Measure Twice, Prep Once

The other night I was sitting with my father, and gleaning a few cooking tips. While there have been a few dishes which he'll never live down (my sisters will jump at the chance to discuss the peanut-butter pork chop incident), he's a great cook who makes flavorful meals -- and that man can make a buck stretch. Dad always had dinner ready for the 6 of us, and even if guests were there, we somehow all got fed.

That evening's advice was about how he saves time in the kitchen. I never realized what a feat it was to be able to scale a dinner up or down with little or no notice. His secret? Keep a cache of cooked, chopped food in the freezer. He always makes sure there's at least 40 (cooked) meatballs in the freezer at any time. He makes sure there's a Tupperware of cooked, sliced sausage ready to drop in a bubbling sauce. While we were there, he was freezing a large batch of pesto he'd made, ready to spoon out a portion just enough to flavor a dish. Your cooking style would dictate what you might keep in the freezer, but you'd be surprised how well homemade food keeps in the freezer.

We could not operate on such a small budget if not for our freezer. We always have packages of ground meat or chicken breast at the ready. Dad's freezer tip is a good way to cut some serious time off of making dinner, and having just the right amount of food available to you when you need it. If you're going to make meatballs, make twice as many. If you're going to make a red sauce, make twice (or three times) as much. The additional clean-up and prep time is negligible, but the time savings at the dinner hour is substantial. This was the kind of handy money- and time-saving-tip that we can put right to use.

Trent (the simple dollar) has some similarly themed advice. Read more about "Eating What You Have on Hand" over at his site.

New York Bagels for 7¢

About a month ago, Lifehacker linked to an article about "groceries that are actually cheaper to make at home" food items: Bagels, jam, etc. As someone who asked for "Better than Store Bought" for my birthday one year, I was of course intrigued. So intrigued in fact, that I dropped hints to the resident baker (JC) at every conceivable opportunity. Last night JC said to me, "I was thinking about homemade bagels for tomorrow's breakfast. Are you interested?" Ummmm... okay!

So we rushed over to the A Home in the City Test Kitchen with the bagel recipe she'd found online. (The only variations were: a substitution of whole wheat for some of the white flour, 10 bagels instead of 8, and the use of a kitchen aid stand mixer instead of hand-kneading.)

Once the dough was made, she formed balls and let them rise. We used the "make a snake and wrap" method, but I think next time we might try the "punch a hole in the ball" method.



Then we boiled them (1 minute each side) and let them dry on a towel.



And then into the oven, then cooling racks, where they cast seductive glances at me for the entire cooling period.



Voila! While the first attempt lacks a little of the cosmetic finish you'd find at the corner bagel store, the taste was nearly spot-on.

So were our efforts frugal? Absolutely.

Recipe Cost (made 10 bagels) 2 cups white flour = $0.22 per recipe (from 25lb @ $8.88)
2 cups whole wheat flour = $0.44 per recipe (from 5lb @ $2.50)
1 T sugar = $0.01 (from 5lb @ $2.50)
1.5t salt = $0.01 (from 3lb @ $1.99)
2t yeast = $0.03 (from 2lb @ $5.00)

Total cost per recipe: $0.71
Total cost per bagel: $0.07 (electricity/labor/rent costs not factored)

To put this into perspective for us, our local bagel shop charges $0.85 per bagel for fairly decent bagels, before any toppings. The neighborhood's fanciest bagels (H&H) are a little too rich for our blood -- $1.30 a piece. For us, these ones we made at home are pretty spectacular, and gives us a more affordable way to enjoy this New York tradition more often.

Paying too much for produce? Try your green grocer

One of the best parts of my commute to Elmhurst is passing by the local fruit stand, "Mango Rico". I stopped by one day because the produce I needed was so expensive at the nearby Associated Supermarket that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. So I thought, eh -- I'll try it. Now I can't remember the last time I was in the Associated.

CBS News ran a video the other night -- it seemed a fluff piece, easy to ignore -- but I looked over at JC and we both nodded a telepathic "that's what I'm talking about" at each other. The piece was about knowing where to get groceries in this time of recession. (You can watch the video or read the transcript if you missed it.) It claims the best places to get produce, fish, meats and more are:

• Chinatown
• Astoria
• Flushing
• Arthur Avenue
• Flatbush Avenue

I can attest to the deals around Canal Street and Mott streets too. Perfectly high-quality produce for insanely cheap prices. Big bunches of slim asparagus for $1, gorgeous bundles of baby spinach for $1.25... While most people try to get out of jury duty, my recent stint on Centre Street might have been the best thing that could have happened to dinner.

link to video
link to article / transcript

Change of Mindset Yields Change of Pants Size

A funny thing happen on the way to the scale -- I lost about 45 pounds.

It's funny, because I didn't really diet, per se. I didn't head off to the gym each night, and I didn't take the latest and greatest pills. I didn't starve myself and I didn't join weight watchers. I just lost weight.

Around the middle of the summer, I hit the scales at the heaviest I'd ever weighed. I was in a rut at my job, and had little energy to make a change in my life. Luckily, change found me. Maybe I got caught up in politics, but lets just say I was overwhelmed by this phrase I kept hearing, "yes we can!". So I did. Weight loss has tapered recently, but it hasn't gone back up yet, so I'm happy to be in a healthier place and state of mind.

If you're reading this for weight loss tips, here are the things I found helped me to lose weight, but with this disclaimer: Without the change of mindset to want a better life for myself, any attempts at change would probably have been given up on after a week.

1. I started walking more. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but I think it was a critical early effort to raise metabolism. Get off at one subway stop further from your house or job, if it's a possibility. Or just walk anywhere. Walk to the movies, to the park, to the next post office, to the further Starbucks. We all have to walk to get where we're going; my advice is to just walk more.
   
2. We started cooking almost every meal. JC is home with the Pumpkin, and has taken on the duty of head chef. Cooking at home has done three things:
   
   
   
   • We eat healthier. Fewer oils, fewer preservatives, fewer ingredients that sound like they were made in a laboratory.
   • We eat less. Take-out portions are huge, but if, like me, you eat with guppy mentality, "everything is servings per container: 1"
   • We don't have to buy lunches. Lunches are packed when dinner is dished out. This means smaller portions than take out, with the added benefit of massive savings, the amount of which I can't imagine.


3. I rarely drink alcohol anymore. This was mostly a financial decision, but the calories avoided from my nightly beer(s) surely add up. I'll still enjoy a drink with friends, but we almost never drink at home we're really jonesing for it.
4. We eat more fruits and vegetables. I stop in my fruit stand in Elmhurst about twice a week and pick up what's cheap and looks good. I've gotten pineapples for $1, 3 red peppers for $1, and so on. Filling my belly with fruits and vegetables means filling it with less processed ingredients or "bad for you" food.

The recession is hitting everyone hard, but we found ourselves ahead of the curve when we decided for JC to stay home and raise Pumpkin. Who knew we'd be preparing for the storm? We've given up a lot, as I imagine everyone is doing now, but I have to say I really don't miss any of it. Every so often I yearn for a pricey tech gadget, but for the most part I really just stopped "needing" all the things I don't have anymore... including those 45 pounds!

Keeping your Math Skills Sharp and Your Waist Thin... or attempting to, anyway

Last night Columbia was jonesing for some cookies. Trying to please (appease?) my DH and avoid him running to Duane Reade to splurge, I checked out the cupboard. It occurred to me that a quarter batch of oatmeal raisin cookies wouldn't ruin our efforts at losing the last of the baby weight (8 1/2 months later...) or take too much time.

As any dieter knows, 1/2 an egg is one egg white. Making my own baby food for Pumpkin has taught me that 2 tbsps is 1/8 cup and 3 tsps equals 1 tbsp. And my former 2nd graders would have been proud to hear me realizing, If a quarter cup is one fourth of a cup then 3 of those would be one fourth of 3 cups! Math skills, I've still got 'em!

The batch made 9 cookies: 3 for both Columbia and I last night, and 3 for Columbia's lunch today. This is definitely a trick I'll use in the future... but hopefully not again tonight.

Photo used under creative commons license from Flickr user Ruthieki.

