Tag: frugal

Mini Hydroponic Garlic Pods on the Cheap

Posted on by Earth Chick
Garlic growing in a window

We are still on a mandatory “Stay at Home” order from the Governor of Virginia. Executive Order 55 has us sheltering until June 10th. Well, we were pretty well taken care of but certainly concerned about provisions. When you homestead, you are already trying to make great use of resources and reduce waste. We normally grow our sprouted garlic that we cannot eat right away. Really, any veggie, such as potatoes, garlic, or onions can be potted up in dirt and grown. Our big summer harvests get freeze dried or dehydrated.

We had a bunch of these little plastic salad dressing and condiment cups with lids and decided to cut them with a Styrofoam Hot Wire Tool. We made a 3/4 inch hole in the lid.

Trace a circle and cut with Hot Tool

The sprouted clove sits happily out of the water with the roots dangling below; the lid also keeps water from evaporating too quickly. Every week, the water in the cup should be changed. And…if you need garlic for a dish, just use it, green tops, too!

I have several in my east-facing kitchen window. If you look closely, you can see the clove is starting to bulb and divide. Pretty amazing. For everyone out there homeschooling, this would make a neat Science project (growing it), History lesson (where does it come from?), and Home Economics (cook with it).

This is just a tiny piece of our “Victory Garden” effort. Please check out our new YouTube videos. Happy gardening!

When Expenses Run Wild

Posted on by Earth Chick


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Most of us have been caught off-guard by an unexpected bill or expense. Unless it breaks the budget, we might not even notice that our budget has a bleed, or that we are spending money on things that don’t make our lives better. Sometimes, we are spending money on things that don’t matter at all.

Plugging up the leaks early can give you more of a cushion to play with. So, what can I do today?

  • Turn off lights when you leave the room. Yeah, I know, our folks harped on it but we still forget.
  • Unplug anything we can
  • Have a few meatless meals
  • Stay in for the evening
  • Raid the fridge and eat what you have…no take-out!
  • Barter
  • Turn the lights out and hit the sack early. You know you need the sleep.
  • Carpool for a few days.
  • Cut the cable for a while. The library rents free movies.
  • Give up shopping for a while.
  • Cancel subscriptions to magazines and newsletters you don’t read.
  • Save water. Hey, it really isn’t free in most places.
  • Give up appetizers, or order them as your meal.
  • Scale back what you spend on gifts.
  • Change your own headlight. Yes, you can! YouTube can teach you almost anything.
  • Ditch the gym membership if you don’t use it.
  • Take on your own home maintenance.
  • Grow and preserve food.

Plugging a $10 bleed each week adds up to $5,200 over a ten year period, before you account for interest. That’s the price of a used car, or a roof, or an HVAC system. Wow!

What other ways do you plug the money bleeds? How much of a difference did it make?

Kombucha’s Recent History

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Kombucha is the centuries-old beverage made by fermenting sweet (green, black, white, or oolong) tea. The ferment develops a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) pellicle and liquid. As sugar is consumed by the ferment, it forms a lovely balance of acids. Acetic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, butyric acid, and more mingle together to give kombucha it’s refreshing tart taste. Juices and fruits are added after the initial fermentation to impart flavor and feed the yeasts to provide a gentle fizz. The final beverage is packed with vitamins and enzymes believed by many to provide a wide array of health benefits, including supporting gut health.

There is yet to be a large body of controlled research to definitively put a stamp on the benefits attributed to kombucha. The US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health has several studies and published articles of interest including https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24290641 . The strongest connection is that probiotics may improve gut health.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26960543 addresses the suitability of fermented foods as a source of probiotics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30197628 discusses enhanced shelf-life and nutritional properties of fermented foods. Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28115036 eve refers to low/no alcohol fermented beverages as a food group. Other fermented foods such as Tempeh, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and pickles would fall into this group of potentially health-boosting, probiotic-rich powerhouses.

