Good morninggg🤍❤🤍 Verses of the day💝🌸🙏🏾: Hebrews 3:16-17 NKJV🌸💗 [16]“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? [17]Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?” Much love♥💝❤🌸💐 P.S. [18]“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? [19]So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”Hebrews 3:18-19 NKJV❤🌸💗🙏🏾🤍
One reason your videos are superior is because you do not do a lot of scrolling and copying of others content. You are original and real. People are able to gain practical skills for healthy living.
"Food has no eternal value" but eating a simple meal with your loved ones does. Wow. You changed my life with that one. I have tied myself up in knots with dinners, decorating cookies, etc. but you just summed up what is TRULY important. Thank you!
Wish I could give this comment 10 thumbs up! Building relationships, especially when u have young children, will last a lifetime. No one will remember whether the food was store bought or homemade. They will remember what they learned in the family conversations at the table. Thank you RuthAnn for ending the video with the most important information! ❤❤
I totally agree with you. RuthAnn is so inspiring, but what I love the most is her parenting skills and sharing the real meaning of family. "Eternal Value" - I'm taking that home.
Hey Ruthann, the fact that you don’t buy much at the grocery store is what makes your grocery haul interesting. I too buy mainly ingredients, as I’m a from scratch cook/baker, so my grocery hauls don’t look like others. Please don’t feel you have to excuse the wear and tear on your kitchen cabinets, it’s a hard working well used kitchen for a large family.
I know just what you mean. I always helped around the house. Shopping, cooking esp. I was around seven when I was putting away groceries and said to my mom "gee mom, who would believe youre such a good cook. All you bought today are ingredients". 😂 She stood there and just stared at me 😳 then she cracked up. Its true. Ingredients are the raw materials for a banquet.
Your life style foĺows the rhythm of the seasons - so natural. Ebb and flow. I see in your children self-esteem that comes from doing things well and seeing jobs to their end. "All your children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children".
Thank you so much for your knowledge and sharing it and everything that you share I'll have to watch this video again because there's so much good stuff in it and I was going to ask you to show us some simple ways to make bread and then you said about the flower that was very interesting to me thank you for all that you do for all of us😊❤❤❤
Anyone who has watched any of your videos knows how much you value cleanliness. Scuffed doors are not dirty doors. Your little boys are not so little anymore. I've loved watching them grow. You ate such an inspiration. Thank you.
My great grandmother used to call the wear and tear on furniture "heirlooming". We passed this phase down thru the generations and now we all happily see knicks and scratches as part of the history of a well lived life!❤
Very enjoyable and informative video. Thank you Ruth Ann! I don’t know why we enjoy seeing food buying and stock up so much-it’s encouraging and satisfying, even relaxing to me😊. I love the way you point out what others might consider flaws but don’t apologize for them😂 I do order from azure-still in the monthly stage even though it’s been over a year. I also live in southwest Tx so storeroom/basement not a thing here with our temps and humidity.
Ruthann, I’m not a huge fan of grocery haul videos honestly, but I found yours so fascinating. I love watching your boys help. I wanted a big family but was only able to have two children (both grown now) because I almost died with each pregnancy. So I just really enjoy your boys and watching you interact with them. I am looking to replace my old bread pans (long story not worth going into) and would love a link to the ones you use. Thanks so much for your message at the end about what is eternal and what is not. I just love your attitude and it is a good reminder for my day.
Ruthann! You have a “shabby chic” kitchen look that is very popular! Furniture is intentionally “distressed” to look like your honest, hard working kitchen. It’s wonderful! You never need apologize to us.😊
That’s awesome! Congratulations to you! My husband and I turned 72 this year and we are a year into our homestead journey. It is such a blessing to have help like our dear Ruthann!
We are in our late 70’s and are making the transition to “making our own”. I know that seems late, but, better late than never, right? And, it might help us to make it into our 90’s and beyond (unless the Lord comes soon. 🙏🏻 ). We’ve just started shopping at Azure and I’m buying the smaller sizes of things until we figure out what we like and since it’s just the two of us. I look forward to your videos and have learned so much from you! We garden on a much smaller scale, using raised beds because of back issues. Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your life with us. PS: I think you’re just as cute as a button! 🥰
Wow, it is so inspiring to read this!! I thought it was too late for me at 62 but there are still things I can be doing!! I so wish we had something like Azure here in Canada.
@@heathermorrison6983 You may have something similar. When I lived in Prince George, B.C. bacon the late 70's there was a food co-op that ordered together once a month and then we all pitched in to divvy up the bulk shipments. Not quite like Azure Standard which I love but cheaper organic food than what was available at the grocery store. Best Havarti cheese I have ever had !
RuthAnn you don’t need to apologize for the way your cabinets look. A pristine kitchen is one that is not often used. A kitchen showing some scuff and scrapes shows that you are using it multiple times a day to provide nutritious meals for your family. Thanks for sharing your grocery haul and the reasoning behind the way you shop for your large family. I am a single person household who still continues to shop in bulk for ingredients. I now can get a year or more from my bulk purchases vs when I had more people at home. Once you start shopping for ingredients instead of prepared meals you don’t really go back to shopping for prepackaged meals even as your family size decreases.
I have been preparing from scratch for 25 years now and lost 125 lbs in the process. First, I believe that all of the preservatives were adding to the weight proble. Second, the time it takes to prepare from scratch made me more mindful of how much I was eating. And finally, it is now a taste thing. Prepackaged does NOT compare to fresh from scratch.
Exactly. My family home freestanding kitchen cupboards, marble pantry shelves, papered over cow dung walls and flag stones haven’t been “modernised” for 400 years. The bread oven has been boarded over though and the Georgian wood stoked range that replaced the original open fire place was removed early last century at the same time as water pipes were plumbed into the sinks in the scullery bypassing the hand pump well outside the back door. We all learnt to walk fairly early. Those flagstones floors are mighty cold in the winter and “sweat” when the cellars beneath (with stalactite ceilings) flood. It’s currently on the market. Probably get modernised by a footballer’s wife and the process filmed for UA-cam. 😂
I just love watching your kids get involved and do chores to help! No one is sitting on couch playing on their technology or glued to the tv! What a great thing.
Oh how I Iove the energy & mindset of little boys. I have 2 sons, now 33 & 31. I affectionately chuckled at seeing your one son trying to pat down the flour in that bucket using his hands. Then I got a real kick out of seeing his brother sit in the middle of that spilled flour, while he was quasi sweeping it up. But you know, your little boys are learning as they go, & they seem to be willing participants. That can be 90% of the process when training them. As you have older children too I realize you are well aware Ruthann, that in the not too distant future, & very likely before you’re ready to kiss these years goodbye, their energy will become more focused, & their work will less, & less resemble play. But, that’s why it works now, because for children their work IS play & you & your husband understand that. I’m sure you plan to enjoy this stage for as long as you can. I recall my sons cutting the grass with our push mower & how when younger, they seemed to struggle with not making, what my husband called, “crop circles” as they turned the mower at the end of each row. I can’t say my husband loved that at the time but we can affectionately laugh about it now. Oh sure, they loved riding bikes & scooters, action figures, building Lego’s, Scouting, going camping, marching band & all the other fun “work” too. But it was equally important to me that my boys learned how to properly clean a bathroom, to clear up after a meal, vacuum, & do their laundry. While I don’t think they necessarily “loved” doing those things, they did cooperate & I can say with confidence now my sons are quite capable when it comes to keeping a house clean enough so that’s it’s tidy & not overtaken by germs & how to stay on top of their laundry. All that mattered to me as I wanted them to be capable husbands inside their home as well as capable outside.