Will the Economic Climate Lead to Your DIY Renaissance?

Lifehacker posted recently about how The "Greater Depression" Can be a DIY Renaissance and referenced 2 bloggers who are seeing and living this trend. While Columbia and I have been feeling the pinch, it is not solely because of the ecomonic problems facing our nation. I chose to stay home with Pumpkin and cut our income in half. This makes our financial struggles self-imposed, but they are still real.

While we have always enjoyed the idea of diy projects in the past, we have definitely kicked it up a notch these past 2 months. A limited income has actually made us appreciate what can come from out hands and encourages us to diy more often, and in more adventurous ways. Here are a few examples:

1. We make our own bread. I tried it to see if I could do it. Then I realized how easy it is with a kitchen aid mixer. We keep meaning to break it down into 'cost per loaf' but haven't yet. This has expanded into making pizza dough, bread sticks and french bread.

The first loaf - my shaping ability has improved, as has the taste of the bread! Practice really does make perfect in the case.

2. We make Pumpkins baby food. Part of it is cost, but most of it is knowing what she's eating (other than stuff on the floor that is). There is so much enjoyment in making it for her, too.

A sampling of food from the freezer - 1 cube ends up being tbsp so we know eactly how much she's getting.

3. I made Pumpkins Halloween Costume. I posted about it here. It has really encouraged me to attempt to make more of her clothes... as soon as I get a chance!

At the end of her first Halloween - What else could Our Little Pumpkin be but a pumpkin?


Has the economic situation made you think more about DIY projects? If so, we'd love to hear about it... or see it!

Small steps to a smaller you

I saw this ad on Amsterdam and 67th last week and thought I'd take a shot of it. I had only seen it once (June, LES) and thought it was very clever and memorable. The text along his "profiles" reads (from outermost to innermost):

- - - Started getting off bus a few stops early and walking to work - - -
- - - Gradually worked up to walking 30 minutes a day 5X a week - - -
- - - Has co-workers wondering who the new guy is - - -

I seemed to match JC pound-for-pound during her pregnancy weight gain. When March rolled around, she suddenly lost a lot of that weight, and I still looked to be with child. I ballooned up the heaviest I'd ever been and thought -- enough is enough. Time to do something.

The change for me really took:

1. A desire to be more healthy
   It takes a lot of honesty to understand why your dress shirts don't fit so well anymore. I knew I was balooning up, and my life needed change. I started to internalize that change is possible, and that I have the ability (responsibility?) to make it happen.
   
   
2. Cooking at home more often
   It helps to know what's in our food. I think the last time we ordered chinese, there was more oil in the bottom of the tray than I could comprehend. I have to believe that even with the olive oil that we use, there's no way it's near the amounts of fat, butter, oil and god knows what that take-out restaurants use to make the food taste "better".
   
   
3. Eating smaller portions
   This is certainly related to cooking at home, as restaurant portions are usually closer to two meals. I realized recently that I would have made a fine guppy, had that been my lot in life. Eating until it's all gone is a talent of mine. By cooking at home, I'm better about putting smaller portions in front of me, then packing the rest as lunch. This gets the rest of the food out-of-sight, and thus, out-of-mind. There's a great psychological difference in snacking from the food that's resting on the stove versus savagely violating tomorrow's lunch container early.
   
   
4. Snacking less
   This was a hard one for us, and being frugal was the best solution. Post dinner runs to Duane Reade for those decadent Entermann's dark chocolate and pecan Cookies... what was I talking about? Be right back -- NO! Focus! ...right, cookies... Well, it's easier to pass on them when you see it as an unneccesary expense. It took a little while to kill that habit, but we're pretty good now about avoiding snacks. We do have fiber one bars if the crave strikes, which are a much healthier alternative to a package of cookies. I mean a few cookies. Did I say a package?
   
   
5. Looking for opportunities to walk
   This was a little easier for me to incorporate. Two days a week I work 20 blocks away from home, so I've walked home a few times, and I'd like to increase the regularity of that. We'd find ourselves going to the library 12 blocks away, or the supermarket 10 blocks away as having multiple benefits. My fear is that with Winter around the corner, this part of the plan could be seriously impacted. Here's hoping for a dry winter.
   

