A Backyard Clothesline

This week I embarked on a new “green” adventure. With help, I  installed a clothesline in my back yard. And now I hope to save money and energy by harnessing our awesome Sacramento sunshine to dry my laundry! 

I started thinking about a clothesline this winter when a belt broke in our dryer and I had to wait a week for it to be fixed. They were relatively sunny days, and I kept thinking “if only I had a clothesline, I could still get the laundry done!” Then I started researching and thinking about the other benefits of a clothesline, and once tax-return time rolled around I took the plunge.

After some research, I decided on a conventional two-poles clothesline. [There are endless other options (from freestanding indoor racks to retractable multi-line systems that bolt into the wall outdoors) – and I found a fantastic article to help me chose which I wanted.] In the end my choice came down to an umbrella clothesline or the two poles, and I ended up going with the poles mainly because I wanted it to be less expensive and because I space really isn't an issue in my yard.

I ordered my poles, wire, and even clothespins online from (where else?) Amazon.com. Then I enlisted the help of my dad and my husband to dig holes, pour Quikrete (cement), and string the wire. Following is a step-by-step of what we did, in case you're thinking about installing your own. (If you're not, you can enjoy the pictures anyway, or skip down to the “helpful hints for line-drying” section, or just stop reading now.)

Installing a Clothesline:

(Please note that my instructions below regarding pouring the Quikrete are based on different forums and advice online, not the Quikrete bag.)

1. Chose a location. Some things to consider when choosing your site: you want somewhere that it's not too much in the way, and that you don't mind walking to to use. You don't want it to be on a slant – with one pole higher than the other – because all your clothes will pile up on the lower end. Shade or not-shade is totally up to you. Here in Sacramento things dry quickly enough (most of the year) that you don't really have to worry about fading from sun exposure.
2. Assemble materials. We had two poles and wire, a shovel, a digging bar, a post-hole digger, a tape measure, a level, a wrench, a bag of Quikrete (see below), some gravel-sized rocks, and the garden hose. 
   
3. Decide how far apart you want the poles. My poles are approximately 18 feet apart. This distance was based on how much wire I had (100 ft), and how many lines I could get between the poles (5). Since I wanted extra wire on either end to tie-off the lines, I went with 18'.
4. Decide how deep you need your holes – the instructions with your poles will probably tell you. Ours needed to be 20” deep.
5. Dig holes. In my high-clay soil this isn't quite as easy as it sounds. Fortunately we have a 40 lb digging bar that breaks up the clay,
   
    and then we could scoop out the loose dirt with our post-hole digger.
   
6. Once your holes are the right depth, put about three inches of rock in the bottom of the hole. 
    
7. Position your post in the hole and dump some Quikrete on top. Try to stay upwind of the “smoke” drifting from the hole as you pour!
   
8. Fill the hole about ¾ of the way to the top with Quikrete. Using a level, make sure your pole is standing up straight.
   
9. Using the garden hose (or a bucket, if you don't have a hose), fill the hole to the top with water.
10. Assemble the rest of the pole and insert the grommets (if included) into the holes across the top bar.
    
    You may need a wrench (and a second set of hands) to tighten the grommets – and they might not tighten completely.
    
11. Allow the Quikrete to set completely (can take anywhere between 24 and 48 hours) before stringing the the clothesline.
12. We threaded the wire through the grommets, starting at one pole, moving across to the corresponding grommet on the other pole, then threading through the neighboring grommet on the same pole before going back to the first pole (and so on, until all five lines were strung). My clothesline is therefore one long line, and we only had to secure the wire to two grommets. An alternative would be to string each of the five lines individually, but this involves wire cutting and 10 grommets, and I didn't want to mess with that.
    
13. We were creative about tying off the wire – if you want something much neater, you can get a turnbuckle. (No, I don't have any idea how to install/use one – but if we end up “upgrading” our line, I'll post an addendum to this post!)
    

Helpful Hints:

OK, really, I'm not an expert in line-drying as yet...so far I've hung exactly two loads on the line. So I don't really feel qualified to give lots of helpful hints. I could have researched some hints, but it just so happens that my partner-in-green-blogging, Amanda, has been line-drying for years. So I asked her to help me out.  She said:

As long as the sun is shining I've got my clothes line out. It really is much easier than it looks and with a few tips to help you along the way you might find it to be somewhat enjoyable!

