Well, it has arrived and it does feel like it here. We had a big drop in temps on Friday - and it will continue throughout the next week.
Today is sunny and cool - lovely!
We are to get some rain this next week - but I do look forward to getting a lot of fall yard work done. There is so much that needs to be tended to before winter sets in. We all know that will be here before we blink twice!!!!!
It has been an exceptionally quiet week here on the home front.
My frugal week:
- I did make a run to Rural King for a canned cat food stock-up. I really need to keep up on that every month, to keep my inventory up.
- I have been harvesting a little of this and that. Peppers, tomatoes, okra and cucumbers. Totaled around 15 1/2 lbs. this week. It is really winding down.
- Made a batch of cinnamon rolls
- Did laundry in cold and line dried
- Bought gas for the first time in almost 2 months and got a .20/gallon discount
- I did FINALLY grocery shop this week for a just a few odds and ends. ONLY spent $32
- Turned off the AC on Friday - probably for the rest of the year!
- Did a little light yard work
- Started doing some fall cleaning
- Windows open and house getting fresh air
Meals this past week:
Homemade nachos
Chicken and rice and salad
Pork chops, black eyed peas, stuffing and tomatoes
Hamburger hash, slaw and tomatoes
Chicken French bread pizza topped with roasted tomatoes
FRY night - fried green tomatoes, onions & okra served with franks
Broccoli/rice/cheese soup
All leftovers used at lunches
Life is slowing down a little. Crops are winding down, so is the canning. Yard work will increase for a bit - then that will also slow. Cool days, eating the harvest, scented candles, watching nature and enjoying God's wonders - YEP that is the life!!!!!!
I found a few new recipes this week, that I will be making for Christmas baskets. Yummy recipes I will share after I try them!
What is going on in your neck of the woods? Garden still producing? Still preserving? Any deals?
Let us know how you are preparing for fall.
May you all be blessed and safe and healthy this week. Take time to enjoy all the wonders of fall and the wonderful gifts it has to offer. Be kind. Praise your Maker for everything.
Blessings from our humble home to yours.
So funny -I seen your lambs ear first and had to really look for your hummingbird -so pretty! Gardens sure are winding down but we are still harvesting the last of it. Have a great week Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteYou can find about anything looking out my windows!
Deleteyeah I love we are still harvesting a little bit - fresh is always better.
Have a nice week.
What a beautiful sunset! I don't think I have even seen a hummingbird sitting still; how sweet! I am jealous of your tomatoes since ours are almost gone. I surely enjoyed them while they lasted.
ReplyDeleteWe went camping this weekend with my brother and his family, and it was so nice. I don't think we have ever camped after labor day, but the weather was perfect. Good memories.
Have a great week.
This year is about the first time I have ever seen them just sitting and not sitting and drinking. They have given me many thrills this summer - I will miss them when they leave.
DeleteWe used to camp all the time. What fun. This is perfect camping weather - great for campfires, snuggling and jazzed up coffee or hot chocolate!!!!
I remember those days fondly.
Have a lovely week.
I plant primarily for: Ratatouille (https://www.salon.com/2010/08/07/ratatouille_recipe/), salsa, and for fresh eating. So far we have 45 quarts of ratatouille in the freezer, 12 quarts and 18 pints of salsa. our Blackberry patch finally produced more than snacks-we have 20 1/2 pints of jam and 7 pints of syrup canned. We've been eating tomatoes, cucumbers and kale. I'll saute and freeze the remaining kale once we have our first freeze. We're cooled into the 40s at night for a week already so the garden has really slowed down. Totally bummed because my harvest just started 4w ago.
ReplyDeleteThat is really neat that you have a plan for everything. Tomato products are my biggie. I do salsa (love), pasta sauce, pizza sauce (can interchange) and plain tomatoes. We eat lots of tomato products all year.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a wonderful bounty. WOW you just started harvesting 4 weeks ago? What a short season.
Anything that you put up will be so tasty over the winter. It brings lovely memories and great plans!!!
Put up everything you possibly can before freeze.
Have a great week.
Thanks Cheryl.....I do love gardening and we do love the freshies. Last year I preserved far more AND gave away about 50@ of tomatoes. I just didn't do well with the garden this year but still we have a nice bounty for winter.
DeleteWe usually harvest for 8 weeks. We had a super hot 4 weeks and I think that stopped everything in bloom. Now it's chilly at night too early. I spent (yikes) the money on water walls. Next year I will plant my tomatoes the 2nd weekend of May rather than the 1st weekend of June.
I have plenty of tomato sauce left from last year's dearth of tomatoes so I'm good there.
Cheers to garden harvest and fresh food!!!!
My past neighbor had those water walls.. That is a really neat concept.
DeleteOur garden did better this year than last. Weather has really been up and down - so I figure ANY harvest is good.
I just love my hummingbirds; we have two this year. Where do you live that you can turn your a/c off for good? It's still plenty warm here in eastern NC. But the nights are getting cooler, thankfully!
ReplyDeleteI live in Indiana and the weather being projected is for cool for at least the next week or so - then it is Oct. So I figure maybe it is done.
DeleteI think my baby hummers may have left yesterday. I haven't seen since Sunday morning and they have been here constantly. It got cool quickly. We will see.
They sure are sweet things.
I am getting tomatoes, and okra. I planted so late it was ridiculous! I will have alot of green tomatoes for relishes! Fall is in the air, Im ready we had a hot and windy summer. We sold our camping trailer this week, so Ive been dealing with all the stuff we had in it. You can get a lot of stuff in one without realizing it! This week is a busy one, helping get ready for the church rummage sale on sat. Maybe Ill find some good stuff though!! Lol Hummingbirds are so fasinating, a few hang out here!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are still getting harvest.
