'Tis the Season

...to be inundated with catalogs.

I generally get about five or six catalogs per month from stores I actually patronize. Whenever I get a catalog I don't want, I immediately call their 800 number and ask them to stop it. But the holidays brings 'em all back out again in unwieldy masses.

Today is Halloween. A record NINE holiday catalogs are in my mailbox:
Wisteria (home decor/furnishings)
King of Prussia (mall)
L.L. Bean Kids
Plow and Hearth (home and garden decor/furnishings)
One Step Ahead (kids to 3yo)
Leaps and Bounds (3yo on up)
Maryland Square (shoes)
Company Kids (home decor/furnishings)
A Southern Season (gourmet foods and gifts)

Now, if you are someone like my mother-in-law, nine probably represents a slow day in your mail-order life. In the space of about six months, she could bale enough of her junk-mail to erect a skyscraper in her backyard. But knowing her, she wouldn't build it herself at all, she would simply order herself one. With cats painted on it. Personalized with her name and a saying about grandchildren. And I'm sure a music box would be stashed inside a secret porcelain door on the 12th floor. But enough about someone else, this blog is about ME.

I could call these catalogs' numbers and say get me off the lists. If I subsequently need to make a purchase (doubtful), I can easily find their websites. Here's what they'll say when I call, though: "We have removed your name from our database, Ms. Scrooge, but you may still receive catalogs for another six to eight weeks, since we print and distribute them in advance."

How convenient for them to keep them coming through the buyingist time of the year.

A Glass of the House Whine, Please

Sorry I've been out of touch, everybody. Here's what I've been up to:



The family room carpet is done, as is the painting. Now we have to reconfigure the furniture and move it back in. But some of it has to be cleaned first, for the same reason the carpet had to be replaced. Dogs who are five percent territorial, ninety-five percent lazy



So here's where they will now live. Yes, I'm letting them share my study. The flooring for the new dog condo and the neighboring powder room is finished. I love the rough brick look. However, we haven't finished painting these rooms. Then the powder room (on the L) needs a new light fixture, its vanity repainted and knob replaced (see said piece on the study floor, awaiting its turn).

We had the same carpet (in "artichoke"--hard to tell the color on the interwebs) put on both staircases and the top floor landing. Oh, I almost forgot--we still have to figure out WINDOW TREATMENTS for the lower level. This job will never end. But when it does, the roof comes next. We're thinking white with solar PV to tie into the power company grid. Anyone out there done this yet?

Don't Push Me

Hey, Representative Mark Foley:
     Shut the fuck up.

Ahem. In the clear light of day, I see that my comment above, posted last night, was simplistic and vulgar. What I really would like to say to him is don't think you can move the focus and the guilt off of your own dirty self by announcing through your spokesman that you were abused as a teenager. Maybe you were. I am sorry if that is the case. But now is not the time.

Where has the thyme gone?

Why, I transplanted it from garden bed to pot, along with some parsley, a fairly large rosemary shrub, and my oregano. We harvested all the carrots (promptly ate them in two days), and then I broke down my three raised beds behind the patio. After raking out the dirt, I planted some Turf Alive!®, raked a little more, and mulched with straw. Now what we have is a big mess of wet straw. But if you look very closely, you can see wee blades of grass--and some very healthy wild onion shoots--testing the air. It was the perfect project for this stretch of perfect weather, just the sort of feeling in the air that convinces you that your favorite season is now fall.

Which is why it's so hard to report that I'm ticked off today. Christiana Hospital, where my two children were born, has the largest, most comprehensive maternity ward in the state. And, according to a letter to the editor I read yesterday (and I called the hospital to confirm), THEY HAVE STARTED CHARGING $15 A POP TO CHECK YOUR CHILD SAFETY SEATS. I had N's seat checked weeks before he was born, then I had his rechecked along with A's right before she was born. Free. Free free free. Just schedule on their available days and times, and, well, free. Keeps kids alive, you know. Was staffed by volunteers, you know. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? If this new (and PROHIBITIVELY high) charge prevents a child from surviving a crash, I may have a breakdown.

And another thing, but not so important. Why does Disney insist on putting inappropriate video advertisements before KIDS' videos like Rolie Polie Olie? The preview I am speaking of is forDisney's House of Villains. YES, thank you, I want my 3yo and 18mo to watch Cruella scream, Meleficent boil, and whatever-the-hell-that-underwater-witch's-name-is turn into a fire-breathing demon. The freakin videotape is for preschoolers, for Jebus sake! Why scare the shit out of them before they've even gotten to the "feature"?

