Slice of life: Eye on the prize

I took this photo last Thursday evening, while I stood atop Twin Peaks and looked out over San Francisco and the Bay. (Thank you Randall and Brandon for being there with me.) Being up there and looking out over this area I have come to love over the last few years only strengthened my resolve to move out there.

For years I have been thinking about completely shifting my life and perspective and moving cross-country. While I am somewhat well-traveled, I have never lives anywhere save for the northeastern United States. I love it here, and I’ll always been a New Englander, but I need a major change of scenery. Along with a change of people. Not to slight my friends and family here, but people in the northeast can be rather insular. I don’t want that anymore.

I want to go out regularly. Meet new people. Meet people who are a little more different than my usual circle.

Not to mention the fact that being in San Francisco makes me feel extremely normal. That’s refreshing. (and interpret that how ever you like, I am sure it will amuse me if I knew. )

Last year when I was out west, I told people I was hoping to be living in California by now. This year, my words are different.

By this time in 2013, I WILL be living in California!

I have the degree. I am applying for jobs. I have a slew of people rooting for me to make this move.

This is going to happen.

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As seen on the internet and weekend food plans February 10, 2012

It’s that time again, where I share interesting things I’ve been reading over the past week. And confess I haven’t had much time to read anything lately.

First we have a story aired on NPR last week about what happened to lard to shift it from a regular part of the cupboard to a pariah of the kitchen and believed to be the cause of a lot of health issues. I found it interesting that one of the sources they interviewed for the story was a person from a soy information group. The comments are great too, and a lot more people speaking in support of healthy fats than taking the veg*n route.

A very notable article for those tracking grain information and whether or not to eat them. New evidence suggests that people started consuming grains 100,000 years ago. Sure would throw a wrench into the primal/paleo diet if grains show that much history.

My weekend food plans are simple. On Wednesday I make my annual trip to California, which means for food I need to plan for what I need when I return. I’ll be baking up bread, making up another batch of cultured veggies, and putting my milk kefir grains in the fridge. This also means these posts are going on vacation along with me. It remains to be seen if I will do any posting while I am gone. So I hope you all have a good time while I am away!

What have you all been reading recently and would like to share? Anything interesting happening in your kitchens right now?

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Sprouted lentil soup

If you have been reading this blog for a while or watching me on social media, you’ll know that I am on a never-ending quest to find food I can make for lunches to take to work. I want something nourishing which I can put in a thermos (well, if it’s hot or cold), and will keep me filled and going for the rest of the day. This is actually not as easy as it sounds. I’m not one for making extra food at dinner for leftovers (from my younger days when I would overeat easily) and some of what I have for dinner does not loan itself easily to sitting in a thermos. I also hate using the microwave, so things I can heat on the stove at home are a big help.

This is why I like making up big batches of soup. A filling food, heats easily, keeps well in a thermos, and something I just love. Now that I am back to eating more grains and legumes, I am again looking at bean soups. They’re great for the bank account, and by using bone broth I can get a lot more minerals and other nutrients into my body in a very accessible form.

The recipe I used this last week is one I found in The Joy of Cooking with a little real food twist I put on it: using sprouted lentils instead of simply throwing in some dry lentils. If you’re wondering why I’d sprout the lentils, hit the link to find out why sprouting makes the lentils much more nutritious.

You can make this recipe with vegetable broth or water, but I would highly recommend the bone broth. It adds both flavor and a lot more of what your body needs.

This recipe made up a good six servings for my lunches.

Sprouted Lentil Soup
(original recipe from The Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition)

Ingredients:
2 cups sprouted lentils. You can get this with sprouting between 1-1.5 cups of dry lentils.
Butter or olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
(optional) 4 ounces sliced bacon*
8 cups bone broth (homemade is much cheaper and better–for this batch I used lamb broth), vegetable broth, or water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Equipment:
Large pot or dutch oven
Large (slotted) spoon

Instructions:
1. Heat fat in the pot
2. Cook carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until tender but not brown. (Tip: wait to throw in the garlic until the end, since it can burn easily.) If you’re including the bacon, add it here.
3. Stir in the broth/water, lentils, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the ingredients are tender.
4. Add in the salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
5. Serve! or, if you’re me, take off the burner, let cool, and put in the fridge. Come morning, take about three ladles full out and heat up, then put in your thermos and head to work!

