It finally rained last night. The morning brought with it a bite of breeze off the ocean that can only mean one thing : summer is nearly gone.
That means rains on the horizon, cooler nights and frost to come. Time to get in the harvest. What little of it there is.
This year has been the saddest in the garden.
My beautiful, rich, hard-won soil has been mostly blanketed in sod in preparation for sale. Our usually bountiful tomato crop that would normally see every flat surface in the house rolling with heirlooms, is this year but a few lonely strays, huddling together on my windowsill.
It just doesn’t feel right. It has been a difficult summer.
Despite everything, out I went this morning into the dew in my flip-flops and jammies to harvest the herbs. Heap after heap piled onto the front stoop : rosemary . . . bay . . . thyme . . . sage. The bees are still busily working what is left of the oregano flowers. I left it to them. I’ll miss them when I go.
After coffee and banana bread the boy and I headed down the block to our blackberry spot, where, as usual, I was the only one foraging.
For the first half hour the boy ate them faster than I could pick them, poking my bottom and prodding Mooooore! whenever I went too slow. He finally collapsed in a snoring, sticky, purple heap and left me to pick in peace.
It gave me time to think about the lessons the harvest will teach him.
Make Hay
There really is a time for every purpose. No time underscores that more for me than harvest time.
Last night driving home from a family dinner I saw men in the blueberry fields at last light – a Sunday evening and there they were, bringing in the harvest.
The blackberries will only be on for so long, a few weeks more and the herbs will begin to wither and die. Whatever my son undertakes in his life, be it love or work, education or family, I hope he will remember to make hay while the sun shines.
You never know what tomorrow will bring.
Don’t Rush
The Slow Movement doesn’t believe in everything at a snails pace, despite it’s name and logo. What it values is Tempo Giusto . . . the right time.
Everything in life has it’s proper pace. We may have to work quickly to bring in the harvest, but we don’t always have to rush.
Today I picked blackberries while my son slept, worked slowly but methodically so as not to prick my fingers (too much) and listened to the bird song rise and fall over the traffic.
Opportunity often looks like work
Most people don’t recognize opportunity when it comes, because it’s usually dressed in overalls and looks a lot like work – Thomas Edison
My husband is a farm boy at heart.
He’s a businessman now, self-made, and he works his ass off for everything we have. Although I am of course grateful for the fact that he provides for our family, I am even more grateful for the values he models for our son.
Growing up on the farm taught him how to work hard and to understand that if he wants something, he’ll have to work for it.
He sees opportunity everywhere.
Work isn’t always hard
Our culture, and many others, seem to place value on a masochistic view of work. We have to be slaving away, chained to our desk to be working.
Work = toil.
That’s often the case, (God knows I hated my job) but not always.
Work can be pleasurable. It can even be a joy. In fact, the most rewarding, fulfilling work often doesn’t feel like work at all.
Don’t begrudge the low-hanging fruit
The low-hanging fruit will fill your basket (and your belly) just as surely as the higher-hanging fruit will.
It’s important sometimes to gather what you can with the least amount of effort and risk. Just because it isn’t as hard to attain, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value.
Take only what you need
Take what you need and leave the rest for the rest.
The birds and neighbours and wasps and other critters have just as much right to the berries as we do.
Greed is born out of fear and an ignorance of true need. Know your needs intimately, and you will be less afraid of not attaining your wants.
You won’t need them.
Be grateful
The fact that a tiny seed transforms into a plant that will nourish us is really nothing short of a miracle. That we can walk the sidewalks of urban East Van and glean beautiful, juicy blackberries for free is certainly something to be thankful for.
A spirit of gratitude keeps us humble.
Look
Nature / the universe / god / whatever you want to call it, surrounds us in abundance everyday, we just have to look for it.
I hope my boy will approach the world with open eyes that can always see the plenty that surrounds him.
In a CSA you pre-pay at the beginning of the season for a share of the harvest throughout the growing season. By paying ahead you provide the farmer with income at a time when she might have to otherwise borrow money. Any added security we can provide our farmer is good for us and good for the resiliency of our local foodshed.
Some CSA’s only run during the spring through early fall, but it’s increasingly possible to find winter CSA’s as well. Depending on the farm, you might enjoy a variety of fresh veggies and even eggs, cheese, milk, meat, honey and preserves.
There are lots of benefits of CSA’s – you get to support the farmer directly, which usually means more of your dollar ends up in her pocket. Always a good thing. I’ve even heard of farms offering discounts if you volunteer to lend a hand during busy times. You’ll eat great, save a ton of cash and learn some new skills while getting to know your food and your farmer.
Here in Vancouver, we even have a CSAs from urban farms! How cool is that? Urban Digs Farm is one example of creative, industrious folks building food security right here in the city.
