FOOD :: July thoughts

 Been working hard on my food efforts.

I hope this blog will become more than me sharing my life but the things I am trying to do are also part of Working Together plans... FOOD is a huge issue everywhere.

I have been in the poverty bracket for so many years.  After my kids were not in the house, my household, anymore, things changed, but were still hard.  Now I am working on new ways to stretch my limited funds and buy better food.

Our food supplies are now tainted by genetic modifications and large companies that use the government to protect them.  The common person knows little about the effects of what is being done to our food.  

Most people can't grow all their own food, but that is the goal of Working Together, for its communities.  If you think of living in a world where there is no money, no buying or selling, becoming self-sufficient is a requirement.  We have to know how much food we need to survive, plus extra for our missions and others in need.

If we can even do that is a whole different question.  

I see preparing for the Antichrist as a survival need, a way to get us to a place that GOD can bless us with miracles.

In trying to survive myself, I can discover a basic amount for one person, then we can multiply that for a community.

This summer I am finally receiving my first CSAs...  I am stretching my budget with Farmers Market Double Bucks, I am trying to shop once a week, I am growing some more food in my personal container garden, and I am learning more plant-based eating options, eating less meat and dairy and eggs, plus working on my exercise needs and weight loss issues.

It's all related to FOOD.

I watched some short videos about water issues all over the earth and how it is affecting our survival as a planet, including our food sources and our people.  There is no survival without clean water.  The biggest emphasis seems to be large cities, and they will take from others to get enough for themselves.  Water issues create wars because it is a life issue... related to food and body needs.  One of the videos shared the battle between two countries where one country has the power to deny water to the other.

The Bible warns of famine and drought and things related to it... pestilence, etc.  It has been a part of history, is recorded in the Bible, and is part of the earth's cycles (I think)... we talk about 100 year floods because they seem to repeat over long amounts of time.

Urban areas are very vulnerable to food crises.  There is no farmland in big cities... but some are trying to modify greenhouse options -- in whole buildings dedicated to growing food.  It will never be enough.  We know from history that those in power make sure they have more than their fair share, so lots of ordinary people will suffer.

I think hunger was the cause of many historical revolutions and the ability of people like Hitler to gain power.

So, our food issues are not a small thing.

I started to say that my food efforts have created more food resources than I have had in my lifetime... It is strange to be in this situation.  I am working toward a goal of $300 to $500 a month as my food budget... and I have determined that food is about 20% of a total budget in the lower income ranges.  At $300 a month for food, I need to have an income of $1500 a month.

That seems like a fortune to me now... because I haven't been able to generate that much money yet.  I was hoping online sales would provide it, but it didn't. 

In the past I wanted up to $5000 a month...now I am not sure what would be the best financial goal for my retirement because of possible medical expenses... even paying for insurance would be more than what I hope for as income to survive.  Who knows what the future will hold, but I keep trying to increase my options.  :-)

So that is where I will end this post.

Let me know what you think a good food budget would be, for one person... and what it would provide you with in food.

Until next time,

Deborah Martin, work2gather.us

FOOD :: I have to share...

 I have been working very hard on my food supplies, my meals, my health, my budget... I have to say that I realized this month that I have never had so much food in my whole life... and even more organic food.  

I now have a monthly CSA delivery -- not much, but if they didn't deliver, I wouldn't have it.  I hope to see what kinds of foods grow locally this summer and fall.  :-)  

I have a container garden this year with 

• two tomato plants
• strawberries
• vine peas
• leaf lettuce
• garlic scallions
• organic white potatoes
• store bought red potatoes
• sweet basil

I am hoping to find more money to get containers, dirt, and some long-term plants :: rhubarb, blueberries, and asparagus.  That's not a sure thing.

I am trying to increase my food budget by $40 this month and through the summer by using my EBT/SNAP benefits to get Double-Up Bucks at the local Farmer's Markets.  I also signed up for the SENIOR Farm Checks this year... which is $24 to spend at the Farmer's Markets.

This month I am TRYING to shop once a week.  I started this last month but didn't do too good at it.  This month has problems, too, but I may end the month on budget... maybe.  I don't know how much I need to buy to eat for just one week.  I am learning by trial and error.  This month, with the Farmer's Market foods, I will still need to supplement with store foods.  Learning how to buy the ongoing staples like flour, sugar, etc., is also a challenge. 

That's what improving your life is all about :: tying, learning, starting over, getting better, looking for new ways to solve problems... it make the future better, but when you are very poor the mistakes can be hard to overcome.  I ended up homeless in the past.  I am trying not to have that happen again.

We never really know how a new effort will work out.  We just have to try.  Then we use those experiences to make the next effort better.

I just finished a post on some things I learned from YouTube (free to watch) about a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear.  Check it out and see if what I shared there will help you.

https://faith-and-prayer.blogspot.com

I wanted to share about my food situation because there is hope that poverty will never change.  You can find a way to build your food supplies... even with the government's level of food support.  It's a long hard struggle, but it matters... especially if you have kids.

I am just beginning to review my online strategies again... so watch for changes.  The problems are the same, but I have been trying to find answers... I just haven't found the ones that work for me yet.  :-)

Until next post, 

In Christ,

Deborah Martin, work2gather.us

FOOD :: Growing your own food!

Well, this year I am trying to grow more food than last year... I shared with someone  I hope to grow more food next year.  It's a challenge, but the food is so good when you grow it for yourself there is nothing to compare it with.

This year I bought a tomato plant, some vine peas, a sweet basil plant, some leaf lettuce, and plan to try for a few more things to grow as soon as I can get to a store to buy them.  I want to try one KALE plant, hoping I find the one I like to eat.  I missed getting spinach so I need to find that.

I am also thinking of starting some plants that take a long time to start producing.  In containers.  All my garden plants are in containers this year.

I have always wanted to have a rhubarb plant because I remember my grandmothers farm garden and how great it was to grab a stalk and eat it dipped in sugar.  Now I want to make other things with rhubarb, but the memory is precious.

Starting some asparagus is also a desire. If I can find it, and can afford it, I will try to get one container going with asparagus this summer.  I saved some of the seeds from my son's patch as it was getting started, but I will save those for now.  I think you have to buy the root stock and plant it.  It takes several years to be able to harvest it for eating.

The other plant I want to start this year, if I can, is blueberries.  I think I can only grow one plant in a container, but I will check on that.  I have to find the right containers... something that will be easy to replant when I get to a permanent space.

Raspberries might be a thought, too.

I have two avocado trees in one container right now... very small still.  I decided to start to twist them together as they grow, adding a third small tree I have growing in the house later on.  I guess you need to have at least two trees to pollinate.  I need to check on that, but three trees growing together should do some good.

