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.

Jenn From Indiana Shares Her Lava Cake Recipe

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 31, 2020 · 1 Comment

Looking for a fun dessert to make with ingredients you likely already have on hand? A while back, One hundred Dollars a Month reader Jenn send in this recipe for us to try and well, last night The Girl and I were craving a chocolate dessert so we decided to give it a go.

Jenn’s recipe calls for 4 ounces of baking chocolate, but since we didn’t have any, we made do and used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. And guess what? The lava cakes turned out fantastic! These little bowls of chocolate goodness were the perfect little pick me up at the end of a long day.

Wishing you the best of best of Tuesdays,

~Mavis

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, cubed
4 squares (1 ounce each) semi-sweet chocolate {I used 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips}
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream {optional}

Grease the bottom and sides of {4} 6oz. Ramekins. In glass bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, stir until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, stir until smooth. Whisk in eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Then stir in flour and salt. Spoon batter into ramekins.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Sides should be set and center soft. Cool 5 min and serve. I like to keep checking them so I don’t overcook because we love them fudgy! Top with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

~Jenn

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Monthly Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping Trips – Week 13 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 30, 2020 · 31 Comments

Local {non chain} General Store $12.

Last week we went for a nice long walk on the beach and grabbed some ice cream from one of our favorite general stores. The HH and I usually pop by for breakfast every other week or so after we walk on the beach. But since the store’s eating area is now closed, and it’s only open for groceries or take out food orders, we bought some {locally made} ice cream to go instead.

Even though we aren’t going on road trips or out exploring any new bakeries or towns these days, it’s important to us to continue to spend what we normally would at the exact same establishments we usually frequent to help our local economy. It’s not a lot, but it makes me feel like I am helping to keep their doors open.

Hannaford $40.98 {plus a gallon of milk that the HH put in the fridge before I noticed}. I had him pickup graham crackers thinking I might make a cheesecake for Easter. We’ll see.

Costco $81.90

Someone we know was going to Costco and asked if we needed anything and high on my list was bread making supplies and fresh produce. Asparagus $3.97, green beans $5.49, raspberries $3.99, blackberries $2.97 and the chopped salad kit {that tasted like rabbit food {{it had kale in it!}} was $3.97. Apparently peeps haven’t been stocking up on produce as much as they normally do and so all the produce prices were slashed. Interesting!

Our Neighbor Knows a Guy… $13.50 for 1.5 pounds of fresh haddock {I didn’t ask questions}.

This whole neighbor sourcing food thing… it’s kind of cool. If one person is buying bulk, or going to the store they ask around to see if anyone needs or wants anything. I love it.

*****

Monday

Breakfast: PB & Carrot Cake Jam Toast
Lunch: PB & Carrot Cake Jam Toast
Afternoon Cuppa & Dove Chocolates
Dinner: Pulled Pork and Sprouts

Tuesday

Breakfast: Croissant From the Local Bakery
Lunch: Big Salad
Afternoon Cuppa & lemon Tea Cake {from my neighbor}
Dinner: Pizza Pizza

Wednesday

Breakfast: 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Lunch: Big Salad
Afternoon Cuppa & Italian Pineapple Rice Pie with Coconut and Lemon
Dinner: Kung Pao Chicken

Thursday

Breakfast: Rice
Lunch: Pickety Bits
Afternoon Cuppa & Chocolate
Linner: Pork and Beans and a Scone

Friday

Breakfast: Scone with Egg
Lunch: Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese
Afternoon Cuppa & Rice Pie
Dinner: Pork and Beans and a Scone

Saturday

Breakfast: Random Bits
Lunch: Jelly Beans! Eaten by Individual Flavor of Course
Afternoon Cuppa & a Scone
Dinner: Haddock and Asparagus

Sunday

Breakfast: Pork and Beans and a Fried Egg
Lunch: Pickety Bits
Afternoon Tea and Cookies
Dinner: Rabbit Food Salad

How about YOU? What are you eating these days … and when was the last time you bought something from the grocery store? Are you feeling the need to keep your fridge/freezer/pantry stocked more than you normally would? Curious minds want to know.

Keep Calm and Carry on,

~Mavis

Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries, Bakery Treats We Brought Home & Gift Cards $151.63

Total Spent in March on Groceries and Bakery Treats $446.03 {includes a $50 gift card}
Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $416.98 {the fridge and freezer are packed!}
Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $346.47
Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats in 2020 $1209.48

You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories

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My 14 Goals for 2020 Week 13 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 29, 2020 · 27 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.

**********

Don’t forget, you can stay up to date with the latest news by signing up for my newsletter HERE, or by following One Hundred Dollars a Month on Facebook, or Instagram.

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

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