Inspiration tends to come in waves for me. Right now, I'm feeling re-motivated to strive toward a lower-footprint lifestyle. For the environment, for peace of mind, for my family's financial "bottom line", for the kids' future...there are endless reasons abstract and concrete, selfish and altruistic.
Here are three blogs whose archives yield a wealth of ideas and inspiration.
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/
http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/
http://notbuyinganything.blogspot.com/
This week's mini-mission: Eat all the fresh locally-grown, organic vegetables in my fridge before they become food for the chickens.
We belong to a wonderful CSA, a farm-share. The boys think it sounds conceited when I say my farm, but I think of it that way, and I don't think the farmers would mind. It is a beautiful spot tucked into the Coast Range about 45 minutes from town. Once a week, they deliver boxes of veggies picked that morning to drop-off sites on members' front porches.
Every week we pick up a gorgeous box packed with vegetables, which we carry home in cloth bags and eat for the week. However, the things that are "easy" or that we would tend to buy anyway (like carrots, salads, and spinach) go quickly, which vegetables we are not quite as crazy about or less sure how to cook tend to linger (think fennel root, spicy radishes, and eggplant).
Minou's solution to our Thursday bounty of produce is to make soup, and it is a good one. However, some things just don't lend themselves to it (again, fennel root, spicy radishes, eggplant...)
I can't let this bounty go to waste. I'll let you know how it goes.
What is inspiring you these days?
Showing posts with label simple living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple living. Show all posts
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
bike tuesday
Hi there--I'm still here, just working away on some end of term assignments.
We had a brisk, crisp, morning and really beautiful, spring-like afternoon today.
And my bike commute was fantastic both ways.
It seemed impossible, when I was in the phase of not-bike-commuting, to imagine how much I would enjoy it. All I could envision was cold, stress, and inconvenience.
Well, it's not like that at all.
Every time I start biking again after a break from it, I can't believe how good it feels, and I marvel that I manage to forget that fact. The truth is that I really look forward to my commute. I arrive at work feeling invigorated, and arrive home feeling calm (I ride a little faster in the morning).
And worries of inconvenience--pshaw.
I bike in skirts and (water-resistant) knee-high boots, no problem. With pants, I keep a pair of nicer shoes at work and switch them out when I arrive (it rains a lot here). I have gloves (actually Minou's), and one of those cute little black biking caps (from p'tit minou un) that goes under the helmet (this is important, because otherwise my old helmet leaves a big red indentation on my forehead, and everyone at work says "OH MY GOSH, WHAT HAPPENED?" for 20 minutes until it fades).
I also have an over-the-shoulder satchel to carry lunch, papers, a book, etc.
If you don't bike commute yet, give it a try! Start small. Just do it once. You might get hooked.
We had a brisk, crisp, morning and really beautiful, spring-like afternoon today.
And my bike commute was fantastic both ways.
It seemed impossible, when I was in the phase of not-bike-commuting, to imagine how much I would enjoy it. All I could envision was cold, stress, and inconvenience.
Well, it's not like that at all.
Every time I start biking again after a break from it, I can't believe how good it feels, and I marvel that I manage to forget that fact. The truth is that I really look forward to my commute. I arrive at work feeling invigorated, and arrive home feeling calm (I ride a little faster in the morning).
And worries of inconvenience--pshaw.
I bike in skirts and (water-resistant) knee-high boots, no problem. With pants, I keep a pair of nicer shoes at work and switch them out when I arrive (it rains a lot here). I have gloves (actually Minou's), and one of those cute little black biking caps (from p'tit minou un) that goes under the helmet (this is important, because otherwise my old helmet leaves a big red indentation on my forehead, and everyone at work says "OH MY GOSH, WHAT HAPPENED?" for 20 minutes until it fades).
I also have an over-the-shoulder satchel to carry lunch, papers, a book, etc.
If you don't bike commute yet, give it a try! Start small. Just do it once. You might get hooked.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
simple sunday style
I have decided to try going natural.
I am already a pretty natural kind of lady (gal?).
But I'd like to be more so.
Good health and self-care are most beautiful.
I do wear makeup, but not so anyone would notice.
Just a little brown eyeshadow, mascara, and natural lip color (more of a gloss).
I think I'd like to try to do without.
I'm not really sure what "real" color my hair is now--I've been using henna on it since I was 15 years old!
It's been a lot of shades, from aubergine to auburn to bright red to dark brown to a medium brown now.
I used to enjoy mixing the powdered henna colors and waiting for the surprise result.
Henna is a plant-based color that also naturally conditions the hair.
