This week, I tried something different when shopping at the grocery store: I went with cash-only.  Although my husband and I have different philosophies about using cash, I found that it helped me tremendously when sticking to my budget and not making impulse purchases.  Of course, it took a bit of planning on my part; I had to scour the local food ads and find the best deals and be restrained to only purchase the items that I really felt we needed for this week.  I did cheat a bit, however, and take advantage of some amazing meat and chicken deals for the freezer. I justified going a bit over my $30 budget for the week since next week is Holy Week and I really don’t want to go shopping next week if I don’t have to.  I am also gearing up to attempt my first ever Once a Month Cooking adventure with my mom next weekend, and so I needed to be a bit forward-looking for next week/month. But more on that later! 

Either way, I was amazed that I got a good two week’s worth of groceries for under $60, including lots of organic produce, local dairy, and free-range eggs.  I couldn’t have done it without lots of coupons, including a few store-specific $5 off $25 coupons from the Chinook Book.  According to my receipts, I saved over $50 from coupons and in-store specials.  They key is really using coupons to purchase items that are already on sale, and stocking up on items when there are good deals.

For example, some of my stock-up items this week were beef that was sold at rock-bottom prices.  One local store had buy one roast, get another roast free, plus 10 lbs. of potatoes free.  Now granted we are not huge potato-eating folks, but we’ve found that the kids can tolerate a baked potato once a week without big problems.  Also, with Easter picnics and potlucks coming up, having extra potatoes around the house can be helpful!  The roasts (along with some discounted stew meat I found), as well as a great deal on chicken breasts, will provide more than enough meat for the next two months, possibly three!

My recent post on Real Food Deals, shows you where to find great real food coupons so that you can save money on nutrient-dense, whole foods! Among my finds this week were $0.25 Garden of Eatin’ Organic Tortilla Chips (New Seasons Market has the mini rounds for $1.25, and you can find $1 off coupon here).  New Seasons also had frozen organic, locally-grown Stahlbush veggies on sale for $1.59, and I used my Chinook Book coupon to deduct $1 off each bag, scoring a couple bags for $0.59 each! For you local Portland folks, these deals remain until Tuesday!

Anyway, on to the meal plan:

Breakfasts:
French Toast (made from grain-free bread), Green Juice (made in Vita Mix with Greens and Berries)
Coconut Flour Banana Muffins (recipe coming soon!) and homemade Matsoni Yogurt
Sausages (for kids) and modified Green Smoothies 
Scrambled eggs (for kids) and Sauteed Greens
Grain-Free Granola
Grain-Free Waffles

Lunches:
Roast Chicken and Veggies (kids)
Leftover Cioppino, Clam Chowder
Taco Meat, steamed broccoli (kids)
Tuna Sandwiches/Wraps, carrot sticks
Leftover Soup

Dinners:
potato soup and sauteed cabbage
French onion soup, sauteed kale and onions, garlic toast (grain-free)
white chili with purplekraut and tortilla chips
Thai Coconut Soup with scallops and shrimp
Baked Potato Bar

Have a great week!

This post is part of Orgjunkie’s Menu Plan Monday Round-up .

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We have come past the middle-mark of Lent, the days are getting longer. Spring is certanly in the air and all around us.  The world is renewing; apple blossoms and tulips open forth and the old, dead leaves and branches of winter are suddenly transfigured in green.  I love spring.  Lent can often be thought of as a time of depravation, especially at this point in the fast…and perhaps, if you’re like me, you’ve slipped up a little bit and had a bite or two of meat (or whatever it was you were fasting from!).

Well, there are a little over 2 weeks left, and if you’re tired of spending gobs of money on shrimp and scallops (oh, the irony!) to try and stay low-carb and nutrient dense, then I have some ideas for keeping the fast in a thrify, ultra-simple way:

This past weekend I stumbled upon an inspiring quote about fasting:

“fasting in a larger context, means to abstain from that which is toxic to mind, body, and soul.  A way to understand this is that fasting s the elimination of physical, emotional, and menta toxins from our organism, rather than simply cutting down or stopping food intake. Fasting for spiritual purposes usually involves some degree of removal of oneself from worldy responsibilities. It can mean complete silence and social isolation during the fast which can be a great revival to those of us who have been putting our energy outward.”  -Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD

I also love the idea that fasting for spiritual reasons literally allows our lower, digestive energies to be released and move up into the heart, where our focus and energy should always remain.  As a devout “ortho-foodie”, I must confess this can be a core struggle for me.  With that in mind, I decided to take this week and really do a liquid fast with one meal per day. 

