The Grocery Stores Ads, the Savings, and The Irrational Explanations.

     Alright, before I really get into food blogging, I want to set things straight on here so there won't be any confusion.  I will be posting hints and tips with food and cooking.  I may not always be right, but I will, based on my experience.  I will post some of my own recipes.  With that being said, please bear in mind, I'm single and live by myself happily along with Luna, the cat and Ewok, the dog  There will be some recipes which I will post with the measurements due to dividing the meal up and freezing them for later use.  So bear with me.  If you have any question regarding to the measurement, PLEASE don't hesitate to ask.  Heck, I've watched people cooked and have eaten their food and I always questioned them.  It's all part of learning.  It's what helps you to improve your ways of cooking food.  Expand your mind and your skills.  You'll be glad you did.

    Now, I'm the type of gal who has to go over specials in the newspapers.  I get ads from Bi-Lo's, Piggly Wiggly, Food's Lion's and Publix every Wednesday in my mail.  Pretty cool, huh?  I didn't have that back in Durango, Colorado.  That town needs to set that up with 2 City Markets, Albertson's, couple of natural stores.(Yes, Durangotangs are BIG on all natural food! But that's for another blog.) What's ironic is that Durango is bigger than this town I'm living in and it has fewer stores than this town.  Wait!  I take that back!  I forgot all about those all Natural food stores.  We're even.  This town doesn't have any.  Look at me, I'm going off the subject!  Anyways, the reason why I do that is because I KNOW they have such low prices on items where they cycle EVERY 6 to 8 weeks.  Yeah, you heard me right.  Trust me, they do that so they can  and WANT get the food off the shelves as quickly as they can before the next shipment comes in and before food expires.  That's when I stock up.  Yes, I know I'm single but I LIKE to stock up.  I like to have things on hand instead of going to the store every time I don't have anything.  My cupboards are full.  My freezer's almost full.  I buy meat when the prices are actually reduced during that week.  I would figure out the amount I would need for the month.  I would take the meat home and and put one or two (for when I have family members or friends come over) in freezer zip-loc bags. I'll give you an example.  This week, Piggly Wiggly has hamburger on sale for 1.98 per lb. (that's the lowest I've seen in a long time since I've moved here. Even at at Wal-Mart, it's expensive.) At Bi-Lo's, it's on sale for 3.99 a lb.  Which store do you think I'm going to choose?  I thought so too.  However, I didn't mention that Bi-lo's had hamburger on sale last week too but I didn't go shopping.  It wasn't time for me to and plus all the stores didn't have much of anything I normally purchase on sale. I'll explain later.  Another example, 8oz of sour cream on sale at Piggly Wiggly for .88.  Bi-Lo has 16 oz sour cream(same brand as Piggly Wiggly) Buy one, get one free. Regular price for one is $2.19.  Which one do you think I'm going to purchase?  Yup, Piggly Wiggly's.  Add two 8 oz for .88  and you actually would pay $1.76 for 16 oz instead of $2.19! That's .43 difference!  Anyways, you get the idea.

Luna thinks she's helping out.

     Now, I only go grocery shopping every 2 weeks or even longer. I hate going to the store all the time like I did in the past.  I hate shopping.  I have a hard time getting good sales because I normally buy a lot fresh produces, meat, dairy products.  I don't buy a lot of can goods or boxes goods including cereals.  The only cereal I will eat are cream of wheat and old fashioned oatmeal.  I love to cook and bake therefore all meals have to be made from scratch.  Cheaper that way too and much healthier!  I, now normally spend the average between 30 to 40 dollars a month.  I already have my cupboard stocked along with my freezer.  I only go when I need such as milk(I LOVE drinking iced milk. Best thing in the world next to homemade lemonade and water) cheese, real butter,and  fresh veggies and meat on sale.  I always buy veggies that are in season because they are cheaper and plus it's great to change up your meals, right? Same goes for fruit.

