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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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!

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?

Weekly Menu Retrospective #70

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), leftover cornbread (p. 212), blueberry pancakes, peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, pizza, sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday: Black Bean Chili (meatless version) (p. 160), cornbread (p. 212)

Tuesday: Spicy Pork Pocket Sandwiches (recipe coming soon!), green salad with homemade Thousand Island dressing

Wednesday: Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Carrots (p. 146)

Thursday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup (p. 162), Pizza Breadsticks (a variation of my Pull-Apart Garlic and Parmesan Breadsticks, p.214) 

Friday: Lime and Garlic Pork Chops (variation of this recipe, p. 184), Easy Oven Fries (p. ), sauteed zucchini and onions

Saturday: Spaghetti with Creamy Tomato-Vegetable Sauce

Sunday: Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup, Sticky Chicken, skillet millet (kind of like my barley pilaf on p. 198 but with millet and cooked in my cast iron pan), carrot-raisin salad, butter tart squares, fresh mint tea

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, romaine lettuce, black beans, lemons, popcorn, millet

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers (hothouse), red peppers (hothouse), milk, eggs, sour cream 


Local AND organic: oats (in granola and cookies), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), milk (used to make yogurt) 

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

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

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

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Weekly Yard Sale Report (or Lack Thereof)

 Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For the second Saturday in a row, the weather was less than auspicious for yard sale shopping. It rained all morning and while I bravely ventured out to one indoor sale, I didn't find anything worth buying (although I did get plenty soaked on the way home).

Instead of coming home and writing another informative installment of my How to Yard Sale Like a Pro series, I decided to curl up in bed with a hot cup of coffee and a good book. Sorry gang - here's hoping the yard sale gods will be smiling next week!!

Did you find anything great this week?

Seven Kitchen Gifts for Newlyweds & New Grads

Image by Salvatore Vuono/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's that time of year again when most of us will be inundated with invitations to attend graduation and wedding ceremonies - and of course that means that, in addition to helping our family members and friends celebrate their "big days", we need to come up with some thoughtful gifts, too!

I happen to believe that one of the best things you can do for a young adult is to encourage them to spend more time in the kitchen. Food skills are more valuable than ever in these uncertain economic times, and the earlier in life a person gets into the habit of cooking their meals from scratch, the better. Knowing how to get the most value for your dollar when food shopping, and how to cook simple meals from scratch using minimally-processed foods, means you'll always be able to eat well, even when your budget is tight.

So, if you're helping a young person celebrate their graduation or wedding this month, why not give them a gift that will make cooking easier and more enjoyable?

Here are some kitchen-related gifts that would be perfect for anyone just starting out on their own:

1. An assortment of kitchen utensils. 

Two of the most-used items in my kitchen are my wire whisk and my silicone spatulas. I usually reach for these several times a day. Surprisingly, I've found that you can get decent quality silicone spatulas at the dollar store - mine have performed at least as well as the much-more-expensive one I bought years ago at a fancy kitchen store. Wooden cooking utensils, which can safely be used in nonstick pans, make an elegant and eco-friendly addition to this type of gift (if you know someone in your area who does wood carving, you can  support a local business while you're at it!) If you're a knitter, you can add some knitted dishclothes to the mix for a personal touch.

2. A basic, all-purpose cookbook.

While it's fun to have a wide variety of cookbooks, the ones I've turned to again and again over the years are those tried-and-true tomes that have recipes for all the basics, from cakes to salads to soups to yeast breads, plus instructions on how to perform a wide variety of cooking-related tasks (like how to boil an egg, cook dried beans, or cut up a whole chicken). My personal favourite in this category is The Fannie Farmer Cookbook(of course I love it even more because I scored my hardcover edition for 50 cents at a yard sale). Other good choices are The Joy of Cooking,The Betty Crocker Cookbook: 1500 Recipes for the Way You Cook Today, and Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book . Of course, I'd also highly recommend my book, Cheap Appetit for any young adult who wants to increase their food skills and decrease their food budget!

