Category Archives: Uncategorized

Electric Pressure Cooker, frugal cooking, Mealthy Pressure cooker, Uncategorized

For My Daughter, How To Use An Instant Pot

Dear daughter, how exciting that you picked up an Instant Pot on Black Friday week, and what a great price you got! You asked me to gather my recipes, but many are in my head. Also, I usually use the Internet and YouTube when I am making something new. Naturally, I’ll be happy to teach you any tricks I know, but it is easier for me to do so recipe by recipe than to compile a book, as I tend to “cook on the fly.”

I decided to take a different route and document the fundamentals of pressure cooking, as I believe that understanding the background and theory of something makes adaptive solutions come more easily. I also decided to do this in a post, as it can serve as a permanent reference for you, and it may help someone else who picks up an electric pressure cooker/Instant Pot over the holidays. Let’s get started!

History

Pressure cooking has been around for a very long time, but became available for home cooks in the late 1930s. Several pressure cookers were introduced then, but the one that took off was presented at the 1939 World’s Fair by the now Presto Corporation. It was more popular than a slightly earlier offering as it was easier to use.

People went wild for pressure cookers, which cooked much faster than traditional methods, and they flew off the shelves. However, WWII happened, and production of pressure cookers took a back seat to war production.

After the war, demand for pressure cookers was high, and a number of companies began manufacturing them. However, many used inferior materials or designs. This is when stories began circulating about “exploding bombs” in the kitchen. However, modern pressure cookers have multiple safety features and are very safe if used correctly.

Traditional stovetop pressure cookers have been around since then, but lost popularity when new gadgets, like the microwave oven and slow cooker, became popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

Consumer electric pressure cookers were introduced in the early 1990s, and the first Instant Pot was sold in 2010. It was a hit, as Amazon featured it during a Black Friday sale. The Instant Pot is just an electric pressure cooker with some additional programs. However, it launched the recent pressure-cooking craze.

There are now many clones of the Instant Pot. They all do similar things, but you may find that one’s feature set is more desirable than another.

My mom

Dear daughter, you never met my mom, but she was a great cook. She used a stovetop pressure cooker several times a week and made the most amazing dishes with it. That is why I’m so comfortable using a pressure cooker. I know you have seen me use our pressure cooker often, so I hope that experience was a good vibe for you, too!

How pressue cookers work

A pressure cooker is a sealed pot with a vent tube. When water boils, it creates steam in the pot, which pushes out the air through the vent tube. The pot then closes the vent and pressurizes (15 PSI for most stove-top units, 10-12 PSI for most electric units). Higher pressure allows water to boil at a higher temperature. For example, at sea level, water boils at 212°F, but at 15 PSI, it boils at 250°F.


Additionally, the steam in the pot eliminates the micro-air gap around foods. This combination allows food to cook much faster, often three times faster than by conventional methods. This method can also tenderize tough meats and cook dry beans without soaking. It does the above not only more quickly, but it also preserves flavors and vitamins.

The difference between stovetop and electric pressure cookers

Stovetop pressure cookers in the US operate at around 15 PSI, while electric pressure cookers range from 10-12 PSI. This means they will reach a lower operating temperature, so it will take slightly longer to cook something. This is usually not a big deal, but it has to be taken into account when using recipes, as some are written for stove-top units while others are for electric units. This difference is insignificant when the cooking time is short. It is more significant when cooking time is longer, as you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the suggested cooking time when converting a stove-top recipe to an Instant Pot recipe.

However, because the Instant Pot is so popular, there are numerous cookbooks and thousands of recipes on the Internet for electric pressure cookers, so it is always easy to find a recipe that suits your needs.

Lastly, since stove-top units are basically heavy-duty pots, they can function for decades. Your aunt, Nancy, used my mom’s 1950s pressure cooker into the late 1990s, until it was accidentally destroyed. You can’t expect that longevity from an electric appliance. However, you can still expect your Instant Pot to work for many, many years if you take care of it.

My electric pressure cooker isn’t an Instant Pot, but it functions just like an Instant Pot.
Stovetop pressure cookers operate at a higher 15 PSI pressure and are more durable than an electric pressure cooker, but they are less convenient.

Do you need all of those functions?

Various Instant Pot models have different numbers of functions, but most are unnecessary and unused. I always set my times using the manual function. However, there may be some functions that could be useful.

Sauté: When you brown your meat or saute your vegetables, they release more flavor. Having a Saute function lets you do this right in the pot before you pressure cook. I often use this function. This is an unpressurized function.

The function I use most on my pressure cooker (beyond the pressure-cook function) is sauté.

Slow Cook: Most say a slow cooker does a better job than an Instant Pot set to slow cook. However, most electric pressure cookers have this function, which can be used in a pinch. This is an unpressurized function.

Egg/Rice functions: Many swear by making rice in an Instant Pot. You can also pressure steam eggs for perfect hard-boiled eggs. You don’t need a separate button to do these things; you can just manually set your pot. These are pressurized functions.

Yogurt: You can use your Instant Pot as a lower-temperature incubator to ferment yogurt. This function works well. This is an unpressureized function.

Sous Vide: You can program your Instant Pot to act as a water bath for sous vide cooking. However, many pots are only 6 quarts, and most sous vide enthusiasts would use a dedicated heater and a larger water bath. However, this function could be useful when cooking for one or two. This is an unpressurized function.

The bottom line is that most don’t need all of the functions, so don’t worry if you have fewer functions on your model compared to some other model. However, if you have a particular, unique need, perhaps you want to make your own yogurt, then look for those unique options.

What size pot is best?

I know you have a 6-quart pot, and that is the perfect size. However, electric pressure cookers come in many different sizes. With that said, I believe the 6-quart size is the most versatile for most people.

Pot-in-pot cooking

You can buy smaller cooking vessels that fit inside your main pot. These allow you to cook several different foods at once. I have been interested in trying that, but have not yet. However, it sounds interesting.

The “Burn” warning

If you don’t have enough liquid in the pot, or if the liquid is too thick, you may get a “Burn” warning. This means that the pot is overheating and won’t operate. Some recipes will tell you to add water/broth first and not mix the contents to avoid this.

Immediate release of pressure vs. release naturally

Some recipes will tell you to release immediately, others will ask you to release naturally.

When cooking delicate foods, you release the pressure immediately to halt cooking. When cooking other foods, like meats, you let the pressure drop naturally, as this keeps the meat juicier and less dry.

When the recipe tells me to release naturally, I usually unplug the pot after cooking time, as the “keep warm” setting may prolong this process. If the pressure hasn’t dropped in 10-15 minutes, I’ll usually release the pressure myself. For me, that is a good time vs. results compromise.

Thickening soups, stews, and sauces

You know I like soups and stews a bit thicker. If I need to thicken after cooking, I plug the pot back in and use the sauté function to bring the liquid back to a boil, then add my thickening agent. I can then cancel and go to “keep warm” or simply unplug the pot if I’m serving immediately.

Using the instruction manual

The instruction manual that came with your Instant Pot will have all sorts of useful information. Additionally, it will supply you with cooking timetables. How long to cook pork chops? Check the manual! What about black beans? Same, check the manual. It is a good idea to keep that booklet handy!

Your pressure cooker will come with valuable timing charts, so keep the manual handy.

Care of the device

My mom’s pot used a fragile rubber sealing ring, but new pots use much more durable silicone rings. I always pull these out and wash them separately. This can be done by hand or by placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Please don’t store the pot with the gasket in and the lid closed. This will result in a smelly pot (remember your microbiology) and a squashed sealing ring that may not hold pressure. I always store my ring loose in the pot and install it into the lid at cooking time.

