It’s No Grind to Grind

In preparation for the recent move, our freezer needed its load lightened. Hubby took some food with him to the new location, leaving me three weeks to consume what I could of the remainder. Fortunately, we'd been reducing our frozen foods over the last few months in anticipation of defrosting and painting the freezer, so little food remained. Certainly, the move came at a fortuitous time.

The situation was paradoxical, though. I wanted the freezer emptied, but the emptier it got, the more stressed I became. There's something very comforting in a freezer filled with meats, fish, bread, stock, and vegetables. It's like a big piggy bank of food in which my mind's eye sees a calendar of meals. The more barren our freezer became, the more my accountant's brain chalked up a growing grocery bill. Having lived through some hard times, a sense of panic gripped me whenever I saw our freezer's diminishing contents.

Now, with the move behind us, one of the first things on our agenda was to start restocking. Our ability to replace all the usual content in one shopping trip was logistically and financially impossible, but we began by buying a few basics. One of which is ground beef. However, we don't buy store-ground meats, for a few reasons.

1. I was once an accountant for a mall complex including one of its stores, a large grocery market. It was during this employment that I learned what cuts of meat are generally used in ground beef. That knowledge was enough to prompt us to begin grinding our own.
   
2. Following close on the heels of that revelation were outbreaks of BSE, e-coli, and salmonella which affirmed our choice to grind meats at home. By grinding a whole hunk of meat, we know it comes from one animal, and we avoid the cross-contamination that is one cause of bacteria and disease spreading. Keeping our equipment clean and sterile assures the ground meats won't be contaminated during processing.
   
3. Large, whole pieces of beef (about 25-30 pounds,) usually purchased from a butcher, require a substantial outlay of cash, yet cost per processed pound is ultimately less expensive than store-ground. By choosing a tougher cut of meat (brisket, chuck, etc.,) cost remains low and tougher cuts are perfect for grinding or stewing.
   
4. Depending on the butcher, extra aging can sometimes be requested. A well-aged cut will be more expensive, but flavours are intensified and, for dishes in which ground meat is featured, such as grilled hamburgers, the heightened beef flavour may be desired and worth the added cost per pound.
   

I'm happy to say we found a great butcher shop in the city (Kamloops) and bought a whole beef brisket. It was just over 29 pounds but, by the time we'd trimmed the connective tissue and extraneous fat and ground the meat twice, we ended up with 23 pounds of ground beef and 2-plus pounds of stewing meat. We ended up paying a little less than $3.20 per pound for lean ground beef we feel is safer and tastier. Currently, the cost of lean ground beef at our usual grocery and butcher's markets is $3.99 per pound. The grocer's price for regular grind is $3.69 per pound, and the butcher charges $3.49 per pound. Stewing meat is even more costly. Any way you look at it, we've saved money by expending a little time and energy to grind our own meat.

We're still in the process of moving into our new home, so the connective tissue and fat were grudgingly wasted. Normally, I would've boiled those remnants to render out the suet, which can be then be used as "glue" for seed-balls to feed winter birds. Next time...

Now it's time to restock our stocks. I noticed our new butcher sells marrow bones and stewing hens that look fantastic.

It’s the Little Things

The move is behind us. All that remains now is a maze of boxes to unpack once the cleaning is complete. In the meantime, we make do with a few essentials that were last packed and first unpacked. Among the many things we're currently doing without – they were used for packing material – are cloth napkins. Sure, it's a little thing, but one which makes life comfortable, makes mealtime homier.

For expedience, we're currently using paper napkins and, until this move, I had forgotten just how nice cloth napkins are. Not only do they save on paper use, they're so much softer and face-friendly. Now, some may say laundering napkins has its own environmental impact, and food stains can be hard to remove. Neither argument deters me. First of all, the few napkins we use each week are not enough to over-burden regular laundry loads. In fact, in our two-person household, it's often difficult to make a full load, so the napkins added to smaller loads actually make laundering more efficient. Besides, we don't change napkins for every meal – more on that later. As for stains, I use dark-coloured napkins for meals which might stain the napkins – such as those which include gravies or tomato sauces – and save the light-coloured napkins for meals which aren't likely to stain.

For everyday meals we use simple napkins. In fact, some everyday napkins can be made from salvageable portions of old tea towels or from remnant cloth purchased at fabric stores (usually for much-reduced prices). For entertaining or special occasions, I bring out the nice linens. Inevitably those special linens begin showing signs of wear and discolouration. That's when they become everyday napkins and new linens replace them.

Depending on the type of usage (read: messiness factor,) we don't usually replace the napkins for each meal. Sometimes, napkins will be used for a few days. Napkins rings which are easily differentiated help keep each napkin with its original user. For instance, on our everyday set of napkin rings, I've affixed a sticker to the bottom of one to distinguish the two wooden holders from each other. Guests, of course, get fresh linens and the "good" napkin rings (without stickers).

Now, all I have to do is get the china unpacked so I can free up our napkins. At least I won't have to wash newsprint ink from those dishes!

Relocation Discombobulation

I'm currently in the process of moving – AGAIN – and have made an important discovery during the process: there's a fine line between saving items for re-purposing and hoarding. I confess I've crossed that line.

So, while I sort the stockpiles, this instalment of 'Thriving on Thrift' must be shelved. The next blog will return to its usual bi-weekly time-slot on October 8^th.

Now, to decide which jars – in an awesome assortment of sizes! – must be sent to recycling...

Sizing Up ‘SodaStream’

Recently, a thread of conversation on Twitter caught my attention. The buzz was about a kitchen appliance that enables home-cooks to make their own sodas and seltzer water. The appliance is called SodaStream and is currently manufactured by SodaClub. Little did I know this system was invented back in 1903! For more of its history, check out this Wikipedia Sodastream article. I figured, if this was news to me it might also be news to some TOT readers, so I decided to feature the product in this week's blog.

Actually, I don't drink soda...well, except for the occasional chug from hubby's bottle. It seems soda of any kind makes me swell up like a blowfish, so I usually avoid it. Hubby, on the other hand, can't get through a day without, at least, one "sugar fix" – his words, not mine! That equates to at least one 710ml bottle of cola per day. That's why I found this product so appealing. Though we haven't yet bought one, we plan to, and for a couple reasons. First, there are potential savings to be had with making our own soda. And, second, we can control the amounts of sugar and soda, and the type of sugar used.

To learn more about the product, I asked Twitter-user, FoodieFinds, a few questions. Jodi generously agreed to be interviewed and here is what she had to tell us:

First of all, Jodi is using the 'Fountain Jet' model of SodaStream and – lucky gal – she received it as a gift. The cost for the 'Fountain Jet' is $99.95 US$, and includes the Soda maker, 110-litre carbonator and two carbonating bottles. The web-site offers varying models in starter kits, as well as soda mixes, gas refills, extra bottles, and other accessories. All prices Jodi quotes in the interview are in US$.

Now, to the interview...

QUESTION: Can you tell readers how the machine operates, and whether it is user-friendly?

ANSWER: I find the SodaStream machine to be extremely user-friendly. It sets up in about 5 minutes. Well-designed and easy to use. Takes about 30 seconds to create carbonated, flavoured water or soda from plain water. I was a bit trepidatious
about the pressurized CO2, but it seems quite safe and stable. Once initial set-up is complete, creating plain or flavoured seltzer, or sodas, is as simple as:

1) Fill the provided 1-litre bottles with tap or filtered water & chill.

2) Take chilled 1-litre bottle, push tilt lever, screw bottle onto machine & release tilt lever.

3) Pump the carbonation button 3 times, releasing after each "buzz." (Note: You can carbonate more or less, according to your taste.)

4) Remove 1-litre bottle from machine. Add any desired flavouring, cap bottle, and rock gently to mix.

5) Enjoy your homemade soda!

QUESTION: What are your opinions of the quality and variety of syrups they offer?

ANSWER: The quality of the syrups is higher than your standard soda brands in that they are not made with high fructose corn syrup. SodaStream seems to offer a wide variety of syrups, everything from diet root beer to "faux-Fresca" – even a "Red Bull"-style energy syrup.

QUESTION: I know you've created a few of your own syrups. How did you do this, and what were the results?

ANSWER: Loved the results I have achieved creating my own syrups. I'm what you would call a "frugal foodie." I love pushing the envelope with my flavour combinations, but I still like to minimize the costs by buying whatever fruits, herbs, etc. are on sale and/or in season. Syrups I have created thus far: cantaloupe, rhubarb, sriracha-lime, honeydew, strawberry-basil, lychee-ginger, and orange-coriander. Creating syrups could not be easier. Just use a basic simple syrup recipe (1:1 ratio of water to sugar.) Put water and sugar in a saucepan, heat until all sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low, add fruit, herbs, etc. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, remove from heat & let cool. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Make sure to squeeze all of the liquid out of the fruit. Put the liquid into a squeeze bottle or Tupperware container and refrigerate for up to a week or so. To be extra frugal, I take the reserved pulp/fruit and use it over Greek yogurt as a quick & healthy take-to-work breakfast. You could also use the reserved pulp/fruit as a starter to make chutney.

