Thrifty Thursday: Flower Power

Thursday:  Did what meal prep I could earlier in the day.  I took a whole roasting hen from the freezer to thaw on Monday.  When I pulled it from the fridge this afternoon, it was still mostly frozen.  I ended rinsing under cool running water and then patting the bird dry to try and thaw the ice in the cavity.

We took Caleb out to play with his water table.  It involved more labor than it ought to have done.  The attachment to the hose was broken over the winter.  John attempted to replace it but the exact same type of part would not go on the thing.  He finally fixed it and we filled the water table.   It was a huge hit with Caleb who enjoyed getting wet.

During his quiet time, we hauled all the donations, shed items and trash out of our room.  It wasn't so much trash, but it was a lot of donations.  I put those all in the shed because we will need the trunk space tomorrow evening when we head to church.  John is playing for the small group.  

I kept supper simple after all.  Fortunately, it all kept over well as our guest was delayed due to forgetting some important papers that were necessary for the interview he was doing.

Ordered a children's medicine from Amazon market place this evening.  I checked with Katie about what she'd been paying and found it was less than 1/3 to order as a subscribe and save option from Amazon.

At the end of the evening, I ran a full load of dishes.

Friday:  Caleb asked for 'a-roni and cheese, chicken and honey' for his breakfast this morning.  I had a little of all of that in the fridge and happily cleared it out.  It's unconventional but he ate every single bite, so there was that.

Brought my checkbook up to date. I should have done that yesterday, but I was so busy I never got to it.  I try not to delay too long on this task, as one is prone to forget things.

Used leftover chicken from last night's meal to make a yummy chicken salad.  That will do for Katie's supper tonight as well.

My monthly subscription order arrived today.  I have a nice little stock of things to add to my pantry closet.

Deposited the rent directly into the bank.  No fiddly spending with those funds.  They will carry us through until our next check comes in.

Now I am off to take Caleb outdoors for a little while.  

Saturday:   I cannot say our Sanity Saver date today was by any means cheap or inexpensive.  We went on a picnic...and we didn't pack food from home.  BUT it was a real sanity saver day for us, away from busyness and shopping and hectic city living.  It was just what we needed, slow and easy.  We talked and talked and talked.   No, the food wasn't inexpensive but the trip itself was.  We sat near the water, soaked up the breeze and sun, and paid only a minor parking fee for the picnic area site.  We entertained ourselves watching people.  Best part, we were only a little over an hour from home...

On our way out of town, we took off the trash.

Once we were home, I did throw together a quick supper making use of a leftover and the last of the meat I'd set out to thaw for the week behind.  

Now I need to order a birthday gift for my second granddaughter.  I've been meaning to sit down for the past two weeks and as usual I've put it off until it will be late.  Doggone it!

Sunday:  We combined our ride to church with dropping off donations and picking up groceries.  I have to admit, I much prefer to have a whole day free as we did yesterday and then just combine errands on a Sunday.   I feel I've had a full day off that way.

I shopped at Kroger this morning.  I picked up mainly produce, meat and dairy items.  I didn't go down into the aisles for a thing.  I told John that bread and eggs were ridiculously packed with people, and after fighting my way down the bread aisle, I decided to avoid eggs when I saw the crowds there.    I've got my fingers crossed that I now have enough produce to carry me through the whole of this week ahead and well into the week after as well.  

I bought a packet of luncheon meat.  It was about a half pound each of meat and cheese and sold for the cost of about a pound of meat.  I'm sure the store made money on that deal, but it was better than buying a full pound of each.  I served us sandwiches from it and have enough for sandwiches another day this week.  All in all, an inexpensive lunch option.

I was admiring the baskets and baskets of flowers outdoors, debating a purple petunia when the lady who was setting out plants told me, 'Those have had it...I'm just about to mark them down."  Now honestly, they looked just fine but I happily let her slap a sales ticket on the basket.  It had been reduced by about 40% and put it nearer my budgeted amount.  SOLD.

I've taken meats out to thaw for the week ahead, at least those prone to be dense and hard to thaw.  I have a meal plan. Now I can rest and relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

Monday: Started bread and bagel doughs first thing this morning.  

I'm still sorting out plants and pots.  If I see that soil is visibly compacted in a pot, I'll dump out the plant, break up the packed soil, mix in some of the nicer soil with the bits and repot the plant.  I did that to a pot of soapwort (aka Bouncing Bet which I prefer as a name) and the hydrangea I rooted a couple of years ago.   I tried to break up the soil about the mint, but I think I'm going to have to carefully dig it out and then perhaps just turn that soil about and leave it to see if more mint appears.  I don't dare dump it in another pot to use nor onto the ground for fear I'll have a mint takeover.

Cleaning is still a big bang for absolutely no money spent.  The porch has been rearranged nicely, some things got washed off, a few things were moved and eliminated entirely.  Looks nice out there especially with my big fern and the pretty pot of purple petunias.

Indoors, I put chicken to bake in the oven while it was preheating for bread and bagels.  I boiled my bagels and plopped them into the oven.  I put the bread in a pan for a second rising.   Then I got chicken out as bread was going into the oven.  I made good use of that oven while it was on.

