Today I received this comment on my post about Sam's Autism Improvement on Video:
Anonymous said...
Hi Janice.
I have just seen this link posted on a Facebook page. I'm really curious about how this works.
My son is 6 and he has Aspergers. I have tried homeopathy but it didn't work.
He has a good diet but due to his condition I am unable to work, and we live on just my partners wage, therefore don't have money to buy organic etc foods...
I'd love some advice on how to get started xx
I figured I would just put my answer in its own blog post since it's likely to get a little lengthy!
First of all, like yours, our family is a one-income family. So, I hope that our family's experience will be useful to you.
I know this is obvious, but I'm going to point it out anyway. The first thing our family did to free up funds for increased food costs was to look at other areas of our budget. We had to figure out what areas could be decreased so that our grocery budget could increase. For instance, we do not pay for any TV service whatsoever. Doing without a cable/satellite bill and other things like trash service have freed up money that can now go towards good quality foods. So, first of all I'd look to find other areas of your budget that can be reassigned.
After analyzing and making changes to the budget, we had to go through and define our priorities. While I would love to eat only all organic fruits and vegetables and only pastured meat and only grass-fed dairy and only local raw honey and..you get the idea. Realistically I purchase my fruits and vegetables SOME organic and SOME conventional. For our meat I purchase SOME pastured and SOME conventional. I have to make some concessions because we just can't afford to do everything perfect. So, I would suggest that your family decide what is your highest priority and make decisions accordingly.
Here's were I currently acquire our foods:
Meats
I purchase chicken in bulk once a year from a farm that raises pastured poultry. I buy one year's worth all at once because there's a huge cost savings by buying in bulk.
I purchase conventionally-raised local pork from a local butcher. I buy 1/2 a pig at a time, again for the cost savings. (Would love to have pastured pork, but it's very hard to find and also very expensive. Priorities..)
I purchase hormone/antibiotic free beef that is grass/hay fed (no grain) from a friend. I purchase 1/2 a cow at a time, again for the cost savings.
We raise our own rabbits and butcher them ourselves for meat.
My husband will be deer hunting this year and will (Lord willing) get one or two deer.
Fats
Whenever we purchase our beef and pork, I always ask to be given the fat from the animal. Then I render the fat myself in order to get a lot of good lard and tallow. The processors that I use don't charge any extra for providing the fat.
I purchase my pure olive oil and extra virgin olive oil from Sam's Club. It's not organic, but it's what we can afford. (Obviously, this is lower on my list of priorities.)
I bought my coconut oil in bulk from Nutiva. I think I purchased something like 10 or 12 gallons last time in order to get the best discounts and free shipping.
Finally, whenever I cook any meats, I always save the fats. We make burger patties and I save the fat to add to mashed cauliflower. We cook bacon and I save the fat to season green beans. We bake a pork loin roast and I save the fat to scramble eggs in the next morning. I roast a chicken and I save the fat to add into soups. Nothing gets wasted.
Fruits and Vegetables
Oh, there's so many sources for these foods. Of course we grow some of our own in our garden and orchard. However, we don't yet come anywhere near providing all of our own fruits and vegetables. I still purchase a lot.
I purchase non-organic avocados ($0.69 each), lemons ($0.25 each), and cauliflower ($1.99 each) from Aldi. They have great, low prices on their conventionally grown produce.
I purchase organic carrots from Kroger. I can get 5 pounds for $4.99 usually, but this week they were on sale for $3.99! I haven't found anyone else that beats their prices on organic carrots.
I purchase non-organic brussel sprouts ($4.97 for 2 pounds) and mushrooms ($3.98 for 24 ounces) from Sam's Club. I also get organic baby carrots ($3.98 for 3 pounds) and organic spinach ($3.97 for 1 pound) from Sam's Club.
Each month I place an order with Azure Standard. Having them deliver locally has been a huge blessing for our family. Every month I purchase all of my organic frozen green beans, broccoli, and peas in bulk. I also get organic onions and organic miniature pickling cucumbers for all the fermented pickles we consume. This next month they have a great deal on butternut squash. It's not perfect quality so it's sold at a discounted rate. I don't care if my squash looks pretty or not, so I'm stocking up by buying 40 pounds. Keeping an eye out on those good deals and stocking up then really does save our family quite a bit of money.
I also utilize our local Farmer's Market. This summer I was able to purchase a lot of organic green peppers. It's so difficult to find organic green peppers in stores, so I snatched up whatever I could find at the Farmer's Market. Then I dehydrated the green peppers. I now have enough organic green peppers to last our family until next year's growing season.
I know there are other foods that I haven't listed, but you get the idea. Basically, I make a point to keep track of food prices so I can recognize a good deal. Whenever I run across a good deal, I stock up. Yes, it costs more one time, but then you don't have to buy any more for quite a while. Also, our family has found that buying good quality food motivates us to learn to provide it for ourselves. I see how much money I spend each month on produce and it spurs me on to produce a larger, more successful garden.
It also takes time to research and find new sources for good quality foods. You may have to settle for conventionally-raised beef until you can find a source for good quality beef. Networking with other like-minded families can be beneficial. I've come across many resources this way that I wouldn't have discovered myself. It's great when friends contact me to let me know that they've found a good sale. Oftentimes, a group of friends can make a bulk purchase together in order to receive a discount and then divide everything up amongst themselves.
Ultimately, I think the best thing is just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Small, continuous improvements will eventually get you somewhere. At least you're moving in the right direction.
Anyway...Anonymous, I hope that helps get you started. If I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me.
(This post is proud to be part of Real Food Wednesday.)
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/11/real-food-wednesday-11092011.html
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Reducing the Electric Bill
Now that we've been in our home for a year I am able to go back and compare electric bills. Last year, our electric bill due in February was our first full month's bill out on our homestead. Last year that bill was $259.43. When we received this year's bill due in February, the total was only $124.21. That's a difference of $135.22!!!!!
Needless to say, I was absolutely giddy to see the reduced amount. Especially since, last year at this time, we were freezing inside our home and this year we're been cozy and warm through the winter.
