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Save Money on Breads Copyright © by Michelle Jones, Founder of GrocerySavingTips.com Tip # 1 - Hot Dog Buns... Breads can vary in price dramatically. While the store-brand of hot dog buns make cost 99¢, a more popular name-brand may be $1.99 or more. Now, why would we do that!! I know they may taste a little bit better, but is it worth $51.48? That's how much money you'll save each year if you purchase the store brand every week instead of the more expensive one. If you're going to spend more money it would probably be much better to buy better quality hot dogs! :o) Tip # 2 - Bread... Now sandwich bread and hamburger buns are a little different. We know it's important for our good health to eat whole grain breads every day, and not the cheaper fluffy white stuff we may have grown up on as a child. This is where it's good to spend a little extra money. The more grains in the bread the better! Tip # 3 - French and Italian breads, and Other Specialty Breads... head to the deli/bakery dept.! They often have great sales and that's when to bring an extra bread loaf home! Our favorite is the Italian Sweet Round bread, or the Italian Loaf, but I only buy them when they're on sale!!
Tip # 4 - Bagels... YUM! We love 'em too, but they can sure be expensive. When we lived in VA our grocery store (Kroger) had a wonderful store-brand line of bagels that cost less and tasted great! Maybe your store does too, have you tried them? Years ago when money was really tight for our family, I would purchase the frozen Lenders bagels, in the freezer section. They were always cheaper than the ones you'd find in the bread or deli section and toasted up just fine! Tip # 5 - Crackers... I'm not sure if every store does this, but it seems most do. On the end of the bread aisle you may find rows and rows of snack crackers, like cheese/peanut butter, cheese/cheese, toast/cheese, etc.... These will be boxes of 8 or so packages in one, and are great for kid's school snacks. If you've forgotten to pick up the crackers that were located in the middle of the store (since they usually place the bread section at the end of the store), it might be pretty convenient to pick a package or two up at this point. But, I have observed over the years that THESE crackers rarely go on sale!! The cracker brands that go on sale are usually the ones in the middle of the store, so use caution and look for that price tag! Tip # 6 - Doughnuts... If the stores in your part of the country, or world, are not blessed with Krispy Kreme doughnut delivery, the next best thing is the bakery donuts. Not the packages of little white powdered things in the bread aisle, though I know... my kids love them too! Hey, it's okay to splurge once in a while! The only way I've found so far to save money on doughnuts is to just stay far away from them! Or, if I have to walk by them (especially if my kids are with me), I speed up hoping they won't notice them! ;o) Tip # 7 - Prepackaged Cinnamon Rolls... Okay, so they're all I could eat for a brief time during my 4th pregnancy, but BLEHHH!! If you want cinnamon rolls please head over to the freshly baked ones in the bakery dept., they will taste much better and if you're in luck they'll be on sale!! Tip # 8 - A great way to save money is to keep your perishable grocery items from spoiling! Breads can easily be stored in the refrigerator to extend freshness or in the freezer for longer storage periods. While a loaf of bread sitting on your counter can go bad in less than a week, one stored in the fridge can last for several weeks. Tip # 9 - I know many frugal cooks who make their own breads at home and this is also a great way to save money. Homemade bread recipes abound in cookbooks and on the web. If you have a recipe you'd like to share with our readers please contact us! * * *
Italian Cheese Bread
Submitted by Donna Little This is a recipe for killer Italian cheese bread. I like to double the recipe because I like my bread really gooey. Trust me, there will be none left. Oh, and you can make this into pizzas by just adding pepperoni and such. It tastes great even though there is no tomato based sauce on it!
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, crumbled
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
Spread on 1/2 loaf of Italian bread. Bake at 400 degrees
until the cheese begins to brown, perhaps 10 minutes or so. Yum!
* * * Readers' Tips... Contact Michelle to Submit a Tip "You can take leftover hot dog buns and use the same recipe you provided for garlic bread! My boys loved them and I won't have to throw away old hot dog buns." - Kathy H. "I live in the Dallas, TX area and found out you can go
to a Bagel store (Einstein Brothers Bagels and probably all of them!) at the end
of the day and they will GIVE you their day old bagels since they are not up to
their fresh standards by 5 p.m. to SELL them. I have a co-worker who had
to provide snacks for her son's wrestling team event. She contacted The
Corner Bakery a few days in advance to ask for their cookies, muffins, etc. at
closing time that they did not sell. She had TRAYS of both items in
abundance to bring to the school event and also to work. These items were
given - FREE to those who ask! They tasted great since they were served
the very next day. I don't know if this would also apply to an individual
going into the store at closing time or just to organizations. Also, to freeze
bagels or donuts, freeze the extras in airtight boxes or bags and let them
defrost on the kitchen counter before serving them. Whatever you can find in the
frozen section of the grocery stores you can freeze fresh items yourself at
home. Just make sure you get as much air out of the container before
freezing to prevent ice and freezer burn." - Donna "Frozen Bread Dough - Use for pizza crust. Use for focaccia bread (roll out thin, brush with olive oil), then tear off bits and dip in olive oil sprinkled with Italian seasonings. Pecan/Cinnamon rolls. Thaw, roll out thin, then dust with brown sugar, your choice of spices, dot with butter (margarine turns it to mush), add other things as desired. Roll up, cut into spirals, then proof again for about 30 minutes before baking. Can also be done the night before and allowed to rise in fridge. Sooooo good! Refrigerated Biscuit Dough - Monkey Bread - cut each round into 4 pieces, roll in brown sugar, cinnamon, some ginger, place in bundt pan or other round pan, dotting with butter bits throughout. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes then place onto inverted plate. A real hit with my teens! Roll each one flat, cut into strips and drop into lightly boiling chicken soup. This is a wintertime favorite. Roll each one flat, stuff with smoked sausage rounds (no larger than 1" each). Close ends with water to seal and pierce for venting steam. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes." - Wasakava "You can freeze dry yeast if it is nearing it's expiration date. I learned this through necessity. Just pop it in a freezer bag or container and plunk it in the freezer. It really does work! I have had yeast in my freezer for as long as a year with no problems." - Mary Walker "Make your own specialty bread by taking a loaf of bread and run EVOO and crushed garlic that were heated together on the stove until garlic is cooked for a few minutes. You can also have a little butter mixed with it Then put a little oregano in the palm of your hand, teaspoon to tablespoon, and take your other hand with two fingers and smush together over the garlic and oil on the bread. Then broil for a few minutes. Yum!" - Lorene "I buy the last day of sale bread at Walmart all the time; the prices are 50% or more off the regular price and the quality is terrific, especially the specialty breads. We then cut each loaf in half, double bag, and freeze. Half a loaf at a meal is the perfect size for our family, sometimes there are a few slices left over which I then turn into croutons or bread crumbs. For a more homemade taste, wrap your bread in foil and warm-up in your oven or toaster oven."
- Nancy Funk |
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