Menu Musing

As I started going through the thought process of what I would cook for our family's supper, I was thinking about some things that have been asked of me or said to me concerning cooking.  I thought I would just share my thoughts here:

(1)  I have lived both by a monthly/weekly menu and I have lived making the decision of what to cook on a daily basis.  The truth, I enjoy the daily process better.  I think this is easiest for me because I do not buy weekly or monthly groceries.  I think the homemakers that do better with a menu plan are those that shop for groceries based on a menu plan.  I do not.  I shop sales, coupons, and deals.  I have a small stockpile, a refrigerator of staples, and a couple of freezers full.  I prefer figuring out what we will have for supper based on the weather, what I have on hand, and whatever we have a taste for at the time.

(2)  I have had it said to me recently that it is MUCH cheaper for a family of 2-4 to eat out using dollar menus than it is to cook.  I really get on a soapbox with this statement.  Most of our family suppers cost less than $5 and that includes dessert with enough leftovers for 2-4 people later.  If 4 people each get three things off the dollar menu that is $12, the cost of gas to get there, and no leftovers.  How can that possibly be cheaper?  Never mind it is less nutritious, less tasty, and boring.  Here is what I am cooking tonight and the cost breakdown:

Sausage Lentil Soup with Fried Tortilla Strips and Sweet Potato Pie

Beef Broth  -0-

Bag of Lentils  $1

Onion  25¢

Pound of Sausage  69¢

Tortilla Strips:  25¢

Sweet Potato Pie:  $1.50

TOTAL:  $3.69

(3)  Along with that being said to me, it is often said that people can buy store brands cheaper than name brands with coupons.  WRONG!  This is another soapbox subject for me.  Yes, there are things that never go on sale and that never have a coupon.  These items are few and if I need them, I buy them at the cheapest place.  There are times when I am making something and I need a particular item that is not on sale and I do not have a coupon.  Again, I buy these at the cheapest place possible.  The majority of the food and household items that I purchase for our family are name brands that are on sale and with a coupon.  I pay PENNIES for these things and a lot of the time they are free. 

(4)  My sister and I have discussed the fact that we sometimes feel as though we are on the set of "Chopped" when we go to our pantries, refrigerators, and freezers.  I love "creating" recipes based on what I have on hand.  The soup we are having this evening is just that...a made up with what I have on hand.  I am not a recipe oriented cook and love the challenge of making something that is my own idea.  I am really not certain what people do that cannot cook.  You have to know a few basic things and you build on that as time passes.

What about you?  Do you enjoy cooking?  Do you create your on ideas based on what you know or do you have to go by a recipe?  Does your family eat out a lot?  Let me know your thoughts.

Canning....I can!

Yesterday, I made apple butter. Other than chopping strawberries for a friend as she canned jam, I have never had any real experience canning things.  It is something I have always been interested in.  I did not have all the "proper" equipment, but with some web searches, improvisation, and determination...I did it!

Yesterday, I realized that I had 5 jars of apple sauce, which were free with coupons, about to expire.  I also had several fresh apples that had seen better days.  I had a thought..."I wonder how hard it would be to make apple butter and can it?"  Well, why not?  

I peeled and chopped the fresh apples and put them in the Crock-pot on high for a couple of hours.  Once they were soft, I used the immersion blender to puree them.  I added the apple sauce from the jars, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.  I allowed it to cook on high for several hours with the lid slightly to the side to allow the steam to escape.  As it cooked down, the house started smelling soooooo good.  

