I Will Not Waste Another Damn Piece of Food

Even during my lean times, when I didn't have money for new clothes or books, when I bought all my daughter and my clothes and shoes and gifts at garage sales. When I couponed like crazy and washed my hair with baking soda. When I made nearly everything by scratch (which seems like a dream now...never discount the luxury of time), I never went hungry.  My daughter never went hungry.  We always had enough.

I could pay the rent and the heating bill, and while it was a small budget for food, we made do. We always had enough. Enough.  Enough. Enough.  Saying it a few times and even the word itself sounds full. 

If ever there came a time when money was too tight, I could always borrow money or food from my family if it came to that.  I was lucky it didn't.  There was always enough. Now I was resourceful, I'll give you that.  I knew how to budget, the basics of cooking, and I didn't have champagne tastes (or if I did I could handle not having my heart's desire).  I had enough money to build a good pantry for cooking staples.  I watched every penny because if I didn't spend them wisely, there wouldn't be enough.  

I was raising a child on less than $20,000/year for a time in a high cost of living area and do you know how lucky I was to have the resources of a supportive family and friends, the ability to cook and to budget, and if I had ever felt I had needed them, the ability to contact a social service agency? I had safety nets. Plural.  I had enough. 

I wasn't a moocher.  I wasn't afraid of work.  I was a single mother with a small child trying to make the best decisions for my kid. I couldn't have afforded full time day care and living in an apartment.  I was able to get a low paying job as a nanny and bring my daughter to work with me.  That along with child support covered our needs. 

Now I'm more comfortable financially. Not rich, not even close, but comfortable.  Continually adding to my savings is of paramount importance.  I'ts another important safety net that I have had to use, and even live off of at times. Thank god for that.

I've been reading a lot more about hunger and food politics lately.  Those topics that are easy to slip by when you have enough. The punishment of the poor.  The hardworking poor who are no better or worse as people, just people like me doing there best to get by - often in worse circumstances than I ever was. There are people going hungry in this world.  Not just in underdeveloped countries far away, but in cities like mine. 

Every broccoli crown I've tossed in the trash, every lonely apricot that's rolled to the back of the fridge until it's unrecognizable...It makes me sick to think about the amount of food I've wasted.  Not only because it's like ripping up money and throwing it into the toilet, but I feel it's a slap in the face to every person who went to bed hungry last night.

I've had enough.  I will not waste another damn piece of food if I can help it. 


This week's no-waste fare so far: 

Overripe plums became a delicious base for Moroccan chicken and vegetables.

Not quite right lemon rice became sweet kefir lemon and apricot rice pudding. 

Roasted potatoes that needed eating went into a Spanish Tortilla.

Make it! My Take on a Fresh Tomato Spanish Tortilla

I've never loved tomatoes more than I have this summer.  I'm not actually sure why.  Maybe it's because I've planted fewer tomato plants and so each red or yellow orb seems a little more special.  Maybe the tomatoes this year just taste different.  Either way I'm enjoying tomatoes more that ever before.  But here's the thing,  I don't like store bought tomatoes. Call me a brat, but I just don't.  I'll do without. From the garden though? I'll find a way to incorporate them into breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

This took less than 5 minutes to prepare.

And speaking of breakfast, lunch or dinner, here's a terrific and simple dish that's as lovely to look at as it is delicious.  If you're lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes  (or zucchini, or squash, or any other tasty veggie), or have neighbors that share, this will make for a flavorful meal at any time of the day. It's high in protein, and anywhere from $.20-$.65 per serving and makes 6 servings (1 egg a piece).  Bulking it up with potatoes and veggies is a great way to get some more vitamins and filling of tummies. It's a perfect vessel to use up more shabby vegetables or tomatoes. 

The hallmark of a traditional Spanish Tortilla is thinly sliced potatoes and eggs cooked in a round dish and sliced in wedges.  If you'd like a more traditional preparation, see here. It's a simple dish similar to an omelet, but my version is easy and takes less time (well - if you have leftover roasted potatoes like I did that need using up).  It's also just so pretty to look at.  You can serve it hot or cold.

