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Sep 03, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
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Just a quick celebration that gas at my favorite station finally dropped below $4! I'm an optimist and am looking forward to paying even less in the near future. |
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Sep 01, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
In last month's issue of Sunset magazine, there was an article that profiled Dee Harley of Harley Farms. Harley Farms is a goat dairy in Pescadero, CA, about 45 minutes from Redwood City. Being a farmer at heart and having a soft spot for goats, I looked up Dee's farm on the web. She has a wonderful website (www.harleyfarms.com) that gives you an immediate sense of knowing her, her family, her crew and of course, the goats.
I was excited to see that they offer tours of the farm. Tickets for the tour are $20. If you are a fan of cheese, a fan of goats or a fan of farming, it is well worth the ticket price.
I was joined in my goat adventure by the majority of Budget Savvy's team: Kevin Gibbons, Janna Scott and Mark Parker. Dante also accompanied us as well as my good friends Dreah and Beth.
The farm is on nine acres just a block or two from Pescadero's main street – which consists of about eight buildings.
My first impression of the farm was how neat, clean and organized it is. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. You could tell immediately that the space was efficiently used.
Sam, our tour guide was warm and inviting. She answered our questions and gave us plenty of time to explore the various aspects of the farm. The first stop was to take us out to one of the pastures to meet "the girls". As you can see from the picture, Dante felt right at home with "the girls". The goats were friendly, but not aggressive. They let us pet them and were happy to be scratched behind the ears.
We slowly meandered about on our way to the milking parlor where those who wanted to got to milk a goat by hand. I've milked cows before, but this was my first goat. By the time it was my turn, her milk was flowing freely and it was fairly easy. I need to work on my aim though. Teddy, the farm's dog was an unfortunate victim of my milking prowess, although he didn't seem to mind.
Next we stopped in the cheese making room. I was shocked to see that it is about the size of my living room. Again, small, but efficient. We watched as Sam and some of the children in the tour make a Money Torte. The finished product looks as if it was difficult to make, but in actuality, it is surprisingly easy (that is AFTER you make the actual cheese).
When Dee first started, she made all the cheese herself. A family of four runs the cheese making room for Dee now. In fact, they won't let her help anymore because they say she is too slow. That's an excellent sign of progress!
The garden was another highlight of the tour. Harley Farms' Monet Torte and Van Goat Torte (get it?) are decorated with edible flowers grown right next to the cheese making room. One of my favorite aspects of the farm is the esthetic. Although it is a dairy farm, Dee has gone to great lengths to make it as beautiful as possible, including the set up of the garden.
Toward the end of the tour we were taken to the second story of the "barn" that had been converted to a unique dining room that housed an enormous and gorgeous table which seats approximately 20. The table was hand carved by Three Finger Bill, a local legend. All the chairs were hand carved by him as well. You can see the table and chairs on their website at www.harleyfarms.com.
In the dining room we sat down and indulged in the cheese that Sam and the children made. It was heavenly! Light, creamy and delicious.
The tour concluded in the cheese shop where we made our purchases. I took home the Tomato Basil Torte, a round of Cranberry Walnut and the Chevre Mini button covered in dill. I also couldn't resist the goat milk soap that they sold. They brilliantly market the soap by having bars on hand at the hand washing station after you milk the goat. I am very impressed by Dee's business savvy. There is a lot I can learn from watching her.
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Aug 25, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
Outside of the election, articles about how to survive the economic downturn are the hottest stories out there. Media outlets are scrambling to provide information to readers for cutting costs and living within their means.
I have had the pleasure of talking to several reporters this month from all over the nation about the economy and what you can do to not only survive, but thrive. Here are a few of the articles:
Stay Pretty and Chic for Less
News & Observer
Samantha Thompson
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1192501.html
Beware… The Comfort Zone
By Brian J. O'Connor
The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080816/OPINION03/808160342
Dorm Décor
By Lareeca Rucker
Jackson Clarion Ledger
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/FEAT05/808050320/1023
Parents Tighten Belts, Think Creatively to Buy for Back-to-School
Chicago Tribune
By Tara Malone
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/lifetravel/stories/081508dnlivschool.3832ea4.html
For more money saving articles from across the nation and around the world, check out the Budget Savvy World Report tab on our website. The Budget Savvy World Report is updated Monday – Friday so stop by during your lunch hour and read our latest post.
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Aug 18, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
I've written before about the extensive remodeling project that we did on our house. The project was done in stages. We started with the house and then two years later we did the studio (instead of a garage, we have a fully finished studio that Paul uses as an art studio).
