Andrea

croutons - I liberated all the odds and ends pieces of dead and dying bread out of the freezer to make room for a casserole. Perfect timing, we ran out of croutons last night. I normally do them in the oven but my oven has been busy with bread, cupcakes, and casseroles today. My house smells good!

(((lumabean))) I have no answers for you. All I can do is offer hugs and empathy. I know exactly how you feel but I am at a loss on how to fix either of these situations.

Great suggestions Brian and !!!

georgene - are you diabetic or prediabetic? And your husband is not? So, you should aim for ketosis but your husband shouldn't because he is closer to an ideal weight? You need to lose weight but he doesn't? You don't have to hit ketosis to lose weight if this is your aim. In fact, if you don't have diabetic issues, I would suggest avoiding ketosis and/or super lo-carb in general. It's expensive and frankly, I'm not sure it's the healthiest way to lose weight! Losing weight boils down to: calories in < calories out. Just exercise regulary and eat a diet as full of as many natural unprocessed foods as you can and you'll probably lose weight. Fresh vegies (especially cabbages and lettuce) are great to fill you up and they shouldn't break your bank. Add to this 1-2 fresh fruits a day, 1-2 servings of rice or bread, and plenty of protein (beans are fine) and you should lose weight easily.

Luma - someone on here said that they sprinkled the peels with cinnamon and then dehydrates them. Sorry, I can't remember who said that! Finished my 3rd dehydrator full of sprouted wheat this morning. Now to drag out the grinder and get the flour ground and frozen for future use. I may just make a loaf of sprouted wheat & flax this afternoon.

You can also use dried citrus peels. Or, you could cheat and buy an inexpensive bag of potpourri!

Very cool idea! Thanks, I hadn't heard of this. Amish - in the comments section of the site, they warn against burying the pennies directly in the ground. The copper can kill off the beneficial organisms as well as the good ones.

Congrats to your dd! So, when do the grandbabies start arriving?

(((Ambergris))) If it's any consolation, you did the right thing. I know it wasn't the easy choice but it was the right one. (((Huge Hugs)))

(((Ogre and Family))) - I am so sorry for your loss. But congrats on the new job and for having the preps on hand to help get you through this rough patch.

http://articles.courant.com/2012-09-28/business/hc-haar-economy-poll-20120927_1_grocery-store-higher-food-prices-courant-poll UConn/Courant Poll: The Rising Virtue Of Careful Grocery Shopping September 28, 2012|Dan HaarRick Sharr was visiting the home of a friend — a well-off friend — when he noticed lots of bulk items such as paper goods bought from super-discount stores. Sharr later asked his friend about it, knowing that the friend buys high-end food. "He says, 'For the staples, I'm not going to pay supermarket prices. ... My wife goes once a month and just loads up'." Sharr was not just curious. He's president of Tri-Town Foods, a family-owned chain of supermarkets with locations in Portland, East Lyme and Uncasville. And he's seen a new wave of careful grocery shoppers rise up over the last few years, as hard times have become a permanent part of the landscape and higher food prices have started to kick in. For shoppers — that's just about all of us — the change toward careful grocery buying is a lifestyle evolution that takes many forms. It can mean more spending in certain aisles, less in others, and it can even mean a higher tab at the checkout counter, if we're eating fewer restaurant meals. In state and national University of Connecticut/Courant polls of likely 2012 voters this month, about half of all people responding said that over the past three years, they had "made big changes to buying habits at the grocery store due to rising prices." That's a dramatic number, and unlike, say, the 17 percent of Connecticut likely voters who said they had lost a job, it describes a sweeping lifestyle evolution rather than a single event that defines the downturn I call the "permacession." Whether they claim to have made dramatic changes or not, whether they spend more money at the supermarket or less, nearly everyone, it seems, declares a heightened sense of frugality, or at least care, if they think about it long enough. In West Hartford, for example, in the parking lot of Big Y Supermarket, Russ Jones, a retired Kaman Corp. executive, said he takes out his buying wrath on food makers that have shrunken packages. "You pull it down, you see it's skinnier. A pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream is 14 ounces," Jones said, his voice rising. "In lieu of raising prices, they cut the quantity ... now I buy Ben & Jerry's because a pint is a pint." It is, in short, a growing part of the culture, this heightened care in grocery shopping. For some, it's a necessary way of life; for others, a form of conscientious non-consumption, the opposite of the sort of conspicuous consumption that helped build the U.S. auto industry into a manufacturing juggernaut. The UConn/Courant poll in Connecticut shows, for example, that about three-fourths of respondents whose family incomes are $60,000 or less had made big changes in their grocery buying habits, as expected. But even those with incomes over $100,000 are changing the way they shop for food and household provisions in significant numbers. And unlike other economic questions, such as whether they're better off now than they were four years ago, the question of whether they've changed their grocery habits is not closely tied to party affiliation Jennifer Dineen, the poll director, makes the point that $100,000 in income can still leave a family very tight, if the family has a lot of children, a big mortgage, and so forth. So it's possible, she said, that those people who consider themselves well off would not say they had made big changes in their buying habits over the past three years. But in the big picture, it's not just about frugality, it's about added care. One respondent in the poll, Scott Phillips, a certified public accountant who lives in Cromwell with his wife, Shannon and three young daughters, said he answered 'no' on the question about big changes in grocery buying. Their finances are stable. But when he thought more about it, he said, "The one change we have made ... is a shift toward more organic and whole-food-type items. We've probably spent a little bit more as a family. I'd say it's a change in mindset, and it's a pretty big change." One possible sign that grocery shoppers are showing more care is that they are showing up at the store more often. The average number of trips to the supermarket was just over 2 times a week last year, up from 1.7 times a week just a couple of years earlier, said Heather Garlich, spokeswoman for the Food Marketing Institute, which represents 1,200 retailers, large and small, with more than 36,000 supermarket locations. Total sales in 2011 were $584 billion, the institute said, up from $398 billion in 2001 — which is slightly higher than the overall inflation rate.

I started a thread in Are You Really Ready with links to articles concerning the rise of world food prices. What a depressing thread. I thought it might be helpful to start a thread with links to articles that will help us combat rising food prices. Most of the ideas I've read I have a feeling that most of us already do, but there may be a spark or two that can help make grocery shopping and meal preparation less stressful. Not to mention the fact that I am often blown away by how creative the members of Mrs Survival are when it comes to saving money! Let's get started! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/cheap-health-food_n_1836745.html I don't often agree with the Huffington Post, but I do agree with almost all of this article. I cook vegetarian at least twice a week and have to deal with my "meat and potatoes guy" rolling his eyes. With my dh being gone this week, dd and I have only eaten meat once and haven't suffered at all. One night we made a loaf of homemade sourdough and splurged on some fancy cheese (drool and still far cheaper than pizza) paired with some locally grown watermelon. We also have been eating on some beans that dd pronounced the best beans I have ever made along with some homemade mexican rice, handmade tortillas, and yes, more melon. (We live in the melon capital of Cali) Meat is a luxury not a necessity. Prepared Foods = poison for me. I've developed a sensitivity to an as yet undetermined preservative. Mostly, we make things from scratch although I do keep some easy to prepare stuff on hand for dh and dd to make when I'm working. Homemade is so much cheaper than premade but, it does take time. If your work schedule prevents you from making things from scratch, shop ads & coupons and check out Once a Month Cooking. Preserving/Freezing/Dehydrating - we're all experts when it comes to these topics! But seriously, buying in bulk really does save. Growing your own - I live in town on a suburban lot. No way, no how can I grow a year's worth of calories for my family. But, I can and do grow enough to make a small difference in our grocery budget. Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Garlic and lettuce for 6 months out of the year are things I can easily grow. I also have fruit trees and permanent vegetable beds (nopales, new zealand spinach, herbs, & berries) that help out a lot. I've also done silly things like place celery in various beds throughout the yard (celery is a perennial here) and hide garlic and onion bulbs among the iris and roses. It's taken time, but there is always something in my yard every day of the year that is edible. Clip Coupons - MAJOR time suck but very worth it if you have the time. I don't right now, but in the past, I've been able to get things like deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, razors, toothpaste, and toothbrushes absolutely free. It can be done.

