Frozen Cubes of Buttermilk

From time to time, I’ll use a recipe that calls for a small amount of buttermilk. I buy a quart at a time and freeze it into ice cubes and keep them frozen until needed.

In my ice cube trays, eight ice cubes equal one cup, although your mileage may vary.

Naomi

Be Famous for Something Cheap

Don’t become famous for something expensive. Become famous for something cheap!

A cheesecake can cost in the $10 range to make for a potluck or other get-together. Homemade rolls or a pasta salad can be made for a fraction of that price and are just as good.

I became “famous” for hard rolls. I purchase bulk yeast and flour on sale. I can make 16 hard rolls for $0.40!

And, everyone thinks that I am an amazing cook because I make homemade rolls!

 

MabelMartha’s Famous Rolls

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 (.25 oz) packages yeast (or one tablespoon)
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
  1. Add yeast to water and sugar. Let sit until foamy. Add the yeast mixture to 5 cups of the flour. Beat until thoroughly combined. I like a wooden spoon for this. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour on the dough and need until smooth and shiny. Repeat until all flour is used. You may need more liquid. If so, add room temperature water 1 teaspoon at a time. Lightly oil the dough ball and place in a large bowl.
  2. Let the dough rise in a warm place until dough doubles. Punch the dough down and knead again. Let rise a second time. Punch dough down again.
  3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Divide dough into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Place on a greased or non-stick baking sheet. Let rise until double.
  4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

NOTES:

  1. I don’t use brand name flour. Store brands are usually much less expensive.
  2. Flour freezes well in the bag. Flour usually goes on sale in November and December.
  3. I have not found flour pricing at Sam’s Club or Costco to be any better than store brand flour.
  4. I don’t use bread flour for this recipe and still get excellent results

Removable Banana Hanger

I have new cupboards that I didn’t want to mar with screws or hooks.

To easily hang bananas, I use a large S hook that I hook over a cabinet pull.  It’s movable,  removable and works great!

Cake Mix Cookies

This is a very fast and easy way to make cookies.  Simply  follow the cake mix directions and add 1/3 cup of pureed strawberries to the mixture before baking.

I have used banana puree in a banana cake mix, too.

After baking, I freeze them in an air-tight container.  Then I just take them out and warm up one (or two) at at time in the microwave.

DIY Starbucks Iced Coffee

Order a hot coffee and a cup of ice. Pour the coffee in the cup and you’ve got an iced coffee. While this tactic dilutes your drink, where I live it still saves nearly 55 cents when you purchase a grande (savings vary by state). Tom

Keep Yogurt Fresher Longer

Store yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese containers upside down in your refrigerator.  Less air gets in that way and they keep fresher longer.

With the rising prices of food, this can help you conserve your food dollars.

Note:  To prevent possible leaks, place the upside down container in a saucer or small dish before you place it on the refrigerator shelf.

How to Freeze Excess Fresh Produce

I recently learned how to freeze excess produce.  A friend told me about freezing freshly picked blueberries in a paper sack because she didn’t have time to wash and sort them first. When she retrieved them the next day they were beautifully frozen without any sticking together, all loose in the sack!

I now freeze everything that way, cut up fruits and vegetables, squash, even fresh herbs. Juicy berries don’t work as well but are still possible. Once frozen, rebag in freezer bags, where it’s easy to scoop out just what you need.

Free Soup from the Freezer

I always keep two plastic bags in my freezer, one for vegetable scraps and the other for chicken bones. When the bags are full, I get out my metal pasta strainer.

Next, I dump out all of the  bones and scraps from both bags into the strainer and put the strainer in the soup pot.  I cover the scraps and bones with water, add salt and pepper, and simmer for about 2 hours.
After a couple of hours, I remove the strainer, taste the broth and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.  I cut all the meat off the bones and return to the soup and discard the scraps.  Finally, I add any leftover
 pan drippings, vegetables, rice, pasta or noodles.
Then I enjoy my healthy, practically-free, freezer soup!
Note:  if you don’t have a metal strainer, you can just cook everything in the pot and then strain when the simmering is completed.