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Convenience vs Money in your pocket!
Whether you are looking to save money to buy a house, take that trip you have always dreamed of, or just trying to make ends meet; putting a little time in the kitchen will help tuck away a few dollars at every meal. Korey shares 3 simple ideas from her segment on CTV Ottawa Morning Live.
1. Stale Bread = Chips or Crostini!
Don’t toss the stale bread rather freeze it until you are ready to snack or use as an appetizer.
Cut stale pita or bread into desired shapes and spread out evenly on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper then bake at 325F until golden and crispy! Pita will take 5 minutes and a more dense bread 8-10 minutes!
2. Use your Tools!
Instant Pot for when YOU are under pressure.
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Did you know that you can toss a frozen solid whole chicken into the Instant Pot with 1 cup of water and have tender chicken with 3 cups of drippings (or more) in 45 minutes?
Advance prep: add carrot, onion and celery to the freezer bag for savoury broth and chicken.
Dust off the Food Processor:
Store-bought shredded cheese is convenient and we pay for that convenience.
Buy blocks of cheddar on sale. Using the grater attachment to your food processor that block is shredded in 30 seconds and money in your pocket! A little elbow grease and a box grater work too!
Change to the blade attachment and make your own hummus!
Did you know a can of chickpeas is as little as $.99 and makes 500 mL of delicious hummus? Store bought ranges from $3.99-$5.99 for much less volume!
Food bank hamper contents
Note that specific items may vary dependent on supply
Fresh vegetables (variety based on supply – commonly onions, carrots, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers)
Fresh fruit (variety based on supply – commonly apples, oranges, bananas)
Milk (liquid bagged and/or powdered)
Ground beef
Sliced bread
Eggs
Canned tuna
Canned or dried legumes (ex. chickpeas, kidney beans, etc.)
Peanut butter
Canned baked beans
Dry pasta
Rice
Cereal (ex. Shreddies, Cheerios, etc.)
Canned vegetables (ex. corn, peas, green beans, etc.)
Canned fruit (ex. fruit cocktail, peaches, pineapple, etc.)
Pasta sauce
Snack items (variety based on donations received – commonly applesauce, granola bars, crackers)
Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding
2 cups cooked rice
3 cups milk
½ cup sugar
2 cups peeled and diced apples about 2-3 medium apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp.vanilla
Combine rice, milk, sugar, and apples in a large pot.
Cook over medium-high heat until mixture starts bubbling.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
Serve hot.
Tuna Chickpea Salad
Use mixture for sandwich filling or as a “Bowl” topping. Thinly cut a cucumber lengthwise and roll up the mixture
1 tin tuna, drained
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
½ cup diced yellow onion
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp relish or chopped pickles
¼ tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bread slices, or lettuce, or crackers, for serving, optional
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Sloppy Joes:
A family pleaser made more affordable with added beans!
½ lb. ground beef
1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed & mashed/pureed
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp chile powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp brown sugar
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
Step 1
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned but not thoroughly cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a medium bowl, reserving drippings in the pan.
Step 2
Add beans and onion to the pan; cook, stirring often until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne; cook, constantly stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard and brown sugar. Return the beef to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the meat is just cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly about 5 minutes. Serve on buns.
Link to recipes and other money saving tips! www.kitchenkonnected.com
#OttawaHomes #OttawaRealestate #HomeEconomics #FoodBudget #Ottawa #Westboro #Hintonburg #Glebe #Mechanicsville #Instantpot #foodbank
