One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 783 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.

The Church Lady Picks Kale, $1.50 Lavender Plants, and a Trip to the Thrift Store

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By Mavis Butterfield on July 22, 2015 · 21 Comments

Yesterday was a great day here in the Pacific Northwest. The weather was in the mid 70’s {just right if you ask me} and Lucy and I spent most of our time working in the backyard on a bunch of mini projects.

My friend The Church Lady even stopped by on her walk around the neighborhood and talked for a bit. I gave her a few zucchini from the garden and as she was leaving she asked if that was kale growing in the front flower bed. YES IT IS! Go ahead and take some, I told her.

After picking another round of patty pan squash I decided to pull up the plants.

Patty pan squash take up a lot of room. Too much room if they are planted in a garden box if you ask me. Lesson learned. Next summer I will plant the cute little flying saucer looking squash in a big garden bed.

Beets! Have you started to think about your Thanksgiving menu yet? Well now is the time to get your root crops like beets, turnips and carrots planted if you plan on serving a big platter of roasted veggies at the supper table this fall.

Guess what I found yesterday waiting for me on the perennial clearance racks at The Home Depot? English lavender!!! Giddy up. I’ve been eyeballing the plants ever since they came in about a month ago. The price tag was $3.98 a piece when they first arrived {more than I wanted to pay} so I waited patiently hoping they’d appear on the clearance racks at a reduced price. I scored 14 for $1.50 apiece. Bring on the bees!

And last but not least, my dishwashing dreams have come true. I snagged a red KitchenAid dishwasher rack for $4.50 at our local thrift store on the way home from running errands yesterday. This puppy runs about $35 on Amazon. I was beyond thrilled.

What’s going on with YOU lately? Have you scored any super deals?

~Mavis

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Free Kindle Books, Razors, Running Shoes, Tea Detox, What is Compost and Why is Compost so Important? + More

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By Mavis Butterfield on July 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Word of the Day: Amazon Definition: A woman of masculine characteristics, the fighting Amazons in literature Used in a sentence: She has the appearance of an amazon.

Lucy the puggle princess and I had the best day in the garden yesterday! I’ll share some pictures with you in just a few, but in the meantime, here are the latest deals:

♥ Mavis

*This deal post will be updated throughout the day so be sure and check back for deals.

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Up to 65% Off Select MEElectronics Bluetooth Headphones

Amazon Bonus Deal of the Day – 75% or More Off Calvin Klein Watches

Available Kindle Books I think are cool…

Container Gardening Made Easy Free
Afternoon Tea: Downton Abbey Style Free
The American Home Front: 1941-1942 $1.99
Delicious Meatloaf Cookbook: Your Ultimate Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook Free
150 Home Canning Recipes For Canning and Preserving Free
Bacon & Butter: The Ultimate Ketogenic Diet Cookbook $2.99
Save MORE, Earn MORE! Free
Times Tables the Fun Way Book for Kids Free

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Amazon Subscribe and Save Deals:

Gillette Mach3 Sensitive Disposable Razor for Men, 3 Count $3.26 shipped when you clip the $3.00 off coupon and use the subscribe and save option.
Gillette Venus Tropical Disposable Women’s Razor 3 Count $3.62 shipped when you clip the $3.00 off coupon and use the subscribe and save option.
Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix Canister, 82.5 Ounce $7.55 shipped when you clip the 20% off coupon and use subscribe and save.
General Mills Party Pack, Fruit Fusion Assorted Flavors, 24 count, 9.96 oz, (Pack of 3) $8.99 shipped when you clip the 20% off coupon and use subscribe and save.
Carrington Tea, Cinnamon Apple, 20 Tea Bags (Pack of 6) $8.14 shipped when you clip the 15% off coupon and use subscribe and save.
YumEarth Organic Super Sour Lollipops, 3 Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6) $9.98 shipped when you clip the 15% off coupon and use the subscribe and save option at checkout.
Bob’s Red Mill Granola, Honey Almond, 18-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4) $11.87 shipped with subscribe and save.
Bob’s Red Mill Oats Rolled Regular, 32-Ounce (Pack of 4) $13.20 shipped with subscribe and save.

Learn all about compost in this What is Compost and Why is Compost so Important? post. You’ll be a compost expert after you’ve read it. Promise. Find more cool projects on my Gardening Tips and Tricks Pinterest Board.

6pm has the Avia 5024 Running/Walking Shoe in sale for $21.99 shipped!

Cents of Style is offering Bangle Sets for $4.99 plus FREE SHIPPING when you use code BANGLESET at checkout.

Groupon has the Skinny Green Tea 14- or 28-Day Lyfe Teatox on sale for $19.99! The morning detox tea provides a boost of energy & helps suppress the appetite, while the evening detox tea helps clean out the digestive tract. New to Groupon? Join Groupon Here!

If you do a lot of canning, Amazon has 1.5 Lbs of Hoosier Hill Farm Clear Jel on sale for $11.99 and it ships FREE with Amazon Prime.

Amazon also has the 12 pack of Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers in 12 Assorted Colors for $7.75. These ship FREE with Amazon Prime.

Zulily has Keen Shoes on Sale for the Whole Family with savings up to 50% off! New to Zulily? Go HERE to Sign Up.

Amazon has the highly rated Eureka AS2113A Bagless Upright Vacuum in Pacific Blue on sale for $58.19 shipped! This is an AWESOME deal.

Discount Mags is offering a 1 year subscription to AllRecipes Magazine for only $4.99 a year when you use code MAVIS at checkout. This deal will expire 7/23/15 at midnight EST.

Asian Chicken Wrap – These make for a delicious gourmet-like lunch. Get the recipe HERE or Pin it for Later. Find more recipes on my Healthy Wraps Pinterest Board.

Williams-Sonoma is offering FREE shipping today with code FREESHIP at checkout. Be sure and check out the 75% off clearance section!!!

REI Outlet Deal of the Day – Columbia Morning Charmer Rain Jacket $49.73 {was $100}

Amazon has the RND Slim-Fit Active Sports Armband Case for iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S4 S5 and S6 on sale for $7.99 and it comes in 3 colors. Perfect for workouts!

The Home Depot Special Buy of the Day – 45% OFF SELECT AIR FILTERS

My favorite Crock Pot is on sale!!!! Amazon has the Crock-Pot Cook’ N Carry 6-Quart Oval Manual Portable Slow Cooker, Red on sale for $27.99. I LOVE the snap down lid!

Gymboree is offering 25% off new arrivals plus FREE Shipping {with no minimum}. If you have Gymbucks to spend, now is the time to redeem them!!

Amazon has 30 Kids eBooks on sale for $1.00 each. Go HERE to see the titles available.

Check out these New Printable Coupons:

$1.00 off any 2 packages of Flipz
Buy 1 Any Horizon Snack Crackers and get 1 free
$3.50 off 25 Fancy Feast single cans wet cat food
$1.00 off any TWO (2) Select Dog Snacks
$0.75 off ONE Caress 3-bar pack
$1.50 off any TWO (2) Carefree Products
$1.05 off (1) Energizer batteries or flashlight
$1.05 off (1) Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter
$1.00 off 2 Bagel Bites Frozen Products

Find More Printable Coupons

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The Best Ever Peach Pie

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By Mavis Butterfield on July 21, 2015 · 13 Comments

I spotted this recipe over on eatocracy last summer and immediately noticed it had 2 things going for it.

1. You can never go wrong with a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. Ever.
2. Pectin was in the list of ingredients. Which is totally weird.

So I tried it and it was magic in my mouth. I served it up with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream and it was the perfect combination. Go figure that if it’s been tried and tested by America’s Test Kitchen it’s going to make your mouth water {and your house smell freakin’ amazing too!}.

Ingredients

3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice {I only used juice because I didn’t have a fresh lemon}
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 double pie crust {my favorite pie crust recipe}
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg {for egg wash}
Extra sugar to sprinkle over the top of the pie {I used sparkling sugar}

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Set aside at room temperature for about 30 minutes. While peaches are resting, combine pectin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl and set aside.

Roll both pie crusts into {2} 12-inch circles on lightly floured counter. Set one pie crust aside and transfer the second one to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. With a sharp pairing knife or pastry wheel, cut crust into ten 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Freeze strips on the sheet until frozen, about 30 minutes.

Fit the remaining pie crust into a greased 9-inch pie dish. Fold the edges over and crimp as desired, wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes or so.

Adjust your oven rack to its lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a colander set in a large bowl, drain remaining peach mixture. Return peach pieces to bowl, toss with cornstarch and set aside. Transfer captured peach juice to a large skillet, add pectin mixture, and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until mixture becomes slightly thick and pectin is dissolved, stirring often. Remove from heat, and stir in peach pieces.

Remove crust-lined pie plate from fridge and pour in peach mixture.

Take the frozen strips from the freezer and let stand at room temperature until softened slightly but still quite cold.

Place dough strips in a criss-cross fashion on top of the peach mixture {you can do some fancy lattice work here or any design your little heart desires!}.

Apply egg wash {water+egg} and sprinkle sugar on top of crust.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust begins to brown, about 25 minutes. Rotate the pie and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking for about 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly at the center. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Be sure and check out My Favorite Pie Recipes

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How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon

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By Mavis Butterfield on July 21, 2015 · 3 Comments

I’m sure you’ve seen people strolling the produce aisle, thumping, sniffing, squishing their produce all in an attempt to pick the perfect melon. Some of that nonsense is in vain, but some of it will help you on your way to the sweetest, juiciest melon you’ve ever tasted!

Symmetrical Matters: Look for a perfectly round melon. Okay, so I’ve never found a perfectly round one, but look for the closest thing to a symmetrical melon you can find. That means it’s been given balanced sun. A lopsided watermelon will have underdeveloped seeds, which means less sugar and less flavor.

The Sweet Spot: That yellow spot, or “ground spot” as it’s often called, matters. Look for one the color of butter. Do not buy a watermelon without that yellow spot or with a white or green spot. The watermelon gets that spot when it sits and ripens. So the longer it sits to ripen, the larger the spots, the sweeter your watermelon! Watermelon lacking that spot have been picked too soon!

Color Clues: Look for a watermelon that is dark green in color, and has a dull sheen to it. A shiny appearance indicates an under ripe melon.

The Uglier the Better: Speaking of that yellow spot, find the one that looks like it was invaded by little brown lines and swirls. Might not look pretty, but the more lines, the more the melon was pollinated {bees are responsible for those lines!} and the sweeter your fruit will be.

Seeing Dots: If you see black dots {especially around the stem}, don’t set the melon down. That is the sugar seeping out. And if you have a melon so sweet the sugar is trying to escape, you know you’ve found a good one!

Pick It Up: Lift that baby up and then lift melons of similar size as well. The heaviest melon for its size is best. The ripest watermelons have the most water, and so it goes without saying they would be the heaviest.

Knock It Off: Some people say you should knock on your watermelon; a ripe melon should produce a hollow sound. A dull thud would indicate an under ripe melon. This has never worked for me. It’s so hard to tell the sound it’s making, so I ignore this step, use the others and always find the perfect melon!

And there you have my fail-proof method to choosing the most delicious watermelon EVER!

Now that you’ve picked the perfect melon, here are some delicious recipes to use that melon in:

Watermelon Vitamin Water – Takes boring ol water up a notch. Yum! {Pin it for Later}

Watermelon, Feta, and Red Onion Salad – I know this sounds like a weird combo, but trust me, it is delightful. Like summer in your mouth, people. {Pin it for Later}

Dehydrated Watermelon – This is also known as Watermelon Candy, because it’s just as good {better if you ask me} than a big ol Snickers bar. {Pin it for Later}

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.