Learn A Few Tips To save Money This Summer

Summer time is a great time to have fun but also a time where monthly expenses may raise. With all the kids home from school eating a bit more, not to mention the electric bill with the air conditioning or the extra expenses for the summer fun the bills can mount up. When most of us are on a budget and trying to make ends meet we start looking for way to cut corners. One way to do this is to cut the food budget and still eat great. Many believe this can not be done but if you make a plan and stick to the budget it is possible to trim the bills and catch up a bit. 

To start with create a budget. You can save money simply by having a plan. Set a limit on the amount of money you will spend on groceries and stick to it. Create a weekly / monthly budget. Another great way to save on groceries is by using coupons.

1. Spend time each week looking for recipes. ...
2. Create a place to save recipes, and keep it SIMPLE. ...
3. Ask your partner, family, and roommates what they like to eat. ...
4. Check the weather. ...
5. Keep a meal journal. ...
6. Start a calendar. ...
7. Go with theme nights (soup night, pasta night, beans).

Create a menu plan also helps stretch the budget. This saves time as well so those hot summer days when you are out and busy you will be able to know what supper will be. Another great thing is that those extra trips to the store will be unneeded. One expense is snacks. do away with junk food, snacks and other stuff and this will not only slash grocery bills but help you stay healthy as well. Drink water rather than soda will save you money as well. Look for good buys on meat and consider creating vegetable based meals once or twice a week.

Consider changing your shopping time. Shopping alone and one time a month may be the best. Prepare a shopping list and stick to it. Bulk shoppng for grocery and food items is often the cheapest way one can rely on to incur hefty savings. Buying items your family uses the most in bulk can help cute down your grocery bill.

Coupon shopping helps cut grocery bills. Taking a few cents off each item on the shopping list may lead to saving a portion of your grocery bill. Matching store sales with double coupons works even better. Wait for a sale and then use your coupon works great as well. 

Store brands are normally cheaper as well. Many are just as good as those with brand names. Try them keep using the ones your prefer and notice how much they will save you in the pocketbook. Canned and frozen foods work great and have longer shelf life as well. Prepared foods come with a real expensive price tag.

Learn to use leftovers. in different ways. Preserve leftovers by putting in containers and use them for the next meal. Freeze them in the freezer instead of the fridge. Casserole meals make great leftovers and save dollars as well. Use leftover veggies in soups, salads, and more. If you question leftovers then they need toss. Our house only saves leftovers for 2 days 3rd day they are tossed out.

Planting a garden will save you money. You do not have to have a large area to have a garden. Do a quick search here on my blog and find lots of great ideas and recipes for gardening. Growing tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, broccoli, sprouts, beans and etc.... would be rewarding in saving money and add extra nutrition


Planning, clipping coupons, all takes a bit of time. The time can show up in saving money though in a way you are paying yourself.

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Swim a Lap Day

Looking to have a bit of summer fun, get some exercise and participate in today's special event. Well you can do all three of these as Swim a Lap Day. 

Around here everyone waits for summer to come and the pool to open. My boss lives her off time in and around the pool. You can tell this by her beautiful tan. So today participate and take a lap or two around the pool. Its a great fun way to get some exercise to help keep you fit. 

The weather here is sunny and hot and the pool will help us all cool off. Get together with a few friends, have a pool party and celebrate by taking a lap around the pool. 

Before visiting that pool and taking a lap be sure to keep in mind some safety tips. 

• Be sure to swim where there is a lifeguard on duty.
• There are rules to keep your safety in mind. Be sure to see and obey all rules                                                                     
• If you choose to go swimming somewhere keep life jackets and first aid kit near by
• Take a buddy when you go swimming, swimming alone could be and is dangerous
• When near or in water always keep close eye on children. Likewise, when walking beside or near pools don't run and walk slowly.
• Be sure to swim where your level of experience in swimming allows you. In other words if you are a learner, swim at the shallow end instead of the deep part. 
• Swimming and eating or chewing gum is never a good idea.
• Remember the waterproof sunscreen with higher SFP leve. This will help protect your skin from the dangerous rays. Wear a hat and sunglasses. 
• Never share your beach towels with others
• In the heat remember to drink lots of water while outside the pool
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Ornamental Grass

Are you doing some land scaping or perhaps need something special to fill in that empty garden or yard spot?? Then you should consider ornamental grasses. Avaliable in perennial or annual ornamental grasses come in a great variety. Some grow a foot tall others several feet tall. With attractive leaves and colorful flowers ornamental grasses do their best to blend in but also offer flair of their own. Some ornamental grasses are dried for indoor decorations.

Blue Fescue ornamental grass grows nicely in containers. With a bright blue hue the color stands out nicely and grows to 6 to 12 inches tall.

Pampas Grass is fast growing and very eye catching. The grass grows in plumes that remind you of feathers. This plant can grow to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide.

Muhley Grass is best planted in mass The plumes of this plant are purple haze color and give off in the fall winter. Grows 3 feet tall and tolerates salt, cold, drought, and cold weather. 

