Notes From The Frugal Trenches - A Downshifting Journey » Frugal Food

Simple, Green & Frugal Meals

Frugal Trenches — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 06:00:25 +0000

I mentioned sometime last week that I was really trying to pull the reigns in and eat more healthily. While I was a committed vegan and then vegetarian in the past, with my recent PCOS flare up, I had no choice but to eat meat again. It was a horrible thing for me to admit to myself, but the results speak for themselves. So while I can’t be a veggie right now, what I can do is commit to only eating meat which is ethically sourced aka organic. Eventually, when the rural homesteading life finally happens, I’ll probably purchase a share in a local cow, but for now I’m trying to find a happy medium to keep myself healthy, not put pesticides and chemicals into my body {a big reason to go organic with meat & dairy – especially when you have children, also organic is more carbon friendly}, while also respecting the animals and valuing their lives as deserving of far more than squalid conditions and a cruel death. All that is to say, you will see a bit of meat here…

Breakfast

Walnut bread with organic peanut butter & radishes {yes, I’m weird!}, organic strawberries and a couple of slices of dried apple! Vitamins too!

Lunch was a puree sweet potato, edameme, rocket salad {organic rocket,walnuts, dried cranberries, spring onions, sunflower seeds & goat cheese} and an apple on the side!

Dinner - a small organic medallion steak with 1/2 a potato in a tahini sauce, grilled organic local zucchini (courgettes), 1/3rd a fresh organic local tomato and a small rocket & watercress salad. Followed by some blueberries {not pictured!}.

And of course no meal would be complete without my trusty sidekick!

I just counted the cost of these three meals and it came to $4 about £2.50 for the day! More importantly, the meals didn’t go against my principles, while keeping me healthy and barely taking more than 10 minutes in the kitchen to make! Frugal. Green. Simple. My kind of food

What are you eating right now?

What Are Your Financial Expectations?

Frugal Trenches — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:00:18 +0000

One of the things I disliked about my happy childhood here was the sameness & apathy I grew up around. Everyone in my circle was upper-middle class, decent size houses, good education, constant talk about retirement and “not being able to afford” something, but a lot of buying, vacations and stuff. Pretty much 99% of the people I know fit into this same category and I often hear friends and colleagues say they can’t afford to adopt, work part-time or give to charity, yet they spend their weekends shopping, eating out, buying books, golfing and every few years they are upsizing to bigger houses and cars. I try to not let it bother me & see it in perspective - for them life is about comfort, being able to afford what they want {new clothes, eating out, weekends away, new books, golfing, hobbies etc}, even if they pretend it isn’t. Recently I thought a lot about what financial expectations people have in life, when I happened across someone sharing some wise words which put everything in perspective. The woman was a married mother of eight, five of whom were adopted. She shared that they feel blessed her husband’s paycheck covers their mortgage, basic bills & needed groceries each month, even if beyond that they live paycheck to paycheck and after the aforementioned expenses they have $100 a month left over which they decide on what to use it on as a family – one month it might be swimming, another month a trip to a fair. Then she said they’ve always felt exceptionally blessed that they have four months salary saved just in case. WOW! There they were, mid 40′s, thankful that they had four months salary saved just incase their family of 10 fell on hard times and there are people in my circle with, probably 5-10x that in their savings, smaller mortgages and they complain that they can’t afford things and aren’t willing to go without even a weekly Starbucks in order to help others.

This tiny encounter made me think a lot about my own financial expectations. The reality is I do “need” to build some emergency savings because if I lost my job we’d be homeless and that certainly isn’t good. But it made me also very aware and thankful that my financial goals aren’t related to storing up treasures here on earth and given the choice I’d rather have the blessing of eight children and four months income saved, then $50K in the bank, multiple houses and weekly meals out.

Speaking of treasures, look to the right of this post. Isn’t Landon a beautiful treasure?

What are your financial expectations? Have they changed over time? Do they include material treasures or eternal treasures?

