What a Surprise. And a recipe.

Well, I am back from my visit with my son. And guess what? That's right, no hearing. It does not really surprise me. I did get another date on Monday from my attorney. This time the hearing is set for Tuesday, November 24th. Hopefully this time the hearing will happen. I had a great time with my son this past weekend. We played alot and spent some time just sitting together. He was feeling better, or so he said. He was a little bit more tired and a little bit less active. But all in all, he seemed to be better. He did eat really well too.

For our visit around the hearing, I will see S on the 21st and 22nd, meet with the attorney on the 23rd. Have the hearing on the 24th, hang out on the 25th, and see S again for Thanksgiving holiday on the 26th and 27th. That's a lot of living at a hotel. Not my favorite, but better than the cold wet campgrounds. Man, I can't believe how wet it has been this year. It's been hard to camp some weekends. A few times we ended up just going to the hotel because it rained so much. Other times we toughed it out and hoped we didn't get washed away.

My mom and I learned how to cook in a dutch oven over a fire this summer. That was some tasty eatin'. We made a pork stew. I found a store that carries large cans of pork. I have never had canned pork like that and thought we would give it a try since it needs no refrigeration prior to opening and that makes it handy when camping. So we took some onions, potatoes, celery and carrots to put in it. We added some spices that I always have in the camping kit (salt, pepper steak seasoning, and garlic). We also brought along a bit of cornstarch to make a thickening sauce, and dumped it all in. That was it. We put it over the fire and let it cook up and it was really good. It does not take very long to cook, and it stays warm for a long time as well.

The pork we used was not like the canned ham that I have found in the grocery stores. It was like a roasted pork loin that had been cooked and then stuck in the can. I think it would have made great BBQ as well. I do plan to try that next time. The can was a big can too. I think it was like 28 ounces or something. Enough to feed a whole bunch of us. And even better was the price. I only paid around $5 for a little over two pounds, instead of the $1 + I spend on the cans that are only around 5 ounces. If you can find some in your area, it is worth the price for the convenience of precooked ham that does not have to be kept cold.

So have you found any neat food items in your searches for good deals? Made anything tasty lately?

What to Cook Wednesday

Today I am going to take a bit of a different approach. In trying to keep my blog non-political I will just post that I think everyone should think about storing up some food. I know that many of my readers do, just because the couponing makes things easier and cheaper to stock up. For those that don't coupon, I think now is the time to take advantage before prices start going up. I worry that inflation is going to get us all sometime in the future. And by future I mean sooner rather than later. Maybe not in the next 6-12 months, but sometime shortly after that. I want to take advantage of these (relatively) low prices and get some food squared away. Some of the things that I worry may be hard to get in the future are wheat, rice, corn, and anything made with soybeans. I don't know how many of you watch the news, but there are many stories of food shortages coming due to bad weather conditions. I know here in the heartland it is wet. I mean really wet. Crops are not coming in and there is concern that they will rot in the fields due to too much moisture. This is soybean and corn country. I know that wheat plantings were down last year to begin with and now there have been problems with the wheat and a fungus taking out the plants. So, for what to cook Wednesday, I propose that instead of what to cook, I let you know what I am gathering.

I always try to keep some whole wheat flour in the freezer. I also keep cornmeal and bread flour in there. I also have many boxes of pasta and sauce (thanks Meijer!), canned chicken and tuna, and of course fruits and veggies, and dry beans. I also keep canned soups in stock and things like evaporated milk. Not the tastiest to drink, but can be used in cooking. I don't usually eat white rice, but will eat brown rice. I also keep this in the freezer. There are many things that thanks to couponing I have been able to stock up on. For example, I love oatmeal. I bought oatmeal at the first of the year when the coupons came out for them. I am just now running out of oatmeal. I do still have the oats in the canister, but I meant the instant packs that I take for work for meals. Those were some great deals as I love oatmeal. I will run out of the instant packets before the next really good sale, but I will still have the regular oats to eat and cook with. I do plan to go to the store and pick up a few items, but nothing that I have coupons for. Just some random things that I would like to have. Like milk, marshmallows, a jug or two of water for my trips, and some beans. I love beans. I really do. You can do so much with beans, they are so versatile. I usually get dry beans because they are so much cheaper than canned. It just takes a bit of planning or batch cooking on the weekend. Which I am still not doing. Shame on me, I have become so lazy when it comes to cooking. I have not even made bread or desserts. Wow, I must be feeling overwhelmed and lazy! I think I need a good kick in the a** to get up and get going again. Maybe after the court date next week I will feel renewed and energized. In the meantime, I will just eat canned soup *gasp*. It isn't too bad I guess. Well, I know it isn't because I keep eating it.

What things do you like to keep stocked up on? Any favorites or just whatever is on sale and has a coupon? Let me know.

Just an update on the new to me van. It has been great. It hasn't had any major problems, just a couple of easily resolved ones.

MIA

It seems I owe everyone an apology. My life is crazy and hectic right now. We have had court dates come up and be cancelled and new dates set. I have not been shopping to share deals in ages as I am saving up to pay for attorney costs, court costs, filing fees; it seems like the list never ends. I have been super busy at work since I have been taking time off for court dates that never happen. I have been trying hard to keep a positive attitude through all of this. I have been really struggling this last month in particular. I feel like I have so much to do, so many things that I want to accomplish, and just not enough time to get to all of it. So, I let you, my readers down. I am sorry for that. I will do my best to get here and post. It may not have much to do with deals and steals. It may just be random musings and updates on what is going on with my son and me.

I have been feeling down in the dumps for many reasons lately. I was told by my son several weeks ago that he needed more dental work done. This little boy, well not so little boy, is only nine years old and because of the poor nutrition and shoddy dental care has had to get eight cavities filled. While this was going on, because he is also stressed, he wound up mouth ulcers. I know they were painful. He hardly ever complains about pain, and yet he continually told me how his mouth hurt. My son had some dental work done earlier this year, and more done this fall, and who knows how much more before his dad is done ruining his teeth. Just last week they had to pull a tooth because the dental work done was not the greatest and because his teeth were in such bad shape, the tooth broke. So, out it came. He was terrified and when I called him, he was in tears because he was so afraid it was going to hurt. With my policy to never, ever lie to him, I told him it might hurt. He should ask his dad to tell the dentist that he was scared it would hurt. He told me his dad does not go in with him, he has to go in by himself and that scared him too. I swear I don't know what is wrong with that man. He did get the tooth pulled last week and thankfully he did not have any pain. Then he tells me that he got the flu shot. That was on Tuesday. Friday when I called he was sick. Saturday when I called he was sick again. "The doctor" said he had bronchitis. Or bronchy-itis as my son used to say. Then on Sunday he did not say anything about not feeling well. When I called last night, he was even sicker and this time he went to the doctor and he was diagnosed with the flu. If it was up to me, he would have never gotten the flu shot. I will save my rant on the flu shots for another day, but suffice it to say, I don't like them. In the midst of all of this, I have to keep hearing snide hateful comments from my ex, listen to my son repeat them because that is all he is hearing down there, and in general just feel stressed out by the upcoming court dates. And I only get every other weekend for a few hours to try to make up for all of it.

I don't mean all of this as a pity party. I don't even really want sympathy. I just wanted to let you know that I may not always post right now because it would not be very nice of me to post a bunch of negative things out here and bring you all down. I will try to get back on schedule of posting and try to keep them positive.

On an unrelated note, I have also been very worried about our economy, and the direction I see our government headed. What I see scares me. Not like the terrified, can't sleep at night sort of thing. The scared just enough to try to figure out what I need to do to be prepared for anything. Like job loss, outbreaks of swine flu that our local government over reacts to. You know, that sort of thing. I also have been stressed at work. There is a woman that I have to work with that is awful. You know the kind that wants credit for every good thing and blames you for every mistake. She has even tried to get me fired on more than one occasion. I used to not be too worried about it as I had a buffer. Now, the buffer got tired of working here and moved on. So, no more buffer. Then she has maintenance move her office so she is right next door to me. She comes in at least once a day to "say hello" or just "ask a question". I don't believe her for one second. She is back to her old tricks of complaining about me to everyone and anyone. Fortunately, most people are already onto her games and don't listen, but a few do. And those few could make my life hell. I am trying not to borrow trouble, but with this kind of person, I must always be ready and prepared as best as I can. She attacks when you least expect it.

So, I have been trying to be good at work, get things done at home, fret about finances, simmer and stew about my son, worry about the economy, and just try to keep a smile on my face and steam in my engines. I am certain that I am not accomplishing much these days, even though I feel like I am constatly on the go and pulled every which way.

Okay, after all my whining, how are you all doing? Better I sincerely hope.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:
1. Excedrin

2. Sunshine

3. Vitamin Water

4. Good books to read

5. Donuts. Mmmmmmmm.

What's got you thankful this week?

What To Cook Wednesday

For this week's edition of what to cook, I bring you another soup recipe. I like soup. I like fall too, and that is the perfect time for pulling out those stock pots and making soup.

Potato Soup. I know that everyone has a potato soup recipe in their family. Here, I present you with my family's potato soup.

8-10 potatoes, peeled
onion
salt
evaporated milk
water
3 eggs
flour
pepper

I use any kind of potato for this. Last night I used regular Idaho potatoes. I used onion powder last night, I have also used minced dried onion and fresh onion. Really just use whatever you like.

Peel and cube your potatoes. Place in pot and cover with water. Add onion. I like onion flavor, so I added a lot. Use as much as your family will allow. I do not add salt here, but my mom does. I don't add salt to anything until it is done cooking, but that's just me.

While the potatoes are cooking, crack three eggs into a bowl, and start adding flour. I used whole wheat last night, so I ended up with brown dumplings, if appearances matter, use white flour. You want to add enough flour to make a nice sticky dough. It should still be wet looking and very sticky. When the potatoes are almost done cooking, start adding the egg/flour mixture. I use a spoon that has been dipped into the hot water, and scoop a small amount, about 1/4 of the teaspoon, and put the spoon in the water again. The hot water makes the dough slip right off the spoon. Of course now the spoon is hot and you can just go to town dipping your little dumplings out of the bowl and placing the dumpling into the water. By the time you are finished with this, it will be time to add the evaporated milk. Dump one whole can into the pot. The dumplings will only take a minute or two to finish cooking. At this time, I taste and add salt if necessary (always is) and add some pepper. That is it, dinner is done. Add some tasty bread and a salad, and you are ready to go.

Though as I read through this and my other posts, I realize I am one of those folks that cooks without measuring. I just add the amounts of ingredients based on what I know my son and I like. It may be kind of hard to follow recipes that call for adding what you like or adding a pinch. If you think that I need to start adding more precise measurements, please let me know and I can start paying attention and measuring what I make.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Hello? Hello? Where am I? I think I forgot how to get here, or there, or anywhere.... What?

I am back again. I thought Random Tuesday would be a good place to begin. Go on over to The Unmom and check out everyone else's randomness too.

I, uh, well, I really don't know where to start. I'm sorry seems like a good place. I have abandoned my blog here for the last couple of weeks. And for no good reason. Mostly I have been very easily distracted and unfocused. I am going to start working on that. Let me share a couple of stories to give you my frame of mind these past couple of weeks:

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my tub was not really draining very well. Now, I have had issues with this house's plumbing pretty much since I moved in. Usually not too major, and never with the tub. But it was draining slow. I left it alone for about a week. Then a week ago, I went to Walmart and got a couple of buckets from their bakery. I took them home and washed them out. Those things are great for storing anything and everything. And best of all they were free. Any way I digress, again. Washing the tubs out, yes that's where I was. I washed them out and dumped the water. It did not drain. I left it alone for a bit and it did eventually drain completely. I took a shower and noticed that I don't use nearly the water for a shower as I would have run for a bath even for a small child. Decided to hardly ever take a bath again, only showers. Not that this has anything to do with the tub draining, or not draining as the case may be. I had to soak the free tubs with some baking soda and vinegar to get rid of the icing smell completely. While I was at it I decided to soak the garbage cans too. I went in to dump the cans and nothing drained. I came back a little later, and nothing had drained. I tried plunging and nothing drained. Next day after work, I bought some draino at the dollar store, except it was more than a dollar. Why do they call it a dollar store if everything is more than a dollar? I poured in the drain cleaner when I got home. I waited about 30 minutes and went back to check still no draining. I ran hot water like the directions said to. No draining. I poured more in since the directions said to repeat if necessary. 30 minutes later, still had not drained. This is where I started to ignore the directions. I started plunging even though the directions said not too. At this point I am wondering if my cats stuffed a mouse carcass down the drain to save for later. No draining. So I gather my courage and stick my bare hand down the drain. Now I know that I should have used a glove since there was so much drain cleaner in there, but how was I supposed to feel anything? Yeah, I felt something all right. The drain plug. I had apparently knocked the little lever while cleaning the tub originally and finished knocking it closed while cleaning the buckets. I opened the drain. It drained. No mouse, no clog, not even slow....Whoosh, all the water when right down.....

Wow.

The next episode of pure genius occured this weekend. I was playing tennis with my son at the park. He really is not that great (neither am I) and likes to hit the ball as hard as he can. Right out of the courts, over the fence. And right towards the pond. Fortunately it hit a rock and did not become a floater. Time to go. We load into the new to me minivan (which has been great by the way). I turn the car on, and yes! that air feels great. We were both really hot and sweaty. I put the car in reverse, take my foot off the brake, hit the gas and we start to roll --forward. I slam on the brakes and put it back in park. I try to put it in reverse again. We roll forward. I am getting really scared at this point as it is time to take S back to his dad's. My car has to go. So, I open the door and step out of the car, and realize, are you ready for this? It was not on. Nope, the van was not running. I could not tell because the fan was running on high and I could not tell that it was not on. I turn the key and start the car. What do you know?! It went into gear. Yeah.

So there is the randomness of my life for the past couple of weeks. Want some more? If not then you can stop reading now. I have more though. I'm sorry again. If you are one of those people that has to read until the end and you want to move along, here you go: The End.

I took my cat in to the vet's office for her surgery for her skin cancer. It is the kind that does not spread (I can't remember today what that is called-I swear I am brain dead lately), it just affects the cells it is in. They grow, I get them cut off. She is high for a few days. This time they did blood work first, with my permission of course, and discovered that her red blood cell count was low. They could still do the surgery, just had to twilight sleep her and inject some pain meds. She was great, she was not high, and shortly after I got home she was back to her normal self. I took her in early this morning before work to get the stitches out. Poor baby does not like being in a cage at all. She kept trying to bite the carrier door. At one point I stuck my hand in front of her face hoping to stop her from chewing on the bars and breaking a tooth. Yup, she bit me. It hurt, but that was better than her breaking a tooth.

Our county is preparing for the H1N1 virus. It is kind of scary some of the things they are talking about implementing if the virus spreads too much here. I am really hoping that it avoids our area all together. I doubt it though as the college in the town next to us has already had 5 confirmed cases. No deaths, just students with the flu. Me, I think it's just the flu, some will get it, some will get it and die, some will not get it at all. It happens with the flu virus that hits every year. Why is this one so different? Get over it. We don't freak out when 1/3 of our county has the "regular" flu. I am concerned that it will affect my visits with my son if they "discourage" travelling. The interstate runs right through the middle of our county though. I am not really sure how they would do that any way. Besides, I live about 2 miles from the state line. I will just go out the back road and be on my way. (politics-warning!) Personally I think the "big scare" is to help the awful and dreaded health care reform get movement to be passed.

It has been really cool here for the past few days. I got up yesterday and today and it was only 60 degrees in my house. The warmest it got all day yesterday was about 64 degrees. It is a bit chilly in my house during this season. I would say time of year, but this is the first time it has happened this early. Usually it is still hot outside right now. Homemade potato soup sounds really good for tonight. Good thing I bought potatoes last night and stocked up on evaporated milk when it was on sale! Way to go stocking up!

I finally got rid of the fleas. I can't remember if I posted about my war on fleas, but it has been an ugly battle that I finally won! I sprinkled Sevin Dust all over my entire house. I did NOT put any on the cats, but sprinkled all non living things in my house liberally. This was after treating the cats, spraying the house and bombing/fogging the house. I have not seen any fleas since last Thursday. I will begin cleaning up every scrap and sprinkle of dust tonight. Time for the fall house cleaning anyway. Gotta get everything nice and clean to close the house up for the winter. I don't much care for spring cleaning, but I do love a good fall cleaning to get me in the mood to keep the windows shut and start burning those wonderful, good smelling candles. And now I can start baking without melting from the heat.

Gotta love fall. Crisp leaves. Beautiful colors. I am fall coloring by the way. I love the smell of the leaves burning after raking them up. I love a good campfire, or just a fire in the fire pit or the little fire table thingy I have on my patio. Yup, good times.

So, how have you been? How is life treating? Assuming of course you are still here reading....

Site of the Week Saturday

This week I would like to highlight Jack over at the survival podcast. I know this is not going to be quite what some of you expect, but I like the message that Jack spreads. He does get a bit excited on some of his podcasts, and you don't have to agree or even listen to him, but he does discuss getting out of debt, not getting any new debt, and stockpiling. There is even a thread in the forum about couponing and another one about CVS'ing. Some of his ideas won't appeal to you, but I bet some of them will. Go check out the site, the podcasts and the forum. I guarantee you will learn something new. I know I have.

ETA: This is the first time I have featured a guy for the site of the week!