Cooler Mornings

 

I am loving the cooler mornings, hot coffee or tea chases the chill away and gets me moving. 

What also gets me moving is knowing that this above freezing temperatures will not last forever, frost is surely coming. That means getting as much done in the garden as is possible, and getting the house ready for winter's chilly, snowy days. 

I am hoping to get most of the garden in before we leave, and once back I believe Harvey will do a bit of cleaning up of the yard, and winterizing the house. Definitely some new caulking around windows and doors as well as some replacement of door sweeps. 

I am still working on stocking up just in case we have an icy or blizzardy winter. Our street gets drifted in badly when we have a storm so being prepared for that type of weather is a must. 

I also think about making a couple more quilts for us, getting batteries, purchasing more candles, and making sure I have enough fuel for our camp stove. Our power has been known to go off for hours and being able to make a cup of instant coffee, or have a bowl of soup would be wonderful. Heck a person can even do a roast on a camp stove in a dutch oven. This is the time of year that we make sure our phones are fully charged every day, and that our laptops are as well (you can add in the fully charged ereader as well). 

Meals will become much hardier, as the winter weather draws in. I need to stock up on some turnips, kohlrabi, carrots, and cabbage. I am going to add some squash in here as well. Can easily store squash and such in the cold room and the kohlrabi, carrots, can be made freezer ready. 

I am planning on taking some of our extra garden produce up to Kris so that he can try out his pressure canner. Mostly beans and probably a few tomatoes as well. While we are visiting I will check out the cost of a large bag of carrots and perhaps purchase that for him as well. I think I may cut some herbs to take to him as well to dehydrate. 

Kurt on the other hand will need to take ready canned or dehydrated things home at Thanksgiving. I am also worried that a strike will take place in his province. They have never had one before, but have been without a contract for awhile, and Danielle Smith, much like Scott Moe, would prefer people to send their children to a "Christian" school. That does not include Catholic Schools where Kurt teaches. 

I have spent some time trying to get my friend here in the city to prepare for winter. Usually she says she wants to do just that, but her husband butts in and says there is nothing to worry about..... Yes there is. These are the same couple that seem to always be "broke" before the end of the month when all their pensions arrive. I have given up, I am no longer going to even try. 

I was asked by Magpie if I was the person dehydrating tomato skins and yes I am. I use the powder to add flavour to soups and roasts. I would love to have more ideas on how to use the powder if you have them. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

 It has been a busy two days here on the Phillips homestead. My counter top is slowly being taken over by cucumbers. I have enough dill pickles to last for the next year and the same could be said for the relish that my husband loves. I am on my last jar of sweet relish so I could make some more of that I suppose. Oh yeah, I have enough bread and butter pickles as well. Hard to believe how many cukes we have gotten from just 4 plants. 

I was asked about Saskatoon Pie Filling. Saskatoons are a berry that grows mostly on the prairies and is kind of our answer to blueberries. Those (blueberries) don't grow very well on the southern prairies, saskatoons on the other hand grow all over. 

This is what they look like.

They are sometimes called service berries.

So what frugal and thrifty things have we been up to this week here.

1.  Put $45.00 in the savings envelope. I need to put my change in the change jar yet.

2.  Cleared all the leftovers out of the fridge except for the soup which I will have for lunch tomorrow.

3.  Walked to get our allowances.

4.  Froze 8 bags of green beans, 6 bags of carrots, and dehydrated many herbs. I also made another container of Eggplant Parma for the freezer.

5.  The usual, lights off in rooms not in use, hanging all clothing on the outside lines, using what we have, and vacuum sealing jars with dry goods now that I have the attachment to do so. I have saved the containers the dry goods were in and will be giving them to either Kurt or Kris. If they don't want them I may use some of them for freezing and donate the rest. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

The day started off so foggy that I could not see down the hill into the valley. My morning walk was a bit eerie as you couldn't see the other walkers until they were almost right on top of you. 

Once home from that, I headed out to the garden to pick. Figured I would start with the beans and then move to other fresh items. Big mistake as the bowl quickly filled with green beans. Probably missed a bunch, but I did get enough to freeze 4 bags and put away some to go with one of our meals this week.

After getting the beans processed and a bit of the household cleaning tasks completed, I headed back out to the garden. I picked an eggplant, some jalapeno peppers and some green bell peppers. Those are still waiting for me to decide on what to do with them. 

 I also picked some more of the never ending supply of cucumbers. I need to look up some cuke recipes, I could dehydrate them, but I did that once before and cucumber chips are not my favourite thing to snack on I found.

I think that after supper I may head out and pick tomatoes. Perhaps Salsa making will take place either tomorrow or Thursday. Got to get Harvey to pull some onions.

So in other words just the usual wash, rinse and repeat day here on the old homestead, especially at this time of the year. 

I am getting very close to having the rug finished. I will post a picture of the finished project very soon. The loom will then be put away so I can work on some sewing projects for awhile. 

Decluttering with a purpose is continuing and I am hopeful of making quite the dent in stash items when I make gifts for this Christmas, and I would like to have a couple of house warming gifts made as well. 

