This is week is EXTREMELY hot, nearing triple digits.
That means that most of my to do list will be trumped with checking and changing animal water every 2 hours or so, especially the ducks and rabbits. I will be putting frozen water bottles in with the rabbits. That means we need to buy more plasticated (yes, that is my own word) beverages in order to maintain enough ice for the rabbits. Hubby is happy that Pepsi is on sale so he can drink those for the sake of the rabbits.
We also need to worm the cat, dog and goats. I am hoping to get some diatomaceous earth after payday this week and start using that routinely.
I need to start thinking about the fall garden (?). It seems crazy with our just getting our first tomato and the cucumbers coming on, but broccoli and cabbage need to be sown soon.
This week I would also like to make some cookie dough, some to cook and lots to freeze so someone else can cook them if they want them. I may go ahead and "ball" them out and flash freeze so if they want two they can put them in the countertop oven for 10 minutes and voila! Personally, with these upper 90 degree + temperatures, nothing sounds better than ice water, well maybe lemonade, oh and ice cream! Sorry, I digress.
I will be jarring up the honey that we extracted and get that prettied up for selling. I don't think we will have very much for ourselves this year, but we need the cash to buy other things for the farm.
The rest of the week will be just the basics: cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. Trying to catch up from almost three weeks of misguidance.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Watermelon Rind Preserves
Do you have those days where you want to live like your great-grandparents? Those days where nothing goes to waste. Those days when what you already have is enough. Those days when being resourceful and frugal were just everyday, nothing to write home about.
Well, I had one of those days, actually yesterday. After eating a watermelon from Aldi's ($2.69), not only did I have 12 plastic containers full of left over melon, I had the rind and peel that looked so wasteful. How awesome is the internet, really?
I found watermelon rind pickles and watermelon rind preserves. Duh, I am going to try the one with sugar first! I am such a jam, jelly and preserves novice, but here goes...
Well, I had one of those days, actually yesterday. After eating a watermelon from Aldi's ($2.69), not only did I have 12 plastic containers full of left over melon, I had the rind and peel that looked so wasteful. How awesome is the internet, really?
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| Watermelon cubes |
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| Rind with most of the melon saved and frozen, soaking in salt water |
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| Rind, lemon slices, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and water |
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| Fingers crossed that it "gels" |
I will let you know if it was worth the sugar or not. Next on the agenda is watermelon rind pickles. Should I attempt the cucumber pickles first???
Frugal Finds
Our family has been a one-vehicle family for several months now. There was a span of a few days where we had the farm truck fixed and the car going until the car was wrecked. Oh, the freedom I had.
During that short time, I got to shop at Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. I went to see if I could find $1 tee shirts for both hubby and son, whose jobs keep their shirts in horrible shape-holes, stains, burns, permanent smells-ugh! Alas, there were no $1 tee shirts that I could find this time, but I did come home with glass jars for storage. Daughter came home with old clothes patterns for $.25 each and a minion pillow. My jar from Goodwill was $.84.
I didn't do as well at Habitat but it was still great for the pantry.
Oats, quinoa (regular and tricolor) and black-eyed peas filled my set of three jars.
Once the car gets repaired, I think I will make an occasional trip to Goodwill. One never knows what they might need until they find it cheap. No, just kidding, but it would be nice to check out the $1 sales and look for storage solutions.
I also will begin to figure out what goes on sale/clearance as far as meat, dairy and produce at what stores and use those hauls to can, freeze or just eat to save grocery money. I will post pics of my hauls for suggestions too!
During that short time, I got to shop at Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. I went to see if I could find $1 tee shirts for both hubby and son, whose jobs keep their shirts in horrible shape-holes, stains, burns, permanent smells-ugh! Alas, there were no $1 tee shirts that I could find this time, but I did come home with glass jars for storage. Daughter came home with old clothes patterns for $.25 each and a minion pillow. My jar from Goodwill was $.84.
 |
| Set of 3 with a sheep/farm scene from 1982 and porcelain lids made in Japan - $8 |
I didn't do as well at Habitat but it was still great for the pantry.
Oats, quinoa (regular and tricolor) and black-eyed peas filled my set of three jars.
Once the car gets repaired, I think I will make an occasional trip to Goodwill. One never knows what they might need until they find it cheap. No, just kidding, but it would be nice to check out the $1 sales and look for storage solutions.
