Monday Message

"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 may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But 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." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

We never know what is around the corner. Losing a job comes without notice for the most part. If you just got notified that you lost your job, do you have enough supplies to go a while? It takes a bit of time to find another job. In some cases, lots have lost their jobs all at once making it so that many people are trying to get a job at the same time. If you start another job, it will take a while to get a paycheck.  Keeping in mind that when it comes time it may be needed for housing or car payment so having food stocked up will help you get back up and running again.

Same with making a move. I always hung onto my storage as we needed it badly then as well.

There are a lot of reasons this makes sense to have storage on hand.

The winds have finally let up here and I am thankful. I have never seen it so windy every day for so long.

How are you coming along getting things ready for your garden? Just today I started setting the plants out on the covered porch.

In my area it's planting time. With prices still continuing to be high I hope you are planting something, even in pots. I planted spinach in a big pot on the porch. I have never had it come up so quickly. So because we had freezes and a frost I broke four sticks the same size and put them in the pot then covered with some plastic we had from painting (this I know as I saw paint on it). Then I took one of those plastic crates, turned it upside down and slid down the sticks so that it kept the plastic from blowing away. The crate just barely pushed over the pot. The sticks kept the plastic off the plants. I just took it off today and they are about ready for first harvest...this was much like a green house.

If you did not start seeds for planting, you can still pick up plants. I like to do both. I plant my seeds and have plants to not have all my eggs in one basket.

Not everyone lives in my zone for planting, some are even heading into winter. Some cannot plant due to health or places with no ground for gardening or in an area that doesn't allow gardening or any other reason. That is okay. Keep shopping sales, keep building your skills. Haunt thrift stores for needed items from church type cookbooks to all the things I mentioned last week, it could be anything in between.

If you can't find or even spend the money, then go to your library. Here are some great books to look for or ask for at the library.

You could go to past blog posts for thrifty ideas.

Times are hard so finding more frugal recipes or ways of doing things is a good idea right now.

What things do you have in your kitchen that you could do more with? I have been trying to see what other things I could do with what I have. Same goes for sewing machines. Do you know what all your sewing machine can do? It is easy to get into a rut doing things one way but sometimes there is another way if we take time to learn.

I know how to make bread just using my hands. That is great to know I can do that but finding a cheap three dollar bread machine at a yard sale or thrift store is great. I only bake the bread in the machine if it is brutally hot otherwise I dump in the bread mix I have made up.

I add my jar of dry ingredients to the water and push the dough setting on the machine then I take the dough out and shape it, let it rise and bake. For three dollars, this is a great helper.

As you have already met Tippy (We've had a name change from Mrs. Pickles) in the last post, she now wants also to give you helpful advice. Tippy says work on your skills and keep being kind!

Missy says keep shopping sales and a little at a time build up your storage

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)

Try every time you go to a store to pick up one item for your family's storage. If you go to the pharmacy, pick up band-aids or Epsom salt, or antibiotic cream. When you go to the grocery store, grab a bag of flour or shortening or sugar or yeast and salt - you can make bread with all these items then get peanut butter, jams.

These will add up, especially when you think how many times you go to the store.

Next time you are at a sewing store, get a pattern for making your daughters' underpants and if you have sons, get a pattern to make some boxers, they are easy

Of course, if you don't have a sewing machine, look on Craig's list or freecycle.

We really need to be stepping up our skills.

Prices continue to go up. I know someone who makes underpants from her husbands t-shirts so be creative, put a little bow on and they are pretty. I made our girls' panties when they were little, I appliqued butterflies and such.

I know it is hard to carve out the time to sew but get supplies so you will be ready when you find the time.

In two weeks it will be planting time, this is a huge skill to build.

https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners - just read this article.

Every little bit we learn to do saves us money then we can take that money and build our storage.

One thing I did was plant asparagus. This will feed us with hardly any work, if you can plant fruit trees and grapes and strawberries these will feed us later on.

So consider planting things that will feed you for years.

I feel like hard times will be with us for a while. I'm praying they don't get worse but I feel like it never hurts to develop those skills.

Budgeting for hard times...https://www.wollit.com/money-hub-resource/50-tips-to-save-money-through-hard-times - here are some useful ideas

We need to start using things that we have and find uses for things like old jars (just as an example) put screws or nails or pens in them. Rather than tossing things, think up a use for them.

We can vacuum seal in jars so save their lids. When you open a jar look inside the lid do you see that rubber around the edge? Yep, it will seal.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/08/monday-message_24.html - in this post I write how to vacuum seal using a canister that allows you to use any size jar that has a lid with that rubber in it. And just incase you missed seeing this list, I post it here again...

What you learn is also part of your storage, soooo....

Do you know how to grind wheat? Do have a grinder?

Do you know how to make bread?

Do you know how to make a cake from scratch?

Can you cook totally from scratch?

Can you make what you need?

Do you know how to effectively budget, garage sale and thrift buying?

Do you know how to shop for groceries effectively?

Do you know how to darn socks?

Do you know how to knit socks?

Do you know how to knit mittens, hats, scarves?

Can you refashion your clothes without spending money?

Can you make the world's best cookies?

Can you make pancakes from scratch?

Can you make syrup for said pancakes?

Can you make jam?

Can you can or pressure can or dehydrate?

Can you make flour tortillas?

Can you sew, can you mend?

Can you grow a garden?

Can you make yogurt?

Can you grow herbs? Do you know how to use them?

Can you manage not going grocery shopping for a month? How about two, three, or four months? You should see how long you can go and see what you are short of though use the grocery funds to get storage while you do this exercise.

This list is much longer and varies with each of you.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2014/01/monday-message-becoming-self-reliant.html - great stuff on this post.

These are just a few things to look for at yard sales or thrift stores or freecycle or Craig's list.

When I go to a yard sale or thrift store, I usually have a list to keep me on track. Once I look for the list items, I then say to myself, is there anything in here that can help me be more frugal? And that is how I got my food savers both from a yard sale. Both were ten dollars. One was brand new, the other used once.  

Yes, many times people will buy items to find out they either don't like what the item did or what they wanted it to do, but in reality it could be so much more than the one thing. But since it is helpful to others, I am glad they put it on a yard sale. Purchasing items used is so helpful if you can as it saves so much which means you have funds to get the next item on your list.

Now this isn't just food prep alone. Look for sewing machines and supplies for sewing and knitting and crocheting. Look for gardening tools. Look to replace things you already have that might not go on much further. Set it aside and keep going till the item is no longer good nor can be repaired and bring out the one you got at that yard sale and you won't have to get a replacement at new prices.

Study things that will help you build your skills or teach you more frugal ways of doing things.

That said, we have a new addition for you all to meet. We took in another stray that was hanging around outside...

Meet Mrs. Pickles she is six months-old. I know she reminds you a lot of Gus in the face.

She says always be kind to everyone.

Missy says while she is having a really hard time adjusting to Mrs. Pickles, she says keep working at your storage and be flexible with change.

Monday Message

"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 may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But 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." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

With all the extreme weather and calamities, I think we need to have storage going in our homes. I know we can't prepare for everything but what we are able to prepare is a very helpful thing for us or someone else. The weather is pretty much broken right now so we push on as our ancestors, doing the best we can.

So here is the peach tree blossoming. This would have been a great year for peaches, it is loaded, but tonight we have a freeze warning posted so probably no peaches again this year. Time will tell. This is one of the reasons having storage on hand is good, we just don't know what will happen.

http://preparednessnibblesandbits.blogspot.com/search/label/Dehydrated%20Apples%20Recipes - this is one of my most favorite sites. If you scroll down to the apple crisp recipe that is the one I use all the time and it is sooooo good. I have mostly apples I have dried in storage, I find this is my most favorite way to store them. The other things I store with apples is applesauce and apple butter but mostly I dry them.