Rings will absorb food odors. If you plan to make many sweet and savory dishes, consider having both a savory and a sweet sealing ring. These rings are inexpensive and can be purchased from many places, including Amazon. Make sure you get the right ring for your particular pot, since they do come in different sizes.

You can wash the inner pot and the sealing ring (top rack only) in your dishwasher. However, the lid and regulator should be hand-washed. Naturally, the base should never be washed. Use a damp cloth to clean an unplugged unit.

How energy efficient is an Instant Pot

It’s good that your sciency dad likes to delve into such things. A while back, I experimented to determine just that. I tested several electric pressure cookers, a stovetop pressure cooker heated by an induction burner, several different sizes of crock pots, and a toaster oven. All were significantly more energy-efficient than a traditional oven, but that is no surprise. What was surprising was that the electric pressure cookers were considerably more efficient than the other appliances, including the slow cookers.

Slow cookers sip electricity, but the classic ones are constantly sipping. A pressure cooker uses a lot of energy to reach pressure, but then it rarely uses energy to maintain that pressure. The stovetop pressure cooker was also very efficient, but the electric one still beat it. However, either would be excellent in situations where you needed to conserve electricity. That is the case when I’m camping in my all-electric adventure van as I rely on batteries and solar panels to cook.

When I did my experiment, I assumed that I was cooking something that needed longer cooking, like a stew. If I were cooking something that only needed a few minutes of pressurized cooking, the pressure cooker would be less efficient, as it often takes 5-10 minutes on full power to reach pressure. A long cooking time offsets that initial energy use.

If my goal was to conserve energy, I would cook foods that require a long cooking time in a pressure cooker, but I would cook foods that require a short cooking time on the stove or in the microwave. Lastly, I’m not trying to be disrespectful of the humble slow cooker. It was relatively energy efficient, and it certainly has its place as a functional cooking appliance.

I used a Kill-A-Watt meter to measure the energy used by various small electrics. I compared several slow cookers, several pressure cookers, and a toaster oven to determine that electric pressure cookers were the most energy-efficient of the pack.

What can I cook in an Instant Pot

An amazing number of foods! If you can cook it in a slow cooker, you (most likely) can cook it in an Instant Pot, just much, much faster. Stews, soups, dry beans, rice, tough meats, etc.

You can also make dishes like one-pot spaghetti and steamed cakes, including cheesecake.

As you know, I have made many different things in our pot, ranging from countless soups, curries, and stews to St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and weekday stuffed peppers. The great thing about an Instant Pot is that it is a “set and forget” (sort of) device. Always be within earshot when using it, but you don’t have to monitor it as closely as a stovetop unit. The Instant Pot will reach pressure, cook, and then turn to keep warm all on its own.

Are all pressure cookers the same? What about a different brand electric pressure cooker?

Dear daughter, I know you have an Instant Pot, so I’m writing this section for others who may be reading this post. My electric pressure cooker is not an Instant Pot, but it works just like one.

Different machines may offer slightly different programs or features, but most don’t make much of a functional difference. The only features that may be important to some are the yogurt, slow cook, and sous vide functions, as they could be slightly different or absent on some machines. All machines have a sauté function, which is important.

Different machines may offer other options that the end user may or may not want. Most Instant Pots have a stainless steel cooking pot, while some other brands have a non-stick one. Some pots may have a broader base or locking handles for the inner pot. Additionally, different pots may have various types of knobs or switches to release the pressure. You will adjust to your particular pot as they all work well enough.

Remember, US stovetop pressure cookers use higher pressure, so cooking times will need to be slightly reduced when converting a recipe from an electric pressure cooker to a stovetop unit. Little conversion is needed for recipes that have short cooking times, but times may need to be shortened for longer cooking times. For instance, an Instant Pot recipe that calls for 60 minutes at high pressure may only need to be cooked for 50 minutes using a stove-top pressure cooker.

What about brand-X pots

When it comes to electric pressure cookers in the US, they are more similar than different. As far as I know, the vast majority of electric pressure cookers cycle between 10 and 12 PSI, so they will cook the same way as an Instant Pot.

Stovetop units made in the US operate at 15 PSI, but some European ones operate at lower pressures, often 12 PSI. This is similar to an Instant Pot, so cooking times would be the same. European stovetop brands with a strong presence in the US sometimes convert their pots to 15 PSI for the US market, so read the instructions that came with your pot.

Stovetop Chinese brands seem to be more variable, with some operating at 15 PSI and others as low as 8 PSI. If you decide to go with one of these pots, make sure you know its cooking PSI, as there is a significant difference in cooking times between 8 PSI and 15 PSI.

Conclusion

Dear daughter, it is great to see you embrace cooking from home. Pressure cookers are truly miraculous machines that can transform tough cuts of meat to tender morsels and speed up dishes that would typically require all day to less than an hour. I know you will master your Instant Pot in short order. For those other readers, I hope that this open letter has helped you understand this excellent device.

Dear reader. My daughter picked up an Instant Pot during Black Friday week and asked me for some recipes. I decided to do a post instead, as she could use it as a reference, and it may also help other newbies. The above is that post.

Images are my own or from the Mealthy Instruction Manual. All images are used for educational and entertainment purposes only.

bread making, Uncategorized

Getting An Unruly Overproofing Bread Maker To Cooperate

This post is for those of you who have a bread maker that consistently overproofs your loaves.

If you have read my posts, you know I love machines and love comparing one machine to another. I like kitchen machines as they tend to be simple and understandable, given my non-engineering scope.

I have been playing with bread makers since the late 1980s, and I have used over 20 machines during that time. In fact, I have quite a few of them as I write this. You may think I have spent a fortune on these machines, but I buy almost all of them used and have spent as little as $4.99 on a working one.

Bread maker components are all the same. That is not to say that they are all of the same quality; instead, all bread makers have the same types of components.

All bread makers have a simple display with a tiny microcomputer that controls things like kneading and baking times.

All bread makers have a heat system with a thermostat and one or two heating elements that are used for baking and sometime proofing.

All bread makers have a motor that turns a kneading paddle in the bread pan.

Add to this a case, buttons, and a bread pan, and you have a bread maker.

Manufacturers may program their bread makers slightly differently, so one brand may knead a bit more, another may use a different proofing schedule, and another may have a slightly different baking temperature or baking time. That is why one brand may make a loaf that is more to your liking. However, all should be able to make a decent loaf of bread.

Since most of my machines are used, I always run them through their paces when they are first acquired. I’ll make sure that they power up and that all of their buttons work. I then make sure the paddle turns and the heating elements warm. If all is good, I’ll bake a loaf of bread. Typically, I’ll use the white bread recipe from the machine’s instruction guide at the machine’s maximum loaf size. If that is not feasible, I’ll use a standard white bread recipe that I know has worked in a variety of machines. Surprisingly, the majority of these used machines continue to make excellent loaves of bread, even my 30-year-old ones.

However, on rare occasions, I run into a clinker. I got a used machine on Amazon for a great price. It worked perfectly, except the paddle wouldn’t turn. I was able to send that one back to the seller. And then there was this machine, a Cuisinart CBK-200 bread maker, gotten at an amazingly low price on eBay. It passed all of its preliminary tests with flying colors, but my test loaf came out hopelessly overproofed. Returning something to eBay is not as easy as doing the same on Amazon. This would be a good time to apply the scientific method and develop a solution.

The Cuisinart CBK-200 is a classic bread maker that has been sold for over 10 years, suggesting that there was something specifically wrong with this unit. Likely the reason that they were selling it on eBay.
I made this loaf using the 2-pound white bread recipe from the Cuisinart instruction manual. I was very meticulous, weighing and measuring all ingredients. The bread was made at home at around 70°F and with normal humidity. Bread was made using program 1, medium crust, 2.0-pound loaf. What a disaster!

