When worlds collide

My friend Troy snapped this gem recently.  It speaks volumes.

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Rough times: just what we needed?

In one of my past careers years ago, I worked for a small company which also employed a delightful retired gentleman. He worked as a courier, making deliveries and pick-ups between our two stores and various local vendors and customers. In his working life, he had been a barber, and even well into his eighties [...]

Salvaging kitchen blunders

This past weekend, I whipped up three pans of cornbread for a cookout.
Somehow, instead of tripling the recipe, I guess I only doubled it. This resulted in three very hard, thin pans of cornbread. I couldn’t serve this dry crummy mess to humans.
Luckily, I had enough ingredients on hand to re-do it correctly. The second [...]

Building a better blog: going a little “meta” today

I read a lot of blogs.  The endless variety of personalities, passions, and areas of expertise is truly staggering. That’s why I enjoy blogging– as a blogger and as a reader– so much. I get a great deal of pleasure from watching other people geek out on their passions… and I learn a lot.
That said, I also tend to be a [...]

The vague gourmet: Lentil-veggie burgers

I made the absolutely yummiest veggie burgers last night!
Of course I wanted to share the recipe– it’s a super-tasty, inexpensive, low-fat alternative to prepared veggie burgers. Unfortunately, I cook by the “little of this, little of that” method and lost track of the actual amounts. I tried to trace my steps as carefully as possible.
LENTIL-VEGGIE [...]

Coupons: Just cut it out

This will probably ruffle a few frugal feathers out there, but I have to say it.
For the most part, I don’t find manufacturer’s coupons very useful at all.
Success with coupon-clipping really depends on the mix of products you buy regularly.
With the exception of health and beauty products, I rarely find coupons for things I buy.  [...]

Shopping online without a credit card

As I’ve made the lifestyle shift to operating on a strictly cash basis, I’ve learned plenty about navigating through the world without a credit card.
Worried that you’ll miss out on great online deals because you don’t have/use a credit card?
The fact is, you CAN shop online without a credit card. The trick is, you need [...]

Bloggers Against Hunger: Reporting from Maine

Note: Today, I’m participating in Bloggers Against Hunger, a movement started by my good friend Lauren J.
I moved to the great State of Maine about two and a half years ago, and I won’t lie– it’s been a struggle. Starting over in a new place is rarely easy, and the scarce job prospects didn’t help. [...]

A life with broad margins

Today’s post is closely related to yesterday’s.
When Henry David Thoreau wrote, “I love a broad margin to my life”, he was gushing over the joys of leisure time. When he so famously lived in the woods at Walden Pond, he certainly did whatever physical work was necessary for his survival, such as chopping wood and tending [...]

Saving money through mindful shopping

How many times have you gotten to the grocery check-out and been completely blind-sided by the grand total?
“How on earth did I spend that much money?!”
Actually, it’s pretty easy to do, if you’re not shopping mindfully.
What does that mean?
Students of Eastern philosophy, such as Buddhism, will recognize the idea of mindfulness. To practice mindfulness– to [...]