The kombucha market was fairly limited in the US when it hit a rather large speedbump in 2010 over a crisis of regulation. Fluctuation in alcohol contents that deviated from the allowed .5% maximum led to halting sales. This opening on the shelves gave smaller brewers the opportunity to enter more markets and expose Americans to more variety in commercially produced kombucha beverages. This shake-up in the commercial market set off a cascade and resurgence of the beverage popularity.

The US market for kombucha is 180 million US dollars, with 95% in organic products. According to www.statista.com the market is poised to top 1 billion by 2023.

“US retail sales surged 37.4% in 2017,” while the rest of the non-alcoholic beverage market grew a skimpy 1.2%, according to www.foodnavigator-usa.com

Huge sales are just a part of the picture. Homebrewing which has been popular since the 70’s has grown at a rapid rate. While some would claim that home-brewed kombucha is dangerous, others brew it by the gallons and claim it has cured everything from the common cold to cancer. There isn’t much evidence of either other, but that hasn’t stopped the growth or the public support of kombucha. Green tea, cane sugar, filtered water, some starter (kombucha from a previous batch), and time. It is inexpensive to make, delicious, and potentially part of a healthy diet.

I am a long-time kombucha brewer and drinker.  Each person has to decide what is right for themselves and their family. I love the taste and how it makes me feel. We strive to limit the unknown ingredients in our food and like to control the process. At the same time, we are trying to live a fiscally responsible life and develop skills that have the potential to be lost and share those skills. I will share with you how I make my kombucha and some resources where you can research and find more information on brewing your own, should you decide to pursue fermenting at home. Stay tuned for the next article in the series. I will be sharing step-by-step instructions for making kombucha from a starter or from scratch. Enjoy!

 

*We are not claiming any health benefits of kombucha. We are just sharing the facts we have found and our own experiences consuming and brewing fermented beverages. You assume all risk should you choose to brew and consume kombucha.

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Apple Cider Vinegar DIY

Posted on by Earth Chick

 

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Imagine gallons of healthful apple cider vinegar…for free. It is easier than you think.  Follow the easy, step-by-step instructions to turn waste into liquid gold.

If at all possible, start with organically grown apples. The redder the skin, the darker the finished vinegar will be. Any apples can be used. If you have an abundance of apples, the entire apple can be used. It is more efficient to make your apple cider vinegar when you are also processing apples for other recipes, such as applesauce, apple pie filling, apple juice or apple butter. The skins and cores which are left over from the recipes may be used instead of simply being discarded or tossed on the compost pile.

What you will need:

A large glass jar (1 or 2-gallon size works well)

Peels and cores from 5 pounds of apples

2 tablespoons of sugar

Water

Place bowl of apple peels and cores on the counter to rest and brown for 24-72 hours. You want them to turn brown, so let Mother Nature do her work on them.

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Once brown, place the peels and cores in a large, wide-mouthed jar.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the peels and cores.

Pour enough room-temperature water over the apples to cover the peels and cores.

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Cover with a piece of fabric or cheesecloth tied off with a string or ribbon.

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Store in a warm, dark place for one month.

A mother will form on top of the mixture. It will resemble a jellyfish and is desirable. DO NOT THROW THE MOTHER AWAY!

Scoop out the mother and set aside in a bowl.

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Strain apple pieces out of the liquid.

Return liquid to the large jar. If you do 2 batches at once, they can be combined at this time.

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Replace mother on top of the liquid.

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Re-cover jar with fabric and set aside for an additional 2-6 months until finished

.Finished apple cider vinegar may be stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter

5 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks

4 ½ cups white sugar

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

1 pinch ground cardamom

Place all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on high for 3 hours.

Reduce temperature setting to low and cook for 12-14 hours until dark brown.

At this step, an immersion blender can be used to make the apple butter super-smooth.

Uncover and cook for 1-3 hours to thicken.

