Converting Jack's Peach and Chickpea Curry into a Toast Topping

As you can see, if you preview my blog posts, I follow Jack Monroe https://cookingonabootstrap.com/.

I have also bought most of her books. Like Amy Dacyczyn, author of the Tightwad Gazette, Jack encourages people on a limited budget with limited cooking skills that they, too, can make great frugal meals.

Here is Jack's original Peach and Chickpea Curry:
https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2019/11/05/peach-chickpea-curry-recipe/.

While this post is not an actual recipe, you can go to Jack's website and try her recipe.

I was skeptical about trying to make this recipe for several reasons. Because I need to adapt recipes to make them GERD-friendly and according to available supplies, I wondered if I could actually achieve a curry.

Suffice it to say, adapting the recipe to make it GERD-friendly meant No onions, No garlic and No tomatoes. I tried to use a bit of onion and garlic powders. I tried to give it the tomato flavor by adding a few crumbles of tomato bouillon. If I use too much of any of these spices, my stomach rebels.

Well, it did not turn out the way I thought. So, I now I had a lot of peaches/chickpea mix left.

What could I do with this? First, I thought, I’d try to make the curry again by recooking a batch with additional spices. No, that won’t work, it would be too spicy.

Ok, let me sleep on it.

Then, I thought let’s see if it works as a toast topping. So, in the morning, I spread some cream cheese on a slice of toast and topped it with a 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peaches/chickpeas mix. It worked! It’s great. Hurray, another save!

#GERD-friendly

Hotplate / Microwave: Pasta, White Beans, Spinach With an Anchovy Sauce

Ok, here’s how it often goes with me. I wanted a pasta recipe that used anchovies. I found this recipe (Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Pasta with White Bean and Anchovy Sauce) on Recipeland and thought I’d use it as a guide. I wanted to make a singe serving among other things.

I made a small bag of ribbon pasta. I’ll use the rest of the pasta elsewhere.

The recipe called for Broccoli Rabe. I assumed it was a type of greens. Because I did not have Rabe, I used spinach.

Recently, I had made a small batch of anchovy butter, so I used about a 1/3 of a cup of the anchovy butter.

I made a cup of vegetable stock with a vegetable bouillon cube and a cup of water. I only used about 1/3 a cup of the stock, I'll use the rest of the stock elsewhere.

Beans are plentiful here but there are not many choices of white beans are available. I had made a small batch of white beans previously and wanted to use them.

Because I had made several changes to the original recipe, I wasn’t sure it would turn out. One bite told me, it came out great.

I thank Jack Monroe for introducing me to the varied uses of anchovies.

Normally, when I use garlic powder, I have no ill effects i.e. acid reflux, but because I made several recipes with garlic powder, lately, my system was overwhelmed. So, now, I will reduce the garlic powder to a hint to none.


Pasta, White Beans, Spinach With an Anchovy Sauce
(Adapted from: Recipeland, Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Pasta with White Bean and Anchovy Sauce)


Makes a 1 bowl serving.


Pre-Preparations:

Make Anchovy butter:

Drain 1 tin of anchovies.
Add anchovies to a container with a lid.
Add 1/2 Cup butter.
Mix and smash the butter and anchovies until they are thoroughly combined and the anchovies are in tiny pieces.
Hold off on adding spices. Add them later when using the mixture as anchovy butter.

Make Vegetable Stock:

Add 1 vegetable bouillon cube to a cup of water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove and stir until the bouillon cube has dissolved.


Ingredients:

1 Small bag of pasta
1 dab of vegetable oil
1/3 Cup of Anchovy butter
1/3 cup of vegetable stock
2 Heaping TBspns of canned (rinsed in the can) or cooked white beans (any type)
1 Small dessert bowl of frozen spinach
a hint of garlic powder
Ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: Parmasan cheese


Process:


Pasta

In a medium pan, add enough water to cover the pasta.
Add a dab of oil.
Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
When pasta is done, drain and set aside.


Anchovy, Spinach and White Bean Sauce

Add anchovy butter to a small skillet.
Simmer and stir until anchovies have “melted.”
Add vegetable stock.
Add beans.
Add spinach.
Add garlic powder.
Add ground black pepper.
Stir to mix ingredients.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Check and stir occasionally.
Use a spoon to mash the beans.
Simmer until beans are so soft they are easy to mash.
Continue to simmer. You want the mixture creamy and hot throughout.

