Hello and happy Sunday! Here we are one week of the month gone already - one week closer to spring!! LOL!
I know many have been having some pretty extreme weather. Lots of snow and very cold temps going on. It has been and will continue to be quite the roller coaster here. We have had decent temps and very cold temps. Just flurries here, so far big snow has eluded our area (I say thankfully). There are days that the skies look such a dark gray (that winter sky) that it looks spooky and gloomy. Loving seeing the sun at every chance we get.
I hope you have all stayed safe and warm and continue to.
Even on the coldest days - if the sun was shining - those silly kitties were sitting outside for a while. Getting their vitamin D! The little birdies were surely loving the heated bird bath this week. They were lined up waiting to get a drink
My week has not been too exciting. It seems much of the week revolved around food and the use of and coming up with new ideas!
- Straightened and arranged the pantry areas and the freezer
- Cleaned our many various drawers
- NO shopping at all
- Stayed on the property all week - never left
- Received some FREE address labels - amazingly I had started running low!
- On a decent day - I scrubbed and cleaned all the heated water bowls and the bird bath - fresh & clean H2O!
- Added extra bedding in greenhouse
- Froze leftovers for freezer meal stores
- Filled up various containers with stock on hand
- All the normal stuff
On the food front
- Using up some older and forgotten items
- Used some ham that I had in freezer (brought home from brothers at Christmas)
- Used the corned beef I made in different ways and froze some
- Made a lasagna and used a random can of Ravioli as a layer. It is meat, pasta and sauce - and you couldn't tell it was Ravioli. Good use of a random item
- Used some various cheese in lasagna - had no ricotta or mozzarella - Used monterey jack - gouda and parm. & home canned sauce
- Made a gallon of peach tea
- Made potato soup with a bag of mix I found and added leftover corned beef hash to it and some various cheese pieces - tasty! Ate 2X and froze 2 meals
- Used some .10 yeast rolls I got last time at store (Dec.). They had 12 count bake and eat yeast rolls for .10 pack - due to being mis-shaped! Got some for freezer as well.
Meals this past week:
Rueban sandwich, dill pickles and chips
Ham slices, salsa mac n cheese and rolls
Corned beef hash, rolls and fresh veggies with dressing
Cheesy potato soup with crackers
Potato soup and toast
Tuna patty, garbanzo - cabbage - pepper skillet sauté (trust me, it was tasty)
Lasagna and garlic toast
SNACKS - T-day cheesecake from freezer, pretzels, veggies and dip, juice
As you can see, cleaning the pantry gets me motivated to use odds and ends. It has all been very tasty - and most made extra for freezer meals. It has been kind of fun. I plan to keep going.
Are you using up any odd ball stuff? Using the pantry and freezer foods? What have you been up to this week? Staying frugal or getting deals? Inquiring minds need to know!!!!
Blessings from my humble home to you and yours.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is very cold here and there has been snow in the mountains north of us but we have not seen any and actually it has been a few years. But, I would rather have snow than ice! We have closed the curtains and blinds in an effort to keep the house warmer.
ReplyDeleteI made a baked rigatoni dish that used up all sorts of random items and was so delicious. Some was frozen for later in meal size portions. We only left home one day last week and it included the discount store stop so it was worth doing.
We have a new little grandson born yesterday. He is a sick little boy right now so I would so much appreciate prayer for him. And on the same day our closest friends had a scare when he had a seizure and passed out. He was transported by ambulance and still ended up in the ER waiting for 7 hours to be seen. This is not the America I know. I am starting to feel like we will never be right again.
Ice is horrible. Smart on closing the curtains to keep warmth in. On sunny days I follow sun with curtains! Sun really helps warm.
DeleteThose dishes using random items are sometimes the best!
Prayers for baby boy! May he be healthy and may all involved be guided by God's hands.
SO sorry for your friend - hoping he improves.
No things have sure changed and not for the good.
Prayers and blessings all goes well this week.
Prayers for your newborn grandson, Lana.
DeleteGod help 🛐✝️
DeleteI have been doing much the same. I have used up things from the freezer, 2 slices of HM quiche, a final piece of tortiere, leftover veggies and today I'll stuff some peppers with a mixture of meat and cheese that I cooked up last month.
ReplyDeleteI've also added some HM soup and cooked chicken breast. I have also incorporated a few pantry items, like a tin of sardines in tomato sauce and some Spam into my meals for the week.
I made one trip to the grocery store for fresh fruit & veg and won't go back until the end of this week when I have to go out for my booster shot.
We are back to Covid restrictions here so I am working from home and go out with one friend for walks every other day. This morning I am looking forward to my church's Zoom coffee hour and then I will spend the afternoon catching up on some phone calls and reading - a nice quiet Sunday.
Have a lovely week.
Sounds like you had a very frugal week as well. Good going on using items up.
DeleteStay safe and stay warm. Have a good week.
I've used up some items and put some others in the freezer. Next week should be easy for meal planning as there are a lot of things to pull out to rework into another meal. There is spaghetti sauce that I'll use in a pasta bake and a chicken breast to use in a stir fry. There is chili too, though not enough for both of us, so I'll have to get creative with that. I like chili dogs, my son does not.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Sounds like a lot of us are trying to use up!!! Doesn't like chili dogs? Say it aint so. LOL! Chili and cheese dogs are a love of mine. Mmmmm
DeleteHave a good week my friend.
Always love your Sunday posts, Cheryl! Then again, I look forward to all your posts. Sounds like you've had a productive week.
ReplyDeleteOur 37th anniversary was this week. We had a nice day out and a steak & (loaded) potato dinner at home.
