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Sunday, July 10, 2016

SMALL ECONOMIES

Hello dear friends!  Staying cool?  I won't rub it in by telling you that the weather here has been delightful.  Could do with some rain, but pretty perfect overall.  We've been staying up late to study the stars.  Below are two pictures that my son, Scott, took of the night sky.
  The pictures weren't photo-shopped, that's what the sky  actually looks like.  One of the many reasons I love it here.  These are pictures of our little guest shed that Jamie and Ran built.   I think it looks like a fairy tale illustration, as does the delphiniums and hollyhocks growing by the door.
If you want to have a big impact in your garden, grow hollyhocks.  We have some in the backyard that are over nine feet high.

GARDENING

We're a finally starting to harvest vegetables in the garden and are relying on it for most of our food once again.  Been a bumper year for peas, which I blanch and  freeze because no one likes the canned ones.

So far we've frozen about a gallon of them.  I first freeze them on cookie sheets so they don't stick together before putting them in freezer bags, then it's easy to just portion out as many (or as few) that we need for soups and pot pies.

Other crops that are being gathered are broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, green onions, and soon we'll have zucchinis.  Getting rather tired of cauliflower, but we had this interesting recipe today for cauliflower cheesy bread to use some up.  It was very good and great for those of you that are trying to eat gluten-free.  We served ours with some of our home-canned spaghetti sauce.  It was a hit.

CANNING

Well, the birds are just taunting us by eating all the cherries on the bottom branches and leaving those that we can't reach at the top.  I finally gave up.  Cherries were on sale for $1.79/ lb, so I bought about 15 pounds and canned 8 pints of cherry juice (it can be diluted to make more)  using my steam juicer.  Once the juice was extracted, I had a lot of mash left over that I couldn't bear to waste, so I plopped it into a jelly bag and extracted enough juice to make six half-pints of cherry jelly.  BTW, cherry juice is very good for inflammation, particularly gout. People always tell me that they wish they knew how to can.  Well, no one taught me.  I learned by reading how-tos and by following the instructions that came with the canners.  How I would have loved to have had YouTube back then!  Just to say, that if you really want to learn something, there's no excuses now days.  Most wishes can be fulfilled by dint of hard work, I've discovered. 

Basic Jelly Recipe

3 1/2 C. fruit juice
5 1/4 C.  sugar
3 Tbsp. pectin

Place fruit juice and pectin in a large pot and bring to a hard boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down)  for 1 minute.  Add the sugar and bring to a hard boil.  Boil an additional 1 minute.  Place in sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Place lids and caps on jars.  Process in water bath for 15 minutes.

Oh!  I almost forgot!  Eggs were 60 cents a dozen, so I bought five dozen and froze them for future baking.  To freeze eggs, you simply whip them up and pour them into ice cube trays and freeze.  Then just pop them out and place in a freezer bag.  When you want to use them for baking (I wouldn't recommend them for eating)  just thaw out and use as you would any egg.  The trays I used were a bit smaller than a large egg, which is ok, because most recipes will work with smaller eggs, or use two  cubes for one jumbo egg. Now I'm all set for eggs for the rest of the year for just three dollars!

SMALL ECONOMIES

After last week's craziness of entertaining family and friends, I'm happy to get back into our thrifty lifestyle (we spent more on going out for ice cream then I spend on two weeks of groceries!).  Rarely do we have a day where there's a monumental savings or a windfall, like buying a scarf for a dollar and selling it for $179, or saving several thousand dollars on a car purchase, but every day we make an effort to save.  It can be as small an effort as using one egg in a cake recipe instead of two, or sitting a while longer in the evening before flipping the light switch on.  I believe it is all those small economies, that in the long run have enabled us to put our children through college without them being indebted to school loans, and retire early.  We definitely  weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths! Some of the things we did this day to save money were to eat a simple meal from the garden rather then give into the temptation to buy something at the grocery store or go out to eat, open the windows and use a small fan, rather than use the air conditioner, hang our clothes to dry out on the line. (and reuse the wash water for plants), baked two things in the oven at the same time so the house wouldn't be heated twice and use half the electricity.  You get the picture. It the little things in life that have the biggest impact.  Once you start doing them, they become second nature and before you know it, you have built nice little nest egg!  Every day we try to do at least one thing to save a dollar. Some days the savings comes from not giving into the temptation (there's a lot of temptation out there!) to spend money and making do with what we have; mending small holes in nightgowns and work clothes, settling for a meal comprised of pantry and garden items when I'd really rather have fish, walking to the post office when it would be faster and a lot cooler to take the car, etc.  Basically trying to differentiate between a need and a want. I've discovered over the years that thrift and hard work are synonymous.

THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK

Canned cherry juice.

Canned cherry jelly from the left over mash.

Frozen about a gallon of peas from the garden.

Bought eggs for 60 cents a dozen and froze them.

Turned off the air conditioner and used a small fan in the window instead.

Harvested cauliflowers, broccoli, lettuce, peas and spinach from the garden.

Cooked over the fire  outside to keep the heat out of the house.

Amused ourselves by star-gazing. 

The usual things of eating from the garden, washing our clothes in the old wringer washer, reusing the water,  hanging the clothes to dry, walking rather than driving, etc.

Well, that's it for another week at the old Zempel boarding house!  I hope that  you all have a delightful week filled with thriftiness!

Hugs
Jane





30 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures of stars! Something you can't see at my house with all the nearby lights, and also our garage lights that shine on our house (in the back) and driveway for security!!

    Those are thrifty cherries. My husband cut down a cherry tree when we first moved in here due to the birds eating all the cherries. And now they and the squirrels eat all my grapes, and we just spied them stealing apples! Your flowers are so cottage-gy! (no word such as that I suppose). Like a picture in a book. Hollyhocks are so distinctively old-fashioned and pretty. Are those blue ones delphiniums? Little savings do add up. Plus it is a matter of not wanting to be wasteful. You do a wonderful job! Your garden is very generous to you too. Hugs, Andrea

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    1. You certainly have some greedy squirrels, Andrea! Yes, the blue ones are delphiniums. Sometimes I think I'm the only one that grows them anymore. I never see them in any other gardens. They bloom just in time for the 4th of July. Probably should figure out some red and white flowers to go with them. It seems like it is going to be a very bountiful year for the garden. We've already harvested more peas then we ever did before.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  2. Hi Jane!
    Loved reading your post. I watched this video recently and was amazed to discover a brilliant 18th century method of storing eggs that keeps them fresh for nearly a year in the shell. I'd heard of several ways before but none with such amazing results.
    https://youtu.be/yUYgguMz1qI

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    1. Hi Toni! That's fascinating! I subscribe to that Jas. Townsend channel also. If you want to see how they made lime back in the day, they made some on a The Tales of the Green Valley episode which you can find on YouTube. One of my favorite historical shows, I've watched it several times.

      Hugs
      Jane

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  3. Wow, I love the pictures of the night sky. You surely are able to see more stars than I see where I live...your guesthouse is beautiful with all the extra touches. Are those cats on the roof?
    Your hollyhocks are so pretty. I'm going to see if I can find a spot to plant some in the spring.
    I used to make jelly the way that my mama did with the wax on top instead of top to seal, until I learned that wasn't safe. :( Haven't made it since, but I do love raspberry jelly, so may see if I can forage enough berries to make a batch. Didn't know you could freeze eggs, so I'll be watching for a good sale. Thanks! I really need to be more mindful about saving money; the world is so unsettled these days.
    Hope that you had a wonderful visit with family. Did your grands enjoy playing in the guesthouse? Hope you have a great week!

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    1. Hi Kathy! Ha! Yes, those are cats on the roof. My husband copied an illustration from the 1930s to make the silhouette.

      My mother made jelly that way also. I remember just cutting off the mold if it appeared. It's a miracle we're alive! Ha!

