Peaches!

The First Peaches

I picked the first peaches from my tree today.  This is an early ripening variety of freestone peach, with the peaches ripening well before the heat of our summer burns them up.  But, this might be the earliest I've picked them as I am trying to get to them before the birds get to them!  This year's peaches are small in size, but, they are a blessing and I am grateful to have them.

According to a news article I read a couple of days ago, peach farmers in California are considering destroying about 3,000 acres planted with peaches, amounting to some 420,000 clingstone peach trees, because a certain well-known canned fruit company closed its canneries in California, in March of this year, and cancelled more than $550 million in long term contracts with the farmers.  The company had filed for bankruptcy last year, in July 2025, due in part to changing consumer habits as more people preferred fresh fruits and vegetable over canned and in part due to rising manufacturing costs.  

Fresh Peaches

I agree that there's nothing quite as good as freshly picked peaches, especially when they are from your own tree and still warm from the sun.  

According to the news article, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $9 million dollars in aid to the peach growers to help them destroy the peach trees and transition from growing peaches to other fruits and/or nuts.  Which is something, I suppose. 

I am guilty of not buying a lot of canned fruits and vegetables for daily consumption, but, I do like to have canned items in the pantry for emergencies.  The thought that canned goods might become scarce due to manufacturers going out of business is a bit sobering.  We can no longer take it for granted that the stores will always have canned fruit available whenever we want to buy some.

We will definitely enjoy our fresh peaches in the coming days and weeks.  And I will try to can and preserve some of them to enjoy later.

Yum!

 Today, I am grateful for:

- Fresh peaches from the garden

Wednesday

Front of Shelf Unit

Side View

My daughter has finished "papering" her shelving unit.  She only had a small amount of white acrylic paint, which wouldn't have been enough to cover the cardboard, so she used printer paper to paper the sides and top of her shelving unit and to cover the raw edges of the front.  She is going to leave the insides of the boxes as they are.  She is not sure if she will decorate the sides and the top of the unit (maybe paint some anime characters or some cherry blossoms), but, for now, the unit is done!  

Today has been another warm day.  Hot enough for me to turn on the ceiling fan in the family room in the afternoon!  

Today's big achievement was unpacking and putting away all the recent grocery and household supplies deliveries!  I also changed the sofa cover sheets and did a load of laundry.  Everything was hung up to dry; I will put them away before I go to bed.  I also did a load of dishes which need to be put away, too.  

Cousin V called while I was doing dishes.  She said that after seeing me online at yesterday's prayer gathering, they were trying to decide if I had got bored with staying at home and colored my hair!  LOL.  My family, who all color their hair, can't get over the fact that I refuse to color my hair and have been at me to color it for at least the past 15 years!  I am fine with going grey, naturally.  Showing my age doesn't bother me at all!  But, when my hair grew back after the cancer treatments, it grew back with less grey in it than before!  So, I guess, on the computer screen, my hair appeared even darker?

Today, I am grateful for:

- Video chatting with my daughter

- Working appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, fans, etc.)

- Being able to stock up my pantry

- Chatting with cousin V

- Being alive

My joyful activity today was knitting.

Thursday's To Do List:
- Water the garden
- Water the indoor plants
- Sew masks
- Paperwork

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

Earthquake Preparedness on Wednesday

Yesterday's 4.4 earthquake was a good reminder that I live in earthquake country and should be prepared for an emergency.  If a major earthquake is to occur, we are likely to be without electricity, natural gas, running water and sewer service.  Without electricity, most grocery stores will close, gas pumps won't work, credit cards won't work, ATMs won't work, and probably, banks will close, too.  So, I keep some emergency cash on hand and I try to keep the car's gas tank at least half full.  I keep extra boxes of trash bags on hand, to line the toilet, if the water mains are damaged and there is no running water to flush the toilets/or sewers are broken (the trash bags maybe disposed of in a pit dug in the garden, until waste disposal services are restored).  We are supposed to have at least a 3 days supply of food and drinking water, preferably more, and I like to think that I have a well-stocked pantry, but, I checked today, and I saw that there are gaps!  I am all out of canned milk and fruits and I could do with a few more gallons of drinking water!  I have lots of cans of soup, but only one can of garbanzo beans (chick peas), and no peanut butter other than the jar I am currently using.  I also think a box or two of granola bars might be a good thing to have on hand.  So, this weekend, I will go grocery shopping to stock up my pantry with a few essentials.

The pharmacy had texted that my refill was ready for pick up, so I did that, this afternoon.  I also changed the sofa dust covers, lint rollered the sofas and sprayed them with flea spray, just in case, and washed the old dust covers.  I put away the laundry from yesterday, too.

I called aunt C to check on her and cousin P called to say that she took her car to the mechanic and he had told her that the repairs would be costly and probably not worth it given the age of the car and how many miles it has on it.  So, cousin and her daughter will be car shopping, in the near future.  One of the monks from the temple called, too, to check on how I am feeling after last week's procedures.

I also spent some time sewing more patchwork pieces.  Eileen had asked me to post some pictures of the mile-a-minute method:

Step 1: sew random pieces of fabric to a long strip of fabric

Step 2: Iron to press out the sewn pieces

Step 3:  Cut to separate the pieces

Then, repeat these three steps, until you have pieced a big enough patch to cut out a square to the size you want.  Since I don't have lots of long strips of fabric, I just sew random pieces of fabric to each block until I have one that is big enough - for this quilt, I decided to go with 9-inch square blocks.  I have a hard time sewing 1/4 inch seams, so I am allowing 1/2 inch seams and my finished blocks should be 8-inch square.  I took some additional pictures of some of the finished squares, but they are taking their time to upload!

In the evening, I video chatted with daughter.  Today, I could see her without any problems, but she couldn't see me as I was frozen on her screen!  But we were able to chat.  They had a "healthy snacks" day at her office, today (that's what happens when you work in a nutritional policy-related office!) and she had made her spiced, roasted garbanzo beans and she said it was well received and a couple of her colleagues asked her for the recipe.  She uses canned garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry, spreads them out in a baking sheet with a little bit of oil, sprinkles seasonings on them (garlic powder, chili powder, etc.), and roasts them for about 30 minutes (or until crisp).

Today, I am grateful for:
- The opportunity to check my earthquake supplies
- My medication refill was ready for pick up
- There were no unwelcome pests on the sofas!
- Being able to spend a fun afternoon sewing
- Phone calls and video chats

 
Wednesday's To Do List:
- Call and make a doctor's appointment
- Pharmacy for refill - DONE
- Change the sofa dust covers - DONE
- Load of laundry - DONE
- Do the dishes - DONE
- Paperwork/filing - DID SOME
- Vacuum

Thursday's To Do List:
- Call and make the doctor's appointment
- Paperwork
- Vacuum
- Put away laundry
- Do another load!

How was your Wednesday?  Do you prepare for emergencies such as earthquakes or hurricanes or being snowbound for days?  Supposing you lost electricity for days, if not weeks, after a natural disaster in your area, and grocery stores are not open, do you have enough food and drinking water and other supplies to manage for the duration?  If you have pets, do you have enough pet food, etc., to manage for a couple of weeks?  How will you cook or reheat canned foods?  Do you have a generator?

Saturday: June Grocery Shopping Week 1 - Part 2

Last night (well, very early this morning, as it was 2:00 a.m.), when I went to sleep, I decided I shall sleep in as late as I'd like on Saturday morning.  I was able to have about 7 hours of sleep, which was good.  I might have slept a little longer, but around 9:00 a.m., my cell phone pinged, which turned out to be a message from one of my cousins, sending me some information I had asked for, earlier.  I responded to it and went back to sleep.  To be woken up by the sound of the phone ringing - it was my friend with some news about a friend of hers!  We chatted for a few minutes and I dozed off again.  Only to be woken up by the sound of Dancer coughing up a hairball, next to my bed!  Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed, around 9:45 a.m.  I was able to get almost got 8 hours of sleep!  

I cleaned up Dancer's mess, had a cup of coffee and spent a relaxed morning.  I replied to blog comments, read and commented on a few other blogs, and read the news online.  Later, I chatted with daughter, when she called to say good morning.  

In the afternoon, I went grocery shopping.  I went to three different stores, this time, because I wanted to get the weekly specials.  I went to the Armenian store for the majority of the fresh produce and some other items I wanted; I went to the supermarket to get their chicken on sale, more grapes, and cat food for Dancer; and I went to a warehouse type store for their eggs, strawberries, and bottled water that were on sale.

