Hello to all this last day of September. Goodness, it is hard to believe another month is done. We are less than 90 days until Christmas folks!
65*F this morning and the first peeks of sunrise were absolutely beautiful. God sure is a fine artist! It has clouded up some at this point and we might get into the 80's today. Windows open and the fans on. Even on the chilliest nights, my house never gotten below 71*. That makes me happy.
We have talked before about knowing different swaps we can make to keep us out of the store! There are so many little tricks that can used in and around the kitchen that really can save money. If you go to the store for that ONE thing - odds are that isn't all you get. Regardless, you are spending $.
- If your baking calls for water to be added, think about using the end of juice, or stale pop, or even tea. Coffee added to something chocolate really makes the flavor better
- If you have paper coffee filters, you have drainage paper for fried goods, you have disposable popcorn or snack bowls. You have a splatter guard to put over food in the microwave. You can get packs of paper filters for next to nothing at the dollar stores
- When cooking chicken breast (boneless) - slice each in half (like you would for butterflying), you have a thinner piece of chicken which cooks quicker and it stretches the meat further. OR cut a breast into small chunks to add to a pasta or rice dish. Stretch that meat
- Making a 2 crust pie - some folks have trouble w/the top crust looking nice. Place your bottom crust, filling and for the top - just cut out small circles (like biscuit size) or even a us a cookie cutter and lay on top of the filling. It still works and is easy, and looks cute! OR make a galette - a rustic one crust type of pie
- It is always good to have coconut oil on hand. MUCH healthier than using shortening, and it is better than many oils. It lasts well, and if you check some discount places, not too expensive. ALSO it is great to use on dry skin and chapped lips!
- Keep buttermilk powder around for baking. Sure, you can use milk & vinegar or lemon juice to give you that buttermilk taste - but I just love the buttermilk powder. I keep it in the frig or freezer after opening and it lasts and lasts. **Just a fun note - use buttermilk in mac and cheese for a very lovely, upgraded flavor!!!!!! Great in homemade biscuits (scones) as well.
- No brown sugar for a recipe - mix together molasses and white sugar
- 3 Tbsp. of mayo = 1 egg in a recipe
- I make my own colored sugar for holiday cookies. Regular sugar and a couple drops of food coloring and mix well. You can make custom colors or make colors as intense as you want.
- You can replace some eggs in recipes with applesauce or bananas
- Use plain yogurt or sour cream instead of mayo in recipes - add your own flavorings
- Corn syrup is replaced with water & sugar
- 1 C of heavy cream for cooking = 1/3 C butter and 2/3 C milk heated together
- Here is an idea I saw recently. Making brownies form scratch - no cocoa - use hot cocoa mix! Reduce your sugar in the recipe some (cocoa mix has sugar). 3 packs equal about 1/2 C. You end up with a more cake like consistency and they say the flavor is great. Look for the deep sales around the after-holiday sales for the packets - you can use flavored as well. These can be added to smoothies as well with a bit of coffee for a mocha flavored drink (milk shake). Use to flavor homemade ice cream - all kinds of uses. Much cheaper than cocoa at the moment. I can buy a container of store brand cocoa mix at Kroger for about $4, and it is twice the size of cocoa - which is pricey.
- Of course, get after Halloween chocolate candy for half price - it can be stored in freezer. Chop and use in cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. instead of chips
- When making a crisp - think about mixing different fruits together, if you don't have enough of one - most combos are so good
What tricks do you use to stay home and swap and save?
I love hearing ideas.
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Nice list of substitutions.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up sliced bread served as all of our buns, except for a cookout with friends and then Mom sprang for real buns.
One thing I have learned to do is to save all crumb from crackers, pretzels, tortillas or chips. I keep them in the same container in the freezer until I have enough to use instead of bread crumbs for a casserole topping.
Thanks. I always had bread for everything as well. I was older (teens) before I remember store bought buns - maybe homemade now and then.
DeleteYES, saving all the crumbs for toppings. They work perfectly. You can even keep the crumbs of sweet cookies and such in another container for topping ice cream or pudding.
I still use sandwich bread for hot dog buns. Hot dog buns tend to be heavier than the bread, so I like it better. :)
ReplyDeleteAnne's idea of saving the crumbs is a good one, add in some Italian seasonings.
When my children were small, and finished with their bottles, neither drank much milk. So I used to put milk in everything instead of water in pretty much anything I made, from baking to casseroles.
I like the thinner bread - buns have so much 'extra' bread.
DeleteExactly - just a great tip. That is a great idea - so as not to waste the milk. It just makes food taste richer.
