Canning 101 Video – Home Canning Basics

October 13, 2008 By Leave a Comment

With grocery and gas prices continually on the rise it is important to find creative ways to save money.

I've am a freezer-cooking fanatic and love the money I save by buying food in bulk and storing meals in my deep freezer.  For me...freezing is quick and simple, "canning" on the other hand, scares me.

I thought I'd share this "canning basics" video with you which has inspired me to give canning a try this Fall. I'm planning to start with pickles..what about you?

Home Canning Basics - Part 1- Introduction

Filed Under: Preserving and Pureeing Tagged With: , , ,

Debbie Meyer’s Green Bags – A Review of an "As Seen on TV" that Really Works

August 28, 2008 By 1 Comment

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For me, "As Seen on TV" ads are like a bad car crash.  I know I shouldn't look..I really don't want to look...but I look anyway, and can't turn away.

I'll admit...I've actually been convinced a few times that the stuff they are peddling works.  I recently bought that foot file shaped like an egg after watching a recent infomercial.  Did it work?  Yes.  Was it worth $10.00 + shipping?  Probably not.

I had a retail therapy moment the other day when I was bored at our local Walgreens and decided to try the green bags that were taunting me from the check-out aisle.   As the checker scanned my items she squeeled like I'd just purchased a cute pair of shoes, "oh I love those - they are fantastic".  

I headed home and excitedly bagged up my bananas, apples, & grapes.  A week later...everything looks fresh and there is this cool little "gassy film" on the bag.  (I am sure that's the technical term).  ;)

Even better, I love to buy bananas at Costco but they only seem to last a day or two (I am hoping it is because they use less preservatives than grocery store fruit).  So far, my little banana bag has lasted a week...much to the dismay of my hubbie who loves banana bread. 

So...just a quick post to let you know that the Green Bags work.  I have a feeling they will save me lots of money...and a few extra trips to Costco.

Filed Under: Frugal Cooking, Preserving and Pureeing

Strawberry Freezer Jam

July 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment

A quick and simple recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam.

Click the link to learn more...

Posted using ShareThis

Filed Under: Preserving and Pureeing

Save Money by Freezing Milk

January 8, 2008 By 3 Comments

Yes, you CAN freeze milk...and it tastes just fine.  Every two weeks we get  a few groceries at our local Costco Wholesale store.   I can get two gallons of milk at Costco for the same amount as I pay for one at other stores.

There's one catch, however.   By the time I am ready for the next Costo-trip, we've gone through our two gallons...and then some. 

One afternoon my husband suggested that we freeze the milk.  "Won't it explode?" "Won't it taste watery?"....It's worth a try, I thought. 

It worked great.  When we were half-way through with one gallon, I would "defrost" the second one in the fridge.  We gave the frozen one a good shake...and it tasted just fine!

Here's a quick excerpt from Answerbag.com about freezing milk.

"Freezing Milk: Although we do not recommend freezing milk products, for some it is a necessity. Milk may be frozen for as long as 3 months provided the sealed container is frozen prior to the best before date. Skim and 2% milk freeze better than Homo milk (whole milk). Thaw frozen milk in the refrigerator. The milk will still have the same nutrients, but it may separate. If it does, shake well or beat with an electric mixer or rotary beater.

With milk prices skyrocketing...I would say that "necessity" is an understatement. 

Filed Under: Preserving and Pureeing

Freezing Fruits and Vegetables

January 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I spent part of my day cleaning my refrigerator.  I tossed out an onion, two stalks of celery, three apples and a handful of mushrooms. 

As usual, I felt wasteful and annoyed.

In an attempt to kick off my "appreciate more...waste less" resolution for 2008 I searched for creative ways to preserve fruits and vegetables. 

I found this article from the National Center for Home Preservation that tells you how to prepare and freeze many fruits and veggies.  It is a great guide to preparing, blanching and steaming vegetables to freeze.

Freezing fruits and veggies will save time, money and that horrible wasteful feeling we all get when we tackle the fridge cleaning to-do!

Filed Under: Preserving and Pureeing