Yard Sale Treasures...And Something New...

The Peaches to Beaches sale was this past weekend.  I wasn't sure I was up to it but thank goodness for promises made to a friend.  She held me to the promise I'd made two weeks before and we went off after synagogue to see what we could see. 

I held tight to my little bit of money, some saved and some given to me by my husband who knew I wanted to find treasure.  And I did find treasure, truly. 

Remember I've been trying to declutter my home by NOT cluttering it in the first place.  So it's important that I find things I can use, that are truly beautiful or much needed.  Here's what I found:

I know this looks a little careworn in the photo but in reality it looks pretty good.  It's a metal kitchen paper dispenser.  This holds three rolls and you can see the lettering for the first two rolls.  The bottom section has the same lettering but it doesn't show up in the photo.  Aluminum foil, waxed paper, and paper towel.  Kay was so excited about it when I showed it to her that she tried a roll of our modern day paper towel in it and yep, it will hold it!  I'm going to be rearranging my kitchen walls...I mean the things I have on my walls.  I'll hang this paper dispenser when I do the new arrangement.  Having this lovely piece on the wall will give me a bit more room in a rather cramped drawer where I've been keeping waxed paper and aluminum foil.

I love to know a bit of history about the pieces when I buy them and this one came with a short history.  The woman selling it told me she'd had it in her home in Blue Ridge, Georgia.  She had just made up her mind she'd keep it since the end of the day was fast approaching and then I came along.  I promised I'd love it and use it well.

I didn't intend to buy another cookbook.  Truth be told, I'm getting a bit cookbook crazy all over again and I probably ought to sell some of them.  I really only ever use the one cookbook and I've yet to replace it with a complete copy.  However, this book caught my eye and I can't say just why.  It was just perched on the corner of a table in the furniture section and the cover appeared old.  1925 is the copyright date...and it was seeking that fact that brought to light the handwritten recipes in the front and back covers and on the blank pages there.  As well there are any number of clipped recipes from Ladies Home Journal, Atlanta Home Journal, and one written out on a piece of stationary from a Mississippi hotel...The owner's name is inscribed on the center of this page.

You'd think, wouldn't you, that it would be impossible to capture a second bit of history about this lovely old cookbook?  That there was enough history in my hands, with a name, scraps of paper and handwritten recipes.  But it wasn't enough.  As I went to pay for the book the man who took my money asked if there were a name inside and when I told him there was and what the inscription read, he began to cry.  "That was our governess when we were children," he said.  "She cooked for us from that book and a finer woman there hasn't been since." 

I bought one more book about Queen Elizabeth I.  It's not an especially old book, just something that caught my eye and since I was reading about her mother at the moment, I thought it would be a nice book to read as a follow-up.

Now for the 'something new' portion.   Back at Christmastime we discussed getting a flat screen television and one of the issues we came up against was the size Chance wanted.  What he wanted wouldn't fit our entertainment center and we couldn't afford both a tv and a new cabinet.  We finally agreed to wait, but I had an idea that I thought was a good one...

We got our new tv yesterday.  And Alan agreed to come set it up.  I'd explained to him how I thought we could fix the problem of the cabinet and he did just what I asked.  This is what we had...Not the best picture but you can see it to the left in the photo I took at Christmas:

and this is the cabinet now:

My vision was to cut down the sides and drop the top onto the surface of it. I think Alan did a grand job of creating my vision, don't you?  There was a glitch or two but nothing the eye can see without looking hard and I am so impressed at how well this worked, even if I did 'see' it before it ever was made.  I daresay he did a very good job and no one would ever guess we'd made the cabinet from our old one.  I guess I could even say this one looks as good as new.

Menu Monday: Pantry Freezer Challenge

This morning I was trying to get food from the too packed freezer.  I figured while I had it spread out on the floor I might as well inventory what I had there.  Wow!  I had no idea I had so many meat meals on hand...and that was just in the freezer alone.  A little later I was trying to retrieve tuna from the pantry cupboard and was shocked by the messiness of that whole area.  There's so much food there still, even after moving several items into the auxiliary pantry in the craft/guestroom closet.  And then Mama stopped by this afternoon bringing in a rotisserie chicken and a dozen Danish.  Oh my pantry overflows truly! 

As it happens, I could use a pantry freezer challenge for the rest of this month.  Our account has been hit this past two weeks with extra gasoline expenses and a little savings in the grocery area should just swing my budget back to balanced once more. 

Monday:  Tuna Salad on Whole Grain bread, Apples, Sun Chips, Cupcakes
I had hamburger out but no plans for it as yet, when we received a call that Rabbi was on his way over to talk with John.  I knew he'd probably have not had lunch either, so I made up plenty of tuna salad.   I stretched it with some additional items I had in the fridge.  I'd forgotten how lovely tuna salad sandwiches are on a warm day...Just wish I'd had some lemonade on hand.  Or had made iced tea and served with that fresh mint in the fridge...

