According to experts, food prices are higher than they were in March of 2007. Umm, I think most of us know that, though we're not 'experts'. But do you know how much higher? A loaf of white bread has increased 16%, milk has increased 23%, and eggs have climbed 35%. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Americans spent an average of $1,926 per person on groceries in 2007, up 4.2% from 2006 and they project another 4.5% increase in 2008, to $2,013.
Obviously, food prices are an issue here as in many other places around the world. Food shortages are a worrisome possibility (probability?) and many U.S. food banks are struggling with rising costs and plummeting donations. But is it time for those of us in the U.S. to panic? I think not. I do think, however, we need to take stock of what we have, what we need, and what we might need in the near future, and maximize our purchases.
I already do those things but am in the process of creating a plan to enable us to stretch our grocery dollars even more. I'll hammer out my thoughts on that here and will post the final plan.
As a side note, I peruse the USDA's food plans regularly and for April of this year, their "Thrifty Plan" figure for a household of two adults the ages of DH and I is $300. We spent less than $200 on food in April and the only times we've gone over their "Thrifty Plan" amount is when we did huge stocking up two or three weeks in one month. The figures in the USDA charts aren't representative of our household but they seem to be a good average for the typical American family.
Where does your family fall in those averages? If you're above the average, why do you think that's so and what could you do to change it? And if you're below, what things do you do or not do that put you there?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
On college graduations and white sauce
My oldest son graduated from the University of Texas at Austin this last week and for a couple of weeks prior to the big event I didn't do much but work and fret over miscellaneous things. The deed is done, though, and I'm much less stressed now. If I could explain just how proud I am of my son, I would. But I can't. In the last few years he's overcome personal hardships that would have flattened most of us. He persevered, though, and got his bachelor's degree in Philosophy. He plans to work for a year or so then pursue his Ph.D. What a guy! And he's getting married in August to a wonderful young woman I can't wait to call daughter in love! Anyway, that's the main reason I haven't posted in the last couple of weeks.
Now on to cooking thangs. A friend of mine recently complained about the high cost and high sodium content of canned cream of whatever soups. I suggested she try the ones at Dollar General as they're much cheaper than the name brand versions and just as tasty when mixed with other items, though I don't like the taste of them on their own. She's something of a food snob, though, and doesn't want to try that brand so I told her she could simply make her own. Oh my, you'd have thought I told her to kick her dog in the rear! She just couldn't imagine making her own and told me she wouldn't know where to begin.
Well, since I do know where to begin I sent her an email with the instructions. I also posted it to a Yahoo Group I'm in and thought I'd share it here, too. It really isn't difficult at all. The key is to keep the heat low and to stir, stir, stir!
This sauce is great for meat pies and the addition of cheese turns it into a very tasty sauce for macaroni and cheese. Add a few vegetables and you have a great creamed vegetable dish. You can increase or decrease the salt and other spices as you see fit. It's so versatile and easy and there's just no reason I can think of to not try it! So, in all it's glory(ehem)here it is.
In a small heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of flour and add salt to taste. I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt. If I want the sauce to have pepper or garlic, I add these, too. Now and then I add a few drops of Louisiana hot sauce if the white sauce is to be used in a spicy dish.
Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cooking it this long helps eliminate the flour flavor that some white sauces have.
Keep stirring and slowly add 1 cup of milk. Continue cooking over low heat until the sauce is smooth and thickened. If you want to add cheese or sauteed vegetables, add them here and keep stirring for awhile until everything is smooth and well blended.
For thin white sauce I use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. I use the thin white sauce in cream soups that will be eaten individually.
For thick white sauce I use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. I use the thick sauce when making sauce to be used with pasta.
For heavy white sauce, I use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour. I rarely use the heavy sauce but now and then it's great as a binder. A little leftover heavy sauce is also good to thicken a soupy dish.
If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turned out. It's just so easy to make and use and I'd love to know what you did with it!
Now on to cooking thangs. A friend of mine recently complained about the high cost and high sodium content of canned cream of whatever soups. I suggested she try the ones at Dollar General as they're much cheaper than the name brand versions and just as tasty when mixed with other items, though I don't like the taste of them on their own. She's something of a food snob, though, and doesn't want to try that brand so I told her she could simply make her own. Oh my, you'd have thought I told her to kick her dog in the rear! She just couldn't imagine making her own and told me she wouldn't know where to begin.
Well, since I do know where to begin I sent her an email with the instructions. I also posted it to a Yahoo Group I'm in and thought I'd share it here, too. It really isn't difficult at all. The key is to keep the heat low and to stir, stir, stir!
This sauce is great for meat pies and the addition of cheese turns it into a very tasty sauce for macaroni and cheese. Add a few vegetables and you have a great creamed vegetable dish. You can increase or decrease the salt and other spices as you see fit. It's so versatile and easy and there's just no reason I can think of to not try it! So, in all it's glory(ehem)here it is.
In a small heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of flour and add salt to taste. I use about 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt. If I want the sauce to have pepper or garlic, I add these, too. Now and then I add a few drops of Louisiana hot sauce if the white sauce is to be used in a spicy dish.
Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cooking it this long helps eliminate the flour flavor that some white sauces have.
Keep stirring and slowly add 1 cup of milk. Continue cooking over low heat until the sauce is smooth and thickened. If you want to add cheese or sauteed vegetables, add them here and keep stirring for awhile until everything is smooth and well blended.
For thin white sauce I use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. I use the thin white sauce in cream soups that will be eaten individually.
For thick white sauce I use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. I use the thick sauce when making sauce to be used with pasta.
For heavy white sauce, I use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour. I rarely use the heavy sauce but now and then it's great as a binder. A little leftover heavy sauce is also good to thicken a soupy dish.
If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turned out. It's just so easy to make and use and I'd love to know what you did with it!
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