Secrets to Working Full-Time and Scratch-Cooking!! It CAN be done!

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
  • While we were still working full-time and homesteading in the city, we made a decision to begin cooking from scratch rather than buying pre-made foods from the grocery store. Sarah reveals her secrets to making it work without going crazy.
    To see the products we use and recommend from Amazon visit our Amazon Store at: www.amazon.com...
    Etsy Shop
    www.etsy.com/s...
    If you would like to support the homestead AND receive exclusive videos, blog posts and discounts for our Etsy shop consider supporting us on Patreon. / livingtraditionshomestead
    You can also support us through PayPal at:
    info@livingtraditionshomestead.com
    Also check out our Etsy Store for handmade items from the homestead: www.etsy.com/s...
    Our new rabbit cookbook can be found here:
    Printed Copy: bit.ly/rabbitco...
    Amazon Kindle Version: amzn.to/2zelDTu
    ***** Connect with Us! We'd Love to get to know you! *****
    Website: www.LivingTraditionsHomestead.com
    Facebook: livingtraditionshomestead
    Instagram: living_traditions
    ***** Email Us *****
    info@livingtraditionshomestead.com
    Send Snail Mail to:
    Living Traditions Homestead
    PO Box 323
    Ava, MO 65608
    ***** About Living Traditions Homestead *****
    Living Traditions Homestead is all about living a simple and sustainable way of life. We believe the world has gotten too “busy” and that people are missing out on many of the true blessings this world has to offer. We started as a small urban homestead in Gilbert, AZ and after the city grew up around us, decided it was time leave corporate America and take a big leap of faith by moving our family to the Missouri Ozarks.
    We put out 3 new videos every week! Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We hope you will become part of our homestead family by subscribing to our channel and watching as we transition from city dwellers to full time homesteaders!
    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Komentáře • 529

  • @nmdispatchlady
    @nmdispatchlady Před 4 lety +134

    The other thing that I still do is have homestead fast food. When I make a soup I make tons and can it put it on the shelf, same thing with chill or stew. I also freeze ready to bake casseroles, lasagna or enchiladas. Those things that take quite a bit of time to make. I just double the recipe and make up several at a time, pop them in the freezer and when I don't have time or inclination to cook I pull one out and dinner is ready. Everything is doable just takes a little planning. The biggest difference now is I put things up in pints instead of quarts, or smaller casseroles instead of 13 x 9. Very easy to pull out an extra jar or frozen entree if I have company. Still healthy no preservatives.

    • @LivingTraditionsHomestead
      @LivingTraditionsHomestead  Před 4 lety +8

      Yes! Awesome!

    • @nmdispatchlady
      @nmdispatchlady Před 4 lety +22

      @@LivingTraditionsHomestead Most of the dollar stores sell the tinfoil pans with covers, those are a must when freezing to keep all of your dishes out of the freezer. Not very expensive and makes clean up a breeze. Plus you can make everything right in the dish and freeze them with the instructions written right on the lid.

    • @cynthiamullin661
      @cynthiamullin661 Před 4 lety +7

      Yes, having ready to eat meals in the freezer or on a pantry shelf (beef stew, beans with ham, etc) saves you from buying crap fast food!

    • @karenrolling2174
      @karenrolling2174 Před 4 lety +5

      I do this as well. I also do crock pot breakfast of mixed grains with apples, raisins, craisins, pineapple, apricots, pears or any other fairly firm fruit that I put together the night before and let it cook overnight.
      I have also done crock pot dump cakes, sloppy joes, pulled bbq pork, shredded beef, shredded chicken or even layered casseroles and soups that I start in the morning to have for lunch or dinner. Hope this helps

    • @nmdispatchlady
      @nmdispatchlady Před 4 lety +1

      @@PrimeDirective101 I started because I could never cook for just one or 2, so I froze things. Comes in so handy and I still eat healthy food but its so fast and I don't have to cook all the time or eat the same thing for a week.

  • @lisacastano1064
    @lisacastano1064 Před 4 lety +50

    I was a single mom working full time. The Crock-Pot is your friend LoL. I also can put together a meal in about 30 minutes it really helps to be half Chinese. One tip your spice cabinet should be well stocked it really helps to add variety to your meals even though you are using pretty much the same ingredients.

