I had a good day for Valentine's Day. Paul was working, but he left me the car. I was up early making Pear Ginger Cake. It was delicious! Then off to Bernard Callebaut for some chocolates to take to my crafting group. They're a very special group of ladies. I brewed some tea and sat down to work on some projects. I had several to do.

I unpicked a corner of my Easter wallhanging. It wasn't laying flat and needs help. I also finished a needlecase for a group I'm with. And I sewed buttons on a blouse for a friend.

There were two chocolates left at the end of the meeting. I whisked them into the car with me and headed on a wandering ride to pick Paul up from work.

I stopped by the bank for cash for the next two weeks. Then to Dollarama...looking for curtain tiebacks. Didn't find any I liked, but I did find some really cool scrapbooking stamps I plan to use for fabric rubbings.

Then off to Staples to look for an electric labeller. After seeing the price...$35CAD plus another $35CAD for an adapter, I just laughed and went to the label aisle. There I picked up two packages of different coloured labels (one for finished projects and one for works in progress) for $6.49CAD. If I need any more colours, I'll just pick up the plain white and use a marker to colour the top. The other option was to buy a whole whack of different coloured file folders. Kind of inconvenient as I already have a good 50-100 not being used!

After that I stopped by the liquor store for the requisite bottle of wine for Valentine's Day. Personally, Paul and I decided we want to find an alternative to alcohol. Neither of us likes it very much. Wine these days tastes very vinegary to me. I'm tired of shelling out $10-$20 for something that's only good in cooking. That same money would make a lot of punch! But we also don't like sweet drinks, so my mission this week is to find some nice alternative to wine/alcohol for drinking, that doesn't include a lot of sugar or fruit (natural sweetener).

I arrived early to Paul's workplace and took the opportunity to sew up some Christmas linens that have been in my 'unfinished projects' box for ages...think years.

We drove home where I raced inside and filled out a card for him and left it on the bed with the chocolates. Changed into a dress, raced downstairs for an apron, and started cooking a really nice Valentine's Day meal. We had:


All by candlelight of course, with romantic music by Zamfir ("Romance" CD). And we had a good long talk too. We polished off the evening with dessert and by watching the last "Star Wars" movie. Oh, and a fire in the fireplace. A very nice evening at home.

Kitchen Sink Salad
This is a reproduction of a salad I had many years ago at a restaurant in Halifax. I've since added to it.

Layer in a bowl...
Drain pears, reserving juice.  Spray a 10" skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Put 1 1/2 tbsp. of reserved pear juice in the pan.  Distribute evenly.  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top.  Arrange pear slices in pleasing design.  I put the big ends towards the outside of the pan and totally covered the bottom (what you get is an upside-down-cake look to it).  Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spice in a medium bowl. Combine molasses, egg, prune butter and 3/4 c. reserved pear juice in a medium bowl.  Add molasses mixture to flour mixture and stir well.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or till done.  Cool in skillet 15 minutes.  Then invert onto serving platter.  Serve warm with whipped topped or whipped cream.  Yum! 

PRUNE BUTTER:  Blend together 8 oz (1 1/3 c) pitted prunes and 6 tbsp. water until mixture forms a smooth paste.  Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 weeks.  Personally, I had a pint of home canned plums I blended in the blender, and added about 1/2 c. to the cake.  I'm not too picky about recipes.  I don't mind substituting what I have on hand.  Prune butter is a fat substitute in recipes.  So any leftovers can go into muffins or what have you.

NOTE: I used home canned pear slices with skin still on. The original recipe called for canned pear halves.

Finally got these off Meghan's camera...



Our table all decked out for Christmas Eve.



Our tree this year. Decorated by my friend and I.

I decided this year I wanted an all cash Christmas.  It worked!  We went through the holiday season with nothing on our credit cards.  Paul is very happy.  So am I.  How did I do it?

