One Hundred Dollars a Month - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Gardening in New England – A Mid Summer Dream

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 22, 2019 · 4 Comments

Hello Thursday! And good morning to your from the back patio. Everything is so lush and green right now, the back patio area feels kind of dreamy.

Just look at those spinner gourd vines! Had I known they were going to do so well in that spot I would have set up a temporary trellis around the dining room window for an English cottage look.

Round two of the sweet Genovese basil has broken through the soil. With a little luck, a second harvest should be ready by the end of September.

And the pots on the back patio…

I think this was the second time I’ve grown coleus from seed and I think the hot and humid summers here in New England create the perfect growing conditions. Had I known that, I think I would have planted a few more pots and maybe even a hanging basket or two of the stuff. Oh well, live and learn. There’s always next year.

And the black eyed Susan vines too. Aren’t they lovely? I just love the softer range of colors of the Spanish eyes blend.

Autumn Joy Stonecrop {Sedum}, strawberries and more basil.

The sedum is about ready to burst open. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Growing sunflowers this year was a little tough.

Even though the robins pulled up the majority of the seedlings, we still ended up with a few. Not enough to sell bouquets of sunflowers at the vegetable stand, but enough for the fuzzy bumblebees to buzz around.

And last but not least, a few of the spinner gourds and Jack Be Little pumpkins were ready to be picked yesterday, you know what that means, right? 🙂 🙂 🙂 Fall is right around the corner. And this girl, wouldn’t be happier.

Did you plant any pumpkin or gourd seeds this year? How are your plants coming along? Anything ready to harvest yet? Curious minds want to know.

Have a wonderful day everyone, may your day be filled with a magical surprise or two.

~ Mavis

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Dot’s Market and Cafe ~ Lincolnville, Maine

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 21, 2019 · 6 Comments

While the HH and I were on our drive up the coast last week to Winter Harbor, Maine we stopped off at Dot’s for a quick bite. We had never been there before but once we opened the doors and took a few steps inside, I knew we had found a winner. 😉

You know what I love seeing when I step into a bakery/cafe? Happy people with a nice range in age from high school kids working a summer job, to grannies who know the ropes. Peeps making real food {as opposed to pulling half baked processed frozen stuff out of a food service box} in a nice and clean atmosphere, basically a place that I could see myself working in. And well, Dot’s Market and Cafe in Lincolnville, Maine is just that sort of place.

Homemade cookies, fresh baked bread, pastries, delicious soups in the refrigerated cases along with local beverages and salami and cheese for those wanting to pack a picnic lunch, and oodles of sandwiches, salads and sides to choose from on the menu. At Dot’s they’ve got it all!

While the HH was placing our order I even noticed roasted chickens and a turkey on the prep counter! Seriously. This place is the real deal.

If you ever find yourself driving up the mid-coast of Maine, we can’t recommend Dot’s Market and Cafe in Lincolnville enough. It’s simply delicious.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, try and stay out of trouble. 😉

~Mavis

Dot’s Market & Catering
2457 Atlantic Highway
Lincolnville, ME 04849

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Tomato, Cucumber, and Avocado Salad

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 20, 2019 · 6 Comments

I LOVE tomato season. Because it comes around with the heat of the summer, I am always wanting some cool, refreshing salad when my tomato plants start to produce. It’s perfect timing, and I gobble them up in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of salads. Like this one! It’s a great flavor combo, which you can easily add to by throwing in some bell peppers or some feta cheese for an extra kick. It’s so light and fresh and perfect for any summer meal!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes {or any kind of tomato really!}, chopped
1 cucumber, cubed {can peel or leave skins on depending on your preference}
1 avocado, pitted and cubed
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar. Pour over salad, and salt and pepper to taste.

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone,

~ Mavis

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How Much We Spent on Groceries and What We Ate – Week 33 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 19, 2019 · 12 Comments

The goal for this week was to not spend a dime on food, but to instead eat food we already had in the fridge {HELLO BBQ LEFTOVERS from last week} the freezer and pantry. But a funny thing happens when it’s summer, and it’s too hot to cook and all you eat is pickety bits…. You tend to forget to take pictures. So…. I totally failed there.

Luckily though, yesterday was the big neighborhood progressive dinner. 😉 And I did remember to snap a few photos so my show and tell food post for this wasn’t a total loss.

The first stop {appetizer course} was at my neighbor Susan’s house {the same place it was last year} and I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m pretty sure Susan was born with a gene to entertain. Just like last year, everything was spot on. Even down to the outdoor fans and food stations sprinkled along the back patio to keep guests moving around and mingling through the crowd {which we guessed was about 30+ neighbors}.

I planted myself next to one of the fans and a very large bowl of guacamole and didn’t budge until it was time to move on to the next house. 😉 I still don’t think I’ve acclimated to the Northeast, but it’s getting a little better.

The next course {main dish} was held at another neighbors house and we were responsible for bringing something to share for that portion of the progressive dinner. {The way the progressive dinners works is that the house numbers were split up into 3 sections and the first 1/3 brought an appetizer, the second brought a main dish or side and the last third brought something for the dessert portion}.

The HH of course brought grilled steak tips. Shocking, I know. Also, he wanted me to tell you that Mr. Yoshida’s marinade is excellent for grilling. {All he does is cut the meat up, let is marinate for 30 -45 minutes and then pop it on the grill}. Anyway, I was just happy everyone liked the steak tips.

Back at the appetizer course I asked my neighbor Carole if she made her famous grape salad and she smiled and said no, that she had made one, but brought it to an earlier function. I think the potato salad might have been hers {everyone was raving about it so OF COURSE she must have made it} but I didn’t get a chance to try it.

The last stop, was a Sundae bar where everyone filled up on ice cream and toppings before heading home. That too, was lovely. I know I’ve said this before, but we really did hit the neighbor jackpot when we moved here and getting to know everyone on our street through these informal gatherings has been so nice. I love the age range from babies to grandparents, and it really feels like an extended family of sorts.

It’s exactly the way a neighborhood should feel. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Monday, it’s here. Let’s do this!

~Mavis

Total Spent on Groceries This Week $62.87 {BBQ stuff of course}

Total Spent on Groceries in August $218.09
Total Spent on Groceries in July $300.74
Total Spent on Groceries in June $259.12
Total Spent on Groceries in May $262.39 {More meat!}
Total Spent on Groceries in April $284.56 {My husband bought a smoker and a BUNCH of meat!}
Total Spent on Groceries in March $321.69
Total Spent on Groceries in February $220.92
Total Spent in January on Groceries $41.19
Total Spent So Far on Groceries in 2019 $1908.70

You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories

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