A Simple Summer Meal & Frugal Accomplishments

I am joining in with Frugal Accomplishments today.  Last week, J & I picked all the field peas that were ready Sunday evening, and then shelled them on Monday. He's an old hand at shelling, and very quick at it.  It's nice relaxing work, sitting and talking while shelling beans on the porch.  I cleaned, researched, took photos of and listed 3 new items on ebay, plus a few reruns.  I've had sales of shaving soaps, a shaving set and a pub table in my online shops the past couple of weeks.  I harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, lima beans, red noodle beans, pears, pawpaws, yellow squash, plums, & hazelnuts.  Used cooled down water from canning to water a number of plants outdoors.  I needed to buy paint for the pub table, and using Swagbucks and my credit card saved 7%.  Needing to restock supplements, I used a 20% off coupon code along with saving 4% through ebates for my purchase.  I had frugal fails on some leftovers... some went to the chickens and some were composted.  There was not a lot of anything, just a few bites of this and that, but I still don't like to waste. I cut a bouquet for the house, which I used in some photo shoots for my shop before placing it on the kitchen table.

J shelling beans

I ran errands while working in town.  When I picked up an order at Lowes, I looked in the plant markdown area, and found 2 purple & 1 pink speedwell/veronica for $1 ea, and a large mixed planter with blue lobelia, red verbena, and peach calibrachoa for $5.  Besides enjoying the colorful planter of annuals for the next couple of months, I placed them in an area where I'm hoping they will reseed and come up next year.  I planted the 3 speedwell with compost.  I prepared half of the field peas for dinner with rice one night, then blanched and froze the remainder.  I dropped the sugar lid on the counter, where it broke, so then I mended it.   Then J broke an antique bowl & I broke a pottery bowl, neither of which could be mended :o(.  There must have been some pretty destructive energy swirling around the universe that day.

The orchid I bought myself Valentines Day wasn't happy in the store bought pot, so I transplanted it to one of the orchid pots with air vents on the side.  Hopefully, it will be happier now.  I fertilized all orchids with orchid food I found at the discount grocery. I don't have a lot of luck with orchids reblooming, so I'm hoping this will help give me some lovely blooms.  I did laundry with homemade laundry soap, and hung it on the line.  As usual, I used homemade soap and deodorant.

agastache

One night, dinner was sliced tomatoes, asian cucumbers and potato salad, made with our homegrown vegetables and parsley.  A simple summer meal, but so good.  I harvest and shell lima beans and butter peas most days.  There are 25 hours of continuing ed I need to take to keep up my massage license.  As a portion of that, I picked a sound healing class that I took last week.  It was a wonderful group and an excellent class.  I'd forgotten how much joy it brings to make music with a group, and it inspired me to bring my basket of percussion instruments from storage back to the house.  I did bring my water bottle each day, but the class was attached to a cafe that served organic and local foods, so for lunch I chose to support them and simplify things for myself.  How have you been enjoying these late August days?