Heather Solos's Blog, page 2

Countdown to Turkey Day: Time for the Recipe Check

Season’s greetings- we’re getting close enough. We are in the two-week window. That’s right- it’s getting real, and the sales have started. If you are just tuning in, that’s OK. We have a list of everything we have covered so far, right down there.

For the rest of the class, it’s time to get your final menu and your recipes. It’s time to make your final shopping list.

Yes, you are right. We did create a shopping list 11 days ago. You have probably even been to the store since that happened.

A lot can happen in 11 days, especially when other people are in a household. Also, THAT was a tentative grocery list and, was also based on what we were pretty sure was going to be on the menu.

You now have your final menu plan (Does anyone else hear this in their head? It’s just me? Ok, sure)

Grab your spreadsheet, your final menu, and your shopping list. Do you need to print a new one? We’ve got you covered. Go through your spreadsheet and make any needed changes. Don’t forget your spices. Also, please don’t forget that spices have a shelf life, typically around a year. While checking your pantry and spice rack, please ensure that your spices still have flavor.

Once you know what you already have on hand, finalize your grocery list. Take this with you whenever you visit the store between now and Thanksgiving. We are now close enough to Thanksgiving that you can purchase almost everything except your leafy greens or a fresh turkey (did you order that yet?)

Finally, it’s been a while since we’ve asked: How is your table looking? Do you need to put anything away?

Previously in the Countdown:



Finalized the menu
Invited the guests
Learned how to keep a safe kitchen
Decided what we will prep ahead
Thought about dishes to make ahead
Decided on the turkey
Learned about homemade stock
Made a plan for all of our leftovers




Made a plan to make doing the dishes easier
Ensured we have enough place settings
Created a plan to grocery shop
Created our soft menu plan
Written a tentative guest list

Figured out how our guests’ needs affect our plans


Cleared the table

Set the intention to keep it clear.


Made a point to try to stick to the weekly chore schedule

Organizational Challenge 26: Hidden Bathroom Spaces

Have you been with us since January? If so, it’s official, you have completed six months of weekly organizational challenges. That work is adding up. Give yourself some time to appreciate it.

Today we are back in the bathroom. Last week we tackled the visual clutter on top of the vanity. This week we’re going a little deeper and handling the hidden clutter. Every bathroom is a little different. Some have cupboards. Some have drawers. Others have little closets tucked away in hidden corners.

We all know what happens in these spaces, band-aid release liners (yes, I had to look up what those are called), bobby, pins, hair ties, old nail polish, stray cotton balls, that bottle of acetone with just one cotton ball’s worth left chucked off in a corner. Why? I don’t know. It just happens. Slowly. Again and again.

Your mission? Fix it. Trash the trash, donate the personal care items you aren’t going to use, and put the other stuff away neatly.

You may want to vacuum out each space before putting everything back. There always seems to be stray hair, too.

This challenge doesn’t give a big visual win, but I find it to be a nice mental one.

Doesn’t that feel better?

Want to catch up on all of the organizing challenges? Here you:

Organizational Challenge 17: The Spice Rack or Cabinet

Are you ready for your last Challenge in the kitchen. . . for now?

I am.

Today we are diving into our spices.

The rule of thumb for spices is that ground spices are good for six months.

That’s all well and good if you have an unlimited food budget. For the rest of us, use your nose. If you can still smell the spice, you can use it. If you don’t smell much of anything when you open the jar, it’s time to let it go and replace it. Now, if you have room in your budget, by all means, go ahead and replace spices that are losing their potency.

Unlike many food storage situations, this is a quality concern rather than a safety concern.

As far as organization, if you have spice mixes or rubs, you don’t like, get rid of them. There’s no reason to hang on to food you are not going to use. If you have duplicates that are open, combine them if you can. I can’t be the only one who ends up with multiple containers of basil, can I?

This one shouldn’t take too long.

Don’t forget that your local grocery store is not the only place to replace your spices. Your local Indian, Asian, and Mexican grocers often have spices at much better prices. Don’t let a trip out of your comfort zone get in the way of some of the best resources in your area.

Good luck!

Organizational Challenge 16: Under the Kitchen Sink

One would think we would have run out of kitchen challenges by now. Nope, I’ve still got a couple up my sleeve.

