This and that

The year is still new and the times are still hard. Sadly too many of us now days do not know how to survive hard times. So I hope in with a bit of "age" on me, I have some wisdom that I have gleamed and hope to pass on.

Today we started our day by going to church and worshiping the Lord our Savor. How hopeful life feels when you sing a song to the Lord and know that all is in his hands. We do not have to worry but as humans we still do.

Pastor talked about peace, having peace in our lives and peace in our homes. Made me think also of peace between husband and wife. Sadly in hard times that peace tends to be in short supply. People struggle just to keep their heads above water and the bills still keep piling up, and the first causalities result in snipping between husband and wife. Oh how easy it becomes to blame each other.

I know we are no exceptions and the stress of the "just trying to keep our heads above water" and it has made both of us grumpy and not much fun to live with. I of course want to blame hubby but then peace says I need to look at myself. Is he really to blame? Am I just cranky and wanting to take it out on him? Has he wronged me in some way? Can I over look this wrong? If not how can I talk to him on it in a way that I would want him to talk to me about a wrong I have done to him? Have I prayed on it yet?

Hummm, Seems a lot of times the root of my problems is that I have put what should be first last. I should pray first and then ask the questions. This is something God seems to need to re-teach me a lot. Guess I'm a bit hard headed and don't get it right the first hundred times or so.

I have been busy here at home figuring out how to keep the food bill down. One thing I am practicing is waste not want not. Bread that is getting stale, gets dried to use as croutons, bread crumbs in meatloaf/balls, coatings for chicken etc. Half an onion will make things taste just as good as a whole onion. Dicing small makes flavor go farther. Cook from scratch.

All chicken and turkey bones, necks, liver and gizzards get saved to make into bone broths. Little bits of left over meats get diced, placed in plastic bags, labeled and frozen for future use in soups, sloppy Joes, hot dish etc.

BEANS!!! Those are my favorite food stretcher. I add them to hot dishes, soups, sloppy Joes, rice and what ever I can think of where they might taste good. I can use half as much meat as before and we are all the healthier for it.

I have been canning my own legumes for the past year or so. You must have a pressure canner to do this but it is so worth having one. I use mine for canning all my broths, beans, garden veggies, meats and meals.

Today I canned up 7 quarts of black beans. The 4# of dried beans cost me $4. I soaked them over night and then drained off the soaking water and added fresh cool water to about 3" above the beans. I brought them to a boil and then turned them down to a nice simmer for 30 minutes. I scooped the beans out with a slatted spoon and placed them into quart jars leaving 1.5 inch head space. I do not pack them down. I then add 1 t salt to each quart jar, lastly filling the jar to cover the beans by 1/2 inch of the simmering liquid ( leaves a 1" head space). Wipe the rimes and hand tighten the lids. Place in canner. Vent for a good 10 minutes before closing vent. Process for 90 minutes at the recommended pressure for your area. My area here in Minnesota is 11#.

Each jar is equal to two normal sized can of black beans (aprox 16 oz cans) and so my cost is about $1.10 a jar or $.55 a can's worth of the beans. The cheapest I can find a can of black beans around here is $1.19. So I save about 50% on canning my own beans. I hope to can beans every day this week as I have a nice store of dried beans that tend to just sit and not get used if I have to cook them first.

Well, enough ramblings for tonight. "God did not call me to be successful. He called me to be faithful."
Kimi