Water…water, everywhere….but not a drop that I will drink. I guess it is all those years of drinking bottled water that has me spoiled. Forgive me city officials, but I don’t WANT my water to have a taste. Water should be tasteless, with no lingering after flavor.

So what’s a environmentally knowledgeable gal supposed to do if she cannot stand the taste (or smell) of the tap water straight from her faucet? Buying bottled water is reserved only for emergencies around here, so I have had to learn to plan ahead and have palatable water available at all times.

 Some will say that using water filters is not environmentally friendly and hopefully, someday soon, there will some way of recycling those little darlings….BUT until then, I  see it as my only economical choice for providing my household with water that we like to drink.

I just love my PINK Brita Grand Water Filtration Pitcher.They are a bit difficult to come by locally now and I am kicking myself for not purchasing more for the farm house and our camper.

Guess I can suffer through it all though will my Brita 42629 Slim Pitcher for my camper…which is actually perfect for the small fridge in the camper. Now when the water from the campground hydrant tastes a little wacky, I have this handy to make up small batches of clean-tasting water. Many years ago, when we first started camping, I would buy a couple of cases of bottled water and keep those iced in a cooler. It would really upset me to find half empty bottles being left around, with no one claiming that they didn’t finish the bottle. Now each of us has our own stainless steel water bottle for which we are responsible. Want some water to take to the shore while you are fishing? Where’s your bottle? Problem solved!

In years past it has been our tradition to set a formal table for Christmas Eve Dinner. This year was no different, with the exception of an added guest. Many hours and days are spent preparing for this one meal where all the china and crystal is set for a festive celebration. Two days of shopping in two seperate cities were spent looking for some of the items for the dinner and two days of cooking culminated into a seven course meal which included an aperitif.
After the meal, as we were all finally able to sit around the living room, each of us expressed an interest in change. As tired as I was at the moment, I listened with interest. We all decided that next year we might lean more toward a more casual affair. I jokingly mentioned that we could have taken a quick weekend vacation for what it cost for the meal….OR we could have least dined on the most elegant cuisine and not had the worry of preparation and clean up afterwards. The time spent “working” could have been better spent playing games and interacting…all in the same room.
After a bit of consideration, I am thinking that this may have been the very last “fancy” Christmas Eve meal. Of course, I do not think I will resort to eating at Burger King as I did on Thanksgiving, but a less labor intensive meal will be in order. If this change does come about I will, however, refuse to change my own favorite rule of “MOMMA DOESN’T COOK on CHRISTMAS DAY!” just because I am simplifying Christmas Eve.

Though I am sad for the damage to his guitar, I think that this is such a cute song and video. Dave Carroll is such a cutie, I just cannot imagine any of those female airline employees not falling all over themselves to help him.

Well, I finally did it…I purchased Backyard Self-Sufficiency by Jackie French.

From the back cover…

“Self-sufficient gardens are beautiful: a ramble of productivity, a profusion of smells and colour.  We’ve forgotten how beautiful edible plants can be: fat, red apples and trendrils of grapes; bountiful red-flowering perennial beans, and soft, feathery fennel; the wide, bright blooms of passionfruit, and the scent of orange blossom on a summer night.  It’s like a Garden of Eden in your own backyard!”

Though she lives in Australia and her garden advice is based on Australian seasons and soil, Jackie French offers many ideas and suggestions that will be useful in moving forward with the development of our own self-sufficiency here in small town America.

You may recognize Jackie as the author of Diary of a Wombat, a delightful children’s book with whimsical illustrations. Diary of a Wombat is an ALA Notable Children’s Book, Younger Reader Awards Winner. When I was teaching fulltime, I used Diary of a Wombatin lesson plans and Writer’s Workshop. It is a great book for classroom filled with diverse learners and is mentioned in other educational/teacher resource books.
Mostly thought, Diary of a Wombatis just fun to read whether by an adult or child.

Remember the Dining on a Dime Giveaway we sponsored with
Living on a Dime a couple of weeks ago? Mrs. M. at Freaky Frugalite won the copy from our blog and I believe some of you purchased your own copy. Well, I am so excited. I received mine a couple of days ago and I could not be happier. I regret that I did not have an actual photo of the book when I posted about it because I think the graphics used before did it no justice. This is a really nice cookbook!

There are so many great recipes offered in this book that it was difficult to decide with which to start. The next morning after it arrived, I tried “Mike’s Baking Powder Biscuits” and the “Basic Muffins” recipe where I added some very ripe bananas. My family is so accustomed to eating canned biscuits that they were not certain how to act. Luckily the recipe was simple and the family loved them.I am in the process of making my very first sourdough starter with the Potato Flake Starter Bread Recipe from the section on breads and baking. Day 2 and counting. I will keep you posted.

Not only are there food recipes, but you will find recipes for beauty products, cleaning supplies and much more. There is a section on basic frugal cooking and even an herb guide. Menu ideas flow, along with helpful hints for picky eaters, and a pantry/shopping list keeps you organized.I am telling you, if you missed purchasing this book the first time around, take a look at it. You will not be disappointed. Drop by Living on a Dime to get your copy or to check out the other great eBooks on thrifty living and digging out of debt.