It's All in the Name (How I Named my Blog - Part II)

Hours, days, weeks, endless searching for just the right name.  What do I want to write about?  Will I be able to come up with good content?  Will I be consistent about posting?  All good questions, and no perfect answer (see previous post on the quote of the week).  Everything I thought of was either taken (the good ones always are), or it didn't describe what I had in mind.  I wanted to write on a variety of topics, but still it needed focus and direction.  I bounced ideas off my husband, and he would say that sounds like....OK, so I would switch gears and take off in another direction.  How about this?  Oh, that sounds like...  Frustration was setting in and I asked if I was just trying too hard.  Probably!  When you find the right one, you'll know it.  Well, guess what?  He was right, and roses2rainbows was born.  It springs from the evening spent at Reynolda Gardens, a walk among the roses and the rainbow we saw when the sun came out.  Good times, good friends, makes the world go 'round, and helped name my blog.

Quote of the Week

I like interesting quotes.  Some are profound, some self-reflective, some wise, and some are just funny.  Here is one my husband heard recently.  I don't know the author.

Don't let best become the enemy of better.  

Gives us something to think about doesn't it?  We get so caught up in trying to be the best that we forget to just enjoy the moment.

The Wines of North Carolina

Michael Hastings, from the Winston-Salem Journal, writes a series of wine reviews of called "Uncorked - North Carolina Wine of the Month".  Today's edition features McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks in Thurmond, NC.  The featured wine is the 2008 McRitchie Chardonnay Foggy Mountain Vineyard.  Go here for the complete review.

I haven't had the opportunity to taste this wine yet.  If you have, please share your thoughts in the comment section.

This wine is available locally at City Beverage.

Some Interesting Coupon Facts

Here are some coupon facts from yesterday's Rachel Ray show:

• The highest coupon use comes from people making $75,000/year or more.
• The lowest coupon use comes from people making $25,000/year or less.
• Only 1% of the $400 billion in coupons printed are ever redeemed.

Does this make any sense to you?  I'm sure we'd all like to save money, whether it's from a need to tighten our belts, to save for that special trip (I'm thinking Italy), donate more to charity or to just have a more secure financial feeling.

There is a time commitment involved in clipping coupons, searching out internet printable coupons and matching them with the best sale or coupon event.  Once you've done the initial work of stockpiling some coupons, locating and bookmarking the internet coupon sites and blogs, what's left is to read, make your list and shop.  You can even get a sneak preview of upcoming coupon inserts and sales fliers before they come out in the paper.  Now get out there and save money!


(Thanks hip2save)

What's for Dinner?

Who all likes to eat?  That's a no-brainer.  Now that I've got your attention, who likes to cook?  OK, but do you like to spend hours whipping up a meal that'll be devoured in 10 minutes?  Not if you're like me.  Now sometimes I like to do something special, but here I'm talking about everyday, got to put dinner on the table, cooking.

Tonight I'm fixing cubed steak on the grill.  This is yummy stuff.  I get the angus cubed steak from Harris Teeter, and they know how to do it right.  No gristle or stringy stuff.  Just good meat.  Well, what I'm about to tell you isn't going to make any sense, but it's what I do.  I take a meat mallet and (gently) whack the stuffin' out of it.  But you say it's cubed already.  Right, but what I do is make it thinner and more even.  It cooks on a hot grill in under 2 minutes. 

To keep this quick, I opened a can of green beans, and sliced some potatoes and onions.  When everything is ready, I'll throw on the steak, turn it over and take it off.  Done!

Microwave some yeast rolls, pour some wine and you're good to go.

Reynolda Gardens (How I Named my Blog - Part I)

It was about 4 p.m. and we had just gotten back from shopping, running errands, etc. and there was a message on our machine.  Some friends of ours were going to Reynolda Gardens later and wondered if we'd like to join them for ice cream and a walk through the rose garden.  Skipping ahead, they picked us up around 6:00 and off we went.  They surprised us with a picnic instead of just ice cream.

We decided to park at their church across the street where there were outside tables.  Now I must be the only human on planet earth who doesn't like "homegrown tomatoes" or tomatoes from anywhere for that matter.  Ketchup, spaghetti, etc. fine, love it, fresh tomatoes...eeewwww.  So my picnic was crackers, chips, and dip, while everyone else dug into tomato sandwiches.  Well almost everyone, there was one other human not consuming tomatoes, but then he's 5, and a picky eater thus far.

We had showers earlier, but I hoped we would be rain-free for our outing.  We were just about done eating when the sky opened up.  Fortunately the tables also came with umbrellas!  Most of us stayed dry except their 5-year old who delighted in getting as absolutely wet as possible.  Stand back I think he's going to shake.  Mom, of course, brought him a change of clothes.  They think of everything don't they?  (All my kids have 4 legs and fur - see the picture of  "my little boy" on the left.)  He's another story for another day.
 
Moving along, as we started through the garden, the sun came out bringing with it the most beautiful rainbow - actually a double rainbow, with repeating bands below it.  I'd never seen anything like it.  We took cellphone pictures, and went on and on about it.  I think that was indeed the highlight of the evening.  Oh, and the roses were pretty, too,  Good times, good friends, makes the world go 'round.

Day 2

Well, this is the second day, and it is definitely still in the experimental stages.  I am figuring out how to make things look and function the way I want.  Some things I may leave in, others may be deleted until I get a feel for what works and what doesn't.  Also the look may change...again, as I play around with the formatting.  Hang in there, and we'll all get settled in eventually.

Welcome

Welcome to my world.  I thought it was time to let the rest of the world in on my thoughts and ideas.  From time to time I will be posting on such topics as saving money (especially through the use of coupons), food and wine, sharing recipes, local events, environmental issues, and anything else that crosses my mind.  I hope you will check in and see what's going on in my world.

Let's Feed America!

It was another successful day at the grocery store Friday. Harris Teeter has a triple coupon promotion going on this week. I scored several freebies and some more really good deals, most of which are going to the Food Bank. They are in extreme need of donations, both food and financial. September is Hunger Action Month, and there are donations boxes all around town, including my YMCA.

Their most-needed shopping list includes: lean protein, whole grain and pasta products, and canned meats, vegetables and fruits. My collection includes cereals, pasta, rice, peanuts, peanut butter, jelly, canned beans & fruit.

Here is a link to the full list.