Getting more organized!

 One of the recent boxes to go through contained our DVD's.  We don't have a lot, but enough that it needed organized somewhere.  I was previously on a bookshelf in the closet. 

(carry handles)

Now they are in a zipper, dust free, viewable carry case that is stored up on a shelf in the closet.  They are out of sight, organized in one place, I don't have to dust anything but the carry case, and we can see the movie titles easily.  I had to order this online.  I could not find it in stores.

I bought these strong magnets at Menard's with the intention to put them on the grill, but I found a good use for them.  

I have metal shelving in my kitchen for jugs of water, vinegar etc.  I had been using S hooks, but they kept falling off.  These magnets hold my strainers wonderfully.  I am guessing you could find them in the summer grilling supply section in most stores.  These magnets are stronger than the hook magnets intended for refrigerators.

I bought this for the smaller bathroom.  Great for small places, and holds both cotton balls and Q-tips in the center.  Sorry if this one is a repeat.  I could not remember if I shared this one or not.  I tried to collect items to make this myself (gluing the smaller one inside the canister), but it ended up less expensive to buy it as is.

I also purchased a package of smaller zipper storage bags.  I did not like the ones sold at the dollar stores, so these were found online.  They are also the perfect size for my crocheted baby blankets.  Anyway, the initial purpose is to store bedding and pillow cases for our bed and eventually for the spare bed upstairs.

We are also moving the ironing board and iron, along with the holder we have mounted on the wall, to the bedroom closet.  It makes more sense.  There is an outlet easy to get to, we can store it on the wall, and easily take it down to iron any clothing, right in the closet.  Sometimes, just moving something makes the job go much smoother.

Rusty Canning Rings

 

What do you do with your rusty canning rims?  I see there are several videos on how to remove the rust and re-use, but is this still okay for canning, or worth doing?

With today's day and age, and inflation, and scary times, I'm hesitant to just recycle them and buy new.  Should I be removing the rust, and are rust cleaners septic safe?

I have a bin in my barn, where I toss anything metal into (that is small), for a friend who takes it to scrap when the bin is full.  He is unemployed, so I have been doing the saving for him.  Like, say when a fly swatter goes bad, and you have the metal handle left.  Stuff like that is tossed in the bin for scrapping.  I'm tempted to scrap, but wanted to hear any thoughts on this. 

Before anyone asks, no I have no intention to save and craft with, ha ha!  I'm still going through my crafting supplies, I have that much, ha ha!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We had wonderful weather over the weekend, other than thunderstorms Sunday morning.  I've started to do the plant "shuffle" so they are acclimated to the outdoors prior to planting in the garden.  We are still working on garden fencing, and fixing the truck.

I picked a handful of asparagus, and we should be enjoying it in a few more days for dinner.  

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

The weather . . .

Cloudy, 60's and more rain.  They are predicting rain all weekend, so if I want peas planted, I need to do it between this rain and the weekend rain (or not at all).  It's getting late for peas here.

As I look outside my window . . .

It's cloudy, and looks like rain.

Right now I am . . .

Making a second pot of coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Just a lot going on between weather and garden.

How I am feeling . . . 

Tired, but so glad I did a super tidy/clean up before we left for the weekend.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Not sure yet.  I have to make it ha ha!

What I am wearing . . .

Jammies.  Just starting out my morning right now.

On my reading pile . . .

I'm still reading Atomic Habits.  By the way, it's not a good book to take on a car ride, ha ha!  I going to have to start another book and rotate them.  This book is good, but it's as interesting as a good fiction book.

On my TV . . .

A Man Called Otto

On the menu . . .

I completely forgot about planning a menu this week!

-Tacos
-Crock pot pork chops, rice or quinoa, and roasted brussel sprouts or asparagus from the garden
-walleye or perch, homemade fries 
-leftovers

Looking around the house . . .

It's getting there.  I should have the upstairs larger room flooring painted by the end of the week.  Downstairs is looking much better.  I still have a few boxes to sort, and the truck is still full of donations to deliver.  I need to start on the front porch again soon.  We purchased flowers for the hanging baskets, and they need put up yet.

On the to-do list . . .

