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Monday, July 23, 2012

Broth in a Bag (and other tips)

 A while ago I posted a recipe for vegetable broth.  And while that recipe is still good I've found a much cheaper way to make broth.  You know all of those veggie scraps you throw out, like the tops of onions and the ends of asparagus spears?  Those have lots of flavor!  So save them from the garbage and get the full bang for your buck with your vegetables.  I keep a gallon bag in my freezer for vegetable scraps.  When it's full I dump the scraps into my biggest pot, fill it with water, add some bay leaves and peppercorns, and simmer for an hour or two.  And then I have homemade vegetable broth for super cheap.  I pour the broth into some Tupperware containers, stick it in the freezer, and then I have vegetable broth whenever I want.  In the bag pictured above I believe I had the tops of some onions, kale stems, asparagus ends, carrot peels, garlic nubs, Brussels sprout leaves, and probably a few other things.  On top I threw in a handful of fresh chives I had that I had no immediate plans for, as well as bay leaves and peppercorns.  I never salt my broth because I prefer to salt for the individual dish.  
 
While we're on the subject of saving money let me tell you that I am a coupon girl.  It's a learned skill from my mom.  I shop for sales and always try to combine with coupons.  But some of the prepared vegan foods that I enjoy are somewhat expensive and rarely go on sale.  So what did I do?  I e-mailed the companies directly asking them to send me coupons.  Amy's, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, Tofurky, and Van's all gave me positive response and I've already receive the coupons from Amy's, Follow Your Heart, and Tofurky.  These companies want your business so you should shoot them an e-mail as well.  Let me know who you get a positive reply from!  Are there any other vegan companies that you like that I've missed?

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