Goings On

Bye car!!!

I would like to once again apologize for my extended absence from the blogging world. It's been a busy weekend, what with getting ready for the 5K, couponing, and selling my car! Yes, my beloved Nissan Altima is no longer with us, but with a nice Palestinian man who gave us a pretty good offer since he likes to support Seminary students. :-) We said our final farewell on Saturday, and are now officially a one-car family.

Free stuffs!!!

 In the world of couponing, I cleaned up pretty well on personal care items last week. I couldn't help myself, I had to take a picture of the stuff I got for absolutely free!!! (I got good deals on other stuff, but didn't have to pay a dime for any of this.)

And as for our 5K training, it's coming right along! The event is this Saturday, and we have stayed very faithful to our training schedule. Yesterday we ran 3 miles, which means we are only .2 miles away from 5K distance! It turns out that temperature has a huge effect on running. (Who knew!?) Last Saturday when the temperature was in the 90's, running 2.75 miles felt like actual death. I was ready to pack it in at about the .5 mile mark, but we did make it, gasping for air and water. Saturday we ran in 72 degree weather with a cool morning breeze. When we finished the third mile, we were hardly even winded! Unfortunately, this upcoming Saturday is promising some pretty dry, hot weather. I'll let you know how it goes. :-)

I spent this afternoon working on an exciting meal plan for the upcoming week. If things go well, there may be quite a few food related posts coming up. If things don't go well... we probably won't talk about it. ;-)

Certifiably Krazy

Today I took my krazy couponing to a whole new level. Today, I dumpster dived for coupons.

It wasn't nearly as bad as I was afraid it would be. In fact, it was pretty fun! There are tips and suggestions for safe and legal dumpster diving on the extreme couponing website, and I had been toying with the idea for days. The only problem was, I was terrified to do it alone. I even drove to the recycling drop off one day last week, but was too petrified to even get out of the car. Can you blame me? I mean, dumpster diving?!?!?!

So today, when Paul and I finished working out early, my dear, sweet, brave and wonderful husband agreed to go rummaging through refuse with me. Apparently, it is legal to go through public recycling drop off sites, but not through private dumpsters or bins. (Something I learned online.) It just so happens that there is one such public site behind the Scott's grocery store, which is right on our way home from working out. We pulled in to the parking lot, and brave brave brave Marie almost turned tail and fled. Paul encouraged me, saying we'd come this far, we were doing this thing.

With trepidation, we walked toward the huge trailers that were unmistakably for recycling. There was a lady sitting in front of the trailer. I asked her if I could look for coupons in the newspapers, and she said absolutely! The trailers were very well organized, and Paul busied himself in a bin of books and magazines while I hit the bags of unwanted news. The lady would come in from time to time and we would chat. Apparently, we are not the only ones who like to sort through trash. She herself was a stamp collector, and when things got slow she would sift through envelopes and clip used stamps!

Not only was the experience far more pleasant than I had expected, but I found what I consider to be a jackpot of coupons! I know there were plenty more where those came from, but Paul lost interest before I did, and I cut myself off after an hour of treasure hunting. Who would have thought dumpster diving could be so much fun!?

There's some extreme couponing for you. ;-)

A Wonderful Life

Wow, so I'm off to a really great start on this posting everyday thing.... Ah well, I'll keep trying. Sometimes a day just gets away from you. You spend the morning and most the afternoon couponing and shopping, and suddenly it's an hour till dinner. You make a delicious southwest salad and fresh baked rolls for dinner, and Myrtle suggests a movie night, which sounds like too much fun to pass up. You get out the TV trays, and watch Julie & Julia while you munch on salad, bread, cherries, and molasses cookies.

After the movie you realize that you mistakenly thawed out the chicken to grill it, not realizing that soup is not made with grilled chicken. Inspired by the delightful culinary film you just saw, you decide to go ahead and make your chicken and wildrice soup tonight. Myrtle and Paul are fully supportive of this idea, and everyone decides to put in another movie: The Blind Side. The soup goes on the stove at 8:30, and the delicious aroma fills the house as it cooks for the next several hours. You occasionally get up to tend the pot, the movie playing in the background. At 10:30, the soup is finished and everyone graciously agrees to sample it. The atmosphere is warm and cheerful, with lamps lighting the house, warm soup in bellies, and a heartwarming film that you watch curled up on the couch with your wonderful loving husband.

The movie finishes, and everyone chips in to help clean the kitchen. It's an easy task with so many helping hands, and by midnight you are done, ready to hit the sack, and completely unmotivated to blog. Happens to everyone right? ;-)

So yeah, that's what happened. What a wonderful evening. :-)

P.S. I put my "recipe" for Southwest Salad on the recipe page. The dressing brings it all together, and right now you can find a decent coupon for the dressing I used here:

$1.00/1 Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals Dressing-- (facebook.com)

Anyone for Pie?

