Ham Stock

One of the most traditional ways to stretch the number of meals you get out of your meat purchases is to make stock from the bones and trimmings.  If you are a meat-eater, this is a great, low-cost way to get maximum value from your meat investment.  If you are mostly-vegetarian, as I am, then it is a good way to get a little animal protein in your diet without actually having a meat-heavy meal. 

For this batch, I took the bone and the tough "butt" of the ham from our delayed Easter dinner.  I put it in a large stew pot, covered it with water, and simmered for an hour with a diced onion, a couple of bay leaves, and some cracked black pepper.  When the stock was dark brown and smelling yummy, I strained it into some quart freezer containers and popped it in the freezer.  This batch came in at about three quarts.  I plan to use it to make a batch of my Cheesy Potato Soup.

I believe the ham took less time to make a decent stock because it is already seasoned and cured.  Beef and chicken will probably take closer to two hours, based on my research, so plan ahead to do this on a weekend or a day or evening when you want to be in the kitchen to smell the great smells.  Depending on the meat you use, you may have to skim fat (or schmaltz, in the case of chicken) off the stock before you freeze it.

I have started a "stock bucket" in the freezer for DH and I to throw meat trimmings and bones; when it is full, we will make another batch of stock.

The Analysis

Fast:  Although this took an hour, there was nearly no prep time, so I just needed to find a time I was near the kitchen doing something else so I could keep an eye on the stock pot.

Cheap:  For the price of an onion and some spices, I took a chunk of ham that would have been wasted and made the basis of a future meal.  For reference, a quart of Meijer Organics chicken broth, which I usually use as a soup base, is $2.27 a quart.  So, my little project saved $6.81, minus the inputs.  I would say this netted me $6.50 in savings.

Good:  The smell alone was worth the time investment; I can't wait for the soup!

In (Painful) Pursuit of Knitting

Knitting just seems like something a frugal girl like myself should be able to do.  While I first started learning to crochet at my mom's knee at the age of 5, gaining some proficiency by grad school (not a quick study, am I?), knitting always confounded me.  But this year, I decided, was my year to learn to knit.

You see, canning season is soon upon us, and every canning season usually sees the loss of a few dish cloths as a kind of sacrifice for all of that yummy put-up food.  I'll lose one to blueberry jam, a couple to chili sauce and canned tomatoes, and another to simple fatigue and overuse.  Summer is always my time to replace some dish cloths, and I thought this year I would knit them.

So, I picked up the pair of shiny blue needles I bought years ago, grabbed a ball of cotton yarn and Stitch 'n Bitch, and started to knit.

Oh, my heavens.

At first, it was like trying to eat with chopsticks after a lifetime of forks.  I was perfectly convinced that millions of people can do this successfully, but I just felt like I had too many implements.  I have suffered through dropped stitches, faulty tension, and far too much concentration.  You can see one of the intermediate steps above.

But, fairly soon, I was able to do the simple garter stitch without laser-like focus and while watching TV.  I started to like the click-click of the needles and the softness of the "weave" of the fabric, so different from the relatively solid result from the ribbed crochet stitch I prefer.  Full disclosure:  I declined to learn to bind off properly, but instead crocheted off the top when I was done.  My mind is full of ideas for a knit/crochet hybrid project.

After five decreasingly-painful nights, I have a dishcloth.  Hopefully, the next one will go much more smoothly, and I'll have a new textile hobby!

The Analysis

Fast:  Oh, you're kidding me, right?  Somewhere, there's a kindergarten class that is knitting faster than I am now.  But I'll get there.

Cheap:  Since you asked:  The cheapest dishcloth that wasn't see-through I could find was at WalMart, where a bundle of six would set you back $12.  I can knit a dish cloth with one 2 oz. ball of cotton yarn, which I get on sale for $1.29.  Savings:  $0.71.

Good:  I will get bettter at this, and I think I will enjoy the new hobby.  Score!

Walking the Walk

Just a couple of weeks ago, I snapped this shot of the daffodils coming up; today, they are past the full bloom point and making room for the tulips.  Spring is finally here in Ohio!  And spring is the very nicest time for a walk.

Today, I walked the 1.6 miles (3.2 miles round trip) to my part-time job as a local college administrator.  It was a warm day with a cool breeze, and I loved the chance to destress before going from job to job to job.  What a change from the days when I go straight from my Hilltop Communications desk to my college office to an evening commitment. 

Walking to work sounds like just the kind of granola-crunchy enviro-move that I shy away from.  Most of the time, I think of it as something akin to composting toilets:  fine, if you're into that kind of thing, but maybe not for me.  However, the fact that I now have a very local job suddenly made walking to work seem not just do-able but actually silly not to do.

My goal is to walk to work at least one day a week as long as it is not opressively hot (that is, asthma/allergy weather for those of us in the Midwest) or oppressively cold.  I'm going to burn a few calories and release a few endorphins while avoiding putting miles on the car or emissions in the atmosphere.  I know not everyone lives in an environment that allows a walk to work or on an errand, but for those who do, will you join me on my quest? 

The Analysis

Fast:  Just the opposite, actually.  My walk took me a half hour each way, while driving takes about five minutes from garage to parking space.

Cheap:  My walk gave me time to do the math:  My car gets about 24 MPG, and I covered 3.2 miles today.  Walking saved me 1/8 of a gallon of gas, or $0.23 at the most recent local price of $1.86 a gallon.  However, if you have been following me, you know I'll gladly spend an hour of work to save $0.39 a month, so a quarter a week is looking pretty good right now.

