I never liked fractions.......

and unfortunately I use them all the time when cooking or baking. 

Stop laughing....yes I use measuring cups. 

But this was not about cooking, baking OR measuring cups.  This was all about fractions. 

And no....believe it or not.....it wasn't even about helping with math homework. 

6/10  or .6  whichever way you wanna look at it.  Matter of fact you could even reduce 6/10 down to 3/5 if you wanted to. 

But the bottom line here??? 

.6 of a pound.  Yes, I said "of a pound". 

That was my big "payoff" at the end of a fattening-snack-deprived-stay-on-program-eat-broiled-fish-three-times week. 

.6 of a pound. 

Here's what that looks like.....

And I tried to make that look better.....but there's just something about that decimal point that screams "NOT EVEN A STINKING POUND" to me. 

And there's always the sweet friend who does her best to encourage me so I don't go storming out the door never to return to Weight Watchers. 

Fact is?  I've done this enough times to know that .6 of a pound is still a weight loss, and over the course of time, the "tenths" add up to whole pounds and in the broad scheme of things, if I lost .6 of a pound a week for a whole year, that would total 31.2 pounds for the year. 

And of course, I am glad I didn't gain .6 of a pound.....because that would add up too, over time. 

Soooooo.......I'm gonna' get an attitude adjustment.  :)

Started out by deciding that instead of listening to the boys squabble about "who" was going to "hit the grounders" for baseball practice in the backyard and "who" was going to "ground them", that I would settle that dispute once and for all and just go do the hitting myself. 

Yes I did.  And no it's not the first time in my life I have picked up a bat.  Used to play softball many moons ago, actually. 

However.....after going through not one, but two five gallon buckets full of baseballs, and feeling rather athletic after my few moments of fame in the backyard, I had even broken a sweat and came in feeling good about myself. 

You know...the ole' "get moving" thing.  Exercise doesn't have to be a chore.....just get out and move with your kids. 

And it was all fine and good until I was perched in my nest curled up on the couch after dinner and I started wondering what on earth was making me hurt so badly under my right shoulder blade.....in my back and making me quite uncomfortable. 

I even went to bed early....took a couple of ibuprofen (because we all know that fixes everything), and laid there and suddenly it hit me. 

I swung that bat repeatedly over      times.....and I haven't done that in a year. 

UGH.....seriously????  I'm that old that it starts hurting the same night??  I'm that out of shape???

Apparently the answer to those questions is a resounding, "yes". 

And that's ok, because that's gonna' change.  Even if it is just .6 of a pound at a time. 

Week one: 1.8 pound loss about 7 1/2 sticks





     



Week two:  after a whopping .6 of a pound loss I am at 2.4 pounds, which is about 9 1/2 sticks of butter

I'm just saying.



It's all about sticks of butter.....

or at least that's what Mama always said. 

And no....believe  it or not, I am not referring to cooking with it....although it IS essential when baking and gives the best flavor. 

No....what I am talking about are counting the sticks of butter.  Read on.......

You see, I'm about to share something pretty personal. 

Those of you who know me well already know this about me....but for those of you who don't....well....here goes. 

I have always struggled with my weight.  I wasn't ever severely overweight as a child, or even as a teen, although in "my eyes" I was. 

But it wasn't until after I married, moved to the deep south (and thoroughly embraced their way of cooking here), and started having babies that I really began my struggle. 

Baby number one.....gained a lot, lost a lot, but not all.  Nine months later, guess who was pregnant again??  Yep...that would be me.  Gained less, but remember that I never lost all the weight from baby number one. 

After two babies so close together, I knew I needed to do something if I ever wanted any more children....and that I did. 

I lost 90 pounds.  Mmmmhmmm......I said 90.  (If I could find a picture I would post it....but that was before digital cameras, so give me a break!)

It took me about 18 months, but I did it.

And it felt great. 

And then I found out I was pregnant again.  :)

And on came the pounds....with a vengeance.  I think my body freaked out after me having lost so much weight and then going into a gaining mode....that I gained....well....let's just say a LOT. 

You probably already know the rest of this story, don't you?  Yep....lost a part of the baby weight and guess who ended up pregnant with baby number four??? 

That would be me. 

