The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: MikeDeMontreal on January 25, 2017, 04:09:31 AM
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Hey guys,
What food do you normally prepare at home, instead of buying the expensive and/or unhealthy version at the supermarket ?
Personally, I experienced so far with :
- Hummus: the classic case of an expansive grocery item that takes 3 minutes to prepare at home.
- Pesto: Great if you have your own garden for the basil
- Chicken wings/ribs: I just throw them in a ziplock bag with a dry rub for 24 hours instead of buying the disgusting and terribly unhealthy version
- Salsa: much more healthy than the supermarket version
I'm now preparing my kombucha, hopefully it will turn OK
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Garbanzo bean chips
Yogurt
Salsa
Granola
Pesto
Pasta sauce
Wouldn't wings and ribs just be cooking. How is that different from cooking chicken breast and pork butts etc.
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Ketchup
Mayo
BBQ sauce
Salsa
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Bread (New York Times no knead version)
Almond Milk
Crackers from the almond pulp
Oatmeal mixed with fruit and nuts instead of cereal
Pesto
Hummus (Alton Brown)
Pasta sauce
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Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers
Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home in 5 min..."
If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...
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I found a cookbook called Lost Recipes for $1.00 at the Library Book sale last weekend. Since Sunday, I have made homemade Tomato Soup, Spoon Bread and Gingerbread from scratch. Last night was a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, today will be chicken soup from the stock.
Recently, Costco dropped Mountain High yogurt (3.99/64 oz) in favor of something-I've-never-seen-before Organic (6.99/64 oz.), bleargh. Time to start making yogurt again.
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Pizza is so easy, here is the crust recipe, most exspensive thing is the yeast.
2-1/4 cups flour
(1) yeast packet
(1) teaspoon salt
(1) teaspoon sugar
Warm water to bind
Oil the bowl beforehand and your hands before kneading
When dough is prepared, sit someplace warm for at least 20 minutes to rise
Spread dough on baking sheet and use whatever toppings you like, 400 degree oven.
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Pizza is so easy, here is the crust recipe, most exspensive thing is the yeast.
2-1/4 cups flour
(1) yeast packet
(1) teaspoon salt
(1) teaspoon sugar
Warm water to bind
Oil the bowl beforehand and your hands before kneading
When dough is prepared, sit someplace warm for at least 20 minutes to rise
Spread dough on baking sheet and use whatever toppings you like, 400 degree oven.
Yeast is sooo cheap at Costco. If you don't have a membership, ask a friend who does to grab a block of it for you.
Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
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Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe![/quote]
Best I can describe the process:
Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork.
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water.
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.
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salsa
hummus (first batch last weekend and it was great!)
chicken broth
cream of chicken soup
granola
working on bread-learning now, first effort was so-so but optimistic I'll get there
chicken nuggets
Hoping to have a much longer list by the end of this year
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Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:
Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork.
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water.
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.
Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.
My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:
1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.
2. Bean soup. Vegetarian or w/meat. 15 servings for $5-$8. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors enhance. Freezes well.
3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6. No broth, no veg.
Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.
My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:
1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.
2. Bean soup. Vegetarian or w/meat. 15 servings for $5-$8. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors enhance. Freezes well.
3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6. No broth, no veg.
Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.
i would say b/c IMO this should be typically packaged pre made things at the grocery store. like sauces and chips and pizzas etc. not i cooked chicken or pork or beef etc.
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Things we do regularly:
Pizza dough/Pizza
Frozen Breakfast Burritos
Guacamole
Taco shells
Taco seansoning
Tea (Sweetened or Unsweetened)
Microwave Lunches (ok, maybe just leftovers but basically the same thing)
Flavored rice (beef/chicken/Spanish/etc)
Canned beans
Things we do occasionally:
Salsa
Ranch Dip & Dressing
Bread
Sushi (we did a date night/cooking class)
Cupcakes
Ice Cream/Popsicles
Single serving Oatmeal packages
Thing we would like to do:
Canned veggies
Spices
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Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers
Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home in 5 min..."
If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...
I always chuckle a little when my in-laws pay for pre-formed patties.
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Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:
Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork.
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water.
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.
Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!
I believe this is the recipe we use ... I am not the cook of the house.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe.html
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Pizza, cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, muffins, rosemary buns, sometimes naan and rolls for sandwiches
Roasted red pepper hummus, applesauce, roasted red peppers (which I freeze for hummus and sandwiches)
Cooked beans from dry
Taco seasoning
Fresh salsa for tacos (but I still buy cooked store salsa for chips)
Also "When dough is prepared" is a little vague. How long should the dough be kneaded? By hand or with a food processor? Do you add more flour? Can you be a little more specific? I want to try this recipe!
Best I can describe the process:
Dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add warm water and stir with a fork.
When it gets good and thick, fork no longer works, so oil your hands and just work it into a ball
You want to wind up with dough about the consistency of playdough, so careful not to add too much water.
Put ball of kneaded dough in a bowl, cover with towel and set on top of stove where it's warm as your oven pre-heats
Just use your (oiled) hands to flatten it out on a big (oiled) baking sheet, thinner the better, then pinch form the outside edge
Spread out some marinara or red sauce of your preference
Add meats and veggies
Cover with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, check bottom of crust with a spatula to assure it gets a little crispy, may need to leave in a little longer.
Thanks Fishindude, but my questions were specifically about the kneading part, since I'm not an experienced yeast bread baker. How long to knead? By hand or can you use a food processor? Add flour when kneading or no? What should the texture be like? I can do all the other parts, it's the kneading I'm unsure of. Thank you!
Here's the recipe/process I use for pizza. We cut it into 8 pieces. 2 pieces is a decent meal. Once you get good at it, you can make pizza in less than an hour.
- Slice an 8-oz container of cheap mushrooms. Slice any other veggies you may want to use.
- Drizzle olive oil in skillet heated to medium, drop in mushrooms, drizzle in more oil, add some salt and pepper. Let the mushrooms sit undisturbed until the water has come out of them, has boiled away, and they have started to sizzle once more. Then scrape up and stir the mushrooms as they brown. Add in any other veggies (bell pepper? onion?) that you want on the pizza. Once those have lost a little water, turn off the burner/hob.
