Good morning to all. Here we are on Tuesday again. I am already tired this week! LOL
Just trying to get outside stuff done and let me tell you, it hasn't been fun as it is HOT! Today will get close to 90F, so I will be going outside here in a few to get things done early.
Mind you I am not complaining about the heat - it sure beats ice and snow, just trying to stay cooler and hydrated.
Hope you are all having a good week so far.
It is now picnic time, BBQ time, grilling out time - and we all like to eat, yet keeping things simple and easy. Saving a buck or two doesn't hurt either. So today is about a few ideas to use and make from what you have at home, instead of buying at the grocery.
Here we go.
I keep seeing lots of posts about the size of everything is getting smaller - yep, shrinkflation is upon us. Well, my advice is just make your own. Things have been shrinking in size (not cost) for a few years. Manufacturers think they are being sneaky - so let's just beat them at their game!! DON'T buy it!!!!
I have read that if you have a cake mix that is smaller than it used to be - add a 1/4 C flour and it will be back to the original! Not sure if that is true - but worth a try if you have some to use.
Don't think something is ruined and trash it - just because it is too........... whatever!
HONEY MUSTARD - make at home
CHICKEN FINGER SAUCE (or fries!)
I always add a splash of Worcestershire sauce as well - gives a little zing. Super easy to make and yummy to eat.
There ya go! A few more alternatives to make with what you have at home. They not only taste better but are easy and cheaper for the most part.
I imagine a lot of cookouts happening this coming weekend here in the U.S. with Memorial Day. Maybe you can have fun with some new recipes.
Make what you can, stay out of stores for extras, save a little money.
Have a wonderful day!!
That corn and black bean salsa sounds very good. Nice and fresh. I'll pass on the honey mustard recipe to my daughter as it is something she really enjoys.
ReplyDeleteVery cool and rainy here today. I think we have some sunshine in the forecast tomorrow.
Glad you found something you can use. The salsa is very good! ENJOY.
DeleteHot and dry here - enjoy that cool and rain! LOL - Really I am over rain for a while - but it is due back in a day or so.
Oh no Cheryl, tired and it is only Tuesday. How are you going to be by the end of the week?
ReplyDeleteI am laid up today after a gardening accident yesterday that involved a pitchfork, my little toe and inappropriate footwear. Quick trip to Emergency to get it cleaned up, it bleed like crazy and looked messy, but required no stitches, so all good.
That salsa sounds like a nice change from my usual one, I think I'll give it a try later in the week. I think I have some pulled pork lurking in the freezer depths that would be a good match. Thanks for the inspiration. Louise.
Oh noooo! That sounds awful - I did that one year with my 'claw' tool. I tend to garden barefoot or flip-flops. I know that hurts - glad you had no stitches! It is amazing how much a toe can bleed!
DeleteThe salsa is really refreshing and a great kind of salad/salsa.
Pulled pork sounds good! Enjoy - glad to help out!
REST!
Corn/Black Bean: I always have a bag of cooked black beans in the freezer as well as corn. I'll take 1c each, microwave for 2 minutes and pour a jar of my canned salsa over it. DONE! I honestly have never had tolerance for the consistency of canned beans/veg. (I know an emergency food store would have them but then I'd have to eat/rotate them-ugh).
ReplyDeleteBecause I've not purchased packaged stuff for decades, I really have not noticed shrinkflation EXCEPT ice cream! The occasional pint treat is not 75% and the half gallon is now 1.5 quart. And seriously, that's not a bad thing for us🤣🤣
We've been plunged back into the high 30s and pouring rain is to start during the night and through tomorrow. So, I must get the entire garden planted as I need to leave town Thursday midday. (it has been living in the portable greenhouse on the patio for weeks!)
Your bean and corn salsa is easy-peasy and sounds good.
DeleteGood for you - I wish I had that kind of hootzpa to stick to my guns and not buy manufactured stuff. Some of us have to - just not enough fresh. I wish I had more places to get local fresh foods.
Wow, on the high 30's for your low. That is darn chilly. I been working on that too. Whew - it is a lot of work!
Safe travels and happy planting.
When local freshies are gone, I buy Organic veg and fruit at Costco. Selection is smaller but there is enough to have variety over those months. I'm in the NW so Washington apples are here all winter.
DeleteLucky you! I don't belong to Costco or Sam's any longer. Didn't seem to be worth it for just me. I do love the farm markets when available.
