Beautiful Snow and My 5 Minute or less Fall Cleaning Jobs!

 

We did get our dusting of snow on Sunday.  First snow is always so pretty to me.   It has since warmed up just a bit.  

I made sure to mix in fun last weekend with the work.  My granddaughters game was on Saturday and we made sure to go to it. It was so fun watching her.   Then I read a book all day on Sunday after mopping the floors and vacuuming.  It was the first book I have been really interested in a long time it's called, Survival On Shell Mountain: A Gripping Survival Story of Faith, Family, and the Final Days Before The Collapse:    It's hard to concentrate on a fiction book with so many things going on in the world we live in.

I bought my turkey for Thanksgiving at Meijer's on Monday for .39 cents a pound. It was approximately 20 pounds for $10.00.  I want to make sure everyone has leftovers.

Life gets so busy, somedays all I have are 5 minutes to get some extra housework done.  Here are my 5 minute or less fall cleaning jobs this I've done this week:

Monday:  Cleaned out the big knife drawer.  There were many knifes that were not good anymore. I threw away about 10.  How we got so many I'm not sure.

Tuesday:  Cleaned the silverware drawers.

Wednesday:  In the bathroom I cleaned hair brushes and the basket that holds them all.

Thursday:  Cleaned and organized underneath the bathroom sink.

Friday (today)...I hope to organize the pots and pans.

Saturday:   Clean the coop.  This will take longer than 5 minutes but it's on my list.

I'm thankful I got the chicken water warmer thing out and going.  No freezing water and it holds more water than normal.  Less work in the cold is always a good thing. 

Sunday:  Clean the top of refrigerator because so many people are taller than me and they can see the dust.  ha ha

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Hurry, get it done, Winter is Coming!

                                       

I thought about my to do list and how excited I was when they said no rain this week.  Yeah, they were wrong.  Monday started off with a nice drizzle.  I did manage to plant the tulips at the grave on Sunday ...but that gave me 41 to plant somewhere else because for some reason I bought 50 bulbs.  Somewhere in the yard it will be pretty.

We have felt this week like we were in a race to get things done because winter is coming!  They are forecasting snow Saturday through Sunday.  Lots of snow if you believe the EURO model.   I don't believe that but snow is coming for sure.

Monday.......Inside work -rain and wind.   You can see I had help folding clothes from my cat.  He is very smart.

I've been organizing the kitchen in my spare time.  All the canners are now stored away, etc.

Tuesday...... I took down the bean teepees, helped clean up the mess from a big tree branch we chopped down (neighbors tree that grew on our property),  and put the grill to the side of the patio so we can snow shovel. 

Wednesday...I planned to plant 41 tulip bulbs  somewhere and continue to help clean up a tree branch that we chopped down-none of this happened.  It was windy and rainy.  We were also tired and sore. ha ha

Thursday  ..I planted 41 tulip bulbs in every place I could find and helped clean up a tree branch that we chopped down.  I also put teepee poles in shed along with garden tools hanging out by the coop and got the heated chicken waterer going.

Just a disclosure: there was a lot going on so we hired our grandson to help us LOL.

Friday....   just relax!  Maybe we will go for a ride this morning. It's raining and windy.

I feel like we are prepared for winter ...although the coop needs to be cleaned. There is always something...maybe we will have a warm spell.

Our Menu so far this week:

Monday  chili hot dogs

Tuesday  out to eat 

Wednesday   Pork chops, mustard greens (I stored this jar  in the fridge ..it didn't seal), and mashed potatoes.  One quart of greens gives us two servings.  That is all we need because youngest daughter doesn't like them.

Thursday     Goulash 

Friday          Leftover goulash warmed up with cheese on top served with garlic bread

Saturday      Roast with the fixins      

Sunday        Roast beef sandwiches

I did make salad ahead of time this past week....I used the leaf lettuce from the greenhouse and the last of the tomatoes from the garden.  Lettuce at our aldi's was $2.50 this week!

**Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 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).  

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

Good Deals, Our Menu, and Happy Halloween!

 

We went to the Menonite store and among other things we bought oatmeal for around $7.00 (.99 a pound) and some apples that were $10 a half bushel.  Those two things alone were worth the trip.  Plus it was fun.

I came home and made the grandkids some no bake cookies to take home with them.

Our Menu:

What we have had on the table so far this past week and what I have planned for the next few days.

Monday............Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Tuesday...........Leftover salisbury steak made into a hamburger like stew

Wednesday......Fried chicken dinner from the Menonite store ($18.99-chicken was good..sides could be better)

Thursday.........Baked chicken, fried cabbage, and fried apples

Friday.............Homemade pizza  (grandkid will be here- I hope to get her in the kitchen)

Saturday.........Chicken noodle soup (leftover chicken)

Sunday..........Grilled rosemary pork chops (if the weather cooperates)..sides are yet to be determined.

