Brandied fruit anyone...

 

I found this recipe for Friendship Fruit Cake (plus Starter Recipe) from South Your Mouth awhile back.  My mother used to make it in the very jar shown in photo above.  (You don't want it in a jar with tight seal, as it needs to be able to breathe while it ferments.)  I never had the recipe though.  Mom received a starter from our neighbor, Dorothy, who called it Brandied Fruit.  

(Can I just insert here that I grew up in the best neighborhood ever?  All the neighbors were like aunts and great-aunts, and my best friend lived right across the street.  My parents bought the house before I was born, and I ended up having to sell it after they passed.  Not many people spend their entire growing up in one house anymore, my own kids included.)

Maybe my mom never had the recipe either.  Maybe she only continued making it while she had a starter and verbal instructions from Dorothy.  I don't remember Mom ever making cake with it, we always ate it as a topping on vanilla ice cream or Mom's fabulous from scratch  pound cake.

Anyway, the spirit moved me to give it a try.  The recipe is a little confusing as in one section it tells you to drain all the fruit and add all of it plus the 1 1/4 cup sugar and 1 1/4 cup brandy to the jar at one time, and stir it 2 to 3 times a week with no hint when it is ready.

The next instruction tells you to place the starter liquid in a jar, add 1 a can of peaches WITH the juice and 2 cups of sugar, cover the jar loosely, and stir daily for 10 days.  Only then do you add a can of pineapple chunks WITH juice and 2 MORE cups of sugar, and stir daily for 10 more days.  After that 10 days you add a jar of Maraschino cherries and 2 MORE cups of sugar and stir for 10 more days.  Then it is apparently ready to use.  (And though the ingredient list includes canned apricots, it never mentions when those are supposed to be added.)

Well I don't remember this jar ever having a ton of liquid in it, so I thought I'd start with the version where you dump the drained fruit with 1 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 1/4 cup of brandy in and stir 2 or 3 times a week.  (Oh, I also didn't have brandy, but I did have bourbon so I used it.)

So we'll see how it goes, and I'll keep you posted.

Frugal Friday File 2023, Nov 17...

1.  I filled in one day at my old branch.

2.  I'm preparing our grocery order for curbside pick up.  No way I'm stepping inside our grocery store right now.  Not only are the normal holiday crowds there already, but our store is undergoing an update.  They are adding among other things a furniture department and a clothing department.  Codes don't allow for enlarging the footprint of the existing building, so all of the aisle shelving is being squeezed closer together.  I may never set foot inside the physical store again.

   As I was preparing my order, I included two boxes of Stove Top Stuffing.  Not for the holiday meal, but for the pantry since they are on sale right now, and I use it in a casserole recipe occasionally.  A 6-ounce box is on sale for $2.06 down from the regular price of $2.58.  Then I noticed that a 12-ounce 'canister' of the same Stove Top product is also on sale for $2.06 down from the regular price of $2.58.  So I removed the smaller boxes and went with the larger canister.  Saved $2.06, and was reminded to pay attention to price per serving while shopping.

3.  We were visiting my mother-in-law last week.  We looked at several apartment complexes and got prices, but decided it just didn't make sense as we aren't planning to be there full time (not to mention the hassle of getting utilities, having to move furniture, etc).  There is a long-stay hotel where we can take Rudy with us which will be easier and more affordable, and they have kitchen, so we won't have the expense of eating out all the time (plus they offer free hotel breakfast every day).  And we also looked at a couple of RV parks both with dog parks and one with cement parking slabs for all RVs to make leveling etc easier.  Kasey & Beau have an RV trailer and a pickup to haul it that they are willing to let us borrow sometimes.  It feels good to have more information and decisions made.

4.   Still working on Christmas gift accumulation.  Carey never wants anything, but I have thought of and purchased a great and frugal gift for him that he is guaranteed to enjoy.

5.  The day I worked this week, my boss asked if we had ever had Marco's pizza.  I said, no, we haven't.  They hadn't either, but were wondering as they had been invited over to eat with friends who informed them they would be ordering pizza from there as they had a buy-1/ get-1-free deal going on.  Say no more!  I placed an online order to be picked up at 5:30 p.m.  We were pleasantly surprised at the quality.  The second pizza I placed on a baking sheet,  covered with foil, and it is in the freezer for the future.

