Grocery/Toiletries Prices Soaring

 We are contemplating membership with Costco.  Sam's Club is just too far of a drive, and Costco is as well, but a shorter drive.

Prices are just so high, it is ridiculous.  I have to literally go online, and price compare, and then write out 2-3 different store lists.  It's time consuming, but I have started to price compare online before going to the stores.  Big Lots is great for some items, but not for others.  The same goes for Aldi, Wal-mart, Meijer etc.  

The bottle takes two hands to pour, but still the least expensive we've found.

I can tell you, that I found white vinegar by the gallon to be the least expensive at Menard's.  We were heading that way anyway, and had rebates to use.  $2.66/gallon with rebate.  I also found their cotton balls, toilet paper, and paper towels to be less than the grocery or Wal-mart.  My research paid off, as I also found the next least expensive place for white vinegar - Big Lots.  I use this mostly for cleaning.  I buy organic during canning season.

I spent time to load digital coupons for the grocery store, and other stores.  It's crazy about what we have to do to shop for necessities anymore.

We re-stock our organic oats, when we visit Amish country, as we cannot buy any in our area (which is crazy as well).  Do you have a back-up if flour was not available?  

Trash bags are so high in price right now, so I did more research on that.  

I also have to place an order online every now and then, for items they do not sell in the store (healthy items of course). Our major grocery store, has a "sister" store online, and they recently had a 20% off all food items thankfully.

I bulk buy some of my items to save money, what is one way you save money?

Grocery/Toiletries Prices Soaring © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Garlic Powder

 

The tool on the left is used for removing the garlic skins.  you place the garlic inside the tube and roll it with your hand.  The tool on the right is used to slice the garlic.

You put the top piece of the slicer back on top and twist the bottom as you press down the top. I have learned to not over fill this, making it much easier.

I know this is a repeat post, and I do make it yearly most garden seasons.  If you have never made garlic powder you can click on my post below on how I make it, after the garlic is dehydrated.  

My very first years making garlic powder, I would hand peel, and hand slice.  

How to Dehydrate Garlic and Make Garlic Powder

Tips:

-Use latex gloves.

-Rinse all the tools/knife if you are not going to do dishes right away.  Garlic dries rock hard, making washing things difficult.

-I only have 4 mats for my dehydrator, so I use parchment paper some times, so that I don't lose the very small bits of the garlic.  I do recommend parchment paper over simply using your trays.  It is much easier to un-stick the garlic from the paper, push it to the center, and fold the paper in half to slide it into your grinder.  It makes way less mess, and clean up much easier.

-Save your garlic skins to make broth or flavor other dishes.  Store the skins in a freezer bag.

Homemade Garlic Powder © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Chit Chat on the Porch ~ Library Loot

 

I thought we were going to have a very dreary, dark day yesterday, but the sun came out, and I got some fresh air.  It was a bit cooler and breezy, but we are to warm back up thankfully.  Getting outside this time of year is good for the soul.

Later, I went into my office for something, and found that I buried my crochet hooks in there.  

I quickly got those back in their proper home, but I realized that I have more "stuff" in there to put away.  By "stuff" I mean stuff shoved in there from ripping up the entire flooring in the living.  I unpacked two more boxes I found from the bedroom project. I am also filling another box for donations.

Just pack up an entire room in a hurry, and then unpack it all.  You'd be surprised on what you really need or use vs. what you have.  

I found a cookbook I didn't even know I had.  I may try a few, but it is old and falling apart.

I have used my "hidden" screwdriver several times already, and have installed a new curtain rod for my hallway (so it matches the one on the door).

I have used up all of the pumpkin, that we did not freeze, but I borrowed some books from the library for new ideas.

I have yet to talk with anyone who makes fire cider.  It's been years since we made it, so I guess I'm on my own for finding a "good" tasting recipe.

The skills book would be a nice gift for a teenager.  Easy instructions.  I'm not sure why I inter-loaned it ha ha!

The Christmas book was brought home on a whim.  Not sure I'll have the time to read it, or if it will restore my holiday mojo.  I guess we'll find out.

I really have no business getting fiction books from the library.  Seriously.  I have stacks all over my office, and in other rooms, ha ha!  In my defense, some were given to me.  These are not even all of the "stacks" I  have around the house.  My goal is to get back to reading this winter.

