The Week Behind: Enough and More

What do you all think about this kitchen?  My first question is always, "Where's the fridge?"  I didn't even note the date on this photo when I saved it.  I do realize that ice boxes often sat on back porches or in a separate entry way near the kitchen and this kitchen may well fall into that era.

Here's what I think.  I like the green of the cupboards and I don't mind the floor which I think looks similar to the  floor in this post but I do not like either one with that wallcovering.  I like the variance of greens in the tiles that cover the walls and I don't mind the countertops at all. The number of drawers in this kitchen pleases me.  I've always felt the folks who put out kitchen together were rather stingy with drawers.  I like the chrome touches through out the kitchen, which looks really fresh with the green color.

I do like the stove which looks  built in but if you look closely it's not.  Note the flat cooking surface...And we thought our modern day glass tops were the latest thing...but on second glance I wonder if  that top lifts up?   Are the burners located in those two top 'drawers' of the stove and slide out?  I see no knobs to control things so...?   Any guesses?

And again, there's canisters over the stove...Could I reach these any better than the ones we last discussed.  Note here too the dishcloths hanging near the stove.  I'm assuming it's for drying purposes but in this instance, I'm a bit nervous about them being that close to the stove.

I like that slotted tray/sheet pan holder to one side of the sink.  I wonder why the louvered area under that sink?  And is that a paper towel holder on the cabinet near the window?

Not so keen on the kitchen table...Is it free moving or fixed in place?  It appears flimsy to me...I presume the chair is meant for use on the other side of that table.  The banquette seat has a drawer underneath at least at this end and perhaps at the other end as well if there is room.  Depth on these photos is hard to judge. 

Take note of the wall in the near right.  I enlarged the picture several times over to finally see that there is a white wicker framed mirror there.  Not sure why...but it does reveal a lovely red clock above the banquet.  Honestly?  I've always found a clock nearer the stove more useful, as it's easier to time cooking.  And if you are sitting at the table having breakfast it's key to getting out of the door on time of a work or school morning.

Saturday:  As is more often than not the normal for us, Shabat has been peaceful and easy.   I have been making  it my habit for the past month or so to make Pizza for our Saturday lunch.  After my success in making and freezing pizza dough last week, I doubled my batch today and promptly put half into the freezer this week.   We've got dough ready for next weekend's pizza.

I put a chicken in to roast in the oven when I took the pizza out.  I let it cook on the higher temperature for 20 minutes or so then covered with foil and lowered the heat.  We had the roasted chicken for supper tonight with the pan roasted vegetables and apples.  It was delicious.  Plenty left to see us through tomorrow, as well.

Katie came out and cut John's hair.  We all sat on the front porch while she did that task.  I gave myself a fresh pedicure polish while she cut hair and we all three talked.  It was warm out but there was a nice breeze and the papery rustle of dried leaves made it seem more autumnal than it felt.   

I noted there were open spaces in the trees, as leaves are dropping and thinning out.  Every time we look out the window, leaves drift down to land gently upon the ground underneath.

Sunday:  I wonder if sometimes I am still, just a little bit, more fond of autumn than any other season.  I seem to take note more often of what is blooming and changing this time of year, at least so far as making notes goes.   In summer, I mostly talk about the heat.  And in winter, I might begin to mention the flush of pale green on the trees or the daffodils pushing through.  But in autumn, I am most keenly aware of every change.

Today....Well today I noted that the fields of golden rod are tipped with that bright greenish yellow, the prelude to full bloom.   And it makes me restless to change things up a bit, switch out the wreaths on the doors, change the floral picks over to something more seasonal.  And when the rain finally came in this afternoon, as I looked outdoors, I could almost feel the chill autumn.  Never mind that I'd just been outdoors taking clothes off the line and knew that it was very mild but still warm.  It looked as though it ought to be chilly.  I found myself longing for blankets on the bed, when really all we've needed this week was a sheet and a big bowl of chili.

We were up early this morning, because we were headed to the first service at church, but I did manage to strip the bed and bathroom and get those things washed and hung to dry on the line.

