Happy Thanksgiving!

There is a lot for me to be thankful for this year, and most of it relates to the support of my husband and family, to my new life path, and to my improved health.  It is time for some toasts!

This wine glass is about to be filled.  And that homemade butter is about to be eaten.

Next year we may have to tighten our belts and budgets a bit, but the things I'm thankful for are the things that will endure.

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday.

Homemade Margarita: Alcoholic and Virgin Recipes

A few months ago when I was having a craving out of the blue for margaritas, Ryan went to the store to get some mix but couldn't find any that were free of high-fructose corn syrup or chemicals.  We began a quest to make the perfect margarita from scratch.

If I had known making a margarita was so simple, I would have been drinking lots of them in my lifetime!  I can't exactly drink while we're trying to start a family, but there were 2.5 months in there where we weren't allowed to try, and I might have imbibed a bit.

Here's the recipe:

• Fill a pint mason jar with ice (yes, the mason jar is important, it is super classy and fits the amount perfectly)
• 1 shot of tequila (first we used the last of the Jose Cuervo gold, then switched to Camarena Silver, both are good depending on your mood)
• 1 shot of Triple Sec
• 1 shot of lemon juice
• 1 half shot of key lime juice (a whole shot is better, but makes the drink more expensive)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 drizzle of agave nectar

Mix briskly with a spoon, and sip.  It blew my mind... I had no idea margaritas could be SO tasty.

So tasty, I couldn't get a picture before it was almost gone.

I've been having virgin margaritas lately though.  

• Leave out the booze, and replace both shots with sparkly lemon or lime water
• Add a few curls of orange zest and let the mixture steep for a few minutes, stirring occasionally

The carbonated water (Trader Joe's makes a nice one) gives it that familiar satisfying tang, and the orange zest mimics the Triple Sec, so it's easier to forget it's not the real thing.  The drink ends up just being a delicious dose of vitamin C.

Boy am I glad we got lemon juice in bulk from Costco!  Between margaritas and canning tomatoes, we've nearly used it all up.

And yes, Ryan calls it a Jargarita.

What's your favorite drink recipe?

The 2014 Plan: A look at the weekly $5/day food budget

Now that the time is drawing near to when we'll be using our food storage, I decided it will be easier to think in terms of weeks rather than days, for using it up evenly.

Every week, between the 2 of us, we should use up a max of the following dry ingredients:

• Flour: 6C, 20 servings
• Beans, black or red:  3.5C, 7 servings
• Lentils or Peas:  3.5C, 7 servings
• Rice:  4C, 16 servings
• Cornmeal:  3C, 12 servings
• Oats:  2.5C, 10 servings
• Millet:  2C, 4 servings
• Garbanzo beans:  1C, 2 servings
• Popcorn:  1C, 16 servings
• Pasta:  1 serving

Whew, that looks pretty good.  With a weekly goal of using that much, it'll help keep the nutrition even over the year, and keep us from going on quinoa/pasta binges and using it all up at the beginning of the year.

To me, that looks like during the week I can make for 2 people:

• 1 small (4C) loaf of sourdough bread
• 1-4 meals of something flour-based:  pancakes (1C), pizza (2C), tortillas (1/4C), etc.
• 12 cups of bean & lentil sprouts (from 3c dry) to make for really hearty salads
• 4 meals based on legumes and rice
• 2-4 meals with rice side dish (chicken soup, etc)
• 2 meals with millet side dish
• 1 9x9 pan of cornbread
• 1/2 batch of corn muffins
• Soaked oats for breakfast every morning
• 2.5 cups of hummus
• 2 gallons of air-popped popcorn
• (1 9x9 pan of lasagna per month, unless I learn to make pasta)

In addition, for the week we'll have:

• 1 large whole organic chicken
• A dozen organic eggs (plus 2 that went into the baking)
• 1 gallon of homemade bone broth concentrate
• 3 quarts of homemade organic full-fat yogurt
• 3 quarts of organic rice milk (from Costco)
• 17.5lbs of fruit and veggies, fresh or frozen (averaging $1/lb), OR garden produce
• For every pound I replace with garden stuff, I'll put $1 into the weekly "extras" budget
• 1.2C organic olive or avocado or coconut oil, for cooking or salad dressing
• 1/2C sugar for baking
• Nearly unlimited spices and salts that are stocked up.
• $10.66 for weekly extras: tea, coffee, butter, cheese, tahini, honey, coconut milk, etc.

This sounds like a TON of food to me.  Am I really going to get my husband to eat a cup of yogurt and a cup of sprouts every day?  Hehe.

Half of me thinks we won't go through nearly that amount, but the other half thinks it'll be tight only having 10 bucks to spend on extras per week (because who knows what things I have accidentally left out?).  But if we can't survive healthily and be full on this amount, I'd be surprised!

