bargains
Pears!
March 16th, 2011 | Comments
Tags: bargains, Food & Spirits, recipes
We stumbled on beautiful organic Anjou pears on sale last week and scooped up half a dozen. We had no plan. At the time we thought they’d be a perfect accompaniment to goat cheese and walnuts for a satisfying quick lunch, or we’d munch on them as they ripened for an afternoon snack. Who knew we’d end up making a last minute dinner party and be in need of a dessert?
Remember our post Old Wine Rewind, about poaching dried fruits in leftover wine? In it, we sing a song about the wonder of leftover spirits, yes, sometimes there are leftovers, and we just happened to have a nearly full bottle of Spanish red wine on hand. So, our plan was to apply the same principle to poaching the pears as we do to poaching dried fruits. While this sounds like a lot of work. It wasn’t. We were in the kitchen cooking, writing, talking, eating all day anyway, so minding the wine m
ixture and poaching the fruit was not heavy lifting. It filled the house with delicious smells and we felt like mad scientists adjusting and minding our brew and pears.
Poached Pears in Red Wine
Into a deep pot we poured the wine, 3/4 cup of water, 3/4 cup sugar, a stick of cinnamon, 2 star anise, 3 pods of green cardamom, 3 cloves, 6 black peppercorns, the juice and zest of an orange (that’s what we had, you could easily use a tangerine), a pinch of kosher salt, 1/2 cup dried cherries (again because we had them on hand you could use craisins, raisins or nothing at all). We brought it to a boil, then turned the heat down to medium.Our goal? To cook it down a bit to concentrate the flavors. (more…)
Our Sauce on Shrimp Cocktail
February 9th, 2011 | Comments
Tags: bargains, budget, Food & Spirits, Health & Fitness, recipes
Last night we had a craving for shrimp cocktail. Could there be a better marriage of flavor and texture? Cold firm shrimp and spicy red sauce.
We ran out to the store to pick up some cooked shrimp in order to make a simple quick shrimp cocktail. Unfortunately, the only shrimp cooked and ready to dip was farmed raised in Mexico. We were jones’ing for our sauce, but found ourselves in a pickle.
For the new Mama B book, we’d just finished research on farm raised fish and we weren’t biting. We’re not disparaging all farm raised fish, (it’s probably the future of sustainable fishing and there are some great purveyors), it’s just that we’re now more mindful of the provenance of our seafood choices*.
Our only choice: fresh from the Gulf jumbo shrimp. Not really a hardship, except way more work than we bargained for, but our craving was fierce.
Lucky for us those big babies were on sale, so we bought a pound.
The Shrimp
Peel and devein the shrimp and set them aside. Throw the shells in a pot and add 2 1/2 cups of water and one tablespoon of kosher salt and boil it down for 15 minutes. Pour the stock through a sieve, pressing on the shells to extract all the flavor. To this stock add 1 cup of dry white wine, 1 sprig of mint, 1 sprig of cilantro, 1 sprig of parsley, 6 coriander seeds, 1 California bay leaf, three cloves, six peppercorns, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of salt and set it back to boil for two more minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and put the cover back on the pot for 6 or 7 minutes, just until the shrimp turned pink. Throw them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and hasten the cooling. Drain and refrigerate.
Our Spicy Sauce
Into a small bowl put 1 cup of ketchup, 1-2 teaspoons of horseradish, a generous squirt or two of sriracha, 1 tblsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.
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*Check out this site: Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch and download their rocking iPhone/iPad app for more straight dope on the fish you eat.
Mustard Greens with Honey Orange Vinaigrette
February 7th, 2011 | 1 Comment
Tags: bargains, budget, Food & Spirits, Health & Fitness, recipes, Shopping
Easy on the budget, a snap to prepare, try this yummy mustard greens salad.
You’ll love the sweet and citrusy contrast of the honey orange
vinaigrette with the peppery flavor of the greens.
Ingredients
1 small bunch sparkling fresh mustard greens
1 orange peeled and segmented
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons raw honey
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Wash and thoroughly dry greens. Tear off leafy parts into bite sized pieces. Add orange segments. Make vinaigrette. Toss. Serve.
Simple.
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A Smart Reminder About Buying Remainders
January 30th, 2011 | Comments
Tags: bargains, Shopping
In our book, Bitches on a Budget, we advise a girl needs to be wise when it comes to buying items just because they are on sale. We love a bargain as much as the next gal, but we’ve been burned more than once buying something we really didn’t want. Worse, we’ve been burned buying ‘false’ bargains.
To save the impulse buy, walk away. Yes, it may be half-off, but if it’s not something you’ve been lusting over, or are in need of, walk away.
