Journal of My Week: The Last Week of January 2025

 

Monday:  I didn't take time to write this weekend, so I'll quickly catch you up on what we did.

Saturday, I took the kids to the library.  They really enjoy playing with the toys and on the computers and almost always get books.  This week Josh said "No thanks" to the books, but Isaac and Millie brought some home as did I.  

One of the books I brought home was a Budget meals cookbook.  Well, I've skimmed through the thing and doggone if I see the 'budget' part.  I'm not sure what this author's 'budget' is but it's definitely not the sort of budget I have.

After the library we went to the grocery store.  I've written a grocery haul post so won't repeat that here since this will publish after that one.  We went in to pick up frozen pizzas and I'd promised the kids treats which they got.  

We came home to cook the pizza and putter around the house and the kids went home after lunch.  Josh was glad to go.  He was lost without his tablet.  

I really enjoy these days with the kids, and they talk freely to John and me about many things.  I always marvel at some point about the ease they feel here.  It's something I noted with Lily, that she felt at home with us and was relaxed and felt free to talk.   Josh, Isaac and Millie display the same ease.  That is such a blessing to me!

After they went home, I spent time working on the last two pages of my first Genealogy binder.  I got nowhere as far as info is concerned.  Now I want to go back through this particular notebook and neaten up my notes on each individual, so things aren't such a jumble.

Yesterday we went to church and then to the grocery store.  I can't tell you what I did after that.  I really don't recall.  I know I divided up the meats we bought and put that in the freezer but as to what I did beyond that I don't remember.  We didn't eat lunch until nearly 3pm and supper was made about 6:30. I must have been tired, but I know I didn't nap.  The house was a huge mess, and I had flowers that needed to be arranged but I didn't do either of those tasks.  

I was more than ready for bed last night, but John couldn't sleep and played videos on his phone for what felt like an hour.  I didn't complain or moan over it because heaven knows that back the last few months, he's had the glare of my screen pointed towards him often enough.  I wish he'd used his earbuds, but he didn't.  Still, nothing to complain about.  He didn't have his volume blaring.  I passed the time praying silently and thinking about foods in the fridge that needed to be used up and what meals might be today and what tasks needed to be doing and finally bored myself right to sleep.

I slept well enough. I did not want to get up this morning.  I forced myself from the bed and discovered it was much later than I'd thought.  I wanted to make pancakes for John.  I found my eggs froze (darn it!) and one split, so I made plans to go ahead and use that up.  I used one of the less frozen ones to make the pancakes.  I realized I didn't have to make all the pancakes; I could make what we needed for breakfast and then go back and finish them off.  That meant we got to eat sooner.  

I started bread, then mixed up a bowl of banana muffins.  I swear I have washed or loaded dishes forty times already this morning and there are dirty dishes waiting on me now.  I started a slow cooker meal for tonight's supper.  I planned a use for the leftovers in the fridge I'd forgotten about.  I worked on the checkbook, cleaned the house, arranged flowers, made lunch...The morning is barely over but I got a load of stuff done and aside from the dishes waiting in the kitchen at the moment.  I do not feel compelled to do much of anything else today, so I shall read, write, work on genealogy.  There's plenty that needs to be done but I just don't feel like deep housekeeping.  

Tuesday:  Yesterday afternoon I spent some time on Pinterest looking at outfits.  I've been hyper-focused this month on my wardrobe just as I've been deeply focused on deep cleaning and the Pantry/Freezer challenge.  My goal is to be prepared for Spring/Summer before it gets here.  

With that said, I jotted down outfit ideas, looked at recipes, etc.  I looked at grocery ads and did all sorts of thinking.  Mind gymnastics right here in my chair without getting up to clean anything.  And I enjoyed it all.

Today, John was having lunch with his friend, and I decided it was a good time to run a few necessary errands.  I started at a different grocery than we usually shop at and it wasn't to buy groceries. I broke my clip-on sunglasses the other day and I've been trying to find a replacement set.  I thought of this particular store since it's essentially the same and yes, I found a replacement set of sunglasses.  I also bought birthday cards for five people for February.  

From there to drop off the donations I put in the trunk early last month (never thinking of the new stack that has begun building in my bedroom) and then did some banking.  Then I headed to Cato to make a return.  I decided to go to a different store than I was in a bit over a week ago.  I made my return, exchanging it for another in the right size/material, got a pair of jeans, another tee-shirt for Spring wear, and tried on a sweater I'd already bought in a different size range to see if I liked that better (I didn't). 

I contemplated doing some more shopping but determined that I simply didn't want to.  I'd rather shop slow and cautiously.  I decided against stopping at any grocery stores, too.   

I got myself some lunch and then came home.  I had a few minutes to myself before John came in.  It was so nice to walk into a clean house!  I looked at pansies and Kale at Lowe's as I was headed to the thrift store, and they were all looking mighty pitiful.  I decided it wasn't worth my while to buy any if they looked that bad.

I tried to renew my licenses online.  The paperwork sent to me assured me this would be 'easy' and 'save time' over going to the DMV.  No.  No, it doesn't. Not at all. It took nearly 45 minutes to set up an account and get approved for said account and then to file my information online requesting they renew my license and uploading the eye exam.  I have to wait three days for them to approve my eye exam... And nope, I'm not renewed yet.   Maybe next week I'll just go by and waste their time and get my license renewed in minutes.

I went online to Cato once again, reordered a sweater and t-shirts in the right size.  The sweater will likely end being for next winter.  I've looked at our forecast and in the next week we're easing back up into the 70's for daytimes.  I don't mind. I really wanted a sweater in this color for this winter but couldn't find one.   I'll set it aside for next year.  The tee-shirts are for spring/summer wear.  The only things I'm really looking for at the moment are sandals and pants.  I'd love a white denim jacket but can't find one at the moment.  I'm sure I'll find one sooner rather than later though.

John's friend bough doughnuts for us.  He said it was a Happy Birthday for us.  I heated one for each of us up right away and we had it with a cup of coffee.  Gosh but that was good!

Wednesday:  We did an unheard-of thing last night.  We toddled off to bed at 9:30.   It wasn't particularly cold nor were we seemingly all that tired.  But somehow, as good as the day had been we were just tired and ready to end it.  And we both went right to sleep, too!

I won't say we slept all night long.  Of late, I've been on night watch from 3-4 a.m. and this morning was no different.  What was different was that I only slept until 7am this morning after going back to sleep.

Since I was doing unheard of things anyway, I decided to continue the effort and sat down and read a book, cover to cover.  Yes, I did.  All the way through and finished it before lunch time.  It was a very good book by Effie Leland Wilder and was a debut novel in 1995 for the 85-year-old author.  Out to Pasture (but not over the hill).  Really quite good and thoroughly enjoyed.  Just the light but interesting reading I required.  She wrote more books until her death at 95.  I'll see if I can get inter-library loans of these novels.

I wasn't just leisurely today, but I wasn't terribly productive.  Just average with picking up, making meals, puttering around.  It's just that the house has really held up well over the last three days.   

John did my short 'honey-do' list for indoors: hanging two pictures and straightening a curtain rod that he'd put up terribly crooked.  He'd worked on a frame from a picture that was coming apart on Friday, so I put that picture back together and rehung it.  He also went out to fill the bird feeder that the birds pretty much emptied within 24 hours of his last filling it.  There is another feeder close by, but the birds empty the one feeder five times faster.  No clue.

I need to get myself in gear tomorrow and deep clean the guest bedroom.  I said I'd work on the living room this week, but I think I'll do that bedroom and then I'll work on the living room in February.

After looking at how much food I have on hand (not the recently purchased things except milk, eggs, onions and cheese) I think I'm going to expand my Pantry/Freezer challenge into February for at least two more weeks.  I think I can easily manage.  I have a few more old items in the freezer to use and I'd like to get them out and used up.  

Supper is ready to go into the oven here in a little while.  John's enjoying these later daylight evenings.  We've been watching the sunset (or at least the fading light) every night until past 6:30. How lovely!  

Thursday:  Well, I did it again.  I did nothing much again today and then I spent all afternoon reading and finished my second book.  It was another debut novel, this time by Fran Littlewood, Amazing Grace Adams.  This one was a hard read on many scores.  It's a dark comedy sort of thing but it was interesting, and it held my interest enough that I felt I couldn't put it down.  

Just before reading the very last two chapters, John announced he was off to take off trash.  I looked out the window at the sun and said, "Can I go, and we go around the block?"  I told the book was pretty intense and I felt the need to get out in the fresh air (which was lovely, it was warm outdoors) and blow things out of my head.  John thought a minute and said, "Yeah...we can do that."  I think we both felt a little closed in and claustrophobic with our own thoughts at the time.  

