And… Cue the Meltdown

It was just a matter of time.
Image by digitalart

Sorry about my recent silence.  Beginning last weekend, things kind of went into free fall around here.  It started last Sunday, as I was on my way to the Y to get in a workout.  As I got off the freeway, I noticed white steam/smoke (I had no idea in that moment) pouring out from under the hood of my car.  I pulled over as quickly as I could. 

After getting the hood up, I discovered that my cooling system had completely blown its load all over the inside of the engine.  Unfortunately, I’m no car genius, so I had no idea what to do.  I posted an urgent message on Facebook for someone who knew anything about cars to contact me ASAP.  The phone started ringing almost immediately.  A huge thank you to Aaron, who was the first to get through, and the others whose calls I missed while I was on the phone with Aaron. 

My primary question was can the car be driven home, or would I be calling AAA for a tow.  (Get AAA.  Seriously.)  Verdict?  That car wasn’t going anywhere.  Great.  Another call out soon had my friends Kelli and Kris en route to help me get the kids home.  They showed at the same time as AAA, and we all got home safe.

To help distract me, Kelli and Kris helped me clean the place (bless their souls).  I was trying very hard not to think about the money situation.  I was hoping it was something small and maybe I could get away with a $200 repair bill.  At least the house wasn’t chaotic.

The next day, we started making phone calls.  We arranged to have the car towed down to the Firestone.  Bam.  $75.  We waited and waited, and finally they called back with the estimate.  The initial estimate was over $1000.  Gavin and I immediately began stressing out.  We were already late paying rent.  We had money in the account, but that was because we were holding it until Gavin’s next paycheck.  The apartment complex doesn’t let us make partial payments, which often presents a problem. 

At any rate, we had to have the car.  While the car was in the shop, we had a situation in which I had to go pick Elias up from school.  My friend Danielle came to give me a ride, but it really highlighted the fact that we needed the car fixed ASAP.  We were able to negotiate a bit and got the bill down to about $900, but this was still an ugly situation.

A temporary fix is in place to stop the bleeding.  I’m not happy about it, although I’m grateful for the help.  But it really emphasized the problem that we always seem to find ourselves in every time we try to save money and get things in order. 

Namely, SHIT GOES WRONG.  Call it whatever you want – emergency fund, freedom account, whatever.  I often feel like there’s this assumption that shit will stop going wrong while you try to build up the plan.  I can’t put the world on hold for the year it’s going to take me to build up this account.  We’ve saved about $100 toward the emergency fund and immediately get slapped with a $900 bill.  How is this going to be possible?  Now I need to pay back a ton of money, while still attempting to save for the future?  Do you see the problem here? 

And everything starts falling to pieces.  I ask Gavin about the transfer for this week.  It didn’t happen because we were trying to figure out the rent/car situation.  THIS IS WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS.  It feels like there’s a hand on my head, pushing me back down, telling me to stop trying.  Why bother?  Things will always be shitty.  Shit will always happen.  I don’t know how to make it stop. 

So I’ve been in money meltdown this week.  Who the hell am I to try to help anyone else?  I can’t even help myself.  The more I try, the worse it seems to get.  We can’t continue this way, but no other alternative seems to present itself.  I can’t go to work full time because of the situation with Elias (which got considerably worse this week and, once again, emphasized that point).  I can’t change Gavin or make him do things he clearly doesn’t want to do.  I can only change my part of the equation.  I’m trying.  But I’m tired of failing every time I try.  

Greek Turkey Burgers

One of the things I love best about these is the way the feta cooks when it’s mixed into the meat.  If there’s a hunk of feta on the outside, it caramelizes and gets that glorious crispy, crunchy grilled cheese texture.  The feta inside the burger appears at first to stay solid, and then it melts in a moment when you bite into it, bursting with oozy salty feta goodness. 

You can serve these on hamburger buns or round crusty rolls.  They are also delicious stuffed into pitas with tzatziki sauce.  We served salad on the side, with tomato and cucumber. 

Ingredients:

½ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta

2 tbsp. Italian salad dressing

2 garlic cloves, minced

A pinch of salt

¼ tsp dried oregano

A pinch of pepper (or more, if you like)

1 lb. ground turkey (lean or extra lean)

Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the turkey and mix well with your hands, until the ingredients are incorporated.  Shape into four patties.

Heat a pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Cook about seven minutes per side, or until a meat thermometer reads 165.  Covering the pan during the cooking time will help them get done through.  

The Weekly Meal Plan – January 21, 2012

Looks like this is going to be a regular feature!
Image by winnond

So here’s what’s being chowed down this week at our place!

