diy

We all want to save money on our grocery bills. Food is expensive! According to the USDA, the average family of four (2 adults and 2 children that aren’t teenagers) spends somewhere between $200 and $246 per week on groceries. That’s nearly $1000 per month just for food, and that doesn’t include eating out.

If you fall into this category, your grocery bill might be bigger than your mortgage or rent payment. If you try out some these ideas, you might just be able to lower your grocery bill by as much as 50% or even more.

Some people find they can significantly reduce their grocery spendings with coupons. My brother-in-law used to be an incredible grocery shopper, getting all kinds of deals with double and triple coupons on top of store sales. After awhile, extreme couponing became a terrific way to save money on food and supplies at the grocery store.

My apologies to the Krazy Coupon Lady, though. She’s got fantastic ideas, but I just can’t keep coupons organized, much less be a super user of coupons to save money on groceries. But I have a gaggle of kids and a small amount of money to spend on food, so I have a host of tips and tricks to keep my food bills under control.

1. Set up a budget.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it makes sense. If you have a budget, you’ll force yourself to make decisions based on needs verses wants in order to stick to the dollar figure. The USDA has guidelines for food costs that may help you choose how much you want to spend.

If you keep track of what you’re spending on what items over the course of a month, you’ll also find out where your money pitfalls lie. One bottle of soda per day can really add up over the course of a month. Or maybe it’s the fancy coffee beans or prepackaged snacks that blow your budget.

Keep track of what you’re already spending and some of those tough food decisions will suddenly become a little bit easier when you see how little things add up over the course of a month or year.

Once you have a budget figured out, you can be creative in finding ways to stick to it. Perhaps high end coffee is important to you, but name brand snacks or oatmeal are not. You can use a little give and take in your budget to choose the things that are most important to you, and let go of the things that don’t matter nearly as much. Aim to come in under budget and put those extra dollars towards something fun.

2. Use price points.

Know how much things typically cost and how much a good deal is. For where I live, cereal is upwards of $3.50 a box on average. However, some generic brands and sales on name brands make it cost less. I try to only buy cereal when it is on sale for less than $2 a box. For meat, I only pay less than $2 a pound.

When items hit below my desired price point, I stock up. Some weeks, I have a stack of cereal boxes on the counter with no place to put them because the deal was too good to pass up. But with 6 kiddos who seem to have blackholes instead of stomachs, its totally worth catching the good deal.

3. Buy generic when it doesn’t matter.

Generic versions of name brand products are usually less expensive. Some things do taste a little bit different, but if you’re using it in a recipe, you probably won’t notice a difference in the outcome of the final meal.

Your casseroles, spaghetti sauces, and other dishes will taste just as good if you give them a chance. Other times, the name brand product is the same food, manufactured and packaged in the same facility, just with different labels.

Read about 10 products whose name brand is the same product as the generic, here. Don’t get tricked into spending more money for an identical product.

4. Buy name brand when it costs less.

Sometimes store sales are so good that the name brand product costs even less than the store brand. Use unit pricing – the small numbers on the shelf tag – to tell which product is actually cheaper.

Unit pricing will help you get the best deal, especially on prepackaged snacks or bulk items that are hard to figure out.

5. Buy meat on the “sell by” date.

Meat is expensive! But stores have to sell it by the sell by date or they will end up throwing it away. Often times, they want to move these items fast, so they are heavily discounted on the “sell by” date. Peruse the coolers until you find some of those sale stickers.

You will probably have to process those foods right away so they don’t go bad, just make sure you plan ahead to do so. Otherwise, you may end up throwing away food that went bad and wasting a good deal. So remember to stock up, divide up, and freeze the extra cuts for another time.

6. Buy different cuts of meat.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts sure are convenient. But they are also more pricey. Try a different cut of meat – such as thigh quarters, or an oddly shaped ham hock – for a cut of meat that tastes just as good but costs much less.

Thigh quarters are usually around $1.88 per pound in my local store, where boneless skinless chicken breasts are easily double that. Don’t be afraid to substitute ground turkey for ground beef, it will stay be delicious.

7. Have meatless meals.

Of course we need protein, but don’t be afraid to have a meatless meal here and there to cut down on your grocery bill. Spaghetti is an easy and cheap meal to make when you skip the meat. Another great option are soups, salads, and even sandwiches for supper.

8. Grow your own greens.

Greens – lettuces, arugula, spinach, and kale are some of the most expensive vegetables per pound and they go bad quickly after you purchase them. I’ve lost a lot of fresh greens simply because I couldn’t eat them fast enough. But greens are also some of the easiest and quickest vegetables to grow.

If you only grow one thing in your garden, make it greens to save money and add nutritional value to your food. If you don’t have garden space, you can easily grow lettuce in a container on your balcony or a few sprouts right on your kitchen counter. It’s inexpensive and easy.

