"Lately I've been buying beans. Not canned beans, mind you: Dry beans. Bags of dry beans that only cost 65 cents, beans that have to be soaked overnight, beans that you have to sort very carefully to make sure there aren't any chunks of gravel in there."
Click here to read the article.
Read the comments too, there are some great sounding recipes and ideas in there.
This is from the first comment and it sounds great, I think i'll try it out, it sounds very similar to a black bean soup that I already make.
BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CUMIN AND CILANTRO
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped jalapeños with seeds
2 cups dried black beans (about 13 ounces)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
8 cups (or more) vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeños; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in beans and spices. Add 8 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup with cilantro in blender. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate.)
Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock if necessary. Ladle into bowls. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.
I add a small can of tomato sauce for a little more depth of flavor. I also only puree half, and keep half chunky. Enjoy!
-- Kristina
Here are a couple more:
here is a super simple recipe, you will love.
Chop, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic.
Wash 1/2 cup rice (parboiled is healithier) and 1/2 cup red lentil, and keep soaked.
Heat oil in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Hot enough so the seeds POP. Add onin , garlic, fry, and brown, add 1/2 can tomato, or one whole chopped. Fry together. Add turmeric powder - optional.
Then add rice and lentil.
Chopped or frozen mixed veggies - optional.
Put in the microwave in a safe container, and cook for 30 minutes to 50. Check for softness, after 25 minutes. . water should be added as needed. at least 6 times the volume of rice and lentils.
Serve with potato chps and scrambled eggs with onions.
If using white rice, microwave lentils for 25 mnutes and then add to the fried stuff with rice. Microwave thenall together for 10 more minutes.
Enjoy! Even if you have money for takeaway.
-- pandora_mtl
find my whole culinary world opening up to me. Instead of eating the same 20 things over and over again, my frugal-ness has forced me to try new things.
Black Bean Soup
1 lb black beans (soaked and drained),1 med onion minced,2 medium carrots grated,1 med green pepper,1T Each:Cumin,Chili Powder,Adobo Chili sauce,1 bay leaf Salt and Pepper
In a big pot, covered with water or stock for a long time,
dash of dijon mustard at the end
Blend
Garnish
Cilantro
Lime
Sour Cream
Enjoy!
-- Notwhoyouthinkitis
Cheap and convenient
I can well afford to shop at Whole Foods and do, but I grew up in a family with not a lot of money, with a mother who could make wonderful meals out of not much. We baked bread, canned in the summer, grew a few vegetables. There were many meat-free meals, but I never thought much of it. The food was well-prepared and presented. I still relish fried cabbage and noodle dinners and fried pepper sandwiches. Now I refuse to pay for a "can of beans" when I can make my own more cheaply. I also have my mother's old cookbooks from the 30's which have traditional, Depression-economy recipes.
Here's one tip: cook a big pot of beans or lentils, put them in freezer storage bags and press the bags relatively flat, then lay stack of bags flat in freezer. After freezing, bags can be easily stored book-shelf fashion in the freezer. At any given time I have five or six kinds of beans in the freezer. The flattened bags thaw quickly. (Be sure to wash and reuse the bags.)
Here's a recipe for a satisfying, easy white bean soup.
Use a quart of your favorite (chicken, vegetable) broth
Use a blender to liquify 1 cup of cooked white beans
Add this to the broth along with a cup of unblended white beans
Heat this mixture to a slow simmer and then add chopped greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc.)
Simmer until the greens are wilted, but don't cooked them to death
Serve with fresh baked southern corn bread.
-- CyclingFool
2008-04-30
Ways to Recycle 10 Surprising Items
10 Things to Recycle That You Never Thought You Could
Here are some specific ways to recycle 10 surprising items:
1. Vintage doorknobs, radiators, windows and mantels.
2. Toothbrushes.
3. Foam packaging.
4. Sneakers.
5. Toys.
6. Wine corks.
7. Motor oil.
8.Formal dresses: "Charities like Chicago's Glass Slipper Project and New York City's Operation Fairy Dust accept donated gowns, shoes and purses to provide free prom wear to low-income teens." Wow, I had no idea this sort of thing existed, what a great idea!
9.Eyeglasses, frames and cases: "The Lions Club and Give the Gift of Sight Foundation collect used eyeglasses for needy people around the world. Donate your glasses at one of 17 Lions Clubs recycling centers, or at chains such as Pearle Vision Center, LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut."
10. Computers, cell phones and other e-waste.
Check out the website for more information.
Canada's Bag-a-Cork program will officially cease operations
effective June 30, 2008.
Here are some specific ways to recycle 10 surprising items:
1. Vintage doorknobs, radiators, windows and mantels.
2. Toothbrushes.
3. Foam packaging.
4. Sneakers.
5. Toys.
6. Wine corks.
7. Motor oil.
8.Formal dresses: "Charities like Chicago's Glass Slipper Project and New York City's Operation Fairy Dust accept donated gowns, shoes and purses to provide free prom wear to low-income teens." Wow, I had no idea this sort of thing existed, what a great idea!
9.Eyeglasses, frames and cases: "The Lions Club and Give the Gift of Sight Foundation collect used eyeglasses for needy people around the world. Donate your glasses at one of 17 Lions Clubs recycling centers, or at chains such as Pearle Vision Center, LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut."
10. Computers, cell phones and other e-waste.
Check out the website for more information.
Canada's Bag-a-Cork program will officially cease operations
effective June 30, 2008.
2008-04-17
One Way to Stretch the Life of Guitar or Bass Strings
For the impoverished musician (is there any other kind?) a great way to stretch the life of guitar or bass strings, especially bass, is to boil them in half and half water and vinegar.
When they are starting to get too dull sounding remove them from the instrument ensuring that they do not become twisted or bent in the process.
Wind the set into a ring, if you like you can mark them with elastics or twist ties to tell them apart, but if you are careful to compare them when you are putting them back onto the instrument you should have no trouble determining which is which. Wind the ends of the stings (not too tightly, just enough to hold the set together around themselves so the ring will remain intact.
Place enough water and vinegar (equal portions) to just cover the strings and then some in an old pot, whatever you do, DO NOT use your wife’s good cookware, you can scratch or damage the metal finish and will not live to tell the tale. Set stove on high.
Place strings in the water solution, keep some metal tongs close by to move them and eventually remove them from the boiling water.
Once the water solution has boiled, let the strings boil for about seven minutes, turning at least once to make sure the whole sting gets cleaned. Remove the strings from the boiling water directly to a cool water rinse under the tap. Let cool, dry, replace on the instrument, against ensuring you do not add any excess bends or twists as they will impair the sound of the string and it will not last as long.
Bass strings respond especially well to this treatment as they are much larger and have larger windings to catch dirt and corrosion, and the process actual seems to revive some of the flexibility. This is also good news since bass strings are so expensive compared to guitar strings.
Finally, this will work on strings of almost any age but works best on ones that have just started to get old. This can also be repeated once or twice to stretch the life of your stings even further, though eventually they will simply need replacing.
When they are starting to get too dull sounding remove them from the instrument ensuring that they do not become twisted or bent in the process.
Wind the set into a ring, if you like you can mark them with elastics or twist ties to tell them apart, but if you are careful to compare them when you are putting them back onto the instrument you should have no trouble determining which is which. Wind the ends of the stings (not too tightly, just enough to hold the set together around themselves so the ring will remain intact.
Place enough water and vinegar (equal portions) to just cover the strings and then some in an old pot, whatever you do, DO NOT use your wife’s good cookware, you can scratch or damage the metal finish and will not live to tell the tale. Set stove on high.
Place strings in the water solution, keep some metal tongs close by to move them and eventually remove them from the boiling water.
Once the water solution has boiled, let the strings boil for about seven minutes, turning at least once to make sure the whole sting gets cleaned. Remove the strings from the boiling water directly to a cool water rinse under the tap. Let cool, dry, replace on the instrument, against ensuring you do not add any excess bends or twists as they will impair the sound of the string and it will not last as long.
Bass strings respond especially well to this treatment as they are much larger and have larger windings to catch dirt and corrosion, and the process actual seems to revive some of the flexibility. This is also good news since bass strings are so expensive compared to guitar strings.
Finally, this will work on strings of almost any age but works best on ones that have just started to get old. This can also be repeated once or twice to stretch the life of your stings even further, though eventually they will simply need replacing.
2008-04-16
April 19 is National Hanging Out Day
Project Laundry List:
"Hanging Out" is Time Well Spent
"Believe it or not, use of the solar dryer has actually been severely restricted or even outright banned in some areas. ‘Right to Dry’ legislation just went up for review in New Hampshire and failed to pass. Connecticut’s version of the bill will be voted on soon and in Ontario a rule-making process is underway to solicit public comment about how to change the laws."
"The state of California is especially notorious for its ban on the clothesline; nearly all 35,000 homeowners’ associations have rules against the solar dryer. Don’t let this stop you from getting involved. Try to find ways to work with your community association to get the rules changed. In Geneva, Switzerland, a resident hung a clothesline that said ‘this is not a clothesline’ after the police told her they would be fined if she continued to air dry her clothing."
This is so shocking, California of all places. They have the best weather for line-drying.
Plus, clothing dried on racks or on clotheslines will last much longer than clothing dried in an electric dryer.
Why do we complicate our lives?
"Take laundry for example. I did 3 loads of laundry today. Instead of putting each load into the dryer only to have to rush to take it out to make room for the new one in 1.5 hours I hung it on the clothesline. Today that includes about 40 pairs of socks :) If I used my dryer, I would have had to rush, in about 4 hours time to fold and put 3 loads of laundry away. Instead I started at about 7:30 this morning and by noon all my clothes will be hung. During this time I also went out for breakfast with my hubby and am writing this blog. No rush, no stress. And if I don't get to pulling my clothes in this evening they'll be there, wrinkle free waiting for me in the morning. Try doing that with a dryer!"
Are you thinking about this issue now, wondering where you can hang a clothesline in your home?
Do you have a basement area? Set up a clothesline and/or some drying racks.
Use any space you can think of, I have some clotheslines set up in my bathroom. If you have a balcony you may be able to set something up there.
Set up an umbrella-style clothesline in your backyard, if you have limited space. My parent's have this style, the clothesline 'rope' doesn't get a bit stretched out over time and I've noticed that most people don't realize that they can just pull it through and re-tie it to tighten it.
"Hanging Out" is Time Well Spent
"Believe it or not, use of the solar dryer has actually been severely restricted or even outright banned in some areas. ‘Right to Dry’ legislation just went up for review in New Hampshire and failed to pass. Connecticut’s version of the bill will be voted on soon and in Ontario a rule-making process is underway to solicit public comment about how to change the laws."
"The state of California is especially notorious for its ban on the clothesline; nearly all 35,000 homeowners’ associations have rules against the solar dryer. Don’t let this stop you from getting involved. Try to find ways to work with your community association to get the rules changed. In Geneva, Switzerland, a resident hung a clothesline that said ‘this is not a clothesline’ after the police told her they would be fined if she continued to air dry her clothing."
This is so shocking, California of all places. They have the best weather for line-drying.
Plus, clothing dried on racks or on clotheslines will last much longer than clothing dried in an electric dryer.
Why do we complicate our lives?
"Take laundry for example. I did 3 loads of laundry today. Instead of putting each load into the dryer only to have to rush to take it out to make room for the new one in 1.5 hours I hung it on the clothesline. Today that includes about 40 pairs of socks :) If I used my dryer, I would have had to rush, in about 4 hours time to fold and put 3 loads of laundry away. Instead I started at about 7:30 this morning and by noon all my clothes will be hung. During this time I also went out for breakfast with my hubby and am writing this blog. No rush, no stress. And if I don't get to pulling my clothes in this evening they'll be there, wrinkle free waiting for me in the morning. Try doing that with a dryer!"
Are you thinking about this issue now, wondering where you can hang a clothesline in your home?
Do you have a basement area? Set up a clothesline and/or some drying racks.
Use any space you can think of, I have some clotheslines set up in my bathroom. If you have a balcony you may be able to set something up there.
Set up an umbrella-style clothesline in your backyard, if you have limited space. My parent's have this style, the clothesline 'rope' doesn't get a bit stretched out over time and I've noticed that most people don't realize that they can just pull it through and re-tie it to tighten it.
Can I Freeze That?
