How to Be a Great Cook on a Very Low Budget

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you watch too many cooking shows, and you'll begin to think that you need expensive gadgets and fancy, rare ingredients to be a great cook. But if you love to make food and shop wisely, you can make gourmet meals on a tight budget.

Steps

1. Save money [1] for a few quality cooking tools by learning to Shop Carefully with a Tight Budget [2].
   
2. Learn new cooking techniques, complimentary flavors, etc. by studying the free cooking shows on public television. Your local station probably shows them on Saturdays or Sundays.
   
3. Assess your current kitchen tools, and create a list of essential tools to buy when you have enough money. Prioritize based on need. You will want to get knives, cookware, a cutting board, and a few important gadgets.
   
4. Set the amount of money that you can afford to spend on a meal in order to meet your purchasing goals.
   
5. Make a game of combining your on-sale ingredients to stay at or below budget using your new-found knowledge of complimentary flavors.
   
6. Track the grocery ads. Know when sale items are normally featured. Some people keep a price book detailing sale items.
   
7. Learn to calculate cost per ounce. Sometimes buying in bulk is not the cheap purchase. Learn to do the math by dividing the amount into the actual cost of the item. For example: Store brand tomatoes are 16 ounces for 60 cents versus the name brand that is 15 ounces for 60 cents. The store brand is cheaper as the size for the store brand can of tomatoes is larger.
   
8. Purchase store brand products. Most are of equal quality as their name brand counterparts. If in doubt, buy a can or two of the store brand products and try them out. If the products pass inspection purchase them in quantity when they are on sale.
   
9. Buy seasonal produce. Seasonal produce is usually cheaper and of higher quality. Also, this provides built in variety in the diet.
   
10. Check the bottom or top shelves. Most grocery stores place the inexpensive, and usually less processed foods, on the shelves that are out of sight. The middle shelves will usually contain the pricier goodies.
    
11. Practice your new cooking techniques when preparing your budget friendly meals.
    
12. Write down recipes when you discover a good one so that you can make it again.
    
13. Strategically practice cooking in areas where you have weak skills in order to improve.
    
14. Purchase necessary cooking tools when your budget allows it to make cooking easier and expand your capabilities.
    
15. Learn to use leftovers creatively. Sometimes planned overs taste better than their original meal.
    
16. Plan vegetarian meals. Eat a meatless meal a couple times a week.
    

Video

Tips

• Essential knives: Chef (8 or 10 inch), Paring, and a serrated blade (like a bread knife).
  
• Essential Cookware: Skillet (10 or 12 inch), Sauce Pan (2 qt), Stock Pot (4 qt).
  
• Essential Gadgets: Cutting board, colander, spatula, large spoon, whisk, measuring cups, measuring spoons, plates, bowls, grater.
  
• Essential Cookbooks: The Joy of Cooking, Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, The Way to Cook, Living on a Dime (or Not Just Beans by the same author), Frugal Family Kitchen Book, More-With-Less cookbook, Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ per Serving, 15-Minute Cooking or Feed Your Family for $12 a Day or Eat Healthy for $50 a Week.
  
• Learn to make your own food mixes. The classic cookbook is Make-A-Mix but there are other cookbooks available using the same idea.
  
• Learn freezer cooking. There are several cookbooks available including Frozen Assets and Once-A-Month Cooking.
  
• Essential Cooking Techniques: Chopping, slicing, dicing, sautee, boil, fry, blacken, and broil.
  
• High quality knives are quite expensive, but if you maintain them you will never buy another set for the rest of your life and they work great. It's worth the money if you can afford the investment.
  
• Purchase the best cookware you can afford. Buy cookware by the piece as sets waste money. Most come with pans you will never use.
  
• Purchase a small set of knives, if you can find the right set. You can save money, without purchasing a bunch of knives that you don't really need (like a cheese knife).
  
• Consider taking a job in a restaurant, as a cook or even a waiter. You will earn extra money, get exposed to flavor combinations, learn cooking techniques, and befriend people who love to cook that can share their knowledge with you. Some restaurants will let employees take home leftovers which may help save money on the food budget.
  

Warnings

• It's essential to follow good sanitary practices while cooking. You'll never be a great cook if you repeatedly give yourself or others food poisoning.
  