The first change we made to increase our home's energy efficiency was to have more insulation put in our attic. Early last summer we realized that there were spots in the attic that had ZERO insulation in them. So, we remedied that as soon as we were able. Then, in the fall, we invested in some custom-made insulated curtains for the south side of our earth-berm home. Just using these two improvements helped a lot because we were able to live comfortably in our home without any heat source until the latter part of fall. When we finally did have to have heat, we used our woodstove. This time last year, we were just moved in and we relied solely on the central heat for the majority of the winter. I cannot explain to you the difference between heating our home using central heat versus wood heat. Despite having vents in every room of the house, the central heat could run constantly and never get the chill out of the air. On the other hand, when we use our wood stove (which is in the kitchen at the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms), the entire house has a warm cozy feel to it. It makes no sense to me that the woodstove can keep the bedrooms at the other end of the house warmer than heating vents can.
We don't use the woodstove during the daytime. I think that our home is now well-insulated enough that the residual heat from overnight use, combined with the sunlight coming in the southern windows, keeps our home a cozy 70 degrees in the daytime. See all the sunlight coming in those windows! It's currently 15 degrees outside with a couple inches of snow on the ground, but the sunlight makes it so nice and warm inside. Our thermostat is showing that it's 73 degrees inside!
When Shawn comes home from work in the evenings he loads up the woodstove and we use it through the night. I've also stopped using our clothes dryer for the most part. I've started doing laundry in the evenings and setting up our dryer racks overnight so the clothes can dry in front of the woodstove. In the morning the clothes are usually dry.
All of these changes have really added up and I'm so happy with the investments we've made in our home. After being really disappointed in our earth-berm home last winter, I can now say that I am thrilled with the savings we're now seeing!
Needless to say, I was absolutely giddy to see the reduced amount. Especially since, last year at this time, we were freezing inside our home and this year we're been cozy and warm through the winter.
The first change we made to increase our home's energy efficiency was to have more insulation put in our attic. Early last summer we realized that there were spots in the attic that had ZERO insulation in them. So, we remedied that as soon as we were able. Then, in the fall, we invested in some custom-made insulated curtains for the south side of our earth-berm home. Just using these two improvements helped a lot because we were able to live comfortably in our home without any heat source until the latter part of fall. When we finally did have to have heat, we used our woodstove. This time last year, we were just moved in and we relied solely on the central heat for the majority of the winter. I cannot explain to you the difference between heating our home using central heat versus wood heat. Despite having vents in every room of the house, the central heat could run constantly and never get the chill out of the air. On the other hand, when we use our wood stove (which is in the kitchen at the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms), the entire house has a warm cozy feel to it. It makes no sense to me that the woodstove can keep the bedrooms at the other end of the house warmer than heating vents can.
We don't use the woodstove during the daytime. I think that our home is now well-insulated enough that the residual heat from overnight use, combined with the sunlight coming in the southern windows, keeps our home a cozy 70 degrees in the daytime. See all the sunlight coming in those windows! It's currently 15 degrees outside with a couple inches of snow on the ground, but the sunlight makes it so nice and warm inside. Our thermostat is showing that it's 73 degrees inside!
When Shawn comes home from work in the evenings he loads up the woodstove and we use it through the night. I've also stopped using our clothes dryer for the most part. I've started doing laundry in the evenings and setting up our dryer racks overnight so the clothes can dry in front of the woodstove. In the morning the clothes are usually dry.
All of these changes have really added up and I'm so happy with the investments we've made in our home. After being really disappointed in our earth-berm home last winter, I can now say that I am thrilled with the savings we're now seeing!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Homemade Cleaners
Since I'm feeling crummy today and have no motivation to clean, I thought that I would at least post about cleaning. That makes my lack of productivity less bad, right? Right?
Anyhow..we avoid commercial cleaning products for two reasons. First of all, because we want to avoid the toxic chemicals that are in those commercial cleansers. Secondly, it's cheaper to simply make your own. So, here are my homemade cleanser recipes:
Wood Cleanser
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
Place in spray bottle and label, "Furniture Polish." I use this on all of our wood furniture, including the nice antique stuff. Sometimes I spray it directly on the wood and other times I spray on a rag and then apply to the wood. I also use this on my kitchen's wood floor after I've mopped. It gives a nice shine to the wood.
Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Place in spray bottle and label, "Glass Cleaner." I use this on all mirrors, windows, computer and tv screens.
Toilet cleaning
For the toilet, I simply sprinkle some baking soda in the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. Then flush. Then I clean the exterior of the toilet using undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle.
Tub/Sink Cleaning
I sprinkle some baking soda in the sink/tub and scrub with a scrub brush. The countertops around the sinks can be cleaned with the undiluted vinegar.
Mopping
I simply fill my kitchen sink with super-hot water and then pour some white vinegar in. I'm not even sure of the measurement...about three "glugs" from the gallon jug of vinegar. It doesn't have to be exact.
I like keeping things simple and this type of cleaning doesn't require any special purchases on my part. I can simply use what's on hand in my home. Also, I don't have to worry about the kids helping me clean and being exposed to toxins. I know that many may worry about germs and such in our home since we don't use commercial disinfectants or bleach, but our family has been blessed with good health. We are very rarely ever sick, so this type of cleaning can't be doing too bad of a job!
If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think. Also, if you have a good homemade, non-toxic cleaning technique that you love, please share it with me.
Anyhow..we avoid commercial cleaning products for two reasons. First of all, because we want to avoid the toxic chemicals that are in those commercial cleansers. Secondly, it's cheaper to simply make your own. So, here are my homemade cleanser recipes:
Wood Cleanser
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
Place in spray bottle and label, "Furniture Polish." I use this on all of our wood furniture, including the nice antique stuff. Sometimes I spray it directly on the wood and other times I spray on a rag and then apply to the wood. I also use this on my kitchen's wood floor after I've mopped. It gives a nice shine to the wood.
Glass Cleaner
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Place in spray bottle and label, "Glass Cleaner." I use this on all mirrors, windows, computer and tv screens.
Toilet cleaning
For the toilet, I simply sprinkle some baking soda in the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. Then flush. Then I clean the exterior of the toilet using undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle.
Tub/Sink Cleaning
I sprinkle some baking soda in the sink/tub and scrub with a scrub brush. The countertops around the sinks can be cleaned with the undiluted vinegar.
Mopping
I simply fill my kitchen sink with super-hot water and then pour some white vinegar in. I'm not even sure of the measurement...about three "glugs" from the gallon jug of vinegar. It doesn't have to be exact.
