Sunday, May 7, 2017

Frugal Happenings 5/7

Good morning all.
Oh the sun is shining this morning and it makes it feel as if all is right with the world.  It is really nice to have a couple dry, sunny days.  My mood has taken a tremendous boost upwards!!!!!

We were blessed with  a new great-great niece this week.  Cali is an absolute chunk in the pictures I have seen and has a head full of blonde hair!  I truly believe it is the first blonde new baby I have seen!  She is perfect and healthy.

It came to our attention a couple days ago that Opie (the opossum) is probably an Opina!!!!  It appears that suddenly the belly is big and close to the ground.  I am figuring many babies in the pouch - from reading they are usually born in or around April.  I guess we will see.  We'll still use Opie as a nickname!!!  LOL

Momma kitty seems to have gotten a cold.  Poor baby.  She is sneezing and sounds stopped up.  She spent way too much time in the wet and cold the last couple weeks.  She is now resting daily in the greenhouse and sleeping in there at nights (good kitty).  I have been giving her pet grade Brewers Yeast in her food daily (has antioxidants).  I know a cold usually wears itself out in 7 - 10 days with cats, I just hate seeing her feel bad.

My week:
FIRST I didn't leave the house till Friday - it was just too miserable outside.  Staying home always saves me a ton of money!
  • I inventoried all of my home canned goods.  Needing to figure out what I have to can this summer.
  • Did a lot of reading and research on the computer
  • Got one day in the middle of week, that I had a brief chance to mow!  Thank goodness, as the rain came back with a vengeance and the grass is growing like crazy!
  • I made a pot of chili which seemed appropriate for the wet and chilly weather
  • I came across what is probably 40 tomato plants that are self seeded from last year.  They are where the grape tomatoes were - so we will see what they become this year.
Baby tomato plants.  There are dozens.  I will transplant some as they get a little bigger.  Tomatoes are tomatoes to me!  YUM!
  • Cleaned and polished the wood floors - they look so pretty (they are original finish 1947)
  • Picked a bouquet of peonies - oh, the smell!!!!!
  • I went to the feed store Friday and stocked up for the next month on squirrel goodies!
  • I ran by Kroger and ran in to see what (OK say it with me) 'CLEARANCE THEY HAD'!!!!
I know I talked this week about buying less packaging - so I was really BAD at Kroger.  I got some deals I just couldn't pass up - as I couldn't make my own as cheaply as I bought some things.  The packaging is all recyclable here - so that is my saving grace.

I found:
6 cans of Libby corn for .39/ea. (12/2019)
4 bags of organic croutons .49/bag (3/2018)
2 boxes of microwave popcorn 1.09/ea.  (3/2018)
2  - pound pkgs. of ground pork, 1.47 & 1.48.  I froze for now - but will be making sausage.
20 lb. bag cat liter (torn and only 18 lbs. in it)  1.39
5 containers of spices and seasoning - all 1.09 each.   2 - all purpose seasoning, 2 zesty table blend, and 1 creole seasoning
Packets of seasonings for cooking.  6 - beef stew season, 6 ranch dip season, and 4 sloppy joe season all .19 each! (I can't blend that cheaply)


Meals this week:
Tuna patties, green beans with potatoes, sliced carrots with Italian dressing
Small ranch - cheese - ham & potato casserole, leftover green beans and slaw
Chili (2X)
Cajon rice with sausage and side salad
Chili cheese dogs and chips and dip
Leftover dogs with kraut and chips and dip
Sliced strawberries with whipped cream for desserts
All leftovers were used for lunch or breakfast


I am hoping to get a little weed pulling and yard work done this week - in between the rain!  Yes, we have chances of rain just about each day.  UGH!

Did you have a good week?  Tell us about all your frugal achievements this past week!  Each of you inspire me to do better.
Take care and may all the blessings of God be upon you!

