I did have them in the tray they came in but then they weren't as close to the lights as the others. I did think they were getting dry pretty fast. I will find something to put them in, thanks. Well, I do go in the basement first thing in the morning while I'm waiting for my coffee :), in fact, I just noticed some of them look like they grew a little overnight! It's not as bad as it sounds. My basement is finished and it's my workout room that I use daily, plus storage, laundry, and a freezer so I go down there frequently anyway. I planted peppers a week ago and put the tray on the heating mat, I'm amazed I haven't opened it every day to see if they are sprouting. LOL

I shop at multiple stores. Pay day is every other Friday so I that is when I go to Wal-Mart or Smith's (Kroger owned). Every 2 weeks we also get coffee beans at the little mom and pop shop. We go to Sprouts every 2 weeks as their ads overlap on Wednesdays. This is actually getting less frequent as they have not put the bulk things on sale that I want the most as frequently (steel cut oats and short grain brown rice). The bread outlet is a once a month trip. Other stores such as Keller's (for meat), Trader Joe's, the international markets, Vitamin Cottage (for other bulk items), I alternate months. Some things I get through Amazon's subscribe and save and that can vary in frequency. Eggs are mostly from my hens and many of our vegetables come from our garden. Some of the variety in shopping is about the money savings but it is more along the lines of trying to match the quality to a certain price point and meeting my needs of acquiring a diversity of ingredients. Arborio rice at TJ's, quality meat at Keller's, red lentils in bulk at Vitamin Cottage, etc. Part of it is me trying to maintain a well stocked pantry because my moods are fickle and if the pantry has a variety of things, I can cook according to my mood. Pre-planned menus never, ever work for me.

I don't try any recipes that call for a long list of "yarbs and spices." I am mostly a salt & pepper cook, just like my DM was. I remember her saying she didn't use recipes because they called for too many ingredients. :-) We had good solid, tasteful meals; mostly meat, potatoes and green vegetables. Deserts were mostly fruit pies/cobblers. My DH grew up in the country and ate pretty much like my family did, so cooking for him and our children was easy. I did learn and enjoyed making cakes and cookies. Not so much now, though. Being alone now for so long, cooking has become a necessary chore, and I've found a few things that I tend to make often. Also Bear Den Soups are good, especially the Broccoli Cheese, the Darn Good Chili and the Potato. The only frozen meal I like is Stouffers Lasagna. I have printed off and used these KT recipes: Little Chicken, but failed to include the poster's name. Hummingbird Banana Bread/Muffins, Marilyn Sue. Here is a recipe from my Vegetarian DD. I make it and add chicken or some other meat to it. Last night I topped a baked potato with it. Circles & Squares Vegetable-Pasta Soup 1 32 oz box vegetable broth 1 cup medium size pasta 2 cup frozen diced hash brown potatoes w/onions and peppers 2 cup frozen peas and carrots 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies In large covered saucepan bring broth to boiling. Add pasta, potatoes, peas and carrots, and undrained tomatoes. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,covered, for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. I cook it down to more of a stew, than soup. I so empathize with CS. I'm not a big eater, so that helps. Sue

We added a bedroom to the finished attic space in our 1930’s house. We were able to steal space from a deep closet to add a 5x8 bath. The existing bath on the first floor is at the opposite side of the house. It was a major project cost wise and took finding the right contractor who saw the possibility. I’m a design pro so there were no design fees. Total budget ended up just over 20k. That’s $500 a sf but the house would have been unlivable for us otherwise. Was it a good investment? Not really. We’re just breaking even but if we ever do sell we would have a larger market. In the first picture in the upper corner you can see the wall at the top of the stairs we opened to access the former space from the closet.