Nick and I have been doing a bunch of things that have made both of us extremely happy. We still have a lot more events planned and I thought it sort of cool to post a few of what we have already done. First up is an authentic Mexican restaurant my cousin turned me on to. Her son is a foodie and recommended this restaurant highly. We've been back twice so far as we just love it! And the prices. Very reasonable. The food is just oh! so good. I'm in love with their ($8) tortilla soup (despite the hot summer temperatures) and Nick loves the assorted ($15) tacos (beef, chicken and pork). The staff is lovely. Service is divine.
It's just an all-around good feeling.
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I need to take a human being break from real life. I'm taking the summer off. I've cancelled all my medical appointments. I need a break from cancer. I don't want to hear the word nor experience any thing more pertaining to the disease or its cure. I'm done. I need a break. I need to return to my real life. Even if it's just for 2 months or so.
I have nothing more inside me to say right now. I just want to enjoy being alive.
I've been MIA for a few weeks and I apologize for my absence. I just got over a 10 week battle with bronchitis. It had gotten so bad at one point I wound up in the ER. Anyway, I'm back! I'm feeling AOK. I've been back to swimming every day at our community pool. Life has gotten back to normal. Whatever that is? LOL!
Hubby and I are looking forward to a nice enjoyable weekend this 4th of July. The fireworks are back and we are hoping to catch them tomorrow evening. In the interim, I did some shopping. Happily one of the supermarkets out here has a holiday heart. They had so many holiday food products on sale, I couldn't contain myself. There were steaks, hot dogs, chopped beef, corn on the cob, ricotta and mozzarella ($3.99 vs $7.99), watermelon and yes, even Bryers ice cream (our favorite!) Everything I bought on my enclosed grocery receipt was on sale (I bought peaches and duck sauce and cans of clam sauce as well as boxes and boxes of Ronzoni pasta (@.99 cents each!) I purchased 47 items, spent $118.75 (our weekly budget is $125) AND saved $77.68 from simply buying what we needed and wanted.
The best part was getting NY Strip steaks at only $8.99 a pound (down from $12.99 a pound. Unfortunately, the last time they had this sale, the sale price was $7.99. Oh well.). Usually I would get two packages but due to inflation, I only purchased one package. Thankfully the package contained three steaks. We ate one and froze the other two. Normally, in the before time, hubby and I would have one steak each. This time around (and going forward) we had one steak and split it 50/50 between the two of us. It's fine. It was more than enough. I filled up our meal with my home-grown mesclun salad and some corn on the cob (10 for only $2!!)
I don't have a photo of the cooked steak. We scoffed it down in seconds. Delish!
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Shop the sales folks! They're out there. Look for them and support them. My kudos go out to our area grocery store. Thank you for making our 4th of July extra special and memorable. Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. Please remember our old America as well as our new America. I'm ending my post today with a song from the hit movie, Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney. I grew up on this movie. Every summer, at day camp, my fellow day campers and I were notorious for singing many of these special Americana hits, such as Yankee Doodle Dandy, Over There (from WWII) and For It Was Mary.
Enjoy:
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I used to follow this YouTube Channel called Darling. You can access it here. Darling is a fine looking blonde female with a very sexy voice who likes to bad mouth YouTube's biggest con man, Sarasota Tim.You can access Sarasota Tim's YouTube channel by clicking here. I've been following both of these people for at least two years. Apparently, Sarasota Tim is a hustler who gives out such false retirement information that he unfortunately has more haters than followers. I watch both these characters for amusement. Nothing else. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Sarasota Tim is a hustler. He touts that he's a minimalist and is enjoying his retirement in a 25 foot RV while surviving on only $1700 a month Social Security income.
Yeah right!
Turns out he's really living with his long time girlfriend, Tammy, whose husband recently died (yes they were dating while she was still married) by getting run over by his own vehicle. Naturally the wife, I mean Tim's girlfriend, blonde douchebag, Tammy, inherited money and she and Tim have been living the good life while all the while the two portray themselves on YouTube as down-and-out struggling retirees, so can you please send them some money or buy them a cup of coffee so that they can continue to lie, cheat and steal! Whew! That was a long sentence.
