Freezing Cilantro

This year has brought an unexpectedly robust crop of cilantro, which enjoys such a brief season.  You simply must keep cutting it back, or it will flower and go to seed.  Then you have a bumper crop of corriander, which is a completely different problem (in that I have no idea what do with it, in spite of the fact that I keep harvesting and saving it).  The cilantro, though, you want to keep producing for all of those Latin dishes that get their unique flavor from it.

This year, I have decided to freeze some cilantro for winter use in guacamole and ropa villeja.  It couldn't be easier:  simply take a good size handful, chop it fine, and put it in a half pint freezer jar.  I like the plastic ones from Ball.  Then,fill with olive oil, being sure to fill all the nooks and crannies.

That's it.  The top picture shows the end result; just pop it in the freezer, then thaw during those winter months when it feels like you need to head to Key West if you are ever going to get good Cuban food again.  (Not that I have a problem with that approach, either, but this is cheaper.)

The Analysis

Fast:  The entire process takes probably 10 minutes from harvest to freezer.

Cheap:  Your only costs are the start-up costs from reuseable freezer containers, and of course the olive oil.  I try to use a good extra virgin olive oil, which I have discovered I can buy in bulk for cheap at a local Italian market.

Good:  Since cilantro doesn't dry well, this is your only method to really ensure you have that summery flavor for Latin dishes year-round.  I am going to put up at least four, if not six, of these half pints.

The Beans are A'Poppin

There they are.  You can barely see them, but those are my beans popping up out of the ground.  I am useless on the day the beans start popping; I keep running outside to see if any more are up, and if the ones that are up have unfolded their true leaves.  Today will probably be no different.  So let me leave you with some short thoughts about growing your own beans.

Beans are remarkably easy to grow.  They aren't terribly particular about when you plant them, so you can succession plant throughout the season, getting several crops or just getting a late start.  I grow a bush variety that takes up very little room in the garden; you could probably sneak a few in to your foundation landscaping if that is all of the land you have available.  They freeze very well, requiring just 3 minutes of blanching before you throw them in the freezer.  And, for those of you with kids (or just fumbly fingers), the seeds are large and easy to handle.

The Analysis

Fast:  Just shove them in the ground and watch them grow!

Cheap:  A single pack of bean seeds (often $2-3) will yield enough beans to keep a small family going most of the year.

Good:  Fresh beans, or those you froze yourself, are infinitely better than those mushy things from cans.

What Could You Make?

I just finished reading Paul Roberts's excellent examination and indictment of the industrialized food economy, The End of Food.  In it, he suggests that as a way of measuring one's own ability to lead a sustainable life, one should occasionally look at what comes home from the grocery, then think about how/whether one could secure the same item from one's own back yard or the local foodshed. 

I think this is a great idea, and I decided to work through the exercise with this week's groceries.  This is a fairly normal haul for DH and I, perhaps on the small side, but representative of the things we typically buy.

We grow our own veggies and herbs for the most part, and we can, freeze, and dry them so they are available all year.  Typically, what is used up is not replaced from the grocery; we substitute others until the season comes again.  For example, I haven't had sun dried tomatoes since last December, because that is when the supply ran out.  But I still have canned tomatoes and chili sauce as tomato products.

We get our eggs from a local farm through a colleague of mine, so I'm set there.  We also stock the freezer with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat from a local farm, so that reduces the amount of meat I buy.  That leaves:

• Milk:  I buy hormone-free milk at the grocery.  Presumably, I could find a local farm that sells milk if the industrial food system falls apart, but I worry about supply.
• Limeade:  Luxury item.  I do have a dwarf lime tree that is budding this year, so I might occasionally have limes to make it myself one day.
• Club soda:  I hate to think that my mojito supply might be compromised by a lack of club soda, but I hear you can make them with plain water in a pinch.
• Cookies/Snack Cakes/Brownie Mix:  [Cringe]  You caught me.  These are luxury items, because we have a sweet tooth.  I have been baking a batch of cookie each week since the first of the year, and my goal this summer is to do all of our dessert and bread baking.  But right now, the desire for sugar frequently outweighs the desire to be sustainable. 
• Pizza crust mix:  Sort of a luxury.  I can certainly make my own, but I do like the flavor of the Jiffy mix once you add a little flax meal to it, so I buy it when it is on sale.  Giving it up wouldn't be a hardship, but when it is 50 cents a box, it wouldn't be that much of a savings either.
• Sliced provolone:  I can make my own cheese; I have the citric acid and the rennet in the fridge right now, waiting for me to make a batch of mozzarella.  However, if the End comes, hard cheeses like provolone might take a back seat until I improve my technique.
• Maple syrup:  Easy.  I know of a local farm that bottles maple syrup; if it comes to it, I'm not above tapping a tree and boiling sap.  In fact, that may be the only reliable source of sugar I have in a true crisis.
• Avocados:  My new veggies luxury.  You don't grow avocados anywhere near Ohio, so there goes my new-found guacamole habit.
• Yarn, ear plugs, deodorant, hair spray:  Not sure whether to include these as "groceries," but they are regular purchases from the super store.  Suffice to say, I imagine getting cotton yarn might be a problem in a true crisis.  I will probably be growing my hair for a pony tail if the End comes, so that takes care of the hair spray.  The deodorant is a concern (yes, tea tree oil, but where do you get that locally?), and the ear plugs might have to be replaced with some make-do so I can get some sleep.

Ultimately, I'm not in too bad a shape.  My main concern, should I have to make things long-term, is securing sugar and milled flour.  A truly long-term crisis would lead to more locally-available wheat (and other products), but right now, I don't grow wheat or any grain I can mill.  In a pinch, I guess I start keeping bees and use their honey as sugar, along with maple syrup.

So, yes, this is a crazy little thought exercise.  When I do it, I imagine a breakdown on December 21, 2012.  But you really don't have to be thinking about some cosmic End to be concerned; as Roberts argues, we are really just one crop failure, oil price spike, or disease outbreak away from a problem, especially since we source so much of our food from concentrated areas.  So, it is not hard to imagine (if you watch the news at all), an E. Coli outbreak disrupting the supply of produce from California, an oil drilling platform disaster driving gas prices to extremes along with food prices that carry their own transportation costs in their price, or a new piece of research determining that the way we farm our meat is killing us. 

So, take a look at your groceries this week.  What did you buy that you could make if you had to?

Basil Pesto Orzo

With the herbs growing quickly in the garden, it is time to get serious about cleaning last year's stash out of the freezer.  Last year, I froze 14 half pints of basil pesto -- really, just the beginnings of pesto, as I run basil leaves and olive oil through the food processor with a little garlic, then freeze.  Later in the year, I thaw and add salt and parmesan cheese to make a pesto topping.

This is exactly what I have done here.  The orzo, which we will see again later in the year with an awesome zucchini recipe, gives the pesto a nice texture.  However, feel free to use any pasta shape you like.

1 half pint frozen basil pesto (preserved from last year)
1 box orzo, cooked (on sale for $1.09)
1 5oz. bag shredded parmesan cheese (on sale for $1.67)
ground sea salt
ground pepper

Cook orzo, then combine in a saute pan with basil pesto and sea salt to taste.  When thoroughly combined, add the parmesan, and continue heating until melted.  Top with fresh ground pepper.  Makes 3-4 side dish or lunch servings.

The Analysis

Fast:  If you make sure to thaw your basil pesto ahead of time, this cooks up in under 20 minutes.  Don't worry, we'll deal with making the pesto later this summer if you don't have any on hand.  Whatever you do, don't succumb to the $3.39 an ounce version in the stores!

Cheap:  This comes in at $2.76, plus a few cents for the salt and pepper.  This is a case in which preserving your herbs really makes a difference.  I got four lunches out of this for about 70 cents each.

Good:  Yum.  This is one of my favorite lunches, or it makes a nice dinner with some grilled salmon.

Unsustainability: The Kleenex Company

I am not the first blogger to mention this, but a big boo-hiss this week to the Kleenex company, which has taken paranoia to the extreme in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.  They have introduced -- wait for it -- disposable hand towels for the home.  Yes, that's right, if your bathroom is missing that "airport restroom" feel, you are now one step closer to the dream.

Don't get me wrong, we have a free marketplace, and companies have spent at least a century creating needs that they can fill with products.  In the early part of the 20th century, Listerine probably reached the pinnacle of this "emphasizing the negative" advertising technique with their "often a bridesmaid, never a bride" series.

