Net Worth Update: November 2011

It's the end of the month, so it's time for my net worth update. Already? Did the month of November fly by or what? It was a crazy last day of the month, with the Dow Jones gaining 490 points yesterday. I'll be happy when all this EU debt crisis business is over, and things get back to normal. That is, whatever the new normal is. But all in all, any month we're not losing is a good month, I guess! Here are the numbers:

Assets
Savings: +1,731.36 Yay! Unlike last month, we were able to put a little extra into savings.
Retirement Accounts: –1158.98 I'm actually glad this number wasn't more. With all the ups and downs with the market lately, not losing is what I've come to expect.

Liabilities
Mortgage: –257.50 Same as ever, just plugging away month after month. We finally contacted a local mortgage company about refinancing to a 15 year loan. It's in progress.

Total Change in Net Worth: +830.08 At least it's up. And I would much rather have steady smaller gains than huge gains and huge losses. Yay!

Menu Plan Monday: 11.28.2011

Hello friends! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and that it was restful. Ours was relaxing and fun. It will be a little difficult to get back into our routine but having a menu plan certainly helps. Here's ours for this week:

Quiche with a Green Salad
Company Pot Roast and Sauteed Carrots
Chicken with Shallots
Oven Fried Chicken and Scalloped Potatoes

Find other delicious menus right here.

Remembering

We'll be heading out on our road trip soon, so I just wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. My husband and I have each been separately writing down things we're thankful for all month, so I'm excited to read through and talk about these during our drive. It's a tradition we started last year, and I've been looking forward to it for this year.

I'm so thankful for so many things: a husband who is kind and supportive, my daughter who brings me the purest joy every day, and family and friends who make me laugh. I think everyday about how my life is better than I ever dreamt it could be. I hope your Thanksgiving gives you lots of reasons to be thankful as well.

Image from here.

Recipe: Chicken Biscuit Pot Pies

I had a reader request to post the Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie recipe from this book, that I mentioned in this menu plan. We tried these for the first time last week and they're definitely going to be a staple in my menu plans from now on. I have to say up front: I don't usually follow recipes very closely. In this case, the recipe called for onion, carrots and celery which I didn't have on hand, so I just ended up using some frozen peas, carrots and green beans. I also didn't have white wine, so I used more chicken broth. I just pour things in the pot until they look right to me. Feel free to experiment.

Here's what I used:
A package of biscuit dough
4 tbsp. of butter
6 tbsp. of flour
1 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas and carrots
Salt and pepper

Bake the biscuits according to directions. While they're baking, melt the butter in a sauce pan (not too hot). Slowly mix in the flour. Cook this for a few minutes. The flour and butter should form a thick paste. After the paste forms, start slowly adding in your chicken broth (and a little white wine if you want). You want it to be the consistency of the filling for chicken and dumplings. Some people like this thick and some like it runny, so go with your own taste. Next, add in your shredded chicken and frozen veggies. Cook those until everything is warmed through. Take a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Finally, take your cooked biscuits, split them in the middle, and put the bottom half on your plate or bowl. Spoon in your filling, and cover with the biscuit top. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: 11.21.2011

Happy Thanksgiving Week! It's a short week here for the menu plan, as we will be packing up and heading to my parent's for the holiday. And I couldn't be more excited! Thanksgiving is absolutely my favorite holiday. One of my favorite smells in the world is the smell of my childhood house on Thanksgiving morning. Here's what we're having while we're home:

Parker's Beef Stew
Spaghetti with Marinara

Look for more delicious meal plans right here! Have a great Turkey Day!

Braving the Crowds for a Cute Coat?

I'm not usually one who will battle the crowds on Black Friday. But I've been thinking about getting a new winter coats, and in my research I stumbled upon some of the bright, fun coats that Old Navy has this winter. I saw in an ad they'll be 50% off on Black Friday. That just might make me venture out! Here are the ones I've been thinking about. All are around $30 on sale.

What about you? Do you venture out on Black Friday? Are the deals worth the hassle?

UnExtreme Couponing

Here were my bargain scores for this week. I got all of this for $2.12. The chips alone sell at my Whole Foods for $3.96, so I was super excited to get two bags of those for 50 cents a piece! (We ate the other bag before I could get a picture!). The canned vegetables and Skinny Cow candies (stocking stuffers) were from Walgreens. I'm happy with the scores this week!