New Kitchen Gadget ~ Coffee Cubes and other ramblings

Not very often, but when we have leftover coffee, I freeze it into cubes for my husband's coffee (he likes to cool it down enough to drink right away).  You lift that white tab, and pour it right it.  Works great.

Prices on everything are going up.  We paid $8 a package for brats to grill on Mother's Day, gas was $4.09 last week and is up more this week to $4.19, propane went up, and many more things.  

I saw beautiful hanging baskets a few days before Mother's Day and didn't buy them. Went back after Mother's Day and nothing left.  Hmpf.  I should have known better.  I went to Menards, and the same situation.  Plus their prices are horrible this year.

I'm so happy I can use my clothesline to lower our electric bill, plus the laundry smells so good.

Asparagus ~ Garlic....where did it go?!

It's going to be a warm, gorgeous day today.  We'll hit the 80's.

I picked more asparagus, so I roasted some last night with rosemary.  Oh my gosh!  Delicious!  So much more flavor than from the store.  It's been a year waiting for this bounty.

My favorite garlic to plant in our area is Music garlic.  The first year we spring planted, and every year after that we fall planted.

I'm so depressed.  I went out to the garden to start prepping for the year, and found all of my garlic eaten but 3.  My guess, from research, is that a squirrel (or more than one) was the culprit.  Never in all the years here has this happened. Rabbits, deer and ground hogs do not like garlic, so I am just guessing.  They have plenty of black walnuts to provide, so I am stumped as to why it happened, other than the smell of the dogs is not out there anymore (guess I'm gettin' a dog).

I want to now spring plant my garlic, so it cost me an arm and a leg to order some to plant.  I didn't record how many I planted last year for some reason.  I think it was a crazy fall due to my husband's sister passing away from covid, and Mom's health declining. 

I typically plant 80-100 cloves, so this is a tremendous loss with organic garlic.  It's just such a shock, because nothing likes the smell of garlic.  We toyed with the idea that I forgot to plant them.  I did not.  I remember planting.

We toyed with the idea that someone stole them.  Ha ha!  Actually, it's not such a crazy idea.  Every day for the last two weeks a car has been stolen in the city about 12 miles from us, and now they are breaking into chicken coops.  Seriously.  Stealing kids bicycles, and more.

I plan to pull the pea fence.  We didn't get any planted with this crazy kitchen floor repair, and we need to till that area as well.

I finally got the carpet spot cleaned from Daughter K's dogs being here, and laundry put on the line, but got zero painting done.

I believe it's finally time to call an exterminator, unless someone has a sure fire way to trap those big bumblebees (a LOT of them).  I've tried every year, and they get worse every year.  Yesterday they were swarming the doors of the house and porch.  I cannot for the life of me find the nests, but I'm guessing they are by one of the barns, by they way they swarm over there.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Mother's Day this year was a bit on the rough side, but my wonderful family got me thru it.

First, we talked about my husband booking an appointment with Daughter E for a much needed haircut.  She was booked solid, so I texted and asked if she could make a special house call, considering Sunday is his only (and only) day off.

Second, we needed to be home at noon.  A lady was coming with her Dad to look at the pie safe, and she was out the door with it in minutes.  She loved it.  One piece of furniture sold and two more to go now.

My husband cleaned up the front porch, Daughter K helped put furniture on it, and the burn pile was finally burned down.

My husband, myself, and Daughter K drove to the cemetery to visit Mom.  I wasn't surprised to see that my previous flowers were gone (that was a terrible wind storm in March).  I will need to buy more for Grandma and Grandpa's now.

I have to say, I think this year was the best Mother's Day I've had in a long, long time.

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

The weather . . .

We are finally getting a week of warmer weather.  I'll be putting the plants out to harden (although we expect more rain).  We are starting to pull last year's carpets and plastic and get the tilling rolling.

As I look outside my window. . .

My porch needs hanging baskets.  It's on the shopping list.

Right now I am . . .

