New Year's Good Luck Dish / Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can of pork and beans

1 package of hot dogs

1 can or jar of Bavarian Sauerkraut (Bavarian is important to note - - regular sauerkraut is too bitter for this recipe)

In pan, combine pork and beans and Bavarian Sauerkraut and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly. Add hot dogs until heated. Enjoy!


For several generations, my family has prepared this "good luck" meal either on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. It will sound sickening to some, and I admit that it is an acquired taste; however, I look forward to it every year and actually enjoy it.

When I am out of ideas or ingredients for dinner, if I have the ingredients for this dish, I prepare it. It is good.

Inexpensive Hors d'oeuvres / Appetizers

Cheesy Sausage Biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 roll of refrigerator biscuits

1/3 roll of breakfast sausage (mild, medium or spicy - your preference)

4 oz. or more (again, your preference) of grated cheese (Grate it yourself to save money, and use mild, medium, or sharp cheddar or any of the mixes - - colby jack or any other variation is wonderful) - - mozz isn't so great for this type of treat

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl and kneed it with hands until fully mixed

Roll out in smaller than palm sized balls and place on baking sheet

Bake until browned (check to see that sausage is cooked)


Note: Double or triple the ingredients to make a larger number of appetizers. Also, adjust cheese amounts and sausage to taste.

These are absolutely wonderful and simple to make appetizers.

You can dip in Caesar or Ranch for added tastiness.

Can You Afford Your Pet? Pets Being Given Up to Shelters

I don't know about you, but I am just devastated by all of the news concerning the economy affecting our beloved pets. Our furry companions and trusted, devoted friends are being dumped off at local animal shelters due to our inability to care for them during the economic fallout?

Now before you launch an attack on me, please know that I lost my job in January of '08, and I am still out of work, 11 months later. I have kept my dog and cat. I feel that their costs each month are so minimal that keeping them far outweighs the guilt of abandoning them at an animal shelter with the reason being "cannot afford to keep". Seriously. During that time period, both of my pets have become ill. My dog actually passed away. Not due to my inability to afford veterinary care for her, but simply because she was old. It was old age. I would never have forgiven myself had I dumped her off at a shelter six months earlier. An animal shelter is no place for a "senior" dog, much less any dog. Same goes for cats.


How much is it really to keep our devoted furry friends? They both ran me under $50.00. I sense something more is going on here when we are seeing so much of this going on and being blamed on the economy.

Is it the cost of annual vaccines? You may not know this, but there is actually some controversy concerning the annual vaccinations of your pets. It may not be so good for them afterall. Please do some research on the subject. Also, another good resource I found is the following article: does your pet need annual vaccines? You may actually be doing your pet a favor if you skip this year's vet visit because its shots are due. And don't worry about the rabies vaccine or the county coming knocking because your license has expired. It is not going to happen. Your checkbook and your pet will thank you.

Couldn't we all stand to tighten our belts up a bit? The cost of pet food and kitty litter, if necessary, for the entire month is so small compared to what we have with our pets. The benefits of keeping them far outweighs the risks. And frankly, when you are in serious financial trouble, $50.00 per month does not even begin to fix it. If an extra $50.00 a month does solve all of your financial problems in this economy, then you just need to get creative with your budget - - cut back, make some sacrifices, but please, please, please do not - Repeat: Do Not eliminate your pet's grocery expense from your budget. The cost of the guilt is not worth what you think you will save.

Please begin shopping at Aldi Grocery if you have one nearby. That will help a lot.