More nifty, thrifty gifties

Apron

I began collecting vintage sheets and pillowcases this summer to re-purpose into aprons after I saw it elsewhere.
The sheets cost me anywhere from $1.99 to $2.99 and you get an enormous amount of fabric!
I've also used them for summer blouses...
You know, the ones that look like they are straight from the 70's with the little pouffy cap sleeve?
Or how about a toddlers dress?
Or a summer nursing blanket for when you are a nursing mama and it is just too darn hot to hide your nee-nees under a sweltering blanket?

Dishrags or Washcloths

If "I" can knit or crochet a REALLY simple dishcloth, anyone can do it.
I just do a basic knit/purl stitch, or crochet the whole thing in double crochet.
The cotton yarn cost me $1.69 or less, and i can get two dishcloths from each skein.
If I pair that with some of my homemade soap and tie it up real pretty, it would be a sweet hostess gift, yes?

Linen napkins

Now, I paid $1.00 for 9 at a thrift store for these spotless, vintage napkins.
I can leave them plain, or if I want, I could stencil the recipients initial in the corners.
Not sure where these are going yet, so for now they are plain.
Dang!
I would want THESE for myself!!!

FRESH AND PURE

A bar from my very first batch of homemade soap, ready for gifting.
Mine don't cut real pretty, but I kind of like the rustic look, and I am certain the recipients won't mind.

You'll find the easy-peasy soap making instructions back in one of my October posts.
There's still time to make a batch for gifties, as it needs to cure for about a month.

I hope these thrifty little ideas inspire you, as so many of YOUR ideas have inspired me!

xoxo
Cindy

Christmas gifting of the utmost frugal kind

Cotton dishcloths

It is what it is..... there is not much cash flow this year.
So knowing this ahead of time, I have been on the look-out since summer, for frugal gift ideas.
The above green striped dishcloths were "crafted" from a $2.99 Goodwill shower curtain.
I got 8 dishcloths out of that one curtain!
The burgundy striped are re-purposed Waverly curtain panels, also from Goodwill.
Trust me when I say any pea-brain could do this!

Black & White Floral Apron

Another no-brainer.....
I bought a skirt from Goodwill for $2.99, cut out the zipper, added some ties, sewed up the sides,

and I have a cute apron to gift away!!!

Monogrammed Chef's Apron

This summer when Joy was visiting the farm, we hit the Trufant Flea Market.
We found the mother lode when we came across a couple selling used chef's aprons for .25 cents a piece!
She took a stash home, and I managed to snag a handful for myself, knowing all too well that they would make perfect gifts for Christmas!
A little craft paint, some cheap cardboard stencils and voila!

This one's mine, can you tell?

I truly think I am getting more joy from creating and re-creating gifts this year than I ever have before.

How are you all stretching your dollars this Christmas?

More ideas coming soon!

xoxo
Cindy

How "The Friendly Village" came to my house

Johnson Bros "The Friendly Village"

Ten Thanksgivings ago, just a few months after my mom passed away, I knew I was now the official hostess of all the holiday meals.
My only sibling, Elena, was NOT the least bit interested in having a slew of family over for a dinner that she would have to cook from scratch.
My sis was a lot of things, but a cook was not one of them!
So....when it came time to pass on mom's china, I was the logical one to get it.
I inherited full place settings for 8, plus several serving dishes and platters.
But....our family had grown.
And 8 was not enough anymore.
Our daughter Gina had just gotten a job at what was then Hudson's (now Macy's), and had a 50% employees discount.
Which could be used for anything in the store, and included sale items.
Friendly Village went on sale.
We bought an additional 6 place settings.
For under $100.
And now we have plenty of plates for everyone!
We use our china for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and any special occasion in between.

It brings back lovely memories of even lovelier times.
My sis passed away 7 years ago, so it is now just me and my family that share the memories.

And it makes me weep every time I get it out.

Memories are like that.

xoxo
Cindy

Hunting widow comfort food

Spaetzle

Farmboy has gone hunting with his best friend way up north, and I am left alone for a couple of days.
This is SO hard on me.
NOT!
I LOVE it when he goes away!
I get the house pretty much to myself.
I can eat, sleep, drink when I want to.
Watch old Christmas movies.
(So far it's been "Christmas in Connecticut" and "The House Without a Christmas Tree", one of my all-time favorites!)
So...yesterday, with kids all gone, I was rootin' around the fridge, looking for something simple.
Nothing.
Hmmm....how about pasta?
Nah.
How about EASY pasta?
Yeah!
Got out my spaetzle maker, which has never been used.
Twas a gift from a dear friend, and just tucked away in a drawer since last Christmas.
How could I have been so negligent?

