new job

well, i had an assessment for United Health Care as a claims assistant. i have an interview tomorrow. things are moving so terribly fast. if i get the job, i start on monday! this job pays two bucks more an hour than i'm making and has so many opportunities for advancement. i will keep you posted.

broth, the magical thing you make from scraps

after reading this article from beingfrugal.net, i feel like i've been wasting money my whole life buying broth and stock from grocery stores. basically, every time you have left over bits of veggies or chicken or beef, just save it all up in a baggie in the freezer until you have a sufficient supply and then pour water over it and slow boil it, then once it has all the flavor of whatever you're using, just pour it into muffin tins and freeze it, then once it's frozen, put all the frozen sections into ziplock baggies in the freezer for when you need them.

How to make soup stock:

Vegetable Stock:

The best way to make a vegetable stock is to save scraps. Peels, from onions, husks from garlic (my garlic press leaves little “skins” inside, so I always save those.) Ends of celery, extra mushrooms and any produce nearing the end of its life in the refrigerator. Shells from peas, stems and even apple cores go great in vegetable stock. (Never use spoiled/moldy produce).

If you have a few cups of vegetable bits, just cover them with water, simmer for 45 minutes, strain and freeze. However, if you’ve only got an onion skin here and a stalk of celery there, just throw it all in a big bag in the freezer until you have enough vegetable bits and time to boil it all at once. Strain and store.

Meat stock:

Bones, ends, and drippings! Use pan drippings, or bones to create a fantastic stock. The easiest way it to start with the brown bits from the bottom of a pan. First, pour off any grease/oils and then heat the pan quickly on the stove. Add a small amount of cold liquid to the hot pan (water, beer, wine, fruit juice, brandy, or even water that you cooked pasta or vegetables in), and as the liquid rapidly comes to a boil, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula. This will free up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan, and allow you to use them again. As an added benefit, the pan will be much easier to clean.

If you have bones or tough meat scraps to use, add the bones and enough water to cover them, and simmer for 45 minutes (fish is the exception—heads and bones go in the water, with the gills removed, but remove as soon as the bones become opaque). Large bones such as hamhocks or entire turkey carcasses may take longer—cook covered in water until the bones come out free of meat scraps.  Strain and store. 

since i plan to live by myself, i really plan to buy a whole chick every two weeks or so and use the meat on it for dinners. i like food, but one person can only eat so much, so a whole chicken should really last me quite some time if i get creative and they're usually under $5. i got this idea from savvyhouskeeping.com in her article eat for a week for under 850 .

a new bundle of jo.....pantry supplies?

i was quite curious about what i should plan to stock up on in my future pantry when i happened upon this list from ivillage:

 When preparing meals on the fly, it is important to have a well-stocked pantry of general, non-perishable items. If you're not sure what your pantry should look like, follow our essential pantry ingredients list below, so that when the time comes, you can prepare a delicious meal without having to run to the store.First, make sure to keep a list handy of what you use most often and what you need to replace on your next shopping trip. Absent from this list are the perishables -- such as bread, milk and meat.
Almond extract: for adding a little extra flavor to desserts, pie crusts, vegetables and other dishes.
Apples: for long storage, eating out of hand and making desserts.
Applesauce: for snacking, cooking, baking and an easy dessert.
Balsamic vinegar: for flavoring dishes and making salad dressings.
Baking soda: for baking and cleaning.
Baking powder: for baking.
Barbecue sauce: for cooking and flavoring.
Bay leaves: for seasoning soups, stocks, roasts, sauces and poaching liquids.
Beans (dried and canned): for soups, stews and other dishes.
Boullion (beef, chicken, and vegetable): for soups, seasoning, casseroles and marinades.
Breadcrumbs: for toppings, stuffings and other dishes.
Brown rice: for casseroles, soups, stuffings and side dishes.
Brown sugar: for cooking, baking and seasoning.
Canned cream soup: for a quick lunch, or to add to side dishes, soups, casseroles and other dishes.
Canned tomatoes: for sauces, salads, soups, stews, casseroles and other dishes.
Canned tuna fish: for quick sandwiches and casseroles.
Carrots: for long storage, snacking, soups, side dishes, roasting meats, casseroles, stews and more.
Cocoa powder: for baking and making hot cocoa.
Cold cereal: for baking, topping casseroles, snacking and breakfast.
Cooking sprays: for greasing pans for baking or frying.
Cornmeal: for cornbread, breading proteins and for baking white bread.
Cornstarch: for thickening puddings, sauces, stews and gravies.
Crackers: for snacking, appetizers and topping casseroles.
Cream of tartar: for whipping egg whites.
Dried fruit: for desserts, sauces, roasting meat and poultry and snacking.
Dried herbs: for seasoning sweet and savory dishes (good ones to have on hand: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, dill, cilantro, tarragon, chives)
Dried spices: for seasoning sweet and savory dishes (good ones to have on hand: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, paprika, mustard, ginger, allspice, cayenne pepper)
Garlic: for flavoring or garlic bread.
Ginger: fresh for mincing or grating and adding to dishes for a spark.
Honey: for seasoning, cooking, or eating on biscuits or cereal.
Hot sauce: for adding a touch of spice to dishes.
Jams or jellies: for making sandwiches, desserts or sauces.
Ketchup: for flavoring sandwiches or other dishes.
Kosher salt: for seasoning
Lemons and limes: for squeezing into fresh juice or using the zest in cooking.
Lentils: for soups, stews and other dishes.
Maple syrup: for breakfasts and baking
Mayonnaise: for salads, sandwiches, salad dressings and many other dishes; low-fat or fat-free are also good choices.
Nutmeg: for sweet and savory dishes and sauces.
Nuts: a selection of your favorite nuts for breads, muffins, desserts, casseroles and side dishes.
Oatmeal: for baking, cooking and as a breakfast cereal.
Olive oil: for cooking, greasing pans or making salad dressings.
Onions: for seasoning meats, soups, stews, casseroles and many other dishes.
Pasta: for eating plain, with butter, or a sauce; also great for using in soups, stews, casseroles, or as a side dish.
Peanut butter: for cooking, baking and snacking.
Peppercorns: for including whole in soups, stocks, marinades and roasts and for grinding for cooking and table use.
Powdered sugar: for making frosting, cooking, baking and decorating.
Prepared mustard: for sandwiches, mayonnaise-based salads, salad dressings and marinade.
Potatoes, russet: for baking and mashing.
Potatoes, small red: for boiling and roasting.
Red wine vinegar: for cooking and seasoning.
Semisweet chocolate chips: for desserts and snacking.
Solid shortening: for baking and greasing pans.
Soy sauce: for flavoring and quick stir-frying.
Tomato paste: for making pasta sauces, stews, soups and casseroles.
Unbleached white flour: for cooking, baking, thickening.
Unsweetened chocolate: for baking and cooking.
Vanilla: for flavoring many dishes, especially desserts; only use the real flavoring or vanilla beans.
Vegetable oil: for frying, cooking, salad dressings and greasing pans.
White sugar: for cooking and seasoning.
White wine vinegar: for salads, flavoring and cleaning coffee pots.
Worcestershire sauce: for seasoning and adding color.
Yeast: for baking.

Now, i must admit, this list is long, but it is also quite comprehensive and might keep me from having to go to the store constantly. which will save gas. But i also intend to grow my own herbs and vegetables so hopefully my shopping list will be relatively tiny in about 6 months or so...

Tacobell. The Food Bill.

I am not very keen on being frugal, you see, i like to shop and buy whatever in the world i please. So for my first post on frugality, i will inform you my latest endeavor.i have signed up for mint.com, it is quite nifty. Basically, you put in your  bank account information (no worries, it doesnt steal identities or bad stuff like that) and it organizes where you spend the bulk of your allowances and puts where you shop the most into perspective.

as you can see, for the year i have spent impressive amounts at walmart and heb (our local grocery store) but what amazed me the most was the fact that i have actually spent $67 at tacobell in four months. and in the "others" category   i have spent an astounding $64 at wendy's. that is a ridiculous $131 at two fast food places. 

i have to say i am quite impressed with my spending here. and by impressed, i really mean disgusted. you do see i spent $323 on fast food.. while also spending $947 on groceries. i know i've been working around feeding six people but this looks excessive. i also spent $236 on restaurants. good lord, i dont even have words for this. My new goal.. so that i may save for my "luxury apartment" is to cut that spending astronomically. This seems pretty easy in theory, but the boyfriend and i love food. Starting in May (it seems pretty pointless to try to salvage april and the counter begins on the first of the month any how) i plan to write down everything i buy. every thing. and then break up that price into servings or ounces or something to really know the value of what im getting. there is no reason that i should average almost $400 a month on food. I shall begin by avoiding fast food as much as possible. this will help my expanding waistline as much as it helps my pocket bo0k.

on a mission

it has been quite some time since i have blogged. a lot has changed, namely my hair colour, which is now turquoise. Also, i am living with my wonderful boyfriend Anthony and his parents, and i have a job. Now i know what you are thinking, and i agree, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED? to put it quite honestly, life. One cannot go about being an unemployed alcoholic and maintain a proper existence. So, i work at a call center, selling drugs to the elderly. I do not plan on living with Anthony much longer. It is not that i don't adore him to pieces, because, believe me, i do. It is simply that i am a very solitary creature and i need my aloneness. I have picked out a neat little studio apartment and am planning to move shortly after my birthday in june. i intend to cronical my savings and journey through getting a new apartment and also my very interesting life living with this boy. I hope you stay tuned.