My Tireless Retirement – Week 120

 

We enjoyed another HOT week last week and I spent a great deal of time making sure the animals were well hydrated as well as the garden and my flowerbeds.  It’s what you do this time of year.

 

Despite the heat I did not let that deter me from getting busy early last Saturday morning and canning eighteen pint jars of dry beans.  I was down to my last two jars son I wanted to get some more on the shelf before I ran completely out.  did navy beans, black beans, pinto beans and a combination of black and pinto beans that I like to use for a quick batch of refried beans.  My last batch of refried beans I made I went through really fast and I actually didn’t quite have enough when I needed them to take to a baby shower so I grabbed a jar off the shelf and I was back in business.  A perfect example of why I like to keep home canned beans in the pantry and LTFS.  It feels very nice to have that gap filled in now.

 

Stella loves to help me

On Sunday I was able to tick a few more items off my quarterly housekeeping checklist.  I washed all of my bedding including the mattress pad and pillows.  At the beginning of the year and midway I also like to rotate my mattress, vacuum it really good and clean underneath the bed.  I’ve figured out a good method for me that works well to stand my mattress and box spring on end and lean it against the wall so I can clean underneath the bed without too much effort.

 

In the garage I purged and reorganized my stash of shipping supplies I like to keep on hand.  I reorganized my canning and preserving supplies a little bit while I was out there.  On the way home from work one day I stopped and dropped off my glass recycling.  When I got home both the glass recycling collection bin and my regular one got a good scrubbing with some hot soapy water and then air dried outside.  More items checked off the list.

 

Meals I Prepared: 

I began the week by thawing and baking one of the mini tater tot casseroles I’d meal prepped and put away in the freezer.  I’m not even going to apologize for enjoying every last bit of that thing.  It was good!

 

Next I needed to finish up some leftovers, including the rotisserie chicken I had bought at Costco.  I made myself a chicken sandwich, put some of the chicken away in the freezer for later and used the rest in a pasta salad that was nice and refreshing on a hot summer day.

 

A jar of home canned sloppy joe filling made for an easy meal a few nights and allowed me use up three hamburger buns I had in the fridge.  I toasted the buns, heated up the sloppy joe filling and then enjoyed it along with a little green salad and a few tater tots on the side.

 

I refilled the shampoo and conditioner pump bottles I like to keep in my shower.  Once again the product was so thick I could barely get it squeezed out of the bottles so of course I watered it down to a nice consistency.  The last bottles of shampoo and conditioner ended up lasting me about a year and a half by doing this so I’m definitely not complaining.

 

While I was in refill mode I went ahead and made up another batch of my homemade laundry detergent.  I still had a third of a half gallon jar left from the last batch I made so I dumped it into the new batch and stirred it all up together.  I ended up filling two half gallon Mason jars so I’ll be well set for quite a while.  I then refilled the stain spray bottle and the bleach.  I don’t know why it feels so good to get those little things done around the house, but it sure does.  I always feel so accomplished.  Do you feel that way too?

 

Early Wednesday morning I got up and opened all of the windows downstairs and set the box fan at the back door to blow in the cool air while I whipped up a batch of blueberry muffins and got those all baked up.  I’d been craving muffins (recipe is coming!) for a while so I decided to not let a heat wave deter me, turned on the oven and baked some anyway.  I’m glad I did because they were delicious and I didn’t really heat up the house either.

 

Even when it is hot outside Jack still wants to snuggle

I sure hope you all had a wonderful week.  Take care, stay well hydrated and stay cool! 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

My Freezer Setups For Successful Meal Planning

 

One of the things I really enjoy doing these days is designating an hour or so each weekend to do some meal planning and preparing.  It is super easy to make two or three meals that I can divide up into food storage containers and then have meals for the week ahead as well as meals to freeze for later.

 

Frozen future meals

The freezer attached to my refrigerator is the one I use to store my future meals as well as any open bags of frozen fruits and vegetables or any frozen items I want to make sure I use next time I cook.  I will also use it as my “staging area” and put meats or vegetables I’m planning to use in my next meal prep session.  I often squirrel away any leftover items that I know won’t get consumed before they spoil into the kitchen freezer as well.  In a nutshell, like my refrigerator, this freezer is my short term frozen food storage area.

 

My deep freezer for long term food storage

The deep freezer is where I keep my longer term storage, mainly meats and vegetables.  New stuff comes in and the older items are rotated out for meal prepping.  Through trial and error I’ve been able to come up with a good system now to keep my food fresh and avoid any freezer burn or food waste.  This has been a very important part of my process and one I’ve worked hard to master.

 

I now freeze meats in smaller individual size portions

Every week I take an inventory of my kitchen freezer to make sure I’m using up those items inside within a few months so I don’t end up with a bunch of stuff taking up residence and not being eaten.  I find leftovers and prepped meals just taste better if I used them up in a shorter timeframe so I try not to keep anything in there longer than three months.

 

Meals for one or two people

I take an inventory of the deep freezer about once every three months so I not only know what is in there, but to also make sure I’m rotating and using up the older items before they get a chance to freezer burn.  It also helps me to make sure that what I’m stocking in there is of a reasonable amount so I don’t overbuy things and that I’m not buying any additional items I already have plenty of.

 

I make a lot of mini sized meals now

Downsizing from a family situation to a retirement lifestyle with an empty nest has definitely taken some adjusting, but through trial and error I’ve been able to make those adjustments.  It did take me a couple of years to truly figure it out, but now that I have I’m far less overwhelmed by what I have on hand, I’m only stocking the foods I enjoy eating and have kept my food waste near zero.  In the process I’m also spending a lot less money.  I don’t mind that at all!

 

Are You Worried?

 

With the upcoming election, countries at war as well as civil unrest, inflation and rising consumer debt, skyrocketing housing costs, not to mention our own government’s financial deficits I have heard many people state that they are worried about the future and where we are currently headed.  Some are really scared.  Are you worried as well?

 

I personally am not.  I have reconciled myself to the fact that in the grand scheme of things I have very little to no control over what is to happen.  I just don’t.  The future is completely unknown and it has always been that way.  If you look back in time every decade has given us something to worry about.  Every.  Single.  One.  Some country has always been at war at some point in time.  Crimes are being committed.  People are not very nice to one another on a regular basis.  We face the unexpected event or circumstance.  It’s life.

 

Worrying myself silly isn’t going to help anything, nor is it going to change anything.  Worry isn’t helpful.  All I can do is be the best human being I am capable of being.  Do the best I can to take care of myself.  Prepare as much as I can for “what if”.  Help others as I am able.  Pray.  A lot.  At the end of the day I have to lay my fears and worries at His feet.  He knows what is best for me and will guide me in the right direction.  I truly believe that.

 

Do pay attention to your instincts.  If your spidey senses are tingling or your gut tells you it might be wise to do something like pay off debt, stock up your pantry, buy some toilet paper, repair or replace something you’ve been putting off, then by all means do that.  Add to your emergency fund or if you don’t have one perhaps now is the time to establish one.  Those are the things we can control.

 

And remember, as long as we have enough TP
everything will be just fine 😄

Be positive, be helpful, be supportive and be prepared, but don’t isolate yourself or lose sleep worrying over what might happen.  In most cases what we fear and worry about most of the time never comes to pass anyway.  And if it does and you’ve done all that you can to prepare, then we just have to learn to live with it, just as our ancestors had to do too.  And know, that together we can get through anything.

 

Stretching My Food $$ - Eggs

 

Except for that brief period when they were off the chart crazy expensive, ($7 a dozen! Are you out of your mind?!) eggs pack a lot of nutritional bang for the buck.  Their versatility makes them a great staple item to always have on hand.  I am fortunate in that I have a space to keep hens in my backyard and not only do they provide me with fresh organic eggs, but also loads of entertainment on a daily basis.  I love my girls!

