Frugal Friday: Making milk last longer
With the rising cost of dairy products and our desire to only buy hormone-free organic milk, I've been experimenting with creative ways to make the milk we buy last longer.We don't drink much milk at all, which helps tremendously, but we do have two big cereal eaters at our house. (Kathrynne, in fact, would subsist entirely on cereal and milk with a little chocolate on the side if she were given a choice of her daily sustenance.)
Between numerous bowls of cereal and lots of baking, the half gallon of milk we buy each week was dwindling faster and faster it seemed.
Instead of buying a whole gallon (which would be to the tune of $7 at the price we currently pay), I decided to start watering down all the milk we use in cooking/baking.
We buy whole milk, so I started out with doing about 1/4 parts water to 3/4 parts milk. We couldn't tell a bit. Not one single bit.
So I then moved to 1/3 parts water and 2/3 parts milk. Again, the change was unnoticeable.
Just in the last few weeks, I've started really going out on a limb and doing half milk and half water. We have yet to tell a difference in anything I've made.
I even experimented with making waffles the other day with 1/4 parts milk and 3/4 parts water. They did seem slightly different, but they still weren't bad. Maybe I should just use water in place of milk?! Well, okay, so I don't expect to get that radical, but I've been amazed at how much longer our milk is lasting now that I'm stretching it in this regard. Why didn't I think of this sooner?
So 'fess up, do you water down your milk, too? What other kinds of simple things like this do you do to stretch expensive ingredients farther? I'd love to hear.
Just a note of clarification since there seemed to be some confusion: We don't water down milk for our cereal, only for baking/cooking. We like whole milk on cereal. :) And as far as the calcium goes, since we aren't big milk drinkers, we get most of our calcium from yogurt (which we eat a lot of here!), legumes, and green leafy vegetables.
-----------------------
Join in Frugal Friday! Have a tip, resource, idea, or thought related to frugality? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and share the link with us below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks for participating.
Labels: Frugal Friday
posted by Crystal Paine at 9:42 PM
77 Comments:
Wow- a half gallon a week??? We go through probably about 3 gallons a week. Thankfully, WIC provides it. My hubby, when he was single, drank almost two gallons a week, so most of it is him!
We go through more than a gallon a week, but I do stretch it in cooking. I wil either do half milk and half water, or I will use powdered milk. With the rising price of powdered milk though, it's not always the best deal.
We go through 3-4 gallons per week. I try to use powdered milk in cooking.
With watering down the milk, are you defeating the purpose of drinking milk? Also, have you considered buying milk directly from a farm? Farm milk in PA is half the store price.
Ruth, PA
We buy a gallon a week. And until recently we barely made it through, sometimes we were short a day or two. Then I started watering down our whole milk too! And it works famously! We do 1/2 water to 1/2 milk in all our baking. No difference whatsoever. We don't water down for cereal or drinking (we drink very little anyhow). This has saved us quite a bit. Glad to know I am not the only one who does it either!!
Crystal, do you think you could do a Frugal Friday post on saving on your energy bill? Ours was quite a bit more than we were expecting this month, and I only see it getting higher as the temp. outside goes up!! I would love some frugal ways to cut it down! Thanks.
With 7 in our family, we do 2-3 gallons of milk a week but we have totally gotten rid of cereal and milk now because of the cost, otherwise it is more like 8 gallons a week. Like Anna Beth, my hubby also drinks most of the milk. I only put a smidge in my coffee.
When it comes to stretching the expensive ingredients farther, I mostly ask if it is really necessary or is there something I can substitute cheaper, this has led me to get rid of the milk and cereal (an expensive habit), and we also don't buy organic or hormone free or anything expensive like that. There would be no way for me to keep our groceries under $100 if I did that. Our expenses are rising so fast, and my husband's hourly wage just dropped again, so this has been quite a frustration, since we now average around $120 a week on groceries....eek. But, unlike you we have teenagers and older children who all eat and eat and eat...and eat some more...
We buy 1% so it is already weak/thin but our milk comes in bags,so I can't very well buy whole and water it down without pouring it into a different container - then DH would ask why I did that...... Too bad - we probably wouldn't even notice it either.
I haven't ever tried watering down milk... but I'm going to try it now! Hadn't occurred to me before! Now, my grandfather ALWAYS watered down all condiments... salad dressings, ketchup... it's definitely noticeable though :)
I've been watering down our milk for a month or so and we've yet to notice a difference. The two biggest money savers for me are making my own laundry detergent and 'saving' ice to make our homemade ice cream. I make it for all the birthdays so a big bag of ice can add up. A week before I plan on making it I will start emptying 6 ice cube trays into a small garbage bag along with a big thermo cup of ice from the ice maker. By the end of the week I have plenty of ice. I also make two batches using the same ice by draining it in a colander and then putting it back in the ice cream maker. That way I only use a bit more ice and a small amount of more rock salt and get two batches. I purchase 2 gallons of milk at a discounted price and freeze one gallon until I'm ready to use it. I also buy a half a gallon of heavy cream and freeze what I don't use for another batch.
We have been doing the SAME thing with our milk lately. Meijer's milk is rGBH free (just realized this) so we buy a gallon of whole for $2.50 on sale and water it down. We buy whole milk for our 21 month old (needs the fat) and water it down as we need it (by the quart in a rubbermaid beverage container) for everything and everyone else. The only thing I have noticed is that the milk in the cereal is not quite as sweet. My 4 year old has not noticed nor my picky husband.
We usually can not go through the gallon before it expires. Before that I bought the rGBH free from Trader Joes for $3.69 a gallon and often organic for $5.29 (I think the price is higher now).
-Kristen
Thanks for the tips, Crystal. This is something I haven't thought about recently. I will have to revisit the idea of milk-thinning again in my kitchen.
This is my second Frugal Friday, it might just become a habit. :)
Thanks!
Erin
I knew there was a reason you wear size "small" and I wear size "large"... ;)
We go through about 1.5 gallons of milk each week, and that's with having cold cereal 2-3 days a week. :)
Yehoshua doesn't eat much these days (or rather, he still has the same appetite he had a year ago, it seems!) so I wouldn't want to give him anything watered-down. Eliyahu eats a TON so a few less calories probably wouldn't hurt him... :) But I would feel kinda mean watering down the milk for Eliyahu's cereal, and not Yehoshua's! ;)
But, your tip about not noticing a difference will be quite useful when I am running low on milk and need to stretch it to the next shopping day. :)
That's a great idea for baking! I wonder how much protein would be lost.
Anyway, I wanted to ask you to sign a petition to help support homeschooling in California which has been threatened by a recent court decision, and possibly mention it on your blog to help spread the word? There's more information on my blog.
Thanks!
If you're watering down the milk, how do you ensure that the children have a good enough calcium intake? Isn't it dangerous to do this? I was taught that children needed full fat milk until they were about four and half fat milk until they were seven, and in quantities of about half a pint a day each . . .
I do buy powdered milk and dilute it more than recommended. I use this for cereal and all of my baking. The whole milk is stictly for the babies drinking. We have horses but we joke about getting a cow. That may be next
We're not big milk drinkers, either, we get our calcium from other sources. :-)But, I do like using it in baking when I can. As missionaries in Africa, I've found our milk here spoils MUCH quicker than it did in the states! Like, in 3 days! So... I also have had to find a way to use less milk. Baking with water substituted is normal around here. It doesn't make the recipe turn out EXACTLY the same, but it's not a huge difference. My very discerning hubby barely notices. :-)
I will definitely have to try the watering down in baking...I wonder how much watering down you can do when drinking?
Anyone do this frequently?
I use mostly dry milk for our cooking/baking, and we drink the fresh milk. Do they make organic dry milk? Don't think I've ever seen it.
I don't water down our milk. I use powdered milk for baking so you I do use a little more water when I mix it, but I don't water down the milk I purchase because it only is for drinking. We go through 5 to 7 gallons a week and we have really cut back. We are a family of 8.
I like your new button for Frugal Friday. Did you have someone design it for you?
We do about a gallon each week and all three of us drink it and we have cereal a few times a week.
I never water down my milk in my cooking (and never ever ever in my baking). I simply use powdered milk for that which is cheap and lasts a good long time (couldn't stand to drink the stuff though).
We loooove milk and go through about a gallon and a half every week or so.