-laundry
-unload dishwasher
-bake a breakfast for a few days
-make egg salad
-get plant hangers from storage and put flowers in them
-get dog kennel from storage for chicks/start acclimating them with the adult hens
-set plants out today
-put last of the smaller fencing around asparagus and toss in straw

For the week:

-start weeding herb garden and larger rose bed

-completely clean out one kitchen cupboard/purge and sanitize and add shelf liner

What I am creating . . .

Finally put this pair together.

Newest road trip/porch project - square doilies for living room lamps.  I almost have the first one done.

Still working on this blanket.  It's in a project basket for now.  In case you missed the post, you can find the pattern links for this:  HERE.

Simple pleasure. . .

Painting my toenails with nail polish.  I actually bought a pair of flip-flop slippers for this summer too.  I don't do this often, so when I do, it is a treat (using chemical free polish).

From the camera . . .

(we did some easy hiking over the weekend)

Devotional, Prayers . . .

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10.12-13, NIV)

Kitchen-ness Day

 First off, I was going to pull up my Hummus recipe on my blog, but I had to dig it out of my recipe box instead.   I'm having issues with blogger.  I have always used the "search" either on the front of the blog or in dashboard for something.  When I search for something now, it brings up blogposts that don't even have the tag I'm searching on them.  I had trouble finding my Hummus recipe for chickpea Hummus on my blog.

So, I'm sharing again.  Not sure where I got the recipe, but it's our favorite.  After a lengthy search....here is the recipe for Hummus (click on the one below).

Hummus

New Recipes Tried:

Low Carb Bacon-Cheeseburger Casserole

Results?  Okay.  Nothing special, and for us, too much cheese (and sodium, as cheese is salty).  Not a keeper.

Epic Burger Sauce

Results?  Oh my gosh delicious!  Keeper!  I linked the recipe in the upper title of the recipe.  The only thing that will be different for us is, that we make our own garlic powder, can our own ketchup, and I canned dill pickles last year, so I used juice from that, and lastly, we make homemade cayenne as well.

I buy organic mayo for this, so it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge, but if you were having a cook out, you could make fresh mayo for this sauce.  We will definitely be taking this on camping trips and summer cookouts.  So good!  I think it would be great to put in a squeeze bottle for cookouts too.

It's great on burgers or for dip for fries/onion rings/baked green bell pepper fries

Better Weather Day Finally! Blogger Question!!

 I've been busy with errands, dental appt. and what not.  I finally got an appointment booked with Daughter E for a hair cut soon.   I cleaned out the refrigerator, and got towels washed.

What I need to be doing is locating a new resource for straw.  It's been added to the to-do list.  

There is light at the end of the purge/extreme clean tunnel.  Everything that has made the "cut" to go back into the closet, or upstairs, or elsewhere, is being put in containers with lids, and labeled.  Luckily, I'm emptying totes, so I haven't had to buy new ones.

One bin (storage bin with no lid) contained new flour sack towels.  The bin has been given away to one of the kids, and the towels washed and dried.  I found 17 towels (two sizes) and 6 cloth napkins.  When a certain store put them on clearance, I went to all the stores in the area and stocked up on them.

Back in 2014 I cleaned and found the napkins and embroidered cute camping designs on them.  So cute, that we can't get ourselves to use them in the camper.  Seriously.  We take them every year, and every year we use paper towels.  You can see the designs on this blogpost.

Anyway, that pile is all folded up, and awaiting a container.  I keep them on hand to embroider for gift giving and for ourselves, but I am putting a few in the kitchen drawer (un-embroidered), as I use them often, and I have no time to fancy them up right now.  The cloth napkins will be donated.

I'm trying to be smarter on baking/cooking days.  I whipped up a pound of bacon at once.  We have some for eggs and bacon sandwiches, and for a dinner recipe.

My question - yesterday I replied to a comment and it normally puts my comment right through and onto the post with my photo of our first rooster.  It did not this time.  I had to click on it to approve it and my photo is gone.  

I then did a "test" comment and it went right on the post like normal.  Anyone else having weird things going on with your settings on your blog?

Tuesday Tidbits ~ Another Rainy Day Clean Up Day

 The rain has not let up.   Thank goodness for rain coats and muck boots.   I did check the asparagus, and oddly I won't need to harvest any for a day or two.

