to see the movie, do it. If you would like to see Julie Powell's blog, here is a link to the first post: http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2002/08/25.html. Her recent blog is here: http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/

Hot Cocoa and Sprinkles

2009-12-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

A simple cup of hot cocoa can be turned into something magical in a child's eyes by adding whipped cream (of course!) and sprinkles. A candy cane is always welcome.

When we went on the Coeur d'Alene Christmas Cruise to the North Pole a couple years ago, the crew of the boat served tank-fulls of instant hot cocoa in paper cups. The kids though it was the best in the world... ALMOST as good as mine. Apparently, what got these kid-judges vote was... the sprinkles.

Get ready to make a snow man (or woman)

2009-12-03T17:15:00.001-08:00

You've probably seen the kits with everything you need to make a snowman. What every happened to charcoal for eyes and a carrot? Making a snowman has gone modern and one of the most fun things to do is color your creation. Find an old, clean spray bottle, add water and food coloring and VOILA! You've got your fancy-dancy snowman making kit. Now all you need is a top hat and scarf.

Christmas Photo Cards

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can make your own photo cards cheaper than using the predone templates? All you have to do is use a photo editing program, create the card fo 4x6, save them as you would any photo/ image then print them at Costco . You're paying $.13 each as opposed to $.59 each. You will need envelopes (A6 size) and those can be ordered online for a box of 100 at Amazon.com for $8-10. That ends up being less than $.10 a piece. Add that to your photo cose and each card costs $.23. Doing it yourself will cost you $23.00 for 100. Going through Costco will cost you $59.00. How much is your time worth? Well, you save $36 and it may take you a couple hours.

Christmas Gifts With Heart

2009-11-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for a wonderful gift to give and enjoy? Check out Christ Kitchen's gift catalog. Christ Kitchen is "a ministry dedicated to serving and empowering women in poverty as we share the love and good news of Jesus Christ. Located in Spokane, Washington, Christ Kitchen provides women the opportunity to learn job skills while creating a beautiful selection of delicious products."

From first-hand experience, everything is wonderful but I really enjoy the "Converted Rice", "Benevolent Brownies", "Joyous Gingersnaps", and "Disciple 12 Bean Soup." You can also stop by during the Christmas season and pickup Gingerbread House Kits and even get Nativity Kits. To be honest, it's a very hard to eat the Baby Jesus cookie.

Don't get 'wrapped up' in buying

2009-11-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving a newspaper weighing close to the day's turkey arrives in a THUMP! on our doorstep. I look forward to it with child-like excitement and prepare for the Black Friday ritual... I get a cup of coffee, paper, pencil, snuggle into my favorite chair start writing a list of what I gifts I should buy.

This year I began looking at things a very differently. Which is most likely due to the economy. I was irritated that this mammoth newspaper invaded my home. I did not want to be suckered into buying whatever's on sale because it probably would not reflect what I truly wanted to give someone. It also brought back frightening memories of last year's o'dark-hundred Black Friday chaos at Toys R Us, Target and Walmart.

A very smart friend of mine, Ms. Jeanna, has created a holiday gift giving policy for her family that I think is wonderful and true to the season. Her family will only be exchanging gifts that are either homemade, encourage a homemade object (such as a kit), are sustainable, or help others live a sustainable life. What a great idea! Now, if only all of us could have that mindset then many of the plastic, battery-operated, electornic toys and dvd's on sale tomorrow will be left on the shelves and we would have a Christmas we would never forget.

To get you started, here are a few on-line resources

Real Simple's 9 Easy Recipes for Homemade Holiday Gifts
TheGreenestDollar.com Master List of Homemade Holiday Gifts
BlissfullyDomestic.com Homemade Christmas Gifts

'Checkout' audio books at the library

2009-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can checkout many audio books at your local library? You can download them to your computer and they will drop off after the expiration date. Thanks, Meg for the tip!

Before you buy anything online again...

2009-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Check out RetailMeNot.com. It's a well run site that shows up-to-date special offers and coupon codes with the average success rate. I like the format and have found the site VERY helpful and it has saved me money when ordering online.

Also, before you enter your credit card number be sure you are on a secure site. The address will start "https://...". If your browser says that the security certificate can't be trusted, move on. Many fraudulent sites will show the Verisign logo to trick you into giving out that information.

Very cool kitchen tools

2009-11-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

As we are teaching our kids to help in the kitchen I've been looking for things that make it a bit safer for them. I found this cool potato peeler and plastic cheese knife to be a great relief. You can find them online at Amazon.

Chef'n Palm Potato Peeler
The Cheese Knife

Baking love... silpat mats and silicone bakeware

2009-11-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I love to bake and sometimes I tend to burn what I've cooked. (Multi-tasking in the kitchen is not my forte.) I've found ways around my tendency to create "blackened" dishes with a few favorite items in my kitchen.

Pampered Chef offers a stoneware line that resists burning and believe me, I've tried. I use it more than any other bakeware. Cakes, brownies, pizza crusts... all golden brown.

Silpat makes a silicone mat that is offered by Sur la Table in a variety of sizes and costs $15-$20 each. There are other silicone mats such as the Wilton one at Target I've had great luck with almost all of them. Cookies end up perfectly baked.

Which ever way you go, I'd recommend a mat. I'm thankful for them everytime I miss hearing the buzzer go off and something bakes for a few minutes longer than it should and still ends up beautiful.

Potato love

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just learned that many great restaurants rub salt on the outside of a baked potato before being baked to help dry out the inside and make it more fluffy. How about that?

Tips from the diner experts for coffee pots and salt shakers

2009-11-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

While in junior high I was a candy striper at St. Luke's hospital in Boise. I worked in the coffee bar which in those days meant regular or decaf. We cleaned the coffee pots every night with cubes of ice and salt and twirled the pot until the stains were gone. That was clever. The other thing I learned then that I do now is using a little piece of paper fashioned into a funnel with tape to pour salt into the shakers. I'm sure there is a little funnel out there just for that purpose but that would defeat the fun of it.

Don't store bananas with other fruit...

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Unless you want that fruit to ripen and rot REALLY fast. As bananas ripen they release a gas, ethylene, that makes other fruits ripen too fast. Take bananas out of the bag as well because the trapped ethylene can cause the bananas themselves to ripen too quickly.

Here's another thing: those green produce bags you've seen advertised on TV? They really do work and they can be reused after you wash them (provided that something did not go bad in them. They are a bit expensive compared to other bags but they are worth it if they've saved your produce from going into the compost pile or garbage can.

Layway all your problems...

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Layaway is back. If you were born before 1988 you probably remember the layaway desk at most stores. The idea was simple. Ask the store whatever you wanted, make payments on it until it was paid for then go get the item off layaway.

What happened since then was the plethora of credit cards that hit the market and targeted every graduating senior on the planet. Why would we need layaway plans anymore when we could get it 'instantly'?

Well, since the credit bubble burst or rather, exploded, most sane people are smartly staying away from purchasing anything with credit and are squirreling away the money instead.

With Christmas right around the corner if you haven't started saving then you need to get going on it. Many stores have started their layaway programs and one of the most popular online sites is eLayaway.com. The total cost to layaway a $1000 item and pay it off over 5 months is $1019.00. That's just under 12% in interest. If you put that on your credit card with a 15% interest rate and paid it off in 5 monthst it would cost $1025. So, the bottom line is that you save a little money, have an incentive to pay it off quickly because you don't get it until it is paid for.

Truly, the best way to get something is to put money in an interest bearing account and save for it. Train yourself to do that and you won't be tied to any debt.

Anyway you do it, save first, buy next, save later.

The Big Candy Buy-Back

2009-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

To solve the candy-overload issue at Halloween, we offer to buy-back the candy from each child. The going rate is $1.00 per pound. We have an antique scale in the kitchen where the kids choose what candy they want to sell. Some decide to sell it all, some decide to sell a little. It's completely up to them. They are paid on the spot and then they can go buy something fun with it that lasts a lot longer than a jolly rancher.

Black light to pet problems

2009-10-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

We recently had an issue when our dog, Murphy had an accident on the carpet. Buying the carpet cleaner at Petco I noticed a little black light that shows stains on the carpet better than the naked eye. It worked like a charm and we were able to pre-treat all the spots including the few where Murphy had 'blessed' us. When an animal has an accident it is a way for them to tell you something is wrong. Thankfully, that was a minor thing with Murphy and he is feeling better now.

Getting back to basics... get your game on!

2009-10-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about school shopping or playing XBox. I'm talking about sitting down with your family and playing a board game, card game or just reading together. Simply put: spend more time together and you'll spend less money.

Here's how to do it: turn off the power to the house (yes, even the air conditioner) grab the kids and you're favorite game and sit outside in the shade and spend a couple hours sipping your favorite cool beverage, playing cards, Monopoly or whatever and watching the kids run around in the yard.

So many of us wait for a power-outage to do something like this but it just takes turning things off. The TV is a magnet in more ways than one. It pulls us away from the dinner table, away from our family and pulls money out of our wallet. The more television we watch, the more wants we have which results in more money leaving your pocket.

We've been playing the card game, Gin, but our other favorites are Monopoly, Mancala, Checkers, Chess, Scrabble, Boggle and Yatzee.

Instead of referring to the 50's as family time, let's refer to now as family time. Happy gaming!

What are your favorites?

2009-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

What are your favorite kid friendly restaurants, family friendly games, easy weekday dinners or standby birthday gifts? Email me and I will create a running list. Send emails to: nwmamma@live.com

Laptop Lunches, the Bento Box

2009-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been looking all over for a bento box because I wanted something that made lunches fun and had a lot of variety. Have you seen the Japanese bento box lunches? They are fabulous. The one I recently found is called "Laptop Lunchbox" and features little compartments to put all sorts of things. They had them on sale at the local organic food grocer, Huckleberry's, and come with lunch suggestions and silverware. If you have never seen them before, check them out here. I found it locally for $18.99. It sounds steep but if it saves me three times eating out then it pays for itself (which it already has). There is another version of the bento box (Zojirushi Ms. Bento Stainless Steel Lunch Jar Set) that has received great reviews but is priced at about $54.99.