I like keeping things simple and this type of cleaning doesn't require any special purchases on my part. I can simply use what's on hand in my home. Also, I don't have to worry about the kids helping me clean and being exposed to toxins. I know that many may worry about germs and such in our home since we don't use commercial disinfectants or bleach, but our family has been blessed with good health. We are very rarely ever sick, so this type of cleaning can't be doing too bad of a job!
If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think. Also, if you have a good homemade, non-toxic cleaning technique that you love, please share it with me.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Homemade Toothpaste
I know I said that I meant to have this up yesterday, but yesterday ended up being busier than anticipated. We went to the Ag Expo in the morning. The kids enjoyed petting the rabbits and calves and goats. Then we ran some errands around town before heading home. Once we got home we found a message from the meat processor that our 1/2 beef was ready to be picked up, so we turned around and headed out again. The drive to the meat processors took more than an hour on curvy, hilly roads. Andrew spent the drive throwing up. Apparently he's one to get car sick. Sam went through this same kind of phase. Not fun at all. So, after getting home at 7:30, cleaning up a vomit-covered child, bathtime, and bedtime...Shawn and I were ready to relax. We put in a movie that we got from the library, "Super Size Me," and we just sat and relaxed and enjoyed the movie.
So...here's the post I promised, Homemade Toothpaste.
Before our big food conversion, we used the toothpaste that I got for free using coupons at Walgreens. We had a huge supply of toothpaste. I did purchase the fluoride-free flavored toothpastes for the kids. When we started the Feingold diet, I had to find toothpastes without artificial colors or flavors. Before that time, I had never even thought about the ingredients in toothpastes. The fact that they were neon blue or tasted like a piece of bubble gum never even crossed my mind. So, I started searching for non-artificial alternatives. I ended up purchasing some Tom's of Maine toothpaste. After all this time of getting toothpaste for free with coupons, it was really difficult to pay full price for the expensive toothpaste. I bought two tubes of the Tom's paste before I started researching homemade alternatives. I tried a couple different recipes, but chose this one as my favorite.
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil
3 Tbsp. baking soda
1/2 to 1 small packet of stevia powder
20-25 drops peppermint or spearmint oil** (Personally, I prefer 25 drops of spearmint oil)
Mix together in small bowl using fork.
**Start by using 1/2 the amount, then add more as desired.
Before mixing:
After mixing:
The first time I made this, I made the mistake of using expeller-pressed (not virgin) coconut oil. It was not very good at all. The virgin coconut oil has a little bit of a coconut taste that helps to make the taste of the toothpaste more pleasing. Virgin coconut oil also has anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties which aids in maintaining the overall health of your mouth.
I haven't done it, but you can experiment with this by using cinnamon oil instead of spearmint or peppermint.
If you do decide to try homemade toothpaste, I'd be interested in hearing your experience. I've been thoroughly pleased and do not intend on switching back to the store-bought stuff.
So...here's the post I promised, Homemade Toothpaste.
Before our big food conversion, we used the toothpaste that I got for free using coupons at Walgreens. We had a huge supply of toothpaste. I did purchase the fluoride-free flavored toothpastes for the kids. When we started the Feingold diet, I had to find toothpastes without artificial colors or flavors. Before that time, I had never even thought about the ingredients in toothpastes. The fact that they were neon blue or tasted like a piece of bubble gum never even crossed my mind. So, I started searching for non-artificial alternatives. I ended up purchasing some Tom's of Maine toothpaste. After all this time of getting toothpaste for free with coupons, it was really difficult to pay full price for the expensive toothpaste. I bought two tubes of the Tom's paste before I started researching homemade alternatives. I tried a couple different recipes, but chose this one as my favorite.
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil
3 Tbsp. baking soda
1/2 to 1 small packet of stevia powder
20-25 drops peppermint or spearmint oil** (Personally, I prefer 25 drops of spearmint oil)
Mix together in small bowl using fork.
**Start by using 1/2 the amount, then add more as desired.
Before mixing:
After mixing:
The first time I made this, I made the mistake of using expeller-pressed (not virgin) coconut oil. It was not very good at all. The virgin coconut oil has a little bit of a coconut taste that helps to make the taste of the toothpaste more pleasing. Virgin coconut oil also has anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties which aids in maintaining the overall health of your mouth.
I haven't done it, but you can experiment with this by using cinnamon oil instead of spearmint or peppermint.
If you do decide to try homemade toothpaste, I'd be interested in hearing your experience. I've been thoroughly pleased and do not intend on switching back to the store-bought stuff.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Eating Out Of Our Pantry Challenge - Menu and Update
Ok, another week of eating from the pantry. Last week we had a lot of leftovers so one evening we feasted on leftovers. Another night, Shawn had a late meeting, so the kids and I just foraged for food instead of me cooking something. So, there's a couple meals this week that are rolling over from last week. Here's our menu for the week:
Breakfasts:
bacon and eggs
soaked oats
banana nut muffins
eggs and cinnamon toast
pancakes
leftover pancakes
soaked oats
Lunches:
leftovers
cheese quesadillas and fruit
grilled cheese and fruit
Suppers:
Leftover Fettucine Alfredo from our freezer, spinach salad
Roasted chicken, herbed rice, steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce
Stovetop Beef Stew, bread
Chicken stir-fry, rice, pineapple
Barbecued Beef Liver (cross your fingers on this one!), mashed potatoes, green beans
leftovers
Meal with family
You know that you're getting desperate for ideas when you start breaking out the liver recipes. I know this is supposed to be extremely healthy for you, but I'm really uncertain whether I'll be able to get Shawn and the kids to eat the liver. I tried to find the recipe that I thought would be most appealing to them. We'll see how it goes!
I did spend a little more last week on groceries. Our total came to $46.71. This included 6 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of butter, oats, a green pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, organic apples, onions, cilantro, 3 avocados, 2 limes, garlic, bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes. So, since December 23rd (3-1/2 weeks) we've spent $95.98 on food. Considering most of that total was produce and dairy, I don't feel too bad about it.
Breakfasts:
bacon and eggs
soaked oats
banana nut muffins
eggs and cinnamon toast
pancakes
leftover pancakes
soaked oats
Lunches:
leftovers
cheese quesadillas and fruit
grilled cheese and fruit
Suppers:
Leftover Fettucine Alfredo from our freezer, spinach salad
Roasted chicken, herbed rice, steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce
Stovetop Beef Stew, bread
Chicken stir-fry, rice, pineapple
Barbecued Beef Liver (cross your fingers on this one!), mashed potatoes, green beans
leftovers
Meal with family
You know that you're getting desperate for ideas when you start breaking out the liver recipes. I know this is supposed to be extremely healthy for you, but I'm really uncertain whether I'll be able to get Shawn and the kids to eat the liver. I tried to find the recipe that I thought would be most appealing to them. We'll see how it goes!
