In The Refiner's Fire

We had a deliciously lazy day at home today!  Today, February 1, 2020, is the only day in February we do not have some commitment.  I truly do not enjoy it when the calendar is that full but some months are like that.  The only time I left the house today was to do a quick run to the store with John.  The children were so efficient at putting the groceries in their place that they were all put away by the time we had our coats off!   So, no photo again today.  And I am grateful I can relax and enjoy some homemade chili and cornbread and conversation with my family after a day spent almost entirely at home. Meat was on sale this week and we were able to purchase a few things. Typically, we do not eat much red meat but we do enjoy chicken and fish on a regular basis.  Fish was on sale this week.  And so were meatballs and sausage.  We purchased all three.  Our meat stores were getting low, so I am grateful for more meat in the freez...

I stopped at the grocery store Friday on my way home from working out.  There were a few deals this week and we were out of onions, potatoes, cornmeal, tea, coffee and laundry soap.  Our son put away all the groceries as I brought them in from the car so I did not get a photo again this week. Our shop this week included chips, soda, and candy as our children's contributions for a party later this week.  We could sign up and bring an item of pay $10 for each of our children.  I spent roughly $8 for the four items our children will bring.  Here is what we bought this week: 1 bottle A&W Root Beer $1.99 1 bottle Dr. Pepper  $1.99 2 containers Peanuts 2/$5 10 oz. Coffee $5.99 2 packages Tea $2.99 each minus $1 coupon 10 ct. 12-inch Flour Tortillas $2.50 1 package Yellow Cornmeal $2.29 3 14 oz. cans Black Beans $0.59/each Laundry Soap $2.99 1 container mixed lettuce $2.99 5 lb. Red Potatoes $4.99 6 lb. Clementine's $6.99 3 lb. Red Onions $3....

No photo today - we stopped and picked up groceries between running elsewhere and I hurriedly put away the groceries when we arrived home. We spent $25.78 on groceries this week. We have tightened our belt a bit this month for groceries.  We have full freezers, cupboards and a full refrigerator, so even with a smaller grocery budget we will eat well!  This week we only bought a couple of things that were either needed or are part of re-stocking a couple of holes in our pantry.  Today we stopped at one store and purchased: 1 large container of fresh spinach  $2.50 2 12 oz. cans beans  $0.89 ea 2 20 oz. cans crushed pineapple  $1.49 each 5 6 oz. cups yogurt  5/$3 2 10 oz. packages of shredded cheese $2.24 each 1 box whole wheat crackers $1.99 2 boxes Kraft Macaroni & Cheese $0.79 each 1 gallon 1% milk $4.19 1 container baking powder $2.19 1 lb. pasta $0.99 Come back Monday to see what we are eating this week. What did you buy this ...

Our budding rhubarb - before I cleaned out the flower bed of all the winter leaves.  It has grown so much since this photo and I am so excited for rhubarb this spring! We did not buy much this weekend - our freezers are full and so is our pantry and we need to eat some of it down before all the summer produce starts to come in. I had a short stack of Target gift cards that I had earned using their in-store deals (buy so much and receive a $5 gift card) and I decided to use some of those for part of today's purchase.  We then went to the grocery store and did the rest of our shopping.  My children put the groceries away before I could take a photo - so I gave you a photo of our rhubarb sprouts instead!  It is early here yet - the southern part of the state received snow this week (we did not).  I will not be planting vegetables outside for another 2 weeks, though I did start seedlings inside. Here is what we bought this weekend: Target: $11.97...

The above photo shows our garden harvest, the CSA box contents and our very messy table earlier this week.  We did a large grocery shop after our vacation, including many things to make freezer meals for the fall.  We will assemble those next week (and I'm hoping I can do a post too!).  The box of mango just visible in the back left is part of that - we sliced and froze them for smoothies later this fall.  They were just 88-cents each; a HUGE deal for around here! The acorn squash and the small basket are the produce from our garden.  The basket contains a handful of green beans, cherry tomatoes and a purple pepper.  The CSA box is the rest of the produce - cucumbers, baking potatoes, yellow zucchini, a variety of peppers, two onions, a bulb of garlic, green beans (in the plastic produce bag, back center), thyme, tarragon, one each purple and green kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, and a produce bag of tomatoes (just visible on the right). The produce f...