[Disclaimer: Yes, those are Amazon affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you purchase a book after clicking through any of them.]

3. A good quality set of knives

If your budget will accommodate a larger gift purchase, I think a good quality set of knives is one of the best gifts you could give a young person or couple just starting out. If my husband hadn't sold knives as a part time job during his college years, I might never have been turned on to just how big of a difference quality knives can make in your life. They make so many kitchen tasks quicker and easier and a good set can last a lifetime! I LOVE my Cutco knives, which have a lifetime guarantee. We actually had to take them up on it a couple years ago, and it was hassle-free getting our broken knife replaced. It was about 17 years old at that time, and a new one was promptly dispatched to us. The top three knives I'd recommend are a chef's knife, a paring knife and a mid-sized serrated knife. With this combination, you can perform a wide variety of kitchen tasks.

4. A set of good quality saucepans

The saucepans I received as a wedding gift are still going strong after nearly 17 years of daily use. Look for sturdy pots with heavy bottoms and firmly-attached handles. A set that includes a small, medium and large saucepan will meet most basic cooking needs.

5. A stockpot

Again, the important thing here is to find a good quality one that will stand up to years of use. A good place to find really rugged stockpots at great prices is a restaurant supply store. Here in Hamilton, Chris's Store Fixtures has been, well a fixture for the two decades I've lived here (in fact, you could probably find most of the items on this list at a restaurant supply store for great prices). A good stockpot is not only handy for making stock, it's perfect for canning as well (especially if you're making a big batch of salsa or pickles!)

6. A cast iron pan

I'm a fairly recent convert to cast iron, but since I bought a cast iron pan at a yard sale last summer, I've fallen in love with it. This is another piece that sees almost daily use in my kitchen. Make sure to include some instructions on how to properly care for and season a cast iron pan as many people aren't familiar with cast iron cookware.

7. Pyrex bakeware

Yet another item that should last for decades, Pyrex bakeware is another hard working staple of my busy kitchen. I think every cook should have 8 x 8", 9 x 13" and 11 x 7" pans, as well as one or more 8 1/2"x 4 1/2" loaf pans.

While there are much fancier and flashier kitchen-related gifts that you could give, these are the items I think are most useful to someone just starting out, that will stand the test of time in even the busiest kitchens. Unless they are specifically requested by the recipient, I don't recommend buying bulky kitchen appliances like bread makers or rice cookers - they take up a lot of storage space and may rarely or never be used (I've survived decades of cooking without either!)

What are your favourite kitchen-themed gifts to give to young adults?

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Weekly Menu Retrospective #69

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.  

The weather started out blistering hot this week and worked its way to cool and rainy, so our menu this week features both summer and winter favourites - that's spring in Southern Ontario for you!!

Breakfasts:
Granola (p.92), Banana Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins (p. 96), waffles, Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Muffins (subbed pumpkin for banana in this recipe and added some ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg).

Lunches: 
Cream of Tomato Soup (p.110) with Popovers (p. 215), tuna wraps on Whole Wheat and Flax Flour Tortillas (p. 217), leftovers, pizza, sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday: Hummus and Veggie Wraps (p.122)

Tuesday: Cheesy Mac and Beef Skillet (p. 148)

Wednesday: Quinoa and White Bean Soup

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

Friday: Bacon, Egg and Potato Hash (a variation of Make-It-Your-Way Potato Hash, p. 140), Oatmeal Coconut Raisin Cookies

Saturday: West African Style Baked Beans, roasted carrots, toast

Sunday: Smothered Pork Chops (a variation of Smothered Meatballs on p. 143), mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding (p. 233)

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 milk, 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 (used to make baked beans), lemons, popcorn

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers (hothouse), red peppers (hothouse), asparagus, milk, eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: oats (in granola and cookies), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), milk (used to make yogurt) 

