Okay, so I LOVE my home to smell pretty... but I am very picky about where I purchase my scents. In fact, I have high standards for my candles and wax melts, especially for the money I spend on them.
So, during the Christmas season, I am very abundant in spices.... actually, I have a lot of spices left over from last year. What spices? Cinnamon Sticks, Whole Cloves, Candied Ginger. I also have Satsuma (mandarin) oranges, recent purchase, in my fridge that are not to yummy enough to eat.
So what can I do with those spices and oranges? Well, I have ingredients to make a nice smelling potpourri!
Orange - cinnamon Potpourri
4 cups water
1-2 cinnamon sticks
10-15 cloves
1/2 tsp candied ginger
1 satsuma quartered
Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and put over medium low heat. As water reduces, you can add more water. This should last all day, if not tomorrow too!
Happy Saving, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Next adventure in Freezer Meals!
As my husband is gone on a 90 day rotation, I decided that I needed to replenish my stock in freezer meals. But this time I decided to add a few people to the mix.... and by a few I mean 7 other moms! The objective to this is, make 10 meals each (70 meals total) and split the cost of the ingredients. I know.. it sounds over whelming. But as long as one spaces the shopping, prep and cooking through-out a few days, it should be nothing to bad.
I had a wonderful friend who owned a freezer meal company. You walked in and told her which meals you wanted and then were sent to a station to where you made your # of meals and then took them home and plopped them in the freezer. Sadly my set-up will not be that pretty. The women will have to mix thier own sauces, and fills thier own pasta shells. But in the long run, it should save them time, and hopefully money.
I will be prepping all of the veggies, (thank the Lord for my food processor and Kitchen Aid) meats, and soups.
What meals are we making?
Stuffed Shells
Sourcream Chicken
Chinese Chicken
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Jerk Chicken or Pork
Steak Fajitas
Pot Roast
Chicken and Dumplings
Chili
My adventure to Costco is going to be a heavy one if you know what I mean. I hope to save money by buying those HUGE cans of tomato products (puree, dices and sauce). Buying meats and Veggies in bulk should also help cut costs as well.
In a sick and twisted way, I am really excited and anxious to see how this 'loco' event will run.... I know that it will not only benifit me, but my many friends who are needing that 'stockpile' of meals ready to go.
Again for those who want to know what I am doing- I am following the book Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites By Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg
This books has been SO helpful in maintaining my sanity and being the picky family we are, we have not complained too much over the food! =)
I had a wonderful friend who owned a freezer meal company. You walked in and told her which meals you wanted and then were sent to a station to where you made your # of meals and then took them home and plopped them in the freezer. Sadly my set-up will not be that pretty. The women will have to mix thier own sauces, and fills thier own pasta shells. But in the long run, it should save them time, and hopefully money.
I will be prepping all of the veggies, (thank the Lord for my food processor and Kitchen Aid) meats, and soups.
What meals are we making?
Stuffed Shells
Sourcream Chicken
Chinese Chicken
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Jerk Chicken or Pork
Steak Fajitas
Pot Roast
Chicken and Dumplings
Chili
My adventure to Costco is going to be a heavy one if you know what I mean. I hope to save money by buying those HUGE cans of tomato products (puree, dices and sauce). Buying meats and Veggies in bulk should also help cut costs as well.
In a sick and twisted way, I am really excited and anxious to see how this 'loco' event will run.... I know that it will not only benifit me, but my many friends who are needing that 'stockpile' of meals ready to go.
Again for those who want to know what I am doing- I am following the book Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites By Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg
This books has been SO helpful in maintaining my sanity and being the picky family we are, we have not complained too much over the food! =)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
My journey from the stove to the freezer...
Well, let me just tell you.... I made it out alive!
My feet may be swollen... my dishwasher over-used... and my house smells like an international restaurant.... but I DID IT!So I had to change my game plan a bit, and I am glad I did! I broke up this entire feat up into three days:
1. Grocery Shopping and veg processing
2. Chicken and soup dishes
3. Dishes that required more stove work (beef and hamburger, I used ground turkey.
So let me give you the low down of this journey, and what I have learned and will do different next time!
*Break up the days... unless you are not pregnant, have no children and are super women!
*USE A FOOD PROCESSOR FOR YOUR CHOPPING! I can only imagine how much longer it would have taken me if I just used a knife or my pampered chef chopper.
*If you and a friend are wanting to do this together, make sure that BOTH are on the same page and both are super organized... I myself am not organized (okay... well, I am...kind of.. you kind of have to be to do this....), and much of the process was in my head... I may not be a good candidate for cooking with others...
