I am a bad Cheapskate, or Review of Jeff Yeager's "The Cheapskate Next Door"

Jeff Yeager's website


Jeff Yeager and I have a common gripe, you do not need beaucoup in the bank for living and retirement ... IF you are financially aware, efficient, and responsible.  And you cannot live like the average American with almost $20k credit card debit (YIKES).


I have a ways to go to reach Jeff's cheapskate status, but I do get a couple points here and there.


I get As and Bs when:

I grocery shop once a week. (Good)

I buy some used items (come on Cathe's "Imax 3" DVD from eBay, Mama wants to step) but I recognize I need to reduce my needs further. (Good, with plenty of room for improvement)

I am gathering pre-qualification paperwork for a future home loan and DO NOT plan to max out that loan. (Good)


But I rate Cs and Ds in some places:

I do not own a crock pot. (Horrible.  According to Jeff, 95% of cheapskates own a crockpot).

And I am a tech junkie-lite (I don't buy the first iteration, but I wait until the kinks are gone!)



Therefore, I conclude that I am a bad cheapskate. :(



But even for those of us who do not plan to go whole hog, Jeff has some AWESOME ideas:

One I absolutely love is the boiled omelets in a bag brunch idea, on pg 172.



How I compare to the average cheapskate:

Quality and durability factor much higher than price in my shopping concerns. (Kira gets a CSP - CheapSkate Point)

I do not like to shop. (Another CSP) Fabric and accessories DO NOT COUNT.  Ha!

I do not have buyer's remorse regarding any of my purchases this year! (CSP)

Separating needs and wants. I started to keep a shopping list of wants in the wunderlist app. And I have found that when I hold off on purchases, I delete most of what is on my want list at future viewings. Only when something remains on my list, and I can justify the purchase and get a great deal, will I follow through on the purchase. Needless to say, few "wants" have been purchased this year. (CSP)

Premeditated shopper - I am a scratch cook, and rarely find manufacturers coupons for my shopping. However, I do find store discounts on occasion. These sales usually have an expiration date within the month. I will stock up on the products and coupons for the immediate future (and my available storage), and stock up on additional coupons for my next visit. (CSP)

Spending Anxiety Disorder arises, especially when considering large sums of money (my brother and I both share this characteristic). I dislike seeing others waste money and resources. (I had to bite my tongue while visiting family last year, they tore off several sheets of paper-towel to dry hands after washing. EACH AND EVERY TIME. Tighten those jaws a bit more Kira! I confess to subdividing paper-towels in thirds and fourths. And I dry my hands with a cloth towel ... that I wash and reuse.) (CSP)

Brand Blind and advertising averse. Yes! I am not interested in funding a manufacturers advertising budget. I read reviews before purchasing. I am "brand" loyal in so far as 1) Modern Japanese manufacturing (a car and a sewing machine of mine are recent Japanese manufacture), 2) I do buy organic (and lose a CSP for this) and will look to those known brands first if my grocery does not have their own organic line, and 3) when adding accessories to a much used product (we have Nikon cameras and will only buy those accessories that fit our camera bodies ... but it does not have to be a Nikon lens, it just has to work like one).

Change vs Progress and how it affects you specifically. My car is quickly approaching the 10 year mark. As long as the money I pay in upkeep stays reasonable, I will not be purchasing another. While I enjoy learning about the latest upgrades in the industry, I do not need to own them. Personally, I very much enjoy not having a monthly car payment. 😉 (CSP)


I highly recommend Jeff Yeager's Cheapskate series.  He is humorous, easy to read, and has great suggestions for reducing consumption.  Thanks Jeff.

Review: Dreena Burton "let them eat vegan!"

Based on the results of my experience with Burton's last cookbook "eat, drink and be vegan", I bought "let them eat vegan!" at Barnes & Noble recently.

It has not disappointed.  In fact, I may like it even better than edbv.

Apple Spice Hemp Pancakes
These do come out dense.  So for everyone who wants light and fluffy pancakes, this is not going to cut it.  But if you want a kick with your breakfast, try them out.  Delicious.  Full checkmark.


