Frugal Living

TVP Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:25:00 +0000

1 cup TVP granules
1 cup boiling water mixed with vegetarian beef boullion (1/2 a cube)
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
pinch each garlic powder and black pepper

Let TVP and water mixture sit for 1/2 hour.

Combine ingredients, mix well and shape into 1-inch balls. Arrange evenly in a greased pan. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Turning halfway.

How to keep your squash/pumpkin from spoiling.

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Freeze the squash/pumpkin halves and take them out for a meal anytime throughout the winter. They won't go bad on your kitchen floor before you get around to cooking them. I had 3 of mine do this already, I hadn't even had them very long. Usually I can keep them a couple of months and then if they're still around I'll cook them up and freeze them.

Directions:
half squash, take out the seeds and stringy bits
place cut side down on a greased pan.
Cook at 350-375F until tender.
Take them out, let cool.
Put 2 halves in each container or plastic bag and freeze.

To Reheat:
Place halves in a greased casserole dish.
Place in 375F oven until heated through.
Sprinkle each half with brown sugar and a pat of butter.
Serve. Season with salt and pepper.

You can even make Roasted Pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

raw pumpkin seeds
vegetable oil
salt

Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with vegetable oil, stir to coat.

Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after every 10 minutes.

These are best eaten warm.

More Frugal Food Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:53:00 +0000

- The more packaging something has, the more expensive. Instead of buying packages, by the base ingredients and make it yourself. Don't buy salad bags, buy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and whatever else you put in a salad. Don't buy dressings, learn to make your own. Being able to cook instead of buying pre-packaged saves you money.

- Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Look up online if you're not sure what's in season when, or ask your local grocer. Go to a Farmers' Market.

- Keep a store of dried beans, legumes and chick peas. Cook in your crockpot and freeze in small containers for later use.

- Look for bulk food stores that sell dry foods in bins, so you can pick exactly how much you want, and not have to pay for lots of packaging.

- Learn to love water, and drink it more than other drinks, if you drink tea than re-use the tea bag.

- Take time out of a day or two in the week to cook something big, and then store it in the fridge/freezer to have throughout the week. I used to do this for work food, I'd make something big on Sunday, put it in the freezer, and have it in portions for lunches at work.

-If you have a freezer then make the most of it. Rice can be made into a large batches so you can separate it into smaller servings for freezing (pretty much all grains can be done this way). It reheats beautifully and quickly. Frozen veggies are quick, nutritious, cheap and don't need a lot of space to store. Dried beans can also be made up and broken down into smaller batches for freezing. When I'm too pressed to cook, I know I can heat up a bit of beans, a bit of rice, toss in some veg and I've got quick nutrition ready to go. It's fast food that's healthier than fast food.

-Rice and Peas. Try getting a good Caribbean recipe. VERY cheap to make, and delicious! Eat with baked plantains, which are also pretty cheap!

-Soups are great money savers, because they go a long way. Make sure your soups have lots of protein through use of beans and lentils, and rice or small pasta shapes. Learn to cook with spices. You can use the same ingredients and get totally different meals based on what spices you use.

-Buy when things are on sale. Canned beans cannot be matched for convenience - wait for a sale and stock up! Learn how much vegetables cost - wander down the produce isles even when you don't need to get something. Only buy when the prices are low (be sure to check quality on fruit, though - sometimes they drop the price when they need to clear it before it spoils.)

-Don't buy food if you aren't going to eat it before it spoils. Throwing away food is throwing away money.

-Make meals that can be frozen and re-heated, so you can make a lot and save both time and money. It makes convenient dinners or lunches later on, and when you have a convenient meal on hand, you are less likely to splurge and buy that overpriced veggie sandwich for lunch at work.

-Big things you can make are pots of soups/stews, trays of lasagne, batches of burritos. You can freeze all that stuff in single serving dishwasher-safe containers (for easy clean-up). It's easy to eat cheap and healthy, just takes some practice.

Bring Your Own Plastic Container

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Bring Your Own Plastic Container
The greenest takeout packaging

"I usually bring my lunch to work in recycled yogurt containers. It bothers me to see my co-workers, who eat out, discarding so much trash: plastic clamshells from Caesar salads, Styrofoam pho containers, and cardboard sandwich boxes. Many are conscientious about recycling, but not all containers can be recycled. In any case, as we all know by now, reuse is always better.

