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.

My 14 Goals for 2020 Week 13 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 29, 2020 · 15 Comments

My 14 Goals for 2020

Goal #1 – Take Full Advantage of Having My Husband Home 24/7

On Monday it snowed 8 inches, but by the time Friday rolled around the HH and I were both working hard in the garden from sun up to sun down. Our house doesn’t have gutters {maybe it’s a New England thing because of all the snow that accumulates in winter? I don’t know}. So we are moving the pea gravel a little at a time to where the snow melt hits on the ground but it’s been slow going.

Our current outdoor projects include removing the previous owners fire pit {it’s smack dab in the middle of the backyard} digging out the plants we don’t want {which is 95%} and creating new brick flower borders around the back of the house.

Oh, and there’s also a bunch of tree limbs and rotten log rounds we have to haul to the recycle center {where there’s a spot to drop off all your yard waste for free}. The HH keeps saying we need a truck. And I’m like WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? Just put a tarp down in the back of the wagon… it will fit. And it always does and it makes him crazy. 🙂

Goal #2 – Take Better Care of Myself.

Well, collecting heart shaped rocks along the beach is over for a while… the town closed down the beaches. 🙁

Goal #3 – Get Organized

My plan went out the window this week {too much time on the computer looking up the news, working in the yard, dyeing wool and separating a big bowl of jelly beans The Girl have me}. There’s always next week though, right?

The plan:

March 22 – 28 Paint Kitchen Walls, Trim Doors and Office Door
March 29 – April 4th – Finish Garden Beds {Raspberry & Asparagus Beds, 3 New Flower Beds Along the Back of the House}
April 5th – 11th – Paint Master Bedroom Walls, Trim and Doors
April 12th – 18th – Make Window Treatments for Master Bedroom
April 19th – May 2nd Make Window Treatments for Sunroom

Goal #4 – Get Proper Window Coverings on All Our Windows.

Working on it. If only in my mind.

Goal #5 – Master Bedroom Make Over

Hey! I finally got around to cutting the plastic off our lamp shades {only took 6 months}! I also painted the back wall in our bedroom white {the other walls are still currently purple} and we moved the bed and other furniture in place. Now all that’s left to do in there is paint the rest of the walls, the radiator, the windows and throw up some window treatments. So you know, it could be a month or two or it could be a year…. who knows. But I’m hopeful it will be sooner than later.

Goal #6 – Kitchen Update

Poor Mrs. HB. She is bored out of her mind…. And she doesn’t understand why I’m not. I’ve got a list of painting projects {the kitchen included} and could live on a deserted island 11 1/2 out of 12 months of the year. She needs people. And TJ MAXX and doesn’t know what to do.

Goal #7 – Install Vegetable Garden

The garden boxes are in place! But we still need to:

Figure out what to do with the old pavers.
Create 2 more brick edged flower borders.
Till up area for raspberry and asparagus beds.
Plant hydrangeas along the back of the house
Create a seating area {a super simple one}
Figure out where to put all the extra pea gravel

LAST CHANCE! If you still haven’t ordered your seeds, Botanical Interests is currently offering 30% off online seed orders with code SEEDS30 at checkout through the end of March. They are also offering FREE Shipping on orders of $40 or more through the end of the month as well.

Goal #8 – Explore More of Maine

Looking forward to my next day trip with the HH! Harpswell, Maine is on the list next, but it will have to wait a bit.

On the radar for exploring Maine this month:

~~Bar Harbor, Maine~~
~~Lincolnville Center General Store in Lincolnville, Maine~~
Wallace’s Market in Friendship, Maine
~~Alewives Fabric Store in Nobleboro, Maine~~
Harpswell, Maine and Bailey Island

Goal #9 – Host Some Sort of Get Together

I think it will be a summer BBQ.

Goal #10 – Read/Listen to 12 Books

Did I wake up in Washington? Seriously! I guess mud season has arrived.

