My Childbirth Philosophy: I Was Made For This!

January 14, 2013 in Pregnancy

Photo courtesy of jess.g.

Recently, I have spent a lot of time evaluating my beliefs about pregnancy & childbirth. I started proactively learning about women’s health since my OB class in nursing school in the spring of 2009. Since then, I have spent countless hours researching pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, learning all about the different ways that different cultures practice these events and what options a Momma should have. I believe that education is very important, especially in regards to making life altering decisions for yourself and your family.

My Childbirth Philosophy

Philosophy on Care Providers: We shouldn’t have to rely on our care providers (doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, etc.) to make decisions for us, but rather collaborate with them & utilize their knowledge as a tool to educate us on our options, so that we may use our own sound judgement to make well educated decisions for ourselves and our families. Providers should equip women with the knowledge they need to understand and become in tune with their bodies, and be there to act as the expert to counsel educated decision making in urgent situations, giving a woman the confidence she needs for a relaxing & positive birth experience.

Philosophy on Prenatal Care: Momma (and Daddy) should be the pilot of her/their birth experience, with providers assisting in a safe “landing.” Each pregnancy is unique & care should be as minimally invasive as is deemed safe for that pregnancy, with great emphasis and thought put towards the healthy & safety of both mother & baby. I believe that there is a time and a place for modern medicine and modern medical care, but that is when there is a problem that alternative measures cannot resolve. Care should be holistic, meaning that care should meet not only physical needs, but mental, emotional, and spiritual needs as well. The family-centered care model should be used, meaning that any person directly impacted by the pregnancy & child’s arrival (mom, dad, children, etc.) should be viewed as the “patient.”

Philosophy on Pregnancy: Pregnancy is not an illness or a disease, and should not be treated as such. Pregnancy is one of the most meaningful times in a woman’s life. It is a time of celebration as she discovers what the Creator created her body to do! Ideally, a pregnant woman should have a strong support system during this time to remind her that pregnancy is not something to “get through,” but to cherish the miracle happening within her body.

Philosophy on Labor/Delivery: Childbirth should not be a fearful time! If providers do their jobs prenatally to educate & facilitate decision making and understanding, a pregnant woman should be able to deliver her new baby with confidence & joyful anticipation. A woman should be allowed to give birth in her body’s timing, not on a provider’s clock.

My body was made for this! (Genesis 9:1,7; Psalm 127:3-5; 128:3; John 16:21)

Philosophy on Postpartum Care: Women should have great support during the postpartum period, ideally from their care providers and other experienced mothers who can assist in advice for healthy recovery, lactation, and child rearing. Likewise, father’s also need good counsel on how to care for their wives and babies.

 

So, that is my current birth philosophy. Due to these beliefs, my husband & I have decided that we would like to use a midwife and attempt a home birth for this little one inside of me. We are open to the possibility that should I be deemed “high risk” for some reason that this may not be a the best option for us, but as long as I am considered low-risk and approved by my midwife, this is our plan.

What do you think of my childbirth philosophy? What are your views? Have you had your children in the hospital, birthing center, or home? Did you use a doctor or a midwife?

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Homemade Dog Shampoo – A Frugal & Safer Option

January 11, 2013 in diy, Frugality, Uncategorized

This is Mysti. She is our sweet, white haired, blue-eyed Australian Shepherd puppy… who is no longer a puppy. She’s over 6 years old now. Isn’t she so cute?!

Mysti

For the past year & a half, I have been very careful about the products that I put on my skin & use for myself and my hubby. However, I continued to use the store-bought, chemical laden dog shampoo for Mysti. One step at a time, right? Well, now that we are pregnant, I am even more cautious about the chemicals in my environment, and I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances in harming little Nugget, so the other day I set out on an adventure to find a great safe, homemade dog shampoo. As I was researching, I learned that a healthy skin pH level for humans is 4.5-6.5, but for for dogs it is 6.5-8.0. That means that you should never use a shampoo meant for humans on your dogs, because it will be much too acidic, which can cause skin irritation.

After a lot of reading & combining different ingredients recommended for cleaning pooches, here is the recipe I came up with:

Orange & Lavender Dog Shampoo

Ingredients
- 2 TBSP organic unscented liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner’s baby mild)
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup organic vinegar (I used distilled white)
- Orange & lavender essential oils, 2 drops each (I use Young Living brand, because I trust that they are pure and effective)

Directions
Combine liquid unscented castile soap & hot water in your bottle of choice (I used an old dish soap bottle). Close lid & shake well. Add vinegar & essential oils. Close lid & shake again. Shake well before each use.