June 9 Groceries

At Store 1, I bought:

1 lb. bag carrots = $.39

1 package (4 oz) paprika = $1.99

1 package raw cashews ($9.99/lb!) = $3.64

1 package digestive biscuits (400 g) = $.99

1+ lb. tomatoes @$.39/lb = $.47 (4 tomatoes)

1 celery @3/$1 = $.34

Ginger root @$.49/lb = $.06 (2 small pieces)

1+ lb. onions @$.20/lb = $.24 (3 onions)

1 iceburg lettuce = $.50

Mediterranean cucumbers @$.49/lb = $.23 (3 small cucumbers)

Tamarind pods @$1.99/lb = $.48

Green beans @$1.29/lb = $.44

Total = $9.77

Store 1 Receipt

At Store 2, I bought:

1.78 lb. grapes @$.99/lb = $1.76

Chicken breast halves (split breasts, with skin & ribs) @$.77/lb. = $3.67 (4 breast halves)

Total = $5.43

They had advertised 2 lb. containers of strawberries for $1.97, but they were out of them and I forgot to ask for a rain check.  But I wasn't too concerned because I knew that Store 3 was selling them for $1.99

(I also bought 3 cans of cat food for Dancer, but that's not included in my grocery budget)

Store 2 Receipt

At Store 3, I bought:

1 container ice cream = $3.49

2 doz. large eggs @$.99/doz. = $1.98

1 cantaloupe @$.25/lb = $.81

2 lb. container strawberries = $1.99

24 ct. bottled drinking water = $1.99 + $1.20 deposit

Total = $11.46

I also bought 2 air fresheners, @$.79, plus $.15 sales tax, but that is not part of my grocery budget.

Store 3 Receipt

Total spent today = $9.77 + $5.43 + $11.46  = $26.66

In addition, I had spent $4.67 on 6/6

Total spent to date = $4.67 + $26.66 = $31.33

My June grocery budget = $75 - $16.21 overspent in May = $58.79

Balance left in June budget = $58.79 - $31.33 = $27.46

Well, this is going to be an interesting month!  Obviously the cashews and ice cream were indulgences that I probably could have done without, but the budget will stretch to cover them.  All I really need for the rest of the month are milk, bread, and fresh produce.

Brunch today was the leftover pasta from last night.  I had two of the digestive biscuits with a cup of tea after I came home from grocery shopping.  For dinner, I had an egg salad sandwich (using up the last two eggs from the old carton), followed by some of the strawberries.  

Later in the evening, I called Aunt C and had a long chat with her.  After that, I video chatted with daughter; I could see her, but she couldn't see me, as the image of me was frozen on her computer.  The same thing happened yesterday, too.

Today, I am grateful for:

- A sunny, warm day (86F in the afternoon)

- A relaxed morning

- Grocery sales

- Being able to go to three grocery stores to get the deals

- Keeping in touch with family and friends

How was your Saturday?  Did you go grocery shopping this week?  Did you find good buys?  How is your grocery budget coming along?  

February Pantry Inventory

The last time I did a pantry inventory was in September of 2016, which is found here:

Today, I updated that inventory, to reflect the recent purchases of 60 lbs. of sugar and 24 cans of tuna.  Also, there was a very good comment about having sufficient storage space for stocking up.  I have sufficient space in my kitchen cabinets for the items I buy.  These pictures were taken today:

Storage for Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Hot Cocoa, etc.

Three of the bags of sugar are stored in this cabinet.  The shelves are adjustable if I need to fit in more.  I could move the top shelf a little higher to accommodate another bag of sugar on top of the bag on the 3rd shelf, for example.  The little white canister on the second shelf holds extra tea bags and there are two unopened boxes of tea behind it.  The other canister holds sugar and there are two unopened boxes of hot cocoa mix behind it.  The lower shelf is where I keep the canister of tea bags I use on a daily basis, the opened boxes of other teas which my daughter likes, the opened box of cocoa mix, pain relievers, etc.  All in easy access.  I might donate the coffee since I no longer drink coffee.

More Sugar, Jams, Chutneys, Cooking Oil and Sauces, and Ramen Noodles

A fourth bag of sugar is stored on the top shelf of this cabinet; there is room for another bag of sugar, next to it, if needed.  There are several jars of tomato chutney and three jars of jam stored on the shelf below.  The shelf below that has a canister of oatmeal, the box of cream of wheat, the box of corn meal, and a big jug of teriyaki sauce.  The lowest shelf has a bin with ramen noodles, a jar of chicken bouillon powder, cooking oil (vegetable and sesame), sauces (Worcestershire and soy) and a canister of salt.  This is my only bottle of vegetable oil; I will buy a new bottle when I am about half way through it, otherwise, it goes rancid before I can use it all up.  I also have an unopened jar of coconut oil in a different cabinet (which I didn't photograph because it is a bit of a mess and I didn't feel well enough to tidy it!).

