Is it Monday already? Wow. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. Now that summer vacation is finally here, it’s hard not to want to sit around all day in my pajamas and drink tea.
Here is a re-cap of the things I picked up last week.
On Saturday The Girl and I stopped by The Garden Sphere in Tacoma to meet up with The Queen to do some trading. But before we could get down to business, she told me about how the store was giving away a FREE CHICKEN. When she first told me about it, I thought they were having a raffle or something, but it wasn’t like that at all.
The deal was, get the cranky chicken out of the cage and you got to take it home. Well, to make a long story short, The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird, reached in, grabbed the chicken, and held on for dear life.
And then we drove around the city of Tacoma with a cranky chicken in a box for the next two hours while we toured {of all things} chicken coops. It was freakin’ hilarious. But what was even funnier, was when we brought the chicken home, the HH didn’t even bat an eye.
It’s official. We have traumatized the man.
Okay, so back to shopping. Last week was all about bartering for me. I ended up trading the Queen Bee 2 pounds of sugar snap peas and a bag of concrete for…
12 rolls of toilet paper, 2 tins of anchovies, 2 jars of sprinkles, 1 can of pumpkin and 6 fortune cookies.
I don’t know about you, but I totally drive around with concrete and fresh vegetables in the back of my car ALL THE TIME just hoping I’ll run into someone who wants to trade with me. Don’t you?
Seriously, I don’t know why that show Barter Kings hasn’t called me yet. I could totally trade my way to a free trip to Spain or something. After all, I’m part Pilgrim. I’ve got skills. Serious skills people. Not only can I clean and dress a wild turkey in 4 minutes flat, but I can milk a cow too. That’s got to be worth something, right? Why isn’t the phone ringing?
Earlier in the week I needed sour cream for a batch of broccoli soup. But I didn’t have any, so I called Mrs. Hillbilly. I ended up trading her 1 box of Garden Delight pasta for 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 bacon wrapped grilled shrimp, and 3 macadamia nut Hershey kisses.
At some point I also traded her for some Mayo and 2 sponges, but I can’t remember what I gave her in return.
Then on Saturday, my neighbor Girly Girl called and wanted me to plant some seeds for her {because apparently her arms, legs, and the legs and arms of her husband and children are broken too}. So I traded my neighbors Girly Girl and Chino the Handyman 1 hour worth of my mad gardening skills and some seeds for 1 giant bag of candy.
Which I totally needed because I have been without candy for some time now and have been craving it like you would not believe. Hey Chino, if you are reading this, I noticed there was a small tear in the upper left hand corner of my bag of candy, and there are 2 pieces missing. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Huh?
I don’t know where he got it, but the Handsome Husband came home with 3 salmon filets and a giant vacuum sealed package of smoked salmon chunks. What on earth am I suppose to do with 5 pounds of smoked salmon chunks? Seriously, the guy brings home the most random stuff.
Oh, and then there was the normal stuff…
Costco – $13.78
Sharing Spree – $10 for $20 worth of Oroweat Bread Company Credit. Word on the street is you can get a BOAT LOAD of {yummy} bread for super cheap. I haven’t used the certificates yet, but I plan on using them later this week.
I still haven’t gotten around to going to Albertsons to do my double coupon shopping yet. But we need milk, so maybe I’ll go later today. If you went, what did you buy? Anything good?
Total Spent This Week $23.78
Total Spent This Year $707.41
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $473.47
Total “Seed Money” donations received $8.00
So what’s new with you?
Did you bring home any random crap stuff this week?
The Art of Barter: How to Trade for Almost Anything
Lisa says
So I’m helping a customer and hear one irritated chicken bawk bawking and this girl walks in with miss cranky pants chicken and asks, “do you have a box?” Why yes! Yes I do have a box. Please take the bird. Then I go outside and see this lady with dark rimmed glasses and think to myself, “hey! it’s Mavis!” Then I totally don’t say hi. I missed my shot.
I’m glad you took miss cranky. Hopefully The Girl will have better luck with her than her previous owner. I should have sent you with the rooster too. Miss Cranky really wants to be a mama.
Mavis says
She has been renames Crazy Fat. Since out other black birds are names black fatty and baby fat, crazy fat seemed fitting. We just tossed her in with the other birds and she is doing great. If you have anymore wayward HENS, let me know. We’ll come pick them up. No roosters though. We don’t want any stinkin’ boys.
🙂
Lisa says
I’ll keep you in mind if any more hens find their way in. It doesn’t happen very often. I took the previous one home myself. We mostly get boys. They make tasty tasty dinners.
Mavis says
Ha Ha!
Jennifer Jo says
Your husband brings home some smoked salmon and you bring home an alive chicken and YOU’RE accusing HIM of bringing home the most random stuff? Something doesn’t make sense here!
Mavis says
So… do you have a recipe for smoked salmon? Huh?
Jennifer Jo says
Of course not. My husband doesn’t bring home smoked salmon. Duh.
Heidi says
You had a great week. Chicken stuff galore, free child labor, bartering & salmon!
