This month in the garden, I’ll harvest blackberries, Mission figs, and apricots.
I’ll cut and pick Swiss chard, green onions, grape leaves, chives, oregano, rosemary, sage, elderberry flowers (and possibly elderberries, if I can beat the birds to them), New Zealand spinach, peppermint, and tomatoes.
I’ll collect seeds from open-pollinated spinach, three kinds of lettuce, leeks, green onions, and nasturtiums to plant later–though most of the green onion seeds will be planted in the garden this month.
I’ll sow seeds for zinnias, sunflowers, green onions, vincas, butternut squash, pumpkins, zucchini, marjoram, and thyme in the garden.
I’ll buy a few staples this month, but the rest of my $200 budget will be spent on produce, eggs, and meat that I find on sale.
There should be several good sales on meat around Father’s Day.
Corn on the cob should go on sale this month; I’ll look for sales of six and possibly eight ears for a dollar.
June is a hot month here; most days, if not every day, will be over 100°F/ 38C° (Monday will be 105°). We plan on eating lots of bean burritos, pasta salads (using a combination of sale produce and garden produce; I like my pasta salads to be more vegetables than noodles), homemade yogurt with homemade cranberry almond granola,
You can see my summer menu here. I don’t follow my menus exactly; instead, I use them to plan my meals based on what is ripe in my garden, what I have in my pantry and freezer, and what I can add that is on sale.
Winco:
Milk
Greek yogurt (small container to use as a starter to make yogurt)
Spreadable margarine (3-pound tub for $2.27)
Flour tortillas
Potatoes
Onions
Smith’s:
Ice cream (I buy the big buckets labeled “Kroger party pail” when they go on sale for $4.99 or less; sometimes the sale price is $4.49 and sometimes it is $3.99!)
Costco:
Almonds (our Sam’s club appears to have stopped carrying almonds, so I’ll have my mom pick some up at Costco for me)
Walmart:
Oxiclean spray
What seasonal recipes do you have planned for this month? What sales do you look for in June?
I love reading your monthly shopping plan. And I often reference your seasonal meal plans for ideas. Thank you. You are always an inspiration.
This month will see strawberries ripen. Our kids love the local you-pick patch. I’m hoping to pick twice what we did last year as we ran out of frozen berries in January.
Lettuce and spinach will soon be large enough to harvest.
I’ll replant carrots that didn’t come up and plant 8 tomato plants.
For shopping I will just be buying our basics: milk, bananas, oranges, and salad items. We will be moving in a couple months and so will be eating down the pantry and freezers. I’ve already found some items I’d forgotten about like frozen chopped celery. Great for soup!
Hello Brandy and everyone from Australia 🙂 .
Brandy you do so well planning ahead to stock your pantries at the best prices and I know from experience that it takes a lot of organisation to do so even for our small family of 2 empty nesters.
In the gardens we will be harvesting strawberries, turnips, silver beet, beetroot and carrots and we have 100kg of sweet potatoes we have harvested from the gardens we need to blanch and freeze along with any silver beet we have from the gardens. The sweet potato will supply the 2 of us for a year once we blanch and freeze it and the silver beet we are working on having the same level of supplies gradually too. We have bought very few vegetables in 3 years as we produce all of our own which is a huge saving in the budget.
At the moment here in Australia we are having seasonal sales on vitamins and minerals and pantry items as well as a lot of discount vouchers giving us 14.28 – 15% off the usual prices of generic brand pantry items that don’t come on special so we have been taking advantage of those.
On one of these 14.28% off vouchers I have a credit of $87 on items they were out of stock on so will work on getting a few items to stock our pantry to a 12 month level on which will be –
– Tinned pears, tinned two fruits to a 12 month level and will add some more cocoa to get us closer to a 12 month level.
On our normal 2 monthly grocery shop we shopped ahead taking advantage of 14.28 – 15% off vouchers so need very little and used our pantry stocking budget to stock lots of items we usually use to a 12 month level and took advantage of quite a few 50% off specials on what we usually use to save more money too. Here is what we plan to get –
– Bread improver x 2.
