One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1714 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.

Bee Keeping: Yes or No?

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure
By Mavis Butterfield on January 25, 2013 · 47 Comments

{photo credit}

I’ve been toying with the idea of getting bees, but I’m allergic to them {by allergic I mean swelling and hives, I do not need to carry an EpiPen}. So you’d think that’d stop me from considering bees any further, but nooo, it’s almost like a challenge–a sick one, but a challenge just the same. I started researching the whole bee-keeping game and found out there are two different types of bees: Honey bees and Mason bees.

On the up side, Honey bees, I’m sure you know, produce, um, well, honey. Delicious golden liquid sugar. They also provide a long season of pollinating, which directly translates into 4000 lbs. of Mavis grown goodness. On the flip side, they are slightly more aggressive and territorial. Honey bees are a bigger investment in both time and money up front. And, of course, they sting, which would leave me choking down a couple of Benadryl and a load of regrets. But, did I mention that they provide honey?

{photo credit}

Mason Bees, on the other hand, do not sting. They require almost zero upfront cost, because from what I can tell, building your own mason bee house {or sweet talking the HH to do it for me} takes very little effort and supplies–and after that, it’s a build it and they will come principal. They are also immune to the common viruses that kill off honey bee hives. They don’t produce honey or have a queen {all females can reproduce}, so they aren’t aggressive or territorial in anyway–keeping my breathing passages free and clear. The cons, as I just mentioned, are that they don’t produce honey and their pollination season is relatively short.

I was surprised to learn that while Mason bees don’t sting at all, Honey bees also rarely sting {probably due to the fact that a sting costs them their life {sheesh, those are some high stakes, I kinda feel bad for the bee born with anger-management issues}.

What do YOU think? Am I playing with fire to even consider Honey bees? Or do you think having plenty of flowers would be enough…instead of honey? Should I just let nature take care of things? Do you think I will need to attract extra bees to my garden this year?

Conflicted,

Mavis

The Beekeeper’s Handbook

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Gearing Up For the Gardening Season – Advice for New Gardeners

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure
By Mavis Butterfield on January 24, 2013 · 11 Comments

mavis garden blog

I had to laugh as I made room in the fridge for my lavender last week, chilling lavender seeds is just some of the craziness I’ve taken on in trying to grow 4000 lbs. of food this year. I wouldn’t have even attempted it a few years ago, which made me realize: gardening is a learning process.

If you are new to gardening, try to remember, it’s about the experience, just as much as the result. A packet of seeds typically costs less than your average heirloom tomato at the grocery store, so the stakes are pretty low. Killing off an entire packet {which I have totally done} happens. Start small and give yourself time to learn. Choose the veggies or herbs you know you use often–or choose a variety of plant you would never allow yourself to pay for in the grocery store–and then work on growing just that.

If you are going to start your own seeds, which I totally recommend, both for the cost and the experience, choose quality over quantity. I love Botanical Interest seeds because I have learned {the hard way} that quality seeds go a long way in making your growing season more successful. I can’t tell you how many failed attempts I have had from low quality seeds.

Next, get a light. You don’t necessarily need to get a fancy schmancy set-up, but relying only on the light from a window is a total crap shoot, and the successful plants sometimes get a little leggy. I found that when I finally moved to a grow light {fluorescent would work too} my success rate grew–literally! It’s the one ‘must-have’ in my unprofessional opinion.

You can start your seeds in seed trays or in all sorts of salvaged pots {think: empty yogurt containers, egg cartons, etc.}. Get creative with your supplies. You are investing time into a hobby, and sometimes money, but it doesn’t have to be that way, the level of investment you want to make is a personal choice. Get creative.

Gardening really is about the joy. I don’t want to get all one-with-nature on you here, but I get a lot of satisfaction from fresh grown produce. I get even more when I get to share it. Real food is an experience, enjoy it.

Happy Gardening.

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Easy Kitchen Tips – How to Care for a Cast Iron Skillet

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure
By Mavis Butterfield on January 24, 2013 · 24 Comments

Do you cook with cast iron? I know people that have their grandmother’s cast iron skillet. They say it’s been seasoned by years of use, nothing sticks to it, and it looks brand new. I love the whole idea of something that lasts. I have several myself, and though it’s not my grandma’s, I hope one day my grandchildren use it because it has stood the test of time. With a little TLC {and I mean, a little}, I think it will.

Here’s 3 easy steps to make sure your cast iron lasts for generations:

1. Wash in hot water, immediately after using. For stubborn, stuck-on food you can use kosher salt and a sponge or you can boil water in the pan, using a wooden/plastic spatula to loosen any remaining food. Camps are split as to whether or not to use soap. Some say it ruins the seasoning, others say it is necessary due to bacteria. I personally don’t use soap on mine. My grandmother didn’t, so I don’t. It’s that kind of logic that gets me through each day.

2. Dry immediately and thoroughly. Cast iron rusts if it is left to air dry.

3. Store with the lid off. I like to place a dish towel on top of it to protect it and absorb any moisture {a paper towel would work too}.

I’ve heard about people who have never washed their cast iron pans before. But I’m too much of a neat freak for that. I don’t know, maybe I’m weird.

Do you wash your cast iron, and if so, what method do you use?

~Mavis

Looking for some awesome cast iron cooking recipes? Check out The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen. The reviews are fantastic!

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

WWII War Victory Gardens

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure
By Mavis Butterfield on January 24, 2013 · 4 Comments

Thanks to all of you who weighed in on the front-yard gardening post! A few of you mentioned the Victory Gardens from World War II. One of my readers left this message on Facebook: “Back in the day, the government says it’s patriotic to have a “victory garden” in your yard. Now they want to make it a crime.” Thanks Clayton, good point! I was sooo fascinated by the reference, I did a little research of my own:

In the 1940’s, Victory Gardens began to sprout up across the country in order to ease the burden of an already stressed and taxed country. They were meant to reduce food production costs, reduce the reliance on the railroad system for our food supply, and create a surplus of foods to can and preserve for when food supplies ran short. The gardens were planted in any bit of unused space: empty dirt lots, backyards, and unused city parcels. Um, hello! Why does it take a war to do something that makes so much sense?

{Your Victory Garden Counts More Than Ever poster}

For the first time since World War I, gardening became a past-time, not a social and economic necessity for just the poor. People of every background came together in an effort to keep the country functioning. In 1942, 5.5 million people participated in the Victory Gardens movement. Holy Canolies! Plus, seed packet sales rose 300% that year. {There’s your economic stimulus!} It is estimated that 44% of the country’s fresh produce was grown in Victory Gardens in 1942. Just imagine what we could do now, with our fancy grow lights and extendable growing seasons?

Want to eat local? Dig for your dinner.

Now get out there and plant something! {Okay, or at least get your seed packets ready!}

♥ Mavis

{Dig for Victory Now poster}

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.