Share it Forward

Being the Frugalista that I am, I always try to think of innovative ways to save money. Sure there are coupons, consignment stores and plain old "going without". But have you thought of forming an alliance with your friends, family, and/or neighbors to maximize the virtual goldmine of supplies/tools they all have sitting around, begging to be used? I have! ( One statistic states we don't use 70% of what we have in our homes. )

It started out very innocently when I wanted to borrow a friend's mandolin so I could make homemade potato chips (Yes, I am crazy!). My friend said that they never use it and we could "timeshare" it. I was going to buy one but it was a bit pricey and not really a "necessity". Then the same friends went on vacation and we asked to borrow their rug cleaner. (You're thinking, "these people sure take advantage of their friends!" Don't worry, we feed and water them regularly). We usually leave carpet cleaning to the professionals but this time I didn't feel like wasting the money. So we used our friends' cleaning machine and the rugs came out GREAT!

Savings= $150

So I started thinking about taking sharing to a whole new level. What if we all shared our toys in a more organized and streamlined fashion without spending a penny!?

Here are some great ideas to get you started:

Girls Night IN!

Pick a house, any house and gather all your gal pals. Have some snacks and beverages. This too can be pot lucked.

Your mission, if you chose to accept it is to bring to the table items you:
a. Are not that fond of but someone else might like
b. No longer use
c. Don't care if you ever see again

The idea is to swap, trade, or borrow each other's items. You can work these details out with your friends, whether the goal is for all to borrow, timeshare, or keep; you decide!

Chose a theme for the night. Pick one or a combo of any listed below and run with it:

• Unopened/unexpired makeup
• clothing
• DVDs
• books
• costume jewelry
• shoes/accessories/pocketbooks
• small housewares/kitchen gadgets (I know I have a few too many!).

This is a great way to connect with your friends, have a lot of laughs, and get some good stuff FREE. It's like a yard sale only way more fun and no annoying hagglers. ("Can I have that coffee table for a quarter?")

What NOT to Share:

• opened or used makeup
• cars
• expensive jewelry
• husbands/children (have you seen what happens on Wife Swap?)
• anything you can't bear to say goodbye to

Baby's Day Out!

Gather your mom friends and their kids. Let the kids run amok while you swap the following:

• baby/kids clothing
• Halloween costumes/seasonal items
• snow boots/snow suits/winter coats/hats/mittens
• toys/games/books/music/DVDs/videos

Bring your own bags and prepare to shop til you or the kids drop, whichever comes first!

Guys Night OUT

OK, I don't mean at the local strip club. I mean, the backyard where they can show off their tools. Many jobs in our house are done by us (read, my husband), as long as he has the correct equipment and know-how, he makes a valiant effort to save us money and tackles many jobs on his own. However, he doesn't always have the right stuff for the job. He takes numerous trips to Lowe's and Home Depot and has invested in some good tools, including a power washer (a great investment!). However, even being a "Do it Yourselfer" can also come with a price tag. So now is the time to beg and borrow from your friends. Devise a plan, formal or not, to swap tools as needed.


If you have a group of 4-5 friends, you are guaranteed to meet every one's home improvement needs by swapping any of the following:

Lawnmowers, weed whackers, drills, saws, power washers, ladders, leftover paint/stain, shovels, snow blowers. The list is endless. And the plus side to all of the sharing is it keeps you connected to your neighbors instead of that awkward wave from the driveway in your jammies. We're talking some serious bonding now!

Word to the wise. Set clear expectations and boundaries from the beginning. Make sure everyone knows how to use the equipment and provide manuals whenever necessary.

I hope you use these ideas and if you think of some new ones, please post a comment below. Time to make the potato chips!

Eat a Pickle....Cut the Fat?

Sweet and Spicy Zucchini Pickles

My sister in-law Kim's grandmother always said this. We don't know how true it is but I personally feel better after eating anything pickled, knowing that I might be burning some body fat in the process. Truth is, though, I will eat anything pickled: cukes, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, green tomatoes, the list goes on.

My dad's garden is suddenly overflowing with the green stuff and my mother is dubiously sauteing it, grilling it, and frying it. I think it's time to move on to something new! After all, zucchini is one of those "vanilla" vegetables. It doesn't taste bad, per se. It just needs a little zest to make it more appetizing. One way to perk them up is to pickle them!

I found a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine and thought I'd share my own adaptation of it. Their recipe calls for mustard seed and I've substituted pickling spices instead. I find the pickling spices are more flavorful. I also changed the amount of hot pepper flakes.

