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Save On Food

Hot Spicy Fruit

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This is a great dish to serve for a holiday party. You can make it a day or two ahead of time and then stick it in to bake right before the party. It will make your house smell delicious. You can use this all the way from a holiday brunch to an evening party.

Hot Spicy Fruit

1 (15-16oz.) can pear halves
1 (15-16oz.) can peach halves
1 (15-16oz.) apricot halves
1 (20oz.) can pineapple chunks
1 (16oz.) can bing cherries
1 (11oz.) can mandarin oranges
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have that use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/8 tsp.ginger and cloves each)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Drain fruit well and place in a greased 9×13 pan or casserole dish. Mix brown sugar, pumpkin spice and butter. Pour over fruit. Sprinkle with almonds. Cover and refrigerate until serving day. Bake uncovered at 350° for 40-45 minutes.

You can add or take away fruit as needed. For example, if you find bing cherries are too expensive, then use an extra can of peaches instead.

photo by: tambako

Time Saving Kitchen Tips

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10 Tips To Save In The Kitchen

Most of us have enough going on in life that we don’t want to spend a lot of extra time in the kitchen. There are lots of easy little changes you can make to your routine that will help you save a lot of time so you can have more time for your family and the other priorities in your life. Here are some easy kitchen tips from our Groceries On A Dime e-books to get you started.

 

  1. Make simple meals. One-dish meals can contain your meat, your vegetable and your bread.
  2. Things to do the night before:
    • Plan your meals.
    • Put things in the refrigerator to defrost.
    • Pack lunches.
    • Set the table for breakfast. Prepare breakfast foods the night before. For pancakes, mix dry ingredients the previous night. In the morning, add wet ingredients and cook.

 

  1. Cook Once, Cook Big:
    • Make large batches of beans and store in 1- or 2-cup portions.
    • Make large batches of granola and store in an airtight container. If used for lunches or snacks, divide into single-serving plastic bags or containers.
    • Brown a large portion of ground beef and store in 1-cup portions. You can also do this with roast, pork and round steak.
    • Cut up extra ingredients for another meal when using onions, green peppers, etc.
    • Cook double batches of rice or pasta to be reheated later in the week.
  2. Buy staples that you use often in quantity.
  3. Make double or triple the amount when you prepare main dishes. Freeze. Label with the name of the dish and cooking instructions. Later when you are too busy to cook, put in the crockpot on low or set the timer for the oven to start dinner before you get home.

 

  1. Place all pre-made meals in one part of the freezer. That way your husband and kids can easily find the meals when you aren’t at home.
  2. Try exchanging meals with another family. Cook double the amount and take half over to them. Later, they cook double and bring it to you. That is one less night you have to cook and it brings variety to your menu.
  3. Have family members help. There is no reason why the kids can’t help out with the cleaning, including dishes and other chores, so that you have time to prepare meals. Have everyone remove his or her own dirty place setting from table and put away 4 or 5 additional items. The table will be cleared quickly using this method. Wash your dishes right away. If you don’t let them sit, the food will not get stuck on them. This will save you a lot of time because you won’t have to do extra work trying to scrape food off the dishes when you’re cleaning the kitchen before the next meal.
  4. When unloading the dishwasher, set the table for the next meal.
  5. Put away containers and clean up as you cook.

[dining]

 

 

Money Saving Breakfast Tips

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Here are some suggestions that will help you simplify and save money on your breakfasts.

    • Make a double batch of muffins and bake in a 9×13 inch pan.

      Then cut into pieces the size of a piece of cake and serve. This will save you from greasing and washing individual muffin tins.

    • Serve oatmeal in a fancy glass.

      Use a sundae dish with fruit, granola, coconut, or brown sugar on top. This is a treat that makes breakfast more exciting for the kids.

  • To make “instant” maple and brown sugar oatmeal:

 

Before bed add oatmeal and milk or water to a bowl with 1 drop of maple flavoring and brown sugar to taste. Let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning microwave for 90 seconds and enjoy!

  • Children’s morning routine:

    Don’t let kids eat or watch TV in the morning until they first are dressed and ready for school and have their beds made and their rooms picked up. Then let them eat breakfast.

  • Save bacon grease

    Use it for frying eggs, flavoring corn bread, muffins or for greasing pans.

  • In coffee cake

    Substitute equal amounts of apple juice for the milk, then add 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon.

  • In syrup

    Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of orange marmalade into a cup of warm maple syrup. It perks up ordinary pancake syrup.

 

Ways To Use Old Tea Bags

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ways to use tea bags

Ways to Use Old Tea Bags – Make Tea Bags Useful

A Reader from Nampa, Idaho Writes:

“I have loads of old tea bags. Are there any ways I can use them or should I just throw them away?”

Tea bags have many uses other than making tea to drink. Here are some ways to use old tea bags without simply throwing them in the trash…

  • Tea bags work well for tea dyeing craft and sewing projects.
  • If you have curtains or a tablecloth with colors that are too bright for you decorating scheme, you can tea dye them that give them a pretty muted look. This works especially well for the country or antique look.
  • I also keep moistened tea bags in a plastic bag in the freezer or fridge. When I have a headache or my eyes are burning, itching or just puffy from eye strain, I lie with one tea bag on each eye for ten or fifteen minutes. It really is soothing.
  • Use used herbal bags in your rice while you are cooking it to give a nice taste
  • Use moistened used tea bags on sunburns or bug stings
  • In your potting soil for fertilizer
  • To deodorizer things. Stick them in a closet, inside of shoes or just sitting out in a bowl to absorb odors.
  • If baking soda has failed for those burnt on pans try some used tea bags with hot water and let them soak awhile.
  • Tea bags are a great degreaser. They use to be used all the time in a bucket of water to mop floors with.

      -Jill

Stop Apples from Browning

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stop apples from browning

Stop Apples from browning

My apple tree went crazy producing apples this year so I will probably be using this tip!

Jill

From: Kimberly H.
I’m not sure if you take tips from subscribers, but I thought I’d pass this along. . .

My mother is a home economics teacher and taught me several years ago that salt water will keep apples from turning brown when cut. It is cheaper than using lemon or lime and always on hand.

I just fill a bowl with a mixture of water and about 1 Tablespoon of salt and put it in the sink. As I cut the apple (or anything else) I let it apple sit in the mixture. When I’m done cutting, I just rinse off the apples – and that is it!!! Easy, cheap, and works WONDERS! Try it – the apples will not turn even hours later!  My husband is a chemist and he is trying to figure out why this works, but it does 🙂

PS From Jill

It has been a couple of years since I got this tip and I use it all the time now. I love it. I don’t even rinse the salt water off. It is so much easier then lemon juice. First lemon juice tends to make everything slightly sticky. Second I don’t always have lemon juice on hand but I always have salt. Three it is much cheaper to use the salt and last I think it does a better job in helping with the discoloration then the lemon juice. This is really a winner.

 

photo by: thewrittengeek

More zucchini recipes

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Fresh Zucchini - Using Zucchini Leftovers

One year after having a dynamite of a veggie garden, we had zucchini coming out our ears!! We wondered, "What do we do with it???" I tried giving it away, some friends took it, most did not. A few ways I used them was:

#1. Made cookies with them, using a carrot cookie recipe. I also made the cookies with yellow summer squash. They were good (be sure to drain shredded zucchini or yellow squash really well before using them this way, or your batter will be really runny.) I took the squash cookies to work, everyone loved them! Some wouldn’t believe they had grated yellow summer squash in them.

#2. I used my deceased Mamaw’s recipe for Cucumber Pickle Relish. It was awesome!! We used it in potato salads, tuna salads, ham salads, chicken salads, etc. No one knew it wasn’t cucumbers till I told them!

#3. If you’ve never tried Chocolate Zucchini Bread, you should do so especially if you’re a chocoholic!!

Sincerely, Terri H.

I have made zucchini cake many times by just substituting zucchini for carrots in a carrot cake recipe. Yummy! (especially with the cream cheese frosting!)

Lori

 

Photo By: Paul Sullivan

Dessert And Cake Tips

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In our dessert and cake tips you will find suggestions for useful cooking substitutions and ideas to make cooking easier while saving money.

Be careful to count the ingredient cost with candy recipes because sometimes making homemade candy is more expensive than buying candy in the store.

Slice a piece of cake in half.  Turn the top piece with the frosting over and make a "sandwich". This is an easy way to send cake in lunch boxes.

If you are making a dessert like cookies and you find you have no eggs.  Try adding 1/4 cup extra liquid such as milk for each egg and bake as usual. Most of the time it won’t hurt to leave out the egg.

Try using 1 Tablespoon soy flour instead of eggs in your recipes. It is much cheaper and handier to have on hand.

Keep a paper towel in your shortening.  Just rub it on pans to grease. No need to clean a brush each time.

Substitute oatmeal for nuts in cakes, cookies and pies. Brown oatmeal in a bit of butter or margarine. The oatmeal adds a nice flavor and crunch.

To make holding the candy thermometer easier when making candy.  Attach the candy thermometer to a wire whisk and lay the whisk across the top of the pan. It holds the thermometer for you and frees your hands. Buy chocolate on clearance after the holidays. 

Chop solid chocolate bunnies, hearts or Santas and use in place of chocolate chips in baking.

 

From: Dining On A Dime

 

Photo By: timlewisnm

Money Saving Beverage Tips

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Save Money On Beverages

Here are some easy tips that will help you simplify and save money on your beverages.

Kids don’t need and usually can’t drink an entire can of cola by themselves.
Pour the cola into a glass so two kids can split one can so you don’t waste an entire can of cola.

Latte
Mix 1/2 cup strong coffee with 1/2-3/4 cup of warm milk. Save $2 by doing this instead of buying a latte on the way to work every day.

Drink water
1/4-1/3 of most Americans’ grocery bill is spent on drinks, drink mixes and sugar for the mixes. Cut down on the amount of coffee, tea, juice, milk and soda your family drinks. Kids don’t need pop or excessive amounts of milk and juice. They can drink water.

One serving of orange juice is ONLY 1/2 cup. That juice counts as one serving of fruit. Most kids drink way more than 1/2 cup for a serving. Excessive juice is no better than a melted down popsicle.

Stir coffee or cocoa with a peppermint candy cane. It adds a nice peppermint flavor. Crushed peppermint candies may also be added.

Save extra coffee in a thermos instead of making a new batch or buy a smaller coffee maker.

 

For more money saving tips like these along with hundreds of delicious quick and easy recipes, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook now!

Photo By: larryvincent

Cooking Terms

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Dictionary of Cooking Terms

Au gratin – covered with a sauce, sprinkled with breadcrumbs, dotted with butter or fat, and browned under a grill – Cheese may be mixed with the sauce or the crumbs

Baste – keep the surface moist by spooning liquid or melted fat over it frequently

Beat – with an electric beater or vigorously by hand

Blanch – dip food briefly in boiling water, then in cold water, usually to aid the removal of skin

Blend – stir gently until well mixed

Boil – use only sufficient heat to keep the liquid bubbling gently

Bouquet garni – small cloth bag containing usually thyme, bay leaf, and parsley, used to flavor a stew or soup, and removed before serving

Braise – cook on stove top in hot fat until browned, then add liquid and simmer

Brush – use a pastry brush to cover the surface, usually with egg or milk, before baking Coat – cover with a thin layer

Compote – stewed, usually fruit

Consommé – a clear meat stock

Cream – beat shortening until it is of spreadable (creamy) texture

Dice – cut into small cubes

Dot – place small pieces, usually of butter or fat, on the top

Dredge – coat thoroughly with flour, bread crumbs, or cornmeal

Fold – use a wide spatula to gently cut and turn (usually stiffly beaten egg whites) into a batter enough to mix but keeping a light batter

Glaze -brush with a liquid near the end of baking which will give a shiny surface

Grate – shave on or with a grater to produce small pieces or crumbs

Grill – cook under direct red heat

Knead – work a dough lightly by hand to give a smooth texture

Marinate – let meat stand in soy sauce, wine, or seasoned vinegar to improve flavor and tenderize meat

Parboil – boil only part way, then finish cooking with some other method

Poach – cook in hot liquid, water usually

Puree – force cooked food through a sieve, giving fine pulp

Reduce – rapid boiling to evaporate water and thicken

Roux – a mixture of melted fat or butter and flour which is the basis for most sauces

Sauté – cook in a pan over a moderate heat using a small amount of oil

Scald – heat a liquid to just under the boiling point, as to scald milk, or to pour boiling water on

Sear – brown meat very quickly over high heat to seal in juices

Sift – pass through a screen to remove lumps

Simmer – cook below the boiling point where there is only occasional bubbling

Truss – tie meat with string so it will hold its shape

Vinaigrette – a liquid mixture of oil, vinegar, and seasonings

Whip – beating that results in highly aerated mixture, as whipped cream

 

photo by: stuart_spivack

Muffin Tips – Tips for Making Great Muffins

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Tips for Making Great Muffins

Muffins are great to make during these cold winter months. They are so simple to mix that they make a great “first time cooking” food for kids to learn to cook.

  • When you are teaching an older child how to cook, look for facts or tips about the things you will be making. Even if you are a seasoned cook, this can really help. When cooking, we do some things automatically and don’t think to mention them to our children. Reading about it helps them to understand but can also remind us to tell them certain basic things.

    It can be helpful to have kids start a cooking scrapbook. When you cook homemade biscuits have them make a page with the do’s and don’ts for biscuits. Do the same for cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. By the time they are ready to leave home, they will have their own “personal” cookbooks to refer to. You could even add things to it like grandma’s biscuit recipe or some short funny stories and bloopers about your experiences cooking together.

 

  • Here’s how to mix muffins to produce an even texture:

    1. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk with a fork to aerate.
    2. Mix liquids together, beating eggs. I measure the milk and all the liquids into a measuring cup, then add the eggs and beat with a fork.
    3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the liquids into that. (A well is a large indentation you make in the flour mixture with your fist or a spoon.)
    4. Stir the mixture just enough to moisten it. Don’t over mix or try to get all the lumps out. If you over mix the batter, it will produce holes or peaked tops or cause the muffins to have a tough texture.
  • Muffins are great to make and freeze. Then you can grab a couple of the muffins with a steaming cup of coffee in the morning for a quick breakfast or for a snack during the day.
  • You can make the basic recipe like Mom’s Sweet Muffins and add fruit, raisins, or nuts. When you do this, toss the fruit, raisins or nuts into a little flour first. This helps to distribute them evenly in the batter.