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Make Soya Milk
Make Soya Milk, it’s Cheap and Easy!
If you don’t drink regular milk then why not make soya milk as a cheap and simple alternative? Many people have stopped dairy products these days for both health and ethical reasons, but the alternatives can often be costly or full of additives. If you make soya milk at home then you know exactly what has gone into it so you know there is not a lot of sugar and no artificial colors or flavors. The soya milk will taste great, costs only a few cents and you get the added bonus of having the left over beans as a high protein ingredient for cooking! Read on to discover just how easy it is to make soya milk at home…
Health Benefits of Soya Milk:
Most of us used to drink dairy milk when we were at school since it was deemed to be “good for us”. Like many foods, when consumed in moderation this can be true providing you are not allergic to cows milk. However there there many proven health reasons to either introduce soya milk into your daily food choices, or to use it to replace dairy milk entirely….
- Zero Cholesterol: Dairy milk is high in saturated fat and cholesterol which is bad news for your blood lipid profile. Soya milk on the other hand contains mostly unsaturated fats and no cholesterol. Studies have shown that drinking soya milk regularly lowers the bad LDL cholesterol and raises the good HDL cholesterol levels in your blood.
- Assists Weight Loss: Cows milk contains the equivalent of around 12 grams of sugar per cup. If you make soya milk at home then the sugar content is under your control and will be around half that value. The monounsaturated fatty acids in soya milk help to inhibit the intestinal absorption of fat which will help you maintain a healthy weight. Since Soya milk is made from filtered ground up beans it will contain dietary fiber which will help with your digestion and make you feel fuller.
- Helps Prevent Osteoporosis: Soya milk contains phytoestrogen which helps the body absorb calcium so acting as a valuable protection against loss of bone density so common in old age.
How to Make Soya Milk:
Ok, so soya milk is a good thing but can be costly. If you make it home you can have a ready supply and don’t even have to have to go to the trouble of keeping a cow! The main ingredient is dried soya beans which are really cheap and keep for ages, so you make soya milk any time you need it.
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Weigh The Beans | First off just weigh out the dried soya beans. You will need 120 grams to make 1 liter of milk |
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Soak the Beans | Pour boiling water of the beans and leave to soak for at least 8 hours. Periodically scrunch up the beans with your hands to encourage the skins to fall off. You can also crack the beans beforehand if you want by putting them in a bag and wacking them. I find that this is pretty much a waste of time since the bag usually bursts! |
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Separate the Skins | Use a tea strainer to skim off the skins. Swirl the water round so that they come near the surface where you can catch them. The more skins you can remove the less “beany” the milk will taste so it is worth spending a bit of time on this |
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Add Water | After a final rinse in a colander put the beans into a saucepan and measure in just over 1 liter of tap water. You need about 200ml of extra water so that you end up with the full liter of milk in the end |
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Blend | Use a hand blender to blitz the beans into very fine pulp. At this stage it already looks like milk but is not safe to drink |
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Strain | Put TWO cotton hankies into a colander and pour in the liquid bean mush. Pick up the corners of the hankies and squeeeeeeze the milk out into another saucepan. Twist the hankies to wring out as much liquid as possible. If you want to sterilize the hankies first just iron them….and you will need two layers in order to stop the fine bean particles getting into the milk |
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Simmer and Flavor | Bring the soya milk to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Never take you eye off the pan otherwise it will boil over. Along the way add a spoon of honey for sweetness and just a tiny pinch of salt. If you like flavored milk then add a few drops of vanilla essence or a tablespoon of cocoa powder. IT is very important to simmer the milk for the full 10 minutes in order to destroy the toxins that are naturally present in raw beans. You can simmer the milk for longer in order to reduce the volume and make it taste richer if you prefer |
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Bottle | When the milk is cool put it into a nice screw top bottle and store in the fridge. Use as normal milk…just shake it a bit before you pour it out |
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The Remains | You will be left with a small pile of ground up soya beans. This is called Okara. This can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days and can be added to bread, stews, curry etc. Of course it must not be used raw. The Okara can also be dried for longer term storage. |
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Make Flat Bread | My favorite use for the Okara is to make flat bread in the frying pan. I usually zap it for a few minutes in a pressure cooker to make it softer and then mix with an equal amount of flour…add some spices and then just roll it out into circles as thin as you can. Cook in a frying pan until it looks nice and brown…around two minutes each side. Cook for less time if you want to make flexible wraps for salad etc…mmmmm yummy! |
If you make soya milk at home on a regular basis then you will have plenty of Okara to add to your regular cooking. Click on the links below for other recipe ideas an information:
Wiki Description of Okara: Okara – Soy Pulp
Don’t Waste the Left Overs : Simple Okara Recipes
Take a Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat and learn how to make soya milk at home. It costs next to nothing and is packed with health benefits. Making your own means that you know exactly what has gone into it!
What Does Food Look Like
What Does Food Look Like?
What does food look like, well it is frightening to realize that a whole generation is growing up not just not knowing. In the space of less than 50 years our buying habits have switched from shopping for ingredients to buying ready made junk food. And it gets worse….we used to eat three meals a day, but now it is normal to graze on snacks and then still eat another three complete meals! Small wonder that waistlines are expanding and obesity related health issues are stretching our health service to the very limit. This is a short reality check to help nudge you back on track. Read it and do something about it before it is too late!