Groceries purchased on March 24, 2018. We went to three stores today and purchased the pictured groceries.  As with last week, we are spending only cash and we are allowing the children to pick $7 each of snacks for the week. This keeps them out of the groceries that we purchase for the meals and reduces the number of "We have nothing good to eat!" comments as well.  Last week and this week, it seems to be working well. Here is what we purchased: Store #1: 1 bag Stacy's Pita Chips $2.50 (for Missy's Snack this week - we had something else to purchase at this store, so it was easy to pick up these on sale for her) Total Spent Store #1 : $2.50 Store #2: Cinnamon Crunch Cereal $1.39 (for Missy's Snack this week) Marshmallow Star Cereal $1.39 1lb Rotini $0.79 3pk Colored Sweet Peppers $1.99 3lb Mandarins x2 @ $2.69/ea = $5.38 (one bag for Buddy's snack, one bag for everyone) Total Spent Store #2: $10.94 Store #3: Tortilla Chips $1.99 Pota...

Groceries purchased March 17, 2018.  My apologies for the dark photo - we need to replace the light over our stove and I didn't realize the photo would be that dark! John and I had a major discussion about the food budget this last week (well, it was actually the budget in general) and decided that since the children are growing so much right now (over an inch a week each) and he's recovering from a major illness that may take upwards of a year to heal from, it is not the time to cut the grocery budget.  We have $50/week in the budget that includes the CSA we purchase each year, any trips to Sam's Club or other stocking up we do, and anything we purchase from the Farmer's Market.  We decided we needed other places to cut right now, since food is more important right now. From that $50 budget this week, we decided to give the children each $7 to purchase snacks.  I am also planning on making No Bake Energy Bites and Oatmeal Cookies for snac...

No grocery photo again this week - my children are getting way too efficient at putting those things away!  Seriously, I brought in two bags, went back out to collect the last one and the rest of my "stuff" and it was all put away!  I love it but it does mean grocery photos are pretty much non-existent.  I'm going to have to warn then next week in advance - I do want those photos! Saturday was a busy day that ended with a wonderful birthday party for a friend. So, errands were bumped to Sunday this weekend.  This was a week with three stops - two grocery stores next door to each other and then a drug store on the way home.  The drug store stop was only because I needed to pick up a knee brace for our son - the only place close by to purchase one. Here's what I purchased at Store #1: 1lb coffee beans $4.99 Crisco Baking Sticks 3pk $3.79 56oz Vegetable Oil $2.49 2.18lbs Yellow Bananas @ $0.59/lb = $1.29 1 bunch Celery $1.99 1 large Butternut Squash...

No photo again this week.  I'm slipping! Or something like that. We have basketball tournaments all weekend, so I ran to the grocery store Friday between other things and picked up a few groceries. We have very full freezers and a very, very full pantry, so we're eating well in spite of not buying much.  Here's what we bought: 16oz unsweetened applesauce $1.99 8oz fresh spinach $3.99 green bell pepper $1 cucumber $1 3lb clementine's $3.99 Smart Balance $3.29 1lb Cheddar Cheese $4 32oz Yogurt $3.59 1 dozen eggs $1.49 I could have bought a little more, but we have overspent what we had planned to spend this month so we stuck with this. Come back Monday to see what we're eating this week!

No photo today!  John and I dropped the children and the  groceries off at home and went on an honest to goodness date for a short while!   It was just an afternoon coffee/tea at a local coffee shop with a gift card but it was wonderful.  He had a crazy busy week this last week and this one looks busy too with two funerals and several meetings in the ramp up for the annual congregational meeting next weekend.  I'm grateful to have had some time to spend together before the craziness sets in. We stopped at one store after a trip to the local library and bought the following: 1lb Heart Candies $2.99 1lb Yellow Cornmeal $2.19 Large Fresh Pineapple $2.99 2.2lb Yellow Bananas @ $0.59/lb = $1.30 1.63lb Braeburn Apples @ $2.49/lb = $4.06 (This was NOT what the sign read and we didn't check the receipt until well after we had come home; we would normally never have bought them at this price!) 1 Gallon 1% Milk $3 10 6oz Yogurt Cups @ 5/$3 = $6 1.88lb an...