As with anything I cook, this is a loose recipe.  No need for strictness here.  Add anything you want really that sounds yummy to you.

Here's how I made mine...

Easy Spanish Tortilla with fresh Tomatoes

6 Eggs

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Small handful (1/4 cup-ish) shredded cheese (I used a Trader Joes 4 cheese blend with parmesan)

Tomatoes or other veggie thinly sliced

Leftover roasted potatoes

Fresh parsley (any green herb - dried or fresh works)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your eggs in a round baking dish. Sprinkle salt pepper and smoked paprika to your taste.  Add in the roasted potatoes that you served four days ago at a dinner party and need to use up because you will simply not waste any more food.  Slice tomatoes thick or thin and lay on top of the eggs (the tomatoes, not you). Sprinkle with cheese even if you are lactose intolerant because: CHEESE.  Add some fresh parsley to the top.

Cook until eggs are done (probably 20-30 minutes or however long it takes to clean the kitchen).  I do a quick 5 minute broil on high at the end to get that beautiful golden top (keep a watchful eye so you don't burn it).

Try to forcefeed your daughter who hates tomatoes. 

Golden and bubbly. Prepare to stuff in face.

 That's it! Easy huh?  

Do you make egg pies or Spanish tortillas in your home?

Make it! Sunday Blessings and Moroccan Inspired Plum Chicken

Yesterday was a lovely mix of lazy and productive--exactly how I like my Sundays.  I spent a good chunk of the morning in bed, followed by grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking.  I like a tidy house, but often let the laundry get a wee out of control (out of sight out of mind in that basement laundry room). I've been working on keeping up with the laundry almost everyday, and so far it seems to be helping with the transition back to school, and maintenance of my sanity. Keeping on top of things throughout the week allows for these blissful Sundays. 

I had two good friends over for dinner last night. They also happen to be neighbors, so it's easy to throw together impromptu dinner parties. When my little girl is with her dad I spend extra time in the kitchen experimenting with recipes, dancing to Otis Redding and sometimes having a nice adult beverage along the way. I like having an afternoon to myself now and again, but when I make something delicious, I am always so disappointed she missed it being the little foodie she is. 

Blissful but sweaty, very sweaty, in the kitchen.

I had an abundance of plums from my generous neighbor Suzie, so I wanted to work as many into the recipe as possible.  I had picked both purple plums and yellow, but the yellow ones were already overripe and needed to be used immediately.  If you don't have a source of free plums, you could try prunes, raisins, wilty apricots or peaches, and even an apple or two.  Anything to give that touch of sweetness. 

I had my heart set on Moroccan chicken after my friend Deborah mentioned she had some recently.  I googled "Moroccan chicken" for inspiration on spices and searched the cupboard and found that I had smoked paprika, cumin and turmeric.  Those would be the smoky, savory flavors balancing the sweetness of the plums.  Moroccan recipes are often a wonderful marriage of sweet fruit and smoky, spicy flavor. 

As are most of my "recipes" (I put "recipes" in quotes because I'm an off the fly cook and think that a little confidence and a few techniques in the kitchen are far more important than any recipe), this was an easy dish, and relatively frugal.  The price per serving was approximately $2.24 per person, but could have easily been cheaper if I had used cheaper meat and veggies.  At one time I would have only have had the option of using less expensive ingredients.  I think you could easily get the recipe down to at least $1.25 per serving if not lower if using less expensive chicken and veggies (i.e. not organic).   For me, while I do adhere to a budget, I choose to put some of the extra money I have now towards food.  It's valuable to me.  I didn't always have that option when I was in my very lean years where I was living on $150/month for two people to eat.  The important thing is that we try to fill ourselves with nourishing food within our budgets that are enjoyable and healthy.  

I did serve this with some sides from the garden, but it is easily  an entire filling meal on its own. Lemon rice would also be delicious with this dish. 

Without further adieu...

Moroccan Plum Chicken

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs (feel free to use more, this is how many came in the package I bought)

1/2 pound of rainbow carrots (bag is 1 lb)

1 onion

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or some other oil

Spices (turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper) 

Kosher salt

Potaoes (I think I used about 1 pound - I abide by the "use as many as can fit in your pan" rule"). 

