I've been doing research for years on ways to cut back on living expenses. One of the first places that most people look is food. Even though there are a lot of resources out there on how to live frugally or more thrifty, my favorite ones are those focused on what our grandparents and great grandparents did during the Great Depression and World War 2. I've collected a few books from those time periods focused on ways to make more use out of less, both with food and with clothing.
Tonight, I watched a bunch of videos on YouTube called Depression Era Cooking with Clara. I do have to admit that I am tempted to make some of her dishes, even if I have to find substitutions for anything containing gluten. The videos were made by Clara's grandson. She's in her early to mid 90's and the videos aren't only about the recipes she's cooking, but also has little stories about her youth growing up in those difficult times. I wish they had more videos up, but am glad for the few that are there.
I do admit that those videos inspired me to look into websites, blogs, and forums focused on thrift and frugality from the 1930's and 1940's. Like I said, I've researched them before, so this is nothing new, but you never know what new information you will find when you take up the hunt again. (I'm also keeping an eye out for thrifty vegetarian recipes and blogs too for a buddy on my LJ blog. Just sorting through the ones I found thus far. The information on the Depression and WW2 sites also have a lot of vegetarian recipes and such, so that could be a help too.)
Something that is alarming is reading other frugal/thrifty people mention the same dread that I had over a year ago. Hopefully we are wrong, but a number of us (who have looked at the afore mentioned time periods) have stated that we see another Depression around the corner. I've had that concern since before the government admitted that we were actually in a Recession. There are certain trends that a person can see if they look. I guess that's why I can't say I'm too surprised about much and haven't been for a long time. I just hope that things don't get as dire as a number of us are expecting.
Anyways, here's a couple interesting recipes that I've never seen before (but want to try). Found on the Taste of Home forums:
Chicken Soup
Boil chicken and remove from bones. (Left over roasted or baked chicken is fine.) Heat broth until boiling and then reduce heat and sprinkle in corn meal. Whisk until thickened and stir in chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. No measurements as the cooks long ago did not use measurments. Sometimes they might have a lot of broth sometimes not.
Vegetable Soup
Peel and dice about 6-8 potatoes. Put potatoes in a large pot and add a diced onion or two and a chopped up head of cabbage. Boil in enough water to cover all vegetables. Salt the water to taste, but remember that you will not be draining the water. When these have all softened, to the water add one can of tomato juice, 2 cans of corn (drained), 2 cans of green beans (drained). Allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes and serve. This is delicious, cheap and easy to make.
Chicken Soup for a small army
1 clean 3-4 lb chicken. Place chicken in 2 gallon stockpot with an onion and 2 stalks celery. Bring to boil and simmer an hour. Lift out chicken, pull a part and remove bones. Return chicken pieces to pot and add veggies from garden including at least carrots and potatoes. Fill pot with water again and bring to boil then simmer till done. I season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsely and chives. Now, that is comfort food for pennies a serving and plenty to freeze if you don't have an army to feed.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Corn Tortillas... and Grocery: Week Four
Nothing much to report here. We haven't gone grocery shopping since last week. We were going to pick up some food stuffs, but I don't think we actually did. I'll have to ask my husband. (And so parenthood-onset senility looms it's dreary head once again!) I really need to be more diligent in posting, especially grocery totals and such. It's been a hectic couple of weeks! Anyways...
Last week, I made some corn tortillas. What a thrill! No really, I was very excited by the results.
Gluten free corn tortillas have been increasingly hard to fine, especially ones that actually had a good taste and texture... and price. The corn tortillas I made are the best I've ever tasted. Great texture (almost like flour tortillas without being gummy), great flavor, and made for only a few cents. They were also incredibly easy and fast, especially when you get the hang of it. I was able to make my second batch after a long day at work, with my son clinging to me, without any difficulty.
Here's the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina*
1.5 cups water**
1/8 tsp baking soda (optional)
Directions
Put masa harina in a bowl; mix in the baking soda, if using. Add water and mix for no less than three minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add some water. If too wet, add more masa harina.
