Nancy on the Home Front

Frugal Tips: Saving on your Grocery Bill

First of all I want to wish all my faithful readers a very Happy New Year! I enjoy the first of a new year, a time to reflect on what happened in the previous year and a resolve to do things better for the upcoming year. I like to look over our budget and see where we can save more money. As I examine at our annual budget there are many areas in which the budget is fixed and we can’t really do anything to change it. However one area, which you can change, is your grocery budget. One thing that has really helped me over the years is to make a weekly menu plan.

calendar, planning meals, menu calendar — A view of my menu calendar.

By planning ahead what we are going to eat I don’t have to think about what we’re going to have for dinner. Even if I don’t follow my menu plan exactly I know that I have shopped for these meals and have what I need on hand to make them. After I have planned my weekly menu I write a grocery list. When I go to the store I stick to the list. Using my list I know I will have the ingredients on hand to make the meals I have planned for.

Buying in bulk is another way you can save money on your grocery bill. You can buy in bulk through a food warehouse or a local co-op or just be aware of when certain items go on sale. It is important that you know your prices. If you can’t keep them all in your head make a price book. This is a little notebook where you keep track of the prices of items you purchase all the time.

Try to stay away from processed foods. Whole food is much better for you and often processed foods and convenience packaged foods are more expensive.

Eat one vegetarian meal a week. There are many options for meatless meals. This is also a great way to make sure your family is getting in those extra vegetables. One of my Christmas gifts was a wonderful cookbook called Eating Well In Season, it’s full of vegetarian recipes all of which look delicious!

cookbooks, vegetarian, vegetables, prudent living — A Christmas gift!

Plan on eating leftovers for dinner once a week. Have fun and combine leftovers to make a nutritious dinner. Some of my best soups were made from leftovers!

Learn to bake! Making your own bread, cookies, granola is so much healthier for you and will save you money! A favorite in our house is homemade pizza, when you make everything from scratch this is a very frugal meal which everyone enjoys.

Make your own cleaners and laundry detergent. It is so easy and the products you can make yourself work just as well as store bought products. Check out my blogs about making household cleaners and laundry soap. You’ll be amazed at what you can make at home!

Make it a New Year’s resolution to try some of these ideas at home and save money on your grocery bill!

Turkey Victoria Soup

I debated which recipe to write about today as I have two wonderful recipes for using up leftover turkey or chicken. Since we weren’t home for Thanksgiving we had turkey for our Christmas meal just so we could have leftovers! One of the recipes I love is Turkey Curry, which indeed we had last night. However I didn’t take a single picture so I’ll have to share that recipe another time. I made a delicious turkey stock with the last bits of the turkey and the recipe I am going to share a recipe given to me several years ago. Hopefully they won’t mind my sharing with you! It’s the best Turkey Victoria Soup I’ve ever had!

Turkey Victoria Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced (baby bella if possible)- optional
2 cups turkey broth
1 ½ cups diced cooked turkey/chicken meat
3 Tbsp flour
¼ cups cold water
1 Tbsp tarragon leaves
1 tsp basil
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp celery salt
1 ½ cups light cream

Directions:

In a soup pot, melt butter; add the celery, carrots, onions and mushrooms. Sauté until the vegetables are soft.

Add the broth and turkey/chicken; simmer for 15 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, mix the flour and water; add to the turkey Victoria soup and stir until thickened. Season with the spices.

Continue to simmer the soup over low heat, just before serving add 1 ½ cups light cream. I have made this soup without adding the cream and it is just as delicious.

Serves 6

Prudent Pantry: Vinegar Part Two

Last week I talked about using vinegar in the household for cleaning and laundry. Did you know that you can also use vinegar in your gardening and for your health? Here are some more tips for ways to use vinegar:

1. Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.

2. Give acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias a little help by watering them with a white distilled vinegar solution now and again. A cup of white distilled vinegar to a gallon of tap water is a good mixture.

3. Stop ants from congregating by pouring white distilled vinegar on the area.

4. Discourage cats from getting into the kids’ sandbox with white distilled vinegar.

5. Preserve cut flowers and liven droopy ones by adding 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar to a quart of water in a vase.

6. Get rid of the water line in a flower vase by filling it with a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar, or by soaking a paper towel in white distilled vinegar and stuffing it into the vase so that it is in contact with the water line.

7. Clean out stains and white mineral crusts in clay, glazed and plastic pots by soaking them for an hour or longer in a sink filled with a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar.