For a video from nothing, you did a great job. We all live different lives. Many of us are 1 person households but I still love your videos. You are are a great mom, a great family member and a great teacher. Thank you, Ruth Ann for always being true to yourself and your family. God Bless. Love Bev from Oklahoma
You said something I seriously needed to hear. 'Accepting dirt where you don't want to accept dirt'. I struggle with my home not being as clean as it used to be. I have been disabled for many years, but still able to keep up my home. Over the past couple of years I have had a big decline in health. Sometimes I just beat myself up over it. Mind you, it isn't disgusting or unhealthy, but it isn't what I want.
Watching your boys help is more entertaining than any media produced 'reality' t.v. show! Harrison creating a cloud of cacao powder by smacking the empty bag then spinning around in its cloud! Precious. Then watching him push the flour down in the bucket to make more room while you so patiently instruct him to 'blutz' it! Haha..tap it, bang it, blutz it! Maxwell taking a few chocolate chips as he empties the bag into the bucket, Kendrick comparing the walnut bag to the feed bags in they way they open, then scooting around on the floured floor with his black pants while he tries to sweep up the flour with a broom. You're so busy you don't get to see it all like we do. Love watching you raise your family. Thank you for sharing.
I enjoy your videos very much even though we are retired and are not homesteaders. Your faith and philosophy on life and family is inspiring. Each week with you and your family is a blessing to enjoy.
Your comments at the end were so true, as a society we need to remember the importance of those connections and the lasting impact they will have on children/grandchildren/friends. Thanks for the important reminder!
Your time is EXPENSIVE Ruth Ann. Never sell yourself short my friend. I L💜VE your grocery haul. It’s real and that’s what I appreciate about your family. Great value, honesty, respect to EVERYONE and the love. The love is so important as it comes so naturally from you. Your heart is genuine and golden. My appreciation runs so very deeply for you. I know it may sound weird coming from the internet but it’s the truth. You have made such an impact on the way I feed my family (small as it is) yet it’s helped so much. Nothing but love & respect from my home in Utah to yours. Respectfully, Nana (Staci)
I could listen to you talk all day. My husband and I bought an Amish farm in Marion, KY and I inherited a massive garden area. With no prior experience, I plunged head on into growing as much as I could and it was crazy and wonderful. Big learning curve, but I am very pleased with this first year's harvest. Tons of tomatoes, onions, green beans, bell peppers, carrots, and some nice herbs. THAT SAID... I wish you would write a cookbook called "Now What..."" because I look at the beautiful rows of pint jars and quart jars... and I am completely overwhelmed with putting them together for meals. It stumps me. I have no idea how to put it all together and looking at recipes makes it so confusing. I'm learning though, slowly but surely.
The interesting thing about grocery purchases (I dislike the word “haul”) is that it really shows what cannot be grown on the homestead. It is also nice to see different places where one can buy natural ingredients.
I’m a fella sister in Christ and I am always encouraged and inspired with your videos. I normally don’t watch a lot of UA-cam, but I’ve been battling ovarian cancer since the spring of 2023. So I found your channel one day while I was too weak to get out of bed. I’m not able to garden or can as much. But your videos help to encourage me to do what I can when I have good days. Keep up the good work! And yes it’s so true…food has no eternal value. Investing time in your family is the most valuable thing!
This is coming from a breast cancer survivor it’s going on 11 years now. God is good, sending prayers to him to ease your illness and heal your body, in his holy name, amen.
I love love love your video's. You have a lovely family. I enjoy how the boys are so eager to help. Don't apologize for anything, your house is lived in. I so wish I could live the way you do. You are an inspiration. Thank you for your video's. 😍😍😊😊
I make sourdough, I can potatoes, beans, soup, jam, meat, and other things. I grow some veggies. I try to buy local and organic. I make crackers, granola and such. It's scary all the ingredients they put in the processed food at the store. You are very inspiring. I love your grocery haul. You should keep doing them. ❤❤❤ I also love the life skills you install in your children. It's so important
I love what you said at the very end of your video. I too believe it is far more important to sit down with those you love and enjoy a simple meal, even if it is a frozen pizza, than be stressed out and not making memories with those you love most. Thank you for reminding us about perspective. God Bless
Never apologize for a hard-working kitchen. As for video length, I wait all week for your new videos! Your young boys are growing so fast! Much respect for your family values, we need more of that. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. ❤❤❤
I love how you treated your kids! You let them be their age and you didn't really yell when your son didn't know what to do with the flour bucket. 🤣 It was nice to see! A good example.
Here I am watching your grocery haul, when I could care less what people buying at the store. Only because I know you produce your own food vs regular family not producing. I watched your cleaning kitchen video. You never need to apologize for your cabinets. I’m still processing peppers and tomatoes. My kitchen is a wreck today as our my feet! Love your channel.
Ruth Ann, I have been watching your videos for many months now. I absolutely love ALL that you bring to your videos. I have learned so much from you. Like you, we love the Lord. Thank you so much for what you do!!
I've never seen any other grocery haul videos. I am a mom of 3 boys and although they are now grown and on their own I still cook everything from scratch. I feel like I always do pretty well at the grocery store and many times the cashiers have commented on how much I've gotten for my dollar. Thanks for sharing your recipes and ideas
I often find myself comparing my kitchen to other’s beautifully decorated ones. I love yours the most, though, because it’s a “family” kitchen. I wouldn’t trade the scuffs, marks and memories in my kitchen for anything!! I love what you teach!
I just love your final message today of eternal value! That’s wonderful”food for thought”! You’re an amazing educator! I also love the value I get from the time we enjoy with our children over the years both through harvesting and preparing our food together. I find that those teaching moments I’ve had and continue to have with my grown children have been invaluable. ❤️
I LOVE watching your boys help! They're so lively and funny. Typical boys all the way! And you are so patient and kind with them. I get such a chuckle out of them! Makes my day!
You NEED to start brewing kombucha, its so easy. Get a two gallon jar with a plastic spigot, and one bottle of store bought kombucha. Put the kombucha in the jar and add an equal amount of (not hot) sweet tea. Cover loosely but bug proof. Add a couple of cups of sweet tea every day or so, and after a week you should have the blobby/ scoby floating on top. You can start tasting it then, it should be sour sweet and carbonated. If your family loves it you might need to keep two jars going and let one rest while you drink from the other, just top the jar with sweet tea every night. ' After a month or so, when the spigot runs slow, you will need to split off the blobby and drain off some of the sediment and wash and reset everything. Make sure the soap is well rinsed, I spray with a bit of vinegar for the last rinse. You can filter the sediment offcut through a cloth and let it sit somewhere to finish becoming vinegar.
Ruthann never feel like you EVER have to explain the condition of your kitchen cabinets! Your home is immaculate and it’s easy to see how well loved and well taken care of your family. I absolutely would love to live in a place like you where you have access to my own milk cow or my organic veggies. I do however agree with you about it not having eternal value. But it’s beautiful the life you are living and the nutrients that you are putting into your loved ones bodies and I love to support you and you definitely educate and entertain me. God bless!🥰❤️🍁🇨🇦🙏🏻
I love you, Ruthann!! You have become like my sister. I have no family close by so it is such a blessing to see your videos each week. Live in the city but we also do overhauls and a garden to feed our family.
