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Yogurt-Good for You…and your wallet

In Budget Smart Cook on September 22, 2011 at 4:51 pm

Every time I visit the supermarket there seems to be yet another new yogurt on the shelves. It’s good news for us because not only is it a good for you food, more yogurt means more competition and hence deals and lower prices too.

I know not everyone likes yogurt and if you’re one of them I’d recommend trying out a few because some are more platible than others. One thing I don’t suggest (once you’ve found a favorite) is buying the individual containers. I stick with the large 32 ounce tubs and will only buy single serving style ones when they’re on sale and the price is right.

Make Your  Own

 

For the last four years I’ve been making my own yogurt too. I purchased a Salton yogurt maker which wasn’t expensive and it makes eating yogurt even more budget friendly. All you need is some yogurt, milk, powdered milk and you’ve got a whole batch of homemade yogurt.

Make It in A Thermos

 

Earlier this year I wrote an article for a UK health magazine and got to interview Marisa Peer www.marisapeer.com  who’s the author of You Can Be Thin, she’s also a well known expert on many TV shows in the UK and has worked with everyone from royality to rock stars. She told me about yogurt that you can make in a thermos. I was intriqued and asked her for the recipe. I not only used it in my article but asked her if I could share it with you too.

Here it is-

How to make yogurt in a vacuum flask (BSG note-this is a thermos)

You need any type of vacuum flask wide mouthed flasks are easier any type of milk will work, cow’s milk, soy milk or sheeps or goat’s milk skimmed or full fat and you need a natural yogurt preferably live natural yogurt to start. Full-fat yogurt is generally less than 10 percent fat so it  does tend to have a richer, fuller flavour.  

Take the yogurt you are going to use as starter out of the fridge the day before you want to make yogurt. This lets the yogurt come up to room temperature.

Measure your flask so that you know how much liquid can be accommodated. Measurements here are for a flask of one pint.

Heat just under a pint of milk on the stove. Bring it up to just below boiling point and then let it cool to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A thermometer is useful but not strictly necessary. The milk should feel just slightly warm to touch. If you drop a drop of milk on the back of your hand it should not feel noticeably hot or cold. Anywhere from 95 to 105 degrees F is fine

Next, take a good spoonful of fresh yogurt (unflavoured) and mix it into the milk. Use a whisk or fork to ensure that the yogurt is well distributed . Pour the milk and yogurt mix into a wide-necked thermos and make sure that the lid is tightly stoppered. Wrap the flask in a towel to minimise heat loss through the lid. Put the flask in a warm place such as an airing cupboard or above the boiler.

In about 24 hours your yogurt should be ready you can continue to make yogurt using a spoonful from each batch for the next batch. Pour into a large bowl take out the amount you are to eat and add any ingredients of your choice to fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, a swirl of peanut butter, olives, honey whatever you wish.

 I think both of these ways of making yogurt are a wonderful projects to do with children. I know most of them love eating what they’re made so if they hate yogurt maybe this will change their minds.

Greek Yogurt

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Greek style yogurt. It used to be almost impossible to find at the supermarket but now the shelves are brimming with it. Problem is it costs more than the regular type. However, you know my motto find a way to eat it at a cheaper price. All it really is, is strained yogurt that has the whey removed. It’s simple to do yourself. I use a 32 ounce carton of plain yogurt. I take a large bowl, some cheesecloth and a strainer. I line the strainer with the cheesecloth and place it over the bowl and then tip the yogurt into the cheesecloth. It starts to drain immediately but I give the whole process 24 hours in the fridge just to make sure all the whey is removed. You’re left with a creamy yogurt that pairs with both savory and sweet items. I’ve used it in recipes and toppings for chili too.

Homemade Yogurt Treats

I kept a few containers (the divider type) from some yogurt I bought and use it for my strained yogurt and pair it with homemade jam. You can also use honey too. Perfect for breakfast or lunchboxes too.

Smoothies

And another thing I’ve been doing is freezing yogurt in pop molds, adding one to a freezer bag, adding frozen fruit, sealing it and leaving it in the freezer ready to make smoothies. All you need is some milk and they’re half the cost of the smoothie kits you see in the stores.

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Healthy Snacks…when you’re on a budget

In Budget Smart Cook on September 15, 2011 at 4:37 pm

We all love to snack. However, sometimes it’s these foods that push the grocery bill over budget and oftentimes they contain ingredients that aren’t always that great for us.

Finding a happy medium, great tasting good but yet won’t break the bank can be a challenge but here are some of my favorite stand bys-

Good Finds From Target

I’ll start with some products I recently got to sample thanks to the kind folks at Target. Check out their Market Pantry line which has a box of 18 packets of fruit snacks for just $2.54. You know I’m not usually a fan of individually wrapped items but I think at this price, these are the exception. They also have these attractive bottles of popcorn and seasoning mix, both are just $2.99 a piece. Perfect for a snack while you’re watching a movie. And thinking ahead they’d make the ideal holiday gift along with a gift card for a movie rental. Another ideal I came up with for the seasoning is to use it on homemade potato and tortilla chips.

Yogurt

More about yogurt next week, but here’s one of my favorite healthy and cheap snacks. homemade yogurt pops. Fill each container and freeze it for an hour or more and they’re ready anytime the afternoon or after school slump hits.

Edamame

Otherwise known as soybeans. I didn’t think I’d like them but they really are delicious. They cook in a few minutes so you can have some on hand in the fridge all the time. You can even use seasoning on them too.

Bulk Bin Goodies

When it comes to making homemade snacks nothing beats the bulk bins. Dried fruit, granola mix, nuts, you name it and at half the cost of the packaged mixes you see on the shelves.

Pinwheel Sandwiches

For me the ideal snack takes the edge off your hunger but doens’t ruin your appetite. Sometimes I’ll take a slice of bread, roll it out so it’s larger and then top it with cream cheese and herbs or PB and J, roll it up and cut it into bite size slices.

And Speaking of…

Peanut butter, yes, I know the prices are supposed to be going up but I still think it’s a bargain food. Try it on slices of apples…they’re getting cheaper now it’s apple season. Or on top of crackers.

Fruit

Yes, you can still grab some bargains in the produce department with fruits like peaches and nectarines…I bought mine for 99 cents a pound this week. Also I’ve seen sales on mangoes, grapes, apples and pears. I make a fruit salad at weekends,(add some fruit juice to stop the fruit from browning) and it’s there all week for snacking or topping for oatmeal or cereal.

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Friday Recipe-Toasted Salmon-Cream Cheese and Cucumber Sandwich with Lemon Pepper Fries

In Budget Smart Cook on August 26, 2011 at 1:54 pm

I love meals that are quick to put together yet, tasty too. This one can be eaten for lunch or even a light dinner. Once again it uses ingredients most of us have on hand. I made two sandwiches but the salmon cream cheese mixture makes enough spread for at least eight but if you don’t want to make that many you can use it as a dip or for making more sandwiches throughout the week.

Whole Wheat Bread, toasted

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

2 7 ounce cans of pink salmon ( I like the Chicken of the Sea Variety as there aren’t any bones or skin so no waste)

Half a cucumber, washed, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon of The Spice Hunter’s Grill Shakers Seafood Seasoning Blend (if you don’t have this any seasoning blend will be good, even plain dried dill too)

Half a package of large cut fries

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the fries on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with the lemon pepper seasoning.

While the fries are baking-

Put the cream cheese, salmon and seasoning into a food processer and pulse until everything’s well blended. Spread both sides of the bread with the mixture and top with the sliced cucumber. Slice in half diagonally and serve with the fries.

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Friday Recipe-Apple and Blackberry Crumble

In Budget Smart Cook on August 19, 2011 at 4:13 pm

One dessert I remember from childhood is apple and blackberry crumble made by my maternal grandmother who came from a family of wonderful cooks. I hadn’t made this crumble for many years but got the incentive to do just that when I saw blackberries were on sale. It’s not quite apple season yet but they’re still a bargain. There are many crumble recipes out there, some people use powdered ginger in the topping, my grandmother used chopped ginger in the filling and I’ve kept with that tradition. This is one of the most least expensive yet delicious desserts and it’s perfect right now, or just as wonderful frozen and eaten in the fall. I like to serve it with vanilla ice cream or even custard.

This serves 6-8 people.

3 apples, peeled cored and chopped

1 1/2 cups blackberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger…more if you’re a fan

For the topping

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

6 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spary. Mix apple and blackberries and ginger together, add the sugar and lemon juice and mix throughly. Put this in the oven while you make the topping.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar and then add the butter (cut this is into small cubes first) and work the two mixtures together until they look like fine breadcrumbs.

Remove the apple mixture from the oven and sprinkle the topping over it. Return it to the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is lightly golden.

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Friday Recipe, Tofu, Carrots, Green Beans in Peanut Sauce

In Budget Smart Cook on August 12, 2011 at 1:42 pm

Tofu is an inexpensive but high in protein food which I use in at least one meal a week. This recipe combines it with other low cost foods like green beans…now less than $1 a pound and carrots which were on sale for 50 cents a pound this week. To turn it into a tasty treat I combine it with this peanut sauce. This recipe serves 3-4 and is perfect with rice.

1 package extra firm tofu (I freeze it for a few days, defrost it and then remove all the liquid)

3 sliced carrots

1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

oil for stir frying

For the sauce-

1 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon oil

1 minced garlic clove

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon miso (optional but if you don’t use it, add a pinch of salt)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet, add the carrots and green beans and saute for about five minutes.

Chop the tofu into cubes and add to the wok and stir until the tofu is slighly browned and the vegetables are crisp tender.

While that’s cooking-

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the onions and cook until soft, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the peanut butter, water, lemon juice, soy sauce and stir together well. Remove from the heat and if you’re using it, stir in the miso.

Add this sauce to the tofu mixture and make sure everything is coated well.

If you don’t like tofu this also works with chicken too.

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Friday Recipe-Mediterranean Pasta

In Budget Smart Cook on July 22, 2011 at 2:14 pm

This recipe is quick easy and apart from heating up the kitchen when you’re cooking the pasta, is perfect for summer. Some ingredients remain the same whenever I make this dish, a few change depending on what’s in the pantry. Last time I used artichokes but sometimes it’s roasted red peppers. There are no real quantities to use so whatever you like or prefer makes the perfect dish. It uses ingredients that are good for you and not that expensive so it’s one of my favorite budget dishes.

1 box of whole wheat rotini

1/2 cup chopped black olives

1/2 can artichokes, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped tomatoes

pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Cook the pasta and while it’s still slightly warm add the olives, artichokes, tomatoes and toss, add some pepper and the cheese. Finally add some balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste. I usually serve these two items at the table along with some more cheese so people can add more if they want. For me the best way to serve this dish is at room temperature.

Leftovers…if there are any are great for the following day’s lunchbox.

Budget Smart Girl is taking a two week summer break starting next week. See you back here on August 8th.

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Recipe of the Week-Vanilla, Orange and Coconut Ice Cream Treat

In Budget Smart Cook on July 15, 2011 at 3:16 pm

It’s officially Ice Cream Month, it’s swelting hot, ice cream’s on sale everywhere and this week I thought I’d come up with a treat featuring it. I’ve never tried making it from scratch but with prices so low, I figure why not use a tub of ice cream as the base and go from there. I’m a huge fan of anything chocolate but sometimes chocolate ice cream can be a bit overwhelming so I opted to add it to vanilla ice cream.

