I Didn't do Nothing!

And I mean that in the grammatically correct way!  I did fill up the curbside find last night (in the early morning hours, actually).  I knew I wouldn't be falling asleep quickly, so I burned off energy in the basement.  There were two sets of foil trays I bought to line the bottom of my ovens, then I learned they couldn't be used that way. It was good to have them on had because they became shelving surface for my rack.

There was more stock for my tariff "pantry."  I ordered the non-perishables to be shipped from Walmart, so I didn't even need to go to the store.  My plan is to shop and consume normally for the short-term, then start working on my stock once prices either go up or items become harder to find. We are doing well enough that I can order things like sun-dried tomatoes, hearts of palm, jars of peaches, etc.  My thinking is small touches of these non-necessities can elevate a basic dish, so they are good investment for saving money later.  I will probably want to buy another big bundle of paper towels just to have on hand. Usually we use cloth, but the paper kind is good for stuff that doesn't wash out of a cloth easily.

I wanted to have one of those Instagram mornings where I could lazily shuffle into the kitchen in my jammies, pour a steaming mug of coffee, and eat a leisurely breakfast. Tommy had the percolator going but was out on a hike.  And the faucet wasn't working!  

Ours is a motion-sensor model, which I normally like because I cook so much and my hands are always dirty.  It took me about an hour of troubleshooting to get it going again.  That meant pulling out lots of stuff in the cabinet, which then led to a cleaning and reorganization project.  It also meant making up more butcher-block cleaner, and going through everything, scrubbing and categorizing, labeling, and repositioning. Keep in mind, I've been in this kitchen for only about a year. But the under-sink area is a black hole in most homes, so I don't feel too badly.  Being a container hoarder helps as well. Some of my supplies are being held in a shelf from our old refrigerator!

I went to Burlington (a home goods discount big box store), not far from the Tops I'd put a Flashfood order in to. When I am nearby, I stop in to see if there are any clearance opportunities on HBA or other household things.  We needed more poop bags, so that was a goal too.  Since Tommy has big wide feet, I look for shoes and found a pair of sneakers for the summer that were just $19.  Strangely, there were a pair of baseball cleats, size 15 (huge), marked to 25 cents.  While these are waaaaay too big for Tommy -- and I know no one who plays baseball, or for whom the size would be appropriate, I grabbed them anyway.  One of the thrift stores I buy from is in the city, blocks from a high school and my old college.  There will be a student there that could use them, so if I donate them, they'll be able to find their way to a new home.  Maybe it's odd, but I purchased them to donate.

We fed the last of the kibble in the jar on our counter, so it was time to refill it with a bag I found at Gabe's.  This is a good brand and is actually puppy food. Since I only give Frankie a little at a time, the extra fat, protein, and calories doesn't concern me.  She will burn it all for energy and not have any adverse issues. Tommy broke another porcelain scoop, so I switched to aluminum.  Big guy + Big Hands = Clumsy Man.

I saved $50 with Flashfood today.  The items might seem odd, but when I saw what was offered at the store, I had a meal in mind.

Dinner was crab cake over greens, topped with Cara Cara oranges (my favorite!), salad fixin's (Tommy calls them "salad candy"), onions, blue cheese, and Greek dressing.  I tossed the soft pretzel bits into the air fryer to serve on the side.  My beverage was a small single serve of sparkling wine, and Tommy had a beer.  There's enough salad left for Tommy to have a wrap for lunch tomorrow. I am sending him off this week with rotisserie chicken strips which I had in the freezer, also FF, which he really enjoys.

Dinner was approximately ten bucks; it was still a bargain. I put the orange peels in a jar and added vinegar that had already been steeped with mojito mint.  As we finish the oranges, more skins will go in the jar.  In another month, I'll have nicely scented vinegar for cleaning.  My motto should be "I save and save, and when I am done saving, I save some more!"

Have you had Cara Cara oranges? Do you love them as much as I do? They are at Aldi now and worth the money. If you haven't tasted them, I highly recommend!!!