Happy Homemaker Monday

We went on yet another camping adventure, and a well deserved retreat.  Just the outdoors, nature, card playing, music, campfires, campfire meals and time for us.

We drove to another city and picked up some of Mom's favorite popcorn (a different kind), got locally made ice cream and other treats.  We both laughed when we looked down and we both had on our slippers in the store (ha ha!).

I took my latest unfinished project I found in the closet and enjoyed the great outdoors.  Meals were cooked over the campfire.  Our camper has a radio that plays inside and outside, so we took advantage of that too.  We can't wait for the next adventure.

 

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

I'll link up when she posts (and I remember to, ha ha!)

Weather . . . 

Hot!  We had beautiful weather over the weekend.  Perfect for camping, but we are now back to hot weather.  90's.  Possibly rain Tuesday late and into Wednesday morning.   

How I am feeling this morning . . .

Revived and ready to get order in this homestead.  I'm also happy to have received a "paycheck" from the museum, where I sell handiwork.  I am not happy to see Daughter K left dirty dishes sit, but we came home to find out she had been sick over the weekend.

She went to Urgent care on Sunday evening and was told she is dehydrated.  Wearing a mask 8 hours a day, she is not drinking water.  We told her it's best to carry a water bottle or thermos at work from now on.

We visited Mom Sunday as well, when we returned home.  She's not really feeling any better.  

On the breakfast plate . . .

I have no idea, ha ha!  

Looking around the house . . .

Kitchen needs a major clean up.  Same with the living room, but then we have yet to set a date to rip up the kitchen floor.

On my reading pile . . .

I took a book to the campground,  but spent most of my relaxing time doing crochet work.  I'll post it a picture of it tomorrow.  I hope to start reading it, now that the garden is slowing down.

On my TV . . .

Click Bait, Netflix

On the menu this week . . . 

-Roasted Turkey, Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts
-Pork chops/BBQ sauce, quinoa and a veggie

-Tacos

From the camera . . .

*see camping photos at the top of this post

I am thankful for . . .

...whatever we are getting from the garden, for our recent camping trip, for coffee, good friends, family

I am hoping to . . .

I haven't really had time to think on this, since returning from our camping trip.  Definitely hoping to get more camping in before the end of the season.

Something fun to share . . .

The "Big City" has these robots that roam the sidewalks.  They pick up and deliver food.  How they can safely cross roads is crazy.  They just crack me up when I see them.

Prayer list . . .

Mom (her health), our country (our rights, what a mess),  Daughter K (overwhelmed, dehydrated)

Apron Day

There was so much I needed to get done before the weekend.  I did some calculations and made a small batch of tomato sauce.  I'm so happy about that.

Next?  A batch of meatballs.  I would rather buy fresh meat to do this than frozen, and didn't realize all I had to get done.  It's a lot easier to get these frozen before more goes into the freezer.  One year I smashed them, trying to get them in the freezer on baking sheets.

I froze more bell peppers, boiled eggs for egg salad.  I wanted to get egg salad made to take to Mom to increase her iron.

Has anyone cooked with black garlic?  I finally got mine, but now I'm wondering can I use it as is or do I need to put it through a process with oil to use?   I read where you place the bulbs in a crock pot on warm, but not sure.  It is soft already, so I'm wondering if I just refrigerate it and use.  Would love advice on this.

The to-do list continues. . .

 

I have a lot on the to-do list this week.  Gosh.  I totally wish it was canning tomato sauce, but I don't think that's gonna happen.  Not unless a family member has tomatoes they want to get rid of.  So what's on the list that got done yesterday?

I canned hot pepper jelly.  Gave some hot peppers to my sister who was in town visiting Mom.

Made a breakfast scramble with steak, sausage, eggs, hot peppers, and cheese (burritos).

Took a few more totes upstairs and cleaned up an area of the bedroom (I've been pulling craft supplies from the closet).

Unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, and washed canning dishes.   There were many things on the list that didn't get done, so I'm back at it today.  I do feel it's the end of tomato season for me.  I'll watch it over the next few days, but mostly I'll be yanking plants soon.

Random Tidbits

In lieu of the kitchen floor project discovery, I sliced and diced yesterday to get some tomatoes off the tables.  

Ketchup was canned.  I love Amish paste, I cut less, because they weigh more.  I may have to mix it up next year to ensure I have enough for all things tomato.  I may plant 3 types of paste tomatoes.  

