Weekly Wrap-Up 5/8

 Happy Sunday to all.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there - whether you are a mommy to a two legged or 4 legged baby!!!!  I hope you all enjoy your special day.  

I have never understood this day - EVERY DAY should be a special day for moms.  We love them, we have hurt them, we laugh with them, we appreciate them, and many of us MISS them!!!!!!

We have had a range of weather again this week.  Lots of rain, wind, cool and then back to warmer days.  Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day - something which hasn't been seen much lately.  I heard this week that we have had only 9 days rain free since April 1.

This coming week is supposed to be in the 80's each day and dry!!  Straight to summer!

My week:

• Loads of laundry
• Made a batch of biscuits
• Found a box of ice cream treats in the back of freezer - YUM
• Cut chives and froze
• Cut and dried mint
• Got to looking closely at my bank statement - noticed that I got my Fed. tax refund 8 days after filing my taxes!!!!!  Unheard of!  
• Mowed and trimmed the entire yard
• Trimmed all the bushes
• I have spent every dry moment trimming, pulling, cutting and weeding everything I could - sure is a lot to do
• Paid everything I had on hand and mailed a birthday card (from my stock)
• I got a call one day from a friend that WM family market had a good stock of canned cat food.  I ran down there (5 minutes away) and yes, they did.  Got items I haven't been finding lately
• No grocery shopping again this week
• Doing all the normal things we all do

Meals this past week:

Leftovers from visit at sis's house

Cheesy broccoli soup (freezer)

Mixed greens/ham (freezer) and fried potatoes

Dirty rice stovetop quiche (rice from freezer)

Tamales over rice and fresh veggies

Biscuits and gravy

Mashed potatoes and ham sandwich

SNACKS:  fruit, ice cream bars, and Ramen soup (yes I did!)

How was your week?  Are you doing any gardening yet?  I will probably start in a week or so (just waiting to make sure this weather sticks).  Did you get any deals or bargains?

Give us a shout out.  We all kind of live through each other!  Love getting ideas from you all.

It has been great this week to see so many new people posting!!!  WELCOME

Blessings to you all from my humble little home!

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The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  And those who know thy name put their trust in thee, for thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek thee.

Psalms 9:9-10

Lord, in these hard times, we often forget that You are in control, and that we must have complete and total faith in Your will.  We may not understand, but we do know that whether here on earth or in heaven we will be with You.  Thank You for loving us.

Amen

The Hills are Alive......

 Well, I guess the hills are.  The backyard sure is!  Things are all growing and coming back to life.  The birds are singing and serenading me every time I go outside.  The squirrels are frisky and playing.  The kitties are enjoying being outside and sunning.

WEEDS - oh my, they sure are growing.  It is amazing how quickly un-desirable plants grow.  We need to figure a way to cross them with veggies.  Think of the veggies we could have!!!!!

                                                                Such delicate little flowers

 Poppies are budding.  The buds are huge

                                                Vinca vines are blooming - so subtle yet pretty.

                            The clematis has taken off in the past week or so and even getting buds

             Peonies are loaded again with buds.  I can hardly wait - I so LOVE the smell of them

                                                           Roses are starting to bud

Everything is finally popping up and out.  I love the flowers!   They make me happy.

Grass is growing like crazy and requiring much mowing.  I see violets and dandelions everywhere.  There are many ground cover weeds growing as well.  (sigh)

The forsythia are now green and my goodness have they grown.  I am going out shortly to trim them up.

The only part of spring I do not like is the opportunity for so many bad storms.

I guess we have to endure the ugly to get the beauty.  God shows me each day the wonders of His hand.

I just love spring.

Hoping you all have a great Cinco de Mayo!!!!!!

ENJOY all the wonders of the world!

Friends and Foes and Fun

 Hold your friends close and hold your enemies closer.  NAH!  I am just going let the enemies go.

Does anyone else every feel that their life gets too peopley??????

Some days I am just over many people.

I am pretty easy going and laid back.  I never go out of my way to hurt someone or say something hateful.  I am honest and will voice my opinion (as is my right) - and then I get blasted!

NOW KNOW - I am NOT talking about this blog or any of you fine people.

People today are so very different.  I know many people blame it all on the past couple years.  Well, maybe some of it - but it started before that.  People are so self-centered, sanctimonious, entitled and just clueless!!!!  

I know this ventures into a different subject, but what ever happened to freedom of speech?  LOL!  I am not wanting to start a conversation about government/politics at all - just the fact that people are just nasty and rude more and more today, and they want to control 'others' speech.

You voice your opinion or add to a conversation, and say something that in no way is trying to be hurtful and people complain.  I see this day after day on FB and in some of the groups I belong to.  Why is one persons views more important than another's?  Why do people think it is OK to bash people in a way, that they would never do in person?  Why can't adults just ACT like adults?

