Good morning and Happy September!
It is a cool and damp morning here. We had rain yesterday and it seems to have moved out - but still cloudy and damp. The rain has been much needed.
We finally had a front move through that cooled us a bit. It has been wonderful. Looks like a couple of warm days to start the week and then cooling again.
My hummingbirds are sure eating a lot - must be getting close to leaving time sadly. I watched 2 males have a fight the other day! It was something. They were actually attacking each other - zooming head first towards each other. Then a female (the voice of reason!) kept flying in between them, trying to break it up. This went of for about 10 minutes. Not like there isn't a second feeder or plenty of flowers - they just both wanted to be in the same place at the same time! Stubborn!!
I did make a grocery run at the end of Aug. and I am going to try and stay out of them for September for stuff for me. I do intend to go to second Sunday Farm Market next week - as it is the next to last one for the year. I do need to make a Lowes/Menards run sometime - but trying to stay away from grocery. I need nothing and I am well stocked - so no need to go and just spend!
My week:
- Harvesting - still lots and lots of tomatoes and many grapes. I have picked grapes 4X this week (destemming and freezing)
- Did a quick color touch up on hair
- Mowed and trimmed
- Chopped peppers and froze
- CANNING - many more jars of seasoned tomato/chili soup base, crushed tomatoes, tomatoes with peppers and basil (all from garden).
- At Kroger I filled a few holes in my pantry. I got olives, trash bags, freezer bags, corn meal, and more canning lids. I also got a tasty watermelon! I found a deal up by the register (not a clearance item) on 75% alcohol hand wipes. 10 packs for .25 ea.!!!!!! I got many - several will go in goody baskets.
- Did laundry in cold and line dried
- Got to do yard work - and it wasn't too hot!!!!
- Paid everything I had that was due for Sept.
- Washed out some baggies this week
- I made mashed potatoes one day - so made into a new item on day 2 and froze some of remake
- Eating from home, decluttering, using what I have, doing all the normal stuff
- AC off and windows open much of the week
Meals this past week:
Leftover zuch/meat cooked with eggs (like omelet) and sliced tomatoes
Rice topped with beans/carrots/ham soup
Mexican zucchini casserole
Smoked sausage 'dogs'
Beef tostadas
Poor mans Swiss steak with mashed and sliced tomatoes
Chicken/corn/potato cakes with leftover potatoes and sliced tomatoes
Eating lots of yummy watermelon
How was your week? Do you have any goals for the month of September? How are those gardens doing? I look forward to hearing from you all.
Prayers for you and yours. Hope you are all safe and healthy. Have a fantastic week!
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
Amen
The first batch of salsa is on the shelf. There was an excess of zucchini so that got added to the recipe. Zucchini was shredded for the freezer and some was made into a chocolate zucchini bundt cake. I've been perusing the zucchini recipesI'm waiting on tomatoes to ripen for the main tomato processing. A favorite dish - sauteed sliced zucchini with mushrooms & onions topped with grated cheese.
ReplyDeleteYay on the salsa! I have added zucchini as well. I like zucchini in about anything. Your dish sounds yummy!
DeleteIt seemed my tomatoes took forever to start to ripen and then they went CRAZY! Hope you have lots of them in your future!
We had some cooler weather come through here this week too. It felt so good. What a great deal on the wipes from Kroger! Sounds like you are all prepared for September. That is great to not need anything from the grocery store. It’s self sufficiency at its finest. :)
ReplyDeleteThe cool is just lovely.
DeleteI am prepared for the winter for the most part - but I try to stay home a month or two and not shop. It is so tempting to spend if I go out!!!!
We've been quite a bit cooler, even below normal temps, but today is supposed to hit 29C (84F). It's going to feel very hot in comparison to what we've had.
ReplyDeleteFall is here, several of my perennials are beginning to die back. I trimmed the ferns yesterday, watered containers, and pulled the remaining tomato and pepper plants. The annuals are still looking good and will until that first frost. Normally we'd have one cold night by now but the forecast is still looking good into the next two weeks.
Your garden plants are all done??! WOW. It is usually quite a bit later here before frost. Not looking forward to that.
DeleteI do love fall weather.
I hope you get many days to enjoy of decent weather!
We missed the worst of the latest tropical rainstorm, but still got 3.75". My cucumbers are about done, too much rain. The tomatoes have slowed down, but the younger plants are still producing. Zucchini is going great guns. Latest produce count: 14 zukes, 15 cukes, and 975 cherry tomatoes. Cool and rainy today, but the next couple of days are to be gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI took advantage of a couple of beautiful days last week to prime my rusting metal shed. I will paint it this week. It is tucked in a corner of the privacy fence, so I have to remove 27 fence pickets to get to it. Not a project I plan to do again in this lifetime.
