Released April 23, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Recipes for cost-saving, health-promoting mixes for biscuits, pancakes, waffles, gravy and other sauces, seasonings, and salad dressings are plentiful, relatively easy to make and typically mean a savings over purchased products, a Kansas State University nutrition educator said.
Generations of thrifty cooks have depended on Master Mix, an economical, homemade mix of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, nonfat dry milk and shortening that can rival any commercial biscuit, pancake, waffle or coffeecake mix, said Virginia “Ginny” Barnard, K-State Research and Extension nutrition educator in Riley County, Kan.
The cost to make Master Mix varies with the quantities of the staples purchased. Buying a 10- or 20- pound bag of flour is, for example, generally less expensive per pound than buying a five-pound bag.
Estimating the savings on a taco seasoning mix will be less variable. The cost of two teaspoons of dried minced onion, a teaspoon of chili powder and less than half a teaspoon of four to six other seasonings puts the cost of the homemade mix at about 14 cents, compared with commercial mixes priced from 69 to 99 cents per package.
The mix recipes often are lower in calories, carbohydrates and sodium than their commercial counterparts, said Barnard, who recommended checking with county or district K-State Research and Extension offices and Extension Web sites: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu , http://www.ksru.ksu.edu/humannutrition/ and http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety for recipes. A recipe for Master Mix is available on the Shawnee County, Kan., K-State Research and Extension Web site: http://www.Shawnee.ksu.edu. Click on Nutrition and Health; choose Month of Menus and go to page 19.
In teaching nutrition education and cooking classes, Barnard also references an Iowa State University Extension publication # PM 2035: “Healthy Meals in a Hurry.” The recipe booklet includes 14 main dish recipes, plus homemade mixes, time-and money-saving tips about food and food safety, making a menu, shopping for groceries, stocking a pantry, and getting a meal on the table. More information on the publication is available on the Iowa State Extension site: http://www.extension.iastate.edu.
-30-
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/story/briefs042309.aspx
Contact: Elaine Edwards, elainee@ksu.edu
