This Month's 2025 Grocery Spending – July

 

This month I embarked on a two month pantry challenge to finish up the summer with.  My deep freezer was packed to the gills with some really great meat and seafood I got on markdown or with digital coupon offers for an awesome deal.  After awhile you have have to eat this stuff so a pantry challenge was definitely in order.

Day 1 of my pantry challenge - lots of good stuff!

The veggies in this drawer from last year need to be used up

I began the month with a fairly empty crisper drawer so I wanted to add just a few items I use quite often as well as some milk for making my yogurt and smoothies and a quart of cream for my coffee.  I stopped into Winco one evening on my way home and quickly picked up what I needed for just $16.07.  Other than that, I was pretty well set to get started.

 

Kitchen freezer - veggies on the left, meats on the right

A week and a half later I stopped back into Winco on my way home from work to pick up more salad greens, an onion, a bunch of scallions and two bags of frozen broccoli florets.  I needed the onion, scallions and broccoli for some meal prepping I had planned and more greens for some delicious summer salads.  My goal with this time was to spend less than $15 and this shop came in at $13.33.  I was pretty happy about that.

 

At the end of the month I went to Cash & Carry because they had the best price on a half gallon of cream at $9.59.  I also made the last and final grocery shopping trip into Winco to restock some dairy items I had run low on which included a half gallon of organic milk, a very large tub of organic yogurt, a container of bleu cheese to use in my salads and in some salad dressing I made as well as another bag of spinach for my salads and smoothies.  That shop came in at $16.82, a little more than I was wanting to spend that day, but the yogurt was a good deal and I didn’t have time to make my own so, that was that.

 

The cream, milk and yogurt purchases at the end of the month have set me up very well to head into the next month well stocked and will keep me on track as my pantry challenge continues.  The total spent on non food items came in at $0 and my total spent for food this month was $54.65 leaving me with a rollover amount totaling $54.78 to add to next month’s $100 budgeted amount.  I am quite pleased with that.

 

As grocery prices continue to climb how are you doing with your shopping?  Are you able to stay within budget and get the items you need?  How about stocking up?  Are you able to find good bargains to fill your shelves and freezer?

 

Vintage Cookery - Applesauce Cake

 

This recipe is amazing and it has the added benefit that it uses no eggs!  I’m not entirely sure of its origins, but it does remind me of the depression era cakes.  I frosted mine with some cream cheese frosting and it was so good.  I think it would be perfect to take to a picnic, barbecue, a potluck or served at a dinner party.  It’s easy to make, uses few ingredients and it is really good!

 

      Applesauce Cake 

1 1/2 cups flour                                               4 Tbs. melted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar                              1/2 cup water, milk or apple juice

1 tsp. baking soda                                           1 Tbs. vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt                                                      1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice                                2 cups applesauce

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

Mix flour, sugar, soda, salt and pie spice together in a large bowl.  Add raisins and nuts stirring together to coat.  Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until well combined.  Pour batter into a well oiled 8" X 8" square or round cake pan.  Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 35 to 40 minutes until center springs back to the touch.  Remove from oven and cool.  Frost with cream cheese icing or cover with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.

 

Honestly, this cake is delicious all on its own, but cream cheese frosting takes it right over the top making it perfect for sharing with guests, taking to a potluck or picnic or just enjoying all to yourself.  I’d even be happy with this as my next birthday cake.  I hope you try this one.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 173

 

Hi folks!  So backing up a bit to the week prior to this past one, I told you I had done something that I was super excited about and that was to procure a tree to plant near where the maple tree used to be.  I went to Home Depot to see if they had put any of their trees on clearance yet and as it turned out all of the fruit trees were 50% OFF!  Yes!  I went through them and found the perfect tree for me.  A Santa Rosa Plum.

 

I am so excited to add this plum tree to my mini orchard.  I am even more excited to see something planted there instead of a bare spot.  With the new tree planted I am now reinvigorated to do something in that area of my garden and I think I have some really good ideas to work with.  Now I just have to make it happen.

 

This past week I slowed my pace a bit, sort of, as I was feeling a little tuckered after two extremely busy and fun packed weeks.  We got a nice reprieve from the heat, at least as far as the overnight temperatures dropping down, so Saturday morning I was able to open the windows and doors, set up a couple box fans and blow in a bunch of fresh cool air.  The box fans circulated the air throughout the whole downstairs and it felt wonderful.

