Monday Message

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

We got notified our power bill will double next month. I am sure many were notified as well. News says the grocery prices will go up August 1st. I sure do not see this getting better any time soon.

Also, Christmas is on the horizon.

Are you feeling stress just reading this far??

These are stressful times so I suggest finding joy and peace. Stress does bad things to our health and we don't want that to compound our troubles.

Sometimes we cannot control things so take a step back. We need to concentrate on what we can do.

Heavenly Father wants us to find joy. Admittedly it is very hard right now with all that is going on.

Try to think back to happier times. Even though times are tight, try to find happy things you can do with your family for no cost. I remember when our kids were little, we could not afford a sitter or a meal out. When I put the kids to bed, I made a candlelight dinner. I didn't fix anything fancy, it was what we normally had, but a quiet candle light dinner for two was a joy.

One time for a family night activity I set up a mini carnival with games and prizes which basically was prizes for all .

It might take all we have to get through these hard times - more work, more effort using what we have.

We might have a not fantastic meal but pop it up with funky names, make it special.

Have a movie and popcorn night - a rerun roundup sort of thing. Don't ask what they will want to watch - no one will agree. Instead, you know what are the favorites that all like. Cut pieces of paper, write down those and put in a bowl. Let dad draw out a paper and that way it is a show everyone likes and no bickering.

It will be hardest on you but you can push through the tired to make the ordinary special.

One night after an ordinary meal, have cookie dough already made up ahead and everyone make cookies together, but do it with someone in mind who could use love of a plate of cookies. Plus, eat as they make - what fun! Then deliver the plate of cookies.

https://healthyfamilyandme.com/free-activities-for-families/ - some great ideas.

https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/parenthood/free-fun-family-activities - for all seasons.

https://healthyhappyimpactful.com/family-challenges/ - some fun ideas.

If we are stressing, our family picks up on that.

When we had stressful times, I would make this chocolate cake. I keep the ingredients in storage at all times. Our kids never knew we were stressed, they just knew things were okay and we had chocolate cake.

How many different kinds of cookies can you make?  One of our daughters brought home a friend. I always had cookies freshly made for after school. After several times of her little friend coming this little girl said to me, how is it you know how to make so many kinds of cookies? Bless her heart.

Here is one of our favorites few people probably have heard of....

Fruit Cocktail Cookies

1 c. Shortening

1 c. Brown sugar

1 c. Regular Sugar

3 eggs

1 c. Raisins

3 c. Drained fruit cocktail

1 c. Chopped nuts

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Ground cloves

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking powder

4 c. Flour

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Cream first three ingredients together, then add eggs and vanilla, mix and add dry ingredients, mix and add fruits and nuts. This is not a real stiff dough just so you know.

Drop and bake 10-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

This is a soft cookie, cake like.

Frost cookies while warm.

Frosting

Melt one stick of butter then add two tbsp water and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Mix and add powdered sugar till frosting consistency but don't make it too thick, you want to spread it. The hot cookies melt it a bit to make it drip down sides. As they cool, the frosting sets but you do not have to wait to eat them cool, they are great either way.

You will love these as much as we do. I store them in airtight container.

Lets face it, this is the best way to eat fruit cocktail after all.

Remember, we all are having hard times so let's cheer up the sad. Do kindnesses wherever and whenever we can. Don't judge others, just be helpful. By doing so, you too will be lifted.

We have all had hard times, granted not as widespread but we know what to do. We can do this! Go back to basics. We will be working with less but we will make it fun for our families.

Missy says be sure to rest during hard times.

Tippy Longstockings says yes to rest and she is thinking of fun things to do as well. She wants you to know you can do this - we are all proud of you!

Monday Message

"Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to 'prepare every needful thing' (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors, and support bishops as they care for others." (All is Safely Gathered In pamphlet)

No matter where we live, no matter who we are this applies to us all.  

If anyone is reading the news, they see the problems we are having affects the whole globe. We are all in it together and it will probably take all of us to get out of it.