Roll the dice...

2009-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a tip recently that has saved my sanity at dinner... when the kids come to the end of their dinner and refuse to eat anymore, have them roll the dice and that will be the number of bites they have to take. Getting them to eat 12 bites is no problem when it is their choosing.

Towels at JCPenney

2009-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up hearing JCPenney's referred to simply as, "Penney's". And, "Penney's" seemed to have just about everything next to Sears.

We went in there the other night to find some sheets and left with a small stack of bath towels for $3.88 each.

The kids needed new towels for their bathroom (the color coded thing, again) and I didn't want to spend a lot of money because they invariably will wipe the dog or mop up the bathroom floor with it even though I tell them not to. It turns out that "Penney's" was having a doorbuster sale so these towels were marked down from $7.99. Can't beat that, even at WalMart. They do work great. The kids love them and they seem to be as soft as the kids like them to be.

My new best entertainment friend: RedBox

2009-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

We love Redbox. How can you beat it? For $1.00 a night plus tax there is no better way to rent a movie. Here's the other great thing: you can reserve them online and have the machine hold it until 9:00 the NEXT night.

Are you waiting for the newest release? Jump onto Redbox the morning it is released onto DVD (it's always on Tuesdays and so are music/album releases) and reserve your copy.

Redbox is currently going to court with many of the motion picture studios because those studios want to withhold new releases from Redbox for 30 days from the release date so let's hope that Redbox wins in court.

Go fly a kite!

2009-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you're heading to the coast anytime soon then first go to the dollar store and pickup a couple dollar-kites. Once you get to the coast the cost of that very same kite goes up to $5.oo or more. We've seen them as high as $10-$15 in Oregon.

Need a new phone charger?

2009-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

So you've lost your phone charger and you're headed to Radio Shack to get a replacement. Here's a thought: swing by Goodwill first. They have a boatload of chargers that may just fit your phone. Even if you don't find the charger you may find something else crazy and fun. It's like a giant garage sale going on almost everyday.

Here's another thing about phone chargers... hotels have a big box behind the front desk loaded with chargers. Traveling and forgot yours? Chances are that they have one you can borrow.

The Organic Hit List

2009-09-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

A recent study came out that is making big news. It said that organic products are not healthier than non-organic products. "The British study was based on a review of all studies published over the last 50 years relating to nutritional content and health differences between the two kinds of produce." (Source: AFP London)

Here's a question for the authors of the recent study: if you're reviewing only past studies on actual produce and not studying the long-term effect of that produce on the body then how do you know if organic food is actually better? Shouldn't that claim be based on the buildup of toxins and pesticides in the body or the way those substances alter DNA? Claiming organic is not healthier is like saying that eating organic radio-active waste is not any healthier than eating non-radio-active waste. There will always be debates over the amounts of minerals and vitamins in organic/non-organic. The bottom line is: do you want to feed your family something laden with pesticides and hormones or not?

The EPA recommended limiting your consumption of contaminated fish that may contain dioxins, PCBs, DDT and mercury because it can build up in your body may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. Notice that they called the fish "contaminated"? What would happen if we started labeling produce "Non-contaminated" and "Contaminated"? Well, we'd have companies like Dole, Chiquita, Sunkist and Del-Monte spending millions to lobby the EPA and FDA to change the label. Sound familiar? Sound a little like big tobacco companies?

We need to make informed decisions when shopping. Organic? Non-Organic? Hormones? No Hormones? Genetic Engineering? Deciding what to feed your family is more complicated than reading one study. This whole debate gets even more complicated when you factor in the economy. For some people the choice is not between organic and non-organic. It's between feeding their family or not.

Here's my personal bottom line and what helps me make the choice between organic and non-organic:

Does it contain added hormones (such as rGBH (bovine growth hormone) or rBST)?
Has it been genetically engineered?
Does it contain pesticides?

If the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions then it goes on my 'no' list. Unfortunately, reality puts us in situations where purchasing the organic, no hormones, no pesticides product is not an option.

Here are ten ways to help you shop smarter and healthier:

1) Refer to the "Dirty Dozen" or the "Organic Hit List". These are the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables out there. Think 'water'. The more water, the thinner the skin (the filter), the more pesticides it contains. Here's the list (you can download a wallet size at foodnews.com):

12 Most Contaminated

Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya

2) If organic, hormone free milk is not an option, purchase non-fat/skim milk. Hormones are in the milk fat so more fat=more homones.

3) Decide whether you should be eating it in the first place. Organic Cheetos?! Organic Kraft Mac & Cheese?! Yes, they contain organic products but are they really good for you in the first place? More companies are slapping organic on the label of their junk foods. This is called "Greenwashing".

