Great Depression II...could you survive?

Someone asked me this the other day and their jaw fell open when I answered yes. I then spent over 30 min telling them why I thought I could.

I started with food because in reality, we will go with out the cable,phones, and internet but we have to eat even when we have no income.

First is I have a pantry, a huge pantry that I slowly built over time. I will shove can goods under couches, love seats, beds, behind doors, in the closets and even make a end table out of them and cover them with a cloth.I have enough food right now to go at least 6 months,I usually keep a year's supply of food basics.I'm low because the garden isn't doing so well and I am waiting for the crops to come in.

Second, we are not picky eaters. We don't have to have meat every night, we like vegetables and having what most consider breakfast food for our evening meal isn't a big deal.It's not like people don't eat steak or pork chops for breakfast...duh.

Third, I know how to and do most times cook from scratch. Not out of a box, freezer bag, or can. I can make condensed soup from dried milk(Thank you Amy Dacyczyn Tightwad Gazette 1) I can make catsup, mayo, salad dressing and a lot of things we automatically buy without thought.

Fourth, I make food from scraps...I wash my vegetables before I clean them and throw the peelings in to a pot of water to make vegetable stock. Bones, skin and fat from meat and poultry go in a pot of water to make broth. I don't do so much with seafood because it's not affordable in my area and my hubby doesn't fish (he drowns plastic worms).I make new dishes from old foods.This seems to be my best talent in the kitchen.

When my children first left home and went out on their own calling and saying telling me they had nothing left to eat happened more than once. I would play 20 questions of what is left in the cabinets, what is left in the freezer, and what is left in the refrigerator and most times come up with several more meals. Might not be balanced but it would fill their bellies.

During the Great Depression, it wasn't about eating healthy and eating balanced. It was about having something to put in your stomach and not going hungry.Picking greens out of the yard was good, and if you don't use pesticides and such items you still could.

Growing lettuce on a window sill was common.

Coming next CLOTHES

The Liturgical Year

The Liturgical Year
The Ancient Practices Series
By Joan Chittister, Phyllis Tickle
Published by Thomas Nelson

I spent some time reading this book. I usually read through a book of this size within a few hours. The Liturgical Year was mind provoking. Not all churches of Christian faith have this liturgical line up of celebrations and such. With the exception of the Catholic Church, in my years of exploring different faiths, none have practiced this liturgical year especially to the extent talked about in this book. Maybe we all should.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”