BBQ Sunflower Tofu
Extraordinarily delicious.  I would (and plan to) happily place this before a rabid carnivore and expect him/her to devour the dish.  It could be used both as a side and as a main.  Mmmm.  Full checkmark.


Fresh Blueberry Oat Square
Lovely for dessert or for breakfast.  It reheats well, and called to me all day long from the refrigerator.  The omnivore only had a single serving, because he is not a blueberry fan - fresh, frozen, or cooked.  But he did eat the entirety of that one serving ...  Full checkmark.


Boulangerie Potatoes with Sauteed Fennel and White Beans
Does it count if you leave out one major ingredient?  I'm not a licorice fan, and, therefore, not a fennel fan.  I replaced it with broccoli instead.  Lovely dinner.  Full checkmark.


White Bean Mashed Potatoes
How to get extra veggies in your omnivore (or kids)?  Feed them this recipe.  Legumes and squash are almost completely covered up by the white potatoes.  The omnivores only comment, "Why is it kinda orange?"  He ate many servings of this, that is a winner in my book.  Um, don't put it in the food processor like I did once, you end up with more of a soup than a mashed.  Full checkmark.


Corn Chowder Quinoa Casserole
Hands down, absolutely delicious.  I loved every bite.  I've made this a second time switching out the white beans for lentils, still delicious (add twice as much water as dry lentils before cooking).  Full Checkmark.


Panfried Falafel Patties
The only issue I had with these is that they absolutely would not fry in the pan.  So I've made a note, and changed the Panfried in the title to "Baked."  Full Checkmark.


Thai Chickpea Almond Currry
This went beautifully with the Indian inspired rice, and the scent of coconut filled the house.  Recommended combination.  Full checkmark.


Winter Veg Chickpea Pot Pie
Next time I will cut out the nutmeg because the sweetness was just a little high.  Regardless, this is the best Pot Pie I think I have ever had ... ever!  Goes great with the Rustic Piecrust.  Full checkmark.


Lemon Dijon Green Beans
Another tasty recipe that saw the green beans disappear fast (which is exciting since the omnivore does not like green beans, and usually has to be forced to eat them).  Full checkmark.


Indian-Inspired Rice
I spent the hour that it cooked with my head over the rice cooker.  Smelled great and tasted good.  A wonderful accompaniment to other Indian inspired recipes.  Full checkmark.


Mac-oh-geez!
One of the few recipes the omnivore asks for again ... and again ... and again.  I think he likes it.  I do too.  It holds great in the fridge for several days.  Full checkmark.


Rustic Piecrust
Easy to make, fairly easy to work with.  I layered it over the Pot Pie recipe and the omnivore was giddy with delight (which meant he bounced on his toes once or twice.)  For a savory recipe, I would just leave out the sugar entirely, even with a tsp it is a touch too sweet for my tastebuds.  Full checkmark.


Juicy Grilled Portobellos
Who can resist a grilled portobello?  Quick and tasty.  Toss together the marinade, let sit for a couple hours, grill or fry in pan for 5 minutes 1st side and 2 minutes on other side.  Full checkmark.


So, 14 recipes, all keepers.  100/0.  Excellent odds.  Can you guess which cookbook I reach for first?

Review: Dreena Burton "eat, drink & be vegan" cookbook

I bought Dreena Burton's "eat, drink & be vegan" several years ago, it was printed in 2007.

I made one recipe "Kids Dynamo Hummus," could not stand the results, and put the book aside.  *BIG* mistake, but I had a good reason ...

I love hummus.  My favorite hummus recipe is an about.com written by Nancy Gaifyllia, I believe it is this one Hummus with Tahini.  Every other hummus recipe I try is held up to this masterpiece, and found wanting.

I suppose I should not be surprised that this was the case with Burton's.  However, it was the first one I tried and I almost wrote the entire book off due to this experience.  Thank goodness I went back ...

I returned to the book looking for an easy soup recipe one cold winter day - enter Monkey Minestrone.  My first vegan soup recipe with lots of spices and an absolutely to die for taste.  It is, by far, my favorite soup recipe to date.  I return to it often.  I exchange the green beans for peas, and this soup does not last a day.  The omnivore in the house loves it, the dogs love it ...

Having redeemed itself, I've tried other recipes in the book:

Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-fry
My notes on this recipe are to tone down the tamari and molasses in the teriyaki sauce as they were overpowering the broccoli, pepper, and cashews.  So it gets half a checkmark.


"But Where Do You Get Your Protein?" Smoothie
This recipe grows on me the more I try it.  The mix of flavors is both complex and satisfying.  And yes, I'm tired of the question too Dreena!  This gets a full checkmark.


Lemon-Broiled Green Beans
I've only made these once, and the parchment paper caught on fire (that's what I get for not cutting down the paper to fit the pan), so some of the beans got thrown away ... but what I did get to eat was quite tasty.  I can't wait for green beans to come back in season for try 2.  This gets a full checkmark.


Pan-Fried Tempt-eh!
These never last long.  It is a simple and flavorful recipe, and the omnivore nibbles away while they are still sizzling hot.  Full checkmark.


Peanut Passion Sauce
I've made this once for soft spring roll dipping sauce.  My notes are to reduce the garlic and lime juice so that more of the peanut butter stands out.  This is a very thick sauce, and I add water as she suggested to thin out the sauce.  This gets half a checkmark.


Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes
I usually do these with blueberries, since raspberries can be hard to find.  This recipe does not taste good if overcooked, but if cooked just right, they are very flavorful.  I don't think you can go wrong with cornmeal, that's the Southerner in me!  Full checkmark.


Seared Portobello Mushrooms
I don't think I can ruin portobellos enough to make them inedible.  Regardless, this recipe makes excellent eating - crunchy (and yet still fairly healthy) Portobello Mushroom fries.  Thumbs up from the two leggers in the house.  Full checkmark.


Sesame Lime Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Snow Peas
This was an unexpectedly elegant and delicious dish.  Highly recommended, with the small note "cut agave nectar in half."  We tend not to like our entrees too sweet in this family.  Full checkmark.


Super-Charge Me! Cookies
Oh, I have a terrible sweet tooth.  But it has lost some of its sweet ability - whereas I used to be able to send myself into a sugar coma with a too sweet dessert, I cannot handle that these days (lunch used to be two pieces of bread spread with peanut butter mixed with honey and liberally sprinkled with a layer of chocolate chips and cheerios ... that was in my teens ... I couldn't take that sweet attack now).  So my treats have to be sweet, but not too sweet.  Enter Burton's cookie recipes.  These are hard to resist, especially when I add in dried cranberries.  I have to make a half a batch or less ... because I will eat them all in one sitting ...  Full checkmark, of course.


Sweet & Sour Chipotle Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes
I kinda knew this would be a no go recipe.  Not because it is lacking in flavor, but because (see above) I tend not to like sweet entrees.  This smells delicious, but the sweet bar is just too high for this family.  However, the four-legged beasts in the family thought this recipe was great, and the remainder was added to breakfast and dinner for a couple days (even my picky youngster cleaned his bowl).  So it gets an X for us two-legged types, 3 tail wags from the four-legged types, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to others. 


Teriyaki Quinoa
Mm, a great, tasty side dish packed with veggie protein.  Full checkmark.


White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme & Basil
Considering my first Burton hummus experience, I am surprised I went back for seconds.  While the omnivore in the house only halfheartedly liked it, because (and I quote) "It has spices in it;" I quite enjoyed it.  It was better than my restaurant exposure to white bean hummus, and it has a different flavor profile entirely from Gaifyllia's recipe.  It is not hot, but rather like walking through a basil garden.  An excellent spring hummus.  Full checkmark.