8. Remove crusty rim deposits on house planters or attached saucers by soaking them for several hours in an inch of full-strength white distilled vinegar.

9. Clean a birdbath by scrubbing it often with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse well.

10. Get rid of rust on spigots, tools, screws or bolts by soaking the items overnight or for several days in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

11. Avoid skin problems after working in the garden by rinsing your hands in white distilled vinegar.

12. Increase the acidity of soil by adding white distilled vinegar to your watering can.

13. Eliminate anthills by pouring in white distilled vinegar.

14. Sanitize outdoor furniture and picnic tables with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar.

15. Kill slugs by spraying them with a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part white distilled vinegar.

16. Remove berry stains on your hands by rubbing them with white distilled vinegar.

17. Clean plastic patio furniture with a solution of 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar to 1 gallon of water.

18. Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1 ½ quarts of water.

19. When cleaning an outdoor fountain, soak the pump in white distilled vinegar to remove any mineral deposits.

20. Clean a hummingbird feeder with white distilled vinegar—soap or detergent can leave behind harmful residue.

White distilled vinegar is something good for you on the inside and the outside. The next time you’re not feeling well, consider taking a break from expensive over-the-counter products and try a home remedy that is made with vinegar.

Stave off high blood sugar and other Alzheimer’s risk factors with a daily dose of vinegar. According to researchers, there is evidence that vinegar sinks risk factors that may lead to memory decline and dementia — namely, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes and pre-diabetes, and weight gain. While vinegar does not confront Alzheimer’s directly, studies at Arizona State University have found that vinegar can curb appetite and food intake, helping prevent weight gain and obesity. Swedish investigators agree. In one study, downing two or three tablespoons of vinegar with white bread cut expected rises in insulin and blood sugar by about 25 percent. Pour on the vinegar — add it to salad dressings, eat it by the spoonful, even mix it into a glass of drinking water. Any type of vinegar works because it’s the acidity that counts.

1. Stop insect stings and bites from itching by dabbing them with a cotton ball saturated with undiluted white distilled vinegar.

2. Soothe sunburn with a spray of white distilled vinegar, repeating as often as you like. Ice-cold white distilled vinegar will feel even better, and may prevent blistering and peeling.

3. For cuts and scrapes, use white distilled vinegar as an antiseptic.

4. Get rid of foot odor by washing feet well with antiseptic soap daily, then soaking them in undiluted cider vinegar for 10 minutes or so. Remember that cotton socks aid odor control more effectively than wool ones.

5. Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.

6. Tone facial skin with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

7. If commercial aftershaves cause rashes and itching, try using undiluted white distilled vinegar as an aftershave lotion.

8. Lighten body freckles (not facial freckles) by rubbing on full-strength white distilled vinegar.

9. Eliminate bad breath and whiten your teeth by brushing them once or twice a week with white distilled vinegar.

10. Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.

Hopefully all these tips will help you to understand why vinegar is such an important item to have in your pantry.

Gardening: Seed Catalogs

Late December is not a time to be working in the garden in Vermont but it is a time to be planning next years garden. One of my favorite occupations in the winter is to sit by the woodstove and read through the new garden catalogs! Some of them have the best copywriters and can convince me to try many new varieties of vegetables.

Johnny's Seeds, Fedco Seeds, gardening, vegetables — My two favorite seed catalogs.

I usually order the majority of my seeds through the Fedco catalog. Not only do they have excellent prices but also since I order through our local coop I get an additional discount. You really can’t beat it! Fedco is not a fancy catalog, it is printed on what feels like newsprint, and is back and white, so no beautiful glossy photos to look at. They do have very good descriptions of their seeds and clearly explain whether or not a seed packet is heirloom or organic.

Fedco, seeds, vegetable gardening — Fedco catalog has great descriptions and illustrations.

Usually I have another catalog that does have the beautiful pictures to look up products if I’m not sure I want to order them or not. My other favorite catalog is Johnny’s Seeds, which is based in Maine.

Johnny's seeds, vegetable gardening, home gardening — Johnny's Seeds is another wonderful catalog.

I start most of my vegetable plants from seed and by the end of February I usually have quite a little garden going in our kitchen. In addition to a couple of grow lights I have lots of windows in the kitchen so I can give my plants a good start.

For now I just have to decide what I want to plant this year in addition to the regular vegetables! Starting your own seeds is a worthwhile investment. You have a much better selection of plants to choose from and you can also grown some wonderful heirloom plants that are hard to find in the local nurseries!

