Weighing in on Tomatoes

Jul 21, 2010 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Gardening, Grocery Challenge, saving money

This year, I’ve decided that I will weigh all of the tomatoes that are growing in my little garden. So far, early in the tomato picking season, I have picked:

598 grams or 1lb. 3oz. It’s a start!

July 26th, 2010: New TOTAL

2 kilos 898 grams or 6 lbs 3 oz. Making gazpacho today!

July 31st, 2010: New TOTAL (so far)

5 kilos 598 grams or  12lbs. 3 oz.

August 3rd, 2010: New TOTAL (so far)

9 kilos 253 grams or 20lbs. 3oz

August 7th 2010: New Total

16kilos 624 grams or 36lbs 12.5 oz

I’ve planted 4 varieties this year:

Roma

Muchamiel

3 cantos

cherry

Starting my tomato plants

Jan 14, 2010 by pearsonsprogress    2 Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Gardening, Grocery Challenge, saving money

I’ve started 2 trays of tomato seeds.  Can you see the 2 tiny little sprouts? One in a plum tomato and the other a large tomato called ‘muchamiel’  and these tomatoes have red bottoms and green tops. Last year the only ones that did well, were the cherry tomatoes, of which I will plant more of this year too.  I had cherry tomatoes until December! All we needed was a few everyday! Also, I save all the containers our meat comes in from the market and use these to start my seeds in.

Our food budget and saving anyway I can!

Sep 21, 2008 by pearsonsprogress    No Comments    Posted under: Blogroll, Grocery Challenge

My blessings for this week: I am so humbled by the Lords goodness and generosity in my life!

Between the high cost of European living, the bad exchange rate, the expenses of our ministry, and upcoming commitments I am looking for ways to make every cent count. I depend on the Lord to inspire me and teach me.

I would challenge anyone to write down and take note of what comes in their lives. It’s a blessed exercise.

• Our kids Anita and Neil, sent us a bag of goodies with a friend of ours who visited them in France. We especially liked the kids drawings.
• Our friend Joye, sent a a fun box of really useful items. I immediately, changed my toothbrush to the new one, took the soaps she sent and the hand-soap (it’s really neat stuff that comes out foamy! Wild eh?) with us to the village. She included office goodies and things I have to buy but hate spending cash on! These items will save a bundle and extend my grocery funds. Love it!
  
• We were walking in the village yesterday and an old guy was kind enough to give us a bottle of wine for cooking that he made. It’s quite cloudy but I will find a use for it!
• Ana gave me a canister of diet malt and 2 “diet/health teas” which she just couldn’t stomach. I thought I could drink the diet malt/substitute but it tasted SO BAD that I had to chase it with a handful of peanuts to take the taste out of my mouth!! HAHAHA. She did warn me. The teas taste”ok”. We have this guy in our church (Swiss) who sold this stuff to them (it is a German product). We had Ana and Angel for pizza last week and we had plenty of good laughs over this! That’s a blessing!
• A friend of ours who wrote a book sent it to us! I’ll have to write my review of it when I’m finished.
• Our friends Inigo and Elena, brought us cookies and a sachet from France!
• our neighbor Juan, in San Martin brought us a bucket of figs.
  

I was able to make 5 jars of fig conserve (with nuts).

My menus for this week:

* this week will be interesting as I don’t intend to spend anything! I am out of all fresh vegetables except for lettuce. I also am using the lettuce from the pots I planted here in the village. I have 4 small potatoes in the fridge for the soup. I will market on Monday the 29th. I will spend up to 15 euros…less if I can!

Monday-1st plate: lentil soup & bread, 2nd plate: pork chops with mushroom gravy, rice, salad

Tuesday-1st plate: potato-cheese soup & bread, 2nd plate: tacos with ground beef, Mexican rice, salad

Wednesday-1st plate: lentil soup & bread, 2nd plate: hamburger patties, pasta with tomato sauce, peas

Thursday-1st plate: cream of tomato soup (homemade from last summers tomatoes) & bread, 2nd plate: chicken legs, polenta, canned peas (i just found in the cupboard)

Friday-1st plate: potato-cheese soup & bread, 2nd plate: German sausages, leftover Mexican rice, salad

Saturday- We leave the village today and head back to Madrid. I’ll pack a lunch as usual: grilled cheese sandwiches, is on the menu to hold us over until we get home. We rarely eat out and we just want to get back, unpack and settle in again.

Sunday-We’ll be in Madrid today so after church I will serve the roasted whole (30% off) that was baking while at church. 1st plate: leftover tomato soup, reinvented with some Thai curry spice, 2nd plate: Roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, brussel sprouts (in the freezer).

For breakfasts, John eats leftovers or I make a couple of batches of pancakes that he eats for several days. Last week I made two batches, one regular and one with nuts. These are good with my homemade jams. I have been eating a Special K bar each morning that our Jesseka sent to me. They “hold me over” and are easy since I am not a big breakfast eater.

For suppers, we eat a sandwich, or an egg with toast, or a salad.

How does my garden grow?

Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herbgardens planted at private residences in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom during World War I & World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil “morale booster” — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labour and rewarded by the produce grown. Making victory gardens became a part of daily life on the home front.

I’m away from my little garden (MY VICTORY GARDEN) I planted in Madrid, but I did set the water timer to water every 8 hours for 3 mins. I’m enjoying watching them grow. I planted some cilantro seeds that my folks sent to me and the lettuce is in too. I am trying for plant a few lettuce seeds every week so I will not have to buy any more at the market. I figure I need 1 head of lettuce every 4 days.  At the average price of $1.24 USD (.89 euro cents) that comes to (if my figures are correct) $112.14 USD per year  savings! Just on lettuce! While here in the village, I have started some more broccoli plants in some egg cartons as well as a pot of lettuce.