9. Stock up when there are sales.

Designate a portion of your grocery budget for sale foods. When you buy a good deal, stock up to save money in the long run. Grocery store sales tend to be cyclical. The same items go on sale around every 4, 6, or 12 weeks.

If you know how often your favorite cereal or brand of peanut butter goes on sale or when breakfast items become the hot deal, you can stock up with enough to last you until the next sale comes around and you won’t have to pay full price in between.

10. Consider pharmacy deals.

Pharmacies like CVS have their own little grocery section. While generally these convenience aisles are more expensive, they do have great deals on certain foods from time to time. Combine that with your ExtraCare bucks for an extra hit of savings. If you time it just right, you might even make money on the deal.

11. Buy in bulk.

Often, foods like rice, oatmeal, and flour are cheaper when you buy in bulk. Even meat costs less per pound when you buy it in larger amounts. You can purchase these items in bulk and split it up into smaller packaging to use at later times.

12. Go in with a friend and divvy it up.

Rather than wasting money because a product comes in a size bigger than you need, share it with a friend. Split the cost and split the spoils to get a better deal on something you use less of but still need.

Things like avocado, lemons, and limes often come in big bags that spoil before you can use them up. Find a friend and share.

13. Create some food storage space and store food correctly.

If you don’t store food correctly, it will go bad and you’ll lose all of the money you were trying to save. Create the proper food storage – a deep freeze in your garage or basement is invaluable for stocking up on meat and breads

Create extra pantry shelves in a spare closet or anywhere that is cool and dry. Often, the basement isn’t a great place to store dried goods because the humidity causes things to mold quickly. Don’t lose good food to bad storage.

Bonus, stocking up on food means you won’t ever have to make an emergency trip to the store to prepare for bad weather. You’ll always have food on hand even for the worst of emergencies. Not only will good food storage save you money, it will help you be prepared.

14. Cook from your pantry.

Before you hit the grocery store, dig through your pantry to see what treasures might be lurking in there. You might be surprised by what you already have on your shelves. With a little creativity, you can cook right from your pantry without having to purchase a lot of ingredients.

Using up food before it goes bad definitely saves you money on wasted food. Look for pastas, cans of soup, or any other items that got pushed to the back or bottom of your pantry.

15. Raise a couple of chickens.

If your town allows it, a couple of hens in your backyard not only make fun pets, they also provide breakfast. If you just have a couple of hens, allowing them to free-range and supplementing their food with your table scraps means you feed them for free while getting eggs in return. Here are twenty ways to save money on chicken feed to lower the cost of your eggs.

16. Ask for rainchecks.

Sometimes a deal is so good the store runs out before you get there! That’s ok – ask for a raincheck so you can still get the deal when it is back in stock. Just don’t forget to go back and use it.

17. Use the apps!

Bonus cards aside, stores now have their own apps to help you save money. Download them to your smart phone and put them to good use. Turn on notifications to get informed of the best freebies and sale items.

Other apps that can save you money on groceries are ibotta, Fetch, and even ebates. We love Fetch because you don’t need to do any prep work. Once you’ve signed up for the app, just scan your receipts and you’ll get rewards to buy gift cards for online stores such as Amazon.

18. Read the sale flyers and the fine print.

I’ve made the mistake over and over of not reading the fine print! Some stores offer very specific deals. The deals are great unless you don’t do follow the directions, so make sure to read and follow through on the directions.

For example, sometimes, 10 for $10 means you have to buy all ten items to get the deal, sometimes you only need to buy one and the limit is ten.

19. Shop around.

I have found my local grocery store has great deals on certain things like meat and produce, and some of their store brand prices are fantastic. But their prices on prepackaged snacks are nowhere near as good as the larger chain stores, such as Giant.

On the other hand, for specialized foods such as goat cheese and raw milk, I like to visit my local Mennonite store for amazingly fresh dairy items at a great price. I alternate trips and stock up so I’m not going to multiple stores in one week.

20. Use bonus cards.

Bonus cards really do make a difference, so make sure you use yours every time. Most of them will allow you to input your phone number in case you forget your card, or you can even scan the app on your phone.

If for some reason you can’t access your card, then ask to use the store card or manager’s card. You won’t get the bonuses or gas points but at least you’ll get the card savings. Use it every time, otherwise, you’re throwing away free money with your groceries.

21. Buy fresh foods.

When you purchase prepackaged food, you’re not just paying for the food, you’re also paying for the packaging. If you compare the cost per serving of a banana verses the cost per serving of a fruit snack, you’ll come out much further ahead by buying the bananas. You’ll get more food for your dollar and much less waste. (Bonus, you can turn those banana peels into goat treats or compost!)

22. Shop farmers markets at the end of the weekend.

If you’re really looking for a deal, shop the farmer’s markets at the very end of the week. They’ll likely have fresh produce that they are looking to move since it won’t last until the following week.

And don’t forget to haggle a bit – if they’re in a rush to get out of there, they may just throw in a few extra goodies with your order. It helps them create loyal customers and helps you save money. If they’re good to you, spread the word.

23. Don’t overeat. Portion control is a big deal!

Healthdata.org estimates that 160 million Americans are overweight or obese. This works out to ¾ of adult men and over half of adult women. This means there are a lot of Americans who simply overeat.

Controlling your portion size will not only save you money on food, it will also save your health and added healthcare costs. Try using smaller plates or leaving a few bites behind. Eat slowly and think about what you’re doing so you can enjoy your meal and not have to feel deprived.

24. Don’t waste food.

Imagine going to the grocery store and immediately throwing half of your purchases in the trash can. That’s basically what happens – almost 40% of food in the United States gets thrown away (Check out marketwatch.com).

You could conceivably save nearly half on your groceries by simply not wasting food. This means eating your leftovers, planning meals around leftovers, and controlling how much you put on a plate rather than let it sit, uneaten.

Save the landfills and your budgets by carefully planning your meals and then actually eating them. Still have leftovers? Feed the scraps to your chickens. They’ll reward you with delicious eggs.

25. Don’t be afraid of stale bread.

If you have stale bread, don’t just toss it. Turn it into a delicious French toast casserole. This recipe calls for French bread, but any stale bread will do. Don’t have any stale bread? Shop the day old bread sale for discounted breads.

26. Cook from scratch.

Ordering a couple of pizzas cost me about $45. Buying the same amount of frozen pizzas costs me about $15. But if I make my own pizzas from scratch, I can do it for less than $10.

You don’t have to do it all at once, just pick a few easy foods and learn how to make them from scratch. It will add a fun tradition to your family and save you money.

27. Think outside the box.

It’s ok to buy cheap convenience foods, but sometimes starting from scratch is still cheaper. A good friend blew my mind when she told me she could save money by making her own version of Ramen noodles. I thought Ramen was about the most inexpensive, easy food you could buy. But in some cases, you can save even more by making your own.

Want to see if you can save money on Ramen? Compare the cost of Bouillon cubes and spaghetti noodles (on sale, of course!) to the cost of the same amount of Ramen. Which way is cheaper for you?

28. Don’t buy something you don’t need just because it is on sale.

Stores love to promote their sales and coupons. Nothing sucks me in faster than a great big sale sign. But if it isn’t something I need or use, it isn’t worth the money. Don’t let good marketing fool you into buying things you don’t need; you’ll just end up wasting your hard-earned money.

29. Don’t waste money on convenience.

Grocery stores know you’ll fall in love with beautifully packaged, cut up watermelon, sliced apples, and other conveniently processed fresh foods. Do it yourself and save a lot of cash. Just compare the cost of a whole watermelon to the cost of a few ounce of precut watermelon. You’ll save a bundle.

30. Don’t buy things at eye level.

Jordan Page from funcheaporfree.com says don’t buy things at eye level, they are the most expensive. Instead, look towards the bottom of the rack for a less expensive version of the same thing.

31. Shop less often.

The less you shop, the less opportunities there are for impulse buys. Shop a little less often to prevent extra purchases that you don’t need.

32. Buy in season.

Strawberries are pretty inexpensive in June when they are in abundance, but the rest of the year, the price goes way up because they have to be imported from warmer areas. Instead, eat apples in the fall when they are in season, and strawberries in the summer. The flavor is much better that way, as well.

33. Make a meal plan but be flexible while shopping.

Plan ahead so you know everything you need to purchase to make it through the week. However, be a little flexible because you never know what might be on sale when you get to the store.

Maybe you planned to chicken fajitas for supper on Saturday, but when you got to the grocery, the price of ground beef was much less expensive. Just make the switch and be proud that you saved a bit by thinking on the fly.

34. Avoid shopping when tired, hungry, or emotional.

Try to shop when you are full, happy, and well-rested so you are less likely to just throw things in the cart to get it over with. Enjoy the challenge of sticking to your budget and you’ll come out much further ahead.

35. Drink water.

Skip the sodas, juice, and fancy drinks. They are expensive and plain water is much healthier for you, anyway. A soda a day adds up fast.

So, what are your tips that’ve helped you lower your grocery bill? Please share them below, and don’t forget to pin this article on pinterest.

The post 35 Easy Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill by 50% or More appeared first on The Homesteading Hippy.

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After trying beetroot gnocchi at a top quality restaurant close to Mount Warning in New South Wales, Australia, I was determined to try and create something similar. So here goes.

