Monday, August 27, 2012

Weekly Menu Retrospective #78

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.     

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Rhubarb Streusel Muffins (p. 97), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches 

Dinners:

Monday: Shrimp, Roasted Cherry Tomato & Cheese Tortellini Salad

Tuesday: Chickpea & Vegetable Coconut Curry (a variation of this recipe, p. 136)

Wednesday: Sausage and Peppers with Creamy Polenta (p. 141)

Thursday: Classic Beef Burgers (p. 125) and Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)

Friday: Spinach, Bacon and Mozzarella Egg Puff (p. 181)

Saturday: Make-It-Your-Way Potato Hash (p.140)

Sunday:  Chicken Enchiladas (p.127), corn on the cob, peach pie

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (to make popcorn), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread)

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, peaches, corn, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, chicken and ground beef (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), cornmeal (used to make polenta),  green beans, lettuce, green onions, herbs and cherry tomatoes from our backyard garden

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

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Thursday, August 23, 2012

RECIPE: Spicy Pork Pocket Sandwiches


You all know how much I hate wasting food. This is one of my favourite ways to use up little odds and ends of leftovers (especially when it's not soup season). I almost hesitate to call this a recipe - it's more like a loose set of guidelines. You can tuck just about anything you want into these cute little sandwiches (leftover curries, stir fries and stews would all work wonderfully) and if your kids are anything like mine, they will excitedly gobble them up. There's just something about that crispy, crunchy, bready pocket that makes even the humblest leftovers seem special. I also make these when I want to stretch out a bit of leftover meat for a second meal, and I created this variation (shown above with Black Bean and Roasted Vegetable Salad) when I had some leftover pork begging to be used up.

Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 lb uncooked cubed pork, or finely chopped leftover cooked pork
1-2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
about 2 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 recipe (1 loaf's worth) Whole Wheat Refrigerator Bread Dough (p. 239 in my book)

Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until they start to soften. Add pork and cook until onions are tender and pork is fully cooked. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat until cream cheese melts. Add cheddar and stir until completely melted.

Divide the bread dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces (depending how big you want the sandwiches - smaller ones work well for younger kids). Roll a piece of dough out into a rectangle until it's about 1/4" thick. Spoon filling onto one half of the rectangle; fold over and crimp edges to seal. Repeat with remaining pieces of bread dough. Cut 2-3 slashes diagonally across the top of each pocket to allow steam to escape. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 20-30 minutes (you can skip this step if you're in a real hurry, the crust will just be thinner and not as fluffy). Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

What would YOU put in a pocket sandwich?

I shared this recipe at Tasty Tuesday.

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Monday, August 20, 2012

Weekly Menu Retrospective #77

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.     

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Rhubarb Streusel Muffins (p. 97), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches 

Dinners:

Monday: Cornmeal-breaded herb and buttermilk chicken, spicy oven fried potatoes, green salad with homemade ranch dressing, Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake (p.224)

Tuesday: Chickpea and Barley Soup, cornbread (p. 212)

Wednesday: Barbecued pork ribs, green beans, potato salad

Thursday: Spinach, Bacon and Mozzarella Egg Puff (p. 181), carrot sticks 

Friday: Spaghetti with meat sauce

Saturday: Out at my niece's birthday party

Sunday:  Barbecued pork chops with spicy rub, corn on the cob, green beans, butter tart squares

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread)

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, peaches, corn, cantaloupe, sweet peppers, chicken, pork (chops and ribs) and ground beef (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves) green beans, lettuce, green onions, herbs and cherry tomatoes from our backyard garden

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

THE FRUGAL FIXER-UPPER: Creating Maximum Curb Appeal on a Minimal Budget

I remember the day my hubby Joe came home and told me one of the houses down the street was going to be going up for sale and that we should think about buying it. He tried to explain which house it was, and despite the fact that I walked by this house at least once a day during the six years we lived at our old house down the block, I kept asking him, "WHICH house?" because it hadn't managed to register on my radar. To say that our present home lacked curb appeal when we bought it would be something of an understatement. If you were being charitable, you would call it "nondescript". If you weren't, you might choose a word closer to "eyesore". Every time I pull out the photo we snapped the day the "sold" sign went up on our house when we bought it, I wonder what the heck we were thinking:

I'm happy to report that nine years later things have improved substantially, and this is what the place looks like now:

Welcoming and vibrant!

I'm even more pleased to report that most of the improvements we made cost much more in elbow grease than they did in dollars. 

Some of the first things we did after moving in were ripping off the nasty indoor-outdoor carpeting from the front steps, removing the ugly screen door and painting the front door white, painting the mailbox, window frames and door frame, ripping out and rebuilding the porch rails, and removing the aluminum trim from around the top of the porch (we painted the wood underneath and added a decorative molding).

The porch rails were definitely the most costly portion of this entire makeover (it's been several years since we replaced them, so I can't recall the exact cost, but somewhere in the neighbourhood of $300). Almost everything else we've done has been extremely inexpensive.

