A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Tasty Meals for the End of the Month

Friday

Friday

fried, marinated tofu slices on bed of brown rice and smothered with gravy from the freezer

mashed Hubbard squash

cabbage and sprouts slaw

Saturday

Saturday

scrambled eggs and onions

shoestring fries

carrot sticks

boxed stuffing

Sunday

Sunday

baked bean burritos in homemade flour tortillas

corn and tomato relish

Monday

Monday

Thanksgiving gravy soup, using last of the container of gravy, vegetables, and lentils, topped with oyster crackers

pumpkin spice bread with cream cheese

Tuesday (daughter's night)

spicy corn and tomato soup

mac and cheese with sausages

Wednesday

Wednesday

tuna and tofu sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread

oven fries

artichokes (marked-down produce -- 3/$1)

canned green beans

Thursday (other daughter's night)
cookout of hotdogs in buns and various salads (and no, it wasn't warm enough for a cookout -- we froze, but my daughter really wanted to have a cookout)


Wednesday's tuna and tofu sandwiches were quite good, and absolutely no one at the table noticed the tofu. (I used tofu to add protein while stretching the tuna.)

My mind is fried as I type this up. On Thursday, I woke up a couple of hours earlier than usual after hearing a plane fly over our house. We live near a small airport that just began commercial flights a year ago. The commercial flights are not supposed to begin for the day until 6 AM. This was around 5 AM that I heard a plane. It must have been one of Boeing's, which do occasionally fly at odd hours. (Boeing has a major plant near us (using the same airfield), and they run shifts around the clock.) I got up and didn't realize it was just after 5 until I was in the kitchen making coffee. Anyway, I'm just not functioning well.

It was a good week, although very busy. I'm making a large pot of chicken soup today, some to eat for dinner and some to freeze. Now that we've gone through most of the  blackberries that we foraged last summer, we have quite a bit of space in one of the freezers -- room for some homemade freezer meals.

I hope your week was a good one. What was on your menu? Any special plans for the weekend?

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Something on the Lid to a Can of Pumpkin

I was opening a can of Libby's pumpkin the other week and noticed this on the lid:

Most of us know that you can use applesauce as a sub for oil/butter in recipes. And I think we also know that pureed pumpkin would also work as a fat substitute in baking. But I just thought this was cool that Libby's had this on their lids this year. So, 

• 3/4 cup of pureed pumpkin = 1 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin = 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin = 1 egg

From my own experience, using a pureed fruit of veggie as a fat or egg substitute works best when the substitute is only for a portion of the total called-for fat or egg. That is, if a cake calls for 2 eggs, then I only substitute 1 egg. Or if a batch of cookies calls for 1 cup of butter, I only substitute for 1/2 cup. In addition, there are definitely some recipes where these substitutes just won't work, such as with shortbread cookies. The texture change would alter the final result far too much.

I just thought Libby's cans were cool.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Making Instant Oatmeal

I needed something to keep my mind off of the news yesterday afternoon, so I put myself to work in the kitchen. One of the things I made was a large batch of cinnamon and brown sugar instant oatmeal, some in individual packets and the rest in a jar to make at home (snacks and quick breakfasts. I used the same method and amounts as I did in October.  I used very basic ingredients to make this: regular rolled oats, granulated sugar, molasses, salt, cinnamon, and for the individual packets -- powdered milk. (I left the milk powder out of the jarred instant oatmeal, as we can always add milk from the fridge, here. But the packets are designed to be cooked at work.)


In a very cheerful sighting today -- the Easter bunny's baby brother was spotted on our front lawn this afternoon. So cute!

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Thanksgiving Gravy Soup

Just to clarify, this gravy has been in the freezer (not the fridge) since November. However, I brought it out of the freezer on Friday, thinking it was a quart of refried beans (or something along those lines). To my surprise, it was a quart of our Thanksgiving turkey and bacon gravy. As gravy goes, it's very delicious. It's just hard to use an entire quart within a couple of days. 

We've been serving gravy over many of our meals. Yet, I still had about 2 cups remaining. It's tasty, but very rich. Yesterday, I had a thought to turn the rest into soup.