I can't stress enough - we need to show kindness even more than ever before.

We all need to build skills. All of us need to do what we can to learn. We can use the internet to teach ourselves skills.

I always think making bread is one of the best skills you can learn, so here is my link where there are lots of useful bread making information.

Note! If you make bread, make sure you store what you need to make it!! 

Flours and grains

Salt

Sugar or honey

Yeast (Always store yeast in the freezer. I also keep a quart jar in the refrigerator as my using jar.)

I store vital wheat gluten as well.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-message.html - has very useful bread information.

I think knowing how to sew and mend is a really huge skill to have.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2019/12/monday-message_9.html

I watch several videos from women from other countries. They shop at thrift stores and look for things that they can take apart for the fabric. They make potholders and dresses and items for their homes - lovely items! I see them draft their own patterns from items they have already that need replacing. So sewing is very huge, even if you only use it to mend.

Preserving food for leaner times is a very important skill. I see these same ladies I mentioned can food, by the way they are young women, not just old ladies like me.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2017/08/monday-message_28.html - In this, I show canning and vacuum sealing food and dehydrating. Haunt your thrift stores for canners, dehydrators, and vacuum sealers. I see them all the time for great prices. Also be hunting for jars and rings and purchase lids.  Start saving jars you get food in now from the store to put your dried food in. If you have a canister to use with your vacuum sealer, you can even seal your food in that jar. For example, popcorn - put it in your spaghetti sauce jar. You can vacuum seal it and it will stay fresh longer.

Cooking from scratch is very valuable.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2018/11/monday-message.html

Also, making jams is very easy to learn to make. We have raspberries that some bird planted - yep, it is quite a berry patch! I pick, wash, and freeze these till the weather cools down and then I can them into jams. So you see, I am not canning these in the brutal hot. I can pick what cool day works best for me. So learn that skill.

You really can learn so many skills and while they look hard they are not, just read and practice.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2016/05/monday-message_16.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2021/08/monday-message_16.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2018/03/monday-message.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/10/monday-message_12.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2016/06/monday-message.html

I threw in some blog posts that will help you with information you can work at.

Where I live, produce is now coming out of the gardens, so it is a good time to can and dehydrate.

REMEMBER - If you are canning tomatoes, save those skins and dehydrate them and make them into a powder. It is so nice to have on hand.

I know one of you asked to have me tell about my life...

We bought this house in a rural town in central Iowa in the US. My husband drew this picture of it one year for a Christmas card. This house was built in a town a mile away in 1879 because they thought the railroad would go through that town but it did not. It went through the town I now live in, and most of that town moved here. Our house is the oldest house. It was moved in 1910 to this spot. They raised the houses onto logs and with horses that pulled the house. A log would roll out the back and they would run it around to the front. Pretty labor intensive. We have added on to the house. I know way too much about construction now than I ever wanted to know. It was a lot of work.

We are from Iowa, originally the northern part.

My husband and I have known each other since seventh grade. We were high school sweethearts.

We have been married now 51 years. We have two amazing and wonderful daughters and two grandsons and one granddaughter and we love them dearly.

Our town is small, we knew we wanted to raise our kids here and we did.

I went to yard sales a lot when they were small. I made them clothes from free boxes and remade them for the girls. 

We lived frugally our whole lives and I feel like it all is an education that I could not have gotten any other way and this education is what helps us now in our senior years.

Missy says nose to the grindstone on your skill building.

Tippy Longstockings says we are all proud of all of you, keep up the good work!

Monday Message

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I don't think we have to imagine very hard how things could go horribly bad.

They are saying on the news that our grocery prices are going to go even higher and that power bills will be higher as well. We should start preparing now for things to go high.

I remember now years ago, I can't remember when exactly, but I always tried to pick up flour (remember I buy flour in 25 lb. bags) well I went to get the flour and the price was higher than it used to be $4.64 and was two dollars higher. I asked the clerk and he said it was seasonal. What? It's not seasonal. It was summer and he said just wait, it will come back down. I am still waiting. It has always just gone up. It hovers around ten dollars now.  