 

I do use them occasionally for baking, but most of my eggs end up in main dishes like scrambles, omelets, breakfast burritos or sandwiches, breakfast hash or my most favorite way – quiche.  I love to prepare many varieties of quiche.  They only use a handful of eggs, three to six, depending on the size of the quiche you want to prepare and you can fill them with so many different things like meat, cheese and/or vegetables making them not only packed full of good fats and nutrients, but also great flavor.  Quiche is a perfect way to use up leftovers too.

 

You can make a quiche in a pie crust or on its own in a buttered baking dish.  I happen to have two mini pie pans that I like to use to make small four serving quiches.  I will line the pans with a pie crust and fill both of them with a single recipe that I split between the two pans.  If I’m meal prepping I can freeze these raw, wrap them in plastic and whenever I’m ready just unwrap and bake them in the oven while they are still frozen.

 

Basic Quiche 

6 eggs

¼ cup heavy cream

½ to 1 cup grated cheese

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper 

In a bowl crack eggs and blend with a fork.  Mix in cream and beat until smooth and light.  Stir in cheese, salt and pepper until well combined.  Pour into a prepared 9”deep  pie crust or well butter deep dish pie pan.  Bake in a preheated 350° degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes until center is set and top is golden brown.  Makes 8 servings.

 

Add ins: 

Sauteed diced onions, peppers, grated zucchini, grated carrot.

Fresh or frozen chopped broccoli or asparagus

Diced ham or crumbled bacon

Browned and drained sausage or ground beef

Finely diced chicken and chopped artichokes

Roasted red peppers or sundried tomatoes

 

This recipe is good for making a nice large quiche, but also two small ones.  I love to make broccoli and cheddar cheese quiche.  One of my favorites is sausage and grated Swiss cheese.  Both of these combinations are so simple, yet really tasty.  Diced ham or bacon with sautéed vegetables, oh my goodness!

 

Hard boiled eggs are great on their own, but also good for making deviled eggs or egg salad.  I chop them and add them to potato or pasta salads, tuna salad, or even fresh green salads for extra boosts of protein.  Club or Cobb salad for the win!  I used hard boiled eggs a lot in my meals.  Good nutrition, still economical and very tasty.  Eggs are still a great value!

 

My Tireless Retirement – Week 119

 

Phew!  We embarked on quite a heat wave this past week, not completely unusual here for July, but hot nonetheless.  I know some people don’t think Idaho gets that hot in the summers, but we sure do.  It started warming up on Sunday and the temperatures just kept climbing.  On Tuesday it reached 108°!  These triple digit temperatures are predicted to continue the next two weeks so I decided to be kind to myself and drive where I need to go rather than ride the bus and walk.  I know I am very blessed to have this option.

 

New organizing bins for the new refrigerator/freezer

On Saturday the new refrigerator I had ordered the week before arrived bright and early in the morning.  I was pretty excited to see it and to know that I’d managed to replace the old one before it had a chance to completely croak and leave my stranded.  It had been leaking water onto the floor with more frequency and in the final week the freezer portion was struggling and running pretty much nonstop trying to stay cold enough.  I always like to run my stuff until the wheels fall off, but I was worried I may have pushed it a bit too far.  The new refrigerator is working like a charm and I’m starting to get used to it.  So far I like it very much.

 

On the top shelf I have a bin for veggies & one for meats and cheeses
On the bottom is the container I use to store my ice cubes & meal preps sit next to it

I'm still figuring this part out - Stay tuned for an update 😄

After the refrigerator delivery I had a few hours for it to run and start cooling before I could put all of my food away so I hopped in the truck and went to Wal-Mart to pick up some organizers for the new fridge.  After choosing and ordering the fridge I had plenty of time to really put some thought into how I wanted to use and organize it.  I picked up four white plastic bins, two for the freezer and two for the refrigerator.  I also selected a container with a snap tight lid for storing ice cubes in so they won’t pick up any funky odors or flavors from the freezer.  Then I got to go home and have fun organizing and putting everything away.  I was in my element!

