The Frugal Girl

For a while now I’ve been meaning to write a post about a few things related to the advertising that I accept on my blog and today seemed like as good a day as any.

The three things I’m mentioning here are basically an outpouring of the idea that this blog is mainly here to serve its readers and not to make money (which is a good thing, because it took nine months of blogging just to pay for my server costs for the year!).  I could make far, far more money per hour by doing other things like photography, teaching piano, or playing the piano.  I write this blog because I want to share my thoughts and ideas in the hope that they will help other people, and also because I just like blogging. 

First off, I want you to know that if I ever am paid for reviewing an item, I will be very upfront about it, and a paid review will go on my review blog.  This is both to keep advertising out of my actual blog content and also to comply with the agreement between BlogHer Ads(my main ad on the right side) and me.   So, if I ever wax rhapsodic about a product or company on this, my main blog, you can rest assured that it’s because I truly do think the product is wonderful and not because someone paid me.

Secondly, I want you know that paid content of any sort will never be in my regular blog postings.  I’ve had numerous offers for sponsored posts, and while these would certainly be lucrative for me, I just am not at all comfortable with the idea of selling out my content.  I want you to be able to have confidence that the posts you read here are my own thoughts and opinions, unbiased by marketing dollars.

Thirdly, I’m trying to keep the ads here from being aggravating.  I’ve opted out of floating ads, rollover ads and the like so that spending time on my site isn’t going to drive you bonkers.   I also have decided against putting ads in between posts or inside of posts for the same reason.  Basically, anything that irritates me on other sites is a no-go on mine.

I hope that this post answers any questions or concerns you might have about the advertisements on my blog, but if not, leave me a comment and I’ll respond as soon as possible.

Kristen Uncategorized

This is another recipe that isn’t exactly a baking recipe (maybe I should call this feature Wednesday Un-Baking for the summer!), which makes it perfect for summertime cooking. Most pizzas require such a hot oven temperature that I hate to make them in the summertime, but this recipe keeps the super-hot temperatures outside.

What follows is a combination of a Cuisine recipe and a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, although I did a few things differently than both recipes.   The end result is a pizza that’s somewhat akin to a thin-crust pizza, although the crust is a bit thicker.

For a more printer friendly version with fewer pictures, go here.

Grilled Pizza

Dough

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Topping

1 1/2 pounds medium plum tomatoes (5 to 6), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 recipe Spicy Garlic Oil(see bottom of this post for the recipe) or a thick tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
You can top your pizza with other things too…bacon, mushrooms, chopped cooked sausage, and so on.

(For food processor directions, see the very bottom of the recipe.)
For the dough, mix the water and oil together.  Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour plus the rest of the dry ingredients in mixer bowl.

Add water/oil mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, at which point it should look like this:

Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is thick enough to be easily kneaded. Turn it out onto a floured surface…

and knead for 3-5 minutes.

Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, mix the tomatoes and salt together in a bowl; after about a half hour there should be a decent amount of liquid in the bowl, which you should drain off.

Mix cheeses together and make garlic oil(if you’re using tomato sauce, you don’t need to make the garlic oil).

Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide into four pieces. Form each piece into a ball, placed on floured counter and press with hand to flatten.

Let the balls rest for 10-15 minutes. This will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. While the dough is resting, turn the grill on high heat.

After the dough has rested, roll each ball out into an 8-9 inch round that is about 1/8 inch thick.

Scrape the now-heated grill clean. Put a round of dough onto a pizza peel(or alternatively, you can use a floured rimless cookie sheet), and slide it onto the grill. If your grill is large enough and you feel so inclined, you can cook two at a time.

Cook the dough for about three minutes, checking the bottom to make sure it’s not scorching. When the bottom is nicely brown, remove it to a cookie sheet or baking peel. With the cooked side up, brush with garlic oil or thick tomato sauce, and add toppings.

Place the pizza back on the grill, close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Top pizza with basil if you’re using it. Cut into slices and serve promptly.

Repeat cooking process with remaining dough rounds.

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I like to make the dough in the mixer(I usually get frustrated with making it in my food processor), but for those of you who wish to do it this way, here’s the instructions.

To make dough in food processor:
Combine dry ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade. While the machine is running, add liquids slowly through the feed tube. Process until dough forms a ball, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough does not form a ball, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until ball forms. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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Garlic Oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(I used way less than this)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Kristen Pizza, Wednesday Baking

Grilled Pizza

Dough

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Topping

1 1/2 pounds medium plum tomatoes (5 to 6), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 recipe Spicy Garlic Oil(see bottom of page for recipe)  or a thick tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
You can top your pizza with other things too…bacon, mushrooms, chopped cooked sausage, and so on.

(For food processor directions, see the very bottom of the recipe.)
1) For the dough, mix the water and oil together. Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl.

2) Add water/oil mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add more flour, a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough is thick enough to be easily kneaded.

3) Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 hour.

4)While the dough is rising, mix the tomatoes and salt together in a bowl; after about a half hour there should be a decent amount of liquid in the bowl, which you should drain off.

5) Mix cheeses together and make garlic oil(if you’re using tomato sauce, you don’t need to make the garlic oil).

6) Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide into four pieces. Form each piece into a ball, placed on floured counter and press with hand to flatten. Let the balls rest for 10-15 minutes. This will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. While the dough is resting, turn the grill on high heat.

7) After the dough has rested, roll each ball out into an 8-9 inch round that is about 1/8 inch thick.

Scrape the now-heated grill clean. Put a round of dough onto a pizza peel(or alternatively, you can use a floured rimless cookie sheet), and slide it onto the grill. If your grill is large enough and you feel so inclined, you can cook two at a time.

9) Cook the dough for about three minutes, checking the bottom to make sure it’s not scorching. When the bottom is nicely brown, remove it to a cookie sheet or baking peel. With the cooked side up, brush with garlic oil or thick tomato sauce, and add toppings

10) Place the pizza back on the grill, close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Top pizza with basil if you’re using it. Cut into slices and serve promptly.
________________________________________________________________________________________

I like to make the dough in the mixer(I usually get frustrated with making it in my food processor), but for those of you who wish to do it this way, here’s the instructions.

To make dough in food processor:
Combine dry ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade. While the machine is running, add liquids slowly through the feed tube. Process until dough forms a ball, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough does not form a ball, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until ball forms. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Garlic Oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(I used way less than this)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Kristen Pizza, Printable Recipes

This will be a shorter Q&A than usual because my eyes are still feeling pretty crabby. I think they might be feeling slightly better than they were yesterday, but it’s not a significant improvement. Sigh. My doctor did say it would probably take 48 hours to feel better, and I won’t be at 48 hours on the antibiotics until tomorrow night.

Relief can’t come soon enough for me, that’s for sure. Oh, and before I forget, thank you all for your kind words yesterday about my little ocular affliction. I have the best readers in the world!

If you’ve got a question you want me to answer in a future Q&A post, leave a comment here or email me (the frugal girl {at} gmail {dot} com) and put “Q&A” in the subject line.
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This question is from Rachel.

I finally want to get around to painting some furniture. We have a dresser that we use for linens in the dining room and it is wooden, but the top part is glossy and smooth. Can I simply sand it? Will paint stick well?

I think I know what you’re talking about. Several of the the pieces of furniture I’ve painted have had sort of a formica-like top on them. I just use an orbital sander to remove the gloss, and then I prime and paint just like I do with real wood. I wrote a how-to post on painting furniture this spring, and you can find that post here. And if you’d like to see some of the furniture I’ve painted, checking the “Painting” category by clicking here.

This white nightstand had a formica top and so did this nightstand/table that I painted black.

My friend Mara emailed this next question to me.