Friday (last night) – Petite sirloin steak, baked potatoes, green beans

Maddie LOVES green beans.  I’m going to have to start making more at a time – they are just getting scarfed down!  We scored a good deal on petite sirloin at Fred Meyer last week, so we decided to treat ourselves.  We cut each one in half and actually stuck to the recommended serving of meat, about the size of a deck of cards.  And you know what?  It was fine.  Nobody was left hungry after dinner.  Important point here:  You don’t have to eat 16 oz. of steak!!  We have plenty of potatoes, so baking them was a no-brainer.  Good dinner and it really felt like a treat.

Saturday – Paprika Spiced Pork Chops

Pork chops were on sale at Fred Meyer ($1.88 per pound!!).  We are making the spinach sauté that goes along with this one.  Looks tasty!  I’m looking forward to it!

Sunday – Greek Turkey Burgers, salad

This uses ground turkey, which can often be found for fairly cheap.  It’s usually cheaper than ground beef and lower in fat.  Loaded with feta and spices, they are really delicious.  The salad is going to feature tomatoes, cucumbers and kalamata olives to continue the Greek theme.  I’ll post the recipe later.

Monday – Broccoli and Ham Casserole

We still have some leftover ham to use, so I found this recipe online.  It uses some processed ingredients, but I think we’ll be okay.  I don’t think it’s a tragedy to use them occasionally, as long as they aren’t the focal point of every meal.  I’m also making some changes to the recipe, like using the Healthy Request soup, low-fat sour cream and cutting the cheese, probably in half.

Tuesday – Beef Stroganoff, egg noodles, green beans

I had a taste for stroganoff this week, plus we have all that petite sirloin.   I looked for a recipe that is a little lighter than the usual and this one looks pretty promising.  We’re using low-fat sour cream. 

Wednesday – Bean and Rice Burritos, salad

This is our meatless meal for the week.  We are altering the recipe a bit.  Again, low-fat sour cream and instead of using the processed cheese, we are using good old cheddar.  I think about a tablespoon or two of shredded Tillamook per burrito ought to do the trick nicely. 

Thursday – Crockpot Pork Roast

Yes, again.  We still have another chunk of pork to use and this one just really does it for us! 

Laughing Cow Chicken and Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

You can probably use any type of potato.
Photo by Simon Howden.

I’m sorry, I completely forgot to take pictures of these before they got scarfed down!  I wanted to share the recipes with you, though, since it was a delicious dinner.

Laughing Cow Chicken

Ingredients: 

4 small (4-oz.) chicken breasts

12 slices ham lunchmeat

4 Laughing Cow brand cheese wedges

Shake n Bake

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Pound the chicken breasts to about a quarter-inch thickness.  Spread the cheese wedge on the chicken, and place 3 slices of the lunch meat on top.  Roll the chicken and secure it with a toothpick. 

Place the shake and bake in a bowl and dredge each chicken roll.  Place rolls in a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove toothpicks before eating.

Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

12 small red potatoes, quartered or halved

Olive oil

¾ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Pinch of salt

Ground black pepper

Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Place the potatoes in the pan, then drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the seasonings, using more or less per your personal preference.  Toss with a spatula to coat the potatoes.  Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes.

Because I had two dishes going into the oven, I decided to do them both together, using the chicken’s cooking directions.  They turned out fine, although the potatoes didn’t brown quite as much as usual.  

And That’s Why You Need Insurance

If a tree falls in the parking lot.... oh wait.

I don’t care how poor you are, if you have any assets worth anything at all, you absolutely must protect them.  We don’t have a lot, but we do have a car.  It’s just an ’03 Hyundai, worth about $3,000 according to Kelley Blue Book.  But we need that car, and I sure don’t have the funds to purchase another one right now.

We are currently in the midst of a nasty ice storm, something we haven’t seen around here in about 15 years.  Trees are falling, power lines are down, everything is encased in ice.  That tree in the photo up top?  Last night it was happily sitting, minding its own business, protecting our bathroom window from people peeking in.  It’s currently lying across one of my favorite parking spots.  I’m pretty grateful right now that I didn’t park there Tuesday night.

But let me show you another picture.

That’s the fallen tree’s partner, placed so things look nice and symmetrical.  See that lean?  Oh, and you see that little car underneath it, next to the van, encased in a sheet of ice?  That would be our little Elantra.  I’m not going to lie… I’m pretty nervous about it.  I can’t move it – I can’t even open the doors on it.  It’s there until things thaw out a bit. 

I’m worried, but I’m not panicking.  We have insurance coverage.  When we bought it, we had to get full coverage for it to get financing.  When we paid it off last year, we were tempted to reduce it to the bare minimum required by law.  I’m really glad we didn’t.  The coverage is through Gavin’s work, and the premiums are paid right off his paycheck. 

