Corked Check In - Week 8 and 9

I have been doing pretty darn good with not purchasing new, non-consumable items.  In the past 2 weeks, I bought a total of 2 new t-shirts.  In all fairness, JR was going to purchase the t-shirts because we were at the Deep Eddy Taproom in Dripping Springs.  He decided he didn't want to for whatever reason and I thought that was silly.  The man wears t-shirts every day and these were soft, nice quality shirts with a cool logo on them.  Granted, the $20 price per shirt was a bit steep, but not horrible for souvenir shirts.  So, I bought them.  1 for me and 1 for him.  We brought them home and what do you know, mine fits bad.  Too low in front, too long, ugh, I might be wearing it for pajamas.  JR's fits just fine, as usual. 

Amazon and E bay have been taking care of my shopping urges with their never ending selection of used items.  Books and children's DVDs are my top purchases online.  Even though I'm aware I can download books from the library and stream shows on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc., it never fails I will be looking for a show for the kids, generally educational, and it's only available for sale.  Call me old school, but I need the hard copy if I am paying money for it. 

The library is awesome for downloading free copies of books, but I can never finish in the amount of time I need to read the book.  I only read right before bed.  This could be 45 minutes or 10, it all depends how tired I am and when I have to wake up in the morning.  Then there is that race against time feeling with library due dates and I really don't need that stress in my life.  So I buy.  Used.  Most of the time. 

Goodwill and local thrift stores are wonderful places to find cheap copies of books you would like to read if you don't have an agenda.  If you do, Amazon, E bay, and countless other places come in handy. If you aren't in a hurry, whatever it is you want will most likely show up for a price you are willing to pay.  One site I use to find used books is Bookfinder.com, but I almost always revert to E Bay or Amazon.  They seem to have the best prices consistently. 

A fun thing I do when I have time is browse free websites.  I only get items I will use because who wants a bunch of stuff cluttering up your house that has no purpose being there.  I don't want companies wasting their money on sending samples to me if I'm seriously not interested, either.    One free site is The Absolute Newsletter.  They start off by telling a little joke, then list a few freebies, then contests, followed by coupons and good deals.  Recently I have received mascara, coffee and detergent samples.

The only thing I have tried so far is the Persil detergent and I hate to say it, but the smell... yikes.  It reminded me of when my Grandma used Prell to wash her hair when I was a child.  It didn't help that the smell of the detergent was mixed with the smell of cauliflower I was cooking in the crock pot.  Gross.  I have a super sensitive nose, so that doesn't help.  I am a Tide girl.  I love the smell and anything else smells too flowery or strong now.  I do love freebies though. 

All in all, not a bad two weeks in the spending department. 

Total for week 8 and 9:  $40 for 2 T-shirts. 

Corked Check In - Week 7

No new purchases!

Corked Check In - Week 6

Oops!  I totally forgot that I had a Stitch Fix scheduled to come in February.  If you aren't familiar with Stitch Fix, it is a service where you fill out style preferences for clothes and a stylist from Stitch Fix sends you items based on your choices to purchase.  It's a personal shopper company. 

It had been months since I scheduled the "fix", making sure it was after our daughter's wedding.  I had totally forgot about it until I received a notice in my email saying the items were on the way.  I quickly changed the site setting to no more fixes unless I requested them.  I'm not supposed to be buying new items this year.

The box arrives and... I loved everything inside.  I truly didn't think I would because my first shipment from them I returned every single item.  The clothes in the first box were exactly everything I had said I didn't like in clothes and sadly, I looked like I was wearing a garbage bag.  Not this time. 

I'm out $165.41.  Big FAIL

I have to admit, I needed jeans.   Mine were starting to be worn and I had looked a few times at the thrift stores, but I dislike trying on jeans.  For every 10 you try on, you are lucky if one fits.  The jeans sent to me from Stitch Fix were perfect.  Stretchy, soft, high enough on my waist, worth it. And the shirts were so soft!  I didn't really need the purse, but if you get everything your total is 25% less, so new purse it is. 

In other news, I went to the thrift store this week and bought NOTHING!  That's right.  Normally I can find some trinket, but the few things I did look at, I talked myself out of.  I hope this is a sign I am getting more realistic with my shopping and not because the thrift store didn't have anything good. 

6th week total:  $165.41 on new clothes. 

I have bought so few things lately for myself the fact that I decided to keep the clothes made me really happy!  I wonder if I would have been as happy if I had been buying new clothes at my normal rate. 