  • @raymondamaral8602
    @raymondamaral8602 Před 4 lety +49

    That dog looks comfortable in his nightshirt

  • @TheBigBlueHouseHomestead
    @TheBigBlueHouseHomestead Před 4 lety +39

    I was gifted a box of cooking magazines a few months ago. Going through them, i found your published garden pasta salad. 😁

  • @richardsemione7012
    @richardsemione7012 Před 4 lety +25

    I live in upstate NY. I was leaving Walmart after shopping. When leaving the parking lot I saw a woman that looked like you in a car. I knew it wasn't you, but I thought how nice it would be if it was you. I thought it would have been nice just to say hi. So, hi Sarah. You and Kevin seem just like family and friends to me. Thanks for sharing your lives with us. God bless you and your family.

    • @LivingTraditionsHomestead
      @LivingTraditionsHomestead  Před 4 lety +5

      Hi, good morning! Thanks so much for your kind words.

    • @richardsemione7012
      @richardsemione7012 Před 4 lety +4

      @@LivingTraditionsHomestead Sweet of you to reply. I know you get a lot of comments. Thanks.

    • @analarson2920
      @analarson2920 Před 4 lety +1

      Prayers and blessings to your journey in upstate N.Y. I am too, capital district

  • @pjteeswater1668
    @pjteeswater1668 Před 4 lety +18

    These are all great tips. I started doing a meal plan about 35 years ago when my kids were small and I worked full time. Not only did it save me time but I could look at the store adds for the week and plan my menu around what was on sale, back then I wasn’t a homesteader and generally didn’t have much on hand. I have continued with my menus, for the most part all this time. As a side bonus it saved me a lot of stress. I no longer had to try and come up with a meal at the end of a long day. All I had to do was look at the menu before I went to work and take the meat out of the freezer and I was all set.

  • @StaceyHerewegrowagain
    @StaceyHerewegrowagain Před 4 lety +15

    Amazing story Sarah! Your family is such an inspiration to many of us who want to start a self sustaining homestead. We just bought our first house on a half acre and I can't wait to start the garden! Thank you so much for sharing!! I love cooking from scratch. Especially with food coming right from our own backyard. It's amazing how much beauty Mother Nature has to offer right at the tips of our very fingers!

  • @iartistdotme
    @iartistdotme Před 4 lety +4

    Such great info and inspiration! Thank you so much. Now to watch you prepare all this - LOL. I usually prepare two or more meals when I cook and freeze them using tin foil in the pan I cook them in. Then once frozen, lift the meal out and freeze without a pan or freeze each in heavy plastic bags. I normally reuse the plastic freezer bags for other things after washing them. So useful to have around and more economical when used more than once. I don't have a dish washer so it's easy to wash bags quickly. I also love to share the extra meal bags with family or a neighbor that may be ill. It feels so good when preparing them for the freezer to know the meals can be shared.

  • @judycummings6416
    @judycummings6416 Před 4 lety +16

    Thanks for the Taste of Home website suggestion. A great idea - I will start using it. I love your no-nonsense way of teaching and appropriate, realistic ways of homesteading.

    • @tinasavage1597
      @tinasavage1597 Před 4 lety +3

      Look at your local goodwill. I have found taste of home cookbooks there cheap.

  • @smalloscar1
    @smalloscar1 Před 4 lety +22

    “We don’t buy junk food” repeat 3x 😂😂😂😂😂👍

    • @kcfamilyfarm939
      @kcfamilyfarm939 Před 4 lety +1

      I still struggle with this so much... hi, my name is Shawna, and I'm addicted to Dr Pepper. And yes, I'm ashamed of myself. Even with sweets, I know I should be fixing those cravings with fruit and home made treats, it's just so fast and easy to buy a box of star crunch at the grocery store. 😖 I'll do really good for a month or two buying no junk food, besides my caffeine addiction, and then BAM. The star crunch are in my cart. I've gotta put more effort into making more healthy goodies that curb those cravings to avoid those boxes from finding their way I to my cart and my budget.

  • @laurenmmendoza3215
    @laurenmmendoza3215 Před 4 lety +7

    Menu planning for the week has been a sanity saver for me for years! It was especially important when our daughter was in high school & seemed to have a bajillion activities! Now that our girl is in college, the budget is a bit tight. Meal planning helps us stay on budget, cut food waste and still eat well (and healthily)! I love when my husband comes home, sniffs the air & declares that something smells delicious!

