#vegetable seed packets (great vegetables)

[knightinsmilingarmor]

Long nights in the dojima household

[kisskiss-slashslash]

Bubba’s S/O starting a vegetable garden

Unless you somehow also came from a family of cannibalistic butchers, you were probably used to a more varied diet than the one the Sawyers adhered to. While you obviously loved that crazy bunch, and your darling Bubba especially, you soon missed the taste of veggies, and salad, basically anything that isn't meat. But the truth is that after the Sawyers' job at the slaughterhouse was made obsolete, they simply couldn't afford anything like that. Hell, they couldn't even afford normal meat and had to resort to cannibalism! But for the sake of the whole family's health, you decided to do something about it. Furthermore, there wasn't a lot to do out here in the sticks, so in the time between you being done with your daily chores and Bubba being done with his, you often found yourself bored out of your mind. So during supper one night, you carefully brought up the idea of creating a small vegetable patch in the back yard of the house, and maybe planting some fruit trees, too. "What for?", Drayton asked. "My cookin' not good enough for ya?" You knew that you had to choose your next words with extreme care. "Not at all. I just... want to give you some more stuff to work and experiment with." And make sure this family doesn't die of scurvy, though you didn't say that out loud. "Besides, it gives me something productive to spend my free time on once the chores are done." The eldest brother chewed on his fork for a few moments, obviously in deep thought. Then he shrugged. "Aw hell. Why not. But!" He waved his index finger in front of your face. "No slacking off on chores just so you can play in the dirt! And you gotta buy the seeds yourself. You can come to the city with me tomorrow to get them." "Understood. Thanks, Drayton."

So the next day, you returned from your little trip to town with small packets of seeds for carrots, lettuce and tomatoes. Those seemed to be good choices for a start. A trial run of sorts; plus they were currently in-season. So once you finished your chores, you rummaged through the nearby shed, finding garden tools that probably hadn't seen any use in a generation or three, and got to work.

You completely forgot the time while you worked. You were busy prepping the soil, planting the seeds, and watering them, when a huge shadow fell over you. You turned and saw Bubba stand behind you. He was watching what you were doing with great interest. You stepped back and looked at your work. "What do you think? It doesn't look like much yet, but soon it will be all nice, big veggies for the whole family to enjoy!" You got downright giddy at the thought. Bubba put his arm around your shoulders and nuzzled your cheek affectionately. He didn’t quite get why you made such a fuss about plants (....yet) but if they made you happy then he loved them.

A few months later, it was finally time for your first harvest! The tomatoes would still need a bit, but you had your first meatloaf with self-grown carrots and a simple salad as a side dish. You had expected some complaints about "rabbit food", and Chop Top and Nubbins indeed made some teasing remarks about it, but all four of the brothers gobbled up the fruits of your labor like they were starving nonetheless. Even Drayton, who hardly ever had anything nice to say to anyone, muttered a begrudging "Ya did good." in your general direction, which you put down as a victory.

[gabby-i-guess]

ADHD PSA #2: The Dinner Formula

Feeding yourself is easily one of the hardest responsibility as an adult. It's even harder if you're neurodivergent - textures are ✨a lot✨, cooking takes so much energy, and actually planning meals can be almost impossible. A lot of us just end up not eating properly, because it just takes too much brain power some days.

So, let's make it simple.

dinner = a carb + a fat + a protein + a vegetable + incentive

"Okay..." You say, "but what does that mean??" Well, it can mean lots of things. I'd suggest making a personal, physical list of things you like/have. But for now, here's mine:

A carb: rice (instant packets are perfect), pasta, noodles (yep, 2 min noodles count), bread, potatoes

A fat: (that's right. A fat. That shit helps you digest all the vegetably goodness, okay? Don't go crazy, but some is necessary) butter, regular old vegetable oil, sesame oil, olive oil, cheese, cream, or whatever is already in the other ingredients (e.g. meat, nuts, avo)

A protein: chicken (pre-cooked works wonderfully), mince, tofu, egg, nuts, mushroom (gross but if you really must), salami, tuna - fuck it, even frozen chicken nuggets count

A vegetable: green is best but anything will do! Broccoli, kale (I love kale chips), spinach, red pepper, peas, beans, carrots, ANY AND ALL frozen veggies. Also - blending or finely shopping your veggies can be a lifesaver if you're not a fan of veggies

And finally, the most important bit - incentive. This is whatever will make your brain want to eat the meal. No judgement, I promise. The goal is to give your body the fuel it needs to keep chugging along - if the fuel has to be topped off with Bacon Bits and aioli, so be it. Mine are...

Incentive: seasoning like Nando's peri peri salt, chicken salt, garlic, onion, curry powder, lao gan ma. Toppings like fried onion, sesame seeds, pine nuts, cheese. Sauces like sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, Japanese mayo, pesto, aioli. Or maybe, some random factor, like chop sticks, blue food dye (I'm a PJO fan...), a special bowl, preparing it as snack food, cutting things up into fun shapes, or buying alphabet pasta.

Finally, let's round out this post with some examples of dinners I've made recently using this formula:

Pasta + cream + chorizo + blanched and blended spinach + pesto = creamy pesto pasta

Flavoured rice pack + sesame oil + egg + broccoli + soy sauce and onion = simple fried rice

Couscous + salad sauce + Dino chicken nuggets + salad pack + the aforementioned Dino chicken nuggets = an insanely good salad (AND I took the leftovers to work)

I really hope this helped someone. I'm sending you all so much love and good vibes. This humaning shit is insanely hard and complicated, so if you're just getting through each day without adding to or subtracting from the population, you're already doing such a great job.

Be kind to yourself ❤️

[turtlesandfrogs]

Seed Starting for Beginners- another class I taught Pre-pandemic, edited down for posting here. 

Seed Basics:

Anatomy: seeds basically consist of seed leaves (aka cotyledons), an embryo, and a seed wall. The cotyledons are food storage, and usually the first leaves that emerge and photosynthesize*. Seeds are dormant, but they are still alive and they are still exchanging gas (breathing) and using up energy stores. Ideally, most vegetable seeds are stored somewhere cold and dry. The colder and drier a seed is kept, the slower it’s metabolism, and the more vigorously it will sprout once conditions are correct (though, as this is biology, there are plenty exceptions- pawpaws come to mind). I keep my seed packets in a closed glass jar with a silica packet in my freezer. If you want to nerd out, here’s a link to a pretty famous seed vault, where seeds are kept below 0 degrees fahrenheit: https://www.croptrust.org/our-work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/ 

Sprouting/germinating/breaking dormancy: For most vegetables, all that is needed for seeds to sprout is warmth and moisture. Some will germinate better in the dark, some will germinate better with light (the package will tell you what is needed). For fruits, herbs, and flowers, sometimes they will need additional steps, such as cold stratification, or breaking the seed wall. 

Basics of Seed Starting:

Step one is to decide what you want to grow- vegetables, herbs, flowers?

Important questions:

What do I actually (want to) eat? (Ie, don’t just grow radishes because they’re easy- will you actually eat/enjoy it?). What would I eat more of if it weren’t so expensive? Make a list. 

What grows well here? What Hardiness/heat/climate zone are you in? Do you have microclimates to account for? What are they? Connect with your local extension office (in the US) to find out what grows well where you are and keys to success

Step two: Figure out when to start your seeds:

First, check the seed packet/website description and find your last frost date. Some plants, like broccoli, have a wide general time range to plant them in, but some varieties are meant for spring, or summer, or to overwinter. It’s best to get the specific variety’s information if possible.

If not that, then using a seed starting calculator like Johnny’s is next best. 

Or, go to a regional planting chart like Tilth’s. Or find your local extension office, they probably have a planting calendar.

Keep track of which ones are sown indoors, sown directly, and when the switch happens. For example, you can sow cucumbers a week or two before your last frost indoors, or a week after the last frost directly into the ground. Also note when plants started indoors should be transplanted outdoors

Consider the “winter sowing” technique- Basically, sowing seeds in mini greenhouses (aka, cloches), usually made from used plastic containers, and letting the seeds come up when they will. Makes very sturdy plants, might not get as early as a start.

Step Three: How?

Containers: Please use standard plastic tray, newspaper pots, peat plugs, used food containers, etc. that have a decent amount of space and adequate drainage.

Why not egg cartons/eggshells? Because they a) do not have enough space for seeds to do much more than sprout and b) the egg cartons tend to dry soil out very quickly.

Medium: Seed starting mix, potting soil, whatever, do NOT use garden soil without killing the weed seeds first. If you use a seed starting mix, keep in mind that it won’t have enough fertility to support the seedlings for very long. It is meant to be used to germinate seeds, and then have those seedlings transplanted into a richer mix to grow on. Also, I recommend NOT using coffee grounds as part of your seedling mix, because they have been shown to inhibit germination.

Which do well with transplant, which do not: (paper pots are great for those that don’t like transplanting)

Take well to transplanting: brassicas (think broccoli family), nightshades (tomato family), leafy greens

Fussy and need help to transplant well: Squash, cucumbers, melons, etc

Just don’t: carrots, beets, other root crops.

If they don’t transplant well, focus on direct sowing. The above IS NOT an exhaustive list.

Light: Give them as much as possible, a south facing window, or indoor grow lights. If you’re using a light, look for one that says full spectrum, daylight, or says it is over 5000 kelvin.

The warmer you keep the seedlings, the brighter the light they need. Warmth determines their metabolism, and light is their fuel/food, so you can keep them from etoliating/stretching out by keeping them at cooler temperatures. Slower growth at the same light intensity yields sturdier seedlings. Keeping seedlings at cooler temperatures can help you get stocky, sturdy, vigorous plants. This is a really big key, so pay attention. A lot of people struggle with weak seedlings that have stretched out in their search for light, and that can be avoided if you match temperature to light levels.

Actually doing it:

Fill your container(s). Tamp down soil- movement of water depends on capillary action, which depends on the soil particles being close enough together. Consult package on depth, or use 3x diameter of seed. Plant. Water. Wait. 

Watering: keep evenly moist, do not let them dry out. Not so much that it’s soggy though- so after you water they shouldn’t be sitting in a puddle of water an hour later. I prefer to bottom water. To do that, put your container in a tray of water, and let it soak up. If you’ve tamped it down properly, you’ll see the surface moisten. 

So they’ve sprouted, now what? 

If you’re using a peat or commercial seed starting mix, it likely doesn’t have enough fertility to support growth beyond the first few true seed leaves. That means that as soon as you see true leaves coming out, you have two choices: either use a water-soluble fertilizer, or gently transfer the seedlings to a more fertile soil mix. 

The big day: planting outside! 

Harden off first! The wee ones have been indoors, in very gentle conditions, and need to adapt to the outdoors environment before you transplant them out there. If you don’t, the cold can harm them, and they can also get sunburnt, or even damaged by wind. Acclimate them by putting them outdoors for an hour the first day, a few hours the next, gradually increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors until a week or so has passed. DO NOT transplant out frost tender plants (nightshades, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, etc) until the danger of frost has passed (unless you have a tunnel or greenhouse).

Transplanting, general: Water plants well the day before. Pick a moderate time of day if it’s been hot. Prepare the hole- bigger than the pot was, and deeper if tomato or brassica. If it’s one that needs extra fertility, thoroughly mix in some compost (I use one to two shovelfuls of rich compost). Loosen the plant in the pot by gently squeezing or tapping, make sure the roots aren’t circling (if they are, gently tease them apart), and put in hole. Back fill hole and press down. Water thoroughly.

For sensitive plants: all the above, but “mud in” the plant, that is, water enough that water sits on the surface for at least 15 seconds. Cover- if it’s hot, a cardboard box or light sheet to shade, if it’s cool a bucket to hold in extra warmth. 

Success through the summer: 

Provide fertility: some plants, like potatoes and kale likely won’t need much additional fertility beyond what’s already in your soil. Some crops, like corn, squash, and broccoli need a lot more fertility to make a decent crop. Either way, if you notice your plants aren’t growing very well, it’s likely a matter of fertility- or watering. 

I prefer to provide this fertility through composts & cover crops. You can also just use a balanced fertilizer,  but look into mycorrhizae before you decide how to go about it. Whether it’s organic or not, it’s generally a good idea to follow the package directions for best results. It’s just as easy to over fertilize and burn your plants as it is to under fertilize and get stunted growth.

Learning More:

Visit community gardens, visit the Master Gardener demonstration gardens, your local extension office for local information, here’s the link to Washington States: http://gardening.wsu.edu/

Facebook groups can be very helpful, gardening forums as well. 

Useful websites in General:

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/seed-planting-schedule-calculator.html seed sowing date calculator- put in your last frost, get general dates for everything. Honestly, poke around their growers library in general, they've got some cool stuff. 

https://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze-frost-dates/#b for last frost dates (and a lot more).

https://garden.org/apps/frost-dates/Olympia%2C+Washington/ another last frost date site

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150515111628.htm Gardening in a polluted paradise: Is it safe?

Seed Companies I use:

Based in Western Washington:

Uprising Organics (All Open Pollinated)

Based in Western Oregon:

Adaptive Seed (All Open Pollinated)

Territorial Seed

Nicole’s Garden Nursery

Based in B.C.:

West Coast Seed

Based elsewhere:

Fedco Seeds (Co-op)

Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Employee Owned)

There are, of course, many more, but those tend to be my go-to.

 

*Some seed’s cotyledons stay in the soil, and the embryo is the part that emerges. Examples include snow peas, beans, and corn. Others have their seed leaves emerge as their first leaves, e.g., broccoli and sunflowers.

[balkanradfem]

What it takes to grow little transplants in my apartment!

