Five Frugal Things -- I Finally Made The Viral Feta Tomato Bake!
1) I shored up some stitching on my kid's bluejeans, thus ensuring they'll continue to last as long as possible. My stitches were noticeably thinner than the original ones, so I doubled up each one. This area lies under the fly flap, so it's not visible either way.
I also mended the crotch area, but I'm pretty no one wants me showing photos of that on the internet!
2) Yesterday and today have been hot here in Portland, which is always an issue as few Oregonians have central air conditioning. We're able to stay comfortable thanks to our Buy Nothing group ceiling fan, which has been a literal game changer! Both for the cool breezes, but also the relaxing white noise.
Ahh . . .
We did run a window unit AC in our West-facing bedroom for bedtime, but otherwise kept cool without it.
Although we always have seltzers in the fridge, I kept hydrated with homemade sun tea, concocted from random hotel room tea bags.
3) I started and finished my library copy of Abby Jimenez's The Night We Met, which was an amazing read. The kind where you deliberately slow yourself down to make it last longer.
4) I heated the kitchen up to bake this Feta/tomato pasta Instagram recipe, as my husband came home ravenous from playing baseball in the heat. You may recall when this dish went viral a few years ago and although it was on my radar, I didn't make it at that time.
I saw that Winco had their cherry-ish tomatoes priced at 88¢, so I grabbed some bags, as well as an inexpensive 8-ounce block of feta. (You can see the ingredients in the above photo.) Other variations of this recipe call for shallots, but I simply added a couple hunks of red onion and I replaced the garlic with garlic powder. (Me = lazy) I lastly topped the dish with fresh basil and parmesan we had on hand.
PEOPLE -- this recipe lived up to the hype! The hands on time was maybe five minutes and good enough to serve to guests. Definitely adding this simple dish to the rotation.
5) My friend Lise texted to ask if I was interested in accompanying her to Trader Joe's last night, which was a solid "yes" as we were down to a dribble of milk.
I kept to my list, (milk, bananas, hummus) although I did grab a jar of sun dried tomatoes to try out the similarly viral marry me chicken/chick peas recipe that dominated my algorithm last year. I'm always happy to find new and interesting bean recipes.
I have a container of scratch cooked chick peas in the freezer in danger of being lost to the depths, so this is the perfect opportunity to try out another new recipe.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
1. I saved money on gas by attending a meeting on zoom rather than in person. While I listened I made plum jam with very tasteless Costco plums and very lovely plums from neighbor.
2. I continue to diligently put rinse water from kitchen sink onto my garden. I have a free 1 gallon bucket in my kitchen sink that catches the warm up and rinse water. I have a small single kitchen sink and still prioritize having the 1 gallon bucket in it from May to October.
3. My gluten eaters are gone and I froze all leftover gluten containing cookies for when they come back. I also made a mug microwave cake with the last of the milk (previously frozen) since my gluten eaters are also my milk eaters. The cake went in the freezer too. I really aim for zero food waste.
4. I'm short of mulch in my garden so I chopped up plants that I had pulled and left them on top of the patches of bare soil. Bare soul is always the worst choice as it requires more water and erodes with wind and rain. I have rice straw (seed free) around food plants and chipped wood (free from tree trimming trucks I see passing by) around landscape plants. I grow landscape plants and food side by side so I can maximize water. The chopped plants won't last as long as rice straw or wood chips, but they'll do for now. I usually come across a free source of mulch from time to time, and then fill in any bare spots.
5. Divided some Santa Barbara daisies to fill in some areas. Someone looked at my garden and said they had the same color scheme as mine. I told them that the only scheme I have is that the plants are free!
I had extra pieces of chicken breasts that I had trimmed to fit into my baking dishes. The recipe suggested 4 chicken breast halves per 9x13 casserole and to be sure not to crowd them. I was doubling the recipe, so 2 - 9x13 pans and eight pieces of chicken breast. They were very large breast pieces so I trimmed them so they would not touch each other. That left me with about a cup and a half of meat to use for another meal.
I also had a lot of extra carrot and celery sticks, plus several pieces of raw broccoli to use up. I knew it was time for a stir fry. I made it last night and there is enough left for 4 more meals. It went together quickly since a lot of the chopping was already done and since it was extras leftover from a luncheon, it felt almost like free food.
Thanks, Katy, for the Feta Tomato Pasta Recipe. I happen to already have everything on hand so I will be making it soon
I’m in town because I have an early doctor’s appointment. It’s so hot. I headed to the bins and then IKEA. I think I saw your husband at IKEA? Maybe you were nearby eating a veggie dog. IKEA is a good place to stay cool!
