Mid-Week Update: More Groceries, a Smog Check, and Lemons

It's A Whole Bouquet!

The newest sunflower is a bouquet of four individual sunflowers all flowering at the same time on one main stem!  

How can it be Wednesday, already?  The days are speeding by, I feel!

On Sunday, I relaxed, paid a couple of bills, watched a few videos, and ordered more groceries, which I picked up on Monday.  I wasn't planning to get groceries this week, after going grocery shopping on July 5.  But, there were some good deals being offered and I wanted to take advantage of them.  In addition, I'm afraid I watched too many "stock up your pantry NOW" type videos and I admit they got to me!   Plus, there is the ever increasing list of items the grocery store is specifying for delivery only.  For example,  I bought rice in 2 lb. packages for a higher price per pound because the 5 lb. or 10 lb. packages were available for delivery only.  It costs between $9.99 and $11:99 per delivery, depending on your area, according to the store website; eventually, I might have to consider getting a delivery once a month and then, doing pick up in between.   

Anyway, I picked up:

1 loaf French bread = $1.99

2 Mangos, $1@ = $2.00
2.35 lb. grapes, reg. price $3.49/lb., on sale @$1.99/lb. = $4.68

1 Frozen pizza, reg. price $5.49, on sale with coupon - $3.99

1 lb. Bacon, reg. price $8.99, on sale with coupon = $3.99

3 lb. ground turkey, reg. price $5.99, on sale for $2.99@ = $8.97

6 pk. canned chicken breast in water, 10 oz. @ = $14.99
(it was cheaper per 6 pk. than individually)

18 ct. large eggs, reg. price $5.99 on sale with coupon = $2.99

2 x 5lb. all purpose flour, $2.99@ = $5.98

1 cranberry juice, 64 fl. oz., reg. price $2.49, on sale with coupon = $1.69 + $0.10 bottle deposit

1 box cereal (corn flakes), reg. price $4.99, on sale with coupon = $1.69
(sale was on 19.2 oz. boxes, but, I received a 28.5 oz. box, instead; not complaining!)

2 boxed rice & wild rice mixes, 4 oz.@, reg. price $1.50, on sale for @$1 = $2.00

3 x 2lb. long grain white rice, $1.59@ = $4.77
(As mentioned earlier, the 2 lb. bags are more costly per lb., but, I bought it anyway as I don't want to run short of rice!)

2 containers, 26 oz@, iodized salt, $.99@ = $1.98

2 containers, 48 fl. oz. canola oil, reg. price $3.99 on sale for $3.49@ = $6.98 

8 cans condensed milk, 14 fl. oz. @$2.39 = $19.12

4 x 4 lb. sugar, $2.49@ = $9.96

Total spent on groceries = $99.58

Which meant I went over budget by $23.50!  

The grocery budget was $100 + $24.57 carried over from June = $124.57
Spent to date = $48.49 (on 7/5) + $99.58 = $148.07
Amount overspent = 124.57 - $148.07 = -$23.50

I will take this amount out of August's grocery budget.  Stocking up is expensive!  But, between rising prices and increasing unavailability of some items for curbside pick up, I felt it was better to stock up now.  

In addition to groceries, I stocked up on some other items:

Cat food = $9.99

Toiletries:
2 Toothpaste tubes, @3.3 oz., reg. price $4.79, on sale for $2.99, with coupon  for $.99@ = $1.98
1 pkt. (8 bars) soap = $7.99 

Craft supplies:
5 pkts. glue sticks (3 glue sticks per pack), reg. price $2.49@, on sale for $1@ = $5.00
(I had opened the last packet of glue sticks that I had on hand when I made the baby shower card; it was time to stock up and the price was right!)

I budget separately for pet supplies and toiletries.  I no longer have a craft supplies line item in my budget, but, I do have a "miscellaneous" category which will cover the cost of the glue sticks!

My entire total, with groceries and other non-grocery items included, amounted to $124.54

So, on Monday, I picked up the groceries, put things away, did a load of laundry, took the trash cans to the curb for pick up on Tuesday, and watered the front garden.

Passionfruit Ripening on the Vine

On Tuesday, I took the car for a smog check, as it was required for renewing my vehicle registration.  The smog check and certificate cost $65.00.  Afterwards, I submitted the registration fee of $198.00, online; the Department of Motor Vehicles will mail me the renewed registration and the decal.  Later, I put away the washed laundry, brought the trash cans in, cleaned the litter box, and watched TV news programs!  There was a lot to watch!  At one point, I messaged the daughter of one of my cousins who is in Sri Lanka to ask how things were and she replied, "Total chaos".  Cousin V called and we chatted a little bit; apparently, she has Covid!  But, she says it feels like the flu and her doctor has prescribed a medication that she is taking.  I asked her if she needed anything and she said no.  

The Kent Mango Trio
Lois Lane in the middle is growing well
Clark Kent on right; Conner Kent on the left

Today, Wednesday, M tended to the garden and I asked him to pick the remaining lemons from the two trees on either side of the garage side door.  I think this could be another find for the SPSH prompt "Yellow and Blue Together":

SPSH No. 11: Yellow and Blue Together

80 lemons!  There were several more, but, they had been scorched by the sun and were past their prime; M put them in the compost heap.  I washed the rest of them and lay them out to dry, then, put them all in the fridge for now.  They filled the bottom drawer and half of one of the other drawers!  I offered some to my daughter's friend A, but, she said she still had some that I had given her earlier.  I'll take some to friend R, tomorrow.  We didn't pick the lemons from the third tree, yet.  

Today, I cooked one of the packets of ground turkey I had bought on Monday.  I added frozen zucchini, onion, tomato, bell pepper strips, grated carrot, some garlic, etc., and sauted the ground turkey.  Then, I put half of the mixture aside to freeze for another day.  I added a can of pasta sauce to the remaining ground turkey mixture and had some of it with spaghetti for a very late lunch (around 3:30 p.m.).  Afterwards, I froze some of the remaining ground turkey pasta sauce mixture and kept the rest in the fridge.  After such a late lunch, dinner was cheese toast!  