Good:  Too often, we have to rush here and there, and then we read advice to "take a 20 minute walk after dinner."  Walking to go nowhere makes me crazy; walking to go to work seems productive to me, and I got exercise and did something small that was good for my budget, my car, and the environment.  I'll take it, on a lovely spring day.

One for the Guys: Shaving Soap

(Thanks to DH for the suggestion for this post!)

Gentlemen have a lot of choices when it comes to shaving.  While most guys who came of age in the past fifty years probably reach for the can of shaving foam and the disposable safety razor, there is an option that is better for the planet and, more important, infinitely sexier:  shaving soap.

DH suggested I take a look at shaving soap as something that is FC&G.  We looked at prices and waste, and here is what we found:

• Pricewise, there is not a bunch of difference between shaving soap and shaving foam.  In our local grocery, any brand of shaving soap (and there are Williams, Colgate, and others) comes in a few cents less per cake than a can of the cheapest shaving foam.  However, you do have the start-up costs of a shaving mug (I got DH a pretty one, but you can certainly demote one from your kitchen cabinet for free) and shaving brush (which seem to last almost forever, but you'll have to replace them occasionally in your lifetime).  DH estimates a cake of soap probably lasts about as long as a can of foam, although I think it is easier to accidentally use too much foam and be wasteful.
• As far as solid waste, the soap wins.  A new cake of shaving soap comes in a small cardboard box.  Shaving foam comes in a large metal can with plastic parts.  No contest.
• DH says the soap gives a better shave than the foam.
• And this one is key:  watching a man shave by foaming up with a brush and mug is undeniably hot.  Think about it, guys.

The Analysis

Fast:  I don't believe it takes any longer for DH to lather up with a brush than to spray foam in his hand.  If so, we are talking a very small amount of time.

Cheap:  You won't be winning this one on money.  Lifetime shaving expenditures are probably the same whether you use soap or foam.  Any financial impact you realize will have to come from using razors with disposable blades and reuseable handles and caring for them well to make them last.  (Has anyone priced using a straight razor?  Is the cost savings worth the hassle of learning to shave without killing yourself?

Good:  This tip is all about impact.  A switch to shaving soap will mean less solid waste, a better shave, and perhaps an intrigued wife.  Your call, guys!

Tortellini and Four Cheese Sauce in the style of La Trattoria

And we're back from vacation in Key West, a week that was too fast and not at all cheap, but very, very good.  One thing I brought with me is inspiration for delicious and inexpensive recipes.

Possibly my favorite Italian restaurant in the world is La Trattoria, located on Duval Street in Key West.  They have a wonderful Tortellini alla Romana with tomatoes, peas, and smoked ham, that I have to have at least once per trip "down island."

My own version is, well, not theirs, but it is enough to keep hopes alive for the next trip to Key West.  And, if I do say so myself, it is pretty darn good.

Tortellini and Four Cheese Sauce

1 c. whole milk ($0.37 at Trader Joe's)

8 oz Quattro Formaggio ($2.86 at TJ's)

1 package pesto-filled tortellini ($2.99 at TJ's)

1 pint tomatoes (canned from last year's garden)

Scant cup ham (frozen leftover from previous holiday meal)

Diced carrots (overwintered in garden; I don't have fresh peas yet)

Cook tomatoes, ham, and carrots together until carrots are tender.  Meanwhile, boil pasta until just under al dente (it will cook more when combined). 

Melt 8oz. of cheese in one cup whole milk until sauce consistency; you may have to add a tablespoon or two of flour to thicken to your desired thickness.  Season with fresh cracked black pepper. 

Combine all ingredients in saute pan and cook until blended. 

The Analysis:

Fast:  The recipe took less than a half an hour to make.

Cheap:  At $6.22 total outlay plus rading the pantry, freezer, and garden, I have a recipe that compares favorably to the $17 La Trattoria version (in taste, not ambiance!).  You could further cut costs by waiting for a cheese sale at a non-TJ's store and opting for a non-filled pasta.  However, this created at least 5-6 servings, so I'm not feeling too badly about the price ($1.25 per serving if you figure five healthy servings).

Good:  Nothing is La Trattoria, but with some careful savings and yummy pasta dishes, I should be back "down island" before I know it!

Bargain Bulletin: Stock Up on Pantry Supplies

In previous posts, I have commented that the best way to save grocery money is not to clip coupons, but to cook from whole foods and basic ingredients, which rarely go on sale or are subject to coupons. 

The exception to this is baking supplies, which tend to go on sale around the major "cooking holidays," like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.  Since Easter is upon us, it is time to check your store for specials on flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar, yeast, and spices.  Many of these will be displayed on the end caps of the aisles.  I tend to buy store brands of most things, but if you prefer brand name spices (which I do for ones I don't grow), there is usually a coupon or two to be had in the weeks leading up to the holidays.  Since these baking supplies tend to keep for months or longer, this is a smart time to pick up an extra bag of brown sugar or an extra jar of yeast.

The Analysis

Fast:  Obviously, it takes no more time to buy an item on sale than it does to buy one full price.  I'll give you that it takes a few extra second to carry that second bag of brown sugar to the cart and then in from the car....

Cheap:  Stocking up on basic supplies when they go on predictable sales is an easy and smart money management technique.