On the "most blood-sweat-and tears" front, ripping out the cedars and stump from the front garden probably wins top honours. For several years, we planted annuals in this space, then I got tired of spending so much time and money on the garden every year, and got myself a free perennial garden two years ago. I can't believe how well-established it looks just two seasons later! I get a lot of comments from visitors and passers-by on how attractive it is, so I guess my amateur landscaping job turned out pretty well :)

We've gradually added lots of "finishing touches" to the porch over the years, and I think we've managed to pull together a comfortable, casual and coordinated look. 

Joe build these Muskoka chairs from a Norm Abrams pattern (I think it's in his New Yankee Workshop book), spending only a fraction of what it would have cost to buy ready-made wooden Muskokas (we spent about $30 bucks a chair to build them and they retail for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $200 if you want good quality ones). He also designed and built the matching footstools from scrap bits and pieces of lumber.


This little side table was also cobbled together from wood scraps. The coleus in the terracotta pot is on its second season as I successfully overwintered it in a south-facing window. The insect candle holders were a yard sale find (I think I paid $1 each for them).


Yet another of  Joe's woodworking projects assembled from random small pieces of wood is this picket fence planter, which this year is bearing a wonderful abundance of coleus:


We wanted a bit more seating for the porch, and created this bench seat from a few scavenged wooden pallets topped with a cotton rug I picked up at a yard sale for five bucks. I spent a LOT of time sitting out here reading and people-watching in the summer months! Someday I hope to get some bigger, comfier pillows knit up to add to this space.


Joe and I both love stained glass and we were thrilled to pick up this stained glass light shade at a neighbour's garage sale for $2 a few years ago. Joe used the guts from our old exterior light to wire this up and it's been a functional and beautiful addition to the ambiance of the front porch.


We also have a stained glass window hanging front and centre from the top of the porch. It's from one of the old windows in our former church and although I can't remember the exact amount we paid for it, it was definitely much less than you'd pay for antique stained glass at an antique store or show.


In case you've forgotten where this all started, here's a final look at

BEFORE:
and AFTER:
Can you believe it's the same house? Definitive proof that a total transformation doesn't have to decimate your budget.

What have you done to spruce up your house's curb appeal on a shoestring budget?

Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

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Monday, August 13, 2012

Weekly Menu Retrospective #76

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes,
check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.   

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Banana Oatmeal Muffins (p. 96), French toast, peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, Macaroni and Cheese (p.174) 

Dinners:

Monday: Barbecued pork chops, corn on the cob, Cheesy Vegetable Casserole

Tuesday: Baked Beans (p. 177), green bean salad, cornbread (p. 212)

Wednesday: Thai-Style Peanutty Pasta (p. 147)

Thursday: Classic Beef Burgers (p.125) and Easy Oven Fries (p.194)

Friday: Leftover Buffet

Saturday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup (p. 162)

Sunday: Leftover Buffet

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread)

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, peaches, corn, cauliflower, cantaloupe, green onions, pork and ground beef (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves) green beans, herbs and cherry tomatoes from our backyard garden

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

My World Is Awash in Local Produce!

August can be so bittersweet. On one hand, there's no denying that there are only a few precious weeks of summer left. On the other hand, the growing season has hit its peak, and we are surrounded by a sea of delectable, fresh local fruits and veggies.

This is what my garden cranked out for me during the week we were away:

Sweet million and yellow pear cherry tomatoes, yellow sweet peppers, jalapenos and a whole whack of green beans! These green beans are absolutely fantastic - really tender and flavourful, and the plants are yielding extremely well. They're a variety called "Slenderette" and the seed package description states "Slender, dark green, stringless 5" pods on vigorous plants. Slow fibre development." This is the first year I've planted this variety, and at first I was a little concerned about how long it was taking them to mature - it seemed like forever before they started to flower! They are supposed to be 57 days to maturity, which I think is a bit longer than other varieties. They are WELL worth the wait, however, and I will definitely be planting them again next year.

My produce co-op is also yielding a large bounty of locally grown goodies. At our last exchange in mid-July, these were the contributions:

Kale, Swiss chard, purslane, green beans, garlic chives, rhubarb, sage, basil, oregano, onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, Portugal hot peppers, sweet peppers, parsley and rosemary.

As if all that weren't enough, all the local markets and grocery stores are flooded with local produce as well - sweet corn, peaches, zucchini, broccoli, and more! 

This abundance of seasonal produce is also reminding me that I'm way behind on my canning schedule this year. I'm still hoping to get zucchini relish, sweet pickles and dills put up before the sea of tomatoes comes in and I need to spend a whole day making salsa! Plus I'm tucking a whole lot of grated zucchini into my freezer so I can make plenty of Chocolate Zucchini Muffins all winter long :)

Are you as inundated with fresh local goodies as I am? What are you doing with it all? 

 Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

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