 

I took advantage of this by clearing out all of the partial bags of frozen vegetables, sliced up a couple of carrots and chopped up the last of the onion to make a sheet pan of roasted vegetables to have as my side dish over the weekend.  I drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  It turned out delicious and I was able to use up a lot of things from the freezer so nothing would go to waste.

 

Since I had the oven on I also grabbed the last bag of 2024 rhubarb I had in the freezer and a partial bag of frozen strawberries and made a strawberry rhubarb crisp to enjoy over the weekend as well.  I was able to bake the crisp at the same time the vegetables were in the oven.  My house smelled so good!  The crisp was wonderful too.

 

I took advantage of a cooler evening on Saturday and was able to get outside with the vacuum cleaner to vacuum out the car and truck.  I pulled the cabin air filter in the car and that was a mess so I vacuumed the filter and the cleaned out where it the compartment where it sits, then added a new filter to my Amazon cart.  I wiped down the interior of the Subaru and then checked all of the fluids and I’m happy to report they are all as they were when I did the oil change so she is not using or losing anything.  That makes me quite happy.

 

Monday I took the Subaru in for a U joint repair, which was a known issue when I purchased the car.  Because the previous owner had driven the car from New York to Idaho with bad U joints (no way would I have done that) I was expecting it to be more than just that and it was.  She needs a whole new driveshaft too and will be getting all of that done next week when the parts come in.  Fortunately those parts and the labor to have them installed are not overly expensive.

 

While waiting for the car to get repaired I used my time to take the hazardous waste items I had collected when I decluttered and reorganized the garage to the drop site.  When I got home it was still cool enough to do some yard work so I grabbed my empty trash wheelie and filled it up with yard debris, weeds and a lot of vinca vines.  This time I only cut it back rather than pulled it out.  After blowing everything off with the leaf blower I thought it looked pretty darn good.

 

Getting my yard work completed and keeping everything watered consumed the remainder of the week.  I was able to fit in a visit with one of my gal pals and we chatted over coffee.  I even worked a few hours on Thursday.  It was a very full week to say the least.

 

On a sad note, one of my two senior hens, Phoebe, passed away this past week.  She was six years old and laid the green eggs.  It was so hot outside that day and evening that I brought her inside with me and I was able to hold her in my arms while she left us.  On a happier note, one of my little hens is laying eggs already!  I wasn’t expecting them to start laying for another month or so.  Now I have a carton of small brown eggs in the refrigerator.  They are so cute!

 

Each day they get a little bigger

I cannot believe we are hitting the end of July already and August is right around the corner.  Is your summer turning out to be everything you were hoping for?  Mine has been better than I was expecting so I have no complaints!  I’m getting a ton of stuff done and off the “To-Do” list which feels great.  

I hope all of you are doing well.  And thank you so much to all of you that commented and have sent me emails regarding Wednesday's post.  I truly appreciate your input.  Have a great weekend!

 

An Apron

 

Several weeks ago I sat down in my sewing room, cut out some fabric and finally stitched myself an apron that I was supposed to make nearly five years ago.  The reason it took me so long to make this apron had nothing to do with procrastination and everything to do with my heart.

 

My bestie was in the throes of battling ovarian cancer.  She had had surgery and was two years in with chemotherapy as she was hoping to be one of the few that would beat this awful diagnosis.  On my birthday she wrapped up and gave me a piece of fabric that she knew I would love because it had chickens on it.

 

With tears she apologized and explained that she had wanted to sew me an apron with that fabric but as my birthday was approaching she had to concede that it just wasn’t going to happen.  As much as she loved to sew she didn’t have the strength to make the apron and she hoped I would enjoy at least having the fabric to make my own.

 

I put it in my sewing room until I was able to get to the fabric store and buy a pattern.  Once I had the pattern the fabric continued to sit as life took over.  Three years ago at the end of June her fight ended and I lost my dear, sweet, wonderful friend.  I miss her and think of her all the time.

 

As the third anniversary of her death approached I went into my sewing room and I made that damned apron.  And I shed a few tears and remembered her as I did it.  I knew it would be a very emotional task to complete and it was.  It is why I put it off for so long.

