frugalfarmwife?

**betharoo0** · 06-15-2006, 03:16 PM

how the heck do you live on so little groceries? i know you grow alot of it. tips please!!!once we get into our house i want to plant some veggis but here in cali wont it be too hot to plant now? am i too late?

**frugalfarmwife** · 06-15-2006, 11:40 PM

We do a LOT of soups/stews here from frozen veggies and home made beef, luckily hubbies a big soup eater! Tonights was beef, stewed tomatoes, beans and summer squash seasoned with basil in the crock pot and a salad of spinach, radish greens and lettuce.( everything home grown, we just LOVE it when the meal comes out that way!)

I also use summer squash a LOT in stews, I joke it's our home grown tofu, it takes on the taste of whatever it's cooked with, I freeze it raw in slices in gallon bags and just throw it right in the crock pot.

I also buy my bread at a thrift store usually 2 loaves for a dollar and buns 3 packs for a dollar.

I make a lot of fry bread to go with soups and roasts, it's simple and GREAT dipped in soup or ranch dressing.

For veggies I know that radishes, okra, some squashes, corn, tomatos and turnips do great in hot weather, lettuce and peas like the cooler weather. I also know that the climate varies a lot depending on what part of CA you're in, as does the soil.

We also had a LOT of salads this time of the year and use lettuce, spinach, turnip, radish and beet greens, even dandelion greens in the salads, they all have unique flavors and hubby is adventurious, lol.

And shopping wise I only shop at Aldis, our biggest expense is snacks, pototo chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, pretzels and cookies, oh and ice cream, lol, hubbies addicted to it. And we don't drink any pop, just water, iced tea, lemonade (made from lemon juice) and coffee.

Oh, and right now the stockpile is running on fumes, haven't been able to get to the grocery since the Dr. has me under strict orders to stay off my foot, sigh.

kj

**betharoo0** · 06-16-2006, 06:11 PM

we live in the hot part of CA. its 103 today

time for sweaty boobs season!LOL (hope i don't offend ya)
My dh gave up pop, thank God,

that stuff was eating a good hole in my budget!
i know i will put in some tomatos when we move, what about bell pepper? i love those and they are so darn expensive!
our soil is yuck, all dry with no top soil and very sandy, just like a desert.(hmmm) what can i do to get in good shape?
and what is fry bread?
thanks

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 06-16-2006, 11:43 PM

i know all about sweaty boob season, it was 90 degrees here today & i was a sweaty mess.....yuck!!!!

**frugalfarmwife** · 06-17-2006, 12:52 AM

That sweaty boob weather is heading here this weekend, oh joy, it's been beautiful so far this week.

Peppers love the hot weather, and the soil, one word, MANURE! That's all we use in the garden, horse and cow and work it in GOOD. (horse smells better than cow!!)

And my favorite new tool is a generic garden weasel, that tool you always see advertised with the prongs, I LOVE that thing, works up the soil so easily! I found one at our local farm type store for $9.99 (as opposed to $39.99 for the name brand one).

My fry bread is kind of a combination of tortilla dough and indian fry bread, I never measure exactly but

Approx 3 cups flour
a heavy 3rd cup oil
1 cup warm water
light tlbsp baking powder
salt to taste

I mix everything up to a non sticky bisquit dough consistancy then let sit for 4 hours, divide into 12 pieces, roll out and fry in oil heated to medium.

YUM!

kj

**kettel6** · 06-17-2006, 06:43 PM

So where is the post about getting by with just a few groceries? Things are tight around here right now.

**frugalfarmwife** · 06-18-2006, 08:26 AM

Hiya Kettle6,

There isn't any specific thread on getting buy on few groceries, I've just posted here and there about it.

One thing that IS a big initial expense but WELL worth it is a deep freezer and purchasing a 1/4 or a full side of beef, it's VERY economical and you can have it processed any way you want. We're lucky in that we raise our own so know that it's basically organic and healthy (no hormones/steroids, only basic vaccinations and deworming) You can also purchase bulk chicken and pork. Hubby hasn't let me raise a hog yet, soon though, he's getting a hankering for ham and sausage, lol. I also raise my own turkeys, they're allowed to just roam free here on the farm and fun animals, not the sharpest crayons in the box

The hardest things for us were cutting out the pop, the convience packaged foods and stopping the running out for take out, we now have a pizza night once a month and get the special of 2 larges and have pizza all weekend

kj

**kettel6** · 06-18-2006, 10:27 PM

Thanks for your reply! Will keep these things in mind.

**betharoo0** · 06-21-2006, 11:56 AM

thanks, from your siggy i see you finally got to the store, sorry for your foot

thanks for the tips and i want to try your fry bread! i love ranch dip! this would be perfect for that! we move next weekend! can't wait! i will post before and after pics of my new garden journey!

**frugalfarmwife** · 06-22-2006, 09:34 AM

Yep, made it to the grocery with no time to spare! LOL, I was even out of ramen noodles! I can't have that!

Can't wait to see your garden pics, now off to FIND my garden in all the weeds, we've been hot, muggy and wet and EVERYTHING took off out there!

kj