One Frugal Foodie

Nicole over at Pinch my Salt reminded me of Barilla’s free cookbook, which I had almost forgotten to download.  Download The Celebrity Italian Table Cookbook between now and March 31st, and Barilla will donate $1.00 to America’s Second Harvest for every cookbook downloaded, up to 100,000 downloads.

While it certainly isn’t 100% dairy-free friendly, I am quite excited by a few of the recipes, and a few others look easy to alter.  The Chocolate Hazelnut Fritters and the Spicy Penne Pasta with Capers and Olives are two that have certainly  captured my attention.  Plus, it is for a good cause!

The cookbook download is focused on celebrity recipe favorites that have been recreated by Mario Batali.  It is wonderfully written and illustrated with ambiance and table setting suggestions.  Anywho, check it out since it is free!

Well, not literally…. by Earth Day 2008 they will only use paper bags and encourage consumers to bring reusables - http://consumerist.com/347538/whole-foods-will-eliminate-plastic-bags-says-bring-your-own.  Just had to spread the good news. 

Paper bags are still a huge waste, so do pick up a couple of reusables … trust me… they are awesome!  And of course, cheap!  99 cents each at Whole Foods and other major grocers.  I have one from Capers in Vancouver and two from Trader Joe’s.  They are huge, easy to carry, and super convenient for everything from groceries to packing up “car stuff” for road trips or taking food to potlucks.

Today is “Black Friday” and my husband has been amused by the many pile of ads for junk we don’t need.  Consistently asking me if I need anything, I can think of not a single response.  While the Target, Walmart, and Best Buy ads flash super-duty appliances to tempt the at-home chef, they look like either overkill or space-wasters to me.

Sure, I have a basic gas stove/oven, refrigerator, and a dishwasher (perish the thought of living without!), but when it comes to small appliances, I like to keep it simple.  I cook and/or bake everyday, yet expensive industrial mixers, multi-part food processors, and food killing microwaves have no place in my perfect kitchen.  As a matter of fact, of the little appliances we do have, we have found that cheaper is actually better.  In my opinion, appliances no bigger than would fit in a New York sized apartment are really all you need for any well-functioning kitchen…

$10 - Spice Grinder - I don’t own a food processor, and haven’t suffered without.  Since we are a household of two, I find that my spice grinder does just about everything I need it to, and with insanely quick clean up.  Of course, I use it to grind down those cumin seeds, and some may like it for coffee beans (I am a tea girl myself) but it also works in a pinch to grind flaxseeds for a nutritious boost to my smoothies and meals, to grind nuts (even into a butter / paste), and to make oat flour in an instant from my supplies of whole oats.  Some may dislike doing things in batches.  But considering that I can make 1/3 cup of oat flour in 30 seconds of whirling, and with a quick “wipe it out with a dry paper towel” clean-up, 1 cup is easily ready with my workspace clean in under 5 minutes.  Oh yes, and did I mention spice (coffee) grinders, such as the Proctor Silex one I have, can be had for $10-$12 at the supermarket.  Go with the cheap ones, they get the job done.

$25 - Blender - I love smoothies.  I also love to make creamy soups, and really, it seems as though my blender gets pulled out for some small task almost daily.  But we have gone through four different blenders, including two higher end models, only to discover that the cheap Hamilton Beach 10-speed blender from Walmart works just as well, if not better.  It has less “juice” then some of the fancier brands, but because of this, the motor doesn’t tend to blow up (like our “high-end” experiences), and it is quieter than many brands.  And yes, it really does blend up every last bit of ice.  Oh, and do splurge on the glass jar (the plastic will break quickly), but this is the only real upgrade I have found worth the price.

$11 - Rice Cooker - I can always make a healthy meal in minutes thanks to my 6-cup rice cooker.  It cooks up grains (brown rice, white rice, millet, quinoa, etc., etc., etc.) with a quick flip of the switch and steams the rest of my meal while it is at it.  I can throw just about any veggie in the top basket (including potatoes) and my meal will be ready when I hear the “click.” You can even steam fish or chicken along with the veggies for a major meal that cooks itself.

