Getting it done

See what I foraged? Well, kind of...maybe not really???

I walk our dogs around the perimeter of our yard that borders the fields our landlord's farm. I toss my garden scraps in to his field since we don't have a good compositor (okay we don't have any large enough to hold all the scraps). Helps with his fields and hopefully the field mice stay in the field and don't come in to the house and my pantry.

I found one green onion at the edge of the field and this small Chinese cabbage. I'll be serving it tonight with our chicken fajitas.

I also have canned the boiled apple cider,dehydrated and packaged Roma tomatoes, rosemary, thyme,onions, celery and carrots. I have shelled and packaged the following dried beans for soups this winter: pinto and cannellini, KY wonder (also canned for green beans this summer) and Lazy Wife beans (also canned for green beans this summer and shelled some of the green beans that became "tough" and froze them for shelly beans) I shelled and packaged the following for replanting next year: KY wonder,Lazy Wife, asparagus beans, red noodle beans,pinto beans, moonlight runner sunset runner and scarlet runner beans, I cut and froze pineapple and apples for apple pie.I rinsed the acorn squash in bleach water. It helps it last longer in the root cellar.

I baked a ham and we had sliced ham the first night, ham sandwiches for lunch the next day followed by ham chunks with other small bites for dinner. Had Scalloped potatoes and ham followed by ham, onion, mushroom and cheese omelets for dinner and then tossed 2 more meals of it in the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend we get tired of turkey.

I still have some other produce to process for the pantry this week.

Last fresh local produce at the auction.

We went to the last Amish fresh local produce Friday. Got mums which I thought we wouldn't be able to get this year with the prices I was seeing. Paid $1.50/$1.75 for mums that are running $6-$20 at the stores.

We got more butternut squash, acorn squash,beets,cabbage, pineapple (shipped in), onions that are not in as good as shape so they are what we will use first or I'll dehydrate. A friend bought roma tomatoes and jack little pumpkins that he shared with us(we shared the onion) and I bought a loaf of bread, 3 tart size pies,3 dozen cookies, angel food cake, noodles and fresh cider from the "bakery" sellers that were at the auction. All good homemade food.

I only have horseradish in the gardens to pull and garlic to plant. The plants I put in died due to lack of water and wind...even though I watered them almost daily. The winds are wicked at this time.

We decided to start going to the store every 2 wks so that means we will most likely be combining non-food and food shopping. Our thought it less time in the stores less money spent. PLUS less gas used to go to town since we do live out in the country ...top that will I'll save some hours that I need to do what I have going on the next couple months with National Novel writing month starting Nov 1st (50000 words a month) and Thanksgiving that we hold the Sunday before the actual holiday and then Christmas that I try to have ready BEFORE December 1st.On top of the work I haven't gotten done this summer.

We did (with regret) decide to not plant a fall or winter garden. My health has been at the low end and the testing to find out what was going on has exhausted me. SO to try to stay healthy this fall/winter I am not adding anything on the work load and try to focus on my health most the time.

 Part of the health is staying focused on keeping the food bill down and eating healthy.

Blessed Be

October shopping plans

My pantry is pretty full and we are now starting to eat mainly from it. I do have a few things that I will look to buy if the right price during the fall and early winter.

I got our winter squash at the Amish produce auction for a $1 per squash,usually around 3 lbs. Pumpkins were $1 per pumpkin that weighed around 30 lbs.I also got 50 lbs of white onions and 30 lbs of red onions. We got potatoes for 20 ¢ lb.

 I would like to have acorn squash if I find it at the farmer's market for the right price. I hope to be able to order 50 lbs of potatoes from our local store for 20 ¢/ lb this fall.

I dehydrate my potatoes raw, after shredding or slicing or dicing I soak them in apple cider or lemon lime soda pop or fruit fresh for about 15 min. They sometimes turn a tan depending on how long it took me to get them in the soaking water I think is that issue.

 I will cook and puree and then dehydrate the puree of the pumpkins to grind in my blender. Takes a lot less room and last longer for me, plus I can toss a tablespoon or so into anything I am cooking and not wondering what to make with what is left in the container.

I need flours for holidays, that usually comes on sale soon so I am on the lookout.

I have a couple rices and Kraut I want to add to the pantry.

Our local butcher usually has pork on sale during Oct. I will pick up a case of smoked sausage and dinner sausage patties if within our price range.

We are finding the garden is producing a few things still that will help with fresh foods.

I have some broccoli,kalettes and lettuce plants to put in this week.

I am still processing apples and cabbages. I will wrap a few of the cabbages in plastic wrap for short term storage. The pumpkins are usually the last I process.

I'm going to have to break down and get some clothes for both of us. Still checking the thrift shops and yard sales.

making room for the pantry

I didn't always have the pantry (17 ft by 22 ft) I have now. I won't have it in the future as we rent an old farm house close to Hubby's work and when he retires it will be closer to the kids or somewhere warmer.

I grew up with a root cellar, Dad built shelves, Mom put root veggies on top of wooden crates under the shelves and 1500 canning jars of food on the shelves. We usually ran out around March, sometimes February if there was a lot of company.So there was times we went without vegetables until early spring. They didn't go to the store. Dad hunted and fished, fresh side or bacon was bought weekly for breakfast along with bologna for Dad's lunch. NOT our lunch, our lunch was soup if we had it. Mom wasn't much of a cook but it was her job.

I moved to an apartment and used the spare room to be my pantry.