1/2 jar of Trader Joes Green Olive Tapanade

8 skinned plums (Since these were free I didn't factor them into the overall cost.  Possibly slightly unfair, I know). 

Chicken thighs are a cheaper cut of meat no matter if you buy conventional or organic.  The higher fat content in the meat makes this an extra flavorful and juicy cut.

Start by taking your meat out of the package and put them on a plate.  Salt them generously on both sides with kosher salt.  Sprinkle with turmeric, smoked paprika, and cumin an both sides.  I like the chicken to be out of the fridge for about 40 minutes before I cook it.  It really helps to get all that flavor in there.  

Take your overripe plums and slide the skin off (an easy task with such ripe fruit).  Pop the pit out by squishing the plum with your fingers. I squished the plums into pieces into a small pan just using my fingers.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon. Honestly, I don't know if it's entirely necessary to cook the plums to bring out the flavor.  I did for about 20 minutes and the results were smashing - but feel free to experiment. I think I could have cooked them much longer and reduced to a sweeter concoction.  This makeshift plum sauce would be incredible over ice cream, mixed with dessert rice, or in cottage cheese or yogurt. 

Chop up your potatoes, carrots and onions and toss with oil, salt and black pepper in a bowl.  Toss with the plum sauce and place all that yumminess into a baking dish.  I broke my large casserole pan last week (it exploded, long story), and so I used an old Corningware pot that was generously given to me after a neighbor on the block passed away. Lay those juicy chicken thighs right atop that lovely veg and then top each thigh with a scoop of green olive tapanade (it's best to scoop out what you need first in a bowl and then place on the chicken as you don't want to contaminate the rest of the jar with chicken germs).

Not the prettiest picture, but I swear to you, this was delicious!

Pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 mins to an hour or until the potatoes are done. I finished off my cooking with about a five minute broil. If you prefer your chicken not quite as well done, add in after the potatoes and veggies have cooked for a bit. Enjoy with friends or family.  Or if you are lucky, friends you love enough as family, and family you like enough as friends. 

My lovely friends and a giant air conditioner tube.

The Frugal Haps with Photos!

The garden is still chugging along in early September.  The zucchini and cucumber are still producing, albeit they are scraggly and so pitiful looking they seem as though they are begging for mercy (pull me you wicked woman!).

Yesterday's snack all from the garden.

Tomatoes are in fine form, and if you can believe it, strawberries are still coming.  Large and red berries and healthy green plants.  I hope to expand to an entire bed for them next year next to the raspberry bed I hope to have. Oh garden dreaming...

My sweet neighbor Marianne gave me lots of spicy lettuce to transplant, and I hope they survive my ineptitude (I replanted them yesterday in full sun). 

The pumpkin patch was overtaken by the blight, but we were able to get a great haul of sweet round pumpkins.  We gave away several to the neighbors, and will save two for my niece and nephew. The few remaining will be part of our fall decorating.

We will keep a few.  One for me, the girl, and our kitty Charlie.

If the weather is nice and I have good energy I tend to go hog wild on my day off.  I take off every other Thursday without pay so I can take my daughter to school and take care of home necessities.  Yesterday was a blissful day of good health and lots of yard work.  Those are my favorite days. It also happened to coincide with the local nursery's fall clearance sale.  Can anyone say FRUIT TREES?!  I was able to pick up a Dwarf Fuji for $10, a peach tree for $10 (we will see how that does in this climate), and a beautiful ornamental somethingerother.

Which reminds me something I haven't shared! Because of my neighborhood's issue with sewer runoff into the Puget Sound, I qualified for a free rain garden from the city! Well, almost free.  I did have to pay $384 for the 200 gallon cistern, but I had wanted one of those for years.  I was able to water the yard with it yesterday. 

The garden is gorgeous and between labor (lots of digging underground pipes) and plants, it was nearly $2,800 FOR FREE!

