Lentil Roast with Acorn Squash, Turnips & Carrots

Talk about cheap! Yes, I haven't talked about cheap in quite some time. Not that I don't still revel in cheap, good food (not to be confused with cheap bad food, of which there is so much that no one in their right mind would bother blogging about it). While expensive food finds its way onto my dinner table from time to time, I have to keep to a pretty tight budget, like most folks these days, and I do everything I can to keep costs low.

That said, I am not in the habit of compromising about food. Quite the opposite! We eat delicious and healthy food at every meal. We just eat less of those things that make most Americans gluttons (meat), and we eat more of the things that most Americans avoid like the plague (veggies).

This recipe is a great example of that kind of eating. The protein is organic green lentils (which I bought in bulk on sale for the dirt cheap price of 66 cents/lb.), the veggies are nearly all from my CSA (to learn more about CSAs and other local food buying options, check out my post about that sort of thing), which means I used about $7 of produce on this meal. I served this stew/roast over kohlrabi mashed potatoes (the kohlrabi was also from the CSA, and the potatoes were local). The whole stew cost about $10, and it serves about 8. Wow! That's $1.25 per serving ... big servings! You can't even do that at McDonald's!

If the cheap, healthy, and green of this meal weren't enough, it's also incredibly easy (and one pot ... well, one baking dish), and it was a hit with the kids ... especially the baby!

Lentil Roast with Acorn Squash, Turnips, & Carrots
1 lb. green lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
6 small turnips, trimmed of ends and cut into 1" chunks
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups homemade or low-sodium veggie stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsps. garam masala
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine all ingredients in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 1.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, and adding water if necessary. Serve over kohlrabi mashed potatoes.

Homemade Southwestern Pork Sausage

I didn't set out to make sausage myself. Originally, I was looking to serve some kind of game meat at my daughter's bear birthday party. Sometimes, after the spring thaw, bears eat animals that were trapped in snow or ice, so I thought game meat would work nicely with the theme. I tried to find venison or elk meat to serve, and thought that sausage would probably work best for grilling. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a source that I trusted, and buying wild game from hunters is illegal. Having gotten excited about the idea of serving sausage at the party, I went in search of some local, sustainable sausage of the more domestic kind. I found some, but none that really spoke to me.

What to do? What to do? A crazy voice inside of me blurted, "Make your own sausage!" "Yeah, right!" I said back (to myself). "I don't know the first thing about sausage-making, and this is an expensive undertaking for me to possibly louse up!" So, I did a little research ... very little research, and I made some calls to see if I could get my hands on some sausage casings (pig intestines). I scored some free casings at a local butcher shop, and I knew that was sign that I had to make sausage, know-how or no.

The general consensus about making sausage seems to be that it is necessary to have a meat grinder, or that meat must be ground to specification (coarse grind or fine grind) by a butcher. I found nearly universal recommendations to use a sausage stuffer, as well. One butcher practically bet me that I would be back to ask him to make my sausage for me. I nearly spent quite a lot of money on equipment, very unnecessarily, until I had a epiphany. I didn't want to invest $50-100 on stuff that I might never use again. Instead, I took a chance and decided to buy ground meat (coarse? fine? eh, whatever ...) and stuff the casings using a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. If even a pastry bag is an iffy investment for you, try just buying the tip ($1-2) and use it with a plastic bag.

I was absolutely exhilarated by the prospect of making something so out of my element. What an incredible experience! It was messy, to say the least, but it was also a lot of fun. I don't recommend doing this with young kids, just because there is a lot of raw meat involved, but older kids (maybe 9 years+) would probably do very well with it. Just make sure to encourage frequent hand-washing and counter-wiping.

I tried to avoid reading recipes for sausage-making, knowing that most are made with dried spices. I wanted to make something fresh and light. Yes, "light sausage" is a bit of an oximoron, but indulge me. So, I decided to go with Southwestern flavors.

I have no regrets at all about the way I went about this. Sometimes diving head-first into the unknown is the best way to get experience. Sometimes re-inventing the wheel isn't a waste of time. So, try this recipe, or make up your own, or make some other wacky dish that pleases your inner risk-taker.

Southwestern Pork Sausage
10 lbs. sustainably raised organic ground pork
natural pork casings for 40 sausages (ask your butcher to give you a little extra in case some parts split)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
5 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Work in batches of about 3-4 lbs. of meat at a time.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pork, cilantro, jalapenos, scallions, red peppers, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well with your hands.

As a test, cook a tablespoon or so of the meat mixture in a hot skillet to make sure it's seasoned properly, and adjust seasonings as needed.

Scoop some of the meat mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Place the end opening of the casing around the tip, and carefully pipe the meat mixture into the casing, pulling the mixture down into the casing. Be careful not to be too forceful as the casing can tear. Once you have about 2-3 feet of casing filled, pinch the sausage every 5-6" to create individual links. Twist the casing between links a few times. There is no need to tie between links; only at the ends. Repeat this process until you have filled all of your sausages.

Sausages can be frozen or refrigerated before use. When you are ready to cook them, cut apart the links. Grill or broil them until cooked through. Serve in a whole wheat hot dog bun with Cabbage, Fennel, and Jicama slaw and some mustard.

Makes 35-40 links.

Notes:
- Be careful to keep casing and meat mixture cold. If you find the meat temperature rising to a point where it does not make your hands cold to touch it, return it to the fridge for a while before progressing.
- This recipe is not spicy (hot) despite the jalapenos, so if you like things mild, you'll probably like this as is. But if you want some more kick, go for it!

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is your basic go-to salad dressing. Easy to make, healthier and cheaper than bottled dressings, and goes with just about any green salad. Keep it in a glass bottle in the fridge, and use it whenever.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. stone ground mustard
1 1/2 tsps. dried basil
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
20 grinds of fresh pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, mustard and spices in a bowl, and whisk together to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Pour into a glass bottle, and use as needed. If the dressing separates, shake vigorously before using.

Note: Olive oil will get cloudy and solidify in the fridge. Take the dressing out about 30 minutes before you need it, and the olive oil should return to a liquid, clear state.

Potato Hash

Potato hash is one of those basic go-to dishes that I make when I need something quick, or when I want to get rid of some leftovers. Certainly, leftover potatoes can be used to make a hash, but just about any leftover veggies can be tossed in, as well. A hash can be a side dish for breakfast, a quick lunch, or a complement for an egg at any meal of the day. Best of all, it's a very cheap and healthy way to fill your belly.

This mother's day, I made a hash with some leftover slaw, which was mostly cabbage, fennel and jicama. Try making this with whatever you have in the fridge.

Potato Hash
2 Tbsps. safflower oil (or your fat of choice ... I went with bacon grease this time)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup leftover veggies
3 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small pieces and steamed
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add red onion and garlic and saute over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften. Add the veggies and cook a few minutes longer. Add the potatoes, and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6 as a side dish. Serves 2-3 as a main course.

Eating While Standing on My Head

A wrench has been thrown into my happy culinary game plan. My poor six-month-old son, who has been suffering from horrible eczema most of his very short life, just recently tested positive for a long list of allergies. Faced with the choice to either eliminate all of his food allergens from my diet in order to keep nursing, or putting him on soy formula, I opted for the former. So, I am now neck-deep in diet overhaul, eating while standing on my head. My son's allergies include: dairy, wheat, eggs, and cashews.

It's now been about a month since we learned of his allergies, so I've gotten used to the alternatives, a bit. I'm disheartened by the fact that his eczema, while considerably better, is still not clear, and he scratches himself to a bloody mess if I don't give him Zyrtec every day. These things lead me to believe that there are undiscovered allergies, so perhaps more testing will be in order soon.

Eliminating so much from my diet all at once did do a number on my digestive system, I admit. And unfortunately, since most of these foods are among the most common in any dish, finding substitutes often means eating things that I've generally regarded as un-foods - something developed in a lab, not grown on the land. So, perhaps it is the addition of these un-foods that negatively affected me, rather than the elimination of the real things.

Life without breads or pastries is much more unbearable than I thought it would be. Initially, I was sure that I would miss cheese the most, and I do miss it, but not nearly as much as wheat products. Every Saturday morning, I used to make pancakes, and I'm still stumbling through that one. So far, I've tried a few gluten-free mixes, but they're just dreadful. For bread replacement, I've been eating brown rice bread, which is cakey and sweet, nothing like whole wheat bread. I also sometimes eat 100% rye bread, which can't realistically be used for a sandwich, since it falls apart so easily, Nonetheless, it still tastes pretty good. And if you think eating Asian food is a good idea, think again! Soy sauce contains wheat, and many restaurants marinate foods in soy sauce, so you can't just ask them to leave it off.

To replace eggs, I've yet to settle into a routine. There is a powdered product (a definite un-food) that is called egg replacer, but it really doesn't resemble eggs in the least, and doesn't seem to perform well in baking. I've had more luck with simple oil, or even a banana for moisture and binding. Oddly enough, pan fried tofu is a pretty tasty alternative to scrambled eggs (but nothing can replace my Sunday morning over easy eggs).

For the dairy, I've given up on most of it. I can't understand why most veggie cheese actually still contains milk ... that's just baffling! The one variety of non-dairy "cheese" that I found tastes inedibe ... again, un-food. I do eat some soy yogurt, maybe once or twice a week, and that's just to have something to mix granola and fruit into for breakfast. Sometimes, I also eat wheat-free cereal, and for that and for some cooking applications, I've needed a milk replacement. On the recommendation of a friend, I tried hemp milk first, which was just short of unbearable. I know I don't like soy or rice milks from having tried them in the past, and frankly, I don't want to overexpose myself to either of those, since soy and rice replace almost everything else in my diet. One of the few nuts I have left to eat (between my son's cashew allergy and my daughter's peanut allergy) is almonds, and I've been eating them often, so I thought adding almond milk might also be overkill on that front. So, that left me with one more option: oat milk. Thankfully, I can stand the stuff. It's also fortunate that of all the milk replacers, it's one of the least expensive.

Speaking of expense, sheesh! All of these un-foods cost a fortune! This is going to take a serious toll on our budget! I've resolved to find ways to make a lot of very unfamiliar things myself to spare our bank account and my stomach exposure to so much unhealthy stuff. So, lots of these sorts of recipes are soon to come.

I'll leave you with this last bit of wisdom that I've learned over the last several weeks: My relationship with food has changed so much since I started eating unnatural things. I think about nutrients more than I care to, always worrying that the un-foods I'm consuming are not providing for me in the ways that their true counterparts did. That worry isn't unfounded ... my diet is no longer comprised entirely of actual food. I'm filling my stomach, but I'm not always doing so in my body's best interests. Such is the case for most Americans, who consume un-food unknowingly on a daily basis, and are not meeting their bodies' basic needs. For me, there has to be a better way.

Olive Oil Poached Salmon

Poaching is not usually my cooking mode of choice, and so I'm not very experienced in doing it. Poaching in oil, I've never done ... until now. I don't know what came over me, but I had a vision of olive oil, capers, lemon, and fish, and I said to myself, "I have to do this!" And I'm glad I did!

Now, the olive oil component is certainly not cheap, but the oil can be reused for the same application mutliple times, so consider that the oil's expense is only partly attributable to this meal. So, say a bottle of good, organic olive oil on sale goes for $11, which is what I usually pay. If you use this oil four times, then the cost for this meal is less than $3 (which is less than $1 per serving) ... not too bad. And who's to say you'll only use the oil four times? You might get more out of it!

And what of the health component? Am I just going to break all the rules of this blog (chuck health and cheap ... maybe we'll keep the green part)? The oil that is consumed by this recipe is actually quite minimal. Measure your oil before and after cooking, and you'll see what I mean. Besides, fat is not our enemy, particularly the kind of fat in olive oil (monounsaturated), which has been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL). In fact, extra virgin olive oil, which is generally cold-pressed, is as close to a whole food as you can get without eating raw olives (does anyone do that?); it is not heated, not refined, and since it is from the first press of the olives, it contains the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals of any other type of olive oil. Have some antioxidants with your fat and flavor, why don't you?

Given its non-refinement, extra virgin olive oil is a very poor oil to use in high heat cooking, because it has a low smoking point, but it's excellent in poaching, which is a fairly low heat, simmering application. And it is not simply used as a heat conductor either. Yes, it does function to impart heat, but more importantly, it imparts some serious flavor.

So, forget your dieting rules about avoiding cooking in oil, and enjoy a meal full of healthy fats and lots of deliciousness!

Olive Oil Poached Salmon
4 fillets of wild, Alaskan salmon (4-6 oz. each), skinned
3-4 cups of extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, sliced into rounds
several sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
1/4 cup capers
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt to taste (capers are salty, so go easy)
white pepper to taste

Pour olive oil into a stainless steel skillet to the depth of the salmon's thickness (about 2 inches). Heat the oil over medium heat until it is quite warm, but not hot (you should still be able to touch the oil without being in excruciating pain). Lower the heat to medium low to keep it at a simmer. Do not allow the oil to boil.

Add half the lemon slices and the sprigs of thyme to the pan. Lay the fish fillets (in batches, if necessary) to the pan. The fish should be fully submerged in the oil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan, and allow excess oil to drain on a cooling rack.

In a small bowl, combine the capers, parsley, salt, white pepper and 4 Tbsps of the simmering oil. Serve the fish topped with the a slice of lemon and drizzled with the caper mixture. I served this with a side of wild rice with wilted seasonal greens.

Serves 4.

Tip: To reuse the oil, filter it through cheesecloth and store in a glass bottle (the original bottle is fine) in the refrigerator. Remove the oil from the fridge about an hour before you plan to use it to allow the oil to re-liquify.

Photo of olive branch from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Olivesfromjordan.jpg).

Trader Joe's? The Jury is Out

I'm new to the wonders of Trader Joe's. I've heard such great things about it: the low prices, the large selection of organic and whole grain foods, the unique products. It seems like everyone I know raves about it. So, now that one opened just 10 minutes from my daughter's nursery school, I thought I'd better check it out.

I went for the first time last week and left empty-handed and a little let down and confused. I was unaware that most of the products they sell are their own brand. I suppose there must be a way to make such a variety of products and still have them all meet high quality standards, but it still doesn't make much sense to me. I always thought better products (food and otherwise) are made by companies that specialize in something. Now, I haven't actually eaten any of their products yet, so I really can't say if they break this rule. But that issue aside, there several other issues I have with TJ's.

I was a bit saddened by the focus on processed foods. It seems like at least 50% of the store is their store brand of stuff in a box - frozen meals, cereals, canned products, refrigerated prepared foods. I found it troubling to be in a store like that, especially when it has the reputation of being a healthy food store. Healthy food is whole food, not processed foods. I suppose there isn't a grocery store on the planet that doesn't have lots of processed foods (even most health food stores do), but I was expecting to get great deals on real foods, like grains, beans, spices, baking supplies, etc. (incidentally, some of those things can be found at TJ's, but they are less prominent than the processed stuff).

I thought TJ's was a mostly organic store, and although they do have quite a variety of organic foods, you have to be careful to look for the organic symbol. Many times, I thought I was spotting a great deal, only to notice upon closer inspection that the product wasn't organic, hence the low price. I was a bit thrown to see so much conventional produce, in particular.

