NO SPEND JUNE

A no spend month is a financial challenge where you commit to eliminating all non-essential purchases for (choose one) 28/29/30/31 days to reset your spending habits.

By focusing on core necessities, you can effectively curb impulse buys (Dollar Tree/Amazon) and build financial discipline while identifying areas where your money often disappears on items you do not truly need. (You mean I didn't need that new cactus purse charm?) WRONG!!

 

 

The other day Tony asked me if I wanted him to pick more lemons...the rest is history. Introducing Traditional British Lemon Curd!

Ingredients

3 large lemons (zest and juice)

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

½ cup butter (cut into small pieces)


Directions

Step 1 – Prepare the Lemon Mixture

In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs.

Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Step 2 – Cook the Curd

Place the saucepan over low heat.

Stir continuously as the mixture begins to thicken.

Add the butter pieces gradually while stirring.

Continue cooking until the curd coats the back of a spoon.

Step 3 – Strain and Cool

Remove from heat.

Strain the curd through a fine sieve for a smooth texture.

Pour into a jar and allow it to cool before refrigerating.

 

TWO 79 YEAR OLDS GO ON A DATE

We don't go to the movies often, so when we do I give a silent prayer that the flick is worth the time and money. BINGO! The Sheep Detectives was wonderful! We topped the day off with a Lemon Martini and Italian Chocolate. Who needs to go to Italy? Not us :-)

 

TAP DANCE UPDATE

Let's Do the Time Warp Again ✔

I am proud to report that despite a broken arm I aced the 3-minute routine. To celebrate the occasion, I purchased a pair of Rocky Horror Picture Show Socks to go with my Time Warp t-shirt. 

Excited to start my next routine. Dancing Tapping Through Life. 

Lemon Brownies

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

lemon zest from 2-3 lemons

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup flour

2 + 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter & white chocolate chips in microwave. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add sugar, eggs, lemon zest. Whisk. 

3. Add melted butter/chocolate to the egg mixture. Whisk.

4. Sift flour into the batter and add lemon juice. Whisk.

5. Transfer the batter into lined/greased 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

6. Cool on wire rack.

LEMON GLAZE

1 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

7. Combine lemon glaze ingredients and glaze evenly over brownies. 

8. Allow the glaze to harden.

SLICE & ENJOY!!

 

The Three Bears

A few months ago, Miriam Webster's word of the day was Goldilocks.  I was surprised to read that Goldilocks is a noun - a person with golden hair - and not just the name of the 3 bears nemesis. Goldilocks is also part of the email address of my cousin Ellen Betty, who was born just a few weeks after my birth.

My childhood is filled with memories of the two of us. Getting into trouble. Laughing. Dancing. And always wishing we were more than cousins. We wanted to be sisters.

We have lost contact and although I have tried several times to reconnect, Ellen Betty was never ready. Now at 79 I don’t hold on to the hope that she will ever be ready. So, instead of feeling sad, I savor the happiness I feel knowing we got to spend our childhood together.

 

WEIRD?

When I was around 13 my parents gifted me a bedroom redo. I remember going with my mother to a large furniture store in Newark, NJ to pick out new bedroom furniture. The store was owned by the Schaffer family, and my mother and Mrs. Schaffer, who worked at the store, immediately hit it off and became good friends.

The Schaffers had one child, a son named Bill who was brilliant, but a bit weird. Since I was also a bit weird, we quickly bonded. We used to talk on the phone, and I remember one night he asked me what my favorite word was. Back then it was witticism - a cleverly witty and often biting or ironic remark. I loved the way it sounded and of course loved the meaning.

Looking back, I wonder how normal it was to have a favorite word. Favorite song, yes. Favorite color, favorite movie star, even favorite food, but favorite word?

Although I don’t have the gift of verbal dexterity, since January I have subscribed to Merriam Webster so every day I receive an email with the new Word of the Day.

Told you, I’m weird.