good morning wonderful friends!!!!!! I hope you are having a wam and cozy morning today. it was 17 degrees when I got up this morning. yup, it was and right now, at the 9:00 am hour, it is a hot 23 degrees. hahahaha well, I guess if you're 20 below, then 23 degrees would seem warmer for sure. maybe. I don't know though. hahaha I just know that while it's cold, I'm dreaming of warmer days this coming spring. so I'll keep warm thoughts even if it is cold outside. I hope you will too.
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this is just some of the things that has been swirling around in my head. I felt the need to get it down in writing, because it may help me and hopefully help someone else. if it helps just one person, then it will have been well worth my effort to do this. most of it is stuff that I need to remember to do.
the days are a struggle at best anymore, with the sense of urgency that is in everyone's lives over the food situation. I get it. I understand as much as anyone about that. I've been around a while and seen the same sense of urgency a few times. some situations have just been the urgency in our personal lives that have made us change our habits. when these urgent situations have come up in your life in the past, then it helps you to be better able to adapt to what may be coming around the corner, hopefully.
when you go shopping and see the shelves, don't focus on what's not there, but focus on what "is" there. ask yourself how you can use what you do see and don't worry about what you don't see. I have learned early on in my life that I'm not shackled to one brand or to one store. I try to do my research and make a plan and a list and hit the trail. armed with a list and a plan, I know I have set myself up for success. even if my list changes and my plan changes, I've done all I could do before hand to be successful. if I have dried beans on my list, and they're out of what I wanted, I'll change that plan and get the next best thing close by. I may have wanted pinto beans. instead, I'll get red beans or black beans or whatever is there. if my plans changed a lot, I may be able to pick up 2 or 3 bags of whatever kind of beans I can get. one for now and another one or two for later. I usually go shopping with a set number of dollars to spend. if I can't get one type of meat, I'll look and see what is available and change my plans and get what I can get. I may even be able to get 2 pkgs of something else. one for now and one for later.
same thing with fresh produce. make your list and be flexible. get what you can get. when I look for green onions, I make sure I get green onions with root balls on the end. I'll cut all the usable part away and save about an inch plus the roots and I'll hydrate the roots for a day or so and then I'll plant the roots of each green onion and I can cut greens from them all summer. when they get about 7 - 9 inches above the ground, I'll cut it off and it'll keep on growing. if we don't use it all, what's not used goes on the dehydrator. I'll do the same with leeks. I make sure they have plenty of good roots on them in the store and then cut the end off and hydrate those roots too and plant them and they do just like the green onions. so for the cost of 1 bundle of green onions and 1 bundle of leeks, I've been able to cut the greens off them and use and dehydrate all summer long and have a little to go on into the fall and winter with. you can also plant the end of your celery and get lots of flavorful celery leaves to use and also dehydrate.
when I get home with my fresh fruit and veggies, I use a marker to write the date I purchased them on the bag or container they came in. that way when I reach for something I can quickly find what needs to be used first. I'll prepare bell peppers sticks, carrot sticks, celery sticks, diced onions, diced green onions, and have all these ready to go in salads. I'll usually prep on Saturday and Wednesday. anything left in the prep boxes on Saturday and Wednesday, goes into my dehydrator. then I fill my boxes again. for salads and any kinds of soups or anything that needs a good dose of veggies in it. having them pre-prepped, means it's easier to use and that means less waste. then what does get dehydrated will also get used in some of the same dishes that I would use fresh veg in. they've just been dehydrated and they will work beautifully in a soups and casseroles.
this isn't an end-all to the urgency in which we are living, but it should help me, and maybe you too, to remember that if there is anything that is in our control, it is how we look at what we can purchase. make a list, make a plan and then, be flexible.