(Source:  Better Homes and Gardens, 5/1/1936)

Poor Edna.  She's nearing the "tragic thirty mark" and yet here she is, catching that blasted bouquet again, with no hope of ever walking up the aisle unless she gets rid of that funky breath.

But at least bad breath is a real problem, albeit maybe not the absolute barrier to marriage that Listerine wanted to imply.  Germs, on the other hand, are the marketing gift that keeps on giving, because you never know if they are gone.  You can clean and sterilize all day, and there will still be germs.

Kleenex has capitalized on this, noting "Your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them."  Their new disposable towels give you that homey feel of living in a surgical suite, while allowing you to spend over $3.00 per box of 60 to fill your trash cans (and later the landfill) with unnecessary paper.

You know that spouse you cuddle with in bed at night?  You're killing him or her if you expect to share a washable hand towel.  And those kids you would do anything to protect?  Yep, you're killing them if you hand them a towel made of cloth; God only knows what germs could lurk there!

Here's a news flash, Kleenex:  Germs exist, and there are far more germs on the bathroom door knob than will ever be on a plain, old fashioned towel.  Our immune systems need exposure to germs to stay ready to fight other invaders.  And unless you are preparing to do surgery in your bathroom, there is no reason to find any merit in a disposable towel.

The Analysis

Fast:  No extra time for drying your hands, but Kleenex has found an extra item for me to check out, pay for, lug to the car and into the house, and then carry to the curb when used.  Thanks a heap for the extra chore.

Cheap:  Not even.  I can knit a hand towel for less than $2.00, or I can buy 60 of these for more than $3.00.  Assuming I wash my hands just four times a day, I will go through a box in about two weeks -- and I wash my hands more than that.  Realistically, a family of just two people could go through four boxes of these a month, which I'm sure is $12+ that the Kleenex company would love to have.

Good:  A big raspberry on this one.  So much waste of money, time, and resources!  Wash your hands with soap, dry them on a traditional towel, and, if you are worried, change your hand towels every day and wash a load once a week.  You'll be just as clean, and you'll be far ahead in saving resources.

Suburban Rebellion

Behold my new herb bed!  (Public thanks to DH for hauling most of a ton of landscaping brick and topsoil from the hardware store to the house!)  A beautiful bed of multicolored herbs will now brighten my summer, but it will also serve as my own little act of rebellion.

Front yards are wonderful spaces; those of us lucky enough to own some land should be thankful.  I recently realized this when engaging in a conversation about gardening with an urban dweller; when I started into my standard suburban apology for only having .71 acre on which to garden, he admitted to buying a house sitting on a tenth of an acre, almost solely because he could garden on it.  I feel very blessed.

But often these front yards drive us far away from our neighbors, into our back yards.  It is true of me:  Sure, I trim the grass, prune the trees, and plant flowers out front, but the real fun -- the vegetable gardening -- goes on in the fenced in back yard.  It is the same for many suburbanites:  the front yard is for show, and the back yard is for living.

So this year, I planned and executed a little suburban rebellion, by expanding my food operation into the front yard.  Yes, I picked the prettiest plants -- the amethyst basil, the lime thyme, the feverfew -- for the front yard, but this year I will be kneeling out front, pulling weeds, and harvesting some of my herbs while the neighbors walk by. 

Maybe they'll ask me for a sample.  Maybe they'll be inspired to grow a food plant for the world to see, too.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all did?

Philosophy 101: Gypsies in the Palace

I have just returned from a family wedding in California, and during the trip, I got to thinking a lot about perspectives on sustainability, particularly when it comes to how we treat the environment.  It seems to me that there are two extremes in opinion.

First, there are those who view human beings as a pest on the Earth.  "Live lightly on the land," to this group, means to diminish human impact as much as possible.  Returning the Earth to a state that it would be in had humans not "interfered" would be ideal, if that were even possible.

Second, there are those who say that God gave humans dominion over the Earth, so we should use it as much as possible.  If it is ours to do with as we see fit, why not leave as big a footprint as we can?

I take a middle approach.  (Although I am probably doomed for using both God and Jimmy Buffett in the same analogy.)  God has given us dominion, true, but that is like asking someone to housesit for you while you are on vacation.  You want your housesitter to enjoy:  have a beer from the fridge, sleep in the guest room, run a load of laundry, and use the hot tub.  After all, he or she is kind enough to take care of things while you are away.

