Budget Elegance: Cooking is a dead sexy money saver

January 31, 2013January 31, 2013Leave a comment

When I decided to become a full-time freelancer, I knew lean times were a comin’. Thankfully, I grew up in a household that, even in prosperous times, valued saving over spending and relished simple pleasures. It didn’t hurt that Dad preferred Miller Genuine Draft over pricier craft brews and that my stepmom Vicki was a budget ninja (both of these things hold true today –those two are some savin’ fools!).

Recently, my friend Paige said she needed to get better at “being poor.” Now, Paige has a great job, travels, tries new restaurants and is a homeowner, so she isn’t really “poor,” she just wants to save more cash to achieve a few specific goals for the future. Having been there, as well as actually poor when I was in college and a several years after as a young reporter and now being on a tight budget to realize my long-held dream of being footloose and fancy freelance, she clearly had turned to the right place.

Also, she was fed up with advice from a budgeting book that suggested, for example, to shop at Banana Republic, rather than Nordstrom. Frankly, neither is very wallet friendly, depending on your income and one man’s Banana is of course another man’s Nordstrom is another man’s Wal-Mart is another man’s thrift store and on and on. So, I set out to offer up some of my best lean, but luxe living tips that include a variety of budget levels.

So, each Thursday, I plan to share with you some of the tips I’ve been sharing with Paige.

Today’s tip is perhaps one of the most impactful things you can do to save money and also to enrich your life: Cook your own food.

If you can’t cook, learn. Ask a friend or relative to teach you. Watch cooking shows. Borrow cookbooks. Experiment. But for the love of God, learn how to cook. Cooking is cheaper, and it is dead sexy (Google Giada or watch this Robert Rodriguez cooking video if you need proof).

I love going out to restaurants, but it’s expensive, so when your budget dictates that going out to eat isn’t an option, make even the most simple, cheapest meals more elegant by “styling” the food and adding a flourish or two to your meal.

Most mornings, I eat a bioled egg, toast, maybe some fresh fruit and coffee for breakfast. It couldn’t be a cheaper or easier meal. It’s the original fast food! This is what my breakfast looks like when I sit down to eat:

Lunch might be a tuna salad sandwich. Booooring, right? Not when you take a minute to make it artful:

(Are you starting to realize that I like tomatoes?)

Learn to make pizza. It’s cheap and seriously fun to do with friends, family or a date. I was afraid to make my own crust, but it’s pretty easy and the results are rustic, beautiful and delicious:

Also, cooking gives you something to do when you can’t afford or don’t want to spend the money to go out. Bored and want a snack? Make homemade potato chips and dip. Peel, style and eat an orange:

Basically, play with your food. Cooking is a fun and tasty way to pass time and save money. And don’t forget, it is also sexy:

How do you save money?

Tuesday Taste: Cream of mushroom soup

January 29, 2013January 29, 2013Leave a comment

Homemade cream of mushroom soup.

Last week, I decided to get crafty and make homemade cream of mushroom soup. I found a recipe at SimplyRecipes.com, but it called for several items that I didn’t have on hand. No problem, because I’m not afraid to improvise.

Here’s what I came up with and it is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pound sliced white mushrooms
1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Four sliced carrots

Half of a white or red onion.
1 tbsp fresh thyme (chopped) or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 tbsp flour

Instructions:

Place sliced carrots in boiling water and cook until tender. While the carrots are cooking, sauté onions, mushrooms and thyme in butter with olive oil. When mushrooms and onions are tender, add carrots, stock and salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook for about 20 minutes. Pour milk into a saucepan and slowly add flour stirring constantly with a whisk, to eliminate lumps. Add milk and flour mixture to stock and vegetables and cook until desired thickness. Serves four. Tastes great with crusty French baguette and butter.

Eat and enjoy!

Flu season etiquette

January 23, 2013January 23, 2013Leave a comment

Throughout each week, I meet with countless editors, public relations and marketing people, other reporters, sources and of course friends and family. There always is a lot of handshaking, hugging and likely a few pecks on the cheek. I’m a huggy, kissy, handshakey kind of gal, so alll of the above is fantastic — except during cold and flu season.

I had this conversation at a recent happy hour meeting with a long-time source. He owns a successful PR firm and is shaking hands all day. Between sipping bubbles and sharing cheese, he mindfully slipped off to the washroom to give his hands a good scrub. We discussed our flu-avoidance strategies, which for us both involves loads of hand sanitizer (I keep a bottle stashed in the car and in my purse) and frequent handwashing.

