tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post6047925110329890452..comments2024-03-28T15:43:03.306-04:00Comments on Life's Funny Like That: What if?Debbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-45137418608240365362021-02-03T17:32:49.605-05:002021-02-03T17:32:49.605-05:00This sounds like a wonderful idea, and I think wit...This sounds like a wonderful idea, and I think with kindly encouragement and the loan of a crockpot and someone trying to make it easy, this could easily take off. A lot of people are secretly a bit scared of trying to cook because they haven't really tried and maybe their family lived on nothing but takeouts or processed food too. Let us know how it goes!Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-67585360720408490042021-01-31T12:09:39.870-05:002021-01-31T12:09:39.870-05:00An exciting new ministry. Here's praying that ...An exciting new ministry. Here's praying that it works for many. Good on you!DLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11187652208020070897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-32363046050889109022021-01-31T01:42:33.982-05:002021-01-31T01:42:33.982-05:00I did Food Ministry Faith Based Work for over 20 Y...I did Food Ministry Faith Based Work for over 20 Years. It was very much needed, but so was a lot of educating people about how to stretch their food dollars and how to prepare the most nutritious foods for their Families. It was not unusual to hand out a food box with something in it they'd never had before and have food challenged Families tell us that their Family would not eat 'that', because it was something unfamiliar, yet nutritious. Perhaps it was 7 Grain Bread a Gourmet Grocer had Donated, yet they'd only ever eaten White Bread... so actually it was MORE nutritious than what they'd become used to. I think Educating people does indeed serve them better since where ever you place dependency, ultimately controls you. So Independence is always a better option for everyone capable of being less dependent upon anyone else... especially for the basic necessities of Life. I think your Idea is brilliant. Bohemianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03743017084098726581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-91532059604764674902021-01-30T22:35:32.005-05:002021-01-30T22:35:32.005-05:00GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!Gemma's personhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02740156670047388540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-50893004531416784262021-01-30T11:58:43.437-05:002021-01-30T11:58:43.437-05:00If I bake a whole chicken and pick it off the bone...If I bake a whole chicken and pick it off the bone I than boil the carcuss and make broth. It will freeze until I need it. a big pot of noodles cost so little. Flour, eggs and a little water if needed.ellie khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14729353476036309006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-50657662925792081152021-01-30T05:09:14.696-05:002021-01-30T05:09:14.696-05:00Well speaking, my first mother-in-law came from a ...Well speaking, my first mother-in-law came from a fairly rich family but because she had lived through the wars was always thrifty with food. Leftovers went into the soup, cold meats would turn green with age unless we eat them quickly. When we went to the restaurant, the 'doggy bag' was duly produced and the dog hardly got anything!<br />I think going back to casseroles may not necessarily be accepted. We now have shops full of food that is nutritionally poor and until education in nutrition in school is taught things will not change.thelmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934860502828923562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-501806120844599562021-01-29T19:53:49.080-05:002021-01-29T19:53:49.080-05:00I was raised by depression era parents who taught ...I was raised by depression era parents who taught me to start from scratch. I taught my daughters, and they learned well. One daughter inherited a pear tree with her first house and her children thought pear sauce was an American staple. I raised four of my grandchildren, too. I don't know if they took the lesson. It's more "cool" to be like their friends.Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601010208310707750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-29500035662805566182021-01-29T19:04:40.052-05:002021-01-29T19:04:40.052-05:00Oh ok, sorry I misunderstood. And I’m sooo tired o...Oh ok, sorry I misunderstood. And I’m sooo tired of the Us vs Them crowd. We must proceed as we feel called and let them believe what they will. Thanks for clarifying.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15978016568840318921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-67258498767072269942021-01-29T13:02:13.163-05:002021-01-29T13:02:13.163-05:00No. The ministry itself is open to trying it out o...No. The ministry itself is open to trying it out on a trial basis. It was even met with cautious enthusiasm. Where the negativity came from is from friends. I was surprised to hear people that I interact with reverting to 'they' and 'them'. The tired old stereotypes that allow people to believe that there are those who do not deserve assistance.Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-45725825822093014152021-01-29T12:55:11.961-05:002021-01-29T12:55:11.961-05:00Good heavens, Steve! Have you never heard of bone ...Good heavens, Steve! Have you never heard of bone broth? Lol.Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-77378099961471254172021-01-29T12:14:35.695-05:002021-01-29T12:14:35.695-05:00So much I could say here. What I think you should ...So much I could say here. What I think you should do, if the ministry you work with won’t go along with your plan, is to find one that will or start your own. It makes SO MUCH SENSE!Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15978016568840318921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-44649675062481493532021-01-29T12:08:31.170-05:002021-01-29T12:08:31.170-05:00Cooking from scratch, growing your own are ways of...Cooking from scratch, growing your own are ways of knowing exactly what you are eating. My mum came from India on a trip ship to the UK with my father in 1947. She had to learn quickly how to shop, cook and look after a house. She had servants in Jhansi! She was an incredible woman who rode to the challenge. Living Alone in Your 60'shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08848266282669835475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-57185887979681971512021-01-29T11:11:50.010-05:002021-01-29T11:11:50.010-05:00I think you're definitely on the right track. ...I think you're definitely on the right track. There's nothing wrong with trying a pilot program and seeing how well it works. I think sometimes people who have a "system" just don't want to change it -- because change is disruptive and takes getting used to.<br /><br />Having said that, I'm sure there are people who won't want to cook, even in a crock pot. A lot of people just never learned the skills.<br /><br />My mom was a good cook (though hardly a gourmet) and if there's one thing I learned from her, it's to not waste anything. We NEVER throw food out. I'm amazed when I see our upstairs neighbor's waste food caddy on recycling days. It's always full and it weighs a ton. Ours usually has a little biodegradable baggie or two in it, with chicken bones and lemon rinds!Steve Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11684120060438252945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-79966872030464110562021-01-29T09:34:27.902-05:002021-01-29T09:34:27.902-05:00To answer your initial question, I don't think...To answer your initial question, I don't think frugality can be taught, it can only be lived. My grandparents were all born during the Great Depression years and lived through the shortages during World War II. My parents lived through the gas crisis and the farm crisis. Because I remember those years vividly, I am a fairly frugal person. Most of my peers didn't grow up on farms and so didn't experience those years of having nothing but what we created or raised. Their idea of frugal is saving half their meal from the restaurant and taking it home to feed the dog instead of leaving it behind on the plate. We are worlds apart.<br /><br />I have a neighbor who is in charge of our local foodbank and the whole process disgusts me. I see piles and piles of hamburger helper or macaroni and cheese but rarely anything in the form of nutrition. I would whole heartedly agree that it is more important to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish. <br /><br />I see lots of people who are poor by choice. They have figured out that by not working, they have access to food, money, healthcare and essentials to eke out a life as long as their standards aren't very high. I also know many who are poor not by choice but by circumstances. My mom was one of those and I vividly remember her choice to go without food just so my brother and I could attend school on full bellies. For me the question is how should we as a society deal with both of these groups in a way that benefits both? How do we help those who are truly in need but want to better their situation without enabling those who are willing to live life without attempting to better their situation? There isn't a really easy answer short of taking it out of the hands of the government and putting it into the hands of an organization that can see cases individually and apply reasoned judgement rather than a one size fits all methodology of our government. I'm not optimistic that will ever happen either because I believe giving lots of money to an entity to help others only guarantees that people within that entity will get rich through being corrupt. There are precious few organizations that have shown they can buck this trend.<br /><br />Anyway, a good post and a lot of food for thought. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-44003405612012225192021-01-29T09:06:02.876-05:002021-01-29T09:06:02.876-05:00I'm 76 years old. My mother had gone through ...I'm 76 years old. My mother had gone through the depression and told many stories about those times, although she and my dad both said they had always been poor, so the Depression didn't make much difference to them, although the droughts of that time affected how much food they could raise. One winter after a dry summer Mother said the people they hoth worked for (farmers) gave them some potatoes that had frozen. If you cook frozen potatoes without letting them thaw, Mother told me, they are just fine. So she boiled them and canned them, and they had some potatoes to eat. The same folks gave them some corn-field beans; that's just green beans planted in a corn field so the vines use cornstalks for support. The beans were past the "green-bean" stage. They hulled them for dry beans. Till her dying day, if my mom found mold on cheese or a jar of jelly, she'd just take the mold off and use it. She hated to see food wasted, and I do too. One reason I like having a couple of chickens around is that I can toss them the odd heel of bread or the last bit of milk that spoiled... no waste.Donna. Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18393352099473686196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-52823476073331555872021-01-29T07:32:14.864-05:002021-01-29T07:32:14.864-05:00When I was working full time, one of my colleagues...When I was working full time, one of my colleagues was a volunteer at our local food bank. I asked her what sort of things I should donate and she told me that quite a lot of their clients didn't even have cooking facilities. Many of them were on state benefits and living in just one rented room with perhaps a kettle and, if they were lucky, access to a shared microwave. She said that they were really short of the sort of instant, ready to eat meals that these people needed.<br />I was quite shocked, but I bought a box full of instant noodles, meals in a tin and other suchlike once a month to donate.JayCeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01373622852406554111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-10986399492770139382021-01-29T06:31:34.621-05:002021-01-29T06:31:34.621-05:00with my first visit i loved your blog thoroughly