I really love my time in the garden.  It feeds me (both literally and spiritually).  I love sharing my bounty with neighbors, and they in turn are so gracious in sharing with me.  In fact, yesterday my neighbor Suzie invited me to pick tons of plums from her yard as they are dropping like crazy.  And my sweet next door neighbor Mary shared several different kinds of tomatos!

Thank you Mary!

Along with the photo of the yummy plums, I'll leave you with the classic William Carlos Williams poem on that very subject...

Thank you Suzie!

This Is Just To Say

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Make It! Watermelon Shaved Ice

Nothing beats a cool slice of watermelon on a hot day...right?

Until last night I didn't think so, but that was before we tried a little experiment in the kitchen with frozen watermelon.

I had a bunch of watermelon leftover from a party that needed to be eaten up quickly.  I had heard you could freeze it, so I popped the cubed pieces into a tupperware and into the freezer.

My kiddo really liked how it tasted frozen, but I thought I'd try to improve on the fun and pop it in the food processor.

This may work with any number of blending tools, but I used a hand powered food processor a friend gave me for my birthday.

It turned out perfectly! So sweet and delicious and powdery, and free from all the typical nasty chemicals and colorings and artificial sweeteners that come with regular shaved ice.

I think this would be really yummy with frozen peaches and nectarines too!

Make It! Pan Fried Radishes

I'm not the biggest radish fan.  My daughter loves them with just a sprinkle of salt, but at most I can have a couple of pieces that way.  I try to have them around for her when they are in season, but because I tend to avoid them, sometimes they are forgotten in the fridge.

Recently I had forgotten to put the radishes in the crisper drawer and after a few days they already started to wilt. Not knowing what to do with wilty radishes I left them a few more days.  Hmmm, what to do, what to do. They were still edible, but would need to be prepared quickly.

I decided I'd try something a little different.  I sliced them up and pan fried them on high heat in a little butter.  I salted them and sprinkled  a little seasoning on top.  They turned out amazing! All the bitter/spicy bite of the radish was gone, but there was still a ton of flavor.

The other night I had a couple of friends over for dinner and I wanted to recreate this dish.  I was out of butter so I just used a dash of grape seed oil in the pan. I also used the inner parts of the rough broccoli stalk I had leftover, and sliced them thinly.  I sprinkled the sliced radishes and the broccoli stalk with salt and a little thyme and some pepper.

I cooked on high in a ceramic sautee pan, flipping the radishes and stalks frequently so they wouldn't burn.  They were done when they were well cooked and a light golden brown. Again, they turned out delicious! They were a big hit and the first thing to be eaten up by everyone.

This is an easy dish that takes only a few minutes to prep. It can be cooked in any kind of fat, and any many spices would go well with it.  Or you can just stick to salt and pepper.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Have you ever cooked radishes? What do you cook that most people eat raw?

Make it! Lentil Crackers

These crackers are really easy, tasty, and higher in protein that straight flour crackers.  The recipe is very forgiving (and may require some adjustment depending on how you cook your lentils), and the taste combinations are unlimited.  I'm not one to always exactly follow a recipe exactly, even my own, so each time I make these I have made them slightly different, and they've always come out great. In fact, the only reason why I wrote up a recipe is so I could share it with other people!

Lentil Crackers

You will need:

2 Cups cooked lentils (I used split red lentils)

4 tablespoons flour of your choice (I use Namaste Gluten Free Flour Blend)

4 Tablespoons oil of your choice (I use Olive Oil)

Parchment paper

Salt and spices

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Take your 2 cups of cooked salted lentils (salt lentils as they cook in water).  You want them to be fully cooked and mushy. I didn't have hardly any excess water by the time mine were done.  If you do, drain it off.

I cooked a 1 pound bag of lentils and used the rest in other ways.  You can certainly make a really large batch, but you'll need to adjust the proportions.

Put your 2 cups of cooked lentils in a bowl.  Add flour, oil and salt to taste if desired.  Mix it all up with a spoon or your hands (I wet my hands to work with the dough).  Your dough will probably be a little sticky - and that's ok.  Slightly tacky is better than really dry.  Add more flour or water as you go along to get the desired consistency.

Divide the dough in half and make a round ball. It should hold together well even with gluten free flour (the first time I made these I used brown rice flour).  Place on parchment paper or silicone baking mat (you can reuse parchment over and over until it starts to brown and get more fragile - then toss it). Put another piece of parchment on top and roll out your dough evenly until it is thin.

Peel off the top piece of parchment.  Sprinkle with salt and spices (I used Trader Joe's South African Smoke). Cut your thin dough into cracker shapes. A pizza cutter works great for this.  No need to separate them - they will do this in the oven on their own.

Carefully lift the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until brown.  When they are browned they will be fully crispy and cracker like.

Do the same with the other half of the dough.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Do you make crackers? What kind of spices would you use?  

Make it! Orangettes

I love when you can take something headed for the trash and make it into something beautiful.  The French, fine makers of fancy things, have done this so elegantly with the classic candied orange peel treat, orangettes.  

These are surprisingly simple, and can be as frugal as you want them to be. 

This is what you will need:

Orange peels (or lemon or grapefruit) from 4 large oranges (I used 5 smaller oranges)

Sugar (I used turbinado, but you can use regular sugar, or ultra fine granulated sugar)

Water

Chocolate (optional)

Since you are eating the peels, I would only use organic oranges for this.  Everyone feels differently about this topic, so do what you feel comfortable with.  Either way, make sure to start by cleaning your oranges well.

Next you will take a knife and cut off the very top and bottom of the oranges.

Score each of the sides with a smaller knife so that you have several clean straight slices around the orange.  Peel the orange and slice into thin sections.

You will take these orange peels and boil them for 15 minutes in water.  

Drain, rinse, and drain again. 

I collected the water the oranges were cooked in because I thought I might be able to use it for cleaning purposes. I'd love to hear if you know what to do with it.  It is very bitter, however, and not something you want to drink (trust me on this one)!

Do not drink this. Yuck!

Next you will combine your sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil.  You are making a simple syrup using one part sugar to one part water.   The recipe that I started with suggested suggested 3 cups of sugar and three cups of water, but I used two cups of each and it was plenty syrup to cover the amount of orange peels I was using. 

Dissolve all of the sugar, bring to a boil and add peels. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

I used turbinado sugar which is why my syrup is so dark.  

Orangettes drying, orange syrup, and a bar of chocolate.

Drain your oranges (make sure to collect that delicious orange flavored syrup), toss in sugar and lay them out to dry.  I tossed my orange peels in turbinado.  Next time I will use a finer granulated sugar to toss them in, but they still look great.  

I let them dry about 24 hours, and then I dipped them in melted dark chocolate and placed them on parchment paper on a tray and stuck them in a fridge to firm up.  The chocolate part is optional, but so worth it if you have it.

They don't look "perfect" but that's kind of charming I think. And once you taste them you will know why they sell these in the fancy French bakeries!

I packaged them up in jam jars and gave them as gifts.

The total cost for this was about $4.50 for 4 gifts.  I used organic sugar and organic fair trade chocolate from Trader Joe's.  Using less expensive chocolate and sugar would make this significantly cheaper.

Here is the cost breakdown:

Orange peels - I'm counting these as free since they would normally be tossed and we buy oranges anyway.

Sugar - About $2.50 worth of organic Turbinado from TJ's.

Water - Free

Organic Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Bar from TJ's (optional) - $2

I haven't decided what I will be using the orange syrup for yet, but I think I might use it to make a rhubarb sauce.  You could use it to add to tea, for summer cocktails, basically anywhere you would use simple syrup.

Have you ever made candied citrus peel?  Have you ever tasted it?  These have been getting rave reviews from kids and grown-ups alike, so give it a try!

Don't Follow Recipes (Plus a Recipe)

Feeling comfortable "winging-it" in the kitchen is something I sort of take for granted. Most of my adult life, I have cooked using recipes as inspiration, but not something to rigidly stick to.  And most of the time I don't really use recipes at all.  But I know some people are a little more intimidated by cooking and feel like following a recipe to the very last detail is the only way they cook.  If that's you, I'm here to set you free (in the kitchen)!  YOU DO NOT ALWAYS NEED TO FOLLOW A RECIPE!

