Thursday, December 30, 2021

A Calm Snowy Day and Silver Linings

 




      I took the picture above this morning.  It is of my side garden with the high sided raised beds my hubby built be.  Those bumps you see in the lower bed are my kale plants blanketed with snow.  I love looking out at this scene.


   From what I read online, the roads were horrible this morning with some even being shut down.  Many places opened late and are closing early today since round two of the snow is hitting us now this afternoon.  I am so glad I had Jeff take my car today.  They are calling for even more snow coming in next week on top of all of this with no melt off, so thing might get interesting.  I'm thinking Jeff may end up having to take the truck to work at some point.  Things could be worse, my brother and his family had their flight back home to Seattle cancelled on Monday and they ended up having some extra time in Montana.  He just posted, that after another delay in flights, they are finally going to get to go home today.  Now he just has to deal with trying to get home from the airport to his house.  Seattle is not prepared for these kinds of snowstorms that have been hitting.


   The cats and I are cuddled up all snuggly warm on the couch.  I have beautiful music playing in the background and I am watching the snowflakes gently twirl as they make their way to the ground.  The chores I had lined up for today are done and since our cell phone service is spotty in bad weather, there are no phone calls coming in, nor going out.  There are many other things that I could be doing but I am choosing to just enjoy the calm and peace that I feel in my home and in my heart right now.  I am also choosing to continue to make my goal for this coming year to find the silver linings in all situations that at first may seem bad or limiting.  I have had to practice that a lot lately, and it has really helped my attitude and level of gratefulness.  In all things, give thanks. 😊 


  


   



Friday, December 24, 2021

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/24/21

    



   Here it is Christmas Eve and we are settled in as the snow softly falls outside.  Meanwhile, In Oregon, my cousin is hunkered down as he awaits a huge snow squall bringing up to 10 inches to his front door.  I'm glad we are here, even if we are going to be getting down into the single digits and below in the coming weeks.  I'm very much looking forward to spending time with friends and family both this weekend and this coming week.  Now onto the saving:


Weekend:

*I'm including the the first 4 things we did Friday night into the weekend thread because I had already posted my last FFWU post before we headed into town after Jeff got home Friday night:

~Jeff and I went out to dinner and I brought half of my dinner home since I could not eat it all.

~We went to Target and used gift cards to buy the following: 2 candles (gifts for loved ones), 2 bottles of maximum strength store brand Musinex (We needed to have this on hand in case we end up sick with anything upper respiratory. Omicron variant is hitting our state hard right now.), and 2 boxes of Angel Food cake mix.

~We went to Old Navy to browse their clearance racks and found 3 shirts for a total of $2.03.  You can't beat that price!

~Winco was our last stop of the night to pick up a few needed items.  While there I found some of my favorite Krab salad marked down (sell by date Dec. 20th) so I picked some of that up as well, along with a Dutch apple pie that I baked as soon as we got home.  With grain and wheat shortages being reported and the cost of fertilizer going through the roof, I know that some farmers are not going to be able to afford to plant all their crops this coming year.  Therefore I bought another 50 pound bag of unbleached flour to have on hand.  I go through a lot of flour and I wanted to get it before the prices go even higher.

*Now back to the actual weekend doings:

~Our two oldest grandboys, Bradley and Isaiah, came to spend the night.  They came bearing a gift of cherry chip cinnamon rolls from their mom.  YUM!

~We worked on a puzzle that I got at Goodwill, they hot tubbed with G-pa and we watched a movie on Disney + before they headed to bed.

~We had popcorn with the movie and dinner was homemade chicken noodle soup.  They had never had chicken noodle soup before which really surprised me.

~Sunday morning found G-pa making the boys pancakes while Grammie slept in.  We got about 4 1/2 inches of snow overnight and it was so heavy and wet that I feared we might lose power.  Chris told us that only one lane of the road was plowed coming out to our town.  Apparently we only have 2 snowplow drivers now for our county.  It is going to be a bad winter for driving.

~The boys had so much fun wrapping their gifts and writing notes to their parents. :)  I had bought gifts for all the boys here to give to their parents...it is something that thrills them to bits to be able to do.

~Jeff's disk in his lower back swelled up and put him in a lot of pain.  I had him get himself set up on the couch and watch bowling since it is the only way I know to help him take his mind off the pain.

~We skipped Jeff's company Christmas party since the roads in our county are not good.  I took a nap instead while Jeff rested his back.

~In the evening, we watched an Andy Williams Christmas Special from 1966.  It brought back so may memories for both Jeff and I since it was a tradition in both our households growing up to watch these each year.




Monday:

~Woke up to snow, snow and more snow!  My entertainment for the morning was watching the squirrels gather and eat the seeds from the pods that fell out of the big tree out front.  I think I get a bigger kick out of watching them than my cats do.

~I had Jeff drop off some movies at the library on his way out of town this morning.  I don't like to drive in the snow and I am afraid of slipping on the ice under the snow if I had to walk down the steep hill to get to the library.

~My neighbor needed a can of diced tomatoes and luckily I had some on hand that she could have.

~In need of a comforting meal on a snowy day, I made colcannon with kielbasa.  It is not something I had made before but it sure sounded good so I went ahead and tried it. It turned out great!

 


Tuesday:

~I woke up with lots of pain in my knees.  My inner barometer is telling me that a new storm system is coming in.  I don't even need to check the weather forecast online. 

~I called Walmart about my prescription to see if it was ready.  We went over my other prescriptions and found that I can refill one of my others now as well so that I don't have to make another trip in later in the week.  Jeff is going to make the loop and swing through Pullman on his way home tonight to pick them up.  This will save us on time and gas.

~I decided against making all the candy this year for Christmas.  The only thing my kids and my sweet hanai family members keep asking for is the cranberry orange bread, so that is going to be what I make for gifts.

~We had leftovers for dinner.

~Josh sent us a video of our littlest grandson, who just turned 1 a week ago, walking!  That boy just took off and kept on going!  We video chatted with them all later in the evening and got to see our silly little boy enjoying bath time and being his goofball self.  He recognizes us via video chat and smiles and waves to us.  This just made our evening!




Wednesday:

~Since the roads were clear from snow and ice today, I decided to chance it and take a drive so I do not go stir crazy before the super bad and cold weather keeps me locked in the house for weeks on end.

~First stop was the library where I picked up 2 books and a movie, "The Last Champion", that was partially filmed in our little town.  I can't wait to settle in with Jeff and watch it.  I'm thinking Christmas Eve night would be the perfect time to do so.