Great tips, CGA and MtR! I hadn't thought of oiling lids for rust prevention - that would make great sense for those living in coastal areas. Now, dust - we're in an ag area - we've got plenty of dust to spare! I also keep things "bagged" up.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/tate55.html 7 Mistakes of food storage By Vicki Tate Issue #55 Jan/Feb 1999 If you are going to store food, make sure that the food you store is adequate for the need you and your family anticipate. This may not be as easy as to achieve as many people think, because the facts are that most people make serious errors when storing food—errors that will come back to haunt them when the food they’ve stored is the only thing that stands between them and their empty, dissatisfied, bellies. There are seven common mistakes people make when storing food. They are: 1. Variety Most people don’t have enough variety in their storage. 95% of the people I’ve worked with have only stored four basic items: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won’t survive on such a diet for several reasons. a) Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal. Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple. c) We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer to not eat, then to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggested and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particularly ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans, as this will add color, texture, and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion. Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook, go through it, and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store. 2. Extended staples Never put all your eggs in one basket. Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and “store bought” canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast, and powdered eggs. You can’t cook even the most basic recipes without these items. 3. Vitamins Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. A good quality multi-vitamin and vitamin C are the most vital. Others might be added as your budget permits. 4. Quick and easy and “psychological foods” Quick and easy foods help you through times when you are psychologically or physically unable to prepare your basic storage items. “No cook” foods such as freeze-dried are wonderful since they require little preparation, MREs (Meal Ready to Eat), such as many preparedness outlets carry, canned goods, etc. are also very good. “Psychological foods” are the goodies—Jello, pudding, candy, etc.—you should add to your storage. These may sound frivolous, but through the years I've talked with many people who have lived entirely on their storage for extended periods of time. Nearly all of them say these were the most helpful items in their storage to “normalize” their situations and make it more bearable. These are especially important if you have children. 5. Balance Time and time again I’ve seen families buy all of their wheat, then buy all of another item and so on. Don’t do that. It’s important to keep well-balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item. If something happens and you have to live on your present storage, you’ll fare much better having a one month supply of a variety of items than a year’s supply of two or three items. 6. Containers Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers. I have seen literally tons and tons of food thrown away because they were left in sacks, where they became highly susceptible to moisture, insects, and rodents. If you are using plastic buckets make sure they are lined with a food grade plastic liner available from companies that carry packaging supplies. Never use trash can liners as these are treated with pesticides. Don’t stack them too high. In an earthquake they may topple, the lids pop open, or they may crack. A better container is the #10 tin can which most preparedness companies use when they package their foods. 7. Use your storage In all the years I’ve worked with preparedness one of the biggest problems I’ve seen is people storing food and not knowing what to do with it. It’s vital that you and your family become familiar with the things you are storing. You need to know how to prepare these foods. This is not something you want to have to learn under stress. Your family needs to be used to eating these foods. A stressful period is not a good time to totally change your diet. Get a good food storage cookbook and learn to use these foods! It’s better to find out the mistakes you’ll make now while there’s still time to make corrections. It’s easy to take basic food storage and add the essentials that make it tasty, and it needs to be done. As I did the research for my cookbook, Cooking with Home Storage, I wanted to include recipes that gave help to families no matter what they had stored. As I put the material together it was fascinating to discover what the pioneers ate compared to the types of things we store. If you have stored only the basics, there’s very little you can do with it. By adding even just a few things, it greatly increases your options, and the prospect of your family surviving on it. As I studied how the pioneers lived and ate, my whole feeling for food storage changed. I realized our storage is what most of the world has always lived on. If it’s put together the right way we are returning to good basic food with a few goodies thrown in.

WOW! At those prices, I would clear them out! We don't have a Fred's here.

Because it's hard work!

Hope you had a wonderful day!

:cakeslice: Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

By the way, when I first read thread title, I thought you meant fencing as in sword fighting! Yes, it is a form of self-defence but probably not the most practical form out there! I was thinking,"What on earth is CrabGrass researching now?!?" LOL

(((CrabGrass))) Wow, I can't believe you are tackling such a big job by yourself. But HUGE CONGRATS for figuring out a way to set new fence posts with a minimum amount of effort. I LOVE this idea! I need to put up some temporary fencing around an onion patch, I think I'll borrow your super creative method! THANKS!

Remember we used to have the one of the smilie pulling out her hair? Any chance we could get that one back? I know I was guilty of overusing it, but it was just so perfect! LOL

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2012/09/unavoidable_bacon_shortage_u_k_s_national_pig_association_has_everyone_worried_about_the_price_of_pork_.html There will be NO bacon shortage! snippet: Given the rise of bacon worship in recent years, perhaps it’s no surprise that people are upset at the thought of a bacon shortage. But is the shortage real? And does it even have anything to do with bacon in particular? Are we headed for a dystopian future of food lines and bacon rationing? Not really. But you probably will have to pay more. For starters, all bacon isn’t equal. The thing British people call “bacon” isn’t the same as what Americans call “bacon.” Their bacon is from the back cut of the pig and corresponds to what we call “Canadian bacon.” Our beloved bacon, made from pork belly, is known in the United Kingdom as “streaky bacon.” In Canada, interestingly, “bacon” means the exact same thing as in the United States, and they use the term “back bacon” to refer to what we call “Canadian bacon” and English people just call “bacon.” Which is simply a long-winded way of saying that the pork supply issue has nothing in particular to do with bacon. The issue is corn. Drought this year has destroyed a lot of the world’s corn crop. Over the summer when all the dead corn was in the news, the devastation was portrayed in the press primarily as a sob story about farmers. But as Slate warned you at the time, the economic consequences extend far beyond corn growers and their immediate community. **************************************************** In other words, plenty of "streaky bacon" for all! LOL

This was a lot of fun a few years ago and I keep regretting that I always seem to miss this! So, even though I don't have time for crafting, I'm going to MAKE time! Count me in!

Have a WONDERFUL Day!

By the way, to cut costs, you could easily half the amount of meat. And it doesn't have to be turkey, it can be whatever you have on hand. Although, I'm thinking sardines wouldn't taste so great! Also, canned fish can be very affordable. But because of the mercury content, you want to limit your servings to 2 a week. And if you're pregnant, don't eat it. This sounds gross, but the sardines in mustard ( I used to be able to get them on sale for 2/$1.00) are great thrown on a bed of lettuce, along with a splash of olive oil, some chopped red onion, and a chopped hard boiled egg.