Feeding A Family On A Budget Part 1

I've been thinking about the best way to post about this topic and after having my first draft erased by Maggie I've decided to break it up in to sections. I get a little overwhelmed at thought of giving advice because I am no expert and chances are you are the one that should be giving me advice but none the less I will share some of my thoughts on the subject.

This last year has been our hardest financially that we've ever had.  I've really had to get my sh*t together so that we made our money stretch as far as possible. It has taught me a lot. To be honest, I'd rather have loads of money and be able to buy whatever I wanted at the grocery store, eat out, buy a coffee now and again and many other things but what would I learn from that? ;) It's challenging being on a tight budget and I totally understand how families take the easy way out and end up at a fast food place ordering off the $1 menu. I've had some really low points over the last 6 months and I've fed the family some things I'm not too proud of but in the words of Susan Powder I decided to "Stop the insanity!". Just because we can't spend as much at the store as we used to doesn't mean I have throw all my standards out the window. I just have to approach the situation from a new direction.

If you are truly on a tight budget my #1 tip is- don't eat out. I know, this is kind of a no brainer but it's true. We never go to restaurants and the couple times we have I left feeling sick. Not because of the food but because I just spent the equivalent of a weeks worth of groceries on one meal. Even fast food, which seems less expensive, really isn't. For example, two pizzas from Little Caesar's is about $11. That seems really cheap but for a couple dollars more I could buy a whole organic chicken and some vegetables and have dinner and leftovers for my husband to take for lunch the next day. Most importantly you aren't eating a bunch of GMOs and artificial crap and that is priceless!

Another money saving thing I've always done is not catering to my kids. By that I mean, I don't make separate food for them. They either eat what is for dinner or they don't eat. In today's day that may sound harsh but I don't have the time or money to be making special little kid meals along with an adult dinner. I attempt to make things that everyone likes but with 5 kids someone is usually disappointed with the menu.

I always make enough so that we have leftovers which can be taken for lunch the next day or used in some way for breakfast. Leftover veggies are delicious chopped up and added to an egg scramble. Chicken bones can be saved and used to make stock and leftover meats can be added to soup the next night. I just made chicken stock last week and freezed half of it and am using the rest of it for Crock Pot chicken soup tonight.

As much as I fought the Crock Pot, I finally gave in and started using one. So far I've made lots of beans, chicken stock and chicken noodle soup. And have you noticed everyone calls it a "slow cooker" now? Hmmm, I guess slow cooker sounds more foodie than crock pot. haha! I'm not sure using the Crock Pot is a money saver but it's certainly a time saver!

My last and most important bit of advice for today, is meal planning. I can't stress how much it money and time it saves. I'll sit down on Sunday and plan the next week's menu and write out a shopping list.  I don't have a fancy book or an app on my phone or anything, I just use a piece of paper with each day's meal written on it and put it up on the fridge. I try to make at least one new recipe a week because if we continuously eat the same things everyone gets really burnt out on them. Last week I made 4 new recipes and 3 were amazing! I haven't been meal planning for very long but man I wish I had started years ago!

What are some of your tips? Do you meal plan?

♥ anne

in the kitchen

today we are once again in the kitchen! i've been trying out all sorts of new things. the most exciting to me is sprouting, which is something i've been wanting to do for several years. it is truly facsinating to watch dormant nuts, seeds, legumes... transform into a living food! did you know that-

...sprouting greatly increases the enzyme content of these foods and makes them far more digestable because their protein is broken down into amino acids, their starches are changed into simple sugars, and their fats are converted into soluble fatty acids.

sprouting increases the enzyme content of these foods. even though they are raw, their enzymes are lying dormant. sprouting activates them. if you do not sprout them, your body has to use it's own enzymes to break up these foods.

-Living On Live Food by Alissa Cohen

first i sprouted organic red lentils which i used to make a yummy salad. it's so interesting how different their flavor is compared to a cooked lentil. they have a bit of a crunch and a slightly spicy flavor. alfalfa seeds are next. they just started sprouting this morning, so i'll be eating them up in a day or two!

i got a huge box of tomatoes when i visited my sister last weekend so the other night i made roasted tomato basil soup for the family and this raw tomato soup for myself. i also had a huge success on the raw cracker front! i tell ya i'm getting there! the goal is for them to be as delicious as these crackers. 
those incredible portabella mushrooms ended up in the trash :( i had used them for a nut meat which looked like canned cat food and tasted like i don't know what! big time bummer.

what exciting things have been going on in your kitchen? any new fun recipes to share?

♥anne

how to open a young coconut

my mom and i recently took a raw desert class where we learned, among others things, how to open a young coconut.

1. purchase a couple young coconuts :) haha kinda a no brainer, right?! 
2. start shaving off the husk moving up toward the tip. go around the whole top until you start to   see the darker part of the shell.
3. use the heavier part of a knife to pound into the top at a 45 degree angle. keep whacking away all the way around until the shell cracks.
4. pry open the top.
5. pour out the coconut water and drink it if you'd like.
6. scoop out all the coconut meat. it's ok to leave the soft brown part on the meat, you just want to make sure to get any hard, tough pieces of shell off.

how to store- i load a mason jar with the meat and fill it with the coconut water until it's covered.

i use the water in smoothies or to drink plain. with the meat i've made raw coconut ice cream, added it to smoothies and have cut it up to eat with morning nuts, berries and groats. i know there are tons of recipes out there and i look forward to trying some of them out!

i also wanted to mention that my talented friend diana started a vegan food blog called Flip Flops and Avocados, check it out here. i've already made one of the recipes and it was fantastic!

♥anne

kombucha for you, kombucha for me

lots of fun things have been going on my kitchen lately. i'm making my first batch of kombucha! take a look at that baby! pretty gross looking right?! my friend kelly gave it to me and our friend emily said jokingly that it looks like a placenta. hahaha! we thought that was very true and funny! slightly disturbing but funny! i can't wait to taste it. i'm planning on experimenting with adding different fruit juices/purees to try and make it taste like GT's kombucha. anyone have any advice??

i also got a huge box of beets. so as soon as my raw milk is done separating and i have some whey i will be making beet kvass for the first time. i've never tasted it so it should be interesting. i remember mary did a post on it but i couldn't find it :(

 i've been juicing a lot and making my daily green smoothies as usual. i've also tried out some fun raw recipes. the other day i made what i call a raw strawberry shortcake. the crust was pumpkin seeds and almonds with coconut oil and a couple dates. then i cut up strawberries and on top i made a cashew whipped cream. it was really good!

 i got two huge boxes of organic tomatoes from the sisters so i made a simple marinara sauce. tomorrow i will be using it to make lasagna with the homemade ricotta cheese which was also given to us by the sisters. they are too generous i tell you!

don't let this post fool you into thinking that we eat super good all the time over here. i assure we have our share of pizza, del taco, way too much coffee and the occasional soda for the kids, BUT i am trying. and as long as i'm working toward a better diet for us all i am happy. i think the children know what is good for their bodies and what is not (they have to hear about it all time). hopefully i've given them enough knowledge so that when they are out in the world on their own they will make smart decisions about what they eat. i try to stress how much food affects you both mentally and physically. when you eat crap, you feel like crap. sometimes you have to quit eating it though before you realize how crappy you have actually been feeling without knowing it. for example, i have quit drinking coffee for months at a time over the last ten years. i KNOW i feel better without it, but i just love the ritual of making it, smelling it and drinking it in the morning. i honestly feel like it's a gift from God many days. it surely gets me outta bed in the morning! i don't plan on quitting again any time soon, but i could definitely cut back to one cup :D

since i am on the topic of food, if you live in california make sure to check out this site and this site and learn why it's imperative to vote YES on prop 37!

♥anne

p.s.- i can't get enough of this song by little feat. do please take a listen here.

the crab cooker

last night a rare event took place...ruben and i had a date night and went out to eat. we rarely go out to eat. whether it be for financial reasons, shane reasons or the mere fact that what we make at home is often far better than the local restaurant fare, it just doesn't happen often. BUT, when we do go out it is almost always for fish (usually sushi). so anyway, last night the three older children were at my mom's, so we just had marianne (which kind of makes us feel like we're single again) so to the crab cooker we went. we had smoked albacore, clam chowder and crab cakes. it was delicious! this restaurant has been there since 1951 and is well worth visiting. afterwards we strolled down the bustling pier and watched all the people fishing. i have a particular fondness for this area because my great grandpa was fisherman and this was his turf (i will be doing a whole post on him very soon). overall, it was a perfect evening with a beautiful sunset to boot!

♥anne

beach buddies

this morning we went down to the beach to get some "earthing" in. i've been pretty stressed and anxiety filled lately and it's beginning to take a toll on me physically. after reading this article i realized i don't really take advantage of the fact that i live a mile from the beach. so to remedy that we grounded ourselves in the sand, the breeze and fresh ocean air this morning. i already feel a thousand times better!

