The True Queen of Frugal

This post astounds me. Seriously, this is my ideal.

Handprints on the Wall: The True Queen of Frugal

Laundry once a week, all line dried. Herbs from the garden. Grocery shopping twice a year! Oh, good, gosh, I think I stumbled into heaven.

Seriously, I wish we could live like that. Unfortunately, life at the moment demands otherwise. But it's something to shoot for.

Cloth napkins

A while back, much like this post on Tomato Soup Cake, I found cloth napkins on sale. My hesitancy matches up pretty well with what The Mama talks about on her blog (more laundry, stains, paper towels work just fine, etc.). And, like her, I went ahead and took the plunge.

However, one other reason I didn't buy them for the longest time is because I had it in my head that I needed to buy napkin rings to go with them. I've since found many alternatives. Here's just a few of them:

• ribbon (my personal favorite)
  
• raffia (good for Thanksgiving)
  
• silk flowers (best if you get these for free)
  
• rings made from cardboard tubes, covered in the material of your choice
• pipe cleaners
• braided yarn

One more comment about cloth napkins and then I have to go. If you make them yourself (not difficult to do), they need to be large. The best I have are easily larger than a dinner plate. And if you have children, try to find ones that are fairly absorbent and durable, as well as beautiful. They will get used. :)

Depression-era cooking

I'm going to only post the first episode to get y'all started. Have fun! :)

About coupons

I don't coupon, sorry to say. The foods I eat (whole grains in #10 cans and 20 lb. bags) usually aren't covered by coupons.

However, some of those who read my blog do or at least have kicked around the idea. For those who are interested, here's a post on basic couponing.

Solar Cooking

I found this really interesting article on making a solar cooker. It's by Steve Jones, a physicist from BYU. Enjoy.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm

Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson

This isn't really a review. In fact, this book is written in such a way that I don't think I could review it. It would be like reviewing the dictionary or the encyclopedia.

Because this month is going to be very busy for me (all sorts of parties going on this month) I won't have time to talk about this book in detail. But to give you a taste of it, I'll tell you that this is the anti-Martha Stewart book. No, it doesn't attack her. But it does make it clear where they stand in regard to the house. They're fun, but not the heart of the home. To paraphrase, imitating the chores and crafts of the past doesn't make your house a home.

So, what does it take? As much as feminists resent it, it takes identifying yourself with your home. It means that no matter where you are right now, you care enough about yourself and those with you to make the home clean, ordered, and easy to live in.

Just try it for a few weeks. Take a look at your home and ask yourself, "What does my home say about me?" If you don't like the answer, figure out what needs to change.

More later.

Website about beans

Beans are a fantastic addition to the frugal diet. They don't spike your blood sugar, they have no gluten (for those who are sensitive), they regulate the system and are the "other half" to grains like wheat and rice.

Here's a site for those who love beans. I'll post more on this topic next month (March).

http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2003/april/0403tabletalk.html#6

CPSIA and thrift stores... again?

A while back there were some toys from China that were found to have too much lead in them. The media went crazy because 1) people hate the Made in China label in the first place and 2) ingesting lead is bad, especially for children and infants/toddlers have a tendency to put anything they find in their mouth.

So, people wrote their congressmen (and women); a law was written (CPSIA) and passed; and as a result of that justified hysteria a whole host of things that are perfectly useful and will never find their way to a toddler's mouth are being thrown out. Even items that have acceptable levels of lead according to a limited testing will be thrown out because precious few can afford the more comprehensive and more expensive testing the government now requires. If they continue to sell or "distribute" (which includes just giving the items away) these items and they turn out to have lead in them that more comprehensive testing would have revealed, they could face large fines and even jail time.

Before 1985, the illustrations in children's books (the paper and cardboard kind) used lead. Therefore, because they are an item children use, all children's books printed before 1985 are suspect. This even applies to libraries. Why? Because libraries "distribute" books and CPSIA applies to all distributors.

Libraries, which had been given a year's stay, are unsure if they will be allowed to keep any children's books printed before 1985. Some have begun to quarantine books.

Even some thrift stores, which I thought had been made exempt, have decided to throw out pre-1985 "ordinary" children's books and any children's clothes that have metal parts as a way of avoiding future liability. It makes more financial sense to just throw the items away.

What's next? Seriously, what other insanity is going to come out of this law? I didn't think I would ever advocate anything political on this blog, but something needs to be done. So, write your local paper, call or send a letter/email to your congressman, find some way of stopping this insanity before we lose something more than some clothes and a part of our heritage.

How to Wash Dishes by Hand

I really love washing dishes by hand. It's faster and, if done right, gets dishes just as clean, sometimes cleaner, than a dishwasher. I strayed from washing by hand last year due to an illness. I mistakenly thought it would kill more germs if I washed the dishes in a dishwasher. However, we used twice as much water, the dishes didn't come out as clean, and we still got sick. So, I've gone back to washing by hand. I not only use less water, but the dishes are coming out cleaner and, I'm assuming, less germy.

Just in case you were like me and didn't grow up knowing how to wash dishes by hand (there really is a trick to it) here are the basics, based on my own experience.

1. Make sure your dish rack and washtubs (or sink) are clean.
2. Fill up one container (or side of your sink) with hot, soapy water. Soap needs vary; adjust to your own circumstances.
   
