Hello one & all...purchased a few Christmas and birthday items this week so it was more important than ever to menu plan frugally. I surveyed the pantry and freezer and managed to plan 7 meals on very little shopping. Our menu is as follows:
~Tacos on homemade tortillas
~My Mother-in-law is hosting a dinner after trick-or-treating...I am taking a big bowl of homemade applesauce.
~Pulled venison roast on rolls, potato salad and green beans
~Pasta and Broccoli with garlic bread (made from bread ends)
~Venison mustard steaks with mashed potatoes and carrots
~homemade pizza
~cheesy rice with turkey (turkey leftover and frozen from last week), 90 minute rolls
~cabbage rolls with mashed po's and corn (rolls frozen, pre-prepped)
Can you tell that I just bartered brown eggs for 40 # of potatoes?? (9 dozen eggs for 40# of potatoes and 30# of carrots! What a rush!) Also using up the last of the venison to make way for the new...
Cheesy Rice and Tomatoes
3 cups cooked rice (brown or white)
3 TBSP oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked tomatoes or stewed (1 qrt or 2 cans)
2 cups cheese, shredded
1-2 cups cooked, chopped turkey, chicken or roast
1 tsp salt (I use a bit more, to taste)
dash pepper
Saute rice in pan with oil, onion, celery and green pepper. (If using stewed, all the veggies may already be in there...check the label if store bought) Add tomatoes, rice, cheese, salt and pepper. Add chopped, cooked meat if using. Sprinkle with cheese;; cover and simmer till melted. 8 Servings
Make and enjoy! Blessings, Eve
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cha-Ching...Holiday Spending
Hello one & all...been spending quite a bit of mental energy preparing for the holidays. three birthdays, Christmas and all the decorations and baking in between. Enough to make you want to hide your wallet and crawl back under the covers. It can be done without breaking the bank...a few frugal thoughts.
Pick and choose...do you really need small pumpkins to paint and then big ones to carve? We combined this year...medium pumpkins bought for $1. Painted them with washable paint, hosed them off and they are ready to carve. Do you really need those decadent cookies with the caramels and pecans or will cut outs and press cookies fit the bill? Ask your kids which things they love the most about the holidays and they may just surprise you with their "simple is better" answers. Asked my children last year and they both picked baking cookies and decorating together! Cannot get much more frugal than that...
Plan ahead...you simply cannot get the best deals shopping the week before Christmas. Most impressive money savers when purchasing gifts...#1 Have a list made of gift choices, #2 Have a list made of gift choices, #3..well, you get the idea. The $30 Transformer starts to take on a certain glow when you have not chosen something fun in the $15 price range. Kids love to tell you their Christmas lists. So ASK!!! Buy a few things each time you go for normal shopping and your pile will grow (almost) painlessly. Same with baking goods...Aldis' has killer deals right now on flour and brown & powdered sugar. Buy several and stash in the back of the pantry. When you want to bake, they are right there...no runs to the gas station for $6 sugar.
Used Items...hot button issue alert! I know that some parents feel that all of their children's presents need to be brand-spanking new, shrink wrapped and glowing. But, seriously, ask any child whether they would rather have 1 new present or 3 previously owned present s and most, if not all, would choose 3...my children have received used items for as long as they have received gifts. I was able to put items under the tree that would not have been possible otherwise. If this idea makes you nervous, start small. My children each are gifted a box of books reflecting their current reading levels and interest each year under the tree. If I purchased these books new, they would bankrupt me! Instead I shop garage sales whenever I can and use services such as paperbackswap.com to access a huge selection of titles. Hand-me-downs books (when in great shape) also go into the gift bin.
Any more great money savers you would like to share? Comment for all of us to benefit...Blessings, Eve
Pick and choose...do you really need small pumpkins to paint and then big ones to carve? We combined this year...medium pumpkins bought for $1. Painted them with washable paint, hosed them off and they are ready to carve. Do you really need those decadent cookies with the caramels and pecans or will cut outs and press cookies fit the bill? Ask your kids which things they love the most about the holidays and they may just surprise you with their "simple is better" answers. Asked my children last year and they both picked baking cookies and decorating together! Cannot get much more frugal than that...
