August 21:
Today I didn't put anything up in the pantry or freezer, but I did go to the hardware/auto parts store with John where I bought a flat of half-pint and a flat of quart sized canning jars.
When my Amazon order arrives today, I will have the Cream of Mushroom soup to put away. Apparently, the Cream of chicken soup is delayed until next week.
August 22:
Today I added 2 pounds of whole wheat elbow macaroni and four cans of pear halves. Also, 1 small bottle of chili powder, another of taco seasoning. See below about chili powder...
I would like to buy canned fruit for the pantry and Spam, but I find that those things are about the same price in the stores and I'd much prefer to purchase them there rather than through Amazon, as convenient as I find it.
I placed an order through Amazon Subscribe and Save for 3 other items: chili powder (anyone else finding chili powder is non-existent in groceries? I've looked in five different stores in three towns without any luck. I finally ordered extra bottles online), green beans, and cocoa powder. These won't arrive until September, which is fine, I don't need them just at the moment but knew I was nearly out of all of the above and why not order to build up the pantry?
August 23:
The pears arrived today and were added to the pantry shelf.
August 25:
I added 1 dozen muffins to the freezer today. I didn't think I was going to add anything at all, but a supper crisis (slow cooker gave out) necessitated turning on my oven and if the oven was on, I might as well fill it, right? 9 Maple Nut and 3 Apple Streusel went into the freezer. And there's an Apple Streusel Coffee Cake cooling on the counter.
Frankly, it's my bowing to Fall and the need for warming spices and flavors. Anyone else mainly associate Maple with Autumn as I do rather than with the late winter/early spring where it rightly belongs? I just feel it's autumnal for some reason. This 'recipe' is my own based on two or three others I'd read, and when we do eat some of the muffins, I'll let you know how it turned out.
The 'coffee cake' was same basic muffin recipe with a little additional sugar (1/2 cup total) and a very large, coarsely chopped apple. The cinnamon in the streusel topping scented the whole house and it smelled wonderful. Preview of autumn days...
August 26:
5 pints of collard greens. In the end, I decided I wanted the freezer space more than I wanted cooked collards in the freezer. I just managed five pints by adding some of last night's hot leftovers to a jar of blanched greens. I seasoned the jars with canning salt, vinegar, brown sugar, hot pepper flakes, liquid smoke and garlic and onion powders and I was careful to thoroughly de-bubble the packed jars. I'm a little nervous about these but we'll see how it goes.
1 quart of citrus peel vinegar. I used white vinegar to make this batch since I had a full bottle of it on hand. I had been keeping the citrus peels in the freezer drawer, planning to make more cleaning vinegar. My bathroom floors are a hardwood that must be cleaned without soap and only with a vinegar water solution. I've found I like this so well I'll use it on the kitchen floors as well which are vinyl planks and not hardwood.
August 27:
Two quarts of spaghetti sauce went into the freezer this evening after supper. I'd made it this morning and let it simmer on the stove all day. We ate one portion for supper.
This afternoon the Cream of Chicken Soup arrived. Ten cans went onto the pantry shelves. I am finding that this challenge to restock the freezer and pantry has gone steadily along without a great deal of extra expense and that little amounts of things, especially when there are only the two of us, truly do add up to a far better stocked home.
August 28:
Yesterday, while I was puttering in the kitchen, I put a pound of dry kidney beans to soak. This morning, I found myself scrambling for jars to use. I have quarts and half pints on hand, but I need more pint jar.
In the meantime, I have four pints of kidney beans and 1 pint of water cooling on the counter at present.
We went to Publix today, on an errand run and I took full advantage of the very best of the sales. I spent a pretty penny but today I have added: 5.5 packs of hot dogs (setting half of one pack aside for supper tonight), 2 slabs of pork ribs, 1 bottle lemon juice, 2 big jugs of olive oil, 2 bottles of barbecue sauce, 2 jars of Mayonnaise, and 2 jars of pickle relish to my pantry today.
I bought more meat, but I need to divide it up and will count that as tomorrow's add-ins.
I also received the 2 pounds of whole wheat macaroni I'd ordered and those went right into the pantry.
August 29:
15 packages hamburger (total of almost 8 pounds)
Four 2-pc packages Pork Chops
1/2 cup Buffalo Chicken Dip. I need to learn to make this on my own. I don't use it as a dip but as a pasta 'sauce' or to fill tortillas here and there. It can't be that hard to make. It was on sale this week so I indulged in the one container.
Flower and vegetable seed packets
harvested flower seeds
eucalyptus leaves and rose petals salvaged from a bouquet to make potpourri
1 potted tea rose that has 5 plants. Those will be planted in containers this weekend if it's not raining too hard. The last two I bought and planted have been lovely all this difficult growing summer.
Restarted the compost heap with vegetable and fruit scraps, paper towels and shredded paper.
Relearned an old skill that I plan to keep using now I've reclaimed it (aka canning both hot water bath and pressure)
More herbs from the planter: chives, oregano, basil. Meant to grab sage as well but forgot to cut it. I also have rosemary drying on the counter, though I am lucky enough to be able to have fresh year-round year.
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