MYO Canned milk and French Fries!

My grandmother tells me about the vouchers used during the depression, each person was only allowed to buy a certain amount of things like sugar and gasoline per month, so they had to have vouchers to purchase them. She remembers her mother saving vouchers to be able to buy enough extra sugar for a birthday cake. I can't imagine what that was like, but I know hard times happen and I try to be prepared for them.
 One of the things I think we'll miss most during hard times is the occasional treat! I'm not a fast food person myself, but I do like to enjoy the occasional french fry, usually home made. You may be thinking, yeah I can make french fries! Sure, I make home made fries with fresh potatoes too. (You do NOT have to deep fry them!) But I'm going to share with you a video that teaches you how to put up potatoes when they're on sale, or abundant in your garden and then be able to use them later for home made french fries! How neat is that! There's also a tip in there about how to keep potatoes from getting starchy during the canning process! So for a great video on putting up french fries, watch this!

 

The next thing I want to discuss can often be a topic of heated discussion. What is it? Canned milk. Today I'm going to share with you not only the how, but also the why. Did you know that store bought canned milk is not only homogenized, but it is also irradiated! (who needs irradiated food!?) I for one don't want that, but there are different ideas on whether or not you can safely can milk at home. On the one hand you have people who have done it safely for years with never a problem. On the other hand you have die hard ball blue book advocates and extension program studiers who swear that you can't! WHY? They never give a good reason, other than the standard: "Because you don't have commercial equipment to do it with". My response has always been "SO WHAT? Give me a real answer. What is it about the commercial process that is supposed to be better than my processing abilities?" And you know what, there is never a clear, founded reason. My ball book says that 240` is the temperature at which bacteria, mold and yeasts are destroyed. The only time I've ever heard of foods not being able to come up to temp correctly is when they're too dense. Milk definitely is not. Then there are others who say it won't taste right. Well, sure if you over cook it, which you don't have to. Thirdly, I've heard "you can't kill the bacteria in milk". Well my answer to that is that raw milk from a trusted source is safe to drink, so why not canned? I am of the school of thought that there really isn't a good reason other than money. If you can it yourself, you don't have to buy it from them, dairy companies, big AGRI- business. HMMM. Shame on them.

I've found a video in which a lovely lady teaches you how to can milk, using a clean kitchen and proper canning methods. She shares with viewers that canned milk is over a dollar a can in some places. And the cost of canning it is much lower. (try 25 cents a pint!) She also has the testimony of actual use. She said it tastes great over cereal, because it's not over processed! I think that's a smart way to prepare for the future without going broke! Here you go!

(The embedding abilities were disabled, so I'll give you the link instead)
Canning Milk, by the Preppers Wife, Prepare today, for tomorrow come what may.

*Edited to add- On a side note, I just read an article that said you can use the same process for canning other kinds of milk too! And a woman shared that her grandmother canned fresh cream for many years, to use when they couldn't get to the market. 


Will you give me a moment to tug at your ear?... It is not conspiracy theory, sensationalism, or paranoia. It is a fact of life that hard times can and will come. Whether for just your family or for the world over or somewhere in between, they do come. We can certainly trust in the Lord for all that we need, but we do see scriptural examples of God telling His people to prepare. Please learn about preparedness, for your family, however you choose to do it, keep your eyes upon the Lord, but remember to do what you can to prepare yourself and your family for hard times that you may face. It is not my wish that any of His children would suffer and that's part of the reason why I share what I can.


³⁵"And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine." Genesis 41:35-36 KJV

Blessings,
Staci

Companies Shrinking Packages to boost their bottom line! PLUS tips to save money part 1

I read an article this morning and am appalled but not surprised. I understand that the economy is in trouble, and we're all doing what we can to save money. That's one reason why this bothers me. It becomes very difficult to keep your costs down and keep tabs on what you're spending when the companies are using underhanded techniques to keep their bottom line up! During the depression era there was a lot of this going on and now we're seeing it again. But the moms of those days found a way to make things work and I'm going to share a few tips new and old on how you can make it too.