To serve:

Fill a bowl about 2/3 full of cooked pasta.
Add the sauce.
Stir ingredients to mix them thoroughly.
Add garnish.

#GERD-friendly
 

Hotplate / Microwave: Dressed Up Can of Portobello Mushroom Soup

You can take this dressed up Can of Cream of Portobello Mushroom soup anywhere.

Thanks to Jack Monroe (https://cookingonabootstrap.com/), I’ve made another great soup.

Sadly, I do not have a blender, so I used a can of Cream of Portobello mushroom soup instead of fresh mushrooms and also made other adjustments.

It turns out that Cream of Portobello mushroom soup is more of a broth whereas a different Cream of mushroom soup is creamy.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised, I had been saving a bit of leftover red wine in the frig for quite awhile. It was fine.


Hotplate/Microwave: Dressed Up Can of Portobello Mushroom Soup
(Adapted from A Girl Called Jack - Red Wine and Mushroom Soup p51)
 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups water
1 Vegetable Bouillon cube
1/2-1 TBspns Onion powder
1/2 TBspn Garlic powder
1 15oz (420g) Can of cream of Portobello mushroom soup
2 oz (50ml) Leftover Red wine
1 Tspn Thyme, dry, crushed
Garnish: Thyme, dry, crushed

Process:

Add bouillon cube to water.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
Remove and stir until cube has dissolved.
Pour a small amount of the vegetable stock into a medium pan.
Add garlic and onion powders.
Stir.
With the liquid, the powders will become a paste.
Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Add mushroom soup.
Stir and mix ingredients.
Add the rest of the stock.
Stir.
Add wine.
Stir.
Add thyme, crush between palms over liquid.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Stir.
Simmer 3-5 minutes to get soup thoroughly hot.
Add garnish when serving.

#GERD-friendly

Toaster Oven/Stovetop: Fishy Snacks - Anchovy Savories and Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Sardine Mash

During the last few weeks of recipe frustration, I did make two recipes that came out well but only for people who like sour and salty snacks.

I like anchovies, so I had to try Jack’s recipe Anchovy Savories from Cooking on a Bootstrap (eBook version).

While it looks like a simple recipe, it is, but the whole melting butter mixed with flour thing intimidates me.


Toaster Oven / Hotplate: Anchovy Savories
(From Jack Monroe’s Cooking on a Bootstrap (eBook) )

Makes enough sauce for 2 slices of toast.


Ingredients:

1 tspn Butter
1 tspn Flour
A little Milk
A small lump of hard Cheese, grated
A few drops of hot sauce
2 pieces of multi-grain bread
Parsley (optional)
1 36g (1.25oz) Can of anchovies, drained


Process:

Make toast, first, either in a skillet or in a toaster oven.

In a small skillet, add butter.
On a low heat, melt butter.
Add flour and stir.
Keep stirring as you slowly add a bit of milk.
Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Add grated cheese.
Keep stirring.
Add a bit more milk, if needed.
Add hot sauce.
Keep stirring, scraping the bottoms and sides of skillet.
Sauce should be slightly thick.
Spread a layer of sauce on toast.
Top with a few anchovies.
Add parsley (optional).
Eat immediately.

To my mind, this is a snack food.

Note: You may have heard about the controversy over the contents of some Parmesan Cheese containers. Some companies were selling cheese flavored sawdust. Well, the same problem exists in the spice industry. I had a jar of Parsley that was more like twigs than parsley leaves. So, that is why I did not use parsley in this recipe




I credit Alex Fergus for the inspiration for the following recipe. You can find him at https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/51-sardine-recipes-for-the-fussiest-of-fish-eaters.


Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Sardine Mash

Pre-preparation:

Make hard-boiled eggs via toaster oven. See recipe on this blog.

Make sardine mash. See recipe on this blog.

Ingredients:

Hard-boiled egg(s)
Sardine mash
1 TBspn Mayo and a little more
1/2 Capful of lime juice
Ground black pepper to taste
1 TBspn of parsley, dry


Process:

Peel egg(s) and cut in half lengthwise.
Carefully remove the yolk(s) and put into sardine mash container.
Add Mayo into container.

