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Tonight we're feasting on a braised chicken, actually with only twenty cloves of garlic, because forty is for two chickens. Home grown garlic, home grown oregano and rosemary, a good quality chicken, now defrosting on the kitchen counter.
Last night we shared a steak that was on sale, and we shared a baked potato (a big one) and we shared a pear tart I made for dessert. All this sharing has nothing to do with frugality but more to do with keeping one's weight in check. Also shared a long walk through the woods. Walking is a great activity, and it's free.
When I got out my walking stick, the orange cat (a new cat to the household) took one look and raced upstairs. He has perhaps an interesting story about sticks which he can't tell us. Many years ago my father was visiting us, and he took it upon himself to sharpen all the dull kitchen knives. My god, the cat freaked and took off at fifty miles an hour. Another interesting story. Animals can talk in their own way.
The garden is just about gone except for the herbs and a couple grape tomatoes. I only have two bulbs of garlic left, having eaten ((or almost eaten) nine and gave one away. It was great garlic. There is a lot of bang for the buck with herbs, too.
The nasturtiums are still blooming, and for some reason, the aphids left them alone this year. We had a big hawk sitting NEXT TO the bird feeder yesterday. My husband wanted to take a picture, but I chased him before he could eat any of my birdies. Wish the hummingbirds would migrate. I'll worry about them until they show up again in May.
With the cooler weather, one begins to think pot roast, chili, beef stew, chicken pot pie and spaghetti and meatballs, the heartier fares. Shop the sales. Eat seasonally. Clip those coupons! Make out your menus for the week from the specials. You do make out menus and a food plan, don't you? Shopping willy-nilly is not paring any cheese.
Yours in thriftiness,
The Cheeseparer
Italian prune plum tart. Found all over Germany in late summer, made with either with a crusty dough somewhat like shortbread (muerberteig) or a yeast dough (hefeteig). I sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top. Tastes as good as it looks.
An old Bon Apetit had a yummy sounding summer main dish salad using spinach, grilled chicken and tomatoes.
In spite of the blight here in New England, there have been some good tomatoes. We are always more or less on a diet, and main dish salads are a wonderful treat in the summer.
I found the chicken on sale, and the tomatoes on sale, too. So far, so good. I got a shell of baby spinach, a red onion and waltzed over to the cheese department to get some feta in olive oil and herbs. I mean, it was feta. How much could it cost?
The recipe called for 10.5 ounces. 5 ounces were $5.99. Ooops! I bought one container, not two, and poured some of its oil into some plain crumbled feta from the fridge. It occured to me that I could use my own olive oil, herbs from the summer garden, garlic and peppercorns to make the pricey feta in oil.
The salad was delicious, even with half the cheese. Eat it with breadsticks and enjoy. Tonight for dinner, we're having a banana clafouti for two. Guess what? Bananas were on sale.
I find that by careful shopping and planning with the weekly specials, I can save between 20-30 per cent on my trip to the supermarket.
Cucumbers were also on sale, and we have several salads with cukes, tomatoes, dressing and chopped cilantro and parsely. Nothing beats having herbs in the garden. The green beans have been good, too. Cherry tomatoes ripening at last.
I had a disaster last sprint with the cherry tomatoes, and in bringing them home I broke off the plant from the root. Eeek! I rerooted the plant. Tried to grow the old root, too, hoping it would send out shoots. It didn't, but the plant rerooted nicely, just a month or so behind schedule.
Our Joe Pye Weed has been blooming like crazy. It's a tall perennial with purple blossoms that the butterflies and the hummingbirds love. I got a new hummingbird feeder that uses old water bottles, so I've been saving them.
Pretty soon, I'll bring in the geraniums and the rosemary and root some coleus. In the spring? Free plants. My big hanging geranium has been going in and out for six years now.
Cheese paring looks smart when the garden has lush blossoms that didn't cost a dime. The packet of nasturtium seeds also seems like a good buy.
Yours in frugality, beauty and good taste,
The Cheeseparer
