1/7/14 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser
Traditionally speaking, January is the month of
beginnings. A time of hope. In reality it is a time when New Year’s resolutions
are made and broken. Ambitious exercise plans are initiated and then forgotten.
Low calorie meals are considered and discarded and money matters are agonized
over.
At our house, January is budget crunch time.
Where did we spend too much money in the previous year and why? And how can we
stop the drain? Last year every category of spending seemed to
escalate—especially food expenditures. I’m not an accountant but I estimate
that my groceries and household supplies cost at least 25% more than I
budgeted. It’s time for me to plug the holes.
Our government may believe that there’s no
inflation but I beg to differ. I know what things cost today, yesterday and the
years in-between. Regardless of the economy, food prices go up. They don’t go down.
I remember what groceries cost in the early 1960s. I could feed a family of 5, put
gas in the car, pay the milkman and go to the movies once a month on $20 a
week.
Times have changed. Our family take-home income
at that time was about $75 a week or $4,000 a year. According to the U.S.
Census 2008, the average Oregon yearly income was $61,945. Department of
Justice bankruptcy figures beg to differ. They say that today $45,435 is the
norm. That’s probably closer to the truth.
Whatever your income, you have to eat. So, I
wondered, what does it cost today to feed a family with young children?
According to the USDA Food Plan, a Thrifty Plan to feed a family four costs
about $131 dollars a week. A Low Cost plan is $166; Moderate cost is $206; and
a Liberal plan is $255 per week. Yikes! Remember, these are government figures.
Extreme coupon clippers and the very frugal can eat on much less but they are
not the norm.
Let’s face it—food is expensive and when you
shop, you’d better have a plan.
Shopping is the one thing we have control over. Planning is key. Without
a plan, I spend too much on junk. So I’m back to basics (but not boring!) with
my dining dollars. They are:
1. Make
a 7-day meal plan.
2. Check
the pantry and freezer before I buy.
3. Never
shop without a list.
4. Buy
products on sale.
5. Buy
the basics first (bread, eggs, milk, fruit, veggies, meat)
6. Go
easy on junk food i.e. potato chips, empty calories.
7. Divide
my budget into 4 segments and shop weekly.
There are two other vital components of my meal
planning: “Make it yourself” and
“Planned leftovers.” Once a week I bake a whole chicken or cook a small roast
so we can have a couple of dinners and lunches out of one meal. It’s amazing
how good chicken salad sandwiches taste instead of lunchmeat.
We also usually have a stir fry once a week.
Onions, celery, carrots, broccoli and a little meat over rice are an economical
meal. We always have a pasta meal and if I make a big pot of chili, stew or
soup, I freeze half of it. I seldom buy a dessert if I can make myself. It only
costs me a couple of dollars versus a $20 bill at the bakery. I save that for
weak moments when a cream puff is calling.
FYI: Health note. One other advantage of making
it yourself is that you don’t have to worry about the fillers and chemicals in
pre-made food. If the product’s ingredients take up the whole back of a package
you really don’t want to eat it!
Today’s recipe will smell wonderful and taste
like a million dollars. It came from a friend who loves freshly baked
gingerbread—with a twist—thin slices of pears that bake right into the batter. It
bakes up sticky on the outside and steaming and moist in the center. So, save
some money, eat well and enjoy!
WARM GINGERBREAD WITH PEARS
2 1/2 cups
unbleached all-purpose or pastry flour
1 tablespoon ground
ginger
1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking
soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 ounces melted
butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped
crystallized ginger
1 cup boiling water
2 medium ripe pears,
cored and cut into thin slices
Jelly, powdered sugar, whipped cream or
lemon curd, for serving (optional)
Preheat
oven to 350° F.
In a
medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
In a
large mixing bowl, combine molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter,
eggs and crystallized ginger. Stir to blend well. Gradually stir in flour
mixture.
Carefully
add boiling water, a little at a time, until you have a sticky and glossy
batter.
To make individual gingerbread
desserts:
Butter
and flour 12 to 16 ovenproof ramekins and fill each about 3/4 full. Place 2 to 3
slices of pear on top, pressing them gently down into the batter to anchor
them. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25
minutes.
Brush
the tops with melted jelly or sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with
whipped cream or lemon curd.
To make one cake:
Butter
and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and spoon in the batter. Arrange slices
of pear over the surface, tucking them down into the batter slightly to anchor
them. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40
minutes.
Brush
the top with melted jelly or sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with
whipped cream or lemon curd.
Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!
Betty Kaiser’s
Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes
that are delicious,
family oriented and easy to prepare.
