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 was able to get a few groceries this week and oh my have prices gone high! Not only that but quite a few things have gone away and are no longer in the stores. Plus, the Sam's Club in our area has quit selling cheddar cheese in five pound blocks, now they sell just two pound blocks.  

I did get my one storage item - a 25 pound bag of flour, the price for that was down a bit so that was good. However, I went to Aldi and looked for shortening. They had several brands and places for vegetable oil but no shortening. I asked the checker who went to look then called his boss about it. His reply was that it was seasonal…. No, it's not seasonal. I informed his boss it was no more seasonal than gas for your car.  

I guess the point of me sharing this with you is to show you that a shortage can be from something like this, it doesn’t even need to be a world event. I was just getting it to put in storage, it wasn’t an immediate need but for another person it might be. That was why I bothered to inform them. I checked at another store and they had only about six cans of just the major brand, no other option, and it was $5.79 which I thought was up too much for me. So check your prices as you shop to help you know what they run.

I cannot stress enough that having your storage going is more important than ever. Hand-in-hand with that is living frugally and building on your skills. I heard an older woman say her skills have saved her so much over the years.

http://icandy-handmade.com/2014/07/diy-fun-summer-tee.html - this looks like an easy sew pattern, it would help with your sewing skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXJbrFvOksM - this is fantastic, it shows building skills in using food storage to make great buttermilk biscuits with no buttermilk.

I think it is such great thing to learn how to make do with what you have on hand. For example, you don’t have to run to the store to get buttermilk. But there are so many things just like that if we learn them we could save so much.

As groceries continue to rise in price the more things we can cook from scratch, the better we will be able to manage. Wages rarely keep up with the increase in food prices. This is why over the years I have picked up cookbooks that help in making food stretch and making from scratch. 

I know we have the internet but please keep a hard copy!

How many of you have been killing time in the checkout line? You pick up a magazine turn it to the great looking recipe from the front cover only to find out that there are twenty ingredients listed... this is sadly the case with most. That is why I suggest you get the older church-type cookbooks. Any church or other organization even schools, hospitals, music schools, even radio channels they all have everyone’s favorite recipes.

I just pulled these four, two happen to be from Methodist churches, one from Ames, Iowa, and one from Forest City, Iowa. I have many different church cookbooks. The other two are a women's business cookbook and one from Story City Memorial Hospital. 

I wanted you to see the year on the one 1985 the hospital is 1984 and the yellow one I wanted you to see the price I paid - 25 cents! So look around, even a dollar is a good price. I opened the book to show you how they usually look. Each recipe has the person’s name who donated the recipe… I just randomly opened the book to the page below, you can see that these recipes don’t have twenty ingredients. They usually take ingredients you most likely already have on hand. Real recipes I say.

This recipe for Texas Hash is from the 1985 cookbook from Forest City. I wanted to show you how easy this recipe is, not to mention I could make this recipe with my storage. 

So don’t pass up these types of cookbooks thinking they're old fashioned and with no pictures. I say, exactly! That is why they are the best, it usually means before computers. And pictures that look great don’t always taste good.

I suggest you sit with one of these books and a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and look through. I can go from front to back but have been known to hit breads then casseroles often times too.

This is just one of the frugal things I do.

Let us know what frugal things you do, we all love ideas!

Do the best you can at storage building and skill building and being frugal.

Monday Message

"We can begin ever so modestly. 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. . .I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all. . .Begin in a small way, … and gradually build toward a reasonable objective." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

"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)

I know it is hard to work on storage when you have the holidays here to do. Remember, every time you go into the store pick up at least one thing for storage. It is a good time of year to stock up, there are many sales at the grocery stores so watch your sale flyers.

When the first measurable snowfall hits I read this book…

You need to read this with your family, do it even if you have read it before. When you read it your thoughts on food storage will change.

Their garden did not produce well as it was their first year gardening in this area plus an early frost shortened the season.  They put the food up. Then being warned that the winter would be a hard one, they moved to town. They thought they would be okay as the trains brought supplies. They did not have much money but thought they would be okay. Almost immediately the trains were snowed in. You will have to read the book to find out what happens to them. But you will want to think what you have in your storage and think what you would have wished you had in storage then make it happen.

Today if there was an emergency the grocery stores have only 24 hours of food. You do not want to be going out trying to get food or storage items during an emergency.