Spoon into clean jars and process in waterbath canner (15 minutes for pints) or store in the refrigerator.

When You Are on the go and a Fast Food Lunch Isn’t an Option

Posted on by Earth Chick

When your truck is your office and you are moving from one job site to another, it’s easy to start scrimping on nutrition. After all, we start early in the morning and I didn’t always plan the night before. One of the things that made me start paying attention to what was in my cooler, is when my coworkers sat hungry. I started carrying a little something extra every day. 

My go-to tools for always having lunch as a great cooler and purpose-built containers to keep foods hot or cold. 

Lunches don’t have to be expensive or unhealthy.  My favorite container is a Thermos for hot foods. The easiest last-minute, hot lunch, is ramen. Before you freak out, realize that you don’t have to add the whole seasoning/salt packet.  A scoop of leftover veggies is awesome added to it. To make it, I crumble a ramen cake (19 cents) into the hot food container, add seasoning or leftover veggies. Heat water in the microwave or teapot and add to container. Secure lid and put it in the cooler. By lunch, the ramen is cooked. When the temps are super-cold, it is a welcome treat to have something hot. 

The neat thing about the hot container is you can put any hot food in it. Wait, leftover turkey and potatoes, stuffing, ribs, meatballs…whatever is lurking in the fridge.  

My second favorite is a good hot beverage container or two. Coffee for the morning and tea or cocoa for later. Today’s Thermos jugs come in all sizes. Maybe carry a little extra to share?  

For cool drinks, I freeze water bottles and use them to chill the cooler and during the day they melt and become drinkable.  

You can’t go wrong stashing granola bars in your lunch, they are a quick pick-me-up mid-morning or afternoon. Other easy snacks are pretzels, peanut butter pods, Cheese sticks or dices, nuts, vegetables, marshmallows, raisins, cookies, homemade pudding or yogurt, 

Sandwiches are great.  I have learned that two clean, dry, lettuce leaves placed next to the bread keep it from getting soggy. No more mushy mayo sandwiches.  

Frozen yogurt tubes are awesome when it is hot outside. Kept in the cooler, they thaw by lunch. 

Eating healthy foods is important but you always want to make sure you have something sweet and something salty as a treat to battle against dehydration and low blood sugar. Working outside with an afternoon headache from either of these things is no fun. 

If time is short in the mornings, try to prepare things on the weekend to carry you through the week. Some of my favorite lunch items are listed below. 

  • Boiled eggs 
  • Fresh fruit
  • A jar of canned goodness from your stash
  • Fruit cocktail
  • Apple sauce 
  • Any casserole  
  • Homemade yogurt with jam or mix-ins 
  • Ramen packages 
  • Soups or soup packets 
  • Chicken and rice 
  • Apple juice or orange juice 
  • Quinoa and a meat of choice 
  • Oatmeal 
  • Frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 

I have a couple of coolers, depending on my mood. My favorite cooler is great for anyone that does meal-prep and needs to carry a full day’s worth of food. It contains sleeves for 4 large drink bottles, dry goodies, and six meal trays. For shorter days, I have found a smaller cooler with an 18 can capacity, cool little storage tray, and it can be padlocked closed.  

Start to think about how you would pack up Mom’s leftovers and build your lunchbox around them.  We know bringing our coffee saves a significant amount of money. According to USA Today, “On average, Americans spend about $20 per week getting lunch in restaurants, or $1,043 a year.” Wow, just wow. I’m already regretting all the leftovers that didn’t get eaten and ended up in the trash. 

Not only am I on a mission to eat and spend more responsibly, I would like to think that there is less waste and fewer single serve containers headed for our landfills. For the past year, I allowed myself to eat lunch out once per week as long as it was inexpensive. This worked well.  

Little steps. 

Easy Slow Cooker Yogurt

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Slow Cooker Yogurt

This is one of the easiest ways you can save some serious money. If you eat yogurt, add up how many little, 5-7 oz. cups you go through in 7-10 days. For the cost of some milk, yogurt, gelatin (optional), and electricity, you can make the creamiest homemade yogurt. It is so easy!

