Scrimpalicious

Stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T06:56:00.000-08:00

Please make sure to contact your representatives today to tell them "If SOPA and PIPA have your vote, you will never have mine."

Blogs like Scrimpalicious that link to other websites could be shut down under SOPA/PIPA with no recourse and no due process.

To learn more about SOPA and PIPA, visit these links:

http://sopablackout.org/learnmore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

And the winner is...

2011-10-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

According to the random number generator at Random.org, the winner of the Scrimpalicious 2-Year Anniversary giveaway is...

(drumroll)

Tammy!

Tammy, I'll be contacting you shortly about which of those five fabulous prizes you're going to choose!

Best of Pinterest: Pumpkin Pictures

2011-10-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who aren't on Pinterest (or who are, but can't get enough), I decided that today I was going to do something slightly different and collect a series of photos and links that qualify for the title of best of pinterest.

Call it my own spin on Wordless Wednesdays. Well, not quite wordless, but almost.

Circle Pumpkins

If you're looking for Halloween decor ideas, pumpkin carving inspiration, or just like looking at pumpkin pictures--today, this is the blog for you.

Gilded Pumpkins

Carrot and Parsnip Noses

Leafy Pumpkins

Apothecary Jar Pumpkins

Painted

Naturally Blue

Dollhouse Pumpkin

Chevron and Silver Pumpkins

Home Remedies: DIY Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

2011-10-11T03:57:00.000-07:00

It's apple cider season, and you know what that means, right? Well, for one thing, it means drinking tons of apple cider. But it also means making apple cider vinegar.

That's what I have brewing in that gallon jug right there.

You may wonder why I have it listed as a home remedy instead of a cooking ingredient. While this makes for a delicious cooking or salad vinegar, we started consuming (and now making) raw vinegar for health reasons.

The health benefits of raw vinegar are numerous, but the thing we were most impressed by is its effect on blood sugar.

You see, in people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, raw vinegar can make a significant difference in blood sugar after eating, working on a principle similar to that of diabetes drugs like metformin. Recommended dosage is 2 tablespoons of vinegar in 8oz of water before a meal, followed by more water to rinse the acid off your teeth and protect the enamel.

It's also really good for coughs and colds, and has been recommended as a treatment for food poisoning, arthritis, and skin problems. Wonder drug? Well, not quite, but it's still pretty impressive.

So, how do you make this miracle tonic? I'm almost embarrassed to make a whole blog post out of this, because it's so simple.

First, get some unpasteurized apple cider. If you live in a state where you can't get raw apple cider, you will have to make your own. When you make it, be sure to use unwashed organic apples. The peels will contain natural yeasts that will colonize your cider, which you don't want to wash off, but you really need to make sure you're getting safe, pesticide-free apples if you want to take advantage of natural yeasts. If you can't find any, go ahead and wash your apples. It will be ok.

Next, pour your apple cider into a clean (preferably sterile), nonreactive container. Be sure there's some extra room in there, because things are going to get fizzy and bubbly for a while. Cover the container with cheesecloth or another porous material, and hold it down with rubber bands or strings (see above photo).

Now, let it sit out. Within 24 hours or so, you should notice that your cider has fermented. It will probably be producing a lot of bubbles and it will smell awesome. You will have a hard time stopping Mr. Scrimp from finding it and drinking it during this stage.

You have two choices. You can trust the fermentation process to go fine without help, and just leave your jar of fizzy apple cider in a dark, room-temperature spot for a few weeks until it isn't bubbly anymore and it smells like vinegar, or you can help it along a little bit. I did this by extracting the mother (the slimy, dark brown goo) from a bottle of Bragg Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar and adding it to my fermenting batch, so that I could guarantee my cider is being colonized by the bacteria I want. Next time, I can just reserve some of my own vinegar (about a cup should do) to start batch #2.

(Honestly, we could have just kept using Bragg raw vinegar, but homemade is cheaper!)

Try to keep the jar or jug or other fermentation vessel out of direct sunlight and extreme temperatures, make sure it gets a supply of oxygen, and give it a gentle swish once in a while. Once all the bubbles are gone, you should be good to go!

Note: Because you can't standardize the acidity in homemade vinegar, it is not appropriate for canning applications.

Menu Planning Monday: Week of October 10

2011-10-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've been having a rushed weekend and Monday so it took me a while to get this menu plan out. You'll notice that lots of soup is on the menu again. I love soup in the fall! Fortunately, so does Mr. Scrimp.

For a free printable version of this
menu planner, go here

Most of these are CSA acquisitions but some of them did come from the farmers market.

1 half gallon apple cider
1/2 lb leaf spinach
1 bunch leeks
1 head broccoli
2 heads cauliflower
4 oz piece brie
2 winter squash
2 butternut squash
1/2 peck pears
4 eggplants
1 lb ground italian sausage
1 lb italian sausage links
1 bunch braising spinach (bunched)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup pork aspic
1 rack ribs
1 cucumber
1 block raw milk havarti cheese
1 head garlic
2 onions

Monday

Lunch: Sunday leftovers (roast chicken)

Dinner: Braised ribs with cheesy roasted eggplant (Ingredients: Ribs, vinegar, eggplant, havarti)

Leftovers: 4 servings ribs, 4 servings eggplant, aspic/broth

Tuesday

Lunch: Ribs and eggplant

Dinner: Butternut squash and cauliflower soup (Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, 1 onion, milk, 2 butternut squash, 1 head cauliflower, chicken stock, pork aspic)

Leftovers: 2 servings ribs, 2 servings eggplant, 6 servings soup

Wednesday

Lunch: Soup and salad (Ingredients: Soup, spinach, cucumber)

Dinner: Ribs with braised spinach (Ingredients: Ribs, braising spinach, garlic, vinegar)

Leftovers: 4 servings soup, 2 servings eggplant

Thursday

Lunch: Stewed eggplant with ground sausage (Ingredients: 2 servings eggplant, 1/2 lb ground sausage)

Dinner: Sausage links with cauliflower puree and roasted broccoli (Ingredients: Sausage links, 1 cauliflower, 1 head broccoli)

Leftovers: 4 servings soup, 2 servings cauliflower, 1/2 lb ground sausage

Friday

Lunch: Soup with pear and brie (Ingredients: Leftover soup, pears, brie)

Dinner: Roasted stuffed winter squash (Ingredients: Winter squash, 1/2 lb ground sausage, leeks, spinach)

Leftovers: 2 servings soup, 2 servings cauliflower

Saturday

Lunch: Fried cauliflower patties with poached eggs (Ingredients: Cauliflower, eggs, havarti, onion)

Dinner: Soup and salad (Ingredients: Soup, spinach, cheese, pears)

Leftovers: None

Sunday

Lunch: N/A

Dinner: Savory almond meal pancakes (Ingredients: Almonds, egg, onion, havarti)

The remaining pears are going to be canned or made into pear butter. The apple cider is already being turned into apple cider vinegar (tutorial coming!). The stock will be used next week... and that pretty much takes care of the excess food.

We have a delicious week ahead of us. Are you cooking anything that you're excited about?

Don't Forget: Giveaway!

2011-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Have you signed up for the Scrimpalicious 2-Year Anniversary Giveaway yet? You still have until October 15th to enter for a chance to win one of these five neat prizes!:

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, by Harold McGree
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, by Julia Child
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing, by Michael Ruhlman
A scarf, t-shirt, or cardigan from Maggie's Organics
Roma Traditional Style Pasta Machine

DIY Pottery Barn Anchor Paperweight/Bookend

2011-10-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading the most recent Pottery Barn catalog a couple of days ago when I saw this photo:

Honestly, I'm not a giant fan of the idea of covering a couch with denim, and that coffee table has too much glass for my preference. But... do you see the cute anchor on the second shelf of the table? The little cast-iron bookend-looking one?

I certainly saw it, and I was taken with it immediately. It isn't for sale, though (and it would be out of my price range if it was). So, I had to come up with a way to make a copy for my own space. It worked out so well that I figured I'd share the how-to with all of you!

The Pottery Barn version isn't even for sale, but I can't imagine it being cheap. My version isn't quite as sturdy as cast iron, but it only cost me about a dollar.

As far as materials, all I used were hot glue, black paint, gaffer's tape and camp pad. We buy this stuff by the roll at Wal-Mart for $5.88 apiece for projects of Mr. Scrimp's and we had a big pile of extra and scraps.

We had the gaffer's tape on hand and it really wasn't necessary. I just used it to save paint and smooth the cut edges out. Given that everything I used was on-hand, this was actually free for me.

This was a very simple project. Seriously. Here are the steps involved:

1. Draw an anchor on paper and cut it out. I folded a piece of paper, drew half an anchor, and cut it out still folded so it would be even on each side.

2. Trace the anchor onto the camp foam and cut it out (I suggest using a craft knife. Cutting foam with scissors is definitely not easy)

3. Cut a rectangle for the base, not quite as long as the anchor itself

4. (Optional) Cut thin strips of gaffter's tape to cover and smooth the edges around the anchor and the base.

5. Paint black and let dry

6. Glue the anchor in place on the base and.... done!

If you wanted, you could cover the whole thing with gaffer's tape to get a slightly smoother texture. Personally, I liked the rough texture of the camp foam because it makes the whole thing look more weathered.

I think I may go back later and stipple it a little bit with rusty red and perhaps a bit of copper green, to give it an aged, antiqued look. And then it will be up on a shelf in my living room.

Five Dollar Decor: Maps

2011-10-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have a longstanding love affair with maps. I particularly like the pretty antique ones, but the ones pulled from the atlas are just as good, if you ask me. I like to look at them. I like to think about them. I just like having them around. They are cool. I am a map enthusiast.

I would do this

And you know who else was obsessed with maps? Winston Churchill. So you can wipe that condescending look off your face, smartypants. Maps are awesome.

I haven't done all of the projects in this week's Five Dollar Decor post, but I think I can honestly say that is only because I don't have the time to do all the projects I want to do. Someday, though. Someday.

1. Map Lantern

This is actually something someone expects you to buy for $75. I'm not quite sure why you would do that. Not because it isn't totally awesome...

It clearly is

... but because it's so simple. The only things you need to make one of these for yourself is a $1 paper lantern and a few (you guessed it!) maps. And maybe a cutting template, if you're worried about freehanding. And a glue stick. But still. This shouldn't cost you more than $5 total to replicate. Less, if you use a lampshade you already own.

2. Maps on Doors

My house has no french doors (alas and alack) but someday I will have french doors, and I know what I will do with them.

Once again, no instructions provided. Had I been able to find some, I'd have shared, but no such luck. It's okay, though. I believe in you and I bet you can figure it out on your own.

3. Road Map Cork Board

Want to create a fun (and potentially functional) piece of map-related wall art that isn't just a map in a frame? Not that maps in frames are bad, of course, but variety is the spice of life, after all.

Why not mod podge a road map onto an old cork board and cut it out?

Nothing says it has to be a state, either. You could cut out another country, or perhaps a metro area that you particularly love. The instructions also include low-impact/rental-friendly hanging directions, which is handy and fun.

4. Mat a Picture With a Map

One of the reasons I like maps is because I like to think about places that are important to me. This project combines important places with important events by framing a photo in a map of the photo's location.

This is so very sweet. And I'm very pleased to say that even though I found it on Pinterest and there were no instructions, I found someone else who figured out her own set of DIY instructions for this project. Hooray!

5. Make a Map Into a Picture

Some people would ask you to pay well over $200 for artwork made from maps.

If you can't copy this for less than $5 and 15 minutes, probably with things you already have on hand, I will be genuinely shocked. Hmm. A frame, some scrapbook paper, and a couple of pages of maps. Oh, and a glue stick, perhaps.

I don't see that there's any excuse for not getting on board with this trend. Apparently everybody wants to get their hands on things made from maps, and someone out there is willing to pay a ton of money for it. Go out and copy, my friends. Really, how can you resist?

Recipe: Pureed Cauliflower (Mashed Potatoes Substitute)

2011-10-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've mentioned before that Stupendous Man and I eat a low-carb, primal diet. Primal here means cutting out sugar and grains (we still eat dairy) and we modify that further by making it full low-carb.

So far, we've both seen a lot of success with it. We've each lost about two pounds a week since we started, with no hunger and not really any stress to speak of. But the weather has been cold, and sometimes you really just want something warm and comforting and salty and buttery and... well, let's just be frank. Sometimes all I want to eat is mashed potatoes.

But, since I can't eat mashed potatoes, I've had to find substitutes. Enter the humble cauliflower.

I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that pureed cauliflower tastes exactly like mashed potatoes, but I will say that it honestly tastes close enough that if you can't or won't eat potatoes but are missing some of that delicious mashed potato goodness in your life, this is a totally acceptable and delicious substitute.

Pureed Califlower (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
2-3 cloves garlic, roasted
1 pat butter
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
Grated parmesan or romano cheese, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chives, diced

The first step here is to roast or otherwise cook your garlic. Raw garlic is way too overpowering for this dish and it's all you'll be tasting for hours if you use it. The simplest way to roast garlic is to preheat your oven to 400 degrees, slice a head of garlic so that the tops of the cloves are exposed, drizzle it with oil or fat, and roast on a baking sheet until soft. What you don't use for this recipe is delicious as a snack, spread on crackers, or added to other dishes.

Remove leaves and stalk from the cauliflower and break the head into florets. In a lidded pot, heat 1 inch of water to boiling, add cauliflower, and cover. Steam for 10 minutes, or until soft.

Once the cauliflower is cooked through, drain the water out of the pot and put the cooked cauliflower into a food processor (n.b. - you can do this the old-fashioned way and use a potato masher, if you don't mind a chunkier product). Add milk or cream, sour cream, and garlic, and pulse until it begins to look like mashed potatoes. Add a little more liquid if necessary and puree until the consistency is smooth and creamy.

Add cheese, salt, and pepper, tasting often until the cauliflower is flavored to your preference. Garnish with diced chives and serve immediately.

This can also be made to fit a Paleo diet (no sugar, no grains, no dairy) by substituting chicken or pork broth for the dairy products.

Five Dollar Decor: Upcycling

2011-10-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

This post was supposed to go up on Friday, but automated posting failed me, so here it is now!

"Upcycling" is a word I love. It has a nice ring to it, and is my favorite example of modern word invention. We aren't merely recycling something. Oh no. We are taking it and elevating it. We are upcycling.

One man's trash is another man's awesome oil lamp.

But, when you get down to brass tacks, upcycling just means "taking something and making it somehow awesomer," doesn't it? Exactly. And nothing could be more appropriate for the theme of "Five Dollar Decor" than taking things you already own and turning them into new things.

1. T-Shirt Pom-poms

I am not really a pom-pom person, but I do like the look of these pretty, colorful ones upcycled from old t-shirts. Depending on the color of ratty t-shirts you might happen to have on hand, these would make lovely decorations for several different holidays or party themes.

Find the tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous.

2. Upcycled Artwork

Do you ever get tired of your artwork? I have a few cheap prints in storage that I feel bad getting rid of for reasons of personal history, but also don't really want to display around my house because... well... they just aren't really my style anymore.

Enter A Beautiful Mess. Elsie very cleverly used vinyl stick-on letters as a reverse stencil and simply spray painted over her unwanted artwork. I really like the fact that it gives a totally new look to artwork you might not like anymore, while still allowing you to hold on to the sentiment and memories attached to that one black velvet painting you really loved in college.

3. Tin Can Vases

I think the biggest problem I have with crafts is that they all sound like the cluttery, don't-really-want-or-need-it things that we all made in summer camp. I don't have room for that stuff in my house. If that's the only sort of thing I can come up with to make out of what I've got, I'd rather take what I've got and throw it away without guilt. Clearly, it was not meant to be upcycled.

I will say though, that these tin can vases from Martha Stewart are pleasantly eye-catching.

Hm. A tin can vase that I don't hate. I never thought I would see the day.

4. Bottle Cap Backsplash

Ok, I admit, this is not for the faint of heart. But I love it! The colors, the repeating circles, the clever use of garbage to make something fun and pretty--it speaks to me, what can I say?

There's no DIY instructions here. I just found a picture and couldn't find a how-to, so if you know where this came from originally, please tell me so I can credit it!

Obviously, in this picture the backsplash is actually plastered into the wall, but I think you could find other ways to do this pretty easily. What do you think?

5. Shipping Pallet Daybed

To wrap up this "trash to treasure" theme, I'd like to share a project that might not be within everybody's reach. I desperately long for the day when I can get my hands on a couple of shipping pallets and make one of these great daybeds for myself:

It just looks so darn fun, and that particular photo has a great combination of industrial and traditional looks going on. Wouldn't you live to just flop down on that with a book or a good movie?

Have you ever upcycled something into something else new and fun?

Menu Planning Monday: Week of October 3

2011-10-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, October is here and here with a vengeance. It's cold and wet and I have a throat tickle that is making me very suspicious of its long-term intentions.

This is going to be a weird week for us, food wise. We're continuing to eat low carb, with great success. Mr. Scrimp has lost about 15 pounds since the beginning of August and I've lost 17 1/2. Yep, it's true. By and large, it hasn't even been difficult. But some weeks are easier than others when your groceries are chosen at the whim of someone who doesn't know about your dietary restrictions.

Our CSA was light this week and we didn't get a chance to go to the Farmer's Market, so I'll be making a Whole Foods run tonight. However, I'm trying to keep this week's spending to a real minimum, so my bought ingredients will be cheap ones as much as possible.

What I already have:

1.5 lb onions
2 lb tomatoes
2 hot banana peppers
3 lbs potatoes
2 green peppers
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch radishes
4 mild Italian sausages
2 lbs almonds
2 cucumbers
2 butternut squash
1 gallon milk

See what I mean about light? Compared to past weeks, this is positively scanty.

It's a cold, wet week and I'm feeling sick, so I think we're going to end up eating a lot of soup. Here's what I will be looking for tonight at the store:

Chicken thighs or drumsticks
2 bags frozen mixed vegetables
1-2 lb dried navy beans
2 eggplants
1 lb ground beef
4 lbs pork neck bones or hocks
2 heads cauliflower
Eggs
2 heads lettuce

Monday

Lunch: Salad and leftover cold chicken from last week (Ingredients: Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cold chicken)

Dinner: Meat loaf with pureed garlic cauliflower (Ingredients: Eggs, ground almonds, onions, ground oats, spices, steamed cauliflower, roasted garlic, grated cheese, milk)

Leftovers: 4 servings meat loaf, 1 serving chicken, 2 servings cauliflower

Tuesday

Lunch: Meat loaf and cauliflower (Ingredients: Leftovers)

Dinner: Pot luck (bringing pasta and tomato sauce with chicken)

Leftovers: 2 servings meat loaf

Wednesday:

Lunch: Meat loaf lettuce wraps (Ingredients: Leftover meat loaf, lettuce, mayonnaise)

Dinner: Braised pork hocks/neck bones with roasted vegetables (Ingredients: Pork, apple cider vinegar, eggplant, radish, onion)

Leftovers: Pork bones

Thursday:

Lunch: Chicken salad lettuce wraps (Ingredients: Roasted chicken thighs, mayonnaise, onion, lettuce)

Dinner: Butternut squash soup (Ingredients: Pork stock, onions, garlic, butternut squash, milk)

Leftovers: 6 servings soup, 4 servings chicken salad, 4 servings roast chicken

Friday:

Lunch: Chicken salad lettuce wraps with soup (Ingredients: Chicken salad, lettuce, soup)

Dinner: Italian sausage with soup and collard greens (Ingredients: Italian sausage, onions, soup, collard greens)

Leftovers: 2 servings chicken salad, 4 servings roast chicken, 2 servings butternut squash soup

Saturday:

Lunch: Cream of chicken soup (Ingredients: Chicken stock, roasted chicken, garlic, onions, 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, dried beans, tomatoes, peppers)

Dinner: Salad, soup (Ingredients: Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, leftover soup)

Leftovers: 6 servings chicken soup

Sunday:

Lunch: n/a

Dinner: Chicken soup

As to what I'll do with the rest... well, what doesn't get frozen or stored in the pantry, I'll figure it out. All I want to do right now is curl up with a blanket and eat soup forever.

Do you change the way you eat when fall starts?

Scrimpalicious Anniversary Giveaway - CLOSED

2011-09-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I just checked my calendar and I'm shocked and amazed to realize that it is almost the two-year anniversary of the beginning of Scrimpalicious.

The first logo was nowhere NEAR
as cute as this

This has been a wonderful two years and I've loved writing my blog and sharing my thoughts, projects, recipes, and ideas with all of you.

So, to thank you for sticking with me through it all, I've decided to have a giveaway. There will be one winner, who can choose one of the following fabulous prizes. Each one of these has been chosen to celebrate one of my favorite blog entries from the last two years.

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen - Menu Planning Monday
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 - Julia I Ain't
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Bacon, by Mr. Scrimp
A scarf, t-shirt, or cardigan from Maggie's Organics - Why Organic?
Roma Traditional Style Pasta Machine - Recipe: Homemade Pasta

So, what do you need to do to enter?

