Food Economy

I hear lots of people, mostly moms, complaining about the rising cost of food these days.  I have seen it myself in our increasing grocery budget.  I have discovered some tricks for making every last dollar (and calorie!) count in the food we bring home and avoiding waste.  I'll share with you some of my most-used methods for making my grocery dollar stretch:

1. How to use less-than-optimal produce:  someone peels a banana, doesn't finish it, and leaves it.  A peach gets too soft or bruised for eating.  Carrots go soft in the fridge.  Do you normally throw it away?  Cut off the bitten end, throw it in the freezer in a ziploc bag, and dig it out next time you are making a smoothie (for the fruits).  Combine all your vegetable trimmings and make stock for soup.  There is a lot of nutrition there--don't waste it.  I even save the liquid from canned fruits that are packed in juice (not syrup) and use that in smoothies too.  It's also easy to 'hide' things in sauces, smoothies, quick breads, etc (think chopped tomato in spaghetti sauce, mushy pear in banana bread).
2. What about food kids leave behind:  most importantly--don't eat it yourself!  It's still wasted when you carry it around on your butt.  My next post is going to be tips for feeding children in order to minimize this situation, but it still happens.  First off, determine if the food can be saved.  Many times my children still want to eat their food, they just got too full so I will wrap it up and put it away for later.  If it's not worth saving, or unsafe to do so, can you feed it to a pet?  Our dog throws up if he eats anything other than dog food, bread, cheese, milk, or eggs.  But we also keep chickens and they get everything that isn't ingested otherwise.  My garbage disposal doesn't see much.
3. Leftovers...is this a bad word in your house?  I actually like leftovers because it means saved time later.  In fact, I often cook to intentionally make leftovers.  Here are a few favorites:  leftover rice makes great fried rice (throw in any leftover meats, veggies, even scrambled eggs); when you make pancakes or waffles, store the leftovers as batter and cook in the next few days (leftover pancakes and waffles are always too dry); leftover meats are great in sandwiches, soups, and with a little BBQ sauce and some buns you can make a whole new dinner; leftover baked potatoes are awesome when you grate them up and make hash browns for breakfast (no need to peel); or if you are just plain tired of the particular food you have on hand, stick it in the freezer to pull out on another day when you need a quick meal.  Many times while cleaning up dinner, I'll package serving-sized containers of our meal for my son and husband to take to work the next day--easy clean-up and lunch is made.  Score.  Several years ago I bought some thermos-type bottles and my children like to take leftover soup, pasta, etc to school to break up the sandwich monotony.
4. Milk about to expire:  make some homemade pudding, shake/smoothies, even just stir up a pitcher of chocolate milk and watch it disappear after school.
5. Stale bread or rolls: make toast, breadcrumbs to store in the freezer, french bread pizza, english muffin pizzas, croutons (you'll never buy them again), or french toast.  With dry tortillas, make chips, tostadas, or toasted strips to top salads.  

When you are faced with food that no one wants to eat as is, use your imagination.  Can it be used as an ingredient in something else?  Can you dress it up to look and taste better?  Can you save it for later when you will want it?  Don't forget the internet.  I've never been the first one to search for a way to use leftover _____.  The more we are given, the more responsibility we have.  We are very blessed to never go without and have the responsibility to use what we have and not let it go to waste.  

CURE FOR WARTS!!!

This is a life-changing discovery for me:  I have stumbled upon a cure for warts.  And listen up:  no side effects, no doctor visits, no pain or blood, no scars.  And....it only costs $3.00.  Can you believe this?  I was understandably cautious and skeptical because I have had warts come and go since I was a child.  I have tried everything under the sun, with varying degrees of success, and many repeat offenders.  I hate the nasty little things.  I hate them even more when they return after a lengthy, painful, expensive process.  I have tried surgery, liquid nitrogen, several herbal remedies, home freezing kits, etc etc.  And what do I have to show for it?  Scars...and warts.

My most recent wart experience consisted of a single wart on my hand.  I had it frozen at the dermatologist's office.  After the blood blister healed, the wart got bigger, and several more popped up!  I was so frustrated, and kind of mad for all the money I spent at the doctor.  I tried the freezing again and my hand was a conglomeration of ugly, red, swollen blisters.  One day I was at the bank and the teller saw the carnage that was my hand and asked what happened.  She told me her personal cure for warts.  Are you ready for this???  Clear Finger Nail Polish.  Clear Finger Nail Polish!!!

I have had to wait patiently to see if it worked or not before I could share the love.  Now that I am about 6 weeks in, almost all my warts are gone, and the biggest one is barely there.

Here are the keys I have discovered to making this effective:

1. Keep the warts covered 24/7 with polish.  I haven't given mine more than a few minutes without being covered.  
2. Cover the entire wart, and then some, to make sure you aren't leaving any wart tissue untreated.
3. Don't pick it!  When the polish dries, and the edges start to curl up, it's so tempting (and fun) to peel off the polish.  But unless you can reapply right away, don't do it.  If you are using this remedy for a child, this might prove your most difficult roadblock.  My suggestion is to reapply frequently.

I hope you feel the tremendous relief I have experienced with this simple, effective cure for your warts. I would love to hear your suggestions and experiences.

Stinging Nettle

I have some friends that take several prescription medications.  When we get together, they discuss their various conditions and medications and attendant side effects.  I have started to notice a disturbing pattern:  the more meds they take, the more they require.  In fact, they are taking some meds solely to treat the side effects from other medications!  These are not ladies with chronic, diagnosed, or serious diseases or syndromes.  I take prescription medication when needed, so don't get the idea here that I am arguing against medicine.  But the important word is "needed."  I take medicine, prescription or OTC, only when it is really needed--which is rather rare.  If you have to take drugs to treat the effects of the drugs you're taking, it's time to step back and evaluate.

When I have an issue come up that I feel needs treatment, I pray and then start to do my homework.  While I can't trust everything I read on the internet, I do start to get ideas and some feel right to me, so I do a little more in-depth research.  I also consult the professional alternative therapists that I see when I have a problem to get their insight.

My most recent physical ailment:  allergies.  I am a fall allergic.  I hate fall.  It only means summer is over and winter is coming.  Oh, and it also means my throat is going to itch, my nose is going to run, my eyes are going to be red and irritated, and I won't sleep well.  I have had success with OTC and prescription allergy medicines, but eventually they start to lose their effectiveness and I have to move on.  I started to panic last year when I had gone through all the meds and was running out of options.  Luckily, my doctor pulled another Rx out of his medical hat.

This year, I went into fall prepared.  I have been eating a teaspoon of raw, local honey every day for several months.  I cut dairy out of my diet completely.  And I have been practicing qi gong and meditation.  But still, my allergies arrived.  They were milder, but they were there.  I happened to have an appointment with my alternative therapist and she gave me a stinging nettle tincture and told me to take 14 drops in the morning and more, as needed later in the day.  I was hopeful, but skeptical--I've had such bad luck it's made me cynical.  I took my drops the next morning and the itch in my throat immediately subsided.  Could this be possible?  Yes!!!  I have experienced a true miracle.  When my throat began to itch I took a few more drops and immediate relief.  When my nose wouldn't stop running, more drops, and less handkerchiefs.  After about a week or so, I only need to take the morning dose and the afternoon booster drops have gone by the wayside.  But I keep my stinging nettle close by, just in case.  I am completely allergy-medicine-sober for a week now and it feels great.  I feel good enough to exercise, garden, and even sleep at night.

I urge you (with your doctor's approval--there are some cautions for certain conditions) to try stinging nettle if you have allergies.  I'd like to know what has brought you good results for your allergies.

Summer!

Now for a little expansion on my last post about our summer schedule.  I would like to reiterate that this schedule is for our convenience.  There have already been days, and there will be more, when we completely dispense with the schedule because something bigger is going on (for example: summer camps, company, etc.).  My summer schedule is really a guide for long, open days.  When our days are already scheduled for us and busy, we go with that.  Trying to do both is stressful, which goes against the whole point.  

Our week features a different theme each day.  Before the day begins we already have a plan for what we are going to do and when.  I am a planner (can you tell?), so usually Sunday evening is our family planning day.  We discuss any formal plans or schedules and coordinate.  The event only takes up part of the day, except for rare occasions, so they don’t feel like I’m smothering them.  Some of our themes we’ve used are:

• Cleaning Day consists of one big cleaning job that we all complete together, such as deep cleaning a room.  I limit the time involved to about an hour or so, and then they have free time for the rest of the day.  Simple.  We don’t spend the whole day cleaning.  Yes, it’s more work to have little ones help you clean than doing it yourself.  No, it doesn’t get as clean as it would doing it yourself.  But we turn on music and have as much fun as someone can when cleaning.  And believe it or not, all these years of having my kids do chores are starting to pay off.  My teenagers are pretty decent housekeepers if I keep my finger on them.  I like to remind them that the maid isn’t coming today (I’m still waiting for her), and I can’t do it all, so they have to pitch in.

• Cooking Day:  it’s important to me to teach my kids how to cook good food.  Cooking day consists of all of us making a recipe together.  Sometimes it’s basic, like bread and sometimes it’s fun like caramel apples.  But we have a lot of fun doing it and I hope they are learning skills for the future.  Oh, and everyone helps clean up.

• Outing Day has been as simple as a picnic at the park and as complicated as riding the city bus into town and window shopping for the afternoon.  (Try it—your kids will love it)  My kids like to give suggestions and I make the final plans.  Some fun things we’ve done  include touring local businesses (candy factory, honey/beehive business, dairy), hikes, visiting dad at work for lunch, making boats from recycled trash and racing them in the stream at the park, and eating out.

• Movie Day: we watch a movie, sometimes in our pajamas, complete with popcorn and other treats.  Make sure you turn off the ringers and don’t answer the door.

• Friend Day is when each child gets to schedule a play date with a friend at our house.  This is usually reserved for those friends not in our neighborhood—you know the ones that you actually have to call beforehand.

• Library Day:  we’re big readers at our house and we go to the library regularly.  Library day serves two purposes:  to remind me to get us there often, and to keep the kids reading--if they know they have to return a book on a certain day, they'll make sure they finish it before then.  We also participate in the summer reading program so the kids are motivated to go and redeem prizes, etc.  Usually I schedule library day before movie day so we have a few movies to choose from.

I hope you send your summer activity ideas my way so I can add to this list.   Next time, look forward to a post about how I get my kids to pitch in even more.  This goes way beyond chores. 

Schedules

Summertime is a bittersweet season for me.  My Southern California-raised self thrives in the warm sunshine, and I enjoy the kids being out of school.  But I also thrive on a schedule, and the long unorganized days can start to stress me out.  I guess I'm kind of a control freak.  I need structure, but not too much.  There is an art to using a schedule to one's advantage, but not allowing it to rule and burden and cause stress.

I am a firm believer that adults and children thrive when their environment is not chaotic.  Some days it's fun to laze and be tossed with the winds of whim, but on a regular basis, our home operates with organization, even in the summer.  Here are some ideas that have proven helpful in our family:

• While we don't have a set bedtime, we do have a regular bedtime.  It ebbs and flows with our activities, but doesn't vary greatly.
• As much as I'd like to sleep in without an alarm every day, I don't.  I need to get my exercise in early so it isn't superseded by other demands on my time.  My hubby and I allow ourselves a couple of days each week to sleep as long as we want, but the other days we get up at a reasonable hour and get going.  Why waste the beautiful summer weather in bed?  My kids wake up at their leisure, but due to our bedtime, no one sleeps very late.
• We don't eat according to the clock, but we have regular meals as a family (whoever is home).  Nutrition is improved, kitchen order is improved, and we can connect every few hours between all the activity.
• Children must have their chores, music practice, and morning routine finished before they can go anywhere, and usually before lunchtime if they are staying home.
• I devise a loose schedule at the beginning of the summer to guide our activities, prevent sameness and boredom, and have the kids pitch in at home more since they have more free time.  Each day is assigned a simple theme that we follow as long as there isn't another big event at the same time, like out-of-town visitors or summer camp. (More on this schedule next time)
• Sunday evening is our family planning meeting.  We talk about what is scheduled for the week and who needs to be where and when.  We can also make any extra plans we want, and get organized for upcoming events.  When everyone is aware ahead of time, we can avoid scheduling conflicts and surprises.
• I allow my children to make most of their own decisions about how they spend their time.  There are some days when we have a family outing or family movie party for example, that each child is required to participate without friends.  I also occasionally ask the younger ones to grab a book and go relax with it.  When these things happen, no one complains even if it wasn't what they would have chosen.  It affirms to me that they thrive on a little bit of structure, especially when they've had their freedom.
• When our days become too busy and I feel my stress level rising, I let go of the scheduled stuff a little.  If my schedule isn't being a positive in our family life, then I let it go for awhile and pick it back up when things slow down.  When my schedule is driving me, then I know it's too much.  When I'm feeling like we're getting the most out of our time and enjoying each other, then I know the schedule is in its proper place.

So, I'm anxious for your ideas on how you deal with the change from school year to summertime?

Real life simplicity

I've decided to resume blogging after a long sabbatical. Where have I been? Buried under the heap of life! As my plate filled up this past year, I methodically reviewed each of my responsibilities and mentally ordered them. I focused intently on the highest priorities, and gracefully axed each one that I felt was low on the priority list. This was not easy since some of the things I had to let go were important to me (like blogging), but it was a necessary task to preserve my sanity and the integrity of our family structure.

Our family was involved in a huge undertaking of home remodeling, and that is just about finished now. My baby is also starting kindergarten this fall (how did I get this old???) and I wanted to squeeze every possible moment out of his last year at home. On the flipside of that coin, my oldest will be flying the coop in not too many years, so in a nutshell, my mothering has taken a new perspective. I decided to be proactive with fine-tuning my health and have focused on changing some long-time issues. These are not in any particular order, nor is it an all-inclusive list.

I have learned a lot in this process...practical things like realizing that life doesn't come to a screeching halt if :

• I'm not active in the PTA
• My children eat something that isn't homemade, healthy, and tasty
• I stay in my pajamas longer than usual 
• I don't answer the phone

I also learned really important things about my life's purpose and the people most important to me. This whole process is ongoing, and I hope it always will be in order to keep me re-evaluating and priorititizing and focusing on the good stuff.

It's impossible to have a long range perspective all the time; laundry has to be done, hair needs to be washed, and we have bad days. Being able to let things go, and making decisions that guide our actions are skills necessary to lead a simple life. Here's to the process!

Vacation

Even with vacation, it's the small things we do that make our life and routine simple and calming.  My husband took me with him on an international trip this month to a business conference he attended.  Some steps I took to reduce stress preparing for the trip and upon our return might be helpful to you too:

1. Establish a trip folder early on in the planning stages.  From the get go I got a manila envelope and wrote with a marker in big letters "SPAIN" on the outside.  Into it went our travel itinerary, tourist info, hotel reservations, trip insurance documents, etc. This envelope went into my carry-on bag when we left in order to have it at my fingertips.

2. Establish document templates and save to reuse.  Because we often rely on relatives to keep our children, I have an information sheet that I can update with each trip and easily print out for their use.  It includes children's routines, emergency phone numbers, copies of insurance cards, permission to medically treat in our absence, etc.  Though we usually use the same caretakers and they might already have some of this information, I think it is appreciated that it is all in one place and again, at their fingertips.  I also have an information sheet for the neighbor kid that comes to care for the animals and garden.

3. Clean the house!  My kids always ask why I need to clean the house thoroughly before we leave because, in their logic, no one will be here to see it anyway.  I am kind of a stress case when it comes to the order of the house before we leave.  All trash must be emptied, dishes clean, nothing on the floor or counters.  I even wash my bed sheets and make my bed up.  When I dragged my jet-lagged body into the house along with 8 people's worth of luggage and dirty laundry, the sight of a tidy house was a soothing sight.  One less thing to worry about.  And I won't even try to describe how those clean sheets felt on my newly-bathed and tired body that night.

4. Simple dinner, on time to bed.  On our drive home I was figuring out in my head what we were going to eat for dinner so I wouldn't react with take-out or junk.  My kids were asking for a drive-through meal on the way home, but I reminded them that we had all been eating more than our share of junk while on vacation.  My husband and I eating out, and the kids being spoiled by grandparents and uncles/aunts with pizza, ice cream, kids' meals, etc.  So I heated up some home-canned soup, made some biscuits, and sliced up some fresh tomatoes and fruit which we picked up at the fruit stand on our way home.  Then, we all went to bed on time even though it was Saturday night and our usual routine includes movies, late nights out with friends, or backyard campfires and s'mores after dark.  I knew we all needed to catch up and we had a much more peaceful morning after.

Little things make these huge undertakings that much easier, and enjoyable.  What steps do you take before and after you go on vacation?