Monday Message

Provident living: May 13th is our hands-on gardening (weather permitting). I think that the weather won't cooperate but we can talk about gardening anyway. Class is 9:30 a.m. at the Shook's.

Use up Zucchini with Zucchini Mock Apple Pie. Click here for the recipe! It's delicious :)

"The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings.  The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary. ... We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.  I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs." Gordon B. Hinkley, "To Men of the Priesthood," Ensign, Nov. 2002, 5.

"[The pioneers] were taught by their leaders to produce, as far as possible, all that they consumed, and to be frugal and not wasteful of their substance. This is still excellent counsel. Joseph Fielding Smith, "The Pioneer Spirit," Improvement Era, July 1970, 3.

Remember to work on your skills this summer. Always learn something that can help you, help your family... that is a good education without too much cost.

This is a great recipe to have on hand. Store in a canning jar use when needed - http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/07/12/food-storage-recipes-homemade-rice-a-roni/

http://tipnut.com/baking-mixes-seasonings/ - this site has lots more mixes on it which would make summer meals easier to prepare!

http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.ca/search/label/Mix%20recipes - more mixes.. I have shared this before, warrants another search through!

http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.ca/search/label/taco%20seasoning - it is good to have your own on hand. I cannot remember when I last bought a package of taco seasoning mix. Store it in a jar and you are set. Remember to write on the jar what it is and how to use it.

http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.ca/2011/06/corn-bread-mix.html - no more little box mixes, make your own.

http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.ca/search/label/brownie%20mix - keep plenty of this on hand for summer months. The kids could even make it!

http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.ca/search/label/Cinnamon%20graham%20crackers - try your hand at these.

http://rikkisnyder.com/blog/13510966/fudgesicles  these look yummy, you can make for hot summer days.

Skills:
http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Toothbrush-Travel-Bag-Easy-Sew.jpg - this would be a great thing to make with your daughters for girls camp and for your scouts as well.

http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-color-block-dress-free-pdf-pattern.html - easy to sew!

http://www.howdoesshe.com/a-real-arm-saver-diy-infant-carrier-handle-cover/ for those carrying baby carriers this is a great idea (sewing).

http://www.gracelaced.com/blog/2011/03/08/spring-is-in-the-hair - crochet project

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/151503974938969867/ - symbols for crochet

http://www.lululoves.co.uk/item/crochet-pattern-granny-square-pincushion.html those who did the granny square class will enjoy this.

http://verypink.com/2012/08/08/worlds-best-kitchen-scrubbie/ - knitting for young and old. This is a good project but will require knowing how to knit as it is a bit different to knit on netting.

http://thepinkcouch.blogspot.com/2010/11/cute-easy-fabric-bandaids.html - cute but extra work I say. But I will tell you that my sister used to stamp on bandaides that always made them cute :)

A few tips that have worked for me...

If you sew and have all those patterns, this is what has tamed mine -- Once you get it all done it is so easy to use  ......  I take the patterns out of the envelope and place in a brown five by seven envelope. On this I write the number and, for me, I put kids in one area and adult in the other. So I use file cabinet drawers for the brown envelope, make make sure you have that number on with who i.e. McCalls and the number. I put my numbers in the right top corner.

They are filed in numerical order the envelope that the pattern came in. I put in page protectors in a notebook. I have one for kids and babies and one for adults. This notebook can go with you to the store when you need to have the info on purchasing items to do the pattern.

The other tip is Children....I put together a box like a photo box and in there I throw old Christmas cards, crayons, glue, pipe cleaners, stickers, just anything you can think of to fill the box. I put one color ink pad and some stamps, some paper, you get the idea this is a special box when our granddaughter comes to visit. She calls it the scissor box. So there you go, it helps them to be creative. Let your imagination go.. you can target each box to your children's interest.

http://www.notwiddletwaddle.com/2013/08/how-to-make-a-boo-boo-bunny.html this is a no sew project and one must always have one of these in the freezer at all times for those boo boos little ones get. You can do the ice cubes but I use those plastic ice cubes that you can reuse. If you have several children you might want several in the freezer. When the boo boo is better you throw back in the freezer for next time.

http://www.budget101.com/frugal-living-articles/1-chicken-5-meal-challenge-4211.html - this will get you thinking on how to stretch your meals.

http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/how-to-grow-salad-greens/index.html - this is a good thing to do if you have a garden or not. You can walk out and pick your salad.

Keep working hard on your storage.

Keep working on your skills. I also am working all the time on mine as well so I am working right with you :)

I am so proud of all of you!