2010 Updates from Arksoaper

Just wanted to let all of you know I’m still breathing – thank you for staying with me!

The last few months have been chaotic, to say the least.  Our lives have been turned topsy turvy, but it has not been an altogether unpleasant experience.     I find myself smiling often and thinking of how God uses the unexpected things to shape and mold us in ways nothing else can.

I have become the primary daytime caregiver for our 6 month old great-nephew.  He was a surprise, but has been such a blessing to us.  Keeping him has been one of my life’s greatest joys.    I am worn out, but incredibly thankful for the opportunity to take care of this little one.

We have teenage nieces and nephews who keep us busy along with our own kiddo  – our home seems to be a constant hub of activity.  The drama at times makes me wonder if they are in a race to see who can make my hair turn white the fastest.  LOL

Even though I am not able to post often, I do try to reply to questions as they come in.  I’m glad this blog continues to be useful to those who need it.

God bless you all!

Arksoaper

Better stock up folks – pumpkin shortage

I have firsthand info on this, so be forewarned. There is a pumpkin shortage looming.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/11/19/libbys-pumpkin-shortage-stymies-thanksgiving-tradition/

Some of the grocery stores in Hot Springs already have bare spots where the canned pumpkin used to be, with signs saying there will be no more available until next harvest.

If you have not yet stocked up on canned pumpkin and you use it even semi-regularly, this would be a good time to put it back if it’s still available in your area!

“Throw the pie in the yard!” – trusting God even when it makes no sense

Yes, this is a personal testimony. LOL

I baked up a storm on Wednesday. I made two pumpkin pies first, and there’s always a small corningware dish of filling leftover that we bake and get to enjoy.

I pulled the pies and extra filling out of the oven. Kiddo grabbed a fork and dug into the extra. I was expecting a “YUM” from him, but instead I heard “YUCK”. He said it was AWFUL!

I took a bite myself and couldn’t believe it – it WAS awful!!!!!

I FORGOT TO PUT THE SUGAR IN THE PIES!!!!!!!!!

In all my years of baking, that’s one mistake I’ve never made before.

Disgusted with myself, I decided to set the pies on the front porch for tossing later. (We live in the country, and nobody cares what we do with our leftovers. LOL)

As I was setting the second pie outside, I had a strong urge to throw that pie into the yard! I can’t explain it other than that – all that kept coming to mind was an urgent “THROW THE PIE IN THE YARD!!”

So I did. LOL

Kiddo thought I’d lost my mind. He even called Hubby at work and told him, and he also seriously questioned my mental state. I told Hubby I’d clean it up later, but I felt like the pie needed to go in the yard, so that’s what I did.

About an hour later, I looked outside and there was a momma dog in our yard eating the pie. She was EXTREMELY thin, but was obviously nursing puppies.

It slapped me in the face then – the Lord KNEW I was going to leave the sugar out of those pies, and He KNEW that dog was hungry. That’s why the Lord prompted me to throw the pie into the yard – I wasn’t crazy after all!

What a humbling experience today has been! I didn’t understand why I was supposed to throw that pie (although I felt a LOT better after I did – LOL!!!), but God used my mistake to feed a starving animal.

I wound up setting the second pie into the yard so she could eat it too (which she did, after initially running off).

I am still just amazed and humbled – God cares about EVERYTHING in our lives, right down to baking mistakes, and can turn it into something good.

Lesson learned – even when it doesn’t make sense, trust God – He knows what He is doing.

I’m still here!

Thought I’d post a quick update. I’m still here – our lives have sorta been turned upside down recently (not in a bad way ), and I am behind on things like blogging! I do miss you guys greatly, and will try to post when I can.

Food for one year – one meal a day

I was thinking recently that if it came down to it, we could survive on one meal a day for one year – if we HAD to.

So…I sat down with a legal pad and my recipe file and made a list of 30 meals that could be eaten each month, then calculated the the amount of ingredients needed.

Please keep in mind this is ONLY a general idea – it could be supplemented with fresh garden produce, eggs from your chickens, fresh meat, etc.   It also assumes you keep regular supplies in your pantry (such as sugar, flour, spices, baking powder/soda, etc).

This is just a starting point.  I hope it will give you some ideas!

