Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: February 14 - 21 2026

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hd5574

Veteran Member
We grow a lot of berries..we have an area outside the fenced garden area that is over run with thornless blackberries..the canes get long and fall over and where ever the hit the ground they root and make a new plant....I image DH will move a bunch of the new ones and start a new big patch..the weather doesn't seem to bother them...
We have strawberries and they send out runners and those root...so lots of babies..in the garden ..
We have several blueberry bushes in the garden
We plan to move our raspberry bushes to different spot and add some more..
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
hd5574 said:
We grow a lot of berries..we have an area outside the fenced garden area that is over run with thornless blackberries..the canes get long and fall over and where ever the hit the ground they root and make a new plant....I image DH will move a bunch of the new ones and start a new big patch..the weather doesn't seem to bother them...
We have strawberries and they send out runners and those root...so lots of babies..in the garden ..
We have several blueberry bushes in the garden
We plan to move our raspberry bushes to different spot and add some more..
Click to expand...

We had thornless blackberries on a big trellis in our backyard. We also had red grape vines, too. Apple, pear, peach, and plum trees. We tried growing blueberries, but they never did well and died. Over the years, drought took them all, and Cary never wanted to replace them.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Yes, a lot of the Midwest has a false spring for at least part of this week. Central Iowa may get a 60 degree high this afternoon. Otherwise, it'll be in the 50s with snow coming in on Thursday (?) (maybe Wednesday night).

It's still in the 40s right now, though. I decided to work around the house this morning, and then I'll pack my bike and a picnic lunch and head out this afternoon when it's warmer.

It's Fat Tuesday this week, a reminder to me so I go buy pazkis to share, and then Lent is on Wednesday. HyVee and many major store chains (Kroger, Publix, etc) sell these on Fat Tuesday, so that's another source if you don't have Polish bakery nearby.

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anna43

Veteran Member
Retired and living alone so I make a point of orientating myself to date and day each morning. I also keep a planner open where you can see the entire month at once glance to keep track of anything I need to do. When I buy my new planner for the year, I go through putting in all birthdays, when taxes are due, when insurance payments are due etc. I typically have my annual physical in October so put a note at the top of the page to schedule the appointment.

It is an absolutely beautiful day here currently 57º/feels like 64º and low forecast to be 41º. Sunny which improves my mode drastically. I know it won't last so will enjoy it while it does. I walked to church this a.m. when it was still chilly but by the time church was over it was gorgeous.

The light switch in my bathroom shorted out Friday night. I gathered everything to fix it from the basement and a friend's son came after church and put the new one in. There are no windows in my bathrooms so leaving the door open and flashlights were the only options. Door open when you live alone is fine but not sufficient to see in the shower. I'm very grateful it's fixed. I need to take another look at what's still in the basement and maybe buy a few things to be sure I have what's needed available. I think my friend's son was surprised at my having everything he needed laid out on the counter and that I knew which breaker to throw. If my hands were 100%, I could have fixed it myself but they're not.
 
ginnie6

ginnie6

Veteran Member
After lunch today DD and I did our meal
Prep for the week. It makes it so easy to eat healthy if it’s already cooked and all we have to do is heat it up. We made salmon bites, hamburger steaks, and our breakfast meats. I also hard boiled a dozen eggs. Salads we will make as we want them. We still have some chicken leftovers so we’ve got a good variety.
We cleaned as we went and it took us about 1.5 hours total.
I have a full day tomorrow and won’t have much time at home but the rest of the week looks quiet, which is fine with me!
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
ginnie6 said:
After lunch today DD and I did our meal
Prep for the week. It makes it so easy to eat healthy if it’s already cooked and all we have to do is heat it up. We made salmon bites, hamburger steaks, and our breakfast meats. I also hard boiled a dozen eggs. Salads we will make as we want them. We still have some chicken leftovers so we’ve got a good variety.
We cleaned as we went and it took us about 1.5 hours total.
I have a full day tomorrow and won’t have much time at home but the rest of the week looks quiet, which is fine with me!
Click to expand...

I love having my own homemade "meals ready to eat". I make freezer meals and meats that I can take out of the freezer, thaw, heat, and serve. I do it all the time. There are days when I don't feel like cooking, so this way of cooking works great for me. I generally try to have at least 4 freezer meals ready to heat and eat at any given time, along with fresh made homemade bread already made, also from my freezer.
 
feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
Fighting major computer issues. Not sure I can ressurect without replacing the hard drive. I am using my tablet currently. I am going to switch to trying to get the desktop going. I think I may have salvaged the data from the laptop to a memory card. I have a new 2 TB drive for the desktop. I use Linux not Windows so I have to actually think in order to the installation.

Still trying to get my digestive system back to normal after being sick and not eating much solid food, but slowly getting there.
 
W

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Morning all.
Had a great day yesterday with my daughter and grandsons!
We had homemade venison burgers and fries. The buns were a success.
Fed and watered all the animals, taped one maple(still trying) for syrup. Cleaned up basement. Other stuff and grandson cleaned all ice and snow off the back porch. It was a job. He had to use shovel, hammer and axe and some pieces were huge.
I put a little short video on my YT channel and got almost a 1000 views so far.
Weather is so nice. Letting coal stove go out for now. No point in it getting the rooms to 100 degrees. I'll get it cleaned and ready if has to restarted.
Hope everyone is coping ok, prayers over you all.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
That's where an ice spud or ice breaker tool comes in handy. If you don't see one at a garage sale, Harbor Freight (etc) have them. There's sales at the end of seasons. Mine was $5 back in the day.

