Freezing a Summer Fruit Salad

One of my favorite cookbooks, one I've often mentioned here, is Make-A-Mix Cookery, an invaluable guide to making your own money- and time-saving mixes. Basic Bisquick-type mix, cookie, cake, bread mixes. Meat seasoning mixes, and so, so much more. One recipe in that book has always interested me, but I'd never tried it until last weekend.

It's called Marie's Fruit Cocktail Mix, a combination of green grapes, peaches, melons and blueberries in a lemon- and orange-flavored simple syrup. I hadn't tried it because I couldn't imagine how this mix would freeze and not be all mushy when thawed.

Of course I didn't quite follow the recipe as given... I cut the sugar in the syrup and used less melon than called for. I have a container of the finished product thawing on the counter right now, but this I can tell you: It looked terrific and tasted w-a-y wicked good as a fresh fruit salad. We had company for supper the night I made it, and they raved over the samples I served with molasses crinkle cookies.

Frozen Fruit Cocktail Mix

1/2 watermelon, cut in bite-size pieces
1 crenshaw melon, cut in bite-size pieces
1 cantaloup, cut in bite-size pieces
lots of green grapes
lots of blueberries
peaches to taste, cut in bite-size pieces

You'll need a B-I-G bowl for mixing all this fruit.

Mix together and bring to a boil, stirring well:

3 cups sugar
2 qts. water

Add

1 6 oz can EACH, frozen orange juice and frozen lemonade.

Pour, hot, over fruit, gently mix, pack into freezer containers, leaving 1/2" head room. The orginal recipe said to pack the fruit then cover with the hot syrup, but I wanted to be sure the fruit was well-coated with the syrup to prevent any browning.

Okay, I've just gotten into the almost-thawed fruit...everything's kept its color perfectly, the watermelon, cantaloup and crenshaw have all kept both their texture and individual flavors, and
the blueberries, peaches and grapes are yummy too.

Most definitely, this recipe is a money-saving winner for winter!

Mary

A Wax Bean Winter

It was 44.2 degrees out when I got up this morning at 5:30. August 28...44.2 degrees! As I took puppy Gracie out for her walkabout, I could see the peppers in the garden shivering, while the summer squash and cucumbers were huddled together under curled leaves. This has not been a kind summer for garden - or gardeners - here on the coast of Maine and in many other parts of the country.

It will be a wax beans winter for us since that's the one thing that has produced bountifully this year. But what does this almost-over growing season mean for most of us for the coming winter? The usual routine... higher prices for foods from fruits and veggies to grain products to meat (because of the high cost of feed). Can you do anything about it? YUP, you can.

While there are still farmer's markets open and even some pick-your-own operations will be open well into the fall, stock up on whatever you can. We'll buy corn to freeze since we lost all three plantings. We'll have some tomatoes to can and there are a couple of dozen quarts left from last year. Potatoes, carrots and beets have done reasonably well, while the onions will be small.

If you don't have a garden or access to fresh produce to preserve, it's discouraging. But if you start thinking about it now, one of the best things you can do - if you have the storage space - is to start buying extra cans/frozen pacgages of those veggies you know you'll need... peas, green beans, corn, beets, etc....to stock the larder. And consider new recipes, reducing portion sizes and eliminating some of those items from your grocery list such as drinks, snacks and pre-packaged lunch products. BUT, start now.

It may be a soup, stew and wax bean winter, but you can still be well-fed AND frugal!

Mary

The Buzzzzzz on Beekeeping for Beginners

Suzanne from The Herb Farm in Annisquam MA asked about becoming a beekeeper. It's a great idea, harnessing all those industrious little nectar-gathering bees to provide you with pollination, honey, and beeswax. But for the total neophyte, it's not the easiest or cheapest hobby to start. Now, do I have bee hives? Nope! I've always wanted some and we have a good location for one or two, but Bert's allergic, so that's that.

FIRST, before you even go further in thinking about becoming a beekeeper, you MUST spend a day or two with an experienced apiarist. In addition to learning what equipment you'll need for yourself and the bees, you need to actually experience being around an active hive, and you need to see firsthand - not just read about - what it takes to manage a healthy colony. It would be ideal if you could visit a apiary now, later in the fall, in mid-winter and then early spring before you order your own equipment and bees. I can't stress enough how important this visit to a working apiary is BEFORE you invest in your own beekeeping.

