My Empty Nest

 

In a couple of weeks it will be two years since I became an empty nester.  That first year was a little difficult for me, not only because my youngest child flew the coop, but it was also my first year of retirement and I had just retired a few months earlier.  Literally everything about my life had changed all at once.  Now fast forward to present day and what do I think?  Well, I LOVE BEING AN EMPTY NESTER!

 

To be perfectly honest, and please don’t take this wrong, I wouldn’t go back if you paid me good money.  I’ve done my time.  I absolutely love being on my own for the first time in over 37 years.  In my younger days I only lived alone on my own for about a year before I got married and started my own little family.  After my divorce I always had a child to care for and I really loved being a mom.  It is hands down the best job I’ve ever held and it brought me the most joy.  But now, I’m on my own and I just love it.

 

Over the past two years I’ve slowly been going through the spaces in my home and making them my own.  To most people my home appears to be the same in most respects, but as time has gone on the evidence of teenagers has been slipping away and there is more of me present here now.  I am unashamedly creating my own home throughout this house.

 

I love living alone.  I come and go as I please and the best part is that when I do come home everything is as I left it.  I eat what I want, when I want.  I clean the house and it stays that way.  I have the room to do my projects and crafts now.  My home has become peaceful and tranquil.  I have fallen in love with my house all over again.

 

I move much slower than I used to now because I am no longer in a hurry to do anything.  I’ve given up multi tasking.  If I don’t feel like doing something, then I don’t do it.  Laundry will always wait for me.  Housework too.  I no longer have to work my guts out in order to keep up and stay on top of things.  I love that if a friend calls me to go for coffee or to grab lunch that I can drop what I am doing and just go.  I love that I have time for my friends.

 

If I want I can walk around the house naked, leave the bathroom door wide open, talk to myself, sing and dance (I’m not very good at either), vacuum or watch TV late at night and no one cares.  I can eat leftover spaghetti for breakfast and cereal for dinner if I want to.  I have very few rules and I don’t have to set good examples anymore.  I don’t have to watch what I say.  I can swear if I want to.  I can have opinions without someone else telling me why I shouldn’t think that way.  The cat rarely objects.  I don’t have to explain myself.

 

Do I miss my children?  Of course, just not every single day.  They are no longer my priority like they once were.  Highly important, but now so am I.  I am embracing this particular time in my life and loving every minute of it.  It is a good place to be at the moment.  I think I’ll stay a while.

 

Vintage Cookery - Victory Blueberry Scones

 

I shared with you a few weeks or so ago that I’d acquired two new cookbooks for my collection of vintage and antique cookbooks.  This one is the Victory Recipes and features “better recipes for wartime cooking and baking” using rationing and as a way for people to get the most mileage from their food as they could.

 

I think if you click on the picture you'll be able
to read the recipe alright

The scones came together quickly and easily.  I patted the batter into my vintage nine inch pink round Pyrex cake pan.  It only seems right that I make vintage recipes using my vintage Pyrex bowls and baking dishes.

 

They baked in a hot oven for twenty minutes and were done.  I have to tell you this recipe pleasantly surprised me.  I half expected these scones to be rather dry and bland, but they were not.  I cut them and served them right out of the oven with a bit of butter for a Sunday brunch.  They were lightly sweet and very tasty.  Next time, I will most likely cut the salt back to a ½ teaspoon, but other than that I think they are perfect.  I will definitely make these scones again.

 

I think pairing these scones with eggs is perfect for breakfast or brunch.  I also think I’d enjoy one with a hot cup of coffee or tea and be just as satisfied.  I hope you will make these sometime.  I sure did enjoy them.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 116

 

After a pretty warm week we cooled down quite a bit and wasn’t too sorry about it.  Normally our super hot weather doesn’t hit until July and August but we got a taste of it a bit early this year.  The less I need to use the A/C the better so I can keep my power bill low, plus I always feel bad for how the hot weather affects my kitties and the chickens.  It will be warming right back up however.  It has been a weird year with our temperatures bouncing up and down like a ping pong ball.

 

It was a great week for me to earn some extra “cash” in the form of gift cards.  First I received the $40 gift card after signing up for my Costco Executive Membership.  The next day I received the $50 gift card for signing up for a Costco Visa card which also has my membership card on the back.  The next day I received the $20 Kroger gift card I had earned after the May bus riding challenge I had signed up for and completed.  After that I redeemed my Fetch rewards points that I earned over the past year which included 20,000 bonus points for scanning my receipt from buying my Costco membership and received another $25 Kroger gift card.  Not a bad haul at all!