Happy eating!

*I did this with my batch, and I honestly didn’t like it that much. The bacon, obviously, won’t be crisp.

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I’m sharing this post at Weekend Gourmet, Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Frugal days, Sustainable ways, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Sunday night soup, and Sunday School.

How to sprout lentils

Sprouts? Isn’t that some weird hippie thing?

Hardly. Sprouting of beans, seeds, and grains was a common practice in a wide range of cultures throughout the world. Why sprout? It makes the food item much more nutritious. The process of sprouting increases the amount of vitamin C available, as well as vitamins B2, B5, and B6*. The process of sprouting also eliminates phytic acid, which prevents the absorption of nutrients when ingested. This is great when seeds are blowing around on the wind and looking for a home, but not helpful when someone wants to consume the item for food.

Sprouting does require planning, since it takes a few days for the sprout to form. If you don’t have time to sprout your lentils (or beans or seeds), you can also soak them to break down the phytic acid.

Just about anyone on any type of diet can utilize this technique. If you’re on a primal or paleo diet, or just cannot easily digest legumes, then this would probably not help you. Otherwise, this is a great frugal way to get nutrients in your diet. Dry legumes are much cheaper than any canned sort and you don’t have to worry about what other stuff is going into the mix. Plus, a lot of metal cans contain the hormone disruptor Bisphenol A.

Do note that sprouted legumes are bigger than dried, so if you are using a specific recipe which does not call for soaking or sprouting in advance, you don’t need quite the same amount of dried legumes. Cut down and experiment.

What can you do with the sprouts? Anything you might do with the legumes otherwise. Include them in soups, salads, make legume burgers, the sky is the limit!

You’ll need:
Dry lentils
A jar with a sprouting lid or a colander with small holes
A towel, if you’re using the colander

To sprout:
1. Put the desired amount of lentils in the jar or colander.
2. Rinse with water and allow it to drain. Keep covered if you’re using the colander method.
3. Continue to rinse 1-2 times per day.
4. Keep watch over the legumes. When sprouts begin to pop out, they’re done!

Have you sprouted? Do you want to try now? What do you regularly make with your sprouts?

*Source: Nourishing Traditions, p.112.

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As seen on the internet February 3, 2012

This week has been something approaching balmy weather-wise, at least for New England in late January/early February. We do get a thaw at some time during the winter (er, not last winter though) and I am just hoping there aren’t serious snowstorms on the other side of it. I am due to go to California for my annual vacation in a week and a half. I’d like to get out of the airport without delays or concerns for ice. (Do you hear me weather gods?)

It seems like it’s been an age since Yuletide was here, but some things already have me thinking about the next one. Like Crunchy Betty’s site. I think I may need to raid her blog for homemade gift ideas. I wish I had time to make up these moisturizing bath candies. She just makes it look so easy!

Holistic Kid tackles a very taboo subject: masturbation. Go take a look. I dare you.

When it comes to potty mouth, dysfunction, and awesome-looking food, Bad Mama Genny is the way to go. You can read here about her question to paper towel free in her house.

Finally, there’s some big sporting event this weekend apparently. I kinda wish I were a fan of such things, if only to get the experience of noshing on all those tasty treats. Are you looking for ideas? I’ve got a few places for you to search:
Bad Mama Genny’s Super Bowl Recipe Roundup
Whole New Mom’s Healthy Superbowl Foods Galore!
Finally, KerryAnn from Cooking Traditional Foods has promised to share some good options for quick foods. Starting off with mole wings is a win in my book!

Whatever your weekend plans hold, I hope you have a good one!

