A Love Never-ending

Tonight Elvis and I watched The Notebook. The movie was wonderful! More than wonderful. 

It is what we all hope and dream for... to love and to be loved; honestly.

I won't give away the movie in the event you haven't seen it. Even if you have watched it before - watch it again. Watch it with open eyes and with someone you love. 

The movie made me cry. It also made me think about life, and love. I have been lucky to share my life with Diva and Elvis. Diva will always be my daughter and there is no replacing a love for a child just as there is no substitute for real love between two hearts.

One day Diva will be grown with a family of her own, a heart-love of her own. These things I wish on her. I had never experienced unconditional love until the moment I first laid eyes on her laying there sleeping. There is no manual, and I know I have made mistakes but I try to be the best Momma to her that I know how to be.

I loved Shrugs, but it was not a complete love. I will always love her for the person he is, the father to Diva and a very close friend.

I know with my whole heart that Elvis is the one I was meant to be with. When I am presented with emotional scenarios, it is him I think about. He is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, wherever it leads us. 

What we have may not be perfect, but it is real.

Random Memories & A Snow Free Weekend

This is the anniversary of the blizzard of '78, and there is one heck of a blizzard hitting this weekend, but it won't be here!

Yes, I remember 'The Blizzard of '78'. I remember walking uphill, both ways, lugging my sled behind me after a blizzard to the grocery store with my Mom. Sounds like something our parents would say - but unfortunately for me, it's the truth. 

I was young, real young. Fine! I was 6 - go ahead, do the math, I know you want to. We lived near the beach, so we got hit pretty hard. My bedroom was on the second floor and I remember the snow drifts being so high they nearly came to my window. My poor Granpa's bedroom was on the first floor and he couldn't see out at all until my brother and I dug a tunnel. Kids playing in the snow - safe. Kids sitting in a tunnel 15 feet under the snow - the 70's!

Time to take off the bell-bottoms and get back to the now.

Diva and I went to the grocery store as planned. I stuck to my list, and if anyone has ever -ever- shopped with a child with you knows what a feat that is! Okay fine, I bought her a 25-cent cheese-stick. We both made our best guesses as to how much the total would come up to without going over. Hers - $40. Mine - $50. I technically won my personal challenge because I know I will need to buy more milk this week. I give her this victory though because she is 9 - and we were only going by what was in the cart at the time.

Total for this weeks shopping - $45.05 (milk will be an additional $1.49) Keep in mind, I do have a stockpile and I didn't have to buy every ingredient for this weeks meals.

Dinner tonight will be Nacho Squares and veggies.

Nacho Squares

8 oz. ground meat (use whatever kind you prefer)
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 can (8 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and slightly mashed
1 T. taco seasoning
2/3 cup shredded cheese
1 can crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 415*

In large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, brown the meat, green pepper and onion. Add the tomato sauce, kidney beans and taco seasoning. Mix well to combine, Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile pat rolls into an ungreased 10x15" baking sheet. Gently press dough to cover bottom of the pan, being sure to seal perforations. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Spread hot meat mixture over crust and continue baking for 10 minutes. Evenly sprinkle cheese over to and continue to baking 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let it cool before cutting.

My Stockpile, My Meal Planner and My Best Grocery Guess

Why wait until you have to live on rice and beans before you take a good look at your kitchen and come up with a budget?

There are a few easy things you can do that can help not only keep your kitchen kingdom organized, it can organize your spending!

Stockpiling - Finding the best deals on the non-perishable things and then buying not one or two, but as many as you feel comfortable buying at the super deal price. I am not saying run out and stockpile everything on sale, but a few items here and there, things you use anyways. A 20 pound bag of rice for $10.00 may be a great buy for me, but if the only time you eat rice is when it is accompanied by Kung Pao Chicken, you may want to pass. Don't limit it to just groceries, I admit it - I have a toilet paper stash!

Meal Planning - Plan what you will be making for a week, or a month, or a year if you really want to be that ambitious! No need to go out and purchase anything special, any calendar will do. Mine is the Google calendar. I had been slacking when it came to a meal planner. Had. It's something I have been trying to stay ahead of once again. Now that I am back to making out my meal planner, I spend less time and money at the grocery store.

Now that I can put the chalkboard away, back to me.

I am going to make a 'best guess' when it comes to how much I will spend to feed my family of three for a week. I do have some things already on hand, basic staples - flour, sugar, spices, veggies and rice. After planning out the week, I am going to say I will spend $50.00 - total.