Stale Chips?

July 2, 2008

Here’s a quick tip for today!

Did you buy too far ahead and open your bag of chips only to find them stale?

Or maybe the bag was left open too long in the humidity?

It happens and it’s frustrating!

But don’t thrown them away! Yet.

First smell them. If you smell rancid oil, you’re too late honey, pitch them.

But if you just smell stale chips, they could still be saved in the oven!  Pour the chips out on a large baking dish, trying not to layer them too thick. Then bake them in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.

The chips should come our fresh and delicious!

By Country Gal | Posted in Cooking and Food, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Shop by Seasons

July 1, 2008

A quick stop at the grocery store tonight yielded some great buys. Since the July Fourth weekend is coming up soon, many of the foods traditionally served on the Fourth are on sale.

Think hot dogs, hamburgers, brats, pop, buns, chips, condiments, watermelon, etc…

I used this same principle back in November when the store had a great price on turkeys. I bought four nice size ones and put them in the freezer. Two of them are soaking in a brine tonight and will be put in the smoker tomorrow.

The smoked turkey will be served at our family reunion next weekend. The other two will be smoked later in the summer for another reunion. It will be a fairly cheap (but delicious) meal because I bought in season. To buy a turkey now would not be as cost effective.

I wish I had used this principle to buy bacon. I was shocked at the price when I checked today! The guy in charge of the meat department told me that every spring the price of bacon goes up because of the demand for BLT’s. Bacon is always cheaper in the winter. That’s a tip I need to remember!

Watching the calendar and stocking up on the holidays is a great way to bag some great deals and save some money in your grocery budget!

By Country Gal | Posted in Cooking and Food, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Contentment

June 30, 2008

“Contentment: Being happy with I have.”

Contentment is not easy to obtain. There are things in all of our  lives that we would love to change, things that we just aren’t happy with.

I ran across a great quote this week:

“Whenever I’m in the kitchen smelling the aroma of beans slowly cooking for our evening meal, my mind goes back to my childhood when this food was vital to our survival. We may not have had many material things, but we never went hungry thanks to beans and corn bread.

This simple meal reminds me that the essentials of life need not be extravagant. We often think that to be happy, we need bigger and better things. And yet, when I was growing up, there was so much love in our family that we just didn’t think about needing anything more.

I’ve never forgotten that period of my life, or that depression-era meal. It remains one of my favorites, and I still enjoy cooking up a ‘potful of the past”‘

~ Oneta M. Whitlock, excerpt from We had Everything but Money: Priceless Memories of the Great Depression

“But Godliness with contentment is great gain.” I Timothy 6:6

Photo courtesy of Carstor.

By Country Gal | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)

The “Scratch-n-Dent”

June 27, 2008

When we lived in the city I did the bulk of my shopping at Aldi’s. I loved it! We had a great pantry system set up and we would shop once a month.

Actually, it became our date night. The kids went to Grandma’s and my husband and I went grocery shopping!

When we moved to the farm, I suddenly realized that since we were now 2 hours from Aldi,  It was no longer practical to use it as my main source of food.  The first few years were hard as I adjusted to shopping at a regular grocery store.

Then the Amish began to move in. A new colony was started and with it came some new stores, including a discount grocery store.

We lovingly named it “The Scratch and Dent” but other neighbors have dubbed it “The Redneck Wal-Mart”. The store is full of groceries and toiletries at a discount. Some of the jars have been dented, some of the boxes a little smooshed, but the cheap prices help you overlook those small details!

You can find everything from organic to Aldi brands and you never know what they will have on any given day. It’s like a treasure hunt!

Today I found the special face soap that my teenagers use, a birthday gift for a niece, a big bag of shredded cheddar, a package of dry erase markers with an eraser, and enough other stuff to fill a cart to overflowing!

With careful buying, a discount grocery store can be a great way to stretch your grocery dollar!

By Country Gal | Posted in Cooking and Food, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Stir Fry for Summer

June 26, 2008

During the hot summer months when I don’t feel much like cooking, stir-fry is a great and thrifty way to use up left-overs.

I start with any cooked meat I have and add in left-over, frozen or fresh vegetables. Sometimes if there isn’t a lot of meat, I’ll also throw in some nuts like peanuts or cashews.

I’ll even throw in onions and peppers if I’m feeling brave!

Once all the vegetables are cooked and the meat is heated, I pour the sauce over and cook until it is thick.

Stir Fry Sauce:

Mix together 2 Tablespoons corn starch, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2/3 cup water, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. garlic, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

If there isn’t enough sauce, I just make another batch and throw it on and cook a little longer!

It’s a delicious and light summer meal that my family loves. Well, not all of them. One child would rather have a root canal then eat anything  with lots of weird vegetables mixed up together. I always serve this with bread and a salad so when he has eaten his allotted portion he can fill up  with those!

Ahh, the joys of motherhood!

By Country Gal | Posted in Cooking and Food, Main Dishes, Thrifty Ideas | Tagged , | Comments (0)