I love Fall. It's my favorite season. And I know I'm kinda rushing it from a weather and calendar standpoint. But the students have returned to school, the NFL has started pre-season play, and I can open the windows at night again without melting into a puddle. So I'm going to go with it.
Fall means FOOTBALL. I'm very fond of college football in particular. HOKIE football. But I'll watch almost any college game. I reinstalled my satellite tv this week to watch it. (Not very frugal I admit, but since I no longer smoke I had to keep at least *one* vice...)
Fall also means COMFORT FOOD. I put half a pork loin in the crock pot this morning with a bottle of barbecue sauce. We're going to watch a middle school football game this evening and I didn't want to fall victim to the late-night dinner drive-thru syndrome. Supper will be waiting when we get home and it should be cool enough to eat. If not, we'll have dinner 'al fresco', (which is Italian for "cooler outside than in the house")
Fall means HARVEST. I'm picking and canning and drying and freezing (and eating!) wonderfully fresh vegetables and fruits. I have grown to really appreciate the beauty of a jar of jelly or beans. Not only for the sustenance that it represents but as an almost artistic testament of the miracle of nature combined with effort. Besides, it tastes soooo good in the middle of winter!
Fall means REST (sort of). The pace at my workplace slows down a lot in Fall. True I'm canning and Thom is hunting and we're still quite busy. But it's a quieter, less frenetic busy time. And the feeling of accomplishment at days end seems richer somehow.
As the leaves begin to fall and the days get shorter, I hope you'll find reasons to love this time of year too.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Christmas Comes Early - When you're Frugal
Over at the All You Challenge Blog we're alternating between good-natured grousing about the delay in announcing the winner and chatting about Christmas presents. I started a big long entry about it and decided I'd post it here instead.
I know some people who are cost-conscious and generally frugal - until the red and green wrapping paper shows up. Then they'll drop thousands of dollars without blinking an eye.
I don't get it.
Some years my kids had presents piled three feet high. Some years they got a big gift and several small ones. But my average cost per kid over the years is under $100.
So here are a few ideas for keeping the Spirit of Christmas while keeping the reality of a budget.
1) DO keep the Spirit of Christmas.
It is only in the last couple generations that having a tree surrounded by gifts seems to be the point of the celebration. Whether you practice a particular faith or not, the Christmas Season is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our love for one another. It doesn't cost a thing to tell someone you care.
2) DO be honest.
Tell your family and friends (early and often!) that you have a budget for the Holidays. This is especially important if you have family or friends that exchange costly gifts. By speaking up and being clear about your decision, you can prevent some hurt feelings later. Considering the current economy, don't be surprised if some people jump on board with you.
3)DON'T be pressured to change your plans.
If friends or family are critical of your decision, respectfully 'agree to disagree'. If they push you, kindly but firmly refuse to discuss it further.
4) DON'T be a Scrooge.
Give generously of your time, your good cheer, your friendship and your love. Volunteer at a women's shelter, food bank or animal shelter. Let someone else have the closest parking space. Smile and look your cashier in the eye at the grocery store. Offer to babysit for your friend so she can do some errands. Write your husband a love letter.
5) DO be realistic. If you don't knit, don't plan to make sweaters for your entire family this Christmas. Keep material costs in mind when making homemade gifts. Purchasing fruit to make jam, for instance, may not be a wise financial move if you also have to buy all the otehr supplies neccesary for canning.
6) DO think outside the box. Shop yard sales, thrift stores, back-to-school sales and clearance sections. Keep your eyes open for good deals all year long.
7) DON'T lose your Christmas stockpile! I only mention this because every year I find a bag of goodies that I bought in May - two days AFTER Christmas.
8) DO give yourself a gift. The gift of patience with yourself. You can't do it all and you aren't supposed to. There is no such thing as the 'perfect' Christmas. Unless maybe it's the one where you enjoyed the company of your loved ones and still had an available balance in your checking account on the 26th of December...
Happy Holidays!
I know some people who are cost-conscious and generally frugal - until the red and green wrapping paper shows up. Then they'll drop thousands of dollars without blinking an eye.
I don't get it.
Some years my kids had presents piled three feet high. Some years they got a big gift and several small ones. But my average cost per kid over the years is under $100.
So here are a few ideas for keeping the Spirit of Christmas while keeping the reality of a budget.
1) DO keep the Spirit of Christmas.
It is only in the last couple generations that having a tree surrounded by gifts seems to be the point of the celebration. Whether you practice a particular faith or not, the Christmas Season is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our love for one another. It doesn't cost a thing to tell someone you care.
2) DO be honest.
Tell your family and friends (early and often!) that you have a budget for the Holidays. This is especially important if you have family or friends that exchange costly gifts. By speaking up and being clear about your decision, you can prevent some hurt feelings later. Considering the current economy, don't be surprised if some people jump on board with you.
