Do you remember the Orchid?

Last February I bought an orchid and blogged about it HERE.  I had never had an orchid before and I want to show you how it is doing now.  Literally, there have only been 2 days in all this time that there wasn't at least one bloom on the plant.  It is amazing!  And since the longer days have come, being springtime here, it is very happy. I think it was more than worth the investment of 5 dollars, and the little time I take caring for it. Here are some pictures:

I'm not an interior decorator, either...

When we moved into our trailer almost exactly 2 years ago, I brought the sheer curtains from our old house and hung them at the windows in the trailer... (a.k.a. "mobile home")  That was fine, for a long long time... until a few weeks ago, I was visiting our oldest daughter, and she was getting rid of some clothing and other items.  There was a very nice cotton valance in there.  I said, "Can I have that?"  So, here it is at our kitchen window:

Well, like the story of the peasant man who broke his shoelace, this new addition to our home made me dissatisfied with the sheers I had at the windows.  Sigh....  so I bought 3 yards of muslin and 1 yard of a print at our local Walmart and made valances for our 3 other windows in the "great room."

If you look closely, you will see that I applied some lace trim above and below the strip with birds on it.  I have had that lace for a number of years.  I probably got it at a thrift store.  It was obviously purchased new well before the internet.  The printing on the card it is wound around says, "Home-Sew Bethlehem, PA 18018".  I looked online and found the company!  They have some really good deals on there: if you sew, I urge you to take a look!

www.homesew.com  

Making leftovers last longer.... a frugal tip

Generally, when I have leftover food in the refrigerator, I will use it for up to a week.  Fish is an exception.  I only keep cooked fish or dishes with fish for 3 days.

If I have some soup or stew that is nearing the end of the week, I don't want to waste it, so I put it in a pot on the stove and simmer it for a few minutes, let it cool and then put it into a clean container and back into the refrigerator.  That way, I can get a few more days to use up the food.

Today, I had some chicken broth, that I had made last week for my husband who was suffering with a head cold, and also some chili.  So, I simmered them and now we can use them up! One caveat... I am not an expert on food safety.  This is just what I do.