As you might remember, I scratch cook to save a buck here and there. Cooking isn't really all that hard or time consuming, and if you make large batches, you can set up quite a few different meals and freeze them. Want to take a good meal to work but hate dragging the containers home or losing them? Use zip lock storage bags Everyone has their own coffee mug at work, have two, and one can be used to reheat your ready meal, or hold it after you've reheated the meal in the zip lock bag. A quick wash and rinse at the sink, and you're good to go.
The latest really good recipe I've thrown together was regular old scalloped potatoes, with a 2% milk rue sauce. To this standard, I added garlic powder, extra black pepper, and five table spoons of cheese soup from one of those soup packs (Bear Creek, etc). I don't salt my scalloped potatoes due to my need to cut back salt, and figure half a cook's ham slice, and the cheese soup mix is enough sodium.
Another good way to reduce salt and increase regularity, is to increase the heat. Black pepper can fool the pallet into thinking there is more sodium than you are used to and spices like red pepper add flavors that make salt stand out more, so you use less.
The next new scratch recipe I'm going to try is condensed mushroom soup. I was surprised how quick and easy this is supposed to be, and looking at the portions, I'll be able to play a bit with the ingredients.
One thing I haven't done in a very long time, is bake cookies. Who is baking what, this year? It's time to pile on the pounds so we can panic come January 1. I plan on sticking around for the post rapture looting. Stick around and join me. We're all going to be RICH, RICH, RICH! Unless of course no one is taken, then it's just business back to usual and slogging the miles at the treadmill.
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3 comments:
Stouffer's and me are like that.
I cook everything from scratch. I stay away from prepared foods as much as possible and use very little salt in prep or from the shaker. I also pack a lunch from the leftovers everyday for work.
I have a very easy, good recipe for scalloped potatoes that you make in the microwave. I use skim milk and real cheddar cheese.
A tip I use is to buy shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese and keep it in the freezer to use as needed, it never molds when frozen and doesn't affect taste or texture.
When I do occasionally eat out or something prepared... I find that I'm very thirsty afterward from the added salt.
I used to scratch cook everything, and still do some, but not very much. It's perhaps killing me, but I just don't have the energy anymore, for all the preperation, and frankly, my wife could care less, If It came out of a can, box, or was frozen. She also hates HOT (temp) food. Her Mother was an expert at cold food, and mine I piping hot, or It doesn't get served. It's just too difficult as I get older. I do miss the roasting, baking bread etc.
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