Bluberry Picking in Virginia!

Welcome, Company Girls!

 

 
Previously, while we lived in Florida, I picked with friends early in the morning, around 6am. It got too hot for picking there by 8am, well before little kids are supposed to wake-up! But, for the free blueberry iced tea served at Beulah Berries, it was well worth the trip. I even made a Youtube video about that place.

This was our first time picking as a family in a few years. This time we went to Swift Creek Berry Farm near Richmond, VA. The weather was cool for July and it was cloudy. It rained the day before so the berries were wet and glistening. Perfect conditions for picking!

 



Weather here in the river city has been awesome this summer! We stayed out until about 11am and it was still very nice out. The berries were sweet and plump. We filled two 3-gallon buckets and paid about $20 for them. The price was reasonable at only $2.09 per pound, plus we ate a satisfying amount while picking.
 

 
 


I made blueberry jam a few years ago and it was so, so, good. I won't be doing that this year, though. The berries are great eating fresh and I froze a gallon for smoothies.

So far our family has picked apples in Charlottesville in the fall, picked juicy strawberries in the spring, and picked blueberries in the summer. I hope we can make it back out to Charlottesville to pick fresh peaches before the summer season is over. Then in the fall, pick grapes and apples again!

How about you? Did you make it out to u-pick farms this summer?

How to Cook Daylilies: Poor Man's Asparagus

(We liked the taste so much, we're making it again this week! Check out the rest of our menu plan.)

My neighbor planted dozens of daylilies. They bloom beautifully all summer long. When we read the book, My Side of the Mountain, the main character is a boy who runs away from home to live in the woods for a year. Daylilies were one of the plants he ate.

I thought it would be fun to try and looked up some recipes. Plenty say the petals make a fine addition to salads. The day-old flowers can also be used for stirfrys. And the buds can be sautéed and taste like asparagus.

Hunt. Gather. Cook author Hank Shaw prepared daylily buds, flowers and tubers. I really enjoyed the breakdown he gives for the preparation and taste of each part of the plant.

I do love plants but hate bugs, so cooking the buds was the most appealing. Poor man's asparagus is another name some use for daylily buds. The bud is tightly closed, so bugs shouldn't get inside.

I picked one bud and cooked it in a little oil. I tasted it and surprise! It tastes like asparagus!!!

The children and I collected about a cup of buds. It's near the end of the season but there were still plenty of buds left. I washed them well. Then I minced about a tablespoon of ginger and mint. I figured ginger should alleviate any side effects from eating these flowers. Ginger is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal and anti-nausea.

I sautéed the ginger and mint a few minutes then added the daylily buds and seasoned with salt and Old Bay. Voila! Poor Man's Asparagus! Even my husband said they were good. I think I'll plant some daylilies too and enjoy this seasonal treat!


Word of Caution: I only know that the regular ORANGE daylilies are safe to eat. So I would NOT try hybrids like these below, especially not the YELLOW daylilies.

This one is mostly yellow with some orange.

This post is linked to Made By You Mondays, Meatless Mondays,

How Cows Graze- Our Family's Chick-Fil-A Trip

I stayed up last night watching High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly while stitching up a couple dozen black and white cow spots on shirts and pants. I didn't want them to come off so easily because I was hoping to visit a couple of Chick-Fil-A restaurants today for Cow Appreciation Day. We ended up stopping by two and we had a blast!

 

The first stop was our neighborhood restaurant. They had very few restrictions on the free meals. I got a chicken wrap and fruit cup. The children got 4-pc chicken strips. Tony ordered a chicken deluxe sandwich. There was only a group of highschoolers in front of us and they had their order right away. This restaurant was very prepared!

 

 

Later, we went to a second location that was in a strip mall. I thought it would have less people than our stand-alone neighborhood joint. Instead there was a long line. And a few people were not dressed up at all. Some customers were sharing their black cow dots and ears with them after they placed their orders. It was a picture of community. See, nothing brings people together like food, especially the free kind.

To make it easier, I ordered chicken strips for everyone, 2 fruit cups and different drinks. The workers here looked totally exhausted. But no one complained, everyone was all smiles.

I thought we might hit up another place after the children's church event. But they forgot their change of clothes! We couldn't let them look like cows for their VBS performance. So the spots came off. But since I sewed them on, we had to pull out all the thread too. I stayed calm but grumpy. Next year, we are using contact paper spots! And hopefully it will not be on the same night at VBS again.

And for tomorrow? Krispy Kreme glazed donuts: Buy a dozen glazed, get another for $0.67... hmmm... we'll be there as soon as the HOT sign turns on!

Have a Cow! Get a FREE Meal!!!

Stay tuned later to see a pix of our fam dressed up!

Ok, so I surveyed some ladies at Church about Cow Appreciation Day tomorrow. No one was planning on going. I was like, What! My 3 Reasons to go:

1. FREE food, even breakfast is included! Chicken fingers for me and waffle fries.
2. Cows are awesome! Just think of how exciting it is to  pass by them on road trips.
3. Chance to be corny with your kiddos and hubs! Great way to start the weekend.

Last year, we didn't make it to Chick Fil A until 9:30 pm and there was still a crowd and plenty of food left. And everyone was giddy happy before they even got their food! We scrounged last minute supplies and used black socks for ears and lots of tape. It was a memorable experience with lots of laughs.

So, yes, please go! Even a couple of black spots on a white t-shirt garners a FREE sandwich. Can't beat that!

Thanks Hip2Save for the reminder! Check out the cow costume gallery for inspiration and download a costume starter kit to get started. Thanks Totally Target!

DIY Guitar Wall Mount From Wood Scraps!

I shared with you how I made my husband this shirt from VistaPrint that says: Thomas Town Woodworking as a nod of encouragement to his dream of becoming a craftsman fulltime one day.

Make a custom shirt for $6 through July 14
 

 

Well, he is also a songwriter with a few guitars. Instead of buying a guitar wall mount from Amazon for less than $10, I challenged him to make his own. Boy, did he rise to the challenge. He found some wood scraps and a piece of plywood to make this doodad.

 

Next thing I know the guitar was off the floor and hanging pretty on the wall.

 
 

Next project, table made of reclaimed walnut. That's going to be a beauty!

 



Thanks for letting me share Tony's cool DIY Project. Check out other great creative minds from linky partys Skip to My Lou, Shabby Nest and Somewhat Simple.

Patriotic Stripes T-Shirt

 

Happy 4th of July! Here is a quick craft project I made this morning. It was easy enough to dig up a girl's outfit for the festivities tonight. But alas, nothing for a lil' boy. So, we set out to solve the problem by making a patriotic shirt. It took me about an hour to make. But would take anyone who has been sewing more than once in two years about 30 minutes or less.  

 

 



First, I found a white, red, and blue t-shirt. The white one has to be completely plain, but the others can have print.

 

Then I cut a strip of each t-shirt from the middle section. I didn't want a strip with the bottom hem of the shirts.

 

These strips were then pinned to each other. I normally don't bother pinning. However, this time I wanted to make sure the pieces lined up so I think I overpinned the strips. Off to the sewing machine after this step. Zip, zip, zip on the machine and it's almost done! I tucked the excess length of the red strip so the lengths would all match up.

 

Lastly, I attached the bottom of the white shirt with the hem to the red stripe because the shirt was a bit short. It worked out well and fits great!

 

This post is linked with 400+ other crafty goodness at Made By You Mondays.

Inspire Your Man With A Custom Shirt!

Vista Print is currently offering $6 white t-shirts with FREE Shipping. Lots of designs to choose from! Thanks MSM for the heads up!

I made this shirt for my husband as a Father's Day gift. Last week, I shared a picture of the chair he built for me.

He dreams of making woodworking a career. Often, he talks about creating Thomas Town products, a play on the Thomasville brand. This shirt, I hope, fuels on that dream. Plus he always looks cute in white! 

I also got a grey shirt from Target.com for $9 with FREE Shipping and a $5 Target gift card included! Did you know you can pay with those $5 Target gift cards we get from Target store deals (like the cereal from last week)? I did just that and brought my total down to $4 plus tax. Thanks Hip2Save!

Booking It! January List

This year, I'm hoping to find more books to listen to but also a few to read and enjoy. While I enjoy homeschooling, it is really boring just sitting with the kids waiting for them to ask me questions. They are getting independent doing their schoolwork and don't need me as much. But I still I have to keep an eye on them to make sure it's getting done. Having a book to read or knitting keeps me from falling asleep waiting.
This is what I'm planning to read through April:
The Dyslexic Advantage by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide
Are You Smart Enough To Work At Google by William Poundstone
The Good Food Revolution by Will Allen
Heroes For My Daughter by Brad Meltzer
A Family Christmas by Caroline Kennedy (She also wrote great poetry books for children)
More Hours In My Day by Emilie Barnes (I read this a long time ago and wanted to go through it again)
Finding A Groove: Composing a Jazz-Like Faith by Robert Galinas

Also 3 devotional-like books:
Power of A Praying Wife and Parent by Stormie Omartian (I read the prayers and Scripture for one chapter a day for my husband and children)
Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler
 
I've found that audio books are my thing. If I can find an equivalent audio book instead of having to sit and read a book, then I know I can finish the book.

Last year, I listened to quite a few books including:
Feather's From My Nest by Beth Moore
The Good and Beautiful God by James B. Smith
The Walk, Miles to Go, Road To Grace- a trilogy by Richard Paul Evans (awesome stories!)
A Frank Peretti book I forgot the title

Anyway, I really got inspired by the booklist posted by Crystal from Money Saving Mom and all the comments from readers of what they plan to read. I'm looking forward to her monthly book reviews and will pick some of my new books from there for the following months.

Simple Clothesline = Lots of Savings!



photo source


When I was growing up in Manila, houses didn’t have dryers. Some, like us, had a small washing machine. But most washed the clothes or hired a neighbor to wash and dry laundry. Our apartment was four stories high, with no elevator and the clothesline was on the roof. Mommas carried their daily washing up the flight of stairs to hang them up to dry. I guess people were very trusting and friendly to leave their clothes up there. At least 30 lines were filled with clothes billowing in the hot tropical breeze.


One thing I appreciate living in a house after a lifetime of apartment living is having a clothesline. Because Florida is mildew central, I couldn’t really hang up clothes over the bathtub. Since we moved, our new neighborhood is older, most everyone has a clothesline, even if only a few use them regularly.


We installed a clothesline off the deck. We bought clothesline wire instead of the kit with pulley (way cheaper!) and cut two 2x4s in half. Then my husband only had to attach the wood to the deck.

I like that ours is on the deck, right off the kitchen. It’s so convenient. After drying dishes or taking a shower, towels can air dry outside. After a trip from the beach or pool, wet bathing suits takes an hour to dry on the line. Stains disappear quicker than using stain removers. I’ve even hung bathmats outside to dry. And of course bed sheets smell so fresh and so clean afterwards. It’s just like I imagined in those commercials.

The biggest plus of course is a much smaller electric bill!

Do you have a clothesline? How do you save money with laundry?

Happy Easter!

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter tomorrow!


We're having a small Easter egg hunt on Sunday. I managed to save lot of eggs from last year. One or two had remnants of LaffyTaffy but the rest were in great shape and ready to be filled.

The only sweets we had around the house were chocolates. To make up for the lack of sugar in the eggs, I followed this great tip from one of the blogs I read: add coins, stickers, tattoos, Legos, beads and buttons.

We also dyed eggs for the first time this year. CVS had FREE Paas Kits this week and I aslo had extras from previous years. After boiling a few of them and letting them cool slightly, we drew on the warm eggs with crayons. Then, when they were dyed, the crayon markings stayed- like color resist. Art class during co-op is paying off!

This morning the Easter Bunny came and hid the hardboiled eggs out in the front lawn. Instead of running after the eggs, our kids walked together and helped each other spot the eggs. Sometimes, I am amazed at how close they are! Since there are no trinkets in these eggs,each one found got them a minute of Nintendo DS playing time. After they were done collecting the eggs, they peeled the them for me. Each boiled egg they peeled earned more minutes. Egg salad and deviled eggs are calling my name!

Of course, the best time to buy empty eggs is after Easter. Don't forget that Target will have them on clearance at 50% off Monday. Candy will start at 30% off. But the best place to get them cheap without worry of them running out is at drugstores like CVS. People tend to forget they have clearance too. Well after Walmart and Target's shelves are cleared, CVS will still have a few. They might even put them on 90% off clearance. So, keep your eyes open!

See more Frugal Friday tips on LifeAsMom.

Rapunzel Birthday Cake

Spring is here and with weather to match. Usually it is tremendously hot in Pensacola by now. So we are thankful for the mostly cool few days, despite high pollen counts. Since we moved in the winter, I had no idea what kind of trees and bushes we have around the house. Now that flowers bloom overnight it seems, I've been pleasantly surprised to find out we have azaleas and wisteria. Our sweet girl had her birthday this week. Since it was on Monday, we had a couple families join us at Perdido Kids' Park. We had the park almost to ourselves. It gave us moms a chance to visit without worrying too much about where the children are running off too. The park is fenced throughout and only has one entrance/exit. We love this park! A themed-birthday is nice, too. But who knew that kids still love to just play in the playground and just eat cake and ice cream. Simple and almost free birthday parties are still in!

Parties over the weekend get overcrowded at the park, however. It doesn't matter what time you have yours. There will be 8 other parties going on at the same time. As you can tell, this was taken during the Easter Egg Hunt- it should be the Saturday before Easter again this year. Plan to come if you can. Last year, the Optimist Club hosted it and some of the eggs had $1 bills inside! This birthday cake was inspired by LifeAsMom's Tangled Cake . Last year, I feared our little girl was getting over the Princess craze- she kept asking to wear blue jeans! But alas, she is a girly-girl through and through. More pink the better for her 8th birthday and this pink-frosted strawberry cake fit the ticket. I am afraid of making birthday cakes... because I need frosting lessons! That's why my cakes don't leave the baking pan and have marshmallows for a border. If you are wondering, there is no birthday salutation because I forgot to get gel icing. Sprinkles made the best last-minute substitution.

Do you buy birthday cakes or make your own? I do like that homemade cakes are much more inexpensive and my children adore them, even if they are simple with uneven frosting. I'm mentally preparing for October's cake- my son wants a dinosaur cake for his 7th birthday! I have no clue how to make that. Looking for cake ideas- there's tons here. Frugal ideas to swap? Check out Frugal Fridays. Want to share stories? Tell yours at Company Girl's Coffee at Home Sanctuary. Ok, I had to link-up with Amy's Finer Fridays too, because babies and birthdays turn me all sappy.

Carrot-picking Field Trip

What a great way to spend a cool Saturday morning... picking garden veggies in Elberta! Now I know why Peter Rabbit snuck into Farmer Mc Gregor's garden. The soft ground yielding a plentiful harvest by simply plucking here and there is a pleasure.

Just look at the bounty we took home: carrots (15 lbs), cabbages (larger than my head), giant turnips, collard and turnip greens, broccoli, red potatoes and green onions. We have more than enough for us and a few other friends. Some of the green onions and potatoes we'll stick in a pot and see if they might grow.

A few colossal collards were more than 12 inches long. Everything was so crisp and clean. The potatoes were surprise leftovers from their fall garden. It was exciting to see no sign of a potato plant except a dried out stub of stem then dig out a couple of red beauties hiding in the dirt. It was like finding buried treasure.

I love greens but don't really know what to do with turnips. Any suggestions? On an interesting note, I found online that you could eat broccoli leaves if cooked like other greens. Has anyone tried that? I'll let you know how it turns out on my end!

I've come back from the dead

Not literally, but here I am. We moved over the holidays. That was a real drama. Needless to say, I shopped without coupons and only once or twice in a couple weeks. I didn't even have a clue what was on sale! On our first day at the new house, I stopped at Publix for fried chicken and other convenience food: Paid $35 saved $5. It's usually the opposite!

We've been here a couple weeks and are starting to get settled in. I have a speaking engagement tomorrow and a Marine Bio test to write up for Friday. Life just doesn't sit still!

If you are interested and in the area, I'm speaking at Charity Chapel for the homeschool league (my lovely peers) at 6:30pm. If you are thinking of homeschooling or already are, that would be a plus too! Email me at frugalforyou@gmail.com for more info.

FREE Bible Study at East Brent

Well, this is a great bargain if you ask me! Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) is an international, nondenominational Bible Study. Classes are 9am-11am Weds at East Brent Baptist (near the Home Depot by at the Cordova Mall area). This Weds, Dec 1 is the intro class. There's an intro class every First Weds of the month. This class is also for women only.

A young children's program is available for children 6 and younger. I was blessed to help out in the infant nursery this past Weds. Not only did they sing hymns while rocking the babies, but they also taught them sign language words and a memory verse! I was so impressed about how much care they gave these little crawlers and walkers.

If you live in another city, there might be Men's and Children's classes (1st grade and up) in your area. It's great if they do because you get to study the same passages in Scripture together as a family! Plus it is all FREE. They provide all the study materials so you don't need to buy a book!

I am really enjoying this study of Isaiah we are doing. It's causing me to dive into the Word and learn so much about things that apply to our modern times. I hope you can check it out too!

BSF at East Brent Baptist Church
9am-11am Wednesdays
Childcare provided
Intro class every First Weds (no childcare until you are registered)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving!

This was in Family Fun's October 2010 issue- "pumpkin pie" giant cookie. It was a hit with the little kids. And I was so proud of myself for finally making something from this magazine. We've had the subscription for 6 months now! These little turkeys from Makes&Takes were also a great idea. The only problem was the little kids knew they were chocolate and only wanted to eat these instead of dinner... would have been better as a parting gift!

We Don't Have Any Food?

Earlier this week, I was bemoaning how much grocery shopping I need to do. Hubby asks, "Don't we have food?" Food. Of course we have food! Our fridge, freezer and pantry are all full of food. So, why do I need to shop?

I can't pass up these great sales.
I'm a creature of habit.
Am I addicted to shopping?

Of course not. I thought I could live without milk, but it's been almost two weeks . There are too many cookies calling my name that would be disappointed to find a cup full of water. What fun is that?

In light of my new quest to start this month on a high note, I will do freezer cooking and menu planning for the first 2 weeks of October this weekend. (See, I am giving myself a headstart on October, that way it won't creep up on me like summer!)

Time to get serious. Coupon or no coupon, shopping will happen.

So far these are the best deals I have spotted, early this morning: I haven't seen the Barnes ad yet, since it's not online.
Food World (More deals from Coupon Chix)
Split chicken breast, family pack, $1.34/lb (good enough price)
Ground chuck, any size, $1.94/lb
Whole chicken fryer, $0.74/lb (my stock-up price)
Pork sirloin semi boneless country-style strips, $1.54/lb
Jennie O Turkey Franks $1 (there's a $0.55 peelie at Publix)
Kraft singles, 12 oz, $1.25 limit 2
(Use the $5/5 Kraft with other cheese- only $0.25 each!)
Best Yet Frozen Veggies, 32 oz, $2
Vine ripe tomatoes, $1.49/lb (good enough price)
Carrots, 5 lb bag, $2.49 (that's $0.50/lb)

Publix (More deals from IHP)
I didn't have a lot of coupons so that's why the list is short.
Cucumbers, $0.50 each
3-lb bag of apples, $1.99
Bartlett pears $0.99/lb
BOGO Pledge Grab It Cloths- Free with coupons

