Leila Marie Lawler talks about curating abundance, and I love that concept. She frequently shares how she does this, by saving bits and bobs from her other cooking and meals so she has a freezer stocked with things that will help her put food on the table or a snack out for guests and how she preserves her harvest so she can quickly have a gift or a treat in a different season. In many ways, this is how I run my kitchen, also. So much of frugality is a mindset.

We do not eat "cheap" meals, in the sense that you feel poorer eating them. There is no sense of dearth or lack at our table. Nobody eating here ever discerns a lower food budget. This is because, while we do need to keep to a tight budget, and we are always trying to keep costs down, we value good food, and preparing it with care. Part of that is making sure we steward it well, and don't let it go to waste, using every part that possibly can be used. I talk about making stock frequently (and I know I promised a tutorial, I am working on doing that after braces and on a morning when it isn't too hot), and the way we do it now, it is basically free food. We have a well, so except for the electricity to run the pump, the water is free, everything but a few peppercorns, a couple bay leaves, and some salt are all, literally, scraps from other meals, so for a gallon of stock, we pay pennies. If that. I also save the scraps of pie crust from making pies for quick quiches or hand pies, from our Saint Nicholas cookies as a crumble topping or base for other desserts, hambones for beans and soups, bits of cheese to turn into things like fromage fort, in baked goods, or to top a baked pasta dish, the few scraps of ham the kids don't eat for adding to scalloped potatoes to make a full meal with a salad, and (very occasionally) stow away a few pieces of bacon from a breakfast to keep to sprinkle on soup or as part of the topping of a gratin or baked macaroni and cheese. Having these things in our freezer makes putting a meal on for us on a hot, busy day quite simple, it means we can entertain guests at a relative drop of a hat, it means that we can stretch the meal on our table to allow folks in need to share with us, without putting our own children at risk of deprivation.

I could think of those things as a chore or a hassle, but the reality is that I take pleasure in them. Doing a couple or a few extra steps every now and then means that in the times that we are truly worn down and at the end of our ropes, meals are not a chore. Which means that we don't feel the pressure to buy frozen meals or instant foods, go through the drive through or order takeout from a pizza place. This, in turn, saves us both in our finances, and in our health. Again, so much of this begins in our own minds, rather than a list of tasks. My own attitude about it has transferred to our kids, who now do these things without thinking twice. This is just normal for them, which will set them up for success in their own homes without too much difficulty. So, when I make a pot of beans from dry beans (as I always recommend because of both the price and the quality), I make at least double what I need. The excess gets frozen in quart bags with some of the cooking liquid, so I can easily make a bean dish or soup at a later date. This takes the slightest amount of extra effort, and that, only after the cooking.

Another thing we do to cultivate abundance is to make many of our own condiments, spice mixes, and snacks. I will share a whole snack post later in this series, with more recipes, but again will remind you that popcorn is inexpensive, quick to make (takes the same amount of time as the microwave, costs much less than microwave popcorn, but can be made in much larger quantities, with many fewer duds), and delicious when made on the stove. It takes no extra equipment, and is tasty enough that you can skip the butter, if you are either saving money or reducing how much butter you use. We use a pot with a lid, a shallow layer of oil like safflower or sunflower, popcorn and salt. Put all of that in your pot, with enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot or pan, heat it on high until the first kernel pops, then cover with the lid and keep the pot moving for three minutes or so, until the popping slows to only a few every several seconds. Remove from the heat (if you smell toasting or burning, remove from the heat immediately), and let rest while the last few corn kernels finish popping, carefully pour into a bowl and check to see if the salt is sufficient for you, season with anything else you like, and you are satisfied. These are things that take seconds or minutes, but add value and pleasure to your table. Once you get in the habit of doing them, they become second nature, and there is no going back. Just like with any practice or discipline, unless in the direst circumstances, you probably shouldn't try to do it all at once. However, if you can add one or two a week, and work up to this being the normal way you address your kitchen and table, you will find a great deal of joy and rest in it. We have also found that it helps us not to feel overwhelmed when there is an over-abundance of something (peppers, garlic, etc), because we have ways to turn them into something either shelf stable or for our fridge or freezer that we will use and enjoy.

Condiments, relishes, dips, dresssings, spice mixtures, and snacks we commonly make and use:

• Mayonnaise
• Harissa
• Sah'awiq
• Duqqus
• Shatta
• Toum
• Taratoor
• Salsa Verde
• Avocado Relish
• Salatat Zeitoun
• Cranberry Horseradish Relish
• Red Pepper Sludge
• Dill Pickle Dip
• Chipotle Mayonnaise and Celery Seed Dressing
• Mustard Vinaigrette
• Ranch Dressing
• Bleu Cheese Dressing
• Creamy Feta Dressing
• Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
• Seasoned Salt
• Creole Seasoning
• Advieh
• Chex Mix

Labels: Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 10:40 AM