What I've Been Reading Instead of Cleaning My House

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Mountain House Freeze-Dried Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

This was surprisingly good. The ground beef tasted exactly like regular ground beef and the sauce was delicious. There was even cheese in it that tasted like normal melted cheddar. I was expecting it to taste like dog food like those canned spaghetti meals do, but it was really yummy. The whole family liked it (except for Jeffrey, who wouldn't even try it because he hates spaghetti in all forms) and even asked for seconds. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough noodles (I prefer much more noodles to sauce).

Our Final Analysis:

Definitely going to go out and get a #10 can of this!

Mountain House Freeze-Dried Organic Bananas

These are definitely better than the old dried banana chips (ew). Nigel really liked them, but the rest of the family wasn't too thrilled. I think they're good for a snack, but I don't know what I'd do with a whole big can of them (I don't like banana cream pie or banana pudding or bananas in Jello or anything like that).

Our Final Analysis:

Buy a small bag for snacking. Otherwise, pass.

Freeze-Drying, it's not just for pets anymore*

Nigel and I have been adding some long-term items to our food storage. Of course, you can usually only buy these in large quantities and they are VERY expensive. So how you do avoid buying things that you don't like? (Like dried carrots -- I'm sorry, I hate dried carrots -- even reconstituted, they're still nasty)

Here are a few tips we've discovered:

1. Freeze-dried products are more expensive than regularly dried products, but they are SO much more delicious. I try to buy these whenever I can afford to.

2. Health food stores carry little snack-size pouches of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to discover which ones you like (strawberries and corn) and which ones you don't (peaches and again, carrots) without buying a huge #10 can of it.

3. Camping stores carry single serving pouches of freeze-dried meals. These same meals (by the same company) are also available in big cans at food storage stores. This way you can check them out before buying.

4. Ask around. Usually someone has tried the product before and can give you advice (a woman at the local emergency store says that sour cream powder is great to add to recipes -- I'll have to get some).

5. When buying freeze-dried products, try to get them in the largest sizes possible (such as WHOLE strawberries instead of DICED strawberries or SLICED strawberries). They're so dry that they rub against each other in the can and sometimes you end up with more powder than product.

We will be taste-testing some products and posting our results.

*Quite a few years ago I was riding the bus and a man gets on with a freeze-dried golden lab. He sits down with his big stiff dog and then begins to tell anyone who will listen what a great pet it makes because you don't have to feed it or clean up after it.

Driving Me Crazy

Three food drives all at the same time! Boy Scouts, work and school. It's just getting to be too much. I decided that I had to just pick one to donate to (all the food goes to the same place anyway). But with limited funds and trying to beef up my own home storage, I've had to come up with some creative ways to buy extra food.

Here is my latest supermarket score:

4 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal -- $3.19 each
2 boxes Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes -- $1.99 each
2 boxes Betty Crocker Muffin mix -- $2.99 each
2 boxes Betty Crocker Cookie mix -- $2.49 each

Total = $27.70

After using the store's "value card"

Total = $19.98

After special store offer of getting $5.00 off for buying 10 General Mills/Betty Crocker products

Total = $14.98

After using manufacturer's coupons for all products (free on the General Mills and Betty Crocker Web sites)

Total = $9.58

That's right, from $27.70 to $9.58, baby! Score!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Putting the T & A in PTA

So this was the conversation at our last PTA meeting:

"Do we want to do the "Read with the (insert name of local professional basketball team here)" program this year?

"What's that?"

"We did it a few years ago and it was really popular. All the schools compete and whichever school's kids read the most minutes in a month, they get a professional basketball player to come to the school to read them a book and pass out autographed photos. We actually won last time."

"How did it go?"

"Well, it would've been better if the basketball player wasn't illiterate and actually COULD read the book to the students. Then we discovered that in the autographed photo that we passed out to all the kids you could see a tattoo of a naked lady on his arm, so we had to gather all the photos back from the kids. And then the very next day he was arrested for statutory rape, so we had to explain what that meant to all the kids."

What the?!? Who knew being in the PTA could be so salacious?

Needless to say, we decided to NOT do the program again this year.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

No more History Channel for you, young lady!

The other day Nigel was coming home from work and he saw Frances and a few of her friends out in our front yard pretending to dig with shovels.

He asked, "Are you planting a garden?"

Frances replied, "No, we're having a war."

Looking puzzled, Nigel queried, "A war? Is that how you're fighting?"

Frances matter of factly answered, "No. We finished the war. Now we're taking care of all the bodies."

Monday, October 20, 2008

"Mom, I got a note here from the Harper Valley P.T.A."

Sorry that I haven't been blogging much lately, but somehow I got roped into joining the PTA/PTO and my life now revolves around this:
and this:
and this:
and even this:

Two words for you: Night and Mare!!!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Easily Amused

In my humdrum existence, I have to make up games to keep me from going insane.
A favorite is "Beer Bandit." Nigel and I used to play this quite often when we were first married. The rules are simple: whenever you see someone from church (especially someone really pious and devout) in the grocery store, one of you distracts them while the other one fills their shopping cart up with six-packs of beer. Then sit back and watch the hilarity when they are asked for ID at check-out.
Another good one is "Paper or Plastic." Whenever I go to my grocery store, they always ask me "paper or plastic" and I ALWAYS say paper. Without fail, they give me plastic. The amusing part is that the bagger will even have a full on conversation with me about how it's strange that I prefer paper, and the whole time he's putting my food in PLASTIC bags. Now my children wait in eager anticipation to see what kind of bags I bring home and the story that comes with it.
By far, the best game is "Crisco." For some reason, our family doctor is OBSESSED with Crisco. He thinks it can cure anything. Every time we see him he makes a big show of washing his hands before shaking ours and then putting Crisco on them (he has a big lump of it in a bowl by the sink). "Your son has dry skin? Use Crisco." "Chicken pox? Have you tried Crisco?" "Broken arm? Crisco will heal that right up." Now we TRY to get him to say "Crisco" whenever we see him. Sometimes we get desperate, "Doctor, I have a pain on my right side and my pie crusts are not light and fluffy. What should I do?"

I know these are small things, but they keep me smiling and help me get through the day.

Monday, October 6, 2008

What would Jared say?

After a fabulous juggling show at our local library (or "loco library" as Frances used to call it), we stopped by a sandwich shop (we'll call it "Schlubway") for a late dinner.

It was obvious that the girl working the counter was new because she took forever making our sandwiches and kept going to the back to ask "Shane" questions.

Since I don't go there very often, I asked her what came with the kid meals I just ordered (you know, besides the sandwich). She didn't know. Shane came out and said raisins and juice boxes. I was a little perplexed because the menu had pictures of chips or apples and milk. I asked about those options and he looked perturbed at me and said, 'Yeah, if there's any left' and disappeared again to the back.

OK.

I had the kids pick out some chips and they didn't want milk, but there was only one juice box in the fridge. I asked if there were any other drinks. The girl said that they could pick anything out of the fridge. They quickly picked out a soda and two apple juices in bottles. I again asked if these came with the kid meals. She assured me that they did.

She then rang up our order. All right, three kids meals at $4.19 each, one foot long at $5.00, my total was $27.95.

What the %&*$?!? I told her that couldn't possibly be right. She said that she rang it up just like Shane showed her. I said that there was no way that was correct.

She went again to the back to get Shane. She was explaining to him that I didn't like the total and that she had rung up the kids meals and then added the cost of the chips and drinks on top of them. I said, "What? Those are supposed to come with the kids meals. I specifically asked if they came with the kids meals."

Then Shane says to me quite curtly, "Don't get angry. You don't have to get mad."

I wasn't mad until he said that. I snapped at him, "What do you mean? I've just been overcharged by 10 bucks!"

He replies, "You haven't been overcharged anything. I haven't charged your credit card yet."

Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake. I guess it's OK to ring it up wrong. It's only bad if I complain about it and not let them overcharge me. My bad.

She rings it up again, correctly this time, and we're ready to leave when I realize she forgot the toys. Of course, my kids only eat food if there's a toy that comes along with it. Now I have to go back and ask for the toys. She throws some toys in the bags and apologizes for being new.

I get in the car and realize that instead of giving us the "iCarly" toys that they had advertised (which was the whole reason why my kids wanted to go there in the first place), she had given us toddler toys.

I give up. I didn't go back (and I probably won't be back).

I was going to complain on the Schlubway Web site, but I figured that Shane would just yell at the poor new girl working all alone in the store. So, I'll just complain on my blog.

There, I feel much better.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Thursday Thopping

Are things really cheaper at those dollar stores? I decided to do an experiment.

I bought 8 name brand items at my local dollar store (finding any name brand items at a dollar store is quite a feat in itself) that I wouldn't mind having multiples of in my food/home storage. I then bought the exact same items at three of my closest grocery stores.

Here are my results:

Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies, 13.1 oz
Dollar Store: $1.00
Smith's: $1.00
Macey's: $1.39
Albertson's: $1.39

Armour Vienna Sausages, 5 oz*
Dollar Store: $0.50
Smith's: $0.41
Macey's: $0.56
Albertson's: $0.99

Del Monte Healthy Kids Enriched Peach Chunks, 15 oz
Dollar Store: $0.50
Smith's: $1.40
Macey's: $1.89
Albertson's: $1.50

Chef Boyardee Mini Bites Pasta, 15 oz
Dollar Store: $1.00
Smith's: $1.00
Macey's: $1.49
Albertson's: $1.00

Nissin Top Ramen Chicken Flavor, 3 oz
Dollar Store: $0.20
Smith's: $0.20
Macey's: $0.20
Albertson's: $0.25

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, 1.5 oz
Dollar Store: $0.50
Smith's: $0.50
Macey's: $0.59
Albertson's: $0.50

Soft & Dri Clear Glide Deodorant, 2.6 oz
Dollar Store: $1.00
Smith's: $2.50
Macey's: $2.79
Albertson's: n/a**

SunSations Dish Detergent, 25 fl oz
Dollar Store: $1.00
Smith's: $0.99
Macey's: $0.99
Albertson's: $1.99

So I guess some things are cheaper, but not that much. You may come across some good deals (like the deodorant and the peaches), but I don't know if that's worth going into a dollar store for. Now, who's going to help me eat all these Little Debbie brownies?

*I made the mistake of taking Alice-Grace with me and she loves those disgusting Vienna sausages.

**Can you believe Albertson's doesn't carry any Soft & Dri deodorants? What's up with that?