Ecoconscious Chowhounds are bringing their own containers to restaurants to hold their takeout food or leftovers. So recently I found myself wondering: Do health and safety codes allow this? And is there a specific type of container restaurants prefer that you bring? I decided to investigate."

Read the rest here.

Also, remember to bring along a reusable bag too, to put it all in.

Frugal Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:32:00 +0000

I made this Chili tonight for dinner, the recipe is mostly made up but it turned out wonderfully. A great meal for a cold winter's night, the flour will thicken the chili as it cooks.

Chili

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp oregano
2-3 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 can black beans
1 can romano beans
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup granulated TVP & 1 cup water
1 veg. beef boullion cube
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup water mixed with 1 cup flour
Add extra water as needed

Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook 1/2 an hour or longer. Stir often and keep on a low simmer.

Add extra spices to taste.

Serve with sour cream and chopped green onions over each serving.

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:50:00 +0000

This pizza dough is great if you're in a rush and forgot (as I always do) to make some dough ahead of time. The mix of yeast and baking powder makes it possible to have a yeasty pizza dough in an amazingly short time.

Quick and Easy Pizza

2 1/2 cups flour (1/2 whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

First prepare the crust. In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and yeast. Stir it up to distribute the salt and yeast evenly. Add the water and oil. Mix the dough until it forms a big ball in the middle of the bowl. It will be a little stiffer than biscuit dough.

Knead the dough about 10 or 12 times and then form it into a ball. Let sit 10-15 minutes; covered with a clean kitchen towel.

Place the ball in the center of 16-inch pizza pan, or a 9 by 13-inch rectangular pan. Use your hands and a rolling pin, to press the dough into the pan.

After spreading the sauce onto the pizza dough, top it with about 2 cups of shredded mozzarella and a good sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese. If desired, add other toppings of your choice.

Bake the prepared pizza at 400° for about 15 to 20 minutes. Eat and enjoy.

This would be a great pizza dough to use for Calzones or Chili Bombs.

Make your own coffee drinks!

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:54:00 +0000

How to make your own coffee drinks. Check out this post for some tips.

Save a zillion dollars on coffee drinks!

Basically, you get a few bottles together, pour in some coffee to about half the bottle, add a bit of flavoured creamer (in this case Coffee-Mate), then top with milk.

Pop them in the fridge, and you just saved several dollars.

Experiment with different creamer flavours or try adding your own. Substitue vegan creamer and soymilk for a vegan/lactose-free version.

Chocolate-Mint would make a great Christmas-y drink for the holidays and nice addition to Santa's cookie tray.

These Hot Cocoa recipes from whattodrink.com
also look great for the holiday season.

Caribbean Hot Chocolate
Serves: 1

1 1/2 ounces dark rum

1/2 ounce Crème de Cacao

4 ounces hot cocoa

1 ounce whipped cream

Pour all ingredients into an Irish coffee glass. Stir well. Float the whipped cream on top of the drink. Dust with cocoa powder.

HOT BUTTERSCOTCH COCOA

Serves: 1

¾ ounce butterscotch schnapps

¾ ounce coffee liqueur

5 ounces hot cocoa

Mix ingredients in coffee mug, top with whipped cream.

A Frugal fruitcake recipe.

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:31:00 +0000

I'm not a fan of regular fruitcake so this looked a little better to me, plus this looks so easy to make. You could add some maraschino cherries if you like for more of a 'normal' Christmas fruitcake but still keeping on a budget.

Poor Man’s Fruitcake

This was popular during World War II. Butter was rationed, and we could get lard with fewer ration coupons. Notice the absence of eggs.

1 1/2 cups raisins and/or currants*
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup lard (shortening, butter or margarine)
1 cup water (or leftover coffee)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease and flour one loaf pan.

Heat raisins, currants, sugar, shortening, and water till sugar dissolves, and shortening melts. Cool

Whisk together, or sift the dry ingredients. Add dry to wet, stir well.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Wrap and store in a cool place for several days before cutting.

