Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Klapton]

On the farm where I worked as a kid, tied to the pipe that led to the spicket we used for washing up was a nylon stocking with soap slivers in it.

[gooch]

If you have a freecycle in your area get on it.  You can request or find so much amazing stuff.  We have gotten (still in the package) chicken wire, weed eaters, chickens (live ones!), videos, books, homeschooling materials, and building supplies.

 Also I always post for unwanted garden produce in growing season.  I post something like "in search of fruit to pick".  Last year we had a bumper crop of cherries in our area and I canned over 40 quarts!  This was all for free from someone who had a tree. Surprisingly they had no worms.   I wasn't sure we would like the texture but they were so good!  I also got apples, apricots, and pears this way.

Then I make fruit syrup from them after we finish the fruit in the jar.  You just add some more sugar and boil down until it reaches the consistency you want.  Great on pancakes.

We get really cheap firewood from local joist companies.  They have left over odd cut pieces from 1 to 3 feet long.  This is kiln dried 2 by 4s and 2 by 6's.  It stacks great of course and burns really hot and not too fast.  We can get a truck load for about $25.00 or sometimes free.  Especially in the summer when no one else is getting wood from them.

My biggest money saver is yard sales.  With 4 small kids buying clothes is a major expense.  And it will kill you to see your 5 year old get a hole in that brand new pair of jeans the first day they wear them.  Our kids are really active and outdoors all the time so I hate spending money on clothes they are going to get holes in.  I am able to clothe my family in new looking brand names by yardsaleing and going to the thrift stores for 1/4 of the price of crappy WalMart clothes. 

This last week we got a great condition brand name lawn mower with a bag for $70.00 and a hardwood rocking chair in new condition for $5.00

Also try craigslist, most of the stuff is much cheaper than buying at the thrift stores.

Keep an eye on the local paper as well.
I scored a 10 X 10 storage unit that had been abandoned for only $20 FRN's.

It is nearly half stuffed animals which sell well and usually only take a little brushing to clean up enough to sell.

[I always warn the folks to "sanitize it" before giving it to the kids.]

Yard sale/ garage sale/ storage unit sales is my only "Real" income at present.


stay safe

[amagi]

My grandmother, who made all her own lye soap, always had one of these bags around so that each bit of soap would be used thoroughly.

Not two days after I read this, I discovered my son had wrapped a crocheted cotton washcloth around a bar of soap to scrub his dirty feet.  Great minds and all that.

[padre29]

Instructive story of how to turn the backyard garden surplus into barter or cash:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/21/business/la-fi-homegrown-20100521

"Every day, every week, it's something new," Takayama said. "You name it, they have it."

Since the economy took a dive three years ago, Takayama and others say they've seen more and more people showing up unannounced at restaurants, local markets and small retailers, looking to sell what they've foraged or grown in their backyards.

No one keeps track of the number of people selling their homegrown bounty, but scores of ads have cropped up on Craigslist across the country, hawking local produce, home-filtered honey and backyard eggs.

One Los Angeles resident with a lemon tree posted an offering on Craigslist to let customers "save over 50% over Vons, Ralphs, etc. $1.00/pound." At the Orange County Swap Meet, officials said the number of people selling home-canned beans and other homemade edibles grew to 30 vendors this month, up from eight vendors in early 2007.

In the South, hunters are selling venison and wild boar meat. In the Midwest, people are combing the forests for morel mushrooms, which can fetch $10 to $40 a pound.

A good reason to grow higher value items in one's garden, there will be a market for them if there is a surplus.

[Klapton]

Instructive story of how to turn the backyard garden surplus into barter or cash:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/21/business/la-fi-homegrown-20100521

"Every day, every week, it's something new," Takayama said. "You name it, they have it."

Since the economy took a dive three years ago, Takayama and others say they've seen more and more people showing up unannounced at restaurants, local markets and small retailers, looking to sell what they've foraged or grown in their backyards.

No one keeps track of the number of people selling their homegrown bounty, but scores of ads have cropped up on Craigslist across the country, hawking local produce, home-filtered honey and backyard eggs.

One Los Angeles resident with a lemon tree posted an offering on Craigslist to let customers "save over 50% over Vons, Ralphs, etc. $1.00/pound." At the Orange County Swap Meet, officials said the number of people selling home-canned beans and other homemade edibles grew to 30 vendors this month, up from eight vendors in early 2007.

In the South, hunters are selling venison and wild boar meat. In the Midwest, people are combing the forests for morel mushrooms, which can fetch $10 to $40 a pound.

A good reason to grow higher value items in one's garden, there will be a market for them if there is a surplus.

This is so encouraging, it simply MUST be pissing someone off.  Watch as the controllers and the Big Ag that own them crack down.  We can't have free people participating in a free market.  Not in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  What's next?  Bake sales without a permit?

[padre29]

Instructive story of how to turn the backyard garden surplus into barter or cash:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/21/business/la-fi-homegrown-20100521

"Every day, every week, it's something new," Takayama said. "You name it, they have it."

Since the economy took a dive three years ago, Takayama and others say they've seen more and more people showing up unannounced at restaurants, local markets and small retailers, looking to sell what they've foraged or grown in their backyards.

No one keeps track of the number of people selling their homegrown bounty, but scores of ads have cropped up on Craigslist across the country, hawking local produce, home-filtered honey and backyard eggs.

One Los Angeles resident with a lemon tree posted an offering on Craigslist to let customers "save over 50% over Vons, Ralphs, etc. $1.00/pound." At the Orange County Swap Meet, officials said the number of people selling home-canned beans and other homemade edibles grew to 30 vendors this month, up from eight vendors in early 2007.

In the South, hunters are selling venison and wild boar meat. In the Midwest, people are combing the forests for morel mushrooms, which can fetch $10 to $40 a pound.

A good reason to grow higher value items in one's garden, there will be a market for them if there is a surplus.

This is so encouraging, it simply MUST be pissing someone off.  Watch as the controllers and the Big Ag that own them crack down.  We can't have free people participating in a free market.  Not in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  What's next?  Bake sales without a permit?

To me, they won't sweat the veggies as they are lower markup items for the most part, mushrooms and herbs being the exception, but meat products such as venison sausage or wild hog?

That would warrant a SWAT raid.

[padre29]

I like this sort of recipe as it takes basic ingredients and gussies them up:

1/2C shredded zucchini
2 egg
3/4C buttermilk
1 1/4C cornmeal
1/2C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2t baking soda
3/4t salt
1/4C butter - room temp

__________________________

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, add buttermilk.  Add zucchini.

In a food processor with blade:  pulse to combine all dry ingredients.  Cut butter into small pieces and add.  Pulse until it’s all incorporated.

Add dry to wet mixture and combine.

Grease a bread pan, pour it in.

375°—45 min or until a toothpick goes in firm and comes out mostly dry, and surface is golden brown.

Zucchini is a sort of weed of a veggie, so if you can make cornbread with it, by all means.

My favorite Zucchini tip is to cut them into spears, remove the centers, and then place into pickle jars with the pickling juice, add vinegar if the liquid is half gone.

[Clip Johnson]

Thanks for the zucchini tips Padre29. I will soon have them coming out my ears and was hoping to find some interesting ways to use them as well as prepare them for long term storage.

[padre29]

Thanks for the zucchini tips Padre29. I will soon have them coming out my ears and was hoping to find some interesting ways to use them as well as prepare them for long term storage.

You know..

Fried Zucchini is quite tastee.

6 ounces of pasta, uncooked
1 package fresh basil, chopped or 1 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon  of Big Chief sugar
1/4 cup of part-skim Ricotta Cheese
2 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, grated
1 medium zucchini, cut in circles
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 teaspoon of salt, (optional)   


Prepare pasta as directed on the package. Rinse and drain. Cover and set aside. In food processor or a blender process basil, oil, garlic and sugar. Blend in parmesan and ricotta. Set aside. Place zucchini in large casserole dish and add water. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Drain. Stir in pasta and cheese mixture. Garnish with tomatoes. Salt to taste.

