Menu Monday

 Wow, a whole new month. We also have colder weather coming and I have loads of projects that need to be done before Christmas arrives. So I will be using ready meals that I made before, and quick/easy meals that I have made numerous times before. 

Monday

Butter Chicken, rice and carrots.

Tuesday

The small bag of leftover roast beef in the fridge freezer, along with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. Probably make gravy to go along with this meal.

Wednesday

Cabbage rolls, green beans.

Thursday

Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Friday

Fish fillets from the fridge freezer, fries from the fridge freezer and peas.

Saturday

The last two smoked hamburgers along with hashbrowns, and baked beans.

Sunday

Roast Chicken, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and roasted rutabaga or perhaps parsnips. 

This will clear a little out of the fridge and chest freezer. Each week I am going to try and use things up and get ready for more soup making and batch cooking come the end of this month. I also need the room for baking those treats for Christmas.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Questions

 

Life is slowing down slightly, but raising more questions. First though I thought I should perhaps say that while I was upset with Michael's being a bit of a mess when I visited this time, I tried to remember that when shipments come in they are sometimes hard to get put away before the customers arrive. Also, while I would love a Hobby Lobby, Canada does not have that store. We used to have a Lewiscraft, but that closed down when Michael's arrived. 

Walmart used to have a large fabric and craft area, but that has closed as well. I have been searching for online stores and for small independent shops but there are very few in my area. The search will continue though.

Now I have a question for all of you. There are rumblings on various social media that the war with Iran will be getting much worse. That the United States is moving towards a major attack and that we should start preparing by stocking food and water, perhaps even medicines. The U.K. and Europe are doing so at speed. 

Now I do stock up for bad weather in the winter. Heck I will admit I try to stay stocked up at all times in case of shortages (like we had during our flooding a few years back and the Covid situation), but never out of fear of a coming war. I know there are lots of fearmongers out in the online world, but when the governments of countries are saying stock up that is something totally different. 

Years ago my government stated that we should have supplies for three days, which I am pretty sure most Canadians already have. 

I have also heard from various Bloggers that they have been getting comments like you can stock up, but if they, themselves have need of it they will just take it. Will be become like animals preying on each other if worse comes to worse? Will there be no humanity left in the world?

What if anything have any of you heard.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. Don't let my questions and ramblings get to you.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

This has been a cold and dreary week. We were lucky enough to have sun when we went to the city and visited Kris, but since then dark clouds, cold, snow and rain. The weather predictions keep changing and who knows what the children will have for the fun on Saturday.

However it has been a great week for using things up. Thrifty and frugal were very easy to follow this week.

Being such a cold day staying home and not spending cash was very easy. Spent enough of my savings envelope (saved allowances that I consider spent when I get it) while stocking up on some craft items for the upcoming winter. 

I have finished processing all the garden harvest, froze a few items before they went off in the fridge. I just have some cauliflower to freeze tomorrow.

I have been baking bread and buns. The recipe I use only contains water, flour, oil, sugar, yeast, and salt. It is nice to know what is in the bread we eat.

I darned a couple of pairs of socks, fixed a hem on a pair of pants, and added another item to the donation pile.

Been making sure the washer, dishwasher and dryer are full before using them. 

Lights are being turned off in rooms not in use.

Dressing in layers if I feel cold instead of turning up the heat. Seems to be working very well, especially as darkness falls and a slight chill enters the house. 

Using up all leftovers, and this week will be one where I have an added meatless meal. I made a Lentil Casserole and there are leftovers. 

This is also a week where I am bringing up items to use from the chest freezer. This week was some chopped frozen peppers, and tomorrow I am looking for some grated zucchini. Keep your fingers crossed that I manage to find some. 

Getting my exercise steps in and have started to add a few more stretches (as well as steps). 

Drapes are closed once the sky darkens. It really helps with the retention of heat.

Cleaned some jars to make various mixes for the Christmas baskets. I will make some for me a bit later. 

Did my menu planning for next month and set up a cleaning list and project list.

Found some new recipes to try, and will look for some bean recipes over the next few days. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

 

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 A dark and dreary day here with a couple of surprises. It seems like the weather pundits were correct in what they predicted.

The weather channel said that at 2 pm the rain would hit and surprisingly it actually did. It was also predicted that the rain would contain snow.... Making it more sleet than rain. Next they said that this would happen.

And it did. The snow is supposed to fall off and on for the next 3 hours now and more will fall over the evening and night. 

Both Harvey and I got out early and got as much done as we could before the rain and snow hit. I am hopeful that there will be a slight warm up next week with some sunshine so we can get more of the yard cleaned up before winter. But what will be, will be I suppose.