What you need:

  • a slow cooker, thick beach towel, small clean containers for finished yogurt, and a whisk
  • 1 gal of milk (fresher is better, pasteurized is fine)
  • 3 TBS powdered milk (optional- use if you want thicker finished yogurt)
  • 1 small packet Knox gelatin (optional- great for thicker yogurt)
  • 1/2 cup yogurt with active cultures (save some from previous batches or use store bought as a starter. Just check the label for active cultures)

Pour milk in slow cooker. Mix in powdered milk if you prefer a thicker yogurt or if milk is high heat pasteurized. Turn on low. Let milk cook for 3 hours.
Unplug slow cooker and let sit for 3 hours without removing lid.
Scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and whisk with active yogurt and optional gelatin.
Return milk mixture to slow cooker and whisk quickly into warm milk.
Cover still unplugged slow cooker. Wrap in thick beach towel to retain heat and leave sitting without disturbing for 8-10 hours (this is where I go to bed).
When the cover is lifted and you scoop your spoon through the creamy yogurt you won’t believe how easy it was!
Scoop into containers and refrigerate promptly.
Top the unsweetened yogurt with fresh fruit, jam, or chocolate syrup. It’s so yummy.

If you like sour cream or Greek yogurt, simply strain through cheesecloth overnight in a colander in the refrigerator. The whey that collects is wonderful for making bread, lemonade, or even acidifying the soil around plants.

Now, you do the math. You can get a gallon of yogurt for the price of milk and some extras in 16 hours.

Let me know what you do with yours.

Electricity, My Pocketbook, and the Environment (part 2)

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Turning off the Light Bulbs, TV, and Pull the Plug on Chargers

Mobile Phone Chargers

It turns out that a cell charger uses quite a bit of power just being plugged in. That means when the phone is fully charged, well, every minute after that is a waste of electricity. The power drain (http://www.treehugger.com/culture/treehugger-homework-unplug-your-cellphone-charger.html) is amazing and sickening at the same time.

Today I’m timing my phone to see how long it takes to charge and then unplug it. Once I know how long it takes, I’ll be able to set a kitchen timer and then unplug the phone (without constantly checking it). Some phones will chime an alert when fully charged but being hearing impaired, I like to have a ballpark estimate. I just love kitchen timers, not sure how much difference it will make but willing to try. I sure won’t be leaving it plugged in overnight anymore! I also found a bunch of solar chargers on Amazon.com and am snapping one up an extra to use on the go, at work, and when camping.

Unplugging

We have been trying to adopt new habits that will cut our dependence on the public electrical grid. So far it has been hard to remember all the new things to do each day and we are constantly reminding each other when we slip up. But I know it will get easier and each new habit will become a way of life.

The habit for today is for me to start unplugging things when I am done using them. I have to tell you that this one delights my Hubs, AKA “Mr. Safety.” He would unplug the fridge when I wasn’t looking if I wasn’t careful. Ha! No, really, he has been trying to get me to unplug for years.

Play Detective 

Looking for ways to cut the electricity has become a bit of a CSI experience in our home. I’ll find myself standing in front of an appliance, scratching my head, and wondering exactly what it costs to operate. Then, there is my trusty new friend, the Kill-A-Watt meter to measure the usage and set the issue to rest.

Some things aren’t so simple to measure but yet we know they make a difference. Insulation, for instance, helps conserve but is difficult for homeowners to measure–without waiting for the fuel and electric bill.

Sadly, my home is an oldie and needs some attention in the insulation area. I found some great videos on YouTube.com that show it step by step. My hope is by bringing the insulation up to par we will reduce the number of times the furnace cuts on and off, thus saving electricity and biofuel. We may also be able to nix some of the electric wall heater use.