I had this happen to me recently.  I guess I must have 'offended' someone and then I was suspended for a while from the group.  REALLY?  No one will tell me why.  It is aggravating.  

I have now gotten to the place that I know I did nothing wrong and God shows us where we should be and who we should be around.    I AM listening!!!!

What you see (or read) is me.  I am not phony at all.  Don't like me - don't care!!!!!!

I live to please only ONE and that is God.  

You just never know what will flip someone's button today.  It can be something big or something teeny tiny!  I just think the world gets to peopley for me on somedays.  I am not going to be bitter or upset - I am praying for these  people.  Just give me my fur babies and nature!!!!!!!!

It seems to me that Satan has a grip on many people today - and they don't even realize it.  It is truly sad.

So never be shocked or alarmed when "friends" become foes.  It seems to be the sorry state of the world today.  You and I both know that we have much more important things on our plates to handle - than to be pestered by hurtful and ungracious people.

FOR THE FUN

I only watch a couple of You Tube channels now.  One I never miss, when she posts and the other I watch sporadically.  Both have a calm way about them and they are just entertaining.

The one I never miss is Coffee With Kate (Kate Signh).  She is just a neat person.  She talks of her financial journey, her family, garden, spirit and a bit of this and that.  She is real!  She has gone through a lot of changes with her channel over the years and I always stay tuned in.

I sometimes make a comment of her channel, when something hits me.  The other day she responded with "I was enjoying your blog the other day".     WOW - I geeked out!  I thought that was so cool.

She has over 10,000 followers and she is an author of many books - and she was reading us!!!!!   That just made my day.

So folks, people change and life changes.  

Light your torch and hold it high and light the way to the world for "your" people to follow.  

Sometimes we learn in a tough way - but eventually we learn who OUR people are.  Love them and hold them close.  Pray for the others.

We surely can't please everyone.  We have a right to our opinions.  We still have some semblance of free speech.  So, don't let people beat you up for your thoughts and beliefs.

Stand up for YOU!  Life is too short to let the negative in.  Tune in to the happy and the enjoyable,

Make life fun!  That is one thing we CAN control.

I love you all my friends - and I appreciate each and every one of you!!!!!

Tips This Tuesday

 Today is just a few reminders on things we can all do to save a few dollars here and there in our kitchens and around the home.  It is essential more today than ever, to stretch what we have and save on money.

I know many of these have been shared in the past - just reminders.

Freeze eggs - the price of eggs keeps going up with this avian flu thing going on.  If you can get a deal - get them.  Freeing eggs is easy and it works great for eggs for baking or cooking.  No, you couldn't really use like a hard boiled egg - but other uses work fine.

I freeze in muffin pans - 1 egg per spot (ice cube trays seem too small to me).  Once frozen set in the sink with a bit of warm water for a moment - just to loosen the bottom of egg.  Pop out and freeze.  I know some people dehydrated cook eggs - I have never tried that - but it is an option as well.

I manage to keep my bananas fresh for an extended period of time by using a plastic bag and tightly covering the stem part of bananas.

I wrap the plastic around the stem and then add a rubber band.  I can keep bananas for a couple weeks this way.  I suppose you could just do the stem part and be OK.  I have used the banana hangers as well in the past and they worked decent.  I like my plastic bag method - it seems to work the best for me.

IF my bananas get too ripe - I simply place them in a baggy in the freezer in the peel.  When I am ready to use for baking or a smoothy - I let them 'thaw' for a moment or two and remove the skin.

When processing and canning any tomato product this summer - make sure you save those skins.  Dehydrate until very dry - then grind into a powder.  Makes a great flavor enhancer to all kinds of things.  You can use a dehydrator or the oven on its lowest setting.  Waste nothing!

Dehydrate!!!!!  You can dehydrate summer squash very easily.  It is great to add to soups, casseroles and such.  You can dehydrate and salt and make chips (I really like them).  You can also dry and grind into a powder than can be added to foods (for that picky eater) for vitamins intake or  it can replace some of the flour in baked goods.  You can dehydrate just about anything.  It is a great way to keep fruits and veggies in a small contained area.  I do lots of squash, mushrooms, and tomato skins a lot.  I also dry many, many herbs and greens.  Greens can also be ground and added to other foods.

I like dehydrating those tough hard ends of asparagus and grinding.  Add to cream of soup!  Also, I do the bigger tough okra.  Dry, grind and you have a natural soup thickener (promise no slime).

IF growing cabbage - do not pull out the plant when harvesting.  Cut the head off and let it continue to grow.  You will get several mini heads of cabbage to grow back.  The same with broccoli (if it isn't too hot and goes to flower).

