Mrs. Fix-It & Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

 From the annals of "It's Always Something"......

Well, the refrigerator has decided to have a nervous breakdown.
It's having "issues".
Too bad I can't medicate it....that would be the easy thing to do.

I noticed the fridge part wasn't very cool the other day and the ice cube trays in the freezer weren't making solid cubes(they were a bit wet).  Then I noticed there was ice build-up on the back wall of the freezer.
I did some internet searching and it sounds like the auto defroster thingy is dead or frozen.  (This also will keep the cool air from flowing into the fridge part.)  So I'm attempting to thaw it out and see if the freezer starts making things cold again.
Oh where, oh where is DJ when I need him SonyaAnn?lol

In the meantime, we've plugged in #1 son's mini-fridge from his dorm room and I've thrown all the frozen foods from the freezer part into the standing freezer in the garage.  Thankfully we have eaten down on the frozen stuff this month!  Even so, the dogs will still be having a FEAST for dinner tonight!!lol

Hubs just wanted me to go buy a new fridge when I told him last night that something was wrong with ours.
He's that way.....just replace things, don't bother fixing them.
I went shopping online to look for a new fridge just in case it comes to that.
We have a small, odd space for our fridge so I have to shop by size basically, then color, then price.
I found 1 fridge that will fit that's black.
It costs $2,300+......
ACK!

Now you know why I am trying to breath life back into the one we have!lol
Plus it's only 5 years old.....

If this fix seems to work, I'll be calling the appliance repair guy.  I'd rather pay him a couple hundred bucks instead of Sears $2,300, ya know?

We are also getting a house guest on Sunday.
#1 son is bringing home a friend from the camp he worked at this summer.  He was a fellow counselor.
He is from Great Britain.  They get a lot of international students working at this camp.....England, Spain, Turkey.....

And this 'chap' has nowhere to go next week.
There is no work at the camp and his flight home isn't for another week, so he's basically homeless as of Saturday.
So #1 son wants to bring him home to stay with us and then Hubs gets to haul the both of them back to the western part of the state the following Saturday, so #1 can move into the dorm and his friend can get his flight home.
So I have a non-working fridge and a stranger coming to stay for a week whom I have to feed.
I have a feeling he'll be getting a lot of take-out meals.
Yes, come to America and stay with a 'typical' American family and eat Pizza, Tacos and Chinese.....typical American food!lol

I'm off to go think of ways I can embarrass my son in front of his friend.....it's a long standing fine family tradition in this house.

If the fridge can't be saved perhaps I can set it up on blocks in the front yard(since we don't have a junk car to do that to).
Or I can walk around in overalls and nothing else and cook him possum and squirrel and other 'critters' for dinner and say "ya'll" a lot....oh wait!, I already do that last thing.

Or go on and on about the tyranny of King George or lambaste English cooking....if you can call it cooking & do my Eliza Doolittle impersonation all week. ;-)
Ah Gaaaaaawwwwn!

Oh, so many choices.....

Sluggy

Is it Just Me?....

.....or does anyone else think that the Coupon inserts for the last 3 months or so have been one big SNOOZE?

Not only are the values pretty low on most coupons but there are NOT a lot of coupons for food!  9 out of 10 coupons are for HBA or other non-food products.  And most of the food coupons are for junk food!  Well, there is ALWAYS a high proportion of junk coupons anyway....

Or is it just that manufacturers hate my region of the country and won't give us useful coupons in worthwhile denominations?  (Except for those toothpaste coupons which we always get tons of and for large amounts....)

Or am I just a whiney, unsatisfied, bored woman who enjoys complaining? lol

This time last year I was in my glory with the awesome sales and multiple catalinas at Acme(though I did have to travel a piece to get to an Acme)....

What I got at Acme in 1 week last August...the refrigerated stuff(milk, yogurt, etc) isn't pictured.  $58.81 OOP(most of that OOP was for the 1st order before I had Cats to roll)for $1,014.91 worth of food and toiletries.

And here's just 1 WEEK of my haul during the multiple Double Coupon Events at Kmart last year.
From Aug. 16-22.....

Total spent $16.86 OOP for $585.50 worth of items.  And that's not counting various manufacturer's rebates, free movie tickets, etc. I earned.  I logged a lot of hours inside my local KMarts last year....this year I think I've been there twice to buy clothes for assorted kids and haven't used a single coupon there.

Of course, some of the products I bought last year we've since sworn off of.....like Pop-Tarts, paper plates, pudding cups, house fragrance thingys, energy drinks, etc. so if I was to redo these trips there would be less bought.

I look at these photos and get nostalgic for the hunt & the thrill.....who says frugality is dull?

