5 thing Friday - Echeveria, cooking, embroidery, snacks, hearts

I have never had what you would call a green thumb, but when I noticed a small cup full of leaves from a succulent in the window of the breakroom at work, I grabbed one and stuck it into my lunch kit. 

Then I put a smidge of potting soil in a little clay pot (the artist is Bubbie, ca. 2006) and left it alone.  Now there are TWO babies growing in there!  I think this is an Echeveria.  They require mostly hands off and very little water. Its been in here maybe a couple months?

When I saw that Kathie made corn fritters, I knew I had to make them.  My mother used to make these for us when we were children.  Unfortunately, she didn't pass the recipe along.  I improvised with Jiffy cornbread mix, frozen corn, egg, milk.  Mine could have used a sprinkle of salt, but they were so good.

This was one of three meals I actually cooked this week, using up some foods in my freezer and fridge. (twice a week, going forward)

3 over-ripe tomatoes went into a pot with olive oil, garlic, seasonings, broth. I simmered this for about two hours, then make a little pot of spaghetti with a nub of ground beef from the freezer.

Lunch one day, dinner a future day.

I was *horrified* that The Girl wanted to flat out toss some of her embroidery into the trash!  I saved it in the nick of time.  Who would even want these?, she asked.  ME.  The racy ladies are perfect in the bathroom.

The botanical stems are in the sewing room.

Another made its way into my bedroom.  And a 6th one (not shown) is in my closet above my jewelry shelf.  I picture myself years from now, passing them on to her kids. If I can part with them. (and there are still 4 more of them!)

I'm doing the most important packing first for my trip to the beach - snacks. Ha. Between now and Tuesday morning, I will have the rest of everything ready to go, including myself.  Not gonna lie - I am a tad bit nervous of traveling alone.  Baby steps for me, as the beach is a mere 4 hours away.

I sewed some hearts this week and will take them on my journey.  It was a good boredom buster, in between reading and getting a few things done around the house.  Here's the link if you want to play along with fabric: https://ifoundaquiltedheart.com/

Happy weekend!

Gina

5 thing Friday - Kites, parking for Brigid, thrift shopping, books, Sugar

One day as I was sitting on the deck near sunset, I saw these three birds, obviously hunting, and swirling around above my house.  I have really been loving bird-watching back here.  I use an app that helps me identify birds by their calls.  But these birds were mostly silent.

Turns out they are Kites.

They mainly visit this area April through September.

At one point there were three of them sitting on the power lines above my backyard.  Pretty birds!  Come eat all the insects you want!  I fished my binoculars out of the hall closet so I could use them more often on the deck.  Mostly I see Bluejays, White-winged Doves, Woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens, and Cardinals.

We've had a couple of storms here that threatened hail.  So I put on my Big Girl panties, opened the garage door, folded in Brigid's rear view mirrors, and pulled her into the garage for the night.  Twice. Can I overstate how much I LOVE being able to do this?

 

Just for reference: it looked like this for years.  I will never tire of the before and after of this space.  I am most proud of myself when I see where it stands now.  I love coming out here.

I did some thrift shopping this week.  The lamp was $4, glass baking dish $3,  dress $4, framed art was $14 total (before discounts), and the books around $2 each.

I like these authors and consider them palate cleansers for the heavy hitters we have been reading in the book clubs lately.  I am very happy to have rediscovered reading for pleasure!

A little over 10 years ago we lost Sugar - she was 13 years old.  Someone recently asked me if I had a pet photo to add to the wall they are creating at work, so I sent in this one.  She was so lovely.  A quirky old lady cat, who got easily confused, and loved to scream for more wet food just after she puked what she ate.  But a sweet girl who also loved warm laps.  I won't discount owning another cat someday - but for sure I am not ready now.

Gina

Easy eating lately

*it was overcast when I took these photos!

Even though I am not publishing menus anymore, I am still feeding myself at home.  I'm still not all that jazzed about cooking, but I know that it is the best way for me to get the nutrition I need and not spend a fortune.  This particular week, I spent $80 for the next two weeks.  On grocery days, I start out by cleaning the inside of the fridge to freshen it up.

