I have been trying to compile a list of what foods are in season each month. Not only will the food taste better, but it will be a lot less expensive! I was giddy when this little gem showed up in my Google reader…
Chart by Leon
(The chart was made by the Leon restaurant chain in London, but since British weather is very similar to the climate of most of North America, it works well for most of us.)
Have you ever bought something and then seen the same thing a week later….on sale? I have and it’s really frustrating, especially for big ticket items!
I just ran across a great post that shows what months that certain groups of items are on sale. You can check it out here at Life Hacker. You can thank me later. {wink}
Now, dear reader, how do you find good sales? I can use all the help I can get!
For more Q & A head over to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.
Better Homes and Gardens
I really like having the right tool for a job…problem is sometimes that tool is no where to be seen. So, what’s a thrifty gal to do?
Improvise!
Over the years I have learned some tips and tricks that can make cooking much easier. And when it comes to cooking easier is always better!
Here are some the tips that have helped me:
(These first two are from my Mother. Thanks!)
1. Whenever you need to cut something sticky, like brownies, use a plastic knife. For some reason the goo doesn’t stick to plastic like it would to a metal knife. Go figure.
2. Need to cut a cake into layers? Use un-flavored dental floss. Use about 12″, pull tight, get behind the cake and “saw” the floss toward you. The cake will cut easily and there will be very few crumbs.
3. Do you have a pastry cutter? Think it’s a single use tool? Think again! Use it to cut up eggs for egg salad and keep avocados a little chunky for guacamole.
4. Need to cool something down in a hurry? Fill your sink with cold water and add some ice cubes. Set your pot down in the water and stir. Your food will cool down quickly.
5. Coffee maker broken? Try this rustic cup of joe. First boil some water and put a paper towel into a small strainer. Next put about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee into the paper towel. Finally, hold the strainer over your mug and pour the water over the grounds. Dump the grounds and paper towel into the trash and enjoy your coffee!
I grew up eating sauerkraut from a can. I liked it pretty well, but then I was introduced to REAL sauerkraut! I’m talking about lacto-fermented sauerkraut, alive and health-giving. There’s no way to describe the difference between canned sauerkraut and fresh, real sauerkraut!
(I haven’t taken any pictures of my sauerkraut, so I’ll give you a few links that explain the process.)
(It’s important to remember that these new ways of eating and cooking get so much easier with time. So, if things feel awkward at first, don’t be concerned. )
Crystal Miller shares: How to make sauerkraut-Step by Step.
Debbie Apple shows how she makes sauerkraut.
Have you ever made sauerkraut? Do you make other fermented veggies or have a favorite recipe to share?
Go to Food Renegade for Fight Back Friday to learn more about great food!
Fashion has always interested me. One of the (many) things I wanted to be, growing up, was a fashion designer and model. When I was thirteen I got to have one of my dreams come true….I went to modeling school! ( I may even share some pictures from back then.)
We found a Christian modeling agency near us and I had such a great time. Even though that seems like a long time ago, I still enjoy fashion and modeling. ( I just think it’s sad how raunchy modeling has become.)
Pantone has the new fall fashion colors available for download here. You can see the new colors as well as get some budget friendly advice about updating your wardrobe for fall!
By knowing what the “new” colors will be for fall, you can scout out your local thrift store, find the colors there and still stay in budget!
So are you excited about changing to fall clothes? What season do you enjoy dressing for the most?
For more great tips visit Works For Me Wednesdays hosted by We Are THAT Family!
I grew up eating wild mushrooms called Morels. They are some of the most delicious things you will ever put into your mouth!
They grow better in the Northern states, but we still find a few in Middle Tennessee.
This is Matthew, our son, holding a Morel mushroom we found in our yard last year. One of two…not quite enough to eat!
I had been doing some research on edible plants and mushrooms in our area, so Matthew and I went on a search in the woods around our house to see what we could find. We found a tree that had fallen, but the large stump was still standing. On that stump we found… Oyster Mushrooms! There are no look alikes in the US, so we were sure that we had the real deal.
This is what we harvested…about four pounds of free, tasty, gourmet mushrooms!
The best way that we have found to eat Morel and Oyster mushrooms is to gently pan fry them in butter.
After we harvested them, I put them in salt water to get rid of any bugs. I rinsed them off gently and carefully. Next I put them into a zip-top bag and coated them in flour. Then I fried them in butter and salted them to taste. They were so good!
The next time you go to the grocery, look at the gourmet mushroom mixes. I bet you’ll see small oyster mushrooms in there!
For more information check out these sites:
(Time for the disclaimer: Do your own research. Make sure you are harvesting in a clean area, not by a road, because mushrooms absorb heavy metals and toxins. Don’t eat any mushrooms that you aren’t ABSOLUTELY SURE are safe.)
Wool Dryer Balls From Good Mama
My Mother in law just gave me some wool dryer balls that my aunt made. I’ve been wanting to make these for a while, but have never taken the time to do it!
I used them on the mountain of laundry that I washed yesterday and they worked really well. My aunt said that when she uses 8-10 of them she is able to cut her drying time in half!
Saving money and having no static cling… naturally, that Works For Me!
If you want to make your own dryer balls, GoodMama has the instructions!
Be sure to check back on Friday for the latest L. Herbert Design prints that will be featured at Nesting Place!
Want to win a free print from my store? A High And Noble Calling is hosting a giveaway!
After I read about the health benefits of sprouting, I started to sprout my grains and beans before using them. It is SO EASY!
* Sort your dried beans, removing all stones and shriveled beans
*Rinse the beans. Put the beans into a bowl and cover with water until the beans are about 3 inches under the water. Cover and soak overnight or 8-10 hours.
*After soaking, drain the beans in a colander and rinse. Leave the beans in the colander and rinse at least twice a day. The beans will sprout in about 1-3 days.
*When the beans have a very small sprout you can store them in the fridge for a few days or cook right away. These cook up faster than un-soaked beans and are much more nutritious. You can use them for your favorite recipes, our family likes them in chili.
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has a great post about freezing all those beans you just made!
Check out Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade to see more food tips.
Do you have any good recipes including beans?
When I tell people where I shop for groceries they often say, ” I’d love to shop there, but it’s too expensive!”. But, if I didn’t use some strategy, it would be too pricey for me as well!
Here are some frugal tips I use to make my grocery money work hard:
* Find out when your local grocery puts out the managers specials. These are foods that will expire in a few days and the store is motivated to get them out the door!
By finding these products and using them up quickly or preserving them, you can save up to 50% off full retail! Our local store marks things down early Monday morning…so that’s when we do our shopping!
*Every store has mark down areas. Locate these super saving areas and check them every time you are in the store. You never know what you’ll find!
* Use your coupons. Yes, I know this isn’t a secret tip, but it really works! I try to remember to bring my coupon book with me to the store, because the store seems to always have unadvertised sales that match my coupon.
Well, these are some things that Work For Me…what helps you save money in the grocery?
Don’t forget that…
I’ve added a bunch of new designs to my store and in honor of Mother’s Day I’m offering a coupon code!
You will get 10% off your total order through May 11th, 2009.
All you need to do is use the coupon code: MOTHER when checking out. Happy shopping!
