on the bald prairieee....  the end of the springtime potluck season.  I had a potluck to attend this morning. I am always amazed at the way people transport food and dishes to these gatherings.  Some have these neat little sewn cases to hold all their dishes and cutlery.  Others have quilted holders for casserole pots, etc. 

My friend and I have dubbed them the PPP - the Professional Potluck Participants!  They are always there, dressed appropriately, with the appropriate food, and, when asked, will whip out the pattern to make their perfect case for you.  They attend several potlucks a year and can regale you with stories and recipes from each one.  When it comes time for a potluck they know just who to call to get the right dishes on the table, and they have the diplomacy to invite those people and have them think the whole thing was their idea.  Amazing women!

All potlucks should come with a surgeon general's warning at the entrance: "WARNING: May be dangerous to your health".  The food and calories are incredible!  In an effort to keep my weight in check:

• I took a luncheon plate instead of a dinner plate,
• I took food I could eat (fruit crisp made with Splenda, and fresh cherries),
• I limited myself to one plate full of the main course,
• I only took a dessert if it had a fruit or vegetable in it (fruit crisp made with Splenda, fresh fruit and 1/2" wide slice of carrot cake),
• I filled my cup with water as soon as I got there to keep me from going for the pop laced punch.
• I decided it would be my sole meal until suppertime.  We ate it at 11 a.m.
• I am going for a long walk tonight.

It must have worked because I don't feel too stuffed right now...and I just had homemade tacos in soft tortilla shells. 

So I think that's my last potluck of the season.  This weekend is a church picnic.  If I make it through to Monday and am below 176 lbs. I'll be very happy.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to entertain friends. One night we visited some friends to pick some Nanking cherries off their bushes. The hostess came to help us, and, when we were done and sitting down resting before heading home, her husband wanders out with some homemade Nanking cherry wine and brownies. He lit a fire in the fire pit and we laughed and told stories and generally got caught up on each other's lives for a couple of hours.

So simple, so fun, and not at all expensive...unless you count what it costs to make homemade Nanking cherry wine! And even that is cheap, as he uses the same equipment to make wine every year.   What goes around, comes around. Paul and I are thinking we might invite our friends over for a potluck BBQ soon.

We were talking about simple living, organized living, and healthy eating. Our friends are talking about grinding their own grain to bake with. We've always wanted to do that too. We're talking about going together to do it. Need to price out grain mills first. And our friends invited us back for more cherries when the rest of them ripen.  

Being friendly doesn't have to cost money. You don't have to get into expensive gift exchanges.  If that's what you're friends for, it's for the wrong reasons.  We've made it clear to people we do not do Christmas gift exchanges.  We just feel there is too much emphasis on commercialism and gifts at Christmas.  I don't think God had racking up credit card debt to fulfill an "obligation" to give gifts in mind when he sent his son.  [That  being said, we do celebrate Christmas with family and give gifts...but that's another post...]

When I think of entertaining, I think of friends and family, eating, going places. To me the highest priority is on the people. I want to visit and have fun with them. I can do this a multitude of places that don't cost a lot of money. I can:

• Invite them over for a game night

• Hold a BBQ

• Hold a potluck dinner and a ceilidh - the Celtic version of an old-fashioned variety show, with singing, dancing and lots of jokes and stories.

• Hold a progressive dinner, where we go from house to house for different courses of a meal

• Go skating at the free rinks in winter, and host an after skating party

• Go swimming at the free pools in summer, or just lounge in the public hot tub, and host a BBQ later.

• Trade in Air Miles for free passes to the spa or a movie.

• Go for a walk in a nature area with them, and take a picnic if you want.

• Go on a picnic.  There are cool books in the library on how to hold theme picnics.  Try them!
  

• Visit a museum on a free day or at a free time.

• Visit an historic site on it's free day, or during free hours. Parks Canada's website has a listing of all the historic sites across Canada.