Cuisinart has sold this particular model for over 10 years, so its overall design can’t be flawed. Therefore, the problem had to be with this machine. The solution was to find a workaround that was as simple and reasonable as possible.

I was a research scientist before I went to med school and am well-versed in setting up experiments. Experiments have constants, which don’t change, and variables, which do. Many experiments involve adjusting variables and recording the outcomes from those adjustments. In a perfect world, an investigator changes one variable at a time. However, I’m just trying to get a bread maker to make a good loaf of bread, not publish a paper. I don’t want to have to make a dozen loaves, each with a slight change. Besides, my funding director (AKA my wife) would disapprove of me wasting ingredients! I needed to be as efficient as possible.

If you make bread the traditional way, there are quite a few steps you can take to address overproofing. However, many steps in a bread maker are fixed and therefore constants. On this particular machine, kneading, proofing, and baking times, as well as temperature, are fixed and can’t be changed.

There were some variables that I could change, so let’s take a look at those.

Environmental

Excessively hot or humid conditions can affect yeast growth, leading to overproofing. However, my room temperature was around 70°F, and the humidity was within normal limits. This was a variable that I couldn’t easily change.

Baking programs

Like most modern bread makers, the Cuisinart has many preset programs for making various types of bread, such as white or whole wheat. Cusinart thoughtfully provides a timetable for these programs. Some did have shorter final rise times (which would reduce overproofing), but they also had changes to other parameters, like kneading times. I didn’t want to have to experiment with every bread recipe, trying multiple programs until I found the one that worked with that recipe, so that option was out.

Another possibility was to use the dough function, terminating the last rise early, and then using the bake function to bake the bread. Honestly, that would be more trouble than it was worth for me. I have other machines. If this one was going to enter the rotation, it had to be as easy to use as the other ones.

However, I was willing to try one option. I usually make 1.5-pound loaves instead of 2.0-pound loaves because the bread is the same length but shorter, and more “store-bread”- like. I knew from experience that sometimes a machine does a better job making a 1.5-pound loaf vs. a 2.0-pound loaf. I decided to give that option a try, and in this case, I used a Betty Crocker recipe that works in multiple machines. Here are the results:

This loaf looks better, but the top has collapsed, a sure sign of overproofing. The loaf color is good, but a bit dark. I made this loaf on the medium crust setting, but it looks like I used the dark crust setting. Could the thermostat be off? Perhaps the baking chamber is overheating during the proofing cycle. However, I have no way of changing that.
Here is that loaf sliced. Wow, many indications of overproofing, including the top of the slice being missing and huge air holes throughout. This bread was edible, but hardly ideal. Time to do another experiment.

Impact of Ingredient on overproofing

Every ingredient has an impact on the final loaf of bread. The good thing about experimenting with simple white bread is that the ingredient list is short. The only additional ingredient in the Betty Crocker loaves is a little dry milk powder. That may add some sugar, but it wouldn’t be the first variable I would test.

Flour

Bread flour works best, and I was using a quality bread flour. If the dough is too wet (slack), it doesn’t provide enough resistance to the CO2 gas bubbles and will overproof. However, I always check my dough during kneading, and it was fine.

My dough ball was smooth and slightly tacky. Just the way it should be.

Sugar

Sugar adds flavor and helps the yeast grow. Sugar could be reduced, but by how much? Also, sugar varies from recipe to recipe. I didn’t want to have to calculate a sugar amount every time I made a different loaf. How much should I reduce 2T of sugar? What about a recipe with 3T or 1/3 cup of sugar? Too complicated for me; pass on this variable.

Salt

Salt controls yeast, so adding a bit more should inhibit the yeast. But how much? Plus, I don’t want salty bread. I would consider adjusting salt, but it would be an option of last resort.

Yeast

Now we are talking. Yeast can be adjusted easily. Most advise a reduction of 10-25%. This recipe uses 2t of yeast, so I could easily change it to 1 and 1/2t (25% less). But heck, let’s make some other changes too. I had used instant yeast, which can be a bit more active than active yeast. For this round, I went with active yeast. Lastly, I changed the loaf color from medium to light to see if that would make a difference. I know, I know, I’m changing three variables at once. However, this would be my third loaf in less than 24 hours. I needed to be flexible. But what were the results?

Here is the loaf. It looks pretty good! Let’s see how it compares with the other 1.5 pound loaf that I made.
Much better! Look at the difference between the beautiful dome of the 1.5t yeast bread vs the loaf with 2t of yeast! However, it remains the same color even after selecting a light crust. Clearly, the temperature is a bit off, which is why the machine is overproofing. However, I can change the yeast variable and compensate for that.
This slice is just about perfect. Job done!

If your machine is overproofing, check the obvious things first. Is the room too hot or humid? Did you measure everything correctly? Is your dough hydrated correctly? Are you using a recipe that you know works across multiple machines, or one that was specifically designed for your machine? If you have done everything right, then look towards the ingredients. Many of them will impact the rise of the loaf. However, adjusting the amount of yeast is the simplest option. I also changed from instant to active yeast. I’ll continue that too.

In this machine, I think it is increasing the temperature slightly. I’m basing this on the fact that the light crust still looks pretty dark. I can’t change that, so luckily the yeast trick works.

Think like a scientist, bake like a chef!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make An Anglo-American School Lunch For Dinner!

Inflation, the Trump tariffs, and the country’s general negative disposition have me a bit down. It is time for me to return to a simpler time, and what better way than with a nostalgic meal?

This idea started a few weeks back when the family was watching an episode of “The Great British Baking Show.” During that episode, the contestants had to make school lunch items, including “school cake.” School cake is a cake with simple white frosting, set in a pool of custard.

The cake was especially evocative for Julie, who spent a semester in England during her undergraduate days. She was housed in a dorm, and they often served school cake for dessert. She has talked about it ever since.

It would be interesting to combine her school-day favorite with one of mine, Sloppy Joes. Since I was going to make the combo for dinner. I decided to class it up just a bit by making the buns and the cake from scratch. However, I was completely uncertain about the custard, as I had tried to make some in the past and was told it was incorrect. Because of this, we found some Birds Original Custard powder at the World Market. I would use that mix for the custard sauce.

Naturally, it would be just fine to make this meal more simply by buying the buns and using a cake mix. However, I had the time, so I decided to go the homemade route.

Let’s go through the recipes!

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Recipe from Ourlittlebluehome.com

I made the dough in a bread maker using the dough setting.

I divided the dough into six pieces (I really could have done seven or eight) and formed each piece into a ball, which I placed on a greased cookie sheet. I slightly flattened the dough balls, covered them, and let them rise for 30 minutes. I then brushed each bun with egg wash. I baked the buns at 350°F (175 °C) for around 12-15 minutes until nicely browned.

Here are my buns. These were Will’s favorite part of the meal. I did an entire post on making hamburger buns on October 10th. You can find that post here: https://www.drmikekuna.com/2025/10/10/

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Don’t use the canned stuff. Making Sloppy Joes from scratch is super easy.

Recipe from NatashasKitchen.com

I’m using frozen ground beef from a year ago. However, because I vacuum-sealed it, the meat was as fresh as if I had bought it yesterday.

These are kid-friendly, simple ingredients. A small onion, 1/2 of a pepper (traditionally green, but this is what was in the fridge), and some garlic.

The sauce is equally simple: Tomato sauce, yellow mustard, a little brown sugar, and some Worcestershire sauce. Just mix it all up.

I’m using an electric Dutch oven, but you can use a pot on the stove or even a frying pan.