And in fairness....I did deliver some big ole' babies, with the smallest one weighing 9lb.12oz, and the biggest weighing 10lb. 14oz!!!!!  So I did gain it honestly......and as a matter of fact....the doctor told me I was made to have babies, but unfortunately, I just gain a lot with each pregnancy. 


And I wouldn't trade any of them for the WORLD.  I feel so blessed to have had two girls AND two boys.  God's timing was perfect, the birth order was perfect and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

But when your "baby" is 10, it's probably time to stop calling it "baby weight". ;)

I'm just sayin'. 

So it's back to Weight Watchers I go.  For the five thousandth time. 

But this time?  I'm going public with it. 

And no....I am NOT going on Biggest Loser.  I have threatened my family to never nominate me!  I am definitely not brave enough to be on national television in skimpy exercise attire. 

You can thank me later.....

But I am, however, going to try to hold myself more accountable by blogging about my journey.  Because we all know it's going to be one.  I'm probably looking at having to lose 100 pounds or so....but I can only lose it one pound at a time.  And I am determined to do it this time. 

My inspiration??

Those four.  I just love 'em so much.....and it's not fair to them for me to not take better care of myself. 






It's not about "swimsuit season" because we all know "Mama ain't gettin' in no swimmin' suit!!"  My kids don't even bother to ask. 

It's about being healthier, and having more energy to do things with them. 

It's about not developing diabetes which does run in the family. 

It's about lowering blood pressure.

It's about not having to wear tennis shoes because my darn foot hurts.

It's about not being the last one huffing and puffing behind the family as we trudge up the hill going to the stadium to see the state football game.

And it's about counting sticks of butter.

You see, whenever I would get frustrated with a "1/2 pound loss"....Mama would always say, "Well....that's two sticks of butter!  Look at it that way!"

So I am.

And yesterday, I wasn't too happy when I heard the WW leader say, "You lost 1.8 pounds!" after I had nearly turned into a rabbit from all of the vegetables I had eaten the past week.  I was thinking, "SERIOUSLY???  Not quite two pounds??"

But then I remembered what Mama said, so I began counting sticks of butter.....and it didn't seem all that bad for one week.

I'm just sayin'.

Is it possible to be addicted to......

yard sales?

Stop laughing. 

No really....I'm serious!  I used to think my mother-in-law was crazy to want to get up at 6a.m. on a Saturday morning to go rummage through someone else's "junk"....but I gotta' tell ya'....I'm gettin' it now. 

And I sure wish she were here to go yard sale-ing with us.  Sigh.

You see....that became one of my kids' fondest memories with Grandma Mable.  She would let them spend the night on a Friday, and then wake them up at the crack of dawn on Saturday with the sound of cast iron skillets clanging around to make them breakfast.  (I still don't get that part....)

After she passed away, Jack would repeatedly say how much he missed doing that with her....and I realize that it was more about "spending time with her" than the yard sales themselves, but it was a memory they made, and after hearing it from all of my kids....I decided one weekend that we would load up and go.

And now I'm hooked. 

And you wouldn't believe how fast they all jump out of the bed on a Saturday morning, because they're afraid "we're missin' out on some good deals!"  (Ha!!  I love it!!)

So I decided to share some of my recent purchases with you....because truthfully....I've impressed myself.

And I probably shouldn't tell on myself here....but instead of rushing around this past Friday and Saturday morning preparing for the possible storm Isaac we are all still waiting for now.....I was out yard sale-ing!!!  

Yep...every once in a while someone will hold it Friday and Saturday and so Karissa and I decided we would just see what was out there....and boy did we score.  

How do ya' like this addition to my living room??  

 Yep...I'm talkin' about the chair....the one that fills a spot I have been wanting a chair in for 7 years, and the one that matches the color scheme in here perfectly. 

Wanna' know how much I spent on it?
$10. 

Nope....not even kidding.  Didn't have to even talk him down on it, and no...there is nothing wrong with it. 

The family was moving....and needed to get rid of a LOT of stuff.  It wasn't even out "in" the yard sale.  It was sitting in his garage and when I asked him about something else he pointed to it and said...."You need that chair right there??  You can have it for $10." 

What????  Ummm.....yes....please load that in the back of my van....NOW.  We will make it fit. 

And that doesn't include the name brand clothing that we scored for 50cents a piece at the same yard sale.

And I know you can't see the tags because I didn't use my good camera....so I will help you see a little closer that these are name brand.  

