Simple Living This Week No. 32 – FoodSaver Bags, Bisto Gravy, AeroGarden

Happy Monday! I hope you had a restful or productive weekend, depending on what your personal goals were for the time. Here’s a little bit of what I’ve been working on around my home and my goals for this week.

Alternatives to FoodSaver Vacuum Bags

We have had a FoodSaver vacuum sealer similar to this one for many years, but the cost of the bags makes it less appealing to use as often as I would like. I saw a mention that there were several other brands of the bags for sale on Amazon and decided to try out a different option. After reading reviews, I settled on FoodVacBags 2-pack 11X50 Rolls Vacuum Sealer Bags.

I used them for the first time last weekend and they seem excellent. They are sturdy, sealed well, etc. They are significantly cheaper than the FoodSaver brand name ones so I think I will be permanently switching to these.

Bisto Gravy Granules

Something else that we’ve been using for some time is the Bisto Gravy Granules from England. I saw this product pop up many times in UK based blogs and decided to try one from our Meijer international aisle over a year ago. David and Caroline really liked it so it’s a regular product in our home now. (I can’t eat it.)

The nice thing is you can make as much or as little as you want. This is vastly better than the packets that make one batch of gravy. One canister lasts them for some time so it’s much more economical than other options that have to be used up almost as soon as you open them. Naturally, nothing beats homemade gravy from drippings but this makes it possible to have gravy as often as you would like without all of the extra work (and expense of meat).

AeroGarden 360

Earlier this year we invested in a AeroGarden 360 (in a different color), something I’ve been contemplating for a long time. We have been growing three types of mixed romaine in it as well as thyme, rosemary, and sage. We also have an heirloom lettuce kit to try. They also have a grow anything kit which I haven’t purchased yet, but may try.

It has really exceeded my expectations. For a small family or a couple, this is a great way to have fresh produce all the time. I told David that if someone really wanted to make the most of this, they would have a couple of them. You could be growing lettuce at two different rates (stagger the start times) and then also have one for just herbs. For people like us who live in a place where you can only grow things outside for a relatively short period of time each year, this is a great alternative. Is it the cheapest way to grow? No. But it makes it possible to have fresh food year round right in your home. And, honestly, it’s really kind of fun to watch the things grow and then harvest them.

There are heirloom cherry tomato pods and bell pepper pods which we have not tried, but would appeal to many people. There is even a salsa kit that contains both for people who enjoy that.

The other thing I realized is that the liquid plant food that comes with it has other uses. Have you seen the articles on about regrowing your romaine lettuce in water? That’s all well and good, but how nutritious is the new romaine going to be if it is only growing in plain water? I’m thinking you could add this liquid plant food to the water and do the same thing. So that’s on my list of things to investigate this week.

Goals for This Week

So here are my goals for this week.

Goal 1 – My first goal is to inventory my spices. I’m especially looking to see what is getting low so I can make sure I have a backup.

Goal 2 – Dehydrate something, probably sage from the AeroGarden. I pulled out my dehydrator last weekend, but haven’t used it yet since we were wrapped up in the website redesign.

I’m only setting two small goals because I have a lot of other things on my plate related to homeschooling and work.

What are you working on in your home this week? I hope you’ll leave a comment and share. I know someone’s newest project is a baby so I’m not sure any of us can share something more exciting and interesting than bringing a new person into the world. LOL! But all things done with love for those we love are important, even organizing spices and gravy granules.