with all of this, is also the fact that have the ability to cook from scratch. some of us older ones grew up watching our Mommas and Grandmommas cook and whether we realized it or not, we was learning from them at a very early age. a lot of younger people today hasn't had the same experience. so we're eating instant this and premade that which is double, triple or quad the price of the items to make it from scratch. even if you don't want to make it from scratch, look for a less expensive "whatever" and add a few fresh veggies to it. for instance, we like a pizza every once in a while. I'm not paying $15 or $20 or more for a pizza when I can buy at 4, or more, cheaper pizzas with that same money. I go home, bring out my veggie boxes that has onions, bell peppers and green onions, put some extra olives on it and bake it. no, it's not the expensive pizza, but it made us happy and I know what we saved and because we went that route, we'll have 3 more pizzas with all fresh veggies that we wouldn't have had if I had bought the expensive pizza. that's just one example of how we can make changes to save money which in turn can help us be able to actually buy more groceries in the long run. and have more meals at the ready for our families. we can turn one expensive meal in to 4 or more.
are you brand loyal or store loyal? and won't even consider a different a brand of tomato sauce, or frozen veggies. if so, consider getting over that. hahaha because the brand and the store doesn't care about you and your financial situation. I learned a long time ago that I have to make the choices that's best for our checkbook, not for the stores or the brands. I'll not buy subpar food. but if you'll do some digging, you'll find that most of the store brand foods are pkged right in the same facility as the name brand is, it's just labeled with different labels. so if you think you'll give up quality or taste, you won't. learning to cook from scratch can save a lot in that area too. learning to use herbs and seasonings, a pinch of this, and a dab of that will go a long way in making something taste wonderful.
on the other hand using what is readily available is great too. I made baked beans a few years ago and took them to a potluck meal. one of the ladies asked how I made them even before she tasted them. yes, I had used 3 cans of pork and beans, why? they were already cooked and seasoned. I drained the pork and beans and rinsed them off and put my own homemade sauce and seasonings on them and popped them in the oven to bake and cook the bacon. when I told her they had pork and beans in them, she actually snarled her nose and grunted real loud. I just laughed and paid it no attention. she got some of them and started eating them, I glanced at her when she took a bite and you could actually see her taste buds doing a happy dance. everyone mentioned how good they were. I finally asked her what she thought, and she admitted they were better than any she had eaten before and better than any she had ever made. she grunted again. hahaha it wasn't because of the pork and beans at all, it was because of how I dressed them up. but she took an attitude that I had used "pork and beans". I'm not gonna shun everything precooked, especially when it's a decent price. I just took advantage of the fact that they were already cooked. plain, store brand pork and beans have always been pretty cheap. and more than likely, I got them on sale. so you can take advantage of sales and stock up on precooked items such as canned beans and make them completely yours simply by dressing them up.
I was thinking about all this while grocery shopping this morning. because I had made my plans and my lists and then was I flexible. a couple items I went after, I decided not to get. with that came the fact that I would have a few dollars to use on something else. so I headed back to produce and picked up some leeks with roots and some green onions with roots. win win!!! the leeks and onions will go on the dehydrator and the roots will be planted to grow more. so that was a good way for me to be flexible this morning. and it will help me get my stash built up. the roots will grow and I'll be able to cut from them all summer and add that to my stash too.
if you don't know how to cook from scratch, pick one recipe. something that you and your family really like. try to find a simple recipe for it and make it your own. get it to the point that you don't even need to get the recipe out if you don't want to. then find another simple recipe and do the same thing. work on getting 2 or 3 good simple scratch dishes that you can rotate on a weekly basis. start with simple recipes and use herbs and spices.
look for ways to beat your sense of urgency in taking care of your families food needs. think differently about what you see. learn to cook simple dishes from scratch. if you're not used to it, it can be daunting. don't try to change your situation in one day, but do what you can do every day to make a difference. little steps will start turning into big differences. find someone that you know personally and ask that person to help you learn to cook some things that you don't know how to cook. if we all try to help someone, then we can help change some of the urgency that we are feeling. maybe even try to grow a few things. as simple as the leek and onion roots. no, those 2 items won't feed your family. but you'd surprised at how much confidence something as simple as that can give you, especially when you've felt hopeless. and they also add great flavor to some of those dishes we cook from scratch. I hope this gives someone the idea that they can change the way they are serving their family.
