Frugal Recipes

Trying to eat on as little money as possible.

  • Brightest Blessings,

    I am trying to tweak recipes and come up with new ones in order to make them more affordable.

    I am also trying to eat healthier, as I am losing weight. 41 pounds so far. This means that a few of my ingredients are a bit more expensive than what you may use.

    For example:

    * We are trying to incorporate wheat products whenever possible.

    * We use a minimal amount of EVOO when we cook, instead of butter.

    * We do not use shortening, unless it is absolutely necessary. We use butter instead.

    * We use Canola oil when baking, instead of vegetable oil.

    * Except for in baking, we use Country Crock.

    Tweak these recipes as you need to for the most savings.

    Warmest Wishes,
    Shannon

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  • Keep on Hand

    * A shaker of a cinnamon sugar mixture for french toast and other recipes.

    * Breadcrumbs and croutons - can be homemade.

    * Homemade mix for various recipes.

    * Homemade shake 'n' bake.

  • Freezing Necessities

    I freeze leftovers, and I repackage meats to freeze. I repackage meats according to whom I will be feeding at each meal. For instance, when everyone is here, I repackege round beef, chicken and pork into 1/2 lb, 3/4 lb, and 1 lb packages. This was done for (1/2) when me and the girls are alone, (3/4) for when one nephew is here, and (1) for when two nephews are here. This works nicely for us.

    ----
    Here are my main freezing needs:

    * Plastic wrap

    * Quart size freezer bags

    * Gallon size freezer bags

    * Freezer paper

    * Permanent marker

    * Masking tape

    * Sticker labels, or I write on pices of masking tape

  • Frozen Soup/Stew Starter Bags

    Our freezer currently holds:

    * A freezer bag with odds and ends of uncooked beef, chicken and turkey.

    * A bag of cooked meet odds and ends.

    * A bag for vegetable odds and ends.

    * A bag for vegetable water/broth.

  • Bulk Purchases

    I purchase these items in bulk or in larger sizes because, in the long run, they are cheaper. I need to save money wherever possible.

    * Pickles in gallon jars

    * Peanut butter

    * Powedered milk

    * Cheese

    * Spices that I use often

    * Extracts that I use often

    * Family packs of meat when cheaper

  • Freezing

    I also freeze these in their original packages:

    * Pepperoni

    * Boxed butter

    * Cheeses

    * Sandwich meats

  • Flour

    Even though it is not cheaper to use whole wheat flour, I use it as much as I can. It is actually good. I try to do at least 1/4 wheat flour in a recipe, but prefer 1/2 or more. The recipes still taste great, and they are healthier and are aiding in my weightloss.

  • Spices

    I dedicate a drawer in the refrigerator for the herbs and spices. They stay fresher this way. I also buy large containers of the herbs and spices that I use the most. You can find a lot of these at $2.50 or less. *** If I will not be using something a lot, as small container will suffice. Or, if a larger container is cheaper, I purchase it and use it in homemade pot pourri.
  • Cheaper Prices

    Our stores have carts and shelves filled with foods that they want to get rid of. I do not always purchase from this, but I have been able to find some good buys.

    *** If you will be eating the fresh fruits or vegetables by the next day, these would be fine.

    *** I purchase fruits for breads here. I bake the breads the day I purchase the fruits, then I freeze the loaves.

    *** I have purchased individual bottled drinks at 4/$1.00. I do not purchase these often, but my daughter loves the
    treat.

    *** I purchased packages of cheese singles at 4/$1.00 as well. I throw them in the freezer until we need a new package opened.

    *** If you purchase rolls from these carts, you can throw them in the freezer as well. When you want them for a meal or a snack, just nuke them and add butter. Or use them for bread crumbs.

    *** I have also purchased small packages of sandwich meat this way, frozen them, and taken them out of the freezer the night before we needed them.

The Art of Leftover Wizardry

Posted by Shannon Buck on Friday, January 22, 2010

I first published this post to Living the Low-Income Life on the 13th of this month. Older children can easily throw together a simple meal with these ideas.

On page 133 of Amy Dycyzynz book The Complete Tightwad Gazette, she discusses the art of leftover wizardry. This is an important concept when trying to live frugally.

She mentions things like:

  • Using leftovers for lunches.
  • Keeping a soup container in the freezer.
  • Pot luck nights.

When freezing leftovers, I tend to do three things:

  1. Freeze leftover vegetables in 1 container.
  2. Freeze leftover meats in another container.
  3. Freeze vegetable, meat and pasta juice in another container.

With these three containers of food, I can make a variety of foods:

  1. Casseroles
  2. Sauces
  3. Cat Stew (for our kitties)
  4. Soups/stews
  5. Mini meatloaf

What ideas can you come up with?

Shannon

Posted in Child Friendly Recipes, Main Meals, Meats, Pastas, Vegetables, leftovers | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Spiced Tea

Posted by Shannon Buck on Friday, January 15, 2010

I am a tea lover, incase you haven’t figured that out yet. I love drinking hot tea on cold teas, cold tea on hot days. Tea is good for you. Tea is yummy. While this is not one of my favorite recipes, it is sometimes cheaper to make it than to buy good tea bags.