Then I moved to another apartment and had a child and then my parents started giving me tips of where to put the pantry like they did when they got married and lived in a 3 room apartment with my brother.

Here are the tips:

ALWAYS write down what you are putting where and post it in the kitchen. You will forget something.

Place dry goods, boxes and bagged food in second containers to protect from the critters that crawl on floors

Store foods in groups...fruit under the front room furniture, veggies under the bed and meat behind the doors or on closet floors, put the shoes on top of it, you can cover the food with wax paper or newspaper if you need to.

Mom stacked cases beside the couch and covered them with table cloths for end tables. I made a coffee table like this. I also used cases of food for a twin bed frame for about 6 mos. I took what I needed out of the middle and then kept moving the cases to keep the bed level and stable.

I have onions and garlic right now on my staircase.Root veggies such as winter squash are on shelves with my baking pans in the basement and will also go in my china cupboard.

I've put boxes of pasta on top of my kitchen cabinets.Anything on top of the frig will get warm so be careful if you store food there. Not a good place to put bread.

I've store dry goods in the garage since it doesn't hurt to freeze cereal or flour etc. Put them in rubber maids or cooler to keep the mice out of it. My parents stored theirs in the trunk of their car during the winter, the weight helped when driving in the snow.

Think outside the normal pantry...if it bothers you for others to see the stack then cover it with table cloth, beach towel, blankets or a piece of fabric that either blends in or is a focal point.

accomplishments

I got tomatoes canned as pasta sauce.

I dehydrated onions for onion flakes, celery, celery leaves,diced carrots and diced red bell peppers.

I canned bell peppers (sweet pickled) and beets pickled and regular.

I froze shredded zucchini, freezer slaw, asparagus beans,red noodle beans and green tomatoes I breaded.

I sold a baker's rack and picnic table with 6 chairs.

I went to a community yard sale with our son (and walked most the time as it was easier to park and then go get the car if needed which saved on gas). Scored some Christmas decorations to replace the ones that have worn out for next to nothing plus got another strainer (think tomato strainer if you can) to help with straining the apples I will start doing this week.I got some baking dishes to split with my son also. I also bought the baker's rack that I ended up selling to my son.My want vs his need for his new home. Plus he offered me twice of what I paid for it... which was $5. I picked up a blanket for 50¢ for a gift and another one for $1 to line some curtains with for upstairs for this winter.

I got started on washing cold weather clothes,bedding and curtains.

I gathered some seeds from my wild flowers to share with some others that have asked for seeds.Plus I think I will plant some in another area where we lost some bushes.

I saved 25% on my groceries combining coupons,sales and clearance.

One more round...

It's a mindset to get into when you want to make your pantry last, ONE MORE ROUND...what can I do to make this (whatever) go one more round...IN SEASON as much as possible.

Google what to do with leftovers , how to make things last.

Local store had chuck roast on sale. I haven't seen this price in 3 yrs LOL.Hubby and I talked about whether we should buy some, how much to buy, what we wanted to make with it BEFORE we bought any. SO we bought some....Since I was using our basic grocery money I had to figure out how to stretch the meat as far as it could go. I cut up part of it stews and noodles while the biggest went in the oven.I do this before it hits the freezer BECAUSE one , I don't need a 3 lb piece of meat for my dinner AND I can cut the "fat" scraps out to put back for broth later. The count was 10 meals....but I know it will make closer to 20 -30 instead ...WHY? Because just like the roast that we ate that night  and the next night as left overs and then the next night as "philly cheese steak" and then the next night as beef and veggies in cream sauce over pasta and then the next night as beef and veggies (and more veggies) over rice with curry spices added and last but not least it's in the freezer waiting have more veggies (not much beef left after the 4th meal) to be served as soup.

Look at what is your basic needs are and ask what you can do to extend that....can't think of anything...ask someone in their 80s and 90s and they can tell you what they did especially if they grew up in the Great Depression.

Coffee grounds can be reused with just a little fresh ground added to it, even in an automatic coffee maker.Then it can be composted. I don't use as much as the directions say either.

One tea bag can make 3 cups of tea if you heat the last cup of water longer or just use a tea kettle to brew the tea to begin with. Then composted and another time I don't use as much as the directions say.

Wash those veggies before you peel them including that onion (cut off root first) and save the peelings in a gallon freezer bag or container in the freezer. When full cover with with water (no need to thaw) and simmer 30-60 min to make veggie broth. I keep the broccoli,cauliflower and cabbage (that veggie family) in separate bags as they are strong flavoring but works great when you are making broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage soup. If you are saving water, use that rinse water to water your plants.

Bones from meat go in a pot to make broth (I can or freeze or use for soup that night).

Potatoes....peel thick and make potato skins, peel thin and boil and make potato water that you can use in bread making, gravies (the starch will help thicken the gravy) and potato soup or any soup you want to thicken. Even with Hubby and myself I go through 100 lbs of potatoes between Oct and March...sometimes I am out in Feb.Sometimes I toss the thin peels in the freezer and make the "broth" later.

My cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans get reused.( Mom would buy these for me for my Christmas gift,she liked the vanilla extract and vanilla powdered sugar along with mulled cider I would make her). Fruit stones (pits), fruit peels make jellies and jams and sometimes liqueur. I make my own vanilla extract. I zest my own oranges and lemons when I get that fruit in the fall and winter. I zest the citrus fruit, juice it or eat it and then boil what is left to make "fruit water".I also peel the citrus fruit and candy them for Christmas gifts.

Apples is another, fresh, frozen canned for pie filling or applesauce, Peelings and cores make juice,jelly, fruit leather and apple butter. 

Pumpkins get cooked down, first as a veggie (it's a squash) then it's pie fillings and pumpkin butter, fruit leather ,and dried and ground for later use to add pumpkin powder to cakes and muffins and pancakes etc.

Add a little water to those jars of condiments to make them last a bit more or even better make them yourself if you can cheaper than boughten.

Add water to shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap (even if you make your own), fabric softener(or use watered down white vinegar), dish soap...about 1/3rd or 1/2 water to whatever.

 I took the leftover veggies that didn't amount to a cup and tossed them in eggs to make what we call big egg (frittata).

Leftover bread was made into crumbs (or croutons) and bread pudding.

Make it go one more round.

NEXT...making room for the pantry

Making it last...side note

When I stayed with my Nonna , for dinner she would cook  (3 lbs of beans)bean soup on Sunday morning before church so it would be ready for lunch when we got home. Bread (not corn bread) was baked on Saturday for Sunday's meals. Sunday night we ate leftover bean soup and more bread. There was 5-6 at the meal. Breakfast was toast with jam and coffee or hot tea. Lunch was sandwiches on homemade bread, somethings just butter on the bread (she had milk cows).

Monday she added more water to the bean soup and what ever veggies she had. Might be corn and green beans, might be peas and carrots and Saturday's bread.

Tuesday she would add more veggies and more water and Saturday's bread.

Wednesday she would add potatoes and more water and Saturday's bread

Thursday, more water, onions maybe some veggies and rice.

Friday was more water some tomatoes fresh or that she canned and pasta broken up and Saturday's bread broke into the bowl with the soup poured on top of it.

Saturday was FRESH bread and pasta with tomato sauce and whatever veggie was in the garden or in the pantry she had canned.We all looked forward to Saturday.

About the only thing I saw her buy at the store food wise was orange marmalade, the rest of the jellies and jams she made and olive oil otherwise it was lard from the pigs they raised.

She knew how to make those beans last and it wasn't until my 20s did I realize she only baked bread once a week because the oven she used was outside and baked close to 50 loaves at a time. Didn't want to waste the wood.

SIDE NOTE I bought white vinegar twice a year to use for cleaning that wasn't on the basic list. I used Fels-Naptha soap for dishes, laundry and bathing until Mom started buying us castile for body soap.  Toilet paper was whatever was cheapest and we were careful about how much we used. I didn't use paper towels or paper napkins or kleenex until the oldest was close to 8 when we went to Kleenex.  My kids will still question me if there is paper napkins in my house with paper towels.I use cloth napkins and have the same ones for the last 20 some years.They are stained but clean.

One of the first things I have done is separate NON-food items and food items.

Starting with the basic foods... whole grains, organic etc wasn't going to happen. I'm putting food on the table...fast food it wasn't happening. Getting up out of the bed at 4 am to bake bread sucks but it's what got bread on the table and warmed the kitchen at the same time.

Think protein instead of meat...and make sure you are only feeding each person one correct serving size.

When I have a beef roast I serve it the first day as a roast, the second as a casserole and the third day as soup (if it has bones I toss them in pot to make broth)...I keep the fat off it and strain it into ice cube trays to flavor other food or make gravies.

I tried to make meatloaf at least every other month, hamburger was stretched with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or oatmeal even when making patties. Hamburger gravy, or sausage gravy was few and far between.  Casseroles (homemade hamburger helper) or pasta sauce (1lb of hamburger to feed 7-9 of us) was about it a couple times a month.

With a turkey or chicken (when the family size got to the point of it taking 3 chickens I started cooking 1 turkey). I serve the first night as a roast, Toss the bones into the pot to make broth ,the second as blue plate special, the third as casserole and the last as soup or noodles or dumplings. Not much meat left on that bird especially a chicken. YES I strain the fat also. (Think Schmaltz of Jewish food).

Pork, so few and far between, I would try to have a pork roast on the first day of fall with root veggies and carrot cake...anything to bring a little cheer into a life. We were living in poverty and little things make the difference in the days. Pork  fat is good lard when strained. Blue plate special, BBQ pork sandwiches...now I would add Brunswick stew.

Ten large eggs equal around a pound (sometimes it's more than a pound)...keep that one in mind as the price of eggs goes through the roof. You don't mind paying over $5 for a pound of meat...same should go for eggs WHICH will feed you more per person.

Think a pot of soup on the stove AT LEAST once a week. We floated between beef and vegetable soup (leftover chuck roast), tomato soup (chicken noodle for the child allergic to tomatoes), potato soup, bean soup (change what beans) and chili soup (heavy on the beans and light on the meat) Once in a great while I would make beef stew (with and without dumplings)

Along that line would be chicken and dumplings, chicken and homemade noodles, beef and homemade noodles, tuna noodle casserole, scalloped potato and ham chunks, along with boiled dinners....cabbage,potatoes and carrots boiled together in ham broth, green beans ,potatoes and onions in ham broth (or ham fat),and enchilada casserole (heavy of the beans and light on the meat).

Then there was what I called the blue plate specials...beef,chicken, turkey,ham or pork sliced very thin on bread stuffing or slice of bread, with a side of mashed potatoes covered in gravy.

If dinner was pasta the next day's lunch might have been left over sauce over bread or rice or leftover pasta with butter and garlic powder.

Bean soup got strained to make refried beans with cheese  bean burritos and enchilada casserole. Sometimes made into baked beans.

IF there was potato soup left I would add corn for corn chowder and/or chicken for chicken and corn chowder.

Dumplings and noodles/pasta stretched many a meal.Bread fills tummies very well...cornbread was served with beans, and then the next day served with brown sugar syrup for breakfast or a snack or a dessert at the meal. I tried to make mush the same night so I could have fried mush the next day...I'm about the only one that will eat it any more. Did the same with leftover oatmeal. I now have a recipe for oatmeal bread from Mary Ostyn over at owlhaven.net that I have used.

Next will be ONE MORE ROUND

Why my pantry is full.

This what I have hanging in my kitchen. I've had it so many years that I can't remember who gave it to me and hadn't thought to write it on the back. It's just on regular printer paper and in a sheet protector. So if you gave it to me...thanks.

Waste not, want not.

Use it up,wear it out, make it do, or do without.

They weren't ready for hard times when the Great Depression hit. A lot of folks weren't living the good life anyways, dirt poor and poverty was already in the home.

I didn't live through those times but my parents did. I did live through my parents getting a divorce which meant Dad wasn't there to put the garden in or fish and hunt for meat for the table. Food took the hit and Mom and I went hungry more than once. reminded her of the times she went hungry during the Great Depression as a child. My brother moved back home and my Mom's youngest sister moved in for awhile also. Between the four of us we were able to get the garden planted and food back on the table. None of us fished or hunted...meat became a condiment instead of the main course.

Could I feed my family if something happened?

At home now there is  Hubby,myself and our 2 dogs. There have been many times I pulled from my pantry for others, including my children and grandchildren. I now share my bounty with my Dad on a regular bases. Not that he can't afford food but being alone and in his late 80s he gets tired of cooking for one and eating his own leftovers. I wouldn't have it any other way and Hubby is fine with it.

There was a time Hubby's work went down to 3 days a week after decades of overtime and even years he had to take vacation to not work 7 days a week all the time....we weren't prepared and lost everything. The only thing that was "okay" was I had enough food to feed us for 6 mos. My fear was the food would run out before the garden was producing again or worse that the garden wouldn't produce enough like now when I watch over half of the crops rot before they are even ripe.

My "win" against this nightmare is to keep a good pantry when I was in my 20s and 30s this was this list...

All purpose flour (bread flour when I can afford it)
corn meal (not box mixes)
oats (not instant)
baking soda
baking powder
salt and pepper (garlic powder when I can afford it)
yeast
dried beans
rice
evaporated milk or dried milk (both when I can afford it)
cocoa
lard, then it was Crisco then it was oil
tea (coffee when I could afford it)
eggs
milk
American cheese
cheapest pizza cheese I could find
tomato sauce.
cheapest pasta I could find
popcorn
butter.

Veggies were in season or what ever canned was on sale.It took 2 cans to feed us when it was 4 of us. I bought one #10 can of Veg-all (think restaurant size) every other month for veggie soup.

Fruit was what ever was in season or very very cheap. I didn't buy canned fruit or frozen fruit...way too expensive.

Meat was bought on sale or from the clearance bin....I tried to get a chuck roast, a whole chicken and hamburger....sometimes a pork roast in the fall. I got pepperoni from the local deli because I could ask for a dollar's worth and have it sliced thin and have enough for 4-6 pizzas if I was careful about the amount I put on it.

Sometimes I bought bread that was discounted, most times I made my own.

Peanut butter and jelly were only when I had extra money.

No one went hungry and many times the kids friends were in to eat also...never planned just stopped in to play and ended up eating. I don't remember a time that I ever said they couldn't eat because there wasn't enough...I stretched it or added more bread to the table.

Even today, now pushing 60 , with just us and the dogs this is still my main pantry list. I have change a few things...there is always olive oil along with what ever oil I buy. I buy Wondra instant flour for my gravies and sauces.I buy white and yellow corn meal. I like white for corn bread and some breading and yellow for mush and some breading.I use lard,Crisco and oil. There is an assortment of dried beans ( I grow part of them) and rice (which I can't grow)I grow a lot of the herbs I use now including garlic. I grind my own cayenne peppers to mix with red bell peppers I grow for crushed red pepper. We grow popcorn. I make my tomato sauce from the tomatoes I grow. American cheese is few and far between as we use other sliced cheese that is on sale for cheaper now days. I usually buy a colby jack shredded mix for the Mexican dishes or salads or sandwiches along with the cheap pizza cheese.

I buy our fruit in case sales from a local butcher that has it once a year in the late summer. I have almost 1400 sq feet of garden that provides a lot of the food we eat for a year. I fill in with food bought from the Amish produce auction and the Amish family that sells their extra produce in town.

We buy meat on sale or clearance as Hubby doesn't hunt and drowns plastic worms when he fishes.

Still this past two years I have watched the grocery budget spiral out of control...so it's back to the basics and that's the focus from here out.

Blessed be

Next post...making it last longer

accomplishments last week and goals next weeke

Still a lot left of the list from last week. 

TO DO list

Create a workable schedule that reflects my health issues.

DONE (AGAIN) Deal with ants .

DONE Deal with mice prevention.

Finish refinishing son's desk.

DONE Finish packing son's stuff and place in loading area as it's packed.

Finish cleaning the shelves in the butler's pantry. (almost done)

Update pantry needs list.

GARDEN

Harvest peppers.

Harvest tomatoes.

Harvest assorted herbs.Weed this area.

