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Baking as science, bread making, Uncategorized

Fix Your Bread Maker Loaves Of Bread!

One of my favorite things to do is to dive deeply into a topic to gain a broader understanding of it. My fascination may last a day, a week, or sometimes decades. Eventually, I’ll feel that I have learned enough, and I’ll move on to another topic.  However, it is not uncommon for me to return to an area of former interest years later, and so it is with bread makers.

I became interested in bread makers sometime in the 1990s, and that interest lasted for quite a few years. I was fascinated that someone had developed a home appliance that could automate the laborious process of bread-making using a simple, consumer-oriented machine. I was intrigued not only by the process of making the bread, but also by the mechanics of the bread makers, as well as how they differed from each other. As a result, I had an extensive collection, most of which I purchased used or on closeout. I also requested and received some premium machines as Christmas and birthday gifts. Over time, I gave away most of the bread makers, but saved a few on a basement shelf where they sat for over a decade, only to be rediscovered about a year ago.  

During that interim, I continued to make bread but did so using a high-end mixer, often baking six loaves at a time.  Now retired, with most of my kids out of the house, that industrial-level operation is no longer needed, and the single-loaf abilities of a bread machine once again are interesting to me.

I was pleased that my old machines worked, and so I am back on a bread machine baking journey.  Along the way, I have had to rely on my old knowledge as well as new skills to optimize my loaves.  This post is to share some of that knowledge with you.

Are some brands of machines better than others?

The top 4 high-end brands, in my opinion, are Panasonic, Breadman (now discontinued?), Brevelle, and Zijurushi.  I have extensively used all but the Brevelle brand, and I am very familiar with them. I have also used more cost-friendly machines from Oster, Toastmaster, and Regal, among others.  

This Zojirushi bread maker is a well loved classic.

The expensive brands are first to innovate features and may offer a better build. I have examined the bread made from both high-end and cost-friendly machines, and the costly machines produce a better loaf, but the difference is minor.  However, their overall build quality and innovative features may be enough to sway you to pay a higher price. Note that premium features often migrate to cost-friendly brands over time. For instance, you can now find fruit and nut dispensers, end-user programming, and twin paddle loaf pans on a number of breadmakers in the $100 range.

The bottom line is, if you have a cost-friendly brand, fear not, you can still get it to produce a very nice loaf of bread.

Does the shape of the loaf pan matter?

Early bread machines had a vertical “skyscraper” pan that produced a rectangular loaf with slices similar to sandwich bread or a Pullman loaf. They kneaded the dough well, as the shape of the pan kept the dough in contact with the kneading paddle. These machines yielded bread with uniform slices, but the bread, being square, had more of an industrial look.

This thrifted Regal bread maker cost $14 and is still in excellent condition. It makes a perfectly fine vertical-style loaf.
All of the early bread makers had vertical pans, including this Regal machine, and you can still find some newer machines with this style of pan. It makes a squarish slice that cuts nicely, but looks a bit industrial. However, this style of loaf pan possibly does the best job when it comes to kneading and making a loaf with consistently sized slices. However, its bread’s poor aesthetics were likely its downfall in popularity.

Single paddle horizontal loaves were then introduced and are the most popular form factor today. The bread from these machines resembled a traditional loaf, which made it more appealing.  However, the loaves were often very tall, necessitating the end-user to cut the bread in half so it could fit in a toaster. 

I first saw a twin paddle horizontal loaf pan on a Zojirushi machine.  This design produces a loaf that most closely approximates the standard loaf that you would buy at a bakery, as it is both horizontal and the correct height. The downside of this machine is that it creates two holes in the bottom of your bread instead of one due to its twin paddles. Also,  it is more likely to make bread with an uneven top (in my opinion).

The twin paddles on this Zojirushi pan allow it to be a bit longer, making its bread resemble a traditional bakery loaf the most.

None of the above problems impacts the deliciousness of the final product. Your choice of pan is strictly a matter of preference.

How many programs do you need on your machine?

Breadmakers have gained an ever-expanding number of programs, some for specialty breads and others that do tasks ranging from making jam to cooking rice. Most specialty bread programs are not significantly different from standard programs and may be unnecessary. Additionally, I have no plans to stir-fry or make jam in my breadmaker.  The three essential programs that every machine should have are basic (white bread), whole grain/multi-grain, and dough. Some may want a program for gluten-free bread, if that is the reason they are buying a machine. I have made many different bread types using the standard settings on multiple bread makers with success. Some of the extra programs seem more gimmicky than anything else to me.

You can do all sorts of things using the dough program. Here I made the dough in the bread maker and then formed it into hamburger buns that I baked in the oven.

Additional stuff

Bread makers sometimes have convenience features that you may want.  Some Breadman, Panasonic, and other brands feature an automatic seed and fruit bin that drops these ingredients into the bread dough at just the right time.  Other bread makers, like many of the Zojirushi units, can be programmed to the user’s baking specifications.  Many machines have crust darkness controls, delay timers, warming features, fast bread cycles, and other options that some may find desirable.

My problem

When I returned to bread maker bread making, I had a few clinkers, but most of my loaves were delicious.  However, they often seemed much shorter than the ones I saw on YouTube. This led me to dig deeper into the topic once again, and I have come up with some solutions. 

But first acceptance!

Realize that a bread made from freshly ground whole wheat will never rise as high as a bread made from commercially milled white bread flour. The same can be said of bread loaded with seeds, cheese, or other weighty additions.  Yeast can only do so much heavy lifting.  However, it is possible to optimize these breads so that they can be the best that they can be.

Use the right recipe source

Your machine will come with a variety of recipes that have been tested with that machine.  Start there, as you are likely to have the greatest success, and you will gain an understanding of how dough performs in your bread maker.  I have used recipes submitted by others on the internet with good results, as well as recipes from known sources, like Better Homes and Gardens or a flour or yeast company’s website.  Remember, you can download instruction/recipe manuals for many bread makers by searching for them online. 

Recent cookbooks (published in 2024 and 2025) on Amazon from unknown sources may be problematic, as some are now created with AI, and the recipes may not have been thoroughly tested. Make sure that you read the book’s reviews carefully when buying a newly published book. Likewise, you may have to do some trial and error, adapting Grandma’s famous bread recipe. 

Using a recipe from a bread maker’s cookbook is a great way to start your bread-making journey, as it is designed to be as foolproof as possible. This recipe makes a wonderful light wheat bread. I leave out the basil for general-purpose sandwich and toast making.

About flour

Flour is simply a vegetable product made from milling a vegetable down into a fine powder.  Most often, the vegetable is a grain of some sort.  There are many different types of flour, with common ones being wheat (of various kinds), buckwheat, and rye.  However, flours can be made from other grains, like spelt, and even nuts, like almonds. Each of these flours will have its own unique characteristics. 

Wheat flour is often categorized by the amount of gluten that it has.  Bread flour contains around 13% gluten, AP flour has around 11% gluten, and cake flour has around 8% gluten. Gluten is what gives bread its remarkable chewy tenderness.  This characteristic is excellent for bread; not so good for cake, as no one wants a chewy cake.  Hence, less gluten in cake flour.

Some folks have gluten allergies and can’t eat breads made from flours that contain gluten.  They eat breads made using more complicated gluten-free recipes, which are a compromise as they don’t have the same bready characteristics as gluten-containing breads. 

You can make gluten-free bread using a bread maker’s basic cycle, but because the bread doesn’t contain gluten, it doesn’t require all the kneading that develops the gluten in traditional bread. A gluten-free bread program reduces the kneading times, which may result in a better gluten-free loaf.  If you have Celiac disease and are primarily making bread to produce gluten-free bread, you may want a machine with a gluten-free bread program. 

The chemistry

Bread making has existed for thousands of years and has been the staff of life and main calorie source for many different cultures.  Flour is mixed with water and yeast and kneaded.  The kneading process alters several proteins in the bread, specifically glutenin and gliadin which form gluten. This results in an elastic dough and a deliciously chewy and spongy baked bread. 

The yeast, being a live organism, utilizes the sugars and starches in the dough and produces carbon dioxide, a harmless gas.  This gas causes bubbles in the dough, making the bread rise and expand. Baking the bread kills the yeast, leaving us with a delicious, light loaf of bread. 

Other ingredients can be added to the bread to modify it.  Salt adds flavor and controls yeast growth, while sugar adds sweetness and helps fuel the yeast. Eggs and milk add richness and can alter the texture of the bread. Butter and oils add richness, flavor, and tenderness. Spices add flavor, and seeds and nuts contribute texture.  

If you understand how yeast grows and how ingredients impact yeast, you can solve most of your bread maker problems.

Common bread machine bread issues

-The clinker.  In this example, the bread never seemed to rise and is a hard, horrible baked mess. Causes: This is often caused by using bad yeast, forgetting to add yeast, improper mixing, leaving the paddle out of the machine, or insufficient liquid.

-The collapse.  In this example, the bread seems to rise rapidly, but then collapses during the baking process. Causes: This is often caused by excessive yeast, or too warm a proofing temperature, overproofing,  or dough that is too slack.

-The shorty. In this example, the bread does rise, but not to an expected level. Causes: Insufficient or poor-quality yeast, inadequate liquid in the dough, insufficient proofing time, inadequate gluten development, insufficient kneading time, or unfavorable baking conditions.

This bread was still delicious, but it should have been at least 50% taller.

-The uneven top.  In this example, the bread’s top is uneven or bumpy. Causes: This is common in bread machine bread, especially bread from those machines with two paddles.  You can smooth out the dough before the final rise, or do what I do, which is nothing. On dual paddle machines, some say that pointing the paddles in the same direction at the start of baking solves this problem, but Zojirushi says it doesn’t make a difference. 

-The paddle holes.  Causes: The kneading paddles create holes in the bottom of the bread.  You can remove the paddles at the start of the last rise to minimize the holes, or do nothing.  I do nothing; it is not a big deal.

-The yuck.  In this example, something went terribly wrong.  The bread is too salty, bland, or otherwise disgusting. Causes: Bad ingredients, spoiled ingredients, or user error.

The good news is that we know that the machine is doing what it does correctly, so the above problems are most likely due to user error or, rarely, environmental issues.

Yeast issues

Yeast is a living microscopic organism. The dried yeast that we buy is a cultivated strain of yeast known to produce a flavorful bread product.  Yeast manufacturers carefully grow yeast in a solution and then remove the water by dehydration.  The yeast is ground into a fine powder.  Dried yeast is still alive, but in a suspended state.  Adding water will hydrate the yeast and revive it. Provide a bit of sugar in the water, and the yeast will start to metabolize the sugar and produce carbon dioxide bubbles. 

Yeast will eventually die in a suspended state, but you can lengthen the time before its demise by refrigerating the yeast or, better yet, freezing it. You can take it directly out of the freezer and use it in your recipe.  

Yeast exists everywhere, and it is floating around the room that you are sitting in right now.  Sourdough is bread made from this natural yeast that is allowed to grow in a solution of flour and water.  Making sourdough is an art, but the result is a delicious, crusty, slightly sour bread.  

You can buy commercial yeast in soft “cakes,” but these are now hard to find.  Dried yeast is readily available in packets, jars, and “bricks.” The bricks are substantially less expensive than individual packets.  Yeast comes in two forms: Active and Instant.  Instant yeast is sometimes rebranded as Rapid-Rise or Bread Maker Yeast. 

Bread-making machines will specify which type (Active or Instant) to use.  Typically, active yeast must be activated in water before use, but it can be added without activation in a bread maker.  Instant Yeast does not have to be activated to be used in baking.  The main difference between the two yeasts is that Instant yeast is pulverized into smaller granules.  

These two forms of yeast products have become more similar over the years, and some home bread makers directly substitute one for the other.  However, others are more strict and use different amounts when switching from one type to the other, and some avoid substituting altogether. 

Dead yeast is the most common reason why your bread will not rise properly, and this is easily testable.  Add a small amount of yeast to warm (not hot) water that has a pinch of sugar in it.  Wait a bit, if your mixture starts to have bubbles, it is good.  No bubbles, and the yeast is dead and useless. Yeast within its expiration date can still be bad if stored in a hot place in your home, a store, or in a warehouse. 

I buy yeast in bulk as it is significantly less expensive. I store it in the freezer to increase its freshness.

The measurement issue

Another widespread end-user problem when bread-making is measurement error. 

In the US, it is common to measure by the volume of ingredients using a measuring cup. This is especially error-prone when measuring flour, which can be packed fluffy or solid in a cup, significantly changing the amount of flour added to a recipe.  Additionally, flour can attract water in a humid environment or lose water in a dry climate, which impacts its volume. Add other errors, such as not leveling the cup, and it is easy to understand why this method is less than ideal. 

A much better way to measure is by weight, in grams.  This is also a more straightforward method, as you can place your baking pan on a digital kitchen scale and then tare the scale, which sets the display at zero.  Add the amount of flour in grams for a more accurate measurement. 

I now weigh almost all my ingredients, including liquids. Not only is it more accurate, but there is less cleanup.  I simply tare the scale and add ingredient one, then tare the scale back to zero and weigh the next ingredient, and so forth.  

I have an older scale that can bounce back and forth a few grams, so I still use volume measurements when weighing anything less than 20 grams.  Therefore, when measuring my salt and yeast, I still use measuring spoons. For everything else, I use the scale, and it has definitely resulted in better bakes in my bread machine.

You can find many volume-to-weight conversion tables on the internet.  Here are some common ones:

Bread flour 1 cup = 120 grams

AP flour 1 cup = 120 grams

Water 1 cup = 227 grams

Milk 1 cup = 227 grams

Butter ½ cup = 113 grams

Sugar 1 cup = 198 grams

Yeast 2 ¼ tsp = 7 grams

Salt 1 T = 8-18 grams, depending on the salt type

Place your pan on a kitchen scale and press tare, and the scale will zero out. You can then weigh your ingredient. Press tare again for the next ingredient. The weight for this flour was supposed to be 340 grams, and I have 342 grams. Such a small difference will not harm the bread.
My scale is old, and I don’t trust it to properly weigh tiny amounts. If the item is less than 20 grams, I use measuring spoons.

Ingredient temperature issues

Only a few bread makers have an ingredient warming feature. Yeast, being a living organism, is sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Too hot, and you kill the yeast.  Too cold, and you slow its growth.  The ideal temperature range for yeast is between 80° F and 90° F (27° C and 32° C); however, going up to 110 ° F (43 ° C) is typically OK, and some dry yeasts may prefer this slightly warmer environment.  If the temperature is too hot for you to put your finger in a liquid, it is too hot for the yeast.  Conversely, if you are adding cold milk and butter to your mix, don’t expect the yeast to be happy. Try to have ingredients at room temperature or a bit warmer when making bread.

Environmental issue

If your environment is too hot or too cold, or if your machine is placed next to something too hot or cold, it will impact your rise.  This is usually an easy problem to solve using common sense.

An additional measuring issue

You can measure everything correctly and still be off. Many bread machine bakers will check their machine after 5-10 minutes of initial kneading.  If the dough ball looks too liquidy, with the dough not completely incorporated into a ball, or too dry, with a ratty-looking ball or a lot of raw flour present, this is the time to fix it. For liquidy dough, add a tablespoon of flour and wait 30 seconds; if the dough doesn’t all form into a ball, repeat until it does.  Do the same if the dough is too dry, but add a tablespoon of water in place of the flour every 30 seconds until the ball is smooth and roundish. Once you achieve a smooth ball, you can close the lid and go about your business.  The machine will do the rest of the work on its own.

Your dough should look like the above. Add flour slowly in small amounts; if it is too slack, add water in small amounts; if too dry.

If you see a lot of flour stuck to the sides of the pan, you can use a silicone spatula to knock it down into the pan at the same time.

Wrong setting issues

I already stated that most of us only need a few program settings on our machines.  However, you still need to use the right setting.  Whole wheat bread needs different kneading and rising times compared to white bread.  If you try to make whole wheat bread using the “basic” setting, you will likely be disappointed with your results. 

Bread flour vs. All Purpose (AP) flour

Bread flour has a bit more gluten, and this will give you a better product and a better rise.  Many recipes will ask you to use bread flour for this reason.  However, I have often used regular AP flour even when the recipe calls for bread flour.  Would my bread have been better with bread flour?  Probably, but it was still excellent with AP flour. 

Ingredient concerns

We already talked about bad yeast, but it is possible that another ingredient that you are using is not up to standard.  This is most common with flour. It is easy to try a different brand or batch of flour if you are concerned about this.

I have a problem with my city water, and I’m guessing that the water treatment chemicals inhibit yeast growth.  To compensate, I very slightly increase my yeast and very slightly reduce my salt, which is yeast-inhibiting, in my recipes. If a recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast and 2.5 teaspoons of salt, I may change that to 2.25 teaspoons of yeast and 2.25 teaspoons of salt. Another option that I could try would be to use distilled or filtered water.  

Salt issues

Salt adds flavor, but it also inhibits yeast growth.  Because it can inhibit yeast, it is also used to modulate yeast growth.  Too little and the yeast will overgrow, too much and the yeast is inhibited or dies. All salts (table, Kosher, sea salt, etc) are the same chemical, sodium chloride.  However, the granular sizes of different salts vary significantly.  A tablespoon of one type of salt may have more or less actual salt than another.  For instance, table salt is finer and therefore more concentrated than Kosher salt.  If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of Kosher salt, the conversion is to use around ½ of a teaspoon of table salt.  Doing a one-to-one conversion will lead to too much salt, and this could inhibit the bread from rising. Conversely, going in the opposite direction can lead to overproofing and having a loaf collapse.

It is essential to separate the dry salt and yeast when loading your bread maker.  I put the salt on one edge of the pan and place the yeast in a little depression in the middle of the pan.  If they touch when they start mixing, the strong initial concentration of the salt could kill the yeast. Separating the two dry ingredients prevents that from happening. 

To protect the yeast, I place the salt along one edge of the pan and the yeast in a little hole in the middle of the flour.

Order ingredient concerns

Bread makers require that you add ingredients in the order listed. Some of this is because some delayed recipes can sit for hours before baking.  You don’t want your yeast bubbling away or your powdered milk going sour.  Develop good baking habits and add the ingredients in the order listed.

Adding extras

There are products called dough enhancers designed to improve your bake.  These are a combination of ingredients that may contain several ingredients like Vital Wheat Gluten, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), lecithin, yeast nutrients, and diastatic malt.  However, you can use these additions separately if you wish.  I sometimes add a tiny bit (less than 1/8th of a teaspoon) of ascorbic acid, which helps my rise.  Additionally, Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG) added at 1 tablespoon/2 cups AP flour can turn AP flour into bread flour.  VWG can also help with the rise of breads made with 100% whole wheat flour. Diastatic malt can aid in rise and texture.  Lecithin can assist in the texture and tenderness of the bread.  All of these are optional, but one or several may help if you have tried more conservative options and you are still not getting the results that you want. 

Adding fruits and nuts

If you add fruits and nuts at the beginning of your baking, the paddle will chop them up too much.  Some machines can drop them in at the right time, and others will beep to tell you that it is time to add them.  This is usually towards the end of kneading.  

If your fruits and nuts are clumping towards the bottom of your finished loaves, toss them in a bit of flour before adding them to your dough.  This is especially useful for sticky ingredients like raisins. 

Dealing with an uneven top

This can happen with any machine, but the dual paddle ones are more susceptible.  Honestly, an uneven top doesn’t bother me a bit.  However, if it bothers you, you can smooth the top of the bread at the start of the final rise. 

Bread machines are more likely to make a loaf with an uneven top. This doesn’t bother me at all. If it bothers you you can redistribute the dough before the machine’s final rise.

Soggy bread issues

Leaving your bread in the machine after it is baked or immediately sticking hot bread in a plastic wrapper will result in a soggy loaf.  It is best to cool it out of the pan on a rack if you want a crisp crust.  I often leave it in the pan for 5-10 minutes first, which causes less tearing at the paddle site. If you like a softer crust, wrap the bread in a clean dish towel to cool.

Mold and stale bread issues

I have found 3-week-old store-bought bread at the bottom of our bread basket that was perfectly edible. That is scary. Homemade bread is fresh and natural and doesn’t have preservatives.  When stored properly, expect 3-4 days before you need to turn the bread into bread crumbs, French toast, or bread pudding. 

The best way to store bread is in a cool, dry place in a container with some ventilation to prevent mold growth. There are many options, including a bread box, a bread bag, or wrapping the bread in a clean kitchen towel.  I use a cake cover that has a vent hole on its top. If the bread looks good at the 5-day mark, I may still eat it, but I’ll toast it first to make it more palatable. 

I store my bread under a cake dome that his an air hole.

If the bread is thoroughly cooled, you can store it in a plastic bag or Tupperware container; however, this will soften the crust, and your chances of getting moldy bread will increase. 

Storing bread in plastic will keep it fresher for longer, but it will also increase the likelihood of mold growth.

Another way to preserve bread is to freeze it or freeze half of it.  Thawing on the counter will give you bread nearly as fresh as when it was baked. 

Cutting the entire loaf into slices will hasten its demise as you have more surface area to dry out.  However, I do that as my family won’t eat it unless it is convenient.  It is a compromise that I have to make.

My family won’t use my bread if they have to slice it themselves. Although not ideal, I pre-slice my bread. I use a slicing guide as I tend to cut on a slant. Slicing as needed will keep your bread fresh longer, but “ya gatta do what ya gatta do!”

There you have it – a collection of tips to turn you into bread machine experts.

Happy bread baking!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Bake Your Own Oatmeal Bread

It amazes me how inexpensive bread is when you make it yourself. Yes, you can buy a loaf of bread for a couple of bucks at the supermarket, but that bread is awful and has almost no substance.

To buy bread that has bread like qualities expect to pay anywhere from $4-$10 a loaf.

You can make homemade bread for a fraction of those costs, and customize it to suite your tastes and needs. However, making bread can be a labor intensive process. You can circumvent the labor by using a bread machine.

I have been rediscovering my bread maker, which is over 20 years old. Additionally, I found another used bread maker at a thrift store for only $14 which works well. As you know, I like to play around with machines.

My bread maker has to be at least 20 years old.

I picked up this bread maker at a second hand store for $14 and it works surprisingly well. It even came with its original guide and recipe book. In fact, today’s recipe is from that book!

The wonderful thing about a bread maker is that you add the ingredients, which takes a few minutes, and press a button. Everything is then done automatically. Imagine having your house filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread. It is quite intoxicating.

I have been experimenting with a lot of different loaves from simple white to pesto bread. I made an excellent 7 grain bread that was considerably less expensive than its store bought counterpart. However, I wondered if I could reduce the cost further by using oatmeal as my multi-grain component. I followed a recipe in the Regal bread maker manual/cookbook and it turned out with great success. The cost of the loaf? Only $1.02!

Here is the recipe:

9-11 ounces water

1.5 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

1.5 tablespoons butter or margarine

2/3 cup quick oats

3 and 1/4 cups bread or AP flour (I used AP flour)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add ingredients in the order listed and use the white bread or “basic” cycle. This recipe is suitable for a bread maker that can make a 1.5 or 2 pound loaf.

