One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1683 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.

Clothesline Vs. Clothes Dryer

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By Mavis Butterfield on February 22, 2013 · 80 Comments

Last week I saw the above photo on my friend Jane’s Blog. She was talking about simplicity.

Now I’m not allowed to have a clothesline in the neighborhood I live in, and there is no way on earth the HH would approve of a clothes line in our backyard either, but some part of me wishes I still could have one. When I was younger, my grandmother line dried a lot of things–I loved the smell of the stiff towels after a bath. A little nostalgic, I know, but there is something basic about towels and sheets blowing in the breeze out on the line.

Memories aside, which method do you think is better? On one hand, line drying prevents the inevitable shrinking that repeated machine drying always brings, but on the other, the clothes end up a bit stiff. Throwing clothes into the dryer takes seconds, while taking them out to the line requires mild weather and a time commitment. Line drying costs next to nothing after initial set-up, while it is estimated that drying clothes in a dryer will cost approximately $1500 plus over the course of the life of the dryer {Holy Cow People!}. Line drying is also definitely more environmentally responsible. Still, many neighborhoods, like my own, do not allow clotheslines.

So with that “laundry list” of pros and cons out there, what do YOU prefer?

~Mavis

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How to Plant Raspberry Canes

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By Mavis Butterfield on February 22, 2013 · 10 Comments

We’ve been growing raspberries in our backyard for 4 years now. 2 years ago we had a bumper crop. Last year, not so much. But after a recent inspection of the canes, things are looking good for this year and we are excited. If you have never grown raspberries before, give them a try. They do take a few years to really get going, but trust me, they are worth the wait.

Brief Description: Raspberries are a sweet delicate fruit. An established raspberry patch pays for itself very quickly, as they are typically super expensive to buy. {If you decide to buy them in bulk as I did, they will look like this. Basically a bunch of roots. You can place an order online or simply go to your local feed or hardware store to pick some up. Individual canes run about $1-4 depending on the variety. 3 years ago I placed an order for 100 Cascade Delight canes I purchased from Spooner Farms in Puyallup, Washington.}

Where to Plant: Raspberries require 1-2 inches of water per week during the growing season, so plant in an area with adequate access to water. They need full sun and good air circulation, so avoid planting them next to a building or fence.

Growing Tips: Once established, raspberries must be pruned. Consult with your local nursery on how to prune, as different varieties have different needs.

How to Plant: I created 7 rows of raised beds each about 8″ high. I filled the rows with a mixture of old compost and topsoil and covered the roots with about 2″ of dirt. I then planted the canes about 1′ apart {the experts say plant them 2′ apart, but I’m a rebel}.

My raspberry patch has 7 beds with each bed about 12 feet long. I left 2 feet between the rows for walking. I also installed 6′ posts at the end of each row and stung string {you are suppose to use wire} at 3′ and 5′ heights to support the canes.

How to Harvest: Pick the berries when they are a deep red color {or whatever color is appropriate for the variety you chose.} They should be soft, but not squishy. You should be able to pull them from the cane quite easily, if you need to tug, they are not ready.

My Favorite Raspberry Recipes:

Raspberry Buckle

Raspberry Sorbet

Little Known Fact: About 90% of all the raspberries sold in the United States come from Washington, Oregon, and California.

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Northwest Home and Garden Show – Tool Sheds, Olive Baskets, Hydroponics, Mushrooms, Tree Faces, Wooden Brooms + More

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By Mavis Butterfield on February 22, 2013 · 7 Comments

What do you think of these hydroponic towers? There must have been 3 or 4 different vendors selling the same basic type of set up. I don’t know through, there is something about planting seeds in dirt and walking outside and working the land that appeals to me. I can’t imagine this would give me the same feeling.

And the olive buckets. Every upscale garden center around is selling them. I think even Pottery Barn is caring them. Yes they look cool, but $89 for a galvanized bucket with holes? Hmmmm.

I also thought these greenhouse benches were pretty cool too and I really liked the counter tops. They’d be perfect as a potting bench.

If you are thinking about growing mushrooms from a starter kit, Fungiperfecti is a local company and I have always has great success with their products.

How cool would these glowing balls be dangling from the ceiling be? Pretty awesome if you ask me.

I could have sat in the gardening section of University Bookstores booth for hours.

I can totally see a tree face in my future.

And these wooden brooms. You couldn’t walk past 20 people without someone carrying one. I’m not sure how much they were { I didn’t want to get sucked into buying one by stopping and listening to the demonstration} but I hope the lady works on commision because she sold a ton of them.

And last but not least…

What a gorgeous garden display. My only question was, when can I move in? If you can swing it, try and make it to this years Northwest Home and Garden show. It will give you enough ideas to keep you inspired for years.

~Mavis

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Roasted Chicken Salad with Cranberries

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By Mavis Butterfield on February 21, 2013 · 1 Comment

The next time you have a wee bit of leftover roasted chicken, this quick and easy recipe for roasted chicken salad with cranberries will take you a whopping 2 minutes to throw together.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 roasted chicken breast, sliced
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
a few slices of red onion
2 ounces salad greens {I used Mesclun}
2 tablespoons Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions

Lay the salad greens on a dinner plate followed by the pecans, cranberries, feta and red onion. Place the roasted chicken on top and drizzle the dressing over the top.

Enjoy!

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