One of my guilty pleasures is the Lindt Intense Orange so I got thinking about combining the two flavors and adding a third tropical taste, coconut.

This is a quick and easy treat to put together and inexpensive. The ice cream was $2.98 and I have to say one of the best vanilla ice creams I’ve tasted in a long time. The Lindt chocolate bar was $2.48 and the coconut was one of my pantry staples.

I used about half a tub of the ice cream. Place it in an ice cold bowl (one that’s suitable for the freezer) and break the chocolate into small pieces, add to the ice cream and then about 1/3 cup shredded coconut…more if you like and you can also toast it too. Mix everything together.

You can put it into the freezer as is or do as I did and scoop it into smaller tins…these are actually minute cake tins I’ve had for years. Freeze them and when it’s time to serve them, quickly plunge them into hot water and turn out onto a plate.

As you can see by the photo I left them in just a bit too long and the outer edges began to melt. Another addition could be a drizzle of chocolate syrup and some more coconut.

I can’t think of a better budget smart treat for a hot summer day.

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Mini Newsletter and another recipe

In Budget Smart Cook on June 30, 2011 at 5:42 pm

It’s been another busy week so thought as it’s leading up to a holiday weekend I’d combine this week’s recipe and article together. This time it’s sites and information I’ve had stored and bookmarked but never seem to find room in the newsletters to share it with you.

New Items at Target

A PR company sent with some information about the new products Target is offering called Kitchen Basics with Giada De Laurentiis. It’s a selection of items like Basil Pesto and Herb and Lemon Dipping Oil, these two items cost just $2.99 and sound perfect for summer grilling season. I haven’t tried them yet but I’m guessing they’ll make great gifts for the holidays too.

Water Savers

I’ve been installing new sod in the garden which means extra watering. Here’s a site offering tips on how to save on water inside and outside the house.

http://www.americanwater.com/49ways.php

One Stop Shopping

I found this site which has some links to deals, coupons, you name it-

http://www.shopathome.com/?IAFCG=joBkonRy2AgHqCJslve/vQ==

Sites for Coupons

Food prices are still on the rise which means coupons are a necessity when you head to the store. Here are some sites I found with lots of coupons and links to more.

http://www.bargainist.com/

http://www.couponalbum.com/new-coupons.htm

https://www.pgesaver.com/

Crazy Coupon Lady

Just the other day someone asked me if I’d heard about the Crazy Coupon Lady. I know the media’s been focusing on people who go to extremes with coupons and thought this might be another  one of those stories but it’s actually a wonderful site you should check out  (crazy is spelled with a K). I now have it bookmarked and intend to visit daily.

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

Perfect Cookies

One of my guilty pleasures is chocolate chip cookies and I found this today, no more excuses for making mediocre ones.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/10-tips-for-making-a-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookie-2502485/

Starting a Business?

I know lots of people are opting to start business when they lose their jobs and one hurdle is getting a loan. One requirement you need is a great business plan to show a bank or lender. This site has lots of resources for helping you put one together.

http://www.bplans.com/

Best Cleaning Products

I found this article yesterday on the Web. Nice to see some bargain priced items made the list-

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/634/the-best-cleaning-products/

This Week’s Recipe- Parmesan and Blue Cheese Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes

I made this recipe for the first time last year. A couple of weeks ago I found some oversized tomatoes and decided to make it again. Once again it’s a recipe you can make using items sitting in the pantry, in this case rice, cheese, onions, stock. The blue cheese gives this dish a nice flavor and you can serve it as a main dish or with fish or chicken. If you serve it on its own I suggest pairing it with some Italian bread. Serves 4

8 medium tomatoes or 4 large ones

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups boiling chicken stock

1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper

more parmesan cheese and some breadcrumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and remove seeds and core. Put the tomatoes into the baking dish.

Heat butter in a skillet and saute chopped onion. Add the rice and stir together. Slowly add the stock…about 1/2 cup at a time until it evaporates and then add the next 1/2 cup.

