Magic Garden

I was prepping my lunch yesterday - a black bean burrito - and wanted to add some fresh veggies to it.

Look at those perfect lettuce leaves and chives.  Did I pay big bucks for this fresh, organic produce? No, it's from my garden.

Did I buy that plant at the local garden center?  No, it was grown from the bottom of a head of romaine lettuce.  In fact, all of the plants in my tiny garden were grown from food I had purchased. I currently have romaine lettuce, chives, and celery growing, all of which came from scraps that would have either ended up in the garbage or a compost bin.  

Why is it a magic garden? Because I ate lettuce, chives, and celery ... and the garden made it reappear! 😉

OverDrive

I enjoy reading nonfiction a lot.  But if I had to purchase every book I read, it would become an expensive hobby.  Here's what I've read in the first eighty days of the year:

For most of my life, I have checked out books from the library.  In the past few years, my library has developed a great website where I can order a book and have it delivered to my local branch.  It takes a few days and then I have what I want.

But then came a game changer - OverDrive.

OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide.  I access OverDrive through my library's website and am able to check out a book instantly and read it in the free Kindle app.  Some popular books have to be wait listed but plenty don't, so I usually have a book I'm reading and then one or two on hold.  But the best part of all this?  No late fees!  When the book is due, it is automatically returned.  

Go find your library card and check out OverDrive right now. Remember that book you’ve wanted to read but haven’t had a chance to get? You could be reading it in minutes!

Black Bean Burritos

My favorite weekday lunch is a frozen Amy's burrito. I stock up when they're on sale, but even at $2 each, I know I can do better.  Last Sunday, I tried making black beans for the first time from scratch.  I was stunned to see how much one cup of dry beans turned into! I've eaten black bean burritos all week and my average cost was likely $0.50 each, including the tortilla and cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup dry black beans

1 tbsp olive oil

½ onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

1 cube chicken bouillon

Directions

• Soak the black beans in cold water to soften for 24 hours.  The next day, drain the beans well. If you did not pre-soak, rinse the dry beans.
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for five minutes.  Add the beans and spices and mix well.  Add the chicken bouillon cube to boiling water and pour over the bean mixture until it is covered (about 4-6 cups of liquid) and let simmer.
• Test beans after 90 minutes.  It should take about two hours if they are pre-soaked but mine took over three hours.

Notes

• I did NOT pre-soak the black beans and they took much longer to cook.  Next time I will pre-soak but if you want to try this recipe today, know that you can do it without the pre-soak, but you’ll cook them longer.
• Use whatever spices you have on hand.  I used lemon pepper instead of pepper, because I had it.
• If you're not sure how much water to add, start with four cups and add a little more as it cooks, if you think it needs it.
• I store the cooked beans in jars in the refrigerator because I like eating this every day.  You can freeze the leftovers or pre-make burritos and freeze those.
• I eat this on a tortilla with Mexican-style cheese, chopped romaine and chives, but be creative and add your favorite toppings.

Welcome

Welcome to Frugal is Sexy!

I thought about starting this blog during the Great Recession.  I looked around and all of my friends were struggling with job losses, large amounts of debt, and a great amount of worry.  People were moving from my hometown to look for employment elsewhere.  Everyone was talking about the changes they were going to make in their lives.

I just listened.

You see, I've been frugal my whole life.  People make fun of me for it and that's ok.  I'm constantly thinking about money but because it's in the back of my mind and involved in every decision I make, it stays in the back of my mind.  Sure it comes out strong from time to time - like now as our world faces a potential Great Depression - but once I got over the initial panic, I relaxed knowing that my family can still function on a very low income.  

I decided to start this now to share some of my ideas on ways to save money, whether it's recipes, shopping habits, book recommendations, or creating budgets.  Ideas that you can use when the economy is weak or strong.

I hope to share a lifetime of frugalness with you and to convince you that Frugal is Sexy.