Besides teaching kids how to mispell the word “cool”, Kool-Aid is known for its gigantically rotund pitcher-with-a-face that roams around busting out of brick walls in commercials and yelling “Oh yeah!!” The other day I got a free package of grape Kool-Aid in the mail from a friend and so I decided to mix it up and see if it was just like when I was a kid.

Not much has changed in the way of product; take some artificial coloring, add dry artificial flavoring, put it in a pouch, and sell it as a drink. Although, nowadays they have those Kool-Aid “Jammers” which are pre-mixed drink boxes. You’re mostly paying for the box, the water, and the convenience there. You could just as well pre-mix some and bottle it for your picnic.

So I went ahead and followed the directions on making up a batch of it. Or rather, I ALMOST followed the directions which start off with “Take a cup of sugar and …”. A CUP! If you haven’t made any baked goods in awhile you will be shocked to find out exactly how much a cup of sugar is. Even if it’s meant to go with 2 quarts of water, it’s unbelievable. I measured off a cup of sugar and looked at it for awhile before decided that the cup of sugar is meant for the KIDS version. You know how little kids will bounce up and down for hours on end like jack in the boxes? This is the reason why.

I ended up mixing up the Kool-Aid with 1/3 cup of sugar and about 1 1/2 quarts of water. This actually made it quite tart, which was excellent since I like drinks a lot more sour than most people. I might even be tempted to go with 1/4 cup of sugar or less. The taste was not bad, I mean what can you expect from artificial flavors plus water and sugar. It was a bit metallic tasting which was my only complaint.

One note is that the mix concentrate has a habit of staining anything it touches. While I was ripping open the mix pouch I accidentally got some of the powder on my hands. Wow, it looked just like a changed the oil on my car! Gulping down a glass of the mix, I felt the artificial dyes slowly coating my throat. It also does quite a number on your tongue, turning it nice and deep purple. This is what you get when you mix “Red 40″ and “Blue 1″. No worse than any number of candies on the market though.

On the whole, I think the drink mix is pretty good because it makes such a large quantity. The only bummer for me is that as the package states it is caffeine free… I actually would like some added caffeine in there to go along with the pretty purple colors. I didn’t buy the pouch so I don’t know how much it is, but I imagine it should be pretty cheap if you buy it in a bulk cannister. And on the bright side according to the package it is “Not a significant source of Fat Cal, Sat Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, Fiber, Sugars, Vitamin A, Calcium, and Iron.”

Cheap Eats Score: 7/10

Ok, get yer jokes over with now because I’m completely aware of all the comedians out there who want to make a funny about “wieners”. Foot longs and all. But in any case hot dogs can rank pretty high up there on Cheap Eats, as long as you’re not at a baseball game where it’ll run you about four dollars for a hot dog. On the bright side, you get all the 1/4 inch onion pieces you want, relish, ketchup, and mustard (ugh.)

The other day at the supermarket I was persuaded to purchase this 10 pack of Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs. Boy, those product placement people know what they’re doing, suckering in marks like me. I don’t know why they insist on calling them wieners though. Let’s be frank (haha, pun): These are basic hot dogs and nothing fancy.

Many people wouldn’t touch a foot long with a 10 foot pole. I would, however, especially when they are sold 99 cents for 10. I haven’t bought Oscar Meyer Wieners in such a long time that I’ve forgotten how much they normally cost. (I’ve been sticking with Italian Sausage in bulk, or kielbasa on sale) But it certainly seems like Cheap Eats!

Continue reading “Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs” …

Yummy, cheesy and a nuclear shade of orange. That’s how most macaroni and cheese from a box looks, quite unappetizing for a lot of people. But this is childhood memories for a lot of people like me. Who can forget mom making those familiar little cheese tubes for a snack. Yeah, I said as a snack… if you were eating this as a full meal for dinner that couldn’t have been too good for you. Well, maybe for lunch; but I’d hope you had something to go a long with it.

Most people have stuck with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the dark blue box over the years. I know I have for the most part. (They now have “pre-cooked” macaroni and cheese in sauce in a pouch that you just open and heat but I don’t dig that. Reason? Because you can’t control the amount of cheesy sauce that goes in!) However, you know me; I’m always willing to give generic brands like Albertson’s a shot. One of the main reasons is that it seems like macaroni and cheese in a box has shot up in price recently. Or maybe it’s because I haven’t bought any in awhile.

In any case, these Albertson’s boxes of mac and cheese were like forty cents. Sounds pretty cheap. But does it stack up against Kraft? The answer is a surprising yes. Or maybe not so surprising. It’s not like there is a Kraft secret cheese powder after all (or is there?) And noodles seem pretty much the same in the box. So why would you pay $1.00 extra for the name on the box?

A side note: it is endlessly funny to see them put “with real cheddar cheese” on the box, because of course the alternative is “with fake cheddar cheese”. They should actually say “with powder derived by real cheddar cheese”. I forget, does it say real cheddar cheese on the Kraft boxes?

You might be wondering what that red stuff is in the macaroni. Well, I tend to like to “fix” my macaroni and cheese instead of eating it straight out of the box unless I happen to be really lazy that day. The way to fix it is 3-fold:

First, cut up some sort of vegetables and saute them in a bit of oil for a few minutes, then set aside. It can be any sort of vegetables… I used red bell pepper and green onion in my case. broccoli and cauliflower work particularly well. Some people also use carrots or corn and peas. I think it is psychological… you just feel better putting some veggies in so it tastes better.

Second DON’T put in all the cheese sauce! Unless your salty taste buds aren’t working. I find that putting about 1/2 to 3/4 of the cheese powder in can work wonders. It also makes it less bright orange. If it needs to be more salty you can just throw some salt in.

Third, garnish the plate. The magic of parsley is that it makes anything look good. Put a sprig of it in the middle and you’ve got instant upscale “ironic” cuisine. Like those high-end restaurants that charge $12 for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that they call hors d’oeuvres (can never spell that word).

Continue reading “Albertson’s Macaroni and Cheese” …

Don’t throw away your junk mail without looking at it!

That’s right, BUY NOW! FREE STUFF! YOU TOO CAN WIN! I sound like a commercial. But anyhow, hidden in the depths of the junk mail that you get everyday can be some interesting free food coupons. More often than not, it is a “limited” local area eatery coupon that you should be looking for. I mean, sure the Pizza Hut coupons (2 medium for $10) and Arby’s coupons(4 for 5 coupons) are worth saving if you ever eat there. The Subway Coupons that say “Buy a sandwich and get a drink free” aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on usually.

But the best food coupons ones are ones that give you something completely free. The other day I got a mailer for a local eatery (Pickup Stix) that just opened. These Grand Openings are often when you’ll find the good coupons, where they’re just trying to attract a crowd. This coupon said come in and get a free House Chicken special. No gimmicks, no need to buy anything! I sound like a commercial again. But that’s damn Cheap Eats.

I used that coupon before I could take a picture of it (incidentally, the House Chicken sucked big time, but hey it was free). But instead I’ve scanned in another type of coupon that is pretty decent, though not as good as the ones that are completely free with no strings attached. Sometimes grocery stores have these “Celebration” type booklets where you buy $10 of groceries or so and then get an item free.

For me, this is basically like just getting the item free, because every week of the year I go to the grocery store and spend over $10 each time. If this isn’t you, then it’s not such a good deal. It depends what is your “usual amount” of spending. If you have to go out of your way in ANY respect to spend more money to get the free item, then it ain’t worth it. For instance, around the holidays, they always have a “Buy $50 of groceries and get a free ham”. This is not good for me, because I don’t spend $50 on an average trip so I’d have to go out of my way to purchase items I might not need. Plus, I can’t use a whole ham. But it might be good if you usually buy up in bulk in the holidays anyways.

You’ve got to search through the booklets to find the “true” free things… many are just $5 off of a special (like buckets of chicken). You want the ones that say “Spend 10 dollars, get a free X”. These particular 3 coupons pictured here give you free Apple Juice, free Hot Dogs, and free 12 packs of soda respectively. Not too shabby.

I gave this such a high score because it’s free… but not a perfect score because it might not apply to everyone. It all depends what you spend at the grocery store on a weekly basis.

Cheap Eats Score: 9.5/10

Part 7 : Banquet Chicken Fried Beef Steak Meal

Wow, that picture sure looks delicious. Too bad the real thing didn’t live up to what they showed on the box. Not that I expected it to. I had saved up this Banquet Frozen Dinner until now because I’m a huge Chicken Fried Steak fan. I especially like getting it at old school diners where the “steak” has a really crunchy fried chicken coating and is slathered with country gravy. My mouth was watering as I put this guy in the oven even if the actual dinner looked a little skimpy.