Good:  Having the right cooking supplies on hand, purchased at a good price, is a great incentive to cook more of your own meals and treats at home.

Fixing My Mistakes

Oops

I once cherished (and accidentally got published in Reader's Digest, but that's another story) a quote that said, "Practice doesn't make perfect, nor is it supposed to. Practice is about increasing your repertoire of ways to recover from your mistakes."  Nowhere is this as true as in homemaking.

See the above towel.  When DH and I were first married, I got distracted doing laundry, and I bleached a towel that should not have been bleached.  I then retired the towel to dirty jobs like highlighting hair, which means that over the years it has taken additional bleach damage.  The results you see above.

Now, the obvious choice is to turn the towel into rags, but I thought I'd see what I could salvage.  I was able to cut seven 12"x12" wash cloths out of the good parts of the towel, still leaving several cleaning rags.  

 

The raw edges I finished by turning them under a half an inch and sewing with a zig-sag stitch.  Note that not all edges of a cloth need to be finished; the ones that originally were the bottom and sides of the towel are fine as they are.

Did I need to do this?  No.  However, I took some pleasure in saving an item that I had destroyed with my carelessness.  And, when you look at it, I saved a little money:

The Analysis:

Fast:  I tend to sew simple things as thought breaks while I work, so putting these cloths on the pile to be finished didn't really take much additional time out of my schedule.

Cheap:  The least expensive wash cloth of any significant weight I can find in the store is $1, and I have seen heavy ones go for as much as $5 a piece.  Since I was able to get seven cloths out of my destroyed towel, I in effect created $7 worth of value.  I doubt the original towel cost more than $7 (9 years ago at a discount department store), so I have either saved money I would otherwise have spent on new washcloths, or at minimum I have preserved the value of the original towel.

Good:  This one comes down to a philosophy of waste.  If you look at your mistakes and think "how can I recover from that and respect the resource given to me," then you will over time save money and cultivate a more respectful attitude toward the things you work so hard to buy.

Hang Out That Laundry!

I promised I was going to be less of a wimp about hanging my laundry outside this year, and here is the proof.  With a temp of 55 degrees here in Ohio (albeit headed for the upper 60s today), I have hung the first load of laundry of the year outside.  Normally, I don't start until the temp hits 65.

Avoiding your clothes drier is one of the best ways to save electricity and money.  That appliance, love it though we do in January, is an energy-hog.  Every load you dry outside or on a drying rack is money that goes straight to your bottom line.

I love the picture above, snapped moments before this post.  I love the juxtaposition of the sunny day and clothes line with the fleece pillowcases still warming our bed at night and the leftover autumn leaves on the ground. 

Have you started hanging clothes outside this year?

The Analysis:

Fast:  Hanging clothes takes more time than dumping them in the drier, but when it is warmer, I think of it as my time to relax and get a little Vitamin D from the sun.

Cheap:  Can't get any cheaper than free!  (OK, you do have the start-up cost of a clothes line, but everyone should be able to find at least a piece of twine to string between two trees.)

Good:  Hanging clothes outside is one of my great pleasures, and I'm so happy to be back out there.  The cost and resource savings are almost beside the point for me.

Berries and Cream Smoothie

Why, no, I don't polish the spots off my crystal -- why do you ask?

Back on the sustainability track this week, it is time to make smoothies!

Now, I know that a traditional smoothie is made with yogurt, ice cubes, and unsugared berries.  It is very virtuous.  I also know that I don't like yogurt, and I have a freezer full of strawberries (preserved with sugar) from last year that need to start vacating to make room for this year's crop.  So I devised this quick and easy smoothie:

1 quart berries, thawed (sugared if you prefer or have preserved them that way)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I like the Trader Joe's version, from horomone-free milk and pasturized but not ultrapasturized)

Place in blender and blend.  Makes 2.5 large servings (the half serving is pictured above!)

The Analysis:

Fast:  If you remember to thaw your berries, this takes only a few seconds in the blender to make a couple of day's worth of smoothie for one person, or an excellent huge serving of berries for each of two people.

Cheap:  The whipping cream was $2.49 for a pint, so $0.62 for a half cup.  That means the entire recipe comes in at less than $1.00, figure by guess-timating the amount of sugar and you-pick berries I added.  That means you can have a good snack or a reasonable meal substitute for less than $0.50.

Good:  This is an easy way to get a lot of fruit, some protein from the dairy, and enough fat to aid your body's absorption of the vitamins.  Plus, more freezer space for this year's berries!

Falling Short of the Goal

Last week was a decidedly iffy week on the sustainability front, as you may have guessed from the presence of just one blog post.  So, let's look at how I did:

The Good:

• I baked two loaves of bread.
• I did all the week's laundry with my homemade laundry soap.
• I sewed five new wash cloths from some terry cloth I found in the remnant bin at my favorite fabric store.
• I heated the house with passive solar heat and good "window management" (that is, opening and closing curtains) for at least 48 total hours.
• I nursed some baby tomato seedlings to life (Mortgage Lifters -- let's hope they live up to their name!) and repotted a few pepper seedlings.
• I actually remembered to turn off the power supply to the in-house DSL network on Friday night, so I wasn't drawing unused power all weekend.

