This & That Boring Stuff

* Since Sue L. asked.........My Taco Con Queso Casserole on my meal plan this week is simply a Velveeta boxes dinner(Sluggy hangs her head in shame that it wasn't a cooked from scratch meal but a 75% off boxed dinner from Ollies lolz)......noodles, cheesy spicy cheese sauce and chicken.  We didn't end up having it yet this week but when we do prepare it we will add veggies(corn, red bell peppers or green chiles, that sort of thing).  You can probably make something like this from scratch....just google it.
Mostly I see it served with or cooked with rice rather than pasta.

* About couponing since a couple folks asked.........
Digital coupons are those that attach to a loyalty card.  Most grocery stores have them so check with your store's website and/or app.  Weis(PMITA)Markets as well as Rite-Aid have digital Qs(known as Load2Card at R-A).  Other than checking with your store or checking out the the Coupons dotcom app on your smartphone I don't really have much more info on that whole arena.  If anyone reading is a digital coupon Goddess please give us from tips!

About coupon lingo and shorthand, go HERE for a pretty comprehensive list of coupon abreviations and explanations.  I'll add a couple Rite-Aid specific abbriviations--L2CQ(Load to Card coupon), WW refers to Wellness Wednesday(the first Wednesday of each month when one day Qs are available)so a WWQ is a Wellness Wednesday coupon.

* Friday and Saturday are 30% sale days at Rite-Aid.  You need a catalina or a coupon for it that printed out on your receipt in the last 10 days or so or if you are lucky, you store will have coupons available at the register or somewhere in the store(sales flyer kiosk, by the pharmacy, etc.)  Let me just say that having/getting/using a 30% coupon is a YMMV(Your Mileage May Vary)situation.  Some stores will be pretty aggressive with handing the Qs out, some stores will have a stack at the register or one taped to the register and automatically give you the 30% off(if the items is on sale for BOGO50% or at a sale price that is GREATER than a 30% off discount the 30% off won't apply).
Other stores........*whomp whomp*.....other stores don't give a rat's ass if you know about the Friends and Family sale, won't mention it, won't KNOW about the sale(depends on that store's management)and might even look at you suspiciously if you hand them a coupon for it.
If you didn't get the Q go on the Rite-Aid website and there should be a link somewhere there to either print it out or show at the register from you smartphone. 8-)

* Since Teddie asked........... My Korean BBQ from Sunday was using a bottled sauce for the marinade rather than making it from scratch.  Again, I got the sauce/marinade very cheap at a discount outlet.  It's called Bulgogi sauce and you can find recipes for many versions of the sauce online.
A tip that really helps is that you slice your beef(against the grain)when it's frozen so you can get it really, really thinly sliced.(Next time I'll also add pineapple juice to the marinade as it adds in breaking down the connective tissues in the meat....oh, I am so smart!lolz).
Anyway, proper Korean BBQ is cooked on charcoal grills but being February in Pennsyltucky I high heat cooked the beef in a cast iron pan to get the crispy bits on the meat like from grilling it.  Then stir-fried the broccoli with some of the marinade and dumped it all together with ramen noodles and called it dinner. ;-)

* The last few days of February have seemed to have taken weeks to finish.  Ok, so maybe it's because we cashed out a CD a few days ago and are waiting for it to fully process and set up a new, higher interest CD at a different financial institution.  It was heart stopping yesterday to go online and see the CD account was close with a ZERO balance but the monies hadn't showed up in the bank where it was suppose to go!!!  That's a whole boatload of cash to have suspended in the ether somewhere and freaked me out a bit.  Hopefully everything will get to where it needs to go and I can fund the new CD before we leave for down South the end of next week.