3. Put dirty, scraped dishes in the hot, soapy water to soak. In washing, start with cleaner dishes, like glasses, then plates and so on until you've gotten to the really dirty stuff. (If you're washing dishes for a lot of people it's very important to scrape as much food off them as you can since you'll be trying to stretch out this wash water for all the dishes).
4. Fill another container with HOT, clean water. It needs to be hot enough that you won't want to keep your hand in there for more than a few seconds, but not so hot that you'll burn yourself. (The heat is very important here. The water must be hot enough to evaporate within minutes after the dish has been lifted out of the rinse water. The goal is to avoid wiping the dishes after they've been washed.)
5. Some people use cloth to scrub dishes, but I like using an all-purpose brush. Whatever you use, make sure the tool is able to thoroughly clean the dish inside and out. Clean your glasses, plates, etc. leaving the cooking items, if they weren't washed as you cooked, for last. Experiment with baking soda, washing soda, or vinegar to clean pots and pans.
   
6. As you wash each dish, put it in the HOT water rinse. When the rinse tub is full, move those dishes to the dish rack. Once that is full, if you have more dishes to wash and rinse, go ahead and fill the rinse water again with dishes while the first batch dries. If your water is hot enough, they should be dry and ready to put away by the time you finish. (Addendum: If you decide to dry the dishes -- I do sometimes -- be sure to use a clean, fresh dish towel. Do not use any towel that doubles as a hand towel in the kitchen.)
   
7. After all the dishes have been washed and put away, clean your dish rack (I recommend a few tablespoons of vinegar and a couple teaspoons of borax diluted with a couple cups of water... I keep mine in a spray bottle) and scrub out your sink with some cleanser (I use baking soda).

This whole routine, even with a family of nine, doesn't take more than 10 minutes most nights. Special occasions do take a little longer but even then it only adds another 10 to 15 minutes. Part of this is because I try to minimize the amount of pots, pans, and bowls I use when putting a meal together. I also tend to clean as I go so that cleaning fuses with meal preparation.

Anyway, there you have it: how I do dishes.

Preparedness Principles: A Review

I found this book while shopping at a local bookstore. It was marked down to $5.99 from $26.99. I figured, why not? It's about preparedness and it's relatively cheap. Even if it only has one or two good things in it, it'll be worth the price.

It turned out to be a very, very good deal.

As a side note for those who would rather not be prepared or think preparedness means having food and water for three days, I strongly feel that preparedness is the heart of homemaking. All preparedness means is that you've thought ahead for your family. It's the same feeling behind making a will or starting a college fund for your child.

Anyway, on to the review: Preparedness Principles by Barbara Salsbury and Sandi Simmons (link provided so you'll know what the cover looks like).

Summary: A fantastic book both for those who have no idea where to start in getting prepared on a domestic level for the future as well as those who have been studying and practicing these things for several years. Covers several subjects and gets to the heart of the matter quickly.

Good stuff: First off, I love the focus of this book. Focusing on principles makes it much easier to plan specific responses tailored to your locale and family situation. That foundation makes everything else in the book flow along smoothly.

She divides crises into four categories: worst-case scenarios, provident living, dealing with disasters and emergency evacuation. The first two are long-term preparedness and the last two are short-term and the ones we usually think of when we think about preparing for disasters. She focuses first on the worst-case scenario and by doing so shows the importance of planning as well as diversifying our preparedness activities. Very well done.

I also like the emphasis given money and storage space right up front. To paraphrase, it's all well and good to have a year's supply of food but that's not going to pay the mortgage. Having a handle on finances also makes it much easier to know how much extra one can spend at the store to build up her Pantry Principle living.

In fact, that was really my favorite part of the book. Amy Dacyzyn mentions it as well in her Tightwad Gazette books as a way of dramatically lowering the grocery bill but Preparedness Principles integrates it into a long-term storage plan.

The information on crises was the best I've seen, especially regarding sanitation during a disaster. In fact, that chapter alone was worth the price I paid for the book. Honestly, I would have probably paid full price as long as she helped me figure out what to do about the toilet and diapers.

All of the information, by the way, is based on actual experience, unlike other books which shall go unnamed that seemed to be thrown together just to make a buck from interested folks (don't even get me started on those frustrating collections of paper).

And of course, my favorite chapter was How Can I Store a McDonald's In My Cupboard? :)

Not so good stuff: I'm sitting here looking through the book and I swear I can't find any. I wish she had mentioned other options other than soymilk for those with lactose intolerances, but that's about it.

This book is highly recommended for any and all homemakers.

Soil and organizing

We got the results back from our soil sample. We've seen some weeds that love soil low in nitrogen, so we weren't surprised when we saw next to no nitrogen on the results. Phosphorous needs to be added as well. It's good to know all this, especially now that we must get our first seeds out into the garden.

Already planted: broccoli seedling, two types of lettuce, and spinach. Sometime this week I need to plant the onions and celery. It's been such a mild winter that I'm thinking of planting some sunflowers next week instead of waiting for the average last frost date to pass by. We'll see.

I also plan on getting some containers going for ginger and peppermint. Not sure if I want to do the same with the comfrey.

Anyway, since I'm also focusing on organizing this spring, I thought I'd pass along this link regarding habits and organization. Enjoy.

Bulk Grains, part finale

Last time we talked about wheatgrass and other seedlings. BTW, did you know you if you plant leaf lettuce, you can pick off the young leaves as it grows and eat them? Your own baby lettuce leaves right at home.

