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I Made Cashew Milk Today!

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silk-cashew-milkI tried this cashew milk by Silk and loved it. Did you see on the package that it’s only 25 calories per cup! And it tastes way better than skim milk (which has more calories anyway). Only problem – it’s not organic. So I found some organic cashew milk and bought it. Not a sustainable plan though since this cashew milk, while DELICIOUS, cost $9 for a two cup bottle. Waa-waaaa!

Plan B – make my own cashew milk. However raw organic cashews cost $9 per bag, if I’m lucky and find them on sale. So homemade cashew milk was still going to be expensive, or so I thought. Take a look at the cost breakdown at the end of this post. Long story, shortened, I went ahead and made it anyway. The long story was basically me stalking a bag of cashews at Mothers Market until one day it went on sale and I bought it. After the disaster with the rice milk (which tasted like watered down water) I felt like I owed myself an indulgence – in the nondairy milk area of my life.

The whole process was pretty simple. I soaked the cashews in warm filtered water overnight. I didn’t add salt to it which all soaking recipes tell you to do, mostly, well completely, because I didn’t read any directions before soaking them. I just did it and then the next morning Googled “how to soak cashews” so that I would know if I needed to soak them longer. That’s when I saw that I was supposed to have added a tablespoon of sea salt to the soaking water. Oh well. So I drained off the water and rinsed the nuts until the water was clear. Soaking part done.

One of the other things that had put me off from making cashew milk is that I didn’t want to have to deal with the whole straining the ground nuts out of the milk issue. Besides having to buy a nut bag and adding more work to the process, me being me, I would then have to figure out a way to use those soaked, ground nuts in another recipe. Cashew Nut Brownies anyone? I decided that I just wouldn’t strain the nuts out. If you can make cashew butter from cashews then I figured that they would probably just blend into the milk as if I’d stirred cashew butter into water.

So I got out my Oster blender. Love that blender. I dumped 3 cups of cashews and 2 cups filtered water into the blender and buzzed them until the cashews were completely pureed into the water. Then I added  a large pinch of sea salt, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, 2 packets of Truvia*, and 4 more cups water, buzzing until blended. I poured 2 cups of this very rich cashew milk into a water bottle to use for coffee. I added 2 more cups of water to the blender, buzzing until blended. This produced a more milk-like consistency.

Okay, so the cashew milk was just as delicious as the store-bought versions, but how did it come out expense-wise? The bag of raw organic cashews cost $9 on sale. That bag gave me 2 cups of cream and 9 cups of milk at a cost of .82 per cup. Comparing that to the cost of store-bought soy, almond, rice, or coconut milk at .63 to $1.13 per cup, homemade cashew milk is actually quite affordable. And if I hadn’t poured off the cashew cream then my cost would have gone down to .60 per cup. (12 cups of water to 3 cups of cashews, made in 2 batches.)

* You don’t need to add sweetener, but if you do you can use stevia, maple syrup, honey, Truvia, monk fruit, Splenda, basically any sweetener that isn’t as bad for you as white cane sugar, because what would be the point of making homemade organic cashew milk and then dumping white sugar into it?

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Save Big Bucks at the Meat Counter

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You can save big bucks by purchasing the less tender cuts of beef (brisket, flank, sirloin). Many don’t purchase these because they don’t know how to cook them to falling-off-the-bone succulence but when you braise or stew them they’re really wonderful.

Lesser known cuts of beef such as top blade steak are also less expensive, just remember to cut out the thick connective tissue in the center before serving. Look for round tip and chuck eye roast – sear then cook long and slow either by braising, stewing or in a crock pot.

Fillet butt is similar to beef tenderloin and can be broiled or grilled just like you would the tenderloin.

A semi-boneless beef chuck roast can stand in for rib eye or tenderloin roast – roast at 325 degrees for 15 minutes per pound, let rest for 10 minutes then thinly slice against the grain.

Instead of bottom round pick up a beef round rump roast or tri-tip roast. They’re more tender than the bottom round and excellent when seared, add non-Starch vegetables such as onion, celery, even apple or pear and broth to cover half the meat. Cover and braise in 325 degree oven for ninety minutes.