Roll dough into balls, approximately golf ball sized. Press flat with a rolling pin, tortilla press***, or both. (I first use the tortilla press and then use a rolling pin to make them just a bit thinner. Takes just a few gentle swipes and very little time to do so.)
Heat a griddle or shallow pan to medium-high heat. (Don't add oil; don't grease the pan.) Add one tortilla and cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook other side another 30 seconds. Flip and cook both sides 15 seconds longer. Take out of pan and place on a plate. Place paper towel over it to keep it warm. Repeat cooking procedure until all tortillas are cooked.
Once you get the hang of making these, you can really cut down the time. I cook a couple tortillas while pressing the next few to cook. Takes little time, little effort and the results are much better than the stuff you get at the store. These were bouncy, flexible... almost like flour tortillas without the gummy texture. What's better than tastier food that's healthier, better, and far less expensive than the store bought stuff?
*Masa harina is a very fine cornmeal that was treated with lime. You cannot substitute regular cornmeal, cornstarch, or corn flour for masa harina. You can find masa harina in grocery stores, though it is more available and better priced at ethnic food stores. (Make sure to follow the package cooking directions first, and then adjust the ingredients accordingly. I added baking soda the first time, but followed everything else. Adjustments to the package I used are already included the directions above.)
**Baking soda adds "bounce" to the tortillas. It is not required and may be left out.
***You can find tortilla presses in a number of grocery stores, though the best prices are found at ethnic food stores.
Last week, I made some corn tortillas. What a thrill! No really, I was very excited by the results.
Gluten free corn tortillas have been increasingly hard to fine, especially ones that actually had a good taste and texture... and price. The corn tortillas I made are the best I've ever tasted. Great texture (almost like flour tortillas without being gummy), great flavor, and made for only a few cents. They were also incredibly easy and fast, especially when you get the hang of it. I was able to make my second batch after a long day at work, with my son clinging to me, without any difficulty.
Here's the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina*
1.5 cups water**
1/8 tsp baking soda (optional)
Directions
Put masa harina in a bowl; mix in the baking soda, if using. Add water and mix for no less than three minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add some water. If too wet, add more masa harina.
Roll dough into balls, approximately golf ball sized. Press flat with a rolling pin, tortilla press***, or both. (I first use the tortilla press and then use a rolling pin to make them just a bit thinner. Takes just a few gentle swipes and very little time to do so.)
Heat a griddle or shallow pan to medium-high heat. (Don't add oil; don't grease the pan.) Add one tortilla and cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook other side another 30 seconds. Flip and cook both sides 15 seconds longer. Take out of pan and place on a plate. Place paper towel over it to keep it warm. Repeat cooking procedure until all tortillas are cooked.
Once you get the hang of making these, you can really cut down the time. I cook a couple tortillas while pressing the next few to cook. Takes little time, little effort and the results are much better than the stuff you get at the store. These were bouncy, flexible... almost like flour tortillas without the gummy texture. What's better than tastier food that's healthier, better, and far less expensive than the store bought stuff?
*Masa harina is a very fine cornmeal that was treated with lime. You cannot substitute regular cornmeal, cornstarch, or corn flour for masa harina. You can find masa harina in grocery stores, though it is more available and better priced at ethnic food stores. (Make sure to follow the package cooking directions first, and then adjust the ingredients accordingly. I added baking soda the first time, but followed everything else. Adjustments to the package I used are already included the directions above.)
**Baking soda adds "bounce" to the tortillas. It is not required and may be left out.
***You can find tortilla presses in a number of grocery stores, though the best prices are found at ethnic food stores.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Week Three: Grocery thoughts, costs, and cooking corned beef
We did some of our grocery shopping today. My meal plan? Wait... I'm supposed to have one, right?
We got a bunch of corned beef at $0.99 a pound and two heads of cabbage at $0.09 cents a pound. Now see, I see both and think, "Darn it! I need to stock up!" But the problem is that you don't want to get so much that you end up being wasteful. The corned beef we got on sale for $1.49/lb was much nicer in size and marbling and now we have a total of 4 or 5 heads of cabbage waiting to be made into something. No worries though. Cabbage stays good for a long time! (I guess I should move them to the fridge eventually...) We might go back and get more cabbage and corned beef (either the $0.99/lb or the $1.49/lb). Corned beef stays in the freezer for a long time. Also, cooked meats tend to handle being frozen better for longer periods of time, supposedly.
