Weekly Menu Retrospective #27

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!

Breakfasts: banana chocolate chip muffins, granola, leftover cornbread, French toast

Lunches: Toad-in-the-Hole, pizza, leftovers

Dinners: 

Monday: Barbecued pork chops with spicy rub, macaroni & cheese, peas and carrots

Tuesday: Black Bean Chili, cornbread

Wednesday: Lentil soup, leftover cornbread

Thursday: Chicken paprika, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots

Friday: Western Omelette Wraps, clementines

Saturday: Hot dogs, parmesan & herb noodles and sauce, apple, carrot and cucumber slices

Sunday: Meatballs with leftover sauce from chicken paprika, creamy polenta, honey-orange roasted root vegetables

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

February Frugal Finds

Spring is just around the corner. Right?? It sure doesn't feel like it here, since we got another big dumping of snow yesterday and it's -7 degrees Celsius outside. I'm eagerly awaiting the return of yard sale season, along with the glorious banquet of spring rummage sales that are sure to appear soon.

Until then, I supposed I'll have to be content with sharing a couple of great finds I made this month. First up is this curbside find my husband scored:

A Samsonite suitcase in excellent condition. It's got a few marks on the outside but the interior is pristine. I was very pleased about this as last year I had mentioned that we really needed another suitcase. Up until now, we've squeezed clothes for all four of us into one suitcase for our family vacations. With the boys getting older (and their clothes getting much larger!) it was getting really tight last summer. Now the boys can have a whole suitcase to themselves.

I made the second great find this month:

I got this Eddie Bauer goose down-lined winter coat for just $7.50 at a Value Village 50% off day! It's in perfect condition; I don't know if anyone ever wore it. My current winter coat was over 15 years old, so I was thrilled to find such a quality replacement for such a low price (the old coat will now be reserved exclusively for winter bike riding, so I don't have to worry if I get a lot of messy road gunk all over myself!)

On the same day, I also found a lighter ski jacket for $5.00 (again, my present one was really old and getting a bit ratty). In addition, my husband tracked down five good quality men's dress shirts (including an Eddie Bauer and a Ralph Lauren), paying a total of $16.95 for the lot.

What great finds have you made lately?

Coming Soon: A Kitchen Product Review

CSN Stores, who sponsored a giveaway on my blog a few months ago, have asked me to work with them again to review one of their products. While you can find just about anything at one of their many sites (everything from swing sets to home decor), you can be sure I'll be choosing a piece of kitchen equipment to put to the test.

After I receive my product, I'll spend some time putting it through its paces so I can give you my best assessment of its quality and durability. So, you can expect my verdict sometime in March - stay tuned!

RECIPE: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup

I'm sure every frugal cook has their own version of "anything goes" soup; this is mine! It's a bit of a joke around our house that when we have this soup for dinner I've managed to make a meal out of stuff most people would have thrown out. Honestly, even though that's sometimes pretty close to the truth, it's still one of the best soups I make. Although it never comes out exactly the same twice, it always makes a tasty and filling meal.

Basic soup:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups water

1 carrot, diced

1 cup frozen peas or green beans

1 cup dried red lentils

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¾ - 1 cup crushed tomatoes

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp dried parsley (or ¼ cup fresh minced)

In a large saucepan, saute garlic and onions in oil until tender. Add stock, water, carrots, peas, lentils, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender (about 10-15 minutes). Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice and parsley and simmer another 10-15 minutes to allow flavours to blend.

Possible additions

I've successfully used all of the following in this soup:

-leftover cooked vegetables (in place of the carrots and peas)

-small amounts of leftover gravies and sauces

-scraps of cheese or the last bit of sour cream from the bottom of the container

-small amounts (less than 1/2 cup) leftover mashed potatoes

-leftover cooked rice or barley (or any cooked grain)

-finely diced leftover meat

Depending on how many additions you use, you may need to add some more water or stock to thin it out a bit.

What's your favourite go-to dish for using up a bunch of leftovers?

