Frugal Menus

The Dog That Don’t Live Here

January 2nd, 2011

If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you probably know that I feed stray dogs.

I fed a dog on the corner of 180th & Rock Creek for over a year!

One day as I slowed to feed that dog (Rocky because he was on Rock Creek Road) there was a lady there feeding him CANNED dog food. I stopped to talk to her. She’d been feeding him TOO! for months! He was just now letting her pet him. He disappeared shortly after that. I HOPE she took him home.

Anyhow, there always seems to be a starving dog on that road. I don’t know IF they live around there (I seriously suspect that they belong to this one house….) or if they get dumped, but there’s always a hungry dog there.

Meet my new ‘dog that doesn’t live here’…

Dog that doesn't live here

I met her a couple of months ago, along that same stretch of road where Rocky was, and where I’ve fed other dogs….

She comes running when she sees me.

Dog that doesn't live here

See her run? She’s a happy dog.

She wasn’t happy the first day I saw her. She was thin, VERY thin, her ribs were showing, her hip bones were protruding, and she was pregnant.

Poor poor thing. How could anyone starve a dog, or dump a pregnant dog?

I’ve no ‘before’ pictures, but you can sure tell that I’ve fattened her up!

Dog that doesn't live here

Yes, that’s store bought dog food! I also carry bread, dog bones, and leftovers over there.

She’s happy now and full, and NO I can’t take ANYMORE home with me! I’m at the limit already. But I can carry food with me, and go out of my way, every single day to make sure that she has a full tummy.

Tags: stray dogs
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December 26th, 2010

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Grillin’

December 15th, 2010

Earlier this year, we bought a grill. A big old honkin’ grill.

Then we started cooking all our meals outside.

Today it reached 70 here although it felt a little cool to me and I seriously considered firin’ up the grill!

How many people cook outside all year long?

Quite a few actually. There are groups devoted to cooking outside, barbeques, and grilling and smoking foods.

Have you ever had your favorite cut of meat cooked over hickory? How about apple? Or maple?

Oh man, you don’t know ‘what’ you’re missing!

Once you start, you can’t stop! You’ll start cooking everything on the grill and I mean everything.

How about smoked eggs?

smoked_egg

You can find recipes galore like ‘how to smoke eggs’ as well as a ton of grilling tips online.

Try it!

How about smoked holiday ham?

My mouth’s watering already!

Tags: smoked eggs
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Tom’s New Line

December 10th, 2010

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

Look what I have!

toms wicked fresh

I keep a small stash of sample sized toothpastes in a drawer in the bathroom (doesn’t everyone?) I do that to save them for trips, overnight runs, and for when I run out of the big tube. Yes, I have my very own sample size of Tom’s Of Maine wicked fresh toothpaste!

I’m already of fan of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, so much in fact that I’ll make a special trip MANY miles out of my way to stock up. Do you know Toms? Tom’s of Maine has been a leading natural products company for 40 years! They’re always thinking of us, the consumer and they’ve done great with this new product, Wicked Fresh.  

Wicked Fresh!™ is a long-lasting fresh breath toothpaste giving you cavity protection and it’s made with powerful natural flavor oils and a patent-pending botanical extract to provide long-lasting fresh breath. And to top that, they have a matching Wicked Fresh!™ Mouthwash too! Their new mouthwash helps stop bad breath without the burn and has a refreshing mint flavor. I love natural products, don’t you?

Do you have a wicked fresh moment? You can share your own Wicked Fresh moment at for a chance to win some great prizes at That’s Wicked Fresh contest page. You can also follow Tom’s of Maine on Facebook and/or on Twitter @TomsofMaine.

Tags: Tom's of Maine, Wicked Fresh
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Ginger Bread

December 8th, 2010

I had the most moist gingerbread today that I’ve ever had!

Someone at work brought it in today and shared with the rest of us. DELISH!

How long has it been since you’ve baked Ginger Bread?

Well that’s too long!

Bakers, (and cooks like me) like to peruse the different cooking sites looking for something new, something different, the perfect Cooking Recipes as well as old favorites.

Gingerbread is a perfect holiday food. It brings back memories of Grandmother’s kitchen!

This particular site, Be The Cook! (what a great name) even has, get this, VIDEO RECIPES! Perfect for the kitchen novice. Great for people who’ve never tackled something a little out of the ordinary. You learn SO much by watching.

Check them out for a holiday recipe or two. There’s always room for more desserts!

Tags: gingerbread
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Beading for Jordan

November 27th, 2010

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Givememorebeads.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Mom asked me what I thought about getting Jordan a beading craft kit.

I thought that was a great idea!

This little one is into arts and crafts in such a big way. She’s followed in the footsteps of her art loving older sister, her crafty Mom, Grandma and Great Grandmother! And I bet we could go back even farther!

There’s just SO much you can create with beads. You can make a necklace. You could delve a little deeper and use Gemstone Beads to make a gemstone necklace or a birthstone necklace.

She could use Freshwater Pearls to make a piece of jewelry for her Great Grandmother Pearl. How cool would that be?

pearls

gemstones

Then of course, you kind of expand on that thinking, expand on the different kinds of beads, from Aquamarine Beads , and Labradorite Beads to Citrine Beads and then you expand on the items too. Delve into bracelets, eyeglass holders, bookmarks, shoot the possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Gmmb

And the best part, there’s still time. Beading is something you can carry with you and do in the car (while waiting) or at lunch at the office, or while watching television. It’s a fun hobby and I’m sure she’ll love it.

Tags: beading
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Happy Thanksgiving

November 25th, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Tags: Happy Thanksgiving
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Pairs, the Novel

November 17th, 2010

What do spiritualism, home renovation, etymology, psychic aptitude, quantum physics, Wicca, and Jungian teachings, all have in common?

#PAIRS is a frequently humorous, sometimes outrageous, and often enlightening read that explores the nuances of romantic love and friendship between four very different yet equally engaging individuals

In his engaging & hilarious new novel, Canadian author D. W. Richards takes a voyeuristic & often spiritual look into the lives of 2 enthusiastic couples. The wildest ride of the year!

In no particular order, spiritualism, home renovation, etymology, psychic aptitude, quantum physics, Wicca, and Jungian teachings, are all braided seamlessly into a frequently humorous, sometimes outrageous, and often enlightening storyline that explores the nuances of romantic love and friendship between four very different yet equally engaging individuals.

Check it out at: http://www.pairsthenovel.com/

Pairs

Tags: Pairs
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Internet in the Boonies

November 16th, 2010

What do you do when you live out in the boonies (in the country) like I do, and you conduct business online?

You look for the BEST internet service you can get.

“Can Get” are the operative words here, folks. Out here, there is no cable, so no cable internet service and no Cable TV Deals either.

We tried one of the satellite services once. It was good downloading but upload times were SLOW as can be.

We kept the satellite service along with a dial up service for a while so that we could have backup. As you can figure those prices quickly got out of hand. We dropped the satellite service and kept dial up for a while too.

Ever tried to run MORE THAN ONE online business on dial up?

ARGH!

We decided we needed High Speed Internet no matter what the cost, so we started researching ALL the different Internet Service Providers until we found one that actually worked ‘and’ stayed within our budget.

I now have wireless back here in my office, and Chili-man has wireless in his office as well. We BOTH can work at the same time, uploading and downloading all hours of the day and night with NO overage charges, no blackouts, no missed signals because of clouds, or storms.

Ain’t life grand?

Tags: internet in the boonies
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Want to Make A Potter Fan HAPPY?

November 2nd, 2010

Do you want to make your little Harry Potter fan the happiest kid in the whole world?

This month, thru November 25th you can enter to WIN a Baroque Bed made by Fashion Bed Group in Queen or King size, including delivery. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of the prize is up to $769.

baroque bed

The person with the most invited friends isn’t left out either, they get a cool $100.

To enter write an essay about what Harry Potter’s Bedroom would be like if he moved into your neighborhood. You’ve seen his bedroom at Hogwarts. Would it be similar? Or?

You can enter the Harry Potter Bedroom Contest here. You won’t need a magic wand to make their bedroom dreams come true, just a little luck.

magic wand

Tags: bed, contest, harry potter
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