Making Home and the Freezer Queen Strikes Again~

This past week was a pleasant one!  Many days started with the comforting, yet economical breakfast of oatmeal and toast made from homemade cinnamon raisin bread...

After adding the vanilla to the porridge, there always seems to be some that is running down the side of the little brown bottle.  I swipe my wrist across the bottle to catch the drip of vanille "perfume".  That keeps the drip from staining the lazy Susan where the bottle lives, in between times of being called into the service of making something delicious.

After breakfast, and before beginning my day, I like to get some simmering potpourri going.

I vary the scents according to my mood, the season, and the ingredients I have on hand.

Today I decided to use some very fragrant loose tea.  I only used a couple of spoonfuls.

I tuck it into a nook in our dining room, right around the corner from our front door, so that the fragrance du jour greets our visitors with its subtle, natural scent.

At this point, I usually set about doing kitchen cleanup and other necessary chores for the day. This week I had some items I wanted to put up in the freezer to keep them from going bad.  I don't like to throw our money away in the form of spoiled food!

I had an almost full big bottle of V8 juice, that I got for free when Randall's was having their Monopoly promotion, that wasn't being drunk.  I decided that it would make a delicious addition to soups come this fall!

I also froze the leftover cranberries from making cranberry water.  I like to add them to smoothies and to my dog's homemade food.  They also make pretty little "ice"  

cubes to add to a tall glass of water on a hot summer's day.

Throughout the day, I am usually being observed from afar by a kitty or two...

And after the chores are finished and the day is done, I have been enjoying a little ambiance...

Who says the fireplace has to be reserved for the cooler months (especially if it doesn't put out heat)?!

A little surprise my daughter and I had when we were out shopping late one evening...

Fireworks!  It's always nice when there's a little something that causes us to stop and savor the moment.  

I hope you had a wonderful week and many moments to savor!

Thanks for stopping by!~ TJ

Puttering and Watching the Gulf~

 

As I sit here typing in the darkness of the kitchen, caused by the rain clouds that were blown in by sudden winds,  I hear the heavy raindrops beating out of sync with the satisfying "pop...POP's!" of the cranberries that I have heating on the stove.  I am making some cranberry juice from cranberries I bought on deep discount last winter and froze, while hubby is intently watching the Weather Channel and the latest breaking news on tropical storm Barry.  Such is life on the gulf coast.

Tropical storms can be devastating, and although they are not predicting Barry to hit our area, it never hurts to keep an eye on the Gulf when storms are a'brewin'.  All in the path of the storm will be in our constant watch, thoughts and prayers.

This past week was a quiet one as my daughter had a four day weekend for the fourth of July holiday.  She didn't make any plans other than r&r-ing to recover from working many days straight the couple of weeks before.  Since she was home, we got to spend some mother daughter time together just hanging out, giggling and girl talking. We also went to a nearby Hispanic grocery store looking for some vanilla.  They didn't have what I was looking for so we decided to stop in at the Indian grocery store since it was on our way home, just to see their offerings.  Just walking in them, with their sights and smells, instantly brought back fond memories.  I left each of them with a mental wish list of herbs, spices and other products (this is one♡) that I can't wait to go back and purchase.  But first, I want to think a bit more and make a proper list before I go back.

the coleus that has self seeded everywhere, lol

I took some cuttings of plants (coleus, pothos ivy, english ivy) that I wanted to propagate in water. Honestly, I have self seeded coleus popping up all over our property but the one I took a cutting of is a white/chartreuse variegated variety that I would love to have more of.  I'm thinking of doing the same with my grape vine (the one that has actually been producing grapes, not the freeloader!).  I have propagated cuttings from our turkey fig tree as well and they have taken off nicely.  What a wonderful way to have more plants without spending money!

I spent a little time mending one of our couch pillows by hand, the project of which had been on my to-do list for quite awhile.  I had not done any hand sewing in a long time and had forgotten what a beautiful type of meditation it could be.  It really was a welcome task that caused me to slow down from my usual flitting and fluttering from one project or job to another.  

In the kitchen, along with all the other necessary meals and snacks, I made up some refreshing cold brewed coffee.  We love having it in our beverage rotation to enjoy on those sweltering, dog days of summer!

And before I go...look what I found out in the garden while trimming branches!  I believe they are creeping cucumber but they look like Lilliputian watermelons!  

The garden is always full of surprises!

I would love to hear how you spent your time this last week!

Have a great week ahead and thanks for stopping by!~TJ

Still Eatin' on the Cheap~ And Other Tales of Tightwadery this Past Week

When it rains, it pours, they say.
I can attest to that! Both literally and figuratively.

We have had some glorious, soil soaking rains this past week that have allowed me a break from having to water the garden on a daily basis.

On the "figurative hand", our gate needs replacing and our television has decided it doesn't want to entertain us anymore.  Replacing the television can wait.  The HOA is not as forgiving, which leaves us even less wiggle room in our budget than normal.

It is during these times that I look for ways to tighten up on spending even more than I usually do.  The first two areas I look to to save money are groceries and the second is "wants".

I've been very vigilant about making my shopping lists and sticking to them.  I usually very easily get distracted and tempted by items when I browse during my shopping trips. So, I've been extra mindful to remain focused on my list while shopping.  I put my "blinders" on, so to speak, make a beeline from item to item on my list, put them in my basket and get the heck out of the store!  NO SIGHTSEEING WHILE SHOPPING!

I've also tightened up on electricity monitoring around the house, making sure that if we aren't using lights or fans etc., they get turned off.  I'm beginning to love the romance of candlelight when the sun goes down!

I had also become lax about dishwasher and laundry loads, running both at times when they weren't at a maximum load.  I am aiming to become more efficient at loading the dishwasher and doing loads only when both are truly full.

Another small thing I have begun doing again is requesting samples that interest me and are useful to me or one of my family members.  This week I received samples of a packet of emergency prepared food from the Wise Company, a Vichy skincare product sample and a sample of Dermablend face makeup.  We are especially excited to try the pasta as we have been thinking of researching options for emergency food supplies.

Of course, there is always the offerings, however small,  that the garden gives.  I've gathered some grapes from our grapevine, some sage and a small bunch of celery that grew from a planting of the rooty stalk of store bought celery.  The celery was an experiment that surprised us with a new bunch!

In the kitchen this past week, along with the usual fare, I decided to dust off my old stovetop waffle maker (there's a similar one here) one morning and whip up a rare treat for breakfast.  It's been so long since we've all had waffles the family was pleasantly surprised!  I love honey on mine, hubby loves maple syrup~opposites attract!

I also made an easy cinnamon roll cake that always hits the spot, day or night, with ingredients I had on hand in the pantry.

Of course, I spent a little time in my studio preparing a new apron pattern for future offerings in my Etsy shop.

All in all, I had a productive, wonderful week doing what I love most, making our house a sweet home!  I hope you all have had a happy week and are looking forward to special moments in the week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by!~ TJ