 

But now I have this lovely apron with chickens all over it and every time I see it hanging in my kitchen and wear it it makes me smile.  And I know she is no longer up there looking down wanting to kick me in the butt for not getting it made.  Now she too can smile while I put it to good use.  I love you my friend.  I wish you were still here.

 

I Have A Plan

 

I had shared with you in a previous post that, in all likelihood, I will not be aging in place with my current home.  This is something I’ve been thinking about for years, but the time has come to put it all down on paper.  I couldn’t think of a better way to do this than to make myself a goal planner.  This planner will allow me a place to put all of my ideas, goals, lists, research, travel plans and whatever else I come up with as I take on this big project.  Moving is no small endeavor so I want to make sure, before I even consider pulling out of the driveway that I have a solid plan in place.

 

Where?  This is my biggest obstacle.  I’m not sure yet where I want to land.  By the time I move I will have no family left in Idaho so the entire United States is wide open to me.  I can live anywhere I want which is exciting, but also very overwhelming to me.  So far, my top two choices are Minnesota and Arizona because they both have Mayo Clinics.  But I’m open to other places that are affordable and offer excellent medical care options.  In the next few years I’ll be researching where I could possibly go.  If you have any suggestions of places I should check out I’d be open to that.  I could use the help.

 

When?  I’m planning to make this move sometime within in the next five to ten years.  I am in no hurry so I should have plenty of time to make this goal happen.  Having plenty of time makes this project a lot less overwhelming for me, but it doesn’t mean I should just sit back and be lackadaisical about it.  We all know how quickly time flies and the whole reason to have a timeline like this is so I have plenty of time to prepare and get ready to go.

 

What?  I am looking for a condo either on the ground floor or one with an elevator in the building.  No stairs.  After thirty years of home ownership I can honestly say that I’m starting to get burned out on DIY projects and the upkeep and maintenance that houses require.  I’m ready for a break and I know as I get older that it is only going to be more difficult for me to be a DIY’er meaning I’ll have to hire out these jobs to other people and that gets expensive.  It is also a stressful process making sure you get a good worker and don’t get ripped off in the process.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that either aren’t all that qualified to do the work they claim they can or that take advantage of the elderly.  Sadly, it happens.  I’d like to avoid that.

 

How?  Liquidate!  When I move I am only taking what will fit inside the vehicle I will currently have at the time.  Everything else is going bye-bye.  During this time I will be using up, selling, donating, giving away and tossing out everything that isn’t making the cut so I have some important decisions ahead of me.  In the next five to ten years my current stuff isn’t going to get any newer or less worn out so there is no reason for me to pay the high price of a moving truck or service to ship my crap somewhere.  Instead I’m going to get all new stuff!  That excites me!  My plan is to take only my most precious and important items and let the rest go.

 

My overall plan is not going to be rigid in anyway because things change and life happens.  I may need to delay or move up my timeline.  I may not find the right place to land for quite a while or I may find it sooner.  My health situation might change.  The economy could tank.  Or maybe it won’t.  Who knows?  As I approach this next adventure in my life I know I will need to be fluid and flexible in order to be successful.  And of course I plan to take you all along for the ride.  So what do you think?  Good plan?

 

Cooking For One Or Two - Broccoli Beef

 

One petite cut sirloin steak can easily be transformed into a better than restaurant quality meal for two or one with leftovers to enjoy again on another night.  Quick and easy to prepare as well as a one pot meal.  Who doesn’t love that?

 

Broccoli Beef 

1 4-6 oz. sirloin steak, thinly sliced

1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup beef broth

2 - 3 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. olive or avocado oil

2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1/4 cup water

1 cup cooked rice or cauliflower rice 

In a large skillet, heat oil.  Saute sliced steak until medium rare.  Add onions and carrot and continue cooking until onions are tender.  Add garlic and stir.  Add beef broth, soy sauce and broccoli florets.  Cover skillet and allow broccoli to steam until tender.  Meanwhile stir cornstarch into water.  Pour over meat and vegetable mixture, stir to combine and cook until gravy thickens.  Adjust flavors to taste adding more soy sauce as desired.  Serve over steamed rice or cauliflower rice.

