New Goals

OK, so it's not January, the typical time people make goals. But I've been thinking how I can improve my motherly skills and help out with the finances. Really it's just the smarter way to live in general. I was raised this way my whole life so it's no big shock or amazing discovery.
My mom ALWAYS cooked and made nutritious meals.

Starting with breakfast EVERY morning before we were off to school. Breakfast was cracked wheat cereal or mush as my dad would call it. Yes cracked wheat as in starting with the whole kernels and grinding it and then cooking it like oatmeal. Along with toast and home made jam.

Brown bag lunches for school. I remember one time she had learned to grind hot dogs and peanuts and mixed it with mayo and relish. That was a sandwich spread. Ya, it sounds gross. But she was always learning and experimenting. I know now where I get my cooking creativity from.

She ALWAYS made bread and mixed powdered milk every night so it would be cold by morning. In fact I remember one time coming home and saying to her, "Can you believe so and so (a family in our ward) drinks Straight powdered milk! As far as I knew we drank half and half. My mom said "what do you think we have been drinking all this time?! I had no idea it wasn't mixed with whole milk.

Dinner was at the dining room table with the whole family. Not in front of the TV or at the local drive thru. What a concept!

OK, this post didn't start out to be about how amazing my mom is. It just ended up that way as a means to the end. The end being my goals. You may find this strange having admitted how I was raised that I don't already do these things, BUT...My goals lately have included these few things...

To make bread on a regular bases (haven't done it yet, but I love when my mom and neighbor bring it to us:)

To make powdered milk. This one is a challenge. We have a lot of it in storage so the expense has already been made. ALL I have to do is mix it up. I have already done it and I'm fine with it. However, I have been met with frustrated children that come to visit and wanted so bad to enjoy a glass of milk with freshly baked cookies, only to taste powdered milk. So I have tried to mix it 1/2 and 1/2 to sneak it on them slowly like my mom actually did. I'm not sure what the savings is by going powdered vs store bought, I'm hoping it's worth it. The bread I heard is about 30 cents a loaf or so compared to the store bought at 2 to 3 dollars a loaf.

Then of course the final goal is an easy one cause I do it already. To cook meals at home rather then going out to eat. I have been having so much fun experimenting and learning new ways to make dinner yummy. It's important to go out on dates, so we do. And we usually choose those dates to be around dinner or dessert. But it's an occasional eating out rather then a daily thing.
I was watching an Oprah the other day where they had families on trying to cut back and save money. She had a chef go to their home and re create the meals they ordered in each night. Then he taught them how to shop for the food and cook it. One particular family ate out or ordered in delivery EVERY night with a family of 4 (2 children). They spend an average of $50.00 a night on dinner alone. OUCH. Crazy don't you think!


Anyway...There you have it. My confessions of a new way of life. (basically Bread and Milk)

Wish me luck.