Main Meal Magic! The Third eCookBook has been Published!

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I am extremely excited to have published my third eCookBook! My self-imposed project to get all of the old recipes into eCookBooks is really coming along.

I am creating a series of  eCookBooks using the recipes that were posted to this blog from 2007-2009.  Now that these have begun to be published, I have started to remove the old recipes that are featured in them off the site. I am doing this to free up space for new recipes and articles, but I want to keep the original recipes available for my readers.

I am also creating these eCookBooks as a way to earn a little extra cash. Who couldn’t use some of that? I am a freelance writer, and this is how I earn my money. By creating things for all of you, in the form of articles, eCookBooks and more. I do not make megabucks with this venture, so every little bit helps. I spend many hours a month creating all of this content for your reading (and eating!) pleasure, and this is my little way of creating an income stream for myself.

My third eCookBook is now out. It is called Main Meal Magic. This eCookBook features the dinner recipes and ingredient uses that were featured on the Frugal Recipes blog from 2007 to 2009. There are great ideas for using up leftovers and purchasing food frugally.

I hope that you enjoy the eCookBook, and that you continue to visit this blog for new recipes and information regularly. Feel free to visit my online storefront on LuLu.com any time.

If you haven’t already, you can also purchase:

Fabulously Frugal Fruits: Recipes and Uses

Keeping the Single Mom Home: The Kitchen

Very Frugal Vegetables: Recipes and Uses

Happy eating!

Shannon L. Buck

Feature Article: The Raw Food Diet: Is it Really Healthy? :

By Sheila Buck

The raw food diet is based on eating raw, unprocessed, whole, live foods for the majority of your diet. Raw foodists believe, and some studies have shown, that cooking food reduces it’s nutritional value. With the raw food diet, foods are prepared in a manner that helps the nutrients stay in the foods so they are more healthy to eat. There is some disagreement between doctors and raw foodists, as to whether or not this is a healthy diet.

Raw foodists believe that the body is more alkaline, and the diet should be more alkaline and less acidic. Raw foods are more alkaline and cooked foods are more acidic. Therefore, raw foods are better for your body. They believe that eating raw foods helps the body eliminate toxins, helps prevent or heal many chronic diseases, and encourages weight loss. If the diet is not done correctly it can lead to dehydration and other medical problems.

Some doctors believe that the raw food diet is a lifestyle choice and not a weight loss plan. The diet can lead to dehydration, anemia, neurological impairment, low bone mass, as well as other medical conditions. Although research shows that the raw food diet can lead to these conditions, it has also shown that it does help prevent some forms of cancer.

The majority of raw foodists are vegan. The do not eat meat or dairy. There are some that eat organic eggs, chicken, and other products. The following is a list of foods usually eaten by raw foodists.

• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Sea vegetables

Raw foodists drink:

• Purified water
• Fresh made juice
• Tea brewed by sitting in the sun

The raw food diet has it’s pro’s and con’s. If done correctly, it can do wonderful things for your body.  If this is a lifestyle choice you would like to make, it is always best to ask your physician before you start. More research should also be done, so an informed decision can be made.

References:

Starting a Raw Food Diet

Raw Food Diet

Living and Raw Foods

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Sheila Buck is the single mom of two teenage boys. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Sheila is a freelance writer, and also writes books and short stories in her spare time. Sheila also writes for Living the Low-Income Life.

Feature Article: National Food Banks and How They Help

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By Sheila Buck

Food banks supply low-income families with the food they need to survive. The National Food Bank, also known as, Feeding America, works with several other local food banks to make sure that families stay fed and children stay healthy. The National Food Bank and the smaller food banks share a close relationship, and work together to keep families fed.

The local food bank:

• Obtain food from the local businesses and farmers.
• Receive donations from local corporations and individuals who donate. They use these donations to help low-income families.
• Receive food from Feeding America and distribute it to low-income individuals in their community.
• Hold a close relationship with the National Food Bank and the other local food banks.
• Promote food safety.
• Work hard, on a local level, to set up better government programs for families and individuals in need.

The National Food Bank:

• Obtain food from large manufacturers and the government.
• Acquire donations from larger corporations and individual donors.
• Distribute food to local food banks.
• Hold a close relationship with the other food banks.
• Promote food safety.
• Work hard, on a national level, to set up better government programs for families and individuals in need.

Feeding America is a respectable charity. The National Food Bank distributes food to the many local food banks in the United States. The local food banks then distribute this food to soup kitchens and food cupboards. These food cupboards and soup kitchens feed low-income families and individuals, and help them stay healthy.

Resource:

Feeding America

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Sheila Buck is the single mom of two teenage boys. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. Sheila is a freelance writer, and also writes books and short stories in her spare time. Sheila also writes for Living the Low-Income Life.

