What is your emotional toll on rising food prices?

[Spirit Deer]

You never know what'll work out until you give it a try.

I keep trying to figure out what I could use for legs with my mesh screens from my dehydrator, instead of buying more Top Chips trays. Maybe I should try the original dehydrator trays and see what happens and forget the mesh. They should be microwave safe and of course they're food safe, I hope.

[ladytoysdream]

I just did a search on ebay and came up with some product information.
Product Description
Your own, fat-free chips in only 3 to 5 minutes in the microwave! No added fat required thanks to the nonstick 100% silicone surface. You will not only make delicious potato chips, the chips maker also works great with other root vegetables such as carrots, beets and parsnips and also with fruits: apples, pears, mangoes, etc.



I wonder if one could buy just the tray. I already own a good mandoline.

[Aqua Blue]

We ran out of homemade dog treats and bought a bag of dog biscuits for them. They used to eat them all the time so we thought it would be a treat for them since they seemed to like the boughten ones in the past. Neither of them wanted to touch them.

I know just how they feel when we've had the good homemade stuff and then decide to 'treat' ourselves with the so-called real thing. Blech...

One of our grocery stores usually gives away a free item each week and it's often candy. That's enough for us, and the price is right. We save the Butterfingers to crush up and put in homemade ice cream for DIY Dairy Queen Blizzards.

Yes, I find it so interesting that the boughten ones aren't that appealing.

[Aqua Blue]

Sadly, I do think people believe using mixes and cans and boxes of things in recipes is scratch cooking. I'm guess I'm guilty too. I don't make EVERYTHING from scratch. I don't mill my own flour and stuff like that. I used to unload my church and community cookbooks, the older ones, but now I'm keeping them. That's where the old, truly scratch recipes are.

People also think if they buy a mix or something with a coupon or on sale that's enough of a savings, even if they could make it cheaper from scratch. Everyone has to decide what works best for them.

I make ice cream with three ingredients: A can of evaporated milk, a little sugar, and vanilla. It tastes exactly like DQ's soft serve. A can makes about a pint, not much but enough for two. It's more expensive than buying ice cream (although maybe it's not anymore) but it's not loaded with additives and it doesn't leave much to tempt me later on. That's what we mix the Butterfingers in for Blizzards. We also use Heath bars, cookies, or whatever. OM, don't put the candy bar in the blender or you won't have anything left of it. I use a mallet to gently smash hard crunchy bars like Heath or Butterfinger. Don't do it too much or you'll have tiny crumbs. You just want to very coarsely chop it, then mix it in at the end right before serving. I use an ulu and cutting board to chop Snickers bars. A chef's knife works too. For an ice cream freezer, we either use an electric one we bought several years ago or an ice cream ball. You can make it in Ziploc bags, too. Or coffee can's or other tight containers that will fit inside each other and have enough room for ice in between.

Have you tried making the canned milk? That would cut the cost down quite a bit. I have always found it a fine substitute for the real thing. I use 1 cup of powdered milk and 1 &1/2 cups water. I find I like it better if I mix it and let it set in the frig overnight.

edited to add: the last powdered milk I bought (within the past year) figured out to be 15c for 1/3 cup(which would make a cup when reconstituted. Which would make the milk for a can about 45c, which is cheaper than I can buy a can of condensed milk.

[ladytoysdream]

I keep trying to figure out what I could use for legs with my mesh screens from my dehydrator, instead of buying more Top Chips trays. Maybe I should try the original dehydrator trays and see what happens and forget the mesh. They should be microwave safe and of course they're food safe, I hope.

My microwave came with a special pizza pan that I never use.
( Note to self....find that pan tomorrow and give it a try )

[Spirit Deer]

Thanks, AquaBlue. I haven't tried making my own milk. Might be worth a try. If we liked it, it would be one less thing to buy and store because I always have powdered milk on hand anyway.