Then I might start a crockpot to make dinner easy.  (today it was some ribs I had in the freezer) I hit some markdowns at HEB and used my partner card (Son #2 works in their bakery).  I think I did fairly well and I have a collection of things to pull out for dinners and lunches.

I bought a package of 5 lemon pepper chicken quarters for $3.89 total out of pocket.  They went right into the oven as soon as I got home.  Once they cooled, I was able to shred the meat into 5 ziploc bags for a total of 78 cents a portion.  The bones went right into a small pot on the stove to simmer for stock.

I poured it into small jars, just right for one person.

While the chicken was cooking I made taco meat with lean ground turkey I got for $5.39 total.  Not as great a deal as the chicken, but with my own seasonings and a little time, it ended up being 4 freezer portions at $1.35 each.  Once it is cooled, I portion it out and place all the small bags into big freezer ziploc and I can easily grab one to add to a salad or other meal.  Taco meat is good in quesadillas or heated up over a baked sweet potato.  A very easy way to feed myself when I don't feel like cooking.

I also snagged a package of chuck for $3.94 and that got divided up and frozen.  These baskets in my freezer aren't Pinterest-worthy, but they help organize the cooked items from the uncooked.  I label the bags so I can see what I might be getting low on.  And I usually look at the menus the night before, so I can toss something into the fridge to thaw.  All told, I spent $13.22 and got 13 portions of protein.

Once I had the meats sorted, I pulled out some things from  the fridge and freezer to make breakfast tacos for work days.  I had 8 tortillas leftover from a week or so ago, so I combined them with 8 breakfast links, 8 eggs, and a sliced red bell pepper.  I roll each one in a foil sheet and store them in a gallon size freezer ziploc.  Then on work mornings, I will toss one into the oven on low while I get ready for work.  The taco usually stays warm in my tote bag until I eat, around 8 a.m.  I usually alternate tacos with oatmeal so I don't eat the same breakfast all three days.

The rest of that dozen of eggs went onto the stove for boiled eggs to keep in the fridge. These are good for a protein snack or to slice into a salad.

I also loaded up my fruit bowl and keep it front and center in my kitchen to encourage me to eat more fruit.  I quit buying waffles, so I eat granola and yogurt during the week for breakfast (or a small bit of leftover dinner with a fried egg!)  Lately I am leaning into sardines once a week, lots of salads with added protein, or a sandwich for lunch.  In this way, I can keep the eating out down to once a week.  What are some routines you use to help feed yourself?  I'm all ears!

Gina

5 thing Friday - lunch with a friend, treats, bench, thrifting, slow living

Last week I went to a tasting class at Total Wine.  These are generally pretty fun.  You get to try new things and enjoy a charcuterie with like-minded folk.

My favorite thing was the spiced gingerbread cordial - so good!

I bought some for a friend who is coming to lunch today, and I decorated it with a package tie-on version of a clothespin snowflake like I made a couple of  Christmases ago.  This one has vintage and antique buttons.  I will fix Parmesan Chicken and Caesar salad for our lunch.

Using up the other half of a frozen pie crust, I made Walnut Pie for two (well, for one - but I can freeze it in portions for a treat)  The recipe had been in my card box for years.

I sprinkled a bit of sugar on the walnuts I piled on top.  It turned out like a chewy walnut blondie.

These little dishes handle cooking for one or two perfectly!  I would say the pie was "OK".  But it was fun to just go through the box and make something I had always meant to try.

I spied, with my little eye, this picnic bench alongside a neighbor's curb.  (I suspect the husband has passed and the wife and adult son are slowing clearing things out of the garage.  So relatable.)

It was in rough shape, but I gave it a scrub with some sudsy warm water and found a place for it to live in my garage.  I had a plan!

Now ALL of my plants can sit right here and get sun and fresh air a couple times a week while the weather holds.  What's weird is that I thinking that's just what I needed - then it appeared!

I thrifted some things this week - out of boredom - but it was a fun activity.  I got more (new) puzzles to work on, 

Some ornaments and a giant pinecone (all 50% off, making them 1 or 2 dollars each), 

3 tops,

and two books.  I was intentional about what I bought, but this will be my last thrifting trip of the year.  I have been living slowly this week - reading, working my puzzle, and crafting.  Also walking, going to bed early, light cooking...it feels like a mini vacation!