The Good, the Bad and the Profit for Mc D:
In spite of trying to clean up it’s image the mainstay of McDonald’s is high fat, high salt junk food that costs peanuts to produce, and is mostly consumed “on the hoof” as a snack between main meals….hmmmmm
Everybody likes to joke about McDonald’s food, but unbelievably their brand of junk exactly matches what most people crave for ie fast instant gratification that can typically be consumed while walking around or driving the car. McDonald’s is the world’s largest global fast food outlet serving over 68 million customers a day in over 110 countries….just read that again ….serving over 68 million customers a day in over 110 countries! Holy cow that is just mega huge! Although this is a competitive niche, and the world economy is pretty bumpy, McDonalds still managed a turnover of $27 Billion in 2012 and a profit of nearly $5.5 Billion. Meanwhile waistlines continue to expand and diet related health problems like type 2 diabetes and heart disease spiral out of control. Latest statistics show that around 75% of Americans do NOT eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day…but still find the time and the money pile on the pounds with fast food! And each extra pound around your waste line means means more dollars of profit for McDonald’s and the other Junk Food Giants!
You can check the exact calories in McDonald’s food here: McDonald’s Calorie Counter
Here is the really scary math for you…….
The Calories:
- Big Mac = 550 Calories
- Small Fries = 230 Calories
- Large Coke = 310 Calories
- Total = 1090 Calories
The Fat:
One Pound of Fat contains around 3500 Calories. So if you eat this kind of snack around three times a week, in addition to your normal food, then you will gain ONE POUND A WEEK (ie 3500/ 1090 = 3.2)
- One Pound a Week = 52 Pounds a Year
- 52 pounds a year = 3.7 STONE of potential Weight Gain
The Profit:
The BigMac, small fries and the large Coke will cost you around $7.68 each visit. Three visits a week for a year adds up to $1198 that you have donated to McDonald’s. Based on their reported profit margin of 20% this means that:
- You gain 52 pounds in weight
- You Lose $1198
- They gain $1198 of turnover and $239 of pure profit or around $4.5 per pound of fat…..
So Just What Does Food Look Like Then?
Lets get back to basics. There is Real Food that we should eat, there is Processed Food that we often eat and there is Junk Food that we just can’t get enough of. However, because we are eating mostly Processed Food and Junk Food we are losing touch with the purpose of food. We eat food in order to provide our bodies with sufficient energy to live an active life and sufficient nutrients to live a healthy life. If either of those gets out of balance then we run the risk of getting sick. Flip through these three tabs to remind yourself what you should be eating and why:
Real Food
What does food look like…well every week you should be eating everything on this list….how many are you actually eating?
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Fresh Meat | Meat is high in protein and iron, but you should really only eat it once or twice a week to introduce variety in your meals. Avoid red meats like beef which are high in fat and choose chicken or turkey instead. |
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Fresh Fish | Oily fish like mackerel, trout and salmon is also good to eat once or twice a week due to the high content of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. This is the good stuff that helps with your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. |
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Eggs | Used used to get a bad press, but in reality they are very nutritious and versatile. Each egg contains around 5 grams of fat and only about 1.5 grams of that is the bad saturated fat. On top of that they are high in protein and are pretty much the only natural source of vitamin D. |
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Dried Beans, Pulses and Seeds | A great source of protein and dietary fiber. Due to the high fiber content beans are a bit difficult for the body to digest…but this is a good thing because it actually reduces the effective calories consumed since the body has to work harder. The natural sugars are released slowly so balancing out the peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels. Beans and pulses should form a staple part of your main meals. |
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Unsalted Nuts | Unsalted nuts like almonds, hazels, peanuts and brazils are high in unsaturated fats while also being good sources of vitamin E and dietry fiber. Nuts contain arginine which improves the health of artery walls. Eat a small handful every day. A small handful, not half a bucket! |
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Fresh Fruit | Fresh fruit is high in natural sugar and dried fruit is even higher. However, fruit is also jam packed with vitamins so it is essential to eat two or three a day. Dried fruit is deceptively easy to eat so is bast avoided unless soaked overnight in water to re-hydrate it. |
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Fresh Raw Salad | Salads form part of your “5 a Day” servings of fruit and vegetables. A salad is quick to make and full of vitamins…the exact combination depending on what you choose to put in the salad! Don’t ruin the effect by swamping it with half a gallon of thousand island sauce straight from the bottle since that will be full of sugar and fat. Instead use lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and sesame oil for a tasty but healthy alternative. |
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Fresh Vegetables | Vegetables like carrots are always best eaten raw…but in general opt for light steaming rather than death by boiling in order to preserve the nutrients. You need to eat four or five servings of vegetables a day if you want to have a healthy lifestyle. Low in fat and calories you can simply pile your plate high with these bad boys! |
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Water | Everybody needs to drink around 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy and prevent dehydration. And drinking Coke or beer doesn’t count due to the high sugar levels! If it is hot or you are doing a lot of exercise then you need more…if you feel thirsty you are probably already on the way to being dehydrated! Water from the tap is fine, and you can refill bottles to take out with you. Many bottled waters are just made from filtered tap water so are nothing special. Never drink those fancy flavored waters as they are full typically of chemicals and sugar! |
Processed Food
This is Processed Food which is made by taking food ingredients and turning them into something else. Processed food are best avoided or at least minimized…..