Lots of good swaps! If you get a burger at Culver's and ask for bread instead of a bun, they charge you an extra 75 cents. We don't eat there any more! A lightly toasted bread is better than a bun that falls apart. I put any leftover bread in the blender and make panko crumbs. Cheaper and I know what is in them. A galette is a favorite way to make a fruit dessert. No fiddling with an unruly crust to get it presentable. I would rather have the fruit filling instead of a lot of crust.
ReplyDeleteRight now it looks like it could rain, which I guess it is closer to Fort Wayne and those places north. I went out before breakfast and picked figs to go with our meal. We don't harvest enough to make jams or such, but sure do enjoy eating them.
Going to the dentist today and I feel like throwing a two-year-old tantrum, "I don't want to go!". ha! The dentist and his staff are super nice, but I just don't like sitting with my mouth open for so long. Should be grateful for the resources to care for my teeth, as opposed to buy some choppers. Arghhhh!
They charge extra for bread? That is crazy. I make crumbs as well. I do love a galette as well - so super easy. I always leave the back edge of pie crusts on my plate - just not a fan.
DeleteGlad you are enjoying the figs. How nice to walk out and pick fresh.
Heck, yes, be glad you have your natural choppers. Good luck.
When we were first married I put my husband's hamburger on bread because I was out of buns. He acted like it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen. On the flip side if I have leftover hotdog buns they become garlic bread. Yes, he's gotten used to my substitutes. I didn't run to the store every time I was out of something back then and I still don't! Lol. His mom did. She doesn't now as she lives 45 minutes from the grocery store. But that's not in my husband's experience.
ReplyDeleteI actually like making substitutes and adapting and adjusting to what's on hand. It makes cooking more fun instead of some rigid project.
That is funny. I never understood why people act like it is weird. Bread is bread! Buns make great garlic toast.
DeleteI think subs make it fun as well. Hmmm, I don't have ABC - so let us see what I have in the way of DEF that will work! Sometimes it makes things even better!
I remember at a family reunion taking a tray of buns that they were going to throw out and making a large bread pudding that everyone loved.!
ReplyDeleteSuper great way to use bread/buns. They were going to throw out???? Oh my goodness. Good for you on salvaging them into a flavorful bite.
DeleteI am another person who grew up in a home where sliced bread was king. I am writing your tip about swapping mayonnaise for egg in my list of egg substitutions, which I started after a recent post.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 things I do, which aren't really swaps, but just make things rather fun. The 1st is to keep the crumbs from the bottom of the biscuit barrel/cookie jar and use them to top fruit and ice-cream. For some reason the plain version is just an everyday dessert, but with a few crunchy crumbs scattered over the top it becomes fancy.
Odd little bits of cake get broken up and layered in a tall glass with fruit, ice cream and a bit of syrup et 'voila' fruit sundae!
It is always good to have a list available - keep in a file, or in a recipe book or on the inside of a cabinet door - just have a written list.
DeleteThat does fancy up a fruit, pudding or ice cream. I do the same.
Like the tip for the cake. That would be tasty and pretty as well. Thanks.
No waste - a good thing.
If you have a recipe that calls for self-rising flour (seriously? who keeps that on hand? not me...), you can substitute regular flour, with some baking powder and salt. For every 1 cup of flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.
ReplyDeleteForgot to change my name from Anonymous to Lori K -- it's been awhile; my RSS feeder quit working when my Windows updated.
DeleteHi Lori!!!!! I always buy all purpose flour - and just adjust like you said. AP is always available and can be kept longer in my opinion.'
DeleteGreat tip and thanks.
In my experience self-rising flour is commonly used in the South. My southern mother-in-law gave me a bag once. On rare occasions I need it I use the subs. I recently made a cake that required cake flour but I had some. The recipe creator insisted making cake flour with corn starch wouldn't work in the recipe. It was for a birthday so I was glad I had the real thing on hand (I don't run out for one thing! Lol)
ReplyDeleteMay be it is. I just have never bought it. I have never bought cake flour either. I use the one flour for anything I bake, and it all turns out well.
DeleteI will not go running for one thing!
The other night we had hamburgers with regular bread and growing up, that is what we used for hot dogs, too. We aren't fans of the heels of bread so I will freeze them and when I get enough, I make breadcrumbs. I rarely have to buy them anymore. Having a list of substitutions is like gold. I have a list inside my cabinet for basic ones. I have used mayonnaise in chocolate cake and I have often swapped out Greek yogurt for sour cream. Darcy
ReplyDeleteGood for you. If bread starts to stale a bit - it is always toasted for me. I do homemade breadcrumbs too.
DeleteI agree - subs are just so smart and it sure does save money.
My sister used to always make chocolate cake with mayo and goodness it was so good and moist.
Great swaps.