Monday, November 7, 2011
Get Web Site
A great way to learn about using your foodstorage in everyday ways! Crystal always has great ideas. They are always easy and delicious.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Canned butter and other items available
Alpine Food Storage-link is on the right-has a lot of items coming in almost everyday. She looks for the best prices and passes them on. She also makes a Walton order every couple of weeks.
Honey-Unpasteurized Available
Raw honey-filtered without pasteurization is available from a supplier in Spring City, Utah. For a case of 6 5# tubs it is $70.00. He will meet you at the freeway to deliver for an extra $5 a case or he will ship it.
Jacob Meyers
P.O. Box 268
Spring City, Utah 84662
435-817-0743
preparednesspurchases@gmail.com
Jacob Meyers
P.O. Box 268
Spring City, Utah 84662
435-817-0743
preparednesspurchases@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Canned Meat
I got this message today from Alpine Food Storage. For more information, follow the link on the right for Alpine Food Storage.
Canned Meat Coming
This is Yoder's Canned Meat. It comes in 28 oz cans (#2.5 size) and has a 15 year shelf-life! No kidding! Besides which it is really good meat. The ingredients on most varieties is whatever meat is on the label with water and salt. No additives, no fillers, no preservatives--- Good Stuff!
Here are the varieties: They are $7 per can or $80 for a case of 12
Beef Chunks
Chicken Chunks
Turkey Chunks (one of my favorite!)
Pork Chunks
Hamburger (Ingredients: Beef---that's it!)
Pork Sausage (Ingredients, Pork and herbs and spices that you will recognize!)
Taco Filling
NEW----Grilled Delights---Hot Dogs!-----(There are 8 cooked hot dogs per can!) ---$5.50 per can and $65 per case. Comfort food for the kids! :-)
ALSO----Bacon---finally! These come in 9 oz cans with the equivalent of 3 lbs of pre-cooked bacon per can. (45-55 slices!) True story!
You can eat the bacon STRIPS right out of the can---they are smoked and really great tasting. This sells for $10 per can or $110 for a case of 12.
Canned Meat Coming
This is Yoder's Canned Meat. It comes in 28 oz cans (#2.5 size) and has a 15 year shelf-life! No kidding! Besides which it is really good meat. The ingredients on most varieties is whatever meat is on the label with water and salt. No additives, no fillers, no preservatives--- Good Stuff!
Here are the varieties: They are $7 per can or $80 for a case of 12
Beef Chunks
Chicken Chunks
Turkey Chunks (one of my favorite!)
Pork Chunks
Hamburger (Ingredients: Beef---that's it!)
Pork Sausage (Ingredients, Pork and herbs and spices that you will recognize!)
Taco Filling
NEW----Grilled Delights---Hot Dogs!-----(There are 8 cooked hot dogs per can!) ---$5.50 per can and $65 per case. Comfort food for the kids! :-)
ALSO----Bacon---finally! These come in 9 oz cans with the equivalent of 3 lbs of pre-cooked bacon per can. (45-55 slices!) True story!
You can eat the bacon STRIPS right out of the can---they are smoked and really great tasting. This sells for $10 per can or $110 for a case of 12.
Home Made Laundry Soap
I have discovered the best laundry soap I have ever used! I have not taken the plunge with making my own laundry soap because I just wasn't too excited about heating everything up. Well, I discovered this recipe for powdered laundry soap and it is the best laundry soap I have ever used. I have used Oxyclean for several years and the price just keeps going up. I DON'T use Oxyclean anymore! This mixture is just the best. I hope you will try it. It will save you money and you will be amazed at how clean your clothes are!
Powdered Laundry Soap
1 bar of Fels Napha soap
3 cups Laundry Soda-not baking soda
3 cups Borax laundry booster
Grate the bar of soap into fine shreds. (I use my grater attachment on my Bosch.) Mix with the other ingredients. The soap shreds will settle on the bottom. Shake it up every time you use it.
I use 2 Tablespoons in my front loader for lightly soiled clothing, 3 Tablespoons for heavily soiled clothing.
I also use 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle. I rarely use dryer sheets since using the vinegar. I promise you won't have a vinegar smell in your clothing.
On an additional note: I am allergic to scents. I've had to use fragrance free laundry soap for years. I was skeptical about the Fels Napha fragrance. No problem, this laundry soap doesn't irritate my skin.
Powdered Laundry Soap
1 bar of Fels Napha soap
3 cups Laundry Soda-not baking soda
3 cups Borax laundry booster
Grate the bar of soap into fine shreds. (I use my grater attachment on my Bosch.) Mix with the other ingredients. The soap shreds will settle on the bottom. Shake it up every time you use it.
I use 2 Tablespoons in my front loader for lightly soiled clothing, 3 Tablespoons for heavily soiled clothing.
I also use 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle. I rarely use dryer sheets since using the vinegar. I promise you won't have a vinegar smell in your clothing.
On an additional note: I am allergic to scents. I've had to use fragrance free laundry soap for years. I was skeptical about the Fels Napha fragrance. No problem, this laundry soap doesn't irritate my skin.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Bee Prepared Binder
I am so sorry. Something went wrong with the original link. Here is the one that works, I hope! Cut and paste this in the address bar.
http://www.bluechipgroup.net/articles/recipe/Bee%20Prepared.pdf
http://www.bluechipgroup.net/articles/recipe/Bee%20Prepared.pdf
Friday, March 5, 2010
Download The Bee Prepared Binder
I was so excited to find this. I bought this cookbook about 4 years ago. I was taking some classes on Food Storage at Welfare Square Cannery. This was not sold at Welfare Square. I had to go to Sandy to buy it. The classes were so great, but are no longer taught (a real shame). One of the sister missionaries teaching the classes was Christine Van Wagenen. She co-authored this cookbook before she taught the classes. It is most helpful and the recipes are ALL fantastic. The only thing about this download is that come of the pages aren't straight and not all the lettering is clear. Sister Van Wagenen said that it could be copied but to please make the copies "celestial"; straight, clear and neat. Oh well it is free. The binder can also be purchased at Help U Mail 10271 S 1300 E in Sandy, Utah for $10 including binder. She has a couple of others available also; Meals in A Bag is a good one. If you want that address and phone number, let me know. Anyway here is the link
http://www.bluechipgroup.net/articles/r ... epared.pdf
http://www.bluechipgroup.net/articles/r ... epared.pdf
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Menu Planning
What’s for Dinner?
It is the question of the hour. It may bring anxiety to your mind or fear in your heart. Too many home managers look for answers in the supermarket at 5 p.m. Harried, harassed by hungry children, they rack their brains for an answer to the dinner-hour question. They buy things that look good and don’t have a plan. Too often the food goes to waste. Especially when kids are so hungry we stop to buy a taco on the way home.
Three meals a day. Seven dinners a week. From supermarket to pantry, refrigerator to table, sink to cupboard, the kitchen routine can get old, old, old.
No wonder we hide our heads like ostriches from the plain and simple fact; into each day, one dinner must fall.
Let me ask you, “What is the hardest part of the day?”
I would say, dinnertime. It is a balancing act.
Let me ask you also, “What is your most important time of the day?”
I hope it would be dinnertime, spending time with your family.
From a business point of view, a 1 hour investment that improves the quality of your family life.
A menu plan saves money: Reducing trips to the supermarket, reduces impulse spending. Using leftovers efficiently cuts food waste, while planned buying in bulk makes it easy to stockpile freezer meals at reduced prices.
A menu plan saves time. No dash to the neighbors for a missing ingredient, no frantic searches through the freezer for something, anything to thaw for dinner.
A menu plan improves nutrition. Without the daily dash to the supermarket, there’s time to prepare side dishes and salads to complement the main dish, increasing the family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Dinner together improves family relations.
Last week on Studio 5 they shared these statistics: If families consistently have 5-7 meals together per week their children are
42% less likely to drink alcohol
59% less likely to smoke cigarettes
66% less likely to smoke marijuana
They do better in school
Easier to catch eating disorders- I’ve had friends catch bluemia and anorexia quickly. And overeating.
We all want closeness in our family relationships, but some of us have difficulty creating that environment at dinnertime. Eating is a necessary biological function, but it's also an important social function that we do with loved ones. The following are some things parents can do to make dinners a time when the family wants to come to the table.
1. Prepare the Physical Environment
Turn off the TV. More than half of families have TV on during dinner.
Ban interrupters: I-pods, cell phones, newspapers, magazine (so family can focus on each other)
Get bills, mail, etc. off table, along with any games, toys, or other potential distractions.
Turn off telephone answering machines
Face each other when eating: avoid snack bar dinners.
Have soft music playing
Light a candle - it's hypnotic for the anxious toddler (afterward, let him blow it out)
Close door to rest of house if needed. Create physical boundary
2. Involve the Family ahead of time
Pick a set mealtime but don't be rigid about it.
Ring a dinner bell 5 minutes before dinner is ready to start
Don't start until everyone is there. "Here we sit like frogs on a Lilly pad" is what we sang until the last kid showed up for dinner.
Begin with a prayer or statement of appreciation for what has been prepared.
Let each person choose a favorite dish or meal, at least once each week.
Involve the family in the shopping and food preparation and table setting
3. Expand our comfort zones
Let the kids invite a favorite friend over once a week (promotes better behavior in the child; allows parents to evaluate and encourage good friendships)
Once a week serve an ethnic or international meal or dish. Talk about the country and its people
Insist that family members try each new food or recipe. Don't require that they eat it all, however Make it mandatory that there be no negative comments about the cook, or the dish (i.e. "This is gross!") They can simply say, "I didn't care for it. Thank you." Shows respect.
4. Make it Fun & memorable
Take advantage of the holidays, birthdays, and every possible celebration. For example, make everything green for St. Pat's day, rotate table centerpieces, use balloons, make signs, etc.
Develop your own rituals. For example "tacos on Sunday night" or "roasts every Monday"
Don't be predictable: pick up plates and move outside; or go on a picnic; or eat backwards one night (right to left handedness; start with dessert).
5. Engage the Family during dinner
Talk about fun things; keep it light; do planning for holidays, birthdays, vacations
One person should guide the discussion, and set a positive tone
Ask each person to mention at least one exciting thing that happened to them today.
Here are also some tips on teaching your children what needs to be taught without being too strict:
First of all we teach by example
Have an ending time to the meal. "May I be excused?"
Avoid the LAP routine at dinner: Lecture, Argue, Pry (so they don't feel dinner is an interrogation session).
Meal time is not a time to complain or discipline children; in fact, parents should save their own disagreements for later so kids aren't feeling the trauma and drama.
TABLE TALK JAR
The Rewards?
Small enhancements or changes can have big benefits. Don't make a big deal of it, just implement them one by one.
Women are generally the ones who bear the most responsibility for ritualization so they may have to initiate.
As family learns to focus on family, dinnertime will again become special.
Busy families seem to find it a chore to make decisions about what to eat every night. This often leads to catch-as-catch-can grazing, ordering in or eating out. Yet studies show over and over the positive impact of eating family dinners together as often as possible.
One woman has taken this as her mission in life The foodnanny.com she answers all excuses like, “I can’t cook” “My family won’t come”
"Nothing makes us happier than the smells coming from the kitchen enticing us with our favorite foods,"
She also suggests on soccer, baseball… nights, have sandwiches right after school. Then have a light dinner when everyone gets home. Remember it isn’t just the food, it is being together as a family.
Menu planning has been a challenge for me. I’ve tried a lot and have had a hard time sticking to it. I have a lot of good recipes that my family likes. But, it is the organizing that is a challenge for me.
This is the plan that works best for me. It is flexible, so if I get bored I can easily change it.
Another way to get your family together and ask them what they would like to have for dinner. A good time to do this is before dinner.
Another way is to write down everything your family eats for a month. From restaurants, at home, take out…everything. Then plan the next month around these preferences.
Now if you are at a point in your life where there are 2 to cook for. Have fun. You can spend a little more on ingredients you didn’t use when raising a family. Try new recipes. Enjoy!
The foodnanny suggests giving each night a theme. This doesn’t make it a party, but it gives the menu some structure.
My challenge for myself is 5 dinners a week, at the table, with the family members who are home.
It is the question of the hour. It may bring anxiety to your mind or fear in your heart. Too many home managers look for answers in the supermarket at 5 p.m. Harried, harassed by hungry children, they rack their brains for an answer to the dinner-hour question. They buy things that look good and don’t have a plan. Too often the food goes to waste. Especially when kids are so hungry we stop to buy a taco on the way home.
