"Good and Cheap" for cooking (market, items, best)
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The broccoli empanadas have become a favorite around here. They are seriously tasty and great lunch box fare. Another hit with my kids were the chocolate zucchini muffins. Makes a bunch, and they also travel well. The peach cake is absolutely divine but a little rich for every day eating. We also like the cauliflower tacos and the chana masala with raita. I am planning to make that last one tonight for dinner.
Let's put it his way. I *only* made the chocolate zucchini muffins and they rejected them. Still, to this day I make the usual recipe and my youngest always asks "do they have zucchini in them?" and it was so long ago that I didn't remember where they're getting it from that they would have zucchini.. until I read this post and remembered I made those Good and Cheap ones over the summer.
Let's put it his way. I *only* made the chocolate zucchini muffins and they rejected them. Still, to this day I make the usual recipe and my youngest always asks "do they have zucchini in them?" and it was so long ago that I didn't remember where they're getting it from that they would have zucchini.. until I read this post and remembered I made those Good and Cheap ones over the summer.
I spend on things like broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, cauliflower, red peppers, zucchini, bananas, grape fruit, chips, salsa and spend $180 in a little less than 2 weeks.
I envy ya'll that can eat on $4 and less. I think we should put our height and weight out there to give balance when comparing food spending. I'm 6' 3" and 240 lbs.
I'll give it to you that needs can vary by person, but I've found the cookbook to be a valuable guide for those seeking to eat on a pretty tight budget. We used just this cookbook for a Lenten project earlier this year. Not everything was a success, but lots of dishes made it into our regular meal rotation, most notably the broccoli empanadas, which I'm probably going to make tonight. Other dishes we loved included...
Pasta with eggplant and tomato
Savory summer cobbler
Cauliflower tacos
Vegetable quiche
Creamy polenta w/ spinach and egg
Cauliflower cheese
Spicy tilapia
Roasted peppers and potatoes
Leek & potato pizza
Chana masala w/ raita & roti
Peach coffee cake
I ran out of coffee filters once and resorted to a wet paper towel to hold the grounds. I haven't spent on coffee filters since. I just dump the grounds and rinse the towel. It lasts about a week or so.
If you want to stop buying paper towels, try a french press for coffee. No coffee filters/paper towels needed.
Thinking outside the "box" for >[Food]<
If you have the space to store it, and process it, you can save a fortune on a long term storage food cache.
Cheap, in bulk, and when sprouted, very nutritious
__ Sprouts, bean and grain - http://sproutpeople.org
Pemmican is an item most folks haven't experienced, due to the Food Police push to force Americans away from hard fats and lard.
__ Pemmican - Pemmican: The Original MRE
During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), British troops were given an iron ration made of four ounces of pemmican and four ounces of chocolate and sugar. The pemmican would keep in perfect condition for decades.
Corn (maize) can be used in a variety of ways. But don't fail to nixtamalize corn used for flour, etc.
__ Nixtamalization for maize (corn) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization
Sprouted rice has become a new celebrity fad food - but only brown rice will germinate. Do not try this with white rice.
__ GABA rice -http://www.instructables.com/id/HOWTO-make-GBR-germinated-or-sprouted-brown-rice/ Germinated Brown Rice
Pickling / fermenting can be done with a large variety of candidates, including meat and fruit. But most are familiar with pickled cucumbers, and cabbage. Home fermented has a far superior taste over the "mass processed" picklers - who do not ferment their products.
__ Brine fermentation of sauerkraut Brine-Fermented Sauerkraut | The Joy of Cooking
Though bulk flour is fairly inexpensive (20 lb or larger), if you want unadulterated and fresh whole wheat flour, you're probably going to need to mill it yourself. That is NOT a big problem with modern mills. And if you buy bulk wheat berries, they'll store very well. Mill only the amount you need, and you won't have to deal with rancid oils and such.
__ Grain mill - WonderMill Grain Mill & Wonder Junior Wheat Grinder
Note: WhisperMill is not equivalent to the WonderMill despite similar appearances. The WonderMill has a more powerful motor, etc.,etc.
(There are some anecdotes that suggest eating fresh milled whole wheat does not seem to irritate those who have "gluten" allergies. YMMV)
Here are some additional ideas for eating on the cheap. The meals are vegetarian, but even non-vegetarians can incorporate some of them into their weekly meal plans. In fact, I'm sure that many already routinely use some of these recipes.
I ran out of coffee filters once and resorted to a wet paper towel to hold the grounds. I haven't spent on coffee filters since. I just dump the grounds and rinse the towel. It lasts about a week or so.
I use an electric percolator, which doesn't require a filter at all, since it has its own stainless steel filter. It also uses less coffee than a drip-like Mr. Coffee.
Why would you put them in the food budget? In my house they have their own category.
I buy things together. What matters is the total monthly bill. So I don't go home and separate the cost of non-food vs pet vs food expenses. It doesn't really matter, in the end. What matters is what was spent for maintenance of the home and all who are in it.
My thoughts are this:
1. Don't spend unless you need it, or really really really want it badly;
2. Buy it on sale if at all possible
3. Look for a coupon to use, if at all possible
4. Preferable to buy an item both on sale and with a coupon
5. Buy generic/store brands, if they are comparable, and if cheaper than brand name on sale or w/coupon.
Then I just try to make things last, which means I think about it before I eat it or use it. I also try not to buy things that will go bad before I can eat them (most veggies), so I pay for frozen veggies.
I buy things together. What matters is the total monthly bill. So I don't go home and separate the cost of non-food vs pet vs food expenses. It doesn't really matter, in the end. What matters is what was spent for maintenance of the home and all who are in it.
My thoughts are this:
1. Don't spend unless you need it, or really really really want it badly;
2. Buy it on sale if at all possible
3. Look for a coupon to use, if at all possible
4. Preferable to buy an item both on sale and with a coupon
5. Buy generic/store brands, if they are comparable, and if cheaper than brand name on sale or w/coupon.
Then I just try to make things last, which means I think about it before I eat it or use it. I also try not to buy things that will go bad before I can eat them (most veggies), so I pay for frozen veggies.
Good for you. I do all of those things too, although I seldom use a coupon because there usually isn't one for the things I buy(In my area I pretty much only see them for processed food). I am pretty detail oriented and everything is broken down. YMMV and obviously does. I just find looking at categories interesting, when I see one increasing steady I try to figure out why. I live on a very small budget.
I use an electric percolator, which doesn't require a filter at all, since it has its own stainless steel filter. It also uses less coffee than a drip-like Mr. Coffee.
I have a friend who swears by her electric percolator, saying it makes the best coffee. I have had her coffee and it is pretty dang good. What brand do you have? I would like to try one out someday. She has an old stainless steal one that was her grandmother's... I suppose they are built very well and do last at least through three generations of daily use!
Of course, when our electricity went out... she was at my house for coffee. We heated up the water on the camping stove and used the french press for the morning coffee. It was still pretty dang good.
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