Runamuck Ranch

My Favorite Carpet Powder

My very favorite carpet powder is baking soda with a few drops of essential oil mixed in an old extra large Lawry's seasoned salt bottle from Costco.  It deodorizes, has no harmful chemicals, and does not set off my asthma.  

I usually fill the jar a 1/3 with baking soda and add a few drops of oil, repeating the layers until full and then give it a good shake to mix.  My favorite mixture of oils is rosemary and lavender.  Sometimes with a bit of pine oil as well. 

I sprinkle it on the carpets about 15 minutes before vacuuming.  This mixture can also be used as a scouring powder.  Especially fun and foamy when rinsed with vinegar and water.

Minister of Simplicity

Rhonda at Down to Earth has written a very thought provoking post on the economy.  After reading her post I think I will accept my new position as Minister of Simplicity of Runamuck Ranch.

Incremental Frugality

I think it is better to look at frugality as a practice rather than a destination.  For those who are suddenly having to cut back their spending it can be quite overwhelming and discouraging to try to do every thing at once.  For those who have been living frugally for awhile it is hard to find more to cut or to stay motivated.

One thing I do is to set a daily minimum goal.  For instance, each day I will try to do just one thing that will save money.  I find that this helps me to keep focus, be more creative, and isn't such a huge proposition such as the ominous and general "we have to cut back."  Even though one thing seems small, all the little one things turn into a powerful force over time without causing us to crash and burn with the burden.  It takes time to learn new skills and new ways of doing and thinking.  

On the busiest days, it might be something as simple as cutting fabric softener sheets in half or thirds to make them last longer.  On a day with hours of time it might be planting a garden, cooking ahead, or reworking life insurance.

While I often look at other's tips for saving, it is usually the ones I come up with for my own circumstances that work the best.  Concentrating on one thing at a time allows me to develop my skills and creativity.  Often times the biggest barrier to saving is lack of planning and preparation.

Also, while not a new thought, so many things we can do to save our own resources are really very good for our world's resources.  Instead of thinking of something as used think recycled and in line with my values.  So many of the things we don't need are produced in ways that are so harmful to our  country and our world.  I would much rather repurpose something from Salvation Army to help feed the hungry than buy something cheap from China and fuel oppressive government.

So anyway, try setting a goal of one savings a day and see if it doesn't change your pattern of living, make you more mindful,  and cut your expenses.  Of course if you are on a roll you can always do more.  I just like to keep my goal low so I do not have failure days and can revel in being an overachiever on others.

Today I saved by 

• cutting my dryer sheets in half and,
• making two extra from scratch cheese pizzas for the freezer so I will not be tempted by my December weakness of takeout food.

Read other frugal tips at Biblical Womanhood

65 Pints of Green Tomato Salsa & 21 Half Pints of Green Chili

What started out as just seeing how many green tomatoes were left on my last lone tomato plant turned into 65 Cups of green tomatoes ....

This was a cool season tomato variety planted in July.  It did not start to produce until just lately, but I was afraid a freeze would ruin the fruit before it ripened.

There were even more chilies.....

All this made a very giant pot of Green Tomato Salsa ...

Tired and neglected children who finally curled up to sleep under a tree while their mother canned until midnight....

The Farmer took pity on me and helped me process all the jars.  Here is some of the fruit of our labor...

Because I had to purchase some onions, cilantro, cumin, and lemon juice the salsa cost 53 cents per jar.  Still a good value compared to store bought especially considering how much better it tastes.  The cost of the green chilies was free.  The chilies came up from saved seed and only required my garden labor.  Definitely a savings on something I use a lot in my cooking.

Cream Soup Mix

My dear farmgirl friend gave me a huge amount of mushrooms today which I am dehydrating.  I began to wonder about making homemade cream of mushroom soup.  I seem to use alot of it in the winter for casseroles and crockpot recipes.

After consulting my trusty The Complete Tightwad Gazette which is one of my favorite frugal and homemade resources I found this recipe for cream soup mix...

• 2 Cups dry milk
• 1 1/4 Cups cornstarch, or 2 1/2 Cups flour
• 1/4 Cup chicken bouillon powder
• 2 T dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme (optional)
• 1 teaspoon basil (optional)

Mix all ingredients, and store in airtight container.  If the mix is made with cornstarch, add 1/3 cup mix to 1 1/4 cups water; if made with flour, add 1/2 cup mix to 1 1/4 cups water.  This makes a concentrated casserole consistency.  For soup consistency, double the water.

I am assuming I can delete the chicken bouillon or reduce it and add dried mushrooms.  I think I might add garlic powder to the mix.

I compared this recipe to the ingredients on the back of a store canned cream of mushroom soup and it is quite the chemical cocktail.  I am sure it is more expensive as well.

Homemade Moisturizing Body Scrub

As the dry season is upon us I am mixing up a batch of scrub.  This is my favorite recipe for scrub and it works better than any I have bought, is more economical, and the scent can be personalized.

• Get a plastic jar like an old peanut butter or mayonnaise jar or you can buy a fancy one at a whole foods store. 
• Fill jar 3/4 with either a combination of coarse salt and regular salt, or if this is irritating to your skin then use a combo of turbinado sugar and regular sugar.
• Fill remaining space in jar with sweet almond oil available in the grocery store.
• Add essential oil for scent or add a few drops of your favorite perfume for scent.

Use a tablespoon in the shower to exfoliate and moisturize your skin.  What is great about almond oil is that it soaks into your skin and does not just lay on top like petroleum based oils.  If you want to be really fancy you can add some grape seed oil to the mix for some extra antioxidant properties.

When I was expecting  the children this stuff saved my skin because it works and I was pretty much allergic to everything else. 

Eggs Dirt Cheap

My dear friend loves chickens.  She also is setting up a new garden so we bartered fresh eggs for some our farm's lovely black compost from the pit.  These eggs are almost too pretty to use.  They have wonderful yellow yolks and taste amazing.  Best of all I know that the chickens that produced these eggs were fed healthy food, completely spoiled rotten, and the eggs were gently gathered and kept fresh.  How do you know chickens are  spoiled rotten?  They have their own chicken pagoda, name signs, a covered wagon, are cuddled, and hand fed. 

Perhaps one of the blessings that may come of the current economic downturn is that people may look to locally grown and made goods.  Begin bartering goods and services and making and growing their own as much as possible with the benefits of a healthier life, community and nation.

Corn Cob Doll

Boo and I are reading the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We made two corn cob dolls following the directions in the 

My Little House Crafts Book: 18 Projects from Laura Ingalls Wilder's (Little House) 

It was very authentic as we picked the corn from my garden, ate some for lunch, and used two ears for the project.  Boo named hers Laura (pictured).  Caboodle destroyed hers, tried to eat the cob, gave up, and has been using the cob as a light saber.  Still fun and a much better weapon than the green bean she was brandishing last week. 

Boo really liked this project.  It really struck me how spoiled we are in this age.  I don't know of any children who have a corn cob doll as their only toy.  However, this would have been common in pioneer days.  It also struck me how creative pioneer moms were to make do and still create a little treat for their children even when they were running on not much more than the barest basics to survive.

A New Life for Cashmere

I found this 100% cashmere sweater thrifting for a $1.50.  It is a ladies size large and had a couple of holes in it.  I washed it and put it in dryer which shrunk it down to Boo's size (girls 10) and then took acrylic baby yarn and embroidered these simple flowers over the holes and on some other spots as well.  OK, it was a bit addictive and I just had to stop adding flowers.  Anyway this is the third cashmere sweater I have been able to find so cheaply and shrink/repair for Boo.  The really great part is it is now a wash and wear cashmere.

f you would like more frugal ideas check out Crystal's blog at Biblical Womanhood.

In A Pickle

The cucumbers are abundant.  The Farmer loves cold dill pickles and so I have been canning fresh pack dill pickles like crazy. 

Two books I rely on heavily for accurate canning information are

Complete Guide to Home Canning, Preserving and Freezing
and the
Ball Blue Book of Preserving

After pricing dill pickles at the store for $4.20 a jar  these superior pickles seem worth doing.  Besides, I know what is in them and that they were grown and prepared cleanly, safely, and of course with love.

 
A couple of dill pickle tips.  If you like your pickles less sweet the amount of sugar can be safely reduced. And, if the cucumbers are a bit long, use quart jars and if they are shorter use pints.  In the Ball Blue Book the processing time was the same for both.