Introduction: Sliced & Diced
Creating monthly menus can be a bit of a challenge. However, as I mentioned in the Create Your Own Menu series it is possible! With a few step by step instructions you can be well on your way.
Included in that series was the resources I use on a daily basis to figure equivalents, measurements and substitutions for ingredients. However, I would have to say that they aren’t the most complete and practical resources for some of the ingredients we are preparing in bulk. There are common equivalents and yields that I have struggled to find a source for. I also know that there has been inconsistency in Once A Month Mom menu recipes based on the quantity I say to cook and the actual amount that is yielded from menu to menu. We need some standards to go by!
So like any diligent person, if you can’t find what you are looking for, then perhaps you should do it yourself! So with that is the birth of the Sliced & Diced series! Over the next few weeks (or whenever I run out of ideas for things that we need) I will be doing a series on Friday’s looking at Sliced & Diced. Ideas forthcoming are onions, ground beef, chicken, tomatoes, pasta and rice. I am sure there are many others we can do so we will continue exploring these until we have exhausted our options.
Sliced & Diced will look at not only the raw measurements of items, but also what their cooked equivalent is equal to. Hopefully, this will help us when we are cooking and measuring items in bulk.
Which items do you struggle with figuring out amounts to when you are doing your Once A Month Mom cooking (or once a month cooking, bulk cooking, freezer cooking, oamc)?
I know it isn’t the most economical way, but I bought the frozen diced onions this month, because when I dice my own, my whole house stinks of onions for days. I still ended up with too many bags of onions. Although the bag says 10oz, I think I got 2 cups out of each.
:) That is likely a good idea if you are willing to invest the money. The way my husband complains after I chop that many onions would likely make it worth the investment for us as well. Man they stink up the whole house.
This is a cool idea Tricia!!!
I always struggle with figuring out amounts!
When I whip something up I always end up with too many grains! Especially when I cook something for only one person (that is, me :)) I always want to have too many different vegetables and end up with food for two! But that means I have a freezer meal, yay!
And when I try American recipes (with all the cups and stuff) I don’t know how much I have to shop for because I can’t measure it in the supermarket and I end up with too much or not enough of an ingredient.
So asides from figuring out amounts while cooking, I’d also love to hear how you figure out amounts while shopping!
Whenever I cook or slice something that has a strong/bad smell, I boil a cup a vinegar with a few drops of lemon juice. No more children or husband complaining : It stinks mom, wha are you doing? Are we really going to eat that?