Zucchini Ideas

Wondering what to do with all of those zucchinis in your garden?

The Pioneer Woman’s “Tasty Kitchen” blog has some GREAT ideas!! I am going to be busy for awhile! Go and check it out HERE!!

Picture courtesy of Tasty Kitchen

Ball Home Canning Basics Kit

Thought about doing a little canning this year?  This is a great deal on a canning kit!  It is $39.00 on the Walmart Deal of the Day!  It is typically anywhere from $60.00 to $70.00.  You can even get FREE SHIPPING if you choose site to store (or there is .97 shipping to home).

Click HERE for more information.

A Tasty Summer Salad

 

So to say that I have been less than inspired this summer would be an understatement.  We had a fun vacation right when school got out and since we returned…I have been, well, lazy.  But, the summer is now almost over and my garden is just BARELY starting to produce, so I thought I would share a fantastic summer pasta dish I found.

For those who are familiar with an Italian Caprese Salad…this is the pasta version of that.  I found the recipe on bell’alimento and have been hooked ever since.  It is easy, quick and perfect for a light evening meal, or a tasty side dish.  If you have tomatoes and basil from your garden, USE THEM!  There is nothing better than home grown.

3-4 large tomatoes (I used more then the original recipe called for and was glad I did.)

1 ball of fresh mozzarella

1- 16 oz. bag Campenella Pasta

Bunch of basil

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Cut tomatoes, put them in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes just to coat (not drench).  Chop up basil and cut mozzarella into cubes and add to tomato mixture.  Stir and set aside.  Doing this before you cook the pasta allows the flavors time to combine.

Start boiling the water and add a good amount of salt.  Cook your pasta according to package directions.

As soon as pasta is cooked, al dente, drain and pour right into tomato mixture.  Add parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with a little more olive oil and add salt to taste.  Stir and serve. 

The warm pasta slightly melts the mozzarella cheese and the whole dish is just heavenly.  You will think you just stepped into an Italian Cafe.  Buon Appetito!

Nesco Food Dehydrator

Are you looking into drying some of your own produce this year?  Or are you like me and end up drying more of OTHER’s produce!  Either way, Amazon has a great deal on the

Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator. 

It got great reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars and is available today for $47.46 down from $79.99.  That is a 41% savings!  If your looking into getting one, this is a good one to get. 

Click HERE to get more info!

 

Make Your Own Bread Flour

When it comes to storing baking ingredents I am a minimalist. I have all-purpose flour on hand, but I don't store a lot as I prefer whole wheat flour. I do every now and again, come across recipes that call for "bread flour" and sadly disregard them as I don't have a lot of storage in my kitchen and well, I am a minimalist.

The great news is, you can make your own bread flour with just two simple ingredients...click HERE to get the Damsels tips!

How does your garden grow?

I came across a great garden guide on the Martha Stewart website that I thought I would pass along.

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just a beginner, the guide takes you from planning your garden, how to test your soil, to what is best to plant.

It is worth taking a look at.

Click HERE to get to the guide.

Peas!!

If you haven’t done so already…it is not too late to plant peas.  Peas love cooler weather and are very easy to grow, so plant a handful of seeds in a sunny part of your yard and see what happens.

One helpful tip when planting peas is to soak them over night.  They get nice and plump and have a head start on sprouting, so they will be poking their heads through the ground in no time!

These are my sugar snap peas straight from the bag.

And this is after a soaking overnight.  The difference is amazing isn’t it!

Just plant these guys about 2 inches apart and watch them grow!

I grew mine up a trellis last year and am going to try and grow them up pieces of string this year.  When I get it set up, I will let you know how it works…cross your fingers!

P.S. it is also not too late to plant, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and parsley they also like the cooler temperatures!

Great Deal on Soap

 

If you like Bath and Body Works Soap, they are having a great sale right now…4 for $15 or 6 for $20!  You can also get $1 shipping if you order $25 or more by putting Aprilship1 in the promo code.

I just stocked up!!

Click HERE to shop

P.S. this is only a two day deal…so act quick!

Becoming Provident Providers

I saw this video today on living providently and just loved it.  The first time I heard this particular message, it touched me.  Since then, I have come to know the truth of these things first hand and my life has been blessed because of it.

Enjoy!

Click HERE for video.

Printable Valentine’s Cards

 

Just in case you are still in need of Valentine`s cards…HERE is a great link to some quick and cute handmade ones that you just print right off of your computer!  That is my kind of Valentine…cheap and quick!  Yahoo!

A note to Stacy…

Stacy, I don`t know you… yet…but you left me a wonderful comment a few days ago and it made my day!  For the past 6 months or so I have gone back and forth on whether or not to continue this blog.  It can be a lot of work and at times I wonder if anyone even looks at it.  But you know, it is worth it if only one person benefits from it…so I have decided to continue it…at least until I have completely run out of ideas.

I think there are a good number of great food storage blogs out there, so rather than putting my hand back in that pot, I have decided to focus this blog on my personal quest to live more providently.  I suspect it will still have a lot of stuff on home storage, but it will also have sewing projects (my new mission in life!), cooking from scratch, stuff like that.

I won`t post everyday like I once did…I am not one of those amazing moms that can juggle a house full of kids, get dinner on the table, keep the house clean and still have any sanity left to blog, but I hope there will be some regularity.

So Stacy, thanks again for your kind words and taking the time to write!

Great Price on a Juicer/Steamer!

My Mom bought a juicer/steamer this fall and I was the lucky storage recipient! We used this thing SO much and as a result are enjoying tasty Concord grape juice and jelly during these frigid winter days. It has been awesome! Because I am now an advocate of home food preservation (even if it is only making jam!), I wanted to let you know about a great deal on this juicer/steamer from Amazon.

It looks like it retails for $109.99, but they have it on sale for $59.99...TODAY ONLY! Click HERE for the link. You can also get it shipped for free with Amazon Prime (a free one month trial). That is a seriously good deal if you are interested in one of these beauties!

Just as a side note, my aunt made some apple juice with her juicer/steamer this last fall and it was tasty!