Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR/DECADE!!!!

So.... I've been a bad, bad blogger! Santa surely kept that in mind this year! (lumps of coal found in my stocking...?)

I've decided to skip over Christmas & go straight into the new year with a burning focus on my goals: both in blogging, in "real" life and in NT practices...

• Menu Planning - I've tried a couple different methods, which clearly haven't worked out for me.... so I am still looking for one, I have a feeling I need to apply some Fly Lady Principles & just tweak them so they work for me... more on this process to come, please bear with me!
• Speaking of FlyLady, I REALLY need to get some basic home care routines going...
• In Blogging, my goal is be a bit more consistent, maybe even just once a week, but regularly wold be an improvement! I have much bigger ideas, but I wouldn't want to get your hopes up!
• As far as real life, I'd like to find a bit more time for me. Selfish, eh? ;) I'd like to lose a few inches, which means changing up what I eat (less carbs, less alcohol...? ugh!) and making some time for regular exercise....(double ugh!)
• And for NT practices.... well.... I tried a LOT of different things last year, some were great, some were huge flops, but in the end I only really stuck with a few, So this year I'd like to try to get a few more to 'stick"...

Ok, so here's Step 1, a Pantry challenge, from Money Saving Mom & Life as Mom that I'm goign to take on, to start the New Year right!

Here's the scoop (and some extra goals):

• I will take a full inventory of pantry & freezer (by the end of the week).
• Figure out menus based on what I have in stock. And use up those supplies. I have a well stocked pantry, and my fridge is stuffed to the brim. I get a produce box this weekend, and it will have to last me 2 weeks. No grocery store stops unless absolutely necessary.
• No eating out (unless it's an unforeseeable emergancy)!
• Try to eat less grains (unless sprouted) & carbs & sweeteners (I get 1 sweet drink per day, morning tea, but that's it!)
• Drink more water! I got an adorable Stainless Steel bottle for Christmas, so now I must USE it! I'm really quite terrible about drinking water! It's shameful, really!
• Take my FCLO!

I'm hoping this will accomplish several things:

1. I'll spend less on food this month. My food budget is $400/month, I'd like to see if I can spend about half that & put any savings towards our most immediate concern - our property taxes!
2. It absolutely drives my DH crazy that I keep buying more food when we 'have so much still'! So, it'll make JoeBacon happy to not buy any more...(for awhile! LOL)
3. Also, I think it'll be a good exercise in Meal Planning... which, as mentioned above, is something I struggle with a LOT.

I have a couple of things I'm allowed to buy weekly: farm fresh dairy, eggs & produce. I buy these from CSA's & Co-Ops:

• 2-3 Half-Gallons of Whole RAW Milk - $12-19/per week
• 1 pint RAW CREAM - $9/week
• 2 Doz Eggs - $8/wk
• 1 Small Produce Box - $20/every other week

I just stocked up at Trader Joe's tonight ($160) & on Tuesday I have a large 'catch-up' order coming from Azure ($150), so I should be set for grains & such. **Update: I had to run to Vons (ugh!) tonight to get cat food, because it will NOT be on my Azure Order (they are out) and I also grabbed a few other items, abut $35 in total.**

I'm ready. BRING IT!

**Update 1/4**

So already, I've spent $55+$160+$150+$35 = $400 (except the Azure order got placed & paid for in December, so really that doesn't count. So, adjust that, and we have:

This week: $250 (a little over my month's goal, but next week I don't get my CSA box & I really shouldn't need hardly anything from the store... so I think this is do-able!)

Azure Standard

Ok, so last month was our first GO with Azure & I think I can speak for Tami when I say we are in love!  *smile*

Here's a few snaps of our loot:

Tami is dividing up the grains (we shared Soft White Wheat, Hard Red, Kamut, Spelt, Oat Groats & Rye

We Split a 25 lb tub of Raw Honey (my leftover 32 oz Agave Nectar jugs worked out great for that!)

We split a box of pears, Tami took hers home & the Chu Babies devoured them in short order.  I made about 2 gazillion batches of jam. ;)

This was my share of grains!

We also split a 10 Doz. box of Fertile Eggs three ways (with Terri), they are huge & wonderful!  After a month, Tami only needed to buy another dozen form TJ's before our next order, Terri still had plenty  & I had just run out.  This month just Tami & I split, so 5 dozen each!  Woo hoo!

As I said, this was January, so we've ordered again, Tami bakes bread 2-3 times a week, so she was thrilled to get a 50 lb. bag of Red Wheat for like $30!  She's also kept up using Soft White for all her baked goods like cakes & cookies, etc... with a noticeably finer texture!  Awesome! 

Meal Plan, Schmeal Schplan!

Ok, so if anyone actually cares, this week's attempt at a 'meal plan' was a pretty dismal failure!

Here's how my week actually played out:

Monday:  Pork Chops (pan fried w/some sort of reduction sauce), Salad  & Couscous with Pine nuts & Goat Cheese

Prep: Make Yogurt (crockpot), store dried sprouted grains, make Ginger Pear Marmalade, make bread

Monday was perfect, I added Roasted Scorn Quash to the meal AND still did everything else I set out to do!  Yay!  We're off to a good start...;)

Tuesday (Book Club at 7:30): Leftover Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup with homemade bread/butter & roasted Acorn Squash

Ummm, let's eat out tonight....We used to eat out every Tuesday because it ensured that we made it to Book Club.  It used to be: Joe picks up Kanan, they come get me, we mosey on down that same freeway, try a new place each week & then make it to book club on time & without all the 'wasted time & gas' of going home first (home is pretty far out of the way).  Then I instituted a 'No Meals Out" for the month of January & we somehow made 'going home' first just work.  We'd go home, I'd make a simple meal, we'd still go to Book Club.  (Imagine that!)

But since we are in February & we are allowed to eat out this month, it sure was easy to just fall back into our old routine!  And, while we did order only water to drink, split an entree, K ate off the kids menu, and dinner for us all with tip was $30... not too bad...  but I still felt over full & wasteful...(hmmm....maybe I'm changing, after all?...)

Wednesday: Not home/eat out - Garden Co-Op Meeting with Tami & Terri - location TBA

Prep: Make Potato/Turnip Mash

Ok, so Joe's brother was in town for tonight only, so I got home, did dishes, started laundry, heated up the Cabbage Soup for myself...had a nice early evening alone, then went to my first ever Garden Co-op Meeting with Tami & Terri (my partners in crime, er "partners in dirt"!) LOL  We met at Starbucks & closed the place down!  So much to talk about & decide!!   Joe had dinner out with his brother at our fav little Mexican Hole-in-de-wall, Los Toros.  I was jealous so he brought home chips & their famous bean dip for me, awww!  So sweet!  I munched a bit before bed, and divvied up the rest for lunches.  That soup sure didn't stay with me!

Thursday: Shepard's Pie (from Sunday's leftover Chicken stew topped w/Mash & Salad

Prep: Thaw Ground Turkey & beans for Chili, move Kombucha bottles to fridge

Well, it was a really exceptionally rough day at work, so I really NEEDED to just go to bed straight away!  I did manage to heat up the rest of the Cabbage soup & serve a big bowl each with homemade toast, then we sat in front of the tube & vegged out all night!

Friday: Crockpot chili & cornbread

Hah!  I'm sure by now you've realized (IF you are not falling off your chair with sleepy boredom) that I never defrosted the meat!  I did, however quickly make the mashed potatoes & do the Shepherd's Pie.  Whilst that was cooking, I ground some Soft White Wheat berries & soaked them (in the hopes of making muffins or waffles on Sunday).  Dinner was yummy, even though it was a bit strange to have both pasta & barley, not to mention chicken! in a "Shepherd's Pie"! Talk about untraditional!  I did taste my Kombucha, but feel it need s bit more time, so I did not bottle yet, will do it Sunday. No salad with dinner!  We watched movie & went to bed early.

Saturday: Roast Chicken & root veggies & salad

Prep: Make stock

OK, well I do consider today a pretty productive day.  I started crockpot yogurt again, baked bread, made White Turkey Chili with Kale (based on this recipe), which we ate for dinner.  We made all our errands in one 2 hour trip!  Awesome what having deadlines can do!  In 2 hours, we did Lowes to buy chicken wire, landscaping paper, a couple plants & seedling trays; the Nursery to buy Organic dirt & inquire about large deliveries of dirt; the Soil place next to the Nursery to compare their prices (better!); Trader Joe's - I had 3 things on my list: onions, yogurt & cereal.  I walked out in less than 5 minutes with: onions, yogurt, 2 boxes of cereal & 2 packages of rice stick noodles.  NOT BAD!  (hmmm... maybe I'm changing, after all?....)

At 1pm we picked up our CSA Box & headed home.  I started the bread, added to the chili that was already started, pitched the yogurt, put bread in oven while Tami & Terri visited.  We all went outside & planned/talked some more while Joe worked on the Garden boxes.  After they left, I took bread out of the oven to cool, went thru my CSA box, finished up dinner, started my first tray of seedlings, & when we finally lost our light, we came in & ate.  Finally!  (never did have lunch - too busy!)  Now I'm posting this & then to bed for another big day Sunday!

Kanan & Austin showing alternate uses for the Garden Box they built for me last weekend....

Sunday: Recycle chicken into Tortilla Soup or tacos...? 

Well, since I never roasted the chicken, I can't very well do anything with the leftovers, can I?

I'm dragging my poor Joey to a Homestead Workshop this afternoon, so I imagine that I'll make muffins or waffles for breakie & then eat out for lunch or dinner, prolly not both...(what!?   one can hope!) ;)

Ok, well, I'm NO quitter!  ... so I think I'll keep trying.  I also think I am better under a bit of pressure, so I plan to make March a No Eating Out month again (with the exception of Kanan's birthday weekend, of course!).