I will share my favorite list of ideas for healthy liquid fasting and simple, thrifty meals.  I don’t advocate imposing this on small children or unwilling spouses, however.  I’ve found that by not worrying about what I’m going to eat at each meal that’s “kosher” for Lent, I can allow my energy to focus on that which my children need to eat (which usually involves lots of eggs, dairy, and meat) and I just drink my liquids or eat very simple meals. Here are my thrifty meals during the fast:

Liquids

*Fresh juices in the blender or vita-mix: 1 avocado, a few handfuls of fresh greens such as dandelions, turnip, collards, or kale, 1/2 of an apple, 2-3 cups of filtered water, juice of 1 lemon, and a 1/2 cup of  berries.  This is a little bland and somewhat bitter, but I’m going for low sugar. Very filling and cleansing.

*Green Tea or Herbal Tea with a spoonful of melted coconut oil to provide nourishing fats and help regulate metabolism.  Herbs to consider drinking in the springtime include dandelion root, nettle leaf, peppermint, or your favorite!  Green tea is especially high in antioxidant and has calming properties that cancel out the effects of the caffiene to some extent.  During the day, when I’m feeling the need for something warm and filling, I turn to tea with coconut oil instead of food first.

*Kombucha is one of my favorite cleansing drinks, made by fermenting sweet tea.  Kombucha totally curbs my hunger cravings, provides energy and vitality, and is a great liver detoxifier.  Kombucha can be made very simply at home for about $0.50 per gallon.  Check out my resources page to invest in a starter and get brewing! If you prefer to purchase kombucha, Fred Meyer(a Kroger affliate in the NW) has them on sale 2/$5 this week!

*Miso Broth: My hubby makes the absolute best simple, miso soup in the world. He begins with a hefty tablespoon of miso, 1/4 tsp of  thai red curry paste, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and some seaweed flakes.  He places the ingredients into a bowl and pours boiling water over all.  This is pure comfort food, and mineral-rich, low carb comfort food at that!

*Master Cleanse Lemonade- Take 8 oz of filtered water and add the juice of 1-2 lemons.  Add 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper and 1 tsp. of Grade B maple syrup (or more to taste).  This is said to be very helpful for liver congestion and has even helped people to shed some unwanted pounds!

Sensible Dinners:

To break the “fast” (either in the morning or evening, or to bookend the days) I chose simply prepared, in-season vegetables such as asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or squashes and either roast the veggies and eat them alone, or cook them in a soup.

I’ve also been doing a lot with navy beans and lentils.  Sprouted, especially, these GAPS-friendly legumes can be eating lightly steamed on salads, in soups, or pureed and cooked as “patties”.  But I especially enjoy a simple soup of navy beans, garlic, and wilted greens. Laden, of course, with my favorite spices and chopped seasonal veggies. 

Here are some other simple ideas:

*Roasted Vegetables: Seasonal veggies are always the cheapest, and frozen works just fine too. I love to toss cauliflower or asparagus with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast and roast in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes.  The kids LOVE it and devour their veggies when made this way!

*Simple salad: I love to take lettuce and top it with creamy chunks of avocado and sprinkle with baby shrimp. I also top it with a bit of my homemade PurpleKraut (available to Portland area folks to order!)

*Almonds or Pistachios with Raw Veggies and Hummus:  Nuts alone can be a simple meal for me, but with some fresh raw veggies (carrots, peppers, celery, etc.) dipped in a lima-bean hummus (if you’re on the GAPS diet, otherwise the traditional will do, just substitute cooked lima beans for garbanzos).

*Apples and Nut Butter: Is a delicious and simple meal or even dessert, due to the extra sweetness.

*Sauteed Scallops with Garlic and Green Beans is utterly simple and delicious.

*Shredded Veggie Stir-FryThis involves simply shredding cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, and onions and whatever else suits your fancy and sauteing in a bit of oil and herbs of choice. I even add a few Tablespoons of hummus to make it “creamy”. 

What are your favorite simple, real-food Lenten meals that you can fix easily without much stress? 