♥anne

success! a crispy raw cracker

well, it turns out that the third time truly is a charm! over the last couple of years i have twice attempted to make a good raw cracker... with no luck. the previous batches were edible, but there was no crunch and because of the flax seeds they had a sliminess to them :( yuck! ok, maybe i was the only one who found them edible. ruben refused to eat them, but sense i had put time and money into them there was no way i was going to throw them away. waste not want not, right?

so, maybe you're now wondering why i tried again? well, let me tell you. my little bebe, marianne has been eating Ak Mak crackers the last month or so. i really don't want her eating any grains, especially wheat, but she liked them so much that i was giving them to her regardless of my reservations. then the light bulb went off, raw crackers!

i remembered watching a few videos last year by Abeba. she is a fun, spunky raw foodie who makes crispy, crunchy raw crackers, chips and cookies. i believed she had the secret to the crunch so i purchased her e book, Absolutley Abeba's Krazy Krackers to find out for sure.

turns out, Abeba rules! my crackers came out raw-mazing! hahaha marianne loves them and alex even asked to take some in her lunch today! now if that's not success i don't know what is!

i can't wait to try the next raw-cipe (i want you to know i'm cRAWcking up right now, tears are RAWnning down my face!). ok, several minutes have passed. i've regained my composure. anyway, i'm stoked and if you're at all interested in raw crackers i suggest you hop on over to Abeba's site here.

since i'm not giving the recipe out (that would not be cool to Abeba) i will give a tip- soak the flax seeds. it helps get the slime out.

♥anne

easy homemade italian dressing

today i'm sharing my italian/oil and vinegar/just plain basic salad dressing recipe. i get lots of compliments on it and it's so easy to make...this is all you need-

3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
good pinch of basil and oregano (i use parsley too if i have it)
1 crushed garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

making your own dressing is soooo superior to store bought dressings, plus it doesn't have all those preservatives, artificial colors and who knows what else. just stir up the above ingredients and pour it onto your salad! BAM! enjoy a yummy flavorful explosion in your mouth!

you know what's funny? even though it is so simple, it actually took me about a year to perfect it :D i've dabbled with adding raw honey and using different types of vinegars, so feel free to experiment. also, if you have a standard dressing recipe you'd like to share, please do so!

next up in my dressing recipe posts will be an amazing bleu cheese recipe. it's seriously amazing!

♥anne

green juice and smoothies

a few years ago i read quite a bit about the benefits of juicing and green smoothies. i knew right away that i wanted to incorporate both into my diet and that i REALLY wanted a vita-mix blender. but since they are so dang expensive i decided i would make due with the blender i had and opted to get a juicer. once it arrived in the mail, i set to work and made a big glass of fresh vegetable juice. it was seriously disgusting and i ended up dumping it out. until, last week my poor little juicer sat in the cupboard waiting for the day when he would get a second chance at life. it wasn't his fault that i made a gross concoction. well, his patience paid off! over the years that he sat waiting i continued reading about juicing, but the horrible memories kept me from giving it another try. then one night as i was browsing the "watch instantly" section of netflix, i came across this documentary and decided to watch it. after it was over, i was convinced i HAD to give juicing another shot. so the next day, i made my second glass of juice. yucky again! i decided to look up some recipes. duh! why didn't i do that the first time?! needless to say, with a recipe the juice was awesome and insanely refreshing! i've been juicing daily since then and am pretty darn sure i will continue for the rest of my life! hehehe! hey, jack lelanne thrived on stuff. i plan on doing the same!

as for the vita-mix...after nearly 3 years of searching for a used one, saving enough money then using it for more important things, yadda yadda yadda...i finally got one! ruben bought it from nicky's mom for my birthday ( i had tried to buy it from her about a year ago. luckily her husband recently bought a blendtec and they no longer needed the vita-mix, so they sold it to us for a great price. thanks again dave and denise!). green smoothies are much better without big chunks of kale in them.

i've been making all sorts of goodies! above are raw kale chips. these babies are seriously delicious! you can find the recipe here. i also have made raw chia seed pudding a couple of times, a great healthful desert! and i'm still working on making a good raw cracker. i've made several different batches but they don't come close to these (the best raw cracker around, i think).

green smoothies changed my life. i know, that sounds kinda lame but it's true. i can already tell that juicing is doing the same thing. that being said, i want to encourage everyone to start juicing and blending! if you don't have a juicer start with smoothies. you don't need a high speed blender, a regular one works fine. here's a recipe for my basic green smoothie-

