Road Trip Anyone?

With summer solstice just around the corner, vacations come to mind. Times being what they are, road trips may just be the thriftiest option for a summer getaway, too. They're wonderful adventures with many opportunities to stretch your travel dollars.

For us, savings begin before leaving home. About a week before any trip, we begin emptying the refrigerator of all fresh foods and leftovers – a sparsely packed fridge uses much less energy and we don't come home to UFO's (unidentifiable fungal organisms.) When leaving the house, we also close drapes and blinds on south facing windows; the house remains cool enough to allow the air conditioner to be shut off during our absence. In seasons when heating is necessary, the thermostat is turned down to the usual overnight minimum (approximately 15 Celsius.)

Once we're ready to hit the road, hubby checks the vehicle's fluid levels (engine oil, windshield washer, brake and transmission fluids,) and ensures the tires are at their correct pressure. The latter is particularly important for achieving good fuel economy. Running the vehicle's air conditioner will affect mileage so, when the heat isn't too intense, we roll down windows – lowered a few centimetres this cools the vehicle effectively with slightly better fuel efficiency than when using the air conditioner.

Aside from lodging, meals are often one of the most costly aspects of the road trip. With a little planning, this can not only be easier on the pocketbook, but offer great flavours and good nutritional value. Picnic lunches are fairly easy to scrape together: veggie and cheese sticks, simple salads, nuts and seeds, fruits and juices, all are easy to pack and prepare on the road. Bring a cooler to help keep food fresh and beverages cold. Ice can be bought at most gas stations. I bring along a small cutting board, a paring knife and a plastic bowl so I can wash and cut finger foods for each day's journey.

Another handy item is a water filtration jug, a spare filter and a sealable water jar. Keep the sealable jar filled with the filtered water and snuggled up against the ice pack so you'll always have cold water on hand. Insulated cups will keep beverages cold or hot once they're out of the cooler or thermos. Morning coffee, for us, is a must, so we pack a full thermos from home, which can then be refilled at most restaurants and some gas bar convenience stores, with more volume for less cost than two large cups. I also bring a small container of sugar and cutlery from home, so we have coffee for a few hours without having to stop.

Packing a picnic lunch really adds to the whole road trip experience, too. Those gorgeous highway "lookout" views can now be enjoyed with a nice meal. No waiting for restaurant service or food prep. A stunning setting and a good lunch quicker than any fast-food outlet can produce. And, if destination is more important than journey for you then, by packing a lunch, you don't have to stop at all to eat. The driver may snivel while others partake but, after a brief stop to rotate drivers, everyone gets to eat while safe-driving is maintained.

The only drawback with packing food is the possibility of spoilage. When travelling in a hot vehicle, even with the best cooler and ice, it's good to avoid certain foods which can easily spoil and cause serious illness or death. Salads with a mayonnaise-based dressing should top the avoid list. Salads with oil and vinegar base dressings travel much better. Eggs and meats can also cause dire sickness unless freshly cooked, specially packaged, dried, cured, or pickled. Though, you certainly won't catch me bringing pickled eggs on any road trip!

Once you've finished lunch you'll want to clean up. I bring a damp facecloth, one per person, and each in their own sealed bag. Some rest stops have water taps but, if none are available, the filtered water can be used to re-moisten the cloths as needed. I also pack a bar of laundry soap so the cloths can be cleaned each night. These cloths also come in handy when it gets too hot. Simply dampen and drape it around your neck to stay noticeably cooler.

If a limited budget is driving your road trip, remember that frequent stops gobble more fuel. Fluctuating speed, slowing for municipal speed-zones or simply leaving your vehicle idling while stopped, consumes more fuel. So, if you're looking for the best fuel economy, try keeping "pit-stops" to a minimum, and maintain a steady highway driving speed whenever possible.

Rags to Niches

The debate still continues over the use of rags versus paper towels. In our home, it's not a case of either/or. Both are used; rags far more often than paper towels, but the latter is on hand for specific purposes.

