Thursday, November 28, 2023

I have so much to be thankful for…

I am thankful

senia54 / Pixabay


I am so Thankful

 

It’s Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. So much more than a lot of people.
 
I am thankful to God, Who gave me life so that I may be thankful for the following.  I am thankful to Jesus, who I believe gave His life so that I may go to heaven and even after death be with all those I am thankful for.
 
I have the best 4 grandkids who like to be with me, help me in any way they can and love me with all their heart.  Who get me out of the house and let me cheer for them at their school activities.  I say let me cheer because I’m pretty sure at their age, they are embarrassed by it but don’t say anything to me about it.  And, I have another grandson on the way, I can’t wait to include in my family.
 
I have 2 beautiful, both inside and outside, daughters who love and look after me.
 
I have a loving and caring son in law who loves and respects my daughter (his mamma and papa taught him well)  and helps me anyway he can.  I have a future son in law (who I can’t wait to meet) who loves and respects my daughter.
 
That’s a lot to be thankful for, but WAIT…  I have much more.
 
I have 2 brothers and their families who are always in my heart and who love and care for me.  And, guess this is the time I am thankful for Facebook, because without that I wouldn’t know what is happening in their lives we live so far away from each other.
 
I have in-laws (you wouldn’t even believe how many sisters there are)  who love my daughter and consider me family.
 
I have real, true friends who have been with me for over 20 years and a couple longer than my children have been my children.  These are not many in number but very strong in love, caring, and helping.  Friends who do so much for me and offer support in just being my friend.
 
I was invited to my first Chanukah.  This is something that I am very thankful for.I can’t make it this year but I will if I am invited again.  I think only 1 person knows this about me, I don’t know why or how, but somehow I feel connected to Israel and the Jewish nation.  I am a Christian, so I know this is strange.  I spent 10 days in Israel and will never forget the feelings I had.  I am thankful for that trip.
 
I am thankful for my job.  Oh, yea, I know I complain about it, but I am still thankful for it.  For the last 21 years, this job has not only provided an income for me, but has allowed me to be a productive part of our United States.
 
I am thankful that little Maddie chose me to adopt her from the humane society. She makes me move around and even bend down (not easy after my hip replacement).  She makes me be loving even when I don’t want to be.  So, Fattie Maddie, thank you.  (hey!  Don’t send hate comments, she calls me icky vicky, I can call her fattie Maddie.)
 
I can’t let a Thankful message go without being thankful for, QVC EASY PAY, The Good Wife, Law and Order, The Shark Tank, Reign, The Black List, Food Network, and Pawn Stars.  Not necessarily in this order.
 
I can’t be thankful for things in my life, without praying that you have as many things to be thankful as I do.

Friday, November 01, 2023

6 Simple Ways To Bring Down The Cost Of Your Grocery Bill.

6 Simple Ways to Cut Grocery Bills

Some people spend far too much money on food even though they can’t afford it, so I’ve showed them a few simple ways to save money from now on.

Sometimes it’s not easy to save money on food when you don’t know what you’re doing, but that needs to change because it’s actually easy to do. We’re going to look at some great tips that will save you money instantly. You will finally be able to eat like a king without putting yourself into more debt.

Buy carbs in bulk

When you go to the supermarket you might be tempted to pick up a small packet of rice or pasta, but since carbs can last for a very long time you should buy them in bulk. You just need to store them in an airtight container and you can work your way through them every day. If you have any Asian supermarkets near your home you will find huge bags of delicious rice inside. Once of those will definitely take more than a few weeks to get through.

Frozen veggies

Vegetables are very important and you need them in your diet, but I can definitely see why you would get upset when you want to buy lots because they are so expensive. Things change when you start looking in the freezer instead of the fresh produce section. You can pick up lots of frozen veggies for a lot cheaper and they will still taste great, plus just because they are frozen it doesn’t mean they lose all of their goodness.

Cheap cuts of meat

You don’t need to spend all your money on expensive cuts of meat because it doesn’t really make a difference to your health. Fatty cuts of meat are even more delicious and they won’t cost as much. Don’t think you’re going to put on weight when you start eating fatty meat because it doesn’t work that way. Some rougher cuts of meat will transform into a delicious stew and that is one of the cheaper meals around.