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Low Carb & Lenten Main Dish Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:
organic lettuce or baby greens (sales and coupons abound for these, more about this tomorrow!)  ($0.50)
1/2 cup of non-starchy veggie (cucumbers, bell peppers, red onions, whatever you want!)  ($0.25)
1/2 an avocado, cubed   ($0.50)
1/2 cup of olives              ($0.50)
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds or chopped nuts   ($0.10)
1/4 cup of cooked, tiny bay shrimp    ($0.50)
1/4 cup of cooked navy beans, cooked from dry             ($0.25)
1-2 TBS of lacto-fermented vegetables (pictured here is my “PurpleKraut”).   ($0.25)
1 TBS of homemade balsamic vinaigrette (optional, see recipe below)   ($0.50)

Layer all ingredients in order listed above in a salad bowl. Toss to coat.  This is surprisingly filling and delicious!

Total Cost: $3.35

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, smashed (optional)
1 TBS flaxseed oil

Mix all ingredients together.

This post has been a part of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and $5 Dinner Challenge!

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So this post is meant to inspire those who think a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, nourishing meal costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time.   This meal had all of the health in none of the time and hardly any cost.

I estimate that this is basically a $5.00 dinner because I took an $8.00 roast and split it in half. I plan to use the rest of the meat at the end of the week for “barbecue beef”.  I probably used a little over a dollar’s worth of produce; a few handfuls of arugula for a side salad, a burdock root and a few carrots, some onions, celery, and assorted spices. 

On the salad I plopped some herbed chevre (a deal at Grocery Outlet) and a few Cajun walnuts that were part of a homemade gift basket.  I added some coleslaw leftovers (a deliciously simple blend of sliced apples, red onions, green cabbage, homemade mayo, and a touch of pomegranate vinegar) which thankfully keep for a while in the fridge!

The roasted veggies were simply burdock root (think parsnip) and carrots cut into small cubes, tossed with dried thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  This could have been added to the pot roast, but I wanted a more crisp-tender flavor, so I threw them in during the afternoon.  If you needed advanced prep, consider cutting all the veggies and mixing the herbs/spices in advance and so they would be ready to throw in right when you get home.  I convection-roasted them for about 30 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes or so.  They turned out deliciously crispy on the outside, tender on the inside!

The roast was a spur-of-the-moment creation based on what I had on hand, which I threw into the crockpot in the morning:

 1) I sliced two onions and covered the base of the crockpot with the onions.

2) I added the rump roast, to which I had inserted about 8 peeled garlic cloves into random slits I made with my knife.

3) I generously covered the roast with dried basil, 21-seasoning mix from Costco, dried leeks, sea salt, and pepper.

4) On top of all that, I drizzled pomegranate molasses (something I got in a gift basket last year). I’m told that this is a great stand-in for Worcheshire sauce. 

5) Over the whole thing, I poured about a cup of homemade beef broth.

6) I cooked it on low for about 8 hours, and after 7 hours I shredded the meet with a fork, added about 8 sticks of celery and let it cook another hour.

Afterthoughts:

This made the entire house smell like heaven today. The kids devoured their meat and my son loved the roasted veggies (my daughter needs to avoid starch, and thankfully she naturally does!).  My daughter did eat an arugula salad, which kind of shocked me!  There are plenty of leftovers with this meal and I plan to take the pan juices (with all the onions/leeks/garlic flavors) and blend them up with some tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, dijon mustard, and a hint of chipotle powder to make a BBQ sauce to serve on the leftovers Saturday night.

I must say, this meal is grain-free, low-glycemic (as long as you go easy on the roasted veggies, keep them to 15% of your meal), nourishing and not too spendy!  And I promise when you eat this way, you start to go longer between meals, not needing snacks for 4-5 hours (seriously) and feeling satisfied for longer periods of time.  Ultimately, that saves money in the long run!

This post is being shared with the good folks at “Tempt my Tummy Tuesday“.

Subscription update:  I am in the process of getting automatic, normal subscription options on this blog. Until then, if you’d like to receive old-fashioned e-mail updates, send me a note at carrie [at] organicthrifty [dot] com.

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Yesterday, however, I was so excited to “harvest” 10 quarts of bone broth made from 100% grassfed cow bones. After 72 hours simmering on the stove, it was finally time.  I always like to have an amply supply of ready-made beef bone or chicken broth on tap for making soups and sauces.