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  Potato soup

Sunday:  supper at Kasey & Beau's

Monday:  Chili

Tuesday:  Pizza

Wednesday:  Chicken Spaghetti from the freezer

Thursday:  breakfast for dinner (waffles, bacon, eggs)

Friday:  Potato Soup

The Frugal Friday File 2023, November 3...

 

I've missed a few weeks.  Sigh.

1.  I filled in a day at my old branch while the financial advisor and my replacement had a company meeting to attend in a neighboring town.

2.  Still trying to make progress on Christmas gifts.  Carey has so little he wants.  I did alert him that the library had a book from a series he's been reading, and I checked it out for him.  Then when he left the room, I peeked at his list on which he keeps track of which ones he's read.  I went on Amazon, and took note that he has been working from an old list.  I was able to find used copies of several new books that are in the series, that he doesn't even know exist.  I will wrap those babies up and pop them under the tree.  He will not care in the least that they are used, and he will donate them to the library when he finishes reading them for their used-book sale. Winter is his reading season, as he does not enjoy being outside in cooler temperatures.

3.  Baseball is done for the season, and Carey's favorite team won the World Series.  Go Rangers!  Carey and Jared went to one of the playoff games, and spent a pretty penny for those tickets.  They didn't even think about going to a World Series game (thank goodness), and now I think I need to start a new line item in the budget just for baseball and start saving for next season.   Attending games is his sole retirement goal...of course he would like to see a game in each major league park, so it's a pretty lofty goal.  Carey attended four...or was it five...games this year.  Factor in the gasoline for the four-hour drive each way, the parking, the concessions, and it can add up quickly.  And those are just home games.  Yikes! 

4.  Received a notice from our prescription coverage company.  The premiums are going up a little, but the deductible and prescription prices are going down.  I'll count that as good news till I see differently.

5.  We read up on the Texas Constitutional Amendments that are up for vote.  That took some research to try to get the real gist of them.  Ugh!  We went to the library for early voting, so that is our duty done.  I wish they would let us vote on the laws they pass, as they have made some real stinkers lately in my opinion.

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  takeout fried chicken

Sunday:  Sunday supper with Kasey & Beau

Monday:  Chili & Tamales

Tuesday:  Chicken A La King (from freezer)

Wednesday:  Chicken Burgers and fries

Thursday:  Easy enchilada casserole and guacamole

Friday:  takout burgers

October 14, 2023 annular eclipse...

Here in central Texas, we had optimal viewing of the eclipse today.  Carey punched a hole in the top right-hand corner of a sheet of paper to view its shadow

 But I loved the view of it all around us as it showed its progress through the leaves overhead...on the patio...

...on the house...

...on the stepping stones...

...and even on Rudy!

Here he is a moving target, and it looks like he has fish scales.  :)

2023 Frugal Friday File, Oct 13...

1.  Oddly, right after I wrote last week's Frugal Friday File about paying less for books by waiting and searching different borrow or purchase options, I received an email notice of Kindle Daily Deals that included a book I had placed on my 'wish list' about two years ago...regular Kindle price $20.99, Daily Deal price $1.99...even so, I checked the library website again (it wasn't there) before clicking 'buy now.'  Delayed gratification can be hard, but it feels SO good in the end!

2.  I washed the bath mats.  After washing, I set up our portable hanging clothes rack and hung the mats over the two hanging rods to dry.  Saved on running the dryer, and also protected the non-slip backing on the mats.

3.  Comparison:  rotisserie chicken (at store) vs stewed chicken (at home).  This week's grocery shop included one of each. Rotisserie chicken $8.31.  Whole uncooked chicken $8.70 (which I stewed in slow cooker with water, celery, onion, and a bay leaf).  I deboned each, and each gave virtually the same amount of meat (though I didn't measure precisely).  More was spent on the chicken prepared at home (added vegetables, electricity to cook), but it did produce over two quarts of tasty broth in addition to the meat.  The store rotisserie version listed 490 mg of sodium per serving.   An internet search found that home cooked version probably had a similar sodium content.

