My Favorite Biscuit Recipe

 

As per request by Bless, here it the biscuit recipe that I have used for years and have never had a bad with it.  It is from an old Farmer's Almanac Cook Book from 1959 (if I am reading the roman numerals correctly).  Here it is:

Sift together 2 cups sifted flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 teaspoons baking powder.  Add 4 tablespoons liquid shortening mixed together with 3/4 cup milk.  Mix to a soft dough.  Pat down on a lightly floured board and roll to 1/4 inch thick (I just pat it down to that thickness). Cut with a small biscuit cutter (or just make a large rectangle shape with the dough and then cut it with a pizza cutter to make life faster and easier) and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

My notes are in parenthesis and I also double this recipe when I make it to get the amount you see in the picture above.  These have always been a huge hit with our entire family.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/22/21

 

   I forgot to do my daily documentation yet again so here is a list of the things that I can remember.  I'm sure that many things will be left off because I am in a bad fibro flare today and am just doing the best I can to try to go back in time in my memory, which we all know is not the greatest even on the best of days.  LOL!

~Jeff and I gave each other haircuts.

~I had a TeleMed appointment with my doctor and we decided to up my pregabalin prescription to see if I can get even better results.  It has helped a bit and we are hoping it will help even more at a higher dose.

~Jeff and I took a trip down to Walla Walla last Saturday and stopped at 2 thrift stores.  I found some beautiful brand new sweaters that someone must have bought via QVC and then donated.  I found many new items from QVC there with tags still attached.  I also found some books and some BBQ tools there.

~We stopped to have lunch at a taco truck down there near the edge of town (away from the touristy area) that had many local and Hispanic people eating there.  Oh my goodness, it was amazing and the prices were really reasonable too.  I tend to look for places that locals go to rather than more tourist oriented places.

~Having talked about eating out, the rest of our meals were prepared here at home.  I made teriyaki chicken bowls, a taco and noodle casserole (I know, sounds strange, but it was good), potato cheese soup, did breakfast for dinner one night and made tomato gravy with tomatoes from our garden.  The homemade biscuits were also a huge hit with hubby and I made sure to make a double batch of those.

~The tomatoes and cantaloupe I harvested earlier from the garden are all ripening slowly and we have been enjoying them.

~I did spend some more money on groceries, but I stayed at $8 total and I got a lot of things for that amount including more sweet potatoes. Gotta love Grocery Outlet for their deals there.

~Chris called to let us know that they are giving us a whole deer's worth of meat in mid November.  They have 4 tags to fill so they are spreading the joy in the family, giving us, along with Jaysn and Rachel, a deer each.  Heather already got a large elk so between that and the other 2 deer they can harvest, they will have plenty of meat for their family and to share with their friends.  We will be set for the entire year and beyond!  We are so blessed!

~I collected parsley seeds from our plants.  I was able to get so much and will be sharing them with the kids for their gardens in the Spring.

~There was a major frugal fail as well.  I had planned on bringing my rosemary plant in the house over the Winter so I could have fresh rosemary on hand.  I quickly discovered however that Patchy cat goes after it like it's catnip!  I need to just plant in in the garden and pray it makes it I suppose.  It is currently in a pot and I know it will not survive in that over the Winter.

~I talked to my friend/neighbor/hanai sister and she and her daughter are going to housesit for us over Thanksgiving when we go to visit family. It is wonderful to be able to help each other out.

~Rummaging through the refrigerator, I found some cooked bacon from earlier in the week.  I made a BLT sandwich for lunch with 3 of the bacon strips and will crumble the rest up for a topping on the potato cheese soup.

~Here is something that may sound strange, but actually helps calm me.  I have been watching the live feeds of the volcano eruption on La Palma in the Canary Isles.  Maybe it harkens back to my childhood when we would go and watch Kilauea erupt and falling asleep watching it from the safety of my hotel room overlooking the caldera.

~It has been great fun rediscovering all my favorite cold weather clothing and being able to snuggle up in them again.  It's now leggings, soft long sleeved shirts, jackets and sweaters weather again. Oh and let's not forget the soft fuzzy house slippers and socks either.

