The Frugal Good Life

[calliope]

Food prices have doubled or tripled in the last few years. Even without this increase, we would be living frugally, but recently, the enormous increase in food cost has really shocked me. I am trying to put together a good, nutritional meal plan for my little boy and me, but it's not easy!

I am veggie, for 16 years, with a few vegan and raw foods years. I still eat eggs/dairy, but this is tapering off toward vegan, slowly. My son is omnivore, but maddeningly selective, a sensory issue, and we struggle with maintaining a decent food offering for him. He gets a slew of high quality, natural vitamins, including fish oils, and one chock full of greens -- sea vegetable and all that. But still, he needs solid food!

Lately, I've had nothing but fruit on hand to snack on, and that's working out rather well actually!

So anyway, I've started a thread that will include the frugal recipes that we try, and hope for some good suggestions as well. Our main diet consists mostly of grains and beans, with homemade breads and muffins. It's quite narrow for now, but I hope to expand it in time.

So we've recently made iron skillet corn bread that was ok....the little boy was not impressed, lol. It was a very simple recipe, with mostly cornmeal, and no sugar. Turned out a little bitter.

It made a good breakfast for me though, with butter (vegan -- earth balance brand, better than butter!) and honey, and hot tea.

The boy likes plain pasta with olive oil, sea salt and fresh garlic, so that a made a nice breakfast for him.

I have some quite good lentil recipes to post soon, and hope to see some other recipes that lend themselves to the frugal good life!

Be well and prosperous.....::):

[calliope]

Additionally, any ideas for purchasing and storing in bulk would be welcome. So far, our kitchen pantry houses a 25 lb bag of rice, and 5-10 lb bags of beans, flour and corn meal. Other things good to purchase in bulk are yeast, nutritional yeast and tea. I don't know what the least expensive type of oil is yet, like for breads and muffins, i.e. canola oil, butter, crisco...et al.

I hope to include these kinds of considerations here also.

[Traveler]

Leave the canola oil out. It is the cheepest for a reason, gets absorbed into everything. Does not last long. Also people get sick from it.

Olive oil is the best but you pay through the nose.

The better is maze oil, Mid price range but is not absorbed by the food and can be filtered to clean it up. I use coffee filter papers to filter it, takes an age but comes out good.

[calliope]

Yes...our main cooking oil is olive oil....but it seems a little strange to add that to baked goods such as oatmeal raisin muffins. Like making cornbread, the recipe called for butter, but I was wondering if I could add cooking oil, or crisco, instead....of course, my concern is how these will affect the recipe -- the taste and the texture -- but also the cost of these, esp in bulk.

And health concerns of course are priorities also. So thanks for the tip about the corn oil. I'll try that. And we do spend more for the olive oil....but that is soooo good (and good for you), it's a staple.

Thanks Traveler...:2thumbs:

[Traveler]

No problem!

One thing though, make sure you stock up on salt. Not only do you need it for pickling but you will be surprised how the supply dries up when things go wrong. It is a staple must have along with vinegar.

[calliope]

No problem!

One thing though, make sure you stock up on salt. Not only do you need it for pickling but you will be surprised how the supply dries up when things go wrong. It is a staple must have along with vinegar.

Very true! Salt, vinegar and baking soda also....are the only cleaning agents you need! Add a little salt to a vinegar/baking soda paste and you have a great abrasive scrubbing agent for the bath tub or sink. If you add some essential oils to these, they smell wonderful and add awesome energy to your room atmosphere. Also, some essential oils, such as grapefruit seed oil, are excellent anti-bacterial/anti-mold agents.

A most useful book I have is Baking Soda -- Over 500 Fabulous, Fun & Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought of.

About:

Baking soda has a few fundamental qualities which overlap:

1) It has a soft crystalline molecular structure.
2) It has the ability to neutralize acidity.
3) It is a leavening agent.
4) It is able to absorb many odors.

A few baking tips:

* Give chocolate a darker texture by mixing 1 tsp baking soda with the other dry ingredients.

* Keep icing moist and prevent its cracking by adding a pinch of baking soda before spreading it on a cake.

* Sweeten tart blackberries for cobblers and pies by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda before adding sugar.

Other ideas:

* For emergencies, take a baking soda sponge bath in place of a shower:
rinse a sponge or wash cloth in a sink filled with water and several tablespoons of baking soda. A good freshener.

* Keep hands soft by sprinkling baking soda in dish water when washing the dishes.

* Use a paste of baking soda to smooth away rough skin on elbows.

* Breath Freshener: Sprinkle 1/2 tsp baking soda in a cup of water and rinse your mouth as you would with any mouthwash. It will remove onion or garlic scents as well as morning mouth, and leave you with a fresh -- as opposed to artificial taste in your mouth. By changing the pH balance in your mouth, it makes a less friendly environment for many bacteria.

* Alleviate acid indigestion using the following suggested dosage:
1/2 level tsp baking soda
1/2 glass of water
Wait 2 hours before taking an additional dosage. Maximum dosage per day -- eight.

* Bladder home remedies: Treat or relieve bladder infections by drinking baking soda in water every two hours for two or three days on the assumption that you can chemically alter your bodies pH balance. (Use the dosage above).

About salt: for bulk uses, purchase pickling salt. It has no additives or chemicals, like regular table salt. For cooking, pure sea salt is best.

[New Wine]

Additionally, any ideas for purchasing and storing in bulk would be welcome. So far, our kitchen pantry houses a 25 lb bag of rice, and 5-10 lb bags of beans, flour and corn meal. Other things good to purchase in bulk are yeast, nutritional yeast and tea. I don't know what the least expensive type of oil is yet, like for breads and muffins, i.e. canola oil, butter, crisco...et al.

I hope to include these kinds of considerations here also.

Rice pasta is a good one to store in bulk. Wheat pasta will not store as long, but will be good up to 6 months. Barley is a good one too, as is oatmeal.

Bean Salad

1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup black beans (cooked and cooled)
2 tbsp pimentos
1/4 cup canned Italian stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup diced black olives (or any other)
1/4 cup diced onions

Dressing
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp italian seasonings (basil, oregano etc)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients together and allow to set for 1 hr. Stir well.
Makes about 2-3 cups.

[calliope]

Mmmmmm....fresh beans bathed in balsamic vinegar and parmesan. Delightful! Great recipe for when I have a garden!

Here's a wonderful lentil soup recipe -- very basic:

Bunky's Lentil Soup

1 cup red lentils
1 quart water
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, minced fine
1 Tbs Penzey's Turkish Seasononing

Place lentils, water, salt and onion in a large saucepan, bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes. Add the seasoning and simmer another 15 minutes.

This is soooo good....and so easy to make. I found this recipe on an internet forum, and printed it.....I don't have the forum's website anymore, but thanks to the person who posted this. It's a great breakfast today, with some 6 grain bread. I spoon the soupy lentils over rice, and this is very good also.

And....I don't have any Penzy's spices, so I just add the spices that comprise the Turkish seasoning. They are as follows:

sea salt
garlic
cumin
black pepper
oregano
paprika
sumac
red pepper - cayenne
cilantro

If you're missing some of these spices it's ok. I don't have on hand paprika, and haven't tried adding cilantro, and the result is still wonderful.

Cook with love!

[calliope]

Good breakfast....or snack on the road:

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Serving Size: One muffin
Yield: 12 servings

Cost:
- Per Recipe: $ 1.49
- Per Serving: $ 0.12

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
margarine or butter (to grease muffin cups)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put the egg, milk, and oil in a small mixing bowl. Slowly stir them together.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and raisins. Stir until they are mixed.

4. Pour the egg-milk-oil mix into the medium bowl with the dry ingredients.

5. Stir until the dry ingredients are barely moistened. Do not over-mix (the batter should be lumpy).

6. Grease each cup in the muffin pans with some margarine or butter.

7. Spoon the batter into the cups in each muffin pan, until each cup is half-full with batter.

8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown.


http://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/r/oatmealmuffins.htm

[calliope]

The previous lentil soup is quite tasty....add a dollop of fresh plain yogurtt, topped with fresh chopped tomatoes.....mmmmmmmm.

Here is the lentil soup we'll be making tomorrow (lentils are very very inexpensive, quick cooking -- and good for you!! :;): )

Tomato Lentil Soup

1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup red lentils
3 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots sliced
small piece of gingerroot, minced
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3 ripe roma tomatoes, diced (or one 15 ounce can diced)
1 teaspon salt
2 teaspoons cumn
1 teaspoon allspice

In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
Add lentils, celery, carrots, gingerroot, and onion
Reduce heat, and simmer until lentils are tender, around 30 minutes.
Add tomatoes and seasonings; simmer until heated through, 5 minutes.