After spending the last few years looking at a dirt covered backyard, I was so excited to finally have the ability and the money to landscape it. Unfortunately, my car had other plans for the money.
I was informed a few months ago that my Nissan would need new struts and tires soon. This last few weeks the car was starting to drive rougher and rougher. As much as I wanted to put it off longer, I just couldn't do it. One of the reasons Paul and I have such great luck with our cars is because we take good care of them. So, I sucked it up and shelled out $1200 for the work.
I really can't complain about spending the money on the car. I paid $7,000 cash for it two years ago and this is the first real money I have had to put into it. The car runs like a dream and I'm still in love with the sunroof.
Sadly, the repairs have put off my plans to landscape the backyard this month. It's important to Paul and I to pay for the irrigation parts and sod up front. We may still be able to make it happen this year, but it won't be for a few months at least. If it gets too late in the year, we will have to wait until spring. I am an eternal optimist and have high hopes that we can make it happen this year. I know a 1 ½ year old little boy and a 3 year old Newfoundland mix that would really love some grass to play on.
* The photo is of Harlan when we first got him two years ago. We were at Paul's family cabin in Healdsburg and I decided to decorate his collar with laurel leaves. I was three months pregnant at the time and apparently, a little loopy.
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Aug 12, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
A perfect Sunday for me is hanging out at home with Paul, Dante and Harlan (our dog), cooking dinner and making dessert. I especially love the opportunity to try a new recipe.
A few weeks ago I saw a recipe for Chocolate Salted Torte in a recent issue of Sunset magazine. I decided to make it this past Sunday. Although it wasn't a difficult recipe, it was a three step process and took about three and a half hours total.
I had the majority of the ingredients on hand and only had to invest in about $7.50 in bittersweet chocolate. I was in luck as Ghiradelli chocolate was on sale.
For that $7.50 price tag…
* I spent an enjoyable 3 ½ hours doing something I love.
* I expanded my baking repertoire.
* I scored brownie points with my husband who craves chocolate like a girl.
* I was able to satisfy my own sweet/salty tooth.
* We have dessert to enjoy for the entire week.
Since most desserts in a restaurant are $3.95 - $5.95 each, I have concluded that it was a Budget Savvy endeavor.
If you are interesting in making Sunset's Chocolate Salted Torte, you can find the recipe at http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1816292.
By the way, the photo I posted is from Sunset magazine. My torte didn't look quite as beautiful as this one.
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Aug 10, 2008 at 09:00 PM |
The last two weeks have been a busy. On July 31st, Paul flew to Detroit for a Western Martial Arts (European Sword Fighting) conference that he attends every year. He was gone Wednesday – Sunday. Consequently, it makes life at Fearless a little busier for the remaining coaches. Paul is the head instructor at Fearless and teaches 90% of the classes. When he is gone, the rest of us feel it. We did manage to get through the remaining week and Paul had a great, yet exhausting time in Detroit.
Since Paul was gone through the weekend, Dante and I headed to Fresno for a long overdue trip to visit my family. We stopped off at my favorite breakfast joint, Pioneer Market in Chowchilla to have breakfast with my Dad. After an additional, but brief stop in Madera to see my other-mom who was working, we headed to my mom's place. Dante and I had the most amazing time the rest of the weekend!
It had been over two months since we last visited – far too long! My grandmother, who is recovering from hip surgery, enjoyed watching Dante run around and be a goofball with his older cousins Chloe and Jacob who are also goofballs. I loved watching her laugh at Dante's antics. She really enjoyed the opportunity to spend so much time with her youngest great-grandbaby.
Dante wanted to be outside the entire weekend. To be honest, I did too – despite the 100 degree weather. Dante spent a good amount of time hanging out with the miniature donkeys, Pygmy goats and sheep. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was volunteering in the family garden. We trimmed the raspberry vines, rescued the last of the tomatoes and plucked and ate pluots directly from the tree. I even got to drive the tractor!
My mom had picked up a small swimming pool for Dante. We decided to forgo the swimsuit and let him play in his birthday suit. He was in there for over half an hour and didn't want to get out! Not one to miss an opportunity, I ran in the house and got his baby shampoo and scrubbed him down from head to toe. When your playmates are donkeys and goats, an outdoor bath is – a good thing.
The weekend continued on with delicious food, more visiting with my family and time spent outside. When Dante and I climbed into the car to drive home, it was filled with corn, pluots and fresh jam to share among the staff members of Budget Savvy and my in-laws.
* Dante in his outdoor pool/bathtub.
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