Don’t drink fruit

Just because fruit is nature’s candy it doesn’t mean you need to drink it even though it does taste good. Fruit smoothies are usually very expensive and if you buy small bottles you will still be hungry because they don’t fill you up. When you eat solid fruit you will actually have proper food in your system and you won’t want to keep snacking. This means you won’t need to waste money on other treats.

Never waste a meal

There will come a time when you cook more food than your belly can handle. When you can’t eat anything else you might not be able to stand the sight of whatever is left on your plate, but don’t forget to put it in the fridge because you can eat the leftovers the following day. Some meat and gravy can always be put on your sandwiches for work. I’m sure you will be able to get even more creative once you know what food you have leftover.

Grow your own

Growing your own food is probably the easiest way to save a lot of money. You don’t have to go to the extreme when you’re choosing what to grow. A couple of vegetables and some herbs won’t take much effort and I’m sure you’ll love the taste of them. Nobody is saying you need to raise your own lambs and pigs in order to cut your own meat. Just choose vegetables you eat on a regular basis because you will have more use for them.

Avoid luxuries

Everything we’ve talked about today should help you save a little extra money each month. Just don’t go around spending all your money on luxuries if you can’t afford it, but at the same time you can always treat yourself every once in a while otherwise you might go crazy.

Featured images:

Anna David, the author of this article, works with, Fresh Produce Displays, leading importers of refrigerator units in Australia. She takes keen interest in jewellery designing and loves to cook for her family. 

Friday, November 01, 2023

7 Useful Kitchen Storage Solutions For Freeing Up Some Extra Space

Kitchen Storage Solutions

Kitchens are like the heart of our homes. Sometimes, it may seem as if our kitchen is not big enough to accommodate all the items and appliances that are essential for cooking. But, with proper utilization of the space and some nice kitchen storage ideas, anyone can have the kitchen of their dreams, no matter how small it is. Have a look at 7 useful kitchen storage solutions that you can implement with limited budget, time and resources.

 

Pegboards

 

A backboard occupies the under-used wall-space and free-up some space in your cabinets and drawers. It comes outfitted with books, and is perfect for hanging those small pots, pans and utensils. You can hang it near you prep space, so you will have all the tools at your fingertips.

 

Corner storage

 

A well-hinged corner-cabinet can hold your kitchen appliances as well as the baking supplies. Such a unit can eliminate the need of digging through the stored items to reach the back-end of the cabinet.

 

Source:  https://www.rendallkitchens.com

 

Pot Rack

 

A pot rack will free up the cabinet space and also put your cookware within easy reach. It hangs around from the ceiling with the help of chains attached to multiple hooks that are welded firmly to the grate. Your pans and utensils are suspended from this great using metal S hooks. You can find a great tutorial on DIY kitchen pot racks here.

 

Source: www.houzz.com

 

Slender storage

 

You can get an armoire with deep drawers, and store linens, baking sheets, dish towels. They usually have an upper cabinet with transparent glass door, which is great to store and show off your pretty dishes.

 

Over-the-door storage

 

Did you overlook the extra space available above the kitchen’s doorway? Well, you can hang a shelf over there and store those pretty china pieces and other utensils that you use occasionally.

 

Pull-out shelves and storage carts

 

By pairing accessibility and storage functionality, pull-out shelves keep your appliances hidden from sight, but you can roll them out easily whenever you want. Along with that, a hidden roll out cart is a nice way to store your items, while also being easy to use for various purposes and to carry around with you in the kitchen.

 

Try a different idea

 

If storage space in your kitchen is a serious limitation, and you are unable to get that extra room that you are looking for – you should go for renting a storage unit (like this one in Auckland). It’s a nice idea when you don’t want to spend a lot of time and effort in trying to re-arrange your kitchen by trying out various storage space ideas. In fact, it’s also the perfect solution when you have to renovate your kitchen for better utilization of space, and want to save your kitchen appliances and utensils from damage.

 

While making use of one or more of the above ideas for properly utilizing your kitchen space, you will not just free up some extra space but also arrange everything in a nice way for easy accessibility. Once you’ve done that, you can use the freed up space for storing your new kitchen appliances, the ones you have been waiting to buy. Now, just get started with some of the above ideas and build the kitchen of your dreams.