Here's a link to the article and here's the bottom line: Many more companies are now using a deceiving technique to get your money, and more of it, while giving you less in return. That's right LESS. Basically they have reduced the size or amount of what you're getting while keeping the prices the same. This allows them to deceive you by letting you think you're getting the same good deal you've always gotten, but in reality you're paying more for your items. They know that if you see a price jump you might divert your money elsewhere and they'll loose profits. So their resolve is... you guessed it... to deceive you into spending more on their products by making you think you're spending less. So a word to the wise... check your package sizes as well as prices when shopping for the best deal.

Here are some brief tips on my money saving techniques. I'll give an overview today and in the coming days I'll give you more detailed information on each one.

1. One way I save money is to check price per ounce or per pound, this is probably the best way to save on items you already buy and the price per oz is usually listed right on the tag.

2. Another tip on saving money is to (almost) skip the coupons. Generally the stores and manufacturers use coupons to direct and control your spending and to lure you in for items so they can get you to buy other stuff that has been increased in price to make up for it. (You don't really think they're going to give you great deals for nothing do you?)

3. I do read store adds to find the best price on what I already need. But I do this with my price list handy. This helps me figure out if they're really offering a good deal or just using tricky marketing.

4. Loyalty belongs only to the Lord and to your family. I have no brand or store loyalty. I aim for the best price and quality where ever I can find it. I have no qualms about saving money on milk at one store while buying my bulk items at another store.

5. One more thing is to buy and quality fruits and veggies in their natural form when they're available. While a store or company can change the size on a ketchup bottle to hide a price hike, you can't do that with a tomato!

6. I also cook from scratch and buy ingredients and bulk goods whenever I can. You know what you're getting, what's in it and how much per pound you're paying. 

7. Buy items that have added value. Whether in the form of items with multiple uses like an all purpose cleaner vs a cleaner for every job, or in the form of packaging like glass storage jars that can be saved and used again.

8. Use and re-use everything! One of the heralding terms of the depression was "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!". That adage is as valuable today as it was back then. Anything that doesn't need to be bought is money in your pocket and you want to keep it there. So use it and re-use it. 

9. Grow it or make it yourself, then "eat what you can and can what you can't". Believe it or not even the smallest efforts put into growing or making your own goods can save you a substantial amount of money. Don't overlook this very important way that many families not only survived, but thrived during the depression era. 

10. What about Organics? As wives and mothers we should be doing the best we can for our own families. If that means non organic but from scratch, that's a better option than processed foods. More importantly don't cut costs on your food budget, by buying lower quality, so you can use the money for yourself. My purpose for cutting costs is so I can buy the best quality available to me, and improve or protect the health of my family. My best advice is to familiarize yourself with a couple lists. One is called the "dirty dozen" and the other is called the "clean fifteen".  In my next post I'll give you the actual lists and some pointers on how I purchase and use these foods for my own family.

¹⁵"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Proverbs 31:15-16

Blessings,

Staci

PS: before you go I wanted to tell you that a great way to save money is to spend less money on water. WHAT??? ok, sounds funny, but if you click on my "green company" button you can find out about a green company that sells their safe and natural products in concentrate form to save you and them money on water and packaging. I love this company and I love their products because they're safe, natural, and cost effective. I've been accused of being a greeny, but when it comes to the health of my family, that's ok.

Frugal Food and Gardening AND A BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I stumbled on something this morning, a blog/website called Make It Your Own, she had an article called what do you throw away? Find it here

She reminded me of a bit of knowledge I have previously gleaned but had forgotten to use in recent times. However when I think about the hard economic times we're in, I'm sure it would do us all some good to remind ourselves of a simple truth. "Throwing away useful things is like putting money in the trash." My grandparents lived during the depression era, and one of the things I've heard them say over and over is... there's a use for that. Now I will be the first to admit that this train of thought can lead to pack rat tendencies, but if looked at reasonably can save us some money. Many of the things we throw away can be used as frugal alternatives to things we would otherwise throw away. In her article she listed using bones for soup or broth and I'm sure we've all hear of that, but what about watermelon rind – if you pickle it, you can use it on occasion in place of pickles. Or how about candied citrus peel, don't like to eat them? Use them in instead of raisins in a raisin bread recipe (with or without the cinnamon) for a nice zing! The bonus to that is that they're a source of vitamin C. Beet tops can be used like spinach when fresh. Then you have green tomato relish, a sweet recipe can replace jam or a sour one for pickle relish. Unripe or overripe fruit is great for relish,chutney, or quick-breads. Rose hips and crab apples make beautiful jelly, and rose hips have more vitamin C than oranges. Small amounts of leftover food are often the starting point for most of my homemade soups, a nice alternative to PB and J for lunch. Many flowers are edible too! Try fried zucchini flowers, or dandelion flower lemonade, pansies in your salad or rose petals on a cake, they're tasty and pretty and best of all FREE. If you're worried about loosing the zucchini fruits, pick the male flowers as apposed to the female flowers, they're abundant in the beginning of the season.

