Are you or someone in you know is chocoholic like me? Many girls and woman I know tend to love chocolates. You can indulge your chocolate lover friends and family with home made cookies that are perfect for Christmas potluck dinner, or make a perfect gift from heart that is not too hard on your wallet.
I will admit, I am little better than average cook and not so great baker, so I am experimenting baking things and experimenting. I got this recipe selection from Martha Stewart Cookie Collection and changed it a bit to make to my taste as a vegetarian person.
This cookies are great for Christmas time as well any other times, we may have sweet craving. You and your loved one will enjoy these delightful cookies as it blends cocoa powder and coffee flavors in it.
This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps: This cookies looks like little snow covered brown hills. These cookies will stay fresh about a week in air tight container. If you still have left over cookies after 5 days, call your chocoholic girl friends to help you finish it and make some more.
Time needed:
Prep: 45 Minutes
Total: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons instant espresso or strong instant coffee
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted Margarine or vegan butter
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
Egg Replacer for 1 egg, or Use 1 over ripe mashed banana
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon soymilk
Confectioners’ sugar, for coating
How to Make Cookies:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl mix with an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in mashed banana until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate.
With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat in soymilk until all if mixed well.
Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
Pour confectioners’ sugar (about 1/2 cup) into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings.
Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12 to 14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch.
Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Share it with friends and family. But before you share, first make sure you eat some.
Important Note:
These cookies crack in oven while baking, it is supposed to, so do not worry. It will make rustic look like snow covered hill.
If you want to check out More recipes check out more Recipes here.
5 More tips to save money and be little bit richer
This is second in series of how to save money for daily expenses. As a stay at home mom for 2 kids, I have learned a few tricks that helps me keep within my budget and that too without feeling too much deprived. When I decided that I want to be home, leaving my cushy six figure job it was drastic change, one that I am happy to volunteer to leave my stressed job so I can be home with kids.
There are easy and simple ways we can save money for everyday savings. Once saving habits are ingrain in our mind, saving money or being frugal comes as easy as breathing and it will have so many benefits that your quality of life will be improved.
Start today, do not wait for special occasion or a new year to start a new habits. We can save money on everyday expenses such as phone services, insurance, groceries and travel and more. When we are starting, every penny will count. Do not think, what you will do with saving a few pennies here and there. Just imagine, saving a few pennies will make a dollar and few dollars savings will makes hundreds of dollar. Just imagine you putting this saving towards debt or in saving account, how much money you can save in interests.
If you have not read yet part 1 of this series, you can read it here: 5 Tips for saving money for everyone.Let is look at 5 more additional tips that save us money for everyday expenses which anyone can do and add to our savings account.
Tip 6: Do not carry too much debt:
I personally like to say no debt is always the best but it is not realistic for many of us. Buying a home or car without a loan is not possible for 80% people unless you are already rich, have rich parents or rich friends with benefits. If you are like me and majority of people, we carry some debt. But that does not mean we are doomed, we can be smart and pay off these loans faster by paying $10-$100 extra towards our loans and pay off credit card debt when bill comes.
The worse part of debt or any loan is excessive interest that we pay on each loan, so faster we pay off, better we will be. Use cash only for many small daily expenses and paying off debt faster is way to go. Make sure your debt to income ratio is reasonably manageable for your monthly income.
Tip 7: Save money for emergency:
Emergency expenses can happen to any of us, any time. Like Dave Ramsey says about Murphy’s law, expenses and problems comes when you are not expecting it. Until someone invents a 100% future predictions, best we can do is save money for it, just in case of such a emergency. If it happens you will be prepared for it, and if it does not happen you will be bit richer, either way it is a win-win situation.
Just make sure you do not count buying diamond for your girlfriend as an emergency.Best way to save some money without feeling deprived is to auto deduct from your paycheck or your checking account and in to your saving account that you can not touch.
Tip 8: Wise Buying Decisions:
What do I mean by wise buying decisions? I have done impulse buying based on emotions, hunger and sheer joy of showing off to someone and I bet some of you might have done it too. Simple thing is do is, do not go grocery shopping when hungry, the truth is I have bought more junk food when I have shopped when I have been famished. Don’t try to keep up with jones, they might have nice stuff but I bet some of them may have nice debt too. Be smart and do not compete with someone in buying cars, vacations and diamonds. Comparison shop, do bulk shopping to save money as mentioned in part 1 of this series.
Tip 9: Eat IN more often:
As a vegetarian person who loves to cook at home, this comes easier for me. Even if you are not like me, you can still cook a few simple things at home and eat out occasionally only. Check out tips to save money when eating out. Food outside is usually ten to twenty times more expensive than if you would have made it at home and sometimes you can have more healthier food when you make it yourself. Occasional eating is fine and keep you from feeling deprived, just do it sensibly so you can save money as well as your health.
Tip 10: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse:
In USA, where I live, we tend to throw away things and buy new in this consumerist society. Buying a new shoes or new Television is much cheaper compared to repairing it here so it makes sense to do so, but we are wasting resources and earth’s environment by dumping things in garbage. We can consume less, reduce our materialistic things, recycle whenever possible will save us money and live sustainable life.
We can make small changes such as using
Little less soap when doing dishes
Using less shampoo when washing hair,
Putting on sweater before turning on heater
Donating good used items and not throwing in trash
If you have child, supplementing with cloth diapers
Turn off light of Television or computer, when not in use
Conclusion:
If we saved money without feeling deprived, we will do it for long term. Only two ways to save money are earn more income and be frugal. We can do both and save our environment at the same time. Start today.
I am writing a series of 101 small changes that we can make to make the quality of our life better and build and lead a more happier life that is in tune with our heart and mind. These are small changes that I have made and am working on right now, so I know they are possible for anyone to do.
If you have not read previous posts, check out a few posts on the changes from the past:
I have written before benefit of going vegetarian and importance of healthy eating as we are what we eat and what we think. However, in life many of us busy, stressed and tend to eat “not so” healthy food and junk food. I am prime example for it, as I have strong liking to potato chips, I like specially Tim’s crunchy chips a lot. I am working on reducing that habit myself.
Zenguy and I are vegetarians but we used to eat out fast food places, specially when we were traveling or needed quick bite to eat at tiring weeknight meals. Now, it has been over 6 years that we have not eaten at most traditional fast food such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and to some extent Subways, Wendy’s too. What made us change our behavior?
As regular readers may know, I am a book worm and I love reading all types of books, including non fiction. Some 6 years ago, I first read a book called Fast Food Nation and it influenced me very much, even though I was already a vegetarian. It was interesting facts on animals being used for meat and fast food teenage workers plight made me want help with my small changes. As I was talking to another mommy friend, she told me she does not eat at fast food anymore. I was shocked, how can one do that as eating fast food was not only convenient, quick, cheap alternative to eat when one was traveling or was too tired too cook. It was specially hard for me as fast food places were everywhere to avoid it. Or so, I thought.
I never felt to eat meat, even when it was in menu, so why it bothered me to avoid fast food place when I saw one. With strong desire to overcome my issue, I came and told Zenguy no more fast food for us when I came home from my friend’s place, and he had to be helpful by not eating in front of me, until I gained confident enough to avoid it myself. Zenguy was not only supportive in front of me, but he too soon decided that he will no longer eat at fast food himself. Since then we have been 90% fast food free, as we occasionally eat at Quiznos, In and Out and other small mom and pops places. We mostly eat simple home cooked meals daily and leave eating out a few times only.
Biggest Fast Food Chain: McDonald’s
A few years prior to making this decision Zenguy and I both were addicted to McDonald’s thin french fries, as no one made it crunchy like them. Of course, we has stopped eating there as news about McDonald’s adding beef to their french fries, after reassuring (lying) to public that their fries was cooked in 100% vegetable oil. angering many Indians Hindus all over the world. (As Hindus do not eat Beef). After much outcry, McDonald’s decided to use 100% vegetable oil for “real” to win over the lost customers. Alas, it was too late for many people, who became weary to trust them again.
McDonald’s since then tried to make themselves as healthier alternative for moms and kids by offering salads and fruits. However, being the fast food giant, they are surely has many concerns and issues from many health watch groups.
Here is an image of McDonald’s food label, which clearly says chemical known to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm is present in food, why would any clear thinking person would eat that food is beyond me.
Of course, we all do what works for us at the time. Many of us are at our weakest point to healthy when we are famished, some other people may have little choice what they choose to eat. I personally think, one does not to stop eating at fast food place, but many of us can reduce it a fewer times in a month. Your health and body will thank you for it.
Need more proof; see below video on what in your fast food;
Here is a short video that shows that 4 year old burger looking as young as day one and 2 year old french fries looking good and not decomposing like normal, natural food will should. I am not sure, but many people would prefer them selves to look young and fresh and not their food after 4 years, what do you say?
McDonalad’s 4 years Burger
Many vegetarians and vegan will not eat this food anyways, but if you are meat eater this is must read for you. In addition, Jamie Oliver “Food Revolution” shows kids (see video here) what Chicken Nuggets are made of. This is food that is mechanical textured and processed to look like meat.McNuggets are really processed crap made to look like food. It’s all marketed for you to think your eating real chicken, but your not! Recently, McDonald’s Reps have said they no longer use pink slush to make Chicken Nugget, what is included was not mentioned as far as that news report I read.
Conclusion:
McDonald’s is not the only fast food chain that with health issues, but being fast food giant they seemed to be most watched by many critic and rightly so. There are many other fast food chain and gourmet restaurant that may serve unhealthy, deep fried food. The point is that we choose to put healthier stuff inside our body so we can be healthier. There will be always simple and quick cooked meal at home will be always more healthier and inexpensive. We have only one body this life, so let’s treat it right and eat well and there are many ways to say health is true wealth. If you must eat at fast food, pick healthiest choice available there and start carrying snack packs from Trader Joe when you need quick snack fill up. There are many quick ways to make quick gourmet meal at home in 30 minutes or less as well (before your Pizza order will come). Remember on January 1st, you may have made being healthy goal, do not forget it now, eat healthy, lose weight and save money at the same time. Sounds like win-win for me.
I was just browsing the news site as I occasionally I do, and this post caught my eyes. While this is not certainly a political blog, I thought parents around US will be concerned about it as it may spread to other states within US. Currently in use in St. Louis and South Orange, New Jersy and now New York. Mostly likely more to follow (I dread the thought)
New York school apparently has been spying on “fat” kids even at home, 24 hours, 7 days a week with electronic monitor. The updates are made in password protected websites that teacher and student can access. And you know, this is not even new, it has been going on for over 2 years and mostly without parental consent. One of the volunteer and active parent even did not know about it. School authorities are saying that it is because of “Reinforcement of Fighting Obesity”.
If that is the case, why not get consent from parents?, why not take out soda and junk snack machines from school?, Why not give school more lunch and recess time? Why not have more physical education and free play time? And what about “not so thin” teachers, principals and other adults?
Why not give parents and students chance to opt-in or opt-out instead of 24*7 monitoring? And how is that going to help encourage a student to lose weight? Questions are many, answers are few or none. Here see the original article and judge it for yourself.
Original NY Post Article below:
Big Brother is joining the battle of the bulge.
A group of Long Island students will soon be wearing controversial electronic monitors that allow school officials to track their physical activity around the clock.
The athletics chair for the Bay Shore schools ordered 10 Polar Active monitors, at $90 a pop, for use starting this spring. The wristwatchlike devices count heartbeats, detect motion and even track students’ sleeping habits in a bid to combat obesity.
The information is displayed on a color-coded screen and gets transmitted to a password-protected Web site that students and educators can access.
Angel Chevrestt
TOO FAR, TOO FAST? School aide records a student’s heart rate.
The devices are already in use in school districts in St. Louis and South Orange, NJ — and have raised privacy concerns among some parents and observers.
But Ted Nagengast, the Bay Shore athletics chair, said, “It’s a great reinforcement in fighting the obesity epidemic. It tells kids, in real time, ‘Am I active? Am I not active?’ We want to give kids the opportunity to become active.”
The monitors are distributed by Polar Electro, of Lake Success, LI, the US division of a Finland firm.
In the South Orange-Maplewood School District, where earlier versions of the devices have been used for two years, upper-grade students’ marks in phys ed are based in part on heart-rate monitors and activity sensors.
Teachers use hand-held computers to collect data from each student’s wrist monitor during class, then upload the information to the school computer system for storage and long-term tracking.
But privacy advocates and parents worry that schools are using electronic monitors in phys ed without families’ knowledge or consent.
“I didn’t even know it was going on, and I’m active in the school,” said Beth Huebner, of St. Louis.
Her son, a fourth-grader, wore a Polar Active monitor in class without her OK last fall at Ross Elementary School.
“We have gotten no information about the Web-site security or where the data will go,” Huebner said.
“When you get into monitoring people’s biological vital signs, that’s a pretty intrusive measurement,” said Jay Stanley, of the American Civil Liberties Union. “There are key privacy interests at play.”
At the very least, says Stanley, parents must have a say in how long the data will be stored and who will have access to it and schools must obtain parents’ consent.
“A program like this should only be voluntary. Nobody should be forced to reveal biological indicators,” he said.
“It’s all about secondary use,” said Virginia Rezmierski, an expert on information technology and privacy at the University of Michigan.
“Does the data pass along with the child from school to school? When will insurance companies want to get access to it? Will a school want to medicate a child that the monitor identifies as hyperactive? It’s potentially very dangerous ground.”
If you love cooking or not, making this recipe is fairly easy for any one. Baba Ghanoush can add a great flavor to any party and it’s easy and quick to make. Sometimes I roast eggplant in oven and sometimes when I am in hurry, I use my toaster oven to roast the eggplant in high heat. It cooks up fast. It is vegan recipe so it is great for vegan, vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
You need to add Tahini, Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice and put in food processor to coarse constancy or fine pureed dip per your taste. Add extra garnishing touch with Cilantro and olive oil and you’re done. It is that simple. You can serve it with pita or bread.
Around the World: Interesting Tidbits
There are similar dishes made from grilled eggplant similar to “Baba Ganoush” around the world, eaten and loved by many people.
In Palestinian homes, it is made with wild eggplant from the Arabic meaning ‘of the earth.’ It is made with tehina, olive oil, lemon and parsley.
In Lebanon, baba ghanoush is a starter or appetizer and quite famous dish eaten everyday.
In Egypt it is mostly served as a side-dish or salad. It is made of aubergine with finely diced onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables mixed inside it.
In Israel, both the traditional version made with tahina and a variation made with mayonnaise is eaten.
Also in Greece, it is called melitzanosalata(meaning “eggplant salad”).
In Romania, the eggplant spread is called “Salat? de vinete” (eggplant salad).
In India and Pakistan it is known as “Baigan Bharata”, it is made with grilled charred long eggplant, with onions and tomatoes.
There is also Bulgarian eggplant salad/spread, called kyopolou.
1. Sliced the eggplants in to thin disc if using large eggplants. If you are using long thin ones, slice it in half on long side.
2. Put some olive oil all over the eggplant, salt and pepper.
3. Put Eggplants on foil for easy clean up. You can use oven or toaster oven to roast the eggplants.
4. Roast until eggplant skin is charred and feel soft to touch, turning the eggplant over once. It can be 20-40 minutes, depending on size of eggplants and type of oven you may have.
5. Take it from oven, let it cool. Peel the skin or keep it. It is up to you. I usually leave skin as it is for rustic flavor.
6. Roughly hand chopped the eggplant and put in food processor or blender.
7. Add Grated Lemon peel, Lemon Juice, Garlic Cloves, Tahini, Salt as needed and Olive oil and puree until smooth as you like.
8. Take out mixture in to shallow dish or serving bowl.
9. Drizzle more olive oil, peperika and finely chopped cilantro for garnish.
10. Serve at room temperature, with toasted pita triangles, crackers, or other breads.
How to Make Video:
For those who like visual learning of how to Baba Ganoush, here is video of how to make it. I make it often at home, but my skills at video and picture taking are so minimal, I always leave to professional!
Enjoy and check out other food and recipe posts from Heart and Mind:
One of the best thing about having a vegetarian and vegan thanksgiving is healthy and animal and specially turkey may thank you for not eating them. I am vegetarian since birth so it comes easy to me but even if you are occasional vegetarian or vegan, you can have a great, healthy and delicious food fiesta during thanksgiving.
I am sure, these recipes will be loved by herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore alike.
Cranberry Chutney:
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. margarine or olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 lb. (about 4 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup packed light brown sugar,or Maple Syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger (peel the skin off)
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1 green apple, finely chopped
Direction:
Heat the sauce pan over medium heat, add margarine or olive oil. When margarine melts or oil gets hot, add celery and onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10-12 minutes. Add cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, apple, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil.
Keep stirring until cranberries gets mushy and release their juices, for 15 minutes or so. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, until berries are tender and chutney is the consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour. You can grind the chutney to fine paste once cool or eat as it is for chunky taste.
Corn Chowder Soup
Ingredients:
1 medium to large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
One 32-ounce carton vegetable broth or water
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (can use fresh basil leaves0
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (can use fresh thyme)
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (about 3) or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 cup soy milk, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, or more, to taste
Direction:
Slice the squash into small dice. You can pre-bake squash to make cutting easier . Heat the oil in a soup pot. Once oil is hot, add onion and celery and sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden brown. Add the diced squash and diced sweet potato to pot. Add enough stock or water to cover all but about an inch of the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, then add the bay leaves and other seasonings. Simmer gently, covered, until the squash and potatoes are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add cooked corn and soy milk to bring our thickness or chunkiness in the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer again for 15 minutes and serve hot.
I like to use potato masher to mash the big pieces a little while in pot. You can puree half soup if you like, just make sure you puree soup when it is cold. Hot soup never should be pureed unless you want to redecorate your kitchen later 😉
Stir in the finely chopped cilantro just before serving.This may also be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated, since its flavor develops nicely overnight.
1 1/2 cups basmati or any long grain rice
1 vegetable bouillon cube, broth
1/4 cup roasted walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, or more, to taste
1 teaspoon cumin, or more, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook basmati rice in large pot of broth or with vegetable Bolivian in water. Put 2 cup water or broth or each cup of long grain rice. Cook until all water is absorbed. You can cook rice in rice cooker for easy cooking as well. Toast walnuts on oven or nonstick pan. Set it aside. Heat the oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Stir in the corn kernels and continue to sauté until the onion begins to brown lightly. Stir the cooked rice into the corn mixture along with the scallions, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the toasted walnuts. Serve hot.
Spinach and Orange Salad:
Image source: Food network
Ingredients
1 pack loose leaves baby spinach
2 cups thinly shredded red cabbage
1 medium red onion sliced thinly
3 small seedless oranges, such as clementine, peeled and sectioned
1/2 medium cucumber thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as desired
1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
In large salad bowl, combine the spinach, cabbage, red onions, oranges, cucumber, and almonds in a serving bowl and toss together. Dress as desired with oil and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Mix gently and serve.
Coconut-Pumpkin Soup
Image Source: Cookbook cover
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium green sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 14 ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 14 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 medium fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
Directions
In a large saucepan, cook carrots, sweet pepper, and onion in hot oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir in brown sugar, jalapeno pepper, salt, and ginger. Stir pumpkin mixture into cooked carrot mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Before serving, stir in cilantro.
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar or maple syrup
egg replacer powder for 5 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1
tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter, cut up
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
Direction:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking pan with oil. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the 1 tablespoon butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in 1 egg replacer, the pumpkin, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the cinnamon, and ginger until combined. Stir in the 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
In a small bowl stir together the 1-1/4 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large saucepan combine the chocolate and 3/4 cup butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Gradually add the 2-1/4 cups sugar, beating with an electric mixer on low speed just until combined. Add the additional 4 egg replacer powder, . Beat in milk and the 2 teaspoons vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Spread chocolate mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture in several mounds on top of the chocolate batter. Using a narrow metal spatula, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate batter. If desired, sprinkle with walnuts. Bake about 60 minutes or until center is just set when pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into brownies.
As long as human being need food to survive, there has been ways to preserve food for longer period of time. Modern refrigeration is one part of making food last much longer.
Why anyone want to preserve food?
One can stretch his or her budget much longer, if food last longer.
If you have home garden or buy it from farmer’s market, you can preserve seasonal food for later use. Preserving food fresh is healthier option when used fresh food.
One can retain the nutritional value of food by preserving it right.
If you preserve your own food, it will be chemical and toxin free.
It will be less processed if home made, making it much more healthy. For example drying food does not take away its nutrients.
It is cheaper to do it at home, compared to buy preserved food. It is easy to do.
You can make wide variety of preserved food such as jellys, jams and sun dried tomatoes.
Ways to Preserve Food:
There are several ways to preserve food and here are some of popular and easy ways to do it at home for anyone with little skill. People have been preserving food before fridge was available and here are some ways we can preserve food and save money and our health at the same time.
1. Canning
Canning is one of the oldest and traditional way to preserve any type of food. You will need to heat up the food and jar both, killing germs. Then cooling and sealing the food in jar for later use. There are canning tools and canning methods to follow properly. It can be time consuming at the start but it is well worth it.
Video of Canning Procedure:
2. Freezing
One of the easiest way to preserve food is to freeze it. Once you cook or boil the vegetables or other food it can be freeze it for later use. Many people batch cook and divide food in to small trays to eat when coming from work on weekdays. Not all food can be frozen, so be careful of it. Generally speaking, egg and milk products are not suitable for freezing.
3. Drying Food:
One can dry food in sun or in oven to last longer. There are also drying racks one can buy to dry fruits, tomatoes and other vegetables. Other popular ways to dry food is by baking, sun drying, dehydrating, air drying and smoking the food.
4. Vacume sealing
There is also method of vacuum sealing cooked food in glass jars or plastic bags via using vacuum sealer product. There are several type available in market. In this technique, air is removed from the food, hence making it lasting longer as air is one way, food get mold or get bad.
5. Other ways to preserve food:
Long time reader and blog friendBetsy suggested a additional way to preserve food so I am adding it here (edit) . Thanks Betsy. Other ways of preserving food include smoking (good for meat and tomatoes) and fermenting (for instance Sauerkraut).
I am half way through the No Spend Month challenge and I could tell so far that is going to be much more challenging. We have lot of things going on, including guests, driving more and so on. But, since I took up the challenge, I am going to report and make a best out of it.
A Few Problems:
There were some unexpected expenses and unforeseen travel (driving) that occurred, so obviously there are some expenses that are out of ordinary. One of them was having my car smog that I had to get it done this month only and I had to find the cheapest place to get it done. While luckily, my van did not need any repair, smog test had to be done and paid for it.
Money We Spent This Week:
I also had some health issues and blood work done but medical expenses and educational expense are not part of $300 budget. I am seeing how easy it is to spend money vs. saving or making money.
Smog test: $50.20
Gas: 97.25 (we had to travel far distance due to visiting a sick friend, so we used up more gas)
Snacks and coffee: $15.73 (We usually carry snacks with us but while we were out we had to buy some hot snacks for kids and coffee for us in day outing)
Making total of $163.18 for this week. Luckily, we did not had to buy groceries this week, as we are using up what we have in fridge and pantry so far. Soon, we will need to buy milk, yogurt and other perishable items coming week.
I have total spent $268.21 from July 1st-July 17th. That only means that I have only $31.79 left for 2 weeks, which seems very tough to do but I am sure going to try to make it.
Possible Reasons: Justification for Myself:
There are a few things that are coming in obstacle for my well meaning no spend experience since last time.
I feel bit alone in this time around somehow.
Prices of food and gas have increased much more since last year.
I have been sick (feeling tired, dizzy and so on) to leave much energy to put on life as I did last year.
There are unexpected expenses as always beyond my control.
I am lacking motivation myself right now.
I have been saving money all my life, and when zenguy was without job for 22 months until recently, I did even more drastic savings to survive. I might be all frugaled out!
Kids are growing and keeping me busy to rest, and my health does not help. I am blogging, commenting less because of that and it has effect on my blog comments as well.
One of the big reason is I lack energy to keep struggling to save, to be better. I am tired as I have 2 busy little boys and I hardly get much time to do anything proper for me. Even though Zenguy has a project/job now, we are still feeling the effect of the no income for so long, we are still paying off late payments, installments now that I feel like, I am taking small buckets of water out of water of ocean, it seems futile.
Not Giving Up: Looking for Positives
I guess I need to read up a few of my own post on overwhelming and find my groove back. I think even if I do not make this challenge, I want to be honest with myself here and try making it without giving up. As giving up would be much easier right now but I am bit stubborn to choose path that is not the easiest.
Your Turn:
How about you? How are you doing on your financial goal regardless of no spend month challenge, we all have some money goals for kids, future right?
If you want to know more about No Spend month and how badly I am doing, check out past articles;
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Image source: Food network