Start with 10 ounces of water. If you want to do things right, check the dough after it has been kneaded for around 5 minutes. If the dough looks ratty and not in a smooth ball add more water, about 1 tablespoon and wait 30 seconds before you add the next tablespoon. Stop when the the dough forms a ball. If the dough looks too wet, add a tablespoon of flour in the same manner that you would add the water. You are looking for a smooth ball similar to the photo below.

Let the bread cool for around 20 minutes before attempting to slice it. A serrated knife makes slicing easy. If the paddle is stuck in the bread carefully remove it using something like a plastic spoon as you don’t want to scratch the non-stick coating on the paddle. I take the pan out of the machine as soon as the bread is done. Then, I usually leave the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes before trying to remove it. This results in less tearing of the bread at the paddle site.

The bread was really delicious. It is best to slice as you go as homemade bread lacks the preservatives that store-bought breads have. However, my family is more likely to use the bread if it is pre-sliced. I like to store it in a container that protects it while having a bit of air circulation. This keeps it the freshest and minimizes mold. The bread is best on day one and two, and usable as excellent toast on day 3 and possibly 4. After that save remains for croutons, bread pudding, stuffing, bread crumbs, and French toast. Remember, you can always freeze part of the loaf if you can’t consume it all in a couple of days.

I’m keeping mine fresh using a cake dome that has a little air hole in the top. Others use a bread box that has ventilation holes, while others use a bread bag. Plastic bags will keep it the softest the longest, but plastic traps moisture and promotes mold. However, I have stored my bread that way too.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, bake whole wheat bread. Zojirushi vs. Thrifted Bread Maker: Who Wins?

I have now written several post on making bread using a bread maker. I’m a gadget guy who has a couple of bread makers as I like to compare how different machines work. Along these lines my $14 thrifted bread maker works well as does my Zojirushi Virtuoso, which is considered a top of the line machine.

Today, I’ll make some bread in the Zojirushi machine and explore the differences between it and my $14 thrifted bargain.

Here is the recipe that I’m using today.

Remember to add the ingredients in the order listed. I’m using the whole wheat setting on the Zojirushi. The Zojirushi frequently wins top awards for the quality of the bread that it produces. It has a unique twin paddle system that makes a loaf shaped similar to the bread that you would buy at a bakery. It also has a second heating element in the lid to help with browning of the bread. You can create your own bread programs on the Zojirushi. Lastly, it has a pre-warm cycle that heats up all of the ingredients before it starts the kneading process. How important are these features? Let’s make some bread and find out.

I like to weigh my flour to get a more accurate measurement. You can weight all of your ingredients, but many of my recipes are in standard volume measurements and I’m usually too lazy to convert every single ingredient.

To 9 ounces of water I added 1.5 teaspoons of salt.

And 1.5 tablespoons of oil. I’m using olive oil here.

The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of molasses, but I’m using honey. If you use the same measuring spoon that you used for the oil, the honey will easily slide out.

I thought I would try adding 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid as this can help with rise and has some some mold fighting qualities. This step is completely optional.

Now its time to add the flour, which I did by weight. Half whole wheat and half bread flour, two cups each.

In went the two teaspoons of active dry yeast.

A bread maker is a set it and forget it gadget. However, since I’m using this recipe for the first time I wanted to make sure that the dough looks good. If there was a lot of flour remaining or if the dough ball looked “ratty” I would have added a tablespoon of water and repeat this step until I had a nice smooth ball like the one above. If the dough looked too wet and was not forming a clean ball I would add a tablespoon of flour and repeat after 30 seconds until it looked like the above.

Into the bread maker it went on the whole wheat setting.

The bread turned out well, it was soft with a good crumb.

Here are my conclusions on my $14 thrifted Regal machine versus my top of the line Zojirushi Virtuoso.

-Both can make a decent loaf of bread.

-The $14 thrifted machine has a vertical pan, so when you slice the bread you get a square slice that reminds me of square sandwich bread. The Zojirushi machine makes a long loaf that resembles bakery bread. Its somewhat unique double paddle pan creates a more traditional loaf than most other horizontal pan machines with a single paddle. Those slices can be quite tall. Note, if you cut those tall slices in half they fit just fine in a toaster.

-Both machines bake the bread well, but the Zojirushi has a finer and more even crumb.

-Some say that the double paddles on the Zojirushi kneads a better dough. However, I don’t see much of a difference.

-The top heating element on the Zojirushi does brown the top of the bread a bit better, but not enough to make it an important feature in my opinion. I have also used the Zojirushi Supreme which doesn’t have a top heater and it seems to brown the top of the bread well too.

-The Zojirushi allows you to program three additions “courses” (programs) where you can determine all aspects of the kneading, raising, and baking process. This is pretty cool if you are a baking nerd.

-The Zojirushi machines is much heavier and robust than my thrifted machine. It will likely last longer.

-Usually the paddles followed by the bread pan are the first things that need to be replaced on a bread maker. Zoljirushi will sell you these replacement parts, while most other companies won’t. However, they are quite expensive, close to the cost of a new off-brand bread maker.

-The Zojirushi sometimes makes a lopsided loaf. This doesn’t happen with the thrifted machine as the pan is vertical.

In conclusion: Yes, the Zojirushi Virtuosos makes the best loaf, but my $14 thrifted machine also does a fine job. If you are into making bread machine bread get the Zojirushi. However, it is quite expensive. I picked up mine used for much less than the retail price. If you want to save some money but still want a Zojirushi consider the Zojirushi Supreme which is basically the same machine as the Virtuoso, but without the top heater. Additionally, it has a few less “courses” (programs). However, the only additional program that is worth considering on the Virtuoso is the gluten free program. But you can program one of the memories in the Supreme to do the same thing.

With all of my praise for the Zojirushi I have to say that my thrifted machine makes fine bread and great dough. Unless you are a nerd like me it is hard to justify the additional expense of the Zojirushi machines. However, you do you.

Peace

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

How To Buy A Used Bread Maker For Cheap.

I recently wrote a post encouraging the consideration of home baking using a bread maker.  A big part of this effort is to offer people options as they feel ever pushed by inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. 

Being raised in a one-income family of seven, I learned ways to stretch a dollar without feeling like I was being punished.  With a bit of ingenuity, it is possible to have a good life without spending a lot of money.  What could be a better mood lifter than homemade bread, pizza, and rolls?

If you have read my other posts, you know I love machines, especially kitchen gadgets.  OK, I love power tools too. My rediscovered bread makers were high-end in their time, and I am accustomed to high bread standards. At the same time, it makes little sense to encourage potentially struggling readers to drop hundreds of dollars on a bread machine to “save money.”  That is why it was interesting for me to see all of the used machines on the market for less than the cost of breakfast for two at a dive restaurant.  

Taking a few precautionary steps can help you obtain a decent machine for next to nothing.  I wanted to prove this to myself using my own hard-earned cash.  I stopped by a local second-hand store and spied a Regal bread maker, likely from the 1990s.  I checked it out in the store and decided that it was worth my $14.  Today I’ll walk you through the process so you can also make an informed decision if you decide to take the used bread maker plunge.

First, do a visual inspection. Normal wear and tear is OK, but avoid machines that look dented or abused. This Regal machine was dusty, but it cleaned up nicely with a little TLC. The bread maker came with its original box and recipe guide, another plus! This suggests that the former owner treated the machine with care.

Check out the inside. Make sure that the machine has both its bread pan and its kneading paddle. Make sure that the bread pan can lock in place. This model’s pan had to be twisted in. Remove the bread pan and examine the baking chamber. Crumbs are normal, but avoid machines where the interior looks burnt or smells burnt. This machine was pretty clean.

This machine was made in Japan, so it is likely a quality build.

Check to see if the machine does what you need it to do. You mostly need a standard white bread program, a whole wheat program, and a dough program. This unit has a few other options too. I was able to plug in the machine at the store and test the display and buttons. Everything seemed to work.

Examine the unit for any hidden damage. In this machine the plastic pins that held the cover in place were broken. However, this did not impact the functioning of the machine.

Bread pans are expensive to replace and it is likely that an old model like this one wouldn’t have replacement parts anyway. Make sure that the non-stick coating on the pan looks good and that the paddle rotates freely.

I decided to make a small loaf just to see if the machine worked. The loaf baked properly, but it was a bit smaller than expected. However, that can be corrected with a little ingredient tweaking.

The texture was not quite as good as my expensive bread makers, but the crust was good, the bread was fully cooked, and it was delicious. This bread maker makes the older style vertical loaf, but that works if you cut the bread perpendicular to the pan (as above). It makes up to a 2 pound loaf, which is another plus at this price.

All in all, an amazing value for $14. This small purchase opens up a world of fantastic homemade breads of all types as well as dough perfect for rolls, pizza, and baguettes. It also features a few extra cycles for foods like quick breads, and sweet breads. A great purchase!

Check out your local thrift store or Facebook Marketplace to find your bread maker today! You could get stuck with a broken machine, but at this price… well, you have to sometimes take a few risks in life.

Peace,

Mike

Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Biscuits and Gravy For Dinner.

Let’s face it, not all of the meals that you make have to be cross-checked with the Department of Agriculture’s nutritional guidelines or some TikTok influencer’s biased opinion.  Sometimes you just need to eat something that fills your stomach, or you need to use up the food in your fridge.  That’s okay, life isn’t about being perfect.

I’m close to my kids, and they are close to me.  All but one have launched into their own apartments, and it is clear that we miss each other.  We have had plenty of times to get together, but my one daughter wanted to formalize another activity where we all could participate.  She suggested that we have regularly scheduled rotating Sunday brunches. I was immediately on board.  Naturally, all were welcome, including their significant dates (I’m not sure what the proper term is for a boyfriend or girlfriend in 2025). 

The family brunch rotated to our house a week ago, and we made sure that there was plenty of food.  We had freshly baked cinnamon rolls made by my daughter, an egg dish casserole, fresh fruit, juice, and all sorts of other goodies. When I was at the store, I spotted some precooked turkey sausage patties on sale, and so I picked those up too.  However, I forgot about them in the fridge.  The other day, my wife asked me, “So, what are we going to do with those sausage patties?”  Hmm, sounds like an easy weekday dinner idea.

It was great to have the kids and their friends over for brunch, but I forgot to make the sausages!

I love having traditional breakfast meals for dinner.  Heck, sometimes I eat dinner leftovers for breakfast.  I have no shame.  My kids are used to this flexibility and are fine with it.  It was a Wednesday night, and it was my turn to make dinner. What to do? Hmm, I’ll make some biscuits and gravy for dinner! Being a weekday, I lazily used some tube biscuits, and I had to be somewhat creative with making the gravy, as precooked sausages don’t render a lot of fat.  However, all worked out. 

My son was afraid that he would still be hungry, so he took on the task of adding some scrambled eggs. Honestly, they were not needed, but it made him happy, and he even washed his pan, so I can’t complain.  

Biscuits and gravy are a soul-satisfying dish.  I probably had it for the first time at a Shoney’s on a trip down South. I instantly loved it as it was strangely familiar.  It dawned on me that it was very similar to a no-meat Friday dish my mom used to make, called creamed eggs on toast.  In that dish, the biscuit were replaced with toast, and the sausage was replaced with slices of hard-boiled eggs.  Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!

The recipe is super simple and very inexpensive.  It easily fed three of us, and both Will and I had the leftovers for lunch. The leftovers reheat in the microwave. 

I suppose this would be called a struggle meal, but it doesn’t feel like one when you eat it. Refer to the photos for my step-by-step recipe. 

Traditionally, fresh pork sausage is used. However, these were precooked, and when I browned them, they didn’t release much fat.
After I browned them, I chopped them up. If these were traditional sausages, I would have just broken them apart in the pan. Oh, take off the skin if you are using links.
Usually, there would be enough grease from the sausage, but these pre-cooked ones were pretty lean. I added a couple of tablespoons of butter to make up the difference.
I mixed everything up and sprinkled 1/4 cup of AP flour over the sausage.
I slowly poured in 2.5 cups of milk (whole milk is the best), constantly stirring, over medium heat. It will take a couple of minutes for the white sauce to thicken. Then I tested for salt, but it didn’t need any as the sausage was salty. The secret to good biscuits and gravy is having enough pepper. Start with around 1/2 of a teaspoon and add more until it tastes right. The white sauce should be peppery, but not excessively so.
This is what the gravy should look like when it is ready to serve.
Here it is served up on some tube refrigerated biscuits. Naturally, homemade biscuits would have elevated the dish even more. My son made the eggs, but they weren’t really needed. The overall results? Delicious! Yes, I’m expecting “heart attack on a plate” comments, but “ya gatta do what ya gatta do!”

Peace,

Mike

bread making, cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., frugal cooking, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Inexpensive And Delicious Bread Machine Bread!

This is another in my series on saving money on groceries while improving your dining experience. 

As inflation and the Trump tariff taxes continue to push up prices, it makes sense to find ways to stretch your food dollars.  Making your own bread is not only less expensive than store-bought bread, but it also tastes better and can be customized to your needs. Like thicker or thinner slices?  No problem., Sick of the outrageous prices of gluten-free bread?  Make your own. Desire a specialty bread for a special meal?  Absolutely!

My wife made a run to the grocery store and was happy that Ezekiel Bread had been restocked.  However, she wasn’t pleased when she realized that a small loaf was now ten dollars. She didn’t buy the loaf.

Bread is the staple of life, and just about every culture has some form of bread.  Bread is considered a subsistence food that provides the calories, vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber necessary for life.  

When I was growing up, my mother bought “Silvercup” bread, which was one step above “Wonder Bread.”  It was good for sandwiches, but likely not the best in terms of nutrition.  We also bought bread from our neighborhood bakery. What a difference that bread was.  I have fond memories of walking into that place and being welcomed by the scent of freshly baked bread.  I remember, with fascination, the clerk taking a fresh loaf, pushing it through a slicing machine, and then deftly shoving it into a waxed bag.  That bread was the best.

My grandmother made most of her family’s bread, and it was delicious.  She made a light rye bread that was baked into a large, round loaf.  She didn’t buy yeast; instead, she would seed a new batch of dough with a portion of the dough she had saved from the week before.  I can’t imagine that she measured anything; she just knew what to do after baking thousands of loaves of bread by hand. Making bread was part of her life, and I’m sure it occupied at least one whole day of her week.

My mom would make yeasted bakery, but I don’t recall her making bread.  Most of her yeast bakes consisted of various filled coffee cakes, which we called kolaches, not to be confused with those delicious fruit-filled cookies called Kolacky.  

I’m not sure exactly when I made my first loaf of bread, but I started to make it regularly during my residency.  I was divorced at that time, and one of the few things that I took from that marriage was a large Cuisinart food processor, as my ex had no use for it.

I love machines, and the Cuisinart is one of them. I was determined to learn how to utilize every aspect of its capabilities, including its ability to knead bread dough.  I read somewhere that a flour company had a recipe book for “cool rise bread,” and I tracked down their address, which was in another state.  This was before the internet, so that task was more complicated than typing in a query in Google. I wrote them a letter..

A few weeks later, I received a nice note from the flour company, saying that they were surprised to hear from me, as their flour was not sold in the Chicago market.  However, they sent me the booklet and wished me well. I adapted their recipes for my food processor.

Cool-rise recipes were ideal for me at that time, as I could quickly mix and knead the dough in the food processor, then drop the dough into a couple of bread pans that I placed in the refrigerator, where they would slowly rise. Eight to 48 hours later, I would bake the bread at my convenience.  Having fresh bakery fresh bread as a poor medical resident was a tremendous morale booster. Typically,  I ate generic white bread that tasted like sawdust. 

When the bread machine craze hit in the 1990s, I bought a machine that made one-pound loaves.  I upgraded to a machine that made 2-pound loaves sometime in the early 2000s, and I still have that machine today. However, I eventually stopped using my bread machine, and I’m not sure why.

This bread machine is over 20 years old, and it still works!

As my kids got older, I would make bread for them as a treat; soon, they were helping me in the process. By then, I had graduated to a Bosch Universal Mixer, a tremendous mixer that could make six loaves of 100% whole wheat bread at a time.  It was great. However, the Bosch method still required work, and I no longer need six loaves of bread. 

My Bosch Universal Mixer can easily make six loaves of 100% whole wheat bread.
I rarely need this much bread now.
The bread made in the Bosch is fantastic, but it still requires some work.

During the pandemic, I was cleaning my basement and rediscovered my bread machine. Would it even power up after sitting dormant for years?  The answer was yes!.

I do most of the household’s cooking and make a lot of food from scratch.  I cook many combination foods, such as soups, stews, and casseroles.  These types of foods lend themselves well to a bread product, and I’ll often whip up something ranging from cornbread to a savory muffin.  However, nothing has quite the allure of the smell of freshly baked bread.

Humans have been making some form of bread for over 14,000 years, and it is possible to make bread with the simplest methods and ingredients.  Some people love the physicality of kneading dough, but I’m not one of them.  However, I love the taste of homemade yeast products, and that is where my old bread machine comes to my rescue.  I can toss in a few inexpensive ingredients, press a button, and a few hours later, I have a fantastic loaf of warm bread.

There are hundreds of bread recipes that can be made in a bread machine.  White, rye, wheat, fruited, nutted, egg-enriched, sweet, savory, you name it. I made a nice white loaf today.  What did it cost me for a 2-pound loaf of fresh, delicious bread?  Around seventy-eight cents, including the cost of the electricity. 

Bread machines are no longer trendy, so you can often get a used one at a second-hand store for almost nothing.  Just make sure that the pan and paddle are included and that it powers up when plugged in.  They are very durable, as mine is still running strong, despite being over 20 years old. Most electronic gadgets left in a basement for years would be out of commission. Mine is not an isolated case, as there are internet reports of others who are still using their bread machines decades after purchase.

In fact, I recently searched for bread machines on Facebook Marketplace and found many used models in the $10-25 range.  You can’t even go to McDonald’s for that amount of cash.  If you are interested, this is what to look for:

-Get a machine that makes between a 1.5 and 2-pound loaf

-Most prefer a traditional horizontal pan, but a vertical pan also works.

-Make sure that the unit comes with the baking pan AND the paddle. 

-Make sure it powers up when plugged in.

-You can find recipes on the internet, and you can likely download your particular machine’s manual/recipe guide from the manufacturer’s website.

Many new bread machines sell for under $100, but top-of-the-line machines, such as those from Zojirushi, cost hundreds.  Zojirushi is considered the best, but most will do fine with a less expensive brand.

Machines come with multiple programs to make different types of bread.  Most users will use only three types: standard (white) bread, whole wheat, and dough.  The dough setting is a great option, as the machine will do all of the hard work of making the dough, and all you have to do is form it for baking.  The dough setting is terrific for making pizza dough, rolls, coffee cakes, and braided breads, where you make the dough in the machine but bake it in your regular oven.

Most bread machines come with various programs to bake different types of bread, such as white and whole wheat. The controls may appear complicated, but they are very easy to learn, and in most cases, all you need to do is press a button.

Some additional program settings may be included such as sweet breads, and gluten-free bread. If your bread maker doesn’t have a particular specialty setting you can try using the standard white bread setting. Additionally, some machines allow you to create programs where you determine each step of the bread making process. This last option is for advanced users who develop their own recipes or who use unique bread flours that require unusual mixing, kneading, and backing times. Will you use the cake, yogurt, or jam settings that your machine may have?  Probably not, but that’s your choice.

Although many ingredients can be used to make bread, here are the basic ones and why they are necessary:

Flour – There are many types of flour, but for simplicity, let’s focus on white flour.  Most bread machine recipes instruct you to use bread flour, a flour with a 15% gluten content.  When your machine kneads dough, the gluten proteins are altered, becoming stretchy and more flexible.  This results in a delicious, chewy, and spongy bread.  All-purpose (AP) flour is a versatile flour suitable for a wide range of applications.  It typically has a gluten content of 12-13% so bread made with AP flour won’t be quite as chewy or structurally sound as bread made from bread flour.  In an ideal world, use bread flour for optimal results. You can simulate bread flour by adding a couple of tablespoons of Vital Wheat Gluten to AP flour to your bread ingredients, or just forgo the vital wheat gluten and still make a delicious breadmaker loaf using only AP flour. I often do that as I always have AP flour on hand. Lastly, cake flour contains only 7-9% gluten, as you don’t want a chewy cake; the low gluten content assures a tender result. 

AP flour is inexpensive. This bag will make five one-pound loaves of bread. I often use AP flour because it’s in my household stock.
Bread flour is also inexpensive, and it makes a better loaf. If you make bread regularly, consider buying and using bread flour.

Yeast-yeast is a living organism that feeds on the sugars and starches in bread dough and produces carbon dioxide gas, or CO2, as a byproduct.  It is the CO2 gas bubbles that cause bread to rise. The yeast is killed in the baking process. Yeast comes in various types.  Some bread machines use Active Dry Yeast, while others require Bread Machine Yeast, which is also called Instant Yeast. Instant Yeast granules are smaller and dissolve faster than the granules of Active Dry Yeast.

My bread machine uses Active Dry Yeast that I can buy in bulk at Costco. Each loaf uses only around ten cents’ worth of yeast.

Sugar-any form of sugar can be used, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and molasses.  Small amounts of sugar are added to help jump-start the yeast’s growth. 

Any sugary product can be used for bead making, but most people have white sugar on hand. The recipe below uses around five cents of sugar.

Salt-salt adds flavor and also controls yeast growth.  Never mix salt with the yeast when you add your ingredients; put them in a separate spot in the machine’s bread pan.  

Water– is needed to bind all of the ingredients together.  Naturally, other liquids, such as milk, are sometimes used to achieve a different type of loaf.

Other ingredients-.Eggs, dried fruits, spices, cheese, meats, different types of flours, nuts, butter, cooking oil, powdered milk, you name it.  Each addition requires a slightly different recipe and may require different rising and baking times.  The good news is that others have already figured out all of this. If you have a new machine, read the manual/recipe booklet.  If you purchased a used breadmaker, download its manual, which will include recipes ranging from white bread to pizza dough, specifically created for your machine.

A simple and inexpensive white bread recipe.

*You must add ingredients into the baking pan in the order written. 

-1.5 cups warm water

-2 T cooking oil

-1 and 3/4 t salt

-4 cups or 500 gms bread flour (or AP flour)

-2 T sugar

-2 ¼ tsp bread maker yeast (I use regular Active Dry Yeast with good results)

I weigh my flour for better results. Five hundred grams is equivalent to 4 cups of flour.
Add ingredients in the order listed. I keep the salt and the yeast in separate spots, as salt can kill yeast if it is too concentrated.
Just press a button and the machine will mix and knead the dough in several cycles before baking it.
A perfect loaf!
Use a serrated bread knife when cutting soft breads. The knife on the top is a food service knife, and it wasn’t very expensive. Its slightly longer length works well to make short work out of making slices.
Nothing is quite as wonderful as fresh, warm, crusty homemade bread!

Use your bread maker’s “normal” or “white loaf” setting. Mine makes a great loaf of white bread in 3.5 hours. Total cost of the loaf, including electricity?  $0.78!

Allow the bread to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.  A serrated knife works best. Any will do, but I like a knife that is a bit longer. It is not necessary to buy an expensive serrated knife, as they are no different from a less expensive one.  Serrated knives don’t cut the bread; they tear into it.  I have also used a standard Chef’s knife.  If it is sharp enough, it will slice bread. 

