Hello and happy Sunday to all. Here we are at another new week. The month is half over - good grief! This month is all going so fast.
We started the week with some lovey weather - which let me get outside and do some work. Then the rain and wind came and Brrrrrr. The wind has been crazy for now 3 days - I am over it! Woke this morning to a thin layer of WHITE stuff on the car!!!!!!! YUK!
My tulip tree is now void of leaves - it was a mess out there. Now, after the wind they have blown away from upper part of yard to the mid point! That is helpful - as it will make it easier to get them to the garden. The maple has barely started turning color.
The days seem sooooooo long since the time change. I get up an hour earlier (according to the clock) and it sure makes a difference. Nights seem to last forever as well. Dark at 6PM and not even remotely close to time for bed. UGH. I guess it did help me get a lot done this week - but the past 2 days have been so cold and yucky I have just kind vegged out in the house!!! LOL - I have felt like a slug.
My week:
- I got the balance of the garden cleared out and disposed of
- I actually got to air the house for a couple days
- Checked and serviced the whole house generator. My neighbor and I did it and all looked good. I cleaned out the spider webs.
- Drained and put away the 2nd rain barrel
- I cleaned the entire stove - like it has never been cleaned before! LOL. Yes, I clean it, but this was so thorough and it looks like a brand new stove (I worked most of the day on it)
- I had a burner that would not light - so I did a trouble shoot on it. Checked out computer info and watched You Tube. It now works and saved me an expensive service call and probably a BIG charge for something that I didn't need.
- Wanted something sweet - so I made banana pudding. I found banana & cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix in pantry (mixed together) - had cookies and banana. Tasty stuff
- Had the balance of a jug of milk that was "real close" to being off - so I froze 6 trays of cubes, made pudding and made biscuits to use it. The cubes are being used in my morning drink
- Made a small batch of homemade biscuits
- Worked on straightening and sorting the over flow pantry area. Found a few things I forgot about and will use soon. More to do - but it is looking much better
- Washed all the throw rugs and changed out 3 just to mix things up a bit
- Ran to Big Lots and got a couple of new cat beds to put in the greenhouse to help make it be more warm and comfy. I found a couple small gifts as well and items for goodie baskets
- Same day ran to Kroger (2 blocks away) - and I did buy a .49/lb. turkey (13 lb,) and managed to get it in the freezer. Had to spend $25 for that price - I got milk, cat food and some pears. Heck I can't buy lunch meat that cheap.
- Had a no meat day
- Took a large soft basket I have and started putting all the goodie basket stuff I have in it - as well as things for my mixes I will be making
- Just doing all the normal stuff - cooking from home - laundry in cold and air drying most, using Soda Stream, using leftovers, etc.
Meals this past week:
2 slices pizza from freezer and slaw
Cheesy tuna mac w/peas
Leftover mac and fish fillets
Chicken tamales over rice
Ham, egg, cheese biscuits
Stir fry veggies over rice
Taco salad
SNACKS: apple, nuts, banana smoothie, banana pudding, pears, biscuits and jelly
How was your week? Did you get any winter projects done? Any deals or bargains? Give us a shout out and let us know what is happening in your part of the world!
Wishing you a wonderful and blessed week in all ways. Stay safe and healthy. Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
Colossians 1:3
Busy week again, Cheryl! Your meals look delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis week an oven roasted beef tri tip fed us for several days. 2 very ripe bananas and what I had on hand became breakfasts all week: Banana Blueberry Oat muffins. I stocked up on a few sale items for the freezer, which should get us through the rest of this month and into the next. Used stale bread to make dry bread cubes for Thanksgiving stuffing. Bought canned yams and a few other things on sale for that day, too.
Non-food savings included holiday gift boxes and tissue from TJ Maxx. I stacked coupon codes and store rewards/cash to buy (clothing) gifts for my sons, free shipping, total under $50 for 6 items, saving over $200. When my sister sent a check for gently used clothing I'd sent to her rather than adding to a donation box, I used that money, clearance price + additional % off coupon code to get her Christmas gift. I also planned out baked gifts for neighbors, delivery drivers, the hair salon, etc. And have felt very, very thankful again this week. --Elise
Mmmmm the beef tri-tip sounds so good. It is neat how things some might throw out become yummy goodies and meals for others. I hate food waste and love to see others using up all their items as well.
