Make Your Own Peanut Butter and More - Save $$$

Some foods have gotten very expensive and not as healthy as they should be. Peanut butter, for example is up to nearly four dollars a jar for the 'natural', which means it's basically peanuts and some salt. There have also been more than a couple of saftey issues with this product recently as well. I started making my own several months ago and it's very easy. You will need a good quality food processor. I have a Cuisinart that is nearly thirty years old and still works great, so it's an investment when you consider how much money it's saved me over the years.

Making peanut butter is a simple as pouring peanuts into the processor and pressing a button. Aldi's sells peanuts for less than two dollars a jar and this makes about three cups of peanut butter, which is a cup more than the commercial brand. If you're on a salt restricted diet or low fat diet, purchase dry roasted and add some olive or canola oil. I also add a bit of locally produced natural honey for flavor and added nutrition. I add salt to taste, which is much less than the processed brands. So, you can save a couple of bucks on peanut butter and eat healthier at the same time.

Healthy bread is expensive these days, but you can make your own quickly and easily in a food processor. Simply place all the ingredients into the bowl and let it run until a ball forms. Let the dough rise and 'punch it down', let rise again and bake. This can save you another three to five dollars a week. There are many recipes that come with the unit and also on line.

I never could make pie crust until I started making it in the Cuisinart. The trick, I finally learned, was using chilled butter and minimal handling. You simple add flour, chilled butter and a couple of tablespoons full of cold water. When pulse the blender button until the ingredients look like corn meal. Dump the mix onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a ball and chill for about an hour and your pie crust is ready to roll.

We love Cole slaw, especially broccoli slaw, and it takes only seconds to make my own. I make healthy meatloaf by putting carrots, extra onions, fresh parsley, fresh garlic and celery in the processor and making the veggies into almost a fine paste, I mix it into the meatloaf and it's moist, tasty, and the kids don't notice they're eating extra veggies. A finely chopped carrot added to pasta sauce makes it sweet and adds body and nutrients.

I’ve tallied up the savings and I save at least ten dollars a week on peanut butter, bread, salad dressings, salads and many other over salted, over sweetened processed foods. I know this sounds like one of those infomercials, but this one small appliance has saved me hundreds of dollars or more on food and I know what's in my food, and it's healthier.