Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Mid-summer Yard Sale Report

It's been much longer than usual since I shared an update of my yard sale finds. It seems the Yard Sale Gods have been conspiring against me for the past few weeks, and either there haven't been any good sales to check out, the weather has been uncooperative, or I have had something else that I've absolutely had to do on Saturday morning.

Nevertheless, I have managed to score a few good deals and I figured it's time I got around to sharing them!

First up is this wintery-themed story book, which I picked up for 25 cents. It's already tucked away in my gift cupboard for Christmas giving.



 I found some more adult-oriented reading material later on. I knew this book on the history of four of Hamilton's heritage neighbourhoods would be right up my husband's alley, as he's a huge Hamilton history buff, so it was totally worth the $2.00 asking price. I debated saving it for our anniversary (September) or Christmas, but in the end I just gave it to him straight away and he pored over it for hours and hours that weekend :) I think we'll be doing a number of the walking tours from the book, lots of fascinating details about so many of the buildings!



It's been a while since I succumbed to my basket addiction, but at a neighbourhood moving sale I couldn't resist snapping all of these stylish containers (two baskets and a wooden box with some nifty curlicue detailing) up for a total of $2.00.



At a church rummage sale, I stumbled across something I'd been on the lookout for since just about forever (well, okay, maybe not quite that long, but it's definitely been a while!):



 A Pyrex loaf pan, for which I paid 50 cents. I have one, but two is much better so I can bake two "normal" shaped loaves of bread at once (rather than one normal and one round loaf, which is what I have been doing). Yeah, I know I could have gone and bought one on sale at any number of stores, but where's the fun in that? :)

My final find was 4 of these Ikea baskets for $2.00 each. I have 4 of the taller version of these baskets (which we incorporated into the storage unit we built in our front entranceway) and this size of square basket seems to come in handy for so many things that I snapped them up. My 13 year old son claimed one as soon as he laid eyes on them, so I'm sure they're all going to be put to good use.


That's it for my latest round of yard saling adventures!

Grand total: $12.75 for 10 items, or an average of $1.28 an item.

Have you made any great yard sale finds lately?

A couple of things I wanted to let you know about:

1. I'll be blogging sporadically for the rest of the summer as we're going on a family vacation for a week and then I have a friend coming to visit from Albuquerque for 10 days in August!

2. You can catch me at a few live appearances in August: I'll be on CHCH Morning Live on Tuesday, August 6th at 8:20 a.m. EST discussing my book and budget menu planning service, and preparing a couple of simple, inexpensive and tasty recipes using local and seasonal ingredients. I'll also be doing demos in the Community Kitchen at the Hamilton Farmers' Market on August 24th and 31st (more info will be available HERE soon).

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

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Friday, July 19, 2013

Top 5 Food Deals July 19-25, 2013


Welcome to this Friday's roundup of the "Top 5" food deals in my area for the coming week. While some of the deals will be exclusive to the Hamilton area, many of them will be available throughout most or all of Ontario, depending on the stores involved in a particular sale. Sale prices end July 25th unless otherwise noted; Freshco sales end July 24th.

Here are my picks for this week:

1. Pork chops
Pork loin chops are on sale for $1.88/lb at Metro and pork butt chops are $1.99/lb at Fortinos.

2. Blueberries
Pints of blueberries are $1.44 at Food Basics and 2/$2.88 at No Frills. This is the time to buy lots extra and freeze them!

3. Dried fruit
Bulk dried cranberries are $2.99/lb at Fortinos (less than half price!) and a 200 g package of dried apricots is 99 cents at Freshco or $1.00 at Food Basics

4. Ontario green beans
Fresh green beans are one of my favourite summer vegetables! Of course, none of the ones at the store can compare with my fresh-from-the-garden ones, but if you're going to buy them, this is the best time of year to get them fresh and local. They're $1.99/lb at Fortinos.

5.  Plums
Ontario golden plums are $3.99/1.5 L basket at Metro and Fortinos. Red and/or black plums (US) are on sale at Freshco for 99 cents/lb, at Walmart for 97 cents/lb and at Food Basics for 98 cents/lb.


Happy shopping! 

Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I have just launched a new, super-affordably-priced weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. You can read more about it here. I have a free sample menu available, which you can check out 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

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Ten Things To Do with Fresh Herbs


When I talk to people about starting to grow some of their own food, herbs are one of the things I encourage them to start with. They are generally really hardy and will survive with less-than-expert care, they can be grown in containers (even small pots on a sunny windowsill), many of them will tolerate shadier conditions, and, most important of all, they provide meals with some major pizazz with little time or money invested.