• Trying to gain new skills will require a lot of practice. You will likely fail a lot in the beginning. Stick with it! Make it easy to remember your successes by writing down your good recipes. Learn from your failures, and keep practicing until you get it right.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Cook
  
• How to Understand and Use Basic Cooking Terms and Skills
  
• How to Make Quick Cooking Taste Nice
  
• How to Create a Working Budget
  
• How to Shop Carefully With a Tight Budget
  
• How to Eat Healthy on a Budget
  
• How to Dilute Canned Soup
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Money


2. ↑ http://www.wikihow.com/Shop-Carefully-With-a-Tight-Budget

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be a Great Cook on a Very Low Budget. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Save Money by Shopping Once a Month

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

How often do you go to the supermarket? Could you get by with making only one trip per month? What if it saved you money? When people shop more often, they buy more stuff. Supermarkets and grocery stores know this, and that's why they often bury the most common items in the back of the store - so you have to walk through the aisles to get there, and the probability of an impulse purchase goes up![1] Besides making a list and sticking to it, another way to limit your spending is to minimize the amount of time you actually spend in the store. Why make four or more trips per month when you can make just one? That's right--go grocery shopping 12 times a year. It takes time. It also takes organization. Here's how to pull it off.

Steps

1. Make a list of the things you need, which you should update continually.
   
   • Start saving your receipts. Ideally, you should have all of your shopping receipts from a typical month. Go through them all and highlight the essentials (the stuff you ended up using/eating). Skip over impulse items (you know what they are, like the four cartons of cookies and cream ice cream that was on sale and that you know are incongruent with your dreams of having six-pack abs).
     
   • Plan your meals. Imagine that your home is a restaurant - what is on your menu? You could go all out and plan every meal on a calender (like once-a-month cookers do) but even just thinking of some "master recipes" that can be adapted to several different dishes will help. Take a large amount of cheap, normally tough meat, for example, and put it in a slow cooker until it's tender, then shred it and use it in hot sandwiches, enchiladas, etc.[2]
     
   
   
2. Accumulate coupons and ads for the things you use and the stores you frequent. During the days before your monthly shopping trip, match sales and discounts to the items on your list.
   
3. Divide and conquer. If possible, bring a friend along to help. One person tackles the perimeter of the stores (meat, produce, dairy, and baked goods) while someone else scours the center (processed food, household goods, baking supplies). Each monthly shopping trip takes longer than a weekly shopping trip, so a division of labor will make for a smoother shopping trip (with fewer frazzled nerves).
   
4. Hit multiple stores. Different stores have different strengths. If you shop every week, it may not make sense to drive all over town to save a few pennies. By shopping just once a month, however, travel costs are diminished.
   
5. When you bring the food home, prioritize. Certain produce (grapes, bananas) need to be consumed earlier in the month. Other foods (milk, bread) may need to be frozen.
   
   • If you're concerned about not having a supply of fresh fruits or vegetables, consider growing your own or perusing the local farmers' market for good deals. Or, you can focus on eating fresh fruits and vegetables in the beginning of the month, then eat canned or frozen fruits and veggies towards the end of the month.
     
   • For milk, you have several options.
     
     • drink fresh milk for the first half of the month
       
     • freeze milk to drink in the second half of the month
       
     • powdered milk
       
     • ultra-pasteurized milk (long shelf life)
       
     • OR if you like Soy Milk, it lasts for a couple of months! (However, it is much more expensive than regular milk.)
       
     • Rice Milk is also a good alternative, also lasting a couple of months (You can't even taste the difference after mixing it with cereal or in cooking/baking).
       
     • Almond Milk is especially healthy.
       
     
     
   
   
6. Evaluate and adapt. When you start off, there will be a little trial and error. There will be some trips to the store to get something you forgot. Just don't let those "emergency trips" become a habit. Make sure that you only come home with the item you needed, and nothing else. Then add that item to your monthly shopping list.
   

Video

Tips

• You can start by cutting your trips to twice a month (with a supplemental weekly run for milk and eggs). On the other hand, some people take this concept to the extreme - they go shopping only once a year![3]
  
• You might find that shopping once a month ‘forces’ you to use up all of your food that you can. You know what it’s like to buy a bunch of broccoli thinking you are going to eat it but when you go shopping in another 4 days you just buy something else and cover it up.
  
• This can be paired with once-a-month cooking for maximum efficiency and savings.
  
• You will need adequate storage space for all of your groceries. If you are shopping for a family of 4 or more, or if you live in a small apartment, you probably won't have enough food storage space. You could utilize a spare closet or a guest bedroom if you have one. Or don't forget about the space underneath kitchen cabinets, or odd drawers and shelves around your living space. Cans and jars can be stored quite safely all over the apartment or house. Just don't forget where you put them!
  