     Another thing I forgot to mention,  The stores don't always mention what else is on sale.  The last time I went grocery shopping, I came across the yogurt section.  I absolutely LOVE yogurt and greek yogurt.  Dannon Lime yogurt was reduced to .25.  Plus, Oikos blueberry greek yogurt was also reduced to .25. I looked at the expiration date and it wasn't going to expire anytime soon.  Apparently, they were overstocked and the store needed to rid of them quick while fresh. Makes sense to me.  I'd be more than happy to help the store out! I got 6 of each to last me until my next grocery shopping.  It was almost like hitting a jackpot that night.  That was my high. I like to take my time when the stores aren't crowded and go down the aisle to make sure I don't miss those drastic reduced priced items.  Remember, I only buy those I KNOW I'm going to use.

     Now, when I look at recipes,(I adore checking out and trying out new recipes!  I just LOVE trying out new recipes every chance I get.) I will try my best to pick out the recipes with what I have on hand and what I know I can substitute for another instead of going to the store right away.  If I absolutely want to try out the recipe but I don't have some items the recipe calls for, I will stick the recipe to the pile for future cooking and put down the items I would need for my next shopping list. I will get the items only when it's on sale.

When I try out new recipe and I happen to approve of it, I will post it with the link where I found it.  I will also post some pictures of my cooking along with it.  You'll know the recipe had my approval and would LOVE to share with you guys.

Now, I'm done with my list.  Time for me to go shopping.
   

Why I Chose Not to Have Cable for a Year

     When I first moved here in South Carolina, I was researching for all cable companies for some tv entertainment.  Unfortunately, I only found one phone company and satellite dish companies in my area.  No cable companies here where I live.  At first, I was shocked at the prices.  I'll explain in a second.  Then I was frustrated at the limited resources in obtaining home entertainment.  Then, I thought, well since I haven't got a job yet, and I was planning on to be frugal for a year, (just to see how I do it along with my other fabulous plans for a year.) why not go without any television for a year. Sounds like a good idea (at least that's what the little angel was saying and the devil is screaming NO! on my shoulders.  They just won't be quiet and let me think at times.)
   
      I remember paying low prices for cable back in the 90s.  Now, lately in the past 10 years, phone companies and satellite companies have been competing against each other along with the cable companies. The prices have skyrocketed.  I can say I'm an expert on this due to paying my cable bills every month on my own for the past 10 years.  The prices have skyrocketed!! They are outrageous and ridiculous in my opinion.  Different companies give me different reasons for their prices.  I could go on with their reasons but it'll be too long on my blog.

     So, no TV for me this year. (the devil is sobbing right at this moment on my shoulder) Would I be able to survive it?  It was one of my main staples of entertainment at night in the past 20 years.  I'm thinking all of my favorite shows such as cooking shows, history channel, Supernatural (what can I say? I'm a geek. They have great music on there too!), Elementary, Defiance, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, Hell on Wheels, Bones, Falling Skies, Grimm, Haven, Blue Blood, Hawaii Five-O, and of course, football (as long it's Denver Broncos! Always been a big fan of Broncos since I was a girl!) See what I'm missing out?  It took a lot of strong will and lots of debating(especially with good Kat and bad Kat on my shoulders) to brush those shows aside. It won't be the end of the world right?  That was my thinking back in July '13.  I can always watch couple of rentals per month.  I pay on the average $4.00 for rentals per month.  Rentals are cheap plus I get deals via text messages from Redbox.  I don't do streamline especially with the internet I have here.  That's another story here.  Few of my friends have told me, I can streamline the shows from the computer.  At the time, I thought it would be a hassle and I did not want to pay a fee every month.  Remember, I was thinking frugal. I didn't realize there would be shows that CAN be free streamlining until a new friend here had given me my very first season edition of Dr. Who (with 9th/10th Dr.)  I was HOOKED!  I was researching for more Dr. Who to purchase more DVDs.  Come to find out, I can streamline for free since I'm a member at  Amazon.com Primetime.

     I'm able to save BIG on electricity.  I, now watch on the average between 6 to 8 hours per month.  As you can see my photos below, my flat screen isn't very big, approx. 24 inches(can't recall).  I've had this flat screen for 5 years now and still going strong. It really eats up electricity, believe it or not.  I have noticed I've saved at least 40% according to my electric bills.  I averaged them out from July to Oct. '13.  I had also watched a lot of movies during the last 2 weeks of July.  HUGE difference.  This makes me a HAPPY CAMPER.  This helps me to keep trucking on from mourning the loss of watching my favorite shows. Besides I can always streamline one or two shows when I don't find a good movie rental, right?(*bats at her bad Kat* "Hush!")

My 7 lb cat, Luna

     What do I do with all that extra free time for entertainment?  That's easy!  I have a deep love for books.  My fantasy is to have a BIG room with built shelves full of books from top to bottom.  I inhale, thirst, smell, crave, and devour books every chance I get.  Now, I can see you guys thinking, books are expensive. Not true!  I happen to have a Kindle Fire HD which I can download a lot of free books or at a discounted price as low as .99.  Believe it or not, researching the books through blogs have helped me find fabulous finds!  They were worth my time.  There are LOTS of free and discounted books that have between 4 to 5 stars ratings,  The only time I actually buy(not lately) hardback books are the ones I think are worth owning.  I'm very picky about that.  So on the average (I'm a fast reader) I would read 1/2 of the book or whole book depending on the day , book, how much free time I have. Believe me, I won't be able to read all the published books in the world before I die!

     I am able stop being a couch potato by exercising.  I've been walking 3 miles now(takes me approx. 1 hour)  I do this late evening when it's cooler.  My dog, Ewok is a happy camper and LOVES me more for this.  Who would've thunk?  I have started doing sit-ups and push-ups(still bad but am improving).  Will be looking into planking.  That interests me.  Will give you update on it.

     I'm able to research healthy recipes along with sinful recipes for me to try out.  I LOVE to cook, bake and canning.  Due to my frugal spendings, I don't eat out as much as I used to do.  I eat out maybe 1 or 2 times a month.  Not the end of the world now that I'm cooking delicious meals.  I've been losing weight slowly.  Yes, I'm overweight, but that's another story for another time.  

     There are many reasons why I chose not to have tv.  Getting involve with the community, discovered more about myself, exploring, and many more.  Yes, the little bad Kat is still trying to tempt me but she doesn't do often now.

     Back in those days, there was no such thing as tv.  People had to entertain themselves or go to bed early.  So why don't you give a try for a month and see how you like it?  Would love to hear feedback on it.

Did I mentioned how much cleaner my house is?

My attempted imitation of Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich

     Last week I came across this picture picture and it looked SO good.  My mouth actually salivated just looking at it.  Tonight, I was craving it for dinner.  Sadly, I did not have all the ingredients and I did not feel like going to the grocery store.  I only go grocery shopping every other week.  So, I decided to get creative.

     This is what you'll need:
       Spinach (I like to use organic baby spinach)
       Bread (Any will do depending on what you have on hand. I just happened to have Italian bread which was on sale.)
        Avocado(soft and sliced thinly)
        Gouda cheese (sliced)(I chose this type instead of cheddar because I didn't want cheddar to overwhelm the items I will be adding to sandwich.  It has that soft, buttery, and mild nutty taste to it)
         Butter or mayonnaise for toasting the bread in skillet
         Salt and pepper
         approx 1 or 2 tsps of diced green chilies(I absolutely LOVE fresh green chilies. This is optional.  If you don't like it or don't have it on hand, It's okay.  I just happened to think of it at the last minute.)

    Preheat your skillet or fry pan over medium heat.  Use small amount of butter or mayo on one side of bread and lay the buttered side down on skillet.  Quickly add cheese slices, spinach, avocado, salt, pepper, green chilies, spinach, and cheese.