Sometimes, it's more cost-effective to dispose of towelling. For instance, I use paper to soak up oil from fried foods, or "mop" fats from stock – as we seldom fry foods and only occasionally make stock only a few towels per week are required. To use rags would mean washing them separately to avoid oily stains on other clothing – not very economical, nor environmentally friendly. At other times, is just safer using paper to clean up raw meat juices or spilled egg. Rags could easily contaminate other surfaces prior to their laundering, possibly causing dire illness. Disposing of an occasional towel lessens the risk so I'll continue using paper for this purpose.

Rags, however, are my first choice for most other household applications. Some people feel the "environmental cost" (EC) of laundering rags negates any advantage they might have over paper towels. In our home, rags are never washed separately, but with other "like" items (per their colour and/or soiling,) thus making those loads closer to capacity and thereby saving EC in the long run. It should also be noted that saving cloth from ending up in a landfill before it's been fully "consumed" must also have some merit.

All rags are not created equal, though. I once cut up an old sweatshirt to use for rags. The material – a poly-cotton blend – only pushed fluids around but wouldn't soak up anything...except oils. A-ha! I thought. Now, polyester blends are kept in a separate pile and used anytime there's a greasy mess to clean. Old towels and washcloths are perfect for polishing glass and plastic surfaces – after all, kitchen linens were made for this purpose. Old bath towels make the best soakers, for those larger spills like the dreaded toilet or bathtub overflows. Cotton-blend socks are fantastic additions to the rag bag. Worn on the hand(s), they work well for dusting or polishing small items. They're ideal shoe buffers and, when too soiled, instead of washing and perhaps ruining other laundry items, can be used as campfire "starters." Just make sure to store them in a closed tin, in a cool place, until needed. Just don't cook over that campfire until all trace of the "starter" has been burned away.

Second-hand cloth can be used for more than merely rags. I take old jeans apart and use the salvageable cloth to sew tote bags. Old pillowcases are used as storage bags and are particularly good for foods which require ventilation (e.g. onions.) "Retired" sheets could produce a dozen rags, but are used for another purpose. I cut them, across their width, into one-foot strips and then sew those strips onto the foot end of new sheets to extend their length – most sheets are just way too short for my liking! Nobody sees the mismatching foot end, and we end up with sheets long enough to fold over the top blanket.

As someone who sews, I also have a collection of remnant cloth. This doesn't go to waste either. Quilting is a possibility, but I've yet to learn that craft. So, to use those fabrics I recently made cosmetic pads with some leftover fleece sandwiched between two layers of poplin. Using a zigzag stitch, I sewed rows and columns, approximately 1-1/2 inches wide, separated by about 1/8 inch to allow cutting between them. These cosmetic pads have lasted several months now and launder well (though I put them in a "small-garment bag" to ensure the washer won't eat them.),

Ultimately, even rags become too threadbare for practical use. Don't throw them out yet, though. Laundered, they make excellent packing material.

Over time, this has become like a game: How else can second-hand cloth be of use? Do you play the Rag-time game too? Please leave a comment and share your cloth-recycling ideas.

Confessions of a Stocker

I admit it. I'm a stocker. It all started innocently enough with a simple home-made chicken soup, but quickly escalated to stocking rice pilaffs, wine reductions and seafood chowders. It's become an obsession. I can't shop for certain groceries without envisioning their stocking potential.

Ham – joint-in of course – makes a delicious stock for split-pea soup. A turkey is mentally stripped of its roasted meat, its carcass tossed in a stock pot with Mirepoix (onions, celery and carrots.) A whole fish or in-the-shell shellfish and I fantasize about Bouillabaisse.

But this is more than just another foodie obsession. Stocking is frugal activity. No, really! If you want healthy, flavourful meals on a budget, then stocking is the way to achieve it. Good stock not only enhances the flavour of meals, the natural gelatine has wonderful health benefits. Perhaps the most frugal aspect of stocking is that nothing goes to waste. Any leftover bones with a little meat on them can provide a few cups of stock that could later enhance some ramen noodles with veg. When vegetables age faster than they're eaten, they can be tossed into a stock pot together with some onion, celery and carrot, and brewed into a completely vegetarian stock – a light and flavourful addition to brown rice pilaf.

