learning to be human, since 1984
frugality
Meet the Animals
1710 days
The family is away, and I’m doing chores in their stead. Really, it’s just feeding the animals, so I figured I’d post some photos:
First and foremost, Goldie the farm dog. She also goes by Goldie Arf. You’re the man now, arf.
The cows are very thirsty! And very much ungulates. They nudge and moo if one cow is taking too long at the watering area. Reminds me of kindergarten. Large, hairy, hay-eating, wet-nosed kindergarten.
And now, the pigs. Also ungulates, and quite smelly. Soon they’ll have their own portable A-frame shelter for the spring/summer/fall. I’m not sure if they’ll come in for winter as they do now, but all the farm animals are pastured. For some animals, like the cows, this means they just eat the grass. The chickens get to dig around for grubs and insects, and also are supplemented with organic grain feed (seeds, corn, etc). The pigs pasture as well and get scraps from here an there. No meat though, especially not other pigs.
I don’t know their names yet, but the mother above is bred every year. Most of the resulting piglets (usually 8-10) are sold off, but they keep two or three for food. Its processed at Dayland Meats, where they cut it into chops, bacon, hams, shoulder, and other tasty morsels of piggy goodness.
There are currently three pigs, and we’re actively looking for a boar with which to breed the mother. This means either we buy the boar, or a fee is charged for breeding. If the farm does buy one, it will most likely be sold off – granted a profit is made on the sale of the resultant piglets. Enough talk. Here’s another pig photo:
And now, my favorites: the baby chicks. These little ones are about 3 weeks old. In a factory farm, that means they’ve reached middle age. Most factory farmed chickens don’t make it past the 6 week mark. Stoney Acres carefully chooses the breeds of chicken, selecting from rare breeds specialized for meat, eggs, or both. This year, the farm is producing eggs as well as chickens for meat, so we’ve got a few varieties of chickens. I’ll write a more specific chicken post in the weeks to come. For now, cute photos:
There will definitely be more to come. I will probably start blogging about farm stuff on the farm’s website, http://www.stoneyacresfarm.net. In addition to the photographed animals, there are also goats, getting honey bees shipped soon, and there’s talk of sheep for meat and wool. Lots to learn and look forward to.
Sauerkraut Update #1
11092 days
I took a peek at the slowly fermenting cabbage today and decided that it wasn’t going to ferment fast enough. The pieces I cut were closer to 3/8 of an inch to ½ an inch, rather than the ¼ inch I described in the original post. My apologies.
I grabbed my biggest wooden spoon—mind you, it is in fact quite large—and proceeded to mash and bash the cabbage until it exuded more water. After 5-10 minutes, I stopped and replaced the bag. A nice brine now slightly covers the cabbage and things should go slightly faster. I’ll update in a few days!
Oh, and the smell is divine. Nice and pungent and cabbagey. Not gross, but definitely not sterile. I. Love. Food.
Crockpot Sauerkraut
11094 days
There are few things more satisfying when eating than contrast. Crunchy, tart, sweet, sour, salty: sauerkraut compliments both itself and the foods it is commonly eaten with. When I lucked upon two heads of cabbage in my Growing Power Market Basket, it certainly wasn’t the first thing I thought to make. But with some research, and the promise of delicious lacto-fermented leaves of cabbagey goodness, I made my first batch this morning. This is definitely an in-process project, so I’ll write about the successes and failures in the weeks to come. Here’s how I started:
Ingredients:
- 2 small/medium heads of lettuce, outer leaves removed, about 2 pounds each. Washed, drained, and halved. I used green, but both red and green is ideal. Oh, and get organic if possible, as pesticides kill the natural bacteria that are necessary for the fermentation process.
- salt; I used Kosher, but pickling is supposedly ideal because of its grain size. Rock salt apparently works too. Also, avoid iodized salt as it will kill bacteria!
Equipment:
- large, clean food-grade container. I used a large ceramic crockpot, though a bucket or crock would work. The sides should be as straight as possible.
- a good (sharp) knife and cutting board
- a plastic bag capable of holding water without leaking. I used a garbage bag, and washed the outside before using it, in case of residues.
- water
- a 50-60°F area; cool, dark, and handsome. Okay, the handsome part is ridiculous. Yet I won’t delete it.
Instructions:
- Cut out the core. I had never tried it before, and was extremely pleased to find that it had a similar peppery heat to mustard greens.
- With the flat face down on the cutting board, cut each half into quarter-inch strips. You can go smaller or larger; smaller should decrease the time it takes for the fermentation to occur, while larger should take longer. Makes sense.
- Layer the cut cabbage into the vessel with salt. For every two pounds of cabbage, use 1 tablespoon of salt. For the record, 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. Mix everything together with your hands. You did wash them first, right? Press the cabbage down with your hands. Some people even bash it, to bruise the cabbage and get it to start releasing liquid sooner. You don’t have to do this, as the salt will draw the moisture out—but you could try it especially for red cabbage, which is harder. Point is, compact it as much as you can so it is not at the top of the vessel.