QUESTION: What is your average cost per bottle using the bought syrup?

ANSWER: I have not depleted my first CO2 canister yet, but according to the documentation, you are supposed to get 110 litres of carbonation out of each canister. The replacement canisters are listed on the SodaStream website at $21.99 each, so I figure that the carbonation portion costs about $0.20 per 1-litre. The purchased soda syrups are listed on the SodaStream website at $4.99 and are supposed to make 12 litres, so the purchased flavour cost is approximately $.41 per bottle. This brings the total for a carbonated, purchased-flavour 1-litre bottle of soda to approximately $.61 per bottle. The unsweetened seltzer flavour bottles come in packs of 3 for $9.99, and each bottle makes 20 litres. Therefore, the purchased cost for seltzer is $.17 per bottle. This brings the total for a carbonated, purchased flavour 1-litre bottle of seltzer to approximately $.37 per bottle.

Now before you start saying – wait a minute – I can buy store brand 2L bottles of soda on sale for that much, remember that the SodaStream flavours have no high fructose corn syrups. If you make your own syrups, you also have no artificial ingredients or flavourings, and you get some vitamins/minerals from your choice of fruit. Another big selling point for the SodaStream is that you no longer have to lug heavy bottles home from the grocery store, and you are also being more "green" by minimizing your plastic use.

QUESTION: What is your average cost per bottle using the home-made syrups?

ANSWER: Again, the carbonation portion costs about $.20 per 1-litre. The homemade syrup cost varies widely depending on the cost of the ingredients. I use approximately 2 cups of water and two cups of sugar for each syrup mixture, at an average cost of $.15. However, tart fruits require more sugar (rhubarb, lemon, etc.), and sweeter fruits require less (strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.) The cost of the ingredients could be anywhere from $.99 for a cantaloupe on sale, to $4-$5 for out-of-season or exotic fruits, herbs, etc. I keep my costs down by buying in season and on sale. I also have an Aero-Garden, so I grow year-round most of the fresh herbs that I use (mint, lemon-basil, basil, cilantro, etc.) If you are lucky enough to have a fruit tree or berry bush on your property, then your fruit cost would be zero.

Depending on the amount of syrup produced, the concentration of the syrup, and your personal sweetness preference, you can get anywhere from 4-10 1-litre bottles from each batch of syrup. Therefore, you can potentially make your own flavoured sodas for as little as $.35 with the SodaStream machine. However, I would say that the average price would be about $.50 per 1-litre bottle. An even simpler way to do it (albeit not as fresh), is to get canned fruit in heavy syrup. Then you simply put the can & syrup into a pan, heat it up, simmer, and follow the rest of the instructions above. If you get canned fruit on sale and/or with coupons, you might be able to get your total 1-litre cost down to $.30 or so.

QUESTION: How would you compare the SodaStream syrup flavour with commercial sodas?

ANSWER: So far, I have tried only a few of the SodaSteam syrup flavours. I initially thought both the Diet Cola and Diet Pete (their version of Diet Dr. Pepper) syrups were too sweet, but I experimented with different ratios of syrup and carbonation. What I found is that the perfect "formula" for my personal tastes is:

• For all sodas: 2/3 as much SodaStream syrup as recommended, 4 pumps of carbonation (instead of the standard 3.) This works out to about $.58 per 1-litre
  
• For flavoured seltzers: recommended amount of flavouring and 3 pumps of carbonation
  
• I suggest your readers start with the recommended ratios, but then experiment with more or less syrup/flavoring and more or less carbonation to find their perfect "formula."
  
• The SodaStream syrups/flavorings I have enjoyed the most are:
  
  • the diet pink grapefruit is by far my favorite (supposed to be like Fresca.)
    
  • the diet cranberry-raspberry is also very good
    
  • the diet root beer & root beer are good
    
  • the "cola" based drinks (diet cola, diet Pete's Choice, Pete's Choice, etc.) are OK but don't compare favorably with my favorite commercial brand so I use the cola syrups as "back-up" only, then I don't need to run to the store when I run out.
    
  • the seltzer unsweetened flavorings are no different than those I purchase at the store. I liked all of these: berry, orange, & lemon-lime.

QUESTION: Do you have any other comments about the SodaStream for readers?

ANSWER: If you want to feel like a kid again, cut out high fructose corn syrups, be more "green", and serve healthier drinks to your family, you can't go wrong with the SodaStream. Also, at this point in the week (2 days before recycling goes out), my recycling bins are usually overflowing with soda & seltzer bottles. Instead, I now have exactly 6 bottles in my recycling bin - a visual reminder of how the SodaSteam helps us be more "green."