If you’re not already eating a ton of veggies, your CSA box will probably reveal some weird and wonderful new veggies. Nourished Kitchen has a great post on what to do with the strange veggies in your CSA box, if you’re ever stumped.
You can also find CSA’s for specific products – meat shares, milk shares, seafood, even wheat!
8. Join an organic grocery buying club
A grocery buying club is kind of like an online farmer’s market. You place your order and pick up your groceries at a neighbour’s, instead of the grocery store. They make it easy to find local, sustainable products from small producers. One stop shop instead of driving all over town to different specialty shops and markets.
Kind of neat, hey?
NOW BC is our local co-operative and features all sorts of yummy goodies. Their subscription programs and bulk buying options are great opportunities to eat well without breaking the bank.
9. Shop farmer-direct
Buying directly from your farmer is one of the loveliest ways to get your groceries.
Our family purchases our organic pastured pork and beef from Big Bear Ranch in Horsefly, BC. They aren’t exactly in our backyard, but I don’t sweat it too much. They have outstanding farming practices and make it super easy to keep the freezer stocked with delicious, quality meat. We place our orders online and they make a number of stops here in the city where we can meet them to pick up our meat.
Big Bear offers specials on “family packs” of meat. You’ll get a selection of pork, for example, that will include a variety of cuts, bacon, sausages etc. You’re not guaranteed to get specific products, but you’ll get a certain percentage roast, chops, specialty items etc. We often split a pack with family – everyone enjoys the discount while still maintaining some spare room in the freezer!
10. Shop seasonally
Shopping seasonally is part of the locovore culture that gets poked fun at a lot. Critics tease that we think we’re saving the world by eating parsnips.
I duno about you, but it seems to me if everyone ate with a focus on seasonality, I think we’d all eat better, save money and walk lighter on the planet . . . That’s a debate for another day.
To talk in terms of economics, seasonality takes advantage of the rules of supply and demand. If you buy when supply is higher than demand, prices will be lower. Not exactly rocket science.
11. Shop in bulk
If you shop in season AND in bulk, you’ll really start to see some savings.
Even though I grow my own, I invariably get nervous that I haven’t put enough food by for the coming winter. There is nothing worse than running out of stewed tomatoes in February. It gives me the shakes just thinking about it!
So I go to my favourite local farm stand and load up. I mean LOAD UP. I once filled an entire shopping cart with local tomatoes. They were 69 cents a pound! I mean, come ON!
Before you go – make sure you’ll be ready to put the food by and that you’ve taken the time to . . .
12. Learn to can
For all you canning virgins out there let me tell you – You CAN can! It is not scary (ok maybe a little, the first time) and it is way easier than you think.
I did not grow up canning. Until I met my hubby, canning food at home was some magical, mysterious process that might kill me with strange bugs whose names I can’t pronounce. My mum didn’t can, neither did my grammas.
Canning has so many benefits and is key if you really want to save money on food. It also addresses the “I don’t have time to cook” whine I hear so often. Canning is hot work, and is much more enjoyable if done in the company of friends at an old school canning bee. If you’re more comfortable, take a class first, but give it a try, for heaven’s sakes!
Once you master water-bath canning, I strongly recommend you try to get your hands on a pressure canner. It will take a larger investment (or you can be like me and ask for one for Christmas) but it is well worth it. With a pressure canner you can put by soups, spaghetti sauce, fish, meat, stocks and more. Pressure Canning 101 has basic instructions and my recipe for canning chicken stock.
13. Explore new foods
Sometimes, things that you wouldn’t think about as normal dinner fare can be both delicious and inexpensive.
Living here on the coast, we have access to lots of gorgeous seafood. Mussels are cheap as chips, quick and easy to cook and crazy tasty.
My hubby recently introduced me to heart. (It took a lot of convincing.) He lightly breaded it and pan fried it in a bit of butter. Oh. My. God. SOOOO good. You don’t always see these sorts of options in the grocery store, but if you’re buying direct from your farmer, you’ll have a lot more opportunity to try new flavours.
What’s cheap in your neck of the woods totally depends on where you are. Get to know your local foodshed and find out!
14. Don’t buy food in boxes
I’ve never understood why people buy boxed mixes for things like biscuits or pancakes. How hard is it to stir some flour? Really.
I duno about you, but I can’t afford $5 heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market. Or 3 bucks for a tiny handful of fresh herbs. Or $10 per pound for garlic.
Luckily, I don’t have to.
Growing food is easy and inexpensive and can happen year round. All it takes is a curious spirit and a willingness to get some dirt under your nails. Cold beer always seems to help, too. (See #16)
There are a few important things to remember if you’re just starting out to grow your own.