In a good growing season, you will likely end up with way more herbs than you know what to do with!
The herbs in my garden all seem to be getting bigger by the minute with the onslaught of heat we've had the past few days. While sharing them with family, friends, and neighbours (or your produce cooperative) is always an option, there are plenty of ways you can make use of them in your own kitchen.

Here are some of my favourite ways to use fresh herbs: 

1. Salads and salad dressings: You can toss chopped herbs into just about any kind of salad, whether it be a leafy green salad, a grain-based salad like my Southwestern-Spiced Barley and Vegetable Salad, or a chunky vegetable and bean salad like my Build a Bean and Cucumber Salad. Of course, fresh herbs are perfect for salad dressings, too and can be tossed into almost any kind of dressing - they are delicious in my Buttermilk and Herb dressing or my Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.

2. Egg dishes: Eggs and herbs are fantastic together. Fresh herbs are an absolute must in a summer omelette at our house, and they are also a wonderful addition to a quiche.

For both of the above purposes, I'm particularly fond of using a random blend of parsley, chives, basil and oregano.

3. Teas: Fresh mint makes a fantastic tea and couldn't be simpler to make. Stuff a few large sprigs of mint in your teapot, fill with boling water and steep for about 15-20 minutes (for lots of other ways to use mint, check out this post). Other fresh herbs good for making tea are lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomile, catnip and raspberry leaf (if you have raspberry canes in your garden). If you want to try making your own herbal sun teas, check out this YouTube video.

4. Pasta toppers and pestos: Many pasta dishes can be elevated to a new level of deliciousness with a sprinkling of fresh herbs over top. Creamy sauces such as Alfredo or other cheese- or cream-based sauces are particularly tasty this way. And of course, there is the classic heavy-on-the-herbs pasta dish: pesto. You don't have to make it just with basil, though! There are many recipes for pestos using other herbs. Try using parsley and toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in place of the basil and pine nuts in your favourite pesto recipe!

5. Meat marinades: Adding fresh herbs to marinades is a great way to enhance the flavour of all types of meat and poultry. For a really easy chicken marinade, stir about 1/4 cup of chopped herbs (thyme and rosemary are particularly good with chicken, and parsley, chives, basil and oregano will all work, too) into 3/4 cup of buttermilk and pour over 8 chicken thighs, turning to coat. Let sit several hours or overnight in the fridge.

6. Fancy iced drinks: Make herbal lemonade by using one of your favourite herbal tea blends in place of the cold water in any basic lemonade recipe (you can find an easy one here). You can also freeze herb leaves in ice cubes to add to your cold drinks, or simply toss a fresh sprig of mint or basil right in the glass.

7. Vinegars: Herbal vinegars are an easy way to add the taste of fresh herbs to your salads throughout the long winter months. They are quick and easy to make, too - check out this post where I show you how I make mine (I'm going to try making them with apple cider vinegar rather than white vinegar this year).

8. Honey: Herb-infused honeys are delicious, and can also be medicinal, too. I make a lemon-thyme honey that I pull out whenever we've got a cough or cold - it could also be used for culinary purposes, too. If you have lavender growing in your garden, it makes a wonderful infused honey perfect for stirring into tea or drizzling over pancakes

9. Oils: Herb-infused oils can be used for either culinary or medicinal purposes. When using fresh herbs, simply combine about 3/4 cup chopped herbs and one cup of oil (I prefer olive) in a clean glass Mason jar and let steep for 2-3 weeks. Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. A lavender or chamomile infused oil is great for making an all-purpose salve or adding to your bath water; use your favourite combination of culinary herbs to make an infused oil you can use for dressings and marinades.

10. In the bathroom: Fresh herbs elevate a hot bath to new levels of relaxation! Lavender, mint, chamomile, lemon balm or lemon verbena are all wonderful additions to the tub. They also make great room fresheners - simply gather up a bouquet of fresh herbs and place it strategically in a vase in your bathroom.

I'm sure I could find many more uses for fresh herbs, but I'm going to stop there for now! At least I hope I've conveyed just how versatile they can be and given you some new ideas to try.

If you find yourself as hooked on herbs as I am, I highly recommend the book The Herbal Kitchenby Cami McBride, which is just packed full of recipes using both fresh and dried herbs (yes, that is an affiliate link!).

What are your favourite ways to use fresh herbs?