Supper is well on its way to being ready to pop into its final pan and the afternoon barely started.  I like when days trot along this way, at a pace I can easily keep.

Tuesday:  Today I am planting out the coleus I rooted over winter and the Amaryllis bulb that started growing in the box.  Yes, I am late with that one but better to go into the ground late than to never go in at all.   Which reminds me to go look in the flower bed to see if my other amaryllis finally bloomed.  They were sending up stalks the other day when I was out there. The answer to whether or not the others have bloomed, No.

I had a hambone in the freezer that I dropped into my red beans to season them.  It didn't have enough meat on it to even consider picking it off the bone, but it did have plenty of flavoring in it.  Those beans were so good. I do think I prefer the bulk sausage ground though just for the additional flavor it gives.

In an effort to prep ahead, this evening, while I had to be near the stove anyway, I went right ahead and sliced potatoes and onions.  I put the potatoes into water to keep them from turning brown then put them in the fridge.   

I cleared the last items up from my big room declutter last week.  I'd left a few things out and I just said it was time to make a decision on whether I was going to keep them or toss them.  I decided to keep the items (curtain panels and pillows.)  

I found some sheet protectors in one of my drawers last week.  I used those today to protect the recipes in my notebook.  Now I can wipe them off if I spill something on them.  I culled a handful of recipes I've only used once and never again.  After two years of having the notebook, I'm pretty sure these are not keepers.  I also came across a few that I asked myself, 'Why haven't you made this?'  I culled duplicates.  I'm pretty pleased and was happy I had all those sheet protectors on hand.

I sorted out the one shelf in the big upright freezer that I hadn't done an inventory of.  I found a tray of beef enchiladas that I heated in the oven for our lunch.  I was surprised Caleb ate everything on his plate.  I was pretty sure he wouldn't like it, but he did!

I took time to retrieve all the pans and pie plates I'd frozen stuff in and wrapped the items well, then bagged them up.  I have three or four entrees of things which pleases me.  I'd like a few more.  I did put half the Chicken Parm in the freezer yesterday so that has helped build up that supply.  I know we're coming into warmer weather, but a couple of containers of soup or chili would be very welcome in case of summer colds.

Wednesday:  I didn't have leftovers to serve for meals or makeover this week but doggone it I had some waste.  Egg salad that got pushed to the back of the fridge last week went into the trash, along with a 1/2 cup of carrot raisin salad that also got lost.  

I won't count the grapes as my waste.  These were part of the grapes given us and they were already edging past prime when they were given to us.  It's just that once they start to look a certain way, John won't pick through and cull the bad ones out.  In his mind they are ALL bad.  I shared his banana theories last week. This week it's his grape theory.  If a grape falls off the fine without being plucked, it's not good.  If a grape no longer has a firm crisp bite, no good.  I say they are good until squishy or wrinkled.  Then they are no good.  Until then they are in just various stages of ripeness.  Floor is open for debate and comments on this matter.  What say you?

I sorted out the grapes and found several that look perfectly fine for future eating.  I pulled out all the ones I found questionable and then I mixed them all in together into one bag.

More waste, three oranges went dry and hard. Caleb was eating oranges great guns for a bit, but he's been laying off them lately.  I had another bag in the fridge that are now in the fruit bowl.  I'll be sure to slice or peel those for us to eat, so we don't have more waste of those.

Even though I'm running low on eggs, and I had only two lemons in the fridge, I wanted a lemon meringue pie.  I subbed in the remaining juice required with bottled lemon juice.  The pie turned out beautifully.  

For the longest time I've made a very small monthly payment on my phone.  I'd suggested paying it off several times and John had always replied, "Why?  There's no interest and it's a tiny payment."  That went on for the majority of the past two years.  Last month he said, "Why don't you just pay it off and be done with it?"  Indeed, why don't I?  I did just that today.  I wish he'd been on board with this two years ago when I suggested doing so.  But again, no interest.  Now our phone bill will be $5 less each month.

Reheated leftover biscuits for our breakfast this morning.  I split and toast them with cheese and butter.

For our meal tonight, since I know John will eat heavily at lunch with his partner, I am serving up bowls of salad with tomato soup on the side.  I've got all the salad ingredients prepped and ready to put out.  I just need to slice the luncheon meats (pepperoni, two different types of bolognas, one is more salami like than bologna like) this evening.  And of course, heat the soup.  I think it will be a grand supper, especially with lemon pie to follow, don't you?

I said I am slowly bringing out things for Caleb to play with.  That set of Melissa and Doug toys with the wooden bolts, nuts, spacers and such came out this morning and he is perfectly capable now of playing with them.  He was building a bridge.  Bridges are a new thing for him, and they are being made from all sorts of materials from twigs, cardboard and the spanners that go with this construction set.

I also brought out the play doh later.  Honestly, he can't do much with that just yet except flatten it, roll it into a ball and make snakes.  He enjoyed making impressions with different items and seeing the difference in patterns each made.  

All these things were on hand here at home.  Not anything purchased new.   The play doh came from a party pack that was split between Easter eggs.  He also got a chunk from a Burger King kid's meal.  

And that ends another week of savings in this home.  Time, money, sanity...It all adds up, doesn't it?

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