You can enter up to five times, because I like symmetry. Here are the ways to do it:

Follow Scrimpalicious on Facebook and share it on your wall
Follow Scrimpalicious on Twitter and tweet about it to @scrimpalicious
Leave a comment telling me which prize item you would pick if you won, and why
Write a post about the giveaway on your own blog and link back to this post and the Scrimpalicious main page
Pin a picture from a Scrimpalicious blog post that you like to Pinterest

Once you've taken one (or all) of the steps above to enter, the last thing to do is leave a comment on this post telling me that you did it. The winner will be picked at random from the comments section, so be sure to leave one comment per entry to maximize your chances of winning. That means that if you want all five entries you need to leave five comments.

If you choose to blog about the giveaway, please include a link back to the blog post in your comment.

The winner will be announced on October 15, so you've got two weeks to get your entries in.

Note: If you already follow the blog on facebook or twitter, just go ahead and let me know that and it will count for an entry.

Ready, set, and... Go!

Facebook: How to Get Likes, Blogs, and Site Pages Back on Your Feed

2011-09-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

With the recent Facebook redesign, I've noticed something. Scrimpalicious facebook posts that were being seen several hundred times are now being seen only 10-15 times on average. Basically, because of the new facebook algorithms, if you don't comment on the Scrimpalicious facebook page, you're never going to see when new posts come up.

If you ask me, it sounds like someone broke it.

For some of you, who follow Scrimpalicious in a reader or via email, this won't be a problem. For the rest of you, there are two things you can do.

1. Comment! Visit the Scrimpalicious facebook page and do some interactions with it. Leave comments. Answer questions. Ask questions. Share photos of your food or craft projects. Whatever it is, the more you do it, the more likely you are to be notified when new posts come up.

2. Make a list. This is what I did to make sure that I can still follow my favorite facebook pages and blogs. On the left-hand sidebar of your facebook page, you should see a section called "Lists." If you click on this, it will take you to the List page, and you will see that facebook has given you the option to create a list by clicking the "+ Create a list" button. If you click this button, you can create a new list (I called mine "Blogs and Sites") and manually add the blogs whose facebook posts you like to follow. Some of the ones I added were Cheeseslave, Real Food Whole Health, and Food Renegade, but there are more. They will not always show up on my facebook feed because of this, but the Lists sidebar will now alert me with a little (#) if there are new posts by those people.

And as always, if you're not yet a fan of Scrimpalicious on facebook, I'd like to ask you now to consider going to the page or clicking the "Like" button on the right hand side of the blog. You will be able to access syndicated blog posts, extra links and content, questions and discussion. Plus, you'll make me feel good and increase the likelihood that Scrimpalicious will be able to offer more giveaways and guests posts in the future.

Showdown: Store-bought vs. Homemade Broth or Stock

2011-09-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Time for another Homemade vs Store-bought showdown! This time we're going to look at broth and stock.

I spent time gathering data on both broth and stock. You'll notice I'm using these terms interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same thing. Broth is made by boiling meat and vegetables in water without bones. Stock is made by boiling meat, bones, and vegetables. I always make stock rather than broth. It has a higher nutritional content and better flavor.

I found some things out that really surprised me. For instance, did you know that it costs 2/3 more to buy broth than it does to make it at home? Yep. I have specific numbers under the cut.

And now, the showdown.

1. Convenience

Store broth has a few good selling points to it in the convenience category. It keeps indefinitely, it stores at room temperature, and you can just grab it and throw it into a recipe with a minimum of thought or effort. You have to go to the store to buy it.

Neither can I really imagine a universe in which homemade stock would strike me as inconvenient. Throwing a pot of stock on takes a grand total of five minutes, plus another five to ten at the end for straining and storing. Stock seems inconvenient at first because it takes hours to cook, but those are hours in which it needs essentially no supervision.

Homemade stock will keep in the refrigerator for a week. In the freezer, it will keep for a good six months before you run a risk of the flavor going "off" a little bit. So, once you've laid in a supply, it's just as accessible as the canned variety.

Advantage: Draw

2. Price

To get a really good idea for this, I did a little research. Let's look at the breakdown, shall we? Most of these are sold online by the case. I don't know many people who buy broth by the case, but let's roll with it. Buying in bulk is cheaper, and I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the store bought stuff here. At its cheapest, what does it cost?

Campbell's Chicken Broth: $13/gallon
College Inn Chicken Broth: $13/gallon
Swanson Chicken Broth: $13/gallon

College Inn is rounded down (it was $13.33) and Swanson is rounded up (it was $12.88) but overall, I was honestly surprised to see the price so consistent when you break it down by actual volume instead of per-can (not all cans were the same size).

What about the ingredients for homemade? Rather than looking at a specific local price, I decided to use average national prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These were the average prices around the country in August 2011.

Chicken: $1.29/lb
Celery: $0.95/lb
Carrots: $0.69/lb

There were no prices for onions on the BLS page, but I did find this PDF file from the USDA that had some more information.

Onions: $0.55/lb

I'm going to go ahead and add a +/- of $2 for the cost of salt, pepper, bouquet garni, and any other spices or add-ons you might choose to throw in. That's a total estimation and guess. I tend to think of those things as "free" because I always have them in my house and spice-type staples come out of a different budget than fresh ingredients.

Oh, and I forgot one other thing! According to the EPA...

Water: $0.002/gallon -- or, essentially, free

Let's be extra-generous and pretend that to make your broth or stock, you are going to use an entire chicken instead of using the leftover carcass, cartilage, skin, and meaty bits that you didn't bother cutting off the bones for another meal. I have never heard of anybody doing this, but let's just pretend for a minute.

Figuring a whole 4 lb chicken and half a pound of each vegetable, the price for homemade broth is $6.23/gallon. That's less than half!

If you do something a little more reasonable and use the breast and thighs of your chicken for another meal, the total price drops down to $3.65/gallon, for an overall savings of $10/gallon.

Think about how angry you'd be if someone were charging you an extra $10/gallon to put fuel in your car. Instead, they're charging you an extra $10/gallon to put fuel in your body, and hoping you won't notice.

Advantage: Homemade knocks it out of the park

3. Taste

If you've ever eaten a spoonful of broth right out of the pot, you will know that it doesn't taste the same as the stuff you pour out of a box or can. It usually tastes... well, more meaty. Richer. More flavorful. The salt isn't as overwhelming, and if it's been boiled down to the right concentration, it also doesn't taste watery.

I will sit down and drink a cup of homemade chicken stock, plain and hot, like tea. I don't do that with canned broth, because it tastes like can. I don't do it with boxed broth, because it inevitably tastes either too salty or too watery. The best flavors come from nutritious foods, and as you're about to find out, there's a reason why I have to draw the conclusion I do here.

Advantage: Homemade

4. Health

What are the health benefits of broth, exactly? We all know that chicken broth is supposed to be good for you when you're sick. This is because chicken broth has antiviral properties. Stock, which is made from bones as well as meat, contains collagen and gelatin, which are good for the digestion and the joints. If you've made it right, it's basically fat-free, very low in carbohydrates, and also a solid source of protein and vitamins.

Is there a difference in the nutritional content of homemade and store bought broths and stocks? Well, this is going to be a little tougher to analyze because it's hard to get detailed analysis of something as variable as homemade stock, but we'll do our best.

The following is the average nutritional info on both store bought and homemade broth/stock, according to the USDA's Nutrient Data Laboratory. I also checked the listed nutritional information for each of the three brand names above. Where the listed, specific data does not match the USDA data, I've added a parenthetical note.

Store Bought

Calories: 17
Total Fat: 0.24 g
Carbohydrates: 0.9g
Protein: 2.4g
Sodium: 379mg (listed: 853)
Calcium: 7g (listed: 0)
Iron: 0.48mg (listed: 0)
Magnesium: 2mg
Potassium: 192mg
Vitamin C: 16mg (listed: 0)
Vitamin A: 0iu

Homemade Stock

Calories: 86
Total Fat: 2.88g
Carbohydrates: 8.47g
Protein: 6.05g
Sodium: 343g
Calcium: 7mg
Iron: 0.5mg
Magnesium: 10mg
Potassium: 252mg
Vitamin C: 0.5mg
Vitamin A: 7iu

Homemade stock is higher in calories and carbohydrates than the store bought, according to the USDA. Other than that, it's higher in protein and, if you go by the nutritional data published by the companies themselves, it's dramatically higher in all other nutrients. Store-bought broth appears to be essentially nutrient-free, with the one exception of sodium. According to the data published by Swanson, College Inn, and Campbell's, the average sodium content in store bought broth is a whopping 853 grams!

The average sodium in homemade stock, according to the USDA, is a mere 343 grams. Know how to drop that number way lower? Just don't add salt.

Advantage: Homemade, because it is more than just salty, chicken-flavored water.

5. Environmental Impact

As I mentioned in my post on dried vs. canned beans, canned foods have BPA in them. Before you run off to switch to buying the boxed stuff, I might as well tell you--boxed soups also have BPA in them. This is a huge red flag for me of something I do not want to continue to keep in my house.

In addition, most store bought broths contain soy, corn, or MSG--and sometimes they have all three. Once again, unless otherwise stated, the likelihood is that these come from GMO crops. 80-90% of soybeans and corn grown in the USA are genetically modified organisms.

Oh, and we should also consider the living conditions of the animals used to make broth. It's a fair bet that if they're putting it in soup or in a can, it's because it wasn't pretty enough to fetch a good price at the supermarket. So you're eating the worst off-cuts of meat from battery chickens and CAFO beeves.

Homemade stock affords you a chance to exercise a little choice and make sure you get meat that comes from healthy, humanely raised animals.

Advantage: Homemade

Winner

By a landslide, the winner is Homemade! The store-bought challenger didn't even stand a chance when pitted against this home-grown hero.

Recipe: Homemade Stock

If you don't already know how to make stock at home, don't worry. It's simple and easy to learn how.

Ingredients (makes 1 gallon)

1-2 lbs cooked bones (ideally leftovers from a previous meal) with some meat still attached
About 1/2 lb each carrots, onions or leeks, and celery
1-2 bay leaves
1 pinch thyme
1 pinch parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 splash of white wine
1 1/2 gallons water

N.B. if you are missing one of these ingredients (other than water and meat), don't worry. It will still be nutritious and good.

Fill a large stock pot with cold water. Add meat and bring to a boil on high heat.

Once the meat is boiling, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Skim off any foam, scum, or fat that may have risen to the top and discard.

Add vegetables and spices and simmer for 4-8 hours. Strain through a colander or cheesecloth, or remove bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon, and refrigerate.

When cooled, skim off fat from the top and reserve (it's good for cooking with). Store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze and store for up to 6 months.

Menu Planning Monday: Week of September 26

2011-09-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Another week is here! We're having lots of beautiful fall weather and it's making me want soup and casserole and other warm, cozy foods. You may see that reflected in my menus this week. :)

To download a high-res, printable version
of this menu planner, go here

I have been spending a lot of time on Pinterest lately, looking at gloriously delicious fall recipes and beautiful pictures of leaves and frost, and thinking about sweaters and slippers and swishing through leaves.

Have I mentioned how Autumn is my favorite season? I feel like I have, but I thought I'd remind you all. Do you love it as much as I do?

Here are the ingredients that we have to work with this week:

1 whole pastured chicken
3 lbs sweet potatoes
1 bulb garlic
2 lbs concord grapes
6 ears sweet corn
1 lb green beans
1 sleeve leaf lettuce
5 butternut squash (!)
1/2 pint raspberries
1 head cabbage
3 onions
1 lb whole wheat linguini
1 pork loin chop
1 lb grassfed ground beef
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 peck assorted apples
1 gallon raw milk
2 eggplants
2 cucumbers
1 1/2 lbs kale
1 lb beets
4 pink tomatoes
3 oz farmer's cheese
3 oz romano cheese

Monday

Lunch: Salad (Ingredients: 1 tomato, 1 sleeve lettuce)

Dinner: Grilled pork loin chop with sauteed eggplant (Ingredients: Pork chop, 2 eggplants, 3 bulbs garlic, 1/2 onion)

Leftovers: 2 servings sauteed eggplant, pork drippings

Tuesday

Lunch: Sauteed eggplant, cucumbers with vinegar (Ingredients: Sauteed eggplant, 2 cucumbers, 2 Tbsp raw vinegar)

Dinner: Pot luck -- bringing whole-wheat linguini with cheesy alfredo sauce (Ingredients: 1 lb whole wheat linguini, milk, cheese, flour, 1/2 onion)

Leftovers: None

Wednesday

Lunch: Roasted beets, onion, and sweet potato w/hard-boiled egg (Ingredients: 1 lb beets, 1 onion, 1 sweet potato, 2 eggs)

Dinner: Roasted chicken with garlic green beans and steamed kale (Ingredients: 1 chicken, 1 lb green beans, garlic, 1/2 lb kale)

Leftovers: 2 servings roasted chicken, 1 chicken carcass, 1 serving green beans

Thursday

Lunch: Chicken salad and green beans (Ingredients: Roasted chicken, mayonnaise, green beans)

Dinner: Butternut squash soup with cheese (Ingredients: 1 chicken carcass, garlic, 1 onion, pork drippings, milk Note: I will only put milk in half the soup and freeze the other half)

Leftovers: 12 servings butternut squash soup

Friday

Lunch: Butternut squash soup (Ingredients: Soup)

Dinner: Butternut squash soup with steamed kale and sausage (Ingredients: Soup, 1/2 lb kale, 1/2 lb hot italian sausage)

Leftovers: 10 servings butternut squash soup

Saturday

Saturday is weird this week because we'll be camping. We'll probably bring some of the soup along and have it cold, but the half without milk will be frozen for later. I won't put a meal plan up for Saturday because we're camping with other people and there will be food provided.

Sunday

The only meal we will be eating at home this Sunday is dinner.

Dinner: Cabbage stir-fry (for Mrs. Scrimp), sauteed kale and sausage (for Mr. Scrimp), cucumber and tomato salad (Ingredients: 1 head cabbage, 1 lb kale, 2 hot italian sausages, garlic, peanut butter, scrambled egg, 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes)

Leftovers: 1 serving stir fry

Other

As usual, there are ingredients not on this menu. The sweet potatoes will be stored for a week or two while I decide what to do with them. The apples are for making applesauce, which I will do this week and probably post pictures and a recipe. The grapes and raspberries will be snacked on throughout the week, and the corn will go into the freezer with the rest. Problems solved!

What are you eating this week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Five Dollar Decor: Wreaths

2011-09-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

Fall, for some reason, always feels to me like the beginning of wreath season. Perhaps because when I was growing up, hanging a wreath was part of the late-fall preparation for Advent and Christmas. Perhaps because trick-or-treating meant seeing a lot of doors and a lot of wreaths. Whatever the reason, I think about wreaths most when the days start to get shorter and the weather starts to get colder.

Coffee filter wreath by Craftberry Bush

It's hard for me sometimes to find wreaths that I like. Too much clutter or kitsch and I'm instantly turned off. But a lot of people are out there finding ways to make beautiful wreaths with not a lot of clutter for not a lot of money.

Note: I recently saw a very handy tip on making wreath forms at home. Instead of buying an expensive foam form at the craft store, just get a pool noodle or pipe insulation, cut it to the desired size, shape it into a circle,and duct tape it closed. Hooray! A wreath form for a dollar!

1. Argyle Wreath

That's right. You heard me. I said argyle wreath. If you don't understand why that is totally awesome, then I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.

Argyle to me says sweaters. It says fall, and coziness, and crackling fires, and that great first-day-of-school feeling. And you can buy that yellow one for $40.00 on Etsy, or follow these directions to make your own in colors that suit you for much, much less.

2. Marshmallow Wreath

If you were just describing a marshmallow wreath to me, I probably wouldn't be very interested. It sounds sticky and, to be honest, sort of silly. Fortunately, there are people out there with better vision than I, who realized how beautiful a marshmallow wreath could actually be.

I love the clean whiteness of it, and the pillowy, snow-like look of the marshmallows. I'm sure it smells amazing, too. I don't even eat marshmallows anymore because of all the sugar, but the smell of them still takes me to my childhood happy place.

3. Ribbon Wreath

This is billed as a Halloween wreath, because the example is made with black ribbon. It didn't particularly say "Halloween" to me as much as it said "lovely" or "would look great on the white door of a Colonial house."

It couldn't be simpler to make this wreath, either. Just cut ribbons and tie them around a foam form. I've seriously spent the last five minutes daydreaming about all the beautiful colors of ribbon you could use on a wreath like this.

4. Paper Cup Wreath ... Wait, What?

Initially the idea of a "paper cup wreath" struck me as... well... a little bit like a kindergarten project. When I saw the execution, though, I was proved to be wrong once again.

I love the clean white lines here. And, again, it's so very simple. Nothing but paper cups, stacked, shaped, and glued in place with a glue gun.

5. Clothespin Wreath

I'm a fan of the "sunburst" style that everybody in the blogosphere is going so nuts for lately. But I think in my house it wouldn't look quite right, unless it were altered or somethow understated. I think that's what I like so much about this clothespin wreath. It's got a very mid-century modern shape and design to it, but uses such simple, traditional materials--clothespins and embroidery hoops? Cheap, easy, and fun.

To mod this up even more, you could spray paint it gold, white, or perhaps mustard yellow. What do you think?

A New Arrival + DIY Book Boxes

2011-09-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mother in Law Scrimp took me to a new antique shop that opened up by her house. It's amazing. Everything in the store is purchased cheaply at estate sales and re-sold just as cheaply. I just had to take advantage of it.

Are you ready to see what we bought? Are you?

Ok. :)

Excuse the grit on the floor underneath it. I didn't sweep up after Mr. Scrimp and his brother carried it inside.

It's a lovely art deco-style buffet, with beautiful old hardware. There are some dings and nicks here and there but really it's in excellent condition.

I think the thing I am most in love with is the beautiful, simple woodwork:

I hope you can see it there. The way that the grain in the middle has been arranged to create a circle. Or the way that it forms a sort of "knot" around each of the door handles on the left and right. Or the lovely knot in the very center of the bottom drawer?

It fills me with joy.

Perhaps you wonder how much we paid for our beautiful new buffet? (which, by the way, is, not going to be used as a buffet but as a new dresser in our bedroom, which I am getting ready to completely overhaul).

This is the best part.

Are you ready for this?

$70.

Not even kidding.

As I mentioned, I'm going to be using it in the bedroom. Mr. Scrimp's first comment on seeing it (I bought it without showing him first) was "Great! More room for me to put stuff on top of it!"

It's sad but true, folks. We are clutter accumulators. It doesn't seem to matter how often I organize, how many times we throw things away. Our house just grows clutter. Books, odds and ends, receipts, papers, jewelry, loose change, batteries, pill bottles... my current dresser is totally crowded with all of those right now and I don't want to spoil that beautiful new buffet by covering it with junk.

Since I know by now that we will NEVER be able to get rid of all our junk (like I said, our house grows it), I decided that the next best thing would be to hide/organize it in a pretty way. I decided that book boxes would probably be the best option, but have you SEEN how much those things cost? (Hint: It's a lot. $60-90 for a set of three).

That's stupid. I'm fairly handy with a paintbrush, and I'm not super picky, so I stopped by a craft store and picked up two papier-mache book boxes (for a grand total of $6). You know the ones I'm talking about, right?

Never one to spend money on a project when I could get almost-as-good results without dropping the cash, I spent my lunch break yesterday painting them with the colors I had on-hand. Fortunately, Mr. Scrimp likes to paint and so do I, so we had quite a few colors available.

I'm going to go back after work today and touch these up here and there, but overall I'm really pleased with the result. The green box is trimmed in gold. You can't see it in the photo, but the outside of the yellow box is painted in sepia around the spine to make it look like it was partially bound in leather.

I painted the "pages" in off-white, let it dry, and then did a glaze of shimmery gold. I didn't worry too much about making the gold glaze look smooth, because I wanted it to have the effect of pages. I think I pretty much hit the look I was going for.

Two boxes should be adequate to contain the ridiculous sprawl of clutter that lives on our dresser right now, but if it isn't, then it's no big deal. At $3/box, I can hardly complain that these were pricey. And the only artistic talent they really required of me was a color choice and the ability to make a straight line and a circle.

I'm not entirely convinced I love the color of the yellow one--I may yet change it (maybe to brown?) but for a $3 knockoff, I'll absolutely take it.

Home Remedies: DIY Cough Syrup recipe

2011-09-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again. The students are back at school and the teachers are coming home with colds and giving them to their wives.

"But Mrs. Scrimp," you may say, "you told me that you take elderberry extract religiously and almost never get sick!"

Oh yes. You're right. I said that. It's even true. Except, I hadn't started taking it yet because I'm a dummy and don't always follow my own good advice. Do as I say, blog readers, not as I do, or you too may end up like me--sick and sad.

But, if you are sick, there are lots of things you can do to make yourself feel better! Consider buying some Yogi Cold Season tea, or Gypsy Cold Care from Traditional Medicinals. Or, you can make cough syrup at home. And I can tell you how.

For most of this, I used either cooking spices or the contents of herbal tea bags. Coltsfoot and elderberry are the only two ingredients I had in my pantry that you might not be able to find at the grocery store. It will be slightly less efficacious without them, but still helpful.