Ruth Ann, I hope your children know how special they are, I enjoy watching your videos, what a hard working Mom you are and everything you do is done with love, joy and teaching. Thank you so much, you do inspire me to work harder, that my body is just as valuable as anyones. It is the temple of the living God and needs to be treated with respect and the best I can do. God Bless You
I agree with you. Some of the people that are buying in bulk are buying a lot of junk. You are like me and the way I was brought up. You plant your own garden. You take care of it, you can your own food you hunt. You harvest your own livestock and find ways to. Put it up so that if you lose your electricity. Your food's not gonna spoil. 😮 I really appreciate all of your. Shows and and it always makes me laugh when I watch you. Not because you're funny but because you and I have are doing the same things every year. I was brought up that way. And I'm 80 years old and I don't consider myself a Homesteader I'm just a farmer's wife. God bless you and your amazing family..
Thank you for taking the time in your very busy family life RuthAnn. You have been a blessing to me. I now can for my family and friends. My children are all married and I have 10 grandchildren. Now they are 45-53 (4). I am 74 and my husband went to be with the Lord at 68. We met at 15 and 16 and married at 19. I was raised in the suburbs of Md. but we retired in WV 11 years ago and we both have always loved the country life. I am the caregiver of my family and extended family, very active in my "born again" church so I am always cooking, canning, quilting, sewing, crocheting and knitting for everyone. I miss the love of my life so much, but God has always filled my life with love from all people listed above, beginning with a wonderful man to take care of me and my family and our children. I have learned so much from you and enjoy meeting you and your family through your videos. God Bless you for your sharing and love to help and encourage others. Love in Christ, Linda Miller from West by God Virginia. 🥰
I love everything about your channel. At the age of 75, I'm so jealous of your lifestyle and all you do. Your family is beautiful, you are absolutely darling and easy to listen to. I was a Michigander for 27 years and miss the Midwest style of life. I'm so happy I found you and learn even at my old age. Your garden is gorgeous and if I could do it all over again I'd copy your lifestyle instead of the bright lights of a California city. You are so fortunate and so are your children. Keep up the great work you do and you'll always have a huge audience. ❤
Thank you for sharing your lives with us! Things you do may seem boring to you but I learn so much from your videos and you inspire me to try new things! I consider you a friend even though I’ve never met you in person!
I thank you for encouraging another generation to cook from scratch. I have been cooking from scratch fro many years. Now the children are grown and have children of their own. So now I am scaling back on amounts. I still have many 5 and 3.5 gallon buckets. I have been with Azure as a customer and drop coordinator for 35 years, great company!
Every single time I watch your videos, Miss Ruthann, I travel back in my mind twenty years ago when we were on our own little corner of land in Wisconsin. The garden and our few livestock fed us. My children used to say we didn't have anything to eat from the grocery (treats), only ingredients. We lived! God is good!
I have been watching your videos for a year now and this one was just wonderful. My family is all grown and married now so it’s just my husband and me and our 19 year old cat ( and she doesn’t eat our food) so are life style has changed and buying and eating habits have changed,also manage to make all homemade meals and sit down every night with our family and have our bonding time when the were home. Still that’s special when the kids come home and we sit around the table to talk. I love what you said and the end of your video. Keep up the good work. Thank for your wonderful,honest videos.
Good morning sweet RuthAnn. You were not boring at all. Loved the whole video. Kendrick was really enjoying himself cleaning up the flour! So cute. I like seeing Azure hauls because I get ideas from them of what I want to try. Have a great week.
Thank you!! Young mom here and your advice is so helpful for me! I am a “first generation homemaker” and have learned everything from people who are willing to share information like this online!💕💕
That New York family has one of the healthiest grocery hauls on UA-cam for a family that isn't growing or preserving their own stocks. Unlike so many of the hauls that are based on junk/processes items.
Ruthann you are both a gift and an inspiration. Your values and skill set are desperately needed in this day and age. I adore you, please never worry about trivial things like how long your video's are or how tired looking your cabinets are - the gift you give all of us by sharing your knowledge, skill and values far exceed and perceived shortcoming!! I am so very grateful for your channel, your patience, your willingness to explain and teach all of us - what a beautiful difference you make in this world!! THANK YOU 🥰❤🥰
Yes, good morning Ruth Ann. Your subscribers wait for your Saturday morning video. Really dry here in Southwest Louisiana also. Hopefully we'll get a bit of rain next week. God bless you and your family.
I am majorly impressed with all you do. I am a widow and alone and have many allergies to many foods. I never buy premade items. No canned foods, boxed foods, frozen perpared foods. Just basics. Fruit, meats frozen veggies. And of course the toilet paper, Salt and pepper. Allegic to tomatoes, legumes oranges, caffeine, all nuts, oatmeal, broccoli, cauliflower. cherries. So that cuts out a lot of food for me. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much Ruth Ann
Good morning RuthAnn. Always enjoy my Saturday morning coffee with you. We also started growing our own dried beans. It has taken a few years to increase the quantities but, we felt good growing one more item we no longer have to purchase from the store. Each year we try to add 1 or 2 new foods to our garden, this expands our pantry options😊. Thank you for all you do, you are inspiring!
I think it's great that you teach the boys the kitchen skills. Too many families have the boys do only outdoor chores and the girls do only indoor ones, then when they go out on their own they are all stuck in some way or another. You are also teaching them to appreciate all the work that EVERY family member contributes. And I am sure no-one thinks your kitchen is grubby; we have all seen you be a cleaning whiz in the house. You just have an older well-loved home. And thank you for the bit about family relationships being what it's all about!
I am 73 and only have 1 child I am raising. I buy bulk from the store but I do so admire you and all you do. If I were younger I would do what you do but I am not able to now. You are great. MK
good morning ruthann! heres my 2 cents on the grocery haul. i don't care for them at all. theres one i watch (but often turn off) that takes you to the grocery store & then takes you back to the house to show you what she already showed you at the grocery store. i see a lot of other people comment how much they love them. i'm 63 yrs old & i find that it may be a generational thing. anyway, thank you for sharing! have a good week.
Ruth Ann, thank you for sharing with us your family routines. I love to watch and always look forward to new videos. I also enjoy when you work with the cattle. Love you and your family!
I live in Las Vegas. Food items are high here because they are shipped in and very little is processed here. I am in my 60s and cook from scratch about 80 recent of the time. I bake and make candy. I also make sauces and jams and preserve some food when I come across bargains. I am learning how to make cheese and sausage. Cheese is hard because I can’t buy raw milk. My Mom, rest her soul, was a (putting it nicely) a not so good cook. I am fortunate and blessed because I have the time and resources to shop wisely. Which means stock up on bargains and shop sales I am in awe of you. Your grace and honesty is so inspiring. I, too, am hesitant to be condescending of some of the UA-camrs that show off how much they spend and how poorly they manage their money. One, whose channel is an alliteration referencing a large family, literally is boastful about spending upwards of $10k a month in addition to take out and meals out. The choices are almost always processed and prepared foods. The children are obese and vulnerable to health issues because of their prior environment. Many are adopted which is the most giving thing a person can do. We live opulently on $125-160 a week for groceries. One godsend here are the mega Hispanic markets which have fruit and veg specials that 80-90 percent cheaper than the national grocery stores. Example: 6 lbs of brown onions for a dollar versus $1.89 a pound. Food nourishes our family and our hearts as well as our bodies. Second only to physical and emotional cruelty, not having enough food is the biggest injustice out there. You are fortunate to be able to do what you do. Not everyone can, but mindfulness has become a lost skill and honestly a lost art. I rarely post anything other than praise. But, am sorely tempted to when a blogger is blatantly wasteful and obscene with their flexing when others are food insecure. Sorry for the rant. My friends and I often discuss and contrast UA-cam content and you and the afore-described blogger are really the most divergent contrast. I guess make do means different things to different people. Your family and those that watch your videos and speeches are so enriched by you and your practical wisdom. Thank you for sharing your life skills, kindness and experience!!!
