Vegetable Plate for Lunch or Snack
This serves 4:
4 stalks of celery, sliced long
4 carrots, sliced long
8 cauliflower flowerettes
peanut butter as a dip placed in the center of the plate, mixed with sunflower seeds.
Thursday, May 21, 2009 - Posted by Shannon Buck | Child Friendly Recipes, Food Cupboard Creations, Food from Our Garden, Main Meals, School and Work Lunches, Snacks, Vegetables | lunch, peanut butter, snack, sunflower seeds, vegetable | No Comments Yet
No comments yet.
Leave a comment
Hello
Hello. My name is Shannon, and I am a single mother living in a small town in near Bangor, Maine.
Money is tight in our household, so we need to save as much money as we can. Serving frugal menus is one way in which we do this.
I will be the recipes that I use here in an effort to share them with those who may be looking for frugal recipe ideas.
I will be posting these recipes as I come up with them. I am tweaking them for healthiness when I can afford to. There may be a cheaper alternative for you, like using all white flour rather than wheat, so feel free to tweak these as you desire.
Warmest Wishes,
Shannon
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,
ShannonBulk 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 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
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.
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, chicken and turkey.
* A bag of cooked meet odds and ends.
* A bag for vegetable odds and ends.
* A bag for vegetable water/broth.
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.
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
I also freeze these in their original packages:
* Pepperoni
* Boxed butter
* Cheeses
* Sandwich meats
Topics
Pages
Blogroll
Freezer Meals
Frugal Resources
Living Frugally
Organizing Our Homes
Teaching Our Children
-
My Recent Posts
-
Comments
Archives
Follow Me On Twitter
- Single moms may benefit from her page: Examiner Q & A: Beth K. Vogt, National Parenting Toddlers to Teens Examiner - http://shar.es/ay5sy 2 days ago
- Have a great day with your children tomorrow! Do something special for them, and let us know what it is so we can all gleen some ideas. 4 days ago
- has been too busy the last few weeks, yet is still behind. I will catch up soon. 4 days ago
- Took Zowie on college tour 3 wkends ago. Had fun at the Portland mall and loved the UNE campus. 4 days ago
- Spent the night near Salem, Mass for the festivities on Halloween. Had a great time there with frinds. 4 days ago
- Spent last weekend upsate with 20 yr old daughter. Had a great time. Can't wait for her to visit next month. 4 days ago
- I have been so busy!! Read why here - This Single Mom Has Been Having Fun! She Has Also Been Working Hard - http://shar.es/akwyc 5 days ago
-
del.icio.us
SocialVibe
Frugal Recipes RSS
-
Activity
- 50,761 Visits