Ground chuck is less expensive than ground beef and more flavorful. Because of it’s higher fat content though you might want to drain and pat it with paper towels after browning.

You can save money on veal when you use shoulder in place of leg cutlets. Marinate up to 24 hours in a marinade containing a tenderizing enzyme such as fresh citrus juice. Veal breast is wonderful when braised. Leave the fat while cooking then trim before serving.

You’ll get a 5 pound roast and a dozen chops from a whole boneless pork loin. Pork shoulder butt is less tender but can be tenderized by marinating in a marinade with a tenderizing enzyme such as fresh citrus or vinegar, then cook with the marinade for 2 hours at 300 degrees.

You can get the flavor of lamb without splurging on lamb rib chops or rack of lamb. Less expensive cuts like lamb shank make wonderful stews and roasts. Cook them long and slow and you’ll love them. Lamb shoulder and blade shoulder are great when grilled or broiled, or slice thin and pan fry. Boneless center roast from the blade part of the shoulder is delicious oven-roasted. Season to taste, add 1 inch of water to pan, insert meat thermometer and roast in a 350 degree oven until thermometer reads 140-145 degrees. And don’t throw away any bones, they make great soup.

When making a stew instead of buying cubed beef, buy top round trim the fat and cube it yourself.

So dust off  the crockpot, rescue your roasting pan from banishment under the cookie sheets and rack up a huge savings on your grocery bill.

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10 Ways to Save Money When Buying Healthy Food

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1. Buy in Bulk

Why pay for fancy packaging? I bring everything home and pour them into my own containers. I painted a stripe of chalkboard paint onto each container so I can easily label each container.

2. Make Double & Triple Batches

Freeze leftovers, label with the date and use within a month. Or trade with a friend or two.

3. Plant a Garden

Work with a friend or group to plant different items and meet to trade or deliver to each other.

4. Raise Livestock

Okay I know this isn’t an option for everyone but for those of you who live in an area where this is a viable idea you may want to get started small. A few chickens, a couple of goats and you’re on your way. If that still sounds intimidating enlist the help of a friend or join a local group and meet to trade goods and tips. One person may raise chickens, another may have goats, etc.

5. Join a Co-op

Co-ops are an excellent way to get food that is already lower cost at an even steeper discount. For a few hours a week of work you get all your groceries at a great discount.

6. Take Advantage of Sales

It’s more difficult to find coupons for healthier foods but sales are very common. Many grocery stores even have a healthy food section where you can find items on sale. When you find something that you know you like buy lots. When you see something that you’ve been wanting to try, buy one. If you like it, then next time it’s on sale you can buy tons.

7. Make Your Own Basics

There are so many items you can make for pennies and that don’t take a lot of time, especially if you make large batches or work with several friends to trade items. Think bread, granola, desserts, pizza, pancakes and waffles, pasta sauce, salad dressing, roasted chicken or turkey …

8. Don’t Waste Food

Many recipes cavalierly tell you to toss out the portion you’re  not using for the recipe, but I like to:

  • zest citrus fruits before juicing them
  • save vegetable trimmings to make vegetable broth
  • save herb trimmings to make pesto or add to broth
  • use egg yolks to make mayonaise or custard
  • use egg whites to make mousse or an egg white omelette
  • use bread crusts to make bread pudding or croutons

I’ll also use fruit that is nearing it’s prime to make broth smoothies or cut it into chunks and freeze it for making smoothies at a later time.

When the kids ask me to cut the crusts off their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I save them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When the bag is full they make a fantastic bread pudding.

Add some raisins to leftover rice to make a rice pudding for tomorrow night’s desert.

Crumbs left in the bottom of the bag can be used to top a casserole or for some crunch in your salad.

Broken bits of corn or whole wheat tortillas can be baked for chips.

9. Use Less Expensive Ingredients

Canned fish is much less expensive than fresh or frozen fish.

A whole chicken or turkey is less expensive than packaged pieces.

In season produce is less expensive than produce that has to be trucked in from another area.

Store brands are less expensive than gourmet brands.