One could avoid handshaking and opt for a quick fist bump a la notable germ-o-phobe Howie Mandell. This is acceptable only if you know the other party very well and are in a casual environment. I do not recommend it in business meetings outside the music industry or you likely will be be met with confused looks and awkward moments.

If you already are sick and staying home is not an option, it’s acceptable to head friends and associates off at the pass and preempt contact with a simple, “You may not want to shake hands with me. I think I’m coming down with something.” A source did this with me at lunch last week and I was grateful to her for it.

At home, be sure to swap communal hand towels in the washroom and kitchen with fresh, clean replacements throughout the week. If they aren’t delicate linen or vintage, wash them in hot water as an added measure.

It’s both proper work etiquette and good common sense to wipe down desks, phones, keyboards and other items at your work station with disinfectant a couple of times per week. Offices are a cestpool of germs and desks and keyboards are where everything disgusting and contageous go to live. Do yourself and your co-workers a favor and clean often.

Finally, always sneeze into the inside of your elbow — NOT in your hands. But you already knew that one, right?

Afternoon tea at Zhi

January 16, 2013January 16, 2013Leave a comment

Silver Needle Buds white tea in a Good Life pot at Zhi Tea

Silver Needle Buds white tea in a For Life pot at Zhi Tea

(NOTE: UPDATED BELOW ENTRY)

One of my favorite indulgences is afternoon tea (never to be called high tea, contrary to popular belief). There is something about the simplicity of the tea and the decadence and delicacy of finger sandwiches, scones (with clotted cream – oh my!), preserves and other little treats that makes me feel like I’ve treated myself well and gets me energized for the rest of my day.

This makes sense, because traditional English tea was just that, a respite to energize the aristocracy and the otherwise upper crust between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Recently, I enjoyed tea at the Zhi Tea Gallery in Austin (4607 Bolm Rd., 512-539-0717). It’s a cozy little haven off the beaten path. In fact, though I lived in Austin for five years before relocating to Houston a couple of years ago, I only discovered it just the other day. It’s truly one of those hidden gems. The owner is delightful and he and the staff are happy to answer questions, make recommendations and all around make you feel at home.

Inside, you’ll find a lounge area with comfy sofa, chairs and a coffee (er, tea) table, the retail shop, which includes a vast selection of the colorful and modern little For Life teapots in which the tea is served on the table service side, as well as a seating area with light wood tables and chairs. There also is a little library, if you’d like to stay and read a magazine or book.

The menu includes a stunning array of loose leaf teas and also cheese plates, hummus and veggies and delectable baked goods. On the retail side you can buy any and everything you need for tea at home. All of the tea pots are lovely and would make perfect gifts to tea-loving friends.

Since finding it, I’ve visited twice and each time I had a wonderful experience. The first time, I had a pot of the Single Needle Buds white tea and the next time a pot of the Ambrosia white tea. The former was mellow and light and latter sweet and smooth.

By yourself or with a friend, tea is an inexpensive treat that feels like a big luxury.

What’s your favorite inexpensive indulgence?

UPDATE: Zhi is having a Valentine Tea and Chocolate Pairing on Feb. 9, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy four courses featuring chocolate from The Chocolate Makers Studio. It’s $25 per person or $40 per pair and attendees get 10 percent off all teas in the Gallery and a tea sample to take home. RSVP in person with credit card or cash at the gallery (address above) or via credit card by calling 512-539-0717 or via PayPal by emailing jeffrey@zhitea.com.

Question: If I buy a drink for a friend, is he obligated to leave the tip?

October 10, 20122 Comments

Today’s question surrounds cocktail etiquitte. The asker wants to know if when buying drinks for a friend, if the friend is obligated to offer up the tip. Also, if said friend doesn’t, does the buyer have the right to be annoyed?

We advise that while it would be a lovely gesture for the friend to offer the tip, he isn’t obligated to do it. If he doesn’t, it’s of course a free country, but it was a gift to buy the drink, so you are obligated to absorb the cost of the tip and keep your annoyance to yourself. After all, you knew that was part of it when you bought the round. No matter what though, a hearty thank you is required and cheers to the buyer’s health.

This conversation does have us thinking that from now on, we’ll at least offer up tip money when given the gift of a delicious adult beverage.

What do you think? To offer tip or not to offer tip?

Cheers!
M

We’re back!

October 5, 2012October 5, 2012Leave a comment

We are so happy to be back, that we are cartwheeling!

Hello and welcome to Re-find. We’ve been on hiatus for a year and then some, but starting next week, we are back in action.

Please join us Monday and drop by daily for all of the etiquette, entertaining and style you can stand.

We’ve missed you!

Cheers!

The definitive guide to e-mail etiquette

March 30, 2011Leave a comment

Today we are caught up in a whirlwind of production for the day job newspaper duties, so this will a brief, albeit important missive. Click here for what we at Re-find think is the best, quick hit list of e-mail etiquette tips we’ve seen to date.

Admittedly, we’ve committed one or two on this list, but we give ourselves points for getting it mostly right most of the time. We are however fans of emoticons and when e-mailing other emoticon-o-philes, we let our guard down and smiley face with the best of ’em.

Enjoy the list and when you are done, share with us your e-mail etiquette pet peeves.

Cheers!

Common courtesy makes you uncommon

March 29, 2011March 29, 2011Leave a comment

Hello, readers. Today, let’s discuss common courtesy. It’s the little things that matter, such as listening, saying please and thank you and as we’ve said ~~8,352 times,~~ essentially, just being kind. This is particularly important in business.

Yesterday, we read this blog post on Peter Shankman’s blog (he’s the social media entrepreneur/author/all around adventurous guy). The post is called, “Five things people don’t do — that you should,” and we agree 100 percent with everything on this list, not only for business, but for all areas of life.

Tips such as “pay attention,” and “know when to shut up” can go a long way and, as Shankman mentions, help you stand out from the crowd both professionally and personally, because frankly, most people don’t do either one.

If we only did those two things, imagine how much more people would want to be around us and work with us. Read the entire list, it’s good stuff.

Cheers!

Q: Do I give a hostess gift at dinner out?

March 23, 2011March 24, 2011Leave a comment

Hello readers and happy Wednesday!

Recently, a reader asked if, when meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, she should give a hostess gift at dinner out or wait until the dinner party moved back to their home.

In this situation, it’s appropriate to wait until going home, because unless the gathering is, for example, a birthday or anniversary celebration one wouldn’t bring a gift to a restaurant dinner.

Next, we brainstormed on a few hostess gift ideas for the return to the parent’s house. Here’s a list that will work not only in this situation, but any time you need to bring a gift. We recommend keeping a few of these items on hand for last-minute or “emergency” giving.

A host or hostess gift is a simple gesture of thanks in advance. A bottle of wine is a fast and easy classic, but if your hosts are teetotalers or you are feeling creative, consider the following simple and thoughtful gifts.

For her we recommend “fancy” guest soaps (we love Anthropologie for these, but one can find lovely soaps at nearly every department store, gift shop, drug store and sometimes even at the supermarket).

Most of us can never have too many tea towels or linen napkins. We found these cute little numbers at the Girlscantell shop on Etsy.com:

Coffee lover flour sack tea towels, $20 for set of two, image courtesy Girlscantell

For him, you might need to get a little craftier, so we decided that a single-handed salt and pepper mill might do the trick. Or a professional corkscrew with foil cutter, which we found at Sharper Image for $39.95.

A tasty item that anyone would love is Bella Cucina Walnut Sage and Pumpkin Spice pesto, $12:

Image courtesy Bella Cucina

The Bella Cucina olive oil is also divine. We love all things lavender and Becker Vineyards in Stonewall, Texas has it. Get lavender bouquets, room spray, body scrub, soap and everything else you can imagine made out of the fragrant purple flower at 830-664-2681 or www.beckervineyards.com.

Finally, a shameless plug for Re-find’s new gift shop. Click here to learn more about the Store. Today, we’re featuring the Le Cafe notecards, because you may just want to send a thank you card to the host and hostess after the lovely dinner out or at their home.

Le Cafe mug and notecards

With these gifts (and a thank you note), you’ll be invited back in no time.

Cheers!

More Re-find …

March 22, 2011March 23, 2011Leave a comment

Hello gentle readers. My, it has been far too long since we last blogged. But, as you may have noticed, we’ve undergone a little renovation of sorts. Re-find now has a fancy new logo:

Oooh, ahhh, logo love

Plus, we’ve added several new pages, including “Ask Melanie” for all of your burning etiquette and style questions; “Style,” which covers the meaning of refined style, both inside and out; “Services,” where you can learn about personal styling consultation and how to book Melanie Spencer to speak to your group; “Philanthropy,” because there is nothing more charming or stylish than giving back; and “Store,” which is where you can buy Re-find merchandise.

Please take a look around and, as always, let us know what you think.

In other news, we recently visited a cozy cocktail lounge in Houston and just have to share a few photos with you, because this bar exemplifies simple elegance, with a healthy dose of hip. Enjoy this little photo tour of Leon’s Lounge (1006 McGowen St.), owned by Under the Volcano owners Pete and Vera Mitchell.