Do you plan to have a vegetable garden this year? If so, will you be starting your own seeds or picking up plants at the local garden center?

Frugal Tips: Homemade Bread

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend. I feel like I’m still on vacation, after all our boys are home from college and they are enjoying time off. It also feels like a Monday when it really is Tuesday. It’s a lazy morning here, the boys are still asleep as I write and the dogs are crashed in front of the wood stove.

dog, woodstove, Boston Terrier — Riley crashed on the other side of the wood stove.

dog, pug, woodstove — Purtie crashed in front of the wood stove.

However for me it’s back to work. With our boys home we go through food much quicker, the bread and milk seem to disappear overnight! I make my own bread and no one prefers store bought so when we’re out of bread it’s time to make more! A friend of mine shared a fabulous no fail bread recipe with me years ago.

recipes, bread, well loved — My well worn original recipe!

I’ve made a few changes but basically haven’t changed it much. I grind my own hard white wheat berries and usually add a little King Arthur bread flour.

wheat grinder, wondermill, prudent living — My WonderMill wheat grinder.

I also use my Kitchen Aid to mix the dough.

homemade bread, mixer, bread dough — Mix dough until it pulls together.

homemade bread, bread dough — Using a mixer to mix the bread dough.

This morning we were out of bread so before the boys get up I’ve got a batch of bread dough made and rising. Should be ready in time for lunch.

bread, bread dough — Let dough rise about an hour before forming into loaves.

Here is the recipe that was shared with me; I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Nancy’s No Knead Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour*
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
¾ cup water
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter
1 egg

In a large bowl blend 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In saucepan, heat water, milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees F). Butter does not need to melt. Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture. Beat 4 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size. It usually takes 45-60 minutes.

Stir down dough. On a floured surface, form dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size.

homemade bread, loaves — Dough formed into loaves, ready to rise again.

making bread, bread dough — I roll out the dough before forming loaves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brow. Can brush with melted butter. Serve warm or cool. Makes one large loaf or two smaller loaves. Freezes well.

bread, whole wheat, homemade — We usually keep one loaf to eat and freeze the other two.

*I usually double this recipe to make three large loaves. I use 4 cups of freshly ground flour and 4 cups of King Arthur Bread Flour.

York Sensational Brownies

I found this recipe on the back of a package of York Peppermint Patties. It is a wonderful. I’ve been making these York Sensational Brownies every Christmas! Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

York Sensational Brownies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup butter, melted
3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
24 small (1 ½”) peppermint patties, unwrapped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a 13x9x2” baking pan. Whisk together the butter, the sugar and the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, the cocoa, the baking powder and salt. Reserve 2 cups of the batter. Spread remaining batter in your prepared pan.

Arrange peppermint patties in a single layer over the batter, about ½” apart.

Spread reserved 2 cups of batter over the patties.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely and cut into squares. Absolutely delicious!

Prudent Pantry: Vinegar

Vinegar has been around for years and it has thousands of uses! You can use it for anything from cooking to cleaning, to gardening and home remedies; white distilled vinegar is one of the most versatile and economical products you can have on hand. Definitely something you want to stick in your prudent pantry! I am going to give you twenty-five ways to use vinegar in cleaning and laundry.

1. Did you know that you could use vinegar in place of a (much more expensive) rinse aid? Simply pour it in the dispenser just as you would the rinse aid.

2. To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

3. Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.

4. Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

5. Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.

6. Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal.

7. Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

8. Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.

9. Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

10. Cut the grime on the top of the refrigerator with a paper towel or cloth and full-strength white distilled vinegar.

11. Avoid the bad smell when you heat up a newly cleaned oven by using a sponge soaked in diluted white distilled vinegar for the final rinse.

12. Polish brass and copper with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar. Rub it on with a clean cloth until dry and shiny.

13. To clean grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

14. Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle. Do monthly.

15. Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

16. To remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

17. Get stained white socks and dingy dishcloths white again. Add 1 cup white distilled vinegar to a large pot of water, bring it to a rolling boil and drop in the articles. Let soak overnight.

18. Some stains on clothing and linens can be soaked out using equal parts milk and white distilled vinegar.

19. Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

20. Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

21. Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.

22. Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

23. Keep the steam iron clean and in good working order by getting rid of mineral deposits in steam vents and spray nozzles. Fill the water chamber with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and distilled water. Set it in an upright position and let it steam for about 5 minutes. When the iron is cool, rinse the tank with water, refill and shake water through the vents onto an old cloth. Test before using.

