Saving Money with Cooking Basics

With the economy in the state it is, with people losing their jobs, families moving in together to conserve, and costs rising while incomes dwindle we all need to find ways to conserve. One of the best ways to do this is to make your own…go to the basics and find ways of conserving.

Stale bread – Why waste it? As long as it has gone stale before it has gone moldy there is no reason not to still use it. Granted it will not be very good for a sandwich anymore, but we can still keep from spending money on bread based items using stale bread.

1. Seasoned Bread Crumbs:
6 slices bread, dried out and crushed
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheeses mixed

Mix these and store in a recycled glass jar with the lid secured.

2. Dry Bread Crumbs: Save all your stale bread in plastic bags and store in
the refrigerator. (Whole wheat and rye bread crusts are also useful, but store and prepare them separately.)

Place bread on jellyroll pan and dry completely in a very slow oven (about 250º) until golden brown. Remove from oven and pulverize small batches in a blender. Or, put the dried bread crusts in a plastic or paper bag and crush with a rolling pin. These crumbs will keep several months if stored in a tightly closed container and, kept in a dry place.

3. Croutons: Croutons are an essential ingredient for Caesar salad, split pea,
or lentil soup, stuffing and many other dishes. To make them easily at home:

Bread (any type will do)

Remove the crusts from slightly stale bread. (Save these crusts to make breadcrumbs). Before bread is completely dried, cut into half-inch cubes, spread them out on a dry, flat jellyroll pan. Set the oven as low as possible (sometimes the pilot light will make it warm enough) and place pan in center of oven for about 3 hours, or until croutons are very dry.

Storage: They will keep several months in the refrigerator if stored in a heavy plastic bag or airtight container, and even longer in the freezer.

4. Garlic Croutons:

1-cup croutons
2tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Take all ingredients and sauté in a large skillet until golden brown. Let cool and use as desired

5. Italian Croutons:

1-cup croutons
2tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or 2 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano. 1 tsp parsley)

Take all ingredients and sauté in a large skillet until golden brown.
Let cool and use as desired

Bouquet Garni: Is a collection of herbs (traditionally fresh parsley, fresh or dried thyme, and bay leaf) that are bundled together and cast adrift in your pot to flavor a soup, stew, or broth. They are tied together so they can be removed easily at the end of the cooking. Below are some suggestions.

1. Fresh Herb Garni

Make a fresh herb bouquet garni by gathering together

3 sprigs of parsley
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf.
If you want a hint of citrus, add a curl of lemon or orange peel.

Tie the herb sprigs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Drop the herbs in the pot and tie the other end of the twine to the pot's handle or the top of the lid.

Remove the garni from the pot when ready to serve the pot's ingredients. Simply untie the string from the handle and throw the garni in the trash.

2. Dried Herb Garni

Cut a square of cheesecloth or tulle and lay it out on the counter.

Measure out herbs and spices appropriate to the dish you're making.

Place the herbs and spices in the center of the square. Gather the corners together and tie with kitchen twine. This bouquet garni will be easy to find in your dish so you don't have to tie it to the pot handle or lid.

Use a slotted spoon or small hand-held colander to remove the dried garni from the pot, and then throw it away.

3. Bouquet Garni Seasoning
2 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. thyme leaves
2 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. marjoram leaves

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid combine all herbs; shake well. Store in cool dry place. Shake before using, measure and crush slightly. Use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon for 4 servings. Can be used in stews, soups and with meat, fish, poultry or vegetables.

Bath and Body Cleaning Substitutions

Over the years Americans have gotten used to running to the market or pharmacy to get all the little personal cleaning aides needed. From shampoos to toothpaste to mouth wash to soap and beyond. Often these things are not always earth friendly, they leave footprint in our lives and on our Mother that are not healthy or wise.

In the old days these products were not available, so how did our ancestors survive? They used more earth friendly, often earth provided things to do the same jobs.

