Hello to all and happy Sunday. Hope this finds all well and safe.
It is a cool morning here. My goodness, what a big old full moon we had glowing in a misty looking sky - it sure looked like fall/winter. This morning the sunrise was just glorious with all the pinks and oranges.
It looks to be a somewhat dreary week ahead - with many chances of rain and much cooler temps by the end of the week - even with talk of flurries!
We had rain and cloudy skies a lot of last week, with the sun finally showing itself yesterday afternoon.
I do not like these darker days and the shorter sunlight hours at all. It really plays with my mood and motivation! Counting down the days to the days getting a minute or two lighter each day!
My frugal week:
- Used my air fryer and crockpot this week
- Worked outside when I could - pulled out the remainder of the garden plants and did some other yard work
- I did find a few more small green tomatoes while pulling out plants - so brought them in (we still haven't had a freeze here) - they will probably be cut in half and fried!
- Still eating lots of tomatoes from the garden
- Had some old eggroll wraps in frig that needed to be used - so made up a fun meal. Used mini sweet peppers and stuffed with Mex. chicken (from freezer), cream cheese and then wrapped. Air fried and they sure were tasty.
- I used more of the Mex/ chicken for a meal and made a quesadilla for the freezer with it.
- Visits to sis - she is slowly moving. Finally walking a bit - but it is tough. She has finally resigned herself of probably not being home for Thanksgiving :( - but she is slowly improving.
- Stopped at Meijer this week when done with a sis visit. Hadn't been in ages. Won't make that mistake again. I couldn't believe how expensive that store has gotten on EVERYTHING (except turkey). I used to shop there a lot. I will stick to my Kroger and Aldi - shoot even WM is better than going there. I was pretty dumbstruck. My Menard's visit the week before was a much better experience.
- I ran to a Holiday Bazaar at my old high school yesterday. It was not huge - but it gave me some ideas and helped put me in the mood a little. Only bought a couple snacks for myself!
- Had my bathroom sink appear to be leaking. I took off the filter and boy was it clogged! I cleaned it really well and put back on. The 'leak' was just water trying to flow out and taking a minute! The stream is better too.
- Have been working on cleaning, recycling and decluttering a lot. Cleaning off /out different areas
- NO groceries this week
- Using what I have and cooking from home
- Used crockpot to make a very small beef roast and veggies
- Changed out the bed comforter to change up the look
Meals this past week:
Home fries, chicken strips and tomatoes
Mex. chicken tostadas
Stuffed pepper 'eggrolls' and salad
Homemade pizza
Cup of chili (freezer) and a small slice of pizza
Fried fish sandwich and tomatoes and cukes
Roast and potatoes and carrots
SNACKS - cut up tomatoes, cheese on crackers, fruit
Really a pretty quiet week. I just didn't have the oomph I needed to get a lot done - the dark days have played on me!!
How was your week? Did you do any holiday shopping/crafting? Are you gals in the US ready for Thanksgiving? Have you started decorating for Christmas? I will wait until after Thanksgiving to do what little I do.
Look forward to hearing from you all. A thank you to all this week for answering questions and helping others out. I love the sharing.
May you all have a super week ahead and please stay safe and healthy.
Blessings to you and yours from me at my humble little home.
***********
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4-5
Dear Lord, again we send up thanks for all the blessings we each received this week. There are many unspoken prayers by those we know, and we ask that You lay healing hands upon bodies and hearts. Let us each be thankful for every wonderful little thing that happens in our lives. Amen
There are so many things to be thankful for in our days, both great and small. I'm grateful that our hot water heater is still working, despite all the crackling and groaning.
ReplyDeletePretty day...will go out and finally clean up the beds by the front porch. The Farmer will mow up the last of the leaves.
Quite a varied menu this past week and all if of it sounds yummy! We have a bit of chili left and will add some all beef sausages to it, ala chili dogs.