Beetroot Gnocchi Recipe Yield: around 75 gnocchi Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes Print

Ingredients

Gnocchi

• 2 lb floury potatoes (Harmony. Crown, King Edward, or Pentland to name a few) – approximately 4 medium large ones, peeled and chopped
• 12 oz boiled beetroot, approximately 3 medium size, peeled and chopped
• 9 oz flour, plus a little extra for flouring board
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large egg

Sauce

• 7 oz white button mushrooms – or mushroom of your choice – sliced thin
• 1 heaped tablespoon flour
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 splashes of truffle oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place potatoes in pot with water and salt bring to the boil.
2. When tender drain water, return potatoes to pot and place back on the heat to ensure all extra water has evaporated off.
3. Remove from heat and mash potatoes until smooth – adding only pepper and salt to taste.
4. Take the boiled beetroot that has been peeled and chopped and place it into a food processor and blend to a puree.
5. Pass beetroot through a sieve, add to mashed potato, and mash again.
6. In a mixing bowl place the flour, add the beaten egg and the potato/beetroot mix and mix to form a dough.
7. Bring the large pot with water to the boil.
8. Sprinkle a board with flour, place some flour on your hands and divide dough into 5 or 6 pieces.
9. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape.
10. Once rolled cut the rolls of dough with a sharp knife into pieces roughly ½ an inch thick.
11. Place the gnocchi, around 15 at a time into the pot of boiling water, ensuring they do not land on top of each other but are distributed around the base of the pot – they will naturally sink to the bottom.
12. Once they cook they will rise to the top of the water and you can take them out with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander.
13. While you are doing this set a sauté pan on medium high and add the butter for the sauce as well as a splash of truffle oil.
14. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry gently. When almost done remove the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside, leaving the remaining butter and juices in the pan.
15. Add ½ a cup of milk to the pan and heat.
16. Mix the heaped tablespoon of flour with ½ the cup of milk to make a smooth paste.
17. Stir the paste into the heated milk and mix to form a smooth sauce. If it is a little stiff, add a little more milk.
18. Return the mushrooms to the sauce, stirring gently to finish cooking.
19. Add salt and pepper to taste – you may want to add another splash of truffle oil for taste.
20. In-between doing this you will have been adding more gnocchi to the pot in batches and taking out those that have risen to drain in the colander.
21. Assemble the meal by placing the sauce on the plate then adding the gnocchi.
22. Decorate the plate with a smear of coriander pesto (link to recipe), arrange a little roasted red pepper for color (link to recipe) and a teaspoon of caramelized onion (link to recipe) and dust gnocchi with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

To serve you can (optionally) add some:

• Coriander pesto,
• Roasted red pepper,
• caramelized onion,
• or a little sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358 © The Homesteading Hippy Cuisine: Mediterranean

The truffle oil you buy is made by infusing a light oil with pieces of truffle adding a luxurious element of expensive French truffles. Although truffles are grown commercially it is a difficult undertaking as they grow underground in a symbiotic relationship between the truffle, the soil, the roots of specific types of tree and the climate.

All the elements have to be just right for the truffles, which look like small potatoes, to grow. Chefs around the world are prepared to pay huge sums for these elusive fungi, traditionally located by specially trained pigs and dogs that have a keen sense of smell.

The post Beetroot Gnocchi with Mushroom and Truffle Oil Sauce appeared first on The Homesteading Hippy.

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Just because you have little ones doesn’t mean you need to avoid raising chickens! While many people assume that raising a flock of backyard chickens if off-limits if you have kids, the opposite is actually true. Raising chickens is a great way to improve your kids’ self-esteem, autonomy, and interaction with the natural environment.

However, not just any old chicken breed will do. Some birds are known for being aggressive, so it’s important that you do your research before building your chicken coop and investing in a flock of chickens.

Here are the best tips for raising chickens with small children, as well as the best breeds to consider.

#1. Plymouth Rock

• Purpose: Dual purpose
• # of Eggs per Week: Four to five

This average-sized chicken has a long life span, making it a good choice for parents who aren’t quite ready to explain to their children the life-and-death process quite yet. As gentle chickens, this breed gets along well with most people as well as with other pets and breeds of chicken.

In the United States, Plymouth Rock chickens can be raised for both meat and eggs. As one of America’s oldest breeds, it’s the one you have to consider if you are looking for a child-friendly chicken breed.

#2. Buff Orpington

• Purpose: Dual-purpose
• # of Eggs per Week: Three

The Buff Orpington is just one of many color variations of the Orpington chicken breed. While color doesn’t play much of a role in the disposition of this gentle breed, you may find that Buff Orpingtons are the easiest to find at your local hatchery. They are also available in blue, black, and white, but all produce light brown eggs.

Originally from England, these chickens have some of the most docile personalities and are quite large to boot. They have luscious golden feathers that your children will enjoy petting, and they also enjoy being held.

These chickens are good runners but aren’t terribly flighty, making them low-maintenance easy to care for. Laying up to 190 eggs per year, these English chickens can also be raised for meat.

#3. Australorp

• Purpose: Dual purpose
• # of Eggs per Week: Five

The Australorp is an Australian breed of chicken with iridescent black feathers that look almost green in the hot summer sun. These chickens tend to be the most dominant members of mixed folks, and they prefer to live in confinement. They like to stay in tech coop but will also free-range if you give them the space to do so.

