The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker...

Well, just the Baker, really. Today is the day I've set aside to stay in my jammies and bake, bake, bake. I'm going to make the Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Icing I spoke of the other day, Sugar Cookies using my Aunt Lisa's recipe and these shortbread cookies . They will be snowflake shaped instead of heart shaped, though. Now I'm wishing I'd bought those cute scalloped circle cookie cutters at Home Goods a few weeks ago. I talked myself out of them, figuring I didn't bake enough to justify the purchase. But now I'm realizing that items such as cookie cutters aren't purchased based on how often they will be used but rather how useful they will be when they ARE used. And I could really use them today!

Hmm...dare I go now and see if they're still there? What am I? Crazy? Home Goods on the Sunday before Christmas? Snowflakes it is.

Baking isn't really my favorite thing to do. At least it didn't used to be. I've always been partial to savory cooking because I can be more creative with the ingredients. Baking always seem so precise. And I am not a precise kind of gal. At least not in my cooking. I like a little freedom. But I found some recipes that are fairly simple and straight forward. Not to mention the accumulation of great baking tools to make the job easier. Right up my alley as far as baking is concerend.

Uh oh. Phone's ringin'...brb.

(*: Chris' dad's fiance just called saying they needed to come by to drop off a shirt for Seth to wear in their wedding that is taking place next Saturday. "Um. We're in our jammies and we're all stuffed up and sniffly. The house is a disaster and I don't plan on doing anything about it. But you're more than welcome to stop by!" They decided that it can wait until Christmas when they join us at my mom's. Phew!)

Anyway. It's almost noon and I haven't started any baking. I DID, however, go to the grocery store at 7:15 this morning. I was determined to beat the crowd. And I did. The checker charged me almost $12 for a small bag of mushrooms! Apparently she weighed the bananas but entered the mushroom price. Yikes. Glad I caught it. I mean, the mushrooms WERE really white and nice and fresh and everything. But not worth $12. Sorry.

OK. Off to bake. And switch out the laundry. And clean up the kitchen. And relax? I thought I dubbed this a "lazy day"? Oh well. At least I'm still in my pj's!

Frugal Foodie gifts: Carrot Cupcakes

Safeway has their 5 lb. bags of carrots on sale (until Tuesday), "Buy One, Get One Free" so I went ahead and picked up a couple of bags. I found a simple recipe for Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Icing at epicurious.com. I tried the recipe last night and it was delicious! My husband said the icing was a bit "too orange-y" but the kids and I loved it. I think it will be wonderful as gifts for friends and neighbors at Christmas, baked in those cute star-shaped, disposable muffin tins by Reynold's. I may even make them in the next week and then freeze them, uniced, until closer to Christmas. They'll be perfect for the holidays. Place 3-4 of the carrot cupcakes on a festive plate or tray, wrap with cellophane and a pretty ribbon, embellish with a pretty snowflake ornament (10-12 in a pack at the Dollar Store) and you've got a beautiful gift!

photos

I would love to post photos of the foods I cook but my digital camera is old and does not work good. I do take photos, in hopes that I get a good pic by chanve, but none are worthy of posting.

I took a photo of my turkey. A few actually. But none of them came out.

Maybe Santa will bring me a new digital camera?

One bird=4 meals

Turkey with potatoes and stuffing
Turkey Soup with Herbed Dumplings
Lunch meat for 4 people for at least 2 days.

Not bad for a $6 turkey! I bought a 12 pound turkey after Thanksgiving. I knew that I could get at least two meals, not to mention several lunches, out of it. And since we didn't host Thanksgiving, we didn't really have many leftovers. This made my family very sad. I knew I hadto make us our own bird.

At about noon today, after returning from church, I got the turkey out of the fridge and began getting it ready to roast. I didn't do anything with the giblets (I know...not totally frugal of me...but I'm just not a giblet person.) I did, however, stuff it with celery, carrots, garlic, butter and fresh sage I clipped from my backyard. I stuffed a few sage leaves under the breast skin as well as a few pats of butter and some smashed garlic. Then I drizzled the bird with olive oil and seasoned it with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I heated the oven to 450' to get it good and hot but once I put the bird in I lowered it to 350'. I left the lid off for about an hour and got a little color to the skin. Then I covered it for about 2 hours. In the last hour, I left it uncovered to get some more golden color. It came out gorgeous....if I don't say so myself. I asked my husband and sons to come in the kitchen and "ooh and aah" over it before I carved it...and they did! Each of them oohed and aahed perfectly. It was great.

While the turkey was "resting" I prepared the potatoes and gravy and stuffing and warmed the rolls.

Everything came out quite yummy. I experimented with the stuffing using dark rye bread and a bit of leftover cornbread. It was OK. Not the best I've ever had. I did like the rye bread, but I am used to making stuffing with ground beef or maybe some ground pork. Unfortunately, I didn't have any. So onion and celery it was. I also added a handful of dried cranberries..for the heck of it. It wasn't bad but I prefer savory stuffing. The cranberries made it too sweet for my liking. It wasnt awful. But I've had better.

