Article for HER Magazine

Several months ago, I was asked by Donna Cronk, the editor of HER Magazine, to write an article.  HER Magazine is a local magazine distributed by our county newspaper once a quarter.  It features local women and their talents.

When Donna asked me for an article, we were gearing up for our county 4-H fair...just the busiest time of the year for me, but I was flattered to come up with something for her.  Donna is such a wonderful, caring and talented pillar in our community and I didn't want to let her down.  Below is the article I submitted.  I hope you enjoy it!

Self-Sufficiency is Easier than You Think

 

Not long ago, as the economy took yet another nose dive and gas prices surged again, I decided it was time to become more self-sufficient.  We don’t live frivolously, but I decided that there was more that I could do at home to help save money and live off the land.   According to an April USDA report, a family of two adults can spend $479 to $745 a month for groceries.  Add some children in the mix and that price could increase to over $1,000 a month just for food.  Of course this expense is on top of your mortgage, electric and transportation costs.  How is the average consumer to survive? 

The level of self-sufficiency that you want to achieve is up to you.  In the beginning, I learned different methods to cut costs and start an emergency food stock pile at home.  These are some of the ideas and things I have done that you can do too:

·         Plant a garden.  Gardening is an excellent family or individual project and if you grow items from seed, there is little cost involved.  Your garden doesn’t have to be big, just enough to provide food for your family.  Don’t have a big yard for a garden?  Try using pots to plant tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs in.  They will look great on your porch or deck and still give you extra food during the summer months.   Rhubarb and strawberries make great additions to yards or gardens as well and can take as much or as little room as you want them too.

·         Can and freeze fresh fruits and vegetables for use later in the year.  When these items are in season, buy in bulk from your local farmer’s market, neighbor or grocery store and can or freeze them for later.  I have to admit that I didn’t know how to can until several years ago, but my mother-in-law took the time to show me and now I love it!  There are many organizations that offer canning classes and your local extension office can provide you with publications on canning and freezing as well.  I recently purchased a dehydrator to dry fruits for cereal, make beef jerky, etc.  The possibilities of things you can do are limitless!

·         Use coupons!  Unlike some of the television shows, you don’t have to go extreme, but each coupon represents a savings to you, the consumer.  Take advantage of it.  My only words of caution would be not to buy something just because you have a coupon…make sure it is something that you need at home and will you use.  Also, find a friend and share coupons.  This is the best way to collect a lot of coupons that you can use at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them in the Sunday paper.

·         When it makes sense, buy in bulk.  There are some things in the home that you know you will need no matter what.  Toilet paper is a great example.  If it’s on sale, or you can buy it in bulk at a good price, stock up.  This will save you trips here and there to the store for items like this because you will always have it at home and you won’t spend extra money on unnecessary trips.

·         Plant fruit and berry trees.  There is nothing better than being able to walk into your back yard and pick an apple off the tree, clean it and eat it!  Berry trees like blackberries, raspberries and blueberries can be fairly easy to grow as well and are a wonderful source of food during the summer.

·         If you can, raise a few chickens for meat and eggs (trust me, you don’t want more chickens than you can handle).  Chickens are great not only as a food source, but can also be extremely amusing to watch.  We have been raising chickens for over five years and selling our farm fresh eggs to clients and it is a very rewarding process.  Fresh eggs also have a deeper orange yolk color than those that you purchase in the store. 

Self-sufficiency is all about you and can be taken to any level you want.  There are even opportunities to make your own candles, butter and soaps.  If children are involved, you can encourage them to help with some of these projects and to make a difference in your household budget by turning off a light when they aren’t in a room and not leaving the water running while they’re brushing their teeth.  Children love to be a part of what we are doing, so be sure to include them.

With the economic uncertainty that we face today, taking little steps in being self-sufficient can go a long way.  By being self-sufficient, you gain valuable skills and knowledge that you can share with others about growing your own food, living off your land, and making useful items for your family. 

Easy Potato Salad

Easy Potato Salad



Easy Potato Salad

Ingredients:
4 cooked and cubed potatoes
4-6 eggs, boiled
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup pickle relish, sweet or dill, depending on your preference
1 cup (or more depending on taste) of Miracle Whip
1 T of mustard (again depending on taste)
Sugar to taste

Directions:
Cook potatoes until soft.  You should be able to stick a knife straight through the potato with ease when it is fully cooked.  Boil eggs.  To save time, I cook them together in the same pot.  Let the potatoes and the eggs cool.  Then peel them both.  Once cooled, dice potatoes in a medium size bowl.  Add relish, onions, and eggs.  Then add Miracle Whip, mustard and sugar to your desired taste.  Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

As you can tell, I cheat to save time!

 

Dice potatoes.

Add relish.

Add eggs.

Add onions.

Then add sugar, Miracle Whip and mustard to
your desired taste.  Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
 



Slow Cooker Taco Soup

There is nothing better than throwing a meal together in the morning and letting the slow cooker cook it all day for you.  It makes serving dinner a snap and there usually isn't much of a mess to clean up afterwards.

My friend Courtney has me spoiled with her Grandma Hilda's Taco Soup.  Back in 2005, the church I was attending at the time published a cookbook and this is one of the recipes. 

