Make it for cheap: chicken stock

Next time you roast a chicken, don't throw away the bones. Use them and leftover meat bits to prepare stock! It's easy enough and makes the house smell all homey-like. Just plop the bird's carcass in a big pot, add any veggies you have on hand - a few carrots, stalk of celery, leek, split onion - to flavour it and cover with water. I also throw any fresh herbs that is about to go bad in there - thyme is nice. Salt and pepper can wait. I let it all simmer for a few hours, skimming what foams up to the top if need be.



When it's done, I put the pot in the fridge overnight so that the fat solidifies and can be removed easily. I then pour the cold stock in small plastic containers and freeze it all. It's healthier and tastier than the salty canned stuff and since you are using stuff you would have thrown away (bones) it's pretty much free, save the few veggies used to flavour it.



You can defrost the stock in the microwave before using it. It's great for soups (obviously) for sauces, rissoto, to use in mashed potato instead of milk and butter... So stock up!

Attention beet lovers

This is just ridiculously funny.

Food log: Saturday, August 29th

I'm low on fruit and veggies, I need to hit the market tomorrow! Today was a good day to hang around the house, bake and watch movies, so that is exactly what I did.

OJ, scrambled eggs, toast and potatoes sautéed in onions and duck fat - from groceries


Perrier - from groceries


Veggie cocktail and Kiri cheese - from groceries


A snack of blue corn chips - from groceries


Steak and tomatoes - from groceries


Lemon sablés made from scratch - from groceries


Late night popcorn snack - from groceries

Money spent on food today: $0

Throwing away stuff sucks

One of the pitfalls of living alone is that you often get stuck with leftovers you just can't find use for in time. This week, I threw away 4 egg whites that were turning on me, tomato sauce gone loco and a bit of old creamed spinach I was to scared to eat. Thats's why I need a stand-alone freezer so bad. All of the stuff I put in the garbage today could have been frozen! It's not just about money here; I feel like crap for wasting food.

The people at Get Rich Slowly have a good article on the subject of the money they are saving using a stand-alone freezer, it's worth a read. I have enough room in one of my walk-in closet to put a freezer in, but there's no electric outlet in there, so I guess a visit from my electrician is in order first...

Food log: Friday, August 28th

OJ - from groceries

I woke up dehydrated, after dreaming about drinking buckets of water. This was MUCH needed.


Toast and cheese from Pasta Café - $2.30

Or as we call it in the copywriter's office "Pasta Crappé".


"Make your own sandwich" lunch at the bistro - $6

Perfect on a day where most of the people are roaming the halls like zombies. This came with delicious cauliflower soup.


Granola bar from the bistro - included with lunch



In the end, I ate half of my sandwich, a few bites of the granola bar (I felt like I should have been eating it while sitting in a tree) and ate free grapes from the bistro. I finished the meal later in the afternoon. Nothing was wasted!



Diet Coke from the vending machine - $1.25



Cupcake Lindsay brought to work - free



Chinese food - $5 (Lindsay paid, I gave only the tip)



Wine at Ellen's housewarming party - free



Money spent on food today: $14.55