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Peanut butter sandwiches

I've been into peanut butter sandwiches lately. I don't know why, but they've just really appealed to me lately.

The strawberries are from the store, just until my own strawberries grow. :)

OK, maybe spring really is here

We have lots of crocuses.

The forsythia is even about to bloom (and it needs to be trimmed so it stays out of the way of the kiwis).

And I've finally got some things planted.

I've got strawberries planted in that ingenious little tower, plus there are sugar snap peas in the tub with some bamboo to climb. The other pot has radishes in it. I also planted some other hardy items, like diakon radishes and Swiss chard. Some fruit trees I ordered (thanks, Mom!) showed up, and they're in temporary pots on the front porch: a mini nectarine, a brown turkey fig, and two varieties of colonnade apples. I also started the hot weather seeds indoors today: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, and some flowers.

So yeah. Maybe spring is here. Not that I don't expect it to snow at least once more, but at least there's hope now!

Debt

Lately, Jeff and I have been digging ourselves out of some debt - some of it taken on intentionally (the house, the cars), some unintentionally (Kaylee's vet bills). It's hard to do without a plan, though, so I've found some good online tools to help. Since I figured that there are probably others in the same boat, I've decided to share my findings.

Snowball debt calculator: This tool calculates the snowball method of paying off your debts. This method works for some people and doesn't for others. I find it works well for me. I think it helps that my highest interest debt also is a low amount, so I get the satisfaction of paying off a loan quite quickly. Plus, I've only got a year left on my 0% car loan, so that will be paid off quickly, too, freeing up a nice chunk of change to pay off other debts.

Buddi budget software: This free software has really opened my eyes and made me pay very close attention to what I'm spending. I've just started using it, but it's at least making me think about where all my money goes (do I really need more fabric right now? I can probably live with using up my gigantic stash. :). It's pretty easy to use, once you get the hang of it (use the help on the website).

I'm also going to be reducing my spending to free up some more money for savings. I have an amount automatically deducted from my paycheck every week and put into my savings, but I'd like to up that amount if I can - or, better yet, put it in my retirement account.

I'm thinking of places where I can reduce spending now. Recreational shopping, even at the thrift store, is a good place to start. So is the craft store - just stay out! :) Our food costs go down dramatically in the summer due to our garden, so that will be a help. We're also planning on doing some more weatherproofing of the house so we can hopefully reduce out heating and cooling bills a bit more.

How else can I lower costs? Any ideas? We get books and DVDs from the library. We rarely eat out. We rarely go to entertainment events that cost money. We ride the bus instead of driving when we can. (Getting rid of digital cable is a no-go. We'd spend more money without our DVR. :)

Happy spring!

Today is the vernal equinox, so it's officially spring today. It's actually beginning to look like it, too; I even saw some crocuses this morning when we were walking the dogs.

In honor of spring, I have a very springy snack set up for swapping.

I have a set of five, with a few minor chips. The bottom says "Taste Setter Collection." The design appears to be a transfer of some sort (or something like that) rather than being painted directly on the dishes and cups.

Let me know if you're interested.

Salad

Jeff and I traveled to Youngstown this past weekend to visit my family. This is a rare thing, since Jeff is deathly allergic to cats and mom has seven (indoors. There are four feral outdoor cats she takes care of, too). Jeff survived with only some stuffiness after drugging himself to the gills, so we'll probably do it again.

What does this have to do with salad? Well, I stuffed myself on perogies and Wedgewood Pizza all weekend, so salad and applesauce for lunch today to make up for it. :)

My very first evil robot slave

I always assumed, when I was little, that when I grew up, I would be surrounded by robot minions, all clamoring to do my evil bidding. No such luck.

However, I have acquired my very first evil robot slave, called Scooter*.

Scooter is a Roomba, and he excels at dirt. In the above photo, he's hoovering up the kitchen. He even tackles Cordy's fur when she's blowing her coat, so he's a great help.

I recommend you get your own robot slave.


*Why "Scooter"? Because he sucks.

Baked potato lunch

I've been wanting to do a baked potato for lunch for a while now, and I finally got around to it. Even though it's a small potato, it fit best in my big bento box. There's chipotle salsa for the potato.

I've also got a salad with dried cranberries and pinenuts, fruit salad with mint, and pepper and red onion with balsamic vinegar and slivered almonds, and a few meringues.

Friends

At some point, without my noticing, all of my friends seem to have moved away.

Weird.

Now I have to make some new ones. I'm unlikely to do that at work for a multitude of reasons, so I guess I'm going to have to take a class or join a club or volunteer somewhere.

I'm thinking of volunteering at one of the local animal shelters, even though I know it'll be hard not to want to take home all the animals I can stuff in The Folly.

I've been watching MeetUp for local meetups that might interest me, but so far, nothing. Maybe I should just start one.

I've looked into some local enrichment classes, but nothing's struck my fancy.

Anyone got any other ideas for me?

Carrot cranberry walnut baby bundt cakes

I hit the thrift stores yesterday, and picked up a Nordicware baby bundt pan. $35 on the site, and I got it for $3. That makes me so happy.

So, to celebrate, I made carrot cranberry walnut baby bundt cakes, adapting a cupcake recipe from my new Cupcakes Galore cookbook. I lightened it up considerably, replacing half of the oil with pureed prunes, and reducing the sugar and walnuts. I also used egg replacer instead of eggs and used self-rising flour in place of the flour and baking powder (because I had it and it loses its potency over time, so I'm trying to use it up).

They tasted wonderful and are awfully cute.

Watch dog

Sorry for the radio silence this week, but I've been dealing with a medical issue. I am having bladder spasms, which is about as fun as it sounds. I've been in and out of the doctor's office, and will be seeing a specialist soon, hopefully.

Let me just say that this getting older thing sure can suck sometimes.