- Mix:
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or more AP, if you don't have whole wheat)
2 1/4 tsp (equivalent of 1 packet) quick-rise/bread machine yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
in a big bowl. - Run the tap until the water is hot enough that it is just under the edge of uncomfortable, then mix in 1 cup of that tap water and 2 Tbsp olive oil.
- Stir with a big wooden spoon. Maybe you will have a little dry flour around the edges of the bowl, but that is okay. Dump the dough out onto your counter that has had a layer of AP flour added. Dust a little more AP flour over the top of the dough. Knead the dough vigorously for at least five minutes. You can add a little AP flour at a time if needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the counter, but don't add more than the minimum. Pizza dough is supposed to be a wetter dough. No one can be too specific about how much flour you'll need because it depends on humidity in your house, among other things.
- When you get sick of kneading, put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terrycloth, something smooth that the dough won't eat). Let it sit somewhere warm for 20 minutes or until you are tired of waiting.
- Meanwhile, clean off the floury counter, wash what dishes you can, slice up some mozzerella (I usually use 8 oz sliced thinly with this much dough), grate some parmesan, get out the marinara sauce (or pizza sauce or spicy Fra Diavolo sauce!), and preheat the oven to 400°F. Last, get out a rolling pin and the cookie sheet or pizza pan.
- Eh, it's probably been long enough! Roll out your pizza dough to the size of your metal cooking flat thing. Once the oven is preheated, pop in just that crust for 7 minutes.
- When the first bake is done, use a spoon to crush any massive air bubbles that may have turned half your pizza into a stupid balloon. Cover the crust with sauce, then parmesan, then mozzerella, then your pan-fried veggies. Bake for 7+ more minutes, at least until the mozz is melted, but if you want the mozz to brown a bit, that might be tasty.
I'm sure you could use a stand mixer for the dough, but I don't have one. You really aren't going to mess up the dough much whatever you do, as it should be pretty flat bread ideally whatever happens. The edges will naturally end up a little thicker than the middle, so you don't need to fuss with pinching them into a certain shape.
I use two 1-cup measuring cups: one for water, one for flour. Then, I use the flour measuring cup to add flour a bit at a time to the dough when kneaded as needed (haha). This way I don't have a big pile of flour off to the side that might be contaminated and never used.
I strongly recommend frying or otherwise cooking mushrooms and bell peppers before using them on pizza. Mushrooms, the little stinkers, release a LOT of water when they are cooked. That's fine in your pan, because the water boils away, but fresh mushrooms on your pizza will leave you with gross puddles on your cheese (or still-raw mushrooms). Raw peppers are also pretty bad about this, but not as bad as mushrooms.
I cook the crust a bit before adding toppings because this seems to keep the crust from ending up soggy on top.
Make sure you like the sauce you chose for the pizza. If you don't like the sauce, you won't like your pizza.
Once you've made this a couple times, you can make it a stuffed-crust pizza by rolling the dough out 1 inch wider on all sides, slicing another 8 oz of mozzerella into little logs, and folding those mozz logs into the edges of the dough. Pinch it pretty well sealed all around, but don't worry if you get a massive mozz leak into the center of your pizza.
Another thing you can try later is to leave the basil and oregano out of the crust and top the crust (after first bake) with sliced tomatoes, salt and freshly ground pepper, lots of chopped garlic, chopped basil, parm cheese, and last mozz cheese. (This has no sauce.) It is pretty good with tasty ripe tomatoes, and the tomatoes don't release a lot of water.
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Bread (New York Times no knead version)
Almond Milk
Crackers from the almond pulp
Oatmeal mixed with fruit and nuts instead of cereal
Pesto
Hummus (Alton Brown)
Pasta sauce
How do you make your own almond milk? (I'm not even sure what that is)
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Kimchi. Crazy cheap to make at home, but now the Whole Foods crowd has caught onto it and is willing to pay $12/quart.
Kombucha. About a quarter a bottle if you make it yourself, three and a half bucks at the store.
Seasoning "blends"
Sauces/Gravy
Chicken stock
Salad dressing
Lard
Tallow
Guacamole
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I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water. Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk. Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container. I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk.
I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.
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I add dates, cinnamon and vanilla to the blender. I use a clean white flour sack dish towel to squeeze out the milk.
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Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.
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Pancakes not from mix:
Mix dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I do a mounded 1 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Make buttermilk'ish milk:
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
mix and set aside for ~5 minutes
1 egg whisked
1 tsp vanilla
add buttermilk mixture
pour into dry ingredients and whisk just until only small lumps remain
Cook on medium low heat. Serve with maple syrup (don't go cheap on syrup!).
Been a staple at our house and we have not bought pancake mix in about almost a decade. Great with wild blueberries added (add them in the pan, not the batter).
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I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water. Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk. Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container. I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk.
I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.
I use to faff around with nut bags and cheesecloth, then I discovered this: http://www.thepretendbaker.com/easiest-cashew-milk-ever/ (http://www.thepretendbaker.com/easiest-cashew-milk-ever/)
Instant nut milk, whenever I want it, no straining. Pretty life changing if you are dairy-free.
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Hummus - it is fun to make variations like sweet potato or red pepper
Salsa
Guacamole
Hot sauce
Bread (biscuits, pizza crust)
Corn tortillas
Vegan cheese (a couple varieties)
Vegan sour cream
Various bean soups/chilis/curries made from dried beans
Marinara sauce
Nut milks/rice milk
Veggie stock
French fries
Vegan ice cream
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Hey guys,
What food do you normally prepare at home, instead of buying the expensive and/or unhealthy version at the supermarket ?
I eat a lot of soup in the winter months. I like vegetable soup with beef, potato soup, and chili.
Many years ago I bought cans, but now I never even consider canned soup.
It's all home made for me now. It tastes better, it's healthier, it's cheaper, and I make a huge pot and eat on it for days.
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With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!
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Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.
Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way? I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since. Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash... And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.
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Chicken stock, using the bones of a roast chicken + carrot parings, onion ends, and other leftover vegetable trimmings that I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
"Garbage muffins" using any odds and ends of leftover fruit.
Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way? I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since. Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash... And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.
Any good stock should have 'aromatics' of some sort in it, which includes onions, garlic, and celery among other things. I no longer out carrots in my stock as I find that makes it too sweet. Also, my go to for this kind of thing is The Food Lab. See eg http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/how-to-make-rich-flavorful-easy-chicken-stock.html
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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Huh! I never thought that any good stock is complete without onions! I usually throw some oil on the bottom of the pan, then empty my trimmings bag (no potato or brassica trimmings, though) to brown and caramelize. If I feel that the mix could do with extra carrot, parsley, or celery, I'll also throw some in-- though I hate to waste a perfectly good new vegetable just for stock.
Speaking of perfectly good onion ends... just thought of something that Mustachians would like. Will start a topic in a minute.
[Edit]
Here it is! Mustachian gardening from leftovers (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/mustachian-gardening-67564/)
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Do onions affect the taste of the stock in a noticeable way? I read something a while back about that, and haven't put onions in my stock ever since. Maybe I should rethink this... All those poor onion ends in my trash... And I love onions, and they are super healthy too of course.
I usually don't bother putting aromatics in my chicken stock anymore, so I guess it's really a bone broth, but in the past, have not only used onions, but their skins. Brown onion skins give it a nice golden color. My bone bag in the freezer right now has chicken bones, leek greens and parsley stems - great use for those instead of the trash. I make it in the crockpot until the bones break apart. When chilled, I have "chicken jello".
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With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!
I will keep my fingers crossed for you! Good luck, and enjoy!
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I make almond milk by soaking one cup of raw almonds overnight in 2 or 3 cups of water. Drain and then blend the almonds with 3 - 4 cups of water until there are only bits of almond in the milk. Strain the milk and refrigerate or freeze in the appropriate size container. I do the same with coconut to make coconut milk.
I strain the milks through a fine mesh nylon bag but you could use cheesecloth or something else.
Thanks! I was really wondering about this.
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- Pizza Peppers (mixed hot peppers, ground) and cayenne pepper powder (very finely ground, no seeds).
- Baked pumpkins or squash for pie
- Pie crust (I use an almond flour base but homemade with white flour is super easy too)
- Any kind of Marinade is a combination of base ingredients, made at home (soy sauce, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire, wine, etc)
- Cocktail sauce for Shrimp (horseradish mixed with ketchup)
Just to name a few!
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Pasta sauce
pizza sauce
hummus - though my favorite way has evolved to where I'm not sure it's hummus any more, it's tex-mex and smoky and hot
cheese cakes - I keep finding new recipies to try
english muffins - I don't eat them often enough to buy them
pork and beans - mine is more of a casserole and starts with roasting tomatoes
meatballs - I know they sell them, no idea how many people make their own
burritos
I've made 4 pizza crusts now; still fine tuning it
I'm going to make ketchup this next summer - store bought is to sweet to me, so I don't user much; when it's half gone I throw it out as it's a yr old.
I don't buy prepared or snack foods. I end up eating crackers when I'm to hurried or hungry to cook. I should look into making my own. And nacho chips, then I could make salsa for them.
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Wouldn't wings and ribs just be cooking. How is that different from cooking chicken breast and pork butts etc.
Where I live (Montreal), whenever someone says that he'll bring chicken wings, you can assume that it will be the gross pack of wings that you buy for 10$ a dozen. Same thing for the ribs. I guess the BBQ culture is not really strong here.
At the same time, I saw another post about pre-made hamburger patties. I don't think I've ever seen someone buy/eat those !
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Soya milk
Vegetarian meatballs and patties
Apple sauce
Cakes and muffins
Bread
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I actually made coconut milk yesterday! which killed two birds with one stone because I didn't want to go to the grocery store just for that one thing and I also had a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes growing old in the pantry.
Told husband, he laughed and said, "How do you milk a coconut? I didn't know they had udders!"
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Vegetarian meatballs and patties
Ooo, can you share any recipes?
I actually made coconut milk yesterday! which killed two birds with one stone because I didn't want to go to the grocery store just for that one thing and I also had a bag of unsweetened coconut flakes growing old in the pantry.
Told husband, he laughed and said, "How do you milk a coconut? I didn't know they had udders!"
Tell him GMO has been getting more sophisticated lately. ;)
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Since we have been more conscious about eating at home we've found a lot of things are not as hard to make as you would think.
Pizza dough is super easy especially with a kitchen aid mixer to do the work
Tortillas - we just use olive oil, flour, and salt ( I think)
Coconut oil pie crust
honey mustard sauce (literally a spoon of mustard and a spoon of honey mixed together)
ketchup
we find many recipes here: http://minimalistbaker.com/ (http://minimalistbaker.com/)
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Bread
tortillas
yogurt
oatmeal/bran muffins
ginger beef
pizza/pasta sauce
pasta
chicken cordon bleu
BBQ salmon
mascarpone cheese
sticky toffee pudding
cheesecake
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Hmmm... lots of stuff?
I buy coffee beans and make my own latte every day. We also buy tea leaves, and sometimes tea bags, rather than buy bottled tea.
I make and can my own salsa, relish, jam, fruit, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, apple butter, even can chicken.
I make my own biscuits, waffles, pancakes, quick breads rather than buying a mix or a tube of dough. Sometimes I make my own bread, but not always. If I'm making biscuits, cornbread, pie crusts and things, I'll make up my own "mix" and put the dry ingredients into a ziplock bag or small mason jar, that way I don't have to measure all the ingredients every time I want to cook something up quick.
We cook most our own meals, rarely eat out or get convenience/frozen/canned meals (things like stir fry, soups, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc).
I've made mozzarella before, and while it was awesome, it's more work than I want to do at this time, so I just buy it at the store.
I try to do things I can throw in the freezer for individual meals as well... meatloaf cooked in muffin tins, lasagna or "layered enchiladas" (layer like lasagna rather than roll individual enchiladas), things like that.
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Beer. I can do low-end micro brew quality for about 10-11 bucks a case.
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I dug up the original thread on this topic:http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/diy-food-items/ (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/diy-food-items/)
There are TONS of great ideas and instructions for people who want to explore a little more food DIY :)
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Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.
High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy. If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.
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Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.
High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy. If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.
YES! I found a new favorite way of doing popcorn. I know most people just don't have these things on hand, but I tend to get lots of fancy pants food gifts involving truffle.
Fresh popped popcorn with a melted ghee (or butter) that has had some truffle honey melted into it. Then sprinkled with truffle salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It is AMAZING a little sweet a little salty, a little bite from the pepper and comes out very much like Kettle Corn. sooo good!