I made a lot of gifts.  What did I make?  I made bath salts for stockings.  Also some peanut butter truffles.  Plus I sewed up a stack of potholders from stuff in the house.  And I made a couple of aprons for the girls from fabric here in the house using a pattern off the Internet.  I made spice mixes for stocking stuffers for Carl, the hobby chef.   I knit Paul some socks.  I made everyone a Christmas ornament.  I also made some spiced honey.

I had help with the baking from Meghan.  We didn't have to buy anything but a pie, which Paul claimed wasn't as good as mine usually are...even with the burnt crusts!  Meghan did the cookie baking.

I also shopped sales.  I found sweaters 50% off  for Paul.  I found socks 50% off for Meaghan's boyfriend, who was spending Christmas with us as well.  Paul found a good gift for Carl on sale also.

I comparison shopped.  I found metal measuring spoons and other kitchen equipment cheaper by shopping around town.  I compared ordering a copy of "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" on-line for Lisa, and ordering it through the local bookstore.  I ended up ordering through the bookstore to save on shipping costs.  I've ordered "Dining on a Dime" for Meghan that way as well.  It actually saves me $7 on a $30 order.

I ordered on-line from Quixtar (the new Amway) with free shipping over $75 worth of goods.  No problem.  This supports family as well.  My brother is a distributor.

I shopped local.  Meghan and I went to the Farmer's Market for more stocking stuffers.  This was not cheap, but it made for some unique stocking stuffers and gifts.

Paul and I gave cash to the girls...we put money down on Lisa's student loan and we gave Meghan money for her second semester at university.  Both were more than happy.

I also made sure I built in a cushion for the grocery budget.  Well, actually, that was more by accident.  But I made sure I stopped spending seriously a good $200-300 before we ran out of money.  By the time Paul was done his shopping, we had enough money left for some liquor for the season.  As Christmas Eve was Lisa and Carl's third wedding anniversary, we sprang for some champagne for a toast.  I discovered my girls aren't drinkers.  At least, not wine.  Good thing to know.  Next year we won't buy so much.  We have an entire bottle of chardonnay we didn't even open!  And the merlot and zinfandel are only half gone.  The champagne didn't last though! LOL  So I guess I went over on the meal budget...with the champagne.  Still, it was not bad, and we were able to pay cash for everything.

So it is possible to do an all cash Christmas for us.  And to do it well.  Still not sure of the total cost for Christmas this year.  Hard to figure that out when most of the stuff used was already in the house.  I'm guessing food and gifts rang in at around $500, for a family of 6 adults, not counting the cash gifts to the girls.

I've been busy the last while.  Yesterday was Shopping Day.  In the morning Paul and I went over the Christmas budget.  We stopped by the bank and took out some money.  We want to do an all cash Christmas.  Then we headed off grocery shopping.  Picked up some baking supplies on sale.  That's okay.  They'll last me the rest of the year.  It was $110 for food. 

I challenged myself to no more than $30CAD/person /week for groceries in December.  As Meghan comes home half way through the month, and that means her boyfriend will be eating over supper meals probably about a quarter of the month (and then there's potlucks and company), I figured out a grocery budget of $340 would do it.  So far we've spent $290 and I have most of the food for the rest of the year.  From here on in it's specialty food and perishables.  I don't think they'll need much specialty food though.  I usually make all that stuff.

In the afternoon Paul and I went Christmas shopping.  I hit Dollarama for stocking stuffers.  A real haul for $12!  I stopped by Shoppers Drug Mart and wished I hadn't.  I got some nice things, but they were expensive.  The price on the shelf was less than the price of the item.  When I commented to the cashier, she said "Oh yeah, they're all $3.99" (the higher price).  I was not impressed.  Next time I'll stop by an office supply store for the items.  Then we stopped by a local craft wholesaler and Paul picked up some things for my stocking.    I picked up supplies for packaging and making gifts.

We also stopped at Sears where we found a sale on men's sweaters - 50% off.  I wasn't going to buy Paul sweaters again, even though they are on his wish list.  He received three last year for Christmas.  But at $25 each, how can you walk away?!  I had Paul try them on to check fit and style.  Picked up a couple for him.

