Pork Stock or Broth

By not having to purchase canned broths and stocks, you will save money on your grocery bill. This stock is made the same as the Chicken Stock was made. The bone of the roast is used after it has been roasted, and most of the meat removed.  It is fine to leave small pieces of meat on the bone.

The finished product may be frozen in ice cube trays, and then placed in freezer container and put back into the freezer. Use ice cubes in place of some of the water when cooking rice, or even when making casseroles.

You might choose to pour the liquid directly into the containers and freeze like that. This can later be used when cooking soups and stews.

The process is simple, but will take some time. This is perfect to make when you will be home for a number of hours.

1. Place the bone into a large pot.
2. Feel free, at this point, to add any vegetable odds and ends to the pot, as well as herbs. This step is NOT necessary. I use peels and ends that I normally would discard.
3. Fill the pot about 2/3 of the way with water.
4. Cook down to about half the liquid.
5. Discard the bone.
6. Reconstitute the liquid by half and cool.

That’s it! A simple task that does not take much hands on time.

Shannon

Frugal Recipes Happenings for 2/26/2011

Image via Wikipedia

I am getting more and more excited for spring all of the time. I can’t wait to get out and play in the dirt. Gardening! We are seeing more and more sunny days with warmer temperatures, and the sidewalks are beginning to clear of ice. I had a little accident last week:

As I was walking to my sisters’ house to use the wireless, the icy sidewalk jumped up and bit me twice. As a result, I ended up with a sprained wrist. Therefore, I haven’t been doing as much writing as I normally do.  This does not make me happy. The splint came off yesterday. So far, so good.

Did I mention that I can’t wait for spring

Part of eating in a healthy manner is taking responsibility for the food we eat. This is easily and affordably accomplished by gardening in an organic manner. I recently wrote some articles that will aid you in your gardening adventures this year.

For those with no garden tools, worry not. Tools are not necessary for gardening.

If you wish to see a huge savings at the grocery store, then think about how you wish to design an herb garden of your own.

Do you want to grow foods for their protein content? Read How to Grow High Protein Foods.

Consider constructing some planters for your garden, with minimal cost and time involved.

Decide what your top 10 vegetables are, and plan to grow them this year.

I have been adding content here on the Frugal Recipes blog. Learn to make chicken or turkey stock and broth. Look for more stock and broth recipes on the blog as well. Try freezing marinated chicken, or check out this new chicken salad recipe. If you are looking for a tasty breakfast recipe, then Hearty Scrambled Eggs is the recipe for you. Look for more stock and broth recipes on the blog as well.

What are your gardening plans looking like this year? I have a variety of leftover seeds that I am planning to plant this year. To use them up. I will be planting everywhere possible on my tiny lot, and will attempt to post pictures of their progress for you. I also need to dig some new beds and I want to try trench composting.

Happy garden planning!

Shannon

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Beef Stock or Broth

Image by cizauskas via Flickr

Making your own broths and stocks saves money on your grocery bill. This stock is made the same as the Chicken Stock was made. The bone of the roast are used, after it has been roasted and most of the meat removed.  It is fine to leave small pieces of meat on the bone.

The finished product may be frozen in ice cube trays, and then placed in freezer container and put back into the freezer. Use ice cubes in place of some of the water when cooking rice or pasta, or even casseroles.

You might choose to pour the liquid directly into the containers and freeze like that. This can later be used when cooking soups and stews.

The process is simple, but will take some time. This is perfect to make when you will be home for a number of hours.

1. Place the bone into a large pot.
2. Feel free, at this point, to add any vegetable odds and ends to the pot, as well as herbs. This step is NOT necessary. I use peels and ends that I normally would discard.
3. Fill the pot about 2/3 of the way with water.
4. Cook down to about half the liquid.
5. Discard the bone.
6. Reconstitute the liquid by half and cool.

That’s it! A simple task that does not take much hands on time.

Shannon

Top 10 Vegetables for Your Frugal Garden

Image via Wikipedia

Growing your own vegetables, even organically, allows you to save a great deal of money at the grocery store each year.

There are many choices available when deciding to plant a vegetable garden. You will want to obtain seeds for the vegetables that you use most often as sides, in soups and stews, and in roasts and casseroles. The most important rules of thumb are:

• That you choose vegetables you and your family normally eat, at least to start. Experimentation with new foods is fine later on. Don’t forget to acquire seeds for vegetables that you will eat both fresh and cooked.
• That you purchase organic seeds, whenever possible, from a place such as HeirloomSeeds.com to be sure that you know what you are getting.
• That you compare prices from a variety of places selling such seeds.
• That you plant in organic soil.
• Remember that extra seeds can be saved if stored properly, so they should not go to waste.

