Maxhell- Part 4

[anniebgood]

12 hours ago, crawfishgirl said:

My kids knew the price of being allowed to trick or treat each Halloween.  When they got home and looked through their candy, they would just quietly hand the Reese's to me as an offering....    Yes, I am a bad mom....

Mine had to hand over each and every tootsie roll that was in the bucket. No questions. 

[Melissa1977]

On 5/10/2016 at 8:38 PM, Granwych said:

Well, Melanie does get to lay on the couch for most of her pregnancies.  I'm not saying that she wants it that way, but it's probably the only rest she gets.  NRAnna, on the other hand, probably pops out the newborn and gets up to can green beans, sew frumpers, potty train whomever, and make dinner.  Oh, and service Prissy too, all in the same day.

I am being especially mean today.  I apologize.

 

DEspite you're right, I have the feeling that NR Anna is not properly cooking. They seem to eat a lot of crap food, with all these frozen burritos (is it a burrito a right meal for a toddler? not at my home).

Anybody can do everything. She schedules/trains kids to a crazy level, sure she cleans and sews, but canning and cooking? I very much doubt. It's a shame because when she lived in the farm I'm sure she learned to cook healthy, but I would be surprised if she's still doing.

Anyway, my typical comment here: what's Chris doing all day?

[VodouDoll]

I am actually canning right this moment: three or four half pint jars of savory quince preserves with ginger, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. It'll be delicious on toast with a slice of sharp cheddar. I spent a lot of the summer canning random produce that caught my eye: prune plums with star anise, maple blueberry syrup, strawberry-honey-thyme jam, fig quarters in whiskey, smoked tomato ketchup, salted brown sugar peach jam.... My Christmas presents are all set. I did these all in small batches, though, just three or four jars of each. Did I really read right that Nathan and Melanie have canned 120 quarts of applesauce? That is almost FIVE HUNDRED CUPS OF APPLESAUCE. Who in their right mind eats that much applesauce? 

[Foudeb]

13 minutes ago, VodouDoll said:

Who in their right mind eats that much applesauce? 

If worse comes to worst, the whole Maxhell clan could survive on burritos stuffed with applesauce!

[alba]

If worse comes to worst, the whole Maxhell clan could survive on burritos stuffed with applesauce!

Ew. Just ew.

I love burritos, and I love applesauce, but I love them separately.

[mango_fandango]

Why the fuck are they making 120 quarts of applesauce?? That's like 136 litres or 30 gallons!! They said they're going to can apple pie filling too. They just put apple sauce in a pie? Fair play to them if that's how they make it, but I'd've thought it'd be nicer to put sliced apple in a pie with some cinnamon or something. Then I remembered: this is the Maxwells. They make and eat Bean Slop Burritos. I'm not surprised they'd liquidise their apple pie filling too.

[catlady]

Like @VodouDoll, I too have been canning a lot recently. We picked 67 pounds of apples this year, and I made a lot of applesauce, but more like 25 pints. Granted, there are a hell of a lot more Maxwells than CatLadys (three of us), but no way will we eat applesauce every damn day all winter. 

I will give them bonus points for the outdoor burner setup. It's pretty clever (but not original; someone here talked about using something similar last year); too bad they don't blog about that like their innovative uses of pizza slicers and grocery lists.......

[nokidsmom]

2 hours ago, VodouDoll said:

I am actually canning right this moment: three or four half pint jars of savory quince preserves with ginger, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. It'll be delicious on toast with a slice of sharp cheddar. I spent a lot of the summer canning random produce that caught my eye: prune plums with star anise, maple blueberry syrup, strawberry-honey-thyme jam, fig quarters in whiskey, smoked tomato ketchup, salted brown sugar peach jam.... My Christmas presents are all set. I did these all in small batches, though, just three or four jars of each. Did I really read right that Nathan and Melanie have canned 120 quarts of applesauce? That is almost FIVE HUNDRED CUPS OF APPLESAUCE. Who in their right mind eats that much applesauce? 