For beef stock, alone, I buy bone. However, the cost of good soup bones varies radically, so I make my purchase when the quality is highest – good amount of meat on or marrow in the bones – and when prices are lowest. Meaty beef bones need browning in a hot oven before being added to Mirepoix and water, and produce high amounts of gelatine. On the rare occasion I find a bone-in beef roast, the leftovers are sure to hit the stock pot, though usually produce less gelatine than soup bones.

Brown stocks are made from cooked-meat and bones and clear stocks are made with raw-meat and bones, the latter producing greater amounts of gelatine. A whole stewing fowl – excellent flavour for much less cost (and fat skimming) than a fryer – can make several cups of clear stock and be price-competitive with popular store brands. Turkey legs can be a cost-effective choice for making clear turkey stock. Recently, we found whole, fresh turkeys and were able to butcher them at home. The breasts became roasts, the best leg, wing and back meat was run through the grinder to become lean and hearty turkey burger, and the remaining carcass went into a stock pot. That bird yielded two roasts (which, bought separately, would've cost the equivalent price of the whole turkey,) six pounds of burger, and sixteen cups of wiggly-giggly gold: clear turkey stock.

I won't stock in summer, though – that season is steamy enough! But, once stocking becomes obsession, even summer can't stop the yearning. And, not just any stock will do. Nothing – and I mean nothing! – compares to home-made stock. Store brands may do, in a pinch, but their flavours and textures are bland. If you want superior taste and texture, then home-made stocks produce the rich gelatine most store brands lack. Gelatine not only carries flavour molecules on a silky, savoury base, it's rich in valuable nutrients. Without the gelatine, flavours are elusive and the texture watery.

Water, however, is the base of every stock and quality must be considered. If your tap water tastes funky, the stock will too. Filtering water can solve this problem, so plan ahead and have 12-20 cups ready. About a half-hour into the simmer, impurities in the meat and bone will rise to the surface in the form of foam. Gently skim this from the surface. This process can take a long while but, once impurities no longer rise, seasoning can be added according to the base protein or featured vegetable. Bouquet Garni, a collection of complimentary herbs tied together with string, provide aromatic notes and subtler flavours than most spices. Flavours intensify as the stock reduces during its cooking time and, while certain seasonings are important additions, they should be used sparingly or whole. For instance, whole peppercorns add a subtler flavour and less heat than ground pepper will. Salt is essential in drawing out flavours but, as stocks are primarily ingredients in other dishes, limiting salt when making them better enables adjusting that common seasoning in those future dishes.

Stock freezes well, too. Up to three to four months. Remember to label and date the containers and cycle your stock for maximum freshness.

Those containers of gelatinous goodness will come in handy on cooler summer days – that's when my craving for risotto hits hardest. I'm stocking up now, before summer's swelter sets in. I figure several containers each of turkey, chicken, and beef stock, should get me through the season's comfort-food crises.

Bulking Up

No, this post has nothing to do with Hans and Franz from Saturday Night Live. No weight pumping is involved, though that may depend on how literally you apply the following information.

In today's tough economic times, finding bargains is crucial to reduced home-budgets. But, bargain hunting is more than just coupon cutting and daily specials. Next time you're looking for great deals, check out the bulk-sized options at wholesale retailers. Buying in bulk can be one of the most resourceful ways to stay on-budget.

