Thrifty Thursday: Nothing, Nothing, Something

 

Friday:  I tried hard to get something done in the kitchen today, but John was working there and we're best in separate rooms unless he specifically asks me to do something to help.  It was all just a bit of a mess today.

I found the oregano, sage and basil were all fully dry, so I bottled them up and put them in the cupboard to use as needed later.

We batched errands this afternoon when we went into town.  

Meals:  Toasted Biscuits

Broiled Cubed Steak, Stuffing, Peas, Mashed potatoes. (Leftover stuffing and peas, potatoes were some I didn't cook earlier this week, so I put them in water in the fridge).

Grilled Ham and Cheese, Chips, Pickles, Mandarins.

Saturday:  I had told the kids I couldn't take them anywhere after the library, but I had cold sodas and a variety of chips I know they like but don't get often at home on hand, so I packed a cold bag.  After the library, they were pleased to get their icy cold drinks and a snack.  

Once home, I made our lunch.  And that's about all I did for the day really.  I'd jump up and do some odd job or another and then I'd sit back down and work on first of the week posts.  

Not that it's unusual, but I cooked all of our meals at home today.

Meals:  Croissant, Bagels with Cream Cheese, Peaches

Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Chips

Toasted Pumpkin Bread with our afternoon coffees

Pan Seared Pork Chops, Fried Green Tomatoes, Squash Casserole, Buttery Corn.  I didn't really want pork chops again, but I'd 'lost' these in the fridge mid-week and then found them after I cooked the fresh chops the other night. I needed to go on and use them.  The Green Tomato and the squash are from the Truck Farmer two weeks ago.  I'm glad I made the effort to use them before they spoiled.  I put a double portion of the squash casserole into the freezer.

Sunday:  After we got home from church today, I made sure to bring the checkbook up to date with our gas purchases (Friday and today).  Then I headed to the kitchen, determined to make some headway on that mess and scratch together a meal, too.

First, I took the curtain rods outdoors to paint.  It was sunny and bright with just a tiny breeze.  I must have managed to stand upwind because I didn't get a single spatter of paint on any digit or limb!  So proud of myself!

I left the curtain rods to dry and cure in the sun.  I came indoors and watered the kitchen plants. 

 Then I got out the thawed entree for lunch along with ingredients to complete that meal.  I also brought out four old apples, the two packages of bell peppers, butter and eggs.  I gathered about six wrinkly looking peaches from the fruit bowl, too.  

I prepared lunch then started prepping the fruit.  I sliced and put on the apples to cook.  I'm making a small batch pot of apple butter from those.  They are cooked at present, and my next step will be to season and simmer on low for a while.   Then I peeled peaches.  I put two quart-sized bags in the freezer.  We have a few left for fresh eating over the next day or so.

After we'd eaten our midday meal, I mixed up cookie dough and baked four for John and I to enjoy right away.  I portioned some of the dough into balls which are currently flash freezing.  I had a small portion of dough left and I put that in a zippered bag that I put in the freezer.

Then I started processing the bell peppers.  I ended up with six halves, and about 1.5 quarts of diced bell peppers, I thought about all of this as I was putting things away and That's not too bad a harvest for the #EvetyhingBitCountsChallege.

Meals:  Toast, Boiled Eggs, Cheese

Stuffed Pepper Halves, Coleslaw, Butter Beans with Sage, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salads, Peaches and Ice Cream.   When John bought ice cream the other day, he picked up a Breyer's Sugar Free Vanilla.  I was leery.  In the past when we ate the Carb Smart Breyer's ice cream, we always had the worst gas afterwards.  Well, this ice cream is delicious.  Less sweet than the average ice cream but really good and we've had no tummy issues with it at all.  I figured while we still had peaches, we'd make the best of them and have some peaches with ice cream for our dessert tonight.  Gosh that was good!

Monday:  I realized a solution to a financial problem I'd stumbles on.  I was able to get it down on paper and now I know just how to proceed.  So lovely when the brain finally kicks in with the solution you need!