 

And let me just stop right here and say this. 

Yes...I think we scored big on name brand items for 50cents a piece, but let's remember it's a yard sale.  What does that mean??  That means that I am not going to pay $4 for their used clothing items....  A yard sale is a yard sale, and if they wanted to get a consignment shop price for it, then perhaps that's what they should do with it.

Sorry...didn't mean to be ugly, but sometimes, you walk up the driveway only to see the prices on their "stuff" and you just have to turn right around and go back to the car, because there are other yard sales waitin' that know how to price their "stuff". 

I said all of that to say...his prices were fair.  Very fair. 

But as I said....typically there aren't very many yard sales on Friday in my area....and the boys were in school, so we pretty much called it a day and decided to go again the next morning. 

And boy did we score.....

Auburn jacket?  $1

Everything else.....

Stuff a bag for $3.....(and let me just say right here that mama knows how to "stuff a bag for $3".)   I do the stuffing while good ole' Karissa (who might I add is like taking Grandma Mable along on a yard sale because she trained her right), digs through the piles to find the good stuff. 

Yep...look a little closer at what was in that bag.....

That would be Chaps, Nautica, and Nike. 

My "stuffing-a-bag" techniques scored those items for what ended up being 30cents a piece.



Now I realize that this next item is not an "antique", but I liked it....and felt like the price was fair.

$7...and in excellent condition.









And last but not least....just a few other items that were added to my collection for the day...

• New holiday hand towels....that's what washers and dryers are for. 
• Two Pampered Chef spin-around-hold-your-kitchen-utensils thingies. 
•  Two nut crackers 
• Unopened package of elastic...for the sewing projects I will one day get to...give me a break.
• Graph paper...sure it was partially used...who cares???

And can I just say that when it came time for school to start this year....I didn't have to go and buy those expensive plastic dividers with pockets or sheet protectors.  I had scored all of those for 25cents an unopened pack at a yard sale in St. Louis over the summer!!!

How do I do it??

1. Stop at the store and grab something cheap so I can get cash back....only $20. 
2. Make sure they give me ones and fives....I don't want a $20 bill because I have to have small change for bargaining later. ;)
3. Hit the road and start watching for signs....believe me....get some boys anxious to find fishin' gear in the van, and they will find any and all signs pointing to a yard sale. 
4. Then at a moment's notice they will holler out, "MOM....there's a sign!" and then I will be accused of being a "fast & furious" driver because they startle me and I turn quickly. 
5. We all pile out of the van like clowns in a circus, and begin the hunt.....and then I hear Jack's voice say, "Ummm....sir, you have $2 on here, but will you take $1?

And I love it!!  Grandma Mable taught him well....he never pays the price they have on anything. 

I think she would be right proud of him...and the rest of us for that matter.

I'm just sayin'. 

So......last night.....

after the long, stressful day I had already had, I decided..."now THIS is what those freezer meals are for!  I will just simply go get the Honey Glazed Chicken out of the freezer (because it's not suppose to thaw first), and get this party started, because mama has had a rough day, and I don't feel like cooking."  

Ahem.  

Remember that part the other day about the igniter on my oven seeming like it was going out??  

Yea.... I am pretty sure that the week I do my first shot at freezer cooking is not the week for it to decide to go out for good.....

And did I mention that the gas stove/oven that was here when we bought the house, while nice to cook on, apparently doesn't allow you to light the oven manually?


Yep...pretty much.

So I kept turning the oven off, waiting and then trying again.....as if the last time, only moments before....it had really been playing a trick on me. 

This had to be some sort of a joke.   I was waiting on someone to yell, "You're on Candid Camera!!!"  Eww...wait...umm....I'm not really old enough to even know what that show was.   I'm pretty sure what I meant to say, was that I was waiting on someone to say, "You've been PUNK'ED".  

Regardless of what show I remember, nobody jumped out of the woodwork.  This was the real deal. 

My oven was not coming on, despite my multiple attempts to coax it on....all while my "suppose-to-be-baked-frozen Honey Glazed Chicken" sat thawing beautifully.

Sigh.  

I was pretty sure that at this point, nothing else could possibly go wrong.  

So I went for plan "B" which included some of the 336 frozen meatballs, that apparently had "too tangy of a sauce" for a couple of my kids, to which I growled between gritted teeth, replied to my precious offspring that well....."you're lucky that you HAVE a meal after what I have been through today....so stop complaining!!!