I opened one of the bags of sugar and decanted most of it to a food storage container; what didn't fit in that container is stored in another similar container, and they are labeled and stacked one on top of the other in the cabinet I didn't photograph.  The bag of sugar for my daughter is also stored in that cabinet.

This is my main pantry cabinet:  

Canned Food Pantry

The very top shelf stores rarely used china and my souvenir thermos mug from a visit to Disney World in the winter of 1975 - it has a bicentennial design on it.  The blue and white Currier and Ives print china was bought from a thrift store for $.10 a piece, when I first came to this country.  There were six plates that were used until they eventually broke; I still use the set of bread and butter plates on an every day basis, and the three coffee cups.  What is stored up on the shelf are the soup plates, some tea cups and saucers, sugar and cream bowls (two of each).

The two jars of peanut butter I bought are stored on the second shelf up; all the cans of tuna are stored on the lowest shelf.  I opened a can of cream of chicken soup for my dinner, tonight, so this picture is already out of date!

Here's my updated pantry list:

Rice:
Approx. 10 lbs. of long grain white rice ( a little less than 1/2 of a 25 lb. bag)
Approx. 5 lbs. of basmati rice (1/4 of a 20 lb. bag)
Approx. 2 lbs. of red rice (lightly polished)


Pasta:
6 x 1 lb. boxes of spaghetti (and 2 opened boxes that were decanted to a container)

1 can of Manwich sauce which could be used as pasta sauce if needed, I suppose

Flour/Pancake Mix/Cornmeal/Cream of Wheat/Oats:
5 lb. bag of all-purpose flour (in freezer)
1 box pancake mix
1 box cornmeal
1 box cream of wheat
1/2 container of rolled oats

Meat/Fish:
1 can corned beef
3 cans mackerel
25 cans tuna in water (the 24 I bought plus 1 that was still in the cabinet)
1 jar fried dry fish (Sri Lankan food; there's an opened jar in the fridge, as well)


Milk:
3 cans condensed milk
1 can coconut milk
 
Soup:
5 cans cream of chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom
1 can cream of celery
9 packets of soup noodles
6 cans chicken broth
1 can vegetable bouillon powder (opened)
1 jar chicken bouillon powder (opened)

Fruits:
1 can sliced pears
2 cans sliced peaches
2 cans mandarin orange segments
2 cups applesauce(individual servings)

Juice/Drinks:
2x 64 oz. bottles apple juice

1 bottle mango drink
1 can coconut water

Vegetables:
2 cans breadfruit
1 can garbanzo beans
2 cans pumpkin
2 cans red kidney beans
2 cans green peas
2 cans corn
dried mung beans and red lentils

Peanut Butter/Jam:
2 jars peanut butter
1 jar of homemade apple/pomegranate jam
2 jars of homemade lemon marmalade

Sugar:
60 lbs. white sugar
1/2 box powdered sugar (open)
1 lb. juggery (palm sugar)
open jar molasses
open jar honey
open bottle pancake syrup
open box of brown sugar
several bottles of palm treacle (some opened; some not)

Desserts:
2 cake mixes (chocolate)
1 cake mix (yellow)
1 cookie mix (snickerdoodle)

1 box cook and serve chocolate pudding mix
1 box flan mix
1 box instant pistachio pudding

Misc:
2 packets pectin
2 envelopes yeast
1 bottle canola oil (opened)
1 bottle coconut oil
Open bottles of condiments, cooking sauces, etc.
Several packages of cereal (most opened)

I really need to clean out the other cabinet where I store the cereal, opened boxes of pasta, crackers, etc. Also, I could probably do with a couple of cans of chicken and maybe some green beans, etc., in my pantry.  I certainly don't have enough stocked up for a year, but I'd like to have enough to see me through a major earthquake, when grocery stores will be closed and food deliveries will be uncertain due to road and infrastructure damage.  What I'd really like to do is put together some well-planned pantry meals.  


**********************************************

Today, I haven't felt too well.  The cough has settled in my chest and I am thinking it was a mistake to have gone grocery shopping, yesterday.  But no fever, although I took a Tylenol for the general aches and pains. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- the abundance and blessings of a fairly well stocked pantry
- having enough space to store everything
- being able to work from home, especially when I am feeling ill
- a rest on the sofa in the afternoon
- my gardener friend mowing my back yard for me.

The monthly rosary prayer meeting is being held at a friend's house, tomorrow night, but I called and excused myself, since I don't feel well enough to attend and don't want to infect anyone else, either.  One of my aunts, a cousin, and a friend called to check on me, although I told them to stay away so they don't come down with what I have.  I am hoping I'll be well enough, next week, when my daughter comes home for a visit, as I certainly don't want her to get sick.

