Being thrifty means doing with watcha got— making do, using it up, wearing it out, and 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. Well, maybe self-control won't be pleasurable, but knowing you're saving money is pretty neat.
Here are a couple meals that can be made inexpensively. They're both quite tasty, too.
Sometimes, after I bake a chicken, I use the chicken bones to make soup I just cover them with water and add a little salt. I let them simmer awhile and look through my cupboard and fridge for other things to add.Instructions:
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.
After these have simmered until soft, add the bits of chicken that you pulled off the bones.
The point is to do with whatcha got.
♥♥♥
*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. You can add salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. if you have them. My daughter has become my Kitchen Cupboard Salsa maker.
I hope you try the recipes and let me know what you think. I'd like you to share some of your favorite frugal meal ideas in the comments as well. I enjoy it when readers "talk back".
Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Laura
Happy at Home
~~~~~
May I suggest?
Rotel (Aldi brand of course) and little bit of cilantro are also wonderful to add to black beans. You can use the spicier Rotel (with habaneros) if you like them spicier. I much prefer black beans to refried beans.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious Deb. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteI hear ya, Laura...with hubby having pre diabetes ---we have made some hard life choices...bye bye sweets, bye bye white bread and so on and I have found reading labels to much fun now. I have also found dried beans to be tastier than canned goods. Great post, my friend, great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I'm plan to begin following the Trim Healthy Mama plan again. It's supposed to be good for pre-diabetes and they have lots of yummy treats. You could check Pinterest for THM recipes for desserts.
DeleteBlessings,
Laura
Thank you for sharing. I am putting the burritos on my menu.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Mrs. Chrissy!
DeleteIf you have a little extra ground beef, you can add just a bit for extra flavor. Maybe you could sneak a half a cup out of something else you're making the same week or save a little in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteChicken bone soup is the best! The broth is amazing and I could make a meal off of that without any of the add ins. I might have to make a chicken next week just to make this soup. *smile*
ReplyDeleteJust my kind of recipes! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Jes.
DeleteI grew up in an Hispanic family so beans are a regular dish around here. I often mix different beans with some brown rice cooked with taco seasoning.
ReplyDeleteCabbage was another staple in our home, but I remember few recipes or ways my Grandma cooked it. We love bierocks (pies filled with fried cabbage and ground beef), but I never think to eat the cabbage alone, just fried. And it's soooo tasty. I have half a cabbage I need to use in the fridge so thanks for the reminder. Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow?!
We learned of bierocks after moving to Kansas. I call it the German version of an empanada. Yum.
Blessed weekend to you, Laura! Thanks!
My papa made Bierocks for me once. I loved them. I haven't made them myself. I'm going to try to cut down on bread and sugar for April, so I won't be trying them soon. ~grin~
DeleteBlessings,
Laura
Good Afternoon, Laura. I've made many a bone soups in my day. Thanks for sharing your recipes and thriftiness.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mrs.B
You're welcome. My husband just told me about bone broth. He had just read about it.
DeleteI love these ideas. My son said he's never met a soup he didn't like.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty much like that at our house, too, Jennifer.
Delete