Remember, that homemade bread has no preservatives or other agents to keep it looking fresh.  If you don’t consume it in a couple of days, freeze it.  You can purchase inexpensive bread bags on Amazon, as well as other types of containers, to store unused bread. If we have any left after a meal, we usually use a large Ziploc-style bag, as we have those on hand.

Homemade bread machine bread is delicious and almost effortless to make. Having a homemade slice of bread with dinner elevates the experience, and a lunch sandwich made with homemade bread is superior to any packaged product.  If you see a machine at a thrift store, give it a try.  If you want to buy new, there are many machines available in the sub-$100 range.  Happy bread making!

Mike

Images are my own or screenshots used only for educational purposes.

frugal living, saving on food, Uncategorized

Inflation, Shrinkflation, And Trump’s Tariff Taxes. Why? And Options To Survive These Difficult Times.

 My wife came home from Costco.  Lately, when I go to Costco I wind up spending $300-$400. “What was the bill?” I asked  “I only spent $100,” she said. “Awesome!” I replied.  However it turns out that it was $100 for only 5 items.

I’m finding that I feel anxious when thinking about buying food, and I have noticed that I’m not only changing how we currently eat, but I’m also contemplating how I can further adapt our eating habits.

I have long given up regular trips to restaurants, and I have dramatically cut back on what I order when I go through a drive-through.  Cuts of beef, from a steak to a pot roast, have become luxury items for special celebrations.  Now, even ground beef is starting to feel out of reach. I just came back from the grocery store.  I passed on ground beef and bought ground turkey instead.

My friend sent me this photo from Costco. imported beef at almost $350!

Inflation accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We were informed that prices would need to increase due to supply chain issues and factory slowdowns resulting from worker illnesses.  However, that is only part of the story.  A 2023 report from the Fed noted that overall corporate profits were 11.3% in 2020, 19.2% in 2021, and 15.1% in 2022.  In other words, corporations generated significantly more profit during the COVID-19 pandemic.  They passed on any extra costs to the consumer and also saw an opportunity to add a “little more,” as consumers were conditioned to expect higher prices. 

Corporations realize that if they create the right narrative or gradually increase prices, the populace will accept higher prices to a certain extent. A fundamental principle of economics is that when prices become too high, people stop buying. When this happens, a company will likely lower the cost of the item to encourage buying. When consumers are comfortable with the new, lower but still elevated price, the company will resume the increase. In this push/pull system, the overall price of the items continues to increase over time.

A few years back, I would buy a dozen eggs at Walmart for eighty-eight cents.  They were an economical source of protein. Then the prices began to rise steadily.  At one point, a dozen eggs were selling for almost $7.  They were no longer a bargain, and I, along with others, curtailed my egg purchases. I went so far as to use an egg substitute when baking. When prices dropped to $4, I thought happy times had returned, yet I was still paying over four and a half times more than my original price.  That is a 450% increase in a basic commodity.  

We were told that eggs were more expensive due to the bird flu. Was that true?  No, it wasn’t.  The largest corporation in the egg business is Cal-Maine. They control 25% of the market pie.  Their profits have soared during the bird flu, and guess what, their egg production was only slightly impacted.  The bird flu was used as an excuse to raise prices. Did you notice that there was a shortage of eggs, but not a shortage of chicken?  If bird flu were so damaging, we would have seen a shortage of chicken, too. I’m not saying that bird flu wasn’t real.  However, I am saying that it was used, just like COVID, to raise prices well beyond where they needed to go. 

Have you noticed that Hershey bars are more expensive?  This is due to the increased prices of ingredients such as cocoa and sugar, correct?  During a corporate call to shareholders, the CEO of Hershey informed stockholders that the increased prices not only covered inflation but also significantly increased profits.  That is the same story as the eggs. Take a real situation and use it to create a plausible narrative that encourages consumers to spend more money.

Add tricks like shrinkflation and skimpflation, and the consumer gets even less for their cash.

Food companies can use these tactics because we no longer have a competitive market.  A relatively small number of companies control our food supply.  They no longer have to compete by offering value.  Instead, when one company raises its prices, the others tend to follow. 

My newish refrigerator has a water filter that has to be changed every 6 months.  The filter is specific to the brand, and I’m unaware of 3rd party options.  That filter contains activated charcoal to improve the water’s taste and possibly also includes a sediment filter. These filters should not be costly to manufacture, and objectively have not improved the quality of my city water.  How much is this proprietary filter?  Forty-nine dollars!  That is $100 a year that I have to spend on something that I don’t need or want.

My buying habits are changing.  I no longer want the fanciest fridge; A future one will be as basic as I can get. I want my 2014 car to last as long as possible. For me, there is no excitement in buying a new car for $60,000 to $80,000. Especially, since many new cars are plagued by factory recalls. By the way, some cars now require a monthly subscription to keep certain functions.  You buy a brand new car, but you have to pay more money just to use its features.

Add to this corporate greed the new Trump tariff taxes that have been imposed on us.  Please listen,  tariffs are a tax imposed on consumers. In this case, they are no different than a state sales tax that you pay, except that this sales tax goes to the federal government. Tariffs are a means of increasing federal revenue through taxation of citizens. This is not my fantasy or opinion; this is a fact.

Let’s say I buy a pound of coffee for $10.  In my area, a 1.75% state sales tax is applied to grocery purchases, so the total cost of a pound of coffee is $10.18.  However, there is now a 50% tariff tax on products from Brazil, which is a major coffee producer.  That increase will be passed on to the consumer, as corporations must generate profits for their shareholders.  Now, my coffee will cost me $10 plus a 51.75% tax, or $15.18. Don’t believe me?  Take a look at the increase in coffee prices at your local store.  Guess what?  The costs are likely to increase even further.   Naturally, some companies will try to add a few bucks past that amount to make “a little extra.” 

My primary concerns center on the items I use and consume on a daily basis, including food and other products.  I’m changing my habits here too.

In 1999, I was treating several prominent scientists, as I live in a technology and research corridor.  They warned me about the potential catastrophe that could happen as we entered the year 2000.  Honestly, it spooked me, and, being a planner, I overreacted.  I bought everything from long-term storage foods to diapers (my kids were young at the time). The 2000 collapse never occurred, and my wife was not very happy with my purchasing decisions, many of which had to be discarded in the end. Lesson learned.  However, I’m still a preparer, and I do think it is rational to make behavioral changes now and to do some limited stockpiling.  The latter won’t eliminate inflationary problems, but they may soften the blow a bit, at least for a while. 

Sadly, some cash on hand is needed to do many of these things, and cash has become increasingly scarce for some as prices have gone up.  However, if you select and implement some of these options, you may see benefits in the suggestions.

Major appliances

Virtually all major appliances source their parts from international manufacturers.  This is true for companies that build appliances in the US. After all, we have had a global economy for the last 70 years. If you believe an appliance is nearing the end of its life, this may be the ideal time to purchase while old stock is still available. Additionally,  check the reliability of a particular brand. New appliances don’t last as long as older models, but some are better than others. 

Clothing

I’m fortunate to be retired, as my wardrobe is not only casual but also repetitive.  If it is clean, I wear it.  However, if you need clothing, you may want to explore options from sales to resale.  I believe in a capsule wardrobe where a few pieces can be utilized in multiple ways. Use what you have, buy only what you need (not want).  Opt for quality over designer brands or fast fashion. Basic colors and classic styles are the best approach.  The goal is to look neat, but to NOT have people remember what you wore a week earlier. Basic, neat clothes will do just that.

Energy

All energy costs are high, and many are going up.  Practice reducing your energy needs.  Turn up the AC temperature and turn down the furnace temperature.  Use LED lights and turn them off when you are not in a room.  Plan errands so you can accomplish several in one trip instead of multiple trips.  Consider unplugging devices, like a rarely used TV, as many of them consume almost as much power when they are “off” as when they are “on.”  Cook using energy-efficient appliances like a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or toaster oven, as they are more energy-efficient than a traditional stove. If you use your oven try to make multiple dishes in it at the same time.  

Small appliances can not only save you energy costs, they tenderize tough meats and make your cooking tasks easier.

Batteries

Batteries are expensive, and almost all of them are made overseas, so they will become even more costly.  Consider buying items that can be recharged.  Also consider purchasing rechargeable batteries.  Most of my flashlights are USB rechargeable, and I also have AA and AAA batteries that I can recharge hundreds of times before they need to be replaced.  Batteries will increase in price due to the Trump tariff taxes. 

Food and Consumables

I suggest buying extras if you can afford to do so.  A little extra here and there will temporarily save you money in the long run.

Cleaning solutions.

When COVID-19 hit, I found it very difficult to find many typical soaps and cleaning products, so I started concocting my own.  I fill a 32-oz spray bottle with warm water and add a scant teaspoon of dishwashing soap or one ounce of all-purpose cleaner (such as Lysol or Mr. Clean) for an effective and gentle surface cleaner.  I use a squirt of dish detergent to clean my toilets, and cheap powdered Comet to clean my sinks. 

American-made cleaning solutions are often made from chemicals purchased abroad, so their prices are likely to increase.  P&G is already implementing price changes that are likely to continue to rise.  You may want to have extras of all cleaning products that you use, from dish soap to dishwasher and laundry detergent. We usually use dishwasher pods, but I bought a few boxes of dishwasher powder as it is relatively inexpensive and can be stretched if necessary. Additionally, I purchased extra laundry detergent. If you live a sedentary, dirt-free life like me, you may not need the most expensive laundry detergent.  You can get by with a cheap detergent and a spray bottle of stain remover for those occasional spills and splashes. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I couldn’t even find liquid hand soap, so I made do by using a foaming dispenser.  Fill the foam dispenser with 20% liquid hand soap and 80% water to save money. You will get foam soap that works great and doesn’t drip all over your sink.

Paper Products

I love my paper products, but I’m making a conscious effort to reduce their use.  A significant portion of paper pulp originates from Canada, and the Trump tariff taxes are particularly high on Canadian products.  A few months back, I purchased extra dish towels, which I’m trying to use instead of paper towels. Old rags are also helpful.  If you have old T-shirts, cut them up and give them a new cleaning life. I still use paper towels when the situation calls for it, but I use them more sparingly.  I’m also reducing the number of paper plates that I use. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I struggled to find toilet paper, so I installed a bidet.  The fancy ones are pricey, but you can buy a basic one for under $50. This may sound crazy, but you can be much “cleaner” just using a bidet.  Naturally, we still have TP, but we are using less of it. A bidet was something that I never thought about, and now that I have one, I can’t imagine not having one. They are that good.

Plastic Products

We appreciate the convenience of Ziploc-type bags and use them for everything from lunches to storing leftovers; however, we are trying to use them less frequently.  They will be going up in price as their raw materials increase in cost.  There are specific Rubbermaid-like containers for sandwiches, food storage, and just about everything else. If you are especially frugal, you will find that many lunchmeat packages can be reused as a sandwich container.  Pro tip: Wash all containers by hand to prevent dishwasher lid shrinkage.

Food Products

All foods are increasing in price, but those strongly impacted by the Trump tariff taxes will be hit the hardest. It may be a good idea to stockpile non-perishable foods. I’m buying a few extras of the following types of foods:

-Beans, rice, lentils, etc. 

All of these items have very long shelf lives if stored in a cool, dry place.  We are trying to incorporate more of these products into our regular diet.

-Canned goods

We have switched to house brands and are purchasing more of the products we regularly use, such as canned tomatoes.  Canned vegetables can be good bargains, but, like everything else, their price will increase over time. Canned food doesn’t require refrigeration, and stores best in a cool, dry place.  Many canned foods, including meats, will stay usable for years in a sealed/undamaged can.