All in all it was a good meal. And my family was thrilled and full and happy. And to top it off, my husband did the dishes! Thank you Honey.

Green Frugality

In my quest to live a frugal life I am finding myself more and more interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle. In researching sustainability I am often led to other areas such as "green" living and the idea of leaving smaller "footprints". I love this. While I know that I cannot save the world, I can make a difference. And that is my intention. To live more frugally also means to live more simply. What could be more frugal than growing your own food and canning and preserving it? (Other than using solar and wind power, digging a well, raising chickens and cows, etc. of course...I know. But you gotta start somewhere, right? I'm choosing to start with a garden.)

My oldest son has taken to calling me a "health freak". He's 12. So I take it with a grain of salt. AND as a compliment.

My 9 year-old, on the other hand, likes to read labels, too. We've decided, he and I, that the only way to get around high-fructose corn syrup in our jellies and jams is to make it our dang selves. In preparation for this I've been watching for canning supplies at the thrift store. And I have a vast Wish List over at Amazon.com of books that will help me learn the art of canning! And my 90 year-old grandmother told me I could have her canning supplies, too. So I'm pretty excited really!

Anyway...not quite "green" yet...but definitely a strong chartreuse! It's a start!

Kartoffelpuffers anyone?

I found this recipe on a blog I love to read. Her outlook on life and simplicity is admirable and insipring. And this recipe is so timely! I just bought a 5lb. bag of potatoes last night at Lucky for 79 cents! Could it be true? Dinner for 4 under $2? I see a challenge in my future!

Want to make Kartoffelpuffers for YOUR family? Head on over to down---to---earth and read a few posts down. I'll let you know how mine turned out!

5 Under $5.

1. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, french bread, sliced cheese and salami
2. Hot dogs, baked beans, celery with peanut butter
3. Pinto beans and corn bread
4. Tostadas with beans, cheese and lettuce, Spanish rice
5. Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks, salad

Readers and staying focused

I was without the internet since Monday so I wasn't able to post. To be honest, I'm not even sure if anyone reads this blog or not. I haven't made a big deal of it...only telling a few people. I know that one of my friends has me linked from her blog...and I know that one other gal found me through a Christian women's site. But so far...that's all I know. Regardless, I'll continue to post because I like to and it makes me feel good to document my success in feeding my family healthy and frugal meals. Hopefully others can share the wealth!

I have to say, starting this blog was a bit daunting. Mainly because I felt it was important to have a REASON to keep it. As opposed to just rambling about my day to day...which is not a bad thing and will probably find it's way IN here somewhere since my day to day IS about being frugal and taking care of my family. Even still, I want to be organized. And stick to a plan. And be consistent. And it's still a work in progress. Just like me!

What a great day for soup.

photo from Food Network

I just made a delicious soup using a recipe from Dave Lieberman's cookbook, Dave's Dinners. It's called Buttery Baby Pea Soup and it so good, so easy and so frugal! I figure it costs about a dollar per serving if you purchase everything on sale. It calls for a small, yellow onion, a can of chicken stock, a package of frozen peas and a few tablespoons of butter. Simmer 10 minutes then blend with an immersion blender. And then, of course, eat.

Simple and good.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I was doing some searching around the internet this morning for the true story of this day of thanks. I came across some interesting sites, but nothing as detailed as I was hoping for. I did come across the original menu, or what would more than likely have been the original menu at http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_first_thanksgiving_day. If you don't feel like going to the site yourself, here is a list of what was and was not on the first Thanksgiving.

Foods That Were Not Served at the First Thanksgiving

Turkey - Turkey was often eaten by both the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims but is not specifically mentioned in Winslows’ letter. The account mentions “wild fowl” only and could have referred to duck or geese instead of wild turkey.

Popcorn - There was no popcorn, corn was prevalent but was not popped.

Cranberry Sauce - Fifty years after 1621 there is mention of a cranberry sauce for use with meat in English recipes. Prior to this time sugar, a necessary ingredient in cranberry sauce was an incredibly expensive import. Both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag would add whole cranberries as an ingredient to add tartness, however cranberry sauce itself would not appear until the 1670’s.

Potatoes - White potatoes were virtually unknown in England at the time of the Thanksgiving feast, they were only raised by specialized botanists at the time and were not a part of the English diet. Sweet potatoes were, in the early 1600’s, imported into England from Spain and were used only by the ultra wealthy for their purported aphrodisiac properties.

Pumpkin Pie - There were no readily available ingredients for the crust of a pumpkin pie at the time. Pumpkin and squash were included in the feast but served as vegetables only. After 1621, pumpkin dessert recipes included pumpkin pieces sliced similar to apples only.

Apples - Apples were not present in 1621 in Plymouth.

