Making Do With Less--in the Kitchen!

Making do with less versus making more money: another definition for "frugal"! Here are some ideas to help you make do with less in the kitchen!

Stretch a meatloaf by adding oatmeal, or rice.

Always try to make your oven do double-duty when you heat it up. Bake some potatoes alongside those cookies, or biscuits with the meatloaf, etc. Or simply cook two pies or roasts instead of one. The second goes in the freezer for another time.

When boiling potatoes always save the water. If you're making mashed potatoes, use it instead of part of the milk. Or, you can cool it and water your houseplants.

Save up to $1.00 per pound on boneless chicken breasts by doing the boning yourself using a sharp knife.

Learning to cut up a whole chicken can save you money, too. All you need is a good sharp knife and a little practice.

If you have freezer space, buy an extra turkey at Christmas or an extra ham at Easter when they are on sale, probably at the lowest price all year!

Learn to grow your own herbs. Just a few pots of herbs growing on your kitchen windowsill can help out the budget. Swap cuttings with friends.

Plan one meatless meal per week. Assuming you used 1 pound of meat at $2.00 per pound, cutting one meal per week for one year would save $104.00!

When shopping for groceries, don't assume that just because the grocery store has an item prominently displayed with the price in big letters that it is automatically a "good price". Know your prices or keep a grocery price book.

Make your own self-rising flour. For each cup of flour in a recipe, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Out of baking powder? Use 1 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for each teaspoon of baking powder called for.

Never buy bottled juice that says "from concentrate". Buy frozen concentrated juice and add your own water.

The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with ONLY a loaf of bread are three billion to one. --Erma Bombeck

Cyndi Roberts may be contacted at http://www.cynroberts.com editor@cynroberts.com

Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter and founder of the website of the same name. Visit http://www.cynroberts.com to find creative tips, articles, and a free e-cooking book. Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free e-course "Taming the Monster Grocery Bill".