  • @jenendahunter8207
    @jenendahunter8207 Před 4 lety +28

    Hi Sarah, I just wanted to share that I am trying to implement a weekly meal plan for myself and my mother, my mother is 76 and we live together and I am also a type 2 diabetic and I take insulin up to 6 times a day. You have given me a starting point with the taste of home website and I thank you!! This is going to be a great help to get me started, wish me luck lol
    Jenenda 🍅🍅🍅

    • @jenendahunter8207
      @jenendahunter8207 Před 4 lety

      That is something I would love to try Riccardo!

    • @analarson2920
      @analarson2920 Před 4 lety

      Try paleo, so many have reversed and improved many conditions, prayers to the journey

    • @phyllisschapiro7894
      @phyllisschapiro7894 Před 3 lety +1

      @@analarson2920 Type 1 diabetes is where your body no longer makes any insulin at all. You can't do anything but take insulin. For type 2 diabetes, paleo is a great option!

  • @LynnViehl
    @LynnViehl Před 4 lety +15

    I've been printing out recipes I find online that we like to save them, which has resulted in a huge stack of printouts. This information on the Taste of Home website that you shared will be incredibly helpful to me, thank you.

  • @dianashelton1371
    @dianashelton1371 Před 4 lety +9

    I recently found “Cook Once, Eat all Week” cookbook. It was the glue that put my meal prep together. I am developing week plans with not only her recipes but my own. I think your Taste of Home will organize it nicely.

  • @wyldeman
    @wyldeman Před 4 lety +8

    There is also an app to download..... Love it "WE DON'T BUY JUNK FOOD"!
    This is great! I'll be here next Saturday for the next weeks menu.!!
    Thanks!

  • @kathygirlygirl4109
    @kathygirlygirl4109 Před 4 lety

    Are you kidding me?! Rosie was such an adorable distraction. Just seeing her in her little night night on just makes me smile. Bubba and Rosie are sweet babies. They are just to cute. Great planning vlog Sarah. Thank you for the great ideas.

  • @maryoesterborg9397
    @maryoesterborg9397 Před 4 lety +2

    Thanks for sharing this very modern way of searching for favorite recipes. I have so many cookbooks and loose recipes I’ve saved since I started my married life. It takes so long to look through them and then I get distracted by other things.
    I just can’t bring myself to discard all of them.

    • @robinlawson3574
      @robinlawson3574 Před 4 lety +1

      I have the same problem! I have over 300 cookbooks, but no system to find recipes when I need them.

    • @minuteman728
      @minuteman728 Před 4 lety

      Don't hurt me here. (shudder) But if you like paper recipes like I still do, here goes... tear out the recipe you like, you know, the ONE recipe that you keep that ONE cookbook for (or copy it) and get a binder with sheet protectors, and you can get rid of SOME of the cookbooks you never look at. I have a 3 inch binder. It has stamps and return envelopes, inventory for the pantry, a daily and weekly routine, and all my favorite recipes. I still have a few cookbooks. Better Homes, how can you go wrong? lol

  • @glendagonzalez2469
    @glendagonzalez2469 Před 3 lety +1

    I love the simplicity of it all. I tend to complicate things, thinking that every meal needs to have a protein, a grain, a couple of vegetables... A salad or chilli baked potato for dinner sounds awesome. I also love that you have bread with your soups or stews instead of rice. Thanks for sharing this with us.

  • @crazycowlady3033
    @crazycowlady3033 Před 4 lety

    Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your channel. Its such a nice, welcoming, comforting environment and feels like "home".

  • @denisescull4227
    @denisescull4227 Před 4 lety +3

    Wowza! The way you showed us the website and sat down to meal plan was so so helpful. I immediately went and made an account. I have a little notepad that I make notes to find recipes, then I have to find the note lol. This will change everything! My tip is- cook once, eat twice (or more!) When I brown hamburger, I cook extra and freeze, same with chicken, rice, etc. Thank you so much, you make a difference in so many ways!

  • @katiesmoozie7183
    @katiesmoozie7183 Před 4 lety +1

    Taste of Home has been my 'go to ' website for a long time !! Everyone gets tired of making the same thing at times & I go to that recipe site & get wonderful ideas !! They have realistic recipes that aren't just for chefs! Thank you for showing others how wonderful that site is !

  • @EsthersEden
    @EsthersEden Před 4 lety +7

    Our process is very similar! I love it. 😍 the main difference is we homeschool and our children are younger so I do make 3 meals per day. I give my kids a chance to decide meals too then mommy doesn't have to decide all the meals for the week. Lol!

  • @joleneblair5735
    @joleneblair5735 Před 4 lety +1

    Hello from Montana! I do not have a homestead. I still shop for all my needs, but I have always been on a budget. I find it helpful to look in my pantry, fridge, and freezer first. I can usually come up with a meal plan pretty easily this way. I write down what I am making, then beside it, what I need from the store. This idea has worked for my family 20+ years. Save money where you can. Be organized. 🙂

  • @markslaliberte3559
    @markslaliberte3559 Před 4 lety

    Kevin and Sarah … This video was in one word Choreographed (well choreographed). Simply excellent. Really love this channel. You're a great bunch!

  • @eligwb7116
    @eligwb7116 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you for sharing Sara I enjoy learning more, it teaches me to save more, God bless you,

  • @wendysgarden4283
    @wendysgarden4283 Před 4 lety +6

    On a cold day this week, I inventoried the food in the freezer and home canning and root cellar (which is a dark, unheated bedroom) and made mix-and-match menus for two months. Great job! from a fellow organized person and list-maker.

  • @marygorecki9057
    @marygorecki9057 Před 4 lety +4

    When you talked about your daughter making the rolls, brought a smile to my face cuz my son loved kneading the dough, said he had the ‘muscles for it! I have to attempt the ‘scratch cooking’ was actually forced upon me because my daughter has numerous food allergies & sensitivities that we were pretty much able to manage by going organic and omitting process foods, but turned out to be a blessing in many ways. Also, I remembered a brief conversation w/ a lady in the grocery store ahead of me in line. She glanced down into my cart and announced ‘I work’! I didn’t respond but simply grinned & thought SO DO I!

  • @Lisa_Osborne
    @Lisa_Osborne Před 4 lety +5

    Great video Sarah! I have been menu planning and list making for 28 years. I wouldn't know how to do it any other way. I think it has saved me thousands of dollars because I don't buy anything not on the list. UNLESS, it's a bargain that I know I can use in later meals. I only shop twice a month by planning things that can be frozen or are pantry items and I have gotten good at being able to keep fresh veggies and fruit longer by washing them in vinegar water and drying. The last four years I have also been doing meal prep on my days off (I work 40 hours a week) and live alone now that my son is grown. So I prep lunches to take to work all week, cut veggies up for quicker night time meals, etc. When my son was younger I would make larger meals that I could freeze for another meal in a few weeks, or we could eat for lunches that week. For example a large lasagna for two people; half could be frozen for later use and there would still be leftovers for lunches. Or I would bake a whole chicken for dinner and we would have enough left for chicken & noodles later that week and chicken salad for lunches.

  • @fedupnow61859
    @fedupnow61859 Před 4 lety +1

    Sarah I always worked full time and always made from scratch meals when I came home. Prep was the most important thing. Remembering to take things out of the freezer etc. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn't but I thought that the most important thing was we were together eating dinner every night. I know there might be other obligations but I did it as much as possible. My girls now 35 and 34 still love that I did it.

  • @darnbunny1
    @darnbunny1 Před 4 lety +8

    Thank you for sharing. Love the going grey gracefully hair.

  • @deanbarr5740
    @deanbarr5740 Před 4 lety

    A very healthy choice making this transition. I was raised just like this. We grew our own food raised our own beef,pork, chickens, and had our own dairy cows. I would love to go back to that time. Thanks Sarah.

  • @karenrouth2056
    @karenrouth2056 Před 4 lety +10

    Haha! Sarah do you realise you are probably single handedly responsible for Taste of Home website crashing today lol! Great informative and helpful video again, you are just SO organised and a fantastic example!! 100% awesome regardless of whether we are working full-time, family and all that involves, homesteading or living alone...thank you

  • @cynthiamullin661
    @cynthiamullin661 Před 4 lety

    Yes, you definitely need to be " intentional " in your planning. It doesn't just happen. You have to work hard at it until it becomes a habit! Thanks for sharing this message!

  • @chelinfusco6403
    @chelinfusco6403 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you Sarah. We really appreciate this video.

  • @AlyssaAllDayVlogs
    @AlyssaAllDayVlogs Před rokem

    I know this is an old video, but I really appreciate it. My husband and I work full time and we also have an urban homestead. We don’t eat meat, but have chickens. I just really like hearing of others that had some hard times and didn’t have a parent at home in the beginning. So thank you!

