Whole Food at Half Price: 30 Days to Healthy Eating Without Breaking the Bank
Annabel Ascher
Copyright 2014 by Annabel Ascher and Frugal Goddess Books
About the Author:
Annabel Ascher is a writer living in Sonoma County CA. In 2010 she started a blog called The Frugal Goddess, for the forcibly frugal and those who like to live lightly on the earth. It has become a guide to home economics for the 21 st century.
Annabel started cooking at the age of eight and hasnt stopped since. This book is her guide to getting the most out of your food dollar.
Table of Contents
Thank You to Some Important People
Introduction
Why I Wrote This Book
What is Wrong with Factory Food
Eating Local
What is Real Food? And Why is it Better?
So, if I Dont Buy Packaged and Processed Food Im Safe?
Why Organic?
Real Food is Made of Ingredients
What is a Healthy Diet?
A Healthy Diet is One of the Pillars of a Frugal Health Plan
Have a Routine
Dealing with Food Waste
Beyond Your Own Bank Balance: Why Food Waste Hurts Us All
Why Do We Waste Food?
Lack of Planning:
Self Deception:
All Alone and Cooking for a Crowd:
Lazy? Or Just Tired?
We Dont Understand Shelf Life or Take it into Account When Food Shopping:
Striking a Balance:
Is it Still Good?
Here is a basic shelf life guide
Most Perishable
Very Perishable
Fairly Hardy Foods
Long Lasting Dry Staples
Foods that Keep for Years
Creativity in Avoiding Food Waste
Dont Cook Too Much Food
How Much Should I Make?
Figure Out PortionsHow Much Do You Really Need?
Plan Your Leftovers
How Does it Work?
Here is a Sample Leftovers Plan
Use Your Freezer
How to Freeze:
What to Freeze:
What NOT to Freeze
Consider Getting a Chest Freezer
What are some challenges?
Where To Get Food
Shopping at the Supermarket
Know What the Things Cost and What Each Store is Best For
Getting Out of the Supermarket Trap
Other Types of Food Stores
Other Sources of Food Besides the Supermarket
Stocking the Pantry
Suggestions for a well-stocked pantry
The Frugal Kitchen 101
Ditch the Take Out and Learn to Love Your Kitchen
My Food is boringHow Can I Fix It?
Use fresh herbs
Learn How to Use Salt Properly
Use Good Ingredients
Use Butter
Deglaze the pan
Make your own stock
Use Spirits
Saut Aromatics and Vegetables
Brine Your Meat
Get Your Ingredients in Place Before You Cook
Tools and Equipment
Knives
Cutting Boards
Cast Iron Skillets
Slow Cookers
Electric Tools
Pots and Pans
Baking Pans
Containers
Use Measuring Cups, a Food Scale, and a Thermometer
A Sample WeekHow a Menu, a Shopping List, and a Prep List Work Together to Keep You Fed
Remember that the Menu Belongs to You
Prep Like a Professional
Ingredients, set 1:
Ingredients set 2
Ingredient set 3:
What is the purpose of this?
Learn how to use heat properly
Keep Your Work Space Tidy
Eat with the Seasons
Summer:
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Have a Few Meals You Do REALLY Well
How to have a Big Cooking Day
Some Miscellaneous Money Saving Tips
Make Your Coffee at Home
Bring your Lunch
Make water your drink of choice
Use Parchment Paper When You Bake
Load Your Refrigerator the Right Way
Have Breakfast for Dinner
Eat Less Meat
Eat Beansand Other Particularly Frugal Foods
The 30 Day Real Food Kitchen Makeover
Using the 80/20 Rule
The Field Trip to a Farmers Market
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen
Day Fifteen
Day Sixteen
Day Seventeen
Day Eighteen
Day Nineteen
Day Twenty
Day Twenty-one
Day Twenty-two
Day Twenty-three
Day Twenty-four
Day Twenty-five
Day Twenty-six
Day Twenty-seven
Day Twenty-eight
Day Twenty-nine
Day Thirty
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Time Will This Take?
How Much Work Will This Take?
How Much Money Can I Save?
What About the Microwave?
What about Bulk Buying?
What if I cant Afford Organic Food?
What If I Cant Cook? Or Garden?
What if I am a Vegan or Vegetarian?
What if I have a restricted diet?
Dealing with Kids
What About Coupons?
Meals to GoFor the Days When You Cant Eat at Home But Dont Want to Eat Out
What if I am Really Broke and Hungry?
What foods can freeze the best for take-out from the freezer?
What About Treats
What About Holidays and Special Occasions?
The Frugal Kitchen Advanced Class
Basic Vegetable Gardening and Fruit Too
Keep ChickensHens in Particular
Canning and Other Preservation Techniques
Make a Sour Dough Starter
Give Fishing a Try
Recipes
Planned Leftovers
One Chicken 3 Dinners
To Poach:
To Roast:
To Grill:
The Second Meal
Stir Fried Chicken and Vegetables with Rice
The Third Meal
Chicken and Rice Casserole, Mexican Style
A Complete Meal
Salad Dressings
Garlic Vinaigrette
Ranch Dressing
Russian Dressing (sweet)
For the Freezer
Zucchini Bread
Simple Beef Stew
Basic Beans
Sauces and Condiments
Marinade
Immersion Blender Mayonnaise
Spicy Winter Fruit Compote
Apple Sauce
Baked Desserts
A Blackberry Crisp
One Two Three Four Cake
Crisp Topping
Low Blood Sugar Rescue Unit: What to Make When Youre So Hungry You are About to do Something Stupid
Pasta Toss
Tortillas Stuffed with Whatever
Miscellaneous Recipes
Duxelles
Good to Know
How Much Will One Cup Make?
Thank You to Some Important People
A big thank you to Julia Stege, who designed the cover, and to Cindy Jenkins for the information on the economics of fishing. Also to Robert Schillbach who helped test many recipes and is my favorite taster.
Photo Credits: All the photos were taken by Annabel Ascher, except for the fishing photo and that belongs to Cindy Jenkins.
Introduction
I am so glad you have chosen this book. If you are concerned about spiraling food prices and want to improve your health then you are in the right place.
Factory food is easy. If you have enough money you just go to the store and buy itmaybe already cooked, or at least neatly packaged. Finding and obtaining the fresh and healthy local foods can be a lot harder. Impossible in some places, but never easy. Local food can also be expensive, which shuts out the poor and struggling middle class from the health and social benefits of eating local.
This book will help you find affordable food where you live, and discuss ways of making real organic food more accessible. I will show you the best way to tackle the supermarket. I will also cover CSAs, farmers markets, community gardens, home food gardens and orchards, fisheries, casual trade, gleaning, and foraging. There will also be chapters on eating out and local artisanal local manufacture of food products.
And once you get the food home I will show you how to keep from wasting it and how to prepare it so you can heat and eat when the pressure is on. That is how you ditch the take out that is hurting your pocketbook and your health.
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