Not Suzy

Modern Homemaking

Necessary Medicine Cabinet Items for Colds

The Dreaded Cold and Flu

It was bound to happen. I attended a Celebration of Life event and took home someone’s pet virus. 6 days into this and I am sad I didn’t listen to my intuition of taking some zinc before the event. Thankfully, I am well stocked with items in my cabinet to ease my symptoms.

Must-Have Items to Ease the Symptoms

First, I would like to add my disclaimer. It is important that people follow their physician’s recommended guidelines for managing their health. I am writing about what I keep on hand for my family. I have additional items on hand for my son with Type 1 diabetes to manage his care according to his sick day instructions. We are all different and feel free to add or cherry-pick what resonates with you.

Sore throat drops, sore throat spray, cough drops, cough syrup, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, cold packs, rice packs(for heat), tea, my favorite blanket(super important), humidifiers(both cold and warm), saline spray, TISSUES!!, menthol chest rub, elderberry, vitamin c, zinc, and thermometer. For children, also please follow your child’s doctor’s guidelines. They recommend child versions of the above symptom relievers. In addition, having beverages that assist with balancing electrolytes and keeping the body hydrated is important for all ages.

Pho Sure…

Now I won’t likely need most of these unless I am running a fever, vomiting or refunding out the back end. But a cup of tea and some pain relief go a long way between the cough drops. Additionally, soups and broths are also something I keep stocked in the pantry to help my body’s digestive system take it easy. The number one thing I LOVE when I get sick is some PHO!! Yes, Vietnamese Pho is what I absolutely want and need when I need some food wellness love! If you know who’s photo this is. I’d love to give credit where credit is due!

The Important Factor

The most important factor is REST! REST! and more REST along with proper hydration. This is a perfect opportunity not to overdue it. This a glamorous opportunity to be ASSERTIVE with your boundaries. No people stopping by to visit. No housework unless someone else is coming by to help you out. No overdoing anything. YES, MOMS. I am talking about you. My thoughts and prayers are with the single parents and anyone dealing solely with their extraordinary health care issues. I want there to be someone for you. I think it is prudent for community health for employers to provide paid sick days so that people can stay home and rest.

Time to Recover

Grab some audiobooks, your favorite streaming show or movie, and/or a pile of books you’ve meant to read, a blanket of happiness, and find a spot to begin to rest.

Photo by Laura Cullen

Today, I have my blanket, some Vegan Chickpea Soup with loads of garlic and am rewatching Bridgerton. After blog-plaining about my chest cold, I’m going to rest up. It’s only day 6 since V-day. But I plan to kick this to the curb soon.

Photo by Laura Cullen

What is your go-to sick day routine? What is necessary for you to have on hand? Comment below! I love to hear from you!

Kitchen Updates but First…

Tis the Season for Weather

February 2024 is the Warmest on Record

Wisconsin weather for 2024 has been unseasonably warm. Generally speaking, we see anywhere from 20F to -70F if we are experiencing a polar vortex during February. This week alone in Wisconsin we saw four 60F or more degree days. Yesterday hit a high of 72F. Yes! In February. I have been so grateful for the warmer weather. We’ve gone out on several walks and yesterday, I refreshed the mulch in the flower beds.

Then Tornadoes-Another Historic Moment

Another strange and historic phenomenon occurred when we had not one but two tornados here during one of our warmer weather weeks. One of the tornados was less than two miles south of our house. It did about 2.3 million dollars in damage and the town was out of power for over 9 hours while the nearest cell tower and internet was out for about 16 hours. In times of disaster, many come forward to help others in need. People from both, in and out of town, rallied for cleanup, donated for the families affected by the disaster, and volunteer line persons came and spent all night trying to restore electricity to our town. The firefighters were supported by a local MABAS request for mutual aid and individuals came forward volunteering to help in any way. I see these disasters as opportunities for people to come together and realize that we are in no way separate or more chosen than any other person.

Out With The Old

It was time to say goodbye to our old GE dishwasher. It developed leaks around the door and despite replacing the seals, kept leaking. So out with the old and in with the new GE dishwasher and a new kitchen faucet replacing the other one which also was over 22 years old. Just a little PB blaster and the old faucet jiggled loose. We have a three-hole sink so I needed to use the deck plate to cover the extra holes. Maybe I should have bought a new sink too and new countertops. Oh, a girl can dream! I have an amazing kitchen as is. It is an open concept with the living room, dining area, and kitchen with vaulted ceilings so it feels like a huge space. It also has a kitchen island and YES! I am always excited because of the extra counter space.

I am happy to have knocked a few more things off my to-do list. I am aiming to have the list clear for springtime when I add outdoor and garden duties to my everyday routine.

The Bent n Dent Grocery Secret

Saving on Groceries 2024

Next to gardening, this has to be my top money-saving tip! Shopping at my local grocery banana box distributor saves me a load of money. On average, I purchase between *$66-$84 per trip and bring home over $300 of retail groceries. *not a promise that you will save that much. Savings vary also based on geographic location.

Amish Run Grocery Outlet

Nearly anywhere the Amish live, there is a local bent and dent or grocery outlet. They also usually operate a bulk foods grocery. I live 10 minutes from both types run by the local Amish community. They sell normal-priced eggs, honey, and items from their community. They also buy a truckload of banana boxes with random dented cans, groceries, and other goods. Their inventory varies by the truckload. Some months bring great deals on candy and vitamins, and other months I score 3 for $1 on cake mix and bags of cereal. On average, prices are about half to 75% off of retail pricing at the grocery store.