-Sugar

Today I bought a spare 4-pound bag of sugar, as we do a lot of baking from scratch. Sugar prices are on the rise and are expected to continue increasing. Sugar can last indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place.

-Basic ingredients

I’m also buying extras of spices that I commonly use, as their prices are expected to increase. The same can be said of everyday items, such as cooking oil and olive oil. Since we cook a lot from scratch, I bought an extra tub of baking powder and cornstarch to have on hand.

Walmart, Aldi, and dollar stores often sell spices significantly lower than a typical grocery store. If you use a spice often you can buy it in larger quantities at warehouse clubs, like Costco.

-Meats

The price of beef is outrageous, so I’m finding that we are not only having meatless and low-meat meals, but we are also shifting our meat preferences away from beef, including hamburger. I’m just back from the grocery store, where I bought ground turkey, which was on sale instead of hamburger. I’m also experimenting with TVP, or textured vegetable protein, as a nutritious, high-protein additive to stretch meat.

Here I’m using soy chunks (TVP) instead of beef. The final product was pretty good!

-Do Price Checks

It used to be that if you bought a larger size of something, the overall price was cheaper. That is no longer the case.  Check the price per ounce or price per item in the box to ensure that you are getting the best value. With that said, meat and other items can be substantially cheaper when purchased in family packs or larger bulk packages.

-Clip Coupons

I’m adding this as some people can save quite a bit with coupons.  However, I really hate using coupons.  Our standard grocery store offers values, coupons, digital coupons, sale prices, two-for-one deals, buy one and get 50% off the second item, and other promotions.  I feel like I need a PhD in groceries to choose the right option. More than once, I found out that I did the wrong thing at checkout and had to pay full price. I would rather shop at a store that consistently offers lower prices.

-Shop discount stores

Consider shopping at discount grocery stores, like Aldi.  These stores are smaller, making them easier to navigate. They have fewer options, so no decision fatigue, and their overall prices are lower.  In my area, prices are significantly lower than those at a standard grocery store.

I love my local Aldi.

-Cook from scratch

Cooking from scratch is easy, less expensive, and yields superior results.  I use appliances like a slow cooker and Instant Pot to make my cooking even simpler.  You can find simple recipes using a basic cookbook (like Betty Crocker) or online.  

I have a relative who exclusively uses convenience foods, including frozen dinners.  She spends hundreds of dollars every week on her food, which is her right.  However, I mostly buy from Aldi and purchase basic ingredients.  I often cook for five, and I spend less per week on groceries than she does for one. The more prepared a food is, the more expensive it is.

The more you cook from scratch, the easier it become. Also, the food tastes better!

-Cook and buy intentionally

I prepare balanced meals, but they often consist of combination foods, such as soups, stews, and casseroles.  These foods are meat stretchers.  I also try to make enough food without having a lot of waste.  I know that my son will eagerly eat leftovers for lunch, but only once or twice. If I’m making something like a pot of soup, I proportion it accordingly.  If I have extra food beyond what I can use as leftovers, I’ll freeze it for future use. 

-Substitute when needed

Some recipes require a lot of exotic spices or ingredients.  If the recipe is too elaborate, I’ll move on.  However, I have also learned the art of substitution. If I can approximate a spice blend that I’ll rarely use, I’ll mix my own. If a recipe calls for tomato paste and I only have a can of tomatoes, I’ll use that and adjust the liquid accordingly. If the recipe calls for buttermilk, I’ll add a little vinegar to milk and make my own. I do this often, and with a little trial and error, I usually produce a good product using reasonable substitutions.

-Consider “Meatless Monday”

Consider a meatless dinner once or twice a week.  The options are endless and delicious.

Meatless meals can be satisfying and delicious!

-Use up stuff.

Americans waste 30-40% of the food that they purchase. That is money that you throw away. Consider checking out your perishables and creating new meals based on them, rather than just following your taste. Be creative and repurpose leftovers.  Add leftover rice to a can of soup for lunch, or use last night’s leftover vegetables in today’s casserole. You get the idea. 

-Limit Options

Instead of having endless choices, limit what you use and eat. I rotate between a couple of basic breakfasts every day, and most of them don’t involve meat.  I eat a lot of peanut butter, often adding it to something like oatmeal, an apple, or toast for breakfast.  

Some families have a roster of 10-20 dinners that they rotate.  This makes grocery shopping and meal preparation simple and routine. 

I’m a peanut butter fan and will often have it on an apple, banana, toast, or mix it into some oatmeal for breakfast.

-Use prepared foods sparingly

I do use some prepared foods, but I’m careful about what I use, not only because of the cost but also because of the additives.  However, sometimes a can of condensed soup can make it easier for me when I’m throwing together a casserole, or I’ll use a cake mix for an impromptu dessert.  

-Give yourself a break

Long ago, we started to have carry-out pizza every Friday for dinner.  However, we have now switched to frozen pizza, and we buy our pizzas on sale.  Is it the healthiest food? No, of course not.  But it serves its purpose as an easy meal after a long week. Sometimes life is about compromises.

-Learn to bake

A lot of baking is elementary, and nothing tastes better than homemade baked goods.  We do scratch baking, but also use mixes, which are inexpensive and yield a good result.  This Sunday, I’m going to make lentil soup, and I’ll also make a homemade loaf of bread.  I have an old breadmaker, and all I have to do is add some ingredients and press a button. You can often find used breadmakers at second-hand stores for next to nothing.  Just make sure it has its baking pan and dough paddle, and that it powers up. Real, delicious warm bread for less than the cost of the store-bought stuff. Perfect to go with some soup.

Baking is fun and easy. Here I made some muffins from scratch, but I used a cake mix for an Angle Food Cake.

-Consider a freezer

OK, this may sound crazy, but a freezer can save you money.  They are not very expensive, and you can often find used ones at very low prices. The chest style ones are the least convenient but the cheapest to buy and operate.  A freezer uses very little electricity per year. I have had a 12-cubic-foot, non-defrosting freezer for at least 25 years.  It is great to have when I find a good sale or buy in bulk. I am certain that my freezer has saved me a significant amount of money over its 25-year lifespan. 

My little freezer has saved me a lot of money over the years. Freezers use very little electricity.

-Consider a vacuum sealer

You’ve seen me say this in post after post. No, I don’t have stock in a vacuum sealer company!

You can buy an off-brand for under $50, and bags/rolls can be purchased cheaply if you buy generic in bulk.  I have used a vacuum sealer since the early 1990s and a chamber-type vacuum sealer since 2022.  Vacuum sealing meats will keep them free from freezer burn, and meats can last for years in a freezer. I vacuum seal a lot of other stuff too, but that’s for another post. 

Chamber sealers are more expensive, but they use dirt cheap bags and handle liquids well.  As a vacuum sealer enthusiast, I purchased one.  However, if you are getting started, consider buying a traditional external vacuum sealer (similar to a FoodSaver) on Amazon for $50-$100, as well as some bags or rolls.  Using a vacuum sealer can save you money over time.

I use a chamber vacuum sealer, but they may be too much for a beginner. Consider a traditional external vacuum sealer.

I am not saying you have to do everything on this list; I’m just trying to motivate you to think about ways to stretch your dollar in these challenging times of inflation and enormous taxes. Use your critical thinking to generate your ideas.  Ponder, “Do I need to buy this?  How can I use something that I already have? And so on. We are in this together!

Peace

Mike

cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., Electric Pressure Cooker, frugal cooking, Mealthy Pressure cooker, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Chicken Paprikash For Dinner Tonight!

Food prices have been rising significantly and are expected to continue increasing with the new tariff taxes that we are all now paying.  Since everything, from the aluminum in a soda can to the tomatoes on our salads, is imported, it is expected that the prices of most foods will increase further over time. Even US-sourced foods are skyrocketing in price.  I was recently at the grocery store and spotted a beef brisket being sold for an astounding $75!  I always thought of brisket as a tough, cheap cut of meat, but along with ribs and chicken wings, what was once cheap is now expensive.

Seventy-five dollars for a beef brisket!

I was on a road trip with my wife.  We stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s.  I got a breakfast meal, she got an Egg McMuffin, coffee, and a soda, and our bill was almost $20. Eating at McDonald’s was always a cheap way to feed my family when we didn’t want to cook. My kids eat less conservatively than Julie or me.  If we were traveling as a family, a breakfast at McDonald’s could now cost us $60 to $70. I’m starting to think of Fast Food as a luxury option!

Groceries have become expensive, but it is still more cost-effective to cook at home. Chicken thighs are relatively inexpensive, especially when you buy them in bulk.  I’ll often purchase them at Costco, as they are already portioned into smaller packs that are suitable for freezing.  If I find a reasonable price elsewhere, I separate the chicken into meal-sized portions and freeze them using my vacuum sealer. 

A vacuum sealer is the unsung hero of food preservation.  Vacuum sealers can be a relatively inexpensive purchase and can dramatically reduce your food waste.  I’ll separate meats into meal-sized portions, label the vacuum bags with the type of meat and the date, and then freeze them. This prevents waste from freezer burn.  

If we only use part of a package of bacon, I’ll vacuum-seal the rest and store it in the refrigerator.  Vacuum-sealed bacon will stay fresh much longer.  I’ll do the same with a cut avocado to prevent it from turning brown.  

Individual portions of a casserole or soup can be vacuum sealed and frozen.  Need a quick lunch?  You can reheat the food by the “boil in bag” method, or by venting and microwaving. 

Being creative, you can extend the lives of many foods by vacuum sealing.  A vacuum-sealed chunk of cheese won’t dry out and will stay mold-free.  Strawberries (using a vacuum jar or a Mason Jar sealed with a vacuum-seal jar attachment) will stay fuzz-free much longer in the fridge.  Fresh meats will also remain good longer in the refrigerator if vacuum sealed first.  Sometimes, I’ll find meat on sale and I’ll keep it in the fridge to cook the next day.  Life happens, and plans change.  If I have to delay cooking, I’ll vacuum-seal the refrigerated meat to extend its shelf life longer.

The most significant expense associated with using a vacuum sealer is the cost of the bags. Brand-name bags are great, but they are expensive.  However, you can find acceptable and much cheaper off-brand alternatives when buying in bulk on Amazon and other sites.  

I typically use a different type of vacuum sealer, known as a chamber vacuum sealer.  This type creates a stronger vacuum and easily handles liquid contents.  Traditional external vacuum sealers require special techniques when sealing liquids. Another significant advantage of using a chamber vacuum sealer is the lower cost of the bags, which is comparable to that of a Ziploc bag.  Again, buying them in bulk is the key. 

You can get a decent traditional external vacuum sealer for under $100, with many costing under $60.  Chamber sealers used to cost well over $1,000, but Chinese-made versions hit the market a few years ago, and I have seen chamber sealers in the sub-$300 range.  The brand-named $1,000 sealers were designed for semi-professional use and were intended to last a consumer a lifetime.  I can’t verify the longevity of the no-brand units, but they would likely last well enough for a homeowner if properly maintained. I have tried a few of them, and they seal just as well as the brand-named products.

I made this little video for a friend who was beginning to use a vacuum sealer. However, you might find it helpful as well.

Baked chicken is delicious, but can be boring if served too often.  There are thousands of recipes that use chicken as an ingredient, stretching this meat while creating a delightful end result.  Today’s recipe is for Chicken Paprikash, featuring chicken thighs in a creamy paprika sauce.  Due to the richness of the dish, one decent-sized chicken thigh served over noodles is usually enough for most of my family members, with my son occasionally opting for two.  You can substitute other chicken parts if you wish.  Chicken legs are even less expensive than chicken thighs.  I’m guessing that two good-sized legs would constitute a portion for a typical eater. 