There are also some environmental concerns that I have with TJ's. Although they certainly do some things right (using paper shopping bags instead of plastic, for example), their products (even in produce) are clearly not locally-focused. That means that buying produce from them, or any other potentially local product (dairy, meat, bread, eggs, honey) is not supporting your local farmers, and it is adding to your carbon footprint by transporting foods that could be sourced locally.

So, I obviously had some negative first impressions about TJ's. But in the week that followed, I thought about it again and reconsidered some things. I do buy some processed foods: bread, cereal, canned tomatoes and dry pasta, to name a few. So, I may as well save some money at TJ's and buy that stuff there, if it's good, and if it's truly a savings. I also don't buy everything locally: I try to buy nearly all local produce, and as much as possible I buy local meats, eggs, honey and dairy. But I can't buy local grain, flour, sugar or nuts, to name a few. So, I may as well save some money and buy that stuff there, too. Finally, although I buy nearly all organic products, I would consider buying some non-organic products at TJ's because their products are GMO-free, and that is a major concern for me in most conventional products.

I went back to TJ's today, and I did buy a few things, and at very good prices:
- Organic boneless chicken breasts @ $6.99/lb. - I have yet to find local boneless chicken breasts, and this is an excellent price
- Whole wheat organic spaghetti @ $1.29 for 16 oz. - that's $0.70 less than the spaghetti I usually buy, when it's on sale
- Organic whole wheat min-pitas @ $1.79 for 8 - I've never seen these anywhere else
- Whole wheat pizza dough (non-organic) @ $0.99 - I still would like to start making my own pizza dough, but for now (with the little one only 3 months old), I'll forgive myself
- Whole wheat small flour tortillas (non-organic) @ $2.29 for 10 - I haven't seen this size whole wheat non-GMO tortillas anywhere else
- Whole wheat large flour tortillas (non-organic) @ $2.69 for 10 - not sure this is such a great deal. If it were organic, it would be a great deal. At least it's non-GMO.
- Organic light brown sugar @ $2.99 for 24 oz. - this is a real bargain - the same amount would normally go for more than $5. Only problem is that it's not fair trade.
- I also thought about buying their dried unsulphured mango, but then I saw that the first ingredient is sugar, so I nixed that.

I have some guilt about buying all this stuff. None of it is ideal, but it's hard to argue with the prices given that they required only small compromises. Still, what good are ideals if you're willing to compromise them for a bargain? I don't know ... I have figured this one out yet.

Ultimately, I think what made TJ's a less than life-altering experience for me is the hype. I went in expecting a revolutionary shopping experience, and I came away feeling like all I saw was a different business model for the same old, same old.

Pumpkin Pineapple Chicken

A while back, I learned how to cut up a chicken (see here). I resolved at the time to only use chicken that I'd cut up myself, with the exception of boneless chicken. Now that I have a baby to care for, time is not on my side, so that rule has been temporarily scrapped. Please forgive me!

This week, while looking for split chicken breasts on sale for $4.79/lb (good deal for organic chicken!), I noticed packs of chicken that included breasts and drumsticks for $2.49/lb. (also organic). Woo hoo! So, essentially, for the same price as 4 breasts, I got 4 breasts plus 10 drumsticks! What a deal! This recipe makes use of my free drumsticks, a small pumpkin from my CSA, and a can of pineapple bought on sale ages ago. Supremo cheapo!

Pumpkin Pineapple Chicken
2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 shallots, rough chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
1 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium veggie broth
2 Tbsps safflower oil
10 chicken drumsticks
1 cup fresh pineapple cubed, or 1 can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine pumpkin, garlic, shallots, spices and olive oil in a large baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Scoop pumpkin mixture into a blender, adding the veggie broth. Puree until smooth.

In a large stainless steel skillet, heat the safflower oil over medium high heat. Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper. Add the drumsticks to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

Add the pumpkin puree to the pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pineapple, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add the cilantro and adjust seasonings. Serve over whole wheat couscous.

Serves 4-5.

The Best Bang for Your Produce Buck

One of the best things we can do to make ourselves and our families healthy is to eat real, fresh foods. Many of us may think that what we get in the supermarket in the produce aisle is fresh, but the reality is that much of that food comes from halfway, or all the way, around the world, and is far from fresh. For most foods, that means they have to be picked before they ripen, robbing them of their natural development. Once picked, most fruits and veggies immediately begin to lose nutritional value, as they start the decay process.

The longer something sits in a crate, the greater the distance between farm and plate, the less real food you are getting. If you're buying conventional (non-organic) produce, and it's from far away, you're barely eating a natural substance. In fact, you may be eating more chemicals than nutrients (many foreign countries use harsher and more chemical pesticides and herbicides than we do in the US). Sure, it may look nice, and we've somehow evolved to value the look of produce over its taste and nutritional value, a cultural phenomenon I'll never understand. But you are getting very little for your produce dollar in buying these products. Granted, if you live in certain parts of the world (like the Northeast US), winter makes sourcing local produce quite a challenge. The rest of the year is quite a different story.

Here are some options that could work for you to help get real food on your table, and avoid spending your life savings to feed yourself:

CSAs
As I've mentioned in many a previous post, we subscribe to a CSA (Community Support of Agriculture) program. This program is run by a local organic farm (the one we use is Honeybrook Organic Farm). It helps them to have this subscription program, because it guarantees them an income for the year, regardless of weather conditions. It helps me, as a consumer, because I get fresh, local, organic produce every week from a farmer I trust.

This is how is works: You apply for a share with the farm, and if you can get a spot (our CSA fills up FAST!), you then pay for the upcoming year's share. Many farms offer only one kind of share - a full share. At Honeybrook, we have the option of a family share, an individual share, or a delivered boxed share. Family and individual shares must be picked up at the farm. Boxed shares are delivered to a wide variety of locations on specific days, and individuals must come to pick up their boxes within certain times. We took a boxed share, which we split with a friend. The cost this year for our share was $624, of which we paid $312. The harvest season typically runs from late May to early November, depending on conditions, so that means we're paying an average of $12.50 per week for our share. What a terrific bargain!

Our CSA grows all sorts of vegetables (lately our box has includes lettuce, beets, summer squash, fennel, kale, cabbage, basil, radicchio), plus aromatics, like onions, garlic and herbs, so there's little need to buy other vegetables. Some CSAs grow quite a bit of fruit, too, but ours is limited to berries and some watermelon, so we do still spend additional money on fruit.

Another benefit to many CSAs is that they have some pick-your-own crops. For no additional charge, members can come to the farm to pick specified quantities of certain veggies or fruits. During strawberry season, we picked 8 quarts of strawberries in the course of two weeks!! Not only was there no charge for this, but my daughter and I had a great time in the fields, and she got herself completely covered in strawberry juice and mud (what fun!). The strawberries were also about the best I've ever tasted. Just incredibly sweet and flavorful!

We've also picked sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans and herbs so far this season. Oddly enough, the act of picking these things gets my daughter interested in them. If you can believe it, she was eating raw green beans and chives right from the fields! It's a great way to familiarize kids with the growing and harvesting process, and helps them learn about their food, opening their minds to new tastes and textures. Now, my daughter happily eats chives, even though she'd always complained that they were too sharp before.