Homemade Butter

This time of year, I always get excited to make butter!  My mom always had us make it as kids, so it is kind of a tradition.

What you'll need:

• 1 quart mason jar with lid OR a hand mixer
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• Optional flavorings:  honey, herbs, spices
• Optional butter song

 

Maple butter

Frosty

Today is my area's earliest expected frost date.  Frost may not actually hit yet, but it is a good time to start harvesting the least cold-hardy plants. 

I decided it was a little past time to dig up those sweet potatoes.

The single plant was pulled out first.

The zig-zag one on the bottom of that picture was a 2-pounder!

All together, I had exactly 7 pounds.  I'm not sure if I got them all, but after a while I realized I would kill my parsley and mustard greens if I kept going.

By this time next year, I plan to have cold frames in place over my late-fall crop to extend the season.

Oniony Seed Harvesting

These chive-like plants live along the edge of the cement around the pool.  Since we may be uprooting and disturbing everything in this area for next year, I decided to harvest a bunch of the seeds.  I now have half a paper grocery bag filled with these dried flower heads.

100th Post

As you may have guessed by the title, this blog just hit its 100th post.

I started this blog up again in July, thinking to just jot down some ideas in a journal style here and there, optimally 2 a month, and then I'd start actually blogging in 2014 when I was unemployed.  Instead of 12 posts over that time, I somehow ended up with 100.

Kinda blows my mind!  

Because of spending random moments on this blog, in 6 months' time I:

• Accidentally built a website.
• Got into the blogging habit.
• Recovered some physical health.  I've aimed the blog toward positive things that inspire me, so it reminds me of what's important in life, and that I should go out and do them... this includes lots and lots of nature hikes.
• Recovered some mental health.  Turns out that blogging is an excellent focus for nervous energy.  Still have the stress-induced dermatographia hives, but hey, it's a cool party trick.  Right?
• Formed a solid plan for the time after "retirement" (aka, domestic goddessry).
• Researched, prepped, and purchased nearly everything for the "A Year of Frugal Foods" food storage plan, which was a huge undertaking and will help our finances and diet for potentially years to come.
• Preserved 10 gallons of organic tomatoes by canning or dehydrating, which is enough for our yearly use.  Having public goals kind of forced me to baby those plants, extend the season, and not let anything go to waste, even when free time was scarce.  10 gallons!  The garden more than paid for itself this year.
• Made some new friends, and reconnected with some old ones.

All of these things are plans I had for after leaving the job, when I was to have more time and energy.  Not sure how I snuck so much of it in.  There is still much room for improvement in all these areas, but getting a solid start is half the battle.


Has blogging helped you?

Happy Buddha's Hand

2 weeks ago we had an incredibly windy night, and I came out to find that the potted Buddha's hand tree in the saltwater pool!

I tried to flush the soil out pretty well, but figured that it was doomed... it has been struggling a bit anyway, with leaves that keep curling a bit, and an increasinly yellow shade on the leaves.

Instead, a week later, I am happy to report that the previously-dull tree looks better than it EVER has.  It is bright green and cheery, full of vigor.  Glossy, even.  What the heck?  It likes salt and chlorine?!

Feelin' particularly cheery.

I think I need to research citrus trees more... I am baffled by this.

Yin Yang

I came home one day last month, and Ryan had put in a large yin yang made up of light green and dark green plants!  It is darn romantic.

The plants are settling in.

Early on in our relationship, Ryan and I wore halves of a yin yang friendship necklace... I wore the male half to represent him, and he wore the female half to represent me.  We had to spend a lot of time apart due to the incompatible nature of our jobs, so it was a little symbolic way of keeping each other close.  It is a perfect symbol to add to the garden.

Strangled by Spider Plant

One of our potted Japanese maples has not been doing so well lately, but the spider plant in the pot was doing marvelously, sending out flowers and little shoots.  I had heard that spider plants only flower and make shoots when they run out of room in their pot, so I wondered if it was out-competing the tree roots.

What I dug up surprised me!

Monster roots.

I had no idea that the roots were so crazily thick and bulbous.  It was definitely choking out the tree roots, and has been transplanted to a new pot of its own.

Here's hoping our maple springs back.

Resignation letters and paper chains

Yesterday I turned in my letter of resignation.  It felt amazingly right.

My supervisor approved the plan, so it looks like my schedule will be as follows:

• Dec 21st - Jan 5:  Winter vacation.  (They actually close the campus for an "energy curtailment" so we aren't supposed to be there anyway.)
• Jan 6:  Last day of work.
• Jan 7 - Feb 10:  Paid vacation... from which I do not return.  Yeah, I have a ton of vacation to burn.

So basically, December 20th is my last-day-eve, and then Jan 6th is my official last day!