  • @deborahwybou4285
    @deborahwybou4285 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you for the great videos. I save my menu plans for future inspiration.

  • @rainspringing
    @rainspringing Před 3 lety

    Watching this makes me realize just how far you all have come! Grocery store, every evening... to be temped in while tired. Blows my mind. I've never had such a convenience to give up! You are amazing to have made these decisions, and then followed through.

  • @partinlori
    @partinlori Před 4 lety +1

    One of the hardest things for me to do is decide what to fix for supper. So I let each of my family pick (from my recipes) what meal they want for that week! It has been a game changer for me.

  • @coastalfarmhouse1820
    @coastalfarmhouse1820 Před 4 lety +5

    I love Taste of Home. My grandma, when she was alive, used to gift me a subscription to their magazine. She was an amazing home cook.

  • @marthaduffy8386
    @marthaduffy8386 Před 4 lety +1

    What great advice. So detailed, I just love that almost all you content is so well explained. Food for thought.

  • @christineortmann359
    @christineortmann359 Před 4 lety +1

    Great job explaining- very helpful.

  • @lavernebufmack5091
    @lavernebufmack5091 Před 4 lety

    We had six children. I was a nurse and my husband worked as a cement plant supervisor. I made a menu out every week and bought groceries accordingly! There was a from scratch meal on our table almost every night. It takes planning and family cooperation. We had a huge garden and I canned what we didn’t eat. Bought half a beef and pig every year, plus rabbit and other game meat we hunted or fished. Canned landlocked salmon on the lake in our camper. We just love watching you young people doing all the things We did out of necessity knowing we needed to educate six children. Will keep watching and enjoying your videos!

  • @judyabernathy80
    @judyabernathy80 Před 4 lety

    Excellent way to organize your meals. Precious Doxie on the couch!!❤️

  • @cleotaylor1860
    @cleotaylor1860 Před 4 lety +1

    After the birth of our daughter, I became extremely paranoid over the hormones and preservatives in the food. So we started raising, growing, harvesting, and processing food on our property. What we couldn't grow, we went to the fruit distribution market or if a neighbor grew it we would trade.
    I benefited from my husband's great grandmother and grandmother's recipe boxes. I also have his great grandmother's canning books. We love them.

  • @ciciliacurt9104
    @ciciliacurt9104 Před 4 lety

    Hi Sarah I been doing all that for last 25 years when we come in this bless country and I am very bless Glory to God for his people like you and me. I'm bless and I bless others too

  • @Roberto-tt7yv
    @Roberto-tt7yv Před 4 lety +12

    omg Rosie stole my heart!

  • @susanshanks2407
    @susanshanks2407 Před 4 lety +4

    Your videos are always so informative, and yes my desk is messy. I am sure my desk have things that do not belong there. That's another day. Love everything you do. God bless.

  • @elysafrancisco7240
    @elysafrancisco7240 Před 4 lety +24

    No worries, our desk looks like the sorting room at the post office! Lol

  • @lenalyles2712
    @lenalyles2712 Před 4 lety +5

    We're retired now so it's easier to plan. Where we live we can't have animals or garden, but fresh fruit and vegetables are cheap. Meat I stretch and buy once or twice a month from a meat market. They're cheaper than the store. I also use my instapot and airfryer a lot. I have always used a menu because with 5 kids and working full time we had to plan.

  • @traceywelsh9696
    @traceywelsh9696 Před 4 lety

    I am SO impressed by your shopping list. It's so teeny. I need to try planning more. Thanks! And, a messy desk is a sign of creativity and genius

  • @alwayzbluepoolz2922
    @alwayzbluepoolz2922 Před 4 lety +1

    Sarah, your desk hasn't started getting messy yet. I can see your keyboard!!

  • @margarettt7675
    @margarettt7675 Před 4 lety +1

    Interesting approach. I use a system of what is on hand and different food prep techniques to make nutritious interesting meals. I've always cooked from scratch, don't eat fast foods or restaurant food. We enjoy our homemade treats.

  • @chris3m98
    @chris3m98 Před 4 lety +1

    Sara, I live alone so it's easy to make something to eat. Your desk looks OK I haven't seen the bottom of my dining room table in years!

