Awe...October, rich in beauty. The sweet smell of pumpkin and cinnamon...the luscious taste of warm coffee on a brisk morning...and the ability to make a warm, comforting meal, without having to leave your home. Sounds like paradise!
Over the last few weeks, I have been sharing some of my ideas and tips for starting a pantry. Once you have established a dry pantry and your spice cupboard, the next step is to have a freezer and refrigerator that are well stocked. Small or large, the freezer is a must for food storage on a budget. For the last three years I have been stuck with a small freezer (my large freezer died and we simply didn't have it in the budget for a new one.) Having a small freezer did not deter me from having it well stocked, but I couldn't purchase those great turkey specials, or partake in a deal at the grocery store, if I didn't have space. I had to improvise and make do with what I had. Now, a friend of mine has given me a small stand alone freezer and it is awesome! I am so grateful that I have the space back, especially since my boys are eating me out of house and home! If you have a small freezer and refrigerator, don't be discouraged. You can still "stock up" and have room for weekly purchases such as milk, yogurt, and eggs. Here are just a few of the ideas that I currently use to keep my freezer and refrigerator stocked and ready.
1.) Rotate your meat purchases- In order to maintain my budget every week I can't purchase more than one or two family sized meat packages. So usually in the first week of the month, I will purchase all of my chicken for the month. This includes one package of boneless skinless chicken thighs and a package of regular chicken thighs. I may also purchase a family size package of chicken breasts, but not always. The following week I will purchase a pork loin, pork roast, or pork chops (whatever is on sale). The following week is ground beef. The last week of the month I will purchase whatever is on sale, so for example, last month I purchased some Italian sausage, some bratwurst, and some polish sausage for recipes that I intend to make. Other times this might include a ham, turkey breast, or chuck roast. My meat purchases cannot exceed $20 per week in my budget. This is how I keep that cost in check when I'm shopping, and my freezer always has meat in it. Shopping this way keeps everything rotating in my freezer and I never have more than my freezer holds.
2. Vegetables- I always have 2 16oz bags of veggies on hand for each type that my family eats. For example, I always have 2 broccoli florets, 2 corn, 2 peas, 2 green beans, and 2 mixed veggies in the freezer. When I use a bag, I know that I need to add a bag to the grocery list. It is rare that I ever run out, and when I do, I can always grab another variety for dinner. Sometimes, for special recipes, I may have some peas and carrots in the freezer as well. As a family, we never eat veggies out of a can. I prefer the taste and texture of frozen. If your family does eat canned veggies, make sure that they make it onto your dry pantry list so that you won't run out.
3. Cheese & Butter- Did you know that both cheese and butter can be frozen for later use? They can, but you should use caution because it won't take long for the cheese to turn rancid once it's out of the freezer and past it's expiration date. I freeze cheese all of the time! I just plan to use the package in it's entirety within 5 days of opening, so often times, I will purchase one package of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese every time I shop. Since my family only eats real butter, I have to be sure that I have enough on hand. I usually purchase 3 pounds every 2 weeks. If I am running out of space in my refrigerator, I will throw a pound of butter in the freezer to pull later.
4. Condiments- This is a big one, and often a scary one at times. How long should you keep that open bottle of salad dressing in the fridge? Well, I have done some research on the subject and my best advise is to throw things out 30 days after opening. This includes all of my salad dressings. Why? Well, most of these items have enough vinegar to keep bacteria away, however, mold can grow on the rim and just inside the bottle top, Yuck! Making fresh salad dressings is a great way to stay within your budget while also keeping quantities low. If you aren't able to get through the family sized bottle of ketchup in a months time, purchase a smaller bottle.
5.) Sour cream, yogurt, and other dairy purchases- I always keep sour cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese in my house. These are "pantry" items for me because we eat them regularly and they never have time to go bad in my fridge once they are open. My family goes through 3 gallons of milk, one family sized yogurt, and two containers of cottage cheese a week. When I go shopping, I look at what I have on hand and purchase only what I need. Paying attention to how quickly your family consumes their favorite cold storage items can be extremely helpful when trying to stick to a budget.
Other items in my budget are produce, frozen potatoes, and breakfast items. I always have eggs on hand, usually a 18 pack, every week. I try to keep baby carrots, celery, and apples on hand as well. When I am running low, I purchase more, so they may or may not be on my shopping list, it just depends on how quickly we consume them. Other items that I keep in the house are yogurt sticks and cheese sticks. They go in my children's lunches.