Winn-Dixie (More deals from Southern Savers)
Print a custom shopping list with the coupon sources listed too!
BOGO Oral B Advantage toothbrush
(Free with overage use BOGO Q from this Sunday's P&G insert and a $1 off 1 Q)
Campbell's Condensed Soup, $1
(use $0.50 off 2 PRINT- don't know if available)

Greer's (See Store Ad)
Onions, 3lb bag, $1.50 (Yay! It's cheap again!)
Gallon Milk, $2.99 Sat and Sunday only
Boneless bottom round or rump beef roast, $2.38/lb

Save-A-Lot (See Store Ad)
Wal-Mart will not price-match these. If you happen to pass through Fairfield, pop in to grab a couple of the deals.
5lb bag of apples, $1.99
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, frozen, $1.69/lb
Ekrich sausage, 16 oz, $1.79
Dozen Eggs, $0.99
Crisco Canola Oil 48 oz, $2

I will likely price-match these at Wal-Mart. Today I heard some Wal-Marts have peaches and plums for $0.25/lb... canning and freezing time!

Some Things Better Left Unsaid

Diatoms, image from here.
Red Algae, image from here.

Kelp, image from here.

Science, my favorite subject. It was my love for chemistry that duped me into thinking a career in chemical engineering was perfect for me. Little did I realize how much math is involved in it. Though I am good at it, one level of calculus is enough for me. But I did love sitting in lectures talking about how milk jugs are made of stringy polymers and sand crushed in high pressures turns to glass.

So when a chance came to teach a science class to our homeschool co-op, my heart leapt out of my mouth before my brain could catch-up with it. Now I am happily scared out of my wits teaching a bunch of highschoolers marine biology. Which was about the only science class I did NOT take. (Now you get why I've been preoccupied and not blogging!)

Oh, don't get me wrong. It is fascinating. The only problem is the dolphin chapter doesn't come for a few more months. For now we are left studying weird stuff like diatoms. Pretty little glassy jewels of the sea. Neither plant nor animal but produces most of the oxygen we breathe. Nice safe diatoms.

Did you know we come across these everyday? It's ground up in our toothpaste! Yew! Better left in the ocean. Seriously, I love science but creepy crawly things really bother me, like yeast. Yew!We also learned that pudding and light Italian salad dressing has carageenan from red and brown algae. Oil and water don't mix but when you don't see Italian dressing separate, it's because it has that stuff in it. It's not bad for you. It's just weird. And of course sushi lovers partake of kelp. That non-plant organism that grows into 100ft underwater forests. All natural yet not a plant!


Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Sorry I ruined some of that for you. But knowledge is power, right?

October restart?

Hmmm. Seems like I was somewhat derailed for a while there. Homeschooling year has taken off quicker than I can get my shoes on. I feel like I've caught up somewhat so hopefully I can get back on here for regular blogging. I sure have missed everyone!

Garden Update: Use Coffee Grounds for Compost

It turns out that coffee grounds are among the worst things that you can put in a landfill. It heats up the trash which makes more methane gas... basically cooks the trash. But you can't recycle coffee grounds. So what's a green coffee lover to do? Mix it into garden soil!

It turns out that coffee grounds are among the BEST things you can put into the soil. It heats up the soil producing good nutrients in the soil. And you can even get extra coffee grounds for FREE at any Starbucks. They have a basket where they put a bag that looks like this. It does have coffee filters in there, too.

Here is how our garden looks like. When we transferred the plants from the pots they were only half the size. I even cut off about a foot off the top. Now it looks like a wild jungle. It's fun watching it grow every time it rains!

I chose to plant cherry tomatoes because I don't have enough patience to wait for them to get bigger.
These begonias were starters I got for Mother's Day. They are still hanging in there. I'm not sure how to take care of them (or most of the plants we have).

These are periwinkles, I think. Next time, I'm just getting these for borders. They are hardy flowers!

We have 6 basil plants all started from seeds from a friend's plant.
The thing I like least about gardening is BUGS. I try to support life and rarely kill them. As long as they don't bite me, nobody gets hurt.

Is it a moth or a butterfly?