Parents cannot afford 'good food'
Jill
lack of money sometimes makes it impossible to feed their children
properly.
Researchers found that almost half of parents on a low income say they
have had to go hungry in the past year.
The charity claims a typical basket of healthy food costs 17% more
than a basket of unhealthy food.
Fresh fruit The Going Hungry report, a snapshot of low-income families
from across the UK, said the situation is getting worse.
The price of convenience food is going up more slowly than items such
as fresh fruit. Over the last 15 years, the average cost of a healthy
shopping basket has increased by half - compared to only a 33%
increase for an unhealthy basket.
According to the report, a quarter of children never eat green
vegetables or salad. NCH is calling on the government to pay much
greater attention to the impact of poverty on children's diets.
Christopher Holmes, director of children's services for NCH Scotland,
said: "It is right to be concerned about rising levels of childhood
obesity - but NCH's new report shows that it's unfair to place all the
blame on parents and children.
"The comparatively high cost of healthy food and sophisticated
marketing used to encourage children to eat junk food are also
significant factors. "Going Hungry shows that the government needs to
do much, much more if it is to put healthy food within the reach of
children. "Action is needed in schools, in the community and within
the food industry.
Most of all, the government must make healthy food affordable to
low-income families. Otherwise, drives to end child poverty and
improve the nation's health are set to fail."
NCH is calling on food retailers and manufacturers to reduce salt,
sugar and fat levels in food for children, improve labelling, remove
snacks from supermarket checkouts and only promote healthy food.
The charity also wants the government to develop a national action
plan to stamp out food poverty.
They say it should include providing significantly more free or
subsidised transport schemes to supermarkets and making only healthy
food and drink available in schools.
Just an afterthought, birth control is free in Britain.
Jill (Childfree in Scotland)
Elizabeth
>than a basket of unhealthy food.
>
Sounds about right to me. Just one more reason to be CF in my book. I could
never afford my to buy my usual filets, seafood, organic produce, etc if I had
brats to feed.
Not to mention my taste for expensive red wines. Gotta drink all that red wine
for my health you know.
Elizabeth
~ungrateful adoptee
"Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early
as you can, and don't have any kids yourself." - Philip Larkin
REP
eliz...@aol.commonsense (Elizabeth) wrote:
> >The charity claims a typical basket of healthy food costs 17% more
> >than a basket of unhealthy food.
> >
>
> Sounds about right to me. Just one more reason to be CF in my book. I could
> never afford my to buy my usual filets, seafood, organic produce, etc if I had
> brats to feed.
Yup, and I wouldn't mind if the price of healthy food went down a bit,
even if it were done in the name of "the chiiiiiiiiiiiildruuuuuuuuun."
I'm lucky enough to live near a market that sells healthy food at not
unreasonable prices, but it does cost a good chunk.
--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
costs a WHOLE LOT LESS than a Big Mac, or even a Lunchable, for that matter.
(Local American Junk Food).
Dry beans, whole grains, OATMEAL, etc., etc., are very inexpensive. These
people have no excuse. Sorry. I don't buy it.
Breeders, what do you expect.
Em
Baerana
I don't know - I've been trying to eat more healtyly in recent months
and my food bill has gone up. (I can't actually eat brown rice for
every meal - you have to have a variety or you aren't getting all the
nutrients you need).
Also, right out of college I was broke. My food budget for the week was
literally $5 sometimes - I found out quickly that I could buy a bag of
cookies or chips for $1 or $2 (off brands, of course) and I could have
it for lunch all week. So, if you are really broke, junk food is often
all you can afford
Of course, I would never have kids that I couldn't afford to care for
properly! If you can't feed your children healthy food, pay for their
schooling, clothes, etc. - DON'T HAVE THEM!!!!
Todd Isaac
That is true, those types of things are inexpensive. Though then the
complaints are prep time, and they are all carbs.
I like beef, I like to grill, and I like good cuts of meat. This is
expensive. I don't have kids so I can afford it.
I also like fresh fruit and veggies, even the non organic kind can get
expensive.
stePH
Yabbut you have to, like, COOK that stuff. It's soooooo haaaaard.
stePH
--
"A lion will exert himself to the utmost, even when entering the tiger's
den to throw baby rabbits off a cliff!" -- Moroboshi Ataru
Cheryl Greer
Uh no, you're comparing apples to oranges. Yes, healthy grocery
store food is less than a restaurant-bought Big Mac. But if you just
compare items within any given grocery store, it takes about 5 seconds
to realize that crap food is cheaper.
Also, items like chips, Lunchables, low-quality meats, and the like
are always on sale. Things like fresh spinach, on the other hand, never
go on sale. At least not where I live.
Cheryl
--
"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." -- Dr. Seuss
Keith
news:4jSCc.2766$xJ3.87@fe21:
> Dry beans, whole grains, OATMEAL, etc., etc., are very inexpensive.
> These people have no excuse. Sorry. I don't buy it.
>
Fresh vegetables and fruits make up 60% of my grocery budget. The foods you
list are good but are not sufficient for good nutrition.
--
Keith Barber
I am the housing fairy.
ane...@comcast.net
m miller
It's called LAZINESS. Many fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats are
very reasonably priced here in Indiana, and from what I've seen, the
"shit food" is purchased CLEARLY because sprogs grew up on it and don't
know their asses from last Tuesday.
Sure, you've gotta get creative to prevent "being bored" on a healthy
diet. But let's face it...potatoes, eggs, chicken can ALL be made
thousands of ways....there's a used book store I dearly love right down
the road with recipe books that start at $.25. I should think even the
most strapped breeder could cough this up.
Provided they can read the cookbook, that is.
As ever,
Matt
Virginia
"Jill" <gj_20...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:929f632e.04062...@posting.google.com...
> NCH has published research showing that one in five of all parents say
> lack of money sometimes makes it impossible to feed their children
> properly.
>
> Researchers found that almost half of parents on a low income say they
> have had to go hungry in the past year.
>
> The charity claims a typical basket of healthy food costs 17% more
> than a basket of unhealthy food.
I dunno if I agree with that. I shop at a couple of farmer's market type
stores and their produce is always cheaper than the major chains -- usually
to the point that I buy way too much because it always looks great and is
cheaper. They also have three rows of bulk food bins. And their chicken
and steaks and often up to $1/pound cheaper. I would say perhaps it's a
California thing, but I shopped at a similar store in north Atlanta. Go
figure.
va :)
Gallilea
"Baerana" <use...@baerana.com> wrote in message
news:WLCdnZtLXf4...@comcast.com...
> Auntie Em wrote:
> > Dry beans, whole grains, OATMEAL, etc., etc., are very inexpensive.
These
> > people have no excuse. Sorry. I don't buy it.
Agreed. I wonder if the root of the problem is people's ignorance about
food and cooking and a lack of creativity in general. Someone who breeds
before achieving a level of financial security adequate to raise a sprog
properly probably isn't exactly a frugal gourmet. It took me years to
finally teach myself how to cook decently and make greater use of the types
of ingredients Em mentions above. Maybe home ec should be brought back to
the high school curriculum, with an eye toward healthy living and making use
of all the various foods available.
> I don't know - I've been trying to eat more healtyly in recent months
> and my food bill has gone up. (I can't actually eat brown rice for
> every meal - you have to have a variety or you aren't getting all the
> nutrients you need).
I think the key here is "in recent months." Wait until you've been doing it
for a while-- you'll find all sorts of ways to cut the food billl while
eating healthier and healthier.
>
> Also, right out of college I was broke. My food budget for the week was
> literally $5 sometimes - I found out quickly that I could buy a bag of
> cookies or chips for $1 or $2 (off brands, of course) and I could have
> it for lunch all week. So, if you are really broke, junk food is often
> all you can afford
When I was right out of college, I was a broke-as-a-joke grad student
married to another broke-as-a-joke grad student. Both of us had grown up in
households where a typical breakfast consisted of expensive name-brand
cereals and a typical evening meal was a big piece of meat with potatoes or
veggies on the side. Adjusting to cheaper breakfast food was easy, but we
certainly couldn't afford to cook meals based around big pieces of meat
every night, and we didn't have the experience to cook much else, so we
wound up doing lame things like cooking a big pile of white rice and dumping
a can of cream-of-mushroom soup over it. It seemed like all we could
afford, it certainly wasn't healthy, and we both gained weight as a result.
Over the years since then, I've learned to seek out cheap produce at places
other than the grocery store, make use of cheap sources of protein like
dried beans, and use meat much more sparingly in things like stir fry. The
same $2.00 that bought your bag of cookies could also have bought you enough
ingredients to eat flafel, beanburgers, or lentil stew for a whole week.
It's just that, at that age, it probably didn't occur to you to do that,
just like it didn't occur to me.
>
> Of course, I would never have kids that I couldn't afford to care for
> properly! If you can't feed your children healthy food, pay for their
> schooling, clothes, etc. - DON'T HAVE THEM!!!!
Sing it!
Gallilea
Gallilea
"Todd Isaac" <to...@grapevine.net> wrote in message
news:cbh7t9$ieg$1...@news.cc.ukans.edu...
> > Dry beans, whole grains, OATMEAL, etc., etc., are very inexpensive.
These
> > people have no excuse. Sorry. I don't buy it.
> That is true, those types of things are inexpensive. Though then the
> complaints are prep time, and they are all carbs.
Dried beans are all carbs? That's news to me.
Gallilea
Gallilea
"Cheryl Greer" <vic...@pitt.edu> wrote in message
news:vicious-FDBA70...@individual.net...
> Uh no, you're comparing apples to oranges. Yes, healthy grocery
> store food is less than a restaurant-bought Big Mac. But if you just
> compare items within any given grocery store, it takes about 5 seconds
> to realize that crap food is cheaper.
A while back, there was an edition of "CNN Presents" that pointed out that
part of the reason junk food is cheap is that the main ingredients in lots
of junk food-- like high fructose corn syrup, processed flour, etc.-- are
very highly subsidized by the federal government. If the government stopped
subsidizing corn and wheat crops for those factory farms who grow them
primarily for use as Coke sweetener and flour for Twinkies, the experience
of walking down the snack or soda aisle would suddenly be a lot different.
You gotta ask yourself, how would things change if federal farm subsidies
were altered to encourage less production of corn and more production of,
say, salad greens or blueberries?
Gallilea
Jason Steiner
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 00:48:19 -0700, REP <r...@inanna.com> wrote:
>
> >Yup, and I wouldn't mind if the price of healthy food went down a bit,
> >even if it were done in the name of "the chiiiiiiiiiiiildruuuuuuuuun."
> >I'm lucky enough to live near a market that sells healthy food at not
> >unreasonable prices, but it does cost a good chunk.
>
> processed Mealz Inabox. I shop for produce and fish in Asian markets,
> where extremely high turnover and resultant buying power/lower
> spoilage "overhead" results in much more reasonable prices.
>
> It's amazing - go to standard grocery store and the produce section is
> half-filled with pre-chopped and packaged convenience items, and there
> are maybe a half-dozen people wandering around. Go to the Asian
> market, and it's arses-and-elbows around the fruit and veg bins.
Theodore Dalrymple has commented on this in his column.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/12_4_oh_to_be.html
Recently, at a lunch I attended, given by a left-wing magazine to
which I sometimes contribute, the matter of food poverty and food
deserts came up, and it was with some pride that I heard an area,
not more than a mile from where I live, described as the very worst
of these deserts, positively the Atacama of food.
As the only person present with personal knowledge-what Bertrand
Russell used to call "knowledge by acquaintance"-of the area in
question, I felt constrained to point out that I frequently shopped
there, at a small Indian store in which one could buy, for example,
22-pound sacks of onions for about $3.40, and in which a huge
variety of extremely fresh vegetables could be bought at prices
less than half of those in the supermarket chains. Yet the only
poor people who shopped there were Indian immigrants or their
descendants-housewives who sifted through the produce looking
carefully for the best. Practically no poor whites (or blacks) ever
went there, though plenty of both live in the area. Only a few
members of the white middle class from outside the area took
advantage of the wide range and exceptionally low prices.
Ethnic groceries are definitely the way to go if you want to eat
cheap and well. Indians and Thais and Koreans and hell, even Italians
know how to make the most of minimal foodstuffs.
jason
--
"Listen, my boy, I can't abide children. I know it's the style nowadays to
make a terrible fuss over you - but I don't go for it. As far as I'm concerned,
they're no good for anything but screaming, torturing people, breaking things,
smearing books with jam and tearing the pages." - The Neverending Story
Fudge
Virginia <> > NCH has published research showing that one in five of all
parents say
> > lack of money sometimes makes it impossible to feed their children
> > properly.
> >
> > Researchers found that almost half of parents on a low income say they
> > have had to go hungry in the past year.
> >
> > The charity claims a typical basket of healthy food costs 17% more
> > than a basket of unhealthy food.
>
> I dunno if I agree with that. I shop at a couple of farmer's market type
> stores and their produce is always cheaper than the major chains --
usually
> to the point that I buy way too much because it always looks great and is
> cheaper. They also have three rows of bulk food bins. And their chicken
> and steaks and often up to $1/pound cheaper. I would say perhaps it's a
> California thing, but I shopped at a similar store in north Atlanta. Go
> figure.
Our local farmers market isn't that cheap compared this to the supermarkets,
but the quality is better. Fruit and veg in the supermarkets are cheap,
particularly if you buy stuff seasonally. Frozen veggies are also fairly
good value.
When DW and I watched this report on BBC breakfast this morning, we wondered
how much the parents were spending on ciggies, booze and other such
"essentials."
Fudge
Morwen
(in message <2k37j2F...@uni-berlin.de>):
> When DW and I watched this report on BBC breakfast this morning, we wondered
> how much the parents were spending on ciggies, booze and other such
> "essentials."
Nail. Hit. Head.
I worked as a supermarket cashier one summer when I was in college, and
trashy breeders always seemed come up with money for booze and smokes, no
matter what crap they were feeding to their filthy children. More handouts
from CF tax money will just do more to enable this behavior.
Morwen
Cull the herd
Anna
That means you have to be more creative and do some work. I'm still
broke-as-a-joke and my DH and I eat quite well. Fer example, frozen
spinach is cheaper/more durable and better for you since its flash
frozen in the field at harvest, not left to sit on the shelf (steam,
serve with some cider vinegar and ground pepper). Even when I was a
complete food idiot (age 6) i could make lentil soup that was a
complete meal.
So you have to shop around for deals, cheaper grocery stores. Eat
veg/fruit in season. Whoop de shit. There is so much good
international vegetarian cuisine involving rice and beans etc.
Anyway, my $.02. When we were really broke, I bought the stuff that
was approved by WIC and my bills dropped. WIC also has good cookbook
brochures--or they did at one point. It's just that people don't
think that you should have to spend ANY time on feeding your kids--and
I'm not even advocating the slow food movement--which can only help us
all. I'm just advocating the, get off your ass food movement. Less
IG (instant gratification) food like pork rinds.
Rabbit
> Ethnic groceries are definitely the way to go if you want to eat
> cheap and well.
Especially if you compare them to the "specialty" aisle in the grocery
store. My local supermarket sells Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles for
$6.99 a pack. They're $1.50 at the Chinese grocery.
Rabbit
Rabbit
> food and cooking and a lack of creativity in general.
And a general lack of interest in trying anything new. I work with a woman
who goes on and on about how disgusting different foods are -- imagine, some
people actually LIKE dim sum and curry! It gets to the point where I have to
leave the room, because I can't handle someone who eats meat and potatoes
and turns up her nose at anything else.
Rabbit
AndreaS
<snip>
> Also, right out of college I was broke. My food budget for the week was
> literally $5 sometimes - I found out quickly that I could buy a bag of
> cookies or chips for $1 or $2 (off brands, of course) and I could have
> it for lunch all week.
Or you could've bought a 2 pounds of dry beans and a big sack of rice, and
maybe one or two little bags of spices and eaten much more healthily for the
week on the same budget. That's what I did in college, and I was seriously
broke as well.
There are ways to eat reasonably healthy poor too. I would love to see fresh
veggies go down in price too, but rice and beans are way better than cookies
and chips.
--
-Andrea
ChildfreeAbby
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 09:39:15 -0700, Jason Steiner
> <ja...@gaydeceiver.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Ethnic groceries are definitely the way to go if you want to eat
>>cheap and well. Indians and Thais and Koreans and hell, even Italians
>>know how to make the most of minimal foodstuffs.
>
>
> Oh, good ghod, yes.
>
> I mean, let's take a couple bux worth of ingredients:
>
> Chickpeas
> Canned Tomatoes
> Okra
> Rice
> a handful of spices
>
> Put 'em together in the right way, and you have one heck of a channa
> masala w/okra pods (or substitute green beans if you really can't
> stomach okra), which served over basmati is something I can shovel in
> hordes of before I get tired of it. Add some fruit and yogurt for
> desert, and you've got a plenty nutricious meal on the cheap.
>
> Basmati's expensive, you say? B.S. - it's expensive if you buy it in
> the gourmet aisle of the supermarket in a pretty box at $3.50 a pound.
> Try buying it in the 10lb. burlap sacks instead. Rice keeps for a
> really long time when properly stored, so you can't use the "it'll
> spoil" excuse.
>
> However, all of this requires cooking. And you can't deny a breeder
> its instant gratification re: the kiddies pieholes.
> --
> No Kidding! Baltimore - newly redesigned
> http://www.nokiddingbalto.org
> Rob on the web: http://rob.rnovak.net
I agree with this post. It makes supremely good sense if one is in an
area where such stores exist.
Take my particular corner of the world - the closest ethnic grocery
store is over 100 km away. And while I shop there for certain things
that I can't get locally, however, they don't have fresh produce to
speak of - a couple of heads of bok choy and some lemon grass and that's
it. You are right though, about such staples as rice. Keep in in a dry
place, and it keeps practically forever.
The trick of getting good deals in fruits and veggies in your regular
supermarket is - take advantage of "Lost Leaders" and learn to cook
seasonally, using local produce (Emphasis on "cook") If you spend
your money on produce that is better travelled than you are (such as
oh.. Chilean Nectarines in mid winter) you are pissing money away.
Learn to use storage vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, etc.
One of my favourite meals happens to be
take some meat (or not) as is your choice, but beef, pork or chicken go
equally well 1 lb will spread over 4 - 6 servings. Slice across the
grain into thin strips, and marinate in a mixture of light soy sauce, a
few drops of sesame oil, corn starch, a couple of tablespoons each of
oyster sauce and hoisen (get these at the Asian market) water and wine.
Slice Cabbage into 1 inch squares, and in your wok or frying pan heat a
bit of oil. Add cabbage, stir fry briefly (about 30 seconds or less)
add about 1/4 cup water cover and steam about 2 minutes. Transfer
cabbage and accumulated juices to a bowl. (Important, save the juices -
mucho flavour here!!)
Add a bit more oil, and brown some minced garlic. Add the marinated
meat, stirfry until browned, add cabbage and juices, stir the marinade
into the center and let cook until thickened and bubbling. Serve over
rice.
One need not use the most tender cut of meat as marinating will
tenderize the meat nicely. I habitually slice the meat in the morning,
place in marinade ane refrigerate until supper time. I imagine one
could use firm tofu in this if one so desired, but I've never tried it.
Green Cabbage is cheap, and available year round.
It makes more than enough for Mr Abby and I for supper and a couple of
lunches thereafter.
People aways say to me "you eat so healthy". Well, I do, I cook a lot
from scratch,avoid frozen meals and read a lot of labels, and compare
prices.
For example - precut stew meat is probably one of the biggest rip offs
around, pound for pound. Usually, it is cheaper to buy a larger cut,
such as round steak, and dice it up yourself. Frozen chicken breast is
cheaper than fresh. Learn to use Less tender cuts of meat. There are
lots of things you can do. There are a lot of people though who are too
ignorant, or just too lazy to cook anything more involved than hamburger
helper or Kraft Dinner.
Abby - Frugally
--
The ChildFree Abby Archives - http://www.dismal-light.net/childfreeabby/
Keith
news:UJWCc.22984$cj3.16904@lakeread01:
> shop at a couple of farmer's market type
> stores and their produce is always cheaper than the major chains --
> usually to the point that I buy way too much because it always looks
> great and is cheaper. They also have three rows of bulk food bins.
> And their chicken and steaks and often up to $1/pound cheaper. I
> would say perhaps it's a California thing, but I shopped at a similar
> store in north Atlanta. Go figure.
>
You won't find one in Spokane. There are 2 "farmer's markets," but they are
inaccessable and only open 1 day a week each. They also charge a premium
price for their wares.
Mary Ann
Most of their calories come from carbohydrates - they're seeds, after all.
