Day Book: May 23/16

Outside my window.....it is a sunny and warm day. There are no clouds in the sky but my window is still dirty. I did not wash it this week like I intended. My front lawn needs to be mowed and trimmed.

I am thinking.....that I need to buckle down this week and get things done while my son and his GF are away. When they return, we are supposed to have a yard sale.

I am thankful for......sunny days with comfortable temperatures for getting work done outside.

From the kitchen.....I made another batch of doggie biscuits and homemade pizza yesterday afternoon. One of those pizzas I was able to freeze for a quick "take-out" meal later. Maybe one of those days I am busy outside pulling weeds, or a day when I have cleaned through a room and packed boxes of things I will get rid of. My counter still has flour on it from rolling out the pizza dough.

I am wearing.....dark denim capris, bright yellow button down camp shirt, and barefoot.

I am creating.....planters with the wave petunias I bought on Saturday.

I am going.....to Charleston Lake to visit with my friend who is house-bound due to her recent foot surgery.

I am reading......my favourite blogs and commenting on a few of them.

I am hoping.....I can maintain the self-discipline I need to lose a few pounds over the summer.

I am hearing.....a few cars passing the house (the window is open), the click-click of the dog's nails on the laminate flooring, and the sound of someone's whipper-snipper nearby as they are edging their lawn.

Around the house.....my Sweetie and I have loaded up the trailer once again with metal from the yard. ( For instance, there were the old appliances from the trailer that my son and his GF demolished last summer.) We will take these to the scrapyard tomorrow. We also pulled weeds in the veggie garden and he fixed our roto tiller so that I can plow later this afternoon. He repaired  a flat tire on our riding lawn mower and used it to cut part of the back property. Inside, I am barely keeping up with laundry, dishes, and making dinner. I need more energy, please.

One of my favourite things......this week, is my umbrella clothesline. I love being able to hang my laundry outdoors. Everything smells so delightful and the sun is a natural disinfectant.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include packing up some items from the house for the yard sale, and cleaning out some long neglected areas of the house. After the trailer is emptied, I'd like to bring in a load of compost or garden soil to add to our veggie garden before planting.

Here is a picture I am sharing.....

One of my planters.....Hope it fills out nicely. Looks kind of sad right now. 

Shopping Day

I was not going to do a major shop until June's grocery budget; however, there were a couple of great sales on this weekend. I was completely out of dishwasher tabs but I was making do with my homemade dishwasher detergent. I decided to bite the bullet and stock up. I ended up going to three different grocery stores.

The big sale that drew me out of the house this weekend was this one at No Frills. Whole eye of round roasts were $2.97 a pound. I should have got more than these two large roasts. They sliced up beautifully into 24 steaks. I cut the tips of each end of the roasts to cut into stewing meat, and the rest went into steaks. I put the "trimmings" into the stockpot with some frozen vegetable peelings to make soup stock. If I buy anymore this week, I will cut into some smaller roasts

Proteins $55.91
Giant Tiger had 4 one pound chubs of lean ground meat on for $10 (usually $14), frozen chicken for $5 (50% off) and hotdogs for $1.99  Total meat purchases came to $55.91

Produce cost $10.68
I had to pay $3.27 for 10 pounds of russet potatoes. I was not happy about that, but we were completely out.  English cucumber was 88 cents, 2 lb. bag of carrots was $1.47. 3 yellow onions cost $1.25, 2 sweet potatoes were $1.61, and the small head of cabbage cost me $2.20 I really noticed the price increase this week on fresh veggies, but my son and his GF left some fresh veggies in the fridge that we have to use up.

Pantry items cost $$20.39

The noodles are for serving stir fries over, instead of rice. The vinegar and salt will be made into weed-killer. The sugar and shortening are for baking, and I pretty much settled with no-name brands for the rest. The peanuts are a treat for my Sweetie. They were less than $2 on sale. 

Non-food items came to $12.72, but they still come out of my grocery budget. 

Dairy came to $17.88, which is all you see here. I try to stick with Becel margarine for everyday, but I like to buy the Imperial margarine for baking because it is packaged into 1/4 lb. or 1/2 cup measures. The block of Armstrong cheese was only $3.97 and the 24 slices of plastic cheese was $2.99  If I had remembered to bring my flyers with me, I could have price-matched with Metro for only $1.99  Arghhh!

