Registration Time....Again

I get to register for my next semester classes today. I love getting my schedule figured out. I like knowing and preparing myself ahead of time of what it's going to be like each semester. After a lot of conversations, I think (I hope) we finally have it all figured out (I wish).

I am going to take:

Anatomy and it's lab

Phlebotomy

Medical Terminology

and Sociology

13 credits total.

I also figured out that I now have ALL my general education requirements for an Associate's degree. I just need elective credits...I think. I am going trying to get an appointment with an advisor to help me figure this all out. I am feeling a bit burnt out right now because it seems like I just keep taking classes and I have nothing to really show for it but a bunch of credits I may not be able to use. I will keep you updated after I talk to the advisor.

Grocery Shopping Deals

I love coupon shopping. I know there are a lot of people who get even better deals, but I am really happy with the deals I found today.

I got:

12 boxes of Chex Cereal

7 jars of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce

12 jars Skippy Peanut Butter

Between using coupons and the store specials I got 31 items total for $23.81! Less than .77 cents an item!

I just love finding deals like this.

Where I live.

I took the family up to Snow Canyon State Park last weekend. It takes us about 15 minutes to drive there. We hiked a couple of trails and had a really nice time. I was able to get some really pretty pictures. So, I decided to show you what it looks like around where I live.

Pomegranates

I love pomegranates. When I was a kid my mom would get me one pomegranate each year. (They were too expensive to get more than that.) To me, pomegranates are special. They are a treat that is fun to eat. (Beware, they stain.) They are beautiful.

Now, I have a pomegranate tree in my backyard. Each year I get to torture my children by having them help me take out each and every little, red, juicy pearl inside. We watch a movie or 4 and sit down and get tired of pomegranates really quick get busy. I then juice them using my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the fruit and vegetable strainer attachment (also great to make applesauce with.) It's awesome, I find little spots of pomegranate juice for weeks. This year we got four gallons of juice from our tree. So, I made pomegranate jelly. Lot's of pomegranate jelly. Twenty-four pints and thirty-six 8-oz jars of pomegranate jelly.

It's delicious.

Here is my recipe for pomegranate jelly:

5 Cups Pomegranate Juice

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (this helps keep out bacteria)

1 tsp. Butter (this helps keep the foam down, you'll see.)

6 1/2 Cups Sugar (preserves the jam so it doesn't rot)

1 box Powdered Pectin

1. Measure out the sugar in a separate bowl.

2. In a VERY big pot (It boils really big), start heating up the pomegranate juice on medium high heat.

3. Add in the pectin.

4. Stir until boiling.

5. Add in all the sugar.

6. Keep stirring.

7. When it comes to a full rolling boil, let it boil for one minute while you stir constantly.

8. Turn off the heat and using a spoon (it helps if the spoon is cold), dip it into the jelly and within a few second you will be able to tell if it jelled.

9. Put into jars and process jars according to whatever method you want to use, water bath canning or pressure canning.

It can take a couple of weeks for the jelly to fully form like the one above, but you can tell immediately if the jelling worked because it will look something like a thick jell. If it didn't work, you can redo the process. This SITE has great instructions for redoing the jelly.

*Make sure you use enough sugar or the jelly won't set right.

*Also, don't double the recipe or it won't work right either.

Out of one pot, I got about 7 little 8-oz jars or 4 pint jars and one 8-oz jar.

This post is linked to Grocery Cart Challenge.

A. Pain. In. The. Ass.

Each semester, about two weeks before it is time to register for our new classes, The Hubby torments me with what classes and schedule he should take. I am not talking about thinking over two or three different options. I am talking about him changing his schedule 2 or 3 times a day!

What really sucks? I can't settle on mine until his is picked. Lucky for me, I only have two options. So, he has to sort of work around that in all his craziness, but I still have to listen to him change it so often. And when I quit responding? He get upset because I'm not listening or giving him the feedback he wants.

Sigh....

At least we register next week.

Unbelievable

It's only November 3rd and I already found a radio station that is playing Christmas music! Yuck!

Sorry.

I spend a week all excited to post and then nothing for awhile. Sorry I don't have more to say. I am pretty sure everyone gets tired of reading how chaotic my life is. I want something interesting to say or something great to share with you.

Someday soon you will get something great. Something like: We are currently in the middle of making pomegranate jelly and I forgot to take pictures of the kids taking all the little seeds out of each and every pomegranate.

I really need to find where I left my camera.

A bit stressed out right now.

I have a biology test this week, a history test, and homework due for my communications class. The biggest issue I am having is finding the time to study. So, instead, I am sitting here waiting for my oatmeal to be done writing on my blog.

Study time is my hardest time to find. With working on the weekends, I want to spend the time I am home with the kids. During the week, I am homeschooling L and M (because she has to do what big brother is doing), running kids around, making meals, trying to keep the house up, etc.

I am also waiting to hear back from a job I applied for. I sure hope they call. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the place I work now. But, the new place has benefits and hours to work that would work better around my schedule.

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday a bit more.

Menu Plan Wednesday?

I have decided that each Wednesday (haha, I sure hope I keep this up) I am going to post our menu for the week. You see, our store ads come out on Tuesday but start on Wednesday. Which means, on Tuesdays I can go through the ads and see what's on sale and what I may have a coupon for. This way I can keep our food budget real low and know what to cook each day.

I am doing quite a few crock pot meals because those are the nights I either work or have school.

So, here are our dinners for the next week:

• Chili in the crock pot and Cornbread
• Toni's Pork Roast-in the crock pot
• Creamy Potato Soup-in the crock pot
• Baked Chicken
• Taco Soup-in the crock pot
• Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta
• Lasagna Rolls

If you are lucky (and I remember to), I will post recipes as I make them and hopefully a picture or two.

Cutting Back

I have so stressed out this week about money. I am currently waiting to hear back from a job I applied for so I can work full time doing 3-12 hour shifts a week. This way, it won't interfere with mine and hubby's school too much.

I am also trying really hard to find ways to cut back on spending. I feel like we already have cut back so much. It's sorta becoming depressing.

I think I am going to talk to the cable company about lowering our monthly bill. We currently pay $107. for basic cable, internet, and our phone line. I don't know if it can be lowered or if cutting cable will lower it very much, but I have to try. If we do get rid of cable, we can do Netflix, which is under $20/month. We can watch some t.v. shows online (like Grey's Anatomy! Did you know you can watch the newest episode online the day after it airs? Just go HERE!) We definitely can not get rid of internet because we need it for school. Not only ours, but the kid's school as well.

Another one is our cell phones. I LOVE texting. We have unlimited texting with our plan and two phones. We pay $115 a month. This seems outrageous to me. I think it might be time to forgo the texting and get to the absolutely cheapest plan available. (I am really going to miss my texting.) It might also be time to look at a different company. How much do you all pay and for what kind of plan?

Because of the great weather, we are finally able to keep the air conditioner off for good. In the summer it just isn't possible to keep the air conditioner off. We get to 110 degrees most of the summer! Now, we just need to keep the heat off as long as possible. It has been dropping into the 40's at night and I really hope it doesn't get much lower than that.

Hubby has been doing most of the driving to the kid's school. He takes them every morning and picks them up at least 2 or three afternoons a week. Since he drives a CNG van, I get to save my gas. He pays just under a dollar a gallon for CNG where as I have to pay $2.70ish for gas/gallon.

If anyone thinks of anything else that can save money, please let me know.