Frugal Living Tip of the Day f or May 15, 2//8 May 15, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postA few years ago I found myself in a predicament. I had thawed too much ground beef and it was going to spoil if I didn’t use it. While racking my brain to figure out something that I could make with what I had on hand, I realized that I had everything I needed for a hearty pasta fagioli soup. ever since, it has been a staple food in my home. My Italian partner walks around with a grin every time I make it, so my hunch is that it should be pretty popular around your house too.
Michael’s Simple, Cheap Pasta Fagioli
THE INGREDIENTS
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 sm onion, chopped
* 6 C stock
* 1 can spinach (small can)
* 2 carrots, diced
* 3 C navy beans, cooked
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
* 8 oz shell pasta
* 1 bay leaf
* seasoning to taste
THE PROCESS
1. Pour the stock, spinach (drained), garlic and tomatoes into a large crock pot and cover.
2. Brown the ground beef with onion, drain and add to crock pot.
3. Set crock pot on high, cover and leave it alone for 2-3 hours.
4. Boil pasta & carrots together, drain.
5. Drain navy beans and rinse (if canned).
6. Add pasta and beans to crock pot and set to low heat for 30 minutes.
HEALTH NOTES
Want to try it out but you’re concerned about your health? Try these substitutions:
* If you want to use ground beef, don’t bother buying the expensive lean stuff, just rinse the ground beef and onions thoroughly in a colander after browning them and you will remove just as much fat.
* If you’d rather use something a bit healthier, replace the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken. Both are priced fairly inexpensively.
* Use what you’ve got! Leftover chicken, turkey, beef cut into small pieces will work just as well and get rid of some leftovers in the process.
* To cut down on salt, add a bit of lemon juice to the pot. The citric acid will flavor it and you won’t feel the need to use so much salt.
I just threw this recipe together based on what I had in the cupboard, so it will probably vary the next time I make it, but I wanted to save the recipe nonetheless, since it turned out so well and cost very little.
Extra! Extra! May 15th FREE DEAL from McDonald’s
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postHere’s an extra for you all, because it isn’t often that restaurants give anything away!
May 15th (today) only, participating McDonald’s restaurants are giving away their Southern Style Chicken with the purchase of a medium or large drink. In the morning, grab a Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, in the afternoon and evening, a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich.
What are you waiting for???
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 14, 2008 May 14, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. 1 comment so far , edit post
In my house we eat a lot of chicken, often as much as 5 days a week! Depending on how I buy my poultry, it can prove to be pretty expensive at times. Though I love boneless chicken breasts and chicken tenderloins, they are often the most expensive cuts at the supermarket so I am always on the lookout for cheaper ways to buy chicken. It is the frugal maniac in me, what can I say? Even when I get a great deal, I seem to always be on the lookout for a way to make it even greater.
In most cases, buying whole fryers is the way to go, because there is so little prep involved beforehand it is cheaper pound-for-pound. I know when I was first starting out on my own I didn’t buy them all that much, mainly because I didn’t have the slightest idea how to cut up a whole chicken when I didn’t want to cook the whole thing. If you are in the same boat you can rest easy, because I have found a couple of videos that will help you. I only wish I would have had these years ago!
In this video, you are guided on a step-by-step process for quartering a whole chicken:
The video mentioned this, but I need to reiterate something - don’t toss those chicken bones and carcasses! The inedible bits (including fat, bones, tendons and joints) can be tossed into a crock pot for a few hours yielding cup after glorious cup of delicious chicken stock that you can freeze for later use in soups, stews and other recipes. If you missed my earlier post about how to make stock, you’ll find it right here .
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 13, 2008 May 13, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postFood expenses account for one of the biggest dents in the average budget and I want you to save everywhere you can! This frugal tip has actually been around for hundreds of years, but westerners have only recently caught on.
The Japanese Art of Bento
Technically called “Obento”, the Japanese origin is actually not as glamorous as you might think. It basically means “boxed lunch”. But bento is nothing like what your mother sent with you to school in your Scooby Doo lunchbox. This stuff is art. The Japanese believe that food should be as appealing to the eye as it is to the stomach, and after many years of creating and eating my own bento lunches, I can’t say that I disagree.