However, it is becoming quite expensive, and it's a lengthy and messy process
(think slathering green mud on your head and leaving it on for several hours!).
I'm getting tired of the quarterly upkeep.
My hair is growing in silver around the temples now...
One of my coworkers has the most beautiful silver hair, looking very stylish.
My mother also has lovely cascading silver hair.
I'm ready to try. I cut off about three inches last night.
Following the recommendations of Mrs. MM (and many others!),
getting a good night's sleep of 8 hours, daily exercise, and healthy food with many fresh fruits and veggies, are among the best (and certainly most frugal) beauty practices.
I am already a pretty natural kind of lady (gal?).
But I'd like to be more so.
Good health and self-care are most beautiful.
I do wear makeup, but not so anyone would notice.
Just a little brown eyeshadow, mascara, and natural lip color (more of a gloss).
I think I'd like to try to do without.
I'm not really sure what "real" color my hair is now--I've been using henna on it since I was 15 years old!
It's been a lot of shades, from aubergine to auburn to bright red to dark brown to a medium brown now.
I used to enjoy mixing the powdered henna colors and waiting for the surprise result.
Henna is a plant-based color that also naturally conditions the hair.
However, it is becoming quite expensive, and it's a lengthy and messy process
(think slathering green mud on your head and leaving it on for several hours!).
I'm getting tired of the quarterly upkeep.
My hair is growing in silver around the temples now...
One of my coworkers has the most beautiful silver hair, looking very stylish.
My mother also has lovely cascading silver hair.
I'm ready to try. I cut off about three inches last night.
Following the recommendations of Mrs. MM (and many others!),
getting a good night's sleep of 8 hours, daily exercise, and healthy food with many fresh fruits and veggies, are among the best (and certainly most frugal) beauty practices.
Friday, January 25, 2013
rainy night
It has been so cold, so very very cold, here these past weeks that the sound of rain is a welcome surprise.
A glimpse of sun or blue sky would be even more welcome, but I am relieved to have the freezing fog lift.
I feel spring not so far away. At least I'd like to think so.
This time of winter used to be the very hardest time of year for me.
The holidays, with their coziness and gatherings and warmth, were over.
Spring, with its sweet smells and warmer air and especially longer hours of light, still out of reach.
These really are the dark days, cold and closed in. I have to remind myself to take an hour-long mid-day walk break instead of a lunch break. Before work is too dark. After work is too dark.
However: this is not a gloomy post. Rather, it is about noticing small changes and anticipating others. One of the gifts of riding my bike to and from work is that I have been aware of the few extra minutes of light in the morning and early evening. In November, I cycled home in total darkness. Now I can make it almost to my door before twilight really sets in, and each day is a little longer. I love it, and I'm not sure I would notice if I was driving.
Also, what really turned around this time of year for me, when my boys were small and we all had cabin fever, was becoming a gardener. We would get the new garden catalog each January and start to dream about planting our spring and summer crops. It was so much fun daydreaming over the pictures and seed packets, and planning out when to plant what, and where. Then we would set up a big table near the the window with the most daylight, and start our seeds in tiny cups in early preparation. The fragile ones, like tomatoes and basil. Flower seeds. Catnip. (this was before we had a big brown dog with a curious nose).
One of the first years that we had a garden, the boys must have been aged three and one, or four and two. I distinctly remember turning over the plot wearing p'tit minou deux on my back in a backpack. I also remember being sadly and territorially grumpy with enthusiastic little p'tit minou un about not trampling my newly turned soil. Oh, the things mamas (and papas?) wish they could go back and do differently. Instead of "Stay out of that part of the garden!" I would say, from my now vantage point of a forty-something mama of teens, "Dig! Have fun! Roll in the dirt, and scatter some seeds around while you're in there! I love you!"
Anyway. That first year, or maybe the second, we planted five blueberry bushes which are still alive and thriving, and four feet tall, today. We also started from seed an entire packet of tender, tiny little lavender plants. From seed! Truly a gardener's triumph. One of them remains today, growing in my mother's garden. Several were given as gifts to preschool teachers.
The rest of the lavender starts had a difficult experience, a funny story...I set my sheltered little baby plants under a slatted wooden bench on the back porch to shade them them from the June sunshine. Then I set a giant bowl of bread dough to rise on top of the same bench (I made all our bread weekly back then)...and went away and forgot about it, no doubt distracted by naptime or nursing or diaper changing or laundry or a million other things. When I came back, the bread dough had over-risen and over-flowed through the bench slats, drowning the little plants. P'tit minou un helped me rescue the few we could, picking the dough off their delicate stalks.