SLOW COOKER TACO SOUP

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 (16-oz) can pinto or kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 package, taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 package of shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook mean and drain the grease off.  Add everything together in a slow cooker.  Do not drain the water from any of the cans.  Stir.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.  Garnish with the cheese.  Serve with sour cream and nacho chips.

Cook meat and drain the grease off.

Here are the ingredients that you will add to the slow cooker
with the hamburger.

If you use your slow cooker a lot, these liners are great
for an easy clean-up.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream and Frito's!

 

Ritz Chicken Casserole

  

Ritz Chicken Casserole

Need a quick meal to make for dinner?  Ritz Chicken Casserole, is a wonderful dish on a fall evening.  This is a leftover that my husband will always eat more of.  It feeds 3-4 people.  My friend Judy introduced me to this recipe and it's a keeper!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups of chicken, cut up
1 egg, beaten
1 can Cram of Chicken soup
2 slices of bread, torn up
1 stick margarine
1 roll of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 can Chicken Noodle soup


Directions:
Mix, chicken, egg, soups and bread in a 2 quart baked casserole dish.  Melt margarine and mix with crackers.  Add to top of first mixture and bake 45 minutes at 350 degree.

First, I cut up chicken.
 (Truth be told, this is left over KFC chicken that I used - I cheated).
This is only the first cup worth.

Next, I set out the bread, egg and soups.

Add the beaten egg.

Then tear up the 2 slices of bread and add to the mixture.

Next, add the cans of soup.

Blend the mixture well. 
You will want to stir the mixture completely.

In a small bowl, dissolve a stick of margarine.

Add the Ritz crackers to the butter and stir.
Coating well.

Add the Ritz mixture to the top of the casserole.
Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is what it looks like when it's straight out of the oven.

No dishes for me tonight except the spoon.
YUM!





 

Canning Jar Cotton Ball and Q-tip Holder

 

I wanted something different in my bathroom to

hold my cotton balls and Q-tips.  After looking at

different web sites, I cam across the above item

that I could make on my own...cheaply!

 

 

 

To begin, I picked out a blue canning jar,

purchased a votive holder from the Dollar Store

for $1.00 and then set out the cotton balls and Q-tips.

 

 

After washing and thoroughly drying the jar, I added

balls in the bottom.

 

Next, I set my votive holder in the top of the

jar and added the Q-tips.

 

 

Put the item on my shelf in the bathroom and am pleased

with the outcome!  Plus it makes my bathroom shelf

more organized and not so cluttered!



Fifty Shades of WOW!

So, how many of you have read or are reading "Fifty Shades of Grey?"  All I can say is wow!  How does one talk about this new phenom that is taking over Hollywood?  I mean there is the trilogy book set, a magazine and now they are discussing a movie and who should play the characters.

Let's start with the first book - FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
When one of my friends told me that I needed to read this, I just wasn't sure.  Every girl likes a romance novel and this is a lot more than romance.  The first book captures you from the beginning.  Without giving anything away, you meet the characters, you learn how powerful and wealthy Mr. Christian Grey is, Christian and Anastasia's ages, and well, more about the Christian Grey world and secrets.

The second book - FIFTY SHADES DARKER
I suggest purchasing the trilogy of books.  If you get started with the first book, you are not going to want to be cliff hanging to wait and buy the second book.  In the book, you dig deeper into the lives of Christan and Anastasia, their passion for one another, their fears, and you get to know the characters on a more intimate, personal level.  You learn why Christian is the way he is and how Anastasia learns to cope with it.

The third book - FIFTY SHADES FREED
This was my least favorite of the books, but the story line was not complete yet, so the author almost had to write this book.  Then again, did she have to or was it amount the money?  I don't want to discourage you from reading this final book.  It gives you the ending and fills in several details that left you guessing in the second book. 

I am not a book critic by any means, but I did enjoy reading this trilogy and felt the author did an excellent job of captivating you from the beginning.  The story lines and characters are interesting and it leaves you with the romance novel feel...but perhaps better:) 

Reese Cup Brownie Trifle

Reese Cup Brownie Trifle



Who doesn't love the great taste of peanut butter and chocolate?  This particular recipe will be devoured in no time at all and leave guests wanting the recipe.  It's simple to make and you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1 box of fudge brownie mix (you'll want one for a 9x13 pan)
2 regular size packages of Reese Peanut Butter Cups
4 cups milk
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 16-oz carton of frozen whipped topping (thawed)



Directions:
Prepare and bake brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  Be sure no to over bake!

Let brownies cool completely after cooking.  Then cut the brownie into small bite size portions.

Next open all of you Reese Cups and cut them into 1/2 size pieces and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the milk and the pudding mixes together.  I used a blender to save time.  Note that the mixture will be somewhat thick. 

Now you will want to add your peanut butter and vanilla extract to the pudding mixture.

As you can tell, the mixture is extremely thick.

Now you are ready to fold in your thawed whipped topping.
There you have it, an excellent peanut butter tasting pudding mix!

You will want about a 5 quart glass dish to hold your trifle.  First, add a layer of brownies, then top with Reese Cups, then the pudding mixture.  Repeat steps until all ingredients are gone.  You should end up with the pudding on top.  Garnish with the remaining Reese Cups. 

Chill in fridge at least 2 hours before serving.