Sunday, October 07, 2007
Frugal Recipes
| There's a lot to be said for convenience, particularly in this day and age when everyone seems to be living in the fast lane. However, saving money (and at times a great deal of money) is oftentimes more of a motivator. I have found that although I may be tempted to buy a packet of pizza dough mix for $.78, I can make my own for around $.10 - $.15. This may not sound like a great deal of money, but if I can save that amount of money on many items I have found a way to substantially save on my grocery budget. Last week, I posted a 1 week menu with a total cost for 7 dinners of $26 and change. Below are some of those recipes: 1) Homemade Pizza Dough: 3/4 c. warm water 1 Tbsp. butter/oil (I use the "fake" butter - the Parkay spray/fat free and have NOT noticed a difference in taste) 1 1/2 tsp. salt 2 1/4 c. bread flour (when using all-purpose or self-rising, the taste is AWFUL) 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. yeast You can use a bread machine for this, setting it for dough only. Place the wet ingredients in the bowl, then the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork. Let the dough rise (anywhere from 10-30 minutes). I like to roll the dough out with a rolling pin; it seems to work better. The dough will be somewhat stretchy. There is enough for 2-3 medium pizzas, or several calzones. If you have enough left over, you can use it for the topping on the Chicken Pot Pie. 2) Chicken Pot Pie Crust - I use the same dough recipe (#1). 3) Homemade Condensed Soup Mix (this is used in the Tuna & Rice dish, as well as the Chicken Pot Pie): Non-fat dry milk (about 1 c.) Chicken powder or bouillon (about 2 tsp.) Spices (you can use basil, salt, pepper - I use whatever I have handy in the cupboard) Cornstarch (about 1/4 c.) Mix the above ingredients, then place in pan on stove with water. Start with about 1 1/2 c. water on medium heat. Mixture will thicken and if too thick you can add more water. It should be the consistency of store-bought condensed soup. If it is too runny, you can add more cornstarch (HINT: I've learned from experience that if you add cornstarch after adding water, you'll get clumps. You should put a little cornstarch in a separate cup, mix in about 1-2 tsp. of cold water, stir, then add this to your mixture). Labels: condensed soup, dough, Frugal recipes, homemade |
posted by Krista at 12:47 PM