~We had Jaysn, Rachel and Steven come over for dinner of Friday.  Even when I'm in a fibro flare, there is no greater joy than having my family come for a visit and getting to spend time with them.  It's the best "medicine" for my soul and just lifts my spirits way up there!

~I called my mom on a rainy and gray day and we had a wonderful visit and made plans for our time over there with them next month.  I may be in my late 50's, but I still need those precious chats with my mom. Since I have a flat rate on my cell phone, I can make as many calls as I want each month.

~I made a double batch of chocolate chip muffins.

   I know I am a few days late in posting again.  We had a busy weekend helping my cousin and getting some things done around the house.  Today I am "foggy" and out of it, but I am taking things slowly and still getting a few things done around the house. Praying for all my friends and family dealing with these storms.

I Have a Bee (or more like several bees) in my Bonnet

   I have so many thoughts running  through this multi-laned highway, also known as my mind.  I'm hoping that putting them down here on my blog help me clarify things for myself and I do wonder if other people can related to some of this.  We'll see where this wander into the mixed up mind of mine goes...

   I live in a state that has some of the most arbitrary and, in my humble opinion, stupid and unjust "mandates" related to covid-19 ever.  We have friends in the health care fields that have been fired from their jobs because they refused to get vaccinated for reasons that are very valid.  Some have had covid-19 already and caught it while helping save the lives of others, so they have natural immunity now, others filed for religious exemptions and even though they were granted those at first, they have now been "rescinded".  We have a huge shortage of health care workers here already and this is just making it worse!  We also know of police officers and firefighters, and people who work on college campuses, who are now also out of work.  It is well known that Seattle was already struggling with crime in that city and now more officers have been let go and/or are leaving.  Yakima has a huge gang problem and yet officers there are also being let go.  Spokane has seen a dramatic increase in crime and now we see officers there also leaving.  It seems to me that this whole mess is counter productive, unjust, and downright dumb.  For the record, I am not anti vax and I did get the jab myself, but I do believe that people should have the right to choose whether they get the jab or not.  I made the choice to do so, but I have also made the choice not to get other vaccines due to my personal medical history and on the advice of my doctor and other medical personnel.  I have family members and friends who have chosen not to get the jab and some of them have gotten covid-19, as have some that have gotten the jab and still had breakthrough cases.

   Onto another hot topic for me...jobs.  I am so sick of people saying they can't find a job.  I see help wanted signs all over the place with companies offering hiring "bonuses".  McDonalds is paying more for people to flip burgers than my husband makes at a job that takes way more skill!  Local long term care centers are offering bonuses and they will pay for and train you to get your CNA, plus they are offering good pay and benefits.  Almost every store and restaurant in our area is hiring.  We just had Target open this week in a town near us and they hired 100 people and are working around class schedules for college students as well as having full and part time employees who are not students.  And yet I still hear people saying there are no jobs in our area...I call BS.  Our government has been paying people to stay home so that they will come to rely on the government to take care of them...this is not good at all.  Unemployment benefits should be there for people who genuinely need them when jobs are scarce and to help get them over a rough patch...not when there are plenty of jobs available. some of which also offer "child care" help.  Jeff has told me stories of people coming in to "apply" for job where he works, but when offered a job, they turn it down and then say they only came in to apply so that they can show they did and still get their unemployment check.  Some are actually honest and tell them upfront that is why they are there.  There are others who will work for a few days and then quit or just not show up for work again because "it's too hard".  This is just infuriating to me because that leaves the company short handed and then the other workers (like my husband), end up having to cover those people's shifts at work and/or double up on their workload.  Jeff has been doing double duty almost daily and even worked on one of his days off to cover for someone that left suddenly without 2 weeks notice.

