A Heads Up: We Shouldn't Take Product Labels For Granted

I had an enlightening  experience two weeks ago.  I went to my usual health food store to pick up my usual bottle of 100 percent black cherry concentrate.( It seems to be quite helpful in warding off a gout attack, which is something you want to ward off at all costs ---trust me on this.)

Since this is my fourth or fifth bottle of this same product and same brand  it was a simple matter to go pick up another from the shelf. Or so I thought . . .

Because the print was so small in this composite,
I darkened the information in
the sunburst-looking graphic on the front of each label

The labels are exact EXCEPT for a slight difference in wording. Even if I had noticed the new "juice concentrate" identification I would not have given it a second thought. At the most I would have thought it was just a change for a little clarification.  

What difference would the newly added words "juice concentrate" mean when you were looking at a bottle of black cherry concentrate (unsweetened)?

As it turns out ---- a major difference!!! 
( I am so thankful I still had my previous bottle for comparison, otherwise I would have thought I was losing my mind)

The original* label lists its ingredient: Black Cherry Juice Concentrate.

This new label lists  its ingredients in this order: Apple Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Grape Juice Concentrate, Cherry Juice Concentrate, Peach Juice Concentrate, Pear Juice Concentrate, Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Black Current Juice Concentrate, Sodium Benzoate, and  Sodium Sorbate. 

How can this newly-formulated product be called, in big bold letters, Black Cherry Concentrate? Wouldn't Fruit Juice Concentrate be more accurate?

Further, the original* nutrition facts portion of the label lists the sugar content as 4 grams and zero sodium. The new label lists sugar at 13 grams and sodium at 10 grams. 

Even the two identification numbers (I don't know the official name) on the labels are identical to each other. 

I spent a long time searching the Internet, trying to locate information of the formula change. If it is there I sure couldn't find it. 

How can this be?  How can companies get away with something like this?  Probably because we let them. 

Sadly the manager of the store didn't seem at all concerned when I returned and pointed our the changes. 

Her comments consisted of "Apparently the company changed their ingredients" and "What do you want me to do." I told her I wanted a refund even though I had torn off the safety seal before noticing the change and suggested she notify the company."  She didn't seem to feel this deceptive labeling was a big deal. I did! She did give me the refund --- I have my doubts about her contacting the company.  I am!!

Once again the beloved children's character The Velveteen Rabbit can ask "What is Real?" It is getting more and more difficult to tell.

*I am using original to identify my first few bottles.

Update: At a second nutrition store we found both bottles side-by-side.  When we pointed the differences out to that manager she was surprised and concerned.  We bought the original. I hope she will follow up.

Finding the Freshest Produce

We have made it through another winter. Soon we will be able to eat tomatoes and other fresh items that actually have flavor.

What is FRESH?

Produce that has traveled in mass for long distances loses a lot of its nutrients and goodness during the journey.  To keep customers from realizing this, many unnecessary steps and additions are used in the effort to keep it all looking “fresh.” I am told the greatest efforts in the produce section of large markets is maintaining the look of freshness by trimming, plucking, spraying and soaking.

The most nutritious and most flavorful are 1) those plucked from your own yard or 2) those from  local farmer’s markets, produce stands, or small growers.

The freshest  (i.e.most nutritious)
have been living in the ground until very recently. 

What? No space for a garden? 
Maybe not a garden ---- but most likely one or two or even a few plants. Think of the joy of picking your own salad makings right outside your door.  Many vegetable plants can be potted. You don’t even need expensive containers. Use your imagination. They can sit on a tiny porch, or balcony, or be tucked in a corner. All they need is sunshine and water.

There are other advantages to small container projects. For probably less than the price of a package of seeds, you can buy a plant or two, already well-started and ready to re-pot in your container.  This gives you a jump on the season — and no weeding!

To give you some ideas check out my previous posts on

gardening in a bag 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/gardening-in-bag-or-bags.html

and 

gardening in bits and pieces 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-creatively-garden-in-bits-and.html

Frugality Is Often Priceless!

Is it stating the obvious to say that cheap has become a way of life for me?

Even though financially, it is not as necessary as it once was, it is still wasteful to spend more than is needful for an item. I love the challenge.

As I have stated before our family motto was

    "Broke is a state of pocketbook --- poor is a state of mind"

There is no shame in being broke and we were usually okay with it.  and ----
There is no need to be poor and we refused to see ourselves as such ---- even when our financial circumstances leaned that way.

While we didn't realize it at the time, great dividends resulted from our financial situation. Necessity caused us to be creative in many aspects of our lives. Since there was no money for repairmen or replacement, Dave tried to fix many things. More often than not he was successful. When he wasn't, the only thing lost was a little time. (And maybe a little pride, although that is just a guess :) Over time he became quite the handyman.