     Conclusion:  I'm not going to beat myself up over buying store rotisserie chicken occasionally.

4.  Frugal fail, or was it?  I purchased 5 identical metal pans (about 8" x 10") having snap-on lids with silicone seal.  This was after struggling with homecooked frozen meals in various and sundry glass casseroles covered with foil.  The new pans should be stackable and more stable in the freezer.  This week I produced five (5!) meals for freezer by cooking-once-to-eat-twice.

5.  Christmas gift shopping has begun.  That expense is easier when it's spread over a longer period of time.  And starting early helps avoid desperate impulse purchases as the holidays loom.

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  takeout Schlotzky's sandwiches

Sunday:  15 bean soup (+ 2nd meal for the freezer)

Monday:  Quiche

Tuesday:  Chicken a la King casserole (+ 2nd meal for the freezer)

Wednesday:  Chili (leftovers made enchilada casserole for the freezer)

Thursday:  Pork Chops, squash casserole, green beans (+ 2nd meal for the freezer)

Friday:  Chicken Spaghetti (+ 2nd meal for the freezer)

2023 Frugal Friday File, October 6...

 

1.  I on-called at another branch yesterday, and completed my annual training.  Yay!  Oh, yeah, and there's the 'money in' aspect.  ;)

2.  I'm not sure I've even been inside my preferred grocery store since before the pandemic.  My husband goes every week or so to pick up milk or bread or his lunch preferences.  But as far as menu planning and shopping lists, I do it all online and pick it up.  My daughter, who lives by her spreadsheets, says that it saves money since there are no impulse purchases.  I can believe that.  We only have two grocery options locally, so shopping at different stores and sales isn't really an affordable option as it would involve a lot of gasoline which would eat up any savings.  

3.  I have been using lots of postage lately sending cards to family and friends.  I went to the post office website to see if they had any new designs.  They have a new snow globe Christmas stamp that I like, so I bought two books.  It is getting to be time to think about mailing Christmas cards, and I thought I'd get some while they were still in stock.  I also bought one book of a new Pinata stamp.  I had other stamps in my cart, but I decided I could live without them for the immediate future, and reigned in my impulses.

4.  According to the library, I have saved over $300 this year by checking out books rather than buying them.  I rarely buy books at full price.  I always try the library first.  If they don't have what I'm looking for I check out used book sources.  If all else fails, I just add the book to my Amazon wish list so I don't forget about it, and I watch the Kindle special offers to see if it might be offered at a discounted price.  If I'm still interested after waiting for awhile, I start the process over by re-checking the library and used book sources.  I'm pretty good at delayed gratification.

5.  Speaking of delayed gratification, I've been shopping online for sofas.  I'm narrowing down style and need preferences.  Now I'm just waiting for the right time for us and/or a good sale price.

On the menu this week:

Saturday:  (I can't remember)

Sunday:  supper at Kasey and Beau's; I took brownies

Monday:  homemade Reuben sandwiches w/ chips

Tuesday:  2 different homecooked single-serving meals from freezer

Wednesday:  subscription meal that has been in the freezer

Thursday:  Spanish Rice

Friday:  Roast, potatoes, carrots from freezer (homecooked cook-once-eat-twice option)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food

by Chris Van Tulleken

My friend, the other Kathleen, was telling me about this one when we were visiting her in July.  I have checked it out from the library, twice now.  The first time I just couldn't process (pardon the pun) all the information.  I'm past Chapter 1 now.  

Chenneville by Paulete Jiles

This is a new one by a Texas author that I really like.  She also wrote News of the World (which was made into a movie starring Tom Hanks, and I love Tom Hanks, but the book was better) along with several others.  This one is about a Union officer who received a severe head injury in the Civil War, and when he comes to himself, he is in a Union Hospital in Virginia and the war is over.  I'm in Chapter 3 of this one.

I picked up both of these at the library yesterday, and I'm allowing myself to switch between the two since one is a novel and the other is science and a lot to absorb.

I've also been making a lot of cards lately, so not a lot of time spent on reading.