Although there is sometimes an overabundance of certain veggies or fruits during the season, this is really a benefit that can carry you through the colder months. Too much basil can easily become pesto sauce, which freezes quite well. Too many tomatoes can become tomato sauce or tomato soup, which also freeze very well. Zucchini is great for quick breads, another good freezer. Strawberries can become strawberry jam, which can be canned and stored in the pantry, or you can just freeze them whole (stems removed) and use them in smoothies whenever. Potatoes, carrots, beets, and other root vegetables can be stored in a cool root cellar for months. Winter squash can keep for a couple months right on your counter, or you can cut them up or puree and freeze them. Just because you receive a box full of goodies every week doesn't mean you need to use them up before the week is over. Making them last means you'll have more variety in your diet throughout the year.

Farmers' Markets
Farmers' Markets are everywhere now, as there has been such a return to local agricultural support. They offer many of the same benefits as a CSA, but with more flexibility and variety. Typically, the prices are higher than you would pay per pound through a CSA, but still lower than organic produce in the stores.

The great thing about Farmers' Markets is that you really can get to know the farmers themselves, since they often tend their own tables. You can find out how they grow their veggies and how they raise their animals, and see if their philosophy jives with yours. Just like in a CSA, you're still eating a seasonal, local diet, and very often their products are grown organically (even if not certified as such). You get to pick what you want to buy, and leave the rest (with a CSA, you get what you get), and you control the quantities of what you buy (so you won't have to figure out how to use 5 heads of lettuce in a week!). Although some CSAs also offer things like eggs, dairy and meat, these are much more commonly found at a Farmers' Market. You might even find local artisan cheeses, local raw honey (a very tasty way to keep seasonal allergies at bay), grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and eggs, raw and un-homogenized milk (in those states where this is legal), in addition to all the local produce.

Co-Ops
There are a couple of different types of co-ops that can provide reasonably local produce options. There are organic food co-ops, most often found in urban areas. Typically, members of the co-op must work a minimum number of hours at the co-op store in order to participate. Members are part owners in the business, and therefore might receive a small dividend annually. Food co-ops often stock similar products that would be found in a local health food store, but the prices are often lower.

There are also food delivery co-ops, like Purple Dragon, which deliver fresh produce, often sourced locally, throughout the year. These are generally higher in price than even store-bought organic produce, but since they emphasize seasonality, subscribing to such a program could be a boon to your health, which might not be available to you otherwise.

Farm Stands
Certainly, most farm stands that you might pass on the road are not selling organic or ethical produce and other products, but they are nonetheless fresh from the farm, very inexpensive, and seasonal, all of which can be great supplements to your diet, and a relief to your purse. You might not be able to fill out your fridge by stopping at random farm stands, but you may very well discover some great finds! Many also have pick-your-own produce, which is especially inexpensive. If you see one, stop by ... you never know what you'll find!

Nearly Free Food
This is one area where I have just about zero experience, but I'd love to apprentice with people who could show me the ropes. I'm talking about growing, finding, or hunting your own foods. All of these are nearly free ways to get food.

Growing vegetables or fruit is quite beyond me and my brown thumb, and being that I have no land at the moment, I'm off the hook. But when I get the opportunity, I will certainly call on my most knowledgeable friends and family to help me make sense of dirt and compost and seeds and such. It's a complete mystery to me.

Another very foreign option to me, but one that is gaining in popularity, is raising animals. There are people with tiny little yards in Brooklyn who are raising chickens. Why not? Come to think of it, I always did want a goat as a kid (excuse the pun). They would be awfully good at mowing a lawn. Hmmm ... something to think about.

Finding foods is a true skill, and I think employing someone to help you navigate, whether you're talking about finding wild greens or mushrooms, is essential. There are very few things I've ever scavenged. I suppose I was lucky enough as a child to grow up in The Bronx where wild mulberry trees and wild chives abound. I've also had my share of honeysuckle nectar from those very sweet smelling blossoms, but I'm not sure if I count that to be a true food substance. You'd need an awful lot of honeysuckle to sweeten your tea.

Hunting is one option that, I admit, is a bit unsettling to me, but I recognize that my distaste for it is cultural and familial, and not at all rational. Hunting is perhaps the best way to get healthy, natural meat. Some part of me is interested in learning about it, but I just don't know if my brain and my queasy stomach agree.

Worse Comes to Worst
If you have none of these options available to you, you can always buy from health food stores, or, at worst, the mega store. The smaller and more independent the store, the more likely their produce is sourced from local farms. Large stores tend to negotiate with large, corporate farms. So, even when Jersey tomatoes are in season, WalMart might still be stocking their shelves with Californian and Mexican transports. Do your best to find out what is seasonal locally, so you can go to the store with that knowledge in the back of your mind. If you buy foods that should be seasonally available in your area, you might luck out and get the local stuff, even at the mega mart.

A final note
So, where can you find information about your local options? Here are a couple of great sources:
www.localharvest.org - This is your best resource for local CSAs, Farmers' Markets and Food Co-Ops.
www.NRDC.org - Natural Resources Defense Council - This is a great source of information about seasonal produce. It is organized on a state-by-state basis, so you can always see your own state, and the neighboring ones, as well.

For most people, some combination of the above is what works best. See what's available in your area, and find your best fit.

Super Cheap & Easy Salmon Burgers

I envy the seriously inventive chefs out there who are capable of true originality. It’s been a very rare occasion that I’ve been able to come up with something that hasn’t been done before, and many times over at that. The reality for most professional chefs and home cooks alike is that coming up with a recipe starts with inspiration from someone else’s food. That means that when we create a recipe, we may be combining things in slightly different ways, or adding a single new twist to an old trick, but we’re really not making something entirely new. We borrow ideas and flavors and make them subtly our own. This is not revolutionary stuff.

The good news for home cooks is that this means we can practically steal most of our ideas, but still feel that we’re a part of the creative process. Many home cooks adapt recipes to suit the tastes or desires of their families; that’s basically the process I’m describing. And there are more and less complex ways of doing this. Sometimes, it doesn’t start with a written recipe, but with a taste of something worth copying. More often than not, this is where my recipes start. So it is with this recipe for salmon burgers.

As I mentioned in a previous post, some time ago I attended a dinner party put on by Healthy Pantry, a company that makes easy-to-prepare meals for the home cook. One of the dishes they made that evening was salmon burgers, which were a bit sweet for me, but still quite tasty. I noticed that they used canned wild salmon to make these, and I thought, wow, this is a great way to use an inexpensive, very healthy product. I’ve always tried to find ways to use canned salmon, since it’s pretty much always wild, and so much less expensive than fresh or frozen wild salmon. You can get a 14.75 oz. can of Bumble Bee red salmon (red salmon is higher quality and higher in omega-3 fatty acids than pink salmon) for around $5. The frozen wild sockeye salmon fillets that I buy at Costco for the bargain basement price of $26 for 3 lbs. works out to almost $8 for the same 14.75 oz. That’s 60% more expensive for essentially the same product! From an environmental standpoint, the can is also superior, because it eliminates the need for refrigeration. Good for your heart, good for your wallet, good for your world. There’s even another benefit to canned salmon that can’t be found in fillets – canned salmon contains soft, edible bones that are an excellent source of calcium, and a particularly bio-available form of the mineral.

The trick about canned salmon is that it really doesn’t taste as good as fresh or frozen fillets. So, some creativity is needed to employ it in recipes. Canned salmon needs a little help from other flavors to make it palatable, as opposed to canned sardines, which are also seriously healthy, and I think are just fabulous all on their own.

Somehow, salmon burgers eluded my bargain radar until I tasted the Healthy Pantry version. How could I have missed this opportunity? Needless to say, I got to work on a recipe. I’ve attempted to emulate the spirit of the Healthy Pantry version in that my burgers are made almost entirely from pantry items, rather than perishable ones. This reduces costs, makes prep time shorter, and makes it an easy go-to meal when you have no time to run to the grocery store. Feel free to substitute fresh products, if you’re so inclined. Here it is, my very own 30 minute meal:

Super Cheap & Easy Salmon Burgers
1 14.75 oz. can wild Alaskan red salmon
½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsps. tomato paste
2 tsps. dried thyme, crumbled
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. dried chopped onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
Safflower oil spray

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands or a wooden spoon. Form into patties.

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat, and coat with safflower oil spray. Once hot, reduce heat to medium high. Cook patties 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve on a whole grain burger bun. Top with whatever you like: sprouts, avocado, tomato, lettuce, cole slaw, cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions, etc.

Some alternatives:
For meatier flavor – add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce to the patty mix
For spicier flavor – add one finely chopped chipotle pepper, or one fresh jalapeño, or several drops of hot pepper sauce to the patty mix

Makes 5-6 patties

Note: Canned salmon is a cooked fish product. It does not require the same precautions as raw fish. This means you cannot undercook it, and you can taste the mixture before it is cooked to see if it is seasoned to your tastes.

The Birdie Birthday Menu

As I've mentioned in a few previous posts, my daughter, who turns 3-years-old today, is having a bird-themed birthday party this Sunday. I'm not sure which of us is more excited. Of course, I'm very excited for her, since she's bound to have a great time, and we get to see some people that we don't see too often (we're expecting about 40 people, adults and kids), including her much-adored cousin. But since I'm the caterer, I'm always a little too intently focused on the food.

The food is inspired by birds. To clarify, especially if my father-in-law is reading, this does not mean that we will be cooking birds! I can't think of a less honorable way to celebrate them. I also declined to serve actual worms and insects, which birds are known to eat. Once again, the idea is inspiration. So, a lot of dishes contain seeds, berries, and/or grains, and one contains fish (though not a fish that birds are likely to hunt). Many dishes don't contain bird foods, but look like something birds would eat (worms), or they look like something associated with birds (nests, eggs). There are no actual birds being served, and I managed to avoid using eggs, as well.

My other consideration whenever I throw a party is guests' dietary issues. There is the obvious peanut allergy, which belongs to my daughter, so none of that will be served. She's also allergic to avocado; otherwise we'd certainly have some guacamole around. We invited people who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-intolerant, diabetic, and kosher. So, most of the food works for all of these people. As it turns out, the gluten-intolerant people will not be able to make it. Those who do come will not suffer for having eaten gluten-free food. Finally, I always need to make a dish that will please the typical American palate, which is not always so adventurous or interested in my health food spread. Last year, I made turkey chili for that crowd. This year, given that serving turkey would be a big no-no, I went with a big pot of homemade mac n cheese. It's not Kraft, and it tastes homemade, so hopefully no one will find objection with that.

Here is the menu (recipes to follow in subsequent posts):

- Cheese Plate (featuring mostly local, pastured cheeses) served with squares of dark rye with sunflower seeds

- Nest of Sticks & Twigs and crudite served with three dips:
**Roasted Red Pepper
**White Bean Hummus
**Spinach Tofu

- Nests of Crispy Shoestring Veggies (in muffin cups) each with one of three "eggs":
**Falafel (served with Tahina Sauce)
**Fish fritter (served with Cucumber, Dill, Yogurt Sauce)
**Veggie burger (served with bbq sauce)

- Worms & Seeds (with black and white sesame seeds and stir-fried shredded napa cabbage)

- Birdie Slaw

- Mac n Cheese


Desserts:

- Pineapple Right-Side Up Cupcakes with Pineapple and Raspberry Topping

- Chocolate Cupcakes topped with Coconut Pecan Fudge Nests and Dark Chocolate Eggs

- Shredded Coconut Nests each with one of two desserts "eggs":
- CB&J (Cashew Butter & Jam)
- Trail Mix

- Fruit Salad (apples, grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, lemon juice)


This menu should please the crowd I'm expecting, but not everyone has to accommodate so many dietary issues. Even so, for a crowd this big, when I'm trying to keep spending and environmental impact to a minimum, I'd still rely heavily on vegetarian and vegan fare. It just makes sense. But the best way to serve healthy, eco-friendly, cheap food at a party is to make it yourself (and try not to serve rack of lamb!).

A Good Egg

In the past few years, as my family's shopping and eating habits have changed to favor healthier, more sustainable options, one of the grocery items that has most troubled me is eggs. There are so many options and possibilities, and which one is best is a true puzzle! There are cage-free eggs, free range eggs, pastured eggs, vegetarian-fed eggs, organic eggs, antibiotic- and hormone-free eggs, industrial-scale eggs, and local small farm eggs. And I haven't even gotten into the different varieties of hens that lay the eggs!

I started out buying anti-biotic- and hormone-free eggs that were fed a vegetarian diet. They were only slightly more expensive than conventional eggs, and I thought they covered my egg-related concerns. Then I thought, well, if the hens are being fed a diet of conventional grain, which is genetically modified and full of pesticides, is this the best egg for my family? So, I started buying industrial-scale organic eggs, feeling better that the hens were fed "safe" food.

Now, over time, I'd become aware of the environmental impact of long-distance food, and I began to take an interest in local eggs, but since local, organic eggs weren't easy to come by, and when they were, they were prohibitively expensive ($6/dozen), I couldn't justify buying them and stuck to my industrial organic eggs at about $4.50/dozen.

Then I read Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (an excellent read!), and the idea of vegetarian fed hens went out the window. Kingsolver explains in her book that if a hen is allowed to eat its natural diet, it will eat all sort of bugs and larvae and such in the course of pecking at the ground. That contributes to a better-tasting and more nutritious egg, and a healthier, happier hen.

Finally, I read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (an even more excellent read!), and that made it abundantly clear that vegetarian-fed hens don't make the best eggs, and that cage-free hens and even free-range industrial hens are really in no way free to roam. Pastured eggs, that is eggs from hens allowed to roam freely on pasture, are probably the best bet. The hens get a natural diet that includes some grass, some bugs, some miscellaneous animal matter, and grain feed.

So, now I could buy those local, organic, pastured eggs for $6/dozen and feel justified in doing so, but nonetheless, the wallet always wins. So, what to do? Some compromise needed to be made, but what was unimportant enough to sacrifice? A very tough question, since now I had principles and convictions and knowledge that made anything short of perfection seem just plain disgusting!

So, here is the verdict: I decided to buy local, unclassified (non-organic) pastured eggs from a reliable source (ie. someone who could be trusted to really allow the hens large quantities of pasture-time, and who would not be interested in using hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, etc.). In many communities such eggs could be found in a farmer's market, or even at a local farm, if you're willing to get to know your local farmer. My eggs were found in my semi-local health food store (about a 20 minute drive). It happens that this store is vigilant in sourcing from reliable local farms, making sure the farmers' philosophies jive with those of their customers. Many of the farms that offer this sort of product are producing something just as good as organic, but they can't afford all of the fees, red tape, and regulations that come with organic certification. So, they practice many of the same methods (or sometimes better!), but nonethless can't call themselves organic.

My new $3.79/dozen eggs are better in many ways, but in one very important way: they contain many more times the omega 3 fatty acids of conventional eggs, and that's due in large part to the hens eating grass. One other major plus is the quality of the eggs. The eggs I buy show me not only the expiration date, but also the date they were layed, so I know just how fresh they are. I used these eggs in the cake that I make every Passover, which requires 10 eggs (yikes!). Since flour cannot be used on Passover, often whipped egg whites are used to give a cake height, as in this cake. Wow! The cake has never stood so tall or tasted so light. It was a different cake, and the only variable that changed were the eggs. Incredible!

