Making Do Without Missing A Thing--Six Kitchen Appliances That Will Put Cash Back in Your Pocket--Week Three

   Welcome back! I cant tell you how excited I am about today's post---SO excited in fact, that I could barely sleep for all the things running through my mind that I wanted to share on here in the next week.
                It's true. If I weren't typing I would be rubbing my hands together gleefully.
   You see, TODAY is the day you begin to take another step forward in putting more of your money back in your pocket and starting  to see significant savings in your grocery budget, family's health, and all over ability to Making Do Without Missing a Thing.
   If you are just joining us today, and have not been able to be with us since the beginning, I would encourage you to check out our week one of the six week series--Master Mixes, which dealt with immediately putting cash back in your pocket through the use of Master Mixes---replacing things such as Bisquick, bagged cookie mixes or even Hamburger helper and Cream of Mushroom soup...by recognizing they are convenience items that take very little time and effort to make at home from scratch for a short time investment.
   Or, you can check out last week's posts on week two--Eating Like a King on a Shoestring Budget, which dealt with learning to anticipate the grocery sales, squashing the habit of running to the grocery every week by using meal planning, and building a pantry that you can pull from at any time, no matter your circumstances.
   This week is the start of week three, Six Kitchen Appliances That Will Put Cash Back in Your Pocket.
   As with anything else I have shared with you, this week's post is about how making intentional spending your main focus when shopping, will, in return, help you really reap the benefits of  putting more money back into your pocket every time that grocery shopping comes around.
   Each day this week I am going to cover one appliance that is either common in most kitchens, or I have chosen carefully to add to my kitchen, to add to my savings and ability to plan ahead for my family food-wise.
Today's post is going to start with an appliance that most people already have in their homes: the humble kitchen freezer.
   Now, while you are reading this, you have one of two models of a freezer in your house right now.
      This                                                                                  

  

     or This:

   And that will determine how much you will need to rely on this post, or one of the other appliance options to make the best use of your time and intentional spending while you are grocery shopping. I want to start right out by saying that I have both, and use them all the time. But neither of them would have a fish standing up in them like that. Stock photos, what do you do? :P
   Using your freezer to work for you is something most people do in some shape or form without even realizing they are doing it.
   However, most people also have no idea how possible it is to use your freezer to its best advantage to really put more money in your pocket and avoid the yearly clean-out we all dread. No more throwing away months of food waste: things that have just moved to the bottom over the year as new items have been placed on top of them. I want you to understand how food waste can really be a cause of a lot of wasted money in your food budget. Think of it as working for free, for hours, just to be able to fill your trash can every week and have the garbage man come and take it away. I don't know about you, but that is a painful vision in my life, and I frankly don't like my garbage guy enough to want to give him all that money.. I want my hard-earned money to pay for dance lessons, or the treat of eating out, or something that is worthwhile in my life, not to fill a trash can. And most of us do it because we are trained to think of everything in a very disposable way.......even when it comes to our detriment, or our financial ruin (can you say going into debt just to buy Christmas presents and not paying the rent in January?). We are trained to think we  need to use the grocery store every single week, even if we have food at home in our freezers, cupboards or fridges. We are trained to throw away odds and ends of food, produce being the number one item, rather than finish it off, all because we are wealthy enough (yep, you heard me say it) to consider that food item as no longer necessary to your meals that week. Perhaps if each time we threw something away that was half eaten, or has gone to waste, we were to picture the 97% of the world to whom hunger a very real and daily struggle we would think twice. Or perhaps not.
   Did you know that even at a 30% mark up from cost that most grocery produce managers know they are still going to make a good profit off of that bag of lettuce you purchased yesterday? Know why? Because 70% of people will not eat that food before they determine that it has reached a point that they no longer want to eat it. And funny thing--those same people will throw it out, and come back in the next week, or two weeks later (or even days later) to purchase the same thing. Ouch, right? Have you been there? I have, many times. Or just ask my husband, who used to be the main go-to guy who would clean out the fridge. Poor poor man.

   So, lets talk about some simple ways to use your freezer to work for you.