      Butter another sliced bread and put buttered side up on top of the ingredients.  Cook til cheese is slightly melted and the bottom bread is golden brown.  Gently turn over the sandwich with a spatula.  Grill until cheese is completely melted and the bread is toasted golden brown.  Remove and cut into halves.  Enjoy.  I had this with a glass of iced milk.  This is my first time making it this way.  It's mild with a touch of heat from green chilies.  It is light and easy for dinner when you're not too hungry.  I also thought of sliced tomatoes to go with it after I tried it.  It would really enhance the flavors but that's for next time.  Just be creative.  I came up with all kinds of ideas of what could go with it.

                                             Doesn't that look yummy and gooey?
      Quite honestly, I have no idea what to name my sandwich.  Let me know what you guys think!

Why I chose not to own a microwave anymore.

                             This microwave pretty much resembled my last big microwave.

     It's easy.  It doesn't even describe me as a cook, which I'll explain later on.

     While growing up, we didn't even own a microwave.  The only time I used a microwave was at my grandparents' house.  I remember it being above the counter in its cubicle.  I was facscinated with with all the whistles and bells.  I remember how I was afraid to use it, fearing I'd break it while trying it out.  I had too much respect to not touch other people's properties.  Eventually, at the encouragement of Gram, I reluctantly started to use the microwave, only to heat up the frozen veggies or warm up their teas or coffee.  That was it and I felt comfortable so far.  That was in the late 80's.
     Fast forward to my first marriage.  Did not own a microwave.  Wasn't a big deal back then.
     Fast forward to my second marriage, my ex-husband had to have a microwave, no matter what.  Didn't think much of it.  I just shrugged.  As to my recollection, i just used it to heat water, melt butter, or reheat leftovers.  I believe my ex-husband and my son used the microwave more than I did. That was the 90s.  I remember how my ex had given me a brand new BIG microwave for Christmas during our first separation.  He carried it across the parking lot and carried it upstairs to my apartment.  He believed I should have a bigger microwave than the one I had at the time.  I couldn't understand it because it was just my son and I living in that apartment at the time.  I cooked or did take outs from fast food places (you know those dollar value menu at Wendy's and etc?  At the time, it was cheaper to get a meal for my son than going shopping.  Believe me, I was on a very, very tight budget.)   When my ex and I got back together, it sat in the garage because there was already a built in microwave where we were living. When we got a divorce, for some reasons unknown to me, I took that BIG clunky machine with me to Durango, CO.  There, I used it a lot from '07 to '10 for almost everything.  Then I gradually started to cook more often, discovering the joys of cooking.  I cringed whenever I used microwave for heating up food, boil water, or even melt butter!  It JUST didn't feel right using that darn thing while proclaiming to be a good cook! I started to use it less and less to the point where I would defrost meat from the freezer.  In June 2013, before moving across the country to South Carolina, I decided to get rid of my microwave for good and forever.  That was the end of my era of microwaves.
     I have no regret of not owning a microwave.  I reheat everything over the stove or oven.  I defrost my meat the night before I cook them.  I melt butter, chocolate, and etc in my little pot.  Easy peasey!  It doesn't EVEN take that long.  I also noticed food tasted better reheated the natural way instead of microwaved.
     Reasons why I don't like microwaves.
       1. Cleaning the microwave all the time!  The last one I had lasted me maybe 10 years at the most thanks to my maintance.
       2. Food doesn't always come out right.  It's always undercooked, overcooked, watery, rubbery and burnt(especially the popcorn!)
       3. I have a tea kettle to boil water for tea or hot chocolate.  I'm old fashioned.  I like to hear it whistle and pour boiling water into my cup instead of pulling out a cup of hot water out of the microwave.  I've also noticed whenever I reheated my drinks or boil water in the microwave, 99% of the time, I'd forget about it! What a waste!
       4. It took up too much space, regardless of the sizes of the microwaves. It annoyed the heck out of me.  I cannot tell you how I would get aggravated silently, whenever I see my countertops.  I like my countertops to cluttered free.  That's just how I am.  It's almost like it shouldn't belong there, period!
       5.  I hated making sure dishes were metal free or containers holding food were metal free also.  One time, I stuck a plate that had metal in it(I couldn't even tell it was metal decoration due to the color), yowzee! Talk about mini fireworks!
       6. Lastly, in my own opinion, it's an insult to me as a good cook who enjoys cooking and baking from scratch.

