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garlic bread $1.77 recipe / $0.11 serving

March 7th, 2010

The FLHC

Eating anything with marinara sauce is just so much better when you have a garlicky, chewy/crispy piece of bread to sop up the extra sauce. So, while I was planning my Pesto Stuffed Shells this week, I thought about grabbing a box of garlic bread from the freezer aisle… after all, it’s very cheap, only about $2 a box. Then I started thinking, “Well, I can buy a HUGE loaf of fresh french bread for a dollar… can I make the garlic bread for less?” You bet. Many grocery stores sell giant baguettes of French bread hot from their bakery every day for $1-$2. Snatch one of those up, make this quick buttery garlic spread and you’re well on your way to having hot, fresh (and trans-fat free!) garlic bread. This bread was so delicious that it disappeared almost instantly between me and my roommates.

The best part of it is that you can control how much butter/oil is on your bread- you just never know with the frozen kind. This recipe yielded 16 2-inch wide pieces of bread and I only used 4 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil total. That equals out to just .25 Tbsp of butter (less than a teaspoon!) and half that much oil per piece. Not bad… not bad.

Garlic Bread

Total Recipe cost: $1.77

Servings Per Recipe: 16 (2 inch wide pieces)

Cost per serving: $0.11

Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 loaf	french bread (approx. 16″ long)	$0.99
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick)	butter	$0.20
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.21
3 cloves	garlic	$0.07
1/4 cup	fresh parsley, chopped	$0.25
a pinch	salt	$0.05
TOTAL		$1.77

STEP 1: Let the butter sit out and come to room temperature prior to beginning the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

STEP 1a: If using a food processor, combine the garlic (cloves can be whole) and olive oil. Process until the garlic is minced. Next add the softened butter and process for another 30 seconds. Add fresh parsley and process once more until the parsley is in small pieces. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.

STEP 1b: If you are not using a food processor, mince the garlic with a knife. In a bowl combine the garlic and softened butter. Stir in the olive oil. Mince the parsley and stir it into garlic/butter/oil mixture. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.

STEP 2: Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and open it so that both cut sides are facing up. Spread the butter/garlic mixture evenly over the cut surface. Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it. Take the bread out when it is a deep golden brown on the edges.

STEP 3: Cut the bread into 2-inch wide pieces and serve with a saucy Italian meal!

Step By Step Photos

garlic and oil
Mince the garlic with the olive oil in a small food processor.

butter and parsley
Add the butter, process. Add the parsley, process again. Now it’s ready to spread!

uncooked garlic bread
Spread the garlic butter over the cut surface of your baguette. Start with a thin layer then add more to make sure you don’t run out mid-way.

baked garlic bread
Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Slice the bread into 2-inch wide pieces and enjoy! Be careful… it’s addictive!

Fresh Garlic Bread

NOTE: My first instinct was to use my mini-food processor for the garlic butter but next time I will definitely be doing it by hand. Because there wasn’t very much in the food processor, it was not able to mince the garlic as fine as I could with a knife. Plus, it just created more dishes to wash. Lesson learned.

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Posted in Budget Bytes

Tags: $0.11, $1.77, bread, butter, butter oil, cloves garlic, extra sauce, free garlic bread, garlic, garlic cloves, oil, Per Recipe, recipe, serving, step 1a, stuffed shells

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marinated mushrooms $4.50 recipe / $1.13 serving

January 4th, 2010

Beth M.

I had a hankering for some balsamic marinated mushrooms the other day but after searching for recipes, I decided to try a batch of regular marinated mushrooms before trying the balsamic variety. There were many recipes out there but I finally went with this one from Tyler Florence, found on the Food Network website. Of course, I don’t need two pounds of marinated mushrooms so I cut the recipe in half and it was just right. These mushrooms are SO GOOD that I couldn’t stop popping them into my mouth. They make a great party appetizer or you can put them on sandwiches or salads. The best part is, a little jar of these will cost you $5 easy at the store and only have half as many mushrooms… and probably less of a vibrant fresh flavor. They’re quick and easy so if you’re a mushroom fan, give them a shot!

