.M.a.y. .2.0.1.4.

Welcome May!!

We're getting closer to summer time everyone! 

The weather is getting warmer, and the days are getting longer. 

It's safe to say I'm a happy girl..

I'm hoping this month brings; 

- warmer weather 

- long walks with the doggies 

- BBQing

-  Planting flowers 

- Smiles

- Laughter

- More Love

Dear May, 

Please be good to me. 

<3 K.

 

April 2014 Week #4 Meal Plan

This weeks menu! 

I can't believe it is already the end of the month! 

2014 is going very fast. 

[R.e.c.i.p.e.s]

- Pasta with beef + vegetables

[C.o.m.i.n.g U.p]

- Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

- Potato Salad

- Mushroom Pork Chops

- Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

Egg Sandwiches!

These freezer egg sandwiches are super easy, quick and yummy. 

They are great for busy mornings with work, school, or other activities. 

All You Need; 

• Eggs 
• Ham / Bacon
• Cheese Slices
• English Muffins 

 

Take a muffin tin and spray it with a cooking spray.

Break one egg into each spot. 

Pierce egg with a sharp knife to break the yolk. 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cooked through. 

13 - 15 minutes. 

 

Notice one of the muffins missing in the second photo? Apparently J wanted a snack!

While the eggs are cooking, slice the english muffins in half and place a cheese slice on one half. Place ham or cooked bacon on opposite half of the muffin. 

Once eggs are cooked remove them from the pan and place on top of cheese. 

Top the muffin with the other half. 

Allow to cool a few minutes before wrapping in plastic wrap. 

I wrap all sandwiches individually then place them flat into a large freezer safe bag. 

I freeze immediately. 

I make 6 egg sandwiches to freeze every week. 

 

April Week #3 Meal Plan

We're getting back into the swing of things this week after being away, and the Easter long weekend. 

Recipes Already on the Blog; 

~ One Pan Chicken Dinner

~ Homemade Pizza Crust 

~ Pulled Pork Sandwiches 

~ Homemade Buns (For Pulled Pork)

~ Taco Seasoning

~ Ham Glaze

~ Scallop Potatoes 

Lookout for; 

~ BBQ chicken pizza

~ Beef Nachos

hip hop hooray!

Easter!

Spring, chocolates, candies, easter eggs 

Some of my favorite things!

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday &

spend time with the people who mean the most to you. 

Good food, good people, good fun

is my motto today! 

Have an amazing weekend lovelies!

* New menu plan will be posted on Monday! Yay!*

 

and we're off!

We're off to Toronto for a few days for some medical appointments for J. 

We will be back and the blog will be updated when we are! 

~

Have a lovely week everyone!

- - K

 

April 2014 Meal Plan Week #2

This is going to be another busy week for us! 

We leave on Sunday the 13th of April for a two night trip to Toronto. 

Sounds fun doesn't it? 

Well it won't be. 

2 days of greyhounds, medical testings, and sending more time at the hospital than in the actual hotel. 

I have a million things to finalize before leaving, so I needed fast, healthy meals to make up for the three days of room service and restaurants that is coming up. 

Recipes; 

~ Baked Ham Glaze 

~ Homemade Scallop Potatoes 

~ Crockpot Soup / Crockpot Soup / Crockpot Soup 

~ Easy to make Pizza Dough 

Have a lovely week! 

Easy to Do Vegetable Baggies

I'm always buying baby carrots, bell peppers, celery, and cucumbers weekly. 

I was realizing that these items were not always getting eaten before they would spoil. 

I decided that there had to be an easier, better way to eat these vegetables. 

And I found one. 

I chopped up my peppers, cucumbers, celery, and carrots and wash everything. 

I took some sandwich sized bags and portioned everything as evenly as I could. 

I made as many bags as my veges allowed. 

I put all the finished bags in a opened container in the fridge. 

Now all the vegetable bags are easily accessible, and ready to go for lunches, snacks, and grab and go. 

Great Idea!

Donations to Goodwill

It may not look like spring outside, but I am already in spring-cleaning mood. 

I recently cleaned out our closet, kitchen cupboards, coat/shoe closet, and worked on our spare room. 

When it was all completed there were about 8 large garbage bags full of clothes for our local goodwill. Along with 6 boxes of old kitchen utensils, pots and pan. We have also gone through our childhood keepsakes and gotten rid of anything that we did not want to store any longer. 

It ended up taking two separate car trips, but was well worth all the work.

~

 It felt great when we dropped off our donations. 

It was such a relief to both donate to a good cause, and to come home to a less cluttered house hold. 

Win-Win situation. 

I highly recommend you go through your closets, cupboards, and garages. 

If you haven't wore it or used it in the last 12 months donate it! 

*reminder - only items that can be used should be donated. if something is broken beyond repair do not donate it. find a place to properly dispose of it*

Find your local Goodwill Donation Center Here;

www.goodwill.on.ca

(Canada) 

 

Fresh Homemade Pico De Gallo

Nothing is better than fresh homemade pico. 

