Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Dallas News.com ^ | March 14th, 2008 | DEAN FOSDICK

[nw_arizona_granny]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

[snipped]

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/h/home-style-bread-pudding.html

Home-Style Bread Pudding

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 each eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cup bread, 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup sugar, brown

1/2 cup raisins, or dates, chopped

In medium mixing bowl, combine eggs with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, bread, sugar, and raisins or dates. Pour into 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Place metal trivet or rack in bottom of crockpot. Add 1/2 cup hot water. Set baking dish on trivet. Cover pot; cook on High for about 2 hours. Serve pudding warm or cool. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/h/hungarian-goulash.html

Hungarian Goulash

Category: Beef

Ingredients and Directions

3 lb Lean Beef Chuck

2 tb Butter

2 c Chopped Onion

1 Minced Garlic Clove

1 tb Paprika

2 1/2 ts Salt

1/2 ts Caraway Seeds

1/2 c Coca-Cola

1/4 c Red Wine

4 lg Tomatoes, Peeled, Chopped

3 tb Flour

Water Hot Cooked Noodles

Cut the beef into 1/2 inch cubes, discarding the bone and fat. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and add the meat, stiring to brown on all sides. Remove the meat cubes as they brown. Saute the onion and garlic in the drippings until they are soft. Stirin the paprika, salt and caraway seeds; cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the meat, Coca-Cola, wine and tomatoes. Cover tightly and simmer for about 1-1/2 hours or until the meat is fork tender.

In a bowl, blend the flour with a little water to make a smooth paste; stir into goulash. Serve with hot noodles.

From: “International Cooking with Coca-Cola”, a give away pamphlet from The Coca-Cola Company, 1981.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/o/oriental-pork-roast.html

Oriental Pork Roast

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

4 pound pork roast

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoon ketchup

Mix ingredients together. Place roast in crockpot and pour mixture over it. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/o/orange-glazed-carrots.html

Orange-Glazed Carrots

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

3 cups Thinly sliced carrots

2 cups Water

1/4 teaspoon Salt

3 tablespoons Butter

3 tablespoons Orange marmalade

2 tablespoons Chopped pecans

Combine carrots, water and salt in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 hours or until tender. Drain well; stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high 20 to 30 minutes. From Crockery Cookery by Mable Hoffman.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/r/round-steak-italiano.html

Round Steak Italiano

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

1 1/2 pounds Round steak

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

1 can Spaghetti sauce — 15 oz

Cut the steaks into 5 or 6 serving pieces. Coat with salt, oregano, and pepper. Place the meat in a crockpot and pour spaghetti sauce over it. Cook 7 to 9 hours on LOW. Serve with noodles so you can spoon the sauce over them!

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/r/roast-pork-with-gravy-crock-pot.html

Roast Pork with Gravy (Crock Pot)

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

5-7 pound pork shoulder roast

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water, cold

Place pork roast in crockpot. Do not add water or seasoning. Cook on High 6 to 8 hours until well-cooked. Drain drippings into small saucepan; thicken with 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch stirred into 1/4 cup cold water; season gravy to taste.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/potato-stuffed-cabbage.html

Potato Stuffed Cabbage

Category: Rice

Ingredients and Directions

1 Head cabbage

5 lb Potatoes peeled

2 Onions

1/2 c Rice, raw

1 t Dill, dried

1/4 t Black pepper ground

2 Egg whites

1 cn Tomatoes (28 oz)

1 Apple peeled and sliced

1/4 t Ginger, dried ground

Parboil cabbage and separate the leaves. Slice off part of the heavy stalk of each leaf by slicing parallel to the leaf (do not cut into the leaf).

Grate potatoes, small inner leaves of cabbage, and one of the onions. Mix together. Add rice, dill, and black pepper. Beat egg whites until frothy and add to potato mixture.

Set aside two or three of the largest leaves. Fill each remaining cabbage leaf with approximately 2 Tbsp of the potato mixture. Fold up bottom of leaf, then fold in the sides, and roll up. Secure with toothpick if necessary.