Homemade cough syrup:

2-3 cups water
1/3 cup honey
3 heaping Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp elderberries
1 Tbsp chamomile
1 Tbsp peppermint
1/2 tbsp coltsfoot
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp echinacea
1 tsp sage
1/4 tsp clove
4 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp sweet red wine
1 hot pepper

Boil water and honey in a medium-sized pot. Add all herbs, including garlic and pepper. Boil for 1-2 hours, or until reduced by half. Add wine and boil for 5-10 more minutes.

It will look gross.

Secure cheesecloth over a clean canning jar. If you have a canning funnel, now is the time to break it out as well, over the cheesecloth. The cloth will help hold it snug against the jar while you pour.

Gradually strain the syrup through the cheesecloth, being careful not to let it overflow.

If you're using pasteurized vinegar, go ahead and add it now. If using raw vinegar (recommended for colds because of its probiotic content), wait until the syrup is totally cool before adding it. Mix well.

My recipe made about a quart of syrup, which should last for 2-3 months in the fridge.

Take 1 Tbsp as needed for coughs and colds. I find that one tablespoon clears up my symptoms for 1-2 hours before I need to take more.

Important notes: For children under 2 years old, cook with maple syrup instead of honey. If you have liver disease, omit the coltsfoot. If you are pregnant or nursing, always check with your doctor or midwife before using herbs.

Menu Planning Monday

2011-09-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, is it Monday again already? Unbelievable! This weekend went by like a flash.

We made it to the farmers market this week, which really helped supplement our food supply since we didn't get much meat from our CSA. The produce available at the market is starting to change and we're seeing fewer delicate, summery vegetables and more apples, squash, and other hardy plants.

For your own free, downloadable menu
planner, go here

That's ok with me, though. We're halfway through September, and I am looking forward to eating more fall foods.

Here's what we have to eat this week:

1 pint mixed color cherry tomatoes
2 dozen pastured chicken eggs
1 bunch carrots with tops
1 bunch turnip greens
2 ct green bell peppers
2 ct poblano chili peppers
1.5 lbs Stanley plums
2 heads broccoli
2 heads cauliflower
1 bunch candy striped beets with tops
1 bunch multi-color swiss chard
Approx 1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes
Approx 1.5 lbs nectarines
1 beef tongue
2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup ground coconut
2 lbs black beans, soaked
1 lb lard
1 rack of ribs
2 pork hocks
1 beef soup bone
1 lb bangers
2 eggplant
3 butternut squash
1 gallon raw milk
3 slicing cucumbers
1 pint pickling cucumbers
4 apples
1 lb yellow wax beans
2 onions
2 heads garlic
2 lbs hot peppers
1/4 qt raw apple cider
8 oz havarti cheese

Monday

Lunch: Hard-boiled eggs with diced tomato, hot pepper, mayonnaise, and onion. (Ingredients used: 2 eggs, 1 tomato, 1 hot pepper, mayonnaise, 1/2 onion)

Dinner: Roasted beans and carrots with garlic, cider-braised pork ribs (Ingredients used: rack of ribs, 1 lb beans, 1 bunch carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 qt cider)

Leftovers: 2 servings ribs

Tuesday:

Lunch: Black bean and tomato salad with roasted garlic (Ingredients used: 1 tomato, 4 cloves garlic, 2 cups black beans, olive oil, raw vinegar)

Dinner: Pot luck - steamed/wilted greens with garlic (Ingredients used: Chard and beet greens, garlic, olive oil)

Leftovers: None

Wednesday:

Lunch: Leftover ribs with sliced vinegar cucumbers (Ingredients used: ribs, 2 cucumbers, vinegar, salt)

Dinner: Braised pork hocks with black bean and tomato salad and steamed greens (Ingredients used: pork hocks, vinegar, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tomato, 1/2 onion, 4 cups black beans, beet tops)

Leftovers: 2.5 servings pork, 2 servings black bean salad, braising liquid/aspic

Thursday

Lunch: Braised pork, black bean salad for Mr.Scrimp and roasted beets for Mrs. Scrimp (Ingredients used: leftover black bean salad, roasted beets, garlic, salt, oil)

Dinner: Roasted butternut squash soup (Ingredients used: Butternut squash, garlic, almonds (ground), pork braising liquid, raw milk, braised pork, salt, bay, onion)

Leftovers: 6 servings butternut squash soup, 1 serving black bean salad

Friday

Lunch: Black bean and cucumber salad, butternut squash soup (Ingredients used: black bean salad, cucumber, butternut squash soup)

Dinner: Bangers with mashed/pureed cauliflower and roasted eggplant (Ingredients used: bangers, 2 heads cauliflower, raw milk, havarti cheese, salt, pepper, 2 eggplants)

Leftovers: 2 servings cauliflower puree, 4 servings butternut squash soup, 2 servings eggplant

Saturday:

Lunch: Cauliflower/eggplant bake with cheese (Ingredients: Cauliflower puree, roasted eggplant, havarti cheese, ground almonds)

Dinner: Braised tongue with black beans (Ingredients: Beef tongue, hot peppers, onions, tomato, black beans, vinegar, garlic, cumin)

Leftovers: 4 servings butternut squash soup

Sunday:

Lunch: n/a

Dinner: Butternut squash soup, cherry tomatoes (Ingredients used: Butternut squash soup, cherry tomatoes)

Leftovers: Maybe some soup, but probably not

As usual, the remaining ingredients have non-meal plans already in place:

The nectarines will be made into jam
The pickling cucumbers will be... well... pickled
The apples will be turned into applesauce and canned, or used for apple jam
Everything else will be put back into the fridge or freezer and stored for later

I'm looking forward to all the delicious things I get to eat this week! So excited for winter squash to be coming back into season. I don't know about you, but it's starting to get chilly here and that makes me want warm soups and hearty meats.

What are your favorite things to eat when the weather gets cold?

Showdown: Dried Beans vs. Canned Beans

2011-09-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Mr. Scrimp and I eat a lot of black beans, chickpeas, lentils, and pinto beans. We recently made the switch from canned beans to dried, and I'm here to tell you about why we did it, how it worked, and whether we're going to stick with it.

I had my doubts about this, and so did Mr. Scrimp. Dried beans require so much time. So much extra work. They are so much less convenient. And as far as taste and health benefits... well, there isn't really a difference, is there?

Turns out, I was wrong.

I'm going to do a side-by-side comparison here based on several criteria, using black beans. Prices will vary for other varieties.

1. Convenience.

Ok, it's true. When you're in a rush, you haven't made any plans, and you don't know what to eat, it's easier to open up a can of beans than it is to make them from dried. Dried beans require hours of preparation to be edible and flavorful.

However... if you eat beans a lot, or if you plan your meals ahead, as I do, this is really easy to get past. Dried beans need to soak for a least 8-12 hours before cooking. All that means is that you dump them into a bowl of water when you're making your morning coffee, and they're ready to go into the crockpot or onto the stove when you're done with work, where they will require 1-2 hours of low-hassle cooking.

Advantage: Canned beans, but only by a hair.

2. Price

Canned beans are hardly what I would call "pricey." Or are they? In my mind, $0.99 - $3.00 a can isn't half bad for a good source of both protein and fiber. But let's break that down a little more, shall we?

How much food will that $1-3 a can actually get you? Well, once it's drained, it's about 2 cups of beans.

Compare that to $0.50 - $3 for a pound of beans. Once soaked , cooked, and drained, that 1-lb bag will yield roughly 7 1/2 cups of beans. That is nearly four times more at the same price or less.

Advantage: Dried beans, absolutely

3. Flavor

I was really not expecting to find much of a taste difference between dried beans and canned. Honestly, I feel kind of stupid about that now. Canning makes everything else taste different, so why wouldn't the same hold true for beans?

I wouldn't say there's a huge difference in taste, but it's definitely there. Not to mention the lack of extra salt in the homemade variety.

Advantage: Dried beans

4. Health

So, is there any nutritional difference between canned and dried beans? My hypothesis was "not really," but a little research proved me to have been wrong again.

Nutritional information here is for navy beans because I had trouble finding a side-by-side on black beans, but the general idea is the same.

Canned Beans	Dried Beans
Calories: 296	Calories: 255
Protein: 20g	Protein: 15g
Sodium: 1174mg	Sodium: 0mg
Carbohydrates: 54g	Carbohydrates: 47g
Fiber: 13g	Fiber: 19g
Folate: 162 mcg	Folate: 255mcg

Turns out, canned beans have a little more protein, but also more carbohydrates, sodium, and calories. Dried beans, on the other hand, have more folate and fiber, and fewer calories per serving. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends dried beans over canned due to the reduced sodium and exposure to preservatives (via).

Advantage: Dried beans

5. Wild Card: Environmental Questions

The last issue I'm going to look at here is the BPA question. Bisphenol A is a chemical used in plastic manufacturing. A year ago this month, it was declared a toxic substance in Canada. America hasn't made it that far yet, although the FDA have published their concerns about the safety of BPA exposure in children.

BPA is an estrogenic compound, meaning that consuming it can throw your balance of hormones off. In women, this means increased weight gain, mood swings, water retention, and possible fertility problems. In men... well, actually, it means pretty much the same thing. Studies have shown that BPA can also affect normal dopamine and thyroid production, and some (but not all) studies have found evidence of a link between BPA and cancer.

There's more, but I think that's enough to be getting on with. For complete information, with sources, check out the Wikipedia page on BPA.

BPA is, in short, nasty, nasty stuff.

And it happens to be a byproduct of the plastics used to line the cans used in industrial canning. So those black beans? Those canned tomatoes? Chef Boyardee? You guessed it, my friends: unless specifically labeled otherwise, they contain bisphenol A.

Dried beans? No BPA. That's good enough for me.

Advantage: Dried beans

And the winner is...

Is there any question here? Dried beans beat out canned in 4 out of 5 categories, and that fifth category was hardly a landslide victory for the canned variety. If you're ignoring the better price, taste, nutrition, and environmental impact of dried beans for the sake of convenience, I suggest you think again.

Winner by TKO: Dried beans

To prepare dried beans

So, want to give it a try? One of the things that kept me back for a while was that I honestly just wasn't quite sure how to cook dried beans. Other than some vague ideas about soaking, I really wasn't sure. I almost always used canned beans. Now, I have two cooking methods to share with you!

Remember to always sort and rinse dried beans. Shriveled beans, rocks, sticks, and other detritus should be thrown out, and beans should be rinsed prior to soaking to remove dust.

Method 1

1 cup of dried beans should yield about 2 - 2 1/2 cups after rehydration.

For each cup of dried beans, add at least 3 cups of water to a large bowl or pot. Soak for at least 6-10 hours. Refrigerate while soaking if you want to avoid any chance of fermentation. The beans will absorb water; if you didn't add enough, you might need to top it off.

After 6-24 hours, drain all liquid from the beans, rinse them several times (until water runs clear) and cook for 1 - 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Method 2

Bring beans and water to a boil in an uncovered pot. Boil for 2-4 minutes, remove from heat, and let soak, covered, for at least an hour. Drain and cook as above.

For the best texture and flavor, don't add salt or acidic ingredients until the beans are already soft and ready to serve.

Note: Kidney beans must be boiled for at least five minutes, either during soaking or cooking, to remove toxins.

See? Most of it is soaking anyway, and that takes almost no time. Plus, soaked beans can be frozen. That's right! Did you know that? Because I sure didn't.

Freezing Soaked Beans

Soak and drain your beans as in the steps above. Put into bags, jars, or tupperware and freeze. When you need them, pull them out of the freezer and use them the way you would use canned beans. Check for tenderness when you eat them and be sure to cook until soft.

Five Dollar Decor: Decorative Letters

2011-09-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

It's back! After a nice, long, break, and by popular request, Five Dollar Decor has returned. I'd like to thank Pinterest for making it possible for me to once again return this feature to the blog. Without it, I'd still be stuck in the doldrums, with no inspiration for what to write about next.

And then... inspiration struck!

Everybody seems to be really into decorating with letters lately, and I am totally ok with that. You could go to Anthropologie or Urban Outfitters and pay beaucoup bucks for them, or you could go to your local craft store, spend an hour with some mod podge or paint, and whip up your own on the cheap.

I, predictably, favor the latter. Want to know how to do it? Here are five different styles for you to try.

Most of these use some variation on the cardboard or papier-mache letter, which can be purchased in the 8" height size from JoAnn Fabrics for a mere $2.99 a pop.

1. Map Monogram

Normally sold by Urban Outfitters for $13, this letter can be easily made at home with an atlas (or maps printed off of this website if you want the vintage look). The cost? Nothing but the price of the papier-mache letter, if you have maps and adhesive on hand.

A little mod podge, or even good old Elmer's glue will get that map right on there and ready to hang on the wall or decorate a bookshelf in your office or reading room.

2. Metal Monogram

I have an unholy love for all things Anthropologie, and their oversized zinc letters are no exception. At nearly $100 per letter, though, they are way out of my price range for accent decor. So, what's a girl to do?

Well, there are two great, cheap copycat options, one using paint and one using tin foil. The one that uses paint is my preference:

But the one using tin foil has a great look to it as well and offers a little more shine for your buck. Both are easily a tenth of the price as the Anthropologie version. Even if you have to buy paint, you shouldn't break $5 per letter here.

3. Jute Monogram

Along with the trend for typographical decorations lately, there's been a huge upsurge in the use of jute and burlap. Why not combine the two? Heather at Simple Daisy did, with results that I just love and want to copy immediately.

Fortunately, jute is just as cheap as those papier-mache letters.

4. Book Page Monogram

It's no secret that I love using book pages as decoration, so a letter made of letters is definitely up my alley. I can never bring myself to actually cut books up for these projects, but it would be easy to copy the look by printing quotes from your favorite book on linen paper and antiquing it!

The tutorial for book page letters actually uses flat wooden letters as a base, which can be bought from Michael's or JoAnn's for about the same price as the 3-d papier mache ones.

5. Colorful Monogram

For a more colorful look, combine paint and bright scrapbook paper in coordinating tones and shades. Thanks to the great variety of scrapbook paper out there, this last method is really limited by nothing but your own imagination as to how many looks it could generate. Wood-grain, peeling-paint, fabric, solid colors, and more--all with nothing more than a little paint and a little mod podge on a pre-made form.

For the full tutorial, you can go here.

I could have kept going. There were so many great ideas. So many beautiful pictures. But alas, I only had room for five.

How would you decorate with letters?

DIY Old-Fashioned Book Covers

2011-09-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a pile of books that looked like this...

and found yourself wishing that instead, they looked like this?

Well, wish no more, my friends! It is now in your grasp to have many leather-bound books, and an apartment that smells of rich mahogany. Ok, well, maybe not quite, but you can transform your bookshelf into a beautiful display of faux-antique volumes with this awesome and easy tutorial from Hydrangea Girl.

How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying: Tools

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 3 of How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying! Follow the links to find part 1 and part 2, where I cover ways to stop psyching yourself out and how to use lists to keep yourself organized.

This time, I want to talk about making sure that you give yourself the right tools to accomplish your goals. For me, these tools include organizational materials, good cleaning supplies, sturdy appliances, lists (covered elsewhere) and charts. In fact, I've created another Anthropologie knockoff for everyone--this time, it's a chore chart (for adults!). Honestly, I don't know why I didn't make one of these sooner just for my own use, because I've been needing one.

Full-size printable download
at the bottom of the post.

Honestly, a chart is just a list by another name, so I'm not going to focus too much on that particular tool. Instead, I'm going to talk about the homemaking tools that I've found I just can't do without. Stock up on these, and homemaking will become just a little bit less of a hassle.

Let's leave aside kitchen tools for now. I've already shared the most important tools to have in your kitchen. What about the rest of the house, though?

Cleaning Products

This is job one. We in the Scrimp household like to keep it green as much as we can. If I had more time, I'd make my own by steeping herbs in white vinegar and decanting that into a spray bottle. But, since I don't, "green" for us usually means Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. Since the first time we used it, Mrs. Meyers has impressed Mr. Scrimp and me with its non-toxic combo of relatively good price point and reliable effectiveness.

I like the lemongrass scent.

I do also use Pledge furniture polish, because I grew up with it. However, I'm going to be switching to homemade soon (and sharing a recipe for homemade furniture polish with you when I do).

Here are the cleaning supplies I can't do without:

Mrs. Meyers Surface Scrub (for sinks, tubs, toilets, and dishes that need scouring)
Mrs. Meyers All-Purpose Cleaner (diluted to various strengths for floors and counters)
Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap
Mrs. Meyers Laundry Soap
Lemon Pledge Furniture Polish

Household Accessories

An accessory here is anything that I wouldn't call a "product" (a term I reserve for soaps, polishes, surfactants, and the like) but that doesn't come quite to the level of an appliance (such as a vacuum cleaner).

Here are the accessories I like to make sure I have a good supply of. I can do without most of them, but having them all makes my life much easier and a lot of tasks much less time-consuming. Having my home pre-stocked with all of these saves me time when I need something immediately, and keeps me from having to improvise.

Clean sponges (for washing and scrubbing)
Clean cotton rags (for dusting, polishing, drying, and wiping)
A sturdy broom and dustpan
Plastic shoeboxes or lidded containers for sorting and organizing
Tape (clear, packing, duct, electrical, double-sided, and masking or painter's tape)
Batteries
Staples and stapler
Command or other adhesive hooks
Lightbulbs (75 and 100 watt; we like it bright in our house)
Sandpaper in several grits
A mop and bucket
Recycled plastic containers (for sorting or storage of non-food items)
Decorative baskets
Clean aprons
Empty spray bottles and squeeze bottles
Extra coat/closet hangers
Superglue, wood glue, and white glue

Household Appliances

There are really no household appliances that you can't do without, but having the following sure does make housekeeping easier.

Iron and ironing board
Vacuum cleaner
Washing machine and dryer
Dishwasher (I haven't got one of these, but I will someday!)
Fans (for keeping guests comfortable and ventilating stuffy rooms) and a space heater (for guests and chilly spaces)

Paper Products

There are people out there who don't use any paper products around the house, but I am definitely not one of them. Nor do I feel a need to be. I keep my use of disposable products to a minimum for reasons of frugality, but I still use them. Having your pantry stocked with a few essentials will make your life easier and simpler. No more running to the store every five minutes for something you forgot. Get it in stock and keep it in stock.

Paper towels
Toilet paper
Paper napkins (we use cloth, but paper comes out for parties)
Paper cups and plates (again, for parties only)
Loose-leaf writing paper or notebooks
Printer paper

Now... About That Chore Chart

Just about every job I've ever had included some sort of chore chart or to-do list, and I had one as a kid to help me learn how to keep things clean and get things done. I bet the same things are true of you. So, why wouldn't you have the same thing now, at home?

If it's just you keeping house by yourself, this may be less useful. But I like it because it lays out what needs to get done. No discussion of who. No discussion of why. No discussion of when. Everybody knows what needs to be done, you all check things off as you go, and at the end of the week you hope you got everything done--together.

Feel free to save, print, and share the downloadable chore chart -- but make sure you remember to tell people about Scrimpalicious when you do!

Menu Planning Monday

2011-09-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Wow. The response to last week's printable menu planner was way bigger than I expected! Thanks for visiting, everyone!

This week we weren't able to make it to the farmers market, and our CSA didn't include any meat, so things are a bit slim on the in-stock provisions side. Toward the end of last week we sort of fell away from following the menu plan strictly (read: I didn't bother thawing the tongue) so there are some unexpected leftovers for me to work with, and the rest I'll supplement with a quick trip to the grocery store.

This week, we have:

4 eggplants
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
1/2 peck apples
1 pound roma tomatoes
1 pound organic slicing tomatoes
1 cucumber
8oz kale
2 bags lettuce/salad greens
1 rack ribs
1 beef tongue
2 dozen eggs
1 gallon raw milk
3 pounds dry black beans
1 pound almonds
1 turkey leg
2 lb yellow wax beans
2 onions
1 lb pumpkin sage linguini
2 yellow squash
1 zucchini

I know. Slim pickings compared to last week, right? I think I may run down to the market and pick up a few extra things, such as:

Beef stew meat
Chicken thighs
Butternut squash

Monday:

Lunch: Salad with lettuce, peppers, and tomato (Ingredients used: 2 bell peppers, 4oz lettuce, 1 tomato)

Dinner: Bean salad w/yellow wax beans, diced tomatoes, 1/4 diced onion, raw vinegar. Turkey soup.(Ingredients used: 2lb yellow wax beans, 1 tomato, 1/4 onion. Milk, flour, turkey leg, onion, zucchini, yellow squash.)

Leftovers: 2 servings bean salad, 2 servings soup

Tuesday:

Lunch: Turkey soup, bean salad (Ingredients used: Leftovers)

Dinner: Bible study/small group - pot luck. Contributing: Not sure, but probably a pizza. Don't judge me.

