Green Frugality

In my quest to live a frugal life I am finding myself more and more interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle. In researching sustainability I am often led to other areas such as "green" living and the idea of leaving smaller "footprints". I love this. While I know that I cannot save the world, I can make a difference. And that is my intention. To live more frugally also means to live more simply. What could be more frugal than growing your own food and canning and preserving it? (Other than using solar and wind power, digging a well, raising chickens and cows, etc. of course...I know. But you gotta start somewhere, right? I'm choosing to start with a garden.)

My oldest son has taken to calling me a "health freak". He's 12. So I take it with a grain of salt. AND as a compliment.

My 9 year-old, on the other hand, likes to read labels, too. We've decided, he and I, that the only way to get around high-fructose corn syrup in our jellies and jams is to make it our dang selves. In preparation for this I've been watching for canning supplies at the thrift store. And I have a vast Wish List over at Amazon.com of books that will help me learn the art of canning! And my 90 year-old grandmother told me I could have her canning supplies, too. So I'm pretty excited really!

Anyway...not quite "green" yet...but definitely a strong chartreuse! It's a start!

Kartoffelpuffers anyone?

I found this recipe on a blog I love to read. Her outlook on life and simplicity is admirable and insipring. And this recipe is so timely! I just bought a 5lb. bag of potatoes last night at Lucky for 79 cents! Could it be true? Dinner for 4 under $2? I see a challenge in my future!

Want to make Kartoffelpuffers for YOUR family? Head on over to down---to---earth and read a few posts down. I'll let you know how mine turned out!

5 Under $5.

1. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, french bread, sliced cheese and salami
2. Hot dogs, baked beans, celery with peanut butter
3. Pinto beans and corn bread
4. Tostadas with beans, cheese and lettuce, Spanish rice
5. Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks, salad

Readers and staying focused

I was without the internet since Monday so I wasn't able to post. To be honest, I'm not even sure if anyone reads this blog or not. I haven't made a big deal of it...only telling a few people. I know that one of my friends has me linked from her blog...and I know that one other gal found me through a Christian women's site. But so far...that's all I know. Regardless, I'll continue to post because I like to and it makes me feel good to document my success in feeding my family healthy and frugal meals. Hopefully others can share the wealth!

I have to say, starting this blog was a bit daunting. Mainly because I felt it was important to have a REASON to keep it. As opposed to just rambling about my day to day...which is not a bad thing and will probably find it's way IN here somewhere since my day to day IS about being frugal and taking care of my family. Even still, I want to be organized. And stick to a plan. And be consistent. And it's still a work in progress. Just like me!

What a great day for soup.

photo from Food Network

I just made a delicious soup using a recipe from Dave Lieberman's cookbook, Dave's Dinners. It's called Buttery Baby Pea Soup and it so good, so easy and so frugal! I figure it costs about a dollar per serving if you purchase everything on sale. It calls for a small, yellow onion, a can of chicken stock, a package of frozen peas and a few tablespoons of butter. Simmer 10 minutes then blend with an immersion blender. And then, of course, eat.

Simple and good.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I was doing some searching around the internet this morning for the true story of this day of thanks. I came across some interesting sites, but nothing as detailed as I was hoping for. I did come across the original menu, or what would more than likely have been the original menu at http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_first_thanksgiving_day. If you don't feel like going to the site yourself, here is a list of what was and was not on the first Thanksgiving.

Foods That Were Not Served at the First Thanksgiving

Turkey - Turkey was often eaten by both the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims but is not specifically mentioned in Winslows’ letter. The account mentions “wild fowl” only and could have referred to duck or geese instead of wild turkey.

Popcorn - There was no popcorn, corn was prevalent but was not popped.

Cranberry Sauce - Fifty years after 1621 there is mention of a cranberry sauce for use with meat in English recipes. Prior to this time sugar, a necessary ingredient in cranberry sauce was an incredibly expensive import. Both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag would add whole cranberries as an ingredient to add tartness, however cranberry sauce itself would not appear until the 1670’s.