I digress.

Today, I'm going to talk very briefly about using sprouts in cooking. Why would you use sprouts in cooking? Doesn't that kill the little things and destroy their goodness? Well, if you use a low enough heat, you can still retain many of the benefits of sprouts and yet manage to make them delicious. Or you can cook them as usual (with less water perhaps) and manage to get quite a bit of goodness out of them due to the chemical changes that occur through sprouting. There are many different ways to use them, even in things like muffins and pancakes, without a grinder. I will admit, though, that if you want to use them like that, you'll need a blender.

Now for the different ways of using them.

It's incredibly easy to use sprouts in soups. Just chop them up (if necessary) and sprinkle them in. I've found they work best when added at the end. In fact, I'll often omit the grain the recipe calls for and substitute sprouts.

They can also be low-heated by themselves. For example, take some wheat that's been sprouted for about a day and bring to a boil in an equal amount of water. Cover, turn the heat off and let sit in a very well insulated place to retain heat. When most of the wheat has burst (you'll know it when you see it) it's ready. We've found a double boiler works really well if you want to just keep cooking it at a low heat (think steaming, not simmering and you should get the temperature just right). Or you can put it the sprouted wheat in a thermos with boiling water and let it sit overnight. That should do it. Even most crock pots on a low setting will cook it without killing too much of the good stuff (ours doesn't but that's another story).

As for seasonings... we've used bouillions, broths, and bases (mostly vegetable); we've used cayenne for a "hot" cereal and we've also made almond milk and eaten it like a breakfast cereal. Let your imagination soar! I've even used it to make a pilaf by cutting up an onion, sauteeing the onion and wheat with some garlic and any other seasonings in about 2 T of olive oil, adding broth and cooking it at a very gentle simmer until it absorbs the liquid. I got the idea from Making the Best of Basics which has some pretty good ideas for whole grains (works best as a pantry planner though).

If you have a blender and really want to try out some wonderful recipes with your sprouted grain, I highly recommend Sue Gregg's and Traci Sellers' recipes books (links go to their websites). The recipe I'm about to give you now is my absolute favorite pancake recipe (and is used with permission from Traci Sellers). All the other pancake recipes we knew, I had a horrible time with mucus afterward. Pancakes became a no-no every time we came down with colds. We've also found Traci's recipe treats the kids' tummies much better than regular pancakes.

You need:

• 1 1/2 cups minimally sprouted grain (I, Mrs. V., use stuff that's been sprouted about a day) (we use hard red wheat just because we have a lot of it... you can use other kinds... buckwheat makes it look like you added eggs)
• 1 cup water
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil (I swear I can't taste it at all in this recipe)
• 1/2 t sea salt (optional)
• 2 t baking powder

Here are the instructions as written in her recipe book (note: this recipe can also be used to make waffles):

1. Preheat griddle or waffle iron
2. Blend the first 4 ingredients on high until smooth. Add baking powder while still blending and shut off blender. Batter should begin to fluff, do not re-blend if using a Belgian waffle iron.
3. Pour onto preheated non-stick griddle or into waffle iron that has been sprayed with non-stick olive oil spray (Mrs. V: we just use straight olive oil). Cook until bubbles cover one side and then flip for pancakes, or until steam stops escaping iron for waffles (this may take longer than traditional waffles, usually 2 cycles.)

Hint: If cakes or waffles come out too heavy, add a little more water to the batter.

~@~ End recipe

I also highly recommend Traci Seller's recipe book if you're into health food at all. She bases her recipes on Dr. Christopher's mucusless diet, something that has helped us a lot during illnesses, not to mention with overall general health. If you check out her website you'll find a lot more wonderful recipes, including muffins, desserts and main dishes using grain and legume goodness (not to mention nuts and salads and I'd better stop now before this post becomes too long). We've been using her recipe book for some time now in our attempt to eat better and it has made an enormous difference in our health... mostly because it makes healthy eating delicious! :)

I know I'm gushing, but dang it, I love her recipes.

Oh, and one final thing before I end this series. Once, my husband was canning wheat and one of the guys with him was, in his own words, a "farmboy". My husband said he was hungry and the farmboy told him to take a small amount of wheat and put it in his mouth. After letting it sit for a few minutes, my husband was surprised to find it was soft enough to chew. I swear this really happened, though I've got too many mental blocks to doing that myself. But, if worse comes to worse, that's another way of cooking your wheat. :)

I think that's about it for now. I hope you've enjoyed this trip through using grains without a grinder. Enjoy.

Clean and Green: a review

I've been wanting to write this review ever since I was in the store last week and saw a book by a well-known environmentally-friendly cleaning solution company. I flipped through it and realized very quickly that most of the book seemed to be fluff. Oh, there was some good stuff in there, but mostly it was the why and not the how. I guess they figured if they put their name on a book the people were more than likely going to buy their product instead of making their own at home.

Because this was so different from my experience with environmentalism during the nineties, I thought a review of a good source might be helpful.

Clean and Green is, in essence, a recipe book about cleaning by Annie Berthold-Bond. According to the introduction, she first started experimenting with nontoxic solutions when her health demanded she stay away from commercial cleaners. They made her sick enough she couldn't touch them. It wasn't until later that she realized the environmental impact, and personally, I think that was all for the better because I feel it gives the book a much-needed pragmatic outlook.

