Handmade gifts are in!

Feel the crunch of christmas shopping expectations and what the budget allows?

You are not alone and before panic sets in... take a moment and be part of the 2009 christmas shopping trend.

Buy locally, handmade arts and crafts for gifts. Support your local economy and feel good about what you give and where the money is going. Buying or making handmade gifts are the "thing " this year and your family and friends will truly appreciate your efforts.

Happy Holidays and Happy New 2010!

Finding Chanterelles, a frugal gourmet adventure....

...Chanterelles are expensive in the grocery store ( $10 and up...) and some people pick them and sell the on Craigslist to make good money during the mushroom season. We, being frugal minded was hoping to find some to enjoy fresh ( stir-fry with some garlic) and to keep some in the freezer for winter.
During the last few falls we've been trekking through the woods occasionally, trying to find some but this year we finally had some luck. It's a great adventure and the chanterelles gleam like gold in the green underbrush. It's a treasure hunt.
Not only can you find gourmet food for free but you get great free exercise!
No gym needed. To preserve the mushrooms, we quickly sauteed them in olive oil ( or butter) and froze them in freezer bags.
A little goes a long way with this fungus. Well, worth a day-trip for the whole family.
But you have to swear to secrecy...no one tells on another persons Chanterelle location, ever...

It's the code among mushroom hunters.
Also, make sure you know your mushrooms well. It's always good to join with
an experienced mushroom hunter before venturing out on your own.
The Chanterelle is one of the easiest to identify .
Happy hunting!

Raising too many chickens, a frugal failure...

We have always loved raising chickens. Just seeing them walking around the property makes us happy. Wonderful personalities, all different kinds of breeds... great super fresh eggs... keeping the yard pest free... All that and more until one day, we came to the realization that what started with a few baby-chicks are now a group of about 30 of chickens! Many chicks have been hatched by carefully hidden eggs by creative mama-chickens since and many of them are roosters...  Not a single egg can be found in the egg-collecting- boxes  and the feed prices have gone from about $ 7 (for a 50 lbs bag) to $12 per bag!  
The short version- a frugal failure. 
We are now downsizing. 10 chickens (only the youngest ones) and no rooster ( not needed for egg production) and rebuilding the chicken coop to fit a smaller group and make the layer-boxes more attractive. 
Also, a light in the coop, set on a timer to produce a couple of extra hours of "daylight" can keep the chickens laying  eggs further into winter and sometimes all the way through the darker months. They require at least 8 hrs of light per day.
The love for our chickens have not changed. 
We just had to find the balance between over-abundance and sensibility.
And I think a smaller group makes the worry of finding food and the pecking order easier for the chickens themselves.

Maybe now we'll have happier chickens too!?

Building a "stairway to heaven"...

"Craigslist" is my husbands favorite website and he recently found an outdoor staircase for sale. Somebody had torn it down but left it in sections. After an interesting loading and hauling procedure we had a big heap of cedar stair parts next to the house. A good friend helped recalculating the stair structure and made a cardboard-model that now is turned into a fully functional set of stairs. Every piece of wood from the original parts have been used and including some extra bolts, cement and a few boards, the total price: $150.

Estimated cost if we would have bought the material new..a couple of housands!
Ok, I have to brag yet again, T is brilliant. He wanted to build a set of stairs, he found the ad, saw the potential and ran with the idea. And he built it all by himself.
Frugality goes hand in hand with living "green". A heap of wood, destined for the dump, revitalized and beautified. Our own "stairway to heaven"...the beautiful meadow above the house...

Free music for the frugal!

First, I have show off a little....I have a friend who plays in the famous, classic rockband,  The Brymers, from the 1960's. They play great 60's garage rock. Great dance music and Indie rock.

They had many great hits in the past and the group is still very actively writing and recording music.

I was telling my friend about my blog and he offered to give away free CD's to the first 3 people who go to The Brymers web page and mention my blog there! I am honored.

You can check out the music, videos and photos on:  www.thebrymers.com

The CD that you'll receive is called "40 year brotherhood".( 19  tracks of rock-n-roll!)
I already have one and now you can have one too. For free!!!!

Movies to your mailbox!

Having no TV reception at our house we relay on Eugene public library for movies. But we also subscribe to Netflix which deliver the movies right to your mailbox. I go to the website, make my choices and the movies arrive within 2 days. Great selection, many different plans from 4.99 and up. Once you set up an account you can switch the plan easily. We use the 3-at-the-time plan but if we find that we don't watch the movies right away we change the plan for a few months. If you have fast speed internet you can watch movies instantly- anytime and as many as you want  as part of your "unlimited" plan.
The shipping is free and the return fast. Once in a while a disc might be broken in the mail, just email a report and they will send a replacement. No questions asked.  Also, sometimes a disc has scratches and might get stuck.
Netflix will send replacements if you ask them. We've used Netflix for many years. TV series, new movies and foreign films are our most rented items. Easy to sign up, easy to cancel.
Nothing to loose.

The Fruit-fly Trap

All you need is a jar ( any container will work), a small piece of plastic wrap,

a rubber band, a bit of applesauce, apple cider or something 

else fruity and sticky, for fruit-fly "bait" and a toothpick.

*Pour the bait into the jar.

*Put the plastic on the top, tight and wrinkle free.

*Hold it down with the rubber band.

*Use the toothpick to make 5-10 small holes in the plastic wrap.

Place the trap near the favorite fruit-fly hangout in your kitchen.

It takes a day or two for it to work but it will.

After the flies are caught, bring the trap outside, rinse the jar, replace the bait
and re-use the plastic for the next round if needed.