STOP! Do not make a trip to the store!
How many times have you had a recipe you wanted to try for dinner, but realized you didn't have one of the ingredients? (No names mentioned here, you know who you are!) Or, as is common around here, you are in the middle of making something, and realize you are out of one of the ingredients that you were sure you had? What to do?
STOP! Do not run to the store to get that one ingredient, and probably a few others you hadn't planned on. Check to see if you can substitute. In the last post, I mentioned a substitute for unsweetened chocolate squares, and the unnamed here, brought up buttermilk. There are substitutes for spices, baking ingredients, dairy, or 100's of other things. You can substitute in a pinch or by choice, to save money or to save fat and calories.
How do you know what to substitute? Check your cook books. Many cook books will have a list of food substitutions, often on the inside of the front or back cover. Yours doesn't have one or doesn't give a substitution for the ingredient you need? Check the world at your fingertips.
About: Home cooking has a list of places online you can find food substitutions. I didn't look at all of them, but here is a few thoughts on the ones I saw.
The Cook's Thesaurus. OH MY! This site has 1000's of substitutions. It is huge! It well organized, and has a search tool. Even so, I found it a bit cumbersome to navigate through for simple substitutions. Good for an unusual one though.
Aunt Edna's Kitchen has a simple basic chart. I like this! This would be good to print out and stick in your cook book, if the book doesn't already have one.
Mississippi State Extension has a more comprehensive chart that goes beyond baking basics. It also includes measurement equivalents, in a separate chart. Those are always handy to have.
Next time your in need of an ingredients, save yourself some time and gas, and the temptation to impulse buy; don't go to the store. Check for a substitution first!
Labels:
frugal fridays,
groceries
28 comments:
Cool! Thanks! I am famous for my $30 gallon of milk! You know, go to get just milk, but get this, this and this!
Great ideas here. I shop for the week. I pull out recipes and write the missing ingredients on my shopping list for THAT week. Speaking of missing ingredients, I need bay leaves. Thanks for the reminder!
ROFL!! names have been omitted to protect the identity of the guilty...
I guess I'm off to make some bread with my substitute buttermilk. :)
thanks!
I did this today! I was thinking about making some syrup- I KNOW I had another bottle in teh basement- I didn't have molasses, but I remembered there are a few different subsitutions. I found about 4 different ones. Then, I talked to my MIL. Mike was at her house and she had some I could borrow. I do plan on making my own syrup sometime, but I'm glad I didn't have to do it tonight.
Hi Stephanie- I got the Jam today. I look forward to eating some tomorrow morning. Thank you so much! I plan to play again in the future. This week I'm not feeling very well.
Thanks for the links I am always looking for substitutes online!
ROFLOL! I'm so glad to have this at my fingertips. Or how about substitute something close...hmmm like Nesquick for Cocoa?
I needed this. Thanks for posting.
Here for the Carnival of Family Life. My very first time, and the very first post I read is one I really need, lol. I have several good lists of substitutes, but nothing like what you've got here! Bookmarked them all and I know I'll use them!
Ooops! Posted without saying thanks! Thanks!
Thanks for this list! It will definitely come in handy for me. :)
sorry, forgot the "here via CoFL" :D
Thanks for sharing this!! I am a huge offender of the "ooops, we don't have that".
Here from CFL
That always happens to me, thanks for the great suggestion.
Here via the carnival of family life.
i'm here via the Carnival of Family Life.
good information here. i've usually overlooked something major though - like bread or rice! ugh!
I can't even tell you how many times this has happened to me! LOL! Thanks for the tips!
Here from the Carnival of Family Life
This is a very good list you've put together... there are lots of times when I'd like to make something but don't have the required ingredients. I usually just choose something else to make :)
I run into that when someone uses the last of something and forgets to write it on our fridge list of items needed at the store. I'll either substitute or decide to not make it or...ask one of my neighbors. There are a few of us that have done that from time to time when it's something simple like being short one egg, or a bit of sugar or milk.
:-)
My cupboard is usually too bare to substitute.
Coming in from the Postie Carnival... those are great time and money-saving tips! Awesome!
Thanks for the great links!
I use applesauce as a substitute for fat in baking sometimes. I think I picked that up from Weight Watchers years ago!
Sounds like me scavegering the kitchen for ingredients for a cake I had to make for a funeral dinner. I ended up making a carrot cake from a new recipe. I over baked it because, ummm I was on the potty and could not get up! Sorry, tmi. So I thought I'd turn it out of the pan onto cardboard covered with foil. I turned it and it fell apart. It was apparently, still too warm. I couldn't cut the burnt sides. I frosted it and the frosting melted. It was UGLY!!! I should have just bought one. No, I did not take it to the church. I made sure they had enough cakes and told them they didn't want mine!
Visting via the postie carnival! Thanks for the great substitution ideas!
Great tips! I have bookmarked those sites for my husband.
Of course I solve this problem by not cooking or baking. Ha!
Visiting from the Postie Carnival.
Excellent resources. Thanks!
This is a great post with great links! I too am guilty of the $30 gallon of milk. There are always invisible items on my list that magically appear in my grocery cart.
Too funny! I visited a while back for the Carnival of Family Life and now I'm back with the postie carnival.
I've been using substitution lists since I was a kid, but, being anal about not having a list with the righ items on it, I've bookmarked yours, too!
Great tips here! I can never limit myself to just one item from the store, so next time I'll see if I can substitute instead.
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