Total Recipe cost: $4.50
Servings Per Recipe: 4-6
Cost per serving: $1.13 (for four servings)
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 20 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 lb.	fresh button mushrooms	$2.98
1 medium	fresh lemon	$0.25
2 cloves	garlic	$0.12
1/4 cup	olive oil	$0.42
5 sprigs	fresh thyme	$0.63
1 dried	bay leaf	$0.05
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$4.50

STEP 1: Rinse your mushrooms with cool water in a colander to remove any dirt and debris. Cut them in half or in quarters to make them all about equal size and set them aside. Peel and mince the two cloves of garlic and set them aside. Zest and juice the lemon and set it aside.

STEP 2: In a large skillet, cook the mushrooms in half of the olive oil (2 Tbsp) until they are soft and have released most of their water (about 5 minutes). They will be smaller and a deep taupe color when they are done. There will still be juices in the pan, this is okay. See photos below

STEP 3: Turn off the burner and add the lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, thyme leaves, bay leaves, 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. To easily remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs, simply pinch the top of the sprig and pull backwards (from top to bottom) and all of the little leaves will pop right off.

STEP 4: Stir the mixture well and allow to come to room temperature in a bowl. This will allow the flavors to mix and the mushrooms to marinate. Enjoy!

Step By Step Photos

Cook the cleaned and quartered mushrooms in a skillet with olive oil to cook down.

When they have released their water and they are a deep taupe color, they are done.

Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix it all up and let it come to room temperature to marinate!

NOTE: I think the fresh thyme really made a difference in this recipe. I had not planned on using fresh but then I remembered that I had bought a pack of fresh thyme for my Thanksgiving Turkey back in November. I looked in my refrigerator and, sure enough, the thyme was still in there! I opened up the package and it still smelled and looked fresh… two months later. So, I used it and it was fantastic. Now I know that spending $2.50 on a pack of fresh thyme is not wasteful because even though I only used about 1/4 of the pack for each recipe, the rest stays good for A LONG time. Crazy, huh?

See? Looks like new!

This is a great recipe for when you find mushrooms on sale. Mushrooms can easily cost $2.99 for a 1/4 pound so be sure to check around for prices. I bought mine at the produce market for only $1.49 per quarter pound. When the mushrooms get close to the expiration date, they WILL go on sale. Don’t be afraid of dark or bruised mushrooms, that happens easily because they contain so much water and since you will be cooking them down anyway, the bruises won’t be noticed in the finished product.

To our health!

Beth at Budget Bytes

Posted in Budget Bytes

Tags: Beth, button mushrooms, cloves garlic, cloves of garlic, cup olive oil, Don, oil, party appetizer, Per Recipe, STEP, tbsp olive oil, thyme, turkey, Tyler, tyler florence

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edamame and carrot salad $2.74 recipe / $0.46 serving

December 7th, 2009

Beth M.

After making my Asian fare the other day (Sweet Chili Shrimp and Garlic Noodles), I realized that I needed a vegetable to go with it. I wanted something light and fresh so I picked up a bag of frozen, shelled, blanched (cooked) edamame (soy beans), a couple of carrots and decided to build a simple salad. As I have said before, one of favorite ways to enjoy vegetables is to simply add a little salt, pepper and a dash of garlic. Even though this is a cold salad I applied the same principles. The carrot shreds offer a nice contrast in color, taste (sweetness) and texture (a slight crunch). Although I haven’t tried it warmed, I’m sure it would be just as delightul!

Edamame and Carrot Salad

Total Recipe cost: $2.74
Servings Per Recipe: 6 (approx. 1/2 cup each)
Cost per serving: $0.46
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 5 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
16 oz.	shelled, blanched edamame (soy beans)	$1.99
2 medium	carrots	$0.22
3 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.43
1/2 tsp	garlic powder	$0.05
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$2.74

STEP 1: Thaw the soy beans by either leaving them in the refrigerator for a day, letting them set on the counter for 30 minutes or defrosting in the microwave according to the directions on the bag. If you are not going to be serving this salad immediately, you can prepare the salad with the beans still frozen and let them thaw as the salad marinates in the refrigerator.