The first chapter is the best in that it briefly explains the difference between chemical and "green" cleaning, the dangers inherent in many chemical cleaners, and the basic tools and products you'll need to make your own cleaners. I enjoyed the clarity of the information, though I'm sure some will feel it was too brief on the evils of chemicals. I have a few chemical-sensitive people in my home so I really don't need that much convincing.

The rest of the book is devoted to the recipes and it is extremely thorough. This is a book written by someone who seems to have tried just about everything. She includes "green" products when listing cleaners, but it's the recipes that make up the meat of the book and that make it shine (pun intended). Nowadays there are only one or two key items that might take either mail/online ordering or requesting a store carry an item. Washing soda* happens to be one of those. Thankfully, my local Kroger carries it.

I've used all the basic recipes and a few of the not so basic ones. They work really well, especially the all-purpose cleaners. The money you'll save from just one of those all-purpose cleaners alone will make up for the money spent buying the book in a month or two. (If you have a smaller family than mine it might take longer ;) She even has a recipe for car wax and cleaning oil stains from pavement (haven't tried that one yet but it intrigues me).

In fact, the only section that has disappointed me so far is the laundry section. She mostly gives recommendations for various commercial laundry soaps instead of explaining how to make your own.

The book is old, so the mail order information at the end might be worthless by now. From what I saw many of those companies are still around though perhaps not with the same contact info.

Summary: If you want to truly save money on cleaning supplies, this is the book for the job. Even the initial cost is not as much as one would think and your life will change for the better. I have no chemical sensitivities and yet I've found that by limiting the amount of chemicals in my life I can clearly tell now when they're being used.

*Washing soda is not baking soda. The name sounds similar but the action is very different. Washing soda is a great grease cutter and is slightly caustic (I recommend gloves... trust me). It is also one half of the amazing stain lifter Oxi-Clean, the other being a powdered form of hydrogen peroxide. If my info is correct, that is.

Spring is almost here!

I can feel it in the wind and in the increasing storms. :)

I've sent off my soil sample to the appropriate location -- well, technically my husband did but I was the one who collected the sample so maybe I should say "we"? Maybe so. We have sent off our soil sample. We are looking forward to the results.

However, I still have to get the lettuce and onions planted this week. I'll have to look at my gardening journal to see what else needs to go in the ground (spinach maybe?). It's pretty crucial here in Texas to start them now so they won't wither and die in the summer sun. I think I'm too late for snapdragons. We'll see.

I've been reading the companion book for Frontier House, a series on PBS that tossed three families into 1880s Montana homesteading. The book has some amazing information that's helped me in my homemaking. Last year, when I was trying to garden, I was also trying to sew, and finish up (later prep) for homeschooling, and a whole host of other things. One of the things that stood out at me was the rhythm of these items, seasonally. Here's what I gathered from what I read that applies to my situation

• Spring: a time of planting/sowing, deep cleaning and organizing (including emergency supplies), time to wrap up items left over from winter.
  
• Summer: lots of time spent in the garden weeding and caring for it (not to mention yardwork).
• Fall: time to preserve (this has probably kind of been going on all summer but this is the final push before winter), time to make sure the emergency plans and supplies are in place, fixing up and organizing house/yard for winter, time to wind down and focus on schooling the kids.
• Winter: Time to focus on school and sewing (most of the sewing will be done during this time period). Winter, in general, seems to be a time of turning inward as this is when there's time to make plans for the next year.

I like that schedule. It looks much more balanced than last year. We'll see if it saves me time and sanity in 2009.

A Day of Rest

Today, I plan on doing some writing and reading some of my more spiritual books. I really wish I had a copy of Made From Scratch on hand. It's by Jean Zimmerman and it's a look at what homemaking has meant over the centuries, from vital half of the domestic life (even spiritual in some cultures) to redefined roles in the Industrial age (carrying over to the Fifties Housewife), to the present yearning for fading arts. It really helped me answer my first questions about the spiritual side I've always felt in homemaking.

Now, I have The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. Good gosh, it's not just about homemaking... it's about adding creativity to all parts of our lives. A fantastic book and I hope to finish it soon.

How are you going to spend your day of rest?

On hold and Pictures

First, the series on using bulk grains is going to be on hold for a couple of weeks while I work something out. I'll still blog in the meantime... there's plenty out there to blog about.

Second, I've discovered this wonderful blog by a mom of many children. I'm going to add her button to this blog because the pictures I've seen so far are... well, I just like them. :) They stir my creativity. Maybe they'll do the same for you.

1000 words

Valentine flowers (beautiful!)

This was so beautiful I just had to share it. Check out these lovely valentine's day flowers at maya*made. (Picture used by permission.)

Frugality and Time

I like the sound of this new series on Frugal Hacks and thought I would pass along the info. It's about finding the time to be frugal. It starts next Tuesday, but this link will take you to the overview.

Frugality and Time

Gardening

I've decided to take a brief break today from my series about grain to offer up a few ramblings about gardening. Don't worry. I'll keep it all in one post. ;)

Last year, my garden was a disaster. I planted lettuce, carrots, radishes (because a still-dear friend of our family said anyone could grow radishes), tomatoes, habaneros, and a single jalapeno plant. The lettuce didn't even show up, the carrots and radishes grew lovely leaves but next to no roots, and the habaneros which supposedly love sun were cooked to death by ours (we couldn't seem to water them enough). The only plants that gave us any fruit were the tomatoes (a full 3 feet shorter than they should have been) and the jalapeno. They looked battle-worn and weary, but they gave us about 10 tomatoes (from four plants) and 5 jalapenos (from one plant). We used them in sandwiches and for juicing. (And I swear, after eating a homegrown tomato I will only buy store-bought under pain of death.)