The Bad:

• I made two trips to the grocery that should have been rolled into one.  In my defense, I had some horrible Midwestern sinus thing going on, and one trip was just to get some OTC medication to get me through, while the next night I actually got supplies and did my banking run.
• I forgot to throw my lingerie bag of used-but-reusable make-up wipes in the laundry, so if I don't find a load for them in the next two days, I'm back to cotton balls until I do.
• I bumped the heat up a few degrees when the cold weather came back.  (See above-mentioned horrible Midwestern sinus thing.)
• I let a pint of blueberries die of neglect.

So how did I do?  On the one hand, I hate that I dropped a few balls in there.  But mostly, I'm proud that I have systems in place that get me through when my attention is divided.  On balance, even with a rough week, I think I did more good for budget and planet than I did bad.  That's the most any of us can do.

Passive Solar Heat

Let That Sunshine In!

March is finally here; it couldn't come soon enough for me.  After enduring a Midwestern winter, these first warm days in the 50s are a blessing. 

They are also a golden opportunity to heat your house with an energy source you don't have to pay for:  solar.  Even without expensive collectors and arrays, you can heat your house with passive solar energy, just by opening curtains and blinds on east-facing windows in the morning, and south- and west-facing windows in the afternoon.  (I find the north-facing windows never collect that much sun, but that may have something to do with the construction/positioning of our house.)

Even with temps in the upper 40s at the start of the week, I was able to heat my house up to 64 degrees with passive solar yesterday, which is a degree above the 63 degree set point of my thermostat for daytime.  I expect today, with temps in the upper 50s, the sun will warm the house even more.  I will start turning the heat off during the day and just using it to "catch" the house at night so nothing freezes (including me).

The Analysis

Fast:  Can't get much faster than opening those curtains!

Cheap:  Every degree you heat your house by passive solar is one you don't pay for from the gas or electric company.  In my part of Ohio, this is the official start of three months of spring savings on power bills, which will probably end in June when I finally cave in on using the A/C.

Good:  Nothing prettier or nicer than a warm, bright house on a spring day, particularly when you don't have to pay for it!

Homemade Egg Noodles

Homemade Egg Noodles

If you have a good source of farm-raised, pastured eggs, one of the best ways of showing them off is by making homemade egg noodles.

We often think of homemade pasta as a time-intensive process that includes a lot of mess and a lot of rolling equipment to clean.  In reality, most "peasant" cultures have developed quick ways of making pasta; it really should be considered a quick staple rather than an occasional treat.

To make homemade pasta you will need:

"Equal amounts" flour and eggs.  That is, if you have three eggs, you need to use three cups of flour

Pinch of salt

Water as needed

Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center; crack the eggs into the well, and add the salt.  Mix with water as needed to make a thick paste (the genesis of the word "pasta").

If you are pressed for time, you can then take this mixture by rounded spoonfuls and drop into a pot of boiling water; when the dumplings float, they are cooked.  Or, if you have a little more time, you can roll the dough out into a sheet about a half an inch thick and cut into your desired shape with a pizza cutter or knife.

In the image at the top of the post, you will see that I cut my pasta dough into rectangles and then twisted it to make bow-ties.  I had a lot of time on my hands that day, and the whole project still took only 45 minutes.  When I am pressed, I will just cut the rectangles and be done.

Cook the fresh pasta in salted boiling water until it floats; you will need to cook much less pasta than you normally do store-bought pasta, as this is denser and more filling.  If you have cut your noodles thin enough, you can dry them by leaving them sitting out in on a cookie sheet.

The Analysis

Fast:  It takes less time to make noodles than you think; remember, "peasant" food is nothing if not efficient to make.

Cheap:  Most of your cost comes from the eggs; since my pastured eggs are nearly 30 cents a piece, this batch of pasta came in at less than $1.75, and the batch generated at least four servings.

Good:  Don't cover these up with heavy sauce; I like to have my homemade egg noodles with pasture butter and home grown sage.  Yum.

Let's Compost! Pt. I

For me, the epitome of "Fast, Cheap, and Good" might be composting.  It is quick and easy to toss your organic waste into a compost pile, it certainly costs nothing, and it keeps waste out of the landfills while generating beautiful humus for your garden.

For the novice composter, however, composting appears to be a difficult chore.  Our culture simply doesn't teach us to compost, and marketers have rushed into the void with tons of products meant to "get you started." 

This year, I'd like you to consider redirecting some of your waste to compost; to help, this is the first in a series on how to compost.  I'll start with some frequently asked questions:

Is composting difficult?
No.  Remember, much of human history has been lived without a weekly trash pick-up.  Communities regularly put their waste into piles; archeologists love this kind of thing.  What we are going to do is use a natural decomposition process to take care of organic waste, which will result in fewer beads and pottery shards for future archeologists, but might keep the planet around long enough for future excavations.

Does compost smell bad?
Yes and no.  Part of the misunderstanding about compost comes from the fact that we use the word "compost" to mean three separate phases of the project.  Let me break these down and give each its own term:

"Raw compost" is your table scraps, egg shells, and the like.  If you let this sit around in your compost container in the house, it will indeed mold and smell bad.  A little fireplace wood ash in the bottom of your container will control the odor, but it really needs to go out on the pile to start breaking down.

"Working compost" is the material in your pile.  This is the stuff from your household compost bucket, plus dirt, grass clippings, fallen leaves, and the like.  Earthworms and certain soil bacteria love this, and as they munch away, they assist the process of decomposition.  If your compost pile smells, it is probably because you have too much "green matter" (generally from raw compost) and too little "brown matter" (like leaves, grass, and dirt).  If your working compost pile smells, you need to stir it with a pitchfork and add a little brown matter to the top.  Easy.