Tuesday:  Cheeseburger Mac, Tomato and Lettuce Salad, Steamed Green Beans, Rolls
Chance made this suggestion as I was mixing the tuna salad.  I thought it a great idea, since we've not had it in a long while.  I'll be making bread, so I can easily make rolls out of half the dough.

Wednesday:  Chicken Chef's Salad, Biscuits, Lemon Ice Cream
I know I'll eat lunch out with Mama this day, but I'll be hungry in earnest by the time the evening hours roll around.  I think I'll use some of the chicken from the rotisserie bird Mama brought us to make a lovely salad for me.  I'll slice some to make sandwiches for Chance.  I'll make a full recipe of biscuits, so we'll have some on hand for breakfast as well. 

Thursday:  Corned Beef Pasties, Steamed Cabbage Wedges, Potatoes O'Brien, Irish Soda Bread
I know, I know, I'm a day behind...Well so what?  I love corned beef and I know full well I'll deeply regret it if I miss my favorite Irish meal this week.  Today suits my time better than yesterday might have, but you go on and do it on St. Paddy's Day.  I'll cook my corned beef on Wednesday, just won't start using it until this day.

Friday:  Corned Beef Reuben, Creamy Potato Soup, Apple Brown Betty
I have all I need on hand to make the reubens, can make extra potatoes on Thursday.  I have five pounds of apples in the fridge and only need one or two to make Apple Betty.  This dessert is one of those simple, homely things, but I do love it.

Saturday:  Arroz con Pollo, Green Salad, Mexican Cornbread, Texas Brownies
I'll take this meal to synagogue for our meal following service.  I don't expect I'll bring home many leftovers from this but if I do all except salad will freeze well enough.

Sunday:   Cubed Steaks, Squash Casserole, Green Beans with Creole Topping
I'd forgotten I even had squash in the freezer until I started pulling things out.  I like squash casserole well enough to eat it as an entree, and often do eat it so if there are leftovers enough for me to have lunch the following day.  I'm pretty sure I'll have leftovers since I'm the only one who'll be home this day. 

Frugal Friday March 11

Saturday:  Promised I'd go shopping with a friend...and so I did.  Our kind of shopping isn't expensive.  We like to plunder and look and dig a wee bit to find treasure. I set a shopping limit and spent right to the penny what I'd planned to spend.  Came home with one creamer, one antique china shaving mug, 8 cloth napkins,  3 books and KFC for supper, lol.  The last item a special request.

On the bonus side, I'd turned heat off while gone and no lights were on, nor television all day long, some kind of record at our place.  So there should have been a nice dent in our electric bill for this day.

On our way home we were going to stop for a soda, but then remembered we'd brought along full water bottles.  FREE tasted pretty good to us.

Sunday:  Home all day long.  Gasoline savings at least for this day.

Cooked a turkey breast for work lunches.  Put half the breast in the freezer and planned lunch/dinners from the second half.

Mama gave me a pan of Chicken enchiladas she'd made.  I reheated them for my lunch and had planned to put the leftovers in the freezer, but Alan came by and polished them off.  Oh well, lol.  At least it was a free meal.

The morning was warm but the day began to cool down.  I didn't give in and turn on the heat. I grabbed a sweater and covered up with a blanket instead.

I spent the day cleaning and cleaning.  Baking soda scrubbed sinks and pots and pans to shiny newness.

Chance washed a load of clothes in the early morning.  I stripped the bed but left washing sheets for Monday.  In the interest of keeping my daily allowance for electricity at a certain level I felt it would be better to not double up  by washing and drying two loads (it was rainy).

Remembered the strawberries in the fridge when I began to make work lunch for Chance.  3 quarts of them bought for just $1.66 each.  I'd planned to make strawberry jam but had gotten so busy I forgot.  It was too late to make the jam but I topped them and cut them in half and put them in the freezer.

I set aside a few of the sliced strawberries and sweetened with a spoon of sugar.  I mixed with a cup of homemade yogurt for a light evening meal.

Monday:  Plans for this day: spend time with Alan in his new home town.  He found a special market he wanted to share with me.  Knowing I'd spent a good portion of my grocery money already and had a few things I needed to buy, I made up my mind that it would be a no spend day.  It was, but gracious there was some of the most beautiful fresh produce and wonderful meats in that market.  I avoided temptation by mentally listing the items I HAD to buy to finish out the pay period.

That load of sheets that needed to be washed and dried were done today.  One load was all I did.  I'd meant to hang to dry but the skies clouded over and I didn't want to leave them on the line.  So I dried in the dyer, but cut the time short by ten minutes and let the clothes sit in the hot dryer to finish drying.   

Turned down the heater before I left home so it wouldn't cut off and on.  Went through the house to be sure no lights or appliances were left on.

My only expense this day: refilling my car with gasoline.  I used 1/2 tank for two days of special activities.  Now I shall tighten my driving schedule to try to use less over the rest of this month.

I was very careful not to pick up 'extras' in that lovely organic grocery we visited, though my fingers itched over the lovely radishes and artichokes and carrots I saw.  Oh my, yes.  But we didn't need them, had no room in the fridge to store them.  So I kept that money in my pocket to spend on the things we did need.