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

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Monday, July 15, 2013

Weekly Menu Retrospective #114


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, Zucchini Raisin Bran Muffins (variation of the recipe on p. 102), Baked Oatmeal (p. 91)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza

Dinners:

Monday: Tuna melts and tossed salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti with Creamy Vegetable Tomato Sauce

Wednesday: Spinach, Mozzarella and Sausage Egg Puff (variation of the recipe on p.181), tossed salad

Thursday: Pork Chops with Spicy Rub, potato salad, tossed salad

Friday: Taco Platters
  
Saturday: Steak sandwiches, tossed salad (just my 13 year old son & I home for dinner, kept it simple!)

Sunday: Lemon & Garlic Chicken, Build a Cucumber and Bean Salad, baked potatoes, Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake (p. 224) (we had some left over from last week since there are only 3 of us here this month while my older son is away at camp!) 

Yes, we are eating lots of salads right now - lots of fresh local greens are in season, and there is plenty of lettuce in our garden that is starting to bolt :) We make our own salad dressings; you can learn how to make our 3 favourites here.

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), olive oil, raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), tortilla chips, flax seeds, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, cane sugar,  mustard, tamari, cinnamon, oregano, ginger, cumin, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, red peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, salsa (home-canned), ground beef, sausage and bacon (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk

Local AND organic:
sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegarpopcorn, whole wheat flour, *fresh herbs (parsley, basil, chives, oregano), *raspberries, *lettuce, *arugula, *green onions

*from our backyard veggie garden

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.  

SOUTHERN ONTARIO READERS: Tired of figuring out what to make for dinner? Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I just launched a new weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. I have a free sample available that you can read here! It's super-affordably priced, too - more details are 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

Friday, July 12, 2013

Top 5 Food Deals July 12-18, 2013


Welcome to this Friday's roundup of the "Top 5" food deals in my area for the coming week. While some of the deals will be exclusive to the Hamilton area, many of them will be available throughout most or all of Ontario, depending on the stores involved in a particular sale. Sale prices end July 18th unless otherwise noted.

Here are my picks for this week:

1. Chicken
For the second week in a row, there are great deals on chicken. Chicken legs are on sale for $1.47/lb at No Frills and chicken drumsticks and thighs are $1.99/lb at Metro.

2. Skippy peanut butter
Again, for the second week in a row, a really low price for peanut butter! This time it's Skippy for $2.99/kg at Fortinos.

3. Ontario sweet cherries
$2.98/lb at Food Basics or $3.99/lb at Fortinos

4. Ontario cucumbers
67 cents each at No Frills and Walmart

5.  Avocados
$2.45 for a pack of 5 at No Frills.  

Happy shopping! 

Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I have just launched a new, super-affordably-priced weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. You can read more about it here. I have a free sample menu available, which you can check out 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

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH: Three Easy Salad Dressings


Salads have a prominent place in our warm weather menus, and that means we go through a lot of salad dressing at this time of year. Of course, since I make just about everything from scratch, that goes for our salad dressings, too. It doesn't have to take a lot of time or effort to whip together a salad dressing -  I usually do mine in small batches while I'm cooking dinner. I have three "standard" dressings that I can make in next to no time - I don't even measure the ingredients! With a bit of experience it's easy to "eyeball" it and adjust amounts to taste as you go.
 
As I already mentioned, I usually make these in small amounts (just enough for one meal) although they can be made in larger quantities and stored in the fridge for a few days. The buttermilk and herb dressing doesn’t keep as well with fresh herbs mixed into it but will be okay for a day or two. I have a small glass pitcher that has about a one cup volume – I mix all the ingredients up right in the pitcher and serve! 

My Three Favourite Salad Dressings: 

1. Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
 Combine the following in a small glass pitcher or jar:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp honey
¼ tsp each salt and pepper

Whisk together thoroughly until well combined and serve.

2. Thousand Island Dressing
Combine the following in a small glass pitcher or jar:

2 large spoonfuls of mayonnaise
approximately 1 tbsp of ketchup (enough to make the mayonnaise a light pink colour)
1-2 tsp relish (I use our homemade zucchini relish)
a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or enough to thin to desired consistency)

Whisk together thoroughly until well combined and serve.

3. Buttermilk and Herb Salad Dressing
Combine the following in a small glass pitcher or jar:

1 large spoonful of mayonnaise
1 large spoonful of sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, oregano, basil)
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
⅛ tsp paprika
enough buttermilk to thin to desired consistency

Whisk together thoroughly until well combined and serve.

Do you make your own salad dressings? What's your favourite recipe that you can throw together quickly?

For more simple, tasty and family-friendly recipes like this one, 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)

I've added new events to my EVENTS PAGE. Come find out where you can catch up with me over the next few months 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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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Small Yet Satisfying #2: Making Dandelion Salve

A whole lot of Dandelion Salve!

