I'm in the Northern Nevada area and I just moved into my apartment a little over two weeks ago. With no car and a tight budget, it is difficult at times to find decent places to buy groceries. While I found a small liquor store that has all shelf items, I just couldn't really shop in there, because the prices are more expensive than the large grocery stores. So, I'll go on a hunt for basic kitchen items and shop where I usually shop for groceries. I moved here out of the dorms in a spur of the moment. Considering how inexpensive rice and potatoes are, I recommend for kitchen items a rice cooker, crockpot, pans and a large pot. I also recommend getting fresh vegetables and fruit on good deals, and if you're lucky grow them in a pot or on some land.
As I was moving things here and got lost on the way, I found a Salvation Army. While I'm not the most religious person in the world, I think for the sake of frugality, it would be a good idea to at least give them a chance when it comes to finding deals. I may find something useful. I may never know. The Goodwill here is too far.
It is less expensive and better for the environment if people started taking buses and started riding bikes. I put the beach cruiser on my wishlist, because it has baskets that can hold grocery items. My main concern about bikes is where to park them when you're in the store. I was thinking of finding a pole for them or something to keep it from being stolen. Walking is my favorite method of transportation, but you can only do it for so long. I also like hitching rides from friends, but sometimes they are so busy with their own lives that I don't want to burden them. Getting a yearly pass helps when it comes to traveling in this city. I put a busspass on my wishlist for this reason.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Potato and Spinach Dish
This is one of my vegetarian recipes that I've made. I've eaten this rarely, because the sausage had eggwhite powder in it. The sausage can be made from scratch, and Whole Foods sells a variety of vegan sausages.
This recipe can be cost effective. Although WinCo does not sell vegan margarine, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's happen to have them. The margarine at Whole foods is around $2.50 to $3.50 for Earth Balance. It's slightly cheaper at Trader Joe's. To keep costs to a minimum, this recipe can be made into an Indian Saag Aloo (w/ vegan ingredients). A few substitutions can be made, though. When I get the chance, I'll make an indian version of this recipe.
Ingredients:
5 medium size red potatoes, washed chopped into large bite sized pieces and boiled( Can use brown, they are less expensive)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 pack of vegan cream cheese
1 bag fresh spinach (frozen if necessary)
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups frozen broccoli
1 pack vegan sausage, preferably Italian (add to taste, can leave out. To keep costs down, these can be home made)
One half onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 bunch Parsley
Margarine
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper to taste
Italian seasoning
Method:
1. Drain your already boiled potatoes and set them aside. As a side note, you might not want to overcook the potatoes.
2.In a skillet on low to medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and margarine.
3. In the skillet combine sliced vegetarian sausage. Heat until brown on both sides. Then add garlic and onions. Cook until garlic and onions are soft.
4. Add a table spoon of olive oil and garbanzo beans. Head until slightly toasted. Then add parsley.
5. Add vegetables (frozen peas, broccoli, spinach). Cover skillet with lid and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir from the bottom occassionally.
6. Add the boiled red potatoes. Add the margarine, cream cheese and olive oil.
7. Stir until all ingredients are completely mixed. Turn off the heat. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Make sure that cream cheese is melted into the ingredients before serving. Add more margarine to taste.
Of all the recipes I've created, this one is one of my favorites. One time I made this, I ate almost the whole skillet. Yeah, I'm greedy like that sometimes. The best way to also make this recipe is to make it your own. You don't even have to make it vegan or even vegetarian. I would suggest it, but you don't have to.
I'll have a picture of the recipe eventually.
Enjoy ; )
This recipe can be cost effective. Although WinCo does not sell vegan margarine, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's happen to have them. The margarine at Whole foods is around $2.50 to $3.50 for Earth Balance. It's slightly cheaper at Trader Joe's. To keep costs to a minimum, this recipe can be made into an Indian Saag Aloo (w/ vegan ingredients). A few substitutions can be made, though. When I get the chance, I'll make an indian version of this recipe.
Ingredients:
5 medium size red potatoes, washed chopped into large bite sized pieces and boiled( Can use brown, they are less expensive)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 pack of vegan cream cheese
1 bag fresh spinach (frozen if necessary)
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups frozen broccoli
1 pack vegan sausage, preferably Italian (add to taste, can leave out. To keep costs down, these can be home made)
One half onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 bunch Parsley
Margarine
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper to taste
Italian seasoning
Method:
1. Drain your already boiled potatoes and set them aside. As a side note, you might not want to overcook the potatoes.
2.In a skillet on low to medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and margarine.
3. In the skillet combine sliced vegetarian sausage. Heat until brown on both sides. Then add garlic and onions. Cook until garlic and onions are soft.
4. Add a table spoon of olive oil and garbanzo beans. Head until slightly toasted. Then add parsley.
5. Add vegetables (frozen peas, broccoli, spinach). Cover skillet with lid and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir from the bottom occassionally.
6. Add the boiled red potatoes. Add the margarine, cream cheese and olive oil.
7. Stir until all ingredients are completely mixed. Turn off the heat. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Make sure that cream cheese is melted into the ingredients before serving. Add more margarine to taste.
Of all the recipes I've created, this one is one of my favorites. One time I made this, I ate almost the whole skillet. Yeah, I'm greedy like that sometimes. The best way to also make this recipe is to make it your own. You don't even have to make it vegan or even vegetarian. I would suggest it, but you don't have to.
I'll have a picture of the recipe eventually.
Enjoy ; )
A Slight Experiment
Since I'm on a very tight budget, I want to try something. I was looking at food websites yesterday and I looked at the ingredients of different recipes. I noticed that the ethnic foods are usually cheaper to make than the American foods. I think also depends on the ingredients and the substitutions that are needed for them to be made. So far, I believe that Mexican, Indian and Southeast Asian (Thai, Vietnamese) foods are the easiest to veganize and are the least expensive. Most of those recipes either require beans, rice and/or vegetables that can be found in the frozen food section. Although Indian food can require alot of spices, they can be easy to find even at a Mexican grocery store (spices like curry powder, cumin, and herbs like cilantro and green chilis). I also find that tofu is the cheapest meat alternative, and that tempeh can be pretty expensive. Seitan can be made with gluten flour and a good basic recipe. I think for the produce, the best way to preserve them and add them to recipes is by freezing them. I also like cabbage as a vegetable, because of its long self life. Italian food is also cost effective, because a few ingredients go a really long way. I like to call it a default cuisine, because it can be made complex or simple.
Eventually, I'll post more vegan recipes that are cost effective.
Eventually, I'll post more vegan recipes that are cost effective.
Here are some helpful links for managing a vegan lifestyle(Favorite Websites)
One of the main concerns about a vegan lifestyle is the cost. With food prices increasing by the minute, how much dinner will cost become an indicator as of whether or not one should stay vegan, or revert back to a vegetarian lifestyle. I have the following links:
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/how-to-keep-vegan-food-costs-low/
I like the ideas that this blogger presents such as buying in bulk and creating a garden. There are so many ways to cheaply eat on a vegan diet. I would also suggest shopping at cooperatives. Stores like WinCo have a veriety of items that are less costly than stores like Albertson's and Walmart. Plus, you would be supporting the employees directly, unlike other major stores.
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/
Vegan Dad is a blogger who has so many creative recipes. The meat substitutes are even made from scratch. It is way more cost effective if meat substitutes are made from home and not bought in store. Also, you would not be paying for the additives and plastic packaging if you made these from scratch.
http://www.veganessentials.com/
I shopped at Vegan Essentials a while ago, when I first became vegan. Although some items are a bit pricey, you can still get items there that you won't commonly find in most grocery stores. This place is 100% vegan, and no merchandise has animal products or animal testing. It is even vegan-owned. As a vegan, I would say it's a plus to see a decent online business that does not endorce cruelty to animals. Because of shipping costs, it is better to shop here or any other online stores only if needed.
http://www.veganstore.com/
This is another vegan store that I found. It is less expensive that vegansessentials.com. This company is animal friendly and labor conscious. They do not sell any products that come from companies that exploit its workers.
http://receptenmonique.blogspot.com/2008/11/vegan-home-made-sausages.html
This is a blog I found that is catered to the gluten-free vegan (believe me, I heard of some vegans who are celiacs. I even considered a gluten free diet to see if it helps with my eczema). I hope to try her recipes in the near future.
http://www.vegweb.com/
I love Vegweb.Com, because it is a website with recipes by the members themselves. Although there are some vegetarians on this site, the recipes are required to be vegan. Because these are only home-made recipes, it is easier to make them your own on a low-cost budget.
http://www.ricegourmet.com/index.htm
If you are looking for something exotic and you are using rice as a low-cost staple, then this website if your you. The recipes are from different parts of the world. To be honest, some of the recipes are from countries where people make rice their staple, because it is the most universal.
http://www.nutritionlifestyles.com/tofu%20kits.htm
A tofu maker kit is a great way to make home made tofu. It says that it requires soybeans, but it may also work with other "hard" beans like garbanzo as an alternitive for those who could be allergic to soy or whoever wants to cut back on soy for health reasons. I'm definately putting this on a wishlist, along with a really highquality blender. I'm very sure that homemade tofu is way better than the store bought versions.