Potatoes - White potatoes were virtually unknown in England at the time of the Thanksgiving feast, they were only raised by specialized botanists at the time and were not a part of the English diet. Sweet potatoes were, in the early 1600’s, imported into England from Spain and were used only by the ultra wealthy for their purported aphrodisiac properties.

Pumpkin Pie - There were no readily available ingredients for the crust of a pumpkin pie at the time. Pumpkin and squash were included in the feast but served as vegetables only. After 1621, pumpkin dessert recipes included pumpkin pieces sliced similar to apples only.

Apples - Apples were not present in 1621 in Plymouth.

Foods Included in the Original Thanksgiving Feast

In addition to the wild fowl, pumpkin and squash mentioned above, the following foods were certainly abundant and most likely were included in the “harvest” celebration:

Fish
Lobsters
Eel
Mussels
Oysters
Corn
Parsnips
Collards
Turnips
Spinach
Onions
Dried Beans
Dried Blueberries
Grapes
Nuts

1621 Thanksgiving Meal Details

The celebration lasted for three days, not one, and consisted of intermittent feasting and entertainment (games and shooting of muskets).
It was most likely held in October, not November.
There is no evidence that the Indians (Wampanoag) were explicitly invited.
It was not called “Thanksgiving”. It was a “harvest festival”.
It did not become an annual event.

“by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” - Edward Winslow – December, 11, 1621

I love Thanksgiving.

I just finished putting the kitchen back together. I've got the dishwasher set to run while I sleep. I've got the coffee pot set to brew before I wake. Life is good.

Tonight I made a pumpkin pie with pecan streusel on top. This is my own creation. I made it for the first time a few years ago and have been making it since. Tonight I did something a little different though. After putting the streusel topping in the middle of the pie leaving about an inch of pumpkin filling showing, I took some pecan halves (courtesy of the huge tree in the backyard and my husband for painstakingly cracking nuts VERY carefully so I could have halves. He must really love me.) and arranged them carefully around the edge of the pie in between the crust and the pecan streusel. After I took it out of the oven I realized it resembled a sunflower! The best part is that I didn't mean to do it...it was a total surprise. I love it when that happens.

I'll take a picture in the morning. It's too dark in my little poorly lit kitchen so it will have to wait. Hopefully I don't forget!

I also made a Jell-o salad using my Aunt Mickey's recipe. It is so good. It's raspberry Jell-o, raspberries, raspberry yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, walnuts and whip cream. I mean really, how could you go wrong with THOSE ingredients? It's pretty, too..beautiful pink and white layers in a crystal bowl...lovely. Maybe I'll snap a photograph of that, too.

Tomorrow morning I'll make the yams...again, my own special recipe that I made up a few years ago...and have been making since. I never used to like yams...and neither did my husband or my brother...but we all like these yams. Probably because I do NOT scrimp on the ingredients. Not the butter, not the spices, not the brown sugar, not the marshmallows. I go for it. I pile them high and season them well. It's basically dessert as a side-dish. Mmmm...my mouth is watering already.

I love Thanksgiving. I love the prep. The colors. The weather. The gathering of family without the stress of gift giving. It's just an easy, relaxing, fun time.

Have I mentioned that I love Thanksgiving?

Speaking of which...I hope you enjoy yours.

What's in your freezer?

Being on a budget, and that budget sometimes being tighter than others, I am always trying to figure out more ways to stretch our continually shrinking dollar. Last night's dinner is a good example. I had no idea what I was going to make. I am so envious of those women who plan a weeks meals using sale items, coupons, freebies, and what's on their shelves to create delicious meals for pennies. For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to get it together enough to DO it. But, once in a while, I get lucky.