I'm starting my first plants of 2023, and I'm going to go thru every single step I have to take in order to have them grow! This is extremely diy, no budget, we use resources we find on the street, I picked out these seeds from a vegetable I got from a friend, type of thing.

The first step is creating the place to put the plants. They need to be inside where it's warm, but get as much light as possible. I have these big french windows in the kitchen, and it’s the place that gets the most light in the morning. I will often carry the plants to the other side of the apartment for the afternoon, especially if there's sunlight! I don't have enough space on the windowsills to put all the plants there, so I have to create a makeshift table for them.

Now the way I usually make a table is I go to the basement, pick out a board (I collect abandoned boards next to the trash), and put it on the top of a big cardboard box. The cardboard boxes can actually take a lot of weight, so they work fine as a table stand, especially if the board is heavy. I found the board I used the last year, and then realized, that my roommate took all of my cardboard boxes when she was moving out, and I do not have an appropriate box to use! I went outside to see if anyone had abandoned a cardboard box, and in about 10 minutes, I found one:

And this is how the construction works:

Now that is taken care of, I need to decide what seeds I'm planting. Have I ever shown you my seed box? This is my seed box:

It looks messy, but all of the seeds I collected are in little packets I made from envelopes, and then they're sorted into categories, and each category is kept together by a piece of elastics. I just had to take out the brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli) and some early tomatoes, peppers and basil. I decided to sow a lot of kale and cabbage, and 5-6 little dwarf tomatoes, they’re an early variety and they'll give produce as early as May! I've had both basil and peppers successfully grow, sown as early as January, so I'm taking a chance at them again. These plants may not make it, since there's not a lot of light yet, but if they do, they'll give me the earliest produce in the year, and it's worth the effort. If it doesn't work out, I'll sow them all again in February.

Now the next step is finding the containers for them; I have lots of both found and gifted stuff, but my favourites by far are the yogurt cups, they're the ideal size for a pepper or a kale plant, and I can just fit a lot of them next to each other! I'm also trying these tiny black containers, to see how I like them. I'm using the food container with a lid to grow basil, because I've noticed basil germinates more willingly in damp conditions, and once I close that lid, the water won't be able to evaporate. Also all these containers need to have a decent sized hole on the bottom!

Now before I go on to get the soil and start planting, I figured I should make the labels! Once my hands are dirty I will be unwilling to wash them just to cut some labels out. My labels are just a random piece of thin cardboard (like from a chocolate box) cut into a strip, and then I write the name of the plant there. Otherwise I will immediately forget what I planted where. These are short-lived, for a lasting one, I've seen people cut out plastic containers into strips, and write on them with a permanent marker, that would last! But I only need these temporarily, I don't mind if they decompose later.

Now, the soil! If I hadn't been prepared for this, I would have to go to the forest, or some area where a lot of leaves were decomposing, to get my soil, but I always remember to take some home in the fall, so I already have a bucket filled with soil here.

This bucket is great for it because it has a lid I can close, and soil can't dry out in there. Soil benefits a lot from being kept damp, so all of the useful bacteria can keep living inside it. If it goes dry, it loses a lot of its biodiversity! This specific soil is from the forest, dug from under a rotten tree trunk. There's a lot of clumps and pieces of bark and roots, so I'm taking a minute to clean it out a little, I'm taking bigger pieces out so they can't obstruct my little plants. When it's all good, I'm mixing it with some more water! Ideally, your soil would be nice and warmed up before you're about to plant, because seeds like warm soil to grow in. But, if it's not, you can cheat and mix it with warm water to warm it up!

Now to fill the containers:

And now I have all of them filled up, I can finally plant. These cabbage seeds on the picture are new and untried, I ordered them online because I want to try and make sauerkraut this year! I'm excited to see if they grow well.

The only thing you really need to know about sowing seeds, they're supposed to go twice as deep as they're wide. Since all these seeds are tiny, all I need to do is to gently push them under the soil, and then pepper some soil on top. Like this:

I put two seeds in each container, just in case. Now they're all sowed, I'm spraying them with water gently, so that the soil would properly settle on top of them. If you were to water them with pouring water, it could easily displace the seed, so it's recommended to just gently spray on top!

There's one more important step to this; all of these containers have holes at the bottom, and they need to be put in watertight containers, so that they wouldn't leak when you water them! I always have bunch of old food containers on hand for this purpose:

Now with this setup, it's very convenient to bottom-water them. This means you never water the top of the soil; instead, you pour water in the watertight container, and all of the soil in the containers with holes will soak up exactly as much water as they need. This takes care of the risk of overwatering, your plants will not drown in this way, and also their roots will be encouraged to grow deep down to the source of the water.

And now they’re on their makeshift table! All the attention these need now is to get some water every few days, and to be in the brightest place possible.

[alex51324]

Soup Update!

It turned out great! Here is a bowl of soup, garnished with pepitas and microgreens:

I started with this recipe, and per @foxglovedreaming and @spider-sense-and-sensibility, I roasted the vegetables instead of boiling them. Per @foxglovedreaming I looked through my supply of farm-box stuff, and found two small sweet potatoes and a small regular potato, and added those to a big butternut squash, a big onion, and a small head of garlic:

I halved the squash and scraped out the strings and seeds. The onion, I cut the stem end off, and then cut it into eighths down to the stem end, and for the garlic, I just cut the stem end off and left the papery shells on. The sweet potato and regular potato I just scrubbed. Then I drizzled everything in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. (I have some fancy pink large-grain salt on hand, so I used that.) The onion and garlic each got wrapped in a foil packet. (The garlic is in the upper left, the onion at lower right.)

Everything went into a 400 F oven for 40 minutes, and came out looking like this:

At that point, I put my chicken stock (I used a carton from Aldi) on the stove to start warming through, and let the roasted vegetables cool for a bit. Once everything was cool enough to handle, I scraped the squash and sweet potato out of the shells with a big spoon. The regular potato, I just tore up into smaller pieces and put in skin and all. With the garlic, once it's roasted you can just squeeze it from the root end, and the garlic pops out. The onion worked similarly; I easily hand-separated it from the root and the papery bits.

Everything went into the pot with the stock to heat through, maybe 10 minutes. Once the stock was bubbling, I use my new stick blender to blend it up. (I got a very cheap one, I think $11, and it worked fine.) That took only a couple of minutes, and half of it was chasing down big pieces of onion that had escaped the carnage.

After bringing it back up to bubbling again, I turned off the heat and stirred in 3/4 cup of half-and-half. (I tasted it beforehand, and it was great, so if you don't do dairy, you may still want to try this soup!)

It made five big servings; I had the first one with pepitas (pumpkin seeds; Aldi sells them) and microgreens (left over from the farm box era), and good bread from the supermarket bakery department. Spider-sense recommended cheese crumbles as a topping; I might try that with one of the other helpings.