Now, there are no guarantees that I'm getting what I think I'm getting. These eggs are certified by absolutely no one, and though they claim to be pastured, I can't know exactly what they mean by that, and I have no idea what other practices the farm may have that I might find objectionable. That's why this is somewhat of a compromise. Still, these are the best eggs I've ever tasted, and I feel reassured that they are pastured simply by the dark orange color of their yolks (that's beta carotene). There's very little doubt in my mind that I've solved my egg problem.

This Week's Shopping List

I should be very happy with the low, low cost of this week's grocery bill, but it happens to also be the week we get our co-op order, and that means digging a deep, deep hole.

The menu for the week goes like this:

Lunch: Miso soup with carrots, wakame and tofu

Dinner:
- Homemade falafel in pita with Israeli salad and tahina sauce
- Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce with wild rice pilaf and steamed broccoli
- Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Sauce over Israeli couscous (large grain couscous)

Dessert: Hamantashen for Purim

I didn't originally plan to make my own falafel. This is one of those times that I usually opt for the packaged stuff, but that's always a complicated matter for us. So many processed foods have the potential for peanut cross-contamination, and given my daughter's allergy, we can't take that chance. The most available brand of falafel mix in the natural foods world is made by Fantastic World Foods, which processes in a facility that processes peanuts. So, that is out. There is also a mix by Casbah, which is less available, but is safe for us. This week, it wasn't available at all. So, I thought, hey, I'll buy some chick pea flour and see what I can whip up. And so, homemade falafel was born (in my house, anyway).

Here is the shopping list for the week (* indicates non-organic):

carrots
tomatoes
cucumber
onions
ginger
broccoli*
spinach
shallots
apples
oranges
bananas
pears
catfish* ($4.99/lb sale)
popcorn
falafel mix*
Annie's worcestershire sauce
silken tofu
milk
yogurt
frozen mango
orange juice* ($1.69 sale)
seltzer
whole wheat pita*
dehydrated corn
dried apricots
dried figs
bread

There were only a couple of items that I could not get this week: the falafel mix and the dehydrated corn. The total for the groceries came to $82.28, which is $40.22 below our weekly budget. That would have brought our deficit down to $15, but ...

Our order from the Neshaminy Valley co-op threw quite a wrench into things. The bill for that was $137.52, which brings our total up to $152 ... eek! This order should hold us for a good few months, especially since we won't have the opportunity to order until May, at earliest. It included the following items: Annie's Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar, Earth Balance Buttery Spread, Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, Eden Kamut & Quinoa Twists, Ezekiel English Muffins, Stick & Twigs, Bulk Brown Rice, Lowfat Monterey Jack, Neufchatel Cheese, Shredded Parmesan, Santa Cruz Lemon and Lime Juices, Wesbrae Whole Wheat Lasagna. I stocked up on some of these just for regular use, but a lot is also for my daughter's birthday party in May.

It's times like this when perspective is hard to achieve. Yes, it's worth spending this money now, because it helps to save money later. Buying in large quantities means not buying these things very often. The initial blow can be hard to take, but little by little it helps bring the weekly food spending down. The reality is that we were very nearly out of the hole, with only $15 left to go. It's disappointing to have not gotten to see the black ink again, but we will ... in time.

This Week's Shopping List

Sometimes, menus just come to me. I look in the fridge and see what's left, and there are obvious solutions that will carry me through most of the coming week, if not all of it. This week was not at all like that. I stared at the wall for what seemed like an eternity, having no clue what to make. It's times like these that I usually come up with my most creative ideas, and I think that's what happened this week (you be the judge).

Lunch: Coconut Shrimp Quinoa "Risotto"

Dinner:
- Homemade veggie burgers with alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes and avocado with sweet potato and yukon gold latke crisps
- Whole wheat penne with mahi mahi, grape tomatoes, brussels sprouts and feta
- Watercress salad with mango and shredded chicken served with pan fried potstickers

The menu above is the final menu for the week, but it started out a little differently. I had planned to use lettuce for the burgers, and mixed in with the watercress salad, but I found some very inexpensive alfalfa sprouts, grown locally, so I nixed the lettuce idea while shopping. In the penne, I had planned to use blanched green beans, but since none were available, I went with the more seasonal option which I hadn't though of before, brussels sprouts. Finally, I had intended to use canned pineapple chunks in the watercress salad, but when I saw the price tag, I thought twice about that, and decided to use some frozen mango that was already sitting in the freezer at home. Pineapple would have worked better, but the mango was still very good.

It's so important to go shopping with an open, creative mind. Looking just for what you need, and ignoring the rest of what's available, will undoubtedly leave you spending more money, and eating a narrower variety of foods. Look around. Check out the prices of different options, the look or feel of the produce, where the stuff came from (distance does a number on food quality, and the environment). Then, make your decisions and adapt your recipes. There is some skill involved in doing this easily, but it's something anyone can master with practice.

This is the shopping list for this week (* indicates non-organic):
bok choy
limes
cremini mushrooms
tomatoes
lettuce (changed to alfalfa)
avocado
yukon gold potatoes
sweet potatoes
grape tomatoes
green beans (changed to brussels sprouts)
parsley
garlic
watercress
scallions
ginger
granny smith apples (1.69/lb. sale)
braeburn apples (1.29/lb. sale)
bananas
oranges
feta
green lentils
kalamata olives
pineapple chunks (changed to mango ... already at home)
cashew butter
cheddar
milk
yogurt
boneless chicken breasts (6.99/lb. sale)
orange juice*
burger buns

Most of the changes I made to the list were due to price or unavailability. In addition to those items already mentioned, I was also unable to get the braeburn apples which were on sale. That turned out to be a blessing. My local health food store happened to have gala apples on sale for $0.99/lb. ... even better! We also spotted cereal on sale at the more distant health food store, so I bought a couple boxes of that.

Price-wise, this was a bit of a hefty week. I admit that I splurged a bit with some fancy veggies, like watercress, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts, and we did buy two varieties of cheese this week, and two packages of chicken (which will be used in future weeks), and a $15 jar of cashew butter. That last one is a killer, and something I've put off for quite some time, but since my husband doesn't eat shellfish, which was on the lunch menu this week, I needed to get him something he could make for himself without much trouble (enter cashew butter sandwiches).

The total for the week came to $119.15, which is only $3.35 less than our weekly budget. That means, our deficit is still lingering around $55. Next week, it will most certainly go up, even substantially, as our order from Neshaminy Valley will be in. Being that we will not be putting another order in for a good 3 months or so, the order is quite large. To help the budget along, we might need to do something drastic for next week's menu.

This Week's Shopping List

It's winter (nearing the end, finally!), so I guess it only makes sense that at some point, illness would strike. And so, it has. Starting with my daughter near the end of last week, then adding my husband last weekend, and finally me today. The beast has stricken us all. It's only a cold, but it's still making us all a little miserable. So, given the state of things, I started out the week's menu with a plan for lunch: chicken soup. That and a couple of sicky soup days (Ramen Noodles) have made life a little more tolerable.

The rest of the week was almost an after-thought. The chicken soup was clearly the key to making it a happy eating week. The rest is gravy. Nonetheless, here is the week's menu:

Lunch: Chicken Soup with english muffins

Dinner:
- Grilled Salmon with Spicy Soy Glaze over coconut brown rice and steamed bok choy (leftover from last week)
- Spaghetti with marinara sauce and zucchini
- Beef Saag over brown rice

I know, I know, beef saag sounds strange. After all, beef is not exactly served in India. Nevertheless, it's what I have in my freezer, and lamb is a bit pricey. Since when do I worry about authenticity? As long as it takes good ...

