Manage Rising Fuel Costs With Plastic

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Eric
Filed Under Automobile, Credit Cards | 3 Comments

My feelings exactly! Gas prices have been out of control lately. Now that Melissa is driving to school everyday, our monthly gas costs have gotten much higher and our budget is feeling the pinch (or should I say punch).

We do have a plan for reducing our gas costs outside of the obvious suggestion of driving less.

First, using the Internet we can find the cheapest gas around. Personally I prefer Gas Price Watch. There is a good article with several options for finding cheap gas at Search Engine Watch. The article is a bit dated, but the few links I checked beyond Gas Price Watch still had some useful information.

Even though I like to confirm the information on the Internet, I know the cheapest place in our area already. There is a huge Mr. Car Wash nearby with a ton of pumps that uses cheaper gas prices to pull in more folks. I try to fill up at that location exclusively and judging by the traffic, I’m not the only one.

This location’s strategy relies on high volume and upselling with their car washes and oil changes (both heavily advertised). They even have unique gifts like local jellys and gifts inside the store. I bet they more than make up for the cheaper gas prices through these other services. This isn’t an issue for me as I generally won’t pay to get my car washed - it’s just too expensive - and I always pay at the pump so I avoid all temptation by not even going inside the store.

Another way we’re looking to save money at the pump is through our credit card. We have a Citibank Driver’s Edge card and get 3% back on gas and automotive purchases (as well as on grocery store purchases - our other big expense every month.) We took a while to choose our credit card and now it’s paying off. By transferring our Driver’s Edge rewards points to ThankYou network points, we can get rewards of $50 Shell gift cards.

Originally we wanted to use our reward points to get gift cards to chain restaurants so we could eat out without affecting our budget. These days we eat nearly all of our meals in as Melissa practices new techniques for culinary school. When we do get a chance to go out, we rarely want to go to a chain restaurant but instead want to try new and interesting foods.

Because we haven’t been choosing the same old restaurants (the only restaurants for which we can use our ThankYou reward points), we have a backlog of unspent points that will now be buying us gas. Even just one giftcard will make a noticeable dent in our monthly gasoline purchases. Short of changing to a motorcycle for a commute, I think this will be one of our best bets for helping our budget absorb higher gas prices in the short term.

So what are you doing to save money on your fuel costs? How has it affected your household?

Image Source: A_Siegel

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You Can Avoid The 24 Hour Flu

Posted on May 3, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Food, Medical | 3 Comments

Didn’t I ask to hold the Shigellosis on mine? You know why? Because it really doesn’t exist.

Most likely what you were experiencing was a bout with foodborne illness. No joke.

Why am I talking about foodborne illness on this here blog? Well, as we all know, medical care is expensive. With food prices on the rise more people are cooking at home to help stretch their dollar. Learning how to prevent our home cooked meals from making our families ill can save us valuable funds and sick time.

The CDC estimates that there are about 76 million cases of foodborne illness every year; with 325,000 serious enough to require hospitalization. Even if most of the cases are mild and go away after a few days that’s still a lot of downtime for the American worker.

Think it’s all from shady restaurants? Probably not.

The odds are that many cases of foodborne illness start in our very own kitchens.

At least restaurants (hopefully) have the proper equipment, training, and monitoring to reduce their risk of serving up a plate of foodborne illness. Who is teaching the home cook about proper sanitation? Is anyone performing inspections to make sure you are cooking and storing your food correctly?

I learned some really interesting things in my sanitation class that could actually benefit us home cooks. I’m far from a germ-o-phobe but I’m much more conscious of my practices now. I’ve already changed some of my cooking habits after learning a bit more about how to prevent potential illness.

Reduce your chances of serving a side of salmonella with your chicken pot pie with these tips:

Stop cross contamination. The biggest source of cross contamination is from your hands. Wash your hands (along with your cutting board AND knives/utensils) with soap every time you change foods. Simply wiping your board after cutting up raw chicken isn’t enough. Wash it and dry it with single use paper towels. I like to use a sanitizing spray for my surfaces, too.

Think about how you store your food. Don’t place your raw chicken on the top shelf where juices could drip down and contaminate other food or surfaces. You should always try to place cooked or ready-to-eat foods above and away from raw foods.

The industry stores food (top to bottom):

Ready To Eat Foods (cooked foods, prepared foods)
Whole fish (salmon filets, shrimp)
Whole meats (pork tenderloin, steak)
Ground meats (ground beef, ground pork)
Poultry (chicken, turkey)

Cook your food properly. Heat can kill many of the pathogens that cause illness. The only way you can definitively know that your food is cooked to the recommended internal temperature is with a thermometer. You can find a nifty brochure containing the USDA’s temperature guidelines here. Oddly enough, some of the USDA’s current recommendations are higher than what is in my book for pork and ground meat.

Avoid the danger zone. The “danger zone” refers to the temperature range that bacteria multiply rapidly in; currently that temperature range is 41 F to 135 F. Food exposed to this temperature range for 4 hours or longer could accumulate enough bacteria to cause illness.