$11 - Electric Tea Kettle - Oh Canada!  My Canadian (now American) husband introduced me to this wonderful invention that I didn’t have the good fortune to grow up with.  Boiling water for tea, oatmeal, rice noodles, or any other quick hot water need can be had in just three minutes.  We purchased our inexpensive electric kettle on sale, but you can get a perfect household one for $20 or less without a problem.  Oh yes, and go with the ones that have a switch.  The ones that you have to unplug to shut off are a bit scary!

$15-20 - Hand Mixer - Want those nice toned arms?  Skip the clunky stand mixer and go for a cheapo hand mixer.  Don’t think for a minute that these don’t pack enough power, ours is actually a little too turbo charged.  Make sure you pick out one that has a good range from low to high in power.  Really, I mix most things up by hand, but for whipping and creaming, a trusty little mixer comes in handy, and can be taken out and put away with ease.

$10 - Toaster - You just never know when you might want something toasted, so this is always good to have on hand.  At times I miss our old toaster oven, and think about upgrading a few dollars to one.  But really, must toaster oven needs are far and few between, so this gadget has me covered.  Skip the electric eye, one with the basic up / down function, wide slots, and a light to dark guage is all you need.

There you have it.  While it may not suit everyone, we have spent less than $90 for all of our small appliances, and haven’t wanted for a thing.  Happy deal hunting!

The grocery store ads are riddled with wonderful baking deals for flour, sugar, chocolate chips, and other key ingredients.  But did you know, that while seldom advertised, their bulk equivalents also go on sale during the holiday season?  Be sure to check the prices of both, but more often than not, I find the bulk department to be the hands down winner, and I can purchase as much or as little of any ingredient that I like.  Have a special recipe that only needs 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour?  Head to the bulk foods, and just get 1/2 cup for your needs.  Do you plow through oats like farmers?  Watch for the sales and buy out the barrel.  

Really, you may be amazed at what foods you can find in bulk foods.  Every town I have lived in has at least one store with a generous bulk foods department that carries everything from brown rice flour to soup mixes.  Which brings me to this week’s find…

Wild Oats is actually having a great sale for anyone who uses whole grains and specialty baking ingredients.  Anywhere from 25 to 40% off on whole grain flours (spelt, brown rice, whole wheat, etc.), organic sugar ($1.25 per lb), and organic or eco-farmed rice (tons of varieties, all from Lundberg).  The flours are from Bob’s Red Mill, so some are also organic.  I stocked up myself on the products that I like to purchase organic (because we use them frequently).  I loaded up on spelt flour (I really do love this stuff), brown rice flour, and splurged a bit on blue cornmeal for recipe I am trialing.  I will probably stop in again for sugar ….

… While it can cost a touch more, I do recommend the switch to organic sugar.  For those who are vegan, this is an obvious easy choice … but … sugar is a leading GMO product these days, so going organic is a very wise move, regardless of your dietary preferences. 

I believe the sale at Wild Oats will last through at least this Wednesday, but possibly next Wednesday (they usually do two week sales), so stop by when you have the chance.  If there is no Wild Oats in your area, check your favorite store with bulk foods, they will likely be having some sales too. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Overall it was a tasty day.  It was refreshing to find comfort in a pasta marinara, a dish I take for granted.  Just a quick low down for some vegan meal ideas … 

Breakfast: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free) The smoothie has become our routine.  It seems to be the best way to break our “nightly fast” (otherwise known as sleep) with the least amount of disturbence.  Plus it is a great energizer for morning workouts, and we headed out for one today.  Frozen mango and pineapple are the best deal (at Trader Joe’s) I have found around here when neither the fresh or frozen fruit is on sale, so I prepared our old reliable mango coladas.

Snack: We were both starving when we got back as some major traffic detours made for a late arrival home.  I sliced my husband up a thick slice of the Banana Orange Chip Bread (still awesome even though it deflated), and held my hunger back with my usual rice cakes with a thick layer of almond butter and cinnamon.  Yes, I really do like rice cakes.

Snack II: Still hungry, but husband isn’t yet, ate an orange.