The photo above is the red velvet cake I made John for his Birthday last year (2017).  This year (2018) a friend made a BEAUTIFUL two-layer red velvet cake with cream-cheese frosting.  Sadly, I didn't get a photo of it since only three pieces came home (one for me and one for each of the children).  The rest was eaten at Bible Study and John had a second piece as an afternoon snack that day before coming home. John and I spent a little more than half our typical monthly grocery budget at Sam's Club stocking up on some things earlier this week, so my goal is to cut back on the grocery budget this week and a few more weeks going forward to even things out a bit.   We did end up spending about $10 more today than I wanted to but that just means we have less later on this month.  That money was spent to fill a vacancy in our pantry and should last us a while. Missy was on the ball when we got home and put the groceries away before I could take a p...

Holy cow - a post two days in a row! Are you as surprised as I am? *Grin* No photo, though.  I just didn't get to that today when we went to the store. We went to one store today.  We've been trying to really watch our pennies lately (long story that I may tell sometime) so we shopped today with what I had in my wallet.  Here's what we purchased: One 15oz can Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)  $0.99 One 18oz jar of  Applesauce $1.99 1lb carrots $0.99 1.95lbs Harrelson Apples 1.95lbs @ $1.69/lb = $3.30 2.18lbs Yams 2.18lbs@ $0.99/lb = $2.16 One Red Mango $1.49 One gallon 1% Milk $3 Two 8oz Cheese 2 @ $0.99ea = $1.98 5 8oz Yogurt Cups 5 @ $3/5 = $3 Carving Pumpkins 2 @ $3.99 = $7.98 Total Spent: $30.17 Total Saved (According to the receipt)): $3.10 (9%) We did not make it to the pumpkin patch this year so, we bought pumpkins so the children can carve pumpkins and roast seeds.  We had almost everything we needed for meals this week, so we just b...

The grocery store closest to us had a HUGE buy-one-get-one sale this week!  I still only had $40 (and a bit of change left from the last few weeks) so I had to watch what I bought, but I was extremely pleased with that purchases.  I did skip two things on my list - a second dozen eggs and a jar of peanut butter - since I was already maxing out my budget.  I had a total of $45 in my groceries envelope so I was determined to stick with that. This is a very busy weekend for us - basketball tournaments for our son, the children's first dance at the middle school they attend, a dear friend's wedding (my husband is officiating), worship, a visitation and funeral.  Whew.   I think we're all going to be ready for a nap, come Monday afternoon! I squeaked to the grocery store between things on Friday evening (I think I made it in and out in record time!) and picked up the haul above.  Here's what we got: Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Cereal 2 @ 3/$6 = $4 ...

We did a quick shop Friday morning between running around for other things.  I hadn't planned on buying the pizzas, since we were driving to my brother-in-law's house to visit for the afternoon and evening.  Instead, John got called to a deathbed and we had to wait to leave.  The pizza then took the place of the lunch we had planned to eat at my brother-in-law's house.    That added an unplanned $10 onto the shop for this week.  We managed to stay within the planned $40/wk budget anyway. Here's what we bought: 1.02lb Beef Stew Meat @ $5.99/lb = $6.11 2.45lb Chicken Thighs @ $0.99/lb = $2.43 3.12lb D'Anjou Pears @ $0.99/lb = $3.09 3lbs Pink Lady Apples $4.99 Pineapple $2.99 Pizzas 2 @ $4.88ea = $9.76 Sour Cream $1.39 Butter Quarters 2 @ 2/$5 = $5 Yoplait Yogurt 6 @ 20/$10 = $3 Total Spent: $38.76 Total Saved (According to Receipt): $5.22 (12%) We still have a lot of vegetables in the pantry and the freezer and some meat as well. C...

Sorry, no photo today - it was a rush in, rush out, hurry home, put it away and sit down for supper kind of day! Buddy and I ran out and grabbed groceries while Missy and John were ringing bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettles.  We had dinner in the crockpot and planned to eat right when we got home because John had one more thing on the agenda today.  We succeeded, and now the children are washing up and getting their things ready for tomorrow, I have one more load of laundry in the clothes washer and Buddy and I will wash up the dishes here as soon as we're all done with showers.  We have dinner tomorrow night with friends, so I get to stay up tonight and grade all the things that were turned in before the holiday and the children plan to snuggle up with some books for a bit before heading to bed.  Lovely evening! Here's what Buddy and I bought at the store - with commentary: 2 56oz bottles of cranberry juice @ $1.99ea = $3.98 (one for now, one for ov...

