Homemade Deodorant That Works Better Than Dove Prescription Strength (made in one easy step)

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear hard-working (and thus sweaty),

I consider myself an expert on store-bought deodorants.

As in, I've tried them all.

I HATE sweaty arm-pits - for some reason, it just irks the heck out of me when my arms feel sticky and soggy!  Perhaps the rest of the world loves it, but I loathe it!

I thought I must just be super sweaty or something, because even the Dove Prescription Strength stuff wasn't doing the trick for me.  Never thought about the fact that maybe store-bought deodorant, like store-bought cookies, milk and many (but not all) other conventional products, was just inferior to homemade, mystery-ingredient-less pit stopper.

Well, perhaps I considered it, but then remembered that homemade deodorant is hard to make.  Not sure where I got that assumption, but pretty sure I believed it, because I mean, who makes deodorant, really?

I was inspired to make it by this post.  This stuff was about as hard to make as a peanut butter sandwich.  Warning: if you can't even make a peanut butter sandwich, you may not want to try this, in fact you may not want to try much of anything.  

My ultra-fancy tools (hard to find but well worth it).  Bowls, spoons, mixer or whisk, and an empty or almost-empty deodorant container and spatula.

The mysterious and esoteric ingredients, available from anywhere things are sold.  Coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and a scent if you like.

Literally it was just a few ingredients from my kitchen (three, to be exact, with one optional add-in), blended together.  Done.

I warmed the coconut oil a little to make blending easier.

  

Then I easily blended in the baking soda and cornstarch, as well as a few drops of essential oil just for fun.  

Smoosh, smoosh!  I chilled it in the freezer for about two minutes because I am impatient, and smashed it all thickly together.

Look, empty deodorant container!  I just took out the last scrap of deodorant.  If you're worried about the homemade stuff melting through, you could leave a little store deodorant in the container as a plug.

I slobbed some of the homemade stuff into the deodorant container because I'm fancy like that, and put the rest in a jar for refills later. 

Wiped it down and put on labels to be snazzy (a good time for chalk labels?  I'd better order more).

Homemade Pit Stopper Better Than the Store Bought Stuff and Also Less Mysterious
I wasn't sure I trusted homemade deodorant yet, so when I mixed this batch up I made sure I had a little bit of the Real Stuff set aside.  The next day I threw the Real Stuff away and now just use the Good Stuff! This may be difficult to make on a hot day, as coconut becomes liquid at warm temperatures. 

You can buy empty deodorant containers online!  Here is an affiliate link: 5 Deodorant Empty Containers - for lotion bar, heel balm etc. (2 oz.)

1/4 cup (generously scooped) coconut oil, warmed to partially liquid
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot or corn starch
Optional: essential oil or pure extract for aroma, unless you used virgin coconut oil in which case it will smell like coconut, yum!

Using a blender or a vigorous fork, whip together ingredients.  Store in a jar and apply by hand, or cool until thick and pack into an empty deodorant container.

Note: If you are anxious try try it, you can make some now and then let it soften and pack it into an old deodorant container later!  When I was packing it in to the deodorant container, I chilled it in the freezer for just a few minutes and then stirred it together to get it evenly thick.  Also, if you keep your bathroom really hot, you should be warned that this will melt right out of your deodorant container unless you leave a little store deodorant in the container as a plug.

Using It: The Facts. When you initially swipe this on, your body heat will instantly melt the coconut oil and your arms will feel wet.  When this happened, I was horrified!  I hate spray-on or gel-like deodorants that feel wet.  Hate them!!  Even though I know you can leave your shirt off and let the deodorant dry, it never really does and I feel sticky and irritated all day.

However, in this instance I was pleasantly surprised to find that the deodorant dried instantly, by the time I could pull a shirt out of the drawer; and then miracle of miracles, I forgot I was wearing it all day!  I even wore two t-shirts and a sweatshirt and then ran eight errands (with a baby!), which generally would leave me sticky and damp under the arms.  When I got home that night I suddenly remembered I was testing homemade deodorant, and hurriedly took off my sweatshirt to see how soggy I was.  What?  No sticky?  No sweaty?  A miracle!!  I raced off to throw away my store-bought deodorant immediately!!

Did I mention that even with premium coconut oil, this is still cheaper than buying deodorant at the store, even with store coupons... ?

You can even store spare deodorant in the freezer now - what a fun way to freak your friends out!

Not sticky,

Mrs H
tweet us @_mrs_h for chewy nuggets
Pin us at Pinterest for pretty photos and intriguing articles
Follow us on Facebook for recipes, giveaways, and brilliant flashes of perspiration!

Spices: Homemade Blends and a Well-Stocked Pantry

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear spicy ones,

Some people collect Cabbage Patch Dolls.  Others collect antique teapots.  I suppose you could say I collect spices!  Spices are a nice collection to have because it is a constantly evolving, changing, updating collection that technically expires after only a few months, and needs to be refreshed.  Thus, I get the rush of satisfying serotonin from buying New Stuff every few months, and the drawers remain about the same size and I don't need to feel like I'm wasting space or money.