It was lovely to get out and ride.  It might feel like spring and the Peepers were booming chirping away in the wetland just up the road, but it still looks like winter, deep winter, out there.  I know it's getting time for the ground hog to come out and check things out this weekend, but something tells me we're in for more winter.  It won't be as early a spring as it was last year.

A round trip of our country 'block' is a total of about 15-20 minutes of driving normal speed. When we came back home, I picked the book up again and finished it.  It had a good ending.  It is well written. There's not any language much, no horror, no blood and gore, and not any real intimate scenes.  But do be forewarned it is a bit intense.

We had a pleasant evening.  Good supper, an online church service that we typically watch on Tuesdays and saved for tonight, since our own church televised their Spiritual Emphasis Week sermons this week.  Tomorrow is home blessing day, and we will officially end January.  I can't say it went too quickly.  It's felt like a month in its passing but not a long one. 

Friday:  I just received a gift card from Amazon for November.  I earned $10.13.  I know a few of you have been curious and I'll tell you that typically I earn something every month.  November earnings were low, but I seldom earn more than $30 and am generally in the $20 range.   I thank those of you who placed orders using my link in November.

I posted the Butter Baked Chicken and Biscuits recipe here on the Blue House Journal Recipes blog.  

After I'd finished with my house blessing this morning, I started a fresh loaf of bread.  This time I added oatmeal, hemp hearts and flax seed to the batter.  It was slow rising bread.  I think it missed the acid from the buttermilk that my original recipe calls for.  I should have added it.  Instead, I used water as I normally do.  I think that was my mistake.

When housework was done, and bread was working in the bread machine, I changed clothes and went off to mail off a bill and a birthday card.   I went over to Butler because Piggly Wiggly has had the best prices on a few items the last few weeks.  I haven't been before.  This week they had shoulder steak for $5.45 a pound, center cut pork chops for $2.59 a pound and five pounds of Golden potatoes for $2.99.  There was supposed to be a 2-pound bag of red, yellow or white onions for $1.99 but there were none of those.  I bought what I listed above and a package of cubed pork steaks (beef cubed steaks are priced crazy high these days and it never goes on sale).  I spent a total of $55.  I got 4 2pc packs of chops and 2 2pc cubed steaks in the freezer plus the two roasts that weighed just over 2 pounds each.  Oh and 2 bags of Lays chips that were 2/$5 (same price Kroger sells them for).

I scanned prices as I went through the store.  1 dozen eggs were over $6.  a pound of butter (name brand was all they had) was $8.99.  I shook my head as I scanned.  I've played with the idea that we might try shopping only the local stores in the county and fill in with Sam's Club every other month, but I honestly can better afford to shop at Publix all the time than I can either of the local stores, because the regular prices at Publix are less than the prices at the two local stores.    

John and I were talking this morning as we ate our breakfast.  I had bought some locally made casing sausage, such as we used to eat routinely when we lived in Macon County.  We spoke of the two places in town that made their own sausage.  It was not uncommon for us to buy sausage at either of those shops and then pick up a bottle of 'sauce' at the local hamburger place to serve with the sausage.  The sauce was another locally made item.  

That sent me reminiscing about shopping locally (this was in the 1980's).  We could buy cane syrup, peaches and vegetables, eggs, and honey, as well as pork that was locally produced and everyone including us took advantage of having those good local foods.  They were reasonably priced, so much so that no one was tempted to drive out of town to big chain groceries for those items.  Alas, all but the burger place and one farmstand are gone.    It's the sort of thing I've often wished we had here.

And indeed, when we moved to Taylor County, we did drive out the main highway beyond Butler to a butcher that raised his own pork and beef.  He died and the person who went into his place now processes deer for hunters.  Here in my own hometown was the peach and strawberry stands but no farmers markets to speak of.   The peach shed closed about five years ago.

Oh well, pipe dreams.  I do buy what I can locally but mostly I must rely on grocery stores these days.  Oh well.  

I'm going to wind up for the week here.  We will go see Katie's kiddos on Sunday after church.  John's getting a haircut from Katie.  I've asked to get mine cut next week, too, but I don't know if we'll attempt that on Sunday or not.  We'll see.

I hope you have a great weekend!

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A Grocery Haul...Restocking the Freezer

 

I don't have pictures.  I never seem to think to take pictures of the groceries I buy but this weekend I was in three different grocery stores, and I thought I'd share what I bought.

Saturday:  I stopped at the local grocery to pick up frozen pizzas to have with the kiddos from across the field for Saturday lunch.  I probably won't do that again and I'll tell you why.  Locally, a Red Baron pizza costs $7.19 each.  I can get them on sale at Kroger for $3.99 and sometimes for $2.99.  

Typically, I make my own pizza dough and pizzas here at home.  I had everything I needed except time yesterday.  The kids think frozen pizza is a huge treat because their dad cooks as I do: with ingredients.  I'm seeking ways to make a fun, day out with a special lunch without spending a load of money.  This is just something extra that John and I want to do with the kids.  We try to do similarly with Taylor and Caleb and Bella on the intervening weekends.

I'm not counting the pizza in on the grocery haul.  That was entertainment with the kids...as were a plethora of other snacky things a Gramma feels free to spoil the kiddos with: cookies, popsicle, drink, and gum that turned out to be candy because obviously none of the three of us who can read, read all that well, lol. 

What I bought for home use: 1/2 gallon of whole milk $3.09, 3-pound bag of yellow onions $2.99, 8- ounce block of cheddar cheese $2.89 and a 12-slice package of processed cheese slices $3.49.

I do not much like to shop locally because it does cost dearly compared to Kroger or Aldi and sometimes is even higher than it might be at Publix which is the highest priced store I shop (aside from the Hometown store).   I bought milk and cheese because I've seen neither one on sale since before Christmas at Kroger.

I generally buy cheese slices for one of three reasons: It's John's birthday and he's asked for cheeseburgers for his birthday meal, family is coming for a cookout, OR it's winter at which time I try to keep them hidden so I can make grilled cheese sandwiches to go with soup.  I just think in this instance processed cheese slices make the superior grilled cheese sandwich.  

Eggs were shocking.  Between $7.19 (this store has a lot of odd prices like that.  I've no idea why) and $9 for a dozen.  18ct. eggs were $11.29 and $13.59.  I did not buy eggs, though I do not have any.

I spent a pretty penny between indulging the kids and buying pizzas, but I only spent $12.50 of grocery money for the milk and cheeses and onion.  That's all I'm counting of the grocery money spent, too.

Sunday:  We went into Publix.  Last night John saw a post that all the local chicken processing plants are closing down due to bird flu and lack of birds to process (which also means a different form of hardship as people will be laid off not only in the chicken houses that produce eggs, but those that produce poultry as well as at the processing plants.  This bird flu will have a tremendous number of repercussions.)   I'd already mentioned the cost of eggs to him after the kids went home.  We agreed last night we'd pick up some chicken and eggs today while we were in the store to pick up a prescription.

Naturally that is not all we picked up.  I'll explain.  John likes to walk with a buggy in front of him so he can lean forward and ease his back now and then.  I often want a turn to push because it gives me a chance to rest my aching hip...Today he pulled two buggies when we went into the store so we each had one.

So, I'm under the impression I'm doing the shopping.  I picked up flowers ($12 not counted as grocery).  John picked up a container of chicken tenders which I vetoed as there were 3 and that meant they were in excess of $2 each for the tenders.  I thought that was ridiculous. 

What I didn't see him pick up was a pound of out of season strawberries, 2 or so pounds of bananas, a pint of macaroni salad and a package of eye of round steaks (3 pieces, 1.76 pounds @ $8.49/pound.)  I don't think there was anything else, but you know...  Let's just say about $30 more than I thought I might spend, lol.  

No, I'm not mad.  I'll greatly enjoy the strawberries which he picks up for me because he knows I have an iron will and won't buy them until they are in season.  The macaroni salad he thinks is superior to any I can make except tuna pasta salad. I don't eat the store stuff because I think it's blech.  As for the eye of round steaks, I'd have chosen a pricier more tender steak but hey, he thought they looked great, and I can cook them in a way that we'll find palatable.  Since there are three pieces, that will be two meals easily which further brings down the overall cost.

For my part of the shopping, aside from the flowers,  I bought a package of celery stalks (looked for the leafiest as I like to dry and crumble the leaves to use in cooking, too) $1.69, a pint of cherry tomatoes $2.50, a hot house cucumber $2.50, a packet of portabella mushroom slices for $2.50.

I stopped at the meat case and looked in vain for the ground round that was $4.99/pound.  John urged me to just get a package of what was there, but I balked hard.  $30 for a 3.5-pound package of 85/15 hamburger meat? NO THANKS!  I asked the butcher to put some of the sale priced stuff out, which he did.  Apparently, there was loads behind the butcher window already wrapped but not priced and in the case.  He brought out four 5-pound packages priced at the sale price.  I got two.  I paid close to $50 for the ten pounds but hey, it beat pants off paying $64 for 7 pounds.

I got two 6-pound whole chickens for $1.59 each and one package of boneless skinless chicken breasts (package of 2 but it weighed two pounds) for $2.49 a pound.  My last purchase was a 2-pound block of Cabot's Vermont Cheese (best price overall for cheese).

As near as I recall my total spending for these items (NOT including flowers) was $130.   

There were NO eggs, not even one.  And I completely bypassed bacon and sausage which all seemed terribly high.

I asked John to stop at Food Depot in Ft. Valley so I could see if they had eggs.  It happened that their Every Day Essentials 18ct. eggs were on sale for $6.09.  There were three cartons and all three had broken eggs, but I pieced two 18ct. packages of whole eggs from the three, swapping the broken eggs out.  I got John a box of favorite snack crackers and added a round of Queso Fresca cheese to my purchases.  That all came to $19 and change.  

My total spending for groceries this weekend was meant mostly for February was $161.

When I got home, I emptied the egg cartons and washed the eggs and cartons, so the eggs won't stick to the carton and crack when I go to use them.

I divided the ground meat into 1/2-pound packages.  We used one for lunch/supper (Spoon burgers).   I put 10 packages into the freezer (11th was what I used for our meal).  I divided the chicken breasts into 2 separate bags.  Truly each breast was HUGE and should serve four. The big hens I'll leave whole, and we'll split those when I roast them.  I fully expect that we'll get five meals from each bird though and possibly six.

Aside from the 11th portion of ground beef, none of these meats will be eaten this week and I don't expect to use more than 6 eggs this week either.  I'll concentrate on using the 8-ounce block of cheese first. That's about our average use for a week in our home.  And the produce purchased this weekend will be stretched to go through this week, next and a bit beyond.  

At this point in time, I have about 1/4 of my grocery budget for January left.  I have used only what I had on hand at the start of January with the exception of the night we enjoyed steak, a two-pound block of cheese and the fresh fruit and lettuce I bought.  I almost forgot the half and half for my coffee.   I'm very well pleased at how the pantry and freezer held up.

I never expected to be well on my way to February on January's budget but that's how it's worked out this year and I'm not in the least sorry about it.  

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Final Week of the 2025 Pantry Freezer Challenge

 

I'm pretty pleased with the Pantry/Freezer challenge of 2025.  I've saved money.  I've been using up older food items.  My pantry and freezer are holding up fairly well to a month of eating from them without purchasing to replace those items used (with the exception of produce).

This week will be my final week of the challenge.  I may do one come summer.  We shall see.

I did have a bit of waste this month.  Two things that I simply tossed was a jar of capers that have been on my shelf for too many years now and a can of bean sprouts.  I don't like them; I don't want to use them, and we are well off without having them on the shelf.

I had a few leftovers that I failed to plan to use.  Those at least went to the dog and cat.  Oh, and my vinegar was a bust this time.  I started it when it was cold in the house, and it just sat there then began to mold.  There was never any fermentation taking place.  I'll save apple cores again and when I have enough, I'll try.  It should be warmer by then which will help with the fermentation.

I may post an extra meal or two since last week I came to the middle of the week and not quite enough menus to finish the week.

Cheeseburgers, Chips and dip, Orange Julius.  I found two burger patties in the freezer when I was doing the inventory.  I

Pizza, Salad

Cottage Pie, Fruit Salad, Cornbread Muffins.  I think the half-pound of ground beef will do just nicely for a cottage pie.  Frankly if I feel it's a bit skimpy, I can always (and really ought to try it) add some cooked lentils in with the meat and extend it a bit.  I have a big jar of mashed potatoes left from last week, hence my intention to make a Cottage Pie.  I'd much rather eat Porcupine meatballs but that can wait until February I reckon.

Alpine Swiss Chicken, Cranberry Sauce, Steamed Broccoli.  I have two boxes of store-bought stuffing mix left on hand.  I want to use one of those.  Chicken breasts are so large that they weigh nearly a pound, so we ought to be able to eat twice off this dish

After these two boxes are gone, I'm going to make my own stove top stuffing.  I have three pints dried cornbread crumbs.  I figure with dehydrated onion, celery and chicken bouillon powder, I should be able to just add hot water and have the same product.  In the meantime, I'll use up what I've already purchased.

Onion Dip Pork Chop and Potato Bake, Green Peas, Applesauce.

Pumpkin Chicken Enchiladas, Corn, Salad.  

Bbq'd Chicken Breasts, Sweet Potatoes, Turnip Greens.

Pot Roast and Vegetables, Pear Salad.

 Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole, Carrot and Apple Salad.

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To Do List for the Last Week of January 2025

We had a great week last week.  Nothing spectacular mind you, pretty much just ordinary (well aside from SNOW), but it was all lovely and steady and pleasant.  I'm finding more and more that the ordinary, everyday things, the gentle rhythms of daily living, are what bring me the most pleasure.

I'm happy puttering in my home.  Happy walking across my yard.  Happy taking time to watch a movie mid-afternoon with John.  Happy to go about the day to day living.

This week I have a short list once again, but my reason is not because it's the last week of January nor because I'm still holidaying in thought if not in fact.  No, it's short because the depth of work required to accomplish what I would like to will be heavy duty.  

1.  Finish deep cleaning our bedroom.  Mind you, I worked hard on Friday, but I realized as I worked that I was literally scratching the surface.   I truly had no idea how much dust and grime had built up.  Dusting once a month, vacuuming deeply weekly is not enough!  I've been fooling myself.  I have sincerely.   

2.  Deep Clean the living room.  Because of how much work the bedroom has required (and will require this week), as soon as I'm done in this room, I'm heading back to the living room to attack it more deeply.

3.  Straighten up the porches.

4.  I can plant peas, carrots, spinach, beets.  Those things will get eaten in our household.  The weather will be a bit warmer and I'm fast running out of time to get that early planting done.

5.  Buy birthday cards for February.

6.  Seriously get busy doing something for the kiddos for Valentine's Day.  That holiday will be here before I know it.

7.  Continue the pantry/freezer challenge.

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What We Really Ate: Third Week of January

 

I always get concerned at the onset of a Pantry/Freezer challenge that I won't quite manage a month...And along about week Three I think seriously I could go another month.  

I'll be doing a complete inventory this week.  I am NOT good at keeping up with what I use or put into my freezer.  I think I am going to try to keep a sheet notebook and pen in the kitchen and write down what I put in or take out each time I go into the pantry or freezer.  Then I'll enter those into my actual inventory sheets at the end of each day.  We'll see how that works for me.

Here's what we had this week:

Saturday:  Toast

Marinated Ham Sandwiches, Chips.  I took these sandwiches from the freezer before we left this morning and then put them right in the oven when we came in from Outreach.

Beef Stew.  Yes, just beef stew.  I didn't serve the Applesauce or mix up muffins.  And the stew beef turned out to be strips of beef for stir fry, but it still tasted good and cooked up tender in the slow cooker.

Sunday:  Sausage and Cheese Toast for me, Toast for John

Fried Chicken, Creamy Mac and Cheese, Whole Grain Bread.

Monday:  Potato and Sausage Hash (me) and Toast (John)

Red Beans and Rice.  Yes, I did plan this as an entree and yes, I know I've served it for lunch.  My only excuse is that it was cold (30F at noon) and while I was chopping the vegetables ahead of time, it seemed to me that this would be a very good dish to have for lunch.  And it was! I put enough beans into the freezer for at least two more servings each for us.

Pan Seared Sirloin, Armenian Potatoes, Broccoli with Cheese.  When I cut this meat up, I think it worked out to 2 steaks and a sizeable piece to be used as stir fry.  The stir fry piece looked stringy like flank steak to me, so I think that stir-fry is best for him.  The two steaks are not large.  I went online and read all the instructions, and it's most often suggested that this cut be pan-seared (my choice) or grilled.

Tuesday: Cinnamon Toast and Bacon (me), Toast (John)

A variety of leftovers.  I found two burger sliders in the freezer.  Those will be for John.  I'll reheat the Tamale Pie left from last week.  There's a bit of potato salad and Mac and cheese too. Not enough of any one thing to make a meal but lumped together we'll have enough lunch.

More Leftovers.  Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Coleslaw, Biscuits.  Leftover fried chicken.  Russet Potatoes that desperately need to be used will make mashed potatoes. I'll make a small batch of coleslaw and biscuits.  Gravy is super simple: bouillon powder, water and a bit of flour, salt and pepper.  Easy to make.  

Originally, I hadn't planned to use this chicken but to thaw out raw chicken and make an oven fried dish.  That struck me as rather silly this morning, especially when I had four pieces of fried chicken (2 wings and 2 thighs) just sitting in the fridge.  I decided to use what I have, save what I have and go from there.

Wednesday:  Biscuits with ham and cheese for me, Toast for John

Ropa Vieja Burritos, Banana

Polska Kielbasa, Pierogi, Sauerkraut.  You'll notice that this meal wasn't on my menu.  By skipping one meal, and using another item to replace another meal, I've finished my menu plan for the week!  And here I am with three days to go.  Never mind.  I'm not buying anything extra or using anything I don't have.  

Based on the sales I saw for this week it's just as well I'm in a pantry/freezer challenge!  I haven't seen a thing worth leaving home for.

Thursday:  Yogurt with Mango and Granola (me), Toast (John)

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuits.  I had leftover biscuits, and just enough eggs and bacon to make this for lunch today.  It was yummy and we both appreciated the change in pace.  Eggs are now gone, and I have less than 8 ounces of cheese.

I am also out of celery and have just one onion left.  Well one yellow onion and one red onion.  I really just consider yellow onions as 'onions' if you know what I mean.  I'll use the red onions to pickle or put on burgers or a salad but seldom to cook with.

Meatball Sheet Pan Dinner, Rice, Mandarins.  Oriental seasoned meatballs, red and orange peppers, carrots, broccoli and onion.  I'll serve over rice.

Friday:  Hash and Toast, Toast

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.  This used one of those cans of tomato soup that I'd noticed had recently expired.

Million Dollar Spaghetti, Salad, Bread.  I had this in the freezer.  I think I put it up back in December, but I failed to note the date when I took it out this afternoon.  It was really good!  Naturally, like last night's meal, John said "We could have this again!"  And we could, if only I hadn't made them both off the cuff and can't remember exactly how I made them.  

And that's what we really ate this week!

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Journal of My Week: It's Chilly!

 

Sunday:  The temperature has been steadily dropping since this morning.  We started the day at 60.  It's now 30.  All I can say is 'Brrr!'  

We went to second service this morning at church but I extracted an agreement that we'd not linger talking to folks but actually scurry for the door so I could spend some real time with Taylor.  We arrived a good half hour before service started and so we were able to visit with and see a few people before service. I told John that was like the best of both worlds as far as I was concerned. 

At Katie's we found the middles (as they refer to Caleb and Bella) were wild wires.  Katie finally sent them outdoors to play.  Had you heard the giggles and seen how much energy they burned you'd have wondered why she hadn't bothered to send them much earlier.  It wasn't cold then, just cool and they were so busy playing they worked up a sweat.  

Even Henry had energy to burn and jumped about in his little jumper thing until he almost passed out with sleep.  The moment he was put in his swing, he went right out.

Taylor is fast approaching that stage where she is too old to play (in her own mind you see) and too young to be a sullen teen.  Eventually she went out to play on the trampoline with the middles and you could see she was very much enjoying her time making them laugh and giggle.  I suspect that everyone felt much better after that little bit of time outdoors.  I even felt a bit better myself (today was my turn to watch them play.  Caleb decides this matter each week).  I sat in the sunshine and smiled as I watched the children play.  Katie came out to crochet and Taylor joined us before going to play.

But boy, when the sun moved over the porch and left me in shadows...I got chilled fairly quick.  

Caleb shared his knowledge with us today.  He told us all about Dr. Martin, the King and how Monday was his day, and Caleb had a dream about him...John straightened his thinking out and explained it a bit better and quoted the opening line of "I have a dream..."   I remember when Katie was little John printed out the entire speech and brought it home to read to the children at the supper table.  Funny how that memory jumped up from the recesses of my mind.

Katie told us later that she'd been trying to correct him all week long about Dr. King.  In Caleb's mind, because his teacher called it a holiday it is something like Easter Bunny, Santa and Halloween all rolled up into one...Yes, he is confused, but it apparently caught his attention and that's a good thing.

On the way home we ran by Publix.  I planned to go in to pick up something quick for us to eat (it was 3pm and we hadn't eaten lunch), replace my broken clip-on sunglasses (didn't find any) and to get half and half. I can face a snow-in without milk since I have plenty of powdered milk on hand, but coffee and tea are a lot nicer with some cream!  We got three other items: a whole chicken that has been on sale all month for $1.59/pound, a mango that was just beginning to soften and bananas.  Nothing to complain over.  The chicken weighed nearly 7 pounds!  It's quite a large roasting chicken. No, I'm wrong we had a total of four other items. John and I walked down the meat case, and he pointed out a nice thick piece of sirloin steak that was reasonable enough.  It certainly looked reasonable compared to all the other things we were looking at, anyway!  I hadn't planned steak in our menu this week, but it is rare that John points out much of anything.  That steak weighed in at 1.75 pounds so about three meals for us, I think.  No harm done there.  We should get two steak dinners and one stir-fried dish from it.  Nothing to fuss over about that.

We opted to get fried chicken as a quick dinner because the deli was packed with a line that ran around the deli cases and one clerk working.  We have leftovers of that as well.  I shall have to go replan my menus to include those items.

We spent $56 today.  

And worth noting about Publix today.  There was one dozen eggs in the egg case.  That was it.  The whole case was empty.  I don't know if that is due to the suspected incoming winter storm or if it is due to avian flu.  

I scratched together a very quick and easy meal for us when we came in and then I went about and picked up the house.  It was nearly 4:15 before we had lunch.  Needless to say, I'm not planning on making supper!   John can always make himself a PBJ half sandwich if he feels he wants something more.

They are predicting some fairly cold and messy weather for our area.  I think I'll fix Rufus up a shelter of some sort on both porches since he likes to move between the two.  The cat has done what Misu did.  She took over the space we'd originally fixed up for Rufus.  

I shall attend to that tomorrow when I can get into my shed.  I did have bubble wrap to put under the cat and dog's rugs in their shelters, but I have a feeling I no longer have that.  I might just run into town tomorrow and buy some.  I need to get birthday cards for February anyway.

For now, I am off to read through my bloggers reading list and see what they have been up to over the past week.  

Monday:  I've not been as productive today as I could have been.  I'll plead that it's cold and I have hit a key part of the book I'm reading, The Diary by Eileen Goudge.  I wouldn't say that the book is terrific, but it's caught my interest enough to make me want to go on with it.  I'm a bit over halfway through and yes, it's taken me this long to make up my mind to continue with it.

This morning John was looking online and saw a notice of Avian flu hitting Georgia farmers.  I asked him, if there's no eggs, does that mean chicken prices will rise, too?  I've tried to research this but can't find any info on anything but laying hens, so I don't know.

I did discover though that if the chickens are eliminated, it will be five months before new chicks can reach the age to lay an egg.  So, I guess we'd best get used to high egg prices, I guess.

Like all other things, we'll get through this...

I've just done a pantry and freezer inventory and can say assuredly that we've food aplenty.  I do wish I was better stocked with chicken, and I am absolutely out of ground meat.  I have a solitary half pound.  I knew I was low, but I confess I thought I had a bit more than that.

I have some older things I would really like to use up.  For instance, the ground chicken I'd initially planned to use this week is older than I realized.  I might substitute that this week and plan to do an Asian meatball of some sort rather than having the Porcupine meatballs.  It's just a matter of changing the vegetables and starch I'd planned for the Porcupine meatball meal.

I did pretty well with the pantry inventory.  My expired foods list is much shorter than the inventory I did in the summer.  I had two cans of tomato soup expire.  I have a funny feeling that grilled cheese and soup will be on the menu this week for lunch or the one supper I failed to plan.

Rufus has steadily refused any sort of shelter.  I made him up a box today covered it with plastic to waterproof it, then faced the opening (one whole side left open so he needn't feel claustrophobic) away from the wind direction.  I then draped some of my old flaky blackout curtains with the white waterproof backing over a chair that he sometimes likes to lie under and slid the box up to the chair, so he hopefully has a dry entryway if precipitation makes it down this far southwest.  He and the cat both got some older towels as extra padding in their houses.  

John said, "You know that Sassy is going to take that box over."  "Then maybe he'll force her to share with him.  I've done the best I could."  We'll see how it goes.  The weather is all over the news, right up there with inauguration highlights today.

