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!

Tasty and Healthy Neighbor Gift

Sorry I have not updated this blog in FOREVER!!  I was released a while back from my Provident Living calling a while back and have been wondering what to do with this blog ever since.  I would love to keep it going…there is so much to share…but at times I feel like it has run its course.  We will see. 

But…I had to post about this!  I hosted a Holiday Gift Show in my home this last week and my aunt brought these great little neighbor gifts to sell.  They are easy and inexpensive to make and HEALTHY!!  What a change from the loads of candy and treats we fill up on this time of year (not that I mind it :)!!)…Whole Wheat Pancake Mix!

One side of the label had the directions…

The other side…a nice little greeting.

So simple!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

8 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups powdered milk

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons salt

5 tablespoons baking powder

Mix all ingredients and store in airtight container.  Keep in refrigerator or freezer.

To use mix:

1 1/2 cup mix

1 egg

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

Beat egg, water and oil until light and fluffy.  Then add mix.  Cook until golden brown.

(double or triple the mix for a great gift!!)

Neighbor Christmas Gift Ideas

The ladies over at How Does She... are counting down 30 great neighbor gifts through the month of November.

They have some great ideas...click HERE to see the ideas that have been posted so far!

Homemade Cleaning Wipes

Well, the Damsel has done it again...

Homemade Cleaning Wipes! I go through these like crazy! I love the idea of just making my own. Click HERE for instructions.

Thanksgiving Countdown

I LOVE Thanksgiving! I think it is a beautiful holiday that so often gets overlooked. When I saw this cute idea of a "Thanksgiving Countdown" I decided I must share...

Blue Cricket Design came up with this great idea...go check it out!!

Homemade Carpet Spotter

Oh, do I need this right now!!

Check out this recipe for Homemade Carpet Spotter. Thanks to the "Damsel" over at My New/Old School for such great How To's!!

Caramel Apple Dip

Crystal over at Every Day Food Storage has a great Caramel Apple Dip recipe using…Powdered Milk. As well as a fun Pumpkin Carving Family Night! Check it out!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!!!

This weekend I made a little Homemade Pumpkin Puree with some small pumpkins from my Dad’s garden. Apparently, compared to the canned version, it is well worth the effort. We shall see…I will report back.

If you are interested in making some for yourself, check out the Pioneer Woman’s tutorial HERE.

I also decided to roast the pumpkin seeds…I was feeling very non-wasteful. It had been FOREVER since I had done that and Oh, what treat!

You just pull out all of the seeds and wash the orange goopy stuff off.

• Lay them out on a cookie sheet
• Pour 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil over them
• Using your hands, make sure the seeds are nice and covered
• Sprinkle a little salt or seasoning of your choice
• Then put them in a 325 degree oven for around 25 minutes.(check on them every 10 minutes or so to make sure they are baking nice and evenly.)

When you are done, you have some nice crispy seeds.

As you notice, my seeds are not terribly brown. That is because they were roasted at a low temperature, not toasted at a high temperature.

If you want yours nice and brown…bake them at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

Want another pumpkin idea? How about making your pumpkin into a chalkboard…

…or making it a nice metallic shade?

Hit the spray paint aisle and let your imagination go wild!

P.S. You might notice a few changes in this blog in the next little while. I will still be posting my own rantings and ravings, but I will also be posting the talents of others I see in the blogging world. Stay tuned!

Nutrition Ideas For 72 Hour Kits

The following is a great article found in the Ensign about what foods are a good choice, nutritionally, for your 72 Hour Kits...

Adequate Nutrition during an Emergency

Miriam Blackham Een, Nevada, USA
Miriam Blackham Een, “Adequate Nutrition during an Emergency,” Ensign, Oct. 2009, 70–71

"If you have a three-day emergency supplies kit, does it contain nutrient-dense foods? During perilous times, your body would especially need adequate nutrition. As a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition, I have developed a simple, healthy emergency meal plan for our family. The items should be rotated regularly for best results.

My minimum calorie goal for the three daily meals is 1,200 to 1,500, with 60 to 72 grams of protein and approximately 40 grams of fat, a combination that enhances satiety. The ingredients for each meal plan are simple:

Meal replacements and supplements. Include shelf-stable protein drinks, instant powdered breakfast drinks, powdered milk, and energy bars. You may want to use more than one type.

Each should provide 250 calories or more. Look carefully at the labels; snack or cereal bars are not as high in calories and protein.

• Dried fruit. Raisins and other dried fruits are good.
• Peanut butter. This is a great shelf-stable source of protein. If you have peanut allergies, you could substitute it with another nut butter or small bag of nuts. Or find other shelf-stable protein foods.
• Crackers. Include soda crackers or other crackers, preferably whole grain. You could also include granola if you won’t be using peanut butter to spread on crackers.
• Drinking water. Ideally you should have about two quarts or almost two liters of water for each person to consume each day. Store what you can comfortably carry in your emergency bag, and add a portable water purifier so you can use available water sources.
• Utensils. Include one cup with a lid (to be used as a shaker for mixing powdered meal replacements) and a butter knife.
  

A sample meal plan for one person for three days would include nine meal replacements plus 1½ cups or a 12-ounce bag of dried fruit, peanut butter to provide at least six two-tablespoon servings, and about 40 saltine crackers or another cracker equivalent.

Calculate the food amounts needed for your family and round to the nearest convenient product size that is commercially available, taking care not to round down too much.

These emergency kits are easy to assemble with readily available items. The meal replacements are nutrient dense and fortified with vitamins and minerals so you can reach or approach nutritional adequacy and meet special dietary needs. They don’t need to be heated, and you can easily store everything in a moderate-size duffle bag or backpack. Best of all is the peace of mind in knowing you’ve prepared for your nutritional needs should an emergency evacuation ever occur."