Finally washing a bed quilt to hang on the clothesline.

Thinking and pondering . . . 

We are still looking to hire help for the front room, but until then, I need to go upstairs and make a space for the treadmill, so that can be moved out of the way next weekend.

Oddly, my kids did not get me any flowers for Mother's Day, so I plan to make a trip to town and buy myself flowers for my birthday.

How I am feeling . . .

Good.  It took a few weeks, but I am finally on my husband's 12 hour work schedule and was up to enjoy coffee with him.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Broccoli/bacon breakfast casserole, coffee

On my reading pile . . .

I finally finished my current book!  I got reading time on the porch, while my husband replaced both window motors for Daughter K.  Both of her windows were not working.

On my TV . . .

Last movie was All Together Now.

On the menu . . .

-Lasagna stuffed chicken, home grown asparagus and steamed broccoli

-breakfast for dinner

-something with stew beef, veggie

-flounder and a veggie

-try a new peanut butter pie recipe

-leftovers

Looking around the house . . .

It's getting there, but the kitchen is still not put back together.  I am doing my best, but this week will be garden work split up with kitchen work.  I need to paint more floor trim, so we can put it back in it's rightful place.

The to-do list . . .

-bake a breakfast

-check asparagus

-laundry

-pay a few bills

-buy chicken food

-paint in kitchen, paint floor trim

-shampoo living room (I'll have to do this for Mom's furniture until we start tearing out the carpet)

-put sticky paper down on my kitchen keyboard tray

-clean old bike trunk with leather cleaner and put it up for sale

-make more homemade taco mix

-vacuum carpets

-

From the camera . . .

So happy to have grandkids for the day yesterday.

Prayers . . .

Our biker friend Aaron, who had hernia surgery, and had complications and was back in the hospital. Last I heard, he was still in the hospital.

As Mother's Day Approaches

The first week of May is always a busy one with celebrations.  My husband's birthday, and mine, are within 5 days of each other.  I always feel we are cheated out of celebrating due to other peoples celebrations.  I tried to book us a cabin one year, but we had to cancel it for some reason or another.

Mother's Day is also in between our birthday's, and some year's my birthday lands on Mother's Day.  Mom told me once, that I was born on Mother's Day.

It is not a day this year however, that I am looking forward too (Mother's Day).  It was always a special day for Mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

Rain and gloomy days. . .

 

I'm starting to panic about the garden getting planted.  We should have tilled last Sunday.  It's been nothing but rain, rain, and more rain.  Rain today and tomorrow as well.  I'm not sure any tilling will get done Sunday, and that was the plan.  We will not be planting peas either (sad face here).  It's too late.  They would be coming up by now.

I spent most of my day cooking for my husband's birthday, so I start today with a sink full of dirty dishes, but worth it. He was so happy to come home, after a 12 hour day, and get homemade Einkorn peanut butter cookies, and homemade sloppy joes and sweet potato fries.

I picked a few more asparagus, so that is on the menu soon.  I feel like we are not getting as much this year for some reason.

I am relieved however, to find out that work is buying my husband's crew brunch on Saturday.  I thought I would be cooking all day today, but thankfully not.  I will be painting again.

When I was mixing the peanut butter cookies in my mixer, I realized it is on the edge of it's life time.  I mentioned it to my husband several times, but now it's really not working well.  I think I've had it for 20 years though.

I wish I would have known, or have thought to look for this when I first started painting.  Our kitchen is paneling on most walls, and trim work is a pain in the rump.  Man this tight space gadget saved my headache.  Works like a charm, and the tape works better for the uneven areas.  I had asked my husband to just take the trim off the walls, and ceiling for me, but this saved him from having to do that too.

The futon is still in my living room.  I tried to give it away for free last weekend, and he was a no-show (family member).  I put it up for free again, and last night they were unable to pick it up due to rain. They said today, but guess what folks?  Rain, and rain tomorrow.  It's not likely it's leaving, but I plan to get it out by Sunday, even if I have to do it on Mother's Day.  It will be out by the road with a free sign.  Dang kids leaving things for me to deal with when I shouldn't have to.

