Tomato Season...George's Chili Sauce!

It's Tomato Season!

Cutest tomato label ever!

Hello, sisters. Have you ever noticed that when you plant tomatoes that there is either too few...or too many?  I have the sinking feeling that this is the year of "too many."  The weather has been perfect for tomatoes...hot and sunny.  Now the plants are full of quickly ripening tomatoes...and I am not exactly in the mood to spend days huddled over a steaming canner.  Lucky for me, my husband George loves the "scientific process" of canning.  He'll do all the peeling and chopping...which I hate...and I will prepare the bottles and get the water bath canner steaming.  Fair trade I think!  In a few weeks we will make a few batches of raspberry jalapeno jelly.  You can find the recipe here: Raspbery Jalapeno Jelly.

 Of Course I Can!

She looks a tad shell-shocked if you ask me...lol!

Homemade Chili Sauce...

Yummy...better than store-bought!

George's Chili Sauce Recipe

Yield:  about six pint jars.

4 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes ( about 24 large)

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (about 4 medium)

1 hot red pepper (we use the dried pepper flakes)

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons salt

3 Tablespoons mixed pickling spices

1 Tablespoon celery seed

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

2 1/2 cups vinegar

Combine tomatoes, onions, peppers, sugar and salt.  Simmer 45 minutes.  Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag; add to tomato mixture; cook until very thick, about 45 minutes, stirring frequently

Prepare home canning jars and lids according to manufacturers instructions.

Add vinegar to tomato mixture; cook to desired thickness. Remove spice bag.  Carefully pour hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch  head space.  Adjust caps.

Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath canner. 

Pretty...as well as delicious!

Use for crockpot meatballs...serve over rice!

Better than Manwich for sloppy joes...a favorite late summer supper treat!

If anyone has a favorite recipe using the fruits of our gardening, I would love to share it here.  Also, the link to the August provident living goals will be found on the top right side of the blog post.  Summer goes by way too fast and in only a few weeks the kids will be back in school. Late summer is my favorite part of the season.  I love the sleepy feel of these hot August days and the bright drooping heads of the roadside sunflowers.  They and I must be in need of a good siesta!

Happy August, Sisters!

PS...This is a repost from 2013.  

Play Houses For Big Girls...She Sheds!

I Want A Playhouse!

Paula's darling Chawton Cottage.

Paula's playhouse is in the backyard of her historic Payson home.

Paula's blog post is here Building Chawton Cottage.

My friends are starting to build back yard playhouses for themselves.  "She Sheds"... a name I am not fond of...are popping up all over Pinterest and the blogging world.  I set out to do a post on gardening and made the mistake of spending too long on Pinterest.  "Gardening" led to "Flowers,"which took me to "Fun Containers for Flowers" and on and on until I got to "Fun Garden Sheds to Decorate with Fun Containers for Flowers."  You can see where I made my mistake...lol!

I am a bit envious of my friends.  I once had a "She Shed" of sorts.  George built it as an addition to a new garage some years back.  It had a lot of cupboards and counter space with floor to ceiling shelves.  I spent many happy crafting hours in my little potting shed.  I decorated it with vintage thrift store finds and had shelves full of craft supplies.  The downside was no running water, heat or air conditioning.  Gradually my projects started moving back indoors.  George built me a craft and sewing room downstairs and my little playhouse became storage.

My "She Shed" today.

We are re-doing the concrete of the covered porch due to damage 

done by the aggressive roots of a large willow tree.

The following are some pictures of darling little garden houses that any grown-up little girl at heart would love to play in...or just dream in. The styles are as varied as the imagination of the women who love them.  I've included links to a few of them.  Gardening as a means to an end...becoming more self sufficient...doesn't mean we cannot find joy in the process.  My bad knees restrict a lot of yard activity for me, but I just love visiting a beautiful garden.  The little girl in me still dreams of a "Wendy House."

This rustic shed is my favorite. Jenny's Garden Shed 

This could be the retreat of a novelist...writing the next "Gone With the Wind."

Birdie's Nest 

This darling Victorian was created from an outhouse blueprint.

Victorian 

The blogger who built this lovely hideaway named her "Miss Potter."

Miss Potter  

This lavender dream house would be perfect for my granddaughter

 Macy who loves purple and lots of bling.   She Sheds  

This would be a fun retreat for a Harry Potter fan.

I can see the Weasley's living here.

No link, but I really love the shingles.

I would love a craftsman-style play house!

Here are some links to three of my blogging friends' posts.  Dorothy loves dolls and dachshunds.  She just moved into her new retreat which she has filled with things she loves.  Her little dogs love to curl up and nap in little dolls beds.  Her link...Dorothy.

Kim K. lives in Michigan on a wooded lot.  Her hideaway is in a tree house.  Red mushrooms and gnomes hide in her garden.  Kim's She Shed.  Kim has just decorated a darling lakeside A-frame cabin with vintage camping gear...she really has two playhouses!

And finally...what can I say about my friend Jann?  Jann lives in Alpine and is one of the most creative...and energetic...people I know.  Her home and garden decor varies from week to week.  I'm lucky to finally get the last vestige of Christmas off my front porch, while she has created beautiful vignettes in her flowere beds.  She's now in the process of adding a "She Shed" to her garden.  I cannot wait to see what she does with it.  Here is a link to Jann's post about more fun garden houses. She Shed He Said

Here is a German "Gartenhaus." 

Sisters, our female ancestors often found joy in their labors.  Life wasn't just work and drudgery. Throughout time, women have found ways to beautify their homes and gardens...no matter how humble.  It's fun to dream about spaces just for us...but it's also fun to add little touches of creativity to the spaces we have.  Pinterest is just full of ideas to choose from.  Some are so easy...even I can do them!

Fun and fast...I added succulents to colorful old tins.

Or this idea from Pinterest.

The color just blows me away!

(I wonder where they found those tins?)

Provident Living....Wonder Box/Oven

Picture from I Will Prepare 

This week's RS newsletter had information on the Wonder Oven or Wonder Box.  I am posting the link to the site with the instructions for making one of these.  The site is called I Will Prepare and the link is here...Wonder Box/Oven.

Thanks for visiting, Sisters!

PS...May Provident Living Goals are located top right.

October Bite...Fall Fun!

Trunk or Treat!!

October is here at last!

Would you be surprised to hear that October is my favorite month of the year?  Naw...me neither!  October is not just Halloween; it's sunny days with a chilly bite in the air.  The month brings with it football games, raking leaves and General Conference Weekend.  I love taking drives up into the mountains, even though the turning leaves are past their prime and have moved down into the valley.

October makes me crave chili and sloppy joes...and doughnuts...the menu from childhood Halloween carnivals at Harrington and Alpine Elementary Schools.  I will always associate these foods with October. 

A week or so ago, I went to the Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop.  It was held on a rainy night at the church picnic pavilion.  It felt a bit like roughing it.  The pavilion was wrapped in tarps to keep the wind and rain at bay.  Bundled in coats and jackets, folks were busily helping put the meals and desserts together in the big iron pots.  It was kind of fun and we learned a lot. Larry Walker is an amusing and informative teacher. The situation reminded me of pioneers on the trail working together to set up camp and prepare a communal meal.  I wondered what it would be like to crawl into a cold tent or wagon box afterward and try to get warm enough to fall asleep.  I liked the spirit of cooperation and fellowship.  If hard times come, I know that my neighbors will work together to help each other get through it.

October Goals...

"When people are able but unwilling to take care of themselves, we are responsible to employ the dictum of the Lord that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer."

--Elder Boyd K. Packer

Spiritual Goal:

Watch one more session of General Conference than you normally would.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal to read 30 minutes/day to your children or grandchildren.  If you have no children to read to, make a goal to read at least 30 minutes/day just for pleasure.

Storage Goal:

• 50 cans of soup, stew, or chili per person.
• 10 pounds of cheese per person.
• Shaving supplies.
• Dish soap.

72 Hour Kit:

• 4 granola bars per person.
• 2 sticks beef jerky per person.
• 1 package chewing gum per person.
• Hard candies or lollipops...at least 12 per person.  
• Check batteries for lights and radio...replace if needed.
• Conference weekend is good time to update your kit and rotate food items.

Fall Fun...Hobo Party!

The Official Hobo Uniform...

Driving in the canyon with the windows open one sunny afternoon in the fall, I caught the scent of wood smoke and leaves that had been crushed underfoot.  I was transported in memory to my teenage years and an MIA activity one autumn in the canyon.  It was a hobo party at Granite Flats.  We dressed in our raggedy jeans and old flannel shirts.  The leaders had set up camp with a crackling bonfire.  Dutch oven pots of chili bubbled enticingly.  We ate out of tin cans and old pie tins...nothing ever tasted so good!  I don't remember what games we played or anything else... other than the cute boy I sat next to on the way home.  What I do remember was how content I was to be in the mountains and how the wood smoke brought tears to my eyes...happy tears.  I'm sure I am looking back through rosy lenses, but an October day can do that to me.

Hobo Bindles.

A bindle is the stereotypical pack carried by a hobo.

A hobo with a bindle was often called a "Bindlestiff."

I love Wikipedia...lol!

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Hobo Party in the canyon with your children or grandchildren this fall?

Just pack up the dutch oven and dress in your finest raggedy clothing.  Eat chili or hobo stew out of pie tins and make s'mores.  Each child could have their own bindle.  Wrap up individual packets of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers in a banana and let the child use the stick for roasting his marshmallows.  What better way to spend a sunny October weekend?

Made from real hobos?

Happy October, Sisters

Eating an Elephant...Goals for August and September!

Back-to-School Bites...Monthly Goals!

I apologize for being so late publishing the monthly Provident Living goals for August.  I've had some painful dental issues and visiting grandchildren the past few weeks.  So I have decided to give you the goals for both August and September.  This is such a busy time of year, getting the children off to school and taking care of our gardens...getting the fruits of our labor canned and stored for the winter.  I love this time of year!

August Goals!

Back-to-School!

"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus.  Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually..."

--Bruce R. McConkie

Spiritual Goal:  

Have Family Home Evenings with family every Monday.  Make sure at least one Monday each month is set aside for doing something really fun for the whole family.

Provident Living Goal:  

Learn to preserve food in a way you haven't tried before.

Storage Goal:

• 100 quarts fruit and vegetables per person.
• 24 pints of jam or jelly per person.
• Feminine needs.
• School supplies.
• Pet supplies.

72 Hour Kit:

• I can tuna per person.
• 1 can pork and beans per person.
• 1/2 pound dried milk per person.
• 2 packets hot chocolate per person (or 1 large can per family).
• 2 instant soup packets per person (rotated every year).
• Disposable plates, cups, bowls, and flatware.
• Pet supplies...include dishes, leash, and extra water.

September Goals!

There is nothing so satisfying as a filled pantry.

"There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted, but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed, and when that time comes, it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it."

--Harold B. Lee

Spiritual Goal:

Have family scripture study together every day.

Provident Living Goal:

Review your will if you have one.  make any needed changes.  If you do not have a will, make arrangements to get one.  EVERY adult should have a will.  Plan and carry out a FHE on the importance of preparedness.

Storage Goal:

• 10- #10 cans (35 lbs. total) powdered milk per person.
• 25 pounds canned or dried potatoes per person.
• 50 quarts fruit or tomato juice per person.

72 Hour Kit:

• I pound dried fruit or trail mix per person...or fruit leather.
• 1 package (4 per box) saltine crackers per person.
• 1 (4 per box) package graham cracker per person.
• 2 liters tomato or orange juice per person.
• Rotate these items every 6 months.

We are thankful for the harvest!

Remember to visit the Stake Preparedness Blog...Y Prepare?

Have a lovely fall, Sisters!

Eating an Elephant...July Goals!

Eating an Elephant!

This little elephant is red, white, and true blue!

July Goals...

"Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink or wear..."  President Brigham Young

Spiritual Goal:

Take the family names you prepared last month to the Temple.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal to eat healthier.  For example:  less sweets, more fresh fruits and veggies, less meat, more fiber, etc.

Storage Goal:

• 50 lbs. honey or sugar per person.
• 10 #10 cans (35 lbs. total) powdered milk per person.
• 2 toothbrushes per person.
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Infant needs...formula, baby food, diapers, Tylenol, etc.

72 Hour Kit:

• Prepare blankets...the silver foil ones.
• Gather items to entertain your family and include in kit: UNO cards, coloring books and crayons, cross-stitch kits, etc.  Be sure to include paper and pencils
• Camp stove or portable BBQ and fuel.
• Mosquito repellent.
• $25 cash.

July is such a patriotic month and also a month  when we think about our pioneer ancestors.  During WWII it was considered patriotic to be frugal and learn to make do with the resources one had at hand.  Those who were wasteful often went without some of the necessities.  Things like shoes, bedding and automobile tires were rationed, so folks learned to take good care of the ones they had. 

Our pioneer grandparents arrived in the valley with only those things that they could carry.  Many precious and lovely heirlooms were left behind.  They had to make do with what they had.  If a plow or shovel broke or a pair of sewing scissors, there was no way to replace them until the next company of freight wagons arrived from back east.  Things gradually improved with the coming of the railroad, but people learned to provide for themselves just as Brigham Young asked of them.

Happy Pioneer Day, July 24th!

Note:  The link to the Stake Preparedness Blog is located on the sidebar to the right.

June Goals...Eating an Elephant!

A Big Bite of June!

Summer Time! 

Time for Ice Cream and Provident Living

It's summer vacation and the kids are home.  Most of us are frantically juggling our jobs, household responsibilities and children's activities like circus performers.  Who has time to worry about preparedness at a time like this?  If we thought we lived in our cars during the school year, we might as well add pillows, blankets and a mini-fridge to the sports equipment and over-due library books in the back of the van...we're not going home any time soon!  The last thing we want or need is the Provident Living Lady nagging us about our food storage goals.  We know we're busy...too busy to have to worry about the "END OF THE WORLD"...that's for when we get older and have more time.  Only grandma's (who also do all of our family history research) have time to worry about all that preparedness stuff.  By the way, I just realized that I might not live long enough to reach the 25 year use-by-date on my food storage.

Last evening at the Stake Preparedness Committee meeting, the talk was about water storage and other related topics.  One of the women in my group was almost in tears as she testified about how deeply she feels the need to help the women and men in her ward realize the importance of being prepared.  She talked about how disappointing it is to try and arrange classes or demonstrations for ward members and having them show little or no interest.  She feels strongly that we should harken to the words of our church leaders...it's all a matter of obedience and accountability.  They have counseled us for years and lately the warnings have been stronger.  Are we going to be the family that has to ask their neighbors for help with food in a time of crisis...or will we be the ones in a position to be a blessing to their neighbors?  As hard as it is to find the time...or interest...it is important.  It's just a matter of obedience to counsel and getting started...eating the elephant one bite at a time.

June Goals...





"We will see the day when we live on what we produce."--President Marion G. Romney

Spiritual Goal:
Prepare at least one family name for temple work.

Provident Living Goal:
Make a goal to have 6 months wages in savings for emergencies.  Write out a realistic goal to make it happen.  (Note: A few of the other wards have as a goal for this month to have at least $100 in small bills as part of your 72 hour kit...lots of "ones."  Nothing is more worthless than large bills in a time of emergency!)

Storage Goal:
First aid kit - should include scissors, knife, thermometer, measuring cup, medicine dropper, hot water bottle, triangular bandages, soap, matches, razor blades, needles, safety pins, adhesive tape, elastic bandages, paper bags, gauze bandages, bicarbonate of soda, Ipecac syrup (induces vomiting), ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, calamine lotion (insect bites and sunburn), rubbing alcohol, diarrhea remedy, antibiotic ointment, first aid instruction book, prescription medications, waterproof matches.

Note:  Emergency Essentials is having a sale right now on 72 hour Emergency Kits, Car Kits, and 100 piece First Aid Kits...up to 52% off.  Here is the link:  Emergency Essentials

72 Hour Kit:
Container for holding kit.  Large garbage can with wheels OR backpack for each family member recommended.  Find a place in your home that is easily accessible for storing the kit.  You need to be able to grab it at a moment's notice to leave you home.  Note:  Your first aid kit is also part of your 72 hour kit.  Your 72 hour kit is also part of your general storage.  But your general storage CANNOT be part of your 72 hour kit.

A 72 hour kit as seen on Pinterest.

I have copied this for my family and store it in the little utility closet at the back of my pantry.

It's all portable and ready-to-go!

You Might Be Interested in....

Do you know how to use these tools?

A class or demonstration/workshop on canning methods and equipment is being held this Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Hollowcrest building.   If you're new to canning and would like to learn some interesting tips, they would be glad to have you attend.  The tools for canning may look a little intimidating at time...I used to have a fear of exploding pressure cookers! 

Thank you, Sisters!

Eating an Elephant...May Munch!

May Munch!