These were so easy peasy it's almost embarassing to call it a recipe.
It is simply a gooey mixture of eggs, flour, water and salt, dripped into a saucepan (through the spaetzle thingy) of boiling chicken stock.
When the tiny dumplings rise to the top they are done!
I topped them with a teensy bit of butter, fresh parsley, parmigiano reggiano, and salt and pepper.
Oh.
My.
Word.
I hope Sam didn't get into the leftovers last night, cause spaetzle just might be my breakfast of choice!
Carry on, Farmboy.
I'm doin' just fine.

xoxo
Cindy

winners galore!

When it came right down to pickin' for the sweet pea seeds, I just couldn't do it.
I looked at my bowl of seeds and pondered.
Was there any way to get 20 seed packets from them?
I measured, divided, multiplied, subtracted, measured again, added, did some long division...
and decided...
YES!
EVERYONE who entered will get some seeds!
And by next autumn YOU will likely have enough to spread around!

So...it gets a bit more complicated, as I now need 20 snail mail addresses, not 3!
(Camille...please send your USA addy!)
Please just e-mail me individually, (there were 20 that actually wanted in on the drawing), and I will get them out as soon as I can.
Not promising you'll get them by the weekend, cause I have more than tripled, no wait, quadru..., aagghh....not good at the math, but you get the picture!

xoxo,
farmgirlcyn

cindy50@altelco.net

a giveaway of the utmost frugal kind!

old-fashioned perennial sweet peas in my garden

I have not done a giveaway in such a long time, and tho finances here have never been tighter, I wanted to do something special for my friends!

autumn sweet pea pods

So...yesterday I went out to the gardens and clipped pods from my sweet peas to send to 3 blessed winners!

Here in Michigan these sweet peas are perennials. I am not so sure how they would do in a perpetually warm climate, so one would take a chance on that.

They do need a place to climb, tho it does not have to be very tall. Mine are growing up along my courtyard picket fence, and also on one of those tall obelisk thingies I have in a corner of the courtyard.
They will bloom most all summer long with dark pink, light pink, and nearly white flowers, and are lightly fragrant.
Mostly, they are wonderful filler for when I have no extra cash for annuals!
And, if they overtake your garden spot, just hoik them out and start over!

sweet pea seeds

I am having this giveaway now, as this is when you need to sow these seeds.
At least, I THINK this is when you sow them!

All I know is the pods are drying, popping, and throwing the seeds willy nilly on the ground surrounding them, and that in the spring I will have more beautiful sweet peas!

My seeds just fall to the ground below, but if I were sowing these by hand, I would lightly rake them in, just ever so slightly burying them.

To win one of these packets, just leave a comment.
I will draw 3 names on Tuesday, and the winners should have their seeds by next weekend!
And perhaps next year, the winners will have enough seeds to host their own giveaway!

I wish "I" was one of the winners!
Oh, wait! I already own these seeds!

xoxo,
cindy

ps....due to the "nature" of this giveaway, I must limit the participants to the United States. I am thinking other countries might not take too kindly to the shipping of "seeds" into their lands!

Beans & Beer!

Tortilla Black Bean Pie

I DO try to plan a weekly menu, and I also try to incorporate at least one new dish that we have never had before.
Cause I like surprises.
And with the internet and blogging, I am never at a loss for fresh ideas.

This recipe came from a blog called 2 Equal Parts.
(click link for recipe)

It was absolutely delicious.
And pretty darn easy-peasy!

And it came together in about 20 min. of prep time and 20 min. of baking.
It calls for simmering 2 cans of black beans in 12 oz. of beer, which, if you know about cooking with alcohol, the alcohol content is gone after just a few min. of simmering.
BUT...the flavor it imparts is wonderful!
I DID increase the garlic and cumin,
(cause I'm THAT kinda girl)
and I also topped each individual serving with thinly sliced scallions and chopped cilantro.
The cilantro is not in the original recipe, but I think it adds a great amount of flavor.
I would also add more jalapeno, but that is because the ones at the grocers right now are very mild, and I think it could have used a bit more heat.

Also, not in the original recipe, but I baked it in a round tart pan, and it needs to have a spray of Pam before laying down the 1st tortilla.

I served mine with tortilla chips, some lite sour cream and homemade salsa.
Would have had guacamole, but the avocados at the grocers were rock hard.
Next time I will plan a bit better!

Do you all plan a weekly menu, or are you flyin' by the seat of your pants every day around 4pm?