My sister and I getting ready for Halloween

I grew up in a lower-middle class home. We had the basic necessities but extras such as store bought halloween costumes were something that we just didn’t buy. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few time when we were able to do that. However we found that usually the quality wasn’t very good and the costumes did not last very long. My mother decided to instutue a new costume policy in our house, we had to make our own costumes. This may sound cueul but actually it was a blast! My sister and I were discussing this recently and she said, “half the fun was seeing who could be more inventive…and usaully i would lose.” Some of my happiest memories were putting together our costumes.

My sister and I would brainstorm for weeks about what we wanted to dress up as for Halloween. Once we had decided what we wanted to be, we would set to making our costumes. We would usually go the thrifts store and find pieces that would work for our costumes. The thrift store always had wonderful surprises for us. From there we would raid our closets and our mother’s closet. We could usually put together a costume for under $10. My mom would do our make-up to go along with our costumes. We would have so much fun that our friends soon joined in as well, and stated making their costumes too.

The funnest part of Halloween was making my costume with my sister. We always had so much fun.

Some of our thrift store costumes included:

A Geisha- made with a silk Japanese robe found at the thrift store

A 1950’s Woman- Made with a vintage dress and jewelry from the thrift store

A witch- Made with a black dress that we shredded ends of.

Fall (the season)- Made with sprigs of fall leaves from the dollar store

A mouse- Made with an old gray terry-cloth robe found at the thrift store, and a pair of store bought mouse ears.

Cleopatra- A large white sheet draped across like a Egyptian dress bought at the thrift store.

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I have been a Martha Stewart fan since I was a teenager. My mother and sister used to make fun of me for my Martha Stewart obsession. I have always admired how she has such attention to detail and makes sure that things are done properly. I do recognize and always have, that she tends to go a bit overboard on some things. I have been a loyal reader of her magazine and I used to watch her show on NBC. I bought her products and I was even going to go to a book signing.

As the recession hit, I continued to watch her show. She had on guests like Jim Cramer who was talking about stocks and the stock market. While this is helpful to some, it is not helpful to all. While the rest of the country geared up for the recession, to me it seem as if it was business as usual at Martha Stewart Omnimedia. I watched her show to see if she would have money saving tips for the average American household, but I never saw anything of the sort. Eventually I got fed up and just stopped watching her show. Last week I read an article that said that viewership was down for her show.  I was not surprised.

My annoyance did not stop with her television show either. I continued to read the magazine but I soon found myself feeling betrayed. I felt like the Martha magazine was targeted to a different audience, one that had not been effected by the recent recession. Recipes and crafts in the magazine still required pricey ingredients and pieces. While she talked about the recession did she actually realize what the average middle class household was going through? The final straw for me was a piece about what every woman should have in their closet. While the pictures were beautiful, the clothing was outrageously priced.

I eventually started reading the magazine Real Simple. I like this magazine because I feel like it has the same quality as the Martha magazine but that it is more accessible to the average middle income house hold. They too have their out- of touch artciles too, but not as bad.

Even though I have been annoyed by Martha Stewart’s constant bragging about the vacations she goes on or the show about designer dresses, I do not hate her and I occasionally do watch her show.  I just wish that she would realize that we aren’t all millionaires and target her show that way. I bet if she did, her ratings would go back up.

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Harvest fresh from the Garden

One weekend not to long ago I received my first lesson on how to can tomatoes. I have always been interested in the process but I have never had the chance to learn until now. My mother-in-law called me one Saturday and asked me if I would like to learn how to can tomatoes from their garden. I am always up for learning new things, especially if it was save me money down the line. So off I went to learn how to do it.

The process was relatively simple. Here is a quick breakdown.

1. Wash your tomatoes in a cold water bath to wash off dirt. Inspect them for holes, mold and anything else that you would not want to eat.