These chickens were bred from Black Orpingtons and are both great layers and great mothers. As curious, outgoing birds, these chickens are remarkably friendly. They will also give you impressive egg production of around five large brown eggs each week, or 250 each year. This chicken actually was the breed that broke some of the first world records in egg laying! It remains a popular breed in the western world today.

#4. Cochin

• Purpose: Ornamental
• # of Eggs per Week: 3-4

The Cochin chicken is available in both a standard and bantam size, but the bantam variety tends to be the most popular for families with small children. They enjoy being held and can easily adapt to life in a coop. However, they are also good foragers and will do well when allowed to free-range, too.

The Cochin breed has some unique distinguishing characteristics. These birds can be found in multiple different colors – eight, to be exact – and have fully feathered feet.

Some varieties even have curly feathers, making them the new talking point at your child’s next backyard birthday party. These chickens lay light brown eggs and are great mothers, but are better as ornamental breeds than they are for relying on meat and egg production.

#5. Brahma

• Purpose: Meat
• # of Eggs per Week: Three

Brahma chickens are also available in standard and bantam sizes. These chickens aren’t shy at all, rarely becoming nervous around other birds or our children.

They are easily trainable, so if you have a child that is interested in participating in 4H or showing his birds at the county fair, this is the one to consider. They don’t mind being handled and get along well with other chickens. Even the rooster tend to be docile.

These chickens can be found in a variety of gorgeous colors, such as white with black speckling. Like Cochins, they have feathers on their feet. Raised primarily for meat, these chickens do produce modest amounts of eggs if you want to keep them for that purpose. These chickens lay brown eggs roughly every other day.

#6. Silkie

• Purpose: Ornamental
• # of Eggs per Week: Three

This teeny-tiny breed is one of the most well-respected in Asian cultures. Prized in places like China for its health-boosting meat, this chicken is usually raised as an ornamental breed in the United States. Although it is bred in both bantam and standard sizes, it can only be purchased as a bantam breed in the United States.

This chicken is small and lightweight, making it easy for children to handle. It also has a lovely fluffy appearance, with feathers that are poofy instead of smooth. This chicken also has black skin instead of yellow and can sport a variety of feather colors, to. The chicken has five toes, like the Faverolle chicken, and lays tiny creamy white eggs.

If you’re relying on your chickens for egg production, unfortunately the Silkie chicken is not the best choice for you. While the eggs are gorgeous, some sporting a lovely pinkish tint, these chickens have a tendency to go broody.

In fact, they are such excellent mothers that they are often raised to be surrogate parents to other poultry babies. However, when Silkie hens are actively playing, you can expect to get about three eggs each week.

#7. Polish

• Purpose: Ornamental
• # of Eggs per Week: Two

If you really want to get your children’s friends talking, consider investing in a few Polish chickens. These birds have quite the unusual appearance, with poofy head feathers and vibrant displays of color. The most common color pattern is white with black edging.

These chickens are prone to some health problems related to their head plumage. Sometimes, they can have trouble seeing or you may notice that your other chickens pull feathers. However, you can easily trim these to improve the quality of your Polish chicken’s life, and it will make it easier to handle, too.

Polish chickens can be purchased in both bantam and standard sizes. Although they aren’t usually raised for egg or meat production, reducing pore volumes of both, they are great pets or showing animals for people with young children.

#8. Faverolle

• Purpose: Egg production
• # of Eggs per Week: Four

Faverolles originated in France, and they have a unique appearance. Though small, these chickens are great if you need to keep them confined to a run or coop. They are exceptionally friendly and easy to train, making them a good pet for young children. Faverolles have five toes instead of four, as well as fluffy cheek feathers and a feathered beard.

Most people purchase Faverolle chickens in a light salmon color, but they can be found with other colors and patterns as well, such as white. Faverolles are known for being chatty – something your children will get a real kick out of.

These birds are so docile that they tend to be at the very bottom of the pecking order. You’ll need to be careful about introducing them to a flock that has already been established, but once they get settled, you’ll find that they lay about four pale cream-colored eggs each week.

#9. Easter Egger

• Purpose: Egg production
• # of Eggs per Week: Four

If your kids have begged for a basket of eggs that look like the ones they see in pictures – that is, with dozens of multicolored eggs that remind you of the Easter season – you should consider raising an Easter Egger chicken. These birds have different appearances, but are usually found in a rusty red color.

However, what’s truly remarkable about this breed is that it is able to lay eggs that are tinted in various hues, like green, blue, olive, and pink. Though not recognized as an official breed, the Easter Egger has a unique genetic trait that makes them the star of the egg producer world.

These chickens are also decent producers, laying up to four eggs each week, and they’re exceptionally friendly and curious, too.

#10. Wyandotte

• Purpose: Dual-purpose
• # of Eggs per Week: Three to five

Wyandottes are beautiful chickens, with light brown wings tipped in black. These chickens can produce up to 200 light or dark brown eggs every year, giving you several eggs each week. They have amazing personalities that make them fun to be around – and they’re incredibly docile, too.