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Hamburgers/ cheeseburgers
Not sure if that applies since I'm not butchering the meat myself or anything... but I remember reading somewhere about one individual critic of the McDonalds franchising idea saying something like: "you can cook a burger at home in 5 min..."
If you think about this -- it really is funny and kind of true. In any case I always make a burger at home now -- it takes 5 min...
I always chuckle a little when my in-laws pay for pre-formed patties.
FWIW...
In my observation at Costco, frozen pre-formed hamburger patties are about $0.30/lb cheaper than fresh ground beef. I've contemplated buying them in place of regular ground beef, but I normally just end up waiting until it's a loss leader or close-date-markdown at the grocery store instead.
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Brioche buns / ciabatta / french bread / cuban bread / artisanal loaf
Pizza dough / grilled pizza
Muffins / cornbread / cake / pie crusts / pancakes & waffles
Frosting / icing / fruit pie fillings
Salad dressings / marinades / cream of anything sauces
Beef bone broth / chicken stock / broth
Seasoning mixes / taco mix / chili mix / curry / garam masala
Pita bread / naan / corn & flour tortillas
All curries - Thai, Indian, n.African
Pico do Gallo / salsa / hummus / tzatziki / refried beans
Pre shaped or prepared meat of all kinds (we rotisserie our own chicken, shape our own patties & meatballs, etc)
All beans from dried (yay instant pot!)
Basically, cooking from scratch is how I build my self worth. ;)
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Guacamole - so much better than storebought!
Applesauce - not necessarily cost effective unless the apples are cheap/in season
Dried Mango
Dried Apple Chips
Vegetable Stock
Marinades - my current favorite is a "cranberry ketchup" recipe that tastes like a cross between cranberry sauce and Worcester, made a batch and canned a while ago
Bruschetta/Salsas - most recently a mango salsa and a roasted red pepper bruschetta
Pizza Dough
Various Breads - I do still buy sourdough, haven't mastered that one yet
Other baked goods
Tea, esp Iced Tea - always have a pitcher in the fridge
Liquors/Cordials - I got really into this last year, great fun
Extracts - Vanilla is the big one, but also made orange, almond, mint, etc.
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With This Herring -
That is awesome! Thank you for taking the time to 'splain all the steps. Mark my words, before this week is over, I will have made pizza from scratch, with your help. I will report back. Wow! Thank you!!!
I will keep my fingers crossed for you! Good luck, and enjoy!
With This Herring, your good instructions and crossing your fingers worked! Darnit, though, we scarfed it down without remembering to take a picture.
So, I basically did the lazy woman's version. I had no garlic powder, so I omitted it. My yeast was old, so I proofed it first with a little sugar. Too lazy to knead, I dumped everything in the mixer fitted with a dough hook and let it run, adding a little flour, until it seemed right. I had no marinara, so I used pesto. Oh, and I used a pizza stone (previously unused gift from 2015, woot!), so I didn't par-bake, but I had no giant bubbles, and the crust was perfectly crisp, yay!
It was amaze balls, despite my laziness. We are a family of four adults. I made a field greens salad. (Organic, scored at the 99 Only Store, another woot!) We were stuffed. And happy. Everything was made from ingredients on hand. Score!
Hey everyone, with WTH's awesome instructions, you can make yummy pizza from scratch. Try it soon!
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Only mustashian in that I needed to use the cream before it went bad... I made butter today. It's really good, too! Now I just need to find out a way to use all the buttermilk (or freeze it until I think of a way to use it). Not a huge fan, so no buttermilk pancakes, etc. I have a recipe that uses it, but I can't remember which recipe...
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Apart from all the preserves:
three types of jam
four types of pickles
canned fruit, tomato sauce and salsa
and a ton of condiments
I made maple syrup. I didn't bother last year because I made 8 liters the year before. We are now low so I am thinking about this late winter/early spring tapping the four maple trees on my property and having another boil down. I use a propane burner because I don't have access to enough wood and it may be a problem because I live in an urban area. I save boiling time be freezing the sap and then tossing the ice lumps out. Feels pretty badass to pull a jar of the golden liquid out of the freezer for my salad dressings, or cheery sauce.
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Wow, impressed with all the home cooking here, I aspire to get to the level of you guys.
I only do homemade pizzas, curry from scratch, bread, salad dressing, scones, cakes etc.
Have never managed to get hummous as amazing as they make it in the shops...
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I made maple syrup. I didn't bother last year because I made 8 liters the year before. We are now low so I am thinking about this late winter/early spring tapping the four maple trees on my property and having another boil down. I use a propane burner because I don't have access to enough wood and it may be a problem because I live in an urban area. I save boiling time be freezing the sap and then tossing the ice lumps out. Feels pretty badass to pull a jar of the golden liquid out of the freezer for my salad dressings, or cheery sauce.
8 liters of syrup from four trees! I know it takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup, so I thought it took many more trees to get that much syrup. Or do you tap neighbors' trees as well? This is very neat, and your sap-freezing idea is really good.
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Soya milk
Vegetarian meatballs and patties
Apple sauce
Cakes and muffins
Bread
I seldom have applesauce because it's to sweet (when store bought). Your post reminded me that a friend said it's really easy.
So I made a very small batch this weekend. I 'sauced' half an apple! I was adapting a recipie and was guessing at how much sweetener to put in. It turned out great! It'll be even better when I make a big enough batch to be able to put in clove - I couldn't figure out how to measure a miniscule amount for the 1/2 an apple.
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Soya milk
Vegetarian meatballs and patties
Apple sauce
Cakes and muffins
Bread
I seldom have applesauce because it's to sweet (when store bought). Your post reminded me that a friend said it's really easy.
So I made a very small batch this weekend. I 'sauced' half an apple! I was adapting a recipie and was guessing at how much sweetener to put in. It turned out great! It'll be even better when I make a big enough batch to be able to put in clove - I couldn't figure out how to measure a miniscule amount for the 1/2 an apple.
When I need a very tiny amount of a spice, I will sometimes dip the tip of a spoon/fork handle into the jar. It picks up a few specks and doesn't waste any.
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And we have pizza and a photo! Thank you WithThisHerring for your one-on-one coaching! (Sorry, the lighting wasn't great, but the pizza definitely was.)
Last time the dough was a little big for the stone. I found this small one in the back of a cupboard, so I made two. Still no marinara, so I used pesto again.
