From My Home to Yours: 6/12/26

 From My Home to Yours

6/12/26

~ Our Temps Hit 100 + Degrees! ~

plum tree

It's been a hot and humid week in our area with high temps reaching 101 degrees one day followed by 100 degrees the next!  We are so thankful to God for a home that keeps us comfortable temperature wise and a vehicle that does the same when we have to be out and about.  We are blessed!

Hurricane season has officially started and that means we are checking and rechecking our hurricane preps and plans one last time.  If  you've ever experienced a hurricane then you are aware of the devastation they can leave behind.  Hours and hours of strong gusting winds, torrential rains, dangerous flooding and sometimes tornadoes are a part of a hurricane and should not be taken lightly.  When Hurricane Florence hit our area several years ago, we had 3 full days of torrential rain, storms, strong winds that rattled the house, widespread dangerous flooding, trees and tree branches down, thunder storms, structural damage and loss of power.  The sun didn't shine for 3 full days, it was so overcast that it could be compared to 'dusk.'  One doesn't forget an experience like that and will always do their best to be better prepared for the next time.

Isn't that what we do in looking out for our households.  Doesn't the 'lean' times, the uncertain times, the weather related times make us more determined to be better prepared for the next time?  With every 'lean or uncertain' time, I try to determine what I can do to be better prepared for the next time.  We all have 'lean or uncertain' times, they come and go.  Sometimes it feels like those times will never end, but they eventually do and the choices we make as a result can help us better prepare for the next time, if we are wise.

Choices, that's what it really comes down to, isn't it?

Choices about how we spend our monies ...

Choices about our pantries ...

Choices about preparing for the future ...

Our choices can make or break us, help or hinder ... let that sink in while we take a look at the choices we made this week.

With the temps and humidity being so high, I spent more time inside than out.  Early mornings found us out harvesting garden produce and plums from our plum trees.  

I did not get more cucumber seeds planted ... with the temps this high, they would not germinate.

grape leaves freshly harvested (left) and dried (right)

I did harvest grape leaves and started a grape leaf tincture (pictured below).  For info on uses of grape leaf tincture, check out this video and or this article. Here's more info on uses for grape leaves other than tincturing.

I did not harvest dandelion

I did not harvest parsley

I did not plant wildflowers and cockscomb seeds in tractor tires 

I did start two herbal tinctures ...

Here's the method I use to make tinctures

I crush or powder the dried herb and use the ratio of 1 part dried herb to 5 parts alcohol such as vodka, etc (not rubbing alcohol).  I use a scale to measure in grams.  I put an airtight lid on the container and give it a good shake. I let it sit at least 2 weeks (since the herbs are either powdered or finely crushed the time needed is less.) in a cool location out of direct sunlight.  I make sure the location is where I will see it every day so that I can give it a good shake.  After the 2 plus weeks are up, I strain, bottle and label the tincture.

I did continue to harvest squash, got our first harvest of more than one cucumber and continued harvesting plums.  

(Each jar contains:  cucumbers from our garden, raw squash from our garden, bell peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes and feta cheese.)

For my 'prepared' ahead lunches this week, I prepared salad fixings.  These jars contained all the vegetables and cheese.  I measured out chicken and put it in separate containers and then put the lettuce, washed - cleaned - chopped, in a zip lock bag.  I also boiled eggs, peeled them and stored them in an air tight glass storage container.  It was easy and quick to put together a salad, whether it was a side salad or something more substantial such as a chef salad.

Our choices this week focused on ...

restocking our pantry ...

future financial needs ...

making meals quicker and easier ...

and on being good stewards of what God has blessed us with.

I continued reading book 7 in the Bregdan Chronicles, Glimmers of Change, by Ginny Dye. I finished listening to The Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund, listened to The Runaway Bride by the same author, one more by the same author ... A Bride of Convenience.  All three of these books are part of a series of 4 of the Bride Ship series.  I am enjoying the saga of each as I listen while getting my daily exercise.  There's one more in the series, but I have to wait my turn, until then I'm listening to The Prince:  The Biblical Story of Jonathan by Francine Rivers.   (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

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