Happy Father's day

Happy Father's day to all the daddy's out there. Happy Father's day to the ones that filled in for the daddy that wasn't there...whether you be a man or a woman.

Enjoy the day.

Blessed Be
Juls

To those going thru bad weather

My prayers are for you.

I got some calls this morning, asking advice about freezers with power being out.What to do with the food etc.

Freezers thaw from the top down so your most important meat/veggies should be on the bottom.Don't open the door unless you need to and do so as little as possible. Cover the freezer with a blanketto help keep it coolunless it's winter and it's below 32 where the freezer is.I have actually had to cover up my freezer to keep the motor from freezing up when it was in the garage.

If you know you are going to be losing food, pass it along to others that need food to eat NOW.IF you can't find anyone, get ahold of who ever is running the shelter and such around you and see if they can use it or know who you can give it to.Sometimes the soup kitchens and churchs will take it.

Be safe everyone.

cleaning home and self

While down I have taken a hard look at what I am buying at the store.

Food wise the amount is less than $150 a month but still there is more than plenty going in the trash. Definitely need to up the left over night and more plan over meals.It's the attitude of "hubby will take it for lunch to work or I will eat it for lunch or a snack" that is causing things to get dumped in the trash can instead.If nothing else, it needs to be packaged for the freezer especially with garden season coming in.

Non-food is killing the budget.

I've tried several cleaning products always on the look out for something that eases the cleaning and makes the house smell good at the same time.So I spent some time looking back through my notes of interviews with elders and came up with the following list.

Olive oil,safflower oil,baking soda,white vinegar,apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Not only are these food products but they are usable to clean your home and yourself( clean and skin care) and can be use to medical also.

Castor oil (can stain material), mineral oil,vaseline,rubbing alcohol,and witch hazel can help clean and are medical items

Castile soap, naptha soap, washing soda,borax and glycerine will clean the home and yourself along with skin care.

examples of the above could make: furniture polish, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, all purpose cleaner, oven cleaner, scouring powder, dish soap,laundry soap, laundry stain remover,laundry fabric softener, shampoo, conditioner, liquid body soap,skin moisturizer,lotion to ease body aches, insommia,sleeplessness,reduce inflammation, laxative, stomach issues,fungal infections,acne, ringworm and etc.

Instead of me joining the throw away society I can spend a few minutes and make my own cleaners out of "greener" products that I either already have or can easily get and spend less money, be healthier and reuse containers.

Now if I could just get them to clean the house on their own Lol.

on my feet

Just when I thought I was getting back to my feet...my gallbladder kicked them out from under me.

Not used to sitting around and resting, I thought of tons of things I needed to get done once I uncurled from the fetal position. Anyone that has had gallbladder issues can tell you recover just isn't that fast.

So out of boredom...

I made a list of 25 meals from the pantry that can be put together and on the table in 30 minutes.

I made a master grocery list reflecting the new way I have to eat.

I made a list of homemade cleaning products and their recipes so I can quit having asthma attackes from my cleaning products and cut the non-food portion of the grocery bill down. We spend twice the amount on non-food that we do on food.

I made a list of homemade personal care products.

I made a list of my garden stuff needed to be bought, started and etc.

I made a new budget for the finances

I made a list of the projects that need to lower heat bill to be done before winter hits.I know it will take me all summer to get them done.

I bounced doctor appointments and tests( last one tomorrow crossing my fingers. At least the second medication is working.

Now with sunshine, warmer weather and taking care of myself I should be able to be back to feet and be organize...if I don't lose the lists. SMILE

have a blessed day!!

when life rolls over you

you have to make some choices of what gets done and what doesn't. Pretty much any thing involving the internet doesn't get done when I am on overload with life.

Cleaning gets a kiss and a promise,laundry does get kept up because I only have a couple pairs of warm pjs and it's still cold here and hubby works out daily and only has 3 outfits for that. Cooking is a stuggle if I don't have a good pantry and precooked entrees in the freezer. I don't use much box stuff as I have a low sodium diet due to my heart failure.