After supper we picked up Lisa and headed out shopping again.  She had some errands to run in the area of town we wanted to go shopping in.  When we told her where we planned to go, she wondered out loud how we'd ever find time to do all that in the 1 1/2 hours we had.  I just laughed and told her 'Welcome to Mom's power shopping trip!' 

Power shopping only works if you've done your homework ahead of time and scouted out the best prices on things.  It requires focus.  People are not allowed to dawdle or get sidetracked.  This is a real challenge for me.  I pull in all my hyper-focusing skills to bear on this task!   It is also a test of your diplomatic skills and sense of humour.  Some people don't like being told they can't dawdle and impulse shop. 

Paul was hilarious in the morning when I was trying to plan the shopping trip.  I made him get out the wish lists and really think about what he wanted to buy people.  By mid-afternoon I knew exactly how much money he would have to purchase things outside of his own allowance.  Usually he takes the lists to the store the day before Christmas and panics trying to find things for people that he can afford.  Funny, this is our first cash only Christmas and we seem to have more money than in past Christmases.  I think it's all the making of Christmas gifts I'm doing.

While we were out last night we checked out MP3 players.  Paul really wants one this year for Christmas.  We also picked up ink cartridges for our computer printer.  Checked out Micheal's, Walmart (clothes), London Drugs, Best Buy and the Paderno store.  I tell you, by the time we got to Lisa's we were all pooped. 

Lisa treated us to tea while we talked about decorating her apartment.  She and Carl have the good basics for very nice interior decor.  But she is missing colour.  Carl likes it in neutrals...mostly whites, beiges, etc.  I made some suggestions for her.  I think she was bucking for a nice quiilt for the chesterfield.  But I don't think her modern style is suited to a quilt...unless it was a Gee's Bend type quilt...and I don't think that would appeal to her.

Today was bread baking day.  I made one loaf of sourdough bread and four loaves of whole wheat bread from "Not Just Beans".  I also made 2 loaves of sourdough banana bread, heavily modified, from Recipezaar on-line. 

I also put together several spice mixes for stocking stuffers.  I found tiny little glass jars with rubber lined lids at a local craft wholesaler, and put the spice mixes in those.  I printed out labels on the computer and attached them.  They actually look pretty professional.

I've also been sewing for Christmas.  I finished a couple scrunchies and potholders for Lisa.  I think I'll have to make some potholders for Meghan too.  Discovered Lisa is a little short on baking equipment.  Will have to help her out some throughout the year.  

I managed to sew a new cover for her new-to-her portable ironing board.  Had her try out her new-to-her iron...just to make sure she knew how to use it.  So far so good.  Sent it home with her Sunday night.

Yep, Christmas is just chugging along here...


 

I'm shifting into high gear here.  Not shopping gear.  Haven't reached shopping gear yet.  I hate shopping.  I'm trying to avoid it as much as possible this year.  Instead, I'm into making and baking gear!

I sat down with my trusty frugal cookbook, "Not Just Beans", Thursday night and a pad of sticky notes and started marking the pages.  Yep, I am making my gifts this year.  At least, as many as I can.  I am helped considerably by only giving to my own immediate family, and just a couple gift cards on their way out of province already.  It seems we will have an all cash Christmas.  At least, that's what it's shaping up like so far.

What am I making?  Well for starters if I didn't make peanut butter cups I'd be tossed out of the family.  But this year I just didn't have the heart to struggle with shopping for those little foil cups.  They cost an arm and a leg and they are hard to find here.  I just didn't want to spend $10 in gas to find them.  I decided I would take Tawra Jean Kellam's advice in her cookbook and just dip the peanut butter centers in chocolate and let cool on wax paper.  Worked like a charm!  Paul loves them...as always.  I had to whisk them away to the freezer right away upon cooling to keep them from being devoured.  I think Paul is ready for Christmas baking.  But I'm putting it off until Meghan arrives this week.