Ingredients:

2 c water

1 c tang/orange drink

1 c instant tea mix

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

  1. Combine everything.
  2. Mix with hot water according to your liking.

Shannon

Posted in tea | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Cappuccino

Posted by Shannon Buck on Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Here is another coffee recipe for your enjoyment. Again, this can be used as a gift for a coffee lover.

Ingredients:

1 c nonfat dry milk powder

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c coffee grounds, instant

1/2 tsp orange peel, crushed well

  1. Mix it all together.
  2. Put through the blender.
  3. Use 2 Tbsp per 1 cup of hot water.

Shannon

Posted in Food Gifts, coffee | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Swiss Mocha

Posted by Shannon Buck on Monday, January 11, 2010

Here is another mocha recipe for coffee lovers. This recipe can be used as a gift for coffee lovers as well.

Ingredients:

1 c nonfat dry milk powder

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c coffee grounds, instant

2 Tbsp cocoa

  1. Mix it all together.
  2. Put through the blender.
  3. Use 2 Tbsp for each 4 ounces of hot water.

Shannon

Posted in Food Gifts, coffee | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Mocha Espresso

Posted by Shannon Buck on Friday, January 8, 2010

Many people enjoy mocha. Even though I am not one of those people, I am offering up this recipe to you. It can actually be found on page 128 of Amy Dycyzyns The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c nonfat dry milk

1 c coffee grounds, instant

1 c sugar

1/2 c cocoa

  1. Mix it all together.
  2. Put through the blender.
  3. Use 2 Tbsp for each small cup of hot water.

This is another mix that would make a great gift for a coffee lover.

Shannon

Posted in Food Gifts, coffee | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Cafe Vienna

Posted by Shannon Buck on Wednesday, January 6, 2010

My daughter, Zowie, loves coffee. I do not. Well, I love the smell of the grounds, and I love the smell of the coffee when it is percolating, but it makes breath smell stinky and I do not like the taste of it.

For those who do:

Ingredients:

2/3 c sugar

2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder

1/2 c coffee grounds, instant

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon

  1. Mix it all together.
  2. Put through the blender.
  3. Mix about 2 tsp of this with a cup of hot water.

This mix would make a great gift for any coffee lover.

Shannon

Posted in Food Gifts, coffee | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Syrup

Posted by Shannon Buck on Monday, January 4, 2010

Syrup is great on pancakes, waffles and french toast. We do not ea these foods often, but it is nice to have a recipe on hand for syrup when we decide that we want to.

This recipe can be reduced to what you need. This is an easy one for children and teens who do not need much supervision.

Ingredients:

3 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. water

3 Tbsp molasses (You may like more or less)

1 tsp vanilla

q tsp maple extract (you can experiment with this as well)

  • Put everything a pot and bring to a good rolling boil. Be sure sugar is dissolved.
  • Stir often.
  • Turn off burner.
  • Leave pot on burner until it is no longer bubbling.

Shannon

Posted in Breakfast, Child Friendly Recipes | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Frugal Recipes Goals for 2010

Posted by Shannon Buck on Friday, January 1, 2010

I have goals for this blog that I hope I will be able to accomplish this year.

Frugal Recipes Goals:

  1. Update this site.
  2. Write eBooks containing all recipes up to December 31st, 2009.
  3. Clear the site of old posts to make room for new posts.
  4. Add more links to places that can help people during hard times.

Happy New Year!

Shannon

Posted in Notes from the Chef | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Frugal Kitchen Goals for 2010

Posted by Shannon Buck on Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2009 is on its’ way out, and 2010 is right around the corner. I always take the first day of the new year off to reflect on the previous year, figure out what I want to accomplish in the new year and create my goals list.

What are your frugal kitchen goals for 2010? How do you intend to go about accomplishing these goals? Feel free to let us know in the comments of this post, or post them on your own blog. You can even post a link to your blog post here if you would like.

Perhaps you want to purchase a slowcooker in order to use less energy when cooking. Maybe you want to start creating menus.

Be sure to post these goals in a prominent place in your kitcen, so that you can see them every day. This will help to keep you motivated to accomplish the goals throughout the year.

Happy New Year!

Shannon L. Buck

Posted in Notes from the Chef | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Leftover Ham: Pocket Sandwich

Posted by Shannon Buck on Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Here is another idea for eating up leftover ham. You can make pita bread sandwiches. My daughter, Zowie, loves pita bread sandwiches.

Ingredients:

pita bread, cut in half

ham, diced

mayo

shredded cabbage and/or lettuce and/or fresh spinach

shredded carrot

  1. Mix the ham with may.
  2. Add the vegetables and mix again.
  3. Spoon the mixture into pita pockets.

Notes:

Feel free to substitute ingredients for what you have on hand.

You could try dressing rather than mayo.

Adults will want to dice and shred ingredients for young children.

Shannon

Posted in Breads/Muffins/Others, Child Friendly Recipes, Food Cupboard Creations, Food from Our Garden, Holiday Leftovers, Main Meals, School and Work Lunches, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »