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Embrace Your Chicken, Part 3: Chicken Stock

Written on January 25, 2012 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food

One chicken, three meals:
#1 Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
#2 Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

We are coming to end of this chicken, but can you believe how far we’ve been able to make it stretch?
Today, we’re talking stock (or broth). Chicken stock is truly a wonderful thing to make. Like my homemade veggie stock, it’s made with the scraps that you would otherwise throw away. At the store stock costs about $3 a quart. One chicken carcass (ew) will make me about a half gallon of stock. Not only is it cost effective, it tastes wonderful – far better than what you could buy, you know exactly what is in it, and costs far less.

Here’s how to make it:
Take your chicken carcass and put it in your largest stock-pot (see why it’s called that now?).
Fill pot with cold water.
Add a generous splash of white or apple cider vinegar. This will help to break down the bones and add more minerals to your stock. Let set for about a half an hour, then add chunks of celery, carrot, onion and garlic. No need to peel anything (even the onion and garlic); just give it a good scrub and a rough chop before dropping it in all the pot.

Turn on burner to high and bring to a good rolling boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for anywhere from 12 to 36 hours, adding more water as necessary. When you see foam forming on the top, skim it off with a spoon and discard.

In the last hour or two of cooking, feel free to throw in some herbs, if desired: parsley and thyme are my favorites.
Warning: Your house will smell wonderful. Make sure you have something good planned for dinner.
After you have simmered your stock for the desired amount of time, remove from heat and allow to cool. This will make it easier to handle.
Strain through a colander. If you prefer a more clear stock, you can line your colander with linen, but I usually don’t bother.
Pick through the bones and separate the meat. Store in fridge or freezer. Discard everything else (even the veggies – there is nothing of value left in the. It’s all in your stock).
There will likely be a layer of fat on the top of your stock. I generally leave it, but if you find that it makes your finished stock too oily, just place the entire bowl in the fridge. The fat will rise to the surface and harden. It can then be picked off and thrown away. (Or used to make chicken gravy.)
I like to put my finished stock in wide mouth quart jars and freeze until needed. Just don’t overfill or they could burst in the freezer. Leave a couple of inches of headroom.
I made soup with our stock for lunch yesterday.
Full disclaimer, this was actually made with turkey stock. The chicken stock wasn’t quite ready, but it smelled so good… I went to the freezer and pulled out some leftover meat and turkey stock I had made after Christmas. While it was thawing, I had Newt cut some kale from the garden. This, I sauteed with celery, carrot, onion and garlic. I added the stock, meat, a handful of pasta (though rice or barley are also good), and salt and pepper.

Lunch was on the table in less time than it would have taken to heat up frozen fish sticks.

If you have never tried cooing a whole chicken before, I hope you are feeling a little more confident about it. None of the dishes I made this week required a whole lot of special skills or equipment, but each one of them tasted great. Go ahead and try it. Don’t be chicken!

Linking with: Making it With Allie, A Crafty Soiree , Works for Me Wednesday and Trendy Treehouse: Create and Share

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Embrace Your Chicken, Part 2: Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad

Written on January 25, 2012 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food

One chicken, three meals. See the other two recipes here:
#1 Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
#3 Homemade Chicken Stock/Chicken Soup

Besides being tasty, let’s talk about another reason why buying the whole chicken makes sense, or should I say makes cents? That’s right, I’m talking about the $$$.
I bought my chicken, full price, for about $6. Monday night, I made a beautiful and delicious roast chicken; let’s call that meal #1. After dinner, I stripped the remaining meat off the frame and stuck both meat and bones in the fridge.
Yup bones, too, but that’s tomorrow’s post.
Yesterday, just before lunch I pulled out the leftover chicken and got ready for meal #2: Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad.

I had about 2 cups of chicken left over, but we are a small family. If you have less left, just estimate and adjust your other ingredients to make the chicken salad. It’s a really forgiving recipe.
If you have no chicken left over, that’s sad. Next time make two chickens. You can’t go wrong with having extra chicken around the house. Besides chicken salad, cooked chicken comes in handy for topping green salads, making wraps or sandwiches, casseroles, soups, chicken enchiladas or burritos, chicken kabobs, chicken-gumbo, chicken fricassee… sorry, I just started channeling Benjamin Buford ‘Bubba’ Blue for a minute.
Anyway, my point is, cooked chicken is a good thing to have around.

Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad

Author: Heidi

Recipe type: Salad

Sweet and chewy cranberries, crunchy celery and walnuts and tangy yogurt combine with chicken for a salad sensation. If you feel the need to eat it straight from the bowl, standing in front of the open refrigerator, I won’t judge. I’ve done it myself.

Ingredients

2 cups cubed cooked chicken
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup celery, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
3 Tbs mayonnaise
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cranberries, walnuts and onions; mix well.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, oregano and pepper; pour over chicken mixture. Mix gently.
Tastes best if you have time to refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.

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Tomorrow, we talk stock.

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Embrace Your Chicken, Part 1:Oven Roasted Chicken with a Sweet and Spicy Glaze

Written on January 24, 2012 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food

One chicken, three meals. See the other two recipes here:
#2 Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
#3 Homemade Chicken Stock/Chicken Soup

Let’s talk chicken. Sure, we are all familiar with the boneless, skinless variety, but can I be frank?
Those can be a bit, um… boring.
This week, I’m going to help you to break you out of that chicken rut. Let’s start by embracing the whole bird, shall we?
Um… not like that.
Awkward.

Want to feel like a hero in the kitchen? Put this on the dinner table:

Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken

I made this dish for dinner last night. My family raved over it, and gave me enough praise to fill my little middle-child heart with glee. What they don’t know it this: roast chicken ranks right up there with spaghetti and baked potatoes on the cooking difficulty scale. This is one dish where the outcome far outweighs what you put into it.
Want to make things really easy? Throw some potatoes in the oven to bake while the chicken is roasting. If you round things out with salad, making it will be the most difficult part of the meal.

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Roast Chicken

Author: Heidi

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 90 mins

Total time: 1 hour 40 mins

Serves: 4

Don’t fear the chicken. Roast chicken is honestly one of the easiest foods there is to make, but we can keep that a secret. Your family will think you’ve slaved all day over this sweet and spicy masterpiece. Go ahead and let them do the dishes.

Ingredients

One whole fryer
Olive oil
Spice rub for poultry (mine has sage, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and parsley in it), season salt, or salt and pepper
¼ cup apple jelly
¼ cup honey
½ – 1 tsp fresh grated or jarred ginger
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Begin by preparing your chicken. Remove from packaging and reach your hand in the cavity (trust me, this dish is worth it). Pull out any giblets, large fat deposits and/or neck. Set aside for another dish or discard.
Trim any loose skin and tail, if desired. (The tail question comes down to aesthetics. I usually leave it, because I am a lazy cook.)
Rinse chicken, inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towel.
Place chicken on a rack in a baking pan, breast side up.
Rub entire bird with olive oil. Liberally sprinkle on spice rub, season salt, or salt and pepper and lightly rub in.
Place chicken on lower-middle rack in oven and roast for about 25 minutes, to start.
While chicken is roasting, prepare glaze: Combine apple jelly, honey in a small dish. Stir. If jelly does not break down and combine well, microwave mixture for 30 seconds to melt.
Add ½ teaspoon of ginger and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne. Taste, then add more of each, if desired.
After cooking chicken for about 40 minutes, remove from oven and spoon half of the glaze over the bird, taking care to cover legs and wings.
Return chicken to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove and cover with the remaining glaze. If wing tips are beginning to look overly brown, cover them with foil.
Place chicken back in the oven and cook until juices run clear and thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°. Take care not to touch the bone with the thermometer; that would give a false reading.
Total cooking time should be between 1 and 1½ hours, depending on the size of bird.

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Tomorrow, I’ll show you what to do with the leftovers, if there are any.