~Next, I headed into Pullman, WA and stopped at Walmart.  I picked up some reduced priced and some hard to find items (who knew that canned tamales would be impossible to find for over a year, but I got some today.  I also found a food container set for $5 in the clearance section that I added to my gift stash.

~The Grocery Outlet did not let me down.  I found lots of marked down meats there also and froze most of them.  I picked up some treat type items also, because everybody needs treats. 😃

~I took the package of beautiful boneless pork chops that I found at the Grocery Outlet and made my rice and pork chop baked casserole for dinner.  We had a salad with this.  The pork chops cost me a little over $2 on sale and I had everything else I needed for the rest of dinner here at home.

~Once the groceries were all put away and the pork chop and rice casserole were in the oven, I got busy on some laundry.  I then settled in and had a glass of wine while I waited for Jeff to get home. I also put the Christmas tree lights on and had soothing Christmas music softly playing in the background. It was a busy day for me and I earned it.




Thursday:

~Despite having some not so fun eye problems, I still was able to make 8 loaves of cranberry orange bread.

~I felt bad for my hubby, who is not a fan of cranberry orange bread, so I made 3 loaves of banana bread also.  I think hanai son #4 (Lee) will be here for Christmas (staying with his father), so I had to have my banana bread made for him also.  He loves it and I make him a loaf every time he is home.

~I had leftovers for lunch.

~I made sure that the hot tub was serviced and ready to go for Jeff and I over the weekend.

~I am really dehydrated so I am pushing myself to drink lots of water and a full bottle or Powerade today.

~Dinner was some veggie fries from Nosh (Jeff and I both loved them) along with Swiss cheese and bacon sausages (also really good).




Friday:

~Jeff's workday ended at noon and they had a catered lunch brought in for all the employees.  Jeff also was blessed with a bonus, a gift card and a rather nice cost of living raise!

~I made homemade mac and cheese for Christmas.  I had leftover sauce so I made broccoli cheese soup too!  So good!

~We watched a Christmas movie.

~Our amazing neighbors decorated their ATV's and four wheeler with lots of lights and drove through town honking their horns and bringing lots of joy to everyone! 

~Since tomorrow is going to be really busy, Jeff and I called my cousin Jeremy to wish him a Merry Christmas early.  We miss him dearly!


   I've included two snack bread recipes here that I love and make for  our family and included pictures of here.  As you can see, the banana bread recipe is very well loved!  I do hope that all that read my blog and the wonderful friends that I have made here in the blog world have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!  May you all be blessed!











 






Friday, December 17, 2021

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/13/21

 


   Am I the only one who starts to really look back on the past year when Christmas is coming closer?  I am so thankful for all the blessings that we have had!  The most wonderful was being able to spend time with my parents, brother, my cousin, and our kids and grandkids again.  My cousin Jeremy moved to Oregon this Fall and we miss him dearly, but he and I still keep in touch via Facebook and frequent phone calls.  I am so thankful for the time we did have face to face to really get to know each other and for him to become fully integrated into our family.  It was a huge "gift" to all of us to build those bonds that can never be broken.  My grandma would be so happy to know that her grandchildren have built that strong bond after not having that in our childhood years due to not seeing each other.  Other than Jeremy's mother and brother, we are the only blood relatives he has left in the world.  I know that we all treasure our relationships with each other now.   


   Now onto those frugal doings for the week!...

Saturday:

~Jeff and I stayed home.  He desperately needed a calm and restful day.  

~I made French Dip sandwiches for dinner.  They were so yummy and I had au jus leftover that I will use in another meal.

~We watched several Christmas movies.  I popped up some popcorn and cut up some apples to snack on while we enjoyed our movies.

~I washed all the sheets and then Jeff remade the beds.


Sunday:

~We had a pizza that we pulled out of the freezer for lunch.

~We headed into Moscow, Idaho to pick up a Christmas gift for one of our sons.  Our family draws names and we each buy for that person.  Jeff got one of our sons and I got our Heather.  I already bought her gift, but Jeff still needed to get a gift for our son.  While at the mall, we stopped at Bath and Body Works where I used a coupon to get a free full sized body care item.  I found a new body spray fragrance that I love, so I got that to add to my collection.

~We headed up to Goodwill where I found a beautiful Christmas pillow, a pair of gnome  pajama pants and a soft shirt.  I also found a brand new sealed package of 10 masks that I will put in the car in case we forget our cloth ones.  We already had to open up one of the other packages when Jeff forgot his cloth mask.

~Our last stop was Winco where we picked up a few needed grocery items.  I also picked up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken because it was cheaper than buying a frozen one! $4.98 is a great price!

~Before heading home, we drove through the neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights and decor.  It is something Jeff and I have done since we first got together so many years ago.  It just brings me so much joy and it's free to do!

~Once we got home, I cooked up some chicken Rice a Roni, made a big Romaine and carrot salad and then cut up the chicken.  It made for a wonderful and easy dinner, and we still have lots of chicken left.


Monday:

~I made 2 loaves of homemade bread.

~The last 2 slices from last week's bread were made into breadcrumbs that went into a nice venison meat loaf for dinner.

~I baked some Russet potatoes and a huge sweet potato alongside the meatloaf.  Since I did this right after baking the bread, I put everything out on the back porch to cool off (it was 38F out there) and then reheated it for dinner.

~The pillow that I bought for $2.99 at Goodwill got a good washing and then popped in the dryer.

~The library had been holding 4 movies that I had ordered for me so I ran down and got them.

~The post office had the new phone books out for anyone that wanted one so I picked up the new one to replace the out of date one that we had here at home.

~Some nice hot tea made for a nice afternoon pick me up.

~I topped off the water in the hot tub since it was getting really low due to evaporation.


Tuesday:

~It was a very overcast day so I cuddled up and got caught up on reading, some paperwork and watched videos on YouTube that taught me new skills or inspired me.

~Dinner was leftovers since I desperately needed to clean out the fridge and make more room in there.



Wednesday:

~This may not be earth shattering or anything, but I seriously resisted going shopping today!  We have waves of snowstorms that will be starting tonight and that always makes me nervous.  Instead of heading in, I texted Jeff and asked him to pick up the two items that I really needed on his way home from work tonight.  Honestly, I really did not NEED anything other than those two items for making meals for the next two weeks.  Saved on gas and impulse buys. 😉

~I tried out a makeup tutorial that I saw on YouTube for us "older women" with hooded eye lids due to our age.  It actually worked and my eyes looked more youthful and bright!