LTD, I don't think the two-tray set comes with the mandolin. The Top Chips instructions say you can stack three trays at a time, which would be handy because one tray doesn't make many chips at once. The chips have to be about the same thickness as if you used a potato peeler, very, very thin. Let me know if the pizza pan works out. Good idea!

I didn't bother to peel the potato either. No need.

[oheoh's momma]

I still use mixes right now I am trying homemade on to see....made homemade taco seasoning and going to make onion soup mix to see....
I have to admit I just do not feel up to doing everything from scratch but am going to incorprate more hm mixes...

on a side note there is little barbque place 2 doors down from my house we don't eat there very often....they have homemade sweet potato chips served hot with sea salt and homemade chipolate ketchup omgosh Yum

[pollypurebred39]

O's Mom. *sigh* I'm at the same place O's Mom. I make as much as I can from scratch, but I have days where it's just not going to happen. I've started making grilled "cheese" and popping them in sandwich bags and putting back in the bread bag. I'll make a whole loaf, or two. I make peanut butter and jelly too. That takes only a few minutes to do an entire loaf. I just bring everything to the dining room table.

I also make up soup just to put in freezer bags, small servings.

It's not easy, and I'm having more days like that lately. But I try to find what I can do during those times, or days and do that.

I'm totally out of my seasoning mixes, and rice mixes, corn bread mixes, etc. Just haven't had it in me, and lacking some ingredients. I was thinking about having a mix party and inviting friends over and we make up some mixes together. It would help me tremendously. Many hands make light work. Maybe you could organize a mix party with like minded friends? Get a bottle of wine....no, wait...That might not be a good idea. You might have some messed up mixes.

[ladytoysdream]

I have been quite frustrated with grocery prices. Times when I have to keep a tight grip on the budget, I just go in the store with my list, and get ONLY those things. If it's milk, and bread, that's all I walk out with. Been using things in the pantry stockpile and trying to work down older inventory. Have the freezer well organized, and that is working out real good.

Garden will be going in. Plan is to can and freeze a LOT.

Hit the dollar store at least once a week. I don't spend a lot in there unless it's a food item that I need to be stockpiling. Recent finds have been salad dressings, pickling spices, dry pudding, and canisters of 12 quart drink mixes. Rarely soda anymore.

I know I don't enjoy grocery shopping anymore. If hubby goes with me, he lets me make the decisions what ends up in the cart. But like now with him needing a lunchbox for work, I can't say no to him having some treats in it. And treats are not cheap. So I mumble to myself. Bottom line, is we are making it, and we have to eat. So at the grocery store.....I have to stay motivated, read the labels, do the math to compare prices, and try not to sob at the checkout.

[sabrelvssammy]

Last Easter WalMart & Kroger's had sweet potatoes for about .10lb. I bought up about 50 lbs and stockpiled them. This year I can't find good prices anywhere. Kroger's is .66 lb and that's the cheapest. One of our grocery stores here in town had them for .88 lb. I asked the produce clerk if they would get cheaper for Easter, she stated they already did....

[Spirit Deer]

I think making the switch from store bought to scratch cooking is a process, and old habits die hard. You can't just wake up one day and decide you're never going to buy a mix or a loaf of bread again. It takes a long time to find just the right mix and scratch recipes, too. It took me FOREVER to find salad dressing recipes I really liked, especially for creamy dressings. I'm still searching for the right saltine recipe, and have been for several years.

And as Polly noted, some days it's just not going to happen. On those days I find it really helpful to have OAMC meals in the freezer. But sometimes it's just easier to use something from the store. For me, it'll probably always be that way no matter how good my intentions are.

I've made onion soup mix but finally gave it up. The bouillon is so salty there's no real advantage. I don't buy it at the store anymore either. I recently read an idea I might try sometime, using a dehydrator to dry meat and then grinding it to powder to make meat flavoring for the soup mix, without salt. Might be worth a try.