You won’t need a lot of this soap for each cleaning (unless your dog is really dirty). I think I may use more castile soap next time, because it does not lather really well, but it does the job well even without a great lather. FYI, most castile soaps are alkaline with a pH of around 8 & vinegar is very acidic at 2.2. Keep this is mind when you are mixing your ingredients. Orange & lavender essential oils are both safe for dogs (provided they are pure essential oils from trusted brands such as Young Living or doTERRA). Orange is refreshing & lavender is calming/soothing and repels fleas.

I was very pleased with the results of using this shampoo. Before her bath, Mysti was very stinky. Afterwards, she smelled great (the vinegar was wonderful for eliminating odor), her coat was soft & shiny, and I observed no skin irritation. The orange & lavender were subtle, but very nice.

OrangeLavenderDogShampoo

Not sure how well you can see the liquid line, but this photo was taken after I gave her a bath. I used about 1/5 of the bottle & she was pretty dirty before her bath.

Cost Breakdown
- 2 TBSP organic unscented liquid castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner’s baby mild) – $0.60
- 2 cups hot water – practically free
- 1/2 cup organic vinegar (I used distilled white) – $0.05
- Orange & lavender essential oils, 2 drops each (I use Young Living brand, because I trust that they are pure and effective) – $0.18
TOTAL per bottle: $0.83
TOTAL per use (approximately 5 uses): $0.17

Average cost of store-bought dog shampoo: $5 per bottle with approximately 6-8 uses =$0.63-0.83 per use.

So, homemade is not only safer for us & our pets, but is substantially cheaper, and that was using organic ingredients & high quality essential oils!

Happy owners, happy dog, happy home!

Do you make your own pet shampoo or use store-bought?

Source for dog shampoo research.

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Happy New Year! Guess What!

January 4, 2013 in Uncategorized

You may have noticed that I have been MIA for a while. The holiday season was really rough for me and my family as it was the first one since my dad’s death. However, I am working on some great new posts for 2013 (and also trying to unglitch my wordpress server) and looking forward to sharing a lot in this new year!

Speaking of sharing, we are so excited to announce that we are pregnant with our first child and due in August 2013. God has incredible timing! We were not going to start trying until this year, but apparently the Lord had plans to make us parents a few months before we expected it! He is so full of wonderful blessings!

Happy New Year all! May 2013 be a year of great blessings!

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Country Kitchen Dinner: Skillet Apple Chicken & Coconut Flour Pancakes

September 28, 2012 in dinner, Kitchen Life, Meal Inspiration

I thought it would be helpful to start documenting some of the real food meals we eat so that I can refer back to them when I am trying to come up with dinner ideas. Maybe it will help you with meal inspiration, too!

Tonight we had a “country kitchen dinner” theme. This meal was gluten/grain free. Here is what we ate:

Skillet Apple Chicken – This was really good! I used coconut oil instead of olive oil & left out the tarragon because I didn’t have any. Hubby rated this recipe a 9/10 (1 being the worst, 10 being the best).

Coconut Flour Pancakes – These were good, but took a while to cook & were hard to get evenly cooked & I had to use quite a bit of coconut oil. I used honey for sweetener. The eggs I used were fairly small, so I wonder if adding an extra egg would have helped the crumbly consistency? They tasted yummy with maple syrup. We will make these again, but I will experiment with the consistency. I liked that the recipe was simple (no multiple types of flours or strange ingredients). Hubby rated these a 7/10.

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The Cost of Eating Real Food

September 25, 2012 in budgeting, Frugality, Kitchen Life, Uncategorized

 

When I talk to my friends and family about eating a whole, natural, unprocessed diet, by far the most common excuse for why they couldn’t do it as well is the amount of money they assume it takes to eat this way. Yet, somehow my little family ends up spending less on a monthly basis than a lot of these people. We live on one modest sized income & can afford real food. It is a priority to us. How does this happen? Well, I must admit that I am a bargain hunter and I am also blessed to live within a few miles of several different grocery stores. It takes time to figure out where the best deals are, but now that I have my routine down, it hardly takes any effort. There are a couple of key factors that save us money on our grocery budget:

  1. A freezer chest – absolutely invaluable when it comes to saving money on real food. I keep our chest freezer stocked with organic meats and wild Alaskan salmon that I buy when it is on sale as well as fruits & veggies frozen in season, homemade chicken stock, home ground flour, quality items bought in bulk for cheaper such as yeast, butter, raw cheese, and prepared-ahead foods such as homemade calzones & casseroles.
  2. Time – I am/was willing to spend time upfront in order to find where the best deals can be found in order to make the most of our money. I am also willing to spend time preparing foods to preserve by freezing, canning & dehydrating. I mill my own grain which makes it healthier and cheaper. I buy in bulk so I often have to re-portion items into smaller containers.