This recipe is definitely going into the rotation.
You can totally do this, people!
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Did we mention desserts?
My son asked me what I wanted for my birthday recently. I gave him the option to take me out to eat (he pays), or make a dessert. He did both (we don't eat out often).
He made creme brulee. It was so good, and we already had everything on hand. (ETA-- well, except for orange liqueur, so he substituted brandy).
I think he mostly used this recipe or one similar. I know he used a vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/creme-brulee-recipe.html
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I can a lot of things but mostly tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, soups.
I also garden a lot so from spring till december we usually try to only eat our own veggies.
I also do my own kombucha.
I homecook a lot of meals and here's what I'm trying to cook more in 2017 (SO bought me a kitchen aid mixer):
- Cookies
- Bread
- Hummus
- Yogurt (or milk kefir)
- Lactofermented veggies
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Awww, puppy + produce for the win!
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Just made
Garbanzo bean chips
Olive tapenade
Salsa
Blue cheese dressing w/ homemade Greek yogurt
Yogurt is in the instant pot
Then some normal foods
Chili from dry black beans
Oven roasted cauliflower faux mashed potatoes
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Bone broths from roasted, saved bones from making roast chicken, etc
Granola
Yogurt
Marzipan (we eat it like a candy snack)
Pizza
Bread
quick breads
corn tortillas
Lemon curd
Preserved lemon, Moroccan style
Garam masala
Soups
Salad dressings
Vanilla extract from vanilla beans and spiced rum
-- some non edible things I make
toothpowder
body wash
deodorant
beeswax skin salve
dry shampoo
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Just learned to make tarter sauce, and Cole slaw.
Mock clif bars
Muffins
Mock peach cobbler
Yogurt
Gf banana bread
Waffles
Pancakes
Meat balls
Egg drop soup
French onion soup
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.
My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:
1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.
3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6. No broth, no veg.
Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.
Do you have recipes for those two!?
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The big things are yogurt, Greek yogurt, tzatziki, butter, farmer's cheese, ricotta. I am a big fan of dried chickpeas. You can add them to basically any stew or curry as a meat sub. I love falafel burgers and using chickpeas in wraps. I make my own flatbreads and occasionally loaf bread. I have a bunch of berries I have to get rid of, so I am going to make and freeze a sugar free mixed berry syrup with them to have with waffles and pancakes the week after next. I make my own Truvia and reduced sugar baking blends.
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I made maple syrup. I didn't bother last year because I made 8 liters the year before. We are now low so I am thinking about this late winter/early spring tapping the four maple trees on my property and having another boil down. I use a propane burner because I don't have access to enough wood and it may be a problem because I live in an urban area. I save boiling time be freezing the sap and then tossing the ice lumps out. Feels pretty badass to pull a jar of the golden liquid out of the freezer for my salad dressings, or cherry sauce.
8 liters of syrup from four trees! I know it takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup, so I thought it took many more trees to get that much syrup. Or do you tap neighbors' trees as well? This is very neat, and your sap-freezing idea is really good.
The ratio is 40:1. My four big trees produce bucketfuls of sap. Eventually I get sick of boiling. It takes all day but it gets me outside.
I could tap my neighbour's big trees and make even more but then it would be more watching it boil.
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I made maple syrup. I didn't bother last year because I made 8 liters the year before. We are now low so I am thinking about this late winter/early spring tapping the four maple trees on my property and having another boil down. I use a propane burner because I don't have access to enough wood and it may be a problem because I live in an urban area. I save boiling time be freezing the sap and then tossing the ice lumps out. Feels pretty badass to pull a jar of the golden liquid out of the freezer for my salad dressings, or cherry sauce.
8 liters of syrup from four trees! I know it takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup, so I thought it took many more trees to get that much syrup. Or do you tap neighbors' trees as well? This is very neat, and your sap-freezing idea is really good.
The ratio is 40:1. My four big trees produce bucketfuls of sap. Eventually I get sick of boiling. It takes all day but it gets me outside.
I could tap my neighbour's big trees and make even more but then it would be more watching it boil.
Thank you!
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Sprouts! I'm particularly partial to lentil sprouts...
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We normally make our own dips, but went to make onion dip yesterday, and didn't have any onion soup mix left. So, today I looked up a recipe and made this instead: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/onion-dip-from-scratch-recipe
It is so much better than making it from the soup mix, and we already had everything on hand. My son and I have decided we'll make it with this recipe from now on.
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My wife makes almost all of our bread, waffles and pancakes. No pre-packaged mixes. She makes yogurt, breakfast sausage, mayo and salad dressing. She prepares almost all meals from scratch. Only time we eat pre-packaged is whole ham she slices for sandwiches, cheese, and the occasional frozen pizza. Aldi's pizza is pretty good for less than five bucks. We do eat frozen and canned veggies.
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Yogurt
Ketchup
Mayo
Salsa
Hot sauce (we grow peppers)
Sauerkraut
hummus
herb mixes/ rubs (we grow a shit ton of herbs)
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I use to faff around with nut bags and cheesecloth, then I discovered this: http://www.thepretendbaker.com/easiest-cashew-milk-ever/ (http://www.thepretendbaker.com/easiest-cashew-milk-ever/)
Instant nut milk, whenever I want it, no straining. Pretty life changing if you are dairy-free.
[/quote]
Wow. Thanks for that! I just made this with almond butter and it's delicious.
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Yum.
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Yogurt, at the cost of one gallon of milk and one little cup of yogurt. Both bought on sale. We go through about a gallon a week. And you don't have to buy the little cup every time either. You can use your old yogurt to make new yogurt a few times, but it eventually needs to be replaced with new.
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Hummus - it is fun to make variations like sweet potato or red pepper
Salsa
Guacamole
Hot sauce
Bread (biscuits, pizza crust)
Corn tortillas
Vegan cheese (a couple varieties)
Vegan sour cream
Various bean soups/chilis/curries made from dried beans
Marinara sauce
Nut milks/rice milk
Veggie stock
French fries
Vegan ice cream
Hi I would love it if you would share these recipes please, DS, DH and I are dairy free (and gluten free) and the occasional desire for that melted cheese taste costs a bomb for packaged vegan "cheese".
Thanks x
For us, I make:
waffles
crepes
soup
pizza
passata
and this paleo mayonnaise recipe is really quick easy and yummy...
http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/ (http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/) I have also added a teaspoon of mustard for extra flavour.