Egg Shampoo for Dry Hair: Beat two eggs until frothy and massage well into scalp. Leave on the hair for a few minutes and rinse off with warm water (hot water will cause the eggs to congeal.) To cut the film left from the whole egg shampoo add 2 or 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar to rise water for brunettes or the juice of half a lemon for blonds.

Avocado Deep Conditioner for the Hair: Ingredients: 1 small jar of mayonnaise, 1/2 avocado Directions: Peel avocado and remove pit. Mash avocado then mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with your hands until it's a consistent green color. Smooth into hair. Use shower cap or plastic wrap to seal body heat in. Leave on hair for 20 minutes. For deeper conditioning wrap a hot, damp towel around your head over the plastic, or use a hair dryer set to a low to medium heat setting. Store extra in refrigerator.

Rosemary as a Versatile Hair Aid: Add an infusion of rosemary to the final rinse after a shampoo to prevent oiliness and give a sheen to dark hair. A rosemary rinse also makes hair more manageable and easy to set. It is said to help with dandruff also.

Bath Oils: Turkey-red oil, a derivative of castor oil, acts as an emulsifying agent on other oils so that they do not leave a film of oil on the skin or the bathtub. Mix three parts turkey oil with one part essential oil of your choice and add a few drops to your bath.

Oatmeal scrub: Oatmeal makes an excellent nonalkaline soap substitute. Wrap a handful of dry oatmeal in a wash cloth (a sock can work very well), dampen it, and rub it over your body in place of soap when you shower or bathe. Oatmeal is a soothing, softening cleaner. If your skin is dry, use ground almonds in place of the oatmeal, they are particularly moisturizing.

Honey and Almond Cream: This traditional recipe makes a very moisturizing night cream for dry hands. Melt 2 oz honey in a double boiler and mix in 4 ounces lanolin until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool before stirring in 2 ounces sweet almond oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Age Spot and Freckle Fading: An old French recipe uses fresh cucumber juice.
Cucumbers are said to be excellent bleaching agents for the skin, and can be used on brown spots. To make a lotion, mix 1 tsp of the cucumber juice with 2 tsps of water. Apply once in the morning and once at night, letting it dry on the skin

In France, a freckle lotion is made from 1 oz. of
powdered alum and 1 oz. of lemon juice in a pint of rose water. Shake well and apply.

In Israel, brown spots are treated with a paste made by mashing 1/3 cup of chickpeas in a little water. Smear on the paste and leave it on until dry and crumbly. Wash completely. You can apply this mixture daily.

Cucumber Facial: Use this facial to soothe and cleanse the skin. Some say cucumbers with lemon juice ease freckles. This recipe is certainly astringent. Cukes also contain a hormone thought to work against wrinkles. For best effect, apply after a shower or facial steaming. Be sure the skin is clean before you apply the mask.

2" chunk fresh cucumber, seeded, and pureed
1 tsp. witch hazel
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg white
1 tbsps. cream or plain yogurt
2 tsps. powdered milk

Lip Butter: 20 ounces Almond Oil1/2 pound Anhydrous Lanolin8 ounces Glycerin3 3/4 ounces Beeswax5-10 drops of Essential Oil

Over low heat, dissolve the lanolin in the almond oil, add the glycerin, and stir until all three are dispersed. Add the finely-chopped beeswax, stirring until just melted, add the essential oil, and pour the salve into containers. Stir the pot frequently and pour as quickly as reasonable. If you take too long the lanolin and glycerin may begin to separate

Athletes Foot Remedies: Rubbing diluted alcohol on the affected area with cotton balls is one of the athletes foot remedies.

Applying aloe vera gel twice daily on the affected areas is one of the other athletes foot remedies. Apple cider vinegar having antifungal properties in one of the other widely used athletes foot remedies. Soaking the feet in a mixture of equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water for ten minutes daily up to ten days or until symptoms disappear is one of the best athletes foot remedies.

Soaking the feet in a solution of baking soda and water for about 30 minutes daily is one of the other athletes foot remedies. This helps change the pH of the skin. Washing the feet in a mild solution of boric acid is one of the other common athletes foot remedies. Chaparral is one of the other effective athletes foot remedies.

