I got it! My prize! I won a terrific book called Dining on a Dime by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper. Anajz at The Sustainable Backyard had a contest a few weeks ago, and I won! Yes, I actually won! Maybe my lifelong “losing” streak is finally over! (I NEVER win random contests).
Dining on a Dime is a really neat book. It’s almost 500 pages and the book is durable and very easy to read, and very organized. It has tons of stuff in it- lots of good recipes (especially recipes that kids will eat), substitutions and equivalents charts (very helpful for frugal folks); ideas and “recipes” for making gifts like gift baskets; a terrific section on cleaning tips and frugal uses of household products; and some great ideas and recipes for toiletries, like how to make lip balm, baby wipes, cleaner refills, etc.
I love the book and I’m gleaning a lot of new stuff from it. I have thought I was a rather frugal gal- we reuse bread bags and plastic containers, don’t buy soda, make PVC fence posts, grow our own vegetable, etc. But there are a lot of new things I’m learning. What a GREAT book! You can find it at Amazon.com and other stores.
This would make a great gift for the new wife or mom. I recommend the book very much! Thanks, Tawra and Anajz, for getting this great book into my hands! I still can’t believe I won the contest!
Life is never dull, and exciting things just seem to always happen to me... why me... when I'm not running around the house fixing things, I'm a freelance writer for national media outlets like USAToday.com, Salon.com, and others. I've even been interviewed by TIME and The Wall Street Journal about blogging. Can you believe it?! Here is where I express my zany, creative, motherly side. 
March 3, 2009 at 12:12 am
I am so glad that you like the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed it myself. With everything that has gone on in our lives these past two weeks, there has not been very much home cooking going on. As a matter of fact, except for a casserole that a neighbor dropped by, we have mostly living on pizza and peanut butter…so I am hoping for things to soon return to normal (whatever THAT is).
Hope all is going well with you!
anajz