   Rising food prices are also hitting us hard.  Now I know that there are supply chain issues and the rising fuel costs are also contributing to this along with droughts etc. but come on...  The other day I was shocked to see a pork roast at Winco (the lowest priced grocery store in our area) selling for $25!  😬  A few months ago, that same pork roast of that size would have been $12.  I know because I bought some at that $12 price.  The price of flour has doubled within the last year.  Certain canned items have also doubled and there are many items that I can't even find anymore like canned tamales.  No one in our area has those anymore.  There are limits being imposed on certain items and I am seeing more and more empty shelves, and it is not just in the toilet paper aisles.  When I see an item that I want for the upcoming holiday season, I am buying it and putting it aside since we are being warned that there is a good chance they will not be there come Thanksgiving or Christmas.  This not only applies to food, but gift items as well.

   Folks, things are not getting better...they are only getting worse.  With talks of rolling brown outs over the Winter months and rising heating costs, we all need to get prepared.  We know that the cost of everything is going up not just in the USA, but worldwide and there are shortages everywhere also.  Please stock up on what you are able to now.  Buy those gifts that you had planned on purchasing now, while they are still there.  Get those shoes and clothing for your growing kiddos in the next few sizes up while they are still available.  You can get clothing at the end of season clearance sale cheap or even hit the thrift stores for them.  Have extra blankets on hand in case the power does go out in your area.  Please make sure you have bottled water on hand too because if the electricity is out, many towns pumps will go down also.  Stock your pantry and freezer on items you need and when you see a good sale...it is a hedge on inflation...remember that $25 pork roast?  Ask your doctor about getting 3 month supplies on your medications.  I am hearing about shortages again on certain medications, some of which I need to function on a daily basis.  My doctor has been wonderful about working with me to get those 3 month supplies and have them on hand here at home.  Our area is seeing a rise again on Covid-19 cases and deaths once again and with flu season also on hand already, I am trying to avoid crowds and possible exposure as much as possible.  Our town has a high rate of cases of covid-19 at the moment and I have been told that one of my neighbors may have died from it here within the past few weeks.  No library visits for me for awhile, but I have stocked up on books, magazines, etc. (from thrift stores of course) to read and enjoy here at home, so that is not a problem.   

   Please take care of yourselves and your family (which of course includes your fur babies).  Do what you are able to so that you are prepared for anything that may be coming our way.  I pray for each and every one of your who is reading this.  Be blessed and be prepared.

    

   

   

   

   

   

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/15/21

       

   It was a busy week around here trying to get things done and get ahead of rising food costs.  And yes, I am still keeping within my $200 food budget challenge for October.  So far I am up to $165.33 and most of that is for my pantry stock up items.  I really should not need to pick up much more unless I see a phenomenal deal on something.  I have been slowly picking up items that we need to have on hand for the upcoming holiday meals like cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries (which I froze), olives, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions and mulling spices.  I do not want to be caught without these things because they are part of our traditional foods this time of year. I'm also picking up gift items as I find them for family.  This holiday season will be different because we are spending Thanksgiving with my parents, brother, Josh, Lauren and Tate in Montana...something that I am very much looking forward to!  I can't wait to be with all of them and hopefully Tate will be walking by then.  Christmas will be a mixed bag of emotions because my cousin Jeremy is in the process of moving to Oregon and I am sure that he will be spending it with his mom this year.  We are all going to miss him terribly!  He has become more like a brother to both Jeff and I and is just a wonderful "uncle" to our kids and grandkids. He and I like so many of the same foods and wines, and love to try out new things.  It has been so nice to have someone to do that with.  Christmas and other family gatherings will not be the same without my sweet cousin here to share them with. 

Weekend:

~Jaysn, Rachel and Steven came to pick me up and took me to their house on Saturday.  Jeff joined us there after he got off work. They treated us to a Chinese food dinner that Jaysn picked up and brought home.  It was wonderful to spend time with them!

~Sunday found us at home for the day with Jeff working in the garden trying to get it all cleaned out.  

~I made two loaves of bread and worked on laundry.

~We hot tubbed.

~Zuppa Toscana for dinner along with pears from the garden.

