The happiest place on Earth!
Walnut Bread
Today I used one of my favorite recipes and made walnut bread. I found the recipe years ago on Redwall.net, and I've made it many times since then. It's a sweet bread, but it's not too sweet, and it's always wonderfully moist. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup shortening, but I always use apple sauce instead.
Nutbread
- 2 c flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ c sugar
- ¾ c milk
- ¾ c nuts
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ c apple sauce
- 2 eggs
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream sugar and apple sauce. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Add milk and flour mixture. Grease and line pan. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Makes 1 loaf.
Financial Reflections and Goals for 2010
I'm approaching the end of my first year of keeping a budget! I'm proud of this accomplishment, but I have so much farther to go before I'll be where I want to be in the struggle between controlling my money and having it control me. So before I start in on the negatives, here's what I'm proud of from the last year:
The most obvious goal is: don't spend more than you make in one month. For several months in 2009 I bankrupted myself by using September's first paycheck to pay off the rest of August's expenses. Naively I thought I could get by on one paycheck for September, and when I couldn't, the cycle continued.
Not anymore. I want to start 2010 with a clean slate, which means spending this month living on one paycheck - for real. Luckily, I'll be going home at the end of the week, so I won't have to worry about food/gas/electricity and all of the uncertain expenses of living on your own. Unfortunately, this month is also December. Because my family is awesome and supports me so much, they deserve Christmas presents. But in order to start off 2010 clean, I gave myself a budget of $50 for all of my Christmas shopping this year. Here's how it worked out:
Besides this Christmas spending, I've tried to absolutely reduce all non-necessary spending to zero this month. The one slip-up came when I took on an extra shift at work in the middle of the day - I hadn't brought anything in for dinner because I thought I would be home, so I bought something because I was starving. But, I'm on track to start the new year in the green.
One thing that this month has taught me so far is that it's really not all that hard to not spend. There's enough food in my kitchen to last a couple weeks. After about a week I wouldn't be eating fresh vegetables or fruit anymore, but my nutrition wouldn't take a very big hit. It just takes meal planning creativity and getting myself up off the couch. Last night I made homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese, which definitely hit the spot on a cold and dreary Seattle night.
So besides actually living within my means, here are some other financial goals for next year:
For about a year I've been saving up to go to Italy with my parents this summer. Once that trip is over, I want to keep saving monthly:
- Build a $500 emergency fund. Within five months at the latest (putting away $100/month) I want to have $500 in the bank to be used in case of emergencies: unexpected car costs, health costs, and other unforeseen and unplanned emergencies.
- Keep a $200 fund for recurring expenses. Keep $200 set aside at all times for recurring expenses throughout the year: textbooks, out-of-pocket tuition expenses, and gifts. This way these expenses won't take me by surprise and bankrupt me ($200 is a lot when you make just under $8,000 a year!).
- Don't make a large purchase until all of it has been saved. This one is probably a no-brainer, but unfortunately I need to make it a rule. Last year I was saving $3- or $400 for a TV and caved to purchase a great deal when I was still $100 short. While it's been a great TV, ultimately I don't need a TV and I'm a little ashamed that not waiting until I had all the money ready meant that I had to do some scrambling to cover that $100 I didn't wait for.
My usual method for saving for fun things (like the TV, or things like a weekend trip to Victoria) is to take 10% off each paycheck and put it in savings. This is a small enough number that I can manage its loss, but it still adds up relatively quickly. The amount of time it takes to save for something also has the added benefit of helping me realize if I really want it or not. Of course, sometimes I just sabotage all my well-thought-out plans. But I'm determined to learn from my mistakes.
- I actually stuck with it! Every few days, for the last year, I've gone over my statements and transferred everything into my meticulous budget spreadsheet. Now it's habit.
- I got in the habit of saving. Except for a few months where I was too cash-strapped, I've been putting away $100 or $200 each month toward going to Italy. After that trip I plan to continue saving. Saving makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
- Contrary to my fears, now that I can look at the whole year in review, most of my budget slip-ups weren't from profligate eating out expenses or other small expenses - it was because every few months I made a pretty major purchase - a computer, a TV, birthday/Christmas gifts, a mattress (I couldn't avoid that last one, but still). Luckily resisting big-ticket impulse spending is fairly easy. I'm now entrenched in a stubborn "I'm poor" attitude.
- I'm getting a lot better at cooking and making use of what's in my kitchen. My diet has definitely improved.
- Try as I might, this year I just kept getting poorer. After the summer I quit my tutoring job, because it's very hard to be a full-time student with two part-time jobs. Then financial aid kept decreasing in conjunction with tuition going up 14%, culminating with this quarter where suddenly I had to start paying out of pocket for books and $100 of tuition. Yikes. I'm trying to get out of here with as few loans as possible, but I definitely need to plan for this next year. The situation will likely get worse.