Corked Check In- Week 5

Nada
Zip
Zero

No "new" purchases for this past week.

I did, however, purchase a stack of used books at Goodwill for Elle and myself.  This is always a thrill and I highly doubt it will ever stop.

In other news, FOUR items were fixed in our household by my husband, JR, this week.

Washing Machine
Dishwasher Rack
Plug on my Percolator Coffee Pot
Windshield Washer Pump on Daughter's Car


Our washing machine started acting wonky a while back.  It wouldn't rinse and spin properly during a normal cycle.  I would have to put it in a designated spin cycle and even then it wouldn't always work. Error codes would pop up saying power failure and too much suds, etc.  I also had noticed, every now and then, there was a faint sewage smell. JR thought it was the pump, so ordered the part.  It came in and JR removed the front of the washer to replace the old parts. 
P U!!!  There sat the filter, FULL of gross smelling artifacts from who knows how long ago.  We got this washing machine 13 years ago and never knew this filter existed.  Yuck and double yuck.  JR cleaned it out and never did have to replace the pump.  He is deciding if he should hold on to it or send it back. 

About half the time I pulled the top drawer of my dishwasher out to load or unload dishes, the dang thing came off the tracks.  Cheap plastic parts were the culprit and it had cracked.  JR ordered the parts and now I have 2 new metal brackets on my dishwasher.  This dishwasher has been a gem, not.  It's a Kenmore, like our washing machine, but it is only 4 years old.  JR has already replaced the heater inside because it wasn't heating the water properly and fixed a pump part that was broken causing the sprayers not to work right.  Kenmore, I have always loved you, but you have been letting me down lately. 

Speaking of dishwashers, my sister, Alison, told me she fills her jet dry compartment with white vinegar.  I looked it up online and there were mixed reviews, some people said it was bad for the machine, other people raved about it.  I decided to try it and so far so good! My dishes come out sparkly!


Our daughter Morgan's car is old. It's better than walking, but little things break from time to time, big things, too, but this time it was it's windshield wiper fluid pump.  It took Mr. Fix-it less than 30 minutes to replace and now she can see through clean glass again. 

Last, but definitely not the last fix he will do around here, was the cord to my electric percolator.  A few of our outlets have stiff plugs and the one I use to brew my coffee is one of them.  I plug and unplug the coffee plug almost every day and I guess I loosened the wires or whatever causes it not to work. I would have to lift the cord and set it on something to have it give the coffee pot electricity. JR replaced the end of the plug for me and now it works like new. 

It pays to fix things.  The amount of money spent on parts was minimal to replacing these items.  Of course, you have to have knowledge how to fix things, but with the internet, it is so easy to find instructions on just about everything.  I lucked out and have a guy who will take the time to fiddle and repair items around the house and yard because then I don't have to do it, but he saves us a ton of money.  When in doubt, figure it out. 

Let's Talk Yogurt

When my girls asked what I wanted for my birthday back in October, I considered the Instant Pot.  I wasn't sure if I really needed it since I already had a crock pot, pressure cooker canner, stove, oven, toaster, waffle iron, sandwich press, dehydrator, you name it, but then I saw the little yogurt button.  

I had never made yogurt before!  I love making foods from scratch.  Not only can you remove all the preservatives and mystery ingredients companies add to their products, but you can limit the sugar.  Want blueberry yogurt?  No problem.  Plain?  Great!  I know you can purchase yogurt makers, but I wanted an all-in-one pot that could do multiple things and become my new favorite appliance.  

I told my daughters and before I knew it, I had a brand new Instant Pot on my counter. I am spoiled that way. I tried a few entrees, mostly stew or soup type meals and wasn't majorly impressed, but not disappointed either.  Finally, I bit the bullet and looked up what I would have to do to make some yogurt in this bad boy.  Barely anything! 

I needed 2 ingredients:  2 qts. organic whole milk and 2 TBSP of yogurt with live cultures.  I found Activia yogurt at our local grocery store with the probiotic culture Bifidobacterium animalis lactis.  (I felt very smart there for a second.)

I poured the milk into my sterilized instant pot, then you heat it, cool it, add the yogurt starter and then wait about 8 hours depending how tangy you want it.  This is the recipe I followed:  https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-yogurt/

Instant Pot Yogurt #12

 

Prep

30 mins

Cook

9 hrs 30 mins

Total

10 hrs

 

Foolproof Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe #12 (Pressure Cooker Yogurt): Step-by-Step Guide on how to make smooth, thick & creamy homemade yogurt based on 12 experiments.