Three meals a day. Seven dinners a week. From supermarket to pantry, refrigerator to table, sink to cupboard, the kitchen routine can get old, old, old.
No wonder we hide our heads like ostriches from the plain and simple fact; into each day, one dinner must fall.
Let me ask you, “What is the hardest part of the day?”
I would say, dinnertime. It is a balancing act.
Let me ask you also, “What is your most important time of the day?”
I hope it would be dinnertime, spending time with your family.
From a business point of view, a 1 hour investment that improves the quality of your family life.
A menu plan saves money: Reducing trips to the supermarket, reduces impulse spending. Using leftovers efficiently cuts food waste, while planned buying in bulk makes it easy to stockpile freezer meals at reduced prices.
A menu plan saves time. No dash to the neighbors for a missing ingredient, no frantic searches through the freezer for something, anything to thaw for dinner.
A menu plan improves nutrition. Without the daily dash to the supermarket, there’s time to prepare side dishes and salads to complement the main dish, increasing the family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Dinner together improves family relations.
Last week on Studio 5 they shared these statistics: If families consistently have 5-7 meals together per week their children are
42% less likely to drink alcohol
59% less likely to smoke cigarettes
66% less likely to smoke marijuana
They do better in school
Easier to catch eating disorders- I’ve had friends catch bluemia and anorexia quickly. And overeating.
We all want closeness in our family relationships, but some of us have difficulty creating that environment at dinnertime. Eating is a necessary biological function, but it's also an important social function that we do with loved ones. The following are some things parents can do to make dinners a time when the family wants to come to the table.
1. Prepare the Physical Environment
Turn off the TV. More than half of families have TV on during dinner.
Ban interrupters: I-pods, cell phones, newspapers, magazine (so family can focus on each other)
Get bills, mail, etc. off table, along with any games, toys, or other potential distractions.
Turn off telephone answering machines
Face each other when eating: avoid snack bar dinners.
Have soft music playing
Light a candle - it's hypnotic for the anxious toddler (afterward, let him blow it out)
Close door to rest of house if needed. Create physical boundary
2. Involve the Family ahead of time
Pick a set mealtime but don't be rigid about it.
Ring a dinner bell 5 minutes before dinner is ready to start
Don't start until everyone is there. "Here we sit like frogs on a Lilly pad" is what we sang until the last kid showed up for dinner.
Begin with a prayer or statement of appreciation for what has been prepared.
Let each person choose a favorite dish or meal, at least once each week.
Involve the family in the shopping and food preparation and table setting
3. Expand our comfort zones
Let the kids invite a favorite friend over once a week (promotes better behavior in the child; allows parents to evaluate and encourage good friendships)
Once a week serve an ethnic or international meal or dish. Talk about the country and its people
Insist that family members try each new food or recipe. Don't require that they eat it all, however Make it mandatory that there be no negative comments about the cook, or the dish (i.e. "This is gross!") They can simply say, "I didn't care for it. Thank you." Shows respect.
4. Make it Fun & memorable
Take advantage of the holidays, birthdays, and every possible celebration. For example, make everything green for St. Pat's day, rotate table centerpieces, use balloons, make signs, etc.
Develop your own rituals. For example "tacos on Sunday night" or "roasts every Monday"
Don't be predictable: pick up plates and move outside; or go on a picnic; or eat backwards one night (right to left handedness; start with dessert).
5. Engage the Family during dinner
Talk about fun things; keep it light; do planning for holidays, birthdays, vacations
One person should guide the discussion, and set a positive tone
Ask each person to mention at least one exciting thing that happened to them today.
Here are also some tips on teaching your children what needs to be taught without being too strict:
First of all we teach by example
Have an ending time to the meal. "May I be excused?"
Avoid the LAP routine at dinner: Lecture, Argue, Pry (so they don't feel dinner is an interrogation session).
Meal time is not a time to complain or discipline children; in fact, parents should save their own disagreements for later so kids aren't feeling the trauma and drama.
TABLE TALK JAR
The Rewards?
Small enhancements or changes can have big benefits. Don't make a big deal of it, just implement them one by one.
Women are generally the ones who bear the most responsibility for ritualization so they may have to initiate.
As family learns to focus on family, dinnertime will again become special.
Busy families seem to find it a chore to make decisions about what to eat every night. This often leads to catch-as-catch-can grazing, ordering in or eating out. Yet studies show over and over the positive impact of eating family dinners together as often as possible.
One woman has taken this as her mission in life The foodnanny.com she answers all excuses like, “I can’t cook” “My family won’t come”
"Nothing makes us happier than the smells coming from the kitchen enticing us with our favorite foods,"
She also suggests on soccer, baseball… nights, have sandwiches right after school. Then have a light dinner when everyone gets home. Remember it isn’t just the food, it is being together as a family.
Menu planning has been a challenge for me. I’ve tried a lot and have had a hard time sticking to it. I have a lot of good recipes that my family likes. But, it is the organizing that is a challenge for me.
This is the plan that works best for me. It is flexible, so if I get bored I can easily change it.
Another way to get your family together and ask them what they would like to have for dinner. A good time to do this is before dinner.
Another way is to write down everything your family eats for a month. From restaurants, at home, take out…everything. Then plan the next month around these preferences.
Now if you are at a point in your life where there are 2 to cook for. Have fun. You can spend a little more on ingredients you didn’t use when raising a family. Try new recipes. Enjoy!
The foodnanny suggests giving each night a theme. This doesn’t make it a party, but it gives the menu some structure.
My challenge for myself is 5 dinners a week, at the table, with the family members who are home.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Spring Cannery Schedule for Lindon Wet Pack
The schedule is out for the wet pack cannery in Lindon, Utah. They will begin accepting forms on Monday, tomorrow 2/8/2010. I you would like a form, please call me and I'll email one to you today. The items being canned are; spaghetti sauce, raspberry and peach jam, salsa and pancake syrup. The slots fill up fast so if you are interested let me know ASAP.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Earthquake Preparedness
Preparing our homes and families for an earthquake is important!
Please take a few minutes to read this and make a list of what you need to do to be prepared for an earthquake or other emergency situation. Each family needs to be prepared to either shelter in place if our homes are safe or leave to a safer location with a 72 hour kit for each member of the family.
What to Do Before an Earthquake
*Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning.
*Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake.
*Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.
Six Ways to Plan Ahead
*Check for Hazards in the Home
*Fasten shelves securely to walls.
*Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
*Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
*Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
*Brace overhead light fixtures.
*Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
*Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
*Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
*Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
Identify Safe Places Indoors and Outdoors
*Under sturdy furniture such as a heavy desk or table.
*Against an inside wall.
*Away from where glass could shatter around windows, mirrors, pictures, or where heavy bookcases or other heavy furniture could fall over.
*In the open, away from buildings, trees, telephone and electrical lines, overpasses, or elevated expressways.
Educate Yourself and Family Members
*Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on earthquakes. Also read the "How-To Series" for information on how to protect your property from earthquakes.
*Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
*Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Have Disaster Supplies on Hand in a PORTABLE 72 Hour Kit
Flashlight and extra batteries.
Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
First aid kit and manual.
Emergency food and water.for each member of the family
Nonelectric can opener.
Essential medicines.
Cash and copies of important documents (birth certificates, bank accounts, copies of drivers license or identification)
Sturdy shoes.
Develop an Emergency Communication Plan
In case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact."
After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance.
Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
Please take a few minutes to read this and make a list of what you need to do to be prepared for an earthquake or other emergency situation. Each family needs to be prepared to either shelter in place if our homes are safe or leave to a safer location with a 72 hour kit for each member of the family.
What to Do Before an Earthquake
*Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning.
*Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake.
*Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.
Six Ways to Plan Ahead
*Check for Hazards in the Home
*Fasten shelves securely to walls.
*Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
*Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
*Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
*Brace overhead light fixtures.
*Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
*Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
*Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
*Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
Identify Safe Places Indoors and Outdoors
*Under sturdy furniture such as a heavy desk or table.
*Against an inside wall.
*Away from where glass could shatter around windows, mirrors, pictures, or where heavy bookcases or other heavy furniture could fall over.
*In the open, away from buildings, trees, telephone and electrical lines, overpasses, or elevated expressways.
Educate Yourself and Family Members
*Contact your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information on earthquakes. Also read the "How-To Series" for information on how to protect your property from earthquakes.
*Teach children how and when to call 9-1-1, police, or fire department and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
*Teach all family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Have Disaster Supplies on Hand in a PORTABLE 72 Hour Kit
Flashlight and extra batteries.
Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
First aid kit and manual.
Emergency food and water.for each member of the family
Nonelectric can opener.
Essential medicines.
Cash and copies of important documents (birth certificates, bank accounts, copies of drivers license or identification)
Sturdy shoes.
Develop an Emergency Communication Plan
In case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact."
After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance.
Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
101 Ways to Stretch Your Food Dollars
101 Ways To Stretch Your Food Dollars
By Valerie Phillips
Deseret News
From theideadoor.com
Food prices are going up. But here are lots of ways * 101 of them * to shave off pennies, dimes and dollars from your food costs.
Not every tip fits every situation. A vat-size container of salad dressing is cheaper per ounce, but not if it sits in a single person's fridge for months on end. Remember, the most expensive food you can buy is the food that goes to waste.
Before you go
1. For a week, track what your family actually spends on food. Don't forget to include work lunches, restaurant meals, vending-machine snacks and convenience store stops. These add up quickly.
2. Have a plan. Jot down simple dinner menus for the week, using the weekly grocery store ads so you can take advantage of what's on sale that week. Having a plan ends the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner?" plight.
3. Make a shopping list from your menu. Having the ingredients you need for the week eliminates extra trips to the supermarket, where more incidental items can end up in your grocery cart.
4. To save time, compile a basic shopping list of things you usually buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, lettuce, etc. Organize the list by the store layout and make lots of copies. Then each week it's just a matter of penciling in the extra ingredients from your menu.
5. Get out of the dinner rut. Check out cookbooks or magazines from the library or attend local cooking classes for new ideas.
6. For low-cost, nutritious recipe ideas, check the Food Stamp Nutrition Connection at recipefinder.nal.usda.gov. The recipes have cost-per-serving and nutrition data.
7. Consider making from scratch many of the things you usually buy in prepared form, such as brownies or salad dressing.
8. Time is a valuable resource. It's usually not worth the time (or gasoline) to hopscotch from store to store to save a few dollars.
9. Consider the advantages when you choose where to shop. Some stores offer credit cards with rebates, discounts on gasoline, special coupons and so on.
10. Club warehouses can save money, but be judicious. Can you use 18 cartons of yogurt at a time? Often you can find similar good buys and a better selection at a regular grocery store
11. Sometimes you're lured into buying things that lose their appeal and end up sitting on the shelf. To cure your self of impulse shopping, every so often force yourself to make a meal out of those items in the cupboard.
12. Consider group strategies. A neighborhood group or extended family might save by buying in bulk directly from wholesalers and farmers.
Shopping
13. Try shopping with cash, taking only an allotted amount to the store.
14. Statistics indicate that people buy more when they are hungry or accompanied by others, especially children. (However, grocery shopping can be a good learning experience for kids; let them find all the coupon foods and comparison shop with you.)
15. Don't dawdle. The longer you're wandering through the store, the more chance of impulse buys.
16. Avoid convenience stores. They have higher prices and very few specials.
17. Guard against nonfood impulse buys that could end up in your cart, such as the latest DVD, perfumes or toiletries. Do you really need them?
18. Limit trips to the store. Multiple trips usually mean more incidental items added to the cart.
19. Try "catch-and-release" shopping with high-end items. Put that bottle of name-brand, extra-virgin olive oil in the cart, and while you finish the rest of your purchases, ask if it's something you can live without. Then before you check out, put it back on the shelf. After all, dreaming is free. (However, if you end up convincing yourself to buy these things, or you forget to put them back, this method isn't for you!)
Coupons
20. Use the coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper ads.
21. To maximize coupon savings, use resources such as Pinchingyourpennies.com, the Grocery Guru at www.gurusdeals.com, or Couponsense.com, which help you to coordinate coupons with sales at local grocery stores. By using the coupon with the sale price, you can get items for a fraction of the cost.
22. Multiply the savings. Some people take multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions for the coupons, and you can also ask your neighbors or relatives for the coupons from their paper.
23. Check other sources for coupons: the "blinkies" in the red boxes on grocery store shelves, home mailers, "peelies" that are peeled off the product itself and printables off Web sites.
24. Be wise about coupons. Sometimes a brand name with a coupon is still more expensive than a generic brand. And resist buying things you may not use just because you have a coupon.
25. Some grocery stores match competitor coupons if you have the advertisement with you.
26. Organize your coupons so you can use them efficiently. A woman uses a three-ring binder with clear photo pages or baseball card pockets. Others use a filing box and take out the coupons they will be using and clip them to their shopping list on their way to the grocery store.
27. Send in rebates. One woman puts all the money she receives from rebates in a separate account, and she's now up to $200.
Cereals & baked goods
28. One reason people avoid buying cheaper bagged cereals is because they're hard to store and pour. Store them in a plastic pitcher with a pour spout.
29. Consider how much you can save by cooking whole grains for breakfast instead of cold breakfast cereal. Homer Cook of Layton said as a welfare volunteer, he helped a single mother of three cut her breakfast costs from $1,000 per year to $58 per year by cooking cracked wheat (based on Honeyville Grain prices).
30. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads. They're more filling, so you are satisfied with less. And they're better for you.
31. Go '90s retro and pull out your old bread machine. Besides bread, it can be used for rolls and pizza dough.
32. Make croutons or bread crumbs from day-old bread or hotdog buns. The crumbs can be seasoned and used as a "shake-and-bake" chicken coating.
33. Seek out day-old bread "thrift" stores. But be wary of the temptation to overbuy empty calorie items such as cupcakes, potato chips and doughnuts.
34. Bake a batch of muffins from scratch for on-the-go breakfasts. Even if you use a mix, you'll still save over bakery prices.
Produce
35. Buy fruits and vegetables in season when they're cheaper and taste fresher. When compared to the price per pound of meat, cheese, chocolate, etc., they're a nutritional bargain.
36. If you're preparing a commercial meal kit (such as Hamburger Helper or a frozen pasta dinner), toss in a few more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers or celery, and frozen broccoli or peas add color, flavor and nutrition to what is usually a lot of starch, sauce and salt. They can also stretch the meal into more servings.
37. Ready-prepped veggies cost more but may be worth it if you actually use those peeled carrots or sliced mushrooms. A huge percentage of fresh produce goes to waste sitting in refrigerators.
38. A pound bag of chopped iceberg lettuce salad costs more (about $2) than a head of iceberg lettuce (approximately $1 per pound) that you clean and chop yourself. But if bagged salad greens keep you from buying restaurant salads, there's still a savings.
39. If lettuce prices are up, vary your veggies. Consider cabbage, spinach, carrot or broccoli salads.
40. Grow your favorite herbs year-round in your kitchen window. It's convenient to be able to cut a few sprigs as needed, and packets of fresh herbs can cost $1.50-$2 in grocery stores.
41. If you're not up to planting a garden, add a few strawberry or tomato plants to your flower beds. You have to weed and water them anyway. Or add a fruit tree to your back yard.
42. Yellow onions are often 40 cents to 50 cents less per pound than red (purple) onions.
43. When your favorite fresh vegetables are off season, look for canned and frozen versions. Do the math and figure out which offers the best price per serving.
44. Beans are an inexpensive protein. Add them to tacos, casseroles, salads, etc., so you can use less meat.
45. Dried beans, per cooked serving, are often less than half the price of canned beans. But they take a lot of time to cook. Soak a batch overnight in your slow cooker on low heat, then portion and freeze for later use.
46. Vegetables frozen in butter sauce usually cost more than plain frozen vegetables, and they have more fat and calories.
47. Price fruits with an eye on the cost-per-edible serving. If you are buying by the pound, you are also paying for any inedible seeds and rinds.
48. When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. Water hidden in between the leaves adds weight and raises the cost.
49. Serve a vegetable "medley" when you have small amounts of several different vegetables. Mix together and microwave, and top with a little cheese or a sprinkle of nuts.
Dairy
50. Unless you buy powdered milk in bulk for a price break, you won't save money over fresh milk. On a recent shopping trip, the Deseret News found that a box of generic-brand powdered milk that yields 31 cups of milk was $6.49. If you can buy fresh milk at $3 a gallon, you can get 32 cups for $6.
51. Buy a large container of yogurt and divide it into portions yourself. A 32-ounce container, at $2.79, yields four 8-ounce portions at 34 cents a serving. The same brand in single-serve containers was 50 cents each.
52. Milk fat costs. You can often save about 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon by dropping from 2 percent to 1 percent or skim.
53. If you use margarine instead of butter to cut costs, don't use anything less than 100 percent margarine for baking. The lower-fat spreads have water and fillers that bake up poorly (and when poured over popcorn turn it to mush). Real butter is approximately $4 per pound; 100 percent margarine (such as Nucoa) can be $1.50 to $2 per pound. Save the less-expensive spreads for your toast.
54. Consider home delivery of milk and bread. It costs more, but it might save on extra trips to the store.
55. There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs; it has more to do with the color of the hen. White eggs usually cost less.
56. Freeze butter to keep its fresh flavor. Grate it, frozen, over toast, baked potatoes, etc. for portion control.
57. Finely shred cheese when topping pizzas, grilled ham and cheese, etc. You'll use less.
Meat
58. Unless they're on special, breasts are the most expensive part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs offer the same convenience for less, and dark meat is more moist and flavorful anyway.
59. Take a cue from restaurant chefs who can make a small portion of meat or chicken look plentiful. They slice it thinly and fan out the slices on top of a mound of rice or potatoes.
60. Tough cuts of meat are usually cheaper. Place a beef brisket in your slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time you'll have tender beef (and a tantalizing aroma in your kitchen).
61. Don't throw out your bacon drippings. Some suggestions from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine: Stir it into grits, use in place of oil when popping popcorn, saute bread cubes in it for croutons, add to cornbread batter, add to barbecue sauce and brush on ribs or chicken while they're cooking.
62. Compare meat costs by servings, not pounds. Bony meats are cheaper per pound, but they yield less edible meat per pound.
63. Likewise, a large store-cooked rotisserie chicken at $6 is cheaper than buying a raw, 5-pound whole raw chicken at $1.30 per pound and cooking it at home. As a bonus, you can use the carcass and bits of meat on the bones to make chicken broth.
64. Although the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the past year, a $2 carton of eggs can still supply a protein-rich meal for a family of six. Scramble them with leftovers such as chopped ham, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, onions and so on.
65. Buy ground beef in bulk quantities to get a better price. When you get home, divide meal-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze.
Canned goods
66. Big cans are often cheaper, but not always. Check the price per unit guide on the grocery shelf, which shows the cost per ounce. Also, consider how you use the product. If you buy a big can of tomato sauce, use a little and end up wasting the rest, you're better off buying the small can in the first place.
67. What to do with the last of the jam or jelly jar: Pour in some milk, refrigerate for a little while to loosen the jam stuck to the jar sides, and shake into a flavored drink.
68. Generic brands can save money. But try one can first before you invest in a whole case to make sure it appeals to your family.
69. Stockpile pantry items you normally use, such as spaghetti sauce or pasta, when they're on sale. Keep a list of quick-fix possibilities on the inside of your cupboard door, such as spaghetti, meatball sub sandwiches, baked tortellini, etc.
Snacks
70. Invest in a popcorn popper. You can make 10 times as much popcorn for the same price as microwave popcorn. A three-pack box of microwave popcorn yields about 10 1/2 cups of popcorn for $2 to $3, depending on the brand. A $1.99 bag of regular popcorn yields 113 cups. You'll have to add you own butter and salt, but you have more control over the amounts.
71. When making s'mores, instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers, place the marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. A package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies is approximately $3 and makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend at least that much money on chocolate bars alone.
72. Break the soda pop habit. If you normally drink a can per day, at 50 cents per can, you could pocket more than $180 a year.
73. Every time you have a few leftover strawberries, peach slices, etc., store them in the same zip-lock bag in the freezer. Then every so often, whir them all together in the blender for a smoothie snack.
74. If you like the look of designer bottled water, buy it once and keep refilling with tap water, which is free. Many bottled waters cost more per gallon than gasoline.
75. Use food as a reward sparingly. Make treats more significant by using them only for special occasions. With obesity on the rise, most people don't need them on a regular basis.
76. Nip nighttime snacks. Go to bed a half-hour early and keep yourself from wanting a handful of chips while watching David Letterman. Your waistline will thank you.
Storage
77. Keep an eye on your pantry inventory so you use up all the pancake mix or corn syrup before buying more.
78. Oil goes rancid fairly quickly. Unless you use it often, buy in small quantities or refrigerate after using.
79. Post a "must use" list on the fridge to remind yourself of the half-empty can of pineapple, three hot dogs, etc. that will go bad quickly.
80. Label leftovers with date and contents before putting them in the freezer. You'll actually use these things instead of having mystery containers stuck in the back of the freezer.
81. Use and rotate your food storage. If you aren't using it, it is basically a waste of space and money. Rule of thumb: Store what you use and use what you store.
In the kitchen
82. Use smaller plates. Studies show that when people are served on larger plates, they take larger servings, whether they're really hungry or not.
83. One night a week have leftover night. Pull out all the leftovers from other meals * the half-cup of spaghetti sauce, the slices of ham or stray chicken breast, the chunk of cheese, the corn or peas. Bake some potatoes and let everyone pick the leftovers for toppings.
84. Pack a lunch for the next day from dinner leftovers instead of eating out.
85. Use meals to stretch your entertainment dollars. Go on a picnic in a park or get out the Dutch oven pots, have a hot dog roast or go fishing and then cook your catch.
86. When serving buffet-style, put the low-cost items, such as salad or rolls, at the beginning of the line and the most expensive item * meat * near the end.
87. Have meatless Monday meals.
88. Homemade soups are a good way to use leftover meat and vegetables. Their liquid content also makes them more satisfying.
89. Pasta or rice can also stretch small amounts of food into a meal. Throw in chopped pepper, ribbons of spinach or basil, chopped tomatoes or chicken or ham.
90. Instead of serving fruit punch or juice at meals, use a pitcher of ice water with a few lemon or lime slices floating on top.
91. Use small appliances, such as the microwave, slow-cooker and electric frying pan; they use less energy than a stovetop.
92. Use the dishwasher only when completely full. Washing dishes by hand can cost more than one load in the dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry rather than using the "dry" cycle.
93. Don't open the oven door to preview baking food. Each time you open it, the temperature drops by 25-50 degrees. It takes longer to cook your food and adds to your energy bill.
Dining out
94. Use your gift certificates soon after getting them. Many have expiration dates.
95. Use frequent-diners' cards. Some restaurants offer punch cards * if you buy 10 meals, the next one is free. For a family of six, it takes only two visits to earn a free meal.
96. Go out to lunch when entree prices are often a dollar or two less than dinner.
97. If a full-course dinner comes with soup, salad, drink and dessert, it's only a great buy if you really want (or need) all that. You may be satisfied ordering an a la carte entree without the extras. Ditto combo meals in fast-food restaurants.
98. Guard against up-sell, when you're asked if you want guacamole with your taco or extra cheese for the fondue. If it costs extra, you might not want it that much.
99. At fast-food restaurants, order a kids' meal for yourself (if there's no age limit). Most of the time, you're getting a more appropriate portion of food (and a toy to boot!).
100. Watch beverage costs. Alcoholic drinks can double your tab, but even soft drinks can add $10 to $15 to the bill for a family of six. Water is a healthier choice anyway. Be sure to specify "tap" water, some restaurants may bring you bottled water at $3 or $4 per bottle.
101. If you feel you can't afford to tip, choose a fast-food or fast-casual eatery where tipping isn't expected. In sit-down restaurants, servers' salaries are less than minimum wage. Tips make up the difference.
By Valerie Phillips
Deseret News
From theideadoor.com
Food prices are going up. But here are lots of ways * 101 of them * to shave off pennies, dimes and dollars from your food costs.
Not every tip fits every situation. A vat-size container of salad dressing is cheaper per ounce, but not if it sits in a single person's fridge for months on end. Remember, the most expensive food you can buy is the food that goes to waste.
Before you go
1. For a week, track what your family actually spends on food. Don't forget to include work lunches, restaurant meals, vending-machine snacks and convenience store stops. These add up quickly.
2. Have a plan. Jot down simple dinner menus for the week, using the weekly grocery store ads so you can take advantage of what's on sale that week. Having a plan ends the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner?" plight.