Local critters have eaten my harvests before, so this year I am working on ways to stop them.  I cut apart one of my old tomato cages and used the large part for protecting the strawberries... the smaller bottom part is over the baby tomato plant right now... it will need to be changed into something larger soon.  I have some bamboo poles to use for a better barrier. 

I am learning about garden cloth so I need to find some and try it out.  Otherwise, I will try to recycle some old potato sacks (like netting) to put over my containers.

I found some of my unused plastic baskets the other day and one fit over my lettuce container.  I hope it helps until I get something better.  Lettuce doesn't need full sun so the filtered light may help it grow.  I'll be working on finding something that has a barrier against squirrels and birds, but lets the sun through and is easy to remove for harvesting.  It is suppose to take a month to be big enough to eat.

Some of my bamboo poles are really tall.  I want to use them to make vine teepees for another year.  Peas, beans, and other foods grow on vines you can train to different kinds of supports.  It will be a yearly experiment.  :-)

I will try to remember to share the results with you.  I am getting better at planning and recording, but I am not all the way there yet.  Video posting is not too far away.  :-)   I am looking into phone editing apps.

I am tech challenged, but trying to learn!!! haha

I hope you are growing your own food this summer... it is so wonderful when you get to harvest it and eat it.  You will be amazed at the difference from store options, and never want to give up the practice.

In Christ,

Deb Martin

FOOD :: Just some thoughts about food and life and poverty and...

Been thinking about posting here for a long time... little things that happen in the days before shopping, after shopping, when I'm online... food thoughts.

There is this before food and after shopping for food change that happens every month.  I tend to eat too much because I finally have some food again.  This month it is a LITTLE better, but I noticed I didn't need to rush into my supplies because I was so full from eating a larger McDonald's meal than I ever have.  I was full for so long, and I didn't even WANT to eat my goodies.

I'm trying to figure out how to do that every day now.

That seems to be the idea behind the veggie eating programs.  To eat a lot of fruits and veggies that make you feel full for a long time.  Potatoes are one of those filling foods... and I think it may have been the french fries that filled me up for so long a time.  I need to experiment this month on foods that will keep me from eating too much.

The Mc Rib is back at McDonalds this month.  :-)    I love those things, and most of the time they are great.  I've only had one or two bad ones... ones that were not like they are suppose to be.  This month I have had two meals so far.  Usually I just get the sandwich.  Someone else bought the first one, so it was easier just to get the meal.  I was in a drive-thru for the second and it was different ordering.  Big Bucks the second time!  Even so, I just like being able to get them at all.  :-)   In searching for Uber Eats options before buying anything fast food, I discovered they had been discontinued since 2012 I think it was.  

Food budgeting, for me, included eating at a fast food restaurant as a treat.  That was when I got around on my own.  I get rides to the market now.  Sometimes I get a treat on the way home from shopping, sometimes I figure I can "save" my treat for another time.  Now I am thinking of one treat a month with Uber Eats.  :-)

Treats are good for morale.  :-)   Mine, anyway.

Of course, this month may have TOO MANY of them! 

I'm OK with that.

I figure we don't have to suffer for the "healthy eating" crowd when we are so old we could die at any time.  I consider it a great joy to have some of my favorite foods.

I am also making plans to eat more fruit and veggies in the next year.  Learning recipes that will be something I WANT to eat.

My back-up pantry is getting better.  I had hoped to be re-stocked by the end of this year, but it's taking longer than I hoped.  I am making my storage options better as I figure out how much I need to feel prepared for unexpected circumstances - like the lockdowns and empty store shelves.

I live in one large room with one big closet... and a kitchen area.  It's like a studio apartment, if you know what that is. Creating storage is an ongoing issue.  I am still working on it for crafting spaces. It's getting better.  I think I will be looking for one storage unit that will fit in one space and then fill that with whatever I can as my emergency food pantry... with associated supplies for cooking without gas or electricity.

I had some really old supplies I found in my reorganizing, which I just threw out.  Now I need a better water supply for emergencies.

One change leads to another, and then I find more space to fill with something else.  That is what I am doing.  Slowly going through my room and making everything better.

What do you need to last three months?  I don't really know. That is what I am trying to figure out.

Oats and dried fruit for breakfast.  I make it with extra water now so it doesn't need milk.

Rice and pasta for multiple meal options.  I am assuming a campfire or other means of cooking for this level of food.

Canned good for easy storage... meats, tomatoes, veggies and fruits.  With no electricity a possibility, fridge and freezer foods won't last.  I am looking for small cans/packages and easy prep.

Boxed meals for easy prep... including RAMEN soups.  When I was homeless in my van, I used five tealights in a container with a makeshift "grill" to be my cooking source.  :-)  It took awhile, but it heats up the water for soups and will make canned meals warm.  Ramen can be put in water on the dashboard and will work as a pasta for pasta salads.

When yeast disappeared from the store shelves for so many months, I decided I need to stockpile it.  And dried milk.

When you buy bulk foods, you need the right containers for long-term storage.  I'm working on that.

I hope I get that all covered by April.

I will try to keep you updated on my progress, especially learning how much you really need.

My plan involves thinking of meals I eat and the deciding what ingredient amounts I need for one month, two months, three months.

If you have some ideas, let me know.

Until next post...

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

FOOD :: Sharing some thoughts on digital food...

In thinking about what to share on this blog, and my ongoing efforts to find income related to food, I will share some of my random thoughts from recent experiences.

I found a YouTube page called Living On A Dime To Get Rich (link below) because of one video I wanted to watch.  Then there were free offers to get on the email list.  Then the emails.  And here I am... thinking about survival foods again.

Cheap foods are really just made with less.

I use to make anything with ground beef by using less than was normally required... instead of one pound, I sometimes used 1/4 pound.  I figured the flavor and nutrients would be a benefit even if it wasn't a large amount.  This was mostly in dishes like Spanish Rice a Roni made into a one pan dish... adding corn and hamburger, cheese on top if we had it.  I still love that meal, but now I am trying to learn how to make Spanish Rice from scratch.

Meat is a costly item in poverty households.  Living without it was a source of misery then, now I want to live on more fruits and vegetables, trying to go fully organic because of the dangers of GMO foods, and reducing my portions as often as I can.  Looking back, it was a good thing to be poor in that respect (eating less meat).  :-)

The freebie I signed up for was a PDF with 22 Dinners you can make in 22 Minutes... so, when I looked at the recipes, they are simple meals using one main meat source.  Their family is larger than mine was, and I could never afford some of the meats they shared recipes for.  I guess we mostly ate ground beef and maybe hot dogs back then... it's hard to remember right now.

So, living on less is really a relative statement.

In countries with intense poverty, life is much different.  I cringe every time I see people getting their food from the dumps.  I even saw a photo where elephants searched for food in dumps.  This is not good.

I like having more meals with rice and veggies, but I end up with pasta as the main go-to ingredient when I am at the end of my food.  I am working on some better pasta recipes for one these days... smaller portions... less ingredients.

I am really trying to find the right amount of variety each MONTH, which is my budget cycle for food.  That means using rice, pasta, breads, and other grains in varied meals with mostly veggies and fruit.  I discovered the food movie Forks Over Knives and work to limit my meats and dairy.  I don't plan to live without them, but I am trying to reduce my intake.  It is hard with dairy for me... I love my cheeses.

In my search for better foods and recipes, I am beginning to discover things I never knew were possible in food options.  It's so sad that I am heading into the grave instead of looking toward a long life.  Why does it take so long!?!?  

If you can start now, you will be ready for any future problems that don't destroy your supplies.

Here are a couple links to check out this low-cost food living effort ::

Living On A Dime (.com)

https://youtu.be/mE9IxAmk8gg  -- short video on stocking a year's worth of food for unknown emergencies in the future.

With the economy an unknown, anything you can save ahead will be a benefit.

My idea of stocking up for a year is more ongoing.  I would like to build up to a year's food but go through my supplies at the end of every year to make sure I give any food that is soon going to expire to the local homeless missions and food pantries. Then in January I want to build my food reserves back up to the limit I can.

In the video I shared a link for, and in other prepping videos you can find on YouTube, storage is the critical issue.  I don't have that kind of space.  I am rebuilding my reserves after depleting them to see how long they might last (twice!) and hope to get to a better JANUARY supply.

In restaurants and other food businesses, the rule is "first in, first out" to make sure you use the oldest food first.  This takes a storage plan!  :-)

One thing I really missed in the shopping struggle this year was yeast.  It went away and didn't come back for months.  I was amazed.  It made me wonder how yeast is made!  :-)  I am stocking up on yeast now.

So, this became a nice post!  :-)    Hope you liked it.  Let me know in the comments.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

FOOD :: What I keep learning...

 Hi, again...

I thought I already posted to this blog, but as I am checking my posting dates, I discovered I only thought about all the things I wanted to share about food issues this month.  Sorry about that.  I really have been thinking about what I need to share here.

I came across a link to a really great COOKBOOK I first discovered when it was created years ago.  It is the first "real" cookbook for low-income households that I have ever seen... and it is beautiful, with great recipes and information about good food that doesn't cost much.  The author is Leanne Brown and she has a webpage to share her works.  

I found a free PDF of the cookbook I knew about, and then another free PDF of her first cookbook about cooking from scratch.  Find them here ::  leannebrown.com  

You can also buy real copies at Amazon.

I have been looking for a pancake recipe this month because I made some syrup with my blackberry juice, or attempted to.  I hope to make them today and/or tomorrow.  Pancakes can be frozen, but her recipe uses bananas in a great way. I will try applesauce if I make them today, bananas if I make them after I get to go food shopping (maybe today).

What else am I discovering... 

I am trying to remember...

I am creating my own bread recipe again.  I have it almost figured out.  I am experimenting with different kinds of flours now.  I was working on my income options this morning and I think I may start listing RECIPES I create for $1 as a digital file.  That will cover my fees just to try to sell them and payment fees and leave me a small amount for myself.  Maybe it will help me with all my income needs.  I think my bread recipe may be the first one.  :-)

For CHRISTMAS this year I am going to give some great magnets about growing your own food.  I tried to find a copy to share here, but there is no access to the photo for sharing.  You will have to go to the site and then the SHOP.

The MESSAGE ::  Growing your own food is like printing your own money.

I like it.  It's the only thing I would buy from his shop.  I tried to share my thoughts about his language issues at the shop, but it didn't seem to do any good.  :-(

I found them at RonFinley.com when I discovered his earlier efforts with urban food issues in the LOS ANGELES area.  He made a TED talk somewhere when he was trending online.  You can find them with a search or at YouTube.

It's hard for me to recommend anyone with a lot of bad language issues, but I am sharing this here because the magnet is a great item to share in your greeting cards, maybe with some seeds to encourage immediate activity.  Container plants work inside, or planning for the next garden.  SEEDS lasted thousands of years in tombs, so I think last years seed will work somehow.  I save seeds from my food and hope to plant them if I ever get my own space.

I grew up in the Los Angeles area so I am deeply attached to some of the issues there.  FOOD is a huge issue in urban areas, especially for poor families.  There are few options beside the neighborhood store.

I hope you visit these spaces and explore them for yourself... (adults only).

I would love to know what recipes you try in Leanne's cookbooks... then I will be encouraged to try them, too.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

FOOD :: New things I am discovering...

I've been thinking about how to post at all my blogs and food has been rising in possibilities this month...  :-)   I am busy trying to live on what I have in my "pantry" and this has led to some interesting food discoveries.  I am going to try to share more of these "aha!" moments as time goes by.  

This long effort to stay away from the grocery store has been good for learning new ways to eat.  Over the weeks of doing this, the way I shop has been changing. More veggies and fruit are one of the goals.  Losing some of my extra pounds is another.

Someday I hope to afford ORGANIC because our food systems are so dangerous now, and getting worse.  But, I can't afford the high cost of Organic so I have been learning to buy as much Organic as I can, and then keep working to enlarge these items when I shop.

I don't know EVERYTHING there is to know about the growing GMO contents in our food supplies, but I am amazed at how this knowledge increases as I look for recipes, read articles, watch videos at YouTube and other places, and also try to view documentaries on the topic.  (One I now like to recommend is called  MODIFIED, by a lone woman in Canada.)  I have some of the major books on food issues, but can't say I have read them all the way through.  It's one of my "senior" projects, for the days of rocking chairs and worse health.

One recent discovery adds to my beliefs about our global future...

I discovered our country has a huge,  REALLY  HUGE! , underground water supply under several states in our mid-west farmland.  They call it The Aquifer.  I discovered it existed when I was looking for information on the oil pipeline that is going from Canada through the entire US to Texas.  I watched a video about something called the Sandhills in Nebraska... then more videos on that topic.

Later on I realized that SAND is nature's way of purifying water.  I thought about all that farmland, all the Round Up and other chemicals that are used for industrial farming, and how rain makes the things on top of the land sink down into the earth.  I think you can see the problem.  

I wondered if anyone tests that water for pesticide pollution.

I realized that the government would never tell us if it did.

I realized how dangerous this is for our nation's food supplies... and what we send to other countries.

I had no idea where to find out, so I sent something to the Non-GMO Project asking if they knew anything about the water called The Aquifer, but never heard back.

When I think of me and my income, there is little for me to do to go forward with this.  I am very upset that this was not a consideration when the oil pipeline was decided.  Any kind of disaster with it might involve this water source.  

I don't think oil can really be "cleaned up."  It just goes somewhere along the currents.  I lived in Goleta, CA, for a time in my teens.  The Santa Barbara area has had oil spills and one of the lasting issues is "oil tar" in the beach sands.

I kind of understand (from the BP disaster) that they use chemicals when they try to clean up an oil spill.  Maybe it is like all the chemicals they put in our city water supplies... it is considered "harmless."  I know we have to do something to try to get clean water to millions of people, but I don't think anything added for those purposes can be totally harmless.

We use these things because we have to, there are no other alternatives... at least for the poor there aren't.

I guess I am getting into more than I planned for this post.  

I am seeing that the weekly shopping plan is really the best.  My goal budget for food is $300 a month, separating that into $100 for staples that need to be replaced, and then four weeks of $50 each.  This should be enough to buy fresh veggies and fruits, treats for the week (so you can limit them better), and then what you need for meals that week.

I am trying to plan my meals more, but haven't gotten that detailed.  I buy things I like to eat and then work them into the daily plan.

When I get low on food is when things get "creative."  :-)

I am noticing it is good for my overeating because I need to get up and do something.  It is eating when you aren't hungry, just eating.  Health issues push me into this.  I would probably end up sitting in front of a computer screen all day and night if I could get away with it.  

As a senior citizen, food choices become important... and meals change.  I am on that learning curve as well. Small portions more often work well for me.  That would be a sandwich, a salad, or something like a baked potato or roasted veggies as a "meal."

Limited shopping means dry beans and rice, or other grains.  I think it was a week or so ago that I made some lentils into a new veggie burger for me.  I had lentils and I had some Italian-flavored bread crumbs. They were liquid enough that I could mash them with a spoon and mix in the bread crumbs for a thickener so they could be shaped into a burger. It turned out so good I will make it my veggie burger option from now on.  I was able to make a small amount, and even froze some for later.

My life has always been in "survival mode."  Recipes have always been for people with money.  Most of them still are.  But now, without kids to cook for, I can explore more food choices... things I was never able to eat in my earlier life.  Those are some of the "treats" in my shopping budget.

It works for me.

Trying to do this new experiment in food and budgeting and shopping has really depleted my food supplies at home.  So recovering will take awhile.  That is something to keep in mind... and is why I decided there needed to be a separate amount for replacing staples like flour, sugar, yeast, condiments, etc.

I look back on my life sometimes and I wonder how I survived on Food Stamps all those years, especially with children.  It was never enough, but you had to find a way to survive until the next month.  We had to go to community food kitchens all the time, and get food boxes when possible or necessary.

Food issues are BIG with me because of my past, knowing that once the food is gone, there is nothing you can do on your own.  I worry about the needs of others in the future... about the dangers in our food supplies and how to provide for the poor in the US and other places. 

I guess I hope GOD provides the finances I have been seeking to change the things I worry about.

Pray for me.  I know GOD wants us to care for each other, but He hasn't provided for me to start these things.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more... 

Survival Meals - a few I have figured out so far

I have been working on my food options for a long time, but last month and this month, I am working on posting about my discoveries... on all my blog topics.

I went shopping again last Sunday, so I have been eating too much.  I bought a LOT of fruit and veggies.  The big challenge is not to waste it. 

The long-term goal is to figure out how much I need to get through one week.  I want to go shopping once a week to take advantage of any sales they might have at the time.  

I haven't found that to be a reasonable goal since the VIRUS CRISIS has changed our lives. My normal saving patterns have been ruined.  Getting to the main discount store I always shop first wasn't possible this month.  The replacements have prices that are much higher.  When you add up all the increased prices, it is a lot of food that I can't buy. 

Buying potatoes and onions in the bagged quantities is usually a savings option.  Because they are less expensive, I am trying to buy them and make sure they get stored to last as long as possible.  I have been using some of the fabric shelf cubes from the Dollar Tree as my produce storage.  One for potatoes, one for onions.  Recently I started putting the cubes on separate shelves to see if that makes a difference of any kind. 

I am use to buying a few of several different kinds of potatoes.  When I have one kind because of the bagged produce, meals change.  Potatoes mean micro-baked, boiled into potato salad, toaster oven baked into fries, added to soups, and whatever else I can think of.  I haven't done mashed potatoes yet... I usually have instant potatoes as a back-up and make them when I need to.  I want to try making chips again one of these days.  If I go shopping once a week, I will gladly go back to getting a variety of potatoes and onions.

My potato salad today was three small cooked potatoes, diced, with some slivered onions I cut up earlier, some radishes I had that I cut in half and sliced thin, some black beans I cooked myself and was trying to use up, diced onions, sliced tops of green onions, most of the dill relish I needed to use up, most of the mayo I had to use up, and spices that I like.  I think I put chia seeds in it, too.  It worked out very good.  I ate two thirds of it right away, and saved the last third for later.

I would have used all the dill relish and mayo but I needed enough for one sandwich.  That will get used up tomorrow most likely.

I have discovered how a small and inexpensive can of tomato paste can become tomato soup and pasta sauce.  I used up some more of my onions with the pasta sauce, and the chunks of bell pepper I had cut up and ready to use.  I also sliced up some fresh mushrooms for the sauce.  Italian blend and garlic bits and a little salt were the spices, but I have been adding about a tablespoon of sugar to my tomato dishes recently.  I like how it makes the flavor better.

Now I am on a quest to find other ways to use it.  I don't know if diluting it into tomato juice is an option, but that isn't too far away from tomato soup.  I remember reading about people in the Depression using ketchup with hot water at food counters as their only food for the day.  

It's hard to even think of times that bad, but I recently watched several videos on the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash that happened right before it.  I put one of the video links in a post at my Facebook Prayers page...  https://facebook.com/work2gather.Prayers  ...so you can watch that one from here.  The video I posted is the testimonies of people who lived through that hard time, and what they remember most.  They were children then... so they remember what kids would remember.

I have used ketchup for tomato flavor in our family goulash recipe.  I like Heinz ketchup so the flavor was very nice.  It made the familiar goulash into a new dish.

I have discovered that freezing kale that is ready to use makes it softer when it thaws.  I am still trying the different varieties to see what happens, but I think I like the Italian Kale the best.  I use it for greens in all kinds of meals, including tacos.  I slice it really thin, and it works just right for me.

Finding ways to stretch the food dollar is critical to surviving hard times.  I am trying to become more whole food plant based in my eating, but it is hard.  I am slowly reducing my intake of meat and dairy and eggs... and oils.  It really changes a lot of things in your life when you eat mostly fresh produce and whole grains.  Shopping once a week will help me succeed in that goal.


Now that I am collecting ideas for my blogging, I hope these posts will get more interesting and offer readers better ideas about each topic.  It's all about getting organized and collecting the reference materials to share with you.  I am working on that!


Until next time,
In Christ,
Deborah Martin
work2gather.us
and more...

Working on my food options as I live on my stored emergency foods...

Been trying to get to this blog and post some of my new food discoveries as I try to use up my stored supplies, downsizing for a possible move.  I haven't been food shopping since last month... so this is getting to be quite a huge challenge.

I ran out of bread, then ran out of yeast, then started making a small biscuit recipe I found, and now I am heading into corn (masa) tortillas.  I am thinking of making my own pasta now.

I began sprouting seeds when I ran out of fresh produce.  It's a big change.  I discovered an article with a list of seeds you can either sprout in a jar or grow in dirt as microgreens.  

I have been trying to get to growing microgreens for a long time.  This forced goal is pushing me into that space.  I watched more videos on YouTube to help me remember how to grow microgreens.  I discovered an article or ebook with info on sprouting and microgreen growing... they had a great chart to use as a reference.

I started sprouting some green lentils and some buckwheat I had before I realized the buckwheat needed to grow in dirt as a microgreen.  Today I planted them in some dirt, but only after trying to spout them for several days...to see what they would do as sprouts.  They barely looked like they were trying to make some little root shoots, but the water was always cloudy.  

I bought some planting soil back in April for my efforts to grow food this year, so I have a small bag of dirt that should work for microgreens.  The video I watched (Epic Gardening) showed the dirt gets filled with roots and becomes compost material by the time you harvest.  So... you don't want to use much. You have to replace it every time you grow a new batch.  

I asked the video person what brand you can buy that is "micro-fine" soil, but haven't found out yet. I have Miracle Grow Potting Soil that you can buy in the stores... The man I watched in the video (Epic Gardening) said that the other bag dirt (general soil) isn't good for microgreens... I tend to buy that to mix in with my other soils from wherever I find them.  I won't do that for my microgreen efforts.  :-)

I'm not sure how to eat microgreens, other than adding them to salads, but I'm looking for ways to use what I am able to grow.  Microgreens are a year-round food supply option for FRESH produce. I am thinking about what kinds of microgreens I want to spend time and money on, and how to use them in my everyday foods, and how to store them if that is possible.

I live on Government Food Benefits these days... still... and that means trying to stretch my food dollars and create an emergency pantry for unexpected hard times.  People in poverty don't have a lot of emergency options.  I have eaten at all the resources in varous communities in my lifetime, so having an emergency pantry is important to me.

I also do these projects for my goals with Working Together. Making communities means food supplies for everyone.  How will we find out (know) we have enough?  How can we store it for the longest time? 

I have been collecting tidbits of information along my lifetime to help build communities for Christians.  Things like how many chickens do you need for eggs... two per person for the year.  How many acres do you need to naturally graze livestock so you don't need added hay?  That differs by animal... cows, sheep, horses, goats, etc.  I decided we need to seed the land for more food for the livestock, build it up to take care of our food needs.

I hope I get to use these bits of information before I die... I never thought it would take so long to get nowhere.  :-( 


Back to my sprouting adventures...

I made a huge amount of mung sprouts first.  I had to transfer them from a quart jar to a half-gallon jar!  I am adjusting for my new batch... down to a teaspoon of seeds in a smaller jar. I think I used a tablespoon for the first batch.

I tried green lentils as a new sprouting adventure with my first effort... The sprouting sheets I found told me they sprout in jars.  I watched them grow and decided to use them mixed in my rice and stir-fry meal with frozen veggies I had left.  I have been trying to use lentils more so this is a great way to get them in my diet.

I have made lentil burgers (veggie burgers) with them in the past.  I am going to try mixing them in rice one day to see if they both cook together well.  I got the idea when I had a rice cooker.  They both take about the same time to cook, so I thought that would work.  

I haven't been able to try my theory out yet. I plan to try cooking them together, and cooking lentils by themselves. I can make mushy lentils very well :-) -- I am searching for the way to make perfect lentils, to put in salads!

I have only had them come out perfect ONCE !! I cooked them on the stove and don't remember what I did to get them perfect.


I'm trying to use up my stored dry beans along this path, too... My last dry bean to cook and use was the black-eyed pea.  I have always liked them.  Now that I am making more bean dishes like dips and spreads and taco fillings, any bean is an option!  :-)  

I am making chili in small amounts, too.  It works much better for me as one person.  I freeze some of what I make for later.

Soups are an ongoing challenge as well... My latest formula is 2 cups of veggies to four cups of water, plus some grain like barley or rice, or pasta.  It turns out different every time because I use up leftovers or things that have to get eaten or they will be compost (lost money).

I see I can keep going with my food adventures... 
I will try to save some for another post.

Survival eating is something the poor do every day.  It is why I wanted to start the  RECIPE  EXCHANGE  --  so we could share our survival foods with each other, and you could try to make some income from your efforts.  It's still the goal...

In Christ,
Deborah Martin
work2gather.us
and more...

FOOD matters to share with you - 27APR2020

I'm watching a lot of videos these past weeks... some about food, some on farming, some about communities.  I wanted to start sharing my activities as I do them, to get my blogs going again, and see where it all goes.

This is  #My2020PatreonChallenge year... I am trying to find  ONE MILLION  people to support my creative and business and recycling quests ---  before GOD calls me home.  It's my lifetime "Bucket List" and I hope to get these projects started enough to keep them going later.  My personal quests are more in the art and crafting areas.  I hope to get some of those done, too.


Over the months since I started this quest, I have been forced to learn new things about how the internet works, how to reach people, how to figure out the amount I can do on my own until I can hire help, and more.

This past week I rented two documentaries on related topics, and watched "reruns" online of another.