Does Aldi’s have a delivery schedule that helps you know when things will be freshest/in stock? i.e. does fruit always get delivered on Wednesday and Saturday, or something? I have made two recent trips to Aldi’s, the first I was there strictly for bagged spinach and strawberries, and there was no spinach. A few days later I went to get 4-5 gallons of milk, and <> there was NO milk! I had to go to the grocery and spend $7.00 for 1 gal skim and 1 gal whole while I waited for their milk delivery the next day. Anyway … any insight into the schedule, or is it unpredictable?

I’m going to ask about that when I go to Aldi this week. I bet they have a regular delivery schedule, and it would be really helpful to know what it is!

I usually go fairly early in the day on Wednesdays or Thursdays, and they’ve rarely been out of anything except for the spinach. Regardless of what day I go, I’ve found that getting there in the morning is advantageous as the perishables seem to be more fully stocked.

Readers, any input here? I’m guessing the schedules vary from Aldi to Aldi, so it’s probably best to ask the employees at your particular store.

Kristen Q&A

Today is the last day to enter over on my review blog, and you can also go here to get another entry into the contest!

Kristen Uncategorized

I have conjunctivitis for what I think is the first time in my life, and given how dreadfully irritated and itchy my eyes feel right now, I’m really grateful to have made it this long without getting it.

I got some antibiotic drops for my eyes today, and the doctor said I should be feeling a lot better in 48 hours, although I’m hoping for some improvement sooner than that.

At any rate, my eyes are unhappy, and staring at a computer screen seems to make them even unhappier, so I don’t think I’m up to doing a Q&A post today.

Hopefully my eye drops will do some good tonight while I sleep, and I’ll be able to post tomorrow.

Kristen Uncategorized

Another week, another report! Here’s my produce.

And the rest of my groceries.

The cow from the local farm has milk now, so I got two gallons, one for yogurt and one for other purposes. I only felt like dragging one out of the fridge for a picture though. The glass jars are kind of heavy, and I didn’t want to risk dropping one (I’ve done that before…it broke and spilled milk all over my kitchen floor!).

My Aldi total this week was $54.97, and at Weis, I spent $27.05.  That’s $82.02, which would be great except that I spent $8 on those two gallons of milk.  Soo, I’m at $90.02.

I bet I can make that up next week, though, by spending $70.  I’m going to at least try.

Saturday

• Ham sandwiches with bacon and Basil Mayonnaise
• strawberries

Sunday

• We’re going to a birthday party, so we’ll eat there.  I need to bring a side, but I haven’t decided what that will be yet!

Monday

• Fried Mush
• Buttermilk Waffles
• Orange Juice
• Canteloupe

Tuesday

• Pizza Subs
• green salad

Wednesday

• Basil, Chicken, Tomato, and Onion Paninis
• Fruit Salad

Thursday

• Italian Garden Pasta Salad with Chicken
• English Muffin Bread

Friday

• Grilled Pizza
• Green Salad
• Root Beer

Kristen Grocery Reports, Menu Plans

Happily, I had nothing to take a picture of today…no waste for me. That’s probably only because I didn’t buy any cilantro last week. Ahem.

I did buy some this week, though, and I am determined not to waste it. It only cost me $.33 (actually it was free because it rang up at the wrong price!), but I’d still like to avoid wasting it.

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How did you do this week? If you blogged about your food waste, leave a link to that post in the Mister Linky Widget below! Doing so will get you a spot on my blogroll for the next week, so come join us! You’ll get a little publicity, and participating in this challenge will save you money and reduce your trash output. It’s good all around.

Kristen Food Waste Friday, Food Waste Photos

This is a guest post (the first ever on The Frugal Girl!) by my friend Katy, who writes The Non-Consumer Advocate.  She and many others (like Angela, from My Year Without Spending) are part of a group called The Compact, whose members pledge to buy nothing new (with some exceptions like food, undies, light bulbs, and the like).  My recent forays into Goodwill shopping were inspired mostly by Katy’s example, and though I’m not an official Compacter, she and I are frugal kindred spirits.  In fact, several times we’ve written about the same topic on the same day without any coordination on our parts.  I might even think we were twins separated at birth were it not for Katy’s devotion to all things sci-fi, a genre which holds not even the slightest bit of attraction for me (sorry to all you Star Wars/Star Trek/Zombie fans out there!).

