Sorry I’ve been so quiet recently. Mom’s here so I’ve been focusing on that and goofing around/chilling out. Yes, I even focus on chilling out.
I got a turkey at $1.59/lb, and she was nice enough to cook it and make some mashed potatoes. It was a 15 lb bird, so there were plenty of leftovers. I actually just had a second helping of leftovers from the fridge — eaten salted, cold out of the fridge cuz I’m fancy like that — and there’s still at least two or three servings left.
And that’s just the white meat. Mom prefers the dark meat, so she’s been nibbling away at that. She made stock from the bones overnight in our crock pot. Then used that to make soup last night. Tonight or tomorrow she’s making turkey chili. So all in all, a $22 investment has paid off well.
She also made pumpkin pie, and we’re planning on making peanut butter kiss cookies tonight. I insisted on getting premade crusts and peanut butter cookie mix because I don’t want her to go too crazy.
It’s times like this that remind me just how much money we could be saving if we could manage to cook. But then I remember all the guilt and frustration and anger I’d experience each time I’d fall down on cooking. I remember how other things fell by the wayside as all of those emotions deepened my depression until I could barely bring myself to deal with anything. And I try to make my peace with convenience food bills.
Beyond that, there’s not a helluva lot going on.
Tim loved his presents. We decided not to get me anything for Christmas. I just don’t have anything I really want, so there was no point in having him brave crowded stores in the hopes of finding something that I’d like. Best that the money stays in our account. That’s present enough, really.
Tim and I are still unsure what, if anything, we’re doing for New Year’s Eve. We haven’t done anything for it in years. Half the time I don’t even stay up until midnight.
It’s true that Mom is here, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind some peace and quiet to work in. And she could potentially come pick us up if we both want to drink. I guess we’ll just have to see how we feel the day of.
Also, we have our new rewards card for the year. Same deal as last time: put everything on the card to reap the most points possible. We have about $1,500 worth of travel points from the Sapphire card. This new one will get us a big bonus after we spend $3,000. So we’ll have plenty of ways to cover our May trip to Seattle. Hooray for free vacations!
Plus I was finally able to pay my first ACA premium, so I’ll definitely have continuing health care coverage in the new year.
And finally, I’m now ordering Pandora’s food with those handy-dandy discounted gift cards I bought. A good reminder that, for all of the potential detractors for discounted GCs, they can come in pretty handy too.
Now if you’ll excuse me, pumpkin pie is calling.
Is everyone settling down after the holiday? What do you do for New Year’s?
Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions says
I’m with you about no presents for this year. I did get a new pair of boots a few weeks before Christmas – but there wasn’t really a choice on that one! Happy New Year to you, Tim and your mom too 🙂 Glad you got to spend some time and even got a little rest/relax in too!
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teinegurl says
that turkey sounds delicious
Emily @ JohnJaneDoe says
Glad you’re able to enjoy your Christmas. Having a whole turkey around (or what’s left of it) sounds great.
We did kid presents only this Christmas at my dad’s. It was incredibly relaxing, between the “I didn’t have to shop for folks who don’t need anything” and “I can just sit and visit with baby nephew while the kids open presents.” Wish I could talk my in-laws into that approach too.
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Mrs. Groovy says
Nothing like leftover turkey and pumpkin pie to signify quality time with mom. Enjoy New a Year’s Eve whatever you and Tim decide to do.
Mrs. Groovy recently posted…A Groovy Christmas to All
Lisa O says
Enjoy your time with your Mom. My daughter just came in for a quick visit because her friends from CA, NC & NY were all home for the holidays. It was nice to spend about 7 days this month with her! We sat and watched a movie last night and it was wonderful.
I have had more people say that Christmas this year was about spending time and really not about exchanging presents. I cut back this year and it did make me enjoy the holiday more. I was in the same boat that I really didn’t need/want anything special…I got gift cards for a later date 🙂
Happy New Years to All!
SherryH says
We more or less agreed not to exchange gifts within the family this year. The things we want are few and very specific, and with our budget so tight, it didn’t make sense to buy each other things for the sake of buying them. We had a friend over and had a lovely Christmas dinner and enjoyed one another’s company.
No plans for NYE, but we’ll have roast pork, collards, and black-eyed peas in some form or another on New Year’s Day! Maybe some roast potatoes or cornbread to round it out.
I’ve about given up on turkeys. I can almost always get as good or a better deal on ham or whole chickens, and I think they cook up better. Chicken bones go to make stock, and ham bones go directly into beans or split peas. I’ve actually used a small saw to cut down ham bones that were too long to fit in my slow cooker, and I’m not afraid to do it again! lol
I wish you and Tim – and your families – a happy, prosperous New Year!
Catseye says
It sounds like you’re having a wonderful time with your mom. I sure wish my stepdad was still around to cook holiday meals.
My Christmas was quiet but nice. Spent an hour speaking to an aunt over the phone (we don’t see each other much) and then treated a friend to a showing of “Rogue One.” Sure was an improvement over “The Force Awakens!”
No NYE plans for now, but something might turn up. For now, staying home with a good book or movie sounds fine to me.
Kat says
Glad to hear that you’re having a great time with your mom around and that the holidays are treating you well. With the cooking thing… money can’t buy you any extra spoons for a day. It may not be fun to swallow the bigger bill, but you deserve to try and rest when you can (and this is coming from someone who thinks of cooking as fun).
We had a little bit bigger Christmas than usual, but it was still on the quieter end of the spectrum. The adults exchanged small but personal gifts, and we spent the rest of Christmas morning getting through the startling number of presents that kiddo received from various family members. The cats got their usual Christmas treats- cooked up scraps from trimming the meat, and all the crinkled up wrapping paper balls they can chase. I did stick to my usual habit of doubling the recipes and freeze half of what I cook immediately. Even with that, we’ve still been working off the leftovers in various forms which don’t take a lot of time to do. It’s a nice break for my kitchen and my wallet.
NYE is not a really big thing for us- we’ll probably stay up until midnight but that’s mainly due to being night owls. I am eternally grateful to AAA for their Tipsy Tow program which means I get a pass on being the designated friend to go get someone who has overindulged. My biggest plan is to sort most of the clothing that kiddo got into piles for individual stores so we can exchange them for larger sizes- we have enough clothes for him at his current size, so we’ll be going one to two sizes up from that and sticking them in a drawer for when he outgrows his current wardrobe.
Lake Livin' says
Your Mom rocks!! Happy New Year!
JoeTaxpayer says
You and your mom are both wonderful people. I lost my mother the day after Christmas last year, and I wish I had the relationship with her that you and your mom enjoy. I wish you both the best the new year has to offer.
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Alvaro Brown says
Yay, pumpkin pie! Any pictures?
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Abigail says
Haha, nope didn’t think anyone would care to see. Next time Mom visits I’ll be sure to snap a few shots.
ZJ Thorne says
My girlfriend is suddenly, but not unexpectedly moving in the next few weeks. Her start date corresponds closely with our anniversary, which we’ve agreed to hold off on gifting for now. Too much to focus on and money needs to go to more important things for now.
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Abigail says
Hopefully, she’s not moving too far away? Long-distance sucks. But I hope her new job goes well. I agree that the move is plenty to worry about for now, but happy almost-anniversary!