3. Make a shopping list from your menu. Having the ingredients you need for the week eliminates extra trips to the supermarket, where more incidental items can end up in your grocery cart.
4. To save time, compile a basic shopping list of things you usually buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, lettuce, etc. Organize the list by the store layout and make lots of copies. Then each week it's just a matter of penciling in the extra ingredients from your menu.
5. Get out of the dinner rut. Check out cookbooks or magazines from the library or attend local cooking classes for new ideas.
6. For low-cost, nutritious recipe ideas, check the Food Stamp Nutrition Connection at recipefinder.nal.usda.gov. The recipes have cost-per-serving and nutrition data.
7. Consider making from scratch many of the things you usually buy in prepared form, such as brownies or salad dressing.
8. Time is a valuable resource. It's usually not worth the time (or gasoline) to hopscotch from store to store to save a few dollars.
9. Consider the advantages when you choose where to shop. Some stores offer credit cards with rebates, discounts on gasoline, special coupons and so on.
10. Club warehouses can save money, but be judicious. Can you use 18 cartons of yogurt at a time? Often you can find similar good buys and a better selection at a regular grocery store
11. Sometimes you're lured into buying things that lose their appeal and end up sitting on the shelf. To cure your self of impulse shopping, every so often force yourself to make a meal out of those items in the cupboard.
12. Consider group strategies. A neighborhood group or extended family might save by buying in bulk directly from wholesalers and farmers.
Shopping
13. Try shopping with cash, taking only an allotted amount to the store.
14. Statistics indicate that people buy more when they are hungry or accompanied by others, especially children. (However, grocery shopping can be a good learning experience for kids; let them find all the coupon foods and comparison shop with you.)
15. Don't dawdle. The longer you're wandering through the store, the more chance of impulse buys.
16. Avoid convenience stores. They have higher prices and very few specials.
17. Guard against nonfood impulse buys that could end up in your cart, such as the latest DVD, perfumes or toiletries. Do you really need them?
18. Limit trips to the store. Multiple trips usually mean more incidental items added to the cart.
19. Try "catch-and-release" shopping with high-end items. Put that bottle of name-brand, extra-virgin olive oil in the cart, and while you finish the rest of your purchases, ask if it's something you can live without. Then before you check out, put it back on the shelf. After all, dreaming is free. (However, if you end up convincing yourself to buy these things, or you forget to put them back, this method isn't for you!)
Coupons
20. Use the coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper ads.
21. To maximize coupon savings, use resources such as Pinchingyourpennies.com, the Grocery Guru at www.gurusdeals.com, or Couponsense.com, which help you to coordinate coupons with sales at local grocery stores. By using the coupon with the sale price, you can get items for a fraction of the cost.
22. Multiply the savings. Some people take multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions for the coupons, and you can also ask your neighbors or relatives for the coupons from their paper.
23. Check other sources for coupons: the "blinkies" in the red boxes on grocery store shelves, home mailers, "peelies" that are peeled off the product itself and printables off Web sites.
24. Be wise about coupons. Sometimes a brand name with a coupon is still more expensive than a generic brand. And resist buying things you may not use just because you have a coupon.
25. Some grocery stores match competitor coupons if you have the advertisement with you.
26. Organize your coupons so you can use them efficiently. A woman uses a three-ring binder with clear photo pages or baseball card pockets. Others use a filing box and take out the coupons they will be using and clip them to their shopping list on their way to the grocery store.
27. Send in rebates. One woman puts all the money she receives from rebates in a separate account, and she's now up to $200.
Cereals & baked goods
28. One reason people avoid buying cheaper bagged cereals is because they're hard to store and pour. Store them in a plastic pitcher with a pour spout.
29. Consider how much you can save by cooking whole grains for breakfast instead of cold breakfast cereal. Homer Cook of Layton said as a welfare volunteer, he helped a single mother of three cut her breakfast costs from $1,000 per year to $58 per year by cooking cracked wheat (based on Honeyville Grain prices).
30. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads. They're more filling, so you are satisfied with less. And they're better for you.
31. Go '90s retro and pull out your old bread machine. Besides bread, it can be used for rolls and pizza dough.
32. Make croutons or bread crumbs from day-old bread or hotdog buns. The crumbs can be seasoned and used as a "shake-and-bake" chicken coating.
33. Seek out day-old bread "thrift" stores. But be wary of the temptation to overbuy empty calorie items such as cupcakes, potato chips and doughnuts.
34. Bake a batch of muffins from scratch for on-the-go breakfasts. Even if you use a mix, you'll still save over bakery prices.
Produce
35. Buy fruits and vegetables in season when they're cheaper and taste fresher. When compared to the price per pound of meat, cheese, chocolate, etc., they're a nutritional bargain.
36. If you're preparing a commercial meal kit (such as Hamburger Helper or a frozen pasta dinner), toss in a few more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers or celery, and frozen broccoli or peas add color, flavor and nutrition to what is usually a lot of starch, sauce and salt. They can also stretch the meal into more servings.
37. Ready-prepped veggies cost more but may be worth it if you actually use those peeled carrots or sliced mushrooms. A huge percentage of fresh produce goes to waste sitting in refrigerators.
38. A pound bag of chopped iceberg lettuce salad costs more (about $2) than a head of iceberg lettuce (approximately $1 per pound) that you clean and chop yourself. But if bagged salad greens keep you from buying restaurant salads, there's still a savings.
39. If lettuce prices are up, vary your veggies. Consider cabbage, spinach, carrot or broccoli salads.
40. Grow your favorite herbs year-round in your kitchen window. It's convenient to be able to cut a few sprigs as needed, and packets of fresh herbs can cost $1.50-$2 in grocery stores.
41. If you're not up to planting a garden, add a few strawberry or tomato plants to your flower beds. You have to weed and water them anyway. Or add a fruit tree to your back yard.
42. Yellow onions are often 40 cents to 50 cents less per pound than red (purple) onions.
43. When your favorite fresh vegetables are off season, look for canned and frozen versions. Do the math and figure out which offers the best price per serving.
44. Beans are an inexpensive protein. Add them to tacos, casseroles, salads, etc., so you can use less meat.
45. Dried beans, per cooked serving, are often less than half the price of canned beans. But they take a lot of time to cook. Soak a batch overnight in your slow cooker on low heat, then portion and freeze for later use.
46. Vegetables frozen in butter sauce usually cost more than plain frozen vegetables, and they have more fat and calories.
47. Price fruits with an eye on the cost-per-edible serving. If you are buying by the pound, you are also paying for any inedible seeds and rinds.
48. When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. Water hidden in between the leaves adds weight and raises the cost.
49. Serve a vegetable "medley" when you have small amounts of several different vegetables. Mix together and microwave, and top with a little cheese or a sprinkle of nuts.
Dairy
50. Unless you buy powdered milk in bulk for a price break, you won't save money over fresh milk. On a recent shopping trip, the Deseret News found that a box of generic-brand powdered milk that yields 31 cups of milk was $6.49. If you can buy fresh milk at $3 a gallon, you can get 32 cups for $6.
51. Buy a large container of yogurt and divide it into portions yourself. A 32-ounce container, at $2.79, yields four 8-ounce portions at 34 cents a serving. The same brand in single-serve containers was 50 cents each.
52. Milk fat costs. You can often save about 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon by dropping from 2 percent to 1 percent or skim.
53. If you use margarine instead of butter to cut costs, don't use anything less than 100 percent margarine for baking. The lower-fat spreads have water and fillers that bake up poorly (and when poured over popcorn turn it to mush). Real butter is approximately $4 per pound; 100 percent margarine (such as Nucoa) can be $1.50 to $2 per pound. Save the less-expensive spreads for your toast.
54. Consider home delivery of milk and bread. It costs more, but it might save on extra trips to the store.
55. There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs; it has more to do with the color of the hen. White eggs usually cost less.
56. Freeze butter to keep its fresh flavor. Grate it, frozen, over toast, baked potatoes, etc. for portion control.
57. Finely shred cheese when topping pizzas, grilled ham and cheese, etc. You'll use less.
Meat
58. Unless they're on special, breasts are the most expensive part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs offer the same convenience for less, and dark meat is more moist and flavorful anyway.
59. Take a cue from restaurant chefs who can make a small portion of meat or chicken look plentiful. They slice it thinly and fan out the slices on top of a mound of rice or potatoes.
60. Tough cuts of meat are usually cheaper. Place a beef brisket in your slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time you'll have tender beef (and a tantalizing aroma in your kitchen).
61. Don't throw out your bacon drippings. Some suggestions from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine: Stir it into grits, use in place of oil when popping popcorn, saute bread cubes in it for croutons, add to cornbread batter, add to barbecue sauce and brush on ribs or chicken while they're cooking.
62. Compare meat costs by servings, not pounds. Bony meats are cheaper per pound, but they yield less edible meat per pound.
63. Likewise, a large store-cooked rotisserie chicken at $6 is cheaper than buying a raw, 5-pound whole raw chicken at $1.30 per pound and cooking it at home. As a bonus, you can use the carcass and bits of meat on the bones to make chicken broth.
64. Although the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the past year, a $2 carton of eggs can still supply a protein-rich meal for a family of six. Scramble them with leftovers such as chopped ham, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, onions and so on.
65. Buy ground beef in bulk quantities to get a better price. When you get home, divide meal-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze.
Canned goods
66. Big cans are often cheaper, but not always. Check the price per unit guide on the grocery shelf, which shows the cost per ounce. Also, consider how you use the product. If you buy a big can of tomato sauce, use a little and end up wasting the rest, you're better off buying the small can in the first place.
67. What to do with the last of the jam or jelly jar: Pour in some milk, refrigerate for a little while to loosen the jam stuck to the jar sides, and shake into a flavored drink.
68. Generic brands can save money. But try one can first before you invest in a whole case to make sure it appeals to your family.
69. Stockpile pantry items you normally use, such as spaghetti sauce or pasta, when they're on sale. Keep a list of quick-fix possibilities on the inside of your cupboard door, such as spaghetti, meatball sub sandwiches, baked tortellini, etc.
Snacks
70. Invest in a popcorn popper. You can make 10 times as much popcorn for the same price as microwave popcorn. A three-pack box of microwave popcorn yields about 10 1/2 cups of popcorn for $2 to $3, depending on the brand. A $1.99 bag of regular popcorn yields 113 cups. You'll have to add you own butter and salt, but you have more control over the amounts.
71. When making s'mores, instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers, place the marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. A package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies is approximately $3 and makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend at least that much money on chocolate bars alone.
72. Break the soda pop habit. If you normally drink a can per day, at 50 cents per can, you could pocket more than $180 a year.
73. Every time you have a few leftover strawberries, peach slices, etc., store them in the same zip-lock bag in the freezer. Then every so often, whir them all together in the blender for a smoothie snack.
74. If you like the look of designer bottled water, buy it once and keep refilling with tap water, which is free. Many bottled waters cost more per gallon than gasoline.
75. Use food as a reward sparingly. Make treats more significant by using them only for special occasions. With obesity on the rise, most people don't need them on a regular basis.
76. Nip nighttime snacks. Go to bed a half-hour early and keep yourself from wanting a handful of chips while watching David Letterman. Your waistline will thank you.
Storage
77. Keep an eye on your pantry inventory so you use up all the pancake mix or corn syrup before buying more.
78. Oil goes rancid fairly quickly. Unless you use it often, buy in small quantities or refrigerate after using.
79. Post a "must use" list on the fridge to remind yourself of the half-empty can of pineapple, three hot dogs, etc. that will go bad quickly.
80. Label leftovers with date and contents before putting them in the freezer. You'll actually use these things instead of having mystery containers stuck in the back of the freezer.
81. Use and rotate your food storage. If you aren't using it, it is basically a waste of space and money. Rule of thumb: Store what you use and use what you store.
In the kitchen
82. Use smaller plates. Studies show that when people are served on larger plates, they take larger servings, whether they're really hungry or not.
83. One night a week have leftover night. Pull out all the leftovers from other meals * the half-cup of spaghetti sauce, the slices of ham or stray chicken breast, the chunk of cheese, the corn or peas. Bake some potatoes and let everyone pick the leftovers for toppings.
84. Pack a lunch for the next day from dinner leftovers instead of eating out.
85. Use meals to stretch your entertainment dollars. Go on a picnic in a park or get out the Dutch oven pots, have a hot dog roast or go fishing and then cook your catch.
