Posts Tagged ‘Cook’

Saturday Weekend Review #14- Credit Card Surcharges, Would You Pay Them?

Posted: April 6, 2013 in The Saturday Weekly Review
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Weekend Review

Paying to use our credit card each time we swiped it would certainly make the choice of not using it easy for us. A recent conversation with a local pizzeria owner we frequent shared with us that it does cost him money when customers use a credit card. If we ever order a pizza now we pay in cash because we kinda feel bad about it, but not sure if he meant to make us feel that way or we feel sorry for him. He does make a good pizza for a reasonable price though.

Canadian businesses are charged fees from 1.5 to more than 3%  of each purchase put on a MasterCard and Visa credit card. Best of it is, if you are using a premium credit card merchants have to pay more. The transaction charges imposed are per the anti-competitive rules set out by the competition bureau of Canada.

Would you not say that this is just part of the cost of doing business? 

We have seen signs at shops that say “Cash Only” or “Debit and Credit Card Machine” down in our days but tend to stay away. In Canada merchants can ask the customer to pay a surcharge on debit cards but it has to be clearly marked at time of purchase. in fact MasterCard Canada has prohibited merchants from imposing any fees to the customer for using their cards for over 35 years and “believes merchants should pay their fair share of the cost of credit cards”.

It seems at one specific shop in town the machine was always down so you would have to pay in cash which was a pain because we don’t really carry cash. We didn’t want to guess any longer if the machine would be up so we just don’t go there any longer. Our business is going to someone else. I’m only assuming but if the merchant doesn’t offer the use of credit or debit cards by making like the machines are broken then they avoid paying those fees because only cash would be used.

Would You Pay To Use Your Credit Card? 

I was reading on Yahoo this morning that some states in the USA now have the approval for retailers to charge a 1-4 % surcharge to the customers for using a credit card. Keep in mind this isn’t something the retailers were complaining about it was due to a class action suit that happened. Some states already have made these surcharges on credit cards illegal with laws in place and many more up to 19 are looking to follow suit.

As the competition bureau in Canada states in their anti-competitive rules 2012 fact sheet the no surcharge rule, “forces merchants to embed credit card transaction fees in retail prices”. The consumers who pay cash suffer because they are paying a premium to offset the costs of customers who do use the credit card.

Canadians are not out of the clear yet as a final ruling is still to come down on whether retailers can charge Canadians a surcharge which could be up to 10% of our purchase price. According to the Consumers Association, this is all pending a ruling from Canada’s Competition Tribunal judging a case against Visa and MasterCard from 2010.

Many people use a credit card, like us for rewards and ease of use. We don’t always like to go to the cash machine to draw out money even though our bank doesn’t charge us any fees. Using a credit card seems to be the smart way to go especially if they are offering cash back or reward money to use on in-store products.

Would you use your credit or debit card if you had to pay a fee?

What’s Happening At The CBB House?

If you follow me on Facebook you will know that I have been pretty ill this week. My fans even took over the nightly “What’s for Dinner” post because I just couldn’t even keep my eyes open. I get migraines sometimes and I just want to go hide and bury my head. This week I had both migraines and just was feeling off. I’m sure it’s because I just need to kick back and take some time away from everything.

I may not comment as much in the next week but I’m around, but need to take it easy for a bit. I’ve got so much going on right now in my life with work and the house and now the blog just exploding with amazing fans that a break is in order. Other than that we tried this super easy recipe below that I hope you try it. I don’t normally post a recipe in the Saturday Weekend Review but the fans really wanted this recipe. I usually post a frugal recipe every Sunday and tomorrow that is macaroni and cheese with ham baked in the oven so don’t miss that one.

As you might have read we paid down our mortgage last week by over $32,000 and I know many of you have asked me questions about where we go from here. I will address that topic in an upcoming post and in the meantime if you have any other questions please email me or click on Ask Mr.CBB on the home page of the blog.

Making Pita or Flatbread

A fan on my Facebook page (if you are not a fan you are missing out on one heck of a group) posted this easy flat-bread recipe on my “What’s for Dinner” post the other night and we just had to try it. It was so easy to make and you can’t compare the cost of buying it to this. Making flat-bread is by far cheaper than buying it. You can add all sorts of flavours to it and today we added chives to give it a bit of kick. We later turned the flatbreads into flatbread pizza which turned out beautiful.