"You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate" Cookies
These could be my ultimate downfall.  Nothing goes better in my mind than Peanut Butter and Chocolate (pardon me while I go wipe my mouth ...).  I did try to cut down the fat just a bit more by switching out half the oil for applesauce, and the resulting cookies did not hold together all that well, so follow the fat recommendations as written.  However, the change had no impact on the taste, and I might have overeaten that particular batch ... well, what's another little crumb, it is sitting here all by its lonesome, might as well eat it, and that crumb, and that crumb ...
Full Checkmark!


Zucchini Spelt Muffins
So I accidentally doubled the zucchini in this for my first batch, but they still tasted wonderful.  The suckers just would not set up and it took me a while to figure out why.  ;)  Delicious.  Full checkmark.


So, 15 recipes so far 13 keepers, 2 tossers.  87/13.  Darned good odds if I say so, what am I going to make next?

Vegan Cookbooks: the bad

Uh-oh, it's about to get nasty in here!

In my opinion, there are two types of vegan cooks and, therefore, two types of vegan cookbooks.  So I lump all vegan cooks into two categories - one type developed their tastes in the 70s/80s, and have trouble leaving, their recipes can be: bland, tasteless, and tofu heavy.  The other type is the modern vegan: with tasty, spicy, and tofu light recipes.

I think a lot of my problem with tasteless 70s vegan food is that I'm a Southerner.  In my world, spicy Indian and Mexican food is king, followed shortly by Chinese (and a load of barbeque, but that's a whole other subject).

In other words, tasteless 70s vegan food does not satisfy my tastebuds.  And the omnivore I cook for can't stand some of the things that result from these recipes.

Unfortunately, I've run into three cookbook writers that regularly, or semi-regularly, fall into this trap.  They are: Post Punk Kitchen Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Veg Kitchen Nava Atlas, and Happy Herbivore Lindsey Nixon.  These ladies and my tastebuds do not align.  I have read rave reviews of their work, so I know they produce a quality product, but it is not for me (nor, apparently, my omnivore).

Now, having said that, I must point out that I own one ICM book "Vegan with a Vengeance," owned one NA book "The Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet," and own no LN books.

Vegan with a Vengeance -

Scrambled Tofu
Like eating air.  No flavor what-so-ever.  An X.


Pumpkin Waffles
I love these.  I could eat them just about every day.  Full checkmark.


Scones
While my "Joy of Vegan Baking" was being spiral bound, I had a scone for breakfast request come in.  So I whipped VWAV open and baked it Isa's scones.  Quite tasty.  Full checkmark.


Maple-Mustard-Glazed Potatoes and String Beans
Ick.  No flavor, no bite.  More air food.  An X.


Balsamic-Blazed Portobello Mushrooms
This smelled bad while cooking, but tasted great going down.  Full checkmark.


Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff
The first recipe I ever made from this cookbook and the reason I will never give it up.  It is not the stroganoff my mother made when I was a child.  But it has remarkable flavor.  I have made it with TVP sausage and its turns out beautifully.  Even the omnivore likes it.  Full checkmark.


Revolutionary Spanish Omelet with Saffron and Roasted Red Pepper-Almond Sauce
I think the Omelet gets a checkmark due to the sauce.  Otherwise, the omelet is fairly flavorless.
So half a checkmark for the omelet and a full checkmark for the sauce.


8 recipes.  5 checks, 1 half, 2 Xs.  63/13/25.  Not great odds.  I'm still keeping the book though.

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet - I haven't owned this book for years and cannot give a recipe list.  However, I tried 5 or so different recipes, and could just about finish the tasteless affairs.  Once again, my heart screamed for spices!

Maybe I was supposed to add my own spices, but then why would I need a cookbook?

5 recipes.  No keepers.  0.  Donated book so it can fly away and find someone who has those tastebuds.

Lindsey Nixon's Happy Herbivore website is where I've gotten her recipes.  I started trying them out in anticipation of buying her book(s), and now I'm real, real iffy about such a purchase.  Besides taste, another big issue I have is that I need to bake ALL of her recipes for at least twice as long as the directions indicate.  Does she have some super duper quick cooking convection oven?  Because my results are coming out way underdone and nasty!


