Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in Our Frugal Kitchen ~ May 6, 2024

                                 

My Frugal Week

We use parmesan cheese here regularly and I save the lids as they fit very well on a mason jar. I've been making my own spice jars for a while now using a pint size canning jar with parmesan lid and a homemade label. The mason jar will hold two of the Great Value spice jars easily. 

Recently I measured the space under my kitchen sink and went to the store to find two containers for each side. It had to be small enough to fit under the drain pipe and the bottom of the sink. 

I found the Hefty 32 quart storage bin with a high rise lid. We have multiple sets of small tupperware for items like homemade jello cups, so one of the bins holds all my small containers. The other bin holds all my cleaning supplies. They make the whole area look less cluttered, which I like. 

Recipe of the Week

Pimento Cheese

Back in 1996 I was part of the Slim & Trim diet club and we would meet every Monday. We would often share recipes and had even made a cookbook at one time. One of the recipes I made was for pimento cheese, but I substituted cottage cheese fo the mayonnaise in the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups mayonnaise 

1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1 teaspoon finely grated onion 

1 (8-oz.) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 

1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese 

Celery sticks and assorted crackers

Directions:

Combine mayo, pimientos, worcestershire sauce, and grated onion.Shred the cheese and add to mayo mixture, stirring until blended. Store in the refrigerator up to one week. Serve with celery sticks or assorted crackers.

What’s for Dinner

Meatless Monday ~ Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Corn, Salad. 

Taco Tuesday ~ Walnut Shrimp, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Peas. 

Wednesday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl, Cole Slaw.

Thursday ~ Chicken Burrito Bowls

Friday ~ Stir Fried Chicken, Air Fried Sweet Potatoes, Cole Slaw, and Cucumber Tomato Salad. 

Saturday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl with Chicken, Stir Fry Vegetables, Cauliflower Rice, Cucumber Tomato Salad. 

Sunday ~ Chicken Teriyaki with Stir Fried Vegetables, Fried Rice. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

Items I have on hand include orange chicken, pork, cube steak, round steak, fajita chicken, chicken, sausage, and tuna. Please come back next week to see what we will have on our menu this week. 

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

First Frugal Friday of May 2024

 Welcome to Frugal Friday! 

My Frugal Week
It's been a whirlwind of activity this week as I went to the ortho doctor on Tuesday for shots in both knees. My BMI is very close to the range he wants in order to do my double knee replacement, so my next appointment will be with the surgeon in three months to discuss my options. 
Afterwards I went to Walmart, Gordon Foods, and Whole Foods. I also went to Trader Joe's after an appointment on Thursday to pick up some orange chicken and tahini. 
Twice this past week I cleaned up a bit downstairs and had more rubbish for the garbage man. I also cleaned off the back porch and disassembled a shelf and used zip ties to tie it together for the next consignment sale. 
Earlier in the week I bought some very large contractor garbage bags for downstairs. On Thursday I went down there and put some of the regular garbage bags into these heavy duty bags as some of the regular bags were so heavy they were busting through the bags. Hopefully these will solve this problem. 
I weeded the flower bed next to Dad's office door. It's early in the season, but things are already growing with this warm weather we are having. 
We were able to air out the house on multiple days this week as the weather was just beautiful and the cool breeze through the house felt good. 
On Saturday Bailey went to a couple of yard sales, but I stayed home to do laundry, clean, and visit as one of our neighbors was coming over. 
My Vidalia Chop Wizard bit the dust recently and I put the word out that I need another one. They are a dime a dozen on the second hand market, so I am not paying $22 for a new one. Bailey found an old fashioned chopper like this at the yard sale for $1.00, so I'll use it until we score a chop wizard.
Good Neighbors 
Sunday was a whirlwind of activity as several of the neighbors learned about Dad's passing. We had about half a dozen neighbors come over. One of them brought all of Dad's tractor implements all the way up to the house where they are in plain sight of my kitchen window. He offered to mow the lawn for me and plans to do that this week. 
Another neighbor came on Monday and weeded one area and trimmed the holly bushes for us. It’s in an area where Bailey parks her car and Bailey had been working on the area when her power saw broke. I told our neighbor Bailey was going to be thrilled when she saw it, and about that time Bailey drove up and was tickled pink when she saw it. 
We ended up selling Dad's tractor to the neighbor's father-in-law and sold an outbuilding off  Dad's property across the road to a different neighbor. It was a wonderful feeling of fellowship, community and comradery. They all know we are alone and vulnerable up here without Dad and they all told me to call them if we ever need anything. 
It did make me sad to see Dad's tractor drive down the driveway for the last time.  He bought it in 1991, so it's been a huge part of our lives here for over thirty years and I couldn't tell you how many hours he put on it working around our home. 
We also ended up selling Dad's 5th Wheel Camper this week, so it's been a very busy week here. 
Photo of the Week