Lights 

This one probably goes without saying, except we don’t actually DO it all the time.

You guessed it! Turning the lights out when we leave the room. When prompted, I always respond with something like, “I was going right back in there.”  The truth is I get pretty sidetracked, hence the kitchen times clipped to my collar. Ha ha ha.

Repeat after me: “I do pledge to make an effort to turn out the lights in the room as I leave. I agree to thank the person who reminds me and not to make up an excuse. I also agree to use daylight if overhead lighting is not needed.”

It doesn’t seem like much, but in my house, it’s huge. People can always tell when I’m home because the house is lit up like a Christmas tree. I go to one room for something and then flit off for something else. Before I know it, there are lights turned on in every room! And don’t even think about what happens if I need to run to do a quick errand. Oh, my! This could save me a ton of money.

Grandma’s Easy White Bread

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Grandma’s Easy White Bread

What you need:

  • 1 TBS of active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 TBS bacon grease (or other natural oil/shortening)
  • 6-ish cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 TBS sugar
  • 2 standard loaf pans, greased
  • 2 9×5 standard loaf pans

This bread is so incredibly easy to make—even for folks who don’t think they can bake bread.

I got the recipe from my grandmother, back in the 80s, when I was a fairly new housewife, making our first home, and struggling to save money. It was then that I learned that my grandfather once owned a bakery. I’m thankful that they were able to pass on skills that are in danger of slipping away.  Note that *bacon grease or oil prevents the dough from becoming too elastic and controls the big air holes in the bread. Don’t leave it out, if you want a nice small crumb that goes with sandwiches and everyday use. Once you are making bread, you can experiment with it and its effect on texture. Have fun!

  1. Put 2 cups of warm water in a very large bowl. Add the active dry yeast sugar and salt. Add the *bacon grease and whisk to mix.
  2. Gradually add flour to the mixture, ½ cup at a time. At first it will be soupy, then it will start to get sticky, then move on to have a sturdier form. It will be hard to mix. A large sturdy metal spoon works well (or a stand mixer with a dough hook). The bread will become a workable, soft dough at somewhere near 6 cups of flour. Don’t add too much or it will be too stiff and prevent proper rising. Knead for 5 minutes.
  3. Oil the inside of a large bowl and transfer the dough into it. Set it aside to rise until it is 1 ½ its original size. Pick a warm location that is free of drafts. Plan on this taking an hour or so.
  4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Punch down and knead about 1 minute.
  5. Divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into a loaf and put in the 2 greased loaf pans.
  6. Set aside and let rise until double in size.
  7. Split top with a sharp knife and drizzle butter down middle for a fancy butter-top finish.
  8. Bake at 375° until light golden brown. Bread will sound hollow when thumped or tapped.
  9. Bread will be done in approximately 25-30 minutes. Set a timer and check it at 20 minutes.

Bread is a living thing and will have slight changes from batch to batch. The more you make it, the more you will get to know your yeast, altitude, personal oven, etc. Once you find the perfect crumb for your family, stick to the recipe variations you have found successful. If you get a new oven, you will have to play with it a bit to find the perfect timing.

Recipe makes 2 loaves. We slice into about 12 slices per loaf.

 

 

 

The Buddy Burner

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Making a Traditional BuddyBurner

If you grew up in Girl Scouts, the chances are good that you made a Situpon or a BuddyBurner.  The BuddyBurner is a fun and useful project to create with the kiddos. Not only does it make use of common items that would normally be tossed into the trash, it becomes a useful item for preparedness.

You will need:

  • An empty tuna can (save the lid if possible)
  • Corrugated cardboard cut into 1-inch wide strips across the corrugated grain
  • Broken crayons, wax remnants from used candles, or paraffin wax

Open the tuna can with a safety opener that leaves no sharp edges. Regular can openers can leave sharp edges that you must be doubly careful of. No matter the method be careful of sharp edges.