Ooohhh...this all sounds great, can I come over?

Seriously, as a canner I spent the entire month of August canning with produce from the garden.  I can't imagine 120 quarts of applesauce.   Even for a good sized family and OMG I can't imagine the work.  

BTW, I tend to can in small batches as well being I downsized to a smaller canner.  The big 21 quart heavy duty monster that I got from me Mum was getting too big haul around.    Did tomato ketchup with pinot grigio, several pints of crushed tomatoes, salsa (mild and super spicy), zucchini and sweet pepper relish and nectarine jam.   I am considering asking Mr. No for a Ball Autocanner for Christmas just so I can get through some of the basic recipes like canned tomatoes faster.  Maybe Nathan and Melanie have one of those yet somehow I don't that would be Maxhell approved. 

 

 

[Coconut Flan]

3 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

They said they're going to can apple pie filling too.  They just put apple sauce in a pie?

I think several of the extended family helped with the applesauce and it's probably for the entire clan.  Also they are doing the apple pie filling separately.  It is not the same as the applesauce.  It's in addition to it.

[alba]

I think several of the extended family helped with the applesauce and it's probably for the entire clan.  Also they are doing the apple pie filling separately.  It is not the same as the applesauce.  It's in addition to it.

On the one hand, I'm glad they're doing proper pie filling.

On the other, how on earth will they eat all that applesauce?!

[Coconut Flan]

Even spread over 5 households that's quite a bit of applesauce.  The Maxwells remind me of neighbors of mine who have very repetitive menus.  I think they have applesauce two or three times a week.  The Maxwells being similarly stuck may do the same.

[Granwych]

3 hours ago, VodouDoll said:

I am actually canning right this moment: three or four half pint jars of savory quince preserves with ginger, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. It'll be delicious on toast with a slice of sharp cheddar. I spent a lot of the summer canning random produce that caught my eye: prune plums with star anise, maple blueberry syrup, strawberry-honey-thyme jam, fig quarters in whiskey, smoked tomato ketchup, salted brown sugar peach jam.... My Christmas presents are all set. I did these all in small batches, though, just three or four jars of each. Did I really read right that Nathan and Melanie have canned 120 quarts of applesauce? That is almost FIVE HUNDRED CUPS OF APPLESAUCE. Who in their right mind eats that much applesauce? 

Christmas gifts, I tell you, Christmas gifts.  Maybe given out to police officers, firemen, dogcatchers, and the yearly carolees.

[alba]

Christmas gifts, I tell you, Christmas gifts.  Maybe given out to police officers, firemen, dogcatchers, and the yearly carolees.

The idea of homemade applesauce for Christmas sounds lovely in theory (I'm a HUGE fan of edible gifts because I love food and hate clutter), I'd be wary of eating canned gifts from strangers.

It's illogical, because I don't necessarily know my relatives have sterilised the jars properly, either (unless it's my mom; where do you think my germ fears come from? ), but if a stranger - and I'm assuming carolers and firefighters are strangers, not friends - gave me homemade canned food I'd be concerned about botulism.

[Granwych]

Just now, alba said:

 

 

The idea of homemade applesauce for Christmas sounds lovely in theory (I'm a HUGE fan of edible gifts because I love food and hate clutter), I'd be wary of eating canned gifts from strangers.

It's illogical, because I don't necessarily know my relatives have sterilised the jars properly, either (unless it's my mom; where do you think my germ fears come from? ), but if a stranger - and I'm assuming carolers and firefighters are strangers, not friends - gave me homemade canned food I'd be concerned about botulism.

 

I agree with you there.  I don't give my homemade stuff to anyone but family, and only then if I know they like it.

[catlady]

1 hour ago, nokidsmom said:

Ooohhh...this all sounds great, can I come over?

Seriously, as a canner I spent the entire month of August canning with produce from the garden.  I can't imagine 120 quarts of applesauce.   Even for a good sized family and OMG I can't imagine the work.  