1. Buying items on sale and stocking up on them. This is a no-brainer right? At least for most Americans. We buy four pizzas at a time when it is a good deal, and fill up the freezer for game night. We buy three cartons of juice because its on sale and our family tends to get hit with the flu during the winter, so we know OJ is a good thing to stock up. We buy frozen veggies, and frozen lasagna, and over the year, a funny thing happens. Those same things we bought on sale sink slowly to the bottom as we see new things we "need", and eventually, from a few weeks to a few months, those things become freezer-burned, tasteless, and un-appetizing.
   And then we hire the garbage man to come and haul it away with our hard-earned paychecks.
   Yep, thats the American way. Not a very lovely picture.
   That is why I consider the freezer on my short-term storage list. Why? because if I am going to put a bunch of money into food, and plan on shopping grocery sales, and building my pantry, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket...and then have the power go out. I don't know about you, but eating an entire chest freezer full of food in 48 hours because the power has gone out and I am going to lose my entire investment just makes me break into a cold sweat. I know. I have been there. Have you?
   Instead, there are very few things I use my freezer for that is longer than a four month cycle. Most foods begin to deteriorate in that time (with the exception of properly wrapped meat products--and I am not talking about when you take that roast home that you got on sale and chuck it in the freezer. That is NOT properly wrapped and you might as well throw a $10 bill in the trash. Seriously.), and become more unappetizing as the weeks go by beyond that. :)
   Invest in good quality freezer bags, and freezer paper. Only put into that freezer what you can reasonably eat as a family within the next four months, excluding properly wrapped meat. If that leaves you with extra space, to make your freezer more efficient and keep your costs of running it low, place milk jugs 3/4 full of water in the empty spaces to maximize its efficiency. If you have a chest freezer, I would recommend making a layer of these on the bottom to keep things from slipping into freezer-burn oblivion. It works, its cheap, and it sure saves you money in the end.
   Did you know milk can be frozen for a short period of time and still taste just supermarket fresh? So next time you see a deal on milk (which is, of course, upwards of $3-$4 a gallon anymore), jump on that deal and let your freezer work for you. Sour cream, yogurt, butter, creamer, half and half, cheese...many dairy items can be frozen for anywhere from a few weeks to four months without it really affecting their texture or taste. Cheese that has been frozen tends to be more crumbly, but if you use shredded cheese a lot in dishes or on top of things, that is just a new form of cheese to get used to. One exception---don't try to freeze eggs in the shell. Serious mess. However, if you see a great deal on eggs pull out an ice cube tray, break them into each spot and mix with a fork. They freeze just fine and will come right back like a fresh egg when you need them.

2. Changing food from waste to culinary gold: Next time you have odds and ends of things leftover from making dinner, instead of heading for the trash can, consider if anything you have left over can be used to make another meal. I know, sounds bizarre, right? Let me give you an example. In my freezer part of my fridge combo I have a bucket, and a bag that are labeled "soup". When I have leftover veggies from dinner that didnt get eaten (and no, I am not talking about my toddler's chocolate-pudding covered carrots she mashed into her plate and I threw away), or the water they cooked in (if you steamed it or cooked on a pan on the stove) I add it to the small container in the freezer. If I have odds and ends leftover from the cutting board after making supper, quite a few of those go into the gallon freezer bag in the freezer, things like, ends and skins of onions for example. I am quite serious here. I paid for that produce, no matter whether fresh or frozen, and I would rather see if I can make another meal for my family from the bits and pieces, a good meal, than feed my trash can. This is another glaring fault for us as Americans. We need to start thinking beyond the now to the tomorrow (or a couple weeks from now) to start putting more of that money back in our pockets.
I am telling you, that little container and freezer bag have made some amazing soups over the last couple of years, and each time we eat it, it is like eating a meal for free. Add in some homemade bread, biscuts, or cornbread, and you will walk away from that meal feeling pretty proud of yourself. And when I said onion skins, I meant it. Years ago housewives used to save their onion skins to make soup stock because it gave it a lovely rich golden brown color, and infused the soup with a subtle onion flavor. Carrot ends, potato eyes, celery ends, tomato tops, cucumber peels, outer cabbage leaves,...those all do the same thing. Use it to simply flavor the soup base before you add in your leftover veggie container, and then throw it out--and pat yourself on the back that you just made "stone soup". Do you eat deli chicken ever? Don't throw that carcass out, either. Put it in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer for a week or so, and boil that with your bag full of veggie ends. Make sure to strain your stock well to avoid any small bones that fall off to keep anyone from choking at your dinner table. Actually, next time you have a roast chicken of any kind, a meat bone from a bone-in ham or beef roast, don't throw it away. Put it in a freezer baggie and use it to make stone soup.Oh, and if you have any stock leftover that just wont fit into a large freezer space, freeze it in an ice cube tray. For small families, or when you just need a little bit of stock to make a meal, those freezer cubes are perfect. This works best if you let the stock cook down just a little more than you normally would to concentrate the flavors. You will be glad you did.

