One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 884 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.

Stonewall Kitchens Cafe and Shop in York, Maine

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 31, 2015 · 4 Comments

While The Girl and I were traveling through Maine, we decided to stop at the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe for lunch. While we were there, we read a little bit about how they started, and since it was such a cool story, I thought I’d share it.

Stonewall Kitchens started with two guys, a four burner stove, homemade jam and a farmer’s market. Each weekend, the guys would painstakingly plaster custom labels onto the freshly made jams and cart them to the local farmer’s market. They named themselves Stonewall Kitchens because of the stonewall that was visible from their kitchen window {sometimes exactly what you see really is poetry}. Each weekend they sold out of their jams, and as the years went by, they started to expand their culinary offerings.

Now, they are a full-blown business, with a cafe, catalog, cooking school, store, etc.. The Girl and I browsed the store before we sat down and picked up a couple of jams to bring home. Holy cats, the Orange Carrot Marmalade is like dessert on a spoon.

I really wish I would have bought a case of the stuff {lucky for me, I can buy it online and have it shipped to my front door –the UPS man would get concerned if he didn’t visit my house at least once a week, so I guess it’s all for the best}. The whole outfit is done with the utmost quality in mind. It really is an experience in food.

If you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by. It’s a foodie’s paradise.

~Mavis

Stonewall Kitchen Cafe
2 Stonewall Lane
York, Maine 03909

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Master Bathroom Remodel Update | Tile, Quartz, Penny Tile and More

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 31, 2015 · 9 Comments

Chino called early yesterday to check in and to let me know that everything was on schedule with the remodel, and since there hadn’t been any surprises, {with the demo} there was enough wiggle room in the budget for me to get a solid surface counter top in the master bathroom if I wanted to.

The only catch was, I’d have to find a remnant piece from at Javier’s shop. And to fit our counter top I’d have to find one at least 84 inches wide. There were about 15 cut slabs to choose from.

I immediately spotted one I liked. I knew it was “the one.” And then I noticed it had SOLD written across the top of it. 🙁

This toffee quartz was my second choice. I wasn’t in love with it but I knew a solid surface would be a big upgrade from the tile counter-tops we had budgeted for the master bath. The granite looking quartz would also match the floor tile {that was already halfway installed} as well. I was ready to settle. Because even though it wasn’t my favorite, it was better than a tile counter -top.

And then Javier pulled up in his truck and I asked if the piece that was my first choice {above} was really SOLD. He said no. The people who were going to buy it needed a larger piece and I could have it.

Did I mention Chino said I’m getting under mount sinks like the one above now? Yes. Yes I am.

And my bathroom window? It was FREE. Apparently Chino got it from some guy named Frank. {I didn’t ask WHY or HOW I just said tell Frank thanks for the FREE window. He may not want it in his house, but I’m happy to take it!}

I love the 12×24 tiles used on the floor. They are a BIG improvement from the old flooring. I think the color combination is going to look great once it all comes together. Nice and neutral with a little flair. Just the way I like it.

Kind of like a fancy hotel bathroom. Only without the free soap, fresh towels and daily maid service.

What do you think?

~Mavis

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The Chicken and the Cage Debate

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 31, 2015 · 19 Comments

NPR published an article recently that gave an overview of a pretty interesting study that has been done over the course of two years at a farm in the Midwest. The study followed chickens {and their eggs} that had been raised in 3 different environments: caged, enriched colony systems, and free range. The results were actually surprising.

First, a caged environment is what we have all seen on Oprah specials. It’s been the standard for raising chickens and egg production for the past several decades. As people are becoming aware of the conditions, however, demand for cage-free eggs/chickens has increased. Cage free means just that–the chickens are not in cages. But, as we already know doesn’t necessarily guarantee chickens a life of green pastures {or outdoor time at all, for that matter}. It simply means that they are free to roam about the cabin–and the cabin might be a stuffed full warehouse of chicken poo and birds standing shoulder to shoulder. Enriched colony systems are larger cages, where multiple birds share real estate, and a small darkened area is provided for nesting.

So, in a nutshell, er, eggshell, the study found that while the birds with free-range rights had stronger bones, they were more susceptible to injury and disease. Cage free chickens died at a rate of about 10 percent, while their caged counter parts died at a rate of 4 percent {causes ranged from disease to being hen pecked by other, more aggressive hens}. Cage free costs about 23% more than raising caged birds. While the cage free area had more dust, it didn’t seem to have any negative effects on the birds’ health.

All in all, the jury is still out…people want free range eggs/birds, but farmers are still trying to figure out a way to make it cost effective. The colony cages seem to be a slightly unhappy medium for some. So for now, everyone seems to have settled on labeling the crap out of the cartons {free range, vegetarian fed, etc.}, and hoping one of the labels catches consumer’s eyes.

I’m still a little skeptical that there is a ton of difference in any of the mass produced eggs/chickens–whether they are given “free range” or not. It seems to me to be a classic over-population situation. So many birds in one space is bound to lead to troubles, caged or not. The thing is, I am not really sure that I have an answer for it…life is expensive, and I don’t judge people one bit for wanting a cheap source of protein. It would be nice if we could all have our own backyard flocks, but that’s not realistic at all either.

So, what do you think? How should we proceed with our egg/chicken production standards?

~Mavis

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Cooking From Your Pantry | Menu Plan Ideas, Freezer Meals and Simple Recipes Week 13 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 30, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Even though I don’t stick to a traditional weekly menu plan, I still love the idea of having a bunch of recipes right in front of me to choose from. Here are a few recipes from my recipe archives you might want to try.

Have a great week!

3 Breakfast Ideas

Ham and Broccoli Breakfast Casserole – This is a delicious way to use any leftover Easter ham you end up with. {Pin it for Later}

Strawberry and Nutella Crepes – My kids pretty much think I am the coolest ever when I serve these. {Pin it for Later}

Oatmeal and Carmelized Bananas – Oatmeal is a staple around here, so finding ways to spruce it up is essential. {Pin it for Later}

4 Lunch Ideas and Dinner Ideas

White Bean and Ham Soup – This is another great way to use up your holiday ham. It warms up great, so packing it for lunch is easy-peasy. {Pin it for Later}

Smashed Potatoes with Bacon and Chives – These make great appetizers, if you are having peeps over, but I have been known to serve them for dinner along with a side salad. {Pin it for Later}

BLT {Bacon, Barley, Lettuce & Tomato} Salad – We have been on a salad kick around here lately. We can’t seem to get enough of them…or maybe I can’t get enough of how simple they are to throw together? {Pin it for Later}

Avocado Egg Salad – This is the PERFECT way to use up those left-over hard boiled eggs from Easter. This is literally one of my favorite lunch recipes. {Pin it for Later}

3 Sweet Treats

Apple Spice Cake – There is something about this not-too-sweet, but satisfies-a-sweet-tooth cake that calls to me. {Pin it for Later}

Strawberry Pie – I love pie…for breakfast. {Pin it for Later}

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars – I don’t do butterscotch very often, but the HH loves it, so I like to whip up these bars whenever I’m feeling super generous. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Freezer Meal Recipe

Breakfast Burritos – Every couple of months I like to make a big batch of these for Monkey Boy. That way, he can microwave them on his way out the door–which is about all I can expect from a teenage boy. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Canning Recipe

Carrot Cake Jam – In light of Easter, I thought this jam would be the perfect recipe to highlight. {Pin it for Later}

What are YOU planning on making this week?

~Mavis

Find more recipes on One Hundred Dollars a Month as well as on my Pinterest Recipe Boards.

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.