Do you really want to go out in this?

https://simplypreparing.com/things-to-do-before-a-winter-storm/ - good reminders, good to be prepared.

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm#About

http://6abc.com/weather/checklist-heres-what-you-need-for-a-major-snowstorm/1167139/

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=simple+homemade+christmas&qpvt=simple+homemade+christmas&FORM=VDRE - these are videos of doing simple homemade Christmas.

Here are some of our favorite cookies that we like to have this time of year and warm baked cookies are best served during a snow storm and during board games.

So keep working on your storage, stay with in your means for gift giving, enjoy the season, and remember those in need. Do the best you can!

Monday Message

Scroll down for a GREAT recipe for waffles/pancakes.

"Our bishops storehouses are not intended to stock enough commodities to care for all the members of the Church. Storehouses are only established to care for the poor and the needy. For this reason, members of the Church have been instructed to personally store a year’s supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel. By following this counsel, most members will be prepared and able to care for themselves and their family members, and be able to share with others as may be needed.” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

"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)

What is your plan??? Yesterday I was listening to the news while doing a chore and this grabbed my attention…. they were talking about what is happening in Venezuela. They were talking to a carpenter, which is a good job, he showed his rib cage then opened his refrigerator and there was very little in it. He eats two meals a day if he can and tries to space it out. He said he used to have his refrigerator full of meat and vegetables but no more. They talked to a woman holding a plantain, which I looked up is a cooking banana. She held it up and said it cost what her house did twenty years ago. They showed many many people lined up to get a loaf of bread. They showed the sellers don’t even bother to count the money instead they weigh it cause it is so much to purchase. There was a man standing in line to buy something and in just the time it took to talk to the reporter the price increased. They use their retirement to find anything to eat.

This is their reality at this time. I am sure they might at one time have said that it couldn’t happen to them. We never know what could happen. No one can know the future. I guess that is why we need to be prepared and the best time to prepare is before something happens.

Our fortunes can change in a second. Then you will need to rely on the skills you developed as well. How are you coming on your skill building?

This pic shows the tube I made and learned dying when my sister was here.

This shows what it looks like rolled up and ready to use.

I used an old Barbie knitter I bought for .75 at a yard sale.  You can see I am using the tube that I made and dyed as a sock blank I am knitting directly from the tube.

Here you can see I am knitting a heel trying to master a different kind heel.

Success in completing the heel.

Finished the sock. It is on a sock blocker I got for a dime at a yard sale.

This is what I have been working on. I also am getting faster, not only from learning the continental method but the more I do the faster I am getting.

I would love to hear what skills you are learning.

I have a new favorite waffle and pancake recipe. I got this recipe from a friend who said it originally came from a cookbook by Tasha Tudor by her grandson Winslow Tudor.  My friend made a change to it that makes it faster to fix. You can do this with one you might have as a favorite recipe. She puts all the dry ingredients in jars ahead so you have this on shelf waiting when you are ready.

Here I am making jars of this waffle/pancake mix up to have ready.

I made small waffles and cooked all the batter. I made and froze the little waffles so I could pop them in the toaster.

Waffle & Pancake Mix (this is just one pint, for larger families double this and put in a quart jar)

1 1/2c flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar

This goes into the jar. I just made up six pints this time but how handy is this?

To make…

1 ½ c milk
4 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs

Mix and drop in contents of jar.

This was very good!

I like the idea of having the jars up ahead of time. Also like having the little waffles for toaster and pancakes if one wished.

How are you coming on building your storage? We had a sale on mushrooms at our Aldi’s store for .69 per 8 oz container I picked up ten.

I put the sliced mushrooms in the dehydrator. I washed the mushrooms and used an egg slicer I had purchased at a yard sale long ago.

This shows what the mushroom looks after slicing

Ten packages filled my dehydrator totally up.

Next to the on sale mushrooms were the same but already sliced they where 1.69 for same size containers. So by slicing my own I saved ten dollars, wow that was so amazing!!  It took me less then half an hour to wash, slice, and load the dehydrator. We love mushrooms. This is a good and easy storage item costing $6.90 and by doing my own slicing it did not cost $16.90. So consider the mark up for items you purchase as a money saving option.

So many things we can add to our cutting costs and putting in storage. I would have still had to wash the already sliced kind and would still have had to spread them out on the trays. The only thing I did extra was cut them with an egg slicer which by the way was fun, any child would have loved that job.