[walks-the-ages]

It's january, which means it's seed-buying time for many gardeners! So, here is your reminder: Do not buy anything from Baker Creek / Rareseeds. com ; they are racist, anti-vaxxers; they steal varieties from Native communities, are friends with Clive Bundy, wanted to invite Robert F Kennedy Jr to one of their seed expos. They've fundraised for the homophobic and misogynistic Salvation Army

They have adopted young children from asian countries to use as free advertising for their "~exotic Asian seed varieties~" by having them pose with all of the (stolen + renamed) Asian varieties as young children-- might have to check the Wayback Machine to see this in action, or look at physical seed packets for this, as they've cut back on it after coming underfire for such a gross practice.

Anyways, would you like to know who you SHOULD support this year when purchasing seeds?

Experimental Farm Network, who has been nothing but vocally supportive of Palestinians and calling for everyone to do what they can to end the genocide Israel is committing.

[ID: A facebook post by Experimental Farm Network, which shows a hand holding three young, fuzzy Yakteen gourds, which are oblong, light green fruits with a visible fuzz on the outside, with dried blossoms visible on the ends. The post reads: "These are 'Palestine Yakteen' gourds at almost the perfect size for harvest. I normally would've waited to pick them about twice as large, when they're still tender and delicious. But the first big frost (a couple months ago) had killed the plant, so these were officially done. The plant was a volunteer in my backyard. I didn't even know it was there until about September, and in November I was enjoying these first — and last — fruit (with garlic, parsley, salt, and Palestinian olive oil). It was, no doubt, the most bittersweet meal of my life. Today is the 100th day of unimaginable violence against Palestinians in Gaza. South Africa is arguing in the International Court of Justice that Israel is committing genocide. Hundreds of Gazans are still dying every day, from bombings, yes, but now also from hunger, thirst, disease, and exposure. From the comfort of our heated homes, with our drinkable running water, working toilets, and well-stocked pantries, in communities with functioning clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies available to us should we need them, it's impossible to really understand what life is like in Gaza right now. It may seem incongruous — or even trite — to post a picture of some pretty vegetables in this context, but the Yakteen can serve as an important reminder of the humanity and beauty of Palestinian people and their ancient culture. They are not nameless, faceless nobodies. They tend gardens, smell flowers, celebrate with family and friends over steaming dishes of lovingly prepared food. They love deeply. They sing and dance and laugh. They are just like you or me. Please do not only remember them today. Take action to help them. Or resolve to take action. Or reach out and ask someone how you can take action. Do something. Please. Because you can. end ID]

This is just one of many posts they have shared on their social medias since the genocide began, and they have been partnered with Palestine Heirloom Seed Library to help raise funds; each packet of seeds from their Palestine collection has 50% of the proceeds going towards funding the Seed Library, and they

If you have friends or family who order from Baker Creek, please let them know exactly who they are supporting -- and reassure them that dozens of other seed companies with much better ethics are out there, offering those exact same "rare" varieties! Seedsavers.org is another great heirloom alternative, with the bonus that they regularly work on seed Rematriation- returning Native heirloom varieties to the indiginous communities who created them

[ts4challengehub]

☆ Simdew Challenge ☆

by eimajunknown [original google doc]

"Have you ever wanted to live out your idyllic Stardew Valley farming dreams in The Sims 4? Well, here is the challenge for you! I have done my best to match up Sims 4 gameplay elements with Stardew Valley achievements and goals (noted in [brackets]). The main rules are Sims 4 Base Game friendly, but there are optional challenges you can complete if you have the corresponding expansion/game/stuff packs. Feel free to add any additional gameplay you want to include from other Sims packs you have!

If you want to play along, share your Sims and builds to the gallery or social media using #SimdewChallenge, and tag me on Twitter @simageunknown!  I do know that there have been other Sims/Stardew challenges, but this is my version. Enjoy!"

Farmer: 

Start with one sim farmer and dress them however you like. (Occults allowed.)

Pick any traits for your farmer that you think will help with the challenge (ex: Loves Outdoors, Animal Enthusiast). You can assign likes and dislikes or choose them during gameplay.

Complete the Friend of the World aspiration. [Meet Every Villager/The Beloved Farmer/Popular]

(optional) Complete any other Nature aspiration of your choice (ex: Country Caretaker, Freelance Botanist, Angling Ace, Outdoor Enthusiast, The Curator, etc.).

(optional) Set your seasons to 28 days. [Stardew seasons are 28 days.] 

(optional) Start in Spring season. [Stardew always begins in Spring.]

Turn off aging. [Farmers do not age in Stardew Valley.] 

Don’t forget to manually age up your Sims and/or their children. 

(optional) You can turn off Animal Aging in Game Options. [Animals do not age or die in Stardew.]

If you want to set your lifespan to long, you can use Potions of Youth. 

Build a tiny farmhouse with a mailbox and trash can. If you do not want to build a starter farmhouse, I have uploaded a base game one to my gallery. Gallery link: Simdew Starter Farmhouse, origin ID eimajunknown. If you use mine, you can change the wallpaper and furniture swatches, but do not replace the furniture yet. (See Miscellaneous Gameplay Options for house upgrade guidelines).

Live on any lot in any world, but a bigger lot is better for farming and multiple animals. You can start small and move to bigger lots as you earn money, or you can start on a big lot.

Purchase one packet of Starter Vegetables. [15 starter parsnips]

After building or placing your home and purchasing your Starter Vegetables, set your money to 500 simoleons. [Stardew starting funds are 500 gold.]

Pick any Lot Traits you want (ex: Great Soil, Homey, Chef’s Kitchen). 

Pick at least one Lot Challenge. I recommend Simple Living because in Stardew Valley, you have to have the ingredients to cook.

Do not have a real job, but odd jobs are allowed. [Special Orders Bulletin Board] 

(optional) Register with the Ministry of Labor as a Farmer or Homesteader. 

Get married (three days after your engagement), and have at least two kids (adoption allowed). [A Full House] 

Delete the money you get from your spouse, as Stardew spouses bring $0. If your spouse has a job, quit it and have them help you on the farm.

(optional) Attend festivals in Henford-on-Bagley, San Myshuno and Mt. Komorebi.

(optional) Participate in weekly Finchwick Fair contests. [Stardew Valley Fair Grange Display]

(optional) Offer help with errands for Henford-on-Bagley residents. [A Big Help]

Max the video game skill. [Journey of the Prairie King/Junimo Cart]

Max the cooking skill. 

(optional) Max the baking skill. 

(optional) Max the gourmet cooking skill. [Gourmet Chef] 

Earn 1 million simoleons through farming, animal products and selling collectibles. [Millionaire] 

(optional) Earn 9,999,999 simoleons. [Gold Clock]

Farming/Foraging: 

Purchase seeds either by foraging or purchasing them from vendors. [Pierre]

You can use sprinklers.

Earn enough simoleons (50K) to build a nice greenhouse on your lot (big enough for 12-16 garden boxes and a few trees). Use any excess funds on landscaping, if you want. [Greenhouse]

Grow one money tree. [Ancient Fruit]. You can purchase it with satisfaction points or at a vendor stalls. You may have more money trees if you are trying to earn 9,999,999 simoleons. 

