Kool-Aid Mixers and Popsicles

This is yet another area where my daughter experiments. She mixes Kool-Aids. This should be done in a gallon size jug for best results. Mix 2 packets, 2 cups of sugar, ice and water to make a gallon. Here are some interesting combinations:

strawberry-orange

grape-strawberry/kiwi

cherry-orange

pink lemonade-starwberry

 

To save money, let them have 8 ounces a day. It will keep well in the refrigerator. I know that we have one store where we have to pay $1.00 for three, and another where we pay the same for four packets.

Kool-Aid does make great, cheap posicles whether you are mixing them or not. Do this instead of giving your children the drinks, and it won’t hurt them to have one on a hot day.

Have a nice day!

Shannon

Trail Mix from Leftovers

What with feeling the money pinch here, I have had to make do with little food in the house on a number of occasions. One thing that I have learned to do is to create trail mixes for snacks.

The first thing I do is to get out a  mixing bowl. Then I get out the plastic snack size baggies that I wash and reuse.

I then go through the cupboards. I throw whatever leftovers I can into the bowl:

a snack size box or two of raisins

the sunflowers seeds that are at the bottom of the jar

the remainder of the nuts from their containers

whatever cereals are left in the boxes

any leftover dried fruit

leftover crackers

what few candies are lying around

 

Pretty much whatever I can find.  The trail mix is then mixed up by hand and spooned into the baggies to be used as snacks. Sometimes, I will air pop corn and divide it between bowls, pouring a bag of trail mix over the popped corn in each bowl.

Very yummy.

Shannon

Fruit Salad

1 small jar of cherries, drained, cut into halves/fourths

2 apples, cored and chopped small

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

grapes, as many as you like, cut into halves/fourths

(optional) 1 or 2 cans of mandarin oranges

mini colored/white marshmallows, a handful or two

8 oz or less whipped topping

Mix them all up and serve 1/2 cup at a time. Will last in the refrigerator for a few days.

Purchase what you can on sale. Sometimes fruit can be found real cheap or even free at farmer’s markets if you go about an hour before closing time. If you can do this, it will be a truly frugal meal.

Serve as dessert, a snack or a side dish.

Banana Smoothie

 Blend:

1 small banana

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 tsp wheat germ

milk, until the consistency you like.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 small banana

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla or chocolate yogurt

1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter

milk, to the consistency you want

Ice Cream Float

This is simple.

Put 1 or 2 scoops of vanilla or another kind of ice cream of frozen yogurt into a glass. Tip the glass on its side a bit and add root bear or cream soda.

Children also like this with fruit punch. You could use sherbet instead.

Banana Peanut Butter Milkshake

1 small banana

1 to 3 scoops vanilla or chocolate ice cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter

milk, to the consistency that you want

Frugal Popsicle Ideas

You can make popsicles from these drinks by simply puring them into popsicle molds you can purchase for $1 per set at a dollar tree, making these very frugal treat for everyone. Pull them out whenever you here the ice cream truck approaching.

lemonade

iced tea

100% fruit juice, no sugars added

coffee

I guess that you can also use mixed pudding.

Maybe you can add fruit.

Chocolate milk?

Has anyone tried either of these? What were the steps and the results?

Menus from Dollar Days Sales

In our area we have a grocery store called IGA. They have dollar sales every so often that last a week. Everything in the store is not a dollar, but quite a bit is a dollar or less. Many are store brands. Here is a list of many of the dollar deals that I have found:

pasta/rice sides or pasta roni

boxed mac and cheese (3 or 4 for $1)

cream cheese

graham cracker crust

whipped topping

canned vegetables (2 or 3 for $1)

cucumbers (2 for $1)

1 pound baby carrots (2 for $1)

bags of spinach, cabbage and lettuce mixes

salad dressing

oranges (3 for $1)

grapefruit (2 for $1)

bananas (3 pounds for $1)

5 pounds potatoes

ramen noodles (6-8 for $1)

baked beans

soup (2 for $1)

gravy (3 for $1)

hot dogs

personal size pizzas

english muffins (2 for $1)

bagels

24 oz apple sauce

canned pears

canned peaches

canned pineapple

canned mixed fruit

large cans of apple pie filling

large cans of pumpkin puree

There are many things that can be made with these items. In my home, we usually have 3 to 5 people eating a meal. Each menu will serve 5 or 6 people. Here are some ideas, assuming that you already have some meat, baking needs and condiments on hand. You will also need eggs, cheese and milk.

Breakfast:

English muffins with peanut butter, banana, milk

Bagel with cream cheese, fruit cocktail, milk

Homemade whole wheat bread with peanut butter, applesauce, milk

Homemade pumpkin muffins with butter, pears, milk

Banana pancakes topped with apple pie filling, milk

Homemade hash browns, omelet, milk

English muffin breakfast pizza with pineapples, milk

Dessert:

Apple pie filling topped with whipped topping

Peaches and pears topped with whipped topping

Bananas topped with whipped topping

Homemade cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie

Lunch/Dinner:

Mac and cheese with hot dogs and corn, milk

Ramen noodles, hot dog, green beans, milk

Casserole: hot dogs, corn and potatoes, milk

1 individual pizza, salad, milk

Pasta/rice side, hot dog, salad, milk

Shepherd’s pie, salad, milk

Baked beans, hot dog, homemade bread with butter, milk

I’m sure that you can come up with other ideas as well.

I usually have leftovers, which are frozen whenever possible. Any freezer plan site will be able to tell you what can and cannot be frozen. Even if there is just 1 or 2 teaspoons of vegetables, or meat, I freeze them for soups or casseroles later on.

Also remember, there are plenty of snacks listed above as well.

Some of the meals above end up costing less than 30 cents per person, about $1.25 per meal. Sometimes less, often a bit more.

(Recipes)

Pasta sides meal:

1 box of pasta sides/roni, cooked as directed

1/4 to 1/2 pound chicken, cut small and fired in a little Shed’s Spread Light - add to pasta side when it is time to let the side sit for a few minutes, mix and cover.

Serve with a salad, or add a cooked vegetable before covering to sit.

Baked Beans:

1 can beans

1 cut up and cooked hot dog

a little ketchup

a little molasses

Cook and serve with homemade bread topped with butter. We like to sop the bean juice up with the bread and butter. Yum!

Cheesecake:

I’m pretty sure this is a Kraft recipe, but I am not positive. We have been using it for years and don’t even have/need a written recipe for it.

Mix 1 package (8 oz, I believe) cream cheese, 1 (8 oz) tub of whipped topping and 1/3 cup of sugar with an electric mixer. Spoon into a graham cracker crust, and refrigerate.

Shepherd’s Pie:

In a casserole pan, place 1/2 to 1 pound browned ground beef, 1 can of corn with 1/4 to 1/2 of the liquid, and then top with mashed potato (enough for your family). You can sprinkle with cheese if you wish. Serve with a salad.

Hope these ideas are helpful.

Warmest Wishes,

Shannon

Autumn Trail Mix

I purchase cheap snack-size baggies to fill with trail mixes, because they allow one serving per person. This is easier with children. You can put the mixes into canning jars, but I cannot honestly say if they will stay fresh more than a week. Feel free to try it and let me know.

If you have purchased your pumpkins frugally, you already have the pumpkin seeds that you need. Roast them, flavored for autumn, in the oven at a low temperature.

Pumpkin seeds, roasted with your choice of seasonings

Store brand wheat chex cereal

Store brand raisin bran, or bran flakes and raisins

Store brand pretzels

Candy corn or candy pumpkins, a few per bag

Mix them all together, and and put into baggies or jars.