THE $10 BUDGET: XMAS SHOPPING

Some people turn their noses up at garage sale shopping, but in Florida, this is a year round sport. On Saturdays, armed with $5.00 in ones in one pocket and $5.oo in dimes and quarters in another, I venture forth within a 3 mile radius. The less money you bring, the better the opportunities you will find...I also advise avoiding sales that smell like cigarettes or damp storage buildings (you'll usually get a whiff if you just roll down the car window...keep on driving).

Below I have listed today's haul which I have laid out on my dining room table. All of the items will be Xmas gifts, except the throw rug. Total spent $10.

1. Seven Tins, most made in England: Total $1.00 Plan to use for packaging homemade fudge or pralines for gifts.

2. Ten items of clothing in nearly new or new condition:(Aeropostale Ladies Zipped Hoodie, BC Ethic Cool Looking Rayon Shirt, GAP Man's XL Long Sleeve Oxford Shirt, Peace Frogs Sweat Pants, South Pole Boy's Jeans, Izod Long Sleeve Ladies Oxford Shirt, GAP ladies striped button down long sleeve shirt, Aeropostale Ladies Striped Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt, Aeropostal Velour Hoodie, Two Piece Army cold weather undergarments (brand new): Total $7.00

3. "The Ultimate Joke Book", silly fluffy flip flops (never worn), friction submarine toy in box, throw rug with tag (never used): Total $1.00




4. Sport Craft Horse Shoe Set: $1.00

GRAND TOTAL: $10.00

Carefully washed, starched and ironed all the clothes. Downloaded and printed horseshoe playing instructions. Now if I could find a good price on some pecans for my pralines....
You will be surprised what you can find with a pocket full of quarters and a creative attitude.

DEVELOPER SHOES

My husband has this thing about shoes. More specifically, he hates those shoes that developers wear without socks. He almost walked out of a mediation when the developer walked in wearing those shoes. How all those developers can afford those Sesto Meucci Woven Top Loafers when they can't pay their property taxes or their mortgages is a closely guarded secret. I guess that is why they don't wear socks. My husband says they get those shoes when they go to "Developer School". Maybe so.

MY HUSBAND'S SOUTHERN CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

This post might also be entitled "An Acquired Taste" , so termed by my Yankee mom who knows nothing about good eating. Everybody else loves it, my 10 year old son will even eat the left-overs. This is different than the chicken and dumplings eaten by Yankees and served by my mother. The Northern dumplings are more like soggy biscuits on top of chicken soup. Southern dumplings are wide glutinous noodles in a thick sauce with chicken and hard boiled eggs. Both are thrifty and the ultimate in comfort food.

Here is the recipe for the Southern Chicken and Dumplings:

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts
3-4 Hard Boiled Eggs
6-8 Cups Water
Salt,Pepper to taste
1 Cup Cold Milk
2 Cups Flour

Instructions:

1. Boil Chicken over medium high in the water in a large pot for 30 minutes.
   
2. Remove chicken and leave broth in pot. Cut cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
   
3. Mix 1 cup cold milk and 2 cups flour and 1/4 tsp salt until blended. Turn out onto heavily floured surface and knead briefly with well floured hands. Flatten with hands or rolling pin flipping over the dough to keep surface well floured. Roll out to 1/8th inch thickness. Cut into noodles about 1" wide and 2" long using a floured knife.
   
4. Bring reserved chicken broth to a boil and add salt to taste. Drop noodles into boiling broth. Boil noodle for 5-7 minutes. Add cooked chicken and chopped hard-boiled eggs. If sauce is too thin, you may thicken with cornstarch. Adjust seasonings.

Lots of flour needed on surfaces



My son's noodles

This is a popular meal. For a little more flavor, you can add some rosemary and thyme and a bay leaf to the broth while the chicken is cooking. You can substitute chicken thighs or whatever part of the chicken you have to make the dish.

The Don's Son In the Penalty Box

Okay, just a brief rant. I like to negotiate. But some folks just give the word a bad rep. I was watching CNBC and noted the Donald's Son being interviewed on how it is to survive in such difficult financial times. He was asked if he was cutting back on his spending and he allowed that he was saving for the great opportunities created by lowered asset prices (I agree with him here). Then he proceeded to say he liked to practice his negotiating skills by bargaining for a better price at whatever store he was shopping at. Now that is just too much!! You and I go into a store and try that, we might get 10-15% off...don't you think those stores are just falling all over themselves already when the Donald's Son strolls in. Somebody needs to tell the guy that this is like, well, easier than stealing candy from a baby! Get your negotiating practice at your own expense, not the little guy's expense!