Quote of the Week
"The cost of food is significant. When we eat out and pay someone else to cook our food for us, the bill can easily double or triple in cost. Therefore, cooking our own food at home saves us money".
Dining out multiple times per week at a cost of $15 to $50 per meal adds up and can easily become a habit, is often unhealthy, unplanned, and eats away our savings accounts. Cook at home, invest the difference and buy your freedom.
My Frugal Week
On Monday after letting the chicken broth from the rotisserie chickens cool, I packaged it up and ended up with ten pint sized containers of deep colored broth.
Afterwards I sorted thru the bones and picked out the remaining meat, and ended up with about one third full of a gallon size Ziplock bag. Then I decided to use it with a package of Pepperidge Farms dressing and the chicken broth to make chicken and dressing for dinner on Tuesday evening.
On Thursday we were out of gelatin cups again. So, I made six cups with strawberry/banana gelatin and canned pears and peaches, and I made six cups using orange gelatin and fresh clementines. These make the perfect evening snack with a spoonful of cottage cheese on top.
On Friday after yard sales, I stopped at Aldi and picked up two pounds of red grapes, grape tomatoes, one English cucumber, and one package of strawberries, which came to $9.90.
On Saturday I washed the new mason jars I picked up this week and reorganized a shelf in my kitchen. I washed a board we found last week at a yard sale to make a shelf liner. Then I lined up all my jars on the shelf, which should make it easier to find them and put them away after using.
Have you ever known ketchup to go bad? I had a bottle in my fridge that was fine when we bought it but tasted off to me recently even though it was not out of date. I didn’t want to use it in my beefy baked beans recipe this week, so instead I turned to some Heinz ketchup packs, given to me by a friend, and measured out the half cup I needed and used that in my recipe instead.
Look around at what you have and ask yourself, “how can I use this”, even if it’s in a different way. Look outside the box. Some of these frugal tasks may seem like a lot of work, but hard work is something we can do.
Recipe of the Week
This recipe reminds me of my homemade chicken nuggets recipe, but this one has the addition of chopped broccoli, which will boost the nutrient content.
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Patties
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
Season with pepper, salt, onion powder, and paprika to taste.
Mix everything together and make into patties.
Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake at 425° and for about 25 minutes.
What’s for Dinner
Monday ~ BBQ Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Cucumber & Tomato Salad.
Tuesday ~ Chicken & Dressing, Green Beans with Onions.
Wednesday ~ We had Florida family come in for just a few hours on a layover in Chattanooga after their Tennessee river cruise. It wasn’t long enough to bring them back home for lunch because of the distance, so we went to Wendy’s and they bought my lunch, which was a small chili and water.
They are both very frugal and wanted to stop at Burger King to get the $3.99 Whopper Wednesday deal to take with them for dinner later. They needed two Whoppers and you can only get one on the app, so Linda bought one on her app and I bought one on my app. I teased them and told them that since they bought my lunch, I would buy dinner. 😂
Linda saw me take the receipt from Wendy's and add it to my Fetch app, so she asked me about it. I went ahead and installed it on her phone for her and she ended up with 2,700 points before she left the Chattanooga airport.
And I got 3,000 points for the referral. If you're interested in joining Fetch and scanning your receipts for gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, etc., my referral link can be found in the right hand column at the bottom of this page.
Once I got home I made dinner for Bailey and myself, which was Chicken and Dressing from Tuesday, and Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Thursday ~ Beefy Baked Beans, Steamed Carrots & Cabbage, Sliced Zucchini, and the last of the Cucumber Tomato Salad. The zucchini, free from a friend, was sliced into coins like cucumbers and served raw. Bailey doesn’t care for cooked zucchini, but she really enjoyed it raw, so I’ll be serving it this way again.
Friday ~ Bailey had her book club to attend, so I was on my own for dinner. I made both of us a Caesar Grilled Chicken salad for dinner, but we didn’t eat together like we usually do.
Saturday ~ Lemon Pepper Chicken with Peppers & Onions, Carrots, Cabbage, and Corn on the Cob.
Sunday ~ Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Patties (recipe above), Corn on the Cob, along with a garden salad.
What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?
Belinda
Homemaker at Heart
Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27
I've never known kethup or mustard either one to go off because they have vinegar in them. However, this sounds like it might not have processed properly at the manufacturer. Good that you had an alternative you could turn to quickly. Your chicken pattie recipe is one I am going to have to try. It sounds delicious. Hope you and Bailey have a great Memorial Day.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Frances.
DeleteYes, that makes perfect sense about the vinegar! That is why we eat on some things like bean based dishes and salads with vinegar because they last longer. Something must have happened during the processing phase.
We really liked this recipe and will definitely be making it again. I like easy recipes like this one. And you can season it however you like. I added some herbs de province to ours.
I hope you have a great Memorial Day too.
Glad you got to visit with some family this week. That is always nice!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, Cheryl. I hope you have a good Memorial Day.
DeleteI've got a zillion packets of various condiments that I probably should throw as I don't even remember the last thing I added so they must be horribly old. I agree with the eating out...my budget took a killing in April and May and June with going on a trip, won't be better, but I got to crack down after June 5th and only eat meals prepared at home for the he rest of the month.
ReplyDeleteWe used to love to eat out and still do, but it really does a number on our budget.
DeleteYou have a wonderful Memorial Day, that is something we do not celebrate in Canada.
ReplyDeleteGreat frugal savings going on at your house.
God bless.
Thank you, Jackie.
DeleteYour menu sounds delicious. I love a light breading on zucchini coins & baking, which makes them crispy & delicious. Another option, if you end up with a lot this summer. - Hawaii Planner
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious! I'll definitely be trying that this summer.
DeleteYou are right about getting the most bang for your buck by cooking at home. Sometimes we splurge on grouper or sea bass and even though it is pricy I can make delicious meals for both of us that would cost upwards of 40 bucks each at a restaurant for about 1/4 of the cost.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure I have some ground chicken in the freezer and will be making those patties. Thanks for the recipe
Oh, that is a terrific way to save on seafood, Anne. That is a real money saver. You're welcome for the recipe too. :)
DeleteHi Belinda, You were very thrifty. "Cook at home, invest the difference and buy your freedom." What a way to look at it!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful May-ending! Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Thank you, Laura. With the right mindset, we can do great things.
DeleteThank you so much for getting me thinking of Jello cups. They are going to be in my summer snack rotation for sure now!
ReplyDeleteI used Fetch for a while, but it seemed nothing I purchased did much on the app as far as rewards went. I use the BK app quite a lot!!!
You’re welcome, we love our jello cups here. I’ll have to check out the BK app. Thank you for the suggestion.
DeleteYou are so creative! I never would have thought to use ketchup packets if my bottle isn't tasting right. You are inspiring me to try to make a meal plan and keep it as frugal as possible. It would certainly help me make dinner easier after a long day of work. Those chicken and broccoli patties sound so good! I'm going to need to try making them. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alex. I love Heinz ketchup, so it was an easy decision. 😂 And you’re welcome, the chicken Pattie’s are really good. I put honey mustard on them when we ate them.
Delete