Slice the reserved leaves and line the bottom of crock pot with them. Slice second onion and layer on top of cabbage. Add tomatoes, apple, and ginger. Place rolled stuffed cabbages into pot. Cook at low heat for 4 to 5 hours. Shared by karpen

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/pork-chops-crazy-crockpot-standing-up.html

Pork Chops Crazy Crockpot Standing Up

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

4 each loin pork chops, lean

2 each onions, sliced

1 teaspoon butter

1 salt, to taste

1 pepper, to taste

1 spices of your choice

Stand chops in crockpot, thin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices of your choice. Cover with the onion slices, which have been separated into rings. Place butter on top, and cook on LOW heat for 6 to 8 hours, or until chops are tender and onions are done. The result is moist, tender chops with a deep brown color as if broiled in the oven.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/pork-chops-and-gravy.html

Pork Chops And Gravy

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

6 each pork, chops, thick

1 flour, for dredging

2 each garlic, cloves, minced

1 each tomatoe paste, can

1 each mushrooms, can, drained

1 each mushroom soup, can, undiluted

1 garlic, salt

Dredge pork chops in flour, salt and pepper, and place in crockpot. Add remiaing ingredients and cook on Low all day, 5-6 hours or until pork chops are tender. Serve over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/polish-baked-pork-loin.html

Polish Baked Pork Loin

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 tb My seasoning (follows)

4 lb Bone-in or boneless pork-loin roast Flour, all purpose 3 tb Vegetable oil

2 Med onions; chopped

3 Granny smith apples*

1 c Apple juice

3 tb Brown sugar

1 ts Ground ginger

* Peeled, shredded or sliced thin THIS IS AN EXCELLANT PORK ROAST (PIECZONA POLEDWICA WIEPRZOWA) Pat roast dry. Cover with My Seasoning. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle roast with flour until evenly coated.

Preheat oven to 325F. degrees (165C). Heat oil in a large skillet. Add roast; cook over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Place browned roast in a deep baking dish. Add onions to skillet cooking juices; saute’ over medium heat until tender.

Remove from heat. Stir apples into onions, add brown sugar and ginger; spoon mixture over roast. Add water to the bottom of baking dish.

Cook, uncovered 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until tender. Baste every 20 minutes, adding enough water to make sure at least 1 cup
cooking juices remains in baking dish throughout cooking time.

When done, remove meat and strain cooking juices. Slice meat and serve hot with side dish of strained juices.

CROCKPOT: Layer apples and onions mixture on bottom of crock-pot. Add roast. Mix apple juice or water (use only 1/4 cup) with brown sugar and ginger.

Spoon over top surface of roast, moistening well. Cover and cook on low setting 8-10 hours or until done.

NOTE: For Crock-Pot use only 1/4 cup liquid.

My Seasoning:

1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder, and one half part ground pepper. Mix well before adding to recipe.

---

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/pineapple-bread.html

Pineapple Bread

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 each egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, or margarine, melted

1 cup pineapple, crushed, drained

1 cup dates, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, butter, pineapple, dates and nuts with a wooden spoon. Stir fruit mixture into dry ingredients until moistened.

Pour into well-greased and floured bread ‘n cake pan, cover. Place in slow cooker. Cover and bake on High 3-4 hours or until tested done with a wooden pick.

Remove pan and uncover. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Unmold on cake rack. To store, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate.

