Random Tidbits

The weather is turning a bit cooler today, so I as up early to make sure the fire was going (or started).  We had some lovely sunshine yesterday, and I found excuses to go outside - dump the egg shells, walk the dogs, feed the barn animals, let the goats out, get the mail.  It was so nice to see the sun for a while.

Hubby and I got a laugh out of this.  It's a writing magazine that I found, opened to this page, stuffed in the desk I am cleaning out.  Ha ha!  Oh the laugh we got.  So fitting for the cleaning I am doing.

Random Tidbits ~ We have a Winner!

I am still deep cleaning, sorting, tossing, and donating.  The kitchen has been an obstacle course for a few weeks.  Book shelves moved out, more piles of books to donate, misc. items stacked in piles ready to be bagged....and I started on my roll top desk.

I have to admit, I dreaded the desk cleaning.

Oh the guilt that flooded me for all those lost days of writing.  Oh the joys of finding things again.  

I found 3 long lost, large eye needles and a needle threader I had been looking for.  They were all in the bottom of a can used for pencils in my desk.

Random Tidbits

Woke up to no coffee (again).  Our first one broke down before Thanksgiving.   Our Army daughter had a cheap-o version in the garage.  

Well, we obviously wore it out.  I woke up to it not brewing this morning.  So, so bummed.  

I'm forced to drink organic instant to wake up, then wait for the rain to give me a break, and pop up the camper and get are third back up pot out of the camper.  There is a fourth back up too (the kind you heat up over a campfire). 

On a good note.....

The Clean Machine

I can get so side tracked while cleaning.  Really I can.  I started the other day by finding a page (one of two) to a crochet pattern.  Yes, you get two posts today.

...don't give up on me.  I'm going somewhere with this story today.  There is a bonus at the end too.

They're Back!!!

The recipes.  In my best sing-song voice....they are back.  The new ones "to try" are back. Torn from magazines, newspapers, freebie cards from the store.....they are back!!!!

(bad photos due to the weather dark and dreary that day, and the light not on yet)

They are haunting me.  I swear they are!

Not just one binder full....

 ...not just two binders full, but

For the Love of Books

I purged books yesterday.  Books are always a difficult item for me to clean out, and get rid of.  

I have a bookshelf dedicated to homesteading books, herbal books, etc.  I have a bookshelf simply for my "how to" writing books, and a bookshelf for my fiction books.  

In my living room, we have a large bookshelf that still contains non-fiction books from my homeschooling days.  We kept most of them.  

I guess I have a terrible time donating non-fiction, considering how the internet is taking over the book reading industry.  My one college daughter has to get her books online, and read them from the computer.  They are not issued most of their books in book form anymore.  So sad.  Even one college book store in my home town closed for that very reason.

So......

Nasty Weather Inspiration

Although the weather is better now, it was nasty a few days ago.  This was a "small" rain shower.  We had thunderstorms and 50 degree weather most of the day.  It was a swamp.   Nasty weather is always a welcoming reason to deep clean and then treat myself to crochet time.

...or baking time.

 I've been a bit lazy getting breakfast made with greens lately.  I just love the home canned cherry jam I canned last year.  LOVE IT!  It's on the list of restocking this summer.

 A large container of homemade hot chocolate has been restocked.

...it's also a good day to restock supplies like dishwasher detergent.  My laundry detergent needs restocked too.

I started my 30-minute per day/per area cleaning/clutter clean up challenge.  Now that the blanket is done, I have time to get my home in order.  It's the first thing we see when we wake up and the last when we go to bed.  It's important for me to keep it clutter free, while teaching the kids to clean up too.

Walking and other Tidbits

Good news!  I made my first walk to the barn (spikes are in my muck boots), and gave my hennies a treat of rotten bananas and over-ripe apples.  They were super excited to see me.  Don't worry, Hubby toted the bucket of water.  For some reason, I am not strong enough to carry it (double hmpf, which sort of makes me mad, which made Hubby laugh).  Today, I plan on walking and lifting some lightweight weights.  I took the leftover water and watered those annoying yet lovable goats.  I think they gained a few pounds since I last saw them, ha ha!

I also helped stack the firewood.  I took a trip to town with Hubby as well, however, by dinner time we were all too tired to even cook (ha ha ha!).

Although.....