3. Getting a jump start on meal preparation:  I use my freezer mainly for meal preparation and planning in meals I can make ahead and pull from the freezer one day a week. I never never never make a casserole without doubling it. Seriously. Of course, I have a chest freezer downstairs for my more long-term items, and the small freezer that is a part of my fridge in the kitchen. However, a homemade casserole, wrapped well in foil and plastic wrap, can easily weather a couple months in the freezer before starting to have any deterioration. So I use that to my best advantage. When I make enchiladas, I make two or even three pans. We love our Mexican food around here. :) So why not take the same amount of time and make enough for three meals when I am already working for one? I put Tatertot casserole and Tuna noodle casserole into the freezer, ready to go in an hour, to an hour and a half. And instead of paying $13 for a "Stouffer's" lasagna, I can make my own (or two or three) for well under half that by shopping the sales and taking the time to make it from scratch. The very best part is knowing if I have a crazy busy day and don't feel like making a dinner, I dont have to pick up the phone and blow $18 (or more) of our grocery budget on a pizza to feed my family. With meal planning that is a rare thing anyhow, but it happens. I can also buy the family packs of meat on sale, and repackage it at home, or take it one step further and fry it all up with a little onion and garlic and voila~instant meal in the amount of time I have to throw it into the microwave while getting out the taco shells, tortillas, noodles and cream of mushroom Magic Mix,...or a million other combinations. I love to make up muffin batter and freeze it in muffin tins for a quick breakfast or snacks, and it is rare I don't have cookie "pucks" sitting in a bag in the freezer for a quick dessert or snack for my family (or a late night Mommy-chocolate-attack) Another example: I can buy pumpkins in October for $1 a pumpkin and cook it down, pack it in 2 cup amounts in freezer bags and have an entire year's worth of pumpkin puree for cookies, bread and pies just sitting there begging to be used (again----some things can last longer than others, and pumpkin is one of the things I put into the freezer). When pumpkin is averaging around $3 a can (which also is only 1 1/2 cups worth at best) and I paid $1 for a pumpkin that gave me 9 2-cup bags, how much better can my family eat and how much money did I just put in my pocket for that intentional investment?You can do the same thing with carrots fresh from the grocery store when they go on sale. Buy the big bag if it is a good deal, bring them home, peel and slice them and stick them in the freezer. Forget buying the bags of frozen veggies--you just made your own! :)

   To end this post today I wanted to give you a couple of my turn-to-every-day recipes that will utilize this appliance right away for you. I want to encourage you to start thinking outside the box here, and begin to realize you probably have the ability to start saving right here at your fingertips by using as much or as little of the advice I am giving you. None of these things are brilliant epiphanies that I am the only human being on the planet to think of. They are, instead, tried and true ways that generations of families have used to save money on their food budget, and that have slowly slipped into the past. I will be sharing more of those patterns and appliances this coming week, and I hope you stay tuned in. Please continue to scroll down for the recipes. God bless you, folks!