For cooking needs, I use reconstituted powdered milk. It's a little cheaper, and really stretches the milk we drink further.
Right now where we live, a gallon of milk is $3.29. That's down from about $3.52 last month. In PA, dairy price minimums are set by the state.
I use dry milk in everything. We cut out drinking regular milk a long time ago. Now, thanks to you, I have been buying a little cereal when there is a good deal. I just mix up the powdered milk and make sure it's been in the frig. at least over night so it will be good and cold. My family has gotten use to it, so no one complains. But I will say, when my youngest visits Grandma (who lives 1100 miles away) she goes crazy drinking her WHOLE STORE BOUGHT milk! lol
My grandmother always waters down her milk, juice and whatever else she drinks. I guess that is what happens when you live through tough times. This generation is so wasteful and spoiled.
Thanks for the encouragement!
We go through 5 gallons of milk a week!!!!! We are a family of six. What about calcium????? I know it is so important for growing children and child bearing women to get enough calcium. I know that you can get it from cheese, yogurt and fortified OJ....
I also water down when I am baking or I just use powdered milk. Great baking tip.... use less milk!!!
I have actually stopped buying milk because we've stopped eating cereal for breakfast. I use powdered milk for baking. It works ok for now.
This summer my parents have agreed to give us their extra gallon of RAW milk every week! I'm so excited!
I also water down all the juice we buy. About 2/3 juice to 1/3 water. they make it so strong anyways, I can never really tell a difference.
How is the price of dried milk around you? that can be used in cooking very satisfactorily. You have very small children and recent research here in Norway is emphasising that all children should have whole milk because so much of the food value in milk is actually in the fatcontent. We are a family of 5, my children are 4,7 and 8. I buy 15 litres of milk a week. The children have milk to drink for breakfast and supper and at bedtime if they request it. That probably works out to about 500ml each most days but they do not eat much cheese, and get yogurts only as a treat, maybe once a month or less.
Gill.
(ps, 1 litre is a little more than a quart, 500ml just over a pint.)
We go through about 1/2 gallon a week (basically because I am lactose intolerant and so is dh) so we do not drink it But yes for recipes I have successfully used water in place of milk (esp in like pancake mixes, etc) what ever you do not use soy milk to make pudding it does NOT setup! (found that one out the hard way!) The kids basically drink it at dinner and on cereal so I buy one 1/2 gallon of organic milk once a week and if we run out oh well they do not get it until the next week. They eat plenty of other calcium rich things that they are getting plenty of calcium. I also buy them whole milk because then if I decide to water it down they really do not notice it. ;)
We only have one itsy baby here...so no milk consumption by him and I am lactose intolerant and my husband just isn't a milk drinker (except in cereal). So I usually get a half gallon of lactaid every few weeks (they have a much longer expiration date) and then I keep powdered milk around which works great for recipes. Very cheap and also can't taste a difference....and it doesn't go bad...at least not in my lifetime LOL
Good tips. I've also noticed that milk doesn't stay fresh as long as it used to. It even expires before the expiration date sometimes! Have you had this problem. We've had this problem with more than one brand and store. We were told by a local dairy owner that the milk in national chains could come from very far away.
To everyone who asked questions: See my note of clarification.
Oh and we buy our milk from a local farm--that's one reason the price is so high! But it is good, *really good* milk, so it's worth the extra cost to us.
The price of dried milk around here is almost the same as buying milk and I've heard that fresh milk is better nutritionally so we've decided to go with it for now.
Yes, I know, I'm weird... or a health nut, or something... :)
Have you tried soy milk ?8thcontinent can be had for $1.50 a half gallon with a sle and coupon(OK the choc light is REALLY GOOD like regular choc. milk so might not want to get yourselves hooked:) ) but the fresh ones in the dairy case taste good and work well on ceral becuase the cereal changes the taste of the milk. You might have to experiment vannila vs plain-the plain works better for cooking lite(we much prefer but we are non-fat milk type people!) vs full fat. It saves a lot over organic milk$#.69 a half gallon here and you get the Calcium mixed with the Vit. D!Hope I was clear I am in a rush and a slow typer.
We go through 3-4 gallons of milk each week (three growing preschool boys). I do NOT serve cereal for breakfast. We feed them something not carb-loaded so they are full longer and their behavior is better.