"Finished compost" is humus, the dark brown dirt that can be used as potting soil or as garden fertilizer.  One of the ways you know it is finished is by the smell -- it smells of life, freshness, and Spring.  It is truly one of my favorite scents.

Do I need an expensive container?
No.  Garden retailers have devised a number of products for compost creation, most of which are unnecessary.  One of these is the rotating plastic drum that is supposed to generate finished compost in two to six weeks.  Who needs their compost that fast?  A large-scale gardener might, but then that person will need a lot more finished compost than can be created in that drum.

There is one circumstance in which a commercial compost drum might be useful:  If you are composting in an urban environment or one in which you have absolutely no land (like an apartment or a condo with restrictive common space regulations), you may only be able to compost in a container.  Otherwise, you should try to put your compost in contact with the ground.

Do I need compost additives?
Again, compost additives, like live earthworms and bacteria innoculant, are useful only for container composting.  Even then, a few shovels of "live" dirt (that is, not the sterilized stuff sold as potting soil) and a few earthworms (which I would be tempted to buy cheap at a bait shop) will do the trick. 

Are my neighbors going to complain?
If you are worried about the neighbors, your job is either to educate them or to make sure they never know you are composting.  If you choose the latter, you may want to enclose your pile in a frame made of picket fence panels rather than the chicken wire that folks like me use.  You can use the same set of construction instructions one would use to make an enclosure for an air conditioner compressor, only be sure to use fence panels with openings that will let in rain and air.  Monitor your pile closely for any odor that indicates you need more brown matter, and your neighbors shouldn't even know unless they come over and lift the lid.

Will I attract critters?
I will confess that I sometimes leave strawberry trimmings on the top of the pile to feed the rabbits that inhabit my property.  (Then I complain mightily a month later when they have stayed around to eat my tomatoes.)  Small herbivores shouldn't be much of a concern for you, but if you are concerned about larger animals, be certain that you always mix the raw compost into the working pile very well.

I hope this makes you think a little about starting your own composting operation; we will consider the how-tos in a future post.  Readers, let me know:  do you currently compost?  Are you considering it for this year?

Homemade Laundry Soap

The ingredients for savings!

Making your own laundry soap sounds like one of those hard-core cheap-o things to do that only the fanatics among us would attempt.  Once I started making my own, however, I found that it is amazingly easy, astoundingly cheap, and cleans my laundry better than store-bought detergents.

You will need:

One bar pink Zote soap.  This is a laundry soap formulated for easy grating and good cleaning and brightening.

1 1/2 cup baking soda

1 1/2 cup borax

(Note:  These amounts will make enough to fill an old one quart yogurt container, which is where I store my soap.)

Grate a third of a bar of Zote into a bowl (I have an old plastic bowl that was retired to the laundry for just this purpose, which is what you see below.  No artificial "stunt photography" here!)

Zote is a very soft soap that grates easily with a vegetable grater.  Keep the bar well wrapped so it doesn't dry out between uses, as the harder soap is more difficult to grate.

Add baking soda and borax, and mix.  Store.

You will use only about a tablespoon per load, so this stuff lasts forever.  Experiment until you find the right amount for your washer, but don't overdo.  Excess soap will lay in the soap tray if you overload it.

I started using this just on towels, then moved on to underwear, jeans, and finally all of my laundry.  (Full disclosure:  I "treat" my black laundry to a special dark fabrics detergent, even though I've never noticed my homemade soap causing any fading.)  Hubby notes that workout clothes washed in the homemade variety don't smell "sour" after wearing, like they do with commercial detergents.  Plus, I think the clothes look cleaner, and they definitely smell outdoor clean without having a perfume smell.

The Analysis

Fast:  It takes about 10-15 minutes to make a batch of laundry soap.  Not a big investment in time to save a lot of money!

Cheap:  I knew this was inexpensive, but I didn't realize how cheap until I did the math:

      Zote:  One bar is $0.99, so a third of a bar is $0.33.

      Baking Soda:  A 64 oz box is $1.99, so a cup and a half is $0.37.

      Borax:  A 76 oz box of 20 Mule Team Borax is $3.99, so a cup and a half is $0.63.

Total:  $1.33 for a full quart container of laundry soap. 

Good:  Cleaner, better smelling clothes, no detergents in the waste water stream, no big empty plastic bottles in the landfill (recycle those cardboard baking soda and borax boxes). 

Cheesy Potato Soup

My food photography skills fail me on this one, but this is the best shot I have of a cheap and hearty meal that has become a weekend staple around my house:  Cheesy Potato Soup.

Including a vegetarian meal at least once a week is a quick way to reduce your food bills while upping your consumption of veggies.  This soup is hearty, satisfying, and will have you warmed up in no time after a day of shoveling snow.  (My thanks to "sal" on Allrecipes.com, who wrote the recipe that served as the inspiration for this version.)

Cheesy Potato Soup

2 T butter (Pasture butter if you can find it.)

1 c diced onions (From the root cellar if you have thought ahead.)

2 1/2 c diced potatoes, unpeeled (From the root cellar; I like the yellow potatoes if you are making a purchase.)

3 c chicken broth (Organic free range is nice.)

1 c heavy cream (Organic, again)

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 T dill weed (Dried from the summer makes it free.)

1/8 t ground cayenne pepper (Ditto on dried from summer.)