Plan ahead...you simply cannot get the best deals shopping the week before Christmas. Most impressive money savers when purchasing gifts...#1 Have a list made of gift choices, #2 Have a list made of gift choices, #3..well, you get the idea. The $30 Transformer starts to take on a certain glow when you have not chosen something fun in the $15 price range. Kids love to tell you their Christmas lists. So ASK!!! Buy a few things each time you go for normal shopping and your pile will grow (almost) painlessly. Same with baking goods...Aldis' has killer deals right now on flour and brown & powdered sugar. Buy several and stash in the back of the pantry. When you want to bake, they are right there...no runs to the gas station for $6 sugar.
Used Items...hot button issue alert! I know that some parents feel that all of their children's presents need to be brand-spanking new, shrink wrapped and glowing. But, seriously, ask any child whether they would rather have 1 new present or 3 previously owned present s and most, if not all, would choose 3...my children have received used items for as long as they have received gifts. I was able to put items under the tree that would not have been possible otherwise. If this idea makes you nervous, start small. My children each are gifted a box of books reflecting their current reading levels and interest each year under the tree. If I purchased these books new, they would bankrupt me! Instead I shop garage sales whenever I can and use services such as paperbackswap.com to access a huge selection of titles. Hand-me-downs books (when in great shape) also go into the gift bin.
Any more great money savers you would like to share? Comment for all of us to benefit...Blessings, Eve
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Three Meals a Day...
Hello one & all...despite the fact that Christmas is fast approaching and we have 3 kids birthdays in the 3 weeks surrounding Christmas, my family expects to be fed. Forget late spring being the starving time...around here the time is now. I wanted to share some simple, proven money savers that may just leave enough in your wallet to purchase that $119.00 Lego set for your son for the big day...well, maybe the $29.97 set...
Breakfast: Serve oatmeal instead of cold cereal a couple of days each week. We use old fashioned oats because my kids like it to have a little texture. Those tiny packets are oh, so expensive, have no whole grains and are loaded with sugar. Old fashioned oats (or quick oats even) cost pennies and really only take 5 minutes. We mix it up by making different varieties. When heating the water to a boil add raisins, frozen berries, apple chunks, canned peaches, or canned fruit cocktail. After cooking top with choices of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped nuts...we've even stirred peanut butter & jelly into plain oatmeal. Yum!
When making pancakes, make double. Microwave for 20-30 seconds and you've got breakfast.
Put the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another in the fridge for easy morning muffins. Combine, plop in the pan and fresh, warm muffins are baking themselves while everyone scrambles to get ready for work and school.
Lunch: Around here lunch is anything leftover, home canned soup or a sandwich.
Dinner: Sometimes I over plan for dinner. I come up with this beautiful menu and 1/2 of it ends up in the fridge because I make too much. I am learning to simplify meals a bit. If I make a casserole and it has veggies in it - it is a complete meal. (I have a tendency to make another veg and some corn muffins.) The kids are just as happy with a single bowl...they just want to get fed and move on. You can always add bread and butter or a salad for the grown-ups if anyone feels deprived.
Soup is filling and inexpensive...especially if it is made with bits of leftover meats and veggies. A bouillon cube, a leftover piece of chicken, a 1/2 chopped onion and a handful of frozen veggies does a chicken vegetable soup make. Add crackers and a glass of milk for the kids and you're done.
Well, my toddler actually fell asleep at nap time today so I think that I am gonna go and do something that I haven't gotten to do in a very long time. I am going to fold a load of whites without any one "helping me!" Hey, it's the little things that get you through the day...Blessings, Eve
Breakfast: Serve oatmeal instead of cold cereal a couple of days each week. We use old fashioned oats because my kids like it to have a little texture. Those tiny packets are oh, so expensive, have no whole grains and are loaded with sugar. Old fashioned oats (or quick oats even) cost pennies and really only take 5 minutes. We mix it up by making different varieties. When heating the water to a boil add raisins, frozen berries, apple chunks, canned peaches, or canned fruit cocktail. After cooking top with choices of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped nuts...we've even stirred peanut butter & jelly into plain oatmeal. Yum!
When making pancakes, make double. Microwave for 20-30 seconds and you've got breakfast.
Put the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another in the fridge for easy morning muffins. Combine, plop in the pan and fresh, warm muffins are baking themselves while everyone scrambles to get ready for work and school.
Lunch: Around here lunch is anything leftover, home canned soup or a sandwich.
