The Greatest Money Saving Tasty Discovery Ever!

At the moment I'm penny pinching. So when I was craving French Toast but didn't have milk I had to come up with a new plan. Instead of Milk I courageously put in about 3 tbsps of Vanilla Yogurt with 2 eggs. The final result was great.

The yogurt changes the texture of the finished product. Instead of your typical eggy bread the final product is richer, more like brioche! The other great part, there was a hint of vanilla and a slight tang from the yogurt which worked really well.

I don't know if I would try using fruity yogurt but who knows, strawberry yogurt might go well with my flavoured syrup.

Heres the recipe for the french toast
2 eggs
3 tbsp vanilla yogurt
two slices of day old cinnamon raisin bread

If you're feeling fancy try some flavoured syrup.
Take about 1/2 cup of Maple Syrup and mix in frozen strawberries, and some orange zest and half of the juice from the orange. Grand Marnier is also great with this, but not necessary. Let the mixture steep on the stove on low (make sure its not boiling), for about half an hour until all the flavours are mixed.

If you want a smooth syrup strain the zest and strawberries.

Lets learn about new flavors!

The budgeting system may seem easy but what about the flavor and getting out of ruts like always eating pasta with red sauce.

For me, I watch copious amounts of FoodTV and cooking shows. I've felt for a few years now that I should have enrolled in culinary school but I'm making up for it by learning a ton by watching others cook incredible meals. I've learned some great things about budgeting, flavors and new foods from shows too. For example, the cheapest cuts of meat can taste the best and be the most tender with some marinades. Also, trying new meats, veggies, or fruits can be thrifty. In Manitoba, Bison is the meat of choice. Most people choose to have ground beef but bison can be found for cheaper, and tastes a lot richer.

Another thing I have learned is to pay close attention to what I eat at restaurants. If I enjoyed a meal I'll do whatever I can to recreate the meal at home. A lot of restaurants in Winnipeg (where I live), also focus on local foods and sustainability. Most of these local foods can be found for cheaper than others.

Just to keep you posted on my upcoming cooking goals, I am planning on trying to recreate my favourite dish at Inferno Bistro, venison with cherry reduction. Mhmm!

Budgeting when you go out to eat

Most budgeters have separate grocery and eating out budgets but there are times when you can put the two together. Occasionally, well, more than occasionally, I lose the urge to cook and order take out or go out to eat somewhere. I have found that there are some ways to save on your grocery bill when eating out. Here are some tips.
-Many asian take-out restaurants will give out free rice, broth or another appetizer with orders. Asian take away food is also typically served in large portions that will last more than one serving.
-Pizza places frequently have sales. I go to a few pizza places that discount a second pizza, or have 2 for 1 sales for pizza. The bonus with getting a free or discount pizza, free meals for later... also, pizza freezes well.

Another tip is to start exploring your local markets, bakeries and other small buisnesses. The food at these places is typically not any more expensive than what a grocery store would serve but you're supporting local buisnesses. The biggest bonus I've found with this are occasional freebies from these buisnesses. Small owners will do a lot to keep their customers happy and coming back. Build relationships and network with these people!

Conflicts with a new show on NBC

Earlier this year a new show called Community premiered on NBC. Its about a motley group of people who have made the choice to join community college. In the show there are the typical characters, the popular guy, the highschool drop-out, the advocate, single mother, token old guy, guy stuck in highschool and becasue of popularity a guy with Aspergers.

I don't have any problems with society recognizing different disabilities in the media but I do have concerns with how these people are portrayed. For example, this character was made fun of infront of his classmates when someone said he had "Ass Burgers". Would it not be seen as taboo if someone made a large racial slur on television? How come then, its ok to make fun of people with disabilities?

The other part of this character, Abud, is that many aspects, and quirks of Abud's character that are being defined as ASD are not ASD at all. If this show gets more popular, and the writers continue to show Abud as a person with Aspbergers could a populations view on ASD be skewed?

I will most likely continue to watch the show, the writing aside from Abud's character is pretty good but I also want to see what they do with this character.