Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

heh mine too

on freezing IMO it tastes different, but I am picky.


I tried dry milk just a smidgen in with regular, DS immediatly said 'it tastes bad' (I didn't tell him it was inthere before or after) and DH said his whole breakfast was ruined..(again didn't tell him befoe or after) I now feel bad for ruining his meal .

am I doing it wrong, or is it really that bad?

[cptacek]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

Ok, I can see that, especially the impulse buy...those darn magazines. I am worried about shelf life of food, though, but if I buy canned foods and dry goods, that would help. I was also thinking about getting one of those vacuum sealers to help with some of the other, less stable foods. And I am just starting to coupon, and have had some good luck already.

I have had trouble with freezing chicken and hamburger and then getting it out a month later and it had freezer burn. Any hints on that?

I guess I already do this with things like contact solution, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, and personal care products, etc. I know those things won't go bad, I always use the same kind, and I hate getting ready for bed or ready for work in the morning and running out. So, I just need to shift my thinking to food products as well, right?

[pearlieq]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I have had trouble with freezing chicken and hamburger and then getting it out a month later and it had freezer burn. Any hints on that?

It is kind of a balancing act. Of course the dried pasta and canned goods can stock up--they last for a while. As for other things you'll eventually get a sense of how much you use up in a week.

Also, when you buy perishables, make an effort to eat them first. For example, say I'm buying fruit. I buy apples, bananas, berries, and peaches since that's what's on sale this week. I know that berries only last a couple of days, so I make a point to use those up first. Then I can move on to the bananas and peaches, and save the apples for last since those can last several weeks.

It takes a little trial and error to get it right.

As for meat, we haven't had problems with freezer burn. The meat I freeze is wrapped in butcher paper, then I put the packages into freezer bags. I generally use all of the meat I buy within a couple of months, but so far I haven't had problems with freezer burn when I wrap it like that.

[Dido]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

Ok, I can see that, especially the impulse buy...those darn magazines. I am worried about shelf life of food, though, but if I buy canned foods and dry goods, that would help. I was also thinking about getting one of those vacuum sealers to help with some of the other, less stable foods. And I am just starting to coupon, and have had some good luck already.

I have had trouble with freezing chicken and hamburger and then getting it out a month later and it had freezer burn. Any hints on that?

I bought myself a FoodSaver vacuum sealer last Christmas. It does help with freezer burn. Do be aware that the bags are somewhat expensive. I use them in the freezer--I throw them away after they've stored meat but if it's just veggies or grain that I've stored in them, I wash and reuse them.

Using the containers that they sell can be useful in cutting costs, but the containers don't work in the freeer, and some of the containers are much better made than others. The square "marinator" ones hold up well, the other ones crack easily.

If you want to store fresh fruits and veggies, Evert Fresh bags will help them last about 3-4x as long in the fridge as they would without the bag. The small bags are about the size of a brown paper lunch sack, the medium ones about 1.5x bigger. The large ones I've found too large to really be useful. The Evert-Fresh bags work better than the FoodSaver for making fresh fruits and veggies last.

[lrjohnson]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

heh mine too

on freezing IMO it tastes different, but I am picky.


I tried dry milk just a smidgen in with regular, DS immediatly said 'it tastes bad' (I didn't tell him it was inthere before or after) and DH said his whole breakfast was ruined..(again didn't tell him befoe or after) I now feel bad for ruining his meal .

am I doing it wrong, or is it really that bad?

I admit I don't drink milk. It tastes a little different to me in my cereal, but not bad different, just different. Of course I was used to skim milk. It may be a shock to those who drink 2% or whole.

I have heard it tastes better if it sits overnight in the fridge. I don't know why.

Your child may have the same picky/sensitive/astute tastebuds you do. That would be fine; you tried it, and that's all we can do with any strategy.

I do believe that even if you give up on it as drinking milk, you could give it a shot in cooking. And, in an emergency, it would come in handy.

[getforfree]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I use dry milk in baking, and that's about it. My Dh can't stand reconstituted milk, he would drink whole nomal milk only. But I bought 2% a few times and mixed it with whole, half and half, he didn't notice, kids can drink 2% or 1%, they still like it.

[boefixepa]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I honestly believe it depends on the powdered milk. Some taste absolutely nasty, other brands are bearable. It's also a bit of an aquired taste. I had to tell myself to get over it, same with soy milk. It just kept drinking it until the taste didn't bother me. I will probably always prefere 'real milk,' but even that's not really real. Milk straight from the cow....now that stuff is different too! It's really just what we are use to and accustome to. I could always tell when my mom mixed them.