My boys' birthmother sent a message that milk is over $5.00 where she is in TN and she has 5 children who are milk-aholics! I hope and pray that she still has WIC on some of them!
I don't water down milk but I may scrimp in other areas. We get as much as we can at local bulk markets and earlier in the year we bought beef wholesale from a local farmer. We also get angel food for some unusual items.
My grocery budget is $50 a week for all 5 of us. We've managed so far LOL
We go through a lot of milk every week as well, usually 3 gallons. My husband and my 6 year old are big milk drinkers so I thought our weekly milk expense was just something I had to deal with, but I like your idea of watering it down a bit for cooking and baking. I'm definitely going to try that. It'll be worth it even if it just helps a little bit. Thank you :)
I buy 2% for the kids and skim for me. We only buy Braum's milk as it tastes better and lasts longer. It also costs less than most store brands. I haven't watered it down, but may try. I don't believe anyone needs whole milk. My children have never tasted it. None of them really like milk. My youngest won't drink it at all, and never has. They are all happy and healthy.
My dh drinks 4 gallons of milk a week. Yep. By himself.
At first I switched to powdered, but even that is too expensive.
Finally I decided to water it down, 1/2 milk and 1/2 water. He doesn't even notice!
So instead of 14 dollars per week, I only spend 7, buying 2 gallons of regular milk. (Sometimes the Walgreen's by me has milk for 2.49 per gallon!)
Sherry
YES!! I have been adding water to whole milk for over a year now, and no one can tell the difference. I also use instant non-fat dry milk for baking.
Some have mentioned concern about protein, calcium, and fat. These shouldn't come just from milk anyway. If Kathrynne is getting a well-balanced diet, then she is getting her protein, calcium, and fat from foods.
And yes, they do make organic dry milk powder. Someone posted about it recently and linked to Frugal Fridays, but I can't recall who that was. I just googled "powdered milk" and found some good resources.
Miranda
Midwest
My Mother-in-law can't have milk so she replaces it with water in a lot of things.
Miranda: Would you be willing to share your sources for organic powdered milk? I'm very interested--especially if it is quite a bit cheaper than what we're paying right now.
I have considered the option of watering down the milk in baking, but because I have always bought 1% or skim I always decided it would effect the result too much. Now I'm banging my head against the wall and thinking "buy whole milk instead!" - feeling a little sheepish that it never occured to me before. The cost is the same either way and we don't drink alot of milk, (and I stopped buying cereal because of the cost) so it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the idea!
Crystal,
Great idea! I just posted on my blog a recipe for no-milk waffles. Check it out! :)
We also use only a half gallon, but our family is smaller/younger like yours.
We don't eat cereal with milk, as it's just an expensive option and it's rare to find a healthy cereal. Instead, we do smoothies with yogurt, toast (with homemade bread), oatmeal (with a bit or milk or cream), fruit, etc.
I sometimes stretch my milk when my daughter drinks it. I love for her to drink the wonderful raw milk we buy, but she would drink it all day long if she could. So I often water it down, about 1/4 water. This gets more water in her, and helps the milk go a little bit slower.
I also often reduce the milk called for in baking and cooking. It rarely tastes different, and definitely helps to stretch it.
I'm allergic to cow's milk, so I use rice milk for baking and cereal. Since it runs almost $3 for less than a litre, I just can't bring myself to use 2 cups when baking something!! :) So yes, we definitely water it down and haven't noticed a difference!
I lOOOOOVe milk. I personally can drink a gallon a week. I drink skim, and I don't buy organic milk. But when our little one starts drinking milk, I will buy organic for her. I am not looking forward to the price of that!
Crystal,
Do you make your own yogurt, or is it cheaper to buy? I've made yogurt once or twice before, but of course, you use MILK to make it, so...
I was just wondering, since your family uses so little milk but more yogurt and cheese. They are ALL going up in price! Makes me wish I had a cow. (You'll appreciate that comment even more as you read the Little House books, too!)
I've on occasion made powdered milk and mixed it half/half with regular milk to stretch it further, but have only done the water thing when in a pinch I couldn't quite get the amount of milk a recipe called for.
Hey, I was just about to post abou this! Yes, I bake with straight water almost all the time. It is a little less rich, but it would probably be fine if you used butter or a rich-tasting oil for your fat. I am trying to figure out the best way to substitute water for sour milk and buttermilk, and I'll be posting on that next week!
We drink about 4-5 gallons a week of raw, unpasturized milk. The milk is soooo good and the health benefits of raw milk are so good that I can't imagine watering it down. However, for baking, I think thats a great idea! Thanks Crystal! We drink milk with every meal 2-3 glasses each! We pay $5 a gallon and its the one thing I would never cut out of our budget!!
Actually, having milk allergies here, I can truthfully say baking without milk at all seems to make no difference in taste here. But then with using alternative flours as well, things are not exactly the same anyway. We have learned you can adjust to many things, if it is needed.
We are not big milk drinkers either. We use 2 gallons of milk every 2 weeks apx. I've always used water in place of milk in baking. For gravy I use arrowroot(organic)((for my thickner)) and water 3/4 water to 1/4 milk. No one has ever complained. Even my Grandma has asked for the recipes!
P.S. I'm a spontaneous cook! So I use what I have on hand! WOW! Your milk is high! I now feel blessed that we can get raw for $6.50 a gallon. We are trying raw skim today! $4 a gallon.
That is a great idea! We've been buying whole milk too, so I will definitely be trying this. Thank you ;)
One thing I haven't seen mentioned for those whose milk seems to expire so fast is that milk freezes great. So, if you can get a good deal, split it up in containers, freeze and then pull out and thaw overnight in the fridge as needed, shaking well before using.
Leave plenty of head space!! I learned this the hard way!
My husband loves this to drink straight with the little icy crystals still floating in it.
We were dairy free for four years because of my son's milk allergy.
(His pediatrician told us that calcium can come from many foods & is not the only nutrient vital to strong bones. Compare U.S. rates of dairy consumption and osteoporosis to the rest of the non-milk crazy world.)
I replaced milk in recipes with water & mostly still do. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, just use water with a few teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar instead.
We are looking into buying a cow share for fresh milk, but till then use Horizon organic.
I've never tried watering down milk for cooking. We have a hard time going through milk before it goes off, so I'll save that tip for future reference.
However, I used to cook for a group of people, some of whom wanted whole milk and some of whom wanted skim milk. I couldn't always keep up with defrosting the right amounts of each, so I have been known to put whole milk in the skim milk jug and water it down. Nobody noticed. ;)
I haven't read all the comments, so maybe someone already mentioned this: a great way to be frugal regarding milk is to just use powdered milk in baking and cooking. That way you still obtain the benefits of its creaminess and health benefits without the added cost.
Target has the cheapest whole milk I have found. An entire gallon of hormone-free all natural whole milk is usually 5.19 or less. I dont know what brand is charging 7 bucks but you can definetly find it cheaper at Target.
I do know a half gallon is 3.50 so you are saving a lot of money to spring for the whole gallon at 5.19 if you get one with a long time out expiration date = great deal
We already drink 1%, so I wouldn't water it down. We go through a gallon every other day--but there are 7 people here, and the youngest is 17. Feeding a teenaged boy is like feeding 12 adults. (Just kidding, but not by much.)
I froze a gallon of milk this week, just to see if it would work. I've heard you can freeze milk, but I'll have to see what it's like when I thaw it out.
BTW, if you have a Target near you, check them out. At least around here, Target sells milk about a dollar cheaper than anyone else.
I'm glad you clarified that you get your calcium and nutrients from other sources, because watering down milk causes an imbalance in the potassium and diminishes the healthy properties of milk. :)
One more thing on baking with water instead of milk or with watered down milk:
Decrease the amount of water by a few tablespoons to make up for the loss of milk solids.
Otherwise, your batters will be too runny & your waffles too thin, muffins too heavy.....
I don't water down the milk in cooking or in drinking. But, hey, if it works for you then go for it!
Like someone mentioned, fat free or reduced fat milk is more watered down and people cook with that. The only concern I would have would be nutritional value besides the yogurt.
I have resolved that this is just one thing we will have to make room for in our budget. I do keep my eye out on milk on sale. Which this is pretty easy with not drinking organic. The past month or so I haven't paid over $3.59/gallon. We go through about 3 gallons a week, on average.