We also have full health insurance through Gavin’s work.  And we have renter’s insurance that is paid as part of our rent.  Pretty good thing, too.


Here’s another picture for you.  

That’s the tree right across from our balcony.  See how it’s leaning? If that bad boy goes, it's coming in through someone's window.  Not a good thought.

The one thing we don’t have is life insurance.  We are working on that one.  Like the other insurances, it’s available through Gavin’s work and can come right out of his paycheck.  We just need to free up some money to pay for it.  Catastrophes can happen at any time, as so many of our family, friends and neighbors are unfortunately finding out.

Here’s some ideas for getting insurance when you don’t have a lot of money:

• Check with your employer.  If you work for a larger-sized company, they might have a partnership with a major insurance carrier, which can get you a discount.
• Have your insurance deducted straight from your check.  This prevents missed payments.
• If you can’t get the insurance through your employer, use automatic bill pay so your premium is always paid on time.  It can be harder to get other insurance companies to take you if you’ve been dropped for missed payments.
• While “price match” websites can be helpful, their ultimate goal is to get you to buy their product.  A great insurance deal might cost you more in the long term.  Ask your family and friends for referrals.  It could get you both a nice discount.
• Go ahead and carry a high deductible – but only if you know you can get the money to make it.  It will lower your monthly premiums. 

In the meantime, we’re crossing our fingers and keeping an eye on the tree.  Good luck everyone.  Stay safe.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The balcony in question.

I know it seems a little odd to be thinking about my ideas for my container garden when the snow is drifting up onto my balcony.  But it’s been in my head more and more these last few days.  After all, isn’t it sort of comforting to be dreaming about warm days and fresh veggies during the midst of a major cold snap?  The stores are already prepping their shelves for Easter (crazy stores) and our local small nursery has their “Re-opening Soon” sign up.

I love having my little garden out on the deck.  I don’t have a lot of room, but I try to do the best with what I have.  And after all, what could be more frugal than actually growing your own food?  Stepping out on the patio to pick a handful of tomatoes or a few leaves of basil is a lot more efficient than driving to the store.  Tastes better, too. 

Last year, unfortunately, was a bit of a bust.  The weather just never warmed up enough.  I only got about three itty-bitty tomatoes off my plant and one poor little pea-pod.  The blueberry plant never got going, Elias’s sunflower struggled gamely before ultimately keeling over, and the beans never actually appeared.  The herbs hung in there (as herbs are wont to do), and, funnily enough, the strawberries went bonkers.  We actually had two seasons of strawberries!  

Maybe I’m being optimistic, but I’m hoping for a better season this year.  I have all the pots, I have all the soil… I just need the plants.  I’d like to try raising more plants from seeds this year.  I still have a number of little peat pellets and mini-greenhouses, and seed packets are really inexpensive.  I’ve decided this year I’m going for a lettuce or two, Elias has requested spinach (probably let him go for that on his own – would be a great way to work toward his gardening merit badge), definitely doing tomatoes again, the usual herbs (basil, oregano and rosemary)…. What else?

I think I’ll do another hanging basket of strawberries.  The kids loved ‘em.  Not sure if I want to try blueberries again or not.  Knowing the PNW climate and my gardening limitations (second floor balcony, not a lot of direct sunlight), what would you try to grow?  

Tortilla Soup

Did you save your broth from last night’s pork roast?  Time to put it to good use!   This recipe is fast and versatile – it never comes out quite the same way, since I add or delete ingredients based on what I have on hand.  It always turns out fantastic though.  Here’s how I made it tonight…

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Onion, diced (use however much you like)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts (or less), cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. cumin
• Pork broth
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup or small jar salsa
• 1 can corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Baked tortilla chips
• Sour cream (optional)
• Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Start heating a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until they soften. 
2. Add the chicken, and cook until nearly done.  Sprinkle with the cumin and chili powder and stir to blend.  You can adjust the amount of spice you add to your preference.
3. When the chicken is nearly cooked through, add the saved broth from the pork roast and two cups or canned or homemade chicken broth. 
4. Stir in the salsa, corn and tomatoes.  Kidney or black beans are also delicious in this soup and can be added at this point.  I didn’t have any on hand tonight. 
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. 
6. Ladle the soup into a bowl then top with a handful of crushed tortilla chips, a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar.   Dig in! 

This soup makes awesome leftovers, by the way.  Sorry that I couldn’t get a picture; it tasted delicious, but it doesn’t photograph well!  I also need to find a way to un-yellowify all my pictures.  That drives me nuts!