ZAYCON FRESH

What is Zaycon Fresh? 

You can think of Zaycon Fresh as a type of food co – op, and in this case specifically, a meat co-op.  Have you ever been a part of a food co – op for produce or purchasing other types of foods in bulk and direct from the source? Well, it is similar in nature.  Buying via a food co–op leads to higher quality due to direct relationships with the producer, fresher food again because of the direct relationship, as well as lower prices because you are cutting out the middleman (i.e. the grocery store). It's a smart food buying concept. 

How does it work?

This program is offered through Zaycon Fresh Foods. They are a nationwide meat co – op. It is a unique process, but the rewards in quality, freshness and value are worth the wait. 

• You order your meat selection now for a pickup date 1–4 months from now. This is how a group buying system works. When many can order directly from the supplier, it drives the price down. As a result, this is done over a several month time period to ensure the requirements of the group discount price.
• You order the meats in bulk. Generally 40 lb cases at a time. Many families will also split a case. 
• Sale offerings are changing all of the time. There are several options, but each option is only offered a few times per year. So the specific offerings and sales at the time of log – in will vary depending on the month! 
• At the specified day/time of your local pickup, a refrigerated truck will arrive in your area.
• You will drive to your pickup location on the day and time of your pickup event, generally within 30 minutes, some locations within 5 minutes of your home and in the par king lot of a private business or organization where arrangements have been made.
• You don't even have to get out of your car. You pull – up in line. When it is your turn, roll down your window and give the driver your name, pop your trunk and they will place a plastic sheet down to protect your vehicle and load your order into your trunk.
• Drive home with your order!
• The whole process is just a few minutes, which makes it very convenient!
• Feel free to read the FAQ to help answer additional questions.  Just simply scroll to the bottom of the link to click on FAQ. (Click Here)

See how this order of beef was less than 40 lbs?  They credited me the difference, and I didn't even have to ask.  They alerted me right away that I had been given credit.  That is an HONEST company!

 What do I do with the meat?

• Once I get home with the meat, I go to work.  I set aside time to separate and vacuum seal the meat into portion sizes I'm comfortable with.  For example: I divide the ground beef into 1 or 2 lbs each.  It's pretty easy to do.  I slice through the chub of meat, grab the slice, and put it in the bag to seal.  That's it.  It's so simple and quick.  With the chicken breasts, I divide into 2 or 4 breasts per bag/package.  Once finished vacuum sealing, I pop them in my deep freezer until I need them.  Easy Peasy. 

  

  Pictured is only 10 lbs.  You get 4 of those beef chubs!

  

• Another great way to freeze them is to go ahead and prepare freezer meals.  I love picking out my favorite crock pot recipes, popping all the ingredients in with the meat into individual freezer ziplock bags and keeping them stored in the freezer.  Then when I know I'll have a busy day but still want to cook a good meal for the family, I grab one of those freezer meal bags, dump everything into the crock pot, cut it on, and walk away. 
  

• I know some people who choose to can the meat in jars with a pressure canner.  I have wanted to try this myself but haven't built up the courage to give it a go just yet.  I'm fairly new to canning, but seasoned canners have so much success with this process and love it.  One lady I know does a lot of camping with her husband.  She brings along the canned meat to make tacos, fajitas, etc while they are camping instead of eating soup and other mundane meals. 
  

• Here's another great use for the meat.  JERKY!  Holy cow Zaycon meat makes some great jerky.  Slice the chicken breasts or steak to dehydrate, or you could use the ground turkey or ground beef to season and dehydrate those as strips.  Sooo yummy.  Those make great snacks for the kids, hubby, and even for us women who want a protein snack that's filling.  
  

 

Why would I buy my meat this way instead of the grocery store?  

