Category Archives: Square Food Garden

Saving on Saturday

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This week I was a lot slower than normal due to having a cold!  I spent some extra time asleep today but I was still able to accomplish a couple of things that I wanted to share.

First up I collect a gallon of tomatoes from the garden. We really enjoyed the pizza sauce that I made last Saturday so I decided to repeat the process. I used about a gallon and half of tomatoes (filled up my casserole crockpot) add some fresh oregano and basil along with a 1/2 cup of lemon juice and a tablespoon of sugar. This sauce turned out perfect!   I was able to can up 11 additional pints for future use!  I went ahead and made a fresh crust but with the ingredients all out I also made and froze two additional crust which will be nice for using during the school year.

I can tell the garden is coming to a close. So I have decided to go ahead and plan for next year. I had purchased a small green stalk planter on sale in the spring.  We used dirt from a garden bed that is currently behind the green house. This is a bed that is out of sight and out of mind so we will be moving it this fall.  I am going to use this small green stalk for attempting lettuce and spinach this fall and in the early spring..  I actually received a packet of arugula seeds that I started on the top row.   I also purchased two additional tops for my green stalk planter during the sale they had last week.

I did some research as to what type of garlic, spinach and lettuce would grow best in my area. One of the big reasons is that I have had very limited success with this in the past so I decided to try something new.  I placed an order for all three things so we shall see if they work.

I am attempting to lower the grocery budget significantly during the final four months of the year. I would love to keep this month September to less than $200.  I went through and skipped most of my subscribe and save order for the month. So far including the Amazon I have spent $106 for the month. We are starting to run low on paper products so a trip to Costco will likely occur around the first week of October which will mean at least a $500 budget for October.

EVERY BIT COUNTS!

 

Three Day Weekend- Labor Day

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Today is what most people would say the last day of summer.  Some years it feels like fall already but not this year. The temperature was around 83 *however since this is 10-15 degrees cooler than last week, it was a pleasant day to work outside. I spent alot of time trying to battle back the weeds. I got all of the blueberry bed cleared and about half of the bed on the side of the house. I also spent some time pulling weeds in the garden, removing dead things and trying to make it look a little bit better. I am actually very happy with it now.  I harvested a gallon of tomatoes and we have 14 zucchini plants that have sprouted along with two bean plants. I also found a couple of loofa sponges that are big enough to use effectively!  I am holding out hope that we get a load of zucchini and a couple more nice batches of tomatoes in the next couple of weeks.

Matt and I ended up installing a new rain barrel for the bed in the front of the house. I had also decided to remove the back barrier. I am planning to make this bed a pepper bed next year so it will not be needed and it was actually really ugly. We also placed some additional pieces of wood under the legs to help it look straighter. I also worked on some general clean up around the outside of the house and we changed the front sign from flowers to fall!

The other area that was a focus was continuing to add to the stockpile. I made a batch of salsa on Saturday and canned up four additional pints. I also made both pizza sauce and a couple of extra pizza crust today!  The canning closet is looking really full and I am thankful that even though I did not officially participate in the Every bit counts challenge. I only have less than 20 empty jars at this point.  I am very hopefully that we will be able to fill these remaining jars up with tomato products in the next month as well as start to empty some of the jars out so that we can significantly reduce the grocery budget.

I am disappointed in the fact that we are almost eight days in September and I have yet to have a no spend day.  On the bright side, we decided and scheduled a short weekend trip to Myrtle Beach in October as a time to just get away and enjoy some time together without a lot of outside demands.

Sunday Garden Update- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

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I realized that I rarely provide garden updates during the summer and fall months. The reason is probably because of how busy we usually are. However because of how excited I am about the tomatoes and the possibility of having a zucchini harvest I wanted to share. I want to say upfront that the garden has been a huge disappointment this summer. I ended up purchasing four boxes of tomatoes from the farm stand in order to get us stocked up for the winter. I think so far we have maybe 5 zucchini and yellow squash.  The weather has played a huge role as it has been extremely dry and hotter than usually. Or is this a bad garden year because I was out of town for four weeks? Guess it really does not matter!

I ended up planting 15 zucchini seeds last week in a last ditch effort to see if my seeds were bad or if I just cant grow things.  We should have enough time before our first frost but it can be a toss up as we get closer to October. Hopefully we will get some more zucchini at least we have sprouts!

Now the Good…. I am not sure of the tomato variety but they are all beautiful and we will use them all!

The garden arches have fill out and we should get some loofas from them!

The bad…

And the ugly, my front tomato beds that have already died with little results and the reason I am so excited about the volunteer tomatoes

 

Saving on Food

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This post is a little long and different than the usual things I post about saving but hang on for the story and I promise to get to the saving part at the end. Saving money is not always about finding the best deal or using the coupons but in reality it is about being a good steward of your money!