GROW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT: For heaven sakes, if you don’t like brussel sprouts, don’t grow brussel sprouts! (Although, keep in mind everything, even brussel sprouts, taste better when you grow them yourself.)
GROW PLANTS SUITED TO YOUR SPACE: Take the time to get to know your yard / windowsill / community garden. Learn a bit about the needs of the plants you want to grow. Try to get them to match as best as possible. You can always provide encouragement by way of row covers, small greenhouses, and the like, but the best bet is to get it right the first time. (Especially if it’s YOUR first time.)
GROW THINGS THAT COST AN ARM & A LEG AT THE STORE: Garlic is stupid easy to grow. Stupid easy. You can learn how to grow garlic here. Tomatoes, herbs, peppers, berries and salad greens are also easy-peasy. This way, if you only have a tiny space, you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Bonus – most of these things will taste immeasurably better having been homegrown.
16. Brew your own beer and wine
If you like a cold one at the end of a long day, you should try brewing your own. It is ridiculously easy and disgustingly cheap.
We got a full equipment kit at the grocery store for 50 bucks. I’m sure if you looked around you could find use equipment for way cheaper. Our local home brew store sells bulk ingredients so you can make your favourite brew at home.
We made a cream ale our first time and it blew our minds. 45 beer for 25 bucks. Golden.
If you like baking bread you’ll love brewing beer. Same kind of creative process – once you understand the basics, you can go bananas.
Added bonus : no empties to cart back to the liquor store. We bought a bunch of old bottles with resealable caps. We talked to one guy at the beer store who said he’s been using the same bottles for over 20 years. He’s only had to replace the rubber seals once. Talk about reduce and reuse!
And don’t think it’s too much work, either. My hubby did most of the work for our first batch with a five month old on his hip.
17. Bake your own bread
I have no idea why store-bought bread is so expensive these days. Who can afford $3-$5 per loaf?? That’s just crazy. And half the time it’s crap with an ingredient list as long as your arm.
Bread is one of those things that is too easy not to make. You can easily make bread with next to no tools, other than your muscles, but having a bread maker or a mixer with a dough hook will make it easier to fit homemade bread into your daily life.
If you’re at home during the day, the dough hook is a good bet. If you work, get a bread maker. You can fill it at night, set the timer and wake up to the smell of heaven. How easy is that?
Once you get going, you’ll find it addictive. Bread is an incredibly creative process, and its relaxing, to boot. A world of shapes, textures and flavours await you. Mark my words, get started and next thing you know you’ll be growing wild yeast on your countertop.
Homemade bread is also a gateway drug to homemade pasta.
18. Make your own pasta
Another one of those things that takes a bit of effort and equipment, but is well worth the time.
Personally, unless it’s a special occasion, I don’t make my own spaghetti or linguini, stuff like that. Good quality dried whole wheat pasta is easy enough to find for a good price.
Stuffed pasta? That’s a whole other story.
Especially if you have kids, this is worth your time for the sheer convenience factor later on. It takes me a couple of hours, but I love to make ravioli for the freezer.
Bang out a batch of pasta, cook up some filling, freeze it and you have a nutritious, ridiculously quick lunch or dinner waiting at a moment’s notice.
If you’re able, chickens are a wise choice to stretch your food budget. We kept enough hens to keep our own (very hungry) family in eggs and support my baking habit with enough left over to sell to ensure that our chickens and our eggs didn’t cost us a dime.
Unlimited organic, free-range eggs for free? Um, yes please.
20. Splurge smart
Make your splurges count!
We go bonkers from time to time – really good (really expensive) cheese, lobster, steak . . . You have to live a little! When you splurge, splurge on things you can’t do for yourself. Make it special. Savour it.
How do you eat better for less? Share you tips, tricks and recipes!
How well you can eat on the cheap depends a lot on how much you want this to be a lifestyle choice. If you can’t be bothered to cook yourself dinner after a long day, you need to figure out how to batch cook efficiently, or you’re going to waste a lot of money (and eat more crap in the process.)
I believe that meaningful change in our food system begins at the kitchen table. We can’t change the world outside our door if we don’t change our habits at home.
The key is finding the pleasure in the process. If you enjoy your time in the garden and kitchen, it won’t feel like work and the resulting feast will be a bonus.
1. Eat less meat
Most of us eat way too much meat. In our home, we use Meatless Monday to stretch our food budget.
It doesn’t take an economics major to figure out beans and rice are easier on the pocketbook than steak (or even hamburger!)
2. Don’t eat out
Save dinners out for a meal that you wouldn’t be able to cook at home. The hubs and I are both pretty handy around the kitchen, so when we do eat out, we go for broke and it is a memorable, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime experience, not just a get in and get out forgettable meal.
3. Learn to cook
I don’t care if you can’t boil water right now, you can learn to cook. Cooking is not rocket science and it doesn’t have to be fancy, complicated, difficult or time consuming.
