CHRISTMAS CRUNCH

This year the Christmas Crunch....you know the CRUNCH for time, CRUNCH for family,CRUNCH FOR the almighty dollar is here once again.

I have been lucky and/or practical and am making a few things to tuck into baskets instead of wrapping every single gift.  Cello bags are still cheap but I should pick up a few for next year when they go on sale.

I was able to make a large 2 lb bag of dried homemade noodles for close to 68 cents.  Never underestimate the appreciation of some homemade stuff.

For a little more (but not much) I've made several batches of "Evil"....popcorn covered with white chocolate...you cant see the chocolate so it is a little deceiving.  It truly is evil...cuz you cant stop eating!

I've also made a blend of coffee to give to the men in my life...half columbian/half breakfast blend....it's smooooooooooooth.  We are also gifting a coffee grinder or two....

Since Charlie just got to AFG....I'm sure his box will be late...I just now have an address.  I am mailing him a cute photo or two....wallet size of course.

I've already begun my Resolution List...I'm not calling it a "New" Year's Resolution List...because well.....you know...that usually poops out about Feb 17th.

 I was a little distressed to see Scott bring home 6 doughnuts for more than $2 from our local Chinamart....sweets such a doughnuts needs to be on my resolve list...I'm sure you are saying "why dont ya resolve to stop eating sweets?"  (I know who you are! LOL)....that wont happen unless of total economic collapse I'm sure.

I've also resolved to STOP this wrapping frenzy!  I'd like to make "gift" bags of cloth to put gifts in next year.  When I will get this done....is yet to be determined.

I am skeptical that our economy will not be as stable next year....(stable?....what a laugh) 


I'm so fortunate the lils really truly had a short list and if we would have had to do so we could have chosen not to give a few presents that we picked up.  I cant tell you what they are...since the lil girls read this "blob" on occassion.



I've also decided to upload my thumbdrive to my photobucket account because I have been using TONS & TONS of space on this computer....I need to get into the habit of deleting unnecessary photo's....I hereby do resolve.  I'm giving some photo's to some friends and family...I hope they like them...I'm sure they will.  I've also got a "freedom" wall started and so I'm collecting some photos for that and I think I'll put some photos on my piano!....I'm using cheap black frames and they will look awesome.



I'm hoping this Christmas Crunch has passed you by and you are more organized than I.  I hope to have some more "frugal moments of clarity" and hope you can use a few of mine. 



I wish you a Merry CHRISTmas!

More tree photos.

MORE TREE TIME.

Holiday Prep!

We spent the evening putting up the tree!  It will look better later when the presents are under it!  We had fun.

Garden Tracker Software

Prepping and Strong Women

A few years ago when I thought....I want to be a prepper.....that I would become one....It is my opinion now that I've studied foods, food storage and food preservation that prepping is not a hobby....it's a way of life.

Prepping for me is not prepparing for Nuclear Holocuast, Zombie land, or militia uprisings.  Heck I didn't even know what a zombie was until 3 years ago. (I can't believe people really believe in zombies, but whatever) nor do I believe in Soylent Green situations.  So what in the world would make me wanna be a prepper?

I look at all the women in my life: my mom, her mom, her sister,  her aunties...wow were they strong women!  Not so much physically although they had all done their fair share of picking cotton!  They were women who had an inner strength that still continues to amaze me.

They were depression era women and as I look at our own economy I began to question if I had the same kind of determination and inner strength that all the women in my life had.  And quite frankly I was sure I did not.  I wrote a list of all the things that they did that I admired.  It was my admiration list.  A recurring trait that all of these women had were: good cooks, good gardeners, good food preservationists, creative cooking, thriftiness and frugality, a sense of style, wonderful housekeepers,  a terrific sense of humor, and the ability to be good and dear friends to their communities.


The only thing that I knew that I could do out of that list was:  I have a great sense of humor and I was a good friend who was reliable.


Aaaack!  that's a little disheartening when it was all put into black and white. 

Now while I'm not a BAD cook, I didn't consider myself an above average cook.  I had never seriously gardened.  The odd tomato or squash plant did not count as serious gardening.  I didn't know how to can or make jams and jelly, heck I didn't even know how to make pickles.  Well and for being a creative cook....NOT! nor was I thrifty or frugal.  Style....I had none when it comes to home decoration. Housekeeping?....a drudgery....but a necessary evil.


So since I am an avid student and research oriented person, I set out on my journey.  To become an above average cook...one must practice.  Creative cooking will come.  I've also learned to do a OAMC (Once a Month Cooking) that I practice in the fall/winter.  It sure is nice to take something outta the freezer everyday and not wonder what I'll have for supper....but that's a whole other post topic.


I planted a garden and had a blast.  I loved it so much I enlarged my garden.  I loved that so much that  I enlarged it once more! 