This week we are peeking under the sink. This week you are going to want to be careful with how you dispose of chemicals. Remember, if you store your chemicals under the sink, you need to be careful not to mix chemicals as you dispose of them.

If you need a refresher, we’ve got the handy:

Remember, science is our friend. Let’s use it to our advantage and keep ourselves safe.

Did you know that household cleaners expire? If you count on items like chlorine bleach to disinfect your home, you must replace them regularly. If you’ve had an open container of bleach under your sink for more than a year, it’s time to replace it. Don’t pour it down the drain and follow it with a chaser of ammonia, even if both are expired.

Expired means less effective, not completely inactive. It may not kill all of the salmonella bacteria, but you could still create poisonous gases in a chemical reaction.

Enough disclaimers. While you are cleaning out from under the sink, do a quick check for leaks.

Organizational Challenge 15: The Outside of the Refrigerator

You may remember tackling the refrigerator a few weeks ago. However, if you remember, we organized the inside. This week we are going to take a good look at the outside.

Start at the top. In Heather’s home, this is where all the odds and ends that the youngest two shouldn’t get ahold of inevitably ends up. What does that mean? It is chock full of markers, magnets, balloons, and candy we don’t want to argue about at that moment. Who knows. It’s a dusty catchall that we just ignore until it starts to fall on our heads when we open the door.

It is time to address the situation.

What about the front and any visible sides? Is your appliance covered in old notes, lists, receipts, and artwork? Take a look and decide what to file, what to preserve and what to toss.

While you are at it, grab your vacuum or duster and give everything a good once over.

Want some extra credit?

Vacuum your refrigerator coils if you have the time and motivation. It helps keep your refrigerator running efficiently, which is good for your wallet and the environment.

Click the image for all of the Organizing Challenges

Organizational Challenge: The Freezer

Today’s organizational challenge is the freezer. We are setting ourselves up for success in the future and not focusing on the past. Please try not to dwell on any should haves.

I’ve been running this site for 15 many years now and still find mystery objects in the bottom of my freezer. Life happens. You don’t live on a TV set, and no one product or system is one hundred percent foolproof. You can always aim for better, but you will have busy seasons, marriage, births, school sports seasons, holidays, or life will hand out the changes none of us want to face: death, divorce, layoffs, illness. Whatever the reason, we lose track.

Let it go.

Get some gloves. This stuff is cold.

You will want a cooler or two to hold the items you want to keep as you sort shelf by shelf (or basket by basket).

Please empty your trashcan before you start. You will probably need the room.

Get rid of the items that have obviously passed their expiration. Remember a use-by date is a freeze-by date, not a consume-by date in the deep freeze. You are looking for damaged packaging, obvious freezer burn and unidentifiable objects.

Make a list of what you have so you don’t waste energy pawing through the freezer and damaging what you have. This will also help you plan meals and take advantage of future sales.

Pro-tip: Your freezer is much more efficient when it is full. If you find that you have a lot of room after you finish organizing today. Find some empty freezer-safe containers one at a time, fill them with water and freeze them. They will take up room in your freezer. As a bonus, if you live in hurricane country, this can count as part of your water storage. Just save it for the very last. You don’t want to open your freezer, letting any of that cold out.

Click to see all of the organizing challenges

How to Use Dried Lentils in Place of Ground Beef in Recipes

Many people are worried about a recession. This worry is currently compounded by the large tech companies doing layoffs. And no, my own family is not immune. My husband was hit in a recent round. We will be fine, but it’s a stressful event and a great time to audit the food budget to see where we can tighten things for the moment. Increasing our reliance on legumes, including lentils and dried beans, is one way we can accomplish this. (Getting our act together and sticking to menu planning is another one.)

How to substitute dried lentils for ground beef in recipes

If your recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, you will want to use one cup of dried lentils. This is for a one-to-one substitution. When cooked, one cup of dried lentils yields approximately three cups of cooked lentils.

In most recipes, you will need to cook the lentils prior to using them, and this will reduce the overall cook time of the substituted recipe.

How to cook lentils

Important: Lentils do not need to be soaked. Before cooking the lentils, check them for any small stones or other debris.

