holidays

This holiday season finds my little family totally broke.
not just a little bit broke, but totally and completely penniless.

but, like that's going to stop anyone from having a good time...

ok, so the gift exchange thing is out of the question.
we're just not doing it.
what we ARE doing...is going sledding.
yep, christmas day the plan is for me, my fiancee, my sister and her boyfriend to trudge out to the ol' sledding hole in the woods with a thermos of cocoa, sled all day (which means "make about 3 passes down the hill each"; it's a monster. huge and steep. and in the middle of the woods...with no trails leading to it. it's exhausting), trudge back to the house while (at least i will be) swearing like a sailor; an angry, tired and completely out of shape sailor. then drink more cocoa, make cookies watch movies and eat.
that is going to be our christmas.
and it's essentially free.

oh, and don't think this whole not having money thing has effected our holiday decor.

our christmas tree was free. we just had to chop it down.
and the rest of our decor was basically free.
of pine boughs.
lots.

but they are beautiful, natural, organic, and biodegradable.
and free.
(though, if you are going to decorate with pine, hemlock is best avoided. oh, it looks beautiful, but it dries out extremely quickly and showers your home with hundreds of pine needles...daily. also, do your tree-host a favor and don't take too many boughs from one tree.)

we will host a potluck/byob party for our friends for new years, which always goes over extremely well. our pals usually bring a homemade treat, and everybody shares the goods. nobody feels obligated to do or bring more than they can, and there is always an overabundance of food and drink. it's a great time.

and that's it.
simple.
liberating.

mushroom soup (vegan)

i decided to be a good girlfriend and make john some soup while he was at work.
it was good, so i'll try to share what went into the pot...

handful of dried porcini mushrooms, (chopped)
4 cups vegetable broth ( i had bullion)
2 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
3 tbs margarine
2 tbs potato starch
1 tsp truffle -infused oil (if you've got it)
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili spice - optional (i found it in my cabinet. it had chili peppers and clove and garlic in it. i figured "what the hell?")
 salt and pepper to taste.


soak the dried mushrooms in the broth  and simmer for about 5 minutes ( keep the heat at a simmer throughout the whole process. you don't want to heat this too much, or it'll separate and get gross. low heat!)

add the other mushrooms, garlic and onion. simmer until tender

in a separate bowl, heat the soymilk and margarine until  margarine is melted.
add the potato starch and whisk until thick

add soymilk mix to soup, whisking constantly.

add the rest of the spices and stuff

revel in your accomplishment.

"new" table

our dining room table was in desperate need of replacement.
so off to the thrift store...

john spied this little $10 gem.

buried under years of ugly paint was a solid wood table just the size we were looking for.
after a bit of sanding...

 

and staining

we had a new, perfectly rustic little table!

and the total cost (i had the stain in my basement, and borrowed the sander from my dad) for table and pack of sandpaper: $13.

awesome.

sinful sweet potato bread

lately john has been baking like crazy.
i can not bake.
 instructions and precision measurements makes me feel stifled and rebellious.
and rebellion in a field which requires precision usually ends in smoke and anger.
john has the patience for it, and amazing things are suddenly emerging from our oven.
this is one of them...

1  1/2 cups sugar
    1 cup canned sweet potato
    1/2 cup banana
    1/2 cup water
    2 eggs
    1  2/3 cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon cloves


Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, and stir them together. 

                                     

Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 60 (?) minutes.

            (Keep an eye on it, when a toothpick comes out clean, it’s done.)

Let cool for at least 10 minutes and then remove from loaf pan to a plate.

try not to eat the hell out of it with your bare hands.

Serves: 6-10

fall cleaning, cornbread and pets i'd sometimes like to strangle.

so after fighting with my cat for the sofa i finally surrendered.
he won. and there was no way i could deny it any longer.
so yesterday i got the distinct displeasure of wrestling with a broken sofa, smelly porch chairs, disgusting old magazines and dust bunnies the side of real bunnies all day long.
but
now my house is cleaner, smells better and feels better.

and it got me thinking...people always go all out spring cleaning. and i suppose i do to, but i think fall cleaning is just as important.
seeing as you will be living primarily in your confined homespace for the next few months it's probably a good idea to make it as livable as possible while the weather is still nice enough to open windows and haul stuff away.
so i think i'm going to make a new annual habit of doing just that.

lately, likely due to the cooler weather, my lover has taken to baking bread. last night it was cornbread, and it was fantastic.
home baked bread is probably one of my new favorite things.
and it's cheap.
 and delicious.

i am really too distracted to properly write today. too busy.
i got to start my day sweeping and vacuuming because my pets are shedding their fur at exponential rates these days, and that means i now get to clean twice a day instead of just once.
for all the hair they lose i expect to see at least one bald pet wandering around...

but the holidays are creeping up and i'll have more interesting things to say soon, i promise.
i apologize for this very lackluster, boring blog.

baked pear recipe

my fiancee is allergic to apples.
devastating news to someone in love with the apple tree and all things born from it.
that is, until we started experimenting with pears.
most recipes that call for apples can be substituted with pears with little difficulty, sometimes (as in the case of the baked apple recipe) with an even more fantastically delicious result.
this recipe is so quick, cheap, simple and versatile you can use it to make just one pear or twenty.
most of the stuff you'll need you probably already have in your cupboard.
plus, they only take about 10 minutes to make!
so...here we go:

baked pears

what you'll need:
*bowl for mixing ingredients
*baking pan (or oven safe bowl for just a pear or 2)
*quick outs (instant oatmeal)
*pear (try out different types, i've found i like mine a little less firm. they bake up all mushy and delectable)
*dried berries (i like currents best, but blueberries are super yummy, and raisins or cranberries always work)
*butter (softened)
*brown sugar
*maple syrup
*cinnamon

action time!:
preheat oven to about 300
while oven heats, cut top off of pear and core it. a grapefruit spoon works well, but a teaspoon or knife will work depending on the firmness of the pear.

in bowl, mix all the other ingredients in an amount coinciding to the size of your pear or pears you are making, and how you like your stuff. (i go easy on the berries. i also like my stuffing a little sweeter, so extra maple for me.)

mix until slightly moist and sticky, until it can easily hold together in a ball.

stuff that pear!
sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on top for a crunch coating of yum.

bake until the pears skin start to split a little. (or until the pear is soft, if you want it to look perfect...and want to be poking it every 5 minutes, which i think is dumb. plus, i get distracted and forget the pears until i smell that fantastic smell to remind me "oh, shit! you've got goodies in the oven!")
it should take about 7 minutes or so i'm guessing. but, honestly, i've never timed it. (see "distracted" above)

take em out of the oven, let them sit a minute (they will be nuclear. no matter how good they smell, don't ruin the experience by scalding off your taste buds and digging in too soon. trust me)

you're done.
i told you. easy.

pot pie recipe.

first real fall-feeling day.
rainy
windy
cool.

this is how we celebrate.


easy-peasy pot pie

what you'll need:

either a large dish or several smaller oven safe bowls, a microwave safe mixing bowl, and a saucepan and a whisk



ingredients:

*fresh veggies of your choice, chopped
(i use potato, peas, pumpkin or other winter squash, broccoli, onion, corn and green beans. or whatever else i have laying around)
*butter (or substitute)
*milk or plain soymilk
*sour cream (or imitation)
*salt
*pepper
*flour
*cumin
*sage
*olive oil
*cheese, if you feel like it
*frozen phyllo dough sheets.

first, thaw your phyllo dough if it's frozen. just microwave it for a minute or so..

then preheat the oven to about 400

then steam your veggies in the microwave.

while the veggies are steaming, melt the butter in the saucepan. i usually use a few tablespoons but it really depends on how much you're making.(i never measure anything, so you'll just have to use your brain and judge for yourself. i have faith in you.)