But the carbohydrates in peas and beans are excellent - they are very
complex so those that can be broken down into glucose enter the bloodstream
slowly, without causing glucose spikes. Many of the carbs in legumes are
fiber, which isn't broken down at all and which has many health benefits
and only one drawback that's obvious to me. Diabetics rely heavily on
these foods because they are natural regulators of blood sugar.
Beans fill you up on few calories and have almost no fat. I wish I had more
time to cook, because I'd make them a lot more.
Mary Ann
Jason Steiner
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 09:39:15 -0700, Jason Steiner
> <ja...@gaydeceiver.com> wrote:
>
> >cheap and well. Indians and Thais and Koreans and hell, even Italians
> >know how to make the most of minimal foodstuffs.
>
>
> I mean, let's take a couple bux worth of ingredients:
>
> Chickpeas
Hummus!
> Basmati's expensive, you say? B.S. - it's expensive if you buy it in
> the gourmet aisle of the supermarket in a pretty box at $3.50 a pound.
> Try buying it in the 10lb. burlap sacks instead.
Costco! Also a good place to get garlic and tomato sauce and italian
sausage in bulk. You get a bunch of staples and spices, and you can
eat like gods.
> However, all of this requires cooking. And you can't deny a breeder
> its instant gratification re: the kiddies pieholes.
Trader Joe's! Their simmer sauces are cheaper than Hamburger Helper,
just as easy, and 100x as yummy. Chop up and brown some chicken,
dump the sauce in, throw on a pot of rice. It's not even cooking!
I can do it!
Sorry about all the exclamations, but this whole topic is making
me hungry. Had some excellent chicken parm the other night. Bread
up some chicken, make some sauce, slap the one on the other with
a little bit of cheese, bake, and serve with some cheap red wine
- Thank you, grape growers, for driving the supply up, and the prices
down! - and you have yourself a meal that will make you happy to
be alive.
Jason Steiner
> > Agreed. I wonder if the root of the problem is people's
> > ignorance about food and cooking and a lack of creativity in
> > general.
>
> And a general lack of interest in trying anything new. I work with
> a woman who goes on and on about how disgusting different foods are
> -- imagine, some people actually LIKE dim sum and curry!
Bring in a nice crock of kimchee for lunch someday, watch her head
explode.
Jason Steiner
Money is fungible. Great word. Learn it, use it. Pay attention to
what the implications are for public policy. It doesn't matter if
you give them cash or vouchers in the end. The vouchers can always
be traded for cash, or even if used directly, will free up cash
for other things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungibility
Jason G
>
>Ethnic groceries are definitely the way to go if you want to eat
>cheap and well. Indians and Thais and Koreans and hell, even Italians
>know how to make the most of minimal foodstuffs.
And Mexican. There is a Viva market near me, and while they don't have
everything, I can get some good deals. Spices in the grocery store in a glass
bottle cost $3-6. At Viva, in a plastic envelope, they ar 99 cents to $2. And
they are *much* better. I've had to cut some of my standard recipes by a third
or more with these spices because they are so much more powerful.
Remember the chili recipe a while back? Well, that sent me looking for better
cumin, and it found it at Viva. The side-by-side taste comparison was shocking.
So I just refill my existing spice bottles with the packets now.
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
news:2k3cbhF...@uni-berlin.de...
I agree with you. Buy you know, it is a rut that people tend to just fall
into. The other day at the thrift store I picked up a copy of "the Frugal
Gourmet" and I suddenly realized how INSTITUTIONALIZED the American Public
is about their diets. I couldn't believe the extraordinary things that this
book contained (and yes Dim Sum was part of it).
Sadly, most people (living in towns that are less than, shall we say,
250,000) cannot purchase a lot of the exotic ingredients that goes into
making these marvelous dishes. I know that where I live, it would be
impossible to buy Taramas (Carp fish eggs), or Baccala (Dried, Salted Cod)
or probably Pancetta for that matter, so it makes it doubly difficult to get
out of the feeding rut.
But I agree with you wholeheartedly that if the opportunity is THERE, dear
gawd, take it - take it - take it.
Em
who would love an opportunity to try squid!
Terry Castle
E...@thisisfake.com> wrote:
>
>Em
>who would love an opportunity to try squid!
>
>
Is there a sushi place near you? Ika is my favorite sushi. I feel
lucky because I live near a university town with an ethnic market and
a farmer's market. Squid, goat, lettuce, local cheese and all good
things. Course, I still have trouble getting some of the more
specialty items: Emu, ostritch, kangaroo, etc.
Rabbit
> book contained (and yes Dim Sum was part of it).
>
The other thing that gets me is that people get an idea in their heads that
name of food=one specific type. This woman said, "They brought out dim sum,
but I don't like fish!"
I said, "Didn't they have barbeque buns and dumplings?" She said, "Yes, but
they had little fish!"
<Sigh> I want to write in big letters on their foreheads:
Sushi (and Japanese food in general) is not always raw fish.
Dim Sum is more than chicken feet.
Curry isn't always hot.
Mexican food doesn't always come on a taco.
Rabbit
Rabbit
> > And a general lack of interest in trying anything new. I work with
> > a woman who goes on and on about how disgusting different foods are
> > -- imagine, some people actually LIKE dim sum and curry!
>
> Bring in a nice crock of kimchee for lunch someday, watch her head
> explode.
>
Heh. Heh heh heh.
Rabbit, getting ideas
Rabbit
more
> time to cook, because I'd make them a lot more.
If you have a crock pot, you can throw them in there and let 'em simmer
while you do other things.
Rabbit
Tracyarts
>than a basket of unhealthy food.
This is bullshit.
My husband and I live on a pretty low income, and that means a pretty low
grocery budget. I shop wisely and shop healthily and in my experience, buying
more fresh whole food and cooking more from scratch is much cheaper than buying
processed foods.
Yesterday I bought the following at a discount supermarket: 5 pounds frozen
flounder filets (non breaded or anything), 6 cans tuna in water, a pound of
fresh green beans, a jicama, ten limes, 4 tomatoes, green leafy lettuce, napa
cabbage, a pound of apricots, 5 avocadoes, 2 large cucumbers, fresh garlic,
onions, green onions, cilantro, celery, whole wheat tortillas, and a jar of
chipotle mayonnaise to make tuna salad with.
My grand total? $23 and change. With what we already have in the pantry,
fridge, and freezer, that's gonna carry us into the beginning of next month.
I hear people talk all the time about how expensive it is to eat healthy. No,
it's not. It really isn't. Eating healthily and _convenient_ is expensive.
Shopping boutique grocers and organic markets and Whole Foods can be expensive.
But there are discount grocers in every low to moderate income neighborhood
and they sell the basics (produce, staple goods, loss leaders) for incredibly
low prices.
Honestly, is it because I live in an area of the United States where produce is
cheap and plentiful? (Texas Gulf Coast) Because I have heard the "fresh healthy
food is too expensive so I have to eat boxed processed crap" excuse from people
up North and in the Midwest.