It is so versatile and delicious and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 

Ingredients;

- Tomatoes

- Red Onion

- Cilantro 

- Lime Juice

- Salt & Pepper

 

I chopped up half an onion, half of a tomato, a few sprigs of cilantro and half of a lime worth of juice.

Throw it in a bowl add salt and pepper to taste and give it a good stir. 

Use pico on tacos, salads, quesadillas, burritos or eat it with chips!

Delicious!

*I recommend using pico de gallo within 4-5 hours*

Stockpile ~ April 2014

I've received some emails lately asking for some updated photos of my stockpile. 

Well, you're all in luck because I just re-organized it and it looks all pretty for photos!

1. Kleenex Boxes
2. Toilet Paper Rolls
3. Paper Towel Rolls

1. Fabric Softener
2. Kleenex Boxes
3. Powder Laundry Detergent
4. Liquid Laundry Detergent

1. Floor Cleaners & Dish Soap
2. Stove / Kitchen Cleaners
3. Carpet Cleaners
4. Window Cleaners
5. All Purpose Sprays

1. Air Fresheners
2. Shampoos & Conditioners
3. Mens & Womens Body Wash

1. Cleaning Wipes
2. Air Fresheners

1. All Opened / On The Go Products 
2. Trash Bags
3. Air Freshener Samples
4. Dog Treats / Iron / Laundry Pods
5. Bathroom Cleaners / Saran / Foil / Storage Bags

1. Foil, Saran, Parchment,Storage Bags, Bathroom Cleaners
2. Bulk Sugar
3. Bulk Flour
4. Doggie Food

And there you have it folks!
If you have any questions about my stockpile or how I do it,
please feel free to email me;
frugalandthrifty@hotmail.com

April 2014 Week #1 Menu

This week I am trying to keep things simple. 

We have a lot going on this month. 

Medical appointments in and out of town, vet visits, and trying to find 3 rambunctious little puppies their forever homes.

I've got a lot of planning to do for our finances for our regular bills, and i have to add on a two night trip to Toronto with food, hotel, and travel. 

So, this month I am basing my meal plans more on what I have already in my fridge, freezer, and pantry and what is on sale in the ad flyers. 

Recipes already on the blog;

~ homemade pizza dough recipe

.a.p.r.i.l.

wow 2014.

could you be going any faster?!

this month looks like its going to be a busy one for us medical wise. 

J will have his 6 month post transplant assessment (um, wasn't it just yesterday I was sitting in the surgical waiting room?!) and we will have to go back to Toronto for a few days for the testing. 

I have already shipped are 5 dogs off to various places (much easier to split up the big ones and puppies then to try and find one person to take on the job of 5 dogs). 

Oscar will go to my parents. 

Molly will go to my sisters (her kids are in love with molly!).

And the puppies will be going to my friend Courtney's house (which is great because she is buying one of them!)

Hopefully this April we will experience better weather and it will start looking like spring outside! 

Our dogs are definitely hating the prolonged winter we seemed to have this year, and I would love to get the little ones outside to play before they go to their forever homes (*tear!*)

So I say .. 

Dear April, 

Please bring us; 

- good weather 

- a safe trip to Toronto

- positive medical results

- more patience 

- and more smiles

Always remember - April Showers Bring May Flowers 

have a fantastic day lovelies and an even better April 2014!

  

Homemade Taco Salad

I love taco salad. 

If it is on the menu when we go out to a restaurant you bet I am ordering it. 

I knew there had to be a way to make a yummy taco salad at home that did not have the high price tag of a restaurant salad. 

 

Ingredients;

~ Taco Ground Beef

~ Romaine Lettuce

~ Iceberg Lettuce 

~ Pico De Gallo

~ Sour cream 

Other Reccomendations;

~ Cheese

~ Corn 

~ Blackbeans

~ Olives

~ Avocado 

 

What I did; 

Use tortillas and place in mold and pop into oven to make taco bowls. 

Cook ground beef and season with taco seasoning.

Cut up lettuces and combine in large bowl. 

Make pico de gallo. 

 

When shells are ready, place lettuce, beef, pico, and sour cream into bowl. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Easy, delicious, and healthy!

 

* I found my taco bowl molds in a 4 pack at our local dollar store. It is a 'seen on TV' product. I have also seen them at Walmart! *

 

 

 

Birthday Gifts

This years birthday was different than the rest. 

Since Miss Molly decided to give birth to her adorable little babes on my actual birthday, we decided to post-pone the festivities for a week. No big deal. It was easy to reschedule as all we were planning was dinner at a local restaurant and then back to our place for cake and puppy viewings. 

This year, when asked what I wanted as gifts I seriously had no ideas to give people. 

There wasn't anything specific that I wanted. 

J had let me order some lovely bracelets online for a gift. 

My sister pre-ordered me a book she knew I would love. 

My other sister gave me some great bath products from Lush. 

