Zero Waste: How To Make Lazy Pickles

The easiest pickle "recipe" ever!

I love pickles. There's something about the salty, sour flavor that makes me crave pickles when the weather is hot and stormy. When I buy pickles, they are usually gone before I know it. I save the pickle jar with the brine for making "lazy pickles." There's really no recipe. All you do is clean 'em, cut 'em, and drop 'em in. Simple as that. Chop, chop. Splish, splash.

As if cutting the cucumbers in half would make me eat less... ;)

I also really enjoy purchasing fresh vegetables when they are on sale, or buying "seconds" at the farmers market. I'll post more about seconds in a future blog, however this one covers the easiest pickle recipe ever. If you have cucumbers, carrots, or peppers that started to go soft, cut them up and put them in your pickle brine and set them in your fridge at least overnight to let the vinegar set in.

In case you are worried, the vinegar and salt combo kills any germs there may be so the brine lasts a long  time and is perfectly safe to re-use.

When I get around to doing it, my next pickle post will hopefully be about lactofermentation... exciting! For now, these simple pickles will do.

Do you ever pickle veggies that are going soft? What other ways do you save your soft veggies from going to the trash?

Eat Cheaply: Lentil Soup

My lunch today.  Remember my "secret" to making any meal look fancy.

Bean dishes are known for being especially tasty, especially cheap, and healthy to boot! According to this site, lentils are high in fiber, iron, B vitamins, and protein. So eat up! 

Here's my very own cheap and easy recipe for lentil soup.

 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups dry lentils
Water
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Black pepper

Optional:

Ham or Steak bone (already cooked, meat removed from bone)
Red pepper flakes
Minced onions
Chopped chives
Fresh parsley for garnish

Prep:

1. Put 2 cups of lentils in a big bowl. I prefer a Tupperware bowl or Mason jar, but anything big enough that can hold liquid will do.
2. Rinse and strain.
3. Then cover with twice as much water. Loosely cover with a lid.
4.  Let sit overnight at room temperature. The lentils will soak up all the water and grow up to double their size. They may even possibly show signs of beginning to sprout. This is perfect!

Cooking:

1. Rinse the beans one more time.
2. Then pour them into a saucepan, and top with water, just above the beans, or more if you like your soup thin.
3. If you have a ham or steak bone, now is the time to add it.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Add spices to taste (sorry, I never measure...trust your senses).
6. Boil for 20 minutes or until beans are soft.

Enjoy:

1. Remove bone and give it to your dog. He will love you.
2. Scoop soup into bowls and add garnish before serving.
3. Take a photo and post it on my blog. ;)

This is a great soup when you are stuck home sick (like I have been the past 2 days) or when the weather gets chilly.

I wrote this blog using the Blogger app while sitting in the doctors office. Do you have any go-to soup recipes for when you are sick?

How to Make Any Meal Look Fancy!

So I'll admit. I love to cook, but I'm no personal chef... With a background in art, at least I can kind of make it look like it! Whether it’s take-out, served last minute to friends, or a garnished 35 cents box of macaroni and cheese-  here are some key tips taken from discussions with my brilliant personal chef sister, Chef Melody...

Disclaimer: all of the photos of fancy food below were 100% home made. My brilliant sister reminded me she would "never, ever make boxed macaroni and cheese and garnish it," so there are, of course, no photos of macaroni below. Humor me and enjoy my side of dry italicized sisterly sarcasm. 

Here’s the secret: let the food take center stage:

Red and Yellow Tomato Salad by Chef Melody of  Order In With Me Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

Treat your table as if it is a blank canvas. Each dish is a work of art. Presentation is key!

-Set the mood. 

S: Did anyone else hear some weird old man with a creepy deep voice saying that in your mind when you read it?
 
Beautiful lighting makes any meal look fancy. Create a low light setting with a darker room. Add soft light with candles or low watt bulbs, lampshades and curtains to dim the lights. Keep in mind that you can enhance mood lighting with reflective materials like mirrors or shiny vases.

- Invest in a pretty set of dishes

S: No, apparently pretty paper plates don't count. ;)

Molten Chocolate Cake by Chef Melody of  Order In With Me
Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

Most upscale restaurants use plates that are white or black or at least a single neutral color.

- Serve smaller portions on large plates

S: as opposed to the American all-you-can-eat way of piling it as high as possible. You stop earning points for your mashed potato tower after graduating from college.

Seared Scallops by Chef Melody of  Order In With Me
Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

The negative space makes the presentation look more appealing. It features the food.

- Serve each item separately, in courses

S: the way Martha would do it. "It's a good thing."

 Shrimp Scampi by Chef Melody of  Order In With Me
Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

This allows your dinner guests the chance to focus on one set of flavors at a time and allows everyone to eat more slowly and savor the meal, without feeling the need to rush to the next course.

- Vary your colors.

S: You're S.O.L. if you're colorblind... vary textures?

Salad by Chef Melody of  Order In With Me Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

If you absolutely must serve everything on one plate, make sure you have at least 3-4 different colors on the plate. A meal of macaroni and cheese, carrots, and orange juice is bright but boring! Mix it up as much as you can! Bonus: meals that vary in color supposedly have more balanced nutrition.

- Add decorative flourishes to semi home made meals.

S: OK, I'll admit it- this tip is mine. My sister doesn't make "semi home made" anything.

Completely Home Made Twice Baked Potato Soup by Chef Melody of Order In With Me
Photographed by Penny Weaver Frazier.

A  sprinkle of hand-ground pepper and a sprig of something as simple as a celery leaf on top of a scoop of boxed macaroni and cheese can elevate a basic meal to a higher level. A hand full of fresh berries and little bit of chocolate syrup swirled around a store bought angel food cake can turn your table into desert heaven and make your guests feel special regardless of what you spent on the meal.

- Last but not least, a smiling host makes any meal delightful!

S; OK, OK... it's cheesier than the boxed mac and cheese my sister detests, but it's true.

One of my own "fancy" semi-home made meals.

Regardless of your budget, you are the king or queen of your household. Relax and have fun! Don't take yourself too seriously. :) It doesn't have to be perfect.  It’s okay when there are surprises. That’s what makes life interesting and entertaining guests entertaining!