As if chickens weren't enough....

...we bought a pig.

(Okay, I'll let that sink in for a minute.)

Well, we actually bought half a pig.

(I'll let you cogitate on that a moment.)

Alright...let me do some 'splainin.

We went in with another family on a weaner (as in a baby pig that has just been weaned...it has nothing to do with what it might become later) which they are housing. We are helping pay for the feed (they're doing the feeding), and in the fall my husband (not I) will help with the butchering.

For an investment of about $50 or $60 we should end up with about 125 pounds of meat. We will still have to pay the local butcher to smoke some ham and bacon but I'm pretty certain it will still be A LOT less than we would pay for all that meat at the grocer's.

So why would we buy a pig? Well I had to think about that for awhile myself. I am not a big pork eater. However, when an opportunity presents itself for inexpensive food, sometimes you have to take it.

With prices on nearly everything taking such incredible leaps I'm looking for all kinds of ways to save money. Raising our own food seems like a no brainer. In the past what that meant for me was growing a garden. And this year we do have two tomato plants and two struggling squash plants (I think we will be lucky to get anything off of them) but we are already making plans for a much larger and more productive garden next year. And we are now raising animals.

Honestly we are doing more than just planning a garden and raising chickens and a pig, we are rethinking our lifestyle.

It's very easy to go to the grocery store with a list of things I need and pluck them off a shelf , put them in a cart and pay for them. It's somewhat harder to dig around in the dirt...er...soil, make sure everything gets water, isn't eaten by a bug, harvest the produce and find a way to store it for future months (ie. can, freeze or dry it). However, I think it is more satisfying and much less expensive to do so.

The same goes for the pig and the chickens. (Besides that the chickens add a lot of entertainment value.)

Some friends of mine and I have also begun looking at the things we buy out of convenience that we could be making ourselves at home. Soaps and cleaning products have become our target. We are a little bit surprised to find that they are easy to make and much less expensive. Did you know that you can make your own laundry detergent that cleans your clothes just as well as the name brand products for a fraction of the cost? Check it out here at The Family Homestead.

I like the thought that I can stretch our ever shrinking dollar by learning how to make some things myself and also by growing some of our own food. I also think that in many ways it is much more wholesome. I like knowing where my food is coming from and how it has been raised.

I know I've seen this question asked on other blogs but I'm going to go ahead and ask it again. What kinds of things are you doing to stretch your dollar (or pound for my friends across the pond)? Are you making lifestyle changes? Have you bought a pig?

By the way, the picture of the chicken at the beginning of the post is one of our newest editions. Her name is Nellie.

WFMW - The "Mom I'm Bored" Edition

It's Wednesday again and time for another edition of WFMW. Shannon, our venerable host at Rocks In My Dryer has given a theme this week. It is the "Mom, I'm Bored" Edition and she has asked that we share ideas and tips for keeping the kiddos busy this Summer.

Well, I thought about that and I thought about what we were doing. If you have visited me before you may know that we are homeschoolers. (I don't blog about it much because I don't consider myself much of a fount of knowledge in that arena, I usually am busy gleaning ideas from other folks.) I'm discovering that this is much more of a lifestyle than I ever dreamed it would be and that while formal learning (as in books and worksheets) may be suspended for the summer, learning never actually stops. Also there is a lot of learning that goes on that will never come out of book. Learning that develops character.

Romans 5:3&4 say, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Work will often produce tribulation, which leads to perseverence, which leads to character. So my idea for this summer is to put my kids to work.

Now before you start thinking that my kids are some sort of twenty-first century Oliver Twists or something, let me assure you that I plan on letting them have plenty of fun too. In fact I hope that they find at least some of the work they do, fun.

So here are some of the work like activities they will be doing:

#1 - There are the chickens, The Girls, as they are sometimes called. They will need daily feeding and water changing. They will need to be let out of their coop every morning and have their saw dust freshened regularly. That will be Daughter's job. Before that the coop needs to be built. Son will be helping with that.

#2 - There is the wood pile. Husband regularly brings home small loads of firewood which the kids help him unload and which Son is responsible to stack.

#3 - There are the gardens, both vegetable and flower. When it finally stops raining here Daughter will be responsible to help water them. She will also have the privelage of helping to harvest them as well. She has already told me that she is looking forward to that! :)

#4 - Are all the regular daily chores they are expected to do like making their beds, keeping their rooms picked up, folding and putting away laundry and cleaning up after themselves when they are finished with a meal. Son will probably also have days in which he will be responsible for getting lunch on the table as I have several projects I hope to be working on.

#5 - And this is really more of a treat for them than work, they are keeping a reading log. All it is is a simple list of the books they complete and the number of pagers read. They are both natural readers so I rarely if ever have to coax them to do this.

#6 - And this really is the fun stuff...Son will spend a week at church camp (definately NOT work for him) and Daughter will take swim lessons and keep up with her piano lessons (oh yes, and a week of Vacation Bible School for her too).

So there you have it. That is how I'm keeping my kiddos busy this summer. And hopefully building their character in having them learn some new skills, faithfully completing their work and hopefully do their best.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men... ~Colossians 3:23

For more (fun!) ideas about how to keep your kiddos busy this summer head on over to Rocks In Your Dryer.

Enough-ness

One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. ~Luke 12:15


'Tis the garage sale-ing season and I like to participate in both ends of the deal making...that is I like to go out and hunt down that treasure as much as I like to sell my old stuff and make a little money. I need to qualify my last statement, though, by saying that I'm not one of those die-hard garage salers who are out there every Saturday at the crack of dawn. Really, I only go a couple of times a season and I've learned to go with a mission in mind.


This coming Saturday I am having my own garage sale with a dear friend and neighbor. As I'm preparing for this sale I am being ruthless (or at least trying to be) in cleaning out, purging, getting rid of stuff. I have a couple of questions I ask myself about my stuff.

1. (and this is one that you always see in magazines) Have I used this in the last 6 months to a year? I mean if it's been in storage for that long and I haven't had a need for it, do I really think I'm going to need it in the future?

2. Do I have more than one of this item or do I have a similar item I like better? I mean really, how many cheese graters do you need? Just one, to use when you grate the cheese.

3. Why am I holding on to this item? Is it sentimental? Is it a collectible and I think that I would really post it on ebay? Will I really repair it (if it needs repair)? Sometimes I hold on to things because of the person who gave it to me or because a similar item was appraised highly on The Antiques Roadshow. The trouble is I never look at it and it's just taking up space...in a box...in a garage...with limited storage. And if it's been in my garage for any length of time and still hasn't been repaired then chances are it will never be repaired. At least by me anyway.

These can be awfully hard questions to answer. Our culture does measure our success and value too frequently by the kind of and amount of things we own. We accumulate to show how well we are doing or for memory-sake. But in the end...it's just stuff...and you can't take it with you.


For example: Husband and I were in the garage yesterday pulling out a few things when we came across his Mom's old wooden tennis rackets. I'm not really sure how we ended up with them but they are rather nostalgic looking in their wooden brackets.


"Do you want to keep these?" I asked gently. Knowing that they may have some sentimental value to my husband. He pondered them for a few minutes, I'm sure running through some memories.


"If you want to keep them I'm sure I could think of some kind of nice way to display them for you..."


Finally he said, "No, I don't have any real use for them, I don't want them displayed, they are just taking up space out here and I can't take them with me."


Then there is the concept of enoughness. Recently in Our Daily Bread there was a story about author Calvin Trillin's wife, Alice, who believed that... " 'after a certain level of income, the government would simply take everything.' She thought there should be a limit on how much money people were allowed to keep for themselves. Writing in the The New Yorker, Trillin said of his wife, 'She believed in the priciple of enoughness.' "


While I don't hold with Alice Trillin's particular brand of enoughness I do understand what she is getting at. We mostly don't need all that we have.


So the biggest question I ask myself as I purge or as I go garage sale-ing is this:


4. Do I really need it? Whatever it is. Sometimes the need for an item is because of its usefulness, like a bookshelf. Sometimes the need is emotional, like the pair of soup bowls I bought once because they reminded me of my Grandmother. Sometimes the need is decorative, as in I'm going through a decorative phase that I know is a phase and I don't want to spend a lot of money on it or be emotionally attached to it (thus making it easier to get rid of later).

So there is the concept that my husband holds to of not being able to take it with you and there is the concept of enoughness. Both worthy of my consideration as I both buy and sell.

Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ~1Timothy 6:8


Oh, and by the way, here's another use for your cheese grater. Ever get melty cheese stuck to the bristles of your dish cleaner brush? Put a little dish soap on the brush and run it over your cheese grater under hot water. The cheese comes right off the bristles!