And now, it's raining. I'm thinking about spring, and lavender plants and tiny fingers, and basil, and pesto, and sweet days when my boys were little and I didn't always realize how sweet they were. Hold them close and tenderly, those little ones and these days. Dark and cold, rainy, or sunny, they are fleeting.
A glimpse of sun or blue sky would be even more welcome, but I am relieved to have the freezing fog lift.
I feel spring not so far away. At least I'd like to think so.
This time of winter used to be the very hardest time of year for me.
The holidays, with their coziness and gatherings and warmth, were over.
Spring, with its sweet smells and warmer air and especially longer hours of light, still out of reach.
These really are the dark days, cold and closed in. I have to remind myself to take an hour-long mid-day walk break instead of a lunch break. Before work is too dark. After work is too dark.
However: this is not a gloomy post. Rather, it is about noticing small changes and anticipating others. One of the gifts of riding my bike to and from work is that I have been aware of the few extra minutes of light in the morning and early evening. In November, I cycled home in total darkness. Now I can make it almost to my door before twilight really sets in, and each day is a little longer. I love it, and I'm not sure I would notice if I was driving.
Also, what really turned around this time of year for me, when my boys were small and we all had cabin fever, was becoming a gardener. We would get the new garden catalog each January and start to dream about planting our spring and summer crops. It was so much fun daydreaming over the pictures and seed packets, and planning out when to plant what, and where. Then we would set up a big table near the the window with the most daylight, and start our seeds in tiny cups in early preparation. The fragile ones, like tomatoes and basil. Flower seeds. Catnip. (this was before we had a big brown dog with a curious nose).
One of the first years that we had a garden, the boys must have been aged three and one, or four and two. I distinctly remember turning over the plot wearing p'tit minou deux on my back in a backpack. I also remember being sadly and territorially grumpy with enthusiastic little p'tit minou un about not trampling my newly turned soil. Oh, the things mamas (and papas?) wish they could go back and do differently. Instead of "Stay out of that part of the garden!" I would say, from my now vantage point of a forty-something mama of teens, "Dig! Have fun! Roll in the dirt, and scatter some seeds around while you're in there! I love you!"
Anyway. That first year, or maybe the second, we planted five blueberry bushes which are still alive and thriving, and four feet tall, today. We also started from seed an entire packet of tender, tiny little lavender plants. From seed! Truly a gardener's triumph. One of them remains today, growing in my mother's garden. Several were given as gifts to preschool teachers.
The rest of the lavender starts had a difficult experience, a funny story...I set my sheltered little baby plants under a slatted wooden bench on the back porch to shade them them from the June sunshine. Then I set a giant bowl of bread dough to rise on top of the same bench (I made all our bread weekly back then)...and went away and forgot about it, no doubt distracted by naptime or nursing or diaper changing or laundry or a million other things. When I came back, the bread dough had over-risen and over-flowed through the bench slats, drowning the little plants. P'tit minou un helped me rescue the few we could, picking the dough off their delicate stalks.
And now, it's raining. I'm thinking about spring, and lavender plants and tiny fingers, and basil, and pesto, and sweet days when my boys were little and I didn't always realize how sweet they were. Hold them close and tenderly, those little ones and these days. Dark and cold, rainy, or sunny, they are fleeting.
Friday, January 4, 2013
domestic bliss
The little pleasures.
I left work early today and was picked up by several members of the Minou family with two wet and muddy dogs.
I felt extraordinarily happy to be home early on a chilly, sunny Friday afternoon.
I made lemon zest biscotti to go with tea, and orzo pasta with roasted vegetables for dinner.
The kitchen is clean and minimalist-ish. Tree lights reflecting in the window.
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A 1000-piece puzzle on the card table, and dog eyes reflecting in the camera's flash like headlights.
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This dog and I are going for a night walk, and then we (meaning the Minous, not the dog) will hopefully snuggle up to watch a film together (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) and then turn in early.
I left work early today and was picked up by several members of the Minou family with two wet and muddy dogs.
I felt extraordinarily happy to be home early on a chilly, sunny Friday afternoon.
I made lemon zest biscotti to go with tea, and orzo pasta with roasted vegetables for dinner.
The kitchen is clean and minimalist-ish. Tree lights reflecting in the window.
A 1000-piece puzzle on the card table, and dog eyes reflecting in the camera's flash like headlights.
This dog and I are going for a night walk, and then we (meaning the Minous, not the dog) will hopefully snuggle up to watch a film together (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) and then turn in early.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Retreat
Oh it is bliss to have a retreat space, I tell you.