Harvest Armenian cucumbers.

Harvest dry soup beans.

Harvest seeds for next yrs gardens.

Plant fall/winter crops.

Plant onions bulbs and  kalettes and lettuce that is ready for transplants.

Clear the pots that I did container gardening in and the flower pots that have annual flowers that have died.

PERSONAL

Get out of bed at 4:30 instead of 7:30.

Ride stationary bike daily for at least 15 minutes.

Walk perimeter (which is 1/3 of mile) with dogs 9 times a day. I do this 3 times a day now.

ERRANDS

Take some items to son that moved.

Check out another Sam's club in that area while at Son's.

Pick up my car that dumped antifreeze and brake fluid in front of my son's new home. It's at the repair shop.

Pick up a wedding card for the wedding we are going to this weekend

Buy the stuff on sale that we need for the family reunion later this month.

FOOD

Harvest daily for fresh food for the table at dinner time.

Make pasta sauce with tomatoes from garden and can.

Make zucchini bread pancakes for freezer.

Dry peppers,herbs and cherry tomatoes that won't get ate.


Somethings didn't get done and food got passed to those that would use it.


Have a blessed week!

This week's goals or sort of

The sort of part is because we are moving our one son to his new home he bought (first time home owner) and gathering his stuff that I've been using the last 2 yrs that he didn't have room for and finish refinishing the desk I am doing for him by Thursday night is the priority. Moving days is Friday and Saturday.

I have extra work as I have found the ants I thought were gone were in hiding and the field mice are starting to come in earlier than normal...that's usually mid September and I don't have that prevention in place. My dogs actually hunt the mice out but don't try to catch them.

I need to go back to rise and shining at 4:30. I have started new meds due to not sleeping due to pain and it's made me into a zombie and it's been closer to 7:30. My doctor advised me to cut it in half and see if that makes it better with the reminder that I have been exhausted and that it will take awhile to recover from that.

TO DO list

Create a workable schedule that reflects my health issues.

Deal with ants .

Deal with mice prevention.

Finish refinishing son's desk.

Finish packing son's stuff and place in loading area as it's packed.

Finish cleaning the shelves in the butler's pantry.

Update pantry needs list. (I was checking Clark Howard's site about a store cheaper than Amazon and instead found Livingsocial having a sale of Sam's club membership so I got one as we wanted one but couldn't afford the price of the one we wanted. We will be stopping there Friday or Saturday as our son's is only 15 min from a Sam's club).

GARDEN

Harvest peppers.

Harvest tomatoes.

Harvest assorted herbs.Weed this area.

Harvest Armenian cucumbers.

Harvest dry soup beans.

Harvest seeds for next yrs gardens.

Plant fall/winter crops.

Plant onions bulbs and  kalettes and lettuce that is ready for transplants.

Clear the pots that I did container gardening in and the flower pots that have annual flowers that have died.

PERSONAL

Get out of bed at 4:30 instead of 7:30.

Ride stationary bike daily for at least 15 minutes.

Walk perimeter (which is 1/3 of mile) with dogs 9 times a day. I do this 3 times a day now.

ERRANDS

Move son.

Check out Sam's club.

Go to store for non-food(dog food and some household stuff) and milk,eggs and cheese.

FOOD

Harvest daily for fresh food for the table at dinner time.

Make pasta sauce with tomatoes from garden and can.

Make zucchini bread pancakes for freezer.

Dry peppers,herbs and cherry tomatoes that won't get ate.

Pickle Chinese cabbage and can. Possible freeze some also.

I cooked a turkey and pork roast yesterday since I was in the house anyways most the day. We had turkey for dinner last night. I will cut the rest off the bone and process it for meals and vacuum pack it for the freezer and then toss the carcass in the stock pot to make broth for noodles and dumplings.  I will have the pork roast for tonight and divide the rest to make BBQ pork for this weekend and Brunswick stew for later this fall.

Have a blessed week!

what I have done in the frugal dept. this week.

Armenian Cucumbers from the garden. These two made 9 pints of dill pickles.

I also harvested and canned red noodle beans, KY wonder beans, and lazy wife beans.

I canned, froze and dried 34 lbs of peaches. Made peach jelly out of the peels and pits.

I froze cherry tomatoes for tomato cobbler this winter and oven roasted several pans of cherry tomatoes and then froze them.

I canned 6 quarts of pasta sauce that was cooked down from fresh tomatoes from the garden. This year it's taking 1 gallon of juice to make a quart of sauce. I don't need any more juice . I have a year's worth of juice, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce already done. Think 52 jars of each for the year.

I froze cantaloupe that I cut into chunks and asparagus beans . I will use the asparagus beans for stirfries this winter.

I froze 37 quarts of corn. Made corn cob syrup and corn cob jelly from the corn cobs.

I have pulled the onions and have them curing. Some are small but that's the ones I will use in roasts or when I don't need much onion.

I harvested and dried from my gardens, rosemary, cilantro, basil, oregano, thyme, dill, lemon balm, flat parsley, curled parsley,sage,garlic chives and cayenne peppers.

I harvested,pickled and canned beets.

I froze another batch of strawberries.

I canned peperoncini peppers.

I froze bell peppers.

I harvested cannellini dried beans and dried pinto beans for soups this winter.

I harvest buttercrunch lettuce seeds.

I harvested Scarlet runner, Moonlight runner, Sunset runner beans that I let dry on the vine for seeds for next yr.

