Did you find anything interesting this weekend?
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Weekly Yard Sale Report: Short and Sweet
Yard sales on long weekends can be hit-or-miss - sometimes it seems like everyone decided to hold a holiday weekend sale, other times the selection is sparse. This time out it was the latter. I hit four sales, all of which were very quiet, and came home with:
Three children's books ($1.00 each), which are going in my gift cupboard. I found all of these at a single sale and didn't find anything else interesting in the rest of my travels this morning.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Local & Organic Challenge: Field Notes #2
When we started this Local & Organic Challenge back in February, I thought we might be lucky to figure out how to *occasionally* include a small amount of sustainably-raised meat in our $400-a-month-for-four food budget. Although we don't eat much meat by most people's standards, the typical prices for meat produced on local family farms is a lot more than our budget can accommodate, even with our low meat consumption. So, as much as we might want to support local meat producers, I didn't think it was a very do-able option on our current food budget. This is one of those times I was glad to be proven wrong!
One of the things I always tell people who are trying to reduce their grocery bill is to constantly keep an eye out for new potential sources of food. You just never know what you might find! I've lived in this area for 20 years, and I am still uncovering new and exciting food options on a regular basis. As it happened, not long after I started this challenge I heard about VG Meats, an award-winning local family farm-to-fork meat operation. They sounded so fantastic I almost didn't bother to check them out as I was pretty sure their prices would be too high for us to consider. Thank goodness I decided to investigate further, as I'm thrilled to report that not only are their products fantastic, their prices are, too!
They offer a wide variety of different products and purchasing options. If you want to buy half a side of beef, or a whole pig, you can do that. You can also buy their products by the 10 lb box, or in smaller amounts at their two stores (in Simcoe and Stoney Creek). Another option, the one we chose, was to buy one of their set Freezer Special packages.
The package we chose included 80 pounds of meat, which is an awful lot when you see it all lined up on your counter! I was a bit worried we wouldn't get it all in our freezer, but we did manage to pack it all in there with a bit of space to spare.
No, that's not a typo. I told you their prices were fantastic! By buying this 80 pound bulk package, we saved about $75 compared to purchasing each of the items in individual 10 pound boxes (although, frankly, even with the extra $75, it would still be a pretty great deal!)
We've had a chance to sample a little bit of everything and are *very* pleased with it all. It really is a good thing their prices are so great, I don't think I will be able to go back to grocery store meat after tasting this stuff!
I expect the beef will last us about 7-8 months and the pork and chicken about 4-5 months, so we are well stocked with meat until the fall. Of course I will have to resist the temptation to throw some of this wonderful meat on the barbecue every day, but as long as we manage to stick to our normal levels of meat consumption, we shouldn't run out until apple-picking season.
Have you stumbled across a great deal on local food lately? If so, I'd love to hear about it!
One of the things I always tell people who are trying to reduce their grocery bill is to constantly keep an eye out for new potential sources of food. You just never know what you might find! I've lived in this area for 20 years, and I am still uncovering new and exciting food options on a regular basis. As it happened, not long after I started this challenge I heard about VG Meats, an award-winning local family farm-to-fork meat operation. They sounded so fantastic I almost didn't bother to check them out as I was pretty sure their prices would be too high for us to consider. Thank goodness I decided to investigate further, as I'm thrilled to report that not only are their products fantastic, their prices are, too!
They offer a wide variety of different products and purchasing options. If you want to buy half a side of beef, or a whole pig, you can do that. You can also buy their products by the 10 lb box, or in smaller amounts at their two stores (in Simcoe and Stoney Creek). Another option, the one we chose, was to buy one of their set Freezer Special packages.
The package we chose included 80 pounds of meat, which is an awful lot when you see it all lined up on your counter! I was a bit worried we wouldn't get it all in our freezer, but we did manage to pack it all in there with a bit of space to spare.
We got:
20 pounds of chicken legs
10 pounds of blade steak
30 pounds of ground beef
10 pounds of pork butt chops
10 pounds of pork riblets
for the grand total of $142.20
No, that's not a typo. I told you their prices were fantastic! By buying this 80 pound bulk package, we saved about $75 compared to purchasing each of the items in individual 10 pound boxes (although, frankly, even with the extra $75, it would still be a pretty great deal!)
