Substitute out pricey saffron - Klearchos Kapoutsis/flickr

With all the holiday cooking and baking that goes on, it is likely that you will open a recipe (like one of Yazmin’s non-traditional desserts) and discover you are out of an ingredient. Sometimes going to get that missing item can be impossible (snowed in) or expensive (saffron is $40 per ounce or more). What’s a cook to do?

Substitute!

If you understand what each ingredient is doing in the recipe, you can find something else that will do the same thing.

For instance, cream of tartar is something that is NOT on the shelves of most cooks. But it tends to show up in holiday recipes. Cream of tartar can be used for three main reasons:

• to keep egg whites fluffy when you whip them
• to make breads and cookies rise when used with baking soda
• to give frosting its creamy texture

If you don’t have any cream of tartar, you can substitute

• vinegar or lemon juice to keep your egg whites fluffy (use the same quantity as the cream of tartar in the recipe)
• baking powder replaces cream of tartar AND baking soda – 1/3 teaspoon baking soda and 2/3 teaspoon cream of tartar equals 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• forget about it in the frosting as it’s not really necessary

Other great substitutes:

• Honey – replace with 1 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water
• Cardamon – use a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg
• Evaporated milk – mix 2/3 cup non-fat dry milk with 3/4 cup water – makes one cup evaporated milk substitute
• Yeast – baking soda and lemon juice in equal amounts to make up the missing amount of yeast – added at the end of your mixing

Unfortunately, there appears to be no really good substitute for the most expensive spice in the world, saffron. There are substitutes for the color: marigold petals, safflower or food coloring. A somewhat workable substitute for the flavor is turmaric. Trader Joes carries their own brand of saffron which is cheaper than most places and has a passable flavor.

A great source for substitutes for just about anything is The Cook’s Thesaurus.

Do you have a substitute that you use in cooking?

MizGingerSnaps / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Dining out? Save money on eating out with these ten tips. (The Digerati Life)

The most common car repairs and how to avoid them. (Mainstreet)

Money managment tips for newly married couples or spouses who argue about money. (Money Crashers)

Save money and energy! Reduce your heating bill with these frugal ways to keep your home warm this winter. (Wisebread)

Frugalista? Stay in fashion and learn how to buy shoes on a budget. (The Centsible Life)

Fast food is NOT cheaper: NYT

With fast food prices ridiculously low – every chain has a dollar menu, it seems – it’s not surprising that so many people believe junk food is cheaper than healthy grub. But it’s not, says a recent New York Times article:

In general, despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home.

The writer compares the price of a McDonald’s meal for four with a home-cooked chicken dinner and a home-cooked rice and beans dinner. Guest how much more expensive fast food is???

McDonald’s meal – 2 Big Macs, 1 cheeseburger, 1 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, 2 medium fries, 2 small fries, 2 medium Cokes, 2 small Cokes

Chicken dinner – whole chicken, lettuce (for salad), potatoes, four slices of bread, a lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and milk

Rice and beans – pinto beans, rice, onion, two green bell peppers, three slices bacon, salt and pepper, milk

The prices of the meals are $27.89, $13.78, and $9.26, respectively. The chicken dinner saves you 51% compared to fast food, while rice and beans saves you 67%.

Scary fact: there are five fast-food restaurants for every grocery store in the U.S.

The story debunks more fast food myths.

Myth No. 1: Fast food is cheaper per calorie.

Reality: With so many people obese, and so many fast food calories being “empty” calories that don’t keep you as full for long, this argument doesn’t hold water. “Measuring food’s value by the calorie makes as much sense as measuring a drink’s value by its alcohol content. (Why not drink 95 percent neutral grain spirit, the cheapest way to get drunk?)”

Myth No. 2: Organic food is way more expensive than Mickey D’s.

Reality: Sure it is. But there are plenty of non-organic options that are super healthy, like beans, whole grains, dairy, vegetables, rice, vegetables, meat, fish, peanut butter, and bread.

Myth No. 3: Some people live in a “food desert” where the nearest grocery store is 10 miles or more away.

Reality: 93% of people with “limited access” to a grocery store have access to cars, so it’s really about making a choice to spend time driving to and from the grocery store, and then cooking dinner. Who’s got time? Well the average American watches 1.5 hours of TV a day, so there you go. The real issue is that cooking dinner is seen as extra work, not as a way to provide your family with the very best.

Check out all our healthy recipes, including easy weeknight dinners, how to make a great salad, and a frugal lemony pasta dish.

I was invited onto NBC to talk about the Festival the night before (June 24, 2011). Check out my conversation with Ana Garcia on Nonstop LA!

View more videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com.

A picture of one of my salads with sliced baby squash.

I love a good salad. I’ve been told by many that I make FABULOUS salads. I tell people that it is easy. Just open the fridge, chop up whatever is in there and, ta-da, you have a salad. Let me be more specific.

Grab a large container. Get out your cutting board and your best knife for cutting veggies into small pieces. I like my salad pieces to be smallish so I can combine different flavors for the perfect bite.

