Quinoa & Bean Salad

This is a summertime staple for me - it's great for meal prep, as it honestly does taste better the next day and keeps well for 4-5 days in the fridge.  Don't worry about exact precision with the measurements on the beans and veggies.  You can also be a bit flexible and use what you have as far as oils and vinegar.  Lemon juice can work in place of lime if you don't have it, but I prefer lime.  (I have also seen some people add a bit of honey or maple syrup to the dressing, but I haven't tried that.)

Quinoa and Bean Salad

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) black beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
• 1 cup corn kernels (optional)
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup (4g) fresh cilantro, chopped fine (optional)
  
  
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: cayenne pepper or cumin to taste

Instructions:

• Cook quinoa according to package instruction.  Cool.
• In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beans, vegetables, and cilantro
• In a separate small bowl or a salad dressing mixer (I like this one), mix lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Pour over salad and toss to combine.
• Can be served immediately, but refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Try these add-ins, best added just before serving:

• diced avocado
• cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Emergency funds matter...

April showers bring May flowers, but June monsoons brought some lessons about deferred maintenance and the importance of an emergency fund.  Our house was previously owned by someone who did a lot of things himself, and didn't do all of them quite correctly.  One of those things came to a literal breaking point after we had multiple days of record-breaking rainfall this month.  

Some things we learned....

1. You shouldn't stuff insulation into every nook and cranny of your roof, including the soffit - more is not always better!  Roofs also need vents. Attic spaces need to breathe.

2. Even worn out shingles will last a long time, and things may look somewhat all right from the outside, but something may be brewing underneath.  Especially if the person who put the shingles on didn't bother with a vapor barrier underneath but just nailed them to plywood. 

3. Insulation batts hold a lot of water.  Like, a LOT.

4. You don't have to use bleach to kill minor mold growth - cleaning vinegar and thyme oil are really effective!  (But if you have large amounts of black mold, please call professionals and protect your health!!)

 

5. There will probably be surprises when you start taking things apart.  Don't assumed that a board will hold any amount of weight, because it might actually be completely rotted out on the inside.

6. If you're doing a project, just go ahead and budget the amount to rent a dumpster.  You are going to appreciate having it when you find out how much material you actually have to replace.

7. You can buy REALLY big tarps when necessary. This one was 30 feet by 50 feet. Due to some issues with subcontracted workers, it didn't quite get finished before the next wave of rain came through.  Sigh.

Ultimately, it's gotten done, and done correctly.  While it wasn't planned, and while the job has been somewhat stressful thanks to the weather and unreliable help, at least the money side of it wasn't a huge stressor. Thanks to a slow-but-steady savings plan that has quietly put a bit of money into an emergency account every month, we didn't have to use credit to pay for this.  That account has been significantly drained now, so we'll be working hard to rebuild it and foregoing some "fun" spending for a while so that if and when something else breaks, we'll be able to handle it.

Do you have an emergency savings fund set up?  One that you hold sacred and don't touch at all for regular expenses? 

A few tips:

• Open a separate account for this purpose, and don't allow direct withdrawals from it.  Look for a TFSA or a high-interest savings account.
• Start small - aim for even just $100 at a time instead of setting a big goal that feels unreachable.
• If your bank offers a "round up" option for purchases, designate that to your emergency fund.
• When extra money comes your way, like if you sold something or received a gift, put at least half of it into this account. 
• Make a habit of putting a small percentage of every paycheque into this account, without taking away from other savings or giving that you already budget for. 

For more advice on emergency savings, take a look at this page from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, this page from WealthSimple, or this helpful guide from RBC.

Here are a few potentially helpful tools, too.  

Save $1,000 One Box at a Time - a visual tool to track small savings contributions.

 

Money Challenge Savings Box - like a piggy bank for adults, but it also has a visual tracker for your contributions

I know Dave Ramsey isn't everyone's favorite, and some of his advice may not work for you, but we found a lot of helpful guidance in this book.   And this Family Sinking Funds Budget Planner can help you keep track if you are saving for multiple things but using one account for it all. 

