Monday Message

"The best food storage is not in welfare grain elevators but in sealed cans and bottles in the homes of our people. What a gratifying thing it is to see cans of wheat and rice and beans under the beds or in the pantries of women who have taken welfare responsibility into their own hands. Such food may not be tasty, but it will be nourishing if it has to be used." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

It sure has benefited our family to have storage

I have still been working at some Spring cleaning. Trying to work smarter by being more organized.

I wanted to use a table we got years and years ago for three dollars from a college salvage store for my sock machine as I wouldn't have to scrunch over the machine as I was with the other table. However, the top was too thick for my sock machine to clamp onto so my husband helped to grade the section to come down to the right thickness. So now it is perfect.

I also switched a few things around on the watercolor desk to have a bit more space.

I was given this really odd wire setup. It took me a few times trying to use it then I noticed someone put it together with zip ties. I cut those to reveal these three wire baskets I used to put my tubes of watercolor paint in and they fit perfectly in this tray that I had. Note - lots of orange stickers, lots were clearance finds over a couple years.

This picture, if you look closely at it, you will see white wire legs. This is the rest of that weird wire concoction. These are two shelf things that stand up tall to have things slide under them which they do. So I used all but those ratty zip ties. I am trying to use what I have on hand and make them work. I was going to get rid of that wild wire thing but I gave it thought and studied it. I truly do not know how or what they were using it as but this is now its new use. So just think of the item for a bit before you toss it out and you just might find the best ever use for it.

If you go back to the sock machine picture, the top piece is a shelf. I took out the two drawers and sat them under it and put the other two cylinders in them they do a smaller size sock and a larger size sock than the one I am using in my machine at the time. But I got more space by doing this with the drawers.  So just see it at a different angle to get ideas.

It helps to save money and not running out to buy something. Shop your house and see what you have.  

When I need to rest, I have been watching videos on people reorganizing their craft rooms, looking for ideas. While I have gotten some ideas, an awful lot have Ikea systems which I have no budget for so I find myself looking at the others to see how they came up with what they had. Some really were messes before they did get it organized. It always has to be a mess while you organize but some made me glad I wasn't the one who had to do them.

This weekend is our general conference. When you read this it will have been two weeks ago.

We have chili and cinnamon rolls on this weekend. It is our family tradition. Growing up here in Iowa my favorite lunch at school was chili and cinnamon rolls. So this continues to be a favorite.

https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2013/09/monday-message-conference-weekend.html - this little fella making grandma's cinnamon rolls look good will graduate next month. Wow! I have done this blog a long time but the chili recipe is in this post. Often I save some taco meat to make chili but both ways are terrific. For the cinnamon rolls I just use the bread dough to make them from this recipe.

I use vital wheat gluten to make my bread flour. My recipe calls for three cups flour, so I add three tsp. of vital wheat gluten - perfect every time! If you do not have a bread machine, don't worry. You can just do it by hand.

Whether you feel ahead...

Or whether you feel behind...

Or you are having a hard time getting a grip...

Missy and Tippy Longstockings say to keep working on frugal ways and skill building, and stocking up on gibble is worthwhile.