euphrasyne

Goat is my favorite meat.   It love it in Indian sauces.  Vindaloo, tikka masala, curry, Calde/Paya soup...goat is scrumptious.  I prefer it to all else. 

A properly stored pantry can yield a cake without a mix, but that is a good idea if the rest of the pantry is lacking.  It makes it convenient and that is good for me.  You can also mix up dehydrated ingredients in a mason jar as a homemade mix.  I do like to keep them on hand for specific types  (spice/confetti/lemon) so the kids can make them without too much trouble.  If you stock dehydrated eggs, milk, and such, it really is not much effort to jar them yourself and the jars take up less space.  Keep in mind shelf life when you start mixing things.   But boxes have a shelf life also.  Or you can make a note card of what dehydrated to use and just build on demand.  I tend to do that more often than not.  

I make most of mine from scratch, but I do keep a few boxes on hand for the kids to make or to do other things with like the soft cookies.  They also make good quick breads.  

My wrist complains about cutting things since I broke it.   DD15 likes to butcher meat so that is helpful.   But angle and time mess with my wrist, so I try to cut as few things as possible.  You posted your cutting board hatchet knife set up and I'm thinking about making one of those myself more and more lately.  It is hard to even type with my wrist as it didn't heal properly.    

We are crazy.  I have DD 26, 20, 15, and 3.  I am wore plain out.  I am a homemaker, but the house is too big.  We used to have 4 cats in 2020 but are now down to 2.  So much to do. I haven't gone to the bathroom by myself in over 20 years.  I had surgery about 2 years back on my wrist and I told the nurse who had to watch me pee after waking after surgery the same thing.  I wasn't even ashamed because I was used to people watching me pee.  I'd trade 3 teenagers for 1 toddler in matter of stress.  I pay extra not to have to do it at this point.  I can do it, but ... energy.  

The prepared pico thing is a lazy thing for me.   My toddler takes all my energy lately.  If I make it homemade, I usually make it similar, but I like to add garlic and parsley along with the cilantro to it.  Sometimes I add white onion too.    But above all garlic.  We eat it in everything.  

I've done the $20 per person in the past, but that isn't where we are right now.   Neither DH nor I can really eat pasta at all, bread is limited, and potatoes are very limited.  We have some health issues and it is just a no-go for those.  It is not a gluten issue, but a carb issue.  I had GI surgery a few years back and my insides are just not wired that way anymore.  Rice sits well, so most of our meals involve rice, rice noodles, or just meat and veg.  

If you like mexican, we eat Bocharro Black Beans with rice all the time.  I often add smoked sausage to it as you would with red beans and rice.  

We also make a guacamole with avocado, red onion, feta, bacon, pineapple, and garlic.  I always eyeball the amounts and spice to taste.  I have that for lunch with corn chips or smeared on cooked chicken for lunch often.  

I have been saving my big yellow 35lb Tidy Cats cat litter buckets as they empty.   I've been using one in my office with a 13 gallon trash bag and I love it.  I have enough bins for all the small bins around the house, so I am replacing them all with the big yellow buckets.  So today I am painting, papering, or fabric covering them so I can place them.  

I have more than enough and I'm also using them to sort toys.  

We are still trying to eat down the freezer (the 2nd deep freeze so I can get rid of it.)  We are also trying to eat all the older pantry items that have gone 'out of favor' for the family.   Tastes change and I'm trying to work things into meals so I have more space for what we do currently like.   Ie I have 2 cans of sweet potatoes left.  I want to focus more on home canning and less on freezing for preservation.  I want freezing to be more convenience based. 

DH lost about 90 lbs last year.   I didn't really lose any and I need to lose about 40lbs.  This year, we are trying to eat less carbs and healthier while including enough 'fun' food that we do not indulge in other vices. Thus, I am on a budget, but it is larger because I am including expensive convenience items like spiced mini pickles, kimchi,  spiced vinegars, prepared pico de gallo, etc.  

We like pretty much all cuisine.   I cook a lot of Mexican/South American, Asian of all sorts, Southern.   Last few weeks, I've been making mostly German and Cajun.  I had to look up Molletes.  It looks really good, but I don't like refried beans.  I'm wondering how it would taste with whole chickpeas instead.  I may try that.  