DeleteYou did well on your shopping! Both grocery and gifts. I love how you have things planned for all those extra gifts.
Thankful and blessed indeed.
Cheryl, my food writing years were during two recessions. I needed taste testers for recipes, so shared a LOT of food and learned never to waste a bit if possible. What I discovered was much like the story of the loaves and fishes, food expanded to feed many more than just my household. I've always considered time in the kitchen preparing food as sort of sacramental. Hope that doesn't sound silly. --Elise
DeleteIt doesn't sound silly at all. I like the way you think!
DeleteGood Sunday morning, Your week sounds like mine. Sort of. Thursday we ordered new windows for the house, only 8 of them but that's enough. Then our deer meat was ready so we went and picked that up and since my freezer is full we took the half to Hubby's friend so we didn't have to store it. Hubby mowed the yard yesterday just in time for it to rain again. I think today we will put up Christmas lights, well at least that is my plan. I baked a new recipe to me and shared with the neighbor's. Blueberry lemon bread, I discovered I don't care for the sour cream in it. The kitties are settling in. They are fun to have around. Have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteSounds busy your way as well. New windows will really be nice - they help so much in keeping out the cold. I love that you shared the deer meat.
DeleteIf you have decent weather - may as well get those lights up. I see more and more people are decorating.
Blueberry and lemon sound good.
So happy you now have kitties to keep you occupied. They sure are a pleasure!!!
Have a great one.
Sounds like a nice week except for the weather, Cheryl. Kudos to you for fixing the burner on your stove, I love YouTube for that reason. Your meals sound so good and the taco salad looks delicious. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was all but rain and wind and today SNOW! UGH
DeleteThanks, sometimes we just need to investigate things and it sure can save us money.
Have a good week.
We've got 7 pounds of half-price Pork shoulder on the smoker. It should yield about 3 quarts of lovely pulled pork into the freezer. We usually get 4 meals from a quart. I got this a few weeks ago and shoved the package into an already tightly packed freezer ;-)
ReplyDeleteour Farmer's Market has gone on-line only. So I ordered up fresh veg Wednesday and we picked it up yesterday. Cheap? Nope. Supporting local farmers? Yup. I'm so glad some still have produce as our CSA ended 5 weeks ago and it's always the single sad part of fall.
I also ordered 20# of grass fed ground beef from a local farmer. They deliver once monthly so last night, I got to rearrange the freezer yet again. Amazingly enough, I had space for the 1# packages. NOW I really do think the freezer is stuffed.
WOW - good for you on stocking up. What great deals and finds. Love supporting local.
DeleteYou my friend sound like you are ready for a long winter's nap!! Lots of food and ready to honker down.
Have a good one
I bought two turkey breasts for $0.99/lb. They rung up for $3.40.lb. So, Publix gave me one free and charged me the correct price for the other. Both turkeys together cost me something like $6.28, making the meat $0.52/lb. Then, I scored a Graham Cracker Crust at Piggly Wiggly for buying $10 worth of grocery. I had bought over $20 worth, so did not even have to try.
ReplyDeleteI love when you get free goods for their mistakes. Aldi will do that as well. What a deal you ended up with on those turkeys. Lots of good eating there.
Delete$20 in groceries can be a couple/three things any more!
Have a good one
You're right about the weather! We had a nice start to the week, and then it was downhill. We've had some snow the last couple of days, but nothing has stuck -- at least not here. My daughter said they woke up this morning to white roofs and the grass covered in their neighborhood. I didn't get much "prep" done, but have been focusing on my office area, as I'm having all my carpets cleaned tomorrow and I want to make sure as much as possible is removed from my office -- the carpet really needs it! So, lots of shredding, cleaning on my desktop, and general weeding out the unnecessary stuff in there. A friend helped me load my lateral file cabinet on a 4-wheel moving dolly, so we can clean the carpet that's under it. Just a few other items to move in the morning. Not much else going on. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteWe got a pretty decent snow this morning but it is gone now.
DeleteThat is a big job. I bet it will be nice when all cleaned though. Good luck.
Have a good one.