Yea...I'm always sweet like that. 

I'm just sayin'.

So doubling the recipe seemed like a good idea at the time.....

but by the time we rolled meatball number 336 we were pretty sure that somehow I had mis-read the recipe.

No I'm not kidding....we really rolled 336 of them....I have pictures to prove it...and witnesses.

And so the question at hand would be, "Why did you need that many meatballs?"  And I am so glad you asked....

You see, I live in the south....the deep south....where football is, well...like a religion.  They take it serious here....and no I'm not just talking about the SEC...I'm talking about my boys that are playing this year for the first time.  Gulp.  (That's another post for another time.) But after signing up....I realized that we were looking at three nights of practice a week PER child.....and I knew what that meant....we wouldn't be home very much. 

So I began to entertain this apparently not-so-new-fangled idea of "freezer cooking" and decided that maybe I should try something new.  Not to use for our meals every night, but just to see if perhaps it could lighten my load a little, and allow for us to have a "home cooked meal" even when our schedule didn't allow for it. 

I scoured the internet for different tried and true recipes....I checked out books from the library paid my fine at the library so I could check out books on freezer cooking. 

Just keepin' it real.  

(and please don't get me started on that....I could write a whole entire post about how many times I could have paid for the movies and books that I was supposedly borrowing-for-free from the library until we realized we were a WEEK late in returning them and that the movies EACH were a doller per day late!!!!)

Sigh. 

Sorry...I am way off track. 

You name it, I researched it. 

I discovered that people actually cook for the entire month in one weekend.....and I knew immediately that wasn't for me. 

But in searching and reading, I discovered a website called www.moneysavingmom.com and I felt like the way she broke it down, it was do-able. 

So I decided to give it a try. 

And nothing is fun when you do it alone, so I enlisted the help of my dear friend, Audra who's husband is a head football coach....need I say more?  (I think it's safe to say that she needed freezer cooking more than me!!!)

But it's always better when you're reading about it.....you know....how "proper planning is key", and "shopping the day before and prepping ahead of time"...."never try to do it all in the same day"....

Well, our lives didn't exactly jive with that schedule so off to Sam's we were at 8am Monday morning....to shop...then prep...then cook....all in one day. 

And I think it's safe to say that whoever gave all that "don't do it all in one day" advice was probably a well seasoned freezer cook....because I pretty much was useless to my family yesterday after our cooking day on Monday.  I CRASHED into bed that night and could hardly gimp around the house yesterday...but we did it..and learned some things for the next time.

If there is a next time.....

Lesson Number One:

• It isn't necessary to double a meatball recipe the first time in your life that you decide to do "freezer cooking".  Especially when a single batch uses 6 lbs. of ground beef. 

Yes....I said 6 lbs.  So yes....we used 12 pounds of ground beef just for meatballs....the picture doesn't even begin to do it justice, but you get the idea.  Just envision about ten of those cookie sheets full...plus some.  I couldn't snap a picture...my hands were making meatballs!!!

What was I thinking???

And can you imagine my horror when I turned my oven on and instead of it coming on, it sat at 100 degrees forever....temperature not going up at all???  It had done this twice before....and then eventually started.  I think the igniter is about to go out.....but moments after we have rolled 336 meatballs is most definitely not the time to decide to die on me.  Thankfully.....it eventually kicked on!

Lesson Number Two:

• When a recipe says that you can take a boneless, skinless chicken breast and "simply press down on the thick part with the palm of your hand to flatten it"....they probably weren't dealing with the "chicken breasts on steroids" that we bought. 

Those suckers were so thick and slippery and messy and HUGE, that I was having to cut them in half and pound them with an old fashioned potato masher just to try to reduce them from three inches thick to a roll-able size.  Because yes....then they got stuffed and rolled... 

And no...I didn't get a picture of that work in progress.  I didn't want to risk getting salmonella germs on my camera.....you know...that whole cross-contamination thing?? 

Suffice it to say that Audra and I had a few good laughs, and a huge sigh of relief that we didn't have 336 of those to do!!!

Lesson Number Three:

• Redbox movies and theater candy IS the best way to occupy children on a marathon cooking day....

Good ole' Alvin & the Chipmunks....they never disappoint.

But don't let that picture fool you.....they did manage to get underfoot a few times, but all in all...they did great....while we slaved away in the kitchen.  Thank goodness for growing boys strong enough to take out the trash every thirty minutes as we filled it with garbage!!!

Lesson Number Four:

• This is probably not what they meant by "be well organized and have your prep work done the day before".....

And please don't ask me why only one window blinds out of the three are open.....it gets hot it my kitchen but the light was helpful....  I know it looks ridiculous, okay??

 
Lesson Number Five:

• Always keep a secret stash of sugar handy when freezer cooking....you never know when you're going to need a burst of energy... Can you see it? 

Lesson Number Six:

• Take more pictures!!!!

Me explaining the fact that we made 40 beef and bean burritos just doesn't do the trying-to-figure-out-how-to-roll-hot-filling-into-a-tortilla-without-it-squirting-out justice.  You just had to be there. 

Because believe me.....by 5pm....we were done.  Physically, mentally, culinarily.....(is that a word?)....DONE.  Until we turned around and saw the mountain of cookie sheets from those darned meatballs that had to bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.  Yea....that wasn't exactly the easiest mess to clean.  I think it's safe to say that Lesson Number Seven was:

• Parchment Paper is your friend next time

But all in all....I think we could call it a success.  It wasn't organized....or pretty....or easy...or pre-prepped....but we did both end up with quite a few dinners for our freezers.

This is just my half of what we made.....she took home the exact amount!



• 3 gallon bags (28 meatballs each) in salisbury sauce
• 3 gallon bags (28 meatballs each) in comfort bbq sauce
• 2 bags of ready to use chicken ala king sauce (add rotisserie)
• 1 bag of teriyaki chicken
• 1 bag of honey glazed chicken
• 1 pan of mariachi chicken rolls (those cursed steroid breasts!)
• 20 beef/bean burritos (individually wrapped in foil)
• 35 ready to bake homemade chocolate chip cookie dough

Not too shabby for right around $100 each.....financial break down forthcoming.  I've been recovering from cooking....gimme' a break!

Considering we were newbies at this.....I'd say we didn't do too bad!!!!  Now where is that ibuprofen and a heating pad?? ;)

I'm just sayin'.

   

Finishing up the week.....in his own words.....

Destin's "week of groceries for $40" ended on a bit of a hectic note....as Darwin and I were traveling to a long awaited appointment for our daughter, in Nashville, and the boys were staying with some gracious friends. 

We were only suppose to be gone overnight, and Destin was only suppose to get to eat a couple of meals there and come home to wrap up the last of his 7 days.  As it turned out, we had to stay an extra night, so Destin lucked up and got to enjoy different food for two days/nights before coming home and finishing it up.  And to "finish it up" he just slapped together a ham sandwich for dinner....nothing too fancy. 

However...the purpose of this project was to see if he could plan, shop and cook for himself for a week on $40. 

And that he did. 

Quite well in my opinion.

You can catch up here if you haven't already read these....

Day 1- http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/it-all-started.html
Day 2- http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/progress-so-farthis-could-get-tough.html
Day 3- http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/so-first-thing-he-wants-to-know.html
Day 4- http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/03/day-4-man-momdollar-general-has.html
Day 5- http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/03/day-5-buffalo-never-tasted-so-good.html

Several of you have asked to hear about his week "in his words", which I had already planned on doing....so here you have it....in his own words.

No, silly....I'm not expecting that you read that....I just wanted you to see his written version before I type it.....you gotta love me! :)








the back side of the paper






My experience of eating off of $40 on my own was a long lasting week.  If I had to keep something on my menu it would be stew, milk, brownies, and raisin bran crunch.  I really would not want to keep Ramen noodles because every flavor tastes the same.  Also I would not keep chicken unless I cooked it differently like maybe BBQ chicken.  I am very thankful for beef stew seasoning because if I didn't use it, it would not taste the same if I used separate spices.  I think I shouldn't of bought bananas and used that money for more milk because I was eating out of salsa dishes on my 3rd day.  The downside to rootbeer is that it last 3 or 4 days and then it is flat and I'm all out.  Some things I should've tried were potatoe salad, fried rice, and baked red potatoes.  I really think the week took forever but when I went to spend the night, I was in heaven.  I know that cooking takes long and I missed T.V. shows such as "swamp people" and "larry the cable guy" and I missed playing with friends because I was cooking.  On my last day it was amazing.  For a snack I had almost 1/2 a pound of ham on a sandwich and I chugged down the rest of my milk.  To finish it up I might do this again, but it needs to be in a year or so because I want to enjoy what is in the pantry and freezer again.  And thats all I got to say about that.

Now let me just say that he only watches "Larry the Cable Guy" with strong supervision....so don't judge me or my parenting.  

At the end of the week...all he had left was the rest of his ham (hence the reason he ate about a 1/2 pound on a sandwich), the rest of his stick of butter, the whole pound of rice, and some potatoes.  That's not too shabby for a 12 year old kid having to "fend for himself" for the week....

I'm just sayin'.

Day 4 - "Man, Mom.....Dollar General has EVERYTHING!"

And I just had to smile. 

Because they pretty much do. 

And when you've used all of your grocery money but $2, cents matters.  Why pay $1.79 for a cake mix at the over priced local grocery store if you can walk down to the Dollar General and buy it for less? 

You see....Destin has a bit of a sweet tooth, (can't imagine where he got that from ;-), and his Great Value Honey Buns didn't last long. 

After looking around a bit, he realized that he could buy a brownie mix instead for $1.65 and it would make a whole 9x13 pan!  Plus he wouldn't need frosting.

Sold!  To the 12 year old trying to get to the end of his week on $40 of grocery money. 

Yep...a pan of brownies is sure to last him until Monday. 

And lucky for him....as he was just about to put it back on the shelf, because he realized it needed eggs and oil, I told him that a sweet neighbor had just given us a dozen farm eggs.  I sure couldn't charge him for something I didn't have to pay for.  So he paid me the rest of his change for the dab of oil needed, and here's hoping he doesn't run out of anything else before his week is over. 

And I would imagine he is gonna' enjoy having something besides chicken legs and ramen, as he has had them for lunch and dinner again today! 

I have a sneaky suspicion he is going to be thankful that he didn't give in to the hurried realization this morning, that his lunch wasn't packed.  He said, "Well...I guess I'll just spend my last $2 on lunch at school." 

And knowing he would probably regret that decision....I told him to hurry and pack it....so into the lunchbox went two drumsticks and some leftover cold Ramen. 

I'll bet he's glad now....

I'm just sayin'.

Day 3 - So the first thing he wants to know.....

when in he comes in from school today....is if I will let  him go fishing in the neighboring subdivision's pond. 

Can you guess why??

Yep...you guessed it.  He's thinking about how he could get more food for his week of groceries!!  :-)

If you're just now joining us (welcome to our new readers that are visiting us from www.owlhaven.net where this idea started to begin with!)....what you're reading is Day 3 of a very interesting economics project.  I encourage you to read it here if you haven't already.

For those of you anxious to know how things are progressing....you've come to the right place. 

So we are on Day 3 of the Week of Groceries for $40 experiment....and after his consumption of a whole pot of stew over the first day and a half, I was a little concerned about how the rest of the week was going to go. 

Day 1 - http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/it-all-started.html

Day 2 - http://www.leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/progress-so-farthis-could-get-tough.html

In typical fashion....things were a little crazy this morning, and frankly, neither Destin nor I are used to him having to plan his dinner in the morning.  We talked about him throwing his chicken legs in the crock pot, and that's about as far as it got.  I walked back into the kitchen after taking him to school, only to realize that he had, in fact, forgotten. 

And it would have been soooo easy for me to throw them in the crock pot for him so that they could cook all day while he was at school, but if this experiment is to truly prepare them for real life, then I wouldn't have been doing him any favors by stepping in. 

So I didn't. 

And that was hard. 

But you know what?  He came in, and after asking if he could go fishing in the next few days (gotta' love that he isn't whining and asking for more money...but instead thinking of ways to acquire food for free), he got right to work on his chicken. 

For those wondering.....no.....I am not doing any of the cooking.  He is doing it all himself....asking a lot of questions, but that is to be expected, and I am welcoming them!

I found it interesting that when I told him that at this point the crock pot was no longer an option if he wanted chicken tonight, he opted to bake it in the oven rather than boil on the stove top.  Said he didn't really like the smell of boiling chicken...(me neither!)

All seasoned up and ready to go!!