Max the gardening skill. [Farming skill]

(optional) Grow every vegetable, mushroom, fruit and flower. [Full Shipment]

(optional) Max the herbalism skill. [Foraging Skill]

(optional) Have a Patchy. [Collect all scarecrows]

Fishing/Animals:

(optional) Have one of each animal or critter (cat, dog, rodent, cow, llama, chicken, bees, grubs). 

(optional) When you purchase chickens, buy them in the baby stage like in Stardew. Sadly, this does not apply to llamas and cows. Note: Chicks do not grow up with aging off, so you can play with animal aging on until they grow up.

(optional) Befriend a rabbit, a fox and a flock of birds, and place a rabbit house and a bird house on your farm.

(optional) Have a fish tank and a duck pond (swans are also allowed).

Max the fishing skill. [Fishing skill]

(optional) Catch every fish. [Master Angler] 

(optional) Breed or catch every frog. [Slime Hutch]

(optional) Catch every insect.

Mining/Combat/Collecting: 

Explore caves/secret lots in various worlds (Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Granite Falls, Selvadorada, Mt. Komorebi). [Mining skill]

Max the handiness skill. 

(optional) Craft every item on the woodworking table. [Craft Master]

Max the fitness skill. [Combat skill]

(optional) Find every metal, crystal and fossil. [Complete Collection/Local Legend]

(optional) Find every MySims trophy by digging rocks OR find every space print using the observatory. [Mystery of the Stardrops]

(optional) Collect all postcards. [Secret Notes]

Feel free to complete any other collections for an additional challenge.

Miscellaneous Gameplay Options: 

Is it morning and your sim is still exhausted? You can use the “fill all needs” cheat, but you must deduct $1,000 simoleons from your money. [Joja/Doctor Harvey rescue] You can also spend satisfaction points to use moodlet solvers.

When you get the inheritance phone call, please select either option 2 (“Under What Conditions?” for 2,500 simoleons) or option 3 (“No Thanks…” for 0 simoleons). [Free money from parents/Mayor Lewis]

You may purchase lottery tickets. [Calico Desert Casino]

You may Dumpster Dive for food/furniture. [Trash cans]

You may keep the money you win from festivals.

You may use Tiny Home boosts.

To upgrade/expand your house, save simoleons [Living Large]. You can follow these guidelines OR upgrade at your own pace as you earn money:

Full kitchen with a nice refrigerator, a stove, multiple counters for family cooking and decorations (10,000 simoleons)

Two bedrooms and two full bathrooms (can add to existing bathroom) (20,000 simoleons)

A basement with a den and an office/study (30,000 simoleons)

Community Center:

If the above rules weren’t enough and you want to go hard into the Stardew Valley lifestyle, why not also complete the Community Center? You may build your own Community Center as a generic lot, or you can download my base game one. Gallery link: Simdew Community Center, Origin ID: eimajunknown. Place the non-perishable items your sim collects on the purple pedestals in the basement; plant the crops, flowers and trees in the backyard; and put the perishable items in the refrigerator in the kitchen. Feel free to add fish tanks for your donated fish (optional). This Community Center list includes items that can be found in both The Sims 4 and Stardew Valley:

Crop/Foraging Bundle (choose 8):

Blackberry

Blueberry

Eggplant

Garlic

Grape

Green Beans

Mushroom

Onion [spring onion]

Pineapple

Potato

Pumpkin

Strawberry

Tomato

Watermelon [melon]

Tree Bundle

Apple

Cherry

Coconut

Plantain [banana]

Pomegranate

Flower Bundle:

Crocus

Holly

Tulip

Animal Bundle:

Egg

Milk

Wool

Artisan Bundle:

Cheese

Honey

Mayonnaise

Preserve [jam/jelly]

Fish Bundle (choose 8):

Anglerfish

Armored Catfish

Bass

Blue Crawdad

Bluefin Tuna

Catfish

Discus

Electric Eel

Mountain Lionfish

Perch

Pufferfish

Red Crawdad

Salmon

Sturgeon

Tilapia

Trout

Tuna

Walleye

Wolf Eel

Yellow Perch

Mining Bundle (choose 5):

Amethyst

Diamond

Emerald

Fire Opal

Orange Topaz

Quartz

Ruby

Fossil Bundle (choose 5):

Enormous Trilobite

Fossilized Egg

Fossilized Sim Hand

Fossilized Whatzit

Hilariously Tiny T-Rex Arms

Perfectly Preserved Mustache

Pre-Pre-Pre Sim Head

Construction Bundle (choose 5):

Craft Bathtub

Craft End Table

Craft Garden Planter

Craft Garden Pot

Craft Knife Block

Craft Mirror

Craft Toilet

Join us. Thrive. hail 🦙 hail 🐄 hail 🐔 hail 🥗

[adamrosner]

Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Vegetable Garden

Starting a vegetable garden can be one of the most rewarding activities for anyone interested in fresh, homegrown produce. Whether you have a spacious backyard or just a tiny balcony, growing your vegetables is both fun and sustainable. Here's a beginner-friendly guide to help you get started on your vegetable gardening journey.

Choosing the Right Location for Your Garden

The first step in creating a successful vegetable garden is picking the correct location. Vegetables thrive in areas that receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Therefore, it's essential to choose a sunny spot. If you're working with limited space, container gardening or raised beds can be just as effective as a large plot in your yard.

In addition to sunlight, consider the soil quality. Good garden soil should drain well while also retaining moisture. If the soil is heavy clay or too sandy, it may need amendments such as compost or organic matter to improve its structure.

Deciding What to Grow

As a beginner, it's essential to start small. Choose a few easy-to-grow vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating. Some ideal options for beginners include:

Tomatoes: A versatile and productive choice.

Lettuce: Proliferates and can be harvested over several weeks.

Carrots: Great for loose soil and ideal for containers.

Peppers: Relatively easy to grow in warm climates.

Zucchini: A fast-growing and productive vegetable.

Consider your climate and growing season. Warm-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers thrive in summer, while cool-season crops like lettuce and spinach prefer spring or fall. Research which vegetables are best suited for your region's climate and start with those.

Preparing Your Garden Bed

Once you've chosen your vegetables, it's time to prepare the garden bed. If you're using containers or raised beds, fill them with a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. For traditional garden plots, start by loosening the soil to a depth of 12-18 inches.

Remove any weeds, rocks, or debris from the planting area. If your soil quality is poor, consider adding compost or other organic matter to improve its fertility. This will provide your vegetables with the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

Planting Your Vegetables

After preparing the soil, it's time to plant your vegetables. Follow the seed packet or plant tag instructions for spacing and depth. Different vegetables have varying space requirements, so pay attention to how much room they need to grow.

If you're planting seeds, make sure they're spaced evenly and lightly covered with soil. Water them gently but thoroughly after planting. For seedlings, dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball and place the plant in it, covering the roots with soil and gently pressing down to remove air pockets.