To thin the gravy and turn it into soup, I simmered onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in a couple of inches of water. When the veggies were cooked, I stirred in the gravy, plus some leftover cooked lentils for protein and a chunk of frozen spinach. Then I seasoned to taste.

This soup was another meal item based on using up leftovers from the fridge and freezer. It tasted great and put that lingering gravy to good use. Using up leftovers in new ways always puts a smile on my face.

As I was chopping the veggies, I got to thinking -- I do a similar thing, only in reverse, with brothy soups. I thicken leftover stock-based soups to use as gravy. I guess I just like to vary how we use our foods.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Forcing Blossoms Indoors on Cut Tree and Shrub Branches

I don't always get the timing right when taking branch cuttings in late winter to force blossoms. Some years, I cut just a little too soon. The branches don't blossom, but instead, they just sit there growing bacteria colonies in the water. If I am keeping an eye on the cuttings, I'll notice within a few days if buds begin to develop into blossoms. If I have at least a couple of blossoms within 5 to 7 days, I know these branches will do fine. Otherwise, I dump the batch of cuttings and start again in a day or two.

On Friday, I cut about a dozen branches from the forsythia on the side of our house. This shrub is in need of strategic pruning anyway, so I cut away those branches that were blocking access to a walkway. I culled the best 8 branches, trimming the ends so they would all be about the same length, and brought them indoors to a vase of water. 

I've set them on a window seat in the dining room on the north side of the house. On Saturday, I noticed 3 blossoms. Then Sunday, there were several more. I think I got it right with the timing this year. We'll enjoy the forced forsythia blossoms for a week and then it will be about the right time to check the pear trees for branches to cut. I just need to remember to top up the water in this vase every other day.

My grandmother always brought cuttings of blossoming shrubs and trees inside to force. The cuttings were a source of free flowers for her living room. I try to remember all of the ways that she brought loveliness into her home while living on a small budget.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Using 4 Practically Free Methods to Perk Up My Home

When my home feels like it needs freshening, but I don't want to spend any money, I use 4 basic methods to perk things up.  Here's how I gave the table in my entry hall some love yesterday.

• declutter/organize/rearrange -- I took everything off of the table, putting away the winter-ish items (pinecones, candles, evergreen and berries topiary)
• clean/dust/polish -- I was all out of furniture polish, so I used olive oil to which I added a drop of lemongrass essential oil for fragrance. I detailed every nook and crevice of the table.

• repair -- this table has some water stains and moisture damage. After dusting with the oil, I worked some furniture wax into the finish, allowed it to dry, and then buffed. While the work with oil and wax doesn't eliminate the damage, it does minimize it considerably. In a couple of the patches where damage had lightened the wood, I also used a dark brown crayon, rubbed in hard, and then buffed. In addition, there were 2 small support pieces which had broken off. I used wood glue to repair both.

repaired shelf support

• cover -- Sometimes, the best way to improve a surface is to cover it. With this table, I added one of my mother's cutwork placemats to cover the moisture damage. I also added some spring-like decor pieces. 

All ready for spring!

What's great about using these traditional methods of housekeeping to perk up your environment is they work both on the small scale (like this one table) and the large scale (a whole room). I sometimes like to rearrange the furniture as a way to freshen up the look of a room. Moving the seating arrangements allows us to see out the windows from different angles and bring more natural lighting to new conversation groups or private reading spots.

Anyway, I love how clean and polished my entry hall table looks now. It has inspired me to continue with cleaning in this little space of the house.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Getting One of Those Jobs Done

I was wondering to myself why I dislike some tasks more than others. What I think it all boils down to for me is that some jobs have either little positive feedback, or the negative feedback overrides the positive feedback. 

One of a dozen gouges in the wall from moving furniture up/down the stairs

Here's an example: I've been needing to repair the gouges in a wall for about a year. There's really very little positive feedback for me in this job. No one in my household will gush over how great the repair looks. I could easily find a dozen other jobs that would have more tangible rewards. 

Patch and Paint quick-dry spackling -- this brand is 3M Patch plus Primer.
This stuff is ready to paint in 30 minutes, needs no primer.
I use a straight-edged putty knife to apply and smooth the edges.

I'll have to hunt down all of the tools and supplies that I need, which could prove problematic because our tools and home repair supplies are not well-organized. And I could (and did) cause some sort of injury to myself in the process (I punctured my finger when digging through tools in the garage). 

