Vacation Eating On A Budget

 Vacations CNA be fun - and expensive. Yet we have to have three meals a day plus snacks and goodies to make the week or two away enjoyable. what to do? Budget and save. Eating away from home should be no different than eating at home.

If you can book an Air BNB. It's usually cheaper than a hotel room  The same is true if you head to a seashore motel such as the ones in Wildwood, New Jersey, These are equipped with kitchenettes that make eating a bit cheaper and easier. Most cities and town have good and cheap supermarkets to shop in. Check Lidl and Aldi's sites to see if they have stores within driving distance of your location.If not then stock up before you go and pack everything that needs to be chilled into coolers. Should you buy local? Yes if it's from the grocery store, no from farmer's markets. Farmer's markets do cater to people form the area however their prices do go up during the tourist season.  You can splurge on homemade jams and jellies as well as on baked goods. The better prices are found in grocery stores. Also download their apps so you can cash in on any coupons or discounts. Should you cash in on the buy one ,get one free or half priced?  Yes, if you know you'll definitely use it. It doesn't;t pay to get twenty four eggs if there's just four of you on holiday, However get that deal on BOGO pasta, one for now, one when you go home.

What about eating out and how much.? It's always a thing with those who visit the Jersey shore to have at least one breakfast in a diner. They do serve a lot and you and especially the little ones can feel full until well paste lunchtime. However if no one is a big eater then stick to eating in. The kids may prefer a bowl for their favorite cereal as opposed to a platter heaped with French toast and bacon. (you could save that for a breakfast for dinner night,What about for lunch. If you;re not on a site seeing your , then also use the kitchen or kitchenette. A loaf of bread, cold cuts and a few sliced tomatoes plus mayo can go a long way. If you're near a boardwalk, take advantage of their bargains and get the family some hamburgers hot dogs and fries.Dinner really should be the only meal worth splurging on. Ask locals where they like to go for a bargain meal. People are very  open about places that offer great discounts. Look to their recommendations. There may be great eateries that offer some good prices on local seafood or a rack of ribs. Take advantage of all the advice along with checking Yelp reviews, Facebook groups and Instagram pictures. You can always find a really budget friendly restaurant on these platforms.

You can;t enjoy your vacation if you're constantly shelling out money for food. Be wise. Budget and save for a wallet friendly holiday , full of good local food and excellent bargains.

Jam Time

 A favorite fall activity is making preserves and jellies. It's a great way to use up late summer and early fall harvests. not only that but you can start the day with homemade goodness on a croissant or toast.

Yewande Komolafe,a food stylist and author wrote an interesting article about preserves in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.Canning is a pretty straightforward cooking procedure. All you need is fruit, sugar acid and pectin. The last is found in such thick skinned fruits as stone fruits like plums,  and other fruits such as guavas, pears , apples and citrus..These will thicken naturally when simmered. For thinner skinned fruits store bought pectin needs to be added. Get the storebought powdered kind.There does have to be prepping. Cut out any bruised spots.Ms. Komolafe also recommends adding aromatics and even herbs to enhance and bring out the fruits' flavors, She pairs ginger with plums for a sweet and heat flavor. She also spikes a fig jam with rosemary.

There are three methods to making jams and jellies. The easiest is the no cook way or refrigerator which has crushed raw fruit mixed with sugar and pectin, The jars are then placed into the fridge. The next step is the gentle simmer. This is involves cooking for twenty five minutes going from boiling to simmering..It creates a more spreadable jam, perfect for brioches and croissants. The last method is more involved and traditional. This is cooking the fruit to extract the juice and pectin. The solids are then strained away. Ms. Komolafe recommends using apples for this method.It should be a balance of tart and sweet. Think marmalades which are given a bite thanks to the rind.This will take about thirty five to forty minutes  along with eigh cups of water. The mash is then strained through cheesecloth and reboiled. The end result is ladled into sterilized jars and chilled.

Use those summer harvest to create tasty jellies and jams. They're perfect for breakfast on a croissant or buttered toast. Use yhem for glazes for roasts. They are a fun make, full of possibilities.

Preserve Us!

There's nothing like the taste of summer. It's fresh and tangy, sweet and mellow , kind of like the season itself. Make it last by turning them into yummy preserves, chutneys and salsa. You have that sun ripened flavor when it's sleeting and snowing outside.

Many  home chefs are put off  by  the very idea of canning or preserving, probably because of the threat of botulism . Get over that fear.What you need to know is that non acidic foods, namely veggies such as corn , cucumbers, carrots  and the like must be processed in a pressure canner.It's a  little more involved but the contraptions does most of the work.There is the easy route  - that is canning acidic foods which is a simpler process All you need is a hot water bath which is placing canning jars in a large, tall pot. You do need tongs along with a timer, a canning funnel and a rack to hold the jars.If you're a neophyte ,I'd recommend chutney..It's basically cooking fruits or veggies with  a variety of spices. Salsa is the cold version of that and both can be put in the freezer and thawed  before using . Before doing any preserving, ask yourself what would be used the most. Don't make jams when they'll just sit there or make just one jar of chutney when the family goes mad for it. Gauge the popularity of what you'd like to make and make it.