Watering and Mulching

Proper watering is critical to the success of any vegetable garden. Most vegetables need about 1 inch of water per week, but this can vary depending on your climate and soil type. Water deeply and infrequently rather than giving shallow, frequent watering sessions. This encourages the roots to grow deeper, making plants more drought-resistant.

Adding a layer of mulch around your plants helps retain soil moisture, reduces weeds, and improves the overall health of the soil. Organic mulches such as straw, grass clippings, or shredded leaves are ideal for vegetable gardens.

Managing Pests and Diseases

One of the challenges of vegetable gardening is dealing with pests and diseases. To reduce the likelihood of problems, consider using natural pest control methods like companion planting, which involves planting certain crops near each other to deter pests. For example, marigolds can repel aphids, while basil can improve the growth of tomatoes.

Keep an eye on your garden for any signs of pests or disease. Early detection is critical to preventing the spread of these issues. Handpick insects when possible, and use organic insecticides only if necessary. Regularly rotating crops also helps minimize disease buildup in the soil.

Harvesting Your Vegetables

The most exciting part of vegetable gardening is, of course, harvesting the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. Harvesting times will vary depending on the crops you've planted. Root vegetables like carrots and radishes can be harvested when they reach the desired size. Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce can be picked as soon as the leaves are large enough to eat. For vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, wait until they are fully ripe for the best flavor.

Harvest regularly to encourage continued production, especially for crops like zucchini or beans, which produce heavily. Enjoy your fresh vegetables right away, or preserve them by freezing, canning, or drying them throughout the year.

Starting a vegetable garden is a rewarding and educational experience. With careful planning, attention to your plants, and a little bit of patience, you'll be enjoying fresh, homegrown produce in no time. Whether you have a small balcony or a big backyard, gardening can bring a sense of accomplishment and a deeply fulfilling connection to nature.

[rederiswrites]

Is Burpee not a good brand for seeds?

I mean. Okay. I'm not trying to start some dumbass seedhouse drama here. Burpee seeds are absolutely ubiquitous in stores here. They're a very old, huge seedhouse that started in Pennsylvania, and over the years they've innovated the business in interesting ways and are even responsible for some famous vegetable and flower varieties.

They're also kinda the Walmart of seedhouses. Literally, in that they're what you're gonna find in Walmart, and also because they just take a very big business approach to things. Some people have been using Burpee seeds for generations and swear by them. They also have a a lot of bad reviews. A lot of their seeds are (reputedly) grown in China, which isn't a problem per se but does have the usual problems of being a good way to avoid safety and quality controls. Because it's a big business, it probably cuts corners in favor of profit. Don't imagine that when you buy from Burpee, you're buying directly from some dedicated farmer--Burpee has a network of growers they buy their seed from, and then they package and market it.

Their seeds are mostly marketed to home gardeners, and thus are targeted to a non-critical audience. That is, a lot of the people who plant the seeds will blame failures on user error, when it might well just be shitty seed. If your carrots don't come up, are you gonna write Burpee about that $3 packet of seeds? Nah, you're gonna be like "well shit guess I suck at gardening". If you buy from, say, Johnny's Selected Seed, which markets its products to mid-sized market growers, you know that THEY know that if the seed sucks and doesn't grow, people are going to come at them for lost money.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being in the store and being like "dude I wanna grow that one!" and picking up a pack of Burpee seeds. But if you're online ordering, there are a lot of great seedhouses that are really dedicated to the future of agriculture, and I'd rather buy from them.

[vi-sigoth]

why should we stop growing non-native plants in our own yards? a lot of food crops and old heritage medicinal herbs are non-native to the US, specifically

Having a little herb or vegetable garden for your own use is one thing, I’m really more talking to the people that import decorative invasive plants. In Florida for instance, people imported things like the Brazilian pepper tree, which causes rashes, crowds out other native trees, and isn’t that great a shelter for native animals. Australian pines are another annoying invasive one here; they grow well because they like hot weather and sandy soil, but they have shallow root systems. Which, as you can understand, in a place with very violent thunderstorms and hurricanes is a recipe for disaster. Why plant those when you can plant native palms that can withstand high winds and won’t fall over? Another thing is—if people just buy seeds from a packet in the store, that usually comes with the expense of them just using that and not researching native plants that might be just as good for whatever the intended use is, and maybe even better—a native plant will always be better for the soil and will generally grow better because it’s in the environment it was specifically evolved to be in.

Did you know Florida has several specials of endangered cacti? Why not try to propagate those instead of planting saguaro, which isn’t used to such a humid environment (and also, in my opinion, kinda ugly.)

Did you know we have a native mint that’s SUPER endangered? Why not try to cultivate that instead of getting spearmint seeds from the store? Of course, not everything can be found here, so sure, grow some raspberries and some basil, but don’t neglect your native plant friends, either.

[enchanted-lightning-aes]

Prompt time 😌

Hwan and Tegan + cooking

Ahh, thank you for the request, Kly! I had fun writing this tidbit! This probably takes place off-screen.

However, just know this also includes some mentions of a misunderstanding. . . in a comical manner. :p

send me a prompt? for any oc, dynamic, fandom characters, concepts.

Word Count: 788

T.W/C.W: food since it's a main topic

***

Packets and containers sprawled over a row of counters. Consisting of spices, some ingredients, vegetables, and some grains.

Hwan opens a cupboard, taking a pressure cooker and pan out. She puts them on an empty spot near the sink.

"I didn't think you'd also show up here," Tegan says while her pulse insists on racing.

Hwan adjusts her glasses, her expression slightly vacant. "Um, my sister invited me over, so yeah. She'll be too tired to cook anything after work. And I'm here to prepare some for her."

Ah. Great. Tegan nods, darting her eyes onto the ceiling.

Somehow, Nijiko managed to roped Tegan into visiting her place. Via a text message. Only to learn that her sister, Hwan, happened to be there instead. And she isn't even here.

So, she can probably help Hwan prepare dinner for Nijiko before she gets back.

But a little part of her had a sneaking suspicion that her best friend ditched her on purpose. With some intentions to nudge them into hanging out together.

Maybe it's to just keep her sister company.

After all, why would Nijiko have set Tegan up for that? Especially since she told her that Hwan's straight and wouldn't be into her.

Right? As a sister, Nijiko probably took it as a duty to encourage her little sister to get along with her best friend. No homo. Pure platonic reasons.   Nothing more, nothing less.

So, she clears her throat and braces herself.

"Well, I can help." Tegan tries smiling. "Considering there are some stuff I'm familiar with."

"Wait, you cook for her too?"

"Sometimes, whenever we both have a day off, we do that. Since we have utterly different culinary styles, I cook some Indian food that she hasn't tried. And she does the same for the Japanese and Korean food."

"Ah. Makes lotta sense."

"Hey, so, do you think you can tolerate spicy food?" Tegan asks, picking a moong dal packet.

