What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Circle of Days by Ken Follett

Library book.  About 680 pages.  I'm halfway through it.  I'll reserve judgment till I finish and update next week.

Here's the update on last week's book Nothing to Fear by Julie McFadden, RN.  It was very good...excellent information (both practical and relational) regarding hospice experiences.  Excellent advice for everyone who will die and for caregivers, families, and friends.  A lot of it was very familiar since I've had personal experiences with hospice patients.

I'm late getting this posted.  I thought I had scheduled it to post automatically, but apparently not.  Today was one of our book sales at the library (another one next month).  Exhausting!  I didn't do much but count books coming through the line.  I had a pint of blood taken yesteray, and it left me feeling a little puny today.  I told the rest of the team that my real contribution was getting Carey there, as he worked non stop restocking shelves, moving boxes of books, etc.  As usual, he was pretty popular there today.

2025 Frugal Friday File, November 14...

 

1.  Reading two library books, and picking another one up tomorrow.

2.  Went to the city today for book club.  I was going to stop by The Container Store on my way home, but I talked myself out of it.  Ditto for Dollar Tree...I only needed toothpaste, and I can get buy for at least another week or two.

3.  I did stop on my way home from the city and got a Coke from Sonic.  It was their happy hour, so it was half price.

4.  Ordered groceries, and though I wanted to pick them up earlier rather than later, the earlier  time had a fee of $4.95, so I went at the earliest time with no fee.

5.  Paid bills on time, and paid credit card in full as I do every month so no interest accrues.  I haven't done any grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, but I do have a nice big bag of dried and crumbled cornbread bagged and in the freezer for the dressing/stuffing.  I've saved water by delaying laundry for another day or two (or three).

What we ate this past week:

Saturday:  Family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Sunday:  Home-grown Green Beans w/ Bacon and Red Ptatoes, Cornbread

Monday:  leftovers

Tuesday:  out for Tex-Mex

Wednesday:  Breakfast for supper, pancakes, bacon, & eggs

Thursday:  takeout chicken

Friday:  Spanish Rice

**designates meatless meal

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Nothing to Fear:  Demystifying Death to Live More Fully

by Julie McFadden, RN

As a friend (an RN) and I were leaving the library yesterday, we walked past this book.  She highly recommended it.  I've barely started it, so can't give an opinion yet, but I trust hers.  I'll let you know mine next week.

Recent meals at our house...

Sunday (a week ago) we had Beef Stroganoff w/ Garlic Fried Green Beans (from the garden).  A little olive oil in the bottom of a non-stick pan, drop some minced fresh garlic in the oil, then add the green beans and stir fry a bit till they are caramalized, but still have some snap. 

Tuesday we had planned over Beef Stew.  Used the left over Beef Stroganoff, adding fresh vegetables.

Thursday we had Jalapeῆo Sweet Potato Soup; it's a favorite for us.  I went a bit overboard with the sour cream, but it was a little hard to control.  I used a sandwich bag with one corner clipped off, then squeezed the sour cream out that corner.  The soup is actually easy to make.  If you have leftover sweet potatoes, it goes together in a snap.  The name of the soup above is a link to the recipe.

Saturday Carey harvested all the spaghetti squash in the garden (as we were expecting high winds and freezing temperatures.  This one was on the small side, and he didn't think it looked ripe, so I decided to give it a try.  I baked it at 400° F for 40 minutes. I ate the half on the right side for lunch with a little butter and Parmesan.  We took the half on the left to Saturday family supper.  Apparently they weren't impressed enough, as Carey announced that they wouldn't be getting any of the rest in our root cellar (cedar closet in the garage).  😉

Today (Sunday) I cooked the rest of the green beans from the garden with bacon and new potatoes.  I made a fresh batch of cornbread and used it as the base for the beans and potatoes.  Simple fare.

2025 Frugal Friday File, November 7...

 

1.  Planned overs from beef stroganoff.  Heated stroganoff leftovers, with added packet of brown gravy mix and water, diced potatoes, sliced carrots.  Voila!  Beef Stew, and made cornbread to serve with it.  Felt like a new meal from scratch, but with hardly any work or time.

2.  I responded with regrets for a 50th anniversary celebration for my bestie since grade school.  I would dearly love to go, but a ten hour round trip with a hotel stay doesn't seem doable for me when I know I will need to be at my best the next week and weekend for oldest grandon's wedding.  (The steroid shot in my right knee is wearing off, and I worry that keeping it bent for entire drive, and perhaps walking standing more than usual would be pushing it when I need it working for wedding.)  It feels like I'm wimping out, but I just am more limited than I used to be, and I have to take care of what I can.

3.  I made a gallon-jar-full batch of homemade brownie mix for the pantry.  And while I was at it, I noticed that my gallon jar of homemade pancake mix was empty too, so I made a batch of that as well.

4.  It is that beautiful weather time of year that I love.  And have to admit that the old electric bill being lower is one thing that makes me love it!  However, I think we are supposed to have a freeze this weekend.

5.  The fall garden has not been a huge success.  We have gotten a couple of meals worth of green beans, and that may be the beans end of season.  We should have a good harvest of spaghetti squash.  Neither the Brussels sprouts nor the beets even come up.  And the carrots...well I'll let you be the judge:

The one in the middle is about the length of a U.S. dollar bill.  So sad.  I hope Carey is still willing to try again in the spring.

What we ate this past week:

Saturday:  Family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Sunday:  Beef Stroganoff, Garlic Fried Green Beans

Monday:  Homemade Biscuits w/ Sausage Gravy,  fruit

Tuesday:  Beef Stew w/ Cornbread

Wednesday:  takeout burgers

Thursday:  Jalapeno Sweet Potato Soup

Friday:  leftovers

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again

by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Essay's on the author's knitting obsession.  This has been on my Kindle since 2011.  I started reading it back then, but at the time I had a knitting project going which took all my attention.  :)

2025 Frugal Friday File, on Saturday 11/1...

 

1.  I read a library book and a book that had been on my Kindle forever.

2.  We rearranged a bedroom, and repurposed a piece of furniture.

3.  Took advantage of another free library program and learned how to make homemade soft pretzels.  The ones we made during the class turned out pretty good and were easy.  I will make them again at home, and may also try making bagels.

4.  Had my wellness visit w/ the doc on Friday.  Aced the 'draw a clock' exercise (by reading the entire directions this time), but couldn't resist having a little fun with it...it was Halloween after all.

5.  Our first beans were harvested from the fall garden.

What we ate this past week:

Saturday:  Family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Sunday:  Ham Loaf w/ Potatoes Au Gratin, Broccoli

Monday:  leftovers

Tuesday:  grazed

Wednesday:  Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Brisket

Thursday:  Deconstructed Kabobs w/ beef flavored rice

Friday:  out for Tex-Mex

**designates meatless meal