Before we even glance at the equipment needed, consider, too, that keeping a healthy bee colony is not always something you can control. Bees are subject to a number of challenges, as the recent past has shown. Two or three years ago, mites wiped out many a hive in New England. Happily, we've noticed a full rebound in bees in our fruit trees and bushes and flower beds this year. But, just be aware...

I've heard estimates of $250 to $1,000 to set up your first hive or two. And a beginner certainly shouldn't consider undertaking any more hives than that. You might be able to get some equipment secondhand, but take some care there as you certainly don't want to take any chance on compromised equipment. I've found the website for New England Beekeeping Supplies, Etc. absolutely invaluable. The following link will take you right to their page that helps you estimate your first year costs for setting up a couple of hives. New England Beekeeping Supplies, Inc.

Your state university's Cooperative Extension Service also has much helpful information, and of course, your local library probably has books on this subject too.

You'll need gear to protect yourself even if you do believe that bee stings are good for treating arthritis, etc. There are helmets, hats, veils, those long leather gloves and full protective suits, all of which adds up. You can buy a beekeeping starter set for well under two hundred dollars, and plans to guide you in building your own hives are easy to come by. So you can get started inexpensively if you work at it.

Now what about getting the bees themselves? Well, you don't just go down to your local seed-/feed store and pick up a hive's worth!! Most northeastern suppliers get their bees from the south or mid-west, although I do believe there's one apiary with their own stock in MA. Bee packages are usually under $100, while a sturdy queen may be $25 or so.

I hope this gives you a cursory idea of what's involved, even though I haven't talked about setting up and populating the hives, dealing with swarms, etc. The sweeetest end product, the honey, varies hugely from hive to hive and indeed, all over the world, depending on whether those bees are feasting on Maine blueberry blossoms, Scottish heather, or Australian eucalyptus!

My daughter Heather's father-in-law, Don of VT and sister-in-law Lee, of NH both keep bees, and their honeys are great! In fact, several years ago, I put together a little honey information and recipe booklet for Don called Recipes for My Honeys. If there's enough interest in it, I'll print off some more... what do you think? There are about 30 pages and recipes including breads, cookies, cheesecake, veggie and main dish recipes? What would be a fair price?? Help me decide whether to make this available??

And, thanks for your help!! Mary

Gracie, all tired out after her garden chores

Thanks, Heather, for the picture!

Gardening with Grace

Plus, a recipe for Blueberry-Lemon Bread/Cake

Yes, we did name our new puppy Grace Belle, and she IS a huge help in the garden... sort of! But this summer's garden has required a different kind of grace. Here on the coast of Maine, unrelenting rain, fog, mist, drizzle and just plain humidity, plus cool temperatures and little sun, have tested even the most patient and persistent gardeners.

Some thing of course are thriving in this micro-climate, but many things are not, especially those plants that like it hot such as peppers. We've planted - and lost- three batches of corn seed, and can only hope now that farmers farther inland from us will have abundant crops. But it isn't as though they haven't had a cool, damp summer too. So far, many of Maine's early hay cuttings, a crop essential for winter feed, have been devastated.

I've always stressed that one of the best ways to save on your grocery spending is to grow and preserve your own produce. Or, at least buy at your local farmer's market or even pick-your-own to can or freeze. That's a little tougher this year. But it is still going to mean better eating and more savings this coming winter.

One bumper crop for us this year is blueberries. The raspberries are doing well too, but they mold very quickly in the damp and must be picked quickly when it's relatively dry. No such problem with the blueberries. Plus, I'm sure you've read aoubt the fabulous anti-oxidant benefits (among other things) of blueberries.

We have a dozen or so high-bush blues of at least five different varieties. They are also planted near wild berries so the cross-pollination yields really favorful, large fruit. With no preparation needed to freeze them (just put in containers or plastic bags) , frozen blueberries don't lose shape or get mushy, and they can be used to make so, so many wonderful things including juice, plain or blended with lemonade, apple, or cranberry. I make a four-berry juice from straw-, rasp-, black- and blueberries with only minimal honey sweetening needed.

Yesterday I came across a recipe for a blueberry-lemon bread/cake. As this is one of my absolutely favorite flavor combinations, I went right down and picked fresh blueberries to try it. You make the batter, which incorporates finely grated lemon peel, then top with a mixture of 'berries, a little sugar and more lemon peel. The batter rises up over the topping, and the result is delectable!

