Just this past year I learned that there are some vegetables that will regrow if you cut them back. My cleaning lady here in China planted some green onions in some pots on my patio. She explained that I can cut them back to use, and then they will regrow. I've been using the same green onion plants all year! They wintered over in the mild climate here. I just noticed the other day that she pulled up the old ones and planted new for this coming year.
I was reading on Pinterest and found that there are several other plants that are the same. Celery, and most herbs will grow back if you just cut them back. Back home in the States, I had a large basil plant that kept going all summer.
Here are some vegetables that I read about that can regrow after being cut back:
romaine lettuce
cabbage
Bok Choy
Leeks
Fennel
I read that you can even cut off the top of a pineapple and plant it, and it will grow a pineapple out of the top. I haven't tried that yet. But I have cut back lettuce and herbs. It's nice to have green onions whenever I need them. And have you ever brought home Cilantro only to have it spoil quickly? If you grow some, and just pinch off what you need, and let the rest grow back, you will always have some!
Try growing a "Kitchen garden", and try planting some "perpetual vegetables"!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Barbecue Sauce
While living in China, it was difficult for me to buy barbecue sauce. I decided to look online and see if I could find a recipe. Surprisingly, I had most of the ingredients already. Barbecue sauce has some key ingredients: ketchup, vinegar, and sugar. I went ahead and made my own, and discovered that although you can buy inexpensive barbecue sauce, I like homemade much better! It only takes a few minutes to mix up, and it will keep in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Here is a recipe I use, although I used up all of my Worcestershire sauce, so I just don't add that. If you don't have the exact item, try substituting something else. I think you will like it just as much. Barbecue sauce can be made many different ways. This recipe is a combination of a couple of different recipes.
Barbecue Sauce
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 C vinegar (white or cider)
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (If you don't like spicy, you can eliminate this.)
Combine ingredients and simmer over a low heat. You can add water if it is too thick, or cook longer if it is too thin.
Refried Beans
For years I have been buying refried beans in the can. They taste good and are convenient. But after living abroad where I couldn't buy them easily, I began to make my own refried beans. I think homemade taste much better, and are much cheaper! They are quite simple to make. I don't think I will ever buy them again!
First you will need to prepare the beans. Soak them over night and cook for about 1 1/2 hours until tender. I usually do this ahead of time and freeze them in ziplock bags. That way I can just grab a bag whenever I want refried beans.
Refried Beans
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 cups of cooked beans (pinto, kidney, black...whatever kind of bean you like. They all taste good)
salt to taste
2 TB oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
Heat frying pan and add the oil. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the beans and water. Cook until the beans are heated up. (If you are using frozen beans, cook until the beans are defrosted and warmed through.) Using a potato masher, mash up the beans in the pan until they are the well macerated. Add the milk and continue to mash until they are creamy. Add salt to taste.
Seriously, these are so easy to make, and so much cheaper than canned beans! Having cooked beans in the freezer is the key.
First you will need to prepare the beans. Soak them over night and cook for about 1 1/2 hours until tender. I usually do this ahead of time and freeze them in ziplock bags. That way I can just grab a bag whenever I want refried beans.
Refried Beans
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 cups of cooked beans (pinto, kidney, black...whatever kind of bean you like. They all taste good)
salt to taste
2 TB oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
Heat frying pan and add the oil. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the beans and water. Cook until the beans are heated up. (If you are using frozen beans, cook until the beans are defrosted and warmed through.) Using a potato masher, mash up the beans in the pan until they are the well macerated. Add the milk and continue to mash until they are creamy. Add salt to taste.
Seriously, these are so easy to make, and so much cheaper than canned beans! Having cooked beans in the freezer is the key.
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit!
Beans are an excellent source of protein, and are very filling. I think they get a bad rap because of the resultant gas that comes. But people who eat these high fiber foods regularly will find that their body will adapt to the change in diet over time. I have heard that if you put a potato in the pot when cooking, it will absorb some of the gas. But I haven't actually tried that, so if you do it, comment and let me know how it worked. Beans are a great food, and can be used in many ways.
What I want to emphasize about beans is that they are far cheaper to buy dry, in bulk, than already cooked in cans. It does take a little more effort to cook dry beans, but you can save a lot of money by buying dried. Think about the poor countries of the world. What do they eat most? Rice, and beans. If you want to save money, eat like people who don't have much money.
The key to cooking beans is to soak them overnight. Rinse the beans, making sure there are no rocks or other debris. Put them in a large pot and cover them with water. I usually have at least 3 inches of water above the beans. They really soak up the water. Leave them overnight. See how simple that is? Just pour the beans in a pot and cover with water and let them sit on the counter. The soaking happens while you sleep, so no work involved there.