Most folks who grow Zuc's also grow Tomatoes, so this one makes sense.

For me, if I had a mess o' Zucchini, if pickling still left some over, I'd probably chop them up and make frittatas and Summer Salads out of them with pasta, just add in season veggies and spiral pasta and herbs like oregano and maybe cilantro and just have cold salad all summer long as a side dish.

http://basic-recipes.com/veget/zucchini.htm

[Clip Johnson]

Yeeah, I have to agree the fried zucchini are pretty darn good.

The pasta salad looks quite tasty, but what in the sam hill is "Big Chief sugar"?

One other thing, if you don't mind, when pickling the zucchini, what type of pickle juice are you fond of using? Seems like the regular ole dill pickle juice would work nicely. I've just never tried that, but certainly will give it a go.

[dubber308]

I like grilled zucchini. Half inch slices coated with olive oil or butter, garlic salt, pepper, thrown on a grill with a medium-high fire, and topped with parmesan cheese and a little fresh basil. 

[Yuki]

My family makes Chocolate Zucchini bread. It is more of a desert than a bread tho'. I'll have to dig out the recipe 4 u guys.

[padre29]

Yeeah, I have to agree the fried zucchini are pretty darn good.

The pasta salad looks quite tasty, but what in the sam hill is "Big Chief sugar"?

One other thing, if you don't mind, when pickling the zucchini, what type of pickle juice are you fond of using? Seems like the regular ole dill pickle juice would work nicely. I've just never tried that, but certainly will give it a go.

Regular old pickle juice works fine, but keep in mind you are refermenting/pickling them so they have to sit up for a time.

As for "Big Chief sugar"..have no idea.

[padre29]

I like grilled zucchini. Half inch slices coated with olive oil or butter, garlic salt, pepper, thrown on a grill with a medium-high fire, and topped with parmesan cheese and a little fresh basil. 

Certainly the thing with Zucchinis is one has to find creative ways to use the things.

2 small cloves garlic
Olive oil, for sauteing
1 medium zucchini
1/2 bunch basil
8 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions

Preheat the broiler.

Start by crushing some garlic and heating it in some olive oil in a medium nonstick saute pan on the stove. While that is heating up, very thinly slice the zucchini on a mandoline. When the oil and garlic are heated, tear some basil into the pan and add all the sliced zucchini. Cook until the zucchini is tender, but not cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Blend eggs in a blender with a little bit of milk and some salt and pepper. Blend on the highest speed.

Pour the egg mixture into saute pan and let it sit for 1 minute. When there isn't much loose egg left in the pan, grate some Parmesan on top and place pan in the broiler for 1 minute.

Take pan out of broiler, let it cool and set in pan for 5 minutes. When cool invert a plate on top of pan and turn over. Slice and serve.

Which makes a hearty, if meatless meal.

Zucchini also shines in soups such as minestrone, the key is to remove that spongy center of the veggie.

It also works well in a Kelbasa stir fry along with onions and cabbage.

[padre29]

Zuc's are a sort of settled thing for me at least, now the real save a buck recipes use cheaper cuts of meat such as organ meats as well as tougher portions of game animals such as deer thighs and game animals that are rarely eaten such as pike.

For me, if I had some tough old deer haunches, I'd look at them like Briskett and either BBQ them, or maybe pressure cook them.

Pike can be mixed with instant mashed potatoes and fried to make fishballs...which are yummy.

Organ meats like liver, kidney, brains, and hearts and tripe...I got nothing..seriously waaay outside of what I know how to cook.

My only thought would be to soak the liver or kidneys in buttermilk or vinegar and herbs as they do not have the cellular structure of cuts of meat.