And things that have come out of my garden I learned to preserve in some way.  Dehydrating has changed my life and the things that I keep in my well stocked pantry.  It's fun, and almost magical.  I learned to make jams and jelly and I can make pickles taste just like my grandmas garlic pickles.


I've learned to be thriftier and frugality has not been too painful.  It's been a challenge and I think I've done well.


As for style....it's a work in progress...some paint, rearranging of things I already owned with a few new things (that I bought with a 40% coupon)....I'm coming along..


All this being said, I think gosh am I a prepper? Were my aunties and grandma really preppers?  Not in the same way as we would consider modern preppers.  But, they were prepared.  Was their life hard during the depression?  You betcha!  Do I think we will have another depression of some kind?  You betcha!


Will I have enough food? or skills to make it through tough times?  You betcha.  It's my job to carry on the family tradition of a strong woman.


I set this blog up originally for friends and family.  If you are reading this, you are in one of those categories.  I hope to be of encouragement to you in some way.  Will all my posts be about prepping?  No probably not....but I hope you will know that prepping is another word (at least in my vocabulary) is LIVING.

Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!

 This is a very interesting article.  It would be interesting to keep track to see how much money I would save. I think it would be a worth while project.

       Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!

Merry Christmas

Here's my Christmas card for you!....OMG...it made the littles laugh so hard.  Even Scottie just laughed and laugh....


I hope you make one of yourself and send to your friends.

Snow Day

As you can see...I made a photo thru the front door and this is what we had the first hour.

Ok, I've had my snow fix and now I'm done.  I hope it goes away soon.

We have about 2 inches now and it's still snowing
so I'll see what happens in the morning.

Clovis cancelled community college tonight.  We will see about tomorrow.

Stay warm!

My Plantings

Folia - garden tracking

Stir Fry--supper on the cheap

I sure have run into a lot of people who don't know how to cook.  I always hate to tell them that my 12 year old is a FANTASTIC cook.  If you ask her the secret to her cooking success...she will say: "Can't you read?" or most recently she says, "Do you not have any imagination?"....I hate to break it to her...some people don't.

  Although sometimes I have found that, it's not that they can't cook,, it's they cant figure out what to do with food.

Since we've always had some kids around, I've cooked alot.

Plus many times when Scott has been inbetween jobs, he's been the cook while I was away at work.  So I'm very fortunate to have a husband who understands about cooking and what it involves.

As I journey on my pioneering quest of becoming more self sufficient, I have found myself wanting to use what I have instead of wasting  things.  Besides I have the dreaded clean out the refrigerator phobia....I just hate it....

So today when I had the 4 p.m. thought of "What's for supper?"...I already knew ....left overs in some form...  Saturday we had grilled and Scott (aka "oleman") threw an extra one on the grill knowing I'd come up with something later in the week..  So stir fry is what I came up with today....

Stir fry is a cheap dinner! And I could have even made it cheaper if necessary.  But using the following ingredients that we like this is what I came up with....if you don't like these ingredients or don't have them on hand...substitute! (Sometimes your plan B is better!)

Two cups of rice (more or less depending how many you are feeding)
1 cup of frozen mixed veggies
1 cup frozen brocolli
1/4 cup (more or less) of onion
mushrooms
celery
carrots
1 steak
2 scrambled eggs
cooking oil


This is the order I add my ingredients to the hot oil that covers the bottom of my pan:

carrots (they take a little longer than anything else)
onions and celery
mushrooms
*(if you are using dehydrated veggies, you will want to rehydrate and drain them first)
frozen veggies
steak
add rice
scrambled eggs

I add my soy sauce last....it keeps it from being too much!  Only add a little and let everyone else add more if they need it.

I made enough to feed the four of us (with seconds) and my parents and Scott had some to take in his lunch tomorrow.

This meal takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and you can use food that is already on hand.

If you are really trying to stretch your money use more rice and less other stuff...add some noodles if you have them....it's stir fry....you cant mess it up.

From what I can figure...This meal cost less than $5 to feed a family of four (with seconds); 2 other adults; and lunch in a lunch box.  We don't eat tiny portions so I'm thinking 12 servings probable.  I don't always make a break down of how much a meal costs, but in uncertain economic times some people need to know not only how to budget their food $ but their food.  That's another post....

Welcome

Welcome!

This is the most ordinary (and probably boring) blog you may ever read....but it's here!

It's really for my friends and family anyway.  Those of you who know me, know I lead an ecclectic life of cooking from scratch, gardening, food preservation, scrapbooking and homeschooling the little girls.  All while trying to fit in being a wife, mother and daughter (not always necessarily in that order)

I'd like to dedicate this first post to my son Charlie....who will be so surprised his momma has a blog.  He'll be reading it from Afghanistan I'm sure.  God Speed son.... and yes you still need to explain why you like jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.  I pray for all soldiers but especially of the 173rd Airborne---Sky Soldiers...The Rock...Huah
~Love Mom