Happy Sunday to all. Hope you all had a good week and that this finds you well.
I had a pretty good week. I got to see a friend (my former boss) that I haven't physically seen in 2 years this week. They moved to CO. after retiring and visits are not frequent. It was so good to get to visit for a while.
Woke Thursday to another surprise in the back yard. Looked out after getting dressed and lo and behold there was a Momma and 4 young racoons!! Racoons make me nervous around my cats - but I have to admit they sure are cute. Those young ones were running and frolicking around - up and down the trees - acting like kids! The Mom just kept trying to collect them to move on - and they kept running away from her! It was funny. I waited till they moved on before taking the kitties food out. Momma and Fluff were at my kitchen door and Blackie slept through it - so all were safe. I swear this is a flipping wild animal habitat in the city!!! My fault I guess!
We had a day or two with a lot of rain and now we are hot. It looks like temps will be more normal this next week with highs in the lower 80's but we have a chance of rain everyday.
My week:
- I did get the garden all planted on Sunday. Pots and ground. Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and cucumbers. Green onions also planted - may do some other stuff - still have some room.
- The last important fix has been done to the Blazer. No more snap, crackle & pop (stabilizer bars) this week. No more trouble getting gas. No more hot car. No more car not starting. Sigh of relief. My neighbor probably saved me over $1,500 is shop fees over the past few weeks.
- I de-flowered the front walk and steps! LOL. I got it manageable to walk up the sidewalk again!
- I have 2 rain barrels full - 110 gallons of God's water! Been using it to water plants
- Mowed and trimmed the entire yard
- I cut bouquets of peonies until I couldn't. They are done for this year. I still have roses and other flowers looking pretty. The lilies are getting covered with buds
- Made a plan for repairing the shed front - it really needs a lot of work on the west side. Checked the stash of things in the garage and thankfully I have more than enough lumber to fix it!!! So glad I don't have to buy wood at this time.
- I washed down the front of the house & (porch) and took apart the security door and cleaned it and washed the window. You would think the porch would stay clean but being under a roof it just collects dust and grime
- I finally ran to the grocery. My area stores seem to be fully stocked. I got some really good deals. 3 - 2lb. packs of ground beef/pork combo for 2.99 ea. (1.50 lb!). Got a small pork loin for 2.69. 2 - 5 lb. bags of s/r flour for .89 ea. 2- sliced loaves of Italian bread for .79 ea. YAY! All was on clearance.
- I then saw a sign as I left the grocery for a BIG yard sale. I decided to stop - first yard sale in almost 2 years for me. I got 4 small cookbooks for .25 ea. and I got a NuWave 10 qt. air fryer (used once) with rotisserie for $10!!!! It has the book with it and looks like it was never used. I guess some of the Covid 'shopping' items will be cheap this year!!!!!! I have been wanting to try an air fryer - but in no way wanted to spend a lot unless I liked it. Now I can try it for next to nothing and if I don't like it - I will pass it on.
Fried cabbage with smoked sausage and mac n cheese
Chicken and dumplings (small Sweet Sue) and fried corn/with onion
Baked potato and grilled small zucchini
BBQ pork/pepper/onion/swiss cheese sandwiches
Breakfast - silver dollar pancakes (freezer), scrambled eggs, pork chop (precooked freezer)
Veggie/cheese squares (my version) - no oven needed
Tamales and tortilla chips
I hope to pull weeds this week from my big perennial bed - it is a huge mess!! Maybe with rain off and on they will be easier. I need to do some painting as well - we will see. I need to clean out the shed - ugh!
So many things need done. I need to light my fire again!!!!
How was your week? How are your plants doing? Did you get any deals or do anything frugal? I like hearing what everyone is up to.
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
May you all stay safe and well this coming week.
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
Wow you had a good week! You always find the best stuff at garage sales! I hope you like the air fryer, it looks like a good one. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It has been so long since I went to one - I wasn't expecting much. It says online retail (depending where you get it) between $79 and $150. I will give it a shot!
DeleteHave a fantastic day!!!!
Sounds like a great, productive week. Great grocery deals! We have an air fryer and the kids like when I make french fries, clam strips and chicken tenders in it. Hubby tried to make wings in it but didn't really care for the texture. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteIt felt good this week, to get some things done. Thanks for letting me know your experience with air fryers. Looking forward to trying it. I figure fries, chicken and fish would be my big fixes.