Recipe suitable for 3-1/2 or 5 quart slow cooker.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/peppers-and-steak-kxmt69b.html

Peppers and Steak (Kxmt69b)

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

2 lb Lean round steak

2 ea Green peppers, chopped

2 T Minced dried onion

1 c Beef boullion

1/4 c Soy sauce

1/2 t Ground ginger

1/2 t Garlic powder

Cut steak into serving size portions. Place half the steak in Crockpot. Arrange green peppers on steak. Place remaining steak on top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat. cover and cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 4 to 5 hours. Each serving: 186 calories.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.freecookingrecipes.net/recipes/crock-pot-and-slow-cooker/p/portuguese-sopas.html

Portuguese Sopas

Category: Crock Pot And Slow Cooker

Ingredients and Directions

5 pound chuck roast, whole

2 each onions, chopped

2 each tomatoes, whole, cans, diced

1 each tomato sauce, 15 oz can

1 each bay leaf (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1 teaspoon cloves, whole

2 teaspoon allspice, whole

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1 tablespoon garlic powder

3 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 cup red wine

4 qt water

1 each cabbage head, quartered

1 salt, to taste

1 pepper, to taste

4 each mint, fresh, sprigs or dried

1-2 each french bread, loaves

Use a 6-8 quart pot and fill 1/2 to 2/3 full. Put meat, chopped onions, cinnamon, sauces, ketchup, wine and spices into pot and bring to a boil. Put the whole spices into a tea ball and submurge in broth. Check meat and right before it starts to flake, remove from the pot and let cool. Cut into bite size pieces while cabbage is cooking, and return to the pot after the cabbage is done. Should take on a slow burner about 2 to 3 hours. Better flavor for the meat in the crockpot.

Cabbage and mint are the last things to be added. Cabbage should be boiled to translucent, but not so they break up. Last thing to add before you turn off heat is mint. Mint is the crowning touch and flavor. Mint is a must and adds such a wonderful flavor to the Soupas.

Serve Soupas over french bread slices, also have a buttered piece of bread too and enjoy!

[nw_arizona_granny]

Yes, you should have a crockpot.

They do not need to be fancy, about $30. at Walmart.

Get a big one, as you will want to freeze part of your foods.

They do not heat up the house, now the pot is removable and easy to wash.

And food in them tastes good, beans soups and roasts.

The best Corned Beef that I have ever had, my sister cooked this year, just plopped it in the pot, dumped the packet of seasoning on top and put the lid on, no added liquid, 4 or 5 hours later she started adding the carrots, pots and then a bit later the cabbage.

I am just checking the thread, as I have been busy posting and be sure to take a look at the other crockpot recipes that I just posted, several I will make, these are after your post in 5035 and of course the entire thread is sprinkled with them.

[metmom]

Folding clothes and making beds, wastes so many hours of ones life.

LOL!!

I have a quote from a columnist (I don't recall who) taped to my sewing machine. It reads:

Housework is a massive exercise in futility. You can devote your entire life to cleaning up dirt, and then when you die, they bury you under 6 feet of it.... how pointless.

[trisham]

Thanks!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

BUMP for tonight. I will, Granny! I’ve just been “busy” living my Simple Life, LOL!

[leda]

oh don’t get me wrong, he has been allowed in on occasion.
sadly, not the best of outcomes on those occasions. tho,
he does a fine job cooking out on his king daddy grill! :)

when we bought this place from patton’s parents, it was a
pretty tricky thing moving one household out and another
one in. to make it run a bit smoother, we did the kitchens
all at one time. patton and his dad brought in the boxes
with my kitchen stuff, i unpacked them on the dining room
table, his mom found their equivalent and packed it back up
in my box and i put my things away in the same cupboard.
end result was simple, kitchen items have all been in the
exact same spots for the last 30 or so years. you’d think
mr. patton would know where to find and replace things by
now, wouldn’t you? ;)

the recipes you and other have posted sound delicious!
thank you!

[nw_arizona_granny]

Housework is a massive exercise in futility. You can devote your entire life to cleaning up dirt, and then when you die, they bury you under 6 feet of it.... how pointless.<<<

LOL, and it is perfect...

When I think of all the hours I wasted, in my younger days we stripped and waxed the kitchen floor every week or so, if my floor didn’t shine, then I had fits till it did.

Today if it shinned, I would more than likely slip and fall.

[nw_arizona_granny]

You are welcome and let us know if you have questions, someone will come up with an answer.

Think of a crockpot as a dutch oven with built in heat.