Things I love Thursday

It is Things I love Thursday and one of the things I love is my garden and lots of fresh veggies. This year my garden has gone wild on me. I suppose it has been the weather I really don't know. This is the first year we have had so many cucumbers. They have spread into the beans and peppers and tomatoes. I have made dill pickles and I will probably make some sweet pickles here soon, we eaten fresh about every meal and given oodles away . My beans are the same way. I Made dilly pickled beans, canned some,I've given oodles away. Zucchini and yellow crookneck, I always have tons of that! I have made bread, bread, bread, eaten sauteed and casseroles and even made a pie. My tomatoes are loaded and starting to ripen. They were as tall as I was 5 ft 2". They have since fallen over some. I am thinking from the weight of all the tomatoes. It looks to be a bumper crop of them also. I love my peppers and wish I would of had room to plant more of them because they are loaded both bell and sweet banana. One particular pepper plant has a huge bell pepper. It is supposed to be a red pepper but is still green, very firm and large. It is my pride of all my peppers and I refuse to pick it until I have to. It measures....... drum roll please.....14 1/2 inches around and 5 inches tall. Love it! That would make one heck of a stuffed pepper!


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A busy week

Whew! This has been proving to be a busy week for me this far. Yesterday I canned 7 quarts of green beans and today I picked another pail full which I really wasn't going to pick but ended up doing anyways. Got them all snipped and snapped (hubby helped) washed and ready for the cooker early in the morning. I am too whipped tonight to do it. I should have another 7 quarts. I figure as long as I have beans I might as well can them. I made rice pudding from scratch today also. We have alot of milk on hand right now. If the milk gets even the slightest tainted my husband gets sick on it right now. He is the milk drinker in the family. I will not drink it unless it is chocolate. Yea, I know. So I found this would be a good way to use the milk more quickly before this happens. We had a bit of excitement today as we found out our neighbors shed was broke into and the thief stole gas. The cops were called and they are investigating. I guess other places across the road have been reporting gas being stolen. Hope they find who is doing this crime. Meanwhile for tonight the cop said they would be patrolling the area. That is good. I just can't understand why someone would risk going to jail over a little bit of gas. But whoever said a crook was smart.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Sisters, Jasmyne and Jocelyne

Each different

Each unique

Each one with their own attitude!

Kroger store closing

Kroger is closing it's doors here in our community in August. I am guessing around the 18th. I am sort of sad to see it go. Even more sad is the fact all these workers will be without a job and soon join the unemployed, like we need that in this already oppressed economy. When I found out it didn't surprise me none as I don't believe they get the business like Walmart or Meijers does .Whenever I am in the store there is but a handful of people shopping. For the most part, people who shop Kroger go for the triple coupons and deals. I am one of those people. It also won't be any surprise to maybe see some really good deals in the next few weeks. I also get my prescriptions at Kroger. I am hearing that they will move all the records to Meijer. I am not sure if I will stick with Meijer or will transfer to CVS in the future. This is something I will think about.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

I can't tell you how much we are enjoying summer's garden bounty! Here is what we will be having this week!

MONDAY- goulash, fresh cucumbers sliced in a buttermilk dressing with sliced onion, (choice) peach or zucchini pie


TUESDAY- pork chops, fried potatoes, fresh green beans


WEDNESDAY- egg salad sandwiches, fresh tomato and cucumbers, fresh cantaloupe


THURSDAY- Out to dinner


FRIDAY taco salad, strawberry/banana smoothies


SATURDAY- whole chicken on rotisserie on the grill, pasta salad, veggies


SUNDAY- on our own!

For more meal plans check outhttp://orgjunkie.com/

A very busy and productive weekend

I had a very busy and productive weekend. We fished out on the lake and caught 21 total, 7-8" bluegill These are now all put away in the freezer. Hubby bought some fresh peaches at a roadside stand in town and so I baked a fresh peach pie. I haven't made one of these for awhile. It was so very yummy. Besides the peach pie I made a zucchini pie for the first time. ( I have loads of zucchini to use) I froze 2 quart bags of beets. baked 6 loaves of zucchini bread, 4 blueberry and 2 plain. These are also in the freezer for later use. I also canned 14 quarts of dill pickles as you can see in the picture. These will taste real good this winter. Tuesday I plan to can green beans. I won't be canning as much beans this year because I still have about 40 quarts left from last year.

CVS shopping trip 7/26

CVS has been having some killer deals especially if you need school supplies for yourself or the kiddos. Today was a good shopping trip and would have been better but, forgot to give my cvs coupon for a free gallon of milk. so lost a few of ecb's but not no big loss though. Live and learn.This is my scenario....1 Colgate tothpaste $2.88

2 composition books $1.98

2 binder clips $1.98

2 index card cases $1.98

2 pkgs pilot pens

2 tot staplers $1.98

2 pkgs computer paper

1 CVS tampons $1.89

1 Schick Intution razor $8.99

2 pkgs Bic triumph pens $3.99 ( BOGO)

1 gallon milk $1.99

18 items

Total Coupons: $9.00

ECB's used: $25.82

Sub total$4.82

tax $1.97

TOTAL$6.79

ECB total back $20.79

Saved $57.30

Walgreens trip

I went to Walgreen's today. I normally don't do Walgreens every week but starting to more and more lately. They have been having some good deals lately. Today I got...

6 scotch mailers 39 cents each

3 penway filler paper 3/159

2 mighty dog dog food$1.19 each

1 Starbucks frappichino $1.99

2 Got2be hairspray$5.99 (BOGO)

6 mars candy bars 89 cents each

COUPONS USED:Starbucks frappichino in ad coupon 4/$500 Mars candy in ad coupon and $10.50 in MQ"s $1.00 RR

SUBTOTAL $3.99 plus $1.03 tax = $5.02

A total savings of $29.44

Sorry about the picture with the Starbucks half gone...I was thirsty! It was good!

First of the season

Hubby came in the house and said "Look what I found"! Oh my, Our very first red ripe tomato from our garden! They are starting and I am ready! Yummmmm! There is nothing like a fresh ripe tomato from the garden.

Living Healthy on less

If you are smart about it, you can still eat healthy, stay physical fit and receive medical care even in these tough economic times. Most people are cutting back, trying to save more and make do with less. This is a must for my Hubby and I no matter what times. Let's face it, living on one paycheck is no doubt having to live on less.but, can you cut back when it comes to your health? I believe you can. Some of the things we do is treat colds and virus's,flu and other things at home. Colds and virus's and things like that have to follow it's course and you probably don't need to rush to see the doctor. However if you are not getting better and experiencing worse symptoms or different symptoms then I would suggest a call to the doctor should be made. For the cutbacks in the food arena you can eat healthy and still stay on budget. It just takes a little extra planning and thought. I found preparing more of your own food saves you money Prepackaged foods are often expensive. Have a plan at the grocery store.Don't go to the store hungry! (I'm sure you have heard that one before) and go with a list. Take advantage of seasonal produce. Produce that is in season is going to be a little cheaper. Better yet, if you have the time and space plant a garden and grow your own produce. Stockpile non perishables. Stock up on canned foods when they are on sale. buying food in the bulk is good if it doesn't spoil before you use it. Buy inexpensive sources of needed nutrients. Beans are very inexpensive source of protein and fiber and very versatile. There are many varieties of them and you can do so many things with them. Popcorn and oatmeal are inexpensive grain options and nonfat milk is a cheap source of dairy and not to mention great to have on hand. Why pay a pricey gym membership to keep fit. The thing people need to realize is for general health any kind of physical activity is all we need. We don't have to go to the gym. Walking is free and I find it very enjoyable when I can walk with a friend. You could also jump rope, ride a bike, purchase a physio ball. These are cheap and you can do all sorts of exercises with these balls. So you see, you can keep physical fit on the cheap, use extra thought and planning when planning your diet and cutting back health care by simply treating simple virus's at home. Your health and fitness need not suffer. and you can live healthy on less.

Time for a bath?

Today my dog Sassafrass goes to the dog parlour for a good bath and grooming again. Normally I try to bathe her once a week or when ever I get around to it. There is times when a dog just needs a bath- no question about it. Some general rules to help recognize when its time to give a dog a bath is ....
Smelly dogs- A smelly dog is the # 1 reason it's time to give your dog a bath.
Dirty dogs- They often stink from rolling in something smelly or just plain "doggy odor"
Dandruff- Dogs can get seborrhea (dry skin) just like people, but regular bathing can help and keep it under control. A bath is a great way to help eliminate the dead skin.
Allergies and itchy skin- Many dogs have allergies or itchy skin that can benefit from regular bathing. Certain shampoos can also help to soothe the skin and reduce the itching.
Parasites- Dogs with fleas, ticks,or mites can really benefit from bathing, a bath will help remove the parasites. It should be followed up with a good flea or tick medication.
These are all good reasons to bathe a dog. Some need it weekly and some monthly depending on the dog. I found recently this quick and easy way to give your dog a bath, its called rapid bath its an automatic power wash system. The water and shampoo system literally allows you to bathe your dog in only a few minutes, indoors or out and its easy because theres no hand washing required. The power wash goes right through the coat, all the way down to the dogs skin. This is really great invention. This has got to make washing any dog much easier.For some people using a rapid bath could turn a doggy nightmare in a dream come true, even for people like me with a 4lb dog. Check out http://wwwrapidbathing.com/RapidBath.aspx

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Okay, know this picture isn't really wordless, but I figured I have posted just about everyone in my family except for my stepdaughter Ashley. This kid always has a smile on her face with a good head on her shoulders.