This week is the week of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. and we have so much to be thankful for!   We are not hosting the meal or family this week and we have SO MUCH food in our freezer and cupboards, that we didn't do much shopping today. My daughter and I went to two stores and bought what you see above: Store #1: 52oz Vegetable Oil $2.19 1 dozen Eggs $0.79 Total from Store #1: $2.98 Store #2: 2 Carnation Evaporated Milk $1ea = $2 2 Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup $0.99ea = $1.98 15oz kidney beans  $0.89 15oz chili beans $0.89 2 15oz tomato sauce $0.89ea = $1.78 2lbs Low Sodium Bacon 2lbs/$6 = $6 3lbs Pink Lady Apples $4.99 1.94lbs Yellow Bananas $0.59/lb = $1.14 3.02lbs Red Delicious Apples $0.99/lb = $2.99 Total Store #2: $22.66 Total Spent Today: $25.64 We're spending Thanksgiving with friends this year since John has to lead Worship on both Wednesday and Sunday.  We will be bringing krumkaka (cookies) to add to the meal - m...

I can't believe October is here already!   Where did September go?  We dug out some of the fall decorations this week and dug out some of the dead veggies in the garden.  The nights are getting cooler and the leaves are starting to turn.    I guess that means it's officially fall.    We've had rain, rain and more rain lately.  I went to pick the Rose Hips and most were moldy or rotten so I scrapped that plan.  May be next year.  I'm starting to feel like we need a boat or something with all the rain we've been having.  The perk?  Beautiful skies like this one:     The down side?  Hail!  We've had hail twice now.  This is a photo from the first round, about a week and a half ago.  Sigh.    All that said, the weather we had this weekend was beautiful!   Couldn't ask for better weather.  Middle temperatures, nice light breeze, plenty of sunsh...

We had our CSA's fall Harvest Party this weekend.  At the party, the CSA owner puts out any "leftover" vegetables and fruit that they can't use themselves.  We brought home lots of Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and HUGE parsnips.  I'm so excited!   We also picked three more pumpkins, several more tomatoes, chocolate peppers and green beans from the yard.  There were even some more strawberries - enough for us to each get a couple.  They are heirloom variety so they're tiny but flavorful.  I'm really hoping they come back well next year! At the grocery store this week we bought $36.02 worth of groceries ($0.16 in sales tax).  Here's what we purchased (no pictures because we were on the way back out the door after dropping these at home): S&W Black Beans 2 15oz cans @ $0.69 = $1.38 Toilet Cleaner $2.19 Baby Spinach 2 @ B1G1 = $2.99 Apples 4.63lbs @ $1.39/lb = $6.44 Black Plums 2.06lbs @ $1.99/lb = $4.10 Russet Potatoes 2 5...

That's our CSA box from this week: clockwise from top left: corn on the cob, a HUGE watermelon, cucumbers, onions, green beans, beets, zucchini, kohlrabi and in the middle: garlic, potatoes and tomatoes. We also ran to the Farmer's Market - the kids desperately wanted honey straws! - and we bought honey straws (I also use them in my tea at work), maple syrup, eggplant, carrots, and apples.  I have no idea how much we spent but we decided to stock up for a while - particularly on the honey and maple syrup.  Our income will be cut severely for about 6-10 weeks (not sure exactly how long yet) and we'll be doing very little, if any, grocery shopping during that time plus we like to stock up for the winter on both of those anyway.  We rarely make it to the Farmer's Market during the winter.  Our Farmer's Market is wonderful, the prices are fantastic and it runs all year round with produce, meat, baked goods, dairy, homemade condiments, honey, maple syrup, and so...

We have a week of food "stuff" here at our house!  The garden is slowly starting to produce - we've been picking lettuce, basil and strawberries every day for a couple of weeks and today it was a handful of beans to add to that.  Here's today's harvest:   We also got three strawberries that we promptly ate!   We've been averaging 2-6 per day with the strawberries so we've just been eating them as they come.  They're little and sweet.  I'm hoping that next year we can have more as the plants mature more.   I had to cut back the kale since it was getting eaten by something.  Hopefully it will recover - I'd love to make some kale chips.  Peppers and tomatoes should be ripe end of this week or next week, depending on the weather.  I can't wait!   We also gleaned raspberries and cherries from a friend's yard today.  She was starting to compete with the birds so put out a call for friends to come and pick.  ...