This morning I met up with Jen from The Big Binder blog at Fulton St. Farmer’s Market.  There really are lots of frugal foods there. Some are from Michigan, some aren’t. They had cantelope for $1.00, lots of local asparagus for around $2.00/lb, and so much more.  Jen talked me into buying some [...]]]>

This morning I met up with Jen from The Big Binder blog at Fulton St. Farmer’s Market.  There really are lots of frugal foods there. Some are from Michigan, some aren’t. They had cantelope for $1.00, lots of local asparagus for around $2.00/lb, and so much more.  Jen talked me into buying some kale (only $3.50/lb), but beyond using it in a salad I was at a loss. Luckily, we have some West Michigan ladies to the rescue!

Frugal Cooking with Kale:

• The Big Binder suggests making Kale Chips. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and put in the oven on 200 F until crunchy. Great for kiddos and super easy!
  

• The Local Cook has a How to Cook Kale post with her top 10 ideas to get you started.  I love that Wendy frequently shares recipes using ingredients that are a bit unfamiliar to me. Great resource for using up some of your CSA items!
  

• Vegan Bon Vivant has a great recipe for Kale & Lentil Soup.  Adrienne assures me that kale keeps well in the refrigerator for a long time if it’s kept dry.

Check my list of popular West Michigan Farmers Markets for times and locations.

What’s your strategy for shopping farmers markets? Do you just buy whatever looks good or do you stock up on the cheapest items to can/freeze/preserve?

I’ve been purchasing bulk oatmeal because I prefer a hot oatmeal breakfast, and have been making my own quick & easy granola recipe [...]]]> Cold cereal is expensive — even with coupons. I only purchase it when I can get the “healthy” versions for $1.00 or less. Even then, I consider Raisin Bran a treat.

I’ve been purchasing bulk oatmeal because I prefer a hot oatmeal breakfast, and have been making my own quick & easy granola recipe when I really want a “cold cereal” option. It’s frugal and nutritious.

Some of you may have limited access to the less expensive bulk foods, so I was curious how prices would translate shopping at a local discount store. I headed to Walmart to check out the oatmeal and hot cereal options. (See my shopping trip photos here.)

Purchasing oatmeal from the grocery store (with or without coupons) is still very affordable.

Country Life Natural Foods (bulk foods)

• $0.50/lb for 50# bags of regular rolled oats
• $1.10/lb for 25# bags of organic rolled oats

Walmart

• $0.28 per serving – Great Value 6pk single serve oatmeal packets
• $0.27 per serving – Great Value 42oz canister old-fashioned oats

Are you a hot cereal or cold cereal person? I have to have my oatmeal sprinkled with walnuts, drizzled with Michigan maple syrup, and finished with a bit of soy milk. What’s your favorite topping?

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias, but all opinions and delish granola recipes are my own. ;)

A good chunk of my $25/wk Food Budget Challenge has been dedicated to buying in bulk: oatmeal, rice, and beans. I love beans and had previously always used canned beans, but dried beans are less expensive. Now I’m up to my ears in 25# of dried black beans and I love [...]]]>

A good chunk of my $25/wk Food Budget Challenge has been dedicated to buying in bulk: oatmeal, rice, and beans. I love beans and had previously always used canned beans, but dried beans are less expensive. Now I’m up to my ears in 25# of dried black beans and I love them!

My two biggest tips are:

1.  Don’t salt the water while you’re cooking dried beans. It toughens the skin. Season beans while preparing your recipe.

2.  Beans love to be cooked with fat. I add olive oil to the boiling water and the beans cook so much faster and come out so perfectly soft.

When Katie at Kitchen Stewardship published “The Everything Beans Book” (click here to view more details), I knew it would be a great resource. It’s 95 pages of everything you need to know about beans including 30 recipes. (I even printed it out and put it in a 3-ring binder for easy reference. I know, I know it’s supposed to be an “e”book.)

