Apple Pie Smoothies....

2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups applesauce
3/4 cup cane sugar
dash of nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 T lemon juice
3 cups ice

Whirl in a blender. Garnish with dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

*I used homemade yogurt and homemade applesauce. Your sugar may need to be adjusted based on the applesauce you use.

Coupons...coconut milk and Betty Crocker

.55 coupon off coconut milk http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/

Create an account and log in for $50+ worth of http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions/coupons/default?wt.dcsvid=nteymdqxmjk3oas

Cooking Hot Lunches vs. "Normal Lunches"..

Welcome to FRUGAL FRIDAYS!

I thought this would be a good thing to post about after I was asked a question about it. :-)
I appreciate questions- they inspire me!

Normal lunches, I suppose, would be things like; sandwiches on store-bought white bread, canned soups and ravioli, frozen pizzas, hot dogs, and golly gee, I don't know! ;-)   Really, I'm not sure- I don't  'get out' much.

Some of my lunches this week are;
Main Dish Macaroni, green salad, leftover white beans
Sausage Quiche, salad, popovers, homemade applesauce
Split Pea Soup, French Coconut Pie2

Let's see how they compare in (approx.)price.
But let's not forget that there's also better nutrition in a home cooked meal, which is of great value too!
(Leftovers also come in handy to keep costs per meal down too. For example; $2 worth of dried beans can sometimes make 5 or more meals a great side dish.)
************************************************

Split pea soup +	Sausage Quiche+	Main Dish Mac+
12 large servings plus sides/approx $4 for the whole meal Plus leftovers	9 servings plus sides/$3.75 -$4 for the whole meal Plus leftovers	16 servings on main dish plus sides/$4.25 for the whole meal Plus leftovers

SANDWICHES+	FROZEN PIZZAS+	CANNED SOUP+
1 ½ loaves of bread$3 Meat/cheese+ $3-$4 Chips?- $1-$2 for cheap Boxed cookies- .50	This would take at least 3 large for my crew and at $4 apiece= $12 Plus a sweet and maybe a veggie	This would take probably 4 large cans for my family. At (?) $2 a can, that’s $8. Then there would have to be bread or crackers and maybe more to fill them.

Yes, it does have the disadvantage of a little more time for meal prep, but we are all home and I can work up lunches while the kids are doing homework at the table. I've also found that the more good food that I get down them, the less they get sick in the winter. That's a great bonus!

Menu Plan Monday...

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

Yes, you will see on Saturday, we did the unthinkable! We had those (yeah, down there) donuts for supper! And my kids were even more shocked than U!  ;-)

Breakfast Foods: oatmeal, eggs and applesauce, brown rice

SATURDAY:
-Skillet Lasagna, salad, corn
-Homemade Sprinkled Donuts, milk and coffee (yes, for real!)
snacks:carrots, cheese, grapes

SUNDAY:
-White Beans, Fried Cornbread, Collard Greens
-Grilled, buttered Chicken, steamed brocolli-cauliflower-carrots, leftover greens
snacks:French Coconut Pie 2, homemade salsa and chips

MONDAY:
-Main Dish Macaroni, green salad, leftover white beans
- Tilapia fixed like this, brown rice, peas, celery sticks
snacks: grapes, popcorn, pineapple

TUESDAY:
-Sausage Quiche, salad, popovers, homemade applesauce
- Poor Man's Steak, Oatmeal Rolls, green beans, blueberry crisp
snacks: Real Pumpkin Pecan Cakes, peach smoothies

WEDNESDAY:
-Rice Crusted Pizza, crunchy white bread sticks, side salad
-(Lamb)Stuffed Peppers, sweet potatoes, green peas
snacks: Chocolate Cheesecake, sour gummy worms

THURSDAY:
- Italian Goolash, peas and carrots, green salad
- Beef-n-cabbage bake, green beans, corn
snacks: Lemon Oatmeal Bread, cherry-berry smoothies

FRIDAY:
-Split Pea Soup, French Coconut Pie 2
-Italian Baked Chicken, steamed squash, green salad
snacks:Jelly Roll, Halloween candy

French Coconut Pie 2...

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plain flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Sprinkled Donuts-

Saturday, we had a very late lunch so I decided to do something that I've NEVER done for supper- make donuts!