Canning jars...Not just for canning

When it comes to canning fruits and veggies,mason jars are the jars are the jars to use.So, what about the jars that have little chips on their lips that would interfere with sealing? Got bunches of them and don't know what to do with them? Don't throw them away! With canning in full force here at my house, I realized I had quite a few old jars that were cracked or chipped. They aren't just for canning. Your old mason jars have tons of uses. There is nothing better to use for storing food and decorative storing .I have quite a few of them I use for this purpose. They have tons of uses. In fact they are so multipurpose. For the kitchen they are great for storing dried beans, oatmeal,sugars,dried herbs,spices,and homemade dry mixes to storing your seeds for last years bounty. In the bathroom you can store cotton balls and Q tips. With the small jars, hubby likes to store nails or screws. They are great for making sun tea. I have a set with handles I picked up at a garage sale last year that I use for drinking glasses. They are really cute used for vases for flowers. Last year for Christmas I used them for gifts by making a brownie mix ,putting in the jar, and attaching the recipe. Our kids loved it! Canning jars are completely reusable unlike plastic ware. They don't leak out toxins and are strong. you can easily see what is stored in them. As for myself I love the old fashioned look of them too!

MENU PLAN MONDAY

With the abundance and plenty of fresh veggies on hand from the garden, menu planning this week is easy and I am loving it by incorporating all these wonderful veggies in my meals! Don't forget to check out the recipes at the end of this post. I got them from http://www.frugalupstate.com/ She has got some awesome recipes. So I give her all the credit for these.This week I have planned....

MONDAY- Ridiculously Easy Crock Pot Roast* , New red potatoes and carrots, Hawaiian bread rolls

TUESDAY- Beef and noodles ( made from leftover roast), corn on the cob, fresh sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and green pepper

WEDNESDAY- T-bone steak on the grill ( DH and I have been saving this for ourselves) Dilly zucchini casserole*, sliced cucumbers

THURSDAY- Eating out tonight!

FRIDAY-macaroni and cheese, fresh green beans, zucchini bread

SATURDAY- chef salads, root beer floats

SUNDAY- On our own!

Whats on your menu this week? Also visit http://orgjunkie.com/ for more menu planning ideas!

*RIDICULOUSLY EASY CROCK POT ROAST

1 roast

1 can cream of Mushroom soup

1 pkg. Onion Soup mix

Place roast in a crock pot

Pour cream of mushroom soup on top of roast

Sprinkle Onion soup mix over all

Cover crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Variations:

Use any kind of roast or meat. chicken, beef,venison ect.

use any kind of cream of soup you like

use a homemade "cream of" soup instead of buying at the store

use some beef bouillon powder & some dried minced onions instead of the onion soup mix

add carrots, potatoes,celery or any other veggie that sounds good to you and let cook along with the roast

*DILLY ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

1 cup Bisquick ( or substitute)

1T. Dill weed

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 onion

1/2 C grated Parmesan

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs

3 Cups chopped zucchini

Combine Bisquick, Parmesan, dill salt & pepper

Add eggs & oil then mix well

Stir in zucchini and onion until well blended

Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish & bake uncovered at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown

Walgreens 7/19

WOW! There is some really good deals at walgreens this week. If you are needing back to school supplies, you just may want to stop by. I haven't been to Walgreens in awhile but I couldn't pass up some of these deals for myself.

.09 each
22x28 in white poster board
penway highlighters
penway 2 pocket folders

19 cents each
paper clips 100 count
mechanical pencils 5 ct.


scotch transparent tape 39 cents each
use $1.00/3 coupon from 7/12 RP Final price 17 cents each

pilot G2 gel pens 2 pk 1.00 receive $1.00 RR Final price FREE

Check out Walgreens for some of these cheap school supplies!