Foods Included in the Original Thanksgiving Feast

In addition to the wild fowl, pumpkin and squash mentioned above, the following foods were certainly abundant and most likely were included in the “harvest” celebration:

Fish
Lobsters
Eel
Mussels
Oysters
Corn
Parsnips
Collards
Turnips
Spinach
Onions
Dried Beans
Dried Blueberries
Grapes
Nuts

1621 Thanksgiving Meal Details

The celebration lasted for three days, not one, and consisted of intermittent feasting and entertainment (games and shooting of muskets).
It was most likely held in October, not November.
There is no evidence that the Indians (Wampanoag) were explicitly invited.
It was not called “Thanksgiving”. It was a “harvest festival”.
It did not become an annual event.

“by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” - Edward Winslow – December, 11, 1621

I love Thanksgiving.

I just finished putting the kitchen back together. I've got the dishwasher set to run while I sleep. I've got the coffee pot set to brew before I wake. Life is good.

Tonight I made a pumpkin pie with pecan streusel on top. This is my own creation. I made it for the first time a few years ago and have been making it since. Tonight I did something a little different though. After putting the streusel topping in the middle of the pie leaving about an inch of pumpkin filling showing, I took some pecan halves (courtesy of the huge tree in the backyard and my husband for painstakingly cracking nuts VERY carefully so I could have halves. He must really love me.) and arranged them carefully around the edge of the pie in between the crust and the pecan streusel. After I took it out of the oven I realized it resembled a sunflower! The best part is that I didn't mean to do it...it was a total surprise. I love it when that happens.

I'll take a picture in the morning. It's too dark in my little poorly lit kitchen so it will have to wait. Hopefully I don't forget!

I also made a Jell-o salad using my Aunt Mickey's recipe. It is so good. It's raspberry Jell-o, raspberries, raspberry yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, walnuts and whip cream. I mean really, how could you go wrong with THOSE ingredients? It's pretty, too..beautiful pink and white layers in a crystal bowl...lovely. Maybe I'll snap a photograph of that, too.

Tomorrow morning I'll make the yams...again, my own special recipe that I made up a few years ago...and have been making since. I never used to like yams...and neither did my husband or my brother...but we all like these yams. Probably because I do NOT scrimp on the ingredients. Not the butter, not the spices, not the brown sugar, not the marshmallows. I go for it. I pile them high and season them well. It's basically dessert as a side-dish. Mmmm...my mouth is watering already.

I love Thanksgiving. I love the prep. The colors. The weather. The gathering of family without the stress of gift giving. It's just an easy, relaxing, fun time.

Have I mentioned that I love Thanksgiving?

Speaking of which...I hope you enjoy yours.

What's in your freezer?

Being on a budget, and that budget sometimes being tighter than others, I am always trying to figure out more ways to stretch our continually shrinking dollar. Last night's dinner is a good example. I had no idea what I was going to make. I am so envious of those women who plan a weeks meals using sale items, coupons, freebies, and what's on their shelves to create delicious meals for pennies. For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to get it together enough to DO it. But, once in a while, I get lucky.

So dinner time was drawing near, and I still had no idea what I'd make. I took a peek in the freezer and realized I had two boneless, skinless chicken breasts left in the package. Hmm. How can I feed four people with two chicken breasts? Why of course. Soup.

I placed the chicken in a pot full of water with some garlic cloves, celery leaves, a bay leaf and salt and pepper corns. I also added a beef bone I'd kept from the chuck roast I'd made. It still had a bit of meat on it and I didn't want to waste it. At the time I saved it I had no idea what it would be good for. But it turned out to be perfect for the chicken soup. It didn't give it a beefy flavor. But it did make the broth much richer. It was really good.

Once the broth was ready, about 40 minutes later, I strained it and let it sit while I chopped some carrots, celery and onion. I sauteed them in some olive oil while I chopped up the chicken and removed the bit of beef from the bone. Once the vegetables were tender I added all of the broth, salt and a bay leaf, Italian seasoning and the meat. I let it simmer for about 40 minutes. About 15 minutes before serving I added a handful of Yemina. a handful of rice and a handful of frozen peas. (As you can see, I am not concerned with precise measurements. I think this is why baking and I don't get along so great. Baking can be so finicky!)

There are several reasons why I loved this meal:

One: I love chicken soup. Especially when it's cold, which it is here, finally.

Two: Not only did it feed us dinner, it also fed ME lunch.

Three: It was fresh and healthy...good for the body and the soul.

And it cannot go without mentioning, this meal was also quite frugal: Chicken; $2.00, vegetables; $1.00, Yemina: $.10, rice; $.10. Total for the chicken soup: $3.20. I served it with some sliced french bread I'd purchased at the Dollar Tree. This loaf lasted 3 meals! I served it with two pasta dinners and then the soup. So if I tally that along with the cost of the soup to get a Grand Total for the price of the dinner...$3.53! To feed a family of four! I love it.