Rotate, rotate, rotate- It is so important that you rotate your cold storage items. Everything in my freezer is clearly labeled with the date that it went in, and I rotate accordingly. Items don't stay fresh forever. If you open a container of sour cream, make sure that you have a use for the entire container within a week of opening. In addition, rotate through your expiration dates and make sure to use up your older items first. This keeps you from throwing your hard earned money into the garbage.
Keeping a pantry is essential to living on a budget. No matter how large or small your pantry is, it is important to only keep items on hand that you know you are going to use. I just recently went through my cupboard and realized that I had three boxes of Jello in my pantry that had since expired. I have completely stopped making Jello (for my own reasons), and I simply forgot they were there.
I hope that my this article is helpful for you and your family! Do you have any thoughts on keeping a pantry? If so, please share them with us! Do you have a favorite pantry meal?
I am off to make some yummy pot roast for dinner!
Have a blessed day!
Kim
Friday, October 16, 2015
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Homemade Pizza Crust
Some of my favorite memories as a child were when my father was in the kitchen making a fresh, homemade pizza. He would make it for football games, slumber parties, and other special occasions around our house. He was a pro, very meticulous in his work, especially when forming the crust. He would sprinkle it with oil and oregano and then he would proof it in a partially opened oven. Then he would add the toppings and we would wait while the pizza baked in our oven...I can still remember our excitement when he told us that it was ready!
As I became an adult, my husband and I still enjoy a fresh baked pizza. The kids love it when they can make their own and choose their toppings. I let them roll out their own dough, dress their pizza with whatever they want, and we still watch the oven door as the dough rises and bakes. It is a heavenly smell! There are times when we order a pizza and have it delivered, but for the most part, we make our own. Here is a quick breakdown of what I spend when I make a pizza versus having one delivered.
1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce per pizza ($.25)
12-16 slices of pepperoni ($.50)
1/2 cup of chopped onions, mushrooms, olives, peppers, or any other pizza topping that you prefer (approximately $.80)
1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ($.90)
Pizza Crust- Makes 2 (12 in.) pizza crusts or 1 (16 in) and a small
1 1/4 cup warm water (tap water...minimal cost)
1 package of active dry yeast (or 2 tsp. yeast) ($.33)
1 tsp. sugar (minimal cost)
2 tbsp. oil (I use canola) ($.15)
1/2 tsp. salt (minimal cost)
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour ($.60)
Total pizza crust cost is approximately- $1.08 give or take...my breakdown is based on approximations. There are approximately 10 cups of flour in a 5lb bag and I paid $1.55 at Aldi. Therefore each cup is about $.15.
The total cost for one 16 inch round pepperoni pizza is about $2.73. I usually have to make two pizzas and I always add additional toppings so my total cost when we eat pizza is about $6.00. If you compare that to the cost of ordering a pizza you are saving a ton of money! Who says that you can't enjoy delicious, healthy food, on a budget! No more frozen pizzas for this family!
Making pizza dough is easy! Probably the least threatening yeast based dough ever...it is extremely forgiving!
First-combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let them stand
for about 5 minutes. Watch the amazing science behind yeast as it begins
to foam and grow!
(This is my son's favorite part!)
When the yeast and water is nice and frothy, combine the flour, oil, and salt into a large bowl.
Add the yeast & water to the four and mix well.
I use a stand mixer, but my dad did all of this by hand.
I knead my dough with a dough hook attachment on my mixer for about 5 minutes on medium speed. I watch the dough and add a little flour if it seems a little too sticky.
If you knead it by hand on a lightly floured surface, this process takes about 8 minutes.
Grease a large bowl and out the pizza dough in it. Cover with saran wrap and place in a warm area until it is doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Roll out into desired shape and size. I use my hands, but a small rolling pin is okay too.
I sprinkle a little cornmeal on the pan that I am using, in this case I used an air bake cookie sheet.
I brush the edge of the crust with a little oil and sometimes I sprinkle it with garlic salt. Yum Yum!
Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted.
Delicious, homemade pizza, made in just a little over an hour!
Isn't that how long it takes for most pizza deliveries?
How do you like your pizza? Do you have any tricks or tips to share? We would love to hear from you!
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