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?
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Recipe: Gigantor pot of pasta sauce
Mmmm pasta. Food of the gods and the budget-conscious.
But what to put on those wiggly or fun-shaped noodles? Store-bought pasta sauces can be really expensive, and the cheap-o alternatives can be questionably tasteless or full of salt. Blegh.
And you definitely don't want to make fresh sauce each time you want pasta. Even for a big family, that can be a huge headache.
So here's the solution, which is also a family recipe. I'm naming it the Gigantor pot of pasta sauce. It's pretty darn big.
Ingredients
olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you like extra garlicky sauce!)
2-ish pounds of lean ground beef (or other meat; get whatever's on sale, special, or reduced for quick sale)
2 large jars of plane jane spaghetti sauce (I used ones that are 700mL)
1 tin (540mL) of Lentils
1tsp Marmite*
1 sachet or cube Beef bouillon
3 bay leaves
Ground pepper/sea salt to taste
Instructions
1. Sauté the onions and garlic in a large dollop of oil until soft and translucent
2. Add beef. Attack the beef with a wooden spoon while it cooks, continuously breaking it up and turning it over until there's no pink left.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, lentils, Marmite, bouillon, and bay leaves. Swirl a little water inside the sauce jars to make sure all the delicious saucy goodness is in your pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir every so often to make sure everything's combining.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste - you may want to add a bit of sugar as well if the tomato taste is too strong. Remove bay leaves.
6. Enjoy!
7. Realize you have REDICULOUS amounts of leftovers, excavate all your freezer containers. Portion out and freeze.
Let's put it this way. When I cooked this two weeks go, I ended up with 6 Tupperware sack pots, and 2 soup containers, in addition to what I was eating. That's roughly 10 individaul servings. For less than $10, since I bought the beef when it was reduced for quick sale. I still have two pots left.
Side note: if you don't feel up to boiling water and making some pasta, this sauce also tastes great on a microwaved baked potato. Cover it with cheddar cheese for some added inexpensive deliciousness.
Side note 2 (18/2/13): I made more sauce today, and added in some bacon and a spare red pepper I had leftover in the fridge. Thrown in whatever you have on hand to bulk it out - don't waste good food!
*Marmite is, in my opinion, disgusting on it's own. It's like salted tar. But it's like magic beef sauce when used with mince.
But what to put on those wiggly or fun-shaped noodles? Store-bought pasta sauces can be really expensive, and the cheap-o alternatives can be questionably tasteless or full of salt. Blegh.
And you definitely don't want to make fresh sauce each time you want pasta. Even for a big family, that can be a huge headache.
So here's the solution, which is also a family recipe. I'm naming it the Gigantor pot of pasta sauce. It's pretty darn big.
Ingredients
olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you like extra garlicky sauce!)
2-ish pounds of lean ground beef (or other meat; get whatever's on sale, special, or reduced for quick sale)
2 large jars of plane jane spaghetti sauce (I used ones that are 700mL)
1 tin (540mL) of Lentils
1tsp Marmite*
1 sachet or cube Beef bouillon
3 bay leaves
Ground pepper/sea salt to taste
Instructions
1. Sauté the onions and garlic in a large dollop of oil until soft and translucent
2. Add beef. Attack the beef with a wooden spoon while it cooks, continuously breaking it up and turning it over until there's no pink left.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, lentils, Marmite, bouillon, and bay leaves. Swirl a little water inside the sauce jars to make sure all the delicious saucy goodness is in your pot.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir every so often to make sure everything's combining.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste - you may want to add a bit of sugar as well if the tomato taste is too strong. Remove bay leaves.
6. Enjoy!
7. Realize you have REDICULOUS amounts of leftovers, excavate all your freezer containers. Portion out and freeze.
Let's put it this way. When I cooked this two weeks go, I ended up with 6 Tupperware sack pots, and 2 soup containers, in addition to what I was eating. That's roughly 10 individaul servings. For less than $10, since I bought the beef when it was reduced for quick sale. I still have two pots left.
 |
| That's a whole lot of pasta sauce! |
Side note: if you don't feel up to boiling water and making some pasta, this sauce also tastes great on a microwaved baked potato. Cover it with cheddar cheese for some added inexpensive deliciousness.
Side note 2 (18/2/13): I made more sauce today, and added in some bacon and a spare red pepper I had leftover in the fridge. Thrown in whatever you have on hand to bulk it out - don't waste good food!
*Marmite is, in my opinion, disgusting on it's own. It's like salted tar. But it's like magic beef sauce when used with mince.
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Winter fun-time
Depending on where you're living, you may have been a bit cold this week. Much of Canada, Britain, the US, and Europe have been much colder than usual.
Where I'm living, that meant temperatures going down to lows of -40*C with wind chill. To put that into perspective, have a look at this video. It's so cold that boiling water instantly freezes upon contact with air. It's cold.
So to put it mildly, I've been staying inside.
