One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1631 of 2143 - 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.

Easy Kitchen Tip – Shred Chicken in a Stand Mixer

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 11, 2013 · 17 Comments

On Monday I picked up my bulk order of chicken breasts. Homemade tacos are on the menu at least once a week around here so I went ahead filled my 2 favorite crock pots with 8 chicken breasts each and added a batch of my DIY Taco Seasoning and let them cook on high for about 4 hours.

Once the chicken was done cooking I let it cool a little bit and then tossed the chicken breasts {4 at a time} into my KitchenAid mixing bowl and added the paddle attachment.

I turned the mixer on low and let the paddle work it’s magic and about 20 seconds later I had a bowl full of shredded chicken without even having to get my hands dirty.

After shredding the chicken, I weighed half pound portions of seasoned chicken and placed them in freezer bags. Now I have plenty meat cooked and ready to go for the next 16 tacos nights.

Talk about a pretty awesome time saver!

Have you ever shredded your chicken in your mixer before? Pretty cool huh?

Keep it simple,

~Mavis

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Backyard Gardening – Thinning Out Raspberry Canes

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 11, 2013 · 15 Comments

This morning Lucy the puggle dog and I went out to the raspberry patch to do a little weeding.

Every year around this time, new raspberry growth starts popping up between the rows and I have to get out there and do some serious weeding before the new canes begin to take over the paths.

In 2011 we had a bumper crop of raspberries, but last year was just so-so. I think it may have had something to do with me tossing a boatload of Tagro at the base of the canes but who knows, maybe it was just an off year. Fingers crossed this year will be better.

That is, as long as I can keep Lucy from turning the raspberry canes in to little nubs of nothingness.

I’m beginning to think pets and gardening are not such a good idea after all. Or maybe it’s just puppies and gardening that don’t mix.

Neat and tidy rows. Just the way I like it.

Are YOU growing raspberries this year? If so, do you know what variety?

We are growing Cascade Delight raspberries and they are da’ bomb! If you are local and you’d like to buy some, you can find them at Spooner Farms in Puyallup, Washington.

~Mavis

Thinking about planting raspberry canes this year? Check out my How to Plant Raspberrie Canes Guide

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Canning 101 – Strawberry Chipotle Jam Recipe

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 11, 2013 · 8 Comments

This morning I whipped up a batch of chipotle strawberry jam. Thanks to all those fresh berries I picked up from Mr. Produce Guy a few days ago I was able to get a jump start on canning season this year.

Strawberry chipotle jam has a bit of a kick to it and I like to serve it with a hunk of rustic bread or alongside cheese and crackers {this jam over a block of cream cheese is awesome!}.

Strawberry Chipotle Jam Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups {1 1/2 pounds} fresh strawberries , chopped
3 chipotle peppers , minced {canned}
3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin

Instructions

Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
In a 6 – 8 quart sauce pot, combine the strawberries, peppers, lemon juice and pectin and stir.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {7} 1/2 pints.

A few of my favorite canning books:

The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook
Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Put ’em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide
Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen

See More of my Canning Recipes HERE

Need a canner? I used the Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack. And if you need a tool kit, I use one similar to this one.

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Travel Tips – 10 Things to Do Before You Leave on Vacation

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 11, 2013 · 13 Comments

If you have followed by blog, you know I LOVE to travel. I have learned over the years {through a trial and error–well, mostly error} that a little preparation goes a long way when it comes to getting the most out of vacations.

Here’s 10 tips to try BEFORE you leave on vacation to ensure you have a great vacation and an easy transition once you return home:

Use up all of the food in the fridge. A week or two before I leave, I start to look at my perishables and plan around them. Wasted food is a pet-peeve, so I try to use it all up.
Go through your purse/wallet and remove any extras you don’t need. There’s no need to bring extra credit cards, etc., especially should you lose your wallet/purse or have it stolen. Removing the items means less hassle. I like to travel with a money belt.
Remember to close you curtains/blinds. Lock all of your doors. Unplug any unnecessary electronics, etc. Let your neighbors know that you will be gone, so that they can keep an eye on your house.
Stop mail or arrange for a friend/family member to pick it up. Nothing says “I’m gone” like a back-log of mail in the box.
Turn down your water heater {I know some people who turn their water off completely}. Turn up/down your thermostat. No need to pay for heating and cooling if you aren’t going to be there.
Water your plants.
Arrange for a dog/house sitter, if necessary. It’s best to do this in advance, in case your pet needs additional vaccines before going to the kennel.
Remember your chargers. Pack cell phone and laptop chargers.
Do ALL your laundry ahead of time. That way, when you get home, you’ll have clean clothes while you are doing laundry from your trip.
Take out the garbage. Man-oh-man, nothing says “welcome home” like stinky garbage. {I’ve learned this lesson the hard way.}

How about you, do you have any tried-and-true vacation preps that you use?

~Mavis

Looking for more Travel Tips? See the full list of Travel Tips HERE!

National Geographic Traveler Magazine – It’s awesome!

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