Flash Freezing Fruit to Save Money and the Environment

Forgive me, but I should have posted about flash freezing before our weather went to flash freezing in the blink of an eye.  However, I got to think about it while cleaning out my freezer and coming across cherries and blueberries.  So, I decided to go ahead and post about it right now anyway.

Why flash freeze?

By flash freezing locally grown fruit (or vegetables, like chopped peppers, for instance), you can not only save money, but you are also helping the environment.  For instance, because my family enjoyed blueberry muffins this summer when I made them, then I bought several pints when the prices were very low this summer at the grocery store.  I saved quite a bit of money, and the blueberries all came from the next state over from ours, rather than buying them during the winter and heaven only knows where they would have to ship them from (that's where the helping the environment comes in).

I didn't purposefully set out to flash freeze cherries though.  But, I bought some and we ate through them like crazy.  So, I bought more, and we didn't really touch them.  So, instead of letting them go to waste, I flash froze them instead.  I did this with bell peppers from our garden too.  Rather than let them go bad, I chopped them and flash froze the pieces.

To flash freeze produce (such as the cherries that I have pictures of), I washed them all first.  (For cherries, leave the stems intact.)

Then, I made sure that everything was very dry.  I both dried them myself, and also allowed them some time to air dry.  If you leave water on them before putting them in the freezer, of course, they will get very icy.

Spread whatever you are freezing out on a cookie sheet or whatever type of pan you can fit in your freezer.  Make sure to leave space in between items, or they might stick together as they freeze.

I let these freeze for around 30 - 45 minutes, or until they were cold and solidly frozen.  Then, I just bagged them into freezer bags in small portions, and put those smaller bags into a larger freezer bag that I put the name of the contents and date on the outside of.

This is a fun and frugal way to enjoy locally grown goodies in the middle of winter, as well as to avoid possible waste around your home.








This post is linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Frugal Fridays.

7 Quick Takes: August 14th (Vol. 11)

~ 1 ~

Okay, so fight the urge to hit me. But, I actually have already bought a Christmas gift.

Sure, some of you may have already bought all of your gifts. In that case, I'll have to fight the urge to hit you.

Not only did I already buy a gift, but I already bought the big gift for one of the kids. I was afraid they were retiring the particular thing that one of them wanted, so I just went ahead and bought it.

~ 2 ~

Speaking of ordering things, I am about to order Alpha and Gamma from Math-U-See. I am still not sold on this whole idea, but we'll give it a try and see what we think.

I like our math curriculum, but I think I just have to let go of the fact that even though I don't need to use manipulatives to do math, the boys just might need it.

~ 3 ~

Do you know who obviously doesn't need any manipulatives to do his school work? Eric!

Years ago, he started college right out of high school. He really struggled. Then, after a semester of academic probation, he was finally asked to leave (because of grades). Then, he tried it again (same university) a couple of years later, but didn't last long again before deciding to leave.

Fast forward more than 10 years, and he enrolled in a distant education program through small private college. He just finished his fourth semester with...get this...his first ever 4.0 semester grade point average. And, when I say first ever, I mean EVER. We're so darn proud of him! As a matter of fact, his cumulative GPA is an impressive 3.762. Not bad for a guy who got kicked out of college for grades, huh?

Now, I do feel the need to point out that as far as I can tell, this program looks a lot harder and more involved than where he went before. So, don't think that just because it is distance education that it is easier. He has been working so hard (and having to deal with me nagging him to keep on working).

Great job to Eric! I know this is a long process, Eric, with only being able to go half time. But, we already look forward to the day when we can see you in that cap and gown.

(Eric claims he will not go to graduation, and that I don't have any room to talk, as I skipped the graduation ceremony for both my bachelors and masters. I disagree. Strongly.)

~ 4 ~

Do you ever have one of those days when you have to take a dish or dessert somewhere, and every time you think of what to bring, you are just an ingredient or two short?

Yeah, I had one of those days just yesterday. How annoying.

In the end, I was thankful that I had everything for my favorite go-to brownies and zucchini raisin walnut muffins.

~ 5 ~

This week, I made roast with potatoes and carrots in the crockpot. Oh man, I love making that. The only difference this time?

I used carrots out of our garden! That was so good. Crazy good, in fact. I'll have to remember to plant carrots again next year.

~ 6 ~

So, I know I give off this vibe of being all handy and creative (or at least I like to pretend I do). But, want to hear a confession?

