Grandma's Kitchen Tips

Getting More for Your Money

I remember about 20 years ago going to the  bank to get change for a $20 bill. A $20 bill barely buys any food now.

By the same token, it seems people are buying more and more ready to eat or prepared food. It is always more expensive to buy prepared food.  Wouldn’t it make sense to make more of our own food?

Getting More for Your Money

If you already make your own food and want to get more for your money look no further than your garbage.

What are you throwing away that could be used?

Bones, peelings, small amounts of leftovers, pan drippings, dry bread, bacon grease, chicken fat, left over cooked cereal or rice 0r….

Bones make the best ever broth. I want to thank Sally Fallon, in her book Nourishing Traditions, for reminding me what I was missing. It is best if you have all one kind of bones but if you don’t have room to store the different kinds put them in together. Cover with water and add 1/4 cup vinegar. Let set for about an hour. Add a chopped onion, 2 to 3 stalks celery and 2 or 3 carrots and start the water boiling. Skim the foam off as it forms. When it ceases making foam turn the kettle down to a simmer. Check it once in a while to be sure it has sufficient water and leave it on for 8 to 10 hours. If you can get the kettle in you refrigerator put it in overnight and cook another 8 to 10 hours. Strain the broth. Refrigerate, freeze or pressure can it.

Save the meat you pick off the bones to cream, dehydrate, mixed with mayonnaise for salad or sandwiches, burritos or soup or stew.

If you cut up your own chickens save the back, wings and neck for broth. Put your chicken pieces in a large crock pot to slow cook. Cook as you did for beef.

Remember to keep all bones until there are enough for a pot of broth. It adds something  extra special to a pot of stew or meat balls. Let them cook together for a several hours..   Oh so good!

Broth is a protein sparing food. That is, although it is not a complete protein it will with a little meat provide complete protein to your body. In the old days, a pot of bone broth plus left overs from all meals gently simmered on the old wood cook stove to provide an ever changing delicious soup.

This soup supplied nutrients to the bones and connective tissue and there were very few weak bones and weak joints.

Save bacon fat to use when making wilted lettuce, spinach or wilted cabbage. Add the vinegar, salt and other spices. Use the bacon fat for cooking eggs or sliced root vegetables.

If you have other suggestions, send them along and we will share them.

Nutmeg Grater

How would you like to make your own long lasting nutmeg grater?

It is so easy to make  and takes very little time.

My dad made a grater for mom  way back when – maybe 75 years ago. We  still have it and it works just fine for nutmegs. He looked for a metal container with about a 3 to 4 inch diameter lid. He found it.

He took just the lid to the garage and found a hammer, a nail and a block of wood. He put the lid on the piece of wood, picked up the nail and hammered holes in the lid. The nail holes should be close together and cover at least a 2 inches diameter area. That’s it!

A wide mouth canning jar lid  is handy and will work but use whatever you have. It will work just fine!

Turn it over to grate nutmegs or lemons for lemon zest. You might find it handy to have several different size graters. You might like a larger grater if you have a larger orange and want orange zest.

Enjoy your homemade nutmeg grater!