When you live the frugal life, being flexible is extremely important.  Flexibility is the ability to bend, right? And it's so necessary in the kitchen! You may even come up with a new and improved dish this way!  

Following recipes strictly sometimes requires ingredients you may not have - and sometimes they are expensive.  For instance, the last recipe I was inspired by required bay leaves.  I wasn't about to go to the store just for that, so I left it out.  It also suggested I use garlic (I say "suggested" because I'm not going to let this little recipe boss me around!). I didn't. It turned out great anyway!

It's crucial to let go of the fear of screwing something up.  Perfectionism and rigidity have no place here.  Your best is good enough in your home and kitchen.  And even when it's less than stellar, there are often ways to fix it.  If not, it was a learning experience, right?

Now, back to the matter at hand. Knowing just a few basic things in the kitchen can take you really far, and today I will share one that I use many times per week in my cooking.

The Salad "Formula": 

For exceptional salads you need a combo of an acid (I prefer unseasoned rice vinegar but any kind of vinegar or acidic juice can be substituted), a fat that is liquid at room temperature (I prefer olive oil),  salt (I use kosher), pepper, and onions (optional, but oh so tasty).  For the proper proportions you don't need a recipe necessarily, let your eyes and taste buds tell you when it's right. Just swirl them in and toss. Adjust to your taste as you go along!

Now anything can be added: celery, carrots, peppers, cilantro, parsley, mint, apples, you name it.  If it sounds yummy to you, throw 'er in there!  In addition, you can add mustard,  honey, or juice to the oil and vinegar if you want to pump up the vinaigrette. 

You can use this formula for any kind of salad! Rice, quinoa, bean, lentil, lettuce, veggie, the list goes on.

This is not at all to say that recipes don't have their place. Baking, for instance, requires a more specific balance of ingredients to get it just right (but even that can be played with once you have a some basics down).  Recipes can be excellent for trying something new, or being inspired by a new blend of ingredients, but they are not the law!  Repeat: Recipes are not the law!

So here is a lentil salad I made recently.  I tried to find the original recipe that inspired it, but was unsuccessful.  I do know it required several ingredients I did not have and it didn't make it any less delicious!  The main combo I was working with was lentil and mint.

Mint Lentil Salad:

1 pound green lentils, drained. (I used Trader Joe's) Cook them in a pot of water until done but not mushy. 

Olive oil (probably about 1/4 cup - I just swirl it around in there)

Rice vinegar (about 1/8 to 1/4 cup - adjust to taste)

Juice from a lemon

Small handful of mint, chopped

Small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

One small onion chopped

2 cucumbers, de-seeded and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste (Don't skimp on the salt!)

I added kale blossoms to give it a pop of color

The combination of the Salad Dressing "Formula," mint, and lentils was delicious. 

The last time I made this recipe was Mother's Day and I was too busy to take a picture.  But here's my cat, and she's pretty cute.  She thought the clean dish towels would make a nice bed for her on the counter.  Naughty!

She loves being photographed. Can't you tell?

Do you always stick to a recipe or do you get creative in the kitchen? Do you use a similar formula for your salads?  What are your frugal "formulas" in the kitchen?

Make it! Broccoli Stalk Salad

Did you know that you can use all of the parts of broccoli?  

In addition to the florets, the stalks and leaves can both be eaten with a little preparation.

Broccoli from the store

I'm looking forward to harvesting my own broccoli this spring, and using the leaves to cook with, however the broccoli in the store very rarely includes the leaves - what a shame!

Homegrown broccoli

The stalks of broccoli can make a delicious raw salad.  Since broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, you don't want to gorge yourself on it because it can be gas producing.  Also, your thyroid can be affected by over-consumption of  raw cruciferous veggies (take special care if you have thryoid disease as we do in our family) as they are considered goitrogenic. You can enjoy raw veggies like these in smaller quantities, or if you wish, sautee lightly in a pan before dressing.