This week, I did something for the very first time -- I sewed a button!

Yep, that's just one of those things I had never done before. In fact, that would have been the kind of thing I would have asked my Mom to do in the past. But, thanks to her teaching me to embroider (along with the Stitch It Kit I got for my birthday), I can now do things like sew on buttons and do corrective surgery on Webkinz.

Wow -- it's like the world is my oyster.

~ 7 ~

We finished our first week of school with our 2009 - 2010 curriculum this week (we had done five days this summer already as well, but not with the new books). So far, so good. We are thinking of the math changes above, but otherwise, I think that this is going to be a good year. I feel more productive by having done a lot of organizing ahead of time, and I like what we're using.

Still though -- it feels like it has been a long week. Is it bad though that I thought today, "Okay, 10 days down, 170 to go."

photos by monkey123 (buttons), Alice J-T (presents), and google images (plate)

7 Quick Takes - July 17th (Volume 8)

~ 1 ~

I have been thrilled to be harvesting from our garden quite a bit lately! On Thursday while I was making a cake for Jack's birthday, Eric went out and picked a mixing bowl worth of lettuce, three or four cucumbers, one zucchini (we've had quite a few), and about three yellow squash.

There is something that feels so amazing about just stepping into the backyard and coming back in the house with food!

~ 2 ~

As we were driving the other day, the kids and I started talking about how when I was pregnant with Molly, I wanted us to call her Molly Kate. And, I just never started doing it, so now it seems a little late. But, then I declared that we would all just have new names.

Molly lucked out with hers, as she got to be "Molly Kate," although I was surprised that she didn't complain that her name wasn't Mary. I decreed that Jack would become "Hula Hoop." And, then decided that Noah would be "Old Pete."

You know that a joke has gone on a little too long when a few hours later, the boys actually asked if I could go back to calling them their real names. This was not, however, before Molly gave Eric and I new names.

Sincerely,

"Ninny" wife to "Corn Maze"

~ 3 ~

I have been busy trying to get ready for next school year, which really just means next month. I am trying to be considerably more organized this year, so I want to come up with a schedule of what we will do on which days, just so I have a general overview each week.

Why are some subjects so easy to schedule -- like math. You know, it's just math. But, then there are things like language arts, that include things like grammar, vocabulary, spelling, phonics, composition, and handwriting. What the heck?

~ 4 ~

Last week, we got a crazy cute sherbet colored tutu from Simply Sweet, as well as several cute hair clips. Seriously -- they are insanely cute. Go check them out! (And, no, I don't know the owner or get any kickback. It's just so cute.)

If you do decide to buy something from Simply Sweet, be sure to use the coupon code of SWEETFIVE to get $5 off your order!

~ 5 ~

I have been trying to be more responsible with money lately. That is probably not obvious if you saw #4 on this list. (Though, in my defense, I do like when I can spend money at a small, self-owned business.)

Number five on this list is also going to indicate that I am apparently not spending like there is a recession. For the first time ever, we have booked a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party! In a few weeks, Noah and Jack will have a combined birthday party filled with pizza and tokens.

I figure it's just a sign of how strongly I felt about not having a bunch of kids at my house and having it be my duty to entertain them.

Most years, they do not have any birthday party other than a small family gathering. But, every so often, I think it's nice to do something a little bit bigger. What do you tend to do for kid birthday parties?

~ 6 ~

Last weekend, in one afternoon, I made (all from scratch): one batch of blueberry muffins, two batches of zucchini raisin walnut muffins, two loaves of zucchini bread, and one loaf of banana bread. All of these were mostly just to use produce that I had sitting around the house.

Two days later, I made chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. I did not have anything that "just had to be used up" for those. Those were just because the walnuts smelled so good when I put them in the muffins two days earlier.

A good portion of the first baking day's products were wrapped up and put in the freezer. The cookies, sadly, were not. It's hard to pack away cookies.

I love baking. I hate cleaning up the mess afterwards. I would bake more if I never had to clean up after myself.

~ 7 ~

I think that I am finally just about done setting up class lists for our homeschool group's co-op for next school year. I am thankful for that.

I am not quite as thankful that I offered to teach one class, and then co-teach another class during another hour. What was I thinking?

Since I only ended up talking about this past week, this post has also been submitted to Weekly Wrap Up.

photos by B.K. Dewey & Majiscup - Drink for Design

7 Quick Takes - June 26th (Volume 7)

~ 1 ~

This week, we enjoyed our first zucchini from the garden. It was so good! We enjoyed it sauteed along with some fresh basil that was also from the garden.

We are hoping that we will be able to enjoy a lot more fresh zucchini as the season continues.

~ 2 ~

Speaking of gardening -- I actually had to weed our garden for an hour this morning. Most of that was spent in a single garden bed. It was just insane.

Apparently I was looking pretty red and sweaty, because the kids kept saying, "Are you okay, Mom?" Finally, Noah (almost 10 years old) asked, "Mom -- can't I go inside and get you some water?" Poor little worried guy.

Of course, the worst part of it all is that there are going to be tons of weeds again by the weekend. Darn weeds!

~ 3 ~

Last week, I mentioned that I thought our new neighbors might not like kids. Tonight, Molly tried to wave to the lady. I was sure that the lady looked right at Molly and turned and just walked away.

Now, I know -- this is not a huge deal. But, who turns their back on a waving four year old without waving back? I'm hoping that she just didn't notice, but Molly declared the whole thing to be "mean."

~ 4 ~

I had my first eye appointment in four or five years on Thursday of this week. Not surprisingly, my prescription had changed. I hate having to pick out new glasses.

Even worse, I had my eyes dilated for the first time ever. I told Eric that I looked like a Cupie Doll, with my giant pupils. Seriously -- my eyes looked like this doll's eyes.

That's just not right.

Also not right? I kept trying to text message while I was waiting for my eyes to dilate. I don't even know what I was writing. Hopefully it made sense.

~ 5 ~

Now, just so you don't think that getting my eyes dilated was all the fun of my doctor's visit, I have to share what happened before I was called in to my appointment.

Luckily, my parents were with me and the kids, because right before they called me back, Jack (almost 8 years old) had been complaining about a stomach ache and then promptly just started getting sick. Right all over his clothes and the clinic's floor. (Oh, and in their trash can and in their bathroom.)

I won't go in to details because it was ugly. But, I will say that neither Jack nor I have any desire to eat French Toast any time in the foreseeable future.

~ 6 ~

Staying on the medical front, one of the biggest things that has been happening here over the two weeks (without my really knowing it) was that I was having several reactions to the Doxycycline that the dermatologist prescribed for rosacea.

It was just crazy, but I didn't connect any of it. I was horribly tired, but kept thinking it was from helping with VBS or from doing things around the house. I chalked up depression to being tired and being sad that our priest (and friend) is being transferred. I thought my joint pain was just because I was doing too much. Of course, I had already read that gastric distress and headaches were side effects, so I was just dealing with those.

Then, finally when I was so tired after a full night's sleep that I wanted to go right back to sleep, I googled for side effects. And, while I am well aware that I can probably find someone online who grows a third eye and claims it was from taking Amoxicillian. But, when I found forum and around fifty people were all posting the side effects I was having, I figured that cinched it.

The doctor said to stop the meds. Well, only after I called and declared that I wasn't going to take them anymore. And, after some time to wear off, I'm feeling a lot better! Yeah!

Aren't side effects crazy?

~ 7 ~

I seriously want to start making us more healthy meals. We're working toward it, but I would love some healthy recipes that are also more "normal" food. We're not fancy food people, but it seems that a lot of healthy recipe sources feel the need to make fancy food.

Anyone have any tips of places to look for healthy and "normal" recipes?

photos by... zucchini by Vanessa Pike-Russell cupie doll by Catherine T antibiotics by sparktography

13 Uses for Homegrown Tomatoes

If you have a home garden, or live close to someone with a home garden, chances are that, later this summer, you will have a pile of tomatoes sitting on your counter. And, while you may love having BLT sandwiches everyday for lunch, you may still have mountains of tomatoes just waiting to be used.

I have to admit that in past years, I have even let them sit out so long, waiting for them to have a purpose, that I later found tomatoes rotting on my counter. This year, especially with attempting to be better about what money we are spending, I vowed to not let them go to waste.

