Wednesday, June 3, 2026

June Meal Planning - Week 1

 

A Dinner Last Week: Breaded Shrimp, Garlic
Bread, Broccoli, Cucumher Salad

A new month and a new start to my weekly meal planning.  As most of you know, my meal planning is very flexible and the meal plans tend to be more of a list of options than anything else.  But, knowing I have options is helpful and is, actually, a blessing because there are others who have little to no options.

Here is this week's list of meal plan options:

Brunches:  Milkrice with seeni sambol and/or jaggery (Monday, June 1);  Tuna salad sandwiches, Scrambled eggs with sausages and toast; Pancakes with sausages and peaches (and syrup); Boiled mung beans with lunu miris; Peanut butter toast; leftovers

Dinners: Smoked Sausage stirfry with broccoli, carrots, and walnuts over rice (Monday & Tuesday); Baked Chicken drumsticks with cucumber salad, broccoli, and corn;  Hamburgers; Salmon (need to buy) with rice and green beans; Leftovers.  

Snacks/Desserts: Fresh fruit; Assorted nuts; Cookies; Crackers with tuna salad or peanut butter; Avocado pudding; muffins

Meal plan options are subject to change and that's fine, too.  

As always, I am grateful to be able to have a variety of meals.

Are you meal planning this week?

Monday, June 1, 2026

May Monthly Photo Challenge: Cutlery

The monthly photo challenge is hosted by Eileen and the theme for May was Cutlery.  

Here are my photos of cutlery with some help from my daughter !

Daughter's Pokemon Cafe Souvenir Fork


Daughter's Fork Sculpture



Reflections



Spoon Flower



Another Spoon Flower (Souvenir Spoons from Sri Lanka)



Butterfly (Headed for the Spoon Flowers?)



Holding a Slice of Peach


Thank you for hosting the monthly photo challenge, Eileen.  Looking forward to June's theme.

May Grocery Shopping - Part 3

 It's the end of May and I debated if I should wait until June officially started to order groceries but, recently, sale items I had wanted have been going out of stock by the time I get around to ordering them, so I decided to go ahead and order groceries and borrow from June's grocery budget as needed.

I ordered the groceries on Saturday and they were delivered on Sunday.  They were mostly stock up items and I am happy that everything I ordered was available.

I wasn't feeling very well on Sunday when the groceries were delivered, so, I left daughter to put everything away for me.  As a result, there isn't a picture to share, but, here's the receipt:


Order Summary

Original Item Total$81.14
Item Coupons/Sales-$26.74
Fulfillment Fee+$0.00
Other Fees+$0.40
Sales Tax+$1.17
Order Total$55.97

Item Details

20 Items

Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Bottled Water, 16.9 fl. oz.$7.98
2 x $3.99 $7.49 each
CA Redem Val$0.20
2 x $0.10 each
CA Redem Val$2.40
2 x $1.20 each
English Cucumber, 1 ct$1.25
1 x $1.25 $1.99 each
Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds Cereal - 12 oz, 12 oz$3.98
2 x $1.99 $4.79 each
Kleenex® Trusted Care® Facial Tissues, 4 Flat Boxes, 160 Tissues per Box, 2-Ply, 4 pk / 160 ct$11.98
2 x $5.99 $10.99 each (non-grocery item)
Kroger® 100% Apple Juice, 64 fl oz$2.98
2 x $1.49 $3.19 each
Kroger® Baking Powder, 8.1 oz$2.99
1 x $2.99 each
Kroger® Cage Free Grade AA Large White Eggs, 18 ct$3.99
1 x $3.99 each
Kroger® Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix, 32 oz$3.49
1 x $3.49 each
Kroger® Sweetened Condensed Milk, 14 oz$13.16
4 x $3.29 each

Other Fees

$0.40

Bag Fee$0.40
4 x $0.10 each

I spent a total of $55.97, of which $11.98 and $1.17 sales tax were for the facial tissues, which don't come from my grocery budget (I was down to one box of facial tissues, so needed to stock up; the brand name tissues were on sale and cheaper than the same amount of store brand tissues).

So the amount spent on groceries was $55.97 - $11.98 - $1.17 = $42.82

I had $16.69 left in my May grocery budget, so the amount I borrowed from June's grocery budget = $26.13.