The shopping list for the week goes like this (* indicates non-organic):

carrots
onions
garlic
parsley
spinach
ginger
tomatoes
zucchini
bananas
apples
oranges
Bosc pears (1.69/lb sale)
crushed tomatoes
brown rice
milk
yogurt
eggs
frozen mixed veggies (1.89 sale)
OJ*
bread
ramen noodles ($0.95 sale)
english muffins ($0.35 coupon)
raisins
Annie's cheddar bunnies

The only item I was unable to get this week was the parsley. That was for the chicken soup. I used dried parsley instead, and that worked out fine.

The grocery total for the week came to $75.19. That would have brought us back to the plus side of things, but unfortunately we also had two other shopping bills this week: Costco and Frontier. The Costco trip came to $50.96 and included these items: cereal, wild salmon, shrimp, and bread. Although I don't generally make shellfish (in fact, I just about never make it since my husband doesn't eat it), I bought the shrimp in anticipation of cooking it for a friend and her family after she gives birth to her second child. She's due in March, so I thought I'd better be prepared. The Frontier order, consisting only of tea and coffee, came to $31.10.

So, the grand total for the week is $157.25, which is $34.75 over the weekly budget. Unfortunately, that means we sink further into the negative column. The deficit is now $58. We should be able to make a good dent in that next week. After that, we'll have yet another challenge: a big order (to last several months) is going in to our wholesale food co-op, Neshaminy Valley. Following that, we should have a few regular shopping weeks to look forward to, which should help to bring us back up to budget.

This Week's Shopping List

I'm very happy with my menu for the week. I look at it and drool ... can't wait to start cooking (in about 15 minutes)! Maybe it's the Bison that's making me ga-ga. After all, it's red meat, and I can't seem to kick that craving.

So, here it is, the week's mouth-watering menu:

Lunch: Baked mac n cheese with cauliflower, cilantro and tomato sauce

Dinner:
- Grilled salmon with Spicy Soy Glaze over coconut brown rice and steamed bok choy
- Bison fajitas with grilled peppers and onions, guacamole and tomato salsa
- Baked tofu fried rice with peas, carrots, and broccoli


The shopping list for all this scrumptious stuff goes like this (* indicates non-organic):
cauliflower
shallots
lime
bok choy
cilantro
avocado
jalapeno
tomatoes
red onion
garlic
broccoli* (1.29 sale)
red pepper
green pepper
bananas
pears
whole wheat crackers
kamut/quinoa twist pasta
rolled oats
cereal* (2/$6 sale)
whole wheat pasta (4/$5 sale)
cheese
milk
plain yogurt
safflower oil*
bison steaks* (2.99/12 oz. sale)
orange juice* (1.49 sale)
seltzer* (3/$1 sale)
tortillas
baked tofu

Once again, I bought everything on the list. I must be on a lucky streak! My husband keeps telling me I ought to play the lottery ... maybe I should!

I bought a couple of extra items that were on sale at the health food store: brown sugar and whole grain udon noodles. As it happens, they also had quite an assortment of cauliflower - white, purple and orange. I'd never seen orange cauliflower before, so I went ahead and bought that. It was a little smaller than the white, and a little cheaper. I'll post about how that works out for the mac n cheese I'm making this week.

The grand total for the week came to $96.88, which is $25.62 below the weekly budget. That brings the deficit down to $23. Woo hoo! I wish I could say that we'd be back in black by next week, but that may not be the case. Next week, we have a co-op order, and although I'm not anticipating any big spending, we may be at or around our weekly budget next week. The week after, we should finally get our heads above water. Holiday madness will finally be behind us! I can almost taste it!

This Week's Shopping List

I am mostly excited to use my kumquats this week. Yay! A citrus fruit that can be eaten whole, peel and all! ... that's my kind of fruit! It goes so well with just about any meat or fish. And what better to pair with a Florida fruit than a nice Floridian fish - mahi mahi. Oh, I'm so excited!

We did another little world tour with this week's menu. I'm starting with Indian, moving to Thailand, and jumping back to Florida. We've faced the fact that a real vacation won't be in the cards for us for quite some time, so this is how we put on our traveling boots.

On the menu for the week are:

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:
- Chicken Korma over brown basmati rice
- Butternut Squash & Noodles with Coconut, Lime & Cilantro Sauce (with chopped, toasted cashews)
- Poached Mahi Mahi with Kumquats, Lemon & Rosemary over whole wheat couscous with wilted swiss chard


The shopping list for the week is as follows (* indicates non-organic):

swiss chard
lemon
ginger
carrots
tomatoes
potatoes
butternut squash
celery
bananas
pears
oranges
apples
mahi mahi* (5.99/lb sale)
dehydrated corn
oatmeal
honey* (local)
milk
yogurt ($0.80 sale; $0.50 off one coupon)
cheese* (local)
orange juice*
seltzer*
bread

I must be on a roll. I managed to buy everything on the list this week, yet again. There were a few worthwhile sales at the healthfood store that I also took advantage of: soba noodles, whole wheat pasta, and pomelo (not technically on sale, but much cheaper than I've seen them).

The total for the week was $80.35, a refreshingly cheap week. Whew! That's a whopping $42.15 below the weekly budget, and it brings our tab down to $49. Now, that's what I call making a dent!

Next week, we have nothing particularly exciting to look forward to, which is a good thing. I hope to cut another $30 or $40 off the tab, and bring us into reasonable range before our next co-op order goes in. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel ... finally!

This Week's Shopping List

This week was full of good, old fashioned winter comfort foods. Winter is the reason I, and many other cold-climate folks, put on weight (who said a couple extra pounds of insulation is a bad thing? You'll take it off come spring time!). It's not a time for bright and light flavors. It's a time for slow-cooked, warming, filling, snuggle-up-with-your-honey kinds of foods. Two of the menu items for the week easily exemplify that: Chili and Squash & Carrot Soup. The rest still works as comfort food, I think, but minus the slow cooking element.

The menu for this week goes like this:

Lunch: Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup with english muffins & sardines

Dinner:
- Ground Beef Chili with tortilla chips
- Whole Grain Italian Bread Pizza
- Salmon Stir Fry with Broccoli & Baby Corn

Dessert to bring to birthday party: Healthy Oatmeal Cookies


It's been a very long time since I've made chili with beef. I've mostly made it with ground turkey, but I really do prefer beef. Of course, since we got our ground beef so cheaply, I thought, why not make the real thing this time? That impulse paid off, since it made this comfort food intensely comfy in my tummy. I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beef. It was so red and there was almost no fat in it. After browning the meat, there was nothing of note to drain. I can't even say that of the ground turkey I usually use. As I've said before, I'm craving lots of red meat this pregnancy, so if I can get my red meat fix without much of the fat usually associated with it, I can feel that much less guilty about it.

We had a lunch and dinner guest this week, my mom. So, that added a minimal amount to our bill. She seemed to really enjoy the soup (what little of it my daughter let her have) and the chili. My mother is generally a light fare eater, even in winter, so I take it as a great compliment that she finished her bowl of chili (and ate my daughter's leftovers).

The shopping list for the week goes like this (* indicated non-organic):

butternut squash
red pepper
carrots
tomatoes
broccoli* ($0.99/lb)
onions
garlic
bananas
oranges
pears
apples
tortilla chips ($1 off 2 coupon)
Clif bars* ($0.50 off 2, doubled)
quinoa (white & red)
Kashi cereal* ($2.89 sale + $1 coupon)
Traditional Medicinals Tea ($0.75 coupon, doubled)
Tamari soy sauce ($4.49 sale, $.055 coupon)
milk
heavy cream
monterey jack cheese
mozzarella
boneless chicken breasts* ($4.49/lb sale - antibiotic, hormone-free)
baby corn*
frozen spinach
orange juice* (2/$5 sale)
seltzer*
whole grain fresh Italian bread*


I have to make a comment about the Clif bars. They are a "treat" for my husband, and I periodically buy bars of some sort for him. He eats them sometimes as a snack, but mostly as breakfast when he gets up too late and needs something quick to take with. I prefer this to him buying something at Dunkin Donuts, for sure, but I'd still love to find a better solution. One of my goals this winter is to find or create a recipe for a bar that will make him happy, our budget happier, and make our processed food list a little shorter. Any suggestions? I'm open!