 

I harvested all of the garlic from my garden and then laid it out in the garage to cure.  It is a small harvest, but I’m thrilled with it.  I feel like I planted the right amount for one person.  It is definitely something I’d like to plant again in the fall.  In the meantime I’ll need to collect more rabbit poo (that shouldn’t be a problem) to add to the soil as I understand garlic are heavy feeders and will deplete your soil if you don’t amend it.

 

I finished the rest of my grocery shopping last week

I was able to get outside and finish cutting up the dead limb I had removed from my maple tree and got it ready for the garbage man to pick up.  My poor tree has a few more dead branches I need to remove so I’ll be working on that project for a while.  I’m taking it a little bit at a time.

 

My little collection of freezer meals for the weeks ahead

Lately I’ve gotten back into the habit of meal prepping on Sundays once again and setting up my meals for the week ahead.  It has become very handy to have it all lined out and in the refrigerator ready for me to reheat when I get home.  Since I am still riding the bus most of the time and doing so much walking I’m usually pretty hungry and ready to eat once I make it back home.  Let me know if you have an interest in some more detailed posts of my meal preps.

 

The quiche was so good!

Meals I Prepared: 

I began the week finishing up the leftovers from the previous week.  I still had a lasagna and asparagus meal as well as a hot dog and some mac & cheese left.  Then I used up another sauce packet from the pantry to make a little bit of a pasta alfredo which I paired with shrimp from the freezer that I made into a delicious scampi.  The alfredo sauce was absolutely gross so I ended up giving the pasta to the chickens.  They enjoyed it, but I sure did not.  I guess not everything can be a culinary success.

 

I was not impressed by the sauce mix,
however the rice was very good

The scampi was quite nice

I had a store brand rice a roni box in the pantry to use up so I made it adding an extra ¼ cup of rice to the mix as well as an extra ½ cup of water.   I find it can be too salty otherwise and it also will stretch it out for an extra meal.  I then heated up a pint jar of pork roast in broth,  added a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth and put it over the rice.  I put away three servings into the freezer for later and the other two into the refrigerator which I ate last week.  It was surprisingly good. 

Last year's harvest

I had a quart bag of sliced strawberries and a quart bag of sliced rhubarb that I’d put away last summer.  Both of those needed to be used up so I decided to make a strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert to go with Sunday dinner and it was fantastic!  A friend brought over vanilla ice cream to go with the pie.

 

It had been a good long while since I'd baked a pie

Since I was baking I went ahead and made two small quiches with grated zucchini and carrot I had put away in the freezer last summer, some dehydrated onion, as well as some diced ham I had put in the freezer at Christmastime and some grated cheddar cheese.  I baked one for Sunday brunch and put the other one unbaked in the freezer to enjoy later.  Hands down, my favorite meal of the week!

 

I made some wonderful fresh salads

I am so glad I had my meals for the week lined out ahead for me as I ended up sidelined by a migraine.  I even missed a day of work because of it.  I hardly ever get them anymore.  Instead of how I used to get them every other week I now probably only get one a year or so.  With that in mind, and even though they are not much fun, I really have no complaints.  I know from experience it could always be worse and I’m super grateful it isn’t.  NO BAD DAYS!

 

A fun little goodie bag!

There was also a pair of sunglasses I gave to a coworker

I won something!  Tuesday morning I got an email from Valley Regional Transit that I’d won a drawing for a swag bag which they dropped off at my work.  It was a fun array of items that I will be sharing with others.  I also won a free bus pass, but since I don’t need one myself and it is transferable I’ll be gifting that to someone who can use it down at the senior center.

 

How did they know? 😁

I spent the entire day Wednesday just playing.  I have wanted to make myself a new journal specifically for me to use for meal planning, grocery shopping and tracking my LTFS, freezer and pantry inventory.  Pretty much all things food related.  It is turning out so cute and it has been a load of fun to work on.  I’ve been moving my food section from my dayplanner into the new journal and I think it will be very helpful and give me a lot more room to think, plan and stay organized.

 

I began working on a new journal
to track all things food related

After a rather chilly week it has begun to warm right back up again.  It is hard to know from one day to the next what to expect, so I just roll with it.  At least I got a good bit of rain to soak the garden and flowerbeds which is always helpful and appreciated.  How did your week go?

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

I Did Something…

 

Yes I did!  I got myself a Costco membership.  It has been well over fifteen years at least since I’ve last held a membership.  And this time I went all in with the executive membership and their rewards credit card.  So why now?  Well, I came up with several reasons as to why it would be prudent to get one now.