I'm now off my rant stump.

A note: I started a new blog at vox.com. Like I need that time sucker. I'm going to do all my writing about topics gustatory at--how originally titled, you will say--Eat and Drink. Hope you can pop in. And if you want an invite to make a vox blog, let me know. I think I have some to give away. I can't figure out a way to put in a hit tracker, so if you visit, please comment! I'd love to know who shows up.

Insomnia: A Small Price to Pay

Just needed to let everyone know that Anne Frasier is responsible for the dark circles under my eyes, the stoop in my shoulders. I haven't slept terribly well since I finished her newest novel PALE IMMORTAL. The images she conjured and the questions she left unanswered are yet rattling around in my head. I'm not sure I can wait another year for the sequel. (By the way, Anne, you'll want to ignore the title my husband suggested for the second installment: PALER, IMMORTALER.)

I would love to go back and reread the thing in a calmer state, but at the rate my eyes were tearing through the story, I unfortunately burned up the last half of the thing trying to get through the climax. Guess that means I'll have to buy some more copies. Hehe. The story is compelling, exciting, at times humorous, horrifying, and fascinating. A grand read.

I second Christa's pronouncement that atmosphere is Frasier's forte. I'm steering clear of Burlington, Iowa now that I know she used her hometown as the basis for Tuonela. No use getting myself mixed up in that mess, right?

Boys and girls, as the weather grows cooler and the days shorten toward Halloween, you'd be doing yourself a favor to brew a mug of tea, curl up under a wooly blanket, and crack a new copy of PALE IMMORTAL. But first, make sure you've stocked up on your sleep before you plunge into the darkness. It lingers long after the last page is turned.

PALE IMMORTAL by Anne Frasier, on sale September 5

I highly recommend you buy Anne Frasier's newest novel, PALE IMMORTAL...today. I am halfway through it, but forced myself to put it down long enough to write this blog entry. And that was no small feat. Frasier has made the creepy world of this novel so utterly believable that broad daylight doesn't do much to lessen my goosebumps. I must keep reading to find out the answers--or do I really want to know those answers?? Here's the "official" synopsis:

Welcome to Tuonela, a sleepy Wisconsin town haunted by events of 100 years ago, when a man who may have been a vampire slaughtered the town's citizens and drank their blood. Now, another murderer is killing the most vulnerable...and draining their bodies of blood.

Evan Stroud lives in darkness. The pale prisoner of a strange disease that prevents him from ever seeing the light of day, he lives in tragic solitude, taunted for being a "vampire." When troubled teenager Graham Stroud appears on Evan's doorstep, claiming to be his long-lost son, Evan's uneasy solitude is shattered.

Having escaped Tuonela's mysterious pull for several years, Rachel Burton is now back in town, filling in as coroner. Even as she seeks to identify the killer, and uncover the source of the evil that seems to pervade the town, she is drawn to Evan by a power she's helpless to understand or resist....

As Graham is pulled deeper and deeper into Tuonela's depraved, vampire-obsessed underworld, Rachel and Evan team up to save him. But the force they are fighting is both powerful and elusive...and willing to take them to the very mouth of hell.

Now get a load of the cool video for PALE IMMORTAL:


Kinda makes you want to RUN out and buy it, doesn't it? Then do it!

Need more? Go to the PALE IMMORTAL blog and listen to the soundtrack and MP3s, read the first two chapters, and learn much, much more.

Now, I'll be getting back to the book. With all the lights on, of course. And maybe the TV too. And the radio.

Fall Follies

For academic geeks like me, every fall promises the beginning of a brilliant new year. Blank notebooks, earnest faces, new shoes, spotless chalkboards. However, because I am on teaching hiatus while at home with my 18mo and 3yo, my usual September yearnings are thus far unrequited. Quiet moments have lately found me reading and even--gasp--writing again, but this "semester," there are more pressing assignments I must complete.