Brown the hamburger, then season it with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the chopped pepper and onion, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and bring the mixture to a boil, then down to a simmer for around 15 minutes. That’s it!

I toasted the buns in a toaster oven and heaped on the meat. I’m serving today’s meal with chips, but I also recall having these sandwiches with fries and sometimes tater tots. The Sloppy Joes were my favorite part of the meal.

And now for the dessert. I had tried to make school cake once before, but I had no reference point. I simply guessed. Today, I used Dame Prue Leith’s recipe, modified to a smaller quantity by the bakers at theviewfromgreatisland.com. This is a much heavier cake; it is more like a flat pound cake, but it was delicious!

Cream the softened butter, then slowly add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and mix in.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined

Pour into a greased 9 x 9 baking pan. The batter is very thick, and you will need to “maneuver” it into the corners of the pan.

Bake at 350°F (175 °C) for 22-30 minutes. Bake until lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Wait until the cake has cooled completely and frost it with the simple frosting listed above. Apparently, sprinkles are an important part of this recipe; naturally, I included them.

I wasn’t certain on the custard, so I went with Bird’s, a British brand.

Here is the school cake. The custard (per Julie) is supposed to be as thick as gravy and warm. The school cake was Julie’s favorite part of the dinner.

Tonight, we went down memory lane and had a delicious, economical dinner. Everyone liked it. I will definitely be making it again.

Nostalgia rules, at least it did today!

Mike

bread making, frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Sally Lunn Bread In Your Breadmaker.

Inflation and the Trump tariff taxes have moved me into savings mode and I’m returning to my cooking roots. I love bread, but artisan and specialty breads are expensive. Yet, their ingredients are relatively cheap.

Kneading homemade bread can be therapeutic for some, but for me the process is too time consuming. However, with a bread maker making bread is literally, “set it and forget it.”

Making a custom loaf of bread takes about five minutes of adding ingredients to the bread pan then pressing a button. Three and a half hours later I have a fresh loaf of bread. This has allowed me to customize a bread for a particular dinner that I’m making, such as making a herb bread to accompany a hearty stew. I’m not baking bread for every meal, but I do it often enough that the process has become routine.

My bread maker is accessible; I don’t have to get it out of a basement or the garage every time I need it. The same can be said for my ingredients which are handy; putting a loaf together is effortless.

As far as measuring ingredients is concerned, I do the easiest accurate method possible. Some recipes are listed by volume (measuring cups and spoons). This isn’t the most accurate, but if that is what’s listed, that is what I’ll use. The one exception is that I will always weigh the flour (roughly 125 grams/cup of flour) as measuring flour by volume is notoriously inaccurate. If I’m given a recipe by weight in grams, I will gladly pull out my food scale and use that. Baking by weight is not only more accurate, it is less messy as I can weigh everything directly in the bread machines baking pan. In this case I may still measure very light items, like salt and yeast as I find scales are a bit flaky when measuring very small amounts. No mater what method I use, making bread is very simple, even when making loaves that include a few extra ingredients.

Today’s recipe is for Sally Lunn bread from The Betty Crocker Best Bread Machine Cookbook.

Sally Lunn bread has a brioche quality, but it is a bit less sweet. Its texture and color are similar to brioche and it makes a wonderful sandwich or toast. In fact, I toasted some this morning for an open face PB J sandwich for breakfast. Delicious!

A word about keeping bread fresh. All homemade breads will stale much faster than store bought breads as homemade breads lack preservatives. I have tried a variety of methods and in general two works the best. If I make a specialty loaf that I know won’t be consumed at a meal I’ll freeze half of the loaf for a future meal. If I make a general purpose loaf I have found that a traditional breadbox works the best to keep the loaf reasonably fresh and mold free. In my climate I can still use bread that I made five days earlier, although I’ll likely be toasting it towards the end. Plastic bags will keep the bread softer, but mold usually appears in 3 days. The fridge tends to make the bread go stale faster, so that is a no go. However, if you don’t want to buy a breadbox and want to keep your bread out for a few days then do what my grandmother did. She would wrap her bread in a clean cotton kitchen towel.

Here is the recipe for Betty Crocker’s 2 pound recipe for Sally Lunn bread:

I put two eggs in a measuring cut and added enough water to make 1 and 1/3rd cups of total volume. Not shown: I also added to the bread maker 1/3rd cup softened butter.

I added 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of regular table salt.

Then 2 tablespoons of sugar.

The recipe calls for 4 cups of flour. I always prefer to weigh my flour. Four cups should be around 480 grams (120 grams/cup), but I’m finding that I have to add more flour when I check my dough ball in the machine. Now, I weigh a bit more flour, 500 grams (about 125 grams/cup). That has been working out well.

Finally, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast.

I set my bread maker on basic white bread.

The bread maker has beeped. Bread is done!

Always allow your bread to cool before slicing. I know that it can be hard to resists immediately cutting it, but that will result in a lot of torn and squashed bread.

Here is a slice. Rich, very slightly sweet, wonderful!

Happy bread making!

Mike

disaster preparedness., Uncategorized

There Are No Emergencies For Those Who Are Prepared

If you asked my kids for a dad quote, I’m sure that “There are no emergencies for those who are prepared” would be in their top five.  They have heard me say that hundreds of times over the years, and they have taken it to heart. 

I’m not saying that all problems are solvable. Instead, that quote conforms to my belief that many emergencies are entirely avoidable with a little planning and thought. Case in point, this weekend.

Julie and I had planned a long weekend getaway for the last few months.  Originally, we were going to go to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Still, those plans were dashed with the government shutdown and the knowledge that everything, including the bathrooms, would be closed.

Julie had just read the book James, which reimagined The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, telling the story from the enslaved man James’s perspective. Hannibal, Missouri, is only about four and a half hours from our home, so going there to see the caves, the town, and the birthplace of Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, seemed like a good idea. 

We would travel and camp in Violet, my adventure van, a vehicle designed to handle whatever obstacle that came her way.

I bought Violet in 2018 as an empty Promaster high-top van and initially camped in her using an air mattress on her bare steel floor. Later that first year, I drove out to Colorado Springs and had Wayfarer Vans install basic camper structures, including a laminate floor, ceiling, and bed platform.  However, the real work on Violet has been ongoing, and a project shared with my friend, Tom, who is an expert builder. 

Violet was an empty cargo van when I bought her in 2018.

The idea was to create something more functional than a typical RV.  The plan was to design a vehicle that could be independent of society’s infrastructure. Violet is just that.  Every year, she has been modified as I learn more about her strengths and weaknesses.  

Here are some of the things that we have changed. In 2018, we installed 400 watts of solar panels on Violet’s roof. This year, I purchased and installed a much higher power alternator as a backup to charge Violet’s house batteries on cloudy days when the solar panels are insufficient. I installed a much more sophisticated navigation system and sound system.  Tom and I installed cruise control, and I installed a center console for more storage and to create space for atlases and camping directories.  We installed 12-volt lights in the ceiling.  I installed an advanced 4KW battery system to power everything in the cabin, along with a 2KW DC-to-AC inverter as a backup.  Tom and I installed a Wabasto heater that connects to Violet’s gas tank and can keep the cabin warm on wintery days.  Tom and I built an elaborate storage system under the bed that holds a fridge, pantry, storage boxes, and even a secret compartment.  We built a newly designed all-electric kitchen with a built-in induction cooktop and microwave oven.  The kitchen also sports a three-quart Instant Pot, a small air fryer, and an electric coffee pot, all powered by Violet’s solar panels/battery bank.  The kitchen countertop was made from wood we harvested from a fallen tree. We even installed a turntable so the front passenger seat can rotate to face the cabin, which adds extra seating.  And, by the way, when I mention “we,”  when talking about construction, I need to emphasize that I’m just the assistant, as my friend Tom is the man with the tools and knowledge.