• Add white vinegar to your rinse cycle or put it in your softener tray to keep clothes from being too stiff.
• It doesn't have to be fancy. I have a plain ol' clothesline strung between my back porch and the fence and clothespins from the dollar store. Even if you just hang out your sheets you'll be amazed out handy it is to have around.
• Shake those bad boys out. There's a reason they do it in old movies, it shakes out the wrinkles!
• The biggest time waster are those silly clothespins. So in order to cut down on time, use less. I "connect" my clothes with one clothespin. In other words, one clothespin holds up the edges of two shirts.
• I also try to hang up like things at the same time. All t-shirts go up together, all socks, etc. That way they go back in the basket in the same order and makes folding even easier.
• I put my wet clothes in cloth bags on my shoulders so I don't have to lean down and they are easy to grab and hang. When I take them off they go in a basket. I just release the clothes pin and let them drop in the basket. (And kick it along with my feet. Some call me lazy; I call it saving my back.)
• I hang my shirts by the hemline instead of the shoulders. You won't get those annoying little "puckers" on your shoulders that way.
• Some things I hang by one clothespin. Like wash cloths, dish towels, socks.
• Take your clothes down as SOON as they are dry. In August that should be like 20 minutes. If you leave them out too long they will get stiff and dark clothes will start to fade.
• I save my white load for last for two reasons. First of all those baby socks are a major pain. Secondly, I leave them out until the sun goes down to let them get as much sun as possible to let them get as white as they can. The sun can do amazing things to your whites if you leave them out there long enough.
• So this is a silly thing, but it kind of helps me with closet "inventory" in that I can keep track of what's been worn, where something is and any wear spots it might be getting. How many times do we ask ourselves "where is that ____ top?" I never find myself doing that when I line dry. I have a much better perspective on what I wear and when something might be getting too worn or even needs to be repaired.

I kind of love laundry day. I know, call me crazy, but when it turns into a fun routine I just can't help it. I put the baby on my back, turn on the music and enjoy being outside for half the day. By the time I'm done hanging and folding it's time to start over again so it makes the loads go quicker than you think. I hope some of these help you and maybe, just maybe, you can enjoy laundry day as much as I do! :)

Thanks Amanda! 

Happy Drying, everyone! 

{Healthy} Cookie Dough Dip

I know what you're thinking, Amanda, sharing a recipe about cookie dough dip? What alternate universe is this?! But not to worry, this is totally one of those sneaky, healthy snacks disguised as a sweet treat. And can you guess what the secret ingredient is? Wait for it....

Garbanzo beans! Or depending on where you grew up, chick peas. These innocent looking beans are packed with nutrients and when well rinsed or cooked from dry really don't have much flavor to speak of but are perfectly creamy on the inside and waiting to be transformed into something tasty.

This is beyond simple and so delicious and satisfying. You can modify it every time you make it by adding what you like and make it as sweet as you want.

Guilt Free Cookie Dough Dip

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS nut butter
• 1 TBS-1/4 cup milk of choice
• 3 TBS sweetener
• 2-3 TBS flaxmeal or oats
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips and any other goodies you would like to add

You want to start off by rinsing a can of garbanzo beans. Make sure to rinse them really, really well. Toss them in your food processor along with everything but the chocolate chips. When it comes to the vanilla extract I will sometimes only add 11/2 tsp vanilla and add 1/2 tsp coconut extract. For nut butter I usually add homemade almond butter only because I usually have it on hand and it's a little less peanut-y than peanut butter. For sweetener I usually do a combination of honey and maple syrup, I just looooove the way maple syrup makes this dip taste. Another tip, I usually only add a splash of almond milk at the beginning and add a little at a time until it's to my desired consistency.

Blend away then stir in chocolate chips and anything else you would like to add. This time I added unsweetened coconut flakes and butterscotch chips. Everything is better with butterscotch. Serve along side your favorite dippers. I usually like apples, graham crackers, pita chips, cinnamon sugar pita chips, or ya know, just a spoon.

Just makes sure not to tell the kids (or the husband) that it's secretly good for you.