– Cheese x 4.
– 1 x laundry liquid.
We are planning now to move out our grocery shopping to 3 monthly (except for dairy) as we have worked out one of our local supermarkets has 16.66% off vouchers once every 3 months online on eBay. To plan ahead we will put $100 a fortnight away and then buy the vouchers when they come out and use them then again taking advantage of any weekly specials to save more again.
With thinking outside of the normal we have found there is always ways to reduce your grocery costs.
Sewingcreations15.
Your garden plans sound so good and your the pictures of your produce and meals look amazing!
My little balcony garden is growing well, and I should be able to harvest the first strawberries soon! I can’t wait to eat them with homemade yoghurt. I’ve already started harvesting and drying herbs especially oregano, and will pick some spearmint for sun teas as well. I’m hoping some peas will be ready by the end of the month too. I don’t know when my blueberry bush will have fruit ready, but if it’s ready by the end of the month, I’ll likely make Brandy’s clafoutis with some, and eat the rest fresh with homemade yoghurt.
I’ve been eating a lot of enchiladas recently, as I found salsa on sale and can cook up a rice and bean filling easily, and it’s super-quick to make (http://approachingfood.com/easy-enchiladas-a-20-minute-weeknight-meal/). I often freeze leftover portions for easy meals on busy days. I’m also craving lots of veggies, so I plan to make lots of fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salads mixed with my homemade ranch dressing (http://approachingfood.com/the-purest-ranch-dressing-youll-ever-make-foodie-accomplishment-awards/) I’m also craving tacos and have been looking up recipes to stretch the soy meat that I use; I’ve read that lentils, chopped mushrooms, and grated veggies all cook up well and stretch meat or ‘meat’ without changing flavour or texture much.
June is such a great time of year for fresh produce!
It’s been unusually hot in the Midwest. I’ve been cooking a few meals at once to reduce the amount of time the oven is on.
Today I did a bulk shopping trip and found pinto beans, tomatoes, chicken, and avocados on sale. I will return to purchase more beans which are more than $1 off per pound!
Brandi, can you not grow any melons in your area? They are so cool and refreshing b
Lots of salads & steamed vegetables this month as I am on a low carb eating program (Dr.’s Orders). I love my veggies and right now there are a lot on special so I’m taking advantage. I will have used up all my meat & fish/seafood from the freezer by mid-June so I will be looking to add some proteins. I’m trying to concentrate funds on grass fed or pasture raised meats which is a lot more expensive – But – it’s just me and I’m only eating about 3 to 4 ounces per serving so hopefully it won’t be too bad a hit. I’m also using eggs & cheese plus my supply of canned sardines, tuna and salmon as an alternative protein so that will help as well.
Fresh local berries should be available by the end of the month so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for those. Everything just looks so much more appealing at this time of year!
I won’t be buying any processed items and there is rice and pasta in the pantry if I really feel the need for some carbs so the only other item I’m going to try to buy is some Ezekiel bread. I’ve heard a lot about sprouted breads and it’s a lot lower carb so I want to give it a try.
Hi Brandy…I love your beautiful pasta salad and have made it. Delicious! I plan on a variety of salads and fresh veggies fixed in various ways. My Dr too..has suggested this for now in my life. My heart patient husband could benefit too. So..I’m simplifying like you and using less carbs or meat and adding veggies.
Because of weather our garden is just being planted.
I will look for:
Eggs on sale
Poultry …some one gave us a lot of chicken free.
I cooked and shredded 30 quart bags.
Tuna
Apples
Frozen veggies.
Thank for your beautiful blog.
When I make tacos, I always add a coomed chopped onion, a can of hotel tomatoes and a can of beans to stretch the meat farther.