  • @MegaPokerPro
    @MegaPokerPro Před 4 lety +1

    Aww, that is so precious Rosie in that onesie. All your fur baby's all snug, like a bug in a rug. 😁 All the information you gave today was great. Thanks for helping us that need it. 😊

  • @sunflowersusan5616
    @sunflowersusan5616 Před 4 lety +1

    Wow you are organized!

  • @threerivershomestead
    @threerivershomestead Před 4 lety

    Such wonderful information! Thanks for sharing ❤️

  • @SeeLionsInTX
    @SeeLionsInTX Před 4 lety +1

    Practical & helpful video. Thank you! ♡

  • @walkbyfaithfamily9177
    @walkbyfaithfamily9177 Před 4 lety +1

    Good tips! The first thing I do when meal planning is go to the fridge and freezer and see what needs to be used up and plan my list around that. 🤗

    • @aprillaue1155
      @aprillaue1155 Před 4 lety

      Micki A I do this too. Helps things from the week before get eaten up too.

  • @CarienDuPlooy1
    @CarienDuPlooy1 Před 4 lety

    We’re about to close on our homestead and will be still working full time. This video was God sent! Thank you.

  • @renitahebner3084
    @renitahebner3084 Před 4 lety +1

    Just cleaned my desk. Lol. Great job

  • @patriciagarza830
    @patriciagarza830 Před 4 lety

    Sarah thank you so mych for charing the process with us

  • @mimiohnine
    @mimiohnine Před 4 lety +16

    Awesome video! As a mother of four, when they all lived at home I meal planned and shopped once a week as well. It’s such an easy and important thing to ease my brain. With just the two of us left at home, I’ve gotten lazy at meal prepping and shopping. This is my reminder to jump back on the wagon. Thank you Sarah ♥️♥️♥️♥️

    • @monicavanderburg7342
      @monicavanderburg7342 Před 4 lety +2

      That's where I'm at now, its just me and my husband. I have been thinking about meal planning for us. Last week I did prep our lunches for the week, we both work so that was very helpful. Let me Go pull out my recipes. Pinterest has been my lifesaver.

  • @laurawebb5023
    @laurawebb5023 Před 4 lety

    When I make chili, soups and some pasta or Mexican dishes, I make huge batches and freeze either meal size portions in containers or individual portions in freezer bags for quick meals when I don’t have time or want to cook. Buying a large stand up freezer this year has greatly helped! Now I have room to freeze lots of things and keep better organized! The new freezer and learning how to can food (thanks to you, Sarah! 😊) were game changers for me this year.

  • @cherylmatthews7172
    @cherylmatthews7172 Před 4 lety

    Sarah this is one thing I procrastinate from. But with this it should help. Thank you so much.

  • @swianecki
    @swianecki Před 4 lety +2

    Being organized is the secret. Thanks for a great video, Sarah.

  • @anitahouse3600
    @anitahouse3600 Před 4 lety +1

    My desk makes yours look organized. :-) I used to meal plan but after our step-daughter graduated and moved out, just got lazy. Now it is the same conversation every night, "what do you want for dinner? I dunno, what do you want?" and back and forth. I should get back to planning. :-) Thanks!

  • @p123york9
    @p123york9 Před 4 lety +2

    Love your videos -- and your dogs!
    Just some thoughts on your shopping list:
    1. If you're buying canned beans instead of soaking dry ones, wouldn't it be more budget friendly to either do a big batch of home-canned ones once or twice a year to have on hand, or buy a couple of cases when they're on sale?
    2. The 50 lb. bags of flour are too big for me to handle, but the 5# bags are something I buy in bulk when they're on sale (as they will be soon for holiday baking) and keep at least 30-40# on hand at all times. They fill in air space in the freezer quite well, too.
    3. For flavoring soups and stews, dehydrated celery works very well; I'll buy it when it's on sale at 49 cents a pound and dehydrate three or four bunches so I'll always have some on hand, instead of buying fresh when it's not on sale and paying two or three times as much (and for a single-person household like mine, it's hard not to have some of the fresh end up going to waste).
    4. This time of year it should be possible to find a local orchard selling boxes of apples at excellent prices, that will keep for at least a couple of months in your root cellar. (Do you HAVE a root cellar? I don't remember.)

  • @wildflowerhomestead
    @wildflowerhomestead Před 4 lety +2

    Hi Sarah! Great video. We have a wood burning stove in this old farm we bought but no idea if it's safe. Can you do a video on that please. Luckily in Florida its only cold for a few months but I would like to get away from space heaters

  • @marieleopold1625
    @marieleopold1625 Před 4 lety +5

    H O M E Y !!! and sounds sooOOOOoo YUM! Love your clarity, organizing skills and humility! TRULY gifted woman! God Bless you and yours! Thanks for sharing your lovely life!