DeleteHave a great one.
I like to season rinsed chickpeas with a bit of oil and taco seasonings and airfry for a crunchy snack. I also season with mediterranean seasoning and make chickpea gyros, a great way to use garden fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.
DeleteNichole - thanks. I love crunchy roasted chickpeas in the oven - that is a great idea. There is another use. Actually I have a can sitting on the counter waiting to be roasted.
DeleteAll sounds so good.
What great week! I don't think I have ever seen a baby raccoon. That would be something to see and enjoy. We and our neighbors have been seeing bears in our neighborhood. That has surely made us leery and watchful. This is a first in 27 years.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Oh my goodness, they are just balls of fur and energy! Momma had a lot of gray around her face and neck - they were just balls of brown. So stinking cute.
DeleteA bear??? Holy cow - that would be a bit much for me. WOW - that would sure be scary. They must be hungry to be coming out amongst neighborhoods.
Stay safe! Have a good one.
The racoons here eat the cat food too, so we have to bring it in and out as needed. I'm glad you got to go to a yard sale. I would have picked up the cookbooks too, I love to read through them. Then I can trade them for more. LOL
ReplyDeleteI bring the cat food in every night before dark - racoons or possums will get it.
DeleteI love those little cookbooks - and once read if I don't need them I can donate for only .25. Always get a few ideas.
Have a good week.
I've been wanting to try an air fryer, but haven't wanted to pay. Nice deal! You had a very frugal week. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I figured I can give it a try or two and if I don't like it - well I can sell cheaply to someone else or donate. Win-win.
DeleteWow what a bargain. I have gotten so may appliances I have used for years at yard sales. I picked up a paid of Dansko clogs that looked like they had been worn once, for $27.00, at goodwill, they would have been $140.00 at the store and I only wear dansko as my feet are so crippled with arthritis.
ReplyDeleteWhy pay full price - let someone else pay it. That is my opinion. What a deal on on the clogs. I have a couple pair of really good name sandals - I got for pennies on the dollar at yard sales. No shame here!
DeleteGreat frugal week Cheryl. What a bargain on that air fryer.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks - yep too good to pass up - even if I don't keep it.
DeleteYou'll have to let us know how you like the air fryer. Good for you, finding it for a bargain price.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the raccoons were hoping for a bit of breakfast too. Funny critters! I'd share your same issue with the cats and raccoons in the same yard.
Enjoy your weather...and your weeding. :)
I love our air fryer. If we never do anything but french fries.....it saves us a ton of calories rather than going out....not to mention the $ of going out! I'm sure it paid for itself in a year and I paid $119. I will have no regrets!
DeleteMaebeme - yes they were climbing the trees to try and get squirrel corn. I hadn't replaced the ears yet - so looking for something!
DeleteLet's all show up at Cheryl's deli for breakfast - I think all the critters think that!
have a good one.
Elle - thanks. I love fries and I really don't eat out - so it will probably work out great. I love chicken strips and breaded fish as well. Calorie saver as well.
DeleteWhat good deals you got at the store, Cheryl! Wish I could find some beef/pork mix. Our grocer was completely out of ground pork and wouldn't use his blade to grind pork for me (it's for beef only!) - sheesh! Ever heard of customer service?
ReplyDeleteOh, those baby and Mama raccoons sound adorable!!! I love raccoons. So glad all stayed safe.
You're really gonna appreciate the a/c working in your truck with these warmer temps coming.
Yard sales - haven't been to one in so long. You got some good deals.
You have a lot of work/jobs to keep you busy for a while. I feel for your muscles when you tackle the weeds and painting :)
Lord bless and keep you and your readers~
Hi Mary - I think I got some good deals. You know that is the first time I ever saw the beef/pork combo! Goodness, I wonder if the tech ever heard of just washing a blade!! LOL
DeleteI hadn't been to a garage sale in ages. None last year and the year before I just didn't have it in me.
I seem to always be doing something that makes those old muscles scream HELP!
Blessings.
Congratulations on the great deal on the air fryer! My favorite thing to make in mine is sweet potato fries but it really works good for any vegetables and keeps you from having to turn on the oven during summer months which is a win!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing what everyone uses them for. I am anxious to give it a try. That was my whole idea - no oven.
