Black Friday Guest Post!

I'm excited to have my first guest post by Brett H. of the Blog Content Guild!  I decided to post this today since many of us are looking for good deals on Black Friday.  Read below for great grocery shopping tips!

Underrated Versatile Grocery List Items
Does it seem like the items from the grocery store don’t last long enough? Or that you’re always in and out of the grocery store, making several trips a week? If this is the case, then you may want to reconsider the items on your grocery list. It’s all right to have an impulse buy once in a while, but making several trips a week can be costly.

Many of us know about the advantages of buying in bulk or getting 2-for-1 deals, as well as couponing. However there are other ways that you can save money on your groceries while saving yourself that extra trip to the grocery store. Here are some items that you can both buy and store for months and use for a variety of things, minimizing your grocery store jaunts.

• Condensed cream soup - Whether you prefer the trusty mushroom or want to change up your soup with chicken, broccoli, or potato, the choice is yours when you want to take a shortcut from making a creamy base from scratch. By adding chopped, cooked meat and one package of frozen mixed vegetables in a slow cooker for about 2 hours, you can have one easy entree. Soups also make great leftovers allowing you to enjoy this treat for days to come -- no extra trips to the grocery store needed.

• Dry milk - As far as drinking this type of product by itself, dry milk can be an acquired taste, however, this ingredient is excellent for mixing in dishes that call for regular milk. If you want to minimize your time in the kitchen, make a one-quart bottle of liquid and use for cooking and baking. If you bake sporadically, you can just add dry milk to dry ingredients when recipes call for regular milk (3 tablespoons of dry milk for every cup of liquid milk). Additionally, dry milk can be added to the bathtub, an at-home spa treatment that will leave your skin soft and moisturized. Forget those expensive bath products!

• Food storage bags - These bags are excellent for marinating meat overnight providing more coverage without the bulkiness of a large bowl. They can also take the place of a dredging station. For coating meat and vegetables, add your dry ingredients to a quart-size (or larger) bag. Shake to ensure even mixing and, after food is added, secure and shake for a few seconds. Once all of your food is coated, dispose of immediately. Make your own instant rice by pouring in one cup of regular rice and mix in a ¾ cup of warm water. Refrigerate and heat bag contents for 1-2 minutes and add a teaspoon of water if necessary. These bags can also be used to freeze food for a short period of time.

• Ginger root - Besides adding a spicy kick to international dishes, ginger root is helpful to those with gastrointestinal problems. Chop a ¼ inch piece and steep in 1.5 cups of hot water for at least 15 minutes. Add honey or raw sugar and drink as hot as possible. In a matter of minutes, indigestion or stomach pain will be relieved.

• Plain yogurt - Not only is it better for than sour cream if you’re trying to watch your weight, but yogurt but can be used to make fruit and cereal parfaits that can be enjoyed any time of day.