Hwan arches a brow. "All have you know I've lived in Japan. And I can definitely handle anything with an abundance of spices. And I've eaten tons of kimchi soups and stews before I went there."

"Huh. Nijiko knows how to cook some mean kimchi soups."

"Yeah, wait until you try mine. In fact, I'm gonna prepare some while you cook your curry."

It might be her imagination yet Hwan's mouth quirks up at a corner. Just a fraction yet visible all the same. Kicking up her heart rate into high gear a little bit.

Tegan averts her eyes, rummaging through ingredients gathered at the counters.

Oww. She just had to be cute, huh?

"Okay then. I hope you can eat this Parippu curry. Once I'm done cooking it, of course."

Hwan just watches her, tracking her movements as she proceeds with the Parripu curry. Getting it's ingredients. Cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, coconut oil, dry red chillies, chili powder, mustard seeds, mung dal, grated coconut, curry leaves, pearl onions, and garlic.

She rinses one cup of mung dal into a bowl, putting turmeric powder, asafoetida, and two cups of water into the mix.

After setting a pressure cooker on the stove, she lifts the lids. Then pours the moong dal from a bowl, filling it up. She switches it on at medium and steps back.

"You're gonna have to wait for it to boil," Tegan explains as Hwan raises her brows. "And I gotta make some coconut paste to add into it."

"Got it. I'll go ahead and start with my kimchi stew."

Hwan flips a chopping board then settles it onto a counter. She whips up a knife out of a drawer. She rolls a batch of napa cabbage over it.

Tegan's jaw slacks at how she chops it into bite-sized pieces within two minutes. Somewhat like a ninja, who's got mega fast reflexes.

As the pressure cooker goes off at it's first whistle, it sends a jolt into Tegan. Snapping her back to her current surroundings.  

Darn it. She can't get carried away by this. Her poor brain would be tricked into thinking it's some date or something. And she can't let that happen.  

With a grimace, she squeezes her eyes shut.   Maybe her best friend set out to torture her with this. Showing her on who she can't be with.  

Oh, well. She's gotta manage, somehow. Especially when Hwan throws an expectant look at her.  

For whatever it has to be. . .  

Tegan blinks and smacks her forehead. She turns the stove down and the fire goes out. She removes the lid, instantly greeted by a waft of steam.  

Gee, right. She has to work on the coconut paste before she fully cooks the parripu curry. So, she gets a blender jar.

***

[ssaalexblake]

I adore my vegetable garden, for the most part I enjoy growing food and I put a Lot of work and time Into it. I also have to put a lot of money into it, sometimes for little to no returns. Bugs me when I see posts float around saying how easy it is to just grow your own food Instead of buying it if somebody mentions that produce is expensive. You need money, space, equipment, favourable weather. More space. Time. To grow food And you still will have to go to a store and buy vegetables! And if you have no way to preserve what you grow you will likely waste a lot too. Like... It's not some magic solution. It's hard work, time consuming, and often expensive, especially the first year buying compost and pots and pest control , tools and seeds etc etc🤷

I would recommend it, but it's not Necessarily gonna save you money and I cringe at the false advertising some people do. I very carefully do not work out if it saves money bc I suspect it doesn't and I don't want to know tbh.

This post aka I just had to go out a buy some seed packets and it cost me over £30 and I diligently save as many seeds from what I grew the year before as possible 🙃 it's a good job I like it as much as I do.

Tldr it's great to grow your own food, and I recommend it even/especially if you just pick one thing and do that! but unless you have a military operation around it you will likely not save much if any money, or grow enough for even just yourself 🤷

[ediblegardenspointloma]

Dry Bean Harvest

I am bedazzled by the Tiger’s Eye dry bean, though, admittedly, I’ve not cooked them yet. Here’s the description from Vermont Bean and Seed Company. 80-90 Day. Bush. Originally from Southern South America. This dry bean has a wonderful rich flavor and smooth texture. The skins are very tender and disappear when cooked making them great for refried beans or chili. Can be used as a fresh shell bean. Very productive on 24 inch plants.

Tiger’s Eye is just one of six dry beans I grew this summer. For the past four years I’ve had difficulty growing tomatoes in my garden with our trend to cool and foggy summers. But I can grow beans. Emerite pole green beans thrive as do a variety of bush beans. In 2022 I decided to try dry beans.

My dry bean harvests are small because my city vegetable garden consists primarily of four raised beds totaling 120 square feet. With half an acre, I’d be planting rows of dry beans!

I’ve written about cranberry beans after my first encounter with them in a Farmers Market Box from Specialty Produce. I wonder if it was their color or their history as a beloved heirloom in New England since the eighteenth century. I grew them for the first time in 2022 and saved seed for this year.

My cranberry bean harvest was abundant a year ago so I planted a 24 x 24 inch block this year with 2 ounces of saved seed. This year’s harvest, pictured above was 7 ounces. You might call these hobby beans—maybe a couple of dinners but I’ll savor them.

Cannellini beans are favorites and useful in our plant-based, Mediterranean diet. They did poorly last summer but I gave them another opportunity to prove themselves. The results were dismal—perhaps location related. One ounce of seed produced 3 ounces. I have other beans that were very productive to take their place next year.

Renee’s Garden offers Heirloom Dry Beans, Soup Mix Blend. The seed packet lists equal parts of Painted Pony, Hidatsa Red Indian, Yellow Indian Woman and Jacob’s Cattle beans. To give them a fair chance, I planted 10 seeds of each in a 1 x 4 foot area. Two beans did very well and two harvests were quite meager.

The Jacob’s Cattle Gold beans will not make the cut for next year but should be nice in a winter bean soup. Ditto Hidatsa Red Indian beans.

Yellow Indian Woman beans, (also known as Buckeye by Rancho Gordo) on the dinner plate above is 3 ounces from just 10 seeds. These were the most productive of the soup mix beans. If they cook up well and we like them, I’ll definitely plant a large area next year.

Considering the yields from 12 square feet, I plan to at least double the area devoted to dry beans next year.

My Dry Bean Sources Cranberry Beans—Territorial Seed Co. (These were all dark red. Some seed companies only offer the predominately white cranberry beans splashed with red). Cannellini Beans—Territorial Seed Co. Heirloom Dry Beans, Soup Mix Blend—Renee’s Garden Source for Tiger’s Eye Beans—Vermont Bean and Seed Co. and Seed Savers Exchange.

Check out other dry bean seed sources such as Seed Savers Exchange, Vermont Bean and Seed Co. and Fedco Seeds,

Sample beans you might like to grow by ordering from Rancho Gordo. I found their method for cooking dry beans humorous and helpful.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I transplant and sow seeds for the cool season garden. Then head today to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

To leave a comment, click on “Leave a comment/Show comments,” enter the comment, then insert your name. Finally, click on “Comment as Guest” to post comment.