DeleteYou sure can get a lot in a camper it is amazing!! Good luck finding a spot for all of it.
Oh, a church sale - I love those. They always have good stuff.
Have a good one.
I like green tomatoes in my chili, sort of like tomatillos and then add some lime juice to make it citrus-like.
DeleteAwww, the hummingbird! I got to see one in action at a local park this week, they have beautiful gardens and the hummingbird was taking full advantage. It was a beautiful sight!
ReplyDeleteI had a pretty busy week. Physical therapy (and the after effects of exhaustion some days!) is still dominating my time, and now my daughter is back in preschool and my son is super involved with a bunch of things at school, so I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm already looking forward to the kids' Christmas break!
Hope the therapy is helping.
DeleteIt is amazing how busy kids can be. It sure wasn't like that when we were kids. Kids are so actively involved in things now. You have a goal - Christmas break!!!! LOL
Make sure you rest a little!
I love your friend. He/She is so precious.
ReplyDeleteI love your tomato yields. I have enjoyed following all your gardening this year and all your beautiful harvest. I could not get my tomatoes in this year. :( I did plant one in July and it actually grew beautifully but did not produce tomatoes. I didn't think it would. I planted it because I think it will make a great volunteer plant. Crossing fingers. I did splurge on a big beautiful Missouri tomato this weekend. I stood in the store admiring it and practically hugging it. I am lucky that I have a store that sells Farmer's produce and lets them have the profits. I don't mind buying produce that way.
I am almost done Fall cleaning. Will be done later today. I have decorated for my goblins & ghouls.
That is neat that your store sells local produce. Not many do. Sorry you didn't get any tomatoes of your own this year. There is always next year to plan for.
DeleteGlad you are done with the fall cleaning - I just started. Got a lot accomplished yesterday.
Have a good day.
I love this time of year. Can't wait for the leaves to start changing colors. We only had the AC on one day last week. I think we are done with it for the year. I love when I can keep the windows open and I don't need the AC or heat on.
ReplyDeleteMy garden is still doing well. I picked about 40 pounds of vegetables last week. I made another large pot of sauce. We had dinner that night with it of pasta with meat sauce, I made a pizza with it and I canned 4 quarts.
We are looking forward to going apple and pumpkin picking soon at local farms.Then I will process all of that.
We received lots of leftovers this week. My son brought home bread, bagels, cookies and pastries from work. Hubby brought home rolls and bagels from work. My youngest daughter brought home 1/2 a pizza from float build and a bunch of food after the senior breakfast. We are happy to eat it and prevent food waste.
the rest of my week is here: https://mcoia.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-frugal-list-week-of-september-17-2018.html
I love having windows open and fresh air as well. Heavenly. Leaves are so pretty when they change - then I have to rake! I am not especially fond of that.
DeleteWOW you are doing great with your garden harvest and all your freebies. Life is good.
Sounds like you are having a great beginning to fall!
It is still incredibly warm here - has been in the 90's and we are having a "fall break" with just upper 80's yesterday and today, and then back into the 90's again for the rest of the week. One of my tomato plants died, leaving a small side shoot. I have been watering it faithfully, and it is growing - no flowers, but growing. I want to see how long this will continue. I have not one, but 2 big paper wasp nests on the ceiling of the balcony above me. Hopefully no one will get stung and maintenance will take care of it soon - I asked the to do so on Thursday, but it is still there this morning. We still have a chance at a hurricane coming to Florida - but it seems that we are past the most dangerous time (ha, ha, I remember Sandy on October 30th), might just miss them. I have now made 20 hats and 3 afghans for the church food/clothing pantry that I will be taking on Sunday. Even here in Florida people are cold. So I continue to work on hats. Take care.
ReplyDeleteit is good to hear it is warm somewhere in the usa! I wore my down vest to work this morning and was still chilled.
DeleteMaybe the plant will hang in there - it will be warm there for quite a while so there is still a chance.
DeleteBe safe - stay away from the mean old waspers!
I hope you have no bad weather. I think there has been more than enough this year already. Stay safe.
That is so nice of you to make all the homemade items for church. I am sure they will be greatly appreciated.
Have a lovely week - try to stay cool!
Great guns on the gardening Cheryl! We took our hummer feeder down, they stopped coming the first of September. Hubby and I will try some fall greens tonight, I have some late lettuce looking good and a neighbor lent me her pipe bending tool so maybe we can get a low tunnel going with some kale and bok choy. Galls me to pay for it at the market when I could grow it at home.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear from you. I have kept up with your adventures on another site! Glad all is going well for your family.
DeleteI have thought about lettuce for fall - but keep procrastinating! I am with you - they charge so much for stuff at the store.
Have a great one. Keep in touch!
I can't believe it is fall already. It is so much cooler here and we are sure enjoying it. Although I love the heat. I will kill the garden right after we come home from our trip. then I will do my last batch of canning. Your tomatoes look lovely.
ReplyDeleteYep it is here!!!!! It sure does feel like it too.
DeleteI hope to stretch the garden a little while yet.
Have a good trip.
Hi Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteWhen you make your hamburger hash does it have a sauce or gravy of some sort? Do you use just hamburger and potatoes or do you use other vegetables? I know you often do not use recipes but I would like to hear your method.
Thanks!
Hi there. No sauce. I fry up hamburger, diced onions, diced potatoes and carrots.
DeleteI just cook until all veggies are cooked. Add whatever seasoning you want. (we like a little garlic added)
My mom used to make this a lot when we were young and it was a favorite. Great way to stretch a meal with simple supplies.
Hope that helps! ENJOY