Oh baby - it is cold outside! TV says 0 degrees, my thermometer says 3. No big difference - cold is cold!!! High today is to get to 20F. Geesh - Canada you can have your weather back!!!!!
We sure got spoiled over the past few years - and now we are getting a healthy dose of what winter used to be here every year. I don't like it!
Let's talk a bit about using what we have. Recently I have been trying really hard. I have so many things that will work for more than one thing. Yesterday we talked about advertising and how they lure us in to buy things we don't need - well, I like to challenge myself to use things here instead of buying the newest gadget or fancy food.
Last week I mentioned my 'leftover' soup. One day I had made a taco sort of skillet, ground meat, beans, and lots of veggies with taco seasoning and salsa. Tasty. One day I made a small batch of dirty (spicey) rice. I mixed the leftovers of the two together with a small jar of home canned tomato juice (juice leftover from making salsa) = SOUP! Really hearty and good soup and I had dinner and put a container in the freezer for another day!
I ran out early in the week to the store for a few fresh items. I got celery - which I wrapped in foil. It will last ages that way. I have been doing that for years.
I have a bag of Romaine lettuce that has a few paper towels in with it. It pulls out excess moisture from the heads and helps it last much longer. I do this with Romaine or other lettuces I get as a plant type lettuce. (not shredded)
After Christmas was over, and I took down all the decor and I sure did miss my twinkle lights! They are so sweet and give off a nice glow at night. Well, my little nightlight for living room, had its little bulb burn out and a regular bulb is just too bright. I need one of these silicone covered bulbs and I am out.
So, I looked around and found a 20-light set of clear twinkle lights and wrapped them around an area over in the corner. They stay on 24/7 and give off such a sweet light at night. It is in the living room (center of my small house) so it lights enough to walk through the house with no other light.
I often freeze leftovers for another meal in Rubbermaid type containers. I write on top of the container what is in it with a permanent marker. When washing them, I was scrubbing really hard with a scrub pad and hot soapy water to clean the writing. The other day I came across a pack of thin magic erasers that I had in the bathroom storage. I took one and used to clean on the top of one of my containers and like "magic" all the writing was gone - super simple. Now I keep one at the kitchen sink!
I was mending some jeans last week - and used a really old pair of jeans that are no longer worn for patches. I cut and place the patches 'inside' the jeans - so there isn't a big old patch seen on the outside. I guess it doesn't matter as they are work jeans - but it works pretty well. I like to place with 'liquid sew' - a type of fabric glue - then I sew too.
Of course, I have been using what pantry and freezer items I have. I really need to work hard on that, so that the older items get used and then I can replace when I find a deal.
It sure is a fun thing to do, especially with the kiddos. I used to make it every winter for Glen and I when we had snow.
What have you been doing lately to use what you have instead of buying? Love to get some ideas.
Spread love, light and joy today in all you do.
Have a fantastic day.
I have just been making some firelighters from shredded paper packaging material, cardboard egg boxes and the ends of old candles. I stuffed the shredded paper into the holes of the egg boxes, melted the candle stubs in an old tin can placed inside an old saucepan which had an inch or so of water in the bottom (like a double boiler) and then poured the melted wax over the paper. I have made these for years. They work great, use up stuff that otherwise would be thrown away and don't have the nasty chemical smell of regular firelighters.
ReplyDeleteLove it. Nice way to recycle and helps you stay warm. They sure do make great fire starters.
DeleteThanks for the idea.
I have long detested advertisements-except of course, sale ads for the grocery store. Hub is a business major/minor in accounting. He rolls his eyes when I say I wish advertising were illegal and prices could drop by 30%. When federal law was passed to allow drugs to be advertised, being in healthcare became a PITA cuz suddenly everyone diagnosed themselves and clogged appointments to get what they wanted. Yup, drug prices rose quickly at that time as they need to recoup those costs.
ReplyDeleteMade hubster lunches for the week from the freezer/pantry: corn, Taco meat, black beans and add canned salsa.
Dinner: garden ratatouille and Italian meat from the freezer and spaghetti squash from the final November CSA delivery.
Now I'm off to cardio class! It's 23F outside so warmer than you but not conducive to walking 5 miles for this girl!!!!
I agree with you on advertising. They pay heaps to advertise and guess who pays for it? WE DO!
DeleteGood for you on using up the food. Freezers can sure be our friends!
You go gal - stay warm and safe while taking that walk. Sure beats going to the gym (and the price).
I get annoyed when it gets in the twenties! I can see light in a crack all the way around the front door. We are going to buy a storm door since it is leaky, too, hire someone to install the storm door and tighten up space around wooden door, maybe ever buy a new wooden door.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I asked Tommy to give me an onion soup mix packet. He brought one from 2024 and one from 2020. I used the older one. He was afraid it was too old. I opened it and it smelled okay, so used that one. It was fine. I am seeking the items that are old but still good to use up. On top of the hamburgers, it was great and made a little sauce/gravy that he put on his leftover potatoes.
I don't like drafts. I installed more stick on weatherstrip last year - that helped a lot.
DeleteYes, so many things are good for a long, long time. I have used older onion soup mix too - stays fresh for ages. It sure does make a burger taste good. Always good to use up those older items.
My husband went through all his clothes recently. He had several pairs of pants that are too worn at the hem or waist or along seams and he didn't want them any more. I took them and I'm making my grandson pants as he's only 4 and skinny. I can get him a pair from each easily. I have 2 turtlenecks that are too small for me and I'll be sewing up my 8 mo old granddaughter some new leggings. I bought the turtlenecks for $1each new at a sale. I wore them a few times and decided they weren't loose enough for me.
