Menu Plan Monday: Another Plate at the Table

Ironing is about the only thing I don't have to do this week.

This week has been officially named “Crazy Week.” We have an extra long orthodontist appointment scheduled for WenYu; I will teaching two mornings and attending an orientation; I have my dog-sitting job twice a day and to top it off we have a Chinese exchange student staying with us this week and have all sorts of meetings and get-togethers and strange scheduling to go along with that (the girls is very sweet though, and WenYu will be staying with her family when she goes to China in April). Having an exchange student means home-cooked meals every night, for the most part, and a couple of days of fixing an extra lunch for her to take to school. I’d like to say that by Friday night I will be able to put my feet up and enjoy a glass of wine, but can’t because we have a farewell potluck to attend for the Chinese students before they all leave early Saturday morning.

The girls helped me make the menu this week, coming up with dishes they thought the student would enjoy and that would represent American cooking. Of course that means we will be having Mexican food one night, spaghetti on another and ordering a take-out pizza (we have a coupon for a free extra large, any toppings). Breakfasts will be the usual, for the most part, and for the days I have to fix her a lunch I’ll be making her sandwiches so she doesn’t have to deal with Thermoses, etc. The girls are going to make rice krispie treats and chocolate chip cookies with our students during the week so she can experience “American baking.”

I have assigned days this week for a change, just so I know what’s going and can keep things straight and plan my days accordingly.

• Chicken & dumplings (Sunday)
• Chili pork burritos; Mexican rice; green salad (Monday)
• Spaghetti with meat sauce; garlic bread; green salad (Tuesday)
• Chicken noodle soup; buttermilk biscuits (Wednesday)
• Hamburgers; sweet potato fries (Thursday)
• Potluck (Friday) – I’m making Patty’s Killer Noodle Salad
• Mediterranean plates: Spanakopita, falafel, hummus, pita, tzatziki, tomatoes; cucumbers (Saturday)

Lunches will be beef & barley soup; roast turkey & cheese sandwiches; cup noodles; clam chowder; and meatballs at IKEA (no school on Friday so we’re heading out there for an afternoon field trip). Breakfasts will be coffee cake; toaster waffles with strawberries & whipped cream (YaYu’s request); hash browns & eggs; breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy.

Be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday at I’m An Organizing Junkie!

Sunday Night Chit Chat

I too have become very fond of Carla’s Sunday evening get-together!

This evening I am

• Watching: Nothing. No TV for us this evening.
• Reading: The Civil War: A Narrative. Vol 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian by Shelby Foote. It’s heavy, detailed and but still very, very interesting!
• Listening to: Our two younger daughters making Rice Krispie treats with our Chinese exchange student. I love hearing my two girls yakking away in Chinese, and love that they know enough to explain how to make the treats. I can barely pronounce our student’s name.
• Baking: A pecan-sour cream coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow.
• Happy I accomplished last week: My first time back in front of a classroom after six years away. I was both scared and excited about teaching again, but it went well and I had fun!
• Looking forward to: Having a glass of wine with Mr. Losing It in a few minutes, and getting together with a very good friend for coffee on Tuesday morning.
• Thankful for: Having plenty of food on hand, my family’s good health, our bills being paid and having money in the bank, and my girls’ attitudes about and understanding of their adoptions.

 

Saturday Morning Weigh-In

No one ever said this was going to be easy.

This morning I weighed 171 pounds, just .4 pounds less than last week. It’s a loss, although not much of one.

The eating part of this continues to go well, but I cannot wait for the weather to improve so I can get out and walk more! I got in two and a half good walks this past week (heavy rain arrived half-way through one), but it rained for most of the week. Although I didn’t take an actual walk yesterday, I did accumulate over 7,000 steps just doing my bi-weekly shopping, which kind of surprised me.

Today is supposed to be rain free so I’m planning to walk up and meet a friend for coffee at noon and then will take the long way back home for some more exercise. The cold, damp weather, not the walking, is also what’s aggravating the bursitis in my hips. I am so ready to live in a warmer climate!

2012 Budget Finally in Place

The last piece of our 2012 budget puzzle, Mr. Losing It’s new pay amount, clicks into place today. He is paid every other week, but the first check of the year always contains an extra or two, such a the tiny “wellness bonus,” so we were not able to accurately know until this week’s check what our monthly income will be. All of our monthly budgets have been based on last year’s income, but his pay has increased from last year (slightly) and I think we just may be able to make a real dent in the remaining debt balance this year. Not only did Mr. Losing It receive a small raise at work as well as a cost-of-living raise in his military retirement (after three years without any change), but I am working again, although my income will be irregular for the time being until I can (hopefully) land a permanent part-time position.

All of our basic payment amounts remain the same as last year, although our mortgage did drop by around $25 (and we received a refund of $236 for overpayment of property taxes last year). With the cost of living raise in his military retirement, and the drop in the mortgage, the monthly amount of that check once again covers our mortgage in full. The increase in his work paycheck will all go toward debt repayment. Our monthly grocery budget will remain at $640, but the last two months I have spent $60 – $80 less with the difference going into savings, and I hope to continue that trend this year as long as possible.