[warramra]

Emotionally I dread going grocery shopping now, where I used to enjoy the time in the store. My shopping list continues to become much smaller as I make more things from scratch and the number of items I can afford becomes smaller.

On the other hand, at home I feel like we are eating better. Not just nutritionally, but also flavor wise. My husband spent his late teen years and early twenties working in restaurant kitchens and picked up many tricks. Over the last couple of years he has been passing those on to myself and the kids. The man is amazing at opening the frig, using what is in there to make the most amazing pasta & rice dishes.

We invest some of our grocery money each month in wine (2-buck chuck from TJ) and good cheeses. We grow most of our own herbs. Having these flavorings on hand make dishes go from ho-hum to yum. I am also spending a greater percentage of our money in the produce section...the kids have decided that they like apple slices and carrots better than chips.

I've learned how to make pasta and bought some ravioli presses. That has been great in that I can pass leftovers as a totally new meal to our gang. It also helps to stretch small amounts of meat to feed the six of us. Just being creative has led us not to feel deprived because our shopping cart is emptier.

I have expanded our summer garden to include container gardening on our deck. We are also growing shitake mushrooms inside. We've also discussed what we will be buying in bulk this summer at the farmer's market. My neighbor is going to help me can veggies this year.

I am actually kind of enjoying the challenges and the education I am getting lately in the kitchen. I don't know if given a choice we would actually go back to all the packaged food and pre-made snacks.

[227melissa]

Eating a lot more chicken and not a lot of steak, which is healthier anyway.

[brenda67]

I'm cooking more from scratch than ever.. I've been learning to expand my baking skill's and taking a step out of my comfort zone in making food's that I would of never thought to even attempt until recently..like making bagel's & hamburger bun's.I do have a good supply of baking goods to keep me afloat for awhile..

My boy's are ALL teenager's include my dh in the mix and needless to say my food stockpile isn't what it was 3 month's ago.. I know this is going to sound weird to some..but, I (dh & son) spent money to save money.

I've invested in mylar bag's w/O'2 absorber's to stockup on more flour,rice,oat meal among other food item's that I will buy in bulk and put up for later use when I've depleted my stock..I'm going to buy huge quanities at SamsClub/Store sales NOW so I can beat inflation later on..My Birthday present from dh is a Excaliber dehydrater to take advantage of preserving my harvest and sales at the grocery stores..My son bought me a AA Pressure Canner that will also save my family money..I also invested in buying more Berry bushes..I'm doing everything in my power to preserve and grow more of our own food to ease the pain of the rising prices...

I didn't answer the question.. I was in Super Walmart a few day's ago pm'ing a few item's..after looking in several isles and seeing the price increase's I started to have heart palpatation's and having trouble breathing and I had to go to the checkout immediately..I'm scared to death of not being able to feed my family(I fear this the most and have for many many years..this is why I'm a crazy woman stockpiling the food in large amount's like I do)..I worry about my extended family(my brother's and their children) that haven't found any work for month's..how are they going to feed their families? I don't have the resources to feed them all..before anyone say's that my sibling's and their children are not my problem ..I'm all about family period! I would say I'm definately being affected emotionally from all this..

[Ponderer]

I am doing a kitchen garden this year with 4 4'x4' raised beds, 1 2' x 4' raised bed and an area that is about 3' x 60' atop a retaining wall area where squash and pumpkins will roam free.

I have purchased a water bath canning pot and I just purchased a 16 qt. pressure cooker / canner yesterday.

I do bountiful baskets for produce every week at $16.50 for a ton of fabulous things and I just placed my first Zaycon Foods order and will be picking up chicken breasts and bacon on the 28th of this month.

I have never been one to freeze or store food but am working on being much better at it. I have also never been one to put up product in the summer for the winter months but that is definitely the plan this year.

Although much of this is not out of absolute necessity for me at this point in life....it feels like the right thing to do. I have many blessings and I feel a calling as of late to take better care of them.