Linked with: Works for Me Wednesday, Create and Share, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket’s Show and Tell

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Honeymoon Suite ‘n Sour

Written on November 17, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food, Where I live

Because most of our house looks like this:

Pepper is happily vacationing at our favorite boarders, Newt is spending a couple of days with a friend and Walt and I have have retired to a hotel. I think this may be the first time we have been alone at a hotel since Newt’s birth more than 11 years ago. I know what you’re thinking… second honeymoon?
I’m not gonna lie, we were thinking something along the same lines. We started with a date at our local $3 movie theater. We saw Contagion. Romantic, no?
After the movie (and some serious hand scrubbing) we returned to our own personal disaster area to pack some things for our hotel stay. We were tired and rushing around throwing things in bags, trying to decide what we might need without really knowing how long we’d be gone. In my hurry, I didn’t pack well and I may have sort of left the business end of a razor kind of sticking out of a bag (foreshadowing alert). All the running around and packing amongst the ruin of our home felt a bit surreal because I was still feeling the emotions of the movie; I felt like we were trying to evacuate…
When we arrived at our hotel, Walt and I each grabbed carts and started piling them with all our stuff. Suddenly, I noticed that Walt was gripping his hand and bending over like he was in pain. Good thing I have a first-aid kit in the car. I don’t *think* his finger will need stitches. So much for our second honeymoon.
Let’s talk about something else, shall we?
Our hotel room has a kitchenette. I packed up a bunch of food, planning a quick menu on the fly. I’m thinking oatmeal, eggs, toast, green smoothies, cinnamon rolls, chicken enchiladas, butternut soup, salad, baked potatoes, black beans and rice, sandwiches, and fruit. For the most part, it’s all good food, but there were some concessions made for my family’s comfort (I’m looking at you cinnamon rolls, hot cocoa and ranch dressing. Separately. Because together, that’d be really gross.)
Care to see exactly what I brought? Scroll on, my friend.

The kitchenette is fully equipped, but I did grab my spare blander and a sandwich press. Tomorrow, I’ll run home for some olive oil and my crockpot. I don’t think I did too badly for planning on the fly. I probably took ten minutes to figure out what I wanted and throw all this stuff in bags.
Well, Walt just went to bed. I think I’ll bring him some more Motrin and turn in too. Hang up that Do Not Disturb sign, things are about to get cra-zy! If he’s not in too much pain, and I’m not too tired, we might even cuddle for a minute or two.

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How to: Handprint Turkey Thanksgiving Table Runner

Written on November 14, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food, She's Crafty...

All month, I’ve been practicing being grateful. It has come in handy over the last couple of days.
Example 1:
Saturday morning, we woke up to a flood.
I think it was Confucius who said: A clogged toilet in the night will lead to an unhappy morning.
We had to pull up the carpet and pad from the hall, our bedroom and the dining room. In order to do that, we had to rip off our baseboards. It looks like we’ll have to disinfect and dry the sub floor thoroughly, replace the pads with new, put the carpet back down, shampoo and replace the baseboards. Oh yeah, and a new toilet seems to be in order as well. It’s a big job and I’ll be talking to our insurance agent about it later today.
Reason to be grateful: the carpets really did need to be shampooed.
Example 2:
I always cook Thanksgiving dinner. So far this year, I have done all of the following to prepare:
[crickets chirping]
Um, right… I wasn’t a bit concerned though because I was sure Thanksgiving was still a few weeks away. That is until I actually looked at my calendar yesterday and realized that we only have about a week and a half until the big day. Kindly refer to example number one.
Reason to be grateful: I have a really cute table runner, all ready to go.

Want to make one? It’s really easy to whip up.
Here’s how:
Measure your table. Your runner should be about 1/3 the width of your table (though you could go a bit wider of you like) and about 2 feet longer than your table’s length.
Cut two pieces of fabric to your desired size. I used muslin; I liked the texture, color and cost. (It’s super inexpensive, generally less than $2 per yard.)
Sew fabric, right sides together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Be sure to leave an opening to turn runner right side out. Good. Now go ahead and turn your runner right side out. Iron the seams flat, then hand or machine sew opening closed.
Okay, ready for the fun part? Let’s make the handprint turkeys.
Trace your family’s handprints on scratch paper. Raid your fabric stash (or ask your mom for hers) and choose a fabric for each turkey. Pin your scratch paper pattern to your fabric, but don’t cut on the line. Cut about 1/4 inch outside the line, making the handprints slightly larger.
Arrange turkeys-to-be on your runner and pin down. Sew about 1/4 inch from the edge. This way, when you wash the runner, the edges will fray and ruffle up a bit. Hand embroider or use fabric pens to add details like eyes, feet, beaks and ~~those red hangy things~~ snoods. If you like, you could also do a simple running stitch around the edge in a complimentary color. While you are at it, be sure to stitch or write the year somewhere. Won’t it be fun to use each year and see how your own little turkeys have grown?
Another thing for me to be grateful for: making a fun centerpiece is also really easy.
Here’s a shot of what ours looked like last year:

I wrote up a little tutorial for an edible Thanksgiving centerpiece last year, if you are interested.
One last reason to be grateful: We may be eating our dinner in an uncarpeted mess, but at least the table will be cute.

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Ten Tips From a Thrift Store Shopping Expert

Written on September 26, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word

I love saving money. I get a real stick-it-to-the-man kind of feeling when I am able get something great without having to pay a premium price.
Like when I make my own yogurt. Or homemade deodorant. (Have you tried it yet?)
That great feeling of satisfaction is well worth the little bit of extra effort.
You know what I discovered the other day? Shopping at second hand stores gives me that same great feeling.

image credit: Best of L.I. 2010

I have a friend who is a master thrifter. She knows all the tips and tricks to getting great deals on really cute clothes and paying next to nothing. I asked her to take me shopping last week and share her wisdom with me.
Here are ten tips I learned from a thrifting pro:

1. You have to look.
To newbies like me, those racks and racks of clothes can look a bit overwhelming. It is so much easier to go to a department store, see something you like and flip through the rack until you find your size, but you’ll pay big bucks for that convenience. Think of it like panning for gold. You have to sift through some silt to find the gold. In other words, you have to sift through some elastic-waisted mom jeans to find a great pair of jeans that makes your butt look amazing.
My friend told me that this season alone she has found two pair of Kut jeans in her size. They retail for $65 – $75 new at Nordstrom. She paid $6 each pair.

2. Inspect clothing for signs of quality.
Sometimes you will find a familiar high-end brand that you know to be well made. If the brand doesn’t tell you anything, look for other signs of quality. Generally, well made clothing will exhibit the following signs: Seams will be straight, tightly sewn and line up. Skirts, slacks and jackets will be lined. Trim, buttons and hooks will be firmly attached, though if the item has had some wear, they may have loosened a little.
While you are checking the buttons and trim, take a look at the zipper. Make sure it has no broken teeth and that it slides up and down easily. Read the labels to see what the item is made of (and care instructions so there are no surprises later).
All of this is not to say that you shouldn’t buy something that is not as well made. Just be sure that the price is right. Ask yourself: Is the item really worth what they are asking? Could I buy it new and on sale for close to the same price?

3. Size doesn’t matter (much).
Size varies greatly from brand to brand. Second hand stores have a lot of brands to choose from. To further confuse the matter, most items have been washed. If it was likely to shrink in the wash, it probably already has. When you are searching through the racks and you find something you like, don’t put it back if it is labeled the wrong size. It might surprise you.
Furthermore, don’t be afraid to look at things that you are sure aren’t the right size. You may be able to find a great oversized sweater if you look in a larger size bracket, or even the mens department. Layer it over a pair of leggings, pull on some boots, and you’ve got a great look for fall.

4. Try everything on.
Your mom was right: you never know until you try. What looks great on the rack may look not-so-great on you. Don’t think, “Well, it’s only $2. If I don’t like it, I’m not out much.” You’ll be out $2! And you’ll have another thing taking up space in your closet that you’ll never wear.
Only buy things that fit right and flatter your shape. Take a friend if you aren’t sure of yourself.
If you try something on and it’s almost right, it’s still wrong. Don’t buy it.
It doesn’t matter how amazing of a deal something is if you don’t look and feel great in it. And don’t fall into the it-will-fit-once-I-lose-five-more-pounds trap. Shop for the body you have now. If you do happen to lose (or gain) a few pounds, you’ll find great finds for that body too.

5. Don’t leave the store with only half an outfit.
Okay, you just found a really nice skirt. It’s well made, fits well, you look great in it and it’s a steal. Awesome, just don’t take it to the register quite yet.
Ask yourself: what will I wear with it? If you don’t have anything at home, hit the racks again. Find something to complete your outfit. If not, that great piece is in danger of languishing in the back if your closet, forgotten. That is, until you get around to clearing out the clutter and you send that awesome find back where it came from.