An example of this time/temperature abuse is leaving your thanksgiving meal out on the table all afternoon. Put away leftovers promptly and keep them below 41 F. If food sits out, especially longer than 4 hours, toss it.

Thaw safely. There’s a reason why you aren’t supposed to set that frozen turkey on the counter to thaw. By the time the center starts to warm up the surface has already been in the bacteria-friendly danger zone for too long. That’s just no good. The best ways to thaw food are:

In the fridge – put your frozen items in the fridge the night before you want to use it.
Under cool running water in the sink
By cooking it – you can take that frozen food and add it directly to the pan as long as you cook it thoroughly (no thawing then storing with this method)
In the microwave – As long as you cook it immediately this is safe

Wash all your fruits and veggies. Just do it. Many bacteria and viruses can be spread through contaminated soil, water, or equipment that has touched your food. Before using your veggies make sure to thoroughly wash them. I always wait to wash them until immediately before use to lower my chances of food spoilage.

Do you have any home food sanitation advice or concerns?

Image Source: kaibara87

Reducipe: Mirin Wasabi Glazed Salmon

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Reducipes | 5 Comments

Simply awesome! This is one of those recipes that’s easy to make, tastes great, and it’s good for you, too!

This is Eric’s most requested salmon dish and every time he finishes, he licks his plate clean. No joke.

It really is that tasty, folks.

This Mirin Wasabi glaze is out of this world. It blends sweet with a little tangy and a little hot. It matches really well with the fattiness of the salmon and complements it beautifully.

If you are concerned about the kick of wasabi, there is a trick to controlling the heat. If you want it on the milder side just add your wasabi along with the other sauce ingredients before cooking. Cooking really seems to temper the flavor and heat of wasabi. If you want your wasabi at full strength (like us) whisk it into the sauce after cooking.

Mirin Wasabi Glazed Salmon

3 tablespoons Mirin
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste (more if you like it hot)
1 lb salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

To make the sauce combine the Mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk. Transfer to small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the wasabi paste. Set aside.

Sprinkle the salmon with the salt and the pepper. Set a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add a little olive oil. Add the salmon and cook, turning once, until the fish is browned on the outside and almost opaque in the center, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Transfer to plates and spoon the sauce over the salmon. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

As far as cooking temperatures go, my sanitation guidelines state that fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F. However, this must not be a hard and fast rule because restaurants often serve salmon medium and tuna rare. Personally, I like to remove my salmon from the heat when the thickest part reaches 132 F and I let carry over cooking take it the rest of the way to 135 F.

I chose farm-raised salmon for this recipe because it was fresh (not previously frozen) and on sale. I couldn’t believe I found it for only $4.99 a pound this week, especially with food prices rising every where. Turns out they overstocked. Yea for me!

I highly recommend finely grating fresh ginger when it’s being used in sauces. This step helps break down the fibers within fresh ginger and creates a better texture. To grate my ginger I use a microplane. They aren’t too expensive and can be used to grate all sorts of things like spices, chocolate, or even hard cheeses.

This time I had to make an educated guess at the cost for the Mirin. I always seem to have it on hand and I forgot to jot down the price at the grocery store as a reference. I decided to estimate high though, just in case.

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Mirin	$0.10	Wasabi	$0.12
Rice Vinegar	$0.05	Salmon	$4.94
Soy Sauce	$0.10	Olive Oil	$0.06
Honey	$0.16	Scallions	$0.15
Ginger	$0.09		Total $5.77 or $1.44 a serving

Wow, a yummy salmon dinner for less than a $1.50 per serving. Not bad. As you can see in the picture I paired it with some plain rice (to soak up the sauce) and a frozen Asian veggie mix. Even with those additions it’s still well under $2.00 a serving. I hope you will try this out and tell me what you think! Enjoy!

Dining Out = Cost Savings?

Posted on April 15, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Food, Frugality | 19 Comments

Last week was my first week in culinary school . Yea!

Right now I’m taking sanitation and soon I’ll be starting basic cookery classes. Sanitation isn’t the most interesting subject (even though it’s important) so the chef instructor likes to interject stories and commentary along the way.

He stressed the importance of dining out several times a week to gain experience and exposure to new ways of cooking. He wants us to try at least one new restaurant a week and even asks us every morning who went out to dinner. I understand why he gave us that advice; you won’t grow as much as a cook if you stick with cooking at home and never try other people’s versions.

One of the students in the back of the class said he would need to get a second job in order to afford eating out all the time. The chef smiled and remarked that eating out was actually cheaper than cooking at home.

Half the class looked confused (myself included) and he was asked to explain. He said that if you eat cheap fast food, take out, or at hole-in-the-wall dives you can spend less on food than if you cooked that meal for yourself at home. He used a hamburger as an example.

He reasoned that in order to make a hamburger at home he would need to buy more product than he needed. He couldn’t buy just one meat patty, one slice tomato, and one bun. He would need to buy a pound of hamburger, a whole tomato, and a pack of buns, all to get just one hamburger. Those minimum purchases result in excess and makes it more expensive than buying a $1.09 hamburger from a value menu.