Monday:

~I met Chris and Heather, along with Bradley and Isaiah in town at Goodwill.  It was senior discount day and Chris needed some new dress clothes for a leadership training class he is taking.  We found him a nice shirt and some pants, the boys got a snowboard to share (they have a great hill across the street from their house to snowboard on), the boys also got some clothes, I got a Wedgewood china Peter Rabbit child's bowl and cup along with a nice wool shawl and Bradley and I found a mug for his Daddy for Christmas that I will keep here and then get it wrapped up from Bradley to his Dad.

~I also went to Marshall's and got a nice winter coat for myself.  It was exactly what I have been wanting for years now and it was normally $100 and I got it for $29.00.  I also picked up some Christmas towels with the country red and blue trucks for the guest bathroom.  I had a gift card for $25 so I only ended up spending $11 at Marshall's out of pocket.

~I did stop at Winco and picked up a few things there, along with a take and bake pizza from the deli for dinner.  By this time I was just exhausted having done the shopping and driving.

Tuesday:

~Jeff took the leftover pizza for lunch.

~We had Zuppa Toscana for dinner along with hot crescent rolls.

~I cut, blanched and froze the Swiss chard that I had picked before the big killing frost hit the garden.  I also cut up and dehydrated the stalks and will use those in soups like you would celery.  I was incredibly sore after two hours of doing this.

~I peeled and cubed a large zucchini and froze that to use in soups or casseroles later.

~Three loads of laundry were done.

~I pulled some homemade applesauce out of the freezer to thaw.

~Jeff brought home another ton of pellets and he was also given a piece of lumber that the store could not sell due to a huge knot in it.

~We got a Lego magazine in the mail for Bradley and Isaiah.

Wednesday:

~We got our first snow of the season (very early I might add).  I knew we needed a belly and body warming meal so I made cheese tortellini with a pesto sauce that included tomatoes and sweet peppers.  So good!

~I froze the rest of the Zuppa Toscana for future meals.

~The cost of orange juice is astronomical right now but if you get it frozen and concentrated, much less so.  I mixed up a pitcher of it from concentrate.

~The Berkey water filter was refilled.  I have been noticing a heavy smell of chlorine in our water coming out of the tap lately and the Berkey filters that out.

~I uploaded Safeway digital coupons into my Safeway card.

Thursday:

~The weather is playing havoc with my sinuses, which in turn leads to nightmares, so I did not get up until nearly 11 a.m..  I had a HUGE cup of coffee and got caught up on the news while I slowly sipped my coffee.  I used a mug that I found at Goodwill that is part of Disney's Winnie the Pooh series that says "some days are more tumbly than others" because it reflects exactly how I am feeling today.  I know it might sounds strange, but I do pick my coffee mugs out according to how I feel each day.

~In need of "comfort food", I cooked up some rice and made some chili with beans to go with it.  Growing up in Hawaii, this was a very common combo and you could find it on menus of most local drive ins.  I had lots leftover for more meals for me.  Jeff is not a chili fan at all, so I rarely have it anymore.

~Jeff picked up 2 bags of cranberries for me while they were on sale and in stock.  I realized that the bags are now 12 oz. instead of 16 oz.  Downsizing but the price is still the same as it was for the 16 oz. bags last year.

~Jeff found caramel sauce for $1.71 per bottle.  That is a great price!  He picked up two bottles.

Friday:

~I got all the cold water/hand washing done.  It feels good to get that all done.

~The quilts/throws that my mother made for Jeff and I all got washed too.

~Turkey bacon was taken out of the freezer to thaw so I can cook it up this weekend.

~I made a HUGE mistake by heading into Pullman to pick up a few things.  It was Family Weekend at WSU and it was absolutely nuts in town!  I was almost rear ended, side swiped and T-boned in my car.  What is wrong with people?  Anyway, I am thankful that at least one of us was paying attention and avoided an accident.

~I stopped at the thrift store and picked up season 2, 3 and 4 of Alias brand new, along with the move Urban Cowboy.  I also found a beautiful Christmas tray with cardinals on it, some plate or book display racks, a few books, and a clothing item.