Although my body aches in places that have never before, I am very, very happy with the new look of the kitchen, with just paint.  It's been a long time coming with all the kids banging up cupboards, and walls.  To think it all started with the dishes Mom gave me.  I am so glad the kitchen floor repair is done, and that created us to re-think the 14 year old look of the kitchen.  I'm not ready to move the computer back to the desk in the kitchen.  I have to paint desk cabinet trim, and another window and ceiling trim before that happens.

Birthday ~ Cactus and other ramblings

I decided to bake my husband's most favorite peanut butter cookies for his birthday.  There was just no way to get to my cake decorating tools or cupcake carrier.  

Mom's cactus I inherited is blooming a gorgeous bright pink.  Pink was her favorite color.  It's beautiful!  It's blooming right around Mother's Day too!

Daughter E surprised me with a visit yesterday.  She rode with me to another town to donate my truck full of boxes.  They went to an antique/re-sale store that is owned by my husband's friend (used to work with her many years ago). 

We saw that a pizza shop was open across the street, so we moseyed over there and picked up a pizza for dinner.

Back at the homestead, she wanted to help paint, but I had just washed all my paint brushes for the day prior to her stopping in.  I told her she is welcome to help any day she has off.  I'm working on the upper cabinets, and have 2 more windows to paint.

The drawer knobs have been ordered.  The price finally went to 1/2 off, and yes I paid shipping, but driving all the way to that big city would cost me a lot in gas too.  Gas is going back up over $4/gallon again.  Anyway, that is checked off the to-do list.

I broke one of the hardware pieces on my cupboard door while painting it on the saw horses.  I have ordered replacements for that too.  The ugly bee (stained glass from door) has been donated as well, and the owner actually thought it was beautiful, so hopefully she sells it and all the stuff we donated.

My younger brother told me I had one last "small" pile of stuff to retrieve at Mom's house.  I picked that up this week, but man that was a dirty trick.  It included photos in frames, a photo album and two huge folders.  One folder contained every article I ever wrote (bless her heart), the other was filled with stuff from her grandkids.

Daughter E took a photo and a flash light (she is going camping soon and needed one), and we read thru some of the stuff and got a few laughs.  I'll keep it to have Daughter K go thru it as well.  Now, however I need another box for that, ha ha!

 

Run errands day . . .

Tuesday was my run errands day.  It, unfortunately, leaves me little time at home to get things done.  When I cleaned out my one drawer of food containers, I realized I was missing several of my mini dressing containers and lids.  While in town, I bought new ones, but the lids are a stiff plastic and do NOT come off the container.  Now I have to make another trip to return them or hopefully exchange them.

The truck was also packed full of items to donate to our friends thrift store.  It did not happen.   It was pouring down rain, and the truck is still loaded for another day.

Last night we had a tornado warning.  There was damage elsewhere, but from what I heard it did not touch down.

Until I get my mini containers replaced, my husband's fruit is packed into disposable containers.  I spent what little time I had making a breakfast as well.  I cooked eggs on a sheet pan again, and this time they came off the baking sheet much easier.

I spread a layer of olive oil on the baking sheet, pre-heated the oven at 425°F and then added the eggs (already cracked and ready to go), and baked them until the yolks were cooked.  It worked perfectly.

The chickens continue to supply us, so it looks like I may boil more eggs for a back up dinner of egg salad or just for snacking.  I am thankful for that.

I had plans to bake a birthday cake today for my husband's upcoming birthday, but my frosting gear is temporarily buried in my utility room on a shelf.  I had plans to make cupcakes as well, but it may not happen.  

We are still working on locating a reliable person to help with the living room floor (and smaller bathroom).  Praying it is not much of the subfloor to cut into for both repairs.

While paint dries, I am back in my master bath emptying drawers, cleaning them and washing dividers (and purging anything expired).