One posted for 5 cpl a couple of days ago

bought/sold couple hundred items [2008-11-19]
i've had a good experience both ways. it is time consuming, communicating with customer/feedback/packaging items/mailing, etc. Like you, i thought of doing same. but you really have to have something special/in demand to market, or maybe do the drop-ship method where you don't even keep the inventory yourself to make a real business venture. I don't think it's any more of a golden goose than other business ventures however.

I still get a couple loaf pans of it every year at butchering time [2008-11-15]
DH doesn't touch it but I love it. I grew up on it too. I also grew up on Spam. Mom had a stove that had a pull out griddle above the oven and she would put spam and egss on there for a Tuesday night supper. I have 2 cans of Spam in my pantry now. The ingredients state: Pork with ham, mechanically separated chicken, water , salt, modified potato starch, sugar, hickory smoke flavoring (I have the hickory smoke flavor), and sodiu nitrite. Opps. There's that bad word-sodium nitrite.

I checked that site out a couple [2008-11-15]
months ago. They didn't have any stores on the list for my area. Our stores won't even take computer-generated coupons for some reason.

They talked about this on The View for 2 days and [2008-11-14]
even to the point as to how they have sex and thatmake me sick, especially now that she/he is pregnant again and due in June! BW thinks she's doing the world a favor by doing this special report. The reasonit keptits female parts was to have kids. What gets me is they never heard of adoption? Why not adopt? Because they wanted to make money, that's why. I don't know how many times they pointed out that she is now a legal male on all records, SS#, birth (how'd they accomplish that?), marriage license, medical history, etc. If she/he is a legal male, she/he shouldn't have the reproductive organs. Period. I feel sorryfor the kids. They will be so confused because they are going to tell them as soon as they to speak and/or understand. This world is going to h---- in a handbasket.

Explaining a couple of things sm [2008-11-14]
I studied IQ as part of my Masterget you because your sense of humor is probably well off the beaten track. You probably lack social skills from an early age. Your peers would play childhood games while you preferred to try to improve upon the toys they played with. In school, you didn't have to work very hard in most areas. It all came very easily. You didn't learn how to learn, which is a very valuable skill. You probably have a low frustration level and when something doesn't come very easily, you are prone to giving up. Because you see the world in completely different terms than people of more average intelligence, those same average people call you crazy or mentally ill and tell you that you should be locked up. You don't fit in and despite the higher intelligence, you are remiss to know how to accomplish the feat of being more ordinary. I alluded to this in my previous post. I have the unusual combination of being very artistic, creatively gifted AND being rather intellectually gifted. Yes, I did fall at the 99.6% percentile on the Wechsler. I know what it means and I have a firm understanding that indeed, that score suggests that I possess more intelligence than 99.6% of the people who have taken that test, and only 0.4% are smarter than I am. It has been a life-long struggle to fit in. I am too cerebral for artistic people, and too artistic for intellectuals. I literally have no one I fit in with. I have learned to tone myself down to make it work. I didn't say dumb down, I said tone down. That means I don't intentionally talk over the heads of others and I won't cram what I know down anyone's throat. I have had those people in my life who have been jealous of me. I learn quickly if it is artistic, musical, creative, the written word, history and philosophy. I struggle with math. I took piano lessons 10 years ago. I had 40 of them and had never played the piano before. In 40, 1-hour lessons I could play the Moonlight Sonata in piano solo (not a dumbed down easy version). Most people cannot do that. There many other things I have done in a similar fashion, but this is an example for you. You ask why I am an MT if I am so smart. I make very good money as an MT and I enjoy the challenge. My photographic memory comes in very handy too. I often stop and read up on a disease process I am transcribing about, so that I know what it means. Show me a word once and I'll know it forever. It makes my job easier for me to accomplish. This all sounds like I am blowing my own horn, but I am merely trying to explain. Being highly intelligent wonreally smart is not only not helpful, I think it is the root of the housecleaning issues in my life. In short, it is just great to have a good ol' high number and in the end it makes absolutely difference...if you don't count the fact that people with IQs over 150 are 3 times more likely to be depressed and commit suicide than the average population. People who are 125 to 140 are the most fortunate. They succeed in greater numbers in school, in a job, in life. They are very bright, and likely have learned how to learn. They are more likely to persevere in the face of frustration and challenge. It really isn't all you think it is.