2. Boil your washed tomatoes  for about 2 minutes or until the skin starts to peel.

3. Peel the skin off the tomatoes, cut into medium size pieces and put into a bowl

4. We choose to leave the seeds in our tomatoes so we simply mashed them with a potatoe masher.

5. We made sure to boil our Mason jars and lids prior to starting this process- This is VERY important.

6. We filled each jar, leaving about 1/2 inch unfilled at the top.

7. We submerged each jar in boiling water, using a canning pan, until each jar made a “pop.” You must wait until you hear the “pop” noise to know that the jar is sealed. Do not store jars that do not seal as the  contents will spoil.

I had a lot of fun learning how to can tomatoes. I think I may actually do it again in the future.  If you are interested in canning, I would picking up a book on how to do so at your local library. The process may look overwhelming but it is actually pretty easy. Happy Canning!

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I love Halloween, it is my favorite holiday of the year. This year I decided to host a halloween dinner in my home. My goal was do throw my party as inexpensively as possible. I scoured the internet religiously for ideas for my spooky menu. I finally figured out what I am going to serve, and I will share it with all of you.

As a rule, I do not serve “gross” food. I came across many recipes that were so unappetizing that there was no way that I would ever eat it, such as kitty litter cake. (which looks like a box of used kitty litter) So without further ado here is my Spooky Menu.

Appetizers

Deep Fried Blisters with Blood Dipping Sauce (Deep fried ravioli with marinara sauce)

Crushed Mummy Brains with bone shaped bread (Garlic Hummus and pita bread cut into the shape of bones)

Steamed Maggots (Gnocchi thats been cooked)

Pumpkin Cheese ball with crackers

Moldy Monster Brain Dip with skin pieces to dip (Spinach dip in a hollowed out bread bowl, using the innards of the bowl for dipping)

Dinner

Roadkill Spaghetti Sauce on a bed of worms (Marinara with meat on top of linguini)

Poison Leaf Salad (Basic salad with many colors of lettuce leaves)

Garlic Bread

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie with whip Cream on top

Chocolate worm Mousse

Recipes

Deep Fried Ravioli

This Recipe is super easy and looks like it was very difficult to make.

1 package of pre-made ravioli with cheese filling

1/2 cup of milk

1 cup of Italian Bread crumbs

3 cups of oil heated to 350 Degrees

Simply dip each ravioli in the milk, then into the bread crumbs and then into the oil.

Make sure to coat each ravioli completely with bread crumbs.

When you fry your ravioli do not crowd them in the pan. they cook for about 3 minutes. Make sure to watch them. They will need to be flipped half way through frying.

Place the ravioli on paper towel to absorb excess grease when done.

Steamed Maggots

1 package of pre-made gnocchi that just needs to be boiled
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of olive oil, heated over medium flame in a frying pan
3/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil the Gnocchi according to the directions on the package or when they begin to float. Scoop them out of the pan and put them into the hot frying pan with oil. Fry the Gnocchi for 1-2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and cheese. Place a toothpick in each piece of Gnocchi and arrange on a creepy platter.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball

1 store bought cheese pall
2 olives that have been cut width wise (eyeball Shape)
1 slice of red pepper, cut into a jack-o-lantern mouth shape

Push olives into the cheese ball to make eyes and red pepper to make the mouth Add crackers.

Moldy Monster Brain

1 Small to Medium Sized Bread Bowl
2 cups of Spinach Dip (I buy mine pre-made from the store)

Hallow out the bread bowl, reserving the inside. Scoop the dip into the bread bowl. Tear the reserved bread into dipping size pieces. You can make a face on the bowl like the cheese ball above.

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This current recession has hit everyone hard, from the average jane, to retailers and even restaurants. People have been frugal with their money and have been eating at home. In most cases it is easier to buy from the grocery store and make a meal yourself, rather than pay someone else to cook it and serve it to you. As a result of these difficult economic times, restaurants have had to find a way to adapt in this challenging market. This means one thing, costumers are now eating cheaper.

My husband and I signed up for T.G.IF’s meal club card. It is not a credit card, you know how we feel about those here at austerity. Instead, for every dollar that you spend in their restaurant, you earn points towards a free meal, and other good coupons. Now I know that this restaurant is not considered fine dinning, but if you are looking for eating out on a budget, I would not suggest the five star bistro in your area, that is guaranteed to be pricey.