The story doesn't end here. I was watching another YouTube video when I noticed the female voice on the other video sounded a lot like Darling's. Gee, that's odd thought I? I wonder if Darling does the voice overs on other YouTube videos as a means of making extra money? I won't bore you with the answer because there is no answer. Turns out Darling doesn't exist. It's an AI (Artificial Intelligence) make believe person (I can't even call it human but someone is pulling the strings) and the whole YouTube channel is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Darling doesn't exist. Which made me wonder, does Sarasota Tim even exist? What about Tammy? Maybe Tammy is really Darling? Or maybe I'm just going insane.
The falsehood doesn't stop there. Another YouTube channel I follow is a woman, Marie, who claims she is a homesteader. I've only been watching her for a few weeks. The other day she did a walk through her neighborhood and it turned out she lives in suburbia! All the houses on her block and around the corner looked the same. They were cookie cutter houses on plots 80' X 100' and the neighborhood couldn't be any more suburban than that! In order to be a true homesteader, as Marie proclaimed:
A homestead is a property, typically a house and surrounding land, where the owner resides and strives for self-sufficiency, often through activities like gardening, raising livestock, and preserving food. It's a lifestyle choice focused on reducing reliance on external resources and increasing independence.
Growing a bunch of herbs and tomatoes in pots in your backyard, doesn't make you a homesteader!
Of which, the woman replied to me, it really wasn't her neighborhood. She was just walking there
because she was walking there. Which confirmed, to me, that the woman was nothing more than a liar.
And in that same moment I came to that realization, I asked myself, what if all the other people I view
and follow are nothing more than bullshitters, playing make-believe and not telling nor projecting any truths?
What if they were all in it for the bucks, the money, like Sarasota Tim?
And, let's take it another step forward and upward. We already know and confirm that much of the information we receive either through the airwaves, local news broadcast shows, cable news shows and print newspapers aren't telling us the true facts either! What if all those other people who are screaming and complaining that their rent is too high, they can't afford their groceries, they've given up on life and are living in tents? What if all of that information is false also? Truthfully, I don't know anyone who has been laid off. I do know my friends and neighbors have found groceries too high, but they have always been increasing. They either made changes to their budgets or increased their income. That's what we did. No biggie. So, where is all the fuss? Is TikTok and Generation X Y and Z just a bunch of liars too?
I don't know who to believe anymore. And I am sure you must feel the same way. We've been lied to for 4 years that J'Biden was 'as sharp as a tack'. Meanwhile the poor guy was buried inside the deepest realms of dementia. And he was running our country. Into the ground. Trump bombs Iran and proclaims he destroyed the nuclear holdings of Iran and the very next day the media proclaims 'not so fast'. Trump only set Iran back a few months. Plus Iran had ample time and lots of trucks to clear the area out of all the uranium. Tell me, who should or could we believe?
Folks, I'm a breast cancer survivor. I have more important things to concentrate on and worry about than what the news is or what a YouTuber is doing. From this second on, I have shut down the news. I will not listen to it anymore. I don't care if a nuclear bomb is coming my way. Most of those doing podcasts, TikTok, YouTube etc. etc are probably lying just to get clicks. I am just going to concentrate on keeping myself well, living my best life, enjoying whatever life I have left to live on this crazy planet and that is the end of that! Stick a fork in me. I'm done. I have had enough!
This is me during my chemo days. I've been in remission for a few months after 1.5 years of treatment. I don't give a rat's ass what the heck is going on in the world anymore. I'm done with infusions. I'm done with cancer drugs. My only concern would be can my pharmacy still keep getting my pills? If not, so be it. I'm done.
