Eating Organic on a Budget: Part 2

I used yesterday to e-a-s-e you into the basics of eating organically on a budget. Today, I'm going to stretch it just a little. Joining a co-op, shopping locally, and growing a garden were among the wonderful suggestions we received, but they weren't the craziest by far. I'm going to save the most extreme suggestion for last!

Today, we're going to go just a bit deeper. After all, eating organically isn't something that happens overnight, is it? Whether you're just starting out on your organic journey, or whether you've been blazing that trail for decades, all of us started somewhere. And I'm going to guess that somewhere didn't include a trip to Whole Foods for every.single.item on the list...at least not the first trip. {smile}

One easy way to save money and still eat organically is to avoid packaged items and make what you can yourself. {Stay tuned for a couple of homemade yogurt recipes!!}

Gem, one of our wise forum friends, pointed out something very important to keep in mind every time you visit the store: Just because a box of Oreos is organic doesn't make it healthy. VERY GOOD REMINDER. My kids in particular seem to think the word 'organic' is a synonym for 'healthy'; and the truth is, it's just not.

Packaged cookies, crackers, cake mixes, and the like can, indeed, be organic. That does give them a benefit over their conventional cousins: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Zesta, and Betty Crocker. If, however, you rotate that pretty box with the big "ORGANIC" label just 90 degrees and read the nutrition facts and ingredient list, you will certainly find sugar, salt, and a host of other ingredients found in conventional food items.

Making your own snacks, cookies, cakes, crackers, and breads at home gives you the ability to control everything that goes into your food, and subsequently, your body. And, you get the added bonus of paying for real food, not a pretty box or a high-end organic brand name.

Remember, you can take any recipe and make it organic just by buying organic ingredients. If you're an experienced or fearless cook or baker, you can also experiment with your old stand-by recipes to make them dairy-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, or sugar-free. All it takes is a little time and knowing what and how much to substitute.

A few of my favorite sites are listed below. If you're new at all this, I hope these sites will give you a place to jump from. If you're an old pro, I bet these recipes will be excellent additions to your repertoire. {We are a gluten-free family, ergo most of my favorite sites boast GF recipes. If your family isn't GF, either enjoy these recipes anyway or leave us a comment to your favorite DIY snacks, cookies, breads, or cakes.}

Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free

Silvana's Mousse Cloud Pie from Elana's Pantry

GNOWFGLINS: funny name, seriously good, traditional food

Health, Home, & Happiness

Recipes from Keeper of the Home

P.S. From our family to yours, we pray you have a blessed and exciting Resurrection Sunday!

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

About two weeks ago, I (Lindsey) discovered the blog Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. I've been a follower ever since.

Let me tell you what I love about this blog:

1. Amy, the writer, tells her own personal story of how gluten and sugar controlled her life for so long that she had no freedom and lived a life of shame because of her weight and constant cravings. I love it when people are real about who they are.
2. I have tried several different recipes, and none of them have been disappointing! In fact, I can heartily recommend the Tomato Basil Pantry Soup, the Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup, and the Zucchini and Brown Rice Gratin. 
3. In addition to fabulous, easy to follow recipes, there are also links to other gluten-free and sugar-free blogs, tutorials on how to blend g-free flours, guest blog posts, and media articles highlighting the gluten-free lifestyle.

If you have a few minutes and a cup of hot tea, take some time to browse this wonderful, helpful site. It's definitely one of the sites we like! I have also linked this site on the right side of this page in the section "THESE MIGHT BE FUN..." 

Written by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

The Cook's Thesaurus

Our friend Sonya told us about a site, and we think you may find it useful. It's called The Cook's Thesaurus.

You choose from a list of food categories, such as Vegetables, Milk & Cream, Fats & Oils, and Fruits. You then choose from the sub-selections, and up comes a list of acceptable substitutions for everything from goat's milk to cornmeal to feta cheese.

Thanks for this helpful site, Sonya!

Cranberry Lemon Muffins

Right after Thanksgiving I found bags of fresh cranberries on sale, two for $1. This was too good a deal to pass up, so I snagged a couple bags. Then I got home and realized I had never made anything with fresh cranberries before! I searched and searched for a recipe to help me use up all those cranberries. Well, I found a yummy (and quite healthy) recipe on AllRecipes.com. I tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes and our nutritional needs, and what resulted was a fabulous muffin recipe! Hope you enjoy!

Dry ingredients:

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar (feel free to experiment with honey, xylitol, or stevia)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1 cup milk
2 eggs (or 4 Tbsp. water)
1/4 cup applesauce (or vegetable or canola oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped or run quickly through the food processor
zest of 1/2 a lemon

Mix the wet ingredients together. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Line your muffin pan, if you hate washing muffin tins as much as I do. Bake in a 400-degree oven 15-18 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack or wax paper.

These kept fresh in our unheated pantry for 7-8 days and were eaten with breakfast and as afternoon snacks.

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise

Food on the Table

Food on the Table is a free sale-finding, list-making, meal-planning Website. (Click the link to go directly to the site.)

First, you select your preferred, local grocery store (hoping they participate!).

Then, you enter in what meals or foods you're in the mood for, foods you can't eat, and other personal criteria.

The program suggests meals, trying to use sale items, based on your food preferences and how many meals you want to plan. If you don't like the site's suggested recipes, you can browse their entire collection or enter your own recipes.

The site will also produce a printable grocery list, so that you're on your way in no time. There is even a fun little graphic showing how much money you're saving by shopping sales.

We hope you'll find this resource helpful in planning your meals and saving money!

Submitted by Heather @ Penny-wise