add enough flower to make a bit of a paste
then add the milk (a cup or so, i guess)
then the sour cream.
it should already be all saucy, if it's not thick enough, add more flour or sour cream. or cheese. which is good. like aged sharp cheddar. yum.( i'm not vegan anymore so i can say that)

season the sauce to taste.

you should have about 2/3 as much sauce as you do veggies. i like mine saucy so i make a bit more.

dump your veggies in whatever receptacle you'll be baking them in, and cover them with the sauce

cover the veggies with the phyllo dough as the package directs. if you're using smaller bowls, just fold the sheets in half, making& sure you brush a little oil between the folds. the more sheets you use the happier you'll be. just pile em on, and don't worry about being too dainty.

bake em until they get all bubbly and the dough gets toasty brown!

let em cool for AT LEAST 5 minutes or you'll burn your face off. seriously.

eat the hell out of em!

mother earth news...you sneaky psychic, you...

i just picked up the september issue of mother earth news magazine.

i always want to love magazines but have a difficult time finding ones that suit my interest. mother earth news, readymade and  hobby farm/hobby farm home are about the only ones i get. (aside from the household food porn....we're such foodies in this house. and donna hay, which is an indulgence i rarely submit to...the ultimate in food porn! ahh...so decadent, so luscious, so...expensive.)

well, this issue of mother earth news had an article "live on less" which rung like a finer detailed echo of my "top 10" post.
i thought it was neato, and i thought i would share it with you, dear reader, if only to remind myself that i'm not the only cheapskate lunatic in the world, oh no,  there is a whole mess of us out there!

aside from that my week of workless freedom has found my garden happy and weed free, my dogs walked and my belly full.
my lover, however has been a bit under the weather.
as much as i sing the praises of living on the cheap there are inevitably bills to pay, and a lousy job market to rely on. and he handles the financial stress with a little less grace than i do, letting it nibble away at his mind and his nerves.
and this week yet another job opportunity flopped over and died on us. for both him and me.

so this evening i'm going to raid the garden, throw together a yummy pasta dish and hope the power of a contented tummy can soothe a discontented mind.

for what it's worth...

furnishing my house was probably the cheapest part of making a home.
after the nightmare with the $1000 sofa (you know, the one that FELL APART and the chain furniture store i bought it from did NOTHING to help solve the problem, that sofa..) i decided to look second hand for my furniture needs.
it was a great decision.
so here's what i've got and...how much i paid for it.

jens top 10

if you were to ask me for the best advice i had to give, this would be it.
granted, not that i  always follow said advice, or that it's even right for everyone...but it's what i have learned and is definitely something to think about.

1. you only have one chance at life, and you never know how long you're got.
this is the most important. that's why it's #1.
live how you want, be what you want. do what you want.
i make most of my decisions based on this one question " if i die tomorrow which would i look back and not  regret?"

2. don't buy anything new. especially a car.
car payments can suck your income dry, nevermind the cost to insure it. it's dumb. shop around. there are no shortages of quality used cars. when you find one you like, take it to your mechanic for a look-over (they'll usually do it for free).
try to save up as much as you can to put down, but even financing a cheap used car is a better deal. even if, down the road, that car ends up needing work it's STILL a better deal.
think about it, if your new or high car payment is $270/ month that's $3,240/year. year two, you've already spent $6480.
instead, if you spend $2000 or so on a car, and get two years out of it without serious repair needs it makes even a costly $500 - 700 potential repair seem manageable.


3. live together before doing anything intense...like getting married or having children.
you don't really know someone until you live with them.
that's all.

4. have one low-limit credit card. use it for something, like gas, monthly and pay it off. and, most importantly, leave it at home!

this will help you build credit, but won't allow you the temptation to go crazy.this will; also keep it open for emergencies. as for every day stuff,  keep a debit card.
use cash for your daily purchases.
if you're an idiot with money and balancing your checkbook (like me) this is a really really good idea. take out cash when you need to buy something, and keep tabs on your checking account via your banks online services. you'll spend less, think more about what you're buying and you'll still have some stashed in your checking account for small emergencies.
also, set aside a few bucks in a savings account with every paycheck...and then forget it's there.
i don't ever get to do this. hopefully you can.