Speaking of the inauguration, I think Melania Trump looked beautifully classic in her Navy with white accents outfit.  I did note her heels which look like they were killers.  I noticed as the day went in that there was a chair on each stage for her and the Vice President's wife to sit in while speeches were ongoing.  

I'm going to go read some more of my book.  

Tuesday:  I woke in the early hours of the morning fretting over the upcoming doctor's appointment.  I never worried with our usual doctor, but my mind raced with all the scathing remarks I've heard from doctors in the past.  I finally shut my brain off and went back to sleep.  

I don't know this doctor.  I have no idea what he's like.  That's the real source of my anxiety.

All that worry and loss of sleep was for naught.  Before we were well awake this morning, they'd called and cancelled our appointments for tomorrow.  I'm now rescheduled for the first part of February.  I can't help but wonder if this third appointment will be the charm.

Funny enough, the pharmacy called shortly thereafter to ensure that I had indeed got an appointment with the doctor (explained weather cancellation and rescheduling) and they offered to hurry my prescription through (another extension) but warned they were closing at 2pm.  I told her I had enough to last me a week at this point and would pick up over the weekend when we'll be in town anyway.  

Then Katie's pediatrician called to cancel Henry's appointment.  She'd just changed her phone carrier yesterday and got a new number.  We are back-up contacts.  It was a little whirl of phone calls first thing in the morning.

We've just had gas delivered.  The company we are set-up with are very good about running their customers and checking tanks, so no one is without propane when weather is predicted.  I told John, if this does turn into anything we're well set.  I have fresh water drawn up and if we actually see snow accumulation, we'll fill the tub in the guest bath and a few more containers.  We have heat, a means to cook, food and such.  We'll do just fine.

Predictions are all over the place.  1/10th of an inch of ice accumulation?  6-8 inches of snow?  1 inch of snow?  I wonder if we'll even see a flake of snow!   The birds have been busy at the feeders the past two days.  They are intent on filling their bellies and are once again at the point of getting loud and calling out if the feeder empties.  For some reason they favor one feeder over the other. 

I finished The Diary by Eileen Goudge.  I wouldn't read it again, but it wasn't a horrible book.  I didn't expect the final little twist in the plot but had already predicted one thing that came up.  It was okay.  I'll try another Goudge book and if that one is about the same, I'll move on to other authors and not repeat the process.

Wednesday:  We got snow!  I was messaging with Josie yesterday afternoon and she said, "Take care in the snow!"  I told her we weren't even meant to get any...After we'd finished our conversation, I was getting up to go into the kitchen and glanced at the kitchen window, the only one we had shades and curtains upon on yesterday since it was so cold and miserable.  I thought, "Uh oh...that looks like snow!"  I told John, "Maybe we better go look out the window."  Sure enough, snow was falling.  It never got very thick or heavy, but it was steady for about five or six hours.

It didn't get thick enough on the ground to be pretty until dark, so no pictures then, but I got up a bit early this morning to try and get a picture or two before it started to melt.   Mind you here at 1:30 it's only just 32F, so while some of it has melted some is staying put.

It was so cold last night we slept with the propane heater and the electric heat running.  At some point in the night, I woke and thought, "Maybe I just better start the faucets dripping."  I'm glad I did.  When we got up at 7 it was 15F.

I fed the birds yesterday morning, but they'd emptied the feeders by 4pm, when it was snowing the heaviest.  I took another measure of seeds out the front door and just threw them over the porch rail in the direction of the feeder.  The birds were happy with that.  This morning, John very sweetly took food out to the feeders for me and filled them up again.  The birds were very happy about that.  

Katie said Caleb got up this morning and got dressed straight away to go outdoors to play.  He didn't even stop for breakfast and that's something of a miracle right there.  She made him some oatmeal when he came in to warm up a little before he headed right back outdoors.   Sam walked over from his hat to borrow something and told me his kids had been outdoors all morning, too.   Snow is such a rarity here that we want the children to get all the enjoyment they can from it.  Adults too.  Notice I said Sam walked over.  John's been out this morning and walked the yard a little bit, before he checked mail and took off trash.  I haven't been out yet, but I'm going here in a minute.  The back porch should be thawed enough now that I can safely get down the steps.

Later:  I did it!  I got out there and made myself a snowball and threw it a tree.  I walked up to the opening between the two properties and back down to the house again.  I felt secure doing that since I know there are no potholes along that edge.  It also happened to be the only shady part of the yard with any real snow left.  Gosh but it's pretty.

If it sounds silly that I'm so exultant over getting outdoors it isn't frailty but a bad habit of not doing the things I very much want to do.  Are any of you like that?  I think "Oh that's childish!  Oh, you're being silly!  You're 65 not some kid!"  But you know what, in all my life we've had snow less than 10 times and doggone it I'm just as excited about it as any other kids.   And I'm awfully tired of missing out on the things I really want to do and convince myself I'm silly for wanting them.

I had a nasty little shock this morning.  My credit card balance went boom! and though I'd been keeping track of what I was spending and where, I wasn't keeping a running total.  I don't spend money I don't have, but it still can send a shock through your system to see the total.  If nothing else, it cools my jets!  

I think some of my faultiest thinking is that when I need something, and I know it's something I need to attend to, I think it has to be bought right now.  I don't feel that way about impulse things, only the things I've already planned to purchase.  I knew I needed bras and tennis shoes and a couple of clothing items.  But I might have paced my spending a wee bit better.  That's something to keep in mind for the future.  

Thursday:   The snow isn't totally gone but for all intents it is.  And it's cloudy and warming enough to give us cold rain in the next day or so.

Katie had texted me on Monday that Cody was ill with what appeared to be the flu.  I thank goodness that schools were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday following the Monday holiday because Cody is not the sort to let illness keep him out of work.  Well, he must be more ill than I'd reckoned because he didn't go to work today.  Katie messaged me this morning to tell me he was home and that she and Caleb now have fevers...

Amie messaged me yesterday that she and her household are all sick.  It was about 2pm or so when she messaged me, and she said the house was eerily still.  Not one child was on an electronic device anywhere.  They were all in bed sleeping off the illness.  Lily was sick enough to warrant an ER visit where she was diagnosed with bronchitis on top of the ailment.  

I have not been busy, but I've gotten a few things done.  Mostly the extreme cold makes me want to stay near the propane heater.  Yesterday I got the toy box cleaned up in the guest room.  I sorted things back out.  I doubt they will stay that way.  I still have a toy that is completely missing and I've no idea where it might be.  I probably should look under the bed again, but I don't recall seeing it there.

Then I made breadcrumbs.  I'd noted I was nearly out when I did my pantry inventory on Tuesday (or was it Monday?).  I had enough bread in the freezer to make 2-quart jars of breadcrumbs.  

Today was sorting out the checkbook once again.  The lack of going into the grocery shows clearly.  I have half my grocery budget at the moment and there's an extra sum that is almost equal probably due to lack of impulse spending.  I'm very pleased over that.

There are a few outages and few low items but I'm thinking at this point that I probably can manage until February if I just buy eggs, milk, cheese, celery, and onions.  I'm thinking about $40-$50 if that much.   I have enough of other things to carry us through without any issue.

John was amazed that the birds had emptied the feeders since yesterday.  Today he filled them all the way to the top full.  I wouldn't normally do that but honestly, they eat so much and so quickly that it's doubtful that will last more than two days or so.

I got my little walk in by going out to the compost bin and taking time to walk around the yard and pick up a few sticks.  It was plenty cold out yet, though a lot warmer than the past two days.  Rufus felt positively giddy in this weather.  I think sleeping in his warm little shelter has helped him tremendously, though he's always been very persnickety about shelters of any sort.

And that's another day here in wintry Georgia.

Friday:  It's beautiful and sunny outdoors.  I've worked hard today cleaning our master bedroom.  I am not done with that room.  I had no idea it was so terribly dusty and dirty.  I was cleaning walls, blinds, moving furniture to get under and behind things, and even took pictures down off the wall.  Honestly, I was pretty upset that things were that bad.  I clogged the vacuum!  Ugh.  I got overwhelmed, very overwhelmed at two or three points today but I rested, then went back and started again.  I'm by no means done.  But I called it a day this afternoon.  I think three hours of work is enough (not counting rest periods just actual working periods).  

When I was resting, I looked at the living room long and hard and decided that most likely when I'm finished with my room (I think on Monday), then I'm coming back to properly tackle the living room and do a deeper cleaning there than I'd done last week.  After seeing how much dust and dirt and grime was everywhere in the bedroom, which we seldom use except for sleep, I'm determined to come back to the living area.  We are in this room for hours every single day.  

I've brief plans for the weekend, nothing too heavy.  Tomorrow morning the children and I are going to the library to swap our book.  I never did read The Guest Book by Sarah Blake.  It may well be an excellent book, but I simply couldn't work up any interest in it.  I even skipped forward into various chapters, and I still didn't get intrigued.  I may come back to it after another time.  It's supposed to be on the NYT Bestseller List.  

I think what I want to read is something gentler, and slower, and more domestic.  

After the library, we'll come here to have lunch.  I'll send them home after an hour or two here.  

I've loosely planned meals for tomorrow, and possibly Sunday.  

I am tired.  I had an anxiety attack hit this afternoon.  I should have checked my blood sugar, but I didn't.  At the time the anxiety attack hit we were watching a 1945 film, "Pitfall" which was rather good.  John wondered if the movie set off the anxiety, but I don't think so.  The movie was intrigue but not horrible. 

We've watched two other really good movies in the past week.  Last Sunday morning, we watched "Mr. Winkle Goes to War" which was actually a feel-good film with a happy ending.  And then we watched a movie mid-week with William Holden called "Boots Malone" that was quite good, as well.   I highly recommend all three movies.

I hope you all had a great week and will have a good weekend.

And just a quick note to Rhonda to say Thank You!  I received the package and loved the bags.

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Coffee Chat: DO-ing Things

 

Hello dears.  I was very opinionated last week, and you all were kind enough to not only read but comment.  Thank you.  Even if you disagreed you did so nicely.  And each of you explained your own reasons which all had good merits.  Opinions are just like everything else.  Everyone has one and some are different.  That's what makes the world go round, right?

This week I am not sharing opinions.  I am sharing the things I haven't started or having started haven't finished.  I suspect that every one of us has projects around the house that they keep meaning to do and some they keep meaning to finish.  So, I thought I'd share some of my things that I am hopeful I will tackle here in 2025.

I'll start with the things I haven't finished.  Remember the quilt I started way back in 201-?  I can't even remember when.  It's been that long.  I t was an ambitious sort of quilt especially for a first one.  Well, it's about four feet square.   I've never finished it.  I'll tell you why.  I ran into a sticky troubling spot, and I just lay it aside but that wasn't the only reason.  I found, as I sewed, that I mightily disliked the colors I'd chosen.  A LOT.

                                   This was a paper mock-up and then I bought similar fabrics 

I can't make up my mind now if I want to finish it or simply donate it and what fabric I had on hand.

But that wasn't the only one I started.  I began making pinwheels in red, white and blue fabrics.  They are not hard to make though they are small.  I've no idea if once they are all made, I would even have enough to make a runner for the table or a doll quilt.  But that too is still unfinished.  Of the two projects the pinwheels interest me more than the quilt.

Both projects nag at me, especially this time of year when I seem to have more time on my hands.

And then I wanted to embroider. I bought books with lovely patterns, was given some beautiful things and then lucked into a hoarder's stash of embroidery floss at Mama's when I was sorting out that house.  The thread has filled a very large embroidery thread holder.  I've made a few stitches but nothing major.  I used to love to embroider just haven't taken it up seriously in years.

However, given the time I've had on my hands these past two weeks, I could easily do embroidery projects or sew pinwheels or set aside an afternoon a week to attend to sewing, period.  

I confess also that I have yet to attempt to can anything even once with that pressure canner. I watch a vlogger/blogger who usually sends out routine emails and she's certainly made it look simple enough.  Why haven't I even tried?  I know my hesitancy is nonsensical because these canners are far safer than what I grew up using (and occasionally blowing up).  And blowing up the others caused me no damage at all.  

I was absolutely going to start using that canner last year about this time.  Did I?  No, not at all.  And that silly expensive canner is sitting in the cabinet mocking me with the space it takes up.

You know what else I haven't done?  I haven't used the pasta making attachment to my mixer once.  Not even once.  I've watched another vlogger use it and it works quite well especially for sheets or spaghetti or wider noodles but nope, haven't touched it not even once.  No excuses except that I just haven't.

And there's the water bath canner that I seldom pull out to use. I have at least used it a few times...

For years I've wanted to learn to make fudge the old-fashioned way, the way that Grandmother did with butter and sugar and canned milk and cocoa.  Do I attempt it?  Nope.  Haven't in years upon years because I failed twice trying it.  Boo hoo!  I failed.  So what?!

Soooooo...What am I gonna do about it?  Am I just going to continue to do nothing?  Or do I truly want to learn these skills?  

I am loathe to say to anyone that this week/this month I shall absolutely do all of these things.  The truth is I haven't thus far and there's good reason to believe that I might very well continue to put them off until the end of time.  Part of what puts me off those things is feeling unsure of my ability.

Here's what I know about my 'ability'.

I didn't make bread for years because my first attempts failed.  And then after wishing for 30 years that I could make homemade bread; I started making a sour dough bread.   A friend gave me starter to begin.  Now, I did not make the sort of bread that Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone has written an entire book about. I didn't stretch and fold and use bannetons, but I did make sour dough bread and used discard to make other items without anyone guiding me.  And without worrying about what I might be doing wrong!

That encouraged me later, after my starter died a hard death, to try my hand at making bread by hand.  It turned out fine!  Now I use a bread machine to mix and raise my dough, but I make bread one or two times a week.  We eat almost exclusively homemade loaf bread here in my home now, because I stopped fretting and just got started DOING.

I didn't know how to recover a chair, but I took a very sturdy but terribly worn old chair and tacked fabric to it with nails, for goodness' sake.  We used that chair for five years or more.  Then one day I said, 'I can do better than that', and I made a slipcover for it.  Since then, I've made lined curtains, another slipcover, and pillow covers.  And no one has ever looked at any of those things and said, "Professionally done?" but neither have they looked at them and said, "Just did it yourself, huh?"

I guess what I'm saying is that instead of letting fear or whatever anxiety it might be hold me back from doing any of these things, why don't I lean on my old successes in doing what I didn't know how to do and finding I could and just get busy?

Again, I'm not saying to anyone that I will because so far, I haven't, and I hate to make myself out anymore a liar than I have already.

In my bid to do things 'better', I have been trying hard to up my dressing game.  I've been rather happy with the results thus far and felt I looked rather nice.  I was rewarded by someone at church as well as a salesclerk in a store complimenting me.   It's been such a simple thing too.  It's just been a matter of watching a couple of shorts on Instagram and noting how they were styling clothing.

For instance, the day I was complimented by the salesclerk, I was wearing a white long sleeved button down blouse with a blue denim jeans jacket.  I wore black jeans and white tennis shoes.  Sounds super simple doesn't it?  And it was!  I'd learned watching the videos that for a more modern profile I should pull the collar and cuffs of the blouses out over the collar and cuffs of the jacket.  I added a simple beaded necklace.  The white blouse was a good bit longer than the jeans jacket but the overall look was up to date.  Yet every piece in and of itself was a classic piece.  

On the way home that afternoon, I realized that a white t-shirt and a lightweight three-quarter sleeve pink cardigan, and a pink ball cap would create a similar simple classic look with the black jeans and white tennis' shoes.  I even have a pink purse that matches the sweater.  Paired with the same necklace I was wearing this week the outfit would look just right for a cool Spring day.  

I've been having lots of fun playing in my closet.  One stylist suggested that what really stymies us is that we feel overwhelmed when we stand before our closet.  She said she always starts with a closet edit for her customers.  She removes everything that they don't like, doesn't fit, or isn't in season.  What's left is exactly what they've been wearing and then she helps them accessorize and pair things in different ways.   It was very enlightening.  I tried the same in my own closet and just moved some summer-y things into a dresser drawer and voila!  I paired up every single thing left in the closet and realized that while I might want something new (and I did make two purchases for winter wear), for the most part I don't NEED anything new.  

Of course, I love to play in my closets anyway and to pair up outfits.  I just get burned out in summer when it's so doggone hot.  Layers are so much more difficult to even think of wearing in summer heat...that's the truth.   But I'm going to try to keep this up and maybe by summer I'll have a load of ideas for warmer weather.  

By the way, one thing another stylist said was to check Pinterest for outfit ideas...Well I'm glad to hear I was on the right track with that idea!  I seldom have the exact same piece or pieces, but I do get ideas of color combinations I mightn't have thought of before or how something I have might have is similar and could work in a different way than I'd been wearing it.  I'm telling you there are so many helps that are truly helpful and not pushing you to buy, buy, buy but to use what you already have.