And now, on to the recipe! Start by chopping off the florets and the softer parts of the stalk of the broccoli and cook as you wish.

Next you want to take your tough stalk and peel using a vegetable peeler.  Remove the hard outer part of the stalk with it, revealing the softer inner part.  You can toss these bits into the compost, or save in a bag in the freezer to make vegetable broth.

Now, using the peeler, create thin slices of broccoli stalk and put them in a bowl.

Use a small amount of homemade mayo  and toss the broccoli stalk pieces.  Add a splash or two of rice vinegar.  Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper (and other spices such as crushed red pepper if you wish), and serve!

Voila! Broccoli Stalk Salad.

In her typical fashion, my daughter gobbled up this yummy salad in just a few minutes.  It was quick to make, delicious, and full of nutrients.  I love that we used what would typically be tossed in a simple, easy, and frugal way.

Bon Apetit!

Make It! Powdered Sugar

Photo Credit: Foodiewoodie

Did you know you can make powdered sugar? Next time you run out of it, there is no need to run to the store for a frosting emergency!

I did it myself last night (frosting emergencies are real, people). 

I had read somewhere once that powdered sugar was nothing more than granulated sugar turned into a powder with a little added cornstarch.  Well, I left out the cornstarch and just put some in my coffee grinder. It came out perfectly!

Definitely a must do when you're in a pinch!

DON'T BUY THAT! Chicken Broth

A picture of chicken noodle soup, The Simple, Easy and Frugal Way, with a few surprise ingredients.

A roasted chicken is a delicious meal that can be stretched into several meals no matter the size of your family.  To me, the best part is what comes next - the chicken broth!

The key to a delicious and more nutritious and healing broth is the length of time you cook the bones. I aim to cook the carcass for 4-5 hours on a slow Sunday when I'm cleaning the house.  I add a little bit of vinegar because I read once that that helps to draw out the good stuff from the bones.  Plus vinegar always helps things to taste a little better in my opinion!

This is a simple, easy and frugal way to  stretch your dollars.  There is just no comparing this to the watered down, high in sodium store bought broth.

Here's what you do:

After you roast your chicken, "pick the bird."  I'll do this after we've gotten our fill at dinner. Take off all the meat you can get and store it in the refrigerator to use later.  If you want you can freeze the chicken pieces in smaller portions. The key is not to let any go bad! I always think, "wow, this chicken died so i could eat it - I better use up every last bit." It helps to assuage the guilt I feel about eating such a charming little animal!

Once you have your carcass (and any leftover skin), put it in a medium to large pot and fill with water.  Add a half to one whole onion quartered or thickly chopped (you'll be taking this out at the end).  Add a few sprigs of rosemary (a great compliment to chicken) or dill (a unique and yummy flavor in broth), more if you like stronger flavor.  Add a little (I usually use about an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup) of vinegar.  Add a generous pinch of kosher or sea salt. Garlic can also be a nice addition.

Bring to a boil on high and then lower the heat so it's at a slow rolling boil. Keep the lid almost all the way on, but leave it a little off kilter so the steam doesn't build up and it doesn't boil over. You do need a lid on it though or else it will start to evaporate.

When it's done "doing it's thang," let cool a bit and then strain. You will "pick the bird" again at this point and any of those little meat bits can be used when you make your soup. 

Broth can be stored in old jars, or you can freeze in plastic containers.  After it cools in the fridge you will notice it is thick like jello.  That's good! That is the good stuff from the bones (look here for how gelatin is made).  It will melt when you reheat it.  Since it is very concentrated, you can add water to stretch your broth.  You might also notice a layer of fat on the top.  You can either leave it in, or skim it and use it later for cooking, but don't throw it out, it's good for you!

You can now use your delicious and healing broth in soup or just drink it plain, or my favorite, with a pinch of added salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Later I will share my recipe for a delicious and filling chicken noodle soup. 

Note: If you don't have time to cook the carcass, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days.  If it will be five days or longer until you can make broth, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer.

Do you make broth at home? How long do you let it cook? What do you like to add?