Of things that matter most

Remember the time when company came over and all you spent the whole time checking the punch bowl level or filling the dessert tray. Or maybe that time you gave that big presentation and that really great opening clip didn't work, so the entire production failed. Or you forgot to bring the refreshments to a recent gathering and couldn't relax and enjoy. Or maybe your shoes didn't quite match those pants like you wanted them to. Welcome to mortality, the place to learn what really matters.

Anyone well acquainted with my parents know how nice the yard looks and how orderly and clean the house is. So, when my parents and various siblings came to visit a few weeks ago, I was annoyed with myself that I had a stack of dishes within 10 minutes of their arrival and seemingly no time to do them. As I fretted and apologized for the third time about not being more clean, my mom said she hoped that I wanted to spend time with the family rather than do dishes. Oh. Okay. Lesson learned.

So, this morning as my husband I decided that rather than attack the dishes, organize the desk, plan tasks for the day, respond to emails, or check on the plants, I would pay attention to him,especially since his time at work has extended longer with each passing day this week, by following him around. Lest you think it's creepy, it was kind of fun to just be with him. It boosts his ego, I think. Maybe that time is one of the things that matter most. Thank you President Uchtdorf.

What matters most to you?

The Price is Right

Sorry to disappoint, but this post has nothing to do with Plinko or the Showcase Showdown. My only comment on the TV show is that I miss Bob Barker, or I would if I ever watched the show.

Instead this is about finding the best prices for stuff in the grocery store. While at the store, comparing prices/quality between brands seems normal, but what about comparing store to store/time of year/etc? A few months ago, I found the suggestion to keep a Grocery Book (no source here, sorry) to track common items over a period of time to compare the price. One thing to keep in mind is the size of the item. For example, if a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes is $0.90 on sale, great! Buy it, right? But if a 28 oz can is $1.50, this one is the better deal, per ounce, assuming you can use that much in one dish, or don't mind saving some for later. Another thing to keep in mind is if you can use the larger items before they go bad. By tracking items for a few months, it's easier to see a pattern of what price is...right. It's a little tedious at first, but it does pay off. Here's an example (please excuse the formatting.):

Category Item Date Store Unit price Total

Produce Blackberries 1/3 Alb .165/oz 0.99

Blueberries 1/3 Alb .165/oz 0.99

1/26 Sunf 1.77/pint 1.77

Broccoli 10/27 Safe .88/lb 0.82

11/17 Fry 1.00/lb 0.85

11/30 Sunf 1.59/lb 0.95

1/5 Sunf 1.00/lb 0.63

3/2 Sunf .99/lb 0.65

Cabbage 11/30 Sunf 1.00/lb 1.16

1/26 Sunf .50/lb 0.89

3/9 Alb .39/lb 1.32

Carrots 11/13 Alb .59/lb 2.99

11/2 Alb .69/lb 0.69

1/20 Alb .60/lb 2.99

2/23 Fry .49/lb 2.49

Yet another thing to remember is what type of item. If the item is broccoli crowns vs. broccoli, stalk and all, there is usually a significant price difference. Is that too many things to keep in mind?

If you have any other helpful hints, please share. Otherwise, have your pets spayed or neutered. Or not.

Five year old eyes

My budding photo-journalist sister, age 5, documented the 5th grade promotion of another sister today. Here are the highlights:

The...end.?

Lettuce...eat!

In light of the new food guide, here's another segment on how our tiny garden spot is contributing to the vegetable group.

Lettuce is a spring and fall crop, though I tried during the winter too, since it is usually mild here. That didn't work too well, but once it warmed up a bit, they did fairly well for having less than a square foot space to grow. The photo is the final harvest, and though it's not much, nutritionally or monetarily, it has added to the fun in our food. It's been 100 F enough, and they gave baked often enough, that it is time to pull out for a new summer vegetable, still TBD.

Things to remember:

• As always, avoid over watering!
• Plant every two weeks during the spring and fall, or when you have spring and fall like weather, in order to have a constant crop. This what I want to try next time.
• Harvesting the leaves increases production.
• The variety lettuce pack is nice because of the...variety!
• Once it gets too warm, the plant will send up a flower stalk. Clip it off to force the plant to produce a little longer, though it means that the leaves are going to get tougher.

(Does you know how to make the font color change? I highlight the word and tell it to change, so it does, but it doesn't publish that way. I could learn html, and edit that way, but why doesn't it just behave?)