A Thrifty Week #8 with Frugal Recipes: Black Bean Quickie Burritos & Chicken Bone Soup

Being thrifty means doing with watcha got, making do, using it up, wearing it out, doing without.  It means foregoing some costly pleasures and finding pleasure in less costly things.  As you practice thriftiness, it becomes pleasurable to find bargains, to make something useful again, or to practice self-control.

Here's my thrifty week:
~ No yard saling this week due to storms.  Sometimes staying home is the thriftiest option!

~ I taught my son, Michael, to make refried beans.  We don't actually refry them.  We just mash them and add cheese.  We used two pounds of pinto beans so that we could have two meals.  We wrapped the beans in tortillas and spread the beans on tostada shells.

~ I baked chicken leg quarters in my clay cooker Tuesday evening.  I deboned the chicken prior to serving to make it stretch.  I left a bit of meat on the bones so that they could be boiled for a soup base later.

~ My daughter substituted coconut oil for canola oil for biscuits.  While coconut oil is more expensive than canola oil, it's even more expensive to drive to town to get an item when we run out.

~ I used the chicken bones to make soup  I just covered them with water and added a little salt.  I let them simmer awhile and looked through my cupboard for other things to add.

*Chicken Bone Soup*
Boil chicken bones until you have a nice broth, 30 minutes to an hour.
Strain out bones and bits of meat and set aside to cool.
Add:
  chopped veggies of your choice or
  leftover potatoes and gravy or
  dumplings or
  macaroni as I did this week.
  Season with salt, pepper, and perhaps a little rosemary.
The point is to do with whatcha got.

~ I began reading a new book that I will review.  I review for several companies for free books, videos, cds, curriculum.  It's just one more way that I stretch my husband's income.

~ I made black bean burritos and guacamole and chips for dinner.  The burritos were easy.  The guacamole was made with avocados I bought on sale for $.25 each.  The chips were from Aldi, so they were inexpensive.

*Black Bean Quickie Burritos*
  3 cans black beans, drained but not dry
  cumin
  oregano
  garlic powder
  onion flakes
  chili powder
  salt
  4 oz Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded or chunked

Heat the beans in a skillet.  There should be just enough bean broth to keep them from sticking.  Add about a teaspoon of cumin and half a teaspoon of the remaining spices.  Adjust to taste.  When the beans are hot, mash with a potato masher.  Add cheese to the beans and stir until the cheese melts. Serve with warm tortillas or tostada shells.

~We stayed home most of the week.  Staying home can save a lot of money for us.  We have just one car, so when I want to use it, I have to drive my husband to work and return at the end of the day to pick him up.  That uses extra gas.

~ I mended a skirt, a nightgown, and a dress while watching The Visual Bible The Book of Matthew that I bought at a library sale a few weeks ago.

~I also worked on an apron that I'm making for Amy from a denim jumper that she'd outgrown.  It had a seam down the back.  I ripped out the seam last week.  This week I pinned and hand-stitched the edges to make a neat edge.  I left room to add ties at the top.  I'll probably make a tie for the waist as well.  I just haven't decided what to use yet.

All in all, I think it's been a thrifty week.  I hope you try the recipes and let me know what you think.  I'd like you to share some of your favorite frugal ideas in the comments as well.  I love it when readers "talk back".

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Laura
Happy at Home

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 May I suggest?

A Quick & Cheap Lunch
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