We built an all-electric kitchen that is powered by solar energy.
From the bed looking towards the front of the van.

Violet is designed to function off-grid.  Cooking, refrigeration, heating/cooling, lighting, and entertainment systems are all powered by the roof’s solar panels combined with Violet’s 4KW house battery system. She carries water, but she can also purify stream water if needed.  She carries tools and emergency supplies.  She carries electronic test equipment and has advanced two-way radio gear, and she can even communicate via satellite in an emergency. She is built for adventure, and she has camped everywhere from a Walmart parking lot out east to a National Forest in Wyoming to the desert plains of Arizona. She has taken me to all parts of the eastern, southern, northern, and western states.

The “garage” side of the cabinet that we built under the bed.
The front side shows the chest refrigerator and the basket pantry. The kitchen to the right was replaced by our new design with a built-in induction cooktop and microwave oven.

I have upgraded her mattress, and sleeping in her is almost as comfortable as my home bed. The bed is very comfy for one, and acceptable for two due to space constraints. Violet even has a toilet, although the preferred option is to use external facilities. 

Despite all my preparation, things can still go wrong on any trip, and the journey to Hannibal was no exception. 

I usually borrow a sturdy ladder from Tom to wash off Violet’s solar panels before a trip. I did this two days before the Hannibal trip, and my roof inspection looked fine. The day before the trip, I was loading up Violet’s refrigerator with supplies. The fridge is right below Violet’s vent fan.  Then, too, everything looked fine.

We drove to the Mark Twain Cave campground, which was 2 miles outside Hannibal. By the time we got there, I was tired.  I told Julie that I was going to lie down on the bed for a few minutes and did so.  I looked up at Violet’s vent fan in the ceiling and saw that the Lexan plastic cover over the fan had been shattered.  This had to have happened on the day of the trip —how? The broken cover was a disaster as the fan is directly over the bed, and any rain would destroy the mattress.  I have a genuine fear of heights, and Violet is over 8 feet tall, but I needed to get up to the roof and fix the problem.  What to do?

Violet’s roof fan cover was shattered!

In 2018, I bought a collapsible ladder that was buried in one of Violet’s side compartments.  I can’t tell you how much junk I store in that spot, but it all had to come out so I could wiggle out the ladder. Without the ladder, there would be no way to patch the broken fan cover. Luckily, I had also stored some plastic sheeting and tape just in case of an unknown emergency. That would also come in handy.  I placed one piece of plastic over the fan base and closed the cover. I then put another piece of plastic over the cover and tapped it liberally. I did this standing on a fairly rickety ladder. I was grateful to be prepared to handle the emergency, but getting up high on a ladder was frightening.  However, I had no other options.  Survival tops fear in my book, so I just did it. I told myself that I could be afraid after the job was done.

A few other disasters occurred over the weekend, but they were minor compared to the shattered fan dome.  I’ll try to correct them today. Because we were prepared, we were able to complete our mini-trip and had a great time.  My favorite event was touring Mark Twain’s cave, which is very different from the other caves I have been in.  

I really enjoyed touring Mark Twain’s cave.

We decided to drive side roads along the Mississippi and started back on Sunday morning after we toured Mark Twain’s boyhood home.  We planned to stop for breakfast, but we could not find a restaurant along the way.  Planning once again came to the rescue. We got gas for the car and bought some coffee at the gas station.  We still had plenty of food left in the fridge, so we had a little in-van picnic at the gas station.  Our preparation paid off.

A gas station picnic.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we arrived home around 7:30 PM.  I brought in the refrigerated foods and settled in. However,  within 10 minutes of being home, the power went out and stayed out for hours. 

It had been cold, and the weather was not suitable for going to the unheated bathhouse to take a shower, so a hot shower was a top priority on our return.  No power equals no lights.  What to do?  I keep battery-operated lanterns on every floor of the house, and one came in handy to illuminate our bathroom. We got our showers!  Then Julie told me her phone was almost dead, so I went back into the camper and bought her a large battery bank to charge it.  Additionally, I have a battery-operated radio, which we used for information and entertainment, so the whole situation became an event rather than an emergency.  

Showering by lantern light.

All of these things could have been “emergencies,” but they were not because of a little planning. There are so many simple steps anyone can take to plan for unforeseen events.  Have some emergency food and supplies on hand to stay safe during a winter storm. Make sure you have a light source and a portable radio with batteries. Consider your individual needs. Do you have infants?  Buy an emergency pack of diapers.  On medication?  A little extra supply wouldn’t hurt. Think about what problems you may face and have a plan of action.  Do you know how to turn off the main power to your house? Do you know where your house water valve is? 

Have basic tools in your car.  Have an alternate way to charge your phone both at home and in your vehicle.  Keep several simple first-aid kits: one for the house and one for the car. Wear appropriate clothing when driving so you are prepared if you get stuck. Keep a winter kit in your vehicle with some non-perishable food, a blanket, hat/gloves, jumper cables, and a flashlight.  Make sure you take your cell phone with you when you are out and about.. 

Run scenarios through your mind and come up with solutions to the problems they raise.  Your situation and place of residence will determine your needs.  You may not need an emergency winter kit in Florida, but you might need some hurricane supplies. 

Be prepared and turn emergencies into inconveniences. Remember, there are no emergencies for those who are prepared!

Cheers

Mike

cooking, Electric Pressure Cooker, frugal cooking, slow cooker advice, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Sausage Lentil Soup.

Another in my series to battle grocery inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. Live your best life!

The combination of inflation, ‘shrinkflation,’ and the Trump tariff taxes is increasing food budgets to out-of-control proportions for many U.S. citizens. Generations have been raised on convenient, ultra-processed foods that are tasty, easy to prepare, and inexpensive.  However, they are not only unhealthy, but they have also been steadily increasing in price. Food costs are now so high that individuals and families are struggling to afford enough for their weekly meals.

I was raised in the 1960s in a family of 7 with one parent who worked outside of the home. We always ate well because my parents practiced skills that they learned during the Great Depression. Convenience foods were available, but not to the same extent as they are today.  It was common to eat at home and prepare food from scratch.  

I found myself in an unusual situation, as I was retired yet still had children living with me.  Feeding them nutritious food was important, and I also wanted to teach them some of the money-saving skills that I learned as a child.

Cooking basic foods from scratch is a critical skill to have to survive inflation and the Trump tariff taxes.  It still “hurts” to go grocery shopping, but I know that there will be food on the table.  Currently, my one son is in grad school and at home, but my other kids frequently visit, and I’m always happy to feed them a meal.

In today’s post, I share a recipe for lentil soup with sausage.  This recipe is very flexible and can be made with a variety of sausages, including cut-up hot dogs.  Additionally, it can be made as a vegetarian dish by omitting the meat and using a vegetable broth.  It relies on lentils, which are very inexpensive, and whatever sausage you have on hand.  Unlike beans, lentils don’t require soaking, and they easily cook in this soup in under an hour.

I made this soup yesterday, and three of us ate to our fill.  There is a lot of soup left for lunches, and I’m certain I’ll have to freeze some in vacuum bags for future meals. This recipe makes quite a bit.

Lentils come in a variety of colors and varieties.  Although they have slightly different characteristics, they are all high in carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.  They are also excellent sources of some vitamins and minerals and are low in fat.