The other nights, I cooked 2X and put together easy meals from leftovers. I also baked Blueberry Oat Muffins for breakfasts and snacks with what I had on hand and will bake either banana nut bread or muffins today.
Made a big pot of tortellini soup (I use dry tortellini from Walmart) with lots of veggies for the weekend that we'll finish off today, then I'll be making a big pot of chili.
Continued to sort/organize a little at a time as arthritis allows and was grateful for more rain. Not that I love rain, but the state needs it.
Wishing you many blessings in the coming week! --Elise
Happy anniversary. Good going on all the extras for meals. Sure has been to week for it! The soup sounds yummy.
DeleteGlad you are getting rain that you need.
Have a wonderful week.
I feel like sometimes my blog posts revolve around food too, but when you eat a couple of times a day it adds up. LOL. Your menu sounds delicious as usual. I hope you have another good week with lots of sunshine!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess we all have to eat - so we share ideas.
DeleteI hope for sunshine too - rare in January around here. Stay safe.
Cheryl, you sound like you had a happy and productive week. I was only out once to get the loss leaders for my pantry, which I will doing again today. My question is about freezing leftovers. I use zip lock freezer bags. I always seem to get ice crystals in the bag. My soups freeze fine in the bags but I have trouble with casserole products. Do you use plastic containers for certain items? Thanks for your help.
ReplyDeleteI do use containers for soup and casseroles. I always lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of food before lid - helps keep ice crystals off. Fill pretty full. It works for me.
DeleteIf you use the bags - try to get out as much air as possible.
Much to be said about staying home! Have a good week.
What a wonderfully frugal and fruitful week you had. Love that you got those rolls at such a great price.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thanks. I couldn't believe the price - amazing.
DeleteBlessings
I think google may have eaten a couple of comments; just wanted to try anyway cuz I look forward to your posts. Love how motivating and rewarding it is to organize, clean out, drawers, shelves, pantries. Just reading about what you did motivates me ;)
ReplyDeleteI know the animals love the fresh bedding and clean water you’ve provided them with. And refilling containers with stock in your own store is great.
I made chocolate gravy for the first time the other day. So easy, but not something I will be adding to the food line-up😝. Your lasagna sounds very good...love Gouda and homemade pasta sauce. Potato soup is sooo good in cold weather.
You got so much done and stayed home to boot...win-win.
Take good care~
Mary
Thanks. I didn't feel like I did that much - but if it motivates someone - great!
DeleteWe used to have chocolate gravy as a treat in the winter with hot biscuits and butter. Mmmmmm
Gouda has become a favorite of mine. I just love the flavor. Oh both soup and lasagna were both good and hit the spot.
Have a good week!
All the animals appreciate the fresh bedding and fresh water. It's good you have heated water bowls. The Urban Farmer dumps the chickens' water in the evening after they go to bed and then takes warm water out to them in the morning.
ReplyDeleteKeeping track of a pantry and freezer(s) takes some time but it so worth it. A can of fruit leaked into the fruit section and I need to take it all out and scrub the shelf. It's sticky mess.
Chili dogs are a favorite around here. Dog 'n' Suds used to have really good chili cheese dogs.
The oldest daughter gave the Urban Farmer an Amazon gift card so he got a sous vide. It will be a new learning curve but I follow a blogger who loves hers. Pinterest is full of recipes and ideas.
Excellent Scripture choice and I love the prayer. There's a saying: "If you're whinin' you ain't shinin'."
I have 3 water bowls and a birdbath that are all heated. Not just the kitties love them - but the birds and squirrels. There is no liquid water around when this cold.
DeleteSorry for the mess to clean up - that happens now and then.
Gosh, Dog n Suds mention brings back memories.
I have heard of sous vide - just seems like a lot of extra work to me. Let us know how it works out.
Thanks! Good quote!!!
Thanks for your reply. I always get as much air of the freezer bags as I can. I will start freezing the casseroles as you suggest, I hope I have better luck. I am a great lover of lasagna and other casseroles. All you need with that is a good salad. It gets hard when you are alone. I have revamped many recipes to be smaller but there are still leftovers. I do not like to waste.
ReplyDeleteHope it helps you out. I have a hard time cooking for one ss well. Always leftovers - so yes, in the freezer they go or I eat them twice in a few days. Hubs always ate the leftovers for lunch or breakfast - he was not picky.
DeleteWe do what we got to do!
Quite a variety of meals .. a well stocked pantry is a wonderful thing when properly maintained. Sounds that you are doing a good job of that!
ReplyDeleteThanks - I like variety. Just trying to use what I have and get creative!
DeleteWe have an allotment (strip of land in a communal garden) Earlier, my husband came home with leeks, brussel sprouts and parsnips, covered with mud as we have had lots of rain. We had corned beef hash on Saturday in half a roasted butternut squash.
ReplyDeleteOur grandaughter works from home, this week midday till eight, so I have to be organised. She made a roast with help from her boyfriend yesterday so left a plate of food for herself for today. Hubby and I had pasta bake for dinner with some reduced price chicken, so she has a dish for tomorrow. I'm trying to use up bits and pieces from the freezer this week. I don't like waste so odd portions of food are popped into the freezer.
That is neat on the allotment. The hash in a squash sounds super yummy!
DeleteLove using up those bits and pieces. We can easily forget them - now is not the time to waste.
Sounds like a good plan to me!
Cleaning the pantry and the freezers, never fails to bring out the creativity in meal planning. I too will substitute cheese with another. Sometimes I find out they are better! I love how much you get done around the place, I need to do better.
ReplyDeleteThe creativity is the fun part! I am a cheese lover - so there isn't much way to mess it up for me.
DeleteI wish I felt like I got done as much as everyone else thinks I do!