Happy Weekend - less than a week until Christmas!

Gina 

A fun thing to do - Austin Creative Reuse

Years ago I helped one of my teens set up a volunteer shift at this thrifty creative place in Austin:

But can you believe I had never gone to it myself?  That's odd to me as I love places like Hob Lob, JoAnn, Michael's...and at thrift stores I always gravitate to any crafty sections that might have notions or supplies or fabric.

I stepped into the store and was immediately mesmerized.  Its like a garage sale in a highly creative and organized place!  And they were doing a pretty good business in the middle of the day.

I spent most of my time in the sewing section going through crochet doilies, cross stitch kits, buttons.  But they had sections full of holiday things, school supplies, doll accessories, jewelry, yarn.  So much stuff - like a candy store for crafters.

And I ended up with some things I had been thinking about for Christmas crafts.  Three large plastic ornaments to fill were 25 cents each, two bags of clothes pins for $1, a small doily for $1, and a big ziploc of buttons for $2 that included many antique ones made of shell.  Cheap thrills!

When I got home I filled the ornaments with bits and bobs of crochet edging my mother had made long ago, before she lost her sight.  It will be a safe place to store them and a pretty feminine touch to my bedroom tree this Christmas.  And I think I will make snowflakes with the clothespins to tie on gifts.  Have you thought about Christmas crafting lately?

Gina

5 thing Friday - Easter, chairs, sleep clothes, garbage disposal, journal

Easter was the quiet affair I knew it would be.  I made myself a lunch of rotisserie chicken, green beans, and half a baked potato with cheese and butter.  My work friends left me candy treats.  We weren't all that busy at work. Heard from ONE of my four peeps and that was after I pushed out a group message.

So there's really no reason to fuss over Easter anymore, right?

I've been wanting a much simpler look for my home - hence all of the purging and organizing.  All things I was not allowed to do when Mark was here* because he could not bear to part with anything and moving it all into the garage was a no-go as it was already full.  One of the changes is getting rid of these black and white mid-century modern chairs.  I had them re-covered, for years worked around them, found them difficult to decorate with.  Plus, they are not all that comfy to sit in after 70+ years.  I'm sure they need new foam in the seat cushions.  Also? They were the cat's favorite place to vomit.  And brilliant Me had picked a dry clean only fabric.

Lately, one of them had been in the bedroom, the other in the office.  Moving them leaves empty spaces and full possibility!  I had been looking for an upholstered chair for awhile until I hit upon the idea of getting a much simpler chair:

I found what I wanted at Home Depot, and we will just call this my Mother's Day gift to myself.  I only need it to sit and sip coffee in the morning.  Maybe to slip on shoes.  Fill a space with boho vibe.

The black and whites went to live in the garage until Bubbie moves.  Then if he doesn't want them, I will sell them.  I found a very nice 100% cotton sheet at the thrift store for two bucks to cover them with.  

Also while out thrifting, I found a black tee shirt dress.  Then I popped into Wal-Mart for some cotton men's sleep shorts and tees so I don't bake like a potato at night.  Its impossible to sleep when you are over-heating and kicking the covers off alllll night long.

The garbage disposal conked out, so I crawled up under the sink to take a picture of it and look up the file for it in the garage - turns out that Mark installed it in 2004.  So I guess we got our money's worth!  Its a little more complicated a DIY than I am willing to tackle. Don't try to talk me out of replacing it - someone has already tried.  It would be just as expensive to have the plumber re-work the sink drain and I use this every day.  So I ordered one, along with that chair, and next week I will get 'er installed.

I got another freebie blank notebook from Shutterfly as I am almost done filling up the previous one. Even with using it as a gratitude journal, turns out I had a lot to say - who knew?

Gina

*Not to complain so much about Mark, but he was a stick in the mud when it came to getting rid of things, and did not appreciate my efforts to control the chaos!  But would I prefer to have him back vs. a clean garage? Always yes.