*Soak the dried fruit in brandy or rum ahead if you like.

Notes: I poured a bit of Goslings dark rum on the wax paper that I wrapped the fruitcake in to more evenly distribute the rum. Leave in the fridge for a few days to allow the rum to soak in. Repeat, if you like. This makes a huge difference in the flavour of this cake.

Have a Thrifty Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:03:00 +0000

How to Have the Thriftiest Holiday Ever!
The Oprah Show

It's Oprah's favorite things…but there's a twist! They cost next to nothing. Then, Cristina Ferrare with step-by-step recipes. Plus, our free holiday gift to you!

Holiday Hits 2008
This year, we've teamed up with some of the biggest names in the music business to create a one-of-a-kind holiday mix. It's our gift to you!

These eight songs can be downloaded free for the next 48 hours. (Starts today!)

Treasure Boxes
"With three of her four kids in college, Connie has had to tighten her belt last holiday season. Instead of purchasing new gifts for her children, she found what money can't buy—years and years of childhood keepsakes. Connie saved everything from a scrap of carpet from her daughter's first bedroom to the letters she wrote home from summer camp. "I just kept throwing it in boxes and filing cabinets," she says. "It was all over the house."

To turn her scattered collection into beautiful mementos for her children, Connie purchased treasure boxes to hold each child's memories. "I wanted it to be a piece of furniture that they'll put on a shelf and keep forever," she says. It took months to put together, but Connie's children were touched when they received their mother's gift. "I'll always remember where I came from and what I am and who I am because of you," her son Jay says."

Hot Chocolate Cones

Garden Gift Baskets
"Tamara plucks her homemade holiday gifts right from her own backyard! "I make salsa, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, spicy green beans and crunchy dill pickles," she says. "So at Christmastime, I make gift baskets for all my family and loved ones.""

12 Dates of Christmas

Make Your Own Cloth Rags

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Cloth Rags can be made out of many old worn out clothing items such as old flannel sheets, t-shirts, and cloth diapers. Finish the edges on your sewing machine if you like but it often isn't necessary. Pick up some cheap wash cloths or find some at thrift stores.

Just cut them up and use them for many clean-up jobs. Never use paper towels again.

(My mom was still using some of the old cloth diapers as cleaning rags for many years after we were out of diapers.)

Cloth Rag Uses:

-Dusting and cleaning jobs
-Cleaning up spills
-Cloth napkins
-Puppy accidents
-Kid's pee (great when potty training)
-Use them as toilet paper or kleenex tissues
-Keep some around for a quick baby wipe during a diaper changing.
-Camping
-Washing dishes
-Paint cloths
-Lint-free ones are great for glass or mirrors.
-Make a rag quilt
-Washing the car
-Come up with your own.

Another idea is to Turn your Rags into Bags.

Another frugal tip:
Save your old toothbrushes for scrubbing hard to reach places!

Crockpot Tasty Lentil Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:54:00 +0000

With the cold winter weather moving in again I'm starting to use my crockpot more often.

Crockpot Tasty Lentil Tacos
So easy to make in the crockpot and lower in fat too.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 vegetarian chicken boullion cube
1 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Garnishes
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa

Crockpot High 3.5 hours or Low 6-8 hours.

(I used a 2.5 quart crockpot.)

Spoon lentil mixture into each taco shell or tortilla. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and sour cream.

This is a nice change from the ground beef alternates I usually use in tacos.

Crockpot Red Lentil Dahl

Crockpot Red Lentil Pottage

Vegetarian dishes

Homemade Vegetable Broth

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:32:00 +0000

How to make use of all those leftover vegetable peelings from your holiday meal preparations.

Make your own vegetable broth.

Keep carrot, onion, potato, and sweet potato peelings, squash and celery tips, tomato tops, to this add some garlic cloves, oregano or bay leaves, fresh or dried parsley, salt, pepper and (remember to save) the water from your potatoes. These can all be saved in the freezer until you are ready.

1. Add the vegetable scraps to your crockpot and fill with water, cook on HIGH 8-10 hours or overnight.

2. Let cool, Then strain it.

Vegetable Broth Uses:

This is great as a broth for many types of recipes, including Matzo Ball Soup, Vegetarian French Onion Soup, Cassoulet, or Risotto.

