A fresh loaf of no-knead bread.
A loaf of kitty cat, trapping my legs while I finish up a library book.
This “Good Dog Library” with sticks and dog treats.
Homemade bread + homemade foraged blackberry jam = the perfect breakfast!
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
My daughter is taking me shopping for plants. One of my favorite things to do.
We will share dinner tonight and watch a favorite show. Good cheap fun.
I made a pan of lasagna using up leftover bits and dabs from the refrigerator and it turned out so good. I love it when I can use things up that might have gone to waste.
I have been eating salad with every meal recently. It uses up a wealth of greens that I was given and bulks up my main dishes, even breakfast.
Happy Mother’s Day weekend!
1. Laundry washed, dried outside on the clothesline and put away.
2. Bought 3 green peppers at Aldi on Thursday to make the hubby stuffed peppers (he likes them, I don’t). Got 3 red peppers from the food bank today. Got 23 sections of stuffed pepper to bake and freeze for him for quick meals. There was enough meat left for a large meatball which he ate for lunch.
3. My Amish kids’ last day of school was yesterday. Gave each a dozen chocolate peanut butter dipped pretzel rods for their last day of school. (6 kids total) Had some melted chocolate peanut butter left and ALMOST threw it out. Instead, I put it on a piece of waxed paper and threw it in the freezer. Nice little treat today.
4. There is a reason why a group of babboons is called a “congress.”
5. Stayed home today. Saved gas and mo ey by not going out.
I’m not surprised to learn that Congress is composed of baboons! As an Aussie I’m still reeling in shock at the shafting of Veterans, just announced! “ Thank You For Your Service” is now as meaningful for Vets as “ OurThoughts and Prayers Are With You” has been for the parents of countless massacred school children . Heartbreaking!
Love the crusty bread!
Social Security sent a notice that we must transition our old social security.gov login to either ID.me or Login.gov. (though they still haven’t told us a deadline by which to switch, just have to do it the next time we go to ssa,gov).
I gather ID.me is a government-approved private entity that works for more things around the world, and perhaps requires facial recognition? and Login.gov is a government program. A person can have both, though presumably only the chosen one will get through to the SS account. Any comments about which might be more beneficial? Thank you!
On a related note, I do not use a cell phone except for traveling when my husband is worrying, and do not wish to provide that number for authentication of anything. This has become increasingly difficult.
Heidi Louise, I’m not familiar with ID.me but my husband and I use login.gov without any problems.
Amazing when you tell people you’ll take anything they think might be safe to use or eat, what comes your way. This week:
1. Friend dropped off over 50 toilet paper rolls for the animal shelter’s hamsters. I dropped them off with mine and kept something out of the land fill.
2. Neighbor’s child brought over a loaf of bread because Mom had made too much plus no one in the family really liked wild Alaska lowbush cranberries in their bread. Yes please. A few weeks ago, I gave her some duplicate spices that were just going to get old because I had too much. What goes around…
3. Another neighbor gave me a dozen eggs when I dropped off egg cartons, which I had brought home empty from the food bank where they were just going to be thrown away. Neighbor sells his eggs so was happy for the cartons.
4. Former co-worker dropped off the latest book from a series we both love. Stayed for lemonade and a chat.
5. Husband’s golf buddy get a coffee shipment every month. He is behind, so he gave this month’s pound of coffee to the husband.
What is your recipe for homemade blackberry jam??
I just use a standard recipe, nothing fancy. Sugar, pectin, berries.
1. Pulled out half a batch of frozen two ingredient pumpkin muffins for my “on the go” Saturday morning breakfast as I worked today. Great weekend treat.
2. I recently figured out Libby and hoopla make it through my employer’s firewall so I am reading at work in between customers/during slow periods. Other co-workers saw me and asked about it. I’m pleased they are excited and feel like I have led a few others to get library cards and read vs. constant phone use.
3. Using ceiling and window fans on hot days, closing blinds to block the sun.
4. Embracing/adjusting to being a non-empty nester parent anymore as my daughter graduated from college and moved back home. The upside is I am looking forward to my daughter helping to pay household expenses. This means I can quite two part-time jobs I have been working and just work full-time. Also looking forward to being able to do some home improvements together and to increase my retirement savings.
5. Remembering to only run the washer and dryer during non-peak energy use hours for the cheaper rates. With daughter at home, I am looking for ways to decrease the increase in energy use. Also adjusted the hot water heater to a lower setting as it was set to high.
1. Attended a conference on Tire Wear Toxins on Thursday and Friday. Drove up with #2 son (as this has a lot to do with his Masters, and his profs were the ones organizing it). I am interested in this chemical from my citizen science role of dipping bottles in rivers when it rains, so although #2 is also involved with this toxin (6PPD-Q), we have come at it from different directions.