Food – Separating The Need From The Want

Frugal Trenches — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:00:40 +0000

For some reason, right after I posted my budget plan for the month, I found myself perusing recipe sights. Within ten minutes I was drooling over apple bread, alternative carbonara, cheesy pasta and chocolate smoothies. Yes, drooling is the right word. I had a look at my paltry budget and selfishly I thought but, I need food! I even planned going out and buying just a couple of ingredients to make some of my wants, basically because that chocolate smoothie sounded oh so good! As my mind began to think about all the things I could make it hit me, these are wants not needs.

Twenty minutes later I walked into my kitchen and saw dishes from dinner, I opened the fridge door and saw corn, eggplant, broccoli, salad, cranberry juice, potatoes, a favourite soup, lentil dahl, honey and cheese. I looked in the freezer and my eyes landed on black bean soup, mozzarella sticks and fish. And in the cupboards there was oatmeal, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, lentils, cous cous and rice. And while I may not have the ingredients for apple bread or cheesy pasta, I have just what I need to make a favourite, granola!

So the drooling was a good reminder - wants can masquerade as needs if we aren’t careful. We may need food, but that doesn’t mean we need what we fancy in the moment, or ingredients which are not in this week’s budget. No doubt I’ll make the same mistake many more times, but I hope one day it sinks in !

And I can’t let today go by without thanking everyone for sharing their opinion about the tv! I was shocked & surprised by the results. I think I’ve made a decision (although I welcome any other opinions/ideas) and will post once I’m certain – probably next week !

Financial Goals

Frugal Trenches — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:00:44 +0000

Lately I think I’ve been so focused on living in the now, understandably so, that I’ve forgotten to have a semi-plan for the long-term. I was thinking about what my financial needs & goals are over the coming 12-18 months and thought I better write them down to help keep myself accountable and make it easier to remember why it is important to say no!

Financial Goals

Pay off all debt – done June 2011 {debt from moving here and no income for several months!}
Sponsor a cot at Butterfly Children’s Hospices aka ChinaKidz – done, June 2011 the day I paid off my debt!
Purchase {or be gifted, ha!} a pull out couch
Purchase {or be gifted, double ha!} a frame for a single bed – I have the mattress but it either needs a box or a frame!
Save $1000 into a mini-emergency fund for cavities, medications, new shoes or any little needs that arise!
Save $1500 to supplement time off
Save 6 months of income into an emergency fund
Begin contributing to my retirement fund again - however small (I haven’t contributed in about two years!)
Save $10,000 for possible challenge #2 fees

It’s interesting, when I add up the total amount I need to save, it seems absolutely impossible, but when I break it up into tiny baby steps it seems like a piece of cake – well, not quite a piece of cake ;)

What are your short and long-term financial goals?

July Budget

Frugal Trenches — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 06:00:02 +0000

I mentioned yesterday that one of my goals for the month was to blog about my budget. When I blog about my monthly financial goals, I hope it helps me say no to non-essentials and keeps me motivated to continue on this path!

My budget for this month is lean but I feel like I need to pull the reigns in a tad and get used to a reduced budget. So for July, my goals are:

Food $100/£60
Pets $70/£40
Entertainment $25/£15
Incidentals $30/£20 {I need to post a few things!}
Commuting Costs $80/£45

I also have a few important “possible challenge” trips, but I’ll be using air miles as much as possible, although honestly it feels like no matter how careful I am, I’m draining money!

What are your financial goals for July?

Wicked Thai Soup Recipe

Frugal Trenches — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:00:25 +0000

Ingredients – adapted from Taste of Home

2-3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup very finely chopped onion
1/2 very finely red pepper diced
1 1/2 cups finely sliced mushroom (I omit due to allergy)
4 cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts cut into small dice
3 1/2 tbsp Lemon Grass herb paste
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp. red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp. chili paste
2 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 cups cooked rice

Directions

Put pan on medium heat and add oil. When hot, add onion and pepper – saute just until beginning to soften. Add broth and chicken; heat through. Add lemon grass paste, fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Add milk, turn heat to low, then cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup of hot soup to small bowl. Add curry paste, chili paste, tomato paste and cornstarch and mix until incorporated. Add back into soup. Stir until combined into soup and heat until soup thickens very slightly and has a velvety appearance. Add rice, cover and simmer until rice is cooked. Pour soup into bowls and garnish with feta cheese, quinoa, olives, red onions (whatever takes your fancy!). Serve with more chili paste for those who prefer a kick, also works well if you are using it to soothe allergies/a cold. Serves 8

An Important Financial Lesson

Frugal Trenches — Tue, 17 May 2011 06:00:59 +0000

I made a mistake this week when I did my weekly shop and I thought I’d share it to show I really don’t have it all together when it comes to the frugal life, but the good thing is I learned an important lesson and hope never to make the same mistake again!

Recently one of the shops I sometimes do a weekly shop in was taken over, I phoned ahead and was told the prices were still the same, they simply had a new manager, new name and more selection. It sounded great! I wrote my basic list with a few menu ideas and after a very long week with my new routine I set off after a day at the park. Within a few minutes of arriving I could see that the shop was actually changed completely, prices were significantly higher (avocados were previously priced at $0.88 each and were now $2 each) furthermore instead of cheaper, local produce the aisles were full of pre-cut, pre-made higher end products. What I should have done was leave but instead I was so tired and worried about when I’d fit a grocery shop in, that I stayed. BIG MISTAKE. Not only did I not enjoy the shop, but I spent more than I needed to on groceries, didn’t get everything I needed and have since felt a lot of regret! What I should have done was put everything back from my trolley and start again at another shop. This week I’ve paid for my laziness and as I learned an important lesson to always listen to myself when I’m not feeling at peace. The good thing is I’ve found a way to make up for the extra spending, by eating from the pantry next week, which means I’m feeling a lot better! Lesson learned!

Have you learned any financial lessons recently?

Menu Plan Monday

Frugal Trenches — Mon, 16 May 2011 06:00:25 +0000

Last week I was more organized in the kitchen than I’ve been in months, in fact probably since the big move 9 months ago. The success was (I think) due to very specific goals, as well as a new schedule which leaves very little room for disorganization, also having the money visibly in jars & a strict budget and of course some creative breakfasts thrown in help too! So this week I have plans to stick to the healthy eating plan!

I’m going to start with a list of things to do/make:

Buzz Bars – oatmeal, pumpkin & sunflower seed vegan bars {freeze}
Bran apple, raisin muffins {freeze}
Sweet potato & lentil soup
Broccoli sunflower seed salad

Breakfasts

Muffin, piece of fruit, green tea x 3
Baked beans, blackberries, almonds x 2 {creativity or what?! lol}
Blueberry smoothie with flax & a buzz bar x 2

Lunches

Soup, cut up fruit & veggies x 3
A huge salad {mixed lettuce, red cabbage, sunflower seeds, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, flax seeds, beets, blackberries} with sweet potato fries dipped in tahini
Broccoli sunflower seed salad, leftovers, fruit
Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Roasted beets with roast garlic, mashed potato, gingered snowpeas
Vegetarian donburi bowls with tahini & sliced avocado
Jacket (baked) potato bar with salad {mixed leaves, avocado, red cabbage, grated carrots, sunflower seeds, almonds, dried cranberries} and minted peas
Vegan pizza with salad & grilled zucchini x 2
Watercress salad with roasted sweet potatoes & homemade spinach turnovers x2

My other goals for the week are to survive, get enough sleep and look forward to a long weekend and a shorter week next week! Of course I will still be working towards the list!

Next week (May 23rd) I’m giving myself a challenge. I’m going to be eating from the pantry & freezer all week except for spending $10 on salad & fresh fruit. My plan is to make a lot of Indian food & black bean dishes. Anyone care to join me? It’s a great way to be creative and eat within budget!

What are you eating this week? Do you have any good plans?