Lunch: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free) Needing something in a jiffy (in the middle of a project), I turned to Amy’s, Amy’s Kitchen that is.  They are a mainstream organic vegetarian company, with a huge vegan line-up.  I have long been a fan of their chili, which can often be fetched on sale for under $2 a can and makes a very hearty lunch for two with some rice (I have even spotted it at Walmart).  Luckily, their soups have been on sale quite a bit lately as well.  We tried the lentil vegetable - low in sodium variety.  Sadly, my first thought was “needs salt.” Refraining, I reached for the pepper grinder instead, which helped to give it a little of the spark that it was missing.  It was more like a chili with very little liquid, so I dished up two large bowls of leftover brown rice, and divided the soup between the two.  It was hearty enough with the lentils and brown rice to tide us both over for a couple of hours.

Snack: Oh goodness, the remaining 1/2 of the quick bread loaf has magically disappeared!  Wherever could it have gone?

Snack II: Feeling guilty about the two mongo slices of cake-like quickbread I had just downed, I steamed up some kale and broccoli.  Just enough to meet a bit of my greens quota.

Dinner: (vegan (egg-free/dairy-free), gluten-free, nut-free) It seems my husband had been into the bread and the cookies, so he wasn’t very hungry.  I had planned pizza, but decided to go with a simple pasta instead, featuring a very non-frugal pasta sauce from Amy’s.  The price tag keeps it off of my purchase list, but it was a gift.  Considering the virtues of this organic, all natural, vegan (and loaded with garlic) pasta sauce, I figured it should pretty well be able to handle its own atop some noodles. 

I cooked up some brown rice rigatoni, topped it with the sauce (added a bunch of sliced mushrooms), sprinkled some vegan gourmet cheddar cheese atop (a splurge for the week, really I must try a vegan cheese during vegan week, don’t you think?), and fired it in the oven to see if that cheese would melt.  I have heard that vegan gourmet does, but apparently I didn’t have it in for long enough.  I baked it for 10 minutes, and tried a quick broil for 3.  It really didn’t go anywhere, but it was quite tasty. 

Overall, my husband gave this very simple meal two thumbs up, and even said “wow, I don’t feel sick and I haven’t had meat for three days.  I’m not even craving it.”  Leave it to my husband to think that not eating meat would make him feel sick.

Oh, before I forget, if you live near a Wild Oats that hasn’t been shut down by Whole Foods, they have a few good items in their weekly flyer beginning on Halloween.  I added the Oetker Organics pudding mix, Pacific organic broth, and bulk organic quinoa to my shopping list, you may find a few other deals. 

Now where are those cookies?

As much as I love grocery shopping, some trips lately have been more frustrating than fruitful. “No, we have to get that organic,” “No, that could be GMO,” “Added hormones….,” “Nope, contains milk,” “It costs how much?” “It’s organic, but ugh!”  So many rules and guidelines that I never had to follow in my early frugal days. 

Both my husband and I are dedicated to purchasing the best quality food, but Whole Paycheck prices are not in our budget.  Luckily, every few weeks we hit the jackpot with some good sales at our local markets that meet all of our criteria … and today was one of those days. 

I loaded up with organic Braeburn Apples to do some baking (more to come this week), wild Alaskan fish, eggplant (how can you not love this giant purple fruit?), and too many other delicious items to think of.  But I do remember our top frugal find…  Our local natural food store carries a good deal of Italian import products and this week they had several little delicacies on for just 99 cents each!  We selected a few, but I will definitely be going back for more…

The garlic and oil may look creamy, but it is a wonderful blend of garlic, sunflower oil, and wine vinegar that is dairy-free, and from what I could tell, egg-free and vegan.  The olive pate listed black olives as the first ingredient, so I wasn’t expecting too much excitement.  However, these were those “real olives” that I have overheard olive aficienados talking about.  They had that pungent spike of flavor that I (with my unrefined kalamata olive taste buds) would equate with green olives.  The crackers were also vegan, organic, and downright tasty.  They looked like ordinary Saltines, but they were spiked with garlic and a light dusting of chili powder that kind of snuck up on you.