Dinner: Sometimes I over plan for dinner. I come up with this beautiful menu and 1/2 of it ends up in the fridge because I make too much. I am learning to simplify meals a bit. If I make a casserole and it has veggies in it - it is a complete meal. (I have a tendency to make another veg and some corn muffins.) The kids are just as happy with a single bowl...they just want to get fed and move on. You can always add bread and butter or a salad for the grown-ups if anyone feels deprived.
Soup is filling and inexpensive...especially if it is made with bits of leftover meats and veggies. A bouillon cube, a leftover piece of chicken, a 1/2 chopped onion and a handful of frozen veggies does a chicken vegetable soup make. Add crackers and a glass of milk for the kids and you're done.
Well, my toddler actually fell asleep at nap time today so I think that I am gonna go and do something that I haven't gotten to do in a very long time. I am going to fold a load of whites without any one "helping me!" Hey, it's the little things that get you through the day...Blessings, Eve
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Some of My Favorite Words...
Hello one & all...been spending time getting ready for winter. The storms are all down, extra blankets pulled out, winter clothing and jammies tucked in their appropriate places. Putting up the fall/Halloween decorations this weekend. I try to wait for all the children to be home as they enjoy it almost as much as I do! The air is brisk, the leaves are falling, most of the "summer birds" have gone, the garden is finished producing (pulled the last of the carrots yesterday)...it's time for the ol' crock pot! Made this hearty soup for dinner night before last with some grilled cheese sandwiches. My husband took one bite, looked at me across the table and said the sweetest words..."Honey, this is delicious!!!" I melted like that cheese sandwich...
Beef Barley Soup **taken from Fix it and Forget it; Recipes for Entertaining
1 lb. ground beef, browned
5 cups water
1 qt. canned tomatoes (whole, crushed, whatever = 2 cans)
3 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced onions
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
3 tsp powdered beef bouillon granules or 3 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.
***I used pearl barley that I precooked and added about 1/2 way through the cooking time.
Make and enjoy! Blessings, Eve
Beef Barley Soup **taken from Fix it and Forget it; Recipes for Entertaining
1 lb. ground beef, browned
5 cups water
1 qt. canned tomatoes (whole, crushed, whatever = 2 cans)
3 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced onions
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
3 tsp powdered beef bouillon granules or 3 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.
***I used pearl barley that I precooked and added about 1/2 way through the cooking time.
Make and enjoy! Blessings, Eve
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Spend Money to Save Money
Hello one & all...spent the day at the zoo yesterday with my three children. We dressed for the chill and took a steaming hot (yes, steaming hot...my burnt tongue does not lie...gotta love those steel Thermos brand containers!) and enjoyed the afternoon. There is a certain feel to the zoo in the colder weather. The animals are far more active. We watched Rhinos play fighting for a good, long while and were able to see the arctic wolves in their white winter coats. A wonderful trip...so much so that I sprang the extra money for a season pass. New members get such a great rate that it is hard to say no...by the time we paid for entrance yesterday I paid only $34.50 extra out of pocket. This membership allows for "reciprocal visits" with other zoos and aquariums that are part of the group. I can visit the Buffalo Zoo and the Niagara Falls aquarium for free. We try to hit each of these at least once each year and usually visit the Seneca Zoo a couple of times. Now that the littlest one is turning two I am sure that, with a season pass, there will be a few Mommy & me trips in there as well. Money very well spent...a day trip that all of my kids enjoy. Those are harder to come by these days with a toddler and a Tween in the lot...