Salad greens are expensive, and so is weed killer, many people balk at the idea, but really the best way to get rid of dandelions is to eat them. They can be hidden in any food containing tomatoes (it controls bitterness) and the leaves are great for greens in a salad. The root can be washed cut and roasted and used as a coffee replacement. Dandelions are a bitter herb, so they stimulate the digestive process, and also offer an added benefit, they're high in vitamins and minerals and very good for your liver and kidneys, but they're gentle and safe for everyone. If you find you can't take the bitterness, blanch the greens by placing a flower pot inverted over the whole plant for a week before harvesting. They'll be more tender as well.

Learn to know your edible weeds, there is abundant information out there and it will save you money on your groceries as well as your medical bills by bringing better health to your family.

" 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food." Genesis 1:29 NKJV

(I am not arguing the idea of eating meat, simply the health benefit of eating the herbs as God made them for. A good book is from Goosefoot Acres, called the Volunteer Vegetable Sampler, by Peter Gail. I studied my yard for a year continuously and noticed one important fact. There was not one 2 week period in the entire year that there was nothing to eat, growing free will in my yard. God provides abundantly for his children, we just have to be willing to accept what he provides.

Another thing that people can save money on is seeds. Many of the foods we buy in the grocery store can give viable seed. Some are better than others. Foods that are picked green may not have usable seed, but many will. Lots of the seeds in the spices section, if fresh, will grow a like plant. Tomatoes and peppers although hybrids will still grow tomatoes and peppers. Carrot ends, the part where the plant grows up, if planted will grow again, not the root, but the plant, and the plant may produce seed, which can be used to plant more carrots. Organic potatoes often have not been treated and will sprout for you. Squash plants will produce squash. The theory behind saving seeds is not to save certain kinds because of possible cross pollination, but if you grow 2 kinds of squash the seed may be a cross between them, but it will still be a squash, and a free one at that. Bean seeds will obviously produce more beans, or green beans if picked green. Did you forget to harvest the last of your winter crops last year? Leave them to flower, they'll give you seed to start for free this year. I once noticed a celery head, that had been thrown in the compost, growing!

If you don't have room to compost or raise your own animals which can be fed the scraps, consider this... Do you know anyone who does? If you know someone who raises the animals, give them your scraps, maybe even make a trade for some of their products. An elderly neighbor told me to come over and salvage the apples from her tree, the bees were going crazy for the rotting apples. We went a step farther. We sorted the apples we could use and cleaned up the apples we couldn't, the totally rotten ones went in the compost, the not so rotten ones went to a friends goats, and the rest we canned up, my compost got fed, the goats got fed, the neighbor got rid of her bees, we got fed and then we also shared some jars with the neighbor. Or the alternative, let the apples lay there and rot, only the bees and bugs get to eat. The bonus, our neighbor wants us to come back this year and harvest the apples while they're fresh!

This isn't a matter of luck, it's called resourcefulness. We can be resourceful and also teach our little ones be resourceful too. They'll be a help to us and have a skill they may come to need in their own lives. Happy Frugaling!

"12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." Deuteronomy 28:12 NKJV"

Now for the giveaway: Leave a comment below, including your name and share what you do with food stuffs that many people throw away. On May 31 we will have a drawing. The winner will receive a book called In God's Garden. If you post about this on your facebook or twitter, or blog about it, you will receive an extra entry for each posting site, just leave a comment here with a link to your post. You get another entry just for telling me you're a follower or becoming a follower (thanks Grace for the idea). Thanks for entering and God Bless!