Simplify your refrigerator, your grocery cart, and your trash bin — and save money!
Food waste is a common problem in many homes. I recommend this post by The Frugal Goddess for those of you struggling with “mystery meat” and slimy lettuce.
Food Waste: Why We Do It and How We Can Stop « The Frugal Goddess.
http://charlywalker.wordpress.com has recently awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. Apparently, receiving this award is not as simple as it sounds.
Not only do I have an assignment, but there is some disagreement on what the assignment is. I am supposed to link to seven or fifteen other bloggers, depending on who is giving the rules. (I am going to go with seven.) I am supposed to list seven random things about myself. Also, maybe I am supposed to look up the word “versatile”, or maybe not.
My late grandfather’s 1948 Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has this to say: “Turning with ease from one thing to another; having many aptitudes; many sided”. It also says “fickle”, but I will overlook that… things were different in 1948. I could use an online dictionary, but I like the feel of thin paper and black tabs with gold embossing. I also like seeing my grandfather’s cursive script on the inside cover.
Seven random things about me:
1) I like musicals.
2) I am way behind on my blog reading.
3) I only wear comfortable shoes (comfortable does not mean ugly).
4) I stopped drinking milk ten years ago when I realized I have a mild allergy to it.
5) I rarely get sick.
6) I can’t stand avocados.
7) I recommend the documentary “Young At Heart”.
It is nice to receive an award, especially from one of my lovely readers. I would like to promote my fellow bloggers’ work, so here are a few blogs that make me smile…
http://somethingnewplease.wordpress.com/ (Okay, this one doesn’t always make me smile, but it is always “new” and interesting.)
http://bigsheepcommunications.wordpress.com/
http://byebyebrooklyn.wordpress.com/
I heard this from an art teacher approximately twenty years ago. As a philosophy it has served me well — both in art and in life.
The next time you feel frustrated, think about changing your mind. Try looking at life from another angle.
See where it takes you!
Sometimes we become so accustomed to the sights, smells, and sounds of our homes that we don’t notice them anymore.
Today, imagine that you are a house guest or a potential buyer entering your home for the very first time.
Notice that the plant on the front porch is a musty, dry, shriveled thing, like something The Addams Family would keep.
Notice the the creaking door hinges, the loose drawer, and that sour smell emanating from the refrigerator.
Notice how the tall bookshelf blocks the soft morning light from the window, and how the color of the paint makes the room look smaller than it really is.
Now remember that this is your home.
You deserve better! Oil those hinges. Clean out that refrigerator. Get a new plant. Consider repainting. If you can’t afford needed repairs, try to barter with someone who can help.
Take more pride in your home, and you will feel more pride in your life!
I have set a new goal for myself.
Each week, I want to find at least one way to simplify my life — by skipping something.
I might skip an entire task, or just one step from a complicated one. I might skip an ingredient in a recipe, if I don’t have it and I don’t feel like driving to the store. Frankly, sometimes I find that a recipe is better without the missing ingredient!
I already thought of something to skip this week, but I promptly forgot it again. Forgetfulness doesn’t count as simplification, in case you were wondering. Now I need to think of something else to skip…
In the meantime, I will share an example from the past.
I love potato soup; my mother made some great soups, and that was one of her specialties.
Please note: My mother is alive and well, but she doesn’t cook as much these days, which is why I am speaking of her in the past tense in this particular context.
My mother used a fairly long process to make her potato soup, including using an old hand cranked food mill to break down the potato pieces. This food mill was some kind of antique; as an adult I combed antique stores until I found one like hers. I believed that this device was somehow key to the potato soup making process.
In recent years, it occurred to me that my food mill took too long to use, and far too long to clean. I got rid of the food mill. First, I switched to my modern electric food processor… now I use only a spoon!
What could be easier to clean than a spoon?
I skip a step in the potato soup making process, thus making a spoon as useful as a food processor. I cook the potatoes directly in the chicken stock, instead of combining the two after cooking the potatoes, as my mother did.
I slice the potatoes, chop some onions, and dump them all into a pot with some chicken broth, salt, pepper, and whatever other seasoning I may be craving on that day. Then I boil until the potatoes are just soft enough to crush and crumble with a wooden stirring spoon. I add a little bit of half-and-half for creaminess (if this ingredient is not handy, I might skip it! Who needs the fat?) and serve the soup with a topping of cut chives. Sometimes, I substitute green onions for chives, but chives are really the best for potato soup.
My methods can alter the texture of the soup, leaving it a little starchier, but it tastes just as good.
By skipping steps, I can make a quick batch of soup for one or two people, in only one small pot, using only a vegetable peeler, a knife, a cutting board, and a wooden spoon. The clean up is a breeze.
The cold, hard truth is that if I had to make the soup the way my mother made it, I probably would not make it at all.
I would skip it.
No wonder my mother doesn’t cook as much as she once did…she’s skipping it, too.
