It's that time of year when you can juuuuuuust about smell spring in the air, but there's still snow on the ground. That time of year when the days are getting longer but still not long enough. That time of year when you start thinking about how nice it will be when fresh fruit and vegetables start growing again.
For those of us who aren't lucky enough to be able to "grow our own" for reasons of time, money, or simple lack of garden space, a great alternative is to buy a farm share or participate in a community farming association. Community Supported Agriculture programmes are available in several countries and regions. Just google "CSA [your area]" to find one near you. By doing this, I've found CSA farms in many Canadian provinces and US states, as well as in England.
Here's the basic principle:
A farmer sells a certain number of "shares" to individuals in the community.
Individuals purchase these shares in late winter or early spring (aka NOW), providing farmers with starter income for the upcoming season.
The farmer then provides its shareholders with weekly or bi-weekly 'baskets' of produce from the farm throughout the production season. Shareholders usually have to pick up their shares at a pre-determined location.
However, if the farm has a good season, shareholders can make gains too, as the equivalent cost of the produce is higher than the initial cost of the share.
So you're supporting local farmers, and getting discounted produce at the same time. Oh, and did I mention that these farms often use organic methods, and many are actually certified organic? Sounds like win-win-win to me!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a gamble. If there is a poor harvesting season,
or if the farmer is unable to maintain the farm for whatever reason, you
may not receive your food. Read the terms and conditions of the shares
closely before you buy to make sure you understand the potential risks.
Look around to find a farm which suits your needs. There are certified organic farms, there are some which allow you to substitute fresh produce with preserves, there are some which provide smaller baskets, or more flexibility, or who offer home delivery. Some also provide meat or eggs. Also consider the growing period - some farms grow produce with a smaller harvesting window, so will provide you with fewer baskets through the summer, whereas others will continue into the fall.
This year, I'm splitting a farm share with a friend. Each share should be enough to satisfy both of us and then some. We're getting 23 weeks' worth of baskets, starting in May. You can be sure there will be photos in good time! I can't wait!
Friday 22 February 2013
Saturday 16 February 2013
Recipe - Whatever cookies
I like to bake. But often I don't have the right ingredients, which can be a bit of a problem. A few months ago, I stumbled onto a really great cookie recipe, which was the first cookie recipe which worked for me (I have issues with cookies not rising properly...)
So yesterday I was in the mood for cookies. I dug out the recipe, and then realized that I didn't have enough chocolate chips. Uh oh! So I adapted the recipe ever so slightly, and here it is: whatever cookies.
I have also added North American measurements... I could have used these last night as I roughly guessed grammes to cup conversions, got them badly wrong, and had to save my dough.
Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 170*C (340*F/Gas Mark 4). Don't preheat to 170*F, that won't work. I tried.
2. Stir or sift together dry ingredients.
3. Combine butter and sugars and 'cream' together (I did this with a wooden spoon. No need for a fancy mixer!)
4. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk to sugar mix (save the extra white for pastry wash or similar).
5. Add the dry to the wet and mix until combined (again, wooden spoon).
6. Add in whatever, and mix to combine.
7. Place balls of dough onto a well-greased baking tray. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown. Let cool slightly on the trays, before transferring to a cooling rack.
8. Eat. Enjoy. Share. Yum!
FYI: My whatever cookies were dark chocolate, raisins and dried cranberries, and they're rediculously good.
So yesterday I was in the mood for cookies. I dug out the recipe, and then realized that I didn't have enough chocolate chips. Uh oh! So I adapted the recipe ever so slightly, and here it is: whatever cookies.
I have also added North American measurements... I could have used these last night as I roughly guessed grammes to cup conversions, got them badly wrong, and had to save my dough.
Ingredients:
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 200g (3/4 cup + a bit extra) dark brown soft sugar
- 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 325g (about 2 1/2 cups) of whatever (chocolate chips/chunks, dried fruit, dessicated coconut, chopped nuts, bacon bits, whatever you have or whatever's cheap)
1. Preheat oven to 170*C (340*F/Gas Mark 4). Don't preheat to 170*F, that won't work. I tried.
2. Stir or sift together dry ingredients.
3. Combine butter and sugars and 'cream' together (I did this with a wooden spoon. No need for a fancy mixer!)
4. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk to sugar mix (save the extra white for pastry wash or similar).
5. Add the dry to the wet and mix until combined (again, wooden spoon).
6. Add in whatever, and mix to combine.
7. Place balls of dough onto a well-greased baking tray. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown. Let cool slightly on the trays, before transferring to a cooling rack.