We both felt so cultured dining on our little imported appetizers.  It was a fleeting moment, but it was fun while it lasted.  Anyway, if you can get your hands on these BioCrackers or spreads from Valbona for a good price, I highly recommend them!

Okay, if you are like me, “ice cream” could make the menu when the snow is falling… but as summer unofficially comes to a close after labor day weekend, the hype for frozen dessert also winds down.  Before it escapes completely, I thought I would do a very quick dairy-free frozen dessert round-up just for fun!

Great Deal on Purely Decadent - I should have jumped on this one sooner (sorry about that!), as it is only good through Sept 4th.  But, if you live anywhere near a Wild Oats, head over quickly and stock up on Purely Decadent pints by Turtle Mountain.  Available in so many awesome flavors, this is the brand that saved me in my transition from ice cream addiction back to the dairy-free world.  Of course it is vegan and delicious.  Anywho, they are on buy one get one free, and in my Wild Oats that equates to just $1.75 per pint… take that Ben & Jerry’s!

“Ice Cream” Sandwiches on Trial - The people at the Vegetarian Site were kind enough to share their thorough review on the vegan “ice cream” novelty category.  Definitely worth a quick read.

Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Rankings from Dairy-Free “Outsiders” - Of course, I had to put in my 2 cents on their rulings.  Another quick overall review for anyone who is curious about dairy-free “ice cream.”

Hannah’s Awesome “Ice Cream” Reviews - In the midst of creating recipes for her new vegan dessert cookbook, Hannah went on a vegan “ice cream” frenzy.  After a horrifying trial last year, she daringly jumped back into the reviews this year and fell in love with It’s Soy Delicious and Blackwell’s Soy Gelato and Sorbetto.  Really, the pictures alone are worth a peek.  Here’s just one of them (copyright Hannah Kaminsky on the photo) …

My Top Picks - Hard to find, but tops on my list is Whole Soy & Co.’s Non-Dairy Frozen Yogurt.  Insanely low in fat (1g) yet the richest and creamiest of the soy ice cream bunch, this brand won over me, my family, and our Baskin Robbins going friends.  Second would be the massively tasty collection of Purely Decadent pints.  I like those “exciting” flavors, and they cover it well.  However, I am a sucker for “ice cream” sandwiches, and though it was a controversial brand (talk about a love-hate product!), something about Rice Dream’s Frozen Pies just worked for me.  You can pick up an individual one anytime at Wild Oats (and I presume Whole Foods) for just $.99 each (cheaper when on sale).  So they also slide in easily as a Frugal Foodie pick.  I haven’t trialed the Purely Decadent line of Sandwiches as of yet though.

Awesome Homemade Recipes - This summer has been packed full with great vegan “ice cream” recipes, but alas, I do not have an ice cream maker.  If you do, then try one of these out and tell me how they are, okay?:

• Maple-Pecan “Ice Cream”
• Chocolate Ice
• Peanut Butter “Ice Cream”
• Carrot Cake “Ice Cream”
• Mummy’s Best Vanilla “Ice Cream”

Though I seldom have many good notes to post about the big corp products, some tidbits do occasionally come my way.  Nabisco has launched a new line of “toasted” crackers that seem to measure up well compared to other standard varieties on the market.  They are free of hydrogenated oils, and boast a relatively easy-to-read label (there are some obvious preservatives, colors, and ”natural flavors” and such, but the ingredients seem to be well stated).  The main reason I am posting about them though is that they are shipping out free samples.  Head to the Garden Harvest website and enter your address, they will ship some product to you within 4 to 6 weeks.  These do contain wheat, but appear to be vegan (please double check), dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free (definitely call the company to verify if cross-contamination issues are a concern for you or someone you love).  While a haven’t purchased crackers in years myself, as they are rarely a virtuous bunch, I must admit, the flavors are quite intriguing (banana, apple cinnamon, tomato basil, vegetable medley). Warning: the website is obnoxiously loud, and the intro takes a few seconds to skip, so turn that volume down!  If they say “all gone” just hit the website up the next day.  I guess they have a daily quota for free samples.