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| I tortured my children and gave these away as a thank you for borrowed bee gear |
The first week (Days 1-9) of the No-Grocery November had quite a scare! I realized that I couldn't find any more salt! SALT, of all things! In my life, salt is super important. And not just for seasoning... I bake bread, yes, but the reason I can't live without salt is for my cheese-making! It is absolutely essential in this house! I started using some canning/pickling salt I had left in a box but even that was almost gone!
I thought I would have to break my no-grocery challenge the very first week until I frantically searched an out-of-sight pantry nook (the one with extra spices and pastas) and found, in the very back, a box of salt! PHEW!!! So excited!
I meant to take pictures of the foods I made but the lighting is so bad in the house now that it gets dark so early, the pictures just aren't pretty. I forgot to write all the meals down but these are a few of the ones I remember:
~ eggs for breakfasts
~ molasses cookies
~ lots of homemade bread
~ cheesy corn chowder
~ mexican chicken pasta
~ cinnamon rolls
~ homemade cheese
~ sweet pan chili
~ kielbasa and cabbage saute'
~ homemade ice cream: vanilla with dark chocolate freckles
~ pizza with peppers and onions and pepperoni, three cheese pizza
There were a few leftover meals mixed in there too.
A few things:
* I added water to the BBQ sauce to extend it since I have no more after that bottle.
* I cut the pepperoni into quarters because I only had about 15 more slices instead of just plunking them on- and it really DOES extend the pepperoni quite a lot. (Plus- it was a good job for Ineke- who always wants to help.)
* Made homemade queso blanco cheese, mozzerella and ricotta
* made homemade butter
* cleaned out the (storebought) canned foods area. A friend often shares with us canned goods on Sundays and because I am often a lazy bones, I dump them in the stairway without any thought. This area happens to be a stairway down to the woodstove which means I was basically endangering my life everytime I tried to precariously walk down the overflowing steps. (I only slightly exaggerate.) I not only cleaned it out (yes, some cans were BAD!)- but organized it by food type and put the closer to expiration cans in the front. It is very helpful to have everything sorted and inventoried in my brain. Now I know exactly what we have and what I have to work with.
A frequent sight- a tablet and speaker on the island. Whenever I am planning to be in the kitchen for a while, I try to put on a sermon or podcast to listen to while I work. My favorites are these:
Sermons from https://www.christkirk.com/sermons/
Crosspolitic show
What Have You podcast
Apologia Studios
Hillsdale College
Or I will go on youtube and search for my homies Jeff Durbin, Voddie Bauchum, R.C.Sproul, Greg Bahnsen or Doug Wilson.
There is always SOMETHING super interesting to listen to. I miss 90% of what I hear because I (happily!) don't live in a tiny, clean, quiet bubble...but that's okay.
I'll take 10%.
Do you like to listen to podcasts? What are they? I want to know!
8 comments:
SALT! If you borrowed a cup from a neighbor, would that be breaking the rules?
I was just dreaming of molasses cookies on my way to work this very morning. Are yours crinkly on the outside and chewy inside? I may have just drooled on my keyboard a little bit. Not sure.
When I have deliveries for work, I try to arrange them so I am in the car when Focus on the Family is on, and I download the really good ones for re-listening to catch some of the other 90%.
You are challenging me to use more of what I have. I cleaned out the pantry this past weekend and it feels good to know what's there and be able to get to it. But the freezer...oh, the freezer. Maybe that will get sorted after Thanksgiving and we'll try to use up during the first 2 weeks of December. We don't have a milk cow on standby, so there will have to be some allowances. Of course. Do you plan meals ahead and stock up on certain things before you take on the challenge or just jump in and go for it?
Good Job on the no-buy November.
Podcast I enjoy listening to
Mama-bear apologetics https://mamabearapologetics.com/
Alicia Childers https://www.alisachilders.com/blog
Not a podcast but the site I use for listening to the Chronicles of Narnia https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/series/the_chronicles_of_narnia
Rebecca- unfortunately, one cup of salt wouldn't cut it for me. To make mozzerella cheese you need about 1/2 cup per batch. That isn't including the other cheeses I make which are 1 1/2 T per batch. And the bread... (you get the idea.) Had I not found that box, I'd have been done for!
I tried to stock up on things that I could think of. I got a bunch of flour and sugar and onions and yeast. And yes, I did buy an extra bag or two of chocolate chips. I think that is mostly what I made sure to buy. (Chocolate chips. Salt. Clearly my priorities are skewed.) I had ZERO plan on what foods to make. I figured I would make it up as I go along and hope for the best. ;-) I'm still doing that, in fact.
PS. That is EXACTLY what these molasses cookies were! I used this recipe:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-molasses-cookies/
Anon- they sound fabulous! Thanks!! I think I remember seeing a book called Mama Bear Apologetics... I will be definitely looking into that!
One of my favorite mom Podcasts At Home with Sally Clarkson. Always encouraging and challenging.
Wow, your homies are MY homies too. I also like John McArthur to the mix. Other podcasts I like are Above Rubies (Nancy Campbell) and BBC Radio Elisabeth Elliott (old radio shows), and also I like to listen to Lydia Sherman on YouTube..she just talks so it’s basically like a podcast...great encouragement for homemakers.
I loved hearing what you fixed. I’m new to milking (our first year with our jersey) and making cheese so I will be perusing your section on dairy. Or looking for it at least. One thing I’ve found is I always have the ingredients for chili or taco soup. Add cornbread and children come running. ;) Also red beans and rice with sausage is a favorite, cheap meal.
How are you adjusting with the new baby? I hope well. My youngest is 11 months old (#7) and some days it’s best to think on what I *have* done for the day and now what I haven’t! And focus on getting two subjects done a day....that’s my goal, great if I get more but two is a nice number (for those I have to help...the others WISH they only had to do two).
So glad I can comment now...I couldn’t using my phone for some reason. Now I can using the web version.
Monica
New Podcasts that I enjoy: Shaped by Stories and The Saturday Stoke and
Old Podcasts that I love: Tea and Tattle, Sage Parnassus, sometimes Charlotte Mason Poetry and selected ones on On Being and The Deep Place. Very occasionally, The Worried Writer and Speaking with Joy.
Wonderful job on the no-shop month!
Your note about those cinnamon rolls all going to a neighbor would make me think you were an unfeeling mama were it not for the doughnut post from a few weeks back.
Naw. Your children have no reason to fret. :)
Lydia- I am sure that would be a fabulous podcast. I will check it out! Thanks for the suggestions.
Monica- I am glad you can comment too! Thanks for taking the time! Unfortunately, I don't think I have a set 'dairy' section. I'll see what I can do about that! Baby Moses is a dream so things have been going pretty well on that front. I told Matt the other day that I love this stage so much because he can respond with smiles and coos to the things I say to him- but he still stays in one place! When he starts moving and shaking, that will add a whole new dimension- as you well know!
Amy- great suggestions! I'll check them out!
Abigail- I said pretty much the same thing when they were complaining! :-)
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