The year before this we tried planting sunflower seeds. They were the 6 ft. variety with huge heads bigger than my hand, fingers fully extended. That's what the package promised anyway. Ours never got above 2 ft. and the heads were about the size of my toddler's fist.

So, this year I'm going to have our soil formally tested. It only costs $25. I consider that a bargain if it means I'm going to have a decent garden this year.

In the meantime, I'm growing a couple of broccoli seedlings. Soon I'll be starting on my lettuce (maybe if I start them indoors they'll grow better?), onions and spinach.

I've also been reading, both for information and for pure fantasy. I can't help it. I get hooked by anything that has a lovely diagram showing where all the plants go, and I really go nuts if they also have a painting or photograph so you can see the effect. I'm trying to make sure my little garden plot looks just as interesting without becoming too complex. Here are some of the books/e-books I've been reading recently.

• Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. This is the first one I started with. I felt I should try to improve the soil instead of taking the easy way out by creating my own soil on top (replenishing the earth maybe?). I'm glad for the challenge but dang it! I didn't think it would be this hard.
• Momma's Guide to Growing Your Groceries by Kimberly Eddy. There's a lot of things I love about this e-book. The thing I like best is her perspective on bringing in the kids.
• Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. A great book to help me figure out which plants to put where.
• Texas Gardening the Natural Way by Howard Garrett. The title says it all. A very good, very helpful book that covers more than just vegetables. I don't think we would have had any tomatoes at all if I hadn't used his Garrett Juice and garlic tea. It's also helped us take care of the land we're renting.
  
• Container Gardening by Sunset Publishing. Pretty pictures and easy to understand directions for using containers. My herbs are going to go into containers so I've really been studying this one.
  

I'm just really glad I didn't invest much money in my garden last year. This year I've gotten a better idea of what my soil is capable of, as well as how plants respond to the brutality of a Texas spring and summer. Hopefully, between that knowledge and whatever the soil test turns up, I'll be able to grow enough food to use in the recipes I'll be trying out from Putting It Up With Honey (Susann Geiskopf-Hadler). More on that after I've used the book a few times.

If you have a car loan, you might want to read this

It turns out that car dealers have been going out of business. Didn't know that but it makes sense. This little bit ticks me off though (from the linked article):

When a car buyer still owes money on a vehicle he is trading in, the dealer promises to pay off the outstanding loan, then resells the vehicle. But as more dealers go out of business, some are sticking consumers with the bill. Lenders can then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was paid, or repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with clear title.

Our new goal after reading this is to get our car paid off as soon as possible. We've been wanting to do that anyway, but this really cinches it. It also emphasizes to me the need to stay out of debt in the first place, if you can.

Bulk Grain, part trois

(I thought of using spanish in the title instead of french. Decided french was confusing enough.)

(And no, I don't know spanish or french very well. I just know how to count in both languages. :)

Last time I talked about making sprouts to sprinkle in soups and layer on sandwiches among other things. Today, we're going to take the sprouting concept a little farther in one direction. Next time we'll take this to the other (you'll see what I mean when we get there).

Sprouts can be used to grow little seedling grasses which can be juiced and imbibed. Everyone has a different reaction to these, so if you truly can't stand it, I wouldn't force myself to like it. However, wheatgrass has more chlorophyll than wheat sprouts and we've gotten a really good reaction when we add wheatgrass (live or powdered) to our diet, especially in the winter. If you decide to grow wheatgrass (or any other green grass seedling) you'll need a wheatgrass juicer. They aren't that expensive and they juice all kinds of greens, so if growing wheatgrass or something similar is something you want to try, I highly recommend getting one. These greens, for the most part, aren't chewable. My husband and I have occasionally taken a small clump of grass and chewed it but only Mr. Vinca managed to enjoy it. Chewing the stuff made me gag.

Oddly enough, I have no problem with the juices, whereas I know several people who do. Go figure.

So, why do we put ourselves through this? Several reasons that would take up too much of this post and are too similar to the reasons for making sprouts. Most importantly, we feel better when we drink wheatgrass juice. We don't drink large amounts and we don't drink them every day, but we've found with greens you don't need a lot to benefit your life.

Because we've used wheatgrass quite a bit, that's what I'll talk about in this post. However, you can also grow barleygrass, sunflower greens, and buckwheat greens using this method (see both the wheatgrass section in Recipes for a Longer Life and The Wheatgrass Book both by Ann Wigmore). Also, water requirements change with the seasons as well as location. Feel free to change around the method to suit your area.