I have used the clothes line as much as possible even when it meant that the clothes was only partially dried when the rain started in the afternoon. Several times was able to finish drying on the drying rack instead of using the dryer.

Our hand truck (2 wheel cart for hauling appliances and boxes) broke and we are moving our son this weekend. I found one on sale and had a coupon at that store so we were able to save 55% of the normal price.


What have you done?

what I did that was frugal

Used my coupons for Joann's fabric for 20% off.

Went to Scioto Valley produce auction.  Forgetting to load the 36 pints of black raspberries and going back to get them was not frugal (2 hr round trip) Still with adding the extra gas we saved close to $200 on produce for the storage.

Used discount along with sale to get new undergarments for myself.

Reloaded Skype so I can "visit" with grandkids and friends. I had it but had to dump my computer due to glitch and just now reloaded it.

I started inventorying my pantry to see what is needed for this fall/winter.

We are trying to get away from shopping every week except when we can get double gas pts. (until Aug 2) and away from food that has chemicals etc.

I am close to having all the veggies we need for the winter, just need green beans for the freezer, my pole beans are blooming so I am hopeful for that. I need corn and winter squash. I get my winter squash from Scioto Valley produce auction or Wishing Well farm.

We will be eating from the pantry this week.

This weeks goals

Garden:
harvest green beans
harvest cauliflower
harvest cabbage
harvest tomatoes
harvest green onions
harvest several herbs
start planting for fall and winter crops.
refill north east sq ft with fresh dirt.

Cooking/canning/freezing
zucchini (bought at auction)
yellow squash (bought at auction)
pickles (bought at auction)
beets(bought at auction)
cabbage
cauliflower
tomatoes

Shopping/errands
Joann fabrics to use coupons ...needles for the sewing machine for sure.
store for milk, dog food, and soda pop, paper plates and forks for the cake for my older daughter's wedding. Going to get a little bit each week.

Sewing
Fix daughter's veil to comb so if she decided on a veil she can have it available. We have had the veil for 16 yrs in storage on a headband. I have 2 combs that would be more to what she wants now if she decides to wear the veil.
Hem my own dress for the wedding.
Cut out an apron and sew it.

Maintenance:
tape craft/sewing room
primer craft/sewing room
paint craft/sewing room
set up craft/sewing room

Blog goals
post goals for the week
post accomplishments of the week
post frugal choices of the week.

what I got done

GARDEN:

1.DONE pull older broccoli 

2. DONE pull bolting lettuce that I don't want the seed from

3. DONE harvest lettuce

4. harvest green beans

5. harvest cauliflower

6.DONE harvest broccoli

7. harvest cabbage

8. replant areas with fall/winter seeds that have been cleared

9. repair north east sq ft 

10. DONE add another sq ft garden to south gardens

11.DONE check potted plants

12 harvest basil

13. harvest rosemary

14 harvest tomatoes.

COOKING/CANNING/FREEZING

1.DONEfreeze cauliflower

2. DONEfreeze broccoli

3. freeze cabbage (cabbage rolls, freezer slaw)

4. bake coconut cream pie for Dad

5. grill out (or I should say grill in the garage :( )

SEWING:

1. hem the dress I am wearing to my daughter's wedding Aug 1st

2. cut out and sew one apron

3. get material for winter curtains (as Dad might be in the master bedroom we will be in room upstairs without heat and it has a lot of drafts) for upstairs bedroom.

4. sew buttons on my blouse

5. sew hem on sheet that came undone due to wind while hanging on clothes line.

6. make new table cloth for the glass dining table we just got.

SHOPPING/ERRANDS

1: go to Joann's fabric for sales , need needles for machine, thread for dress that I need to hem and need fabric for a few things around the house including for table cloths.I got a coupon in the mail.

2.DONE drop off daughter's wedding gown that has been in storage 16 yrs to dry cleaners

3. go see my Dad and take meals to him. He can still cook but hasn't learned to cook for one and gets tired of eating leftovers...my leftovers are something else though. Also he noticed that when he cooks and smells it , he loses his appetite . It's hot also and he no longer uses his grill.

4. DONEmaybe go to Kroger's if there is something there we need. Right now we are getting double points for gas. I saved $49. last month on gas using double pts.

5. DONEWe might go to the Scioto Valley produce auction on Friday. Just to see if we can get some broccoli for the freezer.

Maintenance:

1. tape "craft room" actually upstairs bedroom but I need a place to have all my crafts and sewing together.

2. primer craft room

3. paint craft room

4. set up craft/sewing room.  

BLOG GOALS:

1. to actually write on my blog not just think about what I want to write on my blog when I am going to sleep.

This week's goals

with expecting rain daily (still, some more) I have to focus on "drier days" like no rain in morning or in between rounds of rain, to get things done in the gardens and out side.Everything else is done when I can't get out due to the rain.

GARDEN:
1. pull older broccoli
2. pull bolting lettuce that I don't want the seed from
3. harvest lettuce
4. harvest green beans
5. harvest cauliflower
6. harvest broccoli
7. harvest cabbage
8. replant areas with fall/winter seeds that have been cleared
9. repair north east sq ft
10. add another sq ft garden to south gardens
11. check potted plants
12 harvest basil
13. harvest rosemary
14 harvest tomatoes.

COOKING/CANNING/FREEZING
1.freeze cauliflower
2. freeze broccoli
3. freeze cabbage (cabbage rolls, freezer slaw)
4. bake coconut cream pie for Dad
5. grill out (or I should say grill in the garage :( )

SEWING:
1. hem the dress I am wearing to my daughter's wedding Aug 1st
2. cut out and sew one apron
3. get material for winter curtains (as Dad might be in the master bedroom we will be in room upstairs without heat and it has a lot of drafts) for upstairs bedroom.
4. sew buttons on my blouse
5. sew hem on sheet that came undone due to wind while hanging on clothes line.
6. make new table cloth for the glass dining table we just got.

SHOPPING/ERRANDS
1: go to Joann's fabric for sales , need needles for machine, thread for dress that I need to hem and need fabric for a few things around the house including for table cloths.I got a coupon in the mail.
2. drop off daughter's wedding gown that has been in storage 16 yrs to dry cleaners
3. go see my Dad and take meals to him. He can still cook but hasn't learned to cook for one and gets tired of eating leftovers...my leftovers are something else though. Also he noticed that when he cooks and smells it , he loses his appetite . It's hot also and he no longer uses his grill.
4. maybe go to Kroger's if there is something there we need. Right now we are getting double points for gas. I saved $49. last month on gas using double pts.
5. We might go to the Scioto Valley produce auction on Friday. Just to see if we can get some broccoli for the freezer.

Maintenance:
1. tape "craft room" actually upstairs bedroom but I need a place to have all my crafts and sewing together.
2. primer craft room
3. paint craft room
4. set up craft/sewing room.

BLOG GOALS:
1. to actually write on my blog not just think about what I want to write on my blog when I am going to sleep.

Blessed Be

HI

it's been a few month...lots of changes ...most of them for the good.

I don't do well with changes even when it's for the better... My grandson is now living with his dad , actually he lives with both his parents this summer as he spends a week with one and then the other. Rough but he gets to see them equally and he is happy with that. I am happy that he is happy.

My Dad has dementia and will at some point come live with us...We decided to prepare the house for him NOW so it's not a crisis when he does come.He has already given me his routine and what he likes to eat. He explained his meds and what they are for...he is still having good days, but bad days are really bad especially living alone even with family checking on him repeatedly during the day.

The spring gardens didn't do much, weather wasn't good.

The summer gardens are getting way too much rain, luckily we did put straw in the north garden so we can get in to harvest and check on the plants and not swim through the mud.The rest of the gardens are either sq ft gardens or a narrow strip that I can reach across.

I have ordered most of my fall/winter seeds...didn't have much to order as I ordered extra in the spring. I will be ordering my garlic and shallots(new one for me to grow). I will use some of the garlic I have grown to replant.

We have some changes to make with the finances. Looking at retirement in 5 yrs...not what we had thought about doing, thought 7 yrs the soonest but ....decided to look at 5 just in case things change and Hubby has to retire out sooner.

Blessed Be

Where did the time go?

No, really, someone needs to figure this out...it was just February, March either was FOREVER or it ZOOMED by...depending on what I've been dealing with .

This is where part of the time went during and after recovery from the household have the ickies and then messing up my back, going in for a back procedure and then throwing out my pelvic girdle...

We decided to start buying our meat from the local farmers, cheaper, healthier and less likely of recall. So we ordered a hide quarter of beef from the young man that has his cattle in the barn here at the homestead. Then realized we needed another freezer by doing this. Found a great freezer( AKA Newbie,21.7 cubic) on sale (first new chest freezer we have ever bought) and it was delayed in being delivered....crisis...shifted things around, son took some of the beef and everything fit in what we had.

THEN the brain storm was we needed to move the other 2 deep freezers around to put the new one in the basement where Monty (27 cubic ..Montgomery and Ward) was and put Monty where Baby (7 cubic) was....SO in my mess of health...I decided I wanted it in the mudroom off the kitchen where we already have the second frig. THEN I decided to paint the room and redo it for how we use it (which is fine with our landlord).What we thought would be a week project is now in to the 3rd week and still going on. I am not thrilled with the shelves, they wobble and I need a new trash can for the dog food to fit in the spot by the shelves plus get the corner round painted and on.

The first picture ( because I forgot before pictures this was all that wasn't painted) is the corner of the mudroom...the ceiling,walls and corner round was this dirty beige...the "brick" is wallpaper that has been on for decades that was behind a sink that leaked if used. We ripped out the sink, fixed the plumbing so if anyone in the future wants to put a sink back in they only have to remove the paneling .

The next two are the finished room...well almost finished. We decided to add corner round to the top of the baseboard and it needs painted red before we do that. I haven't decided on the curtains...red goes well but I use that color in the winter for the holidays...the blue curtain isn't the right shade, I don't want dark colors during the spring and summer...I am thinking of a quilt pattern or even crocheting something...right along with all the other projects I have to do.

With trying to figure out what to put in what freezer and leave room for when the produce starts coming in....and trying to figure out where to put the stuff that did not go back in the mudroom .... I imagine April will disappear also.

Blessed Be

Still sick but now so is the others

in the house. Opened up the house and aired it out AFTER I turned off the furnace for awhile. I hope it blew out some of the germs. I should have stock in Kleenex.

We got pizza out the other day , spent $20.00 and it has already been used in 4 meals and another is in the freezer from it. I feel that's not bad as I added salad etc as sides with it.

I reworked the menu to put in what was not ate last month.

Tonight it roasted turkey, mainly because I needed the freezer room for left overs or what is now plan overs for when I am in the gardens next month and April.Sour cream and chive potatoes and a couple other veggies along with pickles, pickled hot cauliflower and beets.