Thank you, Jodi, for this wealth of information! I'll be watching for further updates from you on Twitter (FoodieFinds). Now, I can hardly wait to get our own SodaStream and begin experimenting with our own flavours!

Upon researching this product for Canadian customers, I found the following caveat: Shipping gas canisters to Canada has been a problem, but should resume September –October 2009. For details on this, go to: Chiron Canada website

Storage & Preservation of Produce & Cheese

Last week, a reader asked about veggie and cheese storage, expressing the concern that these perishables often spoil before they can be used. That concern is shared by many. Annually, in Canada and the U.S., several million tons of food is thrown away. At a cost of several hundred dollars, on average, per household, these statistics are alarming. Two rules of thumb can alleviate much of this waste.

1. When it comes to shopping for perishables (particularly produce,) buy only what is needed and can be consumed in a few days. This may mean more frequent visits to the grocery store, but you'll enjoy fresher produce and avoid spoilage of a stockpile. Most produce requires a cool atmosphere and a fridge not filled to capacity actually works more efficiently, allowing internal air to circulate better and preventing pockets of cooler or warmer air from forming. Those over-chilled or -warm conditions can be very detrimental to the longevity of both produce and cheese.
   

   
   

2. When storing perishables, avoid washing them until they are to be used. Many vegetables and fruits have natural oils or have been sprayed with protective (and neutral) waxy coatings which help preserve them. Washing removes those oils and/or coatings, making the produce much more vulnerable to spoilage. If the product has excessive dirt on it, simply brush the soil from it with a soft cloth and then store. When ready to use, the produce can be washed. Check out this very informative article Fruit & Veggie Washes by "The Grocery Bags," Anna Wallner and Kristina Matisic. Their findings support my own experience.
   

   
   

Though these two rules will help avoid most produce spoilage, there is another concern when storing fruit and vegetables and that is whether the product needs to be stored in the fridge, at room temperature, with ventilation or without, or in darkness. While researching this, I came across an excellent article on SparkPeople which included this comprehensive and easy to read chart: Fruit & Veggie Storage Chart .

When it comes to cheese, the situation is not as clear. Some argue cheese needs an airy environment, while others argue ventilation is death for cheese. It turns out, both are true. It depends on the cheese, which is a living food, much like yogurt. During research, I found an article – directed towards food service professionals (recommendations by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin Cheese Makers,) – which answers this question, in all its complexity: Cheese Storage Tips.

I've heard other tips on preserving foods, but none of them have proved successful for me. One such recommendation says: to preserve bananas' freshness, they should be separated from the bunch. I ran three experiments on this suggestion, using three different bunches of bananas in varying weather conditions. In each experiment, I separated a few of the bananas from the bunch, and left the remaining bananas attached. Each time, all bananas, whether separate or attached, appeared to mature at the same rate, and their taste confirmed this. We do live in a very arid climate, so I'm not sure if this skewed the results or not. You might wish to perform your own experiments.

One handy hint I learned from my mother is to freeze produce that is deteriorating, but not yet spoiled, and use those veggies in a stock. The flavours may not be as high as fresh vegetables would produce, but those wilted products won't be thrown into a landfill where they'd be completely wasted. A compost pile is another good place for (most) produce that has passed its prime.

If you have ideas or suggestions you wish to share on this subject, please leave a comment.

Burnt Offerings

You're cooking dinner when your child falls, the phone rings, or someone knocks at the door. Distractions happen and meals get scorched. It's frustrating but, most times, unavoidable.

What really rankles, though, is when nothing diverts our attention and still supper becomes burned. For someone as thrifty-minded as me, it's intolerable. Throwing food out is entirely contrary to my notions of economy.

So what's a frugal person to do?

I suggest giving a critical look at the quality of your pots and pans. Cheaper is not always better, nor more economic. For instance, I once bought the cheapest can opener thinking I was saving money. After two years, however, I had bought three of those cheap openers, and about to buy the fourth. Irksome, to say the least. The next opener I bought was about five times the cost of the inexpensive opener and I worried I was spending too much on it. That "expensive" can opener has lasted (dare I say it!) about thirty years. If I'd continued buying the cheaper openers, at the rate they were wearing out and/or breaking, I would have bought approximately twenty of them during that time, and spent four times the money! So, value is often found in the pricier make, and cost can be greater with the cheaper model.