My choice vegetables are able to be eaten either fresh or cooked. They can be stored for later use, if desired, and are versatile in nature. Here are my top 10 vegetable choices for the garden:

1. Carrots: Excellent eaten fresh, I prefer to grow short varieties of carrots. Try Thumbelina and Short n’ Sweet. Carrots may be frozen, or canned for use during the winter months. Great in fresh salads, these carrots are also tasty when added to stew or a roast. Carrots are great in muffins and cakes. Plant these in spring and at mid-summer for a double crop.
2. Romaine Lettuce: This type of lettuce is great for using in fresh salads. It may also be used in wraps and sandwiches. Romaine prefers cool weather, be sure to keep the soil where it is planted moist.
3. Cabbage: Also good in salads, you can eat chunks off the heads for snacks and use cabbage in boiled dinners. The heads will last quite some time out of the refrigerator. Be sure to grow cabbage in fertile soil.
4. Tomatoes: It is recommended that tomatoes be stored outside of the refrigerator. Sauces for rice, pasta and pizza may be made fresh from this vegetable, and may be canned for future use. Great in salads, many people enjoy eating tomatoes as they would a fresh apple. Tomatoes grow well with carrots or parsley.
5. Zucchini: Given the right conditions, such as plenty of sun and water, these will grow huge. They are easily frozen by shredding and placing into freezer containers. No other preparation is necessary. You don’t even have to peel, simply cut off the ends.  One of the best chocolate cakes ever has zucchini as an ingredient, and it also makes wonderful chocolate chip zucchini muffins and breads. This vegetable has a high water content.
6. Celery: Celery is great fresh, in salads and in roasts and stews. Peanut butter stuffed celery is a healthy snack. It grows especially well and zones 5 and lower.
7. Cucumber: The vines of this vegetable will take up little garden space when trellised, though there also bush varieties. Eaten fresh or on salads, wraps and sandwiches, this vegetable does not need to be peeled. Just cut the ends off and you are good to go. Cucumber loves water.
8. Peas: Another space saver, this vining vegetable can be planted along a fence for ultimate space savings. Simply train them along the fence. Sugar snap peas are great placed, as is, into a salad or stew. Peas will grow well in cool weather.
9. Beans: This is another vegetable that you can train along a fence or up a trellis, or you can train them up bean poles. Use these in stews and stir fries. They will grow in a variety of climates.
10. Rhubarb: Eat fresh with sugar. Make a rhubarb pie. Make rhubarb strawberry jam… need I say more? This is a perennial. My grandparents had a bed of rhubarb on their property when I was growing up. It was a treat to go out back and pick the rhubarb, and to bring it in and be given a small bowl of sugar to dip the rhubarb into as my siblings, cousins and I were eating.

Shannon

Related Articles

• Know Your Vegetable Seeds: The Lowdown on Heirloom, Hybrid, and Organic Seeds (sustainablog.org)
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Turkey Stock or Broth

Image by adria.richards via Flickr

This stock is made the same as the Chicken Stock was made. The skin and bones of the bird are used, after it has been roasted and most of the meat removed.  It is fine to leave small pieces of meat on the bone.

The finished product may be frozen in ice cube trays, and then placed in freezer container and put back into the freezer. Use ice cubes in place of some of the water when cooking rice or pasta, or even casseroles.

You might choose to pour the liquid directly into the containers and freeze like that. This can later be used when cooking soups and stews.

The process is simple, but will take some time. This is perfect to make when you will be home for a number of hours.

1. Place the bones and skin into a large pot.
2. Feel free, at this point, to add any vegetable odds and ends to the pot, as well as herbs. This step is NOT necessary. I use peels and ends that I normally would discard.
3. Fill the pot about 2/3 of the way with water.
4. Cook down to about half the liquid.
5. Discard the bones. (I give the skin and little pieces of meat to my cats. You can discard these as well.)
6. Reconstitute the liquid by half and cool.

That’s it! A simple task that does not take much hands on time.

Shannon

Chicken Stock or Broth

I use the skin and bones of the bird for this, after it has been roasted and most of the meat removed.  Leaving small pieces of meat on the bone is fine.

The finished product may be frozen in ice cube trays, and then placed in freezer container and put back into the freezer. Use ice cubes in place of some of the water when cooking rice or pasta, or even casseroles.

You might choose to pour the liquid directly into the containers and freeze like that. This can later be used when cooking soups and stews.

The process is simple, but will take some time. This is perfect to make when you will be home for a number of hours.

1. Place the bones and skin into a large pot.
2. Feel free, at this point, to add any vegetable odds and ends to the pot, as well as herbs. This step is NOT necessary. I use peels and ends that I normally would discard.
3. Fill the pot about 2/3 of the way with water.
4. Cook down to about half the liquid.
5. Discard the bones. (I give the skin and little pieces of meat to my cats. You can discard these as well.)
6. Reconstitute the liquid by half and cool.