~A stop at the Dollar Tree led to a great find!  I have always loved the movie "The Sign of the Beaver" and knew that my oldest two grandboys would also love it.  They had the movie there, so I bought it and it will be part of their Christmas present this year.  I picked up a few food items too.

~Of course I hit the Grocery Outlet and picked up some things there.  I did notice that their prices are going up.  Salads at now .50 more than they were even a week ago and soup prices are also on the rise.  I got things there that we will use now and some for our pantry for use in the months ahead.

~I was totally exhausted and sore after shopping, but I still resisted the urge to just have Jeff pick up dinner on his way home.  Instead I got 2 russet potatoes and 1 sweet potato going in the microwave and then got some popcorn chicken out of the freezer and got that going in the air fryer.  It made for a nice meal and it saved a ton of money.  We did have some leftover chicken for a future meal.

   I just wanted to encourage anyone reading this that having someone in the home full time is a huge blessing to a family, whether it be one with kids at home or not.  Your work as a homemaker is important and should be highly valued.  Having someone there to cook delicious meals, tend to the garden, seek out bargains, keep up with the laundry, etc. is a full time job in itself.  I am blessed to be able to do the job I do here at home and am so thankful that Jeff and I are in a position where I can do so despite my Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other health issues.  I may not be able to work outside the home and bring in income anymore, but I can do things within the home to stretch the income Jeff brings in.  I can also make sure that he comes home most nights to the wonderful smells of a delicious dinner waiting for him, has fresh homemade bread made for sandwiches and toast, has clean clothing to wear and freshly washed sheets to crawl in between at night and has a wife that is not stressed out beyond belief from having to deal with the outside working world on a regular basis.  I can be there to love and support him and listen to him after his long day at work and make sure that he is able to relax and decompress.  That is a gift that I can give to him.  Be encouraged homemakers...your job is important and you are making a difference!

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/8/21

 Weekend:

~We worked in that gardens and picked another 2 quarts of blackberries.  I froze them.

~Sunday found us out on the boat with Chris.  I took snacks and drinks with us.  I also took lots of pictures.  It was a wonderful day despite almost getting swamped by the wake of a cruise boat coming up the river who did not slow down.  I was left really bruised and swollen on my "seat end" from the pounding I took going over the wake waves.  Amazingly I stayed calm the entire time while Chris and Jeff got really concerned.  I knew Chris had enough experience and knew how to hit those waves head on and when to speed up to avoid getting swamps.  Chris is an amazing fisherman too and caught lots of perch to take home and threw about the same amount back in the water because they were smaller.  He ended up with 15 fish!  We will be going over for fish tacos in the near future.

~All the sheets were washed and hung up on the line to dry.  I also put the feather bed on the guest bed.  Boy did that feel good given how bruised and swollen I ended up on Sunday and of course there is nothing better than crawling into lined dried bed linens at night.

~I made a Teriyaki meatloaf and served it with rice and a side of pear slices from our garden along with some baby carrots.

~We stopped in to see my cousin Jeremy and his super sweet pittie dog Maggy.  He gave me the dehydrator he picked up for me (he ended up getting it for free).  He also said the he did not want to take his 5x8 foot enclosed trailer with him when he moves, so he is giving it to us.  What a blessing for our whole family to use.  We are also going to be trading living room furniture.  He is taking our brown loveseat and newer brown recliner (they are both lighter in weight than his are) and we are taking his tan colored reclining couch and loveseat.  I am really going to miss him but I know that he is someone who really does not like to stay put in one place too long and he has been here longer than he has been in most places.  We are still within a days drive from each other and I do look forward to going to visit him and being able to go to the Oregon coast.

Monday:

~Jeff got the front flower garden bed all trimmed back since we are expecting killing frost on Wednesday.

~I worked in the gardens harvesting basil, sage rosemary, green onions, tomatoes, squash and beans.  The herbs were all put in the dehydrator, along with some of the green onions.  They will be wonderful for seasoning meals!

~We had not had Scrapple for a long time so I made some using turkey sausage since it is much lower in fat.  I used some sage that I had previously harvested and dehydrated in it.

