Waiting in the DIY Wings...

It's been a long time since I've shared any fun DIY projects with you all. The major reason for that would be the fact that we just haven't gotten around to any fun or interesting (or even necessary-but-not-so-exciting) projects in the last few months. In fact, after our major Front Entranceway Makeover, which we finished up about a year ago in February 2012, I can't think of another project we've completed indoors (we did get a couple of minor things done outside last summer). Somehow we managed to just lose our DIY momentum completely - if anyone knows where we left it, could you let us know? We have a lot of things that need to be done around here! Our house *is* closing in on 100 years old (88 and counting...)

Among the many projects awaiting completion are a few I'm hoping to knock off before one of my best friends comes all the way from New Mexico to visit me in early June. There's nothing like an impending house guest to make you start seeing all the things about your house that could stand for a little improvement!

The really big project we're hoping to complete by then is a major room reshuffling on the second and third floors. I have mentioned our plan before, but in case you missed it, we are planning to turn what is currently my 15 year old son's bedroom into a den/TV room. The other second-floor bedroom, which is now my 13 year old son's, will be taken over by hubby and me (it *is* technically the master bedroom of the house). Joe and I have been using the third floor attic as our bedroom since we moved in; the boys will both be moving up here in this room reassignment plan (they are actually really excited about this as it's quite a big space and they can totally turn it into a major "teenage boy hangout" :)

It's going to be quite an intricate dance to get everything refinished, reshuffled and reorganized. I've got the whole thing planned out in a (too long) series of steps. The first step is to deal with this closet in the now-bedroom, future den:

We need to take everything out of here and figure out what to do with my 15 year old son's clothes for a while during the reorganization process (probably a storage tote bin will do the trick). Thankfully he doesn't have a lot of clothes so it shouldn't be too big of a problem. Once the closet is empty, we're going to strip off the dreadful wallpaper and paint it (Cloud White of course!) then build some storage shelves in here. We're hoping to use boards from the beat-up bookcase currently in this room to build the shelves (Joe thinks he can make this work). The plan is for this to be the cupboard for all the board games, Lego, art supplies, etc. in the house (which will be fantastic, as they're currently scattered across a number of locations).

Once that step is complete, we'll be taking the remaining furniture out of this room and hopefully selling it (except for the bed!) on Kijiji (it won't fit up in the attic because of the slanted ceilings). Then the real fun of ripping out the old carpet, cleaning up the wood floor underneath and repairing and painting the walls can start! Not to mention figuring out where my son's going to sleep during this overhaul...

As if that wasn't enough to have on our DIY plate, there's another project awaiting us: overhauling some furniture for our future den.

One of my favourite things about being a frugalista is giving things that might have ended up in the landfill a new lease on life. We were very fortunate to have a nice solid wooden chair and couch passed on to us by a fellow homeschooling family (they were apparently locally made, too!).

Here's the chair:

 

And its buddy the couch:

Yes, I know they're nothing to write home about at the moment, but they have major potential! They are both solid wood pieces, which I love, having a family that can be very hard on furniture. Pieces like this are much easier to repair than traditionally upholstered furniture (which in most cases is darn near impossible to fix once it sustains some damage). Plus, these types of cushions can be easily replaced once they are too dated or worn out (in this case, true on both counts).

What's interesting is that although the frame's very solid, the part that you actually sit on is not - it has some weird strap system that's supposed to hold it in place, and it's not very effective. Joe's going to build some solid wooden supports for the seat, then we're going to paint both pieces and get new cushions (I am hoping that a large piece of upholstery fabric I bought years ago for another purpose might be enough to cover cushions for the couch). I think they are going to look great when they're finished, but this is definitely another large, multi-step project that feels a bit daunting!

The thought of tackling all these big, ambitious projects is making me tired...so I'm adding a quicker and easier project to my "to-do" list, one that can be completed in an afternoon:

 

The pocket door to our (one and only) bathroom. I tend to forget how bad it looks, because unless someone's in the bathroom with the door closed, it's tucked away inside its pocket and you can't see it! I don't think we've painted this door in the nearly ten years that we've been here. It's a slightly different colour than the surrounding trim (which is painted in Benjamin Moore's Cloud White, like all the trim in our house). You can also see that it has a couple of big scuffs; what doesn't really show in the picture is how ragged parts of it look aroound the inset panels where the paint's started to peel slightly. It needs a good sanding down and a coat or two of fresh paint, which should be interesting to achieve given that it *is* our only bathroom! I'm also going to remove the little metal door handles on both sides and take some steel wool to them to see if I can clean them up a bit as they're looking a bit worse for wear.

