Budget Eating: DIY home grown PICKLES

As some of you may already know, I have been growing cucumbers in my victory garden this year. A few weeks ago, I finally had enough growing and ready to be harvested that I was able to try my hand at making pickles for this year. Now, I am not a huge fan of pickles but I do like dill pickles and so does my boyfriend. I had also never made pickles before so I had to do some research first.

What I learned is that you can use either fresh or dried dill, which is what I happened to have on hand. I also read that you should use apple cider or white vinegar, and you can’t use regular table salt in the brine. It has to be kosher or pickling salt. So I picked all that up, along with a few other things, and got to slicing up my cucumbers. I decided to cut mine into circles, which made sense to me because I plan on using theses in sandwiches and on burgers.

Once I had all my cucumbers washed and sliced, I began preparing my brine. I didn’t use a specific recipe; rather, I ended up combining a few according to what I had and what I recall my mom doing as a kid. I used a 1:4 ratio of vinegar to water, with a tablespoon of sugar and 3 tablespoons of pickling salt. I brought that mixture to a boil and then let it cool in the fridge. Then I added 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic, along with 2-3 tablespoons of dried dill weed and a pinch of pepper to my jars. I used recycled glass jars for this, ones that I’ve been saving from pasta sauces and whatever else over the past year.

Then I stacked in my cucumber slices, making sure to get as many in as possible. I had probably 2 1/2 pounds of cucumbers, which filled 6 big jars. It is important to stack your slices in tightly, so when you add the brine they don’t float to the top and out of the liquid. Then I filled the jars up with the brine and put them all in the fridge, closing the lids tightly. Then I said a prayer that this would work.

They’ve now been in the fridge for not quite two weeks and I check them daily for mold or other spoilage. So far, so good! One thing I noticed in my research is that the pickles need to sit for a little while before you can enjoy them. I know I didn’t cut all the circles evenly, so next time I’ll be sure to do that so they all pickle evenly. That’s not a sentence I thought I’d ever say, but here we are! It was also quite interesting to see how each cucumber was different in shape and size; organic foods are so different than what you can get in the supermarket.

Have you made homegrown pickles before? If so, do you have any tips?

My foolproof banana bread recipe

I love baking and I hate wasting food. I often overestimate how many bananas I can eat in a week. I love putting them in smoothies, which they don’t have to be perfectly ripe for, but when they start to go brown and mushy, I have to find something else to do with them. Banana bread is the perfect solution, and my recipe is foolproof!

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You will need:

• 2 Cups of flour (any type will do)
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 2 mashed bananas
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of butter/vegetable oil/margerine/coconut oil

Materials:

• A whisk
• A potato masher
• A mixing bowl and several smaller bowls for measuring
• A greased 8×8 inch pan
• A spatula

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F. Melt the butter or oil. I like to whisk my egg separately in a small dish.
2. Mash the bananas. I like to peel them, chop them roughly, then use a potato masher to get them nice and mashed. It is okay if there are a few chunks.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together in the big moving bowl. Whisk together, then add in the egg, banana, and lastly the melted butter. I like to add this last so the hot butter doesn’t begin to cook the egg.
4. I prefer to use a whisk to get all the ingredients combined, then use the spatula to scrape the edges. Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan, then pop in the oven for 45 minutes. It should look risen and golden brown on top, and slightly firm if you touch it.
5. Allow the bread to cool, then tip it out and cut in into pieces. I like to wrap them up individually to take for a quick breakfast on the go or for a healthy dessert option in my lunch.

I like trying to use as much as I can of fruits and vegetables, so this recipe is perfect. You can add nuts or chocolate pieces if you want, but I love this recipe because you can make it with just the basics.

Leftover Makeovers

Leftovers are the best.

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When I cook, I always make extra for a busy day. When I come home after a crazy day I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time making food. I just want to heat something up and enjoy it.

No one wants to eat leftovers that have been sitting in the fridge for two weeks. Eat your leftovers quickly! Don’t let them grow fuzzy. Put them towards the front of your fridge, or have a special shelf just for leftovers so you don’t forget about them.

While leftovers are amazing, sometimes I don’t want to eat the same thing I had for dinner last night. That means it’s time for a makeover!

I have a few tips for turning leftovers into something you’ll want to eat.

• Add cheese.
  • Adding some feta cheese or mozzarella crumbles to a pasta or chicken dish really elevates it to another level.

    

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  • I also like to add freshly shredded cheddar cheese to a simple vegetable or bean based soup for a creamier, melty texture.
• Pair with another dish.
  • Cook something simple, like pasta, and use it as a new side for leftover chicken or shrimp. Or grill some sausages and add slices to a soup.
• Make it into a salad.

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    If you have leftover roasted or steamed vegetables, rice or quinoa, or leftover baked or grilled chicken, chop those up and toss into a salad. I like using a mix of leafy greens, like baby spinach, kale, and lettuce, then drizzling a light dressing over the top. Croutons or parmesan shavings complete the transformation. This is the perfect way to make a light and healthy dinner with minimal effort.

• Use leftovers in a stir fry.
  • I am not a big fan of fried rice but I really enjoy stir fry. You can make rice or cook some rice or soba noodles quickly enough while you toss the other ingredients together. Having leftover protein and vegetables makes this super easy and fast to throw together, and it looks like you put in more effort than you actually did. I use a simple sauce made with soy sauce, a little bit of chili flakes, brown sugar, and seasoning salt to pour over and bring everything together.

Cooking enough of a dish for leftovers is also a lazy way to meal prep.

I look at my schedule for the week ahead of time so I know which nights I need to prepare extra food so I don’t have to cook on a busy week night.

Budget Eating – Egg-cellent Ideas!

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Eggs are a good source of healthy fats and protein, and are pretty inexpensive. While you may think of them as just a breakfast food or only good for baking, eggs are really great any time of the day.

What I love most about eggs, beyond their deliciousness and cheapness, is how versatile they are!

Here are three quick and super easy ways I incorporate eggs into my diet:

1. Scrambled
   • I did say eggs aren’t just a breakfast food, because honestly, I eat scrambled eggs for dinner when I’m feeling super lazy. I use butter instead of oil to lubricate the pan, which is the only unhealthy part to my recipe. While the butter melts, I crack, season,  and whisk two eggs in a separate bowl before adding them in. If I want to get fancy, I will add chopped bell peppers, wilted spinach, or mushrooms in when the eggs are halfway through cooking. Once combined, I mix it all together in kind of a figure eight motion to ensure everything cooks with a rubber spatula. And oh my goodness, they are so yummy! My dad always asks me to make the scrambled eggs when we have family get-togethers. (FYI, you should always cook eggs on a medium-low setting.)
2. Hard boiled
   • For a long time, I really didn’t like hard boiled eggs. Then I realized I hadn’t had soft hard boiled eggs. That chalky yolk? Ew! I prefer my hard boiled eggs to be a little softer, so I only boil them for about 8-10 minutes, before taking them out and running them in a colander under cold water. Honestly, peeling the eggs is the worst part. I like to make a lot of hard boiled eggs over the weekend so I have them for lunches throughout the week, although you should eat them within 5 days.
   • Hard boiled eggs are great on their own with some seasoning salt, but I also love them in salads. Sliced up over a bed of greens and veggies – so yummy and really filling.
3. Fried 
   • Okay, this doesn’t sound so healthy, but it really depends on how you cook it. Fried eggs can be healthy depending on how you cook them. I like to make mine in a small pan, with a little bit of olive or coconut oil to keep it from sticking. Then I crack in my egg, wait for it to start to cook (you can tell when the egg white goes from translucent to solid), then I add some water and cover it so the egg steams and cooks all the way through. I think this is the healthiest way to fry an egg, and there are so many ways you can use these. I like mine on a sandwich, with some cheese and maybe avocado, or over some ramen to add nutrition. Fried eggs, while sounding unhealthy, can be a source of healthy fats if you cook it right.

Basically, I love eggs and you should too!

We go through a carton of 12 a week, easily, in my house. After tax, it costs less than $2, which makes eggs one of the best sources of cheap protein you can get.

The Power of Quinoa – The Easiest Recipe Swap Ever

I am crazy about quinoa. You know, the superfood everyone has been talking about in recent years?

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I usually am a little skeptical about superfoods. They can be expensive, if I can find them at all at my local grocery store. The cultures that incorporate these superfoods into their diets have been using them for millennia, so people were already aware of their benefits.

But quinoa is everything it’s cracked up to be. It is far more nutritious than rice, even brown rice, packing in more fiber, protein and healthy fats to each yummy little grain. Even if you struggle with pronouncing quinoa (keen-wah) you can still make some easy recipe swaps with it.

Quinoa is literally a food superhero. (There is even research being done on growing it in outer space!) One of those lauded ancient grains, there are so many great recipes out there that use quinoa. My personal favorite way to incorporate quinoa into my diet is to substitute it for rice, pasta and any other grains that have less nutritional value.

In addition to all of it’s benefits, quinoa is incredibly easy to make. Treat it like rice:

• A cup of uncooked quinoa needs two cups of water.
• I always salt mine with a seasoning salt, but you can also cook quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth for flavor.
• Add the quinoa, water and seasoning to a small pot. I usually cook between one and two cups at a time, which gives me a a little less than a week’s work of quinoa.
• Cook on medium heat on a stove, if you don’t have a rice cooker like me, for about 20 minutes. The quinoa will absorb the water and plump up quite a bit. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
• You shouldn’t need to drain your quinoa. When it’s finished cooking, turn the heat off and stir it through, and any excess water will evaporate or be absorbed.

That’s pretty much it! You can add it to literally anything.