The bottled water is part of my emergency supplies.  We generally don't drink bottled water on a daily basis and take refillable bottles with us when we go out.  But, I keep small bottles of water for emergencies and also to offer technicians, etc., when they come to work on things in the house.  I was down to my last three bottles of water and was anxious to replenish my supplies.  I also keep gallon sized bottles of water, too, for longer term emergency use.  The standard is a gallon a day per person (plus more if you have pets) and a minimum 3 day supply.  The name brand bottled water was on sale and the same price as the store brand bottled water which I had listed as a substitute (two previous attempts to get the store brand water failed due to them being out of stock).

June's grocery budget (for food items only) will be $250 - $26.13 = $223.87

How did you do with your May grocery spending?  

Friday, May 29, 2026

Daughter's Craft Project: An Activity Book

 

Front Cover

My daughter has been busy making a gift for her friend's son who is celebrating his 1st birthday.  She decided to make him an activity book, based on ideas she got from various internet sites.  She used felt and hand stitched everything.

Shall we take a look inside?

Page 1: Hen

The hen's wing can be lifted to reveal what's hidden underneath:

Baby Chicks in Their Egg Shells!

Movable Baby Chicks and Butterfly

The baby chicks come out of their egg shells and the butterfly can fly around, too.  Daughter used velcro stickers for the butterfly and some of the other movable items on the following pages.


Pages 2 and 3

Birds in their birdhouses and vegetables growing in the garden, with a little visitor hiding in the cabbage.


Movable Birds, Bunny, and Vegetables

The birds' wings are sewn on separately, so they can "fly" and the baby chicks (on the previous page) and the bunny, carrots, and beets are very lightly stuffed.

Pages 4 and 5

Hippo on page 4 is ready to help Baby Leon learn good dental hygiene.  Open wide, Hippo!


Hippo Opens Mouth to Reveal Four Teeth



Movable Toothbrush and Tube of Toothpaste and Birthday Cake

And of course, there has to be a birthday cake which can be taken apart and put back together!

Birthday Card

Daughter mailed the package containing the activity book and card at the beginning of the week and it was delivered, today.   Happy 1st Birthday, Leon!

Adding to the Stash

 

Yarn from Neighbor S's Mother L

Neighbor S called me the other evening and asked me if I wanted some yarn that her mother L didn't want anymore.  I can never say no to free yarn, so, of course, I said yes!  I guess her mother was clearing out her stash!  Daughter and I were happy to add the yarn to our stash!  S brought the yarn over on Wednesday night and I sorted through the yarn on Thursday.  There were some unfinished projects, as well, including a single knitted sleeve and what might have been the start of a crocheted blanket.  As far as I can tell, the yarn is all acrylic, so machine washable and dryable.  My first thought was we could make a blanket while daughter thought she could use them for her amigurumi and other craft projects.  I think I will be able to knit a couple of pairs of socks with some of the yarn.  It will be fun to plan how we'll use the yarn.

In addition to the yarn, there were some sewing supplies, as well.  Mostly elastics and cords of various lengths, and a piece of black fabric:

Sewing Supplies

I will be adding them to the stash, too!  

I messaged L to thank her for the gift of yarn and sewing supplies.  I am excited to get started on a knitting project!

I am grateful for:

- The gift of yarn and sewing supplies from L
- Neighbor S bringing me the yarn and other items

Thursday, May 28, 2026

MidWeek Catch-Up

 

Stumpery on Wednesday, May 27, 2026

I was happy to see the scaredy cat plant flowering among the stumps in the stumpery this morning. 

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and are having a good start to this last week in May.  Time sure goes by quickly, doesn't it?  I didn't realize i hadn't posted after the grocery delivery post on Saturday!

Time for a quick catch up, I think. 

On Saturday, after the groceries were delivered and I put things away, I made a quick trip to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription my oncologist had called in and was ready for pick up.  I used my Extra Care bucks to pick up two boxes of granola bars that were on sale for $1.99 per box.

After I came home, I picked more peaches.  Later, my daughter joined me and we picked most of the rest of the peaches that were on the tree. We left about half a dozen peaches on the highest branches for the birds to enjoy.  Thank you, peach tree; you blessed us with an abundance of peaches, this year.  