I’ve always wanted to make black bean burgers so I’m starting with Mexican Black Bean Burgers when I get back from the blogging conference on Sunday.  With summer coming up, it will be a great vegetarian alternative to burgers on the grill!

At only $9.95, I feel it’s a great deal for a quality cookbook. Plus, it supports local #realfood blogger and writer who cares about our West Michigan community.  Thanks for clicking through my links. Please see my disclosure policy.

Today it’s snowing on a spring day in Michigan, but that didn’t keep me from dreaming of summer days and evenings entertaining on the deck. I’ve been trying to come up with a tasty, refreshing cocktail that’s affordable to serve in larger quantities for bigger groups. Thanks to jodimichelle and Jaime, I’ve got [...]]]>

Today it’s snowing on a spring day in Michigan, but that didn’t keep me from dreaming of summer days and evenings entertaining on the deck. I’ve been trying to come up with a tasty, refreshing cocktail that’s affordable to serve in larger quantities for bigger groups. Thanks to jodimichelle and Jaime, I’ve got the perfect recipe!

Smirnoff Summer Lemonade:

Ingredients:
12 oz can Frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate – $1.69
12 oz Smirnoff Vodka – $12.99 for 750 mL
12 oz Club Soda – $1.25 for 1 liter (you can substitute a can of beer)
12 oz water

Instructions:
Use the lemonade can to measure out all other ingredients. Mix together, chill, serve on the rocks. (You could also add a touch more vodka and club soda and drink as martinis like we did.) Garnish and enjoy!

This recipe is so easy to prepare and I think you’ll love it! Also note, I found a hangtag for $3.01 mail-in rebate when you purchase Ocean Spray cranberry juice and Smirnoff Vodka. I didn’t need the juice for this recipe, but I picked some up because it was only $0.48 after rebate!

Final price per 6 servings = $6.44

Cheers!

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias. All experiences and opinions are my own.

We already I know I require simple cooking methods. This slow cooker recipe for homemade yogurt is about as easy as it gets. You may want to read Kitchen Stewardship’s post on making homemade yogurt for a little bit of background knowledge before [...]]]> 2011 Top 10 Kitchen Mini-Challenges: #4 Make Homemade Yogurt

We already I know I require simple cooking methods. This slow cooker recipe for homemade yogurt is about as easy as it gets. You may want to read Kitchen Stewardship’s post on making homemade yogurt for a little bit of background knowledge before you get started.

The recipe is very easy.  You will need: 1/2 gallon of milk, 1/2 cup of yogurt, and a crockpot.

1.  Heat the milk on the “low” setting for 2.5 hrs.

2.  Turn off the slow cooker and unplug it. Let the milk cool off for about 3 hrs. to approx 100 degrees. (I do not own a thermometer. I just went by the time lapsed.)

3.  Whisk in the 1/2 cup of yogurt.

4.  Cover the slow cooker and wrap the entire thing in a heavy towel.  Let the milk set for 8 hours minimum or overnight. (The longer the yogurt sets the thicker it gets, and KS lets hers go for about 16 hrs.)

5. The yogurt will have a bit of liquid on it. That’s normal (even though it made me a little bit nervous). It’s the “whey” and you can drain it off and mix it in smoothies later for extra protein.  I gently mixed mine into the yogurt and put the whole pot into the refrigerator for 8 hours while I was at work. It was so nice & creamy when I got home!

Now is the time to sweeten it if you need to. I do!! I’m used to sweet, vanilla flavor, so I added vanilla and a bit of sugar. Finally, I divided it into single-serving tupperware for the week. I keep hearing yogurt freezes well without losing the probiotic benefits, so the rest went into the freezer.