Two meals in one...

A friend of ours lives on 5 acres and raises his own cattle for beef. It turns out that he wanted to trade my husband a 1/4 side of beef for a tool that my husband no longer had use for. This sounded great, except for the fact that we wouldn't have anywhere to store it. When I told him this he said, "Well, how about I give you a freezer to store it in?" Really? Sure! We've been wanting a freezer for the garage for a while now. What a blessing...patience paid off.

So, as a good faith offering, he gave us a Chuck Roast the other day. I seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder then seared it on all sides in a little bit of butter and olive oil. While it was searing I peeled some potatoes and carrots and put them in the bottom of the Crock pot. I added a bit of water and some salt then layered the roast right on top of it all. I let it cook all day, about 9 hours, on low. I served it with corn bread and some petite peas. It was delicious. I could get spoiled by truly fresh beef.

The best part is that there was quite a bit of all of it left over. So we had the corn bread for breakfast this morning and tomorrow I will turn the meat, potatoes and peas into a stew. And I guess if you include the cornbread for breakfast it makes 3 meals! Not bad.

A second blog

http://theartofbecoming.blogspot.com/

What's in the Crock Pot?

I love my Crock Pot. I love the fact that I can throw some ingredients into it, go about my busy day, knowing all the while that I've got a healthy, warm, delicious meal cooking for my family. I can rest assured knowing that there will be no rushing around at dinner time. There will be no last minute realization that I don't have all of the ingredients I thought I did to make the meal I thought I could make. There will be no "fend for yourself night" again. But there will be a meal that is 90% ready to go! Just add cornbread and a salad, if you wish, and enjoy!

Thanks to my dear friend, Sandra, I have a delicious recipe for Award-Winning Chili I'd like to share with you. She titled it Crock-Pot Chili originally. But then she won an award for it at our church chili cook off so we've dubbed it, Award-Winning Chili!

And now...for the recipe. (Man I sure can talk a lot!)

Award-Winning Chili

1 lb. stew meat cut into small bite-size pieces
1 medium onion - chopped
1 t. salt
2 T chili powder
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 bay leaf
1 t. Worcestshire sauce
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. cumin
16 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans - drained
1 can pinto beans - drained

Directions: In a skillet, lightly brown the meat. (I usually season the meat separately, as well as adding the seasonings to the chili mixture...it adds a ton of flavor) While meat is browning, place all ingredients into the Crock Pot. Add meat and stir to combine. Cook on Low for 2-6 hours...the longer the better. (The best batch we ever made was slow-cooked for 8 hours and it was delicious!) Remove bay leaf and serve. It's great garnished with sour cream and/or shredded cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Not only is this meal delicious...it can also be Frugal Friendly. If all items are purchased on sale this meal can be made for under $5!

Dinner for 4 Under $5.

Tostadas

Prepared tostada shells (Big Lots, $1.80 for 24, used 12 for a cost of $.90)

(1) can vegetarian refried beans ($1.00)

shredded cheddar cheese (approx. $1.50)

2 cups shredded lettuce (approx. $.50)

Condiments: (total cost under $1.00)

Sour Cream

Salsa

Total Cost: $4.90

Keep in mind, this does not include the milk we drank...which at the rate the boys are growing, we can go through half of a gallon at dinner. Chris and I drink milk, too, so we contribute to that also. So if you really want to keep it budget conscious you can serve water from the tap or maybe some lemonade made from a powder mix. I got some of this at Rite Aid a while back for a dollar, so it's truly cost effective at 16 servings per container...but maybe not so great with Mexican food?!

And I have to say...tostadas are frugal on the clean up as well. One pot to warm the beans. Then I shred the lettuce and cheese and serve it right on the cutting board. Everything else is served from the container; salsa, sour cream, etc. At clean up all we have to do is rinse plates and a few spoons and load in the dishwasher, wash one pot and serving spoon, wipe down the table and cutting board and we're done! Quick. Easy. Good. And pretty good for you, too.

Tis the Season...for frugal gift-giving.

I have to be honest. Christmas is not my favorite holiday. As you can probably guess, given my interest in food, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. But not really just for the food. I like it best because of what it stands for...giving thanks. It is a warm holiday...full of reasons to be grateful....which, for me, automatically takes the focus off of me and turns it to others. And while Christmas is supposed to be about giving...I think it's gotten carried away. Because REALLY it's supposed to be about the birth of Jesus. The birth of our Savior. Our King. It's supposed to be about celebrating His birth...not about gigantic blow up thingies for the yard and lit up manger scenes. I was walking through Lowe's the other day and it was FULL of these blown up, lit up, sparkled up and singing decorations. They were everywhere. And they were loud and overbearing. I almost couldn't take it!

And honestly, it made me a bit sad.