I shop at our local Oroweat outlet here in Lake Oswego Oregon almost weekly and a loaf of bread is $1. Super cheap. I made bread at home yesterday and it’s almost not worth the effort when you can buy it for $1.
LaToya says
I’m trying to barter, but striking out severely. Need to re-work my ad on craigslist. The people that I know in real life are just not the bartering or smart type. Except for this one – working on an exchange for some coupons to get me some free stuff.
Speaking of free stuff…I’m sure you’re going to score this one too – but I did the moneymaking/free soy sauce and beef at Albies. 30 bottles of soysauce and what, 10 packages of free beef. And then I double at Walmart too where I got free Planters products, free red wine vinegar, free baby food (to use for bartering), free Curad products and more. Got a bunch of free. But I am severely itching to barter, dangit!
LaToya says
And do you actually watch Barter Kings? I love that show. Almost as much as those idiots on Extreme Couponing with all those manufacturer free coupons that they get just for being on the show, but whatev. Anyway – last week on BK was hilarious with the guitar and when the guy kept saying the NAPPI NAKI or whatever that was. Makes no sense if you didn’t see it – LOL
Mavis says
I’ve seen clips of it on your tube… I’m too cheap to pay for cable. I’m telling you, I need to be on that show. You and me both LaToya…
lili says
I agree..Mavis, you need to have your own reality show.
Kerry C says
My husband brought home frozen pheasant. I have no idea what to do with that. I think I now have 3 in the freezer. One of these days soon, I’m going to thaw one out and figure out how to cook it.
Btw, I accidentally clicked last on the page numbers of your blog on Saturday. I have read up to page 80. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog (even those first 2 years.) I would love to have space you have and the chickens. I have a tiny little garden because I have a tiny little yard. One day I will have chickens!
Mavis says
Eeek! Frozen Pheasant? Yikes! I thought I had it bad lol…. What does one do with a pheasant?
Heather says
🙂 It tastes like chicken…LOL! (Otherwise use it to barter for something that you “really want” I say!)
Kerry C says
I really need to figure out what to do with it.
Kerry C says
My husband says he doesn’t like chicken, but maybe since he brought it home he will actually eat it. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anyone to barter with me except my mom who won’t want pheasant.
Kari says
As for pheasant, cook it in your crockpot on low covered with cream of chicken soup. The drippings and soup will make a yummy gravy to use over mashed potatoes or rice. I’ve cooked lots of “mystery meat” this way, and it turns out great every time!
CathyB says
My boy’s first hunting success was pheasant, so I had to figure out how to cook it, and how to make it taste good. I only used the breast meat, thoroughly clean it (look really well for pieces of shot, if it was shot), and I cut into smaller pieces, seasoned and wrapped each piece in bacon. Then I just pan fried it on all sides until it and the bacon was done. It was really delicious. I figured, anything tastes pretty good with bacon, right?
I actually grew up with a hunting dad, eating a pheasant or two every now and then. I think the hardest thing about pheasant is that they get really dry if overcooked. Otherwise you really can treat them pretty much like chicken breast. Pheasants are in the same overall family as chickens, so it sorta makes sense. Just really do look closely for the buckshot – it can ruin your meal to bite into a piece of it.
Patti says
Mavis, get the free after doublers vinegar at Alb’s. I got some to try the spray your weeds with vinegar idea.
Looks like you had a great week! Funny about the chicken. And today I was in our Winco and saw some wine called “Monkey Boy”. Thought of you and your fam. Did you know there was a wine named that??
Jamie says
I doubled the Lindsay olive coupons in the albi booklet. My kids looove olives!!!
hunnybunny says
We love smoked salmon scampi! Our youngest can’t have shellfish so it was our, let’s try it meal and we all really enjoyed it with broccoli. I am jealous of your coast, we live in Alaska for a few years and I *miss* the salmon (amongst many other things so much).
Great bartering this week, I need to start attempting that because you are inspiring.
Lynn says
You will love Oroweat…I bought 5 of the deals. I shop there once a month and fill my freezer full of tortillas, breads and desserts for super cheap. I look forward to hearing about your experience there.
Helen in Meridian says
Tell He Who Needs New Vans that he looks like one strong long legged hunk. How do you split the 3 Hershey Macadamia Kisses up for 4 people? I am still worrying about that one lonely brussel sprout from last week’s spoils. I decided your gnome could use it like a cabbage.
Mavis says
Oh Helen, I’m surprised. How does one split 2 macadamia but Hershey kisses between 3 people? YOU EAT THEM BEFORE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR. :)What they don’t know can’t hurt them.
CathyB says
Multnomah Falls Restaurant makes this fabulous smoked salmon omelet. It has been a long time since I had one, so I can’t remember exactly, but I think that the filling was cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon and green onions. Topped with cheese and some more flakes of smoked salmon. If you are an omelet family, you might give it a try.
Kim Everett says
I barter random things for farm fresh eggs and we also know a guy who as a coffee stand who roasts his own coffee that we barter with.