Normally, I try to have a general rule that I buy meat, fruits, or veggies for $0.99/lb or (preferably) less. If it's that price, then I jump on it. These days, that's so much more difficult. Sure, fresh produce will go down in price soon for a while, but who knows if they will hit that mark? Frozen store brands seem to stay pretty close. Knowing I can get chicken for $0.49 to $0.79 per pound is a comfort. The main thing there is being willing to do the extra work (deboning, making broth, etc) and not worry if you aren't getting a lot of white meat. When you aren't getting enough fat in your diet, having dark meat isn't such a bad thing! Also pork loin tends to be pretty inexpensive too and can be used as a substitute for chicken or beef in a number of recipes.
We spent about $15 on food for the next week (I'll give a proper total soon), and will be only picking up a few more things tonight or tomorrow. Cornmeal, butter, milk, onions, perhaps some frozen veggies, and maybe some eggs. I don't think we need anything else really.
As for the milk and butter: We were supposed to pick them up last week, but didn't. I decided we could just make due, and we did. We really didn't need either (and the one time I could have used butter, I used olive oil and was fine). With the milk, I might try a trick that some other people do, which is start drinking reconstituted powdered milk. Some people mix it with regular milk to stretch the milk while saving on cost, and I'm wondering how well that works. I'm not sure I'm ready to just go for drinking chilled reconstituted dry milk straightup. However, if it has the same nutrients, then I'm willing to work towards that. Normal milk would then be used for cooking.
I'm also trying to figure out how to cook lentils. They seem pretty easy. I used to love when my mother would make them with rice, but she used the prepackaged mixes. I have a bag of lentils. Just need to decide what to do with them.
Right now, I have a huge crockpot cooking a goodly amount of corned beef. It's one of the easiest thing to make, in my humble opinion. Lightly coat a pan with vegetable or olive oil and heat on medium to medium high. Take the corned beef, rinse it and pat it dry. Place in the pan and brown all sides. Turn off the stove. Put the corned beef into the crock pot; you may sprinkle in the seasoning, but it's not required. (Trust me, both ways taste great!) Add hot water to the pan (about 1 or 2 cups) and gently scrape the bottom of the pan. This is call deglazing the pan, which allows you to get all the nummy bits the meat left (with all the amazing flavors). Pour the liquid, with the bits of meat stickings, into the crock and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook on high for several hours, until the meat is done (I believe the meat should register 160+ degrees on a meat thermometer). Remove from the liquid, cut, and serve. You can use the leftover liquid from the crock as a base for soup or to cook cabbage and potatoes in. Both are delicious! Very easy, very tasty, and quick prep time. What more can you ask for?
We got a bunch of corned beef at $0.99 a pound and two heads of cabbage at $0.09 cents a pound. Now see, I see both and think, "Darn it! I need to stock up!" But the problem is that you don't want to get so much that you end up being wasteful. The corned beef we got on sale for $1.49/lb was much nicer in size and marbling and now we have a total of 4 or 5 heads of cabbage waiting to be made into something. No worries though. Cabbage stays good for a long time! (I guess I should move them to the fridge eventually...) We might go back and get more cabbage and corned beef (either the $0.99/lb or the $1.49/lb). Corned beef stays in the freezer for a long time. Also, cooked meats tend to handle being frozen better for longer periods of time, supposedly.
Normally, I try to have a general rule that I buy meat, fruits, or veggies for $0.99/lb or (preferably) less. If it's that price, then I jump on it. These days, that's so much more difficult. Sure, fresh produce will go down in price soon for a while, but who knows if they will hit that mark? Frozen store brands seem to stay pretty close. Knowing I can get chicken for $0.49 to $0.79 per pound is a comfort. The main thing there is being willing to do the extra work (deboning, making broth, etc) and not worry if you aren't getting a lot of white meat. When you aren't getting enough fat in your diet, having dark meat isn't such a bad thing! Also pork loin tends to be pretty inexpensive too and can be used as a substitute for chicken or beef in a number of recipes.
