How to Save a Lot of Money by Not Eating Out

Maybe I’m a control freak, but I like to cook and know what I’m eating.  Some nights, though, I throw up my hands in horror when I realize I’m cooking for 10 people.  That’s what happened this past weekend.  After two days spent in the kitchen, I heard myself suggesting, “Let’s eat out.”

I had already served Homemade Vegetarian Lasagna with Meatballs on the side, Garlic Bread, Salad, Honeydew Melon Slices and Chocolate Mousse Cake on Friday night. 

Mom Money-Saving Tip 94

After years of tossing out half-used cans of tomato paste, I finally realized I had another option: tubes of tomato paste.  They offer the very useful option of squeezing out however much tomato paste you need.  

Naturally you are paying for convenience.  A 4 ½-ounce tube of Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, which contains about 8 tablespoons paste, is selling for about $7 on some websites.  A same-size tube of Amore Tomato Paste is $3.99 at my local supermarket, while a same-size tube of Napoleon Tomato Paste is $2.28.  Meanwhile, a 6-ounce can of store-brand tomato paste, costs 79 cents.

Wonder how that cost breaks down per tablespoon?

A New Kind of Omelet

When I was just learning to cook, I shared an apartment in New York with a friend who worked in the Standard Brands test kitchen.  One day she came home with a new product her department was testing.  It was called Egg Beaters.  It looked like beaten eggs, but in fact it was made of egg whites and yellow coloring.  It tasted pretty much like regular eggs, but I couldn’t figure out why I would want to use it instead of real eggs.

Now that I’m older and think more about healthy food choices, I understand

Mom Money-Saving Tip 93

If you love fresh cherries but are shocked at the price, look for twinned cherries. Some stores refuse to sell this odd-looking fruit.  But those that do, sell them cheaper.  There is nothing wrong with twinned cherries. Twinning occurs when the weather is too hot when the cherries are in the process of budding.  Twinned cherries are a double-barreled eating pleasure.

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Israeli Couscous: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

Top: uncooked Israeli Couscous - Bottom: Cooked Israeli Couscous 

Israeli Couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is like regular couscous but on steroids.  Uncooked and poured out onto a plate, this kind of couscous resembles a pile of white peppercorns. Traditional couscous look like large grains of sand.  Bob’s Red Mills describes Israeli Couscous, which the company markets as Traditional Pearl Couscous, as “essentially small ball-shaped pasta.” 

Mom Cooking Tip 146

Here’s a convenient way to use up a few cups of leftover cooked pasta: put it in a greased baking dish, add some cut-up cooked vegetables, 1 cup homemade or jarred sauce and 2 well-beaten eggs and mix well.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese.  Cover and bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

                                                   See all my Cooking Tips!

Mom Money-Saving Tip 92

Here’s a way to re-purpose leftover cooked corn on the cob.  Put several ears on a non-stick frying pan, turn the heat to medium-high and let the kernels heat up and start to brown.  Turn the ears every minute or so that different kernels brown.  Serve while the corn is still hot.

                                                    See all my Money-Saving Tips!