What do I do with my dried mushrooms? I put them in pasta sauces, in gravies, and in soups. You don’t want a slice of mushroom you can blend in your blender to be a powder, they just give a richer taste and we love them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FBB3NlFgQA&feature=em-uploademail - I wanted to pass this along I love the title on the bucket luggable loo, I thought all very good ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VroXHIeT8jI - I also saw this gal who has some ideas if your budget is tight these could be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6BuXjKq2d0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIlvG9HYGxA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg7vXkJCS6A&t=131s - very good idea here as well for a skill building idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgdGk4scI5Q 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4crByHFJgo - here she does a very good visual on money priorities, kind of neat.

Orange Marmalade

Who said you don’t can in the winter? I leave my canner up all year long!

If there is a sale on meat or if you want to can dry beans for when you are in a hurry, they are all good to have on hand. But today I made orange marmalade - my favorite on English Muffin Bread.

I purchased the oranges on sale three weeks ago, $1.88 for a four pound bag. I love oranges, so stocked up so I could and did munch on oranges, it was hard but I saved enough to make two batches total of jelly jars and a slice of toast worth leftover.

I used the sure jell recipe. I picked up the lemons on the last trip to the store, enough for the two batches and two extra to make lemon biscotti next week with. They were on sale too.

There are many things to can in winter... potatoes and soups. A pressure canner is one of our much needed tools but on these I used the steamer canner.

Keep trying to find the tools that help us save money and build our storage too. Haunt those thrift stores. If you find something you have already, let others know so they too can fill their list.

Do the best you can.

Versatile Bread Mix

I keep my favorite (very versatile) bread recipe on the refrigerator as it is my go-to recipe. This week I added half cup oats to the recipe and put all in a quart jar as my bread mix. I do up about twelve quarts when I still have three or so mixes left.

Either I make regular bread, cinnamon rolls, rolls, or hamburger buns. The sky is the limit with what you can do. But today I made cinnamon swirl bread. 

I can do bread by hand but this time I used the bread machine. I put one and a fourth cup of water and put it in the bread machine bucket then I dump in my jar contents and set the bread machine on the dough setting.

When it is kneading, I check for flour in the corners of the machine and carefully use a rubber spatula to scrape. Once the sides are cleaned I let it go and walk away.

It takes about two hours in a colder kitchen and one and a half hours when the kitchen is warm. 

I let it rise near the bucket top and take it out. I spray my work surface slightly and spread the dough the length of the bread and about ten inches in the other direction. Then I spray or spread butter on the dough and sprinkle with sugar then heavier with cinnamon and I put raisins on. 

I start at the short end and roll, stretch, roll, stretch the dough until I get to the other end, the stretching gives me more of a swirl. Then I spray the bread pan and top of the loaf then cover with plastic wrap to let rise until the loaf is about an inch over the side of the pan. Takes thirty to forty minutes, depending on how cold the kitchen is.

Preheat the oven during that time to 350 degrees. Bake for forty minutes, remove from the pan and let cool. I throw a cotton dish towel over it as it cools. Once cooled, I slice it using an electric knife that I only use for slicing bread. 

Enjoy!

Monday Message

Easy machine bread recipe HERE that you can do so many things with!

“It is . . . necessary that each home and family do what they can to assume the responsibility for their own hour of need. If we do not have the resources to acquire a year’s supply then we can strive to begin with having one month’s supply.” (James E. Faust, April 1986 General Conference)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0XRSENsnYs - how to use a canister to vacuum seal your jars. I have showed this last year. You can use jars with lids from other things you use like spaghetti sauce - yes, you can reuse jars.

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/2016/10/store-halloween-candy-emergencies/ - I have done this when I could day after a candy holiday, saves lots!

Vacuum sealing helps so much to keep your food longer like chocolate chips and nuts will keep years and years. So if you take advantage of sales this saves so much money. I have my dried foods i.e. celery flakes, sliced dried tomatoes, chocolate chips and nuts and craisins, chinese noodles, hot cereals. I have wheat gluton and specialty flours, though doing powders like flour you need to cut a coffee filter the size of your lid then set it on top of the flour, wipe the rim and affix the lid.  

I keep my sealer plugged in all the time as I do use it that much. This would be a great Christmas item. I even have a back-up for mine as I use it so much. I have a huge list so see how it might help you too.