To save falling prey to a ‘false’ bargain, do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. A few weeks ago we warned you about post-Christmas ‘sales’ with this excerpt from our book:
There’s a difference between seasonal clearance and goods bought to be sold on promotion. When the latter happens, a big slug of goods are bought, marked too high, put on the floor to establish a ‘regular’ price (usually for 4-6 weeks, but this depends on laws state to state). Later they’re marked down to trick all you budget-minded b*tches into thinking you’re getting a bargain.
Be suspicious. If there’s a whole lot of one item on the floor, marked at, say, 20% off regular price, chances are it was jacked up and you’re not getting a bargain. Be wary of circulars and catalogs ‘promoting’ items—think about it, you’re a smart b, they bought and planned to promote these goods at ‘sale’ prices months in advance.
We want to caution you about buying from online ‘flash’ sales sites. First, make sure the merchandise is from a maker you know and love. Second, take the time to do online price comparisons. We’ve found pumped-up regular ‘retail’ price comparatives–making it seem these retailers are offering you a bigger bargain than they really are. Remember, a girl needs to be wise. Be suspicious. You’re already online, it’s easy to Google the item and confirm the price.
Advice for the Morning After
December 26th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: bargains, Shopping
Warning: Don’t buy into pre-programmed sales.
If you’re bargain hunting in the days after Xmas we have an important tip for you: be wary. This is the time of year we’re most proud of our shopping prowess and the one thing we never do is buy merchandise that was bought to be put on sale.
From the book Bitches on a Budget:
There’s a difference between seasonal clearance and goods bought to be sold on promotion. When the latter happens, a big slug of goods are bought, marked too high, put on the floor to establish a ‘regular’ price (usually for 4-6 weeks, but this depends on laws state to state). Later they’re marked down to trick all you budget-minded b*tches into thinking you’re getting a bargain.
Be suspicious. If there’s a whole lot of one item on the floor, marked at, say, 20% off regular price, chances are it was jacked up and you’re not getting a bargain. Be wary of circulars and catalogs ‘promoting’ items—think about it, you’re a smart b, they bought and planned to promote these goods at ‘sale’ prices months in advance.
Just say no.
That said, this is our favorite time of year for finding great bargains and filling up on fabulous, keeper items that are normally out of our price reach. We just scored on items we’ve been lusting over all season at our favorite luxury goods retailer (think purple dinosaur) that were marked down by more than 60%. A fabulous little black sweater completely covered in nickel nail heads and a pair of hand crafted brown leather boots at truly ridiculous prices.
We originally published a version of this story in the Huffington Post.
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Best Lip Balm for the Buck
December 14th, 2010 | 4 Comments
Tags: bargains, Beauty & Grooming
We’re lip biters. No, not the sexy Vampire kind, more like the nervous gnawer kind. As a result, we always have chapped lips. We’ve run through dozens of lip balms high priced to low priced and finally found one we love: Trader Joe’s Lip Balm Virtuoso.
We like the soft spearmint flavor, the silky glide-on and the long-lasting application.
While the product is great and the price is right, the package reads in big bold letters –50% Organic –which weirds us out just a little. What is the other 50% made from?
Real Women Fake It
October 16th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: bargains, savings, Shopping
Smart women have been faking it forever.
But it’s the really talented ones who pull it off without anyone ever guessing.
Special events like a wedding, a charity ball, a State dinner (by the way, we’re still smarting over being left off the list) come around and normally sane women go crazy buying new expensive clothing and accessories.
It makes us want to get on a chair with a megaphone and scream:
“Those of you on the charity or State dinner circuit, stand up and identify yourselves, please. We all know you can’t wear the same dress over and over again. And, for the rest of you, it’s called a special occasion for a reason–it only happens occasionally. Why blow the wad on what is likely to be a one-night stand? Worse, what if you blow the wad and then get a stain?”
Fashion Week (is anyone else wondering why this isn’t it plural?) taking place seemingly everywhere has shown us once again that what’s new is really old. Just as there is no single ‘right’ beauty or body aesthetic, there is no single dominating design aesthetic. Remember, great taste need not be expensive. Think about it, Lanvin is the latest iconic house designing for H&M.
Since every savvy gal on a budget must amortize her costs, we stick by a steadfast rule of putting money into ‘keeper’ pieces that get frequent wear. Besides, since we are contrary by nature, the fancier the event, the bigger the thrill of a bargain ‘fraud’.
A modern woman takes matters into her own hands.
Haunt consignment stores, eBay and friend’s closets for dresses. Haul out ancient, but faithful, investment grade all-purpose black dresses, and tart them up with the latest passing fads like studded pumps, monster pearls twined with motorcycle chains and bows, sequined leopard bags. Cruise TJ’s, Target, the street guy at 72nd and Broadway for accessories. The bolder the better.