How was your Friday?  What do you have in your pantry?  Where do you store pantry items you buy in bulk?

September Pantry Inventory

Since I did a freezer inventory last weekend, I did a pantry inventory, today.  I haven't done a stock up since before I started my chemo treatments and I wanted to know what I had on hand so I know what I need to stock up when various items go on sale.  My pantry does double-duty as emergency supplies in case of an earthquake.  We are supposed to have at least a 3-day supply of food and water on hand.

My pantry is housed in various kitchen cabinets.  The lower three shelves of a double width upper cabinet (the topmost shelf holds china):

Pantry Cabinet 1

I store the majority of my canned, boxed, and jarred foods in this cabinet.  Being just under 5 ft. in height, I can reach what's on the lowest shelf without any problems and most of what's on the 2nd shelf.  But I need to stand on the step stool to reach the items on the 3rd shelf.  :D


And the single width cabinet to the left of Pantry Cabinet 1:

Pantry Cabinet 2

This cabinet is immediately to the right of the stove, so I keep items like oil, cooking sauces, salt, etc. on the lower two shelves.  The topmost shelf is where I store my jars of homemade jams (just 3 jars left - 1 apple/pomegranate and 2 lemon marmalade), the shelf below that has my homemade chutney (11 jars of tomato chutney).

The cabinet to the left of the stove is where I keep all the tea/coffee/sugar/hot cocoa:

Pantry Cabinet 3

I have two bottles of instant coffee and 1 box of my favorite tea bags in stock.  It's time to start checking with the Sri Lankan store to see if they have my favorite tea in stock and buy some.  The topmost shelf is where I'd store my new bags of sugar.  I just opened my last 10-lb. bag of sugar the other day, so I have plenty of sugar on hand for now.  However, I'll be stocking up on sugar when it goes on sale, next.  Especially since I want to make jam for holiday gift giving.

And finally:

Pantry Cabinet 4

This is a deep floor-to-ceiling cabinet, where I store things like mixing bowls and my Pyrex baking pans, food storage containers, empty canning jars, items like the punch bowl, etc.  I also use two of the shelves as pantry shelves to store boxed cereals, cookies, crackers, oil, snacks, etc.

According to my pantry inventory, I have plenty of rice, pasta, and soup on hand, but not enough of canned meats and fish.


Rice:
Approx. 10 lbs. of long grain white rice (1/2 of a 25 lb. bag)
Approx. 5 lbs. of basmati rice (1/4 of a 20 lb. bag)
Approx. 2 lbs. of red rice (lightly polished)

Red Rice (Uncooked)

Plus, 1 box rice/wild rice mix

Pasta:
9 x 1 lb. boxes of spaghetti (I stocked up when it went on sale for $.49/box)


But I only have 1 can of spaghetti sauce (and 1 can of Manwich sauce which could be used as pasta sauce if needed) for all that pasta!

Flour/Pancake Mix/Cornmeal:
5 lb. bag of all-purpose flour
1 box pancake mix
1 box cornmeal


Meat/Fish:
1 can corned beef
1 can mackerel
1 jar fried dry fish (Sri Lankan food; there's an opened jar in the fridge, as well)
1 chicken salad & crackers snack pack


Milk:
5 cans condensed milk (3 of which were bought by daughter for a dessert for that barbecue with her friends but wasn't needed, after all)
1 can table cream
 
Soup:
7 cans cream of chicken (bought on sale at $.50/can; I thought I might find them useful when I was undergoing treatments and didn't feel up to cooking; I had it once, only)
2 cans cream of mushroom (same as above)
1 can cream of celery
9 packets of soup noodles
1 can vegetable bouillon powder (opened)

Fruits:
3 cans sliced pears
2 cans sliced peaches
2 cans mandarin orange segments
1 can fruit cocktail
4 pack diced peaches fruit cups
6 pack applesauce cups

Juice/Drinks:
1 64 oz. bottle apple juice
4 8-oz. bottles apple juice
1 bottle mango drink3 cans coconut water

Vegetables:
2 cans breadfruit
5 cans garbanzo beans
2 cans pumpkin
2 cans red kidney beans
dried mung beans and red lentils

Peanut Butter/Jam:
2 jars peanut butter with strawberry jam
1 jar of homemade apple/pomegranate jam
2 jars of homemade lemon marmalade

Sugar:
Almost 10 lbs. white sugar
1/2 box powdered sugar (open)
1 lb. juggery (palm sugar)
open jar molasses
open jar honey
open bottle pancake syrup

Desserts:
2 cake mixes (chocolate)
1 cake mix (yellow)
2 cookie mixes (snickerdoodle and gingerbread)
1 box Kheer mix (Indian rice pudding)
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 box flan mix
3 boxes flavored gelatin

Misc:
2 packets pectin
2 envelopes yeast
1 bottle canola oil
1 bottle coconut oil
Open bottles of condiments, cooking sauces, etc.