A lot of our grocery shopping is done at Costco. I watch for loss leaders at Meijer and Fresh Thyme also.
One of my Florida nephews and his wife are in town, and will visit us on Tuesday. Erin will come by before she has to be at work. This nephew reminds me of my brother, his dad.
Enjoy your day! I'm like you, counting the days until they become longer again.
Yes indeedy, I am just so thankful for each day and all things. We just don't realize what we have compared to others.
DeleteI like to change things up on my food. I can do similar a lot, but I do like change too.
I went out and got the garden all put to bed already today. It is done for 2024!!!
I haven't been in a Costco yet. Sam's, yes, but not a Costco.
Have fun with your family while they are visiting.
Have a lovely week!
I've done my big early prep for Thanksgiving: bought a bag of redskin potatoes to make mashed potatoes to take to DS's home for the dinner. Maybe I should check on the condition of my real butter - how did it fare in the long power outage? Surely it didn't go bad on me!? Butter is tough stuff, so I'll hope, but check before using.
ReplyDeleteSure am glad I didn't have hundreds of $$$$$$$$$$ locked up in freezer goods, that would have really spoiled my day/week/month. Learned that the hard way, years ago, when the freezer plug disconnected from the wall and nobody discovered it until everything was slush. :(
Love the Bible quote, love the prayer! Best wishes to your sis, Cheryl.
MaryB
Glad you have a good start on T Day. I leave butter on the counter all the time - have for years - so I would think it would be OK. Mom always left it out as well.
DeleteI am so glad you didn't have tons of food loss too. So many people sure did. That is just such a sad situation.
I have had a freezer go out and oh what a stinky nasty mess.
Thank you. So many things to be thankful for, no matter our situation.
Have a wonderful week.
Yes, butter on the counter is what I grew up with, which is why I have hopes that it will be ok. Only in recent years did I start to use something else - trying to manage cholesterol without meds. But I always have butter on hand, and stick margarine as well, for baking. The margarine made it through the hurricane ok. Now I'll test the butter. :)
DeleteMaryB
Would you consider a post of your air fryer use? I do taters and that's it. I don't buy prepackaged foods and I haven't become creative with it but it was dang cheap so bought it to prevent deep-fried fries at meals out! Saves us a lot of calories.
ReplyDeleteI grabbed a few essentials at the store this week to fill pantry holes. CSA ended 10d ago and still there are 3 heads of leaf lettuce, a huge green cabbage, a huge bundle of kale in the fridge. So, the week ahead is big salads, a bucket of vinegar based cole-slaw and that kale will get cooked down today and frozen before it goes bad.
A beautiful Sunday morning here at 39F as opposed to yesterday's 29 with crispy white coating on everything.
I don't use it as often as I should - but I do use it now instead of frying a lot. I will try to come up with a post sometime soon. I got mine basically brand new (used once) at a yard sale for $10 - NuWave. Couldn't say no to that.
DeleteSounds like you are set for fresh greens. That is great. It really is amazing how long they can last, if you know how to store them.
That is chilly! Not quite that bad here this AM - it is now in the low 60's - I will take it.
These lovely days won't last forever.
Have a super week.
Elle, I use my airfryer for nearly everything. It makes delicious crispy chicken, does meat perfectly, and so many other things. If you use pinterest there are loads of recipes on there. There are also so many airfryer cookbooks to be had used on Amazon too. We don't eat any prepackaged foods as well. Hope this helps. Cookie
DeleteThanks Cookie. I need to expand my use as well. It does make the best crispy chicken!!!!
DeleteI'm not enjoying the dark evenings. My side of the family does a huge potluck style for Thanksgiving. We always do a group chat so everyone knows what everyone else is bringing to avoid duplicates. I still have no clue what I'm doing. My husband's side does just a few food items and we are always responsible for bringing soda. Works for me. Christmas decor usually goes up Thanksgiving week.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest turned 3 this week. We usually do a small party with my parents, siblings and their family. Costs add up but I try to save a little. I bought chips and cookies on sale and used my Domino's rewards points so one of the pizzas I got was free. I used some old balloons and a tablecloth I already had. One of the bottles of soda didn't get opened so I stuck it back in the fridge and will use it for Thanksgiving. Most of his presents were bought on clearance or sale.
