Mama Cat's

Monthly Archive: April 2025

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Death Comes In Threes

There are times in your life when everything seems to go to shit. I will confess, right now is one of those times for me.

A few days ago, my uncle died after a battle with cancer. We knew he was on the way out, but it does not make it any easier. On the same day, the decision was made to take his ex-wife off life support. My cousin and his brother will lose both their mother and their father on the same day.

And back in January, my brother died. He had pneumonia, but he was sacrificed on the altar of the almighty dollar so the hospital he was originally admitted to could make a buck. They delayed transferring him to a facility that could provide him with the care he needed, and as a result, he died.

Perhaps there is some truth to the old Appalachian wives’ tale about how death will always come in threes. I hope it is–I don’t want to lose any more people.

I feel almost as if I have entered a time of great trouble–well, my whole family really. First, Trump was elected. Then my brother died.

After this, my friend at work got fired for making a stupid mistake, and another employee in my department quit–making my job much, much harder due to the increased workload, especially since the company has said they will not replace either of them.

Next, my sister had a stroke which nearly killed her–and she may never fully regain her eyesight. So I will have to take care of her. After this, I fell and broke my ankle.

And now, I have lost an uncle and a woman I still consider an aunt.

I am exhausted by all of this. I want it to stop.

If anybody reads this, thanks for giving me a space to get this off my chest.

Cooking / frugality / shopping

A Few Of My Strategies For Saving Money On Groceries In Trump’s Economy–What Are Yours?

The cost of living just seems to be going higher and higher–it seems like every time you go to the grocery store, you’ll notice price hikes on one item or another. Now, due to Trump’s insane tariffs and the fact that many immigrant farm workers are leaving the USA, things are about to get much worse. So much so, I am fearful that we are about to see a massive increase in hunger, especially among children and the elderly–all exacerbated by the cuts to food stamps, food banks, and school lunch programs to name a few of the ways Trump and Musk are actively harming the American people.

I have spent many years as a poor person, raising my kids and caring for my disabled daughter. I had to learn how to stretch a dollar as a result. Here are a few of the things I have tried that have helped me save a bit of money here and there.

Make a list and stick to it–mostly. I make a list before I go out on a shopping run–and I also comparison shop many of the local stores using their websites. I try to be very disciplined about only buying what is one sale when I do a store run, especially if I am going to multiple stores. I only deviate from the list if I find something I know we will use on sale or clearance–and then I stock up. I see buying things at the cheapest price I can get as a way to stick it in the price gouging chain stores’ eye. I noticed several normally high-priced items on clearance when I went stopped at the store yesterday on the way home from work. Maybe grocery stores are starting to feel the effects of the Trump/Musk economy too, as shoppers pull back from spending any more than they need to.

Buy the store brand–in many cases, the generic version of most products will be less expensive than the name brand–and the vast majority of the time, it will be of equal quality.

Get a shopper’s card, and use the digital coupons for the stores you frequent. You can often use a fake phone number and throw away email if you are concerned about privacy and not being bombarded with ads. Save those paper coupons that print off at the register and use them if they are for something you would buy anyway. Dollar General has a regular coupon deal that will give you a $5 off $25 purchase every Saturday.

Are you eligible for any kind of employee discount at any of your local stores? One local store offers a 10% discount for employees of certain health care organizations on the weekends if you buy their store brands–this can save a little extra money ever week.

If the store has a membership plan and you can afford to do so, sign up. I use the Kroger Boost plan, which costs me about 8 dollars a month. You can get special coupons from time to time that are really good–the other day, they had jars of salsa for 99 cents a jar. I also get double fuel points–since I have to drive a lot for my job, this helps save quite a bit on gas. I have found the membership pays for itself. If you can afford it, a Costco membership can save some money as well.

Aggressively shop the sales at your local stores for anything you use on a regular basis. In addition, look for items that have been marked down–just be careful to check the expiration dates. In the case of fresh items, use them before they spoil, or freeze them. I have an electric pressure canner I sometimes use to can meats or vegetables I find on clearance (I will do articles of food preservation at a future date.)

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season, and less expensive. If you can afford to buy some extra, freeze or can it so you can enjoy it throughout the year.

Save your leftovers–I use mine to meal prep lunches for work.

Think about the ingredients you use in recipes you make on a regular basis–are there alternative ways of making it that require less expensive ingredients? It is a common belief that it is cheaper to cook everything from scratch–but anymore, that is not necessarily true. And then, for those of us who work, there might not be enough time.

Grow a garden–even a few plants can save a lot of money. For example, green peppers are almost a dollar apiece, but you can buy a couple of bell pepper plants for just a couple of dollars, and harvest dozens of peppers from summer right up until the first hard frost. (I will do some articles on gardening over the next months as I grow my own.)