• If you are serious about once a month shopping, then a large freezer would be a good investment. Energy star chest freezers have large capacities and low running costs.[4]
  
• If you are lucky enough to have a greengrocer, small alternative grocer, or grocery co-op nearby, you may be able to shop there without having to contend with many of the "impulse items" or the stress of larger supermarkets. (They're often much like just the perimeter of larger stores, without the junky innards.)
  
• If you live near a drive through dairy you can have fresh milk as needed without going into a store.
  

Warnings

• Leave younger children with a babysitter. You can save time and money by leaving younger children at home instead of letting them distract you from the task at hand. Older children, however, can actually help.
  
• Check expiration dates on coupons.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Do Once a Month Cooking
  
• How to Resist a Sales Pitch
  
• How to Save Money at a Farmers' Market
  
• How to Reduce Expenses
  
• How to Have a Successful Day of Shopping
  
• How to Be a "Locovore"
  
• How to Get Started in the Slow Food Movement
  

Sources and Citations

• GetRichSlowly.org - Save more by shopping less. Original source of content, shared with permission.
  
• America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money. By Steve Economides, Annette Economides. ISBN 0307339459. Source of many of the ideas in this article.
  

1. ↑ http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/11/09/how-not-to-get-ripped-off-at-the-grocery-store.htm


2. ↑ http://www.fractured.net/article/beginners-guide-to-once-a-month-cooking.html


3. ↑ http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2006/summer/7.44.html


4. ↑ http://www.thefrugalzone.com/money-saving-tips/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Save Money by Shopping Once a Month. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Do Once a Month Cooking (OAMC)

How to Do Once a Month Cooking

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Cooking once a month can save both time and money. Not only do you take advantage of sales by buying in bulk, but you also give yourself more free time on a daily basis by cooking in bulk. And if you're creative enough, you can fit thirty meals in a standard freezer. So put on your apron, play your favorite music, and clear the kitchen--once a month, you're a lean, mean cooking machine.

Steps

1. Make a menu. Collect recipes from various sources. Read several once-a-month type cook books for ideas. Choose recipes that are "hits" in your household, and that you've cooked successfully before. When you're making large batches, you don't want to experiment with new recipes. Assuming you're only making dinners, you don't need to cook thirty different dishes. You can cook several batches of the household favorites like pizza (up to four, if you like a particular dish enough to have it once a week).
   
   • Think of some "master recipes" that can be adapted to several different dishes. Take a large amount of cheap, normally tough meat, for example, and put it in a slow cooker until it's tender, then shred it and use it in hot sandwiches, enchiladas, etc.
     
   • What you decide to cook will also depend on what you found on sale. Many once-a-month cooks base their "menu" around which meats they found for a good price.
     
   • Soups, stews and casseroles are the easiest to cook ahead of time, but make sure you don't go overboard on these. Keep the dishes varied. Make a big batch of empanadas and/or wontons. Make a pot of tomato sauce with meat in it (or pesto), cook some pasta, and freeze both (stored separately).
     
   
   
2. Avoid foods that don't freeze well. That includes:[1]
   
   • Sour Cream (becomes thin/watery)
     
   • Mayonnaise (separates, but is fine if mixed into a recipe)
     
   • Cream Cheese (becomes watery and texture changes)
     
   • Cheese (crumbles, but is fine for shredding or in recipes)
     
   • Fried Foods (lose crispness or become soggy)
     
   • Egg Whites- cooked (become tough & rubbery)
     
   • Cream Pies (become watery or lumpy)
     
   • Cream Fillings (texture changes)
     
   • Frostings (texture changes)
     
   • Icings made with egg whites (become foamy)
     
   • Potatoes don't taste good after being frozen, whether in soup, stew, or casserole.[2]
     
   
   
3. Keep in mind how some foods respond to freezing.[3]
   
   • Raw Vegetables (lose crispness, but if prepared correctly can be used for cooking or stews & soups.
     