*  I am in full-on planning mode for this coming WW(see what I did there?)sale.  The WWL2CQs are now available online.  Load all the WWQs to your account(s)as they come off ALONG with the paper WWQs in the store that day.  There are suppose to be RMNQs in the inserts this Sunday(of course I don't get these here!)for Centrum and Enmergen-C that will pair with the double dipping R-AQs making these items a MM.
A Werther's candy Q just popped up on Coupons dotcom too which would make this an even bigger MM too. ;-)

Ok, that's enough outta me for today.
Time to go close the books on February here(except for the interest which doesn't come through until tomorrow).
Hope everyone out there is ready for March......because it's coming if you like it or not!  8-)))

Sluggy

Aggrafretted & Blah

"Aggrafretted" is a made-up word my mother's boyfriend use to use.  Yes, he was an old country boy who never finished high school and he had a habit of making up his own vocabulary.  I believe it's a combinations of aggravation and being frustrated.....at least it seems to me to be that.

So again, I have been feeling aggrafretted lately!

*  Dealing with high school cashiers at Weis(PMITA)Markets.  I should know better than to set food into Weis on a weekend, when these young part time job cashiers are working.  They generally don't know the store policies and are likely more than not to screw something up.  I just should avoid the grocery store on weekends and save myself the aggravation!

*  Again, with the cashier incompetence......bought some items at Ollie's end of the week.

These Country Time sparkling lemonade packs were 75% off, reg. $1.99 each, on sale for .50¢ a pack of 8 cans.
So I checked my receipt after checking out and the cashier had rung up 5 packs instead of the 4 packs I had bought.
I got back in line(no CS desk at Ollie's)to get this corrected and that's when the wheels fell off of that bus!lolz
Cashier seemed to know what she was doing in general but since it was a clearance return she didn't seem to know what to do to credit me .50¢ back on my c/c.  After what seemed like hours, she arrived at a return of $1.58.  $1.49 + tax of .09¢(even though being food there was no tax charged on this item to begin with).  I wasn't about to stand there another half hour while the line grew behind me(only cashier open)and the sighing got louder and louder so I just signed the danged receipt and left, paying a total of .42¢ for ALL 4 packs of lemonade.  8-)))

*  I have been off the crazy pills almost a month now after weaning off them slowly over 2 weeks time.  The good news is I haven't killed anyone(though the voice in my head does yell, "Off With Your Head!" at certain people, in certain situations....but then again, isn't that normal?!?).  I also don't go off on manic or depressive jags. 
I do however suddenly get teary at unexpected times.  I am not one to cry at sad movies, etc. but I began to blubber while watching "The Voice" last night at one moment.  This happens infrequently and isn't a big deal but now I am wondering if I have PBA(pseudobulbar affect)and I had a brain injury or stroke I don't know about.
Yes, it's always something around here. lolz
The bad news with going off the crazy pills is that I am still experiencing shaking.  I just have a suspicion that the shaking is neurological so I've got testing in my future.
FUN.

*  I can not WAIT for my daughter to graduate and LEAVE!  I love her but.......
She's 26 years old.
She's highly opinionated(gee, where does she get that from!?!?)
She's a smart ass(ditto the last comment).
She's got Senioritis.
She's been a big old PITA lately.

Hubs and I are constantly looking at each other when she leaves the room and commenting, "When is she leaving?!".

She has been difficult to live with lately and I am already making plans in my head for making changes in the house once she has left the building.


*  I gave Hubs a gift card to Dickey's BBQ at Christmas.  Hubs went out earlier today to run some of his errands and I mentioned it would be a good thing for him to take that gift card and pick us up some 'cue for lunch to bring home.
So I go online to see what I want him to bring me and dadgummit!! our Dickey's has closed up!!!
BBQ places just don't have a chance around here as they all go the way of the dinosaurs.  The only place here is Smoky Bones(a Darden chain)and I don't consider that either bbq or a good deal for the price.
sigh. Now we have to save that gift card to use on a trip.
 So aggrefretting..........

Thank goodness I am a woman of simple needs so I can balance out what aggrafrets me with simple joys like sleeping in, finding change, playing with Chester, keeping track of our spending(math geek!), blogging, etc. and a good stiff drink now and again.

            Chester with his "girlfriend" in his bed.

What keeps you sane in this crazy world?

Sluggy, who is counting the days until Graduation

This Week on The Dining Table

The "For the Coffee Addict" Edition.........