We've lost a considerable amount of weight in the past month or two, without so much as a gym visit. I know it could bounce back, but I have confidence that the changes we've made are healthy choices, not the results of extreme measures. I also have a guilty meal now and again to remind my body that I'm not in starvation mode. I haven't been overly cranky or tired, and I feel better. Plus, now I'm able to wear clothes on the "too-small" side of my closet. You know, the ones that were too small when I bought them, because I was going to lose weight very soon? Also known as "last year's pants".

Sometimes Cheaper is Better!

Check out today's Cocktail Fact from Ideal Bite:


We do have a Trader Joe's in Manhattan AND is has a wine store. We've not been there since the wine store has opened but we've heard 'Two Buck Chuck' is more than $2 there. We might have to make a trip to Union Square to confirm... and sample.

Beating the Delivery Boy (and other ways to avoid ordering in)

Does the clinkity-click of bicycle locks outside your window make your heart race and your mouth water? When you hear it, do you instinctively say, "Food's here!" even though you didn't order from anywhere? Does your cutlery drawer have more plastic than metal silverware? If you've answered yes to any of the above, you might be a candidate for delivery detox. Believe me when I say that ordering delivery in this house had all the textbook signs of addiction.

Here's how we're just keeping our local dealers at bay:

1 - Set a limit
If you're going to order in (and enjoy a break from cooking), set a limit and stick to it. Once a week, twice a week - whatever you're comfortable with.

2 - Make a Plan
...and follow through. (ed. That's what Brian Boitanno would do). The weeks that we plan a menu are the weeks that we don't order in. Just knowing what you're going to have for dinner strikes out that dreaded phase: "I don't know? What do you want for dinner." The opposite is also true - weeks without menus are typically dotted with delivery dinners.

3 - Buy Ahead
Having good food in the house helps avoid menu temptation. Make sure the items are in your house the day before you need them. That way if you don't make it to the store you don't run into the the problem from #2.

4 - Destroy the Evidence
In what might be the boldest move, we've trashed those menus! That's right, pitched the whole collection. Ditch your favorites and even the one for that Thai place that closed years ago. (What, it's closed??) If you have the restaurants on speed dial or programmed into your cell phone (it's handy to call when you get out of the train then you can meet the delivery man at the door, right?) - time to delete them. After all, should the Chirpin' Chicken really get priority over your mom?

5 - Beat the Delivery Boy (um, "beat" as in "be faster than"...)

We've had a few times when we've had to wait nearly an hour for the delivery boy. What was supposed to be a quick solution to hunger turns us into zombies at about the 30 minute mark. Don't be afraid to do easy -- grilled cheese sandwiches and a can of tomato soup, Eggs and toast and jam, or a freezer dinner. It's amazing how quickly you can get some sort of dinner on the table when you make the decision to cook.

6 - Have a Contingency Plan
One of the last home dinners where we didn't cook was picking up a rotisserie chicken and some roasted veggies at Fairway. It wasn't free but it was cheaper than ordering from just about anywhere. It was also nice to know roughly what was in our food. If you know you're not going to be able to cook anything, it might be worth checking out the hot food options at your local supermarket.

Photo by Columbia (during the long days and sleepless nights after Pumpkin's homecoming)

Waste not, Want not... well, at least waste not

"The average U.S. houehold throws out nearly a quarter of the fruits and vegetables they buy" states an AP article on cnn. The statistic is staggering. There are so many reasons to be disgusted, and yet we are partly to blame. New York is filled with stores and carts flaunting their fresh produce on the sidewalk making it impossible not to ogle and drool. Our beloved Fairway Market is one of the best... worst?

One of the ways Columbia and I are stretching our bucks is to make a list before shopping and buy only what's on the list. This is tough, but it's worse to find yourself throwing out moldy strawberries. It's money wasted and we could have eaten it. Occasionally we end up eating odd combinations (doesn't everybody eat chili and butternut squash together?) but the pride in using up our purchases makes it go down easier.

[photo used under the CC license. photo links to photographer]

Corn syrup bad! Iced tea good!

Lately I've been in one of my health food fits. I find out about a certain toxin, find out it's going to kill me or everyone else, and do my best to avoid it for at least a week. Or a day. I don't always have the best follow through. Reducing my intake of bottled water was the one thing I've been able to stick with. My latest obsession is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

I posted a few months ago about the high cost of cheap food. In the time that HFCS has been used (about the past 25 years) obesity has nearly doubled. Childhood obesity has nearly tripled. Is there a relationship greater than this to blame? Maybe average family wealth, or availability of other cheap eats? The correlation was enough for me to pause anyway. The old adage, "don't eat what you can't pronounce" keeps coming to mind. While I can pronounce it, it still sounds pretty non-foodlike if you ask me.

It came to a head a few weeks ago between a post (linked below) and a search for two products -- iced tea, and relish. I could go back further and say it started years ago with former Rum & Coke die-hards claiming "I can't even drink them anymore, ever since Coke stopped being made with sugar." This is how I realized that there's a difference between sugar and the other "-ose"s. Jones Soda was the first I heard say "we're bringing back that sweet sweet cane", and others have followed too, where it's affordable. Boylans, maybe? Some of the boutique-y brands have done it.

So I was looking for some iced tea for DW a few weeks ago, and paid $1 for a massive can of arizona iced tea. I thought this was too inexpensive for a beverage that large, but I got it anyway. Once home, I snuck a sip and nearly gagged. It tasted like actual syrup, let alone corn syrup. Thick and slimey, it was the anti-refreshment. Blech. It seemed that most iced teas were stocked with HFCS, not just arizona. So what did I do? Bought a box of 88 tea bags, got out some white sugar (I'll go back to sugar in the raw or turbinado when I run out), and some lemon juice, and played chemistry lab in my kitchen. The result? A refreshing, decaf, natural, easy and delicious Iced tea, with no junk in it. And since I rarely provide useful things I haven't stolen borrowed from other people, here's my killer iced tea recipe:

Columbia's Garbage-Free Iced Tea
Small:
32 oz Water
4 tea bags (using tetley, decaf here)
5 Tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Large: (the one I make now)
9 cups water (some may boil off)
8 tea bags
1/2 cup sugar (a little less than double, but still a nice sweet)
2 tbsp lemon juice

Super Tough Instructions:
boil water in a pot big enough, then turn off heat.
steep tea bags for five minutes then remove.
stir in other stuff until it dissolves
stick in a pitcher and refrigerate.

Yeah, it's a tough one alright. Makes a super beverage. Play with the ingredients if you want (sugar levels, adding mint or other flavors, etc), this is just a nice simple lemon iced tea. And doesn't break the bank either.

As for the relish, who knew you can't find relish made without HFCS in fairway?? Even upstairs? My mom found some with splenda, but I'm not sure about that stuff. I do use it in coffee, but I have accepted the fact that it will eventually make my hair fall out and make me wear white pants after labor day, but I say one fight at a time.

Splenda, you sly yellow bag of lies -- your days in my temple are numbered.


Link: High Fructose Corn Syrup Epidemic [keetsa]

Weekly savings at your neighborhood store

DW and I are finally home, drinking coffee and eating omelets on a Saturday morning. This type of weekend has been in short supply as of late due to typical NYC crazy schedules. But we're glad it's here, and soon we'll have a few more to cheer about -- School ends for us on Wednesday! Woo hoo!

We've been going through previously clipped coupons and weekly circulars to see where we can save some dollars on things we need. I thought it would be handy to have a list of local circulars to see easily what's on sale and where. I might incorporate a few of these into a sidebar for easy access.

Pathmark Circular: There are a few in Manhattan, but when we go it's usually at the inwood location. Straight shot up on the 1 train. East siders might check out the one on 125th -- if I recall, it's above the 4/5 stop. I love fairway, but some things are just too damn expensive there. It's not worth the trip to Pathmark for the produce (sorry, Pete), but do load up the freezer with their meat and chicken.
Similarly:
Food Emporium
Gristedes (PC Only... argh)
Associated
Whole Foods (store specials)
Pioneer
Key Food

(No ads from Westside Market, or Trader Joes. Fairway sometimes posts specials, but it's rare.)