Tuesday:  Not a big shop day but a shopping/errand day all the same.  I'd planned to stick to the local area, but Kay needed to tend to an errand and asked if I'd take her to do it.  That meant going in the opposite direction and an additional gasoline expense.  That made me resolve even more to watch my pennies.  If I had to use the extra gasoline I would save money elsewhere to offset the expense.  I saved nearly $80 on groceries this day by NOT purchasing them!

Cleaned my car today at the DIY car wash.  Routine cleaning of carpets and upholstery will only keep the car looking nice and make those carpets and seats last that much longer.  Well worth the investment of $1.50 to use the vacuum there.  Spent another $2.50 to wash the car.

Sometimes I think my cousin must be feeding my dogs.  They weren't interested in eating this evening, so I poured their food back into the container to save it from ants.  No need of having good food to go to waste.

Kay washed a load of her clothes.  She threw in our few pieces to make a larger load.

Hand washed bras and hung to dry.

Wednesday:  Plans made for the day...and plans changed.  My husband asked me to go to breakfast with him this morning.  I happily agreed.  It is, after all, a real treat to have someone make breakfast for me.  We had a nice meal and were pleased to find we'd received a discount, too. 

We made a stop at the Pawn Shop in that town.  This is one of our favorite stops.  Often we find something we need or want at a huge discount over traditional stores.  Jewelry, music equipment, movies, games for play stations.  We came out empty handed today but it's always a nice spot to visit all the same.  And since it was on our way to where we were going anyway, no harm done.

Walmart...We were a little too focused today, lol.  Forgot two items we were supposed to buy.  Oh well.  We'll call it savings since neither of them are items we'll have to go purchase elsewhere.  And it's incentive to Chance to try to repair an item that might respond to contact cleaner.  We've certainly not lost a bunch of money if it doesn't work.  I spent an additional $23 on grocery items.  All were items on my list of outages I was unable to buy at the dollar store yesterday.  Our only 'extra' was a pint of ice cream.  We didn't cruise the store and just look at things either, which really cut down the impulse shopping.

Came home and got right to work making a big pot of turkey soup.  I didn't have noodles,but looked up the recipe online.  Who knew it was so easy to make noodles from scratch.  The most difficult part?  Waiting two hours for the dough to dry sufficiently that it would remain a noodle and not become a dumpling!  Gracious but that soup was good and the noodles were pretty awesome.  Next time I'll work a little harder to roll them thinner but they weren't bad.

Egg Noodles: 1 egg, 2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp salt, all purpose flour (about 1 cup).  Beat egg and milk, add salt, mix well, add flour to make a stiff dough.  Roll out thinly then fold into thirds and let rest for about an hour.  Cut into thin strips, unroll and let noodles dry for another hour.

My soup was very economical to make.  1 quart of broth (saved from crock pot when I cooked the turkey breast), 2 quarts water, 2 cups of meat from the half breast I used for this week's meals, 1 cup sliced celery (used tops and leaves rather than stalk portion), 1 cup onion, 1 cup peas, 1 1/2 medium carrots, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper.  When noodles are ready, add to pot and allow to cook about ten minutes.  How economical is that?  Inexpensive ingredients and they were so flavorful and good!

Made up a box of cupcake mix Alan gave me for my birthday (Barefoot Contessa).  Recipe said it would make 1 dozen.  I got 14 cupcakes from the mix.  I think it's because I didn't overfill the cups.

Made yogurt.  I like the recipe so well now that I have the thermometer to insure the proper temperatures are reached for each stage.  I made extra yogurt this week just because it is so thick and nice.  

Thursday:  Noticed the yogurt this week has more than the usual whey.  I can use it in cooking or to put over dog food.  Either is acceptable usage.

Kay asked for chicken for lunch although I'd started pizza dough.  I put the dough in the fridge and made two quick side dishes to go with the chicken she went to purchase.  Coleslaw and potato salad were ready in the same length of time it took for the trip into town.  I used the microwave to cook the potatoes while the eggs came up to a boil.  I was really surprised when I was stirring the potato salad to see the car coming back up the driveway.

The house grew steadily colder yesterday but we held off turning the heat back on for several house.  We opted for sweaters and slippers.

I had a house full of kids and company when it came time for Chance to go to music practice...Suddenly the house was empty and it was late, too late to make pizza.  So I prepared turkey salad from the last of the turkey breast half in the fridge.

Out of pickle relish, so I chopped pickles to add to the turkey salad. 

Friday:  I changed my plans and didn't attend the Peaches to Beaches sale today...well sort of...I agreed to go with Chance to the street ministry and there was a small segment of the yard sale at the Farmer's Market.  I didn't buy anything, but I did look.

Took along my home keeping notebook.  I wanted to see where I was with my goals for the month (not doing good) and the budget for the month just past (budget okay, grocery budget continues to need tweaking).  It was a good use of time for me while I waited on Chance.