1. The bins weren’t great today. It happens. The important thing is that I didn’t buy stupid things I don’t need!
2. I took 3 bags of cans to the bottle drop.
3. I found $1 in the parking lot at the bottle drop.
4. At IKEA, I bought shelves to fit some IKEA brackets I found in a free pile.
5. I got a free Big Gulp at 7-11!
Bought tires online, then made appt at tire store to mount and balance, saving $18/tire.
Picked the remainder of the broccoli and cauliflower. The heat is really hard on the plants.
Picked the wintered over kale. The goats and calves are loving the garden treats.
Planted basil, sage and lemon thyme and more garlic chives.
I harvested/thinned scallions for broccoli and beef over special rice. Invited new neighbors to dinner and a sit down at the pond. It is about 10 degrees cooler there.
Made a pot of sun tea, got out my snoopy ice shaved ice maker. I picked up a 1950's oven roaster in a free pile. I don't think it has been cleaned in 75 years, so I will take it as my hand work while we visit with the neighbors.
I added 4 inches of hardwood sawdust to the blueberry patch.
The fawn is still laying there, I have to water at dawn break before his mom drops him off for the day. We had planted 5 blueberry plants in a semi circle as a way to camouflage the Nat gas generator. He is camping out in the circle. Aww.
1. Used a hairdryer inside the house to clear screens of cottonwood tree detritus. My brother-in-law uses a leaf blower to his wife's dismay, so I appreciate my husband's quieter approach.
2. Friend left me some lemon icing that I used up in a quick bread batter. Husband loved the hard sugary crust that it created.
3. Finished documenting May financials. Notable: Spent $0 on going out to eat or takeout, $0 on gas for my car, and $430 on groceries, which is slightly less than the rolling year monthly average of $450.
4. Saved the natural juice from a can of peaches, to which I added strawberry-peach fizzy water and ice cubes for a refreshing mocktail.
5. Neighbor's tree landed on the metal roof of our detached garage during last week's storm. We both have high deductibles so we didn't involve insurance. Our neighbors paid $3,500 for the tree removal. Since the roof damage was minimal and on the side facing the woods, we're not going to spend any money fixing the bent edges. We're surrounded by large trees so every storm causes concern, although another neighbor's tree came crashing down in the middle of a calm, sunny day last year. Yes, our financial affairs and end-of-life instructions are in order.
The link above for the tomato-feta pasta bake goes to a site for the author Abby Jimenez. Could you share the real recipe link with us? I'm kinda curious to finally try this recipe too with your personal recommendation! I remember when there were so many videos going around of that recipe, but I never have tried it yet . . .
Ditto DORI's request. I get the Abbey link too not the recipe. I'd really like to see the recipe. THANK YOU.
PS: was so glad someone else mentioned this problem as was wondering if it was me and my computer that somehow was going wrong.
1. I walked an hour this morning near the laundromat while I washed and dried my clothes.
2. I have kept the air off and the fan on with the windows raised. It helps that it is a cloudy day.
3. I ate beans and cheese for breakfast, squash casserole and coleslaw hot dog for lunch, and a tomato sandwich with watermelon for supper. Of course the coleslaw hot dog featured regular sandwich bread like a good child from the 60’s was served back in the day.I can hear my grandma saying she was NOT spending money on buns.. lol.
4. I filled up in University town where I went for work today and it was $3.24 a gallon.
5. I intend to read my library books tonight.
1. Hit the thrift store today. We had an epic fail of a camping trip this weekend and I needed to cheer myself up. Found a few new books for my toddler, a “harvest basket” to pick things from the garden, an opened pack of diapers, and a west elm book end.
2. Harvested some thyme to dry. Hoping to grow/dry a lot of herbs this summer.
3. I have a mountain of laundry to do after our camping trip this weekend , but waiting until tomorrow so I can capitalize on drying outside in 95 degree day.
4. Went to one of our rec center pools with a friend. They were included in our HOA, and such a nice perk as it’s only 2 miles away. Another lovely part is there is no concession stand, so bringing food is expected/standard.
5. Husband fixed a free treadmill from marketplace for me and carried it into the basement. Hoping to get some home workouts in while my toddler plays.
(1) Digging through the freezer.( I belong to a west coast CDN fish CSA. Skipper Otto , they link fishers with consumers across Canada.) We had a delicious wild caught sockeye salmon for dinner. Combined this with multiple left over containers in the freezer of peas, some corn, roasted veggies and barley casserole.
I’m loving the freed up space and containers.