The tasteless -
Hippie Loaf
It's got bulk going for it, but I need spicy mustard to give it flavor.  X.


Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
In a word, blech.  The omnivore described it as paint-like, you know that can't be good.  X.


Black Bean Brownies
Not horrendous.  Very banana-y.  I'd rather spend my calories on a piece of dark chocolate.  X.


Black Bean & Salsa Soup
I don't know how this can turn out to have so little taste when I used HOT Chipotle salsa, but it did.  I have half a cup left, and I'm not sure I'm going to finish it.  I'd rather eat beans, corn, and salsa plain, mixed on a whole wheat tortilla.  I ended up composting that last bit.  X.




The decent -
Tofu Scramble
Better than ICM's recipe, but I just know there is something with more flavor out there!  Half a checkmark.



The good -
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
This is an excellent dessert, especially with a dab of Cashew Cream on top, Mmmmmm.  I replaced half the sugar with date sugar.  Full checkmark.


Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese
I think this version is better than Dreena Burton's version, and I really enjoyed it on beans and tortilla chips.  Full checkmark.



So 7 recipes from the Happy Herbivore website.  4 tossers, 1 temporary while I look for better, and 2 keepers.  57/14/29.  I'm afraid to try any more ...





Compared this list to my favorite cookbook author, Dreena Burton, where I've made 29 recipes from two books, and found one dud ... well, maybe two ... one (and one that is not for us) ... so two official duds.

Book Review: Suzanne Dunaway's "No Need to Knead"

I have a small, but ever changing collection of cookbooks. 

I've discovered that I am, by nature, very cyclical.  Some years I cook a lot, some years I cook very little (same goes for blogging).  Baking follows the very same formula.

My first breads were recipes printed off the internet or from those ubiquitous "fundraiser" cookbooks that churches, schools, and garden clubs put together every month or two.  (Shhh, I've finally donated all those books, don't tell.)  Needless to say, none of those breads came out very well.  And I was left with a distinct dislike for breadmaking (though not, of course, bread eating).

I did not have the patience for "proper" breadmaking (or should I say bread rising) as a younger woman, and ordered "No Need to Knead" due solely to its promise of "easy" breadmaking.  Lucking, I got more than that.

"No Need to Knead" was placed on my shelf and pulled down for entertainment value every once in a while.  I attempted the whole wheat bread recipe, and then ignored the title for several years.

Fast forward to this year, where I am cooking and baking up a storm ... including lots of bread items.

NNTK is a baking assortment book that covers Dunaway's bakery opening experience (slow and fast breads), family recipes (slow recipes for the most part), and little snippets she has picked up along the way.

Every recipe I've made since I actually slowed down and read the recipe, and followed-ish said recipe, has come out superbly.

This book contains most of my favorite bread recipes.

I recommend:
Anadama Bread
Pane Rustico
Foccacia
Skillet Corn Bread (cut down on the oil)


Hand's down, the Foccacia recipe is the hubby's favorite.  I've made it with whole (red) wheat, whole (white) wheat, and bread flour (and a mix).  I've added rosemary, mushrooms, and/or spices.  It is an amazingly simple recipe that can be made quickly (60 minutes start to finish) or refrigerated overnight for dough development.

I think the best Foccacia I made was a mix of whole wheat (red) and bread flour with pan fried fresh portabello mushrooms.  This loaf lasted less than one day.


My favorite recipe is probably the "Anadama Bread."  It is a flour based bread with just a hint of cornmeal.  Not a true southern cornbread like the "Skillet Corn Bread," but flavorful in its own way.  This loaf tends to last about half a week (this is opposed to the breads I make that no one eats, and go bad after a week and a half).

I also make it with a mix of whole wheat (red) and bread flour.


Almost guaranteed, if Suzanne writes that a recipe will make one loaf, it will make two for me.  So I cut her recipes in half automatically.

I've also enjoyed playing with baking containers, since we are a crust family and approve of any method that increases the surface area of the crust.  My most successful to date was foccacia on a pie plate, but I need more metal ware for bread purposes - I get a better bottom and side crust with metal than with porcelain.