  • @staceycollinsdukette6860
    @staceycollinsdukette6860 Před 4 lety +1

    I have subscribed to taste of home for more than ten years. Love it. I used to love simple and delicious from taste of home. We dont have room for raising our own meat. We buy meat from ffa kids at our local fair. That fills both freezers. I also pressure can meat and beans. But have a big garden i can a bunch. You have started me planning a weekly menu. Thank you.♥

  • @southgeorgia2099
    @southgeorgia2099 Před 4 lety +1

    i like that kind wood stove u have there it good have one to stay warm in winter be sure have lot wood to keep family warm ....

  • @BryansGMa
    @BryansGMa Před 4 lety +1

    Thank for the info. Being a widow, and living alone, it is hard to plan something for my meals. Especially since I use to fix for family. The Taste of home is helping me to find small inexpensive meals for me. Love your dogs and Rosy looks so cute in her nighty

  • @thannathursby5830
    @thannathursby5830 Před 4 lety +1

    One thing I do is make like two meat loaf an freeze one. I would put my meals on the refrigerator. I don't like for the kids to ask what is for supper. They would look at my list loved it.

  • @faintlyartistic7803
    @faintlyartistic7803 Před 8 měsíci

    I had a mini homestead in Gilbert, AZ as well! Now we have a tiny lot (9,000 sf) in PA. Meat rabbits, chickens, garden and greenhouse and working full-time. Planning and simplifying life is key.

  • @evacoppersmith6680
    @evacoppersmith6680 Před 4 lety +4

    My children are grown so some of my worries are gone, but I have never been good at this and have never succeeded. I plan on giving it another go. Retirement doesn’t mean you can’t learn. We rarely eat out so that part is no issue. Thanks for the great video.

  • @paulrice1918
    @paulrice1918 Před 4 lety +7

    Sarah we have a little in common. I too was in and trained in a military personnel shop and gained the position of assistant shop leader. I worked that for about 8 years. I too like to plan my work and then work the plan. A building/repair job also has a recipe and needs listed.

  • @GrammaDebsStorytime
    @GrammaDebsStorytime Před 4 lety +3

    Even though I just retired from a full time job, I think this menu planning will help A LOT! Even more so I feel, because it seems like I am always trying to think of...
    "What to Have for Dinner!"
    You have convinced me to start meal planning and use the Tase of Home website for storing online recipes that I use frequently. Thank Sarah! 😁

  • @7paula777
    @7paula777 Před 4 lety +2

    Meal planning is such a habit now that I had forgotten that I had to learn how to do it!!!! Shared to all of my social media. Thank you for thinking to make this video!

  • @ellenclayton5955
    @ellenclayton5955 Před 4 lety +2

    I am going to try this. Anything to make life easier AND it will be a conscious effort to add variety to our menu.

  • @user-us6ce7me8k
    @user-us6ce7me8k Před 4 lety +9

    The stove looks so charming! 👌👌

  • @jed206
    @jed206 Před 4 lety +4

    Would love to see a list of your more common meals with the sides you use. Especially when it comes to items you preserved yourself!

  • @audreynanapreps2543
    @audreynanapreps2543 Před 4 lety +1

    Excellent video, thank you.

  • @robboone4367
    @robboone4367 Před 4 lety +1

    Very helpful!

  • @brelsfordfamilyfarm1472

    Great tips. I have a large 3 ring binder that I keep all my recipes in. When I find recipes I like, I save them and or print them out. I put them with my meal planning folder and try to incorporate them over the next few weeks. Making a meal plan and a grocery list at the same time always saves my budget and my sanity!

  • @17buckrogers
    @17buckrogers Před 4 lety +5

    can you write a book with all this great information i would buy one

  • @patriciagray756
    @patriciagray756 Před 3 lety

    Sarah you are AWSOME! Thank you so much for sharing

  • @FermentedHomestead
    @FermentedHomestead Před 4 lety

    Thank you for sharing in such detail! You gave so many great ideas. The two things that help us the most are canning when I have the time so it’s ready when I don’t and eating very simply.

  • @kathrinekerns8398
    @kathrinekerns8398 Před 4 lety +1

    Very good planning.