A few grinds of salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, saute onions in the butter until they are translucent.  Stir in potatoes and broth and let cook until potatoes are softened.

When potatoes are softened to your liking, add cream, spices, and cheese.  Cook until cheese is melted.  If you are using dill you dried yourself, you will see it "bloom" open, adding a lovely green speckle against the pale yellow of the soup.

Makes 4 servings.  Maybe 3 if you have been shoveling.

The Analysis

Fast:  This takes at most 45 minutes to prep and cook.  Not as fast as a can of soup, but darn quick in the homemade soup world.

Cheap:  This recipe, like many others, is scalable by budget.  Using organic free range broth and organic cream will drive up the price a bit, but these are choices I make because I am not happy with how CAFO animals are treated, and the organic options are at least some better.  On the other hand, relying on home-dried spices and cellared root vegetables will keep the price low. 

Good:  Much heartier and healthier than the glop from a can.

Philosophy 101: Recharacterizing Waste

Is it waste or abundance?

This morning, I enjoyed some strawberry flavoring in my coffee, a wonderfully summery treat in the middle of February.  My treat made me think about how much sustainability depends on recharacterizing waste.

Last summer, my husband and I made our annual journey to the pick-your-own strawberry farm, then spent the rest of the day (and night) freezing strawberries and making jam and preserves.  Preserves, by their nature, create a lot of liquid, so after I canned the whole fruit preserves, I was left with a pot of strawberry syrup.

My first instinct was to throw it away; it was the by-product of preserves, not the product I was aiming for, so it must be waste.  But then I thought better:  this stuff wasn't waste.  It was ice cream topping.  It was coffee flavoring.  It was a valuable product all its own.  I canned two or three pints, and I enjoyed some today, a delicious abundance in a time of year that can feel very sparse and limited.

We need to do the same thing with all of our processes to lead a sustainable life.  Rather than immediately consider something waste, we should ask ourselves what it becomes next.  Holey towels become dust rags; old clothes become quilt pieces; poultry bones and pieces become stock.  And yes, the leavings from canning can become flavorings, toppings, and other treats.  In the process, our lives become filled with abundance, because we have limited our waste. 

What "waste" can you find value in today?

The Analysis

Fast:  Changing your way of thinking may take time, but many forms of "waste" take less time to recharacterize than they do to dispose of.  I can go through the hassel of taking fireplace ashes to my weekly trash can, or I can use them to line my compost bucket, reducing any food scrap odor and providing important nitrogen to my compost pile.  The result is the best fertilizer on earth.

Cheap:  Turning waste into abundance is always a financial win.  It has the added benefit of reducing the amount of first-use "stuff" you have to buy, too.  I'm certainly not buying strawberry coffee flavoring this year.

Good:  A life with less waste and more abundance; quite good.

Sprouting Peppers and Hopes for Spring

Brrr

Right now, the view above is the only one I can see out my front door.  Luckily, I have a better view inside:

That's better!

The pepper seeds I planted around Groundhog Day started uncoiling their little white backs out of the soil after just 7 days; by Valentine's Day, I had a full tray of little seedlings, each with their bright green first pair of leaves unfolded to the light.  So, it is time to give them something to reach for.

Many seed-starting handbooks (and virtually all gardening catalogs) will start you salivating over "seedling condominiums," these sets of shelves with adjustable banks of grow lights suspended overhead.  They are lovely, and they will set you back somewhere around $200-$300.  If you are going into commercial seedling production, this may be a reasonable capital expenditure.  I, however, just want a nice cheap supply of peppers and salsa next summer and winter.

So, I took an old desk lamp, and I inserted a $3 grow bulb in it.  The bulb will provide the correct spectrum of light for the peppers to grow, and you are only out the cost of the bulb.  (Sorry, a traditional fluorescent or incandescent bulb won't do it, because it won't throw the correct parts of the light spectrum for the plants.)

The low-cost grow light.

The drawback of this approach is that you will need to shift the light during the day so each pot of seedlings gets direct light.  They like to have at least 14 hours of light, so it helps to have your seedlings in a high-traffic area (remember, mine are still in the kitchen) so you will nudge the light whenever you pass.  However, this system has worked very well for me for years. 

We won't need to do anything else to the peppers until we see a first set of "true" leaves, which should be in a couple of weeks.  Until then, just turn that light on in the morning and let them grow!

The Analysis

Fast:  You can pick up a grow bulb at any hardware store or greenhouse, or most grocers.  I know you have an old desk lamp sitting around, or some other lamp with a goose-type neck that will shine down on your peppers.

Cheap:  I haven't purchased a grow bulb since last year, but I usually purchase one a year at about $3.  As you will see, this ultimately becomes part of an array of lights and windows for seedling growth, so it works out to be a good deal, and much better than those seedling condos.

Good:  Peppers are still the goal here, and we're one step closer to salsa!

Note:  If you do not have an outdoor greenhouse or sunroom and are in zone 5 or north, you can still grow peppers with us here at FC&G.  Start your seeds now, and you will be about 2 weeks behind me, or just perfect for "adult" plants ready to set out on the first of June.

Cutting Costs with Coupons -- Carefully

If one of your primary motivations for embracing sustainability is saving money (and good for you, if so), then you will have found numerous books and blogs advising you to clip coupons.  If you watch daytime television, you have no doubt flipped on a show featuring some consumer who has managed to get her weekly groceries for free thanks to some fortuitous combination of coupons, coupon doubling, store sales, and rebates. 