Growing Wheatgrass

1. Soak your wheat like you do for sprouts. We use 2 cups for a 10"x21" flat.
2. Drain the sprouts well.
3. Prepare your container. Traci Sellers uses small paper bowls with no soil just holes punched in the bottom, and our local health food store sells hydroponically grown wheatgrass, but I've never been able to grow wheatgrass without soil. If you use soil (like me), any container will work as long as it allows drainage without letting a whole lot fall through. You won't need much soil in it... about 1 to 2". Some also add azomite or peat moss.*
4. Sprinkle your soaked sprouts on top of the soil. Do not press them in or cover them with soil.
5. Gently, gently water the sprouts, trying to make sure you don't bury them.
6. You can either cover your sprouts at this point with another container turned upside down, or you can do like we do. We get anywhere from 3 to 8 layers of newspaper wet and lay it down on top of the sprouts (3 if it's humid, 8 if it's dry or winter).
7. Twice a day check on them to make sure they have enough water or that the newspaper hasn't dried out. If it has, wet it down with some water.
8. After a couple of days, your sprouts should have grown 1" blades of grass. If they have, uncover the sprouts so they can start getting some sun.
   
9. Water every day, make sure it gets sun or a good equivalent, and watch it grow.
10. When the grass gets to about 6", it's ready to harvest.
11. Harvesting: cut with a sharp knife close to the roots. Put in juicer cut-side up. Start with 1 oz. for adults, 1 tsp. for children. Mix with half n' half with apple juice or water if the taste is too strong. 4 oz. is the limit for most adults and personally I feel lucky if the kids will take 1 tsp. in their juice.

* Both are optional, though we've found in our personal experience that without azomite we can't get a decent crop from our wheat we buy at the LDS cannery. It just doesn't grow very well.

Wheatgrass is a little more complex than sprouts but not much more. It's also a good introduction into growing seedlings and the complexities of gardening.

If you want a kit, they sell them on the Internet. We started out using supplies from Wheatgrasskits.com. They have a lot of information as well as supplies, juicers and kits for other kinds of indoor gardening.

Oh, and as a side note, if you end up with wheat that hasn't been threshed/winnowed properly and you don't feel like getting it consumable for people or using it for wheatgrass for yourself, wheat makes a very good cover crop.

We don't have any livestock but we've heard wheatgrass makes an excellent food for cows. The milk they give when they eat wheatgrass has a very high vitamin and mineral content. According to Price's book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, one village he visited in the Alps considered the butter made from such milk sacred: something to be used all through the winter months when the cows don't produce as well. He tested it and it did indeed have a much better nutritional content than the butters sold commercially. So, FYI.

One final word about spent wheatgrass. Some people can manage to get a second growth out of it. If you cut it before the jointing stage, it will grow back just like your lawn after mowing. However, we usually either just throw it out or compost it. Of the two, I highly recommend composting. Not only does it reduce landfill space, it takes all that lovely green growth and turns it into something you can use on future flats... or in your garden, whether you use containers or the backyard. I'll try to do a post on composting soon since we're gearing up for our garden here in Texas.

Next in this series: low-heating grains, the why and the how.

Bulk Grain, part deux

Last time I talked about Rejuvelac. This time I'm going to talk about sprouting.

Sprouting is also very easy. In fact, for those who are lazy (like me), this is a great science project for your kids. The amount you'll want to start with will vary, so please don't take the numbers I give as absolutes. I've seen anywhere from 2 tablespoons (for alfalfa) to 2 cups (for buckwheat). Each grain has a different amount of water it soaks up and a different amount of sproutage (is that a word?) that will fill a quart Mason jar (my preferred container).

Also, you don't have to use a jar. There are people out there who use bags to sprout seeds (a space saver though I've never used them myself) and I've sprouted large amounts of grain in mixing bowls.

So, why would you want to sprout your grains? Sprouting the seeds changes the chemical composition of the grain. When the grain is dry, the nutrients are dormant. After all, the plant isn't growing, is it? But once the conditions tell the grain to start sprouting, a host of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other goodies appear to help the grain grow. Protein also increases, both in quantity and quality. Because of this, sprouted grain is more than just a good supplement to your diet, it's what we rely on during the winter months to give us "greens" when there are none. We've personally found our energy increases dramatically when we've used sprouts on a consistent basis.

Sprouts are also very versatile. You can eat them all by themselves, combine them for a salad, pile them on a sandwich (in addition to or in place of lettuce), add them to cooked foods like stir-fry or soups or casseroles and on and on and on. The more you play with them, the more you discover about your tastes and about grain itself.

And did I mention you can sprout beans? :) I recommend low-heating, steaming, or cooking them after sprouting. Some sources say it's a good idea to do this because of possible toxins but I like it just because I'm used to soft, mushy beans. Crunchy beans don't appeal to me.

Now, there are some things to keep in mind. You should never, EVER sprout seeds intended for agricultural use. They're often treated with insecticides and may make you sick.

Also, don't try sprouting tomato or potato seeds. They're poisonous to humans.

If you want more information, I highly recommend The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore. She has more information on sprouting in bags and trays as well as information on how long to sprout different seeds and how to use them once they're sprouted. There's also a section on sprouting in Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens. That's the book that got us started.

On to the how of sprouting.

Equipment

(Remember, this is just what I use. I list them because these things are common to most homes.)

