I bought bag milk the other day because it's cheap and no one seems to realize we have milk.  Just now Lucas said he was going to make oatmeal because there is no milk...There's 2 and a half bags in the fridge.  I may have to freeze some.

I just love having my new freezer.  It's the small freezer that my parents took with them every year to Wyoming.  After last year though, Dad was so run down and sore that he said he was done hunting antelope.  Since I no longer have a freezer and have been plotting a freezer purchase for after Christmas, they gave me their small freezer.  Oh this is SO nice.  I really had no idea how much stuff I had stuffed in the fridge's freezer until I started going through it all. It helps too on the food budget when you can buy food to store instead of buying to use.  I went to the bread store yesterday and bought 10 loaves of Sara Lee soft and smooth bread (so good) for 50 cents a loaf and 4 cinnamon and raisin loaves for a dollar a piece.    It's so calming to me to know I have a well-stocked pantry and freezer going into winter.  Now if we can get some deer this fall, 2 for hamburger, 1 for jerky, 1 for canning and 1 for chops and roasts we will be set for meat.  Let it snow then.

I saw my dream crock pot at Aldi yesterday, only 20 bucks.  I only had 9 dollars on me, so next time maybe.  I know, when we first moved in that's all I had was crock pots and when I got my new stove, I was so excited.  I kind of miss the convenience of just throwing it all in a pot and turning it on.  Unfortunately,  both of my small crock pots managed to get broken within a week of each other after the stove purchase, so now I don't have one at all.  I want one of those really big family sized ones.  It's at Aldi for 20 bucks.

Also, (the deals just keep rolling in) I stopped in to Goodwill thinking maybe there would be a big crock pot there.  There was only a small one, BUT a few months ago, my bullet chopper died.  I loved my bullet chopper and used it every day, so you can imagine my excitement when there was one at Goodwill, in the box, practically brand new (only 1 cup had ever been used) for 5.99.  Hello.

That's all for now.  I know, boring.  For me though, exciting.  I feel so prepared.  I have a plan.  We have food for winter with time to spare.  I know most of my readers just go to the store when they need food and that's the end of it, but I have been there before and know what its like to need food or lights or whatever and not have the money to just go to the store, or have a running vehicle, or a way out of the driveway in winter.  To know that you have food is awesome, because now there is money for lights, water, phone etc.   There are 6 of us, that's a big crew to feed.  If I can feed everyone well on 500$ a month, that's daggone exciting.

So:  things to do today:
*work.
*go and pick plums, black walnuts and hazel nuts.
*lay out the nuts to dry on the roof.
*decide what to do with the plums and have a plan for tomorrow.
*run down to Jorsetads and buy more quart jars and lids.