My Weblog

Fighting with my food budget...........

Do you remember that crazy lady that used to come to my house and mess up the kitchen? Well, for the first time in a long time, she's back. She showed up yesterday and made a big pot of unstuffed cabbage soup. She did a number on my kitchen! But, she also made me very happy. That is one of my favorite soups and now I have quite a few servings for the freezer. 

I am having a tough time with the freezer, mainly that it's empty. It has only 5 chicken breasts, 3 pounds of ground beef, half a pork loin, the butter I rescued from the recent freezer disaster, and 5 jars of canned beans that didn't seal. Oh, I almost forgot--5 servings of tomato vegetable soup. 

I've been working on my meal plan for September and that plays havoc with my budget. I want to have 1 day a week where I cook a normal dinner. I will end up building my stock of frozen entrees which is a very good thing, but I am having to buy a lot of ingredients in order to do it. I've been watching freezer meal videos on Youtube, just to give me ideas. So far, I've chosen Chicken Enchiladas, Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake, and Sweet and Sour Meatballs. I still need to choose one more. I am planning on using home canned chicken for the chicken enchiladas and home canned ground beef for the sour cream noodle bake. I think I'm going to do "Lazy Man's Lasagne" for the 4th week with Italian Sausage which is on sale this week. But then you have to acquire the other recipe ingredients--green enchilada sauce, cottage cheese, sweet and sour sauce and things like that. 

I don't want you to think I am eating only 1 meal a week. On the other days, I am pulling from things I have on hand. Like hamburger patties, hot dogs, chicken salad from canned chicken, bean burritos from home canned dry beans, and various pasta dishes from my repertoire. 

I've worked from the sale ad and I've worked from the digital coupons, and I've worked from my little plan ahead stock, but WOW! it's pricey. Months ago, I raised my budget by $50 a month. Since then, I've switched from using half 'n' half in my coffee, and I recently eliminated my coffee pods at $43 per hundred which I loved so much, in favor of milk in the coffee, and ground coffee I load into reusable pods myself. And, this week my groceries are $23 over budget anyway. And the only meat on the list is a bag of frozen meatballs and some Italian sausage! I wanted to buy some evaporated milk and I just use the house brand. I buy it often as I use it as backup to milk in my coffee when I push the gallon of milk as far as it will go. Last time, the house brand was $1 a can; this time it's $1.50! And, our fearless liar is telling us inflation is zero. Ha! Someone needs to wash his mouth out with soap. 

Honestly, I don't know how folks with families can afford to eat! And the scary thing is I expect food is gonna go up from here quite a bit. Plenty of reasons for that: higher cost of diesel to run farm equipment, higher cost of food for livestock, farms whose crops burned up in the intense heat we've experienced this summer, fertilizer in short supply so short supply of what has grown. Except for the intense heat, I can lay the blame for this stuff squarely on the administration. Putin, my eye!

 

FREEZER ORGANIZATION

So, I now have a new-to-me freezer. There isn't much in it, but I expect that to change somewhat. There is more meat on sale at the grocery store than usual. Right now I have 3 pounds of ground beef (80/20), a pork roast, and some chicken in my online cart. Frankly, I don't know that I will be able/willing to purchase it, but, just in case, it's there. It's all "on sale". That means it's "only" $.50 a pound less than not on sale. But, hey, $.50 less per pound beats full price, right? 

I'd like to say I've changed my ways because of the death of my ancient freezer, but I don't know that that is really true. If I were smart, I'd bring the stuff home from the store, pull out my calendar and designate a canning day the coming week. In other words, the freezer would only be short-term storage. Short-term storage for me is less than 2 weeks. There are a lot of factors that could figure into that. If my back spasms, I'm not going to be vertical, let alone doing any canning. I try, this time of year to only do the actual canning at night to reduce the load on the air conditioner. Will I have enough energy left by nightfall? Will I have canning jars? If not will I have around $60 to buy more and get free delivery? And, so on. But, anyway, short-term is what I'm going to try for. 

This is a change in my usual MO. In the past, I'd have bought the ground beef and put it in the freezer til I'd accumulated enough to fill a canner load. Same with small beef roasts that go on sale or pork roasts or chicken. Hoping this last disaster has taught me something. Ground beef, beef roast, pork, and chicken all process for the same amount of time. There is no rule that says you can't process 3 jars of this and 5 jars of something else together, as long as things need to process for the same amount of time. And all meat requires the same amount of processing time. Doing it the "new" way, I will also save on the gas bill. I might as well process 18 jars as 7 or 8. It will cost the same...........