• We need a new roof. Yesterday.
• The family room/powder room/study redo is underway. I've identified the flooring we will use and we've summoned the contractor. In the meantime, we're stripping wallpaper, painting, pulling up carpet and vinyl, cleaning and deodorizing floors, and finally resting our weary bones. We'll let the installer-dude do the rest of the job.
• I'm kicking my roomie out. Little A has shacked up in her crib beside our bed for 18 months now--a stale arrangement, frankly, since I weaned her a couple months ago. So we've got to prepare the spare bedroom for N--who's been in the nursery too long--where he will move into his first adult-size twin bed. Then we will roll A into the nursery.
• But first, my parents will be visiting next weekend.
• Oh wait--Did I mention the gigantic branches that Ernesto brought down last night across our patio, garden, and fence? The branches themselves are the size of trees. We'll need to enlist some large muscles and a couple of chain saws to free one from where it's wedged in the lowest crotch of the tree. (Lowest being a relative term. It is an enormous maple tree.)

Wife, parent, homeowner. It's hard to fit in any other stuff at the moment. I think there's a handy calendar in my Trapper-Keeper, though. I'll try to pencil in some writing time for next week.

What's on YOUR desk?

I see this on other writers' blogs from time to time, and I've yet to join in, mostly because I don't write at a desk per se, but on the kitchen table. But, because I am seriously procrastinating some editing I need to finish, I will detail for you...

What is on Mary's "desk," from left to right:

• withered bush bean blossom
• neon-green foam walrus sticker, its tail stuck to its own underside
• black Uni-Ball Vision pen, micro tip, my favorite writing instrument
• red and white checked cloth napkin
• Baby Van Gogh DVD
• pile of third birthday cards
• Thomas the Tank Engine plastic track
• telephone
• my Dell laptop
• Palm Pilot cradle
• latest Writer's Digest (he's a she!)
• pepper mill and salt shaker
• junk mail to shred
• digital camera
• another telephone
• husband's defunct cell phone
• husband's G4 laptop
• grocery/menu list
• glass of water
• empty decaf mug
• Stepford Wives (Oz remake) DVD
• today's News Journal
• coupon carrier
• Garden Design issue from May/June 2004
• rice sock heating pad (I'm tending to a neck spasm)

I'd love to hear from you guys on this, and I know some of you have done it already. Even if you're not a writer, I'd like folks to post a comment with a link to what's on YOUR desk!

The Skinflintstones: Grocery Challenge, Final Episode

Well, August 8 was the final day of my month-long attempt to lower the grocery bill by purchasing inexpensive yet healthy and et'ical foods. We have a good deal of home improving to do in the next year or two, and saving money will for a while be high on my list of priorities. If you're just now tuning in, I (temporarily?) gave up my career as an English professor to stay home with my two babies, now 17m and 3y. No plans yet to return. Before I left the profession, we didn't spend any time worrying about money. Now, we must attend to our bank account. Despite this concern, our lifestyle is one we believe in.

Sooooo, how'd we do, Mary?
Grand total for the month: $335.
I have a nagging feeling that this is probably close to what I usually spend when I'm just shopping normally--following the fliers, using coupons, thinking healthy. Was it too much trouble for too little payoff? I'll have to think about that. Just a reminder that my running total only covered food items, not household or paper goods. Now something that WAS different, and that you can't see in the grocery tally, is that we ate out far less than usual during this period. I worked hard to pack lunches for D, and pushed through on particularly tough afternoons to make dinner for everyone when it would've been easier--and much more costly--to get take out. But I survived. And we were healthier for it, I'm sure.

Starting on September 1, I am going to start the experiment again, but this time, pull the belt a bit tighter. I won't follow it on the blog, but I may give an update halfway through for kicks.

And finally, a correction. I noted on my Be A Local Yokel blog entry that Delaware had seen the last of its market strawberries. But lucky for me, I was mistaken. Highland Orchards has a crop of late summer berries out right now that are petite and orangey-red. So sweet-looking, but I can't speak to their taste because, well, I didn't want to spend the money to buy a carton. So, huzzah to the strawberries of summer--long may they produce!

New Ultrasound Study

I just read this article on cnn.com: Ultrasound scans can affect brain development.

I do not doubt that sonograms do things to fetuses that we don't know about--we may never know about in our lifetime. Lord knows I had enough sound waves shot through me to cook little A in my womb juice. All because I was 40 and pregnant, and no one wanted to be sued for malpractice by a geriatric parent.

Here's a question that the study raised in my mind: Is there a connection between the growing number of sonograms done on fetuses and the rise in autism diagnoses?