Use grape leaves instead of pickle crisp.  I add about 3 leaves per quart to homemade pickles (either cuke or squash) to keep them crisp.  Works great.  Now squash pickles will never be as crisp as cucumber pickles - but they sure are good.  

• Use less.  We all eat too much - and using less not only helps our pocketbooks but our waistlines as well
• Simplify meals
• Leftovers - bits and bobs - freeze in ice cube trays.  Gravy, juices, veggies, fruits, etc. - to use n new ways and in new things.  I waste no broth from cooking meat in a crockpot - I freeze it.  Makes for great flavoring
• Watch clearance and markdowns - get the best price you can.
  
  I buy clearance produce and it comes in these mesh bags.  I can get 3 or 4 bell peppers, maybe 6 potatoes, 5 or 6 apples or oranges, all kinds of things for .99/bag.  This is a great deal when you live alone.  Sure is cheaper than buying a big bag of something.  Second bonus - I keep the bags - pull off the labels, and reuse them when shopping for regular produce instead of using plastic.  They also can made into great kitchen scrubbers.
• If someone wants to give you something - let them.  If you can't use it - share with another.  I was told by an elderly gentleman years ago - never tun down something free.  Someday you may need something and if you burn all your bridges - you may be out of luck!!!!
• If you don't have cookbooks - utilize the computer or the library.  There are many, many books available with old time recipes and simple recipes - all of which are tasty.
• Water things down.  Not everything has to be used full strength.  I not only water down detergents but fruit juice, condensed soups, and I add extra liquid to dry soups.  You can extend things with adding a little extra water, milk, juice, or broth
• Serve smaller meat portions.  We eat too much meat.  Decease the size and make it a side not a main course.  Add less meat to soups and casseroles.  Extend it as much as possible.  I like using bacon grease or other flavorings for flavor - thus I get the meat flavor - just not as much meat.

We can really extend our groceries if we try.  We all know soups and casseroles are great ways to extend about any food.  

We may have to try new ways to save.  Be open to experimenting a bit.

What are some great ideas you have to help save on grocery shopping?

Weekly Wrap Up 5/1

 Happy May everyone.  Happy May Day!  I remember as a child making paper woven baskets and picking wild violets and dandelions and leaving them on the door for Mom.  Supposedly she wouldn't know who left them.  LOL

I hope this find you all well and safe.

Here we are at the beginning of a new month - hopefully I will get some planting done this month.  MAYBE the weather will get and stay warm!

My view across the street.  It is so pretty.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

Things are growing.  I have no idea what this plant is - it gets frail little stalks of blue flowers.  It was a gift from a friend's yard.  Mint is coming up like crazy and the chives are going to be cut today.  The perennial bed is just growing like crazy.

Wednesday we didn't have rain and it was a nice day - boy were the mowers humming!  The whole neighborhood seemed to be out and mowing.  It sure smelled good!  Fresh mown grass is one of my favorite scents.

My week:

• Found some chicken breast in freezer I had forgotten.  It had a bit of freezer burn, so I cut that off and added all kinds of goodies to make a batch of Mexican chicken.  I even used the crockpot!!!  It made 3 meals this week and two more for the freezer
• Mowed and trimmed the entire yard.
• Ran out and had to get gas for the mower.  It will last all summer
• While out I stopped in Kroger and got myself a new Kroger card.  Mine is so old that I can not use it to get digital coupons.  So now I am signed up, and should be able to get some nice deals once in a while!  YAY - no groceries bought this week.
• Got to air the house on several days and have the heat down or off
• I did a bit of yard work other than mowing.  Pulled, trimmed and cut back a lot of stuff
• Saturday got to have a sibling lunch finally!!!!!  We even exchanged Christmas!!!!  LOL.  It took a while, but we got there.  
• Got lots of home canned goods and a couple grocery GC's.  Sis made us a great meal.
• I got sent home with leftovers - so another meal will be had.
• Just doing all the normal things we all do

Meals this past week:

Tuna salad sandwich and fresh veggies

Mex. chicken over rice

Quesadilla's

Nacho's

Cabbage and smoked sausage

Stuffed pepper skillet

Dinner at sis's

How was your week?  Any good deals?  Any gardening or yard work getting done?

We sure had some great conversation this week.  You guys are the best.  Love how everyone jumps in and adds ideas and thoughts.

I hope you upcoming week is wonderful.  May you all stay safe and healthy.

Blessings to you and yours from my humble little home.

Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2

Thank you Lord for all the blessings we receive each and every day.  Help us to acknowledge even the smallest things as blessings.  We know that You protect us and keep us in Your safe and loving arms.  For that we sing praises.   AMEN

Stocking - It Isn't a New Thing!

