Monday, August 31, 2009
The 2nd Interview: What Went Wrong
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Monday: Dinner OUT to Outback, courtesy of my sister-in-law, who sent a gift card for my birthday! :-) Thanks!
Tuesday: Orange Chicken (premade from Costco, per hubs request)
Wednesday: London Broil, roasted potatoes, green beans
Thursday: Turkey Breast- I will brine it first using this brine recipe, then smoke it in the crock pot. I'm hoping for leftovers that I will put in the freezer for Turkey pot pies.
Friday: Ground Beef and Mac & Cheese Casserole. Yep, this is the THIRD week that this has appeared on my menu plan, and we've yet to make it or eat it. Things just seem to keep coming up... I am determined to get it made!
For more menu planning ideas, head on over to OrgJunkie.com!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
No Job for me...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Last week's menu did not get followed to the T, so you will see some repeats here. I don't remember exactly what happened, I just know that not everything got made. I know that we didn't end up eating out, so that's good! Here's what's in store for this week:
Monday: I marinated chicken breast in Kraft Parmesan Asiago Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (free at Publix a little while back), rice, peppers and onions. The chicken had great flavor and the peppers and onions were a nice change from the peas, green beans, carrots cycle that we seem to be on normally. I planned to have leftover chicken for pot pies later this week, but that didn't happen. I will make a few changes later in the week and we'll be fine!
Tuesday: Spiced pot roast from the freezer, served over egg noodles and with carrots.
Wednesday: Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, fresh green beans and boiled potatoes with garlic. Friends have been raving about this meatloaf recipe, so I am going to try it. I will make two loaves- one for now and one to put in the freezer. I love the idea of cooking once and eating twice! This one was not exactly budget friendly with buying the sun-dried tomatoes and feta, but I'm hoping that it will be worth it!
Thursday: Pulled pork sandwiches from the freezer, coleslaw, corn
Friday: Ground Beef and Mac and Cheese Casserole, based around this Ground Beef Casserole recipe (found via Once A Month Mom). I bought several Mac and Cheese boxes when they were cheap at CVS and part of the Full Cup Rebate from Kraft, so this lets me turn those into a meal. We will probably eat with a salad.
I am also going to make this End of Summer Harvest Soup for the freezer. I will blend some up for the baby and leave some not blended for me. Hubs wouldn't touch this if you paid him- he doesn't know what he's missing!
For more recipe ideas, visit OrgJunkie.com!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
More Job News
Finally, after bathing the baby, I noticed that I had a new email. It was an email from the hiring manager inviting me in for a second interview! WOO HOO!!!! I was holding the baby and jumping up and down and cheering. My husband told me to stop because I was scaring our child. Spoilsport. Anyway, it's Monday at 11 am and I am OVER THE MOON! I am so excited and so blessed to have this opportunity. I am continuing to pray that everything will work itself out as far as me getting this job and also as far as me being able to handle the job- not so much the work itself, but the logistics of getting someone to take care of our little boy and everything else around here while I'm working. More to come on that front, but I am determined to get this posted tonight. It's been slow cooking in my drafts folder since Thursday!
HUGE thanks to everyone that's been praying for me about this. It seems strange to say, but I really feel all of the positive energy through this whole process- I just really hope it continues through the final interview on Friday.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
WFMW- The Bruiser Edition
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Crock Pot Wednesday- Herbed Sirloin Tip Roast
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 sirloin tip roast, about 3 pounds
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (Merlot was what we used)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tsp spicy seasoning- I used Chili 3000 from Penzy's- think something with cayenne pepper and you'll be good.
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
PREPARATION:
Monday, August 17, 2009
Freecycle Envelopes- Not so much.
Remember my brilliant WFMW Post about Freecycling those envelopes that they send you to use to pay your bills? I suggested using those envelopes to mail things to other people- just stick an address label over the printed address and go to town.
Not such a great idea, it turns out. See those little black bar codie line up there? And at the top next to the stamp? Turns out those are called FIM marks and they are super secret post office language that will direct that envelope to whomever it was originally intended to be sent with no regard for the actual address you print on said envelope.
I used a USAA envelope to send in my Kraft Full Plate Gift Card Offer. Instead of going to Kraft in IL, it went to the nice people at USAA, in San Antonio, Texas, who were kind enough to send it right back to me with the following explanation:
The enclosed envelope and your correspondence were received by USAA because of the bar code and FIM marks on the envelope. The bar code is the line of small bars in the lower right corner of the envelope just below the address. The FIM marks are the longer marks just to the left of the stamp. Both were printed on USAA envelopes to expedite the delivery of official USAA mail.
Even though you addressed your correspondence to another location, it was received by USAA because U.S. Postal Service equipment "reads" and delivers mail based on these two markings, which are unique to USAA.