my Momma cooked mega and lots on a daily basis and every bite of it was from scratch and delicious. we grew up on beans, potatoes and cornbread. she baked over 30 biscuits from scratch every morning of the world for as long as we were all still at home. we knew what most meals was going to be before we ever sat down to that meal. those meals were as regular as clock work. they were always delicious. none of us ever complained. we had a mindset to be appreciative of what we had and didn't miss what we didn't have. we may have to learn adapt to things being harder in the future. there's lots of things that we will need to learn or relearn. make every day a day to learn something new. try not to wake up one day and find out that you haven't learned what you should have. relieve some of your sense of urgency by learning something today that will help you make your next grocery shopping trip more successful. make a list, make a plan and plan on being flexible.
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""Ezra 9:8 But now for a brief moment Adonai our God has shown us favor in leaving us a remnant and giving us as a peg in His holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes and has given us a little relief in our bondage.""
I was reading in Ezra this morning and came across this little phrase, "a peg in His holy place". I love when this happens, which is just about every time I read scripture. go back and read the whole thing to get an understanding of what's happening. but for this moment in time, Ezra was grieving over, yet one more time, the children of Israel going against the covenant they had made with God many years ago. all the prophets up to Ezra had already dealt with this over and over and over. there was just a remnant left and Ezra was praising God for Him saving them, small in number, His chosen people. and that even though they had been slaves yet again, God was with them. and yet once again, the people had turned from God.
this is so familiar even for todays times. we sin against God, we know that He is still with us and for us, and we sin against Him again. and He is still with us and for us. it's a vicious cycle. I know, because I have been there done that, and will again and again.
my understanding of this in the whole picture, is that God was using this remnant as a peg in His holy place. they would always have a place in His holy place. that's why He had His hand of protection on them at all times.
what I am most thankful for today, is that "Jesus is our peg in His holy place"!!!! when I can do nothing, which is all of the time, I cling to "Jesus, our peg in His holy place"!!! Jesus is my security in all things.
Isaiah also mentioned something like this "a nail in a secure place". and I believe that he was actually referring to the coming Savior, Jesus Christ. so, I love both of these references. pegs and nails make things more secure and strong. Jesus is our security and strength.
if we know Christ as our personal savior, then we have a "peg in His holy place"!!! that peg is Jesus. we have a place in His holy place all because of Jesus Christ. Praise His holy name!!!!
I challenge you today, as you read scripture, let the Lord show you things like this, and then do some research and find out all you can on just a little phrase such as "a peg in His holy place". it is such a blessing when God shows us something like this and thenwe get to dig deeper and lean into who God really is in our lives. when you dig deeper and learn more, that makes you want to do even more excavating of the word of God and learn more and more. His word is fresh and new every day. I pray that if you havent discoovered that, that maybe today will the day that you start digging deeper into His word.
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looking back at the weather of late, it seems we've had some bad times and a lot of others have too. some are in the midst it even as I type. so this is a timely post. it was in my memories and I shared this back on this day in 2018. just remember, we're never alone. this is something I wrote a few years ago when a friend was in the midst of a terrible personal storm and the Lord just made Himself very real to me in a way that this is what He inspired to tell my friend.
How many have ever been in the midst of a "storm" in your life and while going thru the storm, you're wondering how in the world this storm is ever going to end? Road blocks and high water signs is all you can see in the distance. But in the process of just doing life, at every turn, your best friend is there. That best friend being Jesus Christ, your Savior and Lord. He is there, just going ahead of you clearing road blocks and parting the waters, all the while helping you to maintain the joy you have in your soul. Just knowing that Jesus is the One that spoke to the storm like a Momma would speak to a fussy baby and saying, "ssshhhhh, Peace be still". He still does that today. If you are in the midst of a storm, just know that you are not alone. Your best friend is with you today. The reason I can so boldly say that is because yesterday was a "ssshhhh, Peace, be still" day for me and my best friend seen me thru it!! Everyone has storm days and everyones storms are different. The thing to remember is this; you are the only one that can walk your own storm out, but you don't have to do it alone. So, if today is a storm day for you, let me declare over your storm, "ssshhhh, Peace be still", your best friend, Jesus, is with you.