Wednesday:

Lunch: Black bean and tomato salad with mayonnaise and chopped hard-boiled egg (Ingredients: 1/2 lb black beans, 1 tomato, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1/4 diced onion, 2 eggs)

Dinner: Stewed shwarma with baba ganouj and cucumber spears (Ingredients: 1 lb beef stew meat, 4 eggplants, garlic, cucumber, lemon juice, spices, 1/4 onion)

Leftovers: 4 servings baba ganouj, 2 servings shwarma

Thursday:

Lunch: Leftover shwarma and baba ganouj (Ingredients: leftovers)

Dinner: Baked chicken with steamed garlic kale (Ingredients: 2lb chicken thighs, 8 oz kale)

Leftovers: 4 servings chicken, 2 servings baba ganouj

Friday

Lunch: Chicken salad with onion and almond slivers (Ingredients: 4 servings chicken, 1/4 diced onion)

Dinner: Chili with braised tongue and black beans (Ingredients: 1 lb black beans, beef tongue, tomato, onion, frozen corn)

Leftovers: 2 servings chicken salad, 4 servings chili

Saturday

Lunch: Leftover chili, green salad (Ingredients: leftovers, lettuce)

Dinner: Leftover chicken salad, butternut squash soup (Ingredients: Leftovers, butternut squash, onion, garlic, salt, milk)

Leftovers: 2 servings chili, 2-4 servings butternut squash soup

Sunday

Lunch: Eating with Mr. Scrimp's parents!

Dinner: Leftovers

What to do with the extras?

There are fewer extras this week. The linguini will stay in the freezer until such a time as we are on a less strictly low-carb diet. The ribs will stay in the freezer until next week.

The apples will become applesauce and be canned (yum!), and the almonds will stick around to be used variously as a snack, a flour/breadcrumb substitute, and a garnish.

What are you eating this week?

Recipe: Liver and Onions

2011-09-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

I know some of you read the title of this blog post and immediately wrinkle your nose in disgust (hi mom!). Well, wrinkle no more. If you've tried liver and you hate it--well, fine. To each his own. But I maintain that this is a delicious thing to eat. Mr. Scrimp and I enjoy it on a fairly regular basis.

This is a simple recipe and most of what it requires is time... and an enjoyment of liver. I first started eating liver because I was anemic, and it turned out that Mr. Scrimp and I both had a taste for it, especially with onions. Make sure, by the way, that you have enough onion to go with your liver. The sweetness of the onion compliments the richness of liver perfectly.

Ingredients (makes 2)

1-2 large onions, sliced thin
1 zucchini, cubed
1-2 generous pinches of sea salt
3-4 tablespoons lard, butter, or peanut oil (lard is best)
2 servings liver (the poundage will depend here on what type of liver you use. We use beef, usually)

Soaking your liver for a few hours in lemon juice before cooking will improve the texture and make the flavor slightly less liver-y.

Begin by warming up your fat over medium heat. See the photo up top? That isn't butter I'm using--it's lard. It's that yellowy color because the lard came from the barbecued pork shoulder we made earlier this week. Add onions and stir thoroughly to coat. Let them sit for a long, long time. I cooked mine for probably 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes and keeping a close eye on them.

When the onions begin to reduce and caramelize, add the zucchini and stir well. Cook this mixture for another 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is cooked as much as you want it to be.

If you're like me, you're going to be very impatient here and throw the liver in with the onions and zucchini. This is not the best idea, because it's going to turn everything in the pan brown and unappetizing. I can prove it. I took a picture (with a little tomato to brighten it up) and couldn't even put it above the cut:

Before I added the liver, those onions were still a beautiful red, and the zucchini was greener. I ate that, and so I know it's delicious, but looking at it... well, it isn't the most appealing thing in the whole world, I do admit.

Anyway, do your eyes a favor and take the onions and zucchini out of the pan. Leave behind as much oil as you can.

Make sure your liver is trimmed so that any weird membranes or other bits have been removed. If you want, you can coat it in some flour (no need for egg wash; liver is sticky) before you throw it in the pan. Add a little more fat to the pan if you don't think there's enough, and then put your liver into the pan.

Liver browns fairly quickly, so you'll want to keep an eye on it from this point out. You can eat it pink (some people like to eat it raw, which I am just not able to do). Don't overcook it, or it will get very tough. As soon as it's cooked through, pull it off the heat, heap it high with onions and zucchini, and serve.

A note on liver: the liver is an organ that cleans toxins out of the body. To get the healthiest and best-tasting liver, make sure you look for livers of grassfed, pastured animals. These have been subject to less stress and fewer toxins.

Reversible Napkins and Placemats

2011-09-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

Centsational Girl shares a great tutorial on how to make quick and easy reversible napkins and placemats, to add a personalized touch to your dining room.

I love the patterns and colors she chose. I also love the idea of having placemats that, when they get dirty or boring, can just be flipped upside down for a quick change. Or, you could do an "everyday" fabric on one side and a more formal, prettier fabric on the other. Have company? Don't go rummaging through your linen closet for the pretty table linens. Just flip the placemats upside down!

For the tuturial and a lot more beautiful pictures, visit The Centsational Girl.

Recipe: Pickled Onions

2011-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Want to feast your eyes on something beautiful? Look no further. Behold and gaze upon one of the most beautiful sights known to the food preservation world:

I had to make it extra-big. It's just so pretty.

I know they look a little bit like strawberries. I know they look like Valentine's Day in a jar. But those, my friends, are pickled red onions about to be processed in a water bath.

As you may remember, I like canning in small batches. It takes the fear out of it for me, and makes it a fun, quick project instead of a long, tedious one. I filled three half-pint jars with pickled onions, processed them, and had the kitchen tidied up and from start to finish it only took me about an hour.

If you love pickled onions but don't love canning (or just aren't ready to try), this recipe is for you. Pickled onions can be made without canning and will keep just fine in the fridge for several weeks.

Pickled Onions (makes 2 pints)

2 large onions
1 1/2 cups vinegar, diluted to 5% acidity. I used white vinegar here but you could use apple cider or red wine vinegar as well.
1-2 Tbsp honey
Pinch salt (I used red Hawaiian sea salt)
Optional: Whole cloves, cinnamon stick, whole allspice, star anise, ginger (experiment!)
Optional: 5-10 drops red food coloring or beet juice (red onions will lose their color over time after canning; food coloring will keep them that beautiful pink color)

If you're planning to can your onions, begin by filling up a deep pot with water and putting it on the stove. You want it to be boiling by the time the rest of your steps are done. This is also a good time to wash and sanitize your jars, either by hand washing in hot water or by running them through a dishwasher cycle and rinsing well. Put the jars in the water as it heats up to sterilize and keep them clean. Put the lids (the part with the rubber) in a bowl and, when the water boils, scoop a little water over the lids to soften the rubber. Don't boil the lids.

Peel your onions. Try not to be stupid and get onion juice in any paper cuts you might have on your hands (I speak from experience). Put them down and take a moment to think about how beautiful a peeled red onion is.

You know it's true.

Then, gird up your loins, grab your chef's knife, and start slicing those suckers up.

If you're like me, this is going to be the point where you almost quit. Onions are a misery to cut. I had to flee my kitchen twice because my eyes simply got so overwhelmed by the potency of these onions that they refused to continue seeing things. Tears steaming down my face, all I could do was stand there and blink in the middle of my living room, holding my onion-y chef's knife in one hand and trying to remember not to rub my eyes with my onion-y other hand. It was full on chemical warfare--Mrs. Scrimp vs. the onions, and the onions came very close to winning.

Start slicing the onions at one of the ends, so that you end up with a series of discs made up of concentric rings, about 1/16"-1/8" thick. Then, quarter those discs and break the rings apart into individual slices. Try not to go completely blind. I wish you luck with this task.

As soon as you finish cutting up your onions, shove them hastily into a pyrex or other lidded container and seal those bad boys up in the hope that whatever remaining deadly onion fumes they have to release will be safely contained.

In a small pot (nonreactive, if you've got one), bring the vinegar, honey, salt, and any spices to a boil. If you are planning to add food coloring to keep the onions from turning white, add that now. Add the onions and cover before the vinegar and onion fumes overwhelm you.

N.B. Did you know that during the 1918 flu epidemic, people recommended boiling vinegar with onions and hot peppers all day to clear bad air out of a house? Whatever else it did, I'm sure it certainly helped people keep their sinuses clear.

Cook the onion for 2-5 minutes, but no longer. You don't want it to get too soft. Pull the pot off the heat and prepare your jars for filling.

Using whatever implements you may have handy (I used tongs and a measuring cup), fill the jars with onions and then pour the remaining vinegar-honey mixture over the onions, leaving 1/8" headspace at the top of the jars. Wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw the rings on just as tight as you can get them with one finger and no tighter. Immerse in boiling water and process for 10 minutes.

Pickled onions should sit in the jar for at least 2-3 days before being eaten, so try to avoid the temptation to crack right into one of those jars for as long as you can. I know it's hard. I've been there.

Non-Canning Directions

Wash your jars or other containers in hot water, but skip all the boiling. Cook the onions in vinegar as directed above, but after you transfer them into their jars, you can just put a lid on and pop them right in the fridge. Give them a few days before you try eating them, to really let the flavors set. Without heat processing, pickled onions should last for a week or two.

Linked at Simple Lives Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Preparedness Challenge, and Real Food Freaks.

Elderberry Extract: How to Make it, and Why

2011-09-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Do you know what this is?

It's medicine. But not just any medicine. As you may have inferred from the reused bottles (salad dressing, curry paste, and jam, respectively), this medicine is 100% homemade.

The three bottles above hold three different kinds of extract. Just like vanilla extract (which you can make by this same method, by the way), the method can be simplified down to "add some plant matter to some vodka and wait." Today, what I'm going to talk about is the tall bottle of elderberry extract--how to make elderberry extract, and why you should.

Mr. Scrimp and I make a point of taking elderberry extract every day in the fall and winter months. Elderberry, or sambucus nigra, contains potent flavonoids that have been shown to fight and possibly even kill the virus that causes influenza. It certainly helps to alleviate flu symptoms, and there's evidence that it will prevent flu altogether, including H1N1. We've been doing our elderberry regimen for two years now and haven't had the flu since we started.

At Whole Foods, where we bought our first bottle of the stuff, a little 4oz bottle with dropper will run you about $14. We were ok with paying that at first, because flu prevention was absolutely worth the price. But later, I learned that it's incredibly simple and cheap to make your own elderberry extract. So this year, I decided to give it a try.

The only ingredients needed to make a simple extract are plant matter (in this case, dried elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs) and alcohol. I use 100 proof vodka. Some people use Everclear. For cooking extracts (like vanilla), you can use something with more nuanced flavors, like strong brandy.

Some people say you should splurge on expensive vodka if you want a really superior product, but I personally am of the opinion that there's no reason to use expensive vodka on medicine. The cheap stuff will do just as well, and it isn't like you're doing shots of it at a party. So, we picked up a huge bottle of the cheapest stuff we could find and ignored the dubious expression of the cashier at the liquor store, who clearly believed we were as dissolute a pair of alkies as she had ever laid eyes on.

1/2 gallon of vodka: $16.00

4oz elderberries: $3.50

1 glass jar or bottle: free (on hand)

Step 1: Thoroughly wash, in hot water, a recycled bottle (or jar) with screw-top lid, and air dry.

I didn't use all the elderberries. Dried herbs are incredibly lightweight, so I find I always get way more than I expect to and I always overbuy. In this case, I spent $30 on various herbs for extracts and teas, and ended up with a box twice as big as the one I expected. Score! I'm going to say I used about half of what I had in terms of elderberry (I didn't measure exactly), at a cost of $1.75.

Step 2: Add elderberries to bottle.

Are you following? I know this is hard.

Step 3: Add alcohol.

I didn't use the entire gallon of vodka, either, because that would have made enough extract to supply our entire neighborhood, let alone our little family of two. The jar I used to make it holds about 10 ounces. So, let's figure that out of the 64 ounces in our half-gallon, we used 10, for a total of $2.50 worth of vodka.

Step 4: Wait 6 weeks.

Label your bottle, or make a note on your calendar, or something to remind you of exactly when it is that you started this damn project. It takes about 6 weeks for an extract to reach full potency, although with cooking extracts I find that the longer you let something sit, the better, mellower, and more delicious the flavor gets.

Store your bottles in a cool, dark place. You can put them in the fridge or even in the freezer, but I think things go a little faster if you just put them in the cupboard.

Step 5: Drain and store

Not everybody removes the plant matter from their extract after the 6-week brewing period. I leave vanilla beans in my vanilla extract, and with something like elderberry, where you're using it as a preventative rather than a curative, that's probably fine. With extracts used to treat specific ailments, where the proportions and strengths are a little more important, you probably want to sieve the berries or leaves out in order to maintain a more fixed potency.

Step 6: Enjoy

Take 1-3 tablespoons of extract per day during flu season to prevent influenza. I like it mixed with a little seltzer or milk, Mr. Scrimp tends to drink it in water. You can experiment to find the way you prefer it. I don't recommend taking it straight, just because it is a concentrated extract. Remember the first time you tasted straight vanilla extract because you thought it would taste like delicious vanilla? Same problem here. A little goes a VERY long way.

Total Cost

For 10 ounces of homemade elderberry extract, I paid $4.25, meaning that the $14 bottle of extract I bought at Whole Foods, that little 4oz thing with the dropper in it, cost me only $1.70 to make at home. That's almost ten times less!

Is there an herbal remedy you'd like to know more about? Leave a comment and let me know!

Raw Milk Ohio: Part 2

2011-09-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

For Part 1, go here.

When we last saw our intrepid heroes, Mr. and Mrs. Scrimp were on their way to the market to meet the mysterious "Joshua," a raw milk distributor who was to weigh them in the balance and see if they were worthy of receiving his goods.

In all seriousness, though, we weren't really expecting things to be that crazy. Maybe a five minute chat about the summary of the contract, a few minutes reading it over, a signature, and we'd be on our merry way.

Well, not quite.

Because raw milk is unpopular with the ODA, you can't just go find a provider and sign up, even if all you're doing is legally buying an interest in a dairy herd. If you go talking about raw milk to farmers, the first thing that's going to happen is that you'll be viewed with suspicion.

With a little help from the friends who had directed us there in the first place, we found the place where we were to meet Joshua. We had no idea what he looked like, and I had stupidly forgotten his name, so we waited until we got someone's attention (there were three or four people working there that day).

"Er," we said. "Some friends said we could talk to someone here about raw milk?"

I think the guy may have actually physically winced. What I distinctly remember is that he immediately shushed us, looked around quickly, and then whispered, "you want Joshua."

Mr. Scrimp and I exchanged embarrassed glances, feeling like the guy whose phone rings in church because he forgot to turn the ringer off. Even though I don't actually think anybody else even noticed us, I started to feel like everybody was looking in our direction.

Someone got Joshua for us, and we repeated (in much quieter tones this time) our inquiry about milk. He, too, shushed us (even though now we were being very quiet), and, with a furtive look, told us we'd better come around in back.

Well, ok. At this point, even though we knew we weren't doing anything wrong, we were beginning to feel distinctly edgy. We made our way into the back where nobody could hear us, and explained to Joshua that our friends had sent us, that we wanted raw milk, we understood the law and the need for a farmshare agreement instead of a milk purchase, and were familiar with the risks of drinking raw milk.

He was having none of our assurances, though. What friends had sent us, he wanted to know. He took pains to explain the law, to explain how their system worked, and assure himself that we really knew what we were doing.

I, of course, felt less and less like I knew what we were doing the more questions he asked, but eventually he relaxed and apparently decided we were on the level.

We chatted a little. Joshua told us that they have to be extra-careful these days, that he has several personal friends who have been followed, investigated, arrested, and dragged into court, even when following the law. All for providing raw milk to informed people who want to drink it.

Let me interject here: raw milk isn't for everyone. I don't care what you drink. But I do firmly believe that everyone should have the choice to drink raw milk if they want, unharassed.

Joshua and Mr. Scrimp sat down to go over the contract. This took nearly 40 minutes, the first chunk of which involved a detailed questionnaire.

Did we work for state regulatory agencies? No. Did we work for the FDA? No. What would we be willing to do to maintain our right to drink raw milk?

Excuse me? We started to wonder if we were being recruited for some crazy milk militia. But no--Joshua explained that sometimes his customers get hassled just for doing business with him, and he wanted to be sure we were ok with handling that.

We were ok with handling it, but livid that it happens.

We promised never to share milk with anyone outside our immediate family, never to give it to children without parental consent, not to distribute or sell, and that we understood that we are not buying milk, but an interest in a dairy. We agreed that if we did get sick, we wouldn't sue them for it.

We paid the purchase price. The only thing left was to get the actual milk.

Our milk, we learned, comes in big plastic gallon jugs, just like grocery store milk. Every week, we drive to a house in our neighborhood, check a box next to our names, and get our milk out of a big refrigerator standing in the house's open garage. I have no idea who lives there. It's just the milk house.

We picked up our first gallon and brought it home. It's not the same color as regular milk. It's richer, and yellower. It smells, if this even makes sense, milkier. And it tastes amazing. Fresh and delicious.

So, our milk doesn't come from the store anymore. It comes from a farm, and an anonymous refrigerator.

And I'm totally happy with that.

Menu Planning Monday & Free Menu Planner

2011-09-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday, we get a big load of food from our CSA. On Saturdays, we go to the farmers market and fill in any gaps that we feel like our CSA didn't fill for the week. Then, it's time to eat!

However, if we don't plan out what we're going to do with all of our delicious produce, I know we're going to lose some of it to rot. Food from a CSA usually doesn't last as long as food from the grocery store, because it is almost always perfectly ripe when picked. So, it's important to have a plan for how we're going to use the delicious bounty of our local harvest without letting any of it go to waste.

I used to plan a menu and then go grocery shopping based on that plan. Now that we eat almost exclusively local, seasonal foods (at least during the harvest months, when the only non-local things we eat are organic canned beans and coconut milk), I have to reverse the process. Someone else picks the food I'm going to get, and I have to be creative to make it all work for us. It's been an exciting adventure trying to figure out how to do that.

Eventually what I did was to come up with a dual-function shopping and menu planning list (as you see above). It works in either way--you can fill in all your available ingredients and then make a menu plan from those, or you can write a menu plan and choose the ingredients you'll need to buy to make it. But it's all there together so you always know exactly what food you have or need, and what you're going to be eating.

I've included my list (a knockoff of the Anthropologie style "What to Eat" and "All Out Of" notepads) at the bottom of this post as a downloadable file so that you can print it out and use it too! It's been formatted to fit a full 81/2 x 11" page so you have plenty of room for writing and can store week-by-week copies in a binder if you want.

Want to see how I do it? Below the cut, I've shared this week's food supply and the menu I made out of it so you can see what I'm talking about.

This week, the raw (ha!) materials that I have to work with are the following:

6 ears super sweet corn
3 lbs yukon gold potatoes
1 lb grassfed ground beef
2 ct green bell peppers
1 lb green beans
Approx 1.5 lbs freestone peaches
2 ct cucumbers
2 small zucchini
8 oz bag or bunch of kale
2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 Boston Butt pork shoulder roast, 3-4 lbs
16 oz container of BBQ sauce
3 grassfed beef soup bones
1 grassfed beef tongue
1 grassfed beef liver
1 gallon raw milk
2 dozen eggs
1 large eggplant
1 zucchini bigger than my head
2 red onions, 1 white onion
4 lemons
4 limes
1/2 package bacon
2 bags mixed greens/lettuces
1 qt pickling cucumbers
1 package locally made goat cheese
3 cans chickpeas
3 cans black beans
3 cans coconut milk
1 box Pomi tomato puree
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup dried coconut

Gosh... that seems like so much food! Especially when it's just for two people. Here is my menu plan for this week:

Breakfast every day is eggs. That's just how we roll. Our eggs are local, from pastured, grassfed chickens, and we love them. They're incredibly fresh and the yolks are a beautiful reddish-orange color that you almost never see in even the most expensive grocery store eggs. Grassfed, pastured eggs are much healthier than store bought. They have about 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, and include as much as 10 times more omega-3 fatty acids.

For lunch, we almost always just eat leftovers. But, I try to stagger the leftovers so that we aren't eating the same thing for days in a row. Don't know what I mean? Let me show you.

