5 Little Saving Nuggets in the Grocery Cart

I though I'd share a few little tips I've learned to help keep the grocery bill down. No, I didn't learn them all this week, but because it's Friday and Friday begins with the letter F, I figured I'd share something frugal-licious. Because frugal-icious starts with the letter F too.

And that my friends is how I roll.

Scary, huh?

I'm currently waiting for Sesame Street to call with a job offer. Skills like this shouldn't be ignored.

So, here's a few "nuggets" of wisdom that I've learned. You may already know some of these, but since I focus my energy on matching my letters to the days of the week, I'm a little behind.☺

1. Bulk spices~I've said it before, and I'll say it again (yes Mom), bulk spices are big money savers. However, I didn't realize just how big until this week. My bay leaf jar was suspiciously low on leaves (I think they are currently hanging on the fridge on a piece of art work.), so it was time to buy some more. Now, I don't know if the origin of the bay leaves has anything to do with the price, but a jar of Turkish bay leaves was going to cost $10.19. Ahem. (For that price, I was tempted to rip down the artwork, glue and all, and just call it a "broth binder"!) If you know me at all, you'll know that I don't pay $10 for anything other than coffee, so my mission was to find it cheaper. Enter the bulk spice bins. For $0.50, I was able to completely refill my jar, and buy organic coffee beans, while leaving the artwork intact.

Speaking of coffee beans...

2. I love coffee. There. I've said it. But I'm kind of a coffee snob. I refuse to drink sludge from a can or anything that wasn't ground just before percolating. I also like to know when the beans have been roasted. I've been buying my beans at a local coffee shop for a couple of years now. I love the blend that the owner put together of dark and regular Sumatra beans. I love how perfectly roasted those beans are, and I love that this coffee shop was started by her dad many moons ago. That said, having 5 adult coffee drinkers in our house makes this little habit a very expensive one to have. At $10.85/lb. per week, this adds up quickly. Imagine my joy when I discovered that some of the Costco's now have coffee roasters in them! Better yet? The beans are organic!! Buying 5 lbs. of beans at once might seem excessive if there is only 1 coffee drinker in the house, but at a savings of $4.55/lb., buying this way saved us $22.75 for the entire month's worth of coffee. (Contrary to popular belief, extra beans should NOT be stored in the freezer. Store them in the fridge to prolong their freshness.)

3. Fabric softeners~First, let me tell you that I don't always use traditional fabric softeners. Quite often I use white vinegar, and sometimes I even steep dried lavender in it first. But sometimes, I fall victim to the enticing scents from the softener bottle, especially the lavender/vanilla scent. When I do get weak, I make sure that I have a manufacturer's coupon in hand and shop at a store who is advertising a sale price. But, here's a little tip to help stretch out that big bottle of deliciousness...Pour half of the bottle into an empty bottle, then fill both bottles up with water. Give it a little shake, and you've now stretched your purchase of 1 into 2. It's not only easier on your wallet, but also on your clothing and your washing machine.

4. Dryer sheets~A lot of people use dryer sheets. I know this because every time I have a coupon for some, I end up having to ask for a rain check. Cut the cost and the chemicals by cutting your dryer sheets in half. Does the same job for half the price.

5. Paper towels~This has been a super-saver for us. We didn't realize the amount of paper towels that were being used until we stopped buying them. Of course, that didn't last long, and paper towels have their place in the kitchen. But by using select-a-size towels to clean up greasy messes, wash rags for cleaning regular spills, and cloth napkins for mealtimes, we were able to cut our usage by 90%. The last time I bought paper towels was in August. I bought a large package of 12. Today as I sit here, we still have 8 of those rolls. Another tip? Buy cloth napkins in the clearance section of the linen department. For $0.99, I got a package of 6 with a big initial on the top. Of course, it's not a J, but who really cares when you're children are wiping spaghetti sauce all over it! Better yet, if you're handy with a sewing machine, whip up your own using fabric scraps you probably already have.

Personally, I like to keep people guessing with the big "I" and "S" initials on mine. Keeps it "f"resh.