I did spend a little more last week on groceries. Our total came to $46.71. This included 6 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of butter, oats, a green pepper, 2 jalapeno peppers, organic apples, onions, cilantro, 3 avocados, 2 limes, garlic, bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes. So, since December 23rd (3-1/2 weeks) we've spent $95.98 on food. Considering most of that total was produce and dairy, I don't feel too bad about it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Eating Out Of Our Pantry Challenge - Menu and Update
Well, for the first two weeks of the challenge, things were pretty easy. My menu came together pretty quickly and there were very few things that I ended up purchasing. This coming week, though, is proving to be a bit more challenging for me. I had a harder time coming up with a menu because I felt like I was having to choose between purchasing extra ingredients versus eating the same meal over and over again. I did eventually come up with a menu, but I'm not entirely pleased with it. Here's the plan for this week:
Breakfasts:
oats with maple syrup and milk
pumpkin muffins
egg sandwiches
pancakes
leftover pancakes
Mighty Tasty cereal and fruit
Homemade granola cereal and fruit
Lunches:
Leftovers
Chicken Chowder
Suppers:
Spaghetti and Cheesy French Bread
Leftover Mexican casserole from our freezer, cheesy refried beans
Steak, roasted sweet potatoes, peas
Grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, boiled carrots
Stovetop Beef Stew, homemade bread
Beefy Spanish Rice, guacamole, chips
Roasted chicken, herbed rice, steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce
Snacks:
Homemade pineapple gelatin
Blackberry cobbler
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Peanuts
Last week our grocery purchases came to $14.62. This included 8 cans of tomato sauce, a large bag of oranges, a large bag of organic carrots, bananas, and lemons. So, the total amount of grocery spending since December 23rd (2-1/2 weeks ago) is now at $49.27.
Since this week was so intimidating I'm really dreading next week! I'm running out of ideas!
Breakfasts:
oats with maple syrup and milk
pumpkin muffins
egg sandwiches
pancakes
leftover pancakes
Mighty Tasty cereal and fruit
Homemade granola cereal and fruit
Lunches:
Leftovers
Chicken Chowder
Suppers:
Spaghetti and Cheesy French Bread
Leftover Mexican casserole from our freezer, cheesy refried beans
Steak, roasted sweet potatoes, peas
Grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, boiled carrots
Stovetop Beef Stew, homemade bread
Beefy Spanish Rice, guacamole, chips
Roasted chicken, herbed rice, steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce
Snacks:
Homemade pineapple gelatin
Blackberry cobbler
Sunflower Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Peanuts
Last week our grocery purchases came to $14.62. This included 8 cans of tomato sauce, a large bag of oranges, a large bag of organic carrots, bananas, and lemons. So, the total amount of grocery spending since December 23rd (2-1/2 weeks ago) is now at $49.27.
Since this week was so intimidating I'm really dreading next week! I'm running out of ideas!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Making Homemade Laundry Soap
I made laundry soap yesterday and took pictures of the process. I know that I used to have the desire to make my own detergent, but was intimidated of the process of making it. Hopefully, if anyone reading this is apprehensive about making it, the pictures will help show you just how easy it is to do.
My sister (Hi Angie!)got me started making this detergent. She did it first and gave me a free sample to try. I love it and always use it even though I have two full bottles of the store-bought stuff still sitting in my laundry room. It is especially nice since we try to avoid artificial fragrances. Ivory soap does have some fragrance in it, but the Feingold Association has found that those with sensitivities usually tolerate it well.
First thing...make sure that you don't have any laundry that needs to be done for 24 hours. Your detergent will need to sit for an entire day, so get all necessary laundry done before you start making your detergent.
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
1/2 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax powder
1 bar Ivory soap
You will also need water and a small bucket.
First, you grate the entire bar of Ivory soap.
Add the grated soap to a saucepan and add 6 cups of water. Heat it until the soap melts. Here's a photo of the soap/water mixture right after I've put it in the pan.
And here's what it looks like after the soap has melted.
At this point, add the washing soda and Borax. Stir until everything dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
(Honestly, the most difficult part in making my own detergent was finding an appropriate bucket to use. I ended up using an old cat litter bucket that we had around the house. I don't know what size it is because all it says is that it holds 30 pounds of cat litter! However, the detergent recipe that I use says to use a small bucket that is around 2 gallons.)
Here's my bucket. I put it next to my KitchenAid mixer so you can kind of get a visual size comparison.
After adding 4 cups hot water to your bucket, add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir some more. Your soap mixture will look like this...basically cloudy water.
Let this sit for 24 hours. During this time, the detergent will gel. It will become semi-solid. The best term I can think of to describe its consistency is "gloopy." You can see in the picture that it's solid enough to support a measuring cup on top.
After the 24 hour period, give your detergent a little stir to distribute the water better. Use a 1/2 cup per load. I tend to give my detergent a stir each time I get ready to use it.
I haven't had any trouble using this detergent. However, don't expect to see the pretty white bubbles that you get from the store-bought stuff. This is a low-sudsing soap, so you won't see suds.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Happy cleaning!
My sister (Hi Angie!)got me started making this detergent. She did it first and gave me a free sample to try. I love it and always use it even though I have two full bottles of the store-bought stuff still sitting in my laundry room. It is especially nice since we try to avoid artificial fragrances. Ivory soap does have some fragrance in it, but the Feingold Association has found that those with sensitivities usually tolerate it well.
First thing...make sure that you don't have any laundry that needs to be done for 24 hours. Your detergent will need to sit for an entire day, so get all necessary laundry done before you start making your detergent.
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
1/2 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax powder
1 bar Ivory soap
You will also need water and a small bucket.
First, you grate the entire bar of Ivory soap.
Add the grated soap to a saucepan and add 6 cups of water. Heat it until the soap melts. Here's a photo of the soap/water mixture right after I've put it in the pan.
And here's what it looks like after the soap has melted.