I cancelled Hulu+Disney and Peacock. I had them super cheap for a year, but it increases to full price this month. Hopefully they'll run black Friday specials again this year and we'll sign up using my husband's info.
I really can't even remember the rest of my week. But I guess that means it was pretty uneventful so that's a good thing.
I think pitch-ins are nice. It saves one person from having to do it all. I wish in the past we had done that. Mom wouldn't allow it, and then when I had it - neither did I. (my mother's daughter)!!!!
DeleteHappy birthday to the little one. At that age - he won't remember much about it any way - it is more for others! Using what you have is smart and those clearance and sales make good sense. (especially so close to the holiday)
Smart on cancelling. Their hope is you won't remember! Hope you get some other good deal.
Heck, uneventful is darn good in my book!
Have a nice week ahead.
It is cold here. Brrr - and getting colder as we approach mid week. Love how you use your airfryer too. I use mine nearly every day. Last night I did a 2 lb. boneless turkey breast to cut up for sandwiches or wraps. During football season we usually have that on Saturday evening for the late college games. I have one of those holders to make potato chips in the airfryer or microwave
ReplyDeleteand I usually make a batch of those too. Used the Instant pot to cook beets that got frozen for later use in creamy beet salad and no'mato sauce. Minimal grocery shopping this week just for eggs and a few salad veggies. Finished all the Thanksgiving cards and will start making Christmas cards next week. I watched a couple of Youtube videos on making some cute gift boxes from scratch out of cardstock to put Christmas treats in for the neighbors. I have all of the materials including the ingredients for 2 ingredient fudge and truffles as well as the papers to wrap the pieces in. So no outgoing expenses. I know I'll have a lot of fun making the boxes.
Meals this week were:
Chicken pot pie filling made with leftover chicken from a previous meal, carrots, chopped chard stems,onions and peas and gravy made from bone broth served over baked potato.
Cream of zucchini soup with almond flour muffins
Steak, salad, and purple sweet potato.
Chicken fajita's using leftover chicken and onions and peppers from the garden harvest, rice and refried beans.
Egg roll in a bowl soup.
Turkey wraps, carrot sticks and homemade chips.
Stir fry with leftover steak and chicken.
Have a blessed week. Cookie
I need to try more items in the air fryer - I understand you can do about anything.
DeleteHow fun the boxes and treats will be. That will make a lovely gift for anyone. You are very talented.
Oh my your meals all sound good. Every single one!!
Have a wonderful week.
The moon has been beautiful the last few nights! It is way too soon for flurries except up there. We have seen it snow on Halloween In Illinois. Your eggroll/Mexican chicken dish sounds delicious! Yes, the days are getting darker earlier right now, sigh. I'm with you, will be glad when the daylight lasts longer. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess it might be called harvest moon!? We have usually had a freeze way before now - but none at my house so far. I have had snow before Halloween before.
DeleteIt was tasty - kind of stuffed pepper with a crunchy shell!
Have a super week.
It sounds like you had a pretty good week. Sorry the longer nights effect you so much. I enjoy them but I love hibernating this time of year so am a bit different. lol Your meals all sound delicious. My Ninja 14 in 1 has an air fryer setting that I use from time to time. So much healthier. Continued prayers for your sister. Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!!
ReplyDeleteIt was nice - not too busy. I really need daylight - I guess that is me.
DeleteIt is much healthier to air fry than grease fry. It tastes really good too.
Thank you so much - all prayers appreciated.
Have a beautiful week.