Healing Cracked Heels: Clean and moisturize your feet daily. Before going to bed, soak your feet in warm, soapy water for 15 minutes, wash and dab it dry. Take one teaspoon Vaseline, add lemon juice extracted from one lemon. Rub this mixture on your feet mainly the cracked areas. Let the skin absorb this mixture. Do this daily to get maximum benefits.

Mixture of glycerin and rosewater applied on daily basis helps heal the cracked feet.
Cold Sore Treatment: Lemon balm has been known to have strong anti-viral property. In a recent study, patients blisters went away 5 days quicker than patients that didn’t use lemon balm. Another good homeopathic remedy is peppermint oil. Studies done found that peppermint essential oil was found to enter the skin and have a strong virucidal effect on the virus. It was also found to have a strong effect against certain strains of the virus that have been known to be stronger than other strains. Rhubarb and sage cream has also been found to have powerful effects over cold sores. It has also been found to be one of the most powerful creams out on the market.

Acne Treatment: Steam your face for five to ten minutes to clean the pores with hot infusions of lavender, chamomile, or thyme. Rinse your face with honey water, rosewater, or a dilute infusion of marigold tea to tone and close the pores. Do this every day until the skin starts to heal.

Herbal Gargle for Bad Breath: 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lavender (1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried)1 tablespoon (15 ml) peppermint (1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried)1 cup (250 ml) waterBring the water to a boil. Put the herbs into a clean glass jar. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the solution. Now simply Gargle.

Three Sisters Gardening

In late spring, we plant the corn and beans and squash. They're not just plants- we call them the three sisters. We plant them together, three kinds of seeds in one hole. They want to be together with each other, just as we Indians want to be together with each other. So long as the three sisters are with us we know we will never starve. The Creator sends them to us each year. We celebrate them now. We thank Him for the gift He gives us today and every day.
Chief Louis Farmer (Onondaga)

For more years than the people have counted, the Three Sisters, have been planted together. These three plants were the vegetable base for native diets, they provided balance. When the Staving moons were here, and meat was scarce it saved many from death. Many eastern seaboard tribes have claimed the origination of this planting method. The Haudenosaunee (hah-dee-no-show-nee), or "People of the Long house" are just one of many.

These three plants were so important in the lives of the Native American that many rituals revolved around them. Among the Cherokee they were: In late June or July was the Green Corn Ceremony, the dates scheduled for the celebration depended upon the time the first corn ripened. It was performed when the new corn was ripe enough to eat. New corn was not to be eaten until after the ceremony took place. In August or September came the Ripe Corn Ceremony, it celebrated the maturing of the corn crop and is one of the few ancient ceremonies to last into the 21st century

Myths among the people also reflected this importance of these three plants, especially corn. Among the Cherokee there is the story of Kanati and Selu (corn). Among the Sioux we find the myth of The Forgotten Ear of Corn and The Hermit, The Origin of Corn. Among the Abenaki we find The Strange Origin of Corn.

The traditional Three Sisters garden forms an ecosystem by creating a community of plants and animals. This system creates a beneficial relationship between the three plants- each plant helps the others grow. This is a form of companion planting. Corn provides support for beans. Beans, like other legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. (Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits most.) The large, prickly squash leaves shade the soil, preventing weed growth, and deter animal pests. The three sisters also complement each other nutritionally.

To plant the Three Sisters wait until the soil warms in spring. Make a mound of dirt about one foot high and two foot in diameter. In the center of the mound plant 5 or 6 corn kernels, tamp down the ground well. Space the mound approximately 4 feet apart, remember you will be dodging squash vines to cultivate and harvest.

When the corn sprouts and reaches about 5 or 6 inches high it is time to plant the bean seeds, make sure they are the climbing variety. You will want to plant 6 to eight of them around the top of the mound. You do not have to plant just green beans, grow some kidney beans, or pinto beans if you like.