Small Sunflowers

What is summer without sunflowers? My hubby bought these small sunflowers today for me from a man in town selling gladiolus and these small sunflowers from his truck in a parking lot. Aren't they gorgeous? Sunflower meaning is power, warmth, nourishment. Did you know? Sunflowers always point their blooms or face the rising sun in the east. I am thinking it would be neat to have a whole field of these growing. Sunflowers have it all!

Thankful Thursday

This week has been a very tiring and challenging week for me! Not only have I been sick all week and haven't felt like doing much of nothing let alone, play on my computer which I absolutely love to do .But our brake line broke on our only car, It is old and tired but, gets us from point A to point B. thats what really matters and the veggies in the garden are all coming on so fast at the same time. But, I'm not complaining, I am Thankful for these challenges, I know I can depend on God to get me through them. All I need to do is trust him. I will get to feeling better.I know its just a stupid cold or sinus thing going on. God protected us when the brake line broke. It was good Hubby was driving at the time and that with Gods help Hubby with his knowledge will be able to fix it. I am also thankful my husband has good employers that will let him drive the company vehicle when things like this happen. Yes, I am very happy we have a garden that is producing lots of fresh veggies. I have plenty for fresh eating, canning and freezing ect. I even have enough to share with others who otherwise can't or don't have a garden. That makes me feel good. God has always been there for us. God never fails.

For more Thankful Thursdays check out http://unequalmarriage.typepad.com she is hosting Thankful Thursday this week.

Awsome Menards Deal!

This week through Sunday, July 26th at Menard's they have 20 count cutter advanced insect repellent wipes FREE after $1.00 rebate. Now keep in mind that is with additional $10.00 in non- rebated items. Now, if you have to get something there anyways like hubby and I did What have you got to lose? Use your $2.00/1 any cutter insect repellent this = FREE plus $1.00 overage plus a moneymaker of $1.00 on rebate. I had 2 coupons so therefore I picked up 2 wipes and made $2.00 overage plus $2.00 rebate. Now that's what I call sweet!

It's Blueberry and Green bean time!

In spite of a summer head cold UGH! I got me some blueberries today! 8 lbs. of these beautiful blue berries. I will freeze most of them for later to use in smoothies, muffins, pancakes , ect. and save a few for fresh eating as well. Yummmm! These little berries are so good for you and loaded with antioxidants. To freeze the blueberries I lay them all out and pick out the overripe and ones not quite ripe. I then freeze in containers unwashed. I wash them before I use them. They remain a favorite for hubby and I. Today I also canned 7 pints of Dilly pickled Green Beans*. My green beans are really producing. I will be canning green beans but, not as much this year as, I still have 30 quarts left from last year and it is just the hubby and I. These Dilly pickled green beans* are supposed to be awesome so I thought I would give it a try.

* Dilly pickled Green Beans

4 lbs of Green Beans (approx)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (per jar)

1/2 tsp mustard seed (per jar)

1/2 dill seed ( per jar)

1 garlic clove ( per jar)

5 cups vinegar

5 cups water

1/2 cup salt

Clean your green beans & cut them to fit in your 1 pint canning jars.

Put pepper flakes, mustard seeds, dill seed, & garlic clove into the bottom of each jar.

Pack raw beans into jar. Make these as tight as you can, they will shrink when they cook.

Boil together the vinegar, water, and salt This is your brine.

Pour enough brine over the beans in each jar to cover completely while still leaving 1/4 inch head space. ( that's the empty space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar)

Wipe rim clean, then add lid and tighten. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Wait a minimum of 6-8 weeks before eating. They need to "marinate"

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Yes, Those are my tomato plants beside me. I am 5 ft. 2 in. My garden has gone crazy on me this year!

MENU PLAN MONDAY

The garden is doing very well. We now have green beans, new potatoes, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, cucumbers and turnips. I will work my meals around these, so my menu this week is simple and lots of fresh veggies. YUMMY!

MONDAY cube steak, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, turnips ( this is hubbys thing yuck!)

TUESDAY summer stew ( this consists of new potatoes, fresh green beans, onion, bacon, polish or smoked sausage all cooked together) YUMMMMM! and kings Hawaiian bread rolls

WEDNESDAY sloppy joes, cucumber slices, fresh zucchini and yellow crookneck squash

THURSDAY eating out

FRIDAY Blueberry zucchini bread, venison and noodles, cucumber slices

SATURDAY Taco salad, ice cream sundaes

SUNDAY On our own

Whats for dinner at your house? check out http://orgjunkie.com for more menus!

