Monday, February 23, 2015

Monday Message

Made from scratch croutons. Get the recipe HERE.

Learn to Use What You Store 
"Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency. . . . Some have said, “We have followed this counsel in the past and have never had need to use our year’s supply, so we have difficulty keeping this in mind as a major priority.” Perhaps following this counsel could be the reason why they have not needed to use their reserve. By continued rotation of the supply it can be kept usable with no waste" (James E. Faust, in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 26; or Ensign, May 1986, 22). 

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/save-money-today/  - great ideas here, I love her site.

http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/homemade-chocolate-pudding cooking from scratch is a good tool to be able to do, imagine doing this for family night.

http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2014/10/splitting-recipe-in-half-simple-guide-printable.html handy to tape inside your cupboard.

http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/06/19/baking-tips-round-up-tiny-tip-tuesday/ this has info to put up too.

http://www.bakeyourday.net/homemade-egg-noodles/  P.S. regular  salt can be used as well and you can stir by hand and works well too.

http://homereadyhome.com/wheat-grinding-beginners/  this is where I remind you our ward building in Ankeny, Iowa, has a wheat grinder you can check out through the relief society president.

http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/making-evaporated-sweetened-condensed-milk-powdered/ having this inside your recipe binder.

http://andreadekker.com/uses-for-dry-milk/  put this in your binder too.

 http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/10/homemade-shake-and-pour-pancake-mix.html  you could make up several ahead, a neat idea.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-maple-syrup/ yummy!

Our favorite taco soup

half to one lb hamburger browned and drained, I use half or less
15 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 package taco seasoning
2-8 oz cans tomato sauce
pinch of garlic
1/4 c. salsa
1/2 tbsp onion flakes

I put in my crockpot on low for the day, if it is too thick add small amount water at beginning.

We love this!

There you have a cooking from scratch Monday Message. We will have a few more I admonish you to start a binder to keep this info at your hand with out trying to always find it and see what the most basic things in storage become wonderful.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Liza's Machine Bread


1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp shortening
3 c. bead flour or use one tsp vital wheat gluten per cup flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 c. lukewarm water

Put in bread machine and set for dough cycle. When done and raised punch down and put in regular loaf pan, rise and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.



Monday, February 16, 2015

Monday Message

Sewing skills like fixing a hem can help stretch your dollar. Take time to learn the basics!

Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 68
April 1937 general conference of the Church, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., of the First Presidency, asked: “What may we as a people and as individuals do for ourselves to prepare to meet this oncoming disaster, which God in his wisdom may not turn aside from us?” President Clark then set forth these inspired basic principles of the Church welfare program:
“First, and above and beyond everything else, let us live righteously. …
“Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague; where we are now in debt, let us get out of debt; if not today, then tomorrow.
“Let us straitly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.
“Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead. You of small means put your money in foodstuffs and wearing apparel, not in stocks and bonds; you of large means will think you know how to care for yourselves, but I may venture to suggest that you do not speculate. Let every head of every household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let every man who has a garden spot, garden it; every man who owns a farm, farm it.” (Conference Report, April 1937, p. 26.)

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/great-depression-meals/ this has interesting info I think when you find time read.

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/healthy-snacks/  learn your dehydrator, and for that matter, learn how to use your appliances fully, like what all does your sewing machine do? Take the time to learn.

It is now time to think on your garden, start planning http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/garden-prepare-garden-beds-now-next-year/

http://cookingwithalison.com/2011/02/05/bread-and-cake-flour/ - this is good info to jot down.

When we were visiting my daughter’s familyIi also got to visit my dear friends… she uses a bread machine to do the "dough only" cycle and raises it in her own pan. It makes one loaf but I got the chance to taste it and is it ever wonderful! 

She puts little jars up ahead of ingredients used so it saves her time. She can also make a round cake pan of garlic crescents and one of cinnamon rolls with the dough as well. She has to run out a lot so this works for her busy schedule and has a small family now as kids have grown up, so this works for her. This goes with what I was saying, learn how to use what you have so you get full use out of your appliances.

We are always looking for ways to make our daily lives go more smoothly and efficiently. Do the best you can!

If you have basic skills like sewing, baking, how to stretch a dollar, then build on them. Help those who live with you to learn the basics.

If you get a hole in a sweater, can you fix it? Or if your hem comes out, can you fix that? It is simple things but they all add up to big savings on resources.

Life is busy, I get it. I too am very busy and I thought at this time in my life things would be slower as no more kids at home to drive around and such but life gets busier in different ways.

So find time to grow and learn, no matter where in life you are or how busy you are!

If you feel too busy, back away and decide how to slow that down. As life goes on I see people busier than they ever have been taking kids to more than ever things and running ragged schedules. I know that I am old and you might think "well you don't understand..." but I do. Over the time I have lived the home is pulled from every direction. Being too busy is not healthy for anyone. Family nites are so needed, time together is so necessary. Have "no tech" nites where no devices are on. I know they are useful and all but with everyone in the room on a device you have no family interaction at all, where do we go from there?

So take a deep breath and analyze your day, see where you could find some restful and restorative time... we all need it!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Lemon Biscotti


3 c. flour
1 tsp. b. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
zest from the lemon

Mix together, form into two logs on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Take out and cut, move to new cookie sheet separating like in the picture, then put in 200 degree oven till dry.

Yum!

Monday, February 9, 2015

Monday Message

Put your feet up, take a break from stress and make this easy chocolate cake. Check out the recipe HERE.

"Brethren, I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment... I do not predict any impending disaster ... yet prudence should govern our lives ... We can begin with a one week food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. ... I fear that so many feel that a long-term supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.  Begin in a small way... gradually build toward a reasonable objective." Gorden B. Hinkley, Priesthood Session, October 2002.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2008/01/happily-living-within-our-means?lang=eng - live happily within our means

Money doesn’t bring happiness… then what does???? Something for you to ponder.

You take what you have been given in this life and make it wonderful and that means if you don’t have what you need, find ways to cut. You would be amazed at what you can do without.

If you don’t make much money it does not make you less of a person because others make more. No siree, you are a wonderful son or daughter of our Heavenly Father.

So you should not feel less. Take what you have and learn what you need to do to stretch what you have.

I know that some times in our life will be harder than others, prepare for them.

Everyone has trials and not all are visibly noticeable but the struggle is no less of a struggle. We should think of our ancestors… things were hard they pressed on, making life better. We can do this too!

If grocery prices go up we can learn what we can to stretch that budget by learning skills. This goes for all areas, we can learn so many things.

Try to make things better. You could choose to be sad, mad and negative which only hurts you more or you can work within your means and be happy.

Being content with what you have is a very wonderful thing. If you live within your means you will have peace, if you choose not to you will probably have stress untold. Is anything worth all that stress? NO! Time to learn wants and needs - make a list.

You have resources around you, take advantage of them... like thrift stores and yard sales. Yes, it is work and gas, that is why it is great to have a friend to go with. Take turns and that can be twice as fun for half the expense. I will also add make a list of what you need to look for and look it over before you get out, share it with your friend. Two pairs of eyes are better sometimes. Have a set amount you are willing to spend. I always looked first for my list items, followed by what things at the sale would be useful for us like a kerosene lamp, flashlights, fabric, patterns, that sort of thing. Then to what I would want which often is also useful things category for me, they overlap... like dehydrator, apple peeler, vacuum sealer. Yes these were all yard sale items.  

So when the season is cold and no yard sales then if you are in need try Freecycle and lastly a thrift store. This will save you the difference between new and used that can then go towards another bill. Let's face it, when you buy a new pair of jeans and go home after the first wearing, they are used anyway.

Others may judge us but that really is their problem, unless they live your life they don’t have the whole picture. This is why we are not to judge others.

http://www.bakeyourday.net/homemade-egg-noodles/  you can use water and flour egg and regular salt, they are all good. The main thing is easy and cheap and taste better than store bought.

http://www.thetipgarden.com/2013/04/master-mix-chocolate-or-vanilla-pudding.html - yum

I threw these in to say cooking from scratch is so much cheaper.

Lots of people eat out so many times a week. That many dollars could be saved by preparing ahead. If you do not have time, find some…you will thank me later.

We have always had to make do. So what I can tell you that the blessing of making do with what you have is a skill that you learn and hone over the years. If we do what is right we are blessed, it does not mean it will always be easy. Life is hard but make the best of it.

When we had hard times we still had chocolate cake because I always kept the ingredients for it on hand...…http://www.beckysbacktobasics.com/get_full_recipe.php?File=1270689755&search.x=16&search.y=18

So make my cake, put your feet up and rest from the stress. This cake is great with a white frosting... two cups powder sugar, two tbsp butter softened, tsp almond flavoring, and hot water to make it desired spread.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Monday Message

Mixes are a great way to cut down on meal costs plus they save time on kitchen prep! Check out more HERE!
“As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001)

Lately I had the opportunity to teach a class on budget and living frugally. I asked the class to write on a piece of paper that they only got $16.00 to spend for groceries for the month, what would they spend it on? So I ask you, what would you write down? 

They could use anything they had on hand to supplement this $16.00 except money, what could they do?  The point of this was to have them reflect on their storage. Is it where you could successfully accomplish this? If you only have wheat and nothing more, do you have a grinder? Do you have the other things it takes to turn this into bread? Do you have stuff stored to go on it? Stretch it out from there adding first what could you store so you could live on $16.00 worth of groceries a month?

Ideally you would not like to have that budget but I am here to say it does happen and sometimes there is no money for this, so be mindful of that. When things are going well store food and needful items for when times are hard.

http://www.simplyprepared.com/recipe_archives.htm here are some recipes to give you ideas on using your storage.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-tips-to-mend-damaged-clothing.html/2  this has five mending video clip, press orange arrow. Valuable to be able to mend your clothes, not many off rack clothes are made to last.

https://extension.usu.edu/htm/publications/file=12839 this is the SOS mix recipe with recipes. This takes the place of canned soup. Very handy to have on hand!

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/soup-or-sauce-sos-mix.html this is gluten free.

http://www.budget101.com/content.php/165-scratch-recipes-storebought-items don’t run to the store for a ready-made mix make your own…it saves $.

http://iowagirleats.com/2011/09/21/how-to-cook-on-a-budget/ some ideas here.

http://iowasue.blogspot.com/ the Iowa housewife is my favorite for scratch cooking - fantastic recipes.

http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/p/recipe-index.html this is my second favorite. I love the baking with yeast. I love the rolls and platz... platz are soooooo wonderful they will be a fast favorite for you too.

So here are plenty of things to add to your quiver of arrows. Along with these sites pick up old church type recipe books that have everyone's favorite recipes. They are usually a quarter or go to the thrift stores or used book stores or your library. They can be found at the library book sales as well. Borrow one from a friend. The main thing is have recipes that you can make from what you stored... and make sure you store plenty of favorite recipe ingredients.

Work on your food storage binder which has all family favorite food storage friendly recipes so you can pull this out when planning a grocery trip and hopefully you have more than $16.00

Keep working on your storage. You're doing great!
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