About 1 week later, after the beans emerge from the ground, plant the squash seeds on the flat ground around each mound. You can plant all the way around or choose to plant just two opposite sides of the mound, to possibly control some of the rambeling that the vines do. If you plant all the way around 6 to 8 plants are sufficient. If just on opposing sides then 2 or 3 per side is fine. Also consider planting diferent types of squash to make a more varied diet.

Good companions to plant either interspersed thoughout the garden or making a border around the Three Sisters are: Marigolds, to keep bean beetles away; Sage, to encourage bees; Nasturiam, to discourage squash borers; Catnip, to discourage been beetles; Summer Savory, discourages the Mexican bean beetles; Dill, French Tarragon and Basil lure bees.

To keep up tradition, plant more than you plan to consume…..first for the wild critters…..seconly, considering todays economic situation, it will give you produce to share with family, friends, less fortunate people or food banks.

To Smudge or Not to Smudge

What is Smudging? Smudging is a ritual that is used by many cultures and many traditions. The Catholic Church uses incense burners during high mass suspended from long chains which the priest then swings over the congregation…the Priest waves the therafur in which they burn any combination of aromatic herbs…in the old days it was frankincense and myrrh. The story of its beginning dates back to the Black Plague. The Priests used the incense to cleanse the people, and cover the smell of death.

In the Native American Culture smudging is used for cleansing spiritually and physically. The four main herbs used are sage, sweet grass, cedar, and tobacco. Although others have been utilized also. There is an old story of where it came from on the East Coast….after the smallpox was introduced to the people, a young man of mixed ancestry (Cherokee and black slave) found he was immune to the disease. Everyone around him was dying…..He went out into the swamp and prayed to Creator for the healing of his people. He had a vision where he was shown holding a large clam shell with smoke spiraling from it. In the vision he fanned the smoke over the sick, and slowly, one by one, they got better. He returned home joyous that Creator had given him a vision that showed how to heal his people. He proceeded to collect the cedar, the sweet grass, the sage, and the tobacco and smudge his people. Lo and behold, they slowly arose from their sick beds healed.

But in all I have found one constant……smudging smoke carries the prayers of the petitioner to Creator God.

Smudging may be done several ways: with loose herb in a fire-proof container, or using smudge sticks.

To make a smudge stick is not difficult. You need to select the herbs you want, being sure you know for certain the plant is the one you believe it is (you Do Not want to smudge with a toxic plant). You may cut and hang to dry, or as some people do, make the smudge stick then let it dry. I personally prefer to use dried herbs (since the herbs shrink when drying, the wraps could get too loose if tied before drying). Also drying before hand ensures that the herb actually dries and does not mold…you Do Not want to burn moldy herbs, you could get very ill.

Next take the ends of the herbs (stem ends together) and tie snugly with a thin twine or thread. I personally like embroidery floss, 3 strands thick. The colors can represent the herbs used in the bundle. Then wrap around the bundle, spiraling down to the other end. At the other end, again tie the bundle off. Do not cut the threads, instead spiral back up the bundle to the beginning, it will end up looking criss-crossed. Once you reach the beginning end, tie off again.

The final stage is just tiding, cut the ends straight across, for better lighting capability. Trim the side the length of the bundle, if anything is straying to the outside, unless you like the look.
You can use Sage straight (not Garden Sage, some people have bad reactions to it burning, it has been known to set off asthma attacks in those sensitive) or combine it with cedar. Straight Lavender is nice too.

Good Luck and have fun with your smudging!

Recycle for Christmas

It’s not too early to begin planning for Christmas (Chanukah, Kwanza, Yule) now. And it is never a bad gift when your hands make it; your love and creativity construct it therefore you make it personal.

Start keeping jars for recycling into your treasures. Old spaghetti jars are just the right size to put all dry ingredients for bean soup in. Just place the ingredients, including spices into the jar, seal it. Cover the lid with a scrape of cloth and ribbon leftovers. If the different kinds of beans are layered to show off the colors , it is very pretty. Next make a nice label, either attached to the jar or hanging from the ribbon. On the label place the name of the soup, gifted by, and full directions for cooking the soup, including ingredient list. The label becomes a recipe card at the same time!