What do you stock up in your pantry?

Saturday: More Kitchen Tidying

Today is a cloudy, overcast day.  Rain in the forecast for tomorrow.

I am feeling fine after yesterday's chemo session.  No nausea.  The only side effect seems to be a dry mouth.  As side effects go, it's very minor.

Today, I have been continuing with kitchen tidying.  This time, I was brave enough to take some "before" pictures, as well!  LOL!

I took a picture of the upper cabinets on either side of and above the stove:

Cabinets Above the Stove

At just under 5-feet in height, I am vertically challenged!  I can barely reach the cabinet above the stove even on tippy toes.  As a result, I tend to store the less used baking pans, the larger juicer, some empty glass jars (used for chutney and jam making, storing spices, etc.), as well as a jar of tiny, dried shrimp (used as a flavoring condiment in some curries).  The stove hood vent takes up the middle of the cabinet.

The cabinet to the left is where I keep the tea/coffee/sugar, etc., which I tidied the other day.  The cabinet to the right is were I keep my jams, chutneys, cooking sauces, corn meal, rolled oats, instant soup noodles, etc.  I cleaned the shelves and tidied it, today.   The picture above was taken before I tidied it.

Immediately to the right of the single upper cabinet shown above (with the chutneys and cooking sauces, etc.), is a double cabinet which is a sort of storage/pantry cabinet:

Storage/Pantry Cabinet

These cabinets take up one of the shorter walls of my kitchen, which measures 8 feet by 10 1/2 feet.

Back to the upper cabinet to the right of the stove:

Upper Right Cabinet: Before

Again, I took everything off each shelf, washed the shelf and replaced the items.   I was able to fit in all the jars of chutney on one shelf; I left the last jar of jam on the uppermost shelf.  I believe I have 2 jars of lemon marmalade in another cabinet, that can go on that shelf with the jar of jam (will retrieve them when I get to that cabinet).  Then, I washed the cabinet door.

Here is the upper cabinet after being sorted through:

Upper Cabinet: After

I am able to reach the items on the lower two shelves; getting a jar of chutney or jam requires the aid of the two-tier step stool.

To the right of the stove (again, my right when standing facing the stove), below this upper cabinet, is another drawer and lower cabinet:

Drawer and Lower Cabinet

The drawer is where I keep mostly baking utensils - spatulas, mixer beaters, measuring cups and spoons, whisks, pastry brush, plus other less used items such as the pizza cutter, ice cream scoop, a melon baller, nut cracker, bottle openers, cork screw, candle stubs, etc.

Drawer: Before

I removed everything from the drawer, damp wiped the inside, washed the drawer organizers (a cutlery tray and a divided tray from a packet of cookies!  I like to reuse whatever is available and on hand.  It's frugal and environmentally friendly.  Then, placed the trays back.

 

Clean Drawer and Organizers

Then, I sorted through and replaced all the utensils back.  I didn't find anything to toss, at this time, although the green spout was a close candidate.  I did put back two cookie cutters in the container where I store the cookie cutters (in another cabinet).

Drawer: After

Not much of a difference between the before and after - it's hard to keep the utensils drawers neat and tidy, and I probably have too many items in there.  I have three sets of measuring spoons, for example, which might be too many, but when both daughter and I are both in the kitchen, making different things, we find it convenient to have duplicates and triplicates.

The cabinet underneath is where I keep the majority of my small appliances: the waffle maker, blender, hand mixer, juicer, pastry sheet and rolling pin, an electric frying pan at the very back, an electric grill that was a gift which is still in the box, etc.  This is the before picture, but I decided not to rearrange it at this time.  I know what's in there and there really isn't a better way to organize it, so it is OK as is.

Small Appliances Cabinet: Current

I washed the drawer front and the door of the small appliances cabinet.

Back to the last upper cabinet - just the pantry shelves, only:

The Pantry Shelves - Current

This includes my earthquake/emergency supplies, as well.  So, it includes some ready-to-eat kits and boxed mixes, as well.  I didn't take out the items off and wash these shelves at this time.  I might do that another time, when the kitchen area comes around on my cleaning cycle.  This cabinet is tidy enough for my needs, at this time.  Again, I can reach the items on the two lower shelves, but the upper shelves require the use of the two-tier step stool (the top most shelf means climbing on the counter!)