Home once more, the pizza dough came out of the fridge and I used what I had on hand: pepperoni, cheeses, vegetables to make our toppings.    Nice to have the main work of supper taken care of.

Living Well

It's been a difficult week...not an easy week, not a week for sleeping well or living stress free...And it isn't just my own personal life that is in turmoil.  The world news of late, yes even today's news, has been pretty horrific lately.  If there were ever a good excuse for lying awake at night, staring into the dark worrying then this year has been a great one for it thus far.

And so I must do the only things I can do in times like this.  Lean hard upon my belief in prayer, and count my blessings, however small.

This week I am grateful for:

Spring's beauty.

The joy of seeing a gathering of people whose interest was caught by the same thing: a yard sale!

A long chat with Chance that relieved my burdens.

For the safety of my family in various unsafe circumstances this week.

Cupcakes.

Being treated as a treasure.

Good conversation with friends

A busier than usual week of social activities.

Handling history.

The certainty that this too is a season and shall soon pass.

A last blast from winter.

Reading in bed after a long hard day.

Laughing over silly things.

How to Eat Groceries - Eggs, Dairy and Cheese

I find it very interesting that several of the warnings we've received over the last few years have been reversed.  Think eggs are high in cholestrol?  Turns out the cholestrol in eggs is good cholestrol.  Eggs also are high in Lutein, a substance that is good for the eyes and helps prevent macular degeneration.  

For years now, we've steadily decreased our dairy intake.  For one thing, the high fat content is cited and we were  urged to drink lower fat versions which frnakly lacks in flavor.  Now scads of Americans suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, due to our phobic avoidance of exposure to UV rays from the sun and high fat dairy products...Turns out the fat in whole milk is what helps us absorb the Vitamin D.  Not only is Vitamin D essential to our bodies, it insures the absorption of Calcium which protects our bone health.

May I just voice the opinion here that there might be a need for some fat in our diets?  That foods such as eggs, butter, cheese and dairy are not the foods to avoid but the very foods we should incorporate into our diet and leave off other less healthy fats?  Soapbox pushed aside and now let us settle once more to the  kichen table,  planning of meals and menus which use these good healthy foods we buy at the market.

First let us look at eggs.  If ever there were a natural convenience food then it is the egg.  Omelets, boiled, scrambled, poached...Eggs are quickly prepared and lend themselves to various cuisines.  Italy has a luscious pizza that features argula and eggs baked in the oven.  France perfected the Omelet.  The English love their boiled eggs.  Hispanics have  Huevos Rancheros and Migas.  All quick meals with loads of flavor.  Eggs are hardly a breakfast food though we tend to think of them more often for that first meal of the day.  One of my favorites is shirred eggs, which are baked with a bit of cream over the top to keep them from drying out.

Eggs are certainly a basic ingredient for any kitchen.  They give lift and airiness to cakes and breads, are a necessary binder for homemade pasta and dumplings.  I made egg noodles yesterday for the first time and I assure you it was easy as could be.  Well worth the the waiting time for them to dry, which was the most difficult part of the process!  Let me assure you that for all the talk of how difficult a souffle can be, they are easily mastered and also worth the effort.  There's nothing like a lovely cheese souffle with a salad and steamed asparagus for a spring supper.  Egg based casseroles are very tasty.  I have a recipe for a deviled egg casserole that is very good and is a great way to use up leftover deviled eggs.
 
With eggs in the house you can make delicious custards and puddings for your family to enjoy.  Years ago, eggs were one of the foods most often served to those with 'delicate' appetites and  invalids.  Custard was a well know component of the invalid's diet and it was a homemaker's duty to provide those special dishes.  Custard is still considered a treat by many...Creme Brule and Flan are just fancy custards.  And if you've never made homemade pudding, you really should try it.  Boxed instant pudding is NOTHING like a creamy homemade pudding!

It is recommended still that we get at least 2-4 servings daily of milk and I'm willing to bet that most of us are woefully low in that area.  What is a serving?  1 cup of milk or yogurt,  or 1 1/2 ounces of cheese.  I've recently begun making my own yogurt here at home.  I have to share that the whole milk product, without sugars, preservatives, cornstarch, or fillers is a whole different thing than the store bought fruit flavored stuff I'd been buying.  Homemade yogurt is not as tangy as store bought and is so much smoother.  It isn't hard to make once you get the temperatures where they need to be at the three stages (simmering milk, adding yogurt starter and incubation).  Milk may be used as an ingredient in recipes and will count as a serving there too, but admittedly it is a little more difficult to determine if a serving has been eaten unless you're serving custard, pudding or ice cream when milk is eaten.  Bread puddings are a nice way to use eggs and milk and they may be made savory (with sausage, cheese and vegetables, or herbs and are referred to as stratas) or sweet (called pudding).

There are such a variety of cheeses available.  Cheddar is the most common and the least expensive.  Swiss, mozzarella, Monterey Jack are well priced and flavorful, good for eating as a snack or adding to dishes.  I also like cottage cheese and cream cheese and you'll generally find all of these in my refrigerator most of the time.  Cheese is a good substitute for meat and has a high protein value.  I seldom have processed cheese in the house because I dislike the texture of it.  However, I do want to note here that in my vintage homemaking magazines I've discovered that processed cheese product used to contain two ingredients: cheese and milk.  I'm not keen on the commercially prepared product we have today.

How do I use these cheeses?  Homemade macaroni and cheese is one prime example, cheese pizza, chili rellenos, quesadillas, are all ideas.  Many times cheese may be used as an enhancement to a an entree.  Here is where caution is required if you'll keep your budget intact.  Just because the recipe calls for one cup doesn't mean that two cups will be better.  If you feel you are not getting enough flavor, try a cheese with a sharper taste.  I prefer to use a romano blend of parmesan because of the extra tang in the romano.

Blue cheese, Gorgonzola and Feta cheeses are generally good strong flavored cheeses to have on hand and are especially good in salads or homemade salad dressings.  One budget trick I use in making homemade cheese dressings is to use half strong flavored cheese and half cottage cheese.  The cottage cheese bulks up the dressing and the strong cheese adds the taste.

Cheese sauces are nice over Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli, and Potatoes au Gratin is another nice side dish.  Grated cheeses added to bread doughs is a nice touch as well.  Think of those Cheddar Bay biscuits that are such a popular offering at Red Lobster restaurants.  

Butter...In my home there are no margarines or oleo.  Years ago I determined that a whole food was more suitable for consumption than a manufactured product and in light of the trans fat discoveries, I'm happy we made the switch.  I am no Paula Deen, lol.  You'll find few of the recipes in my home call for a whole stick of butter at one time, though I do have one or two that do.  For the most part, I find that butter adds a silky sheen and subtle taste to sauces for vegetables or meats.  When adding butter without a recipe consider that one to two tablespoons is more than enough to enhance the flavor of mashed potatoes or other vegetables.  A pat of butter (the typical serving for bread) is generally 1 tsp per person and that will usually be sufficient for two servings of bread. 

Coffee Chatter

Come on in.  There's coffee and Cupcakes today for our chat.  I made the cupcakes this afternoon.  Alan gave me the box of Barefoot Contessa mix for my birthday and was supposed to visit today.  His last words were  "And please make those cupcakes..."  Cupcakes were made, but Alan didn't show.  Kay is here but with no Alan she's chosen to sleep the rainy afternoon away...  All the more cupcakes for us, right?

I've had a week thus far of changing plans.  I planned to visit with Alan on Monday and so I worked extra hard on Sunday in the house.  Kay showed up early Monday morning, unexpectedly,  and we chatted until she went off to bed.  Then I went on to Alan's home, a litlte later than planned, but I suppose it worked out well enough.  I woke him when I arrived.  He'd worked overtime and hadn't gotten in until 5am and asleep until after 6am.

Alan was so pleased to have me come visit for the day and he treated me well.  We drove downtown in the city where he lives to a tree shaded corner restaurant.  It was a lovely little Italian place.  The walls were lined with dated photos of the owner's family in Italy.  I had a salad that was nice enough, but the dressing on the salad was out of this world.  It was made in the restaurant with fresh basil and wasn't too tart with vinegar nor too sweet.  It was absolutely the best vinegarette dressing I've ever had.   The entree I chose was a Pesto Chicken over Linguini Alfredo.  The pesto and Alfredo were light sauces, not heavy as the homemade Alfredo I make.  I had so much food that I brought Kay home a full serving.

Alan was by no means satisfied to treat me to just lunch.  No, he also took me to a coffee shop in the historic area and ordered a brew to his own specification.  Remember that just a few years ago he was a Barista in a coffee shop and he's very exact about what makes a good cup of flavored coffee.  Then he was off again, this time to an outlying area where we bought speciality cupcakes for dessert.  He was generous and bought one for Chance and Kay as well.  The lemon cupcake I had was very dense cake, with a tartly sweet buttercream frosting.

Can I just say I felt I'd been most thoroughly spoiled? lol  It really was a lovely meal and dessert to finish off the meal.  Then we visited an organic grocery he'd discovered.  Here is the website for the chain:

http://www.thefreshmarket.com/

It truly was a wonderful store, made to look more like an old fashioned general store with creaking wood floors and barrels of coffee beans and bulk cereals and candies.  The produce was beautiful and not unreasonably price, and the floral selections were better priced than a conventional grocery.  I've seldom seen such beautiful meats, lovely gourmet entrees to take home to bake and eat or have prepared in store for a meal on the go.  It wasn't a large grocery, perhaps the size of my hometown's grocery store.  The selections were limited and not everything was organic but everything was clearly marked so you knew whether you were buying organic or conventionally grown items.  It was a treat to be in the store and had I not been so mindful of the need to finish my shopping the next day, I'd have been very tempted by some of that produce and meat and the spices...

So it was a lovely time with Alan.  I was sorry that Kay hadn't come along with us to enjoy the day but she was sound asleep still when I returned home.

Monday was also Harvest Night in our home.  Unfortunately Chance didn't get home until quite late.  It's a good thing we have this bill paying down to a science.  Between my checklist of what needed to be paid and a sort of tag team approach we were soon finished with that task.  I was weary as could be and the temptation of reading in bed won out without a hard battle on my part, lol. 

I found a copy of The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory at a thrift store Saturday.  Kay and I watched the movie and were appalled at the blatant way the characters sought the King's favor and the depths they were willing to go to.  Well honestly the book is even more appalling than the movie!  It's hard to put down, truly it is.   I shall most certainly be looking for more of Phillippa Gregory's books to read when I'm done with this one.  She seems to specialize in the Boleyns.

And just as a side note this is my third book in less than two weeks.  I finished Fox River by Emilie Richards on Friday, so finding the Gregory book was timely.

Oh my!  I've not told you about Saturday yet, have I? I spent the afternoon with a friend visiting antique malls in a small town south of my hometown.  Very enjoyable way to spend a rainy Saturday, truly it was.  The first store was a proper antiques place with lovely old furniture, some primitive and some manufactured, fine china, silver and a huge variety of special booths.  I found only a couple of books there to purchase, not really antique but old enough I could remember them from my childhood...Which made Sue and I laugh over how the things we used to have at home were now considered antiques.  And led to a discussion that it wasn't necessarily treasure we seek out when we visit these stores but items that somehow encapsulate the nostalgia we feel for our childhood.  That is partially true for me.  I truly love to handle things that have history. 

As with many stores it was easy to see that some booths were overflow from collections, such as the one that had numerous syrup pitchers that ranged in size from 1/2 cup to 2 cups or the numerous collections of salt and pepper shakers we found.  What I found most interesting were the mayonnaise jars complete with screw top lids with built-in manual egg beaters.  I could just see a 1920's homemaker or her maid working away in a sunny kitchen making mayonnaise for salads.  Sigh...

Then there were the many little chairs, not fancy at all, but obviously handmade with tiny turned finials topping them off and leather seats.  I touched two or three of them and the wood was so lovely, rubbed smooth and waxy feeling from use, not the kind of smoothness that comes of sanding but day to day use.  The thinness of the slats in the backs of the chair were astonishing as well.  Sue and I commented that we'd neither of us feel kindly to either of our husbands leaning back in one of those little chairs simply because they seemed to delicate.  I'm just willing to bet however, that they are far sturdier than the chairs either of us have in our homes!  And then there was the 1831 sampler with a 9 year old girl's name upon it...

The second store was filled to the brim with old things, but not so fine as the ones in the first store.  These were more affordable 'antiques'.  Some were certainly as old as the first store but well used.  I admit to a fondness for well used items.  Give me the creamer or shaving cup with the gold worn away from handling or the book with an inscription in the front and a page or two with corners turned down and I am a happy happy woman.   I didn't come home with lots of stuff at all Saturday.  A book, a shaving mug.  Mostly the day was about looking and wondering at the previous owners and such.

Do you see how spoiled I've been this week?  I've had three lovely days thus far.  Just this morning, Chance took me out to breakfast.  We chatted and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We made a couple of stops the last one at Walmart.  We were very focused there and didn't give in to temptation.  We were gone from home quite a little while.  I'd laid out my plans the night before, but you know I've said it often enough: work always waits on me, I seldom have to wait on work. 

We got back home about noon, just before the rain started.  I had no time to make soup on Monday or Tuesday so I thought it just perfect for today.  I made my own egg noodles to go in the soup.  Gosh but they were easy to make and I wondered to myself yet again just why we bother with the tasteless stuff sold in the grocery.  The noodles required only basic ingredients: egg, milk, salt, flour.  My home is never without those ingredients.  

I plan to look for a pressure canner as well as a stockpot to use as a water bath canner before summer.  I want to begin to 'harvest' more of the foods I bring into my own home.  I bought strawberries this past week to make into Jam.  I found an excellent price on the berries, far less than I've seen them in years in the grocery.  I didn't have time to make them with all the 'extras' this weekend and early part of this week, but I topped them and put them in the freezer to save.

Speaking of Jam...I watched Bobby Flay make brunch yesterday afternoon on TheCookingChannel and wondered at someone making jam for the morning's meal, lol.  However, I recall Granny often made a tomato jam to go with fresh black eyed peas and it often was ready to serve just as the meal came together so why not?  It's just we tend, too often, to go for the ease of the commercially packaged product when fresh homemade takes only a little while to make, far less time than we think it will.

I shall have to see to supper, so should end here.  I think too my milk is about ready to cool down for the yogurt making.  Yes, work always waits upon me...

 

How to Eat Groceries - Seasonal Produce Guide

This evening I was cruising around blogland and found a seasonal foods chart that I thought might be a helpful guideline.  There may be subtle differences in what's available in your market depending upon where you live. 