In the above photo you will see what I brought home today from my Azure Standard order and grocery store trip. My monthly grocery budget is $350, but I try to stick closer to $300 so that we can save the extra $$ for bulk purchases and other items we might need. When I stick to $300/month, that is a breakdown of $75/week for two adults. Here is the cost breakdown for all of what you see in that photo:

Azure Standard – TOTAL: $106.87 (but I had a $26.04 credit from some spoiled peaches from last month, so it really was only $80.83 but I will use the first number for cost break down)
- 4 lbs organic oranges – $4.20 / $1.05 lb
- 10 lbs organic Yukon Gold potatoes – $9.80 / $0.98 lb
- 3 lbs organic Walla Walla onions – $3.10 / $1.03 lb
- 5 lbs organic carrots – $4.00 / $0.80 lb
- 20 lbs organic Bartlett pears – $25.85 / $1.29 lb
- 20 lbs organic Gala apples – $19.60 / $0.98 lb
- 5 lbs organic raw coconut flour – $21.40 / $4.28 lb
- 4 lbs organic Nancy’s Whole Milk Yogurt – $6.90 / $1.73 lb
- 10 oz Crofter’s Strawberry Just Fruit Spread – $3.65 / $5.84 lb
Shipping: $8.37 (but no tax)

Kroger Store #1 + tax = TOTAL: $14.90
- 2.28 lbs fresh Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon – $14.90 / $6.29 lb (marked down on Manager’s Special)

Whole Foods + tax = TOTAL: $5.98
- 0.11 lb organic cumin – $1.76 / $16 lb
- 2.25 lb Parisienne sourdough bread – $3.99 / $1.77 lb (a special treat. I often make my own bread for much cheaper)

Kroger Store #2 + tax = TOTAL: $63.74
- 21.67 lbs Organic whole chicken (4 chickens) – $47.77 / $2.20 lb (marked down on Manager’s Special + $1.00 coupon for each chicken)
- 1.58 lb bananas – $0.87 / $0.55 lb

Other, not included in total because it wasn’t food, but was on sale:
- Rechargeable AA batteries (4ct) – $7.49 (Manager’s special)
- Non-rechargeable long lasting AA batteries (4ct) – $4.49 (Manager’s special)

GRAND TOTAL for FOOD: $178.51 for $108.89 lbs of mostly organic, real food = average $1.64/lb paid

So, I spent $152.47 (since I had that spoiled food credit from AS) out of our monthly food budget to purchase all of these items!

 

How will I use these items and how long will they last us?

-Most of the pears will be made into pear sauce or cut into slices and canned for future use. I will canned 6-8 quarts of pears and the rest we will eat fresh.
- 3/4 of the apples will be made into applesauce, cut into slices and made into apple pie filling, or apple butter and canned (6+ quarts) and the rest we will eat fresh.
- The salmon will be frozen and we will eat about 0.5 lbs of salmon per week so that should last us over a month
- We usually eat 1 whole chicken every 2 weeks & I use up every last bit of the chicken. We rarely eat chicken as a main dish. I usually shred it into soup, casserole, salad, mexican dishes, stir fry, etc. to make it stretch. I make stock with the bones & get 4-8 lbs of stock per chicken. The liver and other organs will be hidden in flavor-packed tomato dishes such as chili.
- Oranges, leftover apples, leftover pears & bananas will be packed in lunches and eaten for breakfast and snacks. The oranges will last us a month, but I will have to buy more fresh fruit in 1 1/2-2 weeks.
- 10 lbs of potatoes will last at least a month, but probably closer to 2 months.
- The onions & carrots will last a month.
- Coconut flour I use sparingly, so it will last quite a while and be wonderful for the fall & holiday baking season.
- 4 lbs of yogurt will last for 1 month & I may experiment with homemade yogurt if I have time and extra $$ in the budget to buy extra milk.
- Strawberry spread will last 2-3 months depending on how much hubby wants to eat it on toast or sandwiches.
- Cumin will make it for a few months.
- Sourdough bread will most likely be gone within a few days.

 

What else will I get this month?

This was my big shopping trip for the month and there isn’t much else I should need due to my already well stocked freezer. I have plenty of raw cheddar cheese, grass-fed ground beef, frozen fruits & veggies and butter in the freezer. We will also budget in:
- 1/2 gallon milk per week – $16.00/month
- 3 dozen pastured eggs – $10.00/month
- Fresh organic produce from grocery store & Farmer’s Market $60/month
- 1 lb fresh, organic peanut butter – $5.00 (we are almost out).
TOTAL: $91.00

We already have other frequently used items in the freezer and pantry such as raw cheddar cheese, butter, grass-fed ground beef, white wheat berries (soft and hard), honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, cocoa, spices, organic rolled oats, organic popcorn, organic beans, organic rice, organic corn, yeast, and common baking ingredients. In the future, I will post what my real food pantry looks like & what I like to keep on hand.

Add that $91.00 of expected spendings to the $152.47 I spent today and you get $243.47. I still have over $100 in my grocery budget I can spend if necessary, but I will try to save as much of that as possible for future bulk purchases.

I know that for many of you, $300-350/month is more than you have to spend. There are ways that I could have had real food for even less money, such as making my own bread, making my own jam, making my own yogurt, making my own coconut flour, buying canned rather than fresh salmon, and buying less organic produce (buying conventional for what was not on the dirty dozen list). We use a lot of potatoes, rice, and beans around my house, because they make a healthy, filling & affordable way to feed my family.

So, there you have an example of how we afford real food on a regular basis.

Has this post been helpful? How could it be more helpful? Do you have other tips & ideas for affording real food?

 

Shared on: Frugal Days Sutainable Ways

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Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili

September 24, 2012 in dinner, entrees, Frugality, main dishes, Recipes, soup

The weather here has recently cooled off a little and with the first days of autumn creeping in, nothing sounded better for dinner than one of my favorites: piping hot White Bean Chicken Chili made easy in the crockpot! This dish is quick to prepare on Sunday morning before church (as I did yesterday) or any other time when you only have 5-10 minutes to get a meal together.

Ingredients
- 16 oz homemade chicken stock*
- 1 white onion*
- 1 3 cloves garlic*
- 3 small or 1 large jalapeno peppers* (from my garden)
- 2 anaheim peppers* (from my garden)
- 2 cups shredded & cooked free-range chicken*
- 3-4 cups soaked white/navy beans*
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- 32-48 oz filtered water

*I used organic

Directions
1. Chop onions, garlic & peppers & place in crockpot
2. Add beans & chicken to crockpot
3. Pour chicken stock & water into crockpot
4. Stir in cumin, sea salt & pepper
5. Set crockpot on high for 4 hours

After 4 hours, it’s ready to serve! My favorite way to serve it is with shredded raw cheddar cheese on top and homemade whole wheat rolls… mmmmm!!! It’s absolutely spicy & delicious! If you don’t like spicy, leave out one or more of the jalapenos. This soup is frugal, packed with nutrients & bacteria/virus fighting foods such as garlic, onions, homemade chicken stock & hot peppers. It makes a great meal for when you’re feeling “under the weather.”

What is your favorite soup for the cooler months?

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Preparing For Pregnancy – Real Foods Preconception Diet

September 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

Hello blog world! I am back from a wonderful vacation with my sweet husband. We belatedly celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary (it was actually in June) by taking a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. We had such a wonderful time, but wow, was it exhausting! We visited all 4 parks in 4 days and being the Type A that I am, we did almost everything in every park which made for a LOT of walking! I am so blessed that God brought such an amazing man into my life 7 years ago, and so thankful that he has been my husband for the past 3 years.

Now that we are back, it is time for me to really buckle down and stick to a good preconception diet, so that hopefully once we are ready to start trying to conceive my body will be well equipped to nourish & grow a sweet little one. Did you know that ideally your body should be storing up nutrients for at least 6-12 months before conception? Babies need a lot to grow! As we have learned and transitioned to a real food diet over the past year, we have really cleaned up our bad eating habits; however, I have still indulged too many times in breads & sweets (even if whole and homemade) and have been guilty of inadequate intake of fermented foods. No more excuses! Time to get serious about making a suitable home for a baby! Take note that it’s not just momma that needs a healthy preconception diet. Daddy plays a big part in making baby healthy, too. Ideally, he needs to be on a fertility diet for at least 3 months prior to conception for optimal results.

When I started researching preconception/pregnancy diets I discovered that there was a lot of conflicting information in mainstream health communities, and it was difficult to find reputable real food sources on the subject. Thankfully, I finally found 3 different bloggers who are knowledgeable in the area of fertility & healthy pregnancy, whose standards also line up with the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) beliefs. Hooray!

Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama – author of Healthy Pregnancy Super Foods

Donielle @ Naturally Knocked Up – author of Naturally Knocked Up

Heather @ Mommypotamus – author of Nourished Baby

Just for the record, I am not affiliated with any of these authors and get nothing out of recommending their work, except the satisfaction that I am pointing my readers in the right direction when it comes to good information. These ladies are all fountains of knowledge on real foods for women, babies, and women having babies.

So, what are the keys to preparing the body for a healthy pregnancy?

Choosing the right…
Meat
Dairy
Fats
Lacto-Fermented Foods
Fruits/Veggies
Grains
Supplements & Misc.
Diet for Daddy

I am looking forward to discussing these topics with you all in the upcoming weeks!

Do you have preconcepti0n/fertility/pregnancy diet questions?

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Lightening Hair At Home + Natural Deep Conditioning

August 28, 2012 in beauty, Frugality, Health & Beauty, hygiene

Today I am posting about a topic that is not necessarily “natural,” but it was frugal, done at home & done in a way to protect myself from harmful chemicals.

Recently I decided that I wanted to try highlighting my hair, but I didn’t plan to spend the money to have it professionally done at a salon. Instead, I opted to do it myself at home with the help of my amazing sister-in-law. In case you didn’t know, I have tonsurephobia (real word!)… fear of haircuts as well as any other sort of hair change, lol. It all stems from a very bad hair cut experience as a child. Oh, my. What a combination!

 

Here is how we did it, as well as the before and after shots. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

1. When I went to get my hair cut last week, I asked my hairstylist to save a few locks of hair for me to take home so that I could use them as test strips later.

2. I was going to use a box of natural hair color that I found at the health food store, but my hairstylist recommended that I go to a haircare store and purchase something with bleach rather than a specific color, because what I wanted to do was place natural highlights in my hair.

3. At the haircare store, I bought the items below that were recommended by the store salespeople. Developer & lightening powder. What I really liked about these products is that they lightened my natural hair color by a few shades rather than straight up bleaching it. My total for these two products as well as the cap and applicator was $9 vs. the $150+ I would have paid at a salon. Yes, please!

4. Following the directions on the package & using gloves in a well ventilated area, we mixed a small amount of the two products together. We used my saved locks of hair as test strands before we applied the mixture to my head, just in case the results turned out less than desirous… this was the way I got over my hair fear and actually followed through with the highlighting.

5. Then my SIL pulled the strands I wanted highlighted through the hair cap, and after we made sure that we liked the color change on my test strands, we finished mixing the rest of the product according to the directions & applied the mixture to my hair. After that, we placed a grocery bag over my head to help seal in the heat. (TIP: your real hair will process faster than the test strands due to the heat on your body heat and the bag over your head, so check it frequently! Mine only took 13 minutes before it was MUCH lighter!)

6. After my hair lightened to the desired result, we rinsed the mixture out (using gloves), and then conditioned with some leftover sulfate free conditioner I had, being careful not to touch my scalp since I am a no ‘pooer. I conditioned the hair itself well, rinsed well, and dried it. I am told that it is natural for it to be a little bit dry and frizzy right away due to all of the torture the products put your hair through to lighten it.

Before & After

It’s hard to tell from the lighting in these photos, but my hair went from a medium brown to a medium brown with golden highlights. I liked using the hair cap because we could take small strands to really blend the highlights rather than creating large chunky streaks. The hair cap is also nice because it keeps the chemicals from ever actually touching your scalp, making it much safer.

 

Natural Deep Conditioner

It is important to deep condition your hair after any sort of coloring since it strips the natural oils and nutrients from it. Since I no ‘poo, the best deep conditioning option I have found is whole milk plain yogurt. I just grab a handful, rub in into my scalp and hair until well coated and then tie my hair up in a plastic bag and let it set for 30 minutes before rinsing it out. This leaves my hair feeling silky and smooth. I did it the day after I highlighted my hair and it made a big difference. I could tell my hair was much less dry & less frizzy after the deep conditioning.

 

Do you color or highlight your hair? What natural tips do you have to keep it looking beautiful?

 

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Managing Weight With Real Food: Balancing Dietary Needs

August 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

Photo courtesy of puuikibeach on Flickr.com

My mother always told her children that she wasn’t a short order cook & that everyone would eat the same thing or not eat at all. I am so thankful that I was raised to eat what was put in front of me! We want to encourage the same principles in our home, but sometimes it has been difficult with my 6’1″ and 150lb husband who has a super high metabolism and can’t seem to keep the weight on, and my 5’5″ self trying to maintain 120-125 lbs. I have also been trying to pack in the nutrition to prepare my body for pregnancy, Lord willing, without packing on the pounds before I’m evening feeding two!

How do I keep the weight on him without packing it on me? How do I maintain my healthy weight without starving him? How do we optimize our nutrition while we keep our tight food budget in check?

Small adaptations to the same base meal. Everyone eats the same basic meal that I cook, but hubby has a denser version and I have a lighter version.

Here is a real life example from a dinner that we ate the other night:

Base meal: Lemon Basil Chicken and Avocado
For hubby: served on a bed of rice, topped with shredded raw cheddar cheese
For myself: served on a bed of spring greens

The benefit to this is that I am cooking just one thing, but hubby’s meal is substantially denser than mine. We both get to enjoy the same tasty dinner, but mine is a lighter version. I don’t feel deprived, because I am still eating all of the spices and flavors that he is eating.

It is a usual occurrence for me to fill my man up with healthy, dense & frugal real food on top of a portion of the base meal. Multiple portions of the base meal can be expensive, but a single portion of the base meal plus budget friendly dense food is a win-win! Here are the frugal foods I use to keep him satisfied:
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Beans
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Homemade bread/rolls

These are all pretty bland on their own, but paired with spices and whatever the based meal is (and possibly some chicken broth and/or butter), it makes a hearty, delicious meal! As for myself, I usually skip eating the above list or eat a very small portion. I have found that my body is happier with less grains, but his body does very well with grains.

I also load up hubby on the healthy fats. I will add twice the butter or twice the cheese to his plate. This also keeps the weight on and keeps him full for longer.

Take Home Tips For Read Food Eaters…
To Lose Weight: Cut back on/cut out the grains & starches, eat your meal on a bed of salad greens, eat your healthy fats, cut out/cut back on sugars, increase the amount of veggies you eat, make protein (meat/eggs/beans/nuts) the a larger portion of what you eat than carbs (other than veggies)
To Maintain Weight: Watch your portion sizes, especially your portions of grains and sugars & eat your healthy fats
To Gain Weight: Increase your grains & starches, double your healthy fats, moderate your sugars, increase your fruits/veggies, eat equal portions of protein & carbs

Look for my Lemon Basil Chicken & Avocado recipe soon! I will be sharing not only that recipe, but also recipes for other meals that I have adapted to meet the needs of our individual bodies.

Do you have a hard time balancing dietary needs? What’s your biggest challenge in this area? What do you do to keep your weight and budget in check? How do you balance different dietary needs for different family members?

 

 

Shared on: Frugal Days Sustainable Ways

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Kitchen Tip: Cheesecloth Alternative

August 20, 2012 in Frugality, Kitchen Life, Kitchen Tips

The other day I was making coconut milk for the first time and needed a cheesecloth, but I don’t own one. I read that I could use a coffee filter, but when I tried that it was too flimsy and tore. I also read that I could use a pillowcase, but that just sounded way too messy. So, I thought about it for a minute and then an idea came…

I could use an old nylon pantyhose stocking!

I rummaged through my unmentionables drawer and found a pair of old pantyhose, cut off one of the stockings and rinsed it out well.

Guess what? It worked perfectly!

As a bonus, when I was finished, I just turned it inside out, washed it out well, and then hung it over my old paper towel holder to dry. So easy to clean up and reusable, too.

So, there you have it. A cheesecloth alternative. Yay for frugal kitchen tips!

What are some alternative & frugal kitchen uses for items you already have around your home?

 

 

Shared on: Frugal Days Sustainable Ways

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