By far, the greatest dividend was that our kids learned to share.

First it was crayons, and bikes and bedrooms. Later it was paper routes. When three were in college at the same time, they met weekly to exchange clothes, greatly expanding their individual meager wardrobes.

To this day they still share, usually across the miles ---- strength, support, ideas, and even occasionally, stuff!

Way back then, little did Dave realize when he was on an outing with just one of the kids and they financially had to share a soda pop, that a priceless bond was being created.

Creativity and thrift are not just for the financially challenged. It is caring and resourcefulness in a time when disposables and wastefulness are a way of life.

Following is a poignant message worth sharing (possibly I have already posted it, but if so, it is worth reading again). The author is unknown.

"My mother was so frugal she even ironed Christmas ribbons --- they were rayon then. I grew up in the forties and fifties when my practical mother also ironed wrapping paper and reused it and washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, and then reused it. 

She was the original recycle queen before they had a name for it. It was the time for fixing things --- a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, the screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things that could be fixed and kept rather than simply replaced.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, reheating, renewing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more. 

But then my mother died, and I sat in my kitchen that Sunday afternoon reading her old handmade cookbook in a binder. I was struck with the pain of feeling all alone, learning that sometimes there isn't any 'more.' Sometimes what we  care about most gets all used up and goes away---never to return.

So.... while we have it...it's best we love it...care for it...fix it if we can when it is broken...and heal it when it is sick.

This is true...for marriage...and old cars...and children with bad report cards...and dogs with bad hips...and aging parents...and grandparents...and aging family...blended families...sisters and brothers... We keep them because they are worth it and because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special...and so, we keep them close!

It is best if we can determine what is really worth keeping and, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

                          This post is part of a "Simply, Gail" column in a 2004 issue of Desert News Magazine.

Simple Steps to Take Before Leaving Your "Home Alone"

All packed up and ready to hit the road for a week-end or a week or more?
Consider the following before you walk out the door!

Taking a moment to take a few simple precautions may provide additional protection for your home while it is home alone when you are away. Even a pinhole-size leak can wet down a room in minutes!

• If it uses water, turn off the supply
• It if uses energy, turn it down, turn it up or turn it off.
• If it burns fuel, remove the ignition source.
• Turn down the furnace --- or turn up the air conditioner thermostat.
• Lower the water heater temperature setting.
• Turn off all washing machine water hoses and sink/toilet water leads.
• Unplug all electronics and appliances.

Further Do's

• Make sure a trusted neighbor has phone numbers to contact you in case of emergency.
• Have a neighbor pick up your newspapers and mail --- or have them temporarily stopped.
• Leave a car parked in the driveway if possible.
• Arrange to have appropriate yard maintenance continued, depending on the season --- lawn mowed, snow cleared, etc.

And a Couple of Do Not's

• Hide a house key in an obvious location. Even amateurs know most of the favorites -- under mats, in flower pots, inside fake rocks, etc.
• Change your answering machine message to proudly announce your trip (no matter how terrific it is) or to explain why you will not be returning calls.

Now that you have added these simple safety precautions for your home in your absence have a wonderful and safe trip. Increase your safety by wearing your seat belts and avoid talking or texting while driving.

Artisan Bread Dough in Minutes for Pennies

           

Delicious Crusty Artisan/European Breads are showcased in  
bakeries as luxuries---with "luxury" prices
                                    
In reality they are the most basic and simple breads.  The ingredients are as basic as they can get

The luxury myth bubble was broken, and the popularity of these breads were spread with the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Fleischmann's, the yeast people have tried to cash in and "catch"  people not in the know with their new product Simply, Homemade No Knead Bread Mix. I haven't found it in our local stores yet but this is what I have found on line:

• The"plus" is there is only one 25 minute rising period.
• The "minus" is a  one-loaf package costs $4.19
• Yeast and sugar packets are included in the box but you have to dissolve them with water, and let it "bloom" before adding the flour mixture.

The master recipe in AB in 5 Minutes a Day makes dough for six loaves that will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (or can be frozen in one-pound portions). You also store it in the container you make it in so there is one less thing to wash!

The six-loaf recipe calls for 3 cups lukewarm water, 1 Tablespoon yeast, 1 to one and one-half Tablespoons Kosher or regular salt (or adjust to suit your taste) and 2 lbs (6-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, all combined at once in one large container. Topped with a loose lid, you let it raise for about 2 hours and put the entire thing in the fridge That's it!