 

A couple months ago I got a postcard offer in the mail from Costco asking me to “come back”.  I did a lot of thinking about this before I pulled the trigger because, let’s face it, this is not an inexpensive membership.  And.  I don’t do a lot of shopping.  So I made a list of all the things I would do at Costco if I had membership and much to my surprised it was a rather lengthy one.

 

This year I need to replace my eyeglasses and to do this at my current eye doctor’s office including the eye exam would cost me a whopping $1000 assuming I reused my eyeglass frames!  What the freak!  That’s a lot of money!  I can accomplish this for less than half the amount at Costco.  This alone makes the membership worth it right off the bat.

 

I remember in the past liking their clothing and finding what they had to offer to be a good value for the money.  I want to add a few pieces to my wardrobe this year.  My last trip to the mall gave me a good idea of what I’d need to spend on clothing as I don’t particularly care to buy my clothes at places like Target or Wal-Mart.  Prices have gone up a lot, but the quality isn’t quite what it used to be in my opinion.

 

I’m looking to replace the tires on my truck this year.  Costco’s tire prices are hard to beat.  Their pharmacy and over the counter medication/vitamin section is extensive.  They have better prices on dairy products that I use on a regular basis like cream for my coffee and cheeses.  I’d like to purchase better quality produce and meats.  They have larger bags of good quality cat food for a better price.  I want to explore their travel services.  Fuel price is the lowest in town.  Rotisserie chicken (need I say more?)!

 

This is totally a want item

The postcard offer included a $40 gift card to use for any shopping I end up doing so that theoretically lowers the overall cost of the membership.  After one year if I do not end up purchasing enough products to get a cash back check sent to me large enough to cover the cost of the membership Costco will “pay me back” the difference and give me a free one year basic membership.  This makes me feel like I am trying this out pretty much risk free.  I also think the rewards points on the Costco credit card are actually better than my current credit card.  We shall see.

 

So I did come up with some really good reasons why it would be a good idea to try out a Costco membership?  I do believe that I have and  I think I’ll make out okay, but the only way to know for sure is to try it.

 

Embracing My Autonomy

 

I am living my best life right now.  And I’m doing it on my own terms.  I find joy in the everyday.  Small things that warm my heart and make me smile.  I love my home, my yard, my kitties and my chickens, even that fluffy little bunny that got left behind.  I enjoy time spent with my friends and time alone with myself.  I walk.  A lot.

 

My choices are mine, my decisions are for me.  I clean my house, do my laundry, feed my animals, take care of my truck, take care of my yard, I pay my bills long before they are due.  I go grocery shopping every once in a while and I prepare myself delicious meals and often I invite others to join me.  Sometimes I bake brownies.  Sometimes I drink wine.  Sometimes I drink martinis.

 

I have a little part time job.  I work for the city.  I work at the senior center and the community center.  I go to work because I want to.  I’ve met a lot of wonderful people and they brighten my days.  My supervisor knows I’m there to have a good time.  I won’t do anything that I find to be stressful.  As soon as this job isn’t fun anymore I will move on, but right now I can’t imagine that day ever happening.  I have thanked my supervisor for hiring me and I tell her I am very happy to be there.  She tells me it is reciprocal.

 

I know there is a lot of ugliness in this world.  The human race is often not very nice to one another.  I care, but not too much.  I just do whatever I can to make my world as pleasant and lovely as I can.  I only do what I want to do.  I am living my best life.  Right now.

 

Vintage Cookery - My Great Grandmother's Macaroni Salad

 

This is definitely the time of year when I like to prepare a variety of salads to go with the main entrée’s I’ve been making.  Sometimes just a salad is a meal for me and my great grandma’s macaroni salad is one of those that really fits the bill.  I hadn’t made this salad in years, but lately it had been on my mind for several weeks and I decided I just needed to go ahead and make it.  The moment I tasted it I was literally flooded with all kinds of good memories of the times this salad was part of a family gathering or event.  Oh my goodness it is so simple and yet so good.  I do know I will not be waiting years to make this again.

 

Macaroni Salad 

1 1/4 cups elbow or salad macaroni

2 Tbs. finely diced onion

2 Tbs. finely diced sweet pickles or sweet relish

2 hard boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 can tuna, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Salt & pepper, to taste 

Cook pasta until just tender (do not overcook), drain and rinse with cold water.  In a large bowl combine all remaining ingredients and mix together.  Add pasta and stir to coat.  Refrigerate for a few hours to all flavors to meld and serve.  Make 6 to 8 servings.