And because this hardly counts as a recipe here's another tasty snack to have with garbanzo beans. Just drain, rinse, and dry and roast a can of garbanzo beans at 375 for 45-60 minutes until crunchy. Then toss with 1 TBS of the oil of your choice, I use olive for savory and coconut for sweet. And then toss with any other seasonings you like. For  parmesan garlic use 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. For honey cinnamon add 1 tsp honey, 1-2 TBS honey and a dash of nutmeg. You can pop these ones back in to caramelize if you like. I wish I had pictures but when I thought of it they had already been gobbled up before they could even cool all the way!

 

 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread

I make this bread a lot - every other week at least, because I make the goodies for our morning church service that often, and this bread is always part of what I serve. (There might even be an uprising if I omitted it one week!) I've also brought it to breakfast at MOPS a few times, and I'm always asked for the recipe.

This recipe comes from Barb Cole who was a neighbor of ours when I was a child. The original recipe is actually for a 9”x13” cake, with chocolate chips (and nuts) mostly on top and not throughout. The following recipe includes notes for making the cake instead of bread. Note, too, that when I make this bread, I always make a double batch so I can get three 9”x5” loaves out of it. A single batch should make two 8”x4” bread pans or the single 9”x13” pan. The size of the loaf will affect baking time, so make sure you set your timer for a shorter time and check the loaf to make sure it's done instead of just baking for a longer time!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread/Cake

Ingredients

1¾ c boiling water

1 c uncooked oatmeal

½ c butter, cut in pieces

1 c brown sugar

¾ c white sugar

2-3 large eggs, slightly beaten (use 2 for cake, 3 for bread)

1¾ c flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ c cocoa

1 ½ c chocolate chips (or as many as desired!)

¾ c nuts (optional)

Directions

Assemble ingredients.

(please note that all pictures show a double batch!)

Pour boiling water over oats. Add butter. Let sit 10 minutes.

While the oat mixture is sitting, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. (Yes, I sift it. Both my flour and my cocoa are very prone to lumps, and I don't want the lumps to show up in my bread – as they have a few times in the past!)

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together with a fork – they just need to be mostly broken up so they'll blend into the batter better.

Once the 10 minutes of sitting time are up, stir the oatmeal mixture until butter melts completely. Add the sugars and stir thoroughly, breaking up any brown-sugar lumps as you go.

Add the eggs and mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the oatmeal mixture all at once. Mix well.

For bread:

Add all chocolate chips to the mixture and mix well.

Pour into two 8”x4” inch loaf pans (or three 9”x5” pans if you're doing a double batch) Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes (50 minutes if you have the double batch in the larger pans).

Cool slightly in pan, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

For cake:

Add about 1/2 c chocolate chips to mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Evenly distribute remaining chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) over top. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Cut and serve from pan.

Happy Baking!

Coconut Shampoo

Let's start with a little confession here, I stopped shampooing my hair over two years ago. Now before you refuse to sit next to me ever again I do clean my hair. And before you accuse my lack of shampooing for my crazy hair, my hair is just naturally crazy.

So, natural shampoo. Some of you may wonder why even bother when Suave is like, $1 a bottle. Well when you have super fine, fragile and dry hair like mine, that stuff just reeks havoc and I really wanted to try using a cleaning method that didn't rely on sulfates. So I started out with the baking soda/apple cider vinegar method. You can read all about it here, she does a wonderful job explaining how to do what she does. I tried it, and I even gave it a good long run. It just doesn't work for my hair type. The baking soda was actually too harsh for my hair. It almost cleaned it too well. So I started only doing it once every few washes and that totally worked, but I kind of missed the suds and so did the husband. He tried the baking soda but he said it was like washing his hair with water. And then there was the apple cider vinegar. Um, can you even imagine the mess I made out of my hair trying to avoid using conditioner? Ohmyword.... can we say birdsnest?  Now, my sister tried out the baking soda/apple cider vinegar and it worked GREAT on her thick, corse, slightly oily hair. Like regular shampoo you have to do what works for your hair type. So, then I moved on to just washing my hair with conditioner. Literally using it like shampoo just scrup that on into the scalp reeealllly good and rinse well. (I know this won't work for all hair types, but for mine it worked great. I still just missed the suds) So then walked in this amazing little recipe from Wellness Mama. With a few modifications I have the most amazing "shampoo" for my hair. Even my husband loves it. (Don't tell him you all now know that he washes his hair with coconut milk. He'd die)

 

Coconut Shampoo

Gather up your ingredients before you get started. Here's what I use, you might need to try a few combos to get it right for your hair type. Again, I have fine, thin, dry hair. (I know, I know, the curls are totally decieving)

 

*1/4 cup filtered, boiled and cooled water (you always want to use boiled and cooled water for any health or beauty recipes you make. Water has germies in it and it's just going to grow like a petree dish in your shower. You won't see it, but they're there)

*1/4 cup canned coconut milk

*1/4 cup Dr Bronner's

*1 tsp coconut oil

*a few capsules vitamin e oil

*several drops of whatever essential oil you like. Tea tree oil is great for dry scalps and dandruff, lavender and peppermint are easy, great smelling oils to use. Personally I love a little grapefruit or jasmine essential oil. Yum!

 

Mix it up and pour it in whatever container you like. I poured mine in a clean peri bottle (Stop judging. It's CLEAN people!) For all my hair I use probably about a teaspoon and just squirt it directly on my scalp since it is slightly watery, but my husband rubs it in his hands. It has a wonderfully thick and rich lather and depending on what oils you use or scented Dr Bronner's it will smell wonderful! If you wash your hair every few days you'll run out before it goes bad.

 

That's it! Easy right? Now obviously if you have oily hair you probably want to use a little more Dr. Bronner's and may not want to add the coconut oil or vitamin e oil. Like any new product you want to give it a try and make a few adjustments based on your hair type. Here's my freshly washed hair for you! A little dab of homemade hair gel and we're good to go! Don't worry, that post is coming up soon ;)

 

 

 

To Stockpile Or Not

Do you purchase items that you use regularly as they are needed, or do you purchase them when they are on sale and store them until they are needed?  Stores have sales cycles where the items go on sale in rotation.  The sales cycle usually occur every six to eight weeks. When looking at a weekly sales ad, the best deals are usually posted on the front and back page of the ad. These are rock-bottom sale offers that bring consumers to the store.  It is ideal to use coupons for these items, if available, to obtain maximum savings.  When you find a sale item that gives you the opportunity to save big, by combining the coupon with a great sale, this is the time to stockpile.  Buying enough of the items to last until the next time the item goes through the sales cycle = moderate stockpiling.

How To Stockpile

Stockpiling takes time and organization.  It occurs over a period of time. Try to focus on one or two items each shopping trip based on the week’s sale in order to build your reserve.

1. Write down list of items that your family usually uses in a month.

2. Monitor weekly sale ads to identify when items from your list are on sale. Grocery ads generally run Wednesday-Tuesday. Drugstore ads generally run Sunday-Saturday.

3. Combine sale prices with coupons for maximum savings.

4. Ask for a rain check if the item is not in stock. This will allow you to return within 30 days to purchase the item at the advertised sale price.

Example of drugstore purchase:

My daughter loves Nivea lip balm…

RiteAid has Nivea lip balm on sale 2 for $3.  Redplum insert from 2/10/2013 has a coupon save $3 on 2.  Free lip balm with use of coupon. Limit of four coupons per purchase. You can purchase 8 lip balms and it’s free after coupons.

Thank you www.iheartriteaid.com for the saving tip.

Buy what your family uses/eats. It doesn’t matter how much you are saving if your family will not eat canned tomatoes or use single ply toilet tissue. Money saving choices are made when the items purchased are going to be used.

Maintaining Your Stockpile

1. Store items that will not spoil quickly

2. Check expiration dates on a regular basis

3. Buy items that most of your family members use

4. Buy items that you have storage space for

5. Have adequate coupon inventory or have quick access to a coupon clipping service.

The sale of coupons is illegal.  Coupon clipping services organize and clip coupons and charge individuals for mailing and clipping the coupons.