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Cheese | Cheese is made from milk and it is really high in saturated fat and calories. Many people are allergic to either the protein in milk products, the lactose or both. If you really like cheese just have a small amount once a week…but try to cut it out completely and see if you feel the difference. Cheese is not addictive so you can stop it immediately without feeling any withdrawal symptoms! |
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Butter and Margarine | Butter is made from milk and so is high in saturated fat and carries the same allergy risk. Margarine is processed from vegetable oils and typically contains a complete cocktail of chemicals to make it taste and look like butter. If you have to spread this stuff on your sandwiches then you are probably better off with a really thin coat of real butter…but try to get used to eating toast and sandwiches without either. |
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Milk | Milk is for baby cows or baby goats…not humans. It is mass produced and production is enhanced by injecting the animals with bovine growth hormones which in turn find their way into the products we consume. Change to soya milk or just cut it out altogether! |
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Tinned Food | Most tinned foods have added sugar and added salt so are pretty unhealthy. We like tinned food because it is convenient so there is nothing wrong with keeping a few tins in the cupboard for emergencies. Other than that the only exception in TINNED TOMATOES since these usually contain no additives (check the label) and are a great substitute for those expensive calorie laden pasta sauces! |
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Ham and Salami | Ham, salami and other processed meats are typically very high in salt and so best avoided. Also, you never really know what is in a lot of these processed products as the recent UK horse meat scandal has shown! |
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Shop Bread | Shop bread is simply disgusting. Cheap and full of additives. Make your own from 100% wholegrain flour and use a bread machine to save a fortune every year! If you have gluten intolerance then opt for rye bread recipes. |
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Wine | A glass of red wine a day is supposed to be beneficial…but who has the self control to drink just one glass? Best kept for special occasions and drunk as part of a meal. |
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Beer | A quick beer after work usually means 3! Each pint can contain up to 200 calories so not only are you poisoning your liver but you will be piling on the pounds as well…a double whammy of a health risk. Search out natural German beers since these are made from just water, hops and barley. Yep, they are more expensive but that means you can savor the taste and drink less! |
Junk Food
What does food look like? Well it doesn’t look like any of the things in this list. If you are eating this kind of food on a regular basis then the chances are that you are piling on the pounds and stacking up the health problems like raised blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes… Seriously, you should be eating NOTHING from this list at all….ever…not even in an emergency!
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Plastic Triangle Sandwiches | Never, ever buy one of those disgusting plastic triangle sandwich packs from the garage! Make your own healthy alternative in advance and save money! |
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Burgers | You already know that the fast food chains like McDonald’s are making huge profits out of making people fat and unhealthy. Just stop eating that stuff now! |
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Hot Dogs | Is it just me or does a hot dog look like a turd stuffed into a cheap white bread roll? Why would anybody want to eat something that disgusting? |
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Take Away Meals | Ooooh, lets have a Chinese tonight! That Take Away meal will cost you at least four times the cost of a home cooked meal and will contain a zillion calories from all the sugar and fat. Then you will lie on your back snoring and farting for the rest of the night…Sounds familiar? |
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Chips and Fries | Chips and fries get loaded onto everything these days if you ask for them or not. Traditional chips are large thick and chunky…..fries are skinny so have contain less of the expensive raw ingredient (the potato) and have a larger surface area of cheap FAT. Then you chuck half a pound of salt on top….not a good combination for a healthy lifestyle. Cut them out immediately… |
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Biscuits and Sweets | Ah ha, the stuff you snack on between meals. Stop snacking on anything apart from fruit and raw vegetables like carrots and you will start to see the calories slide away. Get into the habit of eating 3 meals a day and no snack in-between. If you don’t believe me read some of the labels…a single biscuit can contain over 100 calories. Eat 5 of those and that’s the equivalent of a small meal! |
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Cakes, Muffins and Donuts | These are really the sugar laden bad stuff that you need to cut out immediately. This kind of food is called “empty calories” since it is mostly sugar with no associated nutritional value. Muffins typically contain upwards of 300 calories EACH…. |
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Chocolate | More stuff to munch on between meals and in the evening. You can cut that out as well. |
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Crisps | Crisps are usually high in fat and salt…the cheaper ones will also contain various artificial flavors and colors. These are typically sold in bars to make us feel thirsty and so buy more beer! Stop buying these when you go shopping…if you don’t have them in the house then you can’t eat them! |
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Cola and other Fizzy Drinks | These are either full of sugar or full of chemicals to trick our bodies into thinking that we are drinking something full of sugar. Either way you need to cut these out and switch to water as your main thirst quencher. |
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Salted Nuts | More bar snacks to avoid. Salted peanuts placed on tables and bars in restaurants are quite likely to get contaminated with urine and poo bacteria from the customers who are helping themselves without washing their hands after visiting the toilet. Do you really want to eat somebodies excrement? |
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Ice Cream | Ice cream…forget it, cross it off and don’t look back. Ice Cream is made from sugar, milk and flavoring so is high in calories and high in fat. |
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Spirits like Vodka and Whiskey | Strong alcohol…Beer and wine have relatively low concentrations of alcohol. The body breaks down alcohol roughly at the rate of one unit an hour…so if you are drinking wine or beer with a meal at a social occasion then there is no real problem. Start drinking 35% or 40% spirits and this is a different game. You can quickly get used to drinking large amounts of alcohol (well, it is addictive) and then this can led onto a whole host of health issues including potential fatal lever disease. Choose low alcohol drinks and have as many “drink free days” a week as you can…but don’t make it up by just downing the whole weeks worth in one night. That is what the British are renowned for and it is called Binge Drinking… |
Take a Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat and study these pictures…you need to learn what real food looks like, and when your kids ask you “what does food look like” you will have the perfect answer ready for them!