Add Lime juice to mixture.
Add ground black pepper.
Stir and mix sardine mash and yolk(s) well.
Stir mixture until it is creamy.
Add more mayo if needed.
Take a Tsp scoop or more of mixture and fill the hollow in the egg halves.
Sprinkle deviled egg(s) with crushed dry parsley.

#GERD-friendly if you do not add Black pepper.

Stovetop: Salmon and Corn Chowder

I have a smile on my face. I made chowder.

For the last few weeks, my attempts at making several recipes from various sources failed.

I battled with making peanut butter ice cream. My first attempt had came out good but when I tried to make it again, it became peanut butter ice or a thick peanut butter cream.

My little white beans, while cooked, lacked flavor.

But, things began to change when I made a wonderful sesame sauce for cucumber slices. Ahhh.


Stovetop: Salmon and Corn Chowder
(Adapted from: Tin Can Cook - Salmon and Corn Chowder p110)

I have made adjustments to Jack's recipe based on ingredients I had available and also in an attempt to make the recipe GERD-friendly.

Also, while I converted the grams into ounces, the amounts are not exact to the quantity you will find in cans in your grocery store.


Ingredients:

1 430g (15.16 oz) Can of potatoes, sliced or cubed, drained, and rinsed in can
 
1 and 1/2 Chicken bouillon cubes

10 oz Water

1 285g (10.5oz) Can corn, drained, and rinsed in can

4 oz Salmon paste see fish paste recipe below

2-3 TBspns Milk (I used powdered milk mix)

S/P to taste

2-3 TBspns thawed frozen spinach (Optional)


Fish Paste
(Adapted from: https://jackiem.com.au/2015/05/19/how-to-make-fish-paste/)


Ingredients:

 1 140g (4.93oz) Can of salmon, drained
3+ TBspns of flour
and a bit of water
S/P to taste


Fish Paste Process:

Basically, in a bowl, add salmon and flour, mix ingredients thoroughly by hand until it is a smooth thick paste. Add water if needed. Store the fish paste in the frig until ready for use. This recipe makes about 8oz of fish paste.


Salmon and Corn Chowder Process:

Add potatoes to medium sauce pan.
Add bouillon cubes to 10 oz of water.
Boil water and cubes in microwave for two minutes.
When ready, stir to blend bouillon with the water.
Add bouillon stock to pan.
Stir.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Add corn.
Add fish paste.
Stir until mixture is smooth.
Simmer until vegetables are soft.
Stir.
Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add milk.
Stir.
After a minute or two, add s/p to taste.
Add spinach (optional)
Simmer for a minute or two until chowder is hot.
Serve.

Note: I did not add spinach.

 

 Great with saltine crackers.

#GERD-friendly

Slightly Obsessing Over Overnight Oats

Ok, Ok, I know this is a bit obsessive but the light bulb finally went off.

Ok, I can't use the canned carrots here in Mexico for Jack Monroe's Carrot Cake Overnight Oats because I can't wash out the spicy, sour flavorings.

So, I thought cooking a batch of snack carrots would be a good idea for two reasons.

I can make carrots soft enough for an overnight oats recipe and use up the snack carrots since I usually can't finish a small bag of snack carrots before they get stale.

So, I did, and along with other variations, I made Carrot Overnight Oats.



 Carrot Overnight Oats
(Adapted from Jack Monroe's Carrot Cake Overnight Oats)

Ingredients:


6-12 small snack carrots
Water
Rolled oats
Raisins
Cinnamon
Honey
Milk made from powdered milk



Process:


In a glass bowl, add 12 snack carrots and cover them with water and a bit more.
Put the bowl in the microwave and use a plate as a lid.
Cook carrots on high for 6 minutes.

Get another small bowl with a lid.


 I eyeballed the measurement of the ingredients.


Drain carrots.
Add 6 cooked snack carrots.
Mash carrots with a fork.
Cover them with a layer of rolled oats.
Add raisins.
Add enough milk to soak the oats.
Add cinnamon and honey, then stir the mixture thoroughly.
Put the lid on the bowl and placed it in the frig.

  In the morning, upon making a serving, add more milk if necessary.

#GERD-friendly

No Bake: Pineapple Overnight Oats

When I returned home, I got frustrated. I had a pantry full of items but because I lacked one essential ingredient for several recipes, I floundered. What do I make? Unfortunately, my “Use What You Have” method did not help this time.

I love Jack Monroe’s Carrot Cake Overnight Oats from her Tin Can Cook Cookbook (https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2019/05/30/carrot-cake-overnight-oats-recipe/). But, where I live, the canned carrots are seasoned with salty and sour spices that I could not rinse out.

So, I decided to make a variation on the recipe using a replacement ingredient for the carrots.

So, after three trips to various tiendas, I got oats, milk, and canned pineapple. This venture was Not Tightwaddery.

I was bound and determined to have a breakfast of overnight oats. During the process, I did a bit of research about overnight oats recipes and found answers to several of my questions.

There are several types of oats according to the Oldways Whole Oats Council (https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-enjoy-whole-grains/grain-month-calendar/oats-%E2%80%93-january-grain-month/types):

Raw, Whole Oats Groats, Steel Cut Oats, Scottish Oatmeal, Rolled Oats Regular, Rolled Oats Quick or Instant, and Oat Flour.

On my visit to my family, I made the Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with quick oats. While the result was good, the oats were semi-soft, that was not a problem, they just gave the dish a different texture.

For this recipe, I used rolled oats which are thicker. This gave my new overnight oats recipe a thicker, crunchier texture.

Also, @TheKitchn gave some great information about making and storing overnight oats recipes. I wondered how long the oats would keep in the frig and found this article: This is How Long Overnight Oats Will Last in the Fridge, (https://www.thekitchn.com/this-is-how-long-overnight-oats-will-last-in-the-fridge-248415).

Also, I found I had already made an Overnight Oats Mug recipe years ago (https://riastoneblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/mug-no-cook-fruit-oatmeal-treat.html). With my new information, I can improve that recipe.



No Bake: Pineapple Overnight Oats


Ingredients:

Food container with a lid
1 Can of chunk pineapple, drained
Rolled oats (Instant will work, too)
Honey
Cinnamon
Milk


Process:

I had to eyeball the measurement of the ingredients based on the size of the food container.

Basically, layer the bottom of the food container with some of the pineapple chunks.
Top with a thick layer of oats.
Add honey and cinnamon according to taste.
Stir mixture well
Pour in milk to cover the oat mixture.
Stir well.
Cover container with the lid.
Store in fridge.
Check mixture about an hour later.
The oats will have absorbed most of the milk.
Add a bit more milk and stir.
Check later if necessary.

In the morning, upon serving, add more milk if mixture is too thick or dry.


#GERD-friendly

Tin Can Cook - Creamy 'Chicken' Soup

While visiting my family, I got Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook Cookbook and went a little crazy making a few of their recipes.

Jack Monroe is an incredible human being. She struggled through severe poverty with her young son for several years. During those years, she blogged about her experiences and her efforts to fed her child. Eventually, she caught the attention of the media and was approached to write a cookbook. They did.

While the cookbook was a "success", Jack still struggled in poverty. Since then, she has written several cookbooks including Tin Can Cook Cookbook. This book is special because Jack wrote it for others who have to survive on food bank donations. He also started a GoFundMe account so her followers could donate money to purchase the cookbook for food banks in the UK.

The GoFundMe account has purchased 1000s of cookbooks for several foodbanks and their clients.


Creamy Chicken Soup
(Adapted from: Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook, Creamy 'Chicken' Soup)

I loved the idea of this soup. It sounded easy, healthy, and tasty. But, sadly, I could not find pease pudding. So, I sorta learned how to make it by accident.


DIY Pease Pudding

Because I could not find pease pudding, my sister got me a small bag of split yellow peas.

I had no idea what to do next, so I put some in a bowl, covered them with water, then put the lid on the bowl and stuck them in the frig.

I went back to the frig several times to add more water as the peas did soak up the water but the peas remained hard.

The next day, I decided to put the peas in a pot, cover them with water and, bring them to a rapid boil on my sister’s gas stove. Then, I reduced the temperature to simmer.

At first, the pot boiled over with a white foam. I was not expecting this. I spooned off the foam and continued to simmer the peas.