It doesn’t get more frugal.  This entire batch cost me about 90¢.  So, do you make your own yogurt?  Do you use the traditional mason jar method or do you use a slow cooker?  Have you tried it before but don’t like it? I want the scoop, please. Tell me what you know.

ps I promise to stop taking photos with my phone… one of these days ;)

Simply in Season [...]]]> Since we’ve been talking about food budgets, I’m going to need some new recipes.  Here are a couple of recommended frugal cookbooks that might give you (me) a place to start.  Since we’re supporting LOCAL business and we want FREE standard shipping (media mail), order from Schulerbooks.com by 1/31/11.

I was planning to use my Hamilton Beach [...]]]> I was so excited to be selected to host a holiday baking party in my home!  I sent out the facebook invites and started planning a “Chocolate-Covered Christmas.”  I gathered my coupons and this ConAgra rebate form and headed to WalMart to purchase the party supplies.

I was planning to use my Hamilton Beach blender and this ConAgra recipe for Swiss Miss Cocoa and Reddi-wip, substituting Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai for the milk.  We just made old-fashioned hot chocolate instead.

We made 3 treats.  First, some brownies with Wesson and PAM.  Second, What Megan’s Making’s Peanut Butter Balls with Peter Pan peanut butter, Parkay, and Ghirardelli dipping chocolate (only $6.84 at Sam’s Club for 2.5#). Finally, every last remaining item (dried apricots and pretzels) was covered in chocolate!

I was hoping to treat my guests to some tasty sweets and a really fun afternoon.  I consider the mission “accomplished” because there was a lot of laughing and my kitchen walls and floor were covered in chocolate by the time we were finished!

Direct link to video.

Disclosure:  Collective Bias compensated me for my time, but all opinions are my own… and don’t tell them someone spiked the hot cocoa!

Store-bought granola can be SO expensive (even if you have a coupon), so I like to make this quick & easy version. It takes about 25 minutes. We recently had another Grand Rapids Bloggers meetup and the girls recommend Good Life Granola as a fantastic (local!) granola company for those of you with [...]]]>

Store-bought granola can be SO expensive (even if you have a coupon), so I like to make this quick & easy version. It takes about 25 minutes. We recently had another Grand Rapids Bloggers meetup and the girls recommend Good Life Granola as a fantastic (local!) granola company for those of you with no interest in spending time in your kitchen.

Quick & Easy Granola:

• 3 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. flour (of your choice)
• 1/3 c. walnuts
• 1/3 c. sliced almonds
• 1/3 c. dried cherries
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1 teas. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients (oats, flour, nuts, dried fruit) in a large bowl.  Melt butter and add honey and vanilla.  Mix wet and dry ingredients.  Spread loosely on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes. Makes about 6 cups.

I get my oats from Country Life Natural Foods in 25# or 50# bags because it’s less expensive.  I use it instead of “instant oats” although they are frequently FREE with coupons.  Honey is really affordable from a local beekeeper in half-gallon quantities.   What is your source for oats, nuts, honey, dried fruit?

This post is linked to Cutting Back on Sugar.

Ingredients to make Spinach Artichoke Dip are on sale this week.

For only $1.00 per artichoke, my inner Julia Child thought I should try to make it from fresh ingredients.  (Please make me feel better and tell me I’m not the only person who’s never started with a fresh artichoke before?)

Here’s a great recipe to use the $0.25 Hunt’s Tomato Sauce from Meijer this week! (See the Meijer deals HERE!)

Find other [...]]]>
Do you see inexpensive food items in the weekly grocery deals and think “I don’t need that?”  I like to use these items as an excuse to find new recipes!

Here’s a great recipe to use the $0.25 Hunt’s Tomato Sauce from Meijer this week! (See the Meijer deals HERE!)

Find other recipes HERE.

Here’s a completely RANDOM post for ya:

This photo and RECIPE for Hunt’s Greek Style Pizza was in one of a billion newsletters I subscribe to and I just had to share because it looks so good!

Let me know if you try [...]]]>

Here’s a completely RANDOM post for ya:

This photo and RECIPE for Hunt’s Greek Style Pizza was in one of a billion newsletters I subscribe to and I just had to share because it looks so good!

Let me know if you try it!