And yes, that was another "f" word brought to you by the people of Sesame Street...I mean, me.☺

Breakfast Hash

Before I started cooking our breakfasts, we used to eat a lot of cereal. Most boxes run $4-$5/ box. For a family of 11, that added up pretty quickly. I still buy cereal, (usually the cheerio-type for the grandbabies and only when it's on sale), but for quick because-we-slept-in mornings, we rely on this easy egg & potato dish.

One of our local grocery stores regularly puts out ads for their own brand of frozen potato products. Most people run straight for the tater tots and french fries, but not me. I fill my cart with the maximum number of old-fashioned hash browns. Sometimes known as Potatoes O'Brien, these are just precooked cubed potatoes. Period. No, they're not organic, but with almost everything else in our freezer being of the organic variety, I'm pretty okay with these being conventionally grown.

That and I'm really not a fan of soggy cheerio-type cereal.

This is so easy~there are no measurements and you just guesstimate quantity.

I majored in guesstimation.

Wish my teacher's would have appreciated my knack for guessing as much as my family does.☺

~The Players~

 frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes (I used a 2 lb. bag for 11 of us.)

1 egg for every person

Cooked meat of choice (bacon, ham, sausage, etc...)

grated cheese (We like Jarlsburg Swiss, but Gouda was good too!)

coconut oil for frying (I use expeller pressed so there's no coconut taste.)

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat coconut oil until hot. (If you cooked bacon, just add enough coconut oil to the bacon grease to keep the potatoes from sticking to the pan.) Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and place a lid on the pan. Allow the potatoes to cook, stirring a few times, until brown; approximately 10 minutes. You may need to add more coconut oil as it cooks.

While the potatoes are cooking, crack eggs into a bowl. Whisk to break apart. I add a couple of tablespoons of water and whisk until light and fluffy. Season with salt & pepper.

When the potatoes are nicely browned, add the precooked meat and eggs.

Green onions or bell peppers make a nice addition to the hash.

Reduce heat and cook until eggs are set. Once the eggs are cooked, remove from heat, add cheese and replace the lid. Let hash set for a couple of minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Serve while hot.

Enjoy!



Grocery Shopping Blitz~January

There aren't too many stores I would snap a picture in, but the above photo is special. This is my most favoritest grocery store...ever. It is a family-owned store that carries no pork or shellfish, and is closed on Saturday's, the day these wonderful people observe the Sabbath. Not only is the store packed with fresh and organic, most of the produce comes from local sources. This store is also good about stocking up on locally packaged foods too, such as; salsas, barbecue sauces, specialty vinegar's, and artisan cheeses.

Pure heaven I tell you.

If you live near the Vancouver, Washington area, you will need to experience Chuck's Produce & Street Market for yourself. And make sure you save time to enjoy a cup of gelato while you're there. I can personally vouch for the Chocolate Hazelnut gelato. And the Espresso Gelato. And the Blackberry Gelato. And the Lemon Gelato. And the...

Have I mentioned that we like gelato?☺

Our monthly grocery shopping trip wasn't limited to just Chuck's, even though it could've been. We started with Trader Joe's and ended with Costco, with a leisurely lunch at Applebee's to see the Oregon Duck/Wisconsin kickoff for the Rose Bowl. (We finished watching the game at Costco with about 100 other people who can't afford drive-in sized televisions either!)

So, here's what we bought...

And here's what we spent...

Trader Joe's~$74.62
Chucks Produce~$133.21
Costco~$191.84

Grand total~$399.67

We still have our raw milk to buy, but if all goes according to plan, the total this month should be well within our $600 budget!

Time will tell...



January Meal Plan

To learn why we decided to go to a monthly meal plan, go here and here.

Here's what's cookin' for January...

1. B~cereal

    D~Spicy Hoppin' John, Kim's cornbread

2. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

    D~Cubed steak w/ milk gravy, roasted potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower

3. B~Scrambled Hash (new), g.f. Peachy Millet Muffins (new)

    D~Black Bean Soup, gf Southern Cornbread

4. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola over yogurt (new)

    D~Chicken Pot Pie with gf Cheddar Biscuits (new)

5. B~Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

    D~Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & beef gravy (using homemade stock), green beans

6. B~Speltcakes (for family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes for mom 

    D~Chinese Pepper Steak, jasmine rice in beef stock

7. B~Kefir fruit smoothies, gf Banana Walnut Muffins

    D~Ham steaks, baked potatoes w/sour cream, steamed green peas

8. B~Almond Joy Granola w/ yogurt

    D~Chicken Tortilla Soup, homemade tortilla chips

9. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

    D~Pot roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, steamed peas

10. B~Scrambled eggs & deer sausage

      D~Korean Beef Bulgolgi, brown rice

11. B~gf Pumpkin Spiced Bread (new), Pumpkin Smoothies

      D~Chili, Kim's Kornbread, (gf Cheddar Biscuits for mom)

12. B~Baked Eggs (family), yogurt & frozen berries (mom)

      D~Salmon Patties w/ tartar sauce, baked fries, sweet corn

13. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ toasted almonds & dried cherries

      D~Broiled Parmesan Tilapia, Lemon Rice Pilaf, steamed broccoli

14. B~Sourdough Pancakes (family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes (mom)

      D~El Rancho Skillet Dinner, peas

15. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola, yogurt

      D~Spicy Split Pea Soup w/ ham, gf Southern Cornbread

16. B~Nancy's Nutmeg Coffee Cake (family), yogurt w/ frozen berries (mom)

      D~Farmer's Delight Casserole (new)

17. B~Quiche Lorraine

      D~Spaghetti (with brown rice noodles), steamed broccoli

18. B~Red, White & Orange Baked Oatmeal

      D~Thai Cashew Chicken, jasmine rice

19. B~Fried eggs in ghee, gf Carrot Raisin Buckwheat Muffins (new)

      D~Perfect Potato Patties, Meatloaf, green beans

20. B~Kefir fruit smoothies, Whole Wheat Raspberry Muffins (family)

      D~Clam Chowder, gf Cheddar Biscuits

21. B~Speltcakes (family), gf Rice Flour pancakes (mom)

      D~Sweet & Sour Meatballs, jasmine rice, peas

22. B~Almond Joy Granola w/ yogurt

      D~Beef Stew, Buttermilk biscuits (family), gf Cheddar Biscuits (mom)

23. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

      D~Polenta w/ marinara sauce, baked chicken, peas

24. B~Cheddar Bacon Breakfast Muffins (family), Fried eggs in ghee, gf Cheddar Biscuit (mom)

      D~Cinco de Mayo Casserole

25. B~Cheese Omelette's

      D~Pulled Barbecued Beef (crockpot) over brown rice, green beans

26. B~gf Cranberry Apple Spice Muffins (new), Kefir fruit smoothies

      D~Meatless "Hamburger" Helper w/ brown rice pasta (new), corn

27. B~Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal w/ canned peaches

      D~5 Bean Soup, gf Southern Cornbread

28. B~Sourdough Pancakes (family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes (mom)

      D~Lentil Burritos, homemade tortilla chips & salsa

29. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola w/ yogurt

      D~Salsa Chicken over brown rice

1/30~Shopping Day

     B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal

     D~tbd ☺

Even though each day is scheduled for a specific meal, we will be flexible on changing days around during the week. Sometimes real life happens and I forget to soak the beans, thaw the meat, or make the granola when I should. And sometimes another meal sounds better than the one planned for that day. As long as we stick to eating these meals during the week they are planned, there should be no waste.

At least, that's the plan.☺


This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

Planning for a Month of Meals

Happy New Year!!

As we begin a new year, my Mister and I have resolved to spend less, consume less, and play more. There is always something that needs to be done here on the farm, so playing more might be a little more difficult to achieve than spending and consuming less.

Course, we could just be broken. Nah, that's not it...☺

While tallying up our monthly expenses for 2011, we noticed a trend that I'm not proud of. Our grocery bill seemed to grow by the month. Maybe that's because we didn't budget. With 3 freezers full of meats, poultry, fish, fruit, veggies, and ice cream (Don't judge.), there is no excuse for the $1200 average we've been spending. With that number, we also noticed a lot of waste in fresh fruits & vegetables that weren't being eaten before they spoiled. We lost a lot of bread. (R.I.P sourdough starter.) We tossed a lot of leftovers to the chickens to make room for the new groceries. It was disgusting the amount of food that was being fed to our animals. Shameful.

After sitting down and taking a good hard look at how things were being run in the kitchen, I realized that it came down to a couple of things.

#1. Poor planning. Even though I made a weekly meal plan, I wasn't using the pantry/freezer items as the base for our meals. I was using them as accompaniments to the store-bought foods. During the growing season, I was still not using all that I could have from the garden. It would be easy to blame it on my thyroid issues (tiredness), but in reality, it was just easier to write down a grocery list and pick up lettuce while I was buying cheese.

#2. Coupon shopping & impulse buying. Yes, I saved money on certain items. But it is only saving money if the food that was bought was actually used. I firmly believe that coupon shopping does NOT save a person the money they think it does. Coupons are used as tools to get the consumer into the stores. It takes great discipline to only purchase those items for which you have coupons for. And here's a little secret....the stores know this. And deep down, we know this too. When I enter a store, coupons in hand, there are ALWAYS in-store "deals" to be had. What started out as a $50 shopping trip, quickly turns into a $100 trip. Which of course, always leads to the justification stage of impulse buying. "But I shaved $60 off my bill!" No I didn't. I spent $50 more than I had planned, thus repelling my grocery budget into the stratosphere. Who makes money on my impulse buying? Not me.

Which leads me to another beef I have with couponing. Coupons come out every week, sometimes twice, which means that I need to visit the grocery store multiple times to use my coupons before they expire. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.

So how do I shave money off my grocery budget? Lean in a little closer and I'll tell you.

Closer.

Closer.

Are you ready?

Spend less time in the grocery stores.

I know, I was shocked too. This doesn't mean that I'm going to start harvesting bark and digging up grubs for my family. This just means that instead of a 3-times-a-week habit, I'll be down to once a month. (The only thing this doesn't include is our weekly 3 gallons of raw milk, but once Tilly "freshens", this trip will be eliminated too.) In order to do this, a plan of action is needed.

#1. Make a master list of pantry staples. Mine looks like this...

*Spices, Oils, Sweeteners, Sauces (such as fish/oyster sauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, etc...)
*Baking (includes chocolate chips, baking powder, yeast, etc...)
*Fresh Produce/Herbs
*Frozen Foods
*Dairy
*Canned Foods
*Condiments
*Bulk Grains, Beans, Flours
*Gluten-Free Supplies
*Cleaners (laundry, and homemade cleaner ingredients)
*Paper/Storage Items (includes sandwich/freezer bags, aluminum foil, toilet paper, kleenex)
*Personals (feminine products, deodorant, etc..)
*Miscellaneous (organic coffee)

This list is on-going. There is no way to write down every single item that is used in the kitchen. Just keep it handy and add as you go.

(We do not include our pet supplies in the master grocery list. All of our animal feed comes from the feed store and is part of our farm budget.)

#2. Make a list of family favorites. For us this would be breakfast and dinner meals. (Lunch is usually left-overs or in an emergency, a sandwich using one of the loaves we always have in the freezer.) Have the family help with the list, you might be surprised at the simpleness of their meals! Make sure to include all elements of the meal; main dish and any side dishes. The ingredients for those side dishes do not magically appear...☺

#3. Plan a month's worth of meals. For week 1, include any fresh produce. Week 2, include produce that has a longer shelf life (i.e. carrots, celery, potatoes). Weeks 3 & 4, plan on using frozen/canned/dried produce for meals. Since we have a lot of different meats in the freezers, I plan around those. In the winter, we have a lot of meals using beans and rice as these have a very long shelf life. They can also be cooked in large quantities and used in a later-in-the-week meal without the cooking time. Which leads to....

#4. Plan meals using some of the same ingredients in the same week. Example: Cook a pot of pinto beans and plan on chili for Monday and burritos for Thursday. Or, freeze the extras to cut cooking time later. If ham is on the menu, plan on using some of the ham in scrambled eggs, and the ham bone later in the week to season a pot of split peas or navy beans. Extra rice? How about a dessert of rice pudding, or use it for breakfast with a handful of raisins, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzling of honey or maple syrup, and a splash of milk.