Author: Amy + Jacky | Pressure Cook Recipes

Cuisine: World

Serving: 2 L

Ingredients

• 2 litres (1/2 gallon) Whole Foods 365 Organic 3.8% Whole Milk
• 32 grams (a little more than 2 tbsp) Dannon/Danone 4% Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures

Instructions

1. Optional Equipment Sterilization: Place 2 cups of cold water and a trivet in the Instant Pot. Place silicone spatula, Pyrex glass measuring cup, and tablespoon measuring spoon in the Instant Pot. Close the lid and move the Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Sterilize everything at High Pressure (Use the manual/pressure cook button) for 3 minutes + natural release. Or Sterilize on Stovetop: sterilize the equipment (including meat thermometer) on stovetop by boiling them for 10 minutes. After sterilization, air dry the equipment on a clean rack.
2. Heat Milk to 180°F - 200°F to Denature the Protein: Pour 2L (1/2 gallon) of Organic 3.8% whole milk in the inner pot. Close lid (venting knob position doesn’t matter). Use the Yogurt More function to boil the milk to at least 180°F. It will say “boil” on the screen. It will take roughly 35 – 40 minutes. The Instant Pot screen will change to “yogt” when the boiling is done.
3. Check Milk Temperature: Open the lid. Check the milk temperature immediately in a few spots and make sure the milk is over 180°F. Stir with a silicone spatula and check the temperature again to make sure the milk is over 180°F. *Pro Tip: If the milk is not over 180°F, close the lid and heat the milk with the Slow Cook Less function for another 15 minutes.
4. Prepare Yogurt Starter: After the milk is heated over 180°F, place 32g (a little more than 2 tbsp) Dannon/Danone 4% Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures into the Pyrex glass measuring cup. Do not add the yogurt starter to the hot milk, as it will kill the bacterial cultures. (If you sterilized the measuring cup, make sure it has cooled to the touch).
5. Cool Milk to 111°F: You can leave the pot on counter-top and wait until the milk cool to 111°F. Or alternative method to quickly cool down the milk temperature: Fill a larger pot or kitchen sink with cold tap water. Partially submerge the inner pot with heated milk into the cold tap water. Stir the milk in a circular motion with a silicone spatula and frequently measure the temperature. It will take 2 – 4 minutes to cool the milk to 111°F. Remove the pot from cold water immediately. *Pro Tip: Try not to touch the bottom of the pot with the spatula as it may have some milk solid stuck to the bottom of the pot.
6. Add Yogurt Starter: Add ½ cup of 111°F milk to the Pyrex glass filled with yogurt starter. Gently mix it with the tablespoon measuring spoon. Pour the yogurt milk mixture in the inner pot and give it a few gentle stirs with silicone spatula.
7. Yogurt Incubation: Place inner pot back in the Instant Pot. Close lid (Venting Knob position doesn’t matter) and use the Yogurt Normal Function to incubate the yogurt. Adjust the time to 8:00 – 12:00 depending on how tangy you like your yogurt (longer time = more tangy). You can open the lid for a taste test once the yogurt is set. Roughly 6 hours. *Pro Tip: Don’t disrupt the fermentation process by moving the Instant Pot or opening the lid. Wait until it is set (roughly 6 hours) before opening the lid.
8. Stop the Incubating Process: Once the yogurt has reached the desired tangy level, remove the inner pot of yogurt and place it in the fridge for a few hours to stop the incubating process. The yogurt will also thicken a little.
9. Serve: Plain yogurt is done. Serve by adding sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup. Add fruits, granola or your favorite toppings. The sky is limit! ? *Pro Tip: If the yogurt is too runny, you can strain the yogurt with a yogurt strainer.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 10 Calories: 145 Fat: 8.5g Saturated fat: 5.1g Carbohydrates: 11.1g Sugar: 10.3g Sodium: 86mgFiber: 0g Protein: 7.9g Cholesterol: 26mg

It was so easy and absolutely DELICIOUS!!!  I was totally blown away.  The texture was creamy and smooth, I loved it, we all did.  I made a strawberry and blueberry fruit compote for the bottom of the container using honey, but think in the future I will make it, but leave it in a separate container to stir in right before. This way we aren't stuck with what I have put in there and can choose the flavors we want.