I set myself a little goal this weekend: I've decided to take a cyber-free day once a week all summer - most likely on Sundays. When I've taken completely unplugged days before I've found I can be really productive or really relaxed (whichever I had in mind for the day) as I don't have the constant mental pull towards checking my email/Facebook/the internet in general.

While my main purpose in doing this is to feel like I'm getting more downtime to read, ride my bike, chill out on my front porch and spend time with my family, I also thought it would be a good time to focus on getting a few more "Small Yet Satisfying" projects completed as it's amazing how much more time I seem to have in a day when the computer stays off!

My project for this past Sunday was to make myself some Dandelion Salve. I've been meaning to get around to this for ages! I saw this recipe on the Nerdy Farmwife blog when she posted it back in April and was immediately intrigued. I'm always a fan of a recipe that uses a main ingredient I can get for free! I picked a ton of dandelions when they were at their peak earlier this season, and dried them out thoroughly. I even got them infusing in some olive oil and heat-infused them for a couple of hours. They've been sitting in a jar on my kitchen windowsill ever since and it was more than high time for me to get around to actually making the salve.

I've made salves a couple of times before, and found that a ratio of 1 cup olive oil to 1-2 ounces of grated beeswax will make a salve with the consistency I like (in general, it's better to use a bit more beeswax during the summer or if you live in a hot climate, so that the salve doesn't get too soft in the warmer temps).

So, this is roughly how I made the salve:

Infusing stage:
  • Fill a pint jar about 2/3 of the way full of dried dandelion flowers
  • Pour olive oil over top until it covered the dandelions with a tiny bit to spare on top
  • Heat the jar in a saucepan of simmering water for a couple of hours
  • Remove the jar from the heat, let it cool and then let it sit on my kitchen windowsill for ages (a week or two should be more than enough if you want to get this accomplished on a quicker schedule)
 On salve making day:
  • Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a glass measuring cup (2 cup size or larger)
  • Once all the oil has drained through, wrap the cheesecloth tightly around the dandelions and squeeze firmly to get out any remaining oil - you'll be surprised how much extra you get!
  • Pour the oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until warm
  • Toss in 1-2 ounces of beeswax per cup of oil and stir occasionally until beeswax is totally melted
  • Quickly pour salve into prepared containers (it will start to set very soon after being removed from the heat) 
I used a variety of containers to hold the finished salve:-repurposed Burt's Bee lip balm tins
-a purchased stainless steel tin from Mountain Rose Herbs (largest tin pictured - that's an affiliate link!)
-another repurposed stainless steel tin from previously purchased salve (medium tin pictured)
-a couple of 125 mL Mason jars

Reusing tins is, of course, very frugal and environmentally friendly; however I will be the first to admit that cleaning them up is a big pain in the rear end! If your tins have previously held lip balm or salve, it can be a sticky gooey mess of epic proportions (especially if you have an old tin of salve that got pushed to the back of the cupboard for the better part of a decade to fester - not that I'd know anything about that ::grin::)

To clean up my tins:
  • I use a spoon to scoop out any old contents that are no longer useable (i.e. festering salve noted above). I then take a small piece of paper towel and rub out as much remaining salve or balm as possible. 
  • At this point I dump all the tins into a boiling pot of water for about 5 minutes, then pour out the water (which will have some oily stuff floating around in it that came off the tins).  
  • I refill the pan with hot soapy water and scrub off any remaining sticky stuff, then rinse well and reboil again for another 5 minutes. After the second boil I drain the tins then dry them thoroughly with a paper towel (there will usually be a little bit more salve/balm residue that comes off). 
It is a bit of a production and the cleaning usually takes longer than the actual salve making, but I have a bunch of nice clean tins to reuse in the end!

I now have a whole lot of dandelion salve as you can see from the photo above! The smaller tins will all be gifts and the large tin and two Mason jars will be our household supply. I am pretty sure we will not run out before the dandelions reappear next spring :)

This salve is supposed to be excellent as a gardener's balm and on any really dry chapped skin in general. It is also said to be effective as a sore muscle rub and for arthritic joints although I can't personally attest to its effectiveness for those uses. I've been rubbing it into my hands and cuticles every night before bed and it's defnitely helping my "gardener's hands"!

Anyone else out there making salves? Do you have a favourite combination of flowers or herbs to infuse in them? 