Wildflowers currently growing on Dad's property across the road. 
Savings of the Week
I went to Gordon Foods to buy their large can of black olives, which is a better deal than the smaller cans at other stores. Gordon's 110 ounce can sells for $11.99, which works out to 66 cents for the six ounce can, which sells at Walmart for $1.94. So, big savings where black olives are concerned. 
Question of the Week
If you had the opportunity to purchase all the original The Tightwad Gazette newsletters in a three ring binder, would you buy them? And if so, what would you be willing to pay for them?
Avoiding Spending
This week was bill paying week, so I didn't avoid spending money, but all the bills have been paid, so I'm very grateful. 

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in our Frugal Kitchen ~ April 29, 2024

                                           

My Frugal Week

On Tuesday I boiled a carton of eighteen eggs to have for the week and also made a gallon of green tea. We continue to use what we have in our pantry and cook from scratch, mostly eating a whole foods diet rather than relying on processed food. 

I made a batch of Minestrone soup this week and made individual bowls for the freezer, which will be nice to pull out for lunches in the future. I ended up with seven individual portions for the freezer. 

Recipe of the Week

This recipe for Cucumber Salad first appeared in a Southern Living magazine that I had picked up at a yard sale one summer.  Since that time I've made this recipe dozens of times and it has become a tried and true family favorite. Perfect for when your garden is filled with cucumbers and tomatoes. 

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers
1 large tomato
1 small red bell pepper
1 small purple onion
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cut cucumbers and remove seeds with a spoon.

Chop cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, and onion.
Whisk together oil and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. 

(I put the dressing ingredients in a jar & shake well)

Add cucumber mixture, tossing to coat. 

Cover and chill 3 hours.

Photo of the Week

Vegetables being sauteed in EVOO for minestrone soup. 

What’s for Lunch

Leftovers, 15 Beans Cajun Soup Beans, Yogurt & Fruit, Cottage Cheese Egg Salad.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ BBQ Pulled Pork, Green Beans with Onions, and Carrots.

Tuesday ~ Baked Fish, Baked Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Cauliflower. 

Wednesday ~ Salmon Patties, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans & Onions. 

Thursday ~ Hamburger Scramble, Homemade Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions. 

Friday ~ Bailey had book club, so I was on my own for dinner. I made a pot of the Sardinia Minestrone soup and had a bowl for my dinner. 

Saturday & Sunday~ Tacos, Red Onions, Lettuce, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (my favorite), Cucumber Tomato Salad, and Corn. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

We are serving at least one meatless meal this week to save money on meat, so I’ll make Bean & Cheese Enchiladas for dinner one night. I'm also making a Sausage Casserole with Cauliflower Rice. 

Later this week I’ll need to do some grocery shopping, so the rest of the week is undecided right now. Please come back next week to see what we end up making for these dinners. 

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

Fourth Frugal Friday of April 2024

 

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
It's springtime in Tennessee and with that brings folklore about the cold weather snaps. This week we experienced Blackberry Winter when the blackberries are in bloom. 
There are three main Tennessee springtime winters:
Redbud Winter usually arrives in MarchDogwood Winter runs from late March through early AprilBlackberry Winter comes around the first of May 
When my birthday arrives in May, we know the cool weather has passed for the season. Same can be said in Autumn, when Bailey's birthday rolls around in late October, we know the hot weather is gone for the season. 

The representative for my trunk pump came last Friday to measure me. He had a family emergency the Friday before, which is why he didn't come. So now he will submit this to my insurance company and start the waiting period. 
On Saturday I had some errands to run and then came home and did some laundry. Bailey was running low on inventory, so it was a good time to go through my clothes and sort out any I no longer wear. Afterwards, I steamed them for her. I measured them on Tuesday and she had them listed by the end of the week. 
On Wednesday evening members of the church come by as I had some stuff to donate for their yard sale. They left here with two pickup truck loads to sell. They serve our community by giving away free food every two weeks and are using the funds from the sale towards this project and I can't think of a better place to donate these items. 
Freebies
The Fussy Librarian and Robin Reads are both websites offering free books to read.  
Photo of the Week

Bailey saved money this week by using up multiple press on nails. She had several left over, but not enough for a whole set. She called them Frankenstein nails. The ladies at her book club thought they were so cute. 
Savings of the Week
After physical therapy on Thursday I went into Food City for some sweet potatoes and found a package of cube steak and a package of round steak on markdown. So, I picked those up and put them in the freezer. It's been a long time since we've had either of those. 
It's been a quiet week here, how was your week? Any frugal wins to share?