Jon and I have had our club card for almost a year now, and we have received almost 5 free entrees with our club card. We usually go about twice a month. The best thing about this club card is that every dollar counts, you can order just drinks, or just appetizers… whatever you want, it all counts as points! I usually order an appetizer when we go out, it keeps our bill cheap and the portion size correct.

I highly suggest looking to see if your favorite restaurant has a club card, or coupons.  You would be surprised how many restraunts offer deals, aside from senior hour….

Here are My Favorite Tips for Eating Cheap at a Restaurant:

Order an Appetizer for Dinner

They are usually the yummiest things on the menu, and the least expensive. Ordering an appitizer also allows you to have adequate portion control, which is sorely lacking in most restraunts. I find that even with this portion size, I still end up taking some food home.

Watch What you

Drinks can be the biggest expense on the bill after a meal. As a rule of thumb, I won’t pay anymore than three dollars for a soft drink or beer. In some cases if beer is cheaper than soda, and you like beer, go for it. If you are interested in an alcoholic beverage, ask your server what the specials are for the evening. As a rule, if I am going to have a drink, I order good liquor, don’t settle for something that tastes bad just because it was cheap, it’s not worth it. If you decide not to order an alcholic beverage, ask your server if the restaurant has free refills.

Order a Meal to Share

This is an awesome trick to keep you bill down. If you are going with someone who is not such a big eater, or you are going somewhere that has enormous portions, consider spliting a dish.  My in-laws do this all of the time. They are good eaters too, no one is walking away from the table hungry. If you are not sure if a meal is large enough to split, consider ordering a salad or bowl of soup prior to your meal coming. Both soup and a side salad will cost much less than a whole meal. I usually find that this works well when I go to lunch with a girlfriend.

Choose Where You Go to Eat Wisely

Some restaurants are pretty much a given that they are going to be pricey. Usually seafood restaurants, steakhouses, and foreign food tends to be pricey. However, this does not mean to avoid these places entirely. Go on a special occasion or not very often. Try not to order the most expensive item on the menu, and watch what you drink as well.  Sometimes, you need a good meal, and you are worth it. If you splurge on your favorite French bistro every now and then, don’t beat yourself up over it… enjoy it.

I hope that some of these tips will help keep your bill affordable when you eat out. Bon Appetite

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Photo from Flickr

It is official, I am in love, with a pair of boots. I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of boots for almost two years now. When I say “hunt” I mean I have looked everywhere, just short of taking out a wanted ad in the newspaper. I have been seeking for the perfect  boot, a cross between a motorcycle and riding boot.

My last pair of boots where given to me by my sister. they were black, pointy- toed, heeled boots, otherwise known as perfection. I loved those boots and wore them until they gave out. My beloved black boots tore away from the zipper  on the side of the leg and that was the death of them. Ever since that terrible day, I have been searching for their replacement.

I live in the Chicago area, where we get winter and snow… lots of snow. So as my search continued, I decided that while my black heeled boots were perfect, perhaps a riding style boot would be more functional. After all, I am all about making the most out of what I purchase. The riding boot does not have a heel, which comes in hand on those icy city streets. A riding boot is also tall enough to cover my legs when the wind is whipping off of Lake Michigan.  So as you can see a riding boot seems to be the most functional option. There is also the issue of comfort with a riding boot because it is a flat.

So, as my search continued, I found many boots that were wonderful but just too expensive. The majority of the boots that I found ran over $150.! I found boots that were less expensive but the quality of the boot did not compare to the more expensive ones. So I asked myself, do you really get what you pay for when it comes to boots?

In my opinion, I think the answer to my question is yes. On Saturday, my search for the perfect boots came to an end. I found the perfect boot for me, a cross between a motorcycle boot and riding boot, in beautiful carmel colored leather. The boots were made by Michael Kors.. which means one thing, expensive. I found the boots at my local Marshals. The ran $160.  which seemed resonable for boots, since I have been shopping around for boots for the past two years. So I can officially say, that the price was fair, and taking into account that the boots were designer made, I would say that it is more than fair.