We stopped at Publix after church.  I was in a pain this morning, no doubt due to weather change coming in (all joints) so John insisted I stay in the car.  I was a little ashamed handing him my list.  I had added a few things to it, more than I'd told him I was planning to buy.  The truth is I told him the extra stuff that went on that list, not what was already on it.  John did very well picking up the sales items.  Today we bought bone in chicken breasts, potatoes, soda, dried lentils and black beans, Milk, half and half, and cheese.  He spent about $45.   He did add in a new grocery bag that he declared he had to buy because it was just pretty, lol.  It is, but that amuses me no end.

When we got home, I was able to bring sheets in off the line and I immediately started a full load of clothes which also went out on the line.

I made the bed.  I cleared up the kitchen and unloaded the dishwasher and then reloaded with Saturday's dishes.   We used fewer dishes this past weekend than we sometimes do.

I pulled a bunch of stuff from the fridge for our lunch.  All leftovers and bits and pieces.  

After lunch, I brought in the now dry clothes...John had put the half and half and cheese in the fridge when we came in, but left the breasts and the milk jug in the insulated bag.  He knew I meant to freeze some or all of that milk.  I poured some into the half gallon jug in the fridge and put the rest of the gallon into the freezer.  There were five breasts in the package of meat.  One was so huge that I could only think I'd just roast and slice it as it will feed three or four!   The others will be halved between John and I, so each went into a separate bag.  

I totted up the checkbook and then took down the curtains in the bedrooms and have them loaded in the washer ready to start washing in the morning.

I honestly feel I've done little today but typing it all out it seems to be enough considering we spent hours away from home!  

Meals:  Cheese and buttered Toasts;  Deviled Eggs, Chicken, leftover pizza, orange and carrots;  Sausage and Biscuits

Monday:  Yesterday I took down all the curtains in the bedrooms and dropped them into the washing machine.  I didn't wash them.  I just put them in the machine yesterday.  This morning when I got up it was very easy to simply start the washer and I could sit and enjoy my coffee.   I put curtains in the dryer as it was very overcast and damp outdoors and looked like rain.  Naturally three hours later when all the curtains were nice and dry the sun shone, sigh.

I was very grateful for the rain we got yesterday afternoon.  The plants surely did appreciate it as well.

I set plants under the drip zone of the steps.  I was sure, at the time, that it was going to rain further but it did not.  I didn't bring any plants in as I'm hoping there will be runoff from the dew which will do them no harm either.

I spent my morning cleaning the two bedrooms and our bathroom really well.  I will likely have Millie later this week and she may take a nap in the pack n play so I'll leave it up for her but once she's gone home I'll put it away.

I used my little rescued wagon to pull a full load of things over to the shed.  This saved many trips back and forth.  I put things away where they belonged when I put them in the shed.   This is important because NOT putting things where they belong means I have a mess all of the time.  I want my shed to function and stay neat.  It's a shed and not a pretty inside (yet, lol) but it is organized and I know where most things are when I go out there.   

While in the shed I pulled the bin of autumn things and then gathered a few pottery pieces and some other items to possibly use in autumn decor.   I would love to buy something new for autumn, but truth I have enough at present and I'm not making a special trip to go shopping for just autumn things.

We received a call this morning and we had to go to an unexpected meeting this afternoon.  It pretty much put my plans at an end.  So I made lunch (leftover chicken and rice soup) and then we got ready to go.   

We met up at a local restaurant...John asked me to go in and get two bottles of water.  It took all but a few cents of the $5 bill he gave me.  I was shocked and I vowed  that I'll travel with my own water bottle in future, which I normally do, but we were just 15 miles from home.  

Back home, I cooked up a pound and a half of ground beef and chopped a whole onion.  The meat will be used in 3 different recipes including our supper tonight.  It just made sense to go ahead and cook it all at once and it's a small step toward meal prep for me for this week.

