The Start of a Homesteader Mom

Nuts!

Its pretty quiet right now. Except for the thunking of copious amounts of walnuts tumbling out the three in the back yard. I’ve been watching Sassafras out their in the yard with buckets- diligently filling each with walnuts- dumping and filling some more. She’s about got hit a few times with the ka-thunking nuts but continues to steadfastly fill buckets. I am amazed at her diligence and stick-to-it-iveness. I doubt I’d be out there singing and talking to myself and continuing picking up (well, I would be doing the talking to myself part)- I’m sure I’d have quit after the about the 3^rd five gallon bucketful. I would probably have shaken my fist at that tree and murmured a few things when it kept showering down more nuts. I doubt I would have persevered as she is. She’s been out their for a good half hour or so. It is a joy to watch my beautiful daughter in the warm afternoon sun.
I do believe I have it in me to join her and fill up a couple of buckets.
And then
Perhaps
a bit of sweet chocolate for the two of us.

Fab Friday

 I say Fab because the weather is just that, fabulous! It is cool but not cold, the kind where you open up your windows and the breeze blows the curtains around, LOVE IT!

  Grinding was suppose to start today but they have pushed it back until Monday, which is OK with me. Hubby can take an extra weekend to relax before he starts working nonstop for the next three months. The money is great, but he gets tired of it after a month or so. I don't blame him either, I worked grinding several years in the scale house, and it does take a toll on you. Seven days a weeks for weeks and weeks.

   So for lunch hubby wants to go to his favorite eat out, Pizza Hut. I personally don't care for them but he loves it, so Pizza Hut it is. Then it's off to see mom for a bit at the home, a quick stop at the grocery store for a few items, and then home to wait for my dear friend Debbie who is coming for a weekend visit. With the holidays kicking up soon, we are getting a visit in before things get too hectic for visiting.

   So thats pretty much me weekend, chatting, swinging, porching, garage saleing, malling, eating out, and did I mention chatting. The guys will be doing some hunting.  So I hope everyone else is going to have a great weekend ahead. Call you BFFs and chat some.

Todays Great Quote......George Müller

God delights to increase the faith of his children. We ought,
instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for
patience, to be willing to take them from God's hands as a
means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats,
are the very food of faith.

      -- George Müller

Hubby Found a Job

Tasty Turnips

I am crazy about turnips. My kids think I am odd!

Tasty Turnips
4 strips bacon
2 cups diced white turnips
1 cup diced potatoes
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup cream
Fry bacon until crisp; chop and set aside. Combine vegetables, 1 tbsp
bacon drippings, seasonings and sugar; add water just to cover. Cook
until tender, then drain. Add cream; mash. Add chopped bacon; mix well.
Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings

submitted by Mrs Walter Sager
Orchard Park Grange, No 1335
Orchard Park, New York
National Grange
Bicentennial Year Cookbook (1976)

A little bit better

Avoid the Drive-Thru Trap!

FRUGAL UPSTATE

baking, baking, cleaning and VERA!

I'm dead and not stopping anytime soon! I got up and mopped and worked out and took a bread to start laundry, get Joey going on school, make bfast, make oatmeal cinnamon chip bars, and then vacuum. I did get Sunday School prepped for as well. The cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls smell HEAVENLY that are baking int he oven!  I still need to ge potatoes peeled and diced for mashed potatoes (to go w/the chicken'n'noodles!) and then I can take a break. I"m sure the laundry is ready to come off the line as well.

I GOT MY VERA BAGS TODAY! She just mailed them priority yesterday! The post office ROCKS! And I LOVE the bags! Mom's medical binder fits perfectly in the curvy tote that I got for her! PTL! I'm still not sure if I'm going to keep the 2nd tote or not. I wished that I'd had more money cuz they would've been AWESOME gifts for Christmas!

Hard Times

Some helpful suggestions on:

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

I don't know about everyone else, but now is the time to start making changes in how we consume and spend money. 

I am not going to live in fear and I know the Lord will provide, but I also know I need to use wisdom and be self-controlled if we are going to get through these hard times.

Thankful Thursday/Using what the Army gave us

  I have to give praise and thanks to the people who came to rescue during our time after Gustav hit us. We received help from several different organizations. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross  gave out cleaning and personal items by the buckets full. We decided not to take any of these items. I was looked at as snobish by my sisters in law, but it wasn't that I thought I was too good for these things, it was that we didn't feel we needed it and would have rather had someone else have it that did need it.  Also very thankful for the many power company trucks and workers that came in from other states to help restore our power lines. We actually had a crew from Alabama get us back on. Thanks guys!

  Another group was the Army National Guard, they were a trememdous help to us. They gave out water, tarps, ice, and food, which we did need and took. The food came in the form of MREs, meals ready to eat. These packages are a wonderful assortment of foods. Everything from spaghetti and meatballs to Mexican food, and I have to say, that what I tasted was great. I didn't eat any of these meals due to the high fat and carb content in them, but my boys did.  They are made for soldiers who need the protein and carb fill to keep going in the fields, so I understood why they were like that.  These packages also contained several others items such as drinks mixes, crackers, a tube of peanut butter or cheese spread,  poptarts and/or several types of baked goods (which were delish), candy, and packages of fruit, just to mention a few items. These meals are made to feed a person for the whole day on one meal pack if need be. They even came with these tiny little bottles of Louisiana hot sauce, which I thought was too cute. 

*If my camera was working I would take a picture of one of these great little meal thingys.

  I ended up keeping all the odds and ends that were in the meal packs that my boys didn't eat, such as the hot sauce, the crackers, the baked goods, the peanut butter, and the friut. The items have a shelf life of three years, so I stocked them on my shelf in my pantry, lol.   So this morning I used some of the friut to make muffins with, and they came out so good too.  I made cranberry and blueberry muffins. At first I thought Hummm maybe not, but to my surprise they were very good. My son ate 4 of them, so I know they were good, lol.

  Well the weather is gorgeous outside, thank you God,  so I think we will go do school on the patio. Have a great day everyone.