Showing posts with label Frugal Ways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frugal Ways. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Simple Baked Potato Lunches


      Baked potatoes have become a frequent lunch option in our home. They are nutritious, budget-friendly and quite simple to prepare. The fun of baked potatoes is that they are a blank canvases that can be made to taste differently each time depending on the toppings. Varying the toppings keeps them from becoming boring. 

       Potatoes can be cooked in the slow-cooker, microwave and oven. I personally prefer using the oven. This method also has the added benefit of aiding in heating our downstairs in the colder months. In warmer months, I find it better to  use the slow-cooker to keep down energy costs. 

       The versatility and cost-effective nature of these meals also make them great for serving guests. Have some fun with the creation of a baked potato bar. You cook the potatoes and provide the basics of salt, pepper and butter. Ask your guests to bring their favorite toppings. It's a fun little way to mix and match the different topping offerings, and perhaps try something new! :)

Baked Potato (oven)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. 
2. Wash potatoes thoroughly.
3. Using a fork, poke holes all around the potato to allow steam to escape.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
5. Wrap in aluminum foil.
6. Bake for about an hour or until soft. Note this time is for one to two potatoes. If you're cooking more, then you may have to increase your time.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
8. Cut in half and add your desired toppings!

 Toppings We've Enjoyed:
- salt, pepper, butter
- sour cream and chives
- cheddar cheese and bacon
- red onion, bell pepper, black olives (all finely diced) and monterrey jack cheese 
- shredded chicken, diced tomato, mozzarella cheese
- finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese
- chili and cheddar cheese
- eggs (as in an "Idaho Sunrise")

 What are some of your favorite toppings for a baked potato?

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Monday, September 30, 2013

Homemade Applesauce


     Applesauce is so simple to make that it has dropped off my grocery list completely. Homemade applesauce is also much healthier than the store bought variety which contains high levels of sugars, including high fructose corn syrup. This post will focus on making homemