Our last Christmas gathering

Yeah, you read the title right!  My side of the family didn't get together in December like normal people.  Then again, what is normal?

Thursday afternoon, our 18 year-old daughter drove to one of the "Big Cities" and had a 2nd job interview.  She wanted a new phone, so while she was there, she stopped at the area mall and phone store there.  

Big mistake. 

They had a rookie employee, and the boss.  The boss left, after trying to push sales onto her first. 

Next, the guy had no clue what he was doing.  After almost five hours, with us trying to call and text her in panic as to where she was, she came in the house crying like a hot mess.  A serious hot mess.

Frugal Tips for Buying Organic Ingredients

I may be repeating information in this post, but I was reminded how wonderful it's been by adding dehydrated organic mushrooms to soups, pastas and stews this winter.

Of course this is in addition to all the frugal tips I've shared.


Olive Oil

Olive oil is expensive if you are buying it organic and non-gmo.  Olive oil should taste like olives. If it says it comes from more than one source, you are not getting true olive oil.

If organic and non-gmo are important to you and your family, consider buying it by the gallon.  Especially if you thrive to be self-sufficient, and use it for infusing (to make homemade lip balms, lotions, creams, balms, etc.).

"Fire it Up" Herb/Spice Mix (aka Full Throttle Herb/Spice Mix ~ Good/Bad

We woke up to all the white stuff melted.  All of it.  I am so glad to see that.  It was an ice rink walking to the barn, to fetch wood and to get the mail.  It'll be sloshy out there, but I'll take warmer weather and mud over ice and freezing temps at this point.


There are so many nutritional and medicinal benefits of herbs and spices, so I won't go into detail of each one.  However, I mixed the following together for their benefits, and tried it on eggs, on sandwiches, meats etc.

Although I called it "Fire it Up" we like to think of (or call it) "Full Throttle" because it fires up our "engines."

A body boosting, immune boosting, sickness fighter, overall health boosting mix.

First I picked dehydrated garden parsley, and my home ground garlic. 

Random Tidbits

It's beginning to look brighter, earlier in the days here.  Sunrises are pink and beautiful,and it does help with rising earlier now.  This cold winter has made me lazy in the mornings.  Happy Valentine's Day, by the way.  

Hubby had to fix the gas line on our daughter's car (18 yr.).  Luckily, it's was fixable without buying parts.  However, my car needs back brakes now.  Not sure when or how it'll get done (too cold to work outdoors, and with his hours).

I've been reading "sheet pan" dinner cookbooks from the library lately (when I have a few minutes).

Hot Pepper Pickled Eggs ~ Trial #2

I decided to make the second trial run, using Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar (vs. white organic/non-gmo vinegar).  I have access to it by the gallon, and white organic vinegar is not available in stores. And it more expensive by the gallon.  So...

Here is what I did for this jar of hot pepper pickled eggs.

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ Grab a beverage, snack or even a meal today - it's long.

I am taking the morning a bit slower today.  There is a reason for this too.  I know it's unusual, but trust me, things will be slow today.   I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a stay at home Mom.  

Hubby and I worked our bums off on Sunday.  We spent the morning cutting, splitting and stacking wood. It rained on us, so there was a layer of ice over the top of the snow, making it most difficult to walk in.  I woke up so exhausted, although we retired early.  I can't imagine how he feels today at his full time job today.  Especially, since I over slept, and never heard his alarm go off and slept through the time I typically get up and fire up the coffee pot, get his breakfast and lunch around etc.  I didn't even hear him leave this morning.

My teabag, after we came inside from wood cutting work.  Sort of funny if you ask me.

That's not all we did.  Or I should say I did.  I made a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent, so I could get right back to "busy" again today. 

Then I paid some bills.

I am sluggish and really want to go back to bed, but there is the possibility of an afternoon nap.  Maybe.  I am definitely taking the to-do list and delegating, and spreading it out all week.  Today's list is very short, just so I can recoup from yesterday.  Then again, my fitbit challenge is to walk 55,000 steps from the 12th to the 16th this week.  Which means 2 miles on the treadmill or it won't happen.

Plus, I woke up to a mess in my living room.  Zuri-raptor struck again.  This time she ate one of my baggies of radish seeds (why oh why??????) that I had germinating, then she had pulled trash from the trash and it was all over, and then (yes there is more), she some how got the bag of raffle tickets (for the fundraiser) off the top of my recipe boxes, which are at the back of a counter, and ripped them open almost ruining some of them. Why?????  That dog!  They both are the reason our butter is kept in a canning jar with a lid on it vs. a butter dish.  Irresponsible kids leave the dish too close the edge, and too many times the dogs ate the entire stick of very expensive organic butter. 


The weather. . . 

Goals

I've made great strides in my goals of self-sufficient meals, even though I have to purchase real lard at this point.

Breakfast the other day, happened to be one of those happy moments. 

I pulled blanched garden kale from the freezer.