Went into town this morning to attend to an errand and run into the dollar store.  I did well enough at the dollar store, realizing I could utilize something I had at home instead of the item I went in to purchase.  I bought a snack item that I was craving.  I can't buy the tiny bags of this particular item because they only have the fiery hot ones.  No thanks!  I also picked up Stouffer's Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoe entrees.  Are there frozen food items you just really like?  I have three but seldom indulge in them.  One is the aforementioned Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.  I also really like the Spinach Souffle and the Swedish Meatballs.  I seldom see either of the last items.  Anyway, I brought the meatloaf home.  One night when I'm tired and it's too hot to think of doing real cooking...I'll have something on hand to cure my desire to get takeout.

Came home and made our lunch.  Even though I halved the recipe it made way more than I'd anticipated.  I guess we'll be eating that for another meal.  Glad John likes it.  I'll encourage him to get some as a snack, too.

I mixed up a box of (expired) cherry gelatin, something I'd meant to do last week.  That will be a refreshing cool dessert.

I finally thought to take this week's meats from the freezer to thaw.

#EveryBitCountsChallenge: Went into the kitchen after lunch and finished up several projects.  I now have two pints plum jam (made from plums we weren't eating.  Why does the jam taste so good while the plums were bland to the taste?).  I have a pint of apple butter from those four apples I cooked yesterday afternoon.  And I bagged up my cookie dough balls and put two bags into the freezer.  Each bag will serve us 3 times.

I think I should count this item as well into the challenge, even though it's a small thing. I combined the last bits of French dressing, Dijon Mustard, ketchup and barbecue sauce and made up a homemade Barbecue sauce.  I filled half a bottle with the leftovers and a bit of water I used to rinse out the bottles.  I marked it with a label too so no one will mistake it for anything except Barbecue Sauce.  

Monthly Goal:  The refrigerator portion of the fridge was cleaned really well.  This week I will be focusing on getting the appliances clean.  I wanted to be sure and start with my refrigerator as I'd noted how grimy it was looking inside.  I used a vinegar, water and a few drops of dish soap solution to clean the inside.  

Meals:  Peaches, Cereal and Peanut Butter Toast.

Tuna Pasta Salad, Lemonade.

John went to men's meeting, so I had a Mexican Pizza.  I did open a carton of black beans to make up refried beans.

Tuesday:  What savings did I make in this day?  The savings of being distracted!  I took advantage of John's unexpected disappearance to go mow over at The Manor House and worked on the payday paperwork that I knew I'd need to knock out tomorrow.  Why not get it done today while things were relatively peaceful, and no one was going to distract me.  

It was also a savings in fretting.  I was worrying over a situation that I have NO control over at all.  I've had two requests to keep children from across the way and a situation away from here that was bothering me.  Sinking my teeth into work that required me to think of something else entirely was a welcome distraction.

I put the chicken on to cook that I'll use in Chow Mein and Chicken Wild Rice Casserole.  I bought some foil pans with lids that I can put a portion of the Chicken and Wild Rice in to freeze for a post partum meal for Katie and family.  I at least I hope it's going to make enough...we'll see.

I purposely made broth with the chicken.  I have been known to just drink a cup of broth.  

Meals: Eggs, Sausage, Hashbrowns and Toast.  Yes.  I did say I was so over Big Breakfasts.  Yes, I did make a big breakfast.  To be fair, the sausage and hashbrowns both were in the toaster oven and the toast went into the toaster, so only the eggs needed to be fussed with.  And my husband was very happy.

Me: Spam and Tomato Sandwich, Cheetos, Iced Coffee.   John: leftover Tuna Pasta salad, honeydew melon and Gatorade.  He had his lunch after he'd mowed.  Oh yes, and then he had ice cream with peanut butter.

Taco Mac n Cheese, Salad.  I promise you I had perhaps a cup of pasta.  I also used up a leftover packet of cheese powder from using a box of boxed mac n cheese quite a while ago.  HOW do I have a whole container of leftovers?  Glad that apparently 'magic' box of pasta is gone.

Wednesday:  It was a light breakfast this morning, simply due to the face that we had a 'discussion' (not a fuss, it truly was a discussion) as soon as I'd had my coffee, and it was late by the time we were done.  It was a very serious financial discussion by the way this morning and I've asked John to pray with me about options to help make ends meet.  We agreed that we are sinking and we neither of us like it.  Reality sucks but it must be faced.

