The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden

I’m not going to waste your time on just any kind of things. The things that I am sharing with you today are things that I have, that I use on the regular, could not live without. Things that I want, love, or give as gifts (the holidays are coming fast) to family members.

FOR THE KITCHEN

5 quart mixer in the colour ‘Beetroot’ and Mineral Water Blue or the Candy Apple Red mixer in a 7 quart.

You cannot go wrong with a KitchenAid mixer. They are built to last and last. I know that they are an investment, but if you like to bake, I promise that they are worth every penny. They are built with the old attitude that quality matters!

You know the best thing about these 5 quart mixers? Not only are they in really pretty colours, but they also come with 2 bowls! Both a big bowl and a smaller 3 quart bowl! No need to stop and wash out the bowl, or empty out the bread dough that is rising in it when you mix up your cake or cookies! I would love this option!

When I first started backing breads, buns, cakes in earnest (about 20 years ago), we bought a KitchenAid 5 quart mixer. I then passed it on to my daughter (yes, it is still going strong) when I upgraded to the 7 quart mixer some 10 years ago. I like to bake in big batches so needed the larger one. I have a thing about turning on the oven to bake or cook just one item. Figure if I am going to warm that oven up (costs money, you know!), I am going to make as many things as I can. If only they had come with 2 bowls back then! Though, you can now buy additional bowls, like this gold one!

Hubby (the chef) is busy making our spaghetti sauce as I write.

He said if you do a lot of canning, a lot of saucing, you definitely need this spider strainer, the chinois strainer that hooks on to the side of your pot or bowl, and an electric food mill to strain your tomatoes, peppers, apples… whatever you are pressing, straining, making into a sauce. And you need a really big pot, like this 20 quart one. Those are his must haves. Things he needs to make our winter stash of salsa, chow chow, spaghetti sauce…

I do not do anything on tomato sauce day, not until the canning part starts. Then I take care of the jarring and water bathing. Sauce day is a hubby thing. He chops and mills and makes his magic happen. I stay out of his way.

I do, however, do a lot of dehydrating! And freezing the crops from the garden to enjoy in winter. Please note that the bags you use with the vacuum sealer are all reusable! They do not go into the landfill! You can wash them in between uses and use them over and over again.

GARDENING

You all know how much I love my compost tumbler. This one is on sale right now. If you are thinking about getting one, I think you should do it! They make compost so fast out of your kitchen and garden scraps.

I have this heavy duty wagon in red but this pretty green wagon is on at an even better price than mine. I had a conversation with my grandson about this wagon on the weekend. He loves pulling and pushing things. He has adhd, and maybe more things, and has always been fascinated with wheels, wagons, trailers, tractors… he said to me that this wagon is so much better than the others because of those wheels. It goes anywhere, even through snow, and the sides are removable. So, from my grandson to you, he says you need one of these wagons to haul your firewood, your garden supplies and for clean up time.

FOR THE HOME

You know my thing about machine washable rugs! They are a must in my home, and you will find them invaluable if you have little kids potty training (accidents happen), puppies, dogs, cats that throw up on them (or worse), and in heavy traffic areas. Check out these great prices.

This 5×7 rug in soft greens and blues, this 6×9 orange and blue rug is the one I have in my sitting room for fall and winter, and this runner for beside your bed, in the foyer, in your laundry room or bathroom….

This green toaster! A matching kettle and toaster oven. Wouldn’t these make the best house warming gifts? Or gift to self ; )

I have these sheets in blue stripes, but this grey one seems to be fitting for this time of year. These sheets have deep pockets, are super soft and cosy, but best of all, they breathe! You most definitely need these in the heatwaves as they do not hold on to your body heat, but they are cosy in fall and winter as well.

If, like me, you like to snuggle in to flannel in winter time, these solid dark blue sheets look like just the thing!

Fine more home ideas and deals on yesterday’s Bits post, too.

SEED SAVING

Wow, great price on this letter stamp kit that comes with it’s own ink pad! These kraft paper envelopes to make your own seed packets. These self sealing seed envelopes.

Snazz up your packets with these cute floral stamps, these colourful ink pads, tie up a handful of packets to give as gifts and bundle them up with this amazing frayed edge, vintage ribbon.

In fact, that ribbon is so pretty, so fantastic, buy it now for your holiday gifting! I’m not even kidding. You will kick yourself if you miss out. Here are some other ribbon variations at an even better price! This velvet ribbon looks luxe, while this baker’s twine gives you the rustic vibe.

And to end… for your holiday tapes, records, and radio listening, this record player thingie is the bomb. The sound on it is excellent!

*Disclaimer… There are so many more things I would love to share, but no room to put them all here. Please note that as an amazon affiliate, if you shop one of these links, it does not cost you even one penny more than if you had gone to the item on your own, but I get a (very) small percentage to support my blog, and I sure do appreciate you! Oh, and it does not have to be the exact item I have on the page. If you get there and do not love it, shop other items or styles and I still get the commission. Thank you for your support.

Wishing you all a happy shopping experience on these Prime Big Deal Days, the 8th and 9th! Tanja