Rolling With the Punches

As some of you may remember, I recently purchased a house. With that has come the awesome and terrible responsibility for taking care of everything that breaks. Oh boy. And, of course, everything breaks within the first 3 months. Right now my oven is not working. The stove top works, but not the oven. I have the part to fix it, and Trucker has done all of the research. We could easily fix it. Fear of accidentally blowing up the neighborhood has thus far kept us away from what should be a simple fix.

For now, I'm using my stove top, microwave, slow cooker, waffle iron and electric wok to make most of the meals we enjoy. There are some meals that we have always baked in the oven, and for those, we've had to get creative.

Baked potatoes are a great cheap meal. Mum gave me a little cloth pouch that you put the potatoes in, and microwave for 7-10 minutes. It steams the potatoes really well. While not as amazing as baked, it is still great. A bonus is that it uses little electric. We will continue to use this even after we get the oven fixed, as it seems a shame to fire up the oven to bake two potatoes.

Pizza is a favorite in this house. When the oven first crashed, we started ordering out. A lot. While we used coupons, and went with a local pizza joint that offered low prices, it added up quickly. We decided that that had to stop, but giving up pizza just wasn't an option. I have learned to make Stove Top Pizza. I make my usual crust, and roll it into a circle a bit smaller than my saute pan. I add a good amount of shortening, bacon fat, or veggie oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. I place the crust in the pan and cover it. I let the crust get nice and golden, then flip it. I quickly add sauce, toppings and lots of cheese and cover again. I let the other side of the crust get brown and the cheese to melt. It actually turns out pretty good. The crust is very sturdy and crisp. My only complaint is that the cheese doesn't brown, and has a different texture due to the steam, but it is not too big an issue. This summer, I'll still use this on those sweltering days when I'm craving a pizza, but can't stand the idea of turning on the stove. This will save us some gas, and will definitely keep the house cooler.

We hadn't had homemade cookies since before we moved, so tonight I was craving them. Again, I turned to my stove top. I made a regular cookie dough, rolls it into little balls and fried in a pan like pancakes. They taste great. They look weird. And I made the dough balls a little too big, so when the cookies were brown on both sides, the inside was still a little doughy. Next time I'll make smaller cookies and cook over lower heat to allow it time to cook through. However, I got my chocolate chip cookie fix and
used negligible energy.

When I was in high school, living with my parents, we had a crazy ice storm that left us without power for 2 weeks. My parents supplemented their furnace with a wood stove, and so I learned to cook on that. I made rice and veggie stir fry and always had a pot of water on the stove for added moisture and for tea. I also made my first cookie/pancakes during that time. While most families on our street were eating cold canned goods with white bread, we were eating fairly well.

When Trucker and I moved into an apartment once, the gas had been turned off. By the time the gas company came to turn it on, then found that there was a leak, then we fought with the landlord to fix it, then the gas company found another leak, and we fought to have that one fixed, we were without gas for 3 weeks during a very cold October. We refused to take frigid showers and get ourselves sick. We had an electric stove, so we got out our pots and heated water to a boil on the stove top. We would then carry the pots all the way upstairs to dump in the tub. We were able to take lukewarm baths. We also heated water on the stove to use in washing dishes.

It is never pleasant to have an appliance break, or to have an emergency take your utilities away. However, if you foster a bit of scrappiness, you can more easily weather these difficult times. You will get through the difficult time without spending all of your savings, racking up debt or being completely miserable. You can also learn new ways to do things that can be useful later. And you'll definitely have some fun stories to tell.

Spring is Here, It's Dandelion Season!

All winter I wait eagerly for this day: the first day of the year that I will eat dandelions.

Many people think of dandelions as weeds and try to get them out of their yards. According to some accounts, dandelions are not native to American soil, but were purposely grown as a food crop. Things got out of hand, and they spread all over the place and now we can't get rid of them. Lucky me.

Dandelions are edible from flowertop to root.

