summer photo finale

green leaf after the rain

golden peaches

baked eggs in tomato sauce

chocolate nutella blueberry cake

golden yellow

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”  ~Milne

crimson shadows

summer storm

it has been quite a summer.  a few more adventures are around the corner before the very end but we shall see you all in the fall :).

recipes from:

baked eggs

cake

pear french toast, quesadillas, tacos and chimichangas

we really don't go out to eat often but i have a friend that works at a restaurant in boulder that i haven't seen in forever, like since we worked as waitresses together at a different restaurant.  so i made it a girls only morning and took tesla with me.  it is only open for breakfast and lunch but it was packed.  what i like is that their menu is small, simple, unique and different.  i seriously hate when a menu has pages of items because i won't read it.  if they are a twist on ordinary items then i say showcase it.  that is what tangerine is like.  here is their website: tangerine.  tesla was spoiled with lots of chocolate chip and mixed berry pancakes and i ordered french toast brioche that was covered in pear sauce and cinnamon butter and i was sooooo good!  price are good and it is family friendly.  definitely a place to visit :).

pears and cinnamon? yes, please!

i got this recipe idea from a friends Facebook page.  the only thing i took from it was the cocoa rub: cocoa.  i didn't use a roast but a thin sliced round tip.  i doubled the recipe for the rub and then squeezed lime juice on top and let it sit.  now i only did the cocoa rub because i had cocoa powder that i use for other baking.  so use whatever you have and whatever you like.  i know, i was told that my street tacos are not real street tacos but i have found sooooo many street taco recipes and not really sure what makes a "real" street taco when it comes to ingredients but we just used a few things that i knew the family would eat.  some diced tomatoes and some shredded cheese seemed to please everyone.  plus we used flour tortillas which i was informed was a big no no for good mexican food but while josh and i like them the kids will only eat flour ones.  plus, they were super cheap.  we also made some mexican corn and i was absolutely delicious.  here is that recipe: corn.  i changed out the chili powder for paprika to make it less spicy, and i used sour cream rather than yogurt because that is what i needed.  total cost: tortillas-$1, beef-$5, cheese-$2, tomatoes-$1, corn-$1, sour cream-$1 and the other ingredients i already had one hand = $11

so simple

i made chimichangas last night and totally forgot to take a picture but man were they good.  here is the recipe:  chimichangas.  changes i made were that i doubled the cream cheese and chicken to make them heartier.  i used muenster because it was on sale and i LOVE muenster.  and i used canned chicken because it was easier to use with my poor broken hand.  cooking chicken from scratch would have cost a couple bucks more but i just can't shredded it by hand right now.  also i buttered the pan and brush melted butter on top because cooking spray is really not that good for you.  i topped mine with spicy cherry peppers and served everyone some sliced watermelon.  another simple dinner on the cheap.  total cost:  tortillas-$1, cream cheese-$2, canned chicken-$5, muenster-$3, butter-$1, peppers- i already had on hand, watermelon-$2=$14 (plus mr. nerdy had extra for lunch today and watermelon leftover for dinner tonight).

lastly is a meal that i enjoyed but the rest wanted it plain.  peach quesadillas!  here is the recipe: quesadilla.  i like things a bit different when i cook, just ask any of my old coworkers, and not a standard dish all the time.  i love love love peaches.  but like cherries, i only by them when they are on sale.  i try to shop for fruit that is in season so it is a bit fresher.  anyway, the changes i made were this:  i used muenster in place of jack and queso fresca because muenster was on sale, i used peaches instead of nectarines just because, i grilled the peaches a bit on a cast iron pan, i left out the cilantro because no one here eats it and i used spicy cherry peppers from a jar because they were on sale and the jar of jalapeños was not.  muenster is a good choice because it melt ridiculously well.  but use whatever is on sale or cheap.  grilling the peaches soften them a bit and release some of the juices. i use cast iron because that is what i married into.  i just put a pat of butter on it and let the peaches go.  you can definitely do fresh jalapenos but i like pickled peppers (ew, now that will be stuck in my head) becausei used them in other things and they don't go bad i an week.  i removed the peaches and assembled my quesadilla and threw it back on the cast iron and squirted lime juice into the quesadilla as it melted and cooked.  that was it.  very good and light enough for a summer dish!  total cost:  tortillas-$1,  peaches-$2, peppers-$3,  lime juice-$1 = $7 (and this is for a full family serving but they all chickened out of trying something new and opt for just cheese on their quesadillas.  they're nuts :)!).

shopping trip tip:  if you have access to sprouts that isn't out of the way and can be combined with other shopping if necessary you should try to buy produce from there when it's on sale.  this week i was able to go to sprouts and my regular grocers and bought all my produce for about a dollar less per item then at my regular grocers this week.  don't do this if you have to go out of your way to purchase cheaper items because you will spend more in gas. 

disclaimer: sprouts isn't giving me anything to mention their name. just passing along deal ideas.  and tangerine isn't giving me anything to mention their name.  just mentioning some awesome food!

red/treat

strawberry

cayenne peppers

cayenne pepper seeds

roma tomato 

pink lady apple

pink lady apple seeds

bing cherries

bing cherries

this weeks photo challenge was inspired by rebecca's dissection of flowers last week (bumble) and andy warhol's super saturation of color in his work.  red is just on of those colors that begs to drip with heavy color.  and in the summer gardens are abundant with enough red that i took this chance to photograph it.  and what better treat than delicious fruits!

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~ Henry James

cake, minestrone and pasta

i love an easy dessert that is not another popsicle or bowl of ice cream.  and ree drummond from pioneer woman has some of the easiest, quickest and tastiest desserts.  i made her pig cake this week, with a few modifications and i love it!  here is her recipe:  pig cake

in the cake i changed the margarine to butter.  butter is more expensive than margarine but it taste so much better.  also i used canned peaches instead of mandarin oranges because the supermarket was stocking shelves and their cart was in the way and the worker wasn't around and i could reach the oranges.  so it was either pears or peaches and i went with peaches.  this was supposed to be baked in a 9x13 pan but it was in use and i just went for cake pans and cooked it for the same time.  i also changed the frosting and left out the pineapples.  i love pineapples but in frosting it always weirds me out.  so i followed this recipe instead and cut the milk down by half for a thicker frosting:  frosting.  side note, i grabbed banana pudding instead of vanilla and didn't realize til i ate a bite but it totally worked with this dessert.  total cost:  cake mix-$1, eggs- a couple of cents, stick of butter-$.75, peaches-$1, generic whip topping-$1, banana pudding-$1 and powdered sugar and milk i already had on hand = about $5 for dessert :)

so light and tasty for summer

usually being on a budget means that spaghetti is a staple dinner but honestly i can't take another spaghetti with marinara (well unless it is my dad's homemade roasted red pepper but that's another dish).  i stumbled upon this next dish and it sounded perfect and light for a summer night.  here is the recipe:  pasta.  i don't really buy fresh garlic to often because it can get expensive.  so i buy garlic powder for $1 and use that instead.  in using garlic powder i skipped the first step and tossed the almonds, garbanzo beans and the garlic powder in olive oil and toasted this in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring every so often.  then just follow the directions from there.  it was so simple and it is definitely on our permanent menu. total cost:  wheat pasta-$1, canned garbanzo beans-$1, almonds-$2.50, tomato-$.25, parmesan-we had some already in the fridge = almost $5 plus we served up some carrot sticks and ranch.  not to shabby!  hope you guys enjoy it too!

so simple

i love soups because most take nothing at all to make and they are packed full of everything and anything.  veggie minestrone is one of those.  i made this one in the crockpot so i didn't swelter over a hot stove.  here's the recipe:  soup.  i made this with two cans of beans i already had on hand so that wasn't part of my budget this week.  side note too, most think that require broth in the recipe is made with chicken bouillon cubes.  so it isn't 100% veggie but to stay in my budget i have to use these.  just wanted to mention that :).  i left out the onions and fresh garlic and just sprinkled in some garlic powder again.  i left out the kale (no one would eat it), celery (cooked celery weirds me out) and bell peppers (those weird my nerdheart out) but i put in extra carrots and added corn too.  anyway, we served it up with some crackers and cheese and had some fruit afterwards.  tasty and perfect :).  total cost: tomato sauce- less than $1, half a bag of peas and half a bag of corn-$1, broth-maybe a few quarters for a few cubes, pasta-$1 = less than four dollars spent at the store this trip but if you add all the ingredients together then it would be maybe $8 or $9 total.  not to shabby for a dinner with leftovers :).

remember that a mix of colors from fruits and veggies promotes awesome health :)

green/adventure

some ice cream time with my oldest after swimming :)

making new dandelions ;)

playground fun

giddyup!

yee haw!

out to graze

giraffe smooches

feed the birds

if she could've this would've become our new pet ;)

sometimes adventures are quiet and it's always fun to try the first cake you ever made!

this summer has been about getting out and just doing fun things together.  my oldest starts junior high, my middle one is in her second and last year of preschool and my youngest has one more year before he goes off to preschool.  so from start to finish i hope the kiddos feel like it has been a pretty terrific adventure!

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~ St. Augustine

budgeting grocery on a dime

grocery shopping for 5 people is reallllllllly hard sometimes.  i was on wic for a few months a long time ago when it was just jer and i.  when i worked at a restaurant i usually ate there and then just bought most groceries for jer.  when josh and i got together we planned a bit and set a budget for groceries.  it was so hard to figure out how to stay on budget at first.  we had a ton of weeks where we went over.  when t came along we got better about meal planning and then when milo came along we had to get real strict on our grocery budget.  what each of these things taught me was that a plan is necessary and that food is mostly an item that keeps us alive.  i like my treats every now and then but good and healthy meals come first.

it took some time and discipline but it seems i have learned how to stay on a budget and eat well.  some of these are old tips that we all know but it is always good to hear them again.  so here are my tips :)

1.  we have a rule that you eat what is in front of you.  i have one that has decided to be a strict vegetarian and i am not cooking veggie every night.  i know, a lot of people think i should tell her tough luck and eat what you get even if it is a slab of meat but i know how to make her a little something that is veggie and it keeps me in budget.  plus it means that she will eat what is in front of her.  we don't have to clean our plates but we will not waste food becasue that is just money wasted.

2.  plan not just a grocery list but a menu.  some do a month long menu and i have tried that but i have found greater success with a weekly meal plan because i can then shop around sales, paper coupons and digital coupons for a greater savings.  

3.  even schmancy ingredients have cheap substitutes. i have made my own mascarpone and cake flour to save money and the item still turns out wonderful.

4.  cut coupons.  i never really did this but i have learned and am still learning a few coupon tricks to get things for super cheap and sometimes for free (and no i am not a crazy couponer).

5.  i only use coupons when it actually works for me.  if one item is cheap with no coupon then that is what i go for.

6.  i enjoy some processed foods but i personally can't eat processed items for very long without feeling ill plus it is terrible for your overall health and diet.  i have finally figured out how to get away from boxed dinners and actually save money!

7.  OMG DO NOT shop hungry!  who knew that was sooooooo true!!??  and DO NOT shop with people.  i mean you gotta do what you gotta do but if you can ditch the kiddos and the spouse for an hour then do it.  i have taken the kids and it becomes a frazzled mess and i have taken my husband and he insist we need certain things that we didn't plan for ;).

8.  i buy bigger if i have room, otherwise i buy what is cheaper.  i have no pantry and i hate when things are hanging around to long.  so while my husband would lecture me on looking at unit price, sometime i just have to buy what is cheaper because i have room for it in the budget.  

i know there is tons of advice people have for shopping.  i am always finding new thrifty purchases.

if you have a thought you'd like to share leave a comment.  now off to the grocery store!  happy shopping and we'll chat again soon!

gold/night

sun is setting

sunset

sunset

koi pond

simply perfect

seriously, the colorado skies offer some wonderful beauty!  there is something about living in any area with farms as the foreground for our mountains that can be absolutely stunning.  but looking for a more detailed picture of gold i found it in a koi pond and in a single flower.  have a lovely weekend folks!

“Now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turnin' gold
And like the sky my soul is also turnin'
Turnin' from the past, at last and all I've left behind” ~ Ray Lamontagne 

new blog

yes i know, i switched blog ideas but i am doing this one because feeding, clothing and entertainment for a family of 5 on one income is hard and we have 3 years left to live on 1 income

.  i am not the only one out there in this position and it really doesn't matter how big your family is, it can be hard.  so i am sharing some of my grocery ideas and cheap (but schmancy looking) meals, cloth shopping needs and ideas and all the extras that come with meeting 5 peoples needs.

please feel free to comments and add in some ideas as we go along.  if you would like to add in your thrifty ideas as a guest blog, let me know :).  i hope to blog after a kids clothes swap that i'm having so we shall see you soon!

gotta keep these faces feed, clothed and happy!

blue/freedom

peacock at cheyenne mountain zoo

blue skies in southern colorado

blue skies in western colorado

i never get tired of the blue sky.  ~ vincent van gogh