Frugal Mania

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t actually love ramen.

It has been literally years since I actually needed to live off the stuff, which is a rite of passage most any college student can sympathize with. Still, there is a simplistic beauty to that little package of flavor (and sodium) that I have never been able to escape. Even still there are times when I can find myself bored with the same old thing and I need to shake things up a bit.

I think what helped me to make the most of this uber cheap foodstuff is that I never saw it necessarily as a meal unto itself, but instead viewed it as a canvas on which I could work some amazing act of frugal culinary magic. Truth be told, I’ve come up with so many frugal meal ideas with ramen that even my often fickle partner doesn’t complain when sitting down for a meal anymore.

The two most obvious ideas I’ve had are also the most simple:

Frugal Leftovers
Whenever I cook up a four-minute bowl of ramen heaven, I use the time to raid the refrigerator an find that wayward piece of chicken left over from a recent (at least I hope it is recent) meal, or better yet, the chunks of steak I so carefully brought home the night before after a rare trek for a meal on the town. I keep several flavors of ramen noodles on hand, and match the flavor packet to my meaty leftovers whenever possible. This makes my meal heartier and uses up my leftovers at the same time. SCORE!

Frugal Veggies
At times I forego the flavor packet altogether, instead opting to saute a couple of cups of my favorite (in season, mostly) chopped veggies in some olive oil with a bit of chopped garlic. The flavor that sweats from the veggies (especially when I include onion, garlic and peppers in the mix) is so rich that the salt-intense flavor packet is rendered entirely unnecessary , and can be saved for flavoring an otherwise bland soup mix later.

What’s your favorite frugal way to use ramen?

One of the most common wastes of your shopping dollars covers a huge range of items that we call convenience foods. The truth is that these items are anything but convenient for your wallet, but thankfully they are all but entirely unnecessary. All it takes is a few minutes of your time and you won’t believe how much money you can save, sacrificing nothing at all.

A lot of people will say that they are willing to pay a little more for the added convenience and that is your choice, but you should at least give home made convenience foods a fair chance before you nix the idea altogether.

In order to bring the unconvinced toward the light, I will be sharing some of my personal favorite convenience food recipes over the coming weeks. Give them a shot – you won’t miss out on a thing and you will save more money than you can imagine. This week we will take a look at making your own spice blends at home.

Homemade Salt Substitute
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. powdered lemon rind
1 tsp. oregano

Just mix and serve in a spice shaker.

Homemade All Purpose Spice Mix
1/3 C grated parmesan
1/4 C sesame seeds
2 TBSP paprika
1 TBSP poppy seeds
2 TBSP chicken boullion
2 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP onion flakes
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP celery seed
½ TBSP sea salt
½ TBSP black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a zipper bag or jar and use on meat, fish, poultry, even steamed veggies.

I’ll be sharing some more great convenience food recipes over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, you should check out these great chicken recipes by Shelly over at Earthly Eating.

A few years ago I found myself in a predicament. I had thawed too much ground beef and it was going to spoil if I didn’t use it. While racking my brain to figure out something that I could make with what I had on hand, I realized that I had everything I needed for a hearty pasta fagioli soup. ever since, it has been a staple food in my home. My Italian partner walks around with a grin every time I make it, so my hunch is that it should be pretty popular around your house too.

Michael’s Simple, Cheap Pasta Fagioli

THE INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 6 C stock
• 1 can spinach (small can)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 C navy beans, cooked
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 8 oz shell pasta
• 1 bay leaf
• seasoning to taste

THE PROCESS

1. Pour the stock, spinach (drained), garlic and tomatoes into a large crock pot and cover.
2. Brown the ground beef with onion, drain and add to crock pot.
3. Set crock pot on high, cover and leave it alone for 2-3 hours.
4. Boil pasta & carrots together, drain.
5. Drain navy beans and rinse (if canned).
6. Add pasta and beans to crock pot and set to low heat for 30 minutes.

HEALTH NOTES
Want to try it out but you’re concerned about your health? Try these substitutions:

• If you want to use ground beef, don’t bother buying the expensive lean stuff, just rinse the ground beef and onions thoroughly in a colander after browning them and you will remove just as much fat.
• If you’d rather use something a bit healthier, replace the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken. Both are priced fairly inexpensively.
• Use what you’ve got! Leftover chicken, turkey, beef cut into small pieces will work just as well and get rid of some leftovers in the process.
• To cut down on salt, add a bit of lemon juice to the pot. The citric acid will flavor it and you won’t feel the need to use so much salt.

