May news #9 - purchases

Good evening,  

I didn’t take any photos but we spent today with 2 grandsons that we’ve barely seen during this quarantine.  That was really nice! 

Back around the first of March,  our 10 year old Bosch dishwasher started leaking.  My husband said to buy a new one.  So we went to Lowe’s where the selection was quite limited.  Even so, it worked out for the best as I’m so happy with the new dishwasher we did pick out.  

It is also a Bosch and it has a feature I didn’t even know existed on dishwashers- a 3rd pull out rack.  

I use that third rack all the time.  Sometime I put shallow dishes on the top rack.  

Sometimes I take the silverware basket out of the bottom rack to make room for more big dishes and then load all our silverware and utensils in the top rack.  

The dishwasher was not frugal but it was on sale and to spend even less,  we brought it home in the back of husband’s pickup and then he installed it to save on delivery and installation.  

Other brands also had the third rack.  So if you plan on buying a new dishwasher,  I’m a big fan of this style.  

The disruption in the supply chain during this quarantine and not being to really shop in person has really concerned me.  

I’ve been keeping a full pantry and freezer and couponing stockpile for years,  but the shortages we’ve been seeing made both my husband and I want to increase our food storage at home.  

So,  we’ve added more food storage in our guest room.  

In the flat storage containers are different kinds of rice, beans, sugars. 

There are extra spices to flavor all those beans, plenty of coffee and tea, pet food, canned soups, meats, fruits and veggies and assorted household items.  

I have no idea if this was the right thing to do but except for some canned meats,  all the products are things we regularly use.  

I didn’t buy this in one shopping trip.  The stores in my towns have limits.  Most of it was was bought week by week through the Walmart grocery pickup.  

Have any of y’all felt the need to stock up more than usual? 

Time will tell if it’s necessary but if things do all get better,  we will just use these things in the future and be ahead on grocery shopping 

❤️ Rhonda 

May news #8 - mostly cooking

Hello everyone 

I finally made the chicken broth this morning.  I used vegetable scraps and chicken backbones, both saved from previous food prep and saved in freezer bags.  I put them in the crockpot and added water and let them cook all day on high.  

After cooking and straining,  there was close to a gallon of rich chicken broth.  I don’t add salt to mine.  The storebought broths are usually so high in sodium and we just don’t need that much extra salt.  

It will stay in the fridge all night.  Tomorrow, I’ll skim off the fat and freeze the broth in meal size containers.  

Homemade broth is easy and is almost free as it’s made from food that many people throw away.  

Supper was meatloaf made with this recipe.  I did alter it a bit,  using whole eggs, omitting the Worcestershire and doubling the recipe.  

Skinny Meatloaf

My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe.  I took some to my parent’s home and our son’s home and they all enjoyed it too.  

I will make this recipe again.  

This week’s to do list 

Hope you all are well

❤️ Rhonda