Daughter peeled and sliced the majority of the peaches we picked and I froze three bags of peaches, with six cups of sliced peaches in each, for making jam, etc., later on.  Daughter also ordered more canning jars and new lids for jars that I will be reusing, so I have plenty of supplies for future batches of jam and chutney.  

Neighbor S had asked if the guests attending her husband's birthday party could park in my driveway and I had said yes.  Later on Saturday evening, she brought us dinner and dessert:

Saturday Dinner Compliments of Neighbor S

I gave her some freshly picked peaches in return; about half an hour later, she called me to ask, very apologetically, if it would be possible for her to have just one more peach!  Apparently, she shared the peaches with her guests and one guest didn't get any!  Of course, I gave her about eight more peaches, not just one, and she was very happy.  I also set aside another dozen or so peaches to give my friend R.

I made a compote with some of the peaches, after dinner, and baked a tray of chicken drumsticks to have over the week.

On Sunday, I did a little housework, dusting and vacuuming the living room and doing a load of laundry.  Friend R called to say that a package she had ordered had been delivered to my address and could I keep it for her.  I told her I could bring it to her in the evening, along with some peaches, but, she said she will come on Monday to collect it.  Later, neighbor S called to ask if she could borrow my recycling bin as she had more items than could fit into her bin, so I told her she could borrow it.  

We had leftovers from Saturday's dinner for brunch on Sunday and for Sunday dinner, I cooked hamburgers using one of the packages of frozen hamburger patties I had bought.  I cooked the whole package (8 patties) so we could have them for brunches during the week.


Purple Daylily


Monday was Memorial Day.  Friend R messaged me in the morning saying she was not able to come to pick up the package and she was expecting more packages to be delivered on Tuesday, so could she come on Tuesday, instead?  I said that daughter will be working, but, Tuesday would be fine.

We had a relaxed day on Monday.  I made waffles for brunch and we had that with bacon and peach compote.  I watered the garden, picked blueberries, and put away the laundry I had done on Sunday.  Later in the evening, daughter's friends V and A came over for a visit.  V spent the evening to play board games with daughter while A mostly came to drop off some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies she had baked!  Daughter shared the cookies with me and they were delicious.  

Monday Brunch

Tuesday was an overcast, cool day with the highs in the mid 60s.  I brought in the emptied trash cans, checked on the front garden, and was greetedwith a hug by one of my young neighbors who lives with her parents and younger sister in a rental unit a couple of doors down (she's a very friendly, outgoing teenager) which totally made my day.  At noon, daughter took a lunch break from work and I accompanied her when she went to the post office to mail a package to one of her friends.  

I made a version of a Sri Lankan street food known as "kottu roti" for brunch.  The traditional kottu rotiis made with a type of leftover Sri Lankan flat bread or roti.  I used Armenian lavash bread that neighbor S had given instead of the more traditional roti and added onions, shredded cabbage, leftover chicken curry, etc. to make my kottu roti.  

I had been expecting friend R to come in the afternoon, but, she messaged me to say she will come on Wednesday, instead.  

Later in the afternoon/early evening, I made a batch of blueberry muffins, in part to have with our tea and in part so that the oven could warm up the house a bit.  

In the evening, daughter went to do her gymnastics and I went with her for the ride.  I stayed in the car and read while she was at the gym and after it got too dark to read, I spent a little time praying and people watching while I waited for my daughter.  After we came home, we had leftovers for dinner and cookies for dessert.

Bread Roll with Spinach, Mushrooms, & Cheese Filling


On Wednesday, it was mostly sunny, but, still on the cooler side, with a high of only 63F.  Friend R messaged that she will be arriving around 1:30 p.m. and when she came, she brought some bread rolls with a spinach,mushrooms, and cheese filling from a nearby bakery.  Daughter was working and in a meeting, so she didn't join us, but, R and I enjoyed the bread rolls as well as some of the blueberry muffins and the drop biscuits with chives that I had baked earlier and a cup of tea. 

Gardener friend M arrived, too, as Wednesdays are one of his regular days, and he brought me a six pack of corn seedlings to plant in the garden.  There were more than six seedlings, however, so he planted out all the seedlings and watered the garden.  He, too, enjoyed the chive drop biscuits and the blueberry muffins I served him.  I gave R a tour of the garden and picked her some curry leaves to take with her.  