As for what to make, nothing beats jams and jellies.Try  peach preserves which are perfect on any breakfast bread.Plums also make a delicious jam, with their sweet, earthy flavor. Raspberries are approaching their second season in just a few weeks. Take time out to pick them fresh and turn them into a delicious jam that can be used as a great filling for crepes or the perfect breakfast on warmed croissants.By now you're probably sick of tomatoes however you'll be missing them during a harsh winter. Preserve their summery flavor by turning them into a jam(yes, you can turn them into a kind of jelly!)Since they are a fruit , you 'll need a whopping 4 1/2 cups of sugar  to  3 pounds of tomatoes Use it as a ketchup sub in on burgers for something different. Tomatoes and other produce can be used to make chutney and it goes well with hot and cold dishes. You can also make tasty sweet and savory salsas. Try a plum and peach one  with  a zing of red pepper for bite..A tomato and jalapeno one will warm you up on those coldest November and December nights..

Preserve the taste of summer. Making jams, chutneys and salsas are a great way of keeping that wonderful garden produce alive during the winter months. It's easy, fun, and tasty

Fridge Basics

No matter who you are you probably have some kind of food in your fridge. We all do .However do you have the right foods ?Some people just have the detritus of left over take out or cold cuts and store bought salads. In order to have a healthy lifestyle there are some basics you should have stock up on .

Every refrigerator should have basic  foodstuffs. This includes milk and eggs. These are the bases for many dishes plus you need them if you have kids.Another must have is either butter and/or margarine. These are used for every thing from cooking to spreads. Fresh produce is another fridge have to have. No matter what the season , always have some kind of tomatoes on hand. These  are great as a side with sandwiches for lunch or in a  side salad at dinner.You can include lettuce along with fresh crudites. This last can be used in everything , from stir fries or as a snack with a low cal dip.

What's next is up to the individual. Keep a small variety of cold cuts in the fridge for hot or cold  sandwiches if you want .Other extras include your choice of condiments  such as ketchup, mayo and mustard. Jams and jellies can also be stored  however don't cram up your shelves with a wide variety of these. Stick to just one or two flavors. If you want you can also store cheeses too . Sliced cheese is always good to keep around on hand. Pair it with bread to make quick grilled cheese sandwiches if you're pressed for time for a hot meal.

A well stocked fridge is one that has the basics. These everyday and simple food stuffs can be used in a variety of ways to make all sorts of dishes ,Make sure you have them handy. Your diet will benefit with having them at the ready.

Branding Brooklyn

Brooklyn is more than just a borough of Manhattan these days. It;s a brand that is practically slapped on anything that comes out of New York's most famous borough. There are pickles. There are chocolates. There are all sorts of good stuff being made from local artisans and being sold in the local shops there and across the East River in fancy Manhattan.


This was explored in yesterday's New York Times Dining section with an article by Steven Stern. It seems food companies large and small want items with any kind of connection to the latest, coolest inspot.There are many artisanal industries starting there and smaller , privately owned brands always generate a buzz. It's no wonder that these companies would be scooped up by giants like Williams and Sonoma and a few others. Brooklyn has a few good home grown products.There are artisanal pickles and beer coming from there. There are even jelly and jam companies too creating spreads from family recipes.

Luckily there are some Brooklyn manufacturers that have their pride and aren't selling to the big chains. These are the true artists who take pride in their work. They may not be nationally famous or bringing in the big bucks but they have integrity. Not to mention a local fan base that spreads the word about them. Maybe that's what this Brooklyn essence is all about. No fancy campaigns to buy this or that. Just word of mouth advertising that gets customers wanting to try the foodstuffs.

Brooklyn is not just a borough. It's a brand of home made products that reflect the tough grittiness the area emanates. The food may be gourmet, but the feeling behind it is down to earth.

Cleaning Out

Now that I'm home a lot more I can get to that dreaded task of cleaning out my fridge. Ugh. it's not the best job but someone has to do it. I realize I keep way too many Jello cups and bottles of everything. It's hard for me to just throw out stuff. Imagine getting attached to a bottle of marinade or barbecue sauce.

OI am a pack rat by nature and inheritance. I have kept perfumes and make up for years before checking it ( I still have some paraben laced stuff before I went all natural and all mineral)Food is the same way. I have cookies that I ordered on line from January. They're as hard as rocks and stale as anything yet I can't seem to part with them. One of these nights they definitely going to be raccoon snacks. I feel the same way about pudding cups I have one or two left from last summer. Those are way past the eating stage and into the botulism or something like that stage. Luckily jams and jellies seem to last forever (I'm hoping).

I hate tossing stuff out yet with food it's a must. After all I can't keep those Jello cups forever.