My husband purchased a lifetime hunting licence for the same reason. Was a tough swallow to cough up such a huge chunk of cash but , in the end, so very worth it. Same goes for budgeting car insurance, trash pick-up, taxes and homeowners insurance. Paying in a lump sum ALWAYS is the less expensive option. They tack on a payment "processing fee" and before you know it you are paying an extra $36 or so for your car insurance...Yikes! Try to put a little aside each week in your savings account...we aim for $40 to cover insurance and such...work out your expenses versus income and see how much you can squeak out of there for savings deposit. Just some things to think about...Blessings, Eve
My husband purchased a lifetime hunting licence for the same reason. Was a tough swallow to cough up such a huge chunk of cash but , in the end, so very worth it. Same goes for budgeting car insurance, trash pick-up, taxes and homeowners insurance. Paying in a lump sum ALWAYS is the less expensive option. They tack on a payment "processing fee" and before you know it you are paying an extra $36 or so for your car insurance...Yikes! Try to put a little aside each week in your savings account...we aim for $40 to cover insurance and such...work out your expenses versus income and see how much you can squeak out of there for savings deposit. Just some things to think about...Blessings, Eve
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thinkin' It Through
Hello one & all...did the awful task of grocery shopping yesterday. Planned my menu (Yes, you do have to plan your menu!!!!) and off I went with toddler and mother in tow. Two stores...Aldi's and Tops. I plotted, I planned, I made a list...still came home with upwards to $65 worth of groceries. Now, granted, I did plan for 8 meals instead of the usual 6 (There is always a leftover or fried rice/ stir fry night to use up leftover meat and such) and I did pick up a few things for Halloween. But still...$65???? My freezer's are stocked full of veggies, berries, homemade broths, soups, cooked beans, bread, ground beef, whole chickens and a few packs of venison that I need to use up from last years big hunts. (10 weeks to be exact...bow hunting has been added to the "bill" this year...) The canning shelves are full to bursting with jams, soups, relishes, peaches, pickled peppers, and more. The chickens provide eggs. What could I have possibly needed that cost $65???
Then I began to think about the meals that I had planned. We all get bored eating the same old same old. So we try to mix it up. These changes are not only tasty but good for our bodies too as we need a vast array of nutrients that we are not going to get if we repeatedly eat the same foods. The culprits on my grocery list were: Chili and bologna sandwiches. (Breakdown: 1# burger $2.00, (didn't want to use my Black Angus for chili!) jarred spaghetti sauce $1.00, canned beans $1.20, (didn't have dried prepped and frozen) and chili seasoning mix. $0.33 (never bought this before and it was wonderful...well worth the moola), bologna $2.50, soft rye bread $2.00 plus garnishes. $9.50!!!!!! for Chili and sandwich...Pork and Sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and corn. (Pork Roast $6.65, sauerkraut $1.00, potatoes $1.70. $8.45!!!)
Of course, it;s fine to have a "nice" meal every now and then, I just planned them all for one week! Live and learn...included a new frugal recipe for you...a wonderful macaroni and cheese recipe that the whole family will love. Don't let the onion put you off...even the most finicky of my nieces enjoy this recipe.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 1/2 cups dry, small macaroni
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8 oz Velveeta (or cheese of choice..a blend of mozzarella and cheddar works well)
Cook macaroni to directions; drain and set aside. Cook onions in butter, with salt and pepper, over medium heat till tender. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. add milk and stir continuously; when boiling, cook over low heat, still stirring for one minute. Remove from heat and stir till cheese is melted. Toss with pasta ans pour into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 or so minutes or till slightly browned. ***I top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese prior to baking. A double batch in a 9x13 pan feeds my clan with some leftover.
Make and enjoy! Blessings, Eve
Then I began to think about the meals that I had planned. We all get bored eating the same old same old. So we try to mix it up. These changes are not only tasty but good for our bodies too as we need a vast array of nutrients that we are not going to get if we repeatedly eat the same foods. The culprits on my grocery list were: Chili and bologna sandwiches. (Breakdown: 1# burger $2.00, (didn't want to use my Black Angus for chili!) jarred spaghetti sauce $1.00, canned beans $1.20, (didn't have dried prepped and frozen) and chili seasoning mix. $0.33 (never bought this before and it was wonderful...well worth the moola), bologna $2.50, soft rye bread $2.00 plus garnishes. $9.50!!!!!! for Chili and sandwich...Pork and Sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and corn. (Pork Roast $6.65, sauerkraut $1.00, potatoes $1.70. $8.45!!!)
Of course, it;s fine to have a "nice" meal every now and then, I just planned them all for one week! Live and learn...included a new frugal recipe for you...a wonderful macaroni and cheese recipe that the whole family will love. Don't let the onion put you off...even the most finicky of my nieces enjoy this recipe.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 1/2 cups dry, small macaroni
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8 oz Velveeta (or cheese of choice..a blend of mozzarella and cheddar works well)
Cook macaroni to directions; drain and set aside. Cook onions in butter, with salt and pepper, over medium heat till tender. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. add milk and stir continuously; when boiling, cook over low heat, still stirring for one minute. Remove from heat and stir till cheese is melted. Toss with pasta ans pour into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 or so minutes or till slightly browned. ***I top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese prior to baking. A double batch in a 9x13 pan feeds my clan with some leftover.