For examples of this, I chose five brand name (popular) items I buy regularly at a wholesale retailer to compare pricing. Here are those price comparisons (in Canadian dollars):

Product		@ Regular Store pricing	@ Bulk pricing
Toilet Bowl cleaner		1/2 cent per ml.	1/4 cent per ml.
OTC* Pain medication		11 cents per caplet	7 cents per caplet
Dishwasher detergent		$3.60 per litre	$2.30 per litre
Aluminum Foil		$1.81 per metre	21 cents per metre
Bar soap (sensitive skin)		$1.75 per bar	$1.38 per bar

*OTC = Over-the-counter

Similar comparisons also apply to food and other household products such as small appliances, stationery, and clothing. Some savings are not as great as others. The aluminum foil, for instance, offers far greater savings than the bar soap. The key to saving through bulk-buying is to buy only the products you use frequently and in significant amounts.

Some people won't buy in bulk for various reasons: 1) the initial cost at the check-out seems too high; 2) the space needed to store bulk purchases can be an issue for some; and 3) worry about spoilage. All these are legitimate concerns.

Speaking to the first issue, I'll just say that price comparison is the key. Not all bulk purchases are created equal. You'll need to do your homework to discover whether or not your bulk choices are truly a bargain. Generally, though, you'll obtain more products for less cost in the long term. Thus, a certain amount of fore-sight is required. However, you won't have to shop for those products as often – a real "plus" for our budget, as we must travel far to do our shopping and include fuel costs as part of the overall equation.

The storage-space problem is one I can easily relate to. I'm often tempted by spectacular savings to over-stock our home to the point of its groaning "Enough!" Impulse control is essential!

It's also just as important the watch "best before" dates, rotating home-stocked items accordingly. And, though it can be hard to resist certain bargains, I've learned to buy only what can readily be stored and used up in good time. That said, you'd be surprised how many nooks and crannies can be found to store things...

If spoilage is a concern, then that particular product may not offer good economy for your family. We have access to flour by the bushel, at well under half the cost of the 20# grocery store bags, but couldn't possibly use it all before it turned rancid. Nor could we hope to store that quantity. If most of the product spoils, little or no saving is actually gained.

So, when buying in bulk, remember these tips:

1. Check your stored items to ensure you won't buy too much (re: storage & spoilage)
   
2. Ensure you will be able use all of the product before its expiry date.
   
3. Use caution when buying items that spoil easily like fresh produce, dairy and other refrigerated foods (food spoils faster in an over-full refrigerator.)
   
4. Household cleaners and personal hygiene products have incredible shelf-life and, if you have the space to store them, can be excellent budget savers.
   

Now, I want to know, have I "pumped you up" to buying in bulk?

Breathe Easy

Spring is finally springing with sunnier days, crocuses popping up from the bleak prairie, songbirds greeting the morn, and grass sprouting up faster than the thermometer. Can there be a more optimistic time of year? It would all be perfect but for one thing: allergy season is here, too.

Only a couple years ago, I would have begun a daily regimen of over-the-counter allergy medication. Aside from the $80+ cost per month, I was concerned about their long-term effects on my health. So, when a friend told me about the Neti-pot, I knew I had to give it a try. After one use, and the immediate relief that provided, I became a passionate devotee to the practice.

The Neti-pot has been used in India for centuries as a treatment for sinusitis. Neti is taken from the Sanskrit words, Neti Kriya, which means nasal cleansing. Neti-pots, once hard to find in North America, have become increasingly popular and can now be found in many health and drug stores. They look much like little teapots, but don't try to be thrifty – as I did, when I couldn't find one in our local stores – and try to substitute. Neti-pots have a nicely rounded spout that won't hurt the nostrils like a teapot will. Take it from someone who learned that the hard way!

Neti-pots are inexpensive, running between $10 for plastic and up to $40 for the ceramic models. Well worth the price, considering I no longer use allergy medications. That's right. Use of the Neti-pot completely alleviates all my allergy symptoms. This may not work for people with extreme allergies, but if your allergies are mild, I strongly urge you to give this a try. To read more about this, check out the New York Times Health-section article on nasal irrigation: http://tinyurl.com/dfa6av

A lukewarm saline solution, called jala neti in Sanskrit, is poured through one nostril, then the other. You can purchase special salt from the same stores where Neti-pots are sold, or you can use salt from your kitchen. Do NOT use "iodized" salts though, as the minerals in it will sting the delicate nasal membranes. I use pulverized kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon mixed with 1 cup of hot (filtered) water, and stirred well until completely dissolved. If I'm in a hurry, due to sinus pain or irritation, I dissolve the salt in a couple tablespoons of boiling water, and then add room temperature water. I prefer to use filtered water as it contains no bleach, fluoride, or other impurities that may sting the nasal passages. To check the temperature, pour a drop onto your wrist much like testing a baby bottle.

