From My Home to Yours: 7/10/26

 From My Home to Yours

7/10/26

~  It's Fall Garden Planting Time! ~

It's been so very hot outside this week (8 consecutive days of temps hovering around 100 degrees with a heat index of above 105), but hot doesn't mean that I can let this window for garden planting come and go.  So, several mornings this week after I finished my walk, I planted something.  Since we garden in raised beds and containers there was no need for big equipment such as a tractor or tiller.  All I needed to do was amend the soil, water the soil, plant the seeds and water the soil again.

Acorn squash ... this is a bush variety that is supposed to do well in a container.  If all goes well, we should be harvesting toward the end of September.   Acorn squash can be stored all winter with no need to preserve other than keeping an eye on them in a somewhat cool and dry storage place.  Now, that's my kind of 'pantry stocking!'

Butternut squash ... if past experience is any indication, this bed will be covered in vines and butternut squash ... we hope!  Butternut squash is the same as acorn squash when it comes to preserving it through the winter.  If all goes well this bed will give us enough butternut squash to last well into next year.

Sage ... the sage I planted in the early spring didn't survive, thankfully since we have a long growing season, we have the option of trying again.

On the left side of this 'half-barrel' I planted collard seeds from seeds we saved from collards we grew.  On the right side, I planted cabbage seeds, also saved from cabbage we grew.  That little trench is the dividing line!  After taking the picture, I covered the 'bed' in netting to keep the squirrels from digging up the seeds and the birds from helping themselves as well!  If all goes well, these seeds should have grown into plants that will be ready to go in the ground in early to mid August.

Psst!  I started this post on Monday of this week and as of today, Friday, the collards seeds are up, the cabbage seeds are up, and the sage seeds are up.  I guess all the heat and the fact that I have kept them well watered created the perfect environment for germination.   I'll take it!!!!

In addition to having planted collards, cabbage, sage, acorn squash and butternut squash on Monday, today I planted broccoli seeds, more cucumber seeds and purple hull peas.  I still have several things to plant yet.  We're hoping for a successful fall and winter garden. (Yes, we can grow a few things even in winter here, and with some frost covering we can do even more.)  

Back inside, I've been working on preserving peaches off and on all week ... peel, slice, flash freeze, bag, freeze, repeat.

The response to our new $5 weekly pantry challenge has been so encouraging.  Thank you to those who have taken the time to respond, and yes, because of prices it will be more of a  challenge ... but as we're already seeing, it can be done.  Where there's a will, there's a way!  If you haven't decided to join us, I hope you'll consider it ... I think it will be encouraging, inspiring and yes, even fun!  Look for the next '$5 Pantry Challenge' entry on Monday.  I hit the $5 limit on the head ... that probably won't happen again!  (Please post each entry for the $5 Pantry Challenge under the weekly $5 Pantry Challenge posts.  The introduction post is found HERE.)

I did some shopping in the 'back to school' section of our local big box store.  I purchased 5 boxes of name brand coloring pencils (12 count @ $.99 each); 5 boxes of name brand crayons (24 count @ $.50 each); and 5 packages of name brand glue sticks (2 in each pack @ $.50 per pack).  The coloring pencils and crayons went in my gift trunk and the glue sticks went in my sewing and craft area.  The total cost was $8.95 before taxes.  I'll probably go back and repeat this one more time and then that will give me enough for my needs as well as gift giving needs throughout the year.

Let's talk for a minute about 'enough.'  In an effort to watch our monies and be the best steward of them as we can, we are focusing on 'enough' ...  

Planting 'enough' garden to meet our needs ...

Purchasing 'enough' supplies to meet our needs for a specified amount of time ...

Preserving 'enough' food for our needs for a specified amount of time ...

When we are content with 'enough' we have more time for rest, more time for recreation and more time to just be still.  

We changed the way we garden and while our current garden is not as big as before, it is still enough.

We decided on the size of pantry we wanted and while it's not as big as it used to be, it is still enough.

'Enough' is freeing!

I'm still in book 7 in the Bregdan Chronicles, Glimmers of Change, by Ginny Dye.  I have much more listening time than reading time right now.  I can listen to audio books while I work, but alas, I haven't found a way to read from a book while working.  I started listening to The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen.   (All the audio books I listen to come from Libby the library app.)

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

 

2026 Summer Series: Building a Pantry with $5 a Week ... #1

      THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH INTEREST SO, LET'S DO THIS ...   It's been a while since I've done a $5 weekly pantry challenge.  The last time I did one food prices were lower than they are now.  Recently, I found myself wondering what such a challenge would look like with our current food prices.  Would $5 a week make a difference?  Could I build up my pantry and or help restock it with just $5 a week?