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Quinoa swaps & add-in ideas

• Add some to a fresh salad or veggie bowl for extra plant-based protein. I find that it isn’t particularly noticeable in taste or texture but a little goes a long way.
• Any dish you would make with rice, go half and half with quinoa or swap it out entirely. Chicken and rice becomes chicken and quinoa! I love to have a side of seasoned quinoa with fish like salmon or cod.
• Quinoa and black bean tacos! I love this combo so much, especially with some salsa and avocado.
• Sticking with a Tex-Mex vibe, adding quinoa to burritos and burrito bowls is also delicious.
• I’m a big fan of stews over soups, because they are chunkier in texture so you really taste everything. Homemade stew is so easy in a crockpot and makes your house smell so good.
  • I like to add my cooked quinoa in at the very end to a stew to bulk it up and add more nutrition.
  • Some ideas include: Chicken stew, tomato soup, vegetable and lentil stew, minestrone.
  • Do be warned that adding in a grain or pasta to soups and stews will absorb some of the stock, so keep some extra stock on hand if you like juicy soups.
• This may sound weird, but a dish I really love that is quick, easy and healthy to use up my weekly quinoa supply is to steam fresh and frozen veggies like peas, bell peppers and onion and mix those together with quinoa. With a little extra dash of seasoning, you can create an amazing side dish or main simply.

Since quinoa is so versatile, depending on the seasoning you use and how you pair it, you can create awesome food with an extra bump in nutrition. Quinoa can typically be found in the rice aisle of a grocery store. It also available to buy in bulk from some grocery stores and Costco. Depending on where you live, the price will vary.

As this is about healthy and budget-friendly eating, I think it is worth it to pay a little bit more for the extra nutritional value. An alternative, if quinoa doesn’t work for you, is brown rice. Brown rice is a whole grain, opposed to white rice, and it still has the outer fibrous layer called bran. While not quite as nutrient-rich as quinoa, you can still use it in all of the ways I’ve listed here.

And the fun doesn’t stop with my ideas! Get creative, make the food yours. A good recipe is all about imagination; if you have any tips or tricks you think I should know, leave a comment so we can all share in the quinoa inspiration.

 

 

My journey to clean eating on a budget

I love chips. I love french fries, I love cheese, I love a loaf of freshly backed bread, I love noodles, chocolate, cookies, wine! My body does not always love me putting all these things in it.

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Don’t get me wrong, I eat plenty of healthy food. I love fruits and vegetables, I only eat lean protein, I take my vitamins and I drink a ton of water. I cut unnecessary sugars when I can, which is why I don’t eat candy and bake my own treats and sweets. I only eat dark chocolate and I don’t eat sandwiches often. I lean heavily on plant based proteins and try to ensure my animal products come from humane and environmentally conscious sources when I can.

But I am on a tight budget. Processed foods tend to be less expensive, especially when buying generic brand, and on days I work out I feel like I’ve earned a bowl of goldfish while watching YouTube! As I’ve gotten older, I do feel the effects of my eating habits more. I don’t bounce back like I did as a teenager from binge eating, and I feel almost hungover if I have too much sugar. I buy all my own food now, as a “real adult,” and I sometimes feel conflicted between saving my money and saving my waistline.

Therefore, I am on a journey.

To reinevent my relationship with food, one that I invite you to come along on with me. Every journey must begin somewhere, and mine starts with admitting I have a problem.

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I struggle with impulse buying, especially with food. And I can’t afford it. Just because the chips happen to be on sale in a 2-for-1 deal, doesn’t mean I need two bags of chips if I’m not having a party. (I never have parties.) And my body doesn’t need all those crispy delicious potato chips either.

So here’s what I’m thinking. I need to find strategies that actually work for me to stick to a budget for food. And I need to find ways to recreate the foods I love in ways that are better for me. I have never believed in restrictive dieting, only eating in moderation. If I want pizza, you know I’m going to eat pizza.

The recipes and strategies I develop along my journey I want to share here. Hopefully there are other people out there who can relate to the struggle of healthy eating on a budget.

Here is what I have come up with to get started:

• Make a list, and stick to the darn list!

  • I find it far to easy to deviate from my list if I see something on sale. Which is so not the point of having a list! So I need to come up with a way to reward my self and in turn motivate myself to keep to the list.
  • Something I have found helpful in making a list is to keep track of what I run out of in my fridge and pantry throughout the week. I have a magnetic board on my fridge where I used to write messages and quotes on, but now seems way better suited to list making.

• Helpful meal prepping products

  • I am going to dedicate a whole post in this series to my crockpot. I adore my

    

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    crockpot! It has helped immensely with meal planning. So many meals can be made cheaply in a crockpot and it saves time.

  • Reusable containers. The focus on those for me is less about convenient meals than it is about eco-friendliness, which will also be in focus for this series.

• Actual easy and customizable recipes

  • I love watching recipe videos online but they aren’t all achievable for me, either because of ingredients, equipment or space in my kitchen.
  • While I am by no means a qualified chef, I love good food so I have been forced to become a pretty decent cook. As I develop budget-friendly recipes I actually want to eat, I’ll share them with you.

Raise a glass of wine (or whatever you are into) to this healthy, budget-friendly eating journey with me!

It’ll probably be the last glass of wine for a little while. 🙂