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Menu Plan Monday ~ 4-22-2024

 

My Frugal Week

Here we are already at the start of another new week. I hope you are doing well and saving money in your frugal kitchen. We definitely saved money in our frugal kitchen this week by cooking from scratch and eating all our meals at home. 

Recipe of the Week

This week I made my own homemade chicken nuggets and it's really easy to do if you want to make your own. I used what chicken I had on hand, which was two of the five ounce cans. If you have a twelve ounce can you can use that. Or you can use any type chicken you have on hand. 

I made these twice, the first time I used a fork and mashed the chicken and mixed the ingredients together well. The second time I mixed them in my food processor, which made a big difference and is the method we preferred as it made them more like chicken nuggets. 

I used a small cookie scoop to make them into even shapes and this recipe made eight nuggets. I made a double batch in case eight wasn't enough for the two of us, so naturally we had leftovers. 

Make sure you drain your chicken well, the drier the better. I only added the parmesan cheese because I felt like the mixture was too wet. And, you may not want to cook yours for eight minutes longer once you flip them. I like my food well done, so you can do less time on the flip side if you prefer. 

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

1 can of chicken or equivalent (I used two 5 ounce cans)

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/4 cup cheese

1 egg

Spices of your choice (I used onion powder and dill)

Directions: 

Drain chicken and place into food processor.

Add cheese, egg, and spices.

Process until mixed well and uniform.

Using a one inch pastry scoop, make 8 chicken nuggets.

Air Fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flip and cook 8 minutes longer.

What’s for Lunch

Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, Deviled Eggs, and Soup.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken Fajitas with Onions & Peppers, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, Onions, Corn and Baked Apples. 

Tuesday ~ Grilled Chicken, Salad, and Roasted Sweet Potatoes. 

Wednesday ~ Salisbury Steak with Beefy Mushroom, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli. 

Thursday ~ Baked Fish, Brussel Sprouts, and Baked Sweet Potatoes. 

Friday ~ Bailey had book club, so I baked a Purple Sweet Potato for dinner, which was delicious. 

Saturday ~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets, 15 Bean Cajun Soup Beans, Roasted Potatoes and Stir Fry Vegetables. 

Sunday ~ Beefy Baked Beans Baked Sweet Potato Chips, and Sugar Snap Peas. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

This week we have fish on the menu along with pulled pork and chicken. Please be sure to come back next week to see what we end up having and what side dishes we serve with these main dishes. 

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

Third Frugal Friday of April 2024

                                              

Welcome to Frugal Friday! 
My Frugal Week
I sold one item on eBay this week. 
I used up three packets of protein powder I bought to try out in the last year, so I'm glad to have used them up this week. 
The representative for my trunk pump never came last Friday. I waited for thirty minutes and called and was told someone would call me right back, but no one did. So, rather than clean downstairs, Bailey and I left for an adventure. 
We took the last of the books downstairs plus some of ours to McKay Used Books. They will only let you process three bins of books at  time and we had six, so we left some to be processed the next day. 
While they processed our books, we shopped for new ones for us. I found Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat For Life, for $6, which made me happy as I had it on my wish list on Amazon. I'll be reading it once I finish A Man Called Ove. 
Afterwards we went to our favorite Chinese buffet for lunch/dinner, and then went thrift store shopping in Fort Oglethorpe. I didn't buy anything from the thrift store. I looked, but nothing caught my fancy. 
After that we stopped and got specialty drinks from Sonic. They sell half price drinks all day long on their app. I got a Blackberry Lemonade, which was delicious.
On Monday I steamed forty pieces of clothing for Bailey to photograph for her shops.  On Tuesday I measured them in order for her to list them for sale.
Rather than let it languish in my drawer, I returned a clothing item that didn't fit me well.
I stopped in at Whole foods after an appointment on thursday, I saved 46 cents using my Amazon Prime membership. 
Freebies
We received four free calendars from the USDA Defend the Flock series. I also received a free issue of Southern Living magazine. 
That's all the news to report from here this week. I hope you've had a very good week. I'd love to hear all about it in the comment section. 

Thank you for dropping by my frugal blog, you are always welcome here. 
We would love to hear all about your week in the comment section.

BelindaHomemaker at HeartMortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27