My TOP 5: Money Saving Tips + BONUS!!

Welcome to the first edition of My TOP 5! In this new series, I will share some of my top five favorites--it might feature a specific ingredient, meal, or dessert! (That might be hard, though. I love dessert...Narrowing it down to five? Not easy.)

The first in this series is Money Saving Tips. What does this have to do with food, you might ask? Oh, read on, my friend! Read on.

We all want to save money, I hope. I like to think of myself as a thrifty person, but I've noticed lately that it's too easy to just swipe a card (credit, of course) and not ever think of the *actual* money that's being exchanged. Really, the only place I have this problem is in the grocery store. It's easy to impulse buy.

TIP #1: Envelope System -- We recently implemented this after attending a financial planning series. Set a budget for groceries, whether it's weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Withdraw that amount from your paycheck in cash and keep it in a secured envelope. Every time you go to the grocery store, use cash from the grocery fund, and tuck the receipts into the envelope after your purchase. I've noticed that when I do this, it helps me to think, "Do I really need this item?" "Which store should I shop to make my money stretch farther?" Sometimes I have to revamp my weekly menu because there are not enough funds to cover a specialty item I might need.

TIP #2: Shop Bulk (not always, though) -- We invested in a Costco membership several years ago. It has repaid itself multiple times. We buy cereal, canned beans, rice, flour, pasta, pasta sauce, frozen vegetables, paper products, clothes, etc. Now, we are a family of four. If you are single, Costco or Sam's Club may not be a money saving option for you. Most of the items we purchase are non-perishable, so they do not go bad before we're able to use them. Now that WOULD be a waste of money!

TIP #3: Make Your Own -- This will *nearly* always save you money. As a vegan/vegetarian, I grew up on processed vegetarian meat analogs. While they're delicious, they are not the best for your health or wallet. They're super high in sodium and difficult to digest. Plus there are limited quantities in the package--sausage patties or sausage links usually only last one meal. So, why spend nearly $5 on a product that's not that great for you and doesn't go very far? Recently I made some oat based breakfast patties (one recipe yields 64 patties). They're perfect to freeze and reheat whenever you feel like "sausage" is necessary. I also like to make my own pancake and waffle mix. Commercial mixes contain powdered ingredients like eggs and fat that are high in oxidized cholesterol. When you make your own, you know what's inside. You can feel good about what you're feeding your family. One other thing...instead of buying a cake or cupcakes for a party, I make my own. The best part about that one is licking the spoon...

TIP #4: Eat Beans -- Staple foods, non-processed, will save you money. We eat beans. A lot of beans. Or lentils. Supplement with a whole grain like brown rice, whip up a salad, and you have a cheap and very balanced meal.

TIP #5: Plan Ahead -- If you can, plan your meals ahead of time. When you're mixing a soup or casserole, make extra to put in the freezer. Not all casseroles freeze well, but most soups, unless they are cream based, will freeze and thaw nicely for a quick and healthy meal. One thing that has helped me recently is to make a huge batch of cookie dough, scoop it into ready-made portions, then freeze them before baking so they're ready when I am! So nice to look in my freezer and see chocolate chip cookie dough staring at me!

As a bonus, I thought I'd share my Breakfast Patty recipe with you...just in case you need 64 breakfast patties in your freezer. My six-year-old tasted one: "Mmmm. Thank you for making these, Mom! They're good." Hey, I think I can live with that!

Ingredients:

 3 1/2 cups water

1/4 Braggs Liquid Aminos (or low sodium Tamari)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tb. oil

1 - 2 Tb. dried minced onion (or granulated, but you'd probably use less)

1 Tb. pure maple syrup

1 Tb. Italian seasoning (I mixed 1 tsp. each of thyme, basil, and Italian seasoning)

1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes, optional

1 1/2 cups quick oats

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup white beans (cannellini, chickpeas, etc.)

1 cup firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat couscous

3 Tb. ground flax seed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly sprayed foil.

In a medium pot, combine first nine ingredients and bring to a boil. Add oats and turn down heat. Allow to simmer for a few moments, then remove from heat. Puree white beans with firm tofu in a food processor until smooth, then add to the pot with the seasoned oats. Add cooked grain and flax seed, and stir to combine well. Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. It will thicken as it cools. You may want to sample a pinch of the dough and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Using a 1-in. ice cream scoop, spoon oat mixture onto prepared cooking sheet. Flatten each patty gently with the bottom of a measuring cup that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. It just makes it easier to release the dough without sticking to your cup. Bake at 350* for about 15 minutes, turn patties and allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before freezing.