A Few Coupon Clipping Services:

1. www.thecouponmaster.com

2. www.coupondede.com

3. www.couponcarryout.com

Coupon Terminology

BLINKIES = coupons found in the little boxes with blinking lights near the products in the grocery store
BOGO/B1G1 = Buy One Get One
CATALINA = Coupon printed at register after items are purchased
CNP = Coupon Near Product (similar to BLINKIES)
CRT = Customer Receipt Tape (CVS receipt coupons)
DND = Do not Double

EB/ECB = ExtraCare Bucks (CVS)
ES = Walgreens own coupon book found right inside the door at Walgreens, contains coupons that are stackable with manufacturer’s coupons and rebate information

ETS = Excludes Trial Size

FAR = Free After Rebate
GM = General Mills (Newspaper insert)

IP = Internet Coupon
K = Kellogg’s (Newspaper Insert)
MIR = Mail in Rebate

MM = Money Maker
OOP = Out of Pocket
P&G = Proctor & Gamble (Newspaper Insert)
Peelie = Coupon you peel off package
RP= Red Plum (Newspaper Insert)
RR = Rebate Rewards (Walgreens)
SS= Smart Source (Newspaper Insert)
STACKING = multiple use of coupons for one item – manufacturer’s & store coupons or rebates.
TEAR PAD = A pad of coupons or MIR near a product or on display

UP = Up Reward at Rite Aid
WYB= When You Buy

Faith, Hope, and Love

Tyra

The Amazing Egg Hunt

Originally, I was going to call today the Extreme Egg Hunt and then realized how similar the rules were to the Amazing Race so, I changed it. I apparently am a little too obsessed with TV seeing as all my ideas are copies of game shows, haha.

I really hope that everyone had a good time today! The clues didn't take nearly as long as I thought they would.  Smarty pants. For those who missed today (or gave up on the hunt) here is what the clues and answers were:

Feel free to write down what you think the answers are and then check them at the end of the post!

Clues:

1) Emergency! A three year old boy pooped his pants. Where can we get a spare pair?

2)  1-The first word (of the chorus) that Sebastian sings to Ariel when she wants to leave home
     2- Best grade
     3- She sang with Sonny (sounds like)
 
       _ _ _ _ _   _   _ _ _ _ _ 

3) Nice rack! (I have two)

4) Hide yo kids and hide yo wives cuz yo next clue is in da knives.

5) "If you build it they will come" or in this case "If I hide it you will find it". (Hopefully)

6) Let the LIGHT be your guide as you NAVIGATE to your next PORT

7) 1-2 where's your clue, 3-4 tables core, 5-6 nix the six

8) Yellow, pink, and blue, I use one, sometimes two.

9) This accordion makes no sound and when it's open you have to go around.

10) I stand alone, in a room of my own, while the other two are in the potty zone.

11) My Favorite clue in the purrrfect puzzler

Were you stumped on some of them? You weren't the only one! Here are the answers.

Answers:

1) MOPS closet; 3 year old boys clothes box

2) Under a chair (in our MOPS room)

3) Dishwasher

4) In the plastic knives box in the pantry

5) Baseball field

6) Lighthouse

7) Under the centerpieces

8) Under the sugar drawer on our MOPS cart

9) Hidden next to the accordion wall

10) Under the sink in the bathroom annex

11) In room F there was a kitten puzzle they had to put together. It had a license plate number on it to a car where there next clue was waiting for them. (This was by far the hardest one)

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Apple Oats

You know those recipes that you use every single week without fail? This is one of ours and during the colder months this is in the crock pot every single week. And I don't know about you guys, but cereal is EXPENSIVE! Buying oatmeal in bulk and cooking it with your own add-ins in not only a lot cheaper but healthier too. So here's our steel cut oatmeal for you! And I'm going to use the word "recipe" loosely here, this is more of ingredient guidelines, feel free to make your own additions based on what you like or what you have in the pantry.

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Apple Oats

•        2 cups steel cut oats

•        2 cups milk (I use either coconut or almond)

•        5 cups water (If this is too watery for you cut back to 4 cups. I make this to put right in the fridge where it will continue to thicken to the perfect consistency for us)

•        3 apples

•        1 banana

•        1 heaping TBS milled flax seeds (optional, I use for nutritional boost)

•        1 heaping TBS chia seeds (optional, I use for nutritional boost)

•        ¼-½ cup coconut (optional)

•         ¼-½ cup raisins/cranberries/cherries

•        2 TBS sweetener, I usually use honey or maple syrup

•        1 ½ tsp cinnamon

•        ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

•        A good dash of salt

Note- this is enough oatmeal to last the husband, baby and myself all week. If this is just for yourself you can easily cut this recipe in half or freeze your left overs to have in another week or two.