This dual-purpose chicken can be raised for both eggs and meat. She is both calm and friendly, preferring to keep to herself. While Wyandotte chickens tend to run a bit slow, they are still good foragers that can be allowed to free-range. They don’t mind being picked up and held, but they are not great fliers.

#11. Ameraucanas

• Purpose: Egg production
• # of Eggs Per Week: Three to four

Amerauacans lay gorgeous blue eggs. While these chickens don’t really like to be carried around, they are not aggressive and will get along well with other members of your flock. You can find them in multiple colors, such as wheat, black, and blue.

This chicken breed was developed in the United States in the 1970s, hailing from Araucana chickens that were brought here from Chile. These chickens lay blue eggs, and are one of the few breeds to do so. It has peace comb and a beard, and has either small or totally absent wattles.

#12. Olive Eggers

• Purpose: Egg production
• # of Eggs Per Week: Depends on parent breeds

These chickens lay elegant olive-green eggs. They have feathered feet and adorable cheek muffs, usually found in black or blue colors. These chickens are small and like to be carried. They are exceptional calm and the colored eggs don’t hurt, either.

This hybrid chicken is not a recognized breed, but generally is the result of crossing a blue egg laying chicken with one that lay brown eggs. They are often bred from Marans, Legbars, Welsummers, and Ameraucanas. Because of this, the average egg production each week can vary among individuals.

#13. Sussex

• Purpose: Dual-purpose
• # of Eggs Per Week: Three to four

Sussex chickens are known for being loving and even-tempered. Even roosters have a reputation for being easy going. These chickens lay brown and cream-colored eggs, with most hens producing anywhere between 200 and 250 eggs each year. You can find them in various shades, including red, light, and speckled.

Sussex chickens are voracious eaters. They can gt a little cranky if you get between them and their food, so it’s important that you teach your children how to respect the chickens’ boundaries. Allowing the birds to free range can cut down on this cranky behavior, too.

What Are the Benefits of Raising Chickens for Your Kids?

If your kid has been pestering you to get chickens or any other pet for a long time, you may be hesitant – and for good reason. However, allowing your children to raise chickens is a smart choice, to just because chickens are remarkably easy to raise, but because they offer several benefits in return – besides the obvious fact that they will give you plenty of cheap eggs, meat, and fertilizer for your garden.

Chickens help kids appreciate and understand the food system.

If your children are able to understand where their food comes from, they will have a deeper appreciation for what’s on their plate. This will make it easier to encourage them to eat a healthy, varied diet, and also teach them the value of life.

Caring for the chickens teaches your children responsibility.

From cleaning the coop to daily feeding, requiring your children to care for their chickens not only teaches responsibility, but it does so in a practical manner.

By making it part of your children’s’ daily chores to take care of the chickens, they’ll be much more responsible when this applies to other areas of their lives, too.

Chickens help to teach students the circle of life.

If you are able to hatch your own baby chicks, either through allowing a hen to go broody or using a n incubator to do so, you can teach your children a valuable lesson about the circle of life.

And not just in regards to birth, either – chickens die, unfortunately, and exposing your children to that sad aspect of life is a great lesson to learn early on.

Chickens can help get your kids involved.

When your children are a little bit older, chickens are a great project to help get your kids involved in extracurricular activities like 4-H or FFA (Future Farmers of America).

You don’t need a ton of space to raise chickens – you can even keep a few chickens if you live right in the middle of a city, in most cases! But having chickens will allow your children to show their animals – and to show their pride.

Tips for Raising Chickens When You Have Kids

Get your chickens as baby chicks. Encourage your children to handle them often, which will acquaint them with each other. It’s important that you introduce your children to the proper techniques of handling chickens so that they don’t injure them, but it’s also important that your chicks become acclimated to being held.

Always have an adult present when your children are interacting with the chickens, particularly if they are younger than five years old. You will also want to enforce strict handwashing rules so that you don’t spread dangerous diseases like salmonella.

Consider investing in a mixed flock. Although some cities or towns will only allow you to have five or six chickens, getting a few types of chickens from different breeds will allow you to create a friendlier, more attractive flock.

Remember that the individuals in a flock will always vary. Even though you might have heard that a specific breed of chicken is more docile, not all individuals will be friendly. You can always have an aggressive rooster or a cranky hen mixed into a flock.

Finally, keep in mind that certain circumstances will dictate a chicken’s temperament more than its breed. For example, if your chicken feels threatened – or if you are threatening a chick with mama around – you are more likely to have some problems with your normally even-tempered chickens.

Therefore, it’s important to teach your children to treat their chickens with respect. While many breeds will come when called and tolerate being handled, you should make a point of teaching your children how to recognize signs that your chickens are getting ornery.

Should You Raise Chickens If You Have Children?

Chickens and children are a great match. Because chickens are so easy to care for – and usually quite easy to train – they have many valuable lessons to teach your children.