Tasty Bites: I found this site while looking for ways to cut back on spending for food. This site has vegan options and even has food kits to suit the buyer's preference. If I had known about his site last year, I would have been ordering from here. With the bulkiness of the kits, it seems like they will last at least a semester. I plan on ordering the vegan kit for next school semester. The only thing I would buy from grocery stores would be produce.
Chef Chloe: I've been looking for ages for a website that is gourmet and less "home-cooked". Finally, I have found one. I am not saying that home cooked food is bad. I love home cooked meals and I try to promote them as much as possible. However, when I want to host an adult birthday party or a formal holiday gathering, the home-cooked style is not what I want to go for. I've been to some vegan restaurants, and most of them have the "home-cooked" taste to their foods. It's better than the cheap greasy-spoon crap they serve at chain restaurants. I feel as a vegan that food without animals and junk can be gourmet. I actually came across Chef Chloe's website by accident. I was reading something that has nothing to do with veganism and read the article in New York Times. Chloe Coscarelli appeared on FoodNetwork's CupCake Wars. Her vegan cupcakes won. I plan on trying her cupcakes as a birthday treat for myself.
Susan Nichole : I was debating if I should add this website to the list of resources. The thrifty side of me says "No", because the purpose of this blog is to live a vegan and green lifestyle while saving green. The materialistic side of me says "Yes", because it's not everyday that there is decent and cool vegan apparel. Although the handbags are vegan, the average price of one is between $85 and $125. They are made of cruelty free, recyclable materials. The materialistic side of me decided to add this website to my list of all things vegan and mostly cheap. When there is a small community/town/commune that is 100% free of animal cruelty, I'll continue to add things that are clearly vegan to this list, but not always easy on the pockets. Besides, I'm sure that you want a nice handbag to go with your cruelty free wardrobe.
Websites for Going Natural/Green:
Green Living Tips This site has really helpful ideas for going green on a low cost. You can even make your own products with their recipes.
Napptually.com I know that this is a site about black hair and beauty, but for those of us who are not going to relax or chemically treat our hair anymore it is really helpful. I do not recommend using their ads for haircare, because they are really expensive, but this site does have recipes for making your own shampoo. I plan on making my own shampoo/conditioners/hair balms eventually and seeing what works for my own hair. I think that making your own beauty care products is better than paying extra for harsh chemicals that damage health. If you are going to buy the products to make your own recipes, I recommend buying in bulk. I'll even post more of these natural haircare sites eventually.
Hair Recipes (Longlocks.Com) Despite its name, this website has recipes for haircare that anyone can use. For women who have kinky hair, the hair ornaments are not recommended for our hair texture. I recommend making your own with recycled costume jewelry or real jewelry.
Alikay Naturals This is a website for those who want all natural, hand-made chemical free haircare products at a low cost. The seller's products run at a lower cost than store bought products. I plan on buying her whole line for my own hair as a birthday gift to myself.
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/how-to-keep-vegan-food-costs-low/
I like the ideas that this blogger presents such as buying in bulk and creating a garden. There are so many ways to cheaply eat on a vegan diet. I would also suggest shopping at cooperatives. Stores like WinCo have a veriety of items that are less costly than stores like Albertson's and Walmart. Plus, you would be supporting the employees directly, unlike other major stores.
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/
Vegan Dad is a blogger who has so many creative recipes. The meat substitutes are even made from scratch. It is way more cost effective if meat substitutes are made from home and not bought in store. Also, you would not be paying for the additives and plastic packaging if you made these from scratch.
http://www.veganessentials.com/
I shopped at Vegan Essentials a while ago, when I first became vegan. Although some items are a bit pricey, you can still get items there that you won't commonly find in most grocery stores. This place is 100% vegan, and no merchandise has animal products or animal testing. It is even vegan-owned. As a vegan, I would say it's a plus to see a decent online business that does not endorce cruelty to animals. Because of shipping costs, it is better to shop here or any other online stores only if needed.
http://www.veganstore.com/
This is another vegan store that I found. It is less expensive that vegansessentials.com. This company is animal friendly and labor conscious. They do not sell any products that come from companies that exploit its workers.
