Heaven's Grocery Store

Author unknown ~ Contributed by Maggie Chandler                                           
As I was walking down life's highway many years ago,
I came upon a sign that read, "Heavens Grocery Store."  When I got a little closer the doors swung open wide,

And when I came to myself, I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels.  They were standing everywhere.

One handed me a basket and said, "My child, shop with care."
Everything a human needed was in that grocery store

And what you could not carry, you could come back for more.
                                         
First I got some Patience.  Love was in that same row.

Further down was Understanding, You need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom and Faith - a bag or two.
And Charity of course, I would need some of that too.
I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost,  It was all over the place.

And than came Strength and Courage to help me run this race.

 

My basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed Grace,

And then I choose Salvation for Salvation was for free.

I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.

Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
 For I thought I had everything to do the Master's will.

As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and put that in,

For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin.

Peace and Joy were plentiful, the last things on the shelf.

Song and Praise were hanging near, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel, "Now how much do I owe?"

He smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go."

Again I asked, "Really now, how much do I owe?"

"My child," he said, "God paid your bill a long long time ago.

A Little Science in the Kitchen to Help Your Grocery Bill

Copyright 2008 - by Mary Hunt - www.CheapskateMonthly.com - Used by permission

(Note from Lois:  This is a good article explaining why produce spoils, and what you can do to prevent it.  If you do not use the green bags for produce, this is another option.  The idea behind the package of twenty green bags, which I found at CVS for under ten dollars, is that these bags absorb the ethylene gas produced by fruits and vegetables which causes them to spoil.  They really do extend the life of produce, and help prevent spoilage and waste - stretching the food dollars!)

        By now you may have picked up on the fact that I, your humble columnist, am on a quest to stop being so wasteful.
        I’ve started in the kitchen, employing every tip and trick out there for making food—especially fresh produce—last long enough to be used up. I’m tired of my garbage disposal being the best-fed member of the family.
        A recent tip from a reader, who said the best way to ripen a banana is to stick it into a paper bag with an apple, reminded me of something called ethylene gas. I know, that is an odd association, but you’re about to understand why this is so important.
        Most fruits and vegetables generate ethylene gas while they ripen. This gas is a very active plant hormone. I’ve learned the hard way that when I am not organized, good old ethylene can ruin the vegetables, turn the bananas black and jack up my food bill in a big hurry.
        Leafy vegetables—even very small amounts—are very sensitive to ethylene. Lettuce, for example, begins to decay when exposed to ethylene gas, even in the refrigerator. Items particularly sensitive to ethylene gas, such as broccoli and bananas, will spoil quickly if stored in the same area as avocados, melons, and apples, which are ethylene producers.
        This means we need to keep our vegetables away from the fruits to make our fresh foods last longer. This may explain why your refrigerator has two crisper drawers.
        These Create Ethylene Gas: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, citrus fruits (except grapefruit), cranberries, figs, guavas, grapes, green onions, honeydew, ripe kiwi fruit, mangoes, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, okra, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapple, plantains, plums, prunes, quinces, tomatoes and watermelon.
        These Become Damaged by Ethylene Gas: asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, cut flowers, eggplant, endive, escarole, florist greens, green beans, kale, kiwi fruit, leafy greens, lettuce, parsley, peas, potatoes, potted plants, romaine lettuce, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watercress and yams.
        Of course you can use ethylene gas to your favor. Try this: Place an unripe avocado in a plastic or paper bag by itself and it will ripen much more quickly because the ethylene gas is trapped inside and becomes concentrated.
        Ditto for bananas. Since they produce ethylene, they can be manipulated to ripen themselves more quickly inside a bag than if left out in the open air. And remember to add an apple to the bag when you’re in a big hurry, since apples are big-time ethylene producers!

Check out more Mary Hunt articles on grocery savings:“Think Outside the Supermarket to Save Money”
“Supersaver Grocery Secrets Need Doctoring Up”
“Cook For a Day, Eat for a Month” (DPL Members)

Home Organization

HOME ORGANIZATION

by Lois Breneman, © 2010, Heart to Heart Newsletter

It hits me every January - the Organization Bug!  I suppose it's partly because of putting away the Christmas decorations for another year and getting rid of all the dust they collect.  It's probably also about getting off to a good start in a new year. 

Someone once said that lazy people are the ones who came up with the idea of being organized, because organized people are just too lazy to look for things!  Well, being organized certainly does save lots of time, energy and dollars along the way as well.  How many of us have had to run to the store because we ran out of something we had to have immediately, especially when cooking?  All of us, I'm sure! 

"Heart to Heart" subscriber, Julie Nelson in Illinois, recently shared a great solution for that problem!  She said:
"We have a standard stock of things that we always use: various condiments, pasta, canned veggies. We are blessed to have a basement and I have lined a long hallway there with metal storage shelves. Whenever there is a sale, I buy extras of our staples and shelve them. We are always fully stocked and whenever I need something, I take a giant basket that I have and go shopping at "Nelson's Market," which is what our family calls that hallway. We also have our deep freeze down there. We very rarely run out of anything by shopping this way." 

This is a wonderful idea!  Staples such as toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, napkins, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bars of soap, liquid hand soap, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies (whether or not you make your own laundry soap), and white distilled vinegar are other great items to stock.  I'm sure there are lots more items to add to this list.  When you stock your shelves like this, you can always be sure to buy items only when they're marked way down. 

It is also good to note that certain items with high fat content will not keep very long - things like salad dressings, mayonnaise, peanut butter and oils, to name a few.  Go easy on stocking pancake mixes and cake mixes as well.  Be sure you don't buy too many of any of these items.  Items containing grains should not be shelved too long, and freezing them is always the best.  Corn meal is a grain that can get buggy in short time, but freezing any item containing cornmeal for at least four days will kill any larvae in the grain.  I know this sounds extremely disgusting, but it's one of those facts of life.  If freezer space is not an issue, keeping it in the freezer until you are ready to use it is best.

Freezing butter, orange juice, milk and bread will save additional trips to the store.  Just be sure to pour out about a half cup of liquid before freezing (for milk and juice) to allow extra space for freezing.

Creating your own "Home Market" will be sure to save you time, money and energy, and your kids will no doubt love doing the shopping for you!  Assign one child to that job for a week at a time.  Add that to their job chart.