When the gouge has rippled the paint, as in the left photo, I use an X-Acto knife to trim away the ripple.
The final image shows the same gouge after spackling.

So, can you see why I'd think there is far more negative feedback in the completion of this job? To counter all of this presumed negative feedback, I needed to build in some positive feedback that may only exist in my mind; but that could be enough in itself. 

Okay, so positive feedback on this job:

• I would gain more experience with minor household repairs, which would boost my confidence for future repairs
• I may even get good enough at this kind of repair that I could instruct or inspire someone else to do it
• I would notice how nice the repaired wall looks, even if no one else does
• a house in good repair is always easier to sell than one needing lots of work
• I would finish a job that I start, do what I tell myself I'll do, and become more accountable in my own mind, leading to improved self-esteem

the various gouges all ready for paint

So, I talked myself into taking care of this job. I think I tipped the scales in favor of more positive feedback compared to negative, even with a punctured finger. I'll hunt down the paint in the next days or so. I'm feeling pretty good about myself for getting this done. That's a win!

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Another Week of Good Food

I went shopping last Friday to pick up some special weekend-only deals and a couple of special foods for Valentine's Day dinner. I bought some fresh asparagus, unseasoned wild rice/red rice/brown rice blend (bought from bulk bins, less expensive per pound than Rice a Roni), 5 pounds of pasta (49 cents/lb with coupon), 4 cans of tuna fish (50 cents/can with coupon), 1 pound of bacon ($2.99 with coupon), and a quart of Core Hydration water (freebie), spending $10.69, leaving $59.56 remaining. 

Mid-week, I went to Walmart and Cash & Carry and spent a combined total of $62.97. I am now $3.41 over budget for the month. The good news is we are well-stocked going into March. I maxed out my spending at Cash & Carry and bought larger sizes of 3 items in order to save on the per-pound price. Plus I bought a couple of items to use next month. I won't feel I need to go back to Cash & Carry so soon. I'm now finished with February's grocery shopping and beginning to put together March's shopping list.

Here's what we ate this past week:

Friday

Friday -- Valentine's Day
boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to tenderize, then dredged in seasoned flour, and cooked in a skillet, then topped with sauteed mushrooms
fresh steamed asparagus, seasoned with lemon-rosemary finishing salt (found at the back of the cupboard when cleaning)
multi rice blend, cooked with some onion powder, dried thyme and salt
dark chocolate cake (my daughter made)

Saturday  (daughter's night -- I did her night last week, so she'll do 2 times this week)
pizza
cole slaw
orange wedges
leftover cake

Sunday

Sunday
turkey, potato, carrot, stuffing hash
orange wedges

Monday

Monday
bean, cheese, corn, and tortilla casserole

Tuesday (daughter's night)
vegetable lentil soup
drop scones

Wednesday (other daughter's extra night -- she didn't have much time so she opted to pick up frozen stuff from Walmart at her own expense)
frozen pizza (Great Value brand)
frozen peas (also Great Value brand)

Thursday

Thursday (clean out the freezer and fridge dinner, part 1)
meatloaf (freezer)
stuffing made with frozen corn muffins and biscuits
turkey gravy (freezer)
tomato-basil soup made from frozen tomato paste and frozen basil
oven-roasted frozen sweet potato cubes
last of the grapes that daughter bought over a week ago
cookies from frozen cookie dough


You can see that in addition to cleaning cupboards, I am also cleaning out the freezers. Last night was the beginning of meals based on leftovers in the fridge and freezers. I have a few more containers of leftovers to open for tonight's dinner, some of which I'm not even certain of their contents. This should be interesting!

What was on your menu this past week? Anyone else currently working on the contents of their freezers? 

One last photo to offer you -- I have purple primroses popping up all over the yard. The purple ones are the hardiest in my area. They're usually in a shady spot, so it's a bit like going out for a treasure hunt to find them. This clump was beneath a bush near the kitchen door.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: It Feels Like Spring, Plus Free Coffee Grounds for the Garden

Another sunny day, here. My tiny potted primrose that I brought in from the deck almost 3 weeks ago is doing well in the window. 

The rhubarb is up.

