Frugal Week In My Home

In the Kitchen:
If ever there is a month to feel unthrifty in the kitchen, it has to be December.  I find it a challenge and I haven't even begun the baking I mean to do!  To help offset costs, I've been trying hard to avoid any waste.  This week I score high on that.  The only thing I've tossed this week is the butt end of a loaf of Challah bread.  John used most of it for peanut butter sandwiches but that last bit lingered around too long.

Made pancakes from scratch this morning and put some in the freezer for a future breakfast.

Organized the refrigerator so that all the leftovers were in one area.  That worked nicely for supper tonight. I  just took out containers and we played Catch Can.  I only had one item to put back in the fridge.



Made biscuits for dinner at noon.  Leftovers will be toasted for breakfast (and apparently are good for snacks with jelly, lol.  John just walked in from the kitchen with one in hand).  By the way, I noticed
the price of frozen biscuits at one of the stores we visited yesterday.  $5.79 for a dozen.  I promise my made from scratch biscuits netted me a full dozen for a good deal less.  I venture to say they didn't even cost me $1.

I sat down last weekend and planned ahead for upcoming family visits.  I purchased what was needed to make those meals this week on our grocery day.  No extra trip to the store will be necessary. 

We made a trip to the meat market this week.  The pecans I'd picked up the last month and sold allotted me a little extra for meat purchases.  The big freezer is now full.

Used the plastic bag and banana trick again.  When I buy bananas I split the bunch.  One section goes into a plastic bag which is tied closed.  The other section sits out and ripens.  The ripening process for the bananas in the plastic bag is slowed.  After we've eaten the first section I'll take the bananas from the bag, allow about a day or two for the ripening to complete and they will be ready to eat.

In the House:
I am slowly decorating.  I decided finally what I'd like to do for the back door. Same swag I've used the last two years but this year's is my favorite I think.  I did add one of the new pine floral picks to the swag just to beef up the greenery, but every thing else I had on hand from last year.  Even the bow!  I just fluffed it and re-used.

Painted the little quail pair figurine.  I whitewashed it last year for the Fall wreath but the cream paint on it really improved it over all.  I am using it on the door swag at present.

Realized earlier this week that we had paint in about four different areas of the house.  I gathered up all the cans of paint, paint remover, stains, waxes and equipment and stored it in one location.  Now we know just what we have and where it is.  We won't be buying anymore rollers by the way...I found three or four.

I've been planning to redo my rice pack and even went so far as to cut it open and dumped the old rice.  I had rice I'd used to blind bake a pie crust that I wanted to use in the rice pack.  However, I procrastinated and when I had knee pain today I wanted a heat pack NOW.  I used some of the rice in a sock, heated in the microwave. That worked fine but I needed to wrap in a towel to keep from burning my skin.  I happened to glance at the potholders and grabbed one that has a pocket.  This worked very nicely for me.

I had a centerpiece on the dining table but didn't care for it.  And then I pulled it apart so I could use the pine floral pick on the back door swag and that made it really hopeless.  While getting the table set for Shabat, I noted the pretty green urn in the cabinet...and my mind started turning.  I used the beaded fruit picks, the urn, a Styrofoam ball and moss to make a pretty little centerpiece for the table.  John said he liked it much better than the previous arrangement.