Plus, we like a lot of flavor in our food.

I love MarketSpice, which has a little outlet in Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, Washington.  They also have a warehouse in Redmond, Washington, where you can call in your order and pick it up pre-packaged; but I love the heady rush of seeing row after row of fresh spices on the wall, teas and coffee blends, and the tiny store full of tea pots and tea strainers and French presses, spice grinders and mortars.

When I moved to Virginia, I made a visit to MarketSpice to stock up all my jars before heading to questionable territory that may or may not have spices suitable to my standards.  Southern Belle came with me and took the snapshot you see above!

People come in to the store with long lists they need to replenish, so when I came and said I had a long list and started rattling them off, the clerk suggested I just hand him the notebook.  I did, and he stopped what he was doing to stare.  "Well," he said.  "We've had some pretty long lists, but I'm gonna have to say this is the longest one I've ever seen."

"I'm just restocking the ones that are low," I said.  "You guys have the best."

By the time he finished, two other employees had joined him, starting from the bottom of the list and working their way up, while he worked his way down from the top.  They brilliantly deciphered my hieroglyphic notations and determined how many ounces of each I wanted - it was like they could read my mind!

While I love the spices at Penzeys, too (I'm told MarketSpice sources some of their spices from them, as well), the beauty of MarketSpice is you can buy whatever quantity you want; Penzeys come pre-bottled (which makes them fabulous gifts!), so they can be a little bit pricier; but the quality is just as high.  I source my vanilla beans from Beanilla, a great online resource with the most competitive bulk prices on the market today, and use them to make our homemade extracts and other deliciousnesses like ice cream or tapioca pudding.

Miz Carmen gave my sister Melissa the idea for these little spice jars, which
I received from Melissa as a wedding gift!  This is just one drawer out of several ... 

When I was home for Christmas this past December, almost a year after my earlier visit, I stopped in at MarketSpice to restock on a couple items, and find a few new spices to try.  It's a busy store, and there were even a few new employees - but the old employees remembered me - "Didn't you come in with that huge list?" and the new employees had heard of me - "Didn't you come in with that huge list?"!  I had to laugh - but this is just another reason why I love this store.  Quality customer care, every single time!

Following is a list of the spices and blends we currently have on file right now.  The list is always evolving - some things run out, others are replaced, gifts are received, some are good, some are bad, new blends are mixed - and so it will probably be different if you come in a week from now!  These are sorted by letter and variety, but they aren't exactly alphabetical.

MS = Market Spice, P = Penzeys, HM = Homemade blend or home-grown and dried

Numbers 33rd & Galena (P blend)

Aa Allspice (ground), Allspice (whole), Anise Seed, Anise (ground), Arizona Dreaming (P blend)

Bb Baking Powder (home mix), Baking Soda, Sweet Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Sweet Basil (Frozen Oil Paste, HM), Cinnamon Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Lemon Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Purple Basil (HM, frozen), Bay Leaf (dried, HM), Bread Topping (HM), BBQ3000 (P blend), Beaumonde, Berebere (mixed by my cousin)

Cc Chinese 5-Spice, Caraway seeds, Cardamom (ground), Cardamom pods, Cayenne, Celery Seed, Chili Powder (MS blend), Cinnamon (ground, Oregon Spice), Ceylon Cinnamon, China Cinnamon, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves (whole), Cloves (ground), Coriander, Cornstarch, Cream of Tartar, Cumin (ground), Cumin (whole), Curry (regular), Curry (additional blend), Curry (Madras), Vindaloo Curry, Crab & Shrimp Boil (MS blend), Cajun (P blend), Chicken and Rib Rub (P blend), Cilantro (dried), Cilantro (HM, frozen), Cider Mulling Mix (HM - recipe below), Hot Chili Powder, Whole Cayenne, Seattle Chai Mix (MS), Chai Spice Blend (MS, no tea)

Dd Dill Seed, Dill Weed

Ff Fennel, Fenugreek (ground), Fenugreek (whole), Fish Stock (Hon Dashi, grains), Fennel, Flax (ground), Flax Seeds

Gg Garam Masala, Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Ginger, Gumbo File (Sassafras root, powdered), Roasted Garlic Seasoning,  Game Hen Blend (MS blend. I used this all up after compiling my list so it's actually all gone!), Galena Street (P blend), Ground Virginia Peppers (HM)

Ii Italian Seasoning (MS blend)

Jj Jamaican Jerk (MS blend), Jalapeno Powder, Juniper Berries, Crushed Jalapeno

Mm Marjoram, Mustard Seed (yellow), Mustard Seed (brown), Mustard (ground), Hot Mustard (ground), Mint (whole leaf, HM), Mint (coarse grind, HM), Sambhar Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala, Karahi Chicken Masala, Chunky Chat Masala, Mchuzi Mix (Kenyan blend), Matcha Powder, Sweet Mesquite Seasoning, Smoky Meat Rub