Just below this pantry cabinet, and to the right of the small appliances cabinet, is the corner cabinet:

The Corner Cabinet

There is a two tiered turn-table installed in this corner cabinet to make things more accessible.  I store my cooking pots and pans on the upper tier and my baking supplies and kitchen scales, etc. in the bottom tier.  This cabinet is in dire need of being sorted and the shelves relined, but here is the before picture:

Two-Tiered Turn Table

I washed the corner cabinet doors, today, but I didn't sort through and clean the inside of it.  That will be left for another day - maybe next week, or maybe when the kitchen comes up on my cleaning cycle.  This will be a big deep cleaning job.  Best left for another day when it will be my first job of the day to tackle, when I have more energy, etc.

In other kitchen news, my old 4-slice toaster died on me, yesterday, when I tried to toast my last bagel.  I unplugged it and wiped out the crumbs, etc., and tried it again, but it wasn't working.  Oh, well, I've had it for over 20 years, so it gave me good service.  I had daughter get me a new, 2-slice toaster to replace it.  This new one has adjustable slots to accommodate bagels, unlike my old toaster.

Daughter also bought herself a coffee maker as she has got accustomed to brewed coffee and no longer likes instant coffee.  So, she's been missing her morning coffee when she visits me.   It was OK when she visited less than once a month, but now, she's coming home more often and has been dragging in the mornings!  I need to clear up my counter space to accommodate the coffee maker. 

In the morning, my daughter ran some errands for me and I picked some lemons and curry leaves for her to give to one of my friends when she was out and about.

So that was my productivity for today.  The rest of the evening will be spent reading and/or knitting.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Feeling fine after yesterday's chemo treatment
- Minimal side effects
- Getting more kitchen cleaning and organizing done
- Daughter running more errands for me
- Being able to bless a friend with lemons and curry leaves from my garden

How was your Saturday? 

Thursday's Progress

Today, in the morning, I went to have my blood work done.  I had to make two trips because, silly me took the wrong paperwork with me on the first trip!  But the phlebotomists who work at the lab were all very good humored about it.  I promised them that I'll bring a bag of lemons for them to share the next time I come for a blood test (probably next week or the week after).

I also received a phone call from the pharmacy saying that they will try to ship my newest anti-nausea medication directly to the clinic in time for my 3rd chemo treatment, tomorrow.  They had called me yesterday, saying that insurance has approved it and they were trying to ship it to me in time for me to receive it today, but, for some reason, they had a problem doing so.  After this, they will ship it to me, directly, about a week prior to the next chemo treatment.     

In the afternoon, I worked on office-related work.  I completed this week's assignment and sent it all back with a request for additional assignments.  I also called my supervisor and left her a message about tomorrow's chemo treatment.  I informed her that I might have to take sick leave next week, depending on how I feel.  Later in the evening, I received the additional assignments.  I will work on them next week, if possible, and/or the week after, as the case might be.

While I waited for my bagel to toast for a late brunch, I decided to clean one of the kitchen drawers.  I have a set of three kitchen drawers to the left of the stove (well, my left when I stand in front of the stove).

Kitchen Drawers

The shallower top drawer is where I keep my knives, can opener, vegetable peeler, strainers, etc., plus a couple of teaspoons used exclusively for making tea and coffee, etc.  (The tea, instant coffee, sugar, etc. are kept in the upper cabinet directly over the drawers).

I took everything out and wiped the drawer with a disinfectant wipe.

Wiped Clean

I have lined the drawers with contact paper I had bought from the dollar stores, as they are washable, protect the drawers, and can be peeled off and replaced as needed.

Then, I washed the cutlery organizer tray I keep in the drawer (by which time my bagel was toasted). 

Blurry but Clean Cutlery Tray

After I had eaten, I replaced everything neatly back in the drawer.  I didn't find anything to declutter from the drawer, except for two old cough drops, although, I suppose I could cut down on the number of knives!

Organized Drawer

The two deeper, lower drawers are where I store my spices, herbs, and a few groceries such as pulses (lentil, garbanzo beans, mung beans, etc.).  Later, in the evening,  I decided to clean out these two drawers, too.  Again, I removed everything, wiped the drawer insides and fronts clean, and put everything back.  There was nothing to toss.