I go every 2 to 3 days.... [2008-11-13]
my hair is extremely thick and I don't need to shampoo every day, blessed to not have oily problems or dry scalp. I rotate between 3 Redken products, Color Extend, Smooth Down and All Soft, using both shampoo and conditioner. I'm about to try Pureology soon, have heard good things about the products.

Every 2-3 days would be all right...nm [2008-11-13]
nm

This reminds me of an incident a couple of [2008-11-11]
months ago. My parents live 4 hours away and wonlonely people. Now, my parents may not come down but who says we are lonely??? I too went through many years of crying because we didn't have that Martha Stewart Christmas.

That's why I posted [2008-11-10]
There are girls who are getting sick from this. All I would like is for everyone to research this thoroughly before doing it, and please don't only read the docs articles. Of course they are going to say everyone should have it. Guess who pays them bonuses. As for the lady who said in GA its required. I'd move out of that state before I let the government tell me what I should or should not have done medically. Please just don't buy into the hype of it and question, question, question before thinking about it.

I did it a couple year ago , got 130 or 135 forget - sm [2008-11-09]
which, but either is a very respectable score. My one brother has a genius IQ, and my other is very intelligent, and I have a good head on my shoulders.....though have a usless college degree for the most part, may go back one of these days and get an accounting degree or nursing, who knows.

I love it too. We go a couple of times a month.. [2008-11-07]
spend about 500 bucks each time. Sometimes we come home with money, sometimes not, that the second time same thing, hit for 1500 bucks. I usually do pretty well, only play penny machines and have won as much as 800 bucks on one spin. We never spend more than 500 each. It's our vice and we enjoy it. We visit my family every year in Philly and for the 2 weeks we are there we usually gamble at least half the time. We save our money, take a couple of thousand with us for that purpose only and if we win great, if not, that's okay too.

I had it done a couple of years ago too [2008-11-06]
It really was not that bad. My understanding of why they only will do two quadrants at a time is that it is because they will not numb up both sides of your mouth at one time, so it is an upper and a lower quadrant done together. My sister also had to have it done last week, but the weird thing is they only said she needed two quadrants done (I believe on the same side, so upper and lower). She or I neither one could get our heads around that, so she decided to treat herself and have the other two quads done as well. Also, I do not have dental insurance, but had bought a plan from dentalplans.com (had the Patriot Plan at the time I had this done). It was about $90 per quad with the plan, but around here it was $300 per quad without the plan. Good luck!

He was just photographed a few days ago [2008-11-02]
I believe I saw the photo on x17online.com. Either that site or tmz.com. He's still around. Word is that Jackson 5 is getting back together, too.

In the old days, they gave the carolers money [2008-11-02]
My ex-husband said that when he and his brothers were little boys, they'd go out carolling for money and make a killing. That was around 1962 or so.

Actually going to be in the 60s within the next couple of days [2008-10-28]
here in NJ. Just too early. I hope this is not a sign of things to come for this winter.

A couple of options [2008-10-27]
I would try to host your own. They should be understanding that you want to celebrate being a new couple doing the family things. Or you could go to one on Thanksgiving day, the other on the day after and then do the opposite for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Ask your husband what he thinks, certainly he knows his family well enough to be able to know how they would take it.

She's 64 and has always believed this way but it is worse these days. sm [2008-10-21]
But she seems to be thinking clearly, just getting to be more outspoken. She scared me all the time as a child by telling me crazy things.

oops, forgot to mention a couple of things [2008-10-16]
It doesn H*ll does exist. Also, if you really are asking what I mean to be saved, I will share. I does not mean adhering to a dogma. It means having recognized your own sinful nature and accepted Christ That is what we mean when we say Christ died for us. We can live forever in paradise with him because God sacrificed his son, Jesus, on the cross, to take the place for each individual person so that they can live forever. Christ died so that I may live. Christ rose again and won victory over death. Being saved is accomplished through faith in Christ.

"End of Days?" Maybe that big asteroid on a near- [2008-10-16]
.

