Reader Challenge: The Brunch Edition

Heather says:

Let me set the scene, Monday morning you rise with the nagging feeling that you have forgotten something or that perhaps there is something you should be doing. Rather than pay attention to the feeling you begin attacking the weekly laundry.

Mid-morning your sister calls and asks what time you and the kids will be arriving in a town two hours to the north. Hastily you pack for five people, realizing it is your week to host a women’s group, the morning after your scheduled return. You spend a few moments asking your husband to lend a hand (he’s willing, but works crazy hours) and depart.

Return home Wednesday evening with grouchy children and no time for the grocery store.

Here’s your challenge, Home Eccers, what do you make for a casual brunch serving ten people only out of your pantry and refrigerator?

My solution:

• biscuits and sausage gravy (strawberry jam or honey for those who don’t like sausage)
• onion and zucchini frittata (really just a crustless quiche)
• vanilla yogurt with sliced bananas (must hide the freckled peels) and granola

Now it’s your turn.

Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 2)

Dear Home Ec 101,

I need to get our food budget under control, we spend a ton of money eating out.  It’s starting to cause fights.  I can’t cook, I can’t plan, and even if I could I wouldn’t know where to start.

Signed,

Hopeless in Hopeswell

Heather says:

Welcome to part two of this series on meal planning.  Part 1 focused on finding the dining room (or kitchen) table and getting into the habit of eating at home, whatever it took.

I’d like to clear this misconception up right now: a habit is not the same as a rut.  The habit is what helps break the cycle of relying on the drive-through for sustenance.  Without introducing new foods, the idea of repetitively cycling through eight meals of convenience food becomes depressing and once again the take-out option becomes appealing.  To prevent the rut you must be brave and experiment.

Two facts about your meal planning journey:

• As the cook it is not your job to please everyone.  I take requests, but they must be reasonable.  Don’t cook to purposely irk your family, but do not cater to overly picky palates, either.  A perk of being the planner is that your whims are the first to be accommodated after allergies and dietary restrictions.
• Accept that there are times where you will screw up or be disappointed*.  It’s not the end of the world, it’s one meal and there are very few of us in America who couldn’t stand to skimp on a meal or two.  Salvage the night by making popcorn or some other treat.  Be careful though, some of the more inventive family members out there could figure out your plan and sabotage future efforts.

Ten tips to successfully expand your menu:

• If you are cooking for others don’t push your luck, only introduce one new food item per week.
• Pay attention to the reactions of your audience.  If they hate the black bean dish you tried this week, try a different main ingredient next time.
• Be open to suggestions.
• If you have young children ask friends with similar family situations for suggestions.
• Different marinades make similar meals feel exotic.  Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce is nothing like chicken with an Asian marinade.  Additionally using the same marinade on a variety of meats can also liven up a menu.
• Vary your sides.  Similar entrees can feel entirely different if they are served with noodles instead of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of broccoli.
• Learn to make soup.  It’s simple, economical, and there are hundred of variations that can be created from ingredients found in the average fridge, freezer, and pantry.  It also is a fabulous way to use up leftovers.
• If you are new to cooking avoid fancy cooking magazines. Some are great, but others call for exotic ingredients that a beginner cook may not have on hand.  In rural areas some of the ingredients may be difficult to find.  I highly recommend Taste of Home for straightforward, tried and true recipes.
• Peruse other menus.
• Finally think of your favorite menu items when eating out.  Set a goal to master a similar recipe.  Even a beginner cook can quickly learn to outdo many middle of the road chain restaurants.

*True story, a few weeks ago I burned garlic bread in front of company.  I’m not being modest and trying to call slightly overdone burnt.  I honest to God, completely forgot about it and scorched it badly enough I was worried the fire alarm would start and add another layer of embarrassment to the evening.

Saving Money On Bottled Water

Ivy says:

Recently, I saw a discussion about bottled water in a frugality community. Some people were saying it is not frugal at all to buy bottled water, since tap water is (essentially) free. Others explained that the water where they lived was just bad and they needed bottled water.