86. When serving buffet-style, put the low-cost items, such as salad or rolls, at the beginning of the line and the most expensive item * meat * near the end.
87. Have meatless Monday meals.
88. Homemade soups are a good way to use leftover meat and vegetables. Their liquid content also makes them more satisfying.
89. Pasta or rice can also stretch small amounts of food into a meal. Throw in chopped pepper, ribbons of spinach or basil, chopped tomatoes or chicken or ham.
90. Instead of serving fruit punch or juice at meals, use a pitcher of ice water with a few lemon or lime slices floating on top.
91. Use small appliances, such as the microwave, slow-cooker and electric frying pan; they use less energy than a stovetop.
92. Use the dishwasher only when completely full. Washing dishes by hand can cost more than one load in the dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry rather than using the "dry" cycle.
93. Don't open the oven door to preview baking food. Each time you open it, the temperature drops by 25-50 degrees. It takes longer to cook your food and adds to your energy bill.
Dining out
94. Use your gift certificates soon after getting them. Many have expiration dates.
95. Use frequent-diners' cards. Some restaurants offer punch cards * if you buy 10 meals, the next one is free. For a family of six, it takes only two visits to earn a free meal.
96. Go out to lunch when entree prices are often a dollar or two less than dinner.
97. If a full-course dinner comes with soup, salad, drink and dessert, it's only a great buy if you really want (or need) all that. You may be satisfied ordering an a la carte entree without the extras. Ditto combo meals in fast-food restaurants.
98. Guard against up-sell, when you're asked if you want guacamole with your taco or extra cheese for the fondue. If it costs extra, you might not want it that much.
99. At fast-food restaurants, order a kids' meal for yourself (if there's no age limit). Most of the time, you're getting a more appropriate portion of food (and a toy to boot!).
100. Watch beverage costs. Alcoholic drinks can double your tab, but even soft drinks can add $10 to $15 to the bill for a family of six. Water is a healthier choice anyway. Be sure to specify "tap" water, some restaurants may bring you bottled water at $3 or $4 per bottle.
101. If you feel you can't afford to tip, choose a fast-food or fast-casual eatery where tipping isn't expected. In sit-down restaurants, servers' salaries are less than minimum wage. Tips make up the difference.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Are You An Overspender?
Are You an Overspender?
ANSWER “YES’ OR “NO” TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
Are you still paying for purchases made a
year ago? (Exclude payments on your home
and car.)
Do you race to get your paycheck to the bank
before the checks you have written get there?
Are your credit cards usually at their maximum
credit limit?
Do you use credit instead of cash,
even when the purchase is small
and you have the money?
Are you often broke by payday?
Do friends or family tease you about having
“champagne” taste on a “beer” budget?
Do you shop for recreation?
Is your checking account frequently overdrawn?
Do you notice mood swings when shopping –
down before you go, up while shopping, down
again after getting your bill?
When you receive statements from creditors at
tax time, are you surprised at how much you’ve
paid in interest?
If you answered yes more often than no, you may be a
chronic overspender.
The FIRST STEP in getting your finances under
control is recognizing the problem.
The SECOND STEP is deciding if now is the
time you want to make a change.
The THIRD STEP is to take a realistic look at
your financial picture, decide where the trouble
spots are, and begin doing something. NOW!
Maybe you need to get rid of your credit cards,
or limit shopping trips with the person who
always encourages you to buy things.
Maybe you need a cooling-off period before
purchasing new tools, or clothes, or computer
items.
By trying to understand the situations that entice you
to overspend and making a plan to handle those
situations differently, you can make an important
difference in your financial future.
AUTHOR:
Ann Henderson, M.S., CFCS, Utah State University
Extension Educator, Box Elder County
This might be a good time to resolve to set
aside some money each month for those
unexpected expenses or for a trip or....
ANSWER “YES’ OR “NO” TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT:
Are you still paying for purchases made a
year ago? (Exclude payments on your home
and car.)
Do you race to get your paycheck to the bank
before the checks you have written get there?
Are your credit cards usually at their maximum
credit limit?
Do you use credit instead of cash,
even when the purchase is small
and you have the money?
Are you often broke by payday?
Do friends or family tease you about having
“champagne” taste on a “beer” budget?
Do you shop for recreation?
Is your checking account frequently overdrawn?
Do you notice mood swings when shopping –
down before you go, up while shopping, down
again after getting your bill?
When you receive statements from creditors at
tax time, are you surprised at how much you’ve
paid in interest?
If you answered yes more often than no, you may be a
chronic overspender.
The FIRST STEP in getting your finances under
control is recognizing the problem.
The SECOND STEP is deciding if now is the
time you want to make a change.
The THIRD STEP is to take a realistic look at
your financial picture, decide where the trouble
spots are, and begin doing something. NOW!
Maybe you need to get rid of your credit cards,
or limit shopping trips with the person who
always encourages you to buy things.
Maybe you need a cooling-off period before
purchasing new tools, or clothes, or computer
items.
By trying to understand the situations that entice you
to overspend and making a plan to handle those
situations differently, you can make an important
difference in your financial future.
AUTHOR:
Ann Henderson, M.S., CFCS, Utah State University
Extension Educator, Box Elder County
This might be a good time to resolve to set
aside some money each month for those
unexpected expenses or for a trip or....
Sunday, November 8, 2009
3 day/3 month/12 month Food Storage
Food and Water Storage
Prepare for adversity by storing an emergency supply of food and water.
Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. What would happen if you are told to evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?
The 3 day emergency food and water supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability. The foods chosen should be ready-to-eat without the need for cooking.
The 3 week/ 3 month emergency food and water supply are meant for a disaster where food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where the normal delivery of food was interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal. Not all of these foods will be ready-to-eat and plans must be made to store the necessary means to prepare them.
Long term food supply is stored for one to many years. This type of food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). These foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them. A typical long term food supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. That’s almost a “ton” of food!
Prepare for adversity by storing an emergency supply of food and water.
Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. What would happen if you are told to evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?
The 3 day emergency food and water supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability. The foods chosen should be ready-to-eat without the need for cooking.
The 3 week/ 3 month emergency food and water supply are meant for a disaster where food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where the normal delivery of food was interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal. Not all of these foods will be ready-to-eat and plans must be made to store the necessary means to prepare them.
Long term food supply is stored for one to many years. This type of food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). These foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them. A typical long term food supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. That’s almost a “ton” of food!
Kitchen Tips and Helps
To grease your pans, and save money at the same time, simply save your butter wrappers in a baggie, and then use them to grease your pans when you’re ready!
A good way to use up the last drops of honey in the container is to add a cup of boiling water to the jar. Then add your favorite tea bag, let it steep, and treat yourself to a relaxing tea break!
Freeze clusters of grapes to float in punches. They keep the punch cold and add a lovely garnish as well.
To keep cheese longer in the refrigerator, moisten a paper towel with a bit of cider vinegar and wrap it around your cheese; then place the wrapped cheese in a plastic bag and seal. The acid in the vinegar will keep mold away. If the paper towel dries out, moisten it with a bit of water-vinegar solution.
Ricotta and cottage cheeses will store longer in the refrigerator once they’ve been opened if you turn the reclosed container upside down, thereby forcing some of the air out of the container. You can get the same results by taking the cheese out of its original container and storing it in a smaller glass jar.
If you find that the difference in price between large and small eggs is 8 cents or less per dozen, the larger eggs are the better buy.
You don't have to throw away the cracked raw eggs you find in the carton; use them, but only for egg dishes that are thoroughly cooked, such as hard-cooked eggs, or in baked goods.
You can tell whether eggs are fresh or not by placing them in a deep pan of water. Any floaters should be thrown away. If you've cooked some eggs, and are not sure if they're done, simply take one out and spin it. If it spins quickly, it's done, if it spins slowly and then stops; it's raw or needs more time.
When you need to store raw eggs without the help of a refrigerator, such as during a camping trip, coat the eggs with shortening. It will help to preserve them longer by sealing out air.
An egg poacher or fried egg mold can be made by removing the top and bottom of a clean tuna can.
Get more volume from beaten eggs by letting them stand at room temperature for about an hour before you beat them.
If you have the patience, a slow but easy way to separate eggs is to beat them one at a time into a small funnel over a cup. The white will pass through into the cup, and the yolk will be left behind in the funnel.
Here are some great tips on fruit I thought you'd enjoy....
Extra bananas? You can freeze them either peeled or unpeeled, cut into chunks, or mashed, depending on what you plan to do with them.
Here's a great use for ripe bananas: Slice the fruit, place the slices on a baking sheet, and freeze them until firm. Roll each slice in honey and then in your favorite topping, such as chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed rice puffs. Return them to the freezer and when frozen solid, put them into plastic bags and seal. These make wonderful frozen candy snacks.
Pureed bananas can be used in breads and cakes. Overripe bananas--too ripe to eat raw-are particularly good because they're so sweet.
Grapes
Frozen grapes make a fine natural snack; just lay them out on a baking sheet in the freezer so that they freeze separately, and then bag them for snacking later.
Lemons and Limes
You will get almost twice the amount of juice out of a lemon or lime if you drop it into hot water for a few minutes before you squeeze it. Heating the fruit breaks down the inner membranes so that they release more juice. Or instead of heating the fruit, try rolling it on a hard surface to break down those membranes.
If you want just a few drops of lemon juice, poke a hole in one end of the fruit with a toothpick. Squeeze the desired amount from the hole, replace the toothpick, and store the lemon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for future use.
Grating
Grate your citrus rind over wax paper or foil to make pouring it into a measuring cup or mixing bowl easy.
Use a pastry brush to remove the citrus rind that is stuck in the holes of the grater.
Pineapple
They may be messy and prickly, but pineapple trimmings can make great pineapple juice. Pineapple processing plants use this trick all the time. Put it the trimmings and even the core into a blender with just enough water for processing and grind them up; then strain the juice through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth-line strainer and serve it up chilled. Fresh pineapple juice will ferment quickly, so drink it immediately.
Every pineapple top is a houseplant ready to happen. Twist it off with a circular motion so that you leave no fruit on the stem, and then remove 10-15 of the small, bottom leaves from the stem. You'll see little brown or skittish roots already tin place to grow. Put the stem in water about 1 inch deep, and leave it ion a warm windowsill for a couple of weeks, after which time you should have roots. Then you can plant it in a pot or in your garden if you live in a warm, frost-free part of the country. Being a bromeliad, the pineapple appreciates water poured into its crown as well as on its roots.
To keep pineapple fresh longer, cut slices from the bottom as you need them, leaving the green top growth intact. Wrap the unused portion, with the top growth attached, in plastic wrap.
Watermelon
Got a surplus of watermelon? Scoop the pulp from the rind, removing the seeds as you go. Then run it through a food mill or blender, or mash it with a potato masher. Freeze the smooth pulp in ice cube trays, and you've got wonderful natural fruit pops.
Fruit Miscellany
Don't discard the rind of lemons, grapefruit, or oranges. It makes excellent flavorings for
Cakes, frostings, and such. Wash it well and grate, being careful not to include the bitter white part under the rind. Put it in a tightly covered glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Leftover apple, orange, or lemon rind can be put into your tea as it's steeping to add a wonderful flavor and aroma--just like the fancy gourmet tea blends.
For a quick dessert, an unsweetened can of fruit can be opened and frozen. When ready to serve, put the frozen fruit in a blender or food processor and spoon it into stemmed glasses. Top it with chopped nuts. You can make another easy, light dessert by freezing fresh fruit, like kiwi fruit or melon, and then shaving it into small chilled bowls
To freeze peaches and other fruits without sugar, use orange juice instead of the traditional sugar syrup. Slice the fruit into thawed orange juice concentrate, making sure the slices are thoroughly coated to keep them from darkening. Two large cans of concentrate will easily do for a crate of peaches.
A coating of lemon, orange, or pineapple juice will keep cut fruits from browning.
There's really no need to rehydrated dried fruit before you add it to a recipe, because even the hardest dried raisins or prunes will become soft and moist when cooked in recipes that contain plenty of liquid, like custards, puddings, stuffings, and moist tea breads.
There are several fresh fruits that, when included in a gelatin dessert of salad, will prevent the gelatin from firming up. They are pineapple, figs, papaya, and kiwi fruit. Save them for other uses.
Small berries, such as huckleberries, can be cleaned by gently rolling them back and forth with you hand across a dry terrycloth towel placed on the counter. They will come clean and as a bonus, they will have lost their little stems, which are so tedious to remove by hand.
To keep your homemade ice cream from crystallizing, add one envelope of gelatin for every 1 1/2 quarts of liquid in the recipe. Just heat some of the liquid and dissolve the gelatin in it; then add to the other ingredients.
You can have "sour cream": on your baked potatoes without the extra calories by using cottage cheese instead. Run it through a blender or food processor to smooth it out, and flavor it with chives. Plain yogurt is a good sour cream substitute, as well and it comes smooth right from the container!
To keep apple skins from cracking while they bake, pare a 1-inch band around each apple's center.
An avocado will ripen faster if placed in a plastic bag with a piece of banana peel.
To keep refrigerated avocado dip or half a sliced avocado from turning dark quickly, place the avocado pit in the center and wrap to form an airtight seal.
If you bring home a big bunch of bananas that you now you'll be separating and using singly, separate them right away by cutting off the "knob" that joins them all together. Make sure that you cut them so that a 1-inch tip is left on each. This tip will dry up and seal itself in a day or two. Then when you are ready to use the bananas, you won't have to bother breaking off one at a time, which can often result in splitting the top skin of several and exposing the open parts to bacteria!
So go bananas over all these tips and tricks, and join me again soon for some more ideas in the kitchen!
Grind up puffed rice and use it instead of sugar to sprinkle on cookies or pastries or try a light sprinkling of ground almonds.
If you have no wire racks on which to cool cookies, or not enough of them when making large batches, cool cookies on cotton dish towels or on a large cotton tablecloth folded in half.
A piece of bread or apple in the cookie jar keeps soft cookies from hardening.
For a flaky pie crust, use sour cream or yogurt for the liquid.
To add flavor to apple pie, sprinkle a cup of coconut over the apples before covering them with the top crust.
When measuring oil and honey for a recipe, measure the oil first so that it coats the spoon or cup, making the honey that's measured next slide out easily. When you're baking with oil and eggs, crack your eggs in a measuring cup first and then pour them into your mixing bowl. The eggs will coat the measuring cup so that when you measure the oil it will slide out easily, leaving no oil behind in the cup.
Dust buttered pans with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep dark cakes brown and beautiful.
Parchment paper can be used to line baking pans so that you don't need to oil or butter the pans. This saves calories and also saves cleanup.
To make a whole wheat bread rise higher and feel lighter, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the dough as you're mixing it. This will add lightness but will not influence the taste.
To make sweetener-free bread, omit all honey and sugar from the recipe and add 1 tsp. of malt for every tablespoon of yeast called for. The malt provides the food that enables the yeast to grow.
Keep a plastic bag nearby when you're kneading bread or making pastry or pasta. When when the phone rings or you have to reach for a clean bowl, you can slip the bag over your messy hand and not spread the flour around the kitchen.
Lightly oil the dough hook on your Bosch before kneading your bread. The oil will keep the dough from "climbing" and will make cleaning up easier.
There's no need to go out and buy a fancy baking tile to produce a crisp bottom on your pizza or French bread. An unglazed terra-cotta tile purchased from flooring or tile store can just as easily substitute.
To keep pie shells from becoming soggy; sprinkle the bottom of a raw pie shell with instant tapioca before adding the filling. This will keep the crust from going soggy and help the filling to be thicker also.
A good way to use up the last drops of honey in the container is to add a cup of boiling water to the jar. Then add your favorite tea bag, let it steep, and treat yourself to a relaxing tea break!
Freeze clusters of grapes to float in punches. They keep the punch cold and add a lovely garnish as well.
To keep cheese longer in the refrigerator, moisten a paper towel with a bit of cider vinegar and wrap it around your cheese; then place the wrapped cheese in a plastic bag and seal. The acid in the vinegar will keep mold away. If the paper towel dries out, moisten it with a bit of water-vinegar solution.
Ricotta and cottage cheeses will store longer in the refrigerator once they’ve been opened if you turn the reclosed container upside down, thereby forcing some of the air out of the container. You can get the same results by taking the cheese out of its original container and storing it in a smaller glass jar.
If you find that the difference in price between large and small eggs is 8 cents or less per dozen, the larger eggs are the better buy.
You don't have to throw away the cracked raw eggs you find in the carton; use them, but only for egg dishes that are thoroughly cooked, such as hard-cooked eggs, or in baked goods.
You can tell whether eggs are fresh or not by placing them in a deep pan of water. Any floaters should be thrown away. If you've cooked some eggs, and are not sure if they're done, simply take one out and spin it. If it spins quickly, it's done, if it spins slowly and then stops; it's raw or needs more time.
When you need to store raw eggs without the help of a refrigerator, such as during a camping trip, coat the eggs with shortening. It will help to preserve them longer by sealing out air.
An egg poacher or fried egg mold can be made by removing the top and bottom of a clean tuna can.
Get more volume from beaten eggs by letting them stand at room temperature for about an hour before you beat them.
If you have the patience, a slow but easy way to separate eggs is to beat them one at a time into a small funnel over a cup. The white will pass through into the cup, and the yolk will be left behind in the funnel.
Here are some great tips on fruit I thought you'd enjoy....
Extra bananas? You can freeze them either peeled or unpeeled, cut into chunks, or mashed, depending on what you plan to do with them.
Here's a great use for ripe bananas: Slice the fruit, place the slices on a baking sheet, and freeze them until firm. Roll each slice in honey and then in your favorite topping, such as chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed rice puffs. Return them to the freezer and when frozen solid, put them into plastic bags and seal. These make wonderful frozen candy snacks.
Pureed bananas can be used in breads and cakes. Overripe bananas--too ripe to eat raw-are particularly good because they're so sweet.
Grapes
Frozen grapes make a fine natural snack; just lay them out on a baking sheet in the freezer so that they freeze separately, and then bag them for snacking later.
Lemons and Limes
You will get almost twice the amount of juice out of a lemon or lime if you drop it into hot water for a few minutes before you squeeze it. Heating the fruit breaks down the inner membranes so that they release more juice. Or instead of heating the fruit, try rolling it on a hard surface to break down those membranes.
If you want just a few drops of lemon juice, poke a hole in one end of the fruit with a toothpick. Squeeze the desired amount from the hole, replace the toothpick, and store the lemon in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for future use.
Grating
Grate your citrus rind over wax paper or foil to make pouring it into a measuring cup or mixing bowl easy.
Use a pastry brush to remove the citrus rind that is stuck in the holes of the grater.
Pineapple
They may be messy and prickly, but pineapple trimmings can make great pineapple juice. Pineapple processing plants use this trick all the time. Put it the trimmings and even the core into a blender with just enough water for processing and grind them up; then strain the juice through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth-line strainer and serve it up chilled. Fresh pineapple juice will ferment quickly, so drink it immediately.
Every pineapple top is a houseplant ready to happen. Twist it off with a circular motion so that you leave no fruit on the stem, and then remove 10-15 of the small, bottom leaves from the stem. You'll see little brown or skittish roots already tin place to grow. Put the stem in water about 1 inch deep, and leave it ion a warm windowsill for a couple of weeks, after which time you should have roots. Then you can plant it in a pot or in your garden if you live in a warm, frost-free part of the country. Being a bromeliad, the pineapple appreciates water poured into its crown as well as on its roots.
To keep pineapple fresh longer, cut slices from the bottom as you need them, leaving the green top growth intact. Wrap the unused portion, with the top growth attached, in plastic wrap.
Watermelon
Got a surplus of watermelon? Scoop the pulp from the rind, removing the seeds as you go. Then run it through a food mill or blender, or mash it with a potato masher. Freeze the smooth pulp in ice cube trays, and you've got wonderful natural fruit pops.
Fruit Miscellany
Don't discard the rind of lemons, grapefruit, or oranges. It makes excellent flavorings for
Cakes, frostings, and such. Wash it well and grate, being careful not to include the bitter white part under the rind. Put it in a tightly covered glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.
Leftover apple, orange, or lemon rind can be put into your tea as it's steeping to add a wonderful flavor and aroma--just like the fancy gourmet tea blends.
For a quick dessert, an unsweetened can of fruit can be opened and frozen. When ready to serve, put the frozen fruit in a blender or food processor and spoon it into stemmed glasses. Top it with chopped nuts. You can make another easy, light dessert by freezing fresh fruit, like kiwi fruit or melon, and then shaving it into small chilled bowls
To freeze peaches and other fruits without sugar, use orange juice instead of the traditional sugar syrup. Slice the fruit into thawed orange juice concentrate, making sure the slices are thoroughly coated to keep them from darkening. Two large cans of concentrate will easily do for a crate of peaches.
A coating of lemon, orange, or pineapple juice will keep cut fruits from browning.
There's really no need to rehydrated dried fruit before you add it to a recipe, because even the hardest dried raisins or prunes will become soft and moist when cooked in recipes that contain plenty of liquid, like custards, puddings, stuffings, and moist tea breads.
There are several fresh fruits that, when included in a gelatin dessert of salad, will prevent the gelatin from firming up. They are pineapple, figs, papaya, and kiwi fruit. Save them for other uses.
Small berries, such as huckleberries, can be cleaned by gently rolling them back and forth with you hand across a dry terrycloth towel placed on the counter. They will come clean and as a bonus, they will have lost their little stems, which are so tedious to remove by hand.
To keep your homemade ice cream from crystallizing, add one envelope of gelatin for every 1 1/2 quarts of liquid in the recipe. Just heat some of the liquid and dissolve the gelatin in it; then add to the other ingredients.
You can have "sour cream": on your baked potatoes without the extra calories by using cottage cheese instead. Run it through a blender or food processor to smooth it out, and flavor it with chives. Plain yogurt is a good sour cream substitute, as well and it comes smooth right from the container!
To keep apple skins from cracking while they bake, pare a 1-inch band around each apple's center.
An avocado will ripen faster if placed in a plastic bag with a piece of banana peel.
To keep refrigerated avocado dip or half a sliced avocado from turning dark quickly, place the avocado pit in the center and wrap to form an airtight seal.
If you bring home a big bunch of bananas that you now you'll be separating and using singly, separate them right away by cutting off the "knob" that joins them all together. Make sure that you cut them so that a 1-inch tip is left on each. This tip will dry up and seal itself in a day or two. Then when you are ready to use the bananas, you won't have to bother breaking off one at a time, which can often result in splitting the top skin of several and exposing the open parts to bacteria!
So go bananas over all these tips and tricks, and join me again soon for some more ideas in the kitchen!
Grind up puffed rice and use it instead of sugar to sprinkle on cookies or pastries or try a light sprinkling of ground almonds.
If you have no wire racks on which to cool cookies, or not enough of them when making large batches, cool cookies on cotton dish towels or on a large cotton tablecloth folded in half.
A piece of bread or apple in the cookie jar keeps soft cookies from hardening.
For a flaky pie crust, use sour cream or yogurt for the liquid.
To add flavor to apple pie, sprinkle a cup of coconut over the apples before covering them with the top crust.
When measuring oil and honey for a recipe, measure the oil first so that it coats the spoon or cup, making the honey that's measured next slide out easily. When you're baking with oil and eggs, crack your eggs in a measuring cup first and then pour them into your mixing bowl. The eggs will coat the measuring cup so that when you measure the oil it will slide out easily, leaving no oil behind in the cup.
Dust buttered pans with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep dark cakes brown and beautiful.
Parchment paper can be used to line baking pans so that you don't need to oil or butter the pans. This saves calories and also saves cleanup.
To make a whole wheat bread rise higher and feel lighter, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to the dough as you're mixing it. This will add lightness but will not influence the taste.
To make sweetener-free bread, omit all honey and sugar from the recipe and add 1 tsp. of malt for every tablespoon of yeast called for. The malt provides the food that enables the yeast to grow.
Keep a plastic bag nearby when you're kneading bread or making pastry or pasta. When when the phone rings or you have to reach for a clean bowl, you can slip the bag over your messy hand and not spread the flour around the kitchen.
Lightly oil the dough hook on your Bosch before kneading your bread. The oil will keep the dough from "climbing" and will make cleaning up easier.
There's no need to go out and buy a fancy baking tile to produce a crisp bottom on your pizza or French bread. An unglazed terra-cotta tile purchased from flooring or tile store can just as easily substitute.