4) Be familiar with what the labels mean (Source: USDA/FDA):

100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic.
Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can't be used on these packages.

5) Grow your own AND save money. You plant it, feed it, eat it. Complete control. Even though we're more than half way through the summer there are some things you can plant now and enjoy this fall and winter. The Winter Harvest Handbook has more information and can be found at your local library. Check out this chart from The Daily Green that shows you how much 'green' your garden could save you.

6) Shop at farmer's markets and local farms. Get to know the grower/farmer/dairyman. Green Bluff Growers, Spokane Family Farm Milk (509)796-FARM).

7) Buy your eggs from a small farmer. They taste great and many times the chickens are pets and not caged. The USDA does not allow hobby farms to sell eggs because they are not processed in an approved and inspected plant. Some hobby farms sell the egg carton and throw in 12 eggs for free. No store bought egg out there can stand up to an egg fresh from the chicken.

8) Become a part of a local CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture). In Spokane: Fresh Abundance is one place to start.

9) Buy a beef from a local rancher. Many will start advertising right now for sides and quarter. Go in with others if you don't have room in your freezer.

10) Become a part of a local food co-op. Get local products in one spot. Check out Local Harvest for listings in your area. In Spokane: Main Market, Spokane, Fresh Abundance.

Frugal Cereal Shopper Society

2009-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

We went shopping the other day for cereal. Not just any cereal, mind you, but special cereal or "Saturday cereal" a we call it. It's the cereal the kids can have only one day a week after they eat a bowl of healthy cereal and milk.

On this shopping trip we were down at the Malt-O-Meal bagged cereal section. I was mentally calculating what the best deal was when I heard the girls discussing two different kinds. They were trying to decide which one was the best deal and squinting at the self label to see which one had a better cost per ounce.

I could not have been more happy at that moment. It had clicked for them and they had been initiated into the frugal shopper's society. Welcome aboard, little smart shoppers!

School Lunch Time Saving Tip

2009-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of the last things we want to do in the morning rush is make lunches. We decided to make sandwiches ahead of time and throw them in the freezer in sandwich bags. We found that if you put peanut butter on both sides of the bread with jam in the middle the bread does not get soggy when it thaws.

You can freeze sandwiches with lunch meat, too but don't put condiments on until the morning you pack the lunch.

We've tried freezing juice boxes and water bottles but have found that although they keep everything cold they don't thaw enough to drink by lunch.

Steak Dinner or McDonald's?

2009-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Costco recently and bought their mondo pack of steaks, big bag of baby potatoes, bread and a key lime pie. I had salad fixings at home. The grand total? $32 and it covered two meals. How much did we spend at the Moses Lake McDonald's on the way to Seattle? $32. I'll take a steak dinner any day over McDonald's.

The Pink Book versus Mommy and the Google Calendar

2009-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've used my "Pink Book" from Franklin Covey for years with only a small break a long time ago to try a Palm Pilot. My family has become very accustomed to me checking the Pink Book before scheduling anything. At one point, my youngest daughter asked if she could go to a sleepover. My answer was 'no' so, her response was, "well, I'll check the Pink Book." Apprently, the Pink Book has more authority than Mommy.

Not to be outdone by the Pink Book, I began looking into other alternatives that would all me to resign myself as family secretary. We started using this calendar at my office and realized quickly that this could really help me at home. It's been a big blessing.

Reed and I have our own calendars and mine but we share them with each other which allows us to see each others events. It even send reminder emails that have saved me on more than one occassion. The other bonus to having a Google account and a calendar is that it allows you to follow blogs and write your own on Blogger. There are many other cool tools as well including the ability for Google Calendar to sync with an iPhone or Blackberry. We haven't ventured that far yet but I hear from everyone that has them that they are fantastic.

It will be a few more months before I am able to let go of the Pink Book all together. I have the rest of the year for my Franklin Covey planner so my goal to switch completely is January 1. What calendars do you use to keep yourself and your family on track?

Simple reminder about pets in the car...

2009-09-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

The summer is getting to it's hottest point in most places right now so it's obvious to all of us that we absolutely cannot leave our pet in the car when the family runs errands. It goes without saying to never leave kids in the car anytime.

Here's something to consider: get a thermometer for inside your car if it doesn't already have one. On a 72 degree day in the sun the inside of my car typically gets up to 117 degrees. On hotter days my thermometer stops working at 120 degrees and reads "HHH". I've started calling that "holy heck hot". To give you some perspective, Death Valley's typical summer temperature is 120 degrees. Notice the word "death" in the name?

So, while you're little furry member of the family gives you sad eyes when you leave. Give them a little treat instead and run your errands with your pet at home.

Super Duper Smoothies

2009-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Breakfast has become a smooth ordeal at our house...
Ice. Yogurt. Banana. Strawberries. OJ. Blend. Drink. Leave for school.