[veggieeats]

Vegetarian/vegan food shop list for students on a budget

After moving away from home for the first time for university, I found budgeting for food shopping difficult. I struggled to find easy and affordable recipes and grocery lists, so I decided to make one! I will post some recipes separately but here is what I buy for my monthly/weekly shops.

Breakfast

Greek/oatly yoghurt

frozen fruit

Weetabix

oat milk

fruit juice

porridge oats (I usually buy the 1kg bag as it is more affordable than the individual sachets and lasts longer!)

cocoa powder

bananas

Lunch/Dinner

rice

pasta

kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils

Broccoli

tinned tomatoes/passata/pasta sauces

garlic

onions

baked beans

potatoes

lettuce

cucumber

vegan tuna/salmon

Quorn mince (although there are many other great alternatives)

veggie burgers

burger buns

cheese

peppers

bread

flora butter

hummus

mayo

peanut butter

stir fry vegetables

noodles

soy sauce

noodle sauce packets

quorn chicken

avocados

wraps

falafel

tofu

sour cream

Olives

Snacks

mixed nuts

nakd bars

sunbite crisps

dark chocolate

tortilla chips and salsa

Seasonings/extras

rapeseed/olive oil

seeds

lemons/limes

salt & pepper

paprika

chilli powder

cayenne

mixed herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, etc)

cumin

cinnamon powder

onion powder

garlic powder

steak seasoning

[adarede]

Lesser known budget cooking tips

So many budget cooking tips are just things like “eat less meat!��� and “only buy what you need!” and “buy the supermarket own brand!”

This advice is obvious, and most people looking for budget cooking advice are already doing it. In this post I will write some lesser known tips which are likely to give better results.

1. The cheapest way to get carbs is to make your own bread. The quickest way to do this is to make flatbreads. All you need is some flour (currently 69p for 1.5kg at Aldi; you only need like 50g at once), a pinch of salt (negligible money), and water from the tap. Make a dough (adjust flour and water until it is dough-like), knead until stretchy, leave it to rest for a bit (not essential step, can be skipped), roll/stretch it into a flatbread shape, and fry it in a dry frying pan for a minute or two on each side.

This may be more effort than buying bread, but it’s a fun thing to try if you happen to have a bit more time than money.

2. The cheapest way to get herbs is to forage them. For example, go to a churchyard and you’ll find loads of rosemary. Go around where you live, smell the plants, take pictures, look them up to see if you can eat them, and if so, eat them. (You can also get your very own rosemary bush by propagating a cutting. Easy to do, if slow. Look up directions online!)

3. Second cheapest way to get herbs - grow them. Around autumn or winter, go to a garden centre, and buy a packet of seeds reduced to clear. I got a huge pack of parsley seeds for 30p! Now have parsley growing out my ears. This is only cheap if you have access to soil though. You can also re-pot the potted herbs from supermarkets - hoping everyone saw that tiktok of the guy saying the reason they always die quickly is they are too many plants cramped together in too small a pot. 

As for growing other stuff, it only helps you save on groceries if you have the space to do it large-scale. But it’s fun so do it anyway. (This tip was quite well known but i’m including it in order to propagandise gardening)

4. Cooking bacon is often mentioned as the cheapest meat (It’s about £1/kg i think). However I’ve never seen that in the shops. What I have seen is a kg of frozen sausages from tesco for about £1.50. This is excellent value even if you consider that they’re only 42% meat. 

The cheapest fish is basa (catfish), and don’t listen to the haters: it’s delicious in both taste and texture (and £1.79 for 3 frozen filets from ALDI right now). 

5. Another uncommonly mentioned cheap meat is chicken paste. Or fish paste. It’s 42p for a little jar that contains a lot of protein! It gives me the shivers but I think it’s worth promoting more widely. 

On the other hand, one which doesn’t give me the shivers and which is great value protein is mini pork pies - these are very frequently reduced to clear in smaller supermarkets.

6. The cheapest vegetables are still carrots and potatoes, and the cheapest fruit is still bananas. However, the price of bananas has increased, so now if other fruits are on a good offer, it’s possible for them to be cheaper than the 18p per fruit which bananas now cost. Have seen apples at this price. 

7. Don’t buy things for the store cupboard. I’m always tempted to buy in advance stuff like cereal and tea and pasta and rice and tins. However, having stuff in the cupboard doesn’t seem to save money on future shops at all. Even if I’m buying multiple e.g. boxes of cereal because they’re on offer. The reality is that I just eat a lot more cereal when I have more in the house.

I think it’s helpful to have to use up all the food you bought last week before you go on next week’s shop. This often compels you to have a random using-up dinner, which is always a good idea. Pay no heed to conventional ideas of which foods go together.

8. An alternative to sweets when you’re feeling snacky: make some buttercream with margarine and icing sugar, put it in the fridge or freezer, and enjoy. Can also add cocoa powder to make chocolate buttercream. Super sweet and way cheaper for the amount you can get out of a box of icing sugar. 

Instead of buying baked goods, make cookies. Similarly, instead of buying cereal bars, make flapjacks. 

9. The only food I’ve had to throw away in the last year has been mushrooms that have gone mouldy quicker than I anticipated. Watch out for those sneaky blighters. 

10. If you are a porridge enjoyer, and you enjoy your porridge with milk, then use whole milk rather than semi-skimmed. You can replace the amount of semi-skimmed milk you would use with half the amount of whole milk, topped up with water, and get a porridge with the same level of creaminess. 

The same applies for white sauce/cheese sauce for pasta bake. Doesn’t apply for milk to drink on its own though (watered down whole milk does NOT taste like semi skimmed, it tastes like watered down whole milk). 

Same principle also applies for cheese (the principle being ‘semi-skimmed and whole milk are the same price’; so too are mature and extra-mature cheddars). Buy the strongest possible cheese to add to cheese sauces and pasta bake, as you will need to add less for more flavour. 

Of everything I’ve mentioned in this tip, only the porridge milk substitute has saved me money, as when I was doing this I ate porridge every day and measured how much milk I used. The other examples are extensions of the principle which I can’t guarantee would save money in practice. 

Having porridge for breakfast is also a very good idea when it comes to saving money as it fills you up for pennies. You knew that though.

11. Cheap meals generally take forms like:

- cheesy pasta bake with one vegetable in it (e.g. broccoli, peas, sweetcorn)

- lentil stew with one vegetable in it (e.g. carrots, peppers, spinach)

- rice with a single vegetable stir-fried (e.g. mushrooms, aubergine, reduced-to-clear 30p stir-fry veg bag)

- rice and beans (check out jack monroe’s chilli)

I save most money when I’m mainly eating this kind of thing.

Also some people don’t realise that you can cook rice in a saucepan just like you cook pasta. It is not at all tricky. 

12. Leftovers are your friend if and only if you have the willpower to avoid eating them for breakfast or midnight snack. Otherwise they are your ENEMY!

13. Don’t buy drinks (apart from tea bags and squash). Fresh juice and smoothies will lead you astray. 

I will consider this post my repository of knowledge and may add to it.