We've had a chance to sample a little bit of everything and are *very* pleased with it all. It really is a good thing their prices are so great, I don't think I will be able to go back to grocery store meat after tasting this stuff!
Steaks on the grill for Father's Day
Have you stumbled across a great deal on local food lately? If so, I'd love to hear about it!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Weekly Menu Retrospective #72
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) with homemade yogurt, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins (subbed blueberries for chocolate chips in this recipe on p. 96), blueberry buttermilk pancakes
Lunches:
salads, leftovers, pizza, tuna melts
Dinners:
Monday: Leftover Baked Beans (fruitless version of Apple and Bacon Baked Beans on p.177), pork ribs, sauteed asparagus
Tuesday: Thai-Style Peanutty Pasta (p. 147)
Wednesday: Black Bean Chili (meatless version of recipe on p. 160)
Thursday: Hamburgers, potato salad
Friday: Dinner salads with assorted veggies, shredded poached chicken and cheddar cheese
Saturday: Out at a party
Sunday: Barbecued pork chops, alfredo noodles with fresh herbs, tossed salad with honey-orange vinaigrette, 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 oil, coconut, canola oil, brown sugar (in granola), cane sugar (in coffee/tea), raisins (in granola and butter tart squares), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread), bananas, navy beans (in baked beans), lemons
Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers, red peppers, zucchini, strawberries, pork chops, ribs and ground beef (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream
Local AND organic: oats (in granola and muffins), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), milk (used to make yogurt), lettuce (from West Hamilton Produce Cooperative*), arugula, raspberries and herbs from our backyard garden, saskatoon berries (foraged)
*The WHPC produce is not "certified organic" but is pesticide-free.
For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
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Sunday, June 24, 2012
Weekly Yard Sale Report: Crazy Busy Saturday Edition
For those of you who might have been wondering, yes I *did* go out on my usual Saturday morning yard sale rounds yesterday - I just didn't have time to blog about it! It was also the first exchange of the 2012 season for the West Hamilton Produce Cooperative, which I coordinate. That means I was up to my eyeballs in fresh-from-the-backyard-garden produce, sorting, portioning and distributing the bounty amongst our members. And on top of that, our family had a big party to go to as well - the 40th birthday celebration for one of my closest friends, whom I've known since we were younger than my kids are now! So we were there from late afternoon till well after dark.
Fortunately, the yard sales running in my area yesterday were in a very compact area, with two street sales and another individual sale all within a few blocks of one another in the Southwest part of the city. I was able to hit them all within a short period of time and managed to find a few purchase-worthy items:
A clear glass vase with a funky "bubble" texture (25 cents), two IKEA baskets that are a match for a few I already own and could use more of ($2 each) and a very practical "Lug" bag for $11. The bag was a bit on the spendy side for me, and at first I wasn't sure if it was worth it, but I'm already really glad I bought it. I packed it up full of stuff to tote along to the party we attended yesterday, and it has so many handy pockets and pouches it was easy to keep everything well organized. I'm planning on using it as my portable book marketing office, as it will easily hold a few copies of my book plus all the accompanying marketing materials. I also have it on good authority from a couple of friends who shop retail a lot more than I do that these bags cost around $65 new (plus tax) so I did get myself a pretty good deal!
As for the most interesting things I saw that I *didn't* buy this week, there were quite a few to choose from at one sale I stopped by, including these shields:
which my boys would have LOVED to have on their walls when they were younger but would not exactly fit into the "cool" category these days :)
And this fine specimen:
I'm not sure who this guy is but I just had to take a photo of him! I don't think my husband would be too impressed if I dragged this home and plonked it in the living room.