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday,  Frugal Food Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Tip Day Thursday, Friday Favorites, Fat Camp Friday, and the GCC Recipe Swap.

Weekly Menu Retrospective #26

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!

Breakfasts: banana chocolate chip muffins, granola, Aloha muffins, peanut butter toast, eggs/bacon/hash brown potatoes/toast

Lunches: sandwiches (tuna, turkey salad, peanut butter), pizza, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday: Potato, Bacon & Cheddar Soup, Colourful Cabbage Salad

Tuesday: Moroccan Chickpea Stew, cornbread

Wednesday: Spinach & Beef Enchiladas, leftover cabbage salad

Thursday: Sausage and Onions in Tomato Sauce with Creamy Polenta

Friday: Cheese omelets, leftover cornbread, sliced raw veggies

Saturday: Turkey salad sandwiches, apple slices

Sunday: Pork & Apple Stew, Rhubarb Cinnamon Crunch Cake

For more great meal ideas, head on over to Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Beat the End-of-Winter Blahs with a Do-It-Yourself Spa Night

 Photo by Sura Nualpradid/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Yesterday was one of those gorgeous days when nature gives you a 24-hour reprieve from winter: Ten degrees Celsius, with lots of bright, warm sunshine. It was heavenly. Today, we're back to sub-zero temperatures, overcast skies, and howling wind. That little taste of spring has me longing for more, and knowing that more than likely we'll still see a good share of snow/freezing rain/other random nasty precipitation before spring arrives for good.

If now isn't the perfect time for a little body-focused indulgence, I don't know when is! After all, that cold, dry air is really hard on our poor skin. And not only does a spa night rejuvenate you on the outside, it gives you a great mental boost, too. Best of all, it doesn't have to make a big dent in your pocketbook (after all, we have those winter heating bills to contend with, too!) For less than the price of a coffee at Starbucks, you can treat  yourself to an evening of head-to-toe pampering.

Step One: Tame those fingernails
Take a few minutes to file your nails into shape, then (if you have a nail buffer handy), buff them to a shine. Then soak your fingers for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water with 1 tbsp olive oil added to it.

Step Two: The Frugalista Facial

First, clean your face. My favorite cleansing method right now is my tightwad version of Crunchy Betty's Winter Face Scrub (I make mine with just the rice flour, oats, and coconut, with calendula and chamomile thrown in if I have some around).

Once your face is clean, it's time for a steam: Fill a heat-proof bowl with boiling water. If you have a chamomile tea bag handy, throw it in. Add a few drops of essential oil, too, if you want (lavender is my favorite for relaxing). Hold your face over the bowl for a few minutes, with a towel held over your head to form a "tent" to hold in the steam.

The final part of the frugal facial is a moisturising mask: Slather some honey over your face and leave on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse off. I like to leave the mask on while I move on to step three!

Step 3: The Skin-Softening Soak
Run a nice hot bath, adding equal parts dry milk powder and baking soda (I use about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of each). Once again, you can add some essential oil if you like. Make sure you have a good book close at hand, as well as a cup of tea (I prefer a mint-green tea blend for this occasion). Climb on in and stay there for as long as you can get away with.


Step 4: Tenderize those Tootsies!
It's time to pay your hard-working feet some attention. Trim your nails if needed. Now treat them to an exfoliating scrub. Combine 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp ground oats, 2 tbsp ground coconut and 1 tbsp baking soda (I reserve a coffee grinder for doing the fine grinding). Add just enough water until it forms a paste, then rub vigorously all over your feet for a couple of minutes. Rinse off, then apply a heavy moisturizer (I like olive or coconut oil). For an extra treat, you can give yourself a short foot massage while you're at it, too. Once you're finished, put on a pair of socks so you don't slide all over the floor.

Step 5: Full-Body Moisturizing
Moisturize the rest of your body (you can use olive or coconut oil here, too) and don't forget to rub some into your nails and cuticles! Now put on your comfiest pajamas and chill out for the rest of the evening with a good book or movie.

Got some frugal body-pampering secrets to share? I'd love to hear them, so please leave a comment and tell me all about them.