And yes...that is just half of a package of chicken legs from Sam's Club.  I landed them marked down to $5.50 a few weeks back and let Destin purchase half of them from me for $2.25. 

He seasoned them with the "freebies" from my cabinet.  The standard three seasonings we use on just about everything!  Cavender's Greek Seasoning, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.  

Can I just say that although baked chicken isn't pretty....(and don't lie...you know it ain't)....it tasted amazing!  No...I didn't eat his food...I tasted a morsel that he wanted me to taste, and I was so impressed!

 While it baked he microwaved a serving of frozen cauliflower and added a slice of cheese...and right before the chicken got done, he made two packages of ramen noodles.  (We have never used Ramen as a soup....so the liquid is all poured off). 

Day 3 dinner is served!

And let me just tell you....by the time he finished cooking he was so ready to eat!!  From the sounds he was making, you would have thought he was eating prime rib! 

And believe it or not.....he actually didn't eat all of the Ramen noodles.  He had a small serving left and informed me tonight that he is going to take them for lunch tomorrow along with a chicken leg. 

As things were cooking, he told me that he sure wished I had a cookbook of just seafood....which I did have and he just didn't realize it.  He looked at for a while, and I could tell the wheels in his head were turning as he asked me about going down to the pier with crab nets. 

Can I just tell you that I am so proud of him?  He hasn't complained once yet...although that may change when he comes home tomorrow and there are no more of the honey buns left.  He hasn't exactly rationed those very well.  But he does still have $2 left and he can always grab another cheap box of somethin' sweet if he really has a hankerin'.

I'm just sayin'.

Day 2 - Progress so far.....this could get tough.....

Destin started Day 1 off by throwing his stew meat into the crock pot before running out the door to catch his ride to school at 7:10am. 

(If you're new to the blog.....you can read how this started here:  http://leah-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/2012/02/it-all-started.html )

And I'm not a huge fan of beef stew, but it simmered all day and smelled pretty tasty.  He came in from school ready to dive into it....and that he did.  He got busy right away cutting his carrots....

 






He even got adventurous and decided to use red potatoes and leave the peeling on, and sprinkled in some cayenne pepper!

Dinner is served.....over a couple slices of bread...it's a southern thang!!!
But don't let that big ole' pot of stew fool you....that was only Day 1....

But before we move on, I thought you might enjoy some things I have overheard.....

“Mom….do you think I could trade you some regular potatoes for some red potatoes that you have?” “Do you think red potatoes would work?” “Now….how big do I cut these pieces of potatoes?”

“How much Cayenne Pepper do you think I could put in here?”



With arms wrapped lovingly around me…..”You think I could have a piece of that garlic toast?”

While putting his leftover stew into a container for the fridge, “Hey, uh….mom…..I don’t think I’m gonna be burning out on this stew….I’ll be running out of it!!” (and that would be after he ate four slices of bread and two large helpings of stew, and a rationed honey bun)

“Mom….since I didn’t get to eat any of the pop-tarts before my “week” started….do you think I could buy a package from you?” (And he did…for 30cents)

“Man…..does making a meal make THIS much of a mess??” And he ALWAYS has to unload/reload dishwasher, but this time, he had dirtied cutting board, knife, colander, crock pot, bowl, another pot……a wee bit more of a mess.

Now here we are...nearing the end of Day 2, and I regret to inform you that the big pot of stew you saw earlier?  Ummm.....that would be gone.  He has eaten four large bowls since he got home from school today, and now there is just a tiny bit at the bottom of the storage container.   

Perhaps $40 for the week wasn't enough for a boy who has grown 12 inches in one year, is only 12 years old and is now 5' 8" and wears a men's size 13 shoe.....

No.  I'm not kidding or exaggerating.  I think I know why my money isn't going as far as it used to!! 

Suffice it to say he is now thawing out his package of chicken legs and planning for the next couple of days.  So much for that pot of stew!!! 

More to come....

I'm just sayin'. 

Day 1-It all started.....

with me curled up in my favorite spot on the couch, under my blanket, drinking my coffee, and reading an interesting post from one of my favorite bloggers and childhood friend, Mary.  


You see....my friend, Mary, (who happens to have ten children that she home-schools) posted recently about a very interesting project that she and her husband came up with to better prepare their teenage children for the real world.  You should go and read it!!!

  http://www.owlhaven.net/2012/02/01/preparing-teens-for-life/

She and her husband gave their older children $20 and they were to plan, shop and prepare all of their meals for one week, (with the obvious knowledge that she would not allow them to starve).