January - citrus fruits, apples, pears, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks and parsnips

February – citrus fruits, broccoli, kale, leeks and cauliflower

March – mangoes, pineapple, broccoli, leeks and lettuce

April – limes, mangoes, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, fava beans, horseradish, lettuce, rhubarb, peas, sweet onions, zucchini

May – apricot, artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, radishes, spinach, cherries, lettuce, okra, pineapple, rhubarb, spring peas, zucchini

June – apricots, asparagus, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, lettuce, peas, peaches, radishes,  rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, watermelon

July – apricots, beans, beets, blueberries, cabbage, cauliflower, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, egg plant, green beans, kiwi, lettuce,  onions, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon

August – apricots, beans, beets, blueberries, cabbage, cauliflower, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, egg plant, green beans, kiwi, lettuce,  onions, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon

September – apples, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumbers, grapes, persimmons, pomegranates, summer squash, eggplant, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spinach, winter squash, tomatoes, turnips, melons, pumpkins

October – apples, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cranberries, beans, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, grapes, onions, pomegranate, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet potato, winter squash, turnips

November – apples, broccoli, cranberries, mushrooms, oranges, pears, persimmon, pomegranate, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, tangerines, winter squash

December – broccoli, brussel sprouts, cranberries, cauliflower, dates, grapefruit, leeks, mushrooms, oranges, papayas, pears, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, tangelos and tangerines

How to Eat Groceries - Five a Day or "Eat your vegetables!"

Fruits and Vegetables

The mindset of eating vegetables and fruits in the 1960's and '70's was very different from what I see in today's world...In fact, I think if you surveyed any household (including my own!) you'd find many meals are woefully low in good vegetable and fruit content.  I see this even in reading the Woman's Day menus which have become so streamlined that I wonder just where good nutrition comes into the normal diet! 

Remember I am the owner and reader of many issues of vintage homemaking magazines.  In the 1940's Woman's Day began offering up monthly menus based upon income.  Lower income, thrifty menus were based on grains and seasonal fruits and vegetables and less meat and fresh dairy.  The regular economy menu offered up one or two servings of meat daily and more vegetable/fruit servings.  Typically the magazine offered menus for three meals per day and I promise you that the full number of servings was incorporated into those menus.

In comes the 1970's and early '80s when I began homemaking.  Menus for that era were usually  for evening meals only, which included one meatless meal each week.  An entree, two or three servings of vegetables and fruits and a dessert were typical.  I assume the magazine worked with the theory that most people got some fruit and vegetable at breakfast or lunch.

Now the 2010's menus tend to be an entree and single vegetable... Considering what I know of modern diets, few people have any fruits in the morning, and unless we count potato chips or french fries as a vegetable serving (technically they are but nutritionally not so much) that puts us down to a woeful two servings per day, despite government nutritional guidelines and the rules of good nutrition.

Do we need as many calories as our 1940's counterparts needed?  No, we don't. Our work is less physically demanding.  What we do need is the same vitamins and nutrients that insure good health...and sadly, all too many people are willing to take that in supplemental pill form.

All whole foods, including meat and dairy, provides some nutritional value.  Our goal should be to insure that our families eat as healthy a diet as possible.  You've heard it all before: less sugar, more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, higher in fiber.  These days the 'five a day' slogan is passe.  It's suggested we eat somewhere nearer nine servings daily, seven at the least.

When eating on a budget, the best possible way to insure your family remain healthy is to eat seasonally.  Each item available in season has a nutrient base that is ideal for that season's dietary needs.  It's no secret that citrus fruits are most readily available in the cold/flu season.  That vegetables such as asparagus and green onions and lettuces become available in Spring.  Summer is really a sort of excessive buffet of fruit/vegetables/melons but these foods contain nutrients and vitamins that build immunity for the winter months.  Apples and nuts and squashes/pumpkins are autumn's offerings, as are cranberries and in northern states, blueberries.

Budget wise, you cannot go wrong to eat fruits and vegetables in season.  Charts abound on the internet to help you learn what is available, but if you are still uncertain (because different regions have different schedules of availability, then check the local farmer's markets and look for the lowest priced items n the produce section.  Seasonal items are almost always the lowest priced item in the produce sections of markets.  And let's go one step further and look at another budget caveat with our produce: you'll fill your family up faster with good old fruits and vegetables bought in season for low prices than you'll ever fill them on a bread and meat diet.  So your family is not only getting the vital nutrients and minerals required to maintain good health but they feel full...do you see what a huge savings this is to a household?!

I grew up in a gardening family.  We ate heavily of fresh produce in the production months and canned or froze vegetables to eat throughout the winter but these were used as supplements to the seasonal foods, not as replacements. 

Now how do you eat all those fruits and vegetables?  Five a day is probably a huge stretch for most of us, and nine just seems ridiculous doesn't it?  And better yet, how do you AFFORD all those fruits and vegetables?