5. use the auto-pay option for your monthly bills.
you'll have to pay them anyway, this way you won't forget and get  late fees.

6. take care of yourself NOW. it's the best health insurance you can buy.
eat good food. cook at home. cut out processed, pre-packaged food. eat less meat, and make what you do eat organic. exercise. take a vitamin and probiotic.
look online, at the library or buy a herbal remedy book.(that shit's been around longer than our "western medicine", and big pharmaceutical companies aren't making money off you).
get dirty, your body needs it to build up immunity.
know your body. pay attention.
i rarely go to the doctor anymore because i rarely get sick. it's been over a year since i've set foot in a hospital and i don't have health insurance. i don't need it. i'll take my chances.

7. learn to make/ fix your own things! 
learn to sew. pick up a set of tools (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, nails screws, tape glue, *cordless, rechargeable electric drill...seriously, i use it all the time! i won it at an office party, but you can get a cheap one for around $20) it it's amazing what you don't have to buy when you can fix your own things. it's even better when you can make or modify your own stuff. new pillows, earrings, bags, lamps, you name it!

8. don't be too proud to ask for and accept help when you need it.
friends and family...that's what they're there for. and quite frankly, it feels really good to be in a position to be able to help someone you care about. let them have that.
and also, don't be afraid to take advantage of community programs. that's what they're there for.


9. take stock of what is REALLY important to you. what you really need. and let go of what you don't.
for me, my time and my freedom is the most important thing in my life. not new boots or a flat-screen tv or the latest trendy cell phone. i have exchanged these things, and the money required to have them, with time to work in the garden, hang out with my love, or, well, write this blog.
make sure what you want is really what you want, not what is popular at the moment.
i know it sounds stupid and trite, but i also know too many miserable people working in a shit job that they hate just to pay for all the gadgets, clothes and, basically, the image they think they have to have.

10. be honest. be loud.
don't make excuses for who and what you are.
sometimes i'm a big hermit. people know that, it's ok.
i'm always late. people know that, it's ok.
don't try to change for anybody, and don't expect them to change for you.


i guess that's about it, as far as the important things go. i mean, i could also tell you to plant a garden and adopt a dog and invite someone over to help you cook, but i'm sure you're getting bored with me already, so i'll quit while i'm at least under the assumption that i'm ahead...

the beginning...

yesterday i was giving a tour of my home to a friend of mine.
i was explaining my treasures and my furniture, their origins, and what simple alterations were involved  to make them home-worthy.
and i kind of felt like a "Ready Made" poster child...except most of my projects were even easier than some of theirs.
so i thought perhaps it might be helpful to share my home and what i've learned with the rest of the world.

I became a homeowner in 2004. at that time i was 23 years old had just started a great job, was newly engaged, had a dog, and was eagerly embracing the domestic life.
we bought a 3 bedroom house for about $49,000.
we also bought a $1000 sofa, a land line-phone, a new TV, a satellite system, and some other silly stuff i can't recall.
But after a few months...well,  the relationship ended, the sofa FELL APART and the tv got turned on less and less.

which brings me to where i am today: engaged again, working a far less than great part-time job, have three dogs, three cats, a turtle, the same old tv, no cable or satellite, pay as you go cell phones, and my sister, her boyfriend and her dog as part-time residents.

Most of my furniture is second hand.
most of my furniture cost less than $20.
even some of my appliances, including the big ones, (range, freezer) are second-hand.

i've found that if you figure out what you want/need, spend a little time looking around and are open to seemingly unlikely possibilities, you can find exactly what you need for a fraction of what you would spend buying it new.
and with consumerism the way it is, there is no shortage of perfectly good, clean, functioning pieces discarded all the time, just waiting to be snatched up for little to no money.

But aside from just filling ones house with stuff, i've also learned how to keep bills low (through complete financial failure and idiot mistakes), how to live well and make a life out of what you've got.
and that's what this blog is all about.