Pots and pans are a good case, in point. When I first moved out on my own, all I could afford was the cheapest aluminum and stainless steel. With those pots and pans, I managed to scorch and burn countless meals. Food stuck. Cleaning was a nightmare of cleansers and scrubber pads. Sometimes, they even required special treatment. (How to Treat Burned Pots and Pans)

Then, about fifteen years ago, my hubby and I received some higher quality pots as a gift. Lo and behold, our meals stopped charring. Could it be I wasn't an abominable cook after all?

Over the next few years, we slowly replaced all our cookware with high quality (mostly 18-10 stainless steel,) pots and pans and, now, the only meal disasters happen when those aforementioned distractions occur. The new pans clean up easily, too; usually with a cloth only.

Now, given my proclivity for avoiding waste, many of those early meals, though scorched, were trimmed and eaten. So, not all the food was wasted. But they weren't enjoyed, either. I also discovered, years too late, that burnt food can be bad for you. (Why Is Burnt (burned) Food Bad For You?)

Now, our meals cook beautifully and are delicious. Best of all, the trash no longer devours burnt offerings. We've saved a good deal of groceries simply by upgrading our cookware. In fact, I would hazard to say the savings are nearing the price we paid for the good quality pots and pans.

So, if your meals are singeing and you're tired of scouring burnt rice from the bottom of the pot, consider buying better quality cookware. Your grocery budget, your health and, most likely, your family will thank you for it.

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Whole Goodness

Whole foods are generally considered to be foods which have not been chemically or genetically treated, foods that are natural and in the raw state, and have not been pared, polished, or otherwise processed. While organic foods are becoming increasingly popular, I have not included that criterion in the following article simply due to their greater cost. Some may argue (as I have with a certain cheese) that organic foods have value and thereby bridge the cost-to-savings ratio.

Perhaps one of the best ways to save money on the grocery budget is to buy foods whole. Savings are only part of that equation, though. Whole foods, in many cases, offer better flavours and, in some instances, higher nutritive values and/or improved quality over their processed alternatives.

Here are some examples:

• Spices: Nutmeg, peppercorns, coriander, mustard and allspice are a few examples of spices that can be bought in their whole form. The seed is nature's way of sealing in essential oils and flavonoids. By grinding or grating them, as needed, fragrance and flavours are significantly enhanced, and that does wonders for any dish they're seasoning. Some roots (e.g. licorice) and barks (e.g. cinnamon) also retain more of their goodness but can be hard to process without an electric grinder. A mortar and pestle work well for most seeds, nuts, and leaves, though, and allow you to control the grinding process for the perfect texture and/or consistency.
  
• Ground Meats: With all the recalls and salmonella scares over the last few years, we've begun buying whole cuts of grass-fed, free-ranged beef (and fresh turkey) and grinding at home. Our savings aren't significant, but we have greater peace of mind knowing the ground beef comes from one animal and does not include questionable-meat "trimmings." ('Grassfed' beef article & recipes) To save on the purchase of suet, we buy whole chuck, which has a good amount of fat. Any excess can be trimmed, but we seldom find that necessary. Another benefit of buying whole meats and processing them at home is that it allows you to apportion package sizes to suit your family's needs.
  
• Cheese: Pasta and pizza just wouldn't be the same without Parmesan. The popular processed varieties are easy to use, but their flavour, smell, and texture can be off-putting. We purchase blocks of Parmigiano-Reggiano – the "King" of cheeses – and grind or slice it as needed. Much like spice, this fresh-grated cheese has better flavour and fragrance. There is little, if any, saving when buying this brand over the processed but the culinary value, for us, is significant. That and fresh Parmesan actually melts on a pizza!
  
• Fruits and Vegetables: Probably one of the best ways to economize a grocery budget is to buy produce whole. Pared fruits and vegetables cost much more, suffer vitamin degradation, and many are chemically treated to enable longer shelf-life as most processed produce will spoil faster. (Ontario government: Minimally-processed fruit & veg, risk assessment) Processed fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to pre-purchase contamination, also. Whole produce may require a little more preparation time (re: paring and/or peeling,) but their trimmings have value in a stock pot or compost pile. Both "free" veggie stock and rich loamy soil have real worth, too.
  
• Coffee: Budget may be the last thing on your mind when reaching for that morning cup o' Joe, but this is another way to stretch your grocery dollars. Pound for pound, coffee beans are (generally) less expensive than most ground varieties. As with spices, the coffee bean is a tidy little flavour packet that, when ground fresh, offers significantly enhanced flavours...not to mention, caffeine punch.
  

Aside from budgetary issues, we buy whole foods because we prefer the taste and aroma. Purchasing fruits, vegetables and meats whole has also spared us from many of the Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria outbreaks in recent years.

If you're concerned about your food's goodness, consider purchasing whole foods. The economic gain will be a cherry on top!