Here are some ideas for using your little tomato treasures:

• Salads - Slice larger tomatoes or use cherry or grape tomatoes
• Fresh Salsa
• Soup - Tomato Soup or Gazpacho are both perfect choices
• Broil - Cut tomatoes in half and top with Parmesan cheese before putting them in the broiler for 3 - 5 minutes
• Sandwiches - Almost any sandwich can benefit from a couple of slices of these lycopene-filled darlings
• Saute - Add these to your favorite pasta dish or they make a great garnish on top of chicken or fish
• Roast - Put them in with a little olive oil and some salt for a great side dish
• Freeze - Dunk tomatoes into boiling water and then remove their skins. Then, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and pop them into freezer bags. Who doesn't love fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter?
• Homemade Pizza - Roma tomatoes are my favorite for topping homemade pizza!
• Ketchup - Try your hand at making homemade ketchup
• Canning - Though this can be a little more challenging, this is a great way to preserve your tomatoes for long term use.
• Pick Them Before They're Red - Then you can make Fried Green Tomatoes! Yum!
• Give Them Away - Scope out which of your neighbors don't have garden, and try surprising them with a basket of fresh tomatoes! Some food pantries will even allow you to drop off fresh produce, which could be such a blessing to someone, especially with so many people unemployed this summer.
  
  
  

  

This post is linked to Thursday Thirteen, Tasty Tuesday, & Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.

7 Quick Takes - May 22nd Edition (Vol. 4)

1. Thursday was our very last homeschool co-op meeting of the school year! I love going to co-op and seeing everyone, and my class is really good group of kids. But, I'm super excited to have a few months off!

2. Speaking of time off, as of this moment, we have completed 179 days of school. Friday will make 180, and we will be starting our summer break after that. I secretly am quite sure that I'm about ten times more excited than the kids. And, let me just say, the kids are pretty darn excited.

3. We will actually still be working on math all summer long, as well as reading. I may even throw in some handwriting. Who knows. You know what else I'm going to throw in? Sleeping in and playing video games.

4. As long as I'm on the subject of homeschooling, I have officially become the co-coordinator of our homeschooling group as of this week. I just hope to make it through the next two years with my sanity intact. Hopefully this will teach me the important skill of delegating. Either that, or I'll be committed at some point.

5. Most of my time on Monday and Tuesday of this week was spent at the hospital. My Mom had abdominal surgery, and was in so much pain. Usually, she bounces right back after surgeries, but this one has been pretty hard on her. (If you have a moment to pray for her, it would be appreciated!) She said this was even worse than her total knee replacement!

I spent probably 13 hours at the hospital on Monday and about 8 on Tuesday. I ate a total of three not so great hospital meals. And, despite my dificulty with falling asleep in strange places, I was so tired that I fell asleep on a couch in a pseudo waiting area right on a busy hallway.

6. We finished putting in our garden plants last weekend. But, then on Thursday, I added a couple more, as well as some flowers, just because the kids wanted them in there.

We also were urged by the greenhouse guy to not rip out our new raspberry bush which is currently just sticks because the rabbits ate every bit of the leaves. He promises that if the branches are still green, it is still alive. We now, however, do have a fence around it.

7. I'm hoping that our summer break will find me having time to re-organize the house and clear out some things we don't need. I also have plans to change up our schooling schedule and the like. I'm praying that I can stay on task, and have more to show for my summer than just a rockin' score on Tap Tap Revenge on my iPod Touch.

Our Backyard Garden Transformation

This is our fourth year of gardening, and it again found us making some kind of changes to our garden. The first year, Eric built an 8' x 8' raised bed plot. The second year, he added a second 8' x 8' plot right next to it, growing our garden to a 16' x 8' plot. The third year didn't have any additions, though we did grow several things in pots.

And, then came this year. We decided we needed big changes, so, to start, Eric ripped out all of the old timbers that made up the garden (being careful not to rip out too much of our strawberry patch). He then worked on tilling it into four plots (as seen below).



Then, a few weekends later, he busily worked on four plots of raised bed gardens. These, however, were higher than our previous beds, at 12 inches tall. He built them four feet by eight feet. He worked so hard on them! I especially appreciated the care he gave to building one specifically around where our existing strawberries were.

Previously, we tended to the existing strawberries, plus we planted some cooler weather crops.

This weekend, we then put in extra work by planting the rest of our garden plants. For now, we have in peppers, tomatoes, squash (yellow straight neck and zucchini), lettuce (a couple of types), carrots, peas, and green beans. We had the kids help with some weeding and planting (and shopping for plants -- all part of their schooling).

Eric also took some time to build some permanent and some temporary cages to keep the bunnies away from some of the plants. (Some just until they get bigger and some to keep them out for the summer, I hope!)

We're so excited for our first season with our new garden plots! And, I'm so glad that the planting is basically done now!

Are you gardening this year? What are you growing in it? I would love more ideas of some fun things to plant that we haven't tried before. (Although, we did plant a raspberry bush, and the bunnies ate all of the leaves off! We are hoping it will come back, but I'm not holding my breath.)

This post is linked to: Tackle It Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic.

7 Quick Takes - May 15th Edition (Vol. 3)

1. You can now find my blog easily by going to http://www.manylittleblessings.net. And, you know what, if you forget and put in the .com, it will also redirect. I just could never configure Blogger with the host that I bought the .com with. And, trust me, I tried it about a million times. So, I finally sucked it up and went with a .net. Yeah for an easy web address!

2. It is time for planting our garden. Not only have I not started planting, I haven't even bought any starter plants. (And this certainly means that I didn't start seeds, other than the ones that I started earlier.) I'm hoping to have time to go out plant shopping this weekend.

3. We took a road trip this week to the Children's Museum. It was especially great, as we are counting down these last precious days of the school year.

We went with another homeschooling family, and we were glad that their 12 passenger van allowed for us all to make the trip together. It was a long day, but everyone seemed to have a really great time.

I know that there are a lot of people who homeschool that don't have much contact with other homeschooling families, but I don't think I could have made it through this year without all of the support and love that I have received from other people in our homeschooling group!

4. Speaking of homeschooling, I keep having Math U See pop up in conversations or online. I have wondered if that means that I should be using it. But, I watched one of their videos, and was kind of confused. Finally, Eric said that maybe I just needed to buy the manipulatives and add them to the Horizons Math that we are using now. So, I think it's a plan! Hopefully it will work!

5. Even though we're planning to continue working on math throughout the summer (as well as grammar and reading as well), we officially have just seven days of school left! I can't decide who is more excited -- me or the kids.

6. We watched the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I just don't know what to say about it. All I can say for sure (especially without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't watched it) is that I was shocked when I figured out who "John Doe" was just moments before Meredith uttered his name. I promptly gasped and burst into tears. It's going to be a long wait for the new season.

Sure, I have a lot more I could say about the episode, but I won't. Because, well, this is quick takes, and I'm still feeling emotional about the whole thing anyway.

7. My teeth hurt part of last week and all weekend. First I thought it was something seriously wrong with one of my teeth. Then, that whole side hurt and I was in pain every time I ate.

Finally, I used our Neti Pot, and a week's worth of horrible pain was gone. I was about one step away from the doctor's office and a prescription for antibiotics. Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Neti Pot maker.

Planting Seeds and Growing in Faith

We had been wanting to start some plants with seeds this year. Not only did I know that it would help us try out things that we couldn't find as starter plants in the store, but I also knew that it would be a fabulous project for the kids.

But, we still ended up putting it off. Finally, one day, I just said, "Let's do some planting!" and we began on an fun science experience for the day.

I let the kids plant almost all of the seeds. We made a grid so we would know what seeds we planted in which cells. Hey...science and math. Pretty tricky, huh? (Seriously though -- we had already done math workbooks for the day. Oh, the excitement.)

The kids kept a close eye for growth in our mini greenhouse contraption that we picked up at Walmart.

Although they probably thought it seemed like forever, it was not long before we were treated to some sprouting. The kids were amazed and delighted. And, you know what? Eric and I were pretty darn amazed and delighted too.

Just a few days later, the seedlings have been growing like crazy! We can look at the tray and then when we walk back a few hours later, and they are bigger! Plus, we all think it's a hoot to watch the plants move toward light.

And, to think, I came so close to just picking up starter plants instead of starting the seeds that I had purchased. Look at how much richer we are for not having done that. Not only did we not spend more money, but we have been able to watch in amazement at the utter awesomeness of God's creation. And that is something that money just can't buy.

This post has been submitted to Tackle It Tuesday, I Am Blissfully Domestic, and Talk About Tuesday.

13 Benefits of Having a Family Garden for Kids

1. They'll have the chance to see that food isn't just "born" at the store.


2. It's a great opportunity to get them to try new things!


3. They get to see that bees only purpose is not stinging people. You can talk about why you need bees for your garden.


4. Butterflies! Just today, my kids ran around with butterflies while trying to catch them in a net. Since I knew they wouldn't catch them, I just let them run and run with at least four different types of butterflies that were by our garden in less than a 20 minute period.


