Monthly Goals Update and This Week's Goals

With the weather suddenly cooling down to the point where we're working on getting our furnace ready to turn on here soon it's hard to imagine a couple of weeks ago we were running an air conditioner around here.

I got a couple curve balls (good ones) thrown my way this week that made me add things to the "I must get this done" list, but I did manage to get some things on my list done for the week.

For one, I did get some canning done today (seen above).  Due to my mother-in-law giving me the rhubarb she couldn't use and figuring out what I had managed to get from my own plant and froze, I knew I had enough rhubarb to do something with and so I added "something with rhubarb" to my canning list (and yup, it started out that specific *laugh*).  I decided to make rhubarb concentrate out of the rhubarb (I'll try to post the recipe tomorrow) as I didn't have any strawberries left to make jam with said rhubarb as I used all of our strawberries to dehydrate or make jam (which I was grateful to have).  It's a pretty versatile and yummy way to use up rhubarb as well.

I canned salsa today too.  I still have more on my canning list that I'm hoping to get done tomorrow if it's still nice and cool out, but we shall see how everything goes.

In addition to the rhubarb, I also received a big chunk of zucchini from my mother-in-law (who got it from my sister-in-law).  I made two new recipes with it as I really didn't feel like just making zucchini bread out of it...I was going for something a bit more exciting than that.  The recipes for that might come this week as well so I don't get too far behind posting recipes (I actually have a back log right now *laugh*).

I made home made "rice a roni" pantry mixes today as well.  I like to make these to have around as they do come in handy when you are at a loss for a side dish to go with dinner (I'll post that recipe up soon as well).

I figured out my son's gift debate.  I decided to make a twin sized quilt/blanket out of it and I also decided I really want to give it to him for his birthday, SO my schedule on that got upped a bunch.  I am hoping to get it done this week as I only have two weeks about till his birthday.

I did change the beds.  Especially my son's.  All week long.  He's potty trained during the day right now but we depend on night time diapers still.  Unfortunately, the night time diapers available kept getting cheaper and cheaper made to the point they are pretty much useless.  We have a four day weekend coming up next week and I'm thinking setting alarms and making him go to the bathroom in the middle of the night is going to be the only way I'm going to be able to avoid washing his bedding every single day.

I got my daughter's dresser cleaned out of all the clothes that no longer fit her this week and started on my son's room as well.  I'm still working on deep cleaning their rooms, but at least I am able to get them clean enough during the day that they are CLEAN for when the kids come home from school.  With how many bugs we have running around in the yard this year, I don't want any invitations for them to come into my house if I can avoid it.

I darned some of my more heavily damaged/torn comforters this week.  I got one completely done and am about 1/2 way done with the other.  I really want to get them done before the weather gets too cold and they are on the beds constantly.  I also embroidered a pillow sham for my daughter for Christmas and am starting work on some embroidery on some handkerchiefs.

I baked bread this week, but didn't get around to the pizza rolls.  So they'll be rolled onto this week's goals, along with cookies for a lunchbox treat for my daughter.

I also vacuum sealed my herbs, fruits and nuts that needed to be sealed this week.

I went and pulled the rest of the garlic in the garden.  I thought that there was only like two garlic bulbs left, but when I went to pull up all the grass to get ready for composting in that part of the garden I found like six more mini cloves of garlic.  I think I'm going to dice up the garlic and dehydrate it at this point, as I'm honestly not sure I could use up all of the little bulbs before something happens to them.

So, onto this week's goals!

Canning/Preserving List

1.  Dehydrate the rest of the herbs from the garden.
2.  Can green tomato relish.
3.  Can wildflower jelly
4.  Can raspberry jelly (or jam...still undecided there).
5.  Harvest the rest of the kale and clean in preparation to give to friends.

Sewing Goals

1.  Sew quilt top for son's birthday gift.
2.  Mend comforter edge that has come apart.
3.  Work on Christmas gifts.
4.  Work on mending husband's jeans and work shirts.

Other Goals:

1.  Work on blog posts, including the next installment on the "how to darn" series.
2.  Shampoo carpets.
3.  Clean living room fan (we have a high ceiling in the living room and the fan duster isn't cutting it, so it's time to pull in a six foot ladder and get it done).
4.  Teach daughter to play checkers.
5.  Decorate daughter's room for fall and work on decorating for son's room.
6.  Get baking done (cookies, pizza rolls and bread).

And there you go folks.  My goals for this week.  What are yours?