Frugal Friday: Keep Learning! (it saves money)

 Snow has finally come to our part of Michigan and it won't let up till after this weekend.

The remants of the garden that looks so much better covered with snow.  

It's kind of funny but I love to watch canning and gardening vlogs on youtube in the winter.  I also love to read helpful gardening books.  Knowledge is power and any little tidbit that I can learn makes me excited for Spring.  Lately, I've watched how to fry your canned french fries (I haven't even thought about canning potatoes as french fries) from Wippoorwill Hollar, and currently, I'm reading More Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency by Caleb Warnok.   This book is filled with a lot information about gardening plus different ways of saving money.  There are some of the frugal things I would never do  but the gardening thoughts and practices so far are very interesting and helpful.  

Dinner this week has been Hotdogs for a school Snow day, Baked Chicken, Chicken fajitas (today), Ham dinner, fried bologna for the growing boy who would not eat the ham dinner, and ham and sugar pea soup made from this universal soup recipe I found  here.  The recipe was perfect!  

 

This baby quilt should keep me busy for quite awhile.  I'm going to look for a bigger hoop in my stash so I don't have to keep moving it so much.

Before the snow we ended up going to Amish country and the discount stores.  We found a new one a couple of trips ago and loved the deals there.  When we found it just all of sudden we saw the green house sign then we saw a  sign beside it that said Yoder's discount grocery.  Took the chance and went down the gravel road about 1/2 mile. 

I asked Mr. Yoder did he just start up and he said yes.  He told me he was a widower from Wisconsin and a had married a woman that was a widow here.  She has the greenhouse business and he has the discount grocery business.  We will be going back closer to Spring so it will be neat seeing what's in the greenhouses.  There we spent about $88.00.  Some great deals like a 1 pd bag of coffee for $3.50.

Then we stocked up on meat and other things at Country View like the smoked bacon for $2.50.   We spent about $95.00 there.

We have to stay home now.  

How's it going where you are?

*As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here).  Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden

Be sure to follow me on Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.

 

Book Review: Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

 

Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge

by Charlotte Hubbard

 

In the year since he lost his wife in a tragic accident, Lester Lehman has found healing and purpose—helping construct Dale Kraybill’s new bulk store, enjoying the Kuhn sisters’ hearty meals, and settling into a tiny, built-for-one lakeside house. Falling in love again is surely not on Lester’s mind. Yet despite his firm “no,” two available ladies have set their kapps on the handsome widower—in a boisterous rivalry that weaves mayhem among the wedding festivities . . .

 

A welcome escape comes from a fresh-faced newcomer. Marlene Fisher disarms Lester with her witty quips on his romantic predicament, while her sparkling eyes inspire surprising thoughts of a shared future. But the heartbreak that brought Marlene to Promise Lodge runs deep, and the pretty maidel believes she’s not meant to marry. In a season of vows to love and honor, scripture holds the key to building their happiness together: love is kind, and above all . . . patient.

My Review:

Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge was a great relaxing book to read.   I loved the modern language that was used and the descriptions of where everyone lives made me feel like I was right there with them.  

Some of the characters were out of this world and I was a bit surprised by their audacity.  Yet, I totally believe there are people out there like this and Charlotte Hubbard described them perfectly.  

Reading about the older twins, Mose and Marlene's past helps you understand why they came to Promise Lodge.   Life can be complicated and we start to figure this was how it was meant to be.  It's not over yet.

This book will capture your attention with the romance, suspense, and wholesomeness.  What a great, great read!

This book was given to me but this is my honest review.

**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here).  Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden

Be sure to follow me on Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.

Frugal Friday: My Groceries for the week 1/20/23 and other things!

 Sorry that I've been gone, I guess I had a writing block.  I keep thinking about this blog and how to make it revelant for what is going on in the world.  In the winter I have a hard time because to me it's boring without the garden and the great outdoors but now I believe I can find something to write about with everything that is going on.  I'll tell you how I'm keeping busy and how I save money all in one post.    I'm still doing book and movie reviews but I'll write a weekly post on Friday.  

Sewing, crafts

My granddaughter's leggings developed a hole in knee so I cut them off and hemmed them for shorts to use this summer.  I found the patch in my sewing supplies and sewed it on too.   Grand daughter hand sewed one side.  She is learning to  sew and I told her what a great job she was doing.  She is very interested in crafting.   

We cut off our jeans often growing up and I believe that's why we used lace a lot to cover up our sewing when we were young.  We also fringed the bottom of jean's we cut off.  Did you or do you do that too?

This week I also finished emboirdering another unicorn pillowcase (I already made one for granddaughter).  I plan on putting this one in the Fair this summer and then gifting it to another young girl.

Groceries

Grocery shopping it's down right hurtful now.  The prices are just out of control or they don't have it.  Last week I got a little worried about not finding corn meal but I finally was able to buy some.  

I making sure not to empty our pantry because it is going to take a lot of money to restock without a huge sale.  Sometimes I find them too.  For instance, our supply of cans of corn and peas where getting low and I found a sale for Meijer brand canned vegetables for 39 cents a can a few weeks ago and made sure to stock up.  I also make sure to rotate so we don't have food waste.

I feel like a squirrel sometimes going from store to store looking for deals but that's the way we control our grocery spending.  Meijer is on the way home from the school, I had an appointment by Ollies, etc.  so we try not to waste too much gas.  I do get tired of looking for groceries though!  

Meijer shopping

 

organic bananas ... $1.25 (I bought these because they were not dark green)

2 small avocados...$1.78

2 gallons of milk for $2.82 a gallon

2 cans of biscuits to make donuts when kids come over $1.59 each

Oatmeal -$4.49

2 -2pks of Mr. Clean sponges for $6.78 (minus m-perks offer of $3.25)- around $1.76 each

Stevia $6.99

Blackberries 2 @$1.99 a pint   (my store ran out of the sale price ones for .99 a pint on the weekend 😔)

not pictured -I just left them in the car- 5 oreo go packs (cookies for the car ride for grandkids coming home from school) -$5.00 ($1.00 a piece) and Fruit Snacks $1.50 for a 12 pk (50% off $2.99)

Total $39.34

Olllie's

Loved this deal (not groceries though), for $1.79 each, I bought three soft soap refills

We bought our snacks at Ollie's 

Cashews-$6.99

4 lance cracker packs for $1.19 each

2 bags cracklins for $1.59 eac and 1 bag of pork rinds for husband $1.69.  These things make me choke.

Total:  $16.62

Aldi's  (we did this last night and I was too tired to take a picture)

100 ct. Black tea $1.89

4 Sweetner Pouches  $4.85 each

Bananas .67

4 boxes of Endulgent bars $3.99 each

Strawberries $2.49  (they were awful)

2 boxes of crackers   $1.29  each

 yogurt   $2.19 (32 oz)

Jar of Pickled Beets $1.79

Gallon of Milk $2.71

Half and Half $1.89

Pork Tamales $8.48  

2 containers of Oats $3.69 each

Seasoned salt $2.65

Total $66.43

Overall total for this week: $122.39 

How are you doing grocery shopping?

The Confession in Theaters Feb 20th only! #TheConfessionMIN

 

The Confession, based on a book series by Beverly Lewis, will be in  theaters Feb 20th only! This sounds like a great Musical and it's by a great author I have read!   About THE CONFESSION Based on the multi-million selling book series written by Beverly Lewis and written for the stage by Emmy-Nominated screenwriter Martha Bolton, The Confession tells the story of Amish Family in turmoil when their daughter, Katie Lapp, discovers she was adopted by an Englisher (not Amish) woman. Meanwhile, the woman, Laura Mayfield, heir to a vast fortune and on her death bed, is searching for her lost daughter to bequest her the estate. Standing between her is her gold-digging husband Dylan (played by John Schneider), who is plotting to claim the fortune for himself with the help of a hired imposter pretending to be the long-lost daughter. While the story is dramatic, writer Martha Bolton sprinkles in humor, mostly from award-winning comedian Chonda Pierce as the maid and internationally renowned British comedian Colin Hearn as the English Butler. The music is powerful under the direction of multiple Grammy nominated Dan Posthuma and songwriter Wally Nason. . And the screen is filled with spectacular visuals using twenty actors and dancers and one of the largest LED screens in the country.

THE CONFESSION MUSICAL was adapted for the stage by Emmy-Nominated screenwriter Martha Bolton. The musical follows the story of Katie Lapp, a young Amish girl who discovers that her parents have been keeping a deep secret...that she is adopted. Katie decides to find her birth mother, defying the rules of her Amish village and risking a shunning. Meanwhile, Laura Mayfield, her wealthy birth mother who is battling an illness that might take her life, began searching for her long-lost daughter. Secretly plotting against Laura is her gold-digging husband Dylan (John Schneider). Dylan knows that if Katie is found, he will no longer inherit Laura’s fortune. With the help and prayers of her Christian housekeeper (Chonda Pierce), Laura hopes to foil Dylan’s plan and be reunited with her daughter.

