Free Food!

Swap a candy bar wrapper for a free bag of Hershey's Pieces! Explanations and the redemption form are here, but don't dawdle...deadline is 2/10. (Darn it, I had an Almond Joy yesterday afternoon...and the wrapper has gone out with the trashman this morning.)


Let Qdoba take you out for lunch! They say that thousands of prizes are being given out daily. I only won a free drink today (darn it) -- so did Husband -- but I got a coupon for a free meal a few days ago.

And El Pollo Loco is giving out free Steak Quesadillas when you purchase 'stuff,' plus coupons for BOGO Steak Grillmaster Tacos. Go here for more info. (Thanks, Coupon Cravings!) Yummm...

I must be hungry...wish Husband would get home so we can go redeem that Qdoba coupon! Have a great weekend...

The Kirk Collection - Quilt Heritage Foundation - and Crazy Quilt Society

Nancy Kirk is a colleague in many ways, including appraising, teaching and writing. She wrote the foreward to my book, Crazy Quilts. She also was one of the first quilt professionals I ever met, during a show at Kansas City, when I was a fledgling editor for Quilter's Newsletter. (I admired one of the quilt tops her business, the Kirk Collection, was selling -- it's still in my collection.)

Ever since then, she has become a good friend. I've often taught for the nonprofit she co-founded with husband Bill and Camille Cognac, the Quilt Heritage Foundation.

In early January, The Kirk Collection and Quilt Heritage Foundation websites were hacked by Saudi Arabian terrorists. They managed to crash and erase everything. Fortunately, they were not able to access the mailing lists or personal info of customers or members...but those things could and did disappear. Permanently.

The websites are back up and slowly rebuilding. Nancy needs your help, though -- she is trying to re-collect a database of people interested in old quilts and textiles (The Kirk Collection and QHF), as well as quilt restoration (The Quilt Restoration Foundation) and Crazy Quilts. (Crazy Quilt Society).

Start the process at the Kirk Collection website. (I did.) Your info will be on a secure site, and not used for anything else but contact information for the groups mentioned.

An e-mail to Nancy (and your prayers) wouldn't hurt, either. She's had a rough few years, health-wise, and was just starting to get back up to speed.

Hang in there, friend.

Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff

Ha.

Our 'tremendous' storm has turned out to be the weather equivalent of a two-year-old: a little temper tantrum, snow-wise, and now it's just sulking in the corner. Bleary skies, lots of fog, and a few sullen bits of snow now and then.

Darn.

I've stumbled on all sorts of interesting things this week:

*A gallery of art accidents -- paintings, ceramics and such stumbled into, hacked at by maniacs, and even thrown away as trash! (I am not making this up -- go take a look.) The list includes works by everyone from Michelangelo to Picasso.


*The folks at Money Crashers are hosting a HUGE giveaway! Prizes galore, and it's easy to qualify for them. Take a look here, and don't hesitate -- deadline is Jan. 31 to enter. Preferably multiple times.

*The University of East Anglia -- whose scientists were behind the recent hacker-uncovered scandal on faking and covering up climate warming data. (Or non-warming, as the case may be. I covered this earlier...look here.) Anyways, the university has finally admitted that it deliberately ignored or delayed public requests for information...a federal offense. (Strangely enough, it's still doing it!)

*Strange presidential facts, from Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody. An amazing book, though more than a tad kinky in spots. (It's only a nickel at Amazon -- and a great book for your research library!)