Homemade breakfast sandwiches are the best! It is much colder here but still no hard freeze. The leaves are absolutely the prettiest I have seen in years.
ReplyDeleteGlad your weather is still holding out. I have seen a few pretty trees, but then wind and rain take care of them!
DeleteEnjoy your nature!!!!
Good on you for figuring out the issue with the stove burner. Definitely a big money saver.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite breakfasts is a one egg omelette - with tomatoe/onion/red pepper and cheese on a toasted bagel. So good and filling too.
Stay warm and dry!
Thanks. This was breakfast for dinner. I do that once in a while. I really like eggs - just don't eat them often.
DeleteThat sound really good.
Have a good one
You have had a very busy week. Things are slowly getting completed here on the old homestead. Cleaning wise that is. I just have all the light fixtures to do, the stove and oven to clean and the fridge. Craft wise it is another story.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
WOW - I wish that was all I had to do. You must have been busy.
DeleteCrafts - well that is another story here as well. NEED to get busy!
Blessings
You are a genius! Don't think there is much you can't fix or won't tackle. Brava!
ReplyDeleteTaco salad! We need to have one of those soon! I looked at the pet beds at Big Lots and the boys could use a new one. Will wait until the next coupon comes out.
The $.33 a pound turkey was a tough old bird. We couldn't eat it so Gary stripped all the meat off and I will chop it fine and freeze it to make dog food. We do have a turkey breast in the freezer so we'll use it for Thanksgiving. I did make orange cranberry salad and it was yummy.
The weather seems really cold...guess we are just not used to it yet. Middle of the week is much warmer...at least that is the prediction for now. I'm ready to go to bed when it gets dark.
Just a matter of survival - have to figure things out myself or I could go broke!
DeleteSorry about the turkey. I can't remember ever having a tough one. I always use a cooking bag. Well at least it is cheap food for someone!
The weather on Sunday just sucked! Not used to it at all. I guess we can't avoid it.
Have a good week.
Dear Cheryl, I wanted to thankyou for all the time you put into your blog. I don't often comment but wanted to thankyou for helping me out on a cold day (unusual here in Australia at this time of year two weeks out from Summer- normally the fire is out, wiped clean and full of seasonal decorations, not having to have more wood burning to keep us warm). I was having a non motivated day when I came over to your blog from Annabel's The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm blog; I saw and was motivated to make your Ham and Cheese Cups early this morning before my 15 year old daughter woke up. She loved eating a cup for breakfast. Then my husband came to the door saying did I have anything quick for him and a work mate to eat - yes Cheryl's Ham and Cheese cups, then we three had another each with chicken soap for lunch and I was able to freeze some for other times. You really helped me out this day and now I have Cheryl's Ham and Cheese Cups in my recipe file as they were a total hit. I always find your positive, can do attitude inspiring. Keep up the good work. I hope your kitties are well. They will love the new beds. We have one cat called Bella who lives outside and sleeps in a shed, we bought her an electric pad to put in her bed as we are lucky the shed is connected to electricity. I did turn that on last night and will again tonight in this unusual burst of cold for us to keep her toasty warm. Love Clare
ReplyDeleteHello Clare - nice to have you here across the ocean!
DeleteThank you for letting me and everyone else know that you liked the ham and cheese cups. So happy they were a hit. Glad to have helped you out on a chilly day!
I have a heat mat in the greenhouse as well - covered with their beds - and last night all 3 outdoor kitties were sleeping on it! It got quite cold last night and they love it.
I love it that your kitty has shelter and heat.
I hope the cold doesn't last long for you. Hope to see you again soon.
Thank you for your kind words.
Have a great week
Another busy week for you!! I was lying in bed this morning thinking about giving my oven a big scrub down this week. It’s always a good feeling to get it squeaky clean!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice - I figure at least I start off the holiday baking season with everything all clean. Cookies and breads or even a small turkey shouldn't make a mess!
DeleteI kept looking at mine after - and didn't want to use it! LOL
Have a nice week
You are so inspiring, love the milk trick, I am always trying to find ways to use up the last of the milk.
ReplyDeleteI sure didn't want to waste it - but a couple more days and it would have become lumpy!!! LOL I have been using in my morning drink and it is perfect.
Delete