making the most of milk

**many houseapes** · 01-05-2005, 05:03 PM

here, the milk is $3.08 a gallon. The Houseapes go through 8-9 gallons a wk. so to cut costs, I buy 4 gallons of 2%, take them home and divide each gallon in half, using washed out milk jugs from the previous wk. then I make a 1/2 gallon at a time using carnation powdered milk. it calls for 2 1/2 cups of powder for 1/2 gallon of water..I use 2 cups and it doesn't weaken the taste at all. anyway, to every 1/2 gallon of 2% I mix 1/2 gallon of the powdered mixture. I couldn't believe that I couldn't taste the powdered milk. I had tried the name brand powdered milk, but it took alot of it to make 1/2 gal, and it tasted awful..and it was more expensive than my 2nd and successful find. I found a box of carnation powdered at Sam's club and it cost much less, required a less amount to make a 1/2 gal and tasted soo much better. We use 2 boxes a month, this has brought our grocery bill down considerably

**guest2** · 01-05-2005, 05:14 PM

We just use powdered milk to drink here. I used to buy milk fresh from the farm for $1.50 a gallon and then use the cream to make butter, but I'm much shorter on time now than I used to be.

**pita1213** · 01-05-2005, 05:46 PM

i did this last week. we were done to 1/2 gallon and i knew i wouldn't get to the store anytime soon so i mixed up some powdered milk and added it to the jug. i need to do this more often to see if anyone notices. if they don't seem to notice a taste difference i'll start doing like many houseapes does and mix it as soon as it gets home from the store.

**Makat2u** · 01-05-2005, 05:55 PM

I did thid ehen my oldest dd was little to make the milk last longer until it got to the point where she hates milk {by itself}.
I get milk delivered weekly through a local dairy I get a half gallons for $1.85. I HATE powdered milk.

**Early Bird** · 01-05-2005, 06:41 PM

Wow! For the past month, milk has been on sale here -- $1.80/gal.

Let's hope it's the start of a nationwide trend.

**DaisyLady** · 01-05-2005, 06:46 PM

Wow milk is cheap where you are!

Our local grocery stores charge between $ 4.99 to $5.79 for 4 litres (just over a gallon).

I am able to get 1% for $3.69 and Homogenized for $ 3.99 at Giant Tiger (a Canadian discount store). I buy a 4 litre bag of each when I do groceries, (the homogenized is for DS#1 who desperately needs the calories and he is the only one who drinks it) After that we drink milk made from skim milk powder which costs me $3.08 per 4 litres. I figure if I go to the store I would probably use the other $ 0.61 in gas.

I am very glad there are only 5 of us drinking milk

**pbob** · 01-05-2005, 07:14 PM

In my area milk is cheaper at the convenience store. $1.99 vs $1.89.

**Panndy1** · 01-05-2005, 07:57 PM

I buy 2 % milk. Sometimes if I want to stretch it, when the gallon is about 2/3 full I add water and shake it up and tastes fine. If you can drink 1% it would probably be similar. My son hates when I do that. If it was up to him I would be buying whole milk.

**Darlene** · 01-05-2005, 07:58 PM

Good for you & yours Houseapes!

Seems like powdered milk is as expensive if not more than regular milk here.

**many houseapes** · 01-05-2005, 08:36 PM

DH can't take the taste of powdered by itself at all, especially when we did the "guinea pig thing" on the houseapes with the store brand(dh&I didn't escape being guinea pigs either). the carnation is tolerable by itself..that's my opinion, but I would much rather have it mixed. the 2% was up to $3.59 last yr. its come down some.

**cau** · 01-05-2005, 08:37 PM

I use the powered in all cooking and that saves me a lot. cau

**pbob** · 01-05-2005, 10:37 PM

oops reread my post. It should be $1.99 vs 2.89

**duckduckgoose007** · 01-05-2005, 10:43 PM

When my Kids were little, I used to mix reg. milk & powdered together to stretch it.

It is only good if served really cold.

**graci42** · 01-05-2005, 10:54 PM

I use canned milk to mix w/ my whole milk...If I have to use straight canned milk, I ad just a drop of vanilla...kids like it.

**many houseapes** · 01-06-2005, 11:21 AM

I might just try adding the vanilla as well..that's a good idea. i've got a question on an unrelated note. yesterday, I had tried to post another idea..this idea is sort of lengthy and took awhile to write. However, when I went to post it here, the page wouldn't let me..said that I needed to log in,etc...but I was already logged in! and it caused me to lose all of the work i had put into it. I became brave and chanced it 2 more times and the same thing happened..what am I doing wrong? being my luck,it might've been something I did, but I can post my other ideas here and it doesn't happen..any help would be sooo appreciated,thanks