And then I remember how tired I was after those weeks were over and I get an overwhelming urge to go nap!lol

Last year was all about multiple large trips concentrated into 1 week.   The Acme trips were made in 2 days, going through the register up to 9 times in a day....it was truly a full day's worth of work planning and executing.  The KMart trips were spread out over a week's time for each Coupon Event Sale, but I'd make 2 or 3 smaller trips a day and sometimes hit multiple stores in 1 day.  Both methods were tiring and intense, but after the 2 days or the week of trips I could go for weeks and months without shopping(besides picking up a few necessities during any given week).
If I had to label it, last year was the "Year of Manic/Depressive type of Shopping".   Immense hauls in a short period and then no shopping for long stretches in between....if you don't count Rite-Aid.lol

This year has been about more frequent very small shopping trips for deals and catalinas.  My local stores haven't had anything approaching Acme or KMart deals of last year, nor has Acme or KMart. These little shops haven't been as lucrative as the mega-shops or as exciting, but they also haven't worn me out or taken the hours of strategic planning(=hours out of my day)either.
Weis would run 1 or 2 Cats with some things I wanted(ketchup or cooking oil or dog food, etc.) but usually there were no good coupons to pair with the Cats(or the Coupons would come out the week AFTER the Cat deal) so you would still have sizable OOP even after rolling the Cat a few times....thus higher OOP, so you don't stock up on as much.
You'd still get a deal but not as good as those megas of last year.

Since I have a stockpile, I guess I'd be happy with the type of shopping of this year(smaller hauls and a bit more OOP) as long as a big honking MEGA haul opportunity rolls around 2 times a year to augment my usual shopping.

So what do you prefer? 
Those large shopportunities spread out over the course of a year or smaller cat deals more frequently during the shopping year?

What have your shopping habits been like this year?
Have they changed since last year?
What kind of deals would you like to see that you don't?
If you use coupons, are you using more or less than you did last year?
Are you buying different products from what you bought last year or about the same?

Can you tell I am bored and avoiding doing what I should be doing today?lol

Sluggy

Bloggy Buddies are Giving Stuff Away.....Go Enter!

A few of my fellow bloggers are currently holding Giveaways.
And you know what that means, don't you?......You can win FREE STUFF! ;-)

Go check out A.Marie's Giveaway HERE for Yoplait Splitz.

Go check out Marilyn's Giveaway HERE for Pillsbury Sweet Moments.

Go check out Noreen's Giveaways HERE for Staples, HERE for Breyers Ice Cream & HERE for Seventh Generation.

And mention that I sent ya.... ;-)

Lots of goodies to win!

Sluggy

Meal Plan....What's a Meal Plan?.....Leftovers, Using What You Have & Less Shopping

 *The one where I ramble on about meal planning changes and leftovers.*

This week has got me swimming in circles here in regards to meals.
Though I haven't been adhering to a regimented Meal Planning for a couple of months, I was still cooking off of a loose framework, using what I picked in the garden or found for a good price at the farmstand/market as a guide.  Basically I pair some protein in the freezer with the fresh veggie du jour.

In a few short years, it will be down to Hubs and I for meals here.  #1 son is back to college soon, Daughter leaves for college next fall and 3 yrs after that #2 son follows.

For now, Daughter has started a new job(but still working some at the old job too)so most nights she isn't home.   #2 son is still doing Band Camp this week, so he's been gone from 9am until 8pm through this Friday and he doesn't want to eat when he gets home.  So that leaves Hubs and I most nights to eat alone.

Something I struggle with is not preparing too much food, which leads to food waste.  I find it hard to get use to cooking for 2 or 3 people when I am so use to cooking for 5.   I've used this week to try to prepare myself for cooking less amounts of food and also a narrower range of foods for the week, since once the kids are out of the house, I won't need to prepare as much food for a meal.

Hubs and I, unlike the kids, are perfectly happy to eat the same meals over and over again during the course of a week.  This along with cooking less amounts should help cut down on food waste and food expenditures in the years to come.

Here's what I've served since Saturday evening.....

#2 son had a sleepover here Sat. so I made them pigs in blankets and chili(all from stockpile).  I had a BLT(stockpile bread & bacon and tomatoes from the garden) and Hubs & Daughter ate leftover Pork Enchiladas from last Friday.  I way over made on the pigs in a blanket so there are 6 left over along with a whole bowl of chili.

Sunday was pancakes and bacon for breakfast & Chinese take-out for 4 for dinner.  Usually we eat half of the Chinese food since it's just so much food, and save the other half for subsequent meals....so there is Chinese leftover.

Monday I had eggs for Breakfast.  Daughter and I had leftover Chinese for lunch.  Dinner for 3, was BBQ chicken thighs-I made a package of 5(freezer/stockpile sauce)and salad(garden).  There is 1 piece of chicken leftover.

Tuesday I had a BLT for lunch, Daughter had the last Pork Enchilada.  For Dinner I cooked up a package of freezer ground beef and made Stuffed Yellow Squash(like Stuffed Peppers but with Squash)since we had 4 squash sitting in the fridge from the garden...I used 3 and made 6 halves.  I made wild rice medley with it.  There are 2 halves of squash leftover as well as 2 servings of rice.

Wednesday I had a bagel for Breakfast.  Daughter had raw veggies and salad dressing dip for lunch. Hubs was out of town for dinner(he ate a hamburger on the road-billed to his job) &  Daughter had work and didn't eat so I took some leftover ground beef that didn't go into the Stuffed Squash dish, a jar of pasta sauce and whipped up 1/2 a box of rigatoni.  I ate a serving of that for lunch and then another serving for dinner too.  There is 1 serving left.