Things that have hit in the last month... I was south for a few weeks, had some job interviews that went no where(or least didn't for right now). I came back to flooding and water in the basement...which caused my root veggies to start going bad.I had some family issues that was dealt with. AND I haven't even touched starting my seeds for this spring's crops.Let alone finish unpacking from our move here at Christmas.

Mean time I wiped out the precooked items in the freezer and it's started "I wished we lived in town so we could do fast food" feelings I knew it was time to restock the freezers.

Luckily hamburger was on sale so I stocked up, now I just have to deal with it.

I precook and rinse several pounds for casseroles and sauces,taco meat(homemade seasoning), homemade sloppy joes meat(for sloppy joe,sheppards pie etc)pasta sauce,meatballs,meatloaf and some patties with seasoning mixed in so they aren't just frozen beef. I think this time I will also make some salisbury steak as I have found myself wanting to buy this in the frozen food section at the store and ignore the sodium level.

Granted it is a lot of work and it's on top of having to deal with several squashes and 4-30 lbs pumpkins that need dealt with because of the moisture in the basement before I lose them. It can be overwhelming if you think about it.

How to get it done??? I have hamburger simmering in my large soup pot with water mixed it(helps remove the grease) while I check my emails, this blog,do the finances and do the laundry. I have a timer to tell me when to stir it. I drain it in the large colendar and rinse with hot water. While it drains I start the next batch. I prefer to only do 3 lbs at a time but did 5 lbs at a time when all the kids were home. I mixed the meatloaf first since I wasn't cooking it then did the meatballs as this was a lot of hands on time. When they were precooked(not done all the way or they will be dry when you do reheat them), I shoved them in the freezer on a cookie sheet and started on the rest. I"ll do the patties and salisbury steak last.

Maybe maybe I will catch up when I am 80 LOL

leftovers vs planovers

I have a friend that routinely mentions that I can take leftovers and make it into something totally different and flavorful.Considering that I didn't grow up with leftovers I don't know where the talent came from.

Might be because I don't prefer to eat the same thing over and over?

Casseroles using leftovers are easy.Toss protein,carb and veggies(sometimes fruit also) with a binder of cream sauce,tomato sauce,gravy or just a can of soup in to a casserole dish,cover (or not) and bake at 350 for 30 min or until hot in center.

Soups using leftover are easy.Toss leftovers into a pot,add broth,water or juice and call it a day.I will toss small pasta or rice in to extend it if it's not as filling as I would like it to be.

Other...leftovers can go into pastas with any kind of sauce or just butter and seasonings if needed.Or you can toss them into a tortilla wrap or sub bun.OR dump over rice. Or dumb in to eggs and bake,fry, scramble.

My Nonna used to make bean soup on Monday, Tuesday she would add water and mixed veggies(what ever was on hand or in the pantry), Wed she would add rice or small pasta or broken up spaghetti and on Thursday everything was served over stale bread or cube the bread and toss in the soup (bread she had baked the Friday before). It doesn't sound the most exciting meal there was but it was different each week as she changed the type of beans, veggies and whether it was with pasta or rice.The staleness of the bread wasn't noticable with it being in the soup.You could always toast them and make them into croutons for the soup.

planning and habits

The main thing is you have to PLAN for the thin times, no money to buy food, no way to get to the store due to weather etc. and you have make it a habit.It takes a bit of time to plan and about 30 days to make it a habit of doing it constantly. It also takes time to actually do the work. If you plan it, use a crock pot, your oven, the refrig and freezer, a pressure cooker if you have one, things can be simplified for you and take less hands on time.

When I first started making vegetable broth we had Thanksgiving dinner.I had shared some of the broth with my youngest daughter and we were talking about it while preparing the big dinner. AFTER we were done prepping the vegetables we both realized we had just peeled everything directly in to the trash can. Needless to say a few mentioned to us that we were giving that trash can strange looks and they were wondering why. We figured we had just tossed 7-8 qrts of broth into the trash.We didn't dig them back out as one grandkid asked if we were going to but it was a definite lesson on where we peeled the veggies from then on.