At this point, add the washing soda and Borax. Stir until everything dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
(Honestly, the most difficult part in making my own detergent was finding an appropriate bucket to use. I ended up using an old cat litter bucket that we had around the house. I don't know what size it is because all it says is that it holds 30 pounds of cat litter! However, the detergent recipe that I use says to use a small bucket that is around 2 gallons.)
Here's my bucket. I put it next to my KitchenAid mixer so you can kind of get a visual size comparison.
After adding 4 cups hot water to your bucket, add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir some more. Your soap mixture will look like this...basically cloudy water.
Let this sit for 24 hours. During this time, the detergent will gel. It will become semi-solid. The best term I can think of to describe its consistency is "gloopy." You can see in the picture that it's solid enough to support a measuring cup on top.
After the 24 hour period, give your detergent a little stir to distribute the water better. Use a 1/2 cup per load. I tend to give my detergent a stir each time I get ready to use it.
I haven't had any trouble using this detergent. However, don't expect to see the pretty white bubbles that you get from the store-bought stuff. This is a low-sudsing soap, so you won't see suds.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Happy cleaning!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Living Without Television
One of the luxuries that we gave up when moving out to our homestead was television. Actually, it wasn't something that we had intended to give up. We had discussed doing without TV, but ended up putting in the order to move our service out to our new property anyway. Then we learned that we wouldn't be able to get local channels at our new home. They simply weren't available out here. Shawn wasn't very happy about that and decided that he wasn't going to spend money on a bunch of satellite channels that we didn't watch when the channels we did watch weren't even available. So, we cancelled satellite TV.
We haven't had any television in our home since December 16th. Honestly, I am enjoying it. I was worried about it at first because Sam is very, VERY into TV. Part of his autistic behavior involves him obsessing over certain shows and memorizing them. He could recite the Dora Christmas Carol Adventure to you from start to finish and even include sound effects! So, it's not surprising to know that the most noticable improvement has been in Sam. I've noticed that he's using his imagination a lot more than before. He'll go to the magnetic letters on the fridge and spell out "shows" that we're going to watch. It's funny because he's limited to only the words he knows how to spell. This is one of the TV show lineups that will end up on the fridge:
3 HORSE
4 BATMAN
5 SAM
Then he'll yell at me, "Momma, Momma..at 3:00 we'll watch Horse, at 4:00 we'll watch the Batman computer, and at 5:00 we'll watch the Sam show!!" He gets so excited that you'd think they were real shows he was planning to watch.
So, instead of our normal routine of:
6:00 Local news
6:30 Wheel of Fortune
7:00 NCIS or Biggest Loser, or whatever
8:00 put kids to bed and then Shawn and I would settle in front of the TV with a snack until 10:00 when we got ready for bed
Instead of doing this, we're spending the evenings actually interacting with the kids. Sarah and I wash the dishes by hand while Shawn plays with the boys. There's no longer the constant "noise" in the background. Once the kids are in bed, Shawn and I spend our time catching up on emails, researching future projects, or working on something around the house. It's really very nice and I'm glad we got rid of TV. I think it's really a good thing for our family and our budget.
We haven't had any television in our home since December 16th. Honestly, I am enjoying it. I was worried about it at first because Sam is very, VERY into TV. Part of his autistic behavior involves him obsessing over certain shows and memorizing them. He could recite the Dora Christmas Carol Adventure to you from start to finish and even include sound effects! So, it's not surprising to know that the most noticable improvement has been in Sam. I've noticed that he's using his imagination a lot more than before. He'll go to the magnetic letters on the fridge and spell out "shows" that we're going to watch. It's funny because he's limited to only the words he knows how to spell. This is one of the TV show lineups that will end up on the fridge:
3 HORSE
4 BATMAN
5 SAM
Then he'll yell at me, "Momma, Momma..at 3:00 we'll watch Horse, at 4:00 we'll watch the Batman computer, and at 5:00 we'll watch the Sam show!!" He gets so excited that you'd think they were real shows he was planning to watch.
So, instead of our normal routine of:
6:00 Local news
6:30 Wheel of Fortune
7:00 NCIS or Biggest Loser, or whatever
8:00 put kids to bed and then Shawn and I would settle in front of the TV with a snack until 10:00 when we got ready for bed
Instead of doing this, we're spending the evenings actually interacting with the kids. Sarah and I wash the dishes by hand while Shawn plays with the boys. There's no longer the constant "noise" in the background. Once the kids are in bed, Shawn and I spend our time catching up on emails, researching future projects, or working on something around the house. It's really very nice and I'm glad we got rid of TV. I think it's really a good thing for our family and our budget.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Eating From Our Pantry Challenge - Menu and Update
So far our challenge has been going well. We've been able to have yummy, filling meals simply by using what we have on-hand. This past week's grocery purchases totalled $34.65. This total included two gallons of raw milk and six dozen farm-fresh eggs.
Here's our menu plan for the coming week:
Breakfasts:
blueberry muffins
homemade granola and bananas
eggs and bacon
more homemade granola and bananas
eggs and cinnamon toast
waffles, mandarin oranges
leftover waffles
Lunches:
Leftovers
Suppers:
Cheeseburgers, fried potatoes, peas
Chicken Noodle Soup, hot rolls
Homemade pizza and salad
Fettucine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken, mashed sweet potatoes
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
Frito chili pies, peanut butter sandwiches, pineapple
Supper with family
Snacks:
Sunflower seeds
Peanuts
Homemade pineapple gelatin
Popcorn
Ghirardelli chocolates (for mom!)
So...so far so good!
Here's our menu plan for the coming week:
Breakfasts:
blueberry muffins
homemade granola and bananas
eggs and bacon
more homemade granola and bananas
eggs and cinnamon toast
waffles, mandarin oranges
leftover waffles
Lunches:
Leftovers
Suppers:
Cheeseburgers, fried potatoes, peas
Chicken Noodle Soup, hot rolls
Homemade pizza and salad
Fettucine Alfredo with Broccoli and Chicken, mashed sweet potatoes
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
Frito chili pies, peanut butter sandwiches, pineapple
Supper with family
Snacks:
Sunflower seeds
Peanuts
Homemade pineapple gelatin
Popcorn
Ghirardelli chocolates (for mom!)
So...so far so good!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
More Homestead Happenings
Today has been another great day on the homestead. I just love discovering new aspects about this property. The excitement for today centered around Sarah seeing a kangaroo on our property and Sam almost getting eaten by a bird.