At this point the leftovers are.....

6 pigs in blanket
1 bowl chili
Hub's Chinese food
#2 son's Chinese food
1 BBQ chicken thigh
2 servings of stuffed squash and rice
1 serving of rigatoni w/meat sauce

Thursday I'll probably have another Bagel and then a BLT for lunch....fresh tomatoes here still so I could eat that every day and not tire of it.lol  For Dinner, Hubs and I will have leftovers...if I had to guess, Hubs will choose his Chinese food and I'd pick the stuffed squash & rice.  If one of us wants the chicken or rigatoni, I'll prepare a salad or a veggie mix from the freezer.  Daughter is working again so she'll eat at her job or eat her brother's leftover chinese food that's still in the fridge before she leaves.

Friday is the Band Picnic/Preview.  I need to make something to take but am still at a loss about what to make. If I thought the kids would eat sour cream cucumber salad, I'd make that as I have a plethora of cukes here.lol   I guess I'll make a pasta salad since I have pasta, peppers, onions, salad dressing, celery, carrots and I can put cukes in it too.  Or I can add tuna in too and turn it into fancy pants tuna salad. ;-)
I'll have whatever is still leftover for lunch(or another BLT!) and when #2 son comes home at noon he can eat the leftover chili and hot dogs.  We'll be eating at the picnic for dinner.  If Daughter doesn't go she's on her own and will make something for herself.

Saturday we'll see what is still here in terms of leftovers and either finish those up or see what we can feed to the dogs if no one wants that particular item.  In this way, we start off Sunday with no leftovers to be forgotten and go bad in the back of the fridge next week.
I also only had to "cook" 4 days(not counting making BLTs).

Through Wed. I've used for the week.....
2 packages of hot dogs
2 tubes of crescent rolls
2 cans of chili
1 package of pancake mix
1 package of bacon
3/4 loaf of bread
3 tomatoes
1/4 head of lettuce
5 chicken thighs
big bunch of leaf lettuce
3 yellow squash
1.5lb. ground beef
1 qt. of home canned tomatoes
1 onion
2 packages of rice mix
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 box pasta
3 eggs
2 bagels
1/2 package of cream cheese
1/2 lb. grapes
2 cups of mandarin oranges
6 celery stalks
4 carrots
1 gallon of milk
some butter
some syrup
some mayo
some salad dressing

I've only spent $3.32 this week for a gallon of milk.
#2 son has taken $5 a day(for 3 days=$15) and assorted snacks/drinks from the stockpile to Band Camp for meals.  Tomorrow instead of $5 he gets a certificate I won for 4 free hot dogs to a local joint he can walk to from school and he'll share it with a buddy.  The buddy will buy their drinks and leave the tip.
The Chinese food came to $36 for 4 people plus leftovers.  The eating out comes out of the entertainment budget so I'm not figuring that amount in.

So far that means I've spent $18.32(with the $5 a day for #2 son)on 26 meals this week.  We will get at least another 6 meals/servings out of that amount of food.
Since the store sales suck this week I won't be stocking up on anything but I'll buy milk again for another $3.32, making my week's grocery shopping total $6.64 for milk and $15 for #2 son's Band lunches.

Next week, #1 son returns from working at camp for the summer and Band Camp is over so unless Daughter is working, we are back to 5 for dinners.  I think I'll do an actual Meal Plan for next week.

The following week, #1 son leaves for college, so we'll be down to 4 or 3 for dinner(depending on Daughter's schedule).
It's always changing around here lately.....

Sluggy

More Garden Goodies.....And a New Resident

The weather was a might cooler yesterday so I ventured out into the garden beds to weed and pick some veggies.
And the green squash on the left is our LONE Zucchini.
Imagine that....non-prolific zuke!!lol

This Harvest--
TOTAL....4lb. 7.3oz.

Garden Harvest Weight Total to date....33 lb. 8.22 oz.

I updated our Butternut Squash count. We lost one(it never grew beyond it's infancy stage and now it's rotting on the vine), so if the survivors continue to mature we'll have 9 butternuts in the Fall.
I had Hubs put little squares of foil under the ones that are laying on the ground, just to keep them from contacting the soil and all the nasty bugs living in there that might want to snack on them.
Here's one of the biggest ones.  It's turned that pale tint of yellow they are suppose to be....

Our largest specimen is still this color.....

All I can figure is that it's shaded by various plants so it's not getting direct sun exposure.
Or it could be an alien life form badly disguised as a squash and here to take over the planet.
You decide......

We have a young rabbit running loose in our backyard. He loves to hang out in the un-whacked weeds around the pool or under the towering fir trees next to the dog run.

But I found this new resident yesterday enjoying snacks in the side garden bed......

Can't see him?
Try this shot.....look for the EARS.....

Ok, how about this one?

Yep, it's another baby bunny about 4 inches long. I had seen him over the weekend in there too. He's so small he can squeeze right through the bird netting we use for fencing.
He really enjoys marigolds and green beans......*sigh*

So what's happening in your garden this week?
Do tell!

Sluggy