While the apple butter was cooking down, I did some web searches to figure out the canning process.  I then went on a scavenger hunt in my cabinets.  I knew I had jars, rings, and lids of various sizes.  I came up with several complete sets.  I put the jars in my dishwasher on the heat and sanitation setting.  While they were washing away, I started putting together a make-shift rack for the bottom of my pot.  One webpage suggested that to make a "rack" you can tie jar rings together.  Seven rings and a bunch of square knots later, I had my "rack".  It actually fit perfectly in the bottom of the pot that I was using. I brought water to a low simmer and inserted the lids and rings for a nice sanitizing bath. I did have a wide-mouth funnel that had been given to me several years ago.  I used it to fill the jars.  After filling the jars, I placed a lid and ring on each one.  I then started the "processing" of the jars.  I boiled them submerged in the water for 15 minutes each.  As I removed them from the boiling water, I realized why they suggest to have the right tongs with rubber ends.  It became quite obvious that I REALLY needed those.  I managed to get all of the jars of apple butter out of the water and onto the counter.  It was wonderful to hear them each, one-by-one, "pop".  It was so rewarding!

This morning, I opened our first small jar of the apple butter and my husband and I had it on toast as part of our breakfast.  I got a thumbs up after his first bite.  Now I am inspired.  I am now on a quest to find used canning equipment and cheap jars.  I am already looking forward to making other things and canning them.

Swiss Steak....sort of

I wanted to tryout my new Crock-pot that my daughter gave me for Christmas.  With a freezer full of various meats, I decided to figure out something using some cubed steak (venison).  Here is what I did:

(1)  I soaked the venison in buttermilk for about an hour.

(2)  I then mixed 1/2 pack of Grill Mates McCormick's Southwest Marinade (just used it dry from the pack) with one cup of flour.

(3)  I patted the venison pieces with the flour mixture and quickly browned it on the stove top...just to get the outside browned.

(4)  I sliced a medium yellow onion in rings

(5)  I layered the browned meat with the onions in the Crock-pot 

(6)  I opened a can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes and used the immersion blender to blend them so it would be more like a sauce.

(7)  I poured the can of tomatoes over the top of the steak and onions, put the lid on the Crock-Pot and set it to cook on low for 8 hours (only because the 6 hour setting is for high).  I will allow it to cook about 6 hours and serve over rice.

UPDATE:  I decided to steam some broccoli to put with the steak when serving.  I also decided to serve it over Vigo Yellow Rice  with a dollop of sour cream.  I think "Swiss" steak slowly became "Spanish" steak.

Frugal Friday

I find it to be almost a challenge to see just how much I can save on groceries and feeding my family.  I realized as I served supper last night that we have not had the same meal twice in the last nine weeks.  I have had something for dessert each evening too.  I have become quite resourceful and my family seems to be really enjoying it.  As I think back over the last 20+ years but especially the last 9 weeks I know that without certain things in place, feeding my family would be a source of stress.  Since I do not like stress, here are some things that are in place to cut down on our cost for food:

(1)  Casseroles can be made out of almost anything.  I combine all sorts of things to make casseroles out of either leftovers or what I have on hand. Here are some ideas I have used:

*Leftover chili beans in a casserole with a cornbread topping.  Once the cornbread was cooked browned cheese on top

*Leftover beef stew with left over mashed potatoes on top.

*Cooked and shredded chicken with a can of cream of mushroom mixed with sour cream all topped with seasoned bread crumbs.

(2)  Don't feel obligated to have a 5 course meal each night.  I aim for a main dish, vegetable, and a bread. We then enjoy dessert after that.  One dish meals (casseroles) are easy way to get the meat, vegetable, and bread all in one place.

(3)  I don't shop for "weekly" groceries.  I shop for deals...good deals!  I shop for my stockpile.  I fill my freezer when meat is on sale.  My grocery store puts markdown coupons on meat to move it.  Even if I just stop to get milk, I make a dash through the meat department to see what I can find.

Here is a deal that I got last week:

My grocery store had turkey legs and wings in packs of three for $4.50-$5.50.  Each package had $4.50 in coupons attached.  That made each pack $1 or less.  A few were free.  So I got all that they had.  I will soak some of them in a brine one day soon and roast them.

(4)  I am blessed in that my family will pretty much eat whatever I fix.  I have known men that would not eat but certain cuts of meat or certain dishes.  My husband is thankful for whatever I prepare and is not picky.  That saves us a lot of money.

