That one where Abigail gives away the fridge...

[kaetrin]

I'm particularly annoyed at how she opens the post with how she used to think she was frugal when she bought meat on sale and kept it in the freezer, but that was just "thinking poor" and now that she is forced to spend MORE money on food, (for instance, by purchasing half gallons of milk instead of whole gallons) she is having fun being "really" poor.

"Switching to more expensive portion sizes made it easier to transition to buying organic milk! Look at my great attitude about poverty, tee hee!" That is Not Poverty, not even a little bit. It might be more picturesque and "adventurous" to have a tiny fridge and no freezer, but every frugal blog that I've ever seen emphasizes how important it is to be able to buy in bulk and store it when there are good deals, if you have a little extra.

Once again, it's all about how she can make herself FEEL like she's living dangerously and counter-culturally -- We gave away our fridge! We're so unconventional! -- when she's actually just making stupid counterproductive choices.

[Jana814]

Oh my g-d she is the worst!! I don't understand why anyone would want their kids to live the way that Abigal's kids do.

[rward]

I'm particularly annoyed at how she opens the post with how she used to think she was frugal when she bought meat on sale and kept it in the freezer, but that was just "thinking poor" and now that she is forced to spend MORE money on food, (for instance, by purchasing half gallons of milk instead of whole gallons) she is having fun being "really" poor.

"Switching to more expensive portion sizes made it easier to transition to buying organic milk! Look at my great attitude about poverty, tee hee!" That is Not Poverty, not even a little bit. It might be more picturesque and "adventurous" to have a tiny fridge and no freezer, but every frugal blog that I've ever seen emphasizes how important it is to be able to buy in bulk and store it when there are good deals, if you have a little extra.

Once again, it's all about how she can make herself FEEL like she's living dangerously and counter-culturally -- We gave away our fridge! We're so unconventional! -- when she's actually just making stupid counterproductive choices.

That's poverty, buying small serving sizes and organic? Huh. I thought we were starting to do well again, but I can't afford all that for 3 people, let alone seven.

:violin: Play the poorer than Abigail violin for me, if you will. I'm going to go cry poverty tears.

[Boltingmadonna]

Hello, "poor" isn't buying organic milk in half-gallon cartons. Good grief. There was a time when I bought powdered milk and mixed it with water, and then cut our milk with it to a level the kids would still drink. But I didn't think I was poor, because we had enough to eat and a good roof over our heads. Also, my husband and I had educational and cultural advantages to pass on to our children that were priceless. Abigail possesses that too. She isn't poor in resources. She's deliberately withholding them from her children. I think that's a whole different kind of problem.

[Loveday]

She's confused. This isn't 'involuntary' poverty she's living, it's 'voluntary.' She's doing it on purpose. And her kids are suffering for it. Infuriates me just thinking about it. :evil:

[Koala]

I shit you not, she has posted 11 times today. 6 of the posts were about the fridge. :cray-cray:

[MamaJunebug]

I don't know, but you would get a nod from Latisha! :lol:

:) ....Latisha? .... I'm asleep half the day, sorry!!!!

[GeoBQn]

I'm looking at the picture of the dining room. The black anti-abortion sign goes so well with the light pink wallpaper and curtains.

[singsingsing]

I'd love to know where she finds the time to post on her blog a dozen times a day? Doesn't she have five kids? Whom she homeschools? :S

Edit: Wow. It's so telling that in one of her posts, she says it won't be a problem if their family keeps growing, because they can always finish the basement and turn it into a room for her son. Um, Abigail... aren't you supposed to be poor? Where are you going to find the money to finish your basement, especially if you keep having more babies?

[Koala]

:) ....Latisha? .... I'm asleep half the day, sorry!!!!

Jessica from Me and All These Kids. :D She used to go on rants about microwaves

[Koala]

I'd love to know where she finds the time to post on her blog a dozen times a day? Doesn't she have five kids? Whom she homeschools? :S

Edit: Wow. It's so telling that in one of her posts, she says it won't be a problem if their family keeps growing, because they can always finish the basement and turn it into a room for her son. Um, Abigail... aren't you supposed to be poor? Where are you going to find the money to finish your basement, especially if you keep having more babies?

Oh, for a poor family they do all sorts of remodels.

I agree that the black abortion sign is a nice touch...you know, in case someone takes a path through her dining room on the way to the abortion clinic

[singsingsing]

I agree that the black abortion sign is a nice touch...you know, in case someone takes a path through her dining room on the way to the abortion clinic

I think it (along with that giant black 'pray for priests' ribbon on the mini fridge') is there just to make sure we don't forget she's Catholic. Because she is Catholic. She's SO Catholic, people. PLEASE don't forget. About how Catholic she is. Has she mentioned she's Catholic???

[Bookworm]

I'm not sure if I've ever visited Abigail's blog, but she sounds so annoying whenever I read a thread about her. Re: The eggs, I didn't realize the power washing thing! I was under the impression they used buffers/dry things to clean them... Oh well. About once a month I buy five dozen eggs and never refrigerate them until they are cooked. I've never had food poisoning in my life and they are always fresh when I use them, so I guess whatever process they use isn't too bad. I wish they didn't power wash them, though.