Believe it or not, I did not purchase the perfect boots. I left to think about it. I did not want to buy them on impulse.  As I thought about it, I know they are the perfect boots for me. I hope to return within the next week to make my boot dream a reality. Like the Nancy Sinatra song says “these boots were made for walking.” and that is just what I am going to do.

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Although I may be what some consider “cheap” I do not eat like it. I do not believe in eating garbage food. I believe that what you put into your body you can expect to get out of it. Now I am not saying I eat lobster and drink champagne, but there are staples that I must have in my house. The recipe below are made from items that I alway have in my house. I accompany this meal with a red wine. I prefer Robert Mondavi cabernet. Just a note on wine, you usually get what you pay for when it comes to wine, so it is worth the few extra bucks. This recipe should feed about 4 people. This recipe just goes to prove that one can eat will and not spend a fortune. So without further ado here is one of my favorite meals;

Ingredients

1 pound of good linguini (I prefer Barailla)

4 Tablespoons of olive oil or enough to coat a medium frying pan

3 Cloves of fresh garlic. Do not use jared garlic.

1 Tablespoon of crushed red pepper

1/2 Cup of tomatoes. The tomatoes can be diced fresh or canned. You can use any type of variety of tomato that you like

1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Let’s Get Cooking!

To start set water to boil in a large pot for the pasta. Add salt to the pasta water (about 2 tablespoons). Meanwhile, in a seperate frying pan, coat the pan with olive oil. Heat the oil with medium heat. While the oil is heating finely chop the garlic and add to the oil. You want the garlic to brown slowly. After the garlic has browned add the crushed red pepper. By now the water should be boiling and add your linguini. While your pasta is cooking add diced tomatoes to the olive oil pan.

When the pasta is done drain it and dump it into the pan with olive oil. Toss the pasta over medium heat so the olive mixture coats all of the pasta. Once it is fully coated, serve the pasta hot. Pour Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy. Bon Appetite!

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It is official this is my very last semester of college. I have been working on my degree for almost eight years. I had to take a break in my education due to financial reasons. I feel like my entire adult life has been spent in college. I am so ready to enter the workforce and put this stage of my life behind me.

As the weather is turning cooler where I live, it means that the college semester starting. As so many new students enter college there is some wisdom that I would like to share with them, tips of the trade so to speak.

Never Buy Text Books Brand New

I see this every semester, the book store attendant on the campus tell parents with incoming freshmen, that new books are a wonderful investment. That the books will hold up better. I fell for this myself as a child of parents that did not go to college. I did not have anyone to tell me any better. Listen to me all incoming freshmen…. THIS IS A LIE! Never buy new books if you can get around it. When yo sell your books back at the end of the semester you will not receive half of the value back. New textbooks are like new cars, they are both devalued as soon as you walk out of the store with them.

Buy Your Books On-line

There are wonderful deals to be had online on textbooks. My advice here is to get your book list as early as possible so price out what your books will cost you. The best was to search for text books online is by searching by ISBN number. I have been buying my books online almost exclusively for my entire college experience. Stick to trusted sites as alway. The same goes with selling your books back at the end of the semester.( yes you can do that!) Sell your books online at the end of the semester it is the most lucrative way to sell them back.

College May Resemble High School… But It Is Not

The beauty of college is that it is not high school. I hated high school, and I am not afraid to say it. To all incoming freshmen, you are an adult now and you are treated as such. There are no tardies in college, you can eat in class and you are accountable for your actions. College professors expect you to be accountable for yourself. Lame excuses will not get you anywhere.

Have Fun

The biggest piece of advice I would give to an incoming freshman is to have fun. Keep in mind college is a unique place to be in life. While I had to work my way though my entire college career, I recognized that this may be the only time in my life when I did not have to hold a job with an eight hour workday and a forty hour work week. Cherish this because for most of us, it is inevitable. As long as you keep a balance between studies and fun, you will do just fine.

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Every fall I set aside a little bit of money and I revamp my wardrobe. I try to replace articles of clothing that I have either ruined over the past year or have not held up. I usually try to stick to staple pieces, which are garments in a wardrobe that will not go out of style. A while button down shirt is an example of a staple piece for a wardrobe. I also usually buy a trendy piece or two for the season. I try to keep my trendy piece very inexpensive, because after all, who knows how long they will be in style.

