Veggie Broth

In the last couple of years I have been growing a vegetable garden to help cut costs in the summer.  Which means that I often have a lot of food scraps from them.  I usually just toss them in the garbage and go on.  However, during my current efforts to reduce my family waste and save money I have come up with a way to save some money and get the most out of my garden every summer.  One of the things that I get from the grocery store (mostly in the winter when I make soups and stews) is various broths depending on what I am making.  Well, why not start making my own veggie broth and freeze it so I can use it in the winter when fresh veggies aren't readily available.  What I have been doing this summer is as I use my fresh veggies I save the scraps in a container in the freezer until I have a decent amount.  Once I have enough to make a batch of broth I take them and put them in a pot, covering them with water.  For the batch on the left I added some bay leaves, oregano, chives, and garlic powder to lend it some flavor.

The great thing with this is that you can use any spices that you want to match the broth to your specific taste.  (This allows you to have different flavor profiles if you want and you know exactly what is going into your broth!)

After adding the herbs I just covered the pot and let it simmer for a couple hours, talk about the house smelling good, like vegetable soup.  Once it boils I just strained the scraps out and poured the broth into ice cube trays.  I then froze the broth and put them in a freezer container. 

The reason I did it in ice cubes is to allow me to use as little or as much of the broth as I want.  When cooking I sometimes add just a dash of broth for flavor and this will allow me to do that (just add a cube or two) without feeling obligated to use the canned stuff in such large quantities or in a time frame. 

Some of the scraps that I used for this batch is: okra, zucchini, banana peppers, bell peppers, onions, tomato (this was fresh as they don't really freeze good), carrots.  I plan to use other veggies in addition batches like: potatoes, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers.  I am also planning on trying to make some chicken brother the next time I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot.

I am very excited about using this and how much it will save over the course of a year by not having to buy broths from the grocery store. 

Happy savings!

-Sarah D.

Pillow Talk

Like any newly wed couple when my husband and I bought a house and moved in together over three years ago we had a hod podge of furniture and home decor.  So, since we have been married we have been working on getting rid of the "old" stuff and pick out things as a couple.  One of the first items that we replaced was a couch in the living room that I had had since graduating college back in 2000.  As any couch owner knows, after a couple of years the cushions start to go flat and the couch loses some of the comfort that you originally bought it for.  I don't know about you, but replacing a couch ever couple of years is not an option in our house.  This only leaves one option, restuff the cushions myself.  There have been several times that I have looked at batting at the store and thought about buying it, but I just can't ever seem to justify the purchase as restuffing the couch cushions isn't a necessity and I have been trying to save money anytime that I can.  Well, the other day I was cleaning out the linen closet and found an old pillow that I had shoved in there months ago after replacing it because it was too "flat" to use.  I guess the original idea behind keeping it was to just have an extra pillow for travel or for a guest.  However, upon finding it, I had an idea for what other use I could do with it and save money at the same time.  Since the pillow was 'flat' and the cushions were 'flat' I decided to cut the pillows open and use the stuffing in the couch cushions.  With just this one pillow I was able to restuff two pillows on the couch (there are five total).  Now, I have some fluffy, comfortable couch cushions again without spending any extra money.

Next time I replace any pillows, I am going to make sure I save them to restuff couch cushions. 

Happy saving!

-Sarah D.

Taco Tuesdays

As I have previously mentions, we save money by purchasing a cow and having it butchered instead of going to the market and buying beef.  So, with all the ground beef and two kids in the house, we have a lot of tacos.

 

I usually buy the little packets of taco seasoning from the store.  It is one packet per pound of meat (with two growing boys and a husband in the house I usually have to make two pounds when making tacos).  The packets are around a $1 each and after awhile they can add up.  It seems that almost every trip to the grocery store involves me getting them.

Well, the other day I was reading the list of ingredience on the packet and to be honest, I didn't know what half the stuff was.  If it is a seasoning, in my opinion, it should be simple, basic ingredients (i.e. salt, chili powder, etc.) not preservatives and colors.  With this in mind and my recent efforts to be more frugal, I decided I would start making my own, thus allowing me to know exactly what I am putting in my food and saving a few dollars every grocery trip.

After talking to my mom about this, it turns out that she has been making her own taco seasoning for years and she shared her recipie with me.  Turns out, I already had most of the ingredience in my pantry any way.

Here is what I used:

1/4 cup dried, minced onions

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons salt

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon crushed red peppers

2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

I mixed the ingredients well and placed them in an air tight container.  To use you just need 2 tablespoons with 1/2 cup water per 1 pound of ground meat.

The picture I included is of one batch of this (so it makes quite a bit).  If you have an air tight container it should last without clumping together for at least 6 months if not longer.  So, you could make more than one batch at a time depending on how often you eat tacos (or other Mexican dishes that you may want a similar flavor profile for). 

Since this turned out to be such an easy project (it took maybe 5 minutes to make this) I am on the search for other seasoning recipes to replace the other packets that I find myself adding to the grocery cart. 

-Sarah D.

Heirloom Tomatoes




Tomato Seeds

 
Normally I just got to a local store and buy whatever tomato plants they have in stock for the year.  However, this year my parents gave me several types of heirloom tomatoes for my garden.  So, I have decided to try and save some of the seed.  Heirlooms are the only ones you can save the seeds from and use later on.  So far I have kept the seeds from three different types: Green Zebra Striped, Yellow Jubilee, and Purple-Black Carbon.

Here is what you need to do to save your heirloom tomatoes (just imagine how much you will save next year instead of buying new seeds/plants!!):



Green Zebra Striped Tomatoes



*Choose a ripe tomato from a healthy plant.

*Cut the tomato open and scoop out the seeds and pulp into a glass/jar.