     Now, if anyone gets me a microwave, I can guarantee a bop from one of my beloved cast iron skillets over your head and that microwave goes into my trash. ;)

Oatmeal for Dinner?

What?  Oatmeal? For Dinner? Yuck? Are you insane? Those are the thoughts of what most of you guys are thinking.  Right? I thought so.

Yes, I was in mood for oatmeal.  I was not in mood for meat tonight. As I was looking in my cupboards, I knew I was looking for comfort food for this chilly night. Yes, South Carolina DOES get cold. I didn't want anything heavy but yet something that sticks to your bones goodness. I happened to look up on top on my refrigerator to see two big containers of oatmeal which I normally use for baking,  Bingo!  Oatmeal with raisins sounded mighty good!

I grew up eating homemade oatmeal for breakfast.  As I think back to my childhood, we rarely had cold cereal. Yeah, we were poor. The only cold cereal I remembered having was at my grandparents' house.  My sisters and I would eat oatmeal with butter, brown sugar, fresh raw milk or powdered milk. I just love how it was so comforting and how it would last until lunchtime. We didn't have it everyday, but when we did, it was a major treat for us three girls at the time.

Now speed forward to my young adult.  For some reason, I haven't been eating oatmeal during those years. Coffee was THE breakfast at the time. School and work demanded more of my time were my excuses at the time.  Sad to say, I really lost out those years eating oatmeal.  

Now fast forward to present.  I'm single now and do miss cooking for others.    Now I've noticed how I didn't have to cook oatmeal that long.  You heard me right.  You can make time for cooking oatmeal.  It takes at the most 10 to 15 minutes to cook depending on the type of oatmeal you have. Seriously, how long does it take for you to prepare coffee and and wait for it to brew?  I thought so. I haven't tried steel cut oatmeal yet.  Until I find a natural food store close to this town I live in, I will be using cooking oatmeal which takes me 10 to cook average. I always measure it exactly to the direction because I don't like it hard and lumpy and grey and among other things.  I like my oatmeal soft and hot where the butter can melt right away.

I can understand why many people don't like oatmeal.  Two main reasons: 1. Overcooked.  I cannot tell you how many people have told me that.  I remember how I did over cook oatmeal twice when I was a kid.  Pretty gross.   2. Too cold.  I can never understand why people would serve them lukewarm or cold.  Oatmeal is at its best when piplng hot with all that melted butter along brown sugar.  Mmmmmm.

Please NO instant oatmeal! I beg you. It's not even close to the real oatmeal.  Disgusting and insulting (Well, it is to me.)

There are many things to eat along with your oatmeal.  I don't cook them with oatmeal.  I wait until oatmeal is done before adding any goodies to oatmeal.

My favorites are:

Raisins with sugar and cinnamon(which I'm having tonight)

Brown sugar, butter and milk

Diced apples, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and/or milk

Peaches and cream

Other options:

Diced pears, vanilla bean, sugar and milk

Diced prunes

Banana, brown sugar, butter and milk

Fresh strawberries

Blue berries and cream

raspberries

Dates

Dried or fresh apricots

There are many more.  Give it a shot and and start over fresh from your bad impression with your first oatmeal and reintroduce yourself to a nice, fresh, hot piping oatmeal with any fruit.  What have you got to lose?

                 Oatmeal with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and milk

A Touch of Colorado Omelet

Today I was extremely busy to the point where I had forgotten to eat til 8:30 tonight.  I was hungry but was not up to cooking any meals I wanted to try from my cookbooks or Pinterest under my favorite recipes.  So, I opened my refrigerator and searched while thinking of all the possible quick meals I could whip up for dinner.  When I spied my little zip lock baggie of roasted green chilies, I knew what I was going to make while adding a touch of Colorado in it. 

