Some January Goals
This year, I think I'm going to do something a little bit different goal-wise. Instead of choosing some "work-on-this-all-year" goals, I'm going to choose some specific goals for each particular month.
I think this might be fun, and maybe it will help me to get some smaller things accomplished...things I've been putting off for a while.
1. A little kitchen-something
When I was sick this past week, I kept the couch warm for hours on end and I spent part of that time thinking of 12 baking/kitchen related things I want to try this year. So, each month there will be a new something-or-other that I want to learn how to make.
This month's something or other? Crackers. Long, long ago (ok, it was only 2.5 years ago) when I started this blog, I mentioned that I wanted to get into a cracker-making groove, but apparently, I lost my motivation somewhere along the way.
Is it possible to make a good, inexpensive homemade cracker? Will I find that cracker making is tedious and annoying? Who knows? But I intend to find out this month.
Because store-bought crackers (which my children lurvity-lurve) are sort of expensive and are not usually filled with fabulous ingredients.
2. A little home-something
Here's another thing I've been putting off...some drywall-fixing. There are two places in our dining room that need to be fixed, and I've been putting that off for a long time, mostly because I loathe the mess that spackle sanding makes.
But I also loathe the enormous crack in our dining room wall that shows up whenever the weather gets cold (in the summer it miraculously closes and you can't even tell it's there!). And the ceiling seam that we never fixed when we moved in 5 years ago is also getting a little bit old.
Mr. FG and I have halfheartedly slapped some spackle on it and sanded a bit, but it needs more attention than that. And since Mr. FG is going to start studying for another IT certification, I think I should probably tackle this job myself. Because I certainly can't study for an IT certification!
So, I'm committing to taking care of that this month, and since I'm making a public declaration about it, I feel optimistic about the odds of me actually getting this done.
3. A little money-something.
This month, Mr. FG and I want to set up a new college and retirement savings plan. We have been contributing to his retirement fund over the years, and we have a bit of a college fund going for the kids, but it's not as much as we'd like it to be.
Over the last year, we put pretty much all of our extra money into our van fund, but since the van fund isn't super-duper urgent (I think my van will last for a while longer, considering it's a Toyota!), we want to diversify our savings a little bit more this year.
4. A little selling
I have a couple of things sitting around the house that I need to sell...some toys, a reptile tank, some clothes, and a few other things. For a frugal person, I am remarkably horrible at getting around to selling stuff on Craig's List or Ebay, but I'd like to change that this month.
I think that's good for now. I could think of more things, but I want to keep this manageable so that I have some hope of success!
If you all have any cracker-making or stuff-selling tips for me, advise away. 😉
Today's 365 post: Our game as of late
This sounds like a good plan. I was kinda thinking the same (sort of) on the way to work this morning. Things that I just have to make time to take care of!
Will be interesting to see how these pan out...
I love making my own crackers. I've never made the Ritz-style crackers, which is probably what your kids like, but I have made some super simple ones that are great for dips and soup. It's pretty much a bread dough without yeast and sometimes a little baking soda or baking powder (just water, flour, salt and seasonings will work). Roll a portion of the dough almost transparently thin and slide it onto a parchment lined baking sheet; brush with oil and sprinkle on salt/pepper. Bake 12-15 minutes depending on how thin it was. When you pick up an edge it will still be flexible but not droop back onto the sheet and it will be browning along the edges. Transfer to a cooling rack where it will continue crisping. When it's cool break it into pieces.
I've learned from experience that it doesn't take a lot of dough to make a half dozen sheets or so. Also, cornmeal and/or milk make the dough stickier.
There are a lot of recipes for graham crackers on the internet. I know Alton Brown at Food Network has a recipe and http://savoryseasonings.blogspot.com/ has graham cracker, cheese and wheat thin cracker recipes (though I haven't tried them yet).
Drywall issues must be prevalent! I was looking at my chipping plaster ceiling last night and committed to working on that this winter. Also, I have some serious spackling to tackle in my basement stairwell. I like to take care of inside maintenance during the winter so I can be outside when the weather gets nice.
I like the idea of setting monthly goals. I have already made my list of goals for the year, but I might now go in and break everything down by month.
This also made me think of another idea I have adopted this year. I'm going to start giving my kids a 12 months of Christmas box. This involves buying a small gift every month and wrapping them together in one big box at Christmas time. I'm thinking that each of our kids will get their 12 month box and then another gift that might be something they specifically asked for or something they we realize they really need before Christmas. I probably will also wrap each of the small gifts before placing them in the 12 month box. My hope is this will force me to spread my shopping out over the whole year. A little off topic, but the monthly goals reminding me of this!
How funny - I just announced to my husband this morning that I want to make some money this year by selling some things around the house. I've had yard sales in the past, but often the bigger things don't get sold. So, I'm going to venture into Craigslist and a consignment shop or two. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so I'm not sure how the Craigslist will go, but I'll give it a try anyway.
