Looking ahead

[Kevin86]

Is anyone else looking to tighten there belts with this virus taking everybody off work? I applied for unemployment haven’t had to do that for a couple years now. So I think planning ahead will be better then scrimping later. There is just the 2 of us here.

Why don’t we share ideas, hacks, tips to help give us ideas.

I find the cheaper things get sometimes the better they get. Less store but convenient stuff.

I’ll start we’re lucky to have meat in our freezer so we’re ok there. But as far as meat goes I find cheaper roasts and will make a roast for the week. Then I use that meat in my different meals as well as the stock gives me a pot of soup for the next week. So 1 roast will take us almost 2 weeks.

To go with this fresh homemade bread gets made well actually it’s been buns hitting the spot this week but all the same.

The things we have to restock on will be fresh fruit and veggies going ahead every couple weeks. Here I get beets, carrots, onions, cabbage, etc that keep for a while the top up with a few of the veggies that wilt faster. Even in the fridge I’ve got a dish with a bit of water in my crisper to keep the cabbage, etc

How about you guys and your tips and tricks?

 

[pepperhead212]

I've always been a cheapskate, so I probably won't be cutting any more corners! lol Way back, when I went away to school, I learned quickly that the way to save money was cooking from scratch, and one of the biggest savings was bread making, and it still is! And, as you've found out, it's better than what you get in stores. I also discovered the savings of dried beans, from a co-op I belonged to (also the first place I found large amounts of yeast, spices, and many other bulk items), and I still use a lot of legumes, especially the lentils, which I get especially cheap in the Indian groceries. These cook up much faster than the usual legumes, so they save energy, as well adding cheap protein (compared to meat) to the diet.

 

[taxlady]

Following along to see what people come up with. I'm sure I have some tips, but can't think of them at the moment.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Well so far I have learned that we can go two weeks + without going to the store. Never gave it any thought before. Now, we did run out of milk, but have canned evaporated milk if need be, purchased for some holiday treat that wasn't made.

I discovered that green onions/ scallions are still good after the two week period. Been rationing them the last few days, because we were running low. I like in salads, tuna sammies, scrambled eggs + more. One or two are just right for small dishes and you don't have to cut up a whole onion.

Our next grocery order, which we will have delivered, may need to increase more frozen / canned veggies and maybe fruits, if possible. Fresh produce gets used up sooner. Recently I had a rutabaga sprout, even through that waxy coating and it wasn't that long ago I bought it. Used one, should have used both. We need to increase the amount of eggs we normally buy, and cheese, if we are not going to grocery shop as often. (Ice cream does not keep, not that it ever did. I don't think that's the freezer's fault.) ((And NO, we can not increase the purchase quantity.))

The freezer is pretty well stocked with chicken and beef / burger cuts. Luckily, we like casseroles and leftovers. Never plan a meal until we decide what is going to be made beyond today. We have plenty of rice, beans and pasta.

Amusing, is how much our pantries are still full. Or perhaps feeling guilt, at how much we have/ accumulate when others have so little or don't have easy access for shopping.

 

[Aunt Bea]

During periods of uncertainty, it's important to set a good table with comfort foods that the family enjoys. Save the experiments for better times!

I've been attempting to maintain a rolling 3-4 week supply of groceries in case things begin to get worse.

Eliminate food waste. If you buy more than you can use fresh then cook it and freeze it in small packages.

Don't get hung up on balanced meals try to balance the day/week. The kids won't die if all they have is apple pie and milk for Sunday dinner or pancakes for supper.

Don't waste money on packaging for short term freezer storage use hillbilly Tupperware plastic bread bags, etc...

Build your meals around the inexpensive basic foods that are always reasonable.

Oatmeal
Eggs
Carrots
Pasta
Potatoes
Onions
Cabbage
Milk
Beans
Peanut Butter
Rice
Canned Tuna
etc...

"Eat it up, make it do, wear it out." - Calvin Coolidge

 

[GimmeAnother1]

i am finding that quite a few items that include dough are pretty cheap to just make. also i find if i dice up/shred my meats they seem to fill more and last longer. this could be something like philly type cheesesteak or some asian dish like chicken fried rice. speaking of rice it's always cheap (of course many stores are out of this). pastas, noodles, flours are always cheap and store for awhile. i try to make cupcakes instead of cakes as i feel like the same amount of batter goes much further. freezer is your friend. make a couple different batches for the week and alternate on days. keep the rest in freezer until needed. frozen fruits last much longer than regular ones. make some homemade ice tea is pretty cheap.

 

[larry_stewart]

Veggie scraps make good veggie stock. If dont have enough at one time, just freeze in a bad or container, and when it fills up, make a stock then freeze that. I already have 2 quarts of veggie stock and one quart of Mushroom stock in the freezer .

Dont let veggies go to waste. If they're days look numbered, quick blanch and freeze or make something out of them to freeze for later use.

My shrooms were starting to dry a bit, so I sliced and boiled them. Strained and saved the liquid for mushroom soup base in the near future, and it bought me a few more days with shrooms, which I put in a dish I made the following day.

Also putting my new dehydrator to use. Made Fruit roll ups out of the bananas that were starting to over ripe. Drying citrus peels for future tea use.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I'm a chef, still being paid but working from home. So my income hasn't taken a hit but I don't want to risk going to shop every day. So I try to do bigger batches of stuff I can eat on for days. It's just me so that's easier since I cook what I like.


One of my go-to dishes is quich/egg bake! I make a batch in a 9x13" pan and eat it for one meal each day (usually lunch) and make something else for dinner. Cuts my menu planning in half! I'm one of those keto guys so I try to keep it low carb. But I will sometimes line the bottom of the pan with hashbrowns. It's not a ton of carbs because I don't use a lot, just some for flavor and texture. Here's one of my favorites (and note, I typed this up for our Facebook page at work):

Easy Potato Bacon Egg Bake

Ingredients:​

1 dozen eggs
1 Carton Idaho Spuds dehydrated shredded potatoes
½ C Heavy cream, milk or half ‘h’ half
1 C Diced cooked bacon or ham
1 C Julienned onion
1 C Sliced bell peppers (optional)
10 oz Cubed cheese (pepper jack or cheddar jack works well)
Salt, pepper and Tabasco Sauce to taste

Rehydrate the Idaho Spuds with hot water and set aside for 10 minutes. While the potatoes are soaking preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl crack the eggs, remove from the shell and beat well (mixer is helpful but a whisk will work just fine). Whisk in the cream or milk and the salt, pepper and Tabasco, mixing it well.

Spray a 9x13 disposable aluminum pan with a bit of Pam or other pan spray. Spread the hash browns evenly into the pan (note: it’s fine if they’re still hot). Spread the fillings in even layers over the hash browns in this order: Cheese, Onion, Meat and Bell Peppers.

Pour the egg mixture over all the fillings, giving the pan a shake to distribute. Cover the pan with aluminum foil tightly and carefully move to the oven. Cook for about one hour, then check the pan. The Egg Bake is done when it’s fairly firm and there’s no liquid visible. Depending on your oven this will take between 60 and 75 minutes.

Serve with salsa, hollandaise or cheese sauce, or eat plain!

 

[Kevin86]

Why do you specifically separate and make mushroom stock?

 

[Kevin86]

Why do you specifically separate and make mushroom stock?

Sorry for what recipes and ideas? I just add them to my veggie mix