Don’t love grocery hauls. I think a lot of videos are just to do a video. It is crazy how much junk they buy and letting their kids run around the house eating and running their hand over everything. I am not impressed by their grocery buying because the average family can not afford that much food. This one person justified buying all the eggs in the store. Her comment was that they needed eggs just like regular families don’t need eggs. These people make me feel sorry for the kids because they are used to having the best and life is not going to give them the best of foods.
I understand your point, but I believe that many UA-cam “bootstrappers” (what I call people who are living and providing for their family on a strict budget) usually stress to their viewers to start where and how they can. I am nowhere near Ruthanne’s grocery league, but I usually always see or learn something that I can benefit from in regards to keeping a stocked pantry, even if on a much smaller buying scale. I was surprised at the “comparison family’s” choices for stocking up and was wondering to myself if the mom even cooked from scratch much (ie: pancake mix???) but I have to remind myself that everyone’s lives are different and have different allotments of time to prepare meals. We are retired and on a fixed income; our youngest has flown the nest, so I have the time to make a huge batch of egg noodles to dry and store , spaetzle to freeze, and different breads to freeze. I have hens and a large garden, but when the kids were young, we lived in a city, and both worked shift work, time was precious and I bought a lot more convenience foods, and stocked my pantry by purchasing in smaller increments.
Cleaning videos are popular, yes grocery shopping can be mixed in with everyday life videos, canning videos are popular, baking videos as well. You have a lot of those things. Yes I prefer shopping that has a lot of ingredients because I too no longer really buy prepackaged foods. I think your videos are great on how to bake lots of great fun homemade things. Maybe this summer do more gardening videos, like how you start your seeds, how you prepare the soil for different plants. I am doing gardening for the last few years, and it’s a little bit of a learning curve, that would be a video I would love to see, you have a lot of great knowledge and I want to learn what you know to share with my child and others. I always enjoy your videos of snacks and baking and cooking.
Never apologize for the well used kitchen, I LOVE IT !! you are an inspiration for me as well as many. We have a garden and harvest our own animals but you always inspire me to do better and for that you are a blessing to me. Thank you for all you share, I greatly appreciate it.
Love that everyone helps to get the jobs done. RuthAnn isn’t left to do it all herself. I raised 3 boys, I was a stay at home Mom, did many of the chores myself. It’s always fun to do it together!
I stumbled upon your site and am so jealous after having been "raised" in a deeply dysfunctional boyhood and family life. I've watched a few of your videos and can see that you do a lot of work in the kitchen and must also put time into all the other chores into which mothers are traditionally involved. I'd like to see how the family operates outside the kitchen, how well the children are growing, and what challenges are most pressing. Your kids have the fortune of being raised in a caring environment with parental care guided by Mennonite customs. What a gift to be reared in such an environment.
I love cooking from scratch!!! It is just me now, and I live in the city. But I buy organic when I can. I have returned to making my own bread. I share my food among friends and we all benefit from the lower salt and fewer unnatural additives in our food! And I consider spending 40 minutes watching you a gift!!!
Yes ma’am, I’m inspired and entertained and that’s why I watch nearly all your videos as time allows. Many of them I watch over and over because that is how I gain the confidence to try the things you’re doing. It’s wonderful to me! And it improves my morale to enjoy your environment as you go about your day. You certainly live in a beautiful place. It’s how I imagine paradise to be. Not heaven, paradise. Thank you Ruthann.
Thank you, Ruth Ann! My husband and I are in our 40s and 50s raising our two little boys as we attempt to build our homestead. You are such a wonderful encouragement with your Christ-centered wisdom and incredible work ethic!
Interesting video. My grandparents bought very few items at the grocery store. They had a farm in NC. The store bought items were flour, sugar, cornmeal, rolled oats, baking soda, vinegar, coffee, tea bags, cocoa powder, rice, grits, peanut butter, prepared mustard, molasses, paraffin, & canning lids. The Watkins man came around a few times a year and they bought vanilla extract, alum, bay leaves, & a few other spices from him.
Didn’t even notice cabinets but I am a mother of 8 so I know about family wear. Thanks for reminding us about eternal value. As my last child is a senior in high school I’ve been struggling with “making memories, making her happy, making sure she gets time with friends, etc” Your reminder was just what I needed tonight. God bless you.
Thank you for what you said at the end of the video. Keep the main thing the main thing. So many are single moms or working moms doing the best they can. Blessings.
Ruth Anne, I have enjoyed this video so very much!!! I am not putting down on anyone when I say people can be very wasteful! With children they learn by example! They ou are amazing!!This video everyone can learn from it!
❤ I ordered myself a 50lb bag of this flour.....OH. MY. GOODNESS! I've been baking sourdough for over a year and been happy with it. I was buying flour from a local mill, but this is amazing!! Thank you for showing your Azure haul. Love your cannel.
U never need to apologize for anything. I think ur amazing. U have taught me n made me realize so much n I'm 69. Ty for being such a wonderful person n mom!!!
Ruth Ann please never worry about the length of your videos we totally love learning from you. Thank you
I'll second that comment. Yah bless and keep you and yours. NE Missouri.
I honestly love the longer videos ❤
Agreed, I’d watch hours 🤣 (normally it’s close to bedtime and I fall asleep during videos, it takes me 3-4 days to watch the whole thing 🤣🤣🤣)
Good morninggg🤍❤🤍
Verses of the day💝🌸🙏🏾:
Hebrews 3:16-17 NKJV🌸💗
[16]“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? [17]Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?”
Much love♥💝❤🌸💐
P.S. [18]“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? [19]So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”Hebrews 3:18-19 NKJV❤🌸💗🙏🏾🤍
Agreed!!! LOVE these videos, the longer the better!
One reason your videos are superior is because you do not do a lot of scrolling and copying of others content. You are original and real. People are able to gain practical skills for healthy living.
👍💯‼️
That’s what I love too❤
"Food has no eternal value" but eating a simple meal with your loved ones does. Wow. You changed my life with that one. I have tied myself up in knots with dinners, decorating cookies, etc. but you just summed up what is TRULY important. Thank you!
Wish I could give this comment 10 thumbs up! Building relationships, especially when u have young children, will last a lifetime. No one will remember whether the food was store bought or homemade. They will remember what they learned in the family conversations at the table. Thank you RuthAnn for ending the video with the most important information! ❤❤
I totally agree with you. RuthAnn is so inspiring, but what I love the most is her parenting skills and sharing the real meaning of family. "Eternal Value" - I'm taking that home.
So very true. I'm taking this to heart.
Amen to that statement
Hey Ruthann, the fact that you don’t buy much at the grocery store is what makes your grocery haul interesting. I too buy mainly ingredients, as I’m a from scratch cook/baker, so my grocery hauls don’t look like others. Please don’t feel you have to excuse the wear and tear on your kitchen cabinets, it’s a hard working well used kitchen for a large family.
I know just what you mean. I always helped around the house. Shopping, cooking esp. I was around seven when I was putting away groceries and said to my mom "gee mom, who would believe youre such a good cook. All you bought today are ingredients". 😂 She stood there and just stared at me 😳 then she cracked up. Its true. Ingredients are the raw materials for a banquet.
Your life style foĺows the rhythm of the seasons - so natural. Ebb and flow. I see in your children self-esteem that comes from doing things well and seeing jobs to their end.
"All your children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children".
Thank you so much for your knowledge and sharing it and everything that you share I'll have to watch this video again because there's so much good stuff in it and I was going to ask you to show us some simple ways to make bread and then you said about the flower that was very interesting to me thank you for all that you do for all of us😊❤❤❤
Anyone who has watched any of your videos knows how much you value cleanliness. Scuffed doors are not dirty doors.