Apple Butter (this is the best in all the world) 

Make one gallon of applesauce (or if it is a not good year for apples, you can buy a gallon of it at Fareway or your grocery store) to this add:

3 c. sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cloves

4 c. apple juice

Mix all together in a roaster pan without the lid.

Bake at 350 for 3-4 hours till thick.

Process in a water bath for 15 minutes.

http://preparednessnibblesandbits.blogspot.com/2008/12/magic-mix.html - this is a good one to have on hand too.

http://myfoodstoragecookbook.com/create-your-own-book/ - here is one lady's way of setting up her food storage binders.

So keep working on having some items ahead. Weather is weird all around the world not just here. I saw that sugar will spike and go into shortage on the news because the weather damaged fields. Having extra on hand helps us to weather these things better.

I happened to find these charms marked way down on clearance so I made progress markers of them. A progress marker is if you want to see how far you knit or crochet in a sitting but mostly on crochet they act as stitch markers as well and on knitting...

When I am working on double-pointed needles (as in the picture here) stitch markers slide off but a progress marker can be attached between needles like in this picture, its purpose here is to mark the beginning of the row.

So it was a happy little find.

This week has been a very busy week. We took all the artwork my husband has made to a show he has been getting ready for two years. We got it delivered and installed. It was a lot of work.

The show is at Dog-Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.

I have been waiting these two years to reclaim my dining room so finally I have it back...

So a rest is in order for a couple weeks I hope.

Missy says make hay while the sun shines

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)

I hope you all are doing well this week.

At the time I am writing this, it has gotten quite warm here in Iowa this week but it has been hot and windy, so windy, which equals pain for me. I feel like it has been windy every day for so long I am finding it hard to remember when it hasn't been windy, good grief.

We replaced the screen in the back door it was so very hard to do it with the metal screen. We have decided if any other screens ever need replacing, we will use the nylon screen. The reason we did metal was bugs, like grasshoppers, eat the nylon and squirrels like to climb it. It took hours. The nylon one only took less than a half hour so for us old people now I think we will go back to that. So for hours we were working on trying to put the cord in and the wind was so hard to work against, it has been like that all week.

Yesterday I put landscaping fabric down on the garden as I just can't keep up with the weeds and I did not want them to get ahead of me so I fought the winds doing that too.

Today I went through my summer clothes to see what fits for the summer ahead and donate what doesn't tomorrow.

I have still been doing some organizing in the kitchen.

I think I am pretty much done with spring cleaning. My plants are growing. Our time to plant here is after May 15th, that is the last frost date, though I have seen if frost after that.

I mentioned that it has been hot, in the mid-eighties, but Sunday it says snow flurries, incredible.

This is a pretty reminder that mostly winter is in the rearview mirror.

I have seen rhubarb coming up as well and the peach tree is budding. I would sure love peaches this year.

So hot, thunderstorms and snow flurries all in three days, good grief.

I continue to work on the sock tubes.

I know not everyone knits but for those of you that do this is my favorite sock tutorial. She does a great job explaining how to make them. She is one of my favorite watches, could be because I have family roots that go back to Norway but I think I just like her :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhoji0YQkKU - she does amazing socks, I am glad she shared how to make them.

I also made up more bread mixes while I was organizing in the kitchen. I added a small handful of five-grain cereal to them this time.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2016/02/monday-message_29.html - having these on hand ready to go has helped me so much.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2022/06/monday-message_20.html - here is the recipe I use. In this post, I added a handful of oats and this time I added a small handful of the five-grain cereal as well as the oats.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2014/03/monday-message_10.html - This post has more mixes.

Missy says as we push on through our busy days, find time to rest. If you need a teacher she volunteers.