Nn Nutmeg (ground), Nutmeg (whole), Nigella Seed

Oo Onion Powder (HM), Oregano, Orange Peel (dried, HM), Chopped Onion (HM)

Pp Paprika (hot), Paprika (sweet), Paprika (smoked), Paprika (Spanish Smoked), Parsley (dried), Parsley (frozen), Pepper (Tellicherry, whole), Pepper (ground) Pepper (crushed, red), Poppy Seed, Pickling Spice (store blend), Pumpkin Pie Spice (HM)

Rr Rosemary (Whole, HM), Rosemary (Coarse grind, HM), Rosemary (fine powder, HM)

Ss Saffron, Sage (HM), Sage (ground, HM), Seasoned Salt, Penzeys 4/S Seasoned Salt, Pretzel Salt, Kosher Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Pickling Salt, Bacon Salt, Truffle Salt, Mural of Fire (P Seasoned salt), Sesame (Black), Sesame (Yellow), Sugar (Green Chile), Sugar (Cinnamon, HM - recipe below), Sumac, Sour Cream Dip Mix (HM, recipe below)

Tt Tarragon, Thyme (whole, HM), Thyme (ground, HM), Thyme (flaked), Turmeric, Taco Seasoning (HM)

Vv Vanilla Bean

A Few of My Favorite Spice Blends

I like blending my own spices - although there are a few favorite blends I love to buy premade! - and if you have a great spice blend you are willing to share, I'd be keen to hear it!

Cinnamon Sugar
This is the perfect ratio of sugar to cinnamon! 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Blend thoroughly.  Sprinkle on toast, cinnamon rolls, steamed milk, chopped apples, applesauce ...

Cider Mulling Mix
A little cheesecloth or a mesh tea ball filled with spices, a pot on the stove and a jar of home-pressed cider ... I like to use just a small amount, maybe two teaspoons approximately, per quart. 

Approximately 1 tablespoon whole allspice
Approximately 2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon, approximately two inches, broken in half or shattered coarsely
Approximately 1 tablespoon dried orange peel pieces
A few shaves of a whole nutmeg

Toss together; increase amount in ratio listed as desired.  Store in an airtight jar.


Pumpkin Pie Spice (see the original post here!)
If you make the Libby recipe, just use two teaspoons per pie of this in replacement of what the can of puree calls for.  I use this to make my homemade pumpkin spice granola! 

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice (optional)

Whisk ingredients together well; store in an airtight container.

Big Batch of Pumpkin Pie Spice (x 8)
Just a little pluttification ... and we have MORE! 

1/2 cup cinnamon (8 tablespoons)
1/4 cup ginger (12 teaspoons/4 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons cloves (6 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons allspice (optional)

Taco Seasoning (see the original post here!)

I got this recipe from Miz Carmen, who got it from Allrecipes, to which it was submitted by Bill Echols (thanks, Bill!)

Find a recipe for tortillas (whole wheat or white) here

1 tablespoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon paprika

1 – ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Big Batch of Taco Seasoning

Have a huge family?  Making taco beef for a party?  Freezing batches of seasoned meat?  

To sedecuple the recipe (multiply it by 16), and make 16 ounces of taco seasoning (2 cups): 

1 cup chili powder

4 teaspoons garlic powder

4 teaspoons onion powder

4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons paprika

½ cup ground cumin

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground black pepper  

Adjust the ratios as you like to make it more to your tastes; do you have any good ideas of other spices to add to this mix?

Sour Cream Dip
Blend this with sour cream - how much you use is up to you, as strength of flavoring is purely a personal choice - and serve with chips, vegetables, meat, fried hobo pockets, or whatever else you love to dip!  I used to enjoy the Lipton Onion Soup mixed with sour cream, but when I tried it again a year or two ago I realized all I could taste was MSG and artificial flavorings - my taste buds have refined since my teen years!  I had to come up with this mix so I could enjoy that oniony, salty dip again! 

1 tablespoon Beaumonde
2 teaspoons chopped or flaked onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dill weed (or two teaspoons, if you like it less dominant)
2 teaspoons dried parsley

Blend well; whisk into sour cream.


Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (read the entire article here!)
If you bought this at the grocery store, it would cost twice as much as regular baking powder.  Crazy, huh?  

Sodium bicarbonate: 1/4 cup baking soda
Acid Salt: 1/2 cup cream of tartar
Starch: 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or 1/4 cup cream of tartar (optional, and highly recommended especially if you are going to put this in your cupboard for storage)

More!  We must have more!! 