Because it's the new year (for a few more days, and then it's February and we all know that nothing is new by then), I've been scanning the 'frugal experts' ideas for saving money.  No kidding, of four articles read in the past twenty-four hours, THREE of them suggested giving up meat and one of those also suggested stop buying fresh produce and just buy frozen...I'm unimpressed.   It's true that meat is expensive but honestly, I have no plans to give it up.  Nutritionally speaking meat is a good source of complete amino acids, Vitamins B and D3.   Our protein needs increase as we get older, too.  

Even in light of this latest bird flu epidemic which has taken eggs off several store shelves and may affect our chicken supplies (I couldn't find anything definitive about that so can't say for certain, but chickens are chickens whether they lay eggs or are raised for meat).  Oh, and just in case you haven't heard now there is a 'swine flu' that is going about, and it's expected it will take a toll on the pork industry.  

It looks as though we'll just keep adjusting the budget and strangling the purse with those purse strings.  And when all of this is over there will be something else again because that is the way it seems to go.  I smell my bread and my clock is about to time me out for getting it from the oven, so here I shall end my conversation for this week.

Talk to you all later!

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What Do I Do With That?

 

You've been cruising the grocery store, looking for protein bargains and clearance items that you can use in your meal plans as a way to stretch the budget.   What you find in the meat case is not what you'd call a sale.  

Have you considered checking the deli?

I've noted a few times while in Kroger that they often markdown factory sealed sliced deli meats as well as snack trays.  They also mark down cut wedges of bougie cheeses and sometimes you'll find a variety of dips and flavored tub cheeses on sale.  You might think to turn your back on those clearance deli items but let me share with you how I've used them in the past to create budget entrees for my household.

The most obvious thought when you look at deli sliced meats is to think, 'Sandwich' and that's a good thought.  I mean, most folks really like sandwiches.  You can make hero/sub sandwiches or hot sliders.  And bonus!  You can make up the sliders and freeze them then thaw and bake later.  

But you could also use those meats to make Pizza, or Stromboli.  Last summer, I enjoyed making 'Chopped Sub Salads', chopping deli meats and cheeses with tomatoes, lettuce, pepperoncini, onions, olives, well-seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper and dressed with a creamy Italian dressing.  I like to top with croutons (bread for my sub).

You can add deli meat to thin sliced chicken breast and roll up for a take on Cordon Bleu or Chicken Kiev.  You can add strips of meat to pasta dishes or to scrambled eggs to make a breakfast bowl.

Snack trays with summer sausage, pepperoni and cheese are great to toss into eggs.  Chop the meat and cheese a little and toss into muffin batter to serve for breakfast.   I've also chopped the meats and cheeses to throw on a pizza.  Summer sausage is an especially nice addition to a pot of red or black beans.  Ham works in the beans as well.

Use biscuit dough rolled in a rectangle and then spread with a mix of shredded cheese and finely chopped ham or roast beef or chicken then roll up and cut into rolls.  This works as well with pepperoni (serve with marinara sauce on the side.  You can also sub in puff pastry or phyllo doughs for the biscuit dough if you have those on hand.

Fancy cheeses can be challenging to use.  I always try to look up each variety on my phone to see what the characteristics of the cheeses are.  Emmental is quite like Swiss and is good in Fondue or sandwiches.   Edam is most like Gouda.  You can melt it but I find it lovely to shred and add to Mac and Cheese or to slice for sandwiches.  If you want your family to feel they've gotten some luxurious mac and Cheese shred smoked Gouda or another 'fancy' cheese and add to your basic macaroni and cheese.  You'd pay a high price at a restaurant it, why not treat yourself to it at home? Grana Padana is similar to Parmesan and the rind can be used to flavor soups and sauces.

I think Fondue is something we ought to bring back.  That's one thing I haven't tried yet, but I really think it would make a great supper one cold rainy night.  And don't forget nachos.  You can make nachos as fancy as you'd like.  It's just a matter of what you top it off with.

If what you find in the cheese department is a flavored cheese spread such as Alouette or Boursin, you can create a lovely pasta sauce (place in a casserole with 2 pints of baby tomatoes) such as you might make with a block of feta (also a good idea!).  You can spread on puff pastry and roll up and slice to bake as pinwheels.  Wouldn't that be lovely with a soup or salad for supper?  

I know I mentioned dips.  I'm thinking mostly of the meaty dips such as Buffalo Chicken dip.  Every now and then my grocery will sell Buffalo Chicken dip as a buy one get one free.  We don't eat it as a dip!  I can split the tub into half pound portions and then I use it to make Buffalo Chicken Pasta or I'll roll it up in tortillas and bake those like a Taquito.  You could make burritos with this as the feeling.  Spread it over pizza dough and top with mozzarella and blue cheese crumbles and top with green onion and diced celery just before serving.  Yum!

I've also purchased Spinach Artichoke dip and use that to top pizza or mix in with pasta for an entree.  You could also use the mixture to stuff Manicotti noodles.  You can mix a cooked chicken breast with it and layer with cooked lasagna noodles and homemade Bechamel Sauce.  You could stuff chicken breasts with.  I split bone in chicken breasts on the thicker side and then stuffed it in the breast.  Gosh but that's a great dish to make!

Bean dip makes a wonderful burrito, enchilada, or Quesadilla filling.  Black Bean hummus would work just as well.  You can spread the bean dip on a pizza crust and make a Mexican pizza.  So good!

These are just a few ideas of the ways I've used deli items to prepare entrees.  I hope you got a few ideas you could use.

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Pantry and Freezer Challenge: Week Three

 

Last week I decided to get everything I'd planned for meals out of the freezer on Monday to start thawing in the fridge.  Naturally we didn't eat nearly as many meals at home as I thought we might.  I came to the end of the week with two meals not used at all and for one of those I had meat thawed.  I've planned that meal to be a crockpot meal for Saturday.  I'll just chop my vegetables in the morning then leave in the fridge and start it up when we get in.

But this week I'm going to take it more slowly.  I'll thaw foods for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and we'll see how that goes before I take out more to thaw for the rest of the week.  

The first two meals listed will look like repeats because they are:

Stew, Muffins, Applesauce and Grahams. I'll make a post of what we actually eat this week just so you can see how things change as the week goes on.

Fried Chicken, Creamy Mac and Cheese, Whole Grain Bread.   Fried chicken was bought from the deli today and at least two meals this week will only be partially from the pantry/freezer.  I had the mac and cheese in the cupboard, the very last box of Kraft.  From here on, I'll only keep a box or two on hand.  This one was left from when I stocked it routinely for Caleb and Taylor's enjoyment.  The bread was from our meal on Wednesday.  I wrapped it really well when we got home and it was still lovely and fresh, especially once I'd warmed it in the oven.

Steak, Armenian Potatoes, Salad?  Roasted Broccoli?  I have plenty of Russet potatoes to use up and this potato dish will be a help.  I have both lettuce and Broccoli on hand.  I'd like to do something different than salad but not sure what different looks like at the moment, so we'll see.

We chose a sirloin steak at the supermarket yesterday.  I hadn't planned on it but it was well priced and large enough that I think we can swing three meals from it.  I'll divide it when we make this meal today and put the rest of the meat in the freezer.

Red Beans and Rice, Coleslaw, Mexican Cornbread.  This a nice hearty meal for a cold day and one I think we will appreciate.  I have some small pieces of smoked sausage offcuts I'm going to sauté with my celery, onion, and bell peppers.  

Buttery Baked Chicken, Biscuits and Gravy, Peas.  This is an old recipe, one that you might see in any of those women's club, electric co-op, or church cookbooks from the 1960s or '70s.  It's such a good recipe for just an easy oven fried chicken and you bake the biscuits and make the gravy along with the chicken all in one baking pan.  It's simple and one pan and hearty.  

Barbecue Meatballs, Mashed potatoes, Creamed Cabbage.  I might change the main dish to Porcupine Meatballs, which I love to serve over mashed potatoes.  I like that tomato gravy.   This is another dish that I think is well suited to cold weather.  

????  I could make something from the leftover fried chicken, stripping the skin and bone and make a casserole of some sort.  I might make soup which sounds wonderful just about now with my feet on the cold floor.  Or I could pull one of those older freezer meals out and cook that.  I might have enough leftovers of any meal but the Stew.  We ate all of that Saturday night since we had only a small package of beef.  

I do want to take the time this week to go over the pantry and freezer just to put the oldest things, so they are the first items I use over the next week...So, we'll see what I come up with for this last meal.  I don't believe we'll be eating out any this week.

Now that meals for this week are planned, I'm going to take a few minutes to dig through the freezer and the pantry and see what I need to use up and challenge myself a little harder next week to incorporate some of those things.  