And my other sister said she was going to treat me to a pedicure when the weather is nicer so we could spend some time together. 

And I asked my parents to give me some cash (like I do every year!) 

I decided to use my birthday money for some art work for the living room. 

We have lived in this apartment for almost 3 years and I have never found anything I liked for above our couch. 

It was really starting to get to me. 

Every time I walked into the living room it was like a giant canvas waiting for something to be placed on it. 

I went to a local store, Homesense to wonder one day and say this awesome art combination that I could not take my eyes off. It was 5 photos in one. They are all similar but not the same, which I loved and as luck would have it, in my purse I had my couch fabric swatches and they matched. 

It was only $10 more than my birthday money, but for how much I loved it I had to have it. 

The end result; 

I love it. 

It looks amazing and was affordable (even before using my birthday money). 

My eyes are always drawn to it when I walk in the room. 

Happy Birthday to Me!!

:)

this week...

This weeks mantra is one I try to remind myself of daily .. 

enough said. 

I need to look at myself more positively.

I feel as though if I see myself in a more positive light that I will see life in a more positive light. 

 If I love myself, I'll love my life more.

 

That is what I am going to work on this week.

Homemade Doggie Treats!

With the silly amount of puppies currently inhabiting our life, I figure now was as good of a time to try to make my own dog treats. 

I immediately began googling and pinteresting for recipes. 

There are a lot of recipe options!!

After looking at approximately 15 recipes and noticing the similarities between them all, I figured I could just create a recipe and see how it turned out. 

Ingredients; 

1/3 cup of Peanut Butter

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 

1 tbl Vegetable Oil 

1 cup of Oatmeal 

1 cup of Water 

Combine water, peanut butter, and oil together. 

Slowly add flour to wet mixture one cup at a time with your mixture on low speed. 

Kneed in Oatmeal (I did this by hand!). 

 Roll and cut into various shapes for your fur babies! 

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

*these treats don't expand so they will hold the shape of your cookie cutter!*

My fur babies loved these treats! 

Store in an airtight container for optimal texture. 

 

Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches!

It may technically be spring, but it sure doesn't feel like it! 

I had purchased a pork roast on sale without a specific idea in mind for it. 

I wanted something simple, easy, and delicious. 

I decided to use my crock pot to make pulled pork for sandwiches. 

Best. Idea. Ever.

Ingredients; 

- Pork Roast (any size - just make sure it fits in your crock pot!)

- White onion 

- Water

- Favorite BBQ sauce 

- Buns 

*make sure your pork roast is completely thawed, if previously frozen before putting it in the crock pot*

Start by slicing your onion. 

Place half of the sliced onion in the bottom of your crock pot. 

Cover the onions with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. 

Place Pork roast on top of onions. 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Place remaining onions on top of roast. 

Place lid on crock pot and turn on. 

Low - 5-6 hours 

high - 3-4 hours 

Remember to flip your roast half way through the cooking time. 

When cooking time is finished, use two forks to shred the meat into strips. Completely shred whole roast. 

Add BBQ sauce (enough to cover the meat and make it good a saucy!)

Stir to combine meat, sauce and onions.

Serve on fresh baked buns with sides

*find my favorite bun recipe here*

finished product. yummy!

Woof Woof!

6 weeks old. 

4 more weeks with us. 

Every day it gets harder to know we wont get to play with them forever. 

We've begun looking for new homes for them.

Definitely bitter sweet. 

They are off mommys milk (much to her relief!)

Eating kibble and drinking water. 

Trained to go to the bathroom on the pee pads (90% of the time they make it there). 

Playing with toys, mommy, daddy and us (grandma and grandpa!) 

Adorable snuggles, kisses and the occasional bite (love bite!)

 

Wonton Soup

We had a hankering for chinese food this week but, did not want to spend a fortune on take out. It's nearing the end of the month, and very close to the end of our food budget. 

So, I figured I could make sweet and sour chicken, vegetable fried rice and wonton soup for a fraction of the price of delivery. 

~recipe for sweet and sour chicken & vegetable fried rice here~

Ingredients; 

Wontons

Ground Pork 

White Onion 

Portabello Mushrooms 

Carrots

Chicken Broth 

Soya Sauce 

Green Onions 

Steps;

First, get the filling ready for your wontons. In a food processor place your ground pork (I used about half a pound), half of a medium sized white onion cut into chunks, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse mixture until it becomes a smooth paste. 

 

Take your wontons (I used small wontons for this) place a small amount of mix in the middle and wrap tightly. Use water as a paste on the sides of the wonton. Place to the side. 

*I made half of a package, about 25 filled wontons*

  

Next, in a large pot bring 2 cups of chicken broth, 3 cups of water, and 1 cup of soy sauce to a gentle boil. 

While waiting chop your vegetables. Slice carrots thinly, as well as mushrooms and shallots. 

Once broth is boiling add all vegetables and continue on a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Add wontons. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Turn heat down to medium-low and cover. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. 

Delicious!!