I had sort of figured it might be a disappointment considering the mediocre Banquet Salisbury Steak Meal that I reviewed earlier. I mean, it’s basically then same thing except with different gravy, right?

I think it’s pretty funny that they need to say “Chicken Fried BEEF Steak” because they think people will get confused and think it’s actually chicken. Instead of chopped formed “beef”.

Continue reading “Banquet Chicken Fried Steak Meal” …

For a lot of you, I know it’s doughnuts in the morning, doughnuts in the afternoon, and doughnuts in the evening. But Free Doughnuts? That’s some definite Cheap Eats. It’s dificult to beat free. Not buy one get one free, but just plain get one free at Krispy Kreme. They’re talking my kind of language. Here, see for yourself:

Wait, June 3? That’s already tomorrow/today … you’d all better be headed down there right now. Act fast, don’t wait! The only slight inconvenience for me that makes this not a perfect 10 of 10 for Cheap Eats is that there isn’t a Krispy Kreme that’s really close to me and with gas prices the way they are, I’d soon as not drive down there to get only one free doughnut. I think the nearest one is over 10 miles away…

Actually, Krispy Kreme fans will note that they will often give out free samples anyway while you are waiting in line to buy something. Of course, you’re waiting in line to buy some so it’s a little different. This is just plain free. And it says doughnut OF CHOICE, which is rather nice. I don’t think you get to pick your doughnut if you’re normally getting a free sample in line, right?

There is an ever present doughnut battle going on between fans of the Krispy Kreme, and those who say it’s overrated. I happen to dig them, but only the normal glazed ones that are hot off the presses. The others, like the creme and fruit filled ones, don’t rate as high with me and I’d just as soon buy them at Winchell’s. Ok, wait I lied: I like their Chocolate glazed ones too.

To the Krispy Kreme naysayers: I don’t think you can argue with free so best just get in line with the rest of us…

Cheap Eats Score: 9/10

www.krispykreme.com

Every time I walk around downtown L.A. there’s bound to be some guy pushing one of those hotcarts and selling either hotdogs or sausage and onion sandwiches out of it. I never tried one of those but I hear they can be really delicious if a bit sketchy on preparation and cleanliness.

They also have ‘em at chains like Jody Maroni… yeah I know comparatively weak next to all those great mom and pop sausage sandwich places. I’ve been to a few and have been wowed and disappointed variously. I think there are a lot better ones on the East coast…

I had some frozen Italian sausages in the fridge so I decided to try cook up my own Sausage Sandwich with Peppers. I was actually hoping it’d turn out better than the Sausage and Pepper Pasta that I attemped awhile back.

Sausage Sandwich with Peppers

2 Italian Sausages from large Costco pack — $1.00
French Bread (1/2 small loaf) — $0.12
Provolone Cheese (1 slice from Costco pack) — $0.10
Mayo (1-2 tbsp of $2.00 jar) — $0.08
1/4 brown onion, sliced — $0.15
1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced — $0.12
Corn Oil (1 tbsp from $2.00 bottle) — $0.03
Salt / pepper / water — negligible

Total: $1.60

(If sausages are frozen, defrost them in 1 minute increments until thawed, turning them around after each interval)

Heat about 1/4-1/3 cup of water in a small nonstick pan. When bubbles form, place the sausages in there and cover with a lid and steam-cook them on medium heat until most of the water has nearly evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Make sure to check them every so often. If the water evaporates too fast you may need to add more.

Meanwhile slice up the onion and pepper. When water is almost gone, remove the lid and cook until the water is gone. Flip sausages once and cook for a few minutes more. Flip several times more, until desired doneness is achieved (I like it when the outer surface is browned but not charred)

Remove to a plate to cool. When cool, cut the sausage into chunks (you can also keep them whole if you are using bread that is meant for sausages, like hot dog rolls). Toast bread if desired.

Add oil to pan on medium heat. Add onion and red bell pepper and cook until parts are slightly charred. Add the sausage and stirfry a minute or so. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and mix a bit. Push the mixture toward the center of the pan and place a slice of provolone on top. Cook it until the cheese melts. Mayo up the bread if desired. Take a large rubber spatula and scoop the entire mixture onto the bread. There’s your sandwich.

Continue reading “Sausage and Pepper Sandwich” …