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Shelf Life Guide
Shelf Life Guide Frugal Update!
We all know that foods, drinks and medicines have to show self life on their labels..and each country in the world has slightly different standards for this. Those dates are put on the products for a good reason – to protect the consumer from harm. However, things have got a bit our of hand these days with billions of $’s worth of perfectly safe products being thrown away every year. Joe or Jessy Bloggs (the average consumer) really needs a Shelf Life Guide in order to navigate the maze of information, be able to consume products safely and avoid wasting money!
Is it Safe to Take Out of Date Medicines?
Shelf Life Guide – Standard medicines like painkillers and lemsip sachets will still be effective well after their expiry date. The date can sometimes be hard to decipher on the bottom of the packet so we always write it on in pen as well so we consume the oldest packets first….
Faced with an aging stockpile of medicines and drugs the US Military had to decide if it needed to dispose of them or if they were still save and effective. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that the US Military carry out laboratory analysis of the drug products. The findings were startling!
90% or over 100 different pharmaceutical products tested were found to be fine even 15 years after the expiry date!
Every year over £300 million pounds of pharmaceuticals are thrown away or handed in for disposal in the UK each year….clearly many of these products will be perfectly safe and effective to use. A shelf life guide is really needed to help consumers know exactly what to do, but you can also use some common sense:
- Specialist Drugs and Antibiotics – Always respect the expiry dates & consult your Pharmacist for advice if you have a stock of out of date pills
- Opened Liquid Medicines – Like any opened food product these will often degenerate quickly so should be disposed of after your course of treatment
- Un-Opened Liquid Medicines – Respect the expiry date and check with your Pharmacist
- Everything Else – Pain killers, indigestion tablets, insect bite cream, foot powder and products for minor symptoms have been found safe to use well beyond the expiry dates
Medicines are best stored below 25C or in the salad compartment of the fridge if you have room. The general message is “be cautious“, but if you have a hangover an out of date Paracetamol should still do the trick. Don’t forget that “branded” painkillers can cost up to SEVEN TIMES more than generic equivalents which contain exactly the same active ingredients.
Is it Safe to Eat Out of Date Food?
Shelf Life Guide – I purchased this nice filet of duck on 23 Jan and the sell by date is clearly marked 24 Jan so there is two days left to eat it! It cost €3.50 instead of €6.31!!!!
The shelf life guide here is again to use common sense but also to use your nose and eyes! There are plenty of people out there who get most of their food out of the dumpsters hidden away behind the supermarkets and shopping malls. And don’t for a minute think that all these people are drop outs and drug addicts because a whole new “Green Dumpster Living” movement is out there showing that the everyday food thrown away by the supermarkets is perfectly safe to eat…as well as being free! We all know what fresh food looks and smells like so it is pretty simple to checkout what we have lurking on the bottom shelf of the fridge! Supermarkets often sell food like meat, cheese and fish at half price or less on the day of “expiry”….these are bargains that just have to be snapped up if they are products that you like anyway. Of course it is a good idea to cook and eat these products immediately, but you can also freeze them….or better still make a big stew or risotto to split up into portions and freeze. For vegetables it is simply a matter of cutting any soft or moldy bits out and cooking the rest as normal.
Shelf Life Guide Websites:
Luckily these days we now have the internet and there are several really good websites that give accurate shelf life guide information. Spend a few minutes gathering information from these websites and you will quickly realize that you can save plenty of money by not being so ruthless when you are throwing out of date food products away.
How long does Food Really Last – Find out at www.eatbydate.com
Look up Food Shelf Life and Storage Tips at www.shelflifeadvice.com
Take a Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat and create your own shelf life guide for the products that you normally consume. Making a simple chart will help you to avoid overbuying and then having to throw food away….and can also be used as a sanity check to make sure that you don’t throw food or medicines away unnecessarily…since many things will last longer than you think!
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Alternate Day Fasting 5:2
The Alternate Day Fasting 5:2 Lifestyle
The new buzz is alternate day fasting 5:2, but what does it mean and why is there so much interest? The mind boggling idea is that by introducing two days of fasting into your routine you will lose weight, live longer and be able to carry on eating your “normal” meals for the other 5 days! This sounds like the too good to be true “diet”, but as usual the media has picked up on some of the more sensational aspects and ignored the science. Read on to discover that you can save up to 25% of your food bill….are ready for this lifestyle change?
Alternate Day Fasting 5:2 in a Nutshell:
Alternate Day Fasting 5:2 means that you can eat this sort of food for 5 days a week……..
So what exactly is alternate day fasting 5:2?
- Eat whatever you want for 5 days a week
- For 2 days a week eat 500 calories for a woman or 600 calories for a man
- Do not fast on 2 consecutive days
- On the fasting days you can eat all the food in one go or spread it out during the day
….providing you eat this sort of food for two non-consecutive days a week!
