Kitchen Garden: Used Green Onions - Scallions

Or shallots.

Whatever you can them, Louisiana cooking requires them as a staple ingredient.

Since its always better to buy produce in a living state, take them home, cut down to the white stalk, and add water.

These were cut 3 days ago and sit in my kitchen window sill. ($1.00 free to me!)

Free food is glorious.

My Other Mother: Halloween Newsletter Arrived!

Martha Stewart has sent out another Halloween Subscription email.

How cute are these pumpkins?!  

Pumpkin Carving 101

Check it out at http://shar.es/b7mJy

Subscriptions through Martha's companies: http://bit.ly/oJDH7l

My mother has dropped off a WHOLE slew of mini pumpkins and gourds. I'll show some in a post later.

On a related note, I just added this item to the shop:

www.artCain.Etsy.com

Air Plant Pumpkin wine cork desk garden 

soil less culture

Brown glazed pottery pumpkin is recycled from a baking ramekin to grow a living Tillandsia fuchsii anywhere! Decoration for Halloween, Samhain, Thanksgiving, or a gift for the Fall nature lover in your life!

Air Plants do not need soil to grow. They have a single long stem flowers of purple. Roots may be trimmed.


Find this item here.

Frugal Finds: Costco has my Pop on sale - Hansens Natural

What a soggy day out today here in Indianapolis. It was cold and rainy, even a spot of hail while I pumped my gas.

I had been putting off Costco to do other things but I had another run to the Post Office for a sale. My coupons were in need of spending and now was the time.

I found some great deals and even some extended price reductions!

Oh, and if you didn't know, I grew up in Chicago. I don't know what Soda is, I call it Pop!

SKIM Milk is *still* $2.29 a gallon! 

Hansens All  Natural Sugar Cane 24 case is only $5.97!!

This is a clear pop except for the Root Beer 6 pack. Also comes with Orange-Lime (my favourite), Cherry Vanilla, and Strawberry Kiwi

Free Samples!

Finish Dish washer tablet - Box of 200 *NOW* for the same price as the old 100 box- $14.99! (Save $2.00 over Cascade)

Eat-In

Angus Burgers - $4.00 Coupon off a box of 8
Pot stickers (Chinese dumpling) - Coupon available
Fiber One bars!
Pretzel Crisps- LOVE THESE!

Investments

If you haven't heard the news, peanut crop failure in China and the Southern US states is causing a rise in the price of peanut related products. 

$7.99 Two-Pack of Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter

or $7.69 for Chunky

Huge 32 ouces Jars (two) of Smuckers Starwberry Preserves or Kirkland Organic 45 oz $6.97

Healthy White Wheat bread (for the kiddos) currently 2 Loaves for $2.99!

Etsy Experience: You have Convo! from both homes

Maybe You've got Mail dates me...

 I'm okay with that. 

Last month, my nephew Zandon turned 1 year old and we'd decided building blocks would be great for a little one learning to move around more expertly. My William has a lot of fun with Legos, but his first building toys were a wooden set I found with wooden Thomas the Tank Engine trains and matching rails. I spent a small fortune at craft fairs and a train dealer shops for the wooden pieces. (I don't think they make Thomas and Friends in wood at all anymore.)

So I found myself  on Etsy searching away for a good deal, a good owner, and a good product. I sent out four convos to four artists and, even to this day, I only received 1 reply- one. Coincidentally, he was the only shop who had a very complete profile of information about himself and his products. I think we had a wonderful little chit-chat and I enjoyed getting my very simple answers. I felt good about our transaction and I hope he felt good about my excitement.

It was very interesting as I look back on it. I'm sure those three other artists have had sales since I asked my questions. I just don't understand, then, where I went wrong.

Mini Glass Pot gardens of Semi-precious Stones

Two of my recent customers started out as purely conversations in my message inbox. I guess it was just fate that both buyers come from places I consider close to me- Chicago and Connecticut. A part of me already wanted to connect with these people and I hope my work continues with them.

Each had their own reasons for wanting to step into the shoes of aquatic gardener. One managed to hold her husband back from deleting her Etsy account, pleading her sanity was intact. Both worried about finding so many international options, wondering about customs, shipping costs, and damage to the plants. They are living colonies of algae, after all. I enjoyed hearing their enthusiasm about options I could offer and budget tailoring. My tanks are lined with these amazingly plush families of "sea weed." I never knew so many also share my fascination for them as well.

0.5" babies, 1" Sisters,
& 2" Big Ole Brother

Truly, I couldn't have asked for better opening sales to my newest product "line." Shipping has gone very well and I feel more confident about introducing more and producing more of my Marimo Moss balls. My luck with these has been great over the years of apartment living. I've enjoyed growing them, and they greatly out number my fish friends.

If you'd like to know more about my Marimo Moss ball garden or work on a custom order within a budget: Click Here!

If you would like to chat about farming, growing, Etsy, or fair value supplies- Contact me on Etsy or  via Email


I think my theme for this Holiday season will be  Marimo Green and Maroon. 

Frugal Finds: Costco Natural Foods

Costco has been a fairly good additional reason for my family to curb the desire to eat out over making something at home. I cook on average 3 meals and a school snack for everyone, each day. While half the family is out working or school, I still have the toddler and myself to feed at home.

My husband is allergic to most salt-based preservatives. So like those "odd" Gluten-free people, we often have to ask annoying preparation questions to servers and fast food simply isn't in our vocabulary. Hence, we try to avoid most restaurants we know use canned food products. This drastically limits the playing field for a no-mess meal away from home.

We shop mostly on the outside ring of the regular grocery stores, selectively at Trader Joe's, and Costco. Most of the products at Costco have all natural ingredients and their clientele seems to be pushing for more products.

I'm not sure if all Costco's are the same, but Today's deals were:

Skim Milk Gallon for $2.50 (not always $2.50), Hansen's Natural Soda case for $7.99, Chicken tenderloins for $2.69 a pound, Veggie Stick "chips" for $4.99 (HUGE bag compared to Trader Joe's)