For now, all of my teaching income will go into the Hawaii trip fund. We have a goal of saving $10,000 this year, and once that’s accomplished my income will go toward debt repayment. It’s probably going to take most of the year to reach our goal though – I don’t think I’ll get enough teaching hours to really put much away each month.

Finally, we finished our income tax returns last weekend, and all of our tax refund will go toward paying off Credit Card #2. Our goal is to have it gone by the end of April, and then pay off the orthodontist by the end of July. After that we will work on our vacation goal, as well as work on Credit Card #1 and the student loan.

So here we go  - here’s hoping for a very good year!

Some Things We Did Right

It’s been easy as we’ve traveled on our path of becoming debt free to find fault over and over again with choices we made in the past, things that in hindsight we wouldn’t or might not have done if we knew we’d end up with so much debt. It’s been much harder to stop and look at or for the things we did right, things that were difficult or counter-intuitive at the time, that will provide for us in the future.

Here are four things we did right in the past, even though it wasn’t obvious at the time:

• Staying in the navy. My husband ended up serving 22 years in the navy, but retiring from the service was never a sure thing. It was a good life, but a hard life too, with lots of moves and deployments, and other time spent away and apart from each other and family. But, because he did stay in to retire, we have a guaranteed income every month for life, and best of all, outstanding health insurance for life as well. That income has paid our rent or mortgage ever since he retired, and we’ve never had to worry about health care for us or our children. We never thought about what it would be like not to have those things while he was on active duty, but we are grateful every day now that we stuck it out.
• Sticking it out at a miserable job. Mr. Losing It works for a great company, at a job he loves and with people he enjoys working with and for. It wasn’t always that way though, and he went through a really bad stretch a few years ago working under the Manager from Hell. Miserable doesn’t begin to describe it, for a variety of reasons. It was to the point that I almost begged him to quit because we couldn’t take his misery any more. He looked for, interviewed for and was offered other jobs during this time, but none of them could offer the benefits that his current employer provided, so he would decide to stay a little longer while co-workers headed for other employment. Two years ago he was offered his dream position within the company with a boost in pay. We still are enjoying the amazing benefits this company provides, and he will retire next year with a nice pension, something we would have given up if he had left. (The manager was eventually demoted).
• Our cheap house. When we bought our house nearly seven years ago, our goal was to find the cheapest house we could that was convenient to the girls’ schools. This house fit the bill perfectly. Friends and family couldn’t believe we bought this place, in this location, that we “could have done so much better.” But guess what? The house has not only held its value, it  has increased in value and our neighborhood is now a desired location within the city. We could have afforded a much larger mortgage at the time, but every month I am so glad we bought our cheap little house and think about how things might have ended up if we hadn’t.
• Adoption. The biggest reason we have debt is because we adopted not once but three times in our mid-40s and early 50s. We knew with each adoption that we were spending or taking away from our retirement, from our future financial security, but we also knew it was the right thing for us to do, no matter the cost. Neither Mr. Losing It nor I have ever regretted what we have spent to bring these girls home and then raise them, but we thought we would have to work into our 80s because of this choice. However, because we have dependents under the age of 18, it turns out Mr. Losing It can retire early and receive extra Social Security benefits for the girls. By the time our youngest ages out, I will be eligible for my full-retirement Social Security and state pension. Because of our daughters we can afford to retire early and with a comfortable income.

While the bad choices or decisions are easy to come up with, what are some of the choices that you’ve made that you didn’t realize would turn out right, that would turn out to be a benefit or provide financial security?

Easy, Frugal Baking: Manuel Freedman’s Oatmeal Cookies

I have absolutely no idea who Manuel Freedman is (or was). My recipe dates from when we lived in Key West (mid-80s), but I have no idea where it came from, who gave it to me or any other explanations. What I do know is that these cookies are easy, healthy, and delicious. They contain no added sugar – all the sweetness comes from the dried fruit (which is why cranberries are not the best choice), and only 1/4 cup of vegetable oil – the other fat comes from chopped nuts. Best of all, the ingredients are things I usually have on hand in my pantry, making these a very frugal choice.

The recipe says that the cookies should be sliced before baking – don’t skip this step! They firm up during baking and are very difficult to cut afterwards. The recipe also calls for dates, but I have substituted raisins with success. I’m guessing that other dried fruits could be used as well, but the cookies will be less sweet (or not sweet at all).

Oh yes, the cookies have been kid tested and approved! My girls adore these cookies even though they’re less sweet than other cookies I make or buy. I made a pan the other day and they disappeared quickly, and I was asked not to wait so long to make them again.

MANUEL FREEDMAN’S OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats, either quick or regular

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/4 cups finely chopped dates (or raisins)

1/3 to 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 325°. Generously grease a 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Blend flour, oats, salt and oil until evenly mixed. Add walnuts and chopped dates, and 1/3 cup water, mixing together with your fingers until evenly damp (you can add more water if necessary, but dough should not be “sticky”). Press down very well into the baking pan, then cut into 16 2-inch squares. Bake for 30 minutes; cookies will not get dark. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome the Year of the Dragon!