I had a text this evening from my other cousin's daughter (the one who had the baby shower); she had not been able to stop by to see me before she went back to Florida and apologized, saying the trip had been hectic.  I totally understood and said I feel bad about opting out of the baby shower.  But, I have her address and will be mailing the blanket off to her, eventually.

So far this week, I am grateful for:

- Being able to order groceries online and pick up curbside
- Being able to go over the budget to stock up
- The car passed the smog check
- M helping with the garden
- Lemon harvest!

This week's joyful activities included communicating with various family members, enjoying the garden flowers and produce, and some card making.

How is your week coming along?  What are your plans for the rest of the week?

A Good Start to the Week

My Daughter's Painting: Apple Blossoms

My daughter decided to take an on-line painting class, today (Tuesday), after work, as a fun activity.  

Daughter received an email from someone she supervises, this morning, saying that she  had been exposed to Covid at the office on Thursday (I suppose she received a notification from the office contact tracing people) and had woken up this morning feeling ill.  She had said she was going to get herself tested, today.  Their cubicles are diagonally across from each other's and they had both been in the office on Thursday!  Fortunately, my daughter keeps her mask on in the office, all day.  Daughter said she is feeling fine, but, she will be testing herself tomorrow morning, as required, prior to going into the office.  I am, of course, hoping that daughter will be fine and her rest will be negative.

I have had a couple of productive days, so far.

Yesterday (Monday), I did my usual Monday weekly cleaning tasks and dusted the living room and dining area, did a load of laundry, emptied all the waste baskets in the various rooms, cleaned the litter box, cleaned the fridge, and took the big trash bins to the curb for pick up on Tuesday morning.  Then, I continued with my pantry inventory and reorganized some of the kitchen cabinet shelves that act as my pantry shelves.  

Cousin P called while I was in the middle of doing my pantry inventory and we chatted for a good hour or so.  Then, I made myself a cup of tea and turned on the news to catch up on what was going on in Sri Lanka.  I checked with the daughter of one of my cousins in Sri Lanka and she hastened to assure me that they were all OK.  Later I spoke with friend R and she said she had been in contact with her daughters and they were OK, too, but, of course, she was concerned about them.  

I made a pot of soup, yesterday, with a ham bone that I had kept in the freezer for the purpose and dried green split peas that I had put to soak in the morning.  I added carrots, tomatoes, broccoli stems, onions, garlic, etc., to the soup and let it simmer for several hours while I did other stuff.  But, I finished some leftovers for my dinner, yesterday, and kept the soup for today.

Today (Tuesday), I brought the trash cans in after they had been emptied by the City's solid waste collection trucks, watered the front garden, and picked fresh flowers for the altars and mantelpiece.

Then, I finished the pantry inventory, going through and organizing the last shelf where I keep pantry items.  Some people have a pantry room or a dedicated pantry cabinet.  I don't.  I keep various pantry items in various places, some in the kitchen, some in the spare bedroom, some in this kitchen cabinet and some in that cabinet, etc.  So, my pantry inventory not only lists the items, quantities, and expiration dates of some of the items (although I am of the opinion that most canned items are good for several years after their best by/expiration dates), they are also listed by where I store them!  My old lists were all hand written lists; this time, I typed them into the computer, to make it easier to update and maintain.  That took a little extra time.  But, it is all done, now, and I added one or two items to the running list of items needed that I keep posted on the fridge door to order.  

After that, I took a look at this week's grocery ads, online.  I usually receive the paper ads with the mail on a Tuesday, but, didn't receive them, today.  Well, I was very unimpressed by this week's grocery offers.  I am very glad that I did a grocery order, last week, instead. 

After tea, and a phone chat with my daughter, I dealt with the stack of papers I had wanted to sort through.  It took me almost one hour to do that, but, everything has now been filed.  That is not the end of the paperwork (there's another stack on my desk), but, this particular stack has been dealt with.  Of the original "brain dump" list of 10 items I posted on Saturday, I have now checked off 8 items, started on the 9th item (the second baby blanket) and have only one item left to do (sew on new borders to a quilt).  I am very pleased with what I have been able to accomplish since Saturday.

I changed my mind about having a salad for brunch and had a slice of toast, instead, half of it with a slice of cheese, and the other half with ginger marmalade!  Dinner was a bowl of the ham and split pea soup and I made a batch of American-style drop biscuits to go with it, adding some fresh rosemary leaves to the dough to flavor them:

Rosemary Drop Biscuits

They were very tasty, if I say so myself!  And rather addictive!

Soup and Biscuits

There is more soup and biscuits left for several meals, this week.  I might change my meal plan, again!  LOL.

Today, I am grateful for:
- My daughter is feeling well
- My family in Sri Lanka seem to be safe and OK
- What I have been able to accomplish these past couple of days
- Water for the garden
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was opening this box which was delivered today:

Surprise Box

To find it filled with these little foam pieces:

Hope they're recyclable!

And hidden under all those foam pieces were:

Bowls!

The rest of my Mothers' Day gift from my daughter!  Two cereal bowls in the Royal Albert "Old Country Roses" pattern to match my tea cups!  Of course, I love them!  But, I scolded her for spending so much money!    She said she set a budget for my gifts and the lotion and the bowls did not exceed that budget!  LOL.  The apple does not fall too far from the tree!  She said I was to use them for everyday use.  I washed them and put them in the cabinet to take out as needed. 

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Tend to the garden with M
- Start on the quilt borders
- Dust my bedroom

May decluttering so far have included:

4 items of clothing
2 note books
5 brochures/catalogs/magazines

How was your Tuesday?  How is your Wednesday coming along?

My Three Carrots or Two Weeks without Grocery Shopping!

Carrots 

Monday, March 16 was the last time I went grocery shopping.  Before that, on Saturday, March 14, I had gone to the Armenian store for some groceries and I wrote about that, here.  On Monday, I was in the store only to pick up a few last items before I began to shelter in place.  Already, by that time, I was thinking I was taking a chance, grocery shopping, and wanted to keep the time spent in the store, and my exposure to others (and the virus), to a minimum. 

I usually grocery shop once a week or so, although, occasionally, I've gone longer in between grocery shopping.  On Saturday, I bought some fruits and vegetables (green beans, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions).  I didn't buy any carrots because I knew I still had some in the bag at home.  I didn't want to get a lot of fresh produce because I didn't think I could eat it before it perished. On Monday, I hadn't even planned to buy any vegetables, but, I bought a head of lettuce for immediate use and a head of cabbage for later, because cabbage keeps fresh for a longer period of time.  Again, I passed over the carrots. 

Well, the other day (Thursday), when I went to make my dinner and added a carrot to the green beans I was having with the roast beef, I realized that I had less than half a bag of carrots in the fridge!  On Saturday, I used one in the salad.  Today, I had three carrots left, as pictured above (the tip of the biggest carrot broke off).  I cut up the smallest of the three for tonight's salad:

Monday's Dinner: Lettuce, carrot, grapes, bottled mango-chipotle dressing

In hindsight (which is always 20/20, as they say), I wish I had bought another bag of carrots on my last grocery shopping trip! 

Today, I took an inventory of the fresh produce I have in the fridge.

Fruits:
8 Apples (+ 1 very wrinkled one)
6 Tangerines (there were 7, but I ate one!)
1 bunch of red grapes
1 bag of green grapes (rather sour, so I haven't been eating them)
3 oranges (had fallen from the tree)
2 avocado (which are being ripened in a brown paper sack)

Vegetables:
1/2 lettuce (after today's salad)
1 small cabbage
2 carrots (after today's salad)
9 onions
2 pieces of ginger

Plus 2 potatoes, which are not stored in the fridge and which should be cooked, right away, because they are going to start turning green, soon!

I haven't taken a freezer inventory, yet, but, I have frozen tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, some bell peppers, edamame, for vegetables.  Plus 2 Serrano chilies, which is nothing!  Oops! 

I have some canned vegetables, too:

4 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans corn
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can green beans
1 can whole potatoes

And, canned fruits:
4 cans sliced peaches in syrup
3 cans pineapple in syrup

I don't have a lot of frozen fruit, other than some bananas for banana bread.  But, I have raisins, and some dehydrated mulberries that my daughter bought, once, to try (and didn't like). 

I am not planning to go grocery shopping any time soon, so eating my "five a day" is going to be interesting.  I've plenty of rice, flour, lentils, pasta, pasta sauce, cans of fish, milk, peanut butter, etc., so I will have lots to eat, but, fresh produce will be a bit of a challenge.  Well, I guess I will eat what I have, first, and then, see where we are.  Friend M has asked if I need anything, but, if I am not willing to go to a grocery store, myself, then, I don't think I should ask anyone else to do so, either.  Maybe I can have a grocery delivery made.  If nothing else, I can always make a type of sambol/relish from the leaves of the curry leaf tree!  I shall have to do some meal planning, next, to make the best use of what I have. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- My three now two, carrots
- The fresh produce I still have
- What I have in the freezer and the pantry
- Fresh lemons and oranges from my trees
- My curry leaf trees

How are you managing with your groceries?  Is your area under lockdown/shelter in place orders?  Have you been grocery shopping since then?  How well did you stock up?  How are you getting your fresh produce?

Stocking up on Friday

Today, I ran a couple of errands in the afternoon.  I went to the bank and then, to the warehouse type grocery store across the street from the bank.  Unlike a lot of other warehouse type stores, this one doesn't require you to be a member and pay a membership fee to shop there.

There were a few items I needed to stock up on - sugar, cat food, and toilet paper, mainly.  I had been using my previous stock of sugar for everyday use, to make jam for gift giving, and, finally, the love cake.  I don't like it when my stocks run low, because I want to be prepared just in case we have a major earthquake or other emergencies, when roads may be damaged or closed, grocery stores might be closed due to structural damage or lack of electricity, or new deliveries can't be made due to damage to the infrastructure, etc.

Today, I bought two 10 lb. bags of sugar for $5.79 each; advertised as a "weekly special", regular price was $5.99, a 30 roll package of store brand toilet paper (when did they start calling it "bath tissue"?) for $16.99, two bags of cat food for $9.99 each, and a bag of a different brand of cat food for $10.99.  That was my stocking up part of the items I bought.  In addition, I bought a frozen pizza for $3.99 and a frozen cheesecake for $5.99 as a special treat!

Finally, I also bought a candy thermometer, that was on after Christmas clearance, for $1.00; regular price was $3.99.  Now, I've made different kinds of candies all my life without the benefit of a candy thermometer, and none of my traditional candy recipes have any specific temperatures listed, but, it's one of those kitchen gadgets I've always wanted, but, didn't want to pay full price for one.  I figured that, for $1.00, I couldn't go wrong.  The only problem is, I am supposed to be decluttering and, already, I've acquired two new kitchen gadgets! 

My total bill came to $74.73 with sales tax.  The sugar, pizza, and cheesecake will come from my grocery budget.  The other items will be paid from household/toiletries and pet supplies budgets. 

Speaking of budgets, I need to redo my budget for the new year.  My earthquake insurance went up and the piano lessons are a new expense. 

After I came home, I baked the pizza for a very late lunch/early dinner, chatted a bit with M who pruned the rose bushes (we reminisced about the time when it would take him at least four visits to prune all the rose bushes!), fitted a few more pieces in the jigsaw puzzle (with the "help" of Dancer!), and practiced the piano (for 30 minutes - I played through all the beginning pieces and played the one piece where I stumbled a few times; as I progress, I will increase my practice time).

Later, of course, I video chatted with my daughter. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Family and friends calling to check up on me
- Being able to stock up
- M continuing to help with the garden
- The car started without any problem!
- New gadgets for the kitchen!

Today's joyful activities included doing the jigsaw puzzle, eating cheesecake, and playing the piano!

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?

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?

Rainy Thursday

Today, too, it rained practically all day.  Heavy rains in some areas, but mostly a light rain in my area and in downtown.  Everyone is worried about mudslides in the burn areas, with some mandatory evacuations in effect.  Fortunately, I am not in one of the burn areas and have only a few flooded intersections to worry about on my commutes to work and back.  

Yesterday, in an adjoining neighborhood, a pine tree uprooted and fell.  Today, in another adjoining neighborhood, an eucalyptus tree fell onto a house and the house has been deemed inhabitable.  I have been casting an anxious eye on my own eucalyptus tree and hoping it won't topple over!  I have been given the phone number of a tree trimmer - I will be calling him, next week to have him come out and trim my tree, before anything happens!

I went to the office, today, and had a productive day.  After I came home, I watched news, put away the laundry, and knitted.  I finished one sleeve of the blue sweater.  Actually, I had knitted about half of it, earlier, then had to unpick it, because it was too big (I am not following any instructions, just making it up as I go).   I had picked up 70 stitches along the armhole and that turned out to be too many stitches, so then, I worked with 60 stitches, decreasing to 40 for the cuff, but even that seems too big!  

Yesterday, I had the spaghetti and squash I had made and frozen, earlier, for my dinner:

  

Spaghetti and Squash dinner

It survived being frozen and reheated, quite well.

Today, I wanted soup, so I made beef and vegetable soup:

Beef & Vegetable Soup

I normally make my soups from scratch, but not today.  Today, I found the lazy way to make soup, with items from the pantry!  I opened a can of low sodium chicken broth (didn't have any beef broth, bought on sale for $.50), added a can of mixed vegetables, drained, ($.50 from the dollar store), added a few frozen green peas and frozen corn, and the rest of the beef steak I had cooked earlier (which had sauted onions added to it), cut up into pieces (the steak had cost almost $5, but this is about the 5th or 6th meal I am having from it).  I brought it to a boil, then simmered it for 5 minutes.  I debated adding some tomato to it, but didn't.  It was a relatively frugal and easy to prepare meal! There's leftover soup for tomorrow's lunch, as well.

While I was typing this, someone came for a cuddle and decided the cushion behind me was a good spot for him - I had to move to the very edge of my chair!  He looks disgruntled in the picture, but he was purring!

Dancer scheming to take over the chair!

Today, I am grateful for:
- A safe commute to the office and back
- More rain!
- A productive day at the office
- A relaxed evening at home
- Easy dinners!

How was your day?  What are some of the dinner short cuts you use?

January Pantry Challenge

I haven't grocery shopped yet, in January (I bought milk and bread, etc., on December 31).  I will need to do some grocery shopping either today or this weekend, as I need more milk and some fresh produce. 

I want to do another pantry challenge this month.  The fridge and freezer are still quite full with almsgiving leftovers, Christmas leftovers, etc.  My pantry cabinets are somewhat full, too, although I haven't done a recent pantry inventory.  I crossed that out, and in the spirit of my less procrastinating resolution, went ahead and did the pantry inventory:

5 boxes pasta
2 boxes mac & cheese
1/2 container vermicelli
1 can spaghetti sauce

1 jar of fried dried & salted seer fish
1 can mackerel
6 cans tuna
1 can corned beef


6 cans chicken broth
4 cans cream of chicken (condensed soup)
2 cans cream of mushroom (condensed soup)
1 opened can of vegetable soup powder
1 opened jar of chicken bouillon powder

6 cans condensed milk
1 can table cream


2 cans breadfruit
1 can green beans
1 can green peas
1 cans corn
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can whole potatoes
2 cans red kidney beans
2 cans pumpkin puree

1 can pear halves

1 can coconut water
4 cans coconut milk
1 can coconut cream
1 opened box dried coconut milk powder

1 jar peanut butter

2 cake mixes (1 chocolate, 1 yellow)
1 cookie mix
2 flan mixes
1 watalappan (coconut/jaggery) pudding mix

1 lb. jaggery (palm sugar)
40 lb. sugar!

1 onion dip mix (Christmas gift)
6 jars homemade tomato chutney
2 jars homemade lemon marmalade

1 box opened pancake mix
1 5lb. bag flour (in the freezer)
10 lb. bag rice (basmati) (opened)
2 lb. bag rice (jasmine) (opened)
2 lb. bag rice (red) (opened)
1 lb. bag quinoa

2 envelopes yeast
2 boxes pectin

I didn't go through the other cabinets where I store cereals, tea, etc., or through the drawers where I keep lentils, dried garbanzo beans, bulk bought spices, etc.  And I didn't do a freezer inventory, yet.  But, I know I have turkey pot pies, fish, sausage meat, some chicken, some ground beef, etc., in the freezer and there are eggs, cheese, and various other items in the fridge.

I do need to buy some butter, if there is a good sale ($2.50/lb., preferably; if not, $2.99), as I am down to my last 1 lb. box, but I have enough for the time being. 

Once I inventory the freezer and the drawers, etc., I will do a tentative meal plan.  The idea is to eat mostly from the pantry and freezer and buy only milk, bread, fresh produce, and perhaps some eggs (I have 3 eggs left; the other dozen that is in the fridge is for daughter's love cake, which she hasn't made yet).  However, if there are any good sales at stock up prices, I will take advantage of them.  My grocery budget will continue to be $75 for the month, in order to be able to stock up as needed.

Anyone else doing a pantry challenge, this month?

Friday Update

I was up until 4:00 a.m. last night, then, when the alarm went off at 9:00 a.m. (I had taken the day off from work, so I had set the alarm for later than usual), I turned it off and slept till 10:00 a.m.  By the time I had fed the cats, had a cup of coffee, checked my emails, etc. it was already past 11:00 a.m. and half the day was gone! 

In the next couple of hours, I tidied the family room, dusted the tables, put away the 10 bags of sugar and 5 cans of condensed milk I bought, put away the washed dishes and washed more dishes, and made several phone calls. 

My gardener friend M came over in the afternoon and I had him help me with housework!  He took down the almsgiving dishes, dusted the upper areas I can't reach easily, replaced the dead battery in my wall clock (he's tall enough to reach it without any difficulty whereas I need to climb up the 2-tier step stool), vacuumed the main rooms, and moved the furniture.  He reminisced about helping my mother with almsgiving preparations and left after admonishing me not to overdo things!