• The cost is 30–50% less than the grocery store depending on the meat selected.
• Most all of the meat is delivered farm fresh, never frozen (there are some exceptions like the Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon, that's a little difficult to deliver fresh from Alaska). It comes directly from the farms, so it is very fresh, as opposed to meats in the grocery store going through a long journey to arrive at the store and handled by many in the process. 
• The quality is compared to the higher quality options in the grocery store. The local farms are hand-picked and Zaycon is committed to providing the highest quality. If at any time a farm does not meet their strict standards, they will drop this farm and meat will not be available in this area until an acceptable replacement is found. 
• It's convenient! I'm not a huge fan of going to the grocery store every single week or sometimes daily to buy meat.  I enjoy the comfort of knowing my freezer is stocked whenever I need something to fix for dinner.  It has saved me so much time in meal planning and prep.   
• It's convenient Part 2!  Food pick – up is becoming extremely popular for busy families and moms – Zaycon was doing it first! Again, I drive up, and they load my vehicle for me. 
• They have a great reputation, high rating, including a great BBB.com rating (A+).  
• They have been around since 2009, and growing massively in popularity because they are meeting several needs in this key area of grocery shopping and grocery budgets everywhere. 
• They have one of the highest customer retention rates in any industry. The percentage of return customers exceeds industry standards. The proof is in the pudding! 

 

How do I order?

Ordering is really easy!  

• Log on to the Zaycon site and register -Don't worry...it's FREE to register and there is NO obligation- or log in. (CLICK HERE)
• At the top of the page, click on shop by product or by location (enter your zipcode to find the local delivery area). 
• Find the meat offerings you are interested in. 
• You will find the details of the meat being offered. 
Click on "Purchase"

• Add as many cases as you would like.
• If there is a promo code, enter it at checkout.  If you are a first time buyer, use code: FIRST25 to save $25 off your FIRST order of $99 or more. Excluding sales tax where applicable. Offer ends 11:59 pm PST on 6/15/2017.  (Click Here to Buy Now)
•  At secure checkout, enter your payment information.
•  You will receive a confirmation email of your order and you will also see your order history under "My Account."
• Wait for your pickup date/time!

Pork Sausage Links come to $1.83 per lb with promo code (expired)

Head to the Zaycon Site HERE and register (or log-in if already a member). 

You have to be registered to see the prices, pickup and delivery details and dates for your area and additional details. 

10 Tips to Live Frugally

frugal -
                       sparing or economical with regard to money or food
                   simple and plain and costing little

                    - Oxford Dictionary     

Another goal of mine for 2017 is to live more frugally.  I've been pretty good at being frugal in the past, but I'm hoping to crack down in more ways of accomplishing this.  

We are a one income family.  We've chosen to live this way, but even if you haven't, there isn't a reason (in my opinion) to blow through money without any regard as to what the future may hold.  Unforseen circumstances may land you in the hospital, your car may need a new transmission, your kid may need braces (my son), etc...  If you have savings set aside, FANTASTIC!  If not, you need to work on setting some $$ aside.  

If you aren't sure where to start, you can set aside $25 a week or $100 a month.  Set aside whatever you can even if it's only $1 a week.  It all adds up. 

Some of my readers may live paycheck-to-paycheck.  That's okay.  There are ways to still hold on to some of your paycheck.  Are you ready to find out how?  Here it is:  live more frugally.

Frugal doesn't have to mean being cheap.  It means avoiding waste, being resourceful, and not spending when you don't have to.  

Still one of my favorite books has been  "MONEY SECRETS OF THE AMISH: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving" by Lorilee Craker.  You can read by review for that book HERE.

 

Here are 10 tips on how to live 
a more frugal life:

1.  Eat at home.  So much money is wasted eating out.  It gets downright ridiculous.  If you actually sit down and add up how much money you've spent in a year or even in a month eating out, you'd be surprised.  It goes so very fast and adds up so very quickly.  Most meals, if cooked at home, will be around $2.00 or less per person.  In fact, the other night I wanted to tally up how much the entire meal I made cost us.  It came to a total of $2.92, but there was enough for 6 servings, which made it $0.49 per serving!  Can you imagine paying only forty-nine cents for a meal anywhere else? 

2.  Shop smart.  If you are going to shop, make sure you shop smart.  Download an app called Flipp.  It keeps track of all the ads released for the stores in your area.  This even includes grocery stores.  You can compare prices for items on sale to see who has the best deal.  I use it all the time and love it!

Keep a log of how much items you frequently buy cost throughout the year and shop the following year for those items during the months where you found it the cheapest.

3.  Reuse or Repurpose.  I try to reuse or repurpose as much as I can.  For example:  Right now I'm roasting a chicken.  I will save the juices to make a gravy.  Once all the meat has been picked off the carcass for eating tonight and freezing extra to use in a future soup, I will cook the bones with water and some vinegar for 24-48 hours (adding water as needed) to make bone broth to use in future soups, when we are sick, or in any recipe that requires broth.  Nothing will go to waste.  I'll even feed some of skin to the dogs.  The rest of the skin will be cooked down and made into dog treats.  Those skins you cut off of your potatoes you could cook in the oven with salt and pepper to make potato skin chips.  What about the tops and bottoms of vegetables that you throw away?  Use those to make vegetable broth.  Some of your vegetables you can even plant the tops or bottoms to grow more of that vegetable.  

Have an old sweater?  Turn it into a pillow cover for your sofa or bed.  

4.  Buy in Bulk.  This one is now catching on with me.  I still resisted this for a while, but I have learned to fully embrace this one and love it.  Some items at Sam's and Costco can save you plenty in the long run compared to your usual grocery shopping trip.  "The long run" are the key words here.  You will put more money upfront, but the money you save is worth it.  

Speaking of buying in bulk, one of my new favorite bulk purchases is Zaycon Meat!  I am loving the savings that come with buying meat in bulk!  They have chicken, beef, pork, turkey, fish, shrimp...  It's free to sign up, and once you do, you can see what meat is available in your area.  A refrigerated truck arrives at a location, those who purchased drive up, and the meat is loaded into the back of your vehicle.  Easy peasy!  Right now they are offering 20% OFF of your very FIRST purchase with the code PT20 until April 30, 2017 at 11:59PM PST.  If this is your first time hearing of Zaycon or you haven't ordered yet but thought about it, GO FOR IT!   You can click the image below to be directed to their page.

5. Set up storage.  You are going to need a place to put all that meat.  Invest in a deep freezer and a vacuum foodsaver.  Divide meat and foods into smaller sizes to vacuum seal and freeze.  I even like to chop my onions, bell pepper, celery, and carrots in advance and freeze until I'm ready to use (no vacuum seal needed--ziplock bag will work fine).

Another way to store food is to invest in a dehydrator.  With a dehydrator you can dehydrate your own spices and herbs, fruits for snacks, jerky, fruit leather, and even fruits and vegetables to later rehydrate for cooking. 

If you invest in a pressure canner, you can can cream of mushroom soup (and the like), broth, tomato sauce, jelly, jam, vegetables, meat, etc....  The possibilities are endless. 

An additional bonus to storage is you won't be running to the grocery store everytime a storm blows through or it snows.  We live in the south, and when snow is expected, everyone runs for the store to grab bread, milk, eggs, and such.  They should have set up storage.  😀

6.  Buy Used.  Not everything you own needs to be brand spanking new.  I promise.  Ever hear of antiques?  Some people think it is okay to have antiques but the thought of buying something used makes their skin crawl.  Umm...antiques were used.  

Let's say you need a chair for your bedroom.  You could easily drop a few hundred in a furniture store, but if you were to check on craigslist, a nearby flea market, or a yard sale, you could find the right chair for even less than a hundred dollars.  It may be perfect as is, or it may need a little TLC with a fresh coat of paint, sanding and a new stain, or be reupholstered.  No biggie.  

7.  Repair Instead of Replace.  The same TLC you would put into a used product you purchased you could do with something you already own.  

Resurrect old woolen clothes using a disposable razor.  The razor will get rid of the pilling, making it look new again. 

Give your table a new coat of paint.

Take old leather shoes and try buffing and repolishing them to give them a new shine.  

Dye your faded jeans.

Get handy with stitching and sewing to add lace, new lines, buttons, etc to your old, plain t-shirts   

8.  Cut the cable.  We chose to cut cable/satellite many years ago.  We watched regular network TV shows through an antenna or DVDs.  Only recently did we acquire an android box.  You can find them for around $20.  Our cellular plan has unlimited data, so we are able to use it to watch TV or movies on the box without any extra charge aside from electricity.  

Another line you can cut is your home phone.  If you don't need it, don't keep it.  Most people these days rely solely on cellular.  Home phones are phasing out, especially since cellular phones travel with us when we leave home.  

9.  Learn Something New.  We have gotten into a rut of needing to buy things instead of making it ourselves because...well...we don't know how to do anything anymore.  Learn how to do things.  

Learn how to build a birdhouse if you need one.

Learn how to make a quilt, knit, or crochet if you need a blanket.  (I'm working on this one)

Learn how to garden.  (I'm working on this one too.)

Learn how to fix a leaky faucet instead of buying a new one.

This list can go on and on.

10.  Get Money Back.  Yes, you heard that right.  This isn't technically frugal.  Use apps like Ibotta, Checkout 51, SavingStar, etc...  When you go grocery shopping, check to see if the items on your list are also on any of these apps.  If so, you can scan the barcode, take a picture of your receipt, and BAM!  you get money back.  

Personally, I love using Ibotta and Checkout 51 the most.  I joined Ibotta November 6th.  Ibotta as of today, January 9, 2017 has paid me $70.50.  It's only been 2 months!  

Click the image to get started with Ibotta, or enter gqesrig when downloading onto your phone to get an extra $10 rebate for signing up.  

Join those apps with coupons and sales, and you end up paying minimally, nothing, or even GET PAID to buy the product you were going to buy in the first place.  

Example:  I needed Zantac for heartburn.

Zantac                                    =  $8.19                               

I had a coupon for $4.00 off.   = $4.19

Checkout 51 gave back $4.00 = $0.19

Ibotta gave back $3.00            = $2.81 money maker 

I got paid $2.81 to buy Zantac 

Living frugally doesn't have to be hard.  It doesn't mean you become boring.  It doesn't even mean you stop spending at all.  It simply means trying to withhold spending until necessary or spending cautiously.  It means not wasting.  It means appreciating what you have.  And it all leads to a better outlook, a thicker bank account, and less stress.  

 

   

 

                  

Seeding

So as most of my friends and family know, I stink at growing plants.  I have a hard enough time keeping indoor plants alive.  Read a previous post about my failing attempts HERE.   

I have gotten better since that post in 2012.  I haven't killed an indoor plant in a few years now, so I'm taking it as a sign to try something more advanced.  In fact, one of my 2017 goals is to start a small garden.  In order to achieve this easier, I have divided that goal into smaller goals such as: 

The Dollar Tree, where everything is only $1 (or less on specific items), has stocked their shelves in preparation for spring.  I purchased some Seed Starter Greenhouses, Seed Starting Potting Mix, and several packets of seeds (4 for $1).  *Not shown are the packets for tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and cayenne pepper because I had already opened them to seed. 

 A couple of weeks ago I also took my celery stump and put it in water until it grew roots.  I then transplanted it to a pot.  It has shot up!  I'm impressed and excited to start having my own celery growing in my home!  I also previously planted a couple of tomato seeds in a pot to see if anything would come of it.  I'm excited to say that I now have tomato seedlings!  Below is a picture of everything I have started so far:

Pardon the condensation on the greenhouses.

Speaking of the Dollar Tree, I went ahead and bought some extra items to give as a gift.  I have a new found love of the Dollar Tree store.  There aren't many places out there where you can find items for only $1.  

 

Gift idea:

Large Green basket         $1                  

Seed Starter Greenhouse $1  

Seed Potting Mix             $1

Spade                             $1

Cultivator                        $1

Gardening Gloves            $1

Flower Pot                      $1

4 packs of flower seed     $1  

                           Total    $8.00 (not incl. tax)   

2017 is underway!   I'm proud of myself for planning out my goals and putting them into motion.

Planning for Your Best New Year

It's a New Year, and with a new year comes new resolutions, a fresh start, a blank slate.  

I don't know about you, but I get a feeling of relief as a shrug off the old year and a sense of excitement as I think of the possibilities the new year may bring!  I begin thinking of all the things I hope to accomplish, but I tend to fail or forget my goals if I don't write them down.  If we want a successful new year, we must write down and plan it out.  Greatness doesn’t happen by itself. We need to put in the effort to make it happen and it all begins with having a solid plan.  Here are some of my tips to kicking off this year right:

Write Down Your Goals
And Break Large Goals Into Smaller Goals
I said it above and I'll say it again.  It is important to write our goals down, make ourselves accountable by seeing it in black and white.   

First things first.  Get a planner, and in your planner, write down what your goals are for the year. Remember that you need to have realistic, achievable goals. For example: instead of just having a goal to lose weight, you might have a goal to lose twenty pounds. You can then break your goals down into smaller achievable goal steps.  For example: to lose those twenty pounds, you could make a smaller goal step to lose five pounds in three months (3 month increments with 5 lbs each increment = 20 lbs in 12 months). 

Perhaps your goal is to save $1200 US for the year, which would mean saving $100 per month.  Break it down into smaller goals.  Instead of seeing it as $100 per month, see it as $24 or $25 per week.  Not only will you end the year achieving your goal, but you will surpass it.

If your goal is to pay off debt, GREAT!  You can do that by making sure you have cut back on your spending first.  Then, put your bills in order from the least amount to greatest amount.  Make a goal to pay off the smaller bill first.  That doesn't mean to skip payment on your larger debt bills.  You have to pay those too, but make larger payment amounts to the smaller bills a priority.  Once one is paid off, move the priority to the next and so on.  Before you know it, your debt will be gone! 
    
To help you with this, I have a free 2017 Planner for you to download.  

Start Planning Your Meals
Something that’s going to make your life easier is meal planning. I have been doing this since the start of November and I can honestly say it has tremendously helped.  Meal planning takes so much stress out of your day. Instead of wondering what you’re going to make for dinner each night, which can sometimes end up with eating out somewhere, sit down one day a week or at the beginning of the month and plan out your meals.  I will go into further detail with money saving tips on this topic in an upcoming blog post. 

Create a Way to Track Your Progress
Last, but not least, find a way to track your progress for whatever you want to accomplish this year. For example, if you want to read 100 books, use

Goodreads.  Set Your Reading Goal


For other goals, try using a journal to track your progress, an online app, or your planner.  You can also easily track a number of things by creating a spreadsheet. 
You don’t have to set goals with no way of reaching them or spend your year stressed out. There are things you can do to make the New Year a great one. Take the time to plan ahead so that you can have the best year yet.

Don’t forget to grab your 2017 Planner!!

Renovation

Please be patient.  This page is under renovation with a new name, new look, and new direction, so links may not work.
Thank you for your patience while we get it up and running again.  :)

December Countdown

December Countdown

We started a countdown this year for the month of December, but it doesn't just end on December 25th like most.  We continue until the end of the year, that is why I call it a DECEMBER COUNTDOWN.

I wanted to make it special, fun, and a lesson of giving unto others.  

Each morning they wake up and find an envelope with an activity card.  It might say: MOVIE NIGHT, S'MORES BY THE FIRE, HOT CHOCOLATE TASTE TEST, GO LOOK AT LIGHTS, MAKE AN ORNAMENT, FAMILY GAME NIGHT...etc...

In addition to the activity card, there will be a rhyming riddle leading the kids to a stash of cash if they can solve the clues.  The agreement with the $$ is the kids get to keep half while they donate the other half to a charity.

My daughter chose to donate to the animal shelter.  My son chose to donate to children with cancer.  I have to say that I am really proud of my son.  He has been donating more than half thus far.  He amazes me with his generosity daily.

I'll try to post each day's riddle.  To catch you up:

Day 1.  I'm full of every thing
             I'm bound, not on a ring.
            A through Z
            But the one with all contains me.

The answer was the Encyclopedias, but more importantly, the money was in the Index, which was separate (but contains it all A-Z).


Day 2.  Galloping along in frozen time,
             People bet.  Do you have a dime?
             After my rounds, I'm probably thinner,
             But behind glass I sit, forever the winner.

I realize that probably sounded weird, but I couldn't think of a better idea at the late hour I wrote it.  I was referring to the picture I took at the horse races.  I put the dollars on the back of the picture.

Day 3.  The first is known to twinkle.
              The second is synonymous with dollars.
              Caitlin begs for me.
              Zach thinks I'm yuck.
              No, it isn't tea
              So off you go; good luck!

This one was much easier.  
Zach: "Caitlin begs for me.  I think it's yuck.  That is obviously coffee."
Caitlin:  "Yeah because stars twinkle and bucks is dollars.  Starbucks coffee."
Zach raced to the coffee pot while Caitlin opened the freezer (that is where I keep my coffee).
Zach:  "It's not going to be in the coffee, Caitlin."
Caitlin:  "Oh yeah?  Well here it is!  It was in a bag."