First, I would like to apologize for my somewhat lengthy absence from the blogging world. I am making a renewed effort to write a post every week day, if possible. (No promises about the weekend though. ;-))

Paul and I recently found out that his mother's side of the family will be joining us in California for Christmas! It will be our first time hosting a Christmas meal, and we want to do it up right. We decided that, if we want to do a good job, we better start getting ready now. Paul's uncle Aaron is apparently a pie enthusiast with a well refined pallet. I decided that the first step will be to perfect my pie skills, so that we can serve quality hand-made pie and coffee for our Christmas guests. I have vowed to bake as many pies as it takes to get the recipe right, and Paul has graciously offered to taste test every single one of my attempts. What a sacrifice. ;-)

Last Thursday was my first attempt. I'm a little worried... It turned out so well that I may not have a good excuse for many more attempts!!! Before I started, my grandma told me a few of her secrets for pie success. She gave me advice that was definitely not in the cookbook, and I owe most of my pie success to her. Thank you grandma! =)

 Home made apple pie, straight from the oven. Yummmm!

I used Jonathan apples which were good, but next time I want to try something a little more tart. Maybe we'll see how it tastes with Granny Smith... The crust turned out flaky and wonderful, and I hope and pray to be able to pull that off again. Between me, Paul, and Myrtle, the entire thing was gone in only two days. We definitely need another pie... 

Home made apple pie after our first taste test... Yummmmm!

Getting Krazy!

Now that I'm off on my own, and in charge of buying groceries (who knew food actually cost money!?!?!!?), I have decided to become a Krazy Coupon Lady by learning the art of "extreme couponing." Basically, you match coupons to sales, and try to buy goods when they hit their absolute lowest price. It takes a lot of practice, I am definitely a couponing beginner. There are a number of web sites devoted to helping extreme couponers by listing available deals, tracking sales, and providing links to printable coupons. Even though I am far from proficient, I have already saved $50 this month!

My biggest handicap is that I have been working without access to the Sunday newspaper. Most of the available coupons come in the ad inserts. I was hoping to locate a generous donor here in Ft. Wayne so that I wouldn't have to actually buy the paper (I am apparently also an aspiring tight-wad). So far, my quest has been unsuccessful. This Sunday I'm finally going to cave and buy three copies of the Journal Gazette.

The key to successful couponing is getting your coupons in bulk. When prices hit rock bottom, you use your coupon stash to stockpile as much as you need for the next six months to a year, which will get you through until the item hits rock bottom again. I can't begin truly stockpiling until we get to California, but I have scored a few things that will keep very well for at least a year, but probably more.

My biggest coupon success? Eight packages of Kotex liners, not just for free, but I actually made $.12 on each one! Wal Mart will allow you to use a coupon that exceeds the price of the item, and they will actually give you money back out of the register if your coupons exceed your total purchase!!! That was pretty exciting. :-)

Now I'm stalking a tub of butter which hopefully I can get for free. Wish me luck!

Polka... not

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. I went on a simultaneous couponing and housekeeping kick, and completely lost track of time and reality. (Well, mostly just time.)

I believe I have mentioned before how great Fort Wayne is, and how community oriented it is. This community recently hosted its massive annual Germanfest. The week long festival was filled with fun and wacky things to see and do, all German of course. Paul and I finally had a chance to check it out on Saturday, the final day of the festival. We were lured in by beer, bratwurst, leiderhosen, and the promise of free Polka lessons.

In order to prepare ourselves for a wonderful evening of Polka, we imbibed a few good German beverages. At 7, we made our way to the dance floor, ready to learn this ancient and hallowed dance. Things went great at first! By great I mean that Paul and I hopped around to the beat in something that might have resembled a Polka. Who really knows after a few of those German beverages. As we were about to learn how to spin, I looked down at my feet. Evidently Paul had zigged when I had zagged, and the situation wasn't looking so good for my big toe. Sadly, we had to cut our Polka short and attend to my injured foot. Nothing serious, just a minor toenail injury, but it did keep us off the dance floor for the evening.

Because of this incident, Paul and I are now determined to one day Polka successfully, or at least without injury. The Germanfest was still lots of fun, and we definitely took away some unforgettable memories along with a very important lesson: Don't drink and Polka! (Or if you do, wear close toed shoes) ;-)

Close Community

I love the city of Fort Wayne. Maybe it's because of my fond memories and associations, but I think my fondness has deeper roots. What I love about Fort Wayne is its vibrant and active sense of community. It seems like there is always something going on here- some community event that creates a buzz of energy throughout the city. The buzz is fueled and fostered by Fort Wayne's awesome local radio station, FUN 101.7. This station is hands down my favorite radio station of all time. It plays classic rock hits from artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, Styx, Kansas, Bon Jovi, Meatloaf, etc, plays top 40 lists from the 60's, 70's, and 80's, runs winnable games with awesome prizes, and does local interest pieces.

