Simple and frugal: Sardines

Sardines are a comic trope in Noises Off, one of my favorite comedies, but they are more than that.

They are an inexpensive and superior source of necessary omega-3 fatty acids. They are, in fact, even higher than salmon, which is what I usually eat to gain these necessary nutrients. They have low mercury content, high protein content, are about the same cost as a can of tuna, and they are REAL fish.

You can buy them canned in water or olive oil, both of which are good for you.

What can you do with them?

• Chop them up and add them to Caesar salad or on pizza in place of anchovies (which most people dislike).
• Chop them up and add them to a Greek salad or as a sidebar to a fairly bland steamed vegetable like asparagus or zucchni.
• Combine with tomatoes, olives, capers a little Greek yogurt and/or cottage cheese and make a spread for toast, Wasa crackers (my favorite because of the whole grain/low carb.high fiber goodnesss) or on celery or red peppers.
• Chop and cook them in a red pasta sauce for any kind of pasta or, as a non-carb alternative, on baked chicken.
• Grill whole, fresh ones with lemon and serve with an arugala salad, quinoa-stuffed peppers, anbd a hearty flavored cheese.

They don't really come with eyes...

There's lots of receipes online for them. The point is that if you're tired of tuna, salmon, or all those bland white fishies that do not ever taste like fish... sardines might be your new best friend. And yes, they're cheap!

They do taste "fishy," so be aware of that. I love the stronger taste, especially in salads with less flavorful ingredients.

Spammer

Uh, oh. Somewhere in my travels around the web I picked up a spammer advert bug, one that hooks onto words and creates embedded ads. Cleaning out my laptop as well as my posts.

What a crazy week! First some kind of stomach bug that kept me home for two days this week, then a return to sinus/allergy troubles (one the active stomach bug was vanquished). The washing machine has been out of commission for over a week (waiting on a part) and just today got fixed.

Piles of dirty laundry await, about two days worth of catching up.

Other than all that, this week has been fine. Students are doing excellent work, house is in better-than-usual shape (despite laundry), and I am all over my own work.

And yet I have to ask myself why I feel "not great"? My first, probably right answer: mid-winter blues and a lack of exercise. I am conscientiously taking my hormones and vitamins, but have resisted all impulses to get out and walk, use my yoga videos or classes, or my in-house Gazelle. Or My U's state-of-the-art gym, which is unfortunately filled with students night and day.

It is literally time to step up.

• January's resolution was to fix my money issues (still in process!).
• February's resolution was to de-clutter my house.

However, I think it is time to get cracking on March's notion to focus on exercise and movement. A couple weeks early, sure, but I have a pretty strong feeling that will make a huge difference in my attitude. Frankly, the biggest benefit I get from walking, for example, isn't in my bottom but in my brain.

Simple Pleasures: Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is one of the easiest and most satisfying soups to cook at home. It is also great for frugal cooks, because you don't need fancy stuff to make a delicious pot of family delight. Even better if you have a familiar family recipe, handed down from Grandma or Great-Grandma.

I made a big pot this past weekend, using what I had on hand after looking at about ten different recipes on Epicurious, my favorite cooking site. Here's what I got by scanning the recipes:

• First choice, cook on stovetop or in slow cooker.
• Second choice, basic chicken soup, Asian-inspired chicken soup, Latin-inspired soup, gumbo-like soup, or broth. This is about seasonings and thickness.
• Third choice, noodles or rice or pasta or nothing.
• Fourth choice, beans or nothing.

That's it.

Your chicken can come from rotisserie-chickens, leftovers, frozen breasts or thighs, raw or cooked. It's all in the timing and convenience for you.

Most recipes add lots of vegetables, but I prefer to limit myself to celery and carrots. No beans, pasta, rice or noodles. I add heat: fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, lemongrass (if I've got it), and sometimes jalapeno peppers. I also add 1/4 to 1/2cup of white wine and sometimes 1 cup of chicken broth, mixed with about 5 cups of water.

You can increase the nutritional value by adding a can of chickpeas or a half-cup of white beans; you'll also increase the number of servings. You are automatically lowering the sodium count (compared to Campbell's or Progresso) by making your own and adding only a pinch of salt while cooking. You're also eliminating fat by using either only white meat or mixing it up dark and white while removing all the skin. And for anyone with wheat or dairy or corn allergies, this is exclusive of all those ingredients -- although you can add them.

This time of year, too, with flu and colds everywhere, chicken soup is a great choice for people well and not so well.

New frugality and the Pantry Challenge, February 2013

Having realized that the Congressional delay on solving the budget issue (a.k.a. "Fiscal Cliff") has resulted in a reduction of my monthly paycheck of $400 (#*%@!), I am definitely working this  month as a Pantry Challenge.

Good pantry:

The good news is that I have a ridiculously stocked pantry and freezer, due to my greed and fear of waking up in a world with no more grocery stores. Or something like that.

Bad pantry:

Thus far, I've been able to make the following without adding anything but on-sale produce last week and for this coming week:

• lentil soup, using lentils & canned tomatoes from the pantry, bacon from the freezer, and seasonings (including red wine) from the herbs/spices cabinet;
• chicken-artichoke lasagna, without the lasagna noodles, so really a kind of chicken-artichoke casserole, using chicken breasts from the freezer and a can of artichoke hearts from the pantry;
• poached pears, using same red wine, spices, and three on-sale pears;

• chicken-eggplant-tomato stew, a variation of Mediterranean cuisine incorporating on-sale eggplant and freezer chicken (whole chicken cooked in crockpot and used in this dish, plus lunch salads, omelets, and more to come all this week);
• blueberry-oatmeal breakfast bars, using frozen berries, bulk oatmeal,  milk and an egg (all on-hand);
• soup from boxes, based on sale I mashed up a month ago, where my favorite organic box soups were discounted; potato-leek, carrot-ginger, butternut, potato-garlic.  

Since each of these dishes (including the boxes) produced 3+ meals, the cost is minimal (especially if everything is on-hand) and life becomes simple, even on nights when I come home exhausted from battling for the life of the mind (harder than it sounds!).

My goal is to spend less than $40/week on my groceries: that doesn't sound unreasonable, but in fact thanks to impulse shopping and the greed-fear combo, I usually end up spending $15-$20 more per week.

I'd rather not.

So now I'm on the prowl, so to speak, with my groceries. This week, I spent $30, which is great, but partly because I put back everything I already had -- even if it isn't abso-poso fresh -- and determined to man up about what is already in the pantry-fridge-counter.

I'll keep you in the loop.

2013 Resolution Bunch #4: Health

Health: mind, body, spirit & general well-being.

This is so not new. Sigh.

Let's just be specific and man up:

• Lose 20-30 lbs (2-2.5 lbs/month): huge difference overall in every way.
• Start adding 30-40 minutes of exercise four times weekly (yoga, walking, biking, cardio).
• Increase endurance and general physical strength.Lower LDL to 105 or lower without medication.
• Add laughter and meditation every day to decrease stress.
• Take my hormones regularly -- like everyday -- to sidestep depression and keep myself on track.
• Write regularly (everyday) to make myself feel better.

The whole LDL thing last year was a wake-up call. I need to improve this, as well as my overall endurance and well-being. This will also simply make everything else easier.

The best I feel is when I spend time in Paris. I walk, I eat better (less sugar and no processed food), my stress is lowered and I am happier. Sooo... make that real here in the Big D?