Frugal Food #3: Cook!!

This seems like it is an obvious way to save money on your food bill.  At least, to me, it seems so simple that I didn't put it as my first frugal food post.  But, then, after overhearing several conversations, reading a few more online, and talking with other moms in the high school concession stand at Monday's softball, baseball, and girls' soccer games, I thought that perhaps it isn't so obvious.

To me, if I want to eat, I have to cook.  Apparently my way of thinking is not the way the majority of today's Americans think.  From what I hear around me, eating seems to be dependent on what establishment you are driving to for your next meal. 

Drive?  Are houses not still equipped with kitchens?  Do you know that the $20 you spent on a takeout meal can actually feed your family for at least two meals if the same money is spent on food to cook at home.  (For years, I've fed my family of 6, now 5 since the eldest left home, on a budget of $15 per day.  That's breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for everyone every day).

I'm amazed at the number of people who say they "can't cook".  Can't cook?  What do you mean, you can't cook?!?  Take food, apply heat.  Ta da.  You have now cooked.  I'll even allow you to call nuking something in the microwave cooking.

I do realize that there is a vast difference between food that has been cooked well (or with skill) and food that has merely been heated (or, overheated, LOL).  Cooking is kind of like riding a bike; it is a skill that evolves with practice.  But once you've got it, you never lose it.

First, you scorch a few things (the skinned knees and elbows from your first tries at riding a bike).  Maybe then you undercook something (the time you thought you were going to crash the bike and jumped off before that could happen).  But, after a while, you find that you can actually make an edible meal, or two, or three (the bike whizzing down the road, going where you want it to, breeze blowing through your hair and a smile on your face). 

From there, you get adventurous and try a new recipe (or jumping the bike over a curb or ditch).  With time and confidence, perhaps you even try to create your own recipe (riding the bike with no hands).  One day, you find that you can whip up a meal with barely any thought or conscious effort (riding the bike fast, with no hands!).  It's natural now.

If you've never cooked before, don't be afraid.  That's what those boxes and cans in the grocery store are for.  The directions are on the package; just open, read, heat, and eat!  You might need to add some milk or water, or maybe even some browned meat.  But it will be simple, usually three steps or less. 

When you're ready to go beyond boxes and cans (and start saving even more money), check out a cookbook.  There are tons of them out there, and they vary from expanding on boxes and cans to producing really fancy gourmet type meals right in your own kitchen.  My most well-worn cookbook is an early '90s Betty Crocker one.  Almost all of my best recipes came from Betty.  She's my gal. We're buds. She taught me to make bread, make cake, roast a chicken (and a turkey), make deviled eggs, make salad dressings and dips, make toffee and peanut brittle and fudge, even make stuffed lamb chops the one year Mother-in-Law raised and butchered a lamb (excellent eating, but unfortunately expensive from the store, so it's been over a decade since I've eaten lamb).

Cooking is learning a few techniques that can be applied to many foods: fry, simmer, steam, bake, saute, boil.  Remember, like that bike, it's intimidating to try the first time, but once you've got it, you've got it!

Making dessert is my favorite way to introduce my kids to cooking, because it's such a reward to eat what you've worked hard to make.  Here's a quick and easy from scratch brownie recipe to get you started:

Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup veggie oil
5 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter/grease a 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish.  Put all ingredients into a medium size bowl, and stir until blended.  Pour into baking dish.  Put in hot oven and cook for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of brownies comes out clean.  Let cool before cutting (or, if you're impatient, cool just enough you can stand to hold your hand on them, then scoop into a bowl and top with vanilla ice cream!).

Cooking is an adventure!  Cooking is fun!  Cooking is rewarding!  Cooking is frugal!  Let's get cooking!