Frugal Fun for your Christmas Day Celebration

The Knoxville area money saving momma bloggers are back with another great post for holiday preparation. This one is from Isha at Knoxville Mamabelle: Frugal Fun for your Christmas Day Celebration.

She describes her family tradition for creating laughter and special memories on Christmas morning. My mom is the only one who can play the piano. Maybe we can talk her into playing a few songs for us and giving each person a part of a song to sing. We'll probably read a portion from the advent book from church as we light all five candles.

I like the idea of doing a craft as well. I saw a great idea in December Family Fun magazine about gathering all the miscellaneous packaging from toys and then making a robot out of it (or whatever creative ideas come to mind). All those annoying twist ties on kid toys will finally have a purpose!

We also like making snowflakes, but hers look seriously intimidating! They are gorgeous though!

What are your favorite Christmas morning traditions?

Thank you to all the women who have contributed posts for this series. I believe we still have two left; so check back again next week: Coupon Katie, Coupon Mommie,Couponing in Critical Times,Coupons Are Money, Frugalissa Finds,Frugally Farming Family,Knoxmoms.com, Knoxville Mamabelle,Knoxville on a Dime, Sharing Savings with You.

Living off the Land

Coming from a long line of farmers, I suppose it's in my blood to want to live off the land. Cotton has sustained generations of my family for 150 years; now I'm happy to get a few fresh vegetables to call my own. Maybe that's what drives my new friend and fellow Knoxville blogger Mamabelle to raise her own chickens for eggs. I'd have to check our neighborhood by-laws, but I'm pretty sure "no livestock" is in there somewhere. So for now, I'll stick with reaping the bounty of our small garden.

Take tonight's dinner: To celebrate the incredibly fresh taste of snow peas right off the vine, we ate a few raw as snacks and then steamed the rest slightly for a vegetable and pasta medley. I started by cooking a pound of pasta I got for $1. I then sauteed green onions from the farmers' market; mushrooms, red peppers, and garlic on sale at Kroger this past week; and a few organic carrots. I then added the rest of the chicken breast from the whole chicken I bought for $1.04/lb on manager's special at Kroger and those amazing snow peas I previously mentioned. I added 1/2 cup of parsley growing in our herb garden and a few tablespoons of Classico alfredo sauce I got for a great price when those Classiso coupons were going around in May. When the food is fresh, it's best not to lose it in too many spices or sauces. The result was fresh, healthy, and delicious.

This is far from "living off the land" but I stress that even one ingredient that's fresh can make an entire dish phenomenal. If you're intimidated by growing your own, though you shouldn't be with such guidance from Gabe at Couponing in Critical Times, then consider visiting a farmers' market this week. You'll be glad you did.