But...that's not what I intended to write about. Because, whether I like it or not, I can get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday season just as much as the next person. But I try to keep it simple...and within a budget. And I don't do too bad, either. For instance, last week I was at the Dollar Tree, one of my favorite stores. They had some glass dish/bowl thingies (they called them potpourri bowls) about 8 inches in diameter and in the shape of a star. The glass is thick and sturdy and the star is a cute shape. I picked up (6) of them figuring they would be really cute full of homemade Peppermint Bark and wrapped in cellophane. Add a gorgeous bow and a berry sprig...from supplies left over from last year's bargain score from Big Lots (another favorite bargain haunt) and I've got some really cute gifts for under $5.

Then today I was at the Dollar Tree again...looking for a container for a Thank You gift basket...and came across some glass hurricanes. They are really cute...and made of the same thick, sturdy glass that the stars are made of. I think they will be a really pretty gift when paired with a pretty pillar candle, cellophane and a beautiful bow. Again, under $5. I bought (2)...and may go back for a few more. Although, I have to say, if I get too many, and don't use them all, then it's wasteful and not frugal. So I have to be careful about that...I can go overboard if I'm not careful...in the name of a good bargain.

I also picked up some glass tumblers for my self...(2) for a $1! And they're cute! I thought they would make a nice gift , too...paired with those cute monogrammed, linen coasters I saw for 50% off last week and you've got a really nice gift! And, under $10. Not bad. That might be a cute together gift for my brother and sister in law...or father in law and his bride to be....hmmm. I better go get those coasters before they're all gone...if they're not already!

Wish me luck! And watch for more Frugal Gift ideas to come...!

Teach your children well...

My son has taken to reading food labels when he's bored...and he is a bit TOO eager to show me ingredients in food that I've missed. Like the high-fructose corn syrup in our bread. Yes, in the BREAD. I thought I was doing a good thing switching to wheat bread...and amazingly nobody in my family complained. But, I have to confess, it was the cheap wheat bread. Not the good whole grain stuff. I did this innocently enough, however...and could only say that once I knew better, I did better. Now I buy whole grain bread....even though it's a bit more expensive. It's worth it. I'm learning that being frugal can't always equate to cheap. And, as we've all learned at some time or another...you get what you pay for. In the case of bread vs. frugality...buy good bread when on sale and store in your freezer. Voila! Cost effective!

OK...so back to my son and label reading. He found that jelly has high-fructose corn syrup in it. And honestly, I had never thought to even look! You know how you just get used to buying what you buy without paying attention? Well, that's what happened with the jelly. If it was on sale, I was buying it. Period. But...the REAL challenge now is to combine good, healthy, whole food AND cost-effectiveness. But really...back to my son...(man I sure get side-tracked)...his thought is that the only way we'll be able to get good jelly or jam without the additives is to make it ourselves. Hm. Novel idea, son. (My grandmother DID say I could have all of her canning equipment...hmmm..)

Let me just say that this one sentence...well, and reading my bible from Genesis to Revelation (I'll go into this more at another time...)...and looking at country property...turned a light on in my head and led me on this wild goose chase of gathering information about sustainable living and organic gardening and preserving what I grow and raising chickens and equipping our home with renewable energy sources.

So...to make a long story even longer...this blog will not only focus on frugal feasts...it will also focus on frugal living in general. Simplicity, if you will.

And now...off to help Ian check labels.

peanut butter dilemma solved!

So I was at Sam's Club last week. And while I had already decided that I was going to trek the 15 miles to our local Trader Joe's for peanut butter...I thought I'd just take one quick look on the pb aisle...just to see if maybe Sam's carried a natural brand. And would you believe, there next to the regular Skippy...was a twin pack of NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER? I never knew peanut butter could make me so happy. I grabbed a pack and proceeded to read the label: roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt. That's it. Done. No additives. No preservatives. No partially hydrogenated oil. No high-fructose corn syrup. Just a simple 4 ingredients...as if I made it in my own kitchen. I love it. And...I was so excited to tell my family! Not that this excites them as much as it does me...but it does AMUSE them...and that is enough for me. Deep down they truly are glad...even though my oldest keeps saying, "Oh no! My mom is a health nut!" No...not really. Well, yes...a nut...true. But not a health nut. Just a mom who cares what she puts in her kids' bodies. And a wife who wants her husband to live a long time. Anyway...I highly recommend the Skippy Natural. It does not require refrigeration. Nor does it require stirring due to the addition of the palm oil. And it tasted REALLY good...just like fresh peanuts. And it doesn't leave that greasy fatty film on your tongue...ick.

Try it...let me know what you think!

Goal #7492: Be more consistent.

It's been over a month since I last posted. I swore I wouldn't do this. But I did. I could blame it on traveling baseball games every weekend...or coordinating this year's women's retreat at church...or alternating my work days between going to the office and helping with my grandparents...or I could just say, I've been busy. And lame. And...yes, inconsistent.

