The annual January "to do" list ...

How January's to do list will save us over $2,480 this year and stock the pantry!

Every January I have a routine that helps maximize our resources and improves the odds for the rest of the year’s success. This action list saves us an average $200/month and increases our quality of living. Here is how:

1. Review the monthly expenses
Do you know where your money goes every month? We have a list (by day of the month) that shows exactly what gets taken out of our checking account. I go down that list and call those companies one by one to see what new deals they have to offer. The monthly savings are small but they add up quickly. This year I saved $206.77 a month (over $2,480 this year!!).  Here is an example of this year’s savings.

Day of the month	Account	Monthly Amount saved
1	Gas/Food	$                  34.02
1	Netflix	$                    5.32
1	Insurance	$                  37.30
1	Internet	$                    4.46
1	Cell phones	$                  45.30
8	Rewards credit card	$                  78.60
12	Water	$                        -
20	Student loan	$                        -
21	Electricity	$                        -
30	Trash	$                    1.76
Total		$                206.77

2. Plan in the fun new farm projects
Every year we add a few new things to the farm. Last year we added more fruit trees, more goats, more meat chickens and turkeys. This year we will add a bee hive, ducks, more baby goats and possibly lambs.

Our turkey additions in 2014.

3. Plan the garden
Removing veggies that didn't work for us last year and replacing them with new ones. Increasing plants for veggies that we consumed quickly and reducing plants for veggies we clearly weren’t eating. Identifying the sister plants to maximize production and plotting out the garden. This helps us identify the right time to start seeds.

This was no where near enough green beans for us last year.  We will triple our plants for 2015!!

4. Build seed starter pots
Recycling newspapers into little starter pots is a great way to start some vegetables.

Mini seed pots using newspaper.

5. Start some seeds and add to the small indoor garden
There are quite a few vegetables that will need to be started before January is over due to their long transplant lead time. For example I have already started some onions and celery to be planted outdoors this spring. I also keep a small indoor garden that I add to every January. I move these pots outdoors after the last day of frost so we can get our windows back in the spring!

This is a very zoomed in picture of some onions that were starting to bulb in mid February last year!

Light and fluffy natural yeast sandwich bread

Natural yeast sandwich bread

This is my go to sandwich bread recipe 2 times a week!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 C flour + 1 1/4 C flour

2 tsp salt

1 C warm milk

2 Tb unsalted butter, melted

3 Tb honey

1/2 Cup natural yeast 
(more info on natural yeast can be found here )

1.  Mix 2 3/4 C of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Mix the milk, butter, and honey in separate bowl.  Pour mixture into the 1/2 cup of natural yeast and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.  Turn the machine on low and add the liquid.  When the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes.  If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining flour, one 1/8 cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks (you might not use all of the flour - it all depends on the humidity level in your home at the time).  Continue to mix until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 5 more minutes.

2.  Form dough into a ball, place in lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until double, (usually overnight in a warm place).  Punch out the air and form into a loaf. Place in a greased loaf pan, seam side down, cover and allow to rise until double, about 2 hours.

3.  Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown all over and internal temperature is 180°F.  Remove bread from the pan, transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 min before slicing.

Sweet peach candy fruit rolls - only one ingredient!

Ingredients:
Peaches ... yep that's it!!

The secret is to roast the peaches to release their natural sugars before dehydrating them.  Here is how to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  
2. Slice peaches in half and remove pit.  Place peach halves pit side up in a glass baking dish.  Bake for 15min.  
3. Switch the oven to broil.  Move the peaches under the broiler to roast for another 10 min (monitor peaches so they don't burn - just looking for a light browning.)
4. Carefully remove the roasted peaches from the oven and let rest for 10 min.  (The pit cavity might fill with peach juices 
5. Puree the peaches in a food processor or blender until smooth.  
6. Spread the puree onto a dehydrator tray that has the fruit leather liner (smaller holes so the puree will not fall through).  use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth out the puree into an even layer (about 1/4 inch in thickness). 
7. Set the dehydrator to 140°F and allow the fruit to dry for 8 to 10 hours.
8. Peel the fruit leather off of the tray and slice long strips with a pizza cutter.
9. Roll strips and place in an airtight container for storage.