Do you ever look at a recipe on the internet and think oh I'll make that only to realize you would have to make a trip to the grocery store.   Man, I hate that.

Garden chores:

It's getting colder here in Michigan but everyday I go out in the garden and do a little something.  Fall clean up is in full swing.

Monday.........Pulled up every tomato cage

Tuesday........ Saved Zinnia seeds and pulled up all the Olla's.  I stored the Olla's in the greenhouse and put the zinnia heads in the garage hanging up in a basket (in case of bugs).

Wednesday.....Planted garlic..this was worrying me..I think I'm ok but it felt late to be doing this.

Thursday........Mom and Dad's grave needs dirt by the headstone so I borrowed some from my pots.  I plan on planting tulips on Saturday.

Things I hope to do:

Friday ..............I hope to take down all the bean teepee's and save the bean seeds that are there. 

Just a thought...  I need to do this today before the trick or treaters come at 5. 

Saturday.....................Plant tulips at the gravesight.

 Happy Halloween!  

**Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 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).  

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

Fall Colors, Good deal on Halloween Candy, and Protecting the Trees 10/24/25

 

We went to our favorite fall viewing place last week.  This is at the Largo Falls, MI.  Nope, us old people did not go down the steps (I think 500) we let the younguns have fun.

Granddaughter loves to climb the logs at the Lumberman's Monument.   The restroom and store were closed because of the government shutdown but I'm glad we were able to hike the trails.

I'm not going to get political...I could...but I'm not.  Neither should you LOL.

I bought Halloween candy at Meijer on Flashfood ...I bought 21 bars of candy for .50 cents each.  We only get around 15 to 20 kids at our door for trick or treating so I'm set!  ..listen candy is high.

I'm getting outside as much as the weather and time will let me.  I put the tree trunk protectors on all the trees.  Deer love my tree trunks.  These are the kind I use.

I also planted garlic around the peach tree.  I heard that planting garlic and onions around a peach tree will help prevent peach curl.  I did plant some onions this last season and the leaves uncurled but it was too late for peaches.

How's it going in your neck of the woods?  

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Good deals, Saving Seeds, Crocheting, and Canning!

 

I spent $6.00 at Meijer.  I bought two pairs of shorts and a skirt in the clearance rack for $2.00 apiece.  I'll be ahead with clothes next summer.   Better than Goodwill!

I'm crocheting a white afaghan.  Something I've been seeing laying accross the bottom of beds.  Yep, got to have one ha ha.  This will only cost me about $2.00 with the good deal on yarn on bought at a garage sale last month.

Starting to save seeds.  The table will be full soon.  You can read how I save seeds here.

Right now I'm starting to clean mustard and turnip greens for canning.  I had to take a break in between bags for the back.  I'm getting it done though.  

How's it going in your neck of the woods?  

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Harvesting the Garden Before the Frost!

 

I saw we had a frost forecasted this past week, so the first thing I did this past week was pick all the tomatoes.   I managed to get a basket of green tomatoes.  I wrapped them in newspaper to slowly ripen in the next few weeks.  You can read my blog post about saving green tomatoes here.

Then I picked all the Kentucky wonder beans and they are in the dehydrator now.  Shuck beans are always on the menu during the holidays.

I also canned 4 quarts of mustard greens.   It takes about a bushel of mustard greens to make 4 quarts.  They will survive a frost and we will pick more next week.

So, it's been a busy week harvesting but we will love all the good food this winter!   It hasn't been a big harvest this year but every litttle bit helps.

With the price of everything going up I wanted to remind you of little ways I save.  Every week (usually on Saturday) I make:

Dawn power wash spray for dishes and

I also make foaming hand soap for the bottles in kitchen and bathroom.

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

I Was Almost Too Late and Freezer Meal!

 

I was almost too late in picking the concord grapes.  The birds just about ate them all.   Things had gotten in the way, you know there is always something that needs to be done ahead of something else.

I picked enough for 5 pints of jelly.  I love grape jelly.

We had pizza for dinner ...I always make two pizzas and I know a day will come up that we are crazy busy and need a quick meal.  I'm so thankful when I'm prepared for when it happens.

We went to the pumpkin farm this past weekend ...they really had it going there.  There were animals, food, civil war reanactment, corn maze, and pumpkins of course (we don't do corn mazes we learned our lesson many years ago-we almost had to stay the night).  

There was no admission fee...so we were able to spend money on other things.

We bought these raised beds at a moving sale -five of them for $10.  Really we only need two well maybe three so we can keep one for wood to repair the other two and give the other two away.

This is the nicest fall ever -today will be over 80 degrees!  Is it warm where you are?

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