Beautiful photos Brandy! I’ve recently implemented a frugal way of saving the last piece of almost stale sliced bread and the two crusts from a sliced loaf that I always seem to get. I pop them in the freezer and every few days take a random handful out, defrost in the microwave and then toast, my 2 teenage boys who have mahoosive appetites eat this happily for breakfast, snacks etc. Weirdly if I toast them without freezing first they say they are icky and refuse to eat them! Boys and their picky ways
Margaret, I have been making black bean tacos lately. They are very easy to make…just add taco seasonings and a bit of water to the black beans and cook until the beans are soft. Use the beans the same as “taco meat” and top with your favourite toppings. They taste amazing (and this is coming from someone who just recently started eating beans)!
This month, I will be watching for local strawberries to come into season. I plan to buy a couple flats when they do, to put into the freezer. I have found that making jam in the fall is much better, as it is too hot in the summer, and my time is limited with my seasonal summer job.
With the possibility of pending trade wars, I will also focus on stocking up on some pantry and hygeine items that could spike in price. These include things like condiments, toilet paper, and peanut butter. I plan to make sure that I buy and preserve as much local produce as I can this summer, to ensure our need for U.S. grown fresh produce in the winter is limited. My garden is starting to produce as well, but I’m sure it won’t be enough for all our needs through the winter. Looking forward to eating some fresh produce form it this month, though!
Aldi has their strawberries at the lowest price now, so I will be buying 40 pounds to slice and freeze.
I bought an ice cream freezer recently and have enjoyed making our ice cream now. It’s so easy! No longer does one deal with a bucket, salt and ice. It’s all electric and made in a freezer bowl that is kept in the freezer until needed. I buy my cream at Aldi too. Lovely photos.
i’m just getting started on all of this and was blessed to find this website!
Hi Margaret. Lentils and mushrooms for sure….but if you happen to have walnuts on hand, add those too. A little bit goes a long way for sure. (crushed to small pieces and lightly dry-toasted in a pan). The biggest necessity is some taco season–either a blend you already have or your favorite combination of chili powder, cumin, etc.
LOL…”mahoosive”???….I thought for sure you made that word up just for giggles (ie. My SIL says flustrated==> flustered + frustrated). Anyway, thanks to you and dictionary.com, I’m glad to learn a new word today 🙂
I’m harvesting lettuce and rhubarb here in MN so I will be making and freezing rhubarb sauce for later use. My tomatoes have blossoms but no tomatoes yet and several of my other plants are healthy seedlings. It will still be about a month before we harvest much more.
I’m planning on buying dairy (milk to drink, some yogurt, cheese – only if it’s on sale), spinach (it bolts quickly so I’ve given up growing it), and some fruit (mostly berries on sale). If I can get some really good deals on meat, I’ll buy a little but not much.
We’re trying to finish eating down the deep freeze in preparation for our summer produce this year, so we will be eating lots of kohlrabi, cabbage and pumpkin this month. We have a few other things too, so we will have more variety than that but those are the things we have in abundance!
Thanks for the inspiration, Brandy! Your photos are beautiful! The pasta salad looks delicious.
Lea
I have started using all of the odd pieces of bread to make french toast sticks. I bought one frozen box full now I just keep remaking them now they eat all the bread I was throwing out. Family can be so crazy about what they will eat and when they will eat. Everytime I have time I bake , after I bake they all declare to be on diets. Then I have zero time to bake they all say where is dessert now I say in the freezer.
Our new house is almost finished and we will be moving before the end of the month. I’m focusing now on eating what we have, so I don’t have to move it. I did this when we moved here 6 months ago. I have been spending about $50 week for groceries for 2-3 people. I have been making do with just the freezer on top of the fridge, and it has been OK. The new fridge has a bottom freezer drawer. I think it is bigger than the top freezer I have here. I’m not going to buy a new freezer until I see how I get along with just the one on the refrigerator.
My garden at the moment consists of one mint plant bought at the museum plant sale for .50. I plan to put it in a bigger pot and sink it into the ground at the new house, to keep it from taking over (BTDT). We also plan to build a 4×10 raised bed for strawberries out of scrap lumber. I have a lot of half-composted stuff to fill it and expect to get runners from friends to make new strawberry plants. I’ve ordered 3 dwarf fruit trees for fall delivery. That’s the extent of my food gardening this year.
I’m more concerned about flowers (food for the soul). I’ve bought some trees, shrubs and flowers that won’t be readily available later in the season. They are growing in pots on my patio right now. Some will need dividing when I plant them! Otherwise, I’m gardening on a dime…or a nickel! Four of my friends have offered plant divisions and seedlings from their gardens. Many of these originally came from my previous home…what goes around, comes around.
I’m getting excited about moving! My son is coming from Wyoming at the end of the month to help us move furniture and unpack. We’re not only getting free help, we get to see the kid! (who will be 40 next month).
I’m curious, Brandy — what do you use the elderberry flowers for?
I should be harvesting peas and chard soon, and continue to harvest lettuce and arugula (until the arugula bolts), as well as mint and oregano and green onions. The tomatoes are starting to set blooms, so I may have some tomatoes by the end of the month.
As for shopping, I’m getting low on meat, so will be looking for sales to restock the freezer.
Thanks, everyone! These are all great suggestions, and I plan to incorporate them into my meal planning!
It’s my favourite word ever, but I think I’m going to use flustrated at the earliest opportunity!!
Hi Margie,
After not being able to find a bread made in a peanut free facility, my friend pointed me towards Silverhill Bakery bread. There are several different varieties but it is a sprouted bread and I love it. I’m not sure it’s low carb but it seems to be addicting.
I don’t think it’s Ezekial bread, either.
I made a bad miscalculation and forgot about something that is going to be
debited from my account so I will be really short of money. I had to forego going to the rock garden club’s plant sale today. Well, hopefully there will be one next year.
I harvested the first rhubarb today so will do something with it. I am eating the last of last summer’s sour cherry crop. After the long, cold snowy winter, it’s been warm and sunny and dry here and it feels as if all the summer flowers are about a month early. Has your spring been like that, too?
It has been a while since I’ve commented, but still follow the blog. I find myself in a new (unwanted) era of life as a new widow. It’s been 6 months and I think I’m finally figuring out how to cook for just me. I recently moved, so the pantry is bare. I did find a deal on chicken and ground beef a few weeks ago. My June shopping goal is to get the pantry restocked and work on cooking some more healthy meals. No garden this year, but hopefully can find some good produce deals at Aldi, Lidl, and the local farmer’s market.
Hello,
I am looking forward to harvesting spinach and swiss chard soon. I hope that it doesn’t get too hot here for the spinach. I planted these before the rest of the plants. I have a good amount of basil, rosemary and mint growing! Does anyone have a good mint recipe? I have made jelly before but no one really liked it. I am trying to think of other ways to use it. Sometimes we use it in flavored water.
As far as what to buy and make this month, I like to make a lot of salads. Potato salads, macaroni salads, and a ton of salad from the greens growing in the garden. I like to grill also. I want to make some kabobs for Sunday dinner tomorrow. I also make a lot of deviled eggs in the summer since we get a lot of eggs with our chickens.
Hope everyone is well.
Liz
Brandy, thanks again for writing this blog. I know with all your responsibilities that this extra work takes quite a bit of time, I really appreciate reading this every week. This year I have spent more on groceries, so June will be a month of getting spending under control again and working down the freezer. While we haven’t been eating out at restaurants, much of what I have cooked has cost more per meal.
The photo of the salad is fantastic! Perhaps when you have a bit more time, you could do food photography :).
Yes, we had a massive snowstorm late April (we had to go out in it and our car got stuck at the end of the driveway) and last week we had mid-summer temperatures (over 30C). We pretty much skipped right over spring this year. I must admit, I’m a wee bit nervous about summer. I think it is going to be extremely hot and humid. I work in a pioneer village, where we interpret in buildings with no electricity, we are expected to cook using firepits, open hearths or wood stoves, and wear multiple layers of clothing that cover us from head to toe. Not looking forward to this!
