Frugal Luxuries for the Freezer

Hello my sweet friends! I pray you all enjoyed a lovely holiday!

I've been busy this week catching up on things I put off before the holidays.

Today I thought it was past time to process those cute little pumpkins we gathered (free!) from our local pumpkin patch...in November. I'm embarrassed to tell you they have been looking so autumnal in their woven basket...in my garage...for well over a month! Luckily, the weather has been cool and they stored beautifully.

Thus, today found me in the kitchen making my long~overdue pumpkin pack (to stock the freezer).

Here's how.

I baked the pumpkins in a 350 degree oven for about an hour (until very soft...you can see my fingerprint on the bottom right pumpkin where I touched it to see if it was done...not recommended by the way ;). They were allowed to cool. Next I scooped them out of their peels into a large bowl (the peels just fall right off).

Set~up the cellophane bags...



inside a set of drinking glasses for easy filling and...

Scooped the pumpkin pack into the bags (about 1~1/3 cups per bag)



Once they were all full I...

Cut twine to close the bags for the freezer then...

Tied them closed and set them inside the freezer for future use in pumpkin breads, puddings and pies...finally...

I washed and air dried the pumpkin seeds for the squirrels to enjoy!

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I'm off now, to feed my kitties and get ready to call it an evening.

Sending good thoughts and love to all, as always!

Love,

Tracey and Family x0x

P.S. Please call Patricia and me if you get the chance! xxx

Kindling a Simple Christmas

"That is best which is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness."
~George Mason





I'm feeling very simple this Christmas...in a very "use what we have" mood.


A stack of green shopping bags become wrapping paper...garnished with vintage ornaments and simple white ribbon.


Looking around the house, I find a rumpled wad of tulle (leftover from one of Katie's long~ago projects) and cut it into strips. I then tie them...one at a time...onto a simple strand of white lights...while watching Cary Grant and Loretta Young in "The Bishop's Wife".


I finished before the movie so...I folded the remaining tulle piece fan~style and tied it in the center. After cutting the folded outer edges, it sprang to life in it's new incarnation...an ethereal...pom~pom style tree~topper.


I draped the tulle/light garland around a mirror...and tied the tree~topper onto the highest bough...

After setting up an imperfect little tree (its only ornaments, tiny white lights and muted silver dragon~flies suspended from raffia) I relax...knowing that these simple tasks are enough to evoke the spirit of the season...we are happy.



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Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and holiday season that's been kindled by kindly, loving hands...and good thoughts.


Happiness, harmony and grace to all during this hallowed and gracious time of year...and always.


With love from,


Tracey and Family x0x

Sharing Frugal Luxuries with "Life and Beauty" Magazine: Holiday Decorating~On Any Budget

"Happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in," notes the writer Adele Rogers St. Johns, and I can think of no festival that encourages us to devote ourselves to creating an attractive, happy atmosphere as much as the winter holidays.


The decorating of houses as part of winter festivals harkens back to antiquity. The creative slight of hand that transforms your ordinary home into a visual celebration of the season can be surprising simple and economical!

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"Life and Beauty" magazine kindly asked for my contributions to an article on easy, budget~friendly holiday decorating and, as always, I'm brimming with an over~abundance of ideas and opinions on this (one of my favorite) subject! If you'd care to take a look simply click the highlighted link below!

Click HERE to read the article and to discover fresh as well as time~honored ideas on how to...


Re~Purpose Household Items for Budget Holiday Decor;


Display Edible Decor;


How to Shop Smart;


Let Nature Inspire You...and more!



Sending out happy thoughts that each of your kind~kindred souls are savoring all the blessings of the season thus far!

As always sending love and good thoughts to all.



Warmly,


Tracey and Family x0x


P.S. Sending a shout~out and special "thank you" to Catherine Ryan, the writer of the article!