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)

It is a good thing to have enough to share in our storage because when the need is great so is the suffering.

We still are in clean up mode here, still branches to drag and big pieces of wood too big to mow over plus burning the burn pile has been hard as the wood is green.

Through it all I needed to keep working up the produce from the garden, before the storm and some after. Here you see I am using a tomato slicer, a neat invention. I put these slices of tomatoes in the dehydrator.

I won't lie, doing both are hard and I am pushing through but putting up the food is so important.

Gus is catching up on the news, he missed watching TV when we had no power. At first he used to be scared when I would watch a podcast on the tablet and would run away but he is a curious cat and now he comes running to watch the podcasts. He has watched me so closely that before I can stop, he stretches his arm out, spreads his paw wide out then like a flash he slides my screen.

Gus says if he could learn a new skill like the computer you can learn a new skill too...and he doesn't mean playing pick up sticks which is no fun at all but is all the rage now in Iowa.

https://extension.usu.edu/sanpete/ou-files/ez-plug/Soup_or_Sauce_SOS_Mix.pdf - I made up a double batch of this, it was time to. I do not add the Italian seasoning to mine though it was an option.

We are getting that heat wave so trying to eat meals that are cooler.

Pandemic, derecho, heat wave..I think it is time to be done with anymore heaping on trials.

I think each trial we have makes us learn more about what we can do to prepare for anything else that is heading our way.

Learning how to make-do in any of these things is a worthy thing.

Making-do means figuring out how to manage and using our brain to think up ways that would be helpful, ways that would streamline the chores at hand.

Things are never so bad that they can't get worse...

We need to be as prepared as we can and doing it safely. When your budget is tight and you cannot stock up, learn skills.

Can you make bread?

Can you cook from scratch?

Can you make repairs on clothing?

Can you stretch what you have?

Can you make some home repairs?

This list goes on and on...

So learn a skill that will help stretch your family budget. Be a student of how to do this. Again, in a challenging time is not when you want to be learning a skill.

Keep positive even though things are going to pieces around you. This can be hard but kids stress, this would be a time for my chocolate cake...

Click HERE then scroll down for my recipe!

Always keep on hand the ingredients to make stuff that would be fun for the kids and us as well.

You know I find with all that is going on we are stretched more and more but we all can make it through.

Missy says keep doing the things that make you safe!