• Check out art galleries with an arty friend. I used to go on my own art walks once a month. I'd check out all the commercial galleries, the public art galleries, and the government and corporate galleries I could get in to see. I had a blast discussing the art and getting inspired to work on my own art.

• Invite friends in for a movie night. Make a huge batch of popcorn (cheap eats), buy the soda or make a cheaper, healthier punch, and enjoy the show! Watch theirs, yours, the library's, wherever you can get them for free or cheap.

• Check out free concerts in your area. I live in a musical community. Every Sunday during the summer there are musicians playing in the park. There are free or next to free concerts every fall, winter and spring.

• Check out the local university or college music department to see when they have student performances.  These aren't free, but they are often a nominal fee, such as $5.

• Check out the local Conservatory of Music for recitals.

• Check for “rush” tickets to symphony, opera, etc., or trade in Air Miles for these tickets.

• Check the local Christian bookstore for affordable entertainment offered in a church near you.

• Go on a bike hike.

• Go to the beach with a picnic and equipment to play games.

• Window shop with a friend...but no buying!!! If you're tempted to buy, window shop the thrift stores only.

• Create a dinner club, where each couple takes turns serving the others dinner on different weeks.

• Get together to make or do something! Be sure to encourage everyone to bring something to eat, so you aren't shouldering the entire cost. Paul's family used to get together for a family reunion once a year. They'd have banana split eating contests to see who could come up with the most creative banana split, who could eat their banana split the fastest, who had the best looking banana split, and, in the end, whose banana split was the most edible!

• Invite a friend in for tea. Serve something healthy, like fruit and yogurt. Your guest will probably appreciate the kind thought. Or serve a frugal homemade goodie.

• Meet at a café for tea, but only drink plain tea while visiting with your friend. Skip the decadent desserts and doctored coffee. It all adds up after awhile, and not only in your budget – also on your waistline!

• If you live in the country, you can berry pick together.

• You can also go on a hayride in winter and serve up hot chocolate and marshmallows by a bonfire afterwards.

• You can just enjoy picnicing in the back pasture (okay, so most farmer's view this as going to work – but still – if you have children, this could be fun), or host the extended family reunion on your acreage. Potluck, of course! (I love potlucks! Have you figured that out yet? They are the best source of recipes!)

At any rate, you get the idea. There really is no limit to what you can do.

I know it's not Thursday, but I thought this would be a good way to get back on track with my blog. I'm combining a Thankful Thursday with a Frugal Friday.  Read on and you'll see how...

Today would have been Mom's 75^th birthday. Mom died in March this year. I am thankful for the mother I had. Mom was a lot of fun when she was well. In her later years mental illness caught up with her, making it difficult to communicate and help her. Ultimately it claimed her life when she committed suicide. I learned a lot about patience and love from spending time with Mom in her later years. I learned a lot about helping other people, and a lot about mental illness.

 

Mom was my mentor in a lot of ways. She was a practical and pragmatic person. She was always open and accepting of new people. I find that harder than she seemed to. When she was well she always had a twinkle in her eye. She loved to play the “Proud to be Irish” line, and it didn't surprise me one bit to find coffee mugs at her place that said “Kiss Me I'm Irish”, with a little leprechaun in the bottom of the mug with upturned face!

Mom could be a lot of fun. When I homeschooled the girls she would phone periodically to see how I was doing. When she sensed frustration she'd say “Why don't you come over for a stress break?” I took her up on that once a year – usually at the end of winter.

One year she insisted on paying my airfare. We were strapped for cash, and I was so grateful. Imagine my surprise when I landed and she informed me she had also bought tickets to the opera (“Carmen”) and we were eating supper out the entire time, and there was one night where I could chose to do whatever I wanted.

What a week! It's the first and last time I've ever been in a restaurant with a menu with no pricing. My blood pressure can't take that kind of dining. It's just plain stressful having to go all the way through supper worrying about how much the bill will be – even if your mother is paying!

Thankfully she managed to buy 'rush' tickets to live theatre. For $10 each we were able to see “Romeo and Juliet” and “Camelot”. Plus for $5 each we took in a very good choral production at the local university.