I'm hoping to get to the bathroom door in the near future; what I really need to do is just schedule an afternoon to do it and GET IT DONE! Hopefully that will help restore some of our DIY momentum and we'll be off and running again making some major progress on all of these projects. And then I will have plenty of updates to share with you :)

What are *you* DIYing these days?

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a signing, seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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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Weekly Menu Retrospective #99

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), Aloha Muffins (p. 99), Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (variation of this recipe, p. 96)

Lunches: 
Quinoa salad with apples, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries; scrambled eggs and toast; leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:

Monday: Leftover Cabbage and Beef Soup (p. 167), Pull-Apart Parmesan and Garlic Breadsticks (p. 214)

Tuesday: White Chili

Wednesday: Spinach, Sausage and Mozzarella Egg Puff (variation of the recipe on p. 181), Creamy Cucumber Salad (p. 205)

Thursday: Cheesy Mac & Beef Skillet (p. 148)

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

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

Sunday: Pork and Apple Stew (p. 156), Chocolate Quinoa Cake

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 (in granola), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, quinoa, corn, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cane sugar,  mustard, tamari, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, salsa (home-canned), ground beef, sausage and chicken (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, sour cream, Parmesan cheese 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola), milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegar,  popcorn, whole wheat flour

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

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

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a signing, seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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 Pinterest 

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

My Local & Organic Challenge: One Year Later

Photo by Tina Phillips/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Exactly one year ago today, on the launch date of my book, I issued myself a Local and Organic Challenge: how much local and organic food could we cram into our family's $400 a month food budget? In case you're wondering, that's for four people, including two teenage boys with voracious appetites!

As I look back over all the changes we've made in the past year, I'm amazed at how far we've come - and we didn't even bust our budget (too much). We did go slightly over our target of $400 per month, coming in at an average of $437 - still about half of what the average family here in Ontario spends on groceries.

I promised you all an e-book update detailing the changes we've made to where and how we purchase our food and what's that meant in terms of changing our food costs. I'm hard at work on it, and I plan to have it ready in the next week or two. It will be available FREE to anyone who's purchased my book - all you have to do is email me at abundanceonadimeATgmailDOTcom and tell me what the second word is on page 50 of my book and I'll send you a copy of the e-book update. I promise not to do anything dastardly with your email address :)

Some of my favourite finds from the past year:

Oak Manor Oats: I buy these Ontario-grown, organic oats in 12 kilogram bags from ONFC at a price of $2.66/kg (that's pretty much on par with the going price for conventionally-grown oats around here).

Dutchman's Gold Honey: I've been using their honey for quite a while; I discovered that if you bring your own jars to their Honey Shop, you can get them filled for just $7.25/kg.

VG Meats: This local, family-owned business offers great quality meats raised without hormones or antibiotics at fabulous prices.

Mountain Rose Herbs: A huge selection of high-quality organic herbs, spices and teas at really great prices (that's an affiliate link; since I love their stuff so much I signed up for their affiliate program!)

Que Pasa Tortilla Chips: Canadian-made and organic, great quality chips for *less* than the national non-organic brand.

Bulk organic sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds: I am buying these through ONFC for less than I was paying for conventionally grown ones at the bulk food store.

And probably my most favourite of all so far:

Super Amazing Local Free Range Eggs!! I am so, so happy about successfully locating a small-scale egg producer that I can regularly buy eggs from. Our little egg group is now purchasing over 40 dozen eggs every other week from this farmer, and I've helped get a second group up and running that will buy from her the alternate weeks that we do. The producer is thrilled to get a steady, reliable income from her eggs, and we are thrilled to have her amazing eggs for only $2.50 per dozen (I have it on authority from one of our members that these eggs are better than the free range, organic eggs that sell for $7.29 a dozen at the grocery store).

