One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1633 of 2143 - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

How to Grow Your Own Food – 4/10/2013 Garden Tally

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 10, 2013 · 8 Comments

This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there. ~Mavis

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Francisco stopped by last night with his son to deliver some gnomes. What a sweetie! I sent his little man home with some sugar snap pea plants for their new garden.

But I think I may have a problem on my hands. Francisco has become OBSESSED with our chickens. He loves holding Baby Fat {our small black australorp chicken} and I’m pretty sure by the end of summer he will have a flock of his own.

Can vegans have chickens as pets? Hmmm.

Anyway, I didn’t harvest much this week, just some chives, sprouts {I tried a new variety and I’ll share a little later} and another boatload of eggs. And in case you didn’t know, eggs are like gold on the bartering market. Yep, they sure are. Chino the Handyman and I have been trading back and forth recently and it is awesome.

Meat for eggs? Heck yeah!

Are you harvesting anything form your garden yet, or are you still planting seeds?

~Mavis

Here is what I have harvested so far this year:

Beets – 14 ounces

Carrots – 3 ounces

Chives – 3 ounces

{Francisco and Baby Fat}

Egg Count – 614

Last week we collected 81 eggs. That is almost 1 dozen eggs a day!

Lettuce – 6 ounces
M icrogreens 5 ounces

Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces

Sprouts –11 ounces

Swiss Chard 11 ounces

Wheatgrass – 7 ounces

Total Food Harvested in 2013: 6 pounds 5 ounces

Total Eggs Collected in 2013: 614

Get out there and grow!

~Mavis

Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living

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Giveaway – 2 Thy Hand Hath Provided eBooks + 2 Spiral Bound Books

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 9, 2013 ·

Mavis, Jane, MamaJJ

My friend Jane wrote a cookbook last fall Thy Hand Hath Provided Recipes and Preserving and her cookbook has just been released on Amazon as an eBook. Wahooo way to go Jane! In case you don’t already know, a few months before I started my own blog in January of 2009, I discovered 2 blogs and fell in love with them: Thy Hand Hath Provided and Mama’s Minutia.

In the fall of 2011, I hopped on an airplane to flew to a pie party in Virginia to meet the people behind the computer screens. It was awesome!

Tonight I’m happy to announce Jane is offering 2 of her Thy Hand Hath Provided eBooks AND 2 of her spiral bound books for a giveaway. I have the spiral bound version of her cookbook and use it about once a week. Seriously, it’s that good! If you like real food and cooking from scratch, you’ll love this book.

To enter this giveaway simply tell me your favorite home cooked meal and let us know if you would like the eBook version or the spiral bound.

Rules

1 entry per person/ip address. If you cheat, you will totally be disqualified.

This giveaway ends Sunday, April 14th, 2013 @9 pm PST and the winners will be announced in the Monday, April 15th, 2013 edition of Mornings with Mavis. Winners will be notified via email and have 48 hours to claim your prize.

Good Luck! I hope you win!

♥ Mavis

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How to Grow Alyssum {Start to Finish}

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 9, 2013 · 3 Comments

{photo credit}

I don’t know when I first fell in love with alyssum, but I absolutely love using purple and white alyssum in my window box and hanging flower baskets every year. It’s delicate, yet very hearty.

Brief description: Alyssum is a delicate mounding or trailing flower {depending on variety} that blooms throughout the summer.

Where to Plant Alyssum: Alyssum can be planted nearly anywhere, but make great border flowers, thrive in rock beds, and in containers where they can trail over the sides. They do best in sun to light shade.

Planting Seeds: To plant seeds, just press them into the surface of the soil. Put a pinch of seeds in every pot, approximately 6″ apart. There is not need to thin these clumping flowers.

Growing Tips: Alyssum can stand quite a bit of abuse. They are drought tolerant and deer resistant. For best results, though, water 2 times per week during hotter months.

Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.

Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!

~Mavis

Fun Fact: While Alyssum is typically an annual, they will overwinter in some climates, popping up sporadically year after year.

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DIY – How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 9, 2013 · 110 Comments

Recently, I started making my own laundry soap. How crazy is that? It’s actually super satisfying. One, a batch lasts forever. Two, it is ridiculously cost effective. And three {and probably my favorite reason}, it’s another step towards knowing all of the ingredients I bring into my home and being more self-sufficient with just the basics.

How to make your own laundry detergent

Ingredients

3 Bars Ivory/Zote/Fels Naptha Soap
1 Box Borax
1 Box Washing Soda {55 oz}
1-1/2 to 2-1/2 Cups Baking Soda {more if you have hard water, less if you don’t}
1 {3 lb} Container Oxy Clean
1-2 Bottles Purex Laundry Crystals or Essential Oil {optional, if you want your laundry to have a pleasant scent}
5 Gallon Bucket {to store the bulk of your detergent}
Smaller Container {you can refill detergent from your 5 gallon bucket, but it is way easier to have a smaller container for your daily laundry–the empty Oxy Clean container would work great}

Directions

First, grate the soap. This is honestly the most tedious part. I took a chance and used my friends food processor. It did the job just fine, without doing any damage to the blade, but do it at your own risk. I sent it through the grater first, then I turned it into a fine powder with the chopping blade. If you hand grate your soap {let me start by sending my condolences}, make sure to grate it finely enough to make sure it will dissolve and do its job in the water.

Now dump the grated soap into the 5 gallon bucket {you can get these in the bakery department of practically any grocery store for free}. Add remaining ingredients to the bucket. If your bucket has a lid that is secure, you can mix it by rolling the bucket around on the floor. If you don’t feel confident that your bucket lid will hold, you’ll need something to mix your detergent thoroughly.

Once it is mixed, you can fill up your smaller container. I use 2 tbsp. per load, and I’ve been very happy with the results. {This recipe is fine for a front-loader or a top-loading washer.}

How about YOU, do you make your own laundry soap? Does it make you feel like a pilgrim?

~Mavis

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