Start by gathering up your preferred cast of characters. In my oatmeal I like to use apples (I'm pretty sure I've used every single kind Winco carries, all are delicious) banana, dried fruit of some sort, here we have dried cherries but raisins are great, coconut, milled flax seed, chia seeds, cinnamon and steel cut oats. Not pictured is water, milk, honey and cooking spray. 

 

 

 

 

 Start by chopping up your apples. Please note: I never, ever, ever peel my apples. I'd like to say it's because the peel has wonderful nutrients and adds great color, but it's probably more because I'm lazy. So chop those bad boys up, peel or no peel is up to you.

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray or rub it down with some kind of oil. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. You will seriously need a chisel to get the oatmeal out. Spray. Spray it good. Then, after you've oiled up your crockpot,  toss in everything but your water, milk and banana.

Next, mash up your banana with a fork. I usually like to measure out one cup of milk and mix it in with the banana and honey to really combine them. That's totally optional, I just don't really care for chunks of cooked banana in my oatmeal. And by mixing it in with the milk you honestly don't taste the banana but it adds just enough sweetness.

 

Pour your banana, milk and honey mixture over your oats and then add the rest of your milk and water.

 

Stir the whole thing up….

 

And turn it on low for 6-8 hours. I know, it’s a pretty wide range but every slow cooker is different. Mine is a cheepy one and only has low, high and warm. I can leave it for 7-8 hours and it turns out perfect every time. But if I half the recipe I usually only leave it 6-7 hours. Just check it your first time. When it’s done your oats should be cooked through and you should have some crustiness around the edges. Yummmm….

Because I make a batch to last all week I scoop out oatmeal into mason jars and top with a splash of milk and nuts. Let them cool and toss in the fridge and you have breakfast for the week! Just take off the lid, reheat and enjoy!

Slow Food

If you know me, you know that I like to make my own stuff. Whether it's bread or tortillas; cake or cookies; yogurt, applesauce or jam; I like to make it from scratch. I prefer to know (and control) exactly which ingredients go into my food. When possible I like to start with the least processed ingredients, too...which means that I'll buy a sugar pumpkin instead of a can of pumpkin puree, or dried beans instead of canned. And the more I do it, the more I want to do it. I love the control I can have over what I'm creating (and – usually – save money in the process)!

Many of my friends think this makes me crazy. They argue that it's much less convenient to do it my way. And they may be right; but I think the benefits are worth it. Take the beans, for example. When I cook my own beans, I pay much less, I control what's in them (like salt!), and I don't have to worry that any BPA in the lining of the can has leached into my food. I have to plan ahead a bit, so that I have the time to soak and cook the beans, but I prefer to cook a large amount once and then freeze the beans in “can size” portions, so I only need to do that every other month or so.

The preference I have for making my own food from the raw ingredients can be referred to as “slow food”. The terms derives from “fast food” – as in, it's the opposite. “Slow Food” refers to both an international movement and a way of cooking that are reactions against a fast food culture. The Slow Food Movement is “an idea, a way of living, and a way of eating” (slowfoodusa.com) founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Cooking the “slow food” way involves “any dish or meal cooked with care and attention to detail, often according to traditional recipes and using few or no new appliances like microwaves” (Dictionary.com's 21^st Century Lexicon).

In the rest of this post I'm going sum up my research into the main ideas behind the Slow Food movement and talk a little bit about cooking the slow food way, including some tips for “beginners” (or busy moms!). If you're not interested in the movement, skip on down to “Slow Food Cooking”.

The Slow Food Movement

When I first brainstormed about writing this post, I had heard of the Slow Food Movement, but I wouldn't have been able to tell you much about it. In my mind it was some sort of extension of what I do in the kitchen – lots of people encouraging each other to cook from scratch, or something like that. Turns out there's a lot more to it.

As I mentioned above, the slow food movement was started by Carlo Petrini in 1986 as a reaction against fast food: what he saw as the disappearance of traditional foods and traditional ways of cooking. Now, it's a movement with thousands of members in over 150 countries, which “links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.” (www.slowfoodusa.com)

“It strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem.” (Wikipedia)

I could go into a lot of detail about the Slow Food Movement, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'll summarize what I've learned by saying: it's about eating food in season (and only in season), and it's about eating locally (and only locally), and it's about protecting traditional foods (and food plants) in a given area. There are chapters of Slow Food all over (Sacramento has one: slowfoodsacramento.com) because it wouldn't make sense for a Slow Food Member to be part of a chapter outside his or her ecosystem.