He also brought me a combination belated birthday/early Christmas gift of a coir door mat painted with a cat's face!  He said, the minute he saw it, it shouted my name to him! 

 

My New Door Mat

 

I washed the almsgiving dishes in the dishwasher, this time (last year, it was while I was washing them by hand that my hands started cramping).  The only things I hand washed were the gold striped drinking glasses I use for serving water during the almsgiving.

 

That's when I discovered that I have exactly 3 (one of them mismatched) small drinking glasses for juice!  That's not going to work, with 5 monks!  I had M take down my stem glasses, but there are only 4 matching!  It's OK to use mismatched glasses, but I am not sure about using stem glasses (aren't they usually for wine?) to serve juice to the monks, who, like most practicing Buddhists, make a daily commitment to avoid intoxicating substances!  I ran the idea by my daughter who said it would be weird to use the stem glasses for juice!

 

Either, I must buy a set of 6 small glasses, tomorrow, or, serve the juice in the gold striped glasses and serve the water in my holiday glasses (they have reindeer and snowflakes on them and say Happy Holidays).   

 

Choice of Glasses

I have 6 of the holiday glasses (bought on a clearance sale for $.25 a glass, I believe), 5 of the gold striped ones (from a set given to me as a gift from my sister), and 4 each of the two different types of stem glasses.  I know that the monks won't mind which glasses I use, but daughter says the holiday glasses are too Christmas-y to use during an almsgiving.  I guess I had better buy some smaller drinking glasses, tomorrow!

 

I managed to get most of the items crossed off my to do list.  Friend M vacuumed the living room, dining room, and family room.  I vacuumed the hallway, kitchen, bathrooms, and the bedrooms.  I have a load of laundry washing while I type this and I need to do the litter box before I go to bed.  But that is all I am going to do, today. 

 

The rest of the items that were on the list for today and didn't get done are being postponed for tomorrow.  Some of them, such as taking out the serving dishes, I didn't want to do too early, because a certain kitty cat (who shall remain unnamed), likes to jump up on the table to see what I've put there and I really don't want kitty nose prints all over my serving dishes!  The rest, I didn't do because I was getting tired and I don't want to get too tired.

Friday, Dec. 15:
✓- Rearrange furniture - sofas, coffee tables, tall round side table (for reliquary), trolley (for plates of offerings), remove blue & white vases near fireplace (so I can set the small sofa in front of the fireplace)* - DONE
✓- Take down dishes used only for almsgiving and wash them* - DONE
- Take out serving dishes, basins used for washing hands, serving spoons, etc.
- Take out plates, bowls, etc. for guests
✓- Final cleaning - dust, vacuum, etc. - living room, dining room, family room*, bedrooms - DONE
- Kitchen - counters
✓- Clean bathrooms/set out guest towels, etc. - DONE
✓- Put cashews and garbanzo beans to thaw - DONE
✓- Set out items needed for the transfer of merit: teapot, cup, and water basin; fill teapot with water - DONE
✓- Candles/incense sticks & holder; lighter/matches - DONE
✓- New bottle of water for blessing; bowl to catch drips when blessed water is poured out- DONE
- Set out items for washing hands: fresh cake of soap, hand towels, jugs & basins

* My gardener friend helped with these tasks

 Saturday's To Do List:
- Take out chair covers, table cloths, napkins, etc.; cover chairs, tables
- Buy flowers/pick from garden (if picking from garden, do on Sunday)
- Grocery shop - fruits, vegetables, milk, juice, yogurt, etc.
- Buy a set of small drinking glasses!
- COOK!  Cashew curry, lentils, egg curry, fry lentil wafers (pappadum)
- Clean the kitchen/clear the counters
- Bake brownies, cookies, make flan
- Take out serving dishes, basins used for washing hands, serving spoons, etc.
- Take out plates, bowls, etc. for guests

- Set out items for washing hands: fresh cake of soap, hand towels, jugs & basins
- Any other  undone items leftover from Friday
- Put away laundry
- REST!

Today, I am grateful for:
- Friend M helping me and the cute door mat he gave me
- Lists and schedules
- Being able to accomplishing all what I did today
- Video chatting with my daughter
- Being able to take the day off from work

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?

December Grocery Shopping - Week 2

December Groceries: 12/9/17

On Sunday, I went grocery shopping to buy a few items for the week and some stock up items since they were on sale for $.99 each if one bought 5 participating items.

I also bought some things that were needed for the almsgiving:
 

Almsgiving Supplies

And some other items that were needed for the house, because this is one of those times of the year when I stock up on household supplies, such as facial tissues. I like to buy about 6 months' supplies and keep them on hand.

Stock Up Items

I went to the Kroger-affiliated regular supermarket and the dollar store for my purchases (both are located in the same mall).

The grocery store was having a sale where some items were $.99 each, provided one bought 5 participating items.  I tried to take advantage of this sale to stock up on sugar (at $.25/lb, this is well below my usual price point of $.50/lb. and an excellent stock up price) and later (on Monday) on more sugar and cans of condensed milk (not pictured) at the discount store which is also Kroger affiliated (the "no frills" one where one has to bag ones own groceries).

On Sunday, at the grocery store, I bought:
5 4-lb. packets of sugar, on sale for $.99* per packet = $4.95
2 doz. large eggs @ $.99 = $1.98
1 8-oz package cream cheese = $.99*
1 1-lb jar peanut butter = $.99
1 brownie mix = $.99*
1 package bagels (to go with the cream cheese) = $1.99
1/2 gal. milk = $1.99
Bananas @$.59/lb = $.93
Beef steak (top round) = $3.39

1 package gallon sized storage bags = $.87

4 6-pack bottles of soda @$1.99+$.30 deposit = $9.16
tax on non-food items = $.95

Total (after refund adjustments) = $29.18

Receipt with Overcharged Items Highlighted

Some of the items with the asterisk (*), that should have been on sale, rang up at full price and I didn't discover that until I came home and was looking at my receipt to write this post!  However, I was able to go back to the store and point this price discrepancy to them and was allowed a refund of the difference, after I took the items back and the manager had checked to verify that, yes, indeed, I had purchased the sale priced items.  I had taken the items with me, just in case they wouldn't refund the difference - if so, I was just going to return them!  