Food storage is not just old people things, you need to think how you are doing on your storage. I cannot stress this enough that it is a great investment for your family.

Do you have a real cookbook or only internet?? Get your recipes in hard copy and put them in a binder or files, but have a hard copy. 

Something I have found helpful too is those old church cookbooks from many different churches that have everyone’s favorite recipes in there and they are basic and don’t take fifteen ingredients to make. So when you are at goodwill or other thrift stores or library sales, look for them. What's neat is that I find so many that just call for things I have in storage already.

Build your skills, push yourself to learn to make a loaf of bread. I know we have machines to do so but once you get it down you will never forget. Then use your machines happily knowing you could do it by hand if you had to.  

What if I said tomorrow everyone make bread by hand and bring it to show me on Sunday - could you do it? Would you have all the ingredients without going to the store, could you do it? Let's be honest here do you have yeast? Do you know you have to keep it in the freezer? Do you know how much flour it takes? I have kept flour in five gallon buckets with two bay leaves on the flour under the lid for four years and I rotate it every time I use a bucket. I replace a bucket, take it down, put it on the top shelf and to have the empty bucket I brought up the oldest and fetched out my bay leaves and dump in my five gallon using can.  

So it is more physical then financial to rotate but that is that. 

Roughly for the two of us now I go through twenty five lbs a month, give or take, but while that might sound like a lot I make us a loaf of bread every two days.

I make things from scratch. With our funds make cooking from scratch a necessity. Wouldn’t it be great if you did not have to cook from scratch but still did?

But I digress, what would your bread look like when you brought it to me? I think it would truly be wonderful to share a new bread and roll recipes with each other that way if one had problems they could ask each other questions on how to do it. Do it together, I guarantee you will learn while having fun doing it.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2013/11/monday-message-bread.html

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/11/english-muffin-bread.html 

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/10/breadmachine-french-bread.html

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/02/lizas-machine-bread.html
  
http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/four-in-one-bread-dough.html

Once you master bread go on to cinnamon rolls.

You can make rolls and hamburger buns -http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/monday-message_16.html

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/julekaga.html

 http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2014/08/delightful-french-bread.html

Do your best learn by hand first then play around as I have done here experimenting.
  
http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-message.html - who you love should get good bread :)

Start gathering bread pans and tools, all my pans I got used. 

Stretch your skills, do the best you can. 

Someone once told me they had their year supply of flour in. She had only two buckets. For our family of two empty nesters we use one bucket a month, so for a year we need twelve. So now figure your family size from that. If you have four you would need twenty-four. So check and see, you might need more as you start cooking from scratch, which is another skill you should be looking at working on too.

Now while we have buckets of flour we also have buckets of wheat. Did you know if you do not want to mess with ordering and such, Walmart carries wheat montana gold?

We have been blessed with what ease we can get storage, so don’t waste it.

Monday Message

“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)

http://www.simplyprepared.com/the_book_of_gomer.htm I think this, though cute, reminds that we cannot wait till the emergency.

• “The day will come when, as we have been told, we shall all see the necessity of making our own shoes and clothing and raising our own food. …” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 166) 

• “There are many very good people who keep most of the Lord’s commandments with respect to the virtuous side of life, but who overlook His commandments in temporal things. They do not heed His warning to prepare for a possible future emergency, apparently feeling that in the midst of all this trouble ‘it won’t happen to us.’ It is not always the other fellow’s problem. It is our problem also whenever there is economic trouble afloat.
     “To prepare for the future is part of God’s eternal plan, both spiritually and temporally. To protect ourselves against reversals and hardships is only good sense.
     “…[God] teaches us to be self-reliant and industrious, to plan ahead, to provide for possible hard times, to avoid obligations unless we are sure we can handle them, and then to serve him with such devotion that He will be pleased to augment all of our own earnest efforts.
     “…the most important storehouses in the entire welfare plan are those that are within the walls of our own homes. We must provide our own storehouses for our own families in our own homes as far as possible to meet any rainy days that may come our way.” (Mark E. Peterson, “Blessings in Self-Reliance,” Ensign, May 1981) 

     “…Just as it is important to prepare ourselves spiritually, we must also prepare ourselves for our temporal needs. Each of us needs to take the time to ask ourselves, What preparation should I make to care for my needs and the needs of my family?
     “We have been instructed for years to follow at least four requirements in preparing for that which is to come.
     “First, gain an adequate education….
     “Second, live strictly within your income and save something for a rainy day…
     “Third, avoid excessive debt…
     “Fourth, acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. Obtain clothing and build a savings account on a sensible, well-planned basis that can serve well in times of emergency. As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness….
     “…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, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear” Ensign, November 1995)

We need to learn ways to be frugal, my favorite books on this:

Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, she has three you can check out from your library.