Your little boys are not so little anymore. I've loved watching them grow. You ate such an inspiration. Thank you.
My great grandmother used to call the wear and tear on furniture "heirlooming". We passed this phase down thru the generations and now we all happily see knicks and scratches as part of the history of a well lived life!❤
I love this and am adopting it!!!
I love this comment. Such beautiful truth. Thank you MissChievousRN. Wise Grandma.
That’s one of the things that I like about your channel. It’s so real. Your cabinets look like paint wearing off not dirty.
Thank you!!!!
I totally agree!
Very enjoyable and informative video. Thank you Ruth Ann! I don’t know why we enjoy seeing food buying and stock up so much-it’s encouraging and satisfying, even relaxing to me😊. I love the way you point out what others might consider flaws but don’t apologize for them😂 I do order from azure-still in the monthly stage even though it’s been over a year. I also live in southwest Tx so storeroom/basement not a thing here with our temps and humidity.
Ruthann, I’m not a huge fan of grocery haul videos honestly, but I found yours so fascinating. I love watching your boys help. I wanted a big family but was only able to have two children (both grown now) because I almost died with each pregnancy. So I just really enjoy your boys and watching you interact with them. I am looking to replace my old bread pans (long story not worth going into) and would love a link to the ones you use. Thanks so much for your message at the end about what is eternal and what is not. I just love your attitude and it is a good reminder for my day.
Ruthann! You have a “shabby chic” kitchen look that is very popular! Furniture is intentionally “distressed” to look like your honest, hard working kitchen. It’s wonderful! You never need apologize to us.😊
Your closing remarks on family eating together was everything. ♥️
You are such an inspiration. I'm 62 and starting my homesteading journey and I get so many good tips from you. Thank you
Awesome video Ruth Ann, please don’t worry about your videos being too long. I always am sad to
See them end. I could watch much longer ones
That’s awesome! Congratulations to you! My husband and I turned 72 this year and we are a year into our homestead journey. It is such a blessing to have help like our dear Ruthann!
❤ Thanks for sharing your journey.❤
Wow. I thought I was a late start; I'm 49. I'm so glad people of all ages are doing this. It's absolutely imperative that we pass these skills down. 😊
@@CharlotteRyerson oh wow, I kinda thought I was too old for this (62)!! You guys are inspiring
We are in our late 70’s and are making the transition to “making our own”. I know that seems late, but, better late than never, right? And, it might help us to make it into our 90’s and beyond (unless the Lord comes soon. 🙏🏻 ). We’ve just started shopping at Azure and I’m buying the smaller sizes of things until we figure out what we like and since it’s just the two of us. I look forward to your videos and have learned so much from you! We garden on a much smaller scale, using raised beds because of back issues. Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing your life with us. PS: I think you’re just as cute as a button! 🥰
Wow, it is so inspiring to read this!! I thought it was too late for me at 62 but there are still things I can be doing!! I so wish we had something like Azure here in Canada.
@@heathermorrison6983 You may have something similar. When I lived in Prince George, B.C. bacon the late 70's there was a food co-op that ordered together once a month and then we all pitched in to divvy up the bulk shipments. Not quite like Azure Standard which I love but cheaper organic food than what was available at the grocery store. Best Havarti cheese I have ever had !
“Food has no eternal value.” I loved your explanation. What a wonderful thought. Thank you for all you share.
I saw a large container of black pepper behind the mustard!! You might make it 3 months! 😅
RuthAnn you don’t need to apologize for the way your cabinets look.
A pristine kitchen is one that is not often used.
A kitchen showing some scuff and scrapes shows that you are using it multiple times a day to provide nutritious meals for your family.
Thanks for sharing your grocery haul and the reasoning behind the way you shop for your large family.
I am a single person household who still continues to shop in bulk for ingredients. I now can get a year or more from my bulk purchases vs when I had more people at home.
Once you start shopping for ingredients instead of prepared meals you don’t really go back to shopping for prepackaged meals even as your family size decreases.
Yes!!!
I have been preparing from scratch for 25 years now and lost 125 lbs in the process. First, I believe that all of the preservatives were adding to the weight proble. Second, the time it takes to prepare from scratch made me more mindful of how much I was eating. And finally, it is now a taste thing. Prepackaged does NOT compare to fresh from scratch.
Exactly. My family home freestanding kitchen cupboards, marble pantry shelves, papered over cow dung walls and flag stones haven’t been “modernised” for 400 years. The bread oven has been boarded over though and the Georgian wood stoked range that replaced the original open fire place was removed early last century at the same time as water pipes were plumbed into the sinks in the scullery bypassing the hand pump well outside the back door.
We all learnt to walk fairly early. Those flagstones floors are mighty cold in the winter and “sweat” when the cellars beneath (with stalactite ceilings) flood. It’s currently on the market. Probably get modernised by a footballer’s wife and the process filmed for UA-cam. 😂
As mom of 6 I understand scuffs and scrapes in a kitchen. A well used kitchen shines as the heart of the home for the family.
I love seeing your family working together.
I agree with other viewers as I love having coffee with you on Saturday morning. Love your shows and love seeing you each week.
I just love watching your kids get involved and do chores to help! No one is sitting on couch playing on their technology or glued to the tv! What a great thing.
Yes!!!! I came here to say this very thing! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Loved the statement, "Food has no eternal value." Wow! You are an inspiration!
Thank you!!!!
Amen!
Correct! Foods value is INTERNAL.
Oh how I Iove the energy & mindset of little boys. I have 2 sons, now 33 & 31. I affectionately chuckled at seeing your one son trying to pat down the flour in that bucket using his hands. Then I got a real kick out of seeing his brother sit in the middle of that spilled flour, while he was quasi sweeping it up. But you know, your little boys are learning as they go, & they seem to be willing participants. That can be 90% of the process when training them. As you have older children too I realize you are well aware Ruthann, that in the not too distant future, & very likely before you’re ready to kiss these years goodbye, their energy will become more focused, & their work will less, & less resemble play. But, that’s why it works now, because for children their work IS play & you & your husband understand that. I’m sure you plan to enjoy this stage for as long as you can. I recall my sons cutting the grass with our push mower & how when younger, they seemed to struggle with not making, what my husband called, “crop circles” as they turned the mower at the end of each row. I can’t say my husband loved that at the time but we can affectionately laugh about it now. Oh sure, they loved riding bikes & scooters, action figures, building Lego’s, Scouting, going camping, marching band & all the other fun “work” too. But it was equally important to me that my boys learned how to properly clean a bathroom, to clear up after a meal, vacuum, & do their laundry. While I don’t think they necessarily “loved” doing those things, they did cooperate & I can say with confidence now my sons are quite capable when it comes to keeping a house clean enough so that’s it’s tidy & not overtaken by germs & how to stay on top of their laundry. All that mattered to me as I wanted them to be capable husbands inside their home as well as capable outside.
Thank you for this!!! Love when an older mom comes in a refreshes my perspective!!!!
@@Ruthannzimm ❤️ As my girlfriend reminded me once, “the days are long but the years so short.”
For a video from nothing, you did a great job. We all live different lives. Many of us are 1 person households but I still love your videos. You are are a great mom, a great family member and a great teacher. Thank you, Ruth Ann for always being true to yourself and your family. God Bless. Love Bev from Oklahoma
You said something I seriously needed to hear. 'Accepting dirt where you don't want to accept dirt'. I struggle with my home not being as clean as it used to be. I have been disabled for many years, but still able to keep up my home. Over the past couple of years I have had a big decline in health. Sometimes I just beat myself up over it. Mind you, it isn't disgusting or unhealthy, but it isn't what I want.
You do the best you can with what you have to use. A lesson I am learning.
Watching your boys help is more entertaining than any media produced 'reality' t.v. show! Harrison creating a cloud of cacao powder by smacking the empty bag then spinning around in its cloud! Precious. Then watching him push the flour down in the bucket to make more room while you so patiently instruct him to 'blutz' it! Haha..tap it, bang it, blutz it! Maxwell taking a few chocolate chips as he empties the bag into the bucket, Kendrick comparing the walnut bag to the feed bags in they way they open, then scooting around on the floured floor with his black pants while he tries to sweep up the flour with a broom. You're so busy you don't get to see it all like we do. Love watching you raise your family. Thank you for sharing.
Best comment! All of it is so true.
I look forward to your video on Saturday mornings with my cup of tea. Thank you.😊❤
I am so glad you enjoy them!
Ruthann your family is an inspiration to so many. I began canning now.
I enjoy your videos very much even though we are retired and are not homesteaders. Your faith and philosophy on life and family is inspiring. Each week with you and your family is a blessing to enjoy.
Your comments at the end were so true, as a society we need to remember the importance of those connections and the lasting impact they will have on children/grandchildren/friends. Thanks for the important reminder!
Your time is EXPENSIVE Ruth Ann. Never sell yourself short my friend. I L💜VE your grocery haul. It’s real and that’s what I appreciate about your family. Great value, honesty, respect to EVERYONE and the love. The love is so important as it comes so naturally from you. Your heart is genuine and golden. My appreciation runs so very deeply for you. I know it may sound weird coming from the internet but it’s the truth. You have made such an impact on the way I feed my family (small as it is) yet it’s helped so much. Nothing but love & respect from my home in Utah to yours.
Respectfully,
Nana (Staci)
You could make your videos as long as you want Ruthann, all of us would watch them all. Always waiting for your next video.😊
I could listen to you talk all day. My husband and I bought an Amish farm in Marion, KY and I inherited a massive garden area. With no prior experience, I plunged head on into growing as much as I could and it was crazy and wonderful. Big learning curve, but I am very pleased with this first year's harvest. Tons of tomatoes, onions, green beans, bell peppers, carrots, and some nice herbs. THAT SAID... I wish you would write a cookbook called "Now What..."" because I look at the beautiful rows of pint jars and quart jars... and I am completely overwhelmed with putting them together for meals. It stumps me. I have no idea how to put it all together and looking at recipes makes it so confusing. I'm learning though, slowly but surely.
I second that cookbook writing idea!
The interesting thing about grocery purchases (I dislike the word “haul”) is that it really shows what cannot be grown on the homestead. It is also nice to see different places where one can buy natural ingredients.
I’m a fella sister in Christ and I am always encouraged and inspired with your videos. I normally don’t watch a lot of UA-cam, but I’ve been battling ovarian cancer since the spring of 2023. So I found your channel one day while I was too weak to get out of bed. I’m not able to garden or can as much. But your videos help to encourage me to do what I can when I have good days.
Keep up the good work! And yes it’s so true…food has no eternal value. Investing time in your family is the most valuable thing!
This is coming from a breast cancer survivor it’s going on 11 years now. God is good, sending prayers to him to ease your illness and heal your body, in his holy name, amen.
I love love love your video's. You have a lovely family. I enjoy how the boys are so eager to help. Don't apologize for anything, your house is lived in. I so wish I could live the way you do. You are an inspiration. Thank you for your video's. 😍😍😊😊
I make sourdough, I can potatoes, beans, soup, jam, meat, and other things. I grow some veggies. I try to buy local and organic. I make crackers, granola and such. It's scary all the ingredients they put in the processed food at the store. You are very inspiring. I love your grocery haul. You should keep doing them. ❤❤❤ I also love the life skills you install in your children. It's so important
Thank you for the reminder that food is not eternal, but rather relationships of love are. ❤
The most valuable information anyone could ever need: “Food has no eternal value”
Thank you for this reality check ♡ love your videos, as always
THANK YOU 🙏 for ending with the importance of good time with family over the best food money can buy
I love what you said at the very end of your video. I too believe it is far more important to sit down with those you love and enjoy a simple meal, even if it is a frozen pizza, than be stressed out and not making memories with those you love most. Thank you for reminding us about perspective. God Bless
I think this might be one of the most realistic and honest grocery hauls I’ve seen.
Never apologize for a hard-working kitchen. As for video length, I wait all week for your new videos! Your young boys are growing so fast! Much respect for your family values, we need more of that. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. ❤❤❤
I love how you treated your kids! You let them be their age and you didn't really yell when your son didn't know what to do with the flour bucket. 🤣 It was nice to see! A good example.
Here I am watching your grocery haul, when I could care less what people buying at the store. Only because I know you produce your own food vs regular family not producing.
I watched your cleaning kitchen video. You never need to apologize for your cabinets. I’m still processing peppers and tomatoes. My kitchen is a wreck today as our my feet! Love your channel.
Ruth Ann, I have been watching your videos for many months now. I absolutely love ALL that you bring to your videos. I have learned so much from you. Like you, we love the Lord. Thank you so much for what you do!!
I've never seen any other grocery haul videos. I am a mom of 3 boys and although they are now grown and on their own I still cook everything from scratch. I feel like I always do pretty well at the grocery store and many times the cashiers have commented on how much I've gotten for my dollar. Thanks for sharing your recipes and ideas
I often find myself comparing my kitchen to other’s beautifully decorated ones. I love yours the most, though, because it’s a “family” kitchen. I wouldn’t trade the scuffs, marks and memories in my kitchen for anything!! I love what you teach!
Your little boy are growing up so fast. Sweet helpers working together. Thank you for sharing your day.
It’s fun having them help out!
So fun to watch the kids helping.
I was raised by my Grandparents, watching you brings back so many good memories. Thank you!
Watching you manage three eager young boys “ helping you” is heart warming. God bless!
Goals!! I love how organized and am in awe of your planning skills!
Awe thank you!! I don’t feel very organized.
One of the best channels out there. Thank you to all the Zimmermans for sharing your home family and knowledge with us!
I just love your final message today of eternal value! That’s wonderful”food for thought”! You’re an amazing educator! I also love the value I get from the time we enjoy with our children over the years both through harvesting and preparing our food together. I find that those teaching moments I’ve had and continue to have with my grown children have been invaluable. ❤️
I LOVE watching your boys help! They're so lively and funny. Typical boys all the way! And you are so patient and kind with them. I get such a chuckle out of them! Makes my day!
New to your channel 💙💥😍 greatly appreciate your content!! I'm a Pastor's wife so I try to grow what I can and cook from scratch. Love ya in NC!!!
Welcome!!!
More than farmers UA-cam is a good channel for homesteading grocery hauls
You NEED to start brewing kombucha, its so easy. Get a two gallon jar with a plastic spigot, and one bottle of store bought kombucha. Put the kombucha in the jar and add an equal amount of (not hot) sweet tea. Cover loosely but bug proof. Add a couple of cups of sweet tea every day or so, and after a week you should have the blobby/ scoby floating on top. You can start tasting it then, it should be sour sweet and carbonated.
If your family loves it you might need to keep two jars going and let one rest while you drink from the other, just top the jar with sweet tea every night. '
After a month or so, when the spigot runs slow, you will need to split off the blobby and drain off some of the sediment and wash and reset everything. Make sure the soap is well rinsed, I spray with a bit of vinegar for the last rinse.