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Politically Incorrect Nutrition – a review

The world of food and nutrition gets more confusing every day. One day a food, or a drink for that matter, is praised as the answer to more prayers than we might count, and the next it’s being demonized by the media. It can be hard to keep up and you may just wish you could bury your head in the sand and be done with it.

If you’re looking for a new viewpoint on what’s safe and what is not safe to put in your body, you need look no further than the book Politically Incorrect Nutrition

Michael Barbee has written a great book covering both food and modern practices, some of which are supposed to be safe and even good for you, and some considered anathema. It’s a great introduction to a lot of the principles found within traditional foods and in a much easier form to digest, at only 165 pages.

Among the topics covered:
*Microwaves may not be as innocuous as they seem, as they do not heat food in the same way as a direct source of heat would. Foods developed carcinogens and the bioavailability of nutrients decreased;
*While green tea is full of antioxidants, it is also packed with a cocktail of industrial chemicals, including pesticides;
*Aspartame is another carcinogen which continues to get sold as a sugar alternative. (I do remember hearing about this long before I started eating tradition foods and it floors me that it’s still available on the shelves and so heavily promoted);
*Instead of prventing cavities, water fluoridation can make teeth worse;
*Soy is far from the healthy food it has been sold as;
*Cholesterol and eggs are not the enemy of good health;
*How one can become malnourished on a vegetarian diet;
*and more! I am not about to spoil the whole book by listing everything. Go out and buy it, or check it out from your local library.

For the scientifically minded or skeptics in the audience, Barbee very thoroughly documents every chapter with extensive footnotes, citing well-respected scientific journals in his research. His writing is also very clear and to the point. Each chapter also concludes with tips on either integrating or eliminating the chapter topic into/from your diet. He provides a great deal of food for thought, along with resources to explore topics further.

This is a great book for a lot of different people. For the experienced traditional foodie, you get talking points and perhaps something you didn’t know about before (for example, I was unaware of the issue with green tea). For someone just getting started, its size making the book very portable and not intimidating in its length. For the skeptic, you get information and respected sources as backup.

This is definitely a great addition to any real food library!

Have you read any good books recently relating to traditional food?

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I’m sharing this post at Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Sunday School, and Seasonal Celebration Sunday.

Sewing with a plan

Soli here. As part of my frugality, simpler living, and reclaiming domesticity desires, I am going to be featuring some more posts this year to potentially assist all of us in incorporating these ideals into our life. Noel is a long-time internet friend who periodically talks about making up new clothing for herself, and I thought it would be fun to share her philosophy on crafting a wardrobe.

Is Sewing with a Plan Frugal?

Back in 2008, I was in desperate need of some clothes that fit well, were in coordinating colors and were of a style that fit my general lifestyle. Oh, and I didn’t have much money. Keep that in mind. It becomes important later on.

I read an article called “Sewing with a Plan” from Australian Stitches. It explained that one could create an excellent wardrobe for oneself in three stages.

Stage One

2 pairs of pants
2 skirts, one solid, one print
6 tops, matching and coordinating
1 jacket

I never do anything right, so I adapted it to my own needs, and did make a wardrobe of which I was very fond. It took me from home office to classroom to vacations with absolutely no problem. I have added some capsules to my original SWAP wardrobe, though I didn’t quite following the rules according to the Australian Stitches article for the next stages of the SWAP. What I did do was add a few pieces to expand the wardrobe I’d already made to suit myself while keeping to the spirit and intent of Sewing with a Plan – make sure your wardrobe coordinates! If you have a well thought-out wardrobe that coordinates well, you don’t have to own as many garments to have a variety of looks.

