SpoonFullofJelly

Autumn is in full swing and staying inside is beginning. In order to decrease the number of grocery shopping trips, I have created a winter prep list. I tried this last year and it went very well. This list allows for me to save money because I buy these items when they go on sale. It's based off common foods I make in the winter. For example, we do a soup, or stew at least once a week and a pasta about twice a month. My pantry is already stocked with homemade spaghetti sauce, salsa, tomatillo sauce, pickles and jam from my garden. My freezer is also stocked with some veggies from my garden. You can begin with this small Winter Food Prep List and build upon it. For Freezer or Fridge: (Dried, Frozen or Canned) White beans Black beans Pinto Beans, etc. Black Eyed Peas Carrots Peas Lima Beans String beans Corn Artichokes Favorite Veggies Proteins     Meats     Seafood (Canned or Frozen)     Tofu     Dried or Roasted Nuts Butter Eggs Milk Cheese For Pantry:

If you are unfamiliar with the concept please check out the movie: The concept has grown and people world wide are trying to make a difference in other's lives. My Small Pay-it-Forwards: Held a Shoe Stuffing Party for  Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child  (11/2012)     Second Shoe Stuffing Party is 11/9/2013 Packed Food at  Feed My Starving Children  (12/2012) I wanted something that would make a difference. I didn't want to count the number of times I've let people go before me in line. I don't mind completing the most common act of paying for the food of someone behind me in the drive through. But then I thought, 'perhaps that might have made someone else's day'. I want to do more than make someone's day. I want to make a impact, life changing, emotional, heart uplifting impact. My Large Pay-it-Forward: Then I thought about the community garden that my church has been putting together. We are preparing a plot of land for people t

Have you gone natural with your cosmetic products? Be informed! Those products were once made by hand 30 years ago, but are now pumped out a large factory by the very companies that you ran away from. Check out this article  Burts Bees & Toms of Maine Green Products . Why does this matter? Well, do you care about which businesses gets your money and how those products are made? As a small business owner, I believe that the small/medium guy deserves my money. Yes, I still buy products from billion dollar corporations, but for those that I switched from, I want to make sure it goes to small/medium businesses. Many small businesses made the decision to sell their business to large corporations, and I understand. However, the love of their product is lost and often the uniqueness to be natural and organic skims the lowest requirements. Is that important to you? This is just to inform you, not to change you. Then again, being informed causes change. Until Next Time, From Maru