Spring Cleaning and Good Energy

I found myself with a few hours on my hands... time- check, organizational work needed- check.  At the suggestion of my best friend, Allison, I decided to organize my cooking binders.  Although I am not into technology in many ways (old cell phone, don't want an IPad or Kindle), the one way I fully embrace technology is in my cooking.

As someone raised in a house without a lot of cooking, I found myself a few years ago just starting to get into cooking with the help of some friends, the internet, and a recipe exchange at work.  I slowly got better, and now I absolutely LOVE to cook.  I even enjoy making my grocery list since I try out (usually) one new recipe per week.

However, my one binder quickly expanded to three- overstuffed and so full of recipes that it was getting to be overwhelming instead of inspiring to look through them.  I tried Allison's suggestion of designating one binder for desserts, one for soups, sides, and appetizers, and one for main courses and slow cooker.  In the midst of a HUGE amount of pages, sheet protectors, and the feeling that I would never finish, I realized how good it felt to purge some of the old recipes.  Some were recipes that I'd clipped or gotten with every intention of trying... but it just never happened.  Some were recipes I thought might bring me good luck (Engagement Chicken), but haven't fit in with my life so far.  It felt a little like I was beating myself up by looking at those types of recipes, because they felt like a reminder of what I want but haven't experienced.  Some recipes were just too easy for me now or contained too many processed items.  It was a realizing how far I've come as I found my first recipe I ever really made along with my comments.  It was a letting myself off the hook for some of the recipes that I'm not in the place to use yet.  It was giving some recipes a chance to shine since now it will be easier to find them, and I'll have a chance to try some of those.

No organizational project is complete without that final, finishing, fun touch so I spent some time making new cover sheets just how I wanted them.

The feeling of order and peace after these types of projects is great.  I've also been suddenly hearing the word energy an awful lot lately, from some great Carol Plum-Ucci novels to home decorating columns.  One thing that keeps coming up is that lots of things have an energy attached to them-- that many things either make you feel good or bad when you see them.  So, I have to admit, I kept that thought in my head as I tried to get rid of things that felt like they were bringing me back to a period of "negative frequency" of my life.  I did the same with clothes recently, and I am feeling energized and happy to have gotten rid of some of those as well.

In addition, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the spring fashions this year more than I've loved clothes in the last ten years or maybe ever.  I feel like some of the things that have been dragging people down for the last little while have started brightening up and lightening up.

Some evidence:
1) New Pope refusing to live in the apartment because it was too big and elaborate and washing the feet of prisoners like Jesus... a positive and hopeful leader for the church seems to be here.

2)  Economy gradually improving

3)  Bright, colorful, OPTIMISTIC clothes meant for living life in

4)  Marriage equality quickly gaining majority support.  Whatever anyone's views are on the subject, I respect them, but I am thrilled to see people letting go of intolerance and gaining acceptance.  Like many others, I've evolved on the issue, but it feels electric to be "on the right side of history", and I know I'll probably remember this time the way other generations remember great leaps forward in civil rights or innovation.

Small spring haul-

Doubling Down on Debt

As I mentioned before, I have been doubling down on getting myself out of credit card debt.  Finally, I was just so done with being in debt that things just seemed to fall into place because my will was there.  I was willing to make sacrifices and try new ways to save money (all while still maintaining a decent lifestyle with fun and shopping too).  Income tax refund- right to my credit card; I didn't even bat an eyelash or think for a minute of something I wanted to buy.  In the final few months of this process, I have a few more tips to share.

1)  Budget ahead of time.

Instead of waiting until deductions were taking out from my checking such as utility bills or the gym membership, I have lately been balancing my checking account as if these expenses are already deducted.  This practice has been a huge help because instead of spending a little too much and then scrambling at the end, I now have a good idea of how much I will have left over once my bills are paid.  It keeps me more disciplined because I know exactly how much money  I have until I get paid next.

2)  Align spending with values as much as possible.