Receipt for Refund

The one item I hadn't taken back with me was the cream cheese, because I had already opened it; so the cashier rang it up as a bag of sugar, but with the cream cheese price of $1.59 and adjusted it that way.

At the dollar store, I bought:

1 package paper napkins, 2 packs paper plates, 2 boxes aluminum foil, and 3 boxes facial tissues
2+ lb. red grapes
1 package refrigerated cookie dough (for almsgiving)
3 cups instant noodles (for me to take to the office to keep in my desk)

My total came to $13.11
 

Most of the paper goods and foil are for use during the almsgiving and will be included in the almsgiving+grocery budget.  The facial tissues are from the household supplies budget and not included in the spending totals below.
 

Dollar Store Receipt

On Monday, at the "no frills" Kroger-affiliated store, I bought:
5 4-lb packages of sugar @$.99 (without any overcharging problems!) = $4.95
5 cans condensed milk @$.99 = $4.95

(Plus 1 bag cat food for $6.99 + tax)

12/11/17 Grocery Receipt

My grocery total at this store came to $9.90.

By the way, all of this sugar and milk are not for my own consumption.  I will share some with my daughter and some will be donated to the temple, along with tea and coffee, for their use. 

Week 2 grocery/supplies spending came to $52.19

December Grocery/Almsgiving Budget = $300
Spent to date = $28.82 + $52.19 = $81.01
Balance remaining = $300 - $81.01 =  $218.99

This week's grocery ads came out, yesterday.  Canned vegetables are on sale for $.50 each.  I just opened my last can of corn (I had bought 2 cans when they went on sale at that price, earlier), so I might buy two more cans to replenish my stock.  I prefer frozen corn, but canned corn is good to have on hand, too.

I will do this week's grocery shopping on Saturday.  I need to buy fresh fruits (five kinds) and vegetables for the almsgiving, and a container of yogurt, among other items.

How is your grocery shopping budget coming along?  Are you finding stock up prices for things you need?

Shelftober - Week 2

I was able to continue with eating from the pantry and freezer in the second week of October, as well. (Shelftober Week 1 is here.)  But I had a hard time with a lack of appetite and not feeling like eating what I made. 

Sunday, 10/8:

Breakfast was half a bagel with butter and freshly picked feijoa from the garden.
Lunch was rice, fish curry, and sauted cabbage:

Rice, Fish Curry, Sauted Cabbage

Dinner was the other half of the bagel with peanut butter for protein.

Monday, 10/9:
Brunch: A banana, followed by half a bagel spread with peanut butter.
Dinner: I am not vegetarian, but I felt like having a vegetarian meal, so cooked some lentils to have with the cabbage I cooked the other day:

10/9 Dinner: Rice, Cabbage, Lentil Curry

Tuesday 10/10:
Breakfast - banana
Lunch - Fish curry, pita, grapes
Dinner - Egg and bacon rolls

Egg & Bacon Rolls

Wednesday, 10/11:
Breakfast - yogurt (brought in by former supervisor)
Lunch - Egg & Bacon rolls, grapes
Dinner - Fish pie - last of the fish, flaked, mixed with a few frozen green peas and a white sauce,  topped with mashed potato and baked for a few minutes.
Dessert:  Pistachio pudding using up a box of mix I had in the pantry.
Snacks: Puff pastry cheese twists

Thursday, 10/12
Breakfast - yogurt (more of what my former supervisor had brought in)
Lunch - Egg & Bacon rolls
Dinner - Fish pie, pistachio pudding
Snacks - apple slices, puff pastry cheese twists

Friday, 10/13
Brunch: tuna sandwich, apple
Dinner: pasta with manwich and meat sauce (from the freezer); grapes
Snacks: Wafer cookies with chocolate cream filling
Late night snack: Homemade potato chips!  I had a craving for potato chips, so, sliced the second of the two potatoes I had bought (had used one to make the mashed potato for the fish pies), and fried it.

Saturday, 10/14
Brunch: Half a bagel with butter
Dinner:  Spicy "devilled" beef:  marinated beef from the freezer, cut into strips, sauted with onions and green chilies, curry leaves, etc. 

Devilled Beef

That used up the last package of beef I had in the freezer.  I had it with a pita bread:

Pita Bread and Devilled Beef

Some pistachio pudding for dessert.
Snacks: Grapes, calamondin from the garden.

Calamondin on the tree

Calamondin Fruit

Calamondin are like miniature tangerines.  They are about the size of a kumquat, but round, not elongated.  They are very acidic.

Peeled Calamondin

I will continue with Shelftober, next week, as well.  At the end of the 2nd week of Shelftober, this is what I have left of the freezer inventory:

6 4 king fish steaks
 3 pieces of salted dried fish
2 packages (approx. 1/2 lb. each) of cooked ground beef
1 package bacon
1 package mini sausages ("Lil Smokies")
3 packages of marinated beef steak (uncooked)
1 package sausage meat
1 package sausages
1 chicken breast
2 quart bags, each with 1/4 roast chicken 
5 turkey pot pies
5 3 packages of frozen puff pastry squares
1 1/3 package of something called "ulundu vadai" which is an Indian/Sri Lankan savory snack
3 1/2 lb. butter
1 bag (5 lbs.) flour
1 package (2 lb) red rice
1 package grated coconut
1 banana bread
3 1/2 packages of sliced strawberries (for eventual jam making)
3 large bags of cooked cashews (for making curry)
1 bag of frozen green peas (new)
- several  one baggy of frozen tomato, sliced onions, some green chilies, etc.
Plus:
1 container manwich sauce
2 4 bananas
4 quart size zipper bags of bread slices
1 package smoked sausage and 2 whole chickens (for prayer gathering dinner)

October Grocery Budget

October is going to be an unusual month when it comes to grocery budgeting.  

