Friday, October 6, 2017

Substitute for Savings

Working with what I have, bought at discounted prices, often means a substitution or two when cooking.

This means I avoid another trip to the grocery store. And, I'm not buying an ingredient or two at full price.

Result:  money saved.

And, the more you do it, the more you can do it.  You become more and more comfortable with your creativity.

Ground chicken is turned into sausage instead of using ground pork.  After all, pork is the other white meat.

Cheerio marshmallow treats are made instead of rice krispie treats because I found the cheerios on sale.

No sunflower seeds for in your broccoli salad, use slivered almonds instead.

No mozzarella for your pizza, use Colby or Monterrey Jack or cheddar.

No lime juice, use lemon juice or grapefruit juice or cider vinegar.

Out of pancake syrup, melt jelly or jam over low heat and use that.

Forgot to buy raisins, use craisins.

Out of eggs?   Substitute 1 Tbs of soy flour and 1 Tbs of water  or 1 Tbs of flax meal and 3 Tbs of water for every egg when baking.  Want to make scrambled eggs?  For that you need to use your frozen eggs.

Out of soft butter?  With your mixer, slowly beat in 1/3 cup of milk to a pound of butter.  The result, a pound and a half of soft butter due to the added liquid and the air incorporated while beating it in.

Out of self rising flour, for each cup called for use 3/4 cup of all purpose flour to which you add 1 Tbs baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

Make your own brown sugar.  Combine 1 cup white sugar and 2 Tbs molasses.  Want it darker, add a little more molasses.

No evaporated milk in the cupboard?  Use double the amount of dry milk powder to the amount of water called for.

Need sweetened condensed milk?  Combine 1 cup dry milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbs butter and 1/3 cup boiling water for each 1 1/4 cup of condensed milk called for.

Thickening something and you are out of flour, substitute 1/2 Tbs cornstarch for every 1Tbs of flour called for.

You get the idea.  Get creative. Substitute ground chicken for ground beef.  Cut the meat in half and substitute beans.  Don't have kidney beans, substitute pinto beans.  Creative substitutes help your budget.

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