 

Everyday Skills You Can Turn Into Extra Income

As a stay-at-home mom homeschooling two kids, and moving multiple times, I haven't held a regular 9-5 job in over 20 years.  But I have done a variety of things from home, sometimes together with the kids.  When moms in our homeschool community ask, "What can I do from home to earn money?", my first advice is always to look at what you can already do, what you are already good at, and what people already ask you to help them with.  Is there a way that you can monetize a skill you already have?  

• Cleaning - Offer general housecleaning services, Airbnb or VRBO turnovers, move-out cleans for apartment buildings, commercial cleaning for local offices, post-construction or post-renovation cleaning.  If you live near a military base you may be able to be put on a list for move-out cleans when people are posted.  Connect with local property managers and realtors.
• Lawn Care - Our local help wanted page is often full of people looking for mowing, trimming, weeding, spring and fall cleanups, leaf raking, and so on.  Again here, try connecting with local realtors to inquire about providing lawn care for empty homes.  
• Snow Removal - Obviously this is seasonal work in most places, but doing a good job will often get you a quick referral to neighboring homes.
• House Sitting - Some people are looking for live-in house sitters, but many are just looking for someone to pick up their mail, mow the lawn, water the plants, and keep an eye on things for insurance purposes while they are away for a week or are working out of town.  
• Pet Sitting - Some people want a live-in sitter and others want someone to take their pet for a week while they're away, but we have found consistent gigs where we do daily visits to check in on, feed, and play with small pets and cats. 
• Organization - If you're good at bringing order to chaos, offer to help others with organizing their closets, garages, pantries, etc. Having someone there who is objective can be a huge help for someone who is trying to cut down on clutter!
• Handyman & Assembly Services - All those little things that need hands-on skills - assembling furniture, minor repairs, basic plumbing or electrical work, etc.  A local young man has made a small business out of handling the furniture assembly that frustrates many people!
• Cooking or Baking - I think you need to be careful about costs with this, and you do need to check into local health requirements, but selling baked goods, holiday treats, etc can bring in a little extra money.  You could also look into offering in-home cooking help for homebound seniors who have found services like Meals on Wheels to be unsuitable. 
• Teaching & Tutoring - Which school subjects, musical instruments, or hobbies are you particularly good at?  Can you find a niche to offer instruction in? 
• Office Support - This can be a great choice for someone who has experience in administrative work - look into being a virtual assistant, or consider offering services like bookkeeping. 
• Design - In spite of the rise of generative AI and platforms like Fiverr, there are still people out there who are looking for good designers to put together logos, flyers, websites, etc.  

Vintage Cookbooks: The Berkely Co-Op Food Book (1980)

"When planning menus, consider the cost of convenience foods. If you buy "built-in maid service," you usually pay for it. There are exceptions (frozen orange juice, frozen peas) but they are rare. While a convenience food can be a blessing on occasion, regular use can skyrocket the budget."

Helen Black (The Berkely Co-Op Food Book, 1980)

(Available free online at the Internet Archive)

Cheese Pretzels

Preheat oven to 425° F. 

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 cups flour
• 8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt  

In a large bowl dissolve yeast with warm water. Stir in salt and sugar, then flour and cheese, alternating. Save 1/2 c. of flour in case dough sticks later. 

Knead dough until smooth. Form a ball. 

With a sharp knife cut ball into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope 14 inches long and twist into pretzel shape.*  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt. 

Bake immediately, in a 425°F. oven for 18 minutes.

* You can also skip the step of shaping into pretzels and make cheese breadsticks instead.

Rice Krispies Roundup

We have accumulated a lot of Rice Krispie recipes over the years, besides the Original Rice Krispies Squares Recipe and my favorite extra soft and deliciously gooey version.  I thought I'd just go ahead and put them all here in one place, along with a few more that I found online and thought might be fun to try.  Enjoy!