The New Focal Point..... NO T.V!

 
Whew, its funny how time flies when you're having fun!!  My family and I have gone through some transformations and have been thoroughly enjoying them.  One of our transformations was going CAR-LESS, but that changed after 3 weeks from being CAR-LESS to going CAR-LIGHT.  I was saddened to find after 2 weeks of going CAR-LESS that my town does NOT have adequate public transportation to get around town to shops, appointments, etc.  I had to bite the bullet and keep the car so that I could get to the important destinations that we could not get to on foot.  

We did however enjoy walking miles to the nearest grocery store and checking out the little shops in the mini malls that you don't see when you are in your car and zooming to your destination.  My son was not so happy about me announcing us not going CAR-LESS anymore but I promised him we would still do everything that we could by foot and only use the car for destinations that we can't get too by foot.  

T.V. LESS Decorating....LOL!

Our 2nd transformations and the reason for this post is..... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE*...... WE are officially a T.V. LESS family.  There is NO T.V plugged in at our home... it is currently unplugged and in the corner in my bedroom on the floor until I find another good home for it to be...lol!

The New Focal Point For The Family Room

With the Television gone I have created another focal point for our home, one that is inviting and less intrusive, that is calming and invites you to gather around and talk to one another and share things with each other. That focal point is our fireplace!  It has been a source of fun for us, lighting candles and drinking homemade hot chocolate while singing songs or playing games with each other.  The flickering and the soft glow of the candles on the fireplace and around the room just set a mood of calmness and simplicity that words truly can not describe. 

Just The Laughter of Family Are The Sounds We Hear Now

So, we have ditched cable and the internet, and that is the reason for my absence and will be the reason for posts that may come once or twice a month.  Overall we are happy with our decision and we are enjoying our new lifestyle.  

Our Musical Night Of Playing The Guitar

I will most definitely be keeping a diary of the things we are doing and are accomplishing without the television.  Hey… one quick thing that I really enjoyed last night was listening to the football game on the radio while I hemmed up a pair of pants that were to long for my 7 year old.  I liked the fact that I could enjoy the game and get something done at the same time!!  The consensus in our home is we are having fun and are happier without the T.V. and no one seems to miss it one bit!...well at least at this point…LOL! 

Simple & Delicious No Bake Enchilada Pie

I really love simple ingredients... they make the best meals!  I fixed this simple No Bake Enchilada Pie using meat left over from our Football Taco night yesterday.  I love getting two meals out of one....that makes me a happy momma!  I love that this recipe does not call for baking and it is so simple and delicious that it tastes as if you spent hours in a hot kitchen :-)

Simple & Delicious No Bake Enchilada Pie

1lb of Ground Turkey or Beef

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning (I use my homemade taco seasoning)

1 Onion Diced

1 Can of Mushroom Soup

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Chili Peppers

1 Can of Tomato Sauce

Bag of Spicy Doritos (you won’t need the entire bag)

1 Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Small Can of Sliced Black Olives

Cook up your meat (drain if it is ground beef) then add your taco seasoning and mix well, add chopped onion, soup, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix well and cook until mixture bubbles.  Add Doritos by pushing them into the meat mixture until you can’t add any more, turn heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes or until Doritos are soft then turn off heat.  Sprinkle cup of cheese on top and then sliced olives and cover,  let sit for 5 minutes until it firms up.  Serve with sour cream or sub sour cream for plain yogurt and sprinkle with a little lettuce.

Grandma’s Pantry

When I was younger I remember looking into my grandma’s pantry and cupboards and wondered to myself…”how was she going to feed everyone when there seem to be nothing to fix?”  When dinner time came I was amazed to see all the yummy food before me, she seemed to have whipped it up out of thin air…because I did not see any of those yummy things in her pantry or cupboard when I looked inside of it.

That is what you call being a industrious woman in the kitchen!  I now have my own “Grandma’s Pantry”…I have worked hard over the years to get to that point and it has been so rewarding because I can fix just about any good simple recipe in a minutes notice.

With a few important ingredients on hand in my pantry I can fix several healthy fulfilling home cooked meals. 

I don’t buy a lot of convenience food because they tend to be expensive and not very healthy to eat everyday especially if you also like to visit the restaurants once a week.  There are a lot of ingredients in those foods that are NOT HEALTHY at all and you pay in more ways then one when you stock up on convenience foods.  I have learned how to make a lot of the convenience foods from scratch and I store them for future use.  I save a lot of money on my grocery bill by doing this, plus they are healthier this way.

I LOVE TACOS!! It is my favorite food but I do not spend a $1 or whatever the cost is for a packet of taco seasoning.  I make my own homemade taco seasoning with (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, dried onions, sugar, oregano, cumin).  I have total control of the taste and salt content of my seasonings.  The best part is I am able to use some of the same ingredients for my Chili Seasonings, Spaghetti Sauce, Seasoning of Meats, Stews, and Soups etc.  I could not do all of that if I was to purchase a taco seasoning packet, I would need to purchase more pre-packaged or pre-made foods to accomplish chili seasoning, spaghetti sauce, stews etc.

So as you can see you get less then what you pay for when you purchase convenience foods.

 I also do not use recipes that require me to purchase an item that I would only use for that specific recipe …ex: Dry Sherry, Hollandaise sauce.  These would not be beneficial to me and my dinner preparations because I would only use them once for that specific recipe.  I fix simple meals and use recipes that use simple ingredients it ensures that my food bill stays low.

With adopting the “Grandma’s Pantry” cooking techniques, I spend less money on my grocery bills and feed a family of 5 for $250 - $400 a month.  I use what I have and I have learned how to substitute certain things with what I have in my pantry.   

I will be posting more information on how to make your grocery bill dollars stretch without having to use coupons to save money.  I will also talk about the possible pitfalls of using coupons in a later post.

You can find out some of the ingredients I keep in my “Grandma’sPantry” by clicking the link.