It's hard to imagine how restful this feels unless you have been without one for a while.
Here is what our Attic looked like while it was still under construction, just over a week ago:
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And here is that same space now:
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Nice, yes? Just under that window is my Sitting Space.
We are currently five people in the house, and we have a total of seven pillows.
Two were borrowed for the occasion of Mamie's visit.
I'm in no hurry to go out and buy anything.
In fact, when that thought "I need to get...." arises, I do my best to think my way around it.
Do I really need to get whatever it is? Why do I want it?
Is there some other way to meet that need?
In this case, there was a way to meet the wish of padding while sitting: Sheepie.
A beloved relic of my childhood that has remained, despite not being embraced by the P'tit Minous.
(for some reason, maybe his beady button eyes, they found him creepy).
He makes a very fine pillow.
.JPG)
It's hard to imagine how restful this feels unless you have been without one for a while.
Here is what our Attic looked like while it was still under construction, just over a week ago:
And here is that same space now:
Nice, yes? Just under that window is my Sitting Space.
We are currently five people in the house, and we have a total of seven pillows.
Two were borrowed for the occasion of Mamie's visit.
I'm in no hurry to go out and buy anything.
In fact, when that thought "I need to get...." arises, I do my best to think my way around it.
Do I really need to get whatever it is? Why do I want it?
Is there some other way to meet that need?
In this case, there was a way to meet the wish of padding while sitting: Sheepie.
A beloved relic of my childhood that has remained, despite not being embraced by the P'tit Minous.
(for some reason, maybe his beady button eyes, they found him creepy).
He makes a very fine pillow.
And this makes a very fine reading and retreat space, even if the insulation isn't covered yet.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
thankful thursday
Today I am thinking about the many, many things I am thankful for.
First off is my family. Minou and those two p'tit minous make my life shine like nothing else.
My mom. Living close to her is fantastic.
Friends who are like family.
Good health.
All the basics, which I realize daily I shouldn't take for granted:
Comfortable and beautiful shelter. Healthy food to eat. Access to medical care.
A safe neighborhood to walk, bike, and exercise in.
Ways to get around where I need to go.
More than enough clothing to cover myself (and then some).
Education, which opened up my world. Books. A great public library!
Also, I have been so lucky with my work position and coworkers.
They are a wonderful, compassionate, committed, fun, smart group of people.
It's been a great two years there.
First off is my family. Minou and those two p'tit minous make my life shine like nothing else.
My mom. Living close to her is fantastic.
Friends who are like family.
Good health.
All the basics, which I realize daily I shouldn't take for granted:
Comfortable and beautiful shelter. Healthy food to eat. Access to medical care.
A safe neighborhood to walk, bike, and exercise in.
Ways to get around where I need to go.
More than enough clothing to cover myself (and then some).
Education, which opened up my world. Books. A great public library!
Also, I have been so lucky with my work position and coworkers.
They are a wonderful, compassionate, committed, fun, smart group of people.
It's been a great two years there.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
less & more
I want less of:
- clothing
- jewelry
- stuff on the floor
- pens & pencils
- coats, shoes & bags
- books
- magazines
- paper piles
- time spent cleaning and picking up
- laughter
- evening walks
- learning new skills
- naps
- glasses of wine with friends
- reading books
- hugs
- family bike rides
Monday, July 23, 2012
packing, clothing, traveling gear
I 'm sure you are all wondering how my light-packing experiment went on my recent Trip to France. I tried to take very few items, mostly things that I had been gifted by M1 or Mamie, and that would combine well together. Did I end up with too much? Not enough?
I took one carry-on small rolling travel suitcase (not sure of the dimensions, but you know the type--small enough to be stowed in the overhead compartment on a larger plane, large enough to be stowed in the cargo hold on a tiny plane) and one carry-one "purse", really more of a messenger bag/satchel, borrowed from my friend K. that had a million useful pockets.
I had hoped to avoid the messenger bag, but was called upon at the last minute to transport two bike helmets in the other carry-on, so that two safety-conscious kids could ride borrowed bikes in France. No mama is going to argue with that. It did take up a chunk of space in the carry-on, leading to leaving the laptop at home (which I have to admit was very relaxing) and putting my notebook and novels into the messenger bag. It was great--I had no room for the large & bulky laptop! I had every excuse not to participate in online study activities while in wireless-access airports, leaving me completely free to walk around, scribble in my journal, watch people, and read novels (Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is amazing).
