Keld’s Cookin’
The Ghetto Gourmet
Category Archives: pantry
clove vs bulb
I know most of you know already, but there are some out there who don’t. Therefore, I present to you the difference between a clove of garlic and a bulb of garlic:
A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The clove is what you pull off from the bulb.
Clove of garlic
Bulb of garlic
VS
bulk lot sale
From the The Community Food Co-op of Utah:
We’re having an inventory sale!
Thanks to one teensy ordering snafu, we have approximately
1200 lbs of potatos sitting in our warehouse. We also
have an accumulation of meats and other leftovers, but
really, this is all about the potatos.The sale will be held from 2PM to 4PM on Wednesday,
February 25th, at our warehouse (1469 S 700 W, SLC).Starches
——–5 lb. bag of red feather potatos 300 units $1.75
1 lb. bag of black beans 343 units $0.90
1 lb. bag of rice 80 units $0.80
Stoneground bread (wheat or sourdough) 100 units $2.00
Meats
—–2 lb. chicken breasts 103 units $3.50
2 lb. chicken drumsticks 118 units $2.50
1 lb. ground beef 127 units $2.25
1 lb. pork spare ribs 97 units $2.25
1 lb. stew beef (diced) 121 units $3.50
Other items available in limited quantities. First come, first
served. Absolutely nothing will be sold before 2PM
on Wednesday. Remember, potatoes are healthy treats,
and provide hours of fun for the whole family. In an
emergency, they can also be used as batteries.
This is a great opportunity to stock up on some items. I hope to see some of you taking advantage of this great opportunity. Crossroads Urban Center.
food run
I just received an email telling me what my twenty-one twenty-three dollars bought me. I am beside myself with excitement. This Saturday, the 21st I will be donating two hours of my time to help distribute locally grown and produced food. There is so much food there I won’t know what to do with it all. Now that I am finally receiving food the way I planned, I can start sharing recipes again and share tips on how to feed yourself each month for a minimal amount of cash.
Later I will share how with only another fifteen to twenty-five dollars per month we can keep our pantry stocked with items to round out our meals nicely. This will include spices and cooking essentials.
Standard Share
- 2 lb. Chicken Breast
- 1 lb. Diced Beef (Beef Stew Meat)
- 1 lb. Pork Spare Ribs
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
- 1 lb. Rice
- 1 loaf Artisan Wheat Bread
- 1 pkg. Mushrooms
- 5 lbs. Red Potatos
- 8 Kiwi
- 6 Apples
- 6 Oranges
- 1 bunch of Green Onions
- 1 Red Leaf Lettuce
- 3 Artichokes
I did some comparison shopping at Albertson’s. All items were identical with minor differences in the spare ribs and maybe the size of the artichokes. Grocery store would have cost around $55.00 give or take tax. Here is the list broken down by price.
$4.98 – 2 lb. Chicken Breast
$4.49 – 1 lb. Diced Beef (Beef Stew Meat)
$4.99 – 1 lb. Pork Spare Ribs
$2.99 – 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
$2.00 – 1 lb. Rice
$3.99 – 1 loaf Artisan Wheat Bread
$2.49 – 1 pkg. Mushrooms
$5.99 – 5 lbs. Red Potatos
$4.72 – 8 Kiwi
$4.47 – 6 Apples
$2.49 – 6 Oranges
$0.99 – 1 bunch of Green Onions
$1.29 – 1 Red Leaf Lettuce
$8.97 – 3 Artichokes
————————-
$55.00
one hundred foods
Hilary from Smorgasbite shares this fun poster with us. 100 Foods for Energy
I like this list and hope to use it as inspiration for what I have in my pantry and how I plan my meals. I am sure it can go hand in hand with reducing the monthly costs of eating. Although I am not impressed that Diet Soda is a source of nutrition.
100 Foods for...
Original found at http://foodproof.com/photos/view/i-guess-eating-can-help-you-1265
shoestring budget pantry
I’ll tell you right now that there are not many ways to make canned tuna taste very good. I’m not talking about the albacore stuff, either. I am referring to the tuna in water. When you don’t have much else, though, it is a source of protein. A great source of protein actually.
Last night started off with absolutely no desire to pick up groceries from the store. (by the way, I just took a bite and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought, I’ll tell you later what might have made the difference) I’ve had three boxes of spaghetti sitting around for a few months and I knew that I should not let that source of nutrition go to waste
The plan for eating cheap involves several major points. A protein, a starch and a source of minerals or vitamins. In my pantry this generally includes:
- Starches
- pastas (made with durum wheat)
- rices
- potatoes
- tortillas
- Proteins
- beans
- lentils
- chickpeas or garbanzo beans
- eggs
- milk *2% or higher
- animal meat *No More than one pound per seven day week*
- chicken – a whole roaster should last one person a month
- beef or lamb – a whole roast will also last a month
- ground meat – usually beef
- fish
- Albacore tuna – preferably in oil and a pouch
- sardines
- kippered herring or other salted fish
- Source of vitamins and minerals – all of these have a decent shelf life
- onions or leeks
- celery
- carrots or parsnips
- garlic or shallots
- canned tomatoes or tomato sauce – fresh ones rot, or can your own
- chard or kale
- Brussels sprouts or beets
- spices
It may seem like a long list at first but every couple weeks I actually only need to pick a couple of items from each section. Some of the items you get a lot more bang for your buck, meaning more nutrition per calorie. That is the secret to staying full on a low budget. I have emphasized the items that have extremely high nutritional value per caloric value. Know that this is not a scientific approach and I am only grouping my foods based on how I am using them.
You will notice that I have not listed cheeses, fruits or some of the more expensive cuts of meat. The goal eventually is to be able to budget approximately eighty dollars per month for a single person. This includes spices, oils and wines.
I was going to get into the two different spaghetti dishes I made over the last two days but I will save them for tomorrow. I will explain more about my method throughout the course of this blog.
trendy foods
Came across a decent article in the New York Times. What’s hot and what’s not?
IN Fresh parsley, which keeps at least a week in the refrigerator. (Try your favorite summer pesto recipe with parsley in place of basil, or simply purée some parsley with a little oil, water, salt and a whisper of garlic.
I like to make what Alice Waters calls Salsa Verde with parsley. Remind me sometime and I’ll share the recipe with you. It involves capers and lemon zest and lots of virgin oil.
OUT Canned beans (except in emergencies).
I’m disappointed to hear that canned beans are out. Probably because I’m too lazy to prepare dried beans ahead of time, which is what I should be doing anyway. I will still be using my canned kidney beans, pintos and black beans.
IN Frozen peas. Especially if you have little kids and make pasta or rice with peas (and Parmesan!); not bad.
Frozen peas have always been a hit with me. I use them to add color to my Top Ramen or my Nissan Ramen dishes.
Overall, there are some very good tips in this article. I like how the author recommends some cheeses that keep for a long time. I will be adjusting my pantry accordingly. Most of the items I carry anyway, particularly the capers and olives, but there are some items that I haven’t thought of using as staples. What do you keep in your pantry? Which suggestions do you plan on adopting?
Original article:
