The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen

I know at first glance it looks like the title to an old western. But it's really an important list to know and keep handy. In fact I would print it out on a card and keep it in my purse for shopping trips. Here's why: First and foremost I know that not everyone can afford organic food. I'd like to say I buy all organics, but I don't. It's just not possible to feed a family our size with our food budget. I'm sure I'm not alone. But there are certain food items that are really considered the bad of the bad. This list is called "the Dirty Dozen". These are foods that are so heavily treated and abused that if you can't afford to buy them in organic, it's better to do without. It shouldn't be taken lightly either, the testing done on these foods gave a result of 47 chemicals present, on average, with some testing positive for as many as 67 chemicals! Reading the list may be hard, I know I'll be biting my lip as I read it again, because I choke on those prices. But you really have to bring yourself back to what is important. The health of your family is in your hands every day, every dinner, every shopping trip. (and that includes all shopping, not just food, but that's a post for another time) If you're making a conscious choice to do better, you have to start choosing, and this list is a good place to begin.

I will say though, that anything you can grow yourself would be by far better than any organic food you can buy, so long as you grow it without added chemicals and pesticides. Because they're fresh and grown in soil that isn't over farmed. You can more easily feed and nurture your growing space than any organic operation simply because of the size of your plot.

That said, there are also foods in a list called "the Clean Fifteen". Which are generally not treated, or treated heavily and considered to be safer for buying in conventional form. In testing they showed little to no traces of chemicals. Now while many will argue that "organics are always best", and they may well be correct, the clean fifteen can allow some breathing room for a cash strapped growing family that's trying to do their best without going broke. Use this list as a buffer for your grocery budget. If you eat foods mainly on the dirty dozen list and can't afford to buy them in organics, you can begin to use more of the foods on the clean list to balance out your grocery bill.

This is JUST a starting point. Take it a step at a time. Pick one thing on the dirty list and begin to buy it organic, or replace it with something on the clean list, and keep doing that until you can look at the dirty list and feel confident that you've mastered it. Then move on to other things. Don't be overwhelmed by the choices and the expense. And don't feel like you have to do it all now! Baby steps here! You didn't learn to use those foods overnight, and you'll take time to learn different ways too. We can all learn to be healthy, but it will take time. And don't forget to pray. Often times when I feel like I don't have other options, I pray and doors open. God cares about our health too, and He'll help guide you in your walk, both spiritually and in taking care of your family.

So without further delay, here are the lists:

The Dirty Dozen:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• domestic blueberries
• nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• spinach, kale and collard greens
• cherries
• potatoes
• imported grapes
• lettuce

The Clean Fifteen:

• onions
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• mango
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi fruit
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potatoes
• sweet onions

You can most likely see, as I did that there are many things we use that are not on either list. I'll go over some more info when I address the topic of "going organic" in my Tips to Save Money series. But my suggestion, until you have better info would be to buy those food from the best source you can afford. Hope this helps you take a step in the right direction!

³¹"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

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.

Free food!

If I could I would send out fliers everywhere with "FREE FOOD" in big bold letters. But a part of me wonders if the lines of people would dwindle as they realised that the free food mentioned were what most people call "weeds". There are many many free foods available. Our Father in Heaven provided them for us. I believe it is His sincere desire that none of us go hungry. Free foods are everywhere around us and are available in abundance, if we're willing to go out and find them. Sometimes that can mean a family hike. But in the case of this link I'm sharing with you today, it's probably in your own back yard. Many people think these weeds are taunting the fact that we can't get rid of them. I like to think that they are persistent because we need them. Kind of like a grandma pushing you to eat your veggies.

So here's the link to a video called Introduction to Wild Foods: Dandelions.

Another cool link is for a man, named Green Deane, who does video lessons on wild foods. They're called Eat The Weeds. He's got a funny sense of humor but more importantly is very knowledgeable and backs up his info with actually preparing and eating what he teaches you about.

So go click around, watch some videos and learn about getting some Free Food for your family!

⁴ "In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was the root of the broom bush." Job 30:4

Blessings

AND THE WINNER IS...

Well I think you all are awesome, and it was great to get to know new faces and hear from some I didn't know were reading! What a blessing it is to be able to share my thoughts with all of you and know they're a blessing. So without further torture and delay....

The winner of the book, In God's Garden, chosen by our very own V-Hannah (2yrs) is...

Deb!

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy the book! Email me with your address at stcischwrz at aol dot com. and I'll send it off to you right away!

And everyone stay tuned! we'll have another giveaway soon!

God bless and don't forget to stay in the word so that His blessings may be fulfilled in your life!

18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." Deuteronomy 11:18 NKJV

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!