It was ironic that I had been concerned about not taking enough clothing and ended up not wearing it all. I had one pair of pants, three short sleeved shirts, two skirts, three dresses, two long sleeved shirts, and a hooded long cardigan, plus underwear, a swimsuit, a pareo, two pairs of sandals and light jogging gear. (I also carried a toiletries kit and a first-aid kit). It was more than enough. The only issue that I had was not taking one change of warmer items. It was chilly and rainy everywhere except in the South, so when my mom and I went travelling in Brittany, Normandy and around Paris I wore my pants and cardigan daily. I didn't have time to wash them out, and was worried that they would be offensively stinky by the time I got on the plane in them. Nobody complained, so it was probably OK, though it felt great to throw them in the wash immediately on returning (and so strange to step out into a hot, hazy, 90 degree Oregon evening after leaving a 62 degree Paris).
I had been told that taking the first-aid kit was probably overkill--p'tit minou un stated flatly "We don't use all this stuff at home, why would we there?" However, both anti-constipation and anti-diarrheal meds came in handy, as well as anti-inflammatories for knee pain, arnica for bruises, tweezers for splinters, bandaids for blisters, antibiotic cream for infected earlobes, and acetaminophen for headaches. Ha! Nurse Mama Minou knows best! But in the end, it was p'tit minou un's foresight in bringing an enormous roll of moleskin for blisters that saved me from (an) exercise in agony. I went running without socks one very hot and sweaty day, and developed a blister the size of a silver dollar, just in the right spot to be continually rubbed raw by my other pairs of shoes, on the arch of my right foot. If you are planning a trip with a lot of walking, I urge you, take moleskin--it could make the difference between limping around in miserable, snappish, teeth-grinding pain and enjoying yourself.
I am a little embarrassed that despite my best efforts to resist clothing temptation, and leaving the bike helmets and a couple of novels and magazines behind, my carry-on was harder to close coming back than it was going. This was partly due to bringing back boxes of cookies for gifts, but also because M1 again opened up her closet and gifted me with clothing too beautiful or interesting to refuse. (Merci M1!!) Also, one day when Mamie, my mom and I were wandering around downtown Montpellier with a couple of hours to spare, we went to check out the "Soldes" in Etam (this was in the period where big sales occur in stores all over France). Mamie ended up gifting me with a long-sleeved black t-shirt for the decent price of 5 euros (about $7.00) that ended up being part of my daily cold-weather wear up north. So again, lesson learned--even if you think it won't be cold (or hot), either have enough layers or take a change of clothing just in case.
I obviously have more to learn about packing lightly. Any tips to share?
I took one carry-on small rolling travel suitcase (not sure of the dimensions, but you know the type--small enough to be stowed in the overhead compartment on a larger plane, large enough to be stowed in the cargo hold on a tiny plane) and one carry-one "purse", really more of a messenger bag/satchel, borrowed from my friend K. that had a million useful pockets.
I had hoped to avoid the messenger bag, but was called upon at the last minute to transport two bike helmets in the other carry-on, so that two safety-conscious kids could ride borrowed bikes in France. No mama is going to argue with that. It did take up a chunk of space in the carry-on, leading to leaving the laptop at home (which I have to admit was very relaxing) and putting my notebook and novels into the messenger bag. It was great--I had no room for the large & bulky laptop! I had every excuse not to participate in online study activities while in wireless-access airports, leaving me completely free to walk around, scribble in my journal, watch people, and read novels (Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is amazing).
It was ironic that I had been concerned about not taking enough clothing and ended up not wearing it all. I had one pair of pants, three short sleeved shirts, two skirts, three dresses, two long sleeved shirts, and a hooded long cardigan, plus underwear, a swimsuit, a pareo, two pairs of sandals and light jogging gear. (I also carried a toiletries kit and a first-aid kit). It was more than enough. The only issue that I had was not taking one change of warmer items. It was chilly and rainy everywhere except in the South, so when my mom and I went travelling in Brittany, Normandy and around Paris I wore my pants and cardigan daily. I didn't have time to wash them out, and was worried that they would be offensively stinky by the time I got on the plane in them. Nobody complained, so it was probably OK, though it felt great to throw them in the wash immediately on returning (and so strange to step out into a hot, hazy, 90 degree Oregon evening after leaving a 62 degree Paris).