I also will begin to figure out what goes on sale/clearance as far as meat, dairy and produce at what stores and use those hauls to can, freeze or just eat to save grocery money. I will post pics of my hauls for suggestions too!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Somewhat Silent Sunday 6/14/15
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| My pot of parsley |
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| Summer's First Tomato |
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| Sunday's fruit from the farm |
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| Daisy Mae hanging out with the rabbits |
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| Daughter's graduation |
Friday, June 12, 2015
Food Friday 6/12/15
I have been absent from the blog, as well as the kitchen because of a temporary lapse of judgment. That seems to happen to me a lot. But now that this bleb in my past is over, I am back.
Although there are no pictures of past meals, which is a good thing because I have been terribly remiss in my kitchen duties, and no menu for the next week as of yet, I do have one thing to share. And, I am afraid, is nothing impressive. I did attempt hamburger buns.
They were a bit flat and that is probably for two reasons: 1) I am still using that horrible flour that I got from Sam's Club. I think I am down to about 7-8 pounds (lots of pancakes in the future) and 2) I had lots of errands to run and the rising of the dough was longer than needed to be, way longer. But I will try them again.
They were, however, eaten without complaints from anyone else. I unfortunately did not get the finished product picture either. Yay for the camera women. I will try again with better ingredients and more time and if they are up to snuff I will let you know the recipe I try.
It is time to make a menu so expect a late post for that! Have a blessed Friday!
Although there are no pictures of past meals, which is a good thing because I have been terribly remiss in my kitchen duties, and no menu for the next week as of yet, I do have one thing to share. And, I am afraid, is nothing impressive. I did attempt hamburger buns.
 |
| Prebaked, over-risen/rose (?) |
They were, however, eaten without complaints from anyone else. I unfortunately did not get the finished product picture either. Yay for the camera women. I will try again with better ingredients and more time and if they are up to snuff I will let you know the recipe I try.
It is time to make a menu so expect a late post for that! Have a blessed Friday!
Sunday, May 24, 2015
The Wizard of Ize
No, I am not talking in an unfamiliar Northern accent. I am declaring myself the new Wizard of -Ize!
I am determined to prioritize, organize, exercise, exorcise and dietize my life.
Prioritize. I have to take the above list and prioritize. Everyday there are chores that have to be done. Everyday there are glitches that arise in a daily schedule that make routine obsolete. Let's discuss yesterday evening from 7pm - 11pm. Just that 4-hour window as my to do list continues on into the evenings and night.
7-Hubby to be home. So supper needed to be ready.
7:30-Clothes off the line
8-Feed the animals, including bottle feeding Max.
8:30-Chickens locked up in coop
9-Clean up kitchen after supper
10-Pick up daughter at work.
Nothing to it, except:
7-Hubby home. No time for supper. Got the call a bit ago, the dress was done. We had to get daughter's prom dress after alterations. That is a 40 minutes drive and more money that I had expected.
8-Son called wondering where everyone had gone after his return from church. I asked if he could feed the animals, especially Max, since we will be late.
9-Finish cooking potatoes to go with ribs that had cooked for hours in the oven.
9:30-Eat supper.
10-Go to pick up daughter...wait, Max is out by the driveway. Go back in and get the boys to help round him up since a) Son didn't tighten cage properly and b)I have to go get daughter ASAP.
10:10-Notice the chicken coop is still open. Ask hubby to fix that problem as I drive away.
10:29-At daughter's work just in time!
11:00-Look at the BBQ rib remains on the counter and hang my head in shame. Until tomorrow.
11:15-Slip into bed and realize sheets and blankets still on clothes line! Until tomorrow.
Nonetheless, if I have a general priority list to guide me, things won't seem that bad. First and foremost is God time. No exceptions. Animals cannot be compromised. They must remain at the top of the list after the family needs. Garden is up there. Like the animals these provide for us. School. This is a financial investment in our family's future and must be treated as such. Study anatomy or paint my nails? Okay, I rarely paint my nails anyway, but you get the gist. Providing nutritious meals for the family. It gives me joy when I have the ingredients I need to make a wonderful meal that at least 2 of the 4 of can share. But if emergencies happen, there is always spaghetti and nobody will starve. Laundry. I like the ability to hang out clothes and know that I am saving our family money, but I can always use a dryer, or even better, everyone in the house can do his or her own laundry if the need arises. Oh, it will arise. I really need to pick my battles intelligently.