6. Know your limits.
Missing buttons, too long hems, broken zippers? No problem if you know how to sew. Just be sure to consider if the garment will be worth the effort. And if you will make the time to actually do it. No matter how much you like something, it’s not a good purchase if it sits in a pile of mending forever.
Pretty sure you won’t get around to it? Or you don’t know how to sew?
Would the savings be worth the cost of taking it to a tailor? Do your homework first to get an idea of how much those basic services will cost.
Budget is another limit to keep in mind. A whole lot of bargain items will blow your budget just as badly as one pair of new designer jeans. Don’t let the thrill of the find get you into financial trouble. One great way to ensure that you only spend what you can afford is to take just the amount you plan to spend, in cash, and leave your credit cards at home.
Speaking of budget, be aware that those cute little Vintage Boutiques are going to be a lot more expensive than your local Goodwill.
Lastly, don’t go overboard. It can be tempting to buy more than you need. Be careful not to turn a great deal into a great deal of clutter.

7. Buy in the off season.
People have a tendency to clean out their closets at the end of a season, but who wants to spend money on shorts in October?
You do, if you’re smart.
First off, you won’t be competing with as many other deal seekers. It’s also likely that the store will have marked down the price on those out-of-season items.
Pretend you’re a Boy Scout and Be Prepared: If you know you’re going to need it later in the year, go ahead and pick it up now.

8. Learn if your local stores have any special promotions.
I learned that Goodwill has a daily special, for example: 50% off all red tagged items. Fifty percent off is huge! That will take a $7 pair of jeans down to less than the price of a small smoothie from Jamba Juice! The special changes by day, so watch for signs posted in the store.
Another store in my area offers a 20% discount off any regular priced items when you bring in donations. My thrifting -guru keeps a small bag of items to donate in her car. That way, if she happens to be in the area and has some time to spare, she’ll drop it off and pop in to see if something catches her eye.
Get to know your stores, and don’t be shy about calling ahead to ask about sales.

9. Go early and go often.
The savvy shoppers know about red tag day, or whatever the promotion may be. They get there early, before everything is picked through. Be savvy.
If there is something in particular you are looking for, drop in often since inventory changes by the day. It really doesn’t have to take much time. If you are looking for a new-to-you pair of shoes, just look at shoes. You’ll be in and out in no time.

10. Know your area.
Stores closer to more affluent neighborhoods generally carry higher quality merchandise. Vacation destinations may have more outdoor equipment or what have you. Think about the demographics of the area and what is on your wish-list when you are deciding where to go. A little forethought and planning can really pay off.

I had no idea thrifting could be so much fun. I definitely got the thrill of the hunt. But using these tips helped me to find great deals without going overboard. Each item I brought home is something I will feel great wearing.
Want to see? I’ve got a little fashion show planned for tomorrow…
Edited to add: My thrift store fashion show is up now. Click over to see all of my great finds.

Do you thrift shop? Share your tips in the comments.

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Cold-Fighting Cabbage Soup (Vegan)

Written on September 20, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, I Forgot to Assign a Catagory, Natural Health and Beauty, Real Food

Last week, I attended a potluck at friend’s house. One of the items served was a delicious cabbage-based bread soup. It was cool and cloudy yesterday, perfect soup weather. I decided to create my own version for lunch.
It was a good thing too, because I was literally standing at my cutting board when Newt started sneezing. Besides sneezing, I noted that she had slept later than usual that morning and had been unaccountably grumpy. Newt was definitely getting a cold.

Health Benefits of Cabbage Soup

Cabbage is an excellent natural source of vitamin C. Did you know that cabbage has even more vitamin C than oranges? Unlike oranges, however, cabbage is not mucous producing. Heaven knows, you don’t want any more of that when you have a cold. (I am horrified that I used the word mucous in a recipe post, but there it is.)
Garlic is a natural antibiotic. Perfect for fighting off the nasties.
Both garlic and cabbage are blood cleansers, helping to remove toxins from the body.
Vegetables are easier for the body to digest than meat. This frees up some of your body’s energy for cold-fighting.
This soup is cheap to make. What, that’s not a health benefit? Well, I always feel better when my money stays in my purse. Don’t you?

