Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Change In Priorities ~ Seasons Change

The tomato season has now come to an end.  The mass amounts of rain have killed off almost all of our tomato plants.  I am sure, that without the rain, we would still be getting more tomatoes.

Every time we struggle with the loss of anything in our garden, I remember the pioneers, and how they struggled.  I remember watching a Little House DVD, where the family is sitting at the table eating dinner.  Their dinner consisted of berries.  Plain berries.  No sugar, no coffee, just berries.  I remember how cheerful Charles was, and how he was counting his blessings of just having those berries to eat.

Last night I asked my husband if he thought he could go a week without any processed or pre-made foods at all, including store bread.  He said he wouldn't have time to make all that food from scratch.  Isn't it amazing how much people rely on convenience when it comes to food?

I think I may challenge the family to this challenge.  We'd be giving up store bought pretzels, bread, butter, cooking oils, and things like that.  We'd have to make bread from scratch, and I know how long a loaf of that lasts around here  (ha ha ha!).  I'll have to ask the kids if they would be up to this.

Now that the tomatoes have ended their season, my priorities have changed.  I have replaced my time with a large "to-do" list.  Yesterday I already started working on it, such as install a new toilet seat, and clean off one porch.   So much work was neglected, but with the changing of seasons, I think we can get it all done.

5 comments:

Kim said...

As always I love your posts. it made me stop and realize that as the seasons change so do the priorities. I am like you in that I was born in the wrong time period!!

Candy C. said...

I *think* I could do it EXCEPT for the butter and cooking oil! How would that work?

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I was thinking saving bacon grease from organic hog perhaps? Not sure. I could use homemade apple sauce in place of oil in baking recipes too.

Candy C. said...

Oh, and by the way, I have been making all of our bread for a couple of years now and at first, it never lasted very long but once it is just "there" all the time, it's no longer a big deal. I have actually had to feed some to the chickens recently before it went bad! LOL!!

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

I've spent the HOTTER PART of my summer days reading that whole series...and I've wondered the same thing. At one point I think it was "The Long Winter"
Ma told Pa she'd go out and look for some wild greens that may be coming up after the snow had started to melt. So they'd have something to eat. The trains had stopped running due to snow conditions. Food supplies were low.

Right now I'm making bread-- but I have the luxury of buying bread flour...but what happens when you run out?
I haven't grown any wheat lately.

You've given me food for thought; that's for sure.

enjoyed it,Pat