The Sweatshop of Love Blog

Halloween was so much fun! One of the best Halloweens on record.

My costume was so fun! The pink poo happily turned into a cupcake! It was probably my best costume since I was Jesus voting for John Kerry the Halloween before the 2004 election. And this costume doesn’t come with the three weeks of depression that followed the outcome of that election! Yay!

I got the idea from this foodnetwork.com child’s version.

But mine is a lot better because I can sit down. Cardboard bottom? Seriously, Food Network?

Mine is also better because I made myself a candle headband! But I can see why they wouldn’t want something so phallic sticking out of a child’s head.

I didn’t mind!

Mine is also better because I cut a slit in the inside of the bottom frosting layer and used it as a purse, so I didn’t have to carry anything! And I made my sprinkles out of yarn. Of course!

PT was Chris Kimball from America’s Test Kitchen. People who knew who Chris Kimball was kept freaking out over his costume!

He did a great job! I painted the little logo on the front of that apron and we were ready to go.

Mark (three hole punch Mark), Dan (Don Draper), Jamie (a hot doll), and Mary (Betty Draper), and me and PT, ran into Lloyd Dobler on the Western bus.

It was magic.

We ran around to different parties like crazy people. I even won a costume contest for my cupcake! It was a great night.

But by the end of it, it was getting dangerous for me to be out.

Before heading out on Halloween night I cooked up some roasted potatoes and veggies with some fresh sage we had left over from Friday. If I single leaf of  that $7.20 sage goes bad I’m going to be so upset!

I used white kidney beans, carrots, onion, and sage. It was great!

Yesterday we were back to our pizza Sundays! It was just what the hang over doctor ordered. PT made a green pepper, pineapple, artichoke heart, mushroom and bacon pizza, though he can’t even take his eyes off football for the picture!

I made a green pepper, artichoke heart, mushroom, and pineapple pizza. We haven’t had mushrooms in the house for quite a while, so we both went a little mushroom crazy.

My Slouchy Beret pattern is getting so much love! I can’t wait to see some finished hats! If you’ve got one let me know!

I always joke about eating like a poor person, but all healthy vegetarians eat like poor people. Unless it’s a special occasion, our meals usually cost between $1-2  a person.

One of my favorite poor person meals is Roasted Potatoes, Veggies, and Beans. It’s also a great pantry meal, when you haven’t gone grocery shopping in a month and there really isn’t anything left. It’s warm and filling and an excellent comfort meal. It’s 10am and I want some right now.

Ingredients (for 2)

Four baking potatoes cut into pieces

Two large carrots

One onion

2/3 cup prepared beans (black, northern, pinto, any!). If canned, drain and rinse. If dried, soak as directed and rinse.

Two cloves of garlic, diced or garlic pressed

Three tbsp oil, divided

Spices of your choice! I use: pepper, sea salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, rosemary, bbq seasoning, cumin

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet or 9 x 13 cake pan with cooking spray. Cut up your potatoes and toss them in a bowl in 2 tablespoons oil and seasonings.

2. Spread your seasoned and oiled potatoes in your pan and throw them in your hot oven. Bake for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut up your onion and carrots and put them in the same bowl you used to season your potatoes. Add beans, garlic, remaining (1 tbsp) oil, and re-season.

4. After your potatoes have baked for 45 minutes, take the potatoes out for a hot second, add carrot mixture, stir to combine, and bake for another 20 minutes.

5. When it comes out the potatoes will be crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, the carrots will still be crisp, the beans will be warm and seasoned, and the onions sweet.

I squirt a little ketchup on mine because I love potatoes and ketchup! PT uses sriracha to spice it up a little. Either way, this dish is the perfect warm meal on a fall day.

And lets break this down:

4 Potatoes: 35 cents

2 Carrots: 15 cents

1 Onion: 10 cents

2/3 Cups Beans, Dried: 25 cents

Oil, Garlic, and Seasonings: Maybe 20 cents?

Meal Total: $1.05 and I’m being generous. I know I got that 10 pound bag of potatoes in my pantry on sale for $1.25, and I got the 5 pound bag of black beans for about $4 on sale. 1 pound of dried beans makes 5 cups. I’m not a mathematician, but that would be like, what? 13 cents for 2/3  cups of beans?

I’m making allowances for non sale items and we are still looking at a meal for two for $1.05! I love that.