Other benefits:

It only takes a half an hour to make.
This recipe makes enough to for several meals.
Did I mention how cheap this soup is? Especially if you make your own (free!) vegetable stock.
Most importantly, it’s filling, satisfying and really yummy.

Newt and I each enjoyed a couple of bowls for lunch. When we heard that Newt’s Grandma wasn’t feeling well, we took some over to her. There was still a whole lot of soup left over. I ladled it into pint canning jars and put it in the freezer. Next time we want some, I’ll just pull out a jar and pop it in the microwave. It’s the perfect serving size for two.
Why don’t you make up a batch to freeze and have on hand for the upcoming cold and flu season? You’ll thank me later.

Cold Fighting Cabbage Soup

Author: Heidi @ Frantically Simple

Recipe type: Soups

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 10 – 12

This soup is filled with cold-fighting power, and it tastes great too! Carnivores, don’t let the vegan label throw you. This soup is great no matter what.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium sized white or yellow onion, chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic, pressed
½ a large head of cabbage, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (if you prefer, chicken broth could be substituted)
1 14.5 oz. can peeled and diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: cubed or torn day-old bread and additional olive oil

Instructions

In a large stock-pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent – about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to cook until onion is slightly browned.
Add remaining ingredients (except for bread and additional olive oil). Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until carrots and cabbage are tender, about 20 minutes.
To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with a handful of cubed or torn day-old bread and a drizzle of olive oil.

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linked with Healthy Day 2Day Wednesdays and Works for Me Wednesdays

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How To Make Your Own Vegetable Stock in a Crockpot (and save $15)

Written on September 14, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food

Ok, so last week it was hot, hot, hot around here and I told you how to make homemade frozen yogurt. Well, the last couple of days things have cooled down to the mid-sixties and I am making soup.
Welcome to Oregon.

I love using vegetable stock in soup – it adds great flavor, but I don’t like to spend my money on it. I’d pay between $3 -$4 per quart at the grocery store. During the wet, rainy months of fall, winter and spring, I like to make a lot of soup and it adds up.
One day last year, I was cutting up an onion. I noticed the scraps on the edge of my cutting board and thought that it would be really nice to use them to make veggie stock, but there was just so little.
Ping! (That’s the sound of a lightbub lighting above my head.)
I took all the scraps and put them in a gallon sized ziplock and put them in the freezer. The next time I cut veggies, I added them to the bag. It started filling up with the ends of green beans, garlic and onion skins, wilted carrots, the tough parts of leeks… all of the things that would normally be thrown away.

When my bag got full, I turned it into veggie stock.
Want to try it? Here’s how:

Dump your bag of frozen scraps in the crockpot.

I have heard that the best stock has close to a 1:1:1 ratio of carrots, celery and onion. Take a look at your scraps to see if you might need to add a bit more of any of those items. If so, give whatever is lacking an rough chop and throw it in.
Add in any herbs you have lying around. I like thyme and parsley, but if you don’t have any, they are not really necessary.
Turn the crockpot to low and cook for at least 10 hours.

Your house should start smelling really tasty. Make sure you have something good planned for dinner.
You want everything to be nicely wilted and kind of colorless.

Turn the crockpot off and let things cool. In the meantime place a large colander in a bowl and line it with a clean linen towel.
Scoop or pour in as much as your colander will hold and let it drain..

Then wrap up the veggies in your towel and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze the liquid out. This is the good stuff, don’t waste it.

Squeezing by hand is also the reason why you want it cool. I was impatient last time and ended up with red and tender hands. Ouch.
When you are done, throw out or compost the wasted veggies. Pour your new stock into jars for the fridge if you’ll be using it in the next week, or for the freezer.
I got a gallon of yummy stock – for freeeeee.

Pat yourself on the back for not wasting food or money.

Additional Thoughts

Go easy on strong veggies like broccoli and artichoke.
Some people say that onion and garlic skins give too astringent of a flavor, but I have not found that to be true. Experiment.
I have heard that roasting veggies in the oven first makes for a particularly rich stock, but I have not tried it yet. If you do, let me know how it goes.
If you forget about your stock, or it gets late and you need to go to bed, I don’t think it hurts anything to cook longer. My last batch cooked for 18 hours an it was great.