I just threw this recipe together based on what I had in the cupboard, so it will probably vary the next time I make it, but I wanted to save the recipe nonetheless, since it turned out so well and cost very little.

Author’s Note: Wow, it seems as though I am on a food kick lately, but I just can’t help myself. Food expenses account for one of the biggest dents in the average budget and I want you to save everywhere you can! This frugal tip has actually been around for hundreds of years, but westerners have only recently caught on.

Technically called “Obento”, the Japanese origin is actually not as glamorous as you might think. It basically means “boxed lunch”. But bento is nothing like what your mother sent with you to school in your Scooby Doo lunchbox. This stuff is art. The Japanese believe that food should be as appealing to the eye as it is to the stomach, and after many years of creating and eating my own bento lunches, I can’t say that I disagree.

Food art is not frugal in and of itself, but with bento, you are controlling portions and making simple foods take on an artistic appearance. Apples become bunnies, cheese and lunch meats become flowers…you really wouldn’t believe everything you can do!

There are websites aplenty that sing the praises of bento, and just as many that offer recipes and preparation tips for beginners and aficianados alike. My favorite, bar none is Lunch in a Box, hosted by Biggie - a work-at-home mother of a preschooler who can do things with food that I can only strive for.

There are thousands of designs for bento boxes sold by all sorts of companies worldwide, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money - or any, for that matter - to start enjoying bento for yourself. When I first started, I simply used a divided Rubbermaid meal storage container. In time, you may want to invest in an honest-to-goodness bento box and if you are curious about where to find one, Ebay has quite a few on sale at all times.

I purchased my first bento box (I know own several) from the host of Bento TV, who also sells bento boxes and accessories on Ebay, as well as having regular videos on her website to help bento beginners hone the craft.

One of these days I will get around to sharing a few of my own bento creations with you, but I am usually so busy eating it that I forget to take pictures!

A lot of people are intimidated by the idea of making their own salad dressing. This recipe illustrates well why so many restaurants use balsamic vinaigrette as their house dressing. It’s simple to make with almost no prep time whatsoever and it stores well if you have leftovers.

Don’t forget it’s also delicious and really easy to do, and from a money standpoint, this recipe costs me pennies to make per batch.

This recipe yields about 1/2 cup, enough for 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I use turbinado or honey when I have them)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Just mix everything together.
Yeah, that’s really all there is to it. Really easy and much less expensive than buying it at the supermarket.

The olive oil is key in this recipe; it has a distinct flavor that will be missed if you make this dressing with another oil. If you’re feeling adventurous, try playing with the spices or adding some freshly chopped herbs. It’s your kitchen, your rules!

One closing note on storage: if you do store leftovers in the fridge, the olive oil is going to separate and solidify. That’s natural and it is perfectly okay to eat. All you need to do is take it out of the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature for half an hour or so. Then when you are ready to use it, just give it a good shake and you’ll be ready to eat.

Frugal – It isn’t just for breakfast anymore, but it is entirely possible to be frugal and eat a healthy breakfast at the same time. In fact, you will find that you feel better and are more productive if you do eat the first meal of the day in the morning.

• Oatmeal is your friend. Not only is it inexpensive, it has tons of health benefits, including lowering bad cholesterol. It is simple to prepare and doesn’t take much time, either.
• Trent at The Simple Dollar offers several frugal breakfast food options that are cheap and delicious. I especially love the Swiss Breakfast mix.
• There’s nothing quite like homemade pancakes and waffles, but who has the time to prepare the mix, cook them and then eat? One of the most common sense tips I ever discovered was to make a big batch and freeze them. Frozen waffles that you made yourself are healthier and much less expensive than the prepackaged fare offered in the frozen food aisle.
• Elementary Chef has a fantastic recipe for baked oatmeal that you have got to try. DELICIOUS!

Look for more frugal breakfast ideas next week! Have one to share? Send me a comment and it may just find its way into a future post!

In my house we eat a lot of chicken, often as much as 5 days a week! Depending on how I buy my poultry, it can prove to be pretty expensive at times. Though I love boneless chicken breasts and chicken tenderloins, they are often the most expensive cuts at the supermarket so I am always on the lookout for cheaper ways to buy chicken. It is the frugal maniac in me, what can I say? Even when I get a great deal, I seem to always be on the lookout for a way to make it even greater.

In most cases, buying whole fryers is the way to go, because there is so little prep involved beforehand it is cheaper pound-for-pound. I know when I was first starting out on my own I didn’t buy them all that much, mainly because I didn’t have the slightest idea how to cut up a whole chicken when I didn’t want to cook the whole thing. If you are in the same boat you can rest easy, because I have found a couple of videos that will help you. I only wish I would have had these years ago!