Let's look at serving sizes and portions first.  Are you aware that most apples, bananas, pears, and oranges should be served by halves, not a whole piece of fruit?  Did you know that a serving of grapes is just 20 grapes and a serving of strawberries is usually about 5?  Remember a few months ago I said I bought 5 Brussels Sprouts each for Chance and I?  That was a single serving.  Most vegetables should be served by the 1/2 cup portion, with the exception of lettuces which typically should be 1-2 cups of loosely packed greens (that means you don't push it down but just pile lightly into a measuring cup).  Do you see now how five a day might just be possible?  That truly seven and nine servings aren't too big a stretch after all when spread over three meals?

Save your budget and buy only what you need to provide a serving per family member.  Skip the big bulk purchases the manager packed up just especially for your convenience (and incidentally will sit and spoil in the fridge because it proved far too much to consume).  If you do choose to buy a three headed crown of broccoli, ask yourself how much will it take to serve the family one meal...and what will you do with the leftovers?  This is an important question and follow-up is equally important.  I know what I'd do: serve steamed broccoli for one meal, serve broccoli spears with cheese sauce over a baked potato for a quick supper, shred the stalk for slaw or slice into sections and use in a cream of broccoli soup or stir fry dish.  That's disposed of all three heads and the stalks.  I've gotten my money's worth and we've fleshed out the week's menu rather nicely.

And that's the second thing: you don't need to eat all these foods at one meal.  Stretch them out over three meals and two snacks daily. 

Naturally mornings one might think of fruit.  Seldom do we see a vegetable on the table for the first meal of the day.  However, I find tomatoes and peppers are quite good for breakfast, in an omelet (a very willing base for many vegetables: mushrooms, onions and peppers, asparagus, etc) or sliced and served as a side.  Hash browns or potatoes O'Brien are equally good for breakfast as well. 

Four ounces of  juice is also a serving of fruit. It makes up in easy consumption for what it lacks in fiber.  But let's look a bit closer here because smoothies, which are hugely popular at the moment, can easily become a drinkable breakfast.  Frozen bananas, mangoes, peaches, berries, melons are all excellent in a smoothie.  I keep reading how high calorie smoothies are, but my own homemade drinks are definitely not high calorie.  I keep them simple: frozen fruit, homemade yogurt, perhaps a little splash of orange juice or apple juice or a spoonful of juice concentrate.  Protein powder may be added but I've never bothered with that, though I do add a spoonful of peanut butter to banana smoothies.  Now whirl in the blender and pour into a glass.  Voila!  A serving of fruit (or two!) for breakfast.

Another favorite way of having fruit at breakfast is to slice apples, peaches, pears or banana and serve atop nut butter on toast. 

With one serving of fruit or vegetable safely disposed of for breakfast, we move on to snacks: peanut butter with  apples, pepper strips, carrot and celery sticks with ranch or blue cheese dressing, cream cheese or peanut butter stuffed celery. 

Once upon a time I had a 3 inch binder filled with recipes.  Imagine my shock to find I had loads of meat and bread and dessert and soup/salad recipes but nothing but fruit pies and potato recipes to cover the fruit/vegetable category.  Now I specifically look for recipes that are fruit or vegetable based.  That has led to some very tasty vegetarian recipes that serve as sides or entrees, as well as many new salad recipes.  This week my menus feature a salad with strawberries and almonds as an accent.  I recently took a green salad to a pot luck dinner that had Gala apple slices and craisins tossed into the mix, along with toasted walnuts.  That salad bowl came home clean! 

When planning meals don't just think of vegetables as sides, but plan meals that contain vegetables as an ingredient.  My family loves a spinach and cream cheese stuffed chicken breast recipe I made up one night.  I could serve with a tomato based sauce and there would be two servings of vegetables right in one entree.  Ground vegetables (onions, celery, peppers, carrots, tomatoes) used to go into meatloaf and burgers and sometimes spaghetti sauce when my children were young picky eaters. 

Having discussed the 'eat five a day' and how to incorporate them, there's always the question of which is best: frozen or canned or fresh?   Unless you have a garden or are dealing with farmer's or organic markets the likelihood that the vegetables we're eating are truly fresh is slim.  Buying in  season  does help to insure the products are closer to being fresh but note country/state of origin (now available on most foods). 

The theory that canned or frozen vegetables are more than likely freshest is, in my opinion, faulty.  If you garden then this is true.  If you can or freeze produce bought at the farmer's market the day you purchase it, it might be true.  Having lived next door to a frozen foods plant, and having been told the same practices prevail at a cannery, the odds of getting strictly fresh commerically frozen/canned foods is about equal to the produce you purchase in the produce department of the grocery store. 

The crops are harvested by combines and long trailers are filled with the crop which then goes to the plant, often miles away and sits in the sun for hours until the plant is ready to pack that particular item.  Then the food goes through a long series of washings, being picked over and cleaned and if necessary shelled or pared etc.  Odds are good that the green beans picked on Monday aren't frozen until Tuesday or Wednesday.  Some loss of nutrients result due to the delays in processing. 

If you find a product that you particularly like and which seems fresher and better tasting than another, then buy it.  I prefer to buy some items fresh and some items frozen and a few items canned.  Let your family's likes and dislikes be your guide for best value for your money.

So there you have it!  Now go eat those vegetables!