6 Bean Soup

Ingredients for Jar:
¼ cup baby lime beans
¼ cup small white beans
¼ cup black eyed peas
¼ cup garbanzo beans
¼ cup pink beans
¼ cup pink beans
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dehydrated onions
½ cup dehydrated celery
½ cup dehydrated carrot
¼ cup dehydrated green pepper
½ cup dried parsley, minced
¼ teaspoon powdered garlic
½ bay leaf crumbled
½ teaspoon fines herbs
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 envelops chicken noodle soup (opened and poured into jar)

Ingredients for Label:
Parmesan Cheese grated

Directions for Label:
To soak beans: For each pound of dry beans, any variety, add 10 cups hot water.
Up to 2 teaspoons of salt per pound of beans may be added to help the beans absorb water more evenly.
Heat to boiling, let boil 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover and set aside for at least one hour, but preferably four hours or more.
The longer soaking time is recommended to allow a greater amount of sugars to dissolve, thus helping the beans to be more easily digested.
Always discard the soak water.
To maintain color integrity, soak beans separately.

Drain beans.
Combine vegetables with soup mix, 2-1/4 quarts water, bay leaf, fine herbs and soaked beans. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour to desired tenderness.
Serve hot sprinkled with cheese.

Note: a small zip lock baggy can be attached to the label filled with the cheese. Another zip lock baggy can be used inside the jar to hold and separate the spices and soup from the beans. Also note this is a large recipe and a larger jar will be needed.

Keeping the same idea, you could make up all the dry ingredients for brownies, layer it so the flour is white with the cocoa’s brown separate on top. On the label add directions for assembly and cooking- but do not forget to tell them what “wet” ingredients they have yet to add!

Brownies for Jar

Ingredients for Jar:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa
1/3 cup red candy covered pieces (like M&M’s)
1/3 cup green candy covered pieces (like M&M’s)
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup white sugar

Ingredients for Label:
¾ cup softened butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions for Label:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place mix from jar into large bowl
Add butter and eggs
Mix until completely blended
Spread into lightly greased 9x9 pan
Bake for 35 minutes or until brownies just start to pull away from sides of pan
Cut into 16 pieces, 2x2


Another suggestion for the spaghetti jars you are recycling is to make bath salts up and place in the jar. Again the lid can be covered with fabric and ribbon with a label telling them what they have, how to use it and what the ingredients are (in case of allergies).
Making a bath salt is as simple as adding essential oils to some Epsom salts and….voila! instant bath salts. (In the next post I will put several different bath salt recipes, some far more complicated.)

Disaster Preparedness - Clean Drinking Water in Any Situation

Whether you have a natural disaster, like an earthquake or hurricane, or just need to be sure the water you consume is clean when hiking, it is important to know how to find and purify water for safe consumption.

After a natural disaster that threatens the water you drink there are several sources readily available to you that were safe before the problem arose, and if you can reach them are most likely still safe and clean. Every home in modern America has a hot water heater….this water is safely contained and housed from contamination and may still be used safely. You also have within your home toilets that have reserve tanks, this water stands a good chance of still being clean if the tank is not breached. Also check your freezer…ice cubes are a good source of water.

A very good idea is water storage. Putting water in clean, hard plastic bottles for future use is excellent planning. You can use any container that once held drinkable liquids, do not use bottle that held bleach or other household chemicals! Also one note on bottles…although gallon milk jugs with screw caps work, you will find that the seams on the bottle do not hold up well. Water can be stored for up to a year safely. The main complaint is that the water tastes “flat”, this is due to the oxygen slowly leaving the water, so just re-oxygenate it by pouring it from one container to another before consumption.

How much water should you plan on storing you might ask…. A normal active adult should drink at least 1/2 gallon of water per day. Additional water is needed for brushing teeth, bathing, cleaning cooking utensils, and also for cooking food in. Store as much water as you have space for, but a three days supply is considered to be a minimum amount. Do not forget your companion animals when planning amounts of water to store…..if you do not plan on their consumption then you will go through water faster than you imagined.