Cook rice with broth instead of water for added flavour.

Freeze broth in an ice cube tray and grab a cube or two for thinning sauces.

Plus, it's all compostable (no soup bones to dispose of).

How to make your own stuffing mix

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:24:00 +0000

Can you really save money by making your own stuffing mix?

Homemade Stuffing Seasoning Mix

1/2 tsp each ground sage, dried savory and poultry seasoning
1 tsp instant vegetarian chicken bouillon granules
1 Tbsp dried chopped celery
2 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp dried parsley leaves, crushed
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Cut a 6″ square of heavy duty foil. Place all the ingredients in center of foil. Fold the foil to make an airtight package.
Label with date and contents. Store in a cool, dry place.

Makes: 1 package seasoning mix

Use within 6 months

To Prepare:

1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 package Stuffing Seasoning Mix (recipe above)
4 cups partially dried 1/2″ bread cubes

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter or margarine and Stuffing Seasoning Mix. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium, simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the bread cubes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly.
Cover; remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves: 4 to 6

Variations:

Whole Wheat Stuffing: Substitute 2 cups partially dried whole wheat bread pieces for half of the bread cubes.

Cornbread Stuffing: Use 3 cups crumbled cornbread for bread cubes.

Nut Stuffing: Add 1/4 cup walnuts or diced water chestnuts.

Rent too high? Try this.

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:12:00 +0000

As one of a growing number of "Property Guardians" Lucy Pook lives in a disused fire station in London for just fifty pounds (75 USD) per week.

Click here for the news video.

When finances get tight

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:42:00 +0000

How to keep a full stomach on an empty wallet

"When finances get tight, luxuries are the easiest and most obvious things to cut.

Not always so obvious is how to cut spending on the essentials, such as food. But with the price of what we eat predicted to soar at near historic levels this year, it's well worth looking for ways to cut spending."

This is so scary...

"This year the overall cost of food is expected to rise between 3 and 4 per cent, which is on top of a 4 per cent hike last year, the highest jump since 1990, according to U.S. federal data. Average years see increases of just 2 1/2 per cent."

I've definitely noticed it this year.

"Forcing yourself to use what you have is another good approach. Many people don't realize how much food is sitting in their pantries and cupboards. Forcing yourself to use those items before buying more can save plenty, Mills says."

It's also a great way to ensure you use up those items before they expire.

BEFORE YOU SHOP

"Use your budget to find spending areas that could be painlessly cut. Coffee on the road, for example."
No more wasting time (and gas) in line-up's at the local Tim Horton's every morning. This little habit can add up to hundreds of dollars a year. A better choice would be to buy a travel mug and bring your coffee from home (it will stay warm longer too!).

"Do regular pantry and refrigerator inventories. Knowing what you have prevents you from needlessly buying extra."
I don't know how many times I keep buying canned tomatoes and sauce just because they were on sale.

"Search out bakery discount stores."
This can be a real saver if you live near one and don't make your bread.

Fresh Herbs

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:35:00 +0000

What to do with fresh parsley, click here for a few tips.

"I love fresh herbs. Sometimes what would otherwise be a mediocre meal can become really fantastic with just a bit of fresh dill or parsley. A bunch of fresh herbs can be pretty frugal too. The only problem is how to use it all up."

Grow a few herbs in pots on your balcony or deck to save money and have some handy, then freeze chopped herbs in ice cube trays for the winter months.

Cloth napkins save money

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:09:00 +0000

"Cloth napkins last years, not only 50 uses. Many of my readers use terry washcloths or make their own cloth napkins. A reader, Erika, from Florida said: “Got scissors and some old T-shirts? You can go paper-free.” At my home, I often buy secondhand cloth napkins at thrift stores (big surprise, huh), add them to my regular laundry load, sometimes use homemade laundry soap and don’t have to wash and bleach after minimal use. I can choose to hang dry them, too."

I also found this recipe for Sloppy Jens on the same site. I think that you'll need the cloth napkins with this recipe.