Frozen Goods and Refrigerated Goods

Lately, they added to their store by purchasing several solar panels, and now they have massive chest freezers with items like chicken, cheese, and other packages of frozen products. I’ve shopped at other grocery outlets that invested in refrigerated sections with goods that are not past the best-by dates. Their prices reflect normal everyday prices for these convenient products.

Their store resells these products that are past the best-by date stamped on the product. Best-by dates are required by law and indicate when the item is guaranteed to be usable or best tasting. These dates also help grocers maintain inventory that hasn’t been sitting around.

I haven’t noticed that any of the products have tasted any different. I do use my best judgment when buying dented canned goods. I use the same judgment on anything I purchase from any store and each time I take things out of my refrigerator. Does it look safe to eat? If it doesn’t or has a bad smell, is growing mold, or is questionable. I toss those items out.

I do LOVE the randomness of the inventory. I never know what deals I will find and it is much like a treasure hunt for me. This is from my Facebook post on March 1, 2023. We save any candy for my son who needs to have sugar on hand for low blood sugar. It’s funny how life sometimes hands you a different perspective. I no longer see candy as junk but as a lifesaving medication since my son’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
~~A quick trip to my favorite Bent N Dent in Albany, Wisconsin yielded a cost of $100.25 for $377.50 current price at Woodmans/Target/Walmart for the pictured groceries.

One Trip March 2023

Photo by Laura Cullen 2023
Photo by Laura Cullen 2023

Thoughts About Organic

Don’t be too quick to judge what we eat based on the photo. We eat salad each day and fruits and veggies account for a large percentage of our diet. During the summer months, we can harvest our own from my garden but our diet requires food products that come in boxes and cans too. Additionally, I make my dog’s food homemade too.

Bounty from our Garden. Photo by Laura Cullen

The other thought I have when certain groups of people begin to point out blame for our American diets is that we are trying to do the best we can. The reason junk foods and canned foods are low-cost is for several reasons. A lot of the food in the USA comes from other countries where the labor market is poorly paid. The cost of living here is so high that the majority of Americans fall into the poverty bracket. Government assistance and a person’s job or jobs aren’t enough for individuals to afford to eat only from the high-priced section of the supermarket and load up on organic foods. I heard people say they prioritize their health when buying groceries, which is great when you have the income to afford that lifestyle.

Finding a Bent n Dent Near You

Do a web search for banana box distributors, bent n dent, Amish grocery, grocery outlet to try to locate a place near you. I do hope you can find one that helps you save some cash.

If you read this please comment below with the location of the nearest bent and dent near you. I’d like to have a national listing of places in the USA, and other countries.

Planuary 2024-Happy Planner Season

It’s been a while since I have had a planner. I have my to-do list, my water log, Our Groceries(an app for grocery lists), and lots of printable recipes that I have sorted in a couple of binders. This year, I am going to add a Happy Planner into the mix. I also purchased these tiny planner stickers from TyrianDesign(on Esty) to add to my calendar. The stickers I purchased are medical appointments, lawn mowing, garbage and recycling, hair cut, Happy Birthday, appointment, paw print for dog shampooing, eyeglass sticker, and medicine pills sticker for every other day I need to take an iron tab.

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BUBBLE THAI MILK TEA

Thai Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearls

My teens and I love the milk tea at Ha Long Bay and since it’s about an hour round trip to get tea, we decided to save some time and learn to make it at home. I purchased some Thai tea mix, and boba tapioca pearls (Links off Amazon) then patiently waited for those to arrive. You will need to think about how to strain the tea after you add it to the hot water and it is done steeping. I used a clean cotton T-shirt. I also had a 1/2 gallon glass canning jar for tea and a one-quart jar to store boba pearls.
Note: 1 cup of tea mix to 4.5 cups of water. 1 cup of boba pearls to 10 cups of water.
I first make the tea and then make the boba pearls in another pot.

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FEBRUARY 2022 MONTHLY SAVINGS

Every month I make a savings challenge and work to eliminate excess spending. In short, spending wisely is our goal instead of being miserly or trying to out-cheap someone else. Sometimes it is better money management to spend more on quality rather than to take the cheap highway. I also factor my time into the spending well equation. If my time is better served to earn money and pay someone else to change my oil or clean my house. This is money well spent. So go forth and make good money decisions.

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MEATLOAF 2.0 (GEN X CLASSIC REMADE)

Gen X kids remember the Saturday Meatloaf that our Boomer Mom’s made often. Not being a meat lover as a child I didn’t like meatloaf nights. Today we have a much wider array of ingredients and this recipe from decades ago got a makeover. I present to you Gen X meatloaf.

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25 People Who Will Love Not Suzy Just Laura

  1. You want to leave the workforce.
  2. You enjoy sleeping in.
  3. You want to cook and bake almost all the time.
  4. You enjoy saving money.
  5. You enjoy perusing gardening magazines.
  6. You also enjoy growing food.
  7. You long for the olden days.
  8. You desire to sew and decorate.
  9. You enjoy hanging out with other homemakers.
  10. You want to learn to sew.
  11. You picture yourself raising babies.
  12. You are the Head of your Castle.
  13. Your dream house is a very large homestead.
  14. You have the soul of an artist.
  15. You are creative.
  16. You aren’t afraid to pair pumps or jeans and an apron.
  17. You like to stay up late or get up really early.
  18. You decorate your home for all the holidays.
  19. You aren’t afraid to whip up something new in the kitchen.
  20. You are pretty sure you need more yarn, fabric, or tools.
  21. You have a craft room.
  22. You have an extensive cookbook collection.
  23. You grocery shop like an Olympic athlete.
  24. You keep a tally of how much you save.
  25. You consider homemaking to be the ultimate career.

*Photo by Filipp Romanovski