Organize. Every single corner of this place needs organization-drawers, sheds, computer desks, pantry, freezer, etc. I need to prioritize my organize! I think this is where a home binder would help. I need to create a goal for each week and each month in the area of organization. Chisel out an increment of time each day to achieve my weekly goal. And do the same for the monthly goal. But these "lists" need to be centralized. Otherwise, they end up on a page of a notebook that gets moved around, torn out and thrown away or rewritten for procrastination purposes.
Exercise. I am going to have a lot on my plate, just like the rest of the world, and past experience has taught me that if I take time to intentionally exercise, whether it's on the treadmill, at the dam, to the mailbox, or stretching during Family Feud, that I feel better and am better focused on other tasks.
Exorcise. No, I am not possessed by an evil spirit. But I feel that at this point in my life I need to narrow down unnecessaries in my life, including my acquaintances. That sounds harsh, I know. I feel that it is too hard on me and not fair to the people I really love having in my life to put too much effort into those people who cause me stress. Now that doesn't mean that I am going to be outright rude or disrespectful. I am just not going to go the extra mile to please people who don't really care one way or another. Is that an un-Christian attitude?
Dietize. Yep, have to throw food into the mix, don't I? Although I will not be technically "dietizing" my food, which means to take the unhealthy and make it healthier...well, maybe I am. I just need to really watch what I buy and stay away from those quick and easy boxes of food. This has not been a problem lately, but still there are food products that aren't necessary for us to have here on the farm. I still fry, I make gravy, I bake cakes and cookies. But I do not buy mixes, I make them from scratch the best I can. I do, however, need to portion control these items for everyone. One doesn't need a whole batch of no-bake cookies over the course of 2 days. For health and budget sake, these kind of treats need to be rationed for at least a week's worth of enjoyment.
I guess my point is...there's no place like home, there's no place like home.
Come on, you knew that was coming. Besides, I use it all the time!
I am determined to prioritize, organize, exercise, exorcise and dietize my life.
Prioritize. I have to take the above list and prioritize. Everyday there are chores that have to be done. Everyday there are glitches that arise in a daily schedule that make routine obsolete. Let's discuss yesterday evening from 7pm - 11pm. Just that 4-hour window as my to do list continues on into the evenings and night.
7-Hubby to be home. So supper needed to be ready.
7:30-Clothes off the line
8-Feed the animals, including bottle feeding Max.
8:30-Chickens locked up in coop
9-Clean up kitchen after supper
10-Pick up daughter at work.
Nothing to it, except:
7-Hubby home. No time for supper. Got the call a bit ago, the dress was done. We had to get daughter's prom dress after alterations. That is a 40 minutes drive and more money that I had expected.
8-Son called wondering where everyone had gone after his return from church. I asked if he could feed the animals, especially Max, since we will be late.
9-Finish cooking potatoes to go with ribs that had cooked for hours in the oven.
9:30-Eat supper.
10-Go to pick up daughter...wait, Max is out by the driveway. Go back in and get the boys to help round him up since a) Son didn't tighten cage properly and b)I have to go get daughter ASAP.
10:10-Notice the chicken coop is still open. Ask hubby to fix that problem as I drive away.
10:29-At daughter's work just in time!
11:00-Look at the BBQ rib remains on the counter and hang my head in shame. Until tomorrow.
11:15-Slip into bed and realize sheets and blankets still on clothes line! Until tomorrow.
Nonetheless, if I have a general priority list to guide me, things won't seem that bad. First and foremost is God time. No exceptions. Animals cannot be compromised. They must remain at the top of the list after the family needs. Garden is up there. Like the animals these provide for us. School. This is a financial investment in our family's future and must be treated as such. Study anatomy or paint my nails? Okay, I rarely paint my nails anyway, but you get the gist. Providing nutritious meals for the family. It gives me joy when I have the ingredients I need to make a wonderful meal that at least 2 of the 4 of can share. But if emergencies happen, there is always spaghetti and nobody will starve. Laundry. I like the ability to hang out clothes and know that I am saving our family money, but I can always use a dryer, or even better, everyone in the house can do his or her own laundry if the need arises. Oh, it will arise. I really need to pick my battles intelligently.
Organize. Every single corner of this place needs organization-drawers, sheds, computer desks, pantry, freezer, etc. I need to prioritize my organize! I think this is where a home binder would help. I need to create a goal for each week and each month in the area of organization. Chisel out an increment of time each day to achieve my weekly goal. And do the same for the monthly goal. But these "lists" need to be centralized. Otherwise, they end up on a page of a notebook that gets moved around, torn out and thrown away or rewritten for procrastination purposes.