Make and enjoy! Blessings, Eve
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Frugal vs. Cheap
Hello one & all...I've been thinking a lot about how society at large views anything that is frugal as being all about deprivation. Really, it is all about choices. My husband and I have chosen for me to be home full-time. That led to other choices. How do we handle presents for the children? Are yard sale toys OK? (YES!) Is there any shame in dressing our children in hand-me-downs and S&A Boutique clothing? (No!) Is it better financial management for us to have a garden or buy at buschel prices from the farmer's market? (Garden on most items!) The list goes on and on. It is not an all or nothing situation. I make my own laundry detergent but buy bar soap. I do not have the proper resources to make producing bar soap a better choice for our family. Frugality is NOT about deprivation and it is not about stark homes and working your fingers to the bone...it's all about making the proper choices for your family...
Today is my husband's birthday and we are serving 20 people for dinner. I could have chosen to just serve snacks and cake but I know how much my husband enjoys providing "the works" so that's what we're gonna do. Bruschetta, apples with cream cheese dip and a cheese plate for appetizers. Lasagna dinner and Sinful Double Chocolate Cake to follow. (My SIL and MIL have graciously offered to provide salad and bread and I answered with a grateful YES!) That meal does not speak derivation but each item is being prepared the most sensible way possible. The bruschetta is made with garlic rosemary bruschetta chips that I got for a steal and tomatoes canned from our garden. The apples were off of my SIL trees...most are destined for applesauce. Cheese I purchased well under market price from a secret source (Wink!) and the crackers are from Aldis's...no Ritz in this house. Lasagna is homemade with beef we bartered for and cheeses purchased at their lowest possible price. The cake is scratch made (so easy!) by our children. All delicious and all made with sensibility and pleasure in mind. I have included the cake recipe...Bake and enjoy!
Sinful Double Chocolate Cake ***recipe taken from Not Just Beans by Tawra Kellam
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 TBSP baking cocoa
1 cup cold water
1 cup mayo
2 tsp vanilla
Mix all together and beat till smooth. Place in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. Serves 18
Frosting
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Combine all in a saucepan till boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Poke holes in hot cake with a fork. Pour hot frosting over cake.
Blessings, Eve
Today is my husband's birthday and we are serving 20 people for dinner. I could have chosen to just serve snacks and cake but I know how much my husband enjoys providing "the works" so that's what we're gonna do. Bruschetta, apples with cream cheese dip and a cheese plate for appetizers. Lasagna dinner and Sinful Double Chocolate Cake to follow. (My SIL and MIL have graciously offered to provide salad and bread and I answered with a grateful YES!) That meal does not speak derivation but each item is being prepared the most sensible way possible. The bruschetta is made with garlic rosemary bruschetta chips that I got for a steal and tomatoes canned from our garden. The apples were off of my SIL trees...most are destined for applesauce. Cheese I purchased well under market price from a secret source (Wink!) and the crackers are from Aldis's...no Ritz in this house. Lasagna is homemade with beef we bartered for and cheeses purchased at their lowest possible price. The cake is scratch made (so easy!) by our children. All delicious and all made with sensibility and pleasure in mind. I have included the cake recipe...Bake and enjoy!
Sinful Double Chocolate Cake ***recipe taken from Not Just Beans by Tawra Kellam
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4 TBSP baking cocoa
1 cup cold water
1 cup mayo
2 tsp vanilla
Mix all together and beat till smooth. Place in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. Serves 18
Frosting
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Combine all in a saucepan till boiling. Boil for 1 minute. Poke holes in hot cake with a fork. Pour hot frosting over cake.
Blessings, Eve
Friday, October 2, 2009
Gotta love a good trade!
Hello one & all...I am happy to report that my bartering life is growing by leaps and bounds!! So far I have traded: eggs for a future on homegrown organic salad mix due to start producing later this month, labor to replace a zipper in a pair of overalls for a mix master stand mixer (this thing is a powerhouse!), eggs for green beans that I blanched and froze, and I have two swaps in the works...freshly dug potatoes for eggs and egg credit and organic jams and canned goods in exchange for a beautiful bra and, hopefully, a big bunch of Lego's for my middle guy for birthday. Not bad, not bad. Future options include cooking and freezing meals for a domestically challenged friend. Shopping is never THIS much fun! I am sending a list of items that I have available for trade with my "new post" update. Feel free to make an offer of some goods or service that you can provide...Blessings, Eve
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