~I went through the depths of my refrigerator and found some questionable eggs and produce.  They are now adding to the compost pile.  Oh the shame of wasted food!  At least they will add to the compost though and not go into the trash can.

~Dinner was chicken carbonara over ziti noodles!  Yum!  It's a great way to use up some of the chicken that I had bought earlier in the week along with some cheese that also needed to be used.  

~I got back to working my points programs once again.


Thursday:

~I made a pot of chicken noodle soup with the leftover chicken carcus and meat, along with some carrots, an onion, celery and noodles.  It was so good on a cold and snowy day.

~I set the pot of soup on the back porch to quickly chill down.

~Jeff took my car to work.  I am glad he did because the snow is getting deeper and he also had bowling tonight.  Taking my car will save us on a towing bill because it is less likely to get stuck or go off the road.

~I worked on Swagbucks for a bit.

~I kept looking at our Christmas tree and thinking it needed something...some bling.  I got out my bags of broken jewelry that I keep for crafting projects and added some of them to my tree.  I love the sparkle it adds and think I may continue doing this from now on.


Friday:

~I woke up feeling very nervous and on edge (this happens with Fibro sometimes) and decided that I was going to be very careful about what I watched on YouTube.  Even some of the titles can trigger a panic attack in me.  I now have beautiful Christmas music playing to help keep me calm so I do not have to resort to medications to help me (hopefully).

~Jeff was able to take his little car to work today which uses less gas than mine.

~Jeff took leftovers for lunch.  I had a bagel.

~Going through some things, I found a series of fun books that I had bought for Bradley a couple of years ago to give to him when he hit that particular reading level.  He is now there so he will get these for his birthday in March. 

~I did not burn the house down!  There was a big spider in my living room (I hate spiders and they have seemed to really want to torture me this year with their presence) and I bravely sprayed it with Raid and then ran away to make sure it did not seek revenge on me.  I keep joking with me husband that I want a blow torch to "take out" those awful arachnids!


   That is about it for this week.  The weekend ahead will be busy with the oldest two grandboys here with us on Saturday night.  I have a craft and a puzzle for us to do together and of course there will be hot tubbing with G-pa!  Grammie avoids the chaos that ensues in the hot tub with the boys. LOL!  We also have Jeff's company Christmas party on Sunday night, which I am also looking forward to.  Be blessed all and I hope in this busy week before Christmas that you all carve out some quiet time to just be able to relax and soak in the beauty and meaning of this special season.















Thursday, December 16, 2021

Snow and Soup Kind of Day

 



      The snow is gently falling outside and starting to cover everything.  There is something so magical about snow falling around Christmas isn't there?  I have Christmas music playing softly in the background which just adds to the whole Winter wonderland and holiday mood.  The snow is expected to keep coming on and off through Christmas too!  I can't wait for my oldest two grandboys, Bradley and Isaiah, to be here this weekend and to help me build a snowman in the front yard.  We are also supposed to head down to the valley on Sunday evening and go to Clarkston, WA for a company Christmas party.  I think we will go the Idaho route for that one to get there since Idaho is much better at keeping their highways maintained during snowy times than Washington state is. Anyway, I am getting off topic again...it's one of those days. 😉


   Snowy weather is equated with hot homemade soup in my mind so I have the rest of the chicken that I had bought at Winco simmering away making a nice chicken broth at the moment.  I will strip the rest of the meat off the bones and add that to the broth, along with some veggies, garlic and noodles, to make a delicious and warming soup.  Jeff and I love homemade chicken noodle soup.  It was not something that he had growing up, they always had canned soups, so he was pretty amazed when he tasted real homemade chicken noodle soup the first time I made it eons ago.  It was something I grew up eating because my mother was, and still is, the queen of making things stretch and not wasting food.  I learned so many important lessons from her while growing up and it is just second nature to me now to throw together all kinds of soups based on what we have handy in our home and what needs to be used up ASAP.  Thank you Mom for imparting your wisdom onto me.


   Tonight we are expecting the temperatures to drop down to 16F.  I'm thinking I may need to add another blanket onto our bed and the guest bed too.  I never know which of the two beds I will end up in.  Last night I slept in our bed and poor Jeff was really restless waking up almost every hour after midnight.  I'm sure he is exhausted today.  I was able to sleep for a long stretch after he left for work and finally got up at 11 a.m..  That is really late in the day for me to get up, but it still only gave me 6 hours of good sleep.  If it is not windy tonight, I may opt for the guest bed if Jeff is having another rough night.  I don't like to sleep in the guest bedroom if the wind is blowing because the front awning makes noises that keep me awake.  Before anyone thinks that there is "trouble in my marriage" because I sometimes sleep in the guest bedroom, I can assure you that we are fine.  It is just that some nights either one of us can be really restless and toss and turn for the majority of the night keeping the other from getting good sleep.  Patchy cat loves the nights that I sleep in the guest bedroom because she joins me in there and cuddles up to sleep.  Midgy's domain is our bedroom and bed, so it is rare that Patchy will come up there unless it is a really cold night and both Jeff and I are sleeping in there.  Then she will risk the wrath of her sister to come snuggle up next to me while Midgy remains near Jeff's feet.  There has been more than one occasion where a cat fight has taken place over the top of Jeff and I when they have decided to go at it.  UGGGG! 


    I want to end this post by saying that my heart aches for and goes out to all those who lost loved ones, their homes and businesses in this awful weather that has been hitting our nation here in the USA.  I have friends who have had damage to their homes also.  My love and prayers are with them all.




   


    

Monday, December 13, 2021

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/10/21

 


Weekend:

~We got the Christmas tree up and decorated with some of the ornaments that we had easy access to.

~Jeff got the outdoor lights up.

~I used Christmas gift bags that I got on clearance last year to wrap this year's gifts in.

~Two loaves of homemade sandwich bread were made.

~Bradley and Isaiah had their Christmas dance recital, and they did so well!  It is a joy to watch them dance and their Grandma Tammy is a great teacher!

~Jeff and I went to Winco to pick up a few items. We were floored by steep rise in costs on some items. I scratched some of the "want" items off my list and decided that there was no way I was paying such a high price for them.

~I had picked up a beautiful sweater (Chico's brand) at the thrift store in Montana.  It had some stains on it that I thought I could get out, so I had chanced it for $2.  I was able to get the stains out with presoaking them with Oxiclean and then washing it.

~I made a salmon loaf for dinner on Sunday along with cilantro lime rice and served canned pears with it.  This was a pantry and refrigerator meal and so quick and easy to make.


Monday:

~It was snowing so it was a perfect day for me to just stay home and work on a few projects around the house.

~I went through all my medications to see what I was due to get refills on and got those called in to Walmart.

~Leftovers for lunch for me and sandwiches for Jeff.

~Dinner was some Zuppa Toscana that I had previously made and frozen.  So easy to just heat up!  I served some crescent rolls with this.


Tuesday:

~I was really good today when we went to Walmart and only got my prescription and a supplement that Jeff needs.

~We had booked our medical appointments back to back and knocked out 3 of them.

~Jeff and I made a pot of decaf coffee and shared it in the evening.


Wednesday:

~I had leftovers for lunch since I did not have the energy to make anything else.  The side effects of our Pfizer booster shot are taking a toll on me with fatigue, muscles aches and a headache.  So far though, there have not been any fever or chills like the second shot had.

~Jeff made us grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.


Thursday:

~I think I am doing better today than I was yesterday.  I still slept until 10 a.m. though after a very restless night. I settled in with a nice cup of coffee and chatted with a friend of mine via Facebook messenger.  She is a nurse in Illinois and told me her hospital is nuts right now. :(

~I made some Udon soup for dinner using green onions and Swiss chard from our garden that I had harvested before the freezing weather hit.  I also added some shrimp and komoboku from the freezer to it.  So good!

~I could not sleep well that night so I got up and made some milk toast using up the homemade bread ends that Jeff does not like for sandwiches.


Friday:

~I did a bit of decor rearranging "just because".

~Once again, I put Christmas music on via YouTube.  I love the calmness it brings to my home on a very cold Winter's day.

~Jeff and I headed into Pullman after he got off work so I could pick up a prescription at Walmart.  While in town, we also went to Grocery Outlet to pick up a few things and found organic Romaine lettuce on sale.  We picked up a package of that and it will give us at least 6 big salads.




Friday, December 3, 2021

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 12/3/21

 


Goofy G-pa and Tate


   Hello again and yes, this is a Frugal Friday Wrap Up!  I really do like doing these to not only remind myself of how I saved money and be able to look back and glean ideas again when my frugal mojo is waning, but to help others find inspiration as well.  Part of our time for this week's frugal doings was spent in Montana where we had Thanksgiving with our son Josh, our Lauren, grandbaby Tate, my brother Fritz and my parents.  It was so wonderful to be able to be together again and see my brother after 2 years, spend time with my parents and of course enjoy time with our Josh and Lauren and to be able to love on our little man Tate.  Oh my goodness, has he got personality plus!  So many precious memories were made and I will cherish them for the rest of my life.  I did forget my camera at my mother's house (she is going to mail it back to me), so there will be no pictures this week. Now onto the frugal doings...


~My mother made turkey and rice soup with the leftover turkey.  It was so good!  I have not had it in years since Jeff prefers turkey noodle soup, so that is what I usually make with any turkey carcus that I have on hand.

~Mom sent me home with some more of her homemade pot scrubbers.  I love them!  She also gave me a beautiful Winter hat that she knit in a lovely teal color...so pretty!

~My mother and I went through her fabric stash and picked out material for 3 cobbler style aprons and 4 sets of 6 napkins.  This is what I really wanted since my favorite apron is now threadbare.  I will be sending it to my mother to use as a pattern to make the new aprons.

~We found matching Montana shirts for Bradley, Isaiah and Steven on sale.  They will get those on Christmas.  We will have them all open them at the same time.  They love to dress alike so this will be fun!

~I found a shirt for Steven, a Chico's sweater and dress for me and a thirty one brand Christmas bag at the thrift store in Bigfork Montana.  I spent under $10 for all of them.

~My mother saw all my pill bottles and how I had to remember what to take in the morning and what to take at night.  She had an extra AM and PM pill case that she gave to me so I can just fill them up at the beginning of the week and not have to worry about it.

~Josh treated the whole family to brunch at our favorite restaurant in Montana the morning that we were leaving to come home.

~Josh also gifted Jeff $60 for gas money for the way home.  He knows we are on a tight budget and wanted to bless us.

~My mother made us our traditional Christmas crepe breakfast while we were there.  I have missed having that on Christmas morning so very much and it was so sweet of her to do that for us!  There were so many crepes left, along with 4 fruit fillings, that she was able to freeze them to have ready when my brother Eric, sweet SIL Christie and my nephews Cade and Eli spend Christmas with my parents and brother Fritz.

~We stopped at the Dollar Tree in CDA on our way home and got lots of 4-packs of plastic containers for me to be able to package up Christmas treats in.  They also had one of my favorite teas that I cannot find at our local Dollar Tree, so I bought several boxes.

~We also stopped at the Winco up there and I found my almond bark that I needed on sale along with some Andes chocolate mint chips that I am thinking of using to make fudge with.  We picked up some bread and milk while we were there, along with apples, bagels, and a few other items.

~Jeff made us grilled cheese on Sourdough bread on Monday night while I unpacked us after the long drive home.

~Tuesday found me at home for the day getting caught up on the mountain of laundry and having my Telemed appointment with my doctor.  I got some meatballs going in the crockpot and added some onions soup mix along with a can of cream of mushroom soup.  Later I added some Chardonay wine to it, along with some sour cream, cooked up some egg noodles and added those to the meatballs.  It made for a delicious and easy meal and yielded lots of leftovers for Jeff to take to work the next day and also for me for lunches for 2 days.

~Wednesday I ran down to the library to pick up a book that was on hold there for me.  They had free enrichment activity kits so I picked up one of those for Bradley and Isaiah since it was at their age level.

~I ran into Pullman to pick up my prescription at Walmart and do some shopping.  I found some lovely plush bath towels and hand towels in someone's favorite on sale and picked those up as a Christmas gift for them. I also found the outdoor solar light stakes for .97 each, some butane lighters, a candle and a silicone small brush on sale.  They also had refrigerated crescent roll dough for .50 a tube and cinnamon roll double packs for $2 each.  I bought some of each. Walmart also had the best price around on canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup.  I bought a flat of each (a dozen cans) because we go through a lot of these.