We had Spring for about a week and then moved right to summer! We’ve been sweltering for the past couple of weeks but it’s supposed to be more Spring-like this week.
I love rhubarb – love sour foods like lemons and gooseberries too!
I live in dread of forgetting about some payment – I’ve just done the book keeping for the month and there’s not a lot left. However, I do have a small cheque coming in for my first month working at my church – work I can do at home and just a few hours per week so still looking for a couple of days at some sort of office job. I’m also working at a polling station for next week’s provincial election and I’ll be paid for the training day on Monday as well so that will also help.
Hope your arm is a lot better.
Lynn, I am sorry for your loss. ((( Lynn )))
Brandy, a good friend has just hollowed out a beautiful piece of driftwood for us for a herb garden at the new house. If you only had room for four 4-inch pots of herbs, what would you plant? I live in zone 6B. I’m thinking basil, but what else? I will be sinking a pot of mint in the ground beside the driftwood. I am really excited!
Our Aldi’s now carries sprouted bread and wraps, they taste great!
Lynn, it has been two years for me, and I am still adjusting. I send you love, and encouragement.
Patricia
We planted an apple tree yesterday for our anniversary. It was 50%off at Home Depot and I had a little left on a gift card. I paid $8 for a 8 ft tall Golden Delicious Apple Tree.
I visited the local farmers market and bought lettuce, cilantro, and strawberries. We have had a late spring here in Virginia and too much rain. Our lettuce we planted is still barely coming up. We have never had this problem before. The tomato and pepper plants we purchased for $1.50 each at a Mater Gardner sale in our area are looking great. The wildlife unfortunately ate most of my planted strawberries.
Brandy, I looked at some of your meals for the summer and they were fabulous. I bought the ingredients for the pasta salads and the bean and rice tortillas. I was so happy that it was less than $10 dollars, as we have a short paycheck this week.
I am hoping to get lots of lettuce and peas from the garden this month. I have started using my parsley, basil, thyme and sage so I will use that all month too. We always need milk, soy milk, fresh fruit and veggies. I am low on cheese so I will be getting some. Hubby loves Nesquik and I just opened the last container so I will get that at BJs. I have several rain checks that I am hoping the items will come in. Just looking for amazing prices otherwise. Last weeks shopping is here: https://mcoia.blogspot.com/2018/05/adding-to-my-pantry_30.html
For June, I have already started stocking up on some seasonal and exceptional buys-
Fresh corn – 8/$1 that I froze in kernals ( this was the first year that I actually ran out of frozen corn about 10 days before this sale came along! I’m trying to stock up on my food storage but not store way more than a year’s supply so that I have space to diversify my pantry! So I was actually happy that my corn came out almost even!!),
I will watch for more strawberries- I’ve frozen 2 flats so far.
I ordered Zaycon boneless skinless chicken breast again this month for pick up the beginning of October. With their promo code which is good through June 30, it is 99 cents a pound! It comes in a 40 pound box, refrigerated but not frozen and because there are 4 ten pound bags in the box, my daughters have been able to split the 40 pound box to still take advantage of the price. Usually there promo is only for new customers, but this time it’s for anyone! I ordered (2) boxes – 80 pounds- for our freezer and I won’t need to buy chicken for a long time! Here’s the list know and promo code if you’re interested (they are available nationally in US)- https://zayconfresh.com/refer/zf182397 and the promo code is CHICKEN2018 It takes the price down at checkout.
I also want to find coconut and I’m not sure when a good time to find it in bulk is! I’m running low. Any ideas?
So far our garden is only producing greens, but we are grateful for that! The berries are starting to form so we will have currants, blackberries, raspberries and goji berries.
I just restocked some condiments this week so I’m good there. Will be watching for fruits coming into season in bulk to freeze, can and dry! The produce market still regularly supplies me with good sales for bulk items- $2 for a 20 pound box of bananas, $5 or less for a 25 pound box of tomatoes, etc. These supplement what my garden produces so I can stock up even more! The only caveat is that at those prices, the produce needs to be processed soon so that it doesn’t go past it’s prime!