In the meantime I need the freezer organization that will help me keep track of what I have. The first part of that will entail maintaining an updated freezer inventory. Buy a pound of ground beef, add it to the inventory immediately. Use a pack of country pork ribs, remove it from the inventory immediately. And keep the inventory (and a pen) where I can find it immediately. I've decided to use some painter's tape and tape the inventory sheets to the freezer door. I haven't figured out the pen yet, but it shouldn't be a problem. The problem will be my presence of mind to make the necessary entries on the inventory sheets immediately........ Another problem with that is that I want to meal plan using things that are in the freezer and I don't want to stand in the garage, reading my inventory sheets to do it.

I went out and measured the shelves in the freezer. Then I spent quite a long time trying to find plastic storage bins that would fit in there. I will have bins labeled beef, pork, chicken, fruits and veggies. Sadly the bins were 4 for $42, so I will have to use a cardboard box for frozen entrees. I've found the boxes in which my coffee pods were being shipped work pretty well because they have a plastic coating. However, I've canceled my standing order for coffee pods because, with no notice, they raised the price more than 30%! I will now be filling my own pods with ground coffee I buy at the store. So, no more boxes. I do have 2 boxes that are unopened so those will help me out for a while. So, now, all I have to do is wait til a) the plastic storage bins arrive, and b) I have been able to purchase something to put in them. 

 

 

The End is in sight

Yesterday morning, I bought a new-to-me freezer. A friend of mine helped me find it on Facebook Market. It ended up costing me a fair amount of stress and about 1/4 the money I would have paid for a new one. The seller lives in an area of Vegas I haven't gone near since the early 90's. And given the rate at which this area grows, you might guess that I saw NOTHING familiar. I had directions from the internet which were rotten directions. I ended up "lost" twice. The first time I was fortunate to be able to stop and get directions. The second time I was able to figure out on my own that all I needed to do was backtrack--a lot. According to the internet, it should have been a 20 minute trip. It took me a full hour. I was really stressed by the time I got there. The lady showed no signs of bargaining on her price. I was a bit shocked at that in that she was obviously pretty well to do. I can tell you that her property is valued at about 2.5 times what mine is. I am driving a 16 year-old van. I saw a boat, an RV and a truck parked behind her house. If the freezer lasts me at least 2 years, it will have been a good investment, given that the life expectancy of a new freezer these days is around 8 years.

A friend of the person who helped me find the freezer, owns a truck. This guy who I'll call Mike, met me at the seller's and hauled that freezer home. I don't know how, but he managed to load it and unload it by himself. It is sitting close to where the old freezer was, but it is just maybe an inch or two wider than the old one. So, it was VERY hot and humid in the garage. He ended up just sitting it more or less near the hole from the old freezer, but much more out into the garage space. There is, for now no hope I'll park in the garage any time soon! 

Sitting in front of the house is my old freezer. Sadly it still has some stuff in it. It is going to stink to high heaven if it's ever opened again. I'd go work on hauling some stuff out of it but the guy who put it there put it face first about 6 inches from the building. At this point there is no hope I'll be able to move it or open it..... I'm going to have to see if I can hire someone to haul it to the dump.

My last canner load did not go well though I'll be darned if I can figure out why. My canner is made to can a double-deck of jars. I put 8 wide mouth jars on the bottom, 2 wide mouth jars on the top and 6 regular mouth jars on the top. All the wide mouth jars had meat of some sort in them; the regular mouth jars had beans in them. The processing was done according to directions with all instructions scrupulously followed. I certainly didn't want to waste any food. Well, the results are freakish and I can't figure out what happened. All the wide mouth jars, both bottom and top rack sealed properly. NOT A SINGLE ONE of the regular mouth jars sealed. I don't have any explanation for the failure to seal. I also asked on a canning board I follow on Facebook and no one there has even hazarded a guess. I placed the jars of beans that did not seal in the new-to-me freezer and I'll still be able to use them. Thank goodness!

So today I'm doing laundry, cleaning, labeling, and putting away the jars that sealed and trying to do something about the kitchen. And I actually ate something before dinnertime--I fixed myself a serving of grits for which for some reason I had a craving. Anyway, I am very far behind on household stuff. I may not be canning, though I could easily justify one more load. But, I'll be busy..................

Can-a-thon Project Report 8

I am very close to declaring myself officially done. My legs don't want to "go" anymore. So many trips to the trash bins outside, to the garage, back and forth to the kitchen, and so much standing. They are just plain worn out.

I guess we should talk about the damages. I am giving up on the turkey and the two small chickens. Both the turkey and the chickens are thawed to the point I don't trust 'em. Also gone are 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of Italian sausage. The rest is miscellaneous stuff: a couple of frozen pizzas, some pot stickers, 2 pie crusts, and things like that. I will also lose some trozen veggies and frozen fruit. I'm very sad about what is gone but I think I've done all i could. I know some ladies would have been able to do better than I was, but maybe they're younger or stronger or had some help. It's just what it is......

