Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Well it's been a while and to say we've been busy is an understatement. Wow, how the time is flying. My daughter has gone from dreaming, to looking, to making an offer, to almost having the purchase of a home completed. In about three weeks we may have the keys and so far we haven't really hit any snags so here's hoping. While she waits and collects all the paper work we continue with the packing and we are beginning to feel like we live in a storage unit, but we will be ready when the time comes.

This is the view out the kitchen window. The house sits on .51 acres and as you see next to the shed there is a plot cut that has been a garden. We don't know about the condition and we won't until we can get moved and can hopefully bring it back to life.

We will not know what kind of trees those are until we see them blossom and we're hoping maybe they are fruit trees. As you can see I have my tomatoes and peppers started so if the possibility to get them in the ground happens I'll be ready and hopefully they'll be strong enough to transplant.

This is a pot of every kind of vegetable soup. I just went through the refrigerator and freezer and put the fixings to simmer. We are using what we have on hand so it's less to move, but I have to remember that there are only the two of us and this is a one gallon pot. 

Peeps Soap

My daughter needed one package of bias tape at Joann's fabric, but like most trips she comes home with more. In this instance it was a silicon baking pan in the shape of peeps. 60% off and I knew it was coming home. This is peeps soap. She enjoys making soap as gifts and she just couldn't resist. 

I on the other hand have been taking time from the hustle to finish some sewing projects so scraps can be moved along and started a new quilt. It is a bright colored quilt and it has taken me so long to decide what pattern if any to use. The foral fabric is reclaimed sheets. I have incorporated color blocks, folded fabric pinwheels, yoyo's, log cabin, and strips. This quilt was intended to be used in my dream camper or for glamping, but that may not happen for a while and it is brightening up my days to know it's finally being built. So there you have it and that's what's been going on here at the townhouse. Thank you for stopping by for a visit and have a wonderful week.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Well it's beginning. I'm calling it PSP and it's exciting. Purging, Selling, and Packing. Actually it's been going on for quite some time, but it's more real now. If you follow my blog you'll know that we've been working towards a permanent move away from rented apartments and stress producing neighbors. We pinched and saved and have done everything needed so that my eldest daughter can purchase a home. This has been going on for four and a half years now. The financial process really began after the first of the year when she met with the banks to see what she could do. All went well and the search began. We looked, and liked, and lost out on properties that we knew we could work with. Then...last week she found a property that said coming soon on the computer. Her determination to find what she wanted led her to contact the listing agent and he said that he would be listing it that afternoon. She was able to see it that afternoon and it was that same evening that she put an offer on it and they accepted. To let you know how quickly this is moving, within the next two days it has been inspected and all paper work is in the hands of the lawyers and yesterday was a holiday. Next step actually applying for her mortgage. 

She's posted this picture so all her friends can see it. It's a three bedroom ranch with a full basement, sun room and two car garage. It's a flip by the listing agent and still needs love, but the inside has been completely renovated and updated. 

This is the front side yard. Gazebo included. Needs new paint but is sheltered by wonderful trees. Do you notice the space? Lots of iced tea, lemonade, wine and some great beer going to be consumed out there.

This is the back yard. Again, notice the space. That's a shed on the right and a garden that has been cut already and waiting for us to clean up and put to immediate use if this all goes well. This will be the view out the kitchen window over the sink. Total lot is .51 acres. Room for bees, fruit trees and berry plants, along with vegetables. This is not a country piece of property. It is just a lot on a quiet side street, off a busy street not far from a full busy city with a mall shortly down the road and stores, restaurants and hotels withing a couple of miles, but it is quiet and peaceful. So here's hoping that all goes well and the pre approval turns into a finished process and in less than three months we'll be moving in. 

Meanwhile in the townhouse kitchen I continue putting food up. This is barbecue sauce. Already canned is the root beer sauce and ready to be canned is the cherry coke sauce. This is a continuance of my waste, not want not, try anything attitude to use what comes my way. The question I am asked most is "do you use what you put up" or are you just hoarding food. Well we use it and have cut our expenses to a minimum and are actually eating better and having fun with meals. This is the eleven jars that came out of the dish washer yesterday. I even used an 8 oz jar of canned cheese for macaroni and cheese that I put up at the end of 2013 and it was out of this world. 

That's what's been happening for us so far in 2016. Thank you for stopping by for a visit and please send out good vibes for us. As the process moves forward I will share more pictures and ramblings of the adventure. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

My eldest daughter and I had a very wonderful and quiet Christmas day together. Christmas Eve Day we spent with my younger daughter and my wonderful grandsons. It had been a while since we'd been together and we shared a simple breakfast, gifts, and many, many hugs. The boys are growing so fast and at 13 and 16 it still feels good to get those hugs. The discussions were more colorful and their opinions are getting to be a little more adult, but we got caught up with music and sports and their busy lives. 

We kept the holiday simple. Our table held this wonderful Poinsettia plant that was so large we called it our tree and it was just enough to put our gifts under. 

As promised to ourselves we kept breakfast simple too. Just coffee with home made donut holes and fresh fruit. It was a day of relaxation and shutting out the world. Christmas dinner was left over Thanksgiving turkey that I vacuum sealed and froze. The only cooking was a pot of potatoes and a fresh vegetable and  we promised that we would continue to celebrate simply from here on. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and thank you for stopping by for a visit. May 2016 bring good times and many blessing to all. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Happy Holidays!

It's been very quiet and relaxed here at the townhouse. Ya sure, who am I kidding? Well we've been trying to make it that way. It seems like there will always be stress mixed into the plan. 

So, in keeping this post light, there is a lovely young lady who is still gardening here in upstate NY. This past week she gifted me some fresh rosemary and parsley. Two of my favorites. Being a farm girl at heart I took the chance and started to propagate a couple of very healthy sprigs. I'm trying a green house method and sealed it in a plastic bag because my reputation with propagating rosemary has been challenging to say the least. I am drying a bit for future use, and I made this wonderful loaf of rosemary olive oil bread. It is so good. The parsley has been added to some smoothies and of course this lovely white garlic pizza with tomatoes. I love fresh herbs and I always manage to add fresh vegetables.

Remember this fine collection of thrift store bottles? Well, in my search for pour spouts so I could use them to hold creamers for my holiday coffee, I was led to the Dollar Tree store where I purchased packages of them at 2 for $1 keeping them in my budget. It pays to read reviews on line and get the information we need to stay economically stable and still have nice things.

Here they are all decked out with our vintage tray, Mikasa sugar and creamer, and mugs for Christmas morning. The green holly fabric are home made napkins and I'm sure once I bake some breakfast items, or simply take some out of the freezer, we'll have a simple and relaxing holiday. It is well earned and deserved. We are wishing everyone a great holiday season and thank you for stopping by for a visit. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

It's been all about pumpkins.

Are we tired of pumpkins yet? Not at all. It's been a wonderful pumpkin season and although I've got to do the work, to me it's well worth it. I processed the pie pumpkin and have been enjoying it, and last week a co-worker of my younger daughter gifted me another pumpkin. We had been to a few farm stands, but they were mostly out, but this gentleman had grown a few and wasn't quite sure what he would do with them. 

Yesterday I began putting this large pumpkin up. I cut it and cleaned it and started dehydrating it. My five racks held one quarter of the shredded pumpkin. I guess I'm going to be busy for the rest of the week. It took my old dehydrator eight hours to dry the pumpkin, but I'm fine with that. When the whole pumpkin is done I will make powder and vacuum seal it in a canning jar for future use. I also retrieved two cups of seeds, so I roasted one cup of lightly salted and one cup roasted with sirarcha sauce. 

Autumn is a fun time of year with all the harvests and holiday celebrations and what would be better than pumpkin goodies. I tried for the first time pumpkin empanadas and they are delicious and easy to make. I am going to use some of the leftover filling in a regular pie crust. I've made hand pies all of my life using pie crust and I think these would be awesome in a flakier crust. Here's the recipe I used.

http://www.muybuenocookbook.com/2010/10/pumpkin-empanadas/

I'm not tired of pumpkins yet and if more came my way they would be put to good use and preserved and enjoyed with love. That's just the way it is. Thank you for stopping by and visiting. I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy your pumpkins. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Well, another long and busy week is behind us and the learning continues along with confusion and wonder as to why things are the way they are. 

I finally found time to enjoy the process of baking my pie pumpkin last week. It's one of my favorite vegetables to put up and it makes the townhouse smell so wonderful. I roasted the seeds and can not wait to start cooking this week. My $2 pie pumpkin yielded six cups of puree and one cup of seeds. 

It's coming up on the holiday season and I'm always looking for home made things to do. I enjoy working with textiles and have been learning more knitting stitches and making more ornaments. This is the first time ever that I have knit with five needles at once and this star is the result. I was intimidated at first, but it is really easy once you are familiar with the pattern.

Here they are in red. It uses so little yarn and I am using the leftover from my knitted sock adventure.

I also found a few minutes this week to work on a Christmas fabric ornament. I have a personal collection of red, white, and green folded fabric ornaments. These are three inches square and are the Cathedral window quilt design. I will add a bead to the middle and attach a hanger. I love folding and manipulating fabric and this is using up a lot of my scrap holiday fabric.

Isn't this the most beautiful picture of fruit, vegetables, and snacks? There are 2 large heads of cauliflower, 15 cucumbers, 5 oranges, 4 bags of baby carrots, 4 snack packs of graham crackers, 6 yogurts, 25 apples, and a large container of guacamole. Well, this was all rescued. Headed for the landfill. Yes, this is what makes me wonder why things are the way they are. It is a liability to give this food away. I am grateful that it was rescued and given to us. There's been cooking going on, sharing going on, and healthier eating going on. It can only do good if we overlook the liability. I find that as I'm maturing there are fewer things physically that I can do, but if I can be gifted food because people know I won't waste and will put it all to good use, then that will be the direction I take. From the townhouse, a great big thank you for stopping by to visit and please have a wonderful week. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

We are still enjoying the farmer's market here in upstate New York. Actually it goes all year and this past Saturday we were there early. Cannot say bright because it was before sunrise. It was an in and out sort of visit to get what we needed and a couple of the seasonal deals. 

Here is the counter full of goodies. I got a pie pumpkin, half a peck of apples, 6 large peppers, 6 cucumbers, broccoli, parsley, celery and pears. All of this goodness cost $14 and for the two of us it will last or be made into meals for the next couple of weeks. That in the back is my daughter's new Nutribullet and we are incorporating more vegetable smoothies into our days too.

My granddaughter messaged me this week and asked if I eat cauliflower. The answer of course was yes. She replied and said she was getting me some because her work place was throwing it away. What a shame that they are doing this. I wish we would do what France has done and make it illegal to throw food away, but who am I to judge. I was excited to receive these three heads from her, but traded with her and brought her five ready to heat and eat meals, pumpkin and banana bread, along with a few other goodies. She is a college student who lives on her own and I try to do for her too. I can't always, but it was a good trade.

http://bitzngiggles.com/2014/01/broccoli-cauliflower-parmesan-bake.html

One head of cauliflower, along with some broccoli, chopped chicken from a roaster I got for less than $5, a 99 cent package of cream cheese and some herbs, spices, and a bit of milk made these two casseroles. 

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2012/08/18/buffalo-chicken-vegetarian-style/

The next head of cauliflower made these Buffalo florets. They are just yummy and better for us than the chicken wings and the price was almost nothing. A little butter, hot sauce, and a bit of spice then toss the cauliflower in, make sure they are covered well and bake for twenty minutes. I will use them for a side and toss some on my salads this week or just snack on them.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461970874255892373/

The third and last head of cauliflower was used to make these cauliflower crust cheese breadsticks. I had never tried this before, but what a way to use the cauliflower. We cut it into bread sticks and ate a few that way, while we were waiting for them to cool. It ended up being our dinner. I have added the links to the recipes and found that I could adjust them for what's in my pantry without doing extreme changes to them. I've given away half of what I made to keep others going with meals. Sharing the bounty in the form of good meals feels right. 

This is a carrot, apple and ginger smoothie I made for myself. It was quite good. We need to change some of the ways we've been eating and take better care of ourselves and others.

The reward for trying to eat better was this Jello no bake pumpkin cheese cake. I made these as cup cakes to keep from eating too much. I added the Reeses peanut butter cups and topped it with whipped cream. It's hard to give up the good things and it was discounted at the store. I got the kit for $1.29 and it made 12. Okay, so we will keep working on cutting out the desserts but it is autumn and pumpkin is in. That's what's been going on at the townhouse. Thank you for stopping by and have a great week.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

I've had a couple of days this past week that I was feeling a bit under the weather, literally. With the change to cooler temperatures we've had to turn on the heat, and the dust from the furnace has made my sinuses react. This along with the rain and damp that have made my body ache more than ever has been a challenge. 

Our dear friends Karen and Richard let me grow tomatoes and squash in their back yard. It's been a great learning experience and we know that we can do it and we know more about how to do it. 

These butternut squash are what I harvested last week that I grew in buckets from seeds that I had saved. They are small and have bumps and bruises, but the larger one will become a stuffed squash dinner for us and the others will become a serving of smashed squash, a loaf of butternut squash bread, or chips. I haven't decided yet and for now I'm still working on the vegetables I got at the farmer's market the weekend before last. I am also going to look into purchasing heirloom seeds for the future.