I Heard The Bells Movie Review Plus a $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! #IHeardTheBellsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Known as America's Poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow leads an idyllic life...until the day his world is shattered by tragedy.

With a nation divided by Civil War and his family torn apart, Henry puts down his pen, silenced by grief. But it's the sound of Christmas morning that reignites the poet's lost voice as he discovers the resounding hope of rekindled faith.  It's an inspiring story of redemption and rekindled faith.  The perfect film to watch with your family as you prepare to celebrate Christmas! 

Coming to movie theatres this December, I HEARD THE BELLS tells the inspiring true story behind the beloved Christmas carol and its author, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Learn more at

 I HeardtheBellsMovie.com.

.

My Review:

Such a happy life that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had until his life turned upside down.  The turmoil in his heart felt so real it brought me to tears.  I Heard The Bells is movie that kept my attention from beginning to end and it is bound to be a family classic.  A true story filled with history, it's one of the movies you will want to watch every year at Christmas time.  

. Giveaway: One $10 Amazon giftcard (Note: Giveaway is limited to U.S. winners only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Sight & Sound Films for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

Review of the Movie, "It's Christmas Again" Plus A $10 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway! #ItsChristmasAgainMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Jake Young (Lawson Touliatos) wants nothing more than to spend his Christmas vacation with his girlfriend, Abbey Walker (Leela Owen). So when Abbey volunteers for her church’s Christmas play, Jake is ready to skip Christmas this year until an unexpected turn of events lands him in a field outside Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. While on his journey with the shepherds to find the promised Messiah, Jake discovers the true meaning of Christmas. Coming this Christmas season, IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN is a modern-day musical the whole family will love!

My Review:  

I feel like this film is for Mom's of pre-teen to teenage children, who feel like their children may have forgotten among the hustle of gifts,  the real reason we have Christmas.  This musical, in a delightful way, takes us on a teenager's journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas.  The songs are catchy and the message will stay in their heart.  You will love taking the whole family.

Go see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN, in theaters for one day only on November 29th!   You can buy your tickets here.

  

 Giveaway: One $10 Amazon giftcard (Note: Giveaway is limited to U.S. winners only) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Mapelle Films for providing a sample of the product for this review.

Opinions are 100% my own.

I Bought that Turkey and the To Do List 11/9/22

 

I bought a turkey!   It was on sale  for .48 a pound at VG's yesterday when you buy another item (any item).  I went in to buy donuts and saw they had a great sale.   It's not my .37 a pound but you know, I think this may be the lowest price.  So, here I go still taking a chance  but a 15 pound turkey for around $7.00 isn't bad at all.  I want one more Turkey and I may have to go back and get another one soon. 

Meijer does have turkey's for  .55  a pound if you have one close by.  Now these are not your name brand turkeys these are the store brand.  I buy them every year and they taste very good.

I don't know why I wanted donuts so bad, our local VG's makes some pretty good ones.  We also ordered pizza with the grandkids who were home from school.  Maybe we were celebrating election day.  Mom and Dad always went out to eat, every big election.  I think that was a good idea.   Win or lose, make it special you know.  The pizza was ho hum so maybe we will kind of wait on that tradition till they start making things taste a little better.

FYI:   VG's is a local grocery store that is in our area.

It's going to snow this weekend and get cold.  It's colder today so I put a pot of beef stew in the crock pot.  I make it just like hamburger stew but we use stew meat.  Our stew meat is from the cheapest chuck roast ($3.99 a pound)  that we could find then we cut it up ourselves into the right sized pieces.  We managed to get enough for four beef stews or beef and noodles out of one cheap roast.   The potatoes, onions, peppers, and tomatoes all came from the garden.

My To do List:  

I'm glad we kept with getting things done outside with the changing weather that's coming soon.  I'm changing my to do list to inside now.

Inside work:

Wash curtains in kitchen and bathroom.

The usual stuff that needs doing.

Crafts:  

Finish making things to go with my crocheted nativity scene.  I'm making the lamb and I should finish today.  The rest of the nativity I did the last few years. 

Finish that quilt!  

How's everything at your house?

**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from my Amazon affiliate link here  Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden. I'm always glad you come by!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.