I love to do my baking/ precooking meals in the early morning while it is still cool and quite often I’m mega cooking big batches for later!
I love this month! It’s a busy time adding to my pantry, but so satisfying!!
Most of my family does not like melons (except for my husband). They are a challenge to grow in our climate. I have tried them before. They take a lot of space (which I don’t have) and like squash, tomatoes, and peppers, stop flowering in the summer. I have planted squash seeds just recently with hopes that the plants will grow large enough to flower in October when it gets below 90 again. Still, between the squash bugs, whiteflies, and powdery mildew, it is a challenge. For example, I had 5 zucchini plants a couple of years ago (all bush varieties, to save space). It was so hot that they rarely flowered. I hand pollinated whenever possible (there are no bees when it is that hot outside; honeybees stay inside to fan their hives to keep them cool) but I rarely see any flowers. That year I harvested 4 zucchini from my 5 plants, and 2 of them were too hard (because of the heat) to eat.
I had more success with Armenian cucumbers. They are the one kind of cucumber that continues to flower in our heat (116 in the summer, cooling down to 113 by 8 p.m. ) and everyone (except for my husband!:p) likes them. Plus, they grow huge. Technically, they are a melon, and if left long enough on the vine, they will change color to orange and taste like a melon instead of a cucumber.
Praying for you, Lynn, in this new stage of life.
So sorry for your loss,
Lea
Liz, if you like chocolate and mint together adding 3TBS of minced fresh mint to a chocolate chip cookie recipe is really good. I also like to make a healthy chocolate mint smoothie with yougurt/or/milk, ice,frozen banana, chocolate syrup and about a quarter cup fresh mint.
Also adding fresh diced mint with fresh cubed/balled watermelon is delicious.
I am just so happy that the weather is finally warm and beautiful. We didn’t have much of a Spring. It was cold and rainy and then hot and summer like.
This month we have a couple of extra expenses so it will be tight. I plan on shopping only the really great specials and not much meat as we have plenty in the freezer to get us through the month. We will mostly be buying product and dairy. We were able to get a dozen eggs for 49 cents each yesterday so we bought 4. I see omelets and quiches in our future 🙂 I have a couple of different kinds of soups in the freezer so that will be on the menu this month. I will also be harvesting spinach and lettuce.
I am sorry for your loss. Sending you lots of love and hugs as you figure out your new normal.
I am hoping to get to the blueberry farm to pick berries. We have a few on our bush but a cold snap after an early warm spell hurt the bush.
I cooked and strained about a dozen tomatoes from our 3 bearing bushes and got a pint of tomato sauce. We have more getting ripe.
My goal this month is to spend little on groceries so our garden is important. Our “spinach” plant is growing. I’m freezing basil and will freeze mint. With luck we’ll have okra before long. It’s one plant that can take the heat! Figs are coming on if we can outwit the birds and squirrels.
Love the pictures!
Oh, Rhonda! That sounds awful. And to have to wear multiple layers, too. I hope the temperature cools down somewhat for you. Ann
Margie, We had unseasonably hot weather (like mid-july) but then we had rain and now it’s sunny but not so hot. My arm is getting there. It is still really painful at times but I am so lucky that it is healing at all. I was told by the doctor that sometimes this kind of fracture doesn’t heal at all. I think the tendons and muscles really hurt but hopefully they will be okay. The single Mom who does gardening occasionally for me weeded my flowerbeds (on credit due to my temporary cash shortage). They look so lovely!
Lynn, It takes awhile to adjust. All you can do is take one day at a time. I am sorry for your loss. Remember to eat well and take care of yourself! Hugs, Ann
This month is a super busy one. I have a graduation party/open house for my daughter on Saturday. There is absolutely no idea of how many people will show up. We are holding it at 10 am, and there are still at least 3 more parties on the same day that are in the afternoon for other kids we know, which we may, or may not make it to. My mother and sisters are bringing things to help me out.