- Partially fill the plastic bag with water. The bag is going into the vessel, on top of the cabbage to both:
- press out more water
- keep air and other debris out, which allows fermentation rather than rotting
- to allow the resulting CO2 an escape (through the tiny gaps around the perimeter, between the bag and the vessel).
- Once the bag is in the vessel, add more water till it sufficiently is weighing the cabbage down. What is sufficient? I’d say at least a gallon or three of water, depending on how much cabbage you’re using. I’ve got about 2 gallons in my bag. Tie the bag up!
- Let the pre-kraut sit in a cool area, out of direct sunlight, and away from critters.
- Lift the bag, checking periodically. I’m going to give mine a taste after a week. It may only take a week. Two seems to be the ideal, but it’s all up to your palate. It may even take up to five weeks, so use your senses.
- If something stinks or seems otherwise awry, it probably is. Ditch the kraut and call the doctor if you’ve eaten it and feel…off. As always, I take no responsibility for your kitchen creations, so don’t blame me!
- If everything seems good, eat! Decide if it needs more time, or if it has gone past its prime. When it tastes good to you, you can jar and refrigerate it, or even bag and freeze it for later.
I’ll post further developments as they occur! Peace.
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Greek Siesta Snack
21237 days
Yes. Tostones are good. But this is better. Simple, filling, delicious, and pretty cheap assuming you have a few pantry staples. Best yet, you won’t find this in any cookbook (I’d hope, anyway). It’s not even a recipe, just a rustic happenstance that occurs across much of the Mediterranean.
I learned it from my Yiayia while relaxing on her terrace in Greece, here:
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The miserable might of the early afternoon sun sends most people home for lunch and a nap—the beach would be refreshing were it not for that excessively radiating ball of gas, which burns even those whose skin is darker than cinnamon. 110ºF plus is not uncommon. So, to recreate a Summer afternoon in a Greek paradise, stay home and gather the following:
- Bread, unsliced, homemade or from your baker—it can even be a day old. Baguettes and peasant loaves work wonderfully. And while I’m at it, fuck sliced bread and abominations that come in plastic bags. Seriously, fuck that inferior fodder. Bread should have 5 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt, air. Additional herbs, cheese and so on are fine, but when your bread even has an ingredients list, you’re fucked, hard. No apologies. It’s inexcusable that most Americans don’t even know the simple pleasure of real bread. Off my high horse. I’ll post a recipe eventually. Back to the ingredients.
- Extra virgin olive oil. Don’t skimp. Or I’ll drop another rant on your ass.
- Balsamic vinegar. Always get the best you can afford—but any will do, really.
- Ripe tomatoes. I usually use Romas, but any will do.
- Dried oregano. It’s not a Greek kitchen without olive oil and oregano
- Kosher or larger crystal sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 a red onion or a large shallot
Optional are:
- Feta. Not absolutely necessary, but awesome. Get a whole block in brine. If you ever admit to me in person that you buy crumbled feta, I’ll smack you. Seriousl
- Water. If your bread’s a little hard, sop the bread with some H20. Not too much, it should still be able to absorb the oil, vinegar, and tomato.
- Capers in brine. Yum.
You’ll also need:
- a large, flat-ish bowl or dish
- hands; the more the merrier
- a trusty knife and board (if necessary)
Okay. Simple simple. Rip your bread into chunks big enough to hold and gnash on. Two or three bites—big and place in the bowl. This is where you sop the bread if need be. We usually do it even with fresh bread because it helps everything meld together. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and distribute over the bread. Do the same with the onion or shallot. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, roughly 3:1 respectively. If you want feta, cut off a piece and crumble it up by hand, as fine as you like. Let it sit for a bit to absorb the flavors. We sometimes even use our [clean] hands to mash it roughly together so each piece of bread becomes imparted with all the flavors.
Grab a piece, make sure it’s got a bit of everything on it, and sink your teeth in. Amazing
N.B. I’m a huge fennel and tarragon fan—and I think those flavors would work here, as they do for a lot of light, refreshing Mediterranean fare. Give it a try!
Beans, the Superfood of the Proletariat
41252 days
These little fuckers should wear capes. Packed with iron, protein, folate and dietary fiber, few foods can match the boon that is beans. They’re also rich in other vitamins, minerals and yes folks, they contain the full array and amount of amino acids. Combine them with rice and you’ve got yourself a complex carbohydrate—and a meal that’s eaten the world over. Plus they make you fart.
What more could one ask for? Well fancy you should ask. I buy my beans dry rather than canned—either in bulk or pre-measured packs—and I do this for several good reasons.