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)

I think I finally got better. That was a thirty day cold grrrr but glad to be done with it. So vigilant I will be with wearing a mask to church I say. My immune system stinks, I feel like an old squash that is beginning to decay. Yep, systems are breaking down.

Soon garden planting will be on us here. Seeds have been started. A couple, it has to be reported, have already grown so fast this year.

It is so nice to not be in winter though I have known some snowstorms to show up all the way into late April. It's beautiful when it happens, but it will go away fast. We have great temperatures for this coming week.

I get groceries once a month. Because of this, sticker shock is a real thing to me. I noticed how much higher in just one month's time they are. I can't see things getting better in the coming months ahead. So I refused to get some items and will do a work around...it's just too much of an increase. We must find ways of doing these work arounds and ways of doing more frugal things.

It takes some research and a little more work but we can do it.

I have fond memories of this recipe for cream cuts. My mother-in-law fixed this when my husband and I were just dating, this day we were snowmobiling and came in and this was warm and oh so good.

Cream Cuts

Pastry:

2 sticks butter

2 c. flour

Half a cup of ice water

Mix like regular pastry.

I have two flat cookie sheets, roll half on one and the other half on the other so it is the exact size of cookie sheet.

Bake 350 till golden and bubbly.

Let them cool when done baking. I will make crusts on Saturday then the filling on Sunday so we can have it warm.

Filling:

4 c. Milk, I just use thicker powdered milk as I never have milk on hand.

6 egg yolks, I save the whites in the freezer for later use in angel food cake.

1/4 c. cornstarch

2/3 c. sugar

Combine, stir while bringing to a boil, remove from heat and add....

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir, set aside to cool.

Then spread over one crust, then slide the other crust over filling.

Then mix powdered sugar, a little water, and almond flavoring, stir till drizzle like consistency.

Drizzle over the top crust.

Then eat, yum!!

I have been growing my knitting skills by working on these sock tubes.

I have the pattern in my head now so that is a good skill. I had been working on them for a while now, I feel like a slow learner, I do.

What skills are you working on?

How is your storage coming? Do you have rice, beans, and wheat in like mentioned in the quote at the top?

I have been gathering my instruction manuals for my kitchen appliances into one binder as I will only have this binder to find to look up information on what I need. Yes, for the most part I can do the same things over and over but I plan to learn more about what other things these appliances can do.

For example I recently found...

These two little waffle irons at Salvation Army where I found the pumpkin one that I used for my Christmas bag. I found these two both unused for very little. I have a collection of these dash waffle irons. It started with one my daughter and I found at the grocery store before Christmas long before Covid. It was a little waffle iron that was pink and made little toaster size waffles, that is what we liked about them as we could make them ahead and freeze. 

I have a weakness for waffle irons of any kind, all doing different types of things. All this to say their little directions include recipes and so do other appliances and having them all together in a binder is helpful, so I am redoing this binder to be more efficient.

I have been slow to get over this cold that I had but eventually my energy will get back to better than now at least.

Missy says keep working on your skills and find ways to be more frugal. Don't forget to tell us ways you have found to be frugal.

Monday Message

"Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. We could refer to all the components of personal and family preparedness, not in relation to holocaust or disaster, but in cultivating a life-style that is on a day-to-day basis its own reward." (President Spencer W. Kimball)

Developing our storage is a good lifestyle for sure. It doesn't hurt anyone, just takes a little work on our part. If bad times comes for us or not, we are able to feed our family and neighbors.

Just pick up an item every time you are in a store. Rotate your storage and when you are sick or storms of life hit, you can stay home knowing you are prepared.

Day 23 today, March 29th, of being sick here. I was hoping to say I was better by now... This reminds me of a few years ago when there was a thirty day strain that came through.

I haven't done much but make froggie a pair of pants. I saw them on this video - https://www.instagram.com/p/CqI4tReolNy/ Of course there was no pattern, I just made it up as I went, not as good as she does.