8. Eat. Enjoy. Share. Yum!
FYI: My whatever cookies were dark chocolate, raisins and dried cranberries, and they're rediculously good.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
Accepting the things we cannot change, and changing the things we cannot accept
If you haven't heard of the horsemeat scandal which is shaking the UK, here's a brief overview. Cheap minced meat from several low-priced product lines (for example 6/1pound burgers) has been found to contain horse DNA - sometimes up to 100% of the product is proven to be horse. Blame abounds, with fingers pointing at everyone from consumers to supermarkets to European mafia.
Side note: another big problem is the traces of porcine (yes, pig) DNA found in halal-branded food. That's a problem. A big problem. But outside my present argument.
In fact, food fraud seems to happen fairly frequently - we just don't realize it. I'm fairly certain the honey in my fridge (which I bought from a bulk bargain store) is actually coloured corn syrup, and I wouldn't be at all shocked that the cheapest store brand olive oil in my cupboard is just a cheap alternative. But you know what? I'm ok with that. The products serve their purpose in my food preparation. Also, I can't afford pure honey bought from a beekeeper, nor can I afford pure olive oil. I've accepted this. I'm ok with it, if not happy.
As for horsemeat, my personal view is that horsemeat must be pretty tasty if it's been passed it off as beef for so long. I personally have no problem with eating horse. However, I do have a problem when packaging says "100% beef" and the contents turns out to be Black Beauty rather than Buttercup. In England at least, the horsemeat industry is not as regulated as the beef one - the meat may contain many chemicals which may be harmful to us as consumers. This is a big problem.
If you do have an issue with eating horsemeat, then consider the wider picture. If a manufacturing company has managed to fool everyone with what animal is in their food, what else are you being tricked about? How have they managed this?
The only answer I can give is that the manufacturing chains are too damn long. We have no idea what's in our food anymore. Mostly, it's food - but what food, where, and how was it produced? We just don't know.
So we as consumers have two options:
It's also possible to get CSAs for meat, but I just don't have a big enough freezer to store half a cow or a whole pig. Sadly.
The capitalist world we live in emphasizes profit over quality. That's a shame, and it makes living on a tight budget an occasionally morally questionable practice. So my challenge to myself, to you, to the world is to choose what is acceptable and what isn't.
I've made my choices, what are yours?
Side note: another big problem is the traces of porcine (yes, pig) DNA found in halal-branded food. That's a problem. A big problem. But outside my present argument.
In fact, food fraud seems to happen fairly frequently - we just don't realize it. I'm fairly certain the honey in my fridge (which I bought from a bulk bargain store) is actually coloured corn syrup, and I wouldn't be at all shocked that the cheapest store brand olive oil in my cupboard is just a cheap alternative. But you know what? I'm ok with that. The products serve their purpose in my food preparation. Also, I can't afford pure honey bought from a beekeeper, nor can I afford pure olive oil. I've accepted this. I'm ok with it, if not happy.
As for horsemeat, my personal view is that horsemeat must be pretty tasty if it's been passed it off as beef for so long. I personally have no problem with eating horse. However, I do have a problem when packaging says "100% beef" and the contents turns out to be Black Beauty rather than Buttercup. In England at least, the horsemeat industry is not as regulated as the beef one - the meat may contain many chemicals which may be harmful to us as consumers. This is a big problem.
If you do have an issue with eating horsemeat, then consider the wider picture. If a manufacturing company has managed to fool everyone with what animal is in their food, what else are you being tricked about? How have they managed this?
The only answer I can give is that the manufacturing chains are too damn long. We have no idea what's in our food anymore. Mostly, it's food - but what food, where, and how was it produced? We just don't know.
So we as consumers have two options:
- We accept that we will never know what we're eating again.
- We don't accept this, and we take steps to change.
It's also possible to get CSAs for meat, but I just don't have a big enough freezer to store half a cow or a whole pig. Sadly.
The capitalist world we live in emphasizes profit over quality. That's a shame, and it makes living on a tight budget an occasionally morally questionable practice. So my challenge to myself, to you, to the world is to choose what is acceptable and what isn't.
I've made my choices, what are yours?
Sunday 3 February 2013
Tip #21 - Take advantage of your supermarket... legally
I went food shopping today! For most people, that's a pretty boring task. But for me, it's always an adventure, even more so since I started on my $35/week budget. Delicious-looking food seems to jump off the shelves, trying to force their way into my basket, and I have to fend off the onslaught.
I've found that the best way to spend as little money as possible in the supermarket is to know my supermarket's secrets - the ins and outs of their pricing and specials, to take full and legal advantage of what they have to offer.
Of course, the most famous example of taking large-scale legal advantage of supermarkets is from the TV show Extreme Couponing. This works very well in many US states, but not so well where I live. Coupons really don't exist to the same extent, and are only offered on brand name products, and the savings are often small.
Instead I use two tricks which have served me well in both the UK and back in Canada: reduced for sale items and multibuy offers.
Reduced for sale
These items are reaching their best-before or sell-by dates, and stores need to clear them out quickly. They may be placed in a separate section, or have identifying stickers stating the percentage reduction or the new price. In England, these stickers seemed to be universally yellow, but in the supermarket nearest to me now, they're giant and pink (often covering up the product name or description!)
When buying reduced for sale items, check the best before date. This could be a few days away, but the product will still be edible even after this date. If the product has a use-by date, make sure you will consume the entire product before that date.
Any item which is reduced for sale and which can be frozen (such as meat or bread) is an even better bargain! Put the meat into a freezer bag (in portions, if it's chicken breasts or thighs, or ground meat) and stick it in the freezer until you will use it. Then, fully defrost when desired and cook it immediately. Bread will last at least a few days after defrosting.
Sometimes these reductions take place at specific times during the day or week. A few hours before closing is often a good time - as the store tries to get everything sold as fast as possible.
Today I got lucky and found some reduced for sale yoghurt (best before the 7th) and orange juice (best before the 6th), both reduced by 50%. In fact, since the orange juice's reduction didn't go through at the check-out, I got a 100% reduction from customer services!
Multibuy offers
These can be useful, but also dangerous. Investigate the available multibuys before you get to the supermarket, either online or through the store's weekly flyer. Multibuy offers can lure you into the exhilarating feeling of getting a bargain, even when you don't need the item, and planning ahead will help you avoid these temptations.
Multibuys on pantry essentials are especially good. Stock up when the items are cheap. If there are multibuys for fresh produce, use it as an excuse to eat more fruit and vegetables or try new things. But make sure you use them! A multibuy offer is no good if the food goes to waste.
I'm having particular fun with multibuy offers in Canada, because the laws here seem to require multibuy pricing to extend to the individual items. So, for example, a 2 for $5 deal means that each item must be individually priced at $2.50 each. So my box of cereal, normally $5.58, currently on offer at 2 for $6, cost me only $3, even though I only bought one! Fantastic!
These are just two examples of ways to get the most out of your supermarket, which are well used in both Canada and the UK. Are there any tricks that you use?
I've found that the best way to spend as little money as possible in the supermarket is to know my supermarket's secrets - the ins and outs of their pricing and specials, to take full and legal advantage of what they have to offer.
Of course, the most famous example of taking large-scale legal advantage of supermarkets is from the TV show Extreme Couponing. This works very well in many US states, but not so well where I live. Coupons really don't exist to the same extent, and are only offered on brand name products, and the savings are often small.
Instead I use two tricks which have served me well in both the UK and back in Canada: reduced for sale items and multibuy offers.
Reduced for sale
These items are reaching their best-before or sell-by dates, and stores need to clear them out quickly. They may be placed in a separate section, or have identifying stickers stating the percentage reduction or the new price. In England, these stickers seemed to be universally yellow, but in the supermarket nearest to me now, they're giant and pink (often covering up the product name or description!)
When buying reduced for sale items, check the best before date. This could be a few days away, but the product will still be edible even after this date. If the product has a use-by date, make sure you will consume the entire product before that date.
Any item which is reduced for sale and which can be frozen (such as meat or bread) is an even better bargain! Put the meat into a freezer bag (in portions, if it's chicken breasts or thighs, or ground meat) and stick it in the freezer until you will use it. Then, fully defrost when desired and cook it immediately. Bread will last at least a few days after defrosting.
Sometimes these reductions take place at specific times during the day or week. A few hours before closing is often a good time - as the store tries to get everything sold as fast as possible.
Today I got lucky and found some reduced for sale yoghurt (best before the 7th) and orange juice (best before the 6th), both reduced by 50%. In fact, since the orange juice's reduction didn't go through at the check-out, I got a 100% reduction from customer services!
Multibuy offers
These can be useful, but also dangerous. Investigate the available multibuys before you get to the supermarket, either online or through the store's weekly flyer. Multibuy offers can lure you into the exhilarating feeling of getting a bargain, even when you don't need the item, and planning ahead will help you avoid these temptations.
Multibuys on pantry essentials are especially good. Stock up when the items are cheap. If there are multibuys for fresh produce, use it as an excuse to eat more fruit and vegetables or try new things. But make sure you use them! A multibuy offer is no good if the food goes to waste.
I'm having particular fun with multibuy offers in Canada, because the laws here seem to require multibuy pricing to extend to the individual items. So, for example, a 2 for $5 deal means that each item must be individually priced at $2.50 each. So my box of cereal, normally $5.58, currently on offer at 2 for $6, cost me only $3, even though I only bought one! Fantastic!
These are just two examples of ways to get the most out of your supermarket, which are well used in both Canada and the UK. Are there any tricks that you use?
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