We took in some swimming, got haircuts from her discount beauty parlour, walked in the park, stopped at retirement homes for her to have a look, went shopping and did some errands I couldn't get done locally. I was able to gawk at one of the best jewelry stores in the area when we went there on business. Gorgeous handcrafted jewelry...real art. I also was able to go through several art galleries. We went to church together and visited family.

I remember lamenting to Mom at the end of the trip about the cost of having me there. She was surprised and told me it cost her less than $500, including the airfare (which was cheap back then!). The most expensive part, aside from the airfare, was the opera she claims, at $80 a ticket! She assured me those were the cheap seats...

That trip was one memory Mom gave me I'll never forget. I miss Mom a lot these days. But when I'm stressed now, I smile as I think of Mom, tell myself “It's time for a stress break”, and start planning my next trip...

I've decided to upload some posts to the blog early.  This should keep you all busy for awhile!  I am going to busy packing and then off to the Maritimes early next week.  I'll keep you posted on what's happening as I go.  Maybe even upload some pictures.  We'll see if I have access to people's computers that can do that.  So...without further ado...here is tomorrow's Frugal Friday post!

You don't have to spend a lot of money to entertain friends. One night we visited some friends to pick some Nanking cherries off their bushes. The hostess came to help us, and, when we were done and sitting down resting before heading home, her husband wandered out with some homemade Nanking cherry wine and brownies. He lit a fire in the fire pit and we laughed, told stories and generally got caught up on each other's lives for a couple of hours.

So simple, so fun, and not at all expensive...unless you count what it costs to make homemade Nanking cherry wine! And even that is cheap, as he uses the same equipment to make wine every year. Right now he has 40 bottles of wine ready to drink. Paul and I are thinking of making a deal. It's year old wine and tastes real nice.

We talked about simple living, organized living, and healthy eating. Our friends are talking about grinding their own grain for baking. We've always wanted to do that too. We're talking about going together on it. Need to price out grain mills first. And our friends invited us back for more cherries when the rest of them ripen.

Being friendly doesn't cost money. What goes around, comes around. Paul and I are thinking we might invite them over for a potluck BBQ soon. I'm sure we have something they could use...and I definitely wouldn't mind bouncing around a few more ideas.

When I think of entertaining, I think of friends and family, fun, eating, and going places. To me the highest priority is on the people. I want to visit and have fun with them. I can do this a multitude of places that don't cost a lot of money. I can:

• Invite them over for a game night

• Go to the park and toss a frisbee, or kick a ball, or bat a badminton birdie around

• Hold a BBQ

• Hold a potluck dinner and a ceilidh - the Celtic version of an old-fashioned variety show, with singing, dancing and lots of jokes and stories.

• Hold a progressive dinner, where we go from house to house for different courses of a meal

• Go skating at the free rinks in winter, and host an after skating party

• Go swimming at the free pools in summer, or just lounge in the public hot tub, and host a BBQ later.

• Trade in Air Miles for free passes to the spa or a movie.

• Go for a walk in a nature area with them, and take a picnic if you want.

• Go on a picnic. Check the library for books on fun, creative and innovative picnic ideas. I once served a hot picnic meal on a cold January day in the Rocky Mountains west of Calgary after a day of tobogganing and playing in the snow! Anything is possible. You just have to know how to go about it.

• Visit a museum on a free day or at a free time.

• Visit an historic site on it's free day, or during free hours. Parks Canada's website has a listing of all the historic sites across Canada.

• Check out art galleries with an arty friend. I used to go on my own art walks once a month. I'd check out all the commercial galleries, the public art galleries, and the government and corporate galleries I could get in to see. I had a blast with my arty friend discussing the art and getting inspired to work on my own art.

• Invite friends in for a movie night. Make a huge batch of popcorn (cheap eats), buy the soda or make a cheaper, healthier punch, and enjoy the show! Watch theirs, yours, the library's, wherever you can get them for free or cheap.

