Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Ways to stretch
you* food dollar
By Peggy Bledsoe
Houston County
Extension Coordinator
How much are you spend
ing on food each month?
More than likely, you have
seen an increase recently in
this expenditure. Stretching
the food dollar takes plan
ning and self control, but
you can buy food that is
tasty and good for you and
save money at the same
time.
The shopping process is
very important. There are
five rules of effective food
shopping:
•Use grocery store ads
when planning to shop
•Clip and use coupons for
items that you usually pur
chase
•Complete a menu plan
•Write a grocery list and
stick to it
•Use unit pricing to select
the best buys
Select a grocery store that
is close and convenient to
your home to save time
and gas money. Know the
amount of money you have
to spend on food. Use a
pocket calculator in the
store to help you stay within
your budget. Don’t shop
hungry. You tend to buy
more. Shop alone. Leave
the children with a friend or
relative. They will encour
age you to buy foods that are
not on your grocery list.
The following guidelines
should be followed each time
you go to the grocery store:
•Avoid buying convenience
foods which are more expen
sive than made-from-scratch
meals.
•Buy low-cost foods such
as dry beans and peas, in
season fresh fruits and
vegetables and regular rice
and potatoes rather than
instant.
•Remember portion size
when buying meat. One
serving of cooked meat is
about the size of a deck of
cards.
•Buy whole chickens and
turkeys, which are less
expensive than pre-cut
ones.
•Buy large packages of
meat and divide into meal
portions for the freezer.
•Check the grocery store’s
lower shelves for better buys
since the most expensive
items will be at eye level.
•Compare prices. The
large economy size may not
be the best buy. Compare
store brand against name
brands. Compare canned
products versus frozen prod
ucts.
•Check expiration dates.
•Recognize advertising
gimmicks. A large display
of canned goods may not
necessarily be cheaper than
those on the shelf.
•Watch the cash register
to be sure you- are not over
charged.
•With hot summer days
approaching, take a cooler
with you for the cold or fro
zen items you purchase.
When you arrive home,
put food away promptly.
Frozen and refrigerated
items should not be in the
danger zone which is 40
degrees to 135 degrees F.
any more than two hours.
Food prices are rising
and we all need to watch
how we spend our food dol
lar. Planning is a major
part of stretching the dol
lars you have budgeted for
See SAVE, Page jC,
FOOD&HOME
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DOWNHOME DELIGHTS
Tomato Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs, Cole Slaw, Pimento Cheese
From staff reports
The Florida tomatoes
have arrived, and the
Georgia tomatoes aren’t
far behind. Whether
you’re getting yours from
your garden, your neigh
bor’s garden, the Perry
Farmers Market or the near
est roadside stand, one of
the best things to do with
a ripe tomato is one of the
simplest.
Take two slices of the
bread of your choice, spread
with mayonnaise, slice a
tomato and proceed the way
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■Journal Charlotte Perkins
Members of the Houston County Master Gardeners have taught members of the
Junior Master Gardener Class about gardening. Here at their flowerbed around tbe
sign at Momingside Elemenary School are, front row, from left, Matthew Lawson,
William Bradshaw, Evan Lakhu, Caleb Bradshaw, Carolyn Rose Johansen, Amanda
Johansen, Dillan Lakhu; back row, Master Garder Pat Reynard, Suzanne Bradshaw,
Bill Johnansen, Mohini Lakhu. Di Lanier is Junior Master Gardener sponsor. Other
Master Gardeners who have worked with the project are Minta Caine, Carolyn Childs
and Mary Stephens.
From generation to generation
The Master Gardeners of
Houston County are helping
a new generation develop a
love of gardening - and an
appreciation of all the hard
work and planning that goes
into vegetable, herb and
flower gardening.
The group, working with
Junior Master Gardeners
and their parents, recently
completed a garden of bright
spring flowers around the
sign at Morningside School
The young people learn
about irrigation, preparing
soil and mulch, edging and
and seeing the beautiful
results of their work.
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you were taught at home.
Some people want lettuce.
Some even add bacon or a
slice of Vidalia onion. Some
use whole wheat bread.
Some add plenty of salt and
pepper. Some cut theirs in
half and use a plate. Some,
stand over the sink.
In any case, no gourmet
has improved on this clas
sic.
Here, from the makers of
Duke’s Mayonnaise, is their
version, along with a num
ber of great sides for your
early summer celebrations.
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Family fun - Mohini Lakhu works with her sons Dillan
and Evan on the Morningside landscaping project.
Duke's Tomato Sandwich
2 slices bread
2 Tbsp. Duke’s
Mayonnaise
1 leaf romaine or green
leaf lettuce
4 slices tomato, 1/4 inch
thick
1/2 tsp. Grill Shakers
Vegetable Seasoning
Evenly spread mayonnaise
on bread slices. Slice tomato,
using approximately 1 toma
to per sandwich. Top bread
with salt, pepper and onion
See DELIGHT, Page iC
P'lke’g Mayonnaise
Tomato sandwiches are a Southern favorite
- usually only appearing on the table when
the vine-ripened tomatoes arrive.
... * Ts||
Waste not
Want not
I often
complain
that after
raising a
large fam
ily I just
do not
know how
to cook
for two.
However,
I try not
to let left-
gp... || #
Yvonne
Sutherland
yvonnes@windstream.net
overs sit in the refrigerator
until they are moldy. Today
food is too costly to waste.
It is important to refriger
ate leftovers promptly in
a refrigerator set below 40
degrees. Storage time varies,
but most leftovers should be
tossed after 3-4 days so plan
to use them promptly. If you
suspect food has gone bad do
not use it. Be thrifty but not
foolish.
Leftovers are the ultimate
convenience food, and you
don’t have to stop by the
store and pay for expensive
prepared foods. Sometimes
I just heat plates of leftovers
in the microwave. Those
meals are easier than TV
dinners and much tastier.
At other times, the creative
juices flow, and I turn the
leftovers into a completely
different meal.
Chicken and Rice
Casserole
I looked in refrigerator
one busy day to see what I
could prepare for supper. I
found some leftover mush
room sauce I had made a
few days before, leftover rice
and leftover roast chicken. I
came up with the following
dish which, of course, could
be varied depending on what
SECTION: C
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2008
you have on hand.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups mushrooms
sauce
(you could combine mush
room soup with a small can
of mushrooms)
2 cups cooked chicken,
cubed
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Preheat the oven to 375
degrees and spray a 9 x 9
inch-casserole with cooking
spray.
Heat the butter in a heavy
skillet until the foam the
subsides and add the onions.
Cook until they are translu
cent and stir in the mush
room sauce and chicken.
Mix this sauce with the rice
and put into the prepared
casserole dish. Cover and
bake 20 minutes or heated
through
Potato Croquettes
1 frequently have left over mashed
potatoes in the refrigerator. One use
is to press them into a casserole dish
sprayed with cooking spray, top them
with grated cheese and bake at 375
degrees until the cheese is melted and
the potatoes are hot Cold mashed
potatoes also make great potato cro
quettes:
3 cups cold, seasoned, left
over, mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons grated or
finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons Parmesan
cheese
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs, to be used sepa
rately
1/2 cup bread crumbs, sea
soned or plain
Oil for frying
See LEFTOVERS, Page i6C