      Tidbits from the U.S. President section:
     *Andrew Johnson (Lincoln's successor) sewed his own and his wife's clothes. He was so proud of his work that he would often point out details to his audience. (Hey, the guy was a tailor in one of his other lives!) Johnson was also the only president with no schooling -- he learned to read and write about age 18, taught by his wife.
     *James Monroe and his wife sold their worn furniture to the White House -- and kept the money. A big chunk of the rest of the 'redecorating' funds allotted by Congress went to lavish parties the Monroes threw -- sometimes $100 or more just on candles for an evening. (This became known as the "furniture scandal.")
     *Benjamin Harrison was the first to see electricity installed in the White House. He and his wife were so terrified of this new invention that they refused to touch the switches, for fear of being electrocuted. If there was no one else to turn off the switch, lights would blaze all night while the Harrisons slept.
     *William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address -- hours on end -- and lasted the shortest in office: only a month. (He refused to wear proper headgear and clothing to the Inauguration out of respect -- caught a cold that never really went away.) Franklin Roosevelt, incidentally, delivered the shortest speech: only about 23 sentences, for his last term. (He didn't finish that one, either.)
     *Chester Arthur may have been Canadian-born...evidence suggests it was possible... thus disqualifying him for the office in the first place.
     *Calvin Coolidge was the first president with Indian blood in his ancestor line.
    *Barak Obama may not have been the first US president with black ancestry, after all -- evidence suggests that Warren Harding held that honor. (Though it was covered up.) 
     * One of Lyndon Johnson's first actions after becoming president -- get rid of John F. Kennedy's famous rocking chair.
     *Eleanor Roosevelt (Franklin's wife) was the first First Lady to actually get to vote in a presidential election.
     *Teddy (Theodore) Roosevelt's life was saved by a thick speech -- and a silver case -- stored in his pocket. A would-be assassin's bullet pierced both, and went a few inches into the president's hide, as well, but Roosevelt survived. (He also gave the speech before leaving for the hospital!)

Speaking of presidents, did you hear President Obama's State of the Union address last night? It was by far the most down-to-earth, sensible pronouncement (including admissions that mistakes had been made, both by him and -- gasp! -- the Democrats) that I have heard in decades. His goals are admirable...but Husband and I both thought, 'How in the world is he going to accomplish them?'
    Time will tell. I hope Congress was listening -- and taking him seriously.

Here It Comes!

It's 4 p.m. ...and just started to snow. Now if I can finish running errands before it really gets nasty...

The Calm Before the Storm

...it's coming.
   Our Southern neighbors got smashed with a two-footer earlier this week...approx. 1" of snow per hour, with driving winds and ice. We're supposed to be next, starting sometime late today. Who knows if it will be just as bad here -- the mountains often protect us as much they 'hold' the storms in place. But there is an ominous stillness outside...just a breath of wind...and the sky is filled with wispy cloud trails. A sure sign that, as my dad would say ominously, "THERE'S A STORM COMING." (wiggle your eyebrows to get the same effect!)

Wal-Mart has one of the stranger clown commercials out there (for Superbowl, I think)...people are saying it's terrifying, but I couldn't stop laughing! Even better: the "Shake Your Booty" commercial. Check 'em out.

   See the things you get, by reading this blog?!?  Weird clowns and booty-shaking...whoo hoo!

Get a Subway Sandwich...free!

Subway sandwiches are some of the healthiest fast food you can get. For a limited time, experiment with various ingredients on their site, and get a coupon for a free sandwich when you buy one!

Click here at  "My Sub, My Way" to get started.

Eating from the Pantry Challenge - More Thoughts

Whoo-hoo...only a gallon of milk's needed to get us through the month -- I just found a few dozen eggs in the back of the refrigerator! That's the flip side of having your mom come to stay for three weeks; I've found food items stashed in unusual places ever since she left. She has her system, I have mine, I guess.

I've gone over the goal already, but for good reasons -- like One Frugal Girl's post explains, it's really tough to give up good sales on items you really like. (Me too, Frug.) The temptation will be strong again today, when I hit Safeway for the milk, and see those 99-cents-per-pound pork loins they're advertising this week. (I will probably give in.)


The Prudent Homemaker has been keeping her budget down by using potatoes -- 360 pounds of them this winter. (She gets them for 20 cents a pound -- we pay double that. You'll want to take a look at her pantry system, too -- it's amazing. She mentions 'Funeral Potatoes' on her list of potato dishes, but no recipe. I found one here. Turns out it's a Mormon specialty...and to my great surprise, one of my mother-in-law's signature dishes!)

More lessons learned -- if there's less in the refrigerator and freezer, you can actually see what you've got. (I have a bad tendency To Stuff.) And just a bit of meat will flavor a whole dish. But the best lesson is with Husband -- eating hotdogs and leftover caramel corn with him on a Monday lunchtime, talking and laughing, is better than caviar by myself.

More on Eating From the Pantry

Try Hillbilly Housewife's post on improvising while staring into her frig and freezer. Sounds a bit like a dance, with the steps made up as you go! She does some very interesting things with potatoes...and more.

Eating from the Pantry Challenge -- Week Three

To celebrate, I just finished Amarcord, Marcella Hazan's memoir of life in Cezantico (Italy), New York City, Bologna, New York City, Milan, Venice, Venice (Florida)...she began teaching Italitan cooking because she took a Chinese cooking class. After that class was over, her classmates asked her to teach them her "normal" dishes. Thus a career...several books...and an enchanting, very real look at her life, friends and family. If you liked Julia Child's memoir, you'll like this one, too.

For some of Marcella's signature recipes, including Veal Rolls with Pancetta and Parmesan (her husband Victor's favorite dish), try this collection. (I have an insane craving for fried zucchini blossoms, but those will have to wait until summertime.)

Week Three is ending for the January challenge...and other than the 'overage' from Sunday, I haven't spent anything else this week. So far, this experiment has had a few surprising results:
    *The refrigerator is less cluttered! (Makes sense, but I didn't think about it.)
    *So's the freezer!
And the most surprising of all - we've been going out to eat less than ever.
      I have no idea why the latter is happening. But somehow it's connected.

Some other discoveries:
     A pound of fresh spinach leaves goes astonishingly far. So far, we've had two salads, plus a few cooked dishes with green touches. One more salad and side dish's worth is left.
     Cheese helps. Grated, thin-sliced in sandwiches, chunked in soup...yum.
     Leftover pasta dishes and casseroles are surprisingly tasty thinned out with broth, and presented as a soup.
     And this pizza crust recipe from Frugal Upstate is absolutely amazing!

A dozen eggs, a gallon of milk tomorrow night...and that should do the trick.

Haitian News You May Not Be Hearing

A whole batch of articles, dealing with the earthquakes in Haiti, and their aftermath.
    Articles range from:
    *How everyday people are dealing with life on the streets

    *Do-gooders who show up unannounced and unwelcome...then use up precious resources, or have to be evacuated themselves
    *What progress is being made
    *Haitian elderly...who feel that they're dying unnoticed

The site takes a while to load, but it's worth it. These deal with issues I haven't seen discussed much elsewhere -- they're important.

Everybody's Money -- In Your Neighborhood, Too

Want to know what people with your general interests and inclinations are spending on food, travel, transportation?

Try this intriguing package, courtesy of Bundle.com: Everybody's Money. The link will take you to a survey that shows how the general plan works. Don't get too confused by all the statistics and verbiage -- just head for the link that helps you target what personality type you are. The program will take a while to load, but it's worth it.

For Chez Brick, we are apparently "Globe Trekkers," in case you're curious -- but we spend a heck of a lot less monthly than our neighbors, travel included!

* * * * * * *

Bright, gusy weather -- brrrrr. But no snow; that's for our neighbors five hours south. They're getting lots of it.  This has been a uncertain week...working here, working there, trying to finish some things, waiting to see if others develop. Maybe this is my "resting" period...

The Frugal Map is UP and Running!

Bargain Briana, bless her heart, has a terrific new offering -- a 'Frugal Map' of the U.S. that lets you access frugal-themed bloggers in your local area. That way, you've got a great chance to find out more about bargains, usable coupons and more -- without worrying about whether they're applicable to your state or region!

I love this idea. (And yes, I'm applying to be on the map, too.)

Take a look -- then bookmark it for future use. It's sure to come in handy.

Happy MLK Day!

Husband slept in luxuriously, while I did an appraisal...and worked on Stuff. (Ok, I slept in a bit longer, too.) Our houseguests left on Saturday night. It feels so strange to be back to cooking for just two people -- plus dogs! And it's back to wandering around in underwear, to grab a clean pair of socks, or let the dogs out.


Aaahhhhhh.....

I wish I could say I was doing exciting stuff. I am, however, doing business paperwork that needs to be finished off, helping process orders, and cleaning up (slowly) all these accumulated piles. (Yvonne, the 15-minute rule is really coming in handy!) Thank God for being able to tape shows -- I let them play, turn up the volume, then treat them as if they were radio shows. It's amazing how much of the plot you can follow, if you take a good look at the characters in the beginning of the program, then just listen for new voices.