Shawn took Sam and Sarah out on a walking tour of the property today so I would have some time to get the kids' bedrooms more organized. They crossed several small creeks that developed from the recent heavy rains and made their way out to our pond. They climbed up the hill to the pond and reached a point where most of our property can be viewed. It was at that point when Sarah excitedly exlaimed that she could see a kangaroo. Somehow, Shawn was never able to pinpoint exactly where the kangaroo was, but Sarah was adamant that she saw one today.
Then, on their way back, Sam decided that he did NOT want to go the same way that Sarah and Shawn were going, so he proceeded to squat on the ground and have a crying fit. Apparently, a large bird heard my heathen child's fit and mistook him for a small wounded animal. The bird commenced to swoop down to see if it could eat Sam. After several very close and intimidating swoops, the bird must have decided that eating Sam was not worth the effort because it then flew away. Seeing this sure did get Shawn and Sarah pretty excited, but Sam was oblivious. He was very absorbed in his wailing and never noticed the bird at all.
I was excited to use my clothesline twice this week. It's just another way that I'm trying to save money this month. I've found that, despite being bitterly cold, our laundry does get dry if I put it out early enough. I have been putting it in the dryer for about five minutes to fluff it a bit. I'm hoping to see a dramatic decrease in our electric bill by drastically decreasing the amount of our dryer usage.
Yesterday Shawn built a fence. There was one area on our property closest to the house that was missing fence, so Shawn spent most of the afternoon constructing it. It was important to us that we have the area around the house completely fenced in to keep children and chickens inside. Shawn succeeded at the fence-building and did a great job. He also spent some time today planning a new structure for trash burning. We have chosen not to pay for trash service out here. We do recycle and compost what we can, but we're still left with some food scraps and paper products that we're going to be burning. Shawn came inside yesterday evening and said, "You know, I was miserably cold out there building that fence, but there was just something really great about being out there doing that kind of work." That's the same way I feel when I'm out there in the cold hanging wet laundry on the line...This isn't fun, but I'm still glad I'm out here doing it.
We're really enjoying being homesteaders and learning all there is to do out here.
Shawn took Sam and Sarah out on a walking tour of the property today so I would have some time to get the kids' bedrooms more organized. They crossed several small creeks that developed from the recent heavy rains and made their way out to our pond. They climbed up the hill to the pond and reached a point where most of our property can be viewed. It was at that point when Sarah excitedly exlaimed that she could see a kangaroo. Somehow, Shawn was never able to pinpoint exactly where the kangaroo was, but Sarah was adamant that she saw one today.
Then, on their way back, Sam decided that he did NOT want to go the same way that Sarah and Shawn were going, so he proceeded to squat on the ground and have a crying fit. Apparently, a large bird heard my heathen child's fit and mistook him for a small wounded animal. The bird commenced to swoop down to see if it could eat Sam. After several very close and intimidating swoops, the bird must have decided that eating Sam was not worth the effort because it then flew away. Seeing this sure did get Shawn and Sarah pretty excited, but Sam was oblivious. He was very absorbed in his wailing and never noticed the bird at all.
I was excited to use my clothesline twice this week. It's just another way that I'm trying to save money this month. I've found that, despite being bitterly cold, our laundry does get dry if I put it out early enough. I have been putting it in the dryer for about five minutes to fluff it a bit. I'm hoping to see a dramatic decrease in our electric bill by drastically decreasing the amount of our dryer usage.
Yesterday Shawn built a fence. There was one area on our property closest to the house that was missing fence, so Shawn spent most of the afternoon constructing it. It was important to us that we have the area around the house completely fenced in to keep children and chickens inside. Shawn succeeded at the fence-building and did a great job. He also spent some time today planning a new structure for trash burning. We have chosen not to pay for trash service out here. We do recycle and compost what we can, but we're still left with some food scraps and paper products that we're going to be burning. Shawn came inside yesterday evening and said, "You know, I was miserably cold out there building that fence, but there was just something really great about being out there doing that kind of work." That's the same way I feel when I'm out there in the cold hanging wet laundry on the line...This isn't fun, but I'm still glad I'm out here doing it.
We're really enjoying being homesteaders and learning all there is to do out here.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Eating Out Of Our Pantry
I have a new challenge for our family and I thought it would be interesting to blog about it as well. Actually, I'm hoping that blogging about this will help in keeping me accountable.
We were advised at the last minute that our bank is requiring a larger amount at the house closing than we had originally discussed with them. We're trying to offset this unexpected expense by cutting costs and making do with what we have. One of the best ways for us to cut costs is by reducing the grocery bill. So, I am making a serious effort to only cook with items I already have on hand. I need to keep up this effort until February 15th when our financial life should get back to normal.
I intend to blog about my weekly menu plans and report whatever grocery items I buy during this time period.
Fortunately, I've already been in the habit of buying in bulk, so I do have a freezer full of whole-fryer chickens and beef. I have several buckets of wheat, lots of rice and dried beans, and several flats of canned green beans/corn. So, I've got a pretty good start. I do anticipate having to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some canned tomato products.
So, here's our "Eating Out Of Our Pantry" menu for this week:
Breakfasts:
pumpkin muffins
scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast
egg sandwiches
oats
pancakes
leftover pancakes
homemade granola and fruit
Lunches:
leftovers
Suppers:
Big Chicken Salad
Beefy Potato Casserole, boiled carrots, peas
Skillet Pork and Rice, green beans
Beef Fried Rice, pineapple
steak, baked potatoes, corn
Crockpot Roast with potatoes and carrots, homemade bread
supper with family
There are no food purchases to report. My last grocery shopping trip was on December 23rd.
On a more lighthearted side note....This morning Sarah was telling me that she liked our new house on the farm. I asked her what her favorite part was. She replied that her favorite part of living here was doing the dishes. She's a very eager helper with washing dishes by hand. We don't have a dishwasher here, so I've recruited her as free child labor. She's cute and it made me smile, so I thought I'd share.
We were advised at the last minute that our bank is requiring a larger amount at the house closing than we had originally discussed with them. We're trying to offset this unexpected expense by cutting costs and making do with what we have. One of the best ways for us to cut costs is by reducing the grocery bill. So, I am making a serious effort to only cook with items I already have on hand. I need to keep up this effort until February 15th when our financial life should get back to normal.
I intend to blog about my weekly menu plans and report whatever grocery items I buy during this time period.
Fortunately, I've already been in the habit of buying in bulk, so I do have a freezer full of whole-fryer chickens and beef. I have several buckets of wheat, lots of rice and dried beans, and several flats of canned green beans/corn. So, I've got a pretty good start. I do anticipate having to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some canned tomato products.
So, here's our "Eating Out Of Our Pantry" menu for this week:
Breakfasts:
pumpkin muffins
scrambled eggs and cinnamon toast
egg sandwiches
oats
pancakes
leftover pancakes
homemade granola and fruit
Lunches:
leftovers
Suppers:
Big Chicken Salad
Beefy Potato Casserole, boiled carrots, peas
Skillet Pork and Rice, green beans
Beef Fried Rice, pineapple
steak, baked potatoes, corn
Crockpot Roast with potatoes and carrots, homemade bread
supper with family
There are no food purchases to report. My last grocery shopping trip was on December 23rd.
On a more lighthearted side note....This morning Sarah was telling me that she liked our new house on the farm. I asked her what her favorite part was. She replied that her favorite part of living here was doing the dishes. She's a very eager helper with washing dishes by hand. We don't have a dishwasher here, so I've recruited her as free child labor. She's cute and it made me smile, so I thought I'd share.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Making Pumpkin Puree
Well, I tried something else new this week! Some of you may have heard about the devastating pumpkin shortage of 2009. Rumor has it that there will only be enough pumpkin puree to fill the demand for the holiday season and then there won't be any more pumpkin available for the rest of the year. Are you in a panic yet? I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own pumpkin puree!
I used a pumpkin that my mother-in-law (Hi Colette!) purchased for me at a pumpkin farm when she came to visit in October. The owner of the farm assured us that this was a great pumpkin to use for making pumpkin pie..sorry, I don't know the exact variety.
Then I scraped out all the flesh.
I placed the chunks into my blender and processed it until smooth. This is all the puree I ended up with from the entire pumpkin.
I placed it in freezer bags in one cup portions. I ended up with about 15 cups of puree. I figured that a typical can of pumpkin contains 1-3/4 cups of puree. So, I had about 8-1/2 cans of pumpkin puree here. Since that pumpkin cost $4 at the pumpkin farm and I ended up with 8-1/2 cans of puree, that works out to about $0.47 per can of pumpkin puree. Now, I don't know what it typically sells for at the store, but I usually pay $0.70 per can at our local "bent and dent" store. So, even at my reduced cost it is still a money savings for our family. Of course, there's more work involved in this method, but that's one of the reasons that I stay home, so I have the time to do little things like this.
And then we had pumpkin muffins for breakfast this morning. The homemade pumpkin puree must've turned out ok since Sam ate about five of the muffins!
So, unless you want to be one of the unfortunate victims of the great pumpkin shortage of 2009, you'd best get to work processing your leftover Halloween pumpkins!
I used a pumpkin that my mother-in-law (Hi Colette!) purchased for me at a pumpkin farm when she came to visit in October. The owner of the farm assured us that this was a great pumpkin to use for making pumpkin pie..sorry, I don't know the exact variety.
Then I scraped out all the flesh.I placed the chunks into my blender and processed it until smooth. This is all the puree I ended up with from the entire pumpkin.
I placed it in freezer bags in one cup portions. I ended up with about 15 cups of puree. I figured that a typical can of pumpkin contains 1-3/4 cups of puree. So, I had about 8-1/2 cans of pumpkin puree here. Since that pumpkin cost $4 at the pumpkin farm and I ended up with 8-1/2 cans of puree, that works out to about $0.47 per can of pumpkin puree. Now, I don't know what it typically sells for at the store, but I usually pay $0.70 per can at our local "bent and dent" store. So, even at my reduced cost it is still a money savings for our family. Of course, there's more work involved in this method, but that's one of the reasons that I stay home, so I have the time to do little things like this.And then we had pumpkin muffins for breakfast this morning. The homemade pumpkin puree must've turned out ok since Sam ate about five of the muffins!
So, unless you want to be one of the unfortunate victims of the great pumpkin shortage of 2009, you'd best get to work processing your leftover Halloween pumpkins!Sunday, November 15, 2009
Rendering Beef Tallow
Today I tried rendering beef tallow for the very first time, and I think it turned out ok.
We just purchased some great grass-fed beef and the processor threw in the tallow for free. For those that don't know, tallow is the beef version of lard from a pig. It's a natural fat that is commonly used in frying or even in soap-making.
All the explanations that I could find online spoke about first having to take the time to chop up the fat into small pieces. Fortunately, when we received ours from the processor, it was already ground up like you see ground beef in the grocery store. So I breezed on through to the next step. I used two methods to render my tallow. I put two large pots on the stovetop and one large pot in the oven.
For the stovetop method, I placed a significant amount of tallow in the pot, set it on the stovetop on very low heat and walked away. I did occasionally stir the bottom to make sure nothing was sticking, but that's pretty much it. After about two hours, the fat was melted and crumbly meat/fat was floating on top.
For the oven method, I lowered my oven rack to one of the lowest settings and preheated the oven to 250 degrees. Then I placed a significant amount of tallow in a large pot, set it in the oven, and walked away. I did occasionally stir the bottom of this pot as well. After about 1-1/2 hours, this pot was finished.
Then I found some extra glass jars that I had around, placed a metal strainer on top to catch the crumbly meat/fat, and poured the rendered tallow through the strainer. I set the meat/fat aside because I'm going to try feeding it to a stray cat that comes to visit us every once in a while. I thought that our cat friend would really enjoy that treat. Anyhow, this is what I ended up with.
When it was time for bed, I placed the lids on the jars and continued to let them sit on the counter overnight. This is what they looked like this morning.
We just purchased some great grass-fed beef and the processor threw in the tallow for free. For those that don't know, tallow is the beef version of lard from a pig. It's a natural fat that is commonly used in frying or even in soap-making.
All the explanations that I could find online spoke about first having to take the time to chop up the fat into small pieces. Fortunately, when we received ours from the processor, it was already ground up like you see ground beef in the grocery store. So I breezed on through to the next step. I used two methods to render my tallow. I put two large pots on the stovetop and one large pot in the oven.
For the stovetop method, I placed a significant amount of tallow in the pot, set it on the stovetop on very low heat and walked away. I did occasionally stir the bottom to make sure nothing was sticking, but that's pretty much it. After about two hours, the fat was melted and crumbly meat/fat was floating on top.