Blueberry-Lemon Bread/Cake

Beat all together

1 1/2 c flour

3/4 c sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c shortening

2/3 c milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Pour into a greased 8x8" pan and top with this mixture

1 cup fresh blueberries

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp grated lemon peel

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until browned and springy. YUM!

I suppose we need to look at back-to-school spending, but it's hard to face classes starting again after so little summer! Ya' know??

Mary

Save Money by Making your Own Milk from Nuts

by Guest Author Kathryn Vercillo


The price of milk seems to be climbing rapidly. Non-dairy alternatives like soy milk have always been expensive and now cow milk costs are high as well. Most of us use milk daily in everything from coffee and cereal to baked goods and casseroles. You can reduce your grocery expenses by cutting back on your milk intake. Alternatively, you can start making your own milk to save money. The least expensive type of milk to make is nut milk.

Almond Milk

Almost milk is a terrific substitute for cow’s milk. The nutty taste goes especially well in coffee but it can be used to replace milk in cereal or in any recipe that doesn’t require your milk to be too creamy. The really great thing about it is that it’s easy to make. Here’s the recipe that I use:

Soak one cup of raw unsalted almonds overnight.

Combine almonds with four cups of water in a blender. I usually do this in two parts (half a cup almonds with two cups water, blend and repeat).

Place cheesecloth over pitcher and pour through the cheesecloth. This catches the pulpy part of the almonds. (You can use coffee filters instead of cheesecloth to strain the milk). Add a sweetener to taste. I add a little bit of vanilla extract and a few spoons of honey to my almond milk because I think the natural taste is a bit bitter. Other people add maple syrup or blended fruit.

This makes about a half pitcher of milk. From two cups of almonds, I can get a full pitcher at a price that’s a lot lower than buying a gallon of milk from the store!

Making your Milk Thicker

One of the biggest complaints that people have about nut milk is that it’s not as thick and creamy as regular milk is. You can make yours thicker by adding a banana to the blender when you mix your milk. Alternatively, you can add half of a small potato or sweet potato to the blender to create thicker milk.

Using Other Nuts

You can use this same basic recipe to make milk from other nuts as well. Brazil nuts make really good milk although these are pricey in most areas. Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios and macadamia nuts can all be used as well. Some people prefer to use a mixture of nuts. When doing so, you can even add seeds (sunflower, flax and pumpkin are good choices). This is a great way to use up some of the leftover snacks in the house!

Guest post by Kathryn Vercillo. Kathryn is a writer for Promotional Codes which gives away saving codes online, and also publishes a money-saving blog.

Hello Again...

Well, THAT retirement didn't last long, did it? Now don't laugh, but I had a message from God, and it's always best NOT to ignore those!

Several readers got in touch to say they'd miss the blog, which of course was nice. I have no idea how many folks - if anyone -reads my writings here Then, Jenna Russell from the Boston Globe got in touch and we did a lengthy phone interview earlier this afternoon. She seemed so disappointed that her first reading of my blog was intended to be my last post!

So, now, I'm like, all totally fired up again! Stay tuned!!

Mary

Hello...

and Goodbye!

First, let me introduce the newest member of our family, Grace Belle. She's a 10-week-old rescue puppy from Arkansas who came into our lives on Sunday. She is an absolute doll, although our three cats have yet to discover that.

That's the "Hello."

The "Goodbye" is that I have decided to put my blog writing aside for a while, quite possibly for good. Life is just too, too busy, and you know, I just don't feel as though I have anything more to say. There are so, so many folks now on the frugal bandwagon that I know you'll be able to find all the advice you need for thrifty and healthy living, sure savings, and smart spending.

*************

We on the coast of Maine are having a non-summer so far and that is difficult, both for the gardens and for us humans. It's hard to believe it's July when we've had so little sun and even less warmth.

Our first planting of corn rotted and I'm not sure the second planting is doing any better; it certainly hasn't broken ground yet. And while this cool, damp weather does favors some things, it's not a friend to the peppers, tomatoes and other warm-weather crops. So far, the strawberries have produced, although somewhat scantily, while the coming blueberry crop looks to be huge.

This coming weekend is the start of our annual Gram and Gramp Camp which ends the following weekend with the famous Yarmouth Clam Festival. I haven't gotten out hiking at all, and starting the Maine section of the Appalachian Trail was a major goal for this summer and fall. Then there's all the flower work, the reading, the knitting, and most of all, the invaluable time spent with friends. There just aren't enough hours in the day!