BTW, I tend to can in small batches as well being I downsized to a smaller canner.  The big 21 quart heavy duty monster that I got from me Mum was getting too big haul around.    Did tomato ketchup with pinot grigio, several pints of crushed tomatoes, salsa (mild and super spicy), zucchini and sweet pepper relish and nectarine jam.   I am considering asking Mr. No for a Ball Autocanner for Christmas just so I can get through some of the basic recipes like canned tomatoes faster.  Maybe Nathan and Melanie have one of those yet somehow I don't that would be Maxhell approved. 

 

 

please tell me you're willing to share this recipe!  I've made ketchup for a few years now, and my last batch wasn't the best, so I've been looking around for a new recipe.

the Autocanners look interesting.  if you get one, can you let us know how you like it?  I have the 16-qt waterbath and a pressure canner about the same size.

[mango_fandango]

All this talk about people making and canning their own sauce and here's me, who just buys sauces and jams and stuff from supermarkets... 

Aldo, I bloody wish my phone would stop autocorrecting "apple" to "Apple". Can you tell what kind of phone I have...? 

Apple sauce would be a bit of a weird gift for me, especially a honking great jar like on the Maxwell blog, if only because I don't use it much. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

4 hours ago, Foudeb said:

If worse comes to worst, the whole Maxhell clan could survive on burritos stuffed with applesauce!

Actually applesauce quesadillas aren't bad! But, this is the Maxwells--that would taste too good.

You mean NR Anna doesn't make burrito filling every Tuesday? WT?? She's in rebellion! She's endangering her Godly Maxwell MEN their salvation (Men=hubs and male children). I'm off to faint on my swooning couch.

[HereticHick]

On 10/9/2016 at 1:59 AM, alba said:

Well, that was pretty much a whole lot of nothing.

I still don't understand how Steve's posts about how to live debt-free are completely devoid of any useful information about living debt-free.

[anjulibai]

I agree, Heretick. This most recent one is all about trusting God to provide for your needs. How does that help a person live debt free? You can trust God and not get what you want materially - isn't that the whole point of the Book of Job? 

This sounds like a lot of Properity Gospel BS. I guess it's not surprising for Steveovah, but I would have expected something more practical. 

If Steve wants to preach, fine, preach. But he's wrapping it up like it's advice when it isn't. 

[fundiefan]

I just read his latest at lunch. So, debt free life without god is empty and difficult?

I am not 100% debt free but am damn close. It's neither empty nor difficult.

By the end of the year the last of my debt will be paid off.  I don't have a home debt free, I pay rent and that is about 90% by choice and the rest by circumstance. No way was I tying myself to another house after the hell of my divorce and selling the house I had. I'm a big girl and can and do make those choices.

Regardless. It is neither empty nor difficult. In fact, I'm pretty damn happy about it.

I wasn't entirely unhappy when I had debt though so it's like apples and oranges. I was unhappy about the reasons behind the debt - divorce ruins your financial life even as it recreates a whole new life - but I wasn't an empty void suffering just as I'm not an empty void now.

If he ever says something about being debt free that is of value to actual human beings, I may fall over. As is the case with 99% of everything else he says and does, it's about tooting his horn and selling his religion. I'm so sad they still have followers. The Maxwells haven't even produced even bad advice in well over a year, much less anything useful to anyone. It's all the same crap, the same obsessions, the same narrow view of life, their god, and human beings.

[kpmom]

3 hours ago, alba said:

 

The idea of homemade applesauce for Christmas sounds lovely in theory (I'm a HUGE fan of edible gifts because I love food and hate clutter), I'd be wary of eating canned gifts from strangers.

It's illogical, because I don't necessarily know my relatives have sterilised the jars properly, either (unless it's my mom; where do you think my germ fears come from? ), but if a stranger - and I'm assuming carolers and firefighters are strangers, not friends - gave me homemade canned food I'd be concerned about botulism.