RECIPE: Aloha Muffins

 I figure that by the middle of February almost all of us could use a little taste of the tropics. One bite of these muffins and you'll magically be transported to a distant exotic beach (okay, that might be stretching it a bit, but they are darn good muffins!)

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup mashed ripe banana (3 medium bananas)
1 cup *undrained* crushed pineapple
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the egg, oil, banana, crushed pineapple and vanilla. Gently stir into the flour mixture just until combined. Divide batter between 12 well-greased muffin cups. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched.

Makes 12 muffins.

Hungry for more muffins? Try these:
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Rhubarb Muffins
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday,  Frugal Food Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, It's A Keeper Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Favorites and Sweets for a Saturday.

Weekly Menu Retrospective #25: Valentine's Day Edition

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!

Breakfasts: granola, banana chocolate chip muffins, blueberry pancakes

Lunches: sandwiches, pizza

Dinners: 

Monday: Spicy Peanut & Tomato Soup, cornbread

Tuesday: Cheesy Mac & Beef Skillet

Wednesday: Leftover Buffet

Thursday: Indian-Spiced Honey Garlic Chicken, coconut rice, peas and carrots, lemon pudding

Friday: Toad-in-the-Hole

Saturday: Hamburgers, oven fries, creamy cucumber salad

Sunday: Fish a l'orange, barley pilaf, apple-raspberry squares

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

RECIPE: Fish Au Gratin with Honey-Orange Roasted Root Vegetables

My younger son loves fish, so I'm always looking for different ways to serve it. It's not something I grew up eating, so I have to experiment a bit more than usual. This recipe was a big winner and the roasted vegetables are a satisfying companion to this dish. I roast the vegetables first because they take much longer to cook, then lower the oven temperature and put the fish in for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

To make the fish:

Ingredients:

1 – 1½ lbs whitefish fillets

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk

½ tsp each salt and pepper

¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

½ cup breadcrumbs

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add flour and mix until well coated with fat. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper and continue to stir until sauce has thickened.

Put a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7” baking dish. Arrange fish fillets over top. Pour remaining sauce over fish, spreading evenly to completely cover. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce, then sprinkle breadcrumbs over top of cheese.

Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Serves 4.

To make the roasted vegetables:

Ingredients:

6-8 cups root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips) peeled and cut into 1” chunks

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp honey

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Instructions:

In a large baking dish, arrange the vegetables in a single layer. In a small bowl, combine the oil, orange juice, honey, ginger, poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables, turning to coat evenly. Roast at 425°F for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Serves 6. 

I shared this recipe at Tasty Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Favorites and Seasonal Sunday.

Are You a Fair-Weather Frugalista?

Photo by bulldogza/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Katie over at the Non-Consumer Advocate recently shared some thoughts about an article in The Oregonian which stated that although a lot of people *say* they're going to stick with their new frugal habits post-recession, a lot of research shows otherwise; consumer spending has already begun to increase significantly.

I've always theorized that there are three types of people when it comes to frugality:

1. The Committed Frugalista: someone for whom frugality is a core value; this individual practices frugality consistently no matter what their financial circumstances or the state of "the economy".

2. The Desperate Frugalista: will resort to frugal practices when absolutely necessary to make ends meet; often feels embarrassed about penny-pinching practices and will return to their old spending habits as soon as their cash flow improves again. 

3. The Wouldn't-Be-Caught-Dead-Clipping-Coupons Anti-Frugalista: scoffs at frugal people and would never consider adopting frugal practices because it's "beneath" them.

It seems that many people who adopted frugal practices during the recession fall into category #2; as soon as they're not feeling desperate any more, they go back to their old spending patterns. I suspect that these people associate frugality with poverty and so will not resort to radical changes in their habits except as a last resort.

In contrast, the individual who is committed to a frugal lifestyle is a "fair-weather frugalista" who will not think twice about continuing their frugal ways even when economic times improve. Their actions are not born of desperation but rather stem from a deep conviction about how they want to live their lives. They get a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment from their frugal ways.