I have a pantry, I have a hugh pantry for only two people but it's nothing for the kids to call and need help with groceries or for me to provide meals to others in need.

I didn't always have a hugh pantry.It has been years in the making with a lot of planning that let it come about. My son in law still teases me for having can goods under the bed, under the couch, love seat and in bedroom closets.He found them as he was helping us move.I did the same when I lived in a two bedroom trailer with all the kids.Now I have a hugh basement for my pantry like I did when the kids were younger.Things keep better in a cool spot and I have a better veiw of what needs used up first.

I always have kept the staples which is the list I already posted.Might not have paid the cable or phone bill so I could but food and a roof over your head comes first.

I am in a place where my landlord has blessed me with his okay to plant as big as garden as I want.I have did container gardening when I didn't have a place to plant anything or I hit the farmers markets, the pick your own farms, and the sales at the stores (Aldi's and Save-A-Lot along with the rest). My groceries are bought on sale and I try to buy in season. Before I buy any meat I check the marked down meat and base my menu on it.

I keep a running inventory of my pantry especially the freezer. I thought I needed ham and ground beef this week but I don't when I checked the inventory. I do need ground pork,pork chops,sausage, bacon and ground veal. I finally put the inventory on an excel sheet that helps a lot with updating once a day after I pull what I am fixing for our meals.

The fat of any meat(pork,poultry,beef, sausage,bacon etc) goes into ice cube tray and is frozen then put in a freezer bag.

Shells of seafood into the freezer to make fish stock. This is usually around the holidays when my mother brings shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Wash the veggies before peeling them and toss the peelings into a gallon freezer bag to make veggie broth. Include onion peelings, garlic and mushroom stems. I keep the broccoli and cauliflower separate as they are strong. I also keep the broccoli,sweet potato and white potato separate if those soups is coming up on the menu.

Leftover vegetables, toss into a container in the freezer or frig for soups, stews or casseroles or in this family a "big egg" which is actually a frittata,omelette or a crustless quiche.

leftover meat, you can either toss each separately into a container or toss them together put in the freezer or frig for soups, stews or casseroles or in this family a "big egg" which is actually a frittata,omelette or a crustless quiche.

Keep bread on the table at all times. Whole grain is better for your health but white will fill you up when you are low on food. You can spend a small fortune on buying bread for a large family or a small family of big eaters. Learn to make bread etc. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day By Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois is a great book if you don't have a lot of time or just don't want to spend a lot of time on bread. Borrow it from a library and check it out. You will be buying the book in the end anyways.

Another thing...have the family drink water at all meals and during the day. Save the juice for morning only and only let them have a serving which is 1/2 cup ( 4 oz not 16). Give only an 8 oz glass of milk once a day and serve the other 2 servings of dairy as cheese,cottage cheese, sour cream or yogurt etc. Let the sodas before for special occasions.

end of the month meals

I once asked my kids what was their favorite meal growing up was.

Beef and homemade noodles, homemade bread fresh from the oven and homemade (mock) KFC coleslaw. Poultry noodles ran second. Beef and veggies soup with homemade bread came in third.

It amazed me. It wasn't the Tday dinners or the pot roast but the very meals that I made when scraping the bottom of the barrel for food.

Homemade bread was common. I made several loaves at a time using an Amish recipe.I'd put it together around 5 AM and it would be ready to bake by 7-7:30 so I could have it done and cooling before I went to work at 8:30.If I was really with it I would make some on Saturday and Sunday afternoon to ease the work load for the week.