12 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great week! Glad you have some sunshine! Looks like you got some good deals at Kroger. Your tomato plants look so healthy. I do love tomatoes.
    It hasn't been my best frugal week. I am tryng to do better with leftovers. I made some beef enchiladas on Friday, and turned the leftover beef into chili last night. My brother gave me a flat of strawberries, yum. I have made strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, muffins and we have been eating them fresh. Think I will freeze the rest though. ;)
    Hope you have a blessed week.

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    1. Kathy - YUM on fresh strawberries. Nice to be given such a lovely gift!
      I do the same with meat from tacos, burritos, etc.
      Tomatoes are my absolute favorite!

      Have a wonderful week.

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  2. Our granddaughter's name is Cali also. I had never heard of that name before then. Nancy

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    1. Nancy, I laughed after I heard my nieces name, as we had a calico cat once we named Cally! I had never heard of another child named that either.
      Now there are at least 2!!!!!

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  3. Congrats on the arrival of a sweet little girl in the family. I'm glad your mood has improved and you have had a chance to dry out a little.
    All my tomato plants this year are the same as yours, self sewn. I love these volunteers. Saves heaps on the cost of purchasing of seedlings or seeds. The volunteers are also acclimatised to the area and do so much better than anything else. I have the tomatoes, bak choy, lettuce, coriander(cilantro), rocket, marigolds and sweet potatoes all volunteering and behaving just like weeds. Happy days.
    We are getting what they call coastal showers, most days. Given how hot and dry summer was, these autumn showers are most welcome. Our climate is sub tropical so now is our best growing season.
    I added lemon extract and mint extract to my pantry. I was making some ginger/lemon/honey cough syrup and decided to use up the lemon peel as well. The lemons and ginger came from the garden and I swapped a jar of rosella jam for a container of honey with a friend who has beehives. A beautiful elixir of goodness at no cost.
    It was a quiet and steady week. I didn't go anywhere other than for a walk on the beach or a ride on my bike along the Esplanade, so entertainment cost nothing.
    This week has started the baking of bread and a ham and cheese pull apart. I have not long strained off the chicken stock I had bubbling away in the slow cooker. I have a couple of over ripe bananas so might make some chocanana muffins with the choc bits in the freezer.
    Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Jane you week sounds positively divine. It has been many, many years since I have had a walk on a beach. That would be so calming.

      That is great you have so many volunteer plants.
      Your extracts and cough syrup sound wonderful. Good going on the barter for the honey!
      All your cooking sounds yummy.

      have another great week!

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  4. Aww congratulations on your new niece. So exciting! I'm glad you got to mow your lawn -that rain just wouldn't stop here for long. Those are some great deals you got-I wouldn't pass them up either. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you on the new baby! They are always so sweet.
      Our rain comes back in this week off and on , so here's hoping I can get some more yard work done.
      I hope you get some relief and a chance to work outside.

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  5. wow, blonde hair! We have bald babies in our family, lolol. What type of food do you get for your squirrels? They eat my birdie food, but I would get them something of their own if I knew what to get...Great week! :)

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    Replies
    1. Barbara - babies usually have no hair or very dark hair in our family. I am amazed at her blonde hair!

      I buy dry corn and black oil sunflower seeds for the squirrels. the corn I get is ear corn, as I have feeders, but lose corn is fine. I also get peanuts in shells for extra treats. They run up and take those from me!

      have a good week.

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  6. I hope by now Momma kitty is doing better? Congrats on the grand niece, Cali - could it be short for California?

    Our plant starts are suffering so I may have to buy some starts, not happy about that! I do have a green thumb, thinking my husband does not so much, but we shall see, he is very good at nurturing along sick things so maybe the starts we have will come out all right in the end, funny to be worrying over a little green thing trying to grow!

    I hope for Mother's day that we can get some flowers for the deck planters, and a trip to the local discount grocery to restock the cupboards, only a few items this time, peanut butter being one of them

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    1. Momma kitty is doing much better. I babied her and gave her some meds and she improved pretty fast.

      I really want to get flowers too. I think next week will be out time - supposed to be sunny and in the 70's and 80's then!

      Have fun shopping!

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