Why Broth?

According to Sally Fallon’s article called Broth is Beautiful:

Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Many of us are mineral-deficient, and the mineral supplements we take are not very bio-available.   Broth is not only super nutritious, it’s so cheap and simple to make!  It’s amazing what a difference in flavor cooking in broth produces!

Bone broth also contains gelatin, which Sally Fallon further expounds on in her article:

“Although gelatin is not a complete protein, containing only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal. During the siege of Paris, when vegetables and meat were scarce, a doctor named Guerard put his patients on gelatin bouillon with some added fat and they survived in good health.”

To read the rest of the article, go here.

As for the price breakdown, I have a source for beef bones locally and can get them for $0.50 per lb!!!  I use 1-2 lbs of bones at a time, along with the “ends” of the celery hearts (you know, the part you always throw away), a few carrots, and 2 large onions. Oh, and I always throw in a sheet of kelp (the see vegetable) which they say adds lots of additional trace minerals.  I put it all into an 8 gallon stock pot and simmer for about 3 days.

Upon harvest, I estimate that I easily obtained about 3 gallons of beef broth, and I spent maybe $1.50 at the most for 3 gallonsof broth!  This is mineral-rich, flavor-rich broth adds so much bioavailable nutrition, and enables me to stretch my meals endlessly almost.  What better way to utilize some unappealing leftovers then to mix them with delicious bone broth?  Better yet, is there any more inspiring way to clean out the pantry than to create your own soup?

Here are a few tips for making Thrifty Bone Broth:

1) Find a source of grass-fed beef, preferably farm direct, and ask about bones. Often butchers just throw these big bones away, so you might score a really good deal!  You’re looking for large femur and knuckle bones. 

2) Ask your butcher at Whole Foods or other health food store if they can order bones for you. These often come at a very fair price.

3) Save any ribs or bones from steaks that you eat in the freezer. Continue to add meat scraps until you have enough to make broth. This goes for chicken bones as well (note: I never by boneless chicken anymore; not only is it more expensive, but you don’t get the double-bonus of bones to make into broth at the end!)

4) Same with veggies; start saving the “butts” of your celery, carrot shavings/tops, and random pieces of veggies that can become a “stock kit” in your freezer.

5) When cooking your broth, assemble all ingredients in a pot with water.  Add 1-2 TBS of vinegar and let it sit, unheated, for 30 minutes to an hour. The vinegar, being acidic, acts to draw the minerals out of the bones so that they are released into the broth and bioavailale!

6) Once you begin cooking, you will see “scum” form at the top of the broth. Gently skim this off. These are the impurities rising from the cooking process.

So, for Day 2 of my Fridge and Pantry Cleanout I essentially filled my fridge and freezer even more with a stash of bone broth…..but I utilized a bunch of veggies that were going bad for the broth, as well as some onions from the pantry, as well as a couple pounds of bones.  I still have a huge box of bones in my freezer….I estimate these will get me through half the year at least, but we’ll see!

Tune in tomorrow to see what the menu plan for the week is, as I plan to cook from only what’s in the fridge, pantry, and freezer this week!

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As promised, I’m declaring the entire month of January a “Fridge and Pantry Cleanout” month whereby every meal will be formulated from stuff I have on hand in the fridge, freezer, other freezer, storage shed, or pantry.  I just finished my proposed menu plan for the week, and I’ve gotta say, I think I’m going to be able to easily make it through the month of January (possibly February too) easily without buying much of anything.

My rules for No-Spend January are:

1) Use everything I have on hand to create all of our meal plans.

2) No going out to eat (unless we have a gift card, or it’s our anniversary—January 13th).

3) There is a $10 spending allowance per week for fresh produce, household items, and eggs. Oh, and maybe organic cream. The husband can’t live without that!  But since we have a winter CSA and a good stockpile of household items (I make lots of cleaners and stuff) we should really only be spending our weekly money on eggs & cream.  Alas, I do not yet have a hen or a cow :( 

4) Post a “before and after” picture of the meal I created, the recipe, and approximate cost breakdown (if appropriate) and how the family liked it.

5) All meals contain real food and are grain-free and have a macro-nutrient ratio of 30/30/40 (protein/fat/unrefined carbs).

