A few (frugal) things...

1. Lovely Dishware
When I graduated from college and got my first "grown up" apartment, I purchased matching towels, matching sheets, matching dishware (all mostly from Target) in an attempt to feel mature and oh so sophisticated...heheeee......


The set of 4 dinner plates, salad plates and mugs I originally purchased seemed like more than enough for a single girl on the town and her takeout selection du jour.
Now that I live with my Love, AND we are trying to save money by eating at home more often, we need more dishes. I found these sweet and simple white dishes at Dollar Tree. We purchased 8 sets of dinner plates, salad bowls and mugs. Grand total--$24.00 plus tax.

 
2. Swagbucks

Swagbucks are an online "currency" you earn by doing things you are probably already doing: using a search engine, watching videos, shopping. You can also earn extra points for participating in surveys, taking advantage of online promotions or clipping and using coupons. Once you've earned enough points, you can go shopping through an extensive online store. 

I have been purchasing Amazon.com gift cards (450 swagbucks for a $5 card) to use on Christmas presents this year. WOOHOO!

http://www.swagbucks.com/

3. Goodreads  (Only book nerds need proceed)

Who doesn't love spending a rainy winter afternoon with a good book?

My favorite hobby has been much more fun since my discovery of Goodreads.

On this website, you can keep track the books you have read, loved reading, hated reading, hope to read and aspire to read. You can browse the history of what your friends have read, and search through a database of book reviews and  thousands book lists about every subject you can imagine. 

Raise your hand if you have ever kept a list of the books you read. I kept my running list in an old pea green notebook I snagged at a Goodwill store for $.50.

I'm about to get really nerdy here....

SERIOUSLY nerdy....

Using goodreads, you can actually track the number of books you have read and...ahem...the number of pages too...Ever think about that? 

I read 56 books last year. That's over 20,000 pages!

Oh this website is too much for this biblionerd to take!



Used book haul from recent trip to Powell's Books in Portland, OR

Small but Mighty: The Chia Seed

 The Chia Pet dominated the stocking stuffer and gag gift markets of the 90s.

Did you ever own one?

Turns out, the chia seeds of these sweet little ceramic critters are considered superfoods because of their complex nutritional profile. 

Chia seeds are said to have 2x the protein of any other seed or grain.

3x more iron than spinach.

5x the calcium of milk.

They are also a fantastic source of fiber.

*5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,

*2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,

*3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries

*3 times more iron than spinach

*copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022468.html#ixzz1k835Njfu

Chia seeds can be easily incorporated into a lot of dishes. They have a mild and pleasant flavor. 

You can add them to smoothies, bake them into your favorite cookie recipes or sprinkle them into oatmeal. 

Organic chia seeds are very reasonably priced, and a little goes a long way.

We get ours in bulk at the local co-op, but good deals can easily be found online.

So be liberal in your chia sprinkling. Go nuts!

 

Chia Seed Maple Pudding 

(adapted from www.whatscookinggoodlooking.com)

Makes 6 dessert size portions.

A great sweet treet for any time of day, chia seed pudding is similar to tapioca pudding in consistency but it is packed with all of the nutritional value chia seeds have to offer.

4 cups of almond milk (I used vanilla, but plain is probably good too)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of maple syrup (you may want to add a bit more if you have a sweeter tooth)
3/4 cup of chia seeds

bananas, blueberries, strawberries (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup until combined. Gently stir in the chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, to allow the chia seeds to gel and firm up. Spoon into individual dishes, top with fresh fruit and serve!

Snowpocalypse 2012 and Avocado, Spinach and White Bean Enchiladas

Day #3 of "Snowpacalypse" in the Pacific Northwest.

The snow has finally stopped, but the roads are still frozen solid.

I guess you could say the cabin fever is setting in...

We took a break from the jigsaw puzzles and movies to take a long walk through the winter wonderland.

Our town was blanketed with 6" of snow.

It was so quiet. So peaceful.

With no cars braving the roads, we danced in the middle of the street!

Cadence brought her tennis ball. She always carries it with her no matter how long the walk. 

The beach was abandoned, but beautiful, covered in snow.

After the cold walk, we had a hankering for spicy Mexican food. 

I made Avocado, White Bean and Spinach Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. 

This dish is totally vegan, but can easily become a carnivore's delight!

Please forgive my food photography skills...this dish tasted much better than it looks in this photo. 

Avocado, Spinach and White Bean Enchiladas (Vegan)

Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen

Preparation time: about 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice

3 medium-sized ripe avocados, diced

1 cup cooked white beans

1 cup frozen corn thawed

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced, plus more for garnish

3 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

6 scallions (both green and white parts), diced

tortillas of your choice (I used organic corn tortillas)

Red Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. If you are using frozen tortillas, defrost them first--fully wrapped--to prevent their drying out.  

3. Prepare the sauce (see below). 

4. Place lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl. Peel and pit the avocados, cut them into small dice and add them to the lemon juice. Toss lightly. 

5. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently.

6. Moisten the tortillas. Katzen has a great summary of the three methods:

   a. Sauté them briefly on each side in a little oil ("Very briefly" means approximately 10 seconds.).

   b. Dip them briefly in the sauce ("Briefly" means a dunking, not a bath). I used this method.

   c. Dip them just as briefly in water (least desirable, however easiest).