You can buy lentils in cooked in cans, but they are the most inexpensive when purchased dry.  All grocery stores sell lentils, and you can find them in the same area where dried beans are kept. A pound of dry lentils yields approximately 2.5 cups.  Many recipes use one to one and a half cups of lentils, and you can buy a pound of them for around $1.50, even less if you have access to a bulk store. 

One pound of dry lentils for only $155? That is a bargain!

Lentils are grown in the US, with Montana being the largest producer.  Inflation has impacted costs, but the Trump tariff taxes will have a less significant impact on their price. Unfortunately, the U.S. exports a lot of lentils and that will be impacted by retaliatory tariffs from other countries. This may negatively impact independent farmers.

I make this soup in a heavy pot called a Dutch Oven.  My Dutch oven is pricey, but you can find inexpensive ones online and at places like HomeGoods. Inexpensive Dutch ovens may have less durable enamel, but they will perform just as well as the high-priced versions.  Don’t have a Dutch oven?  Use a large pot with a lid.  Like many soup recipes, this recipe can also be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.  If you go those routes, you may need to adjust liquid levels, and you will need to adjust cooking times.  Simply Google for a recipe, for instance, “Lentil soup recipe for an Instant Pot” to get an idea of the changes you need to make.  Of course, you can use your found recipe, but I know this one tastes great, even if you modify it somewhat.

Sausage Lentil Soup

-Cooking oil

-1 pound sausage.  You can use more or less.  If you are using a smoked sausage, such as Polish sausage, you can slice it and add it directly to the soup.  However, I like to brown it as it adds to the flavor.  If you are using fresh sausage, such as Italian sausage, you need to brown it first.  Use whatever sausage you like.  I have made this soup with hot dog slices that I browned, and it was delicious.  Also, don’t get hung up on the amount of sausage.  I had a package of Polish sausage in the fridge that was 13 ounces, and it was enough.  

Use whatever sausage you have on hand. This package was only 13 ounces, but it was still enough to make a delicious soup.

-1 onion, any type, diced.  I had some red onion, so that is what I used.

-2 to 3 stalks of celery sliced.  A great way to use up limp celery.  Don’t have any fresh?  Use dehydrated.

-3-4 carrots diced.

-jar garlic, heaping spoonful.  Of course, you can use a couple of cloves of fresh garlic or even some powdered garlic.  This is home cooking after all. 

-heaping spoon of tomato paste.  Don’t have it?  Omit it.

-1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.  You can also use Oregano, but cut down the amount to a teaspoon.  

-½ teaspoon of fennel seed.  You can omit this, but it really adds to the soup.

-1 or 2 bay leaves. You can omit these, but they add a subtle “something.”

-¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.  You can omit this, but it really adds to the soup.  If you like foods to be “hot,” you can up the flakes to around ½ teaspoon or a bit more.

-1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

-1 teaspoon salt to start.  Adjust this seasoning at the end of cooking.  Remember, you can always add salt, but you can’t remove it. If you are using chicken bouillon, start with even less salt, as bouillon is salty.

-28 oz can of tomatoes.  If using whole, break them up.

-5 cups chicken stock.  I only had four cups, and so I added a cup of water; all was good.  You can use vegetable stock, chicken bouillon/water (reduced your salt content), or even water alone if that is what you have.  Stock does add complexity and flavor. 

-1 and ½ cup dry lentils that you rinse in water (using a sieve or colander).

-Some greens like spinach, kale, or even salad greens (optional).

Dice carrots and onion, and slice celery.
Slice the sausage of your choice. If using a fresh sausage, remove the skin and brown it. Browning a smoked sausage is optional, but I think it adds flavor.
Soften onions in a little oil. Then add carrots and celery. Continue to cook for a few more minutes or until they slightly soften.
Add garlic and spices and briefly cook, being careful not to burn either.
Add the tomatoes. I also had an overripe tomato that I chopped up and added. No sense in wasting it just because it was no longer sandwich-worthy.
Mix it all together.
Add the broth (or water) and the sausage meat. I brown the Polish sausage for more flavor, but it is not required if the sausage is already cooked. You will need to brown fresh sausages, like Italian sausage.
Add the rinsed lentils to the soup.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for around an hour. You can simmer much longer than that if you wish. If you like a thick soup, you can remove 1/3 of the soup (minus the meat), blend it in a blender, and return it to the pot. I thought my soup was thick enough without blending.
I added some greens at the very end of cooking to add some color. Stir them in and they will wilt in a minute or two.
Ready to serve.
Plated and served with some oyster crackers and homemade bread. Delicious! You can add a drizzle of olive oil to the top of your bowl for extra luxury.

Soup is a great way to stretch your budget and there are many different soups so you will never tire of it. You can be very flexible when making soups and still get a good result. The more times you make any soup the more comfortable you will become in adjusting and substituting. Plus, soup is really easy to make. Once in a pot, it does its own thing and there is no problem cooking it for a long time as that often enhances its flavor.

Make some soup today, and save some money!

Enjoy!

Mike

cooking, frugal cooking, Uncategorized

Save Money By Making Potato Pancakes For Dinner!

Here is another recipe in my series to help you reduce food costs.

I grew up Catholic in the 1960s, and during that time, we had meatless Fridays.  Well, they weren’t exactly meatless, as fish wasn’t considered meat and could be consumed. I think of the Fridays of my youth as times that I dipped my appetite into being a vegetarian or at least a pescatarian. I have many fond memories of the non-meat dishes my mom would make on Fridays.  I never felt that Fridays were deprivation days. 

Growing up, I was told the Pope conspiracy story where some maniacal Pope made a pact with the fishing industry to promote the sale of fish.  That is a great story, but unfortunately, there isn’t any real data to support that conclusion.  Rather, the history of meatless Fridays seems to stem from the fact that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, so as a measure of respect, no warm-blooded animal could be eaten on that day. Fish, being cold-blooded, was fair game.

As we deal with runaway inflation and the additional burden of Trump’s tariff taxes, food has become increasingly unaffordable.  This is especially true for beef, where even a simple hamburger now seems like a luxury food. 

Potato pancakes are a dish that is prominent among many cultures, particularly among the various Eastern European groups with which I am familiar.  The ingredients are simple, and the results are delicious.  Growing up, we often had them as a Friday main course, served with applesauce or sour cream. I always liked dipping a piece of a potato pancake into the apple sauce, as the result was sweet/salty goodness. Sometimes, my mom would make them with fish sticks. By themselves or with fish sticks, we loved them.

When we make potato pancakes now, we still serve them with applesauce and sour cream. It is the end user’s choice which condiment to use.  Sometimes I choose both and alternate my dipping, one piece into the applesauce and the next into the sour cream. We add a side of bacon or sausages so the meal is no longer meatless.  However, it is still very economical.

Now, some people prefer whey protein bars or a tofu stir-fry over traditional foods.  I do not argue with your food choices.  However, I ask that you be respectful of mine.

Potato pancakes and many other meals served in the 1950s and 1960s would be considered “unhealthy” by current food gurus.  However, look at the obesity rates then and now. Most were of normal weight in the 1960s, and they ate those foods. Food fads are constantly being pushed on us.  No sugar, no fat, high protein, low protein, only raw foods, and so it goes.  Yet, we have been a nation that has moved from being mostly normal weight to one of being overweight, and we are now a nation of obesity.

I have battled obesity all of my life, and I have great respect for those who also deal with that affliction. There are many reasons for obesity in America. I believe that it is contributed to by the amount of engineered ultra-processed food that we consume, coupled with the high availability of food designed to be irresistible, and possibly by the high amount of sugar we ingest. Methods for losing weight have long been promoted. Drink some strange juice, eat only meat, don’t eat meat, fast, only eat soup, and so on.  Honestly, I have tried just about every diet to lose weight, and some of them do work.  The problem is that eating a diet that restricts entire categories of food is impossible to maintain.