Sloppy Jens

1 cup uncooked lentils
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
hamburger buns

Cook lentils according to package directions. Set aside when done. In a large skillet, saute onion and pepper in the oil, until softened. Add the garlic. Saute. Add the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano and salt, and mix to combine. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Mix in mustard, brown sugar and vinegar. Cook for about 10 minutes until heated through. Serve on hamburger buns.
— Adapted from a recipe submitted by MissyAli, Ohio

Finally, a food bank for vegetarians

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:14:00 +0000

"When Smith heard that a vegetarian food bank was opening in Scarborough, Ont., she telephoned the food bank's unlikely founder, Malan Joseph, a Catholic real estate agent who eats meat. "It completely blew my mind," says Smith. "I asked if there were other vegetarian food banks. He said no, 'we'll be the only one in Canada.'

Joseph credits his Hindu vegetarian wife for drawing his attention to the plight of low-income vegetarians. "If you eat meat, you can eat vegetarian and non-vegetarian. But if you are vegetarian, you only have one choice. I've had a dream for 10 years to open up a food bank for vegetarians only," he says. "For many, many low-income vegetarians, it is emotionally disturbing if they go to a regular food bank and are given meat or sausages." The vegetarian food bank is non-profit and receives no government funding. Joseph pays out of his own pocket to rent the warehouse space, a two-level unit in a strip mall."

Read the Macleans article here.

Silk BzzAgent campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:12:00 +0000

Here is my newest BzzAgent campaign.

I received coupons for a free carton of Silk chocolate and Silk (any variety) 1.89L and a few coupons I also received a bunch of $1.00 off coupons (any variety) to give out to friends and family, etc. (of which I had to use toward the Silk creamer I bought).

I LOVE the Silk creamer and I have successfully used it instead of cream in many recipes (just be careful which recipe as it does have a bit of sweetener, so don`t try it in mashed potatoes). I really like the Light Silk too, it`s nice to have a lighter version and it`s better than the non-fat brand (So Good) I tried a few years ago and the Compliments (which is even worse) brand one that I tried a couple of weeks ago. Although I really like So Nice unsweetened and wish Silk had an unsweetened version as well*. They make a great Soy Nog too. I hope to try the So Nice Vanilla Chai limited edition before it`s gone.

Silk for coffee is great as a cream or yogurt substitute in recipes like my Indian Butter 'Chicken' recipe.

Try this coffee out in my Soy Frappuccino recipe today. Also great in your coffee, tea, cappuccino or espresso drinks. Pumpkin Pie Latte.

Tips
Use the unsweetened kind in sauces and things like mashed potatoes, the extra vanilla flavour is usually fine in most baking.

Like these Margarita Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. These are really tasty cupcakes, they are the real reason I had to buy this cookbook and so worth every penny.

Chocolate soy milk is great in shakes, just warm some up for hot chocolate or to add a bit of a chocolate flavour to your morning Nabob coffee.

Check out some recipes on the Silk website here.

*I just noticed that Silk also has an unsweetened version but it contains Fructooligosaccharide, a sweetener. So, no thank-you Silk.

Veggie Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Using Leftovers from a Chinese Food Restaurant

This is from a great little beginners "how to" series at Chow.com.

How to Cut Out Single Use "Disposable" Items

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Watch this video for some really great ideas from the 365 Days Of Trash blog.

Lots of great ideas, I really love the fork and spoon in a toothpaste container idea.

Zucchini and Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:29:00 +0000

I still had a yellow zucchini from the Farmers' Market from a week ago, it was starting to shrivel up so I had to think of some way to use it up quickly.

I had a package of Sidekicks Wild Rice blend, so I just threw it in my ricecooker with the zucchini pieces on top. So easy.
Update: The Wild Rice blend was a bit salty, so I`ll try another one next time. I found the Broccoli-Cheese Rice was good with zucchini pieces.

Try it out with other rice blends too. Try to find the Sidekicks or No Name brand ones on sale to save a bit more on this meal.

Fried Rice - Lao style

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:03:00 +0000

This is a great recipe, a bit of a twist on regular old fried rice.

I really enjoyed this recipe, I skipped the fish sauce, the eggs could be left out too, if preferred. The tomatoes and cilantro add a little something different.

