Everyday, I take the same path from Dominique's pen door to the place where I put her food--under the table on which her Rubbermaid home sits. Some days, she is impatient and jumps and I lose my balance trying to dodge her or I spill her food. I don't fall down; I just stagger a step or two.
Tuesday was no different in the path I took for the seven feet to her food place. However, today she ran around me and jumped up on the table. Her food goes underneath the table. She almost hit me in the face as she jumped and I started to bend. She seemed intent on looking right at me instead of the food that was close enough to her to jump on as I held it.
I turned and talked to her. Beyond her, I could see her egg she laid today. I was so pleased. I have been complaining about not getting eggs since she started laying again. It seemed she wanted me to see the egg. She is a funny chicken. "Look what I did!"
Now, I have breakfast for Wednesday!
.......................................................................
When I was in Walmart, a guy was putting groceries on the shelves. I saw he had many cans of peaches on a rack about chest high. Remember, I was riding in the electric cart.
Sometimes, the employees reset the shelves and remove items and reduce them. Hoping the cling peaches were being reduced, I asked him and reached for one. It was bent on the top rim. I turned it slightly to see if the pop top had been compromised.
As I did so, I could see the pop top was still intact. I could also see a stream of peach juice run over my shoulder and onto my chest. Yes, it was disturbing. What was more disturbing was that I had washed the coat the day before, hung it to dry, and put it on clean 30 minutes before I looked at the peaches....sigh.
The reason I mention this at all is because these easy-open tops with the pull-ring are easily damaged. Plus, they don't store well and sometimes come open after a month or two. Most of mine stay intact, but it takes only one to be very annoying. Maybe jostling a can top is the reason some come loose. We are accustomed to cans of food being able to take the jostling in a bag on the way from the grocery to shelf. It's a problem.
Your turn
Do your chickens or animals of any sort ever seem to want you to see something? Have you ever had the easy-open cans open before you pulled on the ring?
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Bargains
I can only remember some of the great deals I have gotten on groceries. Most were purchased at Walmart with the price-match. Bold price is price at WM.
Starkist tuna $.50/ 5 oz can $.99
black beans, $.50 can $1
green grapes $.99/lb $2.98
Milk $.99/gal. $3.90
apples $.49/lb. $1.49
carrots $.49/2 lb bag $1.49
Milk has been $.99/gallon since Christmas, it seems. One week, though, I had to pay $3.90. This week, for the first time, it is $1.99 at Kroger's. I certainly hope to see more of the $.99 gallons of milk in the future!
I am really enjoying the grapes by the pound. When grapes are expensive and I want them, I usually pull off a little stem to purchase with maybe a dozen grapes. At this low price some of the grapes are frozen on a plate and then transferred to a freezer bag for future sweet, frozen goodness!
I bought ten cans of tuna and 8 cans of black beans. I have developed an affinity for black beans, especially in Mavis taco casserole.
Shopping at Publix is great if you mostly stick to their reduced section. Placemats made from the stuff people use to line drawers were $4 at Publix, reduced to $1. Well, it has the same look. I bought one yellow placemat and cut out four squares to use for jar openers. My rubbery ones for getting a grip on jars have all become hard and slick--no grip. However, the new ones in the store are expensive, so I refused to buy those and just made my own. Since I bought a yellow placemat, I already know I will never find the yellow squares if I place it on my yellow counter! Good deal, Linda, plan better.
Another bargain was getting my hair color with $2 coupons from the paper inserts. For a while there were hair color coupons every week. I am well-stocked! If I could have found it on sale, the savings would have been better.
For help with sleep, I take Melatonin, Natrol brand. I found it at a drugstore I have never been in before for less than I pay at CVS. Plus, they had Hefty cups in my favorite color--pink--and cheaper than I usually pay at WM. Now, there are two bottles of Melatonin waiting for me when I run out of what I have open. The ad in our shopper's guide, a free paper that only carries ads and "for sale" items alerted me to that deal.
At the food handout that is not dependent on your income, I got lots of vegetables--potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, apples, bananas. Some days, there is a jar of peanut butter or cans of food. Maybe there was more but I cannot remember. What is available each time is different except for the bag of beans and bag of rice. At this place, there is no sign-in. At the church during lunch, lots of people who have plenty talked about how they come by and get their bag of beans and rice and other foods.
Since J helped me clean out the freezer, it is reorganized, revealing meat I can eat--meat I need to eat. It has been hard, but I have not purchased meat, no matter the deal. As for cleaning out the freezer, it takes two people since one person needs to hold back the avalanche of frozen chunks of meat. They really hurt when they fall on my feet and toes. At this point, I can shuffle things about in the freezer without fear! So, no meat deals except for the deals I got in the past.
So....that is how food purchases have gone down here.
Your turn
Has anyone found fantastic milk prices? What kinds of great deals have you found lately? Do you find the items I listed and purchase them more cheaply, getting a better deal?