With the change in temperatures comes a change in menu. This is a large pot of cabbage soup. It was so good and most of all economical. I have been cooking the full pot because it freezes well and I can put it up to share.

Another large pot of stick to the ribs meals was this Pasta E Fagioli. This also freezes well and the only change I would make to this recipe would be to boil my carrots a bit first. The time the recipe said to cook them was not long enough and I thought they would cook more as the tomatoes did, but they still had crunch to them. There is plenty to share here too. These meals were all on my new menu plan and I am on week ten. The menu for week ten is blank and I am trying to constantly try new recipes and vegetables. In ten weeks we've had only two meals twice and that was baked chicken leg quarters and pork stir fry. Not bad when you think about how many meals we eat in ten weeks. Leftovers for lunches have helped saved the budget too. That's what I've been doing for the change of season. Thank you for stopping by for a visit and have a great week. If it's cold where you are I hope you are staying warm. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Life seems to keep everyone very busy lately. My daughters and I have realized that we are living just to work in order to stay financially okay. Not prospering but making it and we are all learning to work together to help each other. We are seeing the positives of working together. It's also been a time for learning. Some days I don't seem to get enough information to answer all the questions I have. The Internet is wonderful, but I am getting back to books, but also being selective. My younger daughter and I went to a library book sale last weekend. We do this quite often. I found one book for a fill a bag sale so she added it to her bag. Here it is. A book of herbs that was printed by a company selling merchandise, but very informative.

Printed in black and white, but loaded with uses, definitions, descriptions, crafts, medicinal uses, and so much information that it's a great addition to our growing library. 

This is a jar of my home made chicken soup. All of my efforts to not waste food and put shelf ready meals in the pantry has paid off. This week I took this quart size jar from the shelf, cooked it up with noodles and there you have it...dinner. My meal plan is paying off also and the budget it staying on track. 

I was gifted a bag of kiwi fruit this week. I ate what I could, but needed to do something different with the remaining fruit, so I made these small loafs of kiwi bread. As you can see I had a slice right away. It freezes well and I'm happy to say that another gift did not go to waste.

My youngest daughter, my granddaughter and I went to the farmer's market Saturday. It was a beautiful day and I got lots of great fruits and vegetables to cook with. That is a five pound bag of carrots in the back and I got it for $2. The head of broccoli is huge. It measured 10 inches in diameter and was $1. Peppers of all kinds were 3 for $1, eggplants were 2 for $1, melons were 3 for $5 so we all got one and shared the price. I got all that ginger for $2, sweet potatoes for $2, yellow squash and parsnips at great prices too. The most expensive were the apples, but they are in season so I would imagine they will be a bit high for a while. I got five apples for $3, but budget wise that was still okay. I have plenty to work with for the next couple of weeks if not longer and that makes me feel good.

Sunday morning was a great start to putting some of that produce to work for breakfast. We had home made pancakes and baked stuffed apples. I stuffed it with a breakfast sausage stuffing, put a bit of maple syrup on top, and a small pad of butter and 30 minutes later we were enjoying a very filling meal. That's some of what happened here at the townhouse this week. We may not have a farm, or big garden, but we are making use of what is around and supporting local farmers while eating better and living better. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

I love this time of year. Putting up the final harvests as small as they are and visiting the farm markets for the things I can't yet grow, cooking warmer meals, watching the colors change and enjoying the change in the air. I have to admit that I am slowing down and enjoying the change and I deserve it. 

I pulled the tomato plants this week and this was all that was worth harvesting, but it's been a wonderful learning year and oh they taste so good!

Two five gallon buckets of butternut squash have yielded seven fruits and they will be ready in a couple of weeks to harvest. I am going to try making butternut squash chips for a snack. I think there will be plenty. 

My daughter did the second rendering of the bees wax they took from the hive this week. This has been a learning experience and we are excited for when we can have our own hive.

