What did you do to save $ today?

[freemotion]

I am fortunate to have parents who live in Northern Maine, so when I go visit or if they come here, I get my grain. I only buy local grain (which is decidedly NOT local!) when I run out between trips, a rare thing now. The grain I get is lots cheaper and MUCH better quality. Makes me go "hmmmph" about what they must be putting into the ground and pelleted feeds....we can't see the quality in those. I'm glad I finally figured out a solution to the lack of availability of whole grains in my area. And a cheap one, at that. With about 750 lbs of grain in my car for 600 miles last time, I used about one extra gallon of gas and got my grain for at least half what I would spend on premixed commercial. Woo-hoo!

Had to distribute the grain bags throughout the car, though. When it was all in the trunk, the front tires barely touched the ground! (I am exaggerating a tad....)

 

[big brown horse]

Duh, I thought you ment chicken coop!! You are talking about a co op right? Sounds cool!

BTW I built our little hen house out of shipping pallets and used shelving that I ripped out of our oh, soo fancy house! I only had to buy nails!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Duh, I thought you ment chicken coop!! You are talking about a co op right? Sounds cool!

BTW I built our little hen house out of shipping pallets and used shelving that I ripped out of our oh, soo fancy house! I only had to buy nails!

ROFL Sounds like a good use for that shelving.

Oooops. Ha ha ha ha ha. Yeah, I meant co op.

Freemotion -- Too funny, I can just see your car. I bet you couldn't accelerate very fast either. I'm impressed with your gas mileage with the feed weight. I would have imagined it having a bigger impact.

 

[big brown horse]

Well, I didn't do this today but during the fall and winter months I gathered up all the huckelberries (tons!!) and my left over pears and gave them to a local eatery (that uses local ingrediants as much as possible) in exchange for free lunches.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I've been wanting to do that with my extra eggs, but I thought that food regulations would be strict about where the food came from? Maybe I'm overthinking it. :/

 

[big brown horse]

I have heard that too, but apparently this place doesn't listen. The lady that owned the house before us started the tradition. She intorduced me to the restaurant's owner when we were in the process of buying the house.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I've been wanting to do that with my extra eggs, but I thought that food regulations would be strict about where the food came from? Maybe I'm overthinking it. :/

Where i buy my stone ground "local " flour, the guy also has a bakery. According to Ontario law, he can sell his eggs from his front door, (NOT the shops front door) but he needs to used storebought eggs for his baking. Crazy!!!!!! Does he use store bought eggs for his baking???? We'll never know, will we?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Jeesh. I mean which eggs do you think are fresher and healthier? So long as he took proper care of the eggs, but isn't that what food handler permits are all about? And if you own a bakery you have that permit and know how to keep food safe so . . .

 

[freemotion]

Really, really dumb regulations....

I didn't make my own mayo for years until I had my own chickens, so I know the raw eggs are safe. Same with my plans to make ice cream with raw milk and raw eggs. Same with throwing an egg, raw, into a fruit shake for a quick lunch-on-the-go.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Exactly, Freemotion.

That is so funny because I was just telling my husband the other day that I hadn't made ice cream in about 3 years now, but now I could actually make it with egg in it (which I never dared to do) because now I have farm fresh eggs!!!!

I also am not afraid to make homemade pudding with semi-raw eggs either. Oh, and chocolate mousse!