When it comes to adding in things this week, its been total min, I kept to my 5 item limit, of which no sales tempted me.. I was able to keep my food budget for the week for two and half (the old lab who eat’s peaple food should be considered a child in terms of food costs) at 7 dollars for the week. with a grand total of 34.84 for the month of Jan to date..

I have not decided yet if I want to go to town this weekend, it was in the plan but this freezing ice storm has settled ove my farm and local area and I am thinking that I should just stay home an off those roads.

I am very much thinking of having a fairly stricted food related cost for the month of feb, I have not decided if I am doing a month of eat out of your pantry only, or if I am going to take a ten dollar a week only challange, I will annouce on the 1st what the plan is, I know that if I need to do something for a short term and report either daily or once a week I am much better at doing so then something that needs to be done once a month.

So what is new in regards to food storage this week is mirco greens in trays, sprouts in jars and that the sun is getting longer daily, which is wondeful for starting pots of different things in the house..  I am burning though my home collected radish seed, and I think this year, I am not only going to plan and collect broccoli, radish seeds but I am going to plant a whole row of beets just for sprouting seeds, I really like beet greens..

Otherwise we continue to have lots of fresh milk as more of our girls freshen this year, I am a little surprised at the amount of big singles instead of twins this year.. I didn’t flush them this year as much as year’s before, I guess I am seeing the results of that in the barn this winter, More milk for me!

Last but not least, I am not happy with my second year laying hens this year, I am not getting the eggs I should be, I tried a different breed with that flock and while they are dual purpose hens, they were earlier layers and very good first year, but they have been poor winter layers and poor second year layers, Dh wants to cut them slack, I want to freezer camp them! The up and coming young layers (due to start in end of feb/march) are of a different breed that I have had for most of the years I have been on the farm, and they are still good layers at three to five as well as excellent broody mothers typically.

All I have to say is start laying again girls or else, I won’t keep and feed you if you are not going to reward me with rich big brown eggs.. this is a barter, and right now, I am getting the shaft..

So how was everyone else’s week? Did you get a great sale at the store? Did you find a cool old fashioned recipe or make one up that was a way to use your winter stores? How are your hens laying this winter? If you have fresh milk, are you making cheese? Yogurt? Bread Pudding?

Today is the day that the wonderful blog, the homestead Rivival has their once a month Preparedness Challange (don’t forget to stop by for the homestead blog hop on mondays!), Raither then write a new Food Storage Post, I am using my regular Food Storage Friday posts but as its to cover the whole month, Last week my Food Storage Friday write up..