That’s it! A simple task that does not take much hands on time.

Shannon

Freezing Chicken for Easy Meals

Image via Wikipedia

There are a wide variety of things that you can do to make meal preparation easier. One way of accomplishing this task is to freeze chicken, prepared for later use. The chicken does not have to be pre-cooked to prepare it as per the directions in this short article, but it may be to make things quicker when cooking.

1. Package the chicken in individual or family serving sizes.
2. Place the chicken into freezer safe containers.
3. Add sauce to cover the chicken.
4. Cover and place in the freezer.

What types of sauce can be used for this purpose?

Teriyaki sauce

Sweet and sour sauce

Barbecue sauce

Steak sauce

All this does is marinate the meat for you while it is freezing, as well as while it is thawing.

Shannon

 

Chicken Salad

Image via Wikipedia

Spring is coming! During the spring months, I start consuming more and more salads. These take the place of heartier winter meals, and are quite nutritious. Ideally, organic products would be used providing optimal health benefits, but this is not always possible.

Now that spring is on its’ way, you may decide to start planning an organic garden of your own. There is nothing quite like going outside to pick most of the ingredients for your salad.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped, pre-cooked chicken

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 large cucumber, sliced

2 carrots, shredded

1 cup sprouts, such as alfalfa

1. Wash all of the vegetables.
2. Place everything into a large bowl and toss.

Tips

• Grow your own sprouts to save money.
• Use organic products whenever possible. Save money by growing vegetables yourself.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with sandwiches or soup.

Shannon

 

 

Hearty Scrambled Eggs

Image via Wikipedia

Complete meals may be made using eggs as a starting point. Fruits and vegetables can be added, as well as meats and cheeses, herbs and spices. Throwing foods into a pan to cook with eggs is a simple way to get a family breakfast on the table in a hurry. Considering the amount of protein you are eating with this breakfast, a protein free lunch may be in order.

Ingredients

Eggs, any size – enough for each family member to have one or two

Chicken

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Corn

Parsley

1. Cook the chicken through.
2. Add corn to the pan.
3. Break the eggs over the meat and corn and cook until the eggs are just about done.
4. Sprinkle some cheese and parsley over the egg mixture and warm until the cheese is melted.

Tips

• Use leftovers whenever possible to save money.
• Use pre-cooked meats and vegetables to make the cooking process faster.
• Purchase ingredients on sale to save money. Generic brands are great. Coupons will help you to save money on brand name items.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with apple butter spread on whole wheat toast.

Great Fruits for Egg Meals

Pineapple

Apple chunks

Great Vegetables for Egg Meals

Corn

Carrots

Celery

Squash

Potatoes

Great Meats for Egg Meals

Chicken

Ham

Steak

Turkey

Keilbasa

Great Cheeses for Egg Meals

Mozarella

Mild Ceddar

Provolone

American

Parmesane

Romano

Great Herbs and Spices for Egg Meals

Parsley

Rosemary

Ginger

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Happy Eating!

Shannon

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Frugal Recipes Happenings for 2/12/2011

Image by Gardening in a Minute via Flickr

The groundhog has indicated that spring will arrive early. Yay! I am certainly hoping so, but we shall see. The weather has been treating us better  here in Maine, somewhat. I have walked 4 days  in the past week, which I hadn’t been able to do much for weeks because it was so cold that my asthma would kick in whenever I went out. I am grateful when there is a nice enough day to walk.

With the hope of spring comes thoughts of gardening. I am wondering which foods I will plant this year in an attempt to lower my grocery bill significantly. I am thinking herbs, vegetables and at least a few types of fruit. Garden planning is exciting, to say the least.

Recently, I had the opportunity to write a few gardening articles that I would like to share with all of my wonderful readers:

•  For those looking to replace at least some of their meat sources of protein with healthier alternatives, I have written  How to Grow High Protein Foods.
• If you are looking for some garden related projects to begin now, check out the article  How to Construct Garden Planters. It is amazing what you can do with old cast-offs.
• And for those who wish to design their gardens for the fist time, or those who want to add to existing gardening space, I have written How to Design Your Vegetable and  Herb  Garden.

 There have been a few posts added to the Frugal Recipes blog that you may have missed:

• Getting back to basics is easy when using this Baking Powder Biscuit recipe. Drop biscuits may be made from changing just a couple of elements in this recipe.
• French Toast Strips make a wonderful addition to breakfast.
• And a Pasta Bake goes well with a salad and bread for lunch or dinner.

I am working on a few article ideas for posting directly to the blog, and will be adding more of my favorite  recipes as well. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your winter. Try using it to experiment with baking.

Shannon

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