   • Yogurt (may change texture)
     
   • Heavy Cream (will not whip when thawed but can be used for cooking)
     
   • Pastas & Grains (softer after freezing/reheating- undercook before freezing to counter-balance)
     
   • Seasonings, onions, green peppers, herbs & flavorings (flavor may increase or diminish with freezing. Add afterwards when possible)
     
   • Thickened sauces or stews (may need thinning after thawing)
     
   • Gravies or Fat-based sauces (may separate & need to be recombined)
     
     • Don't thicken stews until you're ready to eat them. Liquids with cornstarch or flour added can separate after freezing and the texture isn't quite right. Thicken after thawing..[2]
       
     
     
   • Soups. Freeze the components of soup separately (broth, chicken, blanched onions, celery, and carrots) rather than freezing the assembled soup. Put the ingredients together when preparing the meal.[2]
     
   
   
4. Schedule an entire day (or two half days, back to back) to devote entirely to cooking. Let everyone know that your sole focus for that day is cooking--not errands, playing, walking the dog, etc. Be prepared to order pizza or go out to dinner, as quantity cooking can be tiring.
   
5. Make a grocery list and go shopping using the recipes selected. Look at all your ingredients lists and consolidate them so you know exactly how much of each ingredient you'll need. Shop the day before the cooking session. Gather flyers from your local grocery stores and supermarkets to see what's on sale. Visit any wholesale clubs in your area; you can get deep discounts if you buy in bulk, especially when buying meat. You can also save money at farmers' markets. Don't forget to stock up on storage containers and supplies (sealable bags, plastic containers, aluminum foil, plastic wrap).
   
6. Set out all the cooking utensils and pans the night before in preparation for the tomorrow's cook-a-thon. You may also want to do some of the minor food preparation. A good example would be to chop onions using a food processor and then refrigerating the chopped onions for later use. Print and tape the recipes to the cupboard doors for ease of reading while cooking.
   
7. Follow the cooking and freezing directions for each recipe. Think of your kitchen as an assembly line. Efficiency is key.
   
   • Start crock pot recipes and preparing whole chickens first.
     
   • Do common kitchen tasks all at once. For example, if several of your dishes will require ground beef, cook it all at once.
     
   • Blanch vegetables before you freeze them to preserve color, flavor, and texture.
     
   
   
8. Freeze the meals. Always seal, label and date the prepared meals. It's no fun playing the guessing game when finding the mysterious freezer dinner.
   
   • Freezer bags - Remove as much air as possible. A vacuum sealer is highly recommended. Soups and stews can be poured into freezer bags, sealed, and stacked flat; once they freeze, you can store them vertically like books on a shelf.[4]
     
   • Use aluminum pans or line cake pans or casserole dishes with heavy aluminum foil so the food can be removed from once it's frozen; later, you can put it back inside that pan or dish for thawing and serving.
     
   
   

Tips

• Cool cooked foods to room temperature in open containers (or even trays) before placing them in their containers for freezing. You may choose to make this process even more gradual by refrigerating afterward and then moving items to the freezer. This helps to keep ice from forming over the tops of what you cook, makes operation of your freezer less costly and keeps you from accidentally defrosting by proximity, foods that are already frozen.
  
• If you have limited freezer space or are just starting out, consider mini sessions. A mini session typically prepares 10 to 14 days worth of meals.
  
• Cook according to what is on sale. Some cooks will have chicken session, a beef session or a breakfast session. The advantage to this method is the shopper can purchase what is on sale at the grocery store.
  
• Blanch vegetables before freezing. Almost all vegetables need to be blanched before freezing to preserve quality. Check a cookbook for blanching directions. Chopped onions and bell peppers do not need to be blanched. Flash freeze them by spreading them on a jelly roll pan. Freeze until solid and then store in a labeled freezer bag.
  
• Fresh fruits may need processing by dipping them in acidulated water or by using Fruit Fresh to preserve color. Check a canning cookbook for further directions on how to prepare different fruits for freezing. Berries such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries can be flash frozen on a large jelly roll pan. Rinse, drain and freeze. Once frozen solid place in a labeled freezer bag.
  
• Prepare dishes that mix well with rice. Rice cookers are commonly available and require no expertise to use, and rice only takes 15 minutes to cook.
  
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, as well as an apron.
  
• Share the cooking session with a friend. Split the prepared meals and share grocery costs.
  
• Consider using pre-chopped onions, bell peppers or other frozen bagged veggies. This can cost a bit more but sometimes saving time is worth the extra cost. Food processors are also a fast, and efficient way to save time and money.
  
• Wash the dishes as you cook.
  
• Plan to use a couple of slow cooker recipes as part of the cooking session. The night before, start a slow cooker recipe and allow the food to cook overnight. The next day use the slow cooker for second batch of food.
  
• Playing music while you cook can make the process more fun. Books on tape/CD/MP3 or online talk radio (such as NPR) can also help the time pass quicker.
  
