Danggit...Sidetracked.

Sidetracked. I was really just gonna get a few ingredients to do a wonton soup video. Then I looked at the paper and saw "Large Tomatoes 3lbs/$1 - limit 6 lbs"

Then I looked at a recipe on pickyourown.org and I thought why shouldn't I make my own ketchup...My youtube buddies have really been pointing out how sinister and poisonous it is to eat out of plastic. So I ran my little sister to the eye doctor (can't have her driving around town with dilated eyes right), then we stopped by Food City and hit them up for the 3lbs/$1 deal. Of course it is limit 6lbs so we were planning on walking out and walking back in. But my little sister told me let's just bag up another 12 lbs and then we'll just walk around and get back in line. LOL. Well the cashier just laughed at us and said I'll just ring them separately for you!

AWESOME.

I had also picked up 6lbs before getting home. So I had about 28-29 lbs of tomatoes. for under 10 bucks. Terrific right. Truth be told it would actually be cheaper to buy it. According to this recipe - 25 lbs of tomatoes will only make 7 pints of ketchup. We'll see.
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We also stopped by Costco today. The swiffer stuff was all $3 off. The foodsaver box of bags was 12 bucks off ($8 coupon +$4 manufacturer instant rebate), organic diced tomato buy one case get one free, log cabin syrup (no HFCS) 2 for $6. They also have these fabulous nordicware made in US sheet pans for less than 20 bucks.

I tell you what the general feeling in the air is one of anger, irritation and fear. I don't know how else to put it. I just get that feeling when I'm in the stores and people look absolutely stunned at prices and how little their money is purchasing. We Americans have been very spoiled for many many decades and most of us for all of our lives. There has always been incredible availability - and people come here from all over the world and MARVEL at how easily and inexpensively we buy food. The ratio of income to food has always been really low here - meaning regardless of how little you made you could always eat on some level and treat yourself to good steaks occasionally. The rest of the world has always had a high ratio income to high ratio food cost which means that even people who make good money can't always buy the volume or quality of food they want it just means they don't go hungry.

In the last few years and especially during the last year people have really felt the punch of food prices. The crazy thing about food prices is that once the prices go up - they STAY up. There is no way that I will see a pound of butter for $1.79 again. Not as a regular price without a coupon. American Greed will not let the teeter totter. I look at people and really ask myself - how could they NOT be stunned into action, into putting something away, into cutting back on stupid habits like fast food and starbucks. It's a personal choice of course and they can run butt naked holding chopsticks in their ass cleavage --- but unfortunately such recklessness affects us all.

And don't even get me started on how toxic all that shit in plastic is ANYWAY...

Nonetheless, I will keep on keepin' on.

School is going really well. I think I may be a little smarter than I thought because I am grasping things in a reflexive manner. I am actually sometimes surprised at how I grasp things because the answers fly out of my mouth or I can throw out a 1 page paper in under 10 minutes and move onto other assignments. I try to stay humble and just be quiet.

There is a girl in my math class who was also in my math class last semester. Well this girl and I were always "competing" on test days. When I got 100 she got a 96. When she got a 100 I would have a 94 and we went on like that back and forth all semester. So I never did see her after the final. So I asked her What did you get on your final in that last class? She said Oh I didn't do so well. I said how could you not do well - you never scored lower than a 92 on the tests? She said that she cheated. CHEATED!!! I said how could you possibly cheat? She said she had taken the same teacher 2x before and he let everyone keep their tests - and after failing twice she finally just started memorizing the formulas and answers. I WAS HORRIFIED. I will not lie but I do not look at her the same as when I thought she studied like I did. Well when this class started she sat in the back right corner. I sit in the front of hard classes because I will pay maximum attention and not waste my time. She did not sit by me - a crazy serial killer looking lady sat by me. The next time we came to class the crazy lady was gone, and 2 pretty girls sat by me and the cheater (someone had taken her seat)...I feel so bad for her everyday - to watch her struggle. The other 2 girls have a real grasp of math or strive to grasp it - the cheater girl is just dog-paddling in water full of sharks. It's sad.

Oh yeah, 2 days ago I was trying to sell 2 of my group mates on coming over so I could teach them to can and make bread. I told them i make .... and .... and ... All they heard was salsa - well the professor heard and she said I would like some salsa. So i brought her some. She is from Poland and as a European understands that food is better from glass than plastic. I tell you what she was so happy she gave me a hug and said OH my kids and I are going to enjoy this tonight and we talked about how when we leave the country we find ourselves gorging on fruits and veggies. LOL. I told her in the Philippines the peanut butter is still put in glass jars and the biggest one you can buy is 6 oz.

Sigh. It is horrifying that I am relieved to have preps!

Burnt the *bleep* Out...

