Thursday, January 29, 2009

Black Bean Soup


Black Bean Soup
Originally uploaded by Simply Frugal
A sturdy bean soup with Caribbean flavors.

CUBAN BEAN SOUP
Six servings
Buy: Black beans, pork loin (ham, dry sherry, fresh lemon)

6 servings 2 servings
Black beans2 C 2/3 C
Olive oil2 Tbsp2 tsp
Onions, chopped1 C 1/3 C
Garlic2 tsp 1 tsp
Pork shoulder8 oz 3 oz
Tomato1/2 C 3 Tbsp
Vinegar2 Tbsp 2 tsp
Cumin1/2 tsp dash
Bay leaf 1 1/3
Pepperdash dash
Salt1/2 tsp dash


Wash beans well. Soak over night, drain soaking water. Cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until soft, about 3 hours. Drain. Puree the beans. Lightly rinse the pan, and return beans.

Chop pork into small dice.

Heat the oil until a haze forms. Add the onions and the garlic and stir until soft. Add the cumin, bay leaf, and pepper, and stir for 1 minute. Add tomato, pork, sherry OR vinegar, and stir until mixture thickens slightly. Add to bean puree and heat for 15 minutes.

Serve garnished with slices of boiled egg and lemon.

Fancy Fixins
Use ham instead of pork
Use annatto oil in place of olive oil
Use fresh tomato in place of canned diced tomato
Use sherry instead of vinegar

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Pantry

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Pantry
Originally uploaded by Simply Frugal
The heart of living frugally is buying only what you need, and paying the lowest possible price for it.

I'm an impromptu cook who loves looking in the refrigerator and cupboards to whip up an on-the-spot meal. But that requires discipline. I only go to the grocery store once a week, so my food palette needs to have all the basics ready to go. Over the years, I've created a number of inventory lists. Some are for times when you have no electricity. Others are for a basic 1200-calorie exchange menu.

The Bare Cupboard Basics list gives you the very cheapest sources for healthy eating. When my cupboard is bare, it actually has a lot of the basics: flour, sugar, eggs, beans, canned or frozen vegetables, and spices. In a pinch, I can cook two-weeks worth of meals from the cupboard. I buy these in large quantities when the price is right*, and use the list to check my inventory every week.

*The Price Is Right
If you know what the everyday price at your local low-cost grocery store is, you will always be able to tell if a sale price somewhere else is a bargain. More about that in a future post.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Price Is Right Jan 25 - 31


The Price is Right
Originally uploaded by darthdowney
The weekly sales flier at my alternative* grocery store usually provides me with the fresh vegetables and meat that I need for the week. I calculate the price per serving and select the least expensive alternative.

This week, the following prices were in effect:

Pork shoulder, bone-in (99¢ per pound)
Boneless, skinless chicken breast (1.69 per pound)
Ground beef, chuck (1.79 per pound)
Pork tenderloin, boneless (2.99 per pound)
Ground beef, sirloin (3.69 per pound)

The cost per 3 ounce serving for each of these was

35¢ Pork shoulder
43¢ Chicken
46¢ Ground chuck
87¢ Pork tenderloin
91¢ Ground sirloin

Cost per serving takes into account the loss of fat, water, and bones when you cook the raw meat. It's a better estimate of the actual cost of the protein in the meat than using the price per pound of raw meat.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Cost per 1/2 C serving

11¢ Apples (83¢ per pound)
15¢ Grapefruit (50¢ per pound)
28¢ Navel Oranges (50¢ per pound)
34¢ Tomatoes ($1.29 per pound)
37¢ Avocado ($1.00 per fruit)

Other good deals that I stocked up on were
Tomatoes, canned 23¢ per serving (.80 for 14.5 oz)
Ketchup .041 per ounce (.99 for 24 oz)
Mustard .049 per ounce (.99 for 20 oz)
Walnuts 3.99 per pound


*Save A Lot is consistently less expensive than my alternative grocery store if I'm just walking in and buying a list of items. But some of the items on my Simply Frugal shopping list aren't available there. And often, sale prices at the alternative store are less than the everyday price at Save A Lot.

My Bare Cupboard Basics inventory list includes the standard price for the item at Save A Lot. By knowing what I'd normally pay, I can quickly decide whether the sale price is actually saving me money. For example, at Save A Lot, I usually pay .056 per ounce for mustard. So I stocked up the pantry at the alternative store this week.