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Today was the first day we could finally eat my freshly grown Mesclun salad! I started them from seed. I also have spinach growing but we'll have that combo later on in the week. We didn't have any tomatoes with our salad yet BUT I did put in some chopped red onion, sliced artichoke hearts, feta cheese and Kalamata olives. I made my own fresh vinaigrette salad dressing and we sat down to a great summertime meal (IMHO). The olive oil is a super Aldi find! It's pure Sicilian oil for only $9.99 a bottle. The balsamic vinegar, also from Italy, was a holiday gift to us from a neighbor.
I bought this really beautiful salad bowl (Only $3 from Italy with the authentic markings on the back of the plate) from Goodwill a few months ago. I knew it would be just perfect for salad time!
I had some leftover pesto sauce in the freezer (left over from last summer) and hubby made a huge dish of bowtie pasta. We ate half now (hot) and later on (cold), as a late night snack, from the fridge. That's the great thing about my home made pesto. We can eat it hot or cold. Either way, it's delicious.
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The current cost-of-living crisis is (finally) hitting the upper middle and upper elite classes. For some, this might be the first time they have had to economize. To say they are inexperienced would be an oxymoron. You just don't wake up one day and say "Oh goodie. I'm going to be frugal today." Most of them, not all of them, of course, don't know what the heck they are doing. I'm seeing formerly upper middle class folks announce, once they go over their new budgets, that they can only spend between $25 to $30 a week on groceries. That, my people, is a huge decline, in my opinion, from what they were used to. The biggest fault, is seeing them try to maintain their old form of lifestyle on a $30 allotment. Ain't gonna happen. But if you want a good laugh, I implore you to seek out these wanna-bees and watch when a light bulb goes off in their heads when they realize they can no longer parlay filet mignon and must now stretch their beef intake with boiled lentils. Classic.
Case in point, this particular woman, who touts being a homemaker for thirty-three years. She started her initial week of economizing under her new $25 weekly food shopping budget determined to make her own yogurt, as a means of saving money. First up, she bought a gallon of organic milk. At her fave grocery store, however, upon seeing that the expiration date of said milk was the next day, she opted for 2 half-gallons of organic milk, that had a longer lasting expiration date. (Note to self: if you're making yogurt, it's OK to use near-to-expiration dated milk or even sour milk for that matter. But I digress.)
The cost of a gallon of organic milk at her local grocer was $6.49. But because she bought two half-gallons instead @$4.29 ea., the cost of her re-calculated gallon came to $8.58. Throw in another $1.99 to buy a smallish vanilla flavored yogurt, as a starter and her total starting out to 'save' money was $10.57. She made her 'budget' yogurt in her InstaPot and ran the electricity for 8 hours. After which, she did NOT make yogurt. Why? You can't make yogurt with a vanilla starter. That item contains sugar and sugar doesn't ferment as well as a plain yogurt would have. So, we have a fail.
So, what did she do?
Rather than face the fact that her attempt at saving money was a fail she threw in the rest of the vanilla flavored yogurt (the first attempt, she only used 2 tablespoons as the recipe directed) and ran the InstaPot for another 6 to 8 hours. Ka-ching! And voila! She had yogurt, which she fed to her 3 hungry teenagers, along with her home made granola. (Don't even get me started on her home-made, money-saving, 'granola')
So, for a total of $10.57 PLUS the cost of at least 14 hours of electricity to run the Insta-Pot, this clueless woman made a half-gallon (64 ounces) of organic, plain yogurt. Note to self: the money she spent to make this homemade yogurt cost her 42.2% of her weekly budget. Hope hubby likes yogurt for dinner when he gets home tonight after a long day of working and commuting.
Meanwhile, at the same store, this inexperienced woman, could have bought a 32 ounce of organic, plain yogurt for $4.99 (two 32 oz tubs equals 64 ounces, which is a half-gallon, at a cost of $9.98. I can't calculate in the cost of electricity because I don't know her rate. But 8 hours on InstaPot cooking time will cost ya!).
Or, as I suggested to this woman (who immediately pooh-poohed me, after all, WTF would I know? Right? I've only been frugal since the 1970s.) She could have gone to Aldi (which I know there is one by her residence) and purchased plain, whole milk yogurt, 32 ounce for only $2.85 (double that for a half-gallon and the total price is $5.70.) That's only 2% of her total weekly budget! BIG DIFFERENCE. Note to self: when you are on an extreme budget, as this woman is, $25 a week means NO ORGANIC FOR YOU! The milk today is already milked from non-treated cows and does NOT contain any rBST. Aldi's milk ( dairy products) come with The Farmers Pledge that all is good and healthy inside their products.
These economic times folks, as most of us already know are dangerous, scary and for some desperate. It's already been proven that you can't save any food shopping money at Walmart (they upped their products due to the tariffs) or Target (some people insist Target sells fair-priced foods. I disagree.). You have to shop for food at low cost markets (NOT the Dollar Store, as they sell mostly crap). We are most fortunate that the German food market, Aldi, has graced our American shores and are selling to us Americans, a plethora of top quality foods at super low prices. Aldi has a unique selling method which keeps their products priced very low. In my opinion, now, the best way to keep your grocery prices down is to shop at Aldi. In addition, rummage through your local grocery store flyers and balance your food shopping with loss-leader supplementing. I've been shopping at Aldi and thank the good Lord above, my family and I haven't had to suffer food denigration for the last 10-17 years. Aldi got us through the 2008 collapse and Aldi is certainly getting us through to this day.
Don't believe me? Dave Ramsey (international financial genius) just recently endorsed Aldi! Dave gave his own daughter, Rachel and a co-worker, George, a challenge. He gave each of them $100 and told them to shop exclusively at Aldi and feed their families for a week. Ramsey's daughter has 2 kids and a husband. The co-worker lives alone (but has a girlfriend). Both came out well under $100 and they bought whatever they wanted.
You can see the challenge: (click here or view below)
Aldi is currently opening up 225 more stores in 2025 (click here for the info) throughout America. If you need to locate an Aldi store near you, click here to get to their website. Always remember to read the ingredients. be on the lookout for seed oils, high fructose corn syrup and food dyes. Aldi is good but sometimes you will find a toxic, carcinogen ingredient but I don't blame Aldi. They do their best to bring us good quality, organic and healthy foods. It's the sign of the times. Just be alert.
The other thing I would suggest is, from now on, when you go food shopping, bring a calculator with you. Most cell phones have the app already loaded. Saving money today requires simple math (addition, subtraction and division). Look at the unit pricing also. Sometimes buying a smaller package saves you more money than buying the larger size. BTW: a gallon of Aldi regular whole milk is $2.78.
Good luck. Happy shopping. I only wish my readers the best. Try to find proven savers (like me) who have enough experience to help you save grocery money. And please don't ask me who this moronic yogurt lady was. I'd like to forget her. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make the animal drink.
FYI: last night, hubby and I had two Aldi products for dinner: I roasted Brussel Sprouts ($2.29) with olive oil and garlic (Aldi has superior olive oil imported directly from Sicily) and BBQed chicken ($1.79 a pound!) I made a healthy dinner for the two of us for under $10 bucks!! With leftovers for lunch the next day!
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Boo hoo. All this rain we have been having over the last month or so has completely destroyed my one and only peach tree! Many of the peaches have fallen off the tree. The excessive water and flooding has ruined my peach tree's roots and I am saddened to report, there might not be any peaches this year! There are still a few peaches holding on but it doesn't look promising.
The same goes for my tomato plants. The ones I started from seed didn't grow much. So, I purchased four beefsteak tomatoe starters and even those four haven't grown much over the last few weeks. If I'm suffering with my peaches and my tomatoes, I'm certain many of the local farmers up here must be suffering also. It may look like we will have to pay a fortune if we want local (or imported) tomatoes and peaches. (A few years ago) I bought 4 peaches from a local farm and paid $25 for the privilege! Thus, that is why and how I have my own peach tree now. Oh well.
There are tons of baby peaches that have fallen to the ground
here's a close-up of the baby peaches
My tree is still holding onto some peaches, but there isn't much hope.
My flower beds are loaded with fallen baby peaches.
The grounds all around the peach tree have fallen baby peaches.
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