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Sauteed Peppers and Onions

2  Bell peppers, cleaned, seeded, and cut into strips
One large onion , cut into strips
One Clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup burgundy  or red wine (not too sweet)
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1/2 tsp.Beef Bouillon

Add olive oil and butter into a large frying pan. Melt on low heat.
Add strips of peppers, onion and chopped garlic.
Add beef Bouillon
Sautee on low heat until peppers and onions are soft.
Stir occasionally.
Serve hot

recipe source here

Easy Supper Idea:

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Enjoy dessert on National Chocolate Eclair Day

Do you enjoy delicious cream filled pastries?? The Chocolate Eclair Day is just that plus overed with a smooth mouth watering chocolate 

Eclairs are piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked til crisp and hollow on inside. Pastry is then cooled and filled with a vanilla flavored custard, whipped cream or flavored cream. Finally they are iced with chocolate. 

Eclairs originated during the nineteenth century in France. These sweet treats originally went by the name of "pain a la duchesse" or "petite duchesse" Food historians eclairs were first made by French chef Antonin Careme during the time period between 1784 - 1833. 

The first known english recipe for eclair appeared in the 1884 Boston Cooking School cook book written by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln. 

Many are familiar with the name of Long Johns. They are similiar to eclairs but not quite identical. Long Johns are made from donut pastry and filled with pudding or custard and less expensive to the ecliar. 

No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Filling:

• 2 (3.5 oz.) boxes vanilla instant pudding
• 3 c. milk
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping {or 3 c. homemade whipped cream}
• 1 (14.4 oz) box graham crackers

Topping:

• 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 c. butter {1 stick}
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING:  Combine dry pudding mix and 3 cups milk; beat until well mixed. Stir in Cool Whip
Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13" dish. Spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding; then top with a final layer of graham crackers.
FOR THE TOPPING:  Bring cocoa, milk, and sugar to a full rolling boil; boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool one minute. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted.
Pour chocolate topping over the top layer of graham crackers. Spread evenly to completely cover graham crackers.
Refrigerate over night.

Enjoy!  (Seriously, enjoy! ... this stuff is soooooo good.)

recipe source here

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National Onion Rings Day

Onions rings are onions that are dipped in batter or in bread crumbs and deep fried. Tasty onion rings have been popular for quite a while. whether as a snack, an appetizer or a side dish. Onions rings are popular in Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and parts of Asia as well. Where the first onion ring was created, cooked and enjoyed is unkown.

In the early 1920's there was a restaurant named the Pig Stand in Oak Cliff Texas that served up delicious onion rings 

A Crisco ad in 1933 shared a recipe for deep fried onion rings that are dipped in milk then dredged in flour 

The A&W restaurant in the 1960s helped popularize the onion rings as they were served at the fast food restaurant  

.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups club soda
vegetable oil for frying
2 large sweet yellow onions, cut into 3/8-inch thick slices and separated into rings

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk club soda into mixture.
In a large soup pot, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Dip each onion ring into the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Fry a few onion rings at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden, turning once during cooking. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter before serving. 

recipe source Mr. Food

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Enjoy Peaches and Cream

Fresh Peach Dessert

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4-1 cup butter, softened

2 pkg. graham crackers; crushed

12-14 medium peaches or 7-8 large; peeled & sliced

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 pt. whipping cream (I don't use it all, maybe 3/4 of it)

Mix cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, & butter. Save a small amount to sprinkle on top, press the rest into the bottom of a glass 9 x 13 pan. Whip the cream and add a little vanilla and powdered sugar until set, set aside. Mix the sweetened condensed milk with lemon juice. Then place the peaches on the crust and pour the milk/lemon mixture on top. Spread the fresh cream on top of that and sprinkle with remaining crust. Refrigerate.

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International Day of Yoga

Yoga an exercise that has been around for eons of years. The valuable tool of yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago. A combination of mental, physical, and spiritual exercise. With proven health benefits as well. Some of the health benefits include:

• Increased flexibility.
• Increased muscle strength and tone.
• Improved respiration, energy and vitality.
• Maintaining a balanced metabolism.
• Weight reduction.
• Cardio and circulatory health.
• Improved athletic performance.
• Protection from injury

December 11, 2014 the Prime Minister of India introduced the exercise of yoga to the United Nations and suggested declaring a day for yoga. June 21st was selected to be the day to celebrate.


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Secret Message

Before there was text messages or instant messages there was Morse code. Morse code is a method of transmitting text information as a series of on and off tones, lights, or clicks that can be understood by those skilled observers without special equipment. Each Morse code symbol represents either a text character (letter or numberal) and representd by unique sequence of dots and dashes. A dash has a duration three times that of a dot.

Samuel Morse created the code that has been a wonderful aid to individuals in need of help. This very important code can be fun as well. Today on the day that the Morse Code was invented take time to use the code or one that you create yourself to leave someone a clever note. Of course they must be supplied with the code if you want them to understand it.

This Date In History: The Great Seal

Have you ever wondered where the seal of the U.S. came from. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams among others asked artist Pierre Eugene du Simitiere to create a design that would be affixed to all official documents issued by the country. 

proposed seal that congress did not agree with

The three fore fathers did not agree on a design with Jefferson and Franklin requesting scenes from the bible and Adams selecting Greek myth motif. Congress agreed with none that that was designed. Congress asked Charles Thomoson to create a seal based on the elements of previous committees. June 20th, 1783 the design was approved by congress and became the Great Seal of the U.S.

Thomosons Proposal 

The seal would not be officially used until 1790. The seal would go through several more changes. James Trenchard an engraver from Philadelphia would randomly place stars on the obverse side as well as rays of glory emanation outward from the eagle.