HOW TO MAKE FOOD LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

HOW TO MAKE FOOD LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

When it come right down to saving money it really depends how you use your food.  For example 1 pound of ground meat can be made into four dinners. But most people what do they do they cook the whole packet of meat and it's gone in one meal.  Here are a list of way to make your food last as long as possible in tight times.

1. GROUND AND WHOLE MEATS.  NOTE: Apply this method to larger packages of meat.

A:  Ground: You can either cook the whole packet first then divided it, or divide the raw meat and wrap each piece in foil and freeze it for later your choice. Here is how I like to prepare the meat.
Cook the meat up in the pan with spices with a half of onion or whole and garlic.  Drain off the grease. Then on a clean cutting board.  Take good amount and dice it up with a knife as fine as you want, process the rest of the meat like this.  Then have four small containers ready to fill with equal amounts. If you have a scale this will make it more precise.   And then use each container for the meal you want.  You won't have a meat meal that is overflowing with meat, but it will be enough.  
Here is some reasoning behind my madness.  If you were to cook up the meat in the pan drain off the grease and then proceed to scoop the meat from the pan, you find that the meat texture is clumpy and larger so in sense you'll be helping your self and eating more meat. When it is dice up and you take a spoon full it is easier to control your proportions.
It the same with chicken to. Cook up your chicken, then remove all the meat from the bones, but do not throw the bones way.  (CHECK OUT MY STOCK RECIPE).  Then take small batches and dice the same way you did the meat. Then divided it out and freeze.
NOTE: Make sure you label it and date it.    I kind of treat my freezer like a supply belt and move use right away to the front and new stuff to the back. So I make sure I don't waist any thing.   

2. VEGETABLES. 
     Vegetable are the exact same way the bigger you cut the pieces, the faster you'll use them up. So be sure to dice and proportion out what you want to use.   If you going to add a carrot to a meal, use one carrot or even a half of a carrot. When you dice it up it will distribute through the meal more evenly.

3.FILLERS
 Wheat berries, Groat make wonderful fillers or any other kind of grains you are use to. If it taste good add it.  Add a cup full and mix it into the meat when it is fully cooked.  I always like to have small amount of grains frozen in the freezer to add to what ever meal needs it.   Grains freeze well.
Note: To keep your grains from getting freezer burn. Fill up a container with grains, then fill with water, but not all the way to the top. You want to give the water room to expand.   Then all you have to do is. Get a pot out fill with water, turn to high, plop the  grain ice cube into the water until the water is melted away and scoop out the grains to add to your meal.  Note: Your not cooking the grain, but rather warming the grains. 

4. OTHER IDEAS:
Another thing I do when money get really tight is I stop mixing food together, but rather add it to the bowl and mix it there. I do this with soup a lot. Add the fixing to the bowl then add the soup. This way I can freeze the rest of soup broth or stock for later.  By keeping everything separated, I can use it for different things and I only use certain amounts.  Of course when things are better I don't do this.

5. MAKING SOUP IS THE KEY TO SAVING $$$ 
    Soup is the key to saving money.
From one whole chicken you can make.
1. Broth.
2. Diced Chicken for meals.
3. Bones for Stock.

I my self for two people can turn one whole fryer into 6 to 7 meals.  I all depends how you use what you got.  Now it's totally understandable if the fryer is bigger you get more meat, if it is smaller, less meat.  

Well Ta Ta for now hope you enjoyed.