I'm horrible at selling stuff too! I don't have enough patience. Once I decide I want something gone, I want it gone NOW-- so I prefer Freecycle and Goodwill, even if it's a valuable item.
http://erincooks.com/rosemary-and-olive-oil-crackers-the-jam-it-pickle-it-cure-it-winner/
This is the only cracker recipe I've tried, and it's pretty tasty. You can mix up the herbs you put in for different tastes each batch. I roll mine out to as close as paper thin as I can get to make sure they have a real crispy cracker crunch, though when rolled out to the thickness she shows it makes a yummy biscuit-like snack.
Good luck on your goals, this sounds like a great idea.
Here's our version of homemade crackers. A pasta machine is really helpful to keep the dough consistently thin. I'd like to experiment more with the seasonings, and make a version with loads of rosemary!
http://www.kidbaltimore.com/2009/04/homemade-crackers.html
If your crack is expanding and constricting I would drill some holes to see if you have any insulation in that wall. If not, grab a can of expanding gap filler (sometimes called plumbers foam) and fill it in. Also, use paint-able caulk instead of mud; mud isn't flexible, silicone is. You can smooth it with your finger and shave any extra off with a razor blade scraper.
This may not be at all what you had in mind for crackers, and your kids may not love it, but when I have extra pizza crusts sometimes I can't resist breaking them up and eating them like crackers. Here's the recipe I use:
4 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ cup 110 degree water
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
1 tsp. salt
Put pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500 degrees (this will take about 20 minutes)
Heat water to 110 degrees (60 secs on half for 1.5 cups – between 100 and 120)
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes (not needed for instant yeast)
In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon, or use mixing paddle in mixer.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, or knead in mixer.
Roll the dough into a rough circle about 12 inches.
Brush dough with oil. Place dough oil side down on parchment paper dusted with corn meal.
Fold back edges ¼ inch to reduce burning. Option: press grated Parmesan, seeds, nuts etc... into crust.
Slide dough and parchment paper onto pizza stone for about 5 minutes. You might want to flip and cook for a few more minutes for a more crispy 'cracker'.
The last blog I posted, in October, is all about homemade crackers:
http://www.foodworkshop.net
My goal is to blog more often.....
Thanks for the inspiration,
Edie
I wrote out a long list of uncompleted tasks this summer that were burdening me. I've actually completed about half of them, and it's been a huge relief to not carry this guilt around anymore.
Examples are:
Reading my father's published novels
Selling certain items on Craigslist/eBay/Consignments shops
Finishing household tasks that my husband had started, but not finished.
Answering interview questions sent in from blog readers
I just looked over my list, and see that I need to transfer the unfinished tasks into this year's datebook. It is super empowering to face all these little tasks, I highly recommend it!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"
Good Eats had a whole episode on crackers. You have to see it, if just for the part about the Rev. Sylvester Graham and his cracker that is so essential to making s'mores.
Wow...I think I could have written an almost identical post. Crackers are on my list - I have a few recipes in the Martha Baking Handbook to try. Today's kitchen-something is hoagie rolls. I searched and searched but found few recipes for making them from scratch, which irritates me since they are $3-4 for a bag of 6 or 8. I have some dough rising but I'm not sure how it'll turn out.
I like setting monthly goals as well as annual goals--annual goals seem almost too big sometimes, whereas monthly, you just chip away at. This is all quite obvious, but I said it anyway 🙂
Very VERY excited to learn about cracker making from a master baker. I eagerly await your adventures.
I like crackers although I don't make them much. I still find them tedious. One of the tips that really helps me is to roll them out onto the baking sheet and then cut them there. Much easier to manage that way. I've also heard that you can roll them out thin with a pasta machine but I haven't tried that.
The More-with-Less Cookbook has several cracker recipes in it, including a basic soda cracker. They're not all whole grain so you might need to tweak them a bit.
I think I'm going to add cracker making to my list for this month. We could use some things for school lunch that are crunchy, healthy, inexpensive and the kids like.
Looking forward to hearing about your cracker adventure.
I love your idea of setting monthly goals. That would feel much more doable for me. Dear Hubby and I were discussing that it was time to dejunk and sale a lot of items that we no longer use. Any money we make will go into our emergency/ medical fund that has been seriously depleted this last year. I am excited to hear how the cracker baking turns out. One of my goals this year is to cut out preservatives and eliminate most prepackaged foods. My kid's are huge cracker fans,too, I would love to send home made crackers and cheese (not home made :D) in their lunches to school!
Good luck with the plans. I have to agree with Kim - use big stretch caulk instead of mud unless you are able to find out why the studs are expanding and contracting with changes in humidity. Are you sure there isn't a leak in that outside wall or roof edge?