I hope you enjoy her post.  I promise there is nothing sci-fi about it. 

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Want to start living the green life?

Retailers would have you believe green living is all about organically grown hemp sheets and sustainably harvested bamboo living room sets.

Wrong!

The best green purchase you can make is the one not taken.

Every time you purchase a brand new product you make a dent in the environment. Even when you’re making a green choice. That product had to be produced by materials that had to be shipped to the point of manufacturing. They were then shipped to the place of purchase, to be taken home by you, the consumer.

If there’s something you feel you just can’t live without, consider buying it used. Whether it be a book, clothing, appliance, toy or gift. Most anything can be found used.

A second hand regular item is better for the environment than a brand-new green product.

It’s already manufactured, the damage has already been done.

I’m part of a world wide non-consumer group called The Compact. (Buy nothing new.) Since joining in January 2007, I’ve only bought a few new items here and there. I went into it thinking I would try it for a month, but I doubt I’ll ever stop. The things I thought would be difficult, (gifts, family acceptance) have been a cinch. Really, a non-issue.

Not only do I feel good that my possessions did not have to be manufactured specifically for me, I’ve also saved a ton of money!

So next time you’re about to buy a brand-new product, pause a moment to think whether it could be found used.

Or maybe even not bought at all.

Agree? Disagree? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

Kristen Green and Frugal

Today’s baking recipe requires, um, no baking. Which, I suppose, means it’s not actually a baking post.

But if you’re like me, when it’s hot outside and you’re trying to avoid using your AC, or are trying to use it minimally, you’re not in the mood to crank up the ol’ oven.

So, here’s a recipe you can make without heating up your kitchen (I found it in an old Taste of Home magazine a few years ago).

These bars/candy are somewhat reminiscent of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, except that they are square and have no fancy wrapping.  And though they are candy-like, there’s nothing at all complicated about making them.

You can use natural peanut butter in this recipe, but the finished product will not be quite as smooth or soft.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Layer

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup melted butter

Chocolate Layer

1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon butter

To make peanut layer:

Crush your graham crackers. This is easy to do if you use a rolling pin and a plastic bag. Bonus points to you if you’ve saved a cereal bag for this purpose (cereal bags work better than ziplocs because they are usually more durable).

I get bonus points.  Whee!

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and melted butter together. If you use natural peanut butter, your mixture will look like this.

Regular peanut butter makes a much softer mixture.

Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly into a 9×9 pan. I don’t have a 9×9 pan, so I use an 8×8 or a 9×7, and it works out just fine.  I’d recommend greasing the pan, or if you like, you can line the pan with foil.  That way when the bars are chilled, you can easily take them out of the pan in one big square and cut them on a cutting board.

I find this handy-dandy little rolling pin to be very effective with the stiff natural peanut butter mixture.

Wet fingers or a wet spatula work best with the softer mixture.

To make the chocolate topping:

Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave safe bowl. I use a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter, because I really don’t feel like measuring 4 1/2 teaspoons of peanut butter. Seriously, who measures a half teaspoon of sticky peanut butter?? And I use a skinny pat of butter instead of trying to measure a 1/2 teaspoon.

Microwave, stirring occasionally, until chocolate chips are melted. Alternatively, you could melt this in a double boiler.

Spread on top of the peanut butter mixture, and refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Once the chocolate is set, I like to use my bench knife to cut the candy into squares.

You should store your candy in the fridge to keep the chocolate nice and firm. I keep mine in a glass container with a plastic lid. A cookie tin would work as well.

Enjoy your not-baked treat!

Kristen Desserts, Recipes