So just when I think that nobody is reading this...I get a nice comment from a fellow blogger. And I appreciated it...not only that she took time to comment and give me a good suggestion. But also that her comment inspired me to get my butt over here and write something...

So...thank you.

Minestrone, anyone?

Yesterday was a beautiful, crisp autumn day...I was in heaven. This is my favorite time of year. I love the weather...I love Halloween and Thanksgiving...this time of year just makes me happy. I always feel so refreshed. Yesterday was the kind of day that called for a big pot of soup. So I scoured the pantry shelves and the fridge and found that I had the ingredients to make minestrone soup...or at least MY version, anyway!

Since I was making it up as I went along...using as my inspiration the ingredients used by one of the locally owned italian restaurants here in town...I made some changes after the fact. For example, last night in my experiment recipe I used a whole package of frozen spinach. It was WAY too much. I actually removed some of it because it was so overbearing. So in the recipe below I changed it to either HALF of a package of frozen or 1-2 cups fresh spinach. I also only added one can of beans. I happen to love beans so next time I make it I'll add two cans...one can of white beans and one can of kidney beans for color and texture.

After some changes this is what I came up with. (It even got a good review from my husband who's "not a soup kinda guy"!)

Mimi's Minestrone

2 tblsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion - chopped

2 garlic cloves - minced

2 carrots - peeled and cut into half moons

2 ribs celery - sliced

1 can beef broth

1 can chopped italian stewed tomatoes

1 can white beans - rinsed

1 can kidney beans - rinsed

2 cups water

1 tblsp italian seasoning

1 -2 cups fresh spinach (your preference)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large soup pot heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery and saute until vegetables are tender and onion is translucent. Add beef broth, stewed tomatoes, beans, water and italian seasoning and stir to combine. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add spinach, salt and pepper and let simmer for 30-40 minutes. 10 minutes before serving, add the parmesan cheese and stir well. This gives the soup a thicker consistency and tastes wonderful! Serve with french bread.

Makes 6 servings

Oldies but goodies...

This is a stack of pot holders that my great-grandmother, my mother's grandmother, crocheted years ago. She made a TON of them, gave them to my grandmother and then my grandmother passed them out to each of us grandaughters. They aren't the prettiest things in the world...but I LOVE them and I use them ALL the time. I've got newer ones...and prettier ones...but none of them work as well as these. Old faithfuls...

"Mom, are you trying to kill us?"

My youngest son came into my room, holding our jar of peanut butter high in the air, hollering, "Mom, are you trying to kill us? Read the label!"

Yes. It contains partially hydrogenated oil.

"Good job, son."

Dangit. Why didn't I ever think to check THIS label? Maybe because I've been buying the same brand for years...and because it was the brand my mom bought...and because I pretty much just grab it out of habit? Hmmm..what else do I "just grab out of habit"?

I think this would be worth looking into a bit more...

And now...the hunt for a natural, good tasting peanut butter. These two requirements don't naturally go hand in hand. At least I've never found a natural peanut butter that tasted good, too.

I'll let you know what I find!

Additives I stay away from...

I have only recently, say in the past year or so, become aware of the dangers of some of the additives that are added to many of our favorite, popular foods. These are the few things I stay away from when choosing foods for my family: partially hydrogenated oils, MSG or monosodium glutamate, aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup.

• The first one that was brought to my attention by my dear friend, Elaine, was partially hydogenated oil. This is found in almost every snack cracker, cookie, chip...you name it. It is quite a challenge to find good, tasty items that do not contain these dangerous trans fats. Two good snacks that I found today are Triscuit and Fiddle Faddle.
• The second additive that was brought to my attention was MSG or monosodium glutamate. This is another dangerous additive that is in SO many of our popular convenience foods. What really got me going about MSG was a piece done about it on CBN's The 700 Club a few months back. They called it "the cancer fertilizer". And with cancer in my family, I just wasn't going to take any MORE risks that I already unknowingly do. You can click the link above to read an interesting article about MSG. It also contains a helpful list of other names MSG is listed as...in disguise, if you will...in cognito. Not good. You will be surprised at the amount of foods that contain some form of MSG.
• Aspartame, found in diet drinks and fat free foods, among other things, is another additive I avoid. I figured this one out on my own when I was able to taste it every time I ate or drank something diet or fat-free. Yogurt, for example, would leave the worst taste in my mouth...all I could taste was chemicals. I was never able to get accustomed to diet sodas or drinks...again, all I could taste was, what I eventually figured out was, aspartame. So I stopped buying anything that contained aspartame. Luckily for my husband, who loves his diet soda, Coke and Pepsi both came out with a diet cola containing Splenda rather than aspartame. It's taken him some time to get used to it...but he's doing it without much complaining. You can read a list of symptoms and diseases linked, or possibly linked, to the ingestion of aspartame. Some people say that aspartame has to be consumed in large doses to do damage...but I figure if my body can't break it down, eventually it WILL be a large amount. So why take chances?
• This last ingredient was only brought to my attention over this past summer. I was lecturing my brother-in-law on the dangers of Aspartame when he came right back at me with the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup, telling me that it tells the brain it's not full. This is especially dangerous for children...and unfortunately, it is in SO many, TOO many foods we've all fed our children: cereals, juices, juice boxes, granola bars, fruit snacks, candy, I even saw it listed in the ingredients of a popular snack cracker just this morning while trying to find bargains at Big Lots (which I did, thank you!). It's everywhere...and in way more than we realize...and many times, unknowingly, we are pumping our children full of sugar...then sending them off to school without a proper, healthy meal and THEN wondering why they're having trouble staying focused. (Not to mention the awful school meals they are now feeding our kids...my kids won't even eat them) I know my kids would LOVE a big, fat bowl of Cap'n Crunch each morning...but I just can't do that to them. I may as well just send them off with a kiss and say, "Bye honey...love you...hope you fail today!" I know this may sound dramatic to some of you...but I can see the difference in my own children. Especially my younger son who seems to be more affected by what I allow him to put in his body. Sugar really affects him. Really. I can literally watch him be unable to focus, to remember, to stay on task, to sit still, he can't fall asleep if he's had a sugar-y snack too close to bedtime...it's sad, really. Not my older son so much...in that it doesn't necessarily make him hyper or unable to focus...he gets more lethargic and listless, which is just as detremental as the other.