Fostering a child is a huge commitment of both time and money.  But the hardest part of the entire process is that you are expected to treat the child like your own but in reality you don’t any control. DSS is in control of his schedule and they decide when visits are without any regards for our schedule or what would work easier for the foster parents. I also have to get permission to get a hair cut but if it is not a hair cut they (either DSS or the parents) like I also get questioned about that decision.  One of the reason we decided to pursue becoming licensed foster parents was the stipend that is provided. Let me say up front it is not a huge amount nor is it the only reason we are licensed. E is a huge picky eater so groceries are expensive.  One of the huge benefits is that he is given free lunch and breakfast at school. This makes mornings easier for everyone. I should also mention that he eats breakfast every single day before we head to school as well.  While we were traveling, I read that all foster kids in NC received $120 in food stamps for the summer. This amount would definitely not cover even a month of food but it is something.  I called and asked about E’s, I was told it was mailed to the DSS office. So I called the office and was initial told “We are missing a bunch of those.” At that point I said well I have a case number and they confirmed it was mailed. After a week of back and forth, I was provided the original card which according to the date stamped on the front was received June 1st. Oh but wait, we called and reported it lost just this morning so now it will take another week or so to get another card. Finally this week I received and activated the card.
Now back to the saving part, I try to watch the Dollar General sales on soda as they have consistently been significantly cheaper.  This week, I purchased 3 12 packs of Diet Coke, and 3 12 packs of Dr. Pepper.  The Dr. Peppers work out to 33 cent each and Diet cokes are 44 cent each.  I also picked up cereal and candy on clearance as well. My receipt shows a total of $33.37 with  a savings of $32.73!  But I was able to use the sun bucks card and paid fourteen cent!  Using what God has provided is always the best option!

I made up two batches of banana bread today with the second batch canned in jars for future meals! I also made a double batch of brownies to be used a snacks and desert this week as well. Small things add up!

Saving on Saturday

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This summer has been very different for me. I have been super busy with multiple trips that lasted several weeks. I have been struggling especially since returning to work because I don’t feel I am as prepared for the school year as I want to be. Today, I was actually able to catch up and finish my cooking plans for the summer.
Several things have worked against me this summer for gardening. The weather has been very hot and we continued under a drought.  I have been able to make a couple of batches of spaghetti sauce but I knew it was not enough.  Yesterday, (Friday) I picked up two boxes of tomatoes to use. Total spent $30.
The weather actually helped me last night, because Zach’s football game was delayed by an hour, I was able to get a roaster oven full of sauce started. This morning I started a canner with one batch.  While this was processing, I went ahead and pulled out my recipe for Million Dollar Spaghetti Pie. I decided to go ahead and make four of these.  One for dinner next week and the rest for the freezer.   This was quite a process which ended up taking most of the day.
I am pleased to say that I was able to finish both projects!  The spaghetti shelf is full at least 26 quarts which is one every other week. And we have three more meals in the freezer.
Matt spent some time outside pulling weeds from our playground area, he was able to finish this task, spray with weed killer and apply a weed prohibitor.  We also repositioned the old freezer to use as a storage unit for the chickens.
Matt also was able to reconnect lights in Easton room and fixed the outside lights as well!
Lots of little things add up!

Saving on Saturday

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I knew from the beginning of summer that I would not be able to participate in the “Every Bit Counts Challenge” due to being in Florida for the first two weeks. However I am so excited to report that after arriving back home on Wednesday, I have been able to make and can 10 quarts and 2 pints of spaghetti sauce as well as we enjoy a meal with the sauce.
On Friday, I purchased a case of canning tomatoes from the local farm stand.  Saturday, I spent about 6 hours along with some help from Matt making salsa. I successfully canned 36 pints and 1 quart of salsa. I also have 2 quarts of salsa in the fridge as well. I am hopefully that this is going to be a years supply.   Depending on how busy I get I may try to do at least the same amount again but I need to get my years supply of spaghetti sauce first!
I am so excited for the small steps that I have been able to make this week!

 

Summer Goal Update

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Today is Monday and I attempt to post a menu plan most Mondays. However this week we have VBS at church and are provided dinner every evening. A whole week of not having to decide what is for dinner is so heavenly! The focus for lunches this week will be to clean out the refrigerator. With the traveling I will be doing in the next couple of weeks, I like to not come home to science experiments.  I decided this would be a good time to update on my Summer goals.

1. Make and order 8 photo books. 2 have been printed and have arrived!  I have a third that I am working on. This is a long process. 
2.  Read a total of 8 books. I have read 1 book this summer but I have the other 7 in the camper for our beach trip.  
3. Make and freeze 12 baked ziti’s. Completed 7/9/2026
4. Make and freeze 6 million dollar spaghetti pies. This may actually not happen this summer due to we only have 1 jar of spaghetti sauce left after I made the baked zitis.  I am hopefully that we will have a giant tomato harvest if not I will start purchasing canner boxes of tomato and make both spaghetti and salsa after returning to work. 
5. Make and freeze 6 pans of chicken enchiladas. Goal met 6/19/2026.
6. Either walk or exercise 3 times a week for at least 8 weeks. I am struggling with this goal as my knee is really bothering me. I have walked at least 6 times this summer but not anywhere near my goal. 
7. Make and freeze 6 taco pastas. goal met 6/19/2026
8. Make and freeze 6 chicken, broccoli rice casseroles. goal met 6/19/2026
9. Changing this to make it fit the overall purpose.  Have 100 ready to heat meals in the freezer.   We currently have 75 prepared dinner meals with additional breakfasts already in the freezer so I am hopeful to complete this before September.

