Frugal In Florida

Now that Hubby has officially joined the ranks of unemployment, I'm trying really hard not to spend frivolously on food ... yeah, it's so much easier said than done ... Regardless, all that matters is that I at least TRY, right? And try I will ... So ...with Father's day come and gone, I think I have a few weeks to really, REALLY concentrate and get the freezers organized. If nothing else, Hubby will be grabbing stuff out to cook and consume ... although, his eyes are WAAAAY bigger than our tummies combined ... need to work on that just a bit :-) Here's what we are planning ... Sunday - Father's Day ... Hubby decided he wanted skin and bone chicken ... good grief. Of all things, I don't have that ... so I stopped at the store, picked up some thighs, super sweet corn, wedge salad Monday -  chef salads all around ... Sonny Boy made pizza too (freezer) and we all had a slice of that to go along with the massive salads Tuesday - ranch pork chops (...

I have a pretty set routine in the morning ... and really TRY to wake up at the same time Monday thru Friday ... some days it works, other days, not so much. So this past Wednesday, it was one of them off days. 7am and I'm still in my pajamas, mascara smudged under my eyes, my hair in a half-ass pony tail and just trudging along with my third cup of coffee. Go to the front window and do the left to right sweep ... pickup and 2 cars are in MY drive, check, both kids are home and no one stole the pickup ... newspaper is there, continue on to the right, neighbors must have dropped a red shirt or something when they got out of their car last night, continue to the right, oh there's kitty ... sweep back to the left, why is Mr. Watt's looking under his car? WAIT!! Mr. Watts would NOT be looking under his car as he's old and walks with a cane. I yelled out to Hubby "call 911 and tell them we need an ambulance right away!" And off I went out the front door. ...

After the big shop on Saturday and the fact that Hubby will be home more during the week I am hoping to have a BETTER week than last week ... we went out TWICE last week (once to Sweet Tomatoes and the other time was a new local pub we discovered) ... and it was just a hectic week to boot for me at work and the last thing I wanted to do was cook when I got home.   I DID make the ranch pork chops ... we didn't eat them that night but man, they were DELICIOUS and I will need to get the recipe up here this week! Was really glad that Hubby got the premade mashed potatoes out of the guest fridge and heated them up to eat with the chops. He also told me they are definitely on for a remake ... I need to try again with more homemade ingredients instead of the premade stuff ...  Because I made some real crappy food choices last week, this week will be heavy on veggies and such ...  Here's what I'm planning: Sunday - Spaghetti with a nice salad and garlic bread ... would l...

Hubby was informed Friday morning that he was part of the restructuring plan and let go from his job that day. We suspected it would be happening sooner than later, and actually, I think he was TIRED of the waiting game. When one company buys out another, the one being taken over are generally the losers in duplicate positions.  So ... he will be home for a little while taking care of things around the house, getting the boat project started and finished, and hopefully, a small trip north to see his dad for a week or so, alone. Worried? Not really. He's a pretty resourceful guy AND I have the utmost confidence that something with a perfect fit will come along. Hoping it won't take 18 months like the last time and really hoping something comes by the end of the year ... but we will have to wait and see. So with that, I felt compelled to make the trip to Costco ... we needed a few things that I only buy from there, plus, he will be home and cooking so why not? :-) Here'...

I try so very hard to stay away from grains and such, specifically, BREAD ... I love bread but it doesn't necessarily share the same affection for me ... But if I'm going to any Italian restaurant, you better believe I'm eating ALL the bread they bring to the table. Hubby knows that too ... so he grabs his single piece to set aside while I seriously stuff my face. How embarrassing it must be for my table mates ... Take me to Carrabbas and don't worry about feeding me anything BUT the bread and that dipping stuff ... OMG ... I've died and gone to heaven. I make a version of this for parties ... but it's not real heavy on stuff, just a lot of olive oil, a dash of red pepper flakes, a dash of garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. If I'm up to it and have it, I will also add a small amount of shredded Parmesan cheese, but most of the time, not. All ingredients are eyeballed and we are good to go. Not really a party friendly food in that everyone ...