I had been told that taking the first-aid kit was probably overkill--p'tit minou un stated flatly "We don't use all this stuff at home, why would we there?" However, both anti-constipation and anti-diarrheal meds came in handy, as well as anti-inflammatories for knee pain, arnica for bruises, tweezers for splinters, bandaids for blisters, antibiotic cream for infected earlobes, and acetaminophen for headaches. Ha! Nurse Mama Minou knows best! But in the end, it was p'tit minou un's foresight in bringing an enormous roll of moleskin for blisters that saved me from (an) exercise in agony. I went running without socks one very hot and sweaty day, and developed a blister the size of a silver dollar, just in the right spot to be continually rubbed raw by my other pairs of shoes, on the arch of my right foot. If you are planning a trip with a lot of walking, I urge you, take moleskin--it could make the difference between limping around in miserable, snappish, teeth-grinding pain and enjoying yourself.
I am a little embarrassed that despite my best efforts to resist clothing temptation, and leaving the bike helmets and a couple of novels and magazines behind, my carry-on was harder to close coming back than it was going. This was partly due to bringing back boxes of cookies for gifts, but also because M1 again opened up her closet and gifted me with clothing too beautiful or interesting to refuse. (Merci M1!!) Also, one day when Mamie, my mom and I were wandering around downtown Montpellier with a couple of hours to spare, we went to check out the "Soldes" in Etam (this was in the period where big sales occur in stores all over France). Mamie ended up gifting me with a long-sleeved black t-shirt for the decent price of 5 euros (about $7.00) that ended up being part of my daily cold-weather wear up north. So again, lesson learned--even if you think it won't be cold (or hot), either have enough layers or take a change of clothing just in case.
I obviously have more to learn about packing lightly. Any tips to share?
Sunday, July 22, 2012
perusing the pantry
How is it possible to lose weight while on vacation in France? Despite a daily four-o-clock "gouter" with coffee and dark chocolate, and frequent ice cream stops while visiting beautiful medieval villages, and a nightly "apero" with snacks and drinks before the meal?
I'm not sure by what magic it occurs, but it does, and I'm not complaining. Actually, I think I do understand the phenomenon. What happens is a sort of re-setting of habits, being away from familiar triggers, and influenced by a whole different set of customs around mealtimes and eating. Delicious foods and drinks, but consumed in a slower and more ritualized manner, in smaller quantities, with more people and more conversation.
Whether this happens because of being in France, or being on vacation, or being with Minou's family, I'm not sure...but it is so different from our regular family weeknight during the school year, with a starving adult (me) returning late from work, and starving kids (them) after ballet and basketball at the Y, and hurry-hurry-hurry let's eat dinner because there is homework to do and showers to take and story reading to occur. You parents may know this routine.
I want to keep some of this intentionality to meals. Since I returned home alone, it's a little easier to eat when and how suits me best right now than if I also had to take the needs and desires of three other lovely folks (who I can't wait to see this upcoming FRIDAY) into consideration. I also thought that this might be a solo opportunity to get creative with the contents of the pantry and keep the grocery bill as low as possible this month.
My original plan was to see if I could make that grocery bill nonexistent, but two things interfered with that: an overwhelming craving for milk and fresh fruit and the need to have 10 debit purchases to continue getting a higher interest rate on our checking account. So with frequent stops at the grocery store to pick up one item at a time, my spending has been pretty minimal and my diet pretty healthy since I came home. It's amazing how much food some of us have squirrelled away in our freezers, can cupboards, and pantries! And how easy it is to overlook it and just go buy some more! And how much more slowly one adult trying to eat consciously reduces it than two consciously eating adults and two rapidly growing teenage boys!
I am lucky in that although we didn't really get a garden in this year, many friends did and I have been gifted with amazing bounty of fresh zucchini, lettuce, bok choi and kale. The now-eight Ladies are laying a storm of eggs (farewell to poor Petunia and Blackbeard), and the eight mature blueberry bushes are covered with blue deliciousness.
With those needs taken care of, I have been enjoying breakfasts of cereal (of questionable date, but fine), flax seeds, walnuts and raisins, dinners of frozen salmon patties, frozen freezer veggies, and steamed fresh garden vegetables with soy-sesame-ginger dressing, and lunches mostly composed of interesting canned items I probably wouldn't usually look twice at. Example: a salad made of canned green beans, canned beets, canned corn, and canned salmon (it might not sound good, but actually was). Another day: soup made of canned diced tomatoes with basil combined with canned black beans. And I discovered that (I know, its shocking to say) instant coffee isn't really bad when mixed with a spoonful of brown sugar. Spending in the last 11 days: $22.00, but that included using the debit card to start stocking up for when the boys return.
I haven't had to resort to some of the meals I imagined for myself, of endless toast (I still have a loaf of bread I bought in the train station at Rennes in the fridge, hmmm...) with jam (we somehow have six large jars of marionberry jam), fried eggs, and blueberries...it doesn't sound too bad! I will however draw the line at those unidentifiable freezer items....