English muffin combos I make and freeze on the regular:

bacon/egg/cheese

sausage/egg/cheese

ham/egg/cheese

chicken patty/cheese (sometimes with egg if breakfast)  (sometimes with hot sauce)

Lunchmeat/cheese

Nutella or nutella/jam

PB&J

Ideas that I have the knowledge and tools to do:

Candles and homemade lanterns

Food items like homemade jams/jellies, canned veggies, mixes or fresh items like bread or pies anything  dried from the garden

Crochet/Knit items like scarves, hats, bags, mittens, blankets, *you can use non traditional yarns like plastic bag yarn or rope for other items.

Macrame or knotted items like bags or nets for fishing or hunting

Sewn items like clothing, blankets, curtains, bags, quilts

lotions and salves, cosmetic items, perfumes, soaps

origami paper boxes as decorative or organizational (I've made and sold these successfully in the past.)

decorative wood burnt items or paintings (if you have talent, people like a bit of 'luxury' when they are down to basics.  Focus on small cheap things.  

Milk. eggs, cheese if you have animals (currently I do not have animals but I can make cheese)

Cordial is relatively easy if time consuming and you can use very cheap alcohol with excellent results.   Same with beer or distilling basic spirits.  

Woodworking/carpentry--furniture, carts, bowls, structures

homemade glue/caulk

pottery and masonry.  How to make pots and bricks

Homemade children's toys

Scrambled eggs freeze great; I use them in frozen breakfast sandwiches/burritos.  Quiche also freezes well.  

Zuppa Toscana freezes very well.  The flavors always sit a bit better after being in the freezer.  Sometimes I make it with kale, other times I use collards or spinach.  

French Market Soup (excellent in the freezer)

Dice carrots

white beans cooked

chicken broth

celery

bell peppers diced

sliced smoked sausage.

onions

bay leaf

Make a soup in the usual fashion.  Simmer long.  Season to taste (I usually use cajun, but any works.)  I often start off with dehydrated veg for this and then freeze it when it is done.  It works out well for smaller servings too.   

If a loaf of fresh bread is getting old, I'll cut some slices and pre butter it with garlic and flash freeze it and then into the ziploc bag for fast garlic toast to go with soup.

Tips:

Flash freeze pancakes, waffles, cookie dough, etc on a cookie sheet.  Toss into a large zip lock bag and take out as needed.  

Boneless and prechopped meat heat easier.  Go ahead and cut steak, porkchops, chicken breast, etc. into bite sized  pieces.  

Freeze soup in wide cups or ice cube trays and then pop the cubes into a large ziplock bag.  

Bags of cole slaw mix freeze and heat well as the shred veg for most Asian dishes.  I use it as a short cut a lot.  It can also go on tacos for crunch factor.  

Things I typically freeze are

soup of all types

beef/mushroom/or chicken stroganoff with rice or noodles

chili

pancakes

breakfast burritos

English muffin sandwiches (breakfast and lunchmeat.)

Whatever I made for dinner I sometimes double it and put a few 'frozen' lunches of leftovers for DH.    

Dh has visited there several times in the last few years.  He told me yesterday about the earthquake.  I hope everyone he knew there is safe and that they will recover soon.

When you look at older sick manuals or even cookbooks you often see ways to deal with bowel issues.  Rarely do you see ways to deal with mouth/nose issues.  Mucus is a fact of life that must be delt with.  I'm not sure why there is a predisposition against it, but it is reality,  Why is it reviled into oblivion?   Sickroom preps need to deal with it.  Anyone who deals with the sick need to be prepped for it.  It is currently a fact in our house and I will not pretend we do not exist because of it. It is my most needed prep to date.  LEARN FROM ME.  Everyone needs endless tissues or a bucket/bowl.    The mucus must be contained and removed.  Disgusting, but real.  

Also, What are we doing today? surviving the current situation whatever that may be. You go girl!  Life is hard and you are harder.  

Everyone in my house is sick.  Mucus enough to support an army of slugs. It is draining and giving everyone stomach issues as it goes down the back of the throat.  Headache, fever, nausea.  