Duane Reade Circular: Since they are about as numerous as Starbucks and McDonalds, you don't need me to point out your local DR. Sometimes worth it just for the convenience.
Similarly:
Rite Aid
CVS

These are the ones that come to mind first. If you leave comments with others, I'll revise the post.

As a side note, we got our credit card bill in the mail yesterday. Now every month has its odd expenses, and this might not have been full of them. That being said, I still have to assume having two weeks of home-cooked meals (vs. eating out) is partially to thank a statement over $500 less than last month. Obviously we need to keep this up to see if it wasn't just a fluke, but what a reason to keep it up. We're enjoying our defrosted meatloaf for lunch today. :)

Fifteen minutes a day to frugality, and a meal chart

Trent, over at the Simple Dollar, has a post giving you quick solutions that add up to big savings. Each one of them (there are 20 in all) can be done in 15 minutes a day or less. Some aren't everyday tasks, so divide the time investment over a week or month.

Combining #2 (write a grocery list), #6 (make a meal) and #16 (make food for a later date), DW and I made a food chart this weekend. We had had a pretty deplorable week of spending cash on fried food (that honestly stopped tasting good months ago) and decided to get it together this week. We looked what was in the freezer, thought about what would be good and paid attention to what our days looked like: I'll be home late this day, we'll both be home late that day, we'll be going out early that night, etc.

We planned for a week, even what we'd plan to eat at the ballpark last Sunday. The benefits so far have been:

• We've stuck to the plan (We haven't ordered take out yet)
• The food is healthier
• The portions are normal sized
• Lunches are made (we make four portions, two go right into lunch containers)
• The cost is far less expensive. Our only splurge has been for quality/choice instead of convenience; $4 fresh salmon steaks vs. $4.29+ turkey burger on a soggy whitebread bun.
• We've reduced the amount of waste from (over-)packaging.
• Time saved thinking about what to have has been decreased to roughly 0 seconds.
• The time saved idling in the supermarket has been decreased.*
• The time investment for the week-long chart was about 10 minutes.
  

DW made two meatloaves last night, each of which makes 6 servings. As with tip #16 from Trent's list, one went right into the freezer. In the not to distant future, we have a meatloaf to reheat that only took an extra 15 minutes to make. That right there is the beauty of batch cooking.


Link: Can You Devote Fifteen Minutes A Day To Frugality?


* DW will tell you about the day I walked around Fairway, miserable and hungry, sent to get dinner. An hour later I came home with three boxes of cereal, shampoo and a bottle of lemon juice.

Homemade Yogurt

When I was a kid on Long Island, my mom used to take me to the beach with homemade yogurt. We'd sit on the boardwalk, and eat our yogurt mixed with jam, and I'd swing my feet thinking there wasn't a thing I'd rather be doing in the world.

DW loves her some yogurt, I've enjoyed a cup now and again. My rss feed for craigslist free showed that someone was giving one away. That sounds fantastic, and just my price! I never did hear back from the "seller", but after finding none we liked in the stores, and a fee+wait on amazon, I started to give up. I checked craigslist once more to see if someone by chance was selling one. And they were. Salton YM-9. $10. I heart the internets.

DW can't have dairy (cow's milk actually) but I can. The first batch I made was goat's milk (which she can do). It was runny and bitter -- not too good, but we ate it. Then we tried a soy batch, using a goat's milk yogurt starter, and that was pretty funky (but just edible). Then I made a mike-only batch -- skim milk + powered skim milk + a plain yogurt for a starter -- and it was awesome. Really tastes great and pretty easy to make. DW's latest batch comes from a recipe we found online (see link below) and this one came out great.

If you ever get the chance to try someones homemade yogurt, do it. A little jam or fruit (peach bits tonight were amazing) and granola -- it's delicious, and so nice to know that there's no added sugar, preservatives or junk.

link to yogurt maker: Salton YM9 [amazon]
link to recipe: Bryanna's Soy Yogurt Recipe Using Commercial Soymilk Only