If you are like me, after you deal with your feelings of coupon inadequacy, you start wondering what this woman is feeding her family.  If I actually could pull off a stunt like this, something tells me I would have a cart full of Go-Gurt and Pop-Tarts, plus 117 packages of disposable razors.  You will notice that the best sales always come on items that are full of HFCS, are overly processed, or are headed for a landfill after use.

Processed food and consumer product companies know that the small sales promotion known as a coupon will bring in those of us trying to save money; they hope it will gain them a convert to their product.  But be aware, they don't really want to let you have something for nothing.

Last night, I made my way out during Snowmageddon for an appointment, and along the way I stopped at the grocery.  (Names omitted to protect the guilty.)  I had in my hands a recent sales promotion for a premium brand of coffee offering a "free pound of coffee, up to $4.00."  Naturally, this is something I wanted to take advantage of.

Well, the store didn't post the price per pound, and I wasn't as vigilant as I should have been.  (This is thanks in part to the 20 minutes I spent digging my car out of the snow drift I call a driveway, but I digress.)  The end result was that I wound up with a pound of coffee listed at $7 and change per pound, for which I had a $4 coupon.  Still a respectable discount, but nothing to write home about price-wise.

My lesson?  If you are going to play the coupon game, remember that the deck is stacked in favor of the house, and it takes a great deal of planning to truly score a coupon deal.  I can't grow coffee, and I will drink this, so it is a fairly cheap lesson.  Had I purchased a food I could grow or make for myself and had a similar situation occur, I would be extremely angry.

The Analysis

Fast:  Coupons require time to clip, organize, and coordinate with your grocery list and store sales.  Only clip coupons for items and specific brands you would buy anyway, at full price. 

Cheap:  Not necessarily.  It is not at all out of the question for there to be a temporary price hike, either by the manufacturer or the store, that offsets your coupon.  Again, a coupon is only a deal if you would have purchased the item anyway.  If the coupon is the deciding factor, put the item back.

Good:  Make it your goal to try to restrict the food portions of your grocery list to the elements of food, rather than processed food, and you will see that your food bill goes down and that there are very few coupons available for you anyway.  Coupons for flour, spices, meat, and veggies are few and far between.

Fast food at its best!

Ode to the Pastured Egg, or, Cookies Like Grandma Made

Behold, the pastured egg!

I have recently lucked into a regular supply of pastured eggs, thanks to the efforts of a colleague who regularly visits a local farm.  (Thank you to the Egg Man, if he is reading this!)  I have to say, this has made a tremendous and unexpected improvement in our diet.

Pastured eggs are eggs from hens that have been fed primarily by grazing a pasture -- that is, they eat mostly grass and insects.  Even though they often require some additional feed during the winter, this is still a huge improvement over CAFO (concentrated animal feed operation) eggs, which come from hens that are kept in cages and fed mostly corn and antibiotics. 

Pastured eggs contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which we are learning are essential to heart health and mood stabilization. You will also just instinctively feel these eggs are healthier for you when you see how strong the shell is, how viscous the whites, how orange the "yellows."  These are clearly eggs intended to nurture a chick to hatching, and they must be better for a human along the way.  As it turns out, humans may need to consume a certain amount of grass and bugs, and it is more pleasant to get them by way of a chicken or cow. 

(For a much more complete explanation of CAFO operations and the benefits of food from animals left to live as God intended, read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.  Check here to buy on Amazon.com.)

Of course, a dozen pastured eggs for two people each week is a bit of a challenge, so I have been doing more baking and slipping an extra egg in whereever I can.  One of the best uses for these eggs is cookies, and I propose you make them a lot more like Grandma or Great-Grandma used to.

Take the traditional Toll House cookie recipe.  Most of us are accustomed to a product made with margarine, white flour, and CAFO eggs, and we get a light cookie that is pretty tasty and that we can eat 14 of in a sitting. 

But Grandma didn't have any of this.  For one thing, she didn't have margarine, so substitute butter.  If you do just this step, your cookies may be a bit oily; in this case, it is a lesson in tweaking the entire system, not simply one input.  So, move on to substitute pastured eggs, a cup of light whole wheat flour for one of the cups of bleached white flour, and turbinado sugar for the refined white sugar.  Bingo, you have a rich, satisfying cookie that has a depth of flavor you wouldn't expect from a simple chocolate chip cookie.  You will be consuming better fats, more complex sugars, and whole grains, and you will probably eat about two before you are satisfied. 

It is a wonderful way to celebrate my supply of pastured eggs.

The Analysis

Fast:  Getting a supply of pastured eggs may take some time.  You are pretty much at the mercy of a local farmer or a small enough grocery to buy local.  However, putting a pastured egg into a recipe certainly takes no extra time.

Cheap:  Yes and no.  I pay $3.50 a dozen for these eggs, which works out to about 29 cents an egg.  This is way more than the CAFO eggs in the store, which I can often get for 99 cents a dozen.  However, I think if I figured things out based on nutrient density or lack of antibiotic contamination or the like, the pastured eggs would win.

Good:  This is why you buy pastured eggs.  When you taste the difference they make in recipes, you won't see this as a place to economize.

More Projects from the Remnant Rack: Fleece Pillowcases

In the winter, I sew and do textile crafts for relaxation; in the summer, I garden.  So, it seems I am doing a lot of remant projects these days, as I wait to get back out in that garden.

