UPDATE: If you didn't already know, I FINALLY joined twitter a few days ago! I've never used it before, so I'm still trying to figure it all out. Hopefully soon I'll graduate from twitter-school and begin to tweet those clever quips that twitter users are so famous for (hopefully). Hop over to @Budget_Bytes if you want to encourage me along the way!

And, as always, you can find me in my comfort zone on Facebook.

Cheers!

As of 7am tomorrow morning I'm going to be on a much needed VACATION! :D My brain has been pretty exhausted lately and recipe posting has been very sporadic because of that. BUT, I've already been making lists of recipes that I want to make when I get back! So, hopefully, when I get back I'll be well rested and my regular recipe posting will resume :)

I'll have limited internet access while I'm gone so answers to emails and questions may be delayed.

See ya in a week!

xoxo
Beth

I almost forgot to make a separate announcement - the winners of the Bon Appetit subscription giveaway were chosen on Saturday. If you haven't checked back on the original contest post, the winners were #364 Marie, #372 Doris, and #67 Makenzie.

I had so many laughs reading through the entries. Plus, it made me feel better about all of the *other* guilty food pleasures that I *didn't* mention ;D I was going to compile a list of my favorites but there were just way too many good ones! Thanks for the laughs!

There will be more contests in the future, so stay tuned!

-Beth

please excuse the interruption...

SO. Yesterday, just a few hours after I posted the contest, Blogger had a major meltdown and the website was unavailable for hours. At some point during the night, they got the site partially up but all blog posts made since Wednesday morning have been temporarily deleted and I have been unable to log in (until now) to let you know what was going on.

It looks like the posts have not been fully restored as of yet but hopefully the contest post will be back up by tonight along with all of the entries that have already been made.

Either way, I'll be extending the deadline. The new deadline will depend on when the contest post comes back but I will let you know ASAP.

Thanks for hangin' in there!!

Love you all!

- Beth

Well, I have enough food in the fridge to last me through Christmas so I think I'm going to sign off for a few days. Rest assured, I will be back right after Christmas because my fridge will surely be barren by that time.

I will begin the new year by focusing on quick meals because I know we all need them! Also, I plan to resume the "complete meal ideas" posts, including shopping lists.

I look forward to seeing you all on the other side! Have a happy and safe holiday!!

-Beth

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Well, not a chicken dinner but a lunch box... even better!

A while back Bundle.com held a brown bag lunch contest and it just happened to be at the same time that I was trying to come up with some new and creative lunch ideas for my readers. So, I entered my Meze Lunchbox and WON!

Check out the link to the contest results to see me and the other winners! Take a few minutes and have a look around Bundle while you're there, it's a great resource for all things personal finance!

Beth

Sorry about the sporadic posts lately, folks. I've been in the "process" of moving for a couple of weeks now which means living out of boxes and trying not to keep any perishables. I finally made the big move yesterday but I still have no gas (read: no fire) and no refrigerator. I was supposed to get internet today but there was a glitch there too. Anyway, I should have my kitchen up and running and internet to post some recipes by next weekend. I have not forgotten the blog! I look forward to cooking and sharing again soon!

In the mean time, what should be the first thing that I cook in my new apartment? Suggestions welcome!

I finally decided to make a Budget Bytes Facebook page! I'll be posting links to all new blog entries and maybe an occasional extra thought or tip. I figured Facebook would be a more convenient way for some people to get updates and it will be more interactive!

So, come join me on Facebook by either clicking the Facebook badge in the right hand column of this website or search for Budget Bytes in the search box in Facebook and click on the Budget Bytes page.

Hope to see you there!

Beth M.

So, I was introduced to a new website recently, Bundle.com, that I think a lot of you will find it very interesting so I wanted to share!

Bundle combines data about personal finance and spending with forums for users to discuss and share thoughts about techniques and issues concerning money management. I could get lost for hours in the oodles of customizable data they provide on how people in the United States spend their money... it's absolutely fascinating!

Go check out Bundle, share your thoughts on the forum (HTML friendly posting) and have fun with the data!

-Beth

wine on a budget

I love wine. I like to have a glass with dinner and I love the complexity that it brings to sauces and other dishes when you cook with it. The problem arises when you just like to have ONE glass with dinner and don't plan on having any guests. What do you do with the rest of the bottle? Even if it's an under $10 bottle, I HATE to waste the rest. Sure, you can still drink it for a couple of days but soon after oxygen begins to take it's nasty grip and it becomes undrinkable. Serious Eats published a fantastic article about boxed wines and the benefits of their package design. Check it out!



"Wine for $9: The Best Boxed Whites" by Maggie Hoffman at Serious Eats

Today I want to thank everyone who has made my blogging experience wonderfully fantastic. Thank you readers for stopping by to see what I'm cooking, thank you for all of your wonderful comments, suggestions and encouragement; I value each and every one. It means more to me than you could imagine to know that what I'm doing here is useful and has helped some of you through your own financial crises. Thank you to all of my family and friends for encouraging me to keep going, for perpetuating the excitement and offering all of your comments, compliments and support! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!


-Beth M.

This past weekend I had the chance to make my favorite chili again. This big 'ol pot of chili had the honor of being one of the first posts because it is the quintessential budget bytes recipe. I was so excited to start the blog off that I posted the recipe before I had a chance to take a picture of the meal. So, this past weekend, when I had a little pumpkin carving party, I made a big pot of chili to feed my friends during the festivities and finally took a picture. Check out the chili and give it a shot because now that the days are growing colder, you'll need a hearty meal to keep you warm from the inside out!

The idea for this blog was originally born out of my quest to spend less than $6 a day on food. Today I ran across a banner ad for The Hunger Challenge. The San Francisco Food Bank's 2009 Hunger Challenge challenges us to eat for less than $4 a day because that is the average amount a Californian on food stamps has to spend on a day's meals. Could you do it?

Join the challenge!


-Beth M

Just because you're broke doesn't mean that you can't have fabulous cocktail parties! I found this wonderful post about how to stock a bar for a party of 15-20 friends with just $100. This post could easily double as a "beginners guide to stocking a bar." Thanks for the info, Cocktail Culture!
-Beth M

Baconnaise?!

So, I couldn't help clicking the google ad that had the word "baconnaise" in it... I have to try it just to see... I mean... mayonnaise is good, bacon is good, can it be bad? Gonna have to make a special trip to Piggly Wiggly to find some! I'll update this post with a comment when I finally try it :D

-Beth M

super surprises!

The beauty of freezing your leftovers is that once in a while you'll find a gem hiding in the back of the freezer! I was craving dessert and not wanting to waste money on it when I discovered the last left-over frozen mini key lime pie, just waiting to be devoured. YAY!

-Beth M