I get my panties in a twist when people moan – But I don’t have time cook! Bah. I say you’re full of it.
Get a slow cooker, a bread maker, a rice cooker – do what you gotta do. This week I got up a few minutes early on my “hell day” bunged a couple bottles of beer, an onion, garlic, celery, carrots and seasoning in the slow cooker along with a couple racks of ribs. At the same time, I heated through some molasses, ketchup, garlic, onions, apple cider vinegar and spices.
When I got home later from work the house smelled like heaven and all I had to do was slather that gorgeous homemade BBQ sauce onto meltingly tender ribs. I got the ribs on special for $3.50 a rack. We spent like paupers and ate like kings. Zero time and minimal effort. You’ve just got to plan ahead.
Personally, I’m a big fan of having one afternoon a week to batch cook. This works especially well in winter when I’m craving warm hearty meals like soup, lasagna and shepherd’s pie. All you have to do is bung it in the oven.
Who doesn’t have time for that???
4. Eat inexpensive cuts of meat
In our house, we are able to afford to eat pastured organic meats because we primarily eat the less expensive cuts.
Flank steak, stew meat, hocks, roasts . . . pretty much any cut of meat that starts out tough and cheap can be incredibly flavourful if you know how to prepare them.
It’s might go without saying, but meat on the bone is way less expensive than boneless skinless chicken breast, for example. Really want a good buy? Pick up a whole chicken and learn to cut it up yourself.
Whole grains are inexpensive, filling and good for you. How can you go wrong?
I like to use whole grains in unexpected ways – barley for risotto or as a filler for a greek salad. (Sounds weird, but believe me – delicious.)
6. Buy dried beans and legumes
A tin of organic beans can cost three dollars or more. Using dried beans can be inconvenient. You need to plan ahead, soak them and take time to cook them properly.
I avoid all that trouble by buying dried beans in bulk, cooking them all at once in the slow cooker, and freezing them in recipe portion sizes.
In my effort to turn over a new leaf in regards to my sweet-tooth, I’ve been on the hunt for sweet treats that I can enjoy guilt free. Let’s just say, it hasn’t been easy. I’m not into using sketchy chemical no-calorie sweeteners, and if it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point?
I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted this rich mousse.
Guilt-free Chocolate Mousse Recipe
3 squares unsweetened bakers chocolate
1 – aprox. 250 gram package of organic silken tofu
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp milk
pinch of salt
Melt chocolate in the microwave or on the stove top. Don’t burn it like I did while chasing the kid.
Dump everything into the food processor and whiz until smooth and creamy.
Pour into a bowl or individual servings. (espresso cups would be perfect) Chill.
Devour.
This recipe is easily made vegan by using agave in place of honey and soy or almond milk in place of milk.
I also think it would be over the top with raspberry puree or a shot of espresso in place of the milk. In fact, I might try the espresso later today.
You can also pour this into a pie crust for a rich chocolate cream pie.
This morning the little monster and I tucked into the farmer’s market at Trout Lake. We are so lucky to have such a fantastic spot for our local market. Trout Lake is a little oasis in the heart of busy, urban East Van.
I promised the hubs I wouldn’t spend a fortune (as I’m apt to do at the market, which is why I rarely go) so I only took a little bit of pocket money for a treat.
The boy has completely ravaged our substantial raspberry harvest, devouring them handful by chubby handful every chance he gets. At only 15 months old he quickly learned to decipher the gorgeously sweet from the over-tired or unready. A pint of organic raspberries seemed an easy choice for our treat.
We enjoyed a few while he was held mesmerized by the morning’s mexican band, the rest he bore carefully home.
In keeping with my quest to lose weight before baby number two (but not completely forsake my sweet tooth) and keep my hubby happy, I whipped up a batch of raspberry frozen yogurt with the remainder.
Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Recipe
2 1/2 cups of the richest plan greek yogurt you can find. (I used 11% MF)
Whatever remains of your pint of raspberries after snacking. We had about 3/4 of a pint left.
1/4 cup of honey.
Pinch of salt.
Just because I was feeling naughty – One capful of Triple Sec. Completely unnecessary but ridiculously delicious.
Heat your berries in a sauce pan just enough to get them to break down so you can mash them. You can also just run them through your whizzer. (Mine is on the fritz)
Press the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to get out the seeds. If you don’t mind seeds you can skip this step. I hate getting them in my teeth.
Add everything else and give it a stir.
Pour it in your ice cream maker and prepare according to your machines instructions. I use a Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment. ( I heart my Kitchen Aid. )
When ice cream is at soft serve stage you can put it in a container to ripen in the freezer . . . If you can resist destroying the whole tub as soft serve . . .