Meals: John cooked this morning: Sausage Balls, toast, and then he added in eggs.  That's John for you, lol.  Chicken Rice soup, Crackers and cream cheese, John had a hot dog, too.  Bbq Biscuit cups, Coleslaw, Peaches 

Tuesday:  We had an early appointment this morning.  I contemplated that there were fast food places just across the street from our first stop...but then I said "Are you kidding me?  Make breakfast at home!"   So this morning we got up a little earlier and I made oatmeal which is always a sturdy sort of breakfast and holds us well into the afternoon even when eaten fairly early.

We had the car serviced today.  Then we headed over to the carwash and washed and vacuumed the car.  This place has unlimited vacuum time and a 'beater' thing that you can run floor mats through.  I run them through many times and then run a vacuum over them.  John even vacuumed out the trunk and straightened up the mess of bags and such in that space.  I don't care how neatly I leave the grocery and insulated bags at some point they always explode and the trunk looks as though a very great crime has been committed in it.   It was nice to tame the mess today.   

Mystery: John kept saying "What are there so many leaves and dirt in here?" (talking about the trunk).  I could honestly say "I don't know...I haven't even brought plants home this year!!"  And so I haven't.  But it looked as though I'd raked leaves and hauled them about in the trunk.  I suspect it might have been residue from the times he hauled the electric mower to Katie's house before he finally swapped with her boyfriend for something else he wanted.  However, 9 times out of 10 in past years...Yeah it would probably have been me hauling in plants or items picked up off the side of the road, etc.   None of those things have happened in this year of being cautious.

I got a hair cut.  The place where I go wears face masks and face shields and the person getting a haircut wears a mask as well.  When it comes to trimming the back or about the years, you remove the straps but hold your mask over your face while they cut.  

We did one more errand and then we stopped for lunch at Sonic.  I was soooo hungry by that point and admitted to John I was just one step from being whiney about how hungry I'd gotten.  He laughed and said he was glad that I spoke up and prevented his having to deal with that.

Home once more where I sat down and made out lists to complete for every day this week.  Then I scratched off the things that I decided were just too much and unnecessary to do right away.  It pays to know what your limits are on good days.  

There's a patch of golden yellow leaves right outside my window...And it's cool enough that the AC hasn't been on at all today.  Autumn...Come!

Conversation with Katie tonight was that she spent quite a lot at Aldi this month and even had to put back several items when the total ran higher than she thought it would.  She found it an embarrassment but said "At least it was all good foods I had on the belt and had to put back.  It wasn't junky stuff."   Still, not a consolation for her as I know, too well.  "I just didn't realize that prices had gone up so very much at Aldi!"  I told her I'd noted that we were spending a higher amount each month as well.   Like Katie we aren't buying the extras.  We're buying good basic foods and a few pieces of meat.   

The alternative is to start a price book and discover who has the lowest price on each item.  Aldi is still good on canned goods but their limit prevents stocking up as much as I might wish to do.  Their meats are sometimes as high as other premium groceries and so it would be worthwhile to shop around for those, as well as for some of the produce items.  I think, more than ever, we have to become aware of  not only best prices but of what is seasonal and shop accordingly.   It also increases my incentive to use ALL of the foods that come into my home.

Meals:  Oatmeal, peanut butter toast;  Hamburger and Fries (hot ones!);  Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Green Salad

Wednesday:  I had a tough night and it wasn't due to my own poor sleep.  John was super restless all night long and frequently woke me with his movements.  This morning he asked "Did you and I tussle last night?"  "Yep."  He looked shocked, lol, because in all the years we've been together he's never gotten a positive reply to that question.  "Did I hurt you?"  "No, but you were very restless and constantly moving and bumping into me."   We've neither of us any idea why he was so very restless, but we were both glad to see the back side of that night!

I kept breakfast super simple this morning.  We woke to low temperatures and drizzling rain and my focus was on a hearty lunch.  I made the Goulash I had on my week's menu for lunch today.  There are leftovers so it's going to be dinner one night again.

I worked on my pantry.  I have very little flour, only 10 pounds.  John asked why I'd gotten so low.  "You buy a bag every time we shop..."  I reminded him that I've stuck to what we were told the limit was months ago but we are using two bags per month in making bread, bagels, muffins, biscuits.  I can't even point to cookies or cake or pastry as the reason since I bake very little of those items in the full heat of summer.   This is one area I need to really push building up.