Those are just a few quick highlights; I'll share many more details in my e-book, so don't forget to request a copy! Remember, it's FREE if you've purchased my book :)

 Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a signing, seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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 Pinterest 

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

Weekly Menu Retrospective #98

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), Carrot Raisin Bran Muffins (p. 102), Baked Oatmeal (p. 91) Upside-Down Apple Oven Pancake (p. 95), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
scrambled eggs and toast, leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:

Monday: Moroccan Chickpea Stew (p. 159) served over quinoa

Tuesday: Apple pancakes, bacon, fried potatoes

Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo, peas (I got a great deal on the shrimp!)

Thursday: Indian-Spiced Honey Garlic Chicken (p. 188), Coconut Rice (p. 199), carrots

Friday: Cabbage and Beef Soup (p. 167) - I tossed in a few extras like some leftover quinoa from Monday and a few odds and ends of cooked veggies and made one BIG batch of soup!

Saturday: Grilled Cheese and Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)

Sunday: Crispy Parmesan Pork Chops with Milk Gravy (variation of the recipe on p. 186), mashed potatoes, carrots, No-Bake Ancient Grain Snacking 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), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, puffed kamut, quinoa, spelt bran, whole wheat omega-3 pasta, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cane sugar,  mustard, tamari, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and chicken (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola), milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegar,  popcorn, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

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

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a signing, seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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 Pinterest 

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

Karen's Food Picks #1: Mountain Rose Herbs

 

This is the first installment in a new series featuring some of my favourite food products and producers. Some of them will be local foods and some will be products that are more widely available, so there should be plenty to interest both my local and non-local readers.

I'm kicking things off with a pick that is accessible to everyone: Mountain Rose Herbs. You may have noticed that I recently added one of their banners to my site. I am really particular about what I choose to promote, and I only recommend things I love! Fortunately, there is much to love about Mountain Rose Herbs. They are a Zero Waste company, and a leader in socially and environmentally responsible business practices. They also happen to offer an incredible range of organic herbs, spices, teas, and other herbal products at amazing prices. Many of their products are also Fair Trade. I really appreciate their commitment to offering top quality organic products at very affordable prices.

This is a company that also pays attention to all the little details. The ordering process is very smooth and orders are shipped in a timely fashion (even though they are based in Oregon and I'm in Southern Ontario, my international order did not take long to arrive!) All of their packaging is beautifully done as well (that tea box pictured above is just one example). The labels on their herb and spice packages even peel off easily so I can affix them to the Mason jars I store them in. 

Of the Mountain Rose products I have tried so far, my favourites include:
Peppermint leaf: This is the most amazing smelling dried peppermint! It's incredibly fresh and makes a fantastic cup of peppermint tea. 4 ounces of this wonderful organic peppermint is only $3.00 (green leafy type dried herbs are very light, so this is more than enough to fill a quart Mason jar).

Vanilla beans: These are high-quality, organic and Fair Trade vanilla beans, again at a fantastic price: $7.00 for 1 ounce, which is 6-9 vanilla beans. You can use these to make your own homemade vanilla, or make fancy treats like vanilla sugar.

Fairytale tea: This is the first of their tea blends that I've tried and it is the perfect before-bed tea for me! It contains a variety of herbs, including skullcap, catnip, chamomile and lemon balm, all of which have soothing properties (there are also spearmint, lavender, lemon peel and other herbs in the mix to create a complex and tasty brew). 4 ounces of this tea is $6.85 (again, it's enough to fill a quart Mason jar, so it's a great value compared to high-quality teas sold in tea bags).

In addition, I've ordered a number of culinary herbs and spices from Mountain Rose, including ginger, parsley, paprika, basil, cumin, mustard powder and black pepper and been very impressed with their quality. I've also tried a couple of their essential oils and found them to be of excellent quality at great prices.

I do find that the cost of international shipping adds about 30% to the total price of my order; but that the prices are so good that it is still an excellent value. In talking with my American friends, it seems that domestic shipping is roughly half the cost of international.

If all those fabulous organic products at affordable prices weren't enough, they also have an extremely generous affiliate program. I am now registered as a Mountain Rose affiliate, so if you place an order after clicking on the banner ad or any of the above links, I will receive a commission equivalent to a percentage of your purchase. This is a company that everyone can feel good about supporting! If you feel like taking a leisurely browse through their site, start HERE.