My current view of “healthy eating” is not a radical plan that involves eliminating food groups. Instead, it is simple-minded.  I try to limit my intake of ultra-processed foods and aim to eat a diverse range of foods.  Additionally, I try to reduce snacking and cut back on the amount of packaged foods I eat.  Unfortunately, I’m still a sugar junkie (I’m doing my best). Lastly, I attempt to limit my eating to three meals a day, with a rare small snack around 4 PM, only if I’m feeling extremely hungry. 

I find that if I eat a lot of packaged foods or diet foods, I’m starving an hour later.  If I eat traditional foods, I’m satisfied until the next meal. I would rather eat a smaller portion of a food that I enjoy than a larger portion of some concoction with lower calories that tastes like it was manufactured at DuPont Chemical. 

Beyond being real food, potato pancakes are incredibly economical. The ingredients are simple, and most households have everything on hand. My mom would spend a lot of time shredding potatoes with a box grater; however, I use a food processor to shred both the potatoes and the onion. I’ll start with the shredding disc to shred and then use the “S” blade to turn the shredded potatoes into pulp. This is a speedy process. 

After I initially shred the potatoes and before I use the “S” blade, I use a colander to press out as much liquid as possible from the potato-onion mixture.  This results in a better product.  However, at times, I’m lazy and skip this step, and still get acceptable pancakes. However, the extra water in the mix will result in more splattering when you fry them. 

One of my kids prefers chunkier hash-brown like potato pancakes, which can be achieved by only shredding the potatoes.  However, I prefer more traditional potato pancakes. An egg or two, a little flour, garlic, some salt, and pepper, and your batter is ready to go.

Add some oil to a hot pan, drop in the batter, and use the back of your spatula to press it into a pancake. Cook one side until browned.  Turn the pancake and repeat…done! I’ll toss our pancakes into the oven at a low temperature (as close to 200°F as your oven will allow) to keep them warm so we can all eat together.  You can use your regular oven, but I prefer a toaster oven because it is more energy-efficient.    

Here is the recipe.

Simple Potato Pancakes

4 large potatoes or equivalent

½-1 medium onion

2 eggs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½-1 tsp. salt or to taste

1 heaping tsp. of jar garlic (you can use real garlic or powdered garlic if you wish).

¼ tsp. black pepper or to taste

  1. Using a grater or food processor, shred the peeled potatoes and onion.
  2. Place the grated mixture in a colander and, using a paper towel, gently squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  3. Replace the shredding disk on the food processor with the “S” blade.  
  4. Return the potato/onion mixture to the food processor and use the pulse control until you have a slurry with some chunks remaining. 
  5. Transfer the contents to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, then mix them all together.  You may need to adjust the flour slightly to achieve a lumpy pancake batter consistency. 
  6. Heat some cooking oil in a pan and drop in dollops of the potato mixture. Flatten into pancakes using your spatula (pancake turner).
  7. Cook at medium heat until one side is brown, turn the pancakes over, and repeat.
  8. I’ll turn my toaster over to its lowest heat setting (a bit over 200°F) and transfer the cooked pancakes to an aluminum foil-covered dish, so all the pancakes are hot when served. 

Served with a side of bacon, applesauce, and sour cream, this meal is truly delicious and satisfying.  

Peeled potatoes were shredded along with the onion. I then squeezed out as much liquid from the mixture in a colander. I replaced the food processor’s shredding disc with the “S” blade and pulsed the mixture until it resembled the texture in the photo above. I put the potato mixture in a bowl and added flour, eggs, and seasoning.
When it is all mixed, it will have the consistency as above. You may need to adjust the flour a bit.
Add dollops of the batter to hot oil in a medium heat frying pan. The top left pancake has been flattened with a pancake turner (also known as a spatula). I’ll do the same for the remaining three in the pan.
When one side is brown, flip it over and repeat the process on the other side. I keep my potato pancakes hot by placing them in a warming oven as I go. That way, everyone gets hot pancakes, and we can all eat together.

Bon appetite!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: An Easy Chicken Dinner

If you have been following my posts, you know that I have been on a mission to help people cope with inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. I have been writing about everything from making your own bread to saving on cleaning projects.

One of the expenses we all have to deal with is food. It is clear to just about everyone that eating out regularly is an avoidable expense, and that goes for fast food, too. But what to do if you feel insecure about cooking?

I have been posting inexpensive and straightforward recipes to demonstrate how easy it is to make food from scratch. This post does the same; it is one of the easiest recipes you can make, yet it looks like you spent hours preparing a fancy Sunday dinner. Come with me on this recipe journey! Today we are making roasted chicken with vegetables.

A friend of mine just told me that the $100 beef tenderloin that I usually buy for Christmas dinner is now $190! I had to catch my breath. At this time, chicken is still reasonable, with whole chicken selling for $1.46 a pound. Yes, you are paying for some bones, but that chicken carcass can become another meal by turning it into soup!

If you are starting your cooking journey, this is a good place to start, as preparation is straightforward, and it is a “set it and forget it” dinner that looks impressive.

One item that you may want to consider for many cooking tasks is a food thermometer. I have had mine for many years and I think it was under $15. This one is selling for less than $6 and it is an Amazon choice item. If you don’t want to buy on-line you can find food thermometers at any hardware or big box store. They take the guesswork out of cooking, and are a very worthwhile investment.

Today’s recipe will be roasted chicken with vegetables. Let’s start with the vegetables.

Chop up an onion and add it to a pot. I’m using a Dutch oven, which is ideal, but you could use any big oven-safe pot with a cover. If you don’t have one, you could use a baking dish with some aluminum foil to cover it.

Add to the pot some cut-up carrots and small potatoes. You could also use regular-sized potatoes that you cut up. These potatoes were thin-skinned, so I didn’t bother to peel them. Wash your vegetables in water first. Peel the potatoes if they are thick-skinned.

Add some cooking oil. I’m using avocado oil, but you can use any cooking oil that you have on hand. I used a couple of tablespoons of oil.

Sprinkled on some spices. Around one teaspoon of rosemary, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a big sprinkle of garlic powder. I mixed it all up so all of the vegetables were covered. If you only have salt and pepper, that’s OK too.

Now it was time for the chicken. You can use just about any spices that you like. Smear some cooking oil on the chicken and sprinkle salt and pepper on it (inside and outside). I added some smoked paprika and garlic powder, but there are many other options, including oregano or Italian seasoning. Here again, if you have only salt and pepper, that’s fine. However, some spices will definitely add some interest to the chicken.

Cover and place in a 375°F (190 °C) oven for 45 minutes.

Then uncover to brown, and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F (75 °C). It is normal to go a bit over 165°F; that’s OK.

Remove the chicken and, after letting it stand for around 10 minutes, carve it. Carving isn’t hard, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. I hold the chicken down with a fork and use an 8″ Chef’s knife. You can use whatever you have.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the roasted vegetables. By the way, check to make sure that they are done by piercing some of them with a fork. If the fork enters easily, the vegetables are done. If they are still hard, continue to cook them, checking every 5 minutes until done.

Here is the complete meal. I added some steamed broccoli for color, and I’m also having a little of my homemade oatmeal bread. Delicious!

This was a nearly effortless dinner. Yet, it looked and tasted like I spent the hours making it. The leftover chicken carcass will be used to create a chicken soup in a day or two. I’ll even toss in the leftover carrots and potatoes (I’ll cut them up) into the soup. Why waste them, as they will add great flavor to the soup?