All you spice fans and foodies out there - I am currently in the testing phase for a great chai spice blend, pickling spice, and an italian seasoning blend.  If you have a favorite recipe you are willing to share, please let me know and I will be anxious to try it!

Do you know of other great blends, or fabulous resources for spices?  Is there a great spice shop in your town?  I am always hunting for new and adventurous blends and applications for spices, like pepper in cookies and cinnamon on chicken - what is the most bizarre way you've ever used a familiar spice?  If I come across any new great resources or come up with a new great blend, I'll update this post!

Yours in season and out,

Mrs H

tweet us @_mrs_h for chewy nuggets
Pin us at Pinterest for pretty photos and intriguing articles
Follow us on Facebook for recipes, giveaways, and brilliant flashes of perspiration!

Frothing Milk Without a Frother: and, Steamed Milk, Lattes and More

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear steamed,

I love frothy, foamy milk.  Whether it's for filling a toasty mug of hazelnut-butter rum milk, or topping a nutty, fresh cappuccino, something about foamed milk just adds the perfect touch of sophistication, beauty and downright special feeling.

Needed frother 

I've been though a couple expensive frothers, ranging from $80 to $100.  They disappointed sorely.

Cruddy cellphone pic since my camera is still on the fritz

Happy ... for a while  

At first, they were great.  I loved them.  I sang their praises.  I couldn't be more pleased.  My milk was whirred to perfection in the little machine and poured, as thick as seafoam and just as moldable, into a cup of waiting espresso.  But they all started to fade.  Quickly.  Our first Keurig model lasted a few months, then quite eagerly heated but did not foam the milk; I returned it.  I got a new one - maybe that one was defective?  I used it twice, and then it reverted to wearily heating, and no longer foaming, the milk.  Disgusted, I returned that one, too.

Why me 

I started doing a little research, and learned that just about every milk frother seemed to fall prey to the same discouraging issue!  What's to be done?  I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on one again, even though I did get my cash refunded for my original purchase at Bed Bath and Beyond (I highly recommend this store for purchases of this nature, as they stand by their products!).

Why froth

But I still wanted bubbled, foamy milk!  Aside from being more fun, frothed milk - milk with air incorporated - tastes sweeter and has a more developed flavor than flat, plain milk.  I finally hit upon a fortuitous solution and have been using it steadily, well, every day, to fill my cup with bubbles of milk.  Using a french press, I utilized a method that most of you probably already use for washing your press!  Do you see where I'm going with this?  Read on ...

Frothed Milk
We have two small French presses, and a large one.  One of the small presses travels with Mr H when he is in the country, and the other is my pet toy for milk and tea.  The large one makes the perfect quantity of coffee for both of us in the morning - any leftovers are poured into a glass and refrigerated for iced coffee in the afternoon!  

Warm milk to desired temperature, stirring constantly to avoid developing a "skin" on top (if it does, just whisk it back in).  Pour into a French press - if using a small one, fill only halfway to avoid overflow.  Churn the plunger up and down rapidly several times until the milk turns to thick foam.  Top your cappuccino, latte, steamed milk, or other drink with an inch of foam!

I heat my milk on the stove, not the microwave.  This is a matter of personal preference

Just think - you probably burn about four calories just pumping this baby!

 Steamed Milk (more accurately, Hot Milk, since we don't use a steamer!)
My friend Chester told me about steamed milk when I was in college studying synapses and biopsychology.  "That's disgusting," I said.  Then I had one; life forever anew, welcome to me!  I drink steamed milk just about every day now!  I love it.  Hot milk doesn't have to be sweet, but if you like it sweet (I love just a hint), there are a variety of choices.  

Milk:  Start with whole, preferably raw or low-heat pasteurized milk.  I don't recommend ultra-pasteurized milk.  Even though we are heating our milk here, ultra-pasteurized milk goes through a process that is ill-designed for your health.

Sweetener: Cane sugar, brown sugar, sucanat, palm sugar, mild honey, maple syrup, stevia powder, stevia liquid, Torani syrups if you so desire

Flavors: Torani syrups, extracts and essences such as (but not limited to!) almond, lemon, ginger, orange, anise, vanilla, butter rum, hazelnut cream, maple, coconut, cardamom, pistachio, banana, caramel, french vanilla, peppermint ... If you have any great flavoring ideas, please mention them in the comments below!!  I like to use a mix of a few extracts - hazelnut being a favorite, followed by caramel, vanilla and almond!

Suggested: Natural Nut Flavors Natural Fruit Flavors Sweet Brown Flavors

I also highly recommend quality homemade extracts, Penzeys, or MarketSpice for superior flavor.  

Process: Steam milk to desired temperature: 140 - 150 is the norm, and anything above 160 will burn the milk and taste like gross.  Stir constantly; if milk develops a skin on the surface, I blend it right back in.  Pro tip: Never reheat cooled, previously steamed milk.  That stuff tastes nasty.

Drop flavors, syrups, and sweeteners into a mug, preferably warmed (you can fill it with hot water while you are preparing the milk to warm it).  You will have to adjust to your preference; over time, you will know what you like.  Easy does it, though.  With quality flavorings, a little goes a long way.  Nothing is quite like a cup of perfectly foamed, perfectly heated, overwhelmingly over-flavored cup of milk!

If your milk is perfectly foamed, then foam and milk will be one and fill your cup seamlessly.  As you whisk, the bubbles will rise to the surface (you can see this if you use a glass cup), leaving the bottom layer of smooth, creamy milk, and the top layer of foamy, bubbly milk.

Butter rum?  I think so.  

 Cafe au Lait
A Frenchie take on the simple latte, this is one of my favorite ways to steam up.  I don't follow convention exactly when preparing this, but for my purposes, the effect is about the same.  

Coffee
Milk

Fill a warm mug halfway with strong brewed coffee.  I like Green Mountain Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, myself. Fill the mug the remaining halfway with hot, frothed milk.  Whisk gently together and enjoy.

Caffee Latte
This is the italian version.  Italians like their coffee a little bolder - hence the reason they are hairier than Frenchmen. 

1 ounce fresh espresso
6 ounces steamed milk, frothed

Milk in cup; espresso in cup.  Whisk if desired.  If you like it sweet (I don't - it interferes with my bold espresso experience!), add sweetener of choice to the milk before frothing.

{White} Chocolate Mocha
We used this delectable treat to warm up after exploring the wreckage of Hurricane Sandy near our home.  It's pretty sweet, so we reserve it for special occasions only! 

1/4 cup chocolate chips (white, milk or semi-sweet)
8 ounces steamed, or hot, milk
1 shot espresso (1.5 ounces) or strong coffee
Whipped cream (optional) or foam
Chocolate, white or caramel syrup (optional)

Melt chips in a double-boiler. Using a spatula, scrape into a warmed mug (you can rinse with very hot water for a few moments prior to using).  Pour in the shot; add steamed or hot milk.  Whisk briskly.  Top with whipped cream or foam; add drizzled syrup or shaved chocolate if desired.  Read more about this drink here.

Not impressed

I need more

For a more complex guide on frothing milk, latte art and barista skill, check out this seven-part guide by coffeegeek.

Frothing 'til the cows come home,

Mrs H

tweet us @_mrs_h for chewy nuggets
Pin us at Pinterest for pretty photos and intriguing articles
Follow us on Facebook for recipes, giveaways, and brilliant flashes of perspiration!

Tools of the trade 
The highest-rated French press, and the one I use, is the Bodum.  They offer a variety of sizes.  I suggest the Bodum if you don't want to go through several broken presses in the first year of use!

Primula makes an aluminum-free espresso maker ... 

Or if you want legitimate italian, try the superstar pot, Vev Vigano!  Be aware that espresso pots are measured in "cups" which refer to an espresso cup, about 1 ounce each.  

Quick, Oat Flour!

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear quaint reader,

When I stopped by our landlord's house to drop off our first rent, they invited me inside as they were baking cookies.  My stomach rumbled at the sight of hot, meltingly fresh chocolate chip cookies lined up along the counter.  While I ate one, the elderly husband told me he made them by replacing one half of the flour with oatmeal flour he purchased from a local organic grocery.  Chocolate chips and chopped walnuts were blended in and the flavor and texture was satisfyingly chewy and chunky.  Generously, they picked a bag of tomatoes and peppers from their garden and sent me away full-handed and rarin' to bake cookies!

Organic oatmeal flour can be pricey, but don't despair.  You can make your own oatmeal flour and quick oats at home from rolled oats - I find it is always cheaper to buy bulk rolled oats.

Simply dump a cupful at a time (toy around with it to see what your blender can handle) into a blender or food processor and let it whirl until it is the consistency you desire.  Just a few seconds for barely-chopped quick oats, and a bit longer for super-fine flour.

Adding oat flour to cookies in replacement of regular flour makes them very dense and chewy - just the way I like 'em!!

If your mom-in-law made you aprons like these, you'd be eager to bake, too! 

busily baking,

Mrs H
twitter.com/_mrs_h

Saving Money: Part Three - General Ideas

Dear vigorous and inspired reader,

Here we go with part three of the four-part money-saving series: ideas to put into practice in the kitchen and around the home!  Be sure to read part one (Guiding Principles) and part two (Ground Rules) before diving in to this part, or you may find yourself capsized by the overwhelming wave of Too Much!

Most of these ideas are for the kitchen, which is my primary field of interest - but they can reach out into other areas of the home, as well.  Also, any resources listed here will also be listed in a comprehensive collection at the end of the series, so don't worry about trying to save them all while you read.

Saving Money: Part Three - General Ideas for the Kitchen

Maintain your right to be choosy about what goes on the plate while still saving money.