It seems to me that buying fresh whole ingredients and staple pantry goods
would be the least expensive way to go.
Tracy
Cheryl Greer
"Rabbit" <rab...@hotstar.net> wrote:
But...but..my mother-in-law doesn't have a job in Ontario!
Cheryl
confused
--
"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." -- Dr. Seuss
Baerana
Absolutely! Anyone who doesn't have a crock pot, please, please - do
yourself a huge favor and get one. They are cheap and I find myself
using mine 2 - 3 times a week now. I can make healthy, yummy stuff
(there are even special low-carb cook books for crock pots for you
Atkins followers) in 10 - 20 minutes in the morning, plug it in, and
dinner's ready in the evening. It has made my life so much simpler and
healthier!!
Gallilea
"Mary Ann" <zpg...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f7c1a70e.04062...@posting.google.com...
> Most of their calories come from carbohydrates - they're seeds, after all.
> But the carbohydrates in peas and beans are excellent - they are very
> complex so those that can be broken down into glucose enter the
bloodstream
> slowly, without causing glucose spikes. Many of the carbs in legumes are
> fiber, which isn't broken down at all and which has many health benefits
> and only one drawback that's obvious to me. Diabetics rely heavily on
> these foods because they are natural regulators of blood sugar.
>
> Beans fill you up on few calories and have almost no fat. I wish I had
more
> time to cook, because I'd make them a lot more.
>
> Mary Ann
Hey, thanks! That was very informative.
Gallilea
Baerana
> Honestly, is it because I live in an area of the United States where produce is
> cheap and plentiful? (Texas Gulf Coast) Because I have heard the "fresh healthy
> food is too expensive so I have to eat boxed processed crap" excuse from people
> up North and in the Midwest.
Maybe - when I was in Texas I didn't notice this problem, but did/do in
NJ, NY, and PA. Or, maybe 'cause in Texas I lived in "the country" and
in the north I lived in "cities"
> It seems to me that buying fresh whole ingredients and staple pantry goods
> would be the least expensive way to go.
I do agree, somewhat. In recent months, I've tried to eat healthier,
and my food bill has gone up. Someone here wisely pointed out that
that's because I'm not used to shopping healthy yet and the bill will
soon drop. The more I consider this, the more I find it true. Plus, I
did stupid things like, buy a big bag of salad - but I just can't force
myself to eat salad, so that was a waste. But looking over my receipts,
it does seem like I can put a healthy menu together for less than a
junky menu.
However, for a very poor section of the country (not the breeder trash
you see buying booze and cigs, people who can't even afford that) it is
cheaper to eat crap. After college, I literally had maybe $5 a week to
spend on food. How was I going to buy a crock pot so I could cook
healthy meals in a high volume? Not eat for 4 or 5 weeks while I saved
money for a crock pot? Hell, I didn't even have money for a regular pot
- if something needed heating, I didn't eat it. I didn't have a stove.
Later, when my situation was *slightly* better, I would wrap things in
aluminum foil and place them directly on a burner (I had a stove but no
oven in the next rat hole I lived in). Still no pots - eventually
someone gave me a broken toaster oven and I used the metal tray in it as
a frying pan.
But if you are that poor - you can't buy in bulk (even though it saves
you money, you need a significant amount of money for the initial
purchase) You can't buy a crock pot for a healthy rice and beans
dinner, you can't buy a grill or whatever for a nice grilled fish. If
you read "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara
Ehrenreich you'll understand what I mean - http://tinyurl.com/289em
(although, trust me, her description of crappy jobs seems a little
exaggerate - I took several similar jobs in college and right after)
I'm sure there was something better I could have done than buy a bag of
chips or cookies for $2 and eat that for lunch for 5 days in a row, but
at the time it seemed like my only option. And I'd cut off my hands
before I asked for or accepted public assistance. There were several
times when i had two full-time jobs and a part-time job but I wasn't
about to accept handouts.
Again, though - I would never have brought a child into that. Say it
with me, "IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD A CHILD, DON'T HAVE ONE!"
Rabbit
> But if you are that poor - you can't buy in bulk (even though it saves
> you money, you need a significant amount of money for the initial
> purchase) You can't buy a crock pot for a healthy rice and beans
> dinner, you can't buy a grill or whatever for a nice grilled fish.
Good point. It can be cheaper to eat properly, but it can also be damn
difficult. I had a period in my life where the cat ate and I didn't, because
there was only enough for one of us, and I know what you mean. A 50-cent box
of Kraft dinner I could afford. Five bucks for 25 pounds of rice was a pipe
dream.
Rabbit
Rabbit
> > leave the room, because I can't handle someone who eats meat and
potatoes
> > and turns up her nose at anything else.
>
> But...but..my mother-in-law doesn't have a job in Ontario!
>
> Cheryl
> confused
Hey, I've got relatives a mile from you who make my co-worker look like a
gourmet.
Rabbit
FussyKatie
Katie
> Ethnic groceries are definitely the way to go if you want to eat
> cheap and well. Indians and Thais and Koreans and hell, even Italians
> know how to make the most of minimal foodstuffs.
>
> jason
>
>
MRFeathers
>Dim Sum is more than chicken feet.
>Curry isn't always hot.
>Mexican food doesn't always come on a taco.
Tacos the way Americans eat them aren't Mexican anyway. Taco joints in Mexico
are quite different. Good, but different.
Mary
Morwen
(in message <eD%Cc.792$p13...@fe38.usenetserver.com>):
> Sadly, most people (living in towns that are less than, shall we say,
> 250,000) cannot purchase a lot of the exotic ingredients that goes into
> making these marvelous dishes. I know that where I live, it would be
> impossible to buy Taramas (Carp fish eggs), or Baccala (Dried, Salted Cod)
> or probably Pancetta for that matter, so it makes it doubly difficult to get
> out of the feeding rut.
I live in a rural area in a town of >1,200, yet I can buy all of the above
within 45 minutes of driving. Well, it would take 45 for the carp roe, but
baccala and pancetta I can buy in a bit less 30 at the two places I usually
shop each week (food co-op and large supermarket). I live in an affluent
county in Vermont, though, so YMMV.
Morwen
Morwen
(in message <20040625172736...@mb-m15.aol.com>):
> Honestly, is it because I live in an area of the United States where produce
> is
> cheap and plentiful? (Texas Gulf Coast) Because I have heard the "fresh
> healthy
> food is too expensive so I have to eat boxed processed crap" excuse from
> people up North and in the Midwest.
It's BS. Produce isn't *that* much more expensive up here, especially if you
don't insist on eating strawberries and asparagus all winter.
I think boxed processed crap is expensive when you consider how bad most of
it tastes and the damage it will do to your health.
Morwen
BookWyrm
> I couldn't believe the extraordinary things that this
> > book contained (and yes Dim Sum was part of it).
> >
>
> The other thing that gets me is that people get an idea in their heads
that
> name of food=one specific type. This woman said, "They brought out dim
sum,
> but I don't like fish!"
>
> I said, "Didn't they have barbeque buns and dumplings?" She said, "Yes,
but
> they had little fish!"