What are you eating these days? Have you ever had an empty-the pantry challenge?
I'm not sure by what magic it occurs, but it does, and I'm not complaining. Actually, I think I do understand the phenomenon. What happens is a sort of re-setting of habits, being away from familiar triggers, and influenced by a whole different set of customs around mealtimes and eating. Delicious foods and drinks, but consumed in a slower and more ritualized manner, in smaller quantities, with more people and more conversation.
Whether this happens because of being in France, or being on vacation, or being with Minou's family, I'm not sure...but it is so different from our regular family weeknight during the school year, with a starving adult (me) returning late from work, and starving kids (them) after ballet and basketball at the Y, and hurry-hurry-hurry let's eat dinner because there is homework to do and showers to take and story reading to occur. You parents may know this routine.
I want to keep some of this intentionality to meals. Since I returned home alone, it's a little easier to eat when and how suits me best right now than if I also had to take the needs and desires of three other lovely folks (who I can't wait to see this upcoming FRIDAY) into consideration. I also thought that this might be a solo opportunity to get creative with the contents of the pantry and keep the grocery bill as low as possible this month.
My original plan was to see if I could make that grocery bill nonexistent, but two things interfered with that: an overwhelming craving for milk and fresh fruit and the need to have 10 debit purchases to continue getting a higher interest rate on our checking account. So with frequent stops at the grocery store to pick up one item at a time, my spending has been pretty minimal and my diet pretty healthy since I came home. It's amazing how much food some of us have squirrelled away in our freezers, can cupboards, and pantries! And how easy it is to overlook it and just go buy some more! And how much more slowly one adult trying to eat consciously reduces it than two consciously eating adults and two rapidly growing teenage boys!
I am lucky in that although we didn't really get a garden in this year, many friends did and I have been gifted with amazing bounty of fresh zucchini, lettuce, bok choi and kale. The now-eight Ladies are laying a storm of eggs (farewell to poor Petunia and Blackbeard), and the eight mature blueberry bushes are covered with blue deliciousness.
With those needs taken care of, I have been enjoying breakfasts of cereal (of questionable date, but fine), flax seeds, walnuts and raisins, dinners of frozen salmon patties, frozen freezer veggies, and steamed fresh garden vegetables with soy-sesame-ginger dressing, and lunches mostly composed of interesting canned items I probably wouldn't usually look twice at. Example: a salad made of canned green beans, canned beets, canned corn, and canned salmon (it might not sound good, but actually was). Another day: soup made of canned diced tomatoes with basil combined with canned black beans. And I discovered that (I know, its shocking to say) instant coffee isn't really bad when mixed with a spoonful of brown sugar. Spending in the last 11 days: $22.00, but that included using the debit card to start stocking up for when the boys return.
I haven't had to resort to some of the meals I imagined for myself, of endless toast (I still have a loaf of bread I bought in the train station at Rennes in the fridge, hmmm...) with jam (we somehow have six large jars of marionberry jam), fried eggs, and blueberries...it doesn't sound too bad! I will however draw the line at those unidentifiable freezer items....
What are you eating these days? Have you ever had an empty-the pantry challenge?
Saturday, June 9, 2012
saturday
soft grey day. project complete. whoo-hoo!
one boy is sleeping off a sleepover (or maybe eating pancakes up the street by now), the other is off to the vet's with our cats (he is the guardian of the animals, very in tune with them).
Minou is building a beautiful bench for my mother.
and I'm sitting on the couch, revelling in the sound of the washing machine and a peaceful moment.
many thoughts swirling around, many projects to complete, but none of it feels heavy right now.
rather, inspiring!
I have had a lot of gifts this past week. let me share:
one boy is sleeping off a sleepover (or maybe eating pancakes up the street by now), the other is off to the vet's with our cats (he is the guardian of the animals, very in tune with them).
Minou is building a beautiful bench for my mother.
and I'm sitting on the couch, revelling in the sound of the washing machine and a peaceful moment.
many thoughts swirling around, many projects to complete, but none of it feels heavy right now.
rather, inspiring!
I have had a lot of gifts this past week. let me share:
- a beautiful birthday. loveliest surprise dinner and birthday cupcakes.
- future kundalini yoga classes. maybe tomorrow.
- an opportunity at work: taking action that made me very unpopular (this is hard for me, I like to be liked) but may actually have prevented a future tragedy. sometimes the hard stance is what is needed.
- a student nursing conference and chance to grow, learn and share with some amazing women.
- a day at the coast. great naps both ways.
- a partner who invites me for walks every night but understands if I don't go (je t'aime Minou).
