The Cost of a Recipe

Starting next week I hope to post meals that we have eaten as a family.

We rarely eat out.

 In fact we don't even have a budget column for eating out.

Something I like to do, which I find encouraging, is to find out how much I save, by making our own meals. 

At first I found this daunting, but by keeping a list inside the kitchen cupboard of items I normally use, it isn't so difficult.

Here is how I do it. I do not have a kitchen scale which would work more easily, but rather I do it by measurements. They aren't true to the very cent, but not far off.

When I purchase eggs, I get 30/$5.10. Divide 30 into 5.10 and you get .17. So for each egg I use, it cost me $.17. Most baking recipes call for two eggs; 2x $.17 = $.34

I purchase flour in early summer, usually June. I buy a 10kg bag a week for four weeks. At home I distribute the flour into plastic containers and flash freeze them then store them in the dark cold cellar. This does us one full year of baking. The flour cost me this past summer $6.99/10kg. This is the Manitoba Brand with the Buffalo on the front I get at NoFrills. It has since gone up to $7.99 a bag, but prices usually drop some in June. When I scoop out the flour I count how many cups are in a bag. Usually between 48-49 cups. I have taken the larger number: divide 49 into 6.99 and you get .142653. Round it up to $.14. So for each cup of flour I use it cost me $.14.

Some of the items in my list are: 

eggs .17

flour .14 per measured cup

Whole wheat flour .42 cup

brown/icing sugar .20 cup

chocolate chips 1.17 cup

Semi sweet chocolate square .62 each

peanuts .56 cup

baking soda .03 teaspoon

salt .01 teaspoon

Today I made Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

eggs .34

margarine  .55

sugar .20

banana .69 ( off the clearance rake)

flour . 28

baking soda .03

baking powder .03

chocolate ships 1.17

salt .01

---------------------------------

Total 2.13

I am fortunate to be able to bake in a cook stove so I use no electric power, but say about .50 for hydro . Total to make a delicious loaf is $2.63

                        

Quick Fix

Yesterday I was at my parents house in the city. This is a regular Wednesday thing for me. My Mother can barely walk as bad hips and knees as well as diabetes has taken over her life. My Dat has dementia, the second stage, setting in.

My parents are children of WWII in Europe. My Mothers family lost everything in the war, living in Holland. But Mum has forgotten and forgiven it all.

Dat with dementia re-lives it every night in his dreams. Dat a German citizen, lived through hell as a child/youth and we are living it all with him now, as it comes back to him, like a lost file found in a file cabinet. Yesterdays discussions were rather pleasant ones of him with a scooter before the war broke out.

I love to hear these stories. The happy ones as well as the sad, because they enrich my life as to what and who I am. I try and put a balance as to how life was then and how we live our lives now, and once again choose a balance.

Life now is to attainable. Advertisements, credit, anything you want is here, right now, right when you want it. That is the key..... what. Just think how easy it is to just buy anything. "If I had a million dollars"... what would you buy? I know I would renovate the bathroom! But I don't have the million dollars and the bathroom will be purcahsed in bits and pieces as the money comes avaiable and then the work will begin.

Food is easily attainable here in Canada as well. We eat based on what we feel like eating , rather then what we have in the house. Ever hear the kids say " there is nothing to eat in the house?" and yet you just did groceries?

Yesterday whilst doing groceries I saw the pile of fruit cake at the store. I love fruit cake, only the homemade type that takes weeks to age. While I was waiting on Dat I watched the shoppers buy anything but fruit cake. Why would anyone want fruit cake with so many other good things like cheesecake? Fruitcake is no longer a desirable item.

Then I think of my parents. How they would have loved to have had fruit cake during the war years. Think about the pioneers how they dried the fruit and spent so much time and effort into making a fruit cake. An item that is no longer useful in our society. I am saddened.

We live in such a quick fix society. From cell phones and text messaging to computers and emails, to the food we eat. Sometimes it is hard to come home with the just the basic foods, and then hear your teenager exclaim as he/she opens the fridge and announces " there is nothing to eat in this house! " I should have bought some fruit cake........................wonder how that would have gone with a hungry teen?

Grocery Challenge Nov 26-30/12

Nov 26/12	Shoppers	2 x milk at $4.13 each	8.26
Nov 28/12	NoFrills	2 x sausages at $2.00 ea	4.00
Total			12.26

  
Total Budget: $300.
Total so far this month : $320.74
Total spent this week: $12.26
Total coupons/gift cards: 0
Total Spent for the month of November: $333.00
Amount over $33.00

Pantry Challenge I

I have a well stocked pantry. Often called the cold cellar here, because it is in the dirt floor basement of this house. Old farm houses here where we live often still have the dirt floor basements. They are nice and cool all year round, but are difficult to keep the moisture level under control. That said perfect for cold cellars.

Many years ago I build shelves in this corner ( north-east corner) of the house, put enclosed walls of plywood in that corner and began stocking up.

I do a lot of canning at night during the summer. Putting away summer garden treats. It begins in March with Maple Syrup and ends in October with potatoes. It really never ends though, as I make my own ketchup, mustard, soup broth. All gets canned and put in the cold cellar.

In these hard economic times, with food prices rising and quality diminishing I would like to work more diligently at making the best of my pantry space.

Coming the New Year I am changing my grocery budget a bit. I shall 'try' and keep the base amount the same. However I am going to have a stock up budget as well. At present I am trying to decide on the amount.

This is my first challenge: The amount!

Shoppers Drug Mart

I am a frugal shopper. I do not buy items at a drug store just because that is where you purchase drug store items. I often find better deals at No Frill's on medical/personal items. That said Shoppers has the lowest price on milk and often other items I would use. I shop there because it is on route to anywhere I am to go, and often great deals can be found. For instance: Tissues are the lowest price in town. When I purchase milk I get four boxes ( limit) of tissues at the same time. We rarely run out of tissues unless the whole family is sick!

Shoppers also have the Optimum Point card, which I would advise anyone to get even if shopping there occasionally. For me just buying two bags of milk and four boxes of tissues each week, I saved up $30. in Optimum points, which I used last week to purchase all types of needed items in the house.

One way to get points simply is buy purchasing Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards. You get points when purchasing the card and when redeeming the card. So a double point reward.

About four-five times a year they have double points days, usually a Monday or Tuesday. They have Senior point days, ( I'm heading that direction quickly!). They also have if you purchase $50. before taxes you get a free $10. gift card. You will get points on the $50. and the gift card( when redeemed). I generally have a long list of items needed and well researched to purchase the $50. week / gift card special. It adds up and are items I WILL use throughout the year.

John Deere Smocking Done

I finished the panel for the size six smocked dress this weekend. 

It took me 17 1/2 hours to smock.

I need to remove the pleating lines and block it, but first must make the size four dress, to match.

Kidz Aprons

Finished the aprons for the little ones.

This one for the four year old.

This one for the three year old.

They turned out really cute.