(5)  Know what the usual price for things are.  The biggest mistake that I think some people make is that they have no idea what a good deal is.  They think a sale price is a great deal at one store when the regular price at another store is better. I am a "numbers" person so I remember the prices.  If you are not that way, make a list of the things that you buy most often and keep a check on the regular prices.

(6)  COUPONS!!!!  I cannot stress this tip enough.  Without coupons, I would not be able to feed my family.  Because I do not shop for "weekly" groceries, I find deals when they are a deal and I stock-up on them.  I don't have a HUGE stockpile, but I have enough.  I buy things on sale and with coupons.

(7)  For things that I may HAVE TO have one day that I do not have a sale+coupon deal to take advantage of, I go to Aldi.  They have good prices on things for when I have to pay "full price".

(9)  Keep staples on hand.  I cannot stress this enough.  Various types of flours, cornmeal mix, butter, milk, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, canned milk, dried beans, hamburger meat, spices, flavorings, bread, etc are some of the things I always have on hand.  In a pinch, I can make a meal.  If you have to go out and buy staples only when you know you are going to use them for a particular recipe, you will overspend all year long.

(8)  Final tip:  LEARN TO COOK AND TO BE RESOURCEFUL!!!  Don't let cooking intimidate you.  My mother will be the first to tell you that she did not teach me to cook.  Everything I have learned I have taught myself.  I started out with simple recipes and after nearly 20 years of marriage, I have become almost too comfortable in the kitchen.  

Being frugal does not mean that you are cheap.  It means that you are smart.  I use whatever we have, reuse whatever I can, and make the most of what we have.  I did not just start this when the economy took a hit.  This is how we have lived for nearly 20 years.  If you live like this all the time, it is your way of life and not a drastic change in times when things are hard.

Frugal Friday

I meant to take a picture of our supper last night.  I used a previously used recipe as a guide and did my own thing to create what we had.  Here are the things that I had on hand and what I paid for them:

Manicotti Noodles:  37¢

Spaghetti Sauce:  50¢

Roasted Chicken:  FREE  ---Cooked previously as a full package.  I shredded the extra and froze it so I had it on hand last night.

Ricotta Cheese:  $1.29

Mozzarella Cheese:  $1.00 

Cheddar Cheese:  pennies  ---I only used a handful out of a 2lb package that I paid $1 for

Seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs:  FREE

Cooke Mix:   40¢

Pudding Mix:  FREE

Chocolate Cool Whip:  FREE

What we had:

I mixed the chicken, cheeses, bread crumbs, and seasonings together to make a filling for the noodles.  I boiled the noodles for 7 minutes and then filled them with the filling.  I poured a ½ Cup of the spaghetti sauce into a casserole dish and then placed the filled noodles on top.  I poured the rest of the sauce on the top of that, covered and backed at 350º for about 45 minutes.  I uncovered it, sprinkled the top with cheese, and baked for about 15 more minutes.  While it was baking, I mixed up the Chocolate Oatmeal cookie mix and baked the cookies.  I also cooked the chocolate pudding.  At supper time we had the manicotti along with a dessert which was layered cookies and pudding and topped with chocolate Cool Whip.  

The total for the entire meal was:  $3.56 and it will feed 6 people

Baking Today

Today, I took a request for tonight's dessert.  My daughter (14) asked that I make a recipe we had found on Pinterest, Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.  It sounded delicious and I love peanut butter.  You can find the recipe here:  Peanut Butter Sheet Cake   I found that the frosting requires a little extra milk than the recipe calls for.  I added a little dribble at a time until it was glossy and blended well.  I also find that a cake on a jellyroll pan is hard to store, so I cut the cooked and cooled cake in half.  I layered it with the frosting in a 9x13 pan.  I think this is one for the recipe box!

Sunday Soup

My son is 17 and just discovered that he liked broccoli recently, so today's lunch was based on him bragging about eating broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl at a restaurant that he really enjoyed.  I made "bowls" yesterday from my sourdough starter.  It was four perfectly sized bowls.  This morning I made the soup totally making it up as I went.