7. Assemble the enchiladas by placing a few tablespoons of filling on one side of each tortilla and rolling it up. Pour a small amount of sauce into a shallow baking dish, add the enchiladas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes.

For the Red Enchilada Sauce

5 medium-sized tomatoes, diced

1 large red bell pepper, minced

1 tablespoon salt

5 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

2. You can leave it chunky of puree in a food processor or blender (I used an immersion blender). For extra smooth sauce, pass the puree through a fine strainer or sieve (I did not do this).

A few things...

1. Today I visited Waterfront Antique Mall  

in an effort to avoid the Black Friday mobs at the mall.

The antique mall is very eclectic. 

A friend of mine has attended their auctions and found some incredible deals.

I absolutely love vintage restaurant ware. 

I snagged this heavy duty restaurant ware plate from the YWCA for just a few bucks!

2. Design*Sponge Online published a book this fall.

I check the d*s website religiously for their latest postings about home decor, food and life.

The book is beautifully designed. It lives on our coffee table so I can drool on it whenever I see it.

Grace Bonney (the adorable gal in the picture) is one of the creators of the website, and her home is featured in the book.

  The design aesthetic is funky --much of the homes are designed with mid-century touches.

The book also has a large section of DIY projects for all skill levels and budgets. 

I want to make these hand towels!

And these place mats!

Toward the back of the book there is a wonderful illustrated "How To" section for all of those intimidating craft projects like rewiring a lamp or reupholstering a chair. 

  I keep seeing awesome craft projects like these but just never stop and take the time to try them out.  

 A New Year's resolution of the crafty sort, I pledge that I will complete (and post about) one new craft project per month in 2012!

3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. Leftover pumpkin puree is a great excuse for these delicious bars. Mr. Living Lovely on Little (Mr. LLL) pondered whether these bars were part of my plan for world domination.

No, they are not. I actually borrowed the recipe from Elizabeth LaBau of SugarHero.com.

My apologies for the not so pretty food photos. Man, taking pictures of food is HARD! Please refer to Elizabeth's gorgeous pictures--I promise you they didn't actually look like a chunk of sod!!

Can you find all four?

This fall, the school I work for hosted a grand party... an extravaganza to raise money for student scholarships.

Our school has a wonderful nutrition program that emphasizes whole foods production, so this year our florist had fun with the centerpieces, placing some surprise elements in each one....

Notice anything unusual?

Each bamboo box was filled to the brim with edibles, roses, and succulents. 

There is little frugal about professionally designed centerpieces, but I love the attention this florist paid to the details, even hiding rocks and shells underneath some of the little leaves.

The florist was Fiori Floral Design.

DIY: Make your own laundry powder

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

May your holiday weekend be merry and bright...

Homemade laundry powder can be a cost-effective way to avoid

the harsh perfumes and dyes of commercial products.

Our supply of laundry powder ingredients has lasted about 3 months, and cost around $8 total.

There are cheaper laundry soaps out there, but the chemical "freer" laundry soap

alternatives can be very expensive. 

Because we have a small apartment and there are only two of us, we make small batches about once a month. I'll share with you the basic ratio of ingredients, so that you can multiply accordingly.

Here is what you'll need to make your own laundry powder:

1 bar Ivory soap or Fels-Naptha bar finely grated

1/2 cup Borax

1/2 cup washing Powder

You only need to use 1 tablespoon for each load--MAX. I only use about 1/2 tablespoon for an average size (and minimally soiled) load.

To grate your soap, I suggest you use a food processor. 

We grate our soap using a standard grater. It is fine for our washing machine, though many washing machine's do not appreciate larger chunks of soap and will leave a residue after each load.

Cadence was on hand to oversee the laundry powder operation. Thank goodness.

Borax is also useful for myriad other chores around the house, and has been a great alternative to the army of toxic chemical cleaners under our sink.

We sprinkle it on our carpets to deodorize before we vacuum each week. 

There is a great list of alternate uses for borax on www.diylife.com/2010/08/12/25-household-uses-for-borax/

Another frugal laundry trick we love is using tennis balls in the dryer. Not only does laundry dry faster, but it also leaves towels and blankets extra fluffy and cuts down on the static! 

We now use those little neon balls completely in the place of standard dryer sheets. 

Fair warning: doing the laundry with tennis balls can be loud!

A Change of Heart

(Note: This picture has been edited. No, I was not stuck in a hurricane and no, this is not another dimension or the World of Narnia. Next photo is the original.)

This evening I was disappointed to find it too dark to throw the ball for Cadence by the time we arrived at the dog park.

I became frustrated.

I realized that winter's long nights are quickly replacing the extended hours of summer sunshine.

Grumpily, I decided to hike down to the water anyway, primarily because Cadence had already smelled ocean and had her heart set on the visit.

Boy am I ever glad I did.

Sure, it wasn't the warm summer sunset I was expecting, but the sky was a turbulent and swirling navy blue. I felt no wind. The dog beach was mostly empty.

The silence, in combination with the intensity of the sky, and the twinkling of the distant ferry lights, was breathtaking.

How often does life end up as you expected?

How many times does life surpass your expectations?

Thank goodness the world isn't left up to my imagination!

Here's to more surprises like this!