This year before my annual wardrobe revamp, I took stock in what I already had in my closet and what was missing. I made a list and followed it strictly. Prior to shopping I went to the mall and just browsed. I purposely left my pocketbook at home. I know what you are all thinking… Jackie the mall is the most expensive place to shop…. Yes, the mall can be the most expensive place to buy clothing but, if you are dedicated you can find excellent deals.

When I did go back to the mall to actually buy clothing, I asked my sister to tag along. Having someone with you who will be brutally honest about how you look in something is very important when updating a wardrobe. As we walked through the stores, I was shocked at how pricey everything was.

My sister asked me if she could pick out an ensemble for me to try on and I said that she could. She picked a beautiful outfit; trouser jeans, a teal top and a cropped jacket. It looked like a million bucks, but it also costed close to it too. I really liked what she picked out but it was just too pricey. She was cross and remarked to me that I should go back to the thrift store. I disagreed with her and explained that there are deals to be found in the mall but one must be extremely choosy.

I ended up buying a pair of trouser style jean, which my sister had picked out. When I got to the register, I was informed that a second pair of pants were completely free! So, in the end, I found a great deal, I bout two pairs of trouser- jeans for under $50. The jeans were the only pieces of clothing that I purchased from the mall.

I finished my fall shopping at H&M. I highly recommend this store. Their prices are extremely reasonable. I ended up spending under $100 there and got everything I needed. While the thrift store can be wonderful, so can buying clothing from other stores. The main idea here is to keep in mind value. Is a shirt really worth $30? How much will you wear the piece? Will it last the test of time?

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As the girly- girl that I can be, I love a treat in this bad economy to reward myself for being so tight with my pocket book. My ongoing reward has usually been a manicure.  I love the feeling of being pamper, for a minimal price. I feel more put together with a nice manicure done. I have ran the gamete  of different types of manicures as well, from acrylic to natural, I have done it all.

I stopped going to have my nails professionally done and  recently to tried my manicures at home. I was surprised to find that I wasn’t half bad at it. My new reward became a bottle of good nail polish. (I prefer OPI) I invested in a nail file, nail clippers and a buffer as well. After a little while my nails began to look as if I was paying to have them done. After all, if I messed them up I always had a bottle of nail polish remover.  I was completely happy doing my nails at home.

About two weeks ago my sister asked me if I wanted to go get my nails done with her. I thought about it and decided to go, because after all it had been quite a while since I had my nails professionally done. I had decided to just get a manicure on my own nails before I went. Once I got to the salon, my sister and the technician talked me into acrylic. My sister announced that this trip to the salon was on her, she was going to pay. I knew I did not want acrylic nails before I went in, but I caved and went with the acrylic nails instead.

Now it has been two weeks since I had my acrylic nails put on, and I had a choice to make, get them redone or take them off. The thing is about acrylic nails is that there is maintenance fees of about $25. bucks every two weeks to keep them up. I knew that when I had them put on, but I did it anyway. Today, I decided to take them off. I just cannot justify spending that kind of money. Especially when short dark nails are supposed to be “in” this fall.

I just knew I could not keep them. I should have listened to my gut instinct originally, I would not have sore nails now. I am going to return to my at home manicure, where the most expensive part is the bottle of nail polish (at about $9).  The most affordable manicure is the one you do at home, it also comes with the biggest sense of accomplishment. And remember, don’t be intimidated, that is why nail polish remover was invented.

Here are some tips that I have learned for an at home manicure:

1. Remove all polish before doing anything else, soak your hands and use a pumice stone to take dead skin off.

2. Clip your nails then file them into a square shape, then buff them

3. If your nails are wavy or uneven put down a layer of clear top coat first.

4. Use 2 coats of whichever color you choose .

5 Finish up your nails with another layer of top coat, I prefer a fast drying one.

6. Do not use cotton balls between your toes, the fiber in the cotton sticks to wet polish… not good. I recommend foam toe separators, which can be found at most drug stores.

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