This is the end result and it will be used in a piece of art work I am told. I will post it if it happens because I am more than intrigued by what is in the mind of the artist. That's what we've been doing here at the townhouse. Using every day to learn and try and keep going towards our chance to have a place of our own to homestead even if it is in the city. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Spraying Toxic Chemicals

So yesterday was a great day for a Monday. Did lots of work and was feeling good when...they did it. They found a way to poison my container garden on my little itty bitty deck here at the townhouse. I was in my tiny kitchen preparing dinner when the Orkin man in his van appeared in the parking lot. He sat in his van for a few minutes and then dressed in a mask, cover clothing and gloves. Nothing says poison like the Orkin man dressed in full cover. My windows and doors are all open. Yep, open to enjoy the fresh air and my seedlings and cutting are on the sill. From behind the truck here he comes with his pump bottle with poison in it. I jump quickly to remove my plants and cuttings from the sill and shut the window. HE KNOWS I'M THERE. I run to the back and shut the doors. Does he spray all the units on this row? NO! Just the unit that houses the office employee that lives next door. He sprays two stories high and down comes the liquid chemical onto my ground plants in front and then goes to the back and down comes his liquid chemicals onto my container garden. With seven units in this row he sprays just one and the wind blows it right onto my unit. No information given as to what or why he is spraying. I've seen no signs of insects or anything that needed treatment. As a matter of fact it's been a wonderful summer without a lot of mischievous insects. I attributed it to the fact that we planted plants that fight bad insects and attract the good ones. So to make a long story short my container gardening is done. The spinach and parsnips will be disposed of and I'll pull the remaining herbs. I saved what was inside from the chemicals coming in the window so all is not lost. I guess it's not against the law to spray chemicals without notifying people of what you're doing or advising them to close the windows. Still alive this morning to tell this story.

The gardening season is coming to a close and later this week I will harvest what I can for tomatoes growing at Karen's and check on the bucket squash which probably will not be ready for harvest for a couple more weeks. None of these gardens were sprayed with anything. 

I canned vegetable stock this past week from the vegetable scraps I saved in the freezer. There was enough to put up eleven pints. My tomatoes yielded five pints of sauce. Every little bit helps and I am grateful for what I get. Thank you for stopping by and visiting. Have a great week and keep on farming. 

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

The weather took a turn for the cool last week, but is on it's way back up to the mid eighties this week with cooler evenings and it is wonderful. The vegetables are still growing and I am using them up as they ripen.

First up is a grand kettle of tomatoes. I simmered it, seasoned it, and let it become tomato sauce. I also chose a larger sandwich size tomatoe that was given to me and harvested some seeds from it for next years gardening. I don't know what kind of tomato it was, but the tomato tasted good so I will give it a try and I saved a couple dollars saving them.

This morning I made eggplant lasagna. It's all ready to pop in the oven later for dinner. The eggplant was given to me and there's the sauce in it's final stage. I will can some of the rest later this week after I make vegetable broth. The cheese layers are from home made ricotta and mozzarella blended with herbs grown on the deck of our townhouse. 

Cooler temperatures meant that I could take advantage and make some fresh bread. It was a wonderful opportunity and does it taste great. The rest of my time has been spent preserving the last of the herbs and I'm hoping now that the basil will bolt so I can harvest some seeds. I am trying some cooler weather spinach in a container and I have some parsnips in another container. Here's hoping something comes of them. I will be checking in on the bucket butternut squash at Karen's and probably finish up the tomatoes there in another week or so. I hope everyone got the bounty they wanted from their gardens and thank you for stopping by for a visit. Have a wonderful week.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

With Labor day behind us, and the official end of summer is here, I know all gardeners are turning their focus to harvesting what they can and enjoying the fruits of their labor. It's no different here at the townhouse. I continue to put up what I don't want to waste. Here I have chicken broth, chicken taco chili and pork.

I continue to make my cheese and am enjoying it with my fresh produce. I've learned to make mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese so far.

The small kitchen window is a busy green house. The tomatoes are turning red, the next round of cilantro is planted, basil is rooting and the plants I already started and potted are growing well.

Tomorrow I will be going to Karen's to harvest more tomatoes and hopefully I will be canning by the end of the week. I received these photos from Karen yesterday showing me the progress of my bucket butternut squash. She counted three squash growing well and I'm hoping they make it. 

I consider myself quite blessed with the gifts of fresh produce this year. My younger daughter has a co-worker that brings his bounty to work and shares. I received this bag of goodies this week and she also threw in a few oranges.

It's been wonderful to have these vegetable to plan my meals around. I have been building a meal plan and at the same time I can change it up using the fresh produce and home made cheeses. My budget is feeling a bit of relief and I am eating better. 

We sat back and relaxed this holiday weekend also and enjoyed the sun tea brewed in our latest vintage find. It was in the upper eighties, close to ninety and the tea was refreshing. That's what's new here at the townhouse homestead. The work continues and I'm enjoying doing new things, trying new recipes and enjoying life in general. Thank you for stopping by for a visit and have a wonderful week.