Skinflintstones--Bringing it Up to Date, Day 26

Well, I tallied the bills from the past two and a half weeks. I've basically kept shopping the sales, stocking up on non-perishable or freezable loss leaders, and only buying the necessities instead of luxury items. The walnut substitution in the pesto was OH SO AWESOME, by the way. I put it on pizza one night and dressed up some spaghetti and shrimp with it another. For dinners we've just been eating what's around the house, but DANG we go through sandwich bread quickly around here. When I find it for less than $2/loaf, I stock up and freeze . I could spend more in gas and visit the thrift store twenty minutes away, but what's the trade-off there?

My thinking on eggs: We eat a lot. I'm going to stop buying them at the Superfresh. I'm sick about the poultry industry in the U.S., disgusted at the poor conditions for the laying hens and the inferior nutritional quality their feed creates in the eggs, and I've decided it is worth it to pay extra for the on-site free-range eggs from Highland Orchards. I don't know what they feed their hens--I will ask next time I go--but I do know they can range the farmland there. The hens and the eggs are healthier. It really is worth it to me.

Interesting fact: Both the Rite Aid pharmacy (24hr) and the Target sell a gallon of whole milk for $2.89, $1 less than does my grocery store.

So, add to the $63 from Day 7,
7/16: $30 (party food minus cake, which my parents paid for)
7/20: $22
7/23: $64
7/27: $27
7/28: $3
7/30: $6
8/1: $33

Running Grocery Total for Day 26: $248
I'm doing pretty well considering houseguests, a birthday party, and two emergency caffeine-detoxifying, medicinal dark chocolate candybars ($5). Remember that I'm not counting paper goods. I am trying hard to keep those costs down, too, but I'll work more diligently on that next month. Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, D had to buy lunch for himself today, I bought the babysitter and me some subs for lunch last week, and D brought home a take-out pizza the other night. These are three hits to the wallet that I guess I am willing to live with. If we were hand to mouth, though, we wouldn't let them happen, obviously. (Not to mention we couldn't afford a babysitter.) We are a terribly lucky family to have what we have. Praise be.

I just dug up, oh, about a dozen potatoes from the potato patch. And how many seed potato chunks did I plant back in early spring? Oh, about a dozen. This is such a non-payoff that I don't see myself trying potatoes as a food crop anytime soon. It was purely an experiment this year--my first attempt. I didn't treat them very well, and as you just read, they are returning the favor. Digging up measly potatoes is no one's idea of fun. Live and learn, right?

We are eating lots of things from the garden, pantry, and freezer still. Black beans and rice, pasta y fagioli soup, tonight will be green bean and tofu stir fry with rice with potstickers and some miso soup. I think my husband is getting a little tired of cheese sandwiches for work lunches, but we lately seem to eat all of whatever I make for dinner the night before. I guess he's so hungry from his puny lunch that he eats his usual dinner helping plus lunch leftovers at the same time. Also, the kids are eating more and more, which I need to get into my thick head. I've already learned to double the amount of pasta I cook at once. They are crazy for any sort of noodle, but I can't give N any sauce with tomatoes in it because it makes his eczema worse.

That's it from the hot country.

Be a Local Yokel

Please read this essay by Jim Scharplaz, entitled "Biting the Land that Feeds Us."

Now go seek out your local farmers' market, family farm, or orchard stand. Buy from them first. Start thinking about where to put a little garden next spring, and pick one or two vegetables you'd like to grow. Let your kids help you! My 3yo ate a cherry tomato and some parsley tonight, with a tough game face. He was attracted because he knew they were out of our garden. If they'd come from the store, he wouldn't have thought twice about waving them away.

If you have to buy supermarket stuff, as I do sometimes, at least try to buy what is in season in your neck of the woods. Delaware's strawberries are long gone this year. But that's okay! There are plenty of other fruits we can enjoy grown not two miles from here.

Finally, educate yourself about the consumption habits of your country. If you live in the same country I do, the U.S., you are part of a miniscule 5% of the world's population, using 20% of its resources. Lots of those resources ultimately go toward growing, harvesting, and delivering to us the food we have become accustomed to eating. In unhealthy quantities, I might add.

I'm by no means perfect, but if you'll join me in making a few small changes, then maybe we can lighten the burden our kids are surely going to suffer under.

Just When I Thought I Had it All Figured Out

I discover today I've been drinking caffeinated coffee. All day long. Every day. For two weeks.

It's all falling into place. No wonder I haven't been getting to bed until 1am.

And then haven't been sleeping. Thank goodness I weaned our daughter a few weeks ago.

Damn the Target for carrying a brand I'd never seen in a huge size at a great price. Behold:



THE FREAKING CAN IS GREEN.

Update from the Kitchen

One houseguest, third birthday party, husband's protracted business trip, major power outage, and tree explosion later, I'm back. I've made about three grocery runs since last we talked, including one to replace stuff I had to throw out when the fridge got too warm for comfort. I will tally the results of those visits in a day or two.

We're still doing a good job of living out of the pantry and freezer, though, with the addition of produce and dairy. I have been taking advantage of some loss leaders at the Superfresh to restock (e.g., butter and cheese to freeze, Snapple for D's lunches, canned olives, tuna).

Just a few notes:

Potatoes baked in the microwave (russet and sweet) really don't taste any different to me than those cooked for an hour in a hot oven. The "experts" always complain that the texture of oven-baked is so much more delightfully fluffy. I've never oven-baked a fluffy potato in my life, and I've tried every recommended method I've come across. What I like most about baked potatoes--the potato taste, the salt, and the butter--can be had from four minutes in the micro. (Be sure to poke it with a fork a few times unless you like cleaning baked-on potato crud from the walls of your oven.

My salad days are a-changing. I have very few lettuce plants still producing, but the tomatoes and cucumbers are just now getting started. I should be letting go of salad greens and moving on to marinated and fresh vegetable salads at this point. However, I purchased some Romaine today for $1.99/lb, and probably shouldn't have. I have a taste for Salade Nicoise and couldn't resist. I didn't have time to make it tonight, so we had a Caesar salad instead, but I'll do the whole Nicoise shmear tomorrow.

My 16mo daughter likes Romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing. Very strange indeed. She likes it so much she learned to say "salad" after just one bite.

It's a monetary blessing that my grocery store is out of pine nuts. As I am burdened with a ton of fresh basil (poor me), I will give walnuts a try for my pesto. I already have some in the freezer, and this recipe looks darn good. I'm also going to throw caution to the wind and use the trusty green can of Kraft grated Parmesan that's on my shelf rather than spring for pricey chunks of Parmesan and Romano.

Skinflintstones, Day 7

One week is behind us. How'd we do?

Running Total: $63

Shopping Today: Had to get basic menu prep stuff for our lovely meals for the houseguest this weekend, plus party food for my son's third birthday tomorrow. At Target, I spent $9, with sales and coupons, on two boxes Cheerios, two boxes Post Honey Bunches of O's, and two boxes of MSF "sausage" and chik patties. At Superfresh, I splurged a bit for our dinner tonight, plus I did some stocking up on sale items: French bread, two loaves of sandwich bread, Hamburger buns, potato chips, frozen peas, feta, sour cream, sushi, gal of whole milk ($3.89--$.50 more than the other grocery store!), and marinated artichoke hearts, all for $25.

Menu:

breakfast: cereal, bananas, milk, juice

lunch: leftovers, sandwich, milk

dinner: Greek pasta, grilled salmon burgers, fish sticks, milk, white wine, salad w/cucumber, tomato, and avocado

dessert: ice cream sandwiches

Thoughts:
tomorrow I need to get a fruit platter ($$) and lemonade along with the Thomas the Tank Engine cake from the Shopright. If I had a few spare moments, I could buy whole fruit from the orchard and cut it myself (although I will add their fresh peaches to the platter). I just don't have the dang time!! That is often the trade-off, no? How much is YOUR time worth?

Skinflintstones, Day 6

Getting tired of this yet?

Running Total: $29

Purchased Today: Went to Highland Orchards and picked up some produce. Broccoli crowns, $1.89/lb; white peaches, $1.89/lb; blueberries, $2.99/qu; lovely canteloupe, $1.49. Total was $13. (I always round to the nearest dollar for my totals.) Produce there is almost always cheaper than at the corporate supermarket (Superfresh). And even when it's not, I have no qualms about supporting my long-standing neighborhood farmers over the conglomerate who sells produce from who-knows-where.

Menu:

breakfast: cereal, soy/milk, NutriGrain bars, bananas

lunch: sandwiches, leftovers, apple, pudding

snack: graham crackers, milk, apple juice

dinner: lasagna, bread, broccoli, canteloupe, red wine, milk

dessert: blueberry cobbler, ice cream, ice cream sandwich

Thoughts:
Didn't have time to go to the grocery store today, just the orchard. I plan to go to the Superfresh and the Target tomorrow to get some food for our meals and for the birthday party Sunday. I'd love to visit Trader Joe's, but I know I will spend money on things we don't need. Their stuff is reasonably priced, but most of what I buy from them are luxury items.

