Stacy's page - 5 ingredients or less

Jul. 20, 2009 - 5 ingredients or less

In trying to spend less on groceries, but still be able to eat great-tasting meals, I came across some cookbooks that have helped tremendously.

Fix It and Forget It 5-Ingredient Favorites

and

Fix It and Enjoy It 5-Ingredient Favorites

These recipes only take 5 ingredients or less! To make this an even cheaper idea, check your library for these books! I borrowed both of them from the library long enough to determine that it was definitely worth the money to purchase them. And when I did purchase them, I found them online for much cheaper than the retail price.

When I got the books, I sat down with a pen and paper, jotting down every recipe I knew I wanted to try. I came up with a method to make finding the recipes very easy. Each page has 3-4 recipes on it. If I wanted to try to the second recipe on page 25, I would write it down as 25:2. (Page 25, the second recipe.) I taped my note in the front of my recipe book. Now when I am looking for something different, I can go directly to the pages I have already determined I'd like to try, rather than searching through the entire cookbook every time. If we try a recipe and don't like it, I simply cross it out on my handwritten list.

This week's devotion: UNITY

Since the doctor put me on steroids again, I am being a tightwad with my time, making the most of this opportunity to have excessive energy for a couple of days. The first time he put me on steroids, I noticed a HUGE difference that very night. (I only slept 90 minutes the entire night because I was so energized from the pills.) This time, the energy surge didn't hit me until the third day of the six-day pack. I am guessing that the reason why is because the asthma was so bad when I first started using the pack. Anyway, here is a list of what I have accomplished since I got off work Sunday:

Made facial cleanser
Made anti-perspirant
Made body sugar scrub (all of these recipes are in the body-care section of my blog
Made supper last night and cleaned up all the dishes.
Went to church
Came home and washed all of my scrubs from the previous week
Got things set out on the counter so I could begin my day with things in order

Monday:

Made granola
Did school with dd
Checked my favorite internet hang out several times throughout the day
Did some blogging
Went to the bread store,
Doctor's office,
Post office,
Library,
Got gas in the car,
Took dd to get one of her free treats from the summer reading program,
Did some research online for a cheaper way to get my meds,
Did a load of laundry,
Ironed clothes
Got my clothes ready for work this week,
Made a couple of phone calls,
Went to visit a friend,
Went to McDonald's for a free iced mocha (can I just say YUCK!) I'm so glad it was FREE!
Took inventory on the freezer contents so I can hopefully plan a menu for the next month,
Straightened the pantry closet, which was in desperate need of attention,
Went to the grocery store and CVS,
Made supper, washed the dishes, and put them away,
Did something special with dd,
Uploaded photos to the computer and then to Walgreens online site so I can post them on my blog later,
Took two baths (I noticed after visiting my friend, I was itching a lot. I think I am allergic to her dogs, so I took a second bath to see if the itching would stop. It has slowed down quite a bit, but not completely stopped.)
Just put a batch of brownies into the oven,
Wrote out dd's geography lesson plans for the rest of the course (Can you hear a big ?)
Discussed with dd what course she wants to start after she finishes her home ec course next week,
Ran a couple of other errands,
Typed this entry,
And now I am preparing to read my Bible because I am in much-need of a refreshing from the Lord (even if I do have loads of energy today!)