Every year Mrs. Hillbilly spends about 3 days making her famous amaretto cheesecakes for THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. It’s insane. So yesterday I went over to Mrs. HB’s house to get her recipe and to photograph how she made her delicious cheesecakes, so I could share the recipe with you. We also exchanged Christmas presents as well.
As soon as she opened her door I greeted her with a loud Merry Christmas, and handed her her unwrapped present. Flour sack towels and an Emile Henry loaf pan. I thought it was the perfect gift since she had recently started to dabble in bread making.
Plus I made sure to point out it would be the perfect pan to bake something in and give to SOMEONE ELSE. And then I fessed up and told her I got it for free with some credit from One Kings Lane. LOL.
Do you do that? Do you tell people how much you paid for their gift if you got an awesome freakin’ deal on it? Why is that? What’s wrong with us? It’s so tacky, but it’s like we have no filter and we are just as excited about how much we {didn’t} pay for something, as we are to give the gift. Clearly none of us went to finishing school.
Mrs. Hillbilly gifted me 2 gallons of Organic Milk. Holy Cow!
It was awesome. Milk, for Christmas. Who does that, and for that matter, who on earth would love to receive 2 gallons of milk for Christmas? Crazy people I tell you. Crazy people.
Then Mrs. HB went on to tell me she was embarrassed that she paid $5.39 a gallon for the milk. What? $5.39? Where did you buy it… at a gas station? It was total awesomeness.
After that we got to work making {and photographing} cheesecakes, assembling cake boxes, drinking cocoa, and eating ham sandwiches. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. Good friends, good food, and good craic as the Irish would say.
What did YOU do yesterday? Anything fun?
~Mavis
JJ Ordway says
I’d love to do that! What a perfect day!
MaryW says
I worked. Gotta pay the bills. I already made my 13 different kinds of candy and gave it out.
Mavis says
Homemade candy rules! Very nice. 🙂
Christina D. Davis says
awww, I have that ‘glitch’ as well. “Guess how much I DIDN’T pay for this?!?!!” lol. I wouldn’t mind if Santa brought organic milk for me!
Christina D. Davis says
…and yesterday I went to my daughters school to see what had been brought in for her class party on Friday (I am ‘head room parent). She is in first grade, one of twenty children in her class. I left the building and just bawled in my car reading the surprise notes and pictures they’ve written and drawn for their teacher. My heart is broken over what happened in CT last Friday…
aside from that, I went to Michaels and the girls picked out some things for their teachers. oh! and I had an amazing coupon adventure at the grocery store…. Cracker Barrel cheese for $1, Baileys creamer for .16 cents, and refrigerated Immaculate Baking Co. products for $1.50 each.
Erin Kerbs says
Milk! Yay! 🙂
Heather J. says
I totally wish you were my neighbor. We would have so much fun!!!
Margaret Bushee says
Cheesecake for everyone??? Mrs. Hillbilly rocks!!!
Mavis says
Yes she does.
Annabel Lee says
I worked 9-4:30, then stopped at home to see if everyone was doing as supposed to, then off to church from 6-8:30 to work in the library. Normally then I go to grocer because Wednesday is double coupons but didn’t need anything. Then made pecan bourbon tarts, they are like little mini pecan pies in a cream cheese crust. Got home before the snow started. Has been falling since. Everything now closed.
I don’t think I would want to know the price of a gift and I probably would not tell someone how much I paid for something.
Tracey says
Lol that is so awesome. I get excited about good deals too.
Sakura says
Mavis if you move next door to me I will gift you 3 gallons of milk! 🙂 And I will find a way to use coupons on them and tell you about it!!!
Susan says
I totally blurt out how much I “didn’t” pay if it is my Kids or Grandkids! They know how I am . LOL!
I have my youngest GD here for the week. Yesterday we set up the tree (fake-a-roo) and she decorated for me. I put on the lights-she did everything else. Kind of a tradition with us.
Then we went to a Japanese restaurant for lunch – Mokoto – her favorite. Stopped at Papa Murphy’s to pick up pizza on the way home for dinner. A fun day!! 🙂
carrie says
$5.39 for organic milk sounds like a great deal. The cheapest I can find in NH is 5.99. And I buy 5 gallons of milk a week and still run out sometimes. (3 boys, 14,12 & 6 The older two are 6’6″ and 6′ so they eat a lot.) I should get a cow, then I could give milk for Christmas.
Love you site, I learn something every time I stop by.
Annabel Lee says
Name brand organic milk here in the store is about $6.50 and the store brand is about $5.50.
Ann T. says
I had a feeling she might gift you milk. Good friends are a blessing to have!
Yesterday I homeschooled the kids and made Chocolate Snickerdoodle cookies.
Mavis says
Chocolate snicker doodles? Yum!
Chelsea says
5.39 for milk from cows who graze freely on grass instead of a being locked in a crate their whole life on a factory farm is for sure worth it… i feel like you always dismiss good organic food like its “too expensive” when there are soo many reasons to buy healthy organic foods.
Mavis says
I don’t feel like I “dismiss” good organic food because it is too expensive. It’s more like I grow so much of our own food, I have sticker shock when I hear prices of what everyday people pay for “real food.”
