Friday’s Frugal Five

I just love fall. It is my favorite time of year when the weather cools down and it’s time to pull the crock pot out and make warm you all over stews and soups.

It’s also the time to pull out my big tea mugs for my hot teas. The Z Man is a coffee drinker, but I am a tea girl.

Friday’s Frugal Five:

I’ve slowed my roll this week and got back on track with meal planning and prepping. What a huge difference that makes in the budget. Listen, we have food and I mean we have plenty of food in our house, so there is no reason I should be at the grocery store. I do not need to be at the grocery store more than once a week (if even that). But if you don’t plan then you might as well plan to fail.
Saturday is the beginning of hunting season and I am ready. While the Z Man does all the hard work of harvesting the deer, I do all the processing. Knives are sharp and freezer bags are stocked. Stocking our freezer with venison saves us a ton of money every year in beef purchases. The thing is that we really like venison. We actually prefer venison in place of beef in most all recipes except a burger, because Double M Dairy ground beef is awesome and makes the best hamburgers!
I’m disgusted to admit this, but in full disclosure I have to come clean and admit that I have become somewhat obsessed with frozen yogurt over the past month and was indulging myself way too often. Not good for me and certainly not good for my budget! That stuff is expensive, especially when you put all the yummy (unhealthy) toppings on it. I am proud to report that I did not get one frozen yogurt this week, saving about $6
The importance of taking care of yourself for good health is obvious, but it’s also an important part of frugality as well. I got back into my exercise program this week, cut out the junk and got back to whole food, clean eating. Missing work, paying insurance deductibles and prescription cost… that’s NOT frugal.
Our usual frugal routines of drying clothes on the clothes line, having our meals at home, paying our bills on time avoiding late fees, returning library rentals to avoid late fees, reducing waste, planning, budgeting and still breathing fresh air and adding to the pickle jar. Whew, that’s a mouth full!

How about you, what frugal fun have you had this week?

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Till next time,

Lori

Benefits of Coconut Oil for Acid Reflux

A friend of mine reminded me of the benefits of coconut oil when it comes to dealing with acid reflux.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed mixing it in my hot tea, which is one way to get it in your diet.

Image result for coconut oil images

However, I am on a recovery mission so I am taking it straight from the teaspoon three times a day.

Cure Acid Reflux with Coconut Oil

When the esophageal sphincter fails to contract, it allows gastric acids to move from the stomach upward. This causes a burning sensation in the lower chest and throat known as acid reflux. Certain research reveals that acid reflux may be caused by bacteria that grows in the stomach. According to surveys, nearly half of all Americans experience the chest pain, bloating, and burping associated with acid reflux, or heartburn, at some point in their lives.

Various symptoms of acid reflux include gas, chest pain or heart burn, burping, bloating, bitter taste, experiencing uneasiness in lying down or bending.

There are plenty of commercial heartburn medicines available, but their effects are short-lived and they often cause unwanted side effects. Why bother wasting time and money on those when you can treat and prevent acid reflux with coconut oil?

Coconut Oil Helps To Reduce Acid Reflux

Coconut oil coats the throat and digestive tract, reducing burning sensations and other irritation caused by acid reflux.
The lauric acid in coconut oil is a natural antiseptic that kills the fungus and bacteria that cause acid reflux.
Overeating causes acid reflux because our stomachs struggle to break down large amounts of quickly consumed food. When taken before meals, coconut oil prevents overeating by making you feel full. This also helps you lose weight.
The medium chain triglycerides (MTCs) in coconut oil are easily digestible and they offer numerous health benefits.
Because it is alkaline, coconut oil neutralizes acid, reduces inflammation, and helps repair tissue damage caused by heartburn.
Coconut oil triggers the production of chloride, which is essential for the production of stomach acid which helps for proper digestion.

This is the brand that I’m using. I’ll admit that at first taking it straight from the teaspoon is a little strange feeling. Starting out with a smaller amount or mixing it in a hot beverage will work just fine too.

Image result for coconut oil images

If you suffer from acid reflux, try some coconut oil, it has helped me and it probably will help you too.

Till next time,

Lori

Happening On The Homestead

It’s been over a month since I last blogged and the simple reason for that is…. I burned out and I got sick.

Between working a full time job six days a week, putting something in jars (canning) almost every night till late (sometimes till early morning), helping the Z Man take care of our homestead and all the animals, it just all caught up with me and I came crashing down. I went to the doctor because I wasn’t feeling good then came home and went to bed and slept for two days, then I got up and laid on the sofa for three days.