How to Freeze Eggs, Milk and Other Unexpected Foods
Has a good sale or harvest left you with more food than you can use now? No need to let it go to waste. Here are instructions for freezing some foods you may have never thought of freezing:
Bananas
Freeze in peel. Then, simply thaw and peel to use in smoothies and breads. Note: the peel will turn black, but that won't effect the quality of the banana at all.
Celery
Wash and chop to desired size. Then, flash freeze on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag or another air-tight container. To use: add the frozen celery directly to soups or other heated dishes.
Tomatoes
Wash thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen.
Fresh Herbs
Chop finely. Then, place in an ice cube tray along with a small amount of water. To use: simply drop frozen cubes directly into heated dishes.
Clever Uses for Ice Cube Trays
Has a good sale or harvest left you with more food than you can use now? No need to let it go to waste. Here are instructions for freezing some foods you may have never thought of freezing:
Bananas
Freeze in peel. Then, simply thaw and peel to use in smoothies and breads. Note: the peel will turn black, but that won't effect the quality of the banana at all.
Celery
Wash and chop to desired size. Then, flash freeze on a tray, and transfer to a freezer bag or another air-tight container. To use: add the frozen celery directly to soups or other heated dishes.
Tomatoes
Wash thoroughly. Then, freeze whole and unpeeled on a tray. Transfer to freezer bags once fully frozen.
Fresh Herbs
Chop finely. Then, place in an ice cube tray along with a small amount of water. To use: simply drop frozen cubes directly into heated dishes.
Clever Uses for Ice Cube Trays
2008-04-08
Grocery Shopping Tips
Shop at No Frills or Food Basics (or similar).
-Instead of paying for bags, take your own or use the cardboard boxes they often have.
-Walk to the store, you save on gas and you are less likely to end up buying too much.
-No Frills and other Loblaws stores will give you 50 points for each re-usable bag (or Loblaws plastic bin) you bring in and use for your groceries, when you use your PC banking card or PC Mastercard.
-Often private label products are a better deal over name brands.
-Make a shopping list and stick to it.
-Don't shop when hungry, or you will likely end up with a bunch of junk food in your shopping cart.
-Instead of paying for bags, take your own or use the cardboard boxes they often have.
-Walk to the store, you save on gas and you are less likely to end up buying too much.
-No Frills and other Loblaws stores will give you 50 points for each re-usable bag (or Loblaws plastic bin) you bring in and use for your groceries, when you use your PC banking card or PC Mastercard.
-Often private label products are a better deal over name brands.
-Make a shopping list and stick to it.
-Don't shop when hungry, or you will likely end up with a bunch of junk food in your shopping cart.
2008-04-07
Waldorf Salad
2 carrots, peeled
1 apple, peeled and diced
3 tbsp golden raisins
2 tbsp walnuts
2 tbsp Vegenaise
1 tbsp red onion, diced (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Grate carrots into a bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.
Store leftovers in the fridge.
2008-04-04
Amish Yumazuti
recipe link
1 cup TVP granules, re-hydrated with vegetarian beef bouillon (see notes)
1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
2 (28 ounce) cans stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
1 can condensed cream of celery (or mushroom) soup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place noodles in a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Cook onion, celery and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, adding the TVP for a few minutes near the end.
Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish. Cover them with half of the meat mixture, then half of the tomatoes. Spoon half of the cream of celery soup over the tomatoes, then sprinkle half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese on the top.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes to set before serving.
Notes:
1 cup of TVP, re-hydrated with 1 cup of boiling water = 1 pound ground beef.
Let sit for about 10 minutes before adding to a recipe.
1 cup TVP granules, re-hydrated with vegetarian beef bouillon (see notes)
1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
2 (28 ounce) cans stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles
1 can condensed cream of celery (or mushroom) soup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place noodles in a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Cook onion, celery and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, adding the TVP for a few minutes near the end.
Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish. Cover them with half of the meat mixture, then half of the tomatoes. Spoon half of the cream of celery soup over the tomatoes, then sprinkle half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese on the top.
Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes to set before serving.
Notes:
1 cup of TVP, re-hydrated with 1 cup of boiling water = 1 pound ground beef.
Let sit for about 10 minutes before adding to a recipe.
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