Spent some time last Friday wandering around Ollie's(Good Stuff Cheap!)and saw these coffee mugs.  Too bad I don't know anybody who needs more coffe mugs as these were high quality, very cheap price and funny to boot!lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ham and Mac and Cheese(just Hubs and I)

2. Monday--BBQ Chicken Thighs, Asparagus, Leftover Fried Rice

3. Tuesday--Birthday Meal Out(Ex-College Boy)

4. Wednesday--Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs w/Ham and Cheese, French Toast

5. Thursday--Brats on Rolls, Grilled Onions, Broccoli, leftover sides smorgasboard lolz

6. Friday--Leftover Lasagna, Tomato/Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Leftover Ham and Mac and Cheese(just Hubs and I)

2. Monday--BBQ Chicken Thighs, Asparagus, Leftover Fried Rice

3. Tuesday--Birthday Meal Out(Ex-College Boy)

4. Wednesday--Breakfast-Scrambled Eggs w/Ham and Cheese, French Toast

5. Thursday--Brats on Rolls, Grilled Onions, leftover sides smorgasbord 

6. Friday--Leftover Lasagna, Tomato/Cuke Salad
7. Saturday--Fend For Yourself

Last week saw 3 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 nights of Eating Out/Take-Out. 
Everything actually got cooked/eaten as planned AND the specific day planned!  Amazing!! ;-)
I did very little actual cooking last week so that was nice.  Unfortunately most of the leftovers are gone now....boo!.......so that means this coming week I'll be in the kitchen quite a bit.

What got put into the freezer last week.....
*  1 package of Brats bought for Thursday's dinner but not used

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.......
* Nothing because of using up leftovers

 Lots of little grocery trips..... smallish trips to Weis($6.64/$1.56/$20.94), a big $65.64 trip to Weis, a trip to Walmart($10.94), a trip to Maines for produce($14.17), a trip to Aldi for produce($14.55) and a trip to P&R Discount Outlet( $4.36)brought the weekly food spending to $138.80 and brought the February monthly total to $319.69 so far.

My savings percentage last week was 56.27%(without Rite-Aid trips)and February's monthly savings total comes to 60.91%(w/out R-A).  

I have 3 more spending days in the month.

Leftovers going into this week....1 helping of chicken teriyaki stir-fry, fried rice(more than 1 helping).

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday--Korean Beef BBQ, stir-fry Broccoli, Ramen Noodles

2. Monday--Dirty Rice w/Andouille Sausage and Red Beans

3. Tuesday--Lobster Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce, Tossed Salad

4. Wednesday--Pasta w/Turkey Italian Sausage Sauce

5. Thursday--Pork Chops, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Fries

6. Friday--Assorted Leftovers
7. Saturday--Taco Con Queso Casserole

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu? All the meats needed this week are coming out of the freezer.  I'll just need a little salad stuff, almond milk for Hubs and reg. milk for the rest of us.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy  

A Survivor's Story.....Part One

How about some genealogy for a change?  I haven't written any of these types of posts in forever.

As I've noted before I am related to many early American families of note in Virginia though my maternal ancestors.

I want to talk about a few of my long ago kin today and a salacious event involving them that occurred  in 1792.

I have many ties to the Randolph family of Virginia.  Randolph family members intermarried with other prominent Colonial VA families--the Carter, Byrd, Fitzhugh, Stith, Lewis, Isham, Bland, Cary, Harrison, Bolling and Beverly.
One of the early members of the Randolph family, William, and his wife, Mary Isham are often called the "Adam and Eve of Virginia".
Mary Isham Randolph, on this line, is my closest cousin, being a 2nd cousin 12x removed. We share a common ancestor in Mary's Great Grandfather(my 13th Great Grandfather),

It's like a Rubik's cube puzzle keeping all these folks straight what with all the intermarrying of first and second cousins.  I am surprised I am not insane and have 3 extra toes at this point! lolz

Now a bit of background information........

One of the Randolph clan, Thomas Mann Randolph, was born about 1740.  Thomas was the son of William Randolph III and Maria Judith Page. Thomas Mann Randolph and his 2 sisters(some accounts say there were 4 sisters w/3 sisters surviving their parents, so it's either Mary Page Randolph and Judith Randolph or an additional sister named Priscilla Randolph)were orphaned in 1745.