[Koala]

I think it (along with that giant black 'pray for priests' ribbon on the mini fridge') is there just to make sure we don't forget she's Catholic. Because she is Catholic. She's SO Catholic, people. PLEASE don't forget. About how Catholic she is. Has she mentioned she's Catholic???

And impoverished. Catholic and impoverished. Impoverished and Catholic. That's Abigail.

[GeoBQn]

I think it (along with that giant black 'pray for priests' ribbon on the mini fridge') is there just to make sure we don't forget she's Catholic. Because she is Catholic. She's SO Catholic, people. PLEASE don't forget. About how Catholic she is. Has she mentioned she's Catholic???

And no, putting up a magnet with the word "pray" on it does not count as actually count as praying.

[Dysfundamental]

The power washing not only removes the bloom that protects the eggs, in ensures that any bacteria that is on the outside of the egg will be forced inside. This, along with battery raising chickens, is why eggs in the US are often contaminated..

Chickens in the UK are battery farmed, too (don't know about other EU nations). The main difference is that chickens in the EU get anti-salmonella vaccines, but not in the US (I think not in Canada, either), so the egg-washing has been deemed necessary (the USDA has studies to back up its position on this reducing salmonella).

Egg "bloom" is a layer of cloacal mucus. Not that I wash it off fresh-laid eggs I buy, but just for clarity.

[NurseNell]

The strawberries are meh, whatever. The cheese I wouldn't do, but to each his own. But the eggs...blech...

Eggs do not have to be refrigerated.

[idonthaveajname]

Where does this woman find the time to post eleventy billion times a day? What with all the praying and homeschooling and being poor and whatnot?

[Koala]

Eggs do not have to be refrigerated.

FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou ... 077342.htm

Safe Handling Instructions

To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly. Eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella — by in-shell pasteurization, for example — are not required to carry safe handling instructions.

[Dinger]

FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou ... 077342.htm

I never keep our eggs in the fridge, I have a ceramic hen on the worktop that they are kept in until used :oops:

[yewchapel]

FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou ... 077342.htm

Well the advice also says to cook eggs until yolks are firm, which I hardly ever do unless I'm making egg salad. I always have my egg yolks runny in a fried or poached egg, and most British people cook their eggs sunny side up. Clearly, Europeans don't think much of FDA guidelines.

[Koala]

Well the advice also says to cook eggs until yolks are firm, which I hardly ever do unless I'm making egg salad. I always have my egg yolks runny in a fried or poached egg, and most British people cook their eggs sunny side up. Clearly, Europeans don't think much of FDA guidelines.

I won't lie...I cook the hell out of eggs. And meat. Like I said, horrible phobia of food poisoning.

[PurpleSheepleEater]

Grocery store eggs in the US must be refrigerated. Even if they are organic they have been treated in such a way that they are not safe for consumption if they are not kept cold. If she is keeping grocery store eggs out on the counter they will eventually be sick. But if she gets her eggs from a local farmer she's right, they can be good for a month or more just sitting on the counter.

The FDA has the guidelines it has because they mess with the eggs so much before they make it to your house. Europe doesn't mess with food nearly as much as we do here. They don't refrigerate them and I'm willing to bet they get to the consumer much faster than here in the US, our average egg on the shelf in the grocery store is already a month old.

I have my own chickens so I am well versed in egg safety, lol.

[samurai_sarah]

Grocery store eggs in the US must be refrigerated. Even if they are organic they have been treated in such a way that they are not safe for consumption if they are not kept cold. If she is keeping grocery store eggs out on the counter they will eventually be sick. But if she gets her eggs from a local farmer she's right, they can be good for a month or more just sitting on the counter.

The FDA has the guidelines it has because they mess with the eggs so much before they make it to your house. Europe doesn't mess with food nearly as much as we do here. They don't refrigerate them and I'm willing to bet they get to the consumer much faster than here in the US, our average egg on the shelf in the grocery store is already a month old.

I have my own chickens so I am well versed in egg safety, lol.

I went like "oh, that's interesting" until the bolded bit. That surprised me. I'm in the UK, and a big fan of buying locally anyway, so the eggs I buy are usually very fresh anyway. But even supermarket eggs are quite fresh. So, I'm curious why it takes such a long time to get a humble egg into shops. Is it because they're not sourced locally? Greater distances for shipping? The need for treatments? A combination thereof?

And since you seem to be egg-savvy and they are one of my favourite foods, maybe you can tell me: Don't they look old after a month, refrigerated or not?

Sorry, ignorantly curious questions. I find the topic oddly compelling.

[yewchapel]

I have never had food poisoning from eggs. Once from ground beef that was well-cooked, and once from salad. Never from shellfish, raw or partly cooked eggs, or raw or partly cooked meat. And I've eaten plenty of those things!