The Quest - Part 2 - ramblings on change....

Ok, so tonight on our drive home, my DH was on the phone with his mom who lives in CO.  She is elderly & has problems getting around, so she's having to be very reliant on others to 'meet her needs'... to bring her groceries, for example.  This has been going on for quite some time & I finally had had enough!  I swear if I have to hear her say she's OUT of TP one more time!...

So as soon as we got home I went to the website of the grocery store that I know is near her house & created an order for her online for delivery tomorrow.   Problem solved. Right? ;)

Well, yes, immediate problem solved.  BUT (you knew there'd be a 'but', right!?)

The process of doing this REALLY made it clear to me just how much my attitude towards food & grocery shopping has changed over the last 6 months or so... really more in the last 3 months, actually.  Right about when I starting blogging, and finding all these wonderfully informative blogs is when I really began my transformation.  

I used to shop at Costco & Vons primarily, I used to buy soda every time I went!  I would occasionally shop for specific things at Trader Joe's, but that was about the extent of my 'grocery world'.   I used to cook a lot from scratch, being a trained chef, I tend to want to do it myself properly & use good ingredients... but boy, do I have a whole new perspective on that as well!

Now I'm on the verge of canceling my Costco membership, I rarely step in Vons and when I do, it usually involves an organic produce purchase & using the ATM! ;)  After much research, I'm about to place my first order with Azure Standard for grains & other staples (even though I have to drive about 30 minutes on a Tuesday night to pick up my order!  Thus I'm trying to only order quarterly...)   I can't wait until 2/3 when I can pick up my gynormous order of grains, beans, seeds, eggs, raw cheeses, Pectin (for my Jam),  raw honey, organic cane sugar, and seeds for my garden!!!

I buy a few things regularly on Amazon, they carry a huge variety of Organic snack items as well as grains & seeds... I do "Subscribe&Save" so I can get an extra 15% off, can choose how often I want that item, get free shipping on everything & I can still cancel anytime.  The things I usually buy from Amazon are:

• Organic Agave Nectar - Madhava (2-46 oz. jugs for $18)
• Organic Maple Syrup (although I have since discovered that Trader Joe's price is better, although I can't remember if it's Organic) - B Grade is $44 for 2-32 oz. jugs & A Grade is $20 for 1-32 oz. jug
• Scarpetta Pasta Sauces (not organic, but simply the yummiest store bought sauces I've ever tried (they are about $4-5 each (and only come in 4 packs), but the Tuscan Vodka Sauce is mind blowing!)
• Izze Juices in small cans (this is our portable, away from home replacement for soda)
• Organic Coffee, I have tried a couple different ones, but recently stumbled across one that sounds really great!  It's called Larry's Beans Fair Trade Frenchy French Roast, it's Whole Bean of course & is about $40 for 5 pounds, that's about $8/lb.!!  A little less than the Starbucks 2/5 lb. bag I usually buy at Costco, and it's NOT Starbucks!   ;)
• Organic Jerky (Golden Valley Natural) - haven't tried it yet...
• Organic Light-on-the-Sugar Oatmeal (Dr. McDougall's Right Foods)

(Now, before you judge anything on that list, please keep in mind that we both work full-time & my DS is almost 13 and packs a lunch everyday for school, no cafeteria junk for him anymore!)

I've been frantically searching for a CSA delivery or pick up, but so far the best thing I've found is SPUD.  However, I live just on the border of LA County, but IN Ventura County, so SPUD won't deliver all the way to my house.  Of course, being the tenacious & determined gal that I am, I have figured out work-around, but it becomes complicated.  I have to 'use' a friend for her address & then coordinate a meeting or a pick up at her house every 2 weeks.  It's d0-able, but hardly the convenient organic produce delivery I am dreaming of....

Today I discovered Tierra Miguel Farms, the farms itself is 120 miles away, all the way in No. San Diego County, but they have pick up points as close as 30 minutes away from me, so I'm looking into that.  I'd much rather support a local CSA, but the only one I can find is not organic, so it seems like a lot of $$ for not as many nutrients...?

As in my Milk Post, I described that I've completely switched the family to Raw Milk & Cream - Organic Pastures also sells meat & really truly RAW Almonds (did you know that a new law passed that makes all Almonds be Flash Steam Pasteurized??!!!  and did you know that they are still allowed to label them as "raw"??!!! - aren't you horrified?)  Anyway, from the raw milk, I make Kephir, from the cream, I make Sour Cream pretty regularly (it is SO good) & am hoping to get in the habit of making my own butter on a regular basis.

I've been trying some different bread recipes over the past several months, and although a few have been good, I still haven't really found what I'm looking for.  But my hope it to be making bread from Soaked and/or Sprouted rains on a regular basis & giving/selling it to friends & co-workers as well as feeding my own family, of course!  My DH's boss is begging for me to make & sell her bread!  I guess I'd better get started! ;)