10. Eat Less Meat

Meat is easily the most expensive item in any meal. You don’t have to go totally vegetarian, you don’t even have to have a vegetarian meal to eat less meat. You can check out my Meat-less Meals (I’ll update this post with a link when I publish those recipes) for recipes and ideas on meals with less meat, but the basic idea is to:

  • Serve a vegetarian meal two to three days a week
  • Serve less meat the other days of the week

 

I hope this list of ways to save money without compromising your desire to eat healthy will serve to keep healthy foods on your table and more cash in your pocket. Eat well and be healthy!

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Fit Parenthood

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It is possible to keep fit despite the demands of parenthood. Having a child does not have to tether you to crib and playpen; as long as you’re willing to be flexible and use your imagination. You might have to change the way you do things but you won’t have to cut a fit lifestyle completely out of your life.

Workout Strategies

Trade babysitting time with a friend and use your time to workout at the gym.

Use a jogging stroller to slip in a morning jog.

Attach a baby trailer to your bicycle.

Workout to an exercise video while your baby plays on the floor or in a playpen. You won’t fail to amuse him/her.

 

Working Out With a Toddler

With a toddler around, the world is your gym. Consider the following venues and then apply the same strategies to other places you frequent and activities you perform with your toddler.

Playground: While your toddler is tackling the slide you can be doing chin ups on the jungle gym. While the little one is playing in the sandbox you can power-walk or jog the perimeter of the area. Take a set of handheld weights and do strength training while watching (you know the refrain – “watch me”, watch me!” “WATCH ME!!!”).

Home: They’ll get on the floor right along with you and make entertaining attempts to imitate your workout routine. Likewise they’ll dance along as you follow your favorite aerobic video. Just like at the playground, jog around the back yard while keeping an eye on him/her, or do the toning or strength training you were too embarrassed to do at the playground. When they want me to “watch” I find that the perfect time to do aerobics while watching them skate, dance, practice baseball, etc.

Beach: Play chase (running in sand is killer for your leg muscles), toss a ball, dodge your child’s attempts to get you wet with a squirt gun, race down to the water and back to the towel (several times) …

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Top Reasons To Buy Your Gluten Free Groceries Online

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In terms of specialty foods, web-based suppliers will almost always have a far more extensive selection than traditional grocery stores. This is one of the foremost reasons why many people are now opting to buy their gluten free groceries online. They know that they will have a number of different options for each particular product, rather than just a single, scant aisle in the middle of a physical supermarket.You can also find a number of savings opportunities over the net that are often not available at your local market. Many specialty food items tend to be quite a bit more costly than their conventional counterparts. For each product, you might well pay several dollars more per every unit that you buy. This can quickly add up, making your efforts to accommodate a household allergy a very costly one, unless you make sure to use the right shopping services.You can be assured that a specialty store has taken extra care to ensure the quality and authenticity of the merchandise. This is one very important consideration that shoppers must make when purchasing their food items. If you want pure, unadulterated products you will need to shop through a trustworthy supplier who is dedicated to the provision of goods for your specific purpose. While some foods do not contain nuts or tree nuts, such as packaged oatmeal, these things may be processed in factories in which these items are present. Thus, even a simple bowl of oatmeal can cause a nasty allergic reaction in someone whose physical system is averse to these things. The same is true of products that are manufactured for those with gluten allergies. When using a specialty web-based supplier, you know that you will be getting exactly what you require.Your goods can be delivered right to your doorstep on a regular basis. This is another benefit of the internet shopping process. People do not have to fight through long lines or navigate a lot of aisles in order to find what they need. Their goods can be selected electronically instead and then conveniently brought to their very own homes.Many website offer a lot of valuable cooking and recipe information. If you are just now learning how to cook for yourself or someone else who suffers from Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease or any other food-related condition, learning how to prepare delicious and interesting meals can be quite a challenge. Many of these sites offer recipe ideas and cooking instructions that can help to make these special diets far more enjoyable.You can even link up with like-minded individuals when shopping for your gluten free groceries online. The friendship and moral support that is derived from online shopping communities is another advantage that is hard to overlook. You can start grocery shopping online with the link provided. Purchasing gluten free groceries online is a great way to connect with others in your community with similar dietary restrictions and health goals.