January Goodness & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, there was some flat beer, after opening a crowler (32 oz) of local beer, and not drinking it in time.  I know, a bit of a tragedy.  After researching ways to use it, I mixed it with a little bit of ammonia, a can of old soda and water, and poured it over the compost, as an activator.  At least it was put to good use.  I pulled cubes of our winter squash from the freezer, and made butternut crumble, also using our onion, garlic and parsley.  I mixed half real butter and half plant "butter" in the crumble, to help use it up.  With recently harvested broccoli, I made broccoli, cashew, apple & pear salad.  Our cool space is sadly not cold enough for apples, and they've all gotten soft.  Most are being cut up for the pups dinners, and a few have gone to the chickens.  I could turn them into applesauce, but they're all quite small, and seems like just a bit too much work for what I'd get.  Loads of laundry were hung on the line a couple of days.  It was a cold chore, but they dried well.  

Two ripe bananas were frozen for smoothies or bread.  Pasta sauce was made with our canned tomatoes, oregano, parsley, basil, onions & garlic.  A batch of yogurt was made.  Lots of paperwork was done on Tuesday.  While gathering papers needed for paying sales tax and estimated taxes, I gathered a few items I'll need for the regular taxes.  It's a start.  Egg laying has slowed down greatly, normal for this time of year.  I'm lucky to get one a day at present.  My GD and I visited on facetime on her birthday.  Two free books were downloaded on the Kindle app, and two books were requested from the library.  I decided to head to a different Food Lion than the one I usually go to, which is the same distance.  I redeemed a $4 reward towards my purchases.  Across the street, I went to a thrift store, and picked up 4 cotton sheets and 6 pillowcases for $10.50.  A king sheet will be used for dyeing, and the remainder will be for home use.  Lots of our sheets have gotten holes this past year, so I was happy to find these.  We especially need flannel sheets.  No luck there, though I did find 3 flannel pillowcases.  I do love vintage linens.  Though they don't last as long as new, they're inexpensive, already soft, and I love to mix and match them.  My sister always jokes that she can always find me in linens, in a thrift store.  

Just across the parking lot is a consignment mall I've only been in maybe three times over the years.  I went by there, and found all sorts of treasures, including 2 pillowcases and a 1/2 gal. jar for $1 ea., a glass refrigerator dish $4, 2 plates from a pottery just up the road $7 ea., a large terra cotta planter $6, plates that match others I have for our annual hayride 4/$5, plus pottery orchid pots, a covered enamel pan, and canister to turn into a compost crock.  The most expensive item was an enamel laundry bin for $20, but it's so nice to have all the laundry things corralled and out of sight.  I can't remember the last time I had a haul like that, and look forward to putting everything to good use.   I harvested winter greens, and made a hearty winter salad, to go with cream of celery soup which used our onion and potato.  My husband ordered sweet potato sets for the spring.  He waited last year, and had trouble finding them.  We've had some good years and other not so good years in starting our own, so for now, we feel better about knowing we'll have some.   He also ordered onion plants.  Two books I'd requested were picked up at the library.  

Our a/c leak was never found by us or the repairman, so we've decided to get a new system that is a different type from the one we have, and the one J says we should have gotten to begin with, instead of throwing more money into this one.  J was able to get a business account with the company, and this saved us $1000 over the cheapest price we found previously on the unit.  Feeling very grateful about that.  We will use our stimulus funds toward the purchase.  I harvested parsley, for roasted carrots, and used our onions in black beans, and a vegi version of my Grandmother's stuffing.  Several sweet potatoes were baked, so there would be leftovers.  A year or more ago, I realized tight shoes were causing a small bunion.  I changed my shoes, which has gone a long way, but there is still occasional discomfort.  I mixed up essential oil blends I read about, which are supposed to help with any inflammation and discomfort.  Oh, the adventures of growing older.  Several nice tufts of usnea were found in my woods wanderings, and a new jar of tincture was started.  I'd intended to remove Christmas decorations from the tree, and leave birds nests, pinecones, mushrooms, etc. for a bit longer, but found it was so dry, I decided to take it down.  Though areas around us got dustings of snow on Friday, it missed us.  I'll keep hoping.  Here's to a week of January goodness.