Blooms, Bones and Frugal Accomplishments

pear blossoms

The blossoms of spring have begun.  I'm joining in with Brandy's Frugal Accomplishments today.  At the discount grocery store, I found .50 cans of organic diced tomatoes, sunflower seeds for the birds - $6 for around 20 lbs.  A few days earlier, I had picked up a 6 lb bag for $7 at Big Lots because I was out, so was very happy to find this.   My favorite buy was rice.  They had a buy one, get 1 free sale.  Most of it was white rice, with a few small bags of brown rice, but I found 5# of basmati rice, & 5# of jasmine rice.  Both were $4, making it .40/lb.  Both had sell by dates in 2016, and no bugs :o). I dry canned the rice.

hyacinth and daffodils

I made hummingbird food, yogurt and kefir.  I must have been mistaken about hearing hummingbirds, as I've not yet seen any.  Perhaps they were wasps buzzing by my head?   I did laundry using homemade soap, and hung it on the line.  I made breadcrumbs from bread heels and crushed eggshells to put in the garden or compost.  Started a batch of cleaning vinegar with mandarin peels.  Made a winter salad using our greens and garlic to bring to a dinner we were invited to.

pushkinnia

I cut the eyes from store bought potatoes I was cooking, to grow.  When J was growing up, they grew their potatoes this way.  I cut just a little potato flesh with the eye, & dry the pieces a bit before planting.  J also did this with the organic seed potatoes, and I'll be cooking those today.  I have read that they use antisprouting chemicals on non-organic potatoes, so this only works if you're using organic or homegrown potatoes.  The commercial ones won't sprout eyes.  I looked for and used an Essential Depot coupon code (10%), to buy the lye I use in my soaps.

I trimmed both pups nails.  Guinness is always cooperative, and let me trim all of his, with treats given after each foot.  McNibs has always been a challenge.  I asked them to trim his nails when he was sedated for his happy tail bandaging.  He's let me trim 2 nails once since then, and this time, he let me trim his two front feet.  Not perfect, but progress, and frugal.

pulmonaria

I started more wintersown seeds outdoors- marigolds, zinnias, columbine and tithonia.  I also found a packet of sweet peas.  I recently read they are only good for a year, and these were older than that, but I went ahead and planted them by a couple of trellises.  My tithonia and scented night stock are coming up!  I made suet for the birds.

We ate green beans and applesauce I had canned.  I used our garlic and thyme in the green bean dish.  Still trying to eat from the freezer-  cooked 2 bags of our okra, and made Fig Sherry bread from our figs.  Made crescent rolls using ww flour I ground for part of the flour.  I made tomato rice loaf with our tomatoes, garlic, breadcrumbs and celery.

Here's McNibs stopping by to say hello.  The bone is made by West Paw Design, and is the longest lasting bone he's chewed on to date.  This is their Hurley bone.  I had bought him their Bumi Tug toy for Christmas, also for tough chewers, but it didn't last 48 hours.  Their policy is to replace any toy one time, so I tried the Hurley at their suggestion.  He's had this one for weeks.  One end does have a little damage, but it's still intact, which is impressive.  Most of the toys I've bought him, for "tough chewers", don't last a day.  I would recommend these dog toys.  They're BPA and phthalate-free too.