- I suck at not eating out. Lunch isn't the offender - I'm very good at either bringing it or going hungry. It's going out to dinner with friends. The answer obviously isn't to become a recluse, so the most likely way to deal with this cost is to trim spending elsewhere. I already order the cheapest things on menus and don't get drinks.
- In general, I need to think long and hard about whether I need something or just want it before I buy. This has been getting easier in the last couple months: I rarely go to places where I have the opportunity to buy things. Mostly I just go to the grocery store. When I did my Christmas shopping yesterday I almost felt empowered; passing chic clothes, handbags, and all sorts of baubles, I thought, "I don't need you! I already have everything I need to make me happy!"
The most obvious goal is: don't spend more than you make in one month. For several months in 2009 I bankrupted myself by using September's first paycheck to pay off the rest of August's expenses. Naively I thought I could get by on one paycheck for September, and when I couldn't, the cycle continued.
Not anymore. I want to start 2010 with a clean slate, which means spending this month living on one paycheck - for real. Luckily, I'll be going home at the end of the week, so I won't have to worry about food/gas/electricity and all of the uncertain expenses of living on your own. Unfortunately, this month is also December. Because my family is awesome and supports me so much, they deserve Christmas presents. But in order to start off 2010 clean, I gave myself a budget of $50 for all of my Christmas shopping this year. Here's how it worked out:
- Every few months I get a free $25 amazon gift card as a perk for using their credit card. I saved the latest one and used it to buy presents for my dad, stepmom and boyfriend. Score!
- My mom, stepdad and sister came to a grand total of $54, but to help offset this I sold some old textbooks today and got $36 back! Yes!
- Everyone else will be getting yummy and lovingly-wrapped baked goods.
Besides this Christmas spending, I've tried to absolutely reduce all non-necessary spending to zero this month. The one slip-up came when I took on an extra shift at work in the middle of the day - I hadn't brought anything in for dinner because I thought I would be home, so I bought something because I was starving. But, I'm on track to start the new year in the green.
One thing that this month has taught me so far is that it's really not all that hard to not spend. There's enough food in my kitchen to last a couple weeks. After about a week I wouldn't be eating fresh vegetables or fruit anymore, but my nutrition wouldn't take a very big hit. It just takes meal planning creativity and getting myself up off the couch. Last night I made homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese, which definitely hit the spot on a cold and dreary Seattle night.
So besides actually living within my means, here are some other financial goals for next year:
For about a year I've been saving up to go to Italy with my parents this summer. Once that trip is over, I want to keep saving monthly:
- Build a $500 emergency fund. Within five months at the latest (putting away $100/month) I want to have $500 in the bank to be used in case of emergencies: unexpected car costs, health costs, and other unforeseen and unplanned emergencies.
- Keep a $200 fund for recurring expenses. Keep $200 set aside at all times for recurring expenses throughout the year: textbooks, out-of-pocket tuition expenses, and gifts. This way these expenses won't take me by surprise and bankrupt me ($200 is a lot when you make just under $8,000 a year!).
- Don't make a large purchase until all of it has been saved. This one is probably a no-brainer, but unfortunately I need to make it a rule. Last year I was saving $3- or $400 for a TV and caved to purchase a great deal when I was still $100 short. While it's been a great TV, ultimately I don't need a TV and I'm a little ashamed that not waiting until I had all the money ready meant that I had to do some scrambling to cover that $100 I didn't wait for.
My usual method for saving for fun things (like the TV, or things like a weekend trip to Victoria) is to take 10% off each paycheck and put it in savings. This is a small enough number that I can manage its loss, but it still adds up relatively quickly. The amount of time it takes to save for something also has the added benefit of helping me realize if I really want it or not. Of course, sometimes I just sabotage all my well-thought-out plans. But I'm determined to learn from my mistakes.
A Christmas tree decorating party
Photo by Matt WeiI spent Saturday baking: gingerbread men, chocolate chip walnut cookies, peanut butter hershey's kiss cookies... I bought store-bought sugar cookie dough because there just wasn't enough time. I cut the cookie dough into bells, trees, stars, and snowmen for everyone to decorate with colored frosting.
Photo by Matt WeiSince I don't have a rolling pin, I used the next best thing: a wine bottle! After a thorough scrubbing it worked quite well.
My friend Katie brought her famous Santa cookies and homemade frosting. After eating one of these cookies you'll very likely go into a sugar coma and be unable to consume anything else for about a half hour. But they're delicious.
It was a great night. We decorated cookies, ate pizza, drank spiced cider, watched A Christmas Story, and, of course, decorated the tree.
Photo by Matt Wei's handy 10-second timerAnd the tree!
Filet Mignon
Last Friday I made dinner for my boyfriend's birthday and invited two of our best friends over to help celebrate. I decided to pull out the stops and make something that we could never afford out: bacon-wrapped filet mignon. I was so busy preparing for dinner and having so much fun when we were eating it that I completely forgot to take pictures, which is a shame, because it was beautiful and delicious!