To keep pie shells from becoming soggy; sprinkle the bottom of a raw pie shell with instant tapioca before adding the filling. This will keep the crust from going soggy and help the filling to be thicker also.
FREEZER RICE
Cook a large quantity of rice.
Divide into storage containers.
Freeze. Will store in freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat; place in cup sized portions in a saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons liquid (water, broth…) for each cup of rice. Cover and heat about 5 minutes or till the rice is heated through.
Divide into storage containers.
Freeze. Will store in freezer for up to 6 months.
To reheat; place in cup sized portions in a saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons liquid (water, broth…) for each cup of rice. Cover and heat about 5 minutes or till the rice is heated through.
PERFECT WHITE RICE
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter (optional)
In a sauce pan with a good fitting lid bring water, salt and butter to a boil.
Add rice and stir.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
You will know that the temperature is correct if a little steam is visible leaking from the lid. A lot of steam means your heat is too high.
Cook for 20 minutes.
DO NOT LIFT LID!
The steam that is trapped inside the pan is what allows the rice to cook properly.
Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
Serve!
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter (optional)
In a sauce pan with a good fitting lid bring water, salt and butter to a boil.
Add rice and stir.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low.
You will know that the temperature is correct if a little steam is visible leaking from the lid. A lot of steam means your heat is too high.
Cook for 20 minutes.
DO NOT LIFT LID!
The steam that is trapped inside the pan is what allows the rice to cook properly.
Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
Serve!
Rice
RICE A RONI
½ cup uncooked spaghetti, broken into
1 inch pieces
¾ cup uncooked white rice
14 ½ ounces broth-any flavor
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
In medium skillet sauté broken spaghetti pieces in butter, stirring constantly, until the spaghetti begins to brown.
Add rice, stirring until the rice is well coated with the butter and spaghetti browns a little more.
Carefully pour in broth.
Simmer until liquid is absorbed.
½ cup uncooked spaghetti, broken into
1 inch pieces
¾ cup uncooked white rice
14 ½ ounces broth-any flavor
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste
In medium skillet sauté broken spaghetti pieces in butter, stirring constantly, until the spaghetti begins to brown.
Add rice, stirring until the rice is well coated with the butter and spaghetti browns a little more.
Carefully pour in broth.
Simmer until liquid is absorbed.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Lesson on Holiday Debt Management
The spending is fun and well intended. The debt can be dreadful. With the holidays upon us, it's the perfect time to consider fiscal fitness.
We need to learn from past experiences and have to ask ourselves What factors caused me to overspend?
Maybe you were involved in too many projects; maybe you ended up going out to dinner, andthat made you overspend.
Getting started late and having projects fail. Getting too tired to finish things. Getting sick or family members getting sick and not finishing things.
Set Spending Limits
Make a budget and then stick to it. If you can only afford to spend $100 in gifts this year, then find a way to make that money count. "Develop a spending limit for each person on the list," says Steve Blankenship, a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and principal of Heritage Financial Planning. "Stick to your limit! No matter how much your grandson would love the latest and greatest Xbox game, keep in mind that you will have to climb as high financially as the hole you dig for yourself."
What is the point of gift-giving? Is it to reciprocate the dollar amount of a gift that was given to us, or one that we think might be given to us in the future? No! The point is to acknowledge that other person's positive influence on your life. "Thank you" and "I love you" are phrases that don't come with dollar amounts attached to them, so don't allow yourself to be caught up in spending more on holiday gifts than you can afford.
I would like to think that people who care about me wouldn't want me to buy them something I really can't afford.
I've come to realize that I'd much rather get a gift I can USE! So I've adopted that philosophy also.
I like to bottle food. Everyone I know eats. It works for me.
Make a Family Rule – Many of us talk ourselves into spending extra cash when we locate the perfect gift. So to avoid overindulging, agree to spending limits with your family and friends. For example, no gifts over $10, $20 or $50. When families stick to the rule, everyone saves and no one feels bad or embarrassed that they didn’t spend more.
Homemade Décor Feels Like Home – There’s no need to go overboard on decorations. Making your own can be both economical and environmentally friendly. A little paint, glitter and a few pine cones are a fast and festive way to spruce up your holiday décor. And don’t forget about last year’s decorations. If they’re in good shape, don’t purchase new versions just because it’s a new season.
Stick to Cash
"If you really want to take control of your spending this year, forget credit cards altogether," says Blankenship. "Studies have shown that consumers spend significantly more when they use credit cards than if they had used cash. That is because cash if finite; it is easier to see your wallet’s cash supply is dwindling than it is to see credit card bills mounting."
Make a List
Know what and who you're buying for before you hit the stores. While it's not ideal to be preset on something (you may stumble on a great deal for something unrelated), do have an idea in mind. Does your sister love writing? Plan on a diary or a fine pen. Has your best friend taken up painting? Get her a new set of brushes or an easel. A well-thought gift will be much more appreciated than an expensive trinket they can't use. Keep track of what gifts have been already purchased to avoid duplicates.
Develop Your Own Gift Guidelines
There are lots of ways to temper the "gimmes" our kids can be so prone to during the holidays. Consider setting a specific dollar amount for each child, and sticking to it. Or decide that you'll limit the number of gifts to three items per child. Remember, there are always going to be people who will spend more on their kids, but attempting to "keep up with the Jones'" comes with a heavy price. Teach your children early that thoughtful gifts don't have to cost a lot of money, and what's most important is appreciating all that we've been given already.
What are some of the ways you have found to temper the gimmies with your kids?
Tally the Extras
It's not only the big gifts that put a dent on your budget. You also need to account for all the little things. "Make like Santa and list all your holiday expenses," recommends Freedom Financial Network, LLC, a credit counseling and debt-consolidation service. "Include small gifts to teachers, babysitters, newspaper carriers, etc., which can add up quickly. Don’t forget extras you may have, such as cards, food and beverages for entertaining, and holiday clothing purchases." Small $20 gifts can add up into the hundreds if you're not careful. You may have to consider dropping people from your list if you truly can't afford to buy something for everybody. Another option is to shop at discount stores for little knick-knacks that will count as a gesture rather than a gift (a scented candle, a box of chocolates, a wall calendar).
Get Crafty
While not everybody in your list will appreciate a batch of homemade cookies, some definitively will. You don't have to be especially talented to make homemade presents –Think a Death by Chocolate, a gift certificate for babysitting for a friend that desperately needs some me-time. If you do have a talent, put it to good use –Can you hand-craft soap? Do you know how to make your own potpourri? Do you have a secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies that everybody loves? Think outside of the box.
Don't shop for yourself.
Avoid the "one for you, one for me" shopping mindset. You'll end up spending double what you would had you shopped only for the loved ones in your life.
Ignore "big" sales. More often than not, they're not really sales at all. Those "Buy 2, Get 1 Half Off" deals only trick you into buying more than you would otherwise.
Remember, stick to your list.
Communicate with Younger Kids – The holidays are about much more than gifts. Remind younger children about the true meaning of the season and make it clear why expensive gifts aren’t needed, especially in the current economic climate. It’s also the perfect time to start new family traditions that don’t center on exchanging gifts.
Know when to Stop
According to Freedom Financial Network, LLC, it's important to know how to quit --"When you hit your budget limits, stop. If you need hard-core support to keep yourself in check, leave credit cards at home and put each person’s budget in an envelope, in cash. When it’s gone, it’s gone – and you’re done." Do your children really need 10 gifts each? Do you need six new glass ornaments? Establish your priorities well in advance.
Next question we should ask is; What holiday activities and events could have been scaled down without a negative effect?
Maybe the year before you had your whole family over for dinner, you prepared a very elaborate dinner, and it was expensive. Scale down; think of alternatives and allow yourself to be flexible.
Next year have a dinner at your house, because it’s something you enjoy, but maybe you can reconsider the meals and have smaller treats instead of a big dinner.
We should plan the holidays before they come up and include the whole family in planning. Talk about the expectations in your family.
What situations or events caused me to depend on my credit cards for holiday relief?
Things that make you use a credit card are the last minute things, things you haven’t planned on. Hence when you plan your holiday’s activities and expenditures you need to plan financially accordingly.
Holiday Parties on a Budget –
Being the host doesn’t mean the entire party should be on your dime. Throw a potluck and ask guests to bring their own beverages. These types of invitations are perfectly acceptable and can save a lot of cash. Or, just keep things small and intimate with your family and closest friends—your guests will appreciate just being together. Good conversation and laughter is free.
Be on the Lookout for Scams
Another way to hold on to your money this Holiday season is by protecting yourself from scammers that take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. “This is typically the time of the year when many new and returning consumers begin to shop online for the upcoming holidays,” says Andrew H. Te, CEO of PowWeb, Inc., a Los Angeles global hosting company serving small and medium businesses. “Common sense should prevail when it comes to scams that arrive in the inbox of your email system. Don’t open email that looks suspicious, just delete it. "What else can you do to protect yourself when shopping online?
Know who you're dealing with – Check out the company or buy only from well-established businesses, read their refund and return policy carefully, and only order on a secure server.
Keep a record of your transactions, including receipts and any pertinent printout.
Other scams to watch out for are those related to organizations asking for donations –If you're giving your hard-earned money away, make sure it's really going to a worthy cause. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers a series of tips on its website on how to avoid scams this holiday season, including the importance of asking for written information to review before making a donation.
Look For Free Gifts
If you truly have no money to spend, there are many things you can give that can't be bought at the local stores --Take somebody to a free church or university concert, offer to baby-sit for a busy mom or cook for an elderly family member, or make a memory book with an inexpensive photo album. Remember, thoughtful gifts are worth a fortune.
Take Advantage of After Christmas Sales
f there are some people who you don't plan on visiting until after the Holidays, wait to get them a gift –No reason to pass on the incredible sales that start on December 26th. While you're there, stock up on goodies you can use throughout the year, including wrapping paper, discount toys, and winter wear.
Push Your Focus Away From Spending
"While gifts are wonderful to give and receive, we have allowed them to become the focus instead of simply another part of the celebration," says Heidi Wanken, founder of Shopping Holiday, a group that encourages people to take a holiday from shopping. Recover the spirit of the season by focusing on helping others (volunteer at a shelter, a hospital, or a soup kitchen), valuing the little things (the batch of cookies your elderly aunt took an hour to bake), or starting a holiday tradition with your family.
Plan your holidays 12 months in advance. The day after the holiday is over there are lots of sales on holiday items. You can go next day after Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and 4 of July and buy items 75% off. That’s a great time to get your holiday themed decorations,napkins, paper plates, cards etc. Planning well in advance will also allow you to save on gifts.
We can avoid debt by saving money for celebrations throughout the year.
Let’s say you figured out that for Christmas next year you’ll need to buy gifts, decorations, food etc. you’ll need $2000 to do so. Then you need to divide $2000 by 12 months, it equals $167.
Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He wants us to be provident.
If we were buying Heavenly Father a gift, would we use a credit card?
Make it a great year, by not going into debt for this Christmas. He will be proud of you and everyone around you will be too.
We need to learn from past experiences and have to ask ourselves What factors caused me to overspend?
Maybe you were involved in too many projects; maybe you ended up going out to dinner, andthat made you overspend.
Getting started late and having projects fail. Getting too tired to finish things. Getting sick or family members getting sick and not finishing things.
Set Spending Limits
Make a budget and then stick to it. If you can only afford to spend $100 in gifts this year, then find a way to make that money count. "Develop a spending limit for each person on the list," says Steve Blankenship, a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and principal of Heritage Financial Planning. "Stick to your limit! No matter how much your grandson would love the latest and greatest Xbox game, keep in mind that you will have to climb as high financially as the hole you dig for yourself."
What is the point of gift-giving? Is it to reciprocate the dollar amount of a gift that was given to us, or one that we think might be given to us in the future? No! The point is to acknowledge that other person's positive influence on your life. "Thank you" and "I love you" are phrases that don't come with dollar amounts attached to them, so don't allow yourself to be caught up in spending more on holiday gifts than you can afford.
I would like to think that people who care about me wouldn't want me to buy them something I really can't afford.
I've come to realize that I'd much rather get a gift I can USE! So I've adopted that philosophy also.
I like to bottle food. Everyone I know eats. It works for me.
Make a Family Rule – Many of us talk ourselves into spending extra cash when we locate the perfect gift. So to avoid overindulging, agree to spending limits with your family and friends. For example, no gifts over $10, $20 or $50. When families stick to the rule, everyone saves and no one feels bad or embarrassed that they didn’t spend more.