I’m in the “my water is just bad” camp, personally. We often get notices from the city that they have once again violated the state’s codes for safe water, and once our water turned pink. Now, I agree that buying the individual sizes of bottled water isn’t very frugal. But there are plenty of more-frugal ways to get water that’s safe and tastes good.

We ended up buying a refillable water cooler like this one, only mine’s not cool and black like that one. It uses Brita pitcher filters, so the cost of upkeep isn’t too bad. We spend about $15 every 3 months or so. The really nice thing about having the water cooler is that it has both cold water (and wowzers, it’s cold) and hot water (and WOWZERS, it’s HOT), so I can make instant oatmeal or instant ramen, well, instantly.

Another option is the faucet filters, which have gotten smaller and less of a pain to deal with. Certain brands also have flavor filters, so you can get your raspberry water right out of the tap. Pretty neat, if you ask me. And, of course, there’s the ubiquitous refrigerator pitchers, which are quite inexpensive and are also a good option.

If all else fails, you can buy bottled water in gallon jugs. This isn’t the *most* economical option, but it is certainly cheaper than the individually sized bottled water.

One of the reasons I see people saying they buy the individual bottled water is for on the go use, and some even refill the bottled water (which I hear is not recommended due to some plastic leaching issues), but I still find a Nalgalene bottle is the best way to go. You can sometimes find good bargains on these- I saw some at Target once for just a buck apiece and yeah- they were actually Nalgalene. So keep an eye out, bargains can be found with those.

What do you do to save money on bottled water, or are you lucky enough to live somewhere where the tap water is pretty good? And if so, where do you live, so I can move there??

Cheap Vacation Strategies: Tourist In Your Own Town

Ivy says:

My cousin is coming to town sometime in the next 2 months and wanted to know what she should see and do in Nashville. She especially wantd to know if the Country Music Hall of Fame was worth the $18 admission fee. When I told her I had never been to the Country Music Hall of Fame, she was completely and utterly shocked.

“What do you mean you have never been to the Country Music Hall of Fame?! I mean, you live there. How can you live there and not go?”

Ah, well, I don’t really care one whit about country music. I’d probably only go if admission was free, and even then, I’m not sure I’m that interested. Sorry, country fans. I’m a rock n’ roll kinda girl living in a country town. What can I say?

But it did get the rocks in my brain rolling about doing touristy things in town to have vacation-like experiences without the cost of driving all over creation. A couple of weeks ago, we hit Cumberland Caverns and the kids are still talking about it. We like to go to the local museums (except, of course, the Country Music Hall of Fame) and battlefields.

So, if you can’t afford a full blown vacation this year, what about hitting some of your local touristy spots? You can easily stretch your vacation-y goodness to last the whole summer. That’s our plan.

Home Eccers, tell me- what are some of your favorite touristy things to do in your town?

CFL vs. Incandescent: Who’s the winner?

Dear Heather and Ivy,

What’s all the hoopla about these new-fangled light bulbs? Can I use them in any lamp / fixture that I have? How much do they cost? Will they really save me money? What makes them different than the bulbs I’m using now?

Signed,
In the dark

Ivy says:

Ah, CFLs vs. incandescent bulbs. CFLs are the greener option, and they do save you money even though they do cost more up front. I generally try to wait until I find a sale and often, you can find your local power company giving them away. My first CFLs were from a giveaway at a local festival. Here’s a good post from Get Rich Slowly about the cost and cost savings of CFL bulbs. Also, here’s one sponsored by a power company that has some good info.

My biggest concern about the bulbs was, what if I break one? Grace is not my middle name, so I was pretty concerned about this. CFL bulbs contain mercury, so I wondered if I’d need a hazmat team to come out and clean up every time I broke one. Fortunately, Not Martha learned how to deal with this because she’s apparently as graceful as I am.  She links to the EPA’s guidelines for disposal where the key factors include properly ventilating the area, not running any central heat or conditioning during clean up, and following your local guidelines for disposal of the waste once it has been contained.

I’ve installed CFL bulbs in most of my light fixtures and I have to say, I like them. Make sure you’re getting the right type for your light fixtures, and stick with the warm light CFLs whenever possible. I’ve noticed a nice savings from mine.

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