~Of course no trip would be complete without a trip to the Grocery Outlet.  I found ham on sale there and got a nice one for a little over $8!  Everywhere else that I had seen them they were $20 and up!  I bought one for Christmas and Jeff was thrilled!  He loves his ham on Christmas and this year he will have it. 😁While there I also picked up a big bag of oranges, some sweet potatoes, a large 3 pack of smoked sausages (I will divide these and freeze 2 of them for future meals), chips and cheese balls (huge container and bag) as treats, specialty cheeses (again treats), huge boxes of Jeff's favorite cereal, and more.  

~Jeff and I had agreed that our trip to Montana was our Christmas gift to each other, but I still wanted to get him something small to open on Christmas morning.  I bought Lindt dark chocolate bars in 80%, 85% and 90% dark chocolate for him to try to see which is his favorite.  He loves dark chocolate, so I thought this would be a huge hit with him.

~Speaking of chocolate, my amazing Uncle Gary and Aunt April once again sent us a large box of Esther Price chocolates for Christmas.

~I made Crescent Roll Calzones for dinner on Wednesday night.  They were so easy to make and Jeff loved them.  He took the last one to work for his lunch on Thursday.  I had leftover pizza sauce that I will use in another upcoming meal.

~My mother needed new almond colored switch plates and dimmer switches.  She could not find them anywhere in her area.  Jeff was able to order some for her through his connections at his job.  I know she will be thrilled to get them and this will be a "just because" gift from us to her.

~I had found mixed nuts in shells on sale so I got some and put them out along with a nut cracker and nut picks.  I remember my grandparents always had these out at Christmas time and it was so much fun to crack those nuts and eat them.

~Christmas music has been filling home via YouTube.  Christmas candles have also been lit at night to further that warm and cozy feeling.

~I changed out some of the Fall themed pictures for Winter themed ones and also added some Christmas /Winter themed throws and Christmas pillow shams that my mother made on out pillows.

~I called my mother on Friday morning to chat and tell her that Jeff had found those switched at one of their other stores.  He had mentioned that there were a few more in stock there, but that was it.  My mother wants him to buy up all they have and send them to her so she has them on hand.  They are not being made anymore from what Jeff and my mom have seen, so when they are gone, they are gone.  I sent a text to Jeff telling him to order them all!

~My mother also told me about a former student of her's who bought some old books and noticed in one of the little children's books that it had an inscription that said "To Debbie from Lynn".  My name is Debbie and my mom's name is Lynn.  She got ahold of my mom and sent it to her thinking it must have been one of the ones my mother had sold years ago before moving to Montana.  My mom thought it was odd that she would have signed it Lynn, but upon further inspection realized that it was a Christmas gift to me from my old babysitter when we lived in California before moving to Hawaii when I was 3 years old!  How cool is that?  Mom is sending it to me. 😀

~We have a deep freeze and snow coming so I harvested the Swiss chard, some green onions and some kale from the garden. I cut up and froze most of the green onions and I used the kale as part of dinner Friday night.

~With Winter and the Christmas season here, I swapped out some of my regular coffee mugs for my Winter and Christmas themed ones.  There is just something "cozy" about having Christmas and Winter themed mugs this time of year to drink my coffee, tea, hot cocoa, spiced cider and hot mulled wine out of.  It really is the little things that can make life more special.

~We are still having tomatoes that we harvested when they were green ripening.  Friday I used several on Avocado Toast for lunch.  It was so yummy!

~Jeff called and told me he was able to get an appointment to have his knee checked (he is way overdue to have his knee replacement checked) half an hour after we have our Covid boosters.  The offices where we need to be for both share the same lobby and are next to each other.  I will get my labs done before we get our shots.  I am so glad we can combine them all together on the same day and back to back since they are all in the same complex.

~Jeff got a great deal on some materials from work.  He will definitely be using them to build things for us and our kids.

~I have really enjoyed going through my Christmas books and getting new ideas for decorating, crafts and recipes.


   

   I should probably wrap this post up and actually get it up online.  The sun is starting to get lower in the sky and I will have to turn on some lights here in the house soon.  Praying that everyone who reads this has a wonderful weekend!












Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Our First Big Snow and Lots of Frugal Doings

    




   Yes, I am late posting about our Frugal Doings again.  We have been super busy around here trying to make sure that we were ready not only for Winter inside and outside, but also getting things done for Thanksgiving and seeing our family in Montana. 😊 This is also the time of year where I like to give everything a good scrub down so that we are ready for the holidays.


    We got our first big snow overnight and into today.  It was snowing lightly for most of the day, but is now turning over to rain.  I am really glad we did not have to travel over the passes today as they are just treacherous right now.  All should be good by the time we leave Thursday though.  Shannon is coming over in a bit to go over some things with me since she will be housesitting for us.  Our kitties just love her and I know they will be in good hands with her.


   Here are some of the things that we have been up to:

~I got the non perishable foods all packed and ready to go with us to my Mom's house.  I will bake muffins tomorrow to take with us also.

~Jeff changed the oil in our car and got that all ready to go.

~Chris and Heather had us over for lunch on Saturday and we had the most tender elk tenderloin along with homemade garlic bread (yes, Heather baked the bread) and mashed potatoes.  Sadly one of their kitties got run over and Bradley was the one to find him.  He was absolutely heartbroken and a friend, upon hearing about this, blessed him with the sweetest little orange and white Tabby kitten who they named Mr. Whiskers.  Mr. Whiskers spent a lot of time cuddling with me and one of the other cats, who hates everybody came to cuddle with me too.  There is a reason Isaiah calls me the "cat whisperer".  LOL!

~Jeff bought me, at my request, some battery operated lights from the Dollar Tree that can with be free standing or can be attached to things.  Our laundry room light switch is way over by the door to the outside and there is no switch on the other side coming in from the center hall.  I stuck one of those lights on the wall, near the door that comes in from the hall, and I now have light that I can just "push" on and off.  We have lived in this house for 29 or 30 year (I can't remember which at the moment) and I finally have light at that side of the laundry room!

~While Jeff was at bowling league last week I fixed myself some pot stickers and sautéed up some spinach with butter, garlic and lemon juice.  I also had some grapes with it.  YUM!




~We finished the last of the Christmas shopping for all the kids, grandkids, my parents and my brother.  It was really nice to get it all done!  I found some lovely Winter themed kitchen towels with cardinals on them.  Both my mother and I love cardinals since they remind us of Grandma, so I bought us both a set.

~I've been listening to Christmas music, along with other beautiful healing music on YouTube.