This was an intriguing argument and it reminded me of the first time I made lasagna at home. I remember laughing when the bill for the ingredients came out to $30 when I could get a frozen pan of prepared lasagna for only $10. Mine may have tasted a ton better but it certainly wasn’t cheaper.

I see his point and agree that it is valid, assuming several things:

You are not cooking in bulk or for more than 1-2 people
You are wanting lots of variety in your meals
You only want enough for one meal and don’t want leftovers
You stick with low cost restaurants and cheap meal choices (no fine dining)

I fully agree that if I wanted to make dinners in single portion sizes that there would be waste and higher costs involved to cook at home. My single homemade hamburger would end up costing me over $5. That $1 fast food burger looks pretty good by comparison.

However, if you are cooking for more than 2 people or don’t mind leftovers, I feel cooking at home almost always wins out. I know that my food bill decreased dramatically when we started packing lunches, eating leftovers, and cooking at home almost exclusively.

After class I went up to him and said that although I understood the point he was trying to make I disagreed that eating out was always cheaper. I argued that buying/cooking in bulk, eating leftovers, and forgoing some variety actually made for a cheaper food bill.

If cooking large quantities of food from a planned menu wasn’t cost effective, restaurants wouldn’t be making huge sums of money. Right?

He agreed that economies of scale can be an “equalizer” and under those circumstances eating at home can be cheaper. He didn’t really seem convinced though. He said we would discuss it more towards the end of the course.

I guess I should start detailing real life examples for when we discuss it again. I want to be prepared to show the other side of the story if I get the opportunity.

A lot of the students in my class seem to be pretty young, maybe even fresh out of high school. I would hate to see any of them start picking up fast food everyday thinking it was the most cost-effective option for them.

Image Source: ebruli

Reducipe: Mexican Ham & Bean Soup

Posted on April 6, 2008 by Melissa
Filed Under Reducipes | 8 Comments

Mexican Ham & Bean Soup With food prices still going up I wanted to post another bean recipe that we enjoy. Bean soups are a filling and hearty way to satisfy your family and keep food costs down. This one isn’t vegetarian and incorporates a little bit of ham.

This recipe is a spiced up version of ham and bean soup. It brings in a lot of the flavors of my region and is anything but bland. The ham and chipotle chilies add a smoky note to the soup and really compliments the other flavors.

If you can’t find whole chipotles where you live you can also use ground chipotle. Just be careful not to be too heavy handed with the ground stuff. It’s smoked jalapeno and it can get spicy! If you have to leave it out entirely I would consider adding a ham hock to boost up the smoky goodness.

The Manchego cheese and cilantro toppings bring coolness to the soup and offer a wonderful contrast to the highly flavored broth.

Mexican Ham & Bean Soup

1 lb dried pinto beans
10-12 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups onions, chopped
2 cups smoked ham, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons oregano
3 bay leaves
Dash cayenne
Kosher salt, to taste
Manchego cheese, finely shredded
Cilantro, chopped

Pick through beans for pebbles and wash thoroughly. Place beans in large dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Combine beans, broth, onions, ham, garlic, and spices in a dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in tomatoes and chilies and simmer another 30-45 minutes. Discard the chilies and bay leaves and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve hot with cheese and cilantro sprinkled on top. Serves 6-8.

I actually put the chipotles in the soup at the time I mix all the other ingredients. I tend to like my soups spicy and the added time steeping really amps up the heat factor. If you don’t like too much spice be sure to add the chipotles when you add the tomatoes.

The soup is awesome when it is brothy so don’t skim on the liquids. If you can’t find low sodium chicken broth cut it with some water. Otherwise the soup can turn out a little salty after it condenses. Save your salting for after the simmering on this recipe.

I like to buy the prepackaged slice of center cut ham for this recipe. I find it gives just enough and keeps the price low. Make sure to go for smoked ham, or if you want you can also add a ham hock for added smokiness.

I really like Manchego cheese for the topping on this dish. It’s a feisty cheese that can hold it’s own to the spiciness of this soup. I like it so much that I’ll try to bargain for it! If Manchego just isn’t in the budget you can replace it with Monterrey Jack.

I think this is great with a little cheese quesadilla on the side. I used fresh tortilla, Manchego, sautéed onions, and a little garlic powder for mine. Yum!

Ingredient	Cost	Ingredient	Cost
Pinto Beans	$0.57	Canned Tomatoes	$1.36
Chicken Broth	$3.00	Chipotles	$0.11
Onion	$0.79	Spices	$0.10
Ham	$2.99	Cheese	$2.00
Garlic	$0.04	Cilantro	$0.33
		Total	$11.29 or $1.41 a serving

This soups sure packs a lot of flavor for such a small price tag! You can cut down the cost even further by substituting a cheaper cheese for the Manchego, using your own chicken broth (or buying it in bulk), and getting a deal on the canned tomatoes. Enjoy!

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