Food art is not frugal in and of itself, but with bento, you are controlling portions and making simple foods take on an artistic appearance. Apples become bunnies, cheese and lunch meats become flowers…you really wouldn’t believe everything you can do!
There are websites aplenty that sing the praises of bento, and just as many that offer recipes and preparation tips for beginners and aficianados alike. My favorite, bar none is Lunch in a Box, hosted by Biggie - a work-at-home mother of a preschooler who can do things with food that I can only strive for.
There are thousands of designs for bento boxes sold by all sorts of companies worldwide, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money - or any, for that matter - to start enjoying bento for yourself. When I first started, I simply used a divided Rubbermaid meal storage container. In time, you may want to invest in an honest-to-goodness bento box and if you are curious about where to find one, Ebay has quite a few on sale at all times.
I purchased my first bento box (I know own several) from the host of Bento TV, who also sells bento boxes and accessories on Ebay, as well as having regular videos on her website to help bento beginners hone the craft.
One of these days I will get around to sharing a few of my own bento creations with you, but I am usually so busy eating it that I forget to take pictures!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 12, 2008 May 12, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postA lot of people are intimidated by the idea of making their own salad dressing. This recipe illustrates well why so many restaurants use balsamic vinaigrette as their house dressing. It’s simple to make with almost no prep time whatsoever and it stores well if you have leftovers.
Don’t forget it’s also delicious and really easy to do, and from a money standpoint, this recipe costs me pennies to make per batch.
This recipe yields about 1/2 cup, enough for 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I use turbinado or honey when I have them)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Just mix everything together.
Yeah, that’s really all there is to it. Really easy and much less expensive than buying it at the supermarket.
The olive oil is key in this recipe; it has a distinct flavor that will be missed if you make this dressing with another oil. If you’re feeling adventurous, try playing with the spices or adding some freshly chopped herbs. It’s your kitchen, your rules!
One closing note on storage: if you do store leftovers in the fridge, the olive oil is going to separate and solidify. That’s natural and it is perfectly okay to eat. All you need to do is take it out of the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature for half an hour or so. Then when you are ready to use it, just give it a good shake and you’ll be ready to eat.
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 11, 2008 May 11, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit postFrugal Savings – Part 1
Making Credit Work For You
Make your credit cards pay you, not the other way around! There are tons of card companies these days that offer ‘pay you back’ incentives – usually one to two percent (1-2%) of your purchases. If you are lucky enough (like I was), you’ll find that even your debit / check card will offer you some sort of rewards program. When I realized that I was already involved in a reward program at my credit union, I was able to redeem the points I had already earned for a $100 VISA gift card, all for doing nothing other than using my debit card like I would have done anyway. If that ain’t a deal, I don’t know one.
If you are like most people, you have more than one credit card. While the most important considerations should always be the interest rate and total debt on your cards, you still owe it to yourself to find out if any of your current credit cards offer cash back or rewards programs. After all, you might be entitled to something you didn’t even know was available!
Give your credit card companies a call – heck, at least this time you won’t have to cringe when you talk to them!
Frugal Living Tip of the Day for May 10. 2008 May 10, 2008
Posted by michaelnolan in tip of the day. add a comment , edit post
In honor of Mother’s Day (which is tomorrow in case you missed the memo), I wanted to offer you some money saving tips for wrapping that gift I know you’ve already bought. I mean…you have got her something already, right?
Okay, assuming that you have a gift, you need a way to wrap it without overspending, so here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Brown Bag It
One of the easiest ways to wrap a gift is to use a plain brown grocery bag. All you need to do is cut it open along the folds and wrap your gift with the label side facing inward. If you happen to have a roll of brown craft paper (also sometimes called “deli paper”), that will make it even easier.
To personalize your plain brown wrapper, use stencils or freehand some simple designs across the paper and finish it off with a piece of ribbon and a faux flower.
A Tisket, A Tasket
Here’s another great idea – why not place your gift inside a pretty basket? Chances are you have several of them stowed away in a closet somewhere anyway, so why not use them.
Shredded junk mail can be used as filler, and a few small knick-knacks, some ribbon and a glue gun will finish it off perfectly.
It’s Only a Dollar…
If you are just hell bent on spending money, just stop by your local Dollar Store. They always have a good selection of wrapping papers and gift bags and if you’re going to spend money, at least you can be cheap about it!