For the compote, I basically put about 2 cups fruit in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and 2 TBSP honey and simmered it until it thickened up.  After it cooled, I put about 1/4 Cup compote on the bottom of the container, then topped it with the yogurt, I put lids on the jars then put them in the refrigerator. 

  

We ate plenty, just like this, but I also used them in smoothies, made popsicles and topped a jar or two with homemade granola.  All I can say is do it!  You will not be disappointed!  We saved money, ate healthier and relished the superior taste over grocery store yogurt. 

Corked - January Totals

Here you have it!  1 month of purchases that were not consumable and not used.  

Grand total spent:  $40.60 

None of these items have been opened yet.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.  3 of the items were on sale, but the gate clicker wasn't.  

My goal for February is NO purchases that aren't consumable or used.  Wish me luck!

Corked Check In - Week 4

This week was so-so.  I was doing REALLY good and then we went to Tractor Supply.  I love that store!  It just so happens their Christmas stock was 50% to 75% off, including toys.  I have been very careful choosing toys for Elle and her friends, making sure they will actually play with them, that I will want to use them to teach and also that they won't be more of something we already have.  I KNOW my goal was to purchase only used and consumables, but I am weak when it comes to bright, colorful toys.

Look at these prices!  And look at the learning / teaching potential.  I am also in the process of potty training Elle and it does not hurt to have a prize or two stuck up my sleeve.  The total for these two toys was $15.00. 

I also bought 1 more UN-consumable thing, an LED night light bug zapper.
I have no idea at all if these work, but JR and I like to sit on the front porch in the evenings with Elle swinging and talking.  I figured I would give them a whirl and see if they help our flying insect population dwindle, at least while we are out there.  Originally these were $9.99, marked down to $3.99. 

The rest of my purchases were consumable, mostly seeds and sets for the garden and I got two rolls of 100 sq. ft of Christmas wrapping paper for $1.00.  Yes, please. 

This Saturday we headed to Bastrop to get Elle and I was once again dropped at Goodwill to play.  To show you what you can find when you look: 

Total purchase price was $28.00.  All used.

This weeks non-consumable, unused purchases total $19.00. 

I donated nothing, BUT I did clean out 1 desk drawer and threw out a bunch of old papers, I sorted through a ton of plastic bags in the pantry and cleaned out my never-ending corner cupboard where anything and everything that doesn't have a place ends up. 

This was a decent week.  Believe it or not, even though I am spending money, my spending has been curtailed immensely and I am not feeling put out by it at all.  I am really thinking about each item I purchase and even though I have put things in my shopping carts online and in stores, more often than not, I have been removing the items.  I am happy with how things are going. 

Corked Check In - Week 3

Um, very spendy week, but I stuck to my rules of everything being consumable or used, so, yay, me!

I started off mid-week sending my 97 year old Grandma flowers.  It's always a little let down after the holidays and all the busyness of company and the WI winters can be kind of gloomy, so I sent a bouquet to her.  I wrestled with myself about this, wondering if flowers were consumable or not, so did a quick check online.

"Consumables are products that consumers use recurrently, i.e., items which "get used up" or discarded."

Grandma got her flowers.  Cost:  $63.28

This week my Aunt Leslie sent me some books my Aunt Joyce had sent their Mother years ago.  I had grown to love Aunt Joyce before she passed away and seeing her notes to my Grandmother was touching.  I had read 1 of the 4 books in the past, but I will most likely read it again.  I will enjoy reading the books knowing both women had read them as well.  This was such a nice gesture by my Aunt Leslie who could have just as easily tossed them or donated them somewhere.  Cost: $0.00

I had ordered some new undies before Christmas and if a positive review was written, they sent you 6 more pair for free.  I actually did like them, although my rear end has gotten larger since the last time I ordered any, so I needed a larger size.  So if anyone needs some undies, I have six new pair that need a home if your butt is smaller than mine.  Cost:  $0.00

Saturday came and I took 2 outfits from Elle that had never been worn, 2 dress shirts of JR's that no longer fit and 2 cane chairs to the thrift store for donation.  Of course, I had to peek inside and I happened to hit the jackpot. 

I got:  Craft beads to play with with the kids.  I loved that they were red with Valentine's Day coming up and the bracelets were made of glass beads that I can take apart and make new jewelry out of.

Link N Learn with vibrant colors to learn, to help build fine motor skills as they make necklaces, belts, snakes, designs, whatever; to count; sort; practice patterns; etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Elle has played with them almost non-stop since I brought them home and I am going to start counting the times I have picked them up off the floor as exercise.  