 People have been keeping pantries for centuries!  It isn't new.  I keep seeing posts about "how do I do this?"  "where do I start?".  It truly boggles my little brain.  I guess being raised the way I was, I just always thought everyone made sure there was ample supplies to take care of the family for longer than a few days.

I always thought KEEPING  a deep pantry was normal behavior.

I know many don't have funds for big shops.  I know many don't have tons of room.  I know many are just getting by.  BUT getting even a couple extra cans a week, or storing under the bed, or utilizing food pantries for extra - just seems normal and makes sense to me.

People have used cellars, cold storage and deep pantries for ages.  Ladies dried many goods to keep them - including smoking meat.  They used nature at every opportunity, as many had no money.  Men fished and hunted.  Folks foraged for berries, greens, nuts, grains - whatever they could find.  The creek was the water source in many instances.

I wonder WHY people think today is special!!!!  Yes there are some empty shelves, yes there world tensions, yes there have been much higher prices----- but this has all happened before.  Over and over.

There have been many wars.  There have been many, many recessions.  There has been the great depression.  There has been drought, floods, hurricanes, volcanos, earthquakes and pestilence.  There has always been feast of famine.

If you don't know that - then you have never read the Bible or a history book!

Farmers have had problems forever.  Some years are great, others have been a bust.  I keep hearing about the govt. pays farmers not to grow.  Well, that started in the 30's.  There was such a glut of crops being harvested, that it made the prices drop.  The govt. stepped in to stop that.  Being prolific obviously was not good for retail!

We have had mad cow disease and avian flue many times.  It is a cycle that happens.  

Fires - everyone thinks there is some huge conspiracy happening.  Think about it.  There 10's of thousands of plants in the U.S. alone.  If you do a little research, you will see that there are over 1,000 plant fires in U.S. each year!  Nothing new.

Gas prices are up.  OH MY GOODNESS - this has surely happened before.  I remember gas shortages and high prices in the 70's.  You had a lottery on what days to buy gas - could wait in line for hours and then get none.  Yep!

I remember the panic in the 80's with the market crash.  Y2K had people going nuts.  2008 was a big recession.  70's energy crisis.  2012 was supposed to be the end of the world according to the Myan calendar.  C19 happened and caused people to go nuts.

Hoarding and panic caused a lot of the shortages and still is.  Lack of people working due to many plants closing and laying people off (due to threat of illness) caused some shortages.  Greed caused a lot of the higher prices.  Governments in all their crazy 'wisdom/decisions' (she says sarcastically) has caused a ton of problems.

Stuff happens - it always has.

THAT IS WHY WE KEEP PANTRIES!

                                                                 Starts with you.....

If you read this chart - you will see that there had to be a lot of planning, preparedness, and good old common sense for you to even be here today!!!!!!!!  Our ancestors got through a ton of trials and tribulations in 12 generations or more - because here we are.  Dang it - if they all did it - I think we can too!!!!!!

We all need to encourage each other and support each other - don't spread misinformation and don't spread PANIC!  Don't spread conspiracies - just because you believe something, doesn't make it true.  There is research out there, that shows what our history has been - and well, we all know history usually repeats itself.

YES, prepare your pantries and your lauders.  Plant and grow what you can.  Learn to glean and forage. Have a plan.  You need to take care of yourself and your family.  You need to be prepared for ANY emergency - it can be anything.  Make sure you have supplies for more than few days.  Most stores will run out within days if there is a huge crisis in the country.  You need to take care of you - no one else will.

STOP being afraid and spreading fear.  STOP letting Satan discourage you.  That is exactly what happens when you fret and fear.  God gave us all we need on this earth and he gave us a mind to THINK and to help ourselves.  Have faith and go forward with confidence.

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;  fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger and forsake wrath!  Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.  For the wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land.

Psalms 37:7-8

Keep stocking - don't panic.

We have this - if you want to spread something - let it be hope and encouragement.

Midweek Affirmations - Blessings

 I woke this morning with the notion that I needed to change the post I had written.  I just have a feeling someone needs to be lifted up.  I know many here are going through a lot.  Illness, family worries, life happenings, and sadness in general.

We are here for one another.  I hope each and every one of you have a blessed day and week.

I think each of these are self-explanatory.  We need to realize that we can only control so much and then we have to turn it all over to a higher power.  

Life needs to be enjoyed, loved and lived each day.  We are ALL guilty of spending days doing nothing or feeling sorry for ourselves.  Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder that there is so much more than US!  Life is beautiful and it is grand.

I pray you each get a lift today and that you go through the remainder of the week with a happy heart.

Be kind, be happy, be joyful.  God loves you!