When grocery shopping, I approached the Starbuck's kiosk and asked if they had any used coffee grounds for gardeners. The gal pointed to a basket of these free "silver bullets." Coffee grounds can be incorporated into garden soil or added to composting material. The used grounds have little in the way of nutrients for the garden, but are good at aerating soil if stirred in. Here's a quickie article from Oregon State University on what used coffee grounds can and cannot do for your soil. I'll be stirring these used coffee grounds into the nitrogen-fortified soil that I'm preparing for transplanted blueberry bushes. 

Spring is such a happy time of year for me. Fat little robins, spring blossoms, longer days -- what's not to love?!

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: A Hot Cup of Tea and PJs at the End of a Cold Day

I was outdoors for a good chunk of yesterday, accompanying my daughter to a small artsy town nearby, where she met with gallery owners to discuss business. While she met with owners, I sat on benches, popped into shops, and walked in the park. 

The daytime high temp was around 47 F. I was dressed for cold weather, but the wind was cutting right through my coat sleeves. It was a good day and well-worth the time outdoors, but by late-afternoon I was chilled to the bone. Perhaps you can imagine how welcome a hot cup of tea and a pair of cozy flannel pajamas felt in those moments once we walked back into our warm home. Sometimes, it's the truly simple things that bring me great joy.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: When I Have to be Satisfied with Satisfaction

I often find lots of goodies when cleaning out cupboards. Sometimes, however, I don't find anything awesome lurking in those shadows. In the case of the latter, my satisfaction after cleaning out a cupboard has to come simply from it's tidy appearance and organization.

I cleaned out the master bathroom, beneath-the-sink-cabinet yesterday. This job was a long time coming. I had done bits of it in spurts, here and there. Yet I hadn't pulled everything out all in one go in ages. The floor of the cupboard was quite dirty and water-stained. I had mistakenly thought the water stains were permanent and would need to be painted over. As it turned out, the "stains" wiped clean with a rag and spray.

No bonus hygiene supply surpluses, but at least now I know exactly what we have and what we will need soon. And honestly, I am so pleased that it looks so tidy.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Gifted with a Lot of Chocolate and Love

For Valentine's Day, I was gifted with a lot of chocolate and many Valentine's wishes! What I appreciate about these gifts and cards/ecards is the love behind them. Knowing that someone loves me is the greatest earthly gift I could receive.

I hope everyone here was blessed by love in any sort of way on Valentine's Day.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Bringing Treats to Coffee Hour

This morning, I have coffee hour duty at our church. I think I mentioned that I would be using the mixed nuts and dipping chocolate that I found on post-holiday clearance to make some treats. I made these Saturday afternoon.

I found these mini muffin liners in the cupboard while cleaning and thought they'd do well for the candies. One 10-oz can of mixed nuts and about 10 to 12 oz of dipping chocolate made 28 good-sized nut clusters. For the rest of my treats, I'll be bringing cheese cubes. Easy to do and something that isn't sweet.

I had an, um, audience while I was making the nut clusters, family members waiting for scraps. I must admit, the nut clusters were both incredibly easy to make and tasty to sample.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: More Good Eats on a Budget

I went to WinCo on Saturday and bought 4 pounds of cheese, 10 pounds of potatoes, onion powder, milk powder and coffee creamer, spending $14.89 on groceries for our household. I had planned on buying cheese and potatoes at Cash & Carry but found them for less at WinCo. With the money that I saved, I also bought a box of granola/breakfast bars to bring to a group thing where I needed individually packaged items.  

I stopped at Walmart, where I bought tofu, instant decaf, cabbage and bananas, spending $7.78. Those 2 stops brought my week's spending up to $24.35. This weeks spending plus last weeks of $31.34 comes to $55.69 of February's budget, leaving $70.25 for the rest of the month.

We're doing well with our food supplies this week. I keep finding foods that need using, such as Friday's turnips, canned tuna, and potato chips. At some point, we will have depleted our supplies of special or less usual foods. 

