Spicy Baked Shrimp

I am always looking for easy, delicious meals for dinner and this recipe fits the bill.  This recipe can be prepared in under 30 minutes.  I don't remember where I originally got this recipe; I probably cut it out of a magazine.

Spicy Baked Shrimp

2 sticks (1 cup) butter or margarine, melted (I recommend butter)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. ground pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)
1 tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves (I used minced garlic)
2-1/2 pounds shrimp (I used medium peeled, de-veined white shrimp)
1 lemon, thinly slice (I was out of lemons)

Combine first 7 ingredients.  Layer shrimp and lemon slices in a 13" x 9" dish.  Top with sauce.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until shrimp turns pink, stirring once.  Remove shrimp and enjoy.  Yield 3 - 4 servings.

Since there are only two of us, I halved the recipe and it made more than enough for two people.  I served it with a baked potato.  There you go - easy & delicious.

Budgets & Debts

I was thinking about my last post and maybe I didn't provide enough detail.  I don't know, because, for me, it is as basic as determining what is coming in and where it's going. 

There was a time in my life when I was drowning in debt and I wanted to give up.  My husband left me and I went from a two income family to a single mom with two children working two jobs and no child support.  I had a mortgage, a small business loan, medical bills for my son and, around $44,000 in credit card debt.  My husband left it all for me to handle; that was in 2001.  I don't remember five years of my life because I was so tired from working all the time.  I know my kids suffered, but I did it for them - to keep a roof over their heads.  I paid it all off, a lot of it by refinancing my home and using the equity to pay off my other debt.  When the real estate market crashed, I almost lost my home, but finally, through a loan modification, I got a mortgage payment I could afford, and thanks to being hit by a garbage truck, I got a settlement that enabled me to pay off all my debts except for my mortgage.  So here I am today, without a job, but for right now, still in pretty good financial shape.

What's the moral of my story?  It's easy, so easy, to get into debt and to get in over your head before you realize it.  But with hard work and with a realistic budget, you can get out of debt.  Don't give up - you can do this.  It takes work and commitment.

The "B" Word

To a lot of people, the word "budget" is daunting; they don't want to know where their money is going.  It's so much easier though to have a budget because then, you are in control of your money; your money does not control you.  Basically, a budget shows how much money is coming in and how much money is going out. There are a lot of great budgeting work sheets available on the internet, but I'm an old-fashioned girl; I like using a notepad and a pen.

One rule of thumb to manage your money is the 80/20 rule; live on 80% of your income, save 10%, and tithe 10%.  Everyone's situation is different, so use whatever works for you.

Now that I'm unemployed, having a working budget is a must.  Fortunately, financially, I'm in a pretty good position and it allows me to take some time off and find the right job for me.

Here is my monthly budget:

mortgage
groceries
utilities
cell phone
health insurance/dental insurance
life insurance
cable tv/internet
credit cards
auto insurance
tithe
savings
retirement

Most of these are fixed costs, so my budget won't fluctuate that much from month to month.

I don't include miscellaneous items such as gas, clothes, or auto repair; my car is a 2012 Nissan, which is paid for, and is still in great shape.

I rarely carry a credit card balance, but sometimes, it happens, and I'll pay it off over a couple of months.

I consider cable tv to be my only luxury, but if I have to, I can cancel it and save another $100.00 a month.

I have an emergency fund equal to 6 months of my former salary.

Even though I'm not working, I'll still contribute to my retirement through my emergency fund.

The real point of all this is that usually there are ways we can cut back on our budget; it may require hard decisions on your part, but when you're faced with unemployment like I am, you'll be glad that you took the time to make a budget.

I've lost my job - now what?

On October 10th, out of the blue, I lost my job.  I had transitioned from my job as a church secretary to a full-time job as a human resources specialist.  It wasn't my ideal job, but it put food on the table and payed the mortgage.  Now what?  This has not been my year for jobs, that's for sure.

It happened the day before I was leaving for a camping trip to South Carolina.  I went camping and had a great time.  While hiking through the mountains of South Carolina, I was able to work through all the emotions of losing my job and the conclusion that I came to was "Thank You, Jesus!"

So, I feel good; I feel at peace; I'm ready for the next phase of my life, whatever that may be.  If you've just lost your job, take a deep breath, cry, get angry, whine, feel sorry for yourself, and then, pick yourself up off the floor, straighten your shoulders, and look unemployment right in the face.  It's not the end of the world; some days it just feels like it.

Here's my plan for prospering until my next job comes along.  Notice, I said, "plan."  If you don't have a plan, you're not going to get through a job loss, or any other economic crisis.

1.  Review your budget; if you don't have a budget, now is a really good time to find out where your money is going every month.

2.  Decide where you can cut back.  Take a hard look; cable TV is a luxury, not a need.

3.  Check to see if you are eligible for any benefits, like food stamps or unemployment.  This will be a last resort for me.

4.  Update your resume;  this is not something that I've done and I wish that I had.  My friend Amy says that your resume should always be up-to-date.

5.  Keep on saving and keep on giving - how?  I'm not sure, but I know that generally, we are more blessed than we realize and it doesn't just involve money.

6.  Figure out if there are ways you can make some money until you find a full time job.

7.  Christmas - losing your job right before the holidays doesn't mean that you have to cancel Christmas.  There are a lot of ways to cut back and still give gifts.

My Job Is What?

Going part-time.  But don't worry.  It's not effective until April 1st.  That should be plenty of time for you to either find another full time job or another part time job.  Oh, by the way, you're going to lose your benefits too.  Any questions?

Questions?  I'm still trying to process the fact that I'm losing half my income and my benefits.  This was supposed to be my "gold watch" and retirement party job.  Here I am, almost through February, and I'm still trying to figure this out.  Plan, I need a plan.

Why I Stockpile

A friend asked me, "why do you stockpile food?'  I replied, "I'm preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse."  But what I'm really preparing for is something that I didn't think I'd ever have to worry about again.  I found out recently that my full time job is becoming a part time job on April 1st.  I am going to lose half of my income and my benefits.  Problem is I still have full time expenses.  So glad that I have a stockpile - one less thing that I have to worry about.

Chili Dog Casserole

This is another recipe from Pinterest.  I made it the other night and it was delish!  If you like chili dogs, then you'll like this recipe and it's easy to make.

Chili Dog Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans (I used one can Hormel Hot & Spicy and one can regular Hormel)
1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I used angus beef Ball Park)
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)
1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.