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Arranging the Move…Sooner Than We Thought

August 14, 2008 1 Comment

Talk about a time crunch….it’s only a week till our planned move, and there is a ton to do. Originally we had planned to move at the end of the month (2 weeks from today), but my stepfather called me today and informed me that the moving company that does moves for his company is going to be in the Florida area next week, and will then be going up to North Alabama in an empty truck….well, obviously that’s a big waste of gas and company time, so he asked his contact at the moving company, “what if they didn’t have to come back up here in an empty truck?” Long story short, because they were going to have to drive up and waste time and gas anyway, the lady agreed to move our stuff for a very good rate. For about $500 they will come get our stuff and unload it at the house. The lady also agreed to store our stuff in their warehouse for a couple of weeks, if our house is not ready to be moved into (which undoubtedly, it will not be ready).

Well, we couldn’t ask for a better deal. To rent a truck and trailer it was going to cost about $360, plus the cost of gasoline. Plus, we were going to have to make 2 trips: one next week in the truck and car (so we could take 2 vehicles up and leave one there) and then a second one with our car and the moving truck. So this will definitely save us time, gas, and money, and save us from making an extra 10 hour round trip. And best of all, someone will be moving the stuff for us, and we won’t have to go begging others to come help us load up the stuff. (and my husband tends to get grumpy on moving day, so maybe he’ll be less stressed) So that should work out real nicely.

As for the house, I talked with my mom yesterday to find out how the renovations were going….she said it was going “slow.” Okay….so some of work will not be done when we get there…well, we expected that, but we’d rather get there before the work is done, so that we can actually do some of the work ourselves, and so that we can start our new jobs. I do hate that we’ll be living in limbo for a week or two, while we wait for our house to be finished, but every rose has its thorn.

Filed Under: moving

200th Post – We’re Movin’ On Up!

August 12, 2008 3 Comments

Well, I’ve reached new heights on my little blog. I am now up to my 200th post. It’s a small step for blogs but a pretty big step for my little blog. Considering that I had only just started reading blogs last year, and I didn’t really put a lot of thought into my decision to start a blog, and I didn’t even know if I’d enjoy blogging or not, I’d say things have gone pretty well. I only hope that they continue to get even better in the future.

I thought for a while about what I would write for this post…Should it be just a regular everyday post? Should I do something special for it? Finally I decided that since this is a “milestone” post, it would be the perfect time for me to talk about future milestones on the blog and the milestones going on in my life.

The Blog. – First , the blog. Not only is this the 200th post, but in about 2 months, I’ll be celebrating the one year anniversary of my first post, which is very exciting for me…I can’t believe it’s been almost a year! I’m already beginning to think about how I will celebrate for the occasion, and that will, of course, include a big anniversary post. Additionally I’ve been thinking of different things I can do to revamp and make the blog better, so I’ve been coming up with some ideas to restructure, organize, and try to make it more focused and cohesive (for lack of a better word). I’m also planning to get a *new* design/template for the website. I’ve been looking at a lot of blog designs to try to get a good idea of what I’m looking for, and before the year is out, I hope to have a total makeover for the site. And I have a few ideas for some future projects that I think everyone will like.

Movin’ On Up (literally) – Next, an even greater milestone….I’ll soon be moving in to a new (to me) house! Yay! More details to come.

 

Filed Under: announcements

Menu Plan Monday for August 11

August 10, 2008 3 Comments

Monday – Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Tuesday – Leftovers
Wednesday – Paprika Pork chops w/ Sour Cream Gravy (original recipe uses chicken, but I’m going with chops) w/ steamed broccoli & rice
Thursday – Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Friday – Country Fried Steak w/ Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Peas, and Biscuits
Saturday – Leftover buffet
Sunday – Jambalaya
For great menu ideas and recipes, check out other posts at I’m An Organizing Junkie.


Filed Under: menu plan Monday

Recipe of the Week: Cinnamon Rolls

August 8, 2008 1 Comment

It seemed fitting to end the week with a recipe for cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls are one of my husband’s favorite things to eat for breakfast or dessert, and I’m a pretty fan myself, so we definitely eat our fair share of these things. There must be a ton of recipes for cinnamon rolls out there, but I chose to share this one from BHG.

Ingredients:
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package fast-rising active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Icing (see recipe below)

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour and yeast. In small saucepan, combine milk, water, the 1/2 cup sugar, oil, and salt. Heat; stir over medium heat till just warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F).
2. Add milk mixture and egg yolks to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that’s smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes). Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Roll out dough to form a 14×12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter or margarine. Sprinkle with a mixture of 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon.
5. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from long side. Seal seam. Slice into 12 pieces. Place in greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cover; let rise in warm place till nearly doubled (20 minutes).
6. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Frost warm rolls with Cream Cheese Icing. Serve rolls warm or cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 rolls.
Cream Cheese Icing: In a medium mixing bowl, beat one 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened; 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened; and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 tablespoon milk. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar until icing is spreading consistency.


Filed Under: breads and sides, desserts, Recipe of the Week

Sweet Thursday: Breakfast Treats

August 7, 2008 1 Comment
And now for the sweeter side of breakfast. Here are some photos & links to some sweet breakfast pastries and treats. Enough said.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (or Monkey Bread)

Basically cinnamon donut holes baked together in a bundt pan, with a yummy glaze added. Yum! Very easy to make too. And I’ve also seen an already made version of this in the freezer section at the store for anyone who’s in a big hurry.

Cream Cheese Squares

I’m a huge fan of cream cheese and recipes like this. Such a simple and plain concept, yet it’s so good!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Believe it or not, I’ve never really had coffee cake…then again, I don’t drink coffee either. But I wouldn’t mind trying it, and this one looks pretty good.

Strawberry-Banana Muffins

I love Banana muffins and Strawberry muffins, so why not combine the two. Joy of Baking has a great recipe to try.

Lemon Bars

I absolutely love these. I never thought of them as breakfast food until I started seeing them served in coffee shops. At work I had them for breakfast a few times, and it really hit the spot.


Filed Under: desserts, recipes

A Few Good Breakfast Recipes

August 6, 2008 3 Comments
Breakfast foods are some of my favorite things to eat, but if you eat it day after day before getting ready for school or work, it can get old, especially if you make the same dishes over and over again. I looked around for some breakfast recipes that were a little different and unique to share with you. Here are a few photos and links of some that I found.

I’ve tasted a few different recipes for Breakfast Casserole, but none of them had waffles in them. And since bacon tastes so good with pancakes and waffles, why not add a few other ingredients and just mix it all up.

Breakfast Tacos

Like a breakfast burrito, except all the toppings are a pancake. Personally I think I would like a little bacon and hashbrowns on mine.

Breakfast Pizza

At cdkitchen.com they have several different recipes for Breakfast Pizza. The link should take you to their list of recipes.

Breakfast in a Cup

I thought this Paula Deen recipe looked very interesting. It’s definitely a great method of putting together and presenting your old breakfast favorites in a very unique way.

Sausage Breakfast Cups

This one looks like a fancy gourmet recipe, but it’s actually made with refrigerated biscuits and is very easy to make.


Filed Under: recipes

Menu Plan Monday for August 4

August 3, 2008 6 Comments

Good day! For this week’s menu I’ve included a recipe & pictures of my Mexican Chicken Casserole. I thought that I had posted this recipe before, but when I did a search on all my old posts, I found that I had merely listed it on a MPM post and never actually posted the recipe, so here it is.

Also, for anyone who’s interested, I’m planning on posting some “breakfast” recipes this week in honor of the back to school season. I remember when I was a kid, in the summer I would eat mostly cereal for breakfast, or sometimes we just had lunch instead of breakfast, so whenever school was back in session it was back to the breakfast-making grind for my parents. And sometimes it just seems like there’s such a limited selection for breakfast foods, so I thought it would be fun to look around for some different kinds of breakfast recipes to share. So you can check back for those in a few days.

In the mean time, here are this weeks menu selections. Happy Monday!

Monday – One Dish Chicken & Rice Bake w/ steamed veggies
Tuesday – Cheeseburger Macaroni w/ corn & rolls
Wednesday – Leftovers
Thursday – Mexican Chicken Casserole (recipe below)
Friday – Sub sandwiches
Saturday – Pizza
Sunday – Leftovers

Mexican Chicken Casserole:
2 cans chicken breast, drained or 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked & chopped/shredded
1 reg bag tortilla chips
1 1/4 cup chicken broth or water (I use the broth drained off of the canned chicken)
2 cups greated cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 – 1 1/2 cups of salsa (I never put an exact amount)

Spray 9X13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients except chips. Layer bottom of casserole dish with crushed chips. Then place part of the chicken mixture on top of the chips. Continue to layer chips and chicken mixture, ending with chips on top. Then sprinkle some additional cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tip: I usually place a pile of chips on a plate and then place the casserole on top of the chips. Additionally I get out additional salsa, shredded lettuce, extra cheese, and sour cream to go on top. You could also use peppers, onions, diced tomatoes, or any other topping with this recipe.

Also, the original recipe (that I played around with to come up with this one) included jalepeno peppers and rotel tomatoes with the chicken mixture instead of salsa.

(Casserole before cooking)

(casserole after cooking)

For more information on MPM, visit I’m An Organizing Junkie.

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday

Recipe of the Week: Cinnamon Muffins

August 1, 2008 3 Comments

Here’s something a little sweet for breakfast: Cinnamon Muffins (from BHG). Whether your a parent or a kid, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But sometimes, due to lack of time, resources, or out of the force of habit, we end up having the same breakfast foods over and over. I don’t know about everyone else, but for me, even the the greatest hot breakfast in the world could get old if I had to eat it every day.

The great thing about muffins is that they come in a variety of flavors, and if you’re making them for just one or two people, an entire batch can last for two or three days. It’s also great because you can make them the night before, and then grab a couple on your way out if you’re in a hurry.

These Cinnamon Muffins are sure to please, and I think we can all agree that it’s a step up from cinnamon toast (though I love a slice of that in the morning as well).

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl stir together flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a small bowl beat egg with a fork; stir in milk and the 1/3 cup melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Cool muffins in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Dip muffins into the 1/4 cup melted butter, then into sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Filed Under: breads and sides, Recipe of the Week

Back to College: Beating the Bookstore Again

July 31, 2008 Leave a Comment


Here are a few more tips to help you beat the bookstore:

Refunds – If you buy from the bookstore, make note of the refund policies. For a number of days, you’ll be able to get a full refund on the books you buy (with a receipt of course) but after the deadline passes, you will not be able to get a refund. Instead the clerk will tell you that you have to wait until the buy back period at the end of the semester.

Beware of the Buy Back – Unless you just cannot stand to look a book for another second, and you have no hope of selling it elsewhere, or you desperately need money now, I don’t advise selling your book to the bookstore.

I participated in the Buy Back program a few times when I was in jr. college to sell books that I had absolutely no use for, and as my husband would say, “it’s a big racket.”

Here’s an example of what I mean: First, they only have a demand for a certain number of books, so by the time you go to sell your book, they may have reached their quota, and won’t buy your book at all. But in a way that’s a good thing, because if you sell your book to them, you won’t get much for it. For example, say you bought a new book for $100. The bookstore will probably pay you $40 for that book. (maybe a little more or less, depending on what kind of book it is), but they will then turn around and resell that book for about $75 (more or less). And it goes on from there, when the next person who buys the book for $75 participates in buy back and only gets $30, and then the book is resold again for a greater value. (so they can profit again and again)

Sell the Books on Your Own
If you don’t want to keep your old textbooks, and you don’t feel that the bookstore is willing to pay a fair price for them, then you’re better off to try to sell the book elsewhere.

Ask your friends and classmates if they are interested in the book. They will be happy to buy the book from you rather than buying from the bookstore, and if they don’t need what you have, they probably know someone who does. Or you can make flyers and post them on the bulletin board. Use the college’s online message board if possible to advertise your books or advertise on Facebook to a broader audience.

You can also use ebay, amazon, or some of the other websites that I listed in the previous post to sell your books. A few weeks ago I also found out about this website where you enter in the ISBN for your books, and the site makes you an offer for the books & even pays the postage for you to send them the books. It’s called Cash4books. I’m not sure how much they’ll offer you. It may not be as much as the bookstore offers, or it may be more. I suggest getting an appraisal on this site, and then going to the bookstore to find out how much they offer, and then you can go from there.