When you cook your lentils, you will use four cups of water for every one cup of lentils. Place the lentils and water in a pot, cover, and bring to a simmer. Green or brown lentils will take 20 – 30 minutes. Red lentils will take approximately 12 – 15 minutes.

As you will be using them in other recipes, it is generally best to leave them with some texture and not let them get too mushy as they will cook further in whatever recipe they will be used in next.

When you are going to be using lentils in place of ground beef and not because you are trying to go meatless, you may find using beef bouillon in the cooking water makes a big difference in the outcome. You may not need the usual strength (one cube for every cup of water, but experiment until you find what works for you). Be aware that this will increase the sodium content, and watch how you salt and season the rest of your recipe accordingly.

Tip: What Is the Difference Between Boiling and Simmering

Tips for successfully using lentils

I see posts all the time that say things like, “I tricked my family. They never noticed that it wasn’t meat.”

Are you kidding me? I have many questions and don’t know how to ask them without sounding extremely rude. A straight-up, unacknowledged lentil for ground beef substitution would never fly in this household. First, I don’t try to pull things over on my family; second, texture issues are real.

You will almost always want to use green or brown lentils when substituting for ground beef, but if red lentils are all you have in the pantry, use them. The color will differ, and you will want to adjust your seasonings toward the stronger side.

If this is not an emergency budget situation, you could substitute half of the ground beef for cooked lentils. You will still receive the benefit of reducing the overall amount of red meat you are consuming, it is not as immediate.

For example, if you were going to have tacos one night, cook and season the meat, but use twice the seasoning and extra liquid, and then add the cooked lentils toward the end. Remove half of the meat mixture and put it in the refrigerator for later in the week. Enjoy taco night.

Then make a taco skillet, but this time, you’ll need to adjust the recipe a bit since your protein is already cooked. Heat your liquid in a large skillet, then add your pasta and cook until it is nearly done; add your protein, cheese, taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

I’ve found using this technique reduces suspicion from young children, and as long as the older ones know what is going on, everyone is cool with it.

It’s really not kind to surprise anyone’s GI tract with a lot of legumes. Let them adjust their portions accordingly. Agency and consent are always important. We have lots of other ideas for budget-friendly recipes if beans aren’t going to work for your family.

Recipes featuring dried lentils:

Lentil pilaf is a side dish, but as it is high in protein, it can reduce the reliance on a main dish.
Lentil burgers, no one will ever think these are hamburgers, but they are good in their own right.
Lentil enchiladas – not a favorite, but it will work in a pinch.

Recipes that would work well with a dried lentil for ground beef swap.

Or a partial swap.
I tend to start with more strongly flavored recipes and proceed accordingly as changes are accepted.

Taco Skillet
Sloppy Joes
Taco Soup
Philly Skillet
Cheeseburger Macaroni

Other Budget-Friendly Recipes featuring Beans Budget-Friendly Bean Recipes Beans and Rice a Budget Friendly Dinner

Beans and rice are synonymous with tight budgets, but your tastebuds don't have to feel the pinch. Learn how to make this comforting classic.

Get the Recipe The Best Taco Soup

This budget-friendly Tex-Mex soup is a family favorite and is easy enough for a weeknight

Get the Recipe Sue Polinsky's No Tomato Chili

This recipe will feed a crowd. Make it once and freeze the rest for another night.

Get the Recipe Black Bean Soup Recipe

Get to know black beans and all they have to offer with this easy classic.

Get the Recipe Hoppin' John

This recipe is a traditional New Year's meal in the South, but black-eyed peas are cheap and don't need to be a once-a-year treat.

Get the Recipe Refried Beans: Back to Basics

Bean burritos are a favorite here for lunches and dinners. A bag of dried pinto beans costs roughly the same as a can of refried beans and yields far more.

Get the Recipe Silky Smooth Green Pea Soup Recipe

Pea soup is a wintertime favorite

Continue Reading

You may also want to check out: Short-Term Grocery Budget Strategies

Dresser Drawers | Weekly Organizational Challenge #7

We are back for the second half of organizing the dresser.

Do you have those three containers we got way back in Week #1? You may need them today. Please note that when I suggest you purge items, you consider your financial situation. If an item is needed, it is needed.

We are suggesting getting rid of items that do not fit, that no longer serve their purpose, or that you were never going to wear again anyhow.