Supper tonight will be Broccoli Cheese Soup and there should be enough leftover ham steak to make some ham salad sandwiches. I have some sweet relish to use up and that makes a nice addition to any ham salad I make. Was going to make tuna salad sandwiches, but I need to work on using up the bits and bobs a bit more. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

I only did two weeks of menus this time (and a day when we will get back). Hopefully I can follow these without too many changes.

Monday

BBQ Ham Steak, tinfoil potatoes, green beans, and cream cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers. 

Tuesday

Soup and sandwiches. I brought up a container of Broccoli Cheese soup and will make tuna sandwiches to go along with that.

Wednesday

Hot dogs, baked beans and probably some macaroni and cheese. Then of course the sliced tomatoes and cukes.

Thursday

Chili and toast. Once again using a container from the freezer.

Friday

Lazy perogies, sliced cucumber and tomatoes.

Saturday

The last two smoked hamburgers from the freezer, tinfoil potatoes, and sliced cukes, tomatoes and the fixings for the burgers.

Sunday

Beef Roast, roasted potatoes and roasted carrots. Then as another side the never ending sliced cukes and tomatoes.

I have been using up the leftovers in the fridge for my lunches and there are just a few items left to use. Probably be some from this week, but I will keep working on getting things cleared out.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Woke up to a lovely cool morning. Now not so cool, in fact it got really warm, with even more heat to arrive over the next couple of days. Hard to believe that it is September and winter is just around the corner. 

There was hardly anyone at Mass today, but I suppose that it being the last nice long weekend people went camping or to visit relatives. Both Harvey and I said that it is getting more difficult to understand the sermon given by the priest. It isn't that we don't listen or sit in a place we can't hear.... Still this is something we really need to work on as I am very sure that the little I do understand tells me those sermons are excellent and well thought out. 

After Mass we decided to go out for brunch. Now supper will be very light. No pork casserole here, just pork warmed up, and sliced fresh veggies with either salt and pepper or perhaps some dressing. 

Slowly but surely working on the rug. I am getting very close to being finished the weaving part, but I want to use my serger to serge the ends and do some hemming around the whole thing. That will need to be done before washing and blocking. Hope to have it done before we leave on our get away. 

We will be stopping at Kris's place on the way back for a couple of days. There are a few things I want to pick up at Fabricland, and Michael's before winter hits. I am hoping to find some linen yarn to weave some dish towels with in the new year. If not I may just make some placemats and some fabric to make myself another wrap. After that I might just make another rug as a gift for a friend.

Off to cut up (slice) some tomatoes to go along with the pork and sliced cukes and green peppers. Then a visit with all of you, or perhaps a visit first and meal prep after.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

How in the heck did this month go by so quickly. 

I will share a few pictures with you of what I have been doing. There is lots more being accomplished, but I won't bore you with what has been happening.

More stripes done on the rug. Getting very close to being ready to wash, block and sew some hems on.

Calendula salve made. Mint infused oil started.

Five eggplant parma made. We had one for supper last night and the rest are in the freezer. 

I ordered and got an attachment for my vacuum sealer and now I can do jars. I have done a couple and am totally amazed at how well it works. I will be doing lots more of my dry storage this way, especially my herbs. 

I have frozen beans, and carrots today. Worked on getting the budget up to date (under on almost every line, except for groceries). Made saskatoon pie filling, made blueberry pie filling, used up some leftovers in the fridge for our lunches and of course knit another few pairs of mitts. 

The Weather Network posted something about the Old Farmer's Almanac saying this area is going to have a very wet winter. Not snowy, but wet. To me this means lots of icy roads. Do I like icy roads? Not in the least, so I will be doing some more stocking up on dry goods and such. This does cause me to be a bit over budget on my grocery line, but I have a feeling that it is better to be stocked and off the roads. 

Off to get supper finished (things are just starting to cook) and visit you all between checking on things. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

It has been a fairly thrifty week even with my going shopping at the beginning of the week. I had my list, lots of items were on sale, and I stuck to my list even if my eyes strayed once in awhile to a goodie or two. Walked right on by.

I portioned up the meat once home and used my FoodSaver in order to do so. 

The garden is producing lots of cucumbers, tomatoes and now bigger handfuls of beans so those are supplementing our evening meals and many of our lunches.

Baked two small loaves of bread and man are they staying nice and moist. I will have to bake a couple tomorrow and will put one in the freezer. 

Leftovers are being used up (by me of course as Harvey seems to forget they are available) for lunches. 

I wanted a lighter grey fabric for the quilt, and found some in my stash.... Decluttered with a purpose as this quilt is a wedding gift for one of Kurt's good friends. 

Have been working on the weaving and enjoying seeing yarn being used up as well. Maggie, I never thought of using rubberized shelf covering for the bottom to make the rug non-skid. Thanks so much for the idea.

Mittens are using up even more of my yarn stash and the bits and bobs that are left will be used in another project I have in my mind. 

Some of the blueberries from last year have now been made into pie filling, and I think I will make a couple of loaves and more muffins with the remaining berries.

Tomorrow's menu has been changed to Eggplant Parma and I will be making some for the freezer as well.

Tomatoes need to be blanched, peeled and frozen so will be adding more to the three packages I did a couple of days ago. 

Walking for exercise and enjoying the cooler mornings.

Fixed a hem on a pair of my pants that was coming down.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.