Don't think you need to sacrifice your health and buy non-organic produce, laden with toxins and pesticides just for the sake of saving a few pennies.  While it is true that I will opt for more "expensive" ingredients like fresh free-range meat, organic produce, organic products, and high-quality local ingredients, I probably still save more money in our kitchen than the average WalMart shopper because I do what I can to make almost everything in the kitchen from scratch - and this will have a long-term effect on our overall health, another savings in the books.  I also work hard to source produce close to home, sometimes even scoring free goodies from the farmers I regularly buy from.  And during hot and heavy harvest seasons, I can produce at home to save money during the year on buying out-of-season organic produce.  When it is in your power to do so, don't give up quality for cheap.

Make your own ingredients. 

This is an excellent starting place for getting the highest quality while still saving money.  Extracts, dried herbs, and seasoning mixes are all significantly cheaper to make at home than to buy in the store.  And of significantly better quality, too.  I buy many of my spices from Market Spice because of the superior selection and flavor; it is also cheaper to buy spices in bulk than in a grocery store pre-packaged - and the pre-packaged ones are usually old and tasteless by the time you buy them!  You can also buy spices in the bulk section of many grocery stores (look for a Fred Meyers, a local organic market, small grocery store, or "granola" type store - they tend to have these bulk sections).  I buy my vanilla beans from Beanilla, and trust me - they are of the most excellent quality and the prices are drastically lower than anywhere else.  Credit goes to Miz Carmen for turning me on to that site!  Buy spices in bulk, and make your own ingredients when possible.  

Think of it, Google it, make it.

My motto in the kitchen is, "If they can make it, I can make it."  If there is something in your cupboard or at the store (lemon extract, for instance, or condensed milk) and you wonder if you can make it at home - do an online search and see what others have found.  You might be surprised where it leads you.  That is how I learned to make pretty much everything in our cupboard.  If it has multiple ingredients and you can buy it at the store, you can probably make it at home for less and with better results - the internet is an invaluable resource for learning how! 

Grow your own, as much as possible.

This can be a little difficult to do when you're, say, living in a hotel.  We did, in fact, have some basil and chives struggling to grow in half a milk-carton in our hotel room.  But often there are ways to grow herbs and tomatoes and other various delights in an apartment, and if you have a bit of property or have family willing to participate you can learn to homestead it very efficiently.  It is arguably the cheapest method of procuring produce of all, and there are many excellent books and websites out there for learning.

Buy things on sale in the store.

I know, this sounds like a no-brainer.  But do take care with this.  You don't necessarily have to stock yourself to the ears (and not all of us have the available room or cash to do so), but buying a few extra things on sale not only saves money by being cheaper at the time you purchase, but saves you from having to panic and run to the store at 5:00 in the afternoon when you may be compelled to buy something quick and easy (read: expensive and poor quality) because there is nothing to eat at home.  Check your local ads for coupons (you should get them in the mail, and they'll also be in the grocery store near the entrance) and do online searches for ads and coupons (places like Coupon Mom post collections of searchable ads in your area).  And eat based on what's on sale: if organic ground beef is on sale, choose a dinner based on that instead of chicken!  Eat around the sales, and stock your cupboards with a nice buffer of sale items! 

Consider shopping outside the grocery store.

Almost everything in a grocery store is marked up higher than I am willing to pay (once you start exploring your shopping options, you'll realize this is true!).  Honestly, I would be content if I never had to visit a grocery store again.  I order the majority of our bulk dry-goods from Azure Standard, because I can find not only organic, high-quality foods here, but also save a lot of cash in the process (you have to have login information to see their prices online, but it is easy to set up an account.  You can also request a catalog - first one is free, they'll charge for later editions.  It's a low-overhead kind of place and the savings are reflected in your bill!).  Produce comes from a local farmer's market because grocery store produce is usually overpriced, old and from hundreds of miles away - generating a lot of pollution from trucks and ships and usually needless packaging which will just end up in a landfill.  Find a local farmer's market by doing an online search or visiting your state Department of Agriculture site.  Meat, eggs, honey and dairy products can also usually be sourced from nearby farms; you can find farms in your area online or ask around for references. Continually network and search to find new resources - it takes time to explore and find farmers and markets, but the health and money savings will repay you in the end.  

Go reusable.  

It is nicer to the world we are supposed to be stewarding, and nicer to your budget.  Less things to fill up the trash can and the landfill, less money spent on filling up the garbage.  Reusable diapers might be a stretch for some families (quadruplets, for instance, can generate a lot of diapers) but something like reusable canning lids can be a huge savings in the long run.  The downside of reusable is usually that it costs more up-front - but if you can do it, I recommend it!  Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Participate in promotions. 