Cook and stir until rice is tender…about 15 minutes. Stir in cheeses and salt and pepper make sure everything is melted.  Put the rice mixture into each tomato and dust with some more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

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Recipe…sort of…Chicken Parmigiana

In Budget Smart Cook on June 24, 2011 at 2:29 pm

This week I thought I’d share one of my favorite desperation dinners with you. For those of you who run your own business or freelance, you know most days are spent marketing trying to bring in more work. Wednesday was that day for me. Most of the afternoon I tackled the task of sending out pitch ideas to editors and before I knew it, yep, it was dinnertime. I hate to even call this a recipe because it’s so easy to put together. One of my favorite treats at a local Italian restaurant is their eggplant parmigiana but it’s sometimes too time consuming for me to make at home, so this is the next best thing.

I used meatless patties but you can also use real chicken patties too. It serves 4 and is great paired with a salad and some ice cream for dessert.

1 package Boca ‘chick’in’ meatless patties

Half a 13.5 ounce box of spaghetti

1 14 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce

4 slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Chopped basil and Parmesan cheese as a topping.

Cook the spaghetti, toss with the sauce. Cook the patties and then place a slice of cheese on top of each one and broil or microwave until melted. Pour the spaghetti into a large serving bowl and top with the patties and then sprinkle with basil and more Parmesan cheese.

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Ways to Squeeze Organic and Natural Products into Your Budget

In Budget Smart Cook on June 22, 2011 at 6:09 pm

I have to admit I’m sold on organic products. They’re not as expensive as they once were but still can take a bit out your budget. However, I have found some ways to buy organic for less than you’d think-

Grow Your Own, Farmer’s Markets etc.

You’ve heard me say it many times but an easy way to eat organic foods is to grow your own. Another idea is to head to the local farmer’s market. They’re the best places to strike a deal if you buy in bulk and split the items with friends. And now that growing season is in full swing another option is to head to a farm where you can save money by picking your own produce.

Store Brands

 

One thing lots of people over look and that’s store brands. It’s a great way to afford all sorts of organic foods, like peanut butter and pizza and best of all the perfect way to buy organic veggies. Both of these bags of vegetables cost less than $1.90. I couldn’t buy that amount of food in the produce department for that small amount.

Warehouse Stores

I no longer have a membership to a warehouse store and I sometimes think it’s worth the cost just for all the organic foods I could buy there. Things like orange juice, field greens, cereal and cheese. See if you can tag along with someone with a membership. If you do buy organic produce in bulk either freeze it, use it quickly or share it with someone else because it tends to spoil faster. If you end up throwing it away it’s not a bargain.

Trader Joe’s

For those of you who’ve been reading Budget Smart Girl for years, you know how much I love a trip to Trader Joe’s. I always find lots of organic goodies there, great prices and even things like this shampoo which was $3.98. www.traderjoes.com Their Web site is fun too!

Online

I’ve found another way to buy organics on a budget is online. One place I always mention is http://www.vitacost.com/. If you type in organic food in a Google search you’ll probably find a whole bunch of other sites too.

Co-ops

I know prices at co-ops have been moving up rapidly too but I usually find bargains if I buy items in bags, like apples, pears and kiwis.

Bulk Bins

And you know another one of my favorite places to shop is in the bulk bin section of the supermarket. I buy everything from organic oatmeal to dried fruit there and at a fraction of the cost of prepackaged items.

What’s Important To You?

Like all things related to your budget, one way to afford what you really want is to know what’s important to you. For example, maybe you can cut back on soda and put the money toward some organic fruit or veggies.

Don’t Be Fooled By Imitations

One thing I’ve learned over the years (and as lots of companies have jumped on the natural bandwagon) is to check labels. Something might say natural or organic and still contain other non-natural or non-organic ingredients so don’t waste your money.

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