I wish it were always this easy but it has certainly streamline things. There are times that we seem to get to school and someone says, I forgot to eat breakfast. With the smoothie, they hear the blender going and they are standing in line to get them. It could be that I described a smoothie "like a milkshake" so they think they are getting a treat. I'm going to be adding some protein powder to my husband's and mine so I may even try to sneak a pinch into theirs which will make the smoothie even better for them.

An Outlet for Great Bread

2009-08-27T07:00:00.002-07:00

We have a local bakery, Franz, that has an on-site outlet at their Fancher facility. The types of bread they have are all over the board from basic white to 12-grain wholesome goodness. If you're looking for a great way to save money I'd encourage you to check out your local bakery outlet. You could end up saving 60% or more on some varities and that's a great savings any way you slice it!

Birthday Party... simplified

2009-08-25T07:00:00.002-07:00

My youngest child is turning 6 this weekend and we are gearing up for the big event. I I've thrown a few kids parties over the years. OK, it's not really a few... it's more like 20+. And with each passing year the parties seem to get a little easier. Not because I'm becoming an expert kid-party-event-planner, but because I'm intentionally making them easier on my husband and myself while still making it fun for the birthday child.

This year, creating an easy party also has the added benefit of going easy on the checkbook. Here are a few tips that may make your child's next party "easier".

1) Pick a theme for the party and only buy paper plates with that theme. Buy solid color napkins, cups and silverware.

2) Buy your solid colored items at the Dollar Store. Dollar Tree had 16 place settings of spoons, forks and knives for... you guessed it, $1.00. They also have packages of 16 napkins ($1.00), 8 plates (1.00), 8 cups($1.00) and table cover ($1.00).

3) Speaking of the dollar store, that is a great place to find a fun "give a way" for the guests. They have sets of 6 bubble bottles ($1.00), Decks of cards, bugs, you name it... all $1.00

4) For the cake, consider cupcakes. Make them ahead of time and freeze them. The night before the party take them out and frost them while they are still frozen. I like to pipe on the frosting with a big pastrey bag with a large frosting tip. It works great if you use a little turn table like the kind used to organize cupboards.

5) Here's the key to frosting them: only put on a base layer. We've filled pastery bags with colored frosting and let the kids go to town at the party. Make sure your camera is charged to take pictures of their adorable creations.

6) For decorations, go back to the "old-fashioned" crepe paper and balloons. If you need helium filled ones, go to, yup, the Dollar Store.

7) Think you need to outdoo last year's party? Think again. The only person who thinks that is you. Your child doesn't care. They just want to have fun and that can be done just about anywhere. It just takes a little imagination.

8) Here are some suggestions for inexpensive locations that don't cost a lot for a useage fee:
-The park near a play structure, scavenger hunt?
-A swimming beach, lake, splash pad or pool
-Your backyard with a camping tent set up
-The mall (if you have a pre-teen or teenager)... go see a matinee
-Bowling alley
-Pizza place
-Roller or Ice Rink (yes, even in summer)
-Stay overnight in an inexpensive hotel in town that has a pool and have the party there
-Gymnastics Gym
-Open play field-serve lunch on frisbees. Play frisbee golf afterward

Good luck with your planning! If you have a tip to share, let me know and I'll share it on your behalf with everyone else who reads NWMamma.com. Drop an email to NWMamma@live.com

Backup Backpack

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks after school starts most stores will begin putting their leftover school supplies in the backroom or back on their shelves. The one thing I've found that they don't save for next year are backpacks. Stores like Shopko will put them on super-sale or closeout and you can get them for just a few dollars. We buy backup backpacks then and save them for the inevitable backpack rippping crisis that usually happens after Spring Break.

Another way to go is to buy a Jansport backpack right from the start (no, I'm not being paid to endorse them). Jansport offers a lifetime guarantee on the backpack if it rips or breaks. Click here to read more about it.

Whichever way you go, you'll probably need a backup plan for when the backpack breaks and either needs to be replaced or sent in for repair.

Ragamuffin Fire-Sale Plants

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

We're coming to the end of the planting season in most areas and stores are beginning to put their plants on sale to get them gone. We like to plant perennials since they are more budget friendly than planting a ton of annuals. About this time of year I'm on the hunt for the lonely and very sad looking perennial that I can plant in my yard and nurse back to health. If it's not too far gone it will come back in full force next year (provided our pesky backyard squirrel stays away from them).

Filet mignon pour vous?

2009-08-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm all about saving money and simple living and eating healthy but once in a while there comes a special occasion and you need to treat yourself.

One way we've found to do that is to get a beautiful steak at Costco, specifically, a filet mignon. There are two cuts of filet mignon sold side-by-side in the butcher block. One sells for $9.99 a pound and the other is $12.99 a pound. What's the difference? According to the Costco butcher, they've 'done all the work' on the expensive cut which means they've trimmed the fat and some ancillary muscle. If you want to save youself some money, do the work then buy yourself a great bottle of Columbia Crest Two Vine or 14 Hands. So, if you're trying to 'trim the fat and same some money' do it yourself and you will. Plus, it will seem less like work with a glass of wine in hand.

