Frugal In Florida

Hello! Have you missed the weekly menu plan from me the past two weeks?  I've been busy and traveling and quite honestly, did NOT make a plan that was stuck with ... I was more concerned with using what we had on hand before leaving town! We spent a good chunk of time with family and it was so great to see everyone!  Of course, my last day out of town and my dad fell in the middle of the night, broke his wrist and while at the hospital they noticed that he has kidney issues and a heart valve issue. Both of which he has had for a while but for whatever reason, they wanted to do more testing on him. *Cardiologist has just informed him that there is nothing to be done at this time*. So that was my excitement! Is everyone else in a state of denial that it's DECEMBER? You've got to be kidding me!! We have this weekend and next to prep for our big party ... feeling slightly stressed, you know? :-) On the other hand, I was excited to dig out my "Stay Calm and Get Your H

We went to see family in NW Indiana and boy, after the weekend rain, it got chilly (and thank you for the light dusting of snow on Thanksgiving!) ... Hubby and I had agreed that we should make this soup since the original recipe came from my sister in law and it had been awhile since we made it ... a quick stop at Costco (and a couple hundred dollars less), we had the essentials to making this! New England style is creamy ... Manhattan is red and chunky. And if you've been reading for any length of time, you probably picked up that Hubby HATES chunky tomatoes in cooked dishes. For someone who is a big fan of food, he certainly can be picky at times ;-) Just for the record, I do not like clam chowder, normally. And this recipe, I mean, all the ingredients were pretty much processed and well, I'm trying to avoid that stuff ... but, heck, its the holiday and we are with a large family ... so why not! Yes, it is a little indulgent and I would suggest you not make it e

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving ... and don't forget to make yourself a Hot Brown with the leftover turkey (recipe will be reposted) ...  Count your blessing, an remember how many things there really are in life to be thankful for. We forget on a day to day basis how blessed we really are. 

I'm not a big Thanksgiving fan ... and every year, Hubby and I will lay in bed one night leding up to the big feast and discuss my 'issues' and what memories we have. Him? He LOVES Thanksgiving ... and it's a big deal when it comes down to it. My only real vivid memory is the scolding, ridiculing and just plain misery as I wouldn't eat any of 'that' food when I was a kid. Picky? You bet. Which is why I can sympathize with the Boy and why I always make sure to make a large tray of mac and cheese ... just one of those things that I can so relate to .... I like turkey nowadays ... thankfully, but after 2 full days of breakfast, lunch AND dinner, I get a little fed up with it ... so after we had this at the Brown Hotel a few years back, I had kept it tucked away in the back of my mind ... I made it a few times ... but never really after Thanksgiving ... and then it became a Saturday or Sunday night tradition ...  So if  you are like ME and get a lit