I have to say that it does take more time at the store to do my shopping since I take the time to read the labels. But I find it to be worth every extra minute knowing that I am feeding my family as healthily as I possibly know how. This is not to say that we don't have the occasional treat that contains something that is less than good for us...we do. I have to admit, I haven't conquered my love of coffee creamer. But for the most part, we are careful. And my sons are even reading labels now, too! (And my husband, too!) My boys and I were at Big Lots earlier today and they were wanting a snack...they saw me reading labels and followed suit. After some complaining, "How come everything that tastes good is bad for you?!", they were finally able to agree on a sweet snack that didn't contain anything unsafe...that we know of anyway!

Sometimes it seems like I can't find anything that doesn't contain something that is bad for our health. And it seems like the only thing I could do to ensure total safety would be to move to some remote mountain region...build a cabin...grow my own food...water it with purified water...can it...freeze it...raise my own beef...and fowl...and do everything like they did back in the day.

But, since I don't see that happening anytime soon, I'll continue as I have been...something is better than nothing. Right? We can make a difference...one small change at a time.

Be a Smart Shopper

A few ways to be a...

Smart Shopper

1. Watch the Sale Ads - Every week your local grocers send out their sale ads for the week. Often times there will even be Coupons for EXTRA savings. Check the sales...compare the prices...plan your weekly menu based on what's on sale...you can't go wrong! Check the drug store ads as well...my local Rite Aid had cans of chopped clams on sale a few weeks back for $.99 each! I bought 4. These usually run around $3 at the grocery store...
2. Shop at the 99 Cent Stores and the Dollar Sores in your area. Many times they've got GREAT deals on canned food items. My 99 Cent Store even has produce! You've got to be real careful...but if you choose wisely you can get great deals. A while back they had a bag of fresh ginger for $.99. I took it home....peeled it...cut it into 1 inch pieces and popped it in the freezer. Now, whenever I need fresh ginger I just grab a small piece and grate it right in to my recipe. I have found many great, name brand (I'm a stickler about this at the discount stores...it's GOT to be name brand or I won't buy it) products at my local 99 Cent Store...frozen goods, Hillshire Farms kielbasa, Farmer John sausage, to name a few. A few weeks back I got a pack of 10 pitas for 99 cents. I made roasted chicken salad sandwiches with them and they were delicious! (I'll share that recipe soon...it was a keeper!)
3. Buy One Get One Free - this always makes me happy. It's generally better than the 2/$5 (or $3, or $4, etc.) deals. And I know...we don't always need TWO of everything...but if it's free...and it can be stored...why not?
4. Clearance Bin in the meat department!? Why, yes. Of course! I think this might be a new thing to my local Safeway. Either that or I haven't been paying close enough attention. Either way...there is a small section of the meat department labeled "clearance". I am able to get great deals there...and that is often how I plan my meals. OFten times, too, you'll see stickers on meat packages, "Reduced for Quick Sale" or "50% Off at Register". Take advantage of this! I got two pork roasts for $3 each a while back...and one of them was big enough that it fed us THREE MEALS! (Another recipe I'll share soon!) Three HEARTY meals. We're not skimping around my kitchen!

I hope these ideas are helpful. Many of them you already know...and I bet many of you already have these money-saving tricks up your own sleeves. I hope so! If not...I hope you find this helpful. If so...it's nice to meet a like-minded woman doing her best to be a good steward of what she's been given. Enjoy!

Soups On for Under $7!