*When the recipe calls for a container of a certain cup size.... make sure you get one that is a bit bigger... all of my recipes came out larger (mostly soups) by about 1-2 cups... so unless you want to dump part of your hard work down the drain, grab a container that is bigger than what the recipe calls for. *Homeschool Moment* - as we all learned in school... when a liquid freezes... it sort of expands! Also buy disposable baking pans! Sure it is a couple extra $$, but it means less clean-up at dinner time, and you wont be left wondering where your only two 13X9 pans are!
*Costco (or a store like it) is you friend, at least when it comes to the chicken (breasts and Rotisserie), canned goods, frozen veggies and broths. If you end up with extras, save it for next month! You know you'll need it!
*Side dishes? So after my grocery shopping, I came home and started cooking.... when my fridge emptied of all the food (that disappeared into my freezer) I thought... what will we eat with the meals when it comes time?! Luckily I bought those Costco size bags of frozen veggies... I may be okay! But you may want to plan on that!
*Know that you will have to go out once a week and buy a few things for the meals. Things like fresh veggies for fajitas, salads, french bread, dairy, ect. So make sure you account for that!
* Write a list of what is in your freezer and how many it serves, and what you will need fresh for that meal. This will help you plan better and possibly save money if you are not making daily trips to the grocery store. If you are like me, I have a calendar of my activities, and what the weather will be like. So needless to say, I know what I am eating that week, and on what day.
I hope that you have not been scared off by my three day adventure! If you must really know, I only spent about 6 hours total cooking and prepping. But that was between parenting, homeschooling, shopping, and taking small breaks...So it felt longer.
Please share your experiences! If you are using the same cook book as I am ( www.once-a-monthcooking.com ), let me know how you liked the meals, and what you did differently to customize it to your families likings!
Happy Savings!!!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Back to cooking... LOTS of FOOD!
Well, as you all probably know, we are expecting a new arrival in the beginning of October. Combine that with Homeschooling, co-ops, cub scouts and just normal life activities... and you might just see me a bit overwhelmed!
So my Frugal self has decided to get the ball rolling on freezer meals. No, not the ones from the store... but fresh, preservative free, change the ingredients to your liking... Freezer meals.
Now friends, do not take offense to me making freezer meals... I still love you, and love the fact that you would be willing to bring my family a meal during this crazy time... but friend.... I am just too darn picky! But please visit and see the baby!
Okay, SO here is my plan: Save Money, Save Time, and hopefully make some yummy and healthy meals!
I bought the book Once a Month Cooking: Family Favorites (you can also visit their website for more information- www.once-a-monthcooking.com) The cool thing about this book is that it provides the grocery list for you if you use all of the recipes for that cycle. Well, I had to take out a few recipes, and add a few different ones, but I was able to figure that in to my 'new' grocery list.
So my goal for August is to see if I can spend a whole day shopping (I think I can handle that) and another whole day cooking and prepping the meals. I am going to get my bulk items at Costco (chicken, roasts, veggies, canned goods) and then hit Winco for my dry goods and other non-produce items... and then hit up the farmers market, my garden and Safeway for the produce. I will be cooking up 28 meals ranging Stuffed Shells and Sauce to Pozole Soup that can be cooked in the crock pot.
Wish me luck, and let me know if you do the same thing as well!
So my Frugal self has decided to get the ball rolling on freezer meals. No, not the ones from the store... but fresh, preservative free, change the ingredients to your liking... Freezer meals.
Now friends, do not take offense to me making freezer meals... I still love you, and love the fact that you would be willing to bring my family a meal during this crazy time... but friend.... I am just too darn picky! But please visit and see the baby!
Okay, SO here is my plan: Save Money, Save Time, and hopefully make some yummy and healthy meals!
I bought the book Once a Month Cooking: Family Favorites (you can also visit their website for more information- www.once-a-monthcooking.com) The cool thing about this book is that it provides the grocery list for you if you use all of the recipes for that cycle. Well, I had to take out a few recipes, and add a few different ones, but I was able to figure that in to my 'new' grocery list.
So my goal for August is to see if I can spend a whole day shopping (I think I can handle that) and another whole day cooking and prepping the meals. I am going to get my bulk items at Costco (chicken, roasts, veggies, canned goods) and then hit Winco for my dry goods and other non-produce items... and then hit up the farmers market, my garden and Safeway for the produce. I will be cooking up 28 meals ranging Stuffed Shells and Sauce to Pozole Soup that can be cooked in the crock pot.
Wish me luck, and let me know if you do the same thing as well!
Monday, July 19, 2010
It is cool to save?!