I am okay with my pantry.  Not where I'd like to be but I've done what I could with a limited budget and continuing limits at Aldi on things I'd normally stock up on.   

I watched a lovely video that was recommended by someone.  It is Liziqi.  I watched the film "Of Wine and Watermelons" this afternoon and one thing I was most struck by was how she used what she had. 

 For instance, she gathered grape vines from a neighbor who no longer wanted them and planted them at her home.  She pruned them after planting and I noted when she was cooking that those vines and stems she'd cut had been wound into kindling for her fires.   

They ate the flesh of a watermelon and then she peeled the rind and pickled it or cooked it in a variety of ways.  Naturally the seed were saved to replant.  I noted that she dried the portions she peeled from the rind, but I cannot find online what one might do with dried watermelon peel.  But it seemed to me it was a very frugal way to live and I mean that in the truest sense of the word.  It wasn't about money but about how well and fully she could use what was she had.   This is the only video I've watched to date but I hope to spend time watching more of them because it reminds me of how many more things one might do if we'd just look a bit harder at things.  

One of John's biggest issues with a garden is that he sees these huge gardens with loads of food and the amount of work that must go into preserving them.  But watching what this girl did with a single watermelon makes me aware that it's not the massive amounts of things that makes a pantry full...It's often taking what is enough for now and making it into more for the future.  It's as simple as saving apple peels and cores for jelly, or banana peels for a wonderful fertilizing liquid for flowers, or keeping a larger 29 ounce tin can to reuse as a flower pot or saving a handful of seeds from flowers you already have.  

I think we all have far more resources than we realize we have but we have just been blind to them.  And when we have an abundance, we can bless others.   I've never blessed anyone without receiving many blessings myself.  I say this as an encouragement, though there are many who will claim that it is a selfish thing to say "I give. I get."  But again, I say it as an encouragement.  When we live with the fear that what we have is not enough then it can be hard to give but...if we open our eyes to see what we have and we willingly share with another, then often we will be blessed by a gift from another, sometimes from the person we blessed and sometimes by another person entirely.  Remember this: God's multiplication always works through subtraction first. 

Also today Publix grocery issued two lists on their website that are downloadable files for an emergency supply checklist and a non-perishable-foods-checklist.  I found both helpful.  I'm sharing them here for you to look over.  

As you can see, today was not a terribly hard work day.   I made a double (for us.  It's really about half what I used to make for our family of 7!) batch of spaghetti sauce and when it had cooled, put that in the freezer.  I cooked supper.  I watched it rain.  I set the porch plants under the eaves of the house so they could be thoroughly watered.  I will set a few more pots in their place tomorrow and let those too get fully watered.  

It's been cool enough that we've had little AC on today and then only in the mid afternoon hours.  If this cool streak keeps up I'll be doing some baking tomorrow.  It's the perfect time for it!

Meals:  Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins, Cheese;  Goulash (the sort with macaroni and hamburger and tomatoes); Beef Stir Fry over Brown Basmati Rice

Thursday:  I cooked basmati rice for last night's supper but I didn't do it right...I was thrown off by the instructions on the bag which apparently made five cups of rice and I needed one and a half.  I had an edible product at the end, but I have a confession to make.  I thought all rice was pretty much the same except cooking times on brown were a little longer.  Since I've two bags of this Basmati rice I'll have to work to figure out exactly how to cook it rightly.  Goodness...Just when you think there's nothing new to learn you figure out there is indeed!

We had a big breakfast this morning.  Last night when we went to bed it was cooler and indeed I slept under the light summer spread last night but it warmed as the night went on.  Still not hot, but warmer.  I had however, set my heart on grits this morning and John, my egg man, immediately suggested we have eggs and then sausage and toast.   I hope he shall not be too much disappointed in our smaller breakfasts in the days ahead!

We had more errands to run.  One was a slight aggravation which I'll share another time.  The other two were close by home, but we were gone long enough that John decided we needed lunch to bring home.  It was a good lunch but not necessary.   We'll just have for supper what I'd meant to have for lunch, along with a green salad.