Homemade Décor Feels Like Home – There’s no need to go overboard on decorations. Making your own can be both economical and environmentally friendly. A little paint, glitter and a few pine cones are a fast and festive way to spruce up your holiday décor. And don’t forget about last year’s decorations. If they’re in good shape, don’t purchase new versions just because it’s a new season.
Stick to Cash
"If you really want to take control of your spending this year, forget credit cards altogether," says Blankenship. "Studies have shown that consumers spend significantly more when they use credit cards than if they had used cash. That is because cash if finite; it is easier to see your wallet’s cash supply is dwindling than it is to see credit card bills mounting."
Make a List
Know what and who you're buying for before you hit the stores. While it's not ideal to be preset on something (you may stumble on a great deal for something unrelated), do have an idea in mind. Does your sister love writing? Plan on a diary or a fine pen. Has your best friend taken up painting? Get her a new set of brushes or an easel. A well-thought gift will be much more appreciated than an expensive trinket they can't use. Keep track of what gifts have been already purchased to avoid duplicates.
Develop Your Own Gift Guidelines
There are lots of ways to temper the "gimmes" our kids can be so prone to during the holidays. Consider setting a specific dollar amount for each child, and sticking to it. Or decide that you'll limit the number of gifts to three items per child. Remember, there are always going to be people who will spend more on their kids, but attempting to "keep up with the Jones'" comes with a heavy price. Teach your children early that thoughtful gifts don't have to cost a lot of money, and what's most important is appreciating all that we've been given already.
What are some of the ways you have found to temper the gimmies with your kids?
Tally the Extras
It's not only the big gifts that put a dent on your budget. You also need to account for all the little things. "Make like Santa and list all your holiday expenses," recommends Freedom Financial Network, LLC, a credit counseling and debt-consolidation service. "Include small gifts to teachers, babysitters, newspaper carriers, etc., which can add up quickly. Don’t forget extras you may have, such as cards, food and beverages for entertaining, and holiday clothing purchases." Small $20 gifts can add up into the hundreds if you're not careful. You may have to consider dropping people from your list if you truly can't afford to buy something for everybody. Another option is to shop at discount stores for little knick-knacks that will count as a gesture rather than a gift (a scented candle, a box of chocolates, a wall calendar).
Get Crafty
While not everybody in your list will appreciate a batch of homemade cookies, some definitively will. You don't have to be especially talented to make homemade presents –Think a Death by Chocolate, a gift certificate for babysitting for a friend that desperately needs some me-time. If you do have a talent, put it to good use –Can you hand-craft soap? Do you know how to make your own potpourri? Do you have a secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies that everybody loves? Think outside of the box.
Don't shop for yourself.
Avoid the "one for you, one for me" shopping mindset. You'll end up spending double what you would had you shopped only for the loved ones in your life.
Ignore "big" sales. More often than not, they're not really sales at all. Those "Buy 2, Get 1 Half Off" deals only trick you into buying more than you would otherwise.
Remember, stick to your list.
Communicate with Younger Kids – The holidays are about much more than gifts. Remind younger children about the true meaning of the season and make it clear why expensive gifts aren’t needed, especially in the current economic climate. It’s also the perfect time to start new family traditions that don’t center on exchanging gifts.
Know when to Stop
According to Freedom Financial Network, LLC, it's important to know how to quit --"When you hit your budget limits, stop. If you need hard-core support to keep yourself in check, leave credit cards at home and put each person’s budget in an envelope, in cash. When it’s gone, it’s gone – and you’re done." Do your children really need 10 gifts each? Do you need six new glass ornaments? Establish your priorities well in advance.
Next question we should ask is; What holiday activities and events could have been scaled down without a negative effect?
Maybe the year before you had your whole family over for dinner, you prepared a very elaborate dinner, and it was expensive. Scale down; think of alternatives and allow yourself to be flexible.
Next year have a dinner at your house, because it’s something you enjoy, but maybe you can reconsider the meals and have smaller treats instead of a big dinner.
We should plan the holidays before they come up and include the whole family in planning. Talk about the expectations in your family.
What situations or events caused me to depend on my credit cards for holiday relief?
Things that make you use a credit card are the last minute things, things you haven’t planned on. Hence when you plan your holiday’s activities and expenditures you need to plan financially accordingly.
Holiday Parties on a Budget –
Being the host doesn’t mean the entire party should be on your dime. Throw a potluck and ask guests to bring their own beverages. These types of invitations are perfectly acceptable and can save a lot of cash. Or, just keep things small and intimate with your family and closest friends—your guests will appreciate just being together. Good conversation and laughter is free.
Be on the Lookout for Scams
Another way to hold on to your money this Holiday season is by protecting yourself from scammers that take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. “This is typically the time of the year when many new and returning consumers begin to shop online for the upcoming holidays,” says Andrew H. Te, CEO of PowWeb, Inc., a Los Angeles global hosting company serving small and medium businesses. “Common sense should prevail when it comes to scams that arrive in the inbox of your email system. Don’t open email that looks suspicious, just delete it. "What else can you do to protect yourself when shopping online?
Know who you're dealing with – Check out the company or buy only from well-established businesses, read their refund and return policy carefully, and only order on a secure server.
Keep a record of your transactions, including receipts and any pertinent printout.
Other scams to watch out for are those related to organizations asking for donations –If you're giving your hard-earned money away, make sure it's really going to a worthy cause. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers a series of tips on its website on how to avoid scams this holiday season, including the importance of asking for written information to review before making a donation.
Look For Free Gifts
If you truly have no money to spend, there are many things you can give that can't be bought at the local stores --Take somebody to a free church or university concert, offer to baby-sit for a busy mom or cook for an elderly family member, or make a memory book with an inexpensive photo album. Remember, thoughtful gifts are worth a fortune.
Take Advantage of After Christmas Sales
f there are some people who you don't plan on visiting until after the Holidays, wait to get them a gift –No reason to pass on the incredible sales that start on December 26th. While you're there, stock up on goodies you can use throughout the year, including wrapping paper, discount toys, and winter wear.
Push Your Focus Away From Spending
"While gifts are wonderful to give and receive, we have allowed them to become the focus instead of simply another part of the celebration," says Heidi Wanken, founder of Shopping Holiday, a group that encourages people to take a holiday from shopping. Recover the spirit of the season by focusing on helping others (volunteer at a shelter, a hospital, or a soup kitchen), valuing the little things (the batch of cookies your elderly aunt took an hour to bake), or starting a holiday tradition with your family.
Plan your holidays 12 months in advance. The day after the holiday is over there are lots of sales on holiday items. You can go next day after Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and 4 of July and buy items 75% off. That’s a great time to get your holiday themed decorations,napkins, paper plates, cards etc. Planning well in advance will also allow you to save on gifts.
We can avoid debt by saving money for celebrations throughout the year.
Let’s say you figured out that for Christmas next year you’ll need to buy gifts, decorations, food etc. you’ll need $2000 to do so. Then you need to divide $2000 by 12 months, it equals $167.
Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. He wants us to be provident.
If we were buying Heavenly Father a gift, would we use a credit card?
Make it a great year, by not going into debt for this Christmas. He will be proud of you and everyone around you will be too.
New Favorite Food Storage Recipe
Cranberry Chicken in a Bag
serves 4
In the bag:
2 (10 oz.) cans of chicken
1 (12 oz.) can of cranberry sauce
2 cups potato pearls (in container) or 1 package stuffing mix
Seasoning Packet:
2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion
½1/2 cup packed brown sugar
½1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
From the pantry:
1 cup ketchup
4 cups water (for potatoes)
To the table:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, seasoning packet and ketchup.
Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, and mixture is nice and hot.
Drain the chicken, and cut or shred into bite size pieces.
Stir chicken into sauce and heat through.
Mix potatoes in 4 cups boiling water OR make stuffing mix according to package directions.
Serve over mashed potatoes or stuffing.
Recipe from Dinner? It's in the Bag!
serves 4
In the bag:
2 (10 oz.) cans of chicken
1 (12 oz.) can of cranberry sauce
2 cups potato pearls (in container) or 1 package stuffing mix
Seasoning Packet:
2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion
½1/2 cup packed brown sugar
½1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
From the pantry:
1 cup ketchup
4 cups water (for potatoes)
To the table:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, seasoning packet and ketchup.
Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, and mixture is nice and hot.
Drain the chicken, and cut or shred into bite size pieces.
Stir chicken into sauce and heat through.
Mix potatoes in 4 cups boiling water OR make stuffing mix according to package directions.
Serve over mashed potatoes or stuffing.
Recipe from Dinner? It's in the Bag!
Monday, November 2, 2009
A Few Ways To Use Those Green Tomatoes!
Elizabeth's Green Tomato Chow-Chow
This is like a sweet pickle relish
Makes 6 pints
9 pounds diced or grated green tomatoes
6 pounds finely diced onions
1 cup salt
4 cups water
4 cups white vinegar
1 cup water (original recipe calls for 2 cups, but I found it made it too thin.)
½ cup pickling spices
2 ½ lbs brown sugar
2 ½ lbs white sugar
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 red pepper, chopped finely
Soak the tomatoes and onions in the first amount of water and the salt over night.
Drain well in the morning
Put the spice in a cloth bag, tie shut with sting. Crush with a rolling pin.
Put the green tomatoes and onions in a pot with the vinegar and second amount of water, putting in the bag of spice. Stir gently.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for half and hour.
Add the sugars and simmer another half an hour.
Stir together the cornstarch, dry mustard and turmeric.
Add a little of the simmering liquid to make a paste, then stir it into the tomato mixture.
Add the chopped pepper.
Simmer for 1-3 hours until thick, will not be very thick yet. It will thicken slightly as it cooks in the hot water bath canner.
Be careful to not let it scorch. Because of the sugar content, it will scorch easily.
If you like a crunchy relish, simmer for 1 hour. If you like a soft relish simmer 2-3 hours.
Spoon into prepared jars and seal according to manufacturers directions.
Here in Utah, hot water bath for 25 minutes. Using a steamer is not safe with this recipe.
Recipe from recipezaar.com #99941
Raspberry (Green Tomato) Jam
2 cups green tomatoes, ground or grated
2 cups sugar
1 (3 oz) package raspberry Jello-O gelatin (or strawberry, etc.)
Grind or grate tomatoes.
Mix tomatoes and sugar.
Bring to a boil.
Boil 15 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add jello and stir well.
Seal in jars or freeze.
Enjoy!
I'd freeze this as I am not sure how long to water bath for safety.
This is from recipezaar.com #89430
This is like a sweet pickle relish
Makes 6 pints
9 pounds diced or grated green tomatoes
6 pounds finely diced onions
1 cup salt
4 cups water
4 cups white vinegar
1 cup water (original recipe calls for 2 cups, but I found it made it too thin.)
½ cup pickling spices
2 ½ lbs brown sugar
2 ½ lbs white sugar
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 red pepper, chopped finely
Soak the tomatoes and onions in the first amount of water and the salt over night.
Drain well in the morning
Put the spice in a cloth bag, tie shut with sting. Crush with a rolling pin.
Put the green tomatoes and onions in a pot with the vinegar and second amount of water, putting in the bag of spice. Stir gently.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for half and hour.
Add the sugars and simmer another half an hour.
Stir together the cornstarch, dry mustard and turmeric.
Add a little of the simmering liquid to make a paste, then stir it into the tomato mixture.
Add the chopped pepper.
Simmer for 1-3 hours until thick, will not be very thick yet. It will thicken slightly as it cooks in the hot water bath canner.
Be careful to not let it scorch. Because of the sugar content, it will scorch easily.
If you like a crunchy relish, simmer for 1 hour. If you like a soft relish simmer 2-3 hours.
Spoon into prepared jars and seal according to manufacturers directions.
Here in Utah, hot water bath for 25 minutes. Using a steamer is not safe with this recipe.
Recipe from recipezaar.com #99941
Raspberry (Green Tomato) Jam
2 cups green tomatoes, ground or grated
2 cups sugar
1 (3 oz) package raspberry Jello-O gelatin (or strawberry, etc.)
Grind or grate tomatoes.
Mix tomatoes and sugar.
Bring to a boil.
Boil 15 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add jello and stir well.
Seal in jars or freeze.
Enjoy!
I'd freeze this as I am not sure how long to water bath for safety.
This is from recipezaar.com #89430
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