I went ahead and got the flour that day. I wasn't happy about it but I did not wait for prices to come down. If I had I would have no flour and still be waiting. I tell you this to say higher prices are here to stay a long while I am afraid. So don't just sit around waiting. You must be working diligently to keep building a storage even if you have to pay a bit more. 

Our income has not raised (we are on social security). So that for us means that I get less for the same budget for groceries. I imagine it is that way for most people. I either do not get all we need or I find more frugal recipes and fix more frugal meals. It means I can waste nothing. We do not eat out, so people who still eat out could go out less and add to their grocery budget. Is it hard to tighten the belt?  Yes, it is but sacrificing for our families is what we do.

Build those skills!!!

Last week, I mentioned three things to do for homework. Are you working on those? I went ahead and did them with you.

I made a loaf of bread from this RECIPE. (I like to use an electric knife for slicing. I got mine at a yard sale but I have seen them at thrift stores). Do you need one? No, you can slice your bread with a serrated bread knife. The other thing I do is I slice my entire loaf at the same time. This helps the slices stay good otherwise bread gets harder to slice as the days go by. This bread freezes well and having it sliced makes it way better. If you have done the bread, notice the jam... in the picture is the strawberry rhubarb jam we talked about a while back. You can get the recipe by typing strawberry rhubarb jam in the search space. You will want to learn jam making.

I mentioned checking out this book from the library if you don't already own it...

I am reading it along with you.

Then I mentioned knitting a dishcloth as homework too with the tutorial to help you along every step.

I am knitting a dishcloth with you. I am knitting my favorite pattern but you are learning another of my favorites.

I have been working on the knitting machine. Learning this skill is difficult but I push on.

So do not wait, just dig in, and build your storage and learn your skills that would be most helpful for your family. 

Missy says do whatever you can, your family will be blessed and so will you.

Tippy Longstockings says don't wait for things to get better, we have to do the best we can now.

Monday Message

"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)

We need to not put off learning skills and putting in storage. I know it is hard and I know money is very tight but even if you pick up a few extra things when you get groceries, like a box of pasta and can of pasta sauce, it adds up. What I try to do is, when I can, I will get a bag of flour one month then sugar the next time I get groceries and so forth. Can I do this every time? Nope. Sometimes it is a box of salt or a jar of peanut butter. Just do the best you can. Money is tight for us as well as most I fear. 

I try to make what I get stretch very far, leaving a little extra that I can get something for storage. I get our groceries once a month. I plan very frugal meals so I can get something for storage and can stretch what I have.

Missy is horrified that the prices keep going up so she suggests the site below...

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/the-cheapest-meals-to-make-on-an-incredibly-tight-budget.html?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Sequence+-+669454 - I really like this gal, her site has much to offer.

Remember, do not waste anything today. I made burritos using leftover taco meat from when our kids visited a couple weeks ago. I placed the leftovers in the freezer. So remember to do that with those leftovers. Also, when I put away leftovers after a supper, I will make meal plates from this food and freeze. All this helps to stretch your dollars.

When you have just five green beans left, do not toss them. Put them in a container, juice and all, then every little veggie leftover, add it to this. When the container is full, time to make a tasty soup. And if you have been working to build your bread making skill, make rolls to go with. That sounds great to me! If you have a little rice, add it as well. There's so much we can do!

Are we tired? Yes, most of the time we are but don't give in to takeout or going out. This adds up. You could get a lot of storage for that amount. And I don't think it would taste as good knowing that.

Here are some videos worth watching... I watch videos while walking on the treadmill - just a tidbit about me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t8wWynGicY - she shows how to do the building a pantry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr0_NDanG5o - very nice to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HSO5ZtjAtQ - how to find space.

How are you coming on skill building? 

I have had a fun time with family visiting these past two weeks. We enjoyed very much our time with them.

I am still learning on the knitting machine, taking it one step at a time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB9UvBx9xc - here is a good tutorial on knitting a dishcloth. I suggest you start here. The yarn is cheap, has to be a cotton yarn she will tell you but I suggest this. Once you learn this, you can make many for your home and for gifts.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/crocheted-dishcloth.html - here is a crochet version of a dishcloth if you prefer. Note, it is from the site I like, she is so good.

Try to learn these. They will be addictive after a while and very calming to do, way better than store-bought.

Things are getting pretty stressful out there. Try to not watch so much of the news and such on these things.

Get along with others, even if they don't believe like you do. Missy and Tippy Longstockings are showing you how. It is a hard time, don't waste your time stressing. Don't worry about tomorrow. Prepare for it. Learn the skills that can best help your family. If you have kids, boy or girl, have them learn to do a dishcloth as well.

Don't throw away leftover yarn from making these. Use them in the next or all in one as a Franken-cloth.

Think outside the box!

I like how in the make-it-do video, she didn't care if things weren't perfect. She did them anyway.

Keep looking for a dehydrator, food saver, canner and equipment, and jars.

Times will be getting harder so I want you to check this book out from the library as a homework assignment as well as working up a dishcloth. Read the book. I will as well and we will do this together. And I really want you to learn to make bread and store the ingredients to make it. Get your family used to eating it - way wonderful toasted I say! Be on the lookout for a bread machine. I saw one the other day for eight dollars at Goodwill but I have seen them for less too. Use the bread recipe in this booklet.

I can't afford to store bread flour as well as all-purpose flour. So I make my bread flour by using 1 tsp. vital wheat gluten to one cup of flour which equals one cup bread flour - this is what I use.  

I store wheat berries in my storage and grind them into flour. I store vital wheat gluten as well to go with the wheat and I use it in my all-purpose flour as well.

Feel free to get bread flour if you want but this is the route I went due to our low finances.

If you do not want to use a bread machine, that is fine too. Just do the same recipe and do by hand but do not add any more flour. You will be tempted but don't.

Here again, get the kids involved. It is a skill they will appreciate having and the money saved.

I know this sounds like a lot but a lot is going on and we need to step up our learning.

Remember to store the ingredients to have in your storage the ability to make bread items...

So when I buy flour, it is a 25 pound bag. I get all-purpose, it is around ten dollars right now but that will change I am sure. Refer back to Missy's picture of being shocked over prices.

Again, I only store all-purpose flour so I can make the bread items and another time my chocolate cake, another time might be cookies.

I need my flour to be versatile. 

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2020/05/monday-message_25.html  - you can see in this post my sliced bread. I use an electric knife that most people use for slicing turkey. I see them at thrift stores a lot. This will also help the switch from store-bought to homemade.

Missy says we need to do the best we can to learn skills and be as frugal as can be.

Tippy Longstockings says, give the things on your homework list a try:

1. Make a dishcloth

2. Read the book and take notes that you could do

3. Make bread

You can do it!

Monday Message

"Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of food because of their foresight and ability to produce their own." (Ezra Taft Benson)

We need to build skills.

As much as I hate gardening, there is more to gardening than putting seeds in dirt. So there is a large learning curve. Take time to learn this skill. It is a try and fail thing too - what works, what doesn't.

I am here to say, I do not know it all for sure, I am still on the learning curve.

The weather makes a huge difference and pests - there's so many moving parts.

What skills are you working on? Let us know in the comments below!

Making bread is one skill that I think is at the top of the list. "Knowing how" is a skill you will have forever and you can make so many things.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/four-in-one-bread-dough.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-message.html

Learn to make your own laundry soap....