I normally budget $75 per month for grocery spending.  However, I spent almost $71, practically a whole month's grocery budget, at the Sri Lankan store in August, when I stocked up on tea and other items.  Therefore, I participated in "Shelftember" in September, eating mostly from the freezer and pantry and buying only fresh produce, dairy, and bread, to make up part of what I had overspent.

I had hoped to keep my September spending to $40 and save $35.  However, I was able to keep my grocery spending to a little over $26 and saved almost $49 to make up a good portion of the $71 I had overspent in August.  I need to save another $22 in October to make up the whole amount.  I am quite confident I can do that.  In fact, I have decided to deduct the outstanding amount from my October budget at the beginning of the month.  

Therefore, my regular grocery budget for October will be $75 - $22 = $53.

But, October is also when I will host the monthly prayer gathering dinner.  In addition to my regular grocery budget, I also budget $25 per month for the rosary prayer gathering and meal that I host once a year, for a total budget of $300 for food, drinks, and any paper goods that will be used.  I usually cater for 25 people, including my daughter and me, and that's how I came up with the budgeted amount: $1 per person, per month, for a total of $12 per person.  In general, this is one of the few times when I plan a menu before hand and buy what is needed to prepare that meal without planning the menu around what is on sale, although I do try to buy things when they are on sale, etc., because I like a bargain and enjoy getting the most for my money.

Normally, I add the prayer gathering budget to the regular household grocery budget, because I use some of the items I have on hand (like oil, spices, etc.) and leftovers from the prayer gathering meal get incorporated into my regular meals.  I am going to do the same, again, for simplicity's sake, but I will try to account for the items I buy for the prayer gathering meal, separately, as much as possible.

So far, I have spent a total of $5.78 (in September) on items for the prayer gathering:

9/18:  $4.49 for smoked sausage
9/27: $1.29 for 2 cans of mixed nuts

I was considering extending the eating from the pantry concept to October, as well, for my own personal groceries, buying only fresh produce, dairy, and bread, but I don't know if I can manage to do so.  I have several pieces of fish, some sausage, and one package of beef in the freezer, but no chicken, other than the leftovers from what I cooked, yesterday, and no ground beef or any pork.  I don't necessarily want to use up all my frozen fish, either, as I am not planning to go back to the Sri Lankan store for more until at least late November.  I'll take it one week at a time and see how things work out.

Have you made your October grocery budget yet?  Are you planning to do a pantry challenge in October?

Shelftember - Week 1

Anne at New Happenings at the Table had mentioned Shelftember in a recent post; it is intended to encourage meal planning based on what we have in the freezer and pantry while keeping additional grocery shopping to a minimum.  Since I had overspent my August grocery budget by almost $71 and want to try and make up some of that by saving on September grocery spending, I decided to join her in observing Shelftember.

I want to limit my September grocery shopping to fresh produce (vegetables and fruit), dairy (milk and yogurt), and bread.   I started September with a pretty full freezer, fridge, and pantry, partly because I live in earthquake country and I try to have more than the recommended three-days' worth of food and water on hand and partly because I did a big stock up in August.  With my daughter home for the Labor Day weekend and going out to eat quite a bit more than usual, there was a lot of leftovers in the fridge, as well.  On the last day of August, I had bought a roast chicken and a box of salad mix for our dinner, as well as half a gallon of milk and some bananas (before I had read about Shelftember), so I started out September with quite a bit of food on hand.

So, here's how the first week of September went, although I didn't learn about Shelftember until September 5:

Sept. 1 - we went out to lunch; dinner was leftovers from lunch; I still have a chicken breast (in the freezer) leftover from that lunch!

Sept. 2 - we went to my friend's house to lunch and my friend sent me home with a plate of food; daughter went out to dinner with two friends and she brought home the leftovers, and I had some of that for my dinner.

Sept. 3 - we went out to lunch with my sister and her husband; daughter and I both brought our leftovers home.  Dinner was leftovers.

Sept. 4 - Labor Day - leftover Thai food for lunch; daughter had a frozen turkey pot pie for dinner; I had a leftover roast chicken sandwich with some of the leftover salad.

Sept. 5 - I made waffles for brunch as daughter was going back to Berkeley and she had requested them.  I can't remember what I had for dinner - I think I cooked some rice and had it with some of the leftover Thai beef and vegetables or I had another roast chicken sandwich.

Sept. 6 - lunch was the leftover Thai red chicken with rice; dinner was ... more leftovers!  I think I finished the babyback ribs from lunch out on Friday and had another roast chicken sandwich

Sept. 7 - lunch was the last of the Thai red chicken curry with rice.  Dinner was some roast chicken and, later, French toast.

Snacks have been apples, grapes, bananas, pomegranate, cereal bars, murukku mix, fried bread fruit chips, pound cake, cashews, cookies, etc.  

Today, I did a freezer inventory.  I have:
6 king fish steaks
3 pieces of salted dried fish
2 packages (approx. 1/2 lb. each) of cooked ground beef
1 package bacon
1 package mini sausages ("Lil Smokies")
3 packages of marinated beef steak (uncooked)
1 package sausage meat
1 package sausages
1 chicken breast
2 quart bags, each with 1/4 roast chicken 
5 turkey pot pies
5 packages of frozen puff pastry squares
1 package of something called "ulundu vadai" which is an Indian/Sri Lankan savory snack
3 1/2 lb. butter
1 bag (5 lbs.) flour
1 package (2 lb) red rice
1 package grated coconut
1 banana bread

3 1/2 packages of sliced strawberries (for eventual jam making)
3 large bags of cooked cashews (for making curry)
1/2 bag of frozen green peas
- several baggies of frozen tomato, sliced onions, some green chilies, etc.

In the fridge, I have:
1 dozen (+2) eggs
cheese
the last bit of a half-gallon of milk
1 loaf zucchini bread thawing
3 ears if corn
4 pomegranates
1 kiwi
some carrots
1 cucumber
garlic
condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, chutney, mustard, etc.

I didn't do a pantry inventory, but there are cans of fruits, vegetables, tuna, milk, soup, etc., and pasta, rice, and lentils.

Tomorrow, I want to go grocery shopping for a few more fresh fruits and vegetables and another loaf of bread.   I ate the last two slices of bread tonight, with a scrambled egg for dinner.  Next week will be the real start of Shelftember for me.    I think I will cook some of the marinated beef and maybe a fish curry, for next week.

Is anyone else eating from the pantry and freezer? 

Wednesday: Planning to Eat from the Freezer and Pantry

Today, I called my supervisor in the morning and requested another day off work.  Although I accept the fact that it was time for my brother to go, I still felt sad and needed another day to recover emotionally.  I am allowed to take three days of bereavement leave, with documentation of the death (death announcement, service leaflet, prayer card, etc.), but I am planning to go to the office tomorrow, at least for the morning, because I have my dental appointment (and extraction) scheduled for the afternoon.

 

It was another fairly warm day.  I did another load of laundry and changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas.  I combed Dancer, although he's getting tired of me combing him.  Later in the evening, after it had cooled off a bit, I brought the trash cans in and checked today's mail.  The weekly grocery ads were in today's mail, but I didn't see anything I wanted to buy.

 

Some bloggers are doing what they call Shelftember, this month, where they are trying to plan the month's meals based on what they have in the freezer and pantry.  Since I went over my August grocery budget by almost $71, I thought I would participate in Shelftember, to make up for August's over-spending.  I will buy fresh produce, milk, and bread, but will try to plan most meals based on what I have on hand.  I am hoping to spend no more than $40 for groceries, this month.   

I haven't done a freezer and pantry inventory yet, but, I have all that frozen fish I bought plus some sausage meat, roast chicken, at least one package of mini sausages, and turkey pot pies in the freezer, canned fish, soup, rice, lentils, etc. in the pantry, more than a dozen eggs in the fridge, as well as some fresh vegetables.  I will need to buy more fruits and vegetables this weekend, and maybe a loaf of bread, but that should be all.

 

Today's phone calls included one from the aunt who is hosting this month's prayer gathering (she was calling because she couldn't remember if she had notified me, earlier; she's in her late 80s and entitled to forget these things, but she also knows that I tend to be a bit fussy about attending events I haven't been invited to!), Aunt C who was calling to check on me (I gave her the news about my brother's death), and my cousin who had moved to Florida, earlier this year, who was calling to sympathize with me over my brother's death.   Daughter called me, too, to let me know she was home after work and we video chatted, later.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Paid leave for bereavement purposes

- A very sweet and understanding supervisor

- Time to grieve

- A working washing machine

- Phone calls from family

Today's decluttering: 6 bottles of expired, half-used condiments, salad dressings, barbecue sauce, etc., from the fridge.

Thursday's To Do List:

- Go to the office

- Dental appointment/extraction

- Pharmacy for antibiotics if prescribed

- Clean out fridge and freezer

- Take a freezer inventory

- Water the houseplants

- Water the back garden

- Laundry - daughter's bed sheets

How was your day?  Have you heard of Shelftember?  Anyone else doing grocery challenges this month?

.

Visitors on Sunday and a Pantry Meal

There was a slight cloud cover when I woke up, this morning, which kept the temperature to a comfortable level, until about 11:00 a.m. or so.  I opened the windows to get the cooler morning air into the house and had a cup of tea while I read and replied to the blog post comments. 

My aunt called around 10:00 a.m. to say that she and my cousin will be coming to visit me around noon, after cousin finished with her morning piano students.  Nothing was said about lunch, but, of course, I wouldn't think of not offering them lunch.  So, around 11:00 a.m., I made something that is fast becoming a favorite "pantry" meal to make with items I have on hand.  I put some rice to boil, cooked a fish curry with tomatoes, and a lentil curry.  Initially, I had wanted to cook sauted cabbage to go with the fish curry, but, even with the table fan going full speed on the kitchen counter, it was getting hot and I didn't want to get too tired.  The lentil curry was an easier dish to prepare.  Also, I wasn't sure if my cousin ate cabbage or not and I know she eats lentils.  There was some of my homemade tomato chutney, as well, if anyone wanted.

I had just finished cooking when aunt and cousin arrived.  They brought me a big bunch of bananas and several individual cups of pre-made gelatin as something that was easy for me to eat after my tooth extraction.  Of course, they didn't know I had made some gelatin, yesterday!

We had lunch and I offered the Jello that I had made with canned fruits (peaches and mandarin orange segments) and ice cream for dessert.  Then we sat around and chatted for awhile before they left around 2:00 p.m., as cousin had more students coming in the afternoon for piano lessons.  Aunt called me around 3:30 p.m. to say she enjoyed the lunch and would have liked to have visited a bit longer. 

After they left, I retreated to the bedroom and turned on the a/c and took a nap!  At first, Dancer, who was already taking a nap under my bed, decided he had to leave the room.  Then, he wanted to come in.  We repeated this dance a couple more times before he settled down!  I continued to stay in the cool room even after I woke from my nap.  I read and commented on blogs and responded to an email my friend had sent and chatted with another friend on the phone.

Later in the evening, when it had cooled off somewhat, I walked a bit.  Then, I took some photos of the garden, but that will be a separate post, I think.  Dinner was rice, the last serving of green beans I had cooked earlier, lentil curry, and fish curry.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Visit from aunt and cousin
- Being able to put together a meal from what I have on hand
- Cooler mornings and evenings
- Air conditioning in the bedroom
- Afternoon naps

Well, guess what didn't get done, today?  My To Do list!  It will all get carried forward to tomorrow...and added on to, as well!

Sunday's Monday's To Do List:

- Repot the papaya seedlings in a bigger pot (too hot to plant them outside!)

- Pot up the avocado seedling

- Wash the sofa dust sheets and cushion covers 

- Sew a belt to go with the blue patterned skirt and blouse

- Grocery shop for a few things

- Clean out the fridge

- Take the trash cans to the curb

- Water the garden 

How was your Sunday?  What is your favorite "pantry" meal to prepare when you need a quick meal for guests?