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

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

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

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

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

How to Yard Sale Like a Pro #2: Find Sales, Plan Your Route and Be Prepared

It had to happen eventually: after a ridiculously long run of sunny (and mostly warm) weather, the heavens opened up and let 'er rip for the better part of the day yesterday. I can't complain - we really, really needed that rain as we had almost no snow this past winter and hardly any rain this spring. Unfortunately, the forecast for today was just questionable enough that people were hesitant to put out their yard sale wares this morning. I did meander over to a street sale in my neighbourhood, which turned out to only have a couple of sales going on because of the weather. I didn't find anything interesting, and as the skies were looking dark, I decided to come home and have another cup of coffee rather than ride all over west Hamilton to check out sales that might or might not be running. Mother Nature being as fickle as she is, as I write this the skies are starting to clear and the sun is peeking out. Ah well - there's always next week, right?

Anyway, since I didn't get any good yard sale action this morning, I figured it was just about time for another installment of my "How to Yard Sale Like a Pro" series (I kicked things off back in April with "Go, and Go Often!"). This week I'm going to talk about how to find sales and plan your route, as well as the items you should bring with you to have a more efficient and pleasant shopping experience.

Finding sales:

It used to be that the newspaper classifieds were your best source of yard sale listings. Although not as many people choose to run newspaper ads anymore due to their cost, it's still worth checking there, especially since the larger sales like street sales and church rummage sales are almost always advertised in the newspaper and you don't want to miss those!

By far the most common source of listings in my area these days is online classifieds. Kijiji is the most active online classified site here, but in other areas it's Craigslist. Kijiji has a nice feature where you can limit your ad search to a certain distance from your location, which is very handy when looking at the yard sale ads. There are often hundreds of yard sale ads, but if I limit my search to a 5 km radius from my house (generally what I stick to since I shop by bike) I only have to wade through a small percentage of those ads to find the ones I'm looking for.

Another way I find sales is by keeping an eye on telephone poles and community boards when I'm out and about. Often I'll find a couple of sales that weren't in the paper or on Kijiji to add to my list.

Finally, I always stay on the lookout for more sales when I'm actually out yard sale shopping. Very often, I'll find unadvertised sales running near other sales that were on my list (especially if there's a big street sale or a large cluster of sales in the area like there was last week). I find being on a bike is a big advantage here; since I'm moving slower than a car it's easier for me to spot those "unexpected sales" and safely stop to check them out.

When you're making your yard sale list, make sure to note any sales that have unusual start times. Most sales will start between 8 and 9 a.m., but occasionally there will be one that starts at 7 or 10 and that information is useful when planning your route!

Plan Your Route:

Now it's time to grab a map and plan an efficient route. I generally start with the sales closest to me and work my way out to the furthest away. I might choose to do the opposite if there is a particularly great sounding sale that's further away (especially if it starts at 8 a.m. or earlier) or if there's a sale close by that doesn't start until 10 a.m. Either way, though, I'm looking to choose the most efficient route so I can get to the maximum number of sales in the shortest amount of time. Remember to be polite and don't show up at a sale an hour before it's supposed to start - this will NOT endear you to the proprietor!

Grab Your Gear:

Over the years, I've found it handy to have a few things with me when I'm out and about yard sale shopping. This includes a map (I don't often need it, but occasionally the location of a smaller street eludes me) a tape measure (for measuring furniture dimensions and pants inseams), a list of measurements and clothing sizes (e.g. how big is that space by the front door where you want to hang a mirror? Knowing the inseam and waist measurements  of your family members can be useful, too, in case you find some great clothes). Having a good assortment of small bills and loose change is also extremely handy and allows you to bargain more effectively. When you're looking at smaller items, it's a lot easier to ask "Will you take 25 cents for this?" if you can just hand over the quarter, rather than producing a $20 bill and expecting them to make change. If you have a long list of sales to hit and expect to be out for quite a while, a bottle of water and a snack can keep you feeling energized throughout your excursion.

Do you have any tips for making yard sale shopping more efficient? 

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