Frugal week and Amish produce auction

I got these on clearance for $4. The two red ones are my son's

I picked tulips for my kitchen window (in picture) and bathroom counter.

Dad let me dig these up in his yard last fall so I planted them.They didn't bloom well due to the weather. If I can get them growing better next year I will share them with my kids so they can have a part of their late grandmother and Dad.

My son gave us a pork loin since I had helped him do yard work at his home. He paid for my gas to come down (cheaper than hiring help) and bought me lunch which provided lunch for Hubby to take to work also. I made pork chops twice, a roast and cubed some for casserole. We have had 6 meals from it. Well worth the $8 he paid for the loin. He thought I would get 2 meals from it.

We cut the electric by 1/3 compared to the same time as last year.

We cut the heat by almost 1/2 of when we first moved in 5 yrs ago. I have 2 more rooms to deal with and it should come down farther.

I canned 4 pints of beef broth left over from a roast we had (bought on sale and put in freezer last fall).

I cut rhubarb from the garden and used it for a sauce for the pork roast and for dessert. This is the first from the gardens.

We went to the Amish produce auction for plants for the garden. Heavy turn out of people, not so much for the plants. The cold snap did a lot of harm in this area. We did get some lettuce, cabbage, bell and hot peppers, tomato plants and candy onion sets. The big tomato plants (3.5-4 inch pot that stood 2- 2.5 ft tall and had blooms cost us $3.50 average but we didn't pay over 25¢ per plant for the rest of them and most of them them was closer to 5¢ a plant, except the onions, that came out to being 1¢ a plant.  Candy onions are a sweet onion that store decent. I usually buy 100 lbs or more in the fall and put them in storage. They usually cost about $50 for 100 lbs. I got enough to grow that plus have green onions for the season and supply my kids (and probably their friends) for less than the cost of the 100 lbs...about half the price if not less than that as I estimated how many sets are in a flat.

I transplanted 4 sweet potato slips from the potato slip mother (as I call it) and  I have about 6 more to find places for.

I transplanted 2 "twigs" off the rose bush that Hubby dug out last fall and tossed in a pot of dirt. One looks good , the other not so much but it might be okay.

I transplanted a maple tree twig that I had started last year by seed in my one sq ft garden. It's about 5 -6 inch tall. I really hope it takes off well as it's from the tree the landlord's grandfather started and planted . That tree isn't going to last much longer and I've be trying to get a tree started from it the last 5 yrs.

I am to the point I can plant my straw bales, when this next weather system gets by. Tstorms and wind for the next few days.

I cleared a couple other sq ft gardens and will finish making the list of what still needs bought. I know I am going to need to get some garden dirt as I had a couple beds needed to be completely cleared due to an ant hill in them. I did that battle last year also.

I went to the store and got a few odds and ends, mostly fresh produce that won't be bought this summer. I spent less than $60 which keeps up in the budget of $300 every two weeks. Nonfood is coming down, since I started stocking up when I have coupons and sales instead of waiting until we need it.

Blessed be