Exercise. I am going to have a lot on my plate, just like the rest of the world, and past experience has taught me that if I take time to intentionally exercise, whether it's on the treadmill, at the dam, to the mailbox, or stretching during Family Feud, that I feel better and am better focused on other tasks.
Exorcise. No, I am not possessed by an evil spirit. But I feel that at this point in my life I need to narrow down unnecessaries in my life, including my acquaintances. That sounds harsh, I know. I feel that it is too hard on me and not fair to the people I really love having in my life to put too much effort into those people who cause me stress. Now that doesn't mean that I am going to be outright rude or disrespectful. I am just not going to go the extra mile to please people who don't really care one way or another. Is that an un-Christian attitude?
Dietize. Yep, have to throw food into the mix, don't I? Although I will not be technically "dietizing" my food, which means to take the unhealthy and make it healthier...well, maybe I am. I just need to really watch what I buy and stay away from those quick and easy boxes of food. This has not been a problem lately, but still there are food products that aren't necessary for us to have here on the farm. I still fry, I make gravy, I bake cakes and cookies. But I do not buy mixes, I make them from scratch the best I can. I do, however, need to portion control these items for everyone. One doesn't need a whole batch of no-bake cookies over the course of 2 days. For health and budget sake, these kind of treats need to be rationed for at least a week's worth of enjoyment.
I guess my point is...there's no place like home, there's no place like home.
Come on, you knew that was coming. Besides, I use it all the time!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Food Friday 5/22/15
Well, I still can't do my monthly menu like I want because of the budget. Patience is a virtue, right? I do have my meal plan and grocery list ready. Hope I don't lose it before I can use it. So, until I save up enough to do a big bulk haul, per week it is...
What's on sale this week?
BL/SL chicken breast $1.98. Ugh. I know chicken is supposed to be so versatile, but I really am tired of seeing it on sale and in my freezer. I think I need to pull out my old fashion cookbooks and try a couple of new recipes. Yes, online recipe sites are nice, but nothing beats peeling back pages that have mixer splatter gluing them together, and not to mention I feel like one of those NAILED IT! pictures on Pinterest. Those are hilarious until you see them on YOUR dinner table. I digress...
Hamburger/ground beef. Sale, well if $3.48 is on sale. Remember the days of $.99 per pound hamburger meat.
Bacon -probably 12 oz-for $1.98.
Hot dogs are on sale from under $1 to $3, depending on your tastes and budget. Brats as well.
Whip cream on sale? Sounds like freezer fodder.
Red potatoes. Corn on the cob. Vidalia onions. Cucumbers (mine are growing nicely!). Condiments. Pudding. Fish sticks. Berries.
Okay, so what to fix. Most recipes are coming from Taste of Home 1994.
Saturday lunch- FFY (fend for yourself) peanut butter, bologna, left overs, maybe fish sticks. I have prom things to do for daughter so, whatever!
Saturday supper-chicken macaroni casserole, simple potato salad, baked beans (new recipe to try), peanut butter pie. (This may be overzealous for prom day too-we shall see.)
Sunday-pancake and pizza day.
Monday-Memorial Day-hot dogs, burger, chips, tea, left over potato salad and beans, coleslaw.
Tuesday-broccoli soup, egg salad sandwiches on homemade honey wheat bread.
Wednesday-western beef and cornmeal pie, tangy fruit salad
Thursday-Hot Legs, celery, carrots and ranch or blue cheese-seriously, legs are cheaper than wings and have more meat, right?
Friday lunch-spaghetti, garden salad, breadsticks
Friday supper-one pot patties, left over bread
LUNCHES: Leftovers, bologna, fish sticks, pimento cheese.
SNACKS: Rice crispy bars, trail mix, pudding (homemade).
Recipes:
Chicken Mac Casserole (Taste of Home 1994)
Cook 3 c. cubed chicken, set aside. Cook 14-16 oz box of macaroni, set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in large pan, add 1/4 c. flour. Combine. Add 2 c. half&half and 1 1/2 c. chicken broth at once. Once blended smooth, cook and stir until thickened. Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat. Add 1/2 -3/4 pounds of Velveeta cubed. Stir in chicken, macaroni, 2 oz of pimentos, salt and pepper to taste. Add additional broth if needed (1/2 c. or so), pour into a 3-qt baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Top with some garden fresh parsley if you want.