When the solution is ready:

1. Bend over the sink (or a bowl) and tilt your head to one side.
   
2. Press the Neti-pot spout up against the upper nostril and begin pouring slowly. If you have a sinus blockage, you may feel slight pressure as the water builds up behind it. The blockage should quickly release, though, and the solution will wind its way through the nasal passages and out the lower nostril. Breathe through your mouth during the process.
   
3. Once you've poured half of the solution through one nostril, repeat steps 1 & 2 and pour the remaining solution through the other nostril.
   
4. After both sides have been irrigated, GENTLY blow your nose from both nostrils at once. Do not blow too energetically.
   

Though this procedure may sound alarming, it is not as invasive as you might think. There is no discomfort if done properly, and the relief gained is well worth the ick-factor. Just make sure to keep your head low during the process, so the solution won't trickle down the post-nasal passage.

Easter Egg Blues...and Reds...and Yellows

Without looking at a calendar, it's hard to believe this weekend is Easter. Few signs of spring are showing, and the prairie is still looking drab in its dun winter wear.

In an attempt to find something colourful, I researched natural dyes for colouring Easter Eggs. Some are unsafe for use on food products, but I've found a few that will produce food-safe, primary colours (blue, red and yellow.) With a little double-dipping, a variety of colours can be achieved. And, for the artists among you, get out your kids' otherwise-useless white (wax) crayons! They can be used to draw on the eggs, and are especially effective when using the double- and triple-dip methods of egg-colouring.

First you'll need to prepare the eggs (see previous blog post, 'Egg-cellent Food', for the "perfect" hard-boiled egg.)

Then, prepare each dye:

1. For a light blue colour, you'll need sliced red cabbage. In a pot, cover it with water and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 30 minutes. Allow this dye to cool completely as cabbage-dyes won't "take" when hot. Once cool, strain the vegetable matter. The liquid will appear purplish, but it will colour the eggs a nice, pastel blue.
   
2. For a reddish colour, you'll need a few cups of onion skins. (French onion soup anyone?) These, too, will need to be cooked, covered with water, and boiled for about 30 minutes. This dye can be used while still warm and, depending on the length of time the eggs are immersed in it, will produce colours in the range of orange, through red and brown.
   
3. For yellow, you'll need a few small apple tree branches. Scrape the bark into a pot and cover with water; one quart of water to a ½ cup of bark. Boil for 30 minutes and then add about ½ teaspoon of alum. A solution of turmeric can also be used for yellow dye; however this can also flavour the eggs slightly.
   

As an important note, you'll want to use glass, ceramic, enamel, or Teflon-coated pots for making the dyes. Some metal pans (tin, aluminum and iron) can alter the colours.

To add a glossy finish to the eggs, rub a little vegetable oil on their dried surface.

Have a happy and colourful Easter everyone!

Egg-cellent Food

Once restricted from the daily diet for its high cholesterol levels, recent studies have restored the egg's nutritional reputation. Not only are eggs a healthy source of protein, they are also high in Vitamins and Minerals: A, B-12, D, E, Calcium, Folate, Iron, Pantothenic Acid, and Riboflavin.

Many people see the dietary cholesterol value and gasp. However, recent studies indicate this high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is good for us – actually carrying away the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and has less impact on cholesterol levels than saturated fats. The Canadian Heart and Stroke foundation now recommends eggs as a good source of polyunsaturated fats , which help lower the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart disease. And, another recent study links the high B-12 concentrations to better brain health . In fact, various studies have proven many health benefits .