I’m ready for soup weather. Have a favorite soup recipe to share?

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How to Green Your Swiffer ~ Refill and Reusable pads

Written on August 29, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Natural cleansers, Tricks and Tips

Mondays are for housework at my house. I find it’s a great way to get the week started fresh – and after the weekend, our home always needs a bit of a sprucing up.
This house has laminate floors (I know, I like hardwood better too, but this is what we have.) For convenience, I like to use a Swiffer wet-jet to mop, but I don’t really like the stuff that comes in the refill bottles.
It seems to leave a film on my floor.
It smells too strong.
And oh mylanta! it’s expensive.
I wanted to refill the bottle with my own solution, but those ~~evil~~ corporate geniuses that created it did not intend for the bottle to be refillable.
However, I’m not one to take no for an answer so I found a way to do it anyway.
First boil about a cup of water. Use the stove top or microwave. Pour water into a coffee cup. Carefully (don’t burn yourself) soak the cap end of your swiffer wet jet bottle in the hot water for a minute or two.

Remove the bottle from the water and dry it off. Use a wrench or pliers and a tiny bit of elbow grease to remove the cap.

Rinse it out and refill with your own solution. I added 1/4 cup of white vinegar and few drops of lavender essential oil to my empty bottle, then filled it to the top with warm water. Twist cap back on. You will see that it goes on tight and will not leak.

Hmm… now to find something to keep me from having to waste my money on those disposable pads.
How about an old washcloth? Yes!
I used binder clips to attach one to my swiffer head, being careful not to cover the nozzle that the cleaner sprays from.

How does it work? Better than ever!
My floors feel so much cleaner – no sticky filmy residue.
There is no cloying perfumy smell. In fact, once they have dried there’s no scent at all other than a faint hint of lavender.
I have nothing to throw away when I am done mopping, so there is no waste.
Best of all, my refill costs only a few cents.
Mondays are looking even better around here.

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How to make Healthy (and Clumpy) Granola

Written on August 24, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Real Food

I just found Newt eating dried apples and raw oatmeal, straight from the canister. I think it’s time to make some more granola.

I’ve always loved homemade granola, but I missed the big clumpy clusters that made up the store bought kind. You know those big granola chunks, just perfect for snacking? I needed to know how to make that kind at home with healthy ingredients.
I searched high and low, never wearying in my quest. And guess what?
I’ve found the secret. Want to hear it?
Lean in close here.
Closer…
I said closer!
Whispered: egg whites

Here’s my recipe. Printable format at the bottom of the page.

clumpy granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried fruit
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 cup nuts
5 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp real vanilla
1/3 – 1/2 cup real maple syrup or honey (I go with 1/3 cup, but I like a lightly sweetened flavor)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 300°
Mix together: oats, cinnamon, salt, fruit and nuts in a big bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, egg whites, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir, making sure all dry ingredients are well coated. Split mixture between two oiled baking sheets. Spread evenly and press down firmly into a thin “donut” shaped single layer with a spatula. (This prevents an uncooked middle.)

Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until granola is golden brown and crisp at the edges. Do not stir while baking. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet before breaking into lovely, clumpy, clusters.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if it lasts that long.

Eat by the fistful or spooned over homemade yogurt.

4.7 from 3 reviews

Healthy, Clumpy Granola

Author: Heidi

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Healthy granola that’s clumpy and tasty too? Awesome.

Ingredients

4 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 cup dried fruit
¼ cup coconut flakes
1 cup nuts
5 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp real vanilla
⅓ – ½ cup real maple syrup or honey (I go with ⅓ cup, but I like a lightly sweetened flavor)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°
Mix together: oats, cinnamon, salt, fruit and nuts in a big bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, egg whites, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir, making sure all dry ingredients are well coated. Split mixture between two oiled baking sheets. Spread evenly and press down firmly into a thin “donut” shaped single layer with a spatula. (This prevents an uncooked middle.)
Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until granola is golden brown and crisp at the edges. Do not stir while baking. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet before breaking into lovely, clumpy, clusters.

Notes

I tend to mix and match the fruit and nuts depending on my mood and what I have on hand. This time I used dried cherries, apples, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Yummy!

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