Learn how to forage for wild foods in your area–you would be surprised at how much free food Mother earth has to offer. Just make sure you know what you are picking, and that you are harvesting it from a clean area that has not been contaminated with harmful chemicals or bacteria.

Learn to plan menus based on what you have on hand, and what is on sale. You will also waste less food.

What are your strategies for saving money on groceries? I am open to any suggestions or ideas!

Cooking / Recipes

Inexpensive Egg Substitutes

Eggs are ridiculously expensive these days–and while prices are projected to fall sometime after Easter, it remains to be seen if eggs will ever be as cheap as they were before the bird flu crisis. I have simply quit using them as much for baking or cooking and instead use various egg substitutes in many dishes. Now, when I use real eggs, it is only for dishes in which eggs are the main ingredient, like a fried egg for breakfast or a breakfast casserole, which we have cut back on as well.

Here are some low-cost egg substitutes, followed by a few of my favorite eggless recipes (now that I can barely afford them).

Unsweetened Applesauce

1/4 cup applesauce equals 1 egg

Use this for quick breads or muffins to replace the moisture of an egg in the recipe.

Plain Yogurt

1/4 cup equals 1 egg

Plain yogurt works well in cakes and breads and will help the recipe rise. It will also help to bind recipes such as meatloaf.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

1 tsp. baking soda plus 1 tbsp. white vinegar equals one egg

This combination is good when you want a light, airy outcome, such as for a cake.

Flaxseed Meal

1 tbsp. plus 3 tbsp. water equals one egg (combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes before using)

This works well in baked goods, but the end result may be a little denser than the recipe would have been if you used eggs. Still, this is a very economical and shelf stable substitute for eggs–you can buy a 16 oz. bag of this stuff for about $4, and it is the equivalent of about 80 eggs!

Carbonated Water

1/4 cup carbonated water equals one egg. This is great in baked goods you want to be light and fluffy, such as cakes or quick breads. Another bonus is that it has no flavor, so it will not alter the taste of your recipe.

Cornstarch and Water

1 tbsp. cornstarch plus 2 tbsp water equals one egg

Use this combination in breads, brownies, or other baked goods you would like to have a denser consistency, or as a binder in recipes such as cheesecake!

Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer

This is a commercially prepared egg replacer that can be used in any baked goods that call for eggs. A 12 oz. package is equal to 34 eggs–at about $5 per package, this is an economical choice.

Liquid Egg Substitutes

A 32 oz. carton of liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters, is equal to about 18 eggs. At a cost of around $4-$5, depending on whether you buy the store or name brand, this is still more economical that a carton of 18 eggs, which at the time of this writing is around $8.

I have been using liquid eggs in place of real eggs for scrambled eggs, or for omelets or egg-based casseroles. I personally do not think they taste as good as real eggs, but I have found that using half egg substitute and half real eggs seems to eliminate most of the taste of the egg substitute.

NO EGG CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp imitation vanilla extract
2 tbsp vinegar
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan. In large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients until well mixed. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mixing until well combined. Turn into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost as desired.

NO EGG BAKED CHEESECAKE

1 graham cracker pie crust
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp imitation vanilla extract
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Mix ingredients to combine, then beat on high for 2 or 3 minutes to incorporate some air into the mixture. Spread into graham cracker crust. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Chill in the refrigerator at least 6 hours before serving. Top with fruit, chocolate syrup, whipped topping, or any other toppings you desire.

EGGLESS TWO INGREDIENT BREAD

3 cups self-rising flour
1-3/4 cups plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a loaf pan. In mixing bowl, combine flour and yogurt, adding in flour a little at a time until it forma a sticky dough. Turn into baking pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or till a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let sit a few minutes before removing from the pan.

BASIC NO EGG PANCAKES

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup carbonated water
1 tbsp. baking powder

Heavily grease a frying pan with cooking oil. Preheat greased pan over medium heat. Combine all ingredients until just mixed. Prepare the first pancake by pouring about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Cook till bubbles form on the surface, then flip over and cook till golden brown on the other side, flipping over to cook on the first side a little more if it needs to brown some more. Repeat until all the batter is used. Add a little more oil if needed–just let it reheat before adding more batter. You should get about 6-8 pancakes out of this recipe.

MAMA CAT’S EGGLESS MEATLOAF

1 lb. hamburger
about 3/4 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Ketchup for topping the meatloaf

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line bottom of baking dish with parchment or aluminum foil for easier clean-up, if desired. Combine all ingredients except ketchup in a large bowl. Form into a loaf and place in prepared baking dish. Top with ketchup. Bake about 1 hour or till done–juices are clear, and it is not pink in the center. Let sit a few minutes before cutting.