Super Easy Chive Flatbread

How to Make Flatbread
  • 1 Tablespoon of  active dry yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoon of  salt
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dried chives (optional from Mr.CBB)
Preparation
  • Combine 1/2 cup of the water with the sugar or honey and yeast, whisk and let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Dissolve the salt in the remaining 1 cup of water. Add the salt water and flour to the yeast mixture. ( I added in the chives here)
  • Mix it up and then place it on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
  • Put the dough back in the bowl and add the olive oil.
  • Knead the dough until the olive oil in well incorporated into the dough.
  • Put the bowl with the dough into your oven which is OFF and set your timer for 90 minutes.
  • Take the dough out of the oven & punch it down then divide it into 12 balls.
  • Heat frying pan on stove on medium heat, coat lightly with oil. Roll each ball into a circular disk about 6-7 inches in diameter.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

I wanted to sneak this recipe in today and share it with all of you. Thanks Pam for sharing this recipe which she originally found at Mother’s of Invention: Best Pita and Flatbread.

Flatbread Pizza

We took it one step further the next day as I was too ill to eat it the first day and made simple pepperoni flatbread pizzas in the oven. You can use any toppings you desire. We used homemade marinara sauce, mushrooms, homemade sausage, mozzarella and provolone cheese. We turned the oven to 500 degrees, put in our pizza stone to get it nice and hot and cooked our pizzas for about 5 minutes until golden brown. They were simply amazing and a great Friday night alternative to ordering a pizza or you can make my so much better than take-out pizza which is the best pizza we have ever tried.

Flatbread Pizza Pepperoni

What’s Happening With  Canadian Budget Binder?

I am forever grateful for Katrina to join me here at CBB to share her expertise this summer with all of you. I am also potentially working with another lady who would like to help out with the marketing side of the blog which I am thrilled about. I’m sure I’ll keep you all updated as we roll along.

The new blog design is ready for me to check out which I’m hoping to start doing this week. I’ll keep you all updated with that as well. I’m excited to see what my designer has put together for all of us here at CBB. I hope we can continue on the upward level we have experienced here at the blog. With so many new subscribers and amazing Bloggers that follow CBB, I welcome you all and I encourage you to take part in the conversation.

Canadian Budget Binder Blog Posts
Canadian Budget Binder Mentions Around The Web

Thanks to these Bloggers for not only taking the time to read my posts but to share them with their fans. To all my fans, you must check these sites out. I follow them all and you know if they are sharing my posts that they connect with CBB and you may connect with them as well!

If I miss you please let me know and I’ll add you to the list!

If you are a CBB fan you must check out these blogs. I follow them all!

Carnival Mentions

web search terms

Google Search terms really help me to understand what people are looking for at Canadian Budget Binder! Any typos below are simply how the person who searched Google and typed it in search incorrectly, or me ;-) Another week of thousands of search terms but only a few good ones worth mentioning.

Top Pick: Mr.Brownie In Canada- Oh come on you know it’s funny, especially if you know how much I fancy brownies. They are my favourite dessert. I’m sure my fudgy brownie recipe was the cause of this search. 

  • Homemade Cakes Legal Canada-  Interesting, I wonder how one would make an illegal cake in Canada? Unless they meant can I sell homemade cakes in Canada for profits. 
  • Canadian Mortgage Payoff Tricks- There really aren’t any real tricks except to pay it when you are supposed to, pay it weekly if you can, pre-pay all you can each year and for a super fast way to pay off your mortgage- win the lottery.
  • What reply will one give when someone says Happy Easter? - Thank-You, Happy Easter to you as well!!!
  • Why can’t I say Easter- I don’t know, why can’t you?

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Mr.CBB’s Crock-Pot Beef Stew

Posted: March 24, 2013 in Mr.CBB's Frugal Kitchen
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Mr.CBB's Crock-Pot Beef StewIf you have a crock-pot (also known as a slow cooker) and ask yourself what to cook in a crock pot besides beef stew, casseroles and soups you are not alone. There are many other easy recipe creations that you might never have thought of to cook in a crock-pot which even had me amazed.

I remember the first time a fan told me that she makes a cake in the crock-pot and I thought she was joking, but she was serious. Essentially, it’s because we don’t associate a crock-pot with sweet treats only savoury meals but if we use our imagination coupled with trial and error we never know what magic we can create in the CBB kitchen.