Grand total for the day: $15.25 for 4 items, or $3.81 an item
Fortunately, the yard sales running in my area yesterday were in a very compact area, with two street sales and another individual sale all within a few blocks of one another in the Southwest part of the city. I was able to hit them all within a short period of time and managed to find a few purchase-worthy items:
A clear glass vase with a funky "bubble" texture (25 cents), two IKEA baskets that are a match for a few I already own and could use more of ($2 each) and a very practical "Lug" bag for $11. The bag was a bit on the spendy side for me, and at first I wasn't sure if it was worth it, but I'm already really glad I bought it. I packed it up full of stuff to tote along to the party we attended yesterday, and it has so many handy pockets and pouches it was easy to keep everything well organized. I'm planning on using it as my portable book marketing office, as it will easily hold a few copies of my book plus all the accompanying marketing materials. I also have it on good authority from a couple of friends who shop retail a lot more than I do that these bags cost around $65 new (plus tax) so I did get myself a pretty good deal!
As for the most interesting things I saw that I *didn't* buy this week, there were quite a few to choose from at one sale I stopped by, including these shields:
And this fine specimen:
I'm not sure who this guy is but I just had to take a photo of him! I don't think my husband would be too impressed if I dragged this home and plonked it in the living room.
Grand total for the day: $15.25 for 4 items, or $3.81 an item
Did you find anything great this weekend?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A Family Jamming Tradition
While the May long weekend may be the official kickoff to summer for many, for me it's the annual strawberry picking and jam making extravaganza that signals the start of the season.
I've been making strawberry jam for over a quarter of a century now, so it's a firmly entrenched tradition in our household. A few years ago I was cleaning out my stash of Mason jars and found one labelled "July 1985" in my teenage-girl handwriting - I would have been 14 that year. Yep, I've been jamming for a long time! My husband and I have been making strawberry jam on Canada Day (July 1st) since our kids were in diapers, but strawberry season has arrived earlier these past few years, and we'd been hitting the tail end of the season instead of the peak. In fact, this year the season started so early I think the pick-your-own farms will be done by then!
My hubby and 14 year old son went and picked 18 quarts of berries last Wednesday at Lindley's Farm. We ate a lot of them fresh, used some to make the topping for our Father's Day cheesecake, and froze a few, but a substantial amount of them were devoted to jam production. Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening, I managed to turn this:
into this:
While it's satisfying to see all those jars neatly filled and lined up, for me, making jam is about much more than the final product. It's a ritual that connects me to my childhood, my community and my values. My mother wasn't particularly domestically-minded, but she did make strawberry jam each year in my younger years and I remember going to the local strawberry fields to pick with her each June. Unfortunately, those fields now hold a housing development instead of fresh, local fruit. Supporting local farmers is important to me, and going to pick the berries at a local farm is an important piece of this tradition (and you can't beat the smell of a strawberry field on a warm June day!) The local strawberry farms, like the one I used to pick at as a kid, have disappeared at an alarming rate in my lifetime and I want to help make sure the ones that are still in existence continue to thrive. The decline in local farms is particularly saddening because our local berries are absolutely exquisite; they are so sweet and juicy they're almost like candy. You just won't find anything like them in those imported boxes at the grocery store (in fact, the taste is so different it's hard to believe they're even the same fruit). I also think it's pretty cool that many of the Mason jars I pack that jam into have been with me for a good decade or two (and some of them have been with me since that first jamming session of mine 27 summers ago). Most importantly, my kids know where the best food comes from: fresh, locally grown edibles lovingly prepared in your own kitchen.
It just occurred to me that my older son is now the same age that I was all those summers ago when I made jam by myself for the first time. Perhaps it's time for him to whip up a batch of his own.
I've been making strawberry jam for over a quarter of a century now, so it's a firmly entrenched tradition in our household. A few years ago I was cleaning out my stash of Mason jars and found one labelled "July 1985" in my teenage-girl handwriting - I would have been 14 that year. Yep, I've been jamming for a long time! My husband and I have been making strawberry jam on Canada Day (July 1st) since our kids were in diapers, but strawberry season has arrived earlier these past few years, and we'd been hitting the tail end of the season instead of the peak. In fact, this year the season started so early I think the pick-your-own farms will be done by then!
