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?

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Happy New Year 2025 and My Goals!

I hope everyone has a great New Year's.  The kids are all going to the Melting pot.  Not our favorite place -although good, I just want my food already cooked for me when I go out to eat.  So, today I'm making baked chicken, a cheese ball, mashed potatoes, and rolls for the husband and I.

What can I say about 2024?  ..what a year for me.  I'm glad to be alive and I thank God I am.  

Looking back on my goals last year -I accomplished to the best of my knowledge #1 -I love my family and will do what I can.

#2 I'm still fat...but I keep trying.  Healthier -yep.

#3 I'm a crocheting maniac in the winter and I love to work on Christmas gifts.

#4 I organized a lot and now I need to do it all over again!  The people who live here...LOL

The garden wasn't a complete bust but it came close.  We would starve if we had to depend on it.  Maybe I should try that to lose weight...depend on the garden.

# 5.  I love my readers and I hope to keep improving this blog by: 

Just posting more regular but not everyday.  Twice a week seems to be good for me (I hope it is for you).   I love the comments on my posts too!   If you like Free and low-cost Kindle books I post them every morning except Sunday and Christmas on my Facebook page here.

Thank you all for a great year!  You make me feel so good when you stop by to read my blog!

Have you made your goals list for the new year?

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).  My thred up link is also a refer a friend link.

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.

Our Time is Limited, Outside to do list, and the Good deals I bought Online this Past Week!

                                           

Our time is limited. ..We can only bask in 60 to 70 degree weather so long until we have this... snow.  Was this click bait...I think so.  ha ha.

There are a few little things we didn't get wrapped up outside so I'm going to get the ball rolling today.   We won't be able to snowplow with all the things in the way.

to do:

take odds and ends to the trash that are in the yard.  I never feel guilty about this because people pick it up before the trashmen come.

empty rain barrels.  I have two -one is done

get the chicken waterer heater going.

take up patio rug and move the patio furniture to the side.

I never did get the garden pots all clean -maybe I can get that done too.=I just through the rest into the green house and called it good.

Good deals I bought online this past week:  (I follow many different deal bloggers)

I bought a Costco membership for $65.00 and will receive a $45.00 gift card soon (so $20).  We have one that will open by us soon and we will decide if we want to keep up the membership after this year.  In the meantime we went to the Auburn Hills Costco to start the membership.  Let me just say I hope and pray that ours is not that busy!  

                            Our election day cake that granddaughter and I made with the frosting I got on sale.

From Amazon I bought a Duncan Hines Carrot Cake for $1.00, Duncan Hines Whipped White Frosting, 8-14 OZ Cans for $6.65, and Fresh Step Clumping Cat Litter with Febreze Gain Scent, 14 lb for $4.65 (subscribe and save).  

Hardcover book I bought this week was  When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner.   I guess there is a newer edition but I bought this one.  I've heard good things about this book.

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 where I share free ebooks,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

When There is No Water...

 

When I woke up Sunday morning everything was fine.  I finished putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher from the night before, started it, fixed bacon for BLT's, and  then went about cleaning the rest of the house.  I also watered my plants, filled up the coffee pot, and fed and gave water to the chickens. After all that I saw our household lights blink a couple of times.   I went and told my sleeping husband about it and he said hmm.  He got up and fixed his coffee and we discussed what would cause the lights blinking.  Maybe the tree service down the street hit a line or something.

Then the grandboy got up to take a shower and there was no water.  Well, now we know.  Husband cleaned the well points...I don't know what that means but it didn't work.  Then he figured out the pump wasn't working. 

Where did we get our water? 

I grabbed the two gallon jugs full of water I keep in the kitchen floor in case I need them to fill up the chicken water when the outside faucet is frozen, and washed the dishes (warming up the water on the stove).  Our go to well man wasn't opened till 10 so before he took our boy home he went to the garage and pulled out two big 5 gallon water jugs, one was empty and the other was frozen solid .  The grandboy took the frozen one inside to thaw and they took the other one to my daughter's to fill up.  She had two more so she filled up those for him too.  She was a blessing for sure!  

So four big five gallon jugs and two gallons of water...how did we use them?   I washed dishes twice (once after breakfast and dinner), we flushed the toilet a couple of times, and of course we washed out hands.  It goes fast.

What was amazing to me was the amout of water it takes to flush a toilet...2 1/2 gallons!  

Hints for the toilet:  Filling up the tank with water instead of the bowl seems to work the best.  If you have hard water like us fill it up to the rust line you see in the tank.  It will not flush without enough water.  I wasted a lot of the water figuring this out while he was gone.

It was fixed by Monday afternoon, for $1300 and $20 for our family of 3 with coupons for Arby's Roast Beef (ha ha).  We are so proud to have water again!  

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, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog

Happy Thanksgiving and My Grocery Shopping List and Total in November of 2018!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!    Enjoy friends and family as much as you can.  Just gobble them up with love.

I was looking over my old posts and trying to find a turkey picture when I came accross my grocery shopping in November of 2018.   I want those prices back!  You can go here to see the prices that we all long for again.   

What I'm Thankful for this year:

I'm thankful for a loving family.   

I'm thankful for all of you everyday.  You make this blog!

I'm thankful for a home and that I can still afford some food.

I'm thankful for transportation.

I'm thankful for a weedy garden I can get lost in (if it's not too hot).

Have a great one!  

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, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.

Image provided by Free pik. 

Good deals are Still to be Had - A great week to Stock Up!

 

We went to Denny's  (discount store) in Otisville and left with some great deals!  

Here is a picture of the whole shopping trip except for the Jerky things for $2 the husband took off with!  

ribeye steak $6.51 this was a mark down meat but it was still good

Chicken breast $7.09

Chicken Wings $6.51 

Cemter cut Pork Chops $2.47 and $2.37

Bananas $2.12 (not a great deal but we wanted some)

Vernors Black Cherry Soda $1.00 (went home with my daughter)

2 packs of 5 oranges $1.99 each

Strawberries $1.99

salted pork $2.00 for both

total $34.94

Here is a close up few of our fruit.  Except for the bananas all marked down and still great.

Meijer  (too much for a picture)

Just the highlights:

turkey for Thanksgiving for .49 a pound.  

Sweet Potatoes were .25 a pound

Meijer tea 3 @ $2.39  with a $3.00 off  mperks coupon for buying 3 (you can also get $2.00 for buying 2 -any tea)

Meijer Frozen Lasagna $3.20  after a 40% Mperks coupon (we used this right away as we were having new bedroom doors put in)

2 land o lakes butter at $3.49 each 

Meijer Aluminum foil for free with mperks rewards

I spent $75.00  (it adds up quick)

It's been a beautiful Fall and we went for a happy walk in the woods Granddaughter couldn't resist and had to roll in the fallen leaves.  I think the weather is about to change.

Are you getting any great deals?

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, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.

The Flour Recall, Duplicating No Dough Pizza Bowl, and My Mess!

 

So, I was notified about the Gold Medal Flour Recall from Amazon.  I had ordered some last year sometime.  Then I read about it here and they talked about how sick you can become if you eat it.   We don't use a lot of flour anymore so I always open it and put it in a container.  I grabbed up the container and without thinking I threw the flour in the trash...oh what a mess!  

With out flour I was stuck.  I either had to go into the store just to get flour (you know that won't happen), make a different meal (daughter will be sad), or make a pizza like Hungry Howie's No Dough Pizza Bowl.    My husband actually had this last week and really liked it.

Now it sits in the refrigerator, ready for dinner, and I have to clean up mess.  I hope it's good.  It should be right?   I'll let you know.  

What I'm also doing today (hopefully):

Cleaning two shelves in the fridge

Cleaning the bathroom

and

then taking a nap. ha ha (no really)

Watching a pureflix movie called Sun Moon (review and giveaway coming soon)

How's your day so far?

Still Spring Cleaning: I Was In the Closet Yesterday!

 

                                                          The mess as it was being sorted. 

I knew I had to do it but I was waiting for a rainy day....thing is it had rained for four days! I knew I had no excuse and I had to clean my messy closet.  There is where I keep my extra stuff like shampoo, detergent, and extra food.  My dresses and skirts go on the closet rod.  

I was able to get rid of some of my outdated clothes, reorganize the storage boxes, and go through the pantry shelves.

We have enough soap, razors, toothpaste, and shampoo for quite awhile!  No one had better not bring any in here (unless it's a great sale)!

Now you know...I'm not perfect by any means!  

How's your Spring Cleaning or are you already done?

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.

The Week of Half Done's and the Weird but Sometimes Beautiful Weather!

It's been weird weather this October, one minute we are snowing like it's the beginning of January, and the next we are having Spring like weather.  Last night for Halloween it was raining and foggy.  We got a total of seven trick or treaters.  I'm glad we got some because  trick or treaters make me happy!  

My roses are still blooming. 

My Geraniums are still blooming too. 

Then it looks like Fall in the front yard.  Weird but beautiful weather!  

It was the week of getting everying half-done.  I'm half-done with all of it!  No matter how hard I tried to get something done I couldn't finish. So this week nothing is added to the list, I'm just going to finish the half-dones and oh yeah, the didn't even start ones!  

Outdoor Work

Clean inside of car and truck.  Probably need to give the outside a wash too to get the cat paw prints off it. half done

Move all the lawn furniture aside so we can shovel and snowblow without a problem. 

Indoor Work

Organize the baking pans.

Clean carpets ---half done

Crafts and Fun times

Work to Finish a quilt- this is reserved for rainy, too cold to work outside days, or the I refuse to do any more hard work outside days.

I'm always reading!

**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.