What else am I doing?  Well, there's this wonderful bath salts recipe in Tawra Jean's cookbook too.  (This really is some cookbook folks!)  It's simply sea salt, essential oils and food colouring.  I used peppermint essential oil in mine.  Right now they are in two jelly jars, but I'm thinking I may move them into snack size zippered bags for easier stuffing into stockings.

And then I made some spiced honey from "Not Just Beans".  Ooooh, so good!  2 2/3 c. honey, 3 cinnamon sticks, 12 cloves, and 1 lemon sliced in 6 slices.  Bring to a boil.  Put in jars with 2 slices lemon and 1 cinnamon stick per jar (get rid of the cloves), and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  It looks absolutely lovely!  (Wonderful taste on toast too!)

I noticed Lisa had a lot of food items on her Christmas list.  Well, that's a shoe in.  I'll make her the items and then give her the recipe with it, so she can make it herself from here on in.  Meanwhile, I went through the freezer looking for a sampling of excess food we could give to them.  I am going to need a bigger box.  However, they will have a hefty haul of food this year for Christmas.

Then this afternoon I pulled out my Christmas ornaments I started earlier in the year.  Every year I give the girls an ornament.  Usually I buy something special.  This year I've decided to make something special.  I worked on them while at crafting group.  They aren't finished yet, but when they are, I'll post on my crafting blog.

And then Lisa mentioned needing scrunchies earlier this fall.  So I'm sorting through my classy fabric looking for something suitable for her to wear to work.  So far so good.  Now to stitch them together.

Yes, Christmas is definitely on the way here.  Who knows, I might even have to go out shopping with Paul for a present for him.  I hope everyone is enjoying the season!

So we had this discussion the other day.  Meghan is 21 years old and coming home for Christmas...probably for the last time.  We weren't going to do stockings this year.  But the thought of it being her last Christmas, plus the knowledge that Meghan does not handle change well, made us reconsider.  

Stockings are an extra expense, one thing I shudder at.  I find I can easily spend an extra $25-50 on stocking stuffers.  I determine every year that if I'm going to spend that much money, it's going to be on useful stuff!  Not hard.  Meghan is a university student living in residence.  Those cheap planners, pens, office supplies, food, soap, etc. are all fair game.

This year I am feeling particularly poor for some reason.  Well, not poor, just reluctant to spend money on things.  The girls really need the money to pay down student loans and for university.  So I headed to my gift box.

What is a gift box?  It is a box filled with potential gifts that I collect throughout the year.  I...

• scour garage sales,
• pick up things for free on-line,
• buy on sale,
• make things,
• add things I've won, and
• put items to re-gift in this box. 

I've also put a bunch of stuff I inherited from Mom in there.  It's quite an overflowing box.  I go to it first for all my gift giving needs.  This year there was enough there to fill a stocking for Meghan.  Though I may head out for some pens for her for university.

Some people have so many of these potential gifts that they actually have a gift closet in their homes.  This can get old quickly.  And you end up with a wonderful closet of old out-of-date stuff.  So if you're one of those people, be careful!  If it isn't used, then it is a waste of money.

Well I'm sick again.  That seems to be my state of affairs this winter.  Sigh.  But, I am not going to let that get me down.  Today is baking day with Lisa.  Actually, I'm sitting in the comfy reading chair she hauled into the kitchen from the dining room, visiting with her while she bakes.  My job was to provide afternoon tea, which Paul joined us for.  Can you imagine it?  Paul, a tall gangly man, and Lisa, both immersed in genealogy, drinking tea out of fine china teacups (we agreed we may as well, seeing as the only teapot big enough for tea for all of us was the china one!).  Well, it was a nice time...a bit unorthodox for a 'tea party', that's for sure.  We limited ourselves to one cookie each.  Lisa is very protective of the product of her efforts! LOL 

Yesterday was a fun day for us...at least...until I got sick.   We managed some grocery shopping in the morning.  I didn't really need to do it, but when you only have one car in a family sometimes you have to do a little planning ahead.  It's cold here now, and Paul likes to take the car to work.  Meaning I can't do my shopping during the day.  In the evenings I'm usually out somewhere.  So, knowing I'd run out of stuff by next weekend, I decided we'd better do the shopping yesterday morning. 