In these two videos, you are guided on a step-by-step process for quartering a whole chicken:

The videos mentioned this, but I need to reiterate something - don’t toss those chicken bones and carcasses! The inedible bits (including fat, bones, tendons and joints) can be tossed into a crock pot for a few hours yielding cup after glorious cup of delicious chicken stock that you can freeze for later use in soups, stews and other recipes. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, check out this recipe for Indonesian style Chicken Breasts courtesy of Stephanie over at Elementary Chef. I made it a few days ago and it was a big hit!

Saving Big on Produce

With the price of everything skyrocketing these days, saving money on food is something most of us can’t afford not to do. Here are a few ways you can save big bucks on your produce:

• Grow it Yourself
  This is common sense, really. Spending a few dollars on seedlings can amount to huge savings over the growing season. Susan Walsh at Earthly Garden offered some great information on growing your own vegetables and fruits and yes, you can grow just about any of them in containers. Are you a beginner? There’s a great series on growing that starts at the beginning - seed starting.
• Farmer’s Markets
  Almost every community has a local farmer’s market where you can get fantastic locally grown produce for a fraction of what you’d pay at the supermarket. It tastes better, too.
• Freeze It
  Many produce items will freeze impeccably well. Tomatoes for example, can be cut up and placed in a zipper bag (juice and all) for later use in your soups, stews and sauces. Peppers and onions can be chopped and bagged (together or separately), as can corn, green beans, and quite a few other produce items that you plan to cook with.

Where have I been? To busyland and back, that’s where. I’m running to keep up. Fortunately for me soccer season is over for my boys and coach dad. And that reminds me . . . I’m suppose to be calling about basketball sign-ups today. *sigh* The to-do list is never too-done, right? But, alas, Thanksgiving is planned and shopped for. Embarrassingly I overspent by a landslide after adding dishes per request and reviewing portion sizes. I heard on the news this morning that the price of turkey has gone up this year and I agree. I swear my little five-pounder was only around $10.00 last year. Honest! This year it was around $15.00.

So, where’s the menu I promised? Here is what we’re so very blessed to have this year for Thanksgiving dinner:

Turkey
Ham
Macaroni and Cheese
Cornbread Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Two types of rolls
Biscuits
Green Beans
Carrots
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberry Grape Juice
Cranberry Sierra Mist

This will feed us on Thanksgiving and straight through until the weekend is over. Given what I did and did not have on hand already(such as the turkey brine ingredients that I assumed I had already but did not) I probably spent about $70 on Thanksgiving. That’s four days of meals for five people. We’ll have leftovers of turkey pitas, turkey salad, turkey and ham sandwiches, etc. I also will cook a whole chicken to use in the cornbread dressing, so we’ll have those leftovers as well.

Now, enough talk about the planning and preparing! I’m ready to eat!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are blessed this entire holiday season.

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Will you be watching any football over the Thanksgiving holiday? We’re big Auburn Tigers fans here and our rival game with the Crimson Tide is Saturday. War Eagle!

‘Tis not to be, this thirty dollar Thanksgiving dream of mine. My husband gently told me that he would not appreciate a glazed turkey ham and instead requests “the real thing”. My oldest two sons agree and are looking forward to ham. I also heard “Um, sure. A chicken will be fine instead of a turkey. I mean, it’s not traditional, but, yeah, that’s fine.” Oh, it is SO not fine! So, turkey it is. The ham and turkey alone (small ones, too, since I’m only feeding two adults and three aged 6 and under) will cost me $30! My new goal is somewhere around $60 now but the menu hasn’t been completely nailed down. I hope to do that today and then I’ll post it. I realize that a sixty dollar Thanksgiving is still not expensive if it includes everything from the meats to the desserts, but I’m a little bummed nonetheless. Ah, well, I have to admit that I will certainly enjoy the turkey and ham.