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Jerky! But only when pork loin goes on sale for 99c/lb. ... I purchased 30 pounds the other day that's all destined to become a tasty dried protein snack...
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Jerky! But only when pork loin goes on sale for 99c/lb. ... I purchased 30 pounds the other day that's all destined to become a tasty dried protein snack...
Have a recipe you could share? I've always felt a little squidgy about making pork jerky.
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Jerky! But only when pork loin goes on sale for 99c/lb. ... I purchased 30 pounds the other day that's all destined to become a tasty dried protein snack...
Have a recipe you could share? I've always felt a little squidgy about making pork jerky.
Me too, please.
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I was going to make liquid laundry detergent. It's like $0.04 per load (I'm not sure when the ingredients were priced on the website).
But when I went to get an empty detergent bottle, I found I have 3 full bottles. I've been buying 2 bottles when I found a particularly good sale.
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Jerky! But only when pork loin goes on sale for 99c/lb. ... I purchased 30 pounds the other day that's all destined to become a tasty dried protein snack...
Have a recipe you could share? I've always felt a little squidgy about making pork jerky.
I think use whatever marinade you want... I've been using this one (doctored up a little with ginger).
http://www.yankeekitchenninja.com/2013/11/cidered-jerky-beef-or-venison-and-tips.html (http://www.yankeekitchenninja.com/2013/11/cidered-jerky-beef-or-venison-and-tips.html)
But with pork, this is the important part:
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/jerky.html (http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/jerky.html)
If pork or wild game is used to make jerky, the meat should be treated to kill the trichinella parasite before it is sliced and marinated. This parasite causes the disease trichinosis. To treat the meat, freeze a portion that is 6 inches or less thick at 0ºF or below for at least 30 days. Freezing will not eliminate bacteria from the meat.
...
The risk of foodborne illness from home-dried jerky can be decreased by allowing the internal temperature of the meat to reach 160ºF, but in such a way as to prevent case hardening. Two methods can be used: heating meat strips in marinade before drying or heating the dried jerky strips in an oven after the drying process is completed.
...
If the strips were not heated in marinade prior to drying, they can be heated in an oven after drying as an added safety measure. Place strips on a baking sheet, close together, but not touching or overlapping. For strips originally cut 1/4 inch thick or less, heat 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275ºF. (Thicker strips may require longer heating to reach 160ºF.)
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Thank you! Still makes me feel a little squidgy....Heating up in the marinade is not something I would have considered. Good to learn about the process.
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Thank you! Still makes me feel a little squidgy....Heating up in the marinade is not something I would have considered. Good to learn about the process.
I've chosen to do the post-dehydrating heat up in the oven. They do say the marinade bath changes the texture a bit, and I don't want that.
I'll also be storing it in vacuum sealed jars in the freezer.
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Kimchi. Crazy cheap to make at home, but now the Whole Foods crowd has caught onto it and is willing to pay $12/quart.
It's so true! Even at a Korean grocery, kimchi is super expensive! It takes a few hours, but making it at home isn't too hard, and you can customize it for whatever vegetables you have/like better. I use Maangchi's recipe here (though a half-batch is good enough for me!): https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi
If you're in the US, it's even cheaper if you use Western cabbage instead of Napa cabbage or similar-- it comes out the same.
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I'm making mustard! Smells good so far. After soaking the seeds for another day, I will blend it up and taste it...
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we make almost all our food at home. Restaurant or Fast Food expenses rarely reaches $20/month
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Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.
High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy. If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.
YES! I found a new favorite way of doing popcorn. I know most people just don't have these things on hand, but I tend to get lots of fancy pants food gifts involving truffle.
Fresh popped popcorn with a melted ghee (or butter) that has had some truffle honey melted into it. Then sprinkled with truffle salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It is AMAZING a little sweet a little salty, a little bite from the pepper and comes out very much like Kettle Corn. sooo good!
You don't even need an air popper. Want microwave popcorn without the chemicals? Throw a handful of regular popcorn in a paper lunch sack, tape closed and zap
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Popcorn! I can't believe all the bags of popped popcorn that I see in Costco carts. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn.
High quality popcorn, air popper, easy-peasy. If we really want to get fancy, we grate a little parmesan and shake on some Green Tabasco or Cholula. Brewer's Yeast is good, too.
YES! I found a new favorite way of doing popcorn. I know most people just don't have these things on hand, but I tend to get lots of fancy pants food gifts involving truffle.
Fresh popped popcorn with a melted ghee (or butter) that has had some truffle honey melted into it. Then sprinkled with truffle salt and fresh cracked black pepper. It is AMAZING a little sweet a little salty, a little bite from the pepper and comes out very much like Kettle Corn. sooo good!
You don't even need an air popper. Want microwave popcorn without the chemicals? Throw a handful of regular popcorn in a paper lunch sack, tape closed and zap
This is my favorite snack! I don't bother taping the bag closed, though. I just fold the top over a couple times.
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I guess we'll add sushi to my list...
We have one store (Safeway) that sells sushi, but there is nowhere else to get it in my town. We do have a small Asian market though, so today we stopped to get some ingredients (nori seaweed, sticky rice, and pickled ginger). We'll use vegetables and meat from home (no sushi-grade fish, so we'll experiment with other meats). I'm not a seafood person, but I've had roasted duck sushi before and it was really good, so looking forward to what my son makes.
For the price of a couple pieces at the store, we'll be making 6 different rolls.
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I was going to make liquid laundry detergent. It's like $0.04 per load (I'm not sure when the ingredients were priced on the website).
But when I went to get an empty detergent bottle, I found I have 3 full bottles. I've been buying 2 bottles when I found a particularly good sale.
I used to make my own detergent, but found that it really didn't work as well as real detergent. Then I discovered Checkout 51 and between that and coupons I can get it for .05 a load.
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I plan to make salsa this summer, the batch from 5 years ago is done, but I lost my recipe! I see that a lot of you guys make it - care to pass along your recipe?
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I plan to make salsa this summer, the batch from 5 years ago is done, but I lost my recipe! I see that a lot of you guys make it - care to pass along your recipe?
I use the one in this link: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/chile_salsa_II.html
I use lime juice or lemon juice instead of vinegar.