 

More containers for the refrigerator

My Costco haul!

Tuesday was my day to run errands.  I was up bright and early and started off at the post office and picked up a couple books of stamps before the postage rates increase on the 14^th.  Then back to Wal-Mart to pick up four more organizer bins for the new refrigerator.  Next, I was off to Costco to use one of my gift cards and get myself another pair of pants and a few other things to enjoy, namely a rotisserie chicken.  I have been wanting one of those silly roasted chickens ever since I decided to go ahead and get my new membership.  Two hours later I was able to get back home before the heat of the day really set in.

 

4th Of July leftovers

Meals I Prepared: 

After Independence Day I was loaded in leftovers so that is what I ate throughout the weekend before thawing and reheating a variety of the meals I’d prepped and stashed away in the freezer.  On Tuesday I did enjoy some Costco rotisserie chicken with a nice green salad on the side.  It was the perfect meal on a hot summer day and I was also left with a load of leftovers. 

 

A much anticipated chicken dinner 😘

Wednesday I decided to use up a little bit of leftover tomato sauce in the fridge and turn it into a single serving of tomato basil soup.  I used the liquid I had from rinsing out a quart container of cream so it was like using half and half or whole milk.  While my soup was cooking I made a small batch of tuna salad using up some diced hardboiled egg I had in the fridge along with some of my homemade sweet relish.  It was the perfect accompaniment. 

Not much cooking in my kitchen last week, but as hot as it has been that was a blessing.  I still have leftovers now to work with so that is likely how I’ll be starting off the new week in the kitchen.

 

This was so good - really hit the spot 😋

Most of the week was spent working on little projects inside the house, mainly ticking things off of my quarterly housekeeping checklist, while keeping cool indoors.  I’m super grateful to have my two A/C units upstairs and I’m easily able to keep it nice and cool upstairs.  Downstairs I have a couple box fans set up to move the air around and it feels very nice.

 

Stay cool my friends

I hope you are able to stay cool and well hydrated while the summer heat is peaking.  Do any of you not have air conditioning in your homes and if so how do you manage to beat the heat?  My home was built in 1979 and the way it was constructed we don’t have an option to install central air and heating so I’ve had to get creative.  Fortunately my home is very well insulated and I also have the added benefit of some large shade trees in my yard.  I hope and pray you are all doing well and taking very good care of yourselves.

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

A New Refrigerator

 

If you’ve followed my blog or my old blog for any length of time you know I’ve done some repairs and updates in the past handful of years that have prolonged the life of my refrigerator.  After nearly thirty years, however, the poor old girl had been showing signs recently that she was nearing the end of her life.  Sadly, parts are no longer available anymore for my particular refrigerator making any further repairs nearly impossible so when it started to occasionally spit water onto the floor I knew that the time had come.  Steadily, the plastic parts had become brittle and were starting to fail.  I had fixed all that I could fix.  It was time to replace it.

 

The thicker door on the new one sticks out just as much
as the old one so I'm really glad it doesn't have the handles too

I have been shopping for a refrigerator for several months now.  It never occurred to me when I began that finding a white refrigerator to replace the one I had would end up being so difficult.  If I wanted a stainless steel finish then I’d have tons of options, but white appliances right now are far more limited, which is completely crazy to me.  I personally do not care for the stainless steel appliances, that is just my personal preference, and I definitely didn’t want to feel like I needed to update the stove and dishwasher too just to replace the refrigerator and have all matching appliances in my kitchen (because I do need them to match, that is just how I am).  To me that seemed even crazier.  But, I hung in there and finally made a decision on a simple white refrigerator.