There are not that many good books around on this topic yet. Click this link to read the MeanyGoat review of the best available:
Alternate Day Fasting 5:2 Science:
Current medical opinion has so far found no evidence one way or another for the benefits of fasting…but it is certainly not advised for pregnant women, people with existing medical conditions or those taking complex medication. However, there is PLENTY of real research and data going back many years that would seem to indicate that the lower your calorie intake is then the longer you will live. As a consequence you will lose weight. The focus of the media has mostly been around living the high life for 5 days a week…then putting up with a bit of hardship for a couple of days and still end up losing weight. At the other end of the spectrum if you restrict your food intake too much then you risk compulsive fasting, anorexia and a whole host of vitamin & mineral deficiencies. Clearly this is a complex topic where the balance between getting it right and getting it wrong is pretty critical.
Professor Valter Longo, director of the University of Southern California’s Longevity Institute has discovered a link between a aging and a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Longo has found that IGF-1 is essential to help the body grow and develop when we are younger…but as we get older high levels of the hormone can accelerate aging. He has found that fasting seems to lower IGF-1 levels and trigger a whole host of DNA repair mechanisms in the body which provide protection from degenerative diseases like cancer. And surprise surprise…high protein intake from meat, fish and milk also keeps IGF-1 levels high, so the standard western diet is doing us no favors at all!
Out of the strict fasting ideas researched by Professor Longo there is another less extreme version being investigated by Dr Krista Varady of the University of Illinois. This alternate day fasting 5:2 seems to give almost the same health benefits of extreme fasting while allowing a normal lifestyle for most of the time. Dr Michael Mosley from the UK has described this research in a BBC Horizon television program and more recently in an article in the Daily Telegraph. He has also personally taken part in a trial of alternate day fasting 5:2 and found that apart from weight loss he also benefited from lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.
Common Sense Alternate Day Fasting 5:2
Add some common sense to Alternative Day Fasting 5:2 and you will not need to be watching your waste line any more….
Anybody considering a radical change in their eating habits and lifestyle should always discuss the topic first with their Doctor. In reality we will not find out if the 5:2 lifestyle makes us live longer or not until it is already too late! However, the weight of current medical research opinion seems to back the idea that eating less in general, and eating less protein, sugar and fat in particular may lead to a longer lifespan…..with the weight loss being a bonus.
Common sense also indicates a few pointers for the future as well:
- 5:2 Alternate Day Fasting does require a lot of self discipline and since there is a lot of built in flexibility many people will probably end up “stretching” the interval so that it ends up 8:1 and eventually 30:1 !
- If you really do carry on eating crap for 5 days and then just eat practically nothing for 2 days then that is not going to give the same result as eating as healthily as you can for 5 days and then doing the controlled fasting for 2 days
- Both opting for alternate day fasting 5:2, or just cleaning up your act to focus on healthy food are both “Lifestyle Changes” and they will both have a beneficial impact. Starting a “Diet” will have no lasting impact since once you stop you are back to square one and “yo yo” diets normally lead to a steady weight gain over time.
- Exercise is also needed as part of a healthy lifestyle since it also burns calories, builds your muscles, lowers blood pressure and improves mood & general health.
Click this link to read the full article by Dr Mosley in the Daily Telegraph:
The 5:2 diet: can it help you lose weight and live longer?
Other ideas here….
What Is Alternate Day Fasting? Is It A Safe Way To Lose Weight? http://t.co/ciVyLxhN #health
Take a Frugal Tip from the Meany Goat and really examine your eating and exercise habits. Eating less food, cutting back on meat, fish and dairy products….cutting out sugary and fatty snacks will all help you reduce weight, be healthier and will end up saving you money. Logically a 5:2 lifestyle will save around 25% of your weekly food bill!
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Use a Food Thermometer
Why Use a Food Thermometer?
Why use a food thermometer at all? Isn’t it a bit geeky to be measuring food temperatures when you already know how to cook? Well, read on to find out how this simple and cheap device can help you save time, money and avoid a nasty bout of food poisoning. Some modern gadgets really are worth buying after all!
Four Good Reasons to Use a Food Thermometer:
If you are really not sure why it is a really good idea to use a food thermometer then just read these top three reasons….
- Ensures your Food is Safely Cooked: Just putting raw meat or fish in an oven and blasting it does not ensure that it is safely cooked all the way through. Particularly with a BBQ there is a risk that the food is cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. If you want to minimize the risk of food poisoning from undercooked food then taking 5 seconds to check the temperature is really worthwhile.
- Avoid Burning your Mouth: If you use a microwave a lot then it is easy to reheat foods to a scalding temperature which can quickly burn your mouth and lips if you are not careful. Re-heated soup is the prime candidate here….just check the temperature after you remove the bowl from the microwave…and dont forget to allow a few seconds standing time since the liquid will continue to heat up even after the microwave has switched off.
- Save Time: You know how long it takes to cook you roast in the oven right? Wrong!!! The time taken depends on the weight of the meat, the particular cut, the temperature of the meat when you put it in the oven and the actual temperature of the oven. Plenty of variables!!! Very often we actually overcook a roast which wastes time. Use the thermometer to spike the roast meat…once it has reached the right temperature then it is cooked and safe to eat. Chances are you can shave quite a bit of time off your normal roast if you monitor the temperature of the meat.
- Save Energy: If you are cooking the meat at the right temperature for the right length of time then you will minimize the use of gas or electricity. Once the meat has reached the correct internal temperature then you can turn the oven off and stop wasting energy.
Safe Cooking Temperatures:
Use a food thermometer to ensure that your BBQ food is properly cooked…avoid the risk of a jippy stomach! With a BBQ there is a real risk that the food is burnt on the outside and almost raw on the inside….an ideal recipe for food poisoning!!!