#5. Make a grocery list. This is not limited to only 1 grocery store. Look at the ads, clip coupons if needed, and search for the best deals. Include (in the spring for me) farmer's markets and your own garden produce. This is where eating in season comes into play. Unless you live in the tropics, watermelon in January shouldn't be on the list. If you live near a Costco, plan to stop there...just stick to your list and only purchase what you need. (This is especially good if you have children at home.)

#6. Prepare for the grocery trip. For me, this means doing it on a day that my Mister can be with me. It is much easier to stick to a budget if you have someone to be accountable with. And because a large grocery trip can be stressful, having someone to take a lunch break with can add a little fun to the trip. Before leaving, make sure you have your coupons (yes, I still use them), reusable grocery/produce bags, a cooler (especially good in the summer or if you shop out of your local area), a water bottle or travel mug of your favorite hot beverage, and comfy shoes.

#7. And finally, use cash. Determine what your monthly food budget will be and pay with paper money. This is a foreign concept to many (including me!), but if you only have cash with you, it is much easier to stick to a plan. For us, it will be $600/month. If I were shopping for 2 weeks at a time, I would only carry half of that with me. Keep it in an envelope, and make sure to save your receipts. Last week I bought a little over a pound of fresh broccoli florets. At $0.99/lb., the total should've been $1.23. As I looked over my receipt, I noticed that I was charged $9.90! It makes me wonder how many times I missed a whopper mistake like that!

Maybe all of this just boils down to self-discipline. Maybe I have too many things on my metaphoric plate and need to make more lists to keep track of everything. Or maybe, the time I waste in the grocery store every week would be better spent enjoying this blessed life I have been given. Whatever your reason may be, having a plan leaves you with more money in your pocket...

And more time to play.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

My Less-Is-More Resolutions

Last year I made a few resolutions, which I am happy to share, I actually kept.

No really. I did.

Mostly.

I'll admit, the fanny pack thing didn't happen.

This year I've decided to see if I can make it 2-in-a-row by setting some more goals. Unlike last year's tongue-in-cheek resolutions, these will be a little more difficult to keep.

Because they're real.

And since they have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, these should last a little longer than the first week of January.

So, here is my list, in no particular order.

1. Consume less.

Since we don't have a weekly garbage pick-up (at $60/month), we take our trash into the dump/recycling center ourselves. Our goal was to make this trip on a monthly basis, but so far, we haven't been able to get past the 2 week mark. With our recycling credit (newspapers, cans, glass) our total cost to dump is between $2 and $5.00/load.

The price is not the issue. It is the amount of garbage that we are taking in. Four of our five cans are usually filled with recylcables. In our area, there are only 2 kinds of plastic that can be recycled, all the others head to the landfill. Before you start thinking "Uh-oh, another nutty environmentalist..", let me assure you that I am not. Well, I am, but not one of those weird incense-burning, pot-smoking, free-love kind of environmentalists. I'm more like the milk and cookies with a hug at bedtime kind of nut.

My resolution isn't just to decrease my trips to the dump, but to decrease our family's dependency on all the items that we don't always need to purchase or that come with hard-to-dispose-of packaging.

Such as:

Packaged foods~We all know that most packaged foods are processed foods. And we know that those aren't good for us. But there are plenty of whole foods that come in cartons, bags, boxes, and plastic.

Solution? Buy in bulk. Whole Foods (and many others) have an awesome selection of healthy beans, pastas, nuts, dried fruits, and spices, not to mention honey, olive oil, and grind-yourself nut butters. Cut consumption by bringing your own bags and containers. Most places will weigh your empty containers and subtract that from the filled weight. Mesh produce bags are another way to cut wasteful packaging. (Store bulk items in glass canning jars that you probably already have!) Make your own mixes, seasoning "packets", breads, and yogurt. Not only are these a healthier alternative to store-bought, it is a good way to keep the grocery budget in check. (I'll share more tips later for saving at the grocery store!)

Reusable bread bags~My Mister "gets" me!

Cleaning products~Most of us have at least on cupboard filled with cleaning supplies. One for the toilet, one for the shower, one for the floor, etc...Not only are most of these products toxic, they take up space in the house and the garbage can.