24. Remove scorch marks from an iron by rubbing it with a warmed-up solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and salt. If that doesn’t work, use a cloth dampened with full-strength white distilled vinegar.

25. Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Stay tuned; next week I will give you some ways to use vinegar in your garden and for your health!

Gardening: Overwintering a Geranium

overwintering geraniums, plants, gardening — You can enjoy your geranium all winter.

Did you know that you could keep your geranium alive over the winter and enjoy it again in the spring? Geraniums can be grown indoors easily as long as you give them proper care and keep them in the right conditions. Before the first frost cut your plant back to half of its original size. Check it over to make sure it is free of disease and insects. Then dig up your plant and repot into a container using potting soil. Place your geranium in a cool location with plenty of direct sunlight. Water plants well after transplanting and as needed so the plant does not dry out.

geranium, house plants, gardening — Your geranium can say healthy all winter.

As winter progresses you may need to pinch the plant to promote branching and prevent weak growth. Plants kept in containers over the winter are typically larger than most geraniums you can buy in the spring. This allows you to have a head start on growth and blooms for next year’s garden!

pinching, new growth, geranium — Pinch your geranium to promote new growth.

You can also overwinter geraniums in a dormant stage. They actually have the ability to survive for most of the winter without soil! I have not tried overwintering geraniums this way but after reading about it I may have to try it next year. To overwinter without soil dig up the entire plant before the first frost. Shake the dirt from the roots and place the plants inside an open paper bag or hang them upside down from the rafters in a cool, dark place for the winter. Several times during the winter, take the plants out of the bags and soak the roots in water for 1-2 hours. Check the plants over for any damage. Although the leaves will fall off the stems should remain firm and solid. In the spring pot the geraniums in a suitable container. Place the plants in a sunny window to promote growth. It may take several weeks before you see the new growth.

Frugal Tips: Homemade Holiday Potpourri

Are you still looking for a simple gift idea? Perhaps you plan to be entertaining and want your house to smell wonderful. Here is a simple recipe for a delightful smelling potpourri. In preparation for this recipe I have been drying orange peels for the last week, our counter has a rather large pile of dried orange peels waiting to be put to use! With our wood stove going they dry out in just a matter of days. I think my husband will be glad that I’m finally going to put them to good use!

oranges, peels. potpourri — Dried orange peels.

In a large bowl mix about 1 cup of dried orange peels, 6-8 cinnamon sticks, 2 Tbsp whole cloves and 2 Tbsp whole allspice. Store the ingredients in an airtight container or if you are planning on giving it away, place it in a colorful holiday plastic bag.

cloves, spices, pantry, potpourri — Dried cloves.

cinnamon sticks, potpourri — Buy your cinnamon sticks in bulk.

whole allspice, spices, potpourri — Whole allspice.

spices, potpourri, gifts — Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Be sure to include a tag with instructions: Simmer one tablespoon potpourri plus 1/2 cup water in a small pot or potpourri warmer. I found a very small crock pot at a yard sale that is perfect for simmering the ingredients. As the water heats your house will be filled with the smell of the holidays.

gift bag, home made, gift, potpourri — Enclose the potpourri in a pretty gift bag.

potpourri, home made, gifts — Be sure to include a tag with the directions!

Turkey Lasagna – Healthy and Low Fat

Around the holidays I’m always trying to fit in meals that are healthy and low fat. I guess I’m trying to balance out the over indulgence that often occurs! One of my favorite recipes is actually an adaptation of a Weight Watchers recipe, which I found years ago. If I didn’t mention that it was Weight Watchers you would never know! It’s a simple Turkey Lasagna that is easy to put together, freezes well and is actually good for you. Not to mention that it is delicious and every time I’ve served it folks have enjoyed it!

Turkey Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
10 ounces of ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
one 28 oz can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
one 6oz can tomato paste
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp sugar
12 no boil lasagna noodles
2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350. In a large nonstick pan heat the olive oil. Add the ground turkey and onion. Cook until the turkey is browned and the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes.

Spoon about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9” baking pan; top with 3 of the lasagna noodles, spread with half of the cottage cheese and top with 3 more noodles. Repeat the layering once more, ending with the sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly on top.

Bake, covered for one hour; uncover and bake until cooked through and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. enjoy this healthy turkey lasagna.