New Music & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  On Monday, I worked at one of my occasional jobs.  Between customers, I was able to wrap soap, catch up on newspapers, and do a little rug hooking.  It's been years since I made sprouts, as the last several batches just rotted, even with trying new seeds.  J suggested that I sterilize the jar and lid with boiling water.  I did that, and got a lovely batch of alfalfa sprouts.  I'm happy to be able to add them to salads again.  The pups were not impressed when I added some to their dinner, which was interesting, as they regularly eat grass. Go figure.

Our sweet potatoes were baked for a dinner, and tomato rice loaf made with our tomatoes and celery, and homemade yogurt.  I made lentil soup with the last of the home canned lentils, our celery and leeks.  I took advantage of a non-rainy day, and did more chop and drop.   I was able to hang two loads of laundry on the line one day.  It was breezy, so I was able to bring them in that evening.  I harvested kale for salad, and enjoyed it for dinner and several lunches.  Eggs were gathered daily, some boiled for the pups, and I made yogurt.  I ordered bereavement flowers for my husband's business through ebates, and will get $6 cash back.  When a friend gave me hollyhock seeds, she said the plants themselves were pretty.  I have to agree. 

On the way home from an appointment, I stopped at Trader Joes, and bought various breads, produce, mayo, nuts, seeds, and wine.  I then stopped at Harris Teeter, and bought two 4 packs of organic beans for $3.29.  I also bought 2 cans @ .89 ea., which is also an excellent price, as they did not have any more of the 4 packs I wanted.  On Thursday, I headed outside, thinking rain was imminent in the afternoon, but it didn't start until after dark.  I was able to prune an elderberry patch and our largest fig, cut and added the prunings to several fruit trees, and covered all of these with hay.  The blueberries, figs, service berry and loropetalum that had prunings added to them recently were all covered with leaves.  Bring on the rain. 

I pulled 3 gallons of vegi scraps out of the freezer, and put them on the woodstove to warm and simmer overnight.  I canned them the next day, adding 11 pints of broth to the pantry.  There was a little broth left, which was frozen in an ice cube tray for times I need a smaller amount.  I cleaned another cabinet, while keeping an eye on the canner.  For a dinner, our basil and red pepper flakes were added to a broccoli dish.  I roasted our potatoes, rosemary and oregano.  I dehydrated another round of sweet potato treats for the pups, and some more green onions.  J picked more oregano than I needed for the potatoes, so the extra was dried.  Saturday was another no rain day, so I washed and hung two loads of laundry on the line.  They required a little time in the dryer to finish, then the sheets went back on the bed. 

I was introduced to this talented group of young musicians.  They'll be having a concert near here in a couple of weeks.  I hope to go, but it's on a weeknight, which may be a challenge.  I'm still trying to use what's in the freezer, and pulled out roasted root vegetables and lima beans for a dinner.  Orders were painted on Saturday, and packed on Sunday.  I made an ebay sale, which got packed up, and listed four more items on ebay, as well as a compost crock in my online shop.    Pears, a cherry, and the peaches have begun blooming.  We're expecting lows in the 20-22 degree range this week, which will take care of the blooms.  We've got our fingers crossed that the trees themselves will be OK, as once the sap starts rising, the limbs will often split at such low temperatures.  The adventures of gardening!  Be well, friends.