There are two different ways to cook beans. You can boil them in a pot on the stove, or you can use a pressure cooker. Obviously the pressure cooker is faster. But if you are spending the evening watching television, you can let them simmer away while you are doing other things. Just be sure to check them occasionally to make sure they are still covered with water (add more if it boils down), and that they aren't boiling over. I would suggest cooking them about 1 1/2 hours in the pot, or about 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. Just cook them until they are tender. If you use the pressure cooker, be sure to not open the lid until it has cooled down. Also, before cooking, pour off the water they soaked in and add new water. This does help them to create less gas.
Now here is the real trick about beans. When you prepare your beans, prepare more than you want to use. I usually prepare quite a bit. I fill my pot half full of beans, and then fill it up with water. After the beans are cooked, let them cool, then put them in ziplock bags and put in the freezer. Beans freeze very well, and then you have beans already ready for when you want to make dinner.
Look for my next post about making refried beans!
What I want to emphasize about beans is that they are far cheaper to buy dry, in bulk, than already cooked in cans. It does take a little more effort to cook dry beans, but you can save a lot of money by buying dried. Think about the poor countries of the world. What do they eat most? Rice, and beans. If you want to save money, eat like people who don't have much money.
The key to cooking beans is to soak them overnight. Rinse the beans, making sure there are no rocks or other debris. Put them in a large pot and cover them with water. I usually have at least 3 inches of water above the beans. They really soak up the water. Leave them overnight. See how simple that is? Just pour the beans in a pot and cover with water and let them sit on the counter. The soaking happens while you sleep, so no work involved there.
There are two different ways to cook beans. You can boil them in a pot on the stove, or you can use a pressure cooker. Obviously the pressure cooker is faster. But if you are spending the evening watching television, you can let them simmer away while you are doing other things. Just be sure to check them occasionally to make sure they are still covered with water (add more if it boils down), and that they aren't boiling over. I would suggest cooking them about 1 1/2 hours in the pot, or about 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. Just cook them until they are tender. If you use the pressure cooker, be sure to not open the lid until it has cooled down. Also, before cooking, pour off the water they soaked in and add new water. This does help them to create less gas.
Now here is the real trick about beans. When you prepare your beans, prepare more than you want to use. I usually prepare quite a bit. I fill my pot half full of beans, and then fill it up with water. After the beans are cooked, let them cool, then put them in ziplock bags and put in the freezer. Beans freeze very well, and then you have beans already ready for when you want to make dinner.
Look for my next post about making refried beans!
You DO Have Time for That!
Whenever I talk to people about doing things "from scratch", they often say that they don't have time for that. I disagree. Many of the things that I will discuss on this blog are quite simple, and can be done while you watch tv, or surf the internet. And in most cases, you will be more pleased with the results than if you just went out and bought ready-made. Some of the tips I will share will actually save time in the future.
For example, some people buy packaged pancake mix. I've did that for many years until I moved to China and couldn't find it to buy. After spending two years making my mix from scratch, I have found that it only takes about 5 minutes to throw together, and the pancakes are far better tasting than the ones from scratch! I doubt I will ever buy pancake mix again. So even if you think you don't have time, try it anyway, and you will see that it's not as hard as you thought.
For example, some people buy packaged pancake mix. I've did that for many years until I moved to China and couldn't find it to buy. After spending two years making my mix from scratch, I have found that it only takes about 5 minutes to throw together, and the pancakes are far better tasting than the ones from scratch! I doubt I will ever buy pancake mix again. So even if you think you don't have time, try it anyway, and you will see that it's not as hard as you thought.
Genesis
I wanted to start a new blog to try to preserve some basic skills that are being lost in our modern world. It seems so many people rely on grocery stores for food, retail stores for clothes, and do not have the basic skills to survive in a time of less convenience. So many families buy frozen foods, or eat out every night. Many people do not even know how to thread a needle, or plant a garden. While I don't claim to be a master at any of these things, still I have had opportunities to practice frugal living, and want to share some things I have learned.
I think it isn't until convenience is taken away that we really learn how to do things basically. Having lived in China for several years, I was put in a situation to have to learn how to cook "from scratch". I have learned some skills that could literally make the difference between simply surviving, and thriving. I hope that this blog will be beneficial to some.
I think it isn't until convenience is taken away that we really learn how to do things basically. Having lived in China for several years, I was put in a situation to have to learn how to cook "from scratch". I have learned some skills that could literally make the difference between simply surviving, and thriving. I hope that this blog will be beneficial to some.
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