5. Helps them to have pride in their work -- I know that my kids are always more pleased when we are able to pick produce off of a plant that they helped to plant.


6. Responsibilty -- Depending on your kids ages, they could be responsible for making sure the garden is watered.


7. Generosity -- Sometimes you just have too much of a certain type of produce. Let your kids learn the benefits of giving by giving away excess produce to friends, family, and neighbors. In our area, there are even some of the food pantries for the less fortunate that will let you bring in extra produce from your garden to put in the lobby.


8. Cooking lessons -- They can learn how to prepare things that you might not normally want them to make because of high costs. When you have pounds and pounds of strawberries, you can teach them to make freezer jam, whereas you might not want to spend so much money on enough strawberries at the grocery store.


9. It gives you the perfect excuse to start a composting bin (compost bins can be made inexpensively). With this, your kids can learn about decompostion of vegetable matter, and you can even help them to understand why it's better for that banana peel to go in the compost bin rather than a plastic trash bag.


10. If you teach them how to garden, you will be giving them a gift that will just keep giving. As they grow older, they can help their children to appreciate gardening, etc. (Of course, you could also get to the point that they want nothing to do with gardening when they are older. But, let's look at the positive side, shall we?)


11. They need some time away from electronic games and gadgets.


12. Starting some plants from seeds will give them an even greater sense of accomplishment, and it's a great science lesson. Imagine their delight when they look outside to see the tall tomato plant with a bounty of red fruit on it, and to know that they helped it grow from a tiny seed.


13. It helps to connect them to the past. My kids get excited when we have read from books like the Little House series and they recognize things that we have done too. There is comfort, I think, in feeling that you are in the present and that you can look to the future, but also, that you feel a connection to the past.


This was originally posted at Many Little Blessings on July 30, 2008.

13 Ways to Save Money on Your Food Budget (TT #28)

Thirteen Ways to Save Money on Your Food Budget



1. If you want to get take out food to take home, don't buy drinks with it. Depending on your family size and where you are buying your meal, you could save a decent amount of money just by having drinks you already have at home. (Or, order water with a meal from out.)

2. Check out grocery ads (you can even see most of them online) before planning your meals for the week. Make changes based on what's on sale.

3. If you're a soda drinker (we are at our house!), stock up when they are on sale at your local grocery store. Sure...we don't NEED cans of soda. But, if we're going to drink them anyway, I would rather spend $2.00 - $2.50 per (12 can) case than $4.50 per case. Even if you are making a choice that might not be frugal, you can make that choice frugally.

4. Clip and use coupons, especially at stores that will double or triple their face value.

5. Don't buy things just because you have coupons for them though. If you won't really use it, then you aren't saving money by buying it.

6. Don't go to the store hungry. Just don't do it! Even if it means that you spend money to run through a drive through so you can eat a quick snack or meal first. Grocery shopping while hungry is dangerous.

7. Pay attention to prices on various sizes of items, particularly when one size is on sale and another is not. I have had many times when I went to buy a smaller size of something, only to see that it was cheaper to buy a larger size because of a sale. I'm not talking about cheaper per unit price, I am actually talking about final cost. (Example: the smaller box of cereal is $2.89 but the larger box is on sale for $2.50. It's a no brainer! But, it's easy to not notice, if you're not looking for it.)

8. Menu plan! Whether you plan a week at a time or a full month at a time, it will help your budget if you plan.

9. Shop from your freezer, fridge, and pantry before you shop from the grocery store. When I menu plan, I check to see what I can make from things we already have in our house. It also saves me from buying duplicates of items.

10. Buy meat in larger quantities and break it into smaller packages yourself. During my last grocery shopping trip, I bought two "tubes" of ground beef -- each 3 lbs in size. We then broke them up into 1 lb increments and put them into freezer baggies. I saved over $7 by doing this. In all actuality though, if I had purchased six packages of ground beef, all of the ones in my grocery store are actually package a bit over 1 lb. So, it saved me even more.

11. Now, speaking of meat -- it can be a great money saver to try to eat some meatless meals. Even just one meatless meal per week will save your family money. (If you can't fathom having a meatless meal, try just two meatless meals in a month, instead of one each week. Every little bit helps.)

12. Buy produce that is in season. Plan your meals around them. Your produce bill will be cheaper if you purchase produce that doesn't have to be shipped half way across the world.