À votre santé ! To your health!

Homemade Mini-Pizzas and Smiley Faces

2009-08-11T07:00:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize how easy it was to make pizza dough until I tried Winco's bulk pizza dough mix. Now, I'm refining the recipe and am getting creative.

Pizza Dough

3 1/2 cups pizza dough mix
2 tbsp olive oil (this is important)
1 cup warm water
1 packet dry yeast
1/4-1/2 tsp salt.

Mix yeast and water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it gets foamy. Preheat oven to 170 degrees then turn off. Mix all ingredients in mixer. Kneed. (I just use the dough hook on the mixer and it also kneeds it.) Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl. Oil it. Cover with a wet paper towel or cloth but don't let it touch the dough. Put in warm oven. Let rise 1 hour. Coat pizza pan with corn meal or use pizza stone. Spread dough. Ladle on pizza sauce (available in bulk at wholesale grocers), sprinkle on pizza spices then "decorate" it with whatever you choose. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

TIP: make the center slightly thinner than the outside and be sure not to mound all the ingredients in the center or the crust will be doughy.

There are many places to get pizza toppings but if you get them in bulk you can break them down into ziplock bags and make "kits". Try to freeze things as flat as possible which speeds thawing. Everything freezes well, even the dough. If you're going to freeze the dough don't let it rise. Wrap it in airtight plastic wrap and freeze. When you're ready to use it, bring it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. The next day, oil it and let it rise as noted above.

Yum!

Trip Packing Made Easy

2009-08-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

While we were driving to Seattle three weeks ago my husband realized that we had left Spokane with little more than one bag per person. That is a HUGE accomplishment considering we used to need a rooftop carrier to go to the lake. With out the pack-n-play, 50 pack of diapers, clip-on-high-chair, diaper bag, jars of baby food, bib, bottles, spoons and toys, we had significantly lightened our load.

Part of what made this trip easier, aside from firing the sherpa, was having the kids pack their own bags. It's risky, I know. We've had instances where my son forgot his underwear or created unique outfits out of his sister's capri sweats not realizing they were not his. That forced me to make a basic packing list for each child in large print. I laminated it, punched a hole, and clipped it on a little ring.

When it's time to pack, each child gets their list and a dry-erase marker. It's great and gives them a sense of control and responsibility. Every now and then we run into a snag but nothing that can't be easily solved with a trip to the toothpase aisle or something similiar.

Happy Hour for Kids

2009-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sonic has happy hour from 2pm - 4pm everyday. That will get you half off drinks so a medium sized slushy during happy hour is $.85 (a small is $.50) A fun little treat for a family of five for a grand total of $4.60.

Family Meal Planning During a Repression

2009-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since no one has decided whether this is a recession or a depression I've decided to go with a blend of the two words which takes on it's own meaning.

No matter what you call it, these times are tough for just about everyone. Thank goodness we aren't near the 25% unemployment rate, dust-bowl and food shortage scenarios of 1933.

Wanting something simple and time-tested to guide me, I looked for a basic hand book with tips on how to survive a depression and found some interesting ideas...

Depression-era homemakers gave tips on how to store squirrel in a greased jar (I prefer mine alive and in my backyard although I'm fattening them up just in case), pickling and curing, and making fake meat (not the vegetarian kind). However, one of the sweetest things I've found so far is Depression Cooking with Clara on YouTube. 91-year-old Clara gives you grandmotherly-guidance in the kitchen and warms your heart. Her recipes are unique. She is adorable.

Tough cuts of meat were popular in the 60's and 70's and were cooked in crock pots, barbecued, or slow roasted. My mom would go to town with a meat tenderizer on cubed steak. I now realize it was more therapeutic for her which helped her survive 3 kids and and a recession.

A cookbook that she gave me after I got married called "Make-A-Mix Cookery" (pub. 1978, HP Books) has her handwritten notes with the cost of making many mixes. (The Italian Cooking Sauce Mix cost $.34 per pint.) She also noted the cost of ground beef which is not too far from where it is today when on sale ($1.17 per lb.). My favorite is the Gingerbread Mix which we made in December and gave as Christmas gifts.

Many people have started doing "Meatless Mondays" and getting serious about "Fish on Fridays" as a way of eating healthier and saving money. Other theme night ideas include Taco Tuesdays, Breakfast-for-Dinner Wednesdays, Spaghetti Thursdays, Pizza Fridays, Soup Saturdays, and Leftover Sundays. Any way you can stretch a piece of meat or go meatless will save you money. Some are making more of their food from scratch while others are buying mixes and basics from the bulk foods section of Winco or taking advantage of their Costco membership. Here's my suggestion: know the average per pound price of produce before you buy it at Costco. It can look like a great deal but be 3x more expensive than Super 1 or Safeway ($3.29 per lb. for nectarines at Costco vs. $.99 per lb. at Super 1).

