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One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.


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What’s In My Food – Commercial Bread

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bread

I don’t know if you have heard the latest buzz around Subway’s plans to remove a compound from their bread that is also found in yoga mats?  It comes after the Environmental Working Group found azodicarbonamide was an ingredient in almost 500 food products.  Turns out, the compound, is found in lots of commercial baked breads–and depending on who you ask, it is present in benign amounts or is potentially harmful in any amount {don’t it always seem to go?}.

The chemical is used to help maintain breads dough-y {that’s totally a word} texture.  Opponents of the chemical say that it can lead to asthma and other respiratory issues, but again, the amount it takes for that is up for debate.  The FDA has approved the use of azodicarbonamide for consumption as long as stays within 45 parts per million in the dough–which commercial breads do.  {I have to admit, I don’t always feel safer when I hear the FDA has approved something.}

An online petition started by the foodbabe.com is what led Subway to remove the ingredient from their bread–which goes to show the power the consumer actually has over product ingredients.

So, what do you think, do you care about azodicarbonmide in your bread?  Or are you okay with allowable amounts?

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Mavis Garden Blog – How Do You Grow Onions?

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mavis butterfield garden blog

The Girl and I were at the garden center the other day when I noticed a sack of onion bulbs for sale. Which reminded me of the Anderson Island Farm my online boyfriend Ryan and I visited last summer. One of the things I remembered about the gardens was that their onions were HUGE for it only being the end of May.

onion sets

Which got me to thinking, what is the best way to grow onions? I mean if you going for taste, that is one thing, but if you simply want to harvest onions as earliest as possible, which ones would you want to grow?onion bulbs and sets

Onion bulbs from the garden center, start onions from seed in January under grow lights, or buy them as onion starts in late winter from your local garden center or garden show? Do you know the answer? I sure don’t.

mavis butterfield

So this year I’m going to find out.  The onion starts I purchased at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show  were planted about a month ago. Yesterday I planted 60 onion bulbs and 20 or so onion seedlings in rows between my 3 Brussels sprout plants.

lucy the puggle dog in the garden

The garden bed was approved by Lucy the Puggle Dog of course. 😉

So what do YOU think? Which onions will I be harvesting first?

Bulbs, starts or seedlings?

~Mavis

Update: The garden bulbs came up first!!! 🙂

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Pop Up Greenhouse, Nesco Dehydrator Deals, Bob’s Red Mill, Mattress $119 Shipped, Pie Plates and More

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lucy the puggle dog

What a life this dog has. Seriously. How relaxed would you have to be to sleep like that?

Have a great Thursday everyone,

♥ Mavis

amazon deal of the day

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Origami 4-Shelf Steel Collapsible Storage Rack with Wheels and the Dyson DC25 Multi Floor Upright Vacuum, Yellow {Factory Reconditioned}

nesco food dehydratorLooking for a Dehydrator? Here are a few deals:

How to Make Cinnamon Apple ChipsStock up on fruit when it’s on sale and dehydrate it for a delicious snack. Get my recipe for How to Make Apple Chips or Pin it for Later.

natural foods

Vitacost is having a big Save an Extra 20% off Sale on Natural Foods. Go HERE to get a $10 off any $30 purchase coupon code.

eating well magazine

pop up greenhouse

Wow, here’s an old photo. 😉 Amazon currently has the FlowerHouse Pop-Up Plant House on sale for just $29.71. It’s the one I used for several years before I purchased my glass greenhouse and it was perfect for protecting plants in early spring.

mattress

Looking for an inexpensive mattress? These Signature Sleep Contour 8-Inch Mattress come highly rated by fellow Amazon shoppers and they prices are very inexpensive.

  • Twin Mattress $119 shipped
  • Full Mattress $159 shipped
  • Queen Mattress $179 shipped
  • King Mattress $254.98 shipped

Go HERE to check out the mattresses and read the reviews.

fiesta pie plates

Calling all you master bakers, Amazon has Fiesta Pie Plates on sale stating at $16.99. These are great for showcasing your homemade holiday pies.

jewelry deals

Here are a few jewelry deals I spotted:

under armour coupons

Today Zulily is big Under Armour Sale  with deals for the whole family.

sabre pepper spray

Amazon has SABRE RED Police Strength Pepper Spray with Quick Release Key Ring & 25 shots for $8.71.

amazon local deals

Amazon Local Deals –

baby leggings

Free Baby Leggings – Just pay shipping

Click on “Shop Now” and select any 5 baby leggings you like!

Once you have made your selection, you’ll automatically be directed to the shopping bag. Enter the promo code “ENBABY” and 100% off the cost of your selected baby leggings – all you pay are the Shipping fees! {About $2.59 a pair}

FREEBIES-for-MomsDon’t forget to check out these other Freebies for Moms as well.

garnier-fructis-pure-clean-shampoo-conditioner coupon

Print a coupon good for $1.00 off GARNIER FRUCTIS Shampoo & Conditioner

Find More Printable Coupons

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Butternut Squash Pasta

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Butternut Squash Pasta

I was looking for a good recipe to use up the butternut squash I just bought. My friend Jane came to my rescue with this awesome pasta recipe. She made a pumpkin version of it that was so delicious. So I made the squash version of it and it didn’t disappoint.  It’s like spaghetti on crack. I couldn’t stop eating it, and the HH kept trying to stop me so there would be leftovers to take in his lunch tomorrow. I’d say that makes it a hit!

fresh organic spinachIngredients

1 pound pasta {any kind will do}
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 handfuls of chopped spinach, kale or swiss chard
3 1/2 cups cooked and pureed butternut squash
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons pesto {How to Make and Freeze Pesto}
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

roasted butternut squash

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the spinach until wilted but not browned. Add the squash, broth and pesto, stirring to combine. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. In a small bowl, mix one cup of the cooked sauce with the cornstarch and stir well with a fork until completely dissolved. Add this back into the sauce pan and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir gently to coat. You can stop at this step and serve this dish as is, or continue with the next step to make a pasta casserole.

Pour into a 2 quart baking dish AND an 8-inch loaf pan, both greased with cooking spray {might seem like an odd pan combo, but all the pasta fits into it perfectly}. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy.
Thy-Hand-Hath-Provided-Recipe-Book

If you love this recipe, you’ll love all the rest of Jane’s recipe found in her delicious cookbook: Thy Hand Hath Provided Cookbook. It’s simply AWESOME! She even has it on Amazon as an eBook!

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Mavis Butterfield Etsy