3)DON'T be pressured to change your plans.
If friends or family are critical of your decision, respectfully 'agree to disagree'. If they push you, kindly but firmly refuse to discuss it further.
4) DON'T be a Scrooge.
Give generously of your time, your good cheer, your friendship and your love. Volunteer at a women's shelter, food bank or animal shelter. Let someone else have the closest parking space. Smile and look your cashier in the eye at the grocery store. Offer to babysit for your friend so she can do some errands. Write your husband a love letter.
5) DO be realistic. If you don't knit, don't plan to make sweaters for your entire family this Christmas. Keep material costs in mind when making homemade gifts. Purchasing fruit to make jam, for instance, may not be a wise financial move if you also have to buy all the otehr supplies neccesary for canning.
6) DO think outside the box. Shop yard sales, thrift stores, back-to-school sales and clearance sections. Keep your eyes open for good deals all year long.
7) DON'T lose your Christmas stockpile! I only mention this because every year I find a bag of goodies that I bought in May - two days AFTER Christmas.
8) DO give yourself a gift. The gift of patience with yourself. You can't do it all and you aren't supposed to. There is no such thing as the 'perfect' Christmas. Unless maybe it's the one where you enjoyed the company of your loved ones and still had an available balance in your checking account on the 26th of December...
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Why I can't write recipes...
Okay, here's what happened:
I had some overgrown zucchini and always wanted to try stuffed zucchini. I'd looked at a few recipes but never had anything reach out and grab me. So...
a small head of cabbage (from the garden) chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 lb ground venison
1/2 a jar of pizza sauce
about 1 cup hot dog chili left from a cookout
1/4 green pepper (it was stuck in the fridge door looking sad)
4 or 5 black olives (last of a can in the fridge), chopped
1 carrot, shredded (they were very tired)
a healthy shake of cajun seasoning
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
And enough rice to kinda hold it together (maybe 2 cups???)
I stuffed all that into a zucchini that I cut in half lengthwise, hollowed out and sprayed with olive oil.
I baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes, then sprinkled more cheese on top (operating on the theory that if you put enough cheese on anything , it'll taste better!) and stuck it back in the oven long enough to melt the cheese topping.
It was really tasty. But, as I explained to my husband, it wasn't likely I'd have that combination of items again.
So....
Last Saturday I did it again but this time I used:
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
pieces of three differnt kinds of onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped fine
the insides of the zucchini chopped fine
a package of sliced portabella mushrooms that had seen better days, bigger chunks
2 T (or so) buffalo wing sauce
1 carrot shredded (much nicer on this time!)
4 oz "pizza" blend cheese
a couple cups rice
A healthy shake of chicken jambalaya spice (it was the firs tthing I grabbed...)
Put it all in the hollow zuke, baked at 350, and when I took it out the first time I put a couple slices of provolone cheese on top.
It was equally delicious.
THEN -
I had a ton of the mixture left, so for dinner last night I added:
1 lb ground venison that needed to be cooked
1 t chili powder
1 can pinto beans, just because I wanted beans in it
1/4 can Hunt's spaghetti sauce (my daughter used the other half)
1/4 cup or so of hot taco sauce from a jar
Got that all hot, put some shredded cheddar on the center of a flour tortilla, put a heaping spoon of the stuffing on that and rolled up burrito style. Repeat 6 times.
The 'missing' 1/4 can of spaghetti sauce was mixed with a little more taco sauce then some was poured in the bottom of a baking dish. The burritos were next, followed by the remaining sauce, more shredded cheese and voila!
Into the oven at 350 for maybe 20-30 minutes (all is cooked, we're just getting hot at this point)
Serve with sour cream on top.
Awesomely good!
THEN....
I had a ton of the filling left over.
And here we are.
I will probably either mix it with a binder (think sour cream or canned soup or something like that), add some veggies, and bake as a casserole with *still* more cheese on top.
OR I could layer it between the last three tortillas (lasagna style - with maybe some slices of zucchini) and bake - with cheese of course.
If it were winter I'd thin it with beef or chicken broth and make soup. If there was soup left, I might add more rice and a binder (as mentioned above) to make (yet another) casserole.
Who knows, the last of the casserole might even find its way back into a zucchini...
And THAT'S why I can't write recipes!
I had some overgrown zucchini and always wanted to try stuffed zucchini. I'd looked at a few recipes but never had anything reach out and grab me. So...
a small head of cabbage (from the garden) chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 lb ground venison
1/2 a jar of pizza sauce
about 1 cup hot dog chili left from a cookout
1/4 green pepper (it was stuck in the fridge door looking sad)
4 or 5 black olives (last of a can in the fridge), chopped
1 carrot, shredded (they were very tired)
a healthy shake of cajun seasoning
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
And enough rice to kinda hold it together (maybe 2 cups???)
