New kitchen, new cooking style

[FarmerChick]

For everyone, no one can do it all at once..LOL

Pick and choose the best options for you.

One thing about money.....sometimes it is not about money....it is about quality of food for the family. For me, I know raising broccoli and other veggies is less expensive than buying it and I know I am getting FAR better quality.

Then after putting up all this food, you eat on it all thru winter without having to purchase at the store.

So initial cost may be higher and there is some work involved like gardening (which I love to do and don't truly find it as "work") and then you eat thru winter without spending alot of money at the grocery.....but in general it is all your comfort level and it is how much time do you truly have to commit to any project!

It will all work for you!!!

 

[nccountrygirl]

And as for the canning, you can reuse the jars, just buying lids. You can find a pressure cooker on ebay


I got my 16 quart Presto Pressure Caner at WalMart for 60.00 and I absolutely Love it. It will hold 10 quarts or 16 pints at one time.

 

[farm_mom]

Often in this kind of lifestyle the expenses are upfront. Like the jars and canning supplies. For example, I pay more a pound for my organic, pasture raised beef than I would for the regular stuff at the store. So, I buy in bulk (I bought 1/4 beeve over year and 1/2 ago and I still have some in the freezer) and we eat less of it at one sitting and less often than most other people do. I find I don't mind paying more for my food because I want the quality, and I enjoy supporting my local food system. So, I'm willing to spend more on good quality, real food than what others would be. In exchange, I find other ways to cut our buget. (I still have dial-up internet. I don't have ipods, cable, satelite, cell phones. We shop garage sales. second hand and thrift for kitchen gadgets, clothes, supplies etc....)

 

[enjoy the ride]

My Mom used to freeze bread dough- I think at the point after the first rise, then would take it out later and let it thaw and rise again- someone else will have to give instructions on this as I don't use bread so never learned what she did. But your family would at least have to wait for the product.
I don't can much anymore- I prefer to dehydrate and vacuum pack lots of stuff. My meat I do mostly freeze now but I used to dehydrate that too. I vacuum pack in mason jars. Tomatoes and herbs are great and easy to dehydrate and store- so much cheaper than buying. I do some fruits and things like carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc. Anything I've seen in a store dehydrated, I'll give a try to. I grow my garden with things in mind to dry.
Think about cold frames for your garden- easy to extend a season with those without having to spend a bundle on a greenhouse right away.
Also pickling is great way to save some produce.
If you buy whole grains to grind yourself, they will store indefinitely with minimal care.
You could certainly make and store the dry ingredients for a pancake mix then simply add the rest as needed- I don't see any problem doing this at all.
BYW I have vaccumed packed things like dry milk, dried fruit and other things- you just need to meet a certain level of dryness to be safe vacuum packing. Nuts vacuum pack very well as does rice and grains, etc.

The main thing is to spend time thinking of how to do what you want and little time with why it won't work- everything works eventually if you really want it.

 

[Beekissed]

I may be mistaken but it sounds kind of like you're talking yourself out of becoming self-sufficient? Or just weighing the pros and cons( which is always wise)? Can't tell....

I will say that all of my canning jars were free, as were my pressure canner and food processor. How, you may ask? Networking, networking, networking! For every woman wanting to break into canning, there is a woman who wants to get that stuff out of her house and never plans to do it again. Or bought it with the intentions of becoming more self-sufficient and found it was just too much darn work (as in the benefactress in my case)... TELL everyone, simply everyone, what you are looking for and you will be amazed at what you can get cheaply or free. I only had to buy my pan for cold water bath canning....$20 at Walmart. Now, I know not everyone is that lucky but it never hurts to try.

As for the cost. Nearly every new venture has an initial cost that is a one time thing and will pay for itself ten times over. At least one can only hope! With canning supplies and a good freezer, this is definitely the case. I agree with Pat, the freezer is going to be running regardless of what you put in it, so one can hardly break down the electricity costs for each new group of food preserved.

I had the same problem with the bread usage with my three boys. Loved to eat it all up and complain when there wasn't any. Now, I don't know about training the husband but I would have a talk with him about setting a good example. If you are both headed in the same direction, it usually is more efficient to travel the same path. How I solved this problem was to make each boy learn to make bread. Then I kind of keep an eye on who is using the most and it becomes his turn to make it until this behavior is corrected. Its amazing how more conscious of the bread supply they are, if they are the one providing the labor involved!

Self-sufficiency is not just about making one's own food and saving on costs. Its about changing from a lifestyle of indulgence to a lifestyle of controlling those things over which you have control. You have control over how much and what your children eat, to some degree. You have control over making sure they have healthier foods. You have control over how much electricity is being used in your home. How much gas is being used to run around. How much total waste is going on in the home. How many bad habits you want to support and how many need to be disposed of.

