My Cucumber Salad, Made from Leftovers

Brightest Blessings,

I am trying to tweak recipes and come up with new ones in order to make them more affordable. I will not have nearly enough money for food this winter, even with the foodstamps, I need to change aour eating habits. 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
Bulk Purchases

I purchase these items in bulk or in larger sizes because in the long run they are cheaper this way. 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 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, the other day, I repackeged ground 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
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 here.*** If you will be eating the fresh fruits or vegetables by the next day, these would be fine. *** I also 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 girls love 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. *** 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.
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.
Frozen Soup/Stew Starter Bags

Our freezer currently holds a freezer bag with odds and ends of uncooked beef. I will also have one for cooked meats, one for vegetables, and one for broths. These will make a nice soup when we are low on food.
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.
Freezing

I also freeze these in their original packages: * Pepperoni * Boxed butter * Cheeses
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.

My Cucumber Salad, Made from Leftovers

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 — slb725writer

I had about 1/3 of a cucumber leftover from salads earlier in the week, so I decided to create a new salad with it.

I always leave the peel on the cucumber, cutting off the ends. I sliced what was left with it, and put it on my plate. Then I added some sweet pickles from the gallon size jar I had purchased a few months ago. I topped these with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

While helping the neighbor pack last week, she gave me a balsamic vinaigrette spritzer bottle, so I decided to give the salad a few sprays. The result was very pleasing.

Hope you enjoy the salad. It was all made from leftovers, so it was essentially free.

Shannon

Posted in Snacks, Vegetables. Tags: balsamic vinaigrett, cheese, cucmber, leftover, mozzarella, salad, sweet pickles.

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My Cucumber Salad, Made from Leftovers

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