However you do it, take time to make it fun. Include the kids, teach them to cook, set the table with a table cloth, light some candles, play fun music, invite friends and family. Create your own restaurant experience without leaving your house and keep in mind the mantra of the 1930's homemaker "Use it up. Wear it out. Make do or do without."

Cremosa Italiano Alla Casa

2009-07-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

The kids got started on them when we were on vacation. After hearing "pleeaassee mommy" and replying with "no" every time we passed an espresso stand for the last two months I finally realized I could make them myself at home for a few coins instead of paying for them with several dollars multiplied by 5.

Making an Italian Soda is extremely easy. Adding cream or whipped cream changes it to an Italian Cremosa. It breaks down to about $.45 per glass versus $2.50 for the same amount at an espresso stand (full disclosure: as the mom, it's a treat to have someone else make them for me so I sometimes get them at the espresso stand after marathon grocery shopping).

TIP: If you hit a wholesale grocer like Cash 'N Carry in Spokane you can get any flavor of Torani syrup for about $2.59 each. Albertsons and Safeway had limited flavors for $4.99-$5.99 a bottle.

Quick recipe:
2 tbsp of your favorite syrup
3/4 cup to 1 cup club soda or sparkling water
ice
2 tbsp half and half
whipped cream

Combine syrup, club soda and ice in a cool glass. Pour a splash of half and half on top and garnish with whipped cream. Throw in a straw and voila!

Don't forget about Goodwill when on vacation

2009-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

It sounds crazy, I know, but let me explain...

When we were at the coast for Spring Break we rented a house and filled up the refrigerator to eat more at home and save money. For a number of reasons we ended up with a lot of food but no way to get it home. Not wanting to throw it out and knowing that another renter was not coming for a few weeks, we decided to get a cooler.

I didn't want to pay a lot, and I was ready to head to WalMart but remembered seeing a Goodwill on the way into town. Taking a chance, I went there to find a cooler and scored. For $6.99 I had a nearly-new red and white beauty that cost $24.99 at WalMart. A little sanitizing and ice and we were on the road home with food in tow.

Water Water Everywhere

2009-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of finding half-drank water bottles lying around or stuffed in your kids' backpack or soccer bag? We're trying to use the "old-fashioned" kind and get it out of the tap or refrigerator. Sometimes, though, using bottled water is necessary.

When I do find them lying around I add water until they are 3/4 full then toss them in the freezer for cooler packs. If I don't have room in the freezer I water the plants with it instead of pouring it (and money) down the drain.

"Are we there, yet?"

2009-07-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

When we head out of town on a long trip we hand the kids each a tube of mini M&M's. After they are done with the treat we fill the tubes with coins. This becomes their spending money for the trip. When they were younger we would do nickles but as they get older we've graduated to quarters.

The spending money comes with a condition attached... they have to pay us one coin out of their own tube if they ask, "are we there, yet" or "how much longer?" or anything similar.

It usually takes just one child asking and then all three realize that it's their money they are giving away. This has saved our sanity on so many 9 1/2 hour trips to the coast or Portland that I can't praise it enough.

Color Coded Towels

2009-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

It seems basic enough... assign each person a towel color and live happily ever after. No more, "WHO took my towel?" screams coming from a running shower. Not quite.

We thought we had solved the problem until we realized that the real problem was the previously used towel was still in a damp heap on their bedroom floor. Our next step was to provide easily accessible hooks in their bathroom. Then, we realized that they were mostly showering in our bathroom.

If you have any suggestions, PLEASE feel free to share them. In the meantime, we will keep the curtains closed just in case someone has to streak from the bathroom.

Looking for some free entertainment?

2009-07-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Check out fun things to do around town from parades to parks and fountains. We're heading to Seattle to march in the Wallingford Kids Parade with the Seafair Clowns.

Soap on a Rope

2009-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remember soap on a rope? Whatever happened to that? Was it from BRUT? A very funny product that served a very real purpose.

We made our own soap on a rope a few years back and it worked like a charm when we went camping. An old nylon and a bar of soap made all the difference int he world.

Simply cut the leg off the nylon, drop into the toe your favorite bar of soap and make a know. It ties easily to the faucet in the backyard next to the hose or to the water container when you are camping.

Betty Crocker cooked Squirrel?

2009-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, she did. Rabbit, too. I learned this recently while thumbing through my 1950 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook. Apparently, both squirrel and rabbit are best enjoyed in the fall. Who knew?

What I also realized is that a great way to save money is to lose your appetite and eat less. You can easily get turned off to food by just reading some of the recipes in the first edition of Betty's cookbook. Seems like a paradox... a cookbook that causes you to lose your appetite. But perhaps back in 1950 they were still reeling from the Great Depression.

I'm not sure why I keep that cookbook in my kitchen as if it was some great wealth of knowledge. I refer to the Joy of Cooking for that. I would guess that it is there for when I need that recipe for Chicken Fricassee with Dumplines (whatever that is). Because, as Betty says, "Chicken Fricassee without the dumplings is like a wedding without the bride."