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shopping


That and a roof rake are important in the Midwest.

I hit the ground running easier, and I'm finally having coffee. It's going to be warm until Wednesday, so I've got lots to do. I still haven't started the seeds indoors. Maybe later today . . .
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
66 and sunny for our high, today. By Wednesday, it is supposed to be 71. Thursday, 79. Wednesday is shopping day, and Thursday, we have to take Mom to have some heart tests done at the Cardiac Center. Sunny both days.

Not a lot going on, today. The Bursitis is much better. No pain at all, especially at night while trying to sleep. I'm still being careful with it, though. I had a pain free night, and I actually slept late this morning.

After home fellowship was over, we finalized the plans for our trip with DS and DDIL. Stops we want to make, sights we want to see, and places we want to eat each day. We will have a full schedule.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Anna, I like your planner idea.

My home office is currently in a corner of the living room, due to how my Internet connection is wired. One of the 2026 goals is to get some help re-wiring it so I can move back into the smallest bedroom. Once I do that, I can have a full-sized desk again, and I can leave my planner out. In fact, I might set up a morning starting point with my planner, electric kettle for heating water, and my Bible.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
I'm frying hamburgers right now. I'll re-heat them, later, for supper. Too early, yet, to bring out the grill. Nothing else was going on, so I decided to go ahead and cook them. Cary will be having bacon cheeseburgers for supper, tonight, with chips. I'll just have a couple of hamburger patties with cheese.
 
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anna43

Veteran Member
Meemur said:
Anna, I like your planner idea.

My home office is currently in a corner of the living room, due to how my Internet connection is wired. One of the 2026 goals is to get some help re-wiring it so I can move back into the smallest bedroom. Once I do that, I can have a full-sized desk again, and I can leave my planner out. In fact, I might set up a morning starting point with my planner, electric kettle for heating water, and my Bible.
Click to expand...
My office/computer/sewing room is in a former bedroom, and I often am not back there until later in the day. I keep my planner on the buffet in the dining room which I have to walk by to get to the kitchen. Since it's right in plain sight, I look at it first thing. I also often check it before bed, so I know if I need to set the alarm for an appointment the next day.

Two loads of wash done and put away. Dishes done and in the drainer. Errands run and checked out new books at the library. I went to Dollar General of which the kindest description would be disaster area. They were stocking sort of, kind of with full boxes on carts and empty boxes on the floor and shelves in the usual disarray. Couldn't find what I went for but did pick up a new light bulb for a 3-way lamp. I absolutely do not like that store and every time I'm in it, I say I'm never going back. I really hope this time I can stick to that decision!

It's another gorgeous sunny day with temps. Currently 64º/feels like 67º and I was too warm wearing a light jacket which is a very good problem to have in February in Iowa! Thursday forecast is for snow.
 
nomifyle

nomifyle

TB Fanatic
Power was out for 6 1/2 hours, generator still in the shop but we did okay. Dh hooked up one of the Mr buddy heaters and got the wood stove going. Came back on at 2:30 am, I was still awake. But all is good, my smallest jackery kept my lift chair operational. Now I need to recharger my handheld chargers.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Connie, I look at it this way: if there's enough wind, it blows all of the neighborhood leaves out of my yard! Wind is my secret helper.

It's not windy here, yet, but it'll increase as the cold front moves in. Winter will be back on Thursday. In the meantime, I'm doing what I can outside.

I snagged a box of raspberry Paczki and will distribute those to friends later. Happy Fat Tuesday!
(Pictured: a lemon custard Paczki)

images
 
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SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
70 degrees with cloudy skies for us, today. No rain, though. Saturday, winter returns. I'm going to be enjoying the warmer temps while they last. We do have a cord of firewood to stack. I'll try to help as much as I can.

I'll be putting the finishing touches on my shopping lists, today. Tomorrow is going to be a very nice day to go shopping. Several stops to make.
 
D

Digger

Veteran Member
Yesterday was our day with our daughter's kids. We don't get to bed till after 11:00 each Monday. Their dad works second shift. It a crazy schedule for kids. But they homeschool, so it works. We are always dragging butt on Tuesday's. We are always in bed by 9 the other 6 days of the week, even if we are just watching TV.

We got 2 cords of wood we had split in the pasture stored in the barn. There is still another cord on the ground. We will get it in the next few days. The weather has warmed up. To warm to have a fire in the wood stove most days. We have just been using the heat pump. There was still ice in the holler from the winter storm we got on Jan 30th. We have had some nice warm, sunny days.i don't think we have been below freezing for at least 5 days. We got about 2 inches of much needed rain over the weekend too.

I planted 10 asparagus crowns. We need more production. I love it. I need to get some seeds started in trays. I have to finish fruit tree pruning and pick up the prunings. We need to spray dormant spray on the trees also. We also have to do my job while the weather is nice. My leg pain is to the point I think I can do it. It has greatly diminished. Loading a cord of wood made it hurt some, but taking a break let it calm down. I even loaded my feed at the feed store yesterday with no increase in pain. I think if I continue to be careful, it will finish healing. That feed will be unloaded 1/2 a bag at a time.

Have a blessed week everyone.
 
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