*2 cups water
*1 banana, i like mine frozen
*about 1 cup frozen mango or any fresh fruit you enjoy or have on hand
*1-2 big handfuls of kale, chard, spinach or any dark leafy green (you'll want to remove the stem from kale or chard)

and here is a recipe for the juice i've been making-

*2 big handfuls of spinach
*1 whole lemon
*1-2 cucumbers
*1-2 celery ribs
*1 green apple
*1 big handful of parsley or cilantro
*1 chunk of fresh ginger (about 1 tablespoon)

when i first discovered raw food and started making green smoothies i lost close to 20 pounds! now after baby #4 i'm in the same boat. unfortunately i didn't eat that great during my pregnancy. i ate way too many grains, a food that definitely packs the pounds on me. but, i know with smoothies and juicing the weight will come off like it did last time.

do you have a yummy juice or smoothie recipe you'd like to share? if so, please leave a comment. and even if you don't, leave a comment and share your thoughts :D

for further reading and viewing-

Green for Life

Dr. Mercola interview with Cherie Calbom

Life Regenerator aka Dan the Man

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

♥ anne

Nourishing Traditions

This Christmas I received a book from my Mama that I have been wanting for several years, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Why I just didn't buy it myself, I have no idea, but I now have it n my possession! I've been reading it for the last few days and soaking up all the information and trust me, there is a wealth of it in this baby.

A couple of things that I immediately read about were issues that I've been struggling to change in our family for some time now- breakfast cereals and pasteurized milk. The cereal is just plain convenient. To make myself feel better, because I knew processed cereal was a terrible way to start out the day, I did buy the best one I could find with the least amount of ingredients in it, but I still felt I had to get my children off the stuff. When I read, "Boxed breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little shapes and flakes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. extrusion processing destroys many valuable nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors- soaked gruel and porridges." I knew I was ready to make that change once and for all. Off to the market we went to get some oats, raw milk (more on that in a minute) and yogurt for our breakfast porridge. I soaked the oats, as instructed, overnight in warm water and 2 tablespoons of yogurt. This morning we enjoyed our "cereal free" breakfast and Shane and I thought it was delicious! Max and Alex were not as thrilled but we'll eventually find them something they like.

Raw milk is a change I've been trying to make for several years. The main reason I haven't made the switch is because of the cost. I usually buy a gallon of milk a week. The cost of a gallon of raw milk is at least four times the cost of pasteurized. Yesterday I was reflecting on how I could make it work. I realized that we only use milk for cereal,coffee and the occasional baked good. Well, we're eliminating the cereal, so I think I can finally start buying the raw. It is far superior to pasteurized milk on so many levels. In fact Dr. Mercola says, "I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind – ever." If this controversial topic at all interests you, check out http://www.realmilk.com/ which explains things much better than I could ever hope to.

I'm so excited to start practicing this way of eating. I know it will take extra effort and planning but that's alright with me. The book promotes a 50% raw- 50% whole foods diet, which I think is a good balance. I love my raw food staples, namely green smoothies. I believe it is my duty as Mother to feed my children wholesome food that will nourish their bodies and minds. I think with this book I will be much more successful at making that goal a reality.

♥ anne

cookin' and a craftin' tutorial

Hello there! Above is the finished cowl that I was working on in my previous post. Not the greatest picture of me, but oh well! I do love the cowl though. At first I thought it was going to be too thick , but after wearing it for the last week straight I'm happy to report that it's perfect. Super cozy and warm on these rainy days we've been having.

Today I made this fun ornament. Here's how to make one of your own-

1. Pick out some cute fabric. Draw the design on paper and cut it out.

2. Outline the design on your fabric (I doubled it so I only had to cut once).

3. Cut it out.

4. Cut out two wee wings and sew them to the body, one on each side.

5. Stitch around the edges of the wings.

6. Stitch around the edge of the body 3/4 of the way.

7. Fill with stuffing (don't have any? use cotton balls) then stitch the rest of the body shut.

8. Attach a hanger and hang on your tree.

This little fella will be a gift for someone special. Nothing beats a homemade ornament stitched with love!

...and on to the cookin' portion of this post...

I recently received a bunch of fresh, homemade cheese from my sister. Below is the goat cheese, which I decided to marinade in olive oil, red pepper, thyme, salt and pepper. I plan on taking it as an appetizer (with crackers) to my Aunt and Uncles on Christmas day. I thinks it's going to be super yummy!

Next up is the most amazing ricotta cheese I've ever had! I'm serious, this stuff is SO tasty! Heap it on an Ak-Mak cracker,add some tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and you have a most scrumptious, satisfying lunch!

And last but not least- homemade apple cider. Alex and I made it this afternoon and boy does it taste good!

can't you tell?!

Well...that's what I've been up to. How about you???

♥ anne