Okay, so back to frugality…

The average American consumer unit spends close to $2000 a year on clothes. Since the average consumer unit is 2.5 people, let’s say that the average person spends $800/year on clothes. Friends, I haven’t spent that much in nearly four years, and that SWAP I was running on about was why. I sewed myself that initial stage of the SWAP for about $150. Yep, I got 27 different looks for $150, and can pack for a week’s vacation in a carry-on. Since then, I have spent another $350 on sewing materials — both to add to the SWAP and make some incidentals like polar fleece pajamas. This is some blissfully warm loungewear that lets me turn the thermostat waaayyy down and still be able to sit still and write in comfort. I still wear everything I made in 2008, so I’m getting plenty of wear out of the clothes I made. That’s important to frugality as well. Making a new wardrobe every year might be cheaper than buying one each year, but it’s still not frugal.

Even though common wisdom says that sewing is a frugal way to clothe oneself, like most common wisdom, there are some hidden catches to it. You can go overboard in several areas.

Let’s start with the sewing machine. For good basic sewing, you don’t need a computerized deal with lots of fancy stitches. You want something that has a basic stitch, can reverse stitch, and can do a zig-zag stitch. Boom, you’re all good. You can find what you need at a yard sale or thrift store without too much issue. Those top of the line jobs (barring the really good industrials) are highly overrated for basic clothing. I use the same basic student machine I was given for my 24th birthday nearly 20 years ago. It has served me well through everything from making a set of cloth napkins to Elizabethan corsets.

Your next possible pitfall is fabric. It is far too easy to go overboard with fabric. You’ll hear a great deal about people who sew having a large stash of fabric. Friends, this isn’t frugal! If you’re trying to be frugal, buy fabric to the project, and make sure your project fits your overall plan! Yes, I know that silk looks lovely and feels wonderful. And oh! that shiny brocade would make an amazing jacket. Be strong. Have a plan. If you do not intend to sew it up within the month and have a niche in your wardrobe where it will fit with more than three garments, resist, resist, resist.

However, even standard garment fabric can be prohibitively expensive. I do something that a lot of garment makers don’t and many would shriek at. I usually use quilting fabric to make my clothes. Quilting fabric is cheap, woven cotton is totally easy to work and care for (barring the fact you do have to iron your clothes), and if you know how to make garments fit well (more on that later), no-one ever knows that you’re using something so inexpensive. Before you say that one can’t do that living in a cold climate, I’ll point out that I live in Northern New England and do not exactly overheat my home. A couple of pairs of good, thin long underwear (I wear microfiber instead of silk) works wonders for keeping warm. I also knit, so I do have a collection of warm sweaters and wool socks, also made inexpensively and in my wardrobe’s palette.

The last pitfall is skills, and that takes some time. If you’re going to try to save money by sewing, you need to learn to do a little pattern drafting and fitting garments to you. What makes sewing truly frugal is about how you can have custom clothing really inexpensively. Thing is, tailors charge what they do because it does take time to learn the skills. An out of the packet pattern will not fit you all that well – any more than Ready to Wear really does. It can’t. Bodies have too much variation. But if you learn a few tricks with darts, adjusting crotch fit in pants and other techniques, you’ll be able to make a long-lasting garment that will be far superior to anything you’ll find in a store. It’s bad fit that screams cheap. Well-fitting, well-tailored clothing looks elegant even if you only spent $10 to make the garment. Your local library is probably loaded with books on sewing and fit. Check ‘em out.

Frugality in clothing revolves, like every other sort of frugality, in a sort of principles-based living. To be frugal, it’s important to know what you want, what you need and have a plan for filling those needs without being wasteful. That’s going to be very dependent on your lifestyle. Wool pants that need to be dry cleaned aren’t in the least frugal if you’re a homesteader who grows most of her own food and need garments that can stand up under garden work. They’re a considerably more sensible choice to the person with the desk job in a cold office where clothes don’t get dirty as often. When you start thinking about sewing as a way to get a frugal wardrobe, think carefully about how you live before you dive in and start making clothes.

Noel Lynne Figart is a nerd whose friends live primarily in the computer. When not sewing her own wardrobe or teaching people how to use computers, she can be found shoot off at the mouth about politics, relationships, cooking and knitting at Noel Figart.com.

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