I posted back in late August about cc debt - sm [2008-10-14]
in response to someone else giving advice on what to do. I told you about how I had a ton of debt my DH knew nothing about, how I was afraid of him, etc. and that I just did not know how to tell him.I consulted a lawyer and got some insight and advise in case things went really bad whenIdid tell him.Well I finally bit the bullet and told him on Monday. He was off from work, kids were in school, I wrote a 4 page letter laying it all out. I went out in the LR and I asked him if he loved me and was happy in our marriage, I got yes Then I handed him the note (bawling at this point) and said I was going out for a little while and we would talk when I came back. He called me 10 minutes later, upset yes, but not nuts as I expected. We ended up talking for 2 hours. He was quite good about it which really surprised me, he was in shock though. Later last night after he got drunk not horribly so but enough, though he did not turn nasty. I hadasked him not to drink but he ignored that, so as a result he broke down said a few things which I probably deserved, though he does not believe I was scared of him....denied ever threatening to kill me, said if he did he was kidding and it was his sick sense of humor. I told him I take all death threats seriously. But comes down to he does not want to divorce over it, for which I am happy and grateful, and I think this will ultimately help us. We are taking a 401K loan for the debt on his cards, and I will go to a credit consolidator for the debt on my cards......any recommendations on that front? My credit is in the dump so this is not going to make it much worse. In five years we will be free and clear, paid off debt and house at that point. I have a huge breach of trust to heal and don So he learned whata conniving wife he has and I learned that I had what I wanted all along, just didn We still have a lot to work out, and I am in for 5 or more years of snide backbiting remarks at times I am sure, but I think there is hope for us actually.

How I posted the pic ......... (sm) [2008-10-08]
I WANT to see 'Tornado Alley' desks! hahahahaha! I found posting a pic to be really easy. (The photo will work best if it's in jpg. format). (In order to get these instructions right, I've posted a photo I took in Santa Fe recently.) Assuming you've already taken a pic of your desk, and it's saved in a photo file on your computer, just: 1) After the 'Post Image' box below the subject box of your post on MT Stars, click on 'Click here to Upload Image!' 2) When the next window comes up, click on the 'Browse' button to bring up a list of your computer files. 3) Find your photo (for example, to find mine, I click on Documents, then My Pictures, and then the photo). 4) Click on the photo you've selected, the the name of it will appear in the 'Select Image' box. Click on 'Open'. 5) Click on 'Submit'. 6) The picture will appear, and then click on 'Continue', which should bring you back to the text of your post. Then go ahead and post as usual. Hope that helps. Show us that MESSY DESK! ;D

If I were his GF, he could count his remaining days [2008-09-29]
And note: I'll bet if he'd done it to a DOG, he'd have been convicted. For some reason, society (especially men) seem to put little to no value on the life of a cat. Well, after hearing that story, I put no value whatsoever on HIS life.

I posted that last year [2008-09-26]
it was a church party as well but it was my husband who wore that. I wore sweats and pinned sponges all over my clothes and went as self-absorbed.

A couple of years ago my son was a Lego man (sm) [2008-09-24]
We just spray-painted some boxes red, yellow and blue and cut holes for his arms and head to go through, put two small boxes over his shoes, and printed out a lego emblem and glued to the front. It was really easy and really cool!

Well I see a couple of things here (sm) [2008-09-20]
You may not like all of my answer but take it from someone who knows from growing up in a blended family. The one who is not your grandson is obviously jealous of the attention you give his brother and is resentful at having to babysit his brother when he is only 8 years old. 8 year olds don't know how to babysit and discipline a 6 year old sibling - they don't even know how to take care of themselves! I have an 8-and-a-half year old. No way would she ever be in charge of another child or be left alone. I am assuming the dad of the 6-year-old is your son? WTH is wrong with him and his wife? I know if you say much to them about the way they are raising their children it may cause a problem but they need to be in charge of the household. It sounds like the 8-1/2 year old is expected to practically raise his half-brother. Doesn't sound very fair to me. I'd probably be ticked off too. Why don't you try getting there earlier on Sat if you know they are up and inviting both children to visit with you together? That might be a good place to start.

150 inhabitants? Is this really a city?...s/m [2008-11-22]
Are you the same person who posted this nasty reply to 'abc' on 11/16/08? Now I can undertand that living in a VILLAGE (or BOX) with 150 people gives you a backward insight on a lot of issues.