STEP 2: Wash and peel the two carrots. Using a cheese grater, shred the carrots. Take care not to shred your knuckles, it’s easy to do my mistake when grating small objects!

STEP 3: Combine the edamame, carrots, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I used approximately 1/2 tsp of salt and 10 cranks of the pepper grinder. Start out with a small amount and then taste the salad and adjust according to your preferences. The garlic flavor will become more pronounced as the salad sits refrigerated so keep that in mind.

Edamame and Carrot Salad

NOTE: Edamame can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores these days. They often come in a couple different varieties: in-shell (great for snacking), shelled and blanched (ready to eat) or shelled and ready to cook (requires steaming or boiling). There are so many delicious ways to prepare edamame, I’m sure to have more recipes soon!

This recipe could be made even more budget savvy by using a regular salad oil (like canola) which tends to be less expensive than extra virgin olive oil. Also, the only carrots I could find were organic so the 1 lb. bag I bought cost $0.88 (of which I only used about a quarter). Since I don’t want my extra carrots to go to waste, I will most likely roast them in the oven with just a little olive oil, salt, pepper and perhaps garlic (didn’t see that coming, did you?). You could also toss in a little bit of brown sugar or maple syrup instead of garlic for a sweeter version. Waste not, want not!

To our health!

Beth at Budget Bytes

Posted in Budget Bytes

Tags: amp nbsp, Beth, chili, edamame, freezer section, garlic flavor, garlic powder, medium carrots, oil, pepper grinder, Per Recipe, salad, taste sweetness

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Don’t want to break a nail? Give your nails the attention they deserve.

November 16th, 2009

The FLHC

Your nails end up taking the brunt of daily wear and tear. It’s no wonder why they sometimes get cracked and brittle. There are several easy steps you can perform from home to strengthen your nails and get them looking healthy and strong.

Whiten your nails (similar to whitening your teeth)

Mix one teaspoon of baking soda, coarse salt and lemon juice together with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste.
Leave the whitening paste on your nails for approximately 20 minutes.
Wash the hands with warm water and rub olive oil over your nails to help restore healthy nail texture and shine.

Cod liver oil – I know it may sound rather repulsive at first, but make it in orange and mint flavor for a refreshing scent.

To moisturize nails on a weekly or daily basis try using cod liver oil. It’s cheap, easy, and available at almost any drug store. I prefer the orange flavor.
Rub a dab of cod liver oil onto each nail and massage into the nails. Allow the oil to set in for about five-ten minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

Sought out polish- when you need a quick fix hit the store and pick up OPI nail envy. The Nail Envy line was created to improve and strengthen the fingernail with several options for different nail types.

The Mayo Clinic suggest taking some precautionary measures to give your nails some extra care:

Don’t abuse your nails. Don’t use your fingernails as tools to pick or pry things apart, you could be causing some serious damage.
Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using heavy cleaning soaps ro chemicals. This is usually half the cause of damaged nails.
Don’t bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. Doing so can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter the nails bed and cause infection. Your nails grow slowly, therefore an injured nail can retain signs of injury for several months.
Moisturize frequently. Nails need moisture just like our skin does. Apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands or are use harsh chemicals.
Make time for routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean underneath the nail on a regular basis. Never pull off hangnails! Pulling off hangnails usually results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.

Soon enough you’ll be showing off your nails to everyone!

