Where I Get Ideas to Try

Hello fellow budgeters! I've been away for quite awhile, I know. Things have been a special kind of crazy in my life ranging from no car (resolved) to training for a new position at work. Family changes have been a constant too, so I haven't had the time to tackle many household annoyances or try many crafts.

Now that I'm getting used to my new schedule and family obligations I have decided that it is time to reclaim my thrifty creativeness. While I do have many original ideas born of necessity, I often base ideas on things, posts, videos, and tutorials I see both in real life and online. I thought I would share some of these ideas with you to help get your creative juices flowing.

Pinterest

This is routinely my first stop. Other people have scoured the internet looking for solutions to problems, and have kindly placed links to them all in one easy to find place. I mostly use this for recipes, but I'd be lying if I said that was all. I find that unless you have ample time to scroll through the likely millions of posts available,  searching Pinterest by keyword is the way to go. I also find that sorting posts that I save helps to find them when I need them. I've even begun a board just for this blog to highlight the projects I've done here.

YouTube

I love YouTube. There are so many instructive videos that one can literally sit in front of it for hours and not even begin to scratch the surface of what is available. Jewelry design, life hacks, sewing tutorials, beauty DIYs, and technology how to's are just a few of the things I resort to YouTube for. Its not all fail and haul videos.

Hometalk

I have looked at Hometalk a few times in the past, but recently I have taken a closer look, and I am impressed! My countertops and cabinets were replaced a few months ago, and Hubby and I decided we wanted a backsplash. While we have put those plans on hold for a while, I found many ideas suitable for an apartment right on Hometalk. This is a great source for home décor and hack ideas.

Craft store sites (Michaels, Fire Mountain Gems, JoAnn's)

Retail sites have gone out of their way to ensure that you purchase what they're selling. One good side effect is that many craft supply sites will have free tutorials and patterns using the items that they sell. There are way too many to list here, but give it a try. You may be surprised. Don't forget to try product manufacturers too, such as Lion Brand Yarn, etc.

I hope this has been helpful. If so, please let me know in the comments. I love sharing gems like these, and would love to hear about any good sites you may have found. This is a topic I would love to revisit a bit more, and of course, find great new ideas!

Meals in 20 - Roast Beef Sandwich with Au Jus

Cooking is a major hobby for me. I can't think of many things more rewarding than watching the look of joy pass across the face of someone who has just tasted one of my creations. That being said, lengthy, complex meals are not always possible. Several days ago, Dear Hubby and I spent a good deal of time running errands ending in a grocery store trip. By that time we were exhausted and starving. We could have ordered take out, but the truth is we had a craving for Italian Beef sandwiches, and living in the panhandlers of Florida, they are impossible to find. When we were in Chicago, there were countless restaurants that served or one could find tubs of the stuff in nearly any store. The correct way to make it requires hours that we were unable to wait through. Then Hubby came up with a plan.

We started with good roast beef from the deli. You know the kind, perfectly pink in the middle, not sliced until you order it. We had them slice a pound and a half on the second thinnest setting. We also picked up beef broth, mushrooms, and hoagie rolls. In retrospect, a fresh clove of garlic and fresh oregano would have been good too.

This is the "doneness" we wanted. It cooks more in the au jus. 

To assemble the sandwich, we wanted the broth adding Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and a beef bullion cube to boost the beefy goodness. This also eliminated the need to add salt. Next we added the mushrooms to flavor them and warm them. Lastly, we added the roast beef to give it more flavor and warm it. When everything was hot, it time to begin building. Slit open the rolls, and add the beef being sure to get a little of the au jus to soften the bread. Then add  the mushrooms and enough mozzarella (or whatever cheese makes you happy) and close top the sandwich. The hot meat should melt the cheese. Dish up a little of the au jus for dipping the sandwich, and chow down.

I only use Kräft cheeses. They are largely lactose free meaning they are the only choice for me. 

This is one of my favorite meal hacks because it can be personalized in so many ways and it is so quick. Not too expensive either - the roast beef was the most pricey bit. Of course we have leftovers which is always my goal. It was a great meal for a lazy night. Can't ask for much more.