 

I do like the sleek design of the new refrigerator

After much searching and much reflection I realized I don’t need to replace this refrigerator with one that is similar.  My needs have changed and all I truly need right now is a place to store some cold and frozen foods.  I don’t need a water dispenser or an ice maker, in fact I never really used the water dispenser on my current refrigerator and I don’t like the funky taste the ice gets from the ice maker.  In fact, I removed the icemaker last year and added a shelf in its place so I could use ice trays and keep the ice in a covered container because it tastes better.  I also have zero interest in a smart refrigerator or any of that other fancy stuff.

 

It has less cubic feet and yet it seems
much more spacious

Once I had my criteria for a new refrigerator established, and knew what few choices I had as a result, I finally felt ready to make the decision and pull that trigger.  Last week I selected and ordered a simple white LG refrigerator with the freezer on top.  It is also a bit smaller (or so I thought it was) since I don’t need a bigger refrigerator anymore, especially as I don’t need to store as much food inside one now.  Turns out that despite it being a smaller refrigerator it is actually quite a bit roomier than the side by side I used to have.

 

No icemaker this time around, I'm the icemaker now!

I also decided I wanted a refrigerator without handles this time because I have a small galley kitchen and space is at a premium.  On my old refrigerator the handles protruded outward quite a bit.  It may seem like it wouldn’t make that much of a difference but the sleek design of the door on the new refrigerator really does make a difference and it is super easy to keep clean too.  Plus, now the newer refrigerators have much thicker doors to make them more energy efficient.  It sticks out just as far as the old refrigerator did, but had I ordered one with handles it would have stuck out even more.  That would’ve made me crazy, I think.

 

I found this stuck to the underside of the old fridge
It has been a very long time since I've had magnet letters
stuck on the front of the refrigerator 😄

Lastly, but certainly not the least, the new refrigerator was half the price of what it would’ve cost to replace my old one with a similar side by side model with all the bells and whistles.  And it wasn’t on a six week backorder like many of the other options.  Because it is more energy efficient it should also save me some money on my monthly power bill.  Plus, it is shiny and new and I’m having a lot of fun organizing it and figuring out the best way to keep my fresh food and meal preps inside.  That part is still a work in progress.  Also, Bonus!  If I ever decide to buy a frozen pizza it will fit inside the freezer, no problem.

 

I bought some organizers for the new refrigerator/freezer

Who would think a downgrade in appliances would make me so happy.  So what do you think?  Did I make a good decision?  So far, I think that I did.

 

Meal Prepping From The Pantry - #1

 

Last month I picked up a bag of tater tots to do a meal prep I had in mind.  I had this HUGE family size can of cream of mushroom soup that has been in the pantry for ages and was just past its best buy date.  I have no idea when or why I decided to buy this but it needed to go.  What better use than to make tater tot casserole and since I have no idea how to make tater tots myself I bought some.

 

I had loads of leftover ground beef after Memorial Day so I used that as well as some open bags of peas and mixed vegetables, and some milk in the freezer to put together two mini Tater Tot Casseroles.  These are small enough to fit in my toaster oven and each dish contains three servings.

 

Tater Tot Casserole 

Pat 1 pound ground beef into the bottom of a 8 inch baking pan.  Spread one can cream of mushroom soup over the ground beef.  Top with two cups frozen mixed vegetables and gently press into soup with a spatula.  Lay an even layer of tater tots over the top of the casserole.  Bake in a 400° oven for 45 minutes until beef is cooked through, mixture is hot and bubbly and tater tots are crisp.

 

I still had half a can of the mushroom soup left so I browned up the remainder of the ground beef I had left and made up a batch of Hamburger Mushroom Gravy.  This is perfect to put over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

 

Hamburger Mushroom Gravy

Tater Tot Casseroles ready for the freezer

I divided up the gravy into three containers with two servings each for six future meals.  With the tater tot casseroles and the gravy I was able to add twelve easy meals to my freezer in less than thirty minutes, start to finish, including clean up.  I finally got rid of that can of soup and used up a bunch of leftover items I had in the fridge and freezer so they did not go to waste.  I’d say that was a pretty good use of my time and resources.