More tomorrow.

Donations for Haiti

I hope you've taken a minute and made a generous contribution to any of the Haitian relief organizations. We are so rich, compared to many other countries -- couldn't you go without a dinner out, or another pair of new shoes, and help out a family, instead?

Our church took up an offering for Compassion International this morning -- many have been sponsoring kids there and elsewhere in the world. (We have two sons ourselves through Compassion -- Jao in Brazil, and Nelson in Africa.)

Some bloggers have been offering to donate extra for every comment you make -- check out this list, thanks to Coupon Cravings. Iit's a great way to stretch your time in extra funds.

Our money will be going to Samaritan's Purse this weekend -- more than we had originally planned to give, but less than I wish... these people so desperately need help.

The Pantry Challenge -- Over (But Not Over!)

I am a bad girl.

Tonight's $29-and-change total at King Soopers pushed me over the $50 limit for this month by about $10-15. It was my fault -- KS had a bunch of specials, including a coupon for a free pizza, good only through today. I also picked up three Marie Callender frozen meals -- they were on sale, I had a $1.50 coupon off, and Husband loves them. (He'll also eat them, instead of spending much more on fast food, while I'm out on a gig.)

Considering these coupons were going to expire (use 'em or lose 'em) -- and we've had house guests for the past two weeks, I don't feel terrible about going over. But it will still be lean pickins' for the rest of the month. We have a lot in the freezer and on pantry shelves that needs to be used up.

I found out something accidentally -- if you absentmindedly bring in a competitor's coupons (like Safeway), your local King Soopers may very well honor them, too!

Harry & David's Great Sale!

Great Bargain alert --

Harry & David not only has a terrific sale on some of their gift baskets (up to 50% off)...but a good number are free shipping, as well!

The Mama will get a January reminder that she's special to us -- so will Aunt Fran in Kansas City. (I'd worry about mentioning it in this blog, but neither person uses the computer, or reads anything online. So I'm safe.)

Here's your chance to make someone happy -- at a frugal cost.

Fuzzy, Furry Pillows...from a Surprising Source!

...it's bathmats! Take a look here-- many colored photos.

Frugal Tips -- Some of Which You SHOULDN'T Do!

I'm still catching up... having house guests, books to ship, suitcases to put away AND a quilt to finish up means you don't get much else done for a while.

So here are a few things to consider, until I get my act together:

The Best Cheapskate contest, complete with hundreds of entries (and some really gross ideas, like soaking and reusing dental floss. Bleah...)


What makes you still feel rich, even though that 'thing' is frugal/sensible?

Back to work...who knows, maybe the staffer can even get all these orders to the post office tonight.

Eat from the Pantry Challenge, Wk Two -- and Sleep

Frugal Dad is vowing he's going to make four new changes for the new year, including 8 hours of sleep nightly, and an hour of exercise daily.

Yeah, right.

We have had the wackiest sleep schedule all week -- usually up until 1 or 2 a.m., getting five or six hours, then crashing at night before doing it all over again. Not pretty. A two-hour nap helped this afternoon, but it's past 11 p.m., I need to pack for a gig in Camarillo, CA tomorrow -- and once again, 1 a.m. sleeptime is staring me in the face.
Sigh.

Only $6.22 spent at King Soopers tonight. We got a lot for our money-- a discounted box of fried chicken, a bag of salad (also discounted--part of our new resolve to eat more fresh veggies), and a gallon of milk -- 99 cents! That brings the total for the month to approx. $30. I don't plan to shop again for at least a week.
   Lots of stuff left in the frig, and we've almost worked through all the holiday cookies. Thankfully. The sugar cookies decorated by my piano kids have been dubbed the 'gravel pit' cookies, for all the stuff lumped onto them.


Off to make some good strong tea-- then finish packing.

Food Stamps

The faces of people who live primarily on food stamps -- a slide show and an interesting article, to boot. Take a minute to examine these peoples' stories. It seems clear; some are using this for the short-term opportunity it's meant to be. Others have been living this way longer than they would like to admit.