So dinner time was drawing near, and I still had no idea what I'd make. I took a peek in the freezer and realized I had two boneless, skinless chicken breasts left in the package. Hmm. How can I feed four people with two chicken breasts? Why of course. Soup.

I placed the chicken in a pot full of water with some garlic cloves, celery leaves, a bay leaf and salt and pepper corns. I also added a beef bone I'd kept from the chuck roast I'd made. It still had a bit of meat on it and I didn't want to waste it. At the time I saved it I had no idea what it would be good for. But it turned out to be perfect for the chicken soup. It didn't give it a beefy flavor. But it did make the broth much richer. It was really good.

Once the broth was ready, about 40 minutes later, I strained it and let it sit while I chopped some carrots, celery and onion. I sauteed them in some olive oil while I chopped up the chicken and removed the bit of beef from the bone. Once the vegetables were tender I added all of the broth, salt and a bay leaf, Italian seasoning and the meat. I let it simmer for about 40 minutes. About 15 minutes before serving I added a handful of Yemina. a handful of rice and a handful of frozen peas. (As you can see, I am not concerned with precise measurements. I think this is why baking and I don't get along so great. Baking can be so finicky!)

There are several reasons why I loved this meal:

One: I love chicken soup. Especially when it's cold, which it is here, finally.

Two: Not only did it feed us dinner, it also fed ME lunch.

Three: It was fresh and healthy...good for the body and the soul.

And it cannot go without mentioning, this meal was also quite frugal: Chicken; $2.00, vegetables; $1.00, Yemina: $.10, rice; $.10. Total for the chicken soup: $3.20. I served it with some sliced french bread I'd purchased at the Dollar Tree. This loaf lasted 3 meals! I served it with two pasta dinners and then the soup. So if I tally that along with the cost of the soup to get a Grand Total for the price of the dinner...$3.53! To feed a family of four! I love it.

Two meals in one...

A friend of ours lives on 5 acres and raises his own cattle for beef. It turns out that he wanted to trade my husband a 1/4 side of beef for a tool that my husband no longer had use for. This sounded great, except for the fact that we wouldn't have anywhere to store it. When I told him this he said, "Well, how about I give you a freezer to store it in?" Really? Sure! We've been wanting a freezer for the garage for a while now. What a blessing...patience paid off.

So, as a good faith offering, he gave us a Chuck Roast the other day. I seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder then seared it on all sides in a little bit of butter and olive oil. While it was searing I peeled some potatoes and carrots and put them in the bottom of the Crock pot. I added a bit of water and some salt then layered the roast right on top of it all. I let it cook all day, about 9 hours, on low. I served it with corn bread and some petite peas. It was delicious. I could get spoiled by truly fresh beef.

The best part is that there was quite a bit of all of it left over. So we had the corn bread for breakfast this morning and tomorrow I will turn the meat, potatoes and peas into a stew. And I guess if you include the cornbread for breakfast it makes 3 meals! Not bad.

A second blog

http://theartofbecoming.blogspot.com/

What's in the Crock Pot?

I love my Crock Pot. I love the fact that I can throw some ingredients into it, go about my busy day, knowing all the while that I've got a healthy, warm, delicious meal cooking for my family. I can rest assured knowing that there will be no rushing around at dinner time. There will be no last minute realization that I don't have all of the ingredients I thought I did to make the meal I thought I could make. There will be no "fend for yourself night" again. But there will be a meal that is 90% ready to go! Just add cornbread and a salad, if you wish, and enjoy!

Thanks to my dear friend, Sandra, I have a delicious recipe for Award-Winning Chili I'd like to share with you. She titled it Crock-Pot Chili originally. But then she won an award for it at our church chili cook off so we've dubbed it, Award-Winning Chili!

And now...for the recipe. (Man I sure can talk a lot!)

Award-Winning Chili

1 lb. stew meat cut into small bite-size pieces
1 medium onion - chopped
1 t. salt
2 T chili powder
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 bay leaf
1 t. Worcestshire sauce
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. cumin
16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans - drained
1 can pinto beans - drained

Directions: In a skillet, lightly brown the meat. (I usually season the meat separately, as well as adding the seasonings to the chili mixture...it adds a ton of flavor) While meat is browning, place all ingredients into the Crock Pot. Add meat and stir to combine. Cook on Low for 2-6 hours...the longer the better. (The best batch we ever made was slow-cooked for 8 hours and it was delicious!) Remove bay leaf and serve. It's great garnished with sour cream and/or shredded cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Not only is this meal delicious...it can also be Frugal Friendly. If all items are purchased on sale this meal can be made for under $5!

Dinner for 4 Under $5.

Tostadas

Prepared tostada shells (Big Lots, $1.80 for 24, used 12 for a cost of $.90)

(1) can vegetarian refried beans ($1.00)

shredded cheddar cheese (approx. $1.50)

2 cups shredded lettuce (approx. $.50)

Condiments: (total cost under $1.00)

Sour Cream

Salsa

Total Cost: $4.90

Keep in mind, this does not include the milk we drank...which at the rate the boys are growing, we can go through half of a gallon at dinner. Chris and I drink milk, too, so we contribute to that also. So if you really want to keep it budget conscious you can serve water from the tap or maybe some lemonade made from a powder mix. I got some of this at Rite Aid a while back for a dollar, so it's truly cost effective at 16 servings per container...but maybe not so great with Mexican food?!

And I have to say...tostadas are frugal on the clean up as well. One pot to warm the beans. Then I shred the lettuce and cheese and serve it right on the cutting board. Everything else is served from the container; salsa, sour cream, etc. At clean up all we have to do is rinse plates and a few spoons and load in the dishwasher, wash one pot and serving spoon, wipe down the table and cutting board and we're done! Quick. Easy. Good. And pretty good for you, too.

Tis the Season...for frugal gift-giving.

I have to be honest. Christmas is not my favorite holiday. As you can probably guess, given my interest in food, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. But not really just for the food. I like it best because of what it stands for...giving thanks. It is a warm holiday...full of reasons to be grateful....which, for me, automatically takes the focus off of me and turns it to others. And while Christmas is supposed to be about giving...I think it's gotten carried away. Because REALLY it's supposed to be about the birth of Jesus. The birth of our Savior. Our King. It's supposed to be about celebrating His birth...not about gigantic blow up thingies for the yard and lit up manger scenes. I was walking through Lowe's the other day and it was FULL of these blown up, lit up, sparkled up and singing decorations. They were everywhere. And they were loud and overbearing. I almost couldn't take it!

And honestly, it made me a bit sad.

But...that's not what I intended to write about. Because, whether I like it or not, I can get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday season just as much as the next person. But I try to keep it simple...and within a budget. And I don't do too bad, either. For instance, last week I was at the Dollar Tree, one of my favorite stores. They had some glass dish/bowl thingies (they called them potpourri bowls) about 8 inches in diameter and in the shape of a star. The glass is thick and sturdy and the star is a cute shape. I picked up (6) of them figuring they would be really cute full of homemade Peppermint Bark and wrapped in cellophane. Add a gorgeous bow and a berry sprig...from supplies left over from last year's bargain score from Big Lots (another favorite bargain haunt) and I've got some really cute gifts for under $5.

Then today I was at the Dollar Tree again...looking for a container for a Thank You gift basket...and came across some glass hurricanes. They are really cute...and made of the same thick, sturdy glass that the stars are made of. I think they will be a really pretty gift when paired with a pretty pillar candle, cellophane and a beautiful bow. Again, under $5. I bought (2)...and may go back for a few more. Although, I have to say, if I get too many, and don't use them all, then it's wasteful and not frugal. So I have to be careful about that...I can go overboard if I'm not careful...in the name of a good bargain.

I also picked up some glass tumblers for my self...(2) for a $1! And they're cute! I thought they would make a nice gift , too...paired with those cute monogrammed, linen coasters I saw for 50% off last week and you've got a really nice gift! And, under $10. Not bad. That might be a cute together gift for my brother and sister in law...or father in law and his bride to be....hmmm. I better go get those coasters before they're all gone...if they're not already!

Wish me luck! And watch for more Frugal Gift ideas to come...!

Teach your children well...

My son has taken to reading food labels when he's bored...and he is a bit TOO eager to show me ingredients in food that I've missed. Like the high-fructose corn syrup in our bread. Yes, in the BREAD. I thought I was doing a good thing switching to wheat bread...and amazingly nobody in my family complained. But, I have to confess, it was the cheap wheat bread. Not the good whole grain stuff. I did this innocently enough, however...and could only say that once I knew better, I did better. Now I buy whole grain bread....even though it's a bit more expensive. It's worth it. I'm learning that being frugal can't always equate to cheap. And, as we've all learned at some time or another...you get what you pay for. In the case of bread vs. frugality...buy good bread when on sale and store in your freezer. Voila! Cost effective!

OK...so back to my son and label reading. He found that jelly has high-fructose corn syrup in it. And honestly, I had never thought to even look! You know how you just get used to buying what you buy without paying attention? Well, that's what happened with the jelly. If it was on sale, I was buying it. Period. But...the REAL challenge now is to combine good, healthy, whole food AND cost-effectiveness. But really...back to my son...(man I sure get side-tracked)...his thought is that the only way we'll be able to get good jelly or jam without the additives is to make it ourselves. Hm. Novel idea, son. (My grandmother DID say I could have all of her canning equipment...hmmm..)

Let me just say that this one sentence...well, and reading my bible from Genesis to Revelation (I'll go into this more at another time...)...and looking at country property...turned a light on in my head and led me on this wild goose chase of gathering information about sustainable living and organic gardening and preserving what I grow and raising chickens and equipping our home with renewable energy sources.

So...to make a long story even longer...this blog will not only focus on frugal feasts...it will also focus on frugal living in general. Simplicity, if you will.

And now...off to help Ian check labels.

peanut butter dilemma solved!

So I was at Sam's Club last week. And while I had already decided that I was going to trek the 15 miles to our local Trader Joe's for peanut butter...I thought I'd just take one quick look on the pb aisle...just to see if maybe Sam's carried a natural brand. And would you believe, there next to the regular Skippy...was a twin pack of NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER? I never knew peanut butter could make me so happy. I grabbed a pack and proceeded to read the label: roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt. That's it. Done. No additives. No preservatives. No partially hydrogenated oil. No high-fructose corn syrup. Just a simple 4 ingredients...as if I made it in my own kitchen. I love it. And...I was so excited to tell my family! Not that this excites them as much as it does me...but it does AMUSE them...and that is enough for me. Deep down they truly are glad...even though my oldest keeps saying, "Oh no! My mom is a health nut!" No...not really. Well, yes...a nut...true. But not a health nut. Just a mom who cares what she puts in her kids' bodies. And a wife who wants her husband to live a long time. Anyway...I highly recommend the Skippy Natural. It does not require refrigeration. Nor does it require stirring due to the addition of the palm oil. And it tasted REALLY good...just like fresh peanuts. And it doesn't leave that greasy fatty film on your tongue...ick.

Try it...let me know what you think!

Goal #7492: Be more consistent.

It's been over a month since I last posted. I swore I wouldn't do this. But I did. I could blame it on traveling baseball games every weekend...or coordinating this year's women's retreat at church...or alternating my work days between going to the office and helping with my grandparents...or I could just say, I've been busy. And lame. And...yes, inconsistent.

So just when I think that nobody is reading this...I get a nice comment from a fellow blogger. And I appreciated it...not only that she took time to comment and give me a good suggestion. But also that her comment inspired me to get my butt over here and write something...

So...thank you.