http://receptenmonique.blogspot.com/2008/11/vegan-home-made-sausages.html
This is a blog I found that is catered to the gluten-free vegan (believe me, I heard of some vegans who are celiacs. I even considered a gluten free diet to see if it helps with my eczema). I hope to try her recipes in the near future.
http://www.vegweb.com/
I love Vegweb.Com, because it is a website with recipes by the members themselves. Although there are some vegetarians on this site, the recipes are required to be vegan. Because these are only home-made recipes, it is easier to make them your own on a low-cost budget.
http://www.ricegourmet.com/index.htm
If you are looking for something exotic and you are using rice as a low-cost staple, then this website if your you. The recipes are from different parts of the world. To be honest, some of the recipes are from countries where people make rice their staple, because it is the most universal.
http://www.nutritionlifestyles.com/tofu%20kits.htm
A tofu maker kit is a great way to make home made tofu. It says that it requires soybeans, but it may also work with other "hard" beans like garbanzo as an alternitive for those who could be allergic to soy or whoever wants to cut back on soy for health reasons. I'm definately putting this on a wishlist, along with a really highquality blender. I'm very sure that homemade tofu is way better than the store bought versions.
Tasty Bites: I found this site while looking for ways to cut back on spending for food. This site has vegan options and even has food kits to suit the buyer's preference. If I had known about his site last year, I would have been ordering from here. With the bulkiness of the kits, it seems like they will last at least a semester. I plan on ordering the vegan kit for next school semester. The only thing I would buy from grocery stores would be produce.
Chef Chloe: I've been looking for ages for a website that is gourmet and less "home-cooked". Finally, I have found one. I am not saying that home cooked food is bad. I love home cooked meals and I try to promote them as much as possible. However, when I want to host an adult birthday party or a formal holiday gathering, the home-cooked style is not what I want to go for. I've been to some vegan restaurants, and most of them have the "home-cooked" taste to their foods. It's better than the cheap greasy-spoon crap they serve at chain restaurants. I feel as a vegan that food without animals and junk can be gourmet. I actually came across Chef Chloe's website by accident. I was reading something that has nothing to do with veganism and read the article in New York Times. Chloe Coscarelli appeared on FoodNetwork's CupCake Wars. Her vegan cupcakes won. I plan on trying her cupcakes as a birthday treat for myself.
Susan Nichole : I was debating if I should add this website to the list of resources. The thrifty side of me says "No", because the purpose of this blog is to live a vegan and green lifestyle while saving green. The materialistic side of me says "Yes", because it's not everyday that there is decent and cool vegan apparel. Although the handbags are vegan, the average price of one is between $85 and $125. They are made of cruelty free, recyclable materials. The materialistic side of me decided to add this website to my list of all things vegan and mostly cheap. When there is a small community/town/commune that is 100% free of animal cruelty, I'll continue to add things that are clearly vegan to this list, but not always easy on the pockets. Besides, I'm sure that you want a nice handbag to go with your cruelty free wardrobe.
Websites for Going Natural/Green:
Green Living Tips This site has really helpful ideas for going green on a low cost. You can even make your own products with their recipes.
Napptually.com I know that this is a site about black hair and beauty, but for those of us who are not going to relax or chemically treat our hair anymore it is really helpful. I do not recommend using their ads for haircare, because they are really expensive, but this site does have recipes for making your own shampoo. I plan on making my own shampoo/conditioners/hair balms eventually and seeing what works for my own hair. I think that making your own beauty care products is better than paying extra for harsh chemicals that damage health. If you are going to buy the products to make your own recipes, I recommend buying in bulk. I'll even post more of these natural haircare sites eventually.
Hair Recipes (Longlocks.Com) Despite its name, this website has recipes for haircare that anyone can use. For women who have kinky hair, the hair ornaments are not recommended for our hair texture. I recommend making your own with recycled costume jewelry or real jewelry.
Alikay Naturals This is a website for those who want all natural, hand-made chemical free haircare products at a low cost. The seller's products run at a lower cost than store bought products. I plan on buying her whole line for my own hair as a birthday gift to myself.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Living Inexpensively...
I remember when I was younger I dreamed of making alot of money doing whatever I was educated to do, whether it was designing clothes, landscapes or space craft. I am sure I have not met anyone who did not have that dream. Instead, we live in a times when having extras such as luxury items should not make us who we are. In otherwords, just because we live in a capitalist system, it does not mean we have to act like it. The economy has turned against the average person. The best way to fight back is to cut losses and spend more wisely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)