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups 1/8 inch zucchini slices
1 cup sliced sweet onion
3 thinly sliced cloves garlic
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp pickling spices (found these at Job Lot for .88)
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine the zucchini, onion, and garlic in a glass bowl (or a 9x13 shallow glass baking dish works well too). Bring the vinegar, sugar, spices and salt to a boil. Pour over the zucchini mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

These taste just like pickled cukes and have a nice crunch to them without all the high sodium in the store bought pickles. I am guessing that if you like to preserve in jars, you can try this recipe in canning jars as well.

Eat a pickle, cut the fat!

Popping Panzanella Salad

If you've never tried Panzanella Salad, now is the time! With all the in season ripe tomatoes, here is a chance to use them up. Panzanella Salad is like a Bruschetta in a Bowl and my version will definitely awaken your taste buds!

Ingredients:

5 cups of cubed day old crusty bread. I used Trader Joe's Ciabbata bread.
4 Roma or plum tomatoes, cubed
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 tin of anchovies in oil, drained and chopped
1 cup pitted calamata olives chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup to 1 cup feta cheese cubed

Dressing:
1 lemon juiced
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
salt/pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano

In a large bowl, place the bread cubes, tomatoes, anchovies, pepperoncini peppers, olives, basil, parsley. Toss.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour over bread salad. Toss. Add the feta cheese. Let it set for 30 minutes and serve at room temperature.

Transform it to a Grinder in a Bowl! Add chopped cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, roasted peppers or chopped salami Major YUM!

You can also use different tomatoes, like a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. Whatever you have from the garden will work. They're all good and juicy so bring 'em on!
Side note: I ate this the next day and it was still great and not mushy like I thought it might be. Enjoy!

Becky's Original Israeli Couscous

This is a great versatile side dish and a huge crowd pleaser! Enjoy it for your next barbecue or as a fancy side for chicken or fish. The great thing about this salad is that you can swap out different ingredients. See the variations listed at the end.

There is a little debate about how much sugar should be used. You can vary it from 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on your sweet tooth.

Picture courtesy of Deana Gunn from Cooking With All Things Trader Joes. For more on my interview with Deana: http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2010/06/23/beckys-israeli-couscous-salad.aspx

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sugar

1 box Trader Joe's Israeli Couscous (found in the pasta/rice aisle

1/3 cup unsalted dry toasted sliced almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 oz feta cheese crumbled

1.) Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2.) Follow cooking instructions on the Israeli Couscous box. Add cooked couscous to the bowl containing the dressing. Toss with the dressing and let it cool (about 20-30 minutes), stirring occasionally. The couscous will absorb the dressing as it cools.

3.) Add the almonds, cranberries, and basil. Toss the feta cheese in lightly. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serves 4

Variations:
If you don't have Israeli couscous, substitute 1 1/2 cups of dried orzo or TJ's Harvest Grains. Cook until al dente, drain and then add to the dressing.

If you don't have fresh basil, substitute fresh parsley, mint or a combination of both. If you don't like almonds, substitute toasted pignoli nuts.

Learning to Love Your Laundry

For too long laundry has gotten a bad wrap. It's drudgery, it takes FOREVER to do, it piles up, it lies around and doesn't pick up after itself. It smells.

Well, in our house, my motto is "laundry does itself". No, I do not wrinkle my nose like Samantha in Bewitched. I happen to LOVE doing laundry. Now, before you think I am one of those crazy, fanatical housewives, think again. The rest of the house could use some help (I'll stop there), but laundry, well, it never really goes away, unless you live in a nudist colony. And having clean clothes is just so...satisfying. There, I've said it!

I really feel like I am in the minority of Laundry Lovers. There are people who like to clean toilets and wash floors. Me, I like to fluff and fold. Must be in my jeans. My dad was a dry cleaner and I spent my teenage years working for him, waiting on customers, checking pockets, and organizing tangled masses of hangers. My mother also loved to do laundry and never complained about it (even though she often turned my white underwear pink!).


My mission today is to change the way the world views their dirty laundry. I know that when you start to change the way you feel about your laundry, you will no longer feel that every load you do is like hauling 100lbs of concrete on your back (this is the way some people make it sound!). Our fore mothers/grandmothers had no washers, no dryers, no laundromats and did they complain? Laundry was the least of their problems, considering they had to deal with life-threatening childhood diseases, no Dunkin coffee to get them through the day, and no Pea Pod delivery service.

This blog is dedicated to some very good friends. I'll call them "Mia" and "Kristen". I am "outing" you both from the laundry closet. I love you both too much to see you buried under so many piles, err mountains. And I fear that Kristen's children will suffer mild ridicule for wearing crocheted underpants to school this fall. And as for my friend "Michelle", I consider you a recovering laundryholic so you're safe for now.