I found it to be very interesting, so I was reading all about it....and...in typical fashion, Destin was curled up next to me on the couch trying to wake up.  But when I began reading and scrolling down...it caught his eye too.  One thing led to another, and before I knew it, all of the kids were looking over my shoulder to read about how her teens were going to survive on $20 for the week, and all of them thought it would be so cool to try to do! 


So in talking it over with Darwin...he jumped on the bandwagon and said, "I'll tell you what....if they're serious....since groceries are higher here...I'll give them $40 and they can do it too." 


(Now let me just interject right here and say that the cost of groceries in Idaho seems to be considerably less than here in Alabama.  And....given the amount of time that my kids are at school, there had to be some consideration given to that.  They simply do not have the same time as if they were homeschooled, to do money saving things such as make homemade bread, etc., but they will still learn some valuable real life lessons, I'm sure.)


Well....who knew???  Who knew that not one, but all three of my children still left here at home would be so eager to try to do this on their own?  EVEN Jack...who is only 9. 


So last week....the boys sat down and began list making....amidst a table set for dinner and a pre-dinner snack of carrots and hummus.  (And please forgive the quality of these pictures....they are taken from my phone.)

(Notice the washcloths for napkins? :-) Another great money saving tip from Mary!)


And there's a handy dandy app for your iPhone that you can get....the Wal-Mart app.  You can look up prices on many items!! 


Listening in on the conversation was priceless, as they thought about different things they could buy.  $40 seemed like SO much money to them.... 


I was so impressed with all of them for wanting to do this, but was especially surprised at Destin....just being 12....and having such a good, common sense approach and plan for his week.

(And yes....I know his handwriting needs improvement, but I have found that boys find that less important than girls do, and in the broad scheme of things....who cares...this is just a grocery list!)


Now bear in mind that this is just a rough idea of prices.  Estimations mostly and a general plan of making a pot of beef stew to eat off of for the week and grilling chicken. :-)  ( I had my concerns, but that worked itself out later....read on.)


So after feeling like his list was complete.....we sat down together, and he calculated how much it looked like this was going to cost...based on the estimations. 


$56.00 !!!!  He just couldn't believe it.  He said, "Man!  I thought for sure I was gonna' have some money left over!!"  (Dontcha' just love when they see the reality of life!!)


So he immediately had to begin scratching things off the list and decided that even buying chicken legs from me at $2.50 (half a pack that I found marked down recently), might need to go.  He decided that grilling chicken and zucchini wasn't necessary and that he could live off of the stew. 


Well....a few scratches here and there off the list, and a couple of add-back-to-the-list items, and we were headed to the stores.....off to find the best bargain....with little brother Jack to make sure that he knew that "Great Value brands are just as good, Destin!" (smile)


Destin even managed to find a local ad for Wal-Mart to match so that he could afford some Doritos!!  My only stipulation was that they had to have a fruit and vegetable included in their purchases....but one bag of Doritos I could handle ;-) 

Now all we had to do was make a couple more stops (yes...Wal-Mart is a one-stop shopping experience, but I don't like to buy their meat, and Sam's has a better price on milk)

I don't think he did so bad for a first time shopper.  I let him purchase things like a stick of butter from me for .60 so he wouldn't have to buy a whole pound, and a pound of rice from me for .40 since I buy it in bulk from Sam's. 

The reality of how ridiculously over priced cereal is really hit him.  He was originally planning on a fried egg for his breakfasts, but then decided he wanted the convenience of something faster.  He searched the cereal aisle for what seemed like FOREVER looking for a decent cereal that wasn't completely laden with sugar....for less than $2.00....and he finally found some Great Value Raisin Bran for $1.97.

The receipts are shown below, and then he paid me for the groceries he bought from me as opposed to buying in bulk from the store. 

And I would say this list has been in and out of a 12 year old boy's pocket a time or two, but you can see on the right where he figures up what he owes me.  The total for all of his groceries came to $37.76 and he has $2.24 leftover for anything unexpected this week.

Wonder what he'll spend it on???  Time will tell....I'll keep you posted....but for now, he's got a mean batch of stew in the crock pot that he started before he left for school this morning. 

I'm just sayin'.