• Check out free concerts in my area. I live in a musical community. Every Sunday during the summer there are musicians playing in the park. There are free or next to free concerts every fall, winter and spring.

• Check out the local university or college music department to see when they have student performances.

• Check out the local Conservatory of Music for recitals.

• Check for “rush” tickets to symphony, opera, etc., or trade in Air Miles for these tickets.

• Check the local Christian bookstore for affordable entertainment offered in a church near you.

• Go on a bike hike.

• Go to the beach with a picnic and equipment to play games.

• Window shop with a friend...but no buying!!! If you're tempted to buy, window shop the thrift stores only.

• Create a dinner club, where each couple takes turns serving the others dinner on different weeks.

• Get together to make or do something! Be sure to encourage everyone to bring something to eat, so you aren't shouldering the entire cost. Paul's family used to get together for a family reunion once a year. They'd have banana split eating contests to see who could come up with the most creative banana split, who could eat their banana split the fastest, who had the best looking banana split, and, in the end, whose banana split was the most edible!

• Invite a friend in for tea. Serve something healthy, like fruit and yogurt. Your guest will probably appreciate the kind thought. Or serve a frugal homemade goodie.

• Meet at a café for tea, but only drink plain tea while visiting with your friend. Skip the decadent desserts and doctored coffee. It all adds up after awhile, and not only in your budget – also on your waistline!

• If you live in the country, you can berry pick together.

• You can also go on a hayride in winter and serve up hot chocolate and marshmallows by a bonfire afterwards.

• You can just enjoy picnicing in the back pasture (okay, so most farmer's view this as going to work – but still – if you have children, this could be fun), or host the extended family reunion on your acreage. Potluck, of course! (I love potlucks! Have you figured that out yet? They are the best source of recipes!)

At any rate, you get the idea. There really is no limit to what you can do! Entertaining does not have to be expensive.

This Super Saturday I am focusing on tomorrow's BBQ for 12 - a canoe and kayak team from out of province.  It was originally to be tonight, but I just received a call from my friend making it truly a Super day for me by telling me she'd just told the team it was going to be tomorrow night.  That gives me more time to prepare and to make things right.  Plus maybe the weather will make up it's mind to be good!  It also gives me more time to just enjoy being with my friends and family. 

So how do you do a frugal BBQ for 12? 

There will be a variety of tables from the house pressed into service.  I have linen tablecloths for them.  I bought the fabric after Christmas on sale and made them up myself one year.  I also purchase them after Christmas on sale.  One of the purchased tablecloths developed a hole, so I cut it up and sewed it into napkins.  We decided not to use those however.  Instead we are using some IKEA paper napkins my mother gave me awhile ago. 

We have some glitter I picked up at the Dollar Store years ago, that we are going to use to decorate the tables.  It says "Happy Birthday", which is appropriate as this is Canada's 140th birthday! 

I have red candles (a gift)  to put on the table, which will be a nice contrast to the white tablecloths.

I polished the silverware last night by soaking it in a Pyrex baking dish with an aluminum plate, 2 tbsp. of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, and boiling water to cover it all.  The easiest way to polish silver I know!

I will check to make sure we have enough wine glasses, and punch bowl/glasses.

Because I have small tables, I'll be putting the flatware in canning jars for people to pick from.  I could just as easily pick up some containers at Dollarama for $1 to house them, and if I could drive, I would.  But even they would take up more of the table than I want I think. 

I want to get DH to hang our Canadian flag tonight out by the front door.

The menu?



Our recipes?

Red Pepper Hummus
Makes ~ 3 c.

4 1/2 ounces chickpeas, cooked
1 tablespoon tahini
1 handful sun-dried tomatoes -- chopped
1 red pepper (or 2/3 c.) -- roasted
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice

Roast red pepper. Set oven to broil. Place red pepper ~ 5" away from heat. Broil, turning occasionally, until skin is blistered and evenly browned, but not burned (~ every 3-5 min.). Remove to a brown paper bag, close tight, let sit 20 minutes. Peel and discard skin. Open up and discard seeds. Put all ingredients in blender or food processor. Process and serve.