• a quart jar (our first container was a washed out plastic peanut butter jar)
  
• a piece of cotton guaze, nylon net, or pantyhose -- any durable, mesh-like fabric
• a strong rubber band (or sealing ring if you have one)

How I Sprout My Seeds

1. Fill the jar halfway with warm water (I use tap but some recommend filtered or distilled).
   
2. Measure out an appropriate amount of seeds, beans or grain (if in doubt, start with 2 tablespoons). Pick out any foreign objects and, if you like, broken seeds (these will swell but won't sprout).
3. Put measured amount in jar. Cull "floaters" or "sinkers" ("floaters" when most of the seeds fall to the bottom of the jar -- "sinkers" when most float on the top).
4. Secure the chosen fabric onto the top of the jar with the band (or ring).
5. In general, soak 6-8 hours. If it's cold in the house, soak 8-12 hours. Quinoa only takes 4-6 hours, at most.
6. After soaking, drain them, rinse once, drain well (it's best to let the jar sit upside down at an angle for a few minutes), then set them in a dark place (or cover them if that's not available). Try to put them in a warm place since this speeds up the process.
7. Rinse and drain the seeds about 2-3 times a day until the seeds grow to the desired length (varies with seeds).
8. (optional) the last day of sprouting, put the seeds in the window to get some sun. This works beautifully with alfalfa seeds and gives them those little leaves you see in the store-bought sprouts.

For those who are curious about lengths, here's where I stop sprouting if I'm sprouting these for "veggie" use.

Wheat = seed length (I'm talking about the part that eventually becomes the blade of grass, not the rootlets that first show up).
Rice (brown, whole grain, short-grain) = seed length
Quinoa = about 1"
Alfalfa = 2"
Garbanzo/chickpea = 1/2"
Lentils = anywhere from 1/4" to 1" depending on the recipe
Buckwheat = 1" to 3" (note: this seed will need to be rinsed 4 to 5 times the first day because of the mucus-like stuff the seeds throw off... also, I wouldn't recommend eating these very often... I've heard large quantities can make some people more sensitive to light... however, they taste really good).
Radish = 1 1/2" (very spicy seed)
Mung = about 2" (great in stir-fry... won't look like stuff in stores because they use high-pressure during sprouting to get that look)
Kidney Bean = 1/2"

If you have untreated vegetable seeds, you can use those as well, but once again, do not use vegetable seeds that have been treated with chemicals. I just avoid using veggie seeds altogether except for planting in my garden. That way I avoid the issue altogether.

So, have fun, play around with this, and next time I'll talk about some ways to use the sprouts you've grown, as well as the joys of wheatgrass.

Bag Credit?

I have never heard of this, but it makes sense considering the economy and how much stores spend on bags. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if stores started charging people who didn't bring their own bags. I've heard they already do that in some other countries.

Anyway, apparently there are some stores that will give you credit if you bring your own bag. These include, but are not limited to:

• Target
• Albertsons
• Kroger
• Whole Foods
• Sprouts
  

Frugal Hacks: Stores that give credit for bringing your own bags

Update February 11, 2009: I found out that my local Mrs. Baird's thrift store gives a five cent discount for each bag you use. It wasn't clear if it had to be their bags or just a reusable bag in general, but I'm definitely going to find out since I still buy a small amount of bread products each week.

Bulk Grain or...

... what on earth do I do with all this wheat?!

(This, btw, is the result of my thoughts while I was composing my pancake post... which will eventually happen.)

The most common complaint I've heard when it comes to stocking up on bulk whole grains is "But I don't have a grinder". In case that sounds snarky, I used to say the exact same thing early in my marriage. However, I've found some people who have found a way around it. I offer it here so that those who have whole grains in bulk can rotate them into their diet and get used to them, and so that those who don't have any might be willing to purchase some (there's plenty of places online that sell whole grains in bulk or just go to your local granary or LDS cannery).

I'm going to use wheat as an example just because it's the grain we're most familiar with; many of these things can be done with other grains as well. A lot of the things I'm going to mention were a result of our journey through autism with our two eldest and the whole GF/CF diet thing. If you want to read more of what we are currently doing with our two eldest as we try to help them learn and grow, check out There and Back Again.

Things you can do with whole grains without using a grinder:

• Turn it into Rejuvelac (a "mild drink").
• Sprout it.
• Plant the sprouts and grow edible seedlings (like wheatgrass, barleygrass, and sunflower greens).
• Soak it, sprout it (optional though highly recommended), and cook it on the stove.
• Soak it, sprout it (again optional), and grind it in the blender for use in muffins, quick breads, and pancakes (this one is a fun trick to learn).

I'll go over all these over the next few weeks, possibly even including a few of my favorite recipes if it doesn't violate copyright.

First, Rejuvelac.

Rejuvelac is what Ann Wigmore and others call the water poured off of grain that's been left to sit and ferment for a day or two. It has a very pleasant odor and is chock full of enzymes and good bacteria for your intestines. It also makes raw foods... heck, any food, more digestible if used in a recipe. I use it mostly in "raw" soups and it really adds to the flavor. Even though it's made from fermented grain, it's non-alcoholic because the water is poured off before the grain reaches the point where the chemical change occurs that creates the alcohol.

It's also incredibly easy to make and, unlike some other processes, is pretty forgiving if you don't have the strongest sense of time. I'll show you just how easy it is to make.

Take one cup of grain... any grain. Soak the grain in filtered water overnight (or about 8-12 hours). Strain off the water and rinse the grain well.

Put it in a non-metal container (glass really works the best... we use mason jars). Then, pour about 2-3 cups of purified or distilled water over the grain, cover loosely to keep out the bugs and let it sit. Check it again in about 12-24 hours. It's done when the water is kind of bubbly and tart to the taste. Strain off the water and drink.

That's all.