I can SO relate to the drywall patching. There are numerous holes on my daughter's wall from my attempt to hang bookshelves (big mistake) and a nice piece out of the living room wall from last year when I moved the rolling bookcase and it smacked the wall. I can't get myself motivated for either because they're mostly invisible. (OK, technically my daughter can see the holes in her wall, but she doesn't care.) Bigger on my list is the state of our family room wallpaper which is slightly ripped in spots, peeling off the corners, and generally looking really BAD. Maybe this will be the inspiration I need to tackle these jobs this year.
Same here. I need to do more and get more organized too. Take care.
Hmm, no advice in re the crackers... but I do have a little tip on selling stuff. I had always been curious about being able to sell stuff but never really mustered up the bravado to do so, until a few months ago. My fiance had a few books that he wanted to try and sell. I checked out cash4books.com and decided after poking around the site for a while that I might as well give it a try. They don't accept all books, but I did end up pocketing over $100 and clearing some much-needed space on my bookshelves for the books that we really do use and love. I like to think that we were freeing our less-used books to be better loved by someone else. 😉 Anyhow, good luck on your resolutions.
P.S. Please keep the yeast-bread related recipes coming... I always come back to your site to make yummy things! Just last night I tried for the first time making the apricot coffeecake. Love it! I had just cooked one right away and put the other two in the freezer... now I have another out and thawing so we can have a good breakfast tomorrow.
I can't help you with the other stuff but I can help you with drywall tips! Two or more thin coats of spackle are better than one thick coat. A sanding block and sanding the drywall by hand will give you a smoother finish than an electrical sander. If you have any questions, email me! I am the resident fixer and home renovator at my house.
There is a great recipe for crackers in the book Urban Pantry by Amy Pennington. It's really easy and the results are really delicious! I checked it out of my library and it's a great read with lots of good recipes.
I'm fitting with your frugal gal - bad at selling theme. I have several items around our house that I've been saying for over a year that I want to sell on Craigslist. I just need to go ahead and do it! Good luck to you, too, Kristen, with your selling!!
Hi Kristen! Here's a cracker recipe I haven't tried yet, but it looks really good: http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/09/cheddar-coins-aka-healthy-cheez-its/
Also, I've had good results selling on Craigslist. Of what I've tried, furniture, toys, and my car have sold the best. I have things I've been wanting to try on eBay, and have never done it. I look forward to hearing about your adventures this month!
tickled to learn you're on a cracker recipe mission, b/c I'm looking for same. Ever since I've tried to buy more organic foods. Organic crackers are way too expensive. Maybe you will solve my quest for a recipe!
I have done quite a bit of clearing out and de-cluttering the last two years. I have learned the best way to get things done is to set small goals, of course working toward a larger goal.
Recently when I cleaned out my son's room, I made one pile of things to donate and another to sell. Then when I totally finished cleaning his room I hauled all the sell pile to my office, and went to work taking pictures. Over the next day, I posted a ton of stuff on Craigslist (posting worthwhile ads is the hardest task for me) and I was amazed at how fast I managed to get rid of things. I even live in a somewhat rural town, and still was able to get rid of everything (but one lone shelf) within a two week time period. I sold clothes in lots, and listed furniture with bonus toys (from the donate pile LOL), and did relatively little haggling with people. It felt really good to pocket that money, and it ended up going toward my goal of a nice North Face coat for winter (paid for in ca$h LOL).
Now I just try and do that about once a month (or when I work up a pile) and I'm not getting rich but I am clearing out much needed space in my house. Plus I like that I can make money from things I already own, and get new things that I need without digging into my paycheck. WIN!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/278744
Did you ever just think of a good old-fashioned garage sale to sell your stuff? We've had great success with that. Or--this may be a wild idea, so you may want to sit down first-- you could just post what items you want sell on the blog for your readers to fight over! Hmm, a Frugal girl auction...I like it!
I would love to know how your fix it project on the drywall goes....I too have a expanding crack (or two) that disappears in the summer....I've worried about foundation issues. I've enjoyed reading the tips so far on fixing the cracks, keep them coming! And post some updates please and thank you.
I saw this recipe and thought about you:http://wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com/2010/12/homemade-pita-chips-and-hummus-final.html I've been making these Pita chips recently. The first time I rolled them a little thicker then I wanted and ended up with softer chips and about 48 ozs to snack on. This time I rolled them about an eighth of an inch thick and doubled the recipe and ended up with 3 64 oz containers brimful, and since it is just water, flours, yeast, salt and oil it's cheap, the whole wheat is healthy and it's not terribly time consuming (unless you are balancing a 3 month old and two cats demanding attention as you go). It took me maybe 15 mins to build the dough by hand and an hour to an hour and a half to bake them into chips. My only adjustment to this recipe is next time I am going to divide the balls down further and try rolling them out into strips so I have less soft middles and more hard "chip" portions. My husband has been eating these with yogurt and butter and honey and I have tried them with an olive oil and herb dip but they are good plain too.