Boobage - SM [2008-11-21]
I feel ya, girlfriend...I wear a 32DD and the choices are so limited. Believe it or not, ICurvation. I bought a couple of them when they were on sale because they were really cute (black with pink ribbon trim and leopard print demi-cup with pink ribbon trim), but didn't really expect much from them and figured they'd just look nice. Imagine my surprise when not only did they look great, they actually provided support, lol!!! I found that the demi-cup is actually even MORE supportive than the full cup style, which I hadn't expected. Have fun and show those girls off to full advantage :-)

OMG! I did the same thing. I have a picture..sm [2008-11-21]
I My kids were younger so the dollar store was great! Seriously, my living room was full! It For little kids that was easy. But now they I miss those days of buying from the dollar store and filling the living room. Now, theyonly get 1 or 2 presents and I hate it. It makes me cry every year. I'll look for that picture on my break and try to upload it.

Help is a safety net you have paid for sm [2008-11-21]
Food stamps are a safety net we all pay for, all forms of public assistance are things we have been paying for all along. TAKE the help you need! Do move closer to family if you possibly can. I have been in your shoes myself. I lost my home to foreclosure 4 years ago because of having a near-fatal drug interaction and losing my job of nearly 7 years. I made a couple of moves and finally ended up in a small town out of state from where I had lived for 30 years. I lived with a close friend for about 9 months and had the opportunity to buy a mobile home for $3000. The people I bought it from said I could make payments and I was able to pay it off in 5 months. It needed a lot of work and it has gotten it, most of which I have done myself. This project really helped me to regain parts of myself I had lost. It gave me a reason to get up and get going on my days off. I turned this ugly old thing into a lovely, comfortable home I cherish. I have lost about 50-60 lbs since living here and I have brought the idea of vastly cutting expenses in line with making more money. The end result is that I am very well off financially, better than in my entire life. DO get medication to help you if you can. I didn't have medication to help because I am allergic to every psychotropic in existence. I did this by pulling myself up by the boot straps, but if I could have had help, I would have. There IS a brighter future out there. You CAN have that brighter future because you DESERVE IT. That said, no one expects you to get there alone!!! Don't be embarrassed to ask and receive help. You will be able to help others later. Years ago, when my kids were young, I was a single parent, no support and it was Christmas time. My kids didn't even have adequate clothing or food. A neighbor I hardly knew handed me a Christmas card. Inside was a $100 gift card to K-Mart. She said that many years before that, she had been in my shoes and someone had given her $100 one Christmas, she was now paying this forward to me. The only provision was that I return this favor when I could, and that I bought something for myself too because I deserve nice things for my hard work. It was a turning point for me. I have been more of a giver since. Although I could have paid this back last year, I didn't know anyone who would appropriately benefit. This year, I do and I had to tell her that I was going to do this and why. She cried and felt embarrassed because, she said, she was usually in the position to give and it hurt a little to receive. I reminded her that she was GIVING me the gift of giving with pleasure. Others are going to give to you with pleasure, love, friendship and concern for your well being. TAKE IT. One day you'll post back here about how good things are and I'll want to hear it.

I usually do a lot of handmade gifts. This year each kid gets $100 they are all grown sm [2008-11-21]
I make my oldest son boxer shorts, he only likes the ones I make. My other son wanted a robe and matching PJ pants. Daughter wanted a couple of outfits and a denim jacket. My mom wanted something I had knitted up for her. Stepdad just wants to be remembered. My brother won't take anything from me, so no problem there. I will do some small things for my friends, but I won't spend $500 total, even with giving the 3 kids $100 each. I have NEVER spent that much on Christmas! I have worked like a dog all year, but I have had no time to do these things they think they want.

about 25% as of [2008-11-21]
a couple weeks ago, when i rolled it into an IRA that is not all in stocks now...not sure what my recent losses are, but am a lot more comfortable (?) having my wealth spread around, hah, with bonds, etc.

Christmas Club...sm [2008-11-20]
I have three grown kids (includes 1 in-law) and I have money taken out of my paycheck through the year and whatever the amount is when I get the check, I divide that by 3 and that is how much I spend on the kids. It I put back through the year from my OT and get my husband something nice and then I just pick up a few inexpensive things along the way for a couple of other people I like to give a little something to. I don't think anybody really cares how much I spend on them, but I do try my best to be equal in what I spend on the kids, even at their ages now!

According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It The breakdown of the other $350: Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15. The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in. I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy. Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there. We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me. Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.

