headed my way.
The window guys did manage to install the two remaining windows in my living room on Tuesday. Wednesday morning they did some work on the outside of the building. I haven't seen them since. I wouldn't mind so much except for the fact that they moved furniture again - a couple of pieces into my bedroom and the rest taking up most of the floor space in my living room. I can't get to the new windows to open them to let in the lovely spring air. I can't get to my sewing table because one of my shelving units now sits in front of it. They did cover my sewing table that holds several quilt tops I am working on, but they neglected to cover my sewing machine. I wonder if I can get the dust out of it so it isn't ruined. Sigh.
I called my landlord but he had no better luck in getting them back here to put up the trim around the windows and straighten things up. I thought about going all mad-as-a-hornet old lady on them, but realized that if they didn't care enough to move things so a woman with mobility issues could easily walk in her living room, I doubted they would get the point. I have come to the conclusion that good manners and common sense are basically a thing of the past.
So now that I have griped enough, the rest of the week has been productive. I have 10 lbs. of sliced potatoes in the dehydrators. Tomorrow I will dry 5 lbs. of onions.
Earlier I had dehydrated the cranberry pulp left over from making cranberry juice, so I dug that out and turned it into powder. I now have nearly two pints of cranberry powder. I know it can be used for flavoring like in cranberry/banana bread, but I wonder if it could be mixed with something like lemonade and honey as a tea and used in place of the cranberry juice that I keep on hand for urinary infections. I remember that years ago I bought cranberry powder at a pet store, on the advice of my vet, to treat a cat with a urinary infection. I may have to experiment with it.
My kids always get me something nice for Mother's Day and my birthday in June. This year I have something specific in mind. I can no longer drive or even go out without help. So I talked with my youngest daughter Jeri, and she is going to take me to a huge thrift store nearby. I love rummaging about in thrift stores and particularly want to add to my collection of reading material along with browsing among the kitchen stuff. David called today and I talked with him about a trip to Sam's Club to stock up on some of the things I can't order with my grocery delivery service or are cheaper at Sam's. He thought that was a great idea. Jill doesn't know it yet, but she will be taking me to the fabric store. I need fabric for the backs of quilts, quilt batting and a few miscellaneous sewing notions. Duane can't drive yet because of the effects of his stroke, so we won't be going anywhere, but once in a while he brings me food from the restaurant where he is working, so I will let him off the hook! Today he showed up with a half a pizza, so I didn't have to cook supper. Last Sunday he brought me some sliced turkey, ham and roast beef along with a big bowl of mixed fresh fruit. I'd say that was more than enough of a gift. :)
So that's what is going on in my little corner of the world. Even with a couple of irritations, life is still pretty darned good!
Keep smiling and keep prepping. :)
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Most people today are simply (expletive deleted), Vicki
ReplyDeleteSeems like it, Gorges...But mostly I think many haven't got the sense that God gave a goose. :)
DeleteWell, I guess I'm not too surprised. A two day job has taken how many months, and it still isn't finished? Wow! That seems to be the way things are done or not done these days.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are tackling one job after another. I love the idea of the cranberry pulp being dehydrated and turned into powder. That might be very nice to have on hand for medicinal purposes should other meds not be available.
Hope the incoming snow doesn't stick around too long and those crazy window guys are back soon to restore some normalcy to your nest.
You are right! Keep on prepping. CW
CW...I'm not really surprised, either. I have to wonder why so many take so little pride in a job well done. I just wasn't raised that way and neither were most of my vintage. Things have sure changed.
DeleteBeing frugal (that really reads 'cheap') I just hate to toss something, especially food, if I can find a way to use it. Mother used to pack meal leftovers into tv dinner trays she had washed out and freeze them, making homemade tv
dinners. Guess I come by it honestly. I really want to find a good use for the cranberry powder since cranberries have such good medicinal properties. Maybe a kind of backup for the juice.
I heard that nasty rumor about snow. Looks like we might be just on the edge of it, with more going your way. Hope they are wrong in the forecast.
I'm not looking for the window guys to rush over to finish the job any time soon. If I don't see them the first part of next week, I will see if the kids will come over to help me move stuff back and the guys can just move it again whenever the spirit moves them to finish the work. :)
I have the sneaking suspicion that time is growing short, so keeping on prepping is the main activity here in my little apartment. Stay warm and safe!
It's hard to find good, honest workers anymore. I hope you get your place back in order. Sounds like you got some food stocked up though.
ReplyDeleteKristina...I expect to eventually have my home back in order. In the meantime I might as well do what I can. I seem to go through lots of dehydrated onions and potatoes, so adding to my stores of them when I can is a good thing.
DeleteI don't know -- I think there's a time and place for a full on rant. But maybe that's just ornery me.
ReplyDeleteYour birthday plans sound fun. Ditto for the Sam's club stock up.
Keep up the prayers for my next puppy - I found a breeder who's girl just bred. She's my boy's grand-niece. His dad is her grandfather. Will know mid-May if she's pregnant. Planning for another puppy is helping me get through the grief surges as a friend calls them.