Don't by shy about entering drawings, competitions, and the like. However, do be cautious about who you share information with; most of you probably already have a "dummy" e-mail account you use for entering drawings, and this can be a safe way to avoid spam.  Mr H and I have won things in the past such as a photo shoot or a free hotel stay; but one sure way to never win any prizes is to never enter any competitions!  (I am not promoting the lottery here, so do not read into that!)  If you are saving codes from a product where you can accumulate enough to "purchase" a prize, ask family for any codes they are going to discard!  Watch this blog and others for periodic giveaways - you could win something for yourself, or something to give as a gift.  Enter to win!  Hint: there might be something special at the end of this series to reward you for reading along ... just thought I'd mention that!  

Make your own bread. 

When we are on the road to home-cooked goodness, making bread is one of the best places to start.  The loaf of bread pictured here cost $0.97 to make, and it is completely whole wheat and organic with only three ingredients: flour, salt, and water (I used a homemade sourdough starter to leaven it, which essentially consists of flour and water).  A similar (non-organic, white) sourdough loaf in the local grocery store cost $5.99 and had a long list of preservatives attached.  I've made all of our bread at home for a long time now, but don't be impressed.  That doesn't mean I get up early every morning and start a new batch of dough.  What that actually means is, we can go for a very long time without having any bread!  I finally caught on to myself and made a couple extra loaves for the freezer for "those times" when I needed to save myself, so the problem is not so great any more.  Experiment with different breads (whisk bread, anybody?  Thanks to the mysterious Mrs S for that link) until you find one you and your family like.  And maybe you'll always buy the occasional loaf, but you can supplement the pantry with homemade!  Homemade bread not only tastes better, but it's usually less expensive than store-bought and will have no mysterious chemical ingredients - not to mention it's inspirationally homey!  

Force your hand.

This idea works best when it does not break Rule #2 (don't die of overkill).  But simply stated, what it means is this: Probably the best motivator I ever had for making bread was not buying bread.

When I run out of something that I want to make at home, I simply don't go and buy a replacement.  I either do without, or learn to do! As the current supply dwindles down, I do some research and learn about making a homemade version to replace it.  I slowly acquire knowledge and purchase any necessary ingredients, and when the old item is all gone I make the new one at home.  Sometimes it takes a few tweaks before it fits our house, but the wrinkles smooth out eventually.  In this way, things in the home are gradually replaced by home-made versions, and I am never overwhelmed by doing it all at once.

I've gained many great skills this way.  For instance, since I haven't purchased any yeast at our new home yet (waiting on an order from Azure ... the grocery store is just wayyyy too expensive), we've been eating a lot of sourdough - and my sourdough skills have improved greatly!

Plan ahead when you can.

Sometimes you unexpectedly have five hungry guys show up on your doorstep and are fully at a loss how to feed them (that happened to me a few days ago.  We all went out to eat).  But in the grand scheme of things, we have a general idea of what our day will hold and we can plan ahead for that.  Homemade foods can be simple, inexpensive, and filling.  Nutritious, delicious, and in a word scrumptious.  A woman feels safe and loved when her man has a job and shows great effort to protect the home - that is where her security comes from.  A man, on the other hand, feels security when he knows his woman has the dinner planned and meals handled!

Not even kidding here, folks - it's the truth!  (Ask him - see what he says.)

Planning meals in advance saves you from last-minute spending sprees in the store.  Cooking dried beans takes a while but it's infinitely cheaper than buying it in cans (which may contain BPA!).  Work out a system for menus that works for you - I like to write down a list of potential ideas for the week based on what we have in stock, and then each morning I choose the dinner that best fits the day (errands day?  Crack out the crockpot!  Guests for dinner?  Pull out the pizza stone!).

Future Olympian

More ideas will follow ... What will you contribute to the conversation?  Share your wisdom!  No idea is too big or too small! 

Learning,

Mrs H
twitter.com/_mrs_h

Get started making your own ingredients today!  
Try these for starters: 


Almond Milk, Hot Cocoa Mix and Marshmallows, Tortillas, Extracts, Baking Powder ... find these and more recipes here!

Imitation Maple Syrup

Dear festive readers who love maple as much as I (shout-out to our Canadian brothers and sisters!),

Maple syrup is one of those treats that is so delightfully sweet, so distinguished in flavor, so romantic of history, and yet so tragically expensive.

I understand the high cost of maple syrup and don't argue with it one bit; I've visited a sugaring farm in Vermont and seen the processes involved in making maple syrup, and it is lengthy and fragile.  The maple sap is mostly water, and must be boiled down to produce the thin syrup we all know and love.  It takes approximately forty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, and the boiling process itself must be handled with caution to avoid spoiling a batch with a moment of inattention.  Weather, humidity, creatures, infestations, so many factors and more are involved in the tender process of producing, procuring, and preparing maple syrup.  A bottle of syrup is as complex in flavor and color, grade and uniqueness as a bottle of wine.