So, what would I have prepared if I only had $30 to spend? Here is the list:

One turkey ham ($2.50 at Walmart) with this glaze (all ingredients on hand–$0)
One whole chicken-3-4lbs ($4.00–Walmart) cooked in the crock pot with various herbs that are on hand.
Cornbread dressing (most ingredients on hand, I’d leave out the celery, use chicken thighs that I have already and purchase eggs–$1.50–the remaining half dozen could be used in other recipes that day. )
Stuffing–My father would die if he knew, but my stuffing comes from a box ($1.50–Great Value) and I add cranberries ($2.00) and pecans ($1.50)
Macaroni and Cheese–1 box of macaroni ($1.00), Cheddar cheese soup ($1.00), 1 lb Colby cheese ($3.50)
Sweet potato casserole–My husband likes this dish prepared without a lot of extras, so ($2.00) for the sweet potatoes and ($1.00) for the pecans, and the butter, vanilla, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk are all regular ingredients in my pantry and fridge.
Green beans with almonds–Frozen,($1.50)
Glazed carrots–carrots on hand, cooked in a sauce of brown sugar and butter.
Homemade bread–I always have the ingredients for homemade bread on hand to pop into my $7-at-the-thrift-store-bread-machine.
Pumpkin pie–Pie shell ($1.00), canned pumpkin ($1.50), other ingredients on hand.
Cherry cream cheese pie–Pie shell ($1.00), cream cheese ($1.00), cherry pie filling ($2.00)

Voila! A complete Thanksgiving meal for less than $30.00!

Turkey Talk!

I hope that you had a great Halloween! I’ve got candy stored for Christmas stockings, Valentine’s Day and Easter. The kids are already over the candy for this holiday, thank goodness.

Up next? Thanksgiving! What’s on your menu this year? I’m planning mine now. My goal is to keep Thanksgiving dinner for a family of five under $30. Lucky for me, a small turkey will feed my family and several sides and a few desserts will do the trick.

Another good thing about Thanksgiving that can help with frugality is the fact that when many people get together everyone is usually responsible for one or two items. This provides plenty of food but keeps the cost per person at a manageable place.

Don’t forget about Thanksgiving sales at the grocery stores this time of year. Stock up on non-perishable sale items that you can
use all year ’round. A turkey dinner in March is not a bad idea!

If you can’t find a good sale on turkey (unlikely, but just in case) use chicken instead. Or, how about a vegetarian Thanksgiving?

This time of year many grocery stores will offer a free turkey to customers who spend a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time at their store. Remember that unless you were already planning to spend this amount, it’s not really a saving situation. It might be cheaper to buy your normal amount of groceries and buy a turkey yourself. If you use this time of year to stock up on certain items, though, you might be able to take advantage of the free turkey. (Or, if you’re feeding three growing boys and a husband who works 80 hours per week!)

When I finish planning my Thanksgiving menu I will post it (with recipes) and we’ll see if I stuck to my $30 goal!

Check out this great food history blog!

I *heart* coffee. I started drinking it last year after loving the smell, hating the taste for years. I needed the caffeine and when I discovered that sugar and milk helped it go down better, I fell in love. I still couldn’t see how anyone could drink black coffee, though. Then, my mother introduced me to Gevalia coffee which I was able to drink without any milk or sugar. I decided that I had to try some different coffees and see if I could find any that offered a better taste so that I could cut back on my sugar and dairy consumption.

While searching for coffee reviews and recommendations I read about fair trade coffee and why the store brand coffee that I was purchasing was not a great choice. I decided that no matter the cost I needed to be purchasing fair trade coffee. That took away many of the options for coffee in the grocery store.

More research turned up a Chicago based company called Intelligentsia. (I recommend Black Cat and Tres Santos, if you’re interested.) Intelly roasts their coffee daily. Why? Because about 14 days after roasting, coffee starts to lose flavor. Yep, that’s right. Those beans you find at your grocery store aren’t the most flavorful that are to be had, even if they cost you a bundle.

On the same token, ground coffee beans lose flavor very rapidly. Seriously. Like within a half hour of being ground, the flavor starts to go.

So what’s the conscientious coffee lover to do? Well, if you don’t have a lot of time, I suggest buying a fair trade, whole bean coffee from your grocery store. Starbucks, Seattle’s Best or Millstone (eh, but it’s not overly expensive). If you have a bit more money to spend, go with fresh-roasted beans from Intelligentsia.

Now, what if you don’t have a coffee grinder? Most grocery stores do have one you can use. If you would prefer to do it a few cups worth at a time, use a blender or food processor. If you don’t have one of the aforementioned, you can grind them with a hammer. Really, grinding coffee beans is not a huge undertaking.

But what about the flavor lost in the time it takes for roasted coffee beans to reach your store and then your home? Buy green beans! Check out Sweet Maria’s. Unroasted coffee beans can be purchased here for much less than roasted beans. You can find home roasting instructions here.

Buying green coffee beans, roasting and then grinding them yourself is truly a frugal option that sacrifices nothing but a little extra time.

Earthly Eating is one of my favorite blogs.