Do you have a favourite place to buy high quality herbs, spices and teas at great prices?

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.
 
DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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 Pinterest 

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

Weekly Menu Retrospective #97

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), Morning Glory Muffins (p. 98), Blueberry Clafouti (p. 223), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
scrambled eggs and toast, leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:

Monday: Mac & Cheese with Bacon and Salsa (variation of my basic recipe on p. 174)

Tuesday: Italian Meatball Subs (p. 126), carrot sticks

Wednesday: Black Bean Chili (meatless version, p. 160), Cornbread (p. 212)

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

Friday: Apple and Bacon Baked Beans (p. 177)

Saturday: Italian-Style Baked Pasta (p. 172), cooked carrots

Sunday: Tuna burgers, Easy Oven Fries (p. 194), Lemon Pudding (p. 234)

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 (in granola), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cane sugar, cornstarch, mustard, tamari, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, salsa (home-canned), ground beef (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola), milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegar, cornmeal, popcorn, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

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

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

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 Pinterest 

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

Getting Ready to Grow (While There's Still Snow!)

For those of us enjoying the frigid temperatures we're getting in my neck of the (figurative) woods (not to mention bracing ourselves for an impending snowstorm), it's hard to believe that we should be thinking about what we're going to grow this vegetable gardening season. Even though our "last frost" date is around the Victoria Day weekend (the Monday preceding May 25th), there is plenty to be done to get ready for the upcoming season!

Here are a few ways you can "get your grow on" while you wait for spring to arrive:

Check out a Seedy Saturday or Seedy Sunday event near you

These events are a great way to connect with other local veggie gardeners, swap seeds, purchase seeds and supplies from local vendors, learn about resources in your area (such as community gardens) and take in an educational workshop or two.  Information on the Hamilton event on February 24th is available here.

Sign up for a community garden plot

If you don't have space to grown food on your own property, now is the time to search out a community garden near you. We're very fortunate that there is a wide selection of community gardens in my city (a directory is here). You can usually track them down by Googling "community garden" and your city or town. The great thing about community gardening is that you can learn from more experienced gardeners growing in the plots around you! Many community gardens also host educational workshops to help you improve your food-growing skills.

Check out some food growing resources from your library

I've been growing some of my own food for well over a decade now, and I still consider myself a relative novice. There is always more to learn (especially if you want to maximize your yields in small spaces!) A classic book that is perfect for beginners is All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space by Mel Bartholomew. I'm planning to expand the herb selection in my garden this year, so I'll be poring over Tammi Hartung's Homegrown Herbs: A Complete Guide to Growing, Using, and Enjoying More than 100 Herbs (yes, those are Amazon affiliate links).

Join (or start) a produce cooperative

If you're interested in swapping your surplus garden bounty with other local backyard vegetable gardeners, consider becoming a member of a produce cooperative if there's one in your area. If not, it's easy to start your own! You can read more about my own experience starting a produce cooperative, or check out the group that got this grassroots movement rolling!

Get those seeds started!
Once you know what you're going to plant, you can get seeds started if necessary (a lot of veggies, like greens, beans and squash can be directly sown into the soil once planting season starts). You can even reuse your toilet paper rolls as seed starters!

Have you started thinking about this year's vegetable garden yet?

DID YOU KNOW? I now have an events page! Come find out where you can catch up with me at a seminar, workshop or food demo HERE.

 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 Pinterest 

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

Weekly Menu Retrospective #96

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 Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (variation of this recipe on p. 96), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
scrambled eggs and toast, leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:

Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce (hubby and boys - I was out at a potluck)

Tuesday: Ham and Cheese Skillet Quinoa

Wednesday: Chickpeas with Potatoes and Peas (p. 138)

Thursday: Taco Platters

Friday: Potato, Bacon and Egg Hash (variation of the recipe on p. 140)

Saturday: Chickpea and Barley Soup

Sunday: Fish au Gratin (p. 190) with Roasted Root Vegetables (p. 202), Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream Frosting

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 (in granola), canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), quinoa, tortilla chips, flax seeds, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cane sugar, mustard, tamari, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and ham (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola), milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegar, popcorn, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour 

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest. I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

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

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