The upside of this cold weather, however, is that Ottawa's famous Rideau Canal skateway fully opened yesterday, and the conditions are fantastic.
If you're not familiar with the Rideau Canal, it's original purpose was to connect Ottawa and Kingston, to facilitate communications and movement of troops between the old and new Canadian capitals. To say the least, it no longer serves this purpose. Instead, every autumn the canal water is drained to a lower level, carefully monitored until it freezes, then opens as the "world's large skating rink", with a length of 7.8 kilometers, and a size equivalent of about 90 Olympic ice hockey rinks (all numbers taken from Wikipedia).
The canal is incredibly well maintained, and posts regular updates about ice conditions. It has food stalls, rest areas, roving paramedics, skate rentals, and heated changing chalets.
And the best part? It's COMPLETELY free to the public (skate rentals and food aside)!
I was so happy this morning when I woke up and checked the weather forecast (about -20, so pretty reasonable), and ice conditions (good!). I packed up my thermos of hot chocolate, a pack lunch, and my skates, and headed off to the canal.
This is the first time I've been on the canal for over 6 years, and it felt really good to be back! There's something lovely about skating along on a frozen body of water, surrounded by children just learning to skate, families taking their sick relative out for a day (you can rent sleds or bring your own), people using all types of skates, from figure skates, to speed skates, to hockey skates, to sledges.
The most important things to remember when you're skating on the Rideau Canal are:
- bring a back-pack to carry your boots, food, etc, and any layers you might want to remove
- bring water!
- bring extra layers, just in case
- have fun!
Got my skates on and I'm ready to go!
I paid a quick visit to my former primary school. A yearly school activity was always a night-time scavenger hunt on the canal. Fun for the whole family (except my mum, who couldn't skate... but that's ok! You can walk on the canal too!)
There are these little rest-stops along the way, where you can get hot drinks, beaver tails, and other snacks. Or just have a little rest! I needed to sit down at this point because I had tied my skates too tight. Muscle pain and shin splints ensued. So I stopped, let my muscles relax, then re-tied my skates a bit looser. (In this photo, you can also see a child-carrier - these are normally pulled behind bicycles, but are really handy to push your kids or your stuff on the ice, too!)
After about an hour, I reached Dow's lake - just about the furthest edge of the canal. This is where I had my lunch and turned around. It's about 5km away from where I started.
Lunch time! A thermos full of hot chocolate, a peanut butter sandwich, an orange in slices, and a piece of Christmas cake. This was my little way of trying to defeat the urge to have a BeaverTail. It worked, but mostly because I didn't have enough cash for one.
After a half-hour skate, I was back again! (I tied my skates properly this time, so no need to pause to ease my muscles). Tired, sore, but happy :)
One of the reasons I wanted to post this is because, for me, it's proof that you don't need a gym membership to be physically active. Ottawa is a fantastic place for outdoor physical exercise. In the winter there's the canal, but in the summer there's an incredible network of dedicated bike paths, and lots of open areas. These outdoor spaces are my gym, no membership required!
What outdoor activities are available in your area? Do you take advantage of them?
So to put it mildly, I've been staying inside.
The upside of this cold weather, however, is that Ottawa's famous Rideau Canal skateway fully opened yesterday, and the conditions are fantastic.
If you're not familiar with the Rideau Canal, it's original purpose was to connect Ottawa and Kingston, to facilitate communications and movement of troops between the old and new Canadian capitals. To say the least, it no longer serves this purpose. Instead, every autumn the canal water is drained to a lower level, carefully monitored until it freezes, then opens as the "world's large skating rink", with a length of 7.8 kilometers, and a size equivalent of about 90 Olympic ice hockey rinks (all numbers taken from Wikipedia).
The canal is incredibly well maintained, and posts regular updates about ice conditions. It has food stalls, rest areas, roving paramedics, skate rentals, and heated changing chalets.
And the best part? It's COMPLETELY free to the public (skate rentals and food aside)!
I was so happy this morning when I woke up and checked the weather forecast (about -20, so pretty reasonable), and ice conditions (good!). I packed up my thermos of hot chocolate, a pack lunch, and my skates, and headed off to the canal.
- bring a back-pack to carry your boots, food, etc, and any layers you might want to remove
- bring water!
- bring extra layers, just in case
- have fun!
Got my skates on and I'm ready to go!
I paid a quick visit to my former primary school. A yearly school activity was always a night-time scavenger hunt on the canal. Fun for the whole family (except my mum, who couldn't skate... but that's ok! You can walk on the canal too!)
There are these little rest-stops along the way, where you can get hot drinks, beaver tails, and other snacks. Or just have a little rest! I needed to sit down at this point because I had tied my skates too tight. Muscle pain and shin splints ensued. So I stopped, let my muscles relax, then re-tied my skates a bit looser. (In this photo, you can also see a child-carrier - these are normally pulled behind bicycles, but are really handy to push your kids or your stuff on the ice, too!)
