Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

I am going to start off this post by saying while we were over total budget, it was only by just over a dollar. Most of the spending was on fuel for our holiday. Surprisingly, I was quite a bit under budget for groceries. That probably will not be the case this month as I plan on purchasing some Christmas gifts and doing a stock up for the winter and all the holidays it seems to contain around this house. 

Now on to the promised photos of our trip. I am going to apologize now for the format some of them will be in. Uploading from my phone it seemed that I could not get them saved the way I really wanted them to be. 

We left right on time heading west. It was going to be a return journey as well to the area we lived in for awhile and where our youngest son was born.

The day started off very sunny and there was very little wind. As the day progressed it did get cloudier and the wind picked up making it feel pretty cool.

Just outside of Assiniboia we came across a windmill farm. So interesting as this was something totally new to the two of us. It was not there when we left Shaunavon and traveled this road back to Estevan. You will need to click on the picture to make it bigger.

Definitely going to have to click on these to make them bigger. The first is the lot that we had our mobile home on in Shaunavon. Some of the lots are pretty much junk heaps but there are few that have been kept up not too badly. There was a mule deer in front of that trailer in our old lot. One took off before I could get a picture. 

The next is the hospital where Kris was delivered. Seems much smaller now. 

The last is the school where both Kurt and our daughter spent 3 and 1 year respectively.

Then it was off to the Cypress Hills. 

We did pass the oilfield that Harvey worked in and he told me a story about this "bench".

He was told by his boss of the time that if ever in the winter he saw dark clouds over the bench to get out of the field. It can get very stormy and his boss ignored the clouds causing him to be storm stayed in the shack for a couple of days. Harvey always left the area at the first sign of a storm.

Went through Eastend, the home of a T-Rex. We would have stopped to visit the museum, but of course it was closed. 

Went past a small portion of Grasslands National Park, next time we will visit there. Day trip time as we can always travel up to the Trans Canada and head to Regina for the night. Well, provided we leave early enough. 

Turning north at around Consul, we headed towards our destination, Cypress Hills Provincial Park.

We arrived just after 4 and so could check into our cabin. Hmm, and they said a "rustic cabin". Not quite what I would call them.

 

Perhaps the outside, but man the inside, not in the least rustic.  

There were two bedrooms with queen sized beds. This is just one of them.

A bathroom with an actual tub.

A cozy living room and a fair sized kitchen.

The first night we rested by the firepit and enjoyed the quiet. 

More to come tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

The end of the month is upon us. I am going to try very hard to use up leftovers this October. I may also try to make some big batches of chili, soup, and some perogies to freeze. Perhaps if cabbage is really inexpensive at some point I will make the families favourite Cabbage Bread. 

So what are my menus for this week.....

Monday 

Hotdogs, pasta, sliced cukes. 

Tuesday

Some leftover chicken will be made into a casserole, or perhaps Chicken Pot Pie. I should be able to use up the leftover gravy as well. 

Wednesday

Still trying to use up the Hamburger Patties from the reunion so that will be our meal tonight. Serving this with fries and a salad.

Thursday

Leftovers from Tuesday.

Friday

Got to use up the fish sticks and will serve those with rice and the remains of the salad from Wednesday.

Saturday

Pork chops, mashed potatoes, the remainder of the frozen mixed veggies.

Sunday

Our usual roast meal. This time beef with roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, and a salad of some kind.

I plan on making a couple of desserts this week as the weather cools we find ourselves craving something sweet after our meals. I have made muffins for breakfasts and will be making two small cakes (one for the freezer) and perhaps a couple of quick squares that I can also stick half in the freezer. Harvey would love for me to make another batch of Pumpkin Blachenta and I might break down and make some on the weekend. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

The past month has been a whirlwind of trying to get things caught up. 

After our get away (pictures to come in another post or two), I was busy getting the garden harvested and the produce processed. I did manage to finish freezing the beans and some of the ripe tomatoes. I also managed to make my lavender salve and start the mint infused oil. Of course there was the usual unpacking and laundry to do. I did manage all that and even got more mitts knitted.

Then the cell phone beeped with a text from my sister. She said that she could get away to visit the aunts in two days....and asked if that was okay with me. We would go up on Monday and visit with one aunt and family and then go back to Yorkton, stay the night and visit with the other and our brothers the next day. This text came on a Friday and of course I said yes, even though it meant working all out to get even more produce either frozen or dehydrated as well as some household tasks done. 

I worked full out those days, not getting to knit until late in the evening (this has put me behind on the number of mitts I wanted made) and leaving a few things to be completed when we got back. Pictures of this trip will be following in a post or two later on. 

Got home late on Tuesday and crawled into bed. 

I worked like a mad woman on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Things kind of slowed down on Saturday, but not by much and the same can be said for today. There was bread to be baked, desserts/muffins to be made, rooms to clean and even more laundry to do (where does that all come from). I had rooms to tidy, and dusting, as well as vacuuming, sweeping the floors and watering the very thirsty flowers. I did not have to do dishes though as Harvey did manage those as well as using up all the leftovers in the fridge. 

I now feel as if I am almost caught up and can take a deep breath, relax and visit with all of you. 

Tasks left to do today are finishing watering the plants in the front, make pumpkin muffins, and of course knit those mitts. I can then work non stop on the quilt, and finish all the dehydrating that needs to be done (mostly herbs and peppers). 

The veggie garden thanks to Harvey is almost cleaned up, and I can work on getting the flowers cleared out and one replanted throughout the coming weeks. 

Life should slow down some now, which I am really looking forward to. It seems the older I get, the longer things take to accomplish.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

I am happy to say that 

Oh Dear, It Has Been Awhile

 

Just to let you all know I am doing very well, busy, but doing very well. I will explain next post about what has been happening here on the Old Homestead. It really has been an extremely busy month here and right now things don't look like they are slowing down that much.

I really don't like feeling so behind, but things happen and what is a person to do. I hope to visit a few of you tonight, but if I don't I promise to visit tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Tidbits And Stuff

 

Just a quick post. I know I have been absent for awhile, but this post should show you why.

Yet more beans picked. This is the third batch this week, so lots of freezing, eating and packaging to take to Kris's place.

Green pepper, jalapeno peppers, and an eggplant. Made another Parma, chopped the jalapeno and green peppers and got them into the dehydrator.

Made some salsa.

Made Sweet Cucumber Relish.

Finished weaving, and hemming the rug.

Started the wedding gift quilt.

And of course knit more mittens, dehydrated more herbs, and have the Black Hungarian Peppers in the dehydrator right now. 

I made packing lists, worked on getting things put back where they need to be, and of course did the regular household tasks. 

Still to do.... Bake some cookies and some muffins for our trip and do regular tasks around the house. 

I really believe that I will crash and spend much of our get away sound asleep. Probably will need that desperately by that time.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

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.