5 Things Friday

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  1. Found Money- I think that I am usually really good at keeping track of my money.  I usually try not to let anybody keep my money without interest.  However this week, I have discovered that two separate business, held my money for over a year. First is the dentist office.  All three kids had dentist appointments two weeks ago. They are all old enough to go without me. Zach did call me and say that he needed more fluoride toothpaste and then text to say that I did not need to pay because he had a credit on his account. When I got time I called and this week they called me back.  Not only does he have a credit but Lily also has a credit from 2024. In thirty days I am expecting a check for $681.99.  The second found money is from a car service plan.  We purchased several service plans when I bought my car.  When reviewing one we realized that I paid for a battery in November 2025 that was covered under a service plan. I made Several phone calls and should receive $299 back in a matter of weeks. $980 found this week.
  2. I am trying an experiment. Our clothes have gotten increasingly wrinkled to the point I really need to iron even the t-shirts.  I hate ironing!  So instead I am currently hanging our outer clothes on the line to dry. If this works, I will do the last several times we wash clothes this summer. It will be hard to do when I go back to work but I am hoping it works well enough to stop or eliminate the need to iron right now.
  3. This summer has been extremely hot and dry!  We have been struggling to keep up with the demand of water.  After seeing the dead and sun burnt plants, I made the decision to pull out all my squash and green beans and replant.   We have gotten very little from these plants and I had the extra seeds. I am hoping that this works if not then I really have only just wasted time!
  4. We are starting to get some cherry tomatoes from the garden!  They are small but good!
  5. I ended up going to Cherry hill farm to purchase a box of canning tomatoes to make Baked Ziti with. My summer break going so fast that I realized that if I did not get the ziti made this week it probably would not get done. $15 for the tomatoes was cheaper and better than buying jarred sauce.

5 Things Friday

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  1. We are currently experiencing a heat wave with temperatures between 95-100 and feel like temperatures between 105 and 110 degrees. We are also continuing  to experience extreme drought conditions. We have a watering system for most of our square foot gardens but it really cant keep up with the heat and drought conditions. I am not sure how much produce we will be getting.
  2. Matt was able to find a couple of small cherry tomatoes and we have gotten a couple of cucumbers and several squash. I am disappointed but we continue to try and definitely use what we get1
  3. Because of the holiday (fourth of July) occurring on Saturday, Matt and Lily both were off today! Kendall worked today but is off the weekend and so is Zach. We enjoyed a rare treat of pizza for dinner since we were all home for dinner.
  4. Matt and I spent a large part of the day cleaning the house. With all the kids working just about every day, I am struggling to keep up with the daily chores and have not been able to keep the house to a clean level that I wanted. It feels awesome to have the whole house clean!
  5. I am continuing to work on adding food to the freezer!  I was able to make two additional meals of stuffed shells this week.  I have also added several options for breakfast will continuing to use up the eggs!

Another busy but productive week.

Summer Goal Update

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In order to stay accountable, I need to make a weekly update on what I have been able to do!

This week is likely one of the slowest of the summer, keeping this in mind, I have been focused on making specific progress toward the goals.

One big thing that we accomplished this week that was not on the list was cleaning out the master closet. Matt and I reduced our closet by HALF!

This week I was able to pick about half a gallon of blueberries from the garden. Matt make blueberry muffins last night and the rest were frozen for future use.

1. Make and order 8 photo books. I have made one complete book on Shutterfly from our cruise. I am waiting for a good sale before ordering.  
2.  Read a total of 8 books. No progress this week. 
3. Make and freeze 12 baked ziti’s
4. Make and freeze 6 million dollar spaghetti pies
5. Make and freeze 6 pans of chicken enchiladas. I actually purchased 4 chickens at Costco to make this easier and the cheapest as well!  We now have 6 in the freezer and one for dinner next week!  Goal met 6/19/2026.
6. Either walk or exercise 3 times a week for at least 8 weeks. No progress on this week. I have not been outside much at all this week with lots of kitchen progress. 
7. Make and freeze 6 taco pastas.  I was able to make 6 taco pasta and we ended up freezing 5 of these. I am going to count this as goal met 6/19/2026
8. Make and freeze 6 chicken, broccoli rice casseroles. I was able to make 6 chicken broccoli casseroles. and we ended up freezing 5 of these. I am going to count this as goal met 6/19/2026
9. Make at least 50 meatballs and freeze.  This one is a little tricky but I wanted a place to record this. I made and froze 6 meals of Salisbury steaks this week. When I made the list I did not realize we were out of Salisbury steaks so that is the reason it was not included.