I have found her timing pretty spot on, and my oven is usually within 5 to 10 minutes of her estimate.

Rising is the one thing I have played with continuously.  I usually leave my dough to rise 2x as long as recommended.  In the heat of our southern summers, I will let bread rise on the patio.  If there isn't enough heat in 90+ degree F weather (32 C) to get dough to rise, you know something is wrong with your yeast!

I highly recommend this book, both for the recipes and for the conversation writing tone.  If you are looking for a simple bread book that is fuss free, consider Dunaway's "No Need to Knead."





For my non-NNTK favorite bread recipes, head over to Tammy's Recipes - http://www.tammysrecipes.com/.

I've made her crackers, bagels, and cornmeal crescent rolls.  Everything I've tried has found a place in my personal keeper recipe binder.

"New Rules of Lifting for Abs" Book Review

I checked all the "New Rules of Lifting" titles that I could out of the library.  I got the original book title (NROL), the "For Women" (NROLFW), and the "For Abs" (NROLFA) title, though I am still on a waiting list for the "For Life" (NROLFL)- the latest release.

After working my way through the first routine, I ordered "The New Rules of Lifting for Abs" immediately.  The original title, while interesting, is out of date now and really did not capture my attention.  The "For Women" title is interesting, but geared more for someone who has never lifted before ... which is not me.  The "For Abs" title, however, is exactly what I was seeking.

NROLFA is not a book on how to get a six pack (which, I suppose, makes the cover photo a bit misleading, doesn't it?), but rather a super core conditioning based book that includes 3 progressive training rounds of 2 workouts each, enough to keep you occupied for about half a year.

The book does follow the basic premise of push/pull compound lifts - meaning, you want to push some weights and pull other weights with the opposite muscle set.  A typical combo is bench press (the push) and rows (the pull); which, if lifting appropriate weights, works most of the upper body.

This book does not offer spot training/lifting, so there are no biceps or tricep specific movements, rather the push works triceps and the pull works biceps.

Which means???  Your workout is faster.  When you do a lot of small muscle specific lifts, it takes forever to finish a workout.  When you are doing 4 compound lifts, core specific conditioning, and a warmup ... less than 1 hour start to finish.

Thank goodness, especially since I finish my weightlifting workouts off with a short 25-30 minute run on the treadmill (I jokingly call it a dreadmill on occasion, but I don't really dread my runs, so perhaps I am doing the treadmill a disfavor). 

I am now on week 5 of the first training round, doing each of the 2 routines once a week, and finish off my week with a WL video, Ilaria Montagnani's "Athletica," and a yoga video.  So, in actuality, I am lifting 4 times per week, which is a bit much.  However, the Athletica is not heavy lifting, but endurance training, and yoga is not intense.  I would not recommend doing a NROL routine more than 3 times per week.

I did not increase weight much for those first two weeks on the NROLFA routines.  However, weeks 3 and 4 saw some interesting weight increases that I would not have believed early on.  I am about to outgrow my adjustable dumbbell set that only goes to 21 lbs (9.5 kgs), and will need to buy the set that goes to 50 lbs (22.6 kgs) - another totally justifiable expense.

I work out at home, and can just about get all the routines in as written with a weight bench, a step bench, and my adjustable dumbbells and barbell.

I've also jumped up the weights I'm swinging along with the Athletica video ... her first round of intervals used to wear me out with 10 lbs, I'm now up to 15 lbs in two weeks.  I'm pretty sure that is all due to NROLFA, and working the entire body 2 times per week.

Do I recommend NROLFA, abs-olutely!  (I could not resist!)  However, if you are just starting to lift weights, it may be too much for you, and I would recommend you start with NROLFW.

I cannot wait to see what strength gains I make in the second round which starts on week 8!


Am I seeing much physical change?  Not really.  I suppose my triceps might be a bit more defined, but that is about it as far as observable change.  No, my changes are taking place on the inside, those muscles are definitely adapting.