Tofu Scramble over Whole Grain Toast and Gravy
Oatmeal Breakfast Patties

Summer Abundance: Rhubarb

Summer is one of my favorite seasons...at least early summer is. I'm not sure that early summer is considered a season, though. The breeze is warm, not stifling. Grass is rich and green. Growth in the garden is just beginning, and there's a wonderful smell in the air. 

We just happen to be the grateful beneficiaries of our friends summer (over) abundance. We haven't been able to plant our garden this year, but we've been blessed with cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, and rhubarb from other's gardens...no zucchini yet, but I'm sure it will come! {Insert smily face here}

I was experimenting with rhubarb combinations the other day, and while strawberry with rhubarb is still my favorite, apple and rhubarb pair nicely, too. The texture of the fruit, the sweetness of the apple balancing out the tartness of the rhubarb...it's a perfect match. 

I made a rhubarb betty....that wasn't a big hit. My next try was crisp. Mmmmm. We all agreed that it's a keeper. 

Ingredients:

3 cups rhubarb, washed well and sliced into chunks

1 cup apple (of choice), peeled and diced

1/2 cup strawberries, washed and sliced

3/4 cup sugar (or cane juice crystals)

1 Tb. flour

2 tsp. instant tapioca

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

pinch salt

Streusel Topping:

1 scant cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup margarine

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine prepared fruit with sugar, flour, instant tapioca, lemon juice and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

In another bowl, combine dry streusel ingredients, then add margarine. Using a fork (or your fingers), crumble and cut the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles large peas. 

Pour fruit mixture into a lightly oiled or Pam-sprayed 8 x 8 baking dish. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the fruit. Place in stove and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until topping is beautifully golden and fruit is tender. 

Juices will be bubbling in the baking dish, and you may want to have a cookie sheet under it...just in case! :-)

Serve warm with non-dairy vanilla ice cream, whipped topping, or enjoy it plain. 

{Not quite} Nutrigrain bars...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but as a busy family always on the run, breakfast sometimes needs to be portable. Enter Nutrigrain bars: one of the quintessential grab-and-go breakfast foods. I've been wanting to make my own breakfast bar, modeled after the soft, chewy, fruity Kelloggs brand. As I searched online, I couldn't find very many recipes that were not crumb top. While those are delicious, they don't travel well! 

I can just imagine driving in the car, crumb topped breakfast bar in one hand, steering wheel in the other. As I begin to unwrap my breakfast bar, crumbs fall off onto my shirt and lap, jam oozes onto my hands. I reach behind me into the diaper bag to retrieve a wet wipe, still holding onto the bar and steering the car with my knees...More crumbs in my lap and jam on my pants. 

These are a much safer option. :-) And! They don't contain high-fructose corn syrup, which I'm very pleased about. 

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

6 Tb. Earth Balance Margarine

1/2 cup canned coconut milk (you can also use soured soy milk - see directions below)

1/4 cup chia gel

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Reduced Sugar Strawberry Preserves (or desired fruit jam: fig, blackberry, raspberry, cherry)

*Soured soy milk: 1 Tb. lemon juice mixed with 1 cup of soy milk. Stir and allow to thicken slightly. Use as needed. 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a large cookie sheet with Pam and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (first seven listed). Add margarine and cut in until smallish pebbles form. In another small bowl, whisk wet ingredients together, then pour into dry ingredient mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms and all flour is incorporated. It should feel like biscuit dough. Turn out onto a floured surface, adding a bit more flour to dough to make it kneadable. 

With a rolling pin, form dough into a rectangle shape that is approximately 8 x 10"  and 1/4-1/2" thick.  Divide this into smaller squares--about 4 x 4. Spoon about a tablespoon of fruit preserves into the center of the square. Fold other side of dough over the jam and slightly press the seams to close. 

Transfer bars onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. 

Yield: 10 bars

Apple Spice Baked French Toast

This weekend has been a whirlwind of activity, from running errands all day Friday to spending Sunday with our church's Adventurer Club at the state-wide annual Fun Day. Last year before Fun Day, we made a quick stop at a fast food chain to grab breakfast on the fly -- I hadn't planned very well that morning ;-). Well, I've turned over a new leaf this year and wanted to make sure that my children weren't fueled by a package of deep-fried tater-tots and deep-fried french toast sticks. I whipped up this apple spice baked french toast based on a recipe for pumpkin streusel baked french toast by Two Peas and Their Pod. I've thoroughly enjoyed every recipe I've tried from their blog (veganized, of course!)

This french toast is more of a casserole and is wonderful if you are short on time. I make it the night before and either bake it that night to reheat in the morning for a super-fast meal or bake it in the morning while I am getting ready for the day. Either way, it's very tasty. 

You'll want to use a whole grain or whole wheat baguette or other crusty bread for this to turn out well. 