William Randolph, Thomas's father, was close to his cousin, Jane Randolph and her husband Peter Jefferson. William had put a codicil in his will that Peter and Jane would raise he and Maria's 3 children until his only son, Thomas Mann Randolph, became of age.

                      Tuckahoe Plantation

So cousin Jane and Peter Jefferson moved their 3 daughters and 1 son, named Thomas Jefferson(yes, THAT Thomas Jefferson)from Shadwell Plantation near Charlottesville, VA to the Randolph's Tuckahoe Plantation outside of Richmond VA and raised the Randolph and the Jefferson children together until Thomas Mann Randolph turned 13 in 1752.  This is how Thomas Jefferson came to grow up at Tuckahoe and the Randolph and Jefferson families became close.

 Thomas Mann Randolph married Anne Cary sometime before 1762.
Anne Cary's parents were Col. Archibald Cary and Mary Randolph.  Thomas Mann Randolph and his wife, Anne Cary, therefore shared a set of great grandparents(William Randolph I 1650-1711 and Mary Isham 1659-1735)making them 2nd cousins.
This also means that Thomas Mann Randolph is my 5th cousin and Anne Cary is my 7th cousin.
Got that?

Thomas Mann Randolph and his wife, Anne Cary, had 13 children together, the most notable being Mary Randolph(1762-1828), Virginia Randolph(1786-1852), Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr.(1768-1828), Judith Randolph(1772-1816)and Anne Cary "Nancy" Randolph(1774-1837).

* Mary Randolph, the eldest child, wrote an early American cookbook.  More on her in another blog post.

* Virginia was also an author who published four books after her husband'd death.  Her husband was Wilson Jefferson Cary(1783-1823)and they were also cousins......my head hurts too much to try to figure exactly how they were cousins right now so I'll just take the word of the information where I read this. PS-It's probably through their shared connection to the Bolling line that goes back to Pocahontas.

*Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. is probably the most notable of their children.  Thomas served in the US Congress, in the Virginia House and Senate, served in the rank of Colonel during the War of 1812 and was elected Governor of Virginia in 1819.  But his most notable achievement was marrying the daughter of Pres. Thomas Jefferson, Martha Jefferson. 

Martha was the only one of many acknowledged as well as unacknowledged children of Thomas Jefferson to live past the age of 25.

* Judith Randolph married her cousin(seems to be a theme here, doesn't there?)Richard Randolph.  They were 1st cousins 2 x removed to be specific. 
Except for one brief episode that brought scandal to the Randolph family, Judith and Richard Randolph disappeared into historical obscurity fairly quickly after their deaths(except for one other unusual stand they took upon their deaths).  Perhaps this accounts for not being able to find any portraits of them.

*  Anne Cary Randolph, known as Nancy Randolph throughout her life, is the person and story I want to delve into in the next post(since this one has gone on and on).

Anne was part of a Colonial Scandal that rocked the ruling class and ended with her being ostracized from her homeland, her social class and the esteemed extended family of American Founders she was born into.
But it's also a story of a real survivor who, given the odds, inexplicably rose to the top and earned a place in our national history.

The Oh So Juicy! Part Two coming soon......

Sluggy

And the February Winner Is.......

Sorry I am a bit late with this Giveaway post update.  Yesterday was a bit busy, being Ex-College Boy's birthday and all.

First to recap what was up for grabs.  All these lovely goodies.......

There were 44 valid entries for the February Giveaway.
Random dotorg was used to select the winner.

And the Winner is...........

Making Cents Of It All!

Making Cents Of It All February 15, 2019 at 9:27 AM
Hubby's birthday is in February so I have to love it.

Congratulations MCOIA!
Please email me your full name and mailing address and I'll get this out in the mail on Monday to you.

Thanks for everyone for playing along again.
Another Giveaway will be popping up sometime in March.  Just keep checking in here at this same Bat Channel. ;-)

Sluggy