The US Food Safety Website gives an excellent table of safe cooking temperatures and also states that it is really important to allow for the “standing time” after cooking to allow any harmful bacteria to be completely zapped.
Click HERE to read the Safe Cooking Temperature Table
Basically most egg, fish, poultry and meat products need cooking until their internal temperature is between 145F (62C) and 165F (73C)…..but read the chat since it does depend what you are cooking. Always use a food thermometer with a sharp point so that you can accurately take the temperature right in the middle of the meat….do not take the surface temperature!
Choosing a Food Thermometer:
Basically there are three types of food thermometer to choose from…and all use different technologies:
- Analogue Dial Thermometer: Typically works with a bi-metalic strip. Can be slow to respond so you may end up overcooking some food.
Taylor Classic Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
Price: $5.24
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- Probe Thermometer: Electronic display unit linked to the pointed probe with a cable. The probe can be left in the meat with the oven door closed so don’t have to open the door to take the temperature.
CDN Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer
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- Combined Digital Thermometer: The probe and readout is all part of a single molded unit. This kind of thermometer typically has the fastest response time of as little as 5 seconds.
ES432 Ultra-Fast Water Resistant Pen Shape Stem Thermometer
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All of these instruments are good so the final choice is up to you…but it really does make sense to use a food thermometer on a regular basis.
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This combined digital food thermometer has a rubber sleeve that slides over the probe so it can also be used to take the temperature of soup or even be a help with jam making or brewing! |
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The sharp narrow point and combined readout makes this a really useful tool in the kitchen. With a response time of around 5 seconds there really is no excuse not use a food thermometer every time you cook. |
Take a Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat and start to use a food thermometer…it can help you save time, money and above all ensure that your food is safely cooked!
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Sweetcorn Bread
Sweetcorn Bread – Spicy and Dairy Free!
If you are looking for cheap, quick and easy diary free bread recipes then this Sweetcorn Bread is just the ticket! Substantial and full of nutrients it makes a great addition to your best packed lunch ever. Read on for the full mouthwatering recipe……..
Sweetcorn Facts:
You can make sweetcorn bread from either fresh corn removed from the cob…which takes ages…or you can just open a can. Both corn cobs and canned sweetcorn are high in anti-oxidants including ferulic acid when cooked. Sweetcorn is also very low in fat and is gluten free. It is high in carbohydrate due to the simple sugars like glucose that it contains and packs around 3% protein and a big bunch of B vitamins. Traditional Sweetcorn Bread contains butter and milk, but it is really easy to make a dairy free alternative using olive oil and soya milk.
Sweetcorn Bread Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 x large onion
- 1 x red pepper or red chili
- 1 x glug of olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 200g of wholemeal flour
- 200g of Polenta
- 4 x eggs
- 1 x 300g tin of sweetcorn
- Loads of Garlic
- Any other spice you like eg coriander seeds
- 250ml of warm soya milk
- 1 x yeast starter
- 1 x sachet of raising agent (Bicarb)
Sweetcorn Bread Method:
- Fry up the onion, pepper, garlic and spices with the olive oil for a few minutes
- While this is in progress weigh out everything else and add the yeast to the warmed soya milk
- Open the can of sweetcorn and blast it with a liquidizer then add to the onions and peppers then turn off the heat
- Turn on the oven and heat to 200C
- In a bowl combine the flour, salt, polenta, eggs and soya milk
- Stir round and then add the onion and spicy sweetcorn mixture
- Leave for 5 or 10 minutes and then stir again
- Pour the mixture into a round or square non-stick cake tin approx 25cm in size
- Cook for 30 minutes
- Check after 15 minutes and turn around
- Take out and turn onto a wire tray to cool
Freshly baked Sweetcorn Bread cooling down before cutting up to eat!
Meal Ideas with Sweetcorn Bread:
The Sweetcorn Bread can be eaten hot or cold. Since it is quite moist it is really nice eaten as part of your money saving packed lunch. Bake it on Sunday and it will keep in a tin all week. Alternatively cut the sweetcorn bread into slices and wrap them up individually in greaseproof paper….like this they are ready to grab each day as you go out to work! Of course it can easily be frozen either whole or in slices….and like this can be zapped for 30 seconds in microwave straight from the freezer.
Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat: Make some dairy free sweetcorn bread this weekend and start taking it to work for your lunch since it is really nutritious and makes a nice change from sandwiches!
….and if you want more information here is a link about the history of sweetcorn
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Best Way to Store Bread
What is the Best Way to Store Bread and Avoid Waste?
Recent research by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reported on the BBC website that 32% of bread purchased in the UK is thrown away every year. The BBC quotes from the anti waste organization “Wrap” that this represents “680,000 tonnes of avoidable bakery waste is disposed of each year at a cost of £1.1bn, about 80% of it from packs that have been opened but not finished.” The majority of this waste could be avoided by very simple methods and common sense. Read on to find out what is the best way to store bread so that you avoid throwing it away!
Why Is So Much Bread Wasted?
Homemade bread uses salt as a preservative and actually lasts much longer than you think!
One of the main reasons why so much bread is wasted is that consumers have lost touch with the best way way to store bread. As a consequence many reasons for disposal come into play:
- Past the Use By Date: Many people automatically throw away food once it has passed the “death date” rather than using their eyes and noses
- Over Purchasing: Bread is a basic commodity and nobody likes to run short so the tendency is to buy too much
- Lack of Knowledge: People believe bread will only keep 3 to 4 days but trials show that most are not able to distinguish between 2 day old and 6 day old bread
- Keeping Bread in the Fridge: Many people keep bread in the fridge and this actually makes it go stale more quickly
Read the full BBC article here: Why is bread Britain’s most wasted food?