>
> <Sigh> I want to write in big letters on their foreheads:
>
> Sushi (and Japanese food in general) is not always raw fish
I have told my mother this about a billion times. Yet she keeps asking "Is
that real sushi?" meaning "Is that raw fish?"
*sigh*
Circe
I can make healthy, yummy stuff
> (there are even special low-carb cook books for crock pots for you
> Atkins followers) in 10 - 20 minutes in the morning, plug it in, and
> dinner's ready in the evening.
I have a crock pot, but I am not a morning person. I
barely make it to work on time as it is. Is it possible
to ready stuff the night before and dump it in the pot
in the a.m.?
Circe
ChildfreeAbby
If you have a slow cooker with a removable liner, you can assemble the
dish the night before, in the liner, put it in the fridge, and put the
liner in the slow cooker in the am. No prob.
If not, just chop your veggies, and prepare the other stuff,
refrigerate, and assemble in the am.
Abby - same slow cooker since 1979...
--
The ChildFree Abby Archives - http://www.dismal-light.net/childfreeabby/
Baerana
I see no reason why not, but I'm not an expert. Of course, you wouldn't
want to leave uncooked meat at room tempature over night.
REP
Rob Novak <rob....@NOcomSPAMcast.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 00:48:19 -0700, REP <r...@inanna.com> wrote:
>
> >Yup, and I wouldn't mind if the price of healthy food went down a bit,
> >even if it were done in the name of "the chiiiiiiiiiiiildruuuuuuuuun."
> >I'm lucky enough to live near a market that sells healthy food at not
> >unreasonable prices, but it does cost a good chunk.
>
> Surprisingly, I can usually get decent foodstuffs cheaper than
> processed Mealz Inabox. I shop for produce and fish in Asian markets,
> where extremely high turnover and resultant buying power/lower
> spoilage "overhead" results in much more reasonable prices.
The only pre-made foods I get are from Trader Joe's, which seem to be
pretty high on the not-made-of-garbage side. I live in a place where
ethnic markets are plentiful, and take advantage of them, but still
wouldn't mind of the price of meat raised without hormones or
unnecessary antibiotics went down a bit. I have to avoid potassium,
phosphates, calcium and a few other things because of the kidney
failure, so I can't really make anything go further by using beans, rice
or even most fresh vegetables.
--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather
REP
Jason Steiner <ja...@gaydeceiver.com> wrote:
>
> Trader Joe's! Their simmer sauces are cheaper than Hamburger Helper,
> just as easy, and 100x as yummy. Chop up and brown some chicken,
> dump the sauce in, throw on a pot of rice. It's not even cooking!
> I can do it!
Trader Joe and I are an item.
Circe
>
> I see no reason why not, but I'm not an expert. Of course, you wouldn't
> want to leave uncooked meat at room tempature over night.
I didn't word my question very well. What I meant was
is there anything special that has to be done to
whatever you're cooking that has to be done right
before the stuff goes in the pot so as not to screw it up.
I got this crockpot as a wedding present over 20 years
ago and I think my ex may have used it once or twice. I
thought I'd thrown it away years ago until my last move
when I stumbled upon it. Imagine my surprise.
Circe
Etaoin Shrdlu
>In article <vgvhbc...@shell.gaydeceiver.com>,
>
>Trader Joe and I are an item.
The rat! He told me I was the only one.
A favorite cheap and fast dinner: Any of the Trader Joe's raviolis (near
where the tofu is, not the frozen kind) and the organic marinara sauce.
Followed by the highly addictive orange sticks, it's a meal fit for a
princess. I guess a salad if you must would not go amiss.
Leslie
Etaoin Shrdlu
If you google on Dump Chicken, there are tons of recipes for variations
on marinating/freezing chicken. I've found that you can also just marinate
in the refrigerator and bake. It's like having money in the bank to know
that there's a bag of chicken ready to go. I like to serve it with rice
and broccoli.
Even faster is boneless skinless chicken breasts with bottled (or I guess
it could be Trader Joe's fresh as well) salsa and the juice of a lemon
over, cooked at your regular chicken-cooking temperature, again over
rice with broccoli.
Leslie, wondering if firm tofu would work as well with the dump recipes
Rabbit
> > I have a crock pot, but I am not a morning person. I barely make it to
> > work on time as it is. Is it possible to ready stuff the night before
> > and dump it in the pot in the a.m.
If it has a removable liner (and it's the only kind to get, because of
cleaning it) just put everything in the pot and refrigerate that overnight.
In the morning, put it into the cooker and turn it on.
Rabbit
diespammersdie
rancid after sitting on the shelf for awhile. Store them in a zipper bag or
other airtight container in the freezer and they will keep practically
indefinitely. No need to "thaw" before cooking.
Tess
Rabbit
> Tacos the way Americans eat them aren't Mexican anyway. Taco joints in
Mexico
> are quite different. Good, but different.
>
Absolutely. On my one trip to Mexico I found a roadside vendor who made the
most incredible octopus tacos.
Rabbit
ChildfreeAbby
> Baerana wrote:
>
>
>>
>> I see no reason why not, but I'm not an expert. Of course, you
>> wouldn't want to leave uncooked meat at room tempature over night.
>
>
> I didn't word my question very well. What I meant was is there anything
> special that has to be done to whatever you're cooking that has to be
> done right before the stuff goes in the pot so as not to screw it up.
All you have to remember is to layer the stuff when you put it in -
veggies - that require longer cooking -(like root veggies, potatoes,
carrots etc) go in the bottom layers - meat goes on top.
>
> I got this crockpot as a wedding present over 20 years ago and I think
> my ex may have used it once or twice. I thought I'd thrown it away years
> ago until my last move when I stumbled upon it. Imagine my surprise.
>
>
Heh.. that's how I got my slow cooker, a wedding present in '79.. I got
"custody" when we split. the slow cooker has - thus far- out lasted the
marriage by 23 years.
Abby
Beth Cole
PLEASE, do NOT put the liner in the fridge!
This is a serious food safety issue. When the liner is put into the
fridge with food in it overnight and then put into the cooker, the food
cannot come up to cooking temperature in a reasonable amount of time.
Thus, it sits at room temp for a very long time, providing one hell of a
medium for bacterial growth. Near instant food poisoning, if you're not
extremely lucky.
Much better: prep everything the night before, put it in plastic bags
(meat separate from vegetables) and drop it all into the liner in the
crockpot in the morning.
Lesson learned the hard way.....
Beth
Keith
> Even faster is boneless skinless chicken breasts with bottled (or I guess
> it could be Trader Joe's fresh as well) salsa and the juice of a lemon
> over, cooked at your regular chicken-cooking temperature, again over
> rice with broccoli.
>
I have a friend who makes salsa, just the way his mother did when he was a
sprog in Mexico, it is so much better than any storebought that I've had it
is amazing. I will try this with some next time he makes it.
--
Keith Barber
I am the housing fairy.
ane...@comcast.net
Lorz
> NCH has published research showing that one in five of all parents say
> lack of money sometimes makes it impossible to feed their children
> properly.