OK, now that I've given you a pep talk, here a few tips to bring some lovin' to the laundry room:


1. Do your laundry every day or at the very least, every other day. Yes, you heard me. Do NOT wait until the weekend to "do laundry". It makes no sense. You are making yourself a prisoner for the weekend if you wait for Saturday or Sunday. Who wouldn't hate laundry at this point? Doing a little each day makes the job so much easier and will become part of the fabric of your life, trust me. It's like flossing. You just need to get in the habit. If you work all day and don't have time to do a load in the am, throw a load in as soon as you get home from work. (This is the "Laundry does itself" part). Then you can start dinnertime festivities. When the washer is done, put the clothes in the dryer, asap. (Again, it's still doing itself!). Move on with your evening fun. Before bed, take the laundry out of the dryer. Fold it and put it away, right away....

2. Do not leave it in the basket. This is where all laundry goes to die and will never see its rightful owner! Folding ONE load of laundry takes less than 5 minutes. Just think of all the time you waste on Facebook, watching reality TV, talking on the phone (wait, people text now) or reading my silly blog. This will also save on some ironing! (PS. I don't iron unless I have to go to a wake or a wedding).


3. Do not wash towels after every single shower. It's really OK to use it a few times after you've let it hang dry. After all, you're drying your super, squeaky clean body so how yucky could it get? This will cut down on your laundry!

4. Put a collapsible laundry hamper (dollar store) in each kids' room for them to dump their laundry in. Every day or so, gather ye baskets (or have them bring to you, Queen of Laundry), and separate your lights, darks, and whites into a 3 section laundry cart. I keep one next to the dryer for this purpose so the laundry stays organized for when there are enough items for a load, I don't have to separate and sift through mountains.

5. Let (Make) the kids help. As much as I love laundry, I don't like folding the hundreds of white socks (x3 males!). Now is a good time to teach your tots how to match! And once all the clothes are folded, they love putting them away, even though they make a mess. Who cares? My dear mother in-law Anne, RIP, made sure all 5 of her sons knew how to do laundry. Now that's a smart woman!

6. Just do it for heaven's sake! It's never going away so deal with it.

As you can see, I am not only a food snob, but now a laundry snob. I will continue to stick my nose high up in the air until you take those ripe socks off the floor and put them where they belong.

The Italian Grinder Diet

It seems Becky's Big Bytes have gotten her into more trouble again. Last year it was for taking too many, which landed her in the back row at a Weight Watchers meeting. Now her nighttime teeth grinding has caused an impending gum surgery.

Let me explain.

I went for my 6 month cleaning a few weeks ago. My dentist, who likes to call me "Becky Wecky", declared that I now have exposed roots. I thought, "Well, that's pretty rude. I know I'm due for a touch up but come on. The box of Garnier Nutrisse Brown Sugar #63 has been glaring at me for weeks. I know, I know!" Dr. Dentist said, "No, Becky Wecky, your roots in your teeth are exposed." (Side note, I only had 3 Wisdom teeth and blame that for my sometimes "slowness".) He casually mentions that I need a gum graft surgery and not to worry, "Your insurance will pay for it". I'm thinking, "Hmm, not so bad....a few days of ice cream, some alone time out by myself under some nice anesthesia...sounds like a great mommy's day out, right?

Wrong!

I then visited the specialist who asked me what was wrong with my teeth. I said, "Well, doctor, I like the way they look, but I don't like the way they feel." I explained how I grind my teeth at night and I only chew on one side now since the other side is so sensitive. My $400 mouth guard cracked under all the pressure and ever since have been using one from CVS which I was advised now is making matters worse. I asked him if I will ever stop grinding and he said that I am a grinder and will always be a grinder. There is no cure. Apparently, grinding is my "thing". To which I said, "I guess then I am an Italian Grinder." Well, he thought this was hilarious and nearly suctioned himself silly. You know, these doctors tell the same jokes over and over again and those poor hygienists have to pretend they're funny. Well, the tables were turned that day and I told him a funny.

I wish the rest of the visit was as jovial. I learned that I will need 2 more gum surgeries after this one has healed. They take (cut) skin from your upper gum/palate area and graft it in the lower to cover the roots (where are you Brown Sugar #63 when I need you!?).

And the news just gets bleaker. All of this is done under a local anesthesia so the Mommy Time was over before it started.

The insurance hardly covers it, resulting in at least $1400 out of pocket, just for this surgery alone. Thank you health coverage for caring so much about our teeth. Or is it your goal to make sure that none of us can chew so the obesity issue will resolve itself? OK, then.