Make-A-Mix by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, & Madeline Westover, there are three but I am most fond of the first two.

Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy by Jonni McCoy, she has fantastic info and recipes - best granola recipe, we have this a lot, turn that page and she tells you how to make granola bars - terrific :)

Baker’s Flower by Kaye Manning, this is a book based on a quick baking mix you make. I love using this. I see on amazon it is a penny but you can try to get it through your library.
  
If you have some favorite book that helps us be frugal write it in the comments section

http://www.simplyprepared.com/sweet_yeast_biscuits.htm

http://www.simplyprepared.com/quick%20cinnamon%20rolls.htm these two links go together, could be something for the kids to make during family night.

http://www.livingonadime.com/very-best-homemade-pie-crust-recipe/ try your hand and learn new things plus frugal!

http://www.livingonadime.com/homemade-baking-powder-biscuits-recipe/ - tastes better than canned, another thing to think about is how long can you store refrigerator biscuits???

So think more on what you can do for yourself, for example - do you buy jello in cups? Do you do it for convenience? Think if you made that little box of jello, it takes three minutes to make jello.

I saw rice krispie treats for $9.99, you are paying for wrapping and preservatives. Convenience it certainly not frugal ….

Are we doing for this to save time so we can be busier? I think it makes me feel like I am on a hamster wheel!!!

So if you are feeling the pinch of everything going higher in price and your budget is not happy...stop and think, where am I falling into the trap? Look at your grocery list. You are in control, you know what your busy days are, plan for those don’t let it drag you out of control!!!

This is why having skills is important, planning your menus, planning your grocery list, planning your days…

Even if you have been blessed to do all the conveniences in life teach yourself, make do or do without. In one of these articles below the woman talks about going into the grocery store and sees tomatoes and would dearly love a tomato but she is there for just two things and can’t spend more, has this ever happened to you?

http://www.livingonadime.com/debt-free-living/

www.livingonadime.com/debt-free-living-god-provides

http://www.livingonadime.com/debt-free-living-dealing-tight-budget/

http://www.livingonadime.com/how-to-deal-with-layoffs/  

When our daughter got divorced and child support started coming in I suggested she live her life like he wasn’t paying and if she got it that was great but if not she would still be able to manage. She did the best she could and then he up and quit his very good paying job thinking he could get one easy. Now years later he is still looking so this advice has helped her plus living frugally has helped her too as she hasn’t gotten child support for a very long time.

So if you have a wonderful income prepare like somewhere down the road you won’t have it and if you prepare and build your skills now you will be able to manage on less.

Life is really like a roller coaster sometimes we are up and sometimes we are down but it is up to us to have the skills to stretch what we do have and being able to do so helps our whole family.

Remember, life isn’t meant to be fair. If you are cranky because of what you are dealt it only makes it harder on yourself.  So roll up your sleeves and make it the best you can!

We may not have everything but we have fun and make do with what we have…keep learning skills, keep looking for frugal ways to make your life better.

Monday Message

You can get a link to this pattern HERE.

"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.

www.foodstoragemoms.com/2016/07/get-started-food-storage-survival 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/middle-class-venezuelans-liquidate-savings-to-stockpile-food/2016/07/18/65933eb6-4d23-11e6-bf27-405106836f96_story.html I thought I would include this article about this family, middle class who had savings, name brand things, a seemingly comfortable life until something unforeseen happened in their country. Learn from it. If you are working on your storage, good for you. Put yourselves in their shoes...if they had storage they would not have to do this. This is recent and I am sure they never saw this coming. What is it like for the poorer people?

This is a huge event, you may never have to deal with this type but being prepared is what storage is all about.

How are you doing getting your storage in?

What would you do if you had to shelter in place? Would your storage last through any event?

I am sure some would say that would never happen here. They might be right but it could be something different. Keep in mind they probably did not see it coming. Often times we never do…it is all about being prepared.

This week our garbage disposal stopped working. Thinking that would be a costly fix we went online and found how to do it ourselves. It was fixed with a turn of an allen wrench, that was it, costing nothing. Simple blessings. Of course, we would and could have done without but I like this solution better.