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To Do List for the Third Week of January 2025

 

Weather truly does play a part in our lives doesn't it?  It's supposed to rain all day Saturday and later in the week it's supposed to get extremely cold again.  Extreme for us, mind you.  We've even been promised a possible wintry mix...We shall see.

What it means for me: I won't be going out in nasty weather.  I have to go out in the rain on Saturday, no help for it but I won't later in the week when it gets colder.   It also means I won't even be working outdoors.  Remember those porches I wanted to clean up?  Not gonna happen.  Never mind.  There's still work to be done indoors.

1.  Deep clean the master bedroom.  I didn't need to delve as deeply into the living and dining room.  I did all that back in the fall and there's just no need to do more.  But the bedroom...that could definitely use it.

2.  We have an appointment one day.  On the worst weather day at that, so yes, we will be out in it but not willingly.  However, we shall have to wait around after the appointment because I will need to attend to two or three other things that also necessary.  Yuck.

3.  Clean out the toy box.  The kids apparently dumped all the Barbie stuff into the toy box which means sunglasses and shoes and all those tiny accessories have gone to the bottom of the toy box.  And then they dumped in all the magnetic tiles...It's time to drag out the things they don't touch anyway, so I might as well make a proper job of it.  I'll even vacuum the darned thing out.

4.  Gather seeds.  Maybe plant?   I'm pretty sure I can plant peas, parsley, cilantro, and carrots even with the weather as cold as it is meant to be this week.  Of course, next week we're soaring back to the 60's as our highs which is about typical of Georgia.  

5.  Buy February birthday cards.  Millie and John are soonest and then there's Amie and Isaac the next week and JD about 2 weeks after that.  Who am I missing?  I think I'll make Valentine's Day cards for the grandchildren, too, just for fun.  The littles and middles will love getting mail.

I seriously cannot think of another thing to do.  I know there must be more things to do but I'll just leave this here for the time being and we'll see what else happens outside the normal stuff.

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What We Really Ate this week: Second Week of January

 

This likely will be a brief post, but I thought rather than record daily meals on the Journal post, I'd start a separate post of our meals of the week so you can compare it to what I planned for the week.

Starting back at Friday evening: I wanted something comforting and warming.  It was cold and dark and dreary all day long and was pouring freezing rain when we came to the end of the day.  I dithered around trying to figure out what I'd make. 

Friday evening:  Gingerbread Waffles (from the freezer), sausage patties (freezer), and Scrambled cheese eggs.  I warmed the syrup, and the meal was everything I'd hoped it would be.

Saturday:  Bagel for John, boiled egg and croissant for me along with the last of the Alpine Strawberries.

Lunch out with the trio of children at IHOP.   John made egg salad with some of the boiled eggs from this morning and ate a sandwich.

Pizza and wings, brought home as takeout at John's request.

I paid for lunch out with the kids with money left from my allowance last month.  Dinner came from our entertainment fund.  It was a pricey food day anyway you look at it but not something we do routinely.  The kids so enjoyed their lunch out, as none of them had ever been to IHOP before.  We noted while there that they have a special menu that is $6 a plate and I told them if we go in future, we'll plan to eat items off that menu.

As for the pizza dinner, I have leftovers, and we'll use those for a meal one day this week. 

Sunday:  Toast for John, cheese toast for me.

Leftover Pizza, Salad.  This takes the sting out of the pizza meal the day before since we truly got more than enough for two meals.  Not as cheap as homemade but it's good pizza and I don't mind springing for it once a month.

Brunswick Stew and Barbecue Sandwich.  Brunswick Stew leftover from last week, Pulled Barbecue from the freezer, homemade burger buns.  It was a good meal.

Monday:  We skipped it.  What I mean is that I wasn't hungry, and John apparently didn't feel up to slicing bread and putting it in the toaster himself.

Tamale Pie.  Sam gave us a pint of homemade chili.  I had been thinking of making Tamale Pie earlier in the weekend.  I used the Mexican Cornbread recipe to put on top of the chili and my goodness that was delicious!

I had a Quesadilla.  John ate egg salad sandwich.  Maybe I was just being snarky, but I truly wasn't hungry again, and I balked at the idea of making a meal when I didn't want one.  I told John to make what he wanted.  He asked if he could use eggs I'd boiled and I said, "Help yourself."  So, he did.  I got hungry nearer 8pm and made myself a quesadilla.

Pantry/Freezer challenge is going just fine, but I definitely needed an attitude adjustment today and I'll openly admit it.

Tuesday:  Banana Muffin with sausage for me.  Toast for John.  John has really enjoyed these Banana Oatmeal muffins.  I ate the very last one this morning, but we've got more in the freezer.

Chicken Tenders (frozen) and Mashed potato pancakes.  I'm following my usual menu rules: if I have it on the menu and we eat it at some point in the week, I consider it a win.  John asked for potato pancakes, so I made them.  I used up all the leftover mashed potatoes.  No waste.

Ropa Vieja, Yellow Rice, Tortillas, Carrot and Apple salad.  Let's talk about supper as a whole first.  Lately my husband has been begging me NOT to make vegetables.  No broccoli, no green beans, no brussels sprouts, no sweet potatoes, just make a sandwich or meat and potatoes.  I've no idea why he's gotten to this stage.  Well, I kind of do...John knows I put the Chicken Broccoli Alfredo on the menu for this week and he's dreading it.  So tonight, he asked again if we could just skip the vegetables.

Y'all, he LIKED this Carrot and Apple Salad.  I didn't have vanilla yogurt.  I didn't put in the salt and pepper or the lemon juice the recipe called for either.  As it was made it came across a little bit sweet and tasted a whole lot like a cross of Waldorf salad with Carrot Raisin.  That's not a bad thing. John likes both.  I wish I had added the lemon juice and maybe a splash of vanilla and a bit of salt, so the salad would have come across a little less sweet and more acidic to balance the meat dish.

I made a sort of burrito with the meat, rice and grated cheese.  

There was so much Ropa Vieja that I ended up refreezing a good portion of this.  I have enough yellow rice left that I'll likely just make black beans to go with it instead of making Red Beans.

John raved over how good this meal was. Win!

Wednesday:  Toast, Toasted Cheese Sandwich.  

Out at our favorite restaurant after a morning of errands and car maintenance. We got burgers today, and side salads and I always get fries which serves us both for lunch.  We bring home half our burgers and half the fries and that becomes lunch or supper for another meal.  Typically, we have it for supper the same day.  I plan to have these leftovers for tomorrow.

Bbq'd Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans.  Nope not on the menu.  We had Katie, Cody and the boys here for supper tonight.  It wasn't planned but we were so glad to have them come over.  I had two serving items thawed in the fridge but not enough to feed five.  

Well, the truth is the ribs weren't quite enough, but we managed just fine.  I pieced the ribs out by cutting them into individual pieces.  Caleb got one rib, and I should have given him two.  I ended up sharing one of mine with him.  He obligingly picked a miniscule something off his bone and offered to share with me.  I couldn't see it but I took it and 'ate' it.  

Thursday:    I have often complained over making 'big breakfasts' four or more mornings a week.  John is eating just toast and nothing but toast just now and here's the truth.  I won't cook a proper breakfast for 'just me' and I miss having breakfasts with him terribly.  Go figure.

Toast, sausage balls for me

Out with Mama.  We ate chicken tenders and fries.

Bbq'd Pork Chop Sheet Pan meal, Red Grapefruit half.  I was starting to feel very antsy about all that I'd thawed out and we hadn't eaten.  I still have that Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo pasta (still no interest but it's getting eaten tomorrow for supper), and stew beef out in the fridge.  I cooked the pork chops tonight.  I really want to make beans and rice but doggone it, the beans won't spoil, and the meat will!  So, the beans will wait.

I just wanted vegetables this evening and this meal incorporated potatoes, red peppers, onions, Brussels Sprouts.  It was good.  I'm about pork-ed out though, let me tell you.  I could oink.  I think we'll just push off making anything pork over the next week or two.

Friday:  Toast and Scrambled Eggs for me.  Toast for John.

Chicken, Broccoli Alfredo Pasta.  It was okay.  Nothing I'd ever want again let me tell you.  But we didn't waste it, we ate it and that's that.

Burgers, Fries, Baked Beans, Salad.  The burgers and fries are left over from our meal out earlier this week. I added the beans and fries to extend the half burgers and make up for the lack of embellishment with the sorry lunch we had.

And that is what we Really ate this week.  Lesson learned...I think in future I'll thaw only a few things of the planned menu and then see how we use them up.   This week we were thrown off by eating out, having company (no complaints on either score!), etc.  I felt pressured to figure out how to use up all I'd gotten out.  

I still have stew beef in the fridge.  I plan to make stew tomorrow.

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