ReplyDeleteI took the treats we had at Christmas and portioned them into individual servings, wrapped them in waxed paper & zip bags and put in freezer. Now if my husband wants a treat he gets one and is not tempted to eat several. Since the treats are lasting longer I save on not having to make or buy more.
Great re-use on the clothes and using the fabric for new things. That is ingenious.
DeleteHmmm - now that is smart on the treats. I still have many, and at the moment have not been eating sugar - so I need to do the same.
I think the cold gets to me more as I age.
ReplyDeleteOh sweety, I hear that!!!! I so dislike it - I prefer 70* anad sunny.
DeleteI have been cooking up a storm and using what we have since last weekend and it has been so wonderful to have fresh, good ingredients to make great meals. I also freeze leftovers. We always seem to have lots of leftover rice, so I throw those in soups and casseroles as well. Hope it warms up a little for you soon. We are supposed to have some nights with lows in the teens next week and I am dreading that! I also love your twinkle lights and think they are perfect year round!
ReplyDeleteYay, love to hear people are cooking and using their ingredients they already have. Nice to freeze those leftovers for a day when you don't feel like cooking.
DeleteThanks, I thought they looked pretty too.
Since I don't want to leaving behind a lot of groceries when I leave here at the end of February, I'm being careful with my purchases. Leftovers are eaten within a couple of days, and something I've notices, they seem to taste better the second time 'round. :)
DeleteSoup is a great idea though, as pretty much anything can go into a soup. I also like to eat taco meat with veg on potatoes, which I'm sure sounds odd but I like the texture.
I'm starting to think the cold followed my plane...it's been cool here in Yuma too, in the mid-high 30's in the mornings but warming up nicely in the afternoon. No snow though!
I really like leftovers - they usually do taste better on round 2. Especially hearty tasting dishes. Everything goes in soup!
DeleteI like taco meat with about anything - so I get it.
I think you are smart to be using it all up.
Enjoy your warmer temps - I would like those temps right now!
Soup is the best. I used two old potatoes - they really needed using - with some frozen spinach, onion, chicken stock, and a bit of potato flakes to thicken it up. Yum. Enough for 4 servings and it's so good. Tonight I plan to add cheese to my bowl. Toast, soup, fruit... ahhh. No wonder I sleep so well. :)
ReplyDeleteNot at all looking forward to the cold snap coming ... Monday is what they're saying here. Brrrr. 7F is not friendly temperature. Especially as we're still trying to melt off the snow from last week, but now it's all packed snow with ice on top or ice with slush on top that freezes at night. I've slipped and fallen once already, that's enough for this year. ;)
MaryB
Your soup sounds perfect to me. That is how I do soup - a bit of this and a bit of that.
DeleteI call it 'stupid' cold!!!! We are to be in single digits Monday as well - yuck. We get a day or two reprieve before that - then cold. Oh gosh, be careful. You don't need to be having any accidents. Stay safe.
We have one of our heat pumps down today and I am glad it is in the 40's and not any colder . Going to be happy when our HVAC gets here tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness. Not a good time for that to happen - glad it is a bit warmer for you. Good luck with getting it fixed!
DeleteI used to patch Harvey's work jeans all the time, and still have a collection of denim squares available. I now use those to make blankets to cuddle up in when we are sitting by the firepit.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Another great use for those jean squares. They do make a great blankie - nice and heavy.
DeleteMany of the organizing ladies tell us to get rid of things if we haven't used it a year or so. You never know when something will come in handy. There have been several instances of using something tucked away to repair or supplement an item. I follow Linda of Linda's Life Journal and she makes quilts for family members from old jeans.
ReplyDeleteThe faery lights you used are perfect! I love faery lights and would string some along the houseplants but the Farmer is not a fan.
Our grandson Chase is a HVAC tech in Beaumont TX and I bet he is busy right now. I feel for people like Miss Lana who has heat pump problems. Brrr! Looking forward to the warmer temps and rain. The street we turn onto off Rockville Road is clear but the left turn we take to go to our house is a sheet of ice. Hopefully the rain will take care of it.
I know they tell us to get rid of things not daily used - I can't. You just never know. We all know about getting rid of something and then a week later need it!
DeleteThanks, I love the little lights. I did that with a big plant years ago.
Heat is much appreciated this time of the year. I sure hope it doesn't rain, then drop fast with everything freezing up. It will turn extremely cold.
I'm a pot of soup a week person. It's more than I can eat so it gets frozen or I share with my daughters ( both if vegan, just I one if not) and have my sister join me for meals. I'm trying to be more flexible with meals, easy when my son is here because he'll eat anything and had a big appetite so don't worry about days and days of meh tasting leftovers. Last night's pasta sauce was made with the last of fresh spinach, ricotta cheese, and lemon juice, lots of seasoning, and reserved pasta water. It was phenomenal- I'd say it rivalled restaurant quality. Basically free ingredients left from other intentional recipes.
ReplyDeleteMorning SAM - Soup just fills the belly and warm the body. I love that you have so many you can share with.
DeleteYour meal sounds so yummy. It is astounding that we can take bits and bobs and leftovers and make a delicious meal, basically for free! Just a little thought is all that is needed.
If it makes you feel better, we Canadians are getting a real winter too. We have been spoiled having mild winters for a few years but this winter is what a Canadian winter used to be, insane amounts of snow and cold! Sorry you are being punished too, lol.
ReplyDeleteWell, it seems we have all been spoiled. I sure got used to the milder winters. I think we all did. This year nature has given us a reality check!! I guess it is all good - we need the changes of season for things to be in check.
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