And so, I thank you for visiting this blog, for being part of my life and letting me be a part of yours. I'll miss you especially, Alice!

Best, Mary

Freezer frenzy

Tips on buying a freezer, and how to best use it at home
By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch, March 26, 2009


"Don't assume that investing in a freezer will automatically save you bundles, however. Once you bring it home, remember why you got it -- to ultimately save money -- and follow these tips from Webber for sticking to your plan:"

Click here for complete coverage

The Frugal Family Kitchen Book

On SALE now




Just in time for Mother's Day, those bridal showers, summer weddings and so many other spring gift-giving occasions, The Frugal Family Kitchen Book is now on sale for only $10 a copy, post paid!

My Kitchen Book offers valuable nutrition information, time management help, and meal planning guidance as well as plenty of tasty and inexpensive recipes. With tips on setting up the first-time kitchen, reading labels and shopping the various supermarket sections, the spiral bound Kitchen Book is ideal for the experienced shopper as well as the beginner cook. It's perfect for those who are college-bound or for anyone going out on their own.

The FFKB sells for $14.95 at http://www.amazon.com/ , where you can check out the contents, read excerpts, reviews and such. Our publisher's price of $10 (post paid!), is a bargain and I'd be glad to inscribe any books you order.

In addition, further discounts are available on volume orders (over 100 copies). The Kitchen Book makes a great promotional give-away and can also be used for successful fundraising.

Send your order with a check or money order to Cranberry Knoll Publishers, P. O. Box 1317, Yarmouth, Maine 04096.

Questions?? Feel free to email me at marywebb@maine.rr.com

Growing in our

Kitchen Garden:

Sprouts!


Fun and easy to grow, sprouts provide good nutritional value at a more-than-reasonable cost. Perfect for greening mid-winter salads and sandwiches.

Why grow sprouts? They are incredibly rich in nutrients, cheap, quick, and easy to grow (no sun, no soil needed) right in your kitchen (great project for the kids), sprouts are low in calories, and they are very versatile. In salads and sandwiches of course but also in breads, stir fry and many other Asian recipes. Broccoli sprouts offer dynamite nutrition while radish sprouts add real zing, and onion, cabbage and pea sprouts are terrific in stir fry. Caveat: Just as with any food, don't go overboard on sprouts. It is possible to eat too much of these good things leading to possible nutritional deficiencies, but honestly, I think you'd have to be totally nuts to consume the amounts that could case this effect.

What kind of sprouts to grow?? I think you'll be surprised at what's available for spouting seeds, far beyond the alfalfa, mung, radish and broccoli that may come right to mind. You can certainly find a good selection of sprouting seeds at your local health food store, but I buy most of my seeds including those for sprouting from Pinetree Garden Seeds in New Gloucester Maine. I would caution you not to use just any old garden seed to sprout to be sure you avoid treated seed. Pinetree offers 16 individual seeds and mixes for sprouting. Their salad, sandwich, stir fry and munching mixes are excellent. I would caution you not to use just any old garden seed for sprouting to avoid the possiblility of using treated seed.

How to grow sprouts. Couldn't be easier! When I first started I used quart canning jars with cheesecloth over the top held on by an elastic band. You can buy three different mesh-size plastic lids to use with canning jars for various size sprouting seeds, and you can also use stackable tray sprouters which I use for growing large amounts of mung beans.

To grow sprouts, start small! A TBSP of alfalfa seed may yield a cup to a cup and a half of sprouts! Rinse seeds in a strainer or colander - some seed such as that alfalfa is tiny - picking out any that look off-color, etc. Put the rinsed seeds is a nice clean jar (I use 1-quart wide-mouth jars), cover the seeds with a few inches of warmish water and let set on countertop overnight. Little bits of chaff and such will float to the top, easy to remove.

Next, drain the seeds thoroughly then rinse them with cool water, swishing well. Drain again, set jar on its side and jiggle somewhat to spread out the seeds, put in a dark cupboard, and there they grow! Rinse and drain daily and start enjoying your greens in just a few days for some varieties, 4-5 days for some of the larger ones.

I like to keep several kinds growing on a rotating basis... YUM!





We've been blessed this winter to have a number of deer who visit us daily to partake of the apples we're delighted to share with them.

I just love seeing them!