Chit Chat ~ Lost Mojo ~ Christmas Eve Tradition ~ Non Traditional Thanksgiving Meal Dish

 I've been spending a lot of time tidying up, putting stuff away, preserving and stocking up, and just regular ol' housework. I've had to deliver some homemade ginger-ale to one of my daughters.  By the way, her cyst is draining thankfully.  However, her antibiotics are making her sick.  Thank you for all of your prayers.

More greens are being blanched and frozen for the winter months.  Spinach and dandelion greens.  I have to remind myself to focus on one at a time, and not bring home different ones.  It's time consuming to switch water out and ice bath water.  I'm still looking for swiss chard in stores.  I have not found any yet.

I've been searching for my holiday mojo.  It's been lost.  Poof!  Disappeared.  Not one iota of it lingering this year.

I used to be the one that insisted on a tree in every room of the house, including the master bathroom.  I had lights everywhere, in rooms, on the trees, in the hallways.  I used to have a binder dedicated to all things Christmas - gifts, food, etc.  I used to work on a new handmade Christmas ornament every Jan/Feb, so it would be all done for the upcoming Christmas.  Everyone in the family was gifted one.

When the kids were little, I would practically run to the sign up sheet for their Christmas class party.  I handmade an ornament for every single kids in the class (did this every year), and hand wrapped the gifts.  I came up with games, and prizes and took treats.  I was pretty creative with some of them.  

Check out this one (on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot as well).  It was a treat container and the head was an ornament.  I was pretty proud to make them for 25 students.  The bottom "treat container" was a cardboard tube from toilet paper.  I typically also bought small trinkets like something to put on their pencil tops.  Can you imagine how many parties I volunteered for?  

I'm still looking for my mojo.  I've had one kiddo volunteer to come decorate here, but we are not.  It's a simple tree, with just lights, and that's it so far.

I have been asked to bring back our pajama tradition.  My Mom always looked forward to our family photo of each Christmas Eve.  I'd buy new pajamas for all of the family, and wrap them up.  Christmas Eve we'd all open them, put them on, and wear them all day Christmas Day. 

Here I am talking about Christmas, and we haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving.  

What is something a family member would make for the Thanksgiving meal that was not a "traditional" dish?   My grandmother on my Mom's side of the family would make fried chicken. If I remember right, it was coated chicken, then baked in the oven.  So technically not "fried" but it tasted that way.  My grandfather would make the dessert, which was usually a boxed cake of some sort, and frosted.  We never had turkey when we had a Thanksgiving meal at their house, which was different.

Kitchen-ness

One thing I keep in my freezer:  ginger root (and cranberries)

One thing I keep in my pantry:  honey

Homemade Ginger-ale is often requested, although I give the recipe out to the family so many times.  It truly is a staple for when anyone is sick or experiencing nausea.  I wish there was a way to make a giant batch, and can it.  

I would also buy my fresh cranberries in October, and put them in the freezer for Christmas.  The cranberries would be used for Mom's Hot Cranberry Punch recipe every year.  I however, did not buy any cranberries this year.

So, cranberries were often found in my freezer too.

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal - another new recipe tried. The recipe is online with The Real Food Dietitians.  I borrowed their cookbook from our library, but the recipes they post online are not in the cookbook.  We are very much enjoying the breakfast oatmeal bake recipes.  There are about two more of their recipes to try.

The recipe for this bake was a one bowl mix, only uses one egg (you can substitute flax), and the only sugar in the bake is the 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  You can top it with peanut butter, yogurt, honey, or syrup.  I ate it plain and it was delicious.  You could top it with homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce too.

How I freeze my ginger root:

I wash the ginger root first, then let it dry on a veggie drying mat.  I then wrap it in plastic wrap, and then put it in a freezer bag (labeled and dated).  I take it out when I need it, and put it back in the freezer.   

Kitchen-ness © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We were able to get some work done on the new chicken coop over the weekend.   We actually had help on Sunday.  We were so thankful for the help.  The door is built now, but the roof still needs put on it.  

We have had some rather warmer fall days, which were great for outdoor work, other than the mutant ladybugs were out in full force (and they bite). 