Bullshit. The Hipmoos are always bragging about buying organic food at
Whole Paycheck, with public funds of course.
IleneB
To be fair, a lot of poor city neighborhoods don't have anything close
to a supermarket nearby. I think it'd be pretty hard to drag small
children on public transport to get to a supermarket without a car if
there even was one to get to somewhere.
Ilene B
IleneB
<use...@baerana.com> wrote:
> Say it
> with me, "IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD A CHILD, DON'T HAVE ONE!"
Again, to be fair... a lot of people have kids when they *can* afford
them, like when they're married, and they become poor if the
relationship breaks up. Too late to send the kids back to the factory.
Ilene B
Jason Steiner
Goat tacos. Goat meat, a little chopped onion and tomato, on a small
tortilla the size of your palm. Season to taste, eat, repeat.
jason
--
"Listen, my boy, I can't abide children. I know it's the style nowadays to
make a terrible fuss over you - but I don't go for it. As far as I'm concerned,
they're no good for anything but screaming, torturing people, breaking things,
smearing books with jam and tearing the pages." - The Neverending Story
Jason G
>Speaking of cheap non-grocery-store produce, is this just a Boston thing or
>does anyone in other cities find subway stations a better place than
>supermarkets to buy fresh fruit?
I certainly don't find that to be true in San Diego.
Circe
> To be fair, a lot of poor city neighborhoods don't have anything close
> to a supermarket nearby.
Very true. A local supermarket chain that catered to
the poorer neighborhoods just went out of business. In
some areas, it was the only grocery store within miles.
I feel bad for the people who live in those
neighborhoods and bad for the owner who was really
committed to having stores in poor areas.
Circe
Jason G
>How about freezing stuff? Can nectarines bught in season last until winter
>or do they just get weird in the freezer?
They're fine, until you defrost them.
khan
Omixochitl wrote:
> pussycatdoll <pussyc...@meow.com> wrote in
> news:bljod0ln3f15c3rfv...@4ax.com:
>
>
>>Here's another thought: we had a vegetable garden. Fresh produce in
>>the summer, canned produce in the winter months. Mom would spend her
>>evenings in August canning all sorts of veggies and fruits.
>
>
> Which vegetables can be grown indoors?
Leafy greens and small root vegetables are fairly easy.
Herbs in a sunny windowsill.
Almost anything with grow lights, but then the feds get after you.
> I'm not trying to make any "yeah but some people don't have yards!!!"
> argument (even though I don't have one myself), it's just that I'm reminded
> of potted plants and pot plants. ;)
Keith
news:Xns95147CB7...@130.133.1.4:
>
> So it's like the difference between factory outlets next to the
> factories and "factory outlets" in shopping malls in cities nowhere
> near the factories?
>
Yes, precisely.
However, I still manage to eat 5 servings a day of fresh vegetables, most
of them raw.
Virginia
"Omixochitl" <Omixoch...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns95147CB0...@130.133.1.4...
> ChildfreeAbby <morg...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:2k3dpfF17gnluU1@uni-
> berlin.de:
>
> > The trick of getting good deals in fruits and veggies in your regular
> > supermarket is - take advantage of "Lost Leaders" and learn to cook
> > seasonally, using local produce (Emphasis on "cook") If you spend
> > your money on produce that is better travelled than you are (such as
> > oh.. Chilean Nectarines in mid winter) you are pissing money away.
> > Learn to use storage vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, etc.
Virginia
Argh. I hate it when my mouse goes crazy. Anyway, I was going to post that
most fruit is complete mush when you thaw it. So if you want to freeze
berries, nectarines, etc., you might want to put it into a recipe (pancakes,
nut breads) where it's being mushy won't matter.
va :)
Renee
> NCH has published research showing that one in five of all parents say
> lack of money sometimes makes it impossible to feed their children
> properly.
>
> Researchers found that almost half of parents on a low income say they
> have had to go hungry in the past year.
The "how to eat cheap" has been well debated here
already. So my questions are
Do these famblies have cable TV?
Do the moo or duh smoke?
Do the moo or duh drink beer?
Is there soda/pop in the house?
Every time our local paper profiles some poor
fambly who trot out their sad-eyed child as being
unable to eat a nutritious meal ("I can't afford
to make her an egg sandwich if she's hungry,
'cause I can't afford the extra egg and bread" was
one I recall)... well, Ma or Pa invariably has a
cig hin her/his mouth. Or a can of Coke. Or
they're in front of the TV watching Movie Network.
So it's not about "too poor", it's about
priorities. Moo and Duh won't give up ONE PACK of
cigs a month to pay for a loaf of bread and a
dozen eggs. They won't give up cable TV to pay
for a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, and a few
pounds of meat & veg. They won't have a glass of
water instead of beer or Coke, so that they can
have a couple of extra roaster chickens around.
They'd rather have TV, smokes, and mindless
entertainment than FEED THEIR CHILDREN.
Pardon me while I go searching for that sympathy I
seem to have misplaced. I've got a little bit for
the kid, but not nearly enough for the 'rents.
Renee
khan
Renee wrote:
Sympathy:
It's in the dictionary between suicide and syphilis.
Renee
Or, if you happen to have access and funds, you
can apparently freeze fruit brilliangly with dry
ice - according to Alton Brown.
If I recall correctly, the reason fruits turn to
mush is that they freeze slowly, and the crystals
turn to shards, and pierce the fruit "cells" while
they expand and freeze. But if you freeze the
little buggers really fast (on dry ice), there's
little "sharding". The examples he showed looked
pretty damn good after thawing.
Renee
sfw
> I have a friend who makes salsa, just the way his mother did when he was a
> sprog in Mexico, it is so much better than any storebought that I've had it
> is amazing. I will try this with some next time he makes it.
So you have his recipe, and if so, will you share? Thanks!
Sarah
ChildfreeAbby
> ChildfreeAbby <morg...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:2k3dpfF17gnluU1@uni-
> berlin.de:
>
>
>>The trick of getting good deals in fruits and veggies in your regular
>>supermarket is - take advantage of "Lost Leaders" and learn to cook
>>seasonally, using local produce (Emphasis on "cook") If you spend
>>your money on produce that is better travelled than you are (such as
>>oh.. Chilean Nectarines in mid winter) you are pissing money away.
>>Learn to use storage vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, etc.
>
>
> How about freezing stuff? Can nectarines bught in season last until winter
> or do they just get weird in the freezer?
If you have space in your freezer, it can be done, but still requires
special handling.
First, for whole fruit such as peaches, and nectarines cut them in
pieces to acidulate them so they won't oxidize and turn brown, you can
use a commercial productof called "Fruit Fresh" or bathe them in citrus
juice, such as orange, lemon, or lime.
Bear in mind, thawed frozen fruit will *not* have the same texture as
fresh. It will be softer. There is nothing you can do about that.
