HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Supporting My Blog, Happy Halloween! How Long to Store Baking Ingredients? More Tomatoes! Gorgeous Fall

Supporting my Blog-
I read something the other day about a Patchwork Income.While the idea has been around forever, many work multiples jobs, etc. it got me thinking. I get paid to work at my "job" that I work full time and I'm happy to do it. Wanting to branch out, I have decided to look into teaching some Urban Homesteading classes next spring/summer locally. I already have an interested group, maybe that will morph into an ebook? Then there's this blog, which I love! I have never made any money off of this endeavor. So.... I have decided to become an Amazon Affiliate to bring in a little money here and there to support it. I have added a Handmade For the Holidays link on my sidebar to some wonderful items at Amazon. If you click there and buy something I will receive a small commission. If you click on those links and purchase products, Little Homestead In Boise earns a small affiliate fee. The purchase price remains the same, you will NOT pay extra for these products. That's it! I may also have individual items in upcoming blog posts, all for things I find helpful. Things I have actually used and can recommend. I won't be selling any $400.00 stiletto heels :) So thanks for your support!

Bought this for my school library, love it!

Happy Halloween!

The candy is ready, the house is decorated inside and out. Let the games begin!!! Here's a peak....

Front entryway

Front door

Front porch

Dave put up pumpkin lights outside on the house

Front entry way 

"After" photo, much better!

How Long to Store Baking Ingredients?

I had a big, disorganized cabinet full of baking ingredients. I knew some of them were probably old and out of date. After doing some research on several sites I took everything out yesterday and today to go thru it all. I pitched the old, repacked the rest. Now I have 2 empty gallon jars, I will fill with pasta or something else to into the closet panty. It's good to know what you actually have, so you don't waste $$$. So here we go, I had-

Dried fruits

Flours, sugars, raisins, chocolate chips

More chocolate and cocoa! Seeds, sugars, bread baking components

When I was all done, time to make chocolate chip, walnut, oatmeal cookie bars! YUM!!!

After that I mopped with my super reliable steam mop, works great! No chemicals, just melts away anything sticky, no fumes, dries fast! Comes with two washable mop heads. Check it out here Shark Professional Steam Pocket Mop  -

More Tomatoes!

I had the last of the garden tomatoes ripening on the counter, see above. I cut up all the ripe ones to freeze. It's so great to have six or seven good sized containers ready for this winter for pasta sauce, chili, soups, etc. All home grown, organic. Just a few left-

Gorgeous Fall!

The weather has been perfect this last week, 65 for the high, cold at night. Leaves are falling, and Dave mowed for the last time today. He emptied the little pond yesterday. Rain is expected later this next week. The collard greens are still doing well, using them up-

Herb box still hanging in there, will harvest and dry when it's colder-

Geraniums moved into the garage for the winter-

Are you ready for winter???

Google Friends Widget Down

Google Friends Widget Down-

If you're trying to follow my blog the "Google Friends" widget is down on my end. It's system wide affecting all bloggers here. Google is working to fix it. It may work on your end if you're a new follower? If not try Bloglovin' or just bookmark and try again later. Thanks!!!

Snow & Rain, Pumpkin Patch Fun! Ripen Tomatoes Indoors, Thrifting & eBay, Free Rocks, DIY Headlamp Kit Review

Last week a little snow

Snow & Rain-

It was a crazy last couple of days weather-wise! 78 degreesThursday, unusually warm, then it dropped 20 degrees in one day. It poured rain all day yesterday, Friday. It was 45 this morning and LOTS of snow on the foothills. No new photo sorry. Rained most of today and POURING tonite! Mountains are getting some early winter snow. Ski season will be here soon! I'll be getting some Halloween decor out tomorrow, hard to think November will be here soon...

Grand baby Oliver

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

We had a blast going to a local pumpkin patch last weekend. It was 65 degrees, sunny and breezy. Perfect time for a hay ride to pick out some pumpkins. Oliver had a great time there as well as Grandpa Dave-

On an old farm implement

He really enjoyed Mommy's thrifted backpack!

We wandered around and found other old tractors, etc. I bought some strawberry syrup they make and sell as well. Need to try that soon!

Ripen Tomatoes Indoors- 

With our slow tomato season I wasn't about to throw all the green ones in the compost bin. I brought them in! I washed them, laid single layer on a couple paper towels. They've been on the counter for 2 weeks and they're ripening! Both the yellow and red varieties have some nice color. I'll cut them up tomorrow for freezing. Yum!

Johnson Brothers Indies Teacup saucer, $1.99

Thrifting and eBay-

I went to Goodwill today and found some fun, and profitable, items! I loved the pattern above with the birds and flowers. I came with a plate hook as well, but took it apart to clean. I bought 2 Halloween hangers to put outside this weekend, $1.99 each cute! 

On the profitable side, I found 2 like-new L.L. Bean women's corduroy blouses for $5.00. I listed them on eBay for $23.00, I always sell these! They're about $50.00 new, but last forever-

Blue

Sage green

Free Rocks!

I saw an ad in Craig'slist for free large river stone, a very good price. Dave picked up 3 loads 3 nights after work. We have moved them to the front yard landscaping for now. Will dig up the broken bricks and "seat" these in the soil in the spring-

Looks good!

DIY Headlamp Kit Review-

We have a 2010 Mazda hatchback. Great car, has held up great!. My headlight covers/lens have been getting pretty hazy. In the dark going to work it's been cutting down on the light. I tried toothpaste, didn't work. The dealer wanted $80.00 to coat them. For $10.00 we bought the DIY kit above, the Rustoleum Wipe New Kit at a local auto store. Dave used the kit and it worked great! BUT..... when he opened the packet with the cloth with the sealant it practically burned his sinuses, so beware. He did use it in the open garage, but pretty nasty stuff smell wise. Anyway, here's the "before" picture-  

Hazy and worn

Shiny and clear! Worked great!

New Sneek Peek of Etsy Items!

For more info click on the Etsy tab on my sidebar, thanks! 

First Freeze? Banana Bread w/Buttermilk & Brown Sugar, Vietnamese Pork Chops

First Freeze?

Our Autumn decor is out and the weather is moving towards our first freeze. The winter comforter is on our bed and we're doing our outdoor winter prep. Starting to store flowers pots inside, doing the last watering/turf fertilizing, picking the last green tomatoes this weekend. My days of wearing a sweater to work will be coming to an end. Time for coats, hats, gloves. Anya has taken to digging herself under the spare bed comforter. See the lump?

Kitty cave

The wind has really picked up today, with gorgeous blue sky. Looks like summer until you go outside, brrr! Last week we had a torrential downpour for 2 days-

Banana Bread w/Buttermilk & Brown Sugar-
Since I had six frozen mushy bananas, it was time for my fall treat. I'm not a pumpkin fan at all, so I make this! I found a new recipe, with buttermilk, Banana Bread w/Buttermilk & Brown Sugar, Walnuts I thought it might cut the sweetness of the bananas. The sprinkling of some raw sugar on top had a nice crunch and shine! I also added raisens. We worked on one (still some left) and the other is in the freezer. It keeps really well in double plastic bags.

I also made this again- Vietnamese Pork Chops w/Radish Salad. The chops come out really juicy! Pretty fast to make, since I did it on a work night. I just fried mine in a skillet. Sorry no photos, but here's Rachel Ray's-