So today, I started out by building a meal around something that’s been hanging around the depths of my fridge for about a year and a half. Back in fall 2008, a friend and I went to a local orchard to pick plums for $.80/lb.  I picked a lot of plums.  I dehydrated many of them, ate a lot fresh, and experimented with lacto-fermentation for about 2-3 quarts of them.  Well, I have to be honest that after lacto-fermenting them, they lost all appeal for me. I just wasn’t interested in trying them! But they’ve been on my conscience for several months now, and it was finally time to use them.

I also had a nice pack of organic, free-range Trader Joe’s drumsticks in the freezer (the dear daughter’s absolute favorite) and I thought I would build on the “Asian plum chicken theme”.  It turned out that my trusty Better Homes & Gardens cookbook had a recipe that was easily adaptable.

Plum Chicken with Cabbage
serves 8

1 package of 6 organic, free-range chicken drumsticks ($4.35)
1 onion, sliced into rings ($0.25)
2 cups of pitted, lacto-fermented (or canned) plums ($0.20)
1/8 cup of unpasteurized nama shoyu (aka soy sauce) ($0.25)
4 garlic cloves ($0.10)
1 ” piece of fresh ginger ($0.05)
1-2 Tablespoons of raw honey ($0.25)
1/2 tsp five spice powder ($0.05)
2 cups of shredded savoy cabbage ($0.50)
1 cup chopped celery ($0.25)
lacto-fermented ginger carrots, for garnish ($0.25)

Total : ~$6.50

For this meal only: $3.25

In a 6 quart crock pot, place the sliced onions.  Top with the drumsticks (mine were frozen). Meanwhile, in blender, blend the plums, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and five spice powder.  Pour over the chicken.  Cook for about 6 hours on low (or at least that’s what I did).  Add shredded cabbage and celery and cook for 30 minutes until veggies are slightly tender but not completely limp.  Serve with lacto-fermented ginger carrots and pass the hoisin sauce (we happened to have a little left from a long time ago that was still good).

The Outcome:

Very good! My 4 year old gobbled up the chicken but ignored the cabbage. We had a friend who cleaned his plate and enjoyed it, and I thought it was a very tasty, refreshing meal (as did my husband). And, I have two large pyrex bowls leftover, which will provide for two more meals for us this next week. So overall, I would say $6.50 for 3 meals makes this meal officially a “$5.00 dinner”, even with using organic, free-range chicken. This would have tasted great sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and scallions (which I didn’t have).  The chicken is really flavorful and falls right off the bone, which makes it easy to “stretch” the chicken further.  My daughter was the only one who insisted on having her own drumstick.

Leftover suggestions: Wrap with a lettuce leaf for Asian-inspired lettuce wraps, add to chicken broth for an Asian-inspired chicken soup.

Some thoughts: For a family of 4 plus 1 male guest, this meal made plenty with leftovers.  I think it’s so nice and satisfying to know that you can use high quality, organic ingredients and eat a filling, grain-free, low carb meal!  The dark meat of the drumsticks has more fat (which is a good thing; it will fill you up!) and also contains more minerals. It’s also the thriftiest part of an organic, free-range chicken to buy. This meal would obviously be way cheaper with conventional chicken, but knowing what I know about how these chickens are raised, I prefer organic. I figure that the extra money I pay is providing more nutrients (organic, free-range meat has more omega-3s than conventional and more nutrients as well) which means that ultimately I’m eating less calories to consume the nutrients I need. 

Thus concludes Day One of the Fridge and Pantry Cleanout. Join me tomorrow as I piece together another meal from the “fragments”…I press on until I can reach all the way into the back of my fridge, freezer, pantry, and storage shed!

If you’d like to “subscribe” to this blog, I have a ghetto way of doing it: You e-mail me: carrie [at] organicthrifty [dot] com and ask me to add you to my subscription list. You’ll get an e-mail whenever a new post is up. Or you can follow on twitter! 

Also: Do you have any delicious, filling ways of cooking Butternut Squash or Pumpkin that are Grain-Free? I have enough in storage to last me till kingdom come and need some inspiration!  E-mail me (see above) if you have any ideas!

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I have never seen these anywhere! I bought 3 packages! NO SUGAR!

There was a wide assortment of Yogi Herbal teas for $1.99; these are normally close to $5!

I use tea tree oil in homemade beauty products and cleaning products, and these two bottles cost less than the normal cost of one!

I always stock up on Epsom Salt whenever I see a good price because this is a great, inexpensive way to pamper yourself with a detox bath.

I was so excited to find Organic Vegetable Starts for $1.50 per 6! Mustard Greens, Lettuces, and Broccoli starts for my winter garden!

Organic Tomato Paste: $.50 each. I stocked up and got a whole case; this is a staple in our home for sauces and lacto-fermented ketchup.

This was the FIND OF THE DAY!!! Uncured bacon for $1.99! Granted, it's not organic and I do shudder to think how it's raised. Sorry folks, I brake for uncure bacon deals!

This cold-pressed olive oil has the looks of being decent, although one never knows. It is in a dark glass bottle, which is promising. The price was good, too, around $4.

These are my favorite deals; the "bargain produce shelf". I purchaed bags and bags of fresh tricolor peppers (in good shape) for $0.99 per bag (there were 3-4 peppers per bag). I choped them and froze them in baggies for use in sauces, soups, and stir-fries.

I think the happy dance I did in the aisle when I saw the uncured bacon drew some stares, and I couldn’t stop talking about the cacao chips.  It was a good day. My daughter could sense it, and she asked if she could have a pack of glittery pencils in the impulse buy section of the checkout line. I think it’s really cute when your kid passes up the candy and sets her eyes soley on pencils.  A proud moment and a wonderful shopping experience

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One of the things we miss most being grain-free is good old spaghetti.  Being of Italian origin, this depravation really hits home.  Fortunately, I’ve found some frugal, low-carb, nutrient-dense ways of enjoying all of my favorite Italian-themed pasta meals without all of the starchy, carby, low-nutrient pasta!

In the wintertime, my solution is easy: Bake a spaghetti squash, peal out the “innards” and top it with all the Mediterranean goodness I can find.  But since I try to eat local and seasonal, I need a summer-version and since zucchini abounds (nearly everyone I know who has a garden is looking to unload a few of the big puppies onto friends, so buddy up with a gardener and I’ll bet you can get one or two for free!), I have found a very enjoyable way to eat spaghetti!

Even though Mark beat me to the punch by posting his version last week, I am not copy-cat blogging because what I am sharing is my own original version (although ours are practically the same, but do check out his post to fill in any gaps!).  And just for the record, I started this post a few days before he posted!

To make the noodles:

Figure about a pound of zucchini for 3/4 a pound of noodles.  Two medium-large (not the baseball-bat sized) zucchini worked perfectly for our family of four.

1) I use this absolutely amazing little gadget from The Pampered Chef (and no, I don’t sell it, so free advertising for them, although I might have to start….) that is the best $7.50 ever spent:

This peeler effortlessly takes zucchini and beautifully shreds it into delicate, angel hairlike pasta. I like to just peel the zucchini on until I get to the seeds, then I flip it over and shred the opposite side until I hit seeds, and then flip the zuke over 90 degrees and repeat until all the usable flesh has been shredded.  I tend not to try to shred the middle part with the seeds as it really doesn’t work well.  You could just use a knife to cut the middle if you wanted, I have done that and it works.

2) Once you have pealed your desired amount of pasta, salt it with about 1/2 tsp. of sea salt and let the noodles sit for at least 30 min, more if you have time.

3) After the allotted time, throw your noodles in a tea towel and gently wring them so as to release the water. This is so that your noodles don’t turn to mush.

4) You can actually enjoy the noodles raw after they’ve been salted and drained; this would provide the most “al dente” texture.  The noodles also taste great when “flash sauteed” in about 1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (scroll down on the page for Chaffin Family Orchards; they’re awesome!) for just about 3-5 minutes in order just to tenderize them without loosing shape or flavor.

5) Serve as a base for traditional meat/marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, or stir-fried meat and veggies.  

6) My kids LOVE these, by the way. They are so tender and easy to eat, just like angel-hair pasta. 

Total Price for the Noodles: $0.75 (at a local farm stand for 2 zucchini) 

Easy, Nourishing Meat Sauce
This simple meat sauce combines mineral-rich bone broth with simply tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. I sometimes add a chopped carrot or two because my vitamix can easily handle it and that just adds to the veggie load.  I love this recipe with lots of fresh basil. Add as much or as little grass-fed meat as your budget allows; a little can go a long way, especially if you hide a little sneaky liver or heart in to make it stretch.

