Lady Tip #25

Shower the night before a hectic day. You may never find time for that afternoon shower.

The Night I Roasted a Whole Chicken

Before you get too impressed, let me warn you that this is not a triumphant tale. On my last grocery trip, I was looking for some yummy meat to cook this week, and I saw a whole chicken. Something about that six pound chicken screamed to me: roast me; cook me; prove your lady skills. And I couldn't resist.


Yesterday, I made the chicken. Bryan was busy with work, so I had the whole place to myself to cook. I chopped garlic and rosemary, got out the butter and salt, and then the chicken. I was a little terrified that I had to pull out the innards and cut off some fat. It was as gross and squishy as you'd think. I scrubbed it down and patted it dry. I rubbed the salt and butter and garlic and rosemary all over it. Holding it was quite different: it was heavy and the most stable grip was holding it under the wings, much like Rafiki holding an infant Simba. The oven was hot, and I put the bird in.


Fast forward smashed yams, cooked brown rice and two hours later, Bryan carves the chicken. Despite the outside being crispy and beautifully brown, the inside of the thighs are quite pink and a little too juicy.


We brainstormed the best course of action: cut off the cooked breasts and just eat that? put it back in the oven? order some Chinese delivery? All the options seemed equally valid. And then I remembered my mother-in-law. She has made whole chickens for me several times; she would know. And would you know it, she did. Her suggestion: cut off the white meat, microwave for 5 minutes; put the bird back in the oven for 40 minutes. It was delicious, though entirely too complicated.



I read an article a few weeks ago that listed ten things you're better off paying someone to do for you. I'm going to add Roasting a Whole Chicken as #11. For the exact same price, you can take home one that your grocery roasted - easy, equally affordable and definitely cooked.

Moving Tip

If you are moving somewhere far away (far enough that you cannot visit), become best friends with your realtor. Done. Ask for lots of pictures, of the outside, each room, close ups of appliances. Done.

MOST IMPORTANT: Get someone you know to visit it.

This saved me. I thought my realtor had found us the perfect house. It was big, modern, had a great yard/view, big windows and the price was good. Bryan's colleague visited the house with his wife. Their review of the home itself was the same as mine: awe of how great it is. But, they had two interesting points. One, it was a gravel road on a hill, so if an ice storm came (it's inevitable), we'd be stranded and possibly without power for awhile since the house is outside the town limits. Two, it's fifteen to twenty minutes from campus. Too far.

Once again, my dream house has slipped between my fingers. We're 0 for 2 on houses. Cross your fingers. I'm a month from moving!! We need a house!

Moving: Step #3

When you move, you no longer need a lot of the services you pay for when you do. Today, I'm calling all of my service providers to cancel service and/or alert them to my change of address.

My list includes:
Verizon Wireless
Comcast
Peco
State Farm
Water Company
YMCA
Netflix
magazines

Additionally, if you have friends that like to write letters or mail you things, alert them, too. Give them a stop date for mailing and be sure to leave a good forwarding address with your landlord and the US Postal Service.

Lady Tips: Dinnertime

My aunt told me that if I'm running late when it's my turn to make dinner, just set the table. That way my husband thinks he'll be eating any minute, so he doesn't start complaining, which buys me some time. It's a silly trick that sounds straight out of the 1950s, but I have to admit that I've tried it a few times and it works!

Moving: Step #2

Get your supplies.

You've rid yourself of the clothes, books and kitchenware you don't need. Perfect to start packing. But wait! You need some things. Having forgotten several of these things a few times myself, this list is practical and inclusive. If I have forgotten anything, let me know in the comments.

SHOPPING/FIND-ME LIST
boxes: you need big (about ten), small (not too many of these), medium (lots of medium). Always buy more than you need. You will need more than you think.
packing tape: clear is great, but anything works. It has to be strong because you'll be taping the bottom of boxes carrying heavy things.
sharpies: I like the ones with the chisel tip because it writes thick which is helpful when we are staring into the moving truck wondering which box to grab next. Buy a few. I promise you'll lose at least one.
bubblewrap: If you have anything fragile (plates, glasses, decorations, etc), you'll want to protect it from your own clumsy moves. Like boxes, you always want more than you bought, so buy a lot initially. You can always return it if you keep the receipt and open as you go.
dolly: Moving four boxes is way easy with this. Also, you can prop a couch, a table or a mattress for easier moving. We bought a heavy duty (read: can handle a couch) dolly from Home Depot for $25. It was way worth it.
trash bags: You'll be throwing away things, but these bags are really great for big blankets, pillows and towels (why use a box!).
envelope for receipts: Moving expenses are tax deductible. Also, if your company is moving you, they might need receipts for accurate reimbursements. Plus, it's good to keep track of these costs because they can spiral out of budget fast.
cleaning supplies: You'll be cleaning everything from fridges to floors to carpets. Make sure you've got the supplies. A few bucks spent on cleaning supplies could mean saving you a hundred dollars from your security deposit.