Maybe once I get a litter more honed in on my grocery budget we will make the switch.
My family has come a loooooong, loooong way from filling to cart 75% processed food to where we are today.
🙂
Susan Robinson says
I can see in how long I have followed you that you are really evolving in what you purchase. Not so much processed foods as before. And it is a journey. None of us are born at that perfect place where we only eat pure foods. You are doing great, my dear! Your posts are truly one of the highlights of my day. I, too, wish you lived next door! I could be Groovy Granny and would love to pamper you, HH, Girl, and Monkey Boy. Did I convince you to move??
Heidi says
You couldn’t have stated it better:) Mavis has inspired me in soooo many ways. I’m gardening more and more efficiently, canning, baking, and cooking so many more homemade dinners. Because of Mavis’ inspiration I am able to do so much more then before with my budget dollars. I’ve also loved watching the evolution unfold. I feel as if I too have evolved and I will always be grateful to Mavis. She is and will forever be my girl scout troop leader :)’
Jennifer Jo says
I want to be there with you!!!
Roo says
I have a horrible habit of telling everyone what I paid for everything. I get it. At a wedding a couple months ago every time someone complimented my outfit I had to tell them it was $15 including the jewelry. And I’d say to myself NEXT TIME just say thank you. But I’d do it again. I can’t stop myself.
Lisa says
I love how both of you told each other what you paid for the gifts you gave to one another! haha! But the best thing is that you both knew what each other really could USE for Christmas! Perfect!!!
Marcy says
When the kids were younger we’d go to my girlfriends house and make what felt like thousands of Christmas cookies! Now at almost 17 they can’t be ‘bothered’ but she and I still do it. We just do it with bottles of wine on the side…LOL!
Not sure about anyone else but I noticed this month that COSTCO raised the price of milk by .50 cents. Doesn’t seem like much but it went from $5.96 to $6.49. Sigh. Three teenagers go through on average 6 gallons of milk, that’s a lot of money a month for milk! Maybe I need a cow also…
Danielle O says
I totally tell people how much I spend… I know my friends & family know we are struggling to get out from under some hefty student loan debts & they feel guilty for taking things from us — So telling them that I got their stuff for free… nearly free… extremely cheap…. clearaned to the point they might as well of given it to me free… or with giftcards I acquired when buying things I normally would buy anyway, it relieves some of that tension.
Leanna says
Yay! She gave you milk. Now you only have 11 days. Mix that powdered stuff in to make it last.
Desi says
Way to go Mrs HB. Your such a sweet neighbor. Love both gifts.!!!
jess h says
I worked. Then I went to Farm fresh to do some grocery shopping. They are having a double coupon event up to $2 coupons for the weekend!! 20 limit per day! But they had a couple other really good deals! My bill went from $93 to $48!!!!! And I brought home BAGS of stuff!! The price of milk makes me happy I can’t drink it! Coconut and Soy are expensive enough!!
Then I used a gift certificate for JCP from one of the pins from a previous visit for a free ornament and decorative gift bag. Then I used my stock of Target gift cards from recent deals for my co-workers christmas gifts!! And when we got home, my boyfriend made diner and unloaded the groceries and even brought me a glass of wine and told me to relax and watch my tv shows! It was pretty awesome!!
Jen J says
Mavis – I thought you would enjoy this… someone in Richmond, VA is giving away FREE milk
http://richmond.craigslist.org/zip/3491678453.html
It’s not organic and it’s whole milk (which is a big yuck for me), but it’s FREE.
Question is, would you go get it??
Mavis says
So awesome!
Carol says
I used to spill on my cool way of getting gifts, until I saw a hurt look in my Avon Lady’s eyes. Since then, unless it is my husband or son (who has taught me in couponing) I keep it to myself……
How great Mrs. Hillbilly and you know each other so well as to what the other needs/wants….good friends are a treasure!
MaMaLaLa says
Milk (Organic) is very expensive, but tastes tons better! What a great gift you gave and a great gift you received. 🙂
Lissa says
My guess is that if the people who spend a lot on milk actually buy a cow– and feed it, and clean up after it, and house it and milk it….$5 or $6 per gallon will seem like the deal of the century! Happy Holidays everyone! Stay sane! (I’m trying)
Sara says
Yesterday was very busy work, on my lunch had to run to the high school to turn in the FFA money for the fruit and meat boxes, “my wonderful son said he would get extra points if it were turned in on Thursday” text received at 9am. I love that boy. So I did. Desided I needed to take a few hours off early…so I did. Went to the meat market to pick up my order…ham, bacon, chops. We are all set. I buy local. Then off to coupon. My son works for three farmers wives who lost their husbands. He feeds live stock. And whatever they ask him to do. He does say those women are the very hardest working he has ever seen. So down to the farms for two hours while he feeds.
Ms. Hillbilly I love you!!!! What a great friend Mavis to have. They are few and far between.
Stacey says
Kindred spirits who appreciate getting good deals won’t mind if you let them know that’s how you got their gift. I’m all for people getting the best deals possible when buying for me! Organic milk for Christmas and cheesecake for the neighborhood? I’m glad you have a neighbor who sounds as awesome as you.