- patience and encouragement from people around me. I'm grateful.
- a new-to-me sweater & japanese maple from a friend at work.
- a reminder, which I needed after a brief loss of perspective last weekend (note: never visit giant open houses for sale in the neighborhood you want to live in, if simple living is your real goal), of how privileged I am. why was I born where and when I was? I don't know, but the choices and comforts I have here and now are unusual in our world.
- a new mantra: to look at a situation with clear eyes and heart and ask "Now, what can I do?"
Friday, May 4, 2012
frugal friday
I like to glean and gather. Neighborhood fruit trees heavy with uneaten apples and pears, young dandelion greens in the early spring for stir frys, blackberry patches on the edge of school yards for late summer jam, and returnable bottles from the curb on recycling day.
When I remember, on Wednesdays I gather up bottles in the few blocks around my house on early morning dog walks. Our neighbors across the street put out a full 2 x 3 ft. box weekly full of bottles with a deposit (I usually just switch our near empty identical box for theirs to make carrying them easier, which might be puzzling if they notice). Minou returns them, and puts the change in a small metal box on top of the fridge.
Last night he counted it and there was close to $20 from April. That's a lot of bottles at 5 cents each! Small change, yes, but found...a little like finding money on the street (oh wait, I did find money on the street). When Minou and I make our trek to Portland this weekend so that he can vote in the French presidential elections, it will provide several coffees or maybe even (how fitting) a nice dark stout stop on our planned urban hiking getaway.
When I remember, on Wednesdays I gather up bottles in the few blocks around my house on early morning dog walks. Our neighbors across the street put out a full 2 x 3 ft. box weekly full of bottles with a deposit (I usually just switch our near empty identical box for theirs to make carrying them easier, which might be puzzling if they notice). Minou returns them, and puts the change in a small metal box on top of the fridge.
Last night he counted it and there was close to $20 from April. That's a lot of bottles at 5 cents each! Small change, yes, but found...a little like finding money on the street (oh wait, I did find money on the street). When Minou and I make our trek to Portland this weekend so that he can vote in the French presidential elections, it will provide several coffees or maybe even (how fitting) a nice dark stout stop on our planned urban hiking getaway.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
simple sunday
Something simple for dinner...soup.
Healthy, filling, satisfying...
I make a pot on the weekend and we eat it all week (the kids don't usually partake, sadly).
Sometimes it can be a complete meal in a bowl, vegetarian chili or minestrone.
Lately we have been really enjoying vegetable soups, the French way (pureed, not too thick).
This week's recipe:
5 russet potatoes, scrubbed, with skins
5 large carrots, scrubbed, with skins
2 large zucchini squash with skin
2 cloves garlic
1 small head broccoli with stalk
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with basil
Cook all together in a large kettle until soft, let cool
Puree , adding water until desired consistency
Add salt (or Lo-Salt) and black pepper to taste
Enjoy! It gets better each time you warm it up. Add salad and good bread, maybe a sprinkle of fresh parmesan, a few nuts or a fried egg, and you have a complete dinner in no time.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
simple sunday
James really knows how to keep life simple
This week's simple idea...
I wear a uniform to work. Not the military kind, not the fast food kind, not even the health care kind...but a uniform nonetheless. I find it stressful to hunt for clothing in the morning, making sure that it is clean, unwrinkled, matching, and fits my "mood" for the day. Ten or fifteen minutes can easily slip away standing in front of the closet and digging through laundry baskets. I would rather spend that time walking the dog for a few extra minutes, having a second cup of coffee, or reading a chapter of our book (right now 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) with p'tit minou 2.
Solution? I borrowed an idea from Minou (when he worked in an office). I wear almost exactly the same thing every day. For Minou, it was corduroy pants and white dress shirts and a tie. For me, I wear comfortable non-wrinkling black pants (I have two pairs), black socks and black Dansko clogs. For tops, I choose from a few sweaters/knit tops/button-downs depending on the season and wish for color...but they all go with black. On casual Fridays, I have a different uniform: jeans, agency t-shirt, and silly striped socks.
However...if I forget to keep up with the laundry, my whole system is thrown into jeopardy! Last week somehow both pairs of black pants were in the wash (not yet washed) at the same time, and I was thus in a tizzy getting out the door and to an early staff meeting. Most of the time, however, wearing a uniform works so well for work and keeps life simple. True, it can be a little boring--but a simple uniform can be altered or dressed up easily with a scarf or earrings, and it saves a lot of time in the mornings!
What do you wear to work? Do you use clothes to express your creativity, or prefer a time saving solution?
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