With Help From The Sun ~ Just Call Me Heloise

As stated yesterday, we are dealing with high energy costs. After all, it’s winter.

It gets dark in the depth of winter. Very dark. I wanted something that will light up the sidewalk but couldn’t justify installation of electric lights.

So from a purely economical stand point, we decided to install these solar exterior lights. They don’t give out a ton of light but they are perfect the path to the front door so your guests can find their way in the dark.

They’re cheap and most important, they will not send your electric bill through the roof.

Here is what they look like at night. They form a great star pattern on the ground.  From a photography perspective, you can imagine how much work it took to get this photograph. I couldn’t find my tripod so this photo involved a step ladder. Then I held my breath and stood on one leg. Night photography is not for the faint of heart:)

Once again Dave Ramsey’s name comes to mind. That man is visiting me in my dreams.

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Disclaimer: I am not a Dave Ramsey sponsor, just a Dave Ramsey fan. He has no idea who I am nor would he care. This post and all consequent posts on money using Dave Ramsey’s advice are strictly at my discretion. However, if for some reason he wanted to pay me, I wouldn’t turn it down. I would then put the money toward our taxes . .

Just Call Me Heloise – Safeway Soup Sale

Say that three times really quickly, Safeway Soup Sale, Safeway Soup Sale, Safeway Soup Sale…

At the risk of sharing too much information, I will tell you that the husband and I were hit with a big, huge, humongous tax bill – right before Christmas. The timing is our fault by the way. We are not opposed to giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and we don’t want to go to jail so we are selling a bunch of stuff from our basement to help pay for it.

I’m not kidding.

Another way to try to save some money is to shop for sales…sales…and more sales…from now until Christmas. Okay for true disclosure, we are taking a financial class from the Dave Ramsey program called Financial Peace University.

When I say “we,” I really mean, me. The husband is not here for most the class but he is participating in absentia.

Here’s a financial cost cutting tip.

The girl had a horse clinic yesterday and I was tasked to bring soup. I didn’t have time to prepare it from scratch so I ran to our local Safeway to buy pre-made soup and pass it off as mine – kidding.

I stood in front of the aisle and looked at the prices and I started to get really discouraged. The girls don’t need any soup. They can eat carrots like the horses do.

Anyway, a nice couple came by and for some reason, I shared my plight with perfect strangers. They told me there were select Progresso soups on sale for 99 cents per can and a Safeway sales coupon reduced it to 89 cents. So for less than $5, I was able to serve enough soup for 20 girls.

It’s soup season so if you have a Safeway grocery store in your area, run down there now, but grab a Safeway sales flyer on your way in.

I may just get addicted to cost cutting …

Just Call Me Heloise ~ Chopping Garlic

I was at a very nice charity event a couple of weeks ago. Of all the photos I took, this was my favorite. Though it’s perfectly innocent, it does make Jeremy look like he’s doing something naughty.

But what I really want to show you the kitchen tip I picked up that day. I’ve never chopped garlic this way before and you may do this already…and if you do, then humor me ok?

After you peeled your garlic, chop it with a humongous meat cleaver. It will help you release your frustrations and pulverize that garlic to a pulp.

But before you pulverize it too much, add this …

… coarse sea salt.

Chop that salt right into the garlic. It will give it a nice crunchy texture.

Then add the mixture to the sauce for baked ziti … and I’m in heaven!

Bon appetite!

Just Call Me Heloise ~ How To Catch Gnats

The weather has been so beautiful lately that we have kept the doors to the kitchen open. But there one or two or perhaps three holes in the screen of the porch where these little annoying gnats would make their way into our kitchen and buzz around our heads.

Neighbor Susan told me about this little trick on how to catch them.

Leave a little bit of wine in the bottom of a opened wine bottle. Gnats are attracted to the sugar in the wine. They’ll dive down and drink, get drunk, then can’t find the small opening again so they tire and drown.

I know it’s harsh, but the point is to kill them right?

We tried a shallow saucer with some wine but it doesn’t work, they just drink and fly away.

There they are, dying a slow tortuous death.

On that note – Live your happy life today!