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/06/monday-message_29.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2017/08/monday-message_28.html - learning to can is up there too along with all ways to preserve foods.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2019/12/monday-message_9.html - Sewing is huge. You can mend and remake clothing as well as making your clothing. Learning to knit and crochet are very helpful as well.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2012/03/preserving-your-childrens-artwork.html - learning to embroider to decorate your home or useful things for your home dish towels and curtains and on your clothing I even have used to hide a hole in clothing or a stain that wouldn't come out. In this case, I traced off my children's artwork and made pictures of their artwork.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2020/02/monday-message_24.html

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2019/07/monday-message_8.html

I would say that it takes skill to use what you have. Here, I used a bowl for a yarn bowl.

So look around your house and find different uses for things. You will be amazed at what you find and could very well start a trend using something you already have in a different way. Make it a game and see what you can do.

Along with that, learn to be content.

Another skill cooking from scratch...

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/35-frugal-recipes-to-make-when-youre-broke/

https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/homemade-foods-to-make-from-scratch/

https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/

https://www.foodstoragemoms.com/cooking-from-scratch/

Missy says little by little, build those skills.

Tippy Longstockings says she knows you can do it, she is pulling for you!

Monday Message

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

Well, we certainly have the potential for all these things happening all at one time. There is also some hacking thing going on as well. I watch a podcast that is from the Isle of Skye a few weeks back and they had a hack on grocery stores. I thought that it was a one time thing. It is worse for them being an island. The stores couldn't get their orders filled and the shelves were totally empty.  

Then I heard it happen somewhere else but can't remember. And then two places here in Iowa. It isn't so bad as you can drive to other towns here but this being done at all makes me think they are testing and learning how to do this on a bigger scale. The one store here in Iowa, the owner said she then called their supplier and they cautioned not to be greedy as they have many orders they are trying to fill. Was there more than these two stores? I wonder. Suffice it to say, really be working on your storage so that if this happens in your neck of the woods you will have something in house.  

Since other countries are being hit like us, it just isn't a hit for one but many. I first thought it was a joke but a nasty joke, because Skye being an island has to have stuff brought to the island. I also think they are hitting small unnoticed areas.

So if you are starting out with storage...

https://stockingmypantry.com/how-to-build-a-3-month-food-supply/

https://survivalstoic.com/3-month-food-supply-list/

https://emergencyprepguy.com/get-a-3-month-food-supply/

https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/providentliving/content/resources/pdf/PD60004682_000_Home-Storage-Handout.pdf?lang=eng

https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage/what-is-food-storage?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/04008_eng.pdf

Getting something in is important and it is good to review and good to take stock of what you do have, looking for holes you may need to work on building up.

Once you feel like you have three months in, work on six months, then a year.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/english/life-help/Personal-and-Family-Emergency-Preparedness-Planning-Guide.pdf

It isn't to scare anyone just be prepared for well, anything. People are losing jobs all over. As one whose husband's job was downsized, I can tell you we have had to live off what we had till another job was found. Unexpected expenses - they say our electric bills are to go way up and they have already started to. Medical expenses, higher insurance, car problems there are so many things that can happen just regularly that adding extra troubles is rotten for sure. But you can buffer that with storage.

My crew here is hard at work helping us with this post...

One thing I did was go through all my recipes and picked ones that could use no eggs if getting them was a problem and recipes I could use shelf-stable items to make. I put these all in a binder...

I have them all in this binder with a table of contents.

I have shown you the system here that I use so you can go through your files and compile, if you wish, recipes that would be made of shelf stable foods. I do can meat but have seen that you can now purchase cans of ground beef or beef and there are chicken, etc. So if you do not can meats, you can find them. I encourage you to learn to can meat as well.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2022/07/monday-message_18.html - Here is my blog with more pages of my binder, of course I put it in a better binder.  And those of you who miss Gus will get to see a pic of him at the end.

To leave you on a sweet note, enjoy this recipe. It is so yummy. You can switch apricot with any jam you have.

Missy says, you thought I was sleeping didn't you? She says be sure to have supplies on hand for any emergency you may find yourself in.

Tippy Longstockings says keep putting in your storage and remember your pets.