I first softened a chopped onion in butter. I added dried celery flakes, chili powder, and minced garlic to that. While that was going, I started a roux from flour and butter in a another pan.  Once the onions were ready, I used my immersion blender to blend the onion so I would not have pieces but a just a base to the soup.  I added the roux mixture along with concentrated chicken stock to the onion base.  While that was cooking and being whisked, I started cooking the broccoli.  Once the broccoli was softened, I added it along with a can of evaporated milk to the base.  I then whisked until smooth and added 2% milk until it was the desired consistency.  The finishing touch was two good handfuls of grated sharp cheese.  Once the cheese was melted, I dipped it into the bread bowls, topped with a little cheese and chili powder, and then served.  It was a hit to say the least.  My husband LOVED it!!!  My son said it was better than what he had at the restaurant.  SUCCESS!!!

Sourdough Bread

Several days ago, I posted the recipe for the sourdough starter that I like to use.  Today I am baking sourdough bread.  It is a two day process, but WELL worth it.

The morning of the day before you are planning to bake the sourdough, mix one cup of warm water with 3 Tablespoons of instant potatoes, and 3 Tablespoons of sugar.  Add that mixture to the starter and allow it to sit on the counter until later in the evening.  I usually allow it to sit until just before time for us to go to bed.  That is when you mix the dough.  Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 6 cups bread flour
• 
  

Mix all but the flour together in a large mixing bowl.  Add three cups of the flour and mix well.  Now add the next three cups of flour.  I usually reserve ½ cup of the flour just in case I do not need it.  Mix it well until a soft dough forms and all the flour is well incorporated.  I use my hands for the final mixing.  Next, you grease a large bowl and place the dough in it.  Cover well and allow to rise over night.  

In the morning, take the dough out, place it on a floured board and  knead for a few minutes. 

 Divide dough into 4 equal pieces an knead each one until smooth. 

Shape each one into loaves.  Place each peace in a 8x4 bread pan that has been buttered or oiled.  

Cover with plastic wrap and then a moist towel.  Allow to rise until doubled in size.  

Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Turn them onto cooling racks, brush with butter, and allow them to cool.

Football Food

I bought LARGE russet potatoes for $3.99 for 15 pounds last week.  I ended up getting two bags and my mother gave me part of her bag.  I have been finding various ways to use them.  Today we are watching Clemson play football so I wanted to make something for us to eat while watching the game. I roasted long slices of potatoes brushed with melted butter on parchment paper for 20 minutes on each side at 400º..  After roasting them, I sprinkled each slice with browned bulk sausage and cheddar cheese.  I placed them under the broiler for a few minutes and served with ranch dressing.  They were a hit!  Now....GOOOOOOO TIGERS!!!!

Make Do Soup

I started the new year off knowing that I wanted to get back to how we use to always be.  I use to watch every dime that we spent, made do with what was on hand, and saved as much as possible.  I announced to my husband the end of last year that we were going to "make do".  That meant that I would have to use my creativity in the kitchen.  That is actually something I really enjoy doing.  We have been snowed/iced in since Monday so I have been "shopping" in my freezer and pantry.  Last night, I wanted to make soup and cornbread.  I had leftovers in the refrigerator and things in the pantry so I got creative. Here are the things I combined to make a soup that was a hit with my family:

Rice:  Bought with a coupon and at clearance price (free)

Black-eyed Peas:  Cooked and given to me by my mother (free)

Southwest Seasoning Packet:  Bought with a coupon at clearance price (25¢)

Tomato Sauce: Bought on sale (50¢)

Chopped Pepperoni: Bought with a coupon and on sale.  I did not use entire package. (50¢)

TOTAL COST:  $1.25 and there was enough to feed 8 people

I am not certain what to call it, but "Make Do Soup".  It was really tasty and along with the cornbread that I made, it filled us up on a cold night.

We have not eaten out one time this year.  My goal is to go the entire month of January without eating out.  I want us to try and only eat out on special occasions.  Hopefully, we can make do.