My first-ever dinner party was a success, I'm happy to say. On the menu was bacon-wrapped filet mignon, cooked to medium-rare perfection thanks to the handy meat thermometer I got off Amazon (I'm far too paranoid to cook meat to anything but well done without one). I also made rosemary-garlic red potatoes and steamed asparagus. Our friends brought a 2002 Merlot and we drank the rest of the red zinfandel that I used in the sauce. For dessert I bought a box of Ghiradelli walnut brownie mix (delicious!) and served it with fresh raspberries on the side.
The hardest part was timing everything so it was all done when they arrived, especially since almost everything had to go in the oven at different temperatures. The potatoes could have cooked a little longer, but everyone said they tasted great. I was pretty nervous and jittery while cooking the filets - I almost never cook beef - but I'm sure with practice it'll get easier. Although the presentation on the filets wasn't the best (some of the bacon was falling off), they tasted great.
Cost
I bought everything except the wine at QFC.
4 ~8oz filet mignon: $37.60
4 slices of bacon: $1.40
Red zinfandel: $8.49
2 T shallots: less than $0.50
6 red potatoes: $1.71
2 cloves garlic: $0.26
1/2 onion: $0.63
Rosemary and olive oil is negligible, and I had both already.
Ghiradelli brownie mix: $1.99
Raspberries: $6.99
For a total of $59.57 for four people, or about $14.89 a plate! While this is certainly not a meal I can afford to make every month, it was a great special occasion meal and muuuch cheaper than buying it at a restaurant.
And now for the recipes!
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat; turn oven to 375 degrees F. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let foam. Add the steaks and cook for 4 minutes per side. You should get a nice sear on each side. Remove the steaks and put them in the oven on an oven proof platter or casserole dish.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Once melted, add the shallots and cook for about 1 minute until they soften, then add the wine and thyme. Raise the heat to high and let most of the sauce bubble away. Reduce heat to low.
Cook the steaks about 8-10 minutes. When the steaks are close to cooked - 140 degrees F at their thickest point - remove the steaks from the oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Toss the steak in the pan with the sauce, and then serve with a coating of the red wine sauce.
Combine ingredients in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and shake until potatoes are evenly coated. Cook potatoes for 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees F or until outsides are golden brown.
My first-ever dinner party was a success, I'm happy to say. On the menu was bacon-wrapped filet mignon, cooked to medium-rare perfection thanks to the handy meat thermometer I got off Amazon (I'm far too paranoid to cook meat to anything but well done without one). I also made rosemary-garlic red potatoes and steamed asparagus. Our friends brought a 2002 Merlot and we drank the rest of the red zinfandel that I used in the sauce. For dessert I bought a box of Ghiradelli walnut brownie mix (delicious!) and served it with fresh raspberries on the side.
The hardest part was timing everything so it was all done when they arrived, especially since almost everything had to go in the oven at different temperatures. The potatoes could have cooked a little longer, but everyone said they tasted great. I was pretty nervous and jittery while cooking the filets - I almost never cook beef - but I'm sure with practice it'll get easier. Although the presentation on the filets wasn't the best (some of the bacon was falling off), they tasted great.
Cost
I bought everything except the wine at QFC.
4 ~8oz filet mignon: $37.60
4 slices of bacon: $1.40
Red zinfandel: $8.49
2 T shallots: less than $0.50
6 red potatoes: $1.71
2 cloves garlic: $0.26
1/2 onion: $0.63
Rosemary and olive oil is negligible, and I had both already.
Ghiradelli brownie mix: $1.99
Raspberries: $6.99
For a total of $59.57 for four people, or about $14.89 a plate! While this is certainly not a meal I can afford to make every month, it was a great special occasion meal and muuuch cheaper than buying it at a restaurant.
And now for the recipes!
Pan Seared Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon in Red Wine Reduction Sauce
- 4 filet mignons wrapped in bacon (6 or 8oz each)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots (or to taste)
- 3/4 cup red wine (I used a red zinfandel)
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat; turn oven to 375 degrees F. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let foam. Add the steaks and cook for 4 minutes per side. You should get a nice sear on each side. Remove the steaks and put them in the oven on an oven proof platter or casserole dish.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Once melted, add the shallots and cook for about 1 minute until they soften, then add the wine and thyme. Raise the heat to high and let most of the sauce bubble away. Reduce heat to low.
Cook the steaks about 8-10 minutes. When the steaks are close to cooked - 140 degrees F at their thickest point - remove the steaks from the oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Toss the steak in the pan with the sauce, and then serve with a coating of the red wine sauce.
Rosemary garlic potatoes
- 6 red potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- rosemary to taste
Combine ingredients in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and shake until potatoes are evenly coated. Cook potatoes for 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees F or until outsides are golden brown.