I pulled the butter in and managed to wedge it into various spots in the fridge. I still have those bone-in chicken thighs in the fridge and a pound of sausage patties. I will get those canned up either late tonight or tomorrow. I also plan on making some soup to use a package of those frozen veg. Then, I figure that's the end. The canner is going now and I'll be turning off the heat under there in 6 minutes. 

I am sorry that what is going to be wasted is going out to the trash. But, I honestly don't think I could have done more. It's a sad thing to think how much more it will cost to replace some of that stuff than what I had invested in it...........And, yes, I did have to get into my last case of wide mouth jars. So, that purchase, though I rued the expense, was a beneficial one.

Can-a-thon Project Report 7

I am really tired. I think I had sufficient sleep. I just keep forgetting how old this body of mine is. I've worked her pretty darn hard for 3 days now. 

I'm gonna have to back off the cooking and the canning for a while. The kitchen is a total wreck. There's not a clean place to set anything down anymore. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded and reloaded. Countertops need to be wiped down. Tools need to be cleaned so they can be reused. 

I'm close to crying uncle. I want to get so much more done. Whatever additional gets done will only happen with the Lord's help, even more help than He's been giving me. I need to go through the fridge and see what can be sacrificed from in there, so I have a place to store the butter I want to save. It almost seems as though this never ends. I did have to throw away a pound of Italian sausage. It just didn't smell right when i started to cook it off. I'm guessing there'll be more of that kind of thing tonight and tomorrow.

Can-a-thon Project Report 6

I woke up about 8AM and could not get back to sleep. I will work for as long as I can and then maybe catch a nap. 

So, I've checked on the dehydrator. The French style green beans are dehydrated. So is the chopped broccoli. Oddly enough the potatoes are really close. I would have taken longer, but they are cut small, maybe up to 1/2 inch cubes. The broccoli florets still need hours in the dehydrator. I'm pretty pleased with the results because I only set the dehydrator on 115 degrees.

I don't know if you are aware of this, but heat is hard on nutrients. Nevertheless, my machine tells me I should dehydrate veggies at 135 degrees. Well, they'll dehydrate just as well at 115, just more slowly. So, the progress made is pretty good.

I've checked the seals on the meats I pulled out of the canner last night and every jar is properly sealed. All the jars have been scrubbed clean. Next up, I need to label all the jars and stash them.

I have the dishwasher loaded and running. It's full of things I've used in canning as well as things I've used with whatever bit of food I've consumed. 

Coming attractions: I need to haul 2 big bags of smelly trash to the outside bins. I have at least 3 trips worth to take care of. I have about 4 pounds of sausage to can and one additional jar of pork. I have boiled the chicken drumsticks. Next I need to remove the bones and refrigerate the meat. I have some broth from that for which I have plans. Before the freezer quit I'd planned to make some veggie soup this week which uses chicken broth and tomatoes as a base. I can use what I created from boiling the chicken legs. I have a large package (6.5 pounds) of bone in, skin on chicken thighs in the fridge, thawing and I should be able to can those today as well. I have spent a couple of hours, between last night and this morning, watching "how to can butter" videos on Youtube. I believe I've watched videos from 6 different creators. Each of them uses a slightly different method. They are all labor intensive so not something one attempts unless one is full of p & v. I don't think "full of p & v" describes me this AM...........Maybe sometime today I can tackle roasting those two little chickens...........Then we'll see what's left..........

Can-a-thon Project Report 5

This is absolutely the last post for today. I really need to get horizontal.

I set those chicken drumsticks to boiling. I emptied the canner. And I filled up 5 trays for the dehydrator. That left 4 empty trays for now, but I just didn't have the juice to do any more. 

I have run up against a BIG problem. I have a lot of butter in the freezer. For a long time now, whenever butter went on sale I bought some and it turned out I was buying it faster than I was using it. But, it was stacked in the very back of a shelf and I didn't know......... There's quite a lot of money tied up in that stuff. I don't know how to save it. I know it can be cooked and turned into ghee which can then be canned. But I've never done it and I'd have to learn how first. Besides, I consider what I have facing me to be an unmanageable amount. 

I'll pray about it and see if the Lord gives me a better solution. Right now, the only thing I can think of is to try to make as much room in the fridge as possible and store some of it there. Pray for me as the battle goes on.

Can-a-thon Project Report 4

Oh, my Lord. I am one blessed woman. This is very hard work and I think about every inch of me hurts. But, I keep finding stuff to can. 