Early in spring, before the flowers bloom, the leaves are tender and delicious. They are bitter, but not unbearably so at least to a palate not spoiled by excessive sugar and salt. I pick a few handfuls right before I prepare my salad so they are still very fresh. I make sure to avoid any areas frequented by dog walkers or the stray cats, and to be safe I clean them very well before eating them. I mix with other greens if I have them around, but dandelions make a nice salad alone. I add a bit of cheese, some onion, a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of apple cider or balsamic vinegar. Oh my. They are also delicious steamed with onion and bacon or sauteed in a bit of bacon grease.

Then comes flower season. I love the sight of all of those bright yellow blossoms studding my yard. I pick the flowers and remove as much of the greenery as I can while keeping the flowers intact. I make a basic batter, dip the flowers in top down and twirl. I pan fry them in corn oil and eat them while they are still hot. They are great with mustard, mayo or sweet chili sauce.

Dandelion roots cleaned for making
dandelion root "coffee".

Dandelion "coffee", dandelion bud soup and blossom jelly are other ideas to use this free food.

Dandelion is not just free, but it's nutritious. According to Livestrong.com, dandelion contains 2.1 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 147 mg of calcium, 25 mg of magnesium, 18.9 mg of vitamin C, and 2.6 mg of vitamin E in just one cup of wilted dandelion leaves. The root contains vitamins A, B, C and D as well as magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, and potassium. It is used by many as a liver tonic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory.

Enjoy!








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Early Winter Preparation

I know, I shouldn't be talking about it. It comes quicker every year. Like it or not, winter will be here soon, but it is never too soon to start getting ready. I start preparing for winter early on in the season,  to keep my family warm, safe and comfortable. There are many little steps that can be taken and most will not take much time at all. Start now so that when winter comes, you are warm and cosy.

* Caulk around drafty windows and doors. To check for drafts, close all windows on a windy day, then hold a lit candle up. Move it slowly around the border of the window. If the flame flickers, you've got a draft.

* Make draft busters for all doors. These can easily be made by using a leg from an old pair of pants, tying on end closed, stuffing (with anything from a rolled up towel, scraps of yarn, old rags) and tying the other end closed. Just lay them at the bottom of the door-either the outside door, or to a room that you want to keep warm (or cool) so air doesn't move between rooms.

* Start shopping for more blankets. Thrift shops and any yard sales still going on will have them at good prices. If you wait until winter is here, the selection (and price) will be less desirable.

* Make blankets. If you craft, make an afghan, quilt or blanket.Since it takes forever to crochet an afghan, starting now will allow you to cuddle under the length of it while you finish it later.

* Stockpile food. You don't want to be one of those people crowding at the grocery because there's a storm on its way. Stock up when you find something on sale and have a coupon. Fill the freezer with meat and veggies. Have some canned foods that can be heated for easy meals if you can't get to the grocery.

* Evaluate your wardrobe. Do you have warm pants, long sleeved shirts, flannels, warm socks, scarves, a good coat with no rips, winter boots that will repel water and keep your toes warm, ear muffs, hats, and gloves or mittens that actually block the wind? Find your weaknesses and fill them with thrift store finds. Once November gets here, you won't be able to find this stuff easily at thrift stores and you'll be forced to buy new.

* Take care of the house and lawn. Any odd jobs that need done around the homestead should be done sooner rather than later. Mend the fence, fix the roof on the chicken coop, clean out the dryer vent. Get it all out of the way so you won't have to think about it when it's cold.

* Get a new apartment. If you are in the market for a new apartment that you'll be in this winter, it is worth considering your utility bills. Since heat rises, look for a second or third story apartment so you can take advantage of your downstairs neighbor's lost heat. Consider if the bedroom is against an interior wall or an exterior wall, as the exterior walls allow a lot of cold in. Consider where the air will flow in when you open the door. In my current apartment, the front door lets in a lot of air directly into the room I sleep in, which will not work during winter.

By getting a few of these little jobs out of the way now, you can lower your bills and increase your comfort levels during the frigid months.

Happy living!