How Not to Store Bread:
In order to work out the Best Way to Store Bread we need to make sure we avoid things that will make the bread go stale or moldy. Basically if bread is stored somewhere too warm and moist then it will go moldy…while if it is left uncovered then it will go dry and stale.
- Do Not Store Bread in a Plastic Bag: This warm and moist environment is ideal for the development of mold growth which will quickly spread through the bread
- Do Not Store Bread in the Fridge: The typical fridge temperature of 4C or 5C is the temperature at which bread goes stale most quickly. One day on the fridge = 3 days at room temperature!
- Do Note Leave Bread on the Worktop: Unwrapped bread will quickly dry out and go stale
Why is it so Bad to Store Bread in the Fridge?
At 5C the starch molecules will crystallize. This is a physical change which removes moisture from the bread and so it gets dry and stale more quickly
Best Way to Store Bread:
Ok, so we now know how not to store our bread…so lets list out how to achieve the best way to store bread:
- Always Store Bread at Room Temperature: The bread will stay fresh longest like this
- Always Store Bread in a Bin, Bag or Box: The reduced air circulation will help the bread avoid drying out
- Always Store Bread in a Paper Bag or Perforated Polythene: Warm moist environments promote the growth of mold. Paper bags are best for storage
How Else Can I Avoid Wasting Bread?
Once you know the best way to store bread then you should be well on the road to avoiding waste. However, shit happens and what can we do when things go wrong despite your best efforts?
- Use the Freezer: Bread freezes really well. If you have too much…or buy the reduced bread at the end of the day simply freeze the excess in proper freezer bags
- Refresh the Bread: Stale bread can be brought back to life by being moistened and re-heated for a short time. The microwave is good for this. Always eat the bread immediately after refreshing, and do not refresh more than once!
- Make Things With Stale Bread: Bread Crumbs, Bread and Butter Pudding and French Toast are all great things that can be made from stale bread that has not gone moldy
Homemade vs Commercial Bread:
The best way to store bread if you make your own rolls is to freeze them and then take them out of the freezer a few at a time.
Standard Supermarket bread will contain many additives and preservatives while if you make your own bread you are in control of the contents. Homemade bread uses salt as the preservative as is the case if you buy “artisan” bread from a specialist bakers shop. Where ever you buy your bread from…or if you make it yourself..the best way to store bread is the same. However, if you get into the swing of home baking then making bread rolls can be very efficient. Simply bake a large batch once a week and store everything you will not eat in the first two or three days. After that just take a couple of rolls out of the freezer each night before you go to bed and you will have fresh bread every day!
The Best Way to Sore Bread is in a Bag….But What Kind?
Ok, so the best way to store bread is in a bag at room temperature…but what are the options?
- Plastic Bag: Never store bread in a plastic bag unless you are freezing it. It room temperature it will be too moist and will quickly go moldy (in the last resort a perforated bag is ok)
- Paper Bag: This is a great choice since it “breaths” an so does not allow the bread to sit in a humid environment. A decent paper bag will last a few weeks if you look after it
- Cotton Bag: A simple cotton bag has similar qualities to a paper bag with the added advantage that it will last for a long time and can be washed
You can make a simple cotton bag pretty easily or look around for a cheap cotton shopping bag. Alternatively keep an eye open at handy craft stalls where you can find special “bread bags” that have been hand made. The ideal design is a cotton bag that is lined (ie double thickness) and has a draw string top. I bought one recently at a craft exhibition in the village where I live in France. It is a work of art and only cost 12 Euros and really stores my home made bread in perfect condition!
The best way to store bread is in a nice handmade cotton bag like this!
So take a Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat: The best way to store bread is to freeze the excess as soon as possible and store the rest in a bag at room temperature…..a paper bag is fine but a double thickness cotton bag is the best!
Don’t forget that now you know the best way to store bread you can also start to make your own…this article explains how:
Click here to read how to make Home Baked Bread
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Frugal Tip: Make Oatcakes
Make Oatcakes and Skip the Biscuits!
Have you seen the cost of Oatcakes these days? Ever thought of trying to make them? Well actually they are really simple and you can make them from cheap and natural ingredients. Learn the recipe from the MeanyGoat, make oatcakes and maybe give the biscuits a miss for a change!
Oatcake History:
Oatcakes formed part of the traditional Scottish diet until recently since oats were one of the few crops that could be grown reliably in the Scottish climate. Traditionally they were cooked on a “griddle” of hot metal plate over an open fire, but they can equally be baked in a standard oven. There are many recipes and many variations ranging from chewy or dry to sweet or sour depending on the exact ingredients and the cooking methods. Modern oatcakes tend to have added sugar and typically contain around 100 calories each so you don’t want to eat too many.
Oatcakes were traditionally used to replace bread and were eaten with most meals. The modern versions tend to be treated as cheese biscuits. If you make oatcakes then you can use them as a great alternative to normal biscuits or cheese biscuits….they really are a healthy alternative snack with a frugal twist since they cost next to nothing to make! The full history of oatcakes can be found here in the Wikipedia.