Daughter enjoyed her bread roll after she finished work.   I cooked sauteed green beans in the evening and daughter had rice, dhal, and green beans for dinner, with chutney.  I had half a leftover hambutger and strawberries for dessert.

I didn't make a meal plan as such, this week, other than baked chicken drumsticks and hamburgers as the main entrees.  I will probably make some fried rice for brunch on Thursday, and there is a loaf of "bake at home"  garlic bread that neighbor S brought over on Saturday, so I might make some pasta for dinner on Thursday night to have with the garlic bread.  

This week, I am grateful for:
- This year's peach harvest
- Neighbor S bringing us dinner on Saturday
- Friend R's visit on Wednesday
- M's help with the garden
- Daughter's help with the peaches
- The sound of laughter as daughter and her friends visited 
- Sharing and exchanging gifts of food with friends and neighbors
- Blueberries from the garden
- Working appliances
- The availability of medications
- Being able to help out a neighbor with parking and lending her my recycling bin

I am a bit behind with my blog reading.  I plan to catch up, on Thursday.

How has your week been?  Hope everyone is keeping well.

Sunday, May 24, 2026

May Groceries - Part 2

May 23 Groceries

I received my grocery order on Saturday afternoon.  The store was apparently out of a few things I had ordered (salmon on sale and bottled water on sale) and I had specified no substitutions.  But, I received most of the items I wanted, including the basics and some extras, so it worked out well enough.

I bought bread, hamburger buns, milk, half & half, chicken, frozen burger patties, a bottle of salad dressing, a seedless watermelon, strawberries, and, not shown in the picture above, bottles of sparkling water.  I shopped the week's specials and used coupons to the extent possible.  The strawberries, for example, were on sale for $3.99 for a 2-lb. container.  In addition, I had a coupon for $0.80 off on the purchase of two 2-lb. containers, which brought the price per container down to $3.59.  As a result, I was able to buy two containers of strawberries for under what one container would have cost if I had paid full price (which was $7.99/2 lb. container).  

Here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$102.07
Item Coupons/Sales-$38.89
Fulfillment Fee+$0.00
Other Fees+$0.40
Sales Tax+$1.45
Order Total$65.03

Item Details

43 Items

CA Redem Val$0.80
16 x $0.05 each
Fresh Strawberries - 2 LB Clamshell, 2 lb$7.18
2 x $3.59 $7.99 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$4.00
Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.80
Item Coupon/Sale: -$4.00
Kraft Classic Catalina French Salad Dressing, 16 fo$1.79
1 x $1.79 $4.99 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00
Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.20
Kroger® 100% Pure Beef Quarter Pound Burgers, 8 ct / 32 oz$15.98
2 x $7.99 $12.49 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.50
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.50
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00
Kroger® Fresh Uncooked Chicken Drumsticks, 4.5 lb$5.00
1 x $5.00 each
Kroger® Half and Half Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$5.79
1 x $5.79 each
Kroger® Whole Vitamin D Milk 32 fl. oz. Bottle, 1 qt$2.59
1 x $2.59 each
Seedless Whole Watermelon, 1 ct$5.99
1 x $5.99 $7.99 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$2.00
Sparkling Ice® Pink Grapefruit Flavored Sparkling Bottled Water, 17 fl oz$0.88
1 x $0.88 $1.66 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.78
Sparkling Ice® Pink Grapefruit Flavored Sparkling Bottled Water, 17 fl oz$13.20
15 x $0.88 $1.67 each
Western Hearth® 7 Multigrain Bread, 24 oz$1.99
1 x $1.99 $3.29 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.30
Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00
Western Hearth® Brioche Sandwich Buns, 8 ct / 24 oz$1.99
1 x $1.99 $3.99 each
Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00
Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

Other Fees

$0.40

Bag Fee$0.40
4 x $0.10 each


My total came to $65.03

I had $81.72 left in my May grocery budget after my previous grocery purchases on May 18

Balance left in the May grocery budget = $81.72 - $65.03 = $16.69

There is another week left in the month, but, I don't anticipate ordering more groceries next week.  So, the $16.69 will be carried forward to June.  

As always, I am grateful for:

- The availability of groceries
- Being able to order groceries on-line and have them delivered
- The occasional deals to offset the increasingly higher prices
- Being able to stock up on a couple of items
- The occasional splurges

How are you coming along with your grocery shopping this month?  Are you finding some good deals?