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On a budget, it's best to use everything you possibly can from everything you grow, buy, or cook. Actually, it's best to do it even if not pinching pennies. Some great ways to use "every part of the cow," so to speak:
- After juicing your vegetables, don't discard the pulp and scraps in the left over compartment. Re-purpose them into homemade vegetable stock to jazz up your other recipes! Just throw them in a large saucepan with some water, herbs, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for a half hour up to a few hours depending on how strong you like your stock. Turn off the heat. Either strain out the pulp, store and refrigerate or freeze your homemade stock, or even enjoy it right there without straining as a frothy delicious veggie soup. Add the stock to soup recipes or cook your rice in it for savory added flavor.
- When cooking squashes or pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds for roasting and toasting. It makes a nice salty, sweet, or savory snack that's great for your body. Pumpkin seeds are known to have anti-parasitic properties and can help cleanse your system. Wash off the seeds once removed from the squashes' flesh, soak in water, spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, garlic powder, cayenne (if you like the heat!), salt, and pepper. Bake them in the oven at about 250-275 degrees fahrenheit for 15-30 minutes depending on the level of crunch you enjoy. Watch them closely to prevent burning.
- Re-purpose your already squeezed citrus fruit peels for zesting (grating into recipes for added flavor). Store peels in ziploc bags in the fridge or freezer instead of discarding them immediately. Fresh zest really adds a punch of flavor to baked goods, frostings, meat dishes, and more. Plus, it's a gorgeous garnish.
- Remember those fresh berries you bought that are starting to look a little sad? Instead of throwing them out, prolong their life and make a yummy and beautiful addition to your everyday drinks or occasional cocktails. Crush the berries and put the remnants in an empty ice cube tray. Fill the trays and freeze. You could also leave the berries intact for a different, elegant look.
- Reuse old teabags--specifically chamomile, rosehips, and mint-- by removing them from the hot water, allowing them to cool slightly, and smoothing them slowly over your face and neck area for a refreshing, revitalizing facial. Rosehips and chamomile really enliven the skin and add a healthy glow. Rosehips is great for wrinkle prevention as well.
- Don't let your organic garden get away from you just because winter is on the way! Freeze as much fresh organic grown produce from the rapidly retreating warm weather months. Freezing organic produce saves pretty much all of the nutrients, so you'll have a healthy abundant organic garden to pick from in the dead of winter--right in your freezer! Seems like a no-brainer right? But you'd be surprised how many of us tend to eat more canned fruits and veggies in the dark winter months instead of fresh produce. Plus, the "fresh" produce offered in the regular grocery stores in the winter is often not very fresh at all. Depending on where you live, it is shipped from warmer regions, losing nutritional impact on the journey. It is best to eat seasonally whenever possible to ensure your best nutrient intake. Buying local is a great way to support this.
My outlook on life is unlimited
I have no limits – I am limitless. I decide what I want from life and everything I want is available to me. I believe in me and magic happens." -Deepak Chopra.
From scratch, with love,
Bethany xoxo
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