Starkist tuna $.50/ 5 oz can $.99
black beans, $.50 can $1
green grapes $.99/lb $2.98
Milk $.99/gal. $3.90
apples $.49/lb. $1.49
carrots $.49/2 lb bag $1.49
Milk has been $.99/gallon since Christmas, it seems. One week, though, I had to pay $3.90. This week, for the first time, it is $1.99 at Kroger's. I certainly hope to see more of the $.99 gallons of milk in the future!
I am really enjoying the grapes by the pound. When grapes are expensive and I want them, I usually pull off a little stem to purchase with maybe a dozen grapes. At this low price some of the grapes are frozen on a plate and then transferred to a freezer bag for future sweet, frozen goodness!
I bought ten cans of tuna and 8 cans of black beans. I have developed an affinity for black beans, especially in Mavis taco casserole.
Shopping at Publix is great if you mostly stick to their reduced section. Placemats made from the stuff people use to line drawers were $4 at Publix, reduced to $1. Well, it has the same look. I bought one yellow placemat and cut out four squares to use for jar openers. My rubbery ones for getting a grip on jars have all become hard and slick--no grip. However, the new ones in the store are expensive, so I refused to buy those and just made my own. Since I bought a yellow placemat, I already know I will never find the yellow squares if I place it on my yellow counter! Good deal, Linda, plan better.
Another bargain was getting my hair color with $2 coupons from the paper inserts. For a while there were hair color coupons every week. I am well-stocked! If I could have found it on sale, the savings would have been better.
For help with sleep, I take Melatonin, Natrol brand. I found it at a drugstore I have never been in before for less than I pay at CVS. Plus, they had Hefty cups in my favorite color--pink--and cheaper than I usually pay at WM. Now, there are two bottles of Melatonin waiting for me when I run out of what I have open. The ad in our shopper's guide, a free paper that only carries ads and "for sale" items alerted me to that deal.
At the food handout that is not dependent on your income, I got lots of vegetables--potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, apples, bananas. Some days, there is a jar of peanut butter or cans of food. Maybe there was more but I cannot remember. What is available each time is different except for the bag of beans and bag of rice. At this place, there is no sign-in. At the church during lunch, lots of people who have plenty talked about how they come by and get their bag of beans and rice and other foods.
Since J helped me clean out the freezer, it is reorganized, revealing meat I can eat--meat I need to eat. It has been hard, but I have not purchased meat, no matter the deal. As for cleaning out the freezer, it takes two people since one person needs to hold back the avalanche of frozen chunks of meat. They really hurt when they fall on my feet and toes. At this point, I can shuffle things about in the freezer without fear! So, no meat deals except for the deals I got in the past.
So....that is how food purchases have gone down here.
Your turn
Has anyone found fantastic milk prices? What kinds of great deals have you found lately? Do you find the items I listed and purchase them more cheaply, getting a better deal?
Monday, March 13, 2017
Okra Snack
I really hate okra. However, I dehydrated okra and Roma tomatoes to enter in the fair. I won a blue ribbon. That was two years ago. Still, I was stuck with the pint of okra and tomatoes since no one would take them. People were confused about the fact they were dehydrated or either hated okra. So, two years later, they were still here.
Finally, I took a piece and bit it to see if it was like chewing rocks. It crunched nicely and still tasted and smelled like the detestable seed pod it is. Since these are sliced like you would slice it for frying, the pieces are popcorn sized, just right for snacking.
One day, I asked exbf if he wanted to try it for a snack. I dumped the contents of the pint jar into a freezer bag and sent it home with him. After a month, he tasted it and gave me an opinion.
"It tastes delicious, just like fried okra!"
Now, I have something to do with okra offered to me rather than fry it for him. I am not sure if it gets slimy when chewed or not.
If you have a dehydrator and okra, you can make a snack that has no oil and no salt. I suppose if you don't like the taste, you can always put a seasoning that is not salty on the crunchy nuggets. Maybe without the slime, okra will be a new favorite snack at your house.
As for me, the taste and smell are inextricably tied to slime, so, no, I won't be eating any okra snacks. I spit out the one bite I took to feel the texture.
Maybe I will dehydrate another pint of okra and Roma tomatoes as a snack ready for anyone or ready to take to a gathering. By the way, I dehydrate the okra separate from the tomatoes and mix together. You could dehydrate them at the same time if you have them available at the same time.
Your turn
Do you think dehydrated okra might be a hit at your house? Do you like okra in any form? Anyone growing okra?
Finally, I took a piece and bit it to see if it was like chewing rocks. It crunched nicely and still tasted and smelled like the detestable seed pod it is. Since these are sliced like you would slice it for frying, the pieces are popcorn sized, just right for snacking.
One day, I asked exbf if he wanted to try it for a snack. I dumped the contents of the pint jar into a freezer bag and sent it home with him. After a month, he tasted it and gave me an opinion.
"It tastes delicious, just like fried okra!"
Now, I have something to do with okra offered to me rather than fry it for him. I am not sure if it gets slimy when chewed or not.
If you have a dehydrator and okra, you can make a snack that has no oil and no salt. I suppose if you don't like the taste, you can always put a seasoning that is not salty on the crunchy nuggets. Maybe without the slime, okra will be a new favorite snack at your house.
As for me, the taste and smell are inextricably tied to slime, so, no, I won't be eating any okra snacks. I spit out the one bite I took to feel the texture.