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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Monday, July 8, 2013

Weekly Menu Retrospective #113


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 with yogurt, leftover cornbread, Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (variation of this recipe on p. 96)

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

Dinners:

Monday: Taco Platters, strawberry coconut pineapple smoothies, butter tart bars 

Tuesday: Sausage and Egg Cups (recipe coming soon!), tossed salad 

Wednesday: Spicy Pork Pasta Salad, tossed salad

Thursday: Salsa and Bacon Baked Beans (variation of this recipe), Cornbread (p. 212)

Friday: Classic Beef Burgers (p. 125), Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)
  
Saturday: Herbed Cheese Omelettes, tossed salad

Sunday: Herb and Buttermilk Chicken, Southwestern-Spiced Barley Salad, tossed salad, Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake (p. 224)

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 milk, coconut oil (in granola), olive oil, raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), tortilla chips, flax seeds, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, cane sugar,  mustard, tamari, cinnamon, oregano, ginger, cumin, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, red peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, salsa (home-canned), ground beef, sausage and bacon (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk

Local AND organic:
sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegarpopcorn, cornmeal, 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.  

SOUTHERN ONTARIO READERS: Tired of figuring out what to make for dinner? Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I just launched a new weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. I have a free sample available that you can read here! It's super-affordably priced, too - more details are 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

Friday, July 5, 2013

Top 5 Food Deals July 5-11, 2013


Welcome to this Friday's roundup of the "Top 5" food deals in my area for the coming week. While some of the deals will be exclusive to the Hamilton area, many of them will be available throughout most or all of Ontario, depending on the stores involved in a particular sale. Sale prices end July 4th unless otherwise noted.

Here are my picks for this week:

1. Chicken and Pork 
Chicken drumsticks and thighs and pork loin chops are all on sale for $1.88/lb at Food Basics

2. Kraft peanut butter
$3.44 for a 750 g - 1 kg jar at Metro or $3.99 at Freshco

3. Blueberries
$1.44 a pint at Freshco or 3 pints for $5 at Metro

4. Lettuce
Ontario romaine, green or red leaf lettuces are 67 cents each at Food Basics

5.  Fresh pineapples
$1.50 each at No Frills.


Happy shopping! 

Want ALL the best weekly deals, plus menu plans and grocery lists based on what's on sale and in season? I have just launched a new, super-affordably-priced weekly budget menu plan service, featuring the best weekly deals and seasonal foods in Southern Ontario. You can read more about it here. I have a free sample menu available, which you can check out here! 
 
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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

An Early July Vegetable Garden Update

It's been about 6 weeks since I planted our veggie garden and it finally feels like the plants are starting to take off! While the weather's been somewhat uncooperative (bouncing back and forth between hot and humid and cool and rainy), the garden has managed to hold its own for the most part.

This is what the ground cherry plant looks like now:


 As you might recall, this is the first year I've ever grown ground cherry, so I haven't been too sure what to expect from it! The fruits will form inside the light green orbs that look like paper lanterns. I have no idea how to tell when they're ready to harvest - I need to do a bit of research on that I think! It's definitely a plant that adds some texture and interest to the vegetable garden; I hope we'll enjoy eating the fruit, too.

The cherry tomatoes are starting to get close to full size, although it'll be a while before they turn ripe unless we get a decent burst of warm sunny weather:


The sweet peppers are starting to come out; this Gypsy variety starts out pale yellow then ripens to a deep red - they are some of the sweetest peppers I've ever tasted! It's hard to be patient waiting for them to ripen :) I have some jalapeno plants too, but they don't have any peppers growing on them yet.



Over in this little corner of the garden, things are coming along nicely. There are a few re-grown green onions and an abundance of herbs (oregano, purple basil, garlic chives, lemon thyme) plus the nicest crop of lettuce I've had in just about forever.



And to the left of these herbs and lettuce is my parsley patch! Can you tell I love parsley? I've gotten pretty addicted to quinoa tabbouleh this spring so I need lots and lots of parsley. I think it's one of the most underrated herbs and I like to toss it in everything from omelettes to grain salads to salad dressings. I also like to have some to dry at the end of the season to add to winter soups and stews.


Finally, here are my scraggly-looking green beans. This is usually my most vigorous, productive crop, so I have no idea why they are doing so pathetically this year. I'm hoping they will start to perk up if we get some warmer weather - they are absolutely my favourite fresh-from-the-garden vegetable! And the variety I grow (Slenderette) is so superior to anything you'll get at the grocery store that it doesn't even seem like the same vegetable. Come on green beans, get it together, please.



I also realized as I was writing this post that I'd forgotten to snap a pic of the raspberries on the other side of the yard, which have started to ripen. It doesn't look like we'll be getting quite as much of a yield as we did last year, but there are still enough for us all to do some decent nibbling while we're out in the garden and sprinkle a few on some yogurt or granola.

How are things growing in your garden so far this year?
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