I started to drain rain barrels and flip them upside down for winter.  We were supposed to get rain last night but did not.  We really needed it too.

Picked hot peppers, and there were a good amount to pick.

I froze two more trays of mad hatter peppers.

My husband told me twice he was bringing dinner home.  Guess who walked in the door with no dinner?  Yep.  I was tired.  He was tired.  I made adult cheese sandwiches (Recipe is online with America's Test Kitchen).

Daughter K has been a Godsend in helping with Mom's appts. She not only picked up the transport wheelchair and shower stool, but also took her to two appts, and one was to get her hair done.

Wham Bam Slam

 Conversation with my husband....

"Hey, Mom gave me her set of red glass dishes to put in the glass door hutch.  In order to do that we have to jack up the floor first."

Well, that was followed by an entire day of trying to access under the kitchen with two accesses we already have.  Didn't happen.  We created a 3rd.  Got in a few feet, and dug out some dirt to get to the beam.  

Jacked up the floor only after an entire day of work, to find we have dry rot.

Guess who is ripping out their kitchen floor?  Yep.  We can't do sister joists from the access.  No room for anyone to get in.  Seriously old house problems.  Guess I'm gonna get new kitchen flooring out of this now.  Just what we don't need.  I may live with a wood floor until next year, and put new flooring in the kitchen.

On the same day, after all that bad news, we went to town to pick up a new recliner we bought for Mom.  We picked it up, delivered it, and once it was inside we discovered it was the wrong chair.  We packed it back up and took it back.  Delivery date for the right one??  12 weeks.  Sigh.

On the good side of this, we found out before winter.  On the bad side, it's canning season.

Mom's 2nd delivery attempt of her 14 free meals failed.  They never arrived, so we picked up a few hot meals.  My younger brother was off over the weekend, so he (what I call "granny rigged") added handles, hooks and what not to her home to make it much easier for her to get around.

Oh, her appetite is back.  Such good news that the new medication is working in more ways than one.  Today we are working on getting a transport wheelchair and a shower stool for her.  She would very much like to get her hair done, which would make her feel much better.

I'm beginning to tarp down more grass between 2 flower beds to make mowing much easier, but those tarps will stay down all winter and we'll tackle that area next year.  Not sure, but I think I'll add a few flowering bushes and perennials in that area.

Labor day weekend was full of labor for us.  Thankfully, Monday we were able to have a somewhat restful day.  We grilled steaks on the porch and relaxed.  We didn't get time to play cards, as he worked on fixing Daughter K's blinker too.  I was thankful to get my husband's famous bacon omelets Monday for breakfast.  Those two steaks cost us $42.00!! 

Daughter T came for a visit with our grandson.  I sent her home with two kids wooden, handmade rockers we had in the garage, along with a few other items (so thankful to get more purged).  More went out by the road that was basically junk, but a scraper may pick it up, which would be nice for us.

 China is buying up US businesses and farm land, and it's very scary of what will/my happen to this country now. 

I'll be back

 Utterly exhausted and overwhelmed.  I will be back with posting soon.

Hot Peppers and tidbits

I had a mess of hot peppers to take care of, so I made one last batch of hot pepper jelly.  I'll be freezing the rest, or using them in recipes such as salsa etc.

I froze a bunch of mad hatter peppers.  I'll use these in recipes that call for red bell pepper and in many recipes.  I have a ton more to freeze today or I lose them.

Army worms have invaded our state.  I have yet to see any at our property, but some friends are dealing with their entire yards gone.

I brewed up a batch of homemade ginger ale for Mom.  She has had no appetite and loves my ginger ale.  I wanted to make her favorite snack, but decided it was best to not right now.  She says the only thing she can eat right now are tomatoes and popcorn.  My tomato plant has new tomatoes on, but nothing ready to pick, so we'll check the produce down the road.

Speaking of Mom, she has had two more falls since I last posted.  We went into town last night and helped do some things and feed her cats, but didn't get home until dark.

Daughter K had to work late, so we had dog duty, had to feed her cat, put the chickens in and when that was all done we were literally drained of any mental/physical energy.

My kitchen sink and counters are full of dirty dishes, laundry was left on the line all night, I didn't have time to make a breakfast for my husband to take to work this morning, and we are both mentally and physically exhausted.