In my over zealousness to be frugal and save a $0.02 envelope, I am likely going to loose out on $30 in Publix gift cards. In my desire to save the planet by reusing that envelope, I actually ended up causing another envelope to be used, not to mention the gas and everything else to get the original envelope back to me. It seems like this happens to me all the time- I have the best of intentions and put forth the effort and it just blows up in my face. Anyone else have any stories that they would like to share about huge frugal flops???
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
We stuck to our menu plan last week- kinda... there was pizza on the menu for Friday night because I really wanted to try making my own crust, but then, little man T was up til midnight Thursday not feeling good and didn't nap on Friday (still not feeling good). So, I had pizza for dinner- from DiGorno, from a box in the freezer. Hubs had ravioli, also from the freezer. As a native New Yorker, it is against his religion to eat frozen pizza from the grocery store.
I had left over grilled chicken breast that I knew I was going to remix (my new term for jazzing up leftovers) into some sort of pasta dish, but I wasn't sure exactly what. I took insperation from this post for Chicken and Bowtie Pasta at $5 Dinners and got rave reviews! Basically, I threw a little garlic in with some grape tomatoes and frozen spinach, added my cooked chicken (just to heat it through) and some Italian seasonings, then tossed the "sauce" with cooked penne. I added some parmesian cheese too- I actually wanted to add some mozarella, but it was frozen and I did not take it out in time to thaw. Hubs liked this and I actually ate it the next day for lunch. I needed something I could pack and take with, so I just added some Italian dressing and ate it as a pasta salad. VERY yummy and VERY frugal since it was made from leftovers. I will be adding this to my regular rotation as long as I can get cheap tomatoes.
So this week- here goes:
Monday: Herb Sirloin Tip Roast- I will be modifying recipe to cook in the crock pot. We will eat 1/2 for dinner and freeze the other half for later use. I also got ready made mashed potatoes BOGO at Publix since I can't ever seem to get my act together to peel potatoes and make them myself. Ah well.
Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie using leftover grilled chicken. I am going to try to do grilled chicken on Sunday nights for dinner, then remix the leftovers on Tuesdays. I don't have any puff pastry for crust this week, though, so I'm going to have to come up with something there...
Wednesday: Ground Beef and Mac and Cheese Casserole, based around this Ground Beef Casserole recipe (found via Once A Month Mom). I bought several Mac and Cheese boxes when they were cheap at CVS and part of the Full Cup Rebate from Kraft, so this lets me turn those into a meal. We will probably eat with a salad.
Thursday: Chicken Parm- nothing fancy, I just fry up chicken cutlets and serve with spaghetti and sauce from a jar.
Friday: Burito Bowls (loosely based on this recipe) using ground chicken (nobody tell hubs it's not beef, okay??) I picked up a package of pre-seasoned Taco Ground Chicken at Super Target. It was marked down to $1.99 because its use by date was close. I just threw it in the freezer and it will now make a great meal! I'll cook black beans with it too. LOVE when I can find inexpensive proteins!
For more meal ideas, visit OrgJunkie.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The BIG Interview
The little boy actually managed to sleep all night, though he did wake up with little cries a time or two, but quickly settled himself back down. When we woke up for the day about 6, he was HOT again, so he got more motrin as soon as he finished morning milk. He managed to eat a pretty decent breakfast and was in an okay mood. I, on the other hand, was tired and nervous about going. Since he hadn't gone to sleep the night before, I hadn't had any time to do the research that I wanted on the company or the industry. I hadn't tried on the suit and new shirt I bought- I didn't even know if the shirt would be short enough to fit under the suit jacket. I also hadn't switched from my MAMMOTH mommy purse to the more manageable one I wanted to take with me to the interview. I was definitely feeling a little stressed, but DH came to the rescue and took the baby at the appointed time so that I could go get ready. I put the suit and new shirt on- totally compatible! The only "problem" was that the suit was a little loose... hmmmm... not the best impression for the interview, but I wasn't about to complain that my clothes were fitting a little big! You don't really notice these things when you spend most days in sweat pants!
I walked out the door in my compatible suit and smallish purse feeling in control and looking, in my opinion, pretty decent for an overtired mommy. I figured I'd just put my best foot forward and see where that got me. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of checking myself out in the visor mirror in the car when I got to the interview site. No one should look at their dark undereye circles that closely! I assured myself that I would remain at least 3 feet from the interviewer at all times and we would be fine and headed in. I even managed to do a little more research about the company's product line before I was called in for the interview.
Here's where things get kind of cool... I won't bore you with ALL of the details of the interview- which actually lasted 2.5 hours- but one of the huge potential deal breakers with this job was an extended training session out of state. Extended as in leave your child and your husband and don't see them again for four weeks. I think that it would be a lot to ask either spouse to essentially be a single parent for four weeks and before the interview, I couldn't conceive of a way to make that work. BUT... here's the cool part, I think... the extended training? It actually takes place in New York... On Long Island... where my husband's family, who have been FROTHING at the mouth to squeeze my child happen to live. The huge deal breaker might have just become a perk...