Here are this week's dinners:

Friday
tuna fish sandwiches, with fresh garden watercress on homemade whole wheat bread
orange wedges
potato chips
roasted root vegetables (turnips, onions, carrots)

Saturday
bean, cheese, and ham tacos in fried homemade flour tortillas
carrot sticks
orange wedges

Sunday
turkey (Thanksgiving), carrot, and potato soup
scratch biscuits
orange wedges

Monday
beef and bean chili from the freezer
fully-loaded cornbread
pumpkin pie

Tuesday (daughter's night)
scrambled eggs
boxed stuffing mix
canned green beans

Wednesday
homemade black olive pizza
cole slaw
orange wedges
leftover pumpkin pie

Thursday
cheesy tuna casserole (with beet greens from last summer)
baked Hubbard squash
fruit salad (bananas, oranges, marshmallows, coconut, pecans, and grapes -- daughter bought)


I bought Thursday's Hubbard squash on November 1st. It was likely harvested in August or September. I've been keeping it in our pantry at room temperature, and it has not developed any soft spots 5 to 6 months post-harvest. I cooked it because I wanted some variety in our veggies this week and not because it was desperately needing to be cooked. I guess it could have lasted in our pantry another several weeks.

The selection of winter squash at my local grocery stores seems to be limited to acorn squash, butternut, pumpkin, and delicata squash, all of which tend to develop soft spots by January in my house. In my experience, produce stands and markets tend to carry a wider variety of winter squash than typical supermarkets, which means long-keepers like Hubbard squash are more likely to be available in early fall at a produce stand or produce-only market than in the grocery store.

I paid 33 cents per pound for Hubbard squash. In the moment, that seemed like a good deal, but nothing extraordinary. Now in February, 33 cents per pound for fresh vegetables sounds like a real steal. If I could have done anything differently on November 1st when I was shopping the last day at the produce stand, I would have bought 1 or 2 more Hubbard squash, as I know they would have kept in my pantry (or fridge, if need be) at least until mid-March, about the time I find cabbage at a rock-bottom price per pound. This is information that I'll use next fall.

I feel like our week's meals continue to have a lot of variety. I hope to keep this up throughout this month, even as some of our stores begin to deplete. In March, we'll return to a higher budget for groceries, which will allow more variety in my purchases again.

How was your week? Anything interesting on your menu? Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Valentine Gifts to My Daughters for Under $10 Each

I've mentioned before that I give my family members small gifts for Valentine's Day. This year, I put together a small tin of gifts for each daughter.

The heart-shaped tins I bought on deep discount after Valentine's Day many, many years ago. (I bought several of them at about 75 cents each.) Here's what I put inside:

• Brightly-colored wool socks -- from a set of 5 pairs, each knit in a different selection of colors, that I bought from Amazon -- about 2.79 each pair. 
• Body Shop bath bombs -- Dec. 26, the Body Shop had their annual sale online, with bath bombs offered for 75 cents each very briefly. I also had a coupon plus free shipping -- I paid 66 cents each. I put 4 into each tin.
• Bath & Body Works shower gel -- in early December, B&BW had a one-day sale on all travel-size products (shower gel, hand cream, body lotion, fragrance spray) for $1.95 each, limit 15. I also had a coupon, bringing my cost down to $1.55 each. (These items are regularly priced at $5 to $6 each.) I put 2 in each tin. 
• Total cost for each tin -- $9.28, including the tin.

How I shop is as important as what I buy, in order to put together gifts for under $10. I watch for special sales before and after major holidays. When I come across a spectacular deal, I think through the recipients for all of the upcoming gift-giving occasions. 

With the B&BW products, since there was a limit of 15, I thought through all of the women on my list and the appropriate upcoming occasions. I made a written list of what types of products and fragrances I wanted for each woman and what occasion I could use each for. Since these are travel-size products, some of them will be good as stocking (or gift tin) fillers, others will be good in a gift basket of related spa items, and a group of others will be bundled together in a fabric pouch or cosmetic bag like a gift set.

With the bath bombs, I knew from last year's experience that the Body Shop has a pretty great sale the day after Christmas. The bath bombs are regularly priced at $2 each. They often go on sale for $1 or $1.25 each. When I saw them priced at 75 cents each (and I knew I had a coupon code I could use to save even more), I grabbed a whole bunch of these and will be able to use them for gifts throughout the year.