~One night Jeff and I popped some popcorn and watched a natural disaster movie.  Yes, he watches them with me. LOL!

~Jeff made us some brownies one night.  We realized that our hot tub had also reset itself when we had a power glitch, so it was hot and ready to go.  As soon as the brownies came out of the oven, we went out to enjoy that hot tub while the brownies cooled down a bit.  It was so nice to hot tub and then come in to brownies!



~We found Steven a birthday gift at Goodwill that we know he will love.  Yes, we shop way ahead of time when we see something the grandkids would like.

~I got both of the dehydrators washed and ready to put away.

~The floors were all mopped with my Swiffer floor cleaner that I got for free and the pads that I got on clearance.

~Most of our meals came from the pantry and/or freezer and fridge.  We are trying so hard not to let anything go to waste.

~I found another beautiful sweater and shawl at Goodwill.  Both were really high quality and will get a lot of use.

~Kitchen cabinets, the microwave, stove and Berkey were all washed down well.  Boy did they all need it!


Our silly youngest grandson Tate. :)  Can't wait to snuggle him!


     I hope everyone who reads this has a lovely Thanksgiving!  We are looking forward to being with family and celebrating with our youngest silly grandson Tate along with his mommy, daddy, my parents and my brother Fritz.  Be blessed!







Monday, November 15, 2021

Frugal Friday Wrap Up (the last couple of weeks or so) Edition

    



   The winds outside are starting to really pick up.  We are under a high wind warning with winds up to 60 MPH and gust up to 65 MPH.  These kinds of winds really scare me because the ground is so saturated and I am terrified of the old tree next door loosing more branches or coming down all together on my house, vehicles or on my neighbor's house and vehicles.  After doing my baking this morning, getting things picked and in the dehydrator, and doing a few other things that needed doing around the house, I got busy making a large cheese lasagna for dinner tonight.  It is baking right now because I want it done before the power possibly goes out later.  If the winds pick up any worse, I will call Jeff and see if he can possibly get off a bit early so he can get home quickly.  The road that comes to our town has large trees on either side in places and I don't want  him to get hit with one of those coming down or not be able to get through to home.  Praying that things don't get worse until after he gets here.  Onto the savings...


~My cousin moved to Oregon and blessed  us with some groceries, some gorgeous crystal bar glasses and some wine for my father and some for me too.

~I've been working on organizing the pantry and finding the "holes" in it.  I found a package of tortellini in back of it and cooked that up, added a diced up tomato that my cousin had given me and then added some pesto.  YUM!  I served it in one of my many thrifted Crate and Barrel bowls.  I love having such a variety of thrifted dishes to pick from.  It just makes meal time more special.  I'm the same way with wine glasses.




~I made a list of the items that we need and use both in the pantry and the HBA and general home category.  Jeff and I are filling in those gaps.

~I found some more great deals at the Grocery Outlet, including the wine that my father likes at 20% off.

~Meals here have been mostly from the freezer and pantry.  I made a huge list of things I could make after taking inventory or the pantry and going on memory of what is in the freezer.

~I dehydrated and powdered up tomatoes from our garden that had ripened inside the house.

~I also had saved seeds from the parsley plants, a acorn squash and some of our bush beans.

~I harvested more Swiss chard, green onions and kale from the garden and made a nice soup with some Asian soup base and pot stickers.  I love my greens!




~Jeff has been working hard on getting the outside of the house all winterized.

~With Christmas coming, I changed out the decorative plates in my kitchen to some with birds on them that have a Winter theme to them.  I love looking at them when I am in the kitchen because they remind me of my beloved Grandma who absolutely loved birds, especially cardinals.  I'm hoping one day to find some with Blue Jays on them as those remind me of my beloved GramBunny.

~All the makings for green bean casserole were gathered and put in a bag, along with the written recipe, to take with us to Montana for Thanksgiving.  My mom asked all of us to pick on dish that meant Thanksgiving to us and to make it there.  Both Josh and I picked green bean casserole.  Like mother like son. ;)

~I switched out the plates and the napkins to the Fall and Winter themed ones.  It just makes me happy to do this!

~I'm going through things and purging them, including kitchen appliances and cookware that I no longer use.  Jeff is thrilled about all of this since he doesn't like having to clean some of those things.

~The new cast iron skillets are all seasoned and ready to go.

~We have been enjoying using our hot tub again now that the weather is so much colder at night.  There is something just magical about sitting out there in hot water with the jets going while looking at the stars...pure bliss.

~I made more sandwich and cinnamon swirl bread.

~Running short on time one evening, I quickly washed up a sweet potato and popped it in the microwave to cook.  Meanwhile I browned up some fully cooked sausages in the cast iron skillet.  While those where cooking, I cut up half an onion, 3 leftover baked russet potatoes and then cut up the baked sweet potatoes.  When the sausages were done, it only took about 5 minutes to make the onion and potato hash.  We had a salad to go with this.




~My vanilla extract that I made was very "alcoholy" in flavor, so I added the rest of the vanilla beans, after I split them, to the jar. Hopefully that will flavor it more.

~Kale from our garden is in the dehydrator as I type this out.  I will powder it and add it to sauces.

~Jeff cleaned out and brought in a old dresser that we had in the shed.  I used it in the pantry to sort out and store sauces, mixes, dried herbs, spices, baking needs and both rice and noodle mixes.  It is so nice to have that all done and be able to find things easily now.

~While at Goodwill the other day, I found a 10 bottle metal wine rack.  The one I currently have only stores 4 at a time.  At any given moment, I have quite a variety of wine in the house since I use it for cooking and for drinking.  I try to keep reds, whites and a variety of specialty flavored wines on hand to share with guests. The cost of the new wine rack was just $5.99, I consider that a huge bargain!

~Jeff found some lined heavy duty jeans for the Winter.  They are insulated, so they will keep him warmer when he had to be outdoors.

~The Dollar Tree finally restocked it's food section so we were able to get almost everything I had on my list from there.  They however were still missing their dishwasher powered detergent.

~I found the perfect gifts for my mother and my brother Fritz while I was at Marshall's.  

~Grocery Outlet had their Kodiak Cakes chocolate chip muffin mixes marked down because they were close to the sell by date.  I will bake some of these up next week and take them to Montana with us. They also had some marked down salads that we had last night and will finish off tonight (I also had one for lunch).


   Be blessed and stay safe!




Thursday, November 11, 2021

I'm Making a List and Checking it Thrice

 

                                                                               📝


   My living room and kitchen are awash in a sea of boxes and bags at the moment.  I've been reorganizing and inventorying our pantry, along with putting away new purchases.  As I am going along (slowly...so very slowly), I am also checking and making a list of things that I need to fill in the gaps that I am seeing.  I need to make this list for another reason...I am now the proud owner of two new bottles of paprika seasoning and it is something I don't use that often.  I do not need to be wasting money buying things that I already have enough of.  This muddled brain of mine needs to be reminded of what I already have on hand.


   Seeing as how I over bought in some areas and underbought in others, I headed to the medicine cabinet to see if there were any gaps there.  I get distracted easily and I honestly think I needed a break from trying to get the pantry done.  I'm honestly impressed that I have gotten this far without freaking out at the enormity (to me at least) of the task at hand.  Anyway, I found gaps in there and added a few more OTC items and some HBA items to my list.  One thing I do not need to add to my list for a few years at least is body wash...somehow I have a glut of those!


   I went back to my list and divided it by store.  Some other items, like solar lights, I will add to the Dollar Tree list.  These are great for lighting up our stairs from the driveway up to the house and also for having on hand if the power goes out and I need light in the house other than candles.  Just stick those puppies in a jar or glass to hold them upright.  I also like to pick up their packages of 2 and a 1/2 gallon zip lock type bags.  I used those for holding 2 loaves of homemade bread and they are also great for keeping emergency supplies dry and together in each of our cars.  Oh, another item on the list is a shovel to put in whatever car we are using at the moment in case we have to dig ourselves or someone else out of the snow.  Very useful tool and one that we have not had in the past but are going to add to our winter driving preps.  This we will have to pick up at another store.


   Hopefully I have not forgotten anything that I needed to add to my many lists.  Since I am still adjusting to the new meds and also hate to drive anywhere in the snowy and icy roads time of the year, even when my brain is not as muddled, I need to be as prepared as possible so I feel safe.  This is the time of year where I just want to be home, snuggle in, and cook hearty meals for Jeff and I.  My lists help me to be able to do this and not freak out (as much) 😉. 


  

Monday, November 8, 2021

It's Okay to Stop and Pivot





   Jeff and I had plans for Saturday once he got off work to get some projects tackled here around the house.  Then we got a message from Jaysn and Rachel asking us if we could watch Steven for them while they went to a movie and had a date night.  What did we do, we pivoted and said yes!  Jeff picked Steven up after he got off work and brought him home with him.  Upon Steven's arrival, I was in the kitchen getting ready to make Chex Mix.  Steven, wanting to be a good helper, insisted that he be given an apron too so he could help.  Fine with Grammie!  I love having little helpers in the kitchen.  Steven cut up some of the butter that we needed to melt, poured the spice mix into the pan once the butter was melted and then pour a box of Chex cereal into the pan for me.  He stirred it up a bit before I added half of another box of Chex cereal and then I got that all mixed up with Steven giving it a final stir to make sure that it was fully coated.  Later, he helped us sort through the toys we have here for the grandkids and decide what he would put in the big toy bucket and what he was done playing with.  He also scrubbed the potatoes for dinner that I made into potato wedges and cooked in the Air Fryer. He is a wonderful helper!  We played with dominos, setting them up in patterns and then knocking them down (something that thrilled him beyond belief since it was new and exciting for him), had dinner and then snuggled and watched a few of his favorite shows.  When we were snuggling, Steven laid his head on me and told me how much he loved me and loved being with me.  This Grammie heart just melted and I savored this moment knowing that all too soon, he would not be as cuddly as he is now.  Yes, pivoting is a great thing when more important things come up or circumstances change.


   Jeff and I have had to practice pivoting a lot lately.  Two weekends ago it was a facetime message from Bradley telling us that things were not going well on their new post and beam shed build.  I asked him if he needed G-pa to come over and help.  Yep, he asked his daddy and the answer was yes.  Again, we had plans for that day since the previous day had been spent helping my cousin get his place all loaded up into the moving truck so he could head out to Oregon the next day and start the next chapter in his life.  I was already an emotional wreck having said goodbye to my cousin, who has become more like a brother, but over we went.  I enjoyed hanging out with our Heather, her friend Heather and her mom Tammy.  We cooked together, visited and played a new to me card game while the men worked hard outside.  Meanwhile, the grandboys and their friend built a "bullpen" in the back yard with t-posts and cattle panels and took turns lassoing each other.  Those boys and their imaginations!  I love it!  After the men decided they were done for the day, Jeff and I headed into another town to do our shopping (which had been part of the plans for the day originally) and then came home and popped some pizzas in the oven to cook for dinner and lunches the next few days. Was it worth the pivot...a resounding yes and just what I needed to help me out of my funk!


    I'm adjusting to an even higher dosage of one of my medications so a few days before I started the higher dose, I went shopping and stopped by one of the thrift stores in Pullman, WA.  I had some items on my list that I was looking for and found most of them there including a larger mesh scoop and carrot julienne tool for the kitchen, a plate with a chickadee on it (I had been looking for another Christmas type small plate with a bird on it to put up on the wall in my kitchen), some small bowls by one of my favorite pottery companies, two glasses in the candlewick pattern (I collect these),brand new ornaments (I needed 4 for the grandboys), 2 seasons of some of our favorite comedy shows on DVD, a new Christmas sign that makes me giggle because it reminds me so much of our oldest grandson Bradley, a few books for me and the grandboys and a pair of shorts for myself off the .25 rack.  I had a wonderful time, got some items I needed and lots that I wanted and saved a ton of money in the process!  I then went to Grocery Outlet to pick up some wine there for my father that he requested and they had a 20% off all wine purchases for that week only.  I did not know about this sale walking in but boy was I happy to hit it!  I had to ask about the where that brand of Malbec wine was and luckily they had it in.  I bought 4 bottles of it and then the lady that was helping me and I started talking about the upcoming holidays and I mentioned that I love to make mulled wine.  She told me they had just got in some mulled wine that all you had to do was heat it up...it had not even made it out to the shelves yet!  Well she brought some out and low and behold, it was from Germany and made it the same town that Josh and Lauren went to on their honeymoon and went to the Christmas Markets at.  I bought 2 bottles to surprise them with at my parents home where we will meet them in a few weeks!  I also picked up 3 rounds of Brie cheese, as it is one of my mother's favorites and some pickled asparagus.  I wanted to make things fun and easy for all involved while we are there and this way I can help spoil those I love a bit.  Originally my plans were to stay home that day but there was something telling me that I needed to go in that day and not the next.  I'm glad I did!





   Jeff and I have been wanting to have a date night, but we are trying to avoid going out to eat in restaurants since the covid-19 deaths are going up steeply in our area for some reason.  Yes, we are vaccinated, but we don't want to become any of those breakthrough cases.  I decided that I would cook an amazing steak dinner for the two of us at home.  I found steaks on sale at Grocery Outlet ($7.99 for 2).  I also had found asparagus marked down at Walmart.  Jeremy had given me a new container of sour cream before he left that he was not going to take with him.  I made steaks, broiled asparagus, baked potatoes and I pulled out the rest of the salad that Jeremy had also given to us.  We had a lovely steak dinner for about $10 out of pocket.  That was a huge savings and again, a pivot that paid off in a big way.


   My menu plan was laid out for this week, but I found that I had some broccoli slaw that needed to be used up today. I also have some cheese that needs to be used up ASAP.  So the lasagna that I had planned for tonight's dinner in being moved to another night this week and I am making broccoli cheese soup for dinner instead.  Jeff has not been finishing the two loaves of bread that I make for him weekly before they go moldy since he is now taking leftovers for lunch some days.  I decided that I needed to come up with a plan for the other loaf of bread...I then remembered that I had some leftover cinnamon streusel topping in the freezer that I had made too much of for a previous dessert.  I rolled out the dough for one of the loaves and sprinkled it with the topping, then rolled it back up.  It made the best cinnamon bread!  That definitely will not go to waste.


   I had great plans to get all sorts of projects done here before we headed over to Montana in a few weeks.  Due to helping out the kids and adjusting once again to a higher dosage on my meds (which are leaving me light headed at the moment since I just started this new dosage), some of those plans have either been put on hold or modified.  But you know what, it is okay.  Yes, we are having to stop and pivot, but sometimes it leads to even better things like being able to spend that time with our kids and grandkids and help them out.  It's being able to let go of the "stress" of feeling like you have to get everything done on a tight timetable no matter what.  It's finding alternatives to "date night" out somewhere and being flexible in your menu plans so that you don't end up wasting food.  It's those moments of finding exactly what you want and need at the thrift store or grocery store on sale because you listened to the nudging and changed your plans for the day.  It's also being content at home and rediscovering things that you have at home that you had forgotten about and being able to put things aside that you no longer use to donate to a thrift store that helps people in your community.  With adjusting to this new dosage, it is a blessing not to have to go anywhere because I have everything I need right here at my fingertips because I did stock up ahead of time and got the holiday gift buying done with the exception of a few things that Jeff can pick up on his way home from work.  It's knowing that I can sleep in when needed or even nap and take my day slowly.  So pivot away without guilt because it can lead to even greater blessings!


   

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Tying Up Loose Ends and Getting My House In Order

    



   Some days I look out at all there is to do and I just shut down because I am overwhelmed with all there is to do and the lack of energy to get it done.  Today, despite being in a Fibro flare, I decided to just putter along and get some of the smaller tasks done (well smaller compared to reorganizing the pantry and taking inventory of what is in there).  Here are some of the tasks I was able to accomplish...


   We have a wind storm moving in so I went out into the garden between downpours and got all the bits and pieces picked up and taken care of.  I emptied out the smaller pots that had seeds in them that never quite made it and put the dirt in places where, if the seeds decided to make a go of it in the Spring, I would happily welcome them.  I also relocated a huge earthworm out of the seed starter tray into a nice area where he could happily burrow his way down under the dirt.  I found various gardening tools in the front walkway, along with some in the backyard and got those stashed away as well.  The sheet I used to cover my tomato plants was put in a bleach was, along with some cloth facemasks and is now in the dryer.  


   My tomatoes that I harvested when they were green all seem to be ripening at the same time in the house.  I got the ripe ones cut up and they are now in the dehydrator and will be made into tomato powder.  This can be added to soups and stews for extra flavor or reconstituted into tomato paste or sauce.  The tomatoes that I did not get to soon enough were scattered in the garden area where I want to try and grow more tomatoes in hope that they will self seed.  I know I should have tried to just seed save, but let's face it, I am a lazy gardener (and yet again, I hang my head in shame), but that is the reality of my life.


   My newest cast iron pans were all washed and given a good "seasoning" so they are now ready to use.  I still need to go through my kitchen cabinets and take out the pots and pans that I no longer use and get those in a box ready to donate.  I also emptied out the cereal boxes into airtight containers so we can see what we have and they stay fresher that way.  A few things were purged from the refrigerator that were um not good anymore (hanging my head in shame here).  I try to keep up on things but sometimes they do get away from me.


   I sorted through the pile of paper, magazines, etc. that were on the dining room table and tossed all the junk and got the magazines ready to go out to either family or down to the library.  I still have to clean off the rest of the table, but needed a break since my back was not happy with me trying to do so much.


   Tomorrow I up my medication dosage yet again, so I really am trying to get as much done as possible.  This medication does make me sleepy, so I am not sure how I will do with a higher dose.  It usually takes me about a week to two weeks to adjust.  I'm not sure how much I will be able to accomplish in the next few weeks, so I tried to get all the shopping done and find all the gifts and food items that I wanted to get for family before we head to Montana later this month.  The only one I have not figured out yet is something for my brother Fritz.  I think it will come down to the wire for him.  He is hard to buy for because he does not "want" anything, but I still try to get him something because Christmas is his favorite time of the year and I want to bless him.  He has finally just accepted that I am going to do something for him and I know he appreciates it. 😉


   It looks like we have another break in the rain so I need to get out to the garden and harvest the green onions before we have another big freeze.  I may pick some kale and swiss chard and make a soup for dinner tonight with pot stickers and an Asian inspired broth since Jeff will be at bowling league so it will just be me at home for dinner.  I'll be roasting some asparagus I got on clearance too.  I love roasted asparagus and it is yet another thing Jeff does not care for.  I try to treat myself on Thursday nights to foods that I love and he is not so fond of.  It helps me look forward to my Thursday nights as much as he looks forward to his.


   Be blessed all that are reading this and remember to keep yourself safe, healthy and continue stocking those pantries to hedge against inflation, shrinkflation, shortages (yes, we are seeing them here too) and to keep your families well fed, clothed, etc..  Bye for now.