My supervisor reminded me about the going-away party that I'd have, so I'm assuming Jan 6th will mostly be taken up with that, wrapping up a few loose ends, and saying goodbye to everyone (and to my favorite cultures... I'm looking at you, Micrasterias!).  Essentially, my job and responsibilities are over after Dec 20th.

As luck would have it, my amazon.com order of crayola construction paper arrived early last night... perfect timing for creating the paper chain.

A swirly rainbow of dwindling despair increasing hope!

There are 40 links:  28 work days, 12 weekend/holiday days, and not counting the 2 weeks of winter vacation of course.  Each rainbow represents one week left, so it is a nice visual.  After having torn off the first one last night, I can honestly say that ripping a link is pretty darn satisfying.  Now... where to hang it?

First Loaves with the Sourdough Starter

This weekend's experiments with the sourdough starter were a success!

I made two small loaves, using just starter, water, flour, and a pinch of salt.

The first rise.

For the first rise, I left it in the oven overnight, with the light turned on. 

 The second rise.

I'd never kneaded dough by hand before... my dough typically is made in the bread-maker.  It was rather meditative and soothing.

Mmmmmm... so sour!

The crumb was a little overly moist, so perhaps I didn't cook it quite long enough.  But the density was great, the crust was perfect, and it was the sourest sourdough I'd ever had.  The first loaf didn't last 48 hours.  Tonight we're having pulled pork on a "bun" of 1/4th of a loaf, so I don't see the second loaf lasting too long either.

I'd definitely call this weekend's experiments a success.

I'll get some sourdough tortilla dough rising for tomorrow night... it's made out of starter, coconut oil, flour, and water.  I've never made tortillas before, so wish me luck!

A Stropping Good Time! (Frugal Hair Removal)

So...

I'm just gonna put this out there.  I shave my armpits, bikini area, and legs.  Most of the time.  I like the idea of going natural and growing it out, but the feeling of smoothness is too pleasurable for me to quit the razor.

Now that that's out of the way, let's move on.

The cost of replacement cartridges for my Gillette razor (and my husband's, we use the same type) at Costco, which was one of the cheapest places we could find it in bulk, is $52 for 16.  That's $3.25 a pop, which doesn't sound like much, but it feels like a lot every time we buy a package, and it's not a "need" type of purchase.

As you might guess, I stretch the use of each cartridge as possible.  I rinse and pat it dry after each use to keep rust down.  I skip shaving the legs a few times a week when I know they won't be seen, and I'll use one of those razors until 2 months has passed and I can barely stand to drag the thing across my skin.  Switching out a new razor is always shocking, it glides so smoothly!  A new razor makes me feel like a slippery mermaid, and I want more of that sensation.

 

 ... smooooth*...

It seems there are 5 awesome options for achieving smooth skin.

Friendly Neighborhood Sourdough

Creating a sourdough beast was part of my plan.

November 15th was the day I was going to start trying to catch another wild sourdough culture.  It takes about a month and a half to get a culture optimally healthy for making great breads, and I wanted to start making breads in January when I leave the traditional workforce.

Catching the wild yeasts and lactobacilli is not as easy as it looks when one works with fungi for a living.  Within a week of my first attempt, the culture became contaminated with Rhizopus (bread mold) spores from work... so I'd decided not to start it until all my Rhizopus work for the year is done.  Plus, I was not really going to have the time for caring for ANOTHER culture on top of the 650 at work until classes were pretty much over in mid-November.

Another way presented itself.

Sweet Potato

Look what I found!

Plum tree fall colors

The fall colors in the backyard this year were gorgeous, though restricted to the plum trees.

Mystery plum.

Come see what's inside my Honeyville order...

The order came on Tuesday, but we haven't even had time to open the boxes until now!


As I began to open them, I realized I had nearly missed a "before and after" photo op.

Photobombed by a curious puppy.

Here are the final results...

Gourds, and Leaves, and Bats, Oh My!

Mmmm, I love this time of year.  The decorations lift my spirits!

The bats are kind of a year-round thing in our house, but the table settings and autumn leaves are seasonal, and the gourds stay from at least October through December.  Dang, I love gourds.

Sitting in the Solarium

How do you decorate for November?

Dehydrated Tomato Skins

After canning whole or crushed tomatoes, I am always left with a delightfully colorful bowl of tomato skins.

The first time, I dumped them straight into the worm composting bin.  Makes perfect sense... give the waste of the plant back to its soil in the form of nutrients.

The next time, I put them into the dehydrator overnight (squeeze out most of the juice first, into your canning jars), intending to use them later to flavor a broth, or to grind them and add 'em to a tomato soup.

Then, I popped one in my mouth.

I now regret feeding this dehydrated gold to the worms.  Instead of adding them to broth, I am just going to eat them like this.  They are seriously tart and tasty to nibble upon, if you want something that is practically a zero-calorie snack.  Kind of like fruit roll-ups, but crunchier and for grown-ups.

... Do they still make fruit roll-ups?