~I took all the green onions that I harvested from the garden and cut them up.  I ended up with 4 1/2 cups of cut up green onions.  I'm thinking I may dehydrate them once the other herbs are done in the dehydrator rather than freezing them.  It will take up less space that way.

Tuesday: (we are expecting a killing frost Wednesday)

~I picked all the tomatoes that were a good size but still green off the plants to ripen slowly inside the house.

~All the Swiss chard was harvested.  

~I picked all the cucumbers, green peppers that we good sized, cantaloupe that were close to ripeness (hopefully they will still be good) and squash.

~I also picked all the ripe blackberries.

~This is the last warm day so I spent time outside enjoying it before we drop into the 50's for daytime highs.

~Leftover Scrapple and 2 cups of coffee were my breakfast today before I started harvesting stuff.

~I pulled out most of the tomato, cucumber, and all the bean plants out.

~For dinner I made a stroganoff with caramelized onions and 4 slices of roast beef from the deli.  I served it over mashed potatoes.

Wednesday:

~I had leftovers for lunch.

~I was getting that "nudging" again to go and get the shopping done before prices go up again.  I was shocked to see some of the prices on meat had gone up, even at Grocery Outlet.  I did pick up things like cereal, more spices, a big jug of olive oil (I use olive oil as my primary cooking oil here), a few frozen items, canned tomato products, egg noodles, and both beef and chicken stock.  These items came from both Grocery Outlet and Dollar Tree combined.  I also picked up some HBA items at Dollar Tree like two 3 packs of toothbrushes, face wipes and I also found the movie "Caddie Woodlawn" there.  The author of the book the movie was based on lived in Moscow, Idaho where my husband was born. Oh I picked up some house slippers too!

~The thrift store is my go to place for magazines and books, home décor and some clothing items.  I picked up a nice J Jill sweater, a new sports bra, some Fall decorations, Country Woman magazines and 3 books.  One of the books was a cookbook put together in 1979 by the ladies on my little farming community.  It is so much fun to look through it and see so many familiar names and realize that I ate some of the food that the recipes were so generously shared in this cookbook.  Most of the people are now in heaven, but I treasure having this "tie" to them.

~I knew the frost was coming so I had Jeff move the potted herb plants to the hot tub area.  I also did one last picking of things.

~Dinner was baked sausage and cheese balls, a salad and we each had half of a small cantaloupe from the garden.

~I cooked up the Italian Sausage that I had thawed out so it would not go bad.  I will use it Friday to make Zuppa Toscana.  I'll make a big pot of it since Jaysn, Rachel and Steven are coming out Saturday to pick apples at the orchard and we can have it for lunch.  I know both Jaysn and Rachel love it and I can always make Steven and peanut butter sandwich if he would prefer that.

Thursday:

~I was right, the gardens were hit hard by frost.  Luckily the blackberries still seem ok and are still producing.  Everything else, except for the kale, is a goner.  Looks like it is time to finish cleaning out the garden so it is ready for next Spring.

~I packaged up the dehydrated herbs and got half of the green onions I sliced up earlier in the week going.

~The other half of of the green onions were frozen. 

~The last batch of blackberries I picked were made into 2 pints of blackberry jelly.

~Jeff is gone bowling on Thursday nights so I treat myself to a nice meal that he does not care for but I like.  Tonight it was lobster ravioli that I found for $4.99 at the Grocery Outlet.  I had a glass of wine, some pear slices (from our pears from our trees) and some sourdough  toast with it.  YUMMY!

Friday:

~Not a frugal day at all!  I took some medication to help with my anxiety and it knocked me out.  Jeff ended up bringing home dinner for us.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/1/21

 

   I came across this picture in my files from a few years ago and thought it was the perfect header picture for our post today.  I remember making that fettuccini with what I had on hand and how good it was.  I'm thinking I may have to work that into our menu again for this coming week. 😉  I still cannot believe it is October already.  The maple tree across the street from us is putting on a magnificent show, as is our neighbor's burning bush.  I just Love Fall!

