Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: December 18~24, 2016

[ReneeT]

Good Morning, All!!

It's cold here today; 4*F/-10*F windchill - but bright and sunny! Hubby said that the roads were still slick when he came home from work this morning; as he headed upstairs to take a nap (he doesn't work tonight) he was ambivalent about taking me to Rural King this afternoon to get birdfeed. I can understand that; I have to work tomorrow anyway so it means I'll be stopping on my way home from work; then dragging him out to help me unload, and trying to get him to fill the feeders for me when he gets up Tuesday morning as it will be dark when I get home and dark when I leave for work.

Another wonky work week - on Mon/Tue/Wed; but can't really complain about my schedule after that as I have 3 days off, work Christmas Day, then have 4 more off! (I'm kinda surprised someone hasn't ice-picked me to get my schedule )

Plans for today are pretty simple - laundry, dishes, housekeeping chores, perusing the garden porn that has started to arrive (Totally Tomatoes and Daisy Farms, so far...), getting my work clothes ready, altering my elf hat/beard/mustache to fit so I have it to wear Christmas morning when we hand out gifts (blankets) to our patients, maybe that trip to town... And if we're going to have lunch today, I'd probably better get started on fixing it

Take care, all; hope that you all have a great week!!

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Doing happy dance. Found great sale on cans of assorted soup, that the family likes. These are not twenty year sort of preps. They are the: don't have to worry about instant food in a pinch for the next month or two. Each year they go on sale about this time. I try my best to restock the pantry. It is amazing how fast the "favorites" can disappear.

 

[SAPPHIRE]

Soup is my comfort food when I'm feeling bad...either with my bones or anything........Campbell's split pea with ham and bacon is my favorite.............bought some on sale earlier this autumn and hope to find more soonest!!

 

[prudentwatcher]

I like the Campbells Bean and Bacon. I get it when it goes on sale for $1 a can and I have coupons that take another 20 cents off. I would like to get up to a case of 24 cans.

Nothing on sale in the ads I just had to have, so no shopping planned except for a quick trip tomorrow to Publix to pick up the last few things for Christmas dinner.

I spent all week in training during the day, when I usually work the midnight shift, so my sleep schedule is all messed up. Need to get back on track this week. I ended up scheduled for a 7am to 7pm shift on Christmas day. Not overly thrilled with that, but it is what it is. One benefit of training this week is that I am now certified in first aid and CPR. Always nice to have--and it will be renewed on an annual basis.

Trying to get a head start on my end of the year stuff--working through paperwork, getting calendars changed over, finding my desk which is buried under piles of stuff. That will probably be the main focus for the next couple of weeks. I start my second job with the tax season on Jan 3. Extra $$$, but I'm sure I will be tired!

 

[summerthyme]

I like the Campbells Bean and Bacon. I get it when it goes on sale for $1 a can and I have coupons that take another 20 cents off. I would like to get up to a case of 24 cans.

I love Campbells Bean with Bacon, as well as their Manhattan Clam Chowder, but I have a positive aversion to paying $1 a can or more (clam chowder is MUCH more), when I can make bean soup for 1/5 that price, or less.

I found a perfect "clone" recipe for the clam chowder. We now make 60 pints or so every summer, although I have to find a new source for large cans of clams... I used to be able to get them at Sam's Club for a good price, but they've discontinued them. The clams are the *only* ingredient we need to buy... everything else is from the garden. That makes my final cost about 15 cents a jar!

The bean with bacon has been trickier. I've made a couple batches which were very close to the original, but I'm not quite there yet. Fortunately, even the "failures" are edible... and cheap! Right now my soup cupboard is fully stocked, but when we eat that down a bit, I'll experiment again...

Summerthyme

 

[nomifyle]

Got my first of 3 commodity boxes today, we get an extra Christmas box this year. This box included two 10# packages of frozen chicken leg quarters, two dozen eggs (as much as I'm not crazy about store bought eggs, our chickens stopped laying two weeks ago and we are out of eggs, I'm glad for these), two foil packages of beef stew, four cans of cherries, four cans of fruit cocktail, corn, green beans, mixed vegetables and peas ( I never have to buy any of these vegetables), instant mashed potatoes (I just stack these up, I don't eat potatoes and DH is not fond of them). I have it all put away.

Judy

 

[SAPPHIRE]

I'm only buying right now stuff and whatever MEGA SALE/CLEARANCE items....$$$ just spent for car repair!!! I have some "normal" instant mash and I don't eat it either, but I do have some Bob's Red Mill instant potato flakes which is pricier and I've stashed 'em for potato soup........I love potato soup (mash russet potatoes with any residual cooking water, add some org. chicken broth, milk (and/or water to thin), sautéed onions in butter, bacon (pre-cooked or freshly cooked), fresh grnd. pepper, parsley (fresh or dried), salt to taste and perhaps some Spice Hunter's Chef Shake blend....tonight I finished up a large bowl of this and added fresh shredded baby spinach which the hot soup wilted in just a few minutes.......really tasty and filling.......

I have bought some Skippy peanut butter which was on sale for $1.49 each and had doubled coupons which subtracted $1 so I bought two (all the coupons I had) and then another store had an online $2 coupon for same stuff and it was on sale for $2.99 so that jar was .99 cents.............THE RETAIL HERE IS $4.49 EACH............ridiculous...........

When so many items run from $2-$5 normally........our slim budget is challenged.......doing well with doubled coupons/clearance/sales/online and salvage store.........PTL

 

[nomifyle]

I'm only buying right now stuff and whatever MEGA SALE/CLEARANCE items....$$$ just spent for car repair!!! I have some "normal" instant mash and I don't eat it either, but I do have some Bob's Red Mill instant potato flakes which is pricier and I've stashed 'em for potato soup........I love potato soup (mash russet potatoes with any residual cooking water, add some org. chicken broth, milk (and/or water to thin), sautéed onions in butter, bacon (pre-cooked or freshly cooked), fresh grnd. pepper, parsley (fresh or dried), salt to taste and perhaps some Spice Hunter's Chef Shake blend....tonight I finished up a large bowl of this and added fresh shredded baby spinach which the hot soup wilted in just a few minutes.......really tasty and filling.......

I have bought some Skippy peanut butter which was on sale for $1.49 each and had doubled coupons which subtracted $1 so I bought two (all the coupons I had) and then another store had an online $2 coupon for same stuff and it was on sale for $2.99 so that jar was .99 cents.............THE RETAIL HERE IS $4.49 EACH............ridiculous...........

When so many items run from $2-$5 normally........our slim budget is challenged.......doing well with doubled coupons/clearance/sales/online and salvage store.........PTL

I love potato soup too, I make it with cauliflower and it is so good, and low carb. I forgot to add the I got peanut butter in our commodities today. Its regular peanut butter which DH eats, I buy just the regular ground peanuts for me and don't eat much of it.

I make my potato soup much like yours and it pretty much the same with the cauliflower.

Judy

 

[moldy]

Awesome day today, even though I"m worn out. Poured concrete up at the pasture house, it cost about 2/3 of what we thought it was going to. I had my eyes checked yesterday and got new glasses. My prescription hasn't changed (great!), but my current pair is pretty scratched up. I get vision insurance only every other year, so I needed to get this done before 12/31.

Got a call from the dentist - insurance paid more than they thought, so we have a $275 credit. Neighbors brought us some bierocks (cabbage pockets) for a Christmas present, and another friend brought us a bunch of firewood.

 

[nomifyle]

Picked up our Christmas boxes from the senior center this afternoon. 2 Gift Certificates for up to 7# chickens, I'll pick those up next week. Lots and lots of canned foods, sadly some expired with rusty cans, but I'm great full for what we, it all helps. This allows me to have a bit of money for other things.

Judy

 

[SAPPHIRE]

One year we had opportunity to acquire some donated non-perishables (!) which were part of a freebie giveaway.........had to examine 10 boxes of donations and wound up throwing out two full boxes due to 1. opened packages

2. way outdated items (must have come from a cellar pantry!!)

3. leaking cans

4. just gross contributions

So IMO just because people donate doesn't mean they really give a hiccup about anyone else.........why not throw your garbage into the dumpster and call it a day!!

I may not eat EVERYTHING I donate......but at least it's still decently packaged and not over a year old............

 

[nomifyle]

One year we had opportunity to acquire some donated non-perishables (!) which were part of a freebie giveaway.........had to examine 10 boxes of donations and wound up throwing out two full boxes due to 1. opened packages

2. way outdated items (must have come from a cellar pantry!!)

3. leaking cans

4. just gross contributions

So IMO just because people donate doesn't mean they really give a hiccup about anyone else.........why not throw your garbage into the dumpster and call it a day!!

I may not eat EVERYTHING I donate......but at least it's still decently packaged and not over a year old............

The only decent thing in the boxes were the chicken gift certificates. I'm going to give away the things we would never eat, at least before they get too old, but some stuff is going to the pigs, I'd be embarrased to give them to anyone.

We got our regular monthly boxes yesterday and because I'm literally drowning in some things that we get every month, I gave one box away minus the two cans of fruit, DH loves canned fruit. I've got about 17 jars of peanut butter and some of that is going too because it would spoil before we could get through even a few jars.

Merry Christmas,

Judy

 

[SAPPHIRE]

Good job, Judy........I liken re-gifting as a tithe from my kitchen......the Lord blesses us with great bargains sometimes...like today, I was in King Sooper's (Kroger) and a bunch of salads were priced 25 cents...which normally were around $3 and on up.......two neighbors are having $$ troubles, health issues, etc. and I bought extra salads to gift to them.......lunch/dinner/snacks time salad is pretty good item to have.........we can't do a lot for anyone but for just a couple of bucks two neighbors have some healthier choices......

Pigs........yes indeed, they'll eat just about anything........we fed some of our mega garden stuff one year till even the pigs turned up their noses!!

Merry Christmas to all................

 

[BinWa]

I have been sick all week and could not get out to do any shopping for food prep.
I did add $5.00 to the home emergency $ envelope.

 

[SAPPHIRE]

Sorry 'bout feeling poorly..........holidays are awful times to feel badly........hope you recover soonest!!

 

[BinWa]

Thanks Sapphire for the well wishes, very appreciated