I finished making the last 3 lavender sachets.  While I had the travel iron out, I made up some homemade teabags.  I love that I can find things much easier now.

I decided to start at one end of the kitchen, and clean my way around.  I did just that.  Counters are spic n' span clean, all paint put away, other than the one can I still need.  

Paperwork was taken care of, items put in the mailbox to mail, craft supplies put back, other than the current earrings in progress.  Once they are finished, I will put that away.  

Bread box was sanitized, and cabinet doors wiped down.  Sink was given a good scrubbing too.

I loaded up the truck with donations, and completely emptied a large tote.

Prices are so high, that I decided to keep the empty tote in storage out of the way.  You never know when you may need one, and I do not want to pay today's prices.

Speaking of prices, UPS delivered a larger Amazon order.  I can see where someone cut the tape, re-taped it and put a second label on top.  The box was empty.  The box on the inside of the box was empty, with styrofoam left inside.  I notified Amazon right away, but they say it could be up to May 3rd before I hear from them.

I have some more paper work to take care of, but the kitchen is finally (finally) feeling a lot lest chaotic, cleaner, and tidy.  Daughter E has a pile to look through and I have some craft boxes to go through that are sitting on the floor as well.

I have a pile of paperwork that needs shredded. I guess I will buy a paper shredder, or see if recycling has a shredding day set.  Our shredder quit working.

In the midst of all that cleaning, tidying and purging, I managed to make us a strawberry crunch for us.  I still have strawberries in the freezer.  I added more strawberries to it this time.

My recent "cleaning" and "purging" post have probably been boring.  There isn't much going on until this rain quits.  We have some outdoor projects to start on soon, and we still have one room to remove carpet from.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

The weekend went by fast, and was not what I had intended.  My husband, oddly after a first weekend off work, had us running around all weekend.  I was exhausted by Sunday night, and felt like we didn't get anything done at the house.  

It rained all weekend, and it's still raining.

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

I will link up when she posts.  I'm starting my day early to get my kitchen back in order.  There are paint cans everywhere, and it's in disarray.

The weather. . .

Rain!  Lots of rain!  Now they say possible snow today.  Yes, I said snow.  Sigh.  I had to bring my rosemary plants back inside.  They will not be planted until after Mother's Day anyway, but snow???  It could be something like a snow/rain sleet mix.

As I look outside my window . . .

Dark, dreary, and raining.

Right now I am . . .

Drinking hot coffee, trying to wake up to our regular schedule around here.

Thinking and pondering . . .

Trying to decide if I want to keep my macramé supplies or donate them.  Prices are high, so I'm on the fence with this decision.  I may keep them for now.

We've been pondering about which type of electric solar fencing to get, and my husband is not taking care of that. 

How I am feeling . . .

Tired.

On my breakfast plate. . .

Leftover omelet with grits casserole and cheese.

On my lunch plate . . .

Have no idea yet.  Egg salad?

On my dinner plate . . .

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole, Veggie, Strawberry Crunch

What I am wearing . . .

Right now?  Jammies, robe and slippers until the coffee kicks in.

On my reading pile . . .

I'm still reading Atomic Habits.  I'm not getting a lot of reading time, but I do try to read each day, even if it's a page.

On my TV this week . . .

Movies on Netflix/Amazon Prime

On the menu . . .

Have no idea.  Will try and think about that today.

Looking around the house . . .

It's looking better, but I still need to gather the donation items and get them out of the house.

On the to-do list . . .

-laundry

-check on asparagus 
-complete kitchen clean up, could take all week

-work on upstairs flooring

-gather all donations and load them into the truck
-finish making lavender sachets (only 2 more to make)
-bake a dessert

My simple pleasure. . .

Popcorn made using our whirly pop stove top popper, using organic coconut oil, and fine salt.  So good for a movie binge/crochet evening.

What I am creating . . .

Lavender Sachets.  You can read my post on how to make these on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot:  HERE

I'm still crocheting this blanket. (old photo)

From the camera . . .

I have nothing today folks.  It's been raining here for days.

Prayers . . .

Prayers for our friend Jim, who had another stroke.