Weekend plans

Everyone knows I love a good resale...sale, and there are several good ones coming up in the Fox Valley. Woohoo!

This weekend, I'll be at the John Shields and McDole Elementary PTO Sale in Sugar Grove. I stumbled upon this sale by accident in the spring, and I was really impressed! Lots of kids clothes, equipment and toys, and everything was nicely organized.  The sale is Friday, September 9 from 6-9pm and Saturday, September 10 from 8am to 1pm at the Sugar Grove Community House. 

Next weekend, I'm giving the St. Peter Barn Sale a try. I first learned about this sale from a participant in my most recent Live Well, Spend Less! class at Waubonsee.  The St. Peter Barn Sale is held Saturday, September 17 from 8am to 3pm and Sunday, September 18 from 9am to 2pm at the Kane County Fairgrounds.  Based on the pictures at their facebook page, this sale looks huge!

Finally, in October I'll stop at the resale event hosted by the Tri-Cities Mothers of Twins and Triplets Club.  Held at the Mooseheart Field House, this sale is on Saturday, October 1 from 8am to 1pm. It costs $1.00 per person to enter, and you'll need to bring a stroller, wagon or large tote bag to haul around your purchases. 

At each sale, I'll be on the lookout for winter clothes for the Little Guy and Little Miss as well as Halloween costumes and dress-up outfits.  If you see a crazy woman frantically digging through the 5T and 2T sizes looking for footed pajamas, it's just me. Come on over and say Hello!

Blanching

Yesterday, neighbor and friend Yogita (Hi, Yogi!) helped me harvest a TON of green beans.  After I foisted half of them off on her, I was left with a half-ton for our household. Since we are still eating the TON of green beans BFF Laura (Hi, Laura!) helped me pick on Saturday, this batch had to be preserved. But how?

Freezing!  While this would have been a good opportunity to can some beans, I decided to go with the freezing option as it is easier and quicker.  Time is of the essence when you are working with just-picked produce--you want to process it as quickly as possible to retain the freshness. 

Step One: Wash and prepare the beans. Throw the ends in the old-ice-cream-container-turned-compost-bin-storage.  Boil a pot of water and prepare an ice bath.  Have tongs and freezer bags handy.  Stand in awe of the giant zucchini in the background.

Step Two:  Place green beans in the boiling water. Leave them in there for a minute or two, but no longer. You do not want the beans to cook all the way, just to get really hot really fast.

Step Three: Remove the beans from the boiling water and immediately place them in the ice bath. The point of this is to stop the cooking process.  Something magical AND scientific happens here, but I'm not sure what it is because I am neither a magician nor a scientist. I just know that this is an important step and you can't skip it.

Yes, the beans are cooling in the bottom of a salad spinner. It was already used, and I didn't want to dirty up another pot/bowl. That's just how I roll.

Step Four:  Place the cooled beans in a freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and throw them in the freezer. 

Done! Green beans are preserved, and we'll be enjoying these delicious bits of summer sometime in January or February.  That's usually when I need summer the most.

Manda Monday--100 fans!

Woohoo! It's finally happened! I've reached 100 fans on facebook, and I have to tell you, this has done wonders for my Monday morning outlook. What a great way to start the week!

Now, as promised back in May, one random fan is getting two dozen custom-decorated sugar cookies. And that lucky duck is....

...Michelle Devon!  Come on down!

Michelle, when you have a moment, send me a message/email so I can get your info.  And thanks to everyone for reading this blog and following along on facebook and twitter.  I heart you all bigtime!

Why yes...

...my garden is doing well.

Thanks for asking.

Waste not

Just like Martha Stewart, I abhor waste.  Wasted time, money, effort, resources...it all bothers me.  I try to make things last for as long as possible, and I hate to throw anything out.  For example, take a look at all of these shampoo and conditioner bottles. 

Some bottles contain enough product for one or two more uses, but they're all at the point where it's impossible to get it out of the container.  Others have more product in there, but I stopped using it because its companion shampoo/conditioner was all used up.  I like to be on the same page with my shampoo and conditioner, you know?

Anways, check out the Lotion Saver from the Container Store.

These bottle couplers allow for easy transfer from one bottle to another.  It took a day or two, but now I have everything condensed into their appropriate bottles.  Amazingly, a small bit here and there combined to make over 7 ounces of shampoo and about 5 ounces of conditioner.  That's enough product for a whole month, and to think that all of that would have gone to waste...sniffle.  Now, I have a super-crazy concoction of shampoos and conditioners made from all different consistencies and scents.  Doesn't that sound fun?

Of course, I always did a have a crazy idea of what "fun" is.  I hope it bodes well for my hair!