Please know you are definitely NOT alone! [2008-11-20]
Lots of us are struggling these days. Times are touch all over. Can you look into getting a second job to help with expenses? That's what I do, just to make ends meet. I'm alone too but don't mind that - I have pets to keep me company. The best thing you can do is not sit around doing nothing. Make a plan, set yourself some goals and KNOW you can get through this. Just take it one day at a time and/or knock off one goal at a time and you'll persevere.

I think you are right. [2008-11-20]
I have had most of the day to think things over and cry. I did talk to him a bit and realize that it is mostly his pride (man-ness) that is the problem. I just have to stand my ground and not feel guilty for it, although I will anyway...I think that is just the female (or pregnant hormonal lol) way with feelings, etc. I have also been thinking today that even though things are getting really tough, we have been able to pay our bills so far. It's really going to suck with the holidays especially but it will be past in a couple months and life will resume as normal. Who knows where we will be by then but for now things could be much worse. Even with all the headaches, stress, tears, etc. it could be much worse if we lost a job or...well I don't even want to think about the other horrible things that people go through. Thanks for your support and understanding. Some times women just need to know that they aren't alone in their struggles.

I agree with the posters below. [2008-11-20]
You need to move closer to family and see a doctor. You can also find the local social services department and they will provide free medications for 6 months. you will have to see one of their doctors but and fill out some paperwork but that's the only catch. Depression is higher around the holidays. The weather, finances, family, on top of every day stresses can be overwhelming. Being in this antisocial job doesn't help either. I have often thought of getting something a few days a week just to get out of the house. I think it would do anyone good. Know that things could always be worse and they will get better. Your grandson is young, he doesnwhere as this is a common occurrence in kids. I thought it was only my child but since have found many others are the same. Keep your head up and do what you can. It's ok to cry and vent to others. Don't keep it all bottled up inside. You will be surprised to find who your true friends and family are when you open up and really need them.

Too afraid of meat in restaurants now sm [2008-11-19]
Their meat may be old (sorry). If we do go, will only go to very busy place as even some bought at market are questionable. We have gift certificates which we appreciate as they are from busy places. Sometimes we have a UFO party. Unidentified freezer objects - if theycautious but things are rough right now for everyone, even the markets, restaurants, etc. I sure hope the turkeys are okay, even in good times webad ones - have to open them up and be sure. Martha likes to brine hers in salt water - not a bad idea these days to check them out before it's too late the day of or the day before. Fresh is best - wish we had our own farm as some do.

How about ideas for siblings and their families? Here's one [2008-11-19]
I have three siblings, with spouses and children. Not only is it expensive to buy for all of them, but it Last year I went to a craft store and bought cheap baskets on sale. I bought each of them a 2-month subscription to the movies that you get through the mail,NetFlix (can do Blockbuster if you want). I put the gift certificate in the basket along with the big boxes of candy that they sell at the show (.99 cents apiece at Walgreens), a few packets of microwave popcorn, and a 6-pack of their favorite soda. They loved it and everybody enjoyed the movies over the next couple of cold winter months. You can purchase the movie gift certificates on line at their website.

Any Black Friday shoppers out there? [2008-11-19]
Tell me your plans for Black Friday. I subscribe to a website that posts the Black Friday ads earlier than they are actually sent out. It helps me map out my day. I get up at 3:00 a.m. and wear my Black Friday shirt -- I have a couple and just ordered 2 more. One reads: If you Another reads: It I ordered 2 new ones. One reads: It and the other one: I train year-round for Black Friday; you don After shopping all day, my BFF and I head to the Roadhouse for dinner and drinks and then we hit the hot tub. In case you didn The closer it gets, the more psyched I get. What are your plans?

My family is hurting :( [2008-11-19]
Some of you may remember the recent pet picture postings here. I posted a picture of my baby girl, Daisy, nursing her three babies who arenow nearly two years old. My husbandcame home about an hour and a half ago and went to let them inside, and the only boy (besides the dad), Chewy,did not come with the others. They all always come up on the deck when they hear his car, so he knew something was going on. He came into my office and asked if we had Chewy with us, and then went to see if he had gotten out of the fence. A few minutes later he came in and said that he found him still in the backyard, lying under the trees on a pile of leaves, and that he wasdead. We are all so sad . We do not know what happenedto our baby .. . he had been fine just a couple of hours before, when my son got home from school and went to see the dogs. He said that Chewy was acting no differently than usual and seemed fine. I am just beside myself not knowing what happened to this sweet little guy. He was the SWEETEST EVER and we will miss him dearly. WE LOVE YOU,CHEWY!!! May you rest in peace.