The other thing that makes me think that this might just all work out? My husband's actually on board with the idea of me taking this job. There have been other opportunities that have come up in the past and he's been VERY against them. When we talked after this interview, he wasn't even on the fence, he just saw the same potential I did. He saw that this might be a good fit for our family and our situation right now. He saw that we might just be able to make this work. I cannot begin to tell you how blown away I am by this fact. Maybe I just don't generally give him enough credit, but really, his attitude towards this position amazed me. It is literally an answer to prayer.
So here I am, NOT conflicted. I'm very clear in how I feel- I want this job. I really want to believe that the fact that the training, which I thought would be a big issue, seems to be working itself out and that my husband is actually on the same page as I am means that this job is something that is supposed to happen. Honestly, though, I'm afraid of really getting my hopes up and being disappointed. I know that I could do the job, and excel at it, but given the current job market, I really think that they may have candidates with more experience in their specific field and I might get passed over. I'm hopeful though, and grateful for the opportunity to interview today. I feel oddly optimistic- like if this job doesn't come through, then maybe another will. In rereading my post from 3 months ago, I remember feeling like whatever happened was going to be the WRONG thing. I felt like if I got the job, it would be a terrible thing in that I had to leave my child, and if I didn't get the job, it would be a terrible thing for our finances. Now, though, even though I really want this job, I feel like even if I don't get it, we'll be okay and if I do get it, and have to leave my child, we'll still be okay and make that work too.
They will be holding two more rounds of interviews. Dates for the second round have not been set, but round three will be happening on August 28, so I'll either still be in the running then, or I'll know that this is not the job for me. I really, really, really, really hope that I'm still in the running...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Here we go again- Interview Tomorrow
Just this morning, I checked out Brandi's site- The Prudent Homemaker. Brandi and her family don't have health insurance. She doesn't even go the grocery store on a regular basis- she and her family survive (and thrive) off the food she has stockpiled in their home and the food that they grow in their yard. In the desert of Las Vegas. I guess I can't use that whole weird climate thing as an excuse for my dead herb garden. No one tell my mother-in-law, okay?
All these reasons for wanting to go back to work- health insurance, the 401(K) and college and emergency funds seem like valid, virtuous reasons to go out and get a job. Part of me thinks it's downright irresponsible to have a child and not have health insurance, but on the other hand, we can't insure against the most devastating of things. Even with health insurance, you can end up with some pretty big hospital bills. Brandi and her family faced some pretty big things without health insurance, including a child's broken arm and a pregnancy. They got through them and I certainly would not consider Brandi to be a bad or irresponsible parent. Am I really willing to sacrifice being there daily for my child in order to have money in the bank or stashed away somewhere for retirement? If he were gone tomorrow, would I rather have a fat emergency fund or the time with him? That answer is amazingly easy to figure out- but it's not that simple.
It all just makes me wonder if deep down, I want to go back to work for the old reasons- the ones that I thought I'd gotten over- the need to have the proof of a paycheck every other week to prove my worth, wanting to wear nice clothes and interact with adults. Am I willing to leave my child every day so that we can afford vacations or new furniture?
So apparently I'm still conflicted. I'm going tomorrow with an open mind. We'll see how it goes and if they are even going to offer me the job and put me in a position where I have to choose. Until then, I'm trying to enjoy every minute I have at home and with my little boy. Even if I don't go back to work, he's still growing up WAY TOO FAST!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
WFMW- Laundry Pretreater
We do lots of laundry at our house. My husband comes home filthy dirty at the end of the day, so his clothes usually go straight in the washer. Our little boy LOVES to feed himself solid foods and HATES to wear bibs- not a great combination for his wardrobe.
I need a stain pretreater that works and is cost effective, so here's what I do:
Mix a cap full of whatever laundry detergent I found on sale with enough water to fill an old Shout spray bottle, then spray this on my stains and let it sit for a minute before throwing it into the machine. So far, this has been working for me.
Other ideas from around the web:
Abigail's Mommy has a great post with thrifty recipes for ALL your cleaning needs.
baby tool kit recommends simply using a bar of dial soap to pretreat stains. It could not get easier and this is one that I will be trying soon!
Chief Family Officer is loving Zout for its help in dealing with blood stains.
Do you have any laundry tips or tricks you'd like to share? Comment away!
As always, visit We are THAT Family for more great WFMW Tips!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
You REALLY Can Use Your CrockPot as a Smoker!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
So I haven't been doing this lately, but I after a few nights last week of not knowing what I was going to make for dinner, I decided the little investment up front was better than having to think about it every day. I also wanted to get all my shopping done in ONE trip to the store instead of going once for the sale stuff we needed and once for the necessities for our meals. I try to make the two line up as closely as possible, but it does not always work. Anyway, here goes:
- Monday: Pulled Pork sandwiches- I'm smoking half a pork shoulder in my crock pot. Yes, smoking in the crock pot! I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I'll keep you posted! Served with Coleslaw (using my very own WFMW tip!) and baked beans.
- Tuesday: Pasta with chicken and tomatoes... don't really have a recipe for this one, but I have left over grilled chicken breast that will be going in with pasta. I also have grape tomatoes that are BOGO at Publix this week. I'm thinking that I might do skewers with grape tomatoes and mozarella cheese with balsamic as an apatizer/ salad course, then the chicken and pasta with a white sauce? Maybe a light vinagrette sauce on the pasta?? I'll let you know when I figure this one out too!
- Wednesday: Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes (maybe, if I get my act together- otherwise boiled potatoes with butter, garlic and parsley), carrots. I usually use this recipe for my roast, minus the olive sauce. It gets a great crust on the outside of the meat and has a ton of flavor.)
- Thursday: Orange chicken (from the freezer section at Costco- my husband's request, I'm not thrilled- it tastes okay and is pretty natural as far as ingredients, but it's EXPENSIVE compared to what I usually make. I'm aiming for $5 or so dinners here...)
- Friday: I'm aiming for homemade pizza... I keep seeing blog posts about how easy and cheap it is to make homemade pizza dough- (Chief Family Officer comes to mind, but I know that there have been others) so I want to try it myself. This might be overly optimistic, but I'm going for it! We'll see how the week pans out...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
WFMW- Substitute Yogurt for some of the Mayo in Summer Salads
I haven't been posting any Menu Plans since we've kind of just been flying by the seat of our pants. It's been kind of fun and we've yet to resort to eating out or take out, so we're doing okay. There was a last minute substitution yesterday- I intended to make meatloaf, but then I ended up napping instead of cooking, so we had a quick peccadillo instead.
Here's the easy recipe:
Cut up green pepper. Brown a pound of ground beef and green pepper in skillet over medium heat. Add can of black beans and can of tomatoes, preferably the kind with the jalapeno in them. Rotel tomatoes would probably be good if you live in the part of the country where they sell those. Heat 10 minutes more until everything comes together. Serve over rice with corn bread if you want. We didn't have any corn bread, or tomatoes with the jalapeno in them, so I added some red pepper flakes to the ground beef and it worked. The original recipe also calls for 1/2 cup golden raisins, but that just seems weird to me.
Okay, now that we're back from that little detour- it seems that I have been serving a lot of "salads" right about now, it being summer and all. My husband ADORES macaroni salad. I love that you can call something a salad when it contains about 1/8 a serving of vegetables, but alas, he assures me that pasta with a sprinkling of veggies does in fact count. We also eat a fair amount of coleslaw, and tonight I got adventurous with potato salad. I cringe when I think of the amout of mayonaise in these "salads", so I started subbing out 1/2 to 1/3 of the mayo called for in a recipe with plain yogurt- full fat plain yogurt, since that is what I have on hand to feed the baby, but even full fat yogurt is a TON better than the mayo. So far, he hasn't noticed and I feel slightly better that I've cut out at least a little bit of the fat and calories.
If you are interested, you can get the recipe I used for our potato salad here. I didn't use any green onion because we didn't have any. It was very good- I felt like it had a lot of layers of flavor that they are always talking about on the food network. It didn't involve as much chopping as I thought and I didn't peel the potatoes. Will be making this again, no question. I used 1/2 cup of light mayo and 1/4 cup yogurt with no problem. Hope you enjoy!
More WFMW Posts (Back to School Edition even!) at We Are THAT Family.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
I'm gonna dust a little flour on my face...
That's so me right now... my husband got a new Blackberry Curve this weekend- an upgrade from his Palm Treo. Since he is not patient enough to deal with technological issues, it has fallen on me to get his email accounts switched over to the new phone. I also need to get the contacts, including addresses, from the old phone to the new. I know this seems like it should not be too difficult, but we are Mac users and it seems that Blackberry is not feeling the Mac love since they don't even have desktop software for us. No worries though- I found work arounds for everything using the Swagbuck search, of course! Both of my missions have been accomplished, though making sure that the emails he sends reflect the correct email accounts was a bit of a challenge.
Since I am in here, allegedly slaving away over his phone project, he is wrangling the baby boy right now. I'm wondering just how long I can milk this whole thing and hang out in his office? Long enough to get caught up on all my bloggy reading? Long enough to write and schedule some posts for this week? Long enough to climb out the window and make a mad dash to Target??? ;-)
<