New Autumn Themed Food and Garden Articles on Frugal Recipes

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I keep adding more and more food and garden related articles to the blog. Hope you are enjoying them all. Here is a list of my most recent articles:

Food and Kitchen Articles:

I recently wrote a new article designed to help you create a pantry for food storage this winter. It is called How to Create a Pantry in and Extra Room.

Garden Articles:

I have written a few for this category of articles. The first is called How to Plan an Autumn Garden Party, and is a great way to spread the bounty of your garden.

Article number two is titled How to Dry Herbs by Hanging. While written for the autumn months, this process actually takes place throughout the garden season.

Another article I wrote for the autumn season was How to Clean and Prepare Garden Spaces for Fall. It will guide you through the process of preparing ahead for spring planting.

Enjoy the articles and have a great autumn season.

Shannon

Even More Skewered Delights

Image by fortinbras via Flickr

These skewered delights make wonderful dessert ideas, and will work well for a banquet or buffet. Healthier ingredients can be used for these, so some nutritional needs may be met.

Chocolaty Fruit Kabobs:

apple chunks

banana chunks

kiwi chunks

melted chocolate

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the fruits onto the skewers.
2. Drizzle with melted chocolate.
3. Serve immediately.

Quick Bread Kabobs:

Chunks of quick breads, such as pumpkin, apple and zucchini

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the breads onto the skewers.
2. Place on a plate until ready to serve.

Serve as a snack. These breads work well because they are dense.

Sweet Bread Kabobs:

chunks of bread, such as lemon poppy seed, pina colada and cinnamon swirl

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the ingredients onto the skewer.
2. Place on a plate until ready to serve.

Serve as a snack. Build these kabobs with care, to ensure that they do not fall apart. It may be helpful to refrigerate them overnight.

Quick Bread Kabobs:

Chunks of quick breads, such as pumpkin, apple and zucchini

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the breads onto the skewers.
2. Place on a plate until ready to serve.

Serve as a snack. These breads work well because they are dense.

Brownie Kabobs:

brownie chunks

cherries

hot fudge

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the brownies and the cherries onto the skewer.
2. Place on a plate until ready to serve.
3. Drizzle with hot fudge.

Serve these dessert kabobs in a bowl of ice cream and whipped topping, sprinkled with jimmies, on a hot day.

Tips:

• Use metal skewers and save money in the long run. They will last longer than wooden ones, and won’t up up in landfills so readily.
• Soak wooden skewers for at least a few hours if they will be used in cooking. This helps to prevent a fire.
• Purchase food items with coupons when possible, at the time of sales.
• Mix it up: Choose food items that are on sale.
• Use items from your garden for further savings.

Children and adults love these, and enjoy coming up with new combinations. Can you think of any? Please share by commenting on this post.

Shannon

Frugal Recipes Happenings 09/25/2010

Happy Autumn! Autumn is my favorite season of the year. The air is  crisp, and the leaves are beginning to turn their beautifully vibrant colors. I love to go for walks at this time of the year, to photograph natures’ beauty.

I have joined the 100 Day Writing Challenge with Angela Booth, and three of my goals have to do with this blog.

1. Keeping up with the task of blogging in general, and sticking to a publishing schedule. My plan is as such: Monday and Friday of each week a new recipe will be published. Wednesday of each week an article, Feature Article or Food Profile will be published. Every other Saturday a new Frugal Recipes Happenings will be published. There will be new pages added, as well as some other things. Hopefully we will see more writings from Sheila Buck as well.
2. I plan to publish all of the scheduled eCookBooks by January 1, 2011. I believe that there are at least eight of them. They will all be posted here for your enjoyment, and old recipes and information from 2007 to 2009 will be deleted from this blog as each eCookBook is published. This will free up space here for new recipes and articles.
3. Marketing. I do not have the strongest marketing skills. During the challenge I will be researching and incorporating new marketing techniques that will allow me to get the word out about this blog to those who need it, as well as to better market the eCookBooks so that I can earn enough money to provide more services and information to all of you, my readers.

Lofty goals, I know. And those aren’t even half of my goals for the 100 Day Writing Challenge. By the way, If you know anyone who may find this blog helpful, please pass it along to them through email, Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace or any other way that you can think of. Thank you

I have a new eCookBook out titled Very Frugal Vegetables: Recipes and Uses. Most of the recipes from 2007 to 2009, now located within the eCookBook, are now deleted from this blog. The same is true for the recipes that were placed withing Fabulously Frugal Fruits: Recipes and Uses. These and my eBooks, Mini eBooks, Special Reports and eCourses can be found on my storefront located at LuLu.com. Please check these out. Your purchased will help to better this blog.

Autumn is the season where we begin to do more cooking, as well as when we start to ‘put food up’ for the winter. You will notice articles and such regarding these topics, as well as some delicious recipes for the season. Enjoy! And watch for these new posts a few times a week.

Happy Eating!

Shannon

More Skewered Delights

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These skewered delights make great snacks, but they are wonderful additions to breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. Healthy foods can be used for these, so nutritional needs will be met. Treats can also be made, and I will give ideas for some of these in the next recipe post.

Today I am sharing a couple Skewered Delights that can be placed under the broiler or on the grill while cooking other items. One does not have to be warmed at all.

Veggie Kabobs:

new potatoes, quartered

carrots, sliced thick

cauliflower or broccoli

skewers

plate

1. Rinse the vegetables well and pat dry.
2. Alternate the vegetables on the skewers.
3. Broil in the oven, or grill over an open flame.
4. Serve warm.

Serve as a snack, or as a vegetable to go along with dinner. These will go well with a sandwich at lunch as well.

Salad Kabobs:

chunks of head lettuce or cabbage

mozzarella cubes

cucumber chunks

carrot rounds, sliced thick

dressing for dipping

skewers

plate

1. Rinse the vegetables well and pat dry.
2. Alternate the ingredients on the skewers.
3. Place on a plate in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve as a snack, or with a peanut butter banana sandwich at lunch.

Meat Dinner Kabobs:

chunks of meat

new potatoes, quartered

tomatoes

melted cheese dipping sauce

skewers

plate

1. Alternate the ingredients onto the skewer.
2. Grill the kabobs, or place them in the oven under the broiler until warmed through.
3. Serve warm with cheese dipping sauce.

Serve as a snack. This will also be good served with a sandwich at lunch or a soup at dinner.

Tips:

• Use metal skewers and save money in the long run. They will last longer than wooden ones, and won’t up up in landfills so readily.
• Soak wooden skewers for at least a few hours if they will be used in cooking. This helps to prevent a fire.
• Purchase food items with coupons when possible, at the time of sales.
• Mix it up: Choose food items that are on sale.
• Use items from your garden for further savings.

Children and adults love these, and enjoy coming up with new combinations. Can you think of any? Please share by commenting on this post.

Shannon

Freelance Conference May Help With Food Blog

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It seems that Friday is International Freelancers Day! I am a freelancer, so this is exciting for me. While I can’t join the festivities on Saturday due to family plans, I intend to join in on Friday. It is my hope that I will learn about more ways to help people to find this blog, as well as the Living the Low-Income Life blog. This in turn will allow me to help more and more people. Because I love to help people, this will be a blessing. Marketing is what I hope to learn the most about, as way to get people here that need to be here. I am not a good marketer, as of yet, but I hope this will change. Marketing is a big factor in determining the success of a blog or a product. With all of the changes taking place here, I am eager to get the word about about the blog. So, let’s see what marketing and other ideas I can come up with on Friday Have a great day all! If you are a freelancer as well, why not check out International Freelancers Day to see how they can help you.

Canned Food Storage System

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By Shannon L. Buck

A food storage system is not difficult to set up, and canned foods are an easy place to start. Canned foods will keep for long periods, and when there’s a sale it’s a great time to stock up. Start small, once an area is set up to begin the storage system in. Begin to build the system as soon as you can. It is not necessary to begin by spending a lot of money.

Decide how much food you want to store, and make a list of the canned foods that you and your family enjoy. Take into consideration the size of your storage space before beginning. Think about how long the food should last, and work according to that length of time. Consider the possibility of having to feed others from your system as well.

Prepare the area where food will be stored before beginning to purchase the canned goods. Wash the shelves, drawers or cupboards and allow each surface to dry thoroughly.

Take your first shopping trip, remembering that it will take time to build a food storage system. Purchase how much you can afford during each trip. Use coupons and shop sales for the best savings, and buy in bulk only when it will save you money.

Organize your food storage area in a manner that will ensure that the cans of will be consumed by their “used by” dates. Sort cans by type of product, and by size of can. Place fruits on a shelf, small cans of like items stacked in rows and large cans in their own rows. Put vegetables on another shelf. Stack soups on yet another shelf. Replenish rows by placing new cans in behind older ones.

Create an inventory using your Documents on the computer in order to be able to update it easily, as well as to be able to make quick copies. Set this up by what is on each shelf, or in alphabetical order. Allow areas for tally marks or check marks, so that you can check off foods as they are used. Hang a copy on the wall near the storage area, along with a pen tied to string and tacked to the wall.

Use a large chalk or dry erase board as an alternative, in order to waste less paper. Erase items on the list as they are used. Continue to replenish the food as it is consumed.

References:

Backwoods Home Magazine: Start Your Food Storage on $10 a Week

Survival Center: Chapter 3 – Preparing Your Basic Survival Stash

Home Institute: Organizing Bulk Food Storage

Resource:

Provident Living: Family Home Storage

Food Business Start-up Ideas

Looking for a new career? Need a way to earn money? Why not consider starting your own business? These articles will help.

Growing Vegetable Seedlings for Market

How to Grow Herbs for Profit

How to Grow Container Herb Gardens for Profit

How to Start a Dry Mixes and Seasoning Business

How to Start and Online Confectionery Store

Have fun with these, and check the left sidebar every so often for more ideas.

Shannon