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Oh man I want to make maple syrup! Funny winters the last couple of years ago wasn't real sure when to try it.
What's the best, most efficient way to boil the sap? I thought if you had a wood burning stove in your house you could just put on top.
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Crock Pots/slow cookers yet, but mine are a central part of my kitchen! I cook a lot; in an average month, I will eat out only 2 or 3 times. All other meals are prepped at home.
My favorite/most successful slow cooker dishes:
1. Pot roast. For about $12 (buy pork on sale), I can make 12-15 portions. Meat, veg, gravy, all in one.
2. Bean soup. Vegetarian or w/meat. 15 servings for $5-$8. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors enhance. Freezes well.
3. Roast chicken. I find that sea salt and pepper are enough to make this dish fantastic. One whole chicken: $6. No broth, no veg.
Here's the key to major savings: Freeze extra portions in ready-to-go plastic containers. I have a full size freezer in the garage. I use it for bulk storage (when I hit a sale), and pre-portioned frozen meals, ready to go for work days.
We love our slow cooker also. Just in regard to the beans. The beans need to be cooked at a high temp for 45 mins (100 deg c) or they contain poisonous alkaloids. Our local health department published a warning about beans and slow cookers.
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I plan to make salsa this summer, the batch from 5 years ago is done, but I lost my recipe! I see that a lot of you guys make it - care to pass along your recipe?
I use the one in this link: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/chile_salsa_II.html
I use lime juice or lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Thanks!
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I plan to make salsa this summer, the batch from 5 years ago is done, but I lost my recipe! I see that a lot of you guys make it - care to pass along your recipe?
I use the one in this link: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/chile_salsa_II.html
I use lime juice or lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Thanks!
Looking at it again (the online version), it says you shouldn't change anything else. However, when I took a class with the local Extension Office, we were told you could add germs and spices, as long as they were dried. We add dried garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, etc, to play with the flavor. Fresh herbs could change the pH, but dried are fine.
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We love our slow cooker also. Just in regard to the beans. The beans need to be cooked at a high temp for 45 mins (100 deg c) or they contain poisonous alkaloids. Our local health department published a warning about beans and slow cookers.
Hmmm, pretty sure that's just for kidney beans, not all beans.
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I have been making dried shredded chicken for our backpacking meals (add in dried noodles, or instant rice, and seasonings / or dehydrated home made roasted red pepper sauce) for awesome meal on the trail that did NOT cost $10 for 2 people. My Turkey jerky had mixed results, the ground / reformed jerky was better than the whole strips, easier to eat).
I have also made my own cornflakes / bran flakes (not recommended!), and flax granola (recommended) breakfast cereal. I did grow some oats one year, (just enough to try), flattened them with the mallet, and made oatmeal..
Usual suspects for preserves - jam, fruit syrup for pancakes, apricot / orange marmalade, plum jam, etc. Sundried tomatoes in oil. I have canned peaches / pears. I will try a relish recipe this year, too.
Yoghurt, Ricotta, Bread (various types), pierogies, buttermilk, cottage cheese, butter.
Chocolate / vanilla pudding.
Started to freeze summer on-sale produce for the winter -- yellow beans, rutabaga, beets, carrots, cabbage (ick), onions, apple slices and apple sauce -- enough for 26 meals or so, total (not each). I just received a hobby-sized cider press and grinder -- next summer needs to watch out because I aim to try it out.
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Flattening oats with a mallet for oatmeal is badass.
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Flattening oats with a mallet for oatmeal is badass.
That's pretty hard-core. Pre-flattened oats are already crazy cheap.
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Made hummus using this recipe but no cumin:
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/
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Flattening oats with a mallet for oatmeal is badass.
ONE Meal.....
:-)
I grew about 3 cups of oat groats, total. More for the learning experience when I realized that the "cat grass" seed was actually oats, I kept it going.
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People have mentioned making their own pesto, but I thought I'd add you can make a tasty pesto out of spinach leaves instead of basil, and the flavor of walnut actually goes quite well with spinach in place of the pine nuts. I add a bit of nutmeg to it, as well. Obviously it doesn't taste the same as basil pesto, but I quite like it, and it is super cheap to make. It's great to make when basil is not in season but (spinach is), and you have no more basil pesto in the freezer.
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People have mentioned making their own pesto, but I thought I'd add you can make a tasty pesto out of spinach leaves instead of basil, and the flavor of walnut actually goes quite well with spinach in place of the pine nuts. I add a bit of nutmeg to it, as well. Obviously it doesn't taste the same as basil pesto, but I quite like it, and it is super cheap to make. It's great to make when basil is not in season but (spinach is), and you have no more basil pesto in the freezer.
For that matter, I read where someone used their carrot tops to make pesto, too. (was it here?)... they said it was quite good
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People have mentioned making their own pesto, but I thought I'd add you can make a tasty pesto out of spinach leaves instead of basil, and the flavor of walnut actually goes quite well with spinach in place of the pine nuts. I add a bit of nutmeg to it, as well. Obviously it doesn't taste the same as basil pesto, but I quite like it, and it is super cheap to make. It's great to make when basil is not in season but (spinach is), and you have no more basil pesto in the freezer.
For that matter, I read where someone used their carrot tops to make pesto, too. (was it here?)... they said it was quite good
Besides basil I've made pesto out of sorrel, and out of garlic scapes (the flower stalk on hardneck garlic). All good stuff.
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My son made his own kimchi this week, and I finally made a batch of refried beans that I like (from dried beans). It makes quite a bit, and it's supposed to freeze well, so that will be nice.
Oh, he also made liver pate yesterday. Cost was minimal since the liver comes with the beef (neither of us like liver on its own, but he's discovered he likes pate).
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I can't stand store salad dressings, and make them all on my own.
Leftover bread/ buns get cut up, brushed with olive oil and made into croutons in the toaster oven. I also spin leftover bread in my vitamix to make bread crumbs.
Guacamole - and often I just cut open an avocado and squeeze out onto my food - any food!
Pie crusts - ok I'll admit I don't always do it, but try as much as I can.
Gnocchi - my grandmother used to make these. When you're making mashed potatoes for dinner, make a double batch. Next day add some flour and an egg to leftover mashed potatoes to form a dough, roll into long tubes and cut into bite sizes. Into boiling water until they float. So yummy!