Day 4.  The moon is in front.
              The sun is behind.
              Wear glasses to look
              Or risk going blind!
              Hint:  I'm one of a saga.  For fangs, the girls go gaga.

Zach:  Eclipse.
Caitlin:  Fangs!
Zach:  The Twilight's Eclipse, but is it the books or movies?
He raced to the books and grabbed the Eclipse book.  Then handed it to Caitlin.  
Zach:  You look in the book while I go look in the movie.
Me:  Before you go upstairs, open it since you have it.
Caitlin:  It's right here, Zach!
             

I'm excited to see what they think of tomorrow's clues!!!!
  

Fall Off the Bone Turkey

 Fall Off the Bone Turkey  

This Thanksgiving we weren't feeling 100%, so we didn't get to spend the holiday with our extended families.  While the family in TN was making turkey, my parents in SC were making 4 turkeys (yes, you heard that right), and family in NC was making both a turkey and a ham, we were left with no turkey...or so I thought.  My husband made a mad dash to the grocery store looking for a small turkey for our family of four.  The only full size turkeys available were HUGE, so he had an alternate plan.  He brought home a 7.5 lb turkey breast.  Awesome!  I can make this work, I thought.  Only...it was frozen, and I wasn't sure there was enough time for it to thaw with it being the night before Thanksgiving.  Hmmm....  I scanned ideas on the net and settled on an idea that never would have crossed my mind.  My crock pot was to the rescue!!!!

I know what you are thinking.  How can you cook a turkey in a crock pot, and how on earth will it come out tasting good?  Trust me.  You can, and it does!  And best part is there is no need to baste or watch it.  It cooks overnight!!!!

 Ingredients:

• a frozen turkey breast (I used 7.5 lb) 
• 4-5 stalks of celery chopped
• 1 onion sliced
• 5 carrots, shredded and cut into sticks
• 1 cup water
• 1 stick of butter 
• 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1. Place frozen turkey into crock pot.  If you'll notice in the picture above, I couldn't get the gravy package out because it was frozen solid.  After a few hours of it cooking, it slid right out.  I threw the package away and made my own gravy (see below for details), but you can use it if you like.
2. Surround the turkey with the cut up vegetables.
3. Pour the water over the turkey and vegetables.
4. Cut the stick of butter into thick slices and place on top of vegetables.
5. Sprinkle the packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix on the turkey and vegetables.
6. Cut crock pot on HIGH for 1 hours.  Then switch to LOW and cook an additional 10-11 hours.  ****Note: If using a thawed turkey breast, it should only cook for 6-7 hours.

If your turkey sticks too far up above the rim of the crock pot like mine did, simply put a large sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the turkey and fold around the rim of the crock pot.  It will help hold the heat in and help it cook.  I still placed the lid on top because eventually, as the turkey cooked, the lid began to fit properly.

This is what the delicious result looked like!!!!!

When my husband reached in to fetch the turkey out, it LITERALLY FELL APART!  Juicy, Juicy, Juicy, Tender, Tender, Tender!

MAKING DRESSING 

Once we got the turkey breast meat on a plate, I used a ladle to scoop out the onions and celery.  I then put the tender and flavorful onions and celery pieces in a bowl with 1 cup of the stock (juice) to aid in making the dressing.  The stock was so tasty that there was no need for extra salt or other seasoning.  I don't know about you, but instead of dried bread, I use homemade biscuits.  

MAKING GRAVY

To make the gravy, simply use the stock (juice from the turkey) and mix it with a little flour.  Cook it on the stove in a pan.  Voila!  Again, there is no need for extra salt or seasoning.  It comes out perfect!

GOING THAT EXTRA MILE FOR FLAVOR AND TENDERNESS

I am all about gravy!  I love gravy!  I'm Southern!  After I make the gravy, I put my turkey into the gravy to soak up that amazing goodness.  I let it sit for maybe 10 minutes before serving.  

I've got to say that of all the years I've had or made turkey, this was the best.  It far outranks roasted, grilled, and fried turkey.  I think this is going to be a keeper for me.  If I ever have a big crowd over one year, I may need more crock pots!  Ha!