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(Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or a nutritionist – I am a mom. The following list is a STARTING POINT and would need to be supplemented with food from a garden and also hunting. This is only given as an example and is not intended to be anything stated or implied other than a springboard for ideas. Nutrition information was not calculated. This was an example for a family of three.)
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Food for one year – one meal per day

1)  Chicken Alfredo	12 jars alfredo sauce 12 pkgs fettucine noodles 12 cans chicken
2)  Breakfast (biscuits:  flour, sugar, baking powder, shortening, salt, milk)	12 pkgs bacon
3)  Tacos (lettuce, cheese, taco sauce)	12 pkgs hamb meat 12 pkgs taco seasoning 12 pkgs taco shells
4)  Chicken Enchiladas (sour cream, cheese, milk)	12 cans cream of chicken soup 12 jars enchilada sauce 12 cans chicken 12 pkgs flour tortillas
5)  Chicken & Dumplings (biscuit mix or homemade)	12 cans chicken 24 cans chicken broth (or ckn base)
6)  SPAM / Mac & Cheese / Veggies	12 cans SPAM 12 pkgs mac & cheese 12 cans green beans (or other veggies)
7)  Beef Stew (rice)	12 cans carrots 12 cans potatoes 12 cans beef
8)  Bean Burritos (cheese or cheese sauce)	12 pkgs flour tortillas 12 cans refried beans
9)  Spaghetti (hamb optional /Parmesan cheese)	12 jars spaghetti sauce 12 pkgs spaghetti noodles
10)  Canned Ham / Rice / Veggies	12 cans ham 12 cans corn (or other)
11)  Red Beans & Rice (rice, dried beans, seasoning, cornbread mix/milk/eggs)	12 pkgs kielbasa 24 pkgs cornbread mix
12)  Meatballs w/Mushroom Gravy / Mashed Potatoes (flakes) / Lima Beans (dried)	12 pkgs hamb meat 12 cans cream of mushroom soup
13)  Hamburgers / Nachos (chips, pickles, homemade bread)	12 pkgs hamb meat 12 cans cheese sauce 12 cans rotel
14)  Chicken Spaghetti	12 cans chicken 12 pkgs spaghetti noodles 12 cans cream of chicken soup 12 cans cream of mushroom soup 12 cans cheese sauce 12 cans chicken broth
15)  Chili Macaroni (spices, dried beans)	12 pkgs hamb meat 12 pkgs macaroni pasta 12 cans tomatoes or sauce
16)  Chili Dogs (homemade bread)	12 pkgs hot dogs 12 cans chili
17)  Potato Soup (potato flakes, bullion cubes/ckn base/OR broth, cheese, powdered milk)	12 cans cheese sauce 24 cans chicken broth (?)
18)  SPAM, Mac & cheese, Veggies	12 cans SPAM 12 pkgs macaroni & cheese 12 cans green beans (or dried beans)
19)  Putanesca (parmesan cheese)	12 cans Putanesca 12 pkgs spaghetti noodles
20)  Gnocchi (potato flakes, powdered milk, eggs)	12 jars sauce (spaghetti/alfredo)
21)  Fried Rice (rice, soy sauce, spices veggies)	12 cans/jars meat (chicken, SPAM, etc)
22)  Pancakes & Sausage (syrup, flour, eggs, baking powder)	12 sausage chubs
23)  Chili (spices, rice, dried beans)	24 pkgs hamb meat 24 cans diced tomatoes OR sauce
24)  Chicken Pot Pie (biscuit mix or homemade, ckn broth or base, powdered milk, spices)	12 cans chicken 12 large cans mixed veggies
25)  PB&J  Sandwiches, hummus (dried chickpeas / homemade bread)	Peanut butter Jelly
26)  Hearty Beef & Beans (dried pinto beans, biscuits)	12 pkgs hamb meat 12 cans tomato sauce 12 cans vegetables
27)  Homemade Soup (dried beans, asst canned veggies, cornbread)	24 pkgs cornbread mix (or meal) 12 cans tomato juice 12 pkgs hamb meat (optional)
28)  Oatmeal
29)  Grits
30)  SOS (homemade bread, powdered milk)	12 pkgs hamb meat

Shopping/pantry list:

60 – Chicken breast
24 – Cream of chicken soup
24 – Cream of mushroom soup
at least 36 (or equivalent) – Cheese sauce
24 to 36 – SPAM
48 – Tomato sauce
88 to 100 – Hamburger meat
12 – Tomato juice
48 pkgs – Cornbread mix (or make from scratch)
6 – Peanut Butter
6 – Jelly
12 – Large cans mixed vegetables
12 – Sausage chubs
24 – Spaghetti sauce
36 – Spaghetti noodles
12 – Alfredo sauce
12 – canned beef
12 – kielbasa or beef smoked sausage
12 – Fettucine noodles
12 jars – Putanesca
12 to 24 – Rotel
24 (minimum) cans – Green beans
24 (minimum) cans – Corn
60 cans – Chicken broth (OR use bullion OR chicken base)
12 – Hot dogs
12 – Canned chili
12 – Canned ham
12 – Refried beans
24 – Flour tortillas (or make homemade)
12 – Bacon
18 – Enchilada sauce
12 – Taco seasoning
12 – Taco shells (or make homemade flour tortillas)
12 – Parmesan Cheese
12 – Macaroni noodles
24 – Macaroni & cheese (packaged)
12 to 24 – carrots (canned)
12 to 24 – potatoes (canned)

Basics onhand:

Spices (basil, oregano, chili powder, paprika, cumin, Cavender’s, etc)
Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Sugar
Shortening
Powdered Milk
Dried beans
Rice
Potato Flakes