I unearthed enough boneless skinless chicken breasts to fill 3 jars. I also found 10 bone-in chicken drummies. I can't can those as they do not fit in my jars. I tried them in both wide mouth and regular mouth jars (getting desperate, I guess). They are just a smidge too long to allow them to fit down into the jars--they would push against the lids which would be no good. However, I can boil them off, collect the meat and make chicken salad or chicken soup or something. I also found, still fully frozen, a package of about 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Those I am sure I can can, 2 to a jar, but they'll have to thaw first. By the way, most of the drummies as well as those chicken breasts were still frozen. The rest were still cold. 

If I can manage it, tonight I will get the dehydrator going with as many trays of frozen veggies as possible. I am blessed to be the proud owner of a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator. 

I really don't think I will lose much. I still have 2 small chickens and that turkey to deal with. And I have 7 or 8 jars ready to go in the canner as early in the morning as I can manage. I have a couple of frozen pizzas that I don't know what to do with and some other odds and ends. I'll sort through those tomorrow. 

I ended up with 10 jars in the canner this round. I'll be honest with you--I am so tired I really don't know what's in there other than 3 jars of ground beef. I feel pretty stupid. I had room for 6 more jars. I should have done some beans--they're easy to do, but I just didn't think of it. I guess I am so tired my brain isn't functioning too well. I only have to hold out about another hour, til the current canner load cools down enough to be unloaded.

Can-a-thon Project Report 3

DESPERATE TIMES: DESPERATE MEASURES

Several hours ago, I had to go dig out my back brace. I haven't gone anywhere near this thing for somewhere near 2 years. It's not gonna fix the problem. I am still gonna hurt while wearing it. But, maybe, in the long run, it will be less sore. Thank God it is not in spasm; that is what I'm trying to prevent with the back brace.

I just closed up the canner on 10 jars of meat. Everything I worked on today had to be lightly saute'd before It could go into jars. Be sides monitoring the canner tonight, I'll be working on cooking some Italian sausage to can tomorrow. I also went into the chicken box and found chicken breasts which need to be done. Those will need to be cut into cubes like the beef and pork roasts were. If I can, I want to do a pork tenderloin. Most folks won't can pork tenderloin, preferring to cook it fresh. I have no time for that. I have barely taken time to eat. There's nothing wrong with canning pork tenderloin--it's just that canning tenderizes tough meats so well, it seems a waste to tenderize tenderloin. Then there is still a turkey to deal with.

i am not at all sure I'm gonna get through this! Also, I'm already into one of the last 2 cases of wide mouthed jars I ordered last week. If I have to I can use regular mouth jars, but I don't want to. I find those best for veggies, soups, stuff that will easily pour out of a jar.

I was happy to find that the packets of meat that were on the bottom of the cardboard boxes in which they were stored are still frozen. Maybe that will buy me past tomorrow? I hope so.

 

Can-a-thon Project Report 2

It's 2AM and I am exhausted. For quite a while now, I've had trouble sleeping. Mostly it's getting to sleep that is the problem. But sometimes when I've slept a couple of hours, I wake up, use the bathroom, and then can't go back to sleep. Many mornings the sun is up and climbing when I finally get some sleep. I pretty much doubt I'll be awake long tonight.

I got one pound of the expensive ground beef in the jar and ready to go into the canner. I've also cut up and jarred up that pork roast. Those jars are stashed in the fridge for now. I also washed up all the dishes and wiped down the dining room table. However the countertop is still a nightmare (I hope that's a figurative statement, LOL.)

I've been thinking what a good thing it is that just a week to 10 days ago I ordered 3 cases of wide mouth canning jars from Ace Hardware. I hate canning meat in regular (smaller) mouth jars. It's harder to get the meat out of the smaller mouth jars. It usually ends up shredding as it comes out. But, I don't have to face that problem because of that timely order.

I had wanted to load up the dehydrator tonight with as much of the frozen vegetables as i could reasonably squeeze in there. But, I'm just too darned tired and hurting too much to face any more tonight. I'm sure the Advil I took has helped the back pain some, but not enough.

I fixed myself a hot dog for dinner. I also have some very nice canned cole slaw to pair with it. 

Well, manana I will re-enlist in the battle to save my food. I have decided if I can handle most of the food, I will ditch whatever I have to, and take my time waiting to find the best deal I can get on a new/newer freezer. That will relieve some of the pressure. I will bring in some money from the few returns I extended and, by then, we will know for sure the amount of the Social Security cola. In any case, God will make a way. I'm just grateful I found that slighty melted ice cream last night and remembered to check the freezer when I got up this morning. That gave me a head start and enabled me to save a good bit of food so far. I have 16 jars processed. Each jar will give me up to 4 or more meals (depending on how I use it). So, so far, I figure I have saved 60 meals worth of food. I'm quite happy with that.