URBAN FARMERS  -- I can only find a rental link... when I watched it, the cost was $1.99 for 48 hours of viewing access... I watched it at least twice.  This is about food issues in New York City... about food deserts, farmers markets, CSA's, and other efforts to make sure there are healthy food choices in NYC, especially for the poor.
https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Farmers-Rachel-Knopf-Shey/dp/B071XBMHKP/ref=sr_1_2

A SIMPLER WAY   --   this is about an experiment in Australia to build an eco-community. It is mostly young people and how they learn to live as a team, solve problems, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Simpler-Way-Crisis-Opportunity/dp/B07DNJXGQ7/ref=sr_1_1

MODIFIED  --  this is a really good food documentary from Canada.  It also helps to see the politics are the same in their nation as ours.
https://www.modifiedthefilm.com/




Tonight I was watching Plant Pure Nation again.  I couldn't remember if I had watched it already, and it turns out I have.  It was good to be reminded.

PLANT PURE NATION
https://youtu.be/yBKnG9Y0owQ


Since I watched the "original" movie from this same group of people, FORKS OVER KNIVES, I have been trying to find a way to change my eating choices.  I am not currently able to give up ALL the foods they want you to give up, but I am trying to eat less, and trying to find the  5%  that was cited in the movie as the least amount to eat.  (The study was milk protein, but the same protein is in meat and other products. I believe that is what the movie stated.  It is my goal anyway.

In the movie tonight I noticed they said in the past we use to eat about 100 pounds of (meat?) protein products a year per person. Then they said we now eat twice that much, about 200 pounds of protein sources. There are issues with what we now eat because of the "science" that has happened since the first record... genetic alterations, pesticides, pollution, farm management, and more... so the comparisons can't really be equal.  We have to do what we can with all these records.

It made me wonder if I could use that old record as a guide for how much animal proteins to put in my budget.  That has been an issue for me since I started this goal.  I have pared down my food purchases to cream cheese, grated cheese and sandwich meats, with other choices added to that amount along the way, and efforts to keep eating other favorites occasionally. (kielbasa, herring snacks, pepperoni, eggs, other cheeses, and fast food treats)

Dividing the 100 pounds by twelve months, I found a monthly allocation of about 8.5 pounds.  It has always been a goal to shop weekly so I can control my protein choices, so I decided the first goal would be five to six pounds a month, so I have some flex in my choices.

To make it 5% of my food intake, I used 5 pound for the protein and 95 pounds for the rest of my plant foods... veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes (beans), and nuts. That came to about 3 pounds a DAY.  I have no idea yet what that would be!  BUT, it is a place to start.

The Whole Foods Plant Based diet doesn't want you to use any cooking oils, fats like butter, sugar, or salt either.  I'm having a bigger battle with this part of the changes.  I love my popcorn made with oil currently, and butter with my homemade garlic salt.  I make a homemade dressing for my salads that has oil in it.  I use sugar in my coffee and other things, like oatmeal.  I am reducing my salt, a little... as much as I can.


As I find recipes I can make a part of my daily life, I get better at the battle.  I use to buy four packages of cream cheese a month, on average.  I have been getting by with two sometimes. Other times I make a trade... cream cheese for a wedge of parmesan cheese, or sandwich slices of Swiss cheese. Now that I have a reasonable idea of how many pounds I can use for my purchasing decisions, I hope it will be easier for me.


The bigger issue is finding recipes you like, that you can afford, that don't take a lot of special equipment to make...

Using "chia eggs" instead of real eggs is a learning experience.

I use added water when I make my oatmeal so I don't need milk in it anymore.  But I do still use sugar.  Maybe I will try to eat it without sugar in the future... as a way of reducing my intake.

I'm looking for more grains to eat... beginning to eat more quinoa, wanting to try polenta and millet and wheat berries.

I have always loved sprouts, but have to get into the process of making them again.

I am going to learn how to grow microgreens for my salads and other dishes.



We have problems in our nation because of huge agribusiness influence.  I don't know how we will compensate for them.. I know how hard it is to be poor and have no choices about what you can eat... and no place to grow your own food supplies.

I hope to share more food posts with you this year.
When I learn something, I want you to learn about it.

Let's see where this year takes us.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us


https://twitter.com/work2gather
https://facebook.com/DeborahMartin.2014
https://pinterest.com/work2gather

These are the social media spaces I am developing.
Facebook will eventually have more pages for special topics... maybe.

Continuing to Build My Pantry

I have wanted to keep you updated more about my pantry efforts, but my progress occurs in the span of months, not weeks.  That is poverty.  Growth is very slow, and hard to accomplish...and to maintain.

I can tell you that I am eating cheap foods and trying get to save as much of what I have as I can.  I have to buy my staple foods, like pastas and dry milk and coffee, but I am also trying to buy extras of the least expensive foods.

I finally made the decision to buy a small pressure cooker (4 quart instead of 6 quart) so I can start to learn how to cook dry beans and other foods with it.

Deciding how much I need as a three-month supply is becoming an interesting quest. 

I am also deciding on my primary storage options.  I like the clear plastic securely locking containers I currently use, so will try to decide how many I will need for my food items.  If I can work out the storage for one month, I can just multiply that by three.  It will be a lot easier for rotating supplies.

As I figure out my emergency pantry, I will try to update you.  I will use the starting keywords "food emergencies" so you can easily find those posts among my other food-related posts.

Until next time, I hope you are thinking ahead to your own possible emergencies, whether in food, money, or health issues.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

I decided to take a photo of my food supply...
and my storage containers.  Not much, but where I am right now.

After Shopping

I thought I would let you know what happened with my first shopping exercise...

I ride the bus to do my traveling, and that includes shopping.  I really didn't have much food left yesterday.  As I was getting ready to go, I was weak and shaking, so I decided to eat what I could before I tried to leave.  I didn't expect that physical reaction, and consumed some almonds I had, a section of the homemade bread I had made the day before, and the last of some cinnamon applesauce I made this past weekend.  After resting a bit, I was well enough to try to leave.

Imagine what it must be like for people all over the world who are battling starvation... I have been hungry before, lived on foods that were cheap, gone to community meals, and sought out food boxes for the poor...  the effects of hunger and starvation are not something I welcome.

I finally made it to the store in the later part of the afternoon.  I could only go to one store because of my morning experience, so I decided to start at WinCo.  They have good bulk food prices, and reasonable prices for many other food items.  Starting to fill my empty shelves with new supplies took half of the food stamps I had left for this month.

I did purchase several of my planned meal supplies, but these were for my consumption.  I'm not sure how long my new food supplies will last, but the effort has begun.  Stretching food supplies has been a constant part of my poverty experiences.

As I realized how difficult this new food effort would be, I decided I might need to make a separate list of my emergency foods.  In thinking more about what I would be doing, including some kind of purchase references (when, where, etc.) and possibly the expiration date, if it applies to that food, would help keep track of what I have saved.  Special storage containers may also be an important thing to consider.

The need to separate my regular food budget from my emergency food effort became an obvious issue as I shopped.  I noticed how little $11 would buy... this was going to take a long time at this investment level.  Maybe I will need to find other resources to help me speed up the effort.  Making a food record for my emergency pantry seems like the best way to deal with creating my meal plans and keeping trwck of sources and expiration dates.

When I did my recordkeeping later, I made a new shopping list for my immediate needs.  I am still trying to build my current food pantry with staples like flour, sugar, dry milk, condiments, bulk foods that store well, and everyday food needs. 

This is an new and evolving experience for me even though I have been keeping some kind of emergency pantry for as long as I can remember. Creating a meal-based pantry is very different.

Until next post,  Deb 
work2gather.us

Budgets and Emergencies

I am again working on my budgets.  At the end of one financial month, before the beginning of the next financial month, I try to plan how I can make my small funds last until the next infusion of money.  It has always been a survival issue for me... started way back when I had kids and lived on welfare only.  Now I only have a small Social Security Retirement check along with a small amount of food stamps (currently called SNAP).  Not much has changed in my income, despite lots of efforts to change it, but it is only me right now.  My kids have grown.

Right now I am at the end of my food supplies and planning to create a better emergency pantry than I have had in the past.  I know I have talked about it before, but let me update what I can as I write this new post.

Awhile back I purposely tried to live on my back-up food supplies.  I discovered the meal options were not very good.  I had a lot of easy to store foods like rice and dry beans, but little to go with them to make a decent meal.  I decided then to make a change in how I prepare for unexpected food emergencies.  I am trying to make a pantry that would create meals I like to eat.  I am now working on that challenge.

Since I live at such a low income level, I am going to work on a three month pantry first.  My food budget is so low (only $126 each month), I can only use a small amount of food money to begin the building process.  This morning I decided there is only $11 available for my emergency pantry efforts each month.  This will be quite a task.

I have created a plastic container to act as my starting storage option.  Naturally, I will eat the food if I have to, but the bigger goal is to stretch my other purchases to meet the regular food needs of November.  I see a lot of rice and pasta ahead... maybe a steady diet of ramen, a great meal stretcher !!  😃

Actually, I have been reading a lot of materials about food and diets and weight loss.  FOOD RULES by Michael Pollan is the latest book I have been reading.  Eating healthy and eating cheaply is the main difficulty in poverty.  I hope to find some useful solutions to those problems.  I will share them with you when I do.

What will eleven dollars buy for my first month doing this?  I don't know...yet!  My staples for quick meals are Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice, ramen, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese... they will probably start the process.  Canned milk is good to have on hand.  That might be all I can get in one budget.  Dried fruits store well, so I need to decide which ones to get and how to package them.

By the time we get to December's budget, I should have more meal ideas to start collecting for.  Let me know if you have any good ideas for this effort.  I search lots of resources, and will try to share those with you as time goes by.

In Christ,  Deb  💛

Friday, 6 MAY 2016 :: Checking in and catching up with everything

I have been trying to develop an Excel sheet for farm income options this week... it has been a challenge because I am just trying to get the data into some kind of a projection order.  I haven't been able to operate a farm yet, so I need to know maximum CSA possibilities before it can even begin to make sense, but the idea of making money farming is important to me and to Working Together. 

In my ongoing research about food issues, I decided that CSA's are the way for small farms to go because each farmer can work to find their own customer base.  Income sources can be expanded to other products or activities, like Farmer's Markets, restaurant supply, and finished products for retail sales, but the funding that CSA's provide can be the base that keeps a farm going.  Once you know the minimum and the maximum number of CSA's your farm can handle, they become your goals and your limits.

My primary focus is poverty populations.  I have never been able to take advantage of CSA's because they are often way beyond my income level.  I would need some kind of monthly payment plan.  In my Excel effort, I have CASH and CREDIT options at FULL, HALF, and QUARTER share levels.  The cash, paid in full, option receives a major discount, the credit, pay by the month , option is charged a 20% credit fee.  The product shares are the same for each category, but the pricing levels are different.  It works on paper as a guide, now I need the real figures to decide how to make it work in real life.

A lot depends on what is available during each month of the year... and I have the price of the share as my guide for product contents.  It seems to me that vegetables and fruits are not the only food that needs to be included... eggs, cheese, meats, and other farm products can also be included in the share contents.  The details are the issue for me... I need to know how many acres, what kind of land, where it is located, what to grow, how much it costs to produce and deliver.  Just a little bit of details....  :-)

These are the directions I am moving in, and business plans with cash flow projections have gotten me started. 

I am wondering if a co-op would work, if urban options can work, if I can find land on major bus routes to let low-income households reach me, and lots of other possibilities.  I want to find a way to make it achievable... and have a lot more to learn about the process of reaching these goals.


If you have any great details to share, let me know them...

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

4 AUG 2015 :: Learning about healthy foods

My latest listing at my Etsy shop (work2gather.etsy.com) was a digital form for tracking your food intake.  It is part of my quest to eat better and lose some weight.  I have finally started moving in the downward direction in pounds, so I don't want to stop that trend!!!   :-)

Every information source I go to has a "unique" twist on the food issues they are concerned about.  It has taken some time (in years) to get through all this mixed information and begin to create a plan I can live with.  My new form is the latest of many, and already I am thinking of revisions to make it better.  I have decided just to keep developing my forms and list them all, watch which ones are preferred by people (if any), and continue developing healthy food directions as one of my priorities.

I know that a lot of people are connected to internet apps and other smartphone products, but I like to have paper options to work on...so, I will act as though there are others like me who want to have that information in a private place, not on the internet, and where notes can be kept about the process for their personal history.

In my quest for information

• I discovered a Canadian government source that was a lot better than the American government sources I had accessed before.  I will have to find it again so I can share the web address.
• I discovered a website that has some great information products I can use, and is from the vegetarian/vegan perspectives.  (Healthy foods are all about the recipes... I will look almost anywhere for a good recipe that might become a favorite.)  I was happy to find an infographic on nuts because I haven't quite figured out how much of what nuts are the best to eat. (I have read about almonds and walnuts being protein sources, and know that sunflower seeds have great nutrition, and wonder about other nuts and seeds.  I thought it was good to eat some every day, then I read it was every week.  This part of my nutrition quest is still being researched!)  I printed a lot of pages to read and add to my main collection. 
• I found out the US government food site is updating their serving size materials... and will have to check back for that.  I had to use a 2011 PDF for serving requirement information for my new record form.
• I discovered a popcorn website when I was trying to find out how many calories were in the amounts I eat all the time -- and whether it was part of the grains food group.  (It is.)  I discovered some recipe ideas that I never would have considered for popcorn, but want to try, including making popcorn into a crumb mixture like we do for crackers, bread, and other foods.  Reading through their recipe book inspired me toward making some flavored toppings that are different than what I normally eat.
• I returned to the 21day Fix program's blog website for more videos and recipe ideas.  I discovered some great salad ideas that go beyond lettuce and dressings.  (I had my first "Cucumber Salad" the other day because I noticed one on this site.)  More about this site follows....

Portion control is a huge problem for everyone that wants to lose weight.  I loved the color-coded containers that the 21day Fix program uses.  Their containers go in this order and are sized largest to smallest...

PURPLE  ::  fruits
GREEN  ::  veggies
RED  ::  proteins
YELLOW  ::  carbs
BLUE  ::  healthy fats
2 ORANGE  ::  seeds and dressings
and now they have a drink cup for their newest "smoothie" product.


I decided their containers follow the USDA recommendations in some ways.  I looked for the exact measurements of the containers when I first went to the site awhile back, but couldn't find them anywhere.  I did find some of them with the recipes and/or food videos.

• I think the YELLOW carbs container is probably 1/2 cup size because the regular portion for brown rice and other grains is 1/2 cup. 
• I wasn't totally sure about the GREEN container.  I know that dark leafy green servings are suggested to be 2 cups by the USDA, but regular veggies are listed as 1 cup portions.  I think the program container is probably 1 cup.  (I did see a YouTube video that measured the volume in the containers with water in a measuring cup and BOTH the Purple and the Green containers were about a 1 cup measure.)
• The ORANGE container is for seeds and dressings, which I have read are both recommended at 2 Tablespoon portions.  The photos make it look larger, almost at a quarter cup portion, which would be 4T.  I still need to find out more.

If I had enough money to spare, I would purchase the program, but it is approximately $80.  From what I read or heard the first time I checked on this site, the cookbook would be worth the price!  :-)  -- not really, but it sounded like a great thing to have.  There are YouTube reviews of the package you receive through your purchase and food prep hints and more.  (In checking on the YouTube reviews I noticed an ad for the containers separate from the kit - at about $18, and probably plus shipping.)


In watching some of the videos, I discovered other links to calorie/container guides.  You might find these helpful, too. 

I need to find my previously collected materials and try to figure out some more menu plans, maybe using the container guides for a week or so.  I will try to let you know how it turns out.  I wish I could make a video like all those other people!   :-)  One of these days....

22 APR 2015 :: Just a quick note

I found two really great old cookbooks today, at the Salvation Army's 50% Sale Day that I love to go to...from the early health movements.

One is called ::  WHOLE-GRAIN BAKING SAMPLER by Beatrice Trum Hunter.  I have been browsing through it and am already impressed by some of the bread recipes.  I am looking forward to trying them... and maybe the cracker recipes, too.  I would love to master the healthy cracker and eat it instead of bread when I can.  Then I can move on to chips for my salsa and bean dip cravings.  :-)

The other one is called ::  THE SIMPLER LIFE COOKBOOK from Arrowhead Mills, by Frank Ford.  I wanted this one because it has a section describing some of the health foods I read about but don't really understand why they are important. 


I will be sharing these efforts with you as time goes by.  Maybe I need to create a book review focus!
Until next time,
Deb

9 APR 2015 :: Introduction - and a recipe!

It looks like I have found the blog title for food issues... it is a constant reminder that we cannot live without food, and we need water to create food, and seeds, and land, and air... 

I don't know how the content of this blog will develop. The issues concerning our food supplies are great, and little people (most of us) don't have the power to change what is happening in government and farming and commerce.  What we can do is to try to grow our own food, as much as possible, and learn how to make it last through the best recipes and preservation techniques.

For many years I have been trying to discover the best ways to preserve different food.  The idea, to me, is to recover the ways it was done before we had electricity for refrigerators and freezers.  Solar power may help to create better food storage that isn't dependent on someone else providing it...or the equipment needed to process food for long-term storage.

I like to collect as many ideas about food creation in urban areas as I can because big cities don't have the land space to grow a lot of food, and when neighborhoods start community gardens on vacant lots, they get lost to future development.  Roof gardening is a great concept, but buildings need to be reinforced for the added weight to the roof activities.  All of these things need to be explored.

GMO practices are taking over our food supplies, which means we need to make sure heirloom varieties don't disappear.  We need to learn how to make and save our own seeds...the smallest containers (or space) needed for different plants...new ways to grow food of all sizes, from herbs to tomatoes to trees.  I don't know how much we can accomplish in the area of GMO food, because a lot of damage has already been done, but we have to try.  The documentary GENETIC ROULETTE is worth watching.  Rodale has always been a leader in organic farming methods.  Permaculture seems to be the current rising force for permanent investments in healthy, organic, food sources.

I hope we can find ways to share our wisdom, but I have to figure out this blogging process on the way to that destination.

I decided to add a recipe that I use in my own kitchen.  Hope you enjoy it, and that I can provide more low-cost recipes in the future.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us



=========================

I don't know how healthy this quick and tasty (in my opinion) dressing recipe is, but it came from my family history. I don't know its origins, but it has been a stand-by for hard times in my kitchen.


HOMEMADE FRENCH DRESSING

Equal parts of white granulated sugar, cider vinegar, oil, and ketchup, with added garlic cloves, and a "marinating" period before use.


That's how I learned it as a child...watching my mother make it.
-----  In my adult life, I have tried it with white vinegar instead of cider vinegar, sliced garlic cloves or garlic salt instead of cloves, and spiced ketchup instead of regular flavor.

I'm not sure what else I might try as I make it in the future, but I do like the cider vinegar, several cloves of sliced garlic that let it fall into a salad as you pour it, and Heinz ketchup (they have a jalapeño flavor of natural ketchup now, which works really good in this recipe).  I use safflower oil now, but have used canola oil in the past, and maybe vegetable oil.

Glass vinegar bottles are really nice for this recipe, but plastic vinegar bottles work fine.  The small size bottle works for 1/2 cup portions of the main ingredients; a full recipe is usually 1 cup of the main ingredients and fits in the large vinegar bottle.  Since the recipe is made with equal parts of sugar, vinegar, oil, and ketchup, you can make any amount you want.

I recently used this dressing for a HEATED pasta salad meal because I needed to sauté some veggies before I added the pasta and canned beans.  It worked out great!  I loved it, and plan to do that again soon.