I was able to buy everything on the list this week, and I bought only one extra: some kumquats, to be used next week ... I'm so excited! And I had a bonus $2 store coupon at the healthfood store. I feel so much better when I get to use coupons, but the reality is that I hardly ever use them. There just aren't many products that we buy that have coupons. That's partly because we buy mostly fresh produce, dairy and meat/fish, and we buy a lot of local products made buy small producers. It's the mega manufacturers that make packaged and processed stuff that offer coupons, especially for junk packaged foods. No wonder so many people feel encouraged to buy them, and no wonder we have a health crisis in this country!

The grand total for the week came to $109.65. Since there was nothing to add to our bill this week (no co-ops, buying clubs, warehouse shopping, etc.), the total stands. We fall $12.85 below the weekly budget, bringing our deficit down to $91. We'll get there, slowly but surely.

Making Budget-Friendly Friends

In this day of internet meet-ups and support groups for every interest and issue on the planet, we all have access to like-minded people, if we bother to look them up. If you like to crochet, you can find a local group to do it with. If you like to play basketball, you can find adults in your area who play. If you're a computer geek, you can find people who will talk tech with you. Why do we join these groups? Well, partly for the whole kindred spirit thing, and partly for a social outlet, but also because we have a genuine interest in these topics. We are better hobbyists and enthusiasts when we have others to advise us, guide us, and even commiserate with us.

I'll add one more ulterior motive to this list (and hopefully, I'm not alone in this): to save a few bucks. Organizations that support a common interest or cause often have access to great group rate deals, co-ops, buying clubs, etc. At the most public level, there are organizations, like AAA or labor unions, that strike bargains with a large variety of service and consumer goods suppliers and retailers. Just for being a member, you get to save some money when you buy your car insurance or stay in a hotel or take out a loan. As long as the price of membership doesn't exceed the savings (or other non-monetary benefits), then why not join?

The same can be said about smaller, more local organizations. Assuming that you're reading this blog because healthy living, green living, cheap living, etc. are interests of yours, there are groups that can help you accomplish those goals. Nearly every locale has an environmental action group. There are groups for people with an interest in cooking, gardening, alternative medicines, organics, etc. In these groups, you will undoubtedly find local information and resources that will help you buy smarter, cheaper, and better quality. These are the folks who know where the good farmers' markets are, or what CSA you should subscribe to, or what farms sell free range eggs direct to customers, where to find local honey, who has bulk discounts, what health food stores have the best buys and the best quality produce, what supermarkets support local farming, etc. These folks are also likely to have buying clubs and co-ops set up for their interests. An environmental group might be able to get you a good discount on organic landscaping, or an energy-efficient furnace. A foodie group might be able to organize a scavenging tour with an expert in local mushrooms. The members of a holistic society might qualify for group discounts with certain alternative health practitioners.

For myself, I've been able to find all of the resources that I'm looking for through my local Holistic Moms Network chapter. We have two buying clubs for both food and other products (toiletries, holistic medicines and supplements, etc.). One of our members recently organized a bulk organic ground beef order, which saved us a ton! I get tips from other members about where they've found things at good prices, or of good quality. My annual membership fee ($45) is easily paid for by all this savings. Of course, I've also found wonderful friendships, great educational resources, and parenting support, which are invaluable to me.

Just to be clear, I'm not recommending that you join an organization just for the perks, especially small, local organizations (you can go ahead and join AAA just for the perks). Have a genuine interest in what goes on in the group. But it doesn't hurt to make budget-friendly friends.

This Week's Shopping List

Wow, I feel so balanced this week! I made foods from all over the world, and still managed to avoid Asian foods altogether, much to my husband's relief. Well, it's arguable that the fish I made is Asian, but not obnoxiously so. This week, we had a taste of Mexican, some Italian, and some new American (or Native American, if you count quinoa as ethnic). Everything in my stomach is getting along just fine. It's shame that isn't the case in the surprisingly more volatile climate of the world (I thought my stomach was pretty volatile ... maybe not).

The menu this week is as follows:

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner:
- Ground Turkey/Shredded Chicken tacos with shredded lettuce, guacamole, cheese & pinto beans
- Grilled Mahi Mahi with oranges & sesame over quinoa with steamed broccoli
- Stuffed manicotti with spinach


Some explanation is due regarding the tacos, I think. The ground turkey was a 1/2 pound that was leftover after last week's meatballs. The shredded chicken was 1/2 pound of chicken odds and ends from the freezer (some from leftover Coq Au Vin, some from chicken soup). Each of these made a good portion for one night's meal, but we usually try to do things for two to three nights, so we had one night of turkey, one night of chicken. For those surprised to see me use leftover Coq Au Vin, which has a strong taste, in another very different dish, I was a little nervous, too. But it turned out quite well. The spices used (mostly chili powder and cumin) to season the meat overpowered the taste of wine in the chicken, and you'd never know the difference. You know I can't waste anything!

This is the shopping list for the week (* indicates non-organic):

lettuce
avocados
tomatoes
oranges
ginger
scallions
broccoli*
pears
apples
bananas
garlic
onions
carrots
red onion
mahi mahi* (5.99/lb.)
Imagine chicken broth ($1 coupon)
honey
butter
cheddar* (local, grass-fed)
ricotta
mozzarella
cream cheese
milk
eggs* (local, free-range)
safflower oil*
manicotti shells*
frozen spinach
orange juice*
seltzer*
whole grain tortillas
english muffins ($0.35 coupon)

The only thing I was unable to get on the list was the chicken broth. Oh well, that would have been a good bargain. I also bought a couple of items not on the list that were on sale at the health food store: canned tomatoes and ramen noodles. Yes, folks, I bought ramen noodles. In the days before I cared what I put in my body, I ate ramen noodles all the time, and heartily enjoyed them. When I was sick, I wouldn't turn to homemade chicken soup, I'd make myself some ramen noodles (or Lipton noodle soup). Now that I'm trying my best to put good stuff in my body, I've found it very hard to manage when I do have the occasional cold. What should I eat that would give me that same feeling? Well, lo and behold, this week, I saw organic, completely sound and reasonable ramen noodles on sale at the health food store. Woo hoo! So, I stocked up, just in case illness strikes. Hopefully, they'll sit in the pantry for a long time.

The total for the week came to $114.16, which is less than our weekly budget, but more than we typically spend in a regular grocery shopping. That's bad news, because this week, we also had a delivery from one of our co-ops. The good news, is that this will be the last of these bulk/wholesale purchases for several weeks. That will give us a chance to repent.

The co-op order included the following items: tea, coffee, bulk wild rice, bulk all-purpose flour, and bulk whole wheat flour. The order came to $45.58. So, the grand total for the week comes to $159.74, which is $37.24 over our weekly budget. We sink deeper into the hole, standing now at negative $104. Sheesh! We might have to eat those ramen noodles sooner than I thought! With a few weeks before the next of these sorts of orders, and with regular grocery bills averaging around $90, we should be able to bring that deficit down nicely, without resorting to college fare. Relax .... we're sure to balance this budget well before our new president has made a dent!