Goodwillers (a non food post)

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to shop at thriftstores.
I've definitely learned a few handy tips since I started with this whole obsession. I've randomly decided to impart on you this wisdom...... like it or not.

Anyone who has been to my house in the past 2 years will definitely be able to relate to this circumstance:

"Hey Julia, that's a cool new (insert any household object)"

Option A: "thanks, I got it at Goodwill"

Option B: " thanks, I got it for free"

Let me begin by saying that I know this is a blog about food. I am NOT talking about thrift store shopping for ingredients.
Ok, idiots are warned, let's move along....

Part One: Why Second Hand?

First, the obvious reason- it's cheaper! Well, most of the time, but we'll get to that later.
Things at thrift stores can be half the price you'd find at a department store. Plus, you can occasionally find a much better brand than what you'd find at Wal-Mart.

Second, the BIGGEST reason- it ISN'T Wal-Mart. As most people know, 99% of products from most major department stores are shipped from overseas. Wal-Mart doesn't support local communities in the way a locally owned store would. Let me point out that I'm not bashing Wal-Mart here. They've done a lot in my community to create some new jobs. I can't hate on that. What I am saying is that the money from purchases there doesn't go 100% back into our community. It goes to factories in China to buy more China-made stuff.
As Americans, we think that it's ok to just throw it out and get something new. We don't fix it, we don't replace a broken part, we just get a new one. Most people have no idea that tons of our garbage is either buried or shipped to third world countries. This is TERRIBLE. Recycle, Reuse, Reduce!

Part Two: Buying What You Need (and only what you need)

The rule of Lists: don't go to a thrift store just to browse. Have at least one thing that you're looking for.
If you go in just to look, you'll come out with something you definitely don't need. I have two lists on my fridge. The first one is for ingredients (because you can't buy fresh bananas at goodwill). The second is for things that I'd like or need that I'd prefer to buy second hand. 

Part Three: Knowing Junk from Treasures

One of the biggest mistakes a frugalist in training can make is buying junk and thinking "well, I only paid $5 for it, so it's ok!
Now you're $5 poorer and have some random object that you're gonna have to throw out in a week. DON'T FALL PREY TO THIS! Look for things that match the color scheme in your house, or that you know you'll actually wear. Don't buy that wine glass just because it says the word "Dalmatian" on it.

Part Four: Prices, Prices, Prices

Paying $30 for a used pair of socks would be crazy, right? But a beginner thrifty would fall for this. The reason being that you are too focused on the fact that it's second hand, and you found these cool socks, so it's obviously a good deal. Play "The Price is Right" with yourself every time you thrift shop. Think about how much you'd normally pay, and compare it to the price you're thinking about paying. Having a smartphone is really handy, because you can compare online prices aswell. Also, Never be afraid to ask the employees to change a price. And ALWAYS check over whatever you're buying for scratches, holes, etc. If they are in any way damaged, decided if they're worth asking a lower price for.

So let's go over this again..
-Make a list
-Don't buy things you don't need
-Check the quality before you check out

I hope this helps next time you shop. Believe me, when I first started extreme thrift store shopping, I was a mess. Everything I've learned, I've learned through trial and error. Never be afraid to leave a thrift store empty handed! Keep a level head and remember that no matter how much money you have...
"A penny saved is a penny earned!"

Well,  there you have it. Go out and save some money!
And please, feel free to share any thoughts and tips from your own thrift store shopping experiences.

Coming up next.....

Online shopping - why pay whole when you can literally pay half?

Super fantastic spicy sausage biscuits and gravy

4 servings

1 pack of Jimmy Dean sausage
1/2 cup of flour
4 cups of milk
Salt
Pepper

Biscuits.... any kind. I usually use the Pillsbury kind.

Brown the sausage in a medium size sauce pan. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and stir it in until it basically disappears. Add in the milk and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-7 minutes until it starts to thicken. Turn on low and stir until it's as thick as you prefer. Pour over the biscuits and put some salt and pepper on top. Serve hot!

