Dijon Viniagrette

Per Missi's suggestion in her comment on my previous post, here's a quick recipe for our favorite salad dressing.  Truth be told, I stole the recipe from my gourmet friend Sarah!  Thank you, Sarah! 


Dijon Viniagrette

1/2 cup oil (olive when I have it around, canola or vegetable when I don't)
1/2 cup vinegar (white, cider, red wine, or rice wine vinegar -- whatever's     available or suits my mood!)
1Tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk or shake well. 


I use this for chopped veggie salads -- cut up whatever veggies are in the fridge (carrots, cabbage, brocoli, cauliflower, zuchinni, green onions) and add dressing.  Sometimes I add lentils or beans.  Cilantro is always a great addition.  Just use what you have!  It works on lettuce too, of course!  And also makes a good marinade/sauce for chicken.

Sorry there's no photo.  Maybe later!

Stuff Being Broke Has Helped Me Learn How to Do Myself

I've been keeping this list in my head for months now!  I think it's time to write it down and free up some brain cells for other activities (like thinking and creativity and catching typos, perhaps)!

Here's a list of things we now make from scratch instead of buying ready-made or eating out:

Fried Chicken
Hamburgers
French Fries
Potato Chips (sometimes)
Corn Dogs
Chicken Strips
Asian Orange Chicken
Rice
Stir Fry
Fried Rice
Pancakes
Waffles
Muffins
Biscuits
Cakes
Cookies
Brownies
Salad Dressings
Chili
Soups
Soup Stocks
Whipped Cream
Laundry Detergent
Furniture Polish
Giant Gummie Worms!
I'm thinking I need a bread machine now too!
(I'm sure I'll be adding to this list as I remember more!)

And heres's a list of things I've learned how to do:

Change the brake pads on my car.
Change the battery on my car.
Repair iPhones.
Repair washers and dryers.
Replace kitchen sink faucet.
Replace light fixtures.
Build a TV antenna out of household items (that WORKS!).
Build a chicken coop. 
Upholster furniture.
Sew slipcovers.
Make pillows.
(I'll add to this list too, I'm sure!)

My 18-year-old daughter has learned all manner of auto mechanics and auto body repair from her father in our driveway. She can now diagnose many problems by engine noise alone!  I am very proud!

Luckily, I already had some skills in my pocket.  I can paint (rooms and furniture) well,  sew just about anything, and I know a lot of construction and home repair from flipping houses in the past and I've used those skills a lot -- though not as much as I'd have liked to because of a lack of money to buy materials!  I'm still researching cheap/free flooring ideas!  Mark wants to do a whole floor in bottle caps!  Wouldn't that be fun!

Alas, these skills have gotten me into trouble because I think that, even without money, I can still find a way to have most things that I want. 

Oh wait!  I CAN! 

With time, patience, optimism, luck, creativity, and FREESOURCEFULLNESS, I can usually find a way! 

And I'll tell you a huge secret:  it's more fun and vastly more satisfying to have to find a way and then to "win" by succeeding despite the obstacles!