If your water storage gets ruined in a disaster or you are hiking and run out of potable water, the need arises to obtain clean water for survival. If the water you find is cloudy you need to filter it before anything else……there are ways to do it with next to nothing available. Take a funnel, if you have one, or make one from an old 2 liter soda bottle or a rolled leaf into a cone shape (large, waxy leaves like those of the Southern Magnolia work well). Place the funnel into a collecting container. Inside the funnel place a rolled up white sock, pour the water slowly over the sock (a white sock allows you to see when the sock gets dirty and needs to be replaced).
Next take the filtered water and boil it for 10 minutes. This kills many of the bacteria found in water. If bleach is available you can then add it to the water to finish the cleaning process. Bleach must be the type that says on the label that is contains 5.25% hypochlorite. You then take an eye dropper and add it in the amount of 8 drops per gallon of clear water and 16 drops per gallon of cloudy water. For 5 gallons you use ½ tsp for clear water and 1 tsp for cloudy water. Let this stand for 10 minutes before consuming.

For additional information call the EPA - Safe Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.

Some Oils and Their Uses

The following list is a guideline only. There are many more essential oils and numerous uses for each plant. Use this list as a launching pad only for future reference.

Angelica - Angelica archangelica – Used in Chinese medicine for promoting fertility

Basil, Sweet - Ocimum basilicum – Used in India to brighten mode – Do Not use during pregnancy

Bay - Pimenta racemosa – Used in the West Indies for stimulating hair growth - avoid during pregnancy

Bergamot - Citrus bergamia – has been used for relieving stress – may cause photosensitivity

Black Pepper - Piper nigrum – From Madagascar used to stimulate circulation

Calendula - Calendula officinalis – Used for any skin complaint

Atlas Cedar - Cedrus atlantica – Used by the ancient Egyptians to relax tense muscles


German Chamomile - Matricaria recutica – is an anti-inflammatory – avoid in early pregnancy

Citronella - Cymbopogon nardus – In Chinese medicine used for an insect repellent – avoid on damaged skin

Clary Sage - Salvia sclarea – Used for eye problems in the past

Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus globules – Used for congestion by the Aborigines of Australia – avoid if you have high blood pressure or epilepsy

Fennel, Sweet - Foeniculum vulgare – used for rheumatism and arthritis – avoid during pregnancy or is epileptic

Frankenscense - Boswellia species – for healing fears and grief

Ginger - Zingiber officinale – reducing muscular aches and pains

Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis – Used to heal bruises – avoid during pregnancy and epilepsy

Jasmine - Jasminum grandiflorum – Used as an aphrodisiac

Juniper berry - Juniperus communis – used to energize and relieve exhaustion

Lavender - Lavandula officinalis – Used to relieve tension and headache, promote sleep

Lemon - Citrus Limonum – To balance nervous system – may cause photosensitivity

Myrrh - Commiphora myrrha – Used to heal wounds and nurture aging skin

Neroli - Citrus aurantium var. amara –Used to heal scars and increase circulation

Nutmeg - Myristica fragrans – Used for warming and to stimulate heart and circulation – avoid during pregnancy, may be mildly toxic if over used

Orange, Sweet - Citrus sinensis – Used to brighten mood, relieve melancholy and apathy

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin – Used to relieve stress and nervous tensions, an aphrodisiac

Peppermint - Mentha piperita – for energy and mental clarity

Pine - Pinus sylvestris – Used to ease breathing, immune system stimulate

Rosewood - Aniba rosaedora – Used to relieve stress and balance central nervous system

Sandalwood - Santalum album – Used to lift melancholy

St John’s Wort - Hypericum perforatum – Used to treat fungal infection, oily hair

Tea Tree - Melaleuca alternifolia – Used as a disinfectant

Ylang Ylang - Cananga odorata – Used as an aphrodisiac, to relieve anger and anxiety