After over an hour, the peas finally became mushy and the water got thick.

I did add some turmeric but I actually liked it plain.

I wasn’t ready to make the soup, so I poured the mixture into a bowl with a lid, let it cool, then added the lid and put it in the frig.


Creamy Chicken Soup
Again, I noted metric conversions and my substitutions.


Ingredients:

Estimated measurements for milk and bouillon

220g Pease pudding, 220g = 8oz
-I actually made a whole lot more, see picture

1 can Hot Chicken bouillon est 14oz
-I used 1/2 a chicken bouillon and a 1/2 can of LO creamy chicken soup

Consider a vegetable bouillon cube to keep soup vegetarian.

1 can Milk est 8oz
-I eyeballed the amount of milk because I had used a lot of pease pudding. I added enough milk to make the mixture soupy.

1 Tbspn Garlic paste
-I used a Tspn of minced garlic

I added 6-8 dashes of an onion and herbs spice
I added about a cup of minced cooked chicken, optional.
Black pepper, optional

Remember, other than the chicken bouillon cube, the original recipe did not have any chicken.



Process:

Add pease pudding to medium sized pan.
Add creamy chicken soup.
Add bouillon.
Add 1/3 of milk.
Add minced garlic.
Stir and mix well.
Cook on medium on hotplate.
Stir vigorously to make the mixture smooth.
Continue stirring
Gradually add remaining milk.
Add chicken bits.
Reduce heat to low, so milk does not boil.

Before serving, I increased the temperature to get soup warm-hot just before serving.

When serving season with ground black pepper.


Jack Monroe

https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-tin-can-cook-to-foodbanks

Tin Can Cook - Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo

Myself and my nephew, I think, are the only ones in the family who like anchovies.

I was thrilled to see Jack Monroe's (https://cookingonabootstrap.com) recipe featured anchovies.

While at my sister and her husband's house on a recent visit, I tried several of Jack's recipes but I ended up eating them all because they did not appeal to others. I thought they were great.

This recipe took some time to make because it took time to smash, crush, separate, divide and mash the anchovies in the mayo amid many interruptions. I had to put the mixture in the frig, two or three times before I finished "creaming" the anchovies into the mayo.

Also, working in someone else's kitchen, sometimes you have to improvise. At first, the only "lemon" I found was a spice called "Lemon Pepper", so I used that. Then, I found a slice of lime in the frig, and used that, too. So, while my anchovy with mayo sauce was lemon-limey, I thought it came out great.

Again, I show the conversions from metric to ounces and my substitutions.

Tin Can Cook - Warm potato salad with Anchovy Mayo P81

Ingredients:

1 50g can anchovies, drained 1.76oz

I used a 2oz tin of anchovies.

100g mayo 3.527oz

1 Tbspn = .625oz

I used three heaping Tablespoons of mayo.

1 Tbspn lemon juice

I used a generous dose of "Lemon Pepper" and a good squeeze from a slice of lime.

1 500g potatoes, drained, cut in half, 500g = 17.63oz

I used a 14.5oz can of potatoes.

Process:

In a bowl or a medium container with a lid, add anchovies and mayo.

Mash with a fork and stir well.

Add lemon juice or other citrus flavors.

Stir.

Cover and place in frig.

Pour potatoes into saucepan.

Cut potatoes in half.

Add water to cover.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer.

Simmer 4 minutes to warm all the potatoes.

Remove pan from hotplate, drain potatoes.

Place potatoes in a bowl.

Pour anchovy mayo over potatoes.

Stir gently to coat potatoes.

Serve hot or cold.

Note: I made a lunch from leftovers that included: a fried egg and fruit from breakfast, pork and beans, Jack's Chickpea, Bread and Spinach dish, and a serving of Jack's Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo.

This recipe could be #GERD-friendly if other flavorings were substituted for the "spicy or acidic" flavorings.

Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

I am enjoying reading Jack Monroe’s latest cookbook, Tin Can Cook. This is the first of several recipes I am going to try.

It is always an adventure to try and make a recipe.

BTW, I love the name of the recipe and the fact it is a no bake or cook recipe.

When I was in the states visiting family, going grocery shopping, is often a catch as catch can affair because I use public transit or join family on their trips to the grocery.

After a family event, my sister stopped by a grocery store. As we shopped, I tried to be quick. What did I need to make Jack’s Carrot Cake Overnight Oats?

Besides buying cans of carrots, I had asked my sister to pick up some oats. Back at the house, as I began to gather the ingredients to make this recipe, I realized she had selected quick oats, so I was not sure how they would work.

Note: I converted the metric measurements to ounces.

Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
(No Bake)

Ingredients:

1 can carrots, drained, 200g = 7.05 oz

My can was 14.5 oz, so I used roughly half a can.

Milk 250ml = 8.79 oz
I used Lactose-free milk

Oats 70g = 2.49 oz

Raisins 70g = 2.49 oz

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbspns Sugar, optional

Process:

In a medium-size container with a lid, add carrots.

With a fork, mash carrots.

Add milk.

Mix and mash carrots in the milk

Add oats.

Add raisins.

Add cinnamon and sugar.

Mix well.

Affix lid.

Chill overnight or 8 hours to allow oats to soak up milk and swell up.

Serve with a splash of milk or cream.

The recipe turned out great. Now, I have another oats recipe including the "Worts" recipe.

#GERD-Friendly

Cooking on a Bootstrap: Over 100 Simple, Budget Recipes by Jack Monroe

I was trying to buy Jack Monroe's new book, Tin Can Cook.

Whew, but nothing is simple anymore.

Without going into detail, using my devices has become a nightmare. I can not do one thing without a problem or interruption. And I do wish other recipes sites would stop throwing stuff at their visitors, like popup boxes and multiple moving videos, it makes the site look unprofessional and I run like hell from those sites.

Anyway, while I have a copy of Jack's book, A Girl Called Jack, I had it delivered to another address, so I have not seen it yet.

When I went to try and buy the Tin Can Cook, Kindle version, Amazon would not let me buy it, probably because I am not in the States at this time.

They let me buy the Kindle version of Cooking on a Bootstrap: Over 100 Simple Budget Recipes.

And I am enjoying the heck out of it.

I love how Jack adds her personal experiences into her recipes, like not having the time for breakfast as she rushes out the door with a banana blackening in the bottom of her handbag.

While I have skimmed the book, my cooking life is in a twirl. I have spent a whole week looking for recipes I can cook, including some in Jack's book and most of the time I am missing a crucial ingredient, like say, yeast.

What do I eat while I am trying to figure out what to cook?

Well, I have eaten several dead bagels for two days, hard-boiled egg scrambled egg accidents, local rotisserie chicken with rice, carrots with peanut butter, with salad dressing, celery with peanut butter, Beans on Toast, successful blueberry pie filling tarts, and Baked Salmon Balls with DIY tartar sauce. There's always cereal.

My struggles with cooking and food are complex. I am poor but where I live, I can stretch a dollar. But, I don't have a car, so that limits my food choice options, but on the other hand, I do have many options, but I am trying to cook American or British or Indian recipes in a place where most of the ingredients available are for Spanish recipes.

Go to a nearby mom and pop convenience store and you won't find Sunflower oil. I was fortunate to go to a government grocery store and find Canola oil.

I am not complaining, really. I eat well. But, I still can't cook. So, I depend on Cook/Authors like Jack to guide me through the jungle of terms, processes, utensils, ingredients, substitutes and more to inspire me to keep trying to make healthy food within my budget.

The funny thing is as I listen to Bollywood's top song hits while I search for recipes etc., and read Jack's book, my eyes roll back in my head because I have to convert grams, liters, milliliters etc., and sometimes there are terms I just don't know like sultanas (I am assuming they are raisins) but that is why I spend so much time on the internet trying to figure things out. Anyway, my brain is being "stretched" as it seems I am trying to live in four worlds at the same time.

Which is also why I laughed when I read that Jack has gone to the library to research ancient recipes and found a recipe for "Worts" which she altered and improved. Going to the library is always a good idea.

Also, I love Jack's stories about her thrift store finds like her 20p Royal Doulton glass. 

I feel like I passed Amy Dacyczyn's "Tightwad Gazette "Course" with a C+ and have moved onto Jack's Budget Kitchen Classes.

Anyway, I appreciate Jack's mission to help people eat well on "peanuts."