Noodles was a way to fill the tummies with very little. Some flour, salt and egg mixed together, rested, rolled, rested and cut.You can make enough noodles for a family of four with a couple cups of flour and a couple eggs. I would cooked them in beef broth(made from the scraps of bones or roast)or poultry broth (made from the carcus of the bird) or just water flavored with beef or poultry fat. Yes I said FAT. When you are poor you waste nothing. I would cool the broth,skim the hardened fat and freeze it. We didn't eat a lot of fat to begin with and a tablespoon or so in a dish that served a large family wasn't going to do damage.Now days I would also include vegetable broth made from the peelings of veggies that I use. A big thanks to Gayle over at www.grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com. Just make sure the broth or water tastes like sea water(yes, that salty) BEFORE you add the the noodles. I have 2 kids that will make homemade noodles now.

Vegetable soup was made from a couple cups of beef broth that came from a pot roast along with any of the meat and veggies that didn't get ate from the last few days. I would toss a couple cans of mixed vegetables or what ever I had on hand, a can of tomato soup and a large can of tomato juice. Sometimes I added more tomato juice if we had a large crowd with the kids friends. I will do this now days with poultry also especially for hubby and myself as I will over load us with poultry broth if I'm not careful.

starting with meats

Meat was only bought if it was on sale and I could make at least two meals out of it. I always tried to squeeze a third if not four meals out of the meat.When you are feeding a large family of seven plus friends that are meat and potato folks that are big eaters ( I have a friend that calls me a truck driver because I eat like one). Squeezing an extra meal out of meat is a miracle to being with.

I tried to get a roast of some sort every week. Preferrable chicken or beef. It took four chickens or one good size turkey, (I have a daughter that still cringes when she sees turkey on the table besides at the holidays) to feed us one meal.I would then simmer the carcuss in the stock pot and pick the rest of the meat off the bones. This would be split between broth and meat for homemade noodles(flour,salt,eggs),chicken (or turkey) dumplings and if I was lucky a pot of soup with what ever veggies was in the crisper along with either some rice(not instant) or pasta.If there was enough meat to make a stir fry I would go that way.

A beef roast started with root veggies.Second time was either with noodles(the kids preference) or beef vegetable soup.Sometimes there was enough for stew instead of soup. I would add dumplings to make the stew stretch or put the "stew" in a pie shell and make pot pie instead.

Pork roast was with root veggies, then shredded and tossed with BBQ sauce.Now days I would save some back to make Brunswick stew.

If we got a ham, I roasted it and we had that the first round, then sliced and diced it up for ham steaks, ham sandwiches, ham salad, diced ham for eggs, salads and the bone for bean soups. I can make a lot of meals out of ham.

Hamburger went to meatloaves that followed was sliced cold for sandwiches later and what ever was left went into red sauce for pasta.

I tried to cook ten pounds of hamburger for sloppy joes made from scratch and taco meat made from scratch. It let me keep the sodium and sugar levels down.Sloppy joes also made sheppards pie while taco meat ranged from tacos to enchilidas, burritos,taco casserole and added to cheese to make dips.

I made chili from hamburger(hubby does from sausage), it would make chili soup, then walking tacos, the Cinncy chili over pasta, then taco salad, or even nachos or a casserole with chili with corn bread baked on top, kind of like a tamale pie?

Pork chops,pork steaks, beef steaks etc wasn't on the table much. Couldn't afford the price with how much we needed to put on the table.

Staples in the home

We have went thru the sleet,freezing rain and snow right along with those howling winds.The roads are not something to be out and about on yet.

Landlord brought over a generator so the steers in the barn would have water, which means we get water also. Something city folks take for granted is having water when they don't have power.

Even so I stocked water for flushing toilets,cooking/drinking and made several pots of coffee to put in the thermos we have. Just encase we can't get out to the generator to turn it on.

BUT the worst thing I have dealt with is a child calling me telling me they are low on groceries and aren't sure they will have enough to eat before they can get back to the store. First part of that is my immediate reaction to load up my car with food and haul it over an hour(none of the kids live closer than an hour) and FEED MY CHILD.

The second part wants to kick their rear because I preach,nag and so forth about keeping certain foods in the house at all times.