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteThese past two weeks have been interesting and productive. Doing financial planning and next years budget. I made of list of fun vacation ideas, now have to scale back to what I can afford ;). With insurance, home and car, expected to go up (don’t have numbers yet), I need to make room for those increases….sigh. I think social security should go up equal to home and car insurance percentages!
But I am glad I am doing this. Fall has arrived in Arizona, finally getting cooler weather. But cooler weather means all the snowbirds come back into town, so it is getting crowded. Funny how when the temperatures are 115, there is no waiting line at a restaurant ;). Have a good week, Hilogene in Az.
Financial planning - I think it is that time of the year. I have heard many say that. My home owners went up a good bit - but it was expected. So many claims the past few years to insurance companies with disasters - someone has to pay it.
DeleteGlad it is finally getting cooler there. At least you will be able to breath cooler air! Hope the snowbirds to come in droves!
Happy planning and have a good week. Great to hear from you!
I don’t mind longer evenings, I feel I can get more of MY stuff done rather than stuff that makes the house function or gardening work.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad to hear some positive news about your sister.
Your meals all sound great. I’d love to eat at Cheryl’s Restaurant.
Have a great week, take care, Louise
The evenings do tend to give more time for 'me' things - but I just get myself busy in other ways and don't get them done!
DeleteThanks - little bits of progress is still progress.
You can come anytime to Cheryl's Variety Grill! I like mixing it up!!
Have a great week.
I find more and more often that when I got into a grocery I am absolutely stunned by some price or another. I'm with you on shopping at Kroger which has been very competitive with Aldi of late in some department. I seldom venture into Walmart but only because I find it inconvenient to get to the larger better stocked store.
ReplyDeleteI too decorate following Thanksgiving. And we're not doing gifts per se this year. Several family members have had a tough year and one lives quite a long ways away so mailing anything is out. We're gifting cash to each family group and wishing them a happy holiday season. We figure they can pay bills, buy for their children, plan a family day or purchase the holiday meal with it.
I was just floored at Meijer. It has probably been a couple years since I was in - man did they get pricey. Yes, Kroger has been giving Aldi some competition each week. Good for us. I am not a WM fan at all - but they do have cheaper pet food and litter.
DeleteYeah, I do what decorating I do after and then it stays up till NY unless I get tired of it.
That is a wonderful idea. So many people could use a little hand up now and then. There have been so many weather maladies this year, not to mention people losing jobs and maybe illness. Letting them decide the best way to use the gift is fantastic. Hopefully more might do that.
I do tend to gift some GC's for places like WM or Kroger - both have super stores here, where people can buy whatever they need. Also some guys get gas cards.
Smart idea.
Have a super week.
It has been very dark and dreary here on Canada's prairies. Snow and rain yesterday, and more in the forecast for the rest of the month. I really don't like how dark it is in the morning when I get up. So thankful that I no longer have to leave for work in dark and only have a couple of hours at home before it gets dark once again.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I commented on my own blog, but I have to say thank you for reminding me of the date for Black Friday. I would have toodled off to the city tomorrow, none the wiser, and been 10 days early for my trip!
ReplyDeleteWe had about 5.5 inches of snow yesterday with more expected Tuesday into Wednesday. The days are so short now, it makes me feel like hibernating!
Enjoy those homegrown tomatoes. I'm sure they are a real treat!
Oh gosh, glad to have helped. That would have been awful to make that trip and then it not be time for all the sales. Glad I said something.
DeleteYuck on the snow. You can sure keep it. It is pretty - I just don't handle it well the older I get! LOL
I am loving each bite.
Have a safe and nice week.
I'm kind of jealous of your good weather with no freezes. Your still getting tomatoes -good for you! The darkness is kind of depressing. It's hard for me to stay awake and I want to go to bed at 7 p.m.!
ReplyDeleteChristmas lights will be out soon though and that will keep me happy and awake. Hope it will help you too!
Yep, no freeze yet, but that will probably change at the end of week. I pulled all the tomatoes - so they are inside - but many red, some turning and some green.
DeleteYES, I am ready to snooze by 7PM too. I do tend to go to sleep earlier now. I am just bored!
Lights will be a nice diversion.
Have a good week.
The first snow of the Winter is forecast here for this week, so we have spent some time putting tender plants undercover and generally putting the garden to bed.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here is very variable - some days grey and dreary (yuck!), some much brighter, but colder.
I have started sounding out relatives about Christmas presents as I like to buy things that people actually want/need, rather than just buying a present for the sake of it. I am also thinking that I ought to make a start on writing a few Christmas cards, but as it is sunny today that can wait for one of those grey and miserable days.
We may get some flurries this week too. Yesterday turned out lovely and today is supposed to be in the 60's as well. It changes daily!
DeleteGood for you, it is better to gift something they can actually use and not just waste money buying to be buying.
I send fewer cards anymore, but could probably get started too. Thanks.
Have a great week.
Winter is here with 2" of snow that necessitated shoveling of steps & footpaths. Temps are still mild, hovering around 0C. Front brakes were replaced on the car requiring 2 trips to town to drop off & pick up. There's always someone to give me a ride when I need it. I picked up the most delightful pre-lit rooster ornament for the porch. I won't turn the other Christmas lights on before Dec 1. There were 2 coffee visits with neighbors, one here in front of the fire & one overlooking the beautiful river valley. Friends accompanied me to the local Hutterite colony 1 hr away to pick up the chicken order; beautiful 6lb chickens at $2.50/lb. The third of a series of Bowen therapy treatments has sure remedied the neck & knee pain I've been experiencing. I got 6 mi of boots on ground this past week. The week was bookended with a Corb Lund concert. His songwriting captures a western lifestyle. In the kitchen: baked beans in the crockpot; pork chops w/ mushroom gravy; roasted garlic broccoli; pickle soup. Have a good week, Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteBummer on the snow and shoveling. Glad you have new brakes that will make you feel safer.
DeleteThe ornament sounds cooks
Sounds like you had an active and interesting week. Super that your neck and knee feels better.
Your meals sound good.
Have a super week.
It is a beautiful sunny day here at the moment with temps around mid 40'sF - but it is to turn gloomy and rainy for much of the rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you an idea of some prices here: - went to the nice (but not Whole Foods) upscale fruit & veg mart last week - bought 3 sweet potatoes, 4 large carrots, 1 litre of milk, small salad in a bag and a bulb of garlic and the cost was $18.43 Cdn!!!!
Really just bought some fresh items this week - no major shop as it is payday this Friday and really, I'm trying to use up a lot of what I have on hand. Cdn. Thanksgiving was in October so I have lots of dark and white meat in the freezer which I plan on using over the next few weeks. I work for a church so this is our busy season and I like to have meals ready in the freezer to make life easier. So far I have meatloaf, turkey, cottage pie, chilli, and then this past weekend I made a big pot of chicken soup so at least 4 servings will go into the freezer.
I really don't have many gifts to buy now - I've made two types of vanilla essence that I am going to bottle up as token gifts for a few friends, I'll buy GC for the caretaking staff (they are amazing) and again some consumeable gifts for a few others. I won't see family until after Christmas as they all live out of town and I normally take family style gifts and again mostly food or drink.
I am having quite a few friends over on Dec. 7th so I will have my small tree decorated for then and put out a few other bits & pieces, along with buying a poinsettia and that will do for my small apt.
Your weather sounds like what we will have later in the week. Decent temps today and got a lot done outside.
DeleteI don't know the exchange rate - but that sounds like a lot to me.
Oh, goodness all the freezer meals sound delish. You should be set with some good eating.
I like the sounds of your gifts. Other than little ones - I am mainly a food gifter too. It is something we all do - so why not? You Christmas get together will be lovely I bet. You have a lovely time.
Have a lovely week.