How are you doing building your skills??

How are you doing with cooking from scratch? Send me some of your scratch recipes that you found bshook@huxcomm.net

One of my favorites is… in a 9x13 pan bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.

Green Bean Casserole

Brown one lb hamburger, drain (if I have left over taco meat I use that)
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans drained green beans
1 tbsp dried onion

Mix this all together

Then top with mashed potatoes

I like to put cheese on the potatoes, either way is great
bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or till golden

This is a great food storage recipe as well.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=basic+sewing+how+to+adjust+pattern&&view=detail&mid=A7D000F578F6284A5041A7D000F578F6284A5041&rvsmid=8E2B90426D2F4544D0C08E2B90426D2F4544D0C0&fsscr=0&FORM=VDQVAP

I have been learning to alter patterns as the skill I am working on.
What did you pick to work on? Drop me an e-mail.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sew+a+little+girls+skirt&qs=PF&cvid=e7df8ac0062f48faba2b32b4f95eaf31&pq=sew+a+little+girls+skirt&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dsew%2ba%2blittle%2bgirls%2bskirt%26form%3dEDGNTC%26qs%3dPF%26cvid%3de7df8ac0062f48faba2b32b4f95eaf31%26pq%3dsew%2520a%2520little%2520girls%2520skirt&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=8D4E89C777DB577E0EF98D4E89C777DB577E0EF9&FORM=WRVORC - skirt for little girl tutorial. I love this gal, you can see that you are in control of how long it is. You can make it cute and modest, you don’t have to settle.

http://craftygeminicreates.com/ - get ideas

http://huppiemama.com/potholder-sewing-tutorial/ - tutorial on sewing potholders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxRhVDH2AQ0tatting - reading patterns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmc4eWsX2A0 - tatting rings and chains
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9xFCprGDpA - tatting join

I hope you found some good tutorials here also I hope you are inspired to get in your storage.

Love what you are getting done, keep up the good work and do the best you can.

Monday Message

"Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. ... As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessities.  I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel.  I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over.  With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness."  L. Tom Perry, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, Nov. 1995.

http://www.foodstoragemoms.com/2016/07/easy-homemade-breadsticks/ easy bread sticks in place of dough enhancer, use same amount as yeast in vinegar.

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/food-storage?lang=eng food storage video

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-0001-family-home-storage-meet-jean?category=food-storage&lang=eng food storage video

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-0002-family-home-storage-meet-maureen?category=food-storage&lang=eng food storage video

I can’t stress enough - cook your own homemade foods. I usually have six to eight a day food recalls come through my computer. Eighty percent of what I get are E-coli and listeria, the other twenty percent are milk and peanut allergy related. Those are the ones I hear about, how many don’t I see and hear about??

What gets one to wonder is last month there was a flour recall for listeria. I did not think about it as I had never heard of that brand but then the other day I happened to look up at the TV when they said Betty Crocker cake mixes on recall. I needed more information as I use some for a jar cake I make. It never reported so I went online to find it involved two flavors, carrot cake and rainbow chip. And the reason for this they said was that recalled flour was used. Yep. So while I thought no big deal, I had never heard of that brand. We need to think what products we purchase that do use the recall products hmmmmm.

Food for thought. That being said here is the recipe that I use to make the mix for my jar cakes….

Jar cake mix

One cake mix (any flavor - our favorites so far are strawberry, cherry chip, lemon, chocolate)

One package of a one step angel food cake mix. This is a mix you add only water, stir and bake not the two step where you have two packages, one you mix egg whites with water then fold in packet two - you want the one step.

I mix the angel food cake mix and regular cake mix. I store these in a two-quart jar.

When I get ready to serve I put four Tbsp. of this mix into a pint jar. Don’t grease or spray, then add two Tbsp. water, stir well and microwave for one minute only, then I top with fruit or pie filling or pudding and top off with lite cool whip.

For a quick dessert this is a healthy thing, convenient and the mix goes a long way. What makes it healthy is the angel food cake mix which is half of this mix.

Along this line…

When making an angel food cake from mix or scratch if you add a packet of unsweetened drink mix i.e. koolaide, my favorite is strawberry. Just add the packet in the cake with dry ingredients and what you have is a wonderful flavor and colorful angel food cake - terrific.

www.howtosew.com/blog/sewing-basics/how-make-custom-seam-guide - great to look at things that people come up with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGITrkYdjJs - part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU3JOK3prZU - part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ef--qhq25s - part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOsuxTPzqXA - part 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBsddRoihVk - part 5

There you go for this blog post. Keep doing the best you can on working on your storage and building your skills.

Monday Message

Read through this week's Monday Message for a delicious Orange Rolls recipe!

"Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account... We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now." - President Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference October 1980; and in that same talk, he also said…
“There are blessings in being close to the soil, in raising your own food even if it is only a garden in your yard and a fruit tree or two. Those families will be fortunate who, in the lasts days, have an adequate supply of food because of their foresight and ability to produce their own.”

I think this is powerful. Produce their food, have skills to stretch the food by cooking from scratch, saving on foods purchased, spend wisely, learned skills to help now and in time of need. Raise and teach your children, life is hard so prepare them to be able to manage and to find joy no matter how much they do not have/how to make do cheerfully, not to begrudge things. You can teach them the skills and you can learn with them.  

It is like the fish story, you can feed them a meal or you can teach them to fish and they eat for an entire lifetime. They may never need any of what you teach but I am sure at least once they will need it… fortunes change quickly.

Knowing how to make do is an education. Being happy with what you have is an education. There might be areas you hate but knowing you can do them is an education. Knowing how to live within your means is an education. Learning to work with your spouse or kids when times are tough is an education. Being able to roll up your sleeves and help solve the problem is an education.

I think you see a pattern here, we want to keep learning and growing.

If a husband and wife do not work together but work against each other how can that be happiness? But when you are on the same team you find joy in helping each other and can laugh and have fun - there is no price tag on that.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+hand+sew&view=detail&mid=8648DFC597B4CFAC1D628648DFC597B4CFAC1D62&FORM=VIRE

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+hand+sew&&view=detail&mid=E8401B31DAFB8CAEC786E8401B31DAFB8CAEC786&rvsmid=8648DFC597B4CFAC1D628648DFC597B4CFAC1D62&FORM=VDQVAP&fsscr=0
- learn how some basic hand stitching is done.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=How+to+Thread+a+Sewing+Machine+for+Beginners&&view=detail&mid=56881686F432077F332356881686F432077F3323&FORM=VRDGAR - how to thread a machine. She is using a Brother sewing machine. You can look at your manual for how to thread your machine, if you don’t have a manual you can look online with your machine info.

http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/sewingbook/sewbook.html - very good if you need to learn sewing.

If you do not have a machine check on freecycle, craigslist, ask on facebook or purchase one if you can. If you're getting it free don’t expect to get the best ever machine, just get one that works and go through the lessons. Or maybe borrow one from a parent to learn on.

You know a stitch in time saves nine is a true thing!

http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/sewingbook/sewbook.html - how to mend a torn sheet.

http://ellenscreativepassage.blogspot.com/2013/01/free-washcloths.html - make wash cloths from old towels.

So don’t throw away, recycle and be frugal - this stretches out our money. You will feel good for doing it too.

It always makes me think of that Amish fella in front of me in line at the store. He had a nicely stitched patch on his coveralls, his wife proudly extended his work clothes and I am sure he loved that she was doing her part to help him.

Again, it is efficient to keep everything on the computer until the day it gets lost - always generate a hard copy.

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/planning-your-first-vegetable-garden/ it is time to think about gardening. Teach yourself how by looking up different ways that could be efficient. 

Learn then apply.

We do that in our lives all the time, it is education. Life is education… you can do it - never quit learning!

On a side note, I adapted a variation to the bread mix recipe to make...

Orange rolls

I take out ¼ c water and replace it with orange juice. Add dry ingredients (which is my jar of bread mix). I add two tbsp. grated orange rind and follow the directions till dough is raised. Then roll like for cinnamon rolls, spread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then cut with pizza cutter to get 48 squares, or as close as you get, layer four squares on side in sprayed jumbo muffin tin holes, let raise then bake at 400 degrees for ten to thirteen minutes. Watch close, you want them gold not burned. Take out and frost while hot.

Frosting

Two cups powder sugar
One tsp butter
One tbsp. grated orange peel
One fourth cup orange juice

Keep learning every day!

If you want me to cover something you need, let me know by sending me an email bshook@huxcomm.net

Keep working with your families, not against. It is like the three legged race, you get farther when you work together.