Given the rising costs of meats (see table below) the egg has become, by far, one of the most economical choices. Economy is lost, however, if cooking methods produce a poor result. So, here's a fool-proof recipe for hard-boiled eggs, without a blackened yolk:

1. Place eggs in pot and completely immerse in COLD tap water.
   
2. Set (uncovered) pot on stove and bring to a boil.
   
3. Once at a RAPID boil, remove pot from heat and cover tightly.
   
4. Set timer for 20 minutes. (This is based on sea-level cooking; I time my eggs for 17 minutes because we are a few thousand feet above sea-level.)
   
5. Rinse under cold running water for 1 minute. Then, fill pot with cold water and allow eggs to cool completely (about 5-10 minutes.)
   
6. Store unused eggs in refrigerator for no more than a week.
   

Note: I've also experimented with the "perfect" soft-boiled egg and have found that I need only change the timing to 5 minutes to achieve that result. Also, no cold water rinse is then necessary as the eggs are consumed immediately.

Nutrional & Cost comparisons -- Protein	Units of Measure	Egg (Approx. = 2 large)	Chicken (Breast, boneless, skinless)	Pork (Tenderloin/lean cut)	Beef (Tenderloin/lean cut)	Fish (Cod Loin fillet)
Calories	k	149.0	110.0	173.0	249.0	105.0
Total Fat:	grams	10.0	1.2	6.1	18.5	0.9
Saturated Fat	grams	3.1	0.3	2.1	7.5	0.2
Polyunsaturated Fat	grams	1.4	0.3	0.5	0.7	0.3
Monounsaturated Fat	grams	3.8	0.3	2.5	7.9	0.1
Trans Fat	grams	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Cholesterol (mg)	mg	425.0	58.0	79.0	68.0	55.0
Sodium (mg)	mg	126.0	65.0	55.0	50.0	78.0
Potassium (mg)	mg	121.0	255.0	433.0	300.0	244.0
Total Carbohydrates: (grams)	grams	1.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Dietary Fiber (grams)	grams	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Sugars (grams)	grams	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Protein	grams	12.5	23.1	27.8	19.4	22.8
Vitamin A	*percentage	12.7%	0.4%	0.1%	0.0%	0.9%
Vitamin B-12	*percentage	16.7%	6.3%	9.2%	15.3%	17.5%
Vitamin B-6	*percentage	7.0%	27.5%	20.7%	26.8%	14.2%
Vitamin C	*percentage	0.0%	2.0%	0.7%	0.0%	1.7%
Vitamin D	*percentage	13.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Vitamin E	*percentage	5.2%	0.7%	1.3%	0.9%	1.5%
Calcium	*percentage	4.9%	1.1%	0.6%	2.2%	1.4%
Copper	*percentage	0.7%	2.1%	2.4%	3.4%	1.8%
Folate	*percentage	11.8%	1.0%	1.5%	2.5%	2.0%
Iron	*percentage	8.0%	4.0%	8.1%	7.9%	2.7%
Magnesium	*percentage	2.5%	7.0%	6.8%	5.0%	10.5%
Manganese	*percentage	1.2%	0.9%	1.9%	0.5%	1.0%
Niacin	*percentage	0.4%	56.0%	23.3%	25.9%	12.6%
Pantothenic Acid	*percentage	12.6%	8.2%	6.8%	5.5%	1.8%
Phosphorus	*percentage	17.8%	19.6%	25.7%	18.2%	13.8%
Riboflavin	*percentage	29.9%	5.4%	22.6%	6.2%	4.6%
Selenium	*percentage	44.0%	25.4%	67.7%	32.3%	53.7%
Thiamin	*percentage	4.1%	4.7%	61.8%	4.6%	5.9%
Zinc	*percentage	7.3%	5.3%	17.3%	22.1%	3.9%
Average Cost (@ Feb/09)	Canadian $	$ 0.44	$ 0.63	$ 0.96	$ 1.57	$ 1.47
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.