Coil up the 1″ corrugated strips tightly. Continue adding strips until you have enough to tightly fill the tuna can. If you have extra space cut a few small strips and slide them in spaces until the can is completely filled with the coil.

Melt the wax or crayons and pour into the can. Allow the wax to fill the spaces in the corrugated cardboard. The cardboard becomes a wick and the wax become the fuel.

The saved lid can be used as a quick way to extinguish the flame and preserve unused fuel.

To use, place the burner on a fireproof surface, where it may remain when it becomes hot. This is an activity best done outdoors. Simply light the cardboard wick. The burner will become very hot.

A larger can with holes punched in it for airflow may be placed above it to heat water or food.

For a bit of a walk down memory lane, go to http://www.girlscoutsla.org/documents/6_Griddle_Skillet_Buddy_Burner_Recipes.pdf and enjoy some Girl Scout fun. Don’t forget to support your local Troop with a donation of money or purchase of cookies!

Electricity, My Pocketbook, and the Environment (part 1)

Posted on by Earth Chick

Turning on the Light Bulb

Today is not the beginning of a quest but the extension of one that has been going on for many years. In 2004 our family used 14,060 kWh over the course of the year. That was the year we did our first electricity challenge. In 2008 I shared my challenge with others. In 2016, we were down to 11,043 kWh. That was in spite of having two new buildings and electric heating units installed in three rooms.

Over the next few months, I have promised myself to re-research and carry through on the things I need to do to tweak my energy usage even more.
In the past I have just implemented energy savings ideas with no strategy on how to get from point A to point B. Sure, they probably helped, but did I miss some? Quite likely! Am I still missing them? Certainly.

The US Dept of Energy has great information on choosing a company to do an energy audit and what to do to get ready. http://tinyurl.com/6bb4lz For more information on energy audits go to http://tinyurl.com/6q3vqb
A few years ago, our local news did a piece on energy audits and used Chopper 10 to evaluate heat loss with heat seeking radar and some other fancy electronics. Wouldn’t it be cool to have that done?
Now, I have an idea of what they look for. I will contact some companies and see about having the audit performed, but for now, I will start my own list.

 

CFLs and LED technology

A great debate has begun over the safety of using CFL bulbs in the home, considering that they contain a small amount of mercury. As a person who is chemically sensitive from previous overexposures to hazardous materials, I want things to be safe.

I have a choice if I want to use technology which requires less electricity: CFL bulbs or LED components.

CFLs contain varying amounts of mercury so they could be a hazard if broken in the home and not cleaned up properly. I am going to need to weigh the dangers carefully. http://tinyurl.com/yq8a6l Energy Star puts out an informational pdf to help. http://tinyurl.com/2elryb Unbroken CFLs should be recycled and broken CFLs should be cleaned up properly. Check out the links if you want to educate yourself on how to do it. The CFLs contain much less mercury than the fillings in my teeth. EEK, is that a good thing? The good news is that the amount of mercury is being reduced dramatically.

While CFLs are readily available, I may choose to use LEDs in areas where they may come in contact with children or pets and use CFLs where they are not likely to get broken.  For more info on LEDs go to http://tinyurl.com/6ns7zl

I’ve discovered a site http://www.eartheasy.com , and ordered a few goodies to try. First, I scooped up an amber LED bug light for outside.  It’s about three times more expensive than the traditional incandescent we used to buy. However, it will use less electricity and that reduces mercury emissions into the air at the power plant side. Yippee! It’s one good thing for the environment that will also help on the electric bill. Another source for LEDs is http://tinyurl.com/6krxb7,  and http://tinyurl.com/5rjrkm .
I’m changing the bulbs in my home (about 2300). Some bulbs have already been changed, so I’ll have a head start. A few years ago, I put in natural light fluorescents in the office to help fight a vitamin D deficiency. A side is that the natural light bulbs lift mood and can prevent seasonal affective disorder, which can strike during the winter.

Benefits all around.