Skinflintstones, Day 5

Running total: $16

Shopping: Had to get a few things at the Superfresh, so I stocked up a tiny bit for the month by shopping the loss leaders. Purchased tomatoes for $.99/lb, loose garlic, 18 eggs for $1.50, 2 boxes Kraft Mac&Cheeses for $.60/box, 2 boxes of store-brand round waffles (froz) for $1/box, and a bag of pretzels for $2. Grand total of $8. I thought I did pretty well.

Menu:

breakfast: cereal, fruit cocktail, juice, milk, soymilk, banana

lunch: MSF garden veggie patties and buns, sandwiches, applesauce, fruit cocktail, juice, milk

dinner: cheese tortellini Alfredo w/mushrooms, green beans, salad w/tomato, rolls, mac&cheese

dessert: banana, waffles and syrup

Thoughts:
Two important things in terms of expenditures this month: a) my brother-in-law arrives tomorrow for three days, and b) my son's third birthday is Sunday, for which we are having a party for approx. 15 people. I've decided that I will put his birthday groceries into the month's tally, but not his cake ($19). The big shopping trip will be tomorrow. I will not skimp on my guests, but I will try to find good food at the best prices. Wish me luck.

Skinflintstones, Day 4

Running Total: $8

Needs:
Out of garlic and eggs. Making lasagna for our houseguest (one of D's older brothers) Friday night, so these are necessary very soon. Plus, I imagine we'll be using eggs for breakfast while he's here.

Menu:

breakfast: milk, cereal, Nutrigrain bar, soymilk, bananas, English muffins

lunch: sandwiches, apples, fruit cocktail, frozen pizza, milk

snacks: graham crackers and milk

dinner: breakfast! scrambled cheese eggs, English muffins and jam, MSF sausages, more fruit cocktail, apple juice

dessert: honey roasted peanuts

Thoughts:
Alphabeter reminded me that if I didn't have these two toddling tornadoes, I would have time to make my own things more cheaply from scratch. Those were the days...

Lands' End of the Road

I am embarrassingly fond of Lands' End. Am in fact wearing a pair of their jeans; I own at least three, probably four. Maybe half my casual wardrobe and much of my work wardrobe bear their label. I've bought from them for about twenty years, until two hours ago, when I was pretty dissappointed to see this inside the latest LE Kids Catalog (in fold-out card form):
The Lands' End "Squish-a-Bug" shoe-size chart.

Can someone explain how a company that has such a wonderful, classic, outdoorsy, level-headed reputation decides to promote kids killing bugs for fun?? Yeah, sure, it's a joke. But it's senseless, you know? It reads, in part, "Go on kids, squish the bug!" hahahaha. just closed the wallet.

I also just sent them an email detailing my disappointment. I'll let you know if they write back. And hey, if you're disappointed too, it wouldn't hurt to let them know.

Go to their customer service form and write your comments. When you click on submit, if you have my experience, you will get an error screen. Sadly, another strike. You'll know in a few minutes, though, if they've received it, because they will write you back with a tracking number. I sent multiple forms of the same comments because I thought it was not going through due to the error screen. But they received at least two of these, come to find out. Oh well, I guess they'll see how much this "bugged" me. Roll those eyes, people.

Skinflintstones, Day 3

Running Total: $8

Menu:

breakfast: cereal, bananas, milk/soymilk

lunches: sandwiches, leftover "Mexican lasagna," leftover vegetables, scrambled cheese eggs, English muffin, milk, applesauce, apple, snack pack pudding (lunch items look ridiculous all together, but I send D to work with a packed lunch that is very different from ours at home)

snacks: blueberries, graham cracker squares, milk

dinner: coconut milk curry w/mushrooms, peas, strips of MSF Chik Patties, and golden raisins over brown rice; corn on the cob; fish sticks; rolls; milk--always the milk for the kiddos

dessert: honey roasted peanuts, red wine

I took it easy on the decaf today--only three cups.

Thoughts:
I'm cooking and feeding us like we are not skimping, primarily because I have a well-stocked house and I'd already planned the menus before I got this hair-brained idea. I suppose once we start running low on something I will begin to get creative. I also suppose I'd better make some kind of rule for myself like, "I will only buy groceries that are necessary for our continued good health, food that I can't make at home." (And thanks for the cereal bar idea, Alphabeter!)