I am aware that some people have matching storage jars for their spices and herbs, but I just reuse whatever empty jars and bottles that I have.  So, everything is mis-matched and it looks messy, but it's frugal, environmentally friendly, and I don't mind.  Besides, I buy some of my spices such as curry powder in bulk (1 lb. containers), while others are bought in smaller quantities.  So, different sized containers work for me.

Upper Spice Drawer

A few of the jars and bottles have the contents labeled on the sides, but most have the contents written on the top, so it's easy to see what's what when I open the drawer.  I should redo the labels, however, as some are starting to peel off!

Lower Drawer

I store some pulses, such as mung beans and garbanzo beans, as well as extra herbs and spices in this lower drawer.  I like to buy things in bulk or multiples of certain items as it reduces the number of trips I need to make to the ethnic stores where I buy my spices.

And for those who inquiring minds who want to know, the upper cabinet directly over the drawers, where the tea, instant coffee, sugar, hot cocoa, etc. are kept:

Upper Tea/Coffee/Sugar Cabinet

Everyday tea and sugar kept right in front; daughter's specialty teas towards the back of the lowest shelf; extra tea, coffee, sugar, etc., stored on higher shelves.  Again, I like to buy things such as multiple bags of sugar when they go on sale and since I live in earthquake country, they become part of my emergency supplies. 

Later today, my daughter will come home to be with me when I have my 3rd chemo therapy session, tomorrow morning.  I will go to the airport to pick her up.

This evening, one of my friends called and asked if daughter could bring her some curry leaves and lemons from my garden this weekend.  I told her I will ask daughter to do so.  I have such an abundance of both in my garden right now.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- My new medication was approved and they will do their best to make sure I receive it on time
- The really nice staff at the lab where I go to get the bloodwork done
- A sunny and warmer day
- Getting more of the kitchen cleaned
- My daughter is coming home tonight!

How was your Thursday?

Wednesday's Doings

Today, I called the radiology center to make the appointment for my diagnostic tests.  They are scheduled for Tuesday, September 1.  I am blessed to have access to health care.

I went to the office, today, and enjoyed the blessing of free air conditioning.  There was an emergency preparedness awareness fair across the street and two colleagues and I went to check it out.  We picked up some literature and some free goodies.  I live in an earthquake prone area, so emergency preparedness is something I try to keep on top of.  I have emergency supplies at my desk at work (water, food, thermal blanket, hard hat and work gloves, etc.) and emergency supplies at home (at least 3 days worth of water, food, first aid kit, flash lights, etc.)

Daughter met up with one of her college friends for lunch, and, afterwards, they both came to my office.  Daughter rode home with me and we dropped off her friend at the bus stop on our way home.

Once home, I put water to the orange tree and the peach tree, as they were starting to wilt.  Will water the rest of the back garden, tomorrow.  Need to water the indoor plants, too.

Later, I cooked a chicken curry with the 8 lbs. of chicken leg quarters I bought yesterday.  There is enough for Friday's dinner, when I've invited friends over, plus some for the freezer.  A little bit of bulk cooking now means I won't have to cook as much later.

In between, I continued to read the book a friend had given me.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Access to health care
- Air conditioned offices
- My daughter having good friends
- Water for my garden
- Time to read

What was your day like?  What were you grateful for, today?

Friday: Pantry Inventory

I'm always happy when I get to Friday because it means another work week is over and the weekend is about to begin.  :) 

While I was at the office, today, the gardener mowed the back garden, planted the Dusty Miller plants I had bought and did some weeding for me. My gardener is my neighbor's nephew and has been tending to my garden for over 21 years.

I put gas to the car on my way home: I've a full tank of gas for my weekend driving. 

Watered the indoor plants, did the litter box, washed the dishes,  and did a load of laundry.  Everything was hung up to dry; I'll put them away before I go to sleep.

After that, I did a pantry inventory.   Living in earthquake country, I like to have sufficient supplies on hand, in the pantry, to enable me to feed myself and daughter for longer than the minimum 3 days that's recommended, if not more.  Actually, I like to have enough in the pantry for at least a couple of weeks.

An earthquake can damage grocery stores and roads and disrupt regular food deliveries.  Therefore, my pantry includes emergency supplies: canned meat and fish, fruit, milk, etc., as well as staples such as rice, lentils, oil, flour, cornmeal, and sugar.

Pantry supplies are bought when items go on sale to keep costs down and incorporated into my meal planning on a regular basis to make sure that things are used up and not allowed to expire and go to waste.

My pantry inventory showed that I am now down to 1 can of condensed milk - I'll be buying some the next time they go on sale.  I'd like to build it up to 6 cans.

Anyone else have a pantry?