A Taste of Winter...

We woke up to the earliest snow that we have ever seen. Is this a precursor to a harsh winter or a one-time event? Only time will tell...

Mrs. Smith

Pantry Meal - Vegetarian Dinner - Gather Up The Fragments

We had some vegetables that needed to be used before they met their demise. I decided to make a sheet pan dinner with squash and street corn. It turned out wonderful and we have plenty of leftovers to use as sides for a couple more meals. 

A friend visited last week a brought us a honeynut squash from the farmer's market. I baked it a couple of days ago and I had plenty leftover. It was a large squash for just the two of us. I topped the leftover squash with a little butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. It was a perfect addition to the sheet pan meal. The street corn was something that I had always wanted to try. We were not disappointed. 

All kinds of vegetables can be used in a sheet pan meal. I parboiled the potatoes and carrots before baking them to ensure that all of the vegetables would be done at the same time. All types of spices can be used to flavor the vegetables. Chefs' choice...

It was cool inside the house, so the heat from the oven took the chill out of the air while our dinner was baking. This vegetarian meal was not only healthy but filling. Vegetarian meals a couple times a week can definitely help reduce grocery bills. Gathering up the fragments reduces food waste and saves money. 

Mrs. Smith

Sunset - God's Big Screen

 I snapped these pictures as the sun was setting. Enjoy!

Mrs. Smith

A Little Drive...

Number One Husband and I took a little drive... 

This rainbow followed us for miles.

The cottonwoods are thick like shag carpet and are vibrant in color.

It is a long drop down to the reservoir. 

No guardrails!

It was a last-minute trip that I was not prepared for, so we stopped at a store and picked up smoked sausage, cheese, bagels and chips.  For the price of two fast food meals, we were able to eat several meals on the cheap.  

The leaves were just beautiful. It was a lovely drive through the giant mountains full of brilliant colors. The winding road was all but empty, unlike the previous weekend when traffic was at a standstill and a mountain town actually had to close down due to traffic. 

I have logged over 1000 miles in the last two weeks. While I enjoyed the travel there is no place like home. We are ready for the slower pace of the winter months. It's time for hot soups and warm breads. In fact, I have chicken thawing in the refrigerator for homemade chicken noodle soup that I am making to share with a friend who is coming out for a visit this weekend. 

Stay safe out there...

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

Making Extra Cash Without Getting a Second Job - Secondhand Treasures

We are always on the lookout for items that we can resale. I recently came across two such items on my trip with my friend on our Fall leaf tour. We stopped by a little thrift store to pick up a set of measuring cups that I had spotted on a previous trip. Little did I know that I would somehow lose one of my stainless-steel measuring cups. How is that even possible? I also lost a pair of glasses and sunglasses the same week. They probably fell out of the car. Sigh...

I found another new pair of boots that I kept for myself. They are Sperry Saltwater
Two-Eye Leather Boots that retail for $99. I paid $8.

My next find was a brand-new Vineyard Vines Leather Tote with a MSRP of $175.
I paid $5.

I also paid $5 for this duffle bag. This was a rare find. It is brand new with
tags. Apparently, it is a highly sought after bag and 
finding one that is brand new is almost impossible.

I really didn't know if either of these items had any value whatsoever, but for a $10.00 investment I took a chance, and it paid off. I would have definitely investigated both items if they were higher priced and I wasn't on a trip with someone else. Do your homework or you will end up with a lot of un-saleable items and a lot less money in your pocket.

There are many sales platforms to choose from. Do your homework. All of them are different and have different fees and requirements. You can sell new or used items on most platforms. Shipping costs are expensive, so watch the size and weight when determining what to resale. There is a learning curve, so be prepared to have your ups and downs. 

I do not go out of my way to search for resalable merchandise. Gas is expensive, I live far from any town or city, so I take these factors into consideration. Beware that places like Goodwill have the internet too and they price their stuff accordingly. I still check if I need something for myself, but I do not go out of my way to stop by there. It's usually a waste of time. Garage sales and estate sales usually have good prices for resellers. The last day is the best day for negotiating.

This day was an exceptional day. Usually, it's hit or miss at best so be careful. Don't spend your rent or grocery money. It will probably be Spring before either of these items' sell or maybe they won't sell at all. Some items are seasonal, like the tote I purchased. The duffle bag will probably sell due to the fact that it is a collectable item. 