Last week was just OUT of control at school. It was the last week of my 8 week psychology class and full throttle for my 5 wk english class, with a midterm in math and a test in Bioethics and Philosophy. Plus it was the week before Spring Break so every instructor was slamming you so they didn't have much to grade over the week or they were off to Europe.

The good news is - after all that aggravation and loss of sleep I have all A's. Can you believe it? Including MATH - all A's. I did put in the work but it was nice to finally see it. So the good news is at least all I have to do is maintain my grades. Oh and this transvestite looking girl was trying to HIGH SIDE and SHOWOFF that they got a 93 in philosophy, I laughed and said yeah so did we and we don't have a 3rd in our group. Then the Math instructor handed back the Math tests and he told me,"looks like you have the highest grade in the class - 95% for the test and the class" I turned around and looked at transvestite girl and said what'd you get? And she didn't say anything.

Now normally , I don't judge people on their looks -- but...she's annoying. She spends the entire class talking in this whiny crying little voice about her makeup, her hump buddies, or whatever and then she' GIGANTIC - i mean like a viking chick not like fat - and I am waiting for her to throw me like a discus in the Olympics yet she insists on talking in this little girl voice. See that's what you get. Keep talking about that stuff while I pay attention.


<-- so this was my weekly take last week. 20 bucks. the pasta was 6 for $1 (expiration 2014), the tortilla mix was $1.49. Onions and Yams 5 lbs for $1, eggs were $1.79, vinegar $2.79. Amazing Haul. Because the eggs are for our everyday use not storage and part of the onions are for our everyday cooking. Amazing that I can still find deals. But this weeks deals are crappy.






We went to the Asian store and picked up some Japanese food items in case they reduce exports because they will redirect efforts to restoring their country from disaster. We made sure to pick up specialty green teas, sake, soy sauce, green tipped rice, wasabi and dried kelp and seaweed. The hot sauce, chili sauce, and mung bean are just for extra storage. It is absolutely unbelievable - the regular food items at this Asian Store (leelee's supermarket - bastids) have gone up 150% yes - from 1.09 to 2.99 a bottle on most things. Those beans used to be 70 cents a bag, they are now 2.00. Simply unbelievable. It made me a bit irate. But I will also go next weekend to a bigger store on the East Valley where they have more competition and better prices. And I need to hit up my favorite Korean Market.

















Well my psych professor and now friend Sarah gave me a box and a half of oranges. hahahaha what am I supposed to do with that many oranges. I bounced it off the preppers chat room and one of the ladies said marmalade, and someone said candied orange peel. Which led me to...


< -- Saucy's adventures in canning. I asked some experienced people how to's and picked up a book and my little sister picked me up 2 canning books at the Border's going out of business sale - picked up a small (16 qt canner) and ordered a large canner - and just started doing it. That will be my next blog. It costs a bit to start but later it will just cost you lids. It doesn't hurt and I like learning new things and changing it up a bit.
You know you are tired of loading cans and such in your cart when you just break down and start buying things in 6 lb cans. Truth be told these are cheaper at 3.23 a can as opposed to the $1 average on a small can.


I also decided to just buy sugar in 25lb bags. At the walmart they are only 11.70 a bag here which is considerably cheaper than buying the smaller ones. Also they have started selling hard wheat there - both red and white ($13 and $11) respectively. Strange days to see whole wheat at a grocery store like walmart.






While I'm studying, and cooking, and canning - my sister is about to leave for Hawaii to meet my Mom and Godmother and my Cousin - so of course I have to make a batch of cookies because my family never wants anything more than that. And i also have to make brownies with cream cheese frosting - imagine that - if you stock this stuff in your preps you can have cookies and brownies - haha.




So for the last 3 days I have been so exhausted I don't even want to get out of bed. Because I've got so much going on and I'm still advanced studying and we were behind on the household chores, it was a weekend of "catch up" Then right as I think i've caught up - I remember I ordered 30 buckets from our dude - haha and I had to get up early this morning and clean them. But at least we are there. Of course we could get them for free at the grocers but we couldn't get 30 at once that are relatively clean and only have a faint pickle smell. But now they are here and I have washed them then the Mr. will rinse them and we will let them air dry for a couple days and they will be ready. Time to bag and tag our purchases so to speak.

So while I was out in the backyard - I looked at my plants. I had previously murdered the plants I tried to sprout from seed, i "lodged" them according to the prepping Guru - Madame Mushroom. This means I over-watered them and they weren't getting enough sun and they got tall and spindly and fell over. She suggested I treat the soil with hydrogen peroxide and try again. So about a week ago I did.


Loook, I have growth! The cucumber, swiss chard and something else is growing! - the tape fell off. haha.




And a funny thing happened.





















I had put all the soil from the peat pots in one bucket - put the solution on it and mixed it with more organic soil - I just figured the seeds were dead. So I looked down in the bucket - and there is spinach and lettuce growing - haha FUNNY. Welcome to my Ghetto Garden.