1 can of organic tomato paste ($0.50 at Grocery Outlet)
2 cups of homemade chicken stock ($0.50 by my estimation) more to thin, if needed
2-4 cloves of garlic (depending upon your taste) ($0.20)
1/2-1 lb. of organic, free-range beef (depending upon your budget) $2.50/half pound
1 onion, chopped ($0.25)
1-2 TBS Italian Herb Seasonings OR 2 Handfuls of fresh garden Herbs (such as basil, oregano, thyme) (free from my garden)

1) Brown the beef and the onion in a large saute pan.

2) Meanwhile, in a blender (I use my Vitamix and it’s awesome!), blend the tomato paste, chicken stock, garlic, and herbs.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

3) Once the meat has browned, add the sauce and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

4) Serve atop zucchini spaghetti and garnish with a little raw parmesan cheese, if desired.

Total Cost for the Dish: $4.70 (We also included a “free green salad” from the garden, but I could hardly eat much of it as this meal was so filling in and of itself!)

Health Notes:

This meal is an optimal nutritional meal as it is mostly plant-based, with good, mineral rich stock and nutrient-dense grass-fed beef included.  The herbs add medicinal value and flavor without added calories, and the garlic has a host of benefits as well, including anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  This meal is very filling because of the richness of the nutrients, yet is relatively low in calories. The same meal, served over wheat or rice pasta would clock in 3 times the amount of carbs! Zucchini is also an alkalizing vegetable, which balances out the acid of the tomato paste and the meat.  Since grains are also acid-forming, the “traditional” version of this meal would carry a strong acid load.

I hope you’ll try this simple, nourishing recipe and see for yourself that low-carb, nutrient-dense, “paleo” meals are not only affordable, but rich in nutrients that your body needs!

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet.

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There is nothing more deliciously sublime than a bowl of real, MSG-free miso soup.  Thanks to recent commenter, Jen, who urged me to share this recipe that has become a staple in our weekly menu.

Miso soup combines the best of traditional food with the conveniences of modern living. It’s a thrifty, fast food, even with the initial investment in good-quality miso! It’s a must for busy folks who are looking for an amazing nourishing lunch that is nutrient-dense, healthy, quick, and cheap. 

Unlike powdered packets of “instant miso soup” you may find in grocery stores, real miso soup is made with live, cultured, enzyme and probiotic-rich miso paste and nourishing, nutrient-rich bone broth.  That alone is enough reason to consume it regularly; but add to the mix dried sea veggies as well as carrots, cabbage, shittake mushrooms (an extravagant add-in, I know!) and scallions and you have yourself a healthy feast!

My formerly junkfood-addicted husband is now addicted to Miso Soup and makes it for himself anytime he’s home for lunch!  The fact that my husband is able to make this on his own is also a testimony to how easy it is to make.

When it comes to the brand of miso I use, I stick with Miso Master.  I get nothing from this company for promoting their product, so here’s some free advertising. Take a browse at their selection of misos and read about their intense, traditional process of making miso here. 

I LOVE this brand because they are the only brand I’ve found that actually makes gluten-free and soy-free misos.  Instead of using barley, they have some misos that use only brown rice and one that uses chickpeas in place of soybeans.  I personally use the chickpea miso, but I’m actually not concerned about the soy or the barley in the miso because this company prepares their miso in a traditional way, such that any anti-nutrients are inactivated by the fermentation process. Best of all, they are a GMO-free company!  Kudos to you, Miso Master!!!!

Why Miso? 

In addition to containing the mineral-rich bone broth, miso soup contains properties that have been said to inhibit the growths of cancerous tumors, and research also suggests that eating one bowl of miso soup per day can reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer!  [source]

Oh, and did I mention it’s just plain tasty?!?!?  Yes, even my children love it!

The variations are endless, but here’s the basic recipe with notes and variations to follow:

Grand Total: $2.75 (or less, if you use garden-fresh veggies!)

The Process:

1) Bring the stock to a boil and add your veggies, both sea and land, along with the fresh ginger and garlic.  Cook until the veggies are tender, about 5-10 minutes depending upon the type.