The reason I have the dairy purchases in two separate photos is because I wanted to show you my FREE food. You might remember that I had a coupon printed on a box of cereal a couple of weeks ago for a free 2 liters of chocolate milk....well not entirely free, because I had to buy a box of cereal today. But I needed to buy some more Cheerios anyway. But the 4 liters of Chapman's ice cream is entirely free. Every year just after New Years, I contact Chapman's and request a coupon for their product. (You are allowed one a year) They used to give a $5 coupon in the mail, but 2 years ago, they cut it back to a $4 coupon. As more and more people heard about the offer, more and more people began taking the offer. This week, Freshco had their Chapman's ice cream on sale for $1.97 a carton. That translated into 2 cartons of ice cream for me, completely FREE.  Yippee! 

After spending another $5.48 on a package of hot dog buns and a box of Cheerios, my total came to $123.06  I am still within my budget for May. 

Remember we bought laminate flooring for the renovation in the upstairs bedroom? Well, we had one full unopened package left over, which my Sweetie took back for a store credit. I used that credit today to buy a round pointed shovel and two 6-packs of wave petunias...one red and one white. I spent another $6 + tax OOP to buy a pack of pink ones as well. I will use these to put in my planters this weekend. All in all, it was a successful shop. And how is your weekend going so far?

A more laid back day

After the whirlwind that was yesterday, today was much more relaxed. I visited my friend who just got back from hospital. I took her some whole wheat bagels, whole wheat Triscuit crackers, a block of marble cheddar cheese, some pro-biotic yoghurt and some sliced roast beef for sandwiches. I know that she has many friends and neighbours that are looking after her, but I took note that her health care workers want her to gain some weight back, and because she is on antibiotics, she needs to return some bacteria into her gut.

When I arrived, she was still lying on her couch where she was when the nurses had  seen her this morning. They had just left. I washed up the dishes in the sink, did a load of laundry for her, removed the garbage, and sorted and removed all the recycling. I made us both some lunch and we had a lovely visit. I know that when I left, she was feeling very tired, and was going to have a sleep back in her bedroom. It is going to take a few days for her to recover some of her strength, but she is doing very well. It was raining when I left her place for home, but it has since cleared up nicely and the sun is shining again. Please enjoy some of these flowers with me. I wish you could smell my backyard. The lilacs, apple blossoms and lily of the valley always bloom at the same time, and it smells just heavenly here. 

Can you smell these lilacs?

Pretty apple blossoms

We have lots of blossoms on our trees, but the apples are not good....not even for applesauce. 

Self-seeded violas are the only flowers in my planters so far. 

Lily of the Valley are very invasive plants, but the perfume is intoxicating. 

Forget me nots grow everywhere and anywhere, but I love them.

 Has anyone got plans for the long week-end?  It is traditionally the time for planting the flower beds, so I will probably visit my local nursery to have a look-see. In any event, I will try to go out into the flower beds to prepare them. Whatever your plans, have a great Victoria Day weekend. 

Multi-tasking

It was one of those days. 

I sat down this morning to check my email with a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal. The dishwasher was already cleaned up because while the kettle is boiling, I put away the dishes and start loading up the dishwasher again. I just barely finished my cereal when the dog wanted outside again. I noticed the clothesline with the laundry hanging from yesterday. (It had rained late in the afternoon yesterday before I remembered I had some clothes drying on the line). I brought those upstairs and proceeded to gather another load of dark wash. I came down to finish reading a blog posting. My Sweetie announced that he was going into town to take in a compressor to his brother's place. I helped him load the compressor into the van and then went into the backyard to gather all the bags I wanted taken into the recycling facility. He could take those in for me, since I had sorted them all the day before.

Off he went while I went back to reading my favourite blog. My dad and "Dee" called on the Blackberry. It is my Dad's birthday today and the card I sent him had just arrived, so he called to thank me. "Dee" and I chatted and I was reminded that I was making a birthday dinner for my son's GF tonight. The meal was planned, but my dining room was still a mess after having pulled everything out from under the staircase. After I finished talking, I tackled that problem area. I put back only the ironing board, two table leaves, and one box of mason jars under the stairs, cleaned off the table, and "dealt" with the remaining boxes and bins by moving them into different areas of the house. I was just finishing up, when my Sweetie came home with the mail. 

One of the envelopes contained a wedding shower invitation. This was one of the personal phone calls I needed to make today. I made a phone call to one friend who was supposed to be home after a long stay in hospital, only to learn that she had gone back into hospital after being home only one day. That was upsetting news. I called the second friend to accept the invitation to the shower and have the chat that I had intended. In the back of my mind, I knew I should call a third friend and my daughter, but I will call tomorrow. I hung out my load of dark wash and made myself lunch. 

While I was in the kitchen, I looked for the cake mix I thought I had in the pantry. It wasn't there. I knew I would have to make a cake from scratch so I looked for a recipe in my files. While that was baking, I peeled the carrots and potatoes and left them sitting in water on the stove. After the two cake layers were cooled, I turned them onto plates and put both of them in the microwave (so the cats and the dog wouldn't get them), and I left for Amerstview to go to the bank and the grocery store to pick up some broccoli, bread and milk. I intended to put some money inside a birthday card as her birthday gift. Once home, I made the dressing and stuffed the chicken and placed in the roasting pan in the oven. I washed and cut the broccoli and had it ready to go. I set the table, threw up a very few decorations, and iced and decorated the cake. By now it was five o'clock. I wouldn't cook the vegetables until 5:15, so I went back to the computer and finished reading the blog I started this morning and commented on it. After dinner, I brought in my laundry from the clothesline and placed the rest of the chicken in the crock pot to make a nice rich chicken broth overnight. It is now 10:00 and I am going to watch one hour of television before bed. Goodnight all.

Catching up

It's been almost a week since my last post. I actually had to go back and read the last post to help me remember most of what has happened since then. I have cut the grass (all of it) again this week. I have not pulled any more weeds from the beds. I have pulled more rhubarb though....gave some away, froze two more quarts and made a rhubarb crumble. I made two pies last week after my last post.

Two rhubarb pies and doggie treats out of the oven.

I still have some pastry left in the fridge to make at least one more pie this week. Yes, my pastry was a little pale. That's because I left the tin foil on it too long. It was still fully baked however and it didn't affect the flavour any, because both pies are GONE.

On Thursday I decided to pull everything out of the closet under the stairs. My plan is to put back only those items that I wish to store under there and get rid of the rest. The dining room is still full of "stuff" I need to go through. When my son and his GF come back from California in two weeks, we are going to have a huge yard sale, starting with the stuff I am purging from this closet......if I can let go of it.   

 During the renovation of the bedroom, we put building material and other large broken pieces into our trailer. On Friday, my Sweetie and I loaded up more junk from the yard. While I finished cutting the rest of the lawn, my husband attached a trailer hitch  and wiring harness to the back of his van, so that early Saturday morning we could take the trailer to the Transfer Station to dump our first load of the year.

 As soon as we finished that, we took off towards Toronto. I picked up a bouquet of flowers and the card I made for Mother's Day, and brought them to the Retirement home in Cobourg where my mother lives. They were just finishing up lunch in the Dining room when we arrived. We did not stay long, but we had a very nice visit. Then off we went to the kids' gymnastics club in Bradford where my young grandson and his twelve invited guests were celebrating his fifth birthday party. The staff showed them around the foam pit, the parachute, the trampoline, etc. My daughter provided the food, cake, colouring activities and loot bags during the final hour inside the party room. After the party, we moved everything back to my daughter's place, ordered pizza, and had a family birthday party when his other grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins arrived. We didn't get home until after 10:30 that night.

Sunday was a lot quieter. It was pouring rain and so I tried reading more of my favourite blogs and we watched a few shows "On Demand" that we missed while out West. I also got some vacuuming done. Yesterday the lawn needed to be cut again after a weekend of rain. I also got a load of laundry washed and hung outside. We had a surprise visit from an old friend of ours who lives up north now, so we whiled away a couple of hours visiting. I have been making up a few shopping lists for when we go into town this week, but it isn't urgent that we go. I still have no need for groceries yet. 

 

Day Book - Tuesday, May 17/16

I am writing a day book today as a response to a challenge made by Natalie at Imperfectly Frugally.

Outside my window......It is a lovely sunny day with a slight breeze. (great clothesline drying day). I see my front lawn freshly mowed from yesterday and I see my front porch railing that needs painting. There are daffodils that are finished blooming for the season and the flower heads need to be removed.  I also see a dirty window that needs washing.

I am thinking.....that it is always easy for me to see the work that needs doing. Why don't I have the energy and motivation to do?

I am thankful for.......good friends, and of course my family.

From the learning rooms......my Sweetie checked You Tube for videos on how to change out the wheel cylinder and muffler on the year and model of his "new to him" van, so he can finish the work needed to get the safety done on his vehicle this week. He is a mechanic but each vehicle can have different ways of taking apart its components. I have bookmarked a video series on building a tiny home and I have become lost on pinterest looking at different homemade cards.

From the kitchen....I have unloaded the dishwasher and started loading back up again. I removed everything from the counters and scrubbed them down with my Miracle Wash. I also washed the fronts of the lower cabinet doors.

I am wearing.....jeans, bright pink T-shirt, pale pink short sleeved button down shirt and black socks. I have worn this two days in a row. It has been cool these past few days.

I am creating.....a mess in the dining room. I emptied the closet under the stairs and pulled everything out into the dining room. I don't want to put anything back unless it belongs there, and there are many bins that I need to go through first.

I am going.....nowhere today, I don't think. But I am making up lists of things I need to pick up IF we go into town. I also have sorted through some recycling and bagged it up to take to the recycling plant.

I am reading.....nothing at the moment. I am not a big reader of novels. I do read when I am on vacation however. The last book I finished was Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George.

I am hoping......I can get outside today to pull a few weeds.

I am hearing.....traffic passing our house. We live on the main street through town, which is also a major highway. I also hear my son using the whirlpool tub upstairs.

Around the house......I have two loads of laundry drying on the line outside. Both cats and the dog are sleeping. I have four kitchen cabinet doors in the dining room that needs the adjustable hinges removed. We don't need the doors, but we (or the tiny house) might need the hinges in a future project. I might use the door panels to make some outdoor signs for the garden, for myself or as a gift to someone.

One of my favourite things........right now, is my Contigo water bottle. It was a gift to me from my DIL in Vancouver while I was out there. It is spill proof and holds a liter of water at a time.

A few plans for the rest of the week........I have some personal phone calls to make in the next couple of days. My son and his GF are leaving Friday for two weeks in California. While away, the GF will be celebrating her birthday, so I will fix a birthday supper for her tomorrow. Fortunately, I made all those cards before I left for Vancouver. We've had six birthdays and Mother's Day since we've come back. Whew!
There is always OUTDOORS work to be done.

Here is a picture I am sharing....

Cookies my daughter made for her son's fifth birthday (theme was LEGO police)

Rhubarb harvest

Rhubarb has been one of my most WASTED resources. I have a lovely big patch, but only manage to make a couple of pies or fruit crumbles during the season, and I let the rest of it bolt and eventually die off.. Well this year I will resolve to do better. I have decided that since I have another freezer this year, I will take advantage and freeze as much rhubarb as I can when I am not using it up in my baking. 

I was feeling my age and a lot of sore muscles this morning when I got up, so I decided I would take a break from all the yard work that needs doing. We went into Kingston to pick up my new license plate sticker. The one I bought in Elliot Lake was just a 10 day trip permit so that I could get it back home and have the car safety-ed. My appointment was yesterday. While the car was on the hoist and one wheel was off, they discovered that the wheel cylinder was leaking. Coincidentally, there was already a brand new wheel cylinder in the back of my van because my Sweetie also needed one for his vehicle. They installed that one and only charged one hours labour. So my vehicle is fit and licensed. Yay! My Sweetie will have to pick up another one for his vehicle when he gets his van in for his safety. 

From there I went to the Bulk Barn to buy oatmeal, cornmeal, chocolate chips, split peas, ground black pepper and smoked paprika. I also bought a couple more vanilla beans and some essential oil, which brought my total up to $42. But I got a senior's discount of 10%. bringing it back down to $38.92  This afternoon I cut, washed, and chopped four quarts of rhubarb ready to make pies. I prepared my pie crust for rolling out tonight after seven o'clock. Our Hydro summer schedule started May 1st, so our high peak time is now 11 AM to 5 PM. (the opposite of our winter schedule) I also made doggie biscuits to go into the oven after the pies. After 20 minutes, I will shut off the oven and leave the biscuits in there overnight to harden.

Four quarts of chopped rhubarb for the freezer, or pies.

My rhubarb patch...In a couple of days, I will be able to harvest even more.

I was able to get another load of laundry washed in cold water with my homemade laundry detergent and vinegar for softener, and hung outside on the clothesline. I folded and put away the laundry I hung yesterday. 

Supper tonight is meatloaf, boiled potatoes and carrot coins prepared this afternoon so it would be ready to cook at 5 PM (mid-rate for Hydro)

I sorted the recycling bins for pickup tomorrow and brought down all the garbage to put out at the curb tonight before bed.

I am still hoping that I will be able to do more yard work tomorrow.