Try Nabob

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:56:00 +0000

This is my newest BzzAgent campaign.

I received a sample of Nabob coffee Full City a dark roast and Breakfast Blend (which just happens to be my favourite).

I tried out the Full City (pictured above) right away, it's quite good but with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, an enjoyable cuppa.

I also received a bunch of $2.00 off coupons to give out to friends and family, etc.

It's nice to see a company using 50% recylable material in their new cardboard packaging. Each canister is up to 34% lighter and is Forest Stewardship Council Certified helping to ensure support of responsible forest management worldwide.

Try this coffee out in my Soy Frappuccino recipe today. This CrockPot Honey Cake Recipe uses 1/2 cup coffee and looks quite tasty!

Frugal Tips:
Don't throw out the leftover coffee or tea. Pour it into empty ice cube trays and freeze for iced coffee or iced tea.

Economical Eating Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Veggie) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:45:00 +0000

Several factors have pushed up the wholesale cost of food this year. One is transportation. Another is the high cost of corn – because of the push to turn corn into the alternative fuel, ethanol – which, in turn, affects the price of cereal, pop (it's full of corn syrup), meats and poultry raised on feed.

To grasp how much you're really spending, save all your receipts for a week or a month, and count up every food item. This gives you a starting point to budget.

1.) Plan quick meals of sandwiches or food you make in advance, for nights when family members will be busy with meetings, sports or school activities.

2.) Use the weekly grocery ads and flyers as you plan. Focus on seasonal foods and vegetables, and what's on sale.

3.) Stock up on basics when they are on sale. Look for canned beans, lentils, and tomatoes on sale.

Canned Lentils are a great start for an easy dinner, mash with rolled oats and some seasonings and then form into patties, or follow my recipe below.

Hillary Burgers

4.) Have variety in the plan, so you don't get tired of the same old thing and be tempted to go out to eat.

5.) Whole, unprocessed grains (buy these in bulk to save!). I also make up a large amount and freeze the rest in smaller serving containers for quick meals on nights when I don't have a lot of time for cooking.

Most grains will freeze well and thaw with no problem making it a real time-saver that's full of nutrition.

6.) Use coupons. Save.ca is a great site (they send you only the coupons you request).

7.) Keep on hand the ingredients for a fast meal for nights when there's nothing else to eat. A backup meal in your pantry or freezer can keep you from busting the food budget with delivered pizza or fast food.

8.) Buy discounted day-old bread and keep it in the freezer.

9.) Keep a running grocery list on your fridge. Any time something is used up or is almost gone, add it to the list.

10.) Pay attention to unit pricing, it's usually in fine print on the little tags on the grocery shelves.

11.) Pack a lunch to take to work. Use up leftovers or "planned overs." Leftover Tofurky roast from Christmas? freeze in 2-slice portions for sandwiches.

12.) For soup bases, a package of bouillon is much cheaper than a can of veggie broth.

13.) Tofu can be frozen so if you find it on sale, stock up and freeze what you can't use right away. Then use it to make Baked Tofu.

14.) Many times I've found a bunch of Yves ground 'beef' packages on sale, those can be easily frozen as well.

15.) TVP is a great money saver as well. Try my Pumpkin Chili for a start.

16.) Switch to water or tea. Soft drinks are expensive as well as full of sugar and calories. If you must have soft drinks, try store-brand soft drinks. Bring soft drinks from home, if you tend to buy drinks from the vending machine at work.

17.) Make coffee at home (bring in the car in your own travel mug). Chill leftover coffee to use in a homemade Iced Coffee or Frappuccino.

18.) Buy the bigger package of snacks and repackage them into smaller bags yourself.

19.) Use one weekend to make and freeze enough food for a month of meals. Or make your own mixes for all kinds of dishes.

20.) Make your own granola.

21.) Use the crockpot or pressure cooker to cook up some economical dried beans and freeze in 2-cup containers. These can easily be thrown into soups or thawed in the fridge overnight for other dishes.

22.) Make your flower bed into a small vegetable garden.

23.) Make a batch of pancakes for breakfast, let cool, and freeze the leftovers. Then, just pop them into the toaster for a change from cereal/toast.