I shop at a regional chain called Meijers. No matter where you are, you can find an equivalent store. Usually a few pennies more per item than Save A Lot, but if you only buy the sale items, you can save a great deal.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Simply Frugal Inventory List

All you ever need to make the simple or extremely frugal recipes.
Groceries
Catsup
Green beans
Green chilis
Lemon juice
Mayonnaise
Evaporated milk
Oil
Peanut butter
Pineapple
Raisins
Soy sauce
Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Vinegar
Walnuts
Worcestershire sauce

Dairy
Bacon
Butter
Eggs
Milk

Baking
Banking powder
Baking soda
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Flour, unbleached
Flour, whole wheat
Dry milk
Honey (or Molasses)
Lard
Rolled oats
Popcorn
Rice, brown
Salt
Sugar, white
Sugar, brown
Vanilla
Yeast

Beverages
Coffee
Tea


Fresh Vegetables
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Ginger
Green pepper
Onion
Potato

Frozen
Orange juice
Green beans

Beans
Lentils
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Split peas




Sunday, January 25, 2009

Simply Frugal -- Herbs and Spices


Herb and Spices
Originally uploaded by Simply Frugal
The flavors you add to the basic foods can change a cornmeal concoction from Southern USA to Southern Italy with just a pinch of dried herbs.

If you live in a town with a food coop or a natural foods store, you can probably buy these in bulk at prices that are far less than the itty bitty jars on the shelf in the grocery store. If not, stock up first with cinnamon, chili powder, ginger, and vanilla extract, and add the rest as the budget allows.

Allspice
Basil
Bay leaf
Celery seed
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Cumin
Curry powder
Cloves
Dill weed
Ginger
Marjoram
Mustard, dry
Nutmeg
Oregano
Paprika
Peppercorns
Red pepper flakes
Sage
Tarragon
Thyme

Extremely Frugal recipes only use
Cinnamon, chili powder, and ginger.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Weekly Shopping


Baseline Prices
Originally uploaded by Simply Frugal
As much as I'd like to go shopping once a month, I can't afford to.

If I skip three weeks out of four, I have skipped 3/4 of the bargains and sales that keep my pantry stocked. So, each week, I compare the sale prices in the store fliers to the list of Bare Cupboard Basics and make sure I stock up on items I'll need when they are on sale.

To help me, I've created not only a list of Bare Cupboard Basics, but a list of their normal prices as well. Once a year, I take my list with me when I shop, and update any prices that have changed over the year.

With that list in hand, I can immediately tell if a sale is a bargain, or just flashing advertising that will not actually help my budget.

For example, most of us know the price of milk. In my area, it's been hovering around $3.25 to $3.50 a gallon. When it goes on sale for $2.77, it's time to stock up. But if it only goes down to $3.10 I don't.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Caraway Apple Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut 2 lb
Apple 1 C
Caraway seed 1 Tbsp


Drain sauerkraut and place in saucepan.
Slice apple very thin and add to pan.
Sprinkle caraway seeds over apples.
Add your choice of liquids to simmer it in.

Wine is traditional, but I usually use apple juice, or applejack. Water works just as well for cooking but doesn't give it the 'secret ingredient' flavor.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

How To Shop SaveALot

SaveALot is an extreme value grocery store. That means that they sell a carefully selected assortment of the items you purchase most frequently, in the most popular varieties and sizes.

For the 53 items on the Simply Frugal shopping list, SaveALot is hands-down the least expensive place to buy them if you can't wait for a sale at Meijer or Kroger.

SaveALot has a monthly, not weekly, flier with great deals that are better than their usual price. For meats and produce, those deals are only available for the first two weeks of the month. I usually shop SaveALot once a month, during the first couple weeks, to take advantage of these specials.

While I'm there, I stock up on the pantry items from the list below. Items on this list usually are not sale items at Meijer or Kroger, so there's no need to wait for a better price. The better price is here at SaveALot, every day.

Groceries
Catsup
Green beans, canned
Mayonnaise
Evaporated milk
Oil
Pineapple
Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Worcestershire sauce

Baking
Banking powder
Baking soda
Cornstarch
Molasses
Lard
Rolled oats
Salt
Sugar, white
Sugar, brown
Vanilla

Beverages
Coffee
Tea


Fresh Vegetables
Cabbage
Carrots
Green pepper
Onion


Beans
Lentils
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Split peas
Rice