"FISH" book by Mark Bittman.....a guide to cooking and eating fish...photo

A great book for the person who loves to eat and cook fish. Good information with so many ideas about Fish!  A cook can make very good use of this book...Mark explains it all nicely with style!  photo:  www.markbittman.com

Blue Butterfly solar light for the garden...photo

A very nice addition to any garden....Solar Blue Butterfly light from: worldofsolar.com

Older web outdoor lawn chairs.....photo

Do any of you remember who in the family had these chairs?   I do and maybe you do also...a fun bit of memories for a summer day......photo from: www.ebay.com

Frugal Eating to save huge dollars every year.

Frugal living and Frugal eating have long been a very important part of my life. They go together with eating healthy also.  I always look for the best and quality food products at reduced prices and with coupons. No exceptions to my rule there. It works every time. Cooking and mixing interesting combinations of different food products has made for some very unusual and different meals...I must admit.  However, some very tasty meals have been served in my home. Also very nutritious! Sometimes I splurge just a little .....and really enjoy it... but then always back to my frugality... Shopping and getting that great bargain keep me going....it is lots of fun and savings all mixed together...Be frugal and enjoy the money you are saving every week and year.    S.

Frugal Tips to make doll dresses, by Grandma Emma...

Have you ever had a shirt or blouse that the sleeves are too long? You can make the most beautiful doll dresses...Plain and simple, and requires so little fabric and time. Simply sew lace, ribbon and bows on the cuff, hem the other side and you'll have a wonderful smaller doll dress. ( Recycling at its best!)  We still have a couple of these dresses that Grandma Emma made so many years ago...we treasure them everyday...Thank you Grandma!

Grandma Emma's large garden in Iowa....1930's

Our Grandmother Emma was a very wise woman... In the 1930' she lived in the early days in Iowa with our Grandfather and two children. Every spring she would plant a large vegetable garden that would provide most of the families food for the entire year. Her garden filled one city lot with a well rounded selection of healthy vegetables and some fruit also. These included peas, carrots, potatoes, string beans, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, raspberries, gooseberries and much more. Grandma would serve and cook the fresh produce and also can and cook sauce for later in the year.... She would also sell the fresh strawberries in a wooden quart box for ten cents, heaped with beautiful, sweet berries. One year she made thirteen to fourteen dollars in profit....She was a farmer and a business person who was successful! She also traded her produce and gave it to the local homeless to help feed many. They would get enough vegetables from her to make large kettles of stew to help feed the workers in the camps along the railroad... when they rode the trains while going between jobs....So indeed Grandma Emma was a clever and kind person....she was living a good  frugal, simple life.... We should take with us our heritage, her good ideas and learn. I hope that someday I will be able to grow a large and healthy garden and provide for my family just as she did so many years ago. So today I say Thank You to Grandma Emma for her knowledge and wisdom.....written by her oldest granddaughter Sandra , July 11, 2013