Frankenpup and Frugal Accomplishments

I'm loving my new muck boots.  I usually come from the garden with wet sneakers from morning dew, so these are a definite improvement.  I'm happy to be joining in with Frugal Accomplishments today. I harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash, okra, pawpaws, basil, chives & corn.  Canned tomatoes.  Bought packs of marked down carrot, beet and lettuce seeds at Walgreens, as well as mechanical pencils with a coupon, which I'll save for my nephew.  Froze pawpaw pulp.  Harvested two pears.  I found a cluster of elderberries that had broken off and dried, and added them to the jar of dried berry pulp for bird suet.

This tiny frog kept me company while I picked cucumbers.  I went through swagbucks for a purchase I needed to make from Lowe's.  Decanted some of the first jar of elderberry tincture, to help me get over a lingering cold.  To keep from making a special trip to town, I got creative with the pup's meals for a couple of days.  I cooked eggs and brown rice, gave them a small amount of bread, yogurt, kefir and cheese, some beans, and a larger than usual amount of grated raw vegetables (though still not the 70% their last vet recommended).  There was always a bit of kibble mixed in, though I definitely stretched it.  They absolutely loved the variety.

Cleaned the chicken coop, & added it to the compost pile.  I harvested more hazelnuts, roasted & ground them and added them to a homemade gelato.  Also made tomato cheese pies, asian cucumbers (I know you're not surprised :o), and roasted green beans for a dinner with friends.  Our guests brought homemade sourdough rye, dark chocolate brownies, pimento cheese & crackers, & a kombucha fruit drink.  It was a happy coincidence that our friend, who is from Estonia, grew up spending days gathering hazelnuts with her grandfather, which they would eat through the year.  The hazelnut gelato with her dark chocolate brownies was heaven.

I canned tomato juice with the pulp, and it is delicious.  I can imagine what it will be like to drink a glass in the cold months.  Quite like summer in a jar.  I gathered a bouquet of beauty berry, poke berries, autumn clematis, obedient plant, soapwort and a canna lily for the house.  Made kefir, kombucha and yogurt.  I washed all laundry with homemade soap and hung it on the line.

Guinness was keeping me company while I was picking tomatoes.  When I looked over, I saw he had gotten into a writing spider's web.  Looks rather like Frankenpup, don't you think?  My silly pups make me laugh almost every day.