I didn’t listen to any audio books this week but here’s a list of other books I’ve read/listened to this year:

Goal #11 – Learn A New Skill or Craft

Hopefully this fall? Right now I’m on a mission to get the garden in place.

Goal #12 – Visit 12 Museums, Historical Homes or Botanical Gardens {and bakeries too!}

Currently on hold. 🙁

January

February

Two Fat Cats Bakery
Portland Museum of Art
Speckled Ax
Atlantic Baking Company
Rockland, St. George, Cushing and Port Clyde Maine

March

Bar Harbor and Desert Island Adventures Day One, Day Two and the Summer Cottage Rental Tour.
Tinder Hearth Bakery in Brooksville, Maine

Goal # 13 – Reach 5,000 Etsy Sales by the End of The Year

As of this morning, I have made 3354 sales on Etsy. That’s up from 2804 on January 1st. I dyed a bunch of wool last week and updated my Etsy shop with a few new wool bundles. As far as rug hooking goes, I wasn’t able to get anything hooked this week. So far for my April 3rd listing update, it looks like it will be all wool bundles and no finished rugs or pillows.

And while I’m a little disappointed in myself for not getting any hooking done this month, it is a busy time of year for me {hello garden and house projects} but it makes me feel better knowing that come this winter the house will be done and I’ll get to cozy up on the couch and hook without distractions.

Goal #14 – Once a Month Menu Planning {for 2}

Our freezer is totally full so even if I wanted to make a few freezer meals, there wouldn’t be any room to put them. But that’s a good problem to have so I’m not complaining.

Have YOU made any goals for this year? If so, DO TELL! We all want to hear about them.

Have a great Sunday everyone,

~Mavis

Mrs. Hillbilly’s Update

Mrs. HB said she will send us updates once a month now. So she’ll be back the first Sunday in April. 🙂

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One Hundred Dollars a Month – Mavis’ Weekly Highlights 3/28/20

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 28, 2020 · 10 Comments

Hello Saturday!

On the agenda for today:

Work on Brick Flower Border
Supervise While the HH Diggs Up Plants and Moves Pea Gravel {he gets off task easily these days}
Start Early Snowball Cauliflower, Purple Peacock Broccoli, Jimmy Nardello, Ancho/Poblano Chile, Pasilla Bajio Chile and Coleus Rainbow Blend Seeds Indoors.
Make More Garden Markers
Eat Dinner That Someone Else Will Be Making
Go to Bed Early {I’ve been staying up too late the past few days}

How about you? Is your to-do list about a mile long today too? Tell us about it. We want to know.

Have a great Saturday everyone,

♥ Mavis & Lucy

Stories, Recipes and General Nonsense From this Past Week

This Month’s Free Kindle Books for Prime Members Can Be Found HERE.

Got kids at home? Audible is offering FREE streaming for kids. Get the details HERE.

If you haven’t tried it yet and you’re looking for a new dessert to try, give Old Fashioned Hot Milk Cake a whirl. It’s pretty rad.

Don’t consider cake a meal {what’s wrong with you!?} Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles is another good recipe {and the leftovers are even better the next day}.

But maybe you’re super bored and the craft store is closed and you don’t feel like getting out of your jammies to do the whole curbside pick up thing and you’ve been wandering around your house for days looking for something to make because you’ve got all this time on your hands now… Well then, how about Turning Your Old Candles Into New Ones? I show you how HERE.

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Growing Tomatoes From Seed

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 27, 2020 · 7 Comments

Yesterday I planted my tomato seeds! I was going to wait until April 1st, but I just couldn’t take it any longer. {Also, planting tomato seeds sounded way funner than painting the kitchen}.

Because we have a HUGE list of outdoor projects to get done this summer, I have narrowed my list down to just 5 tomato varieties I’ll be starting from seed this year:

** Note: I totally reserve the right to pick up a few more varieties at the local farmer’s market this summer, because plants… they’re my one weakness. 😉

This year I will be planting my tomatoes in the raised garden beds the HH just built for me as well as a few in pots along the {soon to be} back patio area. But tomatoes {depending on the variety} can be planted in raised beds, garden beds, hanging baskets, and all sorts of containers. Over the years I’ve pretty much plant them anywhere that has had good soil. Because really, is it possible to have too many tomato plants? No, no it’s not.

Planting Seeds: Starting tomatoes from seed couldn’t be easier! I like to start my tomato seeds in Jiffy peat pellet trays or biodegradable non-woven nursery bags. This year I went with the Jiffy seed starting trays because although I am starting all the seeds at my house, they will eventually make their way to my neighbors greenhouse in late April for a few weeks before I divide up the plants {some for my neighbor, some for me} and plant them outside.

The trays will make transporting the seedlings back and forth easy, and I’ve always had good luck starting seeds in the Jiffy peat pellets as well. Plus, I like that they come with a little dome to mimic a mini greenhouse environment.

To Plant Tomato Seeds: Simply plant your seeds about 1/8″ deep. I like to plant 2 -3 seeds in each pot and thin them out to just one when they are about 2″ tall. Tomatoes need quite a bit of light to start, so make sure to place starts in a sunny location or use a grow light.

After 6-8 weeks, tomatoes should be ready to transplant outside {if the weather has warmed up a bit}. Make sure to harden off your plants first by introducing them to the outdoors gradually. Leave them out during the day and bring them in at night for the first week or so. When you are ready to plant them outside, space the plants about 24″ apart when transplanting.

Summer, it’s almost here. I can smell it!

Keep Calm and Keep Planting.

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

~Mavis

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Felicia’s Italian Pineapple Rice Pie with Coconut and Lemon

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 26, 2020 · 6 Comments

If you are looking for something a little different to make for dessert this Easter, or if you’re just looking for a delicious recipe that will use up a boatload of eggs and some leftover rice, well then I have just the recipe for you!

This recipe came about when I asked my neighbor Felicia if she had any good rice recipes {seeing that we all seem to have a lot of rice in our pantries these days}. And well, lucky for me, Felicia grew up with an Italian grandmother who made a rice and ricotta pie every Easter!

Rice in a ricotta pie? Doesn’t that sound a bit unusual? Last year around this time I had made a plain ricotta pie for the first time and I thought it turned out pretty amazing. But this pie, with the addition of rice and pineapple AND coconut? HOLY CANOLIES people… it was freakin’ incredible!

So incredible, that after trying this dessert over at me neighbor’s house a few weeks ago, I just knew I had to make it again {yes, it was that good!} and share the recipe with you.

Seriously, this recipe, it rocks! And you should totally try it.

*The original recipe called for baking this in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, but I wanted to jazz it up a bit presentation wise, so when I made the recipe I used a 10 inch spring form pan and {2} 5″ ramekins for the extra filling. But you do what you want. 🙂 But trust me, this recipe is AWESOME.

~Mavis

Ingredients

9 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup cooked white rice
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon lemon Juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk eggs in large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, mix well and then stir in the ricotta cheese and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and creamy. Whisk in heavy cream, again until smooth. Fold in coconut flakes, cooked rice, crushed pineapple and lemon juice and whisk until you have a nice well blended and creamy mixture.

Pour into a 9 x 13 inch buttered pan {or a 10″ spring form pan & {2} 5″ ramekins}.

Bake at 325 degrees F for one hour if using a 9 x 13 inch pan or 1 hour and 45 minutes if using a 10″ spring form pan {I took the ramekins out of the oven at the 65 minute mark}.

Check to make sure the pie is fully baked by insert a clean knife into center. If the pie is done, the knife will come out clean and the top and the edges of the pie should be a nice golden brown. Cool for 1 hour and then refrigerate until ready to serve. YUM YUM!

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