FYI just so you know the best tasting powdered milk brand I have found is called "Morning Moo". Their chocolate powdered milk is realy great too. It's not the cheapest of the brands but I can stand drinking it.

[simpleselu]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I love love love raw milk. I want my own cow so I can have fresh milk. *whistful*

I really like Organic Valley powdered milk, but it's not an affordable alternative, really.

[pearlieq]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I'd be willing to try the powdered milk while baking and cooking--I actually think it would be pretty handy in thickening up sauces and making baked goods taste rich.

I just can't bring myself to drink it, though. Instead I just monitor our milk consumption. DH knows that we don't drink milk "recreationally". If he's thirsty he can have tea or lemonade. (I wonder if he knew was he was getting into when he married me...)

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

Heh, yeah we limit it to 4 gallons a week, and with our third comming into a drinker, we are still going to keep it to 4 gallons, reducing the total for everyone so that UE can join in.

I used dry milk for muffins yesterday, didn't notice and they taste great.

I was wondering can you use dry milk to thicken pureed watery vegetables for a baby? does dry milk have the danger that real milk does for babies? little late for that now, but I used rice cereal for UE couple months ago (seems like soo long ago, man time flys!) but I was wondering for my next kid (which should be a while)

[CheaplyClever]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I grew up in Japan and my parents were strapped for money. I only knew powdered milk. We came to the states when I was 7 years old and I had my first taste of fresh milk. I loved it! My mom showed me a cow and told me that's where the milk came from. I was horrified! I didn't drink milk for many years!

Thanks for letting me re-visit that memory.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

I grew up in Japan and my parents were strapped for money. I only knew powdered milk. We came to the states when I was 7 years old and I had my first taste of fresh milk. I loved it! My mom showed me a cow and told me that's where the milk came from. I was horrified! I didn't drink milk for many years!

Thanks for letting me re-visit that memory.

I have found at times that when reading this book that it does bring back some old mermories.

While we are on dry milk powder there are a few more tips and articles on this subject.
Just look at the index under Milk - dry.

It has been interesting to read all your posts.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

A good article to read this time is ‘Milk Jug Magic’ Vol 1 p256 (CTG)

Most milk jug plastic is lightweight & can be easily cut , making the jugs highly versatile and can be recycled.

Here is Amy’s list of possibilities for uses.

1. Holder for small children toys.
2. Plant waters
3. Pooper scooper
4. Novelty Easter basket
5. Pin wheel
6. Making stencil templates
7. Solar collection for green house
8. Toilet brush holder
9. Miniature greenhouse or frost protector.

We are using these size bottles to water our garden by putting a hole in the lid & cutting off the bottom, digging a hole in the garden near each large scrub, and burying the bottle 2/3 down in the ground. When watering you just filling the bottles and not ground around the plants so only roots get watered.

[pearlieq]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

We are using these size bottles to water our garden by putting a hole in the lid & cutting off the bottom, digging a hole in the garden near each large scrub, and burying the bottle 2/3 down in the ground. When watering you just filling the bottles and not ground around the plants so only roots get watered.

I like that idea!

The one that creeps me out is the milk jug mask! I can just see so many things going wrong with that one...

[getforfree]

Re: Re-reading Tightwad Gazette

Heh, yeah we limit it to 4 gallons a week, and with our third comming into a drinker, we are still going to keep it to 4 gallons, reducing the total for everyone so that UE can join in.

I used dry milk for muffins yesterday, didn't notice and they taste great.

I was wondering can you use dry milk to thicken pureed watery vegetables for a baby? does dry milk have the danger that real milk does for babies? little late for that now, but I used rice cereal for UE couple months ago (seems like soo long ago, man time flys!) but I was wondering for my next kid (which should be a while)

I used baby sereal or the free sample formulas to thicken the vegetables. Givng milk to the babies younger than 1 y.o. is not recomended. It has to be either brestmilk or formula. I used to get gerber baby cereal with coupons, so it wasn't that expencive, because 1 8-oz box lasts over a week.

I don't limit my kids on milk, they drink as much as they want. Dh alone drinks 3-4 cups a day. Whenever I pack his lunch, he reminds me not to forget the milk. He takes 12-oz glass-bottle of milk with his lunch. Sometimes I am joking if he wants a baby bottle instead. He said, yea, imagine me opening my lunchbox, and my coworkers see the baby bottle with milk there, they will make fun of me, that I am a baby. But he is my big baby.