- Weight. I bike. To work. To friends’ houses. To the grocery store. Canned beans are packed in that weird goo, not to mention…a can. Both of these things are HEAVY. Bagged beans are dehydrated, so I get more for the weight. After soaking, reconstituting, and cooking, beans nearly triple in mass. Amazing.
- Cost. This is somewhat related to reason one. A bag of beans and can of beans weighing roughly the same also cost roughly the same where I shop. In fact, usually exactly the same. Even in bulk they’re close. The dried will yield about 2½ more in mass than the canned. Et, voilà. Pound for pound, beans are some of the cheapest natural protein in the world.
- Storage. I keep them bagged or in a sealed container. They take up less space than a can and generally last longer. Were I to stockpile dried, I could use them in whatever quantity I wanted. Try that with a can.
- Processing. I like knowing how my food is prepared and I like buying it with the least amount of processing possible. This is how beans should get to my mouth:
- Grow beans
- Harvest beans
- Dehydrate beans
- Package beans
- Transport
That’s my sort of bean. None of that aforementioned goo. That the fuck is that shit anyway? Were I to grow them, I could eliminate the last three steps—maybe someday, but I’m not quite there yet.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you to at least give beans a chance. You might be tempted to give peas a chance too, but beans would give that legume a lashing of a lifetime. No offense, Mr. Lennon. I’ll post some bean recipes soon. If you’ve got a recipe or ideas to share, email me. If enough are submitted, I’ll try to post something in a similar vein.
Be a Frugal College Student
11263 days
I’ve been in college for awhile. Just ask my parents. Along the way I’ve learned how to pinch and save so I have enough to live how I want – with what I’ve got. Here are a few of those tips.
- Save what you can. Whether it’s in a checking account or savings, make sure to have money set aside in case of an emergency. It can be hard to do, but it’ll save your ass later.
- Learn how to cook and limit your social expenditures to what you can afford – or less. I buy in bulk when possible and for things that can be stored safely for long periods of time. If you need some ideas, check out my post: The Well-Stocked Pantry. If you can, grow as much of your own food as possible, or at least herbs/spices. It’ll save you a bunch in the long run, and will make your food tastier and healthier. Perusing the grocery store regularly keeps you on top of pricing trends – but also shop at farmers markets. You can usually get a really good deal, and you’ll meet some splendid people. You can’t ask a box of cereal whether its wheat was chemically treated. Learn a little about what you’re putting into your body – you deserve it.
- Ride a bike, walk, or take public transit. If you own a car and it’s feasible to live without it, sell it. In a large city, bikes are the way to go. They are small, easy to store (buy a decent u-lock), inexpensive to maintain, and cheap to fuel – just eat a bit more if you plan on a significant ride! In some cities you can even load your bike on to the front of a bus for a longer journey. The clincher is that on busy city streets, bikes can be faster than cars – just stay safe. If you’re scared to ride on the road, get a bus pass. Most universities offer them for free, or a reduced student cost. If you have a full/semi-full-time job, ask about employer transit passes. You can get some studying done during your bus/train ride, or meet a new friend.
- Don’t waste time. Be as productive as you can – while making sure to not burn out. You could turn your spare time into spare cash. Why sit around watching reruns of your favorite show when you could be sitting around watching your favorite show … and knitting a scarf that you make some spending money on? Don’t have any sweet skills that could translate into treasure? Look for odd jobs on craigslist, or talk to friends/family/neighbors. People always need help – and who knows, it could turn into a semi-regular thing. You might even make a new friend!
- Shop at resale stores, or try a free-cycling event. I help run an event here in Milwaukee called the Free Market. We take donations, organize them, and offer them back to the public for free. It’s like a big, free flea market.
- Fix things that are broken or in disrepair. Get a sewing machine and learn how to sew and mend clothes. Why buy curtains if you can make them? Need a dress, or maybe a pair of mittens/handwarmers? They’re a breeze to make with even the simplest of sewing machines. Did you see an awesome table at the Free Market – only to find it had a broken leg? Maybe a drill, some screws, and some initiative could turn it into an amazing bohemian eating surface, or perhaps a more modern aesthetic suits your style. The choice is yours.
- Use the internet. Need to learn a new skill? Search on your favorite engines till you find something you like. I usually use google and youtube to find tutorials on everything from sewing to playing guitar to programming a website. Direct contact with friends is ideal, but sometimes impractical. I use facebook, myspace, twitter, and this blog to stay in touch with friends, let people know what’s going on in my life, and facilitate meetings with people that are important to me.
- Hand-wash clothing from time to time. It’ll extend the life of your clothes and you’ll need less soap and water. Plus, your clothes will probably get a better cleaning than a machine could ever do. Don’t know how to wash by hand? See #7!
That’s all for now. I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten – so I foresee a “part 2″ to this post. If you have any suggestions, please post in the comments! Thanks!