Many Blessings to You and Yours,

Heather

Tater Tot Casserole (makes one pan so double or triple for freezer meals)
1 cup rice, cooked (we use brown and white mixed for nutritional reasons)
3/4 lb of ground beef, cooked with diced onion and garlic salt (you can also use turkey if you want)
2 cans green beans or corn (or one good sized bag of frozen)
2 cups Magic mix made with chicken stock (or 2 cans cream of chicken soup)
one bag frozen tater tots or potato rounds
1/4 cup shredded cheese
   *in a greased 9x13 pan (or two 8x8), layer the following ingredients: Mixing the rice with the meat, place this in the bottom of the pan. If you want, put a little ground pepper over the top of the mix. Next place the frozen veggies, spreading evenly. Top with the 2 cups of cream of chicken, poking the end of a knife evenly around the pan so that you are sure the soup gets to the bottom of the layers. Finally top off the soup with an even layer of tater tots and sprinkle with the cheese. This bakes for 45 minutes in a 350* oven if made fresh, an hour and a half if coming from the freezer and covered with foil. For a twist on this recipe, mix the meat with frozen hash browns and press into the bottom of the pan, top with corn mixed with tomatoes and green chilies, pour 2 cups of cheese sauce from the magic mix recipes (or 2 cans of nacho cheese soup) over the top and bake. Great variation if you get tired of the same thing over and over.

Tuna Noodle Casserole  (makes one pan)
 (you can substitute shredded chicken or turkey--Tuna is shelf stable so it comes right out of my panty and into the dish--yippee!)
1/2 large bag egg noodles cooked (or watch tomorrow for my easy-peasy homemade version)
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 onion, diced
1 large can tuna, drained and flaked
3 cups of cream soup mix made with a base of chicken stock and chopped celery/cheese added
a pinch of dried basil and tarragon
salt and pepper to tast (season the soup and use that)
   *in a large pan, mix the noodles, meat, veggies and soup. Add seasonings. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish (or two 8x8 pans)  and bake for 45 minutes at 350* if fresh or if coming from the freezer, bake for one and one-half hours in over at the same temp. This dish is limited only by your imagination and what is available in your fridge, or freezer. Toss in chicken, substitute the veggie for another...whatever works for your family.


Heather's Enchiladas (this is a doubled recipe so if you want less, cut it in half)

4 cups Spanish rice (I cook rice in a large pot with a splash of lime juice and beef stock, as well as a can of Ro*tel tomatoes or salsa, plus my own homemade seasoning--you can use my links on the first week of this series to find your own seasoning mix to save off those ridiculously expensive packets they sell in the grocery store)
1 lb ground beef (you read that right--and if you want meatless, skip this ingredient)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
diced onion
cilantro, dried or fresh to taste
two packages tortillas (or check back tomorrow for my homemade tortilla recipe)
2 cans enchilada sauce plus one can water(again, check the links, this mix is out there for pennies compared to what you pay at the store)
shredded cheese
   * make your filling by combining the rice mix, beef, beans and onion. Lay out your tortillas. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, fill each tortilla, tuck the sides into the middle and roll up.Place into a greased 9x13 pan. One pan holds about 10 enchiladas or so unless you make huge ones. Pour the sauce over the top of each pan, being careful to get all the edges of enchiladas sticking up so nothing burns in the oven. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 350* over for 45 minutes or 1 1/2 hours if frozen.

Chicken Pot Pie
2 pie crusts, thawed and placed in a pie pan (check back tomorrow for this recipe)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup cubed chicken or shredded chicken, already cooked
1/4 cup onion diced really small
one bag frozen peas and carrots or mixed veggies
2 cups plain white sauce made with your magic mix, and seasoned with oregano, thyme and basil
   *I make a lot of these at a time and normally have at least two types of pot pie in the freezer. It is quick, convenient, and holds together well for longer than most recipes. Be careful to package them well, though, because there is nothing worse than pulling out a pot pie and finding it un-edible thanks to freezer burn. For mini-pies if you have kids, use a muffin tin. Kids love kid-size food!
   *In a bowl, mix the chicken, onion, frozen veggies and sauce. Sprinkle the cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the contents of the bowl over the top, top with the second crust, seal the edges and don't forget to cut slits in the top!(or you will have one heck of a mess to clean up). Bake for one hour at 350*. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
   * Ingredient variation: use beef chunks instead of chicken and for veggies use carrots, celery, potatoes cubed really small, and a parsnip cubed. Make the cream sauce with beef stock and for seasoning use thyme and tarragon.
  
   **********just a couple tips on "freezer smarts". If you package them for the freezer by topping with foil, write on the foil with a sharpie marker what it is, how long to cook it, etc. Then wrap with plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer. If you want to learn how to wrap your meat appropriately, look HERE and HERE. If you are looking for a good tutorial on how to organize your freezer, bop over HERE. Thanks to my big brother on pointing this last one out to me! Excellent material!