While watching the Today Show this morning, I caught a segment on how Americans now think it is COOL to save?!
How great!! Seriously!!!
So here are my questions for you-
Are thier store brands that you buy rather than the name brands?Why do you perfer those?
Do you hold off buying clothes until the sales hit?
What are your secrets?!
Here is a cool food/money saving tip for this entry-
Homemade brown sugar - courtesy of Molly Green (http://www.econobusters.com/?p=4934)
Ingredients
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of molasses
Directions
Measure sugar and molasses into a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork until completely mixed. Your brown sugar is now ready for use! Store in an air tight container, in a cool, dark, place until ready to use.
Makes 1 cup.
Tip: If you want to make a darker brown sugar, just increase the molasses to two tablespoons.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Saving a trip and money with the Post Office
It is that time of year, when we find ourselves spending as much on shipping as we do for the gift that is in the box! :-) Well, here is a tip that will save you $5.00 and a trip to the post office (which can be worth much more if you have little ones).
Stamps.com gives you $5.00 to experience thier site. It is affiliated with the USPS, and will print out your postage right on your computer! :-) Better yet, it will let your postman know that you have packages that need to be picked up!
Whoo HOO!! Let me know if you have used this service, and what your thoughts are! :-) So far, I am happy!
Merry Christmas, and Happy Savings!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Using Thanksgiving Leftovers! :-)
I hope all had a GREAT Turkey Day! I know that my family and I were thankful for so many things this year! Another thing that I am thankful for is my Thanksgiving leftovers! Turkey Sandwichs, Turkey soup, Turkey Pot Pie... Oh... So GOOD! And the good thing about it is, that it doesn't feel like you are eating turkey over and over again!! ;-) I grabbed a 20 pound bird from Safeway (for $.27/ pound) and knew that I could use this bird to give my family a few lasting meals!
Well, while I knew what to do with the left over Turkey and Stuffing... the question of the day was: What can I do 'differently' with my mashed potatoes? So I found a recipe for Potato Bread in the 'Old-Fashioned Cookbook' by Better Crocker... (I love that lady!)
I just pulled out my two loaves of bread, and they TASTE SO GOOD!!! You would never guessed that I baked these here in my oven! So I thought I would pass on the savings to you! The added benefit is that you can make YUMMY turkey sandwiches with this YUMMY bread!
Potato Bread (curtesy of Betty Crocker's Old-Fashioned Cookbook)
6 - 6 1/2 c. Bread Flour
1/2 c. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 c. very warm water
1 c. luke warm leftover mashed potatos
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixer. Add water, mashed potatos, oil and eggs and beat on low for 1 minute. Then stir in remaining flour (1 c. at a time), until the dough is easy to handle.
turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes (YES, THIS IS IMPORTANT!!) until dogh is smooth and elastic.
Place in greased bowl and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Grease 2 9X5 loave pans.
Punch dough down and split in 2. roll and flatten each halve to 18X9 inches. roll dough into a loaf shape and place into bread pan. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
Heat oven to 375 degrees and bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes, or until loaves of deep golden brown (mine were done 10 minutes early). remove from pans and then brush with butter.. and when they are cool enough..... EAT THEM UP!!!!!!!
Well, while I knew what to do with the left over Turkey and Stuffing... the question of the day was: What can I do 'differently' with my mashed potatoes? So I found a recipe for Potato Bread in the 'Old-Fashioned Cookbook' by Better Crocker... (I love that lady!)
I just pulled out my two loaves of bread, and they TASTE SO GOOD!!! You would never guessed that I baked these here in my oven! So I thought I would pass on the savings to you! The added benefit is that you can make YUMMY turkey sandwiches with this YUMMY bread!
Potato Bread (curtesy of Betty Crocker's Old-Fashioned Cookbook)
6 - 6 1/2 c. Bread Flour
1/2 c. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 c. very warm water
1 c. luke warm leftover mashed potatos
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixer. Add water, mashed potatos, oil and eggs and beat on low for 1 minute. Then stir in remaining flour (1 c. at a time), until the dough is easy to handle.
turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes (YES, THIS IS IMPORTANT!!) until dogh is smooth and elastic.
Place in greased bowl and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Grease 2 9X5 loave pans.
Punch dough down and split in 2. roll and flatten each halve to 18X9 inches. roll dough into a loaf shape and place into bread pan. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
Heat oven to 375 degrees and bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes, or until loaves of deep golden brown (mine were done 10 minutes early). remove from pans and then brush with butter.. and when they are cool enough..... EAT THEM UP!!!!!!!
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