February 15th, 2020 at 11:58 am » Comments (0)
Frugal Beginner’s Tiplet: Meal Planning McCormick Spice has always been a decent brand and
has a pretty good newsletter. This week , their topic is Meal Prepping
The kind that helps you eat healthier and less expensively with home cooked meals inside of picking up Drive thru on the way home. This article is very basic but may help those new to “Frugal Living” get started. This is a recipe from their website that could easily be prepped ready to slide into my Ninja Foodie Oven – It was not needed to make any significant changes, to take advantage of the Ninja Foodi Digital Oven’s capabilities.I tend to follow the concept presented by Janet Zimmerman to leave temperatures the same but start checking for “desired degree of doneness” at about 3/4 the time suggested by the recipe.
Speaking of Janet Zimmerman concepts, another of my favorites is that the “rule of thumb of reducing temp by 25 degrees F should be replaced by using a percentage. It has been my experience that 15% works for me and still following the check for doneness beginning at 3/4 the suggested time. Sheet Pan Chili Chicken Tacos | French’s
Yes, this is an affiliate link, so if you buy something I might get something, but mostly this is about how I use/value Kindle Unlimited.
Yesterday I came across ratings for Tablets recommended “for the kitchen” and was somewhat surprised to find the 8 & 10 inch Kindle Fire to be often high on the list in terms of Price/Value.
It seems like many of the new cookbooks sponsored by a particular brand (including Ninja Foodi) offer Kindle Unlimited members the chance to read the book for free. Often these books are available this way long before my local library has them available.
There are many other books available and I find that is a good way to “try out” an author unfamiliar to me/
As an “Ingredient Label reader” – SINCERELY TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE HEALTH ISSUE I have been searching for information about the currently in vogue “Impossible” & “Beyond” meat substitutes. from reasonably reliable sources wondering How Healthy Popular Plant-Based Meat Really Is, According to Nutritionists
And in no small part in hopes of finding facts. And
maybe even real info on its production and how all that processing
compares with the environmental effects of responsible farming.
As a health issue, so far this is the best I have been able to find. Hopefully so of my family and friends may know of other at least reasonably unbiased source of technical information I promise to read any links added to the comments –
In the meantime, since I have been noticing a number of posts including these “fake meats” I hope all will read and consider reading and “thinking about” these articles from Prevention magazine and Women’s Health
The search is still on for reliable production information to see if these products truly are “better for the environment” when objectively evaluated .
I would encourage all but especially parents to read the complete articles because just as all meat is not a complete diet, apparently none of these products are either.
Everything Bagel Seasoning Blend Comparison It is quite possible I got carried away with this Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. And yes I do know there are meds for OCD. However, I did learn something – For those concerned with Salt/Sodium, the best choice might not be Aldi’s. In terms of Price/Value/Sodium, The winner is the 11.5 oz Olde Thompson
Locally (Maryland) Aldi/Stonemill 2.3 oz at $1.95 Trader Joe – 2.3 oz at $1.99 BJ’s – OldeThompson – 11.5 oz at $4.99
What surprised me most was the substantial difference in Sodium between the Aldi/Stonemill brand and ALL others. The Aldi Stonemill had 95mg of Sodium – may be why some like its taste best but for those with special diet needs, the better choice may be Olde Thompson or Trader Joe at 65mg.
There at least another 6-10 “entries” on Amazon (trust me that is NOT the place you want to buy this seasoning but if you do – this is my affiliate link to the Olde Thompson as you can see it is double the price at BJ’s or Costco – and I included some links to other brands in my “store”
Basically all had at least the same 5-6 ingredients. Not necessarily listed in the same order. Sesame seeds, Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, Poppy Seed. The “top 3” also include Black Sesame Seeds. Various descriptions were used for the form of Garlic and Onion.
If you like a PDF of the Chart which includes information for Aldi-Stonemill, BJ’s/Costco-Olde Thompson, Trader Joe, Safeway, Walmart/Great Value, McCormick’s and Castle Foods – email me with I will send copies until I remember how to include the link here. e mailto:wheatcarr@gmail.com
Please Note: Use at your own risk, I am human there may be mistakes. I did deconstruct 10g each of the Aldi, TJ & OldeThompson – For many reasons including respect for the rights to corporate formulas, ONLY publicly available information is included. Ingredients are labeled in the order shown on brand labels. Other Prices may vary by area.
Thank you to Paul Donahue, Cyndi Balke and Laura Coble Graham for their helpful added information.
So tell me, what is your favorite way to use this Spice Blend, I think it lends a sort of middle-eastern/asian taste, or it maybe I just like it in Fried Rice.
It all started when the impossible happened. I ran out of Ricotta – an event which has never happened in my entire life. And something that must be prevented at all costs from occurring again.
Step 1: Check local library for cookbooks and wonder of wonders found on that REALLY Looked nearly perfect for my needs. For my Dairy Free friends, there is even a version that may be of interest to you as well
These are the Amazon links, although you may be able to find it for free – but if you do interact with these links, it is possible I may benefit from your purchase.
Since my experiments may need to be suspended for a few weeks (no wifi and unlikely they will set me loose in the facility kitchens, no matter what my first degree says “Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management” at the ReHab facility) Feel free to give either book a try and let me know know it goes.
Meanwhile something to look forward to in the New Yea! (the cooking not the physical therapy)
I tend to follow the concept presented by Janet Zimmerman to leave temperatures the same but start checking for “desired degree of doneness” at about 3/4 the time suggested by the recipe. 