I finally got my kitchen sink leak fixed!  The gasket had broken off and fallen down into the drain pipe.  I'm drying out the cupboard (again) and will be using this situation to purge, clean and sort what goes back in the cupboard.  I just have to get it it good and dry, put the mat in, and get everything back into the cupboard.  Until then, I'm sort of tripping over stuff in the kitchen.

Although I am thankful for the work on the coop, it always puts my indoor work behind.  I have a long week ahead of me.  I also realized I don't have a planner nor calendar for 2024, and appointments are already filling in for next year.  

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

The Weather . . .

High of 67°F today, and in the higher 50's the rest of the week.

Right Now I am . . .

Getting ready to post this.

Thinking and Pondering . . .

The time change has us all off schedule.

How I am feeling . . .

Exhausted.  Long weekend.

On the breakfast plate . . .

My husband made us his famous omelets over the weekend.  Home canned peach jam on toast.  I have no idea yet what I will be making yet today.  

On the menu . . .

-perch, homemade fries
-egg roll in a bowl

-?

What I am wearing . . .

Still in jammies.

On the reading pile . . .

Crochet and cookbooks from the library

On my TV . . .

Christmas movies.

Looking around the house . . .

Well, I managed to clear the kitchen table.  I have also started to clean out the last of the boxes that were in the master bath (when the carpet was removed out of the bedroom).  We had tossed stuff into the tub for the duration, and I'm just now working on that mess.   Ha!  

We also had a stack of stuff still sitting on the kitchen floor, when I started to purge the utility room, while unpacking stuff from the living room.  It's been sorted, and containers emptied and put away. The paint cans remain however.  We are not done painting.

To-do list . . .

-dishes (I have a ton of them)

-bathrooms
-make a breakfast

-boil eggs
-laundry, good day to use the clothesline

-sweep and mop floors

-dust

-pay some bills

-library returns/pick ups (any time this week)

-start cleaning off front porch

From the camera . . .

The meal I cooked for the help we had Sunday.  While the men built the coop door, I prepared the flourless brownies for sundaes, and made the homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce.  They men came in and help prepare the chicken fajitas for dinner.  Lots and lots of dishes.  We were all too tired to wash them.  The link no longer works for the brownie recipe, so I will try and fix that soon.

Something to share . . .

Nothing today.  

Devotional, Prayers . . .

No requests at this time.  One daughter has been told she has a cyst.  Prayers for quick healing.

Happy Homemaker Monday © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Catching up.....

Is anyone else having trouble with the photo icon button uploading photos from your computer?  It's different now, and when I click on it, browse button shows up and will go to my photos on the computer, but will not upload.  Any suggestions on this?  I will try emptying cookies etc.  

I've been using the library more often lately.  However, I catch myself loaning handiwork books or cookbooks, and that gets me into trouble with new projects.  The crochet project book has 3 different crochet patterns for baby washcloths.  I may have found a way to use up some discontinued yarn I have.  I'll update you on that later.  I will use them for gifting.  There are a lot of babies being born around us lately.

The cook book underneath has a great recipes to try.  I found their breakfast baked oatmeal recipes very good.  I have two more to try.  One with pears and another  I think with mixed berries.

Had to laugh the other day.  I was puttering around the house one evening, talking to my husband.  I looked out a window and saw a pretty good size gopher.  We continued to talk and I looked out a second time, and this time (I kid you not, ha ha!), there was a stray cat doing the low and slow attack crawl, stalking to attack the gopher.  Good kitty!  I have no idea if it caught it, but it was funny to watch.  I think the cat was smaller than the gopher was.

In light of my email being hacked,  I have a question.  Is there a way to get my entire blog put into pdf maybe by a service?  I can't afford to do the blog to book, as I have been writing it for the last 15 years.  I mean, I would like to have a copy in case I have to delete my account. Then again, do I really want a copy of it?  That is a lot of material posted over the years.

Question for those with a blog - do you use the "contact form" in gadgets?  If so, where does the message end up?  In your listed email?  Not sure I want to use their gadget.  Maybe find a widget for a contact form?  I don't want it in back in my profile where it was when it was hacked.  Thanks!

Catching up..... © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart