Happy Thanksgiving

Turkeys are 29 cents a pound at Safeway! I haven't seen a better (or even close) price elsewhere.

Also, I really liked this study on the Secrets of Low-Stress Families. Check it out at http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/seven-secrets-of-low-stress-families

  Officially, cooking from scratch is a secret of low-stress families! Actually I believe it. Families that use pre-packaged foods spend just as much time in meal preparation as families that cook from scratch. That's been proven before in other studies. So if you're not saving time, isn't peeling carrots more relaxing than reading instructions and scheduling the microwave? Of course. What I don't know is - does cooking from scratch make us a low-stress family? Hmm....

If at First You Don't Succeed....

So last night we had an "Appreciation Dinner" - meaning what we ate made us appreciate all the other dinners we've ever eaten. I really had all the best intentions, but the rice didn't cook right (actually not at all), and the fried apples and onions that sounded so delicious and cozy in "Little House on the Prairie" were definitely not delicious and cozy in the year 2010. The kids and Jared ate without complaint - oh, how I love them! They did ask if there was any dessert - meaning, "Is there incentive to eat this pile in front of us?" But I didn't even have any dessert.
They were all so stoic about it, and I just kept apologizing, until Jared consoled me by telling me that it was OK; every dinner doesn't have to be a success story. That meant a lot coming from him, considering that 1) he knows I have my share of dinner failures and then some, and 2) dinner is his only really good meal of the day (He eats oatmeal for breakfast and no lunch.).
The real point, though, is that he is right. Cooking from scratch to save money is not always a success story - and that's OK. I'm a better cook because I've learned from failure, and my family seems to get easily over the less-than-delicious meals with no negative side effects. We can't learn and be successful if we give up because of failure. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!!:)

Keeping it Simple Saves Money

I found this great blog posted a while ago. This lady talks about how we save money by keeping things basic and simple. This is a very enjoyable read - and goes along perfectly with my thoughts and how I feed my family. Check out the post at

 frugalc.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/keep-it-simple-keep-it-basic/

  Also, this weekend at the Bozeman LDS Stake Center is a Provident Living Expo from 10am-2pm. There will be lots of information on saving money in all areas of living. I will be doing a booth on food budgeting. (For example, did you know that cold cereal and milk cost over three times more than oatmeal and milk? You can save about $100 per year per person in your household if you make that simple switch! What are you going to do with all that extra money?:) Come check out all the fun stuff - plus lunch will be served! And if you have hubbies and boys, I hear the fire trucks will be there.:)

For Your Listening Pleasure

     A few months ago a good friend of mine, Quinn, put together a podcast of the "Oatmeal Story" from my book Centsible Meals. It was a great learning experience for me. I got to sit in a cool foam cubby with a big microphone while Quinn manned a console with tons of buttons and flashing lights. Quinn came to our house to tape the kids and Jared (who are also featured).
     The "Oatmeal Story" is oft-repeated at our house - sometimes as a funny event and sometimes as a stern reminder. Our family definitely had fun trying out this media, and we really appreciate Quinn for working with our time schedule and dubious talent.
Click to listen to "Centsible Meals -- The Oatmeal Story"

Kids in the Kitchen

Hey! Found this great article in LDS Living Magazine called Kids in the Kitchen...:) Read it at www.ldsliving.com. I hope this doesn't post on facebook 59 times like my last update. If it does, and anyone knows how to stop it, please let me know.

Jamming

Jared and I went on a hike to celebrate our engagement anniversary. ( He proposed while taking me hiking.) We discovered service berries that were at peak ripeness. They make excellent jam, so we picked some - and realized we didn't have a container - or a bag - or a water bottle - or anything - to put them in. Jared is resourceful  - and chivalrous - and volunteered to take off his sock to use as a berry holder. We picked berries all the way back down the mountain. A very fun, if not totally romantic, excursion. I made jam the next day and it is delicious. So I guess the tips we should glean from this are 1) celebrate all anniversaries, and 2) berry picking is a great family and couple activity this time of year and an inexpensive way to get yummy homemade jam for the winter.

Summer Savvy

Summer is crazy, busy fun! Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I always plan a nice relaxing summer, and somehow it is non-stop. This year is no exception. We have been visiting friends and attending family reunions, and I wouldn't trade any of it for relaxation. (Although I wouldn't mind trying to add some relaxation.)
I taught some workshops in the cities we traveled in. I love the discussion and idea exchange in a good class! Others always have some great money-saving ideas. Here are a couple of my favorites:
A young mother of three in Lehi, Utah told me she has started making all her own bread. To keep her oven from heating her house in the summer, she bought a toaster oven at a second hand store and bakes her bread in it outside on her patio. Saves on her cooling bill!
I got to attend a class on making homemade ice cream in Casper, Wyoming. Our teacher said she uses a small vanilla pudding mix and mostly milk instead of buying  pricey cream and half-and-half. Her samples were creamy and delicious! - a great class on a hot July day!
If you have summer-time money-saving tips, please comment and let us all in on your savvy ideas.:)