For the oven method, I lowered my oven rack to one of the lowest settings and preheated the oven to 250 degrees. Then I placed a significant amount of tallow in a large pot, set it in the oven, and walked away. I did occasionally stir the bottom of this pot as well. After about 1-1/2 hours, this pot was finished.
Then I found some extra glass jars that I had around, placed a metal strainer on top to catch the crumbly meat/fat, and poured the rendered tallow through the strainer. I set the meat/fat aside because I'm going to try feeding it to a stray cat that comes to visit us every once in a while. I thought that our cat friend would really enjoy that treat. Anyhow, this is what I ended up with.
When it was time for bed, I placed the lids on the jars and continued to let them sit on the counter overnight. This is what they looked like this morning.
So, I'm pleased with my first tallow-rendering adventure. If anyone has any advice or suggestions, I would certainly welcome them! Also, if anyone knows a better use for the leftovers (besides kitty food!), then I'd like to know that as well.
Now I can't wait to cook with my great grass-fed beef tallow!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
About us..
So many people have blogs, so I wanted to focus on what will make this blog different than most.
About my world in SAHMville:
I'm Janice. I'm 32 years old. Wife to Shawn for six years. Mom to 4 year old Samuel, 2 year old Sarah, and 11 month old Andrew. I'm a SAHM and Shawn works in law enforcement. We have a nice home in the county, but are currently looking at properties for our own homestead. Our dream is to have a functioning, self-sufficient homestead complete with chickens, goats, gardens, an orchard, and possibly even a milk cow!
We live a bit differently than most families around here.
Probably the first oddity that you would notice is my appearance. I only wear skirts, no pants. I have long hair that I wear put up and I do not wear makeup. I wear skirts because I struggle with accepting that Shawn is the head of the household. I'm stubborn and I like to be in control of things. The Bible states that the husband is the head of the wife. (1 Cor 11:3) Since I have such difficulty with this, I decided that I needed a physical reminder that my husband is called to be the head of this family. So, in this house, my husband literally wears the pants in the family! I don't expect any other woman to do as I do, but it does work for us.
Possibly the next oddity that you would notice about us is our way of eating. We do not eat foods with any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. We do not eat corn syrup, MSG, or sodium benzoate. So, basically, that leaves out most anything that is packaged or processed. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, we eat whole foods. I make all of our breads, muffins, pancakes, and desserts from scratch. I grind the wheat in my grain mill first and then proceed with the recipe. We eat this way because we want to avoid the chemicals that are added into foods when they are processed. We began eating this way in order to help Sam and Andrew. Sam had some behavioral issues that resembled autism and Andrew suffered from eczema. When we removed the artificial dyes, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives, Andrew's eczema went away within a week. Sam still has some lingering behavioral issues, but has drastically improved since starting the diet. We haven't seen any type of change in Sarah, but we keep her on the diet too for two reasons: 1.) It's easier to have everyone eating the same way. I don't want to cook separate foods for my family. 2.) It is just a healthier way of eating and I want all my children to be healthy regardless if they're being obviously affected by a chemical or not. Since we want to avoid chemicals, we also do without scented candles/air fresheners, makeup, smelly laundry detergents, perfumes, etc.
I guess the next most obvious oddity would be our frugal lifestyle. We don't buy a lot of things that others have. We don't have blackberries, iPods, flat screen TVs, or even a riding lawnmower. Our cell phones do not have cameras and we do not text with them. Our family's clothing is plain and simple. It's usually received as a gift or purchased at Goodwill or yard sales. We don't have much, but that is by choice. We forego those types of items and prefer to save our money for purchasing our homestead. For us, living simply is just easier. There's less to store, less to clean, and just less stuff to keep up with.
Welcome to our wierdness!
About my world in SAHMville:
I'm Janice. I'm 32 years old. Wife to Shawn for six years. Mom to 4 year old Samuel, 2 year old Sarah, and 11 month old Andrew. I'm a SAHM and Shawn works in law enforcement. We have a nice home in the county, but are currently looking at properties for our own homestead. Our dream is to have a functioning, self-sufficient homestead complete with chickens, goats, gardens, an orchard, and possibly even a milk cow!
We live a bit differently than most families around here.
Probably the first oddity that you would notice is my appearance. I only wear skirts, no pants. I have long hair that I wear put up and I do not wear makeup. I wear skirts because I struggle with accepting that Shawn is the head of the household. I'm stubborn and I like to be in control of things. The Bible states that the husband is the head of the wife. (1 Cor 11:3) Since I have such difficulty with this, I decided that I needed a physical reminder that my husband is called to be the head of this family. So, in this house, my husband literally wears the pants in the family! I don't expect any other woman to do as I do, but it does work for us.
Possibly the next oddity that you would notice about us is our way of eating. We do not eat foods with any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. We do not eat corn syrup, MSG, or sodium benzoate. So, basically, that leaves out most anything that is packaged or processed. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, we eat whole foods. I make all of our breads, muffins, pancakes, and desserts from scratch. I grind the wheat in my grain mill first and then proceed with the recipe. We eat this way because we want to avoid the chemicals that are added into foods when they are processed. We began eating this way in order to help Sam and Andrew. Sam had some behavioral issues that resembled autism and Andrew suffered from eczema. When we removed the artificial dyes, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives, Andrew's eczema went away within a week. Sam still has some lingering behavioral issues, but has drastically improved since starting the diet. We haven't seen any type of change in Sarah, but we keep her on the diet too for two reasons: 1.) It's easier to have everyone eating the same way. I don't want to cook separate foods for my family. 2.) It is just a healthier way of eating and I want all my children to be healthy regardless if they're being obviously affected by a chemical or not. Since we want to avoid chemicals, we also do without scented candles/air fresheners, makeup, smelly laundry detergents, perfumes, etc.
I guess the next most obvious oddity would be our frugal lifestyle. We don't buy a lot of things that others have. We don't have blackberries, iPods, flat screen TVs, or even a riding lawnmower. Our cell phones do not have cameras and we do not text with them. Our family's clothing is plain and simple. It's usually received as a gift or purchased at Goodwill or yard sales. We don't have much, but that is by choice. We forego those types of items and prefer to save our money for purchasing our homestead. For us, living simply is just easier. There's less to store, less to clean, and just less stuff to keep up with.
Welcome to our wierdness!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)