I will be restricted to a soft diet, will not really be able to brush my teeth, and will be sutured, bloody, and swollen. Happy Anniversary, Mr. Nero!

I am trying to remain optimistic. Things could always be a lot worse. Like my poor sister who had to have her jaw wired shut for 6 weeks, just months before she got married. Back then, there was little variety on the market of energy drinks, protein powders, and smoothies so I used to make her stuffing and polenta which she gracefully sucked through a straw. Watching her brush her teeth and try to spit was pure entertainment for the whole family.

As for me, I am looking for suggestions for the "Italian Grinder Diet". And please do not tell me to puree some provolone, salami, and hot peppers.

How to Enjoy Cooking with your Kids

Cooking with kids can be:
a. Fun
b. Torture
c. Messy
d. Educational
e. All of the above

The answer is "e" on any given day in our house, depending on the mother's mood. I have to say, I rarely look at it as torture. Well, maybe a tad frustrating if I forget that they are little and messes happen (even to me when I'm not paying attention!).

I grew up cooking with my mom. Some of my best childhood memories are from the kitchen where we laughed, talked, and taste-tested. I call myself a "Sugar Baby" as I am convinced that my mom's sweet tooth was passed on to me in-utero!

I am a firm believer that not every child in the universe likes only mac & cheese, chicken nuggets and hot dogs. In fact, if someone served me this diet on a regular basis, I would definitely revolt! If we keep feeding kids boring and bland food, that is all they will ever know. Don't insult their taste buds. Let them explore different herbs, vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. You will someday be pleasantly surprised by the child who likes quinoa and tabbouleh with fresh mint leaves.

One way to get them to broaden their culinary horizons is to let the kids help you cook. Now, you're probably thinking that you don't have time, it's too messy, you don't really have the patience at the end of a long day, etc. And you're right! But you know, sometimes, you need to step back and let them do it. Kids really do love to help, especially in the kitchen. In case you have a picky eater (and who doesn't at some point?), letting them cook with you is a great way to expose them to different tastes, textures, and smells. And who knows, they might start eating all the funky foods you like! And suddenly, your usually quiet 7 year old suddenly starts opening up about this blond girl at school....

Here are some useful tips to get cooking with the little ones:

1. Get the step stool(s) ready.

2. Little People/Big Tools really don't go hand in hand, so opt for a little whisk, little spoon, little spatula, you get the idea.

3. Safety Rules: Yes, I know you all have common sense but sometimes we get caught up in the moment when the chocolate chip cookies are ready. Make sure the kids steer clear of a 4 foot radius of the open oven. No running in the kitchen, EVER, while cooking. Keep the knives far away, and hide the extra chocolate chips from the kids.

4. Know your limits, and theirs. This means that your kids don't need to cook for 30 minutes straight. In their little world, 5 minutes is a long time. The kitchen timer comes in handy here.

5. When cooking with more than 1 child, give each one a job. You know what they say about too many hands. Let one child pour, one mix, one measure, etc. And speaking of hands, make sure they wash 'em before they start cooking.

6. Let them smell the spices but be careful. You don't want your 2 year old sneezing incessantly after inhaling too much cinnamon or red pepper flakes. Waving the spice jar under the nose is much safer or place some in their little hands to touch and sniff.

7. REMAIN CALM AT ALL TIMES..... EVEN WHEN YOUR 7 YEAR OLD CRACKS EGGS ALL OVER THE KITCHEN COUNTER AND THE DOG STARTS LOPPING UP THE LIQUID EGGS OFF THE FLOOR. Not that this has ever happened while giving a lesson on egg separation, but my point is to be adventurous. (If I teach the boys just enough in the kitchen, my future daughters in-law will thank me for making their lives easier and hopefully it decreases my chances of ending up in a nursing home.)

8. Make things that they like. Pancakes are great because they get to reap the rewards right after. And did I mention cookies?

9. Make things they don't like. Yes, it's not always about them, right? Eventually they will need to eat more variety so why not start young. The crazier the food, the better!

10. Let the kitchen double as a classroom. For school age kids it's a great way to sneak in math concepts, fractions, and measuring. You can also save money on a tutor this way.

11. For the really little ones ages 10 -18 month olds, give them a bunch of empty plastic containers and some wooden spoons, old measuring cups, etc to play with. This will surely buy you some time while you prepare your next masterpiece.

Do you have any tips for cooking with kids? Please share them here!

ps. The photo above is my son Nicolas eating homemade pizza sauce, one of his faves.