For more Works For Me Wednesday tips head on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Everydayness

It has been awhile since I've felt I had anything worthwhile to add to the list at Works For Me Wednesday. However, recently I have been meditating on and trying to put into practice the concept of everydayness and I thought I would share it with you.


What's everydayness? Well for me it is doing some of the basic things we all must do every day. They are things that don't necessarily have to be done every day but are a lot less daunting if they are done every day. If you are any sort of procrastinator you will likely understand what I'm talking about. Or if you have ever, in your entire life, put off doing something, you will understand what I'm talking about. It's that moment when you are wading through the MOUNTAIN of laundry when you realize that if you had only done a little everyday it wouldn't be taking you ALL day to do it.


As a habitual procrastinator this is a big concept for me to get my head wrapped around and lately I've been heard to go around mumbling, "Everydayness, just do a little everyday." as a way to remind myself that it's a lot easier that way.


The following are a few areas I am currently or planning in the near future to implement the concept of everydayness:


Laundry: I know that when you are the Duggars doing laundry everyday is a given. But when you only have a family of four it's usually not as urgent a task. Especially in our day when we have multiple outfits of clothes. However, telling a procrastinator that she doesn't have to do laundry everyday is not a good idea because I'm she's likely to put it off until the last pair of underwear have been worn. So I have been making every effort to do at least one load of laundry every day. Sometimes, if I am really caught up, I will take everything that is in every hamper in the house and do it all together but recently I've just been doing everyone's laundry in rotation. At most, all anyone will have out of their closet and needing to be washed will be three outfits because on the fourth day they will get their laundry done. And then one day a week I do a load of towels and sheets. Do things this way also alleviates a pile up in my rather miniscule laundry area.


Dishes: "Well of course," you say. "dishes get done every day!" But I ask you dishwasher owners out there...do you run it even if it isn't full? I'm not talking about if there is only one plate and a couple of glasses, of course don't run it then...but what if there are four plates, a dozen glasses and mugs, some bowls and silverware and maybe one pan? Wait or wash? I wash. Why? Because it takes a lot less time to unload a dishwasher like that than one that is fully packed. Thus allowing me more time to drink my coffee and blog in the morning.

Receipts: I don't keep a paper check registry anymore. In fact I haven't for years. Not since we purchased Quicken. And since I'm using less and less checks the debit receipts really pile up sometimes, because it doesn't seem worth my time to sit down and enter just one receipt. However, like laundry, telling a procrastinator she doesn't have to do something right away is like...like...well like the underwear analogy before. It gets put off. SO, if there have been ANY purchases at all on a particular day I have been trying to enter them. I also miss a lot less and keep better track of our spending this way. I haven't quite mastered this yet as I don't go out and spend money every day (not an everydayness I plan on taking up).

School Records: I don't talk a lot about our homeschooling but it is happening and I'm terrible about keeping up with grading and recording. It gets done...eventually, but it's usually one of the laundry pile moments (notice how everything relates back to the laundry?). Currently I'm working on wrapping up grading for this school year, but as I do so I'm trying to implement some new strategies for keeping up with this next school year. Among those is the concept of everydayness. Do it every day...grade that math, every day.

Devotions: This is an indispensible everydayness for me. It is when I can pour out my heart and renew my strength in my Lord. My time with Him allows for change in my attitude and in my heart. This in turn makes me a much nicer Mommy because I'm not relying solely on myself for patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control (to name just a few). They are fruits that come from His Holy Spirit.

These are just the areas where I am currently applying the everydayness concept in my life and in our home. They happen to be where it is currently most needed. I'm sure as time goes on and these things truly become every day habits I will see that there are other places where it can be applied. Everydayness works for me, maybe it will work for you too. (Especially with that laundry thing.)

For more great tips and ideas head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Just A Reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone about The Cookie (Recipe) Exchange I am hosting here this Friday. Click on the highlighted words in my right hand margin for more details!

WFMW - Keeping Your Knives Sharp

I am writing this one for my Husband. For seventeen years he has tried to teach me how to take care of my knives so that they will stay sharp. I think I have finally got it.

A week before Thanksgiving I took all our knives to our local supermarket where, for free, they sharpen knives. (Check at the meat department of your supermarket to see if they provide this service.) The next day I went and picked them up. Oh my! The delight of chopping my vegetables with a really sharp knife! Cutting a slice of cheese is a dream!