   Here is just a few of the frugal things we have done this week.  Of course I forgot to write things down as I went, so we may we all now bow our heads and pray I can remember things...LOL!

~Jeff and I harvested about a gallon more blackberries off our plants.  We bagged up the first half gallon and spread the love to our neighbors.

~Three more cantaloupes were ready to pick.  YUM!  I took one over to our neighbor/hanai sister Shannon.

~Tomatoes, beans and squash were also harvested.

~I have sliced tomatoes going in the dehydrator.  I will turn them into tomato powder.

~I started my $200 October Grocery challenge and am being careful about what I buy.

~We stopped at the Dollar Tree to get a few things and were very happily surprised that the food aisle had been restocked, as well as the HBA Aisle.  I picked up more parchment paper, fabric band aids, baby wipes, spaghetti sauce, socks, Pink Bismoth, a plastic coated shopping bag and a movie for Steven to add to his Christmas gifts.

~Washington State started it's single use plastic bag ban so we now have to bring our own bags to the stores. I did buy one at the Dollar Tree, but also had a bunch in the car for the other things we bought at Walmart and the Grocery Outlet.

~The Grocery Outlet had all their summer items at half off so I bought more swim googles and diving towns for Bradley and Isaiah to go along with their Christmas gifts.  They have a pool in their back yard and spend hours playing in it.  I wanted them to have extra goggles and toys for when friends come over.

~I found a baby toy marked down to $2.50 in the clearance Aisle at Walmart.  I picked it up for Tate and he will get it early when we see him at Thanksgiving.

~Jeff picked up my feather bed from the dry cleaners and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have it on the guest bed now.  I usually go to sleep in there because I need to stretch out to sleep and sometimes toss and turn a lot.  I don't want to keep Jeff awake in our room.

~Bread and muffins were baked.

~I cooked up a large pork loin roast, along with baked potatoes.  I served it with fresh pear slices from our trees.  YUMMY and it made for 3 complete meals.

~One night I was really tired so we had canned chicken noodle soup (I had not had that in years since I usually make my own) and crescent rolls.

~I made some Krab salad (like you find at the deli) and a tomato, feta, and cucumber salad (using produce from our garden).

~I chose to use my $35 in Walmart gift cards (Swagbucks and MyPoints) to stock up on toilet paper, tissues, kitty litter, and used the remainder of the balance towards groceries.  This will really help with my October Grocery Budget Challenge since that is money that will not have to come out of my personal grocery budget for the month.

~I did skip our town's food commodities give away again this month.  Our Covid-19 cases are really high and I did not want to be in a small building with others that might possibly have it.  I know of families that have been affected by it and some of them are still going down there, even if they should be staying home.  Not worth the risk!

~Since I am still adjusting to my medications, I am not driving myself anywhere, not even down to the library or the post office, which has cut down on the gas bill.

~It's that time of year where I switch out my purses.  I went through my large collection and found a beautiful Brighton leather woven bag that I had not worn yet, so that shall be my Fall bag, for awhile at least.  I did buy it at a thrift store about 2 years ago, but due to Covid-19, had not used it yet since I did not really go anywhere last Fall.

~Jeff's work had 2 BBQ's this week so that is 2 lunches that he did not have to take to work.

~I made a large homemade lasagna and added some red wine to the sauce...oh my goodness did that elevate the flavor!

   I'm sure there are many more things that we did, but at the moment I am drawing a blank.  I'm waiting on the sheets to dry on the line so Jeff and I can make the beds.  He is out winterizing the gardens and doing some clearing out of them.  We are going to pray that we get more cantaloupe to ripen, along with the peppers, before the frost takes them all out.  Tomorrow Chris is taking us out on his boat and up the St. Joe River.  I love being out on the river or on a lake and the Fall colors are just glorious right now so I will be taking a lot of pictures.  If I get some good ones, I want to frame them and use them as part of my Fall decorations.  Chris will be fishing and I had planned on doing that too until I saw the price for an out of state one day fishing license.  YIKES!  So instead I will just enjoy Jeff and his company and the beautiful scenery.  Be blessed!