2) Ladle out about 1/2 cup of the broth into a separate bowl.  Mix miso paste with the broth thoroughly to dissolve the paste.  Add the broth back to the pan and stir to distribute.

3) Garnish with green onions and serve!

Optional Add-Ons:

• For more protien, add some leftover chicken, shrimp, or scallops.
• Shredded carrots are a nice addition as well.
• For a “miso noodle” soup sans carbs and grains, add a handful of Kelp Noodles for texture and fun!
• To give the miso soup some “kick” add some red pepper flakes and a few more cloves of garlic.

Really, the only essential is the miso paste and the stock, the rest is up to you! The most thrifty mode, as always, is to “use what you have on hand” , but do head out to your nearest health food store and pick up some Miso Master because it really is worth every penny, and goes a LONG way.

But before you head for the store, go check out what other Real Foodies are blogging about for Real Food Wednesday!

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This week, Kimi, over at The Nourishing Gourmet (a beautiful blog, so inspirational!) is hosting her weekly Pennywise Platter Round-Up and I’m excited to jump in and share a thrifty recipe that is nourishing and “paleo”.  So often, we think of “beans and rice” when we consider frugal foods, but does thrifty necessarily mean high-carbs?  My mission, here at Organic and Thrifty, is to prove otherwise!!!!

This delicious meal combines a thrifty and nutritious staple vegetable, green cabbage, with pork jowl bacon, a rather odd (but extremely frugal) cut of meat found in my local grocery store, WinCo.  The entire meal cost way under $5.00, and was devoured by my husband and two children. 

I chose to use pork jowl bacon at the recommendation of my massage therapist whose intense research into the human body has lead him to the conclusion that Westerners are all hopelessly devoid of collagen in their diet.  As a devout Weston Price “follower”, my LMT knows that animal fat and protein is important, but we Westerners tend to avoid the organs, tendons, and cartilage of the meat….you know, the “grizzle”.  Though not necessarily pleasing to the palate, these parts contain lots of collagen which is crucial for the body’s repair of muscles and ligaments.  While beyond the scope of this post, I do want to devote an upcoming post to the importance and benefits of collagen in the diet.

After the collagen pep talk, I decided to seek out sources and I was pleasently surprised to find abundant options at my local WinCo (which has a multi-enthnic customer base, so carries a variety of interesting meat choices that most typical chain grocery stores don’t carry).  It turns out that Pork Jowl Bacon is very high in collagen and is a pleasant way to consume it! (I’m not quite brave enough for pig’s feet!)

Pork Jowl Bacon does not come sliced, so it’s easy to cube, which is what I did for this recipe. It has a taste and texture like that of a ham steak, yet with more of a bacon “kick”. It’s hard to explain, but if you think “ham” it should go down just fine. At any rate, it pairs perfectly with cabbage.  Here’s what I did:

Sauteed Cabbage with Pork Jowl Bacon
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 Tablespoon each of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Butter ($0.30 for both)
2 cups diced pork jowl bacon ($1.50 at Winco)
1/2 medium yellow onion ($0.15)
1/2 medium head of cabbage (about 4-5 cups), shredded (approx. $0.75)
1/4 cup of homemade chicken broth (less than $0.10)
2 teaspoons dried, crumbled sage (free from garden, or negligible if bought in bulk)
2 teaspoons dried, dulse flakes ($0.60)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Melt butter and olive oil in a cast iron or stainless steel saute pan.

2) Add diced pork jowl bacon and saute for 10 minutes over medium heat.

3) Add the shredded cabbage and onion cook until limp, but still “crunchy” looking.

4) Add the chicken broth and cover the pan to steam-cook for about 5-7 minutes until completely soft.

5) Add sage and dulse, sea salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

 This meal is truly thrifty in so many ways. It costs a total of $3.40 for 4 people (there was not a lick of the dinner left in the pot!!!), but the great thing about it is that the nourishing fat from the pork and butter, paired with the calcium-rich broth and the vitamin-rich cabbage satiated me for the rest of the evening.  This meal is also very quick to prepare. In fact, for those paleo-types out there who are not adverse to such things, it would make a fabulous breakfast!

I hope you’ll try the pork jowl bacon and let me know what you think. For the price, you can’t beat it! 

Join me and head over to Kimi’s Pennywise Platter Thursday and check out the other like-minded folks who are stretching their dollars with nutrient-dense food!

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