My family is hurting :( [2008-11-19]
Some of you may remember the recent pet picture postings here. I posted a picture of my baby girl, Daisy, nursing her three babies who arenow nearly two years old. My husbandcame home about an hour and a half ago and went to let them inside, and the only boy (besides the dad), Chewy,did not come with the others. They all always come up on the deck when they hear his car, so he knew something was going on. He came into my office and asked if we had Chewy with us, and then went to see if he had gotten out of the fence. A few minutes later he came in and said that he found him still in the backyard, lying under the trees on a pile of leaves, and that he wasdead. We are all so sad . We do not know what happenedto our baby .. . he had been fine just a couple of hours before, when my son got home from school and went to see the dogs. He said that Chewy was acting no differently than usual and seemed fine. I am just beside myself not knowing what happened to this sweet little guy. He was the SWEETEST EVER and we will miss him dearly. WE LOVE YOU,CHEWY!!! May you rest in peace.

chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Good olJewish penicillin - chicken soup. Use leftover chicken or steamed chicken thighs or breasts if no leftovers are available. Use Swansons natural chicken broth (nosodium) but can use bullion, but it contains a lot of sodium. Use about a quart or moreof natural chicken broth. I like to usebaby carrots whole,but can certainly usesliced carrots. Season with lots ofminced garlic and a little dill weed (maybea teaspoon).I slice in a couple of things ofcelery or sliced celeryhearts with leaves. I sometimes add noodles, or rice, sometimes I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables which are really terrific, depending on what I have available and what type of soupmy family wants.Add some white pepper, not black pepper. Simmer until carrots and celeryare soft. If using pasta or rice, add that last, otherwise it soaks up too much broth and gets soggy. My family would eat this even if they were sick and nothing else appealed to them, that is why I call it Jewish penicillin. This is a Jewish mama Enjoy - it is so simple and so delicious not to mention nutritious and healthy. Note: Never let your chicken leftovers go to waste - make a pot of chicken soup!

chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Good olJewish penicillin - chicken soup. Use leftover chicken or steamed chicken thighs or breasts if no leftovers are available. Use Swansons natural chicken broth (nosodium) but can use bullion, but it contains a lot of sodium. Use about a quart or moreof natural chicken broth. I like to usebaby carrots whole,but can certainly usesliced carrots. Season with lots ofminced garlic and a little dill weed (maybea teaspoon).I slice in a couple of things ofcelery or sliced celeryhearts with leaves. I sometimes add noodles, or rice, sometimes I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables which are really terrific, depending on what I have available and what type of soupmy family wants.Add some white pepper, not black pepper. Simmer until carrots and celeryare soft. If using pasta or rice, add that last, otherwise it soaks up too much broth and gets soggy. My family would eat this even if they were sick and nothing else appealed to them, that is why I call it Jewish penicillin. This is a Jewish mama Enjoy - it is so simple and so delicious not to mention nutritious and healthy. Note: Never let your chicken leftovers go to waste - make a pot of chicken soup!

I'm from Michigan and s/m [2008-11-18]
I have 6 in my home, 2 teens, 2 younger (78), 2 adults. I spend minimum of $150 a week on food, probably closer to $200. I do plan my meals out for the week prior to going. I really need to get back to my couponing days! I will do it religiously for months and then fade out when I don When I do couponing, I spend about the same, but get a lot more food for my buck. This also includes cat food, cat liter and dog food (little dog), cleaning supplies.

We have a Chevy HHR and a Jeep sm [2008-11-18]
The HHR is the first new car we have had, and it was a year old when we bought it. DH also had a Chevy C-10 pickup truck that he sold a couple of months ago because it needed a transmission. The Jeep was my mom's that she sold to us when she moved a couple of years ago. We have mostly had GM products. The only foreign car we ever had was a 1985 Mercedes 300 SEL that turned into a money pit. We ended up selling it a year after we bought it and barely got back what we paid. It was a nice car for about 2 months but unless I can afford to buy new with a warranty, which will most likely be never, I wouldn't buy another one. My dad drives Toyotas now, which is so funny because he is the one who got me into liking classic cars like Mustangs, Impalas, Firebirds, etc.