It was through an interview with Fort Wayne's mayor on 101.7 that Paul and I learned of the grand opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. bridge, a new gateway into the city's historic downtown. We decided to go check out the event, which was held at 9:00 Monday night. Why so late? This is no ordinary bridge. The design itself is inspiring- a steel frame arching up in a trellis, beautiful in its simplicity. Along each side is a pedestrian sidewalk which displays etchings of quotes by Dr. King, making the bridge a memorial in more than just name. However, the full splendor of this bridge can only be seen when the sun is down.

Paul, Phil, and I arrived downtown in just enough time to find a parking spot (no easy task, it was a well attended event,) and make our way to the gathering crowd. Led by city officials, local organization leaders, and even a member of the King family, we all processed across the bridge. A local women's choir accompanied the march with song. Once we were across the bridge, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s nephew addressed the crowd. It was a very moving speech, and by the end the sun had set and energy was high. The ribbon on the bridge was cut, and the show began. The bridge and the crowd were suddenly flooded with color and light as the bridge came alive. The crowd watched in amazement as the bridge flashed different colors, putting on an impressive light show. Loudspeakers played patriotic tunes, and people were invited to take their time re-crossing the bridge, encouraged to admire the intricacies of the design.


This was definitely an event not to miss. Community spirit, pride in their history, determination to make a bright future; these are the traits not of Fort Wayne itself, but of its citizens. These characteristics are not some lofty mission statement touted by men in high positions, but real values held by the people of the city. This is why I love Fort Wayne.

Weekend with Phil- Culinary Edition

I realize it's been a while since my last blog post, but I have a good excuse! We had our first real live company at the Ferderer home!

My friend Phil was in Indiana for a class reunion, so while he was here he came and spent a few days at our place. He came in Sunday evening, and just left this morning. We packed the past several days with lots of fun and delicious food. Actually, I'm a little surprised we didn't all develop type two diabetes by the end...

The night Phil got in, we baked Tirimisu. Tirimisu sounds fancy, but it's not hard to make. The hard part is finding the ingredients. After looking in three different stores, we finally found the Marscapone Cheese, and we substituted Wal-Mart shortbread for lady fingers, which apparently are too rare a delicacy for the likes of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Even with the substitution, the Tirimisu turned out delicious, and it is definitely going in the permanent recipe folder.

The next day, Phil and I found an amazing little cafe for lunch. (Paul had class so he couldn't join us...) It's called Honey on the Table, and it may have been the best sandwich shop I have ever been to. The atmosphere was great, and the food was even better. The desserts also looked so good, we just had to sample a few....

That evening, after a homemade pizza dinner, we made an amazing Rhubarb Pie. Rhubarb is in season here, and nothing beats a pie still warm from the oven with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

And, since that wasn't enough sugar, Phil and I took a tour of DeBrand's Chocolate Factory the next afternoon. (Poor Paul had class again...) The tour was great, especially since they gave out free samples at each room! After the tour, we had DeBrand's sundays, which are too sinful to even describe. You'll have to refer to the picture below... (That bowl is made out of chocolate)

For dinner last night, I made chicken with butter pan sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli. We rounded out the evening by finishing off the leftover desserts.

Yes indeed, I have found that I like having company, but only in small doses if I am to maintain my girlish figure. ;-)

Pizza Night

Last night, Paul and I decided to save our money, skip Gemutlicheit, and have our own homemade pizza night. (Mostly I just wanted to try my hand at making homemade pizza.) It was a blast! We picked up some cheap beer that was on clearance, found a recipe for pizza, and went to work. This time, unlike my previous attempt at baking, I followed the directions VERY carefully. We worked up the dough, taking turns stirring the increasingly stiff mixture. Then we rolled two crusts, and left them out to rise. (None of that thin crust nonsense for us!) While we waited we munched on chips and nuts, nursed our drinks, and tried to solve all the world's problems. 

Forty-five minutes, a whole lot of laughter, but not many solutions to world problems later, we slipped the first pizza into the oven. We sat on the floor, watching as the pizza baked and bubbled, the toppings melting into the thick dough. When it was finally finished, we pulled out our marvelous creation, held our breaths, and took our first bites with trepidation. It was wonderful!!!! We had pizza success!!!!! We were so hungry, and the pizza was so good, we actually managed to eat both in one setting! We even had some ice cream and coffee to top the whole thing off.  =)

I don't think this will turn into an every Friday tradition, just because of the time and resource commitment, but we do want to at least do it again next Friday. And next time, we have some ideas for making it even better!

 Our nom-i-licious pizza baking in the oven.

 Paul, patiently waiting for his pizza. =)

Paul, not so patiently waiting for his pizza...










Paul, excited to eat pizza and desperately hoping this is the last picture. ;-)

YUMMY!!!!!!!