I use an electric pressure cooker (similar to an Instant Pot) to speed up my cooking process.  However, you can also prepare the same recipe in a heavy pot/Dutch oven or even a heavy, high-sided frying pan with a lid. This dish can be prepared on the stovetop or by starting on the stovetop and then finishing it in the oven.  There are also recipes for paprikash that can be made in a slow cooker.  If you choose a different method, just Google for recipe times.  For instance, “recipe for Chicken Paprikash in a Dutch oven.”  Many of the recipes will be similar, but the times and possible amounts of liquids may vary.  If you are using a manual stove-top pressure cooker (which operates at a higher pressure), you can reduce the pressure cooking time slightly (13 minutes instead of 15 minutes under pressure).

Chicken Paprikash Made In An Instant Pot- Electric Pressure Cooker.

Ingredients

-Oil

-3-4 pounds chicken thighs

-salt and pepper

-1 large onion chopped

-heaping teaspoon jar garlic

-¼ cup paprika

-1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

-12 oz chicken broth, or water with a broth substitute like “Better Than Bullion.”

-1 cup sour cream

-½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream (optional)

  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Set the pressure cooker to “sear” and add a small amount of oil.  Lightly brown the chicken in batches, avoiding overcrowding, as this will cause the chicken to steam instead of brown.
  2. Remove the chicken and add new chicken pieces to brown until the job is completed. Set aside the browned chicken for now.
  3. Add the chopped onion and let it soften in the pressure cooker (the cooker is still on sear/sauté).  When soft, add the garlic and stir for around 30 seconds.  Then add the paprika and lightly cook it to bring out its flavor.  Avoid burning the paprika.  Add the tomato paste. After around 20 seconds, add the broth to the mix and stir everything together.
  4. Return the chicken to the pot and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.  Let the chicken “rest” for 10 minutes after cooking is done before releasing the pressure.  This will keep the chicken juicy.
  5. Remove the chicken to a serving platter.  Put the sour cream in a bowl and add around  ½ cup of the broth from the pressure cooker, stirring until everything is incorporated.  Then mix this into the broth in the pot.  
  6. Optional:  I sometimes add ½ cup of half-and-half or heavy cream if I have it on hand.
  7. If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix a heaping tablespoon or two of cornstarch with around two tablespoons of cold water, then stream/mix this mixture into your boiling broth.
  8. Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste in the sauce and pour it over the chicken.
  9. Serve on a starch of your choice.  Noodles work well.  I had some dried spätzle that I cooked up.  
  10. A biscuit, bread, or muffin can complement the meal, making your dinner hearty and satisfying.

My measurements are approximate as I cook by feel.  With many recipes, a slight variance doesn’t make much of a difference in the end product.  For instance, using ¾ cup or 1 1/4 cups of sour cream will both yield a delicious paprikash.  When you are starting your cooking journey, the most essential ingredients to measure are the spices (including salt), as too much can ruin a dish.  Baking tends to require more exact measurements, but even with baking, some variance is allowed. 

Chicken Paprikash utilizes many common food staples and doesn’t require exotic ingredients.
Pat the chicken dry to reduce spattering when browning. I used some seasoned salt, but salt and pepper work too.
Brown the chicken in batches, avoiding overcrowding.
Sauté the onions in the electric pressure cooker until they soften, then add the garlic. Adding the garlic too early will cause it to burn.
Add the paprika and cook it gently, avoiding burning. Add the tomato paste.
Add the broth and mix until everything is combined.
Return the chicken to the pot, secure the lid, and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
After the cooking time is done, allow the chicken to rest in the cooker for 10 minutes before releasing the steam. In a pinch, you can release the steam immediately, but that may result in slightly drier chicken.
Mix some of the hot liquid from the pressure cooker into the sour cream until smooth. Then pour this mixture back into the pressure cooker, which is once again set to “sear/brown.”
With the pressure cooker still set to “sear/brown,” adjust the salt/pepper levels to your liking. Add salt only a little at a time (around 1/2 teaspoon), tasting in between each addition. You can always add salt, but you can’t remove it. If you want to add a thickener, such as cornstarch, the liquid must be boiling. 1-2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in approximately two tablespoons of cold water should suffice. Add this in a stream while stirring, and your sauce should thicken in a minute or two.
Pour the sauce over the chicken to complete the dish. Reserve additional sauce to be added over the noodles.
Served over some noodles, accompanied by a biscuit to complete the meal. Very filling and delicious!
cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., Electric Pressure Cooker, Mealthy Pressure cooker, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Chicken Carcass Soup!

The advantage of writing a non-commercial blog is that I can write whatever strikes my fancy.  Often, this is based on what has caught my interest in the news or an article I’ve read, or sometimes something in my personal life.

Most recently, I have been struck by the runaway inflation that impacts every aspect of our lives, from purchases to repairs.  Many of these costs are unavoidable, with few opportunities for cost reduction.  However, I have been trying to exercise some options by doing things that I have never done before.  For instance, I’m now negotiating for a lower price for a simple home repair.  My plan is to do this reasonably, where both parties benefit. I receive a small discount, and the repair person gets the job. Additionally, I’ll call several shops when I need a car repair, such as replacing my brake pads.  In the past, I would use my local dealership as it was convenient.  Now, I’m willing to drive to a more distant shop and wait, which can result in hundreds of dollars of savings.

My parents raised five kids on a single salary.  Naturally, the times and expectations were different in those days.  Things were repaired instead of replaced, and we had only one car, which was typically used. I had few clothes;  when I attended a Catholic grade school (grades 1-8), I wore a school “uniform” and had two pairs of navy blue pants and two light blue shirts.  During the majority of my freshman year at a public high school, I had one pair of pants.  I thought no one noticed until I got a second pair around three-quarters of the way through the school year. My lab partner remarked, “OMG, you have a second pair of pants!”  He quickly realized what he had said and tried to retract his statement.  I was embarrassed, but we went on with our lesson.  

I knew money was an issue at home, but I never felt that we were in danger of not getting our true needs met.  Food was always plentiful, thanks to my father’s passion for food and my mother’s expertise in stretching a food budget.  My mom was a great cook, and my friends often wanted to eat at our house.  Now, looking back, she was able to turn simple ingredients into marvelous meals. Much of this was achieved by cooking foods from scratch and occasionally using convenience foods, such as canned condensed soups, as an ingredient base, to expedite her meal-making process. I learned by watching.

I have had periods where I was objectively penniless.  The eight years that I spent in medical school and residency were times of sacrifice.  My first marriage ended while I was in medical school. By the time I started my residency, I was living in my own apartment, paying child support, and trying to live as frugally as possible. I was so poor that I survived on the change in my pocket, and I had to take drastic measures for even the most rudimentary tasks, such as buying and preparing food.  I rarely ate in the hospital’s subsidized cafeteria as I found it too expensive.  

I had roughly $20 for my weekly food budget (approximately $58 in 2025 money), so money was tight.  In those days, grocery stores had “generic aisles” that featured basic foods with stenciled labels, such as “Green Beans” and “Flour.”  This food was not on par with house brands; it was significantly lower quality. Additionally, I would search for (then) low-cost meats like turkey legs, hamburger with TVP added, and generic baloney, which was certainly something other than real baloney. I would often make enough food for two meals, and before eating, I would separate half of the food into a Rubbermaid container.  That container would be my lunch for the next day. My system worked surprisingly well, and I believe that my lunches were often better than those of my richer colleagues, who were buying from the cafeteria.

Part of my ability to utilize my cooking system was my ease of cooking.  I believe that this was due to learning by watching my mom cook, as well as my opinion that cooking was simply a matter of practical chemistry.  Different methods often shared common roots.  If I understood fermentation when making bread, I could apply that knowledge to other processes, such as making yogurt.

When Julie returned to the paid workforce, I took over a lot of the meal prep, but I did it with a twist.  My kids became my co-participants, and we all worked on all aspects of food, from shopping to meal preparation to cleanup.  I wanted to instill these fundamental skills in them, and I wanted those skills to become second nature.

Now that my kids are living independently, I hear them talk about shopping “the sales” and preparing food from scratch.  My one daughter is in the habit of preparing recipes for a typical family of four, dividing that meal into four storage containers and feeding herself for four days on that initial preparation.  She is a busy professional who enjoys spending time with her friends and engaging in activities. She doesn’t want to spend all of her time in the kitchen and realizes the cost issues of always eating out.  

I have been retired for several years, but it is not uncommon for me to cook for groups of 3 to 6 adults.  I have done my best to save for my senior years; when you retire, you spend money, but you don’t make money.  I still cook many meals from scratch and use only a limited amount of prepared foods in my cooking.  I’m not adverse to using some processed foods, and on occasion, I’ll make a frozen meal, but that is not the majority of the time, as those meals are of lower quality and much more expensive than what I can make myself.

I wanted to share some of the simple recipes that I use to take some of the mystery out of cooking.  With a bit of practice and some basic tools, almost any type of meal prep is possible.  This will be a random series that I add as my mood dictates.

Today’s recipe is:

Chicken Carcass Soup

I know that sounds horrific, so you can call it (depending on how you make it) “Chicken Soup” or “Cream of Chicken Soup.”

The Costco $5 roasted chicken is a bargain in terms of both convenience and cost.  Additionally, it is delicious.  I’m able to feed my family dinner with a chicken, but there is usually quite a bit of fragmented meat left on the bone.  I developed this simple recipe to salvage this meat, and it has become a family favorite.  I usually make the creamed version, but you can opt for basic chicken soup if you prefer.  The recipe is very flexible; beyond some basic ingredients, you can be as creative as you wish.

-Refrigerate the chicken carcass with the remaining meat until used.  I prepare the soup within a few days of eating the roasted chicken. You can also use your own roasted chicken carcass (not Costco) or just a cut-up fresh chicken. If you do the latter you can add the chicken to the pot as is or brown it first. Browning will add more flavor. I think the skin adds flavor, but you can use skinless if you prefer.  Remember, pre-cut chicken is more expensive than a whole chicken. A carcass will yield a soup that is inexpensive to make.  A boneless, skinless chicken pack will be more expensive and won’t taste as good. 

-If using a carcass, remember that chicken is already thoroughly cooked, but you want to cook the vegetables.  You can simmer the soup for an extended period to achieve a richer/deeper flavor. 

-I often use a pressure cooker at high pressure for 15-20 minutes (quick release), but you can also use a big pot or Dutch oven. If you are using a pot, bring the contents to a boil and then immediately turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for around 30 minutes or longer (slow simmer) for a richer flavor.  A slow cooker also works for around 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 

-To make the basic chicken soup, I’ll use (very roughly) ½ of a chopped onion, anywhere from 2-4 stalks of sliced celery, around 3-6 cut-up carrots, and some salt and pepper. The vegetables can be a bit past their prime. In a pinch, I have used dried celery and even dried onions, but they are not quite as good.  If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll slightly char the onion, which adds flavor and depth.  I’ll always add a broth extender, usually “Better Than Bullion,” but in a pinch, a few bullion cubes also work.  I’ll add anywhere between ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt and a similar amount of black pepper.  I am always very sparing with salt, as bouillon contains a lot of it, as does the chicken.  I adjust the salt after the soup is cooked. I’ll add water to cover the solids, about two-thirds of the way up the carcass. You need enough water to cook the bones and vegetables.  However, too much will make a diluted soup.  You can always add water at the end of the cooking process if your broth is too concentrated. 

-You can add all sorts of additional vegetables if you wish.  Add some chopped, overripe tomatoes (not moldy, of course), or a can of tomatoes.  Add fresh, frozen, or canned peas, corn, green beans, carrots, or any other vegetable of your choice. If using canned vegetables, drain and add them at the end of the cooking process. However, avoid strong vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. Some soups do use strong vegetables, such as cabbage, and those soups can be delicious.  However, chicken soup is not one of them.

