Cooking from Scratch

So one of the things that I know can be much cheaper and much healthier is that of cooking from scratch. However while in thought this morning, it crossed my mind at how much easier and cheaper it used to be to cook from scratch when more individuals lived on a farm or had more access to fresh dairy products. When you needed eggs or milk, you could just go out to the barn to get what you needed without too much thought. Flour and sugar were also bought in much greater bulk and stored in big bins that were accessible in the kitchen.

All this crossed my mind as I contemplated making my granny's pecan rolls this morning. While they are delicious, the recipe calls for eggs, milk, and butter---all of which we are currently running low on and none of which are sold organically in the corner store. And when we're purchasing free range, organic eggs, 2 eggs out of a dozen for one recipe is still a decent lil sum of money just to bake from scratch. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that most of the time when I do cook from scratch using dairy products, the final product (while definitely healthier and providing more entertainment) costs more than any comparable product from the store.

In contrast, watching the film Julie & Julia yesterday motivated me to cook some part of dinner from "scratch" last night using items that we had on hand. However after looking up several recipes online about how to make stuffed bell peppers (3 of which had been languishing in our fridge for weeks), I decided to try to improvise my own version...and I think they turned out fairly well. (I'm sure the husband was thrilled to wake up from his nap to the news that I wasn't exactly sure what I was concocting in the kitchen....especially when I almost ruined his frozen pizza the night before just by putting it in the oven.....)

In the cupboards I'd discovered a bag of asparagus risotto and in the freezer we had a bag of frozen veggies given to us months ago by another couple. The risotto took forever to make (even though the instructions said it'd take under 20 minutes) but turned out well. I also made a small pan of stuffing using bread, celery, and spices--improvising vegetable stock with hot water left over from boiling the peppers, white wine, and salt & pepper. The peppers themselves were stuffed with a mix of the risotto, stuffing, and veggies with Parmesan cheese and more breadcrumbs for additional flavoring. Since I know that stuffed peppers aren't a favorite of the husband, I also did a side of pasta with sauce to boot. Turned out well, took two hours, and I used quite a few of the ingredients that had been hanging out in our fridge and cupboards for weeks--altogether worthwhile!

So I guess the moral of my morning thoughts is that at times cooking from scratch makes more sense than others from a simplicity and cost effectiveness stand point. Although, the bottom line is that made from scratch is almost always the healthier option.....

Holly Days are Here Again

Looking into the area behind our back yard with the recent snowfall

Our Trees for Troops Christmas tree!!

So Christmastime is here again and I've decided to return to the blog. Sugar cookies are cooling on the counter, the pets are lounging about lazily, and Bing has been singing us his holiday hits for the last two days straight! Our free tree is up and decorated with ornaments from Mom and Dad. Our holiday lights have been hung on our back patio with care!

Much has changed and yet much has stayed the same in the last month, although altogether things have gotten better. I subbed fairly consistently during the month of November, although it proved to the husband and I that sharing one vehicle isn't conducive to my actually maintaining a job. So we're in the process of gathering a down payment so that sometime in the spring we'll be able to purchase a second vehicle. I also recently got a second on-call (although more off-call) part-time position that will start in January--hopefully this will lead into a full-time position. In the meantime I'll continue to have subbing opportunities as well.

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with various friends. A high school buddy of mine was presenting at a conference in New Orleans so we joined him and explored the city over the actual holiday. We both definitely want to return to check out more of the culture and history that exists there! From New Orleans, we traveled to Georgia to meet up with friends of my husband and then to attend a wedding for a couple from our military post here in Louisiana. The wedding was small and really done well! The return drive across the south was beautiful during the fall and the time away together was much needed. While we planned well with cheap hotel rates, we still blew through a decent chunk of change.....thus we've been re-learning to live on the cheap.

Our food budget for this month has been much less and our initial grocery trip included buying in bulk and price comparing just about everything. However in an attempt to save money it also meant forgoing some of our usually organic choices for more commercial ones (ie regular yogurt rather than organic, etc etc-- btw there is a major taste difference). The only choice this didn't impact was our eggs--after watching Food Inc (which is now available on instant Netflix) the husband agrees that organic, free range eggs are the most ethical choice we can make. However by buying in bulk, we've also lessened the number of trips we need to be making to the grocery store which is very nice!!

The pets continue to keep us entertained...and on our toes. After noticing the horrible, chemical smell coming from the clay litter in Major's box, we have switched to some great pine shavings. The litter clumps much better, lasts longer, and doesn't smell hardly at all. Ironically cleaning out his litter, now reminds me of cleaning a hamster's cage!

Another product I recently had to replace/reorder was that of my mineral foundation. While I went ahead and replaced my mascara with the cheaper version, I didn't want to skimp out on the substance that covers the majority of my face: my foundation. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the order from Alima (remember: Portland based, recycles make-up containers) also shipped in recyclable packaging, included many free sample products, and sent us organic chocolate samples for the holidays too! VERY PLEASED!!

In the next week or two I want to spend some time thinking about the direction of this blog. Getting married and moving has definitely changed up my world as I've known it and at times that filters into other areas of our lives too. It dawned on me this past week that I no longer flinch when I throw a glass container into the trash, nor when I'm drinking out of a Styrofoam container...and it bothers me that these things have become normal to me. Yet I also don't see myself attempting to take on the battle of creating change either. Whether or not that makes me apathetic and part of the problem, I have yet to decide......

However I also recognize that many of the values that I do hold most dear are ultimately ingrained and have stuck throughout the many transitions of this last year. My lettuce continues to grow in the front beds (its about the only thing that survived the fluke snow we had last weekend!), we're still thinking about toxic exposures and attempting to prevent them in our home, I'm still darning clothes that need mending, and I'm still thinking about where my money is going....but maybe, just maybe, I'm also wondering what it means these days to be just so authentically me....

One thing is for sure: I'm glad for the remembrance of the season and the refreshing nature that comes with the new year! Until I post again, happiness and fullness for each of you!