3 white tiny bowls.  I have to admit, I have a bowl fetish.  I love bowls in all different sizes and need to stop myself from getting too many all the time.  These small white bowls are perfect for snacks for the kids and at 25 cents, I am not concerned if they break or not.  Bonus:  Not plastic.

A pastry wheel for a quarter. I didn't know what this was or what the shellfish knife was, but they felt good in my hand and I do love gadgets.  I thought the shellfish knife was for cutting grapefruit, actually, and am going to try it for that, if not, I will bring it back to the thrift store because we don't eat shellfish.  I love google, by the way.

I also picked up a glass baking loaf pan with lid, which I LOVE!  The less I have to use plastic wrap to cover leftovers, the better!

I can't go to the thrift store without looking at the books.  For 50 cents and no pressure to return at a given date, I snagged this story set in the 60's.  That was such a tumultuous time in history and since it was a New York Times Bestseller, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

 Who doesn't need a wand???

 I got another little bucket, this time for a quarter, but it IS plastic.  We only had one bucket in the sandbox and with 3 little ones out there some days, it was worth the price.

For $1.50 I picked up a matted picture frame.  I have had this idea that I am going to scan old pictures, convert them to black and white and hang them up all over the cabin.  Someday...

Thrift store total:  $11.25

Minus donating: 2 chairs, 2 shirts and 2 children's outfits

But wait!  We aren't done yet! Saturday afternoon JR and I drove to Bastrop and he dropped me at Goodwill.  I get so much pleasure from going there and although their prices seem high compared to our local thrift store, their selection can't be beat.  

I always start off by looking at clothes for Elle because although her Mom dresses her to the nines, I like her having play clothes here to get dirty and destroy, if the need be.  There is no sense paying top dollar for clothes the children grow out of in 6 months, in my opinion, especially when I let her jump in mud puddles and splash in the pond in her clothes.  

I found the CUTEST knit leggings and a sweet pink dress which I plan to use my cutting machine on and add a design to, maybe.  I also found 2 shirts for Elle to goof around in, but the long sleeve shirt had an ugly bow on the collar and I removed it.  $2.99 each for the leggings and 1 shirt, $3.99 for the dress and long sleeve shirt.  

I know, I know.  We have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc., etc., but DVDs call to me.  My sister, Alison, was telling me about The Gruffalo this past week and there it was.  I actually got excited!  If you have never seen it, look it up, it is so very, very cute.  Elle is also a huge fan of Dora.  We have quite a few from my sister, Andrea, and from DVDs I have purchased. All the kids choose them over and over again.  I love when they shout out the answers when Dora asks questions.  She makes them think and try to figure things out.  $3.99 each for the DVDs.  Last, but definitely not least, the book Snarlyhissopus.  It is darling!  99 cents.

Grand total:  $24.83

Goodwill has a lot less bang for your buck than our local thrift store, but truthfully, where can you buy 4 articles of clothing, 2 DVDs and a book for under $25?

We are all running out of vitamins over here, so I hopped on the internet and started researching.  We were using Dr. Fuhrman's brand of vitamins for years, but they are SO expensive.  Even though they are whole food vitamins, they are not organic and the more things I can get organic, the better I feel.  Our bodies can only handle so much junk before things start breaking down, so I do try to be good.  I fail quite often, but I try.  I came across the Garden of Life brand of vitamins, especially the RAW version which uses less heat to process the capsules, is organic and has a ton of great reviews, so I ordered all 3 of us some for a bit of assurance.  

Total:  79.24

And that is it.  I can honestly say I am tired of shopping.

Grand Total:  $178.60 ALL used or consumable
Minus: 2 wooden chairs, 2 men's shirts and 2 children's outfits

Feeling Okay.

Presence not presents

Corked Check in - Week 2

This was the wedding week for our youngest daughter, so I didn't have much time to think about purchasing anything beyond the wedding items already allotted for.  I did manage to purchase an additional gate clicker, tho.  There's always something!

I had started caring for another child part-time and we have a solar automatic gate at our entrance.  To make things easier and less of a pain in the cold and rain, I generally give everyone a clicker.  Sadly, their hours changed and the boy won't be coming here after all. It isn't like an extra clicker is a bad thing, but I didn't really need it.  Ugh.

Week 2:  Grand Total:  $21.51 NOT used / NOT consumable   FAIL

Getting back on track for week 3.