Inexpensive Cuts of Steaks Made Tasty and Tender

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:30:48 +0000

Can Youi Afford Steak These Days?

If you are feeding a family, and still trying to stretch a grocery budget, it may be hard to justify buying steaks. However, I find that my grocery store runs frequent specials on less expensive types of steaks (cheap cuts), making them no more expensive than chicken or turkey. Once in awhile, our family enjoys a feast of red meat, and you can use some simple marinades to make cheap steak tasty and tender.

A simple marinade for a cheap steak can make it look like you spent a lot of money and are an expert chef!

According to experts, a marinade needs 2 things:

Acid – This breaks down the tough connective tissue so the steak will be tender.
Emulsifier – This soaks into the meat, so the marinade will affect the taste and texture all the way into the meat.

Some common acids that are used in marinades are citrus juice, wine, beer, coca cola, and vinegar. The emulsifiers are usually oils like olive oil, sesame oil, or canola oil.

In order to really let your own mixture do its thing, you really should cover your meat, and then put it back into the fridge for about 6 hours. If you are really pressed for time, I would advise you to let your meat soak for a minimum of 2 hours.

Use Your Creativity!

A simple concoction I like is simply made by mixing a can of coca cola (amazing powers of tenderizing) with a half cup of oil. I like to add in a little garlic, ginger, and onion powder. Then I let the meat marinade for 6 hours in the fridge. If I’m pressed for time, I use very thinly cut steak, and I just fry it in a pan with a little more oil, some sliced onions and mushrooms. I can be a one dish meal, or a salad and some rice makes a very filling feast!

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Make Good Use of Bad Gift Cards

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:24:01 +0000

Did You Get Some Unwanted Gift Cards?

It happens to all of us. The minute we go on a diet, somebody decides to give us a gift card for fancy chocolates. Give up caffeine, and you know a Starbucks gift card will be on the way! In fact, Americans waste millions of dollars every year because we do not use gift cards. I am sure that stores count on this, and that is why gift card giving is promoted so much. So how can we make frugal use of unwanted gift cards?
Re-Gift Gift Cards

If you have a drawer full of unwanted gift cards, consider passing them along. I have lots of friends who would really appreciate a trip to the mall, while I never tend to make it there.

I do not see why passing along an unwanted gift card, unless it is totally inappropriate, woud be any different than buying a new gift card. You may not want to pass along a fancy undies gift card to your 300 pound neighbor, but you can certainly re-gift with the same consideration you would apply to buying a new present!

If you just cannot stand the though of passing along a gift like that, then buy something for the person with the gift card, and then give that item along in good conscience.

Donate Your Gift Card

If you do not like the re-gifting option, why not donate it to charity. If the charity cannot use the actual items that they could buy with the gift card, they may be able to use it for a fundraiser. Charities are always throwing silent auctions, or similar events, to raise money. A gift card is a perfect item! Your place or worship or a local charity would be a good place to start.

Sell Your Gift Card

You can find hundreds of online auctions or classifieds sites with gift card offers. You have to decide if the amount of the card is worth the time, listing fee (if any), and trouble because you will not get 100% of the value of your card online. But if your card has a substantial value, you can get some cash for something you really do want!