Cheers, SJ
SJ... I ranted and raved here for a while but calmed down before calling my landlord. He didn't know he was hiring such boneheads for the job. And when you think about it, there are worse things in life than an upended apartment. But if I find their carelessness has wrecked my sewing machine, we will have words - none of them nice. And cash will exchange hands.
DeleteI don't suffer from cabin fever like some do, but I just thought it would be fun to have a day out with my kids. And sometimes you just have to be there to pick out the fabric or the books or whatever.
I was so hoping you would get another dog. Nobody will ever replace Mr. Dog, but to a dog person, being without one is a form of slow torture. This is so exciting! Please let me know how it goes.
I know you'll probably understand this - I told MrDog that I'd be ok and that I'd get another dog. I figure I have energy for another puppy but this will probably be the last puppy. But not the last dog, hopefully.
DeleteLoved reading about your dehydrating. Nice to have the reminder. Might also suggest to your reader to check thrift stores. My first dehydrator came from the thrift in its original box. Didn't even look used.
Cheers, SJ
SJ...Yep. I get it. No doubt in my mind that he understood, too. They pick up on things more than we sometimes give them credit for. I am excited about your puppy. There are few things better than soft puppy paws and sweet puppy breath. :)
DeleteThanks for the reminder. I should have remembered that in the past I have picked up really good deals at thrift stores.
Vicki, you are such a wonderful role model. Even when you start a rant you come right back with something positive. I love your attitude and I love that you keep right on working against the odds. You put some of us who feel good and are in pretty good shape to shame (me). Thanks for the example. BJ in GA
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, BJ...To be completely honest, there was some serious ranting taking place here when the guys didn't show up again, punctuated with some not so very nice words. I guess everyone needs to blow off a little steam once in a while. Doesn't do any good except we maybe feel a bit better. :)
DeleteI am no role model. I am just a chubby granny who feels responsible for my family, even if they are all grown up. And for my grands. I am convinced that bad things can and probably will happen, and it just makes sense to me to be as prepared as possible.
Sometimes I think it boils down to choices. I see so many of my vintage and even younger who are grumpy most of the time. Everyone has problems they are dealing with and maybe theirs are worse than mine. But I made up my mind that if I was going to waste time moaning and groaning about circumstances I can't control, I might as well crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head and wait to die. Thing is...I'm having way too much fun to even consider that possibility. :)
We just do the best we can with what we have to work with, don't we.
Hello.Love your post, but never comment until now. Your dehydrating interests me. Can you tell me the type and size dehydrator you have? Just recently retired so think I would like to learn this now that I have some “me” time! I am interested in dehydrating soup ingredients, fruits and my nephews and great nephews love jerky. Have you ever done beef jerky? I am open to any suggestions, good books to read on how to use, store, what to dehydrate and how long things keep. I know that now days everyone googles what to do, I will so that also, but since I am “old” I prefer learning from someone that has experience as they usually have ideas and suggestions that are not found online or in books. I hope your seeing machine is OK. I would be lost without mine, even though it is old and passed down from my mother. I am getting into more quilting. I wish we had fabric stores in my area but have to drive 2 hours to get to one. Thank you for any help
ReplyDeleteHi Karen...Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
DeleteMany folks swear by the Excalibur dehydrator, but those just aren't within my budget, so I have two Nesco dehydrators. The ones I have are mid-range priced and can be found at Walmart for about $60. There are two things that are important to me in a dehydrator. The first is that the fan and heating unit be located in the lid. I have had dehydrators where they were in the bottom and have been wrecked when bits of hard food fell through the trays and knocked out the fans. The second is a temperature control which helps with different kinds of foods. Also, getting the plastic mesh inserts for the trays helps to keep small bits from falling through.
The only fruit I dry is apple slices. The other fruits I can. I mostly dehydrate vegetables - all kinds. I use them mostly for soups and stews and use the crock pot most times to cook them. I also can the vegetables I use for meal side dishes. The potato slices make a good scalloped potato dish and I use the crock pot for those as well. Frozen hash browns dehydrate well. To use them just soak them in water for 15 minutes, drain off the excess water and cook like you would fresh or frozen. I dry lots of those.
I no longer garden, so most of my produce comes from the Farmer's Market or the grocery store. Fresh vegetables need to be blanched before drying. Often times I will buy frozen vegetables when they are on sale. They were blanched before freezing, so all I have to do is spread them out on the trays. Frozen vegetables will get freezer burn or an off flavor after a while, but the dehydrated ones, if they are completely dry and stored in a cool, fairly dark place, will last years. Some seal them in canning jars. I need all my jars for canning. Some use a Food Saver but I had problems with the sharp edges on pieces of food poking holes in the bags. I just use freezer bags and store those in cardboard boxes. That might not work for someone who has rodent problems, but it works fine for me.
I haven't made jerky in years, so I can't really comment on that. I haven't had much luck with fruit other than apples, but I guess I haven't done much of it. I dehydrate lots of onions and carrots and I use them often.
Two web sites with good information are the following:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
https://nchfp.uga.edu/
Pick Your Own
http://www.pickyourown.org/
The second one is for locating places to go pick your own fruits and vegetables, but if you scroll about halfway down, there is a list of all the other information including drying.
I hope this helps. If I can be of any further help, feel free to email me at
vickimiller63@gmail.com
I have to warn you - dehydrating can be highly addictive. :)
I hope the sewing machine is OK, too. I don't sew clothes like I once did, but really enjoy making quilts. I haven't been able to master machine quilting but that's OK. Being old fashioned, I like the look of hand quilting much better anyway.
A quick comment. You or anyone can for you can buy the canned air that can be used in cleaning out computers, and other electronics. Just blow into all the nooks and crannies. Just on the top and work your way down to the bottom of the machine. Be careful as you use up the can its gets frost on the outside and you can get a little frost bite. The air is a mixture of chemicals. Can you use your bottled oxygen ?? Just pinch the end of the line like we used to do the the hose outside.. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rob...I hadn't thought about the canned air. I think I have a can of it here somewhere. If they ever finish the work here, I will give it a try. You are a bloody genius!!!
DeleteNot bad for a reply at 3 am when I can't fall asleep.
DeleteRob...Pretty good comment no matter what time of the day or night.
DeleteI am dealing with things moved by appliance guys who left things where I cannot navigate my kitchen. One guy was really nasty and lied about obstacles in my house! I will be back at my old blog, but for now I am blogging at moreparsimony.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHi Linda. Good to hear from you. I wondered where you had gone.
DeleteThese guys aren't mean or nasty - just lacking in common sense and basic good manners. It will all work out eventually.
Thank you so much for your help and insight on everything. I will look into the type of dehydrator you recommend. Thank you also for the website for info. I too, like to keep foods stored but am so afraid of canning. Wish I knew someone that does it so I could observe. I make refrigerator bread and butter pickles and jams, etc. but they have a short refrigerator life. So that is why I thought canning would be good to try. I make a lot of soups and stews and also that there is less of storage space needed.
ReplyDeleteI too, like to quilt. I just recently got out quilt tops that my mother did not finish prior to her death and my niece and great niece are interested in helping to hand quilt and finish the pieces. These pieces have been sitting for 8 years.
I enjoy your site and your positive attitude. I too, have some ambulation and health issues but am happy with what I can do and feel very content. Thank you again! Karen
Karen...Glad to help. Just keep in mind that I do not claim to be an expert at anything. I learned about dehydrating by watching videos and reading about it. Also by trial and error - learning what works well for me and what doesn't. I don't know if you saw SJ's comment above, but she said she bought her first dehydrator at a thrift shop. I have found some nifty gadgets there as well.
DeleteMother taught me about canning when I was a young girl. Back then we canned just fruits and vegetables. I have since added meats and soups to my home canning. They make life so much easier for me especially when I am having a 'bad day.' Food is thoroughly cooked in the canning process so all I need to do is open a jar and heat up the contents. Or make a sandwich of chicken or beef. The possibilities are endless. There are tons of videos on how to can, plus the instructions that come with a pressure canner.
There is nothing to fear. Contrary to popular belief, pressure canners don't blow up. There are safety features built in to prevent those kinds of accidents. If the instructions are followed to the letter, you should have no problems.
Did you know that you can can your pickles and jams without using a pressure canner? All you need is a big pot with a rack to hold the jars off the bottom, filling the pot with hot water enough to cover the jars by an inch or so, then boil for the required amount of time. Meats and vegetables require a pressure canner.
What a treasure you have in your mother's quilt tops. My mother was an excellent seamstress but did not quilt. I think I may have checked out every book in the library on quilting so I could learn - before the internet. How nice that some of the younger generation have enough interest to help with the quilting.
Sorry you are dealing with health issues. I think attitude makes a huge difference. Contentment is good. :)
My wife and I thoroughly enjoy going to the Humane Society Thrift Store in town. We like to rummage around,and we like to help the animals.
ReplyDeleteSorry about those guys disrupting your home. I know how unsettling and worrisome that can be.
Harry...I love rummaging about in thrift stores, too. I'm not sure who runs the one I'm going to, but it should be fun.
DeleteThe disruption is really more of an irritation. I have little patience for those who say they will be there to finish the work and then fail to show up. I guess I mostly just want them done and gone!
You are going to the one in Shakopee?? If so it run by the community action group there.(They run a food shelf, WIC, energy asst. etc) Used to go all the time. Its over by the race track if I remember right. Goodwill has a bunch of stores now days too. Good finds their too.
DeleteRob...I don't remember the name of the one Jeri wants to take me to. She says it is huge and I think it might be over by Prior Lake. I don't care. I just love rummaging around in thrift shops.
Deletecitrus not good for urinary infections. put powder in capsules?
ReplyDeletedeb...That's a good idea. I've been thinking in terms of a tea. I'll have to play around with it some more.
Delete