13. Better yet -- start planning now for your garden for next year!


What are some of your favorite ways to save money on your food budget?

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photo by J-P F

Saturday Night Link Round Up: September 13th Edition

Here's the fun thing about this Saturday Night Link Round Up...

It's actually happening very early on Sunday morning. Oh well! The links are fun, all the same.

Kristen from We are THAT Family shared this week on Blissfully Domestic about recycling old crayons into new, fun crayons. I have been meaning to do this for a while, and her article may just have been the kick in the pants I needed.

Trying to find ways to save money? Sarah from Genesis Moments helps you do just that with her Blissfully Domestic article on Finding Resources in Your Home.

Tasty ideas always fill The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and Ree's ideas on How to Use Plain Yogurt is no exception.

Ali at Divine Domesticity announces that fall is, indeed, on its way. To celebrate, maybe you should make some of her Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. Yum!

If you're in the mood for fall, you'll love these little pumpkin felt pins (or she can make them as hair clips!) on Etsy at Pammy Dawn.

But, don't feel too sad, because Amy from Resourceful Mommy shares her ideas (at Blissfully Domestic) on how to help your family enjoy the last days of summer!

Simple Mom details all of the ways that she keeps organized around her house with simply a pen and a paper. No Palm Pilots necessary!

Can I admit that I do not care for my garden very well over the winter? Shhhh...don't tell the garden police. But, I have some new fabulous ideas for Winter Compost Crops thanks to Kimbrah!

I'm a sucker for a trifle recipe. Maybe it's the fact that I own a trifle bowl. I just can't help myself! The Happy Housewife posted a super simple trifle recipe this week that I just may have to try sometime soon!

How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes (WFMW #48)

For lots of great ideas, tricks, and tips, be sure to check out Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer!

If you have a garden, you probably have tomato plants. Maybe you don't, but I think most people with gardens stick in at least a few tomato plants.

You know, because why not? They are prolific and easy to grow.

Because of having tomato plants, there are a variety of reasons for having green tomatoes (which really are just tomatoes that haven't ripened yet). You might be picking off all the tomatoes that are left right at the end of the season (because they will continue to ripen indoors), you might be grabbing off the last of the tomatoes before disposing of a plant that has some issues, or you might be picking them just because you want some fried green tomatoes.

Whatever your reason -- if you have some green tomatoes, it is so tasty to make some fried green tomatoes as a side dish for your next dinner. We love them, and we think they're a fun way to use up some of the tomatoes from our garden.

Step One:

Typically, a pound of tomatoes are going to be around two decent sized tomatoes.

So, go grab a pound of green tomatoes (or more if you are feeding a larger crowd).

You're going to slice the tomatoes. I like a nice sharp knife (I used my bread knife because my favorite knife was in the dishwasher) to slice them.

Be careful not to make your slices too thick. (Doesn't it figure that the slice you can best see the size of in this picture is the one that came out a little more thick than I wanted?)

Step Two:

Set up three bowls. I like nice shallow bowls.

Put flour in the first bowl (around 1/2 cup), 2 eggs (beaten) in the second bowl, and then around 1/2 cup of cornmeal in the third bowl.

(On a side note, you can also use Jiffy Cornbread Muffin mix instead of cornmeal for a sweeter taste.)

Anyway, you're going to cover the tomatoes (both sides) in each of the three bowls.

Here they are in the flour:

Here they are when all of them have gone through all three bowls.

Step Three:

During step two, you should have been heating up a skillet with oil. I use canola oil because that's what I have in my pantry.

You'll want enough in the skillet that it will cover one side of the tomatoes at a time.

Once the oil is hot enough (so that when you put the tomato in, it sizzles), carefully put in all of the tomatoes (or at least all you can fit in).

You'll cook each side for 2 - 3 minutes, and then take them out (to a plate with paper towel).

If you're cooking more than one batch, be careful, since the oil will probably be hotter for the second set. I never keep the second set in as long as the first one (two minutes a side is probably plenty on a second set).

Step Four:

Serve immediately after they are done.

Okay, they could probably hold out a few mintues, but I wouldn't wait a long time. When we had to wait (like this batch pictured, since the burgers weren't done yet), we actually heated the oven to 170 degrees, and put them all in there to stay warm.

We like the fried green tomatoes served with fat free ranch dressing.

Enjoy!