At some point I want to make a crew neck sweater for him. I do have a pattern for that. Hope she comes out with the trousers pattern, though I kind of came close.

That is the kind of thing one does when they are sick.

I did get seeds planted indoors, it about did me in but they are tended.

I also have been reviewing the Toyota knitting machine studying to build this skill.

Being sick has really hampered my getting things done. Which doesn't make me a happy camper. But I could manage these things so at least there is that.

I am hoping to be better by the next Monday Message I write.

This coming weekend is our Church's general conference (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) which we get on TV so I am looking forward to that so much. Our tradition is to have chili and cinnamon rolls.

The other thing I like to have is a knitting project to knit while watching it. Today I will get my sock tubes staged to work on heels and toes.

So that is today's project to ready them so I can just pick up one and finish and then the next and so forth, today will be getting them separated for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDxTb2jeV8 - I wanted to have you who are wanting to learn to sew check out this series, she teachings you to sew. It's free, all you have to do is watch. She is just at the beginning of it. She is teaching you about the sewing machine. You might not have the same as her but that is okay, she covers them generally as well.

Missy in her new bag says keep working on storage and skills. She says take time to rest in a bag if you can.

I did not think she would accept a new bag but she went right in and took a nap....she knows a thing or two about resting!

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)

You cannot believe how quickly it will build if you just start a little here and a little there. We all go to the store so often, just make yourself pick up one item for storage every time. That way it isn't painful like a big purchase. I still do this though I don't go to stores very often. Once it is a habit, you won't have to think it, you just do it.

It is so nice to see no snow when I look out the window.

I still am fighting this cold flu but doing a little better. I have done little putzing jobs as I can around the house. Mostly had to rest, still so wore out but pushing on. It is amazing what you think up to do when you can't feel up to it.

https://theprudenthomemaker.com/how-we-saved-money-this-past-week-16/ - she does frugal things, very inspiring.

This last year for Christmas we did something different for fun. Both of us opened a bag each day from December 1st through the 25th. It was such a hit, we will do it again this year. The things were inexpensive, mostly Dollar Tree items and a piece of chocolate. So after Christmas our grocery store had bags of miniature candy bars for a dollar. I got them and froze them to put in our bags, just a few in each bag.  

For the bags I use lunch sacks. I have been getting bag items every time I get groceries to spread out the cost while still within our grocery budget. This is one thing I am doing to stretch the budget. This I am doing for the two of us. Yes, me too. I save the best one for Christmas Day. I have already forgotten what things I have gotten, so it works. This year I am putting our initials on the bags. I will write 25 on the bag for Christmas Day. We will pick each other's bag out for the day so it will be a surprise every day. Like I said, these are just inexpensive useful items.

https://frugalfamilyhome.com/food/recipes/vanilla-pancake-syrup-recipe - make your own syrup.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/frugal-living-tips/frugally-fit - lots here, she always has great stuff.

So many ways to be frugal, starting with recipes that are frugal. If you have old church cookbooks or find any at thrift stores or yard sales they are just full of frugal recipes.

I have found many recipes over the years from these cookbooks. They are a book of everyone's favorite recipes. So pick them up when you see them and spend time looking through them. They are also a lot more frugal.

I have watched many podcasts where so much butter is used when it isn't necessary and it is very greasy and not at all good for you, not to mention expensive. More doesn't make it better. I also cringe when I see people not measure out spices and herbs, which I see them just dump them in from the container guessing. To me where they might only need a tsp. but it ends up being tablespoons, this is expensive. So measure your ingredients, this will save a lot as well. We need to stretch what we have and to be frugal where we can.

https://frugalfamilyhome.com/food/recipes/make-your-own-groceries-35-recipes-to-make-at-home-and-save - she has things that you can make yourself.

Missy says remember to wash your paws to keep those germs at bay. She also says slow down and smell the catnip. Work on storage and finding frugal ways to live.