However, that said, fruit of this texture can be added to pies, crisps
and crumbles for simple desserts, or made into toppings for pancakes or
waffle. Or added to pancakes, waffles, muffins or breads. Certain
things sudh as melon, just don't freeze well, they become really watery
and very tasteless. Pit fruit such as peaches, nectarines, plums and
cherries freeze well. So do apples, but apples are usually plentiful
and cheap so why bother?
There are a couple of ways you can freeze the fruit you can just place
the sections on a cookie sheet and freeze solid, then pack into freezer
bags, draw out the air (air is not your friend) and seal. (or whole
berries such as blue berries in the same manner). Just don't wash blue
berries before you freeze them- was them when you thaw them. it
preserves the flavour. Strawberries must be hulled.
Or, you can "dry pack" the acidulated fruit with sugar in containers or
freezer bags. One way innovative way of freezing fruit for pies was
this: sweeten, and spice fruit as per usual, and add the thickener of
your choice - cornstarch or tapioca, then freeze the fruit in pie
plates. when fruit is frozen, remove from plates and place in freezer
bags. then when you make a pie, simply line a pie plate with the crust
of your choice, and place the frozen filling inside, top with pastry or
other topping and bake until done.
Abby
--
The ChildFree Abby Archives - http://www.dismal-light.net/childfreeabby/
Jason G
says...
>They'd rather have TV, smokes, and mindless
>entertainment than FEED THEIR CHILDREN.
>
>Pardon me while I go searching for that sympathy I
>seem to have misplaced. I've got a little bit for
>the kid, but not nearly enough for the 'rents.
Sounds like you have exactly the right amount for the parents.
--
Jason G
You aren't starving-poor until you have no cable, no TV, and no liquor and still
then don't have money for food. THEN come talk to me. Until then, STFU.
Marten Kemp
I read somewhere that liquid Nitrogen is less expensive than milk.
You'd need proper handling gear, of course.
If something like that became popular you'd see another kind of
lil' freezer.
--
-- Marten Kemp
(Fix name and ISP to reply)
ChildfreeAbby
Heh.. more info
don't forget to peel the fruit.
There are other ways of preserving fruits if you are so inclined, one
can make the fruit into preserves - jams, jellies, butters, salsas,or
pickles or simply preserve them in syrup. Jars are often to be found
for pennies at yard sales(and last for years and years with careful
handling) , as are canners and other equipment.
I am so inclined, or at least was (who knows what this year will bring?)
I make make my own jam etc, the good old fashioned way using three
things only - fruit, sugar and lemon juice. No commercial fruit pectin
that requires tons of sugar, and I have a much better product, - less
sugar than most commercial products and far more flavour. whether one
saves money doing this is open to debate. However to me it is
theraputic, and I consider it a hobby.
I also have a pressure canner, and make my own tomato sauce, stewed
tomatoes and vegetable soup. A pressure canner is more expensive -
mine cost about $100.00 CDN on sale. Its a larger investment, and
whether or not one actually "saves" money considering the equipment and
energy used is open to debate. However, I know what goes into my
sauces, and soup - that is important to me. And believe me, a bowl of
hot tomato soup in the dead of winter made from summer tomatoes is a
most comforting experience.
I have a little raised bed garden that I devote to mainly tomatoes. And
a neighbour gifted me with about a bushel more last fall. I had so
many tomatoes, I made my own ketchup - a far, far cry from Heintz.
For more info on preserving, I suggest the mavins on
rec.food.preserving: they are friendly lot and always willing to
provide information.
Keith
I have watched him make it twice, he has no recipe, adds things until it
looks right or tastes right.
No kids 4 you
>Also, right out of college I was broke. My food budget for the week was
>literally $5 sometimes - I found out quickly that I could buy a bag of
>cookies or chips for $1 or $2 (off brands, of course) and I could have
>it for lunch all week. So, if you are really broke, junk food is often
>all you can afford
>
How much was a loaf of bread and a jar of jelly or even peanut butter? I know
that even with the prices of today you can get a better meal than cookies for
your two bucks.
sfw
> sfw <s...@dork.com> wrote in news:40dddbf7$0$3000$61fe...@news.rcn.com:
>>Keith wrote:
>>>I have a friend who makes salsa, just the way his mother did when he
>>>was a sprog in Mexico, it is so much better than any storebought that
>>>I've had it is amazing. I will try this with some next time he makes
>>>it.
>>
>>So you have his recipe, and if so, will you share? Thanks!
>
> looks right or tastes right.
Ah, I know about recipes like that. Ok, thanks anyhow!
Sarah
Stella Hackell
> ChildfreeAbby <morg...@hotmail.com> wrote in news:2k3dpfF17gnluU1@uni-
> berlin.de:
>
> > The trick of getting good deals in fruits and veggies in your regular
> > supermarket is - take advantage of "Lost Leaders" and learn to cook
> > seasonally, using local produce (Emphasis on "cook") If you spend
> > your money on produce that is better travelled than you are (such as
> > oh.. Chilean Nectarines in mid winter) you are pissing money away.
> > Learn to use storage vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, etc.
>
> How about freezing stuff? Can nectarines bught in season last until winter
> or do they just get weird in the freezer?
They'll be mush when you defrost them. In my experience, produce that has
been frozen is suitable for cooking, but not too nice for eating raw.
With nectarines (and peaches), a lovely thing to do is to slice them
thickly and simmer them in just enough water to prevent them from
scorching. They produce a thick broth. Cook oh, ten minutes, cool, and
freeze. I like them plain, but you can add sugar, vanilla, and so on before
freezing. In the middle of winter, they are delicious.
--
Stella Hackell ste...@lmi.net
She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the
mastery of life.
--Frances E. Willard, _How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle_
REP
ra...@panix.com (Etaoin Shrdlu) wrote:
> In article <2k4bmfF...@uni-berlin.de>, REP <r...@inanna.com> wrote:
> >In article <vgvhbc...@shell.gaydeceiver.com>,
> >
> >Trader Joe and I are an item.
>
> The rat! He told me I was the only one.
>
> A favorite cheap and fast dinner: Any of the Trader Joe's raviolis (near
> where the tofu is, not the frozen kind) and the organic marinara sauce.
> Followed by the highly addictive orange sticks, it's a meal fit for a
> princess. I guess a salad if you must would not go amiss.
I'm currently hooked on the walnut, endive, romaine and gorgonzola
salad; TJ's heat'n'eat lasagna and the chicken shu mai.
--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather
Rabbit
> > You won't find one in Spokane. There are 2 "farmer's markets," but
> > they are inaccessable and only open 1 day a week each. They also
> > charge a premium price for their wares.
>
> So it's like the difference between factory outlets next to the factories
> and "factory outlets" in shopping malls in cities nowhere near the
> factories?
Oh, yes. You have to be careful with "farmer's markets". A lot of them
really are farmers selling their produce, but many of them -- especially if
they're connected to flea markets as they are around here -- are just people
who buy the same produce at the terminal as the supermarkets do, and then
they put them out on tables to make them look fresh.
I went to one very early one day, when broccoli and cauliflower were in
season here in Canada, and they were taking them out of boxes shipped in
from the US.
Rabbit