(2) Friend and I were to walk this evening. She invited me for tea incase the on again/ off again rain showers appear.
I’m bringing some banana bread with a streusel that my son baked this afternoon.
He baked two loaves. All the pieces will be dispersed in the next day or so,
He’s an excellent baker and cook and so many friends and family are blessed weekly.
(3) Took some empty plastic one litre water bottles, filled them with water and flipped them upside down in the soil of a few potted plants. Slowly they are dripping into the plant pots.
(4)Mentioned to the fellow who helps me with my perennials, to take whatever he wanted when he thinned them and to pass them onto his other clients. What goes around comes around in my gardens.
(5) Placed a poster for a group I belong hosting a fundraising run/walk. One went to the city gym bulletin board in my area. Another I placed in an old page protector and taped to the city light standard on my property. Plenty of dog walkers pass my place.
Called Jackson Hewitt to complain about the supposed tax "pro" who messed up my income taxes to the tune of me having to pay over $1000 more, per IRS. Didn't get any help over the phone so I wrote my complaint on their complaint line, asking for a refund of my fee and asked if they kick in for the extra taxes I owe. I doubt I will get the latter, and maybe not the former, but it never hurts to ask. Guess where I'm NOT going to have my taxes done anymore? The complaint website says JH gets a whopping 1.5 star rating out of a possible 5. Oops.
Bought some more eggs at the store where I work for 89 cents a dozen. YES! We're cheaper than HEB. We're even cheaper than Aldi.
Before buying, I looked inside the egg cartons to discover that the large brown eggs, the jumbo white eggs and the extra large white eggs all appear to be the same size. What's with that?
Preparing for garbage collection Monday, I left my trash can on the driveway Sunday night (instead of in the street) so it wouldn't wash away. Luckily, it didn't. (Did you see news footage of the cars and big rig trucks on I-35 getting pushed down the highway in the flash flood and rain? That was our county!) My yard looks like a swamp, but otherwise no damage on our block.
1. Yesterday my husband and I drove over to Indiana to get lunch, we live in rural Ohio, but are very close to Indiana. We got gas there for $3.03!! It's crazy because in the past gas has always been higher there. I wonder if they rolled back some of the taxes on gas temporarily?? Anyway we saved on gas and used a gift card to Texas Roadhouse. Win win.
2. I started the week off frugal, by biking to and from work. I also got free dinner from my mom. My sister is moving so we had a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
3. Not frugal to me personally, but to the library where I work. The director is office supply crazy. She often tries to talk me into cute paper clips or a colorful planner, and I always decline. She stopped by my desk to show me a list of supplies my co-workers needed. She was annoyed because she had just got an order in, and didn't know how we could need supplies so soon. I had every single thing on the list in my desk, so I gave it all to her to distribute. This stuff had been in my desk since I took it over from the employee before me three years ago. Scotch tape, double sided tape, paperclips, etc. I also reuse all our copy paper. The fiscal officer recently came to me for rubber bands. Books on inner branch loan come rubber banded, and I keep and reuse them. I don't know how my co-workers can run out.
4. Had three sales on eBay over the weekend. I carried them on my bike, and mailed them from work. Unfortunately the mailman didn't take them, so I then walked them to the post office. I reused packing materials. My craziest one yet. I reused a pizza box to send some linen tea towels.
5. Nothing else, but the usual boring stuff. Eating from the garden, packing my lunch ....
Cleared more items from the house and we just put an amp and speakers at the curb with signs that they work fine... Picked up very quickly to a new home. Or to be flipped who knows. We don't live in an area where things are put out for free but everything we've put at the curb with a sign is picked up speedily.
Bought $50 of gift cards at Meijer to places we use regularly for the additional 5,000 mperks. (10,000 gets you $1 off/gallon of gas up to $30 off.) This boosted me enough to redeem that promotion.
One of our cats needs a surgery with cost anticipated around $1,500 with $550 already paid for appt, vax and bloodwork pre op. I said I need to get moving on eBay sales to bring in some cash and sold a whopping $32 this week. I need to do better!
We had our grandkids for a full week as their parents were on a trip and I had stocked with foods I knew they enjoyed and the toddler changed up what she deemed edible, so I fed her spaghetti several times without guilt. The Trader Joe's cereal bars she normally loves were apparently 'yukky' as were many other foods so I was in a battle of wills with a two year old and lost. Gave my husband free entertainment as prepping food that's asked for and then dissed drives me bonkers. "No, I full." is met with, "then sit there and chat because we're eating together as a family" so she'd chat away and finally nibble down the 'yukky' stuff. I spent more on food for the week, but have plenty left over.