Frugal Friday

Frugal Trenches — Fri, 13 May 2011 06:00:15 +0000

Every corner you turn there are shops/restaurants/cafes/pharmacies/chemists, all of who sell food. Purchasing food has become so easy, no longer do we need to bake muffins, make sandwiches or fry our own chips. If we run out of bread, no problem just pop along and get an already made sandwich. If we forgot to pack a lunch we can buy anything under the sun – pasta salads, soup, hummus with bread sticks and the like. Food is so convenient that we are spending much more on food than we need to! So my frugal tip for this week is, when it comes to food, be creative.

If you’re running out of breakfast food, then eat something else for breakfast – this morning I had cut up peppers dipped in pesto, almonds & blackberries. Healthy and frugal. Years ago I would have gone out and popped into any of the shops on the way to work & purchased a muffin.
If you don’t have many dinner foods left, or are short on time, make breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, cut up fruit and some nuts or seeds on the side make a pretty good dinner in a pinch, so does scrambled egg on toast.
Don’t think you need to cook a meal each evening – have sandwich night, leftover night, jacked potato (aka baked potato) salad bar night, or even just beans on toast with cut up fruit on the side.
Make dinner something funny or something to look forward to. I have a friend who watches the Apprentice, she makes Apprentice soup one night a week. The title alone makes them excited about dinner
Start a salad club at work – once or twice a week everyone brings 1 item and a massive salad is made and shared between everyone.
Begin a coffee club at work – charge a small monthly fee and buy higher end coffee that you would normally stop and get on your way to work. Spending $3 a month on a kitty is a lot more frugal than spending $3 a day!
When friends or family suggest going out to eat, suggest a pot luck instead – spending $5 on an item is a lot more reasonable than spending 5 or 6x that on a quick meal out plus tax & tip!
Make a smoothie for breakfast!
Combine foods you may not normally find combined. When I make macaroni & cheese I add broccoli & peas which means I eat less startch, get more essential vitamins and the meal stretches further.
Cook food from different countries, chinese food is very easy to make & frugal too!
Keep a few favourite recipes which you can make in less than 20 minutes written on the fridge, or even by the phone. It may prevent you from making that call to the take away!
Find deals that are good and use those days as your days off from cooking. A local, fabulous restaurant near me does a cheap pizza night. For $6.99 you get a large pizza which you can combine with a homemade salad for an easy, frugal supper, with leftovers to boot!
Figure out where you “go wrong” and make a plan that works for you. I know I usually lose the will to cook & clean by Thursday! So having an easier meal on Thurs means I stop myself from going out to eat. Tonight I had falafel with a salad and grilled zucchini (courgette). Total cooking time 12 minutes.

There are so many creative ways in the kitchen which save you money!

Do you have any tips to share?

Things Happening At My House Thursday

Frugal Trenches — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:33:59 +0000

Bullet Style…

If anyone had told me moving my routine up (as in earlier) by 30-40 minutes in the morning would be as challenging & tiring as this, I wouldn’t have believed them!
Because of the new routine I’m staying much more on top of things and flying through my to do list and my place is definitely 5 minutes from ready (apart from the guest room!). I have no clue why with less time that’s the case, because I didn’t think I particularly had a lot of time before! lol
I am loooving the weather – early to mid 60′s which is just perfect for me!
I am so so hoping the cherry blossoms last until this weekend, typically here they only bloom for 5 days but the “cherry blossom experts” believe they may last a week this year!
The budget is going really well! I love those jars because they just make it so so easy to visibly keep an eye on your mone, which psychologically makes me stop in my tracks and really really focus on needs vs. wants!
I have made a few changes to my menu planning, namely not really menu planning for lunch except keeping cut up veggies & fruit in the fridge, as well as a big bowl of soup. Basically just taking a mix of those items each day is so much easier time wise and budget wise, then planning. Yes it’s simple and long term I may want to change it up, but I’ve probably shed at least another 5% or so off the budget, which works for me!
I’m a little bit in love (all over again) with Neil Young’s Harvest Moon (and I may want to be dancing to harvest moon in a little place just like you see in the video!). Neil & Fleetwood Foxes (a band I adore) were in Toronto for two concerts this week but sadly I found out too late and I’m 99% sure my budget wouldn’t stretch that far!
I hope to set a password this weekend and email everyone!

What’s happening at your house this week?