How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew Read Online Free PDF Page B

calendar for the week. On busy days, plan for easy dinners, like pasta. On lazy days, try something more adventurous. Make a note of it on your schedule.
    Step 3:
Check your kitchen. Peek inside your fridge and pantry to see if you’ve got any ingredients that must be used right away. Walk out to your garden, if you have one, to see what’s ripe.
    Step 4:
Consider the season. If you don’t have your own garden, remember that freshly harvested produce tastes better, costs less, and helps support your local farms (and the environment). And honestly, can you imagine anything better than locally grown heirloom tomatoes in the summertime? Add any seasonal produce to your shopping list.
    Step 5:
Check for sales. Skim the newspaper for coupons and store circulars, and plan your meals around them. If chicken is cheap this week, include it in a dinner or two. If beef is on sale, consider a burger or steak night.
    Step 6:
Given all that you know, write down your seven dinner ideas. If you need ideas, flip through your cookbooks, look online, or call a friend for her favorite recipe.
    Step 7:
Break down each meal into ingredients, and add them to your shopping list.
    Step 8:
Hit the store, and feel good knowing you’re saving yourself time and money!

More Nifty Tips
Not sure what’s in season in your area? Go to PickYourOwn.org .
Make your menu on a full belly, and you’ll be less likely to plan for things like “Dorito night” or “Pasta in a bread bowl” dinner.
Your dinners should hover around 500 calories, so don’t feel pressured to make extravagant meals every night. Lighter bites will do.
Try to use as many whole foods as possible. If it doesn’t come off a tree or out of the ground, it’s probably not good for you.
Make every plate a rainbow. The more (naturally) colorful your meal, the more likely you are to be getting your vitamins.

Gardening

Food prices are rising and food safety is sketchy, but produce from your garden is organic and free. Nothing is more local than your own backyard
.

Grow Your Own

    “There was an incredible pleasure in going out to the garden with a dish pan and paring knife to pick beans.”
    —M ILDRED K ALISH
H OW TO P LANT A V EGETABLE G ARDEN
    Step 1:
Choose a spot. Anywhere with loads of sunshine (at least six hours a day) and good drainage will do, whether it’s a backyard plot, a raised rooftop container, a window box, or simply a single pot. A garden is a garden, no matter the size. Take pride in yours.
    Step 2:
Plan your crop. Based on your climate, your time, your tools, and your taste buds, choose which vegetables you’d like to grow, and purchase the seeds from your local garden or hardware store. Don’t be afraid to ask your neighbor or local farmer for advice. And remember, you’ll get much more out of a smaller, well-kept garden than a larger, unmanageable patch, so be honest with yourself about what you can swing.
    Step 3:
Prepare the soil. Using a shovel, dig your garden seven to ten inches deep. Turn the soil until it’s soft and fluffy, working out any clumps, grass, rocks, or weeds. Don’t be afraid to work up a sweat. With glistening skin and little smudges of dirt on your cheeks, you’ll look hot (in a good way). Mix in any compost if you have it.
    Step 4:
Sow your seeds according to the instructions on the back of the seed packets. Depth (often just a finger poke) and spacing (usually six to twelve inches) are key for healthy plants. Label each row with a wooden stake (or even just a popsicle stick), marked with the name of the crop.
    Step 5:
Water your garden once a week (it needs about an inch of H 2 O) in the early morning (before the temperatures begin to rise), and watch it grow!

More Nifty Tips
Don’t forget to wear a hat and sunscreen when you’re working, even on cloudy days.
Pull weeds (root and all) regularly. Unlike punk-rock hair, wild gardens don’t rock. If they’re unkempt, your veggies will be sapped of nutrients, light, and water.
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