Swiss Chard Frittata and Fresh Herbs

I decided to whip up a swiss chard frittata, since I was already blanching some to freeze.  It was my lunch, and Hubby's breakfast for the next day.  It was kind of an "end of the season" and "just toss it in" kind of meal.  I read up on chard and it's good for the heart, as well as fresh thyme.  The eggs were topped with fresh chives and thyme.  The recent rain and warmer days are providing fresh herbs.  Mmm, was this tasty.  Did you know thyme helps the body prevent heart attacks, strokes and coronary disease?  I didn't.  Until I read up on it.

However,

On the home front....

Although I don't have a photo of the soup, we recently enjoyed some crusty baked bread with some homemade potato leek soup.  Our leeks did not do well, but we found an organic source this fall. Leeks provide cardiovascular support, and we love the soup.   Homemade bread baking has resumed.

Two chairs now have a fresh coat of paint on them.  One more job off the to-do list.  Although, the wicker sofa remains to be painted.  We had a few days in the lower 70's.

Get'r Done List

The list is getting knocked off by just a teeny, tiny bit.  Hubby can only rest so many hours sitting or napping, so I put him in a chair......

 ..gave him a brush and paint....goodbye black, hello red.  His stent was installed through his right wrist, and is healing nicely.  We finally got his first doctor's appointment made for next week.

While he painted the door, we had a good conversation, while I prepared tomatoes for the freezer.  Today we started the pear wine.  I'll have more on that tomorrow.

Snack Time! ~ Garden Zucchini and Blueberries

I took an entire morning and afternoon, and reclaimed my kitchen.  I know in a few days it will be covered with tomatoes but I needed order (and a place to sit and eat).

This time, two kiddos helped.  We got it to almost the way I wanted it, but dinner called.

Those same two kiddos, shredded up 8 yellow straight neck squash for our favorite squash patties.  While they were shredding that, I was shredding a zucchini.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! ~ From Pile to File Recipe

I finished going through the remaining older recipes, and all have been purged, copied or double copied.  Extras went to the girls, and heirloom recipes passed down.  It was hard to decide on so many of them too.  Many of my grandmother's recipes for dessert required instant pudding and jello mixes.  A few called for pop like 7-Up or Teem.

The only recipes left, are ones that I have not yet tried.  I'll be honest, I purged that pile already, and have reduced it.  There are still some that may yet go from "stash to trash."

Random Tidbits

Our 14 year-old daughter is on the way to D.C. with her 8th grade class today.  They return Saturday.  She's the last one in the family to go.   Although big snow flakes are falling , the weather is pretty nice for them today, so they should have a fun time.   Praying for a safe trip.

It has been, and will continue to be a busy week of running kids here and there.

Good and Bad

A few have asked how I like the norwex cleaning cloths.  Well, first of all I do over analyze, so....

Do I like them?  Well.

I still have to wet them to use them, just as I would use a spray bottle of vinegar/water solution.

I still have to use the same elbow movement to clean the area with.

Sandwich Bread ~ Tidbits

Now that I am back to baking bread, I made a new sandwich bread recipe, that my Uncle told me about just a few days ago.

Random Tidbits ~ Dehydrated Organic Ginger ~ Poison Ivy Remedies ~ Garden Treasures

Remember the organic ginger I dehydrated?  Well, I recently made a cup of hot tea using it with my tea infuser.  You could use a disposable or reusable tea bag too.  Anyway, the infused color is different from using freshly grated ginger, but the taste was pretty close to using fresh, just not as strong.  I'll be drying more when I find it available.

Canning Applesauce ~ Extreme Clean Continues ~ Feta Salmon Pasta

Although Tiger is not supposed be sleeping on this good quilt, it was hard for me disturb him, as cute as he was.  That's how I feel at the end of the days here lately. Just give me a bed to curl up on.  I hate not feeling good.  And try to get me to rest when there is no one here to tell me.  Ha! 

Yesterday I tackled 12 pounds of organic apples.  I have to buy these at our grocer.  All of the orchards around here spray, and our trees have not started to produce yet.

 

8 pints of delicious, sugar free applesauce.  I use the ball recipe, but only add the organic lemon juice.

Extreme Clean ~ Stocking Up

Who knew what could be lurking in my desk drawer?  Ha ha!  Remember these?  Go ahead.  I dare you to clean out one drawer today, ha ha!

Cleaning has been prosperous.

Random Tidbits ~ Extreme Clean

Can you tell today is the first day of school for the younger two? Ha ha!
 
I lost my #3 steel crochet hook.  I have doubles of almost every crochet hook there is, but not my #3.  It was time to go back into the closet to clean and sort.  I had to keep myself busy yesterday, as I waited