Next up: List of Lists to Make

Moving: Step #1

Get rid of things you don't need. Better yet: if you haven't used it in a year, give it away or throw it away.

1.) Start with your closet. The things hung in the very back and the things at the very bottom of your piles are probably the things you never use. Pull them out. If they're nice, mail them to your sisters. If they're still in good condition, donate them.
2.) Hit your kitchen. There are dishes, containers and utensils that never get used. You know the ones: the spatula that is so weak that it can't even handle a pancake - toss it into your recycling. Many Goodwill stores will accept kitchen items.
3.) Check out your bookshelf. Why are you keeping so many books? Do you want to read them? Do you want to impress people? Do you have space for all of them? Loose all the books that won't impress people (basically all the books you have) and any books you wouldn't want to read again. Someone might want them. See if your local schools need library donations; if they do, donate there first. Donate the rest to Goodwill (or friends that might like them).

That should give you a good start. No use in moving things you don't even want.

I'm anti-garage sales for myself, mostly because I don't want to give up an afternoon to sit outside and haggle with neighbors over things that aren't worth anything, but I suppose you could hold a garage sale if you don't value your Saturday afternoons and you like making $10-$20, and still have to take stuff to Goodwill.

Reality hits.

A friend of mine was telling me how incredible it is that I have already lived in four states (moving to my fifth) before I have even turned 23. When she pointed it out, I realized how different my life is than my friends. I married young, moved every year and maintained friendships from each place. My girlfriends and I talk a lot about relationships and men and marriage, but we never talk about moving.

Everyone has to move. At some point in life, you have to pack up your place and move to a new place. Having experienced moving to a new place on my own five times, I will be blogging through my sixth move. I've learned so many things with each move, and by the time we get to Oklahoma, I'll be a pro.

Current Move Countdown: 55 days

Lady Tip: Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping

Everyone has to eat. Eating out is expensive. Buying packaged or frozen food is not tasty. The solution I've found for affordable, healthy, yummy eating is cooking at home. This means having a well-stocked kitchen and planning ahead. It's not that hard, and this week I'm walking my lady friends (and my male lurkers) through how to effectively and deliciously plan a week's worth of food.

This week's lunch includes:

Salad with Mexican fixin's

Tuna Salad Wraps

Peppered Turkey Breast Sandwich

This week's dinner menu includes:

Texas Chicken Taco Salad

Spicy Sausage Jumbalaya

Chicken Parmesan

Make it Yourself Calzones

Spicy Vegetable Lo Mein

Tomato Soup in a Bread Bowl with Side Salad

Breakfast for Dinner

I went to the store to buy all the ingredients. This week's protein is chicken which means you can save money and buy a club pack. Pick out however many chicken breasts you're using and store the rest in the freezer for next week. Here's a picture of all the groceries I bought, and the total cost was only $65.


If you break it down, each meal costs $5.40 and per person that's about $2.75. You can't beat that with frozen food OR by eating out (even if you go to Wendy's). And you aren't just getting cheaper food, you're getting healthier food. Each meal has at least one serving of vegetables and one serving of protein.

Here's your grocery list:

bread (whole grain if you can), two large rolls for bread bowl & wraps (whole grain if you can)

cheese: cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan (the nicest you can afford)
tortilla chips (multi grain if you can find it)

medium grain rice

pizza crust (near cookie dough; you can make your own if you like, I just never have the time)

cans: crushed tomatoes and tomato soup (I like Campbells)

spaghetti noodles (whole grain if you can)

Belgian Waffle mix

meats: bacon, andoullie sausage and chicken breasts

deli: provolone cheese (.25 lb), peppered turkey breast (.5 lb for two days)

produce: broccoli crown, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes on the vine, green pepper, zucchini

snacks: bananas, grapes, raisins, dried pineapple slices, almonds

Look for pictures and the Calzone recipe tomorrow morning. I dropped the pizza crust and it exploded open, so I'll be making that tonight.