      Not only did the grands enjoy the guesthouse, everyone else did too. Ran and I slept in there and we always had shoo someone out as they liked to just go in there and sit. Grandson Felix was always in there. He loved the bed. We promised him he could come and spend the night there some day.

      Looks like this week we are going to finally get some rain. That will make things grow! Hope your week will be wonderful also!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. aw glad everyone enjoyed the guesthouse. How old is little Felix? I'm sure it was wonderful spending time with the whole family. Special memories!
      The cats and all of your decorations are so pretty!
      Yes it is a miracle we are still alive. :D I don't even remember wearing seat belts when I was really little.
      I didn't pick enough raspberries for jelly, but I did get enough for us to enjoy fresh. yum! Too many ticks and chiggers(snakes?) for me to venture too far into our woods. :D
      Hope you are having some rain for your garden. It is hot and dry here now, so my lettuce has bolted, and my peas are about done. I do love fresh veggies!

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    3. Hi Kathy! We're just starting to pick our raspberries. I made a cobbler with them and peaches. Whenever I don't have enough of one fruit I combine it with another to make jams and jellies. A mixture of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries is very good. Makes a great cobbler too.

      Felix is three but seems quite advanced for his age compared to his cousin who's a month younger. He enjoys listening to me make up fairy tales and I enjoy doing those things again.

      Oh yes! I remember standing between my parents in the front seat of the car. Cars had bench seats back then. Just squeeze everyone in. And car's dashboards were all metal back then too. Amazingly, you rarely heard of anyone getting killed in accidents. Guess the Good Lord was looking out for us because we were too dumb to do it ourselves! Ha!

      Have a wonderful week!
      Jane

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  4. Beautiful photos! I like how you worded saving everyday. Just today I was delighted to see the $60 decrease in the electric bill simply because we raised the thermostat 3 degrees during the day.
    That is an amazing price on cherries. Cherries are my favorite fruit and the cheapest around here is $2.99/lb. I did blow a small portion of my grocery budget buying a fresh made cherry pie for $5 - its not really a shame I am the only one who likes cherry pie in my house. I'm perfectly content eating beans for lunch and dinner the rest of this week. :)
    have a wonderful week!
    Jenifer

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    1. Thanks Jenifer! That's quite a substantial savings! Congratulations! Michigan grows most of the country's cherries, so you can get great deals around here, especially since it was a very good year for them. It's never blowing your budget if it's something you truly enjoy! :) All saving and no fun makes for a miser. Personally I blow my budget on decorating. I love to decorate with found objects. And never get me near a architectural salvage store! So much so that my husband only half-jokingly says we need to buy another house so I have more rooms to decorate. We're the only people I know that built an addition onto our house to use some found windows. Ha! Hope you will have a beautiful sunny day!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  5. Ha....I came back to look at your pictures again and also noticed the cats! So cute!!! I almost thought I was imagining there were cats on that roof! Andrea

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    1. Well, we have so may strays around here, it would be possible to look up and see real ones! Have a happy!

      Jane

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  6. dear jane,
    wow.....I love the night sky photo. and your little guest house looks beautiful.
    I wish I had Hollyhocks in my garden.I love Hollyhocks very.You did many thrifty things this week. Cherries are on sale at time 1 kilogram for 3,30-4,90€.
    Wish you a wonderful week,
    Regina

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    1. Thanks Regina! Sounds like you are finding the same bargains we are. It is a small world! Hope you are having better weather!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. Hollyhocks...Oh how Love them and miss them! Mine didn't come up this year. Will try again next year. Love delphiniums too..beautiful flowers! Love night sky photo

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    1. The rabbits ate all of mine i the back yard, but those in the front more than made u for it. It's been a banner year for the flower garden!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. I thought the picture was great of the guest shed and the stars and laughed at the cats. We have 2 neighbor cats that seem to have adopted us as part of their path and at times I am startled to see them looking at me from the roof over my garage as I pull into the driveway. My husband refers to them when he sees them there as our "security officers".