Makes you think. How can these people be helped in such a way that they'll be able to stand on their own two feet -- rather than lean on the government for the rest of their lives?

Eat From the Pantry Challenge...and Gracie

I was very proud of myself tonight -- the farmers fry we had for supper made good use of boiled potatoes, leftover ham, couple of mushrooms and half an onion, with ambrosia (cut-up orange and fresh 99-cent pineapple, with a shmutz of whipped cream) for dessert.

Still doing ok. Milk's getting low, but it's on sale for 99 cents at the local King Soopers all weekend!

A passage in Grace Livingston Hill's Patch of Blue keeps coming to mind. 'Gracie' was a wonderful, if occasionally corny spinner of frugal romances -- a rich person gets their comeuppance and has to go live on the same street as their laundrywoman (horrors!).  But then they scrub out the grubby house and make it look nice; get honest work (grocery store clerk, office secretary, whatever);  meet the girl/boy of their dreams and life gets all rosyfied. These are awfully fun to read when it's raining and dreary out, you've got a cup of hot tea and a fireplace to drink it by.

In Patch of Blue, one of Gracie's very best, Natalie (the poor-but-wonderful girl) has just gotten a job. She and sister Janice have to keep things going for their sick mother. They "set their meager array of eatables out grandly, apportioning them for each day of the week, jubilant that it was going to be possible to get through to the first payday:"
     What's for supper? "'Toast and tea and a cup of junket for Mother,' said Natalie...'creamed codfish on toast with a dish of dried apple sauce apiece [for you and me], and warmed over cocoa. We simply have got to hoard every crumb till next Saturday. Can you stand it, Jan?' she looked at her sister anxiously.
     "'Sure thing,' said Janice bravely...'Aren't I husky enough to survive a week of codfish and apple sauce?'
     "'We're eating the codfish to-night so we can have a meat ball apiece to-morrow,' appeased the sister.
      "'Noble sacrifice!' giggled Janice. 'On to the codfish! Let joy be unconfined! No sleep till morn while youth and beauty meet --' is that the way it goes?'"

Follow the link above -- and you can get Patch of Blue for only one cent on Amazon! April Gold, Crimson Roses and Homing , some of Gracie's finest in this style, are only a penny, too.

Hill actually went through a period in her life when she was broke and hungry. Her pastor husband died suddenly; Grace and her young children were forced to leave the parsonage, with no income or prospects. She began writing novels as a way to survive. Every time she lived on shredded wheat crackers and a bottle of milk, every bowl of bean soup she ate, every meal gone without, every hem fixed or skirt reworked show up clearly. She wrote what she knew.


Here's to hoarding every crumb till next month...but I think I'll skip the codfish.

Pantry Challenge -- One Week Update

The challenge to live on the contents of your freezer and pantry continues. This month, my goal is to spend only $50 on groceries. So far, everything's fine -- even with two house guests. I did buy a gallon of milk (marked down to $1), 3 boxes of cereal for approx. $12 (Husband loves his raisin bran, what can I say), and a $6 (marked down) package of steak. I put half the steak in the freezer for later, and used the rest for an onion goulash.
   So $19 down, $31 to go. We've still got most of another gallon of milk, lots of eggs, and even most of a five-pound box of tangerines. With care, they should last into early next week. I wish I had more fresh vegetables, but we can get by for now -- we've got lots of carrots, and even celery and onions. Same old story: know that you're supposed to be getting by without something, and you begin to crave it...

One Frugal Girl is sticking with the challenge, too -- see her post here.

Pennywise Storage -- Out of Newspapers!

Make a cool woven newspaper box to hold your (ahem)...newspapers.

Here's another version that's a tad more 'girly.' (It has narrower strips, I think.) Either one is very cool -- and won't cost much to try at all!

Still musing about this year's goals. (And a big storm is moving in.) Back tomorrow to tell you more about both.

Sleeping with Royalty

The future King of England, sleeping on cardboard boxes near Blackfriars Bridge?

He did it...to raise his own (and others') awareness of the homeless, and what they must face daily in London. And elsewhere.

Read more about Prince William's experience, with the CEO of Centrepoint. (Thanks so much for mentioning this, Notes from the Frugal Trenches.)