Ingredients:

1/2 of a long whole wheat baguette

6 Tb. chia gel or 3 Tb. flax gel

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup apple butter (made by cooking applesauce down until a thick spreadable consistency - like a thick puree)

1/4 cup brown or natural granulated sugar

1 Tb. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon or cardamom

pinch ground allspice

1/2 a Fuji or other apple of choice, peeled and diced

1/4 cup Craisins or dried tart cherries

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or a mix of white and whole wheat)

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon or cardamom

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (opt.)

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup margarine, cut into pieces

Instructions:

Spray a 2-qrt. glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Tear or cut baguette into large bite size pieces and arrange evenly in the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine milk, chia or flax, apple butter, sugar, vanilla, spices and diced apple. Whisk to thoroughly incorporate. Pour evenly over bread pieces and press bread down a bit into the milk mixture. Sprinkle dried cranberries or cherries over the french toast.  Cover casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. {Usually allow overnight or several hours for the bread to absorb the liquid.}

In a small bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, oats, walnuts, salt and cinnamon or cardamom. Cut in margarine pieces with your fingers or a fork until the mixture looks like small peas. Pour streusel into a plastic baggy and store in fridge.

When ready to bake the french toast, preheat oven to 365 F. Remove casserole and streusel from refrigerator. Spread crumb topping evenly over french toast and bake for 55-60 minutes until casserole is set and crunchy golden brown on top. 

Serve with vegetarian sausage or tofu scramble for a amazing breakfast. 

Yield: 6 large pieces

Oat Burgers {With a twist!}

When I was in high school, I worked in food service. Our cafeteria was strictly vegan and we made everything from scratch...for 55-70 people. I will never forget making huge batches of cookies or burgers, peeling 50 lbs. of potatoes, cutting pounds and pounds of onions. One of the recipes I remember most was a sunflower seed burger, smothered in a special sauce and baked. I think of it sometimes when I'm forming veggie burgers by hand. 

Recently I began experimenting with my own veggie burger. I love Morningstar Farms or Boca products, but when I realized how much money I could save by making my own...I was hooked. Now, if only I could come up with a really good substitution for Morningstar Farms Breakfast Strips! :0)

These burgers combine oats, white beans, and brown rice and are celiac friendly if you make sure that your oats are gluten free. One batch makes 18 patties.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (or light soy sauce)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tb. oil

2 Tb. dried minced onion

1 Tb. maple syrup

2 Tb. Italian seasoning (I made mine from a mixture of crushed rosemary, thyme, and basil)

1 1/2 tsp. garlic

1/4 tsp. cayenne or pinch of red pepper flakes (opt.)

3 1/2 cups quick oats

2/3 cup white beans, pureed slightly (still small chunks visible)

2/3 cup brown rice, cooked 

1/2 cup ground pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line several baking sheets with foil or bake-able parchment paper.

In a large pot, combine first nine ingredients (water + spices, oil and syrup) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in oats, bean puree, rice, and pecans and combine well. You may want to grab a pinch of the mix and taste to adjust for salt if needed.Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. It will become very thick.

Using a large ice cream scoop (about 1/3 cup), spoon mixture onto prepared sheets and flatten into patties with your hand. I made mine about 3/4-in thick. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes on one side, then turn patties with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before storing. 

These freeze amazingly well. I wrap mine in foil and place into a gallon size freezer bag. When I'm ready to use them, I take out however many burgers I need, microwave them for 15 seconds on each side, or until they're completely warm. I serve them on a bun layered with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, ketchup, mustard (or) our favorite BBQ sauce. 

Enjoy! :0)

I modified a sausage recipe from Mary Bernt's "Best of Veggies".

Breakfast Today

So, last night I planned to make waffles for breakfast this morning. I usually use a modified recipe that my mom created with granola and other ingredients (super easy!), but I didn't have everything that I needed. My husband always talks about these incredible oat waffles that he used to eat, so I decided to try my hand at making oat based waffles.

I think I may have created a new favorite! It takes a little longer than your average white flour waffle, but it's definitely worth it. Not only for your heart and digestive system, but for your taste buds as well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw cashews (you could experiment with other kinds of nuts if you wanted)

7 dates

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup corn meal

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups of water (plus a little more as needed)

handful of coconut (opt.)

1 T. flax seed (opt.)

Instructions:

Blend cashews and dates with 1 cup of water in blender until very smooth and creamy. Add rolled oats, corn meal, vanilla and salt ~ blending with the rest of the water. Turn off the blender and stir in the coconut, if using.

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and pour batter onto hot waffle iron. Bake for 11 minutes. Remove and enjoy with your favorite toppings! I made a mixed berry sauce for mine.

Yield: 3 large square waffles or 7 small round waffles (give or take depending on your waffle iron)