More on Coping with Rising Food Prices
I am still pondering rising food prices. In addition to seeing items marked up in price, other costs like gasoline are rising, leaving most households with less and less disposable income. In the previous article, I outlined some suggestions, including planning menus around sales in the grocery store, keeping pantry essentials on hand, and learning to substitute ingredients. Well, Sunday was a good example of this for me. Here’s the blow-by-blow:
–8 am — go to grocery store, plan to pick up the usual eggs, dairy, and see what is available for meat and fresh vegetables. Would like to serve more fish. Find that tomatoes and salad items are about 3X the cost per pound of what they were a week ago. Remember reading something about the deep freeze in Mexico, TX and Florida. Purchase cabbage, broccoli, and because they were on sale, pork chops which I haven’t prepared, since I don’t remember when.
–9 am — look up on internet various pork chop recipes, realize that the reason I don’t often prepare chops is due to their dryness. Switch tactics to look for crockpot recipes.
–9:15 am — chop vegetables, open can of tomatoes, pour everything in crockpot with the pork chops. Feel clever for adapting my chicken cacciatore recipe. Realize that I forgot mushrooms and have no red wine or fresh rosemary. Feel less clever, but decide to skip the red wine, use a bit of vinegar, skip the mushrooms, and basil instead of rosemary. Inadvertently only add half of the sliced peppers, place the remainder in the freezer for later use.
–9:35 am — put crockpot on high for the first 90 minutes or so, will turn down to low.
skip to evening
–5:30 pm — remove pork and shred with two forks, smells delicious and garlicky. Make a pan of brown rice that will serve 3 meals during the week. Steam some broccoli. Serve, receive compliments, and never admit to forgetting the mushrooms, wine, or rosemary.
Cost of the crockpot pork chops was about $4, serving 4-6 generously.
shared at Food Renegade and Works for Me Wednesday
Way to improvise!
Sounds yummy.
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I bet it was delicious! I like to improvise, too, mostly because I hate driving and don’t like to run out for one or two ingredients. Besides, some of the best recipes have come from making switches!
I do a LOT of the improvise-and-never-confess thing, too. I think I make very few things the same way twice. Have you seen SimpliFried? They publish “elastic recipes” that are GREAT for using what you have on hand.
Heather, thanks
Clare, I no longer run out for a missing ingredient, a big change from before!
Damsel, my meals are always a bit different each time. Will check out the site.
Thanks for commenting!
Here’s an easy, fast way to cook pork chops. They do not turn out dry at all and are great served with rice.
Place pork chops on a broiler pan, spread 14-1/2 tsp of butter or margerine on each pork chop, sprinkle with garlic powder or garlic salt, then pour a splash or worchestshire sauce and soy sauce on each. Broil for 5 min or so, turn the pork chops over do the butter, garlic and sauce thing on the other side, and broil another 5 min or so and serve.
I’m a big improv gal here, too. Mom taught me it quite well.
Danna, thanks for the suggestion for broiling pork chops. Will have to try that.
Sherry, my Mom is an incredible improv cook, and very fast; but, growing up, I would often try to bake things. It wasn’t until much later in my own kitchen that I’ve become more flexible.
Good suggestions. I also do some alternatives in cooking dishes especially at this time when almost everything in the market is increasing. As long as it’s healthy and appealing to my taste. LOL
VC, “… as long as it’s healthy and appealing to my taste.” Exactly!