I think I spend less at the store when [2008-11-18]
we eat out/order in. Of course, then our entertaining budget increases. But some things are cheaper to just order in. For example, pizzas -- I can get 2 large pepperoni pizzas from the local pizzeria for under $20. If I buy them in the store, I spend about $15 and then have to cook them and my kids don The frozen kind are also smaller. I just got groceries this past Friday and spent $200. I had an entire cart full. In addition to the coupons I had, I also had a 20% discount on everything (one of those reward plans for spending so much the previous 2 months). I got value packs of skinless/boneless chicken breasts - buy 1 get 1 free -- $15 packs of chicken, breakfast sausage on sale, ham steaks on sale, plus my 20% off all that. Overall, I think I spend somewhere around $150 a week on groceries. There are 5 of us -- me, my hubs, and 3 boys -- ages 6 to 11. What I notice that I spend more on are school lunches. It costs $2.00 a day per child and I don I $2/day x 3 kids = $6/day x 5 days/week = $30/week x 4 weeks/month = $120 for lunch. YIKES!!! I think I can do better than that if I pack them.

I used to use coupons a lot [2008-11-18]
& had one of those little wallet things with tabs for organizing them. I haven't done that in years. Maybe I should get back to it. There are 2 markets up here, a vons name brands are very expensive in that store. But the produce is always a lot cheaper than at vons.

Live in Oregon, just DH and me, spend about 400 a month... [2008-11-18]
give or take including cat supplies. Costco every 4 to 5 weeks. Love really good bread, yogurt, real half and half for my coffee and fresh fruit and veggies no matter what the cost. Eat out on an average of 4 times a week, lunch or dinner on our days off, not fast food (Ugh). Cook everything from scratch, no boxes or cans here, except for pasta. I donat least twice a week. I have only seen a spike in dairy and bread products, but I won if I'm eating it, I want it to taste good and not be loaded with preservatives, etc. I'd rather spend 2.98 a pound for really good apples instead of 98 cents a pound for mealy ones. I'm Italian, so food is a religion for me and it better be good!

I can't imagine affording all those meals out, but I have some suggestions sm [2008-11-18]
I usually cook from scratch. My idea of fast food is a can of lentil soup, and I have that about once a month, occasionally twice. I make crockpot soups a lot because I am busy. I will tell you, there is a place that is sort of between a restaurant meal and home cooking. I used to have kids at home, lots of them, and I would get too tired to cook. My answer was to hybrid the dinner, so to speak. You can get Stouffer's lasagne which is good. You can pickup some ready-made stuff in your grocery store deli or freezer case. We liked the frozen Banquet chicken back in the day. I might get that, a box of flavored instant potatoes, potato salad or ready-made mashed to go with it. We might get a bag of salad too. Fresh fruit cups were nice if they were on special. You know, make a nice meal you don't have to 100% cook, but isn't going out. These days, I see that you can get beef tips in gravy, or sliced beef in gravy and other prepared stuff at the store. It just takes looking. It is more expensive than doing it all yourself, but it is much cheaper than going out. You can try another thing that is NOT everyone's cup of tea, and that is OAMC or Once A Month Cooking. This is my favorite website: http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm I donmini plans using what is on special in a given week. They have breakfast plans, muffin plans, potato plans, chicken, beef, pork plans, ground meat plans, even some dessert plans. With planning, you can do this in bits and pieces. From people who have done far more of this than I have, they tell me that with soup already made, no chopping or messing, they are more likely to make fresh rolls, salad and even a quick dessert...round out any meal because the work is done. Obviously, it saves money.

Pitbull Hero [2008-11-17]
Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from AttackerPet Pulse Staff Reports Browse NewsFront Page BY CATEGORY:Alerts Notices Animal Attacks Care Safety Crime Law Cruelty Abuse Deaths Accidents Entertainment Health Science Heroes International Lost Found New Trends Petlanthropy Strange But True Survival BY PET:Dogs Cats Fish Birds Horses Reptiles Small Pets Other Pets November 5, 2008 A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson) PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her guardian angel. The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as Angela, was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. I don Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. I don The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid, Jones said. He was like her guardian angel. After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners donAngel. Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. It Jones said of Angel's possible owners. For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. I don Angela told NBC2 News. For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot. The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake. It he said of the Gulf Coast town. And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired. Tell us what you think about Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204. Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.