They offer more than just the value of owning a pet – they offer lifelong memories. Consider raising one of these child-friendly chicken breeds if you want to provide your children with endless amusement and chicken cuddles.

Oh – and having a daily supply of eggs isn’t a bad thing, either!

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If orange is the new black, then is white the new orange? It might be for pumpkins! White pumpkins used to be a rare find, but now you can see them just about anywhere in the fall. These pumpkins can be a bit more expensive to purchase from the store, but luckily, they are incredibly easy to grow from seed.

If you’ve ever seen one of these cute little squashes, you may have asked yourself, are white pumpkins edible? The short answer – yes! It’s all a matter of knowing what to do with them.

Are White Pumpkins Edible?

Yes, white pumpkins are edible.

Even though white pumpkins may look quite a bit different from the typical orange Jack-o-Lantern, they are actually quite similar. White pumpkins taste almost exactly like their orange counterparts, and they are also grown in exactly the same manner.

Although they don’t typically grow as large, you can easily reap all the culinary and nutritional benefits from white pumpkins just as you would orange ones. There are some cultivars of whit pumpkins that grow equally as large as the orange ones, too!

Health Benefits of White Pumpkins

Because they are a niche food item, white pumpkins do not have official nutritional facts published by the USDA. However, since white pumpkins are essentially the same as orange ones, you can assume that the nutritional value of these tasty treats will be roughly the same as their orange cousins.

Whit Pumpkins have a relatively low calorie count, coming in at just 44 calories per cup. For this cup, you will receive two grams of protein, three grams of fiber, eleven grams of carbohydrates, and five grams of sugar. Pumpkins are also high in the following nutrients:

• Iron
• Potassium
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Selenium

Unfortunately, some studies have suggested that white pumpkins contain fewer vitamins than orange pumpkins, probably because of their pale color. There is less carotenoid synthesis so white pumpkins tend to have less vitamin A. Most other vitamins are about the same.

What is a White Pumpkin?

Pumpkins, also referred to as a variety of winter squash, have been around for what seems like forever. Pumpkin seeds were first discovered in Mexico that dated back to 7000 B.C., making the pumpkin one of the continent’s original vegetables.

White pumpkins, however, have a more recent history. They were not bred deliberately until the early 2000s, when they grew in popularity for their ornamental value. Before that, they would show up as a random accidental shade at the local farmers market.

Once extremely rare, white pumpkins were bred as albino breeds from pumpkin growers and scientists. While they look quite different from orange pumpkins, they are all cultivars of the squash plants and they are not botanically considered different plants. They are instead just an albino variant of the same plant, Cucurbita pepo.

Common White Pumpkin Cultivars

There are many types of white pumpkins you can grow, purchase, or consume. Here are some of the most popular types for backyard gardeners:

• Baby Boo: This pumpkin grows to less than a pound and usually only reaches about two to three inches in diameter. It is used mostly for ornamental purposes due to its size, but could also be used for cooking if so desired. This pumpkin has a flat top and is best described as “cute.” They produce a ton of seed, usually about 400 seeds per pound!
• Casper: Casper pumpkins are another popular choice. They are smooth, without the usual ribbing that makes it challenging to carve a pumpkin. They can be a bit too sweet for baking, so you can actually use less sugar to compensate. These take a long time to develop – usually around 155 days.
• Cotton Candy: Cotton Candy is a slightly larger white pumpkin, growing up to eight to ten inches in diameter and reaching an average weight of ten pounds. This pumpkin is round with a strong, sturdy stem.
• Crystal Star: Crystal Star pumpkins are unique in that they do not turn yellow with age. They grow to around 12 inches in diameter and 35 pounds, making them a good choice for carving and cooking.
• Full Moon: Full Moon pumpkins are round and large, reaching up to 90 lbs in size! Also known as giant ghost pumpkins, they can grow up to three feet tall.
• Hooligan: Hooligan pumpkins are another small ornamental variety of white pumpkins. These grow to around two or three inches in diameter, rarely reaching over a pound or two in weight. These can have some yellow or green coloration to them, too.
• Lumina: Lumina pumpkins offer a good compromise between the massive Full Moon pumpkin and the tiny ornamental varieties. This pumpkin grows to around ten inches in diameter and reaches about fifteen pounds. It is a flat and round pumpkin, and excellent for eating. It is similar to Cotton Candy except it is flat instead of spherical.
• Polar Bear: This pumpkin is large, growing up to 65 lbs! It needs to be stored in the sun after harvesting to give it a pure white appearance.
• Silver Moon: Silver Moon pumpkins reach around nine inches in diameter and twelve pounds in weight. They are also flat and round. These cultivars are unique and desirable because they are resistant to mosaic virus and powdery mildew.
• Snowball: Snowball is a less common cultivar of the white pumpkin, but it can still be found in great supply. This pumpkin is small, usually about the size of your hand, can produce a ton of seeds in a tiny little two-pound package.
• Valenciano: Valenciano pumpkins have pronounced ribs, making them a unique ornamental choice. They reach about eight to ten lbs and eight to ten inches in diameter. These pumpkins take around 110 days to mature.
• White Ghost: The White Ghost is a cute little pumpkin that produces thick flesh. It has an irregular shape and unusual taste that makes it difficult to carve or cook with, but it’s a great choice for painting or decorating your tabletop with.

How to Grow White Pumpkins

You will grow a white pumpkin in exactly the same manner as you would grow an orange one. These should be planted after the risk of frost has passed. Most varieties take about 90 days to grow, so count back based on your approximate first date of frost so that you don’t have to worry about their growth being stunted by too-early cold weather.

White pumpkins can even be grown in giant form, just as you would with orange pumpkins. There are multiple varieties of giant white pumpkins seeds you can purchase, but usually, they aren’t able to set the same kinds of records as their orange relatives. The largest white pumpkins will be grown from Full Moon seeds.

When you are growing white pumpkins, you should remember that pumpkin plants don’t always transplant well. Therefore, you should avoid starting your seeds indoors and instead plant yours needs when temperatures stay above 70 degrees during the day.

Select a planting site that has well-draining soil with good water retention. While pumpkins don’t like to be waterlogged, they also don’t like drying out. Some cultivars of whit pumpkins need lots of shade to maintain their white hues. Keep your soil level and smooth to give your pumpkins a smooth round shape, and remember to plant in a mound to prevent water-logging.

White pumpkins like moderate amounts of sun – usually less than their orange cousins. Try to provide them with about eight hours of sun per day, and add plenty of organic fertilizer to keep your pumpkins plump.

How to Harvest White Pumpkins

White pumpkins should be picked as soon as they ripen. Like orange pumpkins, the longer they are allowed to remain on the vine, the higher the likelihood that they will become yellow or otherwise disclosed. Keep track of how long it takes for your selected variety of pumpkin to mature. You don’t want to leave the fruits out too long, as this can cause damage.

If you’re unsure of whether your white pumpkins are ready to be harvested, consider conducting this quick test. Flick the pumpkin with your finger and listen for a hollow sign. See whether your fingernail can be pressed into the skin. If it doesn’t budge, it’s ripe.

If you plan on using pumpkins for cooking, inspect them carefully for outward damages. While the skin does not need to be exceptionally shiny – it’s okay if it looks a little dull – you should avoid coking with pumpkins that have large soft spots, rotted areas, or bruises. Keep in mind that pumpkins can last for several months at a cool room temperature and have a remarkably long shelf life.

How to Cook with White Pumpkins

White pumpkins can be substituted for orange pumpkins in most recipes, regardless of whether you are baking a whit pumpkin pie or simmering a pumpkin soup. While you can use any variety of white pumpkin for cooking or baking, the best and sweetest variety is the Lumina.

You can also cook white pumpkin seeds. These can be roasted in the oven, tossed in a skillet, or coated with sugar for a delectable treat. White pumpkins can also be frozen by baking, scooping, and pureeing it first. Interestingly, the inside of a white pumpkin is not white – it is orange. Therefore, when you are using it for cooking or baking it will look exactly the same as an orange pumpkin.

Keep in mind that you should avoid eating white pumpkins that have already been carved or decorated. If you do not refrigerate the pumpkin innards as soon as you cut open the pumpkin, it presents the risk for fungal growth and bacterial development.

The best pumpkins for baking and cooking aren’t usually the ones that grow to massive sizes. Although these are certainly edible, they tend to be quite stringy, watery, and bland. Instead, you will want to select those that will produce sweeter, smoother flesh. Look specifically for pumpkins that are labeled as pie or sugar pumpkins, and try to select those that weigh no more than eight pounds.

You can cook white pumpkins just as you would practically any other kind of hard winter squash. You can roast it, steam it, puree it, or stir fry it.

What Else Can You Do with White Pumpkins?

Once rare, white pumpkins are now commonly found in pumpkin patches all over the country. These unique white orbs are all the rage when it comes to fall decorating, offering a crisp appearance that makes them easy to decorate and use for ornamental purposes.

These pumpkins are actually quite good for carving, too. Because their skin is not as thick as that found on an orange pumpkin, you will be able to get a steadier, more even cut. They are also great for painting and stenciling.

While it’s not recommended that you feed certain animals, like dogs, white pumpkins due to the choking hazard and potential risk for digestive upset, they can be fed to some types of livestock. Pigs and chickens, for example, will enjoy crunching down on the tasty orange flesh of your ghost pumpkins.

If you aren’t interested in growing your own white pumpkins, keep in mind that you can purchase them at major grocery stores and, often, at smaller chains, too. They usually are not sold as food but instead as decorative items in the fall. You can also head to your local nursery or farmer, which is where you are most likely to find the larger varieties of these pale vegetables.

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