The trip wasn't bad...another $65 trip.  However I did manage to acquire quite a bit for the stockpile, and supplies for Christmas baking.  So I think it was actually very good.  I have enough food till the 15th now - our next payday.  I was disappointed I couldn't figure out how to print coupons off the Internet for Superstore.  I could have used them for sure.  Oh well...something to work on for next week.

After grocery shopping, we headed to the nearest Chapter's for the only two out-of-family Christmas presents I am buying this year - gift cards.  I have them all packaged up in Christmas cards and ready to mail. 

My gift giving philosophy:  I am not a big fan of gift giving to friends and acquaintances.  It's easy to break the bank on that.  Plus I've seen too many people trying to outdo each other with gifts.  I find that kind of sad.  If you're a real friend, why are you competing with them?  True friends accept each other for who they are, not what they can get out of each other!  And would you want your friend to go into debt for you over a gift?  I would view that as an insult to everything I believe in. 

Now, making a gift for a friend is another matter.  But you still have to be careful of the one-up-man-ship.  Personally, when I hear people quizzing me up as to whether I am a gift giver, I just head the other way...fast.  Sometimes people only want relationships for what they can get out of them.  Those aren't friends...those are users. 

Still, I love being able to give.  It makes me happy to give.  So I find affordable ways to give that won't embarass family and friends.  Often it's baking or food treats.  I make chocolates and give baskets to entire families.  Baskets that I make up myself.  Such as the movie night basket with popcorn (on sale), recipes off the Internet for different types of popcorn treats, licorice, and movie rental gift certificates.   

When I was growing up one of my favourite Christmas presents was when Mom's Dutch friend came over with a single large loaf of Christmas bread with fruit in it.  My!  How I loved that stuff!  With nine of us eating, it vanished quickly.  I've since learned to make my own...but it never quite turns out like I remember hers somehow...

As an adult my most memorable gift was the Banana Fudge Bars, complete with recipe, that came from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law one year for Christmas.  It has become a family staple.

But I digress...back to yesterday...

We came home, had lunch, realized we would be late getting to church for an event, phoned to tell them, hopped in the car and drove as fast as we could.  Got there to find everyone had left to go to this out-of-town event before us.  We were a bit surprised.  Paul suggested we stop by home on our way out of town and pick up our swimsuits, etc. for a stop at the spa on the way home after this event.  We headed to the event - a well known Christmas concert - and had an absolutely wonderful time.  We talked about it on the way to the spa.  Had a wonderful, if expensive, dip in the hot pool.  It was great for my back.  Then headed over to Boston Pizza for supper.

Somewhere between the pool and the restaurant my stomach started doing funny things, and I had this incredible gas.  I don't know...  I managed to get supper down, but we didn't have anything other than a small pizza and a meal sized salad and went right home.  Paul asked me questions about my faith and church the whole way home.  I didn't have a chance to be sick.  It was a good 'discussion'. 

By the time I saw my living room that couch had my name emblazoned on it! LOL  I crashed while Paul put things away and cleaned up a bit.  Then we watched some library DVDs...me with a bucket beside me...just in case.  Anyway...that's all probably TMI, but you know, even when you're sick, good things can happen.

And my good thing to leave you with today?

Banana Fudge Bars

4 tbsp. cocoa (or 2 squares unsweetened chocolate)
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c. + 1 tbsp.  vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. mashed bananas
1/4 - 1/2 c. slivered almonds/chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients in an 8x8" microwavable baking dish.  Combine moist ingredients.  Mix moist into dry, blending well.  Add nuts and bananas last.  Bake in microwve for 12 minutes at medium, rotating 1/4 turn every 3 minutes OR bake in oven for 50 minutes at 350 F.  Leave to cool in microwave if you cook it there.  Eat!!  Serving idea: This recipe is deadly with vanilla bean ice-cream and chocolate sauce!

Enjoy!