Gong Xi Fa Choi! Happy New Year! Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 and 2000 are Dragon years). We will be celebrating all day today – the girls will have congee for breakfast, get a special treat in with their lunch, and we will have “long” noodles and jiaotzu (potstickers) for dinner, two traditional New Year’s foods. The girls will also each receive hong bao, the much-anticipated “red envelopes” with cash tucked inside ($10 each for our girls).

Otherwise it’s a pretty typical week here. We’re working at cleaning out the fridge and freezer to get ready for Friday’s big bi-monthly food shopping so meals were planned around what’s already on hand. I plan to make a couple of types of cookies for lunches and the freezer, but otherwise have no baking plans.

Our meals this week are:

• Snake Alley Noodles; potstickers; Asian cole slaw (Monday)
• Tuna noodle casserole; 3-bean salad
• Vegetable pizza (Sunday)
• California roll salad
• Leftovers night
• Pancakes of some kind; fruit
• 3-cheese ravioli w/pesto; garlic bread; green salad

Lunches this week will be Italian wedding soup; ham & cheese sandwiches; cup noodles; corn & chicken chowder; and mini chicken tacos. Breakfasts will be congee; mini pizzas; potstickers; hash browns & eggs; and breakfast burritos.

For more menu and recipe ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at I’m An Organizing Junkie.

Sunday Night Chit Chat

I almost can’t believe it’s Sunday evening again . I sure wish we had another Monday off like we did this past week – I am dreading getting up early again tomorrow morning (I am so not a morning person).

Right now I am:

• Reading: He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum. Right behind mysteries/detective novels from Great Britain or Ireland, I love ones out of Scandinavia. This one’s set in Norway.
• Watching: Nothing. We may watch another episode of Damages tonight though.
• Thinking about: Our tax refund. We just filed our state and federal returns today and although we’re getting money back, it’s not as much as we hoped for so I’ve got to think about how to divide it up and where it needs to go most.
• Listening to: As always on Sunday evening, the dryer – there are still two more loads to dry and fold this evening. The girls are quiet, all busy with reading or homework, and Mr. Losing It is downstairs doing something in the kitchen.
• Cooking: The girls and Mr. Losing It are having a vegetable pizza this evening, using up odds and ends out of the vegetable drawer in the fridge, the last half of a jar of pizza sauce and some remaining mozzarella cheese. I’m going to have brown rice with Punjabi eggplant.
• Happy I accomplished: I finished two books. I also didn’t spend any money this week, and got through a mandatory meeting for WenYu’s upcoming China trip without screaming (a real accomplishment for me – those meetings drive me NUTS).
• Looking forward to next week: Mr. Losing It’s payday on Friday. His new regular pay amount is the last piece in our 2012 financial puzzle. I’m also looking forward to the arrival of our Chinese exchange student on Saturday. We always have a good time with the exchange students, and WenYu will stay with this girls’ family when she goes to China in April.
• Thankful for: My family, for my husband’s job and employer and all the nice people he works with. We went on the employee dinner cruise last night and had a great time!

 

 

Saturday Weigh-In

It’s been a gloomy week with a lot of rain and not a lot of exercise. I actually missed being able to get out and walk! The Wii Fit board came out though, and I enthusiastically started doing step exercises (35 minutes per day), but a massive flare-up of the bursitis in my hips ended that after a couple of days. (The flare-up may have been due more to the damp weather than the exercise so I’m going to try it again when it’s drier.) In the meantime I’m staying as active as I can around the house and continuing to watch what I eat.

My weight this morning was 171.4, only .8 pounds less than last week. But it’s still progress so I’m satisfied.

There were bits of blue sky peeking out when I started this, and I was hopeful that I could get out for a walk, but the sky now seems to be filled once again with gray clouds, some of them quite dark, so maybe not. We’ll see . . . .

Easy, Frugal Cooking: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Easy? Check. Frugal? Check. Delicious? Double check.

Real Simple magazine’s recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala was a winner for the Losing It family from start to finish. We love Indian food, the ingredients cost around $7, everything went into the slow cooker in under five minutes, the house smelled wonderful all day as it cooked, and everyone ate every bite and wished there was more. The only comment we all had was that it could have been a bit spicier. The light cucumber relish that went with the masala was also easy to prepare and went perfectly with the tikka masala.

I substituted frozen tomatoes from our garden for the crushed tomatoes without a problem, and think that a can of diced tomatoes would work as well if you don’t have the crushed tomatoes called for in the recipe. If you do want it spicier, a touch of cayenne pepper would do the trick. The recipe said it serves four, but we got six decent-sized helpings from it. I will probably make half again as much next time though. Finally, if you’re watching your fat intake, it’s delicious without the addition of cream at the end (which is how I had mine).

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Masala:

• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 tsp garam masala (Indian spice blend)
• 3/4 tspsalt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Cucumber Relish:

• 1 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Steamed basmati or other long-grain white rice

In a 4- 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, salt and pepper. (You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.) Remove excess fat from chicken thighs and place the thighs on top of the tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours).

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Just before serving, break up the chicken with a fork into pieces. Stir the cream into the tikka masala, and serve over hot steamed rice with the cucumber relish.

Photo credit: Real Simple