Smoothies: The vitamix was the best investment. I hated the leftover pulp from my juicer - I was never motivated enough to make use of it and hated the wastage and cleanup.
Chicken nuggets - the store stuff is junk and tastes horrible imho. I buy chicken thighs from Costco. Make them into my own pink slime in the vitamix. Mix with egg/bread crumbs/ spices. Form into nuggets. A light flour, egg wash and coated with bread crumbs and fried in a bit of oil. Family LOVES them. It does take some time, so I commit to the process and do a huge batch and then freeze for easy meals.
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The two homemade things that come to mind for this thread are homemade salad dressings (ranch, blue cheese, and vinaigrette) and homemade kimchi.
I can't tell you how happy the homemade kimchi makes me. I don't do spicy foods well, so I asked my boyfriend to make starjay-friendly kimchi at home. I love it SO MUCH. It's on constant rotation. Tasty, and it doesn't melt my face off! hooray! :)
We also have sourdough starter that lives in the fridge and periodically gets used to make delicious bread.
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Hey guys,
What food do you normally prepare at home, instead of buying the expensive and/or unhealthy version at the supermarket ?
Personally, I experienced so far with :
- Hummus: the classic case of an expansive grocery item that takes 3 minutes to prepare at home.
- Pesto: Great if you have your own garden for the basil
- Chicken wings/ribs: I just throw them in a ziplock bag with a dry rub for 24 hours instead of buying the disgusting and terribly unhealthy version
- Salsa: much more healthy than the supermarket version
I'm now preparing my kombucha, hopefully it will turn OK
The normal is to prepare everything at home pretty much ... other than bread, milk, yoghurt and cheese everything here is made here.
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People have mentioned making their own pesto, but I thought I'd add you can make a tasty pesto out of spinach leaves instead of basil, and the flavor of walnut actually goes quite well with spinach in place of the pine nuts. I add a bit of nutmeg to it, as well. Obviously it doesn't taste the same as basil pesto, but I quite like it, and it is super cheap to make. It's great to make when basil is not in season but (spinach is), and you have no more basil pesto in the freezer.
For that matter, I read where someone used their carrot tops to make pesto, too. (was it here?)... they said it was quite good
Besides basil I've made pesto out of sorrel, and out of garlic scapes (the flower stalk on hardneck garlic). All good stuff.
Garlic Mustard is an abundant, invasive species, that can be picked in any number of yards or public areas (if you can find somewhere you don't think gets pesticide sprays), and while I think it doesn't make a super flavorful pesto on its own, it does give a nice garlicky and mustardy touch, and is great for bulking up a super strong tasting or oily pesto that could use a little bulking material.
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Any of you guys making pizza or spaghetti sauce have a sauce recipe to share? Right now my sauce is usually canned/jarred kicked up a notch with dried Italian herbs and garlic. Would be great to make a fresh sauce.
For my contribution to the thread: Madeleines. The ultimate and perfect any time snack. Cheap, easy, and yummy. A batch of two dozen lasts a while and is ready for guests or coffee/tea in the morning. The cost savings is massive compared to the little containers sold at the grocery.
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I make tons of easy vegetarian recipes. I like Budget Bytes. I also put the dishes I cook on my website:
http://vegisinme.blogspot.ca/?m=1
I also shop at Real Canadian Superstore and make use of an ap called Flipp. It lets you price match. If you take the time, you can reduce your grocery bill significantly.
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Spreadable butter
I buy 'regular' butter, let a stick soften, mash it a bit and mix in some oil.
I use to use vegetable oil, now I use butter flavored oil (for popcorn).
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Any of you guys making pizza or spaghetti sauce have a sauce recipe to share? Right now my sauce is usually canned/jarred kicked up a notch with dried Italian herbs and garlic. Would be great to make a fresh sauce.
For my contribution to the thread: Madeleines. The ultimate and perfect any time snack. Cheap, easy, and yummy. A batch of two dozen lasts a while and is ready for guests or coffee/tea in the morning. The cost savings is massive compared to the little containers sold at the grocery.
I started this because it is MUCH cheaper than the "good" jarred sauce, then turned out to taste better, and be easy, too. Buy your cans on the super sales that happen 2x per year. This recipe costs about $2.30 for a large portion for a family of 4.... $3.00 if you include a lot of pasta.
One can of diced tomatoes
One Can of crushed tomatoes (optional if you are serving more than 2, I find i need more tomatoe power of crushed)
Splash of olive (or canola) oil
2 Tsp of sugar
Garlic clove, minced (optional)
Salt / pepper to taste (watch out if cans already have salt added)
Heat to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes, or as long as you have, if you have more time. Will not be as saucy if short on time, or no crushed tomatoes, but still great.
Add your herbs that you like. I sometimes top off with fresh basil or parsley. Also adding in chopped fresh veggies (carrots, celery, onions and, spinach are my go to's), and/ or a sprinkle of parm cheese is nice.
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^Awesome! Thank you, yeah spaghetti sauce is the killer in terms of cost, I can get all the other ingredients cheap and even have most daily in the kitchen anyway. I've tried canned and jarred-nothing has knocked my socks off yet, definitely looking forward to giving this a whirl.
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I made some salted 'caramel' sauce with dates, water, vanilla, and salt. Not quite the same taste and texture as traditional caramel obviously but delicious and no refined sugar!
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Yuca con ajo
1st time ive ever made this but it tasted even better than what ive been served in any of Miami's finest Cuban restaurants
-boil yuca in small volume of water with copious lime juice and some salt for 30 min
- smash whole garlic clove in salt with mortar and pestle
-saute minced onion and salt/garlic in olive oil
-add copious lemon juice to saute and large cubes of boiled yuca, saute for 5 more minutes, coating/turning yuca in pan
So simple, so delicious
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Spaghetti sauce:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/spaghetti
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Yuca con ajo
1st time ive ever made this but it tasted even better than what ive been served in any of Miami's finest Cuban restaurants
-boil yuca in small volume of water with copious lime juice and some salt for 30 min
- smash whole garlic clove in salt with mortar and pestle
-saute minced onion and salt/garlic in olive oil
-add copious lemon juice to saute and large cubes of boiled yuca, saute for 5 more minutes, coating/turning yuca in pan
So simple, so delicious
I love Yuca con ajo. Thank you the recipe how to. My ex FIL used to make it all the time. So yummy.