Miserable Air Quality ~ Einkorn Pancakes ~ Bare Shelves Shopping ~ New Recipe Tried: Einkorn Banana Muffins

 

We are once again getting unhealthy air quality reports.  I wanted to be out weeding the herb garden, but could not.  The air was that thick with smoke haze from the Canadian fires.

It's this bad again today, maybe even worse.  My husband told me to stay indoors again, no matter the condition of the garden (s).  Late last night, when the chickens were put in for the night, the air smelled like a fireplace.

I'm dealing with a dry sore throat, burning eyes, and partial laryngitis.  Everyone I talk to is experiencing the same or worse.  Never in our lives, have we ever lived through something like this.

I finally found a recipe for Einkorn pancakes that makes a smaller batch.  Recipe is from Jovial online.  I thawed some frozen blueberries and swapped sugar (only 2 Tbsp) for coconut sugar and they were delicious.  It's a keeper, and a great way to add those blueberries in the day.    It's been a long time since I've made Einkorn pancakes, so note to self:  store leftovers with a sheet of parchment paper between them or they stick together.  

I hardly ever shop at Wal-mart, but we went out recently to look at rechargeable sweepers, and decided to pick up some items while we were there.  I needed mozzarella cheese, and they had very little block cheese.  I guess I'll stick with my regular grocery store.  I could not believe how empty the shelves were.

My husband always makes fun of me for not getting all of my bananas eaten (he doesn't prefer them for a fruit choice).  I, once again, had some go ripe.  I hate to freeze them, as I tend to completely forget they are in the freezer.

I tried a new recipe using Einkorn flour and quick steel cut oats.  Recipe is online by the way.  Zero sugar in these banana muffins.  Very good too!  Recipe is from Indulge with Mimi, and you'll need to do some conversions with the recipe.

Moving along and tossing out. . .

There is nothing to harvest in the garden, but the rain is speeding that process up for us.  I know that I will be very busy out there when it dries up ha ha!  However, the rainy days are speeding up my indoor progress.  

Sorry if these cleaning/purging posts are boring.  It was a long time coming.  The big purge/clean.  This is a long post, so you may want to grab a cup of coffee, ha ha!

 My indoor purge/clean up is moving along.  I checked off another area off my clean it list, so that leaves two more areas.  

I will need the assistance of my husband for the last two, as it involves putting some tools and fix-it items away.  The garage will get a complete do-over this year.  It's just not on the "do it now" list.

Anyway, at one point in my early life, I was really into freelance writing.  I had articles published and kept articles in files.  I still had poems I wrote at a kid growing up.  I tossed those.  We got a chuckle out of some of the poems, but I can't believe I still had those.

In that box, and I kid you not, was a bag with brand new rolls of crepe paper for our youngest daughter's grad party (that never happened).  It was still in my office when we packed up the entire office area in the kitchen to cut up the floor and repair it over a year ago.  

It's all been boxed up to donate, tossed, or filed in the right place. 

Like I said, I didn't want to handle stuff twice, so I am cleaning/purging it all as if I was moving.  I ask myself, "would I move this to a new home" and it really helps the deciding factor.  Toss it, donate it, sell it, or give it away free.

I have "divorced" myself from so many craft supplies, and to be honest, it feels great.

I have heard from the recovery place, where I donated my craft supplies.  The women are knitting blankets to gift family when they visit, they are making jewelry, and they used wall paper samples to cover binders.  I'm so happy they are enjoying the supplies and finding uses for it all.

Stay tuned!  We both finally had a conversation about this bookshelf.  I bought it almost 12-13 years ago for $15 at the thrift store.  It was used for craft supplies until now.  It is solid wood, so we decided to keep it and paint it with whatever paint we have on hand, and put it in the spare bedroom upstairs.  

Just ignore the dust, but look at that new growth on Mom's cactus!  I will give it a shower when it gets watered again.

Our youngest daughter has left her career as hair stylist/nail tech.  It became too difficult in the financial world, and she has already started a new job and loves it.  She may go back to hair down the road, but in this world and day and age, you need a steady partner in your life to support that sort of job.  We are proud of her regardless.