  • @annmittelstadt2938
    @annmittelstadt2938 Před 4 lety +1

    Hi Sarah. My daughter's name is Sara. I love Taste of Home, great recipes on it. Your videos are awesome, so much tips. And entertaining too. Thanks for all you do to keep us happy.

  • @lvp6905
    @lvp6905 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you so much. I have done meal planning for a long time, this year I started growing my own veggies and garden stuff, this video really helped me work the things I've grown and preserved into the meal planning very well. You are a blessing, Sara.

  • @goldierocks.
    @goldierocks. Před 4 lety

    One of the most helpful things for me is my Master Grocery List. This includes everything we buy at different stores. A couple of times a year I take my receipts and update the prices so I can always have a ballpark figure to count on. When I’m making a shopping list I just print off the MGL and circle what we need. This helps jog my memory for things like toilet paper, printer paper, etc.

  • @sharonmcmillin5007
    @sharonmcmillin5007 Před 4 lety +1

    Great video. I have started canning meals in a jar. I buy carrots and celery and use the chicken and rabbit meat we raise and our deer meat to make soup for the winter months. You can either cook your chicken or rabbit in a roasting pan (which makes your own broth for the soup, then debone and strain) add raw veggies, carrots, celery, and onions to the jar and whatever meat you are using (if using deer meat just raw pack with the veggies and only add a small amount of water to the jar), add a little salt, add your broth to the jars and pressure can pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes on 10 lbs of pressure. (below 1000 ft)
    You can also can taco soup with beans and corn and whatever ground meat you have on hand. Just slightly brown the ground meat, mix up the soup, (no thickeners) and add to jars and process same as above. It is so easy just to pop open a can and warm it up, add a little pepper and serve with homemade bread. If you decide to try this, Make a video! :)

  • @doodlebugscritters2715

    💗💗💗thank you so much for this! We are working on becoming debt free and I've been thinking about how to reduce my grocery budget. Its encouraging to see someone who has done it successfully already 😊

  • @ClaireM1979
    @ClaireM1979 Před 4 lety

    Hi Sarah and Kevin. I’m an semi-amateur urban gardener. I stumbled upon your channel around a month ago, and I can’t get enough. You guys are living the dream. I always thought that meal planning for a whole week seemed like an extra chore, but not the way Sarah does it! This seems like a great way to get my two young daughters involved too. I lol’d @ We don’t buy junk food we don’t buy junk food we don’t buy junk food! Keep up the great work. I’ll keep watching

  • @TheOtherSideOfAlex
    @TheOtherSideOfAlex Před 3 lety

    When my husband and I got married we lived abroad and I wasnt allowed to work. So being newly married, barely 20 and alone 95% of the time food became my hobby. I learned how to cook and on a super limited budget. The first like 7 years I meal planned heavily and prepped a bit. Now its been 11 years and I can keep my groceries down to less than 100 a week for 4 people. Its amazing to be able to have that and spend in other areas and save.

  • @kathyharper7187
    @kathyharper7187 Před 4 lety

    When i was a young stay at home mom Taste of Home was my go to for making cheap meals. Cooking from scratch, gardening hanging clothes on the line or racks in the house and many others things allowed me to stay home with my son and payoff our mortgage! we also had a woodstove to help with heating. Thank you for your informative videos...have binge watched and look forward to new ones!

  • @jimflack9462
    @jimflack9462 Před 4 lety

    In the 38 yrs of marriage before my wife passed, she always made menu plans, and we made it a point to only go to the grocery once a month. She was an excellent cook, and wasn't afraid to try new recipes. Now that I live alone, I find that I still try to keep the visit to the grocery down to once a month, except for perishable items. I also find that I make enough of something to serve as either two or three dinners, or have left overs for lunch. I also eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches (toasted is the bomb!!) Thanks for sharing your secrets and also the Taste of Home website. We used to get the magazine and my wife loved it! Note: cooking for one sucks!!! LOL! Love your channel. God bless you all!

  • @pmessinger
    @pmessinger Před 4 lety

    Really effective presentation. Great job, Sarah!

  • @LeeCraftyHomestead
    @LeeCraftyHomestead Před 4 lety +1

    I love Taste of Home web site. been useing it for years. thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day

  • @maryseifert4750
    @maryseifert4750 Před 4 lety

    Thanks Sarah...that was a great video...so appreciate you and all your advice. 🙂