 

Slice your steak as shown here.  Very economical meal!

I think this recipe is delicious and it definitely satisfies that urge to go out or order takeout from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant.  I think it is a healthier version as well and fairly low in carbohydrates, especially if you use the riced cauliflower.  A little drizzle of sesame oil is nice as well.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 172

 

How is everyone doing?  Are you able to handle the heat of summer okay?  I am grateful for A/C units and ice cubes in my water, let me tell you.  We’ve had some really hot days here.

 

Before

After

These guys have room to spread out now

Last week I was able to get outside ahead of the heat one morning and get the flowerbed cleaned out where the maple tree had been.  I realized that the reason I couldn’t get motivated to re-landscape that area was because the vinca was overgrown and to me it felt like chaos.  I originally had planned to keep the vinca and just cut it back, but the more I thought about it I decided to go ahead and remove it.  Once I was done it just felt so much better to me that I knew I’d made the right decision.  Now I’m planning what to do there next.

 

So long old friend

The old A/C unit in my bedroom finally gave it up.  A bearing went out and it sounded absolutely horrible.  It was howling in pain.  Even though it was still cranking out cold air, and if you could stand the noise, you just can’t keep running it that way because eventually the motor will burn up and you could risk a fire.  Fortunately, about four or five years ago, maybe longer, I had picked up a brand new unit on clearance for $50.  At the time I figured as old as mine was its days were likely numbered.  I never thought the new unit would sit on a shelf in the garage for as long as it has, but I am sure glad it was there.

 

The new unit

Now I have even more open space in the garage

That old unit was used when I got it from a friend.  She was told it was twenty years old when she got it and she used it for about ten years.  I got it in 2004 and used it every summer since, so you do the math.  That sucker was old!  I can tell you they don’t make them like that anymore, that is for darn sure!  It was a very basic unit with a switch to flip it on and off, that was it, no settings or temperature selection, but it cooled really well and surprisingly it didn’t cost much to run either.  It definitely earned its keep.

 

The little ones are growing up!

On my list this past week was to get the young ladies integrated into the coop with the old ladies and it went fairly well with very little squawking and hen pecking.  I feel better having the little ones out of the brooder and into the coop as they are more secure and have a lot more room to move around.  With that done I figured it was the perfect time to remove the ramp and put on some new treads (on my winter ready list) and give the exterior a bit of a cleanup and refresh.

 

New treads for the ramp up to the coop

I love this little coop ⭐

With the upgraded ramp back in place I grabbed the hose and gave the exterior a bath removing a lot of the dirt from our recent storms and a ton of spider webs.  Then I got ready to take down the brooder, clean it up and put it away.  When I moved the brooder apparently about a dozen field mice had taken up residence underneath it and I sent them all scattering across the yard before they decided to head under my fence and back to the field.  Good Lord!  What a sight that was.

 

Oh my gosh you guys, I cannot tell you how nice it is to do my little projects now that the garage is all decluttered and reorganized.  I can easily go right to what I need, gather it all up and complete a project so much easier and more efficiently.  Even cleaning up afterward and putting my tools and supplies away is so much easier.  What a time and aggravation saver!  I love it!

 

I worked all day Friday then Monday for four hours and Tuesday evening I drove a group of seniors up into the mountains to Garden Valley, Idaho for the Starlight Mountain Theater’s production of Singing In The Rain.  We had a box dinner prior to the performance at their picnic area.  The show was so good and we had a really nice time.  I would happily do it again.

 

One of the projects on my list was to re-pot a couple of my houseplants.  At Fred Meyer I chose a new pot for my pothos and a bag of potting soil.  I like this brand because it isn’t full of wood bits and I don’t end up growing mushrooms.  After potting up the pothos I was able to use that pot to repot my new peach lily.  Then I used the pot the peace lily was in to replant some of the basil I inherited.

 

One of the volunteers at the senior center thought I would be the person
to revive these poor basil plants.  She obviously doesn't know me very well.

Two days later - maybe I can?

I did something else that is pretty dang exciting, but I’m going to wait to share more about that with you all until next week because this post is already getting really long.  It will be worth waiting for and heck, it may not even excite you, but I am super happy about it.  With that I’m going to wish you all a wonderful weekend and I hope you have a great day today.