Frugal Tips for the Great Recession

Abigail and Dolley readers so many folks are hurting these days, it hardly merits a mention.  Part of me would love to go into a hell fire and brimstone "sermon" regarding the policies and circumstances that have gotten us in this mess but alas, in large part I would be yelling down a well.  If you care to understand, you know.

As such, many find they are doing more with less and my household is no different.  We have all, no doubt, become more frugal and this not necessarily a bad thing.  Here are some of the ways we have tightened our belts:

Personal Care:

Home Hair Color - the secret to a professional and or natural look is to select a color that is flattering to your complexion.  The most important trick, Ladies, is to put the color on your roots, let sit for about 20 minutes, and then with a pick or a wide toothed comb, comb out the color to the ends.  Let it process another 5 minutes or so.  This creates wonderful highlights and lowlights and you avoid that all over monochromatic look that screams, "Bad Dye Job, right out of the box!"

Cornstarch - I have to admit I discovered this one out of near penury... I ran out of my oh so wonderful, Bare Minerals Mineral Veil and was in dire need of some powder.  I dusted on some Johnson's Baby Cornstarch with my powder brush and low and behold I did not shine for 12 hours.  I now use it over my moisturizer every day and the oil and shine control rock.

Food

Groceries are on the rise and one of the biggest ways I have combated a run away grocery bill is by shopping at Aldi.  The prices are good, the quality is great, and the savings really add up.

Turkey - I love turkey lunch meat and I know I am not alone in that regard.  It is the number one selling lunch meat in America.  The processed stuff is vile and the high end stuff will run you as much at 9.99/lb.  Trader Joe's sells Kosher, vegetarian feed, split turkey breast with bone and skin on.  I roast one every Sunday afternoon and we have great turkey for the week.  At $3.99/lb its a cost savings and a quality bonanza.

So there are the Abigail and Dolley frugal tips of the day.  Thanks for reading!

Tropical Spinach

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been reading about the wonders of Coconut Oil .  So in an effort to clean up my diet and get healthy, I bought some at Trader Joe's this weekend. I also bought some organic baby spinach. Tonight, I decided to combine these two and a few other powerhouse foods and the result was great.

1 tbsp Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
1 lemon - zested and juiced
Grated Ginger root
Pinch of red pepper
Salt and Pepper
1 bag of fresh organic Spinach

Combine all of the ingredients except the spinach in a large skillet or chef's pan.  Cook over medium heat until the content becomes aromatic.  Add the spinach and toss - don't overcook, this should take about a minute or two.  Enjoy!

Insulin Resistance is My Enemy

Abigail and Dolley readers I have insulin resistance.  As such, I am in the company of roughly 1/4 of the adult population.  This number is even higher in adults over 50, one study showed that 47% had some level of insulin resistance.  Several years ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS/Insulin resistance.  I tell my story in this blog post called Redistributing the Weight .  I am sad to say, that I have gained back 30 pounds of the original 45 pounds I lost in 2008.  It came back slowly, it took four years, but at about a half a pound per month here we are again.

Now this is not for lack of trying, this is not for lack of noticing, this has not come as a shock to me.  To my utter discouragement and dismay, I have not been able to turn the weight loss engine back on.  Near starvation and tremendous exercise have not kick started the engine.  All of the things I did last time have not worked for me.  I have thrown up my hands in disgust and in many ways had given up.

A few things have happened in the last few months, first I discovered that I do not have PCOS, I am just plain old insulin resistant.  Now that may not seem like a big deal but it actually is because PCOS is out of my control but insulin resistance is not.  Second, none of my clothes fit.  Third, we have engaged a personal trainer.

We've been working out a week and I have been trying to watch what I eat on my own.  I lost a whopping 1 pound... yeah!  ( I am being sarcastic here...)  So I challenged myself and my trainer to design a diet and exercise regime that is going to turn on the weight loss engine and get my body and my health back.  We've come up with a tough program of whole foods, lean grilled protein, lots of veggies, and low sugar fruits.  No white flour, corn, rice, potatoes, cake, cookies, ice cream, chocolate... I have to eat 6 times a day and will ration out my metformin from twice a day to four times a day right before meals.

I will let you know how things are going as time moves forward. Wish me luck kind readers, I hope over the course of the next few months I am sharing my success with you.

If you think you may have this condition, I encourage you to do the research, get to your doctor and get this monster under control.   This YouTube Channel has a ton of great information insulin resistance.