*Put as much water as pulp in the container.

*Place a lid on the jar (or use wrap on a glass); make sure it is loose as some air needs to get to the seeds/water mixture.

*Keep at room temperature our of direct sunlight for 3-7 days.

*A layer of mold will form on the surface: this is GOOD, the mold forms a bacteria-killing anaerobic environment that boosts germination.

*After the 3-7 scoop the mold off and strain the water/pulp mixture.
*Rinse the seeds and spread them on a paper plate, allow the seeds to dry this way for 2 weeks at room temperature.
*When dry, pack seeds in paper packets or envelops.  Store in a refrigerator if possible, if not, store at room temperature.

Make sure you label your seeds as you go so you know what they are for the next year.

I am very excited to be trying this.  Tomatoes are a staple in my house and there is nothing better then going out and picking a fresh one.  There are so many types of heirlooms and I plan to try and grow the types that I have in my garden.  Plus, I know that if I can save the seeds then I will see saving every year when I put out the garden.

Keep in mind that some of the heirloom tomatoes do not have the pretty, perfectly rounded shape like the genetically modified ones you get in the grocery store.  But, the taste is unbeatable. 

Happy gardening!

-Sarah D.

Coffee Cutbacks



Frozen decaf coffee.



Homemade frozen coffee drink.


I love coffee house coffee.  In the winter I always get it hot, but in the summer I love the frozen coffee drinks. 

However, the price is sky high on my favorite drinks.  So, I have been thinking about what to do to cut this cost and still get to sip on one of these treats.

On top of these thoughts, I do like to make my own coffee at home.  However, I always feel like I make too much and feel like I waste a lot by dumping out the unused coffee.  This happens a couple times a month when either myself or my husband decide to make a pot in the early morning. 

What I have come up with is a solution to solve both problems at once.  Anytime I have extra coffee now I just pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it.  Once frozen I just pop it in a freezer bag and let it sit until I need it.  (This allows you to use your favorite kind of coffee and your choice of decaf or caffeinated.) 

When I get the urge to drive down to the local coffee shop for a  treat I just break out the blender and the bag of frozen coffee.  Now I can make my own frozen treat in just a few short minutes and don't have to spend a dime!

What you need:
Frozen coffee
Milk (or just water if you don't use milk)
Blender
Sweetener of your choice
Flavor of your choice

Just mix in the blender using as much of either ingredient until it is the texture you want.  Then flavor with your favorite things. 

To sweeten you can use sugar or a sweetener that you choose to taste (I usually use two packets of sweetener or two teaspoons of sugar).
For flavor add vanilla extract, cocoa powder (for chocolate), your favorite coffee creamer (if you use the liquid kind use less milk or water to keep it from being to runny), add chocolate chips, marshmallows, or anything your heart desires. 

I find that mine taste just as good as the coffee shops, but I love the idea of knowing exactly what goes into mine and knowing that I can make mine healthier then what I would get if I paid for it.  Plus, there is no wasted coffee when I make a pot at home now.

Enjoy!

-Sarah D.

Bread crumbs

When cooking I use bread crumbs to help hold meat together for things like meatballs, meatloaf, or hamburgers.  They add flavor and make things stick.

When grocery shopping they run about $3 or so in my area and it just seems like an extra cost to the bill.  Since we do buy a half of a cow we eat a lot of beef and always have a lot of ground beef on hand, so I use bread crumbs quite a bit.

Another staple in our pantry is bread.  I do go to an outlet store and get bread for about $1 a loaf.  (I usually stock up by getting 5 or 6 loaves at a time and just putting the extras in the freezer until I need them.)  I have one child that refuses to eat the crust and heaven forbid I use the heals to make any one's sandwich.

Sometimes I throw them out for the birds to eat, but most of the time they just get tossed in the trash. 

Then there are packs of hot dog buns and hamburger buns that have one or two extras left over that just sit around until they are stale and get tossed as well.

What a waste!!

So, I have been thinking lately about how I can use the "unwanted" pieces and save money at the same time.  The result of my thinking: I am attempting to make my own bread crumbs. 

How to make your own:
    Take unwanted bread (if you want to do a large batch just store pieces in a freezer friendly container in the freezer until you have enough) and lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven at 250 for about 30 minutes on each side.  This allows the bread to dry out and will prevent it from being stale or molding from moisture.
    After drying out the bred in the oven let it totally cool. 
   Once cooled use food processor to chop until desired size.
    Add in dried herbs (if you want to add flavor or make into Italian crumbs) and blend together.
    You can freeze them, store in the fridge, or (if you dried the bread in the over) store in an air tight container for up to about 6 months.

As I am typing, I have my first batch in the oven drying out.  I can't wait to try them out.  If you do an online search you can find 100s of recipes for these.  Seems I am not the only one with this idea and I can't believe it has taken me 30 years to try to put my bread heals to good use!

Happy savings!

-Sarah D.

The Frugal Family

Since I have been married our family has been a two income family.  However, back in April we became a single income family.  Since then I have been trying to find ways to stretch every dollar and just make the most of everything without all the waste. 

There are two adults and two growing boys in the house, so we go through the groceries and the garbage. 

For the past few years I have done the minimum things like:

Recycle
Change out regular bulbs for the efficient ones
Go in 1/2 with another family to buy a cow and freeze the beef once it was butchered (this saves so much money on buying meat throughout the year)
Grow my own herbs and fresh veggies in the summer instead of buying them.

Well, now with the single income I have been trying to work on ways to save money and reduce our families "foot print" on the environment as the kids continue to grow and learn from our habits.

This blog will serve as a go to guide for us on how to be frugal and more environmentally friendly.  Feel free to take any of these ideas and use them to help your family.

-Sarah D.