If you like, you can (and I strongly recommend this) put the grain back in the container you used to let it sit and cover it again with clean water. If you do this it won't take as long for the grain to get nice and bubbly again. The grain can be used (depending on many factors) about 3 to 5 times before it becomes so fermented that it's probably best only for compost. If you really hate to "waste" grain like that, try catching the grain before it becomes too sour for your taste and turn it into Essene Bread. Ann Wigmore has the recipe in Recipes for a Longer Life as does Sue Gregg in her bread book, or you can look for recipes online. I don't make it myself because the one time I tried to make it the sour taste was just too much.

One final thing I feel I must mention: if your Rejuvelac has an off or nasty odor, don't use it or try to save it. Some bad bacteria probably got in there. Rejuvelac should always have a pleasantly fermented smell and taste to it (think yogurt or sour cream... though for some reason mine always makes me think of soda pop... probably the bubbles).

Ann Wigmore recommends floating a small bundle of wheatgrass on top as an extra filter for impurities. We've done that and it does make the Rejuvelac taste better, though not dramatically so. (I'll mention some of the interesting things we've done with wheatgrass in a separate post.)

Next in the series: having fun with sprouts. :)

Freecycle: the Good, the Bad, and the Trash

I first heard about Freecycle through FlyLady. I didn't think much of it at first. Then I started seeing it mentioned on various frugality blogs/sites. I became intrigued and, once my curiosity regarding privacy was satisfied, signed up. I've been using it long enough now that I'd like to give my thoughts on it.

Overview

Freecycle is actually one group encompassing a group of smaller organizations joined by email and the idea that "one man's junk is another man's treasure". You post to your local group (found through the main website though you post through a different medium) if you want to give something away. Emails come back from people (also members of the group) who want what you want to give away. Y'all decide on a method of exchange and hopefully everyone walks away happy.

The Good

Freecycle's biggest awesomeness is the porch pick-up. In our suburban neighborhood it works beautifully: I give a list of items to Mr. Vinca and he picks them up on the way home.

You can find some really odd things that you wouldn't find anywhere else, perhaps not even at a thrift store. And then there are those odds and ends, bits and pieces that would ordinarily just get thrown away but that are good enough to repair/replace items you may already have.

We've gotten a pretty nice desk, material, sheets, and lots of clothes through Freecycle.

The Bad

Although it seems to work for those in rural areas, it sounds like it's more difficult. People aren't as willing to drive and that means the porch pick-up is out. Those who live in rural areas sometimes have to meet face-to-face to exchange or have a "drop-off" (not recommended because of "no-shows"). Also, the porch pick-up would probably not work in a more urban environment.

The "no-show". This is one of the big drawbacks but only if you are desperate to get rid of stuff. A "no-show" is someone who says they'll pick up and never shows up. You email and either the person doesn't respond or sends back excuses. I've given second and third and fourth chances to some "no-shows" and I've learned that if a person doesn't show up the first time to pick up an item, and doesn't send an email explaining why, then it's better to just move on to the next person who asked.

Perhaps this is specific to my area, but time is a big drawback from what I see. If you haven't responded to an email for an item within the first hour it was sent (sometimes within the first couple of minutes) chances are good you won't get it. It depends on the item and it depends on the demand... something you can't guage through watching emails. I've found I have to check email four or five times a day just to have a chance at getting items. And fifty percent of the time there's no payoff.

The Trash

This is perhaps the biggest drawback and might be specific to my area. The better group members describe items in detail, including any damage. A few amazing people will offer photos, especially if it's furniture. Sometimes I'll see an item I want that has very little description. I've learned not to ask for items that don't have much of a description. It may be perfectly fine, or it may not, but either way I'll be spending gas money and time trying to find out. And it's very, VERY bad form to ask for something and then turn around and tell the person giving it away that you don't want it after all.

The worst, of course, is when I misunderstand an email.

Once, there was an entertainment center listed. I misunderstood the description regarding its complete state (it was taken apart by the person giving it away) and thought it was more narrow than it actually was. It is now sitting, unused, in our garage, only because we think we may have a use for the glass doors (cold frame?).

Finally, perhaps other groups are different, but in my group the volume of emails are huge. If I don't check my email at least once a day, I end up spending far more time than I'd like just deleting emails.

Summary

Freecycle is great for those in a suburban neighborhood who have time to check their email several times a day. It also works for those who can't check email as often but primarily want to use Freecycle to get rid of items without filling up the landfill or loading up their car to take stuff to the thrift store.

On Taking Pride in Homemaking

Good, though long, post about worries others have toward those who choose to stay at home with suggestions on how to deal with it. I especially enjoyed the point about complaining. It's too easy, both to do and for others to misinterpret.

Homemaking Without Worry

FYI re: flu

Good information to have regarding this year's flu. I hope no one out there expects to rely on Tamiflu or similar treatments. I firmly believe the flu, due to variety and adaptability, can't be fought by our current medical system. Prevention is key, and if you're herbally-minded, hit it with the strongest stuff your common sense will allow. Most "treatments" in magazines are so weak and watered down they don't do much. I know because I've tried some of those "tips"; I only found relief when I began researching treatments on my own.

I'd better stop now before I begin to rant on a large-scale. Not enough time for that. ;)

Beautiful, easy book

When I saw this I knew I had to link to it here. I've seen other homemade books but none looked as beautiful to me as this method. Enjoy.

Lady Lydia: Book From a Box.