From The Convenient Vegetarian -- Quick and Meatless Cooking

served with some green beans, perhaps, and fresh bread. Yum.

[calliope]

Dandelion Soup

Oliver Wendell Holmes likens the color of the dandelion to "sparks that have leapt from kindling sun's fire. in the language of flowers, it symbolizes prophesy. thyme, celery and bay are for psychic awareness.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups dandelion flowers
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced (garnish)

melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. mix in the flour to form a paste. stir in the milk a little at a time until smooth. mix in the dandelions, celery seed, thyme and bay leaf. simmer until the flowers are tender, 15-20 minutes. remove the bay lea before serving. garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg.

(from Patricia Telesco)

[calliope]

Lentil-Rice Casserole

3 cups chicken broth, or use water and 1 tablespoon vegetable seasoning
3/4 cup lentils, uncooked
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup chopped fresh onion
1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend all ingredients together in a casserole dish and bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. If desired top with shredded cheddar cheese during the last 20 minutes.(tightwad gazette recipe)

*I have not had alot of experience cooking lentils. The recipe above is easy and it tastes wonderful. I think you will be surprised, as I was! [author's comment]

To find more frugal recipes for beans visit the following resources. Don't be afraid to experiment with new beans and lentils recipes. They are healthy and frugal.

More Bean Recipes:

OntarioBeans.com

[calliope]

Food prices have doubled or tripled in the last few years. Even without this increase, we would be living frugally, but recently, the enormous increase in food cost has really shocked me. I am trying to put together a good, nutritional meal plan for my little boy and me, but it's not easy!

I am veggie, for 16 years, with a few vegan and raw foods years. I still eat eggs/dairy, but this is tapering off toward vegan, slowly. My son is omnivore, but maddeningly selective, a sensory issue, and we struggle with maintaining a decent food offering for him. He gets a slew of high quality, natural vitamins, including fish oils, and one chock full of greens -- sea vegetable and all that. But still, he needs solid food!

Lately, I've had nothing but fruit on hand to snack on, and that's working out rather well actually!

So anyway, I've started a thread that will include the frugal recipes that we try, and hope for some good suggestions as well. Our main diet consists mostly of grains and beans, with homemade breads and muffins. It's quite narrow for now, but I hope to expand it in time.

So we've recently made iron skillet corn bread that was ok....the little boy was not impressed, lol. It was a very simple recipe, with mostly cornmeal, and no sugar. Turned out a little bitter.

It made a good breakfast for me though, with butter (vegan -- earth balance brand, better than butter!) and honey, and hot tea.

The boy likes plain pasta with olive oil, sea salt and fresh garlic, so that a made a nice breakfast for him.

I have some quite good lentil recipes to post soon, and hope to see some other recipes that lend themselves to the frugal good life!

Be well and prosperous.....::):

Wow....what a difference a few years makes -- bet I'd be happy with the food prices, now, from 2009 -- Everything has increased in price so tremendously -- except my income, lol!!

Esp with my almost $50 in rent increase -- I'm literally scraping together my nickels and dimes for rent next week.

So here's a nice, elegant recipe that's nutritious, and also forgiving on yer pocket-book -- :jam:

Alice Waters's Lentil Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 cup lentils (French green lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt

Fresh-ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or

3 tablespoons finely diced shallot

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Recipe courtesy of Alice Waters’s The Art of Simple Food.

http://veglov.blogspot.com/2010/09/alice-waters-lentil-salad.html

[calliope]

Actually, a more detailed version of the lentil salad (that I need!)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup lentils (French green lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or
3 tablespoons finely diced shallot
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

PREPARATION
1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Cover with water by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until tender all the way through (adding more water if necessary), about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. Toss the lentils with the red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.

3. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, scallions or shallot, and parsley. Stir to combine. If the lentils seem dry and are hard to stir, loosen them with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.

VARIATIONS
Add 1/2 cup diced cucumber.

Dice very fine 1/4 cup each of carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until tender in a couple spoonfuls of olive oil. Cool and stir into the salad in place of the scallions or shallots.

Garnish with 1/2 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese.

Toast and crush 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and add to the salad. Substitute cilantro for the parsley.

Dice 1/4 cup flavorful sweet peppers, season with salt, and let stand to soften. Stir in with the scallions or shallots.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/alice-waters-lentil-salad-44021308

http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/6t/lentil-salad-recipe-md.jpg