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.