Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

It's another week later and I've turned another year older. Birthdays get to be just another day when you get older, but you learn to be grateful for them and appreciate time. I was taken out to dinner twice which was a great treat. I really don't need fancy food so we had special burgers and desserts for my official birthday dinner. I bought myself some circular knitting needles so I could make hats from leftover yarn and was given a canning jar cookie cutter complete with sprinkles. 

Work at the townhouse homestead this week meant using the uncooked cabbage and carrots left from the St. Patrick's day meal. I used some of it to make coleslaw. This is canned coleslaw and is so good. I put it up in half pint jars because it's just me who eats it and I get two servings from each jar. The remaining carrots I dehydrated.

I have what I call my micro mini farm kitchen here at the townhouse, but if I hadn't told you how small it was you wouldn't have known. Doesn't every farm kitchen look this busy?

This week I also got a head start on my soups for the end of cold weather now and for the upcoming winter. I know, I know. It will be warm soon. Anything I can get done now will make time for other canning and dehydrating projects later and as long as I can vacuum seal it, it will keep. I made one pint of onion soup mix, two quarts of chicken rice soup mix in which I used my dehydrated peas and carrots, and I made six half pints of bean and rice soup mix. I'm hoping that I can get to a point where a rotating meal plan works. I'm prepping ingredients and building new recipes. 

Recipes here for what I made:

http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/canned-coleslaw/

http://countrifiedhicks.blogspot.com/2014/01/chicken-rice-soup-mix-in-jar.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461970874251772337/

I'm trying hard to let people know through my blog that living frugal can be done even in small spaces. Storage is an issue, but we seem to overcome that too. Food preparation takes little time and keeps things simple if you think it out. We're eating better and are building a good variety along with having fun trying new recipes. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and thank you for stopping by.

Vintage and fun holiday decorating in our tiny space.

Lately the trend for many people has been to live in small spaces. Not all small spaces are small houses as I have learned. I live in a small townhouse style apartment and space is quite challenging since coming from a large home. Many "things" have gone in different directions, but I am much less stressed about the stuff. This is how we've decorated this holiday season with the vintage mixed with a few treasures and bargain decorations.

At the door hanging on the plant hook is this battery operated candle that came with a bargain garland. Very not decorated is what I mean. I decorated with some Craft Zone ribbons and some dollar store ornaments and as you can see we've had some snow (12 inches be exact) and it made it twice as beautiful.

On the kitchen counter is one of the two cookie jars from a very large collection that was kept and some holiday cookie mix and Grinch pills. LOL. I had to keep something for when the grandchildren came. By the way the other cookie jar is a McCoy smiley face, have a happy day jar that was a gift I received the first Christmas after my first child was born. I couldn't let that one go so I gave it to her since I am now living with her. 

This is our dining room. Room enough for a vintage china hutch, a table and four chairs. On the opposite side of the table is a vintage desk and I use one of the chairs from the table to make this my work space, photo center, shipping center and whatever it needs to be. Most everything my daughter has is mid century modern and been painted to cover the fact that it was actually not in good shape until she painted it. 

She has decorated with Mikasa plates, vintage planters, Santa's, snowmen, Vera cups and saucers, Mikasa Ben Siebel plates and even painted thrift store wine racks and glass racks to match the hutch. The inside backs have been covered with vintage wall paper to cover the holes and damage.

Add to the mixture some vintage Pyrex, a fondue pot and some vintage Lefton made in Japan Holly pieces and we have our decorating done. Simple, colorful and small. Some time Tuesday we will put our tree up and decorate it and then we'll bake some and eat some and be merry a lot and this will be our Christmas. 

OH! Don't let me forget Jax, our mischievous elf who has found his way to an ice cube tray because he was missing the North Pole. Who knows what he'll be up to next.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy your holidays. I may pass on a blog post next week if things get to hectic. MANY BLESSINGS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!