I like this one a lot, because it makes me feel more control over how I spend my money and live my life.  It was easy for me to identify my values- I prefer to shop a) made in USA b) at companies that treat their employees well c) companies that are environmentally aware and d) grocery stores with less genetically modified food choices.  So, as much as I can, I try to "vote with my wallet" for the values that I value.  Sure, it costs a little more for me to get my oil changed at a place that recycles the oil and materials, but that 6 dollars or so is well worth it when I think that I am helping the environment, even a little, by making that choice.

Same goes for Costco- my vote will always go them for allowing employees to unionize, giving them health benefits and fair wages.  They also save me money, so now I am adding a monthly trip to Costco and trying to up the amount of things I buy from them- starting with coffee and shave gel and next time will be adding toilet paper and getting gas there to the list.

I can't go too crazy with this one, because there are things that you just can't find made in the USA (such as shoes) or things that I just can't afford made in USA.  However, even adding a few purchases made here can add up if lots of people do it.  A few recommendations are www.etsy.com and Hard Tail exercise and lounge wear found at Nordstrom and Lord and Taylor.

3)  Speak Up

After hearing the woman in front of me at Kohl's one day ask the cashier if she had any coupons up there, I've been trying this here and there.  On a recent trip to Kohl's, I asked that question and was given an additional 15% off of my order, even though I don't have a Kohl's card.  A few minutes later, I asked at Ulta since my coupon had expired.  That was all it took for me to save 3.50 on a curling iron.  As long as you ask nicely, the worst they can say is no.  This trick can save you a lot of money, and it's a confidence booster when you ask and are given something that you wouldn't have though to ask for before.

When The Going Gets Tough,

Get Cooking!


It was one of those days today that just felt long, exhausting, and draining.  Lots of meetings, getting home late, and the rainy and frigid weather led to a low mood.  I just wanted something good to happen-- so I tried to add some happy to my day with some home cooking!

I tried my first ever "made up" recipe.  I'm not saying I'm the first person to ever make it, just that I actually thought of the combination of ingredients myself for myself... no recipe involved.  Although I love to follow recipes, it's one of the first times I threw together a real meal and one that I would proudly serve to others.  I think it was reading the wonderful Penzey's Spices (www.penzeys.com) catalog last night that inspired me to try a whole new spin on a few of my favorite foods by putting them together.  I can't control the other stuff, but for a few minutes, everything was right in my world after a bite or two.

Avocado Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

*Pasta shells (2/3 of the box)
*4 slices bacon
*1 yellow onion, chopped
*3 cloves of garlic, chopped
*1.5 cups of shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar and Swiss)
*1 avocado, sliced
*salt
*3 tablespoons butter
*3 tablespoons flour
*warmed milk (3/4 cup)
*bread crumbs (optional)

Directions

1.  Boil water with a pinch of salt and add pasta, stirring occasionally for 9 minutes.
2.  While doing step 1, cook the four slices of bacon in a dutch oven or nonstick pan over medium heat.
3.  Cook bacon until nicely browned.  Remove bacon from pan, leaving the grease.  Place bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Allow to cool, then chop.
4.  Add the chopped onion to pan with bacon grease.  Cook approximately five minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic for the last two minutes.
5.  In a saucepan, heat the butter.  Add flour gradually, stirring to avoid lumps.  Add warmed milk, stirring until as smooth as possible.
6.  Take pasta off heat and drain.  Add to greased casserole dish.  Add cheese sauce to pasta, stirring to combine (mine was thick).  Add onion and garlic mixture to the cheese and pasta.  Stir, then add the shredded cheese and avocado, stirring to combine.  Add bacon, and stir in well.  If you would like, top with additional cheese or bread crumbs.
7.  Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

This was a rich, satisfying treat on a winter night... won't fix everything, but it can't hurt!

The Beauty of a Better Budget

As I mentioned before, I've been trying to get out of some credit card debt for the last couple of years.  It's not that much, but it's been lingering along way past its welcome, and this year I became very determined to get rid of it once and for all.

I've been focusing on budgeting better by using many strategies and tips I've either found online, through trial and error, or through others' advice.  Just to recap, the ones that have really worked for me are:

1)  Transfer balance to a zero percent credit card (Chase).  This tip came from my best friend and has helped me to stop the snowball from getting bigger.