This summer, I'm taking up that challenge, what can I add to my pantry that we will eat and or use that will build it up and or restock it?  Here are my guidelines ...

Total must be $5 or less each week not including taxes.

Must be a separate purchase ... in other words it cannot be hand-picked items from our weekly grocery haul that totals $5 or less.

All items must come from a grocery store, farmers market, etc.  In other words they must be purchased.  No running out to the garden and putting a grocery store price on items harvested or shared with us.  This challenge is meant to stretch us in utilizing a small amount of money to help build up and or restock our pantry.

Must be items we regularly use.  This will keep us from seeing a good deal on something 'we might like' and spending our 'challenge money' only to never get around to trying it or finding out we don't like it at all.  This challenge is for our tried and true pantry building basics.

This challenge includes all things in our pantry:  food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.

One more guideline ... no rolling money over from week to week.  We have to spend it or lose it!

This challenge will end on September 21st, the last day of summer.  I'll try to post what I've been able to do each Monday,  I hope you'll join me in this challenge.

Meet me back here for the first $5 pantry building challenge entry next Monday!

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

 

From My Home to Yours: 7/4/26

 From My Home to Yours

7/4/26

~  Blueberries, Peaches, Sunflowers and Extremely Hot Weather! ~

We've had heat advisories and warnings for a good part of the week because of temperatures nearing 100 degrees and over each day.  (The 'feel like' temperatures put it at or around 105 - 110 degrees.)  So, we made it our aim to have all our outdoor chores done by 8 a.m. every day.  It made for having to get up earlier than we normally would, but it has been worth it to be able to escape the heat and humidity.  Sometimes we have to make sacrifices don't we, and for us this week it was giving up a bit of sleep in order to make it possible to escape the heat and humidity!

I spent much of the week preserving blueberries ... 7 gallons of blueberries.  Hubby made a blueberry cobbler that was delicious, we ate some fresh, and the rest, I flash froze, bagged and added them to the freezer part of our pantry.  This amount will be enough to last us until blueberry harvest next year.

I could have made syrup, jam, jelly and even canned some, but none of those ways are ways we will use, so I chose to preserve them in the way we would use them ... freezing.  It's pointless and a waste of resources if we preserve something in a way our family won't consume.  We're smarter than that!

Hubby got a phone call from the person we got the blueberries from asking if we wanted any peaches.  The peaches had been fresh picked that morning and were $14 for a half bushel box.  We said, 'yes' and a box was delivered to us.  A couple of days later, the same person called again with the same offer and again, we said, 'yes.'  Another box was delivered to us.  I am in the process of peeling, flash freezing and adding them to the freezer part of our pantry just as I did the blueberries.

Again, we could have canned some, made jelly and or jam, but just as with the blueberries, we opted not to as neither of us need the added sugar these products would have.

Look at this beautiful scene that I get to enjoy every day right now just by looking out our door!  Can I just say, that we are so very blessed!

I made 'ginger concentrate' this week.  I took fresh ginger, peeled it and cut it into small chunks.  Next, I added a few chunks to my Nutri-bullet along with about a cup of water and whizzed it all together.  I strained out the ginger pulp and added the ginger concentrate to a jar.  I continued this process until I had worked my way through all the fresh ginger.  Pictured is what I got.  My next step is to pour it into ice cube trays, freeze it, pop the frozen cubes out, bag them up and put them back in the freezer.  When I get ready to use, I'll pull out one cube, add it to a glass of water, tea or other beverage and enjoy!  Ginger has many health benefits and to me, taste good too!

We spent less than $20 at the grocery store this week, we just didn't need anything ... oh my, it's so good to be in the driver's seat when it comes to grocery shopping.  Having and maintaining a well-stocked pantry has put us in the driver's seat, and with food prices the way they are now, I can't think of a better place to be!

Here's a heads up ... our local big box store is putting out the 'back-to-school' supplies.  This is the time that I purchase enough paper, pens, markers, etc to last until back-to-school shopping comes around again next year.  I will be inventorying what I have on hand, looking at my needs for the upcoming year along with gift giving needs, making a list and doing the shopping.

Here's something I've been contemplating ... I'd like your input ...

It's been a while since I've done a $5 weekly pantry challenge.  The last time I did one food prices were lower than they are now.  Recently I found myself wondering what such a challenge would look like with our current food prices.  Would $5 a week make a difference?  Could I build up my pantry and or restock it with just $5 a week?