The following is the main list. It is what I call my basic staples. You don't see Bisquick or anything like that. That is on hubby's basic staples list.LOL

Flour, all purpose and bread if you can afford it also
corn meal
rice, not instant
oats, not instant
cream of wheat
pasta of any kind
yeast, keep it in the freezer
eggs, large
corn starch
baking soda
baking powder
worchestershire sauce
soy sauce
apple cider vinegar
lemon juice
salt and pepper
cream of tartar
nutmeg
cinnamon
paprika
chili powder
garlic powder,fresh if you can afford it and will use it.(jar in frig in not bulbs)
onion powder, dehydrated onions, fresh onions if you will use them
basil, dried
oregano,dried
bay leaf,dried
thyme, dried
rosemary,dried
vanilla
cocoa
sugar
brown sugar
maple syrup or karo syrup or both if possible
oil, canola and olive or at least vegetable oil
lard...I do not use shortening for health reason. Lard doesn't bother my chorlesterol
butter... another one that I only use
milk,dry milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk
sour cream
velvetta,American cheese or mild cheddar,cream cheese
potatoes
raisins
dried beans...navy or Michigan, pinto, kidney and black
tomato juice
tomato sauce
14 veggies of different colors not just corn and green beans
7 fruits, not just bananas and apples
popcorn, at one time it was microwave when it was just mine then hubby added regular popcorn. Now I wouldn't feed microwave popcorn to my family since I know it's not good for them to be eating those tryglycerides.

Tomorrow I will start telling what I would cook from this list as I did when I was raising our children and money was really tight

Memory of the Challenger

It doesn't seem like 25 yrs ago when we were watching the tv and crying. Wondering how something could go so wrong. Such heart break for the families and co-workers. Such heart break for this nation.

Take a moment and remind your self of all that you hold precious and then let them know it.

The Sacred Meal book review.

“The Sacred Meal”, written by Nora Gallagher, is another book from the “The Ancient Practices Series”.

Nora Gallagher writes this book about Communion, “The Sacred Meal”. This also talks of other faiths rites that are also practiced at that time. The book is based on the writer’s talks of her own feelings and thoughts of Communion that she practices which makes it interesting.

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.”

Starting fresh

We have been talking of the New Year, starting fresh since we moved to a bigger place (and better for us financiallyand emotionally since it reminds us of our childhood homes)...in finances and in health. They hold hands all the time.

I just finished setting up the pantry in the basement in this house. Great to see what I don't have and need because I use all the time...and bad to see what I have an over abundance of and don't hardly use at all. So we started wondering if I bought stuff not knowing I had it because I didn't have a written inventory or because it was hidden in the small house under the bed,couch, love seat etc. More likely as we found out this weekend, it was given to us because we do eat it, we just don't eat as much as we are given.I know the kids will pass to us things that are considered healthy because they don't eat it and know we do.

SO where does that leave me??? I have a wonderful and extremely varied pantry including over 100 herbs and spices. I have a good amount of meat even though it is low or out of chuck roast, pork butt roast,and Once again,I live out in the "boonies" according to my kids, love it love it love it. BUT you can't run thru the drive thrus of fast food(after reading they douce my hamburger with ammonia I don't think I want to anyways) and you can't have fast food or pizza deliveried.

You have to cook or you beg your hubby to make popcorn in lard,bacon grease and drown it in real butter. That only works on the weekend when he isn't trying to pack his lunch from the leftovers of dinner.

I also am looking at eating healthier foods. I eat natural foods mostly so will be planting a garden this spring (Square Foot Gardening is the way to go).

My plan so far it is to use the pantry up so when the garden comes in there are empty shelves to put it on as I process it. AND to eat more whole grains, more veggies and fruit AND spend less money on food and non food.

Bragging

Bragging rights...lol... some of the grandkids got together and made these for several of us at Christmas. They picked the Buckeyes while walking down the street and put it together. They were a little upset they didn't have enough letters to spell Nonna correctly or Grand-dad but as far as we are concerned they are perfect. Best part...they gave their imagination and time.