I made up the menus for next month and I am hoping to use up lots of the bits and bobs in the fridge freezer and clearing some more items out of the chest freezer that need to be used. 

The weather is playing havoc right now with my back so I hope once the cold and snow settle in things will be better, or at least a bit more manageable with my mint salve and comfrey salves. As it stands right now I end up sitting for awhile, standing for awhile and then walking around the house. One good thing is I am getting all my steps in for sure over the next little while.

Did a bit more decluttering and organizing, but with the weather being so blah, I will probably get a great deal more done this week. 

Not too sure how many children will be out trick or treating as of course the weather forecast says cold and rainy. It is so hard to believe that this month is almost gone....

Many projects on the list that did not get accomplished, but I am hopeful of getting at least one or two done (finished off) by the end of the month. I did get some meatless meals looked up and plan on looking up a few more. I did work on the Christmas baskets, and have almost finished the garden produce. Been organizing and tidying the sewing/craft room as well and could probably finish that very soon.

In other words just the typical life I have been leading since retirement.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless. 

Menu Monday

 Wow, the last week of October is here. I will be starting to pull ready meals a bit more often as I need to get Christmas candy and baking done. I also need to get some mixes made to add to Kurt's and Kris's baskets and make some gifts for Hubby... Though what I can make for Harvey I don't really know right now. I will figure something out though.

So meals this week are a mix of ready meals, and using up leftovers to make new meals.

Monday

Chili and toast. Ready meal pulled from chest freezer.

Tuesday

Leftover turkey made into a casserole. Served with a salad.

Wednesday

A Lentil casserole hopefully or perhaps a lentil, chickpea stew. I have so many red lentils (heck green and brown as well) that need to be used up.

Thursday

Leftovers from Tuesday along with the leftover salad.

Friday

Leftovers from Wednesday and any remaining salad, or I will make a frozen veggie up to have as a side if necessary.

Saturday

Soup and egg salad sandwiches. It is Halloween so something easy and able to finish quickly.

Sunday

Ham Pasties from the freezer. Another ready meal to clear out a bit of room.

So the meals for next week are figured out and there were absolutely no changes. 

I will be working on the next month's menus this week, as well as planning some batch cooking days towards the end of the month, just so there is a replacement of food in the freezers ready to heat and serve. I do kind of a beef day, a pork day, a ground meat day, chicken day and then a soup day. 

Fitting in the other baking as well as my regular bread baking and a few sweets for Harvey as well. I really love how my house smells at this time of year. Cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh bread and nothing smells better. Well unless it is the pine smells of a real Christmas tree.

Off to set my table and then visit with all of you.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Friday And In The City

 

We made it to the city and I managed to get a bit of shopping done before we arrived at Kris's place.

I was a bit disappointed in Michael's this time around. Way too much still in boxes and taking up room in the middle of the aisles. Was quite hard to move around the store.

Since I got my shots yesterday and didn't sleep very well, I will be heading to bed very soon.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

 Thrifty and Frugal

The week has passed by very quickly. I have been busy finishing up the tomatoes and pumpkins. Only three more pumpkins and I have gotten them all processed. 

We are not too sure if the ground cherries are going to survive. It is getting pretty cold at night and soon will be well below freezing. Nothing seems to be ripening on the plants. Could be a failure this year.

Now what frugal and thrifty things have been happening here on the old homestead.

I bought 2 on sale beef roasts, as when I looked at the on sale stew meat realized the roasts were actually less expensive. So one roast was cut into cubes for stew. A cost savings of $10.00, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Pretty much all of my groceries and other shopping was either store brand or on sale. Still the cost was eyewatering but I am sure my next shop will be much less as I am pretty well stocked right now.

The usual hanging of clothing on the lines downstairs.

Mended a blanket that was given to me last Christmas by Kris.

Stretching most meals into a second dinner or at least a lunch for one of us.

Still making sure everything that uses electricity, like the oven, dishwasher, and washer are completely full before using them.

I have been using the electric roaster a great deal, as well as my air fryer. Next up is to get the slow cooker into the rotation a bit more. 

Planning what things I really need for my crafting and sewing this winter. I need some warp material, some embroidery thread, batting for quilts, some solid quilting fabric, some flannelette to make some pj's for myself for winter wear, and some interfacing (actually lots of interfacing if I want to try and make some tote bags for sale). There is a great sale at both the stores where I purchase these things so hopefully the expense will not be too bad. 

Reading some financial blogs and watching some frugal living YouTube channels. Interesting what many people are doing. 

Took the cans and bottles in to the recycling center for some cash.

Harvey started some Pinot which will be ready before Christmas.

Almost finished the first aid kits, just have to put in some of my thin rubber gloves to get them done.

Once again combined errands to save on fuel and wear/tear on the vehicle.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.