Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #3 September 2025

 

My Frugal Week

Last Monday I decided to take the leftover turkey carcass to the county dumpster. I've been battling a raccoon getting into the garbage here, which I didn’t want, so I fixed that issue. 

Since I didn't have much garbage, I decided to take advantage of that and went downstairs to clear out the few things left in my Dad’s refrigerator and freezer. Some yogurt, a frozen pizza, a couple of water jugs, and a chocolate cake I made him for his last birthday, which was a 9 x 13 size. He had frozen it so he could have a piece every now and then. 

All that remains in that refrigerator/freezer is the one turkey we have left. On a good note, we can use that fridge as a back up to ours upstairs in case we need any extra cold storage, which does happen from time to time.  

On Monday afternoon I sorted and rinsed some pinto beans and put them into a bowl of water to soak overnight and cooked them in the Instant Pot the next day. This made additions to various meals all week long. 

Photo of the Week

These are the acorn squash we received for free last week, nine in all. We enjoyed them two times last week. 

Recipe of the Week

This is a recipe for healthy brownies that I tried recently. I’ve tweaked the recipe a little and added my own touches to make them taste better. This is really good with just a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt on top, sort of like a sweet and savory combination. 

Brownies

Ingredients:

3 bananas, ripened

1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla (my addition)

1/2 teaspoon salt (my addition)

Directions: 

Mash bananas and add to a bowl.

Add peanut butter and cocoa and mix well.

Stir in vanilla and salt and stir together.

Place in an 8x8 pan and spread out.

I used parchment paper to keep them from sticking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

 

What Was for Dinner

Monday ~ Turkey Salad on Pita Bread, Bean Salad and Corn 

Using the Jennieo Roasted Turkey I made over the weekend, I borrowed a tip from Carol on the Living Simply Facebook group and made Turkey salad for dinner. 

I cut up the turkey, added Greek yogurt, chopped onions, apples, pecans, celery, and raisins along with some salt, pepper, and light mayonnaise. I served these on whole wheat pita bread along with bean salad and corn as the side dishes. 

Bailey liked the turkey salad so much she asked me to repeat the process with the other turkey, so we may not be saving that one for Thanksgiving after all. 

Tuesday ~ General Tso's Chicken & Grilled Chicken Salad 

I had a General Tso Chicken from Whole Foods in the freezer, so I thawed that for Bailey to have for her dinner. I had a grilled chicken salad for my dinner. 

Wednesday ~ Turkey Polish Sausage, Pinto Beans, Cooked Carrots 

I had planned on making Lentil Loaf today, and even had the lentils cooked, only to walk into the kitchen at dinner making time to find Bailey working with tie dye in the kitchen sink, and then a mishap as a leak was discovered in her bin, which leaked onto the kitchen floor. 

After the cleanup I needed a new plan as there wasn’t enough time left to make the lentil loaf. So, I took a package of Turkey Polish Sausage out of the freezer and put them on the grill. I already had pinto beans cooked in the instant pot and would use those and put a bag of baby carrots in my other instant pot and those were done in ten minutes. Whew, crisis diverted. 😂 

Thursday ~ Lentil Loaf, Baked Acorn Squash, and Carrots. 

The lentils were already cooked for dinner, so this was an easy meal prep. This was an inexpensive meal as the lentils, oats and acorn squash were given to me, all I had to pay for was the onion, cheese, egg, and tomato sauce. 

Remember when I bought those eight can of tomato sauce this summer at a church yard sale for 25 cents? I used half of one of those in this dish, so this was definitely an inexpensive main dish. 

We just love this recipe so much! It’s delicious and I’m grateful to Jennifer who posted it on the Living Simply Facebook group. Bailey had two helpings as she really enjoys it too. The acorn squash was also delicious. 

Friday ~ Hamburgers with Cheese, and Corn on the Cob. 

I went to Food City to get some cheese for dinner. I spotted this 1.64 pound package of ground round on markdown for $5.90, so I bought it and when I got home Bailey wanted me to make hamburgers with for dinner, so that is what we had. I served them with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and pickles. 

Saturday ~ Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Mexican Corn, and Salad. 

Pinto Beans were soaked overnight and cooked earlier in the week. All I had to do today was mash them up to make refried beans and then make the enchiladas. Rather than use sour cream in the recipe I used blended cottage cheese. I added some cumin and mild green chilies to the beans. I made eight of them and ended up with three leftover. 

Sunday ~ Leftovers, Acorn Squash, and Mixed Vegetables

We had enough bean and cheese enchiladas and lentil loaf to have for dinner tonight. Even after dinner I still have one slice of lentil loaf, which I’ll eat for lunch tomorrow. Sides were baked acorn squash along with a bag of frozen mix vegetables, which is a such a great convenience food to keep on hand. 

What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?

Belinda

Homemaker at Heart

~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27

Image Credit

Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen #1 December 2023 ~ Meal Plan Monday

 

Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen

Quote of The Week

The power of a homemade meal extends far beyond sustenance; it carries love, comfort, and cherished memories.

My Frugal Week

I took the leftover chili and chicken & dressing and put them into individual containers and stored them in the freezer, so we will have those for future meals. In fact, I thawed  a chicken and dressing for lunch on Thursday and it was delicious. 

On Wednesday I baked off a ten pound bag of chicken leg quarters, pulled the meat off the bones and chopped the meat into bite sized pieces. Five chicken leg quarters made eight cups of chicken meat. I took the juices from the pan and poured them into a canning jar and it's in the fridge. I'll take the fat off of it in the morning and store it in the freezer for stock later.  

The reason I changed menu plans and made the leg quarters is to make room in the freezer. We have two above the refrigerator freezers and I want the space back as I plan on grocery shopping soon. 

I did an inventory of my spice cabinet this week. I have plenty of some spices that I needed to check on before Christmas baking and I have a couple I would like to replace. My thyme and fennel seed are very low and older than I'd like, so those will be replaced this month.  

Recipe of the Week

This was originally posted to the Living Simple Facebook group by Jennifer and she also posted a link to the original recipe on Food.com. This recipe is definitely a keeper, it actually looks like meatloaf and tastes fantastic!

The recipe called for four ounces of tomato sauce and the smallest can I had was eight ounces. So, I took the leftover four ounces of sauce and added it to the jar of pizza sauce I keep on the refrigerator door that we use for pizza eggs for breakfast. No one will be the wiser and I'm avoiding food waste.

The lentils I used in this recipe were given to me, so no cost there. But one pound of lentils is definitely cheaper than one pound of ground beef.

Lentil Loaf Ingredients: 1 cup lentils 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 small onion, diced (I sauteed these before adding) 1 cup quick oats ¾ cup grated cheese 1 egg, beaten 4 ounces tomato sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon basil ½ teaspoon seasoned salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper Directions: Add salt to water and boil. Add lentils and simmer, cook 30 minutes until soft. Mash lentils. Add onions, oats, and cheese until mixed, Add eggs, tomato sauce and spices. Spoon into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

What’s for Breakfast

Leftovers, Pizza Eggs, hot mug of Tomato Soup, Dave's Killer Bread toast with apple butter.

What’s for Dinner

Meatless Monday ~ Lentil Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Red Cabbage & Onions. I had some onions cut up from over the weekend from when we had tacos, so I used them for this recipe and sautéed them before adding to the dish. 

Taco Tuesday ~ Bailey had BBQ Chicken pizza for movie night while I had more lentil loaf and cranberry sauce. 

Wednesday ~ Baked Chicken Teriyaki with Pineapple, mashed potatoes, and California blend vegetables. 

The reason I changed menu plans and made the leg quarters is to make room in the freezer. We have two above the refrigerator freezers and I want the space back as I plan on grocery shopping soon. 

Thursday ~ Salmon Patties, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with Onions. The salmon patties were frozen from a previous meal. 

Taking inventory of my pantry and freezer allowed me to create this meal. Instead of making a new meal, I used up smaller portions from other meals and created this from those remnants. It was like getting a meal for free and helped me save on my grocery budget. #useitup

 

Friday ~ Breakfast for Dinner ~ I needed to take a package of sausage out of the freezer to make room for ice for Bailey's tie dye, so I decided to use that and make breakfast for dinner tonight. 

We had sausage, fried potatoes, toast and sausage gravy. I served it with apple butter on the table. The leftovers made a great breakfast on Saturday morning. 

Saturday ~ Hamburger Steaks with Beef Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots.  

Sunday ~ Boar's Head Smoked Sausage (Kroger markdown), Fried Potatoes, Green Beans and Onions.  

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

I haven't decided yet, so I'm going to wing it this week. I've been going through old recipes from my grandmother, my Mom and even me and typing some up to have on my computer for future reference. So, I have a lot of ideas planned and need to do some grocery shopping as we are out of beef and chicken in the freezer. So, please come back next week to see what we had on our menu this 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

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen Week #3 ~ February 2025

 My Frugal Week

I've been inventorying my pantry and freezer this week, and freezing some leftovers for another day.  

Bailey had an errand to run on Saturday and stopped in at Walmart to pick up milk, almond milk, cottage cheese, and turkey pepperoni. 

Recipe of the Week

This is a tried and true family favorite. I first made this in my frugal kitchen when we lived in Pikeville back in 1994 and have made it ever since that time. 

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 small can of tuna, drained and flaked  

1 cup sliced celery  

2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained  

1/4 cup chopped red pepper  

1/4 cup sliced green onions  

2 tablespoons pimientos, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Lettuce, if desired

Directions:

Mix mayonnaise and tuna together.

Add macaroni, celery, red pepper, onions, and pimiento.  

Season to taste with pepper and salt .  

Refrigerate and allow to chill. 

Serve on lettuce leaves.

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Chicken & Dressing using the last of the rotisserie chicken I made over the weekend. I was looking for soup in the freezer and found a bowl of dressing and a bowl of squash. So, I included both of those in our dinner along with some left over stir fry vegetables. It was a big hit, something out of the ordinary and used up two items from the freezer, a win-win in my book. #useitup

Movie Night Tuesday ~ Bailey had her usual pizza for movie night while I made Lentil Tacos for a meatless dinner. 

Wednesday ~ I was out running errands until late, which made dinner later than normal. So, I came in and tossed some chicken breasts in the air fryer, made some cooked apples, and steamed carrots and broccoli for dinner.

Thursday ~ I had some lasagna in the freezer, so I took that out and warmed it up in the oven. I also made some spaghetti squash with a little meat sauce to go with it and served the rest of the apples and carrots on the side. There was enough spaghetti squash with meat sauce left for several days of lunches. 

Fish on Friday ~ No fish today, but rather BBQ pork ribs, which made the whole house smell delicious. I served them with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

Saturday ~ And there were enough ribs left from Friday to have them for dinner again. I served them with the last of the broccoli and butter beans. 

Sunday ~ Egg Roll in a Bowl using turkey sausage and cabbage, along with pinto beans, which I soaked overnight and cooked in my Instant Pot on Sunday. I also had toppings of red onions and tomatoes and served Brussel sprouts as the vegetable. 

I carefully removed eight outer cabbage leaves for a dish later this week and then chopped the rest of the cabbage for dinner. 

What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week

We will be serving at least one meatless meal this week to save money on meat. Right now I am thinking of making the lentil loaf filling and making cabbage rolls with it. 

Other ideas include baked potato bar and chili tacos for now. Since our portions are smaller these days, I find that I don't need to always plan for a different meal each day as we do have leftovers regularly.   

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

Menu Plan Monday ~ Saving Money in my Frugal Kitchen ~ Week #4 ~ February 2025

 My Frugal Week

This week I opened the last can of quick oats out of a box of six cans bought in April 2021 during the pandemic. They have a shelf life of thirty years, but I've used them up in only four years. 

With snow overnight on Wednesday, I stayed home rather than run errands and had a very productive day in the kitchen.

Cheryl over at Cheryl's Frugal Corner gave me an this idea past week. I had some pie crusts in the freezer, so I thawed one out and made pizza pockets for lunch one day over the weekend. The pie crust made them delicious. 

Recipe of the Week

This recipe came out of the necessity to use up some pinto beans I had cooked from the weekend. We really like beans with a lot of flavor and pinto beans are not very flavorful if they are not seasoned. So, I had about four cups left and decided to make this soup, which is very flavorful. Leftovers were stored in individual bowls in the freezer for future meals.

Mexican Pinto Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion diced

1 - 14 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

3 garlic cloves minced

2 small carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon oregano 

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

4 cups pinto beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium/high heat. 

Add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the roasted tomatoes, garlic, carrots, potato, and spices. 

Cook for 1-2 minutes and then pour in the broth.

Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer with a lid for about 10-15 minutes. 

Add in the pinto beans and cook for 10 more minutes.

You can add more veggie broth or water if you want it to be thinner.

Photo of the Week

 

What’s for Dinner

Monday ~ Leftovers of Egg Roll in a Bowl, Pinto Beans, and Brussel Sprouts. I also roasted some potatoes in EVOO in the oven. 

Movie Night Tuesday ~ Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer, Pinto Beans, and Steamed Broccoli. 

Wednesday & Thursday ~ I took the rest of the Pinto Beans and turned them them into Mexican Pinto Bean Soup. Then I decided to make also up a batch of Lentil Loaf and portioned them out into eight cabbage leaves for Cabbage Rolls. 

I cooked the cabbage leaves for one minute in the Instant Pot to get them soft enough to roll. I really liked these and will definitely make them again. I served them with roasted potatoes & onions and green beans with onions. 

That made two meatless meals to save money this week. I’m saving the soup for lunches rather than dinner. 

Friday ~ I had errands to run and was out until 6:30 p.m., bur I did not get take out. Instead, we had the last two cabbage rolls and made a big salad to go with it. 

Saturday ~ Using the free steaks from Save-A-Lot, I made Swiss Steak with them in the crockpot. I served them with Roasted & Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes and Green Beans with Onions. 

Sunday ~ Chicken Fajitas, Corn or Flour Tortillas, Lettuce, Red Onions, Tomatoes, and extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, and Corn. 

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