Ok ladies, this post is just for you. Ladies only! All the husbands, boyfriends and boys must leave the room. Well, the babies and grandbabies can stay-hugs and cuddles are always welcome. Are the rest gone yet?
Thank you! Now, I have a question for you ladies: Don’t you hate it when they (the husband or boyfriend) are right? Like always right? It can drive me crazy! Well, not really-I think it’s funny and just love to tease him about it, which drives him crazy.
Actually, it’s a family joke that the husband is always right and I am not.
As I was cleaning the kitchen today, I was reminded that he is right when I washed off the George Foreman grill. He had asked me about getting one, and I said “No, I don’t need it and wouldn’t use it.” Obviously, he didn’t agree with me: I got one for Christmas two years ago.
Sadly, he was right – I love it! The trays are removable to wash in the dishwasher, so it is easy to clean. We use it often, probably at least once a week in the winter for hamburgers. Hamburgers are one of the few meals that we will all eat, which I like better than making two meals.
It is even frugal. I can cook hamburgers in 6 minutes and since it is so quick, I will use the George Foreman grill instead of eating out or bringing home fast food on busy nights. I really am trying to keep frozen hamburger patties already made in the freezer, that way I am not tempted to bring home fast food.
It is still annoying that he was right, though.
There are so many examples; I guess that is why it is the family joke.
He was right when we remodeled the kitchen before moving into our house. The room was bare with plywood sub flooring and we were discussing where to put cupboards. “Where do you want the dishwasher?” Me-“Oh, I don’t need one, it’s too expensive.” Thank goodness he didn’t listen to me. Three kids and no dishwasher would have been no fun.
He was also right when I was 7 months pregnant “How about installing central air conditioning?” Me-“Oh, I don’t need it, it’s too expensive” What a silly thing to say! Good thing he still didn’t listen to me. July is a hot and humid month to be 9 months pregnant in Iowa. The baby was also prone to heat rash, so I was very thankful for the central air.
He can even be right when we play guess the grocery bill game. I let him guess first, since I try to keep track roughly as I put stuff in the cart. We use cash envelopes and I get worried about not having enough cash at the checkout. But he is usually still closer than I am and therefore-right.
Even though the husband usually is right (when the kids would be sick-“it’s an ear infection” Me-“No, the ear doesn’t hurt” would you like to guess what it was?), he doesn’t need to be right and I definitely don’t think he is always right or that it makes him perfect. But he is a pretty good guy, even if he is annoyingly right.
Helping Me Be Frugal
Sometimes his right-ness helps me to be frugal. The George Foreman grill encourages me to be frugal. You can’t beat 6 minute hamburgers that everyone will eat for a quick frugal meal.
A few years ago, my Mother’s Day present was similar to my Christmas present: something I didn’t want, he thought I would use and love and something that helped me to be frugal. It was a vacuum sealer! He had of course asked me about one for a long time,
Me-“ Oh, I wouldn’t use it and it uses a lot of plastic!” Yuuup, you guessed it, I now love it.
The vacuum sealer is similar to the George Foreman grill, it helps me make quick, easy meals so I don’t bring home fast food or just serve frozen pizza. Of course the kids would love frozen pizza every night.
With the vacuum sealer, I can buy stuff on sale and prep it for quick meals that start in the freezer. Like meatloaf or meatballs (even camping meatballs!).
I buy ground pork or ground beef when it’s on sale in 10 pound packages. Then, I make a large meatloaf recipe with half the meat called for in the recipe. I usually do 2 bowls of 5 pounds of ground meat. It’s easier to mix thoroughly in 2 bowls. I will have someone come in to turn on the warm water and rinse my hands a few times, since my fingers get sooo cold.
I leave out the onion until cooking day, as it gets stronger in the freezer. Then, I vacuum seal it in 1 pound packages. On cooking day, I quickly thaw it and add 1 pound of the other type of meat not made into a meatloaf mix. So, if it is pork meatloaf mix, I add 1 pound of plain ground beef and vice versa, sometimes I add onions.
Now, it’s ready for the oven. No dragging out eggs, spices, oatmeal or crushing crackers and I’m not buying fast food or frozen pizza. The meatloaf mix even works to make a quick camping meal of meatballs.
Using the vacuum sealer to make partial meatloaf really helps me to be frugal. Ground pork and ground beef are usually not on sale at the same time, but I like them mixed together for meatloaf. This way, I can buy, mix and seal whichever meat is on sale at the time.
Later, I can buy the other type of meat on sale and freeze it without adding anything to it. Then,
it is ready to add to the meatloaf mix.
I wish I was good at once-a-month cooking and while I try to menu plan, I sometimes am just not hungry for what I penciled in for that meal. The vacuum sealer and George Foreman grill really have helped me make meals that are frugal and fast.
I guess I am glad that the husband is almost always right, because it has helped me find a way to have fast frugal meals my way—just don’t tell him that he was right, again. Please share any vacuum seal meal ideas that help you get supper ready frugally or fast.
Happy Camping! (or cooking a quick supper!)
The Frugal Campasaurus