My hubby and 14 year old son went and picked 18 quarts of berries last Wednesday at Lindley's Farm. We ate a lot of them fresh, used some to make the topping for our Father's Day cheesecake, and froze a few, but a substantial amount of them were devoted to jam production. Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening, I managed to turn this:
into this:
While it's satisfying to see all those jars neatly filled and lined up, for me, making jam is about much more than the final product. It's a ritual that connects me to my childhood, my community and my values. My mother wasn't particularly domestically-minded, but she did make strawberry jam each year in my younger years and I remember going to the local strawberry fields to pick with her each June. Unfortunately, those fields now hold a housing development instead of fresh, local fruit. Supporting local farmers is important to me, and going to pick the berries at a local farm is an important piece of this tradition (and you can't beat the smell of a strawberry field on a warm June day!) The local strawberry farms, like the one I used to pick at as a kid, have disappeared at an alarming rate in my lifetime and I want to help make sure the ones that are still in existence continue to thrive. The decline in local farms is particularly saddening because our local berries are absolutely exquisite; they are so sweet and juicy they're almost like candy. You just won't find anything like them in those imported boxes at the grocery store (in fact, the taste is so different it's hard to believe they're even the same fruit). I also think it's pretty cool that many of the Mason jars I pack that jam into have been with me for a good decade or two (and some of them have been with me since that first jamming session of mine 27 summers ago). Most importantly, my kids know where the best food comes from: fresh, locally grown edibles lovingly prepared in your own kitchen.
It just occurred to me that my older son is now the same age that I was all those summers ago when I made jam by myself for the first time. Perhaps it's time for him to whip up a batch of his own.
What have you been doing with YOUR fresh, local berries?
Want to stay connected in between posts?
Monday, June 18, 2012
Weekly Menu Retrospective #71
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), pumpkin oatmeal muffins (subbed pumpkin for banana in this recipe on p. 96 and added ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg), toast
Lunches:
leftovers, pizza, sandwiches
Dinners:
Monday: Zucchini, Bacon and Mozzarella Egg Puff (variation of Spinach, Bacon and Mozzarella Egg Puff on p. 181), Creamy Cucumber Salad (p. 205)
Tuesday: Stir-fried pork and veggies with orange sauce and rice
Wednesday: Tuna Pocket Sandwiches and tossed salad
Thursday: leftovers from Wednesday's dinner
Friday: Chicken legs with leftover sauce from Sunday's Sticky Chicken, Easy Oven Fries (p. 194), Broccoli, Bacon and Cheddar Salad (p.204)
Saturday: Baked Beans (fruit-free version of Apple and Bacon Baked Beans on p. 177)
Sunday: Barbecued steak, baked potatoes, tossed salad, strawberry cheesecake
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 oil, coconut, canola oil, brown sugar (in granola), cane sugar (in coffee/tea), raisins (in granola and cookies), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread), bananas, navy beans (in baked beans), lemons, popcorn
Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers (hothouse), red peppers (hothouse), lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin (in muffins), strawberries, chicken legs and steak (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream
Local AND organic: oats (in granola and cookies), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves)
For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
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Want to stay connected in between blog posts?
Click HERE to follow me on Twitter
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Saturday, June 16, 2012
Weekly Yard Sale Report
This week was everything the last two Saturdays were not: warm and sunny and perfect for checking out a few yard sales. I ended up hitting close to a dozen this morning and although for the most part they weren't particularly noteworthy, this sight on Strathcona Street more than made up for it:
I'm certain this must be the most yard I've ever seen in one place outside of a yard shop (heck, I think I might have been in a yarn shop or two that didn't have this much yarn!) Unfortunately, it was all acrylic and I'm mostly a natural-fibre kind of gal so I didn't buy any of it.
I did, however, make a few small purchases on my rounds this morning:
A cute snowman magnetic dress up toy (25 cents), a Simpsons comic book ($1.00), an origami book (25 cents) and a navy blue Columbia T-shirt for my hubby (50 cents). The snowman toy and the origami book are going into my gift cupboard. The comic book I'm saving as a surprise for my 14 year-old-son to tuck into his bag when he heads off to camp 4 weeks from tomorrow.
That was the total haul for today!
Did you find anything great this week?
I did, however, make a few small purchases on my rounds this morning:
That was the total haul for today!
Grand total for the day: $2.00 for 4 items, or an average of 50 cents an item.
Did you find anything great this week?
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