If you get lost in how cost prohibitive being more food self-sufficient is, you lose the idea. Cutting costs in other areas will make up for a higher cost there, eating healthier here will save on medical cost there, growing your own and processing them at home, will save on the gas and money spent shopping.

It's all a trade-off, see? You may not come out ahead (we have, but some can't seem to manage it) but you will certainly not lose, in the long run. It all depends on your level of commitment, really. If one is dabbling, or playing with the idea, and hasn't got a true need for it, then, chances are, they will find ways of seeing the pitfalls instead of the ladders. If they really NEED to do this, they will find a way to make it work, and work very well!

Good luck with your new lifestyle! Try not to over think it...you'll ruin the fun!

 

[heatherv]

My Mom used to freeze bread dough- I think at the point after the first rise, then would take it out later and let it thaw and rise again- .

That's what I used to do for cinnamon rolls that I made for a restaurant where I used to live. I'd actually put them in the refrigerator (overnight usually) to thaw. Then early in the a.m. take them out to rise. I supposed you could probably just set them out all night to thaw and rise? I put them on top of the capuccino machine to rise though b/c it was a little warm.

You can buy frozen dough of all sorts in the freezer section at grocery stores... so it works fine if they're sellin' it that way! I don't see why you couldn't do your own.

Good luck!

 

[miss_thenorth]

*********************Pancake mix would save money since we go through the better part of a package in one meal but how much of it can we go through? We only have pancakes a couple times a month at most, so I'd have to store the grain in the freezer, wouldn't I? THen I have to pay for the electric to keep it cold, so maybe I wouldn't save.******************************
***************************************

I posted a recipe for bulk homemade pancake mix. You just scoop out what you need. Maybe that'll work for you. I posted it under make your own mixes.

 

[pioneergirl]

Excellent post, Beekissed!!

It's all a trade-off, see? You may not come out ahead (we have, but some can't seem to manage it) but you will certainly not lose, in the long run. It all depends on your level of commitment, really. If one is dabbling, or playing with the idea, and hasn't got a true need for it, then, chances are, they will find ways of seeing the pitfalls instead of the ladders. If they really NEED to do this, they will find a way to make it work, and work very well!

That was my point earlier...yes, lots of work now, but come winter time, boy will it pay off!! I sometimes get snowed in, and knowing that I have plenty of food is great. Knowing that I did it, and where it came from is also a big bonus. I spend the time and a touch of money now...then enjoy it all winter long!!

 

[DDRanch]

I wouldn't be without my pressure canner. The thing I like best about it is that you can take advantage of whatever fruit or veg is in season by preparing and storing through out the year. Or if you are growing your own, it's even more cost effective and certainly better for you.

So far this year, from my own garden, I have canned jams, soups, corn, pasta sauce, tomatos, applesauce and pears. You will re-use the jars and caps and only replace the lids for proper sealing. You will probably be able to find extra canning jars at swap meets and garage sales, or get them at Walmart or similiar outlet. I just saw a pressure canner on Amazon.com for under a $100. Well worth the price.

I have been particularily excited about all the soups I am making and canning, potato, tomato, butternut squash and zucchini.

Hope this is helpful to you.
Anne

 

[Zenbirder]

I love all the help we can give each other. It is true that this labor intensive lifestyle is something to take a step at a time. Then you pick and choose what fits for you. Homemade bread is really worth it in my book, both for quality and cost. I use a bread machine, takes me about three minutes in the morning to load it, pull the done loaf out at lunch time, throw it in the 'frig after it cools a bit, then after it is cold put it in the slicing guide and slice. If you couldn't get by with one loaf a day - see if you can get two machines. I have seen them in thrift stores and yard sales for $5. I always keep a spare in case one bites the dust, but I have not had mine go bad in years. If the kids and hubby don't eat bread they are probably going to eat something more expensive.
As for breakfast, I seem to remember that people can use large insulated containers with boiling water to start porrage the night before, and it is perfectly ready in the morning. I am a morning person so I have not actually tried it. For Sunday mornings I sometimes make a skillet suprise the night before, use a cast iron skillet for an egg/bread or potato/cheese/etc. mix and leave it in the 'frig overnight. Kids can put it in the oven in the morning. I hope you have fun learning new ideas! Teaching kids and husbands new ways to eat can be challenging. Try to remember that the more times they eat something the more familiar it will become to them. The tastes become habitualized and they will start to like the new dishes and ways of eating. Getting them off boxed cereal is something the can benefit them for the rest of their lives, IMHO.