Carrot Apple Salad
Serves 8

3 large carrots, peeled and grated
2 medium tart apples (eg. Granny Smith's), cored and finely diced (keep peel on)
1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. raisins

Grate carrots.  Dice apples.  Combine.  Drizzle with lemon juice.  Add raisins and toss.  Keeps a long time.

Danish Potato Salad with Dill (from the "Lighthearted Cookbook" by Anne Lindsay)
Serves 6

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled, sliced
1 c. low fat plain yogurt
3 tbsp. fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. minced green onion
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. chopped fresh dill
freshly ground pepper

Wash potatoes and simmer until tender (~ 10 minutes).  Drain and let cool slightly.  In bowl mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, onion, curry powder, mustard, and salt.  Add potatoes, dill and pepper to taste.  Stir gently. 

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Slice tomatoes
Slice mozzarella cheese into as many slices as there are tomato slices
Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella slices alternately overlapping on plate or tray.
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with fresh basil chopped fine.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Serves 6

1 lb. spinach, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/3 c. sliced almonds, roasted (toast for 5 minutes at 350 F)
2 c. firm strawberries, sliced

Dressing:
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, roasted a few minutes in fry pan
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 green onion, minced

Toss first three ingredients.  Shake remaining up in a jar and pour over salad or serve on the side.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Serves 16

Crust:
Use a graham crust (1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/3 c. melted butter) OR...
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 1/4 c. crushed gingersnaps

Filling:
2 pkgs softened cream cheese
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
14 oz. pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Press the crust into the bottom of a 9 or 10" springform pan.  Cream the cheese till fluffy.  Add the rest of the ingredients and pour into the pan.  Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes.  Leave in pan in oven to cool 1 hour.  Serve with whipped cream on top.

Triple Chocolate Mess

Dan's Punch

1 175 ml. tin frozen orange juice
1 175 ml. tin frozen pink lemonade
2 litres ginger ale
1 c. water
1 c. pineapple juice
2 c. strawberries (can slice them if you want)
ice

Mix it all together and serve.

Hope everyone has a happy Canada Day weekend!

Well every day I'm alive is super! But today has been a nice day for me. A good mix of relaxation, spiritual nourishment, fellowship and work. I made it to church this morning, with a car full of rummage sale items. I even managed to hoodwinked some teenagers to help me unload it.

I had time for coffee and one cookie before a friend invited me out to lunch, on her tab. I offered to drive. We had a great time talking about our lives, family and friends. Mostly wondering how we could help the situation at church. Our church will be without a minister as of the end of June.

Came home and worked on weeding the garden with Paul. It's a mess! And we have a lot of garden. I've spent 2 hours in the garden and managed to clean out about a 12' x 3' length. I discovered some plants struggling in there, but I'm afraid, between Paul and I, dug up a few too. Oh my Verbena! I hope it comes back. Paul, for his part, is primarily working on scraping our windows in preparation for a paint job.

A BBQ night tonight. My daughter's boyfriend is coming over. Nothing like being young, male, virile, and having the appetite of a horse! It'll be cheeseburgers and hotdogs...lots of them. While I'm at it, I think I'll make up a salad or two. I hear he just ate at 4 p.m., but last time he said that, we ate at 6 p.m. and he ate most of the dinner! I'm just not used to the appetites young men have. The consequences of not having a boy I guess.

I hope everyone is having a spirit filled super Sunday.

Later...the menu was:


Condiments were: ketchup, mustard, homemade fat-free mayonnaise, homemade zucchini relish. Sides were: pineapple tidbits, lettuce, tomatoes, grated cheese, and sliced onions. Along with Parmesan cheese, Raspberry Vinaigrette and Caesar Salad Dressing for the Caesar Salad.

The meal was officially declared a success!