Frugal Happenings 11/11

Good morning.  Happy Veteran's Day to all of our veterans past and present.  Thank you for your service.

It is a cold November morning in my area.  We have had very windy (20 mph - 45 mph) and much chillier days this week.  Friday night got down to 18* - brrrrr.  It looks like our highs will stay around the 30's and 40's this week.

Wednesday (one of 2 days that was NOT windy) there was a house fire 2 blocks south of us.  The smoke was awful and I stood on the front porch and actually watched the flames rising to the skies.  It was very scary to see.  Everyone got out, except their doggie.  I just kept thinking what a blessing it was that we were not having a windy day.  Had the usual wind of the week been blowing, many houses would have caught fire.  As it was, it sounded as if every fire truck in the city was in our area.
I can not imagine what the people of CA are going through.  Prayers for their safety and for containment.

Got a bit nostalgic yesterday.  While going to a bazaar, I drove through the neighborhood I grew up in.  Sadly our home burned years after out of our hands.  Then at the bazaar I ran into the daughter of a lady that lived 2 doors from us back in the day.  She is older and grew up with my siblings.  We talked about the old neighborhood.  Yesterday was also 2 years since my brother passed.  Just kind of a sad, yet remembering happy times, kind of day!

I am a little stiff this morning.  This body doesn't  rebound as quickly as it used to!  Things need to be done - it just takes a little longer to  re-coop from the physical labor!

My frugal week:

• I patched and mended 3 pairs of jeans
• Refilled all the spice bottles from bulk jars
• I salvaged about 8 lbs. of cheese powder this week.  We had bought 10 lbs. quite some time ago. (I use a lot - just not as quickly as I thought!).  It had solidified - so I chunked it and ran through the Ninja.  I placed in smaller bags with oxygen absorbers.  All is good and I have it tucked away in old ice cream containers.

It had been in a plastic bag in a box.  Solid cheese powder it was!!!!

Now I have 13 bags and a jar for the kitchen.  I am pleased it was savable.  I am good for cheese powder for ages!!!!!!

• I was cleaning the corner cabinet in the dining room and found a $50 bill!  YAY - I have no idea when I tucked it away or why - but it was found just in time for Christmas shopping!
• I did a major stock-up this week on pantry items.  Turkey .37/lb. - over 20 lbs.  Baking goods and can goods .45 ea..  Aldi and Meijer shopping.  Good for the winter!
• Ran to a Christmas Bazaar at an area church on Saturday (my first of the season).  Only spent 50 cents in the 'Grandma's Attic' section.  I got a bread machine recipe book.

• Stopped at Kroger which was a couple blocks from bazaar and got Saturday specials.  TP and 8 oz. cheese blocks.  I also found a .99 bag of sweet potatoes.  G likes them and I don't get often.  I got 3.5 lbs. in the bag. (5 potatoes and 1 is huge)

• I then dropped in Sav A Lot on my drive back home.  10 lbs. of Russet potatoes for 1.89!
• I reorganized and inventoried freezers, cleaned out the frig and made some new storage areas for overstock of pantry.
• Made a batch of grape jelly (5 pints) from freezer grapes.  Ran water through the pulp left, and made a light grape syrup to add to sparkling water for flavor.
• Meals at home this week.  Laundry in cold.  Tea cooled out on porch handrail.  All the normal stuff
• Made dip
• Got the last rain barrel totally emptied and put away for the winter
• Took the 'kitty' heater from the greenhouse apart and thoroughly cleaned.  Heater and all water bowls all plugged in for the babies and birds and squirrels. (teens and low 20's at night)
• Raked the back yard and got leaves out on the garden area.  Still have more to come down - but made great progress
• When reorganizing freezers - I brought inside (from garage freezer) - 5 lbs. chicken breast, 10 lbs. ground beef, 3 OJ concentrate, 2 lbs. butter, frozen peaches and grapes.  Made room for turkey/ham deals
• Got a big bag of items ready for donation

Meals this past week:
Fried cabbage, carrots & sausage with rice
Pork chops, asparagus and tangy mac n cheese
Breaded tenderloins and leftover mac
Chicken & cheese baked spaghetti and side salad
Homemade pizza and salad
Mini cheeseburgers and baked potato wedges
Chili/cheese dogs, chips and dip

This coming week I plan on working more on my fall cleaning.  I also plan on getting all my bread dried for Thanksgiving dressing.  I hope to color my hair (oh it needs it badly).  I plan on spending a couple dark early evenings (it's dark by 6PM) addressing Christmas cards.  I can get it over with and actually do something constructive on those boring dark evenings!!!
Oh so many things to do - it just never ends.

How was your week?  Are you gals taking advantage of any of the holiday grocery sales?  How is your Christmas gifting going?
Let us know what you are up to!

I pray you all have a safe and healthy week.  May we all be filled with gratitude for all we have and a giving heart for those who have little or nothing.
Blessings from our humble home to yours.