...with my first visit i loved your blog thoroughly <br />actually i was reading Red"s blog when i read your comment where you mentioned about your precious son who got positive with virus ,that was sad and i wanted to drop my heartfelt best wishes for him wishing him speedy recovery,amen! bailihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06498012175058870980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-82668144472072561812021-01-29T06:25:27.530-05:002021-01-29T06:25:27.530-05:00I hope you can accomplish some of what you want to...I hope you can accomplish some of what you want to. People will have to be led and taught and shown how pleasurable it can be.Anvilcloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974744042579564912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-47877989742181709702021-01-29T06:24:55.594-05:002021-01-29T06:24:55.594-05:00I think this is a wonderful idea! I agree with th...I think this is a wonderful idea! I agree with the others, it's a seed to plant. I believe that even though we were raised a certain way, if we want to learn to do differently and are offered a way to learn, some will take the offer and run with it. There is no harm in trying, and there is a reason that the idea has come to you! Now you've got us all wondering and perhaps the idea will spread! Good on you for sharing it with us! Karlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11599315082163306355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-40276604112732656042021-01-29T06:21:09.738-05:002021-01-29T06:21:09.738-05:00I would agree with you, Northsider. Our minimum wa...I would agree with you, Northsider. Our minimum wage here is $7.25. It has been for many, many years. That is $290. a week. When you consider that rents for the slummiest places are $400 or so, not including utilities. Assume you are a single parent with one child. Add the price of childcare into that, which is going to run you, minimally, $75 a week. How do you feed and clothe and keep the power on for that. I haven't even touched the the expenses of car ownership. That is why you see so many people pushing small childred in strollers along with their groceries. <br /><br />It is an untenable situation, and here, at least, victim blaming is rampant.<br /><br />Now I will agree with you, Cro. You do see people making some pretty awful choices. People who cannot afford cigarettes spend $8.37 a pack to buy them, for instance. Fast food is another bad choice. Cell phones have always interested me. People see them as a necessity. I see them as a luxury. There is that. Where does it come from? I don't know. I think that a lot of it is just hopelessness. My choices were not always good ones. I smoked back in the day myself. Andrew, that would be for a family. My initial pitch was for a pot of minestrone soup. We would have the bags of celery, onion chopped and placed in a bag with the seasonings, a chicken breast, chopped in another bag. the pasta, and the dry beans. The recipe card would provide the directions: put the chopped chicken breast into your crock pot with 4 cups of water, allow to simmer on medium over night (to make the broth). In the morning, add the beans and the contents of bag 2 (which is the vegetables and seasonings). Allow to simmer all day. Add the pasta 45 minutes before serving. Serve with sliced bread. On the back side of the card would be the actual recipe in case they wanted to duplicate it on their own. <br /><br />Andrew, breaking down the figures, you can buy a package of chicken breasts for $6.00 (four breasts), a package of celery for $1.50, a bag of carrots for $1., pasta for $1 a box, beans for $2. If you are making four meals from that, you could throw in a loaf of Italian bread from Walmart for each meal sent out. Our cost to feed a family would be no more than $5. for that meal. <br /><br /><br />Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531125606268748793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-13291957938613710682021-01-29T04:55:12.217-05:002021-01-29T04:55:12.217-05:00We use to rent allotments when we lived in England...We use to rent allotments when we lived in England and now we have a veg plot of our own here in Ireland. Cheap food stores like Iceland and Lidl make food very inexpensive. Fast food places like McDonald's are incredibly cheap too if you buy a simple burger for one Euros. We make lot of our own meals too. I think rents, property prices and mortgages and getting a foot on the ladder are very problem for a lot of people in Europe. northsider https://www.blogger.com/profile/00716743611909673869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-22611753655536258882021-01-29T04:49:10.808-05:002021-01-29T04:49:10.808-05:00Small seeds down can grow big...
I was brought up ...Small seeds down can grow big...<br />I was brought up to make do and mend, to grow and cook and preserve not to buy...<br />Thankyou grandmother ❤️gzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08034777779347889773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-31417675795581071972021-01-29T01:39:17.446-05:002021-01-29T01:39:17.446-05:00I would not describe us as frugal but most of our ...I would not describe us as frugal but most of our meals are cooked from fresh ingredients from scratch or close to scratch and it is rare for us to throw leftovers out. They are often my lunch. But if I had to cook, things would be a bit different as I haven't really cooked for decades.<br />I think your idea has merit and there must certainly be some success if implemented. <br />I know your food is cheaper than ours but can you clarify the figures please. A kit for six meals would only cost $5 or $5 per meal for a whole family?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-27858219963195247602021-01-29T01:32:04.733-05:002021-01-29T01:32:04.733-05:00My family were not poor, and I am also not poor, b...My family were not poor, and I am also not poor, but both my parents and I have always been frugal (sensible), and 'waste' was always a dirty word. I was brought-up with veg' gardens, chickens, orchards, etc; and still live the same way today. I cook all our meals from scratch, and never buy 'ready meals'. What I can never understand is why those who claim to be poverty stricken are always the ones who eat at McDonalds, buy frozen pizzas, and go through the supermarket checkout with piles of boxed 'ready meals'. The world is upside-down.Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721950935860033351.post-15653237593629172302021-01-29T01:01:50.807-05:002021-01-29T01:01:50.807-05:00I, too, absorbed being frugal from my mother and l...I, too, absorbed being frugal from my mother and life circumstances. she grew up on a farm in the early 1900's, horse and buggy days. They had to learn how to "make do". She often "made something out of nothing" and would be true quality items. Seems we've come around to prizing more of that sort of thing today as we think about our environment. Joaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03155775053108104385noreply@blogger.com