Year: 2019

When Expenses Run Wild

Posted on by Earth Chick


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Most of us have been caught off-guard by an unexpected bill or expense. Unless it breaks the budget, we might not even notice that our budget has a bleed, or that we are spending money on things that don’t make our lives better. Sometimes, we are spending money on things that don’t matter at all.

Plugging up the leaks early can give you more of a cushion to play with. So, what can I do today?

  • Turn off lights when you leave the room. Yeah, I know, our folks harped on it but we still forget.
  • Unplug anything we can
  • Have a few meatless meals
  • Stay in for the evening
  • Raid the fridge and eat what you have…no take-out!
  • Barter
  • Turn the lights out and hit the sack early. You know you need the sleep.
  • Carpool for a few days.
  • Cut the cable for a while. The library rents free movies.
  • Give up shopping for a while.
  • Cancel subscriptions to magazines and newsletters you don’t read.
  • Save water. Hey, it really isn’t free in most places.
  • Give up appetizers, or order them as your meal.
  • Scale back what you spend on gifts.
  • Change your own headlight. Yes, you can! YouTube can teach you almost anything.
  • Ditch the gym membership if you don’t use it.
  • Take on your own home maintenance.
  • Grow and preserve food.

Plugging a $10 bleed each week adds up to $5,200 over a ten year period, before you account for interest. That’s the price of a used car, or a roof, or an HVAC system. Wow!

What other ways do you plug the money bleeds? How much of a difference did it make?

Green Tomato Pie

Posted on by Earth Chick

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Walking through the garden, we find tomatoes on the ground from recent windy days. Sometimes, we just can’t wait for the warm air to turn them from green to scarlet orange and we pick a few from the vine to enjoy.

Today marked the first Green Tomato Pie of the season.  Each pie is made from a base that doesn’t change much. Sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt make up the basic recipe, to which we add green tomatoes and assorted fruits. The pies change according to what is available in the garden and kitchen. Depending on time, the pie shell is Graham cracker crust or traditional pie crust…or, if I am really strapped for time, they take the form of a cobbler and are baked in a Pyrex dish.

tomato pie base recipe

The basic recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

pie shell

Plus, the fruit…

3 cups diced green tomatoes (feel free to substitute 1 cup of another fruit such as pears, apples, or berries)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

 

Simply mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Mixing before combining with fruit prevents clumping of the spices and ensures even distribution and a balanced taste.

Dice the green tomatoes (and fruit) and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the fruit.

Mix fruit together with the base mix to coat evenly.

Pour into a pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 38 minutes until mixture bubbles.

Cool thoroughly and refrigerate leftovers.

Serve warm or cold with sweet cream or ice cream.

Dress it up with nasturtiums or violets.