However, you probably don't want your housesitter to throw a giant kegger, bust a hole in the wall, and drink up your vintage scotch.

So what are you going to do with the resources God has given?  Are you going to use them wisely and respectfully, or are you going to be one of the "Gypsies in the Palace?"

Achoo! Homemade Hankies

I love Spring:  the ground is warming, the birds are singing, the plants and trees are flowering.... 

Uh oh.  I mean, "achoo!"  Sometimes I think Ohio has two seasons:  hypothermia, and allergy/asthma.  We are firmly in the latter, and, in previous years, this has meant a real boon for the facial tissue companies.

In a month of allergy season, we can go through about four boxes of tissues around here.  At $1.35 a pop for the store brand, this adds up.  So this year, I've switched about 90% of my tissue useage to hankies.

I am aware of the standard complaint that hankies let you carry your germs with you; the solution, of course, is to have enough hankies to toss in the wash frequently.  They wash up with any number of loads, so you should never have to run a special hankie load.  And making them is a snap.  Try one of the below methods:

Method One:  Hankies to be Seen in Public

Take soft, used cotton and cut a square about 12" by 12" (bigger or smaller according to preference).  I have made some lovely hankies out of an old jumper that looked horrid on me but was made from a wonderful fabric.  Turn each side under a half inch twice (that is, turn it under a half inch, then turn that under another half inch).  Run a zig-zag or straight seam up the fold, or whip stitch by hand.  Embroider if you wish. 

Method Two:  Hankies for Household Use

This is my favorite:  cut old tshirts and tank tops to your preferred size.  The ones in the picture above are cut from tank tops that had outlived their usefulness as actual garments.  Since tshirt material doesn't fray, you don't have to seam them.  And since no one will see them but your housemates, who cares what they look like?  And how pretty does something have to be to be more attractive than a used tissue?

The Analysis

Fast:  Method One is for those looking for a craft project.  Method Two is for those who need hankies -- and lots of them -- in a hurry.  I can cut a tshirt apart in a couple of minutes.  Obviously, you can cut around any stains and get some extra life out of those garments, too.

Cheap:  Well-worn material makes the softest hankies, and it is free.  If you are feeling miserly doing this, think of it as "aged and distressed to make a soft finished product."  If I avoid buying three of my usual four monthly boxes of tissues, I save $4.05 a month during allergy season. 

Good:  I actually find soft cotton to be easier on skin than tissues, and it certainly creates less waste and expense.

FC&G Challenge: Can You Do the Top 5?

Above you can see my herb bed, alive already with sage and a little cillantro.  It makes me happy, because the sage is a product of trying something new, plus being a little lazy:  Last year, when the nip of fall was in the air and I was struggling to close the garden down with my husband away on business, I remembered that sage was supposedly a perennial, so I decided to not pull the plant.  All winter long I was sure it was dead, and that I was going to have to finish my chore of cleaning out the herb bed before planting this spring.  But here we are:  it is in full leaf, and I have a quantity of sage in April that I usually don't see until August. 

To me, that fits with my mission here at FC&G:  I want you (and me!) to practice sustainable living, one small choice at a time.  So, I thought it would be good to pause and hit my top five sustainable choices that I believe almost anyone can do, regardless of budget, location, beliefs on environmentalism, or hecticness of schedule.

1. 
   
   Hang at least one load of laundry to dry each week.  To get the most bang for your buck, especially if you can hang the laundry outside in warm weather, try to hang sheets or jeans on a windy day.  The wind will make them soft, and you will avoid an hour or more of running the drier.
2. 
   
   Make your own laundry soap.  If you are feeling a little insecure about trying this trick (it is safe, I promise, but sometimes changing habits can make you nervous), use the homemade stuff on sheets, towels, blue jeans, and work clothes.  Your budget will thank you.
3. 
   
   Bake at least one batch of bread or cookies each week.  You will save money, and you will be in control of what you and your household eat.
4. 
   
   Find one way to replace something disposable you purchase with a reuseable substitute.  Here are my instructions for ersatz cotton balls; what other disposables can you reduce or eliminate?
5. Turn waste into treasure.  Try to find at least one thing this week that you would have disposed of, and devise another use for it.

Can you do the top five this week?  Will you commit to doing them every week?  Let me know; leave a comment below!

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.