I use powdered in cooking. For drinking I also do organic. Recently I got a half gallon of store brand organic milk from Giant (a PA store, there is another Giant supermarket chain too), and although the date was over a month away, it was sour and disgusting. We replaced it with name brand organic milk as an exchange. I found that Genuardi's organic milk didn't seem quite as fresh as name brand either. (Generally I am brand indifferent until it's proven to me it matters.) I mentioned this to my mother-in-law and she told me she has had this happen so many times she now only buys the name brand. Often this is on sale and similar in price.
So I'm saving myself time and potentially money by buying the name brand on this product. I don't know whether the packaging is somehow different, or maybe it's just not as fresh, but it definitely makes a difference.
Since I've been pregnant on and off for most of the last two years, and I'm aiming for more calcium, I wouldn't water my milk down. But if your needs are different, and you're sure your doing ok on calcium, watering it down seems like a fine idea.
Jennifer
This might blow you all away but we go thru 10 gallons a week for 12 people which includes three teen age boys! Whole milk here and we buy it at Costco which is the cheapest we've found. When I was younger growing up in a family of 11, we had powdered milk to drink and it was rationed. I hated it and want my kids to have the freedom to drink milk. We don't do pop or juice so milk is normally the choice for dinner. long post but a different perspective! One area I don't mind indulging :)
I'm busted! YES, I do water down our milk!
It started last summer when my newborn began having reflux - which I linked to my enormous consumption of skim milk.
Goat's milk seemed to be the easiest milk to switch too, but the store only has whole milk.
So.... we buy that and I water it down half and half for cereal. Besides the flavor being a little different - it works great!
NOTE - water the milk down as you use it, not before hand (our water doesn't taste unless it's fresh)! This way I still have my small container in the fridge, but will actually double or sometimes triple the total amount with the water added.
I can't stand the taste of whole milk, and this way I get my skim milk consisentcy at half the cost!
Being frugal is fun!
http://www.heaveninourhomes.com
Have you ever thought of making rice milk? I got this from nomilk.com.
Rice Milk
2 C rice
4 C water
rinse rice to clean - pour 4 C boiling water over rice & let soak for 1-2
hours - blend 1 C soaked rice with 2 1/2 C water (can be cold water) -
blend rice to a slurry (not a smooth liquid) - pour into a pot & repeat
with rest of rice - bring to a boil & then reduce heat & simmer for 20
minutes - line colander with nylon tricot or a few layers of cheesecloth
- put bowl under colander - pour rice mix in colander - another 1 C of
water (or less or more) can be poured over the rice to get out more milk
- press with the back of a spoon - twist nylon & squeeze out as much milk
as possible
we don't water down our milk but I do use powdered milk for baking/cooking. That has helped to save some $. We (my children) are big milk drinkers, but I limit them to 2 cups a day or 3 cups a day for the baby. We go through 3-4 gallons a week. I don't know how you manage with a 1/2 gallon a week...wow, that is very little milk for sure.
I use powdered milk and it goes a long way for us and we found a brand that tastes really good and it works for us! ;) I put mine in a blender and there are NO chunks and its smooth and creamy!
I haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if I'm repeating someone else (lol). But, I'm thinking that doing what you've done with the water/milk ratio, with starting with Whole milk, would be the same as what skim milk would be. I mean, skim milk is just 'watered down whole milk' isn't it? :) I've tried this and it DID work, but it is just easier for me to do the skim milk route -- works better with my 'simple mind'! :) But, I'm glad it's working for you and that you're stretching your hard-earned $ even further! Way to go! :)
Debi
oops, I linked "100.00 for march log " accidentally. is there a way for me to remove it? Sorry.
Debi,
Skim milk has all the same nutrients as whole. The only difference is that it has less fat. So, yes, it does make a difference as far as nutrition.
Susan
I always watered it down for sippy cups, because I didn't want them filling up on milk and then not eating a variety of food at mealtimes. I kept doing it and no one has noticed, maybe because they are just used to it. It is great though to get a gallon of whole milk and stretch it to two gallons. 2 gallons lasts our family of five a week.
