Last week I went to the Bank Street location of Ten Thousand Villages not only to enjoy a nice cup of coffee with Judy, the friendly and knowledgeable manager, but also to check out what they have in stock.
Also, I needed coffee and baking supplies and love buying these items Fair Trade (we are almost exclusively drinking Fair Trade coffee at home now, most of my sugar has switched too, same for chocolate chips!).
When you go to the store, part of the experience is hearing about where these products are from, how they are made, what benefit to the people or community who makes them there is and more. It’s a rich shopping experience and I highly recommend stopping in when you can.
Here’s a little taste of what the store has in stock. It is packed with gorgeous, unique and special items for your home or for gifts. Trust me, you will have a hard time going in and not finding something that is stunning or that you simply feel you can’t leave without. Also, I could do a whole separate post on their jewellery and scarves. If you are already Christmas shopping for me…hint…;)
I’ll be back soon (I should have just bought some of the items I’m coveting below last week!), but also because while I was there I got a really quick peek at the Christmas items they will be putting on the store floor soon. Oh my.
Meanwhile, here are some finds that I loved:
candle holders upcycled from gears
Hammered metal – aluminium (there are also small bowls that I’ve linked to in hammered metal. I want)Love this. There’s a bowl too. But the way the pieces get the black is from a smoking process. AmazingThese throws are just an example of the beautiful textiles the store has and each of these pieces have a story.
I’ve been eyeing this basket made of washers for months now. I should have just bought it! I’ll have to go back 😉
There are always a lot of conversations on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Pinterest etc. about saving money when cooking and on our grocery bills.
Am I alone in thinking that what I spend it a lot? But at the same time, I make very few apologies for it. We eat well, I like to cook, and some products are choice based (Fair Trade coffee and cocoa is far more expensive, but that’s a choice I’m making).
But when I think about it, I have some recipes in my arsenal that are pretty inexpensive and great for in a pinch. Most are ones that have been in the family for years. Something tells me our grandparents were pretty smart about how to cook on a budget.
Bit of Momsense advertiser Ten Thousand Villages carries a lot of really wonderful cookbooks that focus on healthy and seasonal eating. One book that I had the chance to look at is More-With-Less.
image credit: Ten Thousand Villages
Recipes in the book remind me of childhood recipes that we enjoyed. They aren’t 12 ingredients long, and stretch to feed many people.
The book is older so uses ingredients like shortening at times which not everyone wants to cook with, but this is easy to substitute.
Here’s a recipe I tried. I was able to feed us for supper one night, have enough for lunch another day plus 2 more individual lunches. The total cost was under $10 (and I bought organic beef). The recipe is below!
You can win More With Less!
Thanks to Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa, you can win the cookbook for yourself and learn how to make some easy, tasty and inexpensive meals!
To enter:
Simply comment below what your favourite inexpensive meal to make is.
Want a bonus entry? Blog about your favourite simple meal and link back to this post. Be sure to add the blog link in the comments!
Don’t forget to follow Ten Thousand Villages Ottawa on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all of the amazing products they carry and work they do.
Contest open to Ottawa residents only. Closes Tuesday, April 10th at 9 pm EST.
my batch made all of this. Love meals that are inexpensive and make many meals
Beef Enchiladas (adapted from More-With-Less)
Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground beef (1 small package)
1 medium onion
2 cups refried beans (I omitted them from the recipe this time, but the book has a recipe to make your own! And it’s super easy!)
1/8 tsp garlic powder, or 1 clove mashed
Tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a tex mex mix)
Chili-tomato sauce (recipe is in the book – I’ve tried many but love this one!! see below)
Directions:
1- Make chili-tomato sauce. Add 1/2 cup to bottom of casserole dish.
2- Brown beef and onions in a skillet (add refried beans if using. I also add some cheese in each roll)
3-Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of filling (beef/beans) and roll. Place tortilla roll seem side down in casserole dish. Continue until dish is full.
4- Top with sauce and remaining cheese.
5- Bake 350 for about 15-20 minutes.
NOTE: This can be made ahead and then baked, and also can be frozen.
Chili-Tomato Sauce
Cook 1 medium sized onion with some oil in a sauce pan.
Add 3 1/2 cups of tomato puree or sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp chili powder (I used 1 tbsp and thought it was great)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Strain (optional). This batch made enough for all of the above pictured, plus some left over for next time.
I am very excited to introduce Ten Thousand Villages as a new Bit of Momsense advertiser.
I have written about shopping their before – they have beautiful, hand crafted, fair trade items from Artisans across the world plus some of the most delicious coffee and chocolate I’ve had.
What I love about Ten Thousand Villages (there are two locations in Ottawa!) is that each item is so unique and special.
For example, this beautiful scarf (have you noticed scarves are a huge fashion trend this year?) is available online, at the Festival Sale or in the stores, and with the purchase, $5 goes towards the famine relief in Africa (through MCC). And according to the website, Craft Link Kenya has pledged to contribute another 10% from each sale towards providing dried foods for their artisans and families.
*image from Ten Thousand Villages website
Beginning on November 4, their annual Festival Sale is beginning at the Ottawa Mennonite Church. Volunteers will be helping to sell items on Friday evenings and Saturday days until November 26, making Fair Trade holiday shopping especially easy! Read about last year’s sale here.
Where: 1830 Kilborn Avenue, Ottawa When: Weekends of the 4th to the 26th Times: Fridays 3:00pm to 8:00pm Saturdays 10:00am to 4:00pm
Looking for a unique gift for a long-distance friend, colleague or someone who doesn’t need to unwrap something? Check out their Living Gifts. You can buy school supplies, the gift of literacy, or farmyard animals to families and villages in need.
Thanks Ten Thousand Villages for coming on board as an advertiser. I look forward to sharing all the great work you are doing, plus getting some holiday shopping done at the store!
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