Watch for cracks, rips, tears, stains or hardware, like zippers, that are non-functional. These types of imperfections will make your purchase worthless. Take your time looking closely at every item before purchasing. 

Keep the items that you are interested in inside your basket until you make your decision or someone else will buy it. They may even try to take an item out of your basket while you are not looking. I've had people follow me around until I checked out several times. I've been in a store that was full of re-sellers, they can be spotted a mile away, and it was a feeding frenzy. The interesting thing was that there wasn't anything valuable in the entire store that I saw. In fact, it was a nasty store.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun! Enjoy the hunt. Even if I don't find anything, I still enjoy looking. Seeing something from my childhood makes me smile every time. 

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

Outside My Window - Future

Snow started falling on the peaks a couple of weeks ago. While most of it melted, the snow that is falling now will not melt until Spring. I recently returned from a "Girls" trip with my friend to Rocky Mountain National Park. The main road is now closed due to snow and ice. It closed a couple of times for short periods of time two weeks ago, but close to two feet is expected to fall over the next few days. I'm glad that my friend came when she did or our trip would have been cancelled.

We traveled over several passes, that will close very soon, on our adventures. It was a wonderful trip full of wildlife and endless views. She left yesterday morning. We got up at 2 am to get her to the airport to catch her flight. We came back home and slept another 5 hours. I was ready for some much-needed rest after our great 5-day adventure. 

Looking back at these pictures reminds me of what the future holds this winter. I'm ready to enjoy the benefits of the winter months. A change of pace so to speak. I think this winter may be a doozy this year for the entire US. We will see what the future holds...

I will share pictures of our trip soon. I have to catch up on a few things and make our last trip into the city until the end of December or the beginning of January. Number One Husband and I have a short overnight trip planned next month, then we are hibernating until Spring. 

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

Secondhand Treasures - Company is Coming

Number One Husband and I recently went to a small thrift store that benefits seniors. It's a great little store with lots of treasures. While their prices have increased, it's nothing like Goodwill. I found these brand-new Sorel Caribou boots for $20 bucks. Retail on these boots is $225 dollars. I may not need to wear them for a while, but I am excited to have such a nice pair of winter boots. They will work great with my snowshoes. 

I have a pair of Sorel Manitou boots that I just love. My friend gave them to me when she moved to a warmer climate. I love them also. They are super warm. The Caribou boots are similar to the Manitou boots in some ways, but different at the same time. 

Number One Husband picked up a Made-in-America waffle iron. I promptly made Herman sourdough waffles. They were delicious. And I picked up a few books and DVDs. From free to $1 is all I had to pay. I think that they get a lot of media type stuff, and they don't have a lot of room, so they price it to move or give it away when they have too much.

Third time is a charm. On the last one, I got the batter ratio correct.
I ate my waffle plain. The sweetness of the whole grains and the
Herman sourdough starter was enough for me.

In other news, my girlfriend, the amazing BB, will be here in two days. We are doing a Fall leaf tour of the area. Hiking, hot springs and food is on our agenda. It's perfect timing. The peak is on the 20th. Another girlfriend may join us for a couple of our adventures. Number One Husband has graciously bowed out of all of our adventures. He and I have trip coming up soon.

Number One Husband is making a cheesecake, and I already made tamales and froze them for the occasion. Both of which are two of her favorite foods. (ours too) I will put together some travel foods also. I made a mild breakfast sausage for breakfast bagels. Spicy is not her thing. I need to get to work on the bagels and blueberry muffins. There are no restaurants on the trails. We are going to need some food with substance to power us up the cold mountains on our hikes.

It has definitely turned cooler, and snow appeared on the peaks a couple of nights ago.  Our yearly goal is to not turn the heat on until the first of November, but we had to turn it on to take the chill out of the air a month and a half early this year. It was 57 degrees inside the house this morning. 

The craziest thing has happened to me. I have lost my prescription sunglasses and glasses and my 1/2 cup measuring cup. Now I can understand that my glasses probably fell out of the car, but my measuring cup? What the hay? Did I toss it out in the trash? Is it inside a container somewhere that I haven't yet checked? I have spent hours looking for both to no avail.

I'd better get moving. 

Shalom,

Mrs. Smith