After breakfast, I spent about two and a half hours with my nose stuck to the check register trying to figure out how to make these five weeks between pay periods work.  This month we had five weeks since our last pay.  It will all happen again between September pay and October pay.  I was so sick of looking at facts and figures by the time I was done but I think perhaps maybe I have an acceptable answer to make that work.  We shall see.

I made up a casserole dish I'd planned for this week and as hoped I had more than enough for us and to make a casserole for the freezer to be given to Katie post-baby.  Yes, Cody and Gary cook and yes, they will happily wait on Katie hand and foot but there are days when they may be gone or have to work late, and Katie will need to come up with a meal for them all.  I thought if I could do about five meals it would be something to help.

I made the best chicken for the casserole. It was bone in breasts, which I'd sprinkled with onion powder, celery leaves (I am so loving having dried celery leaves in my spice cabinet!), salt, pepper and powdered chicken bouillon.  The flavor of this meat was absolutely lovely...and the broth is perfection, gelatinous and clear but lovely.  

Peanut butter on Pumpkin bread.  That's the last of that Pumpkin Banana loaf.  I have an extra in the freezer, also slated to go to Katie.

Stouffers, Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.  TV dinner as John said...

Chicken Pot Pies, Broccoli, Waldorf Salad.  I used a couple of expired pot pies from the freezer.  I topped the Waldorf salad with dry roasted peanuts.  Namely because I didn't want to open a new bag of chopped walnuts and I had an open jar of peanuts, but that proved to be quite good as an alternative.  

Thursday:  It's early.  Today we have already been outdoors to work in the yard.  John weed-eated (the Aussie term Strim looks much nicer agreed?  So, he strimmed...) a portion of our flower beds around the fronts and side of the house.  I watered plants and got another portion of the weeding done that I'd meant to do and some I hadn't planned on.

We have a problem corner on our patio between the steps and the house, about 3 feet wide and four and a half feet deep where moss grows.  As I watered plants today, I noted a 5-foot-tall weed standing in the corner.  That did not sit well with me.  I started hauling moss and weeds out of the interior edges of the patio.  We need someone to add a bit of pitch to that corner.  Or figure out how to do it ourselves...It holds water and moisture, and the moss is thick as old pottery in that corner.  I think it's pretty but I'm equally as certain it's not good, pretty as I might find it.

Discovered I have two bell peppers growing.  And realized it's time to start collecting my flower seeds from Rudbeckia, Echinacea and marigolds, Balsam and coreopsis.  Gradually I'll spread all of these plants over the open flower beds and into empty pots for future blooms.

When I went through the freezer earlier this week, I noted that I had put up about 8 bags of blueberries, 10 bags of peaches.  I've made nearly a gallon of apple cider vinegar, a jar of apple butter and 2 pints of plum jam.  I've harvested and dried celery leaves, oregano, mint, basil and sage.  It's not a lot but all are additions to my pantry and freezer.  I've used the bulk of the expired canned goods, with plans to use four more cans in the next couple of days.

It's a small thing I realize but it's all meant a savings, and a bit ahead for the future.  I'm satisfied that I'm at least doing something.  

I have examined our financial state hard, and I think now that we're through these hard months of July and August we will do just fine until we hit the next band of tight months in December and January when we have a spate of heavy bills come due.  We've decided it's easier to pay insurances monthly rather than annually in the future.  It's a little more money but it allows us to have some wiggle room in our financial state and we won't watch our balance drop so hard when those sub-accounts are emptied every six months.

I feel up for the challenge of working with a lower grocery budget.  We've money tucked away for a vacation in the near future.  All in all my optimism is higher today than it was.  It always feels like we do nothing, nothing and suddenly we look back and realize we've been doing something all along.  

I am off to do the rest of my housework, run errands and such.  I have a casserole and leftovers which we might have tonight.  Hard to say.  I think we're going out for lunch while we've got allowance in our pockets.

I hope you all have had a great week.  John's urging me to go shower, so he can start a load of laundry so off I go!

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