Now when snoopy the kid told the other kids that mom said she was making donuts with milk and coffee for supper- all the other kids said "no way".

So I spoke up and said, "Oh yes I am! But they are stuffed with spinach!" :-)

For some reason- they believed that MORE!

But of course, it wasn't true ;-)

I used my recipe for Chocolate-Covered Creme-Filled Donuts to make these and the icing found here.

(But just so you know, right before bed, they had a veggie and cheese plate;)

When life demands frugality- you can still find ways to have fun!

Do something totally different!

The kids had me rolling laughing because they were in such shock that I would allow this...and dh had me in stitches nearly as he fake-pouted about no real supper-  lol. (It went something like this; "All these years this woman brings me a hot plate of food and now- 'get your own leftovers because I'm not cooking' ". hee hee)

Some of last week in pictures...

Can you tell what we've read about these last few weeks?

Mommas....

A few weeks ago, my dh wrote this on one of our dry erase boards where the children often do their homework.

It reads:

My momma would

sometimes make me mad

and sometimes sad

but sometimes glad

Sometimes mommas

are wrong but

Most of the time they are right

But don't forget

All the cooked meals and love

and tears and prayers

Just for you!

NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU LIKE MOMMA!

REAL Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie:

I have stored pumpkin in the freezer from the ONE and ONLY pumpkin from our garden. I also bought some very cheap the other day that I will probably cook up and freeze too.

I put about 3/4 cup of water in a baking dish and bake halved, seeded pumpkins (cut side down) for about an hour on 325. I strain as much water from it as possible and scoop it by cups into freezer containers. I thaw it up in warm water when I'm ready to use it.

-2 8 inch prepared pie shells

3 cups of pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
1/2 cloves
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk

Mix well and pour into unbaked pie shells.
Bake 15 minutes at 425.
Reduce heat to 350 and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

(We often eat leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast!)

MENU PLAN MONDAY...

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!
This week I did something I almost never do, that is, I bought 4 loaves of white sandwich bread. I'm almost out of wheat and  they were on clearance for about .50 cents at Aldi. No one is complaining around here ('cept me, lol)...and dh told me that is was good for me to be 'normal' from time to time.  ;-) I also bought 2 pumpkins there for $1.99 each. I will be cooking one and letting the kids carve a smiley face in the other. (I'm begging them for the other, and they're begging me for both- its a real power struggle! hee hee) Pumpkin pie, here I come!


Breakfast foods: oatmeal, brown rice, eggs and applesauce

SATURDAY:
-turkey-beef burritos, homemade applesauce
-Oven-fried chicken thighs, green salad, lima beans, Snowflake Cookies
snacks: yogurt, boiled eggs, grapes
SUNDAY:
-sandwich, veggie soup, cookies
-Salmon patties, spaghetti squash with butter, green salad, raisins
snacks: homemade chili-cheese popcorn (butter, parmesan, chili powder), grapes
MONDAY:
-grilled cheese, veggie soup, cranberry slushies
-Tarragon Turkey Loaf with mushroom sauce, buttered potatoes, green salad
snacks: Cracker Candy with peanuts, Cornmeal Cheese Crackers, grapes
TUESDAY:
-Baked Salmon Loaf, green salad
-Turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, buttermilk pie
snacks: pretzels, homemade pickles, pumpkin pie
WEDNESDAY:
- leftover turkey with gravy, speckled butter beans, green salad
-beans, turnip greens, cornbread, Coconut Cream Pie
snacks: fried bananas, Real pumpkin-pecan Cakes
THURSDAY:
- French Onion Soup, French Bread, Chocolate-carob Custard
- Easy Dump Chicken, mapled carrots, green salad
snacks: Maple-pecan muffin-cakes, Banana Split Yogurt Smoothies
FRIDAY:
-Pizza Bites (from leftover french bread), salad, peach crisp
-Buffalo (or beef) Stuffed Peppers, salad, sweet potatoes
snacks: Stuffed Celery, Chocolate Covered Creme Filled Donuts

Brandy Has Another Guest Post About Gardening...

Frugal Gardening: Weighing the Costs is the title of Brandy's latest guest post at Frugal Confessions.

It may be past gardening season in your area, but this article has some 'food for thought'.

Brandy gives several examples of prices of things from the store versus what she got from her own back yard.

You'll love it!

- looping meals throughout the week...

By Looping, I mean tying meals together, sorta.  :-)

When making out meal plans for the week, I look for ways to cut time off meal-prep. This leaves me more time to be creative sometimes, since it cuts cooking time.

For example:

On Monday, I might cook Penne with tomato sauce. I cook extra noodles, toss them in the fridge and use them on Wednesday for pasta salad.

(with broccoli , or roasted peppers, or with peas)

On Tuesday;

I might cook a pot of beans with cornbread-and all the Southern fixin's.

Later in the week, I will make chili or 'saucy beans' as a side, ...or even baked beans as a side.

I might even rinse, drain, and toss them in a salad!

(Or even Bean Dip for a snack. :)

Wednesday we might have fruit compote for dessert, then have the leftover compote over ice cream or plain cake on Friday, or maybe even over oatmeal for breakfast.

A big batch of cornbread on Tuesday (with those beans) may turn into homemade dressing with turkey on Saturday.

Leftover rice from stir fry on Thursday can be breakfast on Friday, or rice cakes at lunch or supper.

(Or they might stretch a Salmon Loaf or even a Meat Loaf.)

Leftover chopped tomatoes on tacos on Sunday gets tossed on the salad on Monday.

Stranger still, leftover pumpkin pie on Saturday turns into breakfast on Sunday. 

Fruit Crisps, the same way....and Fruit Pies!

*************LOOPING meals, Works for Me Wednesday!***********************

Brandy has another guest post.....

Be sure to check out Brandy, The Prudent Homemaker's latest guest post over at Blueberry Cottage.
It's full of all the questions (and answers) you've always wanted to ask!

If you're new to this site or to Brandy's, be sure to check out the guest post she did here last year called;
Christmas On A Zero Budget.

Menu Plan ...

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!
You'll probably notice a lot of 'dairy' this week. I found half gallons of milk on mark-down for .79!
It was expiring that day so I made buttermilk and yogurt with some (so it would last longer), the rest
will need to be used up quickly. ..hmm, let's see where I can work it all in!

BREAKFASTS:
eggs and applesauce, oatmeal, toasted breakfast bread and eggs, Coconut-Pecan pancakes from the freezer

SATURDAY:
L- Sirloin Stew, grilled bread, chocolate candy
S- Grilled Turkey Sausages, potatoes, spinach salad, hot cross buns
snacks: starfruit, chocolate milk, hot cross buns, clementines

SUNDAY:
L- leftover soup, Refrigerator Spelt Rolls, salad, grapes
S- Oven fried chicken thighs, lima beans, spinach salad, milk, cookies
snacks: fried bananas, hot cross buns, homemade ice cream

MONDAY:
- Spaghetti Sauce with Penne, pudding (*cook enough pasta to toss in fridge for pasta salad another day)
-Meat Loaf Patties, Fridge Spelt Rolls, turnip greens, sweet potatoes, Coconut Cream Pie
snacks: clementines, grapes, boiled eggs with mustard, pie

TUESDAY:
- Butternut Squash Soup, French Bread (this soup is amazing!), milk, cookies
-Grilled Tilapia, spaghetti squash with butter and Parmesan, cole slaw, frozen juice pops
snacks: yogurt, Banana Split Smoothies,  apple slices

WEDNESDAY:
-Pizza Bites, spinach salad,baby carrots, pudding pops (from leftover pudding)
-Easy Maple-Dijon Chicken, pasta salad, brown rice, spinach salad, raisins
snacks:chocolate milk, sunflower seeds, berry compote

THURSDAY:
-Chicken and Chickpea Salad
-Spicy Beef and Bean Burritos, salsa and chips
snacks: REAL Pumpkin-Pecan Cakes, almonds, milk and cookies

FRIDAY:
-Grilled salmon, brown rice, broccoli, Pumpkin Cakes
-Chicken and Dumplings, green beans, steamed carrots, cornbread
snacks:apples and peanut butter yogurt dip, peach smoothies

(French)Onion Soup...

'French' Onion Soup is made by caramelizing the onions. I didn't caramelize them here, therefore it is just Onion Soup.(French Onion Soup would also be topped with a sliced of bread with cheese that has been broiled or toasted.)As it is in the picture, the onions are almost like noodles. Kids like them like that! (They weren't even sure if they were onions.)

