A really neat tomato paste
Written by Scotia48 on August 21, 2008 – 5:07 pm -Well, I found a great way to make my own tomato paste and save it for future use. I just took a 28oz can of plum tomatos with juice and put it in a sauce pan over very low heat and smushed the tomatoes with a potato masher and cooked low until it looked like tomato paste. Read more »
Tags: Frugality, Recipe, Tomatoes
Posted in Diaries, Food, Frugality, Recipes, Stocking Up 101 | 7 Comments »
African Peanut Soup
Written by Scotia48 on July 29, 2008 – 6:11 pm -For Biscuit:
I heard this recipe many years ago on an NPR interview of an African matriarch. She was really personable and made sure that the reporter got the recipe right! Read more »
Tags: african, Frugality, Recipes, soups
Posted in Diaries, Frugality, Recipes | 17 Comments »
Could It Be Better?*
Written by Scotia48 on July 22, 2008 – 5:00 pm -Preface to the First Edition:
“But for life the universe were nothing: and all that life has requires nourishment.” Read more »
Tags: Cookbooks, Food, Frugality, Recipes
Posted in Diaries, Food, Frugality, Recipes, The Politics of Food | 6 Comments »
Eating cheaply, again
Written by allep10 on May 23, 2008 – 10:07 pm -This is one of my favorite foods, it’s cheap, tasty, relatively easy to make, and goes with any number of accessory foods. It is a modification of a recipe for refried beans, although the refrying thing isn’t really necessary.
I cook up a crockpot of pinto beans and about 2 cups of brown rice separately. The brown rice adds flavor, texture and protein to the dish. Drain the beans (dogs love the bean soup, or it can be saved for use in soups, it is very nutritious and low-cal.) Saute an onion and some jalepenos or other peppers. The choice of peppers and the quantity are yours, but the saute event takes out a lot of the heat associatiated. Combine the foods, add a small can of tomato paste, and mash and mix well.
Tags: eating cheap, Frugality, recipies
Posted in Diaries | 17 Comments »
In defense of potatoes, eating cheaply.
Written by allep10 on May 21, 2008 – 12:32 am -Spuds, which my departed Dad used to call them, are nutritious and good food. His favorites were fried potatoes and onions and potato soup. They were simple but delicious. That was essentially all he knew how to cook, but Mom was good at that part and did the rest. I was well fed as a child.
I eat cheaply because I have to, I’m poor, and also have a couple of habits I’d rather not give up. So, I eat cheaply. One of my favorites is a simple potato-gravy dish I make almost every day. The potato is done in the microwave, no problem, the gravy is a simple and cheap dish that I adapted to my own tastes. This turns out very like a mashed potatoes and gravy dish with very little effort. The soy sauce adds a bit of a savory taste, as you might experience when the gravy was done with meat drippings. It gives a “fullness” to the flavor. Soy sauce does contain MSG, so be careful if you are sensitive. Read more »
Tags: , Food, Frugality, Recipes
Posted in Food, Frugality, Recipes | 19 Comments »
Bread Pudding Comes in All Sizes
Written by Scotia48 on May 7, 2008 – 6:59 pm -I’ve been trying to get this diary out for some time, but WordPress and I are on the outs. 
I finally got the layout to work, but pics are beyond me. Enjoy!
Bread puddings are staples in my kitchen to use up stale and leftover breads and BLPs (Bread Like Products) and I look forward to making them every year. I have used all of these for parties and small gatherings and they are always welcomed. Bread is just one of those things that most people enjoy-you could almost say it’s an “umami” flavor. I really think that yeast or sourdough is one of those flavors. I use fresh organic half&half instead of milk, I also usually make my own bread. The bagels for the strata were from Trader Joe’s. I also use canning salt or sea salt without the anti-caking chemical or iodine that comes with the girl with the umbrella salt.
Tags: Food, Frugality, Recipes
Posted in Diaries, Food, Frugality, Recipes | 20 Comments »