 

A vintage salad belongs in a vintage dish 😊

I cut the original recipe in half but if you need a salad to take to a picnic, potluck or family gathering just double everything and you’ll have a nice sized bowl to take with you.

 

My great grandmother Margaret

Me at about the same age

Although I never had the opportunity to know my great grandmother I do have the privilege of having a few of her cookbooks as well as some of her items that my grandmother had and then passed on to me.  Whenever my grandmother made her recipe for a special occasion, like a holiday or birthday celebration, she would often substitute a can of tiny shrimp for the tuna.

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 115

 

Oh my goodness you guys, what a busy week I just had.  I began with a three day weekend and NO plans, which was very nice.  I haven’t had one of those in quite a while and I thoroughly enjoyed just doing whatever happened to strike my fancy at the time.  I stayed home all three days except for a quick trip to the store for ice cream on Saturday.  Sometimes a girl just needs some ice cream, especially on a hot summer day.

 

Naughty kitty!

On Saturday the weatherman threatened us with a 100° day so I went ahead and installed the A/C unit in my bedroom window three weeks ahead of schedule.  I just can’t sleep well in a hot room.  It didn’t end up getting quite that hot that day, but I’m ready now for when it does.  I’m fortunate in that as long as I keep the upstairs cool the downstairs of my home stays nice and comfortable all summer long.

 

I have been doing quite a bit of planning lately.  I was inspired to do some financial planning after my Social Security statement arrived the week before.  Even though I retired a year earlier than my original plan I am staying right on track, in fact I may be a little bit ahead.  As well as the financial end of things I am making plans for some fun too and I can hardly wait to get started on that.

 

I went through my pantry, restocked a few staple items I was low on using LTFS stock, went through the refrigerator and freezer and came up with a meal plan for the next couple of weeks using up some stuff that has been hanging around a little too long as well as some stuff I don’t want to end up “hanging around”.

 

After discovering I was low on freezer containers (did you know if you drop them out of the freezer onto your foot they will crack?  It’s true.) I went out to the motorhome and stole all of the ones that I had put in there since I obviously wasn’t using them.  Now I am all stocked back up.

 

I downloaded some free digitals for paper crafting

Ways I Saved $$: 

I washed out two gallon sized Ziploc bags to reuse and I stole all the plastic food containers out of the motorhome as a no cost replacement for restocking the house with freezer containers. 

I downloaded FREE digitals for paper crafting and printed them off.  I also downloaded some digital coupons for items I use on a regular basis to my store rewards card.  One of those coupons includes a FREE jar of mayonnaise which just so happens to be an item on my grocery list to add to my LTFS.  I will definitely be using that coupon. 

I took advantage of some sales and promotions on Chewy.com and placed an order for kitty food, both dry kibble and canned pate.  They are picky and will only eat pate style canned food, but pretty much in any flavor so I got them a nice variety.  Now that they are both getting older I got them some better kibble for senior kitties and I am feeding them the canned food more often too.  By choosing the auto ship method I was able to save an additional $10 on this order.  I also got free shipping.  Whoo hoo!

 

Burritos for the freezer - Yum!

Meals I Prepared: 

I made beef and bean burritos using my homemade refried beans and a small package of ground beef from the freezer.  I put away three burritos into the freezer to eat later.  I thawed a package of angus beef hotdogs I purchased last summer and made macaroni & cheese to use up a package of cheese sauce I had in the pantry along with some of my stockpiled macaroni.  I also added a handful of grated cheddar cheese. It was pretty tasty.

 

A mini lasagna

I had a very small lasagna in the freezer that I thawed and “baked” in the microwave. It was enough for three meals last week.  I also made fresh green salads and steamed some asparagus as side dishes.  I had planned to make one more meal, however I ended up with more leftovers than I thought I would.

 

My best day of work so far since I began my little part time job was this past Tuesday when I got to take a group of twelve ladies miniature golfing and then out for lunch afterward.  I was also the bus driver.  We all had so much fun.  I was substituting for a co-worker that was on vacation.  On the way back to the senior center one of the ladies asked me when I learned to drive a bus and I told her “this morning”.  Then I told her I also drive an RV so a mini bus isn’t much different.  In fact, to me, the bus drives exactly the same as Laverne.  I just had to learn how to operate the doors and some of the buttons and I was good to go.  The lady told me I was doing a good job, which I appreciated.  When I got back I told my boss about that, it was pretty funny.  I also told her I’d be willing to do that again anytime she needs me.  It was so awesome.

 

We had a great time!

It was another great week in retirement!  How was your week?

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.