Here are the ingredients I used for the last awesome salad I made.

I used these ingredients because they were in my fridge and I thought they would taste good together.

1. Hard boiled egg – cut into cubes
2. Carrots – long thin shreds using the veggie peeler
3. Celery – small “c” shapes
4. Baby spinach
5. Chopped pecans – put halved pecans in a sandwich bag and smash with the back of a big spoon
6. Raisins – nice juicy ones, not old dried up raisins
7. Chicken – I had some left over fried chicken that I cut into squares after tossing the skin
8. Feta cheese – get a chunk from Trader Joe’s and crumble by hand for the best price
9. Black olives – cut into fourths
10. Tomatoes – heirloom from farmer’s market cut into cubes
11. Red onion – fresh and thinly sliced
12. Mushrooms – fresh and thickly sliced
13. Pasta with garlic sauce – happened to have some left over with the sauce I got from a food swap
14. Baby spring salad greens – I get these weekly at the farmer’s market. Put a crumpled paper towel in the bag to keep the greens from wilting so fast
15. Dill – just a bit, too much will be overwhelming
16. Fresh lemon juice – a grabbed a nice fresh lemon off my neighbor’s tree and squeezed the juice over the salad. I like my salad a little soggy, so I put on the lemon juice when I make the salad, but you can put the lemon and the oil on when you are ready to eat.
17. Salt and pepper – use pink Himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper for the best flavor
18. Olive oil – the best you can afford. Don’t put this on until you are ready to eat.

Chopping all of this up takes a bit of time. But, if you invite over a friend to chat or watch a movie or listen to a book on tape, the time goes by fast.

By the time you are done, your salad will feed four people for a meal. If you are eating solo, you will want to save it. I make my salads in a large shallow rectangular container that has a lid. It gives me a large surface area to work with while creating my masterpiece, yet I can easily pop on a lid when done.

As long as your ingredients are fresh, your salad will last for at least a couple days in the fridge, perhaps longer. I prepare salads ahead of time and put into smaller containers to take with me for lunch. I toss a few crackers in a sandwich bag for extra crunch.

If you want some more inspiration for great salad ideas check out these farmer’s salad recipes.

Tips on preserving summer fruit at the Festival!

Want to learn how to preserve summer produce that is ridiculously low-priced? Albertsons specialist Heidi Diller will show you how at Frugal Festival Food! on June 25 in LA.

Today’s book giveaway is for “Vegan on the Cheap.” Contest ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST so make sure to comment today for a chance to win.

Comments poured in for yesterday’s contest to win “Poor Girl Gourmet.” The five winners have been announced!

Don’t miss the first ever festival to save money on food! Frugal Festival Food! is June 25 in LA and supports the LA Regional Food Bank. Get your tickets now!

Greencolander / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Women’s skills are profitable for companies. So why is it that CEOs are not scrambling to attract and retain female employees? (DailyWorth)

Renting a car? Before doing so, read about 6 car rental rip-offs to watch for. (MoneyTalk News)

Start gearing up for the summer heat. Here’s how to buy a window AC unit. (Fabulous and Frugal)

What’s better: being self employed or having a 9 to 5? Before deciding between the two different work lifestyles, compare these four factors to make the best decision for YOU. (The Digerati Life)

Could you eat for $4 a day? Donna did! She had three meals plus snacks on what the government considers a limited budget. (Surviving and Thriving)

LOZO is raffling off five $50 American Express gift cards to celebrate it’s upcoming new tool that finds coupons for your grocery list. You get one free raffle ticket with admission so everyone is eligible to win!

The Stand is bringing free hot dogs and chili to share with everyone at the Festival. YUM!

Get your tickets today!

UPDATE: There IS going to be a free food swap at Frugal Festival Food! Get your food swap ticket here.

PREVIOUSLY: I went to my first food swap this weekend and I immediately asked myself – Should we have a food swap at Frugal Festival Food! on June 25? I am hopelessly hooked on this new trend, and you will be too. Almost everyone there was a newbie. Even the hostess of the event, Faith Landsman, had only been to two previous food swaps. I don’t want to sound redundant, but REALLY, everyone was going around the room saying the same thing. “This is so much fun!”

What is a food swap?

A food swap is an activity where people bring homemade foods that they have prepared and packaged in such a way that

people can take them home. So instead of bringing a bowl of cookies to share, you bring several bags with several cookies in each that someone can swap for a jar of jam or bottle of marinade or a loaf of homemade bread. There is no money involved. In fact, one of the rules is that you can not sell anything. You can however, put money in a donation jar to cover some expenses for the hostess.

This fast-growing frugal trend was started in the Los Angeles area by Emily Ho of LA Food Swap after being inspired by food swaps in other areas. She wondered if anyone in LA would be interested in food swaps. They are!

So let me tell you what was so exciting about the food swap that I went to. First of all, there was the great sign you see in the picture above. Simple and homemade. The minute I walked into the house, I was “in” the swap. Tables were set up. There was a sign-in sheet, name tags, mailing list form, and tags for our food items. Most people listed ingredients on their labels.

