Posted on 06/12/2007 4:07:45 AM PDT by Kaslin
Growing up in a family of seven posed all sorts of culinary challenges. It was impossible, for instance, to divide a 12-pack of Popsicles evenly, or a cherry pie, without angering somebody. Bruised feelings were also inevitable whenever my mom pulled out the cookie sheets or a Duncan Hines cake mix. After she finished making the batter, the kids fought for the beater, spatula and bowl.
To end these kitchen free-for-alls, I decided to become the cook so I could claim ownership over any leftover cookie dough or icing. I started cooking in grade school and never stopped. In journalism school, my goal was to one day replace Craig Claiborne, the longtime food critic of The New York Times. I abandoned that idea after concluding that if I wrote about cooking for a living, I'd probably stop enjoying it.
What does this have to do with personal finance? Well it's a stretch, but since this is the third anniversary of my column, I thought I'd mix my love of cooking with my love of saving money. With gasoline prices rising, budgets are even tighter, but I see little evidence of people saving money by cooking. Look at any grocery store today and you'll find the expanded freezer sections stuffed with foods like pot roast, french toast, fried chicken and vegetable soup that people used to prepare themselves.
This willingness to spend more and get less is just as evident in the produce section where you can buy fruits and vegetables already sliced. When I was at the grocery store last week, I was amazed to find red potatoes that were already chopped. Who knew people couldn't cut up potatoes themselves?
The potatoes were near other unnecessary items like diced bell peppers and snack-sized packages of celery for lunches. The little package of celery costs $2.29, or about 33 cents an ounce. That might not sound so horrible unless you realize that buying a stalk of celery at that price would cost you more than $5 a pound.
While I was at the store, I paid $1 for a cantaloupe that weighed two pounds, but steps away from the pile of fat cantaloupes, I found precut cantaloupe that would have cost me $6.99 for 20 ounces. I can't help but wonder who buys precut fruit at these prices.
All this convenience comes with a higher price tag - and in the case of frozen entrees - less taste. I found lots of expensive food in the freezer case too, including a two-pound package of frozen pork ribs for $13.59. A few aisles away, the store was having a great sale on fresh pork ribs for just $1 a pound.
Some people assume that clipping coupons is all you need to do to save money at the grocery store, but that's not true. It's often the processed foods that offer coupons, which is why I rarely find any worth clipping. Instead, you can save money by buying healthful foods and cooking them yourself. If people tried cooking good wholesome meals from scratch, even just once or twice a week, they could probably shrink their grocery bill.
To get you started, I'm sharing my recipe for roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, which I've been making for my family for many years. It not only tastes good, but it's pretty easy to make and it costs much less than a frozen chicken dinner.
ROASTED CHICKEN
Most people dry chickens out by roasting them on low heat. Unless you enjoy chicken shoe leather, broil the chicken first to trap the juices.1 chicken (I buy mine at whatever grocery store is selling them for 99 cents a pound or less.)
Set oven for broil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and broil in roasting pan for 10 or 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the chicken's drumstick is easily pulled out. For a 4.5-pound chicken, the bird should be done within 90 minutes.
MASHED POTATOES
3 pounds potatoes - Idaho or Yukon Gold
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup cream, half & half or milk
Peel potatoes, cut in large chunks and simmer in pot of water until barely soft. Drain thoroughly. Beat potatoes and butter together with a mixer or use a potato masher. Add liquid and combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
GRAVY
Most people would require hypnosis before they'd believe they can make gravy, but it's not hard. And making your own is far better than the jarred gravy glop that stores sell.1 cup drippings from roasted chicken1/3 cup flour1 can chicken broth
Heat chicken drippings in a pot on medium heat and then stir in flour. Continue stirring over medium heat for about a minute. The mixture should become a paste. Gradually add the broth. Continue stirring until the gravy combines and gets thicker. Season with salt and pepper.
If you don't have a cup of drippings, I generally use a ratio of three parts drippings to one part flour. If the gravy seems too thick, add a little water.
Enjoy your show of homecooking which still goes farther on the $$ than process foods!:)
I MAY be in love.
Thanks for the link.
Tax Chick told me Food Lion carries it, and that is my everyday supermarket, so I will see about getting some this weekend.
Spend the time peeling potatos with them. It's good quality time, and it's teaching them a little about self-sufficiency. I firmly believe we are coming to a time in our history when those of us that can take care of ourselves will be the ones thriving, while those that depend on the government, and government mandated modified foods, are gonna be looking for a way out of that morass.
The funny thing about those conveniently cut up veggies is that they started it with lettuce and it was to use the lettuce that had sand in it or other blemishes and couldn’t be marketed as a whole head and then they acted like they were doing it for your convenience. It is good lettuce, it is just that it isn’t blemish free when it goes to market.
Mons are really a blessing and the Lord Loves & values Moms.
It also helps with reading (recipes), science (chemical changes with heat application), and math (fractions while measuring).
My daughter enjoys reading my cookbooks as much as I do. Last week she asked me if she could have her own account at www.recipezaar.com so that she could start a cookbook there like I have.......she'll be 9 next month :)
I did not say I did not love them. I do. But when you run into my situation it is tough. My wife and I are having major trouble and she is trying to screw me on the custody. So I am trapped until I can figure out what to do. Just a little bitter right now.
That being said if I had to do it all over I would NEVER get married. PERIOD. It is not worth the freakin trouble.
We grow herbs, but I incline toward vegetarian when I’m cooking. Dead animals are just too much work, compared to beans.
My Food Lion has it; can’t vouch for yours!
It also has the best selection of fresh and dried peppers in the area, suggesting that our hermanas Mexicanas are shopping there.
My 5yr old son can mix up pancake batter, and bread dough from reading the recipes. He hasn’t technically started Kindergarten yet, but he is already reading at a 2nd grade level, and comprehending it. Much to our detriment, his favorite reading seems to be some old Calvin & Hobbes books, we have never read these books to him (for obvious reasons), you should hear him laugh when he reads them to himself, it’s scary.
Ooh! My grammar is scary too.
My 5-year-old reads P.J. O’Rourke.
My coworkers are envious as I pull out my lunches from the breakroom refrigerator. My lunches are usually savory leftovers from last night’s home-cooked meal while theirs are usually “Light Done Right” or some such frozen dinner.
Not necessarily true. You need to be a little more careful in who you marry, and you still need a whole lot of luck, and more than a little in the way of Blessings from God. I’ve been married twice. I did much better the second time, but that was not really through any intelligence or wisdom on my part, to be honest. I probably won’t marry a third time, as I’ve spent nearly 25 years getting used to this one, and her used to me. We’ve worn the rough spots off, so to speak. There was quite a bit of friction involved, there, too!
Even if I was there watching you, I probably couldn’t give you any truly constructive advice, so mostly I won’t, but don’t give up just yet. If you are absolutely certain that your marriage is gone, try at least to establish a decent post-divorce relationship with the ex. You and your kids will profit by it, I can guarantee that! (I have three ex-stepfathers, and a step-mom. Note the difference between the ways I refer to them.)
Cool.
Sometimes it is. Sometimes he lectures adults on the Persian Gulf War and confuses people.
He likes to read recipes, too.
I always roast my birds upside down. Then I flip them over to brown the top the last 20 minutes or so.
I’ve been exceptionally blessed, as I have two moms. I probably wouldn’t have survived without both of them, I can tell you. My wife is not anywhere near perfect, but she suits me. I’d be lost without her. I think my kids are both lucky and blessed to have her, too.
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