how in the heck are we supposed to live these days

[kisat]

Quote:
Been there done that--lots of times! Your advice is good, just the same. I've actually baked bread in a solar oven made from lining a cardboard box with aluminium foil and then placing the baking pan inside it...Somewhat like one of these, though not nearly as fancy.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/

It was just for fun on a camping trip. I made a cake and a roast with veggies. I used glass rather than dutch ovens, but they might have been better.

Oh my gosh I love it! I'm going to have to try that. Looks fun and interesting.

 

[banter]

When I was little there was very little plastic. My Mom saved glass jars to store left-overs in
and she would also put them in a bowl with a saucer on top. No baggies only wax paper used carefully. We now have double packaging on so many things! All those individual wrapped items- then also put in another box or bag. It makes it look like your getting a huge amount, when your only getting an ounce or two. All hype and promotion. We saved buttons off old clothes and saved the rest (too badly worn to give away), as rags. We saved soap scraps, and reused them. I'm only 55 and this was in the 1960's in the burbs of Northern Indiana. We were not poor just frugal.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
Been there done that--lots of times! Your advice is good, just the same. I've actually baked bread in a solar oven made from lining a cardboard box with aluminium foil and then placing the baking pan inside it...Somewhat like one of these, though not nearly as fancy.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/

It was just for fun on a camping trip. I made a cake and a roast with veggies. I used glass rather than dutch ovens, but they might have been better.

Oh my gosh I love it! I'm going to have to try that. Looks fun and interesting.

Just remember when using a dutch oven to bake; more coals on the top - heat needs to come down to make the bread rise.

OHHH my chick just hatched!!!! an EE ( yes I'm sitting right by the bator now)

 

[Cassandra]

I remember reusing empty plastic tubs, too. Like the ones that margarine or cool whip come in. That's how we stored leftovers--instead of stuff that has to be thrown away when you're done.

Cassandra

 

[banter]

We still do that!

 

[FutureChickenMan]

That's my salad bowl collection; cool whip bowls. The blue ones are for every day, and the red ones (extra thick) are for special occasions.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Quote:
I'm with you. When I was a kid the only electric we used was for lights and 1 black & White TV. We had a coal oil heater, gas stove, no dryer we used a clothes line - even in winter- the refridgerator was a gas operated one ( people don't even know what that is today!) Everyone had a garden even if it was just tomatoes, peppers and beans. My favorite memory (after we moved off the dairy) The milk man delivered milk. We had this little tin box on the back porch and would leave change in it for him. When my husband was a kid he would go around stealing everyones milk money and buy candy! Bad Boy! I think I could easily live with out electric if I had to now except in the summer heat of the desert. If anything really bad does happen, I've got to get out of the desert!

 

[Stella1964]

Responding back to the original post of concern over making ends meet with the rising price of gas and everything else that affects, I think there are several answers:

1) invest in a hybrid, or better yet, an electric car and make sure you generate your own electricity via solar or wind or jack rabbit prop in some running water. If you don't have the money to invest in such a vehicle or the equipment to generate your own electricity (Canada offers quite a few rebates and incentives), then go dutch with someone else, either a friend or relative. Share the vehicle and the electricity;

2) Vespa or moped is ok for summer months;

2) carpool wherever possible; either split the ride or get some passengers and charge $ for the service

3) get a horse and buggy! horseback ride into town to get your milk etc. how cool would that be!

4) and as someone said earlier in this thread, try as much as possible to grow your own food, culture your own yoghurt/cheese, and compost like crazy!

Right now, in Ontario, our gas prices are $1.30/litre, that's about $5.20/gallon. As many people do in our large province, I drive 120 km each day for work. There's no way I could ride a bike or horse, and our weather makes mopeding a little dangerous. So I have a small car for now and do a casual pool with people I work with. It's not convenient, but every bit helps. My next vehicle will be an electric, if one is available. When I retire in 8 years, we will move further into the country and have horses, and yes, a carriage too! Our house will be built totally off the grid, and we'll have a huge greenhouse to grow organic fruits and veg.

You're all welcome at my place if there's another energy crisis!

 

[Redfeathers]

We now only have one vehicle. A smaller good gas milage "people mover" Dodge Caliber. It gets 30-32 mpg, my husband drives 35 miles to work. If I need to get into town for something, I wait until the weekend and we make a trip once through town to get all our supplies, food, ect. If I have an emergency, I call a taxi...it sounds expensive but honestly a 20.00 bill into town once in awhile, is far less then a car payment/insurance and gas.

My neighbor tilled our garden for us, in exchange I gave him a dozen eggs and mowed his lawn for him. We plan on exchanging food from our gardens, especially on the over abundance plants like zuccinni and cukes. He also offered to process my meat birds for half of what the place I am going to take them to will cost me, but first I want to see if he knows what he is doing before I say yes.

My next plan is to start buying bulk beans, rice and flour for more simple but hearty meals that are filling and high in fiber...I'm not sure what my family will think about that, but they will get used to it. I make great refried beans and I think chili and red beans and rice will fill them up.

I only shop at outlet stores, like scratch and dent stores, or even the dollar store. Honestly I took my food bill down from 800 a month to 300.00 just by not shopping at Safeway anymore.

It's tough these days. Thank Goodness for chickens and gardens.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Another trick to make hamburger go a little farther is to add some cooked beans (pinto, soy, red kidney) into the raw meat to make burgers, meatloaf, tacos, whatever. Season it like you would without the beans and it's really good! Protein from non-meat sources are better for you anyway.

I collect old cook books, from the 1890's up to the 1940's and you would be suprised at all of the non-meat menues available that are very tastey. There is one titled War Time menues.

And although we still have multiple vehicles, I drive alot less too and just don't run around to go to the mall just to go..