I also have 3 of my children’s birthdays within 1 week, starting on June 7. There is also a young family friend that has her birthday the same week, and I’ve committed to helping out with her party as well.
All of this to say: I’ve needed more groceries than usual. I’ve been going to more than one store, collecting the items that I want for events at the best price. For instance, I found clear, plastic cutlery at Safeway for 2/$5. Then, there was s sign for buy one get one for free, so now 3/$5. Then I had an Ibotta rebate for $1 off 1, so I redeemed 3 of that offer. So, ended up paying $2/3 pkgs.
I will buy perishables, such as the strawberries I want to chocolate dip later in the weed, but I have the chocolate already, bought on clearance and one little tub I got for free a while back. I’ve been getting other food items on sale when I see them.
In June, I will have some garden produce like lettuce which I will use in meals. I have many pounds of frozen meat to cook. I got 5 dozen eggs at Costco. I also got another bag of potatoes this week. I plan to keep filling in the empty spaces in my newly-cleaned pantry when I find the missing items for a good price. I will buy milk, other dairy, and things I run out of.
I’m laughing right now because I tried making tacos once with just mushrooms as the “meat” filling, and my husband hated them…bless his heart. Just asked him if he remembered, and he didn’t, so I guess it wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought it was. Whew!
How amazing for you to get all that chicken for free! I don’t eat red meat or pork myself, so thinking about 30! quart bags sounds wonderful! Keep us posted on what you make with it, I can always use new ideas for poultry recipes!
Maybe elderberry tea?
Well, we could be living in Newfoundland where they are still having snowstorms! Guess we should count our blessings.
This month will focus on toiletries, as our food supply is good and our garden will start producing this month to add to meals. We will also be focusing on cleaning up the last of the vegetables & fruits I canned and froze last year to make way for this year’s harvest. I have picked tons of strawberries so far this year. I’ve made 3 pints and 3 jelly jars of strawberry jam and chocolate covered strawberries. We’ve been eating strawberries for breakfasts and eating them on ice cream. I plan to freeze some to put in yogurt throughout the year. I’ve also used and frozen quite a bit of rhubarb. Last month, I was able to stock up on several pantry staples and still had extra left in our budget. This month we will need more contact solution and conditioner. I received a coupon for BOGO free conditioner, which was perfect timing. I also will try to find some sales on toilet paper and paper towels to add to the stockpiles. I will also look for sales on some cleaning supplies. I will not be working for 2 weeks in June before I start my new job, so I plan to use that time to get my house in order and start on a good note. When I was working in schools, I always had to summer to really focus on my garden, canning, and stocking up on sales. I would try to get enough toiletries to last a year throughout the summer. Now, I won’t have that time. But I expect to make more money and save a significant amount of money in health insurance with this new job, so that maybe our budget will have a little more breathing room.
Margaret, I cook up a mix at the end of the summer that I use as filling for lasagna, to add to spaghetti sauce. I have not used it for tacos. I dice up eggplants, zucchini, onions-red and yellow, bell peppers and garlic. Cook all in olive oil. The eggplant makes a kind of meaty substitute. One of the 3 main reasons I grow eggplants.
The dollar store has flour tortillas for $1.00 see if that can beat Wincos large pack. Also diluted biz powder bleach in a spray bottle beats oxy clean every time. Also cheaper.
Basil won’t amount to much in a 4″ pot; it’s a large plant. I’d try to find one rectangular planter to fit in the space and only plant one type herb in it. My choice would be Greek oregano, as that it our favorite.
Oh, Lynn, I am so sorry for your loss. I am sure all the ladies here are wishing things comfort for you and praying a prayer or two for you. Will look forward to more comments again from you.