Sadly, it is just too expensive to keep around the house all the time in quantities we need.  I had two boys over for breakfast one morning with Gary and I several days ago.  I made a triple batch of pancakes (thirty) and I ate one myself.  The boys ate the rest in less time than it took me to fix my plate and sit down.  It took them approximately five minutes.  I was flabbergasted; and we'd just gone through an entire pitcher of syrup!  To keep up with their hearty appetites, I've come up with my own sugary gloss with the help of a family friend who raised twelve children and fed them with efficiency and economy, and some sweet experimentation of my own.

Imitation Maple Syrup
This syrup is, obviously, very sweet.  I can't claim it has any nutritive value whatsoever.  It is, however, good on pancakes, or used in recipes in place of maple syrup (when baking with it, I add extra Mapleine).  If you want your syrup thicker, like high fructose corn syrup brands such as Mrs Butterworths, add more sugar or beat in a tiny bit of cornstarch.  

2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 or 2 drops of Mapleine, to taste

Pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan; bring to a heat on the stove and stir continuously until the sugar melts completely.  Remove from heat.  Add a few drops of Mapleine to taste.  Stir the flavoring completely through; store in the refrigerator.

You can make it with white sugar only, if you wish.  The brown sugar will darken the color of the syrup and give it a richer flavor.  You can store the syrup in any container, but it is especially pleasant to reuse the glass bottles from buying syrup.  (I would not recommend reusing plastic bottles, however.)

Flipping flapjacks like Paul Bunyon,

Mrs H
twitter.com/_mrs_h

What is a Haagerschnitzel? And, How to make a baking pan

To the astute reader and the curious Germans,

You may never have heard of a Haagerschnitzel, but I'll define the term loosely for you.  It's a decadent roll, made by German housefraus and a traditional treat made by Navy wives.  It consists of a sweet dough, rolled with cinnamon, sugar, cardamom, and butter, and laid in a deep pan coated with a caramel slurry.  it is then baked for about twenty minutes, and dumped out of the pan to produce a smashed-looking flat roll, swirled with caramel-cinnamon goodness.

Haagerschnitzels are surprisingly tender, and the fact that they are rolled and
then flattened gives them a flaky effect. Gooey goodness! 

Julia Child once said, "Never apologize for anything that comes out of your kitchen."  This has become one of my three life-mottoes (the others are, for the record, the more the merrier and waste not, want not). 

That is where the haagerschnitzel came from.  As Mrs. S and I stood dumbstruck in front of four pans of shoulda-been cinnamon rolls, we realized that they looked nothing like what a cinnamon roll should.  The dough, having suffered several slammed doors, extreme cold, extreme heat, humidity, a car ride across town, and a thorough beating, rolling, and baking, had collapsed in utter exhaustion into the puddles of caramel, and sagged wearily across the pan like a pathetic child that does not want to finish his chores.

It takes a long time to make dough, when you have to work in a hotel room
where all of the ingredients and dishes are stacked in boxes in a closet,
underneath your suitcase of clothes, on top of which is the bag of laundry!!

It all started out quite normally ... well, as normal as can be when you are
cooking on a hotel writing desk!

I took the children out on a ride about town ... 

So much for sticky buns, we said grimly.  But, we were not conquered yet - these were most definitely not cinnamon rolls, Mrs. S determined, but they were in fact something.  We just had to come up with the name.

"Something French," I suggested.

"I never took French," she said Rue-fully, "but I did take some German."

"Aha!" I said, and stared into the pan at the sad, drooping buns.  "How about .. haager ... schnitzels?"  It sounded pretty German to me, and most likely was birthed from years of watching Hoganschmidt come up with fanciful German names on the fly to evade the Nazis.  Triumphantly, I followed up the new term with the description I just gave above, and Mrs S acknowledged that it was Good Enough and we agreed to complicity. 

That evening, in our respective homes, we served our haagerschnitzels to receptive audiences which accepted them without complaint and commented that they were very good.

Mrs S is an accomplished baker, and a food critic in her own right. She is a
reviewer for both the San Francisco and the Sacramento Reviews, and has
willingly shared with me delicious and wonderful new cookbooks and family
recipes!  Here, she rolls out some pie crust for a cherry pie ... 

As my mom used to say, "Fake it."

As Ma Ingalls used to say, "It's an ill wind that blows no good."

As I used to say, "Haagen-Dazs weinerschnitzel gesundheit sprechen sie Deutsch?"

In pursuit of new creations and ever-cleverer terminology,

Mrs H
twitter.com/_mrs_h

Kitchen Understudy: How to make a baking pan in a hotel room

I ran out of pans for rolls, but I had a shallow baking pan.  I lined it with two layers of foil and then crushed them up and around to make a pan.  It worked quite well!  It was sturdy enough that when I flipped the pan over to dump out the haagerschnitzels and caramel, it did not fall apart.  If you were desperate enough, this would probably work okay without the bottom pan for support; it just wouldn't be easy to transport in and out of the oven!