A couple of weeks later and after a few more visits with my doctor, I’m feeling better, but still not 100%.

Time for some soul searching into what’s most important for us and weed out the rest. I get so caught up in an idea or a project I want and it’s 100 miles an hour until it’s done. The thing is that sometimes it’s never done. I want more and more and more….

I have to admit that during this time, my diet was awful, just grabbing something here and there and grabbing all the wrong stuff. This is one of the main reasons I got sick. For someone who is six months coming off of Prilosec after having taken it for over 20 years, I can not neglect my diet.

The discomfort of my reflux and indigestion had become so bad that I went to urgent care thinking I was having a heart attack. The EKG was normal, and the bariatric cocktail the doctor gave me to drink worked, and I am feeling much better, about 90% better.

But it’s time to slow down and get back to taking better care of myself, eating better, working less and Yoga begins this week.

In the meantime, here is what’s been happening on our little homestead.

Our beautiful Maddie delivered 6 perfect little puppies, three girls and three boys.

I was there with her while she was delivering and it was amazing. She is such a good mama.

They are growing so fast. I mean is this just not cuteness overload?

We got three new chickens. Three Leghorn hens and they lay white eggs.

I kind of like getting white and brown eggs.

We harvested three of our older hens, which was the first time for the Z Man and I to do that. I don’t have pictures, but it went very well and peaceful.

Back when I quit smoking on January 4th I started saving my weekly cigarette money. By saving the money specifically for a “treat” for the accomplishment of quitting it not only motivated me to get through the cravings and over the habit of smoking, it gave me something to look forward to as well.

So, the Z Man and I had a little fun with my quit smoking money…

We went to the Redskins season opener against Pittsburgh. I am a Redskins fan and the Z Man is a Pittsburgh fan, so it was perfect that this year they were playing each other. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well for my Redskins.

It’s amazing to me that by quitting smoking I was able to pay for a little mini vacation for us. Now, that’s some good motivations right there.

So, that’s whats been going on around here. I’ve really missed blogging, but I’ll be talking to you soon 😉

Till next time,

Lori

Waste Not Want Not

Waste not want not was a very important way of life back in the day. It was imperative to make the most out of every bit that you had.

I never remember my grandmother hauling garbage cans to the road, because there was no waste in her house. Now most houses have one or two garbage cans out front on pick up day.

Last week I was telling a friend about all the grapes hanging on the vines and how I really hated to see them go to waste.

She said, well…. “waste not want not” So, I got busy canning more grape jelly.

I will admit that it doesn’t come naturally for me to think “what else can I do with this”. I sometimes struggle when a situation calls for ideas outside the box, or an improvisation. This is because I like a plan and I am not always the most patient person. 😉

Sometimes I get so eager to get so much done that I forget to stop and enjoy the process or think outside the box of how can I make this even better.

So, when my friend said “waste not want not” it stuck with me.

Take a look at my latest waste not want not project.

Take a guess at what it is.

Go ahead, I’ll wait 🙂

It’s corn cob jelly Y’all!

Now, I know how crazy that sounds but hey, why not?

Remember I told you about me canning all that corn this past weekend?

I saved the cobs, cooked them overnight in the crock pot to get a beautiful golden corn broth.

Look at that color in those jars. That lovely golden yumminess!!!!

Oh come on, I know you’ve sucked on a corn cob after eating it to get the sweet juice out of it. Everybody has. I know you know what I’m talking about….

Anyway, once you’ve got your corn stock made all you do is bring it to a boil then add pectin and sugar and you have a golden jelly that is a very strong resemblance to the taste of honey.

Once I finished this batch I was so excited that I immediately started jotting down ideas on what type of herbs I could use in it. For example maybe a rosemary thyme jelly or maybe a lemon or orange citrus hint to it. I think that would be lovely too.

This corn cob stock would also make a great starter for vegetable stocks or chowders and soups. Endless possibilities here Y’all.

I think waste not want not worked out pretty good here.

Now, I need to go make some biscuits for this jelly. YUM!

Corn Cob Jelly Recipe

3 cups of corn cob stock
1 box of fruit pectin
4 cups of sugar

Pour corn stock into a heavy bottom pot and add fruit pectin, stirring frequently on medium heat, bring to a boil. Continue to stir the mixture and add sugar, return to a boil on medium heat, boil for 1 minute. Ladle the VERY HOT mixture into jars and water bath for 5 minutes.

That’s it! How easy is that?

This jelly is a great starter recipe for a beginner canner, or for kids too.

What a sweet way to start your canning hobby.

Till next time,

Lori