We spent about $15 on food for the next week (I'll give a proper total soon), and will be only picking up a few more things tonight or tomorrow. Cornmeal, butter, milk, onions, perhaps some frozen veggies, and maybe some eggs. I don't think we need anything else really.
As for the milk and butter: We were supposed to pick them up last week, but didn't. I decided we could just make due, and we did. We really didn't need either (and the one time I could have used butter, I used olive oil and was fine). With the milk, I might try a trick that some other people do, which is start drinking reconstituted powdered milk. Some people mix it with regular milk to stretch the milk while saving on cost, and I'm wondering how well that works. I'm not sure I'm ready to just go for drinking chilled reconstituted dry milk straightup. However, if it has the same nutrients, then I'm willing to work towards that. Normal milk would then be used for cooking.
I'm also trying to figure out how to cook lentils. They seem pretty easy. I used to love when my mother would make them with rice, but she used the prepackaged mixes. I have a bag of lentils. Just need to decide what to do with them.
Right now, I have a huge crockpot cooking a goodly amount of corned beef. It's one of the easiest thing to make, in my humble opinion. Lightly coat a pan with vegetable or olive oil and heat on medium to medium high. Take the corned beef, rinse it and pat it dry. Place in the pan and brown all sides. Turn off the stove. Put the corned beef into the crock pot; you may sprinkle in the seasoning, but it's not required. (Trust me, both ways taste great!) Add hot water to the pan (about 1 or 2 cups) and gently scrape the bottom of the pan. This is call deglazing the pan, which allows you to get all the nummy bits the meat left (with all the amazing flavors). Pour the liquid, with the bits of meat stickings, into the crock and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook on high for several hours, until the meat is done (I believe the meat should register 160+ degrees on a meat thermometer). Remove from the liquid, cut, and serve. You can use the leftover liquid from the crock as a base for soup or to cook cabbage and potatoes in. Both are delicious! Very easy, very tasty, and quick prep time. What more can you ask for?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Apricot-Cherry Pork Loin (Crock Pot)
1 whole pork loin (approx. 2 pounds)
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup cherry preserves
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
vegetable oil
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown all sides of the pork loin and place in the slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix apricot preserves, cherry preserves, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over the pork loin. Place cover on slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Remove roast and keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a measuring cup. If it totals less than 2 cups, add warm water to complete the difference. Pour into a saucepan and heat. In a cup, blend the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly pour into the saucepan, stirring the juices constantly until the cornstarch is well integrated. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly, and cook for 2 minutes (or until sauce is thickened). Skim and discard any white foam that forms. Remove sauce from heat.
Serve sauce with the pork loin (sliced).
I'm not usually a fan of meat cooked in crock pots but this turned out wonderfully. I definitely plan to make this again in the future. Best part? I didn't have to buy any ingredients since I had everything on hand whether as a staple or left over ingredients from previous recipes. This was a great way to use up items (the two preserves, mustard, and pork loin) that was taking up space in my fridge and freezer.
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup cherry preserves
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
vegetable oil
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown all sides of the pork loin and place in the slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix apricot preserves, cherry preserves, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over the pork loin. Place cover on slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Remove roast and keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a measuring cup. If it totals less than 2 cups, add warm water to complete the difference. Pour into a saucepan and heat. In a cup, blend the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly pour into the saucepan, stirring the juices constantly until the cornstarch is well integrated. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly, and cook for 2 minutes (or until sauce is thickened). Skim and discard any white foam that forms. Remove sauce from heat.
Serve sauce with the pork loin (sliced).
I'm not usually a fan of meat cooked in crock pots but this turned out wonderfully. I definitely plan to make this again in the future. Best part? I didn't have to buy any ingredients since I had everything on hand whether as a staple or left over ingredients from previous recipes. This was a great way to use up items (the two preserves, mustard, and pork loin) that was taking up space in my fridge and freezer.
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