You can filter the sediment offcut through a cloth and let it sit somewhere to finish becoming vinegar.
Ruthann never feel like you EVER have to explain the condition of your kitchen cabinets! Your home is immaculate and it’s easy to see how well loved and well taken care of your family. I absolutely would love to live in a place like you where you have access to my own milk cow or my organic veggies. I do however agree with you about it not having eternal value. But it’s beautiful the life you are living and the nutrients that you are putting into your loved ones bodies and I love to support you and you definitely educate and entertain me. God bless!🥰❤️🍁🇨🇦🙏🏻
I love you, Ruthann!! You have become like my sister. I have no family close by so it is such a blessing to see your videos each week. Live in the city but we also do overhauls and a garden to feed our family.
That's so sweet. I'm glad you enjoy the videos!
Ruth Ann, I hope your children know how special they are, I enjoy watching your videos, what a hard working Mom you are and everything you do is done with love, joy and teaching. Thank you so much, you do inspire me to work harder, that my body is just as valuable as anyones. It is the temple of the living God and needs to be treated with respect and the best I can do. God Bless You
I agree with you. Some of the people that are buying in bulk are buying a lot of junk. You are like me and the way I was brought up. You plant your own garden. You take care of it, you can your own food you hunt. You harvest your own livestock and find ways to. Put it up so that if you lose your electricity. Your food's not gonna spoil. 😮 I really appreciate all of your.
Shows and and it always makes me laugh when I watch you. Not because you're funny but because you and I have are doing the same things every year. I was brought up that way. And I'm 80 years old and I don't consider myself a Homesteader I'm just a farmer's wife.
God bless you and your amazing family..
I love that your videos show real life! The boys goofing around while helping you put your bulk foods away.
Thank you for taking the time in your very busy family life RuthAnn. You have been a blessing to me. I now can for my family and friends. My children are all married and I have 10 grandchildren. Now they are 45-53 (4). I am 74 and my husband went to be with the Lord at 68. We met at 15 and 16 and married at 19. I was raised in the suburbs of Md. but we retired in WV 11 years ago and we both have always loved the country life. I am the caregiver of my family and extended family, very active in my "born again" church so I am always cooking, canning, quilting, sewing, crocheting and knitting for everyone. I miss the love of my life so much, but God has always filled my life with love from all people listed above, beginning with a wonderful man to take care of me and my family and our children. I have learned so much from you and enjoy meeting you and your family through your videos. God Bless you for your sharing and love to help and encourage others. Love in Christ, Linda Miller from West by God Virginia. 🥰
Best grocery haul I've ever seen. Inspiration. Great job. Thanks. 😊❤
I loved your helpers. They were so cheerful and enthusiastic. Made me smile, and they are growing so fast.
Ruth Ann, you are just WONDERFUL, please don't ever change!❤
Some Ruth Ann and family video time…thank you
You’re welcome 😊!
I love everything about your channel. At the age of 75, I'm so jealous of your lifestyle and all you do. Your family is beautiful, you are absolutely darling and easy to listen to. I was a Michigander for 27 years and miss the Midwest style of life. I'm so happy I found you and learn even at my old age. Your garden is gorgeous and if I could do it all over again I'd copy your lifestyle instead of the bright lights of a California city. You are so fortunate and so are your children. Keep up the great work you do and you'll always have a huge audience. ❤
Thank you for sharing your lives with us! Things you do may seem boring to you but I learn so much from your videos and you inspire me to try new things! I consider you a friend even though I’ve never met you in person!
Yes! She feels like the aunt, older cousin, or even big sister I never had ❤
I have made the crackers and the baked beans, yummy
I thank you for encouraging another generation to cook from scratch. I have been cooking from scratch fro many years. Now the children are grown and have children of their own. So now I am scaling back on amounts. I still have many 5 and 3.5 gallon buckets. I have been with Azure as a customer and drop coordinator for 35 years, great company!
You do not have to apologize, I never noticed anything until you pointed it out.... thanks for making videos, I love to watch!
Every single time I watch your videos, Miss Ruthann, I travel back in my mind twenty years ago when we were on our own little corner of land in Wisconsin. The garden and our few livestock fed us. My children used to say we didn't have anything to eat from the grocery (treats), only ingredients.
We lived! God is good!
I have been watching your videos for a year now and this one was just wonderful. My family is all grown and married now so it’s just my husband and me and our 19 year old cat ( and she doesn’t eat our food) so are life style has changed and buying and eating habits have changed,also manage to make all homemade meals and sit down every night with our family and have our bonding time when the were home. Still that’s special when the kids come home and we sit around the table to talk. I love what you said and the end of your video. Keep up the good work. Thank for your wonderful,honest videos.
❤❤❤
Don't apologize or feel you have to explain your kitchen. It is well loved and used just as it should be. God bless you and your family.
Good morning sweet RuthAnn. You were not boring at all. Loved the whole video. Kendrick was really enjoying himself cleaning up the flour! So cute. I like seeing Azure hauls because I get ideas from them of what I want to try. Have a great week.
Thank you!! Young mom here and your advice is so helpful for me! I am a “first generation homemaker” and have learned everything from people who are willing to share information like this online!💕💕
That New York family has one of the healthiest grocery hauls on UA-cam for a family that isn't growing or preserving their own stocks. Unlike so many of the hauls that are based on junk/processes items.
Yes. When I found them I thought, ahhhh. This works for me!!!
Ruthann you are both a gift and an inspiration. Your values and skill set are desperately needed in this day and age. I adore you, please never worry about trivial things like how long your video's are or how tired looking your cabinets are - the gift you give all of us by sharing your knowledge, skill and values far exceed and perceived shortcoming!! I am so very grateful for your channel, your patience, your willingness to explain and teach all of us - what a beautiful difference you make in this world!! THANK YOU 🥰❤🥰
Yes, good morning Ruth Ann. Your subscribers wait for your Saturday morning video. Really dry here in Southwest Louisiana also. Hopefully we'll get a bit of rain next week. God bless you and your family.
Watering my carrots and sweet potatoes so I can dig them out.
I live in Canada and I watch all your videos
I am majorly impressed with all you do. I am a widow and alone and have many allergies to many foods. I never buy premade items. No canned foods, boxed foods, frozen perpared foods. Just basics. Fruit, meats frozen veggies. And of course the toilet paper, Salt and pepper. Allegic to tomatoes, legumes oranges, caffeine, all nuts, oatmeal, broccoli, cauliflower. cherries. So that cuts out a lot of food for me. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much Ruth Ann
Good morning RuthAnn. Always enjoy my Saturday morning coffee with you. We also started growing our own dried beans. It has taken a few years to increase the quantities but, we felt good growing one more item we no longer have to purchase from the store. Each year we try to add 1 or 2 new foods to our garden, this expands our pantry options😊. Thank you for all you do, you are inspiring!
It is so rewarding to grow your own food!
I think it's great that you teach the boys the kitchen skills. Too many families have the boys do only outdoor chores and the girls do only indoor ones, then when they go out on their own they are all stuck in some way or another. You are also teaching them to appreciate all the work that EVERY family member contributes. And I am sure no-one thinks your kitchen is grubby; we have all seen you be a cleaning whiz in the house. You just have an older well-loved home. And thank you for the bit about family relationships being what it's all about!
Your video is very encouraging for us starting Homesteaders. One day we hope to have a grocery haul like yours!
You can do it!