• You can use a drinking straw to suck most of the air out of zipper bags. Just leave the last 1/2inch or so open, insert the straw so just the tip is inside the bag. Suck the air out and zip the bag closed as you finish and remove the straw. If this does not appeal to you or if you require a more perfect seal, a vacuum-sealer can be found for very cheap at many second-hand stores. Also, contrary to what they want you to think--they work perfectly well with any old plastic bag. Just cut off the zip-top of the bags and they will work just fine. Meats and veggies kept this way can last for well over a year in the freezer. (If they are freezer friendly, that is.)
  

Warnings

• Follow current safety practices when freezing meals.
  
• If you have roommates, be sure that the increased use of fridge and freezer space is OK before starting.
  

Things You'll Need

• Freezer containers.
  
• Measuring spoons, cups, bowls, cookware.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Start/Create a Freezer Group
  
• How to Make Freezer Pickles
  
• How to Learn Cooking Basics
  
• How to Clean and Disinfect Wooden Cooking Utensils
  
• How to Survive Without Cooking
  
• How to Defrost a Freezer
  
• Dilute Canned Soup
  

Sources and Citations

• http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/Make_Ahead_Recipes_and_OAMC.htm
  
• http://snider.mardox.com/OAMC.htm
  
• http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp
  

1. ↑ http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/freeze.html


2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.organizedhome.com/start-small-sneak-freezer-cooking


3. ↑ http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/freeze.html


4. ↑ http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/freeze.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Do Once a Month Cooking. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make a Breakfast Burrito

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Breakfast burritos are a great and delicious way to start off your day. By following these directions, you can be sure to make a great breakfast burrito that you will want to eat every day.

Steps

1. Take two eggs and crack them into a microwave safe bowl. Take a whisk or spoon and beat the eggs until they are properly mixed.
   
2. Finely dice some ingredients of your choice: green peppers, onions, ham and/or bacon. Sausage works well too.
   
3. Add the diced ingredients into the bowl. Add milk or half and half to give the egg a more fluffy texture,water works, too. Mix everything again.
   
4. Microwave the bowl for approximately three minutes. Cooking times will vary so check once the egg starts to rise. Do not overcook.
   
5. Take a tortilla of your choice and set it down flat on a plate. Try tomato basil, which has excellent flavor. At this point add a touch of salsa to give it more of a 'mexican' flavor as well as american cheese. However, this is all up to your taste.
   
6. Once the egg is done, scramble it up in the bowl and put contents into the tortilla.
   
7. Wrap both sides of the tortilla inward and then roll it up from the bottom. This should 'seal' both sides and allow for easy eating. Enjoy!
   

Tips

• Be creative and experiment with the ingredients
  
• Add some oregano, salsas, avocado or your favorite spice for added zest.
  
• Try frying up some hashbrowns and adding them to your burrito!
  
• Try dicing your potatoes, onions, peppers, etc, frying them, then when they are done add your eggs, scramble, cook until done then roll up in tortillas
  
• Try using frozen Potatoes O'Brien with extra chopped onions and Jalapeños
  

Warnings

• Don't add too much milk/cream as this will not allow the egg to properly cook
  
• Remove the dish from the microwave carefully
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Flour Tortillas
  
• How to Make Cheesy Bacon Deviled Eggs!
  
• How to Make Breakfast in Bed
  
• How to Make a Good Cup of Tea
  
• How to Make Hillbilly Gravy for Biscuts
  
• How to Make a Macchiato Coffee
  
• How to Make Corp'l Caramel Cereal
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Breakfast Burrito. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make Breakfast Sandwiches

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Serves 4
Enjoy a taste of the simple life with these deliciously simple ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2-3/4 cup milk
  
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  
• 8 slices toast bread
  
• 250 g Tasty Cheese
  
• 420g can Spaghetti
  
• 4 slices ham or 100g sliced salami
  
• pinch cayenne pepper or Mexican chilli powder to season
  

Steps

1. Beat the eggs, milk, black pepper and cayenne pepper together.
   
2. Place 4 slices of bread on a board and top with the Tasty Cheese. Spread over equal amounts of Spaghetti and then top with slices of ham or salami. Top with the remaining bread slices to make sandwiches
   
3. Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan and when hot, dip one sandwich into the egg mixture quickly to coat.
   
4. Place into the hot frying pan and cook over a moderate heat for about 2 minutes or until golden.
   
5. Flip and cook the other side until the sandwich is hot and golden.
   
6. Cook the remaining sandwiches and serve hot.
   

Tips

• These sandwiches will cook in a sandwich maker.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Breakfast Tacos
  
• How to Make Healthy Breakfast Meals
  
• How to Make Your Own Homemade Cereal
  
• How to Choose Toppings for Crumpets
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Breakfast Sandwiches. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make Muesli

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Eating a healthy breakfast is very important to give you the best possible start into a busy day. If you want to increase your fibre intake at the same time, muesli is the perfect breakfast food for you. You can easily make your own and skip all the unwanted additives in pre-packaged mueslis or breakfast cereals.

Ingredients

• Oats
  
• Dried fruit, to taste
  
• Nuts, whole or chopped, to taste
  
• Chocolate chips, to taste
  
• Mini-marshmallows, to taste
  
• Milk
  
• Yogurt
  
• Fresh fruit, if desired
  

Steps

1. Decide on the type of muesli you want to create. It can be a typical raisin-nut muesli, a chocolate muesli, a tropical muesli.. there are so many choices!
   
2. Write a shopping list of your ingredients. This will definitely include oats, the base of all mueslis. Depending on what kind of muesli you decided on in Step 1, the other ingredients may include different types of nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, coconut flakes, dried pineapple, dried bananas, bran flakes, mini marshmallows, etc.
   
3. Buy your ingredients. If you choose to, buy organic foods and/or unsulphured dried fruits. You may get a better taste. Remember, though, that organic foods are more perishable, so only buy as much of them as you'll use up in a short period of time.
   
4. Clean and set up a large airtight container. This may be a plastic box, an extra large resealable freezer bag, or a glass jar (make sure it closes tightly).
   
5. Add your muesli ingredients to the jar. Add as much of every ingredient as you prefer. The largest part should consist of oats. They fill you up quickly and dried fruit is high in calories, so try to find a healthy balance.
   
6. Mix well. A good method is to leave some space at the top of your container, then close it tightly and slowly turn it upside down. Turn it right side up again and repeat until well mixed.
   
7. Store your muesli in the airtight container and make sure it is closed tightly when you're done using it. If you aren't diligent about this, you might find bugs in your muesli one morning, as it presents a perfect environment for insects to breed in.
   
8. Enjoy your homemade muesli! You can add milk to it or enjoy it with some yoghurt and fresh fruit (prepare those separately).
   

Video

Tips

• If you like variety, use smaller containers and make a bit of chocolate muesli in one, some dried-berry muesli in the next, etc.
  

Warnings

• Don't add sticky foods or fresh fruit to your mix. They typically contain a lot of water, which makes them mould very quickly.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make a McAmerica Bagel Clone Sandwich
  
• How to Make a Vegetable and Cheese Omelet
  
• How to Make a Cereal Sundae
  
• How to Make Eggs Ala Paysanne
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Muesli. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Make Granola

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Granola is a healthy and nutritious cereal, not just a filling for granola bars. Making your own at home is a great way to control what goes into it and you can make it as healthy as you like.

Ingredients

For Dry Mix

• 3 cups rolled oats (like Quaker Oats)
  
• 1 cup Walnuts, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Almonds, sliced
  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
  
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt
  

For Binder

• 1/2 cup Canola oil
  
• 1/2 cup Honey
  
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (see Tips)
  

Steps

1. Use your hands to mix dry ingredients well in a very large bowl.
   
2. Bring binder ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until ingredients are throughly mixed, 1-2 minutes.
   
3. Pour some of the binder in a thin stream over the dry mix, and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix well before adding more binder. Continue adding binder and mixing until you have the consistency you want.
   
4. Add more binder for a sweeter/sticker mix, less for a drier, less sweet mix.
   

Tips

• Using dark brown sugar gives a strong molasses taste, if that's not your favorite flavor use light brown instead.
  
• Ask at your local bakery for the poppy and sesame seeds, they have them in large volume, and can give them to you for alot less than a grocery store. If you're a good customer, you may even get them for free!
  
• If keeping for a long time, refrigerate in a sealed container. There are no preservatives in this recipe.
  
• You can put the warm mix into a tupperware-type container and press into a solid chunk which can be cut into chunks after it's cold, or put into ice cube trays and made into individual blocks for the kids to take to school.
  
• You can toast it in the oven until everything is slightly brown and crunchy.
  

Things You'll Need

• Very large mixing bowl
  
• Wooden spoon
  
• Small saucepan
  
• Baking sheet if you are going to toast it
  

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