"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." --President Ezra Taft Benson

Spiritual Goal:
Share a Book of Mormon with a non-member

Provident Living Goal:
Make a specific provident living goal and plan to exercise it regularly.  Example: Make a plan for your family where to meet or how to get in contact during a time of emergency.  Go over it in FHE from time to time.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds variety cereal grains...rice, quinoa, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. per person.
• 24 rolls paper towels per person.
• 24 packages flavored gelatin per person.
• Garden seeds.
• 1 small bottle olive oil (for consecrating).
• At least one month ahead on prescriptions for all doctor prescribed medications.

72 Hour Kit:

• Battery powered radio.
• Battery powered light.
• Batteries.

Y Prepare?  New Stake Preparedness Blog!

Even woodland creatures know how to prepare.

I am the ward provident living specialist on the stake preparedness committee.  The committee meets monthly to share information about what each ward is doing to promote preparedness.  We are then supposed to share this information back to the ward and educate the members.  If there are classes, workshops, or other important resources  we are to let you know about them.  I use this blog for that purpose.  Mike Parry of the 14th Ward has published a blog for the use of the Stake.  It's called Y Prepare? and will be a wonderful resource for us all.  http://www.yprepare.com is the link.  It is also on the sidebar of this blog along with other LDS bloggers.   The most recent topic is 72 hour kits, so I hope that you will visit this blog as soon as possible and add it to your Favorites.

I will still be doing the monthly goals, along with information from the stake and other resources I think will be helpful.  Thank you, sisters, for your support and encouragement!



April Bite...Eating an Elephant!

Sweet April Elephant!

"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

D&C 38:30

Spiritual Goal:

Attend the temple one more session that you normally do this month.

Provident Living Goal:

If you normally do not grow a garden, plan to grow at least one vegetable this year.  If you already have a garden, either grow a vegetable you haven't tried before...or try a new method or technique this year.

Storage Goal:

• 2 pounds of yeast per person.
• 2 pounds baking powder per person.
• 1 pound soda per person.
• 1 gallon vinegar per person.
• 10 cans evaporated milk per person.
• 10 pounds peanut butter per person.
• Spices, condiments and vanilla.

72 Hour Kit:

• 4 granola bars per person.
• 2 sticks beef jerky per person.
• 1 package chewing gum per person.
• Hard candies or lollipops...at least 12 per person.  Rotate items every 6 months...Conference time is a good time to do this.

Spring Time is Garden Time....

A Prophet's Words

"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property...Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard.  Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots or planters.  Study the best methods of producing you own foods." -- President Spencer W. Kimball

Springtime is the time to think about gardening!  Whether you love to garden, feel guilty about not gardening (me), or have just never considered it, being able to grow some of your own food is an important part of emergency preparedness and provident living.  You don't have to have a large garden and spend your life canning to enjoy the benefits of growing some of your own food.  Everyone has different needs and lifestyles...gardening can fit them all.



Container Gardening

Perhaps your time is limited, your health is questionable, or you plan to travel extensively over the summer.  In these cases a container garden might be a good options.  Why not plant your food in pots?  For example, you could have one tomato, one zucchini, and one cucumber plant...each in it's own large pot.  Set up a drip watering system with an automatic timer.  This arrangement would require minimal care, but could still provide a lot of fresh food.

Small Gardens

Even a garden as small as 2 ft. by 3 ft. can provide a family with lots of fresh food.  Gardening magazines often include plans for miniature size gardens.  If you don't want to have a garden per se, how about "sneaking" a couple of vegetables into the landscaping?  There is always zucchini...which even I can't kill.  And there are plenty of bush-type plants that yield a lot of vegetables, like yellow squash, tomatoes and cucumbers in wire cages.  A row of radishes or baby lettuce could be planted early on; they'll be gone before the regular plants begin to bush out.  I like the idea of flower bed gardens because I am just too lazy to walk....all...the...way...out to the backyard!



Share the Wealth

We can help each other out by sharing the surplus from our gardens.  Not just the dreaded zucchini, but peppers and herbs and other ingredients for our canned salsas, chili and spaghetti sauces.  I will always be happy to pass on the info if you have produce to spare and wish to share.

Free Resources

There is more free info than you will ever need online or on Pinterest!  These resources cover everything you would ever want to know...from container gardening, to organic gardening, to complete self-sufficiency.

Have a Happy and Productive Month, Sisters!