I am 73 and only have 1 child I am raising. I buy bulk from the store but I do so admire you and all you do. If I were younger I would do what you do but I am not able to now. You are great. MK
good morning ruthann! heres my 2 cents on the grocery haul. i don't care for them at all. theres one i watch (but often turn off) that takes you to the grocery store & then takes you back to the house to show you what she already showed you at the grocery store. i see a lot of other people comment how much they love them. i'm 63 yrs old & i find that it may be a generational thing. anyway, thank you for sharing! have a good week.
I agree except that age has nothing to do with it.
Ruth Ann, thank you for sharing with us your family routines. I love to watch and always look forward to new videos. I also enjoy when you work with the cattle. Love you and your family!
I live in Las Vegas. Food items are high here because they are shipped in and very little is processed here. I am in my 60s and cook from scratch about 80 recent of the time. I bake and make candy. I also make sauces and jams and preserve some food when I come across bargains. I am learning how to make cheese and sausage. Cheese is hard because I can’t buy raw milk. My Mom, rest her soul, was a (putting it nicely) a not so good cook.
I am fortunate and blessed because I have the time and resources to shop wisely. Which means stock up on bargains and shop sales
I am in awe of you. Your grace and honesty is so inspiring.
I, too, am hesitant to be condescending of some of the UA-camrs that show off how much they spend and how poorly they manage their money.
One, whose channel is an alliteration referencing a large family, literally is boastful about spending upwards of $10k a month in addition to take out and meals out. The choices are almost always processed and prepared foods. The children are obese and vulnerable to health issues because of their prior environment. Many are adopted which is the most giving thing a person can do.
We live opulently on $125-160 a week for groceries. One godsend here are the mega Hispanic markets which have fruit and veg specials that 80-90 percent cheaper than the national grocery stores. Example: 6 lbs of brown onions for a dollar versus $1.89 a pound.
Food nourishes our family and our hearts as well as our bodies. Second only to physical and emotional cruelty, not having enough food is the biggest injustice out there.
You are fortunate to be able to do what you do. Not everyone can, but mindfulness has become a lost skill and honestly a lost art.
I rarely post anything other than praise. But, am sorely tempted to when a blogger is blatantly wasteful and obscene with their flexing when others are food insecure.
Sorry for the rant. My friends and I often discuss and contrast UA-cam content and you and the afore-described blogger are really the most divergent contrast.
I guess make do means different things to different people. Your family and those that watch your videos and speeches are so enriched by you and your practical wisdom. Thank you for sharing your life skills, kindness and experience!!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. Your comments are so thoughtful!
I love watching your videos. You are not only a great teacher but a humble servant and i admire you very much
Don’t love grocery hauls. I think a lot of videos are just to do a video. It is crazy how much junk they buy and letting their kids run around the house eating and running their hand over everything. I am not impressed by their grocery buying because the average family can not afford that much food. This one person justified buying all the eggs in the store. Her comment was that they needed eggs just like regular families don’t need eggs. These people make me feel sorry for the kids because they are used to having the best and life is not going to give them the best of foods.
I understand your point, but I believe that many UA-cam “bootstrappers” (what I call people who are living and providing for their family on a strict budget) usually stress to their viewers to start where and how they can. I am nowhere near Ruthanne’s grocery league, but I usually always see or learn something that I can benefit from in regards to keeping a stocked pantry, even if on a much smaller buying scale. I was surprised at the “comparison family’s” choices for stocking up and was wondering to myself if the mom even cooked from scratch much (ie: pancake mix???) but I have to remind myself that everyone’s lives are different and have different allotments of time to prepare meals. We are retired and on a fixed income; our youngest has flown the nest, so I have the time to make a huge batch of egg noodles to dry and store , spaetzle to freeze, and different breads to freeze. I have hens and a large garden, but when the kids were young, we lived in a city, and both worked shift work, time was precious and I bought a lot more convenience foods, and stocked my pantry by purchasing in smaller increments.
Ruth Ann, talk away! You are one of the few folks, I follow that I never get tired of listening to❤
Cleaning videos are popular, yes grocery shopping can be mixed in with everyday life videos, canning videos are popular, baking videos as well. You have a lot of those things.
Yes I prefer shopping that has a lot of ingredients because I too no longer really buy prepackaged foods. I think your videos are great on how to bake lots of great fun homemade things. Maybe this summer do more gardening videos, like how you start your seeds, how you prepare the soil for different plants. I am doing gardening for the last few years, and it’s a little bit of a learning curve, that would be a video I would love to see, you have a lot of great knowledge and I want to learn what you know to share with my child and others. I always enjoy your videos of snacks and baking and cooking.
Never apologize for the well used kitchen, I LOVE IT !! you are an inspiration for me as well as many. We have a garden and harvest our own animals but you always inspire me to do better and for that you are a blessing to me. Thank you for all you share, I greatly appreciate it.
Love that everyone helps to get the jobs done. RuthAnn isn’t left to do it all herself. I raised 3 boys, I was a stay at home Mom, did many of the chores myself. It’s always fun to do it together!
I stumbled upon your site and am so jealous after having been "raised" in a deeply dysfunctional boyhood and family life. I've watched a few of your videos and can see that you do a lot of work in the kitchen and must also put time into all the other chores into which mothers are traditionally involved. I'd like to see how the family operates outside the kitchen, how well the children are growing, and what challenges are most pressing. Your kids have the fortune of being raised in a caring environment with parental care guided by Mennonite customs. What a gift to be reared in such an environment.
I love cooking from scratch!!! It is just me now, and I live in the city. But I buy organic when I can. I have returned to making my own bread. I share my food among friends and we all benefit from the lower salt and fewer unnatural additives in our food! And I consider spending 40 minutes watching you a gift!!!
Yes ma’am, I’m inspired and entertained and that’s why I watch nearly all your videos as time allows. Many of them I watch over and over because that is how I gain the confidence to try the things you’re doing. It’s wonderful to me! And it improves my morale to enjoy your environment as you go about your day. You certainly live in a beautiful place. It’s how I imagine paradise to be. Not heaven, paradise. Thank you Ruthann.
Thank you, Ruth Ann! My husband and I are in our 40s and 50s raising our two little boys as we attempt to build our homestead. You are such a wonderful encouragement with your Christ-centered wisdom and incredible work ethic!
Interesting video. My grandparents bought very few items at the grocery store. They had a farm in NC. The store bought items were flour, sugar, cornmeal, rolled oats, baking soda, vinegar, coffee, tea bags, cocoa powder, rice, grits, peanut butter, prepared mustard, molasses, paraffin, & canning lids. The Watkins man came around a few times a year and they bought vanilla extract, alum, bay leaves, & a few other spices from him.
Didn’t even notice cabinets but I am a mother of 8 so I know about family wear. Thanks for reminding us about eternal value. As my last child is a senior in high school I’ve been struggling with “making memories, making her happy, making sure she gets time with friends, etc” Your reminder was just what I needed tonight. God bless you.
Thank you for what you said at the end of the video. Keep the main thing the main thing. So many are single moms or working moms doing the best they can. Blessings.
Love learning about a different way of living. I can't believe how much food your family goes through. Thank you for teaching us !
Ruth Anne, I have enjoyed this video so very much!!! I am not putting down on anyone when I say people can be very wasteful! With children they learn by example! They ou are amazing!!This video everyone can learn from it!
❤ I ordered myself a 50lb bag of this flour.....OH. MY. GOODNESS! I've been baking sourdough for over a year and been happy with it. I was buying flour from a local mill, but this is amazing!! Thank you for showing your Azure haul. Love your cannel.
U never need to apologize for anything. I think ur amazing. U have taught me n made me realize so much n I'm 69. Ty for being such a wonderful person n mom!!!
I enjoy and look forward to your channel weekly. I can watch for hours so don’t worry about limiting yourself to 40 minutes.