Leftover redo roundup between now and the New Year--whereby I try to empty my fridge and counter.  

Breakfast Casserole makes a 9x13 pan.  

Leftover croissants --a lot of mini enough to fill bottom of casserole.  

milk 4 1/2 c

eggs 6

diced ham 8oz

cheese enough to cover happily

Seasoning (cajun) to taste

Mix milk, eggs, seasoning.   Tear up croissants into greased casserole.  Place diced ham and cheese over it.  Pour milk over and allow to soak for an hour on the counter.  350F 45m During last 15m, drizzle with hot sauce and avocado siracha.  

French Dip Subs serves 2.  

Leftover prime rib to cover a bun

bolillo bun

leftover au jus from prime rib to cover meat in pan

Worcestershire sauce several splashes to taste

beef bullion to taste about 2 t

water  1-2c as needed.  

provolone 2 slices

Slice prime rib thin into a pot.  Add au jus, water, Worcestershire sauce, bullion to taste.  Heat through.  Slice bolillo bun in half and toast.   Pour au jus into 2 ramekins.  Put meat on bottom bun.  Top with 2 slices provolone and top bun.  Cult in half.  Serve with leftover caramelized onion dip and veggies.  

Individual Collard Soup

Into a large soup cup or a bowl place:

1/2 c collards 

1 1/2 c water

2 t chicken bullion

1/2 cut up smoked sausage

Splash of heavy cream

Seasoning of choice to taste (I used cajun)

Mix all and microwave 3m.  Stir.  Microwave another 3m.  Cool a bit and enjoy.  

I've clipped them before.  The pressure needs to go over the top of the U for the head and clasp onto the 'hook or loop.'  It stops the hook from spinning and makes it catch.  The first time can be tricky, but after you get used to where it needs to go, it isn't bad.  I had to help do like 1K for a wedding awhile back.  We then made a grid where we glued down the closepins and ziplined a trigger to open them.  We disguised the base with greenery.  It looked like they flew off a trellis--too much work, but it was pretty.  

I'm reading the What Lies Beyond the Veil series by Harper L Woods.  

So cute!  "she gave me a box."  That is one for the 'sayings' journal.   

Some of our favorites from the past are 'smells like hungry'  and 'what are you, some kind of time wizard?'  I keep a notebook of the fun things they say over the years.  

You can use a clothespin or paperclip to temporarily hold the butterflies closed until you are ready to undo them and press them into the box.  

We did presents on Friday before DD15 flew out.  DD3 was sick today, so we had a mostly quiet day trying to tempt her into drinking fluids and keeping anything down.   Prime rib, collards, garlic toast, and scalloped potatoes for dinner with raspberry pie for dessert.    There is an explosion of trains, dinosaurs, and number blocks around the house.  

I like my contacts and a pair of reading glasses.  If I have to wear my regular glasses, they are thicker than coke bottles even now on the 'thinner more expensive' lenses.  They give me a headache to wear they are so heavy.    My mom wears 2 or 3 pair of glasses at a time. It is hilarious to look at.  It is always good to have a few extra pair of RX and reading for emergencies.   I tend to break mine. 

I'm -10 in my left eye and -12 in my right eye.  I have extreme vision issues.  I like the app  I used because of the way the zoom works on it.   I also wouldn't use it without an S pen that helps me do the finer details.  I have used the computer app you posted, but I didn't like the user controls and zoom.    I'm lucky all my kids have great vision and didn't take after me in that way.  Thank goodness for contacts. Though I'm getting that middle age farsightedness and now I cannot see things that are either too far or too close.  sighs.  I cannot win. 

Brunswick county is in VA.    VA and GA have a dispute on if it came from there or here, but generally accepted as one of the two.  I love food history.  

Some say that it came from Germany in the Duchy of Brunswick, but all the food items are native to North America, so that seems unlikely.  

I have a phone with an s pen and I do jigsaws all the time on it.  I use Just Jigsaws and it is mostly free.  You can zoom in and out quite easily.  

Just Jigsaws:Amazon.com:Appstore for Android