After about an hour, I reached Dow's lake - just about the furthest edge of the canal. This is where I had my lunch and turned around. It's about 5km away from where I started.
Lunch time! A thermos full of hot chocolate, a peanut butter sandwich, an orange in slices, and a piece of Christmas cake. This was my little way of trying to defeat the urge to have a BeaverTail. It worked, but mostly because I didn't have enough cash for one.
After a half-hour skate, I was back again! (I tied my skates properly this time, so no need to pause to ease my muscles). Tired, sore, but happy :)
One of the reasons I wanted to post this is because, for me, it's proof that you don't need a gym membership to be physically active. Ottawa is a fantastic place for outdoor physical exercise. In the winter there's the canal, but in the summer there's an incredible network of dedicated bike paths, and lots of open areas. These outdoor spaces are my gym, no membership required!
What outdoor activities are available in your area? Do you take advantage of them?
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Tip #20 - Cook in bulk, freeze in portions
I started a crazy budget plan last week. When I first planned it out I was positive the hardest category would be the food. I mean, $35/week for food? That's not a whole lot, right? Boy was I wrong.
Though I have gone over my weekly food limit for both weeks, that was mainly due to my stocking my cupboards with staples, spices, etc. In fact, I'll probably only spend about $15 next week, and that's partly because butter is on sale and I plan to stock up.
The way I've managed this is by first buying and cooking in bulk. I'm not talking about bulk in the normal sense - there are no 5kg bags of pasta or rice in my cupboards. But for my only mouth to feed, I certainly don't need 3kg of ground beef. But it was on sale, so I bought it. And then froze it in two 1.5kg batches. I also bought a whole chicken (also on sale - see how this works?) and froze it.
The next step is to cook in bulk. I'll make portions big enough for an entire family, even though it's just me eating. I take what I want for my meal, then separate the rest into freezer containers. This way, my food stays fresh, and future preparation takes all of three minutes.
In the past two weeks I've made:
- A giant pot of pasta sauce (9 servings)
- A shepherd's pie (4 servings)
- Squash soup (5 servings)
- Carrot soup (5 servings)
- Whole chicken (1 serving + 2 pots of leftovers)
- Chicken and vegetable soup (5 servings, from various leftovers)
- 2 loaves of bread (1 frozen)
- 2L of granola (this is about what I'll eat in a week and a half; no freezing required, but is possible)
I'll also admit to the fact that I also have frozen perogies as a lazy-day meal.
My normal shopping day is Saturday (only 2 days away), yet my freezer is full, and so is my fridge. So I will likely not need to buy anything aside from my butter this week. And maybe treat myself to some pickles. I know, I'm pretty intense.
This trend may change eventually. I may find that, one day, $35 is just not enough to feed me for the week. But for now, I'm buying in bulk, cooking in bulk, and freezing in portions.
Extra added bonus time: home-cooked food has made me feel incredibly full. I'm eating less by volume than I normally would. If I had a set of scales, I'd guess I'm probably losing weight too. So I'm saving money and taking care of my body too!
Though I have gone over my weekly food limit for both weeks, that was mainly due to my stocking my cupboards with staples, spices, etc. In fact, I'll probably only spend about $15 next week, and that's partly because butter is on sale and I plan to stock up.
The way I've managed this is by first buying and cooking in bulk. I'm not talking about bulk in the normal sense - there are no 5kg bags of pasta or rice in my cupboards. But for my only mouth to feed, I certainly don't need 3kg of ground beef. But it was on sale, so I bought it. And then froze it in two 1.5kg batches. I also bought a whole chicken (also on sale - see how this works?) and froze it.
The next step is to cook in bulk. I'll make portions big enough for an entire family, even though it's just me eating. I take what I want for my meal, then separate the rest into freezer containers. This way, my food stays fresh, and future preparation takes all of three minutes.
In the past two weeks I've made:
- A giant pot of pasta sauce (9 servings)
- A shepherd's pie (4 servings)
- Squash soup (5 servings)
- Carrot soup (5 servings)
- Whole chicken (1 serving + 2 pots of leftovers)
- Chicken and vegetable soup (5 servings, from various leftovers)
- 2 loaves of bread (1 frozen)
- 2L of granola (this is about what I'll eat in a week and a half; no freezing required, but is possible)
I'll also admit to the fact that I also have frozen perogies as a lazy-day meal.
My normal shopping day is Saturday (only 2 days away), yet my freezer is full, and so is my fridge. So I will likely not need to buy anything aside from my butter this week. And maybe treat myself to some pickles. I know, I'm pretty intense.
This trend may change eventually. I may find that, one day, $35 is just not enough to feed me for the week. But for now, I'm buying in bulk, cooking in bulk, and freezing in portions.
Extra added bonus time: home-cooked food has made me feel incredibly full. I'm eating less by volume than I normally would. If I had a set of scales, I'd guess I'm probably losing weight too. So I'm saving money and taking care of my body too!
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