If I was a police officer or firefighter I don't know that I'd accept homemade  food gifts from anyone, honestly.  Baked goods included.

[Four is Enough]

Some debt, IMO, is normal. For those who finance mortgage and car payments, this is "normal" debt.

Now, if they said "living within your means or below your means" that could help some people.  Buying many things on credit, repeatedly, as we all know (well, I know *I* have done it on occasion) and then owing the money and needing to pay it back... not for me. Not any more. There is less stress when the bills are paid and something's in the bank.

But these people have to carry everything to an extreme

[silverspoons]

In 2016 you need some debt in order to have good credit just in case you need to use credit. Steve is no the guru of credit and debt free living he thinks he is. You can pray if you want but you also have to know the rules and regulations. I listened to a podcast Steve had with a financial expert and Steve joked past the serious questions that most of us face.

My husband and I were debt free. He actually had a debt free house before I married him. I had a difficult pregnancy and our child was born early, so for about 2 years we didn't even use our credit cards (which we used to use to just buy and pay off every month). We decided after the medical issues were stable, we should settle down in a better school district. This would mean a very small mortgage. We were shocked at the rate we were offered since our credit had dropped for being debt free and paying cash. We spent 6 months buying items ,necessary items, like new tires, a freezer on credit and paying them off and got our credit score back up.  I don't need to use a credit card but I do now for what I normally would buy to keep that credit score high.

 

 

[alba]

5 minutes ago, silverspoons said:

In 2016 you need some debt in order to have good credit just in case you need to use credit. Steve is no the guru of credit and debt free living he thinks he is. You can pray if you want but you also have to know the rules and regulations. I listened to a podcast Steve had with a financial expert and Steve joked past the serious questions that most of us face.

My husband and I were debt free. He actually had a debt free house before I married him. I had a difficult pregnancy and our child was born early, so for about 2 years we didn't even use our credit cards (which we used to use to just buy and pay off every month). We decided after the medical issues were stable, we should settle down in a better school district. This would mean a very small mortgage. We were shocked at the rate we were offered since our credit had dropped for being debt free and paying cash. We spent 6 months buying items ,necessary items, like new tires, a freezer on credit and paying them off and got our credit score back up.  I don't need to use a credit card but I do now for what I normally would buy to keep that credit score high.

 

 

Agreed. I wanted to pay off my student loan a couple of years ago, but my mum, a former accountant, advised me not to, as that debt is the only thing contributing to my credit score in my home country. Now that Mr Alba and I are planning on moving there, I'm glad I've kept up that small monthly payment, especially as my credit here in the UK is limited to my £10/month phone bill.

I've read that in the US (not sure about other countries) your credit score can even affect your employability, as some employers check credit as a way of gauging your responsibility. That doesn't sound like a very fair practice to me, but it is what it is, so if there's a chance you'll be job-hunting in the real world (and, really, that means if you're a working-age, able-bodied adult), then it's worth building up your credit score just in case it's needed. Of course, the Maxwells don't believe in working for heathens, so they all run their own businesses, but depending upon a business that involves taking shitty wedding photos for a tiny demographic *without* a backup doesn't strike me as sound financial sense.

[fundiefan]

Yeah, debt free doesn't mean no credit. I use my credit card to pay my phone bill, water bill, annual fees like AAA and Amazon Prime, and for random expenses here and there. And, I pay the card in full each month. I don't particularly like that I need to use credit to have a credit rating and that my entire life is dependent on said credit rating, but it's a fact that has to be dealt with. I don't intend to need a big loan any time in the foreseeable future, but shit happens and part of being a responsible adult means preparing and planning for the unexpected.

I may one day have a mortgage again and I may one day have a car loan again. The fact that I don't right now doesn't mean not preparing for the possibility. Just like I am not retiring for 15 years (if I'm lucky; I actually don't think I'll ever be able to retire) but I am still preparing for the possibility.