How to save money when buying Choice Beef

So last week we talked about getting better quality meat at Costco. I did check and yes indeed their beef is USDA Choice, not Select. Select is what most stores sale. Choice is a step up and is better quality. I went last Friday and decided to write down some prices. I was in a hurry and my pen wasn’t working too well but I think I did pretty well. It turns out it would be very economical to buy beef by the case there.

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10 comments February 12, 2008

How to buy better Meat

We just recently got a Costco member ship again. Well, it has been about 6 months now but I haven’t had one for quite a few years. Joey and I love that place, always something new and lots of great deals on stuff. We are there at least once a week, sometimes twice. Eek! That was over Christmas though.

I never pay much attention to their meats. I remember a few years ago when I had a card they looked pretty expensive. SO I usually don’t venture over there. But the other day I was already doing some shopping and needed ground beef for some chile I am going to make. It was $2.59 a lb for 12% fat. That is not a bad price. What I was surprised at was how NICE the meat looked. I know that sounds funny, but it looked so nice, I had to take a picture.

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8 comments February 5, 2008

How to buy Filet Mignon for $4.07 a lb!

How to get Filet Mignon for $4.07 a lb!

Okay so we shop and buy meat when it goes on sale and stock up. Well when T bone or ribeye goes on sale we will buy a few packs. I found out this tip from a friend earlier on in the month.

She once asked a butcher what was the difference between a T bone and a porter house steak, cause they both looked the same to her, but porterhouse was .10 cents more. He told her that the porterhouse is a T bone steak with the smaller side of the steak actually being filet mignon.

WOW! She also told me that when the T bone goes on sale the porterhouse usually does as well. So we went to Staters that night and sure enough porterhouse was on sale for $4.07 a lb. She told me normally the filet part is a thinner strip but last night the filet part was very big.

It was REALLY good! We even saute’d mushroom and onions in butter to top it. I didn’t get a picture though. Those steak are so big I told dh we should go back Sunday and get more, slice off the filet and freeze separately. If you didn’t know, filet mignon sold as “filet mignon” is very expensive.

For more tips check out Tammy’s recipes!

11 comments January 28, 2008

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Okay my tip for today is about baking. Whenever I am baking and I need to use oil or honey or molasses, I spray the measuring spoon or cup with pam or cooking spray. It helps the ingredient to slide right off my cup or spoon and into the mixer where it belongs. I used to hate having to get another spoon and trying to scrape honey or molasses off. Now I don’t have to and neither do you. Hope this helps.

For more tips check out Tammy’s recipes!

10 comments January 22, 2008

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Here is my tip for Tuesday. Add hummus to your tuna or salmon as a nice healthy alternative to mayonnaise. I rarely ever use mayonnaise. I stick with mustard most of the time, well except when I am at In and Out Burger, then I pile on the thousand island dressing. haha But mustard doesn’t taste good on tuna.

The hummus I buy is from Costco. It is Sabra hummus with roasted pine nuts. The ingredients are chick peas(garbanzo beans), water, tahini(sesame), soybean and/or canola oil, garlic, salt, pine nuts and a few other things to season it and keep it fresh. I hope someday to make this myself and use olive oil instead of soybean oil. But the point is it makes a nice spread and you get the benefit of eating one of the worlds healthiest foods. Don’t believe me? Go here and check out why chickpeas are so good for you. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Chickpeas can help lower your cholesterol level, lower your risk of a heart attack and even help stabilize your blood sugar. This makes a nice dip for crackers too. I took 4 T of hummus, 1/2 cup of canned salmon, a few tomatoes and a few pieces of chopped up onion and mixed it all together. Add some whole wheat crackers and Voila! A nice healthy snack.
Have you ever had hummus before? Have you ever made your own?

Check out Tammy’s Recipes for more tips!

5 comments January 15, 2008