Tuesday Fat Tuesday...pancakes for bfast of course  HA HA and Jambalaya for dinner. No King cake, we don't care for it that much but I might add some snicker doodle cookies from the freezer.

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday but it's also our anniversary so it's prime rib roast,CA blend veggies and baked sweet potato as that is Hubby's favorite. Brownies as I have a craving for them...might add mini choc chips.

Thursday is Chinese New Year....egg rolls, potstickers, fried rice, There is a frozen chicken dish and a frozen beef dish to be reheated.

Friday we will be driving Pat to his Dad's so we thought we would swing by the restaurant that we were given a $25 gift card to and use it. I will see if I can find any coupons for there also.


Have a blessed week

Feb. 2. 2015

The ground hog saw his shadow...probably wondering why the humans don't understand it's 6 weeks to spring by the calendar so why are they poking him and waking him up to tell them something they should be able to read for their selves.

I got sick and found out that Hubby will reheat leftovers but that is about all he is going to do.SO the eating from the pantry went by the way side big time because it took almost 3 weeks for me to get well enough to not worry about passing my germs with the food I served.

BUT while down, I decided on this year's gardens. I have decide to try to do a 4 season garden. We miss our green veggies during the winter and they cost an arm and leg and then half the time because I have to buy a "big" container, I end up tossing part of it out before we get it ate. We just don't eat the same greens every day. I don't have that problem in the spring through fall as I only cut what I need. SO 4 seasons...that means extra seeds to buy...different varieties as we already know we get bored of the same thing. I don't grow the same green veggies in the fall that I grow in the spring.

I have placed the last of my seed orders(maybe HA HA) and in April (April 17th to be exact) the Produce auction will start for plants.

Meantime, it's organize organize organize and plan those garden plots.

Still recovering....slow and steady, a bit better daily, exhaustion is down to beyond tired  HA HA (NOT really funny).

Be safe, be healthy, live well.

Frugal week

We didn't eat out at all even though I am sick(head cold into chest cold and hoping it doesn't not go into pneumonia) and would prefer not to messing with food to keep from passing it...Hubby did a little bit of cooking on the worse day. I am hoping I am over the hump.

We only bought milk since the Jan 2nd  when we did our meat buying(sales were good). Since I just opened it this morning I figure we will make it through the week. Hubby bought it on the way home from work at the local grocery store, it's only 2 miles out of the way instead of 30 mile round trip and that saved on gas even though the milk was a bit more in price.We both figured we spend less because he just went in and got ONLY milk where in the city we would have been checking out the sales.

I roasted a turkey that made 4 meals for the week (stayed on menu mostly)and put 2 more in the freezer including over a gal of broth (in different size containers) for other meals.

I mended 3 pants for Pat.

I mended a shirt for Hubby and I changed a jacket he had that was damaged to a vest for him that he can wear.

I mended a sweater for myself.

I made 5 gals of laundry soap. That will last about 3 months or more for us.I wash the bedding and furniture throws quite often since the dogs sleep on my bed and furniture.

I made cranberry juice from last year's cranberries that was in the freezer and made cranberry sauce from what was left of the juice.

I started a soup container in the deep freezer...funny how we stopped all of a sudden of having a couple bites in containers in the frigs after I did that.

I have been making sure the curtains to the south are open on days that it is sunny to help warm the house and closed before it gets dark.

I checked the pantry for what we are low in and what needs used up before it's lost....we had water standing in the pantry at Thanksgiving and I got a feel it cost us with some of the root veggies. Next year we are going to change where we store our root veggies to keep them longer and hopefully not have as much waste.

I started planning our garden....we are looking at year around gardening....big planning of needing covers and etc to do that so I want to have the "buy" list now to have it all way before it's actually needed.

I have a daughter getting married and she asked for me to grow her flowers ...or try to grow as much as I can as I am not into growing flowers (yarrow does well for me and that's about it). SO I need to think about what to plant AND where I am going to plant it because if I give veggie garden space up for it then I have to figure out where to put the veggies so we have our needs for the year met.

What did you do to save money or your time this week?

What I am doing

or still doing... besides trying to stay in out of the wind chills of below 20° and moan about Pat having to go to school which means I have to go out in wind chills of below 20° to drive him down the 2 tenths of lane because I sure am not going to have him walk in something I wouldn't walk in myself as an adult.

I blended the rest of our horseradish from the garden...end with a mess mid way as I didn't get the blender back together correctly and ended up with horseradish slung EVERYWHERE.

Tried to find some seeds that I want...Excalibur F1 parsnip, Riccia Parsley, Forest Green Mizuna and Amerliore Turnips...striking out so far.

Mending is caught up.

Finances are done plus I reworked the budget to start saving for seeds  and the Scioto Valley produce auction in April.

Checked the groceries...nothing needed....might need milk over the weekend but that should be about it.

One solid week of eating from the pantry.... YES!!!!!

Got to get back to it.

Goals for 2015

Blog more LOL

Eat from the pantry and less eating out...more of clean food eating like we did when I was growing up until tv dinners came along and we ate them a lot when Mother was in the garden harvesting mode.

Waste less food, wear things out, quit buying what we already have but can't find because it wasn't put away in the correct place.

Declutter and condense down what we do have and use.


Keep the mending done.

Get back into routine of my home blessing which is still getting bumped all over the week due to other things...sigh.

Plant a succession garden including into the winter (low tunnel hoop houses since I am in OH)

Save more...a lot more...get out of debt and save more...