I sometimes buy a set of like items to break up into individual gifts, such as the set of 5 pairs of socks. The patterns and colors of these socks are fun, making them appropriate as a gift. I have several women on my list who I know wear wool socks. The other 3 pairs will be gifted in this next year. (Okay, only 2 pairs will be gifted. One pair is for me!!)

I sometimes change my mind about who is getting what. That's okay. It all works out in the end. Other times, I find myself with an abundance of giftables. When that happens, I stop shopping for a few holidays, or until I have given all of the items away. That's okay, too, and even saves me some money for a short time. And periodically, I simply give items away. It's a way to bring cheer to others when they most need it.

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! I hope your day is filled with love and joy.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Valentine's Trail Mix

My husband gave me a plastic candy cane tube filled with green and red M & M type candies at Christmas. I had a thought -- I could eat them all myself in about a half hour and have joy for me, or I could share them with my family and have joy for all of us. Expand the joy by sharing. When that's possible, it's a no-brainer, right? 

Only problem -- when I separated out the colors, there really weren't that many. So, I mixed the red ones into some trail mix with mixed nuts and raisins, making Valentine's trail mix.

I can tell you this -- it put a smile on the faces of my family members. One daughter exclaimed, "new and improved trail mix!" This made me very happy, much happier than if I'd eaten them all myself.

I'll save the green ones for St. Patrick's Day.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Our Valentine's Bush

Here's a little something that has been bringing a lot of joy to us over the past few weeks. This is our Valentine's bush. It was our Halloween bush (with orange and green lights), then our Christmas bush (with red, green, and white lights), and now it's our Valentine's bush (with red and white lights).

We all find it very cheery to come home to each night. It may even become our 4th of July bush, with the addition of a few blue lights.

Just a fun thing that cost me nothing, using what we had in the attic. Once the light strand was in place, the only work has been replacing the colored bulbs. Not too bad for  some fun.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Savory, Cheesy Cornbread

1 diced bell pepper, 1 drained can of corn, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed with ordinary cornbread batter (to which I used about half the usual sugar and reduced the liquids by about 1/8 cup), then topped with cheddar cheese just before baking.

Very tasty! A nice change from the usual cornbread that I serve with chili. The bonus -- I used my last wrinkly green pepper bought on markdown last Tuesday.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Accepting That Which I've Been Provided

We often don't get to choose how, when, what, and from where our provisions come into our lives. Sometimes, the answer to our needs just "shows up." This might not always be what I want, but I am learning to accept that which I've been given.

the kale is putting on new leaves

In all honesty, I would rather be dining on asparagus, artichokes, mushrooms, and berries. But I've been provided with kale, watercress, sorrel, and radish greens.

several watercress plants are ready to harvest

Despite some chilly weather in the last month and a half, our garden is once again showing signs of life and provision for my family's nutritional needs. I believe in a divine plan for all of my life, and the provision of these greens must fall into that plan in a way that I cannot see. 

radish greens survived freezing temps

So, I have to check myself against grumbling that I don't live where my favored vegetables and fruits would be in season and learn to accept the blessing of this provision, a blessing which brings me joy.

the chives are now up

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Crafting Hanging Heart Earrings

I made two pairs of hanging heart earrings yesterday. These were on the easy side to make, taking about 1 hour or so to make 2 pairs. They're for a couple of young girls that I know, so I made the hearts very small. I love how they turned out and am also pleased that they used some of the surplus supplies that I have from the fall.

A Leap Month of Little Joys and Satisfactions: Making a New Jar of Jam from Several Old Ones

I know why I do this -- open a new jar of jam when we've not finished the last one. I get bored with the flavor of a particular jam, and I want to move onto the next. 

In cleaning out the condiment shelves of the fridge, I came upon 5 almost empty jars of different flavored jam and jelly. I had cranberry jam, blackberry jam, raspberry jam, cherry preserves, and red currant jelly. All of these had about a tablespoon or two left in the jar.

So, yesterday I scraped all of the different jams into one jar and melted the contents in the microwave briefly. I stirred it together with a fork (to break up the more solid jelly), capped that jar, and popped it back into the fridge. 

What I have now is a "new" flavor of jam that should satisfy my desire for something different. I'll push my family to use this jar over the next week. And then . . . we can start the process of me opening a different jar every couple of week all over again.