Menu Plan: 1st Week of September

Monday

Lunch: Cucumber, black bean, and cherry tomato salad dressed with raw vinegar and garnished with a dollop of goat cheese. (Ingredients used: 1 cucumber, 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 can black beans, 2 tablespoons goat cheese. Servings: 2)

Dinner: Braised pork shoulder with BBQ sauce and a green salad. (Ingredients used: Pork shoulder roast, jar of barbecue sauce, 1 bag greens. Servings: 8 of pork and 2 of salad)

Leftovers: 6 servings of BBQ pork

Tuesday

Lunch: Leftover BBQ pork with a side of tomato and cucumber salad with raw vinegar for me, and crunchy raw bell peppers for Mr. Scrimp (Ingredients used: BBQ pork, 1 cucumber, 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 bell pepper. Servings: 2)

Dinner: Tuesday night potluck w/Bible study group. Contribution: Baked zucchini fries breaded with homemade coconut flour. (Ingredients used: 2 small zucchini, 1/2 cup dried ground coconut)

Leftovers: 4 servings BBQ pork

Wednesday

Lunch: BLT salad with goat cheese and raw vinegar (Ingredients used: 4 slices bacon, 1 bag lettuce, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 2 Tbsp goat cheese. Servings: 2)

Dinner: Chili with sour cream and goat cheese (Ingredients used: 1 lb grassfed ground beef, 1 braised beef tongue, 2 slices bacon, 1 box Pomi tomatoes, 2 cans black beans, 1 onion, 1 ear corn. Servings: 8)

Leftovers: 6 servings chili, 4 servings BBQ pork

Thursday

Lunch: Leftover chili (Servings: 2)

Dinner: BBQ pork, baked eggplant with lemon and ground almond breading, steamed kale (Ingredients: BBQ pork, eggplant, 1 lemon, 1/2 cup ground almonds, 8oz kale. Servings: 2)

Leftovers: 4 servings chili, 2 servings BBQ pork

Friday

Lunch: BBQ pork with chickpea salad (Ingredients: BBQ pork, 1 can chickpeas, diced onion, raw vinegar, olive oil. Servings: 2)

Dinner: Chili, baked zucchini fries, sliced green peppers (Ingredients: Chili, 1 giant zucchini, 1/2 cup ground almonds, 1 green pepper. Servings: 2 of chili, 4 of zucchini fries)

Leftovers: 2 servings zucchini fries, 2 servings chili

Saturday (We do not typically eat breakfast on Saturdays because we like to sleep in, so we have an excuse to incorporate eggs into our other meals.)

Lunch: Coconut flour pancakes (Ingredients: Eggs, milk, coconut flour, honey, baking soda, salt. Servings: 2)

Dinner: Huevos rancheros with sour cream and baked zucchini fries (Ingredients: eggs, chili, sour cream, zucchini fries. Servings: 2)

Leftovers: None

Sunday

Lunch: n/a -- we eat with mother-in-law and father-in-law Scrimp on Sundays

Dinner: Liver and onions (Ingredients: beef liver, onion. Servings: 2)

Leftovers: None

What About the Rest?

You may have noticed that there were several ingredients I didn't mention at all in the above menu plan. Some of them, like the lemons and limes, just get consumed slowly slice by slice over the week--put into a glass of water, squeezed over a salad, or what have you. I'll pass over shelf-stable foods because those just get used up as they get used up and there's no rush to consume them before they go bad, but here are the rest:

6 5 ears super sweet corn
3 lbs yukon gold potatoes
Approx 1.5 lbs freestone peaches
3 grassfed beef soup bones
2 red onions
1 qt pickling cucumbers

The first three things on that list have one big common component: Lots of carbohydrates. Mr. Scrimp and I are currently eating a low-carb diet. But, we aren't going to be doing that forever, and I'm not about to let that delicious organic produce go to waste. So here's the plan.

The corn will be blanched, removed from the ear, and frozen for later. I really like to have some corn niblets on hand to throw into one-pot meals like chili or soup or stir-fry.

Potatoes will store for quite some time in the dark, so those will be tucked into the back of the pantry to be saved for a later date and will probably be cooked for a pot-luck or party.

The peaches, onions, and cucumbers are going to be canned and pickled respectively.

Two of the soup bones will be frozen, and one will go to make beef stock, which we use for all sorts of things. We drink it straight, add it to dishes that need liquid, and make gravy out of it. Delicious.

So, in the end, that big list of food that we got was just about the perfect amount for two people, with none left over at the end of the week. I had to sit and think about some of the ingredients--for instance, how to cook zucchini in a way that Mr. Scrimp would enjoy--but in the end I found uses for them all, even the ones I don't like (like bell peppers--yuck!).

Menu Planner Download

Want to try using my menu planner/grocery list? It includes spaces for planning breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with checkboxes for ingredients, and a column for notating the number of servings needed or eaters expected. Because there isn't room for an exhaustive list of ingredients, I've left blank lines for filling in extras.

To use, just download the file to your computer, open it in your preferred image-viewing/printing program, and print. Easy as pie!

I also made a Kosher version that replaces pork with fish. If you're a vegetarian, I recommend using this one because it has a couple of extra veggie and "other" options.

What are you eating this week?

(linked at Menu Plan Monday on OrgJunkie and Take a Look Tuesday)

Anthropologie Rosette Bedspread Tutorial

2011-09-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

I am almost speechless with admiration over this beautiful Anthropologie-inspired duvet made by Kirstin of kojodesigns. I don't know what I love most about it--the awesome low price? The fact that it completely captures the beautiful appeal of the much more expensive original? The simplicity of the project?

Nope, I can't decide. I love everything about it equally.

Kirstin used jersey (pillaged from t-shirts and some king-sized sheets). Sarah at This Crazy Blessed Life recreated the look using Kirstin's tutorial, white muslin from Wal-Mart, and an Ikea duvet for a total cost of (brace yourself) $53!

Compare that to $288 for the king-sized version at Anthropologie and you can color me totally impressed.

Ballard Hacking: Homemade Weathervane

2011-09-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love to see more than anything else is ideas and inspiration for how to copy upscale, expensive things accurately and on the cheap. For instance, I cannot even handle the way that Tracy from Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures created a free version of Ballard's $149 horse weather vane.

Tracy's horse is made out of wood and paper. Ballard's horse is made out of wood and cast iron. But, displayed on a shelf out of reach where it isn't likely to be damaged, does it really matter if your weather vane is just cardstock?

I think not.

Check out the whole process over at Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures.

Raw Milk Ohio: A Thrilling Tale of A Covert Operation, Part 1

2011-09-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Recently, as those who follow us on Facebook are already aware, Mr. Scrimp and I purchased an interest in a local dairy herd. We did this because we really wanted to start drinking raw milk. But, because Ohio raw milk laws prohibit sales of unpasteurized milk, we had to work pretty hard to find a safe, legal source.

Photo credit

I am going to share the story of how we came to be investors in a cow (or group of cows), because I want everyone to know what we had to go through here in Ohio to exercise our rights to food choice and food freedom. Sadly, I will not be able to share the real names of anyone involved in this story, because even though no laws were broken, the ODA have still been known to open investigations that often end in the unjust arrests of farmers involved in providing raw milk here.

The whole thing felt like some sort of drug deal or espionage. And, although everything we did was legal, according to our state and federal governments, it sort of was.

Mr. Scrimp and I have been talking for a long time about switching to raw milk. We had done our due diligence with reading and research and were reasonably convinced, not that raw milk is without risk, but that the risk was worth it to us personally. However, we knew that sale of raw milk was illegal in Ohio, and so we put it on the back burner and made do with some delicious local milk that, while not raw, is grassfed and low-heat pasteurized.

Then, a friend read my post on the Federal raid on Rawesome and sent me a message to let me know that if I was interested in raw milk, we should talk sometime.

I asked Mr. Scrimp if he was as interested as I was, and we agreed that we'd like to look into it a little more closely, especially if we could find a good local source.

As it turns out, the sale of raw milk in Ohio is not legal, but herdshare agreements and the sale of live animals absolutely are. And, if you own a portion of a dairy herd, you are entitled, legally, to a portion of the milk they produce, raw or not. Fortunately, at least in this state, what we do with the milk once we have it is still entirely our own business.

So I contacted our friend, and she gave us a place, a name, and a description. She and her husband have been raw milk consumers for some time now, and assured us that they've been getting milk from this particular farm for some time with no ill effects, and that we'd be able to take a farm tour should we want one (we do, but we haven't been able to go yet).

What we had to do was go to a local market and ask for "Joshua" (not his real name), and tell him that these friends had sent us. They agreed to pave the way by letting Joshua know that we would be coming. There would be a discussion, a contract, and an initial investment made to actually buy our share in the herd, after which we would become responsible for paying a monthly fee to Joshua for the upkeep and room and board of our portion of cow.

At this point, it was beginning to feel like we were undercover agents, or perhaps applicants for membership in la grande resistance. All we wanted was some milk, and before we ever left our house in search of it there were already hushed conversations and careful instructions--where to go, when to arrive, who to meet.

Accordingly, on the appointed day, we got in the car to go to the market, nervous and excited, ready to look for Joshua and present ourselves for his approval.

This is a long story, so I'm breaking it down into smaller chunks. Be sure to come back for Part 2 soon!

For some more background on Ohio raw milk laws, you can visit Ohio Raw Milk, or The Ohio Alliance for Raw Milk.

Don't want to miss a word? Subscribe to Scrimpalicious on Facebook or Twitter and always get an update when a new post goes up.

This blog post is linked up at the Living Well Blog Hop on Common Sense Homesteading.

How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying: Make a List

2011-08-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 2 of How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying! For part 1, you can go here.

Today, I'm going to talk about a strategy to help you get your mind in gear. I use this for cleaning, packing, organizing, cooking, and grocery shopping, and it has saved my life. It's three short words... are you ready?

I love these things

Make a list. It doesn't have to be long, fancy, or full of detail. Just make one. Most people respond really well to the sense of accomplishment and organization that comes with a list that's neatly crossed-off for the day.

Below the cut, I've shared with you some sample lists and ideas for how to incorporate lists into your daily life. Feel like you don't have time to make lists? You'd be surprised! Sometimes all my lists for a day take only five minutes, and I can write them while I drink my morning coffee.

I used to just jot all my lists down on the backs of envelopes and receipts as I thought of things. That's fine, but it's not super organized and if your list gets lost, you might be in trouble. So now I use Google documents to organize my lists online. I work on the computer all day, so if I think of something that needs to be added to a list, I add it right when I think of it.

1. Cleaning

I try to only list a couple of things per day that MUST be cleaned. If I list more, I get a bit overwhelmed. This includes things that are messy and things that just need maintenance or daily/weekly cleaning. I check the list several times throughout the day to remind myself of what I need to do, and I combine this with last week's suggestion to clean in quick bursts.

As a sample, here's my list for today. Some of these are daily chores and some are once-in-a-while chores.

Wash dishes for 15 minutes
Sort mail: throw away junk and organize bills
Do one load of laundry
Wipe down counters and stovetop

My overall cleaning to-do list is much longer but I know that this is what I really have time for this afternoon. Wednesdays are not a day with a lot of free time for me.

2. Chores and Errands

This list functions on exactly the same principles as the cleaning list. I choose what chores and errands need to be done out of a larger mental list/backlog. Today's list is/was:

Pay bills
Cancel a hotel reservation that we decided we didn't need
Grind almond flour and coconut flour
Write a blog post

3. Grocery Shopping

The grocery list is my favorite list. I happen to love grocery shopping, and I try to plan our meals out ahead of time so that I know exactly what we need and don't need for a week. By the end of the week, if I've done my job, we have exactly enough food and none left over. I budget a set dollar amount per week and try to keep my list within that limit by keeping up on what the average prices are for the things I want, shopping sales, negotiating (at the farmers market and with small local vendors), and using coupons.

It's harder to give you an example here, because it changes from week to week and meal to meal, but keep your eyes peeled because I'm going to be writing a post just about grocery lists shortly.

4. Other

There are several things that fall under the "other" category, so rather than make individual categories for each, I'm just going to put them all here. This usually means preparation for a one-time event, such as a trip, a party, or a project.

A list for a trip is usually a combination of "things to pack," "things to clean," and "things to buy." It really helps me keep from forgetting things and freaking out an hour into a trip because I forgot to pack our toothbrushes or something.

A list for a party generally includes "things to clean," "things to buy," "things to make," and any special categories that have to do with the theme of the party. Depending on the party I might want some special decorations, paper plates and napkins, a new mix CD or playlist for mood music, or gifts, games, and favors.

A project list generally includes the steps required to begin and complete a project, and any materials or instructions I need.

Does all this list-making actually qualify for "without really trying"?

If you aren't a list-maker by nature, this might sound like a lot of work for something that's supposed to be quick and easy. But I've learned over time that a little preparation can save a lot of headache later on. By taking five or ten minutes a day to maintain and update my lists, even if I only do it in my head, I am making sure that I don't forget things, overlook things, or let things get past their expiration or due date.

Lists and Rewards

If you don't find crossing items off your list to be a good enough motivator for writing one and sticking to it, consider coming up with other rewards. Perhaps if you complete your grocery shopping list, you will allow yourself to buy a treat with any money you saved. Maybe every time you complete a whole day's errand list, you treat yourself to a cup of coffee or a guilt-free half-hour browsing the Internet and reading your favorite blogs. You know what makes you happy. Use it!

Do you already keep lists? What kinds of lists do you use, and what sort of rewards do you give yourself?

Wooden Dice

2011-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about this project idea from The 36th Avenue. Mr. Scrimp and I love games of all kinds, and I think a couple of oversized, antiqued wooden dice would make a great piece of decor for our living room.

Aren't those great? I love the wood grain and the distressing. They'd be wonderful on a corner table, or perhaps as bookends!

Wood Dice Tutorial via Dollar Store Crafts

Recipe/Tutorial: Canned Peaches

2011-08-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Edit: This recipe has been updated to include a variation using honey in place of white sugar.

I just finished doing a little canning, and it was so quick and easy that I felt like I just had to share with you how to take advantage of the tail end of fresh peach season. That's right--today's easy-peasy things you should always do at home lesson is how to make canned peaches.

The only special tools you absolutely need for this are canning jars and a pot that will fit them plus enough water to cover them by at LEAST half an inch. I used 1/2 pint jelly jars from Wal-Mart ($8/dozen) and a soup pot.

You can scale this recipe up or down as needed. I had four big peaches, so the whole process only took me maybe an hour and a half, and didn't make a mess of my kitchen at all. I got two pints of canned peaches in syrup, divided into four jars. Just enough for two people to split for dessert on a cold winter's night.

This recipe is adapted from Canning For a New Generation's Peaches in Vanilla Syrup recipe (page 108). I made some changes in proportions and removed the vanilla.

Canned Peaches (makes 2 pints)

4 large peaches
1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar, diluted to 5% acidity (if you can't find raw vinegar, pasteurized works equally well)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups water

4 large peaches
1 Tbsp 5% vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 3/4 cups water

You will also need, as mentioned above, some canning jars with fresh lids (Never re-use lids on ball/mason type canning jars, as the rubber does not make a reliable seal more than once and food could spoil), one small pot or saucepan, a pot large enough to process jars in, a bowl full of ice water, and a ladle.

Thoroughly wash jars, lids, bowls, pots, and any utensils you plan to use while canning. Keeping a clean, sanitary work space is incredibly important when preserving food.

To peel the peaches, fill your larger pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp vinegar to the bowl of ice water and stir.

When the water is boiling, carefully place your peaches into the water. I slide them in two at a time, using a large slotted spoon. Boil the peaches for 45-60 seconds each and then immediately transfer them to the bowl of vinegared ice water. This process will not cook the peaches, but it should shock the skins enough that you can just sort of slide/rub the skin off with your fingers or some cheesecloth. Repeat until all of your peaches have been shocked.

Add jars to boiling water to sterilize. Turn down to a simmer and cover to minimize the clouds of steam in your kitchen. Put jar lids in a heat-proof bowl and cover with hot water from the pot or kettle. Set aside.

(At this point, if you are like me and don't have air conditioning, you may want to consider adding the optional step of running to another room of your house in search of a fan and setting it up in your kitchen to blow directly on your face.)

In a smaller pot or saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil to make syrup.

Slice the peaches in half and remove the stones (if you have cling peaches that refuse to let their stone go, try using a spoon to cut into the peach and scoop it away). Cut into slices or small chunks and return each peach to the vinegar water as you finish cutting it.

Remove jars from hot water, draining carefully. I like to use non-slip canning tongs for this but if you have one of those grabby silicone oven mitts that protect your hand no matter what molten craziness you subject it to, I bet it would work like a dream, too.

With a slotted spoon, transfer peaches into jars, allowing the vinegar water to drain back into the bowl. Pack the peaches into the jar, leaving about an inch of room between the peaches and the jar rim. This, if you haven't canned before, is known as "headspace."

Carefully ladle the syrup from the small pot into the jars over the peaches, leaving 1/4" headspace. Poke a chopstick or skewer down into the jars to help any air bubbles escape and to help the syrup work its way through to the bottom. With a damp cloth, wipe the jar rims clean of any spilled syrup.

Remove the jar lids from the bowl of hot water and put them on the jars, lining them up evenly so they can form a good seal. Screw a ring down onto the jar, but not too tight. You should be able to unscrew it using just one finger.

Make sure that that the water in your large pot is still boiling. Fill the pot with as many jars as it will hold without crowding (I was able to process all four of my 1/2 pint jars in one soup pot with plenty of room to spare), and boil the jars for 20 minutes to process them.

After 20 minutes, carefully remove the jars from the pot of boiling water and set them on a folded dishcloth on the counter. It's good to do this in an out-of-the-way spot, because the seal forms best if you leave the jars untouched for 24 hours.

After 1 hour, check the seals on the jars. When you push down with your finger, you should NOT be able to "pop" the lid up and/or down. This means that the jar did not form a vacuum and seal. Put any unsealed jars in the fridge immediately and eat the contents within a week or so.

Canned peaches keep for a year to a year and a half. I keep mine in a cool, dark place to ensure the longest shelf life and minimal sun damage.

Addendum: Did you notice that I didn't tell you to throw away the vinegar-peach water? That's because throwing it away would be a tragic waste! I'm not kidding. Raw vinegar is incredibly refreshing when diluted in water, and the peach bits that inevitably end up floating around in there add just enough extra flavor to make this a really pleasant pick-me-up after standing in all those clouds of steam!

Vinegar-Peach Drink (better than it sounds)

Leftover vinegar water from canning peaches
Any scraps of peach flesh left over from canning peaches
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey if desired
Plenty of ice

If you have any peach bits left over from canning, add them to (or leave them in) your bowl of vinegar water. Pour into a glass, sweeten to taste, and add a bunch of ice. This is a mildly flavored, slightly tangy drink. I know you think drinking vinegar water is crazy, but if you used raw vinegar, you will thank me for sharing this little post-canning recipe with you!

This post is linked at the Homestead Revival Barn Hop.

Project: Dixie Cup DIY Garland

2011-08-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am totally in love with this dixie cup garland from Hey Gorgeous. It's so pretty! And I LOVE Christmas lights--I bought a few strings the year we got married and am constantly moving them around the house and putting them up places all year round. Who says white lights are just for Christmas?

One of the things I love most about this project is that it is totally customizable to match your own personal style and color preferences. Because the cups are covered with scrapbook paper, you can go as wild and crazy--or as conservative--as you want. I'm thinking a series of bright mustard yellows with some grays or brick reds thrown in.

Dixie Cups are cheap. I actually have a mostly-unused package sitting around that need to be used up. I think it's time to pick up some cheap scrapbook paper.

Alternatively: Recycle wrapping paper, tissue paper, newspaper, brown paper shopping bags, or magazines instead of buying scrapbook paper.

DIY Dixie Cup Garland tutorial via Pinterest

How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying: Stop Looking at the Whole Picture!

2011-08-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to part 1 of How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying. This is written particularly for those of you who see the blogs and magazines and tv shows of fabulous people and immediately feel guilty and inadequate.

You know she's watching Living right now.

That's right.. now you can discover the fabulous secret knowledge that successful home-makers have always known!

Are you ready? I am about to give you five shocking domestic secrets that Martha Stewart doesn't want you to find out!

Well, not quite. But I am going to give you a piece of advice that you might not have heard before: Stop holding yourself to someone else's standards, and stop looking at the whole picture.

Wondering what I mean?

What is a Homemaker, Anyway?

I recognize that this is an antiquated and honestly pretty loaded word these days. Let's clear something up: When I say "homemaker," what I really mean is "anybody with a home of their own."

It does not matter one ounce if you are single, taken, male, or female. It doesn't matter if your home is a bedroom, dorm room, tree house, apartment, or mansion. It isn't about class, gender roles, sexuality, feminism, or anything other than making sure that you have a home that you like to live in.

With that introduction out of the way, let's get going.

Stop Holding Yourself to Someone Else's Standards

Magazines and television that talk about food, cleaning, organization, or crafts are kind of like pornography for the DIY-er's brain. They trick you into thinking that the preliminaries aren't worth watching, that everything is always clean and tidy, and that if you are doing it the right way you will always end up with something satisfying, perfectly packaged, and not embarrassing for anyone involved.

If the premise of this article intrigued you enough to click the "read more" button, you probably already know that this picture of perfection is a lie that makes you feel bad about yourself and also gives you an oddly soulless idea of what the perfect home should look like.

Anyway: get over it. If you live in your house it is going to get messy sometimes. If you try a new project, it might not come out just the way you imagined on the first attempt. And who cares? Celebrate the fact that you tried, learned, had fun, didn't have fun, and may or may not have set your stove on fire. I've tried to be Julia Child, and I've tried to be June Cleaver, and I'm just not. I'm Mrs. Scrimp and I'm never going to be anyone else.

But I did get some really great stories out of screwing up.

(Incidentally, I'm not telling you to stop reading those magazines. Are you kidding? Martha Stewart is my hero.)

(Don't judge me.)

Stop Looking at the Whole Picture

You heard me. Stop it.