This is what I grabbed.  Now remember, I didn't add any amount.  What I used was for myself along with Ewok, my dog.  :)  He LOVES everything I cook.  So you may want more than one serving.

Items:

                         2 eggs

                         onion(diced)

                         bell pepper(diced, Any color will do.  I used green in this one)

                         green chilis (coarsely chopped)(if you don't have fresh, you can use canned)

                        approx 1/2 of garlic clove(coarsely chopped)

                        Polska Keilbaski or summer sausage(diced and I used just less amount than the veggies I chopped bc I like the taste to be balanced out instead of the meat overwhelming everything.  That's up to you how much you want to use according to your taste.)

                        shredded cheddar cheese

                        couple of dallops of cream cheese or sour cream(I prefer cream cheese because of the thick creaminess and mild taste really compliments with the heat of my roasted green chilies.

                        Salt and pepper to taste

                        Olive oil for cooking veggies

                        Small pat of butter for cooking eggs

Preheat small pan(I used my smallest cast iron skillet as seen in photo.) Add couple tablespoons of olive oil(any type will do)  cook the veggies except for garlic first.  Cook for approx 5 min til tender but has some crunchiness to it. Add garlic( I like to add garlic in last in same food when cooking so it won't be burnt and ruining the tastes of other veggies) and the sausage for a couple more min.  Set aside.  Scramble eggs with couple of splashes of milk and salt and pepper.  Pour into pan,  Let it cook til almost done.  I add the veggies on one half of the eggs along with shredded cheese.  Fold over the the eggs,  Add remaining cheddar cheese and cream cheese on top.  Once the cheddar cheese is melted, you can remove from heat and slide it onto your plate.  Don't worry about cream cheese not melting.  It'll be just soft enough for you to spread it.  Enjoy!  I know I got a little taste of Colorado tonight.  Only thing was missing was mushroom but that's for next time.  Now I'm off to eat my omelet along with my glass of homemade lemonade.  :)

                         

Looks too beautiful to eat!

Smells sooo heavenly in my kitchen!

Now I'm really am bumbling in the dark blindly while creating this blog!

Bear with me you guys!  I've been asked how to sign up for my blogs.  I thought I had it connected.  Apparently not, now I need to go back, (if I can figure out how I got there in the first place) and redo it.  I really need to take the time to set  it up properly.  I do believe I know someone who can help me but I gotta yell for her! I will be working on this this weekend.  Thanks!

Reason for my Blogger's name

Hello!  I'm Kat!  The reason for the title of my blog's site is very simple.  I have taken a leap of faith and moved from my beloved town, Durango, Colorado and moved across the country to live in South Carolina in July 2013 Yes, it was a BIG move for me.  Now I've settled in and getting used to my new surrounding, I am now being referred to as "that gal from Colorado".  I wasn't sure if I should be offended or amused.  I chose the later because I am proud to be a Coloradoan.  As the saying goes, you can take the girl out of Colorado but you can't take the Colorful Colorado out this girl!

Now we got that part out of the way.  I am currently learning how to use this blog so bear with me as I go along.  I will be detailing about my new life in South Carolina and making comparison with Colorado.  I also will be detailing my journey from Colorado to South Carolina and how I managed it on my own with my dog and cat in my jeep.  I also will be sampling new recipes and posting them along with photos and links.  Yes, this gal LOVES to cook and take photos.  You may noticed that I'm not very eloquent with words.  I never have since I was little.  It is not to offend anyone.  I'm only blogging for others to enjoy the stories and photos.  Thank you for your patience! Please let me know if I have offended you in anyway by emailing me privately and I will do my best to fix it.  However, I cannot please everyone all the time.  Thank you for your time and I hope you'll enjoy my bloggings as I go about blindly with my bloggings with trials and errors.   Would love to hear more from you guys!  :)