Last night I made a popular favorite around my house...New England Clam Chowder. I was always somewhat intimidated to make this...for whatever reason...until I tried a recipe from Dave Lieberman of the Food Network. I really like his philosophy behind cooking and preparing food...basically that you can eat well AND on a budget. Last Christmas I got his cookbook, Dave's Dinners, from my sister-in-law and, after working up my nerve, decided to try his chowder recipe. It was amazingly simple...and amazingly GOOD. I made a few changes to suit my taste and my health choices...and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

New England Clam Chowder
6-8 servings

3 tblsp. olive oil
1 tblsp. butter
1 medium onion - finely diced
3 celery stalks - finely diced
3 tblsp. flour
2 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 (6.5 oz.) cans minced clams in juice (chopped work too!)
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 bay leaf
1 lb. russet potatoes - peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the flour and stir to distribute evenly. Add the broth, clams and juice, milk, bay leaf and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring often to prevent the sop from sticking to the bottom of your pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty french bread and butter.

Or, to make it really fun, serve in sourdough bread bowls! My kids really enjoy it this way. It's like being on the wharf in San Francisco!

This recipe is so delicious...and really, truly simple. It originally called for cream, 2 bay leaves and didn't call for any butter. I added the butter and changed to 1% milk (I've also used fat-free and it was just as delicious). I also chose to only use 1 bay leaf as I thought 2 was way too strong, it was all I could taste.

The tally for this meal, with careful shopping, is as follows:

2 cans clams in juice 1.98
4 potatoes .50
celery and onion 1.00
chicken broth 1.00
milk .25

sub-total $4.73
(4) day-old mini sourdough loaves 1.99

Total $6.71

This fed my family of four a hearty dinner and left enough for a more than decent lunch for me the next day!

Frugal + Feast =

An abundant meal that entails little expense.

fru·gal /ˈfrugəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[froo-guhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective
1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.
2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.
[Origin: 1590–1600; < L frūgālis economical, equiv. to frūg- (s. of frūx produce) + -ālis 1] —Related forms
fru·gal·i·ty, fru·gal·ness, noun


feast /fist/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[feest] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. any rich or abundant meal: The steak dinner was a feast.
2. a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests: a wedding feast.
3. something highly agreeable: The Rembrandt exhibition was a feast for the eyes.
4. a periodical celebration or time of celebration, usually of a religious nature, commemorating an event, person, etc.: Every year, in September, the townspeople have a feast in honor of their patron saint. –verb (used without object)
5. to have or partake of a feast; eat sumptuously.
6. to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view. –verb (used with object)
7. to provide or entertain with a feast. —Idiom
8. feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish: to feast one's eyes on the Grand Canyon.

Proverbs 31:15

15 She riseth also while it is yet night,

and giveth meat to her household,

and a portion to her maidens.

Lunch for $.95? You bet!

This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewarts recipe in her cookbook, Everyday Food, Great Food Fast. I love to use this cookbook as inspiration. As a matter of fact, I use ALL of my cookbooks as inspiration, rarely following a recipe to a tee. It's not because I think my recipes are better...it's more about having ADD and not being able to stay focused that long!

Needing to use what I had on hand due to budget constraints...and since I didn't have bacon, I substituted with Kielbasa. I was also limited on the amount of chicken broth I had...so I lowered the amount of broth and just added more water to equal the 4 cups of liquid the recipe called for. (I actually added more water as it cooked anyway because it got really thick...too thick...so you'll need to watch this as it's simmering.)

One of the really great things about this meal is that it is healthy and fresh. The thyme even came from my own backyard! All of the ingredients are free of additives such as partially hydrogenated oils and MSG...ingredients I try my BEST to steer clear of. I might miss a label here and there...but for the most part, I'm a big label reader.

The cost of the soup is about $3.75. I ladled it into (5) freezer safe plastic containers, each holding a perfect sized lunch serving, and popped them in the freezer after they'd cooled down. I had bought a loaf of day-old Asiago sourdough bread for $.99 that I sliced up, added a pat of butter to, and put into (5) baggies to go with each individual soup serving. Voila...5 days worth of lunch! All you have to do is grab it out of the freezer and go!

Lentil Soup
5 servings

2 Kielbasa, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups organic chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
In a large soup pot, cook Kielbasa in a small amount of olive oil over medium-low heat until warmed through and slightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add onion and carrots; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add lentils, thyme, broth, vinegar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Welcome!

Welcome to Frugal Feast...the place to find tips, ideas, recipes and resources for eating like a King on a penny-wise budget!

At Frugal Feast you will find ways to feed your family healthy, delicious meals for pennies on the dollar. Your family will love dinners like Roasted Chicken Salad in a Pita, Clam Chowder in a Sourdough bowl and Roasted Chicken Soup with Rosemary Dumplings. SO good...and SO affordable!

Join me for the Frugal Feast!