Cookin' in the Kitchen, Again

Monday was the big shopping day for the big cook day on Wednesday.
We shopped at Walmart, where they miss marked a whole bunch of hamburger, 5 pounds for $4.42! I grabbed 25 pounds, we eat a lot of hamburger; and you can't beat that price.
So Wendesday this is what I cooked:
2 Lasagnas
2 Kraft Layered Bakes
2 Ham & Rice Soups
2 Chilis
2 (batches) No Bake Cookies
12 Calzones
2 Tator Tot Casseroles
2 Sloppy Joes
24 Breakfast Burritos
12 Breakfast Sandwhiches (Sausage, Egg, McMuffins)
Not to mention I helped Kellie (my sister-in-law) make these:
4 (batches) No Bake Cookies
2 Sloppy Joes
12 Calzones
3 (batches) meatballs
1 Salisbury Steak
2 Chili
2 Tator Tot Casserole
2 Scalloped Potatoes & ham
2 Broccoli-Ham Bake
24 Breakfast Burritos
12 Breakfast Sandwhiches

I am hoping this will get us through until December.
Plus, Meijer has Green Giant Steamers (frozen veggies) on sale for 89 cents, and I have been buying coupons for $1 off 1, so this is a money maker. We will be stocked!

I fired the stove back up last night to make peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses and Banana Bread.

Making Out like a Bandit

Today was a special program going on at the Jackson Crossing.
The deal started at 11:00. If you bring in 20 pounds of non-parishable food they will give you a $25 gift certificate. My sister called me (while we were at mom's garage sale) and I piled up 20 pounds and came in. Bingo, $25 gift certificate. I asked if it was limit one, they said "no".
So I ran over to Aldi's and bought 50 pounds. Bingo, another $50 in certificates.
That wasn't enough, Black Friday is coming up and I need to finished my Christmas shopping so I ran to Target for a couple more items (okay two big packs of water and carried them from Target to just past the coffee shop) almost 60 pounds.
So I now have $125 in gift certificates to Jackson Crossing, and I spent under $20!
I wondered how we were going to have enough money for this Christmas season, but I know better than to question the power of God. He will provide.
How has God provided for you lately?

Chop, Chop

Before

Tis' the season for a haircut.

A chop here and a chop there and this is the result.

After

I need some ideas for hair products to use to give it volume on top.

I haven't had my hair this short since high school.

Pigtails and Puppies

When I can get Annie to hold still I love to get pigtails in her. Then the real challange begins, will she keep them in or pull them out?

I caught her, sucking her thumb with pigtails in and playin' with Petie.

Haloween Costumes

Here's a quick picture of the kids in one of the many Haloween costumes.
I think they had three different events where they dressed at three different costumes.

Mama's Boy Growing Up

I attended the first conference for Ben and the reports are great. He is barely 1/2 way though the school year and can count to 100, and is reading great. The teacher said if he keeps it up they will move him into the 1st grade classroom for reading time. Maybe he will become a Rocket Scientist.

Today I tried a new recipe for cookies, okay it was a cheating recipe and super easy:
1 package of Raspberry Jiffy Muffin Mix
1 package of Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 Tablespoons of oats
1 Tablespoon of butter/margarine
1 egg

Mix the first 4 ingredients until crumbly then add egg and stir until completly combined.
Roll mix into balls and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
This will make approximately 12 cookies, just enough for a quick bite.

Accomplishments

We are here, and keeping busy.
Yesterday we started the day off buy selling some of our Halloween Candy to Dr. Watterson so he can mail it to the troops. Then we headed off to 3 grocery stores for groceries and all with two kids. They were great. On the way home we stopped at two different McDonalds so the kids could each get apple dippers and hamburgers. (We had the trick or treat coupons for free items and they were both on the way home.)
After we got Ben on the bus I started to cook. Here's what I made for our freezer stock.
3 Meatloaves
3 family sized meatballs
2 Scallopped Potatoes and Ham
2 Broccoli and Ham Casserole
Sloppy Joes
Poorman's Casserole
Salisbury Steak
Homemade Calzones
Breakfast Casserole
This morning we took it easy, but this afternoon Anna and I got out to run 5 more places. She was great and we also made it to the voting poles. I was in and out in 5 minutes, no line no wait. I am a little embarrassed to admit I am 26 and have never voted before.
We got home and I started cooking again. So far we have 4 dozen no bake cookies and fresh homemade apple pie cooking. I need to make more calzones (these are similar to hot pockets). You make 'em, bake 'em, and freeze 'em. When you are ready to eat just heat. So easy.
Did you vote? They say this election will go down in history, will you be part of history?