Baked Apple Pancake Soufflé

I've been doing a lot of searching for the perfect apple pancake recipe.. this is the best I've found. I use an 8" ceramic frying pan. Also, make sure the batter is all mixed really well before you put it in the pan!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients: 2 1/2 tablespoons butter,divided 3 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 pound) 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces) 3/4 cup fat-free milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 large egg whites

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple and 2 tablespoons sugar to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat,and cook 5 minutes or until browned,stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, tipping pan quickly until butter coats sides of pan. Pour melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar into a blender. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour and remaining ingredients to blender; process until smooth. Pour batter into prepared skillet. Top evenly with apple mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

I usually add some cinnamon to the top right before I bake it. Also, if you put a little bit of maple syrup on top when its about halfway through baking, the edges will be a little bit crispier.

Apple Crisp

I've made a few apple crisps in my time, so I finally decided to create my own recipe and make it way better...
Basically pretty simple, I just use honey instead of sugar.

-3 cups of apples (sliced thin)
-2 cups of granola
-1/2 cup of butter
-2 tablespoons of cinnamon
-2 tablespoons of honey
-1/2 tablespoon of flour

Preheat oven to 375°. In an oven friendly medium size frying pan on low heat, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Mix in granola and flour. Let cook for 5 minutes or until the granola is toasted. Put granola into a bowl and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in pan with the honey. Add the apples, flour, and cinnamon and let cook on med for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dump the granola on top and put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If you prefer the granola super crunchy,  cook it longer(duh..).

Serve warm with french vanilla ice cream. No exceptions......

Home Made Pizza Pockets

These are perfect for when my husband travels. They freeze extremely well! His coworkers are pretty jealous whenever he brings them to work for lunch.

What you'll need:

-pillsbury crescent rolls(1 or 2 containers)

-2 cups of marinara sauce

-1 pack pepperoni slices

-3 cups of grated cheese

-saran wrap

Directions:

preheat oven to 350°. Open the container of crescent rolls. Place 3 on the saran wrap, 2  squares with the seams making an 'X' in the middle of the saran wrap. cover with the other half of the saran wrap and roll the dough out to about 1/4'' thick. fill with about 2/3 cups of cheese, 4 tablespoons of marinara sauce, and pepperoni. roll up the dough and put a tiny bit of cheese and 2 pieces of pepperoni on top. Cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool down and enjoy!

Beefy Cheesey Mac

Not my recipe- a recipe from my wonderful Mommy.

I'm working on translating my recipes from "a bunch of this and a handful of this and just a whole thing of this" to "a cup of this, a tablespoon of that..."
I'm a firm believer that recipes should be changed and altered to what you like. Most of my recipes are taken from someone else and changed to what I (or my husband) like. If you don't like a type of cheese, or the texture, change it!

What you'll need:

- a jar of marinara sauce
- 4 cups of macaroni or penne
- 3 cups of your favorite cheese
-1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb of ground beef

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Brown ground beef in a large sauce pan. Boil about 6 cups of water, stir in pasta. Boil for 8-11 minutes, drain.  Mix pasta, 2 cups of cheese, ground beef, and marinara sauce in large bowl. Put mixture into 9x13 pan. Spread the remaining cup of cheese(including parmesan)on top of pasta mixture. Cook for half an hour, then let sit at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

CHEESE: I usually use cheddar and mozzarella cheese- freshly grated is best. Use whatever cheese you prefer- and use as much as you like!

Usually, I'd serve garlic bread and a salad on the side. My husband won't touch the salad(go figure). This is a high calorie meal, and it freezes really well!

Bacon with a sweet twist

Speaking of super simple recipes..
I absolutely love bacon. Nothing could make it better, right? Wrong!

Apple Caramelized Bacon
cook time: 20-40 minutes.

-Thick sliced bacon (at least 2 peices per.   person

- Brown sugar (2 tablespoons per person)

- 1 quarter apple per person (sliced thin)

Directions:
In a large skillet(non stick is best), lay the bacon flat and cook on low for 5 minutes. When the bacon is warm, spread one tablespoon of brown sugar on each peice of bacon. Spread apple slices around on top of bacon. Let it cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then flip and cook for another 19-15 minutes. Put it all on a plate and serve warm!

Note: the longer you let it cook, the better it will taste! If you're rushed for time, turn up the heat but keep a close eye on the sugar, it will burn fast.