The MeanyGoat Oatcake Recipe:
You can vary the ingredients and the method to create your own favorite kind of oatcake….but here is the basic recipe:
- 120g Oatmeal – choose fine, course or a mixture of the two
- 60g of Brown Flour – again, any kind you like
- 60g of Butter – Use proper butter not that slimy margarine
- About 10 Tablespoons of either water or milk depending on choice
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 Teaspoon of Honey if you want them sweet
- 1 Spoon of small seeds like linseed, poppy or nigella
The Method:
You can make oatcakes quickly….but the first time you will end up in a sticky mess! Don’t worry this is normal!!
- Put all the ingredients apart from the liquid into a mixing bowl
- Rub the butter into the mixture
- Start to add the water or milk and stir in with a wooden spoon
- Kneed the dough with your hands until you can form it into a smooth ball
- Add more water if it is too dry or more oatmeal if it is too wet
- Wrap in clingfilm or put in a covered bowl and leave int he fridge for an hour or so
- Kneed the dough again to soften it up
- Divide it into two pieces and start to roll out one of them with a rolling pin dusted in flour
- You will find that the edges tend to crack…this is normal…just concentrate on making the main part thin and smooth
- Cut out small circles using a pastry cutter or upside down wine glass…I like small ones about 4 or 5cm in diameter
- Lay them out on a baking tray dusted in flour…..dust the top of the oatcakes with flour if you like
- Cook in a hot oven (180 to 200C) for 15 minutes or so
- Take care to not overcook, take them out and lay on a cake rack until cool
- Store in a sealed plastic lunchbox
This Youtube Video shows you how to make the dough….it uses a slightly different recipe with lard (yuk!) but the idea is just the same and if you make oatcakes then you need to learn how to deal with the sticky dough…Try to make them even thinner than in the video and cook until they are just turning color….if they go brown then they are overcooked!
And this is the MeanyGoat video showing you how to Make Oatcakes!
Healthy Eating:
Make Oatcakes and you will never want to buy them again! Eat them straight from the oven for a real treat...
Learn to make oatcakes and use them as a snack between meals in order to help you stop eating sweets or biscuits. If you make oatcakes rather than buying biscuits then you will also save money since they only cost a few cents a batch. Try to do all your baking at the same time in order to save electricity or alternatively have the oatcakes ready to pop in the oven after you have cooked something else.
Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat: Learn to make oatcakes and you will have a whole load of fun as well as find that you save money and eat a more healthy diet.
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How to Save Money Cooking
Learn How to Save Money Cooking!
Learn how to save money cooking by choosing the correct pots and pans. This will save you time and money and is a great addition to your arsenal of frugal techniques. Since most of us cook several times a day then the savings and improvements will soon add up and you will see the reduction in your electricity bill….and will also have more free time to enjoy your self.
Check your Pots and Pans:
If you want to learn how to save money cooking then the first thing to do is get out all your pots and pans and check them out. But what should you look for?
This cheap frying pan has a curved base so will take longer to heat up.
- Cheap frying pans and saucepans will not last long, buy better quality and they should last a lifetime
- Heavy steel or stainless steel pans are best
- Copper bottoms will conduct heat better
- Avoid aluminum since acids from fruit and vinegar can dissolve it into your food
- Always check that the bottom of the pan is flat – it needs to be in good contact with the heat source
- Make sure you have a lid for each saucepan
Efficient Cooking:
If you are not sure how to save money cooking then generally try to think of the quickest way to cook something and that will normally be the most efficient in both time and energy. Here are some ideas…
Buy a two or three layer steamer so you can cook all your vegetables at the same time.
- When cooking on an electric cooker always make sure that the saucepan or frying pan is larger than the cooking ring…otherwise you will waste electricity
- When using a saucepan always use a lid if you can since this will keep the heat in and so you will then be able to turn the heat down
- Turn the heat off before the food is actually completely cooked and the residual heat from the cooker and the from the base of the pan should finish the job off
- Use a two or three layer steamer so that you can cook all your vegetables at the same time using a single ring
- Use a pressure cooker for cooking rice, pulses and making soup. This will typically halve the cooking time
- Cook double quantities and freeze the rest or keep for the next day. Cooking a larger meal can normally be done in the same time
- Don’t pig out with large portions, get into the habit of weighing key ingredients like rice (60g per person)
- Avoid pre-cooked and microwave meals….just buy ingredients and cook your own meals
- The cheapest ingredients will be those that are in season and locally grown rather than imported
Buy a small pressure cooker so that you can use it regularly
Learn to Cook a meal in 30 Minutes:
To really save time and money when cooking you need to learn how to cook quick meals. Actually it is really easy if you already have a pressure cooker, a steamer and the right saucepans! Work out the item that takes longest to cook and start that first. So the basic staples of a regular meal are often made up from potatoes, pasta, rice or lentils for example. Get those started off first, then put on the vegetables to steam and finally cook any meat or fish at the end. Save elaborate recipes for special occasions but spice up your daily meals with salad and bean spout garnishes! Don’t forget to sprout the beans yourself of course….How to save money cooking – cook quick simple meals….but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be tasty§
Frugal Cooking is Fun:
Cooking is fun, and learning frugal cooking will save you both time and energy. Food is to be enjoyed and cooking at home will give you a huge saving compared with eating out. Just concentrate on buying fresh ingredients that are in season, use the correct saucepans and steamers, be adventurous with your recipe ideas but aim to get the whole meal cooked in 30 minutes. Now you know how to save money cooking!!
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