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have you ever wondered what the enemy wants from you? well, right here is a list of what the enemy wants. we need to make sure that he doesn't get anything from us. stand firm. trust God!!!
the one thing that is so sad, is that we see far too many people who are NOT "sober minded". to be honest, I've never seen as many people in my life who have turned their minds over to the devil. it's frightening to think that in all levels of government we have people who are what I would call "brain dead". they have sold out to the devil in every area of life.
Lord help this country and the few of us who still have a sober mind and use it. we have to stand firm!!!!!
***********************************************this is from a post back in the spring of 2020.
let's do a "2 minutes in the kitchen with me". How do you see dandelions? I've always seen them as weeds, till now. I've known for many many years that people made dandelion jelly and always wondered about it. I think that is one thing that my Momma, never made when we was growing up. If we picked it, she would make something from it, but we never took a bucket of dandelion heads to her, shucks , our loss. hahaha
Yesterday we was walking the perimeter of the yard and I noticed lots of dandelions. When we was done, I went in and got my little bucket and we walked the yard one more time and picked the dandelion heads. I come in and washed them and then spun them dry in my salad spinner. I took a picture of them and sorry to say that it's blurry, as you can tell.
I put them in a small pan and poured boiling water over them and let them set overnight and steep. When I strained them thru a coffee filter, I had 1 cup and 1/8th of liquid. I put double that in sugar, 2 and 1/4 cups. Put that on the stove and let it boil and cook down a bit and then poured it up in bottle with a pour top on it and the rest I put in a small jelly jar.
It is really delicious. It's not really strong, but it is distinct and I'm sure it would have been even more wonderful if I would have had more dandelion heads.
In my reading up on making jelly, I also found out about making syrup and that's what I decided to make. In reading, I found out that our Grand Mothers and Great Grand Mothers done this very thing. It was considered the "poor man's honey" at the time. Those who had bees, had honey that tasted like dandelions because of the bees dining on the the dandelion flowers. A lot of people couldn't afford honey, but they would sacrifice some of their precious sugar to make the "poor man's honey" and use it sparingly and on special occasions. If you see a lot of dandelions, don't see weeds, try to see "poor man's honey" and make some.
so, do you see a weed or do you see something useful when you see dandelions?
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let's do another "2 minutes in the kitchen with me" today. I recently started a fresh batch of fermented green beans with my freshly dehydrated onions and freshly dehydrated bell peppers for added flavors. I love fermented green beans. so good, still raw, with all the crunch factor, completely preserved and good for you. fermented foods promote gut health. I used filtered water to start my brine. I stuffed my green beans, onions and bell peppers in the jar and poured the brine over it to the top making sure no bean was sticking up or out. I filled a zip top sandwich bag with extra brine and pushed it down all around the beans and brine to block out any air and sealed the ziplock bag and put the lid on. I also set it in a small bowl to catch any overflow when it starts bubbling. I'll leave them sitting out to ferment for a week or so. I love a long ferment time, so I may even leave it longer. the main thing is to make sure that you don't open the jar and expose any of the beans to air. that can introduce mold into your ferment. once it molds, you toss it. so this jar will not be opened till I'm ready to put it in the fridge.
if you don't get rid of the mold 100%, then it will happen ever time you try to use that jar and lid.
this batch in the picture was from 2 years ago. it was soooooo good. when I run out of them, especially at this time of year, when I don't have fresh green beans, I get a bag of fresh greenbeans from Aldi and I'll wash them good and just start the process over again. so no matter the time of year, I can have fresh fermented greenbeans in the fridge. they are delicious.
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there you have it. that's a wrap for today. I hope you seen something here today that is interesting to you. maybe think about how you shop and be flexible. ferment some greenbeans. maybe make some dandelion syrup. read the word of God with new eyes to see exciting things in His word. if you seen something that you liked, maybe share it with a friend.
just know that God has made a way for all of us to be in right relationship with Him thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ. that's the only way we can be in right relationship with the Father, is thru His Son!!
blessings of peace, joy and love be upon you today. hugs, patty
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