One cent copy paper and pencils + more at Staples

Sweet deals at Staples this week. One cent copy paper and pencils + more. Check them out and be sure to use -5/20 coupon on the front page of your Staples ad. Use this to save even more. Hurry, because these sweet deals probably won't last long. I went today first thing. Here is my scenario....Staples copy paper x 2 = $ 7.38 ( $3.68 each Rebate)
Bic pens x 2 = $2.00
Staples photo paper $9.99 ( 8.99 Rebate)
Bic white out x 1 =$1.00
6 pack of pencils x 2 = .02


TOTAL before coupons = $ 20.39

- $2.00 in Bic Pens coupons
- $.50 in white out coupons
- $5/20 coupon

PAYED $16.47 oop
Receive $16.37 in Easy Rebates

Great find at Meijer!

I found a great find today at Meijer. Actually, I really don't need anything at the store this week except my dog was out of pupr-roni dog treats. She has been out for a few days. Sassy loves her pupr-roni's and will not touch any other kind.She is so little and most dog treats are so big. Heck, 1 dog treat would probably last Sassy a week. The regular price on these pupr-roni dog treats are usually $4.69. Today I found these on clearance for $3.03 So, I picked up 8 boxes, which is about all they had left. This is the good part....they scanned at $2.27 a box. Whoo-hoo! Sassy is now a very happy pup!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Amanda and Jocelyne can be silly girls, look at the matching sunglasses!


Check out more Wordless Wednesday's at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

winter onions

We all plant our gardens in the spring but, you can also plant a fall and winter garden. If you love gardening, you are probably going to plant your winter garden in the same place you had your warm season garden. If you had a summer garden, you probably won't need very much extra work digging and preparing the soil .Some of your wonderful winter/cool season veggies are cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips, winter onions, collards ect. I've just acquired some winter onions/walking onions from my neighbor.They need a permanent home. I am thinking a winter garden would be nice. According to my neighbor, these onions self reproduce and winter over from year to year. I don't know much about about this onion but as you can see from the picture the bulbs range from tiny pea sized to bigger than a marble. These are in clusters at the top of the stiff stalk. You break these off before they topple over and separate them. Later you plant these for next years crop.In the fall I will plant the sets. Does anyone else know anything about these onions?

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Hope you all had a great 4th of July. We had my son, daughter and granddaughters, my stepdaughter Amanda, her boyfriend Levi and his 2 kids over. We grilled and I made tons of food I need to use up. I also am getting ready to have another yard sale this week and I will be busy getting around for that. So, for the most part this week will be easy and will have to be. This is what I have planned......

MONDAY- fresh bluegill, leftover potato salad, steamed fresh zucchini from our garden

TUESDAY- leftover BBQ chicken, leftover baked beans, chips and watermelon

WEDNESDAY-chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes

THURSDAY-eating out or pizza?

FRIDAY- chef salads, root beer floats

SATURDAY- pork chops and cheesy rice

SUNDAY- On your own!

Check out http://orgjunkie/ for more menu ideas!

Just another day of fishing for bluegill

This was supposed to be a picture of our fish but, I goofed and had it on the setting for video. The 2 best ones are mine! I'm not bragging am I? Hee-Hee!

My hubby and I spent about 3 hours fishing out on the lake today. We took the pontoon and anchored it between the 2 willow trees by the shoreline. This is one of our favorite fishing spots. It has been a beautiful day today. I anticipated a nice mess of bluegill. However I knew even if we didn't catch any fish the time spent out on the boat was relaxing and worth it. We got out there.....I told hubby I was hoping to catch the first fish. I cast my line out. It wasn't even a mere minute a bluegill snagged my hook. A dandy it was and hungry too! I thought this is going to be a good day. I cast my line out again...Wham! another one! I thought ...this is going to be a very good day. 2 keepers in less than 2 minutes. I know if you catch 1 keeper, there are usually more where you caught that one. I was right because, we never moved the boat. We caught 11 bluegills that were keepers. We also caught a 12 inch bass, a few perch , several sunfish, and baby fish that we did not keep. I lost 3 really good sized bluegill. One of them broke my line and I lost him. The other 2 I lost by reeling them in too fast. I would just about get them reeled in to the boat and lost them. Pooh! It made me angry. Hubby told me not to rough them so much. So I will try. but, it will have to be tomorrow morning when we go out again. This time with my dad. Just another day of fishing for bluegill!

Things I love Thursday

Living on the lake and all it has to offer!

I love my dad, granddaughter's and dog! Do you see my dog in the picture?

I love these simple daises that are growing in my backyard!

Wordless Wednesday

My husband made this flower wagon for me last year out of an old rolla-dock. I decorated it this week for the 4th of July.