The sponsors of the event were offering free parking, as well as a gas subsidy, so travel should have been free. Frugal fail is the second day their code didn’t work – and on top of paying for parking ($8) we got a parking ticket for being in the wrong lot. GAH. I will protest and ask his prof to help, but still…
2. The workshops and sessions were fascinating, my brain hurts. We were offered fruit and pastries and coffee first thing in the morning and at the morning break, as well as lunch (Burgers including vegan and gluten free options, salad, fruit, cookies, pop [soda]) on both days, so #2 son and I didnt have to pack a lunch nor (in my case) eat breakfast.
3. Dinners afterwards on both days were Costco chicken (from Tuesday), in Costco croissants. There is still some chicken as well as lots of broth to use up for dinner tonight and tomorrow.
4. HUGE bonus of the event was spending two days commuting with #2 son, we don’t usually get that kind of quality time together. Conversation was varied and interesting, ranging from how a Mass Spectrometer works, to his plans for a holiday in Montreal with his girlfriend. In particular, I would never get that second conversation if we weren’t side-by-side!
I also got to be ‘super proud momma’ when both of his P.I’s (the University Profs supervising his Masters program) spent some serious time talking about how exemplary (their word) #2 son is, and how much his research and commitment is contributing to furthering a very novel approach to gathering and processing data.
It is nice when a teacher says your kid is doing good work, it is REALLY nice when they do so in a group setting, while others chime in to affirm that #2 is really quite remarkable. This all in front of #2, so I also saw both their affection for him, and his lovely embarrassment. Not me, I said “Tell me more!” which made everyone laugh and did lighten things up a bit.
5. I’ve used Katy’s trick of cooking up sad celery, onions and carrots and freezing them into flat bundles for future Ecoteri’s timesaving dinner enhancement. While doing those up, I assembled a soup from leftover rice, Costco chicken, onion, carrot, celery and broth made with the Costco Chicken carcass. Easy dinners for a few nights and SO satisfying to get the aging veggies converted into useful tasty meals and pre-meals.
6. Thanks to the ongoing suggestions from the commentariat, I have courageously converted the very well cooked and crumbly bones from stock making into my version of ‘kibble topper’ – essentially, my dog who eats everything and particularly loves chicken usually gets the fat and skin (in judicious quantities). I decant those into a canning jar and store in the fridge for a few days. This time, I added all the crumbled bones, and a bit more broth. She will get some every day until it is gone, and think she is in heaven. Dogs, they are so easy to please!
Dh and I went on an overnight trip to KC. It was not frugal but we had fun. We did enjoy a lovely, free walk through Kauffman garden. The iris are varied and exquisite. It is an easy laid back stroll. Then we pigged out on BBQ (of course!)
Found .01
Line dried several loads of laundry.
Ate leftovers.
Helped myself to 3 pounds of ground venison from my folks freezer. I will use it as a substitute for ground beef.
Planning to dig up some iris from my folks tomorrow. I can’t remember them ever being thinned. They are a very pretty soft yellow and a very old variety.
1. I am just sitting on my porch, enjoying delicious, warm air, after a full day of gardening. Free free free.
2. Future Julia will appreciate all of the squash that I planted today. Pumpkins, butternut, acorn, Lakota, zucchini, and more. I’m also excited because this year if I get a zucchini that goes crazy, I can split it and give it to my chickens to eat. I always feel like I have to try to eat them so they don’t go to waste but when they’re that big, it’s rough going.
3. I’m inspired to defrost some pumpkin or persimmon overnight to make some muffins tomorrow.
4. I picked, shelled, parboiled, and froze my 1st cup of English peas of the season. I only ate a few.
5. I continue with my science experiment on the kitchen counter – banana water, which looks vile, and then all the other random containers with coffee grounds, chicken scraps, mung beans, alfalfa sprouts, and then there’s compost and some beans soaking overnight. I am a mad scientist! Or a witch.
Re: your #5, Julia, I hope that no one ever examines the contents of my freezers too closely. With the various baggies and containers of chicken and beef bones, lobster and shrimp shells, and veggie scraps for future soup stocks, I’d probably get arrested for practicing voodoo without a license.
I’ve been keeping a nasty banana peel in a full outdoor watering can as extra fertilizer. No way to know whether it’s helping.
Love the pictures!
Stop the insanity
1. Bath remodel completed however paint chipped in multiple spots during taking old tub out and transforming into walk in shower. Purchased new paint and had bathroom repainted
2. Computer kept on crashing. Purchased a new one. Now I can’t find any of my documents
3. Next up TV died. New TV ordered and son will help hubby install it
4. Today AC fan died. New fan will be replaced tomorrow
5. My 2 month reprise from working part time has ceased. I’m now looking for a part time job or a money tree