 Solution? Make your own. It's surprising what a little white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap can do. Just be careful reusing bottles that had toxic chemicals in them as they can become even more toxic and even deadly. (Bleach & ammonia for instance.) Also, forgo that expensive, toxic laundry soap and make your own for pennies. (White vinegar makes a great fabric softener and a gallon usually costs less than a dollar.)

Drying clothes~Most people don't think twice about running an electric dryer, until the power bill arrives. The energy wasted on a load of laundry is only second to the stove/oven. The power comes from somewhere, and someone is going to pay for that power. Probably you.

Solution? Install a clothesline for outside drying during the warmer months and use a drying rack for the winter. I have 2 hanging racks in front of my woodstove and am hoping to purchase a wooden rack from here. And check out the repurposed baby gate here. Save the dryer for the important stuff, like jeans. Nothing puts me in a bad mood faster than crunchy jeans...

 Speaking of clothes...

Clothing~Ever notice the poor workmanship of the clothing nowadays? Most are sewn in foreign countries, possibly by underage employees, who are probably not being paid enough of a wage to live on. Remember Levi jeans? Sorry to tell you, but these are not made in America anymore.

Solution? Buy from second-hand stores. These stores are not the disgusting places they once were. Second-hand shopping has become en vogue, and retailers are finally understanding that we don't want to purchase items that have last year's Christmas gravy stained to the front. In our area, we actually have some pretty classy thrift stores that we have scored numerous deals at. And some of these stores actually benefit other organizations such as, our local women/children's shelter, hospice, boys & girls clubs, etc...(Local people~check out The Red Hat Thrift Store, The Hospice Thrift Store, and in Vancouver, Plato's Closet.)

Sometimes you'll even find furniture worth saving!

Solid wood bed for $124...My grandmother has the same bed and paid $1200 new!

Toiletries~This is kind of a touchy subject for me.

Because I'm a girl.

I like my mousse, hair spray, makeup, razors, deodorant, lotions, and the like, but there is a lot of packaging involved with this stuff. Not to mention, most of it is overpriced, toxic, and marketed in a way that makes a woman think she is less of a woman to not have these things.

Solutions? Don't buy into the lie. Yes, I still use mousse, hairspray, makeup, and thankfully, deodorant (most of the time☺), but I'm more choosy and I don't use this stuff everyday. I take into account how long something will actually last. I make what I can at home, and make purchasing decisions based on whether the package can be reused or not. Crazy? Maybe, but I have raised 6 girls and that's a lot of "stuff". There are recipes on the web for making your own deodorant, soaps, shampoos, and lotions. If that's not your thing, try a mineral salt deodorant stick that can last for an entire year. Use coconut oil right out of the pantry (I store mine in a little cup on my bathroom counter.) instead of expensive moisturizers and lotions, and try making your own bar soap. (I'll be sharing a recipe for shampoo bars soon!) I use mineral powder makeup and reuse the little jars for important things like scrapbooking embellishments, buttons, and tacks. And disposable razors? No way. Use a razor with replaceable heads, or even better, an electric razor.

Finally, make things that you use a lot of. For us, it's candles. When the winds blow, we're the last to get our power back on. Instead of purchasing some made-in-China (or wherever) candles, we roll our own from beeswax sheets.

It's a fun way to spend an afternoon and there is NO GARBAGE to pack to the cans.

And that's it. My New Year's resolution for the year.

Just one.

I should be able to manage just one, dontchathink?☺

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN 2012!!!

This post is linked to the Living Well Blog Hop.

Peepin' Tom

While in the midst of holiday hustlin', bustlin', wrapping & baking, we had a visitor.

He was not offering his gift wrapping services.

He was not sharing his recipe for pickled peppers.

And he was certainly not selling Avon.

It seems a rumor was started (probably by those cackling hens) that...

...we might be serving beef for this holiday dinner.

Since Tom trusts no one,

he decided to take the "wait & see" approach.

Two days of sitting in the exact same spot, Tom was finally convinced that beef is "what's for dinner."

Today we welcomed the rain...and if you have turkeys, you'll know what I mean.☺