When I arrived, people had already started to display their items. Some people had samples set up so you could taste their food. I had a chance to check out all the different offerings. If I wanted to swap with someone, I just put my name and swapping item on the “request to swap” sheet.

Everyone was soooo nice. We had social and chatting time before the actual swap began. Then the hostess announced it was time to swap. We got our lists and sought out the people who wanted to trade. A bit hectic, but fun. The actual swap goes pretty fast.

I brought chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels and chocolate covered cookie dough balls. I took home:

• chocolate chip cookies
• marinade
• maraschino cherries
• whole wheat bread
• muffins
• loquat jelly
• chocolate covered cake balls
• chimichurri sauce
• granola
• zucchini bread

I also had acquired:

• new friends
• links to fabulous websites about urban farming, bees and good news
• a new love of food swapping

So, what do you think? Should we have a food swap at the Frugal Festival?

Check out the free Festival bags!

Swag bags for Frugal Festival Food! on June 25 just arrived!!! Man, these Envirosax reusable bags are niiiiiice. I’m surprised they only sell for $9. You get one free with admission!

Plus, here’s where to park for free at the Festival.

Frugal Festival Food!
Canoga Park High School
6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Canoga Park, CA 91303
June 25, 11am-2pm

Get your tickets now!

Win one of 100 books at Frugal Festival Food!

We have 100 amazing books to give out at Frugal Festival Food!

• 80 are door prizes for the event June 25 in Canoga Park
• 20 are recipe raffle prizes for the ONLINE event June 13-24

Plus, we’d really like to borrow your megaphone and/or two large water cooler/dispensers (like the ones you see at sporting events) so we can serve free water and lemonade.

Get your tickets now!

Corn is already $.20 an ear in my 'hood. Credit: Bitman/Flickr

Coupons for produce is almost unheard of, so one way I keep my grocery bill down is buying in season fruit and vegetables. Look for prices on the below produce to start falling. Produce grown close to home is also a good bargain bet.

This list comes from FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org, which has more info and recipes when you click on the links below. My favorite summer produce includes beets, green beans, corn, peaches, strawberries with mint for dessert, and tomatoes for fresh salsa. What about you?

Apricots
Asian Pear
Beets
Black Currants
Bell Peppers

Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Breadfruit
Butter Lettuce
Cantaloupe
Casaba Melon
Champagne Grapes
Chayote Squash
Cherries
Cherries, Sour
Corn
Crenshaw Melon
Crookneck Squash
Cucumbers
Durian
Eggplant
Elderberries
Endive
Figs
Garlic
Grapefruit
Grapes
Green Beans
Green Soybeans (Edamame)
Honeydew Melons
Jackfruit
Jalapeno Peppers
Key Limes
Lima Beans
Limes
Loganberries
Longan
Lychee
Manoa Lettuce
Mulberries
Nectarines
Olallieberries
Okra
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Peas
Persian Melon
Plums
Radishes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Sugar Apple
Sugar Snap Peas
Summer Squash
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Zucchini

mary_thompson/flickr

I love veggie chips and I pay WAY too much for these crispy treats. I convinced myself that they are healthy and therefore it is OK to pay at least twice as much as I would pay for a bag of regular chips. Boy, have I been taken in by packaging.

The fact is that packaged veggie chips are healthier than potato chips but still contain carbs, fats, and sodium.

How about controlling the fat and salt by making them yourself?

My favorite veggie chips are the ones made from beets. They are so colorful and impossibly swirled with white and color. Turns out you can make your own by

roasting them for just 30 minutes. No frying.

1. Just grab a fresh beet from your local farmer’s market.
2. Scrub well, but don’t peel.
3. Slice thinly using whatever means you have available. I’ll be using my Cuisinart with slicer attachment.
4. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Don’t let them overlap.
5. Spray with a non-stick spray. (I’d like to come up with an alternative to this step.)
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Roast for at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
8. Turn chips over and roast for another 15 minutes or until crisp.
9. Eat. Yum.

You can make chips out of lots of different veggies. I also like carrot chips.

Another great snack that is way more nutritious if you make it yourself is fruit leather. When you make your own fruit leather, you can leave out most, if not all, of the sugar and additives. If you are lucky enough to have fruit trees on your property, this is a great way to use all that fruit. Remember to share with your friends and neighbors.

Do you know of other snack foods you can make yourself?

Browse the rest of our frugal recipes.

Shortcuts.com is giving away $5 grocery gift cards at Frugal Festival Food! w/ easy signup!

One of our sponsors, Shortcuts.com, is giving away $5 Ralphs gift cards to anyone at Frugal Festival Food! who joins its email list, which means you essentially make your money back!!!

What? You missed the post about how to get into the Festival on June 25 in Los Angeles for $5? (That’s $5 off the normal ticket price of $10.)

Are kids allowed/invited to Frugal Festival Food!? Readers Arikka, Gina Marie, and Dee have been asking. The answer is yes! Find out what kids activities we’ll have on the Festival blog.

Get your tickets now!