We covet our little secret bargain buys: A favorite evening jacket -purchased a decade ago on the streets in Shanghai for $7 bucks. Our most admired earrings- big, faux and flea market. Best of all, a pair of comfy killer stilettos- priceless, but bought on sale at Nine West.
The true climax of every good fake.
Trust us, there is nothing more thrilling than giving the real swells a big phony smile when they stop and admire your precious pretenders.
Looking for more smart ways to live well no matter what the state of your budget? The Star Ledger of New Jersey wrote the book Bitches on a Budget is filled with ”tips, guidance and ploys for you to maintain, or attain, the glam of a glossy fashion mag. Clothes, home furnishing, vacationing, dining and, yes, plastic surgery, this book covers it all.…this book has more ideas than Bergdorf’s has snobs. Buy it!”
Roots Week: Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Sweet.
September 20th, 2010 | 2 Comments
Tags: bargains, Food & Spirits, Health & Fitness, healthy food, recipes
Healthy, delicious, easy. Sweet.
Not only have we have given up old fashioned fried fries, but our potato of choice is sweet potato*. So what could be better than simple to make, yummy to eat, baked sweet potato fries?
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash and completely dry one large sweet potato (we buy organic whenever possible). This should be enough for two people.
If you like wedges, cut the potato in half the long way. Place the flat side down on your cutting board and slice each half into 4- 6 wedges (you determine how thin or thick you want them, just remember to check on them as they cook). If you prefer a real ‘fry’ look, slice the potato into 1/3-inch long slices, then 1/3-wide inch strips.
Before baking, lightly coat them with olive oil, sea salt and loads of freshly ground pepper . Get creative and vary your seasonings: cumin, curry, paprika, truffle oil…
Place on baking sheet lined with parchment (easy clean-up) and cook from 20-30 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft inside. Add salt and pepper to taste.
*We were wondering about the difference between yams and sweet potatoes and did a little research. In the US almost all potatoes labeled as yams are in fact sweet potatoes. The Texas Cooperative Extension Aggie Horticulture Network, advises buying sweet potatoes with a deep color for the best food value. For best food flavor they advise storing them in an environment between 55-60 degrees–not the refrigerator.
Root cellars anyone?
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Beauty and the Beast
September 18th, 2010 | Comments
Tags: bargains, designers, Fashion, Lady Gaga, Lanvin
 Fashion Week in NYC just finished and we’ve shown remarkable self-restraint. Mostly because we’ve seen nothing that has gotten us too excited (on the runway) one way or another. Until now, that is. We just saw the most gorgeous Oscar de la Renta dress that if we weren’t on a budget we would be lusting after. But, as you know by now (if you’ve read The Bitches, that is), the job of a fashionable gal on a budget is to shop the trends and then find them interpreted at affordable price points. Trust us, we’re not perky, pink and green Lily Pulitzer kind of gals, nor are we frou-frou-fraus, but this dress is objectively elegant and beautiful.
Speaking of taste. Bad taste, that is.  Lady Gaga in a “Meat Dress”.
Be smart. Stay in. Save cash. Make your own fun.
September 13th, 2010 | 1 Comment
Tags: bargains, Health & Fitness, simple pleasures
We’ve already talked about which products your partner steals from you—and which you should steal from them. Now we’re here with an updated list of products you should use together. Be smart. Stay in. Save cash. Make your own fun–
Step One: Get Groovin’. Swing by your local independent music store (these guys are suffering, folks) and buy some mellow jazz on an indie label (these guys have never not suffered). We’ve already turned you on to Bennie Maupin’s “Early Reflections”. Now we want to share with you our all-time-fave-forever-sexy-jazz-great, Chet Baker. Check out his music and if that doesn’t get you in the mood, nothing will. See Indie Jazz for other ideas. Press play and move onto–
STEP TWO: Get Dirty. Yes, we do mean dirty. You can spring for pricy love potions, but you’re paying for the sexy marketing. For half the price, we’re fans of Now, Almond Body Oil, found at any health food store. Then again, a truly frugal bitch will make her own massage oil with canola and essential oils (if you’ve got any good recipes, send ‘em our way). We trust you know what to do with the stuff. Follow with—
STEP THREE: Get clean. Hop in the shower. For a delicious splurge, you won’t regret Weleda’s, Birch Body Scrub, (ahem, leave the thrashing branches behind.) Or for half the price, opt for the oldie, but goodie, Neutrogena Sugar Scrub Body Exfoliator. Or be a real bitch on a budget and make your own: mix equal parts brown sugar and granulated white sugar, squirt in some of your almond oil, and add powdered cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to your liking. A tasty treat –
Send us your home recipes!
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