I stuffed all that into a zucchini that I cut in half lengthwise, hollowed out and sprayed with olive oil.
I baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes, then sprinkled more cheese on top (operating on the theory that if you put enough cheese on anything , it'll taste better!) and stuck it back in the oven long enough to melt the cheese topping.
It was really tasty. But, as I explained to my husband, it wasn't likely I'd have that combination of items again.
So....
Last Saturday I did it again but this time I used:
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
pieces of three differnt kinds of onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, chopped fine
the insides of the zucchini chopped fine
a package of sliced portabella mushrooms that had seen better days, bigger chunks
2 T (or so) buffalo wing sauce
1 carrot shredded (much nicer on this time!)
4 oz "pizza" blend cheese
a couple cups rice
A healthy shake of chicken jambalaya spice (it was the firs tthing I grabbed...)
Put it all in the hollow zuke, baked at 350, and when I took it out the first time I put a couple slices of provolone cheese on top.
It was equally delicious.
THEN -
I had a ton of the mixture left, so for dinner last night I added:
1 lb ground venison that needed to be cooked
1 t chili powder
1 can pinto beans, just because I wanted beans in it
1/4 can Hunt's spaghetti sauce (my daughter used the other half)
1/4 cup or so of hot taco sauce from a jar
Got that all hot, put some shredded cheddar on the center of a flour tortilla, put a heaping spoon of the stuffing on that and rolled up burrito style. Repeat 6 times.
The 'missing' 1/4 can of spaghetti sauce was mixed with a little more taco sauce then some was poured in the bottom of a baking dish. The burritos were next, followed by the remaining sauce, more shredded cheese and voila!
Into the oven at 350 for maybe 20-30 minutes (all is cooked, we're just getting hot at this point)
Serve with sour cream on top.
Awesomely good!
THEN....
I had a ton of the filling left over.
And here we are.
I will probably either mix it with a binder (think sour cream or canned soup or something like that), add some veggies, and bake as a casserole with *still* more cheese on top.
OR I could layer it between the last three tortillas (lasagna style - with maybe some slices of zucchini) and bake - with cheese of course.
If it were winter I'd thin it with beef or chicken broth and make soup. If there was soup left, I might add more rice and a binder (as mentioned above) to make (yet another) casserole.
Who knows, the last of the casserole might even find its way back into a zucchini...
And THAT'S why I can't write recipes!
ALL YOU Challenge Wrap up
So, there's been no announcement on who won the challenge but it has been very cool to be a finalist. Like so much of life, the excitement is waning and I'm on to new and pressing tasks. Like canning.
I looked out my window this morning and noticed that 80% of the tomatoes are ripe.
Woohoo
I'm trying to remember that I love the actual process of canning, and I *definitely* love the results. But the thought of going out there was more than I could consider without my first cup of coffee.
Besides, it's Tuesday. I have to work the rest of the week. The grass needs mowing. The corn is ready too. (Don't even get me started about the zucchini) And I've already lost a few cukes, one cantaloupe and a sugar baby watermelon.
I need a vacation so I can get it all done. And my long weekend is 10 days away.
Wow, I'm whining. I'm doing that thing I hate other people doing. That thing I'm so smug about when I'm hanging clothes on the line or watering the garden with collected rainwater. "I don't whine, I just get it done" I tell myself while I'm lugging the baskets around or rearranging the shelves to hold this year's preserved harvest.
SO, I'm gonna quit whining and tell you that I found a great recipe for zucchini pineapple and zucchini cream that tastes like lemon curd. And I finally bought a new gauge for my pressure canner so I can do canned beans this year.
And I'm gonna tell you that being a finalist in the All You Challenge is still pretty darn exciting!
I looked out my window this morning and noticed that 80% of the tomatoes are ripe.
Woohoo
I'm trying to remember that I love the actual process of canning, and I *definitely* love the results. But the thought of going out there was more than I could consider without my first cup of coffee.
Besides, it's Tuesday. I have to work the rest of the week. The grass needs mowing. The corn is ready too. (Don't even get me started about the zucchini) And I've already lost a few cukes, one cantaloupe and a sugar baby watermelon.
I need a vacation so I can get it all done. And my long weekend is 10 days away.
Wow, I'm whining. I'm doing that thing I hate other people doing. That thing I'm so smug about when I'm hanging clothes on the line or watering the garden with collected rainwater. "I don't whine, I just get it done" I tell myself while I'm lugging the baskets around or rearranging the shelves to hold this year's preserved harvest.
SO, I'm gonna quit whining and tell you that I found a great recipe for zucchini pineapple and zucchini cream that tastes like lemon curd. And I finally bought a new gauge for my pressure canner so I can do canned beans this year.
And I'm gonna tell you that being a finalist in the All You Challenge is still pretty darn exciting!
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