You rock, Betty.

Snore Strips aka Sanity Strips

2009-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are big investors in Snore Strips. In fact, we buy them in bulk because we go through 365 a year. That starts to get rather expensive but we've weighed the cost of psycho-therapy from sleep deprivation and we still feel the Snore Strips are the least expensive option.

To try and cut the cost down a bit more we went to Shopko and bought the store brand. How different could they be? Reed went to be, snore strip from Shopko in place and fell right to sleep. The next morning I felt like I could sleep for another year and rolled over to ignore my alarm clock when I noticed that Reed's snore strip had shifted.

"Does it work better there?" I asked.
"Where?"
"On your chest stuck to your chest hair."
"What!? Oh, crud. Ouch!"

Apparently the glue is a little different because the snore strips migrate in the night. We're back to the brand name now, I get a restful sleep and and Reed no longer gets his chest-hair removed by the generic snore strips.

Mint Me...

2009-06-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have you check out Mint.com? We've been using it for a while to track our spending and think it is great. You can track almost any account out there in one place, online, for free. ('Free' being the keyword.)

Mint.com's user interface is easy to navigate and fairly intuitive. Sometimes it even feels like a game and then I snap back to reality and remember that this isn't Monopoly money we're dealing with.

The only place we've had any issues is with usbank.com where we have to answer 4 different questions correctly and provide a DNA sample. We like Mint.com so much that wer're willing to switch banks rather than find a new money management site. Adios, US Bank, hola, Mint.com.

Tea for Two and Now Two Tea Stains

2009-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever enjoyed your favorite cup of tea and suddenly realized that your beautiful tea cup is turning a strange shade of brown? The fix? Put a teaspoon or so of baking soda and a bit of water in the cup and swish around. Voila! Like new.

It's cool! Make your own frozen yogurt pops!

2009-06-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new commercials for the Trix yogurt where they shove a stick in the yogurt and freeze it? Well, do it yourself!

This trick works great if your on the last days of your yogurt cups. Simply shove a stick in the yogurt and throw them in the freezer. Kids will love you!

Here's another little trick I found. If your ice cream has melted too much then melt it all the way down and use an ice cream freezer to refreeze it. You can throw in fresh fruit, syrups or anything else and Poof! Your ice cream is good as new.

Homemade ice cream can be made for a lot less than premium brands and it's sooo much better. Sherberts cost even less because you're not buying milk and cream. Here's a little tip I've learned: any time you're close on your expiration dates and you may need to throw it out, throw it instead into the freezer and thaw it when your'e ready to make ice cream. This works best if you first pour it into freezer bags and then freeze them flat on a cookie sheet. They thaw a lot faster. We bought our ice cream maker for $6.99 at Goodwill and it was hardly used.

What are you doing to cut back?

2009-06-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

Take the poll on the right and let us know what you're doing to cut back.

Are you saving a ton on coupons? What are you doing with the money? Has this crisis got you saving more... not just money but odds and ends like rubber bands, etc.? Let us know!

Don't forget to check out the links section on this page. Crystal at Frugal Chic has great weekly grocery tips.

Get ready for the last day of school...

2009-06-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the last day of school with a low-cost barbeque of hot dogs, grilled corn and potato salad. One of best parts about summer and kids is that the food is easy, yummy and inexpensive. Going back to some of your comfort foods from when you were a kid will likely lessen your grocery bill since most of us grew up in times similar to our current economy.

Sports teams, dance classes and practices winding down for summer?

2009-06-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Give the people who've helped your kids and family a fun little treat with Baskin and Robbins bucks that come in $2 increments. They are sold in packs of 5 for $10. Tucking a little one of these in a thank you note is a great way to say a big 'thanks'!

Shopping trip to Winco

2009-06-03T11:31:00.001-07:00

Have you been to Winco, lately?

I didn’t know what to expect when I left my house for a 3 hour tour but I was pleasantly surprised when I got there.

The new Spokane Valley location is bright and clean... like a cross between Super 1 Foods and Costco. It’s a frugal shoppers fantasy come true. Row after row of bulk foods from dog biscuits to baking powder and even pancake and pizza crust mixes took up a fair amount of square footage. Thankfully, we are not back to the days of saving money using powdered milk but buying in bulk makes the cost-per-ounce ridiculously low (for example, a 10 oz can of baking powder costs on average $1.50. For that price, you could buy 1 1/2 pounds at Winco. (Most of us will never use that much before it looses its rising ability.)

Why did it take 3 hours? Because my anal-retentive personality had me going up and down every isle looking at price after price and comparing the cost-per-ounce of bulk to the prepackaged foods and the prices I remember from other stores.

The bottom line? Go to Winco to stock-up but bring an extra person. Bagging your own groceries is a minimal amount of work for a bigger payoff but it does take time and you don’t want to hold up the line.