This summer, I'm thinking about taking up that challenge, what can I add to my pantry that we will eat and or use that will build it up and or restock it.  Here would be my guidelines ...

Total must be $5 or less each week not including taxes.

Must be a separate purchase ... in other words it cannot be hand-picked items from a weekly grocery haul that totals $5 or less.

All items must come from a grocery store, farmers market, etc.  In other words they must be purchased.  No running out to the garden and putting a grocery store price on items harvested or shared with us.  This challenge is meant to stretch us in utilizing a small amount of money to help build up or restock our pantry.

Must be items we regularly use.  This will keep us from seeing a good deal on something 'we might like' and spending our 'challenge money' only to never get around to trying it or finding out we don't like it at all.  This challenge is for our tried and true pantry building basics.

This challenge includes all things in our pantry:  food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.

One more guideline ... no rolling money over from week to week.  We have to spend it or lose it!

What do you think?  Would this be helpful?  

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.  If there is little to no interest, we'll move on and forget it.

One more thing ... it's July and that means it's time to start thinking about and planning for Christmas.  Consider this your wake-up call!  It's time to start seriously planning for the Christmas holidays!  That's all I'm going to say about that right now!

Psst!  I'm watching a Christmas show as I work on this post.  I'm a great fan of all things Christmas, including Christmas in July events!

I continued reading book 7 in the Bregdan Chronicles, Glimmers of Change, by Ginny Dye.  I have much more listening time than reading time right now.  I can listen to audio books while I work, but alas, I haven't found a way to read from a book while working.  I finished listening to Tomorrow's First Light by Naomi Rawlings.   (All the audio books I listen to come from Libby the library app.)

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

 

From My Home to Yours: 6/26/26

 From My Home to Yours

6/26/26

~ 46 ~

This week we celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary acknowledging that our love for each other deepens with every year (as does our ability to laugh at what getting older is doing to our bodies).  Aging love is different than young love, but oh my, it's just as good if not better.  All pretense and trying to impress each other is gone and for us, a quiet acceptance of each other that allows us to thoroughly enjoy just being in each other's presence.  We have each other's backs, we look out for each other, we hold each other's hands, we laugh with and at each other ... we complete each other in every way that counts!  We pray for many more years together, but if that's not possible, we pray to enjoy each and every day we have together while we're both on this earth.

Where do I even begin with all the pantry building work that has gone on this week in our home!

~ produce from our garden ~

The cucumbers have been turned into a cucumber & onion vinegar salad.  (I saved the ones we didn't use with the original making to replenish the salad when needed.)

The carrots were fermented  (I have fallen in love with fermented carrots and am experimenting with various herbs and spices I can add for flavoring.)  The health benefits are an added bonus!

The squash was enjoyed as a side with a meal (I air-fried it in our air-fryer)

Those cherry tomatoes were washed and set on the kitchen counter.  We've been popping them in our mouths whenever we were anywhere near them!

The two larger tomatoes are sitting on the counter so they can finish ripening.  (Our weather is so hot and humid right now that when our tomatoes start ripening we are harvesting them and allowing them to finish ripening inside.)

~ grocery haul, part 1 ... mostly fresh produce ~

The corn on the cob was on sale for 3 ears for $1 ... we purchased enough to enjoy throughout the week.  We've already enjoyed one meal with them and the corn was delicious!  We microwave it still in the shuck and then remove it right before adding it to the table as a side.

Romaine hearts lettuce for more salads in a jar.

Fresh Ginger to make ginger cubes to go in water.

Lemons for juicing and freezing the juice for lemon cubes ... again to go in water or other beverages and to use in recipes calling for fresh lemon juice.

~ grocery haul, part 2 ~

We went grocery shopping for the main purpose of bargain shopping for meats and we were successful ... in our eyes.

Ground chuck was on sale for $4.49/lb, we purchased family packs and preserved them once we got home.

Bob Evans sausage on markdown for $3.59/lb

Tenderloin on markdown for $3.02

Chicken legs (4 pack) on markdown for $1.33 and the other package was similar in price but I don't remember what the exact markdown price was.  I air-fried both packages and added them to our menu for this week.  I absolutely love having portions of our meals prepared ahead of time and this chicken is a good example.  We will be able to have it in various forms and dishes!

Thick pork chops for the marked down price of $5.90.  (Hubby cooked the pork chops and tenderloin to have for his breakfast in the upcoming week.)

The hot dogs were on sale for $2.99/package.

4 packages of chicken gizzards that ranged in markdown prices below $2 for each package.

 

I took the chicken gizzards and canned 5 quarts for the pantry.  Since my canner wasn't full, I added two jars of navy beans.  They both processed at the same time and for the same poundage so it was a win, win.  Pressure canning gizzards and then giving them a quick 'frying' when ready to eat makes them so very tender.  It's also another meat meal on the pantry shelf!

We also restocked several of the vinegars that we use and cheeses as well.  It was a successful bargain shopping experience.  (Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would think that the above prices were 'good' ... but they are.)  

This week we'll be looking at and paying attention to July 4th sales and subsequent markdowns.  We always try to do additional shopping around the holidays and stock up on items that typically go on sale.  This is one our strategies for maintaining a well-stocked pantry while eating out of it daily.

We have one more 'bargain' to share.  It occurred on the same day as our grocery bargain shopping.  We had been told that a local chain store had baby chicks on sale for $1 each.  With our cold food in coolers, we always grocery shop with coolers, we stopped in at said chain store.

Nope, they didn't have any more, but they did have the ones pictured that were about 3 weeks old that they would be willing to let us have for $1 each!  We were looking for the buff orpington variety, but they didn't have any ... these are sexlinks and are good layers as well.    We said, 'we'll take them!' These sexlinks were normally $7.99 each, but because they were 'feathered out' they were letting them go for $1 each.   We feel blessed!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our 'bargain shopping' adventures.  Sometimes it helps to see what others purchase and what they do with it once they get home.

I continued reading book 7 in the Bregdan Chronicles, Glimmers of Change, by Ginny Dye. I finished listening to Almost a Bride by Jody Hedlund and started listening to Tomorrow's First Light by Naomi Rawlings.   (All the audio books I listen to come from Libby the library app.)

Next week, it's all about blueberries!  It's blueberry preserving time at our house!

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

 

From My Home to Yours: 6/19/26

 From My Home to Yours

6/19/26

~ A Time to Be Still ~

This past week was a busy one and one that stretched me emotionally as well.

~ our sweet potatoes are doing well ~

The church we attend had VBS four nights of the week, and it was so good and encouraging and uplifting.

~ first tomatoes of the season ~

I'm so glad that we had that sweet time of learning and fellowship because in and around VBS, we got a shock that left us reeling.

~ we're harvesting cucumbers about twice a week ~

Sometimes, when life finds you in a busy season and then hands you a shock or two to deal with as well, it's hard to take it all in.  It's during those times that I have a yearning to be still and get my feet back under me so to speak.  So, this morning, after the dust had settled from the week, I determined to do just that.  

I read the entry for today in the chronological Bible I am reading through this year ...

I poured my heart out to God again in my prayer journal ...

I made our bed ...

prepared breakfast and ate it ...

went for my daily walk ...

and then started working in my home  ...

I cleaned out both refrigerators ...

started a new batch of kefir ...

swept the floors ...

started the ice maker ...

emptied the dishwasher and reloaded it ...

and did just general house cleaning jobs.

Most of it was done in a completely quiet house which gave me opportunity to be quiet and let my mind process the weeks events.  I needed that.  Do you ever need to just be 'still and quiet' in your mind?  I do and while my hands and feet were busy, my mind was quietly processing the week's events.  (The week's events of which I have referred to in this post have nothing to do with my family, we are all fine.)  

I find solace in my home and garden and when life hands me something difficult to deal with, my home and garden are where I want to be.  Do you have a place of solace where you can 'be still and quiet' your mind?  

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10

I did a garden walk through this morning and captured the pictures you see in this post.  We've had some good rain this week and everything is flourishing.  I have much to do in the garden and hope to be able to spend much of next week getting caught up ... but we shall see!

I continued reading book 7 in the Bregdan Chronicles, Glimmers of Change, by Ginny Dye. I ran out of time for listening to The Prince:  The Biblical Story of Jonathan by Francine Rivers before it had to be returned.  I tried, but with everything going on this week, I just couldn't finish it.  I was over sixty percent done, but alas it had to go back.  I went back on the 'waiting' list and will get to finish it when my turn comes around again.  The next day, when it was time for my daily walk, I started listening to Almost a Bride by Jody Hedlund.  I had been waiting for this 4th book in the Bride Ship series to become available and was glad when I saw the notification that it was available.  It took a bit of the sting out of not being able to finish The Prince! (All the audio books I listen to come from Libby the library app.)

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!