Try baking without milk! As a general rule, milk mutes flavors. That's why milk chocolate tastes milder than dark chocolate, and creamy sauces are mellower than non-creamy sauces. What I'm discovering is that milk-free baked goods are often quite delicious. Do a google search on "pumpkin carob muffins." You should find it at the vegan lunch box web site. These muffins are divine! And they have no milk at all. I think that is one reason they are so flavorful. In fact, I've been craving them like crazy, but I have no pumpkin. I'm so sad!
We drink 2.5 gallons of milk per week. We're big milk drinkers over here. We get local, hormone free milk for about $5/gallon. We get it delivered, and the delivery charge is a modest $1.50/week. The dairy also has reasonable prices on milk, bread, butter, eggs, etc., so I love ordering from them. Maybe there are other choices for you. The same milk that we buy sells for up to twice as much at local groceries such as whole foods. Can you buy it direct for less?
We buy 1% milk and I can usually get ot for $2 a 1/2 gallon and that's about all we use per week- just for cereal. Although a whole gallon is often on sale for $2.99
I can't stand whole milk!
We drink skim milk and no we do not water it down as then it also waters down the nutrition. I myself do not drink milk very much and I will eat cereal as a dessert/snack on occasion, but we do pretty well with a family of 6 and I buy 3-4 gallons a week. My husband and boys love their milk! I heard one good way to save on milk is to water it down and no one will drink it!
It costs me about $12 a week for milk, but after seeing what happens to people who do not get enough calcium first hand, I feel it is important. Ours does not have hormones in it, although is not organic.
I do use all powdered milk for baking. It does effect the product you are baking if you use water instead of milk, I have found, although I have used juice instead in some things.
When the price of milk began to go up (was it last year?), I checked out powdered milk but discovered that it would hardly save any money at all. So we stuck with our regular 2% milk.
Recently, I started watering down our milk to cook/bake as well. We have 5 people in our home - 3 of whom would drink milk all day long if I let them. We try to get our calcium from other sources as well. We typically go through 1 1/2 - 2 gallons per week. BUT we don't buy organic. If we did, we would have to cut back on milk consumption too as the price is SO high.
I'm jealous! There are 9 of us here and between regular milk and rice milk, we go through 1 1/2- 2 gallons... per DAY! I say no seconds, and I do water down whole milk even for drinking and no one complains. I do 1/3 water to 2/3 milk. And if we run out for a few days... it's to my advantage :)
I second Jan's suggestion about freezing milk. If you happen to find a great deal, this is a good way to stock up.
We live in the country and when we need to do a Sam's run, we get about 14 gallons of milk, empty out a couple of inches of each into another container to make room for expansion (like Jan said), then store it in our extra chest freezer.
Be warned that when milk freezes, it turns yellow and looks like frozen...um...urine. But don't let that turn you off. When it thaws it turns white again. The freezing doesn't seem to affect the taste.
~ Ruthanne
Don't you know watered down milk is just under the unpardonable sin?Just kidding...LOL! We buy milk straight from the tank for 1.50. I guess I grew up on a farm and can't imagine adding water, but that is my perference. We go thru about 16-20 gallons a month.
we are blessed to have our own milk cows but right now I don't have one milking, boy buying milk sure hurts!
for the inbetween times we use powdered milk- definitely not like fresh, but affordable
blessings, Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog
Once, I had a box of Mac and Cheese and we decided to make it...but alas...no milk. So, I used water...in tasted great. I have done it numerous times since then ( just added a bit more butter to compensate )
We have been watering our milk down for 4-5 months now and haven't noticed any difference in drinking or cooking. I buy whole milk and water it down w/ half water. I figure we are then getting about 2% milk. We usually get our milk at Meijer for 2.50 a gallon or 1.25 a gallon after I water it down. There are 5 of us and we usually go through about 4 gallons a week right now.
We just started buying organic milk and it is twice what I paid for our 2% milk!!! So, what I started doing is I bought powdered milk and used that for all of my cooking. They even make organic powdered milk!!!!! You can't taste the difference in my baking/cooking needs. I even use powdered milk for oatmeal. You get all the vitamins and it is a lot richer and creamer. I hope this help stretch your $$$$.
Post a Comment
<< Home