Ran errands last week, the library, groceries and painting materials. Planning to stay home this week except to get more screws to reattach the fence pickets (most of the old screws were rusted).
Baking chocolate chip cookies this afternoon for Husband's upcoming 90th birthday. Going to fix chicken pot pie for dinner.
Installed another shepherd's hook and hung a suet feeder. Having lots of birds now that the weather is a bit cooler. Our female hummingbird is still around, feeding on the zinnias and butterfly bush.
The sprained ankle is slowly getting better (after 3-1/2 wks). Not walking down the hill any more, just too dangerous.
Got a notice from Verizon that they will be ceasing 3G cell phone service so we'll have to buy new phones. I'm looking at changing to prepaid plans since Verizon has been charging $95/mo. for basic service (no texting or data) for two phones. Need to do more research before I decide what to get. Husband wants another flip phone, but I think I will get a simple smart phone. There are times it would come in very handy. Our biggest problem is limited reception because we are in a bowl on top of a hill.
Hope everyone has a safe and frugal week!
Glad you are still getting some garden. Boy, those cherry toms sure did great! Good job on priming the shed. That is a chore.
DeleteSorry about all the rain. I hope it was needed and soaked in.
My phone ceased 3G as well - but they sent a new phone no charge. My BIL is still on my plan and we both got a 4G flip (can take a picture) and text and messages. No difference in price. I am with AT & T
Glad to hear your ankle is doing better. Good idea on not walking down the hill any longer.
WOW - 90 - that is a big accomplishment. Tell hubs Happy Birthday!!!!!
Yay for all those wonderful tomatoes, cool weather and rain!
ReplyDeleteWe had fun shopping for many free and nearly free items using our iBotta offers. Between the two of us we got about $45 in free or nearly free items spending only about $8 out of pocket at Walmart. We added another LP tank in case we would need to run the generator for a time. All these storms coming up through the Gulf and over us made us realize we need to be better prepared. Also after reading gDonna's post about first aid we are bulking up what we keep here to be better prepared for an injury and more able to stay away from the ER. When we go to Sam's this week I plan to get more 6 packs of gallons of water to store.
We are working on those things that need to be done before cold weather. The wood trim on this old house has to be checked and scraped and painted most years. All the window sills and one exterior door along with the garage doors need attention this year. Also some caulking needs to be done. This of course saves in the long run by keeping it maintained.
Have a good week!
How wonderful you got so many bargains. I love free or almost free!
DeleteGood to be stocked up and prepared - it is that time of the year. I hope it all misses you.
It seems there is always something to do in the maintenance department. Never a dull moment!
Hope you get it all done and get your preps in order!
Sounds like a good week for you Cheryl. Aren't humming birds funny? The animal kingdom more human than we thought.
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice week - thanks.
DeleteYes very human like behavior. Men fighting and women breaking it up! LOL.
After over a week under a heat alert we finally have some cooler weather coming in! What a relief! I finally have some energy back so I hope to get caught up on some cleaning and some cooking this week.
ReplyDeleteI too have paid all the bills for the month, topped up my transit pass and shopped for groceries - including using $50 worth of Loyalty Points and cashing in $50 worth of coins! So I will also be staying out of the shops too.
Glad you are getting cooler weather as well. I guess we should be careful what we wish for - winter will be here soon!
DeleteSounds like a good week for you. Glad you get to stay out of the stores as well. Take care
Going on a bit of a holiday this coming week, and I know when we get home I will be elbow deep in harvesting the garden and processing everything.
ReplyDeleteTaking my knitting with me so that I can work on it while traveling and perhaps finish off a couple of those projects for this month.
God bless.
Oh how nice for you - have a wonderful and safe time.
DeleteJust think about all the yummy goodness you will have this winter while coming back to loads of goodies!
Isn't this cooler weather fabulous? So nice to shut off the a/c and open up the house. The rain on Saturday was nice, a good day to read and nap.
ReplyDeleteYour meals sound yummy. Today we had a chicken stir fry over brown rice noodles and spring rolls. Got some ground beef at a good price and cooked it, seasoned it and froze it in bags. Soon be time for chili and soups.
I showed my daughter the Coke wallpaper border in your kitchen. She has Coke stuff in her kitchen too.
Saw that same poster on Instagram. Really like it.
I am loving the cooler temps. Yes, yesterday was a sleepy kind of day.
DeleteYum, that sounds tasty. I love egg rolls. I am chomping at the bit for that first bowl of chili!!!!
Have a good one.
Amen to your prayer friend. After a busy week last week, I've been taking it easy over the weekend. I definitely need to stock up at the grocery. My husband shops to keep me out of the store. It does cost more that way though.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Laura
We need those days to take it easy. It sure feels good sometimes. Make a list for hubs to take - maybe that would help.
DeleteBlessings