Sharing the hints of local cooks from Joy Brown

This week I have some hints from Joy Brown, retired school teacher and avid HHJ reader. I like her ideas and thought it would be nice to share some of the hints from local cooks on making life in the kitchen simpler, easier and less expensive. Next week I will share some of her recipes. Have a great week and I’ll be seeing you around … Agnes

Here are some of the things that I do to make sure that I always have food in case of medical events, family dropping by to say hi (really they are hungry and want some food) or days I’m just too pooped to cook: Joy Brown

• I always keep a grocery list going. I have a large pantry (the kids call it Grand-Mary’s grocery store) and the moment that I take something out of it I write it on the list.

• I shop on Wednesday to take advantage of the senior citizen discount and I use coupons when possible (I have a lot of family to feed).

• I look at the grocery circulars that come with the newspaper and think about what needs to be restocked in the freezer based on what they have that is on sale. Then I start to make my list.

• We currently have two fridges and two freezers. As we get through winter into spring I bring the level down to 1 of each. That way I know I’m clearing out the food and nothing is in their too long and it also gives me an opportunity to clean the interiors.

• On the day that I shop I get my kitchen ready for my return from the store. I make a list of what I want to make and everything that will be needed for the dish. I also put the list in time order so I don’t have to wait for one thing to be done before I can start another. If I know that they have a great ground beef or ground turkey sale then I’m going to try to make hamburger/Salisbury steak, stuffed peppers, meat loaf, taco/chalupa mix, meat for spaghetti sauce or lasagna. If pork loins are on sale then I’m going to make thick chops, thin breakfast chops and kabobs. If chicken is on sale (I usually buy the boneless, skinless breasts) I’m going to make chicken stir-fry, chicken tenders, grilled chicken, Winey chicken (one of the family’s favorites) and kabobs. I also pre-process some vegetables, anything that normally takes a while to cook like turnips and butter beans. In the summer I make huge quantities of squash casserole, tomato sauce and batches of Lemon Zucchini Poppy seed bread.

• I get out my pots, pans, trays, storage containers, plastic bags, vacuum sealer, labels, Sharpie and any condiments that I will need. I pre-cook anything that I have on hand that I might need. I usually chop and sauté one to two bags of onions.

• Once I come home from the store I put away any items that I won’t be using. I pull out my list, see what goes first and start to prepare dishes.

• Usually the first thing I start is any long cooking veggies such as turnips or butter beans. I have the pots already on the stove. I slit the tops of the packages, dump in the pot, add water and any seasonings (like leftover hambone that I pulled from the freezer) and cook until tender. Took me a long time to get used to this as I’m not Southern born but I am Southern loved.

• I also cook up large batches of pintos for refried beans and make up and freeze large batches of Mexican rice.

• When I make a meatloaf I usually make 6 – 10 pounds. I usually make 2 – 3 pound loaves. Keep one out to cook and eat within a few days; put the rest on a tray covered with foil to freeze. Once frozen I put in vacuum bags, seal and label.

• I precook ground meat and add sautéed onions to it. I put those in 1 pound containers for tacos and chalupas. If I’m making spaghetti sauce I use tomato sauce that I’ve thawed, put it together with spices and simmer for about an hour, cool, put into containers and freeze. If there is a great buy on a good spaghetti sauce I use it, especially as the summer stock runs low. If I know that I want to make burgers and Salisbury steak I make 6 – 10 pounds. I add onions and other condiments, mix well, weigh out portions and pat them into rounds. I put on trays, wrap with foil and into the freezer for a few hours. Then I take them out, put serving portions in bags and vacuum seal and label.

• When roasts are on sale I buy 4 or 5. I usually cook two or three at a time. We have a good meal or two of roast. Then I cut some up and use for beef stew and shred the rest for beef tacos/burritos.

• I make a dish called Winey Chicken that the family likes. Chicken breasts sautéed in wine, onions and dill. Once cooked, make the sauce, put on top of rice and broil for a bit. For this dish I sauté the chicken and when cooled put it, the onions and wine into containers. Then when I want to cook it, I start the rice, heat up the thawed chicken, wine and onions and then make the sauce (1 minute tops). Comes together very quickly.

• I cut the pork loin(s) into different size pieces. Cubes for kabobs, thick slices for chops and thin breakfast chops. I put on trays, wrap and freeze and then put into plastic bags, vacuum seal and label.

• I usually take the chicken and pound with a mallet so that thickness will be uniform overall. I cut some into cubes for kabobs or Chicken Paprika, bread and sauté some for Chicken Parmigianino or chicken tenders (why buy high priced tenders?). Again, I make these in large batches and freeze it into dinner portions. I also roast some hens when they’re on sale and shred or dice for things like chicken salad and chicken soup. I put in small containers and freeze.

• For Chicken Paprika I cook the chicken with all the spices and onions, cool, and put into freezer containers and label. When I get ready to for it I start the noodles, get the veggies or salad and bread ready and then add the sour cream, broth and thickening mixture to the pot. Done in a flash.

• For any meat (pork, chicken) that I know that I want to grill, I put in a Ziploc bag once it’s frozen. I do this because when I pull it from the freezer I add the marinade. Keep in the fridge to thaw and then onto the hot grill.

• In the summer when we have lots of fresh fruits and veggies I make large pots of tomato sauce and casseroles like squash casserole. I usually make about 10 – 12 quarts of squash casserole at a time. Again, if I’m going to have to drag out pots, cut onions and squash and crush up crackers, why not do a lot at one time. Use big pans; throw in the dishwasher as you go and cleanup is a snap. Once it’s cooked and cooled I put in serving size containers, label and freeze. We usually get an overabundance of pears from a friend. I make Cheddar Pear pies, freeze and then vacuum seal and label. Before you start dinner put the pie in the oven and it’s ready about the time you finish eating.

• Usually I start the starches and little cooked veggies like broccoli, corn, carrots and peas first. Then get the meat and bread going and I can usually have a good healthy dinner with a meat, starch and two veggies on the table in 10 – 30 minutes with very little prep. Very few things to wash as you did that beforehand when you processed the food. And if you’re grilling, nothing to clean except your plates and utensils.

• In the winter I go crazy with soups. Again, I make as soon as I get home from the store. Why put the food away just to get it out again. I make Vegetable Beef soup using some of the ground beef I cooked and put up, Beef Stew using the cut up beef from the roasts (and any leftover gravy), chicken soup from the shredded chicken, chili and white beans with ham. I start most of these soups and stews as soon as I get home from the store. An emptied butter container is just about the right size for us. Throw it in, label and freeze.

I know some people will say that this is a lot of work and a lot of expense. Yes, it is on the day that you do it. But, when you divide that time over the number of meals that you get, it turns out to be very little effort. Also, the expense over a year’s time is much less than buying small packs of meat. I wait until the meat is on sale before I buy it. I think one of the saddest things I see in the store is people paying way too much for a product that they could get much cheaper if they just did a little work. I think about pork chops. Kroger puts their loins on sale for $1.99 frequently and if you catch them at the right time it can be as low as $1.89. Yet I see people bypass the loins to buy boneless chops that can be 30 to 50 cents higher per pound. Same product, cost just depends on the labor. I know some people will say that they can’t buy that much at one time. I say eat frugally for a few weeks, save up the dollars and then buy smart. Hope this helps someone … Joy Brown

Recipe for Laughter:

(I was asked to reprint)

“Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to completely forget what that purpose was? Turns out, doors themselves are to blame for these strange memory lapses. Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what’s known as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next. Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.” It’s not aging, it’s the damn door! I’m so happy to learn this! I’m sharing it with everyone! Thank goodness for studies.

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