One of my new favourite things to do is "What can I make from the fridge & the cupboard without having to buy new ingredients?"
Case #1 - Brown rice pasta macaroni, sauteed ground turkey meat, chili powder, lots of garlic & oh LOOK the homemade jar of tomatoes my Daddy canned. Voila, instant lunches for a week.
Case #2 - Boyfriend makes beef chili with various types of beans & hominy. Oh god I am so sick of eating chili for 2 days in a row - OH LOOK I have tortilla chips. Instant nachos. Melt cheese on top. Easy meal, cheap & .. semi-healthy?
Case #3 - Meatballs & Spaghetti. Good for 2 days, not for 5. Boyfriend makes the best meatballs ever. Oh LOOK we have some soft buns. MEATBALL SANDWICHES. Cheese on top. Instant drool.
-Gina
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bread Obsessions
I hate grocery store bread. It's never really all that fresh. But I also hate buying artisan breads because they're so gosh darn expensive. And on top of that I hate making any sort of yeast based dough because it never works out. Actually, I used to hate making bread. That's all changed.
It happened a few weeks ago. I was home along missing my fiance and mindlessly watching the food network when Michael Smith came on. "This bread is going to change your life". He said this. My ears perked up. I was in disbelief and at the same time I had faith that this bread would indeed change my life.
Now it's my turn to change your life... and it will only take 4 ingredients and around 20 hours. Here's the link to recipes that he provided to the ENTIRE WORLD: http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=9530
This is a recipe that you can play with and experiment with... it's magical!
Now, let's talk cost. These days a loaf of bread will set you back $3 - 5 dollars, depending on what kind you buy. Artisan breads usually start at the $4 - 6 dollar mark. So, is making bread at home really worth it?
20KG of organic whole wheat flour - $55.00
1 cup of flour weighs around 130 grams. Per loaf you need 390 grams. Therefore, 20KG will give you around 50 loaves of bread. $55.00 divided by 50 equals $1.10 which is freaking cheap!
Yes, there is a cost associated with the oven, salt and yeast, but even if that brings the cost up to $2.00/loaf... that's still super duper cheap, no?
And finally, there are the intangible/spiritual/emotional aspects of the whole process
Pros:
You control the ingredients
You get to say that you made it
Bread makes you happy
The smell of baking bread makes you even happier
Cons:
Time
Planning
Patience
Anyway, what's my point? It can be done. I've been doing it for weeks. I'm getting better each time I make a loaf. But most importantly, I no longer fear yeast. Honestly, this bread is gonna change your life.
It happened a few weeks ago. I was home along missing my fiance and mindlessly watching the food network when Michael Smith came on. "This bread is going to change your life". He said this. My ears perked up. I was in disbelief and at the same time I had faith that this bread would indeed change my life.
Now it's my turn to change your life... and it will only take 4 ingredients and around 20 hours. Here's the link to recipes that he provided to the ENTIRE WORLD: http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=9530
This is a recipe that you can play with and experiment with... it's magical!
Now, let's talk cost. These days a loaf of bread will set you back $3 - 5 dollars, depending on what kind you buy. Artisan breads usually start at the $4 - 6 dollar mark. So, is making bread at home really worth it?
20KG of organic whole wheat flour - $55.00
1 cup of flour weighs around 130 grams. Per loaf you need 390 grams. Therefore, 20KG will give you around 50 loaves of bread. $55.00 divided by 50 equals $1.10 which is freaking cheap!
Yes, there is a cost associated with the oven, salt and yeast, but even if that brings the cost up to $2.00/loaf... that's still super duper cheap, no?
And finally, there are the intangible/spiritual/emotional aspects of the whole process
Pros:
You control the ingredients
You get to say that you made it
Bread makes you happy
The smell of baking bread makes you even happier
Cons:
Time
Planning
Patience
Anyway, what's my point? It can be done. I've been doing it for weeks. I'm getting better each time I make a loaf. But most importantly, I no longer fear yeast. Honestly, this bread is gonna change your life.
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