2)  USE CASH!  This tip has, hands down, saved me a lot of money and made budgeting so much less painful.  I just take out a certain amount each week, and then I try to see how much of that initial amount I can keep until the next week.  If I need something, I will buy it, but I am using my cash now for most purchases other than getting gas.  It forces me to be more aware of what I am spending my money on, and it often is the little push that I need to take a minute to find a coupon or use a circular to look at the drugstore sales.   For some reason, "I saved 4.00," seems like so much more of an accomplishment when using cash as opposed to plastic, and it feels like buying stuff is more satisfying as well when I'm handing over the cold, hard cash.

3)   When buying online, use Ebates.  I really like this site, since if you are shopping online, you may as well get a little something back.  This site pretty much gives cash back rewards for all the websites I shop at regularly (Drugstore.com, Nordstrom, Sephora, JCrew, QVC, etc.).  I recently got a check back for 6.00 all for shopping I would have done anyway.  Great site, especially when they have the double cash back from a merchant you would shop with anyway.

4)  Use the wallet index card with a summary of your debts in front of your cash.  If you have to see that every time you look at your wallet, it's easier to say no to some of those impulse buys.  After all, that number would probably be a lot less if I'd made fewer of those over time.

5)  Figure out which services you can cut.  Only you know which things you can get rid of or cut back on without too much pain.  For me, this included cutting my cable and internet to a more basic plan.  Is my internet a little slower?  Yes.  Do I miss On Demand?  Yes.  But am I miserable with this plan?  Not at all.  I also was able to cut my phone bill by about 16.00 a month just by calling and asking the person for advice on my plan.  This one was completely painless, but now I'll be getting that 16.00 extra instead of Verizon.

6)  COSTCO, COSTCO, COSTCO
I cannot say how happy I am that there is finally a Costco nearby.  For a yearly fee of 55.00, you can save a lot by shopping at Costo.  A few recent examples of me saving money there include buying my coffee only from Costco from now on.  A 2.5 pound bag (40 oz.) of good coffee from Costco is 13.49, while a 12 ounce bag of my Starbucks Veranda Blend is about 8.00.  So I can pay .33 or .66 an ounce- easy decision.  I am now paying HALF of what I used to for coffee and it tastes just as good.  I also recently purchased a 4-pack of shave gel there for 7.49 and they are even 20% bigger than the ones from the drugstore.  Another sleeper at Costco (pun intended)- the pillows.  They were recommended to me, and I picked up a pack of two for less than 11.00.  They also are fantastic quality.  One more reason to shop at Costco- they are one of the few retail companies that pays a living wage including health benefits to the workers and allows them to unionize.  A company that treats their employees with dignity and respect and saves me money- yes, please!

7)  Find another way to focus on the indulgences you enjoy buying.  For example, I really enjoy buying and trying makeup, beauty products, etc.  These purchases probably account for a large proportion of my discretionary spending, and I know that probably won't change no matter how much I want to be better with money.  Again, my best friend had a good idea that has worked for me- work on using things up in this category.

There are many benefits to doing a "Use it Up Challenge":

*It forces you to think about the things you do use up (lotions, etc.) and the things you don't but keep purchasing (eye shadows-- I've actually NEVER used one up).
*It's very satisfying to use things up, to think that you got your money's worth and then you can decide if you want to purchase it again or move to on greener pastures.
*It saves money because when you see something you want to buy, you think of all the other ones that you already have and the ones you're trying to use up.

In all honesty, despite the fact that I'm on a "Use it Up" period, I still did make a purchase last night on QVC- A Mally Kit I've had my eye on for some time.  But I'll definitely have fun using that one up, and it's a reward for all of the good choices I've been making lately!

8)  Reward Yourself- this tip I've seen in many magazines and blogs.  No matter how much you want to cut your budget, it will be a miserable experience if you don't reward yourself.  One really good idea I've heard is to take out your weekly budget allotment.  Anything that you have saved up by the end of the week, put half in the bank or toward your next week's budget, then create a "fun money" fund with the other half for any purchases you would like.