The good thing about organizing a dresser is that each drawer is its own contained space. You have a series of little victories ahead of you. You can divide this job over the week or reward yourself as you work through the task.

Tip: Do your best to work in bright light. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get ready for the day without the frustration of discovering a stain or tear just before you leave or, worse after you’ve already left?

As you decide whether to trash or donate clothing you won’t use, remember there is the option to recycle clothing.

In my area, I keep an eye out for the bins that are specifically for clothing and shoe recycling. The companies that place these bins turn the donated items into carpet padding, insulation, acoustic dampeners, yarns, etc. Whatever it is, they aren’t taking up space in the landfill or adding to the microplastic problem.

It is true that most thrift stores that accept donations have access to textile recycling. However, if it is possible, if you know an item isn’t suitable for resale, recycle it if you can. Earth911.com has a locater for recycling options based on your location. (The site also has lots of other valuable information).

Don’t forget your old t-shirts and socks make great cleaning rags, or if you are the crafty type, you can turn old t-shirts into yarn for projects. Here’s an excellent tutorial for that from Red Ted Art

Good luck! Let’s do this.

Weekly Organizational Challenge Kick Off

It’s the first Sunday of the New Year. In 2023, this just happens to coincide with New Year’s Day, and we want to wish each and every one of you the happiest of New Years.

We are also happy to announce that we are restarting the Weekly Organizational Challenge.

We ran this back in 2016, and if you are anything like us, life has accumulated in the interim.

Much like The Deep Clean Challenge. each week, we’re issuing a quick organizational challenge to complete by the week’s end. And, just like the Deep Clean Cycle, you can rinse and repeat at the end as many times as you wish. This way, you can repeat any challenges you missed or perform maintenance to keep stuff from sneaking back in and piling back up.

Ready for your first challenge?

Week One’s Challenge: Get Ready for Success

This week, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find three containers. You will be using them throughout the six-month challenge. Each week, as we enter our area to organize, our goal is to limit our need to leave that area until we are done. This strategy is to keep our focus on the immediate challenge, reduce the temptation to clean down the rabbit trail, and make our lives easier by creating a habit.

These containers are to hold the items that need to be moved elsewhere.

One container will be for recycling, shredding, and/or trash, another for items that belong in another place in your home, and the third for items that no longer serve you and need to be donated or sold.

Bonus challenge: Figure out where you will store the “to donate” or “to sell” items until they can be donated or picked up. Having the plan now will remove an objection to starting next week.

As you enter each week’s challenge area, you won’t have to make as many decisions, which increases your chance for success. When you have finished that week’s challenge, you deal with the content of each container and call it good.

Small challenges and fewer decisions equal big wins over time.

Ready?

Let’s do this!

Where’s the Meat in Mincemeat Pies

Via Twitter:

what exactly is mince meat pie? it isn’t meat, i know that much, but [what] is it?

~Concerned

*Updated December 2022*

Dear Concerned:

The gag factor seems to be running high here on Home Ec 101 today.

Lisa here — I love mince pies. In fact, I order them for delivery every December as a special Christmas treat (along with marzipan fruits and British Christmas cake.)

Mincemeat is nothing more than a mixture of fruit, nuts, spices, and suet or vegetable shortening. Older recipes used to include meat, which is omitted in most modern versions. It was typically served as a course following the main course to prepare a dinner for the sweetness of the dessert. Today it is served mostly out of tradition. I’ll pass, thank you.

(They also have a healthy glug of Brandy included in the recipe. ~Lisa)

Heather may want to pass on mince pies, but this rich, sticky, sweet filling wrapped in a shortcrust pastry is the perfect morsel that, for me, says it’s the holiday season.

I can hear the questions you’re asking. “Lisa, if they are so tasty, how do you eat them?” Well, I think they are delicious served hot or cold. Eat them plain, or as I do with brandy butter. Some folks like them with double cream, but since we can’t get that here in the states, you can make whipped cream or serve with really good vanilla ice cream.

They also keep well. I’ve been known to freeze a few for a festive Christmas in July when the summer sun is beating me senseless, and I’m over the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes.

If you’re buying mince pies, check the ingredients. The filling typically uses suet, which is an animal fat. If you’re a vegetarian, look for alternative fats in the ingredients list, such as butter or shortening.