-If all you have is salt and pepper, that is fine.  But to add additional depth and interest to the soup, it is easy to add some spices.  You can add some or all of these, depending on what is in your spice cabinet. I usually add ½ tsp to a scant teaspoon of each spice.  Here are some dried herbs that I add:  oregano, basil, parsley, 1-2 bay leaves, and thyme.  I’ll also add a little MSG.  By the way, all of that stuff about MSG causing medical issues has been disproven. Lastly, I add around one heaping teaspoon of jar garlic, because I love garlic. 

-I’ll often break the carcass in half (or more) to easily fit into the pot.  Sometimes, I’ll use a trick from my sister-in-law and wrap the carcass in cheesecloth, which makes bone removal easy.  Otherwise, I’ll just “tough it out” and use a colander to separate the solids from the liquids. Using my hands, I’ll pick the meat off the bones, discarding the bones, and then return the rest to the pot for “stage two.” I’ll let the soup cool down a bit before removing any bones manually.

-I always add a starch, which can be anything I have on hand.  You can cook the starch in the broth or make it separately.  Both work, but you have better control and a better product if you make the starch separately.  What starch?  Anything.  Any type of pasta, including noodles and even spaghetti.  Potatoes cut into chunks (if it is a thin-skinned potato, all you need to do is wash and cut), rice, or other grain.  When it comes to rice, I usually add it to the soup bowl and pour the soup over it.  Rice disintegrates over time if it sits in soup for too long, and will turn to mush if you freeze leftover soup.  However, you do you.

-When you get more confident in your soup making, you can add a little “acid,” which brightens up the soup.  A small amount of dry white wine, dry sherry, hot sauce, or even vinegar can transform a soup (just use one).  Think ¼-½ cup wine/sherry, a few shots of hot sauce, or a tablespoon or less of white vinegar.  

-I often make the soup in the morning and then let it cool.  I’ll use a colander and separate the broth from the solids, and then pick out the bones from the meat and vegetables.  The bones are discarded, and the rest is returned to the pot.  Conversely, if I have some cheesecloth, it is easy to place the carcass in the cloth, remove the fabric after cooking, and pick off the meat to return to the soup. 

-If you are making a simple chicken soup, add water (if needed) to the desired dilution (this is usually none or a cup or two, don’t go overboard), and adjust the salt level carefully, ½ teaspoon at a time.  Add and taste until you are satisfied.  

Cream option

This is the version that my kids go for.

The first part of this soup making is the same as above. However, don’t adjust the soup concentration as you will be diluting the soup with dairy products. I may use slightly less initial water when cooking the soup.

-Put roughly 1 cup of sour cream in a bowl and add about ½ cup of broth and stir it in.  This will make it easier to incorporate the sour cream into the soup.  Stir the sour cream mixture into the hot soup.  Add approximately ½ to 1 cup of half-and-half or whole milk, and stir it in.  You can adjust the sour cream and milk/half-and-half to your preference, as I’m just “guesstimating” the amounts. Adjust the salt level, add a little more pepper if desired, or a shot or two of hot sauce (we like Frank’s). We don’t like “hot” foods, so we just add enough to add warmth and interest.  

If the soup is too thin, I’ll mix a heaping tablespoon or two of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water and pour it into the boiling soup in a stream as I stir the soup.  This will thicken it nicely. Sometimes I’ll add a sprinkle of powdered garlic (remember, I love garlic).  The secret is to taste and adjust in increments.  

We will serve the soup with a variety of bread products, ranging from tube refrigerator rolls to homemade savory muffins to crackers.  It is all good.

We usually have enough soup to feed everyone, plus leftovers. The leftovers will often disappear, as they are great for lunch the next day.  If there is still leftover soup, I’ll freeze individual portions in vacuum-seal bags that can be reheated by boiling.  

One simple, cheap $5 chicken yields two full meals with leftovers for several lunches.  How can you beat that?  The results will taste better than any canned soup. How good is it? My kids get excited when I make it, as it is a taste of home.

Bon Appétit 

Mike

I’ll break up the carcass so it fits in the pot. I’ll add carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and some salt and pepper. I’ll always add an extender like “Better than bullion.” I’ll add just enough water, usually enough to cover most but not all of the chicken. If cooking in a pot and not a pressure cooker, make sure the vegetables are in the water.
If all you have is salt and pepper, that’s fine. However, I’ll add some spices that I have to enhance the flavor. I’ll usually add 1/2 to a scant teaspoon of each of the above. If you only have some of these spices on hand, that works too! When it comes to salt, I initially only add around one teaspoon. I’ll adjust the salt at the end of cooking.
Since the chicken is already cooked, I’ll pressure cook for only 15-20 minutes. If I were using fresh chicken, I would pressure cook for around 25-30 minutes. If I were cooking in a regular pot (without a pressure cooker), I would bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. I would cook for at least 60 minutes or longer (hours) to enrich the flavor.
You can make your starch directly in the broth. I prefer to make it separately as I have more control over the finished product.
My family prefers the cream version of chicken soup, which is achieved by adding around one cup of sour cream and some milk/half and half/heavy cream (your choice). I’ll usually thicken the soup with some corn starch dissolved in cold water and then streamed into the boiling soup. Always adjust your seasoning at the end of cooking. In this case, when the soup is ready to be served.
Served up, soup is a complete meal. Here, I’m serving it with some oyster crackers, but bread, savory muffins, or many other options can also be used.

growth through trauma, personal growth, Uncategorized

Asking For Help

Most personality traits have two sides, one positive and the other negative.  Those sides may be equal, vary over time, or one side may be significantly exaggerated compared to the other. For example, you can have a trait that has mostly negative consequences or mostly positive consequences. In contrast, another trait may be more balanced, being positive in some situations, while negative in others.  

Let’s say your partner is a fun, impulsive, risk-taker. A person who consistently pushes the envelope. They like expensive experiences and things.  They dress in designer clothes, love top-tier restaurants, and enjoy the excitement of embarking on spontaneous trips and adventures. They may be very exciting during the early stages of your relationship, and you might view their behavior very positively.  However, in the long run, as you are trying to build a future, you may find their actions to be quite the opposite. Their trait has not changed, but the situation has.

A woman may find that dating a “bad boy” is exhilarating.  A man may find that a beautiful “high-maintenance” woman gives him status.  However, neither may be a good choice in the long run. 

Some of my traits include being someone who can become completely absorbed in a topic and who tends to overthink and over prepare. I know that in the past, this trait has aggravated my wife, who saw my scenario-building as a problem, as I was too methodical, tended to have backups of important things, and would derive solutions for issues that “could” happen, rather than those that “did” happen.  That was the downside of this behavior coin.  However, she also reaped the benefits of this same trait.  I was the one who thought to bring cash for coffee when we were on a walk, the one who made sure that the car had enough gas and that the oil had been changed.  The one who had the tools and knowledge to fix things, the planner who ensured that the bills were paid, and the person who made sure we saved for the future.  That was the upside of the same coin. A coin has two sides; you can’t choose one without accepting the other.

In the above example, my wife eventually realized that this was who I was.  The good outweighed the bad. In turn, I tried to be respectful of her wishes and concerns.  A balance was struck. 

Some traits evolve.  A situation can push us into a place of discomfort, and we can actively move ourselves away from a trait that is no longer serving us.  However, that is an active process. I made my living helping people do just that, and I’m here to tell you that changing even a simple behavior can be an arduous task. I may be a psychiatrist, but I am first a human being.  Like anyone, I need to assess my behaviors and make adjustments as necessary.  My primary goal has always been to advance myself and those close to me positively. 

Let’s say that my behavior trait says, “eat that piece of cake.”  I have chronic weight problems, and so I may choose to override my wish for the greater good.  However, what about a behavior that has served me well throughout my life, but now needs to be modified? Enter the behavior of me never asking for help.

I can tell you where this behavior originated, but for now, I’ll just say that both my two living siblings and I exhibit this trait. It is extremely difficult, and at times impossible, for us to ask for help when we need it.

In many ways, this trait has served me well.  It has made me very independent, an excellent problem solver, and it has given me confidence that I can tackle most issues as well as the next person.  Despite graduating from an awful high school, I had the confidence to attend college, then graduate school, and ultimately, medical school. This confidence propelled me to become chief resident, co-found a successful clinic, and tackle projects that many would have found daunting.  

However, my inability to ask for help had a downside.  I wasted a lot of physical and emotional energy on trivial things that would have been simpler for others to do.  

My inability to ask for help was not the result of grandiosity; instead, it was due to fear of rejection.  Fear that I would be laughed at or dismissed or shamed for needing help.  That was the pathological side of that coin. 

My dilemma was that my inability to ask for help had positive benefits, but it was also holding me back.  If I were in psychotherapy, the therapist would add deliberate exercises to push me in a direction to modify my behavior.  However, I wasn’t in psychotherapy. Yes, of course, I could structure the change myself, but that would be an awkward and slow process.

In life, we are presented with numerous situations that can lead us towards a direction of change.  Unfortunately, many ignore most of those opportunities.  

In my case, change came with trust.  Trust that I wouldn’t be ridiculed or shamed if I asked for help. Trust that the person I asked for help would actually help me.  

Because I was open to change, my transformation came naturally, although it occurred slowly. It began with asking for help from my wife, and then from my kids.  Often, my wishes weren’t too complicated.  Simple things, like asking my wife to pick something up for me when she went to the store, or when she offered to do something for me, accepting that offer instead of saying, “Thanks, but I can do it myself.” As I became more comfortable with those actions, I also grew more comfortable asking my kids to help me.  Here again, I started with simple requests, such as asking for their help with household chores. Things expanded from there. Often, my requests were for things that I could do, but didn’t have time to do.

Things were different with my friend, Tom, who has talents and abilities that I lack.  Tom has helped me many times and has been a great friend.  In turn, I assist him with tasks where I have greater strength.

With family, there may be a specific expectation for cooperation.  However, that is not the case with a friend.  For me, allowing Tom to help me also has two sides.  It makes me feel uncomfortable, as I’m usually the one who helps others in most situations. I also want him to know that I value him as a person more than as someone who can do things for me. Still, it also feels wonderful at the same time to have someone willing to go above and beyond for me. Allowing someone to help me gives both of us greater value. There is a stronger connection and a deeper meaning to the relationship. We are social animals, and anything that builds connections with others strengthens both parties.. When a helper helps another person, the world becomes just a bit better.

Our need for help goes beyond physical actions.  For instance, it is unlikely that I would ask my sisters to do a physical project for me, but I may need their advice or simply their ear to listen to me when I’m having a bad day. 

We live in a black and white society that has ever moved to the extreme.  Let me use an ice cream example.  I love ice cream.  Having some after dinner makes me very happy.  However, eating an entire carton makes me feel physically and emotionally unwell.  

The same could be said of asking for help.  Some people are always asking for help, even for things that are well within their abilities.  For them, asking for help is a lazy way to avoid responsibility. This behavior does not promote anything healthy.  It is an abuse.

As with most things, being balanced and thoughtful is the solution.  Reviewing one’s actions and behaviors is often the key to progress. Asking for help is not a get-out-of-jail-free card for life’s responsibilities.

I know that I will continue to be as self-reliant as possible; that is who I am.  However, my ability to ask for help has made my life better and has improved my connection with others.  I’m grateful that I have been able to make this change.

Do you have problems asking for help, or the opposite, asking others to do jobs that you are wholly capable of doing yourself?  Do you want to change this behavior? Do you have other traits that you would like to modify?  Remember, every journey starts with a single step, but to get to your destination, you need to keep walking.

Peace,
Mike