Posted in Beauty

Tags: Cod, cod liver oil, Don, hydrogen peroxide, mint flavor, nail, oil, orange flavor, precautionary measures, refreshing scent, rubber gloves

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chili lime popcorn $0.37 recipe / $0.09 serving

October 7th, 2009

Tommy Grobmyer

Popcorn is one of my all-time favorite snacks. It is healthy (tons of fiber), extremely low cost, fast, and SO versatile. If you’ve never tried popcorn cooked on the stove top then you are in for a real treat! Compared to microwave popcorn, stove popped corn is a whole different world. It brings to mind the first time I tried “natural” peanut butter… and enlightening experience for sure. As soon as that peanut butter hit my tongue, I didn’t know how those other spreads could even use the word “peanut” in their title. The peanut flavor was so powerful and so fresh that there was no going back. Stove popped corn has the same effect compared to microwave popcorn. The intense corn flavor and aroma dwarfs that of the microwave variety. The toppings are endless; salty, sweet, savory… try anything.

Even better yet, popcorn made on the stove top costs cents on the dollar to the packaged microwave stuff. What are you paying for with the microwave bags? The packaging? Must be the packaging because it is almost as quick and simple to make as the “convenient” kind. Honestly, 3-5 minutes till it’s done and I could almost do it with my eyes closed. So, push your fear aside and let’s pop some corn!

Chili Lime Popcorn

Total Recipe cost: $0.37

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Cost per serving: $0.09

Prep time: 0 min. Cook time: 5 min. Total: 5 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1/3 cup	popcorn kernels	$0.12
3 Tbsp	cooking oil	$0.15
1/2 tsp	chili powder	$0.05
1/2 tsp (or to taste)	salt	$0.05
zest and juice	one lime	$0.10
TOTAL		$0.37

Compare at: I don’t even know how much microwave popcorn costs these days but my guess is that one bag of it costs more than this whole recipe. Am I right?

STEP 1: In a medium pot, heat 3 Tbsp of cooking oil on high heat with the lid on. Drop one kernel into the oil before you begin heating it.

STEP 2: While the oil and kernel are heating, zest the lime (use a “zester” or the smallest grade on your cheese grater to remove the dark green top layer of skin from the lime). Pre-measure 1/3 cup of kernels so they are ready to throw in the pot as soon as it is hot. Keep a large bowl handy for when the popcorn is finished.

STEP 3: After a few short minutes you will hear the one kernel pop. This is your signal that the pot is hot and ready for the rest. Throw in the kernels and the lime zest. Replace the lid and give the whole pot a little swirl to coat the kernels in hot oil. Return the pot to the heat.

STEP 4: Within a few seconds the rest of the kernels will begin to pop. I like to set the lid just slightly ajar at this point to allow the steam being released from the kernels to escape (otherwise you’ll end up with soggy kernels). Make sure not to remove the lid while they are popping or else you’ll have them all over your kitchen (sounds like common sense but I’ve seen someone do it. really.).

STEP 5: Just sit and let the kernels pop and listen for them to slow down. Once the popping has slowed to about one pop every couple of seconds, remove the pot from the heat (just like with microwave popcorn… listen for the popping to slow then STOP).

STEP 6: Wait just a couple of seconds after removing from the heat to make sure there are no more pops. Remove the lid, squeeze a little lime juice over top, sprinkle a little chili powder and salt then pour about half of the popcorn into the bowl. Repeat with the lime, chili and salt over what is in the bowl. Pour the rest of the popcorn on top and finish off with more lime, chili and salt.

NOTE: Buy popcorn kernels packaged in a bag rather than a hard plastic container… they are exactly the same thing but one costs about twice as much as the other. Most of the bagged corn comes with a resealable zip lock on it but if it doesn’t, the cost of a large ziplock bag is still way less than the screw top plastic container.

If you like butter on your popcorn you can try this another way. Instead of putting the lime zest in the oil with the kernels, simply put the zest in with the butter when you are melting it. I tried this method once before and it was insanely good (anything with butter is better). Also, because butter has a low melting point, the zest flavor stays very fresh and powerful. Give it a shot.

My other favorite toppings for popcorn are: plain salt, freshly cracked black pepper, Tony Chachere’s and Kernel Seasons. What do you like on your popcorn? I’d love to hear some new popcorn ideas because I just love this stuff!

Brought to you by Beth at BB

Posted in Budget Bytes