I am sad to say that after a very busy weekend, our budget is a dim and distant dream. The joy of living so near family is that things tend to pop up without warning, and I am being serious, it is a joy... an expensive joy!
Wednesday: Jewellery party $120 (Eeek! far more than I had intended!)
Friday birthday lunch out for Aunt: $13
Friday night buy used freezer for the 1/2 beef that we're buying from a rancher relative: $100
Saturday afternoon: Child's birthday party at the pool. For lunch and gift: $32.10
Saturday evening fundraiser, free tickets but made a donation: $100
Needed more gas: $20
Sunday 7 people over for dinner, emergency extra groceries: $53
And so you see. Monday morning finds me in a very messy poor house.
Did I clean over the last few days? Need you ask?
Just the basics. Bathroom is clean and the kitchen isn't terrible, but no extra-curriculars were attempted.
I smell a theme for today! How about for cleaning:
~ Get cleaned up from the weekend
I can't be the only one who needs that!
Today my hubby is back on day shift, so I will see more of him! This is the blue sky in my clouds.
Healthy eating with the Thriftess:
Back on a health kick! As you well know, I am very exericse-averse. But what's a girl to do when she starts getting chubby? My weight was never really a problem until the last two years. All of a sudden what I was eating caught up with me. Probably because I stopped having a physical job and moved to a desk.
I managed to have lost about 20lbs in the fall of last year by simply eating better, then with moving and the holidays and leaving my job, I stopped bothering and we just ate whatever. Well I noticed that I have packed on 8 or 9 of those past pounds and I'm starting back up again!
The important thing to note about the way that I approach healthy eating, is that it is not a diet. You just have to want better for your body (and your digestive system). It isn't bat to keep calories in mind when you're approaching eating healthy, but healthy foods generally have less calories and are more filling. I was finding that I would be satisfied to the point of never going over my calories anyways, and I love my food!
I also firmly believe that all calories are not equal. This is obviously not just my school of though, but is starting to be proven. I really think that if you're body can actually use the food that you put into it, then you can eat almost anything you want and stay at a healthy weight. Maybe I'm crazy, but this is how I justify eating whole wheat chocolate chip cookies :)
This weekend we had a lasagna with my regular homemade veggie rich pasta sauce, whole wheat noodles, kale instead of spinach, and the bottom layer was strictly celery and meat sauce. My hubby and I really enjoyed. His two male cousins, not so much. However they like veggie-less lasagna, and that would never happen over here. Also to address the kale instead of spinach, both are superfoods, but kale stays firmer and I am quite particular about my textures.
I also made whole wheat chocolate chip cookies that turned out just like regular. It is hard to get them not heavy or dry.
Melt 1/2 C butter in the microwave. Mix with 3/4 C honey, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp milk. Add 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour and mix well. The mixture will be runny. Allow to sit on the counter for at least an hour.
[I left mine while I cooked the rest of my dinner and sampled periodically. You can taste the difference! The whole wheat flakes are firm at the beginning and soft by baking time after they have soaked up the honey, butter, and milk.]
As the mixture sits (I stir periodically) it will get firm up as the flour soaks and the butter hardens. When you are ready to bake crack open 1 egg and mix in to the firm dough with 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Add as much more flour as you think it needs. [Until the dough is not overly sticky. Don't add until you can roll into balls, just enough to drop neatly from a couple of teaspoons. I added approx half cup more. I didn't find adding the little bit of non-soaked changed anything drastically.]
Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and bake at 350 approx 8-10 minutes. (I never time mine honestly, I just peek in) They turned out soft and delicious! I was a very proud cookie mama.
If you are more adventurous than I, you could add the egg at the beginning with the rest of the wet ingredients, but I was nervous to leave raw egg out to warm for that long.
All that is left this morning of yesterdays baking is a chocolate smeared plate. (which I had a picture of for you, but my email hates me)
XOXO
Thriftess
(PS forgot to mention that after only a few days of healthy eating, I already feel less bloated in my tummy. That's my body thanking me!)
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