Monday Menu and Some Thrifty Finds

This weeks menu follows. We deviated some from last weeks menu, so this week we are having the meatloaf recipe from last Friday.

Monday: turkey meatloaf, salad, fresh green beans
Tuesday: tacos, with homemade salsa
Wednesday: chicken pot pie (from Super Suppers) - easy recipe and so delicious!
Thursday: grilled salmon, rice, steamed broccoli
Friday: pizza casserole

I am dying to try these cookies...I avoid sugar, so I will have to tweak the recipe a bit and hopefully, stevia will be ok to use. I LOVE anything pumpkin - yummy!

This past Saturday, I popped out of bed at 7 am, determined to drive my SUV around town and scout the local yard sales. It was a nice, cool morning with a hint of rain in the air. Now, let me tell ya'll my "plan". Yes, I always have a "plan". The night before, I read all the newspaper listings and craigslist g-sale ads. I look for neighborhood sales first - they are usually my best bet, as all the sales are in one area together - makes for quick stops and easy grab-n-gos. I highly recommend neighborhood sales - they are usually never disappointing.... as long as you get there early! Early is the key - dealers are always early ( I have heard some reports of dealers knocking on doors as early as 6 am!) and after they hit a sale, most everything I am looking for is gone.

Next, I look for sales near my area and those neighborhoods that are more pricey and upscale. I write all of the addresses down, along with some sort of general direction for me to follow, so I know where I want to go first, second, third, etc. I think this is a pretty good system, although because I am new to this town, I am still learning what neighborhoods are good and what aren't - for sales.

I found some neat finds at a sale recently in Midtown. Midtown is a neighborhood full of beautiful, stately homes from the 40's and 50's - tons of character. It is the hip place to live in this area. The tree-lined streets hold many mansions as this was where oil tycoons built during the oil boom. As soon as I got there, I saw the line.. Oh, the dreaded line full of dealers, curious joes, and regular ol folks like me waiting for the security gate to open. Waiting, watching, speculating and hoping that by some bit of blessing from heaven we would all find a great deal.

I happened upon this chair. Isn't it fun? I love the zebra print. It could probably stand to be recovered, but I am leaving it as is. It is petite, yet substantial enough to be comfortable and will fit well in my living room next to the piano. The other chair I was considering for this space will be used somewhere else. It was 8 bucks!

I also found this pretty oil - just 5 dollars! It hangs in a spot in my hall.

Here is a rattan tray/table with fold up legs. I put this next to the leather sofa in my hubby's office as a side table, as it is pretty substantial. It brings a bit of whimsy to an otherwise stuffy space. I think it might have been used outside, so I need to find some type of oil to shine up the finish again. Any suggestions? This was 7 dollars.

I have more finds from this weekend and will post those later this week....

Have a nice Monday!