These are my best tips, and in combination, they've helped to keep me motivated and to see the beauty of a good budget!

Lent

 This year, I was struggling with what to give up for Lent.  After a really bad experience of giving up coffee a few years ago, which seemed to only punish me and those around me, but didn't get me any closer to God, I didn't even know what to give up or if I should give up anything.  After all, I eat pretty healthfully, and other than the coffee, there's nothing that I have every day that I felt like would be much of a sacrifice to give up.

I wanted to do something that would make me better, make me closer to God, and if possible, make the world just a little bit better.  And finally... I had a good idea- giving up being mean.  If anything is clear at this point in time, it's that our world needs less meanness.  Meanness on T.V., meanness disguised as humor, and meanness towards others not "just like us" all seem rampant today.  I decided that during Lent, I would give up being mean.  As a decently nice person, I've already made better choices since making this decision, but I've also failed a few times already.  One of the biggest things I've realized as a result is that so many times, I am mean to myself.  I'll find myself doubting myself, second-guessing myself, or about to not act in my own best interest of complete self-respect.  It's made me so much more aware of those times, and it's surprisingly easy to just say, "Stop it.  Don't be mean," when it is directed in a way towards myself.  It's a big way of letting myself off the hook, and I've found that being better this way towards myself is making me better towards others as well...more clear, more direct, and just more thoughtful.  More likely to give them the benefit of the doubt or just accept them as I am accepting myself as I am more.

I know that I won't always meet the goal throughout the season, but I already feel more peaceful and secure since making this decision.  I know that others around me have already benefited, and even in situations that I don't know what to do, I now start by thinking, "Don't be mean."  I'm feeling like this is a much better Lenten choice for myself since it's helping me to become better, and hopefully I will keep this habit long after Lent is over.

More Stepping It Up

The good thing about wanting to step it up is the fun of shopping and feeling justified in indulging yourself.  The other thing that you have to do once you have the stuff is actually do something with it-- actually step it up.  Have I done this so far?

Yes, and so far those black boots from Nine West may be the MVP of my purchases lately along with my new eye palette from Too Faced.  Today, I returned something to Kohl's I had purchased online (Lauren Conrad boyfriend blazer- very cute, fit great, but the color was much darker in person and way too close to the color denim I have).  I had to walk through, and I found this shirt (Lauren Conrad again).  Once I saw it, I was hoping it was on sale, and it was-- total of $21.60, so not bad. Here's the best part- once I tried this guy on, I instantly realized I wanted a hot pink blazer instead of teal.  I'm thinking this one shirt can help me with my color schemes for the next few months because it combines most of my favorite colors together and it is just so pretty!  

I can't wait to wear it, and I will definitely post some pics!  

Homemade Pizza

Tonight, I wanted to use up some mozzarella cheese and some basil from the last recipe I made (keeping with my goal of budgeting).  I had also recently watched the Barefoot Contessa's episode on pizza making, so I was very excited to make some changes to the pizza recipe I usually use.

New Recipe:

Prep Time:
10-15 minutes

Total Time:
30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
2.5 cups flour
3 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil (simmered with 3 roughly chopped garlic cloves and red pepper flakes on low heat while dough prepares)
Cornmeal
Mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2.  Add warm water to a large bowl.  Add the yeast packet, stirring until it dissolves.
3.  Add the flour, honey, and olive oil.  Stir, then use your hands to bring together.
4.  For 10-15 minutes, allow dough to rest.
5.  Sprinkle the cornmeal onto either pizza stone, baking sheet, or upside down cast iron skillet.  Press the dough on this, and then drizzle or brush the warm olive oil (leaving out the cloves of garlic) on top of dough.  Add mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you would like.
6.  Bake at 500 degrees for about 11 minutes, checking around 10 minutes to see if it is ready.


This was very good, but although I was so excited to make the garlic and red pepper olive oil, I felt that this could have had a little more heat to contrast with the cheese and the relative sweetness of the dough.  I did add red pepper flakes on top as well, but I would possibly add a chili pepper or another source of heat next time to the olive oil.

Here it is with the basil on top:

Can't beat homemade pizza on a cold, windy night!