I am always on the hunt for new ideas to create slow cooking recipes to add to our recipe book so the wife and I can enjoy a meal without all the hassle and messy clean-up. If you have never ventured into the world of stew and you want to learn how to cook stew, today is your lucky day.

Crock-pot cooking, especially for men who don’t fancy cooking, this is one of the simplest ways to create easy recipes right in your own kitchen. You might even use this recipe to impress that special love in your life with a romantic meal served with a nice glass of wine or mug of beer.

This hearty beef stew eats like a meal and is perfect any night of the week or for a pot-luck party or family gathering. Last year I decided that we didn’t want to cook a traditional Easter dinner so I created an Easter dinner in the crock-pot which started from an idea that a fan gave me.

This is why I enjoy all the action in my nightly “What’s For Dinner” post on Facebook because we all toss recipes and ideas around and it helps me to think outside the box when I want to cook.

Although we only cook dinner for two when we make a meal we like to make a bit more for leftovers the next day. There’s something about convenience foods that turned us into a couple that really do enjoy homemade meals. You can’t buy that luxury in a box.

Homemade Soda Bread

When you look for recipes that incorporate stew meat 99% of the time you will come up with a beef stew recipe. That is why I wanted to create my own so you could share this meal on your dinner table for your loved ones.

I was going to make a traditional Irish beef stew made with beer, mainly Guinness for a bold flavour but I had no Guinness beer in the house only Brava beer which I suppose I could have  easily used in this recipe.

You don’t need to add the beer if you don’t enjoy the beer taste. I know many people who would prefer a tasty meal but without the depth that the beer would bring.

I made this beef stew for St. Patrick’s Day along with homemade soda bread to soak up all the beef juices which I adapted from a fans recipe. Finally to end the meal, for dessert a custard coffee cookie trifle.

Some of the best meat to slow cook in my opinion is a simple roast beef or beef chuck or any other cheaper cuts of meats because the retained moisture during the slow cooking process breaks down the meat so it is moist and juicy and falls apart.

You will also find pre-cut stewing beef at your local supermarket but you may pay a premium for this convenience. My crock-pot pulled pork literally fell apart when I removed the roast from the crock-pot which is what you want to happen.

If you don’t have alot of money in your grocery budget the crock-pot is a great way to buy the cheaper meats and yield top flavour and texture.

Things to cook with beef stew meat

  • beef stew
  • pasta sauce
  • beef casserole
  • beef chili
  • beef and barley soup
  • beef and potatoes
  • beef and baked beans
  • beef stroganoff
How To Make Crock-Pot Beef Stew

Tools

  • Rival 6 1/2 Quart Crock-pot (this is what we have)
Beef Stew Ingredients
  • 2 stalks of celery cut into 1/2 inch slices or 1 cup
  • 5 carrots peeled and cut into  1 inch chunks
  • 2 medium white or yellow onions peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 6 medium potatoes peeled cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 2lbs of stewing beef cut into 1 inch chunks (or whatever beef you chose to use)
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 small can of diced tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons flour to dredge beef
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to saute beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dry thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dry basil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
Preparation
  • In a bowl add your flour and paprika and mix. 
  • Add salt and pepper to your beef then dredge your beef cubes in the flour just to coat them
  • In a hot skillet with the extra virgin olive oil add your beef and garlic and brown on all sides
  • In your crock-pot layer the onions on the bottom, then add the celery, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes
  • Add your cooked beef on top of your vegetables
  • In the same pan heat up the butter, once melted add your tomato paste, tomatoes, red wine, beef broth, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, basil, pepper, parsley and cook for 3  minutes on medium heat then let simmer on low for 7-10 minutes so the flavours come together and reduce a bit. Add salt if desired to accommodate your tastes.
  • Pour this mixture over your vegetables and beef , mix it all up then top with your bay leaves
  • Turn the crock-pot on low for 8-9 hours or high 4-6 hours
  • NOTE: Mix up the cornstarch and water and add to the crock pot the last hour to thicken the stew. If you notice the stew needs more liquid add 1/2 cup water if needed for desired level of  juice.
  • Remove bay leaves
  • Serve with your favourite bread, buns or biscuits
  • Enjoy!

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