When you want to make a loaf, you just remove a grapefruit-size ball from the container, lightly shape it and let it rise for 40 minutes (or 60-90 if you want a more open hold structure in the interior of the loaf. Or, to eliminate any counter-rising time, shape the loaf and immediately refrigerate it overnight. In the morning, let it rest on the counter until your oven is pre-heated to 450 degrees and bake it.

For complete instructions go to 

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/02/09/back-to-basics-tips-and-techniques-to-create-a-great-loaf-in-5-minutes-a-day.
(I'm sorry I can't seem to provide a link you can just click on so you will have to cut and paste.

The book provides many variations including pizza crust and rolls, made from the same recipes,  many of which are also available on line.

Here is the recipe I used before learning the above.

Artisan Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine above in large bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons warm water and stir until blended. Dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest 12 to 24 hours at warm room temperature (about 70 degrees). The dough will be ready anytime after its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly (about 30 seconds) shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more of same. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 1/2 hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 9 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in over as it heats.

When dough is ready, make 3 slits across top of loaf with a sharp knife and carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough over into the pot, seam side up. It may look like a mess but that is okay. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed. It will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Makes one 1-1/2 pound loaf.

'till we eat again,
          Simply, Gail


If you are interested, and have a few more minutes to sit and read, below are a few thoughts I picked up from a "what exactly is artisan bread" site. It turns my descriptions of "just stir it up and dump it out" into a creative feel-good experience.

Remember you are making one of the oldest most basic foods there is. It wasn't necessary to add chemicals to bread for centuries and it still isn't.

Artisan bread is best described by thinking about the person who makes the bread. An artisan baker is a craftsperson who is trained to the highest ability to mix, ferment, shape and bake a hand crafted loaf of bread. 

How to tell a true hand crafted bread from one that is just called artisan. First look at the ingredients. There shouldn't be anything in bread besides flour, water salt and yeast. If the bread is made with a sourdough there may not even be yeast in the ingredients.

Flavored breads may list other recognizable ingredients like nuts, garlic, herbs or cheese. A viennoiserie bread , for example a brioche, will include milk, butter and/ or eggs. All of the ingredients should sound like familiar foods. 

Compare an artisan baker to other familiar craftspersons. A baker's work parallels that of jewelers, glass blowers or furniture makers. They all have a palette of preferred, trustworthy materials. They know how to combine their materials to build something strong and at the same time delicate or elegant. Combining the raw materials in different ways will create various shapes, textures or colors.

Fresh Hot Cake Donuts --- from Craving to Ymmmm in Minutes

We love donuts!

A real, great doughnut is getting harder and harder to find. 

Now, with the following recipe, you can satisfy your craving faster than you could grab your car keys and head for the nearest store.

These homemade donuts are the crispy-old-fashioned-kind
and--- for much less than 20 cents each

Just imagine, you can have 12 hot fresh cake donuts, simply and quickly made from things that are probably sitting right there in your cupboards, just waiting. . .

In a medium bowl, whisk together the following:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg

In small bowl combine
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Combine with dry ingredients. Knead lightly and place on lightly floured surface. Roll or lightly press dough  to about 3/8 inch thickness. Cut into circles (I use a drinking glass and poke a hole in the middle with my finger since I don't have a doughnut cutter)

Heat oil, about two inches deep, to 375 degrees, using a heavy frying pan if you do not have a deep-fryer.

Carefully drop donuts into the oil, two or three at a time, not crowding them. Fry until bottom is golden, turn over with a long fork, and continue until down side is also golden --- about three minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Let cool slightly and then "top" them as desired.

We like ours drizzled with a glaze made from stirring a little milk and vanilla into powdered sugar.  I am going to try  orange or cherry icings because those are usually my favorites. They are also good when you shake them in a paper bag with powdered sugar or a cinnamon-white sugar mixture.

Recently screen-writer son Jeremy, who really, really loves donuts, told me about the latest craze in twinkle town --- faux donuts.  Ironically that seems like an appropriate name for the town's faux environment. He is planning on trying them out next week when he is in Hollywood.

I immediately searched the Internet to see what a faux donut was.  I learned they come in a variety of exotic flavors, are very expensive (one site listed them from $3.25 to $3.75 each) and they are not deep fried but rather baked --- thus to seem healthier than their traditional counterpart.

I further read their rich ingredients, including heavy cream, negated the "savings" from frying, they were time consuming, required special pans, and according to some reviews, had the taste and texture and look of "squatty" muffins.

When we crave muffins I'll bake big muffins. When we crave donuts I will make the real thing --- simply, cheaply, crunchy-fried, and fantastic.