Consider making a roasted chicken. If you are cooking for one, you will have several dinners, chicken for sandwiches, and soup to boot. If you are cooking for a family, they will be impressed with your efforts.

Bon appétit!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Marry Me Chicken!

Inflation and the Trump tariff taxes have made grocery bills reach astronomical proportions. One way to stretch a dollar is to make meat a complement to a meal instead of the main course. Nothing does that more deliciously than combining meat with other ingredients in a one-pot meal.

Marry Me Chicken is also called Chicken with Orzo, but I think that the Marry Me title gives the dish a bit of interest.

One of my daughter’s friends was visiting us from out of town and offered to make us dinner. She made this dish which was delicious. My daughter now loves to make this recipe for herself as it is fast, and simple. She will portion it out into 4-5 dinners and have dinner prepared for much of the week.

The first recipe is the one that I’m illustrating here. The second is the one that my daughter uses and is more cost effective.

Use this recipe as a springboard. If you don’t have orzo, use some other pasta. No heavy cream? Try half-and-half, evaporated milk, regular milk with a flour thickener, coconut milk, or even sour cream.

In my daughters recipe the sun dried tomatoes and 3/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese are replaced by less expensive tomato sauce and smaller qualities of Parmesan Cheese. It is all good.

This is the recipe that I used (borrowed from the internet). It is a bit more upscale with greater quantities of ingredients and more expensive ingredients.

This is my daughter’s recipe (also borrowed from the internet). It is more cost effective. However, it is also delicious!

Here are the ingredients that I used. The sun dried tomatoes were drained and I did grate the Parmesan cheese. However, you could use the stuff in the green jar, if needed. You can also see the pesto bread that I made to serve with this dinner. I’ll have that easy recipe in another post.

The cut up chicken was cooked in some olive oil (any oil works) for a few minutes until it gained a little color.

In went the spices and the sun dried tomatoes.

I stirred it all up… oops, I forgot the garlic! No problem, I’ll add it now. Fresh is great, but I used jar garlic as that is what I had on hand. I cooked this mixture for a couple minutes.

In went the orzo and chicken broth. You could use water or water plus bullion if you wished. If you used bullion use less salt and adjust at the end. Orzo is awesome, but you could use some other sort of pasta if needed.

Cover the pan and cook on medium low for around 12 minutes. Every once in a while stir the pot to prevent the orzo from sticking. I tested the orzo at 12 minutes and mine needed a few more minutes to fully cook.

Add the heavy cream (or other dairy product). Stir it in.

Stir in a few handfuls of spinach and allow them to wilt.

Just before serving add the Parmesan Cheese.

Here it is served up with some asparagus, a salad, and my homemade pesto bread. Yummy!

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Your Own Hamburger Buns!

Grace: I was thinking of stopping over on Sunday.

Me: Great!  Will you be staying for dinner?

Grace: Probably, but I’m not sure.

Me: I’ll BBQ!

Grace: Sounds tempting.

Me: How about if I make homemade hamburger buns?

Grace:  Hmm.  Sold.

Dear reader, inflation and the Trump tariff taxes are taking a toll on all of us, and I have been encouraging folks to save money by cooking from scratch.  This is my small way of trying to help others during these troubled times.

When I rediscovered my bread maker, I was excited to remember how effortless it was to make really delicious bread, and how much cheaper it was to bake rather than buy. Is the cost of buying a bread maker worth it?  Absolutely, but not everyone has cash to burn, and I knew that used bread makers could be purchased for pennies on the dollar. 

To illustrate my point, I visited a local second-hand store and bought a bread maker for $14.

I never used a bread maker to make hamburger buns, and I was surprised by how simple it was using the dough function on the machine.  I just tossed in the ingredients, and 90 minutes later, I had perfectly kneaded dough.  Since the dough was well-kneaded, it was easy to form into buns.

You can buy cheap hamburger buns for a few dollars, but good buns are considerably more expensive.  Since this recipe uses an enriched dough , I wasn’t sure if my homemade efforts would save any money. However, when I did the calculations, it was clear that my homemade buns were considerably cheaper than not only the upscale rolls, but also cheaper ones.  Plus, they were really delicious! For those wondering, an enriched dough has extra ingredients like milk, eggs, and sometimes more sugar. This results in a richer end product, but more ingredients means a greater cost.

I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Alas, I can’t credit this internet recipe as I saved the image without the author’s info. Remember to add the ingredients in the order listed. Bake at 350°F (175 °C) for 12-15 minutes. I checked at 12 minutes and added a few more minutes to achieve my desired color for the buns.
My $14 thrifted bread machine. I usually weigh the flour instead of using volume measurements.
This machine does not have a warming pre-cycle. I used hot tap water and added the cold milk and egg to it. This resulted in a warm solution. Remember, if it is too hot to keep your finger in it, it is too hot for the yeast.
I melted the butter in the microwave using short bursts of time (10 seconds). If you just blast the power, your butter will pop and splatter, making a mess. Into the bread pan it went. By the way, I really like this Oxo measuring cup. It has easy-to-see markings.
In went the sugar. I was too lazy to convert 1/3 cup of sugar into grams. Perhaps next time.
In went the flour. I substituted AP flour, and it worked fine. However, bread flour will give you a slightly better texture. Weighing the flour is vital as flour can settle, giving you wildly different amounts if you measure using a cup.
In went the salt. I always put the salt far away from the yeast. Concentrated salt can kill yeast.
Now the yeast. I made a little well and added the yeast. I buy my yeast in bulk, and it is significantly less expensive than in those little jars or packets. You can purchase it online or from places like Costco and Gordon Foods.
I selected the dough cycle on the bread maker and pressed start. I had perfect dough 90 minutes later!
This thrifted bread maker made perfect dough ready for shaping!
I cut the dough into six pieces. Honestly, I should have cut the dough into 8ths as my buns were huge.
I shaped them into balls and then flattened them a bit. Yes, I’m not the best shaper. Then, I covered them with a tea towel and let them rise for 30 minutes. I then baked them at 350°F (175 °C) for 12 minutes. I checked them and added an additional 3 minutes to achieve the color that I wanted.
This step is optional. After the buns rose, I gave them an egg wash and added some poppy seeds. I didn’t include the seeds in my cost calculations as I had some in the pantry and had no way to calculate their price. I’m using parchment paper, but you could use a reusable silicone mat or any other option that suits your preference.
All baked and ready for today’s BBQ. I’m storing them using a cake cover to keep them fresh. But what about the costs?

Cost analysis

This recipe made over 1.5 pounds of dough. The cost of ingredients was $1.62. Cost would be less if I bought the flour in bulk. Cost would be more if I bought the ingredients at a more expensive grocery store.

I’m comparing prices by the ounce. Buns are from Walmart.com.

These are cheap hamburger buns. A 15 oz package is $1.97. These buns were 1.8 x more expensive than my homemade buns and not near the quality. This surprised me as I thought my buns would be more expensive.

These 16 ounce Brownberry buns were $3.78 and represent a better quality bun. However, there were other hamburger buns at Walmart.com that were even more expensive. These buns were 3.4 x more expensive than my homemade buns!

I thought making hamburger buns would be more difficult than it was. With the bread maker doing most of the work it was then simple to shape and bake the buns in the oven. I’m sure I’ll do this again.

I knew that my buns would be less expensive than the Brownberry buns, but I was surprised to see that the price per ounce was 3.4 times more. Even more surprising was the fact that the cheap, Bimbo buns were 80% more expensive than my much higher quality home made buns.

Yes, you can save money by making your own hamburger buns, and it was really simple to do so. The $14 bread maker made light work out of a normally labor intensive task!

Peace

Mike

images are my own or screen shots from websites. All images are for educational purposes only.