I made two loaves of Challah today.  I just halved the recipe once it had risen and then formed two loaves.  I have a reasonably good looking round loaf for our Rosh Hashanah Shabat tomorrow night.

I spent some time in the guest room again today and cleaned it a bit more deeply.  It's looking rather nice right now and I'm glad of it.  I don't know just why it's so easy to dump things there.  It's not as if we keep the door closed to the room because we don't.  The mess is there to be seen by whomever passes the door.  

I sorted out the fridge today.  I've stayed on top of things pretty well but I had some waste this time.  I hate it but I could see I wasn't quite where I needed to be.  The problem is microgreens.  I might tout their goodness and mild taste to John a thousand times over, might bury them in a sandwich or salad but the man sees only 'weeds'.  I'll be sure to request that we get no more of those.  Truth, much as I long to support this young couple in their business efforts, my husband is proving to be the problem with my produce bags from them.  He's not fond of the sort of vegetables and foodstuffs we're getting aside from tomatoes and he's really kind of iffy over the green beans, though I've been able to freeze them and serve them less frequently.  I think perhaps I may see how fall produce bags go and if that isn't to his taste...I'll know where we stand.  Personally speaking, I'm not terribly unhappy with them but there's no point in forcing a square peg into a round hole is there?

Friday:  Well here we are at Friday afternoon, and somehow I'd failed to note that we'd passed the halfway point of the month in this week quickly slipping away from us.  Halfway!  Gracious!

I finished reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen this week and have now started E. M. Delafield's 

Diary of a Provincial Lady.  I made it through chapter one last night and I'm so grateful it was recommended to me!  It's right up my alley for loving anything early 20th century British.   I look forward to continuing to read that this weekend, but have a feeling I need to go ahead and pick out another book as I'm likely to sail through this one.

John got up sometime in the wee hours just before dawn and went to sleep in his chair in the living room covered with his cozy bathrobe.  He's loved that robe since I gave it to him three Christmas' ago.   It says something for how cool the house was that he felt the need of having it draped over him.  We've slept without a fan for three nights now and the AC comes on only very occasionally.  But due to his sleeping so soundly and well in the living room, I apparently took it as permission to sleep in myself this morning.  I didn't rise until 8:30.  He was nearer 9am waking.  I'd already gotten half through my cup of coffee before he roused himself.  It's funny to me that we now sleep so late most days as we were both always very early risers in the past.

After a quickly prepared breakfast it was easy to plunge into our homemaking for the day and those tasks got themselves done in record time despite my taking my time at them.  I cleaned ceiling fans, bathrooms, did a big load of laundry, and made the bed, as well as various small tasks that my eye is accustomed to noting need doing.  John ran the vacuum over the rooms for me.  When he was done, I said "That's it...We're done except for our next two meals and dishes."  "Nope" he said.  "We need to take off trash and I need to go pick up the part I ordered."   He didn't get ready to do that until after I'd made lunch and we'd eaten.  He asked me to ride with him into town.  I was not fit to be seen but popped on sunglasses and went along, but only after I secured a promise for him to buy me a candy bar, lol.  

We came home after and had coffee with our 'sweet bite'.   We don't eat huge big candy bars.  All we want is just a taste of something sweet to finish off a meal.

I put my ingredients into the crockpot a little late today (about 2pm) for our supper tonight.  I'm counting on the facts that the ingredients are not the sort that need long cooking and that the crock pot  runs a little hot and hope it will be done by 6pm.  We'll see.  I'm also hoping there will leftovers enough we can have a meal from it again tomorrow.  All this week I've been all about double duty meals.

I should go get the clothes off the line, I'm sure they are finished drying by now.

Temperatures this weekend are meant to slide down into fall like temps...and that means the orchids shall have to come indoors, as well as the ivy, and palm.  Time to shuffle things about and find room for those plants indoors.  This is a seasonal thing but I hadn't counted on doing it so early on this year.

That's my week and what we've done.  What about you?  What did you do this week?