DeleteAnything tastes better made with love. We haven't bought bottled salad dressing in years. If it is unpronounceable, put it back on the shelf. I pinned your tips for a quick fix when cooking.
ReplyDeleteThe heat sucks the energy right out of you. Supposed to have some rain at some point and then cool off a bit. We are still working on the back yard. Always... The Farmer will plant the onions he started from seed today.
Stay cool, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Off to Rural King...
Yes mam, I love things that are homemade. Good plan to have on ingredients. So many things are just so easy to make.
DeleteYes, the heat sucks it right out of us!!! I was out there 5 hours today - and accomplished tons. In, showered and cooling off for the day. Thinking about a wine spritzer actually!
Happy shopping - stay cool!
It's hard to believe it's going to be 90 where you are today and it's only May. Yuck! I'm not a fan of hot, hot weather, but not a fan of cold and ice either. LOL
ReplyDeleteThere is a local restaurant here that makes their own corn salsa and it is so good. Your version sounds delicious. I'll have to give it a try too.
Yep, they say 88F or higher. It is 86 right now and it hasn't reached peak yet! Cooler by the weekend.
DeleteI think you will enjoy it - it is tasty. Very refreshing.
Great ideas! Need to try the bean and corn salsa. If you're ever cooking pasta (other than spaghetti) for dinner, cook a little extra and set a portion aside for later use. Chop up some onion, peppers, and whatever other vegetables you like, even some pepperocini or jalapeno slices. Add some Italian salad dressing and let it sit for an hour or so and you have a wonderful pasta salad. Throw in some chunks of hard cheese and maybe cubed up salami or pepperoni and you've got a meal, with the added protein.
ReplyDeleteThanks - give it a try.
DeleteI love pasta/veggie salad. I make it with whatever I happen to have in the crisper. I am actually thinking of making a nice bowl of that tomorrow. Was going to do that today, and the day has gotten away from me! I eat is as a meal as well.
Thanks for the ideas.
Last evening was so pleasant! The littles with parents and I went to the local Mexican place and had supper together, a birthday celebration. :) I had enchiladas (one chicken, one spinach), corn chips with plenty of queso sauce/dip. :) Yum.
ReplyDeleteToday it will be black beans and a salad. At home. :)
Fortunately I *love* Bush's canned black beans, just as they are. My brother suggested them to me years ago and I think he was right! Every time I eat them I think of him. (And miss him, but so glad he died *before* Covid, can't imagine what he would have thought of that mess. He was a stubborn old WW2 vet and didn't take what he thought of as gvt interference lightly.)
MaryB
Your evening sounds delightful! Mexican too - yum!
DeleteBlack beans are good - I always keep some as well. That is funny that they always remind you of your bother. Nice memories though. Can't say I blame him!! LOL
I don't believe in using boxed cake/cookie mixes. I think it's just ripping off and making advantage of some people's ignorance when it comes to cooking and baking. The other day I saw a box with a "pizza mix"' which was just flour, yeast and salt - for three times the price of a bag of flour! I never ever bought cake mixes. It's so easy to make your own, and recipes are easily accessible, that I don't really get why people actually buy those boxes. My mum always buys pancake mix, which is such a waste in my opinion, because you still have to add milk and eggs with that particular mix. So you're basically paying a lot for some flour and baking powder...
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point. You are basically paying a lot for flour and a little sugar. They also contain other things - those things we can't pronounce!
DeleteIt is very easy to make a cake from scratch as well as biscuits, pancakes, cookies, etc.
I remember years and years ago when I was little - I used to beg momma to buy a pizza mix - it came with sauce and grated cheese. We didn't have pizza at home and that was a true treat. Now I make my own - and they are so good. But still, that makes for a fun memory.
Thanks for a good reminder!
Cool and cloudy here with a chance of frost. Planting of our veggies and my flowers is way behind. Temperatures and weather do not seem to be improving very quickly, however I will continue to get ready to plant.
ReplyDeleteThis year, more than any other I have been trying to make more of my own mixes, and snacks from scratch. Shrinkflation is getting to be a big problem.
God bless.
My, my - frost! I am sorry to hear that and that you aren't warming up. SOON! Yes, continue to move forward and get ready, that day will come soon.
DeleteWe sure need to learn to do things ourselves. Have to stay ahead of things!