I had thought my knives were a decently sharp, but oh, I was so wrong. I remarked to Husband how nice it was to cut with sharp knives. He stopped, looked me straight in the eye and said, "If you take care of them like I've told you, they will stay that way."

So what is it that Husband has been telling me all these years and I am now religiously adhearing to?

Just two important things:

1- NEVER (and he means NEVER) wash your good cutting knives in the dishwasher, this includes steak knives.

2- Wash, dry and put away knives immediatly after use.

What makes a knife dull quickly is leaving food or water on the knife.This causes the delicate edge to rust and brush off when it is finally washed. These rules also apply to potato peelers, pizza cutters, apple peeler/corer/slicers and hand held apple slicers. Any kitchen device that has an edge for cutting will benefit from proper care.

So now Husband knows I finally know how to take care of my knives!

For more great tips be sure to visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer!

Gobble-Gobble Some Good Stuff

I'm really thankful for carnivals because it gives me something to write about without having to think too hard. Karla over Looking towards Heaven is hosting Gobble-Gobble a Thanksgiving menu/recipe carnival. Be sure to go over and check out all the wonderful recipes.

As for me...I do have my menu written out but have yet to do the shopping. Except for the turkey, that was on sale at our local supermarket so I do have that. I'm sure it looks a lot like other menus... what I like is seeing the different recipes that people use especially the stuffing and mashed potatoes. Starred items have their recipes below.

The Turkey
Stuffing *
Cranberry Jelly

Cranberry Compote
Jello Salad

Rolls

Mashed Potatoes*
Green Bean Casserole
Gravy
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Whipped Cream
Cran-Apple Sparkling Cider
Coffee
Tea

I know your first though might be, "A recipe for mashed potatoes, are you kidding me?" No I'm not kidding. There is nothing I hate more than bland, watery potatoes. So here is my recipe.

Medium Sized Red Potatoes (one potato per person)

Chicken Broth to cover potatoes

1 tsp Garlic Salt

1/4 Cup Half-n-Half

1/4 to 1/2 Cup Butter (the real stuff)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel and cut up potatoes into one inch chunks. Boil potatoes in chicken broth and garlic salt until soft. Drain well and let sit for approximately five minutes before mashing.

To mash get out your electric mixer and put on your regular mixing blades. Manually mash potatoes once over and then use mixer adding butter and Half-n-Half until butter is melted and potatoes are nice and fluffy. Add salt and pepper and give it one last stir with mixer. Serve and enjoy!

Next is my families stuffing recipe. It is an almost homemade stuffing and yes we do put it in the bird. We don't stuff our bird until we are ready to put the bird in the oven. (Do not pre-stuff your bird the night before as the stuffing will become a breeding ground for unwanted bacterial guests.) We always have more stuffing than we can fit in the bird and bake the rest in a casserole. We are roasting a 20 lb bird this year so this is a recipe for that size bird. Ingredient amounts can be adjusted with help from the package directions.

Mrs. Cubbison's Dressing Seasoned 4 - 6 oz. bags (or two boxes)

2 Cups chopped celerey

2 Cups chopped onion

2 Gala apples - chopped

2 Cups of sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 Cups raisins

2 Cups of Butter melted

2 Cups of chicken broth

Mix all ingredients together adding liquid ingredients last. Salt the cavity of the turkey and stuff both ends. I like to pack it well but not tight. We use a roasting bag for our bird and use the roasting directions from that. Place leftover dressing in a greased casserole, cover and bake during the last 45 minutes of the roasting time. I like to add a little extra broth to the casserole stuffing so that it is nice and moist. Yummy!

Thank you for coming by and letting me share some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes with you. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving. And remember to thank the One who provides us with such bounty and who gave us the gift of His Son.

WFMW - Turkey Tip

I can't really claim that I thought this one up all on my own. I actually got it from my cooking magazine but I did test it out recently and it really did help.

So I always use the roasting bags when I do my turkey at Thanksgiving and even though they tell you to put flour in the bottom of the bag to keep the bird from sticking to the bag it never really works all that well. Someone has to hold the bird up (usually a good 20lb. bird) while someone else peels the bag off the bottom of the bird. Just a little challenging.

The tip in my magazine was to put celery stalks under the bird while it is roasting. How clever thought me! But I wanted to try it out first on a chicken. So I did and I am happy to report it really works.

So we will be putting celery under our turkey while it roasts and we will not have to peel the bag off the bottom!

For more great tips head over to Rocks In My Dryer.