Cold pasta salads have been put into rotation here as well, since the weather has heated up! How is the Kroger party pail ice cream? I haven’t had that since my kids were small and don’t remember. We mostly buy Blue Bell when it’s on sale or the Klondike bars my husband loves (also when they are on sale! Too pricey not to!). Occasionally I will make homemade ice cream in my little electric ice cream maker but that can be pricey as well if I don’t purchase ingredients carefully. I would love a less expensive alternative, but it’seems not savings if no one will eat it and hubby is particular about certain foods.
My “frugal five” is here: https://tjssweethome.blogspot.com/2018/06/five-frugal-things-june-1-2018.html
The Kroger party pail is very good! We think it tastes much better than homemade and it is cheaper for us than making it. A few years ago one of my readers said she could make homemade for less, but her price for cream and milk was less than half of what we pay here, so it depends on where you live.
Liz, google “meadow tea” and you will Mennonite and Amish recipes. Most of these make a concentrate that you can then freeze and use the rest of the year. I use my mother in law’s recipe as that is what my husband likes best. It is a bit sweet for me, so I just make my own batch of unsweetened. But the sweeter version is very good. Some folks mix it with lemonade.
I am finding that my plan to eat less means shopping less which is great as I’m working diligently to spend less so I can refill the emergency fund and pay off the credit cards. Thankfully we own our vehicles!
Lemon Thyme! It’s my surprise favorite. I had a plant that overwintered last year, but didn’t come back this year. Thankfully our local nursery carried it. I bought two so that I’ll have enough to dry for non-seasonal use.
I have run out of so many things so I had a huge amount of restocking to do! I bought sugar, sweet pickles, ketchup, tomato paste, sardines, tuna, paper towels (which I use very sparingly, but still use sometimes), alum foil, peanut butter, eggs, carrots, vaseline, conditioner, toothpaste, dental floss, sun block, dish soap, mayo, garbage bags, etc. I still need to stock up on laundry detergent, evaporated milk, cans of green beans, peas, carrots, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and toilet paper, and probably some other stuff. I will probably stock up on these items in July, since I think I have enough to last me until July 1st. I just did not realize I had run out of so much stuff!
We make yogurt using an heirloom starter (https://www.culturesforhealth.com/bulgarian-yogurt-starter.html) so we don’t have to keep buying store yogurt for fresh culture every few generations. I bought this one for my husband as a birthday present about 5 years ago for ~$12, and it’s still going strong!
I use mint I’m simple syrups for mixed drinks both alcohol and non alcohol. I add it to lemonade and raspberry drink.also add it to my lemon cookies, lemon merg pies. To keep it in the winter fresh I freeze it in ice cube trays then add to apple cider and hot choc in the winter time.
Thanks! I’ll definitely give it a try again. I always look at it and notice the price is about the same or even less than what I spend on a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, and that’s when the 1/2 gallon is on sale! I refuse to buy it at the regular price of 6.99+.
Lol! I just realized I combined the comment I was going to leave on this post, with the comment I was going ro leave on the frugal accomplishments post! I’ll just tell myself it was because I was in a hurry/got distracted and had NOTHING to do with my age! ;~D
Have you tried growing Swiss chard instead of spinach? I live near Buffalo NY and it works much better for us. Spinach bolts about the minute it gets leaves! Swiss chard will go all summer long if you keep cutting the leaves regularly, and to me there is not a lot of difference in taste. Plus it’s so expensive to BUY spinach anywhere! Swiss chard cooks up tender even when the leaves are big.
I’m so sorry for your loss as well.
When I started cooking for just myself, a good friend suggested cooking at lunch time. I prepare my dinner and cook it in the middle of the day. Then wrap it up and refrigerate. I usually eat lunch while dinner is cooking in the oven. Then, at dinner time, I only have to reheat my meal.
Another friend sets her place setting for the next meal when she’s cleaning up the meal she just ate. So, for example, when she’s cleaning up breakfast, she sets the table for lunch. My adaptation was to buy two very pretty trays. One I use for lunch and the other I use for dinner.
Both of these suggestions have helped me avoid fast food or delivery meals for dinner. Hope this comment helps in some way.