Western Beef and Cornmeal Pie
Brown 1lb. ground beef and drain. Stir in a can of Mexi-corn, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 c cheddar cheese, 3/4 c. BBQ sauce, salt and chili powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. cornmeal, 1/2 c. milk, 1 egg, 2 Tbs sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Spread on bottom and sides of greased 2 1/2 qt baking dish or 10" skillet. Pour the beef filling in and sprinkle with 1/2 c. cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 for 25-30 mins.
Tangy Fruit Salad
Drain 20oz can of pineapple chunks, reserve juice. In a small bowl mix juice and instant vanilla pudding mix and 1/4. c of Tang or other orange instant drink. In a large bowl mix pineapple, can of mandarin oranges, can of fruit cocktail, 2 sliced bananas (slightly firm), 2 apples cut into bite-sized chunks (or pears), 1 c. sliced strawberries. Fold juice mix into fruit. Refrigerate for a while before serving.
What's on sale this week?
BL/SL chicken breast $1.98. Ugh. I know chicken is supposed to be so versatile, but I really am tired of seeing it on sale and in my freezer. I think I need to pull out my old fashion cookbooks and try a couple of new recipes. Yes, online recipe sites are nice, but nothing beats peeling back pages that have mixer splatter gluing them together, and not to mention I feel like one of those NAILED IT! pictures on Pinterest. Those are hilarious until you see them on YOUR dinner table. I digress...
Hamburger/ground beef. Sale, well if $3.48 is on sale. Remember the days of $.99 per pound hamburger meat.
Bacon -probably 12 oz-for $1.98.
Hot dogs are on sale from under $1 to $3, depending on your tastes and budget. Brats as well.
Whip cream on sale? Sounds like freezer fodder.
Red potatoes. Corn on the cob. Vidalia onions. Cucumbers (mine are growing nicely!). Condiments. Pudding. Fish sticks. Berries.
Okay, so what to fix. Most recipes are coming from Taste of Home 1994.
Saturday lunch- FFY (fend for yourself) peanut butter, bologna, left overs, maybe fish sticks. I have prom things to do for daughter so, whatever!
Saturday supper-chicken macaroni casserole, simple potato salad, baked beans (new recipe to try), peanut butter pie. (This may be overzealous for prom day too-we shall see.)
Sunday-pancake and pizza day.
Monday-Memorial Day-hot dogs, burger, chips, tea, left over potato salad and beans, coleslaw.
Tuesday-broccoli soup, egg salad sandwiches on homemade honey wheat bread.
Wednesday-western beef and cornmeal pie, tangy fruit salad
Thursday-Hot Legs, celery, carrots and ranch or blue cheese-seriously, legs are cheaper than wings and have more meat, right?
Friday lunch-spaghetti, garden salad, breadsticks
Friday supper-one pot patties, left over bread
LUNCHES: Leftovers, bologna, fish sticks, pimento cheese.
SNACKS: Rice crispy bars, trail mix, pudding (homemade).
Recipes:
Chicken Mac Casserole (Taste of Home 1994)
Cook 3 c. cubed chicken, set aside. Cook 14-16 oz box of macaroni, set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in large pan, add 1/4 c. flour. Combine. Add 2 c. half&half and 1 1/2 c. chicken broth at once. Once blended smooth, cook and stir until thickened. Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat. Add 1/2 -3/4 pounds of Velveeta cubed. Stir in chicken, macaroni, 2 oz of pimentos, salt and pepper to taste. Add additional broth if needed (1/2 c. or so), pour into a 3-qt baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Top with some garden fresh parsley if you want.
Western Beef and Cornmeal Pie
Brown 1lb. ground beef and drain. Stir in a can of Mexi-corn, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 c cheddar cheese, 3/4 c. BBQ sauce, salt and chili powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. cornmeal, 1/2 c. milk, 1 egg, 2 Tbs sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Spread on bottom and sides of greased 2 1/2 qt baking dish or 10" skillet. Pour the beef filling in and sprinkle with 1/2 c. cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 for 25-30 mins.
Tangy Fruit Salad
Drain 20oz can of pineapple chunks, reserve juice. In a small bowl mix juice and instant vanilla pudding mix and 1/4. c of Tang or other orange instant drink. In a large bowl mix pineapple, can of mandarin oranges, can of fruit cocktail, 2 sliced bananas (slightly firm), 2 apples cut into bite-sized chunks (or pears), 1 c. sliced strawberries. Fold juice mix into fruit. Refrigerate for a while before serving.
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