One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1111 of 2143 - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Vegan Friendly Brown Rice and Black Bean Sliders

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 19, 2014 · 4 Comments

My buddy Francisco and I got together recently and made these “burgers.” Sometimes his recipes are so good I seriously consider joining him as a vegan. Then I come to my senses. But vegan or not, these sliders are awesome! Try them and you just might want to convert too.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for sauteing
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium chipotle pepper, seeded & finely diced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 tsp lime juice {I used bottled}
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Directions

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and pepper and saute for 3 more minutes. Put onion mixture into a food processor, and add black beans, rice and lime juice. Pulse just until chopped, but not pureed.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs and cilantro, and stir until combined.

Form into 8 equal patties {roughly 1/4 cup each} and place on baking sheet lined with plastic wrap {I use a Silpat. It’s the only way to go!}. Move pan to refrigerator and let chill for at least 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook sliders for 3-4 minutes per side. Serve on buns with all the normal burger fixins’.

Check out this awesome cookbook for more tasty vegan recipes:

The Happy Herbivore Cookbook: Over 175 Delicious Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

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Food Waste in the U.K.

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 19, 2014 · 7 Comments

A large grocery store chain in the U.K. called Sainsbury’s is taking food waste by the horns according to an article I found recently.

They have created a complete life-cycle for their food waste. It is basically a genius tiered plan: Food that is still edible, but not sellable, is donated to food banks. Food that is not really fit for human consumption is donated to local zoos and/or animal feed production companies.

The stuff that is beyond edible is trucked off {by the same trucks that deliver the food, so no extra trips} to a waste management company. The waste management company uses a zero-oxygen anaerobic digester to break down the food into methane gas that is converted into usable energy–as in electricity.

The electricity will then be fed back through a .9 mile cable to power the store. Turns out, it will be enough energy to feed the entire store’s energy needs {and then some}.

The new program hasn’t started yet, but the wheels are in motion. Seriously, how cool is that? Someone is really using their melon…pun intended!

I just love a happy ending when it comes to food waste.

~Mavis

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How to Calm Down When You Are Overwhelmed

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 19, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Let’s face it, we all get overwhelmed from time to time. As adults, it usually stems from our inability to say “no” to certain obligations. With back to school upon us, our schedules are about to get busy again {or maybe still}, running kids here and there, but what about the kids in all of those activities? How do we teach them to manage their stresses? Seriously, is it just me, or is being a kid a lot harder than it used to be? It can’t just be me, because lately, I’ve noticed a lot more attention on kids and stress.

If your kiddos are feeling the pressure, here are a couple of ways to help them calm down when they are feeling overwhelmed:

Teach them how to weed out a couple of activities. They may love soccer, piano, student council, advanced classes, etc., but if it is taking up all of their evenings and leaving no down time, they may start to feel overwhelmed before they are even consciously aware. Learning to let some activities go now is a skill that will serve them well throughout their life. I think as adults, we call it prioritizing.
Teach them to take deep breaths. When stress strikes, we aren’t always in a place to limit our obligations. Sometimes teachers assign something big on the same day as a big game or whatever. Deep breaths help to at least limit the physical manifestation of stress.
One thing at a time. No matter how incredible we are, we can only do one thing at a time. Teach kids that they can only tackle one thing at a time on their to-do list. Although it seems too long to get everything done, checking off one thing at a time will eventually get the job done.
Make health a priority. Healthy eating and exercise makes dealing with the demands of life a lot easier. Stress can be a real strain on the immune system, a weakened body will eventually succumb to illness.
Schedule in alone/down time. Having NOTHING to do is priceless when your kiddo is over-scheduled and overwhelmed. Quiet, alone time allows your kiddo to shut off some of their obligations for a minute.
Teach them to walk away when the answer isn’t obvious. Social pressures can be super overwhelming. The “right” response isn’t always obvious. Walking away and putting some space and time between the problem gives your kids a chance to consider potential solutions.
Reconnect with nature. If you follow this site for my gardening, you probably already totally get this one, but kids are so technologically savvy, they have forgotten the importance of reconnecting with the out of doors. A walk, fishing, hiking, shooting hoops in the driveway allow kids to soak up some essential vitamin D, get fresh air, and satisfy their need for exercise.

Have your kids experienced stress in some way?

How did you teach them to manage it? How do you manage your own stress?

~Mavis

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The Best Plants for Repelling Mosquitoes

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By Mavis Butterfield on August 19, 2014 · 6 Comments

Linda from facebook recently asked:

Mavis, what kind of plants have you found to be effective for mosquito repellent?

My first thought was GAP black long-sleeved t-shirts have worked as an AWESOME mosquito repellent for me for years, but then I realized, not everyone can commit to cutting-edge fashion as I have.

So, here’s the truth: there is no fool-proof plant to completely repel mosquitoes. There are definitely plants that have been shown to deter them a bit, though, when planted in areas that you tend to hang out most. It’s like this: Imagine a stinky locker room. It may ruin your appetite a bit, but if you’re reaaaally hungry after a workout {also pretend I know what I am talking about when I say “locker room” and “workout”}, you’re probably still going to go ahead and eat it. That’s kind of how mosquitoes roll. They will go for blood. Everytime.

After all that, I do want to mention that that doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s not worth trying. It is. Using plants to deter them is all part of the battle, and we are waging war. So, here’s a couple of plants to try that have actually been shown to at the very least, ruin their dining experience:

Lime Basil
Catnip
Thyme
Garlic
Citronella – This one is probably the most common and effective. It actually masks the smell of food for mosquitoes, making it harder for them to find you.
Beebalm/Horsemint
Marigold – These flowers have tons of benefits to the garden. Plant them irregardless.
Ageratum
Cedar
Lavendar
Lemon Geranium – Honestly, there are mixed reviews on whether or not these work.
Eucalyptus
Rosemary
Tea Tree – This one is not a good idea if you have pets.
Mint – Plant in pots on the patio, otherwise, mint will take over your beds, garden, grass, you name it.

There are more, but they come with less desirable features, like they are considered weeds by most folks. Plant several from the list, as they all work in different ways {omitting an offensive odor to the mosquito, masking the smell of actual food, etc.}.

I hope that helps,

Mavis

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