A fresh batch will be ready when Jeremy walks through the door. I can hardly wait.

'til we eat again,

       Simply, Gail

Homemade Greek Yogurt: Cheap, Simple, Delicious!

I was excited when I found Susie E's recipe for "Foolproof Crock Pot Greek Yogurt" on the "one good thing by Jillee" site.  I didn't think it could get any easier than that but
IT DID!
                                                                                                  
As I read her instructions I got hung up on the stated precise temperatures apparently necessary for the perfect finished product.  I got frustrated when testing my crock pots' temperatures to find they varied greatly.  I was afraid to continue but wanted to succeed so I returned to the Internet.

In my search I found what the "official" difference was between pricey regular yogurt and very pricey Greek yogurt! And several suggestions from others. Hopefully my efforts will save you effort.

After looking at other sites and their methods and reading the zillion suggestions and comments that accompanied them I found the comment that was right for me when one responded that her grandmother was from the old country, where yogurt has been made forever, and her grandmother's temperature directions were "stinging" when you put your finger in the pot for the 180-190 degree range and "comfortable" when it had dropped to the 95-115 degree range.

Using "Grandma's" temperatures ---- (and comments I found on further simplifying from others) you can make Greek Yogurt in simple steps

• Milk 
• 6 ounces approximately(a small tub) commercial Greek yogurt that contains live cultures
• Powdered milk, if desired

1. Pour 8 cups of 2 percent milk and almost 2 cups of powdered milk (I don't think you need to use that much) into a large heavy pot, whisking until the dry milk was thoroughly combined.

2. Heat, over low heat, it until it "stings" your finger (which when measured with my old candy thermometer was about 185 degrees)

3. Remove pot from stove and let cool until it feels "comfortable" to your finger. (Again, as a first time precaution, I checked it with the thermometer and it was in the right range)

4. Thoroughly whisk in the commercial yogurt.

5. Pour into sterilized* jars (whatever sizes you wish, but always one small jar to hold for the "starter" for the next batch so you only have to buy the commercial product once.) *I don't have a dishwasher so I dip them in boiling water and swish them around to sterilize) and put on lids.

6. Put the jars in a small hard plastic cooler*, fill the container about half way up the jars with hot tap water, close the lid, wrap a towel around the whole thing, and let it sit for about 8 hours.  (*Others used Styrofoam or soft-sided coolers. Some put the jars in the  crock pot, others in the oven with the light on, some on heating pads, some wrapped them in blankets, and others used a combination.)

Once again, they did it simply in the old world, showing us the process is very forgiving.


I discovered :

• Greek yogurt has greater protein than regular yogurt --- thus making it healthier.
• The increased protein is the result of draining regular yogurt.
• Adding powdered milk to the liquid milk further increases the protein content of the finished product.
• The drained liquid (whey) is good to use in baking, enriching soups, etc.
• This basic yogurt, without sweeteners or flavorings, is a good sour cream substitute, and if drained for a longer period of time---cream cheese.

I also learned:

• It is easy to adjust the ingredients to make smaller or larger amounts.
• It will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.
• You keep some yogurt from each batch to use in making the next batch.
• Any "percentage" of milk may be used -- skim, 1 or 2 percent, or whole milk, even powdered.
• There were disagreements on the outcome when using soy, almond, goat, etc. milks. Some said ultra pasteurized milk worked while others said it didn't.  
• If you add powdered milk the protein is increased and the product is thicker. 
• A variety of sweeteners, natural and artificial, can be successfully used.
• Most individuals preferred making the plain basic recipe and adding any extras to individual servings just before eating, allowing for more versatility. 

Once again, they did it simply in the old world? Apparently the actual process is very forgiving.

Most of the "quick" recipes I found call for straining the yogurt to separate the whey making the yogurt very thick. Adding powdered milk eliminates that need.  Where some indicated they poured off a lot of whey, reducing the amount of finished product, I only had about one teaspoon of whey.

When I tipped the jars I could tell the mixture had set up, so I moved them to the refrigerator to chill. Apparently different batches may not thickened/set up the same, and will continue to thicken in the frig. If, for some reason, a batch doesn't thicken, you can use it in smoothies!

I love it when I am able to recreate---usually significantly healthier and cheaper---a commercial product. Even if I don't continue to make it on  a regular basis (which is rare for me) I know I can do it when I want to -- or need to!  

I strongly feel that it is wise to learn how to be as self-sustaining as possible as insurance against a time of need. Learning how to do now, when supplies are readily available, can save experimenting and frustration when the need is there and abundance is not.

'till we eat again,
            Simply, Gail