I love the way Amy Dacycyzn of the Tightwad Gazette puts it in this interview:

"We always do think frugality in the bad times, and I just wish people would do it in the good times, because if we would do it in the good times, the bad times wouldn't be bad; we'd be able to ride it out."

As for me, it's hard to imagine I'll ever give up yard-saling, curbside shopping or making my own bread, no matter how much money is in my bank account. What about you?

Weekly Menu Retrospective #24

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!
 
Breakfasts: granola, carrot bran muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins

Lunches: Toad-in-the-hole, pizza, leftovers

Dinners:

Monday: Apple & Bacon Baked Beans, leftover roasted root vegetables, toast

Tuesday: Pork Parmesan, Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Salad with Old-Fashioned Boiled Dressing

Wednesday: Cabbage & Beef Soup

Thursday: Bean burritos

Friday: Bacon & Cheese Egg Puff

Saturday: Black Bean Chili

Sunday: Baked ham, Cheesy Vegetable Bake, Butterscotch Pudding

Snacks & Sides: apples, bananas, fresh pineapple, homemade yogurt, popcorn

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

Make It From Scratch: Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding

I don't know about you, but in the dead of winter I start craving the comfort of old-fashioned desserts. Puddings are high on my list because they are quick to prepare and provide near-instant gratification (if you're the sort of person who likes to eat pudding warm). I don't care for commercially prepared butterscotch puddings (either ready-to-eat or from a mix) but I adore this homemade version. It's a delicately-flavoured and not-too-sweet pudding; my older son would be quite happy to eat this every day if given the opportunity!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/2 cup light (10%) cream
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the milk and cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg and mix well. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and continue to stir constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla, stirring until well blended and butter is completely melted.

Pour into serving dishes. Serve warm or chilled as you prefer.

Serves 4.

I shared this recipe at Full Plate Thursday, the GCC Recipe Swap, Friday Favorites, Fat Camp Friday and Sweets for a Saturday.

5 Ways Decluttering Saves You Money

We're knee-deep in an intensive declutter of both of my boys' rooms right now. After years of sharing a sleeping space with a bunk bed setup, they are moving into separate bedrooms. This means that we have to clear out some excess furniture from the second room, rearrange other furniture, move some from one room to another, and most of all, get rid of a lot of junk and items they've outgrown (we're trying to eliminate an entire beaten up old bookcase from the second room, one that stored lots of bins and baskets full of toys).

This is what my older son's floor looks like right now:

And my younger son's looks like this:

Currently, we're at the point right where I almost feel like throwing my hands up in despair; decluttering always makes things look worse before they get better! So, to make myself feel better, I've been reminding myself of all the ways decluttering can help save money:

1. You find things you've lost that you were going to spend money replacing. Those errant scissors, stray tools and missing craft supplies magically seem to reappear during major decluttering sessions.

2. You discover items you forgot you had that you can reuse/repurpose. This is one of my favourite decluttering rewards: unearthing a long-forgotten object for which I suddenly have the perfect use.

3. You eliminate the need to buy organizing supplies. Forget that trip to IKEA or The Container Store - once you get rid of the stuff you don't need, there's not a whole lot left to organize, and the containers/bins/shelves you already have are likely up to the task.

4. You realize you didn't really need half the stuff you bought in the past.This can be a really big eye-opener for some people. All those items that never got used, or got used once then tossed in a heap somewhere, are a real money drain (not to mention all the wasted resources that went into their manufacture.)

5. You can sell that unwanted stuff to make some cash. Yes, it's every declutterer's favourite hobby: listing items on eBay, Craigslist and Kijiji. It's great to make some money while getting rid of unwanted items, but it's also worth remembering how much more you paid for it than you're selling it for - did you get your money's worth out of that item, or learn a lesson about what's necessary and what's not?

As for us, we'll have a lot of toys and books to pass along on Freecycle, and we'll be listing a mighty big box of Bionicles and some Transformers on Kijiji. I can't wait to see the floors again.