Let me explain what I mean here.

If you're like me, you fall behind. Things get messy. Work gets busy. You get tired. And then, all of a sudden, you look like you're ready to audition for Hoarders and you can't remember what your closet floor looks like under all the clothes. Or maybe you've just thrown a party and everything is in total disarray thanks to a bevy of friends who visited and then didn't offer to help with the dishes.

At this point, as you stand in the middle of your house, looking around the destruction, you will be tempted to despair. It's too much. It's gone too far. The only solution is to burn your house down and move to a new town.

Well, put those matches down.

The only thing you accomplish by wringing your hands and looking at everything you have to do all at once is to overwhelm yourself completely. Pick one thing to focus on and focus on that. Digest the cooking or the dishes or the shopping or the crafts in small chunks instead of trying to do everything at once.

Take a glance at the whole picture, but don't paralyze yourself with the thought that it has to all be fixed immediately. You already know that you can't do that, so give the idea up.

By dividing your tasks up into small pieces and doing them here and there when you have time, you can remove a ton of the stress from homemaking, and you are likely to discover that you had a lot more time for this stuff than you thought you did.

Homework!

I'm going to give you a couple of simple tasks to try out. Let's call it homework, because that's what it is and because it's sort of a cute play on the "home" theme. Sort of.

Stop holding yourself to someone else's standards for what is and is not a happy, comfortable home. Decide what is important to you, and own it.
Pick one room, project, chore, or recipe, and do just that. Then give yourself a break and don't obsess about the rest.
Overwhelmed by mess or clutter? Set a timer for 20 minutes and clean as fast as you can. Stop as soon as it goes off. You might surprise yourself by how much you get done.
Don't have 20 minutes? Start with 5. Everyone has 5 minutes here and there. Don't have five minutes? I don't believe you. Look again.
Make a list of the things that you need to do in or for your home over the next week. When you have a free half-hour, pick something off the list and do it. Repeat as time allows.

Fruit: How to Choose the Best

2011-08-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Let's keep on with our back-to-the-basics approach of the last week or two and talk about some of the simple, basic skills that everybody should learn if they want to improve the way they eat and cook. Today, the topic is going to be fruit--specifically, how to choose the best fruit from that big, appealing pile at the market.

This is a skill that you have to practice, but it definitely gets easier with time. Whether you decide to choose local, organic, or conventional is a decision I will leave up to you. This is about making sure that when you go shopping, you find the best, ripest, tastiest fruit out there.

When it comes to shopping for produce, you have a huge starting advantage: you are made to be good at choosing good produce! The human body is a hunting-gathering machine, and picking good fruit out at the store is, at its most basic, just a question of learning how to use and listen to the senses you already have.

Remember, fruit will never taste as good out of season. Just because you can get strawberries from Mexico at Christmastime doesn't mean you should. They won't taste as good as you want them to.

1. Taste

Sadly, unless you are fortunate enough to be shopping at a market that regularly gives out samples, this is the sense you will use least. The best best best way to choose good fruit is to taste it first. You know better than anybody what tastes good to you, but I personally look for fruit that is sweet without being too sweet, tart without making me pucker, and juicy without tasting watery.

2. Touch

I never buy anything without touching it first. That goes for everything at the grocery store, but also books, fabric, home accents--you name it.

There are a couple of different kinds of fruit, and there are different touch guidelines for each type, so I'm going to break it down simply and explain how I personally categorize these.

Hard fruits: This mostly includes things like watermelon and honeydew, but also apples and some varieties of pear and nectarine. These should be quite firm to the touch. Don't worry about bumps or veins on the surface of melons--they won't get through to the meat. Soft spots mean trouble here, in the form of bruises, which will lead to rot.

Soft fruits: Soft varieties of pear, cantaloupe, tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, peaches, plums, and anything else similar that I'm forgetting right now. You will notice that most of these are stone fruits. When you touch them, these should not be too firm. When you pick up one of these fruits, it should feel instinctively obvious to you that if you poked it with your finger, it would dent the fruit and possibly break the skin. If you can't dent it with very light pressure, it isn't really ripe yet. If the skin splits or has already split, it is too ripe.

Note: Peaches are among the fruits most likely to contain high levels of pesticides due to their soft skin. If you eat conventionally grown peaches, be sure to wash very well with soap and water.

Citrus fruits: I love citrus fruits. If you are picking citrus fruits, make sure again that there are no soft spots. These should be softer than hard fruits but firmer than soft fruits. Pick several that are all the same size and weigh them in your hands--the heaviest one will almost always be the juiciest and best.

3. Sight

This is such an important part of the selection process! Good fruit will have a lot of rich color to it. If something looks pale and washed-out, it will probably taste that way as well, except for citrus fruits which are better judged by smell and feel. Buy fruit that you love to look at because it is beautiful--you love it because something in your brain is hard-wired to respond to the sight of good fruit with pleasure.

Even if you don't think about it, this is something you are already good at doing if you have ever chosen a banana by its spot on the green to yellow spectrum.

Check for brown spots, bruises, and mold. Bruised fruit will always rot sooner than undamaged fruit, and one piece of bad fruit can ruin a bagful. Don't be afraid of irregular shapes.

4. Smell

Good fruit smells good. Smell everything (although for the sake of your fellow shoppers, try to avoid actually smashing your nose into the fruit). Under-ripe fruit will not have a strong scent yet. Over-ripe fruit will smell strong and sometimes kind of gross.

It may take you some time to get used to really identifying when a fruit smells its best. I still can't do it with some fruits that I rarely buy, like kiwi. However, nearly all fruits will smell good when they are ripe. Don't be afraid to get up in there and start sniffing out the best ones. You will be rewarded with delicious flavor.

5. Sound

That's right. Even your sense of hearing can help you pick better food in some cases.

Mr. Scrimp is a master melon buyer. I have never known anybody better than he is at picking the best melon every time. And he does it by listening.

What do I mean? Well, a good melon will sound hollow when you tap it with your fingers. Again, don't be afraid--get right up in there, put your ear to the melons, and tap away. Find the one that satisfies all five of your senses and I promise you will be happy with the result.

You know how to do this!

You may not realize it, but you already have the instinctive skills to be good at this, even if they are untrained and uncertain. Now get out there and start practicing!

This blog post is part of the Traditional Tuesdays linkup at Real Food Whole Health

Five Essential Ingredients for a Functional Kitchen

2011-08-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

If cooking at home is still a fairly new thing for you, I'd like to help you out by letting you know about a few tools that are really essential for having a successful, functional kitchen. If I had to start my kitchen over again from scratch, these are the first five things I would insist on making sure I got.

It can be really overwhelming to know where to start when you haven't already been doing the domestic thing for years. I'd like you to treat this as a sort of quick-start guide for spending more time in your kitchen and being more productive while you're there.

It's taken me a while to work out exactly what should be on this list. How long? Well, I've been keeping house with Mr. Scrimp for two years. Before that, I shared an apartment with my best friend. I've been responsible for several kitchens at this point, and I've worked in a lot more.

These are the tools I can't do without.

1. An apron

"Wait a minute," you say. "I'm no Betty Draper/Betty Crocker/June Cleaver/Stepford Wife. This is the 21st century. Really? An apron?"

Betty Draper knows you want to look as good as her.

Yes! And I don't care who you are. This isn't about housewives and some fake mid-century ideal. We keep three aprons in ours--one for me, one for Mr. Scrimp, and one for guests who want to help out in the kitchen.

Why essential?

I've written before about why it's good to wear an apron. It adds a psychological boost that can help you really focus on whatever your task is. Sometimes, putting on my apron is the only way I can get myself to start washing dishes or mopping the floor. Like getting dressed in the morning, putting on makeup for a date, or donning a uniform to play sports, tying on an apron tricks your brain into being ready for whatever domestic task you need to do.

I would never have believed how much difference it would make. The apron is the best weapon I've ever found in my war against housekeeping boredom and burnout.

2. A Chef's Knife and Cutting Board

I'm counting these as one item because they really don't make sense taken by themselves. In your kitchen, you need to have at least one really good knife, preferably a chef's knife. With the knife, you should have at least one good cutting board.

One of the things I would try to grab if my house caught fire.

We have one 8-inch chef's knife, and we use it for everything. Mr. Scrimp keeps it nice and sharp, and we haven't needed to buy a single other knife. Having a pile of specialty knives in all shapes and sizes is fine, but if you can only afford one nice knife, this is the one to get.

Why essential?

If you're going to be serious about cooking, you need to have just a few really serious tools. This is one of them. If you've never owned a professional-quality knife, you don't know what you're missing. It is faster, better, and makes cleaner cuts than any cheap, dull knife out there.

3. A Large Stockpot

If you don't own a stockpot yet, make sure it's next on your list of things to get. I don't really care what brand you get, although it's good to have something with a nice, heavy bottom. I also like glass lids, because I like being able to see into my pot without opening the lid.

We have more than one stockpot. If you can only buy one, that's ok, but it's nice to have a variety of sizes.

Why essential?

A good, large stockpot is an incredibly versatile tool. Aside from the obvious use (making stock), you can use it for soups and stews, brown meats without stovetop spatter, and sterilize and seal canning jars. The stockpot also has nonfood applications. I like to use it to sterilize my silverware from time to time, since I don't have a dishwasher.

4. Nested Mixing Bowls

I use at least one of my mixing bowls every day. Often, I use all three of them. Nesting allows for easy storage, and the multiple sizes mean that they are available for a myriad of uses.

Just looking at them makes me want to cook

William Morris once said, "have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." A good set of nesting bowls will meet both criteria, adding a touch of beauty (and sometimes color) to your kitchen and also serving as a useful tool for countless applications.

Why Essential?

We use our bowls for prepping meals, beating eggs, mixing batters and bread doughs, and serving food. They keep ingredients separate to avoid cross-contamination. They help me keep my countertop clean and organized as I work. If I'm snapping peas, the ends go into one bowl and the peas go into another. The same thing happens when I pick over berries, or prep fruit for pies.

I don't know what I'd do without my nesting bowls.

5. Wooden Spoon and Spatula

I know that metal, plastic, and silicone utensils are all the rage right now, but give me good, old-fashioned wooden ones any day. We have a couple of silicone spatulas, and I do use them, but the utensils I reach for most often are my wooden spoon and my wooden spatula.

Also good for paddling small boats

You can certainly buy the pretty, expensive ones, but don't feel like you have to hold out if you can't afford them right now. We got ours on clearance at the grocery store for $1.50 each and have had absolutely no problem with them.

Why Essential?

I like to believe that people have been using wooden spoons since the invention of the kitchen. Because the wood is non-conductive, you can stir hot things without burning your hands. It's durable, quiet, and nonreactive.

The wooden spatula is a great scraper, and much stronger than plastic or silicone spatulas. If something is stuck to the bottom of a pot or pan, the wooden spatula will take it off without scratching.

The Building Blocks of a Working Kitchen

With just these five tools, I can make just about anything I need to make. Add measuring cups and spoons, a casserole dish, a baking sheet, and a pie tin, and I can't think of anything I wouldn't be able to cook or approximate, using just the above tools.

Obviously, this is just for getting started with. But don't be fooled by ads for fancy appliances and kitchen gadgets. You don't need more than these five things to get started.

What are the five kitchen tools you couldn't possibly do without?

How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying

2011-08-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've learned a lot of things about housekeeping in the last two years. I've learned how to make pasta. How to make jelly. How to take smells out of a sink. How to decorate with no money. How to grocery shop on a budget. I still have a long way to go as a homemaker, but I am definitely getting there.

The one question that I have been asked most often since starting Scrimpalicious is "how do you do it?"

I have a full-time day job, I've had a broken foot for the last five months, I have hobbies in which I am very deeply involved. What I don't have are the oodles of time that a lot of blogging homemakers seem to have. Much as I would love to be a stay-at-home, I'm not. Between work, hobbies, and social life, I usually only have a few hours a day to do all the things I'm doing.

And yet, I get it done. How? Well, I guess I've just picked up a few tricks along the way. I'd like to share them with you, because if I've learned anything it's that being busy doesn't have to stop you from having a home that is, if not Martha Stewart, at least not worthy of a spot on Hoarders.

So, for the next few Wednesdays, I'll be sharing a series on How to Succeed at Homemaking Without Really Trying. You might be surprised how much you can get done with very little time.

Be sure to become a fan of the Facebook page or follow @scrimpalicious on Twitter so you don't miss a word.

Home Remedies: For Mosquito Bites

2011-08-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. Scrimp and I spent quite a bit of time outside over the last few days. He was clever and used bug spray. I was not.

We both ended up with a truly ridiculous number of bites--although I admit, Mr. Scrimp got far fewer than I did. I started counting them and got bored after bite number 33 just on my legs.

Fortunately, my front yard is a source of an excellent bug bite cure, one which I learned about years ago: plantain.

That's right. I'm talking about the ubiquitous, find-it-everywhere annoyance that is the second most-common turf weed after dandelion. If you are responsible for yard care, I imagine that this little plant makes you tear your hair out.

But don't mow it down! If you have a yard full of plantain that hasn't been contaminated by commercial fertilizers or pesticides, there are a lot of useful things it can do.

The first thing I'm going to mention, as you may have guessed, is that plantain makes an excellent topical treatment for insect bites. Plantain leaves are an anti-histamine, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. Exactly what you need when you're covered with bug bites! And all you need to do is chew a little up and stick it on the bite. Scratch too hard and make the bite bleed? On small wounds, plantain can also act to inhibit bacterial growth and stop bleeding by constricting blood vessels.

Leaves from broad-leaf plantain varieties (as in the picture above) also make an excellent addition to salad. They can be steamed and mashed, added to salsa verde, or eaten raw. Like dandelion, plantain leaves are a diuretic.

When plantain leaves are dried and made into a tea, they will coat and soothe sore or scratchy throats, help clear mucous from airways if you have a cough.

So think again before you just mow it down or cover it in pesticides. Plantain is an incredibly useful plant, just waiting out there for you to pick it.

Raw Milk and Food Freedom

2011-08-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Certain portions of the news and the blogotwittersphere (that's what we're calling it now, right?) are still going crazy over the raid at Rawesome in Venice, CA yesterday.

Photo from LA Weekly

Mostly, the outrage is coming from raw milk/raw food devotees who feel, with some justification, that they are being persecuted for choosing to drink raw milk. But here in Ohio, raw milk is strictly illegal, so it isn't really a personal issue for me. I would drink raw milk if I could get it, but I can't and so I drink the best milk I can get and I'm happy with that.

You don't have to drink raw milk, or even approve of it, to get involved in food freedom issues like this one, though.

At the end of the day, when we talk about raw milk, or organic food, or local grassfed meat, or CSAs, or farmers markets, we are talking about the same thing: personal choice and food freedom.

If the continued refusal by our government to control GMOs, improve food labeling, and put a muzzle on Cargill and Monsanto has taught me one thing, it's that the FDA and USDA are no longer basing their policies on the best interests of Americans.

While preaching about the dangers of unregulated food, the American government is allowing and even subsidizing foods that are packed full of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, preservatives, allergens, and phytoestrogens. When the USDA started allowing CAFOs, that stamp of approval on a cut of meat stopped meaning something. When the FDA started targeting small-scale organic farmers, they stopped advocating for true food safety.

I am not saying I want a totally unregulated system. As long as there are large-scale corporations involved in the manufacture of food, there has to be regulation. Nor am I saying that every small-scale farm is a good farm. Small farmers can be just as cruel, unsanitary, and dangerous as CAFOs in their own way.

But I want a choice. I want the right to run the risk. I want to buy meat and eggs and milk and produce from a farmer down the road, if I--and I is really the crucial word here--decide that it is the best decision to do so. I think long and hard about my food choices, and I simply don't believe that anybody out there cares more than I do about what my family eats.

So is it about raw milk or not raw milk? Sure, on the surface. But what it's really about is food freedom and civil liberties. It's about free commerce and trade.

And protesting outside of a courthouse in Los Angeles is fine. If I could be there today, I probably would be. But the real goal here shouldn't be just a protest, or a statement about a single farmer or organization. All the energy and anger that people are feeling need to be directed constructively.

What does that mean?

It's time to start talking. It's time to start lobbying. It's time to start changing laws so that we can keep the food freedom we have, and get back what we've already lost.

This blog post has been linked to Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade.

Tom Kha Gai / Thai-style Coconut Chicken Soup

2011-08-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted a recipe in a while, so I thought I'd share the recipe for the soup that Mr. Scrimp and I had for dinner tonight!

This is by no means a totally authentic recipe--it's my copy of the soup served at a local restaurant, and it's not as good as theirs (but it's close). I usually make a big big batch of this in our stockpot so we can eat it for several days, so this recipe will make you quite a bit of soup. A half or quarter batch is probably plenty.

Coconut Chicken Soup (serves 16)

1-2 cans coconut milk (Note: Even if halving this recipe, don't use less than 1 can of coconut milk)
Enough homemade chicken stock to equal the amount of coconut milk
1 jar Thai Kitchen green curry paste
1-2 onions, diced
6oz hot green chili peppers, diced
1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and sliced
2-3 stalks Thai basil
2-3 cups chicken, diced
White mushrooms, sliced
Green peas
Lemon or lime juice, to taste
Garlic
Coconut or peanut oil
Salt, to taste

Process lemongrass and garlic in a food processor, or pound into a paste.

In the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot, heat a splash of oil and add diced onion, lemongrass, chili peppers, and garlic. Stir until the onions begin to soften and then add the entire jar of green curry paste, and the stock. Stir these well until the curry dissolves and incorporates into the liquid. Bring to a boil.

After 1-2 minutes, add 2 teaspoons of the lemon or lime juice, along with the chicken. Simmer until chicken is cooked (you can also use leftover chicken from another recipe). Add coconut milk and continue to simmer. check for taste and add more citrus and salt as necessary.

Taste often as you are putting salt in. A little bit goes a long way and too much or too little will spoil the dish. It should be a balance of spicy, tangy, salty, and creamy.

Add peas last, and cook just long enough to dissolve them, if using frozen.

Garnish with ground peanuts and serve hot or cold.

Fed Raids Food Club in California

2011-08-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Twitter and Facebook pages run by real food advocates are lighting up this afternoon with the breaking news that private food club Rawesome has been raided by the Federal government this morning. Rawesome is a private food buying club that gives its members access to, among other things, raw dairy products.

Blogger Cheeseslave is on the scene and reports: "Rawesome was raided again by SWAT teams. James the owner has been arrested. They just poured at least $10k worth of milk down the drain. Bail is set at $123,000. Warrant: selling unpasteurized milk. If you're in LA please come right now to Rawesome at 655 Rose at Lincoln in Venice. We are standing out front protesting."

Rawesome was also raided last year. Selling raw milk is not illegal in California. There is no evidence that Rawesome's milk has made anybody sick. Why is the federal government arresting law-abiding citizens for selling food?

DIY Chandelier Project

2011-08-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Do you love that mid-century look for home decorating? Or maybe you prefer something a little more homespun than that? Now you can highlight either look with a fun, cheap DIY chandelier project, courtesy of Young House Love.

I am in love with this project! For the price of some inexpensive wire mesh and a couple packages of clothespins, you can install a cool, unique chandelier in your home. The example above went into a laundry room (very appropriate) but I can think of several places in my home where I'd like to put something like this.

Head on over to Young House Love and check it out!

Reminder: Become a Fan!

2011-08-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Do you wish you always knew when a new Scrimpalicious post was going up? Wonder no more! If you become a fan of Scrimpalicious on Facebook, you will be automatically notified on your home page every time a new Scrimpalicious post goes up.

Or, you can follow @scrimpalicious on Twitter.

In addition to new post notifications, if you follow Scrimpalicious on Facebook and Twitter you will see links, questions, notes, and quotes that don't necessarily make it to being a full-fledged blog post.

So, what are you waiting for? It's fun, private, and free! And while you're at it, why not suggest Scrimpalicious to a friend?

Keep Your Arsenic Off My Dinner

2011-07-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

It's time for yet another food segment here on Scrimpalicious. Today, we're going to talk about chicken.

Specifically, we're going to talk about how the FDA recently admitted that grocery store chicken contains small amounts of arsenic.

I have a few questions after reading the above-linked article on ABC.

I'm happy to hear that Pfizer agreed to pull the offending product. I'm glad to know that it's "only" a little carcinogenic poison in the meat that I buy to feed my family.

What I am not happy with is finding yet another piece of evidence that food in America is no safer now than it was a hundred years ago when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle. I'm not happy knowing that people are adding dangerous things to our food supply without being sure, and I mean really sure, that it's safe.

Food Renegade also makes the excellent point that the arsenic being fed to these chickens is, according to ABC news, safe because the chickens are mostly excreting it. What does that mean? It means that the arsenic that those chickens are eating is being leached into soil, dumped into rivers, turned into fertilizer--oh, and ground up and mixed with the feed given to cows and pigs.

People ask me sometimes why we're so picky about where we buy our groceries.

This is why.

Finding Real Food

2011-07-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Found this on facebook, posted by a friend. Love it. Not sure who the original attribution should go to--if you know, tell me!