Maybe I will dehydrate another pint of okra and Roma tomatoes as a snack ready for anyone or ready to take to a gathering. By the way, I dehydrate the okra separate from the tomatoes and mix together. You could dehydrate them at the same time if you have them available at the same time.
Your turn
Do you think dehydrated okra might be a hit at your house? Do you like okra in any form? Anyone growing okra?
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Dominique Needs a Friend or Six
Dominique is not a very good layer. She laid about 12 eggs in February and quit. I need more hens. Since I like to raise them from chicks, now is the time to get more babies.
I am torn between getting them from a local store or getting them from a farmer. My first ten were from the farmer. All those were mutts. The one from the local store are breeds.
Maybe I will wait until the warm up this next weekend. For sure, I have to get set up for them. When they start laying this fall, I may get rid of Dominique. Why?
She is not trained and does not know where she can go and where she cannot. Yes, you can train chickens to stay in the yard.
When chicks are little, I like to let them free range for 30 minutes and then lure them back to their pen with food. My high-pitched "Delilah" call means food. With Dominique out, she might lead them away or not obey the call to come into the pen.
They won't be put out when tiny, but sooner than usual. I have not seen any chicken hawks around here, but in other parts of town I do. After they got three cats and my two hens, the pickings were slim around here!
Okay, so maybe she won't have friends for long.
I know older hens teach chicks what to do and how far they can go. However, Dominique has never been allowed to free range since she came here. I was too afraid of hawks and where she would go. I am not capable of chasing chickens around other people's yards.
Your turn
Do you like getting new chicks to add to your older chickens? Or, do you want to start over with all new chicks? Do you have a routine that you want your new chicks to learn without them following an untrained hen? Maybe you can extrapolate these concepts to other animals you have.
I am torn between getting them from a local store or getting them from a farmer. My first ten were from the farmer. All those were mutts. The one from the local store are breeds.
Maybe I will wait until the warm up this next weekend. For sure, I have to get set up for them. When they start laying this fall, I may get rid of Dominique. Why?
She is not trained and does not know where she can go and where she cannot. Yes, you can train chickens to stay in the yard.
When chicks are little, I like to let them free range for 30 minutes and then lure them back to their pen with food. My high-pitched "Delilah" call means food. With Dominique out, she might lead them away or not obey the call to come into the pen.
They won't be put out when tiny, but sooner than usual. I have not seen any chicken hawks around here, but in other parts of town I do. After they got three cats and my two hens, the pickings were slim around here!
Okay, so maybe she won't have friends for long.
I know older hens teach chicks what to do and how far they can go. However, Dominique has never been allowed to free range since she came here. I was too afraid of hawks and where she would go. I am not capable of chasing chickens around other people's yards.
Your turn
Do you like getting new chicks to add to your older chickens? Or, do you want to start over with all new chicks? Do you have a routine that you want your new chicks to learn without them following an untrained hen? Maybe you can extrapolate these concepts to other animals you have.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Colder than I thought
When I got into my blog tonight, I stated it was low 50s. My friend who was helping me read what I wrote. He said he thought it must be low 30s. He was right. I was 35 F and raining. It's miserable after 70s this last week and using the ac. There could be snow just north of here. Just our luck, it will be knee-deep tomorrow.
This loaner computer has a very difficult left click key. I now have a Logitech wireless mouse--RED. I thought I was going to lose the use of my index fingers for a while. I had continual pain in that finger and my whole hand was aching all the time. After one day with a wireless mouse, the pain was subsiding. Now, there is no pain at all.
Since I lie down when I type, I just use the mouse on my chest. On a sweatshirt, that works great, but with a blouse or nightgown with buttons, gathers, or seams, I have to arrange the fabric so it lies flat.
My friend, Charlie, swears by his wireless mouse with his laptop. He hates the mousepad on a laptop. Now, I understand.
Your turn
Is it snowing at your place? Cold? Have you ever used a wireless mouse with your laptop?
This loaner computer has a very difficult left click key. I now have a Logitech wireless mouse--RED. I thought I was going to lose the use of my index fingers for a while. I had continual pain in that finger and my whole hand was aching all the time. After one day with a wireless mouse, the pain was subsiding. Now, there is no pain at all.
Since I lie down when I type, I just use the mouse on my chest. On a sweatshirt, that works great, but with a blouse or nightgown with buttons, gathers, or seams, I have to arrange the fabric so it lies flat.
My friend, Charlie, swears by his wireless mouse with his laptop. He hates the mousepad on a laptop. Now, I understand.
Your turn
Is it snowing at your place? Cold? Have you ever used a wireless mouse with your laptop?
Let's see if this works!
Okay, I think I am back on track. The guy who helped me last time by fixing it is meeting me here at McD. Hopefully, I solved this by myself.
After a week of 70 F, tonight it is soooo cold, low 50 F, I believe right now at 10 pm.
I am going to log off and see if I can get back in with this new password.
After a week of 70 F, tonight it is soooo cold, low 50 F, I believe right now at 10 pm.
I am going to log off and see if I can get back in with this new password.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)