1T butter
1/4 cup fat (I use rendered beef fat. Could use lard, butter, etc)
5 onions, sliced
2 pinches of cane sugar (*if caramelizing the onions)
2 1/2 quarts of beef broth (I used homemade. I cook bones in an acid broth for about 48 hours.)
1/2 c white cooking wine (or water)
2 bay leaves
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1 T salt or to taste

Slice onions and cook in fat for about 30 minutes. If caramelizing, it will take about 45. *Add pinches of cane sugar if caramelizing.

Add broth, cooking wine, bay leaves, pepper, and salt and cook for 30 minutes, covered.

Served here topped with chives and sliced, toasted French Bread with butter, Parmesan, and parsley.

*Here's a link to caramelized onions if you'd like to see.

Menu...

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!
A chill is in the air and nothing makes me want to cook more than when its chilly- and the warmest place in the house is in front of the stove! ;-)

BREAKFASTS: eggs and toasted homemade breakfast bread, oatmeal, french toast sticks from the freezer

SATURDAY:
-Frugal (shrimp) stir fry with brown rice
-Grilled Salmon, lima beans, brown rice, Parmesan Cauliflower*, Lemon Cake
snacks:sunflower seeds, apple slices with peanut butter-yogurt dip
SUNDAY:
-Homemade spaghetti, cookies
-homemade French Onion Soup, French Bread, French Vanilla Pudding (get the theme? ;), home canned apple juice (kids are getting sick so hopefully this meal will help!)
snacks: homemade sunflower seeds, popsicles
MONDAY:
-Toasty Pizza Bites, salad, peas, applesauce
-Beef Stew, Lemon Oatmeal Bread
snacks: apple slices with peanut butter-yogurt dip, carrots and veggie dip
TUESDAY:
-Mexi-Polish Sausage Quick Lunch, raisins
-Grilled Cod, peas and carrots, slaw, apple crisp
snacks:carrots and celery sticks with buttermilk dressing, cheese crackers
WEDNESDAY:
-Cranberry Beans-n-Bacon, Cornbread, spinach, creamed corn
- Shrimp I'm Afraid So, greens, Apple Muffins
snacks: Banana Split Yogurt Smoothie, apples
THURSDAY:
-Leftover cranberry beans, cornbread, pudding
-Steak Casserole, Whole Wheat Rolls
snacks:Blackberry Smoothies, popcorn
FRIDAY:
-A Fun and Forkless Meal, Baked Apples
-Grilled Chicken Thighs, sweet potatoes, creamed asparagus
snacks: Buttermilk Pie, popcorn
********************************************************
*Parmesan Cauliflower:
Lightly steam 2 16 oz packages fo cauliflower.
Dump in buttered 9X13.
Dab with 5 T sliced butter.
Salt lightly.
Sprinkle with Parmesan. Lightly pepper.
Bake at 300 for about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Mexi Quick Lunch Dish...

1 pkg turkey polish sausage, sliced
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked brown rice (leftover)
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1/2 cup shredded mex-cheese blend
3 slices of cheese (optional, but it makes it even more yummy)
1/2 to 2/3 cup chopped green onions

Lightly brown sliced polish sausage.
Add chili beans, diced tomatoes, brown rice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and stir.
Heat to simmer. Top with shredded cheese and triangles of sliced cheese. Then the green onions.
Cover and heat until cheeses have melted.

Great for a quick lunch and it doesn't get any better than a one-dish-meal!

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds...

I can hardly believe how many seeds came from so few!

I was given a few Giant Russian Sunflower seeds, and boy were they nice and big flowers!

-And full of seeds!

*

We knocked the little green and yellow flower tips off just by raking our hand across the flowers surface.

Then sorta scraped the seeds from the flower.

Rinsed them.

Boiled them in salt water for 2 hours. (2 cups salt 4 quarts of water)
(*I've also just soaked small ones overnight, rather than boil.)

Strained them, let them drip dry some. To help dry them, you can dump them on towels and pat them.

Then baked them at around 300 until they were completely dried out. (this could take several hours, depending on how long they drip first)

They are ready once dried.
So yummy,  and you don't have to add any extra weird oils like store-bought!
(Although you can if they are not salty enough by tossing them in a tablespoon or two of melted butter and salt, after they've been dried.)

*If you want a roasted peanut butter flavor, you can slightly brown the seeds.