In a previous post, I talked about the wonders of the remant rack of your local fabric store.  Another easy project to undertake is the fleece pillowcase.  It requires only two seams and a hem, so it is very easy to complete if you have a sewing machine, and it is oh-so soft and cozy on a winter night.

For this project, I lucked into a beautiful piece of remnant fleece that was a yard and quarter long, but you really only need a scrap that is two-thirds of a yard in length.  Most fleece comes in 58 inch widths, so that is perfect for covering a standard pillow.

Step 1:  Cut your fabric.

Leave the 58 inch "width" intact and cut the "length" of the remnant.  I cut mine to about 21 inches; you may wish to cut yours a little longer if you have extra-puffy pillows, as this measurement will make the width of the pillowcase.  Don't go too far overboard, though, because too much fabric will make a baggy pillowcase.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, so the 58 inch side of the fabric (which is the width of the fleece on the bolt, but is the length of the pillowcase; this is confusing to read but will make more sense with a piece of fabric in your hand) is doubled.  Make sure right sides of the fabric are together.  You will see that the part that will become the bottom edge of the pillowcase is already made by the fold; you just have two side seams to do in order to make a bag, which is all a pillowcase really is.

Step 2:  Sew up side seams.

Sew each side seam with 3/8 inch seam allowance.  This isn't set in stone; it is just a sewing convention I was taught.  More or less seam allowance will make the pillowcase tighter or looser, so here is where you can make up for a mistake in cutting if needed.  Lock in your stitches at the top and bottom of the seam.

Step 3:  Sew the hem.

Fold the raw edges of the opening down an inch.  Make sure you are folding toward the wrong side of the fabric, which should still be the side of the fabric you see.  Since fleece doesn't fray, you don't have to fold in twice as you would with other fabrics.  Sew the hem with a zig-zag stitch. 

Step 4:  Turn the pillowcase right side out.

You are done!

The Analysis

Fast:  This project routinely takes me a half an hour; it may take you a bit longer if you are a novice sewer. 

Cheap:  Definitely.  Take advantage of that remnant bin.  I got a yard and a quarter of this fabric for $4.63, and I used about two-thirds of a yard.  That works out to $2.44 for fabric costs.  Throw a few cents on for thread, and you arrive at $2.50.  You cannot buy a standard pillowcase in any fabric for that amount.

Good:  My hubby raves about these in the winter months; they are so soft and warm.  I think they are one of those little touches that make it that much easier to turn down the heat at night and cozy up, listening to the sweet sound of the heat not running and money not being spent.

Groundhog Day: Time to Plant Peppers

Whether or not your local groundhog saw his shadow this morning, we know spring is coming:  it is time to plant our pepper seeds!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I start my seeds on Groundhog Day because I'm in the lower part of zone 5 and I have a greenhouse that protects fragile plants during the sometimes up-and-down months of April and May.  If that last sentence is all Greek to you, don't worry:  If you reside somewhere that the traditional advice is to plant flowers outdoors on Mother's Day, start your peppers now.  If tender plants go out later, delay a bit.  If they go out earlier, then get moving!

I have made two changes to my seed-starting routine this year:

1. I used to use the expandable peat pellets that fit neatly into the little plastic "greenhouse" tray.  However, while the pellets are very convenient, I don't believe the claim that the fine mesh netting over the peat pellet is biodegradable; I've pulled those nets intact out of the ground at the end of a growing season, still clinging onto tomato roots.  Instead, I am using the Burpee PotMaker http://www.burpee.com/product/seed+starting/potmaker-+1+potmaker.do, a cute little device that allows you to make seed starter pots from newspaper, which is certainly compostable.  A little pricy, but I probably buy $10 worth of peat pellets each year, so this will pay for itself in two years.
2. Consequently, I am now using potting soil to start the seeds.  I'm convinced the little darlings will enjoy the nutrients in the potting soil more than they do the peat and will be healthier as a result.  We will see.

Ultimately, I made my pots, filled them with potting soil, and put in a few pepper seeds.  A few peppers will grow together as if they are a single plant, so five seeds in a pot isn't silly.  We won't be doing this when we get to tomatoes and zucchini.  Cover the seeds with a quarter to a half inch of soil, and cover the seeds with something that will hold in moisture.  I am using a plastic "greenhouse," but others have a lot of success with boxes covered with plastic wrap.

Now for one of my secret techniques:  While most garden supply stores will sell you heat mats to sit your seedlings on (and not a bad concept, because peppers, especially, like warm feet while they grow), I do the cheap version and sit mine on the counter over the dishwasher.  The heat from the dishwasher makes the peppers warm enough to grow.

For those worried about grow lights and things of that nature, you won't really need to provide any artificial light until the seedlings sprout, so we will cover that in about two weeks, when those little green hairpins that are pepper plants start uncoiling out of the soil.

The Analysis

Fast:  Hubby and I made the pots and planted the peppers in about an hour.  We won't need to do much other than check the dampness of the soil for quite some time.

Cheap:  The PotMaker set me back a bit this year ($19.95), but I think it will be a reasonable investment to reduce environmental impact.  I promise myself every year that this fall I will bring in a container of humus from the compost pile to use for seed starting so I don't wind up paying $2.99 for 20 lbs. of dirt (who pays for dirt, for crying out loud?), and this year I renew that pledge.  Someone yell at me in November to go out there and sift out some humus, OK?

Good:  Things growing in February; very good indeed.