DeleteThat was a good deal on the air fryer. I hope you like it. No deals for me. I am really, really trying to stay out of the stores, thus not bringing anything home. I am on a de-cluttering/purging mission. Room by room I am getting rid of things I don't need. I need to go out to our shed and go through everything in there, I want to have a yard sale in August. Yay, more purging. I just feel this need to de-clutter and so I am doing that. Don't get me wrong, I will still have plenty of things, but just want the house to feel a little lighter.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. I was on a mission for a while last year. The shed is on my list - oh my what a mess it is. I mean how many tomato cages does a gal need?
DeleteGood for you on being motivated and for not being tempted to bring in new!
Have a good one
You have had a full week and then some! Good buys at the yard sale, especially the air fryer. There are lots of recipes and tips for using an air fryer on Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteI don't envy you cleaning out your shed. Things accumulate and pretty soon the place is packed. Weeding is an ongoing job. We finally have most of the really tall weeds out of the backyard. Looked like the place was abandoned! ha! Found some ferns that weren't doing well so the Urban Farmer transplanted them to a shade bed under the big maple tree. We had had a second chicken coop and run there so the soil has been well amended.
"I will trust and not be afraid". Words to live by in these uncertain times.
Thanks - I will check out Pinterest.
DeleteOh sheds - the total catch all. UGH. I look in there the other day and was bewildered! So much cr*p!!!!!!
I hope you saved the ferns - my parents had several under a big old tree - they sure were pretty.
Faith -trust - God - all we have for sure.
I’ll bet those raccoons were cute! I enjoy watching the young squirrels frolicking in my backyard. I like my air fryer. There’s definitely a learning curve. I don’t do a lot of variety, but love to use it for chicken, pork chops, sausage and bacon. Keeps my kitchen cleaner!
ReplyDeleteThey were adorable. I love watching the squirrels as well.
DeleteI am excited to learn how to use it. Thanks
You had a GREAT week! It's been hot, hot, hot here, too. I'm really trying to stay on top of those tasks that I've been putting off, and also doing some more plantings and stock-ups when I see good buys. I've also inventoried my pantry (well, the numbers are at least close enough that I know where my shortfalls are when produce at the farmstands comes to market). I added an additional flat-leaf parlsey and basil to my deck boxes, and also added an oregano plant that I forgot when I was first getting my plants at the garden center. My original parlsey and basil plants took a beating in the cold snap, and I want to insure that I have plenty of dried on hand come winter. Rain has been sparse, so daily watering has been a necessity. I saw that strawberries are starting to come to market in Michigan, and I need to get over to my Mom's for a visit and will pick some up then. It will be later this week, as with the heat, I doubt they'll last long. While getting groceries yesterday, I was grabbing a package of ground beef to make burgers last night and a gentleman pointed out that, in the case on the opposite end, they had family packs of 80/20 for $0.99 lb. I grabbed one package and will go back later today, now that I know how much freezer space I have. Better get the pitcher of tea ready for another hot day! Make it a good one!
ReplyDeleteGood for you tending to the gardens and pantry. We just never know and it is nice to have the feeling that you can handle about anything.
DeleteWhat a deal on ground beef!!! Get as much as you can store -at that price. It is so versatile.
Yep - it is time for tea and any other cold drinks. We have a chance of rain every day this week and the temps are now in low 80's, but it is humid feeling.
Have a great day
You did get some great food bargains, Cheryl! I don't have an air fryer so can't offer any suggestions.
ReplyDeleteOur Costco was out of chicken thighs...so unusual. I will stock up when I do see them.
So good you got your vehicle up to snuff---one less thing to worry about.
I got an earlier MRI appt. for last Friday, so am now awaiting results. It infuriates me that I have to wait for them to be sent to a doctor. I should get them myself and if I have questions I then consult the doctor. It's my body and I am intelligent enough to read the report. Grrr...rant over.
I am happy to have that off the list as well. That was a biggy.
DeleteHope all is well with the results. I agree - they should be able to tell you - of course they can't make extra money doing that!!
I understand.
Stay well - and have a good week.
We had a surprise this week. The Senior Park where we live posted notices that coyotes have been spotted in the park at night and during the day so watch your dogs. Two nights ago we heard them howling and yipping. It sounded really close and we live in city limits. Take care.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. That is just downright scary! I sure wouldn't want to have those around.
DeleteI hope all the pets (and people) are safe.
Take good care.