Moved

It's hard moving even when it's something you want to do...not necessarily the leaving the old place and going some where new. The packing and moving and the unpacking is the hard part. Especially when you have tons of stuff from years of living or take everything and anything that you are given.LOL

We are finally completely in the new place that we fondly call the farm as it is our landlord's grandparents farm house.The family is still farming around us and using the barns.

BUT there are over 160 boxes sitting in the garage left to unpack after I unpacked what was in the house. I figure about 8-10 a day and I'll be done by the end of the month.My oldest is excited because it means next month I can start getting my stuff out of her house. We down sized the house but not the stuff.LOL. Now we are back into a house that is basicly the same size we raised the kids in but the master bedroom and the only bathroom is on the ground floor. Hubby doesn't like to walk up and down stairs. I love to which is a good thing as the washer and dryer is in the basement and where I put the main part of the pantry.

Now if I can catch up the Christmas candy and cookies etc before this weekend it will be great.

Have a Blessed Day

new member of the family

In between getting back from out of state and doing our share to the local HAM Radio group holiday dinner.We adopted a dog.

She is a black lab/retriver with possible other mix in there. Medium size dog. Was going by the name of Kira which is now Miss (Or Missy) Kira. She was at a no kill shelter in Urbana OH for 2 yrs. I have yet to figure out why no one wanted her because she is a really good dog.Housebroken, doesn't bark excessively, lets you know when she wants out or in. Doesn't get in to things when you are gone or asleep. Since she is almost 4 the "puppiness" is mostly out of her.The shelter is having financial problems and was looking at closing is why I looked on their website.Glad I did.

So If you do NOT want to adopt an animal, you can donate to your local shelter. As the shelter where ours came from said to the local paper.IF every person in the county donated $1 each they would have enough money to run for quite awhile.

The Nativity Colletcion by Robert J. Morgan

The Nativity Collection by Robert J. Morgan Published by Thomas Nelson

The reason for the season…if you struggle with feeling this or know someone that does this book of short stories can help you find the answer. With examples of different cultures and different outlooks and places in our society Robert J. Morgan guides us to the place where we are all the same.

This is a great book to share with an older child about the meaning of Christmas.

I have already given a copy of this book to a couple friends as a gift and would encourage anyone else to do the same, along with buying one for your self.

http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781404189744?id=4708389750852#customer-reviews

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

new cookies

We always bake cookies and make candy for the kids as part of their Christmas present from us. Snickerdoodles and buckeye candies are a must. SO since I am not home to bake right now and hubby isn't going to start with out me I decided to surf the internet for some new cookie recipes...I might actually decide on something instead of all the OOOOOOH that looks good, that looks easy and are you kidding me ones LOL

Hope everyone is staying on budget, and remembering it's not the actual gift it's the memories you give.

Blessed Be Juls

Dec 1

Twenty five days until Christmas.

What Am I doing? Not a thing towards getting ready.Hubby is holding down the house while I work out of state these first two weeks of Dec.

I did send out my Christmas cards before heading out.The outside of the house is decorated BUTTTT

We are moving before Christmas, top that with finishing the painting of the open staircase at my daughter's family and doing Christmas cookies and candy along with presents for all the family that I haven't even started shopping for.

I hope I still have hair left on my head after I get back and start pulling it out.

Happy Tday

We have already had our Tday dinner last Saturday. Plenty of food, family and friends. I still have a good amount of my dishes,pots and pans in at my daughter's.Instead of having turkey again or ham again we are having steaks.Giving the turkeys a break HA HA

I am also still painting the area of her open staircase in the foyer.

On top of that we lucked into a new place so we will be moving.Must be our pay backs for complaining when the kids would have us move them in the winter. Bigger place, less rent and in the country. Can't beat that combination.

I have a couple weeks work,another blessing.

I have candy and cookies to make for the kids also.

Have a Blessed Day