In truth, if you’re being offered $20 for sure, then you may not want to hold out for $35 potential dollars on ebay. It’s up to you, but as for me, when I pay money for a book, I’d rather keep it, than just give it away for practically nothing, and allow the bookstore to profit from it again…but that’s just me. =)


Filed Under: personal finances, saving money, School/College

Back to College: Beating the Bookstore

July 30, 2008 2 Comments

After being in school for 2 or 3 years, I finally decided to check online about buying some used books, and I was very surprised to find that I could get used book for about half the cost of the used books at my school, and used books that were about 1/4 the cost of a new book at my school. Obviously this adds up to huge savings when you take a book that’s $50 new and $30 used at the bookstore, and you can find it for $15 or $20 online, or when you find a $100 book for $35 or $40

Here are some tips & strategies that will help you to save money on textbooks (and all books for that matter.)

1. Buy used.

2. Buy an older edition of the book. – Often they put out a new edition of a book, and there are no used copies. You may just have to grit your tooth and shell out the dough for the new book, but you may also consider locating an older edition online. You should check with the professor to find out if it’s okay to get an older edition first. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to buy the new book, as the newer book may contain important passages that the old book did not. (lit books & math books can’t really be substituted b/c they make changes) But in some cases, (such as with history books & some social studies books) there really is not much change in the content of the book, and the teacher may allow you to use an older version if it is available to you. The very first day I attended classes, my history professor put this way: “We have a new book this semester. If you know someone who has the older edition, feel free to use it instead. The new book offers no new information that you’ll need. Basically every couple of years, they decided to add one or two new photos, rearrange a couple of chapter, jack the price up $10, and then you get screwed.” This sentiment surprised me, as I didn’t expect the professor to feel that way, let alone say it, but I’ve found it to be true nonetheless. So if the teacher allows, find an older edition of the book.

3. Buy at the off campus bookstore. If you go to the college bookstore, and they are out of used books, then go off campus. Off campus bookstores generally have a good selection of new & used books, and they are generally a good bit cheaper. But just as with the college store, used books will be the first to go at the off campus store as well, so you need to shop there early.

4. Buy from fellow students. If you look around campus, you’ll find flyers on bulletin boards, where people are trying to sell their old books. They are selling them b/c either the bookstore met its buy back quota and would not buy their book back, or because they didn’t like the price that the bookstore wanted to pay them for the book. Either way, they want to get rid of that book, and they will be willing to sell to you at a lower price than what the bookstore offers.

5. Facebook. I’ve been told that a lot of students are now advertising the sell of their old books through facebook.

6. School’s Online Messageboard – Same concept. Some school’s now have an online email or message board system that allows students to post up books that they are selling (or books they are looking to buy.)

7. Library – A lot of the textbooks needed for various classes should be available at the school library. You’ll need to go early if have any hopes of checking them out, and there may be a limit on how long you can borrow them for, but it’s definitely something to look into.

8. Book Swap/Trade/Borrow – Talk with friends about the classes that you (and they) are taking or have taken. You may be able to work out a trade, or do some book borrowing. For instance, my husband loaned out a lot of books to friends who took classes that he had already taken. And I had a friend who needed a math book that I had, so I gave him the math book, and he gave me a psych book.

9. Buy Online – This is a sure way to get a good deal of 50-75%, but it does take time to do the research to find all the books you need and make sure you’re getting a good deal, so you have to get started early. Here are a few sites to consider:
Ebay – I bought most of my books on ebay and saved a ton.
Amazon – I haven’t bought as many books here, but I did buy a couple here when they weren’t available on ebay.
paperbackswap.com – I haven’t used this site, but apparently you list books here that you are willing to swap for others. I’m not sure if there’s an option to buy a book without swapping or not, but I did read that you get 2 free books, whenever you list a book for the first time.
buyusedtextbooks.com – buy/sell books on this site
abebooks – buy/sell books

You can find more by simply searching “Buy textbooks” on your internet search engine.


Filed Under: saving money, School/College
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