    Your cherry juice/jam project reminds me I need to get busy this weekend. Here in the northwest part of the country our cherries are finally getting less expensive. They start out for a lot (especially for Rainier cherries) and then start to drop. At one time we did have a bing cherry tree but eventually we gave up and cut it down for more room for our honeycrisp apple since (as yours are trying to do) the birds always seemed to get every last one.

    I agree with what you said about small economies. You may not always uncover a "find" (my best lately was a dirty vase in a garage potting area at an estate sale the guy monitoring the tools sold me for $1 that when cleaned up was definitely a very large Waterford vase in perfect condition...)but they add up. Frugality may require time, creativity and advance planning but well worth the piece of mind it brings and also a feeling of accomplishment when I think of all the things I do that others would just throw money at. -Sharon


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  9. Hi Sharon! A family of cats has adopted us too. A mama, uncle, and three kittens. Yikes! One of the little fellas comes running to me whenever I go outside. So cute! So what's a body too do? Can't bear to separate them, they are such a family unit. Guess I'll just have to wedge cat food into the monthly budget.

    My grandfather was the only person I know that actually managed to get any cherries off of is tree before the birds got them. I don't know what he did. And they were the nicest sweetest black cherries ever.

    Congratulations on the find! Estate and garage sales are so much fun. It's always a treasure hunt. For me, thrift is fun. I never understood the fun in just spending money. But then I'm odd that way. Ha! Hope the remainder of your week is delightful!

    Hugs
    Jane

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  10. Dear Jane,

    What great pictures of stars and your little homestead! It's always nice to pop in and see what you've been up to. We're trying to keep cool here in Missouri, but it's mighty hard! My mother says they've been having temperatures in the 50s in Idaho, which is just crazy for July.

    Love,

    Marqueta

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    1. Well then, I wish I were in Idaho at the moment, Marqueta! We're having a heat wave at the moment also. A friend wrote and told me about your miserable summer that Missouri is having. Too bad we can't bottle up some of that heat for winter! So sorry to have missed your Independence Day parade again! Looks like everyone had such a fun time!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  11. so glad to see you had stopped by again and mercy thank you so much for the sweet compliments!! Sure glad you enjoyed my "gypsy" post and that you like the flowing twirling skirts too! They are FUN TO WEAR! Hope y'all have a great summer weekend!

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  12. We are waiting on our apricots and wild plums to ripen. Praying the birds don't get them before we do. So sorry to hear about your cherries. It has been a good year for cherries at the market.
    Enjoy your star-gazing.
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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    1. We're hoping for a nice peach harvest, Leslie. It's been so dry here, we haven't had any rain since before the 4th. All the apples have dropped off the trees in an attempt to survive. Yesterday we went for a ride and all the farmers were irrigating their fields. But they were able to get their hay in, that's the way it goes, you have to take the good with the bad. The skies are always clear for star-gazing, though! Hope you are having a lovely summer!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  13. I am envious of your delphiniums--I grew them for years in Vermont, but in Kentucky they must be grown as annuals. They don't survive our heat and humidity--and too expensive to grow them new every year.

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    1. Good to hear from you Sharon! I didn't know that about delphiniums. It's good to know that our winters are good for at least one thing! Ha! Hope you are enjoying summer at your new place!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  14. I love delphiniums but have a hard time growing them.

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    1. Isn't it funny how there's always something that a gardener can't grow in spite of their green thumbs? For me it's Russian sage, which is supposedly the easiest thing in the world to grow. Mine is either a big tumbleweed or a sickly little plant, never the beautiful frothy lavender one that is in everyone else'e garden. Hoe you gat some cooler temperatures soon!

      Jane

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  15. I would like to sign up to receive your blog in my email but i am unable to find a spot on your page to do this.
    Can you help me?
    Also I love your blog!

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    1. Hi Laurie! Thank you! As I am the most inept computer person on the planet, I will try to get my IT guy, a.k.a. son Jamie, to figure out how to place one of the widgets on my sidebar. Hopefully sometime today or the next.

      Jane

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    2. Hi Laurie! I now have an button on the top right side of my blog for following via e-mail. Thanks for the suggestion!

      Jane

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