There are significant difficulties, of course, to eating (and living) as the Slow Food Movement suggests. The most obvious, to me, is its cost. It's expensive to buy only local, organic, seasonal food – unless you happen to be in some kind of partnership with a farmer or you are a farmer – and even then, most farmers don't grow everything. Second, for most of the world, truly eating seasonally would mean that while you have a wide variety of food for about six months of the year, for the other six months you'd be consisting on canned goods (that you canned yourself, of course), potatoes, squash, and other foods that store well.

If you're interested in more information about the slow food movement, you can visit slowfoodusa.com or wikipedia.com. I also stumbled on a great article from Cooksinfo.com that clearly laid out the movement, its history, and its pros and cons: http://www.cooksinfo.com/slow-food#ixzz2LO3oRI8t

I have to say that, after my research, I don't think the Slow Food Movement is right for me. Slow cooking, however, is totally where my heart is.

Slow Food Cooking

Why would anyone want to give up the convenience of processed foods for the arduous labor of cooking from scratch? Well, for me it's about control, and quality, and (okay, I'll admit it) pride. I like to control what ingredients are in my food – I especially like to keep out preservatives and extra salt or sugar. I like to have high quality food – and I can't afford high quality processed foods that don't contain the ingredients I'm trying to avoid. And finally, I get a thrill of pride when I create something myself. (And I get proud enough to blush when someone says “no way, you make your own ____ ?!”)

But, you're a busy mom. Where are you going to find time to cook “slow”?

First of all, let me say that if you decide to go “slow food” only because someone told you should, and not because you want to, you're going to have a lot of trouble finding the time. It's got to be something you want (for whatever reasons resonate with you), or you'll keep finding excuses. With that said, it's also true that slow food takes time. Not, perhaps, as much time as you might imagine, because there are lots of shortcuts you can take, but even the shortcuts take more time and effort than processed food. You might be in a season where you don't have that kind of time – and that's OK!

Start small. Don't expect to immediately be making everything from scratch. I've been experimenting with slow food for at least five years now, maybe even ten, and there are still things I don't do from scratch (Judith loves boxed mac-n-cheese and jello jigglers, and I use cake mixes a lot!). Pick one thing that you really want to try. Once you're comfortable with that dish, choose another. Add things gradually, and don't be afraid (or ashamed) of saying “I just don't have time this week” and going back to something processed.

A few tips

Pretty much the only good thing about processed food (to my mind) is its convenience. But you can make slow food convenient too! If you're willing to put in a bunch of time up front, you can prep your own frozen dinners. You can even get together with friends and prep together or exchange freezerbagfuls of food. Here's a list of links to directions (and lots of recipes!) from different sources . If you don't see anything you like, go hunting on Google!

• http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/
• http://onceamonthmom.com/101-summer-freezer-meals/
• http://onceamonthmom.com/101-spring-freezer-meals-to-keep-your-life-sane/
• http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

and, importantly, a post on tips for freezer meals!

• http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/10/freezer-meals-tips-for-dummies.html

The idea that you can put in a chunk of time to make a big batch and then freeze/can/dry/save most of it for later is one of the most time-saving tips I can give you for slow food. As I've said, when I cook dried beans, I'll cook a huge potful and freeze them in 1½ cup (can size) portions for later. I do the same thing when I bake a pumpkin (if I don't need all of it), or when I peel and seed a squash. If I don't need it all immediately, it goes in the freezer. Just make sure you label and date things so you don't have to solve a mystery just to find ingredients for dinner.

Finally, the online community is your friend. You can find excellent recipes and tutorials all over the place, through Google or Pinterest. Many people are experimenting and blogging about it!

Go, my friends. Experiment with slow food. There are so many different things you can try! Things I make from scratch include: baked goods (but those ought to be a given in a pastry chef!), yogurt, salad dressing, peanut butter, jam, applesauce, corn and flour tortillas, wheat bread, granola, and granola bars. I'm planning to try cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sweetened condensed milk, jello, crackers, “cream” soup mix, cake mixes, and more.

I will happily share recipes, create tutorials for, or even personally demonstrate any of those – just ask!