Click on the image to make it bigger.

Life Unedited

2011-07-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about housekeeping mishaps. Like fashion magazines and stick-thin models do for body image, Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living create beautiful pictures of totally imaginary things and then make us all hate ourselves for not being having a living room as amazing as so-and-so who just finished renovating his vacation cottage in the Hamptons.

I try to celebrate my ridiculous mistakes and domestic calamities, in the same way that I try to celebrate women and men who have not been airbrushed, and food that is not full of chemicals. Mistakes are how we learn.

For instance, shortly after getting married, I learned a very important lesson about checking my laundry carefully to make sure nothing has been sorted wrong...

The following is a true story. I wrote this two years ago, but I've never posted it on Scrimpalicious until now.

I am afraid of the dark.

As a result, every time I go into our basement at night (where the overhead lights are all burned out), I am convinced that I am going to die. Our basement is a terrifying place, full of the carcasses of someone else's antique furniture and bicycles, multiple boilers and furnaces, eerie storage rooms where the darkness is so intense that it looks solid, and, for some reason, a toilet.

My terror at having to venture into the basement is my only excuse for what happened next.

You see, I had to wash our sheets today. I've been meaning to do it all weekend and, with one thing and another, it just kept getting put off. I realized this afternoon that time was running out and I really had to get it done, so I stripped the bed, bundled up the sheets, and made my way downstairs, noticing only as I walked toward the door to the basement steps that it was already almost completely dark outside.

It's ok, I told myself reassuringly. There's a lamp plugged in next to the washing machine. Just get to the lamp and turn it on, and you'll be alright.

So I girded up my mental loins, clutched our sheets to my chest, held my breath, and walked down the stairs into the darkness.

There was just enough light coming in from the windows to cast bizarre shadows over the spot where the lamp had been. It wasn't our lamp, so I wasn't particularly worried about theft. I was, however, aghast to realize that I was in the basement, in the dark, with no way to turn on a light.

My first impulse was to turn and run right back up the stairs, dirty sheets and all. But I knew that Mr. Scrimp was expecting to come home to nice, crisp, clean sheets on our bed after work, and I didn't want to disappoint him. I made my way to the washing machine, holding up my cell phone in an attempt to light my way a little bit (it didn't really work).

There were strange noises coming from the other end of the basement, an area where I have never been, because it is always dark, even when lights are on. Things creaked and groaned, and something rustled in a way that makes me almost positive that there must have been some sort of animal there. I opened the washing machine, shoved everything blindly in, dumped in the last of our laundry soap, and started the cycle.

And then I ran. I mean it. I was out of that basement seconds later, and my heart didn't stop racing until I'd double-bolted the kitchen door and turned on every single light in the house.

My fear of that basement is my only excuse for what happened next.

You see, normally I check the laundry very carefully as I put it into the machine. I look at each individual article to make sure that I'm not mixing things that shouldn't be mixed. Laundry is just another variety of domesticated chemistry, after all, and anybody who's taken chemistry knows that you need to be careful about how you put things together.

But it was dark, and I was terrified and embarrassed that I was terrified, so I rushed. And besides, it was dark. Did I mention how dark it was? And the scary noises?

I thought about just not putting the sheets in the dryer till Mr. Scrimp got home to either do it for me or hold my hand while I went back down into the abyss, but I knew he was expecting clean, dry sheets when he got home. So, when his brother stopped by to pick something up, I asked him to come down in the basement with me and hold off any monster attacks while I transferred the laundry. Being a good brother-in-law, he agreed.

It was still really dark though, so I just blindly felt around in the machine for all the sheets/pillowcases/etc and moved them into the dryer.

When Mr. Scrimp did finally got home, there were no sheets on the bed. But, just as he walked in, the buzzer went for the dryer.

"It's dark in the basement. There's no light, and I was ascared," I said. Yes, I really did say 'ascared'. That should tell you how ascared I really was.

"Oh," he said. "Is there dinner?"

"Tell you what," said I. "I will make you some dinner if you go down into the horrible basement and get the sheets and make the bed.

We called it a deal and he went to get the sheets. When he came back up, he had a funny look on his face.

"Well," he said, "we have yellow sheets now."

I think I made a "bguh?" kind of noise as I turned to look. You see, when I'd pulled the sheets off the bed, they'd fallen on the floor and gotten tangled up with a very pretty orange and red scarf that I recently bought. In the dark, of course, I didn't notice that it was there, so the scarf went into the washing machine on the hot/whites cycle with our formerly pristine white sheets.

Now, all's well that ends well, so I will say that the dye mixed very evenly with the sheets, and now it just looks like we've owned very pretty butter yellow bedsheets all along. We agreed that we'd both be more upset if the color wasn't so attractive.

Still, I really liked our sheets. They were a wedding present, and I find white sheets to be a delightful thing. I guess now I'll have to buy some new ones.

I felt like such an idiot. What a rookie mistake! Mistakes like this are the purview of bachelors and frat boys, not domestic goddesses in training.

But it was so, so dark.

So, how about it, readers? What was your worst domestic disaster?

Spearmint!

2011-07-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

I spent some time with Mr. Scrimp's mom yesterday. We hung out, made ice cream, and canned blueberry jam--and she gave me a huge bag full of fresh spearmint!

This stuff grows like a weed, but it is a super useful plant, and I'm really excited to have so much of it. I will be hanging this batch in my pantry to dry for easy storage and use throughout the upcoming year. For instance, did you know that spearmint tea can treat nausea?

This fall, one of our goals is to reduce our use of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and one of the ways we're preparing to do that is by making our own remedies at home.

Do you use any home remedies or herbs on a regular basis?

Summer Forces Unconditional Surrender

2011-07-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago, our power went out.

Normally, this would be no big deal. But we happen to be in the middle of a monstrous heat wave, and even though it was only an hour before midnight when the power cut out, the house was still oppressively hot, and outside was not much better.

But, it turned out to be a great time. We called the power company to report the outage, went to CVS to pick up some cold drinks, and then came back and sat on our front step with our upstairs neighbors, our next-door neighbors, and another neighbor from down the street who we had never met before.

We stayed out there for nearly three hours waiting for the power to come back on, dripping with sweat, choked with heat, but having a great time. We met several of our neighbors who we'd never spoken with before, because as soon as everyone's fans and window air conditioners went off (none of the houses in our area have central air), it was too hot to keep sleeping and they all took to their porches and sidewalks.

I remember spending a lot of summer nights outside on porches when I was a kid, or hanging out in basements, garages, and even under bushes to keep cool. Sometimes I sort of regret having air conditioning because it tempts us so strongly to stay inside all the time instead of getting out, getting used to the heat, and slowing down a little bit.

Would you ever consider getting rid of air conditioning in the summer?

Oak Park Hates Veggies

2011-07-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

My post today is not about cooking, crafting, or sewing (although I've been up to all of those things lately!)

No. Instead, I'd like to tell you about a unique little blog I found. You see, the city of Oak Park, MI is prosecuting a woman there for growing organic vegetables in her front lawn. She claims that she isn't violating city code--they claim that she is, and that it is illegal for her to grow food on her own property where others can see it.

I encourage you to read her blog, do some research on your own, and draw your own conclusions. And if, as I hope, you draw the same conclusions that I did, I also encourage you to join me in contacting the city of Oak Park* to make sure they know that we find it unacceptable to punish a law-abiding citizen for making healthy choices on behalf of her family.

* in a polite and non-threatening way, of course!

Menu Planner

2011-06-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

I really like to have meals planned out advance, even if it's just something like "chicken on this day, beef on that day," et cetera.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw this awesome menu planner tutorial. I included both the first one I found, at our perfectly imperfect life, and the one that inspired that, at Thirty Handmade Days.

As you can see, the menu planner (made of a decorated cork board) uses clips for each day so that meals can be rearranged on a weekly basis. It features envelopes for recipe cards and to hold a selection of meal choices to be pinned up.

I think this is such a cool idea, especially if you can find a cork board secondhand where it often costs only a couple of dollars. And, of course, there's no end to the styles or colors you can use. The only limit is your imagination and your materials.

Recipe: Peach Custard Pie

2011-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

As it so often seems to happen around here, this recipe was so delicious that we gobbled it down before I remembered to take a pretty picture of the result. I did, however, find a pretty picture of fresh peaches!

And hey, the lack of a picture of the pie has got to be a good recommendation for it, right?

As I often do, I used a frozen vegan pie crust from Whole Foods. You can either use a frozen crust of your choice or, of course, make your own.

Peach Custard Pie (serves 8)

Ingredients

Pie crust
6-8 fresh peaches
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel and slice peaches, and reserve.

In a bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. Add milk and beat again. Add dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Arrange peach slices in pie crust and pour egg mixture over the top. Brush the crust with butter or egg wash if desired. Put in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the pie and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until custard is set and pie crust is cooked through.

Serve warm or cool.

Why Keep Eating Poison?

2011-06-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

GMO crops, conventionally grown corn and soybeans chief among them, can be found in a huge proportion of our foods these days. It's one of the big reasons that Mr. Scrimp and I changed our eating habits. We became convinced that we were eating foods that had been contaminated with poison.

A report at the Huffington Post now tells me that we were right, and I only wish we had run away screaming from conventionally grown food even sooner. You see, those GMO crops have been modified to be resistant to the weed killer RoundUp. They get sprayed with it again and again throughout the growing season. It cuts down weeds and increases crop production.

It also causes birth defects in mammals, and that has been kept secret from the public for quite a long time now.

I know there are readers of the blog who have maintained that Mr. Scrimp and I are overly concerned about GMO foods and conventionally grown vegetables. I hope this makes you reconsider.

Mrs. Beeton's Household Management

2011-06-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Mrs. Beeton? In the 19th century, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management was the Victorian homekeeper's bible.

That is one intense book jacket.

You can find the entire text online here. It's worth a read, if only for a chuckle over the way things have changed. The book is primarily a cookbook, but also opines at some length about social conventions, visiting, managing servants, and caring for invalids.

I mention it because I read a quote from the aforementioned Mrs. Beeton in which she said, "What moved me, in the first instance, to attempt a work like this, was the discomfort and suffering which I had seen brought upon men and women by household mismanagement. I have always thought that there is no more fruitful source of family discontent than a housewife's badly-cooked dinners and untidy ways."

Obviously the blame for this no longer lies just at the feet of the housewife. But I'm curious to know, readers, do you think that bad dinners and an untidy house are a source of "family discontent"? Domestic stress? Mr. Scrimp and I certainly seem to have a much better time when things are really clean and organized.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Chicago: Whaaaaaaaaat?

2011-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

The other day, I saw this article about a school in Chicago that has decided to ban all lunches brought from home by students unless the student has an allergy or other excused medical condition. I like that what is basically a total ban is here referred to as "some lunches banned."

I know this is really not the sort of thing I typically write about here, but I am furious to read this! I understand--the school is trying to ensure that kids are eating healthy meals. But they're losing a golden opportunity to be proactive about not only educating their students but the families of those students.

Don't ban lunches from home. Give nutrition classes. At least come up with food that tastes good, as the fallout from the project at the school seems to be a vast number of children simply throwing their food away and going hungry because the food isn't even good.

Require nutrition class. I and many others will back you up. Better yet, teach Home Economics to all high schoolers. Do it for all four years, even. Make damn sure that children graduating today know not only how to plan and prepare nutritious food, but also balance a checkbook, plan a budget, and take care of themselves. By serving bad-tasting food in the name of health, all you're doing is teaching children that healthy food has to taste bad. By requiring students to eat at a cafeteria without the option of bringing food from home--yes. You're stopping some students from eating McDonald's every day for lunch. But you're also teaching the lesson that you aren't responsible for your own diet, health, and welfare.

Is that really a lesson we want to support?

DIY Steampunk/Victorian Skirt

2011-03-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know how many of the fans of this blog are also into steampunk, and of those how many like sewing and costuming, but, I saw this pattern for a simple faux-bustled skirt today and pretty much had to share it. My understanding from chatting with an acquaintance who's made it is that it really is as easy as it looks.

I haven't figured out yet how to work my sewing machine with a broken right foot, but as soon as I do (and find just the right fabric) I'd like to give this a try. Why? Well doesn't every girl need a bustled skirt in her wardrobe?

Shut up. Every girl needs that. It's true.

Stop looking at me like that.

Full pattern and instructions from the fabric.com blog can be found here.

Nutella Mug Cake!

2011-03-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

I admit, I am posting a link to a recipe I haven't tested and won't be able to test, because Mr. Scrimp and I don't have a microwave.

it just looks so GOOD

I know, I know! Crazy, right? Not owning a microwave? Who even does that?

It isn't something we did on purpose. We just didn't have one when we got married (there was a "wait, you don't own a microwave?" "I thought you did!" "I thought you did!" conversation), and we didn't really have the money to get one at the time*. We could buy one now, but it's been nearly two years of a no-microwave life, and I have to admit, it's grown on me as a lifestyle. Slow food is sort of de rigeur when you have no microwave. What started out as a disorganized accent has become a life choice we now actively uphold.

The one thing that does make me sad is that we will not be able to sample this particular mug of deliciousness from The Family Kitchen. A chocolate mug cake with a twist--a little extra oil and a big scoop of Nutella make for a cake that is moist, gooey, and about as decadent looking as you can get with microwave cookery.

* We did the same thing with a vacuum cleaner and made do without for over a year before a kind relative donated an unwanted one. I am not enough of a hipster to do everything the old-fashioned way just because I can.

Recipe: Apple Cake

2011-03-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

I broke my foot on Saturday! This probably means good things for readers of my blog, because it's going to force me to do a lot less running around and being busy and a lot more sitting down and working on projects to pass the time, which means I'll have a lot more to talk about here on Scrimpalicious.

Today, I'm sharing a recipe for Apple Cake. I wish I had pictures to show you, but we ate this thing so quickly that I didn't have a chance. I originally found the recipe on AllRecipes.com, but it was cloyingly sweet and very high in fat, so I modified it. This variation on the recipe is property of your truly.

I recommend making this with an electric mixer if you have one, because the batter is quite thick--almost more like a dough than a batter.

Apple Cake

Ingedients (serves 10-15)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch allspice
2 eggs, beaten
4 apples, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. Flour pan if desired.

Crack two eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat well. Add oil, yogurt, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Mix until fully combined. Add chopped apples and mix for another 30-60 seconds.

Pour/scrape batter into prepared pan (if it's too thick for you to get it to spread evenly in the pan, mix in just a little water until the texture is smoother, but be aware that this will add to the baking tie) and bake 40-60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This is a very moist and somewhat dense cake, but we didn't find that it was heavy at all, because a lot of the moistness comes from the juice that comes out of the apple chunks as they cook. If you wanted to frost it, I'd recommend a whipped buttercream flavored with cinnamon or ginger. Very good with unsweetened coffee.

Homemade Pop Tarts

2011-03-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

I think most people under the age of 30 love Pop Tarts, or have loved them at some point in the past. But if you're like Mr. Scrimp and me, that love has been tainted by your knowledge of how absolutely terrible they are for you--am I right? (You don't need to answer that; I know I'm right)

Pop Tarts, for me, have always fallen into that heartbreaking category of "processed foods that are impossible to make at home," along with Ecto-cooler, Little Debbie Oatmeal Cakes, and Eggo waffles. Let's just face it, people. Some foods are delicious because they are full of horrifying chemicals. And, probably thanks to their vividly colored fillings, neon sprinkles, and tooth-aching sweetness, I just always assumed Pop Tarts were one of those things.

Proof that I was wrong?

Enter the Los Angeles Times (really) and their recipe for homemade Pop Tarts--oh wait, I mean toaster pastries, because convention demands we lie to ourselves and pretend that toaster pastries that aren't Pop Tarts are still worth eating.

Are they Pop Tarts? Technically no. Stupendous Man refuses to eat store-bought organic toaster pastries and although I know he'd try these, I doubt I'd be able to manufacture something that tastes like a perfect replica to him, primarily because there are only one or two situations in which I will willingly use corn syrup and as for the rest of the crazy things they put into Pop Tarts, I don't even know how to pronounce half of those ingredients, let alone where the home cook might buy them.

Still, a toaster pastry that I can fill with my own homemade jams or jellies? Or frangipane? Or Nutella? A Nutella-filled pop tart!! You have my ear, L.A. Times. I am definitely going to give this recipe a try, and I am just going to try and ignore the fact that each one has nearly 500 calories in it. I sleep through breakfast and skip lunch on many Saturdays, making this a totally acceptable weekend breakfast because shut up.

So it might not be healthy in terms of calories, but I'd rather sit down and split a single, chemical-free homemade, Nutella-filled pop tart with Mr. Scrimp any day than stock my pantry with brand-name cancer pastries.

New Year's Resolutions: Declutter a.k.a. Throw Stuff AWAY!

2011-01-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

Ok. You may ask, what am I doing writing a New Year's Resolutions post two weeks after the New Year? Well, they say that most resolutions are broken within two weeks. Isn't that awful? Yeah, I thought so too. For a while, my response to that was just to refuse to make resolutions. Then I thought, no, that's the wrong answer. I think the answer is to make resolutions more mindfully, putting a lot of thought into them beforehand and being sure well before the New Year that any resolution I make is a life change I'm ready to commit to.

My big resolution this year? Declutter. What does that mean for me? Throw stuff away.

That may seem weird to you. Or maybe not. Maybe you're nodding your head fervently as you read this, saying "oh my gosh, I have so much stuff I could get rid of! Oh, the clutter. Oh, the mess. Oh how I wish it were just more organized."

Now, let's be clear.

I'm not talking one of those "Spend a year getting rid of everything until I only own 100 items" resolutions. Those, while interesting to read about on the Internet, are not, in my opinion, for real people.

Nor am I saying that in a year I expect to have a home that is always clean and tidy enough to be featured by Martha, or Better Homes, or Trendy Hipster Apartments or whatever. (Seriously though, I wish Trendy Hipster Apartment Decorating was a magazine, because The Nest just doesn't do it for me)

My decluttering resolution is this: I want to throw away, repurpose, or upcycle five things a week.

That's it. There's no rule about what those things need to be, except that they need to be things I was not otherwise going to throw away that week. I reserve the right to fudge on the rules, too, if that means I can start in a small and manageable way.

By next year, what I hope is that I will have less extraneous stuff around my house. I hope that I will not have four months of back mail exploding from the constraints of my living room mail basket. I hope that my fabric stash will be smaller and my "cool things I made" stash will be notably bigger. I hope that the clothes I don't wear anymore will all have been donated or refashioned into clothes I want wear all the time. And I hope that all the things I've been saving for a to-do list of craft projects that never get done will have been used up in the name of beautifying my home.

So, want to join me? You don't even need to do it every week. Maybe just sometimes. How about this? I'll try and remind you every so often, and when I do, go find five things to throw away, donate, repurpose, or upcycle.

For me this week, this means:

Eating three of the CSA winter squashes that we have been saving for weeks and weeks (they were delicious!)
Sorting through the aforementioned giant pile of mail, throwing away all the stuff we don't need, and keeping the rest. This is a huge project, so I'm counting it as the remaining four for this week. Hey, I said I reserved the right to fudge this if it meant making the task a little less daunting.

How about you?

Review: Canning For a New Generation

2011-01-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, my brother and his wife gave Mr. Scrimp and I a copy of Lianna Krissoff's Canning for a New Generation. Being readers of Scrimpalicious, they knew about my sometime love affair with canning, and also that Mr. Scrimp and I tend to be, well, I hate the word "foodie" because it's a silly-sounding word, but if the shoe fits...

First of all, this book is beautiful. It's worth owning just for the eye candy, in my opinion. From the appealing cover to the photographs sprinkled lavishly throughout, this book is just pretty. I would (and already have) just leave it on my coffee table for people to flip through as an aesthetic pleasure.

And then there are the recipes. This is not your mom or grandma's canning book, unless your mom regularly made things like tomato and cashew chutney, pickled fennel with orange and mint, and pear, clementine, and pecan conserve. I was hard-pressed to find a single recipe that didn't look good, from the most basic strawberry jams to the really crazy hipster-chic mixes of flavors and ingredients.

I take a particular pleasure also in the admonishments against store-bought pectins (there is a stock recipe for making homemade green apple pectin which is used in nearly every recipe), and the fact that the book is scattered with recipes both savory and sweet made using the food that the reader will hopefully be canning posthaste. Not only that, but the book's recipes are arranged by season, meaning that you can treat it, essentially, as a daily workbook to get you through a year's worth of home-preserved fruits and vegetables, taking advantage of them while they're at their peak freshness and cheapness, and then moving on to the next harvest.

You're going to be hearing a lot more from me about this book in the future, because I'm planning to work through it and try pretty much all the recipes over the next year or two or three.

As it is, so far I've made one recipe (Cabernet Sauvignon Jelly, page 241) and I altered it so much that it barely counts as following the recipe, although I did locate the author's blog and consult with her about my changes. She was incredibly gracious about my desire to alter one of her recipes, and offered several helpful suggestions.

I'm not going to share the Cabernet recipe, either hers or my modified version, until I've made it again. It was delicious (delicious) but it didn't taste quite how I wanted it to taste, either, and I want to try it one more time with a few changes before I share it with everybody.

Until then, though, buy this, or check it out of the library, or what you will. It's a pleasure just to read it.

Soon to Come

2010-12-31T08:10:00.000-08:00

All I can tell you right now is that my house smells like amazing food, I've just rearranged all my furniture, and I'm halfway through two new blog posts. We're having a party tonight, so the new posts may need to wait a little bit depending on how much time I have, but they'll be here soon.

Guest Post: Magazines

2010-12-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today's offering for all of you is a guest post by my childhood best friend and scrimpy pal, Emma, who writes a great little blog called Simple Pleasures. Be sure to visit her and give her some love once you're done reading about this fun project she did!

I am a fairly eco-conscious person and though at times it would be easier to throw stuff out.... I tend to try to recycle what I can and reuse what I can't.

Our apartment building (though they really should) doesn't have recycling! So I've had to find creative ways to reuse a lot of things. Most recently I've been trying to figure out how to reuse the foot high stack of magazines and try to make Christmas presents too!

I looked online all over for crafty ideas and found How About Orange a wonderful blog full of crafty things, stuff to do when you're bored, and printables. The creator of How About Orange is Jessica Jones, a textile artist and super crafter who has thought of everything. She's not specifically a "green" crafter, but has some awesome ideas of how to reuse items!

On her site I found this:

You guessed it - this is a woven coaster from old magazines!!!! Amazing!

This is my own version - but if you want to see another version check out the How About Orange version

Follow the steps on How About Orange or my own below:

1) Start with scissors, tape, and/or a stapler

2) Tear out 6 pages from magazine of
corresponding colors - here we have green/brown

3) Cut off the ragged edge of each page
(just to make things nice and even)

4) Cut page in half.

5) Fold in half long ways once...

6) and then in thirds...

7) So it looks roughly like this.

8) Fold your newly folded page in half
with the exposed edges towards the center.

9) And start weaving

10) If you choose to, you can tape the
edges down to avoid movement of
the pages as you weave.

This gets easier as you do it more... so keep at it!!! My next endeavor? Magazine Baskets! Exciting!!!!

Surgery

2010-12-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

It's been an exciting time at Casa Scrimp. I had to have emergency surgery yesterday to take care of an issue that wasn't immediately dangerous but could have become dangerous if not taken care of asap.

Home again now, feeling tired and sore, but good. Look for a new post later today.

Our First Fake Tree

2010-12-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm so ashamed! I never, ever thought this day would come.

Mr. Scrimp and I have a fake Christmas tree this year.

And I even like it a little bit.

What possessed us to do this? I've never had a fake tree in my life, and I've always been very clear that I didn't ever want to have a fake tree. But we're going out of town for Christmas this year, we didn't want to leave a live tree behind for a week where the cats could get at it and a housesitter would have to water it, and Mother-In-Law Scrimp offered us a very cute, 3-foot-tall artificial tree.

To compound the problem, I went and picked up some absolutely embarrassingly artificial pine garlands at the dollar store. I'm so ashamed.

Ok... let's be real. If you want to have an artificial tree--more power to you. I have heard and understand all the myriad arguments in favor of fakery. But the artificial tree is lacking something crucial. What's that, you ask? The smell! It can't really be Christmas without the scent of pine needles wafting through your home.

Well, that problem has been solved for me this very day. Merely by salvaging some cast-off branches from the closest tree farm, putting them in water with a little cinnamon and clove, and warming the water up, I can make my house smell like the freaking North Pole and not worry about coming home to a living room carpeted in pine needles the week after Christmas.

And so can you! Visit Organic Authority to get their quick and easy recipe for Christmas tree scented potpourri.

(Seriously, though--next year? We're back to a live tree. )

Trying This At Home

2010-12-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we had another cooking adventure. And I'm really not sure how I feel about this one.

Have you ever heard of sweetbreads? If you have, and you haven't eaten them, you're in one of two camps--either you're intrigued, or you're totally disgusted.

For those of you who don't know, sweetbreads are organ meat. But not just any organ meat. This is the thymus or pancreas of a calf. And we decided (why did we decide this??) that we wanted to try cooking and eating some.

This is our story.

Note: Readers who are squeamish about things like raw meat, weird smells, or eating young animals should probably just skip this whole thing and pretend I never wrote it.

We picked some up at the butcher, absolutely on impulse. They sat in the fridge for a day or so, before we ventured into the totally unknown territory of cooking those suckers up.

Imagine a cauliflower. Only that cauliflower is made of some vaguely meat-like thing that isn't exactly meat but isn't anything else. Yep. It's as gross as it sounds, but we were not going to be deterred. In spite of having no idea what they were supposed to look or taste like, we sallied forth boldly, consulting The Joy of Cooking every few seconds to be sure we weren't about to somehow kill or poison ourselves. (Note: Sweetbread is not poisonous, but we were scared. It is almost never that we encounter a totally unknown quantity in the food world, and I generally reserve "unknown" for the same mental category as "sea urchin," i.e. terrifying).

Mrs. Joy instructed us that sweetbread must first be soaked in cold water for an hour or so to remove any lingering blood. Sure enough, this stuff oozed pinkish goo that turned the water into a syrupy goop oddly reminiscent of Valentine's Day. We changed the water a few times, just to be sure. Even so, after an hour of soaking it still retained a vague smell of something indefinable, as if the bloody smell of raw beef had been combined with the scent of an innocent child's nightmares.

Next, we boiled the stuff for five minutes, where it changed to a grayish mass of protuberances that made me think of nothing so much as aliens. Not to be deterred, we pushed bravely ahead to the next step. Any time a cookbook tells you to remove "cartilage, connective tissue, membranes, and tubes" from something you intend to eat... beware, dear readers. Beware.

With no idea of what we were doing or what to look for, we dug in. Literally. We just grabbed handfuls of the stuff and started pulling it apart into small pieces (as recommended), peeling off what membranes we could identify and hoping that we weren't leaving things behind that would later make us sorry.

Eventually we gave it up, hoping that we'd done a good enough job, and we pressed on to the next step--poaching.

Yes, this stuff is so finicky--tough? dangerous? I have no idea what the reasons are--that it must be soaked, blanched, stripped, and then poached before you can actually cook it. But we had already decided that we were in it for the long haul. With grim determination, we heated up yet another pot of water and commenced poaching.

This was probably the most pleasant part of the whole experience, because our actual dinner was ready and we took a 25-minute break to watch an episode of Man vs. Food and laugh at poor Adam's attempts to eat some absurdly spicy wings at some restaurant or other. That man suffers so beautifully for comedy.

The beeping of the stovetop timer tore us away from the tv and we timidly crept back into the kitchen to gaze upon the grayish bits of meat-like stuff that floated and bobbed in the pot. While the butter for sauteeing heated in our frying pan, we prepped a bowl of flour, mixed in a little salt, pepper, and dried basil, and dumped the mess of meat-y stuff into a colander to drain.

Sauteeing took only about five minutes before everything was well-coated and nicely browned. At this point, the sweetbread finally looked appealing. Thank God, because I was almost ready to throw it away without tasting it.

We gave brother-in-law Scrimp a call, and he descended from his apartment on the third floor of our building to join us in sampling this delicacy.

And... I'm not gonna lie. It should be a delicacy. It was delicious.

It was most definitely not meat. Nor was it exactly fat. In fact, my mouth didn't quite know what to make of it, and still doesn't. Imagine eating something that has the faintest flavor of liver, yet doesn't taste like liver at all. Or like meat. Or like anything you've eaten before, ever.

It was rich, that's for sure, and almost impossibly tender (except for the brief crunch of the breading). And it was good. But it was good in a guilty way, as if every bite was made of cream cheese and puppies. Every time I swallowed it, I was vaguely nauseous, and I have no qualms about eating and enjoying weird foods. It was just too rich.

We did manage to finish all of it, between the three of us, and immediately agreed that we had to have something to cut the flavor with. That stuff lingers in your throat like cheap cake frosting.

Because Mr. Scrimp is clever and understands chemistry, he understood that the best way to cut through the lingering... stuff... would be with pure alcohol, so we pulled a bottle of Polish vodka*, made a toast to the calf who had died to satisfy our hedonistic curiosities, and all did a shot. That washed away most of the lingering flavor, thank goodness.

So... the final verdict on sweetbread? Delicious. I absolutely understand why they serve this at fancy restaurants and charge tons of money for it. But I'm not sure when I'll be ready to eat it again, if ever.

* Mr. Scrimp wishes it to be known that the best vodka is always Polish vodka, because vodka was originally a Polish drink. So there, Russians.

Who Does the Cooking?

2010-12-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

Who does the cooking in your house?

In case the "Mrs. Scrimp" moniker didn't give it away, I'm a lady. As a cursory glance through this blog will show you, I do a lot of the cooking in the Scrimp household.

But don't let my "happy housewife" attitude fool you. Mr. Scrimp does fully half the cooking, cleaning, and crafting in this house, and I'd be up a creek if he didn't. I think it's a fabulous thing about life in the 21st century that we both work, we both cook, and we both clean equally.

Why do I mention this? Well, I read an article today over at An Attitude Adjustment. It's called Women in Aprons, and it points out that a lot of us in the foodie movement (and I'm thinking particularly about bloggers just now) have put a lot of focus on women cooking for their families. Don't get me wrong, that's awesome, but... well, I'm just going to let them speak for themselves, here.

"I’m fine with a food revolution. I’d love some simple, tasty ideas for nightly meals that don’t make me break a sweat or gain five pounds. But if the food revolution is going to take hold, we need to make sure it is a joint venture. Men and women roasting garlic and chopping onions. Men wearing the aprons as much as women . . . It’s best if men and women can tackle this new endeavor together, even when the chicken is burned"

Go read the whole thing. There's some real food (ha!) for thought in there.

So, About That...

2010-11-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

So maybe you've stopped visiting Scrimpalicious recently.

Maybe you've noticed the dearth of posts.

Well, let's be real. I love writing Scrimpalicious, but work comes first, and work has been crazy crazy crazy lately!

We'll be back soon, with lots of exciting new stuff. Hang tight, friends.

Julia I Ain't

2010-10-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

So, my in-laws are coming over for dinner tonight, along with Mr. Scrimp's grandmother, who has never been to our house before, and for whom I have never cooked.

Naturally, I am also trying to wrap up a massive project at work, my house is a mess due to a series of welcome parties and beloved weekend guests, and I am in a tizzy of panic about, well, everything.

So, of course, I decided that French cooking would be a good idea on a full workday, especially if I made a recipe that I'd never made before. With grand visions of the most delicious boeuf bourguignon EVER dancing in my head, I dropped Mr. Scrimp off at work and headed for Whole Foods.

This is where things started to go wrong.

First off, did I mention that tizzy of panic? It doesn't make for clear-headed thinking. So I forgot to check the recipe before I left for the store. But no biggie, right? I'd just watched Anthony Bourdain making boeuf bourguignon (hereafter B.B. for ease of writing and because familiarity is good when dealing with enemies) on TV, and it looked so easy. Plus, I've eaten before. I know what's in it.

I knew it should be served with potatoes, so I grabbed a bag. I stared at the mushrooms for a few minutes, but didn't get any.

After a few minutes of hapless wandering in the wine section, I got assistance from someone who recommended a pleasantly cheap $10 pinot noir. "Perfect!" I exclaimed manically and put it in my cart immediately.

I headed for the cheese section. What's a french meal without a cheese course? I grabbed a few cheeses.

I headed for the butcher. Staring at the meat counter, I realized that I had no idea what cut of meat would be Julia (or Bourdain)-approved for this dish.

"Can I help you?" said a butcher, with a disarmingly friendly smile.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you recommend a cut for boeuf bourguignon?" I said, a little breathless from rushing around the market.

"Um," he said. "Just a second."

With a sinking heart, I watched him disappear into the back. I could hear his conversation with another butcher, muffled:

"Hey. What kind of meat is Beef Burgund-won?"

"Uhh--that's not a kind of meat, man. That's a recipe."

"Oh."

My heart sank.

"What cut is good for it?"

"No idea."

My butcher counter guy reappeared, looking bravely knowledgeable. "How about this sirloin steak?" he said, pointing to a cut labeled $9.99/lb. I thought about the amount of meat I would have to buy to serve 5 people. I thought about braising a steak.

I thought again.

"Well," I said, trying to be polite, "I've never made this before, and I know I have to braise it, so how about some chuck roast?" I pointed at a more modest cut, labeled $2.99/lb. "I'll take two."

He bundled the roasts up for me and I fled.

I was about to get in line, when I remembered--carrots! I'm sure this dish has carrots! I grabbed a bag of them--big, clean, healthy-looking organic specimens. On my way back to the checkout, I snagged a baguette, fresh and delicious looking.

I checked out. $50. Wince. Oh well--I'll get a lot of food out of it, and I will look good, because I made French food. This is apparently worth $50 to me.

I drove home.

I unloaded the groceries, trying not to look at my kitchen full of dishes, and settled down to do some work. I got a lot done, which is good, at least. I didn't finish the project I thought I would be finished with, but I got close.

I lost track of time.

At 3:00, I flipped open my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and found the recipe. Somehow, I expected it to be the first one in the book, but you don't even find it until page 315. It's two pages long.

It involves bacon. Also mushrooms. Also beef stock.

Guess what three things I didn't think to buy?

I thought quickly. Screw Julia! I am going to make the best boeuf bourguignon ever, without her help! I started googling.

The first thing I found was the Julie/Julia project. I briefly skimmed the entry about boeuf bourguignon, and scoffed. Who needs Julia? Julie Powell might, but Mrs. Scrimp doesn't.

I found some copies of Anthony Bourdain's recipe, and read through them frantically. I found some other, unnamed recipes.

"I'll wing it!" I said, now in a nearly frantic rush. I loaded up Pandora, set it to a "French cafe music" station for inspiration, put on my apron, and went to work.

To make boeuf bourguignon, you need a few things. You need a cut of beef that will braise well. You need a nice burgundy wine (pinot noir is made with burgundy grapes, so I was good there). You need carrots, onions, and mushrooms. You need garlic, olive oil, flour, bay, thyme, and rosemary.

Oh, and you need a dutch oven or casserole in which to cook it. Happily, we have a wonderful dutch oven that my mother-in-law gave me before we got married. It was sitting on the stove, happy and squat, just waiting for me to use it. It's been sitting there for a week, ever since Mr. Scrimp and I made some lentils in it for dinner.

I opened it.

I have discovered something that smells worse than poop. Possibly worse than poop and vomit put together, and those are the two worst smells on earth.

When Mr. Scrimp did the dishes, he neglected to wash the dutch oven. It sat, with a layer of lentils and soapy water on the bottom of it, for a week, growing a thick film of mold across the top of that watery, lentily layer.

I recoiled.

I couldn't bring myself to dump that mess down the drain, so I unrolled roughly half a roll of paper towels and shoved them into the pot, doing my best to soak up all the moldy lentil water and wipe away what was now a mud-brown, stinking puree of lentils. I ran the water blisteringly hot and scrubbed it within an inch of its life.

I turned my attention to the meat, unwrapping the huge pile of chuck roasts sitting on my counter. I recoiled again. Normally I love the smell of raw beef (don't judge me) but for some reason, today it was just nauseating. I fought back my gag reflex and looked for our nice, sharp kitchen knife.

The knife was at the bottom of a sink full of dishes and soapy water that were waiting for Mr. Scrimp's attention when he got home from work. Rather than feel around blindly for a very sharp knife lying in the midst of a pile of other cutlery, I opted to use a different, less sharp knife.

Hacking at the chuck roast, I congratulated myself on my resourcefulness. I thought about writing a blog about how calm, cool, and collected I was, posting the recipe along with a glowing review of my own cooking. I thought about how ridiculous that is and how I should probably stop trying to be like Martha Stewart on this blog and be a little more honest about how often my cooking and crafting projects end up with me doing my best Cathy impression, screaming "Aaack!" while giant beads of sweat fly all over my kitchen and my hair turns into a giant frizzball or flattens so limply that I look like Argus Filch.

Finally, all the meat was cut up.

"I'll season it!" I thought in my manic haze, and started sprinkling it liberally with black pepper and salt. Only when it was well-covered did I remember that Julia insists on blotting it dry with paper towels and claims that it won't brown if you don't do that.

I halfheartedly grabbed some paper towels and started blotting, which yielded only a paper towel covered with salt and pepper. About halfway through, I gave up and just tossed a few pieces into some olive oil sans blotting. They turned gray.

"I can do this," I said out loud to my cat, who was sitting in the kitchen door and laughing at me with his cat eyes.

I kept cooking the meat. Eventually it did go from gray to sort-of browned, which I figure was good enough. At this point, the cat decided that the meat smelled really good, and that the best way to get a taste of it would be to sit directly on top of my feet, and to follow them wherever they went. I tripped a few times.

While the meat browned, I got the carrots out.

Only then did I remember that we recently threw away our only vegetable peeler after it broke. No vegetable peeler. I washed the carrots and contemplated peeling them by hand.

Nope. Nobody will notice if they're not peeled after three hours in the oven, right?

Those of you who are anal about cross-contamination will shudder, because I used the same knife and the same cutting board as I did for the beef, reasoning that they were all going to go into the pot together in the end anyway. I had a bowl full of barely-cooked (delicious-smelling) beef filling up and cut-up carrots rolling every which way over my counter. I tried to hum along with Edith Piaf, but I couldn't muster the enthusiasm I normally have for her.

The beef smelled really good, and the cat was meowing at me. I was hungry. I took a bite. After all, I love my meat super-rare and barely browned and super-rare are pretty much the same thing.

I will note that mostly-raw chuck roast is incredibly chewy. There's a reason it gets braised.

Finally, I got all the carrots cut and ate one to get the last of the raw beef out of my mouth (don't judge me). All the beef was browned, so I dumped the carrots into the pot to do the same. Hey, Julia says to brown them.

Well, Julia Child is a liar. Carrots don't brown. They cook, but they don't brown.

While I waited desperately for the carrots to change color (they never did), I started cutting up the onions. I don't know where we got these onions, but they are the most pungent, eye-penetrating onions ever in the history of mankind. The oil in the dutch oven was starting to smoke, and the odor of onion was so universal that I couldn't even keep my eyes open.

You can imagine me at this point, standing in my kitchen, barefoot, trying not to step on my cat, whimperingly attempting to sing along with "Someone to Watch Over Me," a blister on my hand from the crappy knife, carrot-ends everywhere, wreathed in oil smoke, cutting onions with my eyes closed. Don't judge me.

I managed to get the onions cut without injury (the knife was that dull) and dumped them into the pot. The carrots still weren't brown, but I gave up on that. The onions did brown, and fairly quickly, and I threw a handful (2 Tablespoons? I laugh in the face of recipes!) of flour in there and tossed everything. The flour coated the vegetables nicely and promised to thicken the sauce for me later.

I turned my attention to the wine.

Now, you have to understand, we don't drink a lot of wine. Mr. Scrimp prefers beer, and I don't drink often enough to merit opening bottles of wine just for me. And when we do drink wine, Mr. Scrimp or Brother-in-Law Scrimp (who likes wine more than either of us) always opens it. We have the worst kind of corkscrew, and it is generally beyond my strength to physically wrench the cork from the bottle without any kind of lever.

Like this, except ours is black. Because it's evil.

How do you open a bottle of wine? I started peeling away the metal-y paper-y stuff from around the top of the bottle, praying desperately for a screw-top.

My heart sank when I saw the cork, but I rolled up my sleeves, twisted the corkscrew in there, and started to pull.

You can imagine me at this point, standing in my kitchen, barefoot, trying not to step on my cat, barely even hearing the lovely strains of "C'est si Bon," a blister on my hand from the crappy knife, carrot-ends, onionskins, and oil smoke everywhere, the contents of my dutch oven starting to burn, contorting myself into absurd positions as I tried to get purchase with my wet, onion-y hands anywhere on this bottle.

I finally managed to wrestle the corkscrew out using sheer force of will (and possibly telekinesis because that corkscrew is worthless) and bracing it between my knees. It flew out so quickly and so hard that wine, of course, spattered all over my kitchen floor.

I took a couple of swigs of the wine and tried not to cry.

Having pulled myself together, I dumped the meat into the pot, stirred everything up, and poured in enough wine that it seemed like it would braise alright. Happily, I had remembered to preheat the oven, so I went to get the lid of the dutch oven to pop it on and throw everything in.

I have discovered a smell worse than poop.

I washed lentil residue off the lid of the dutch oven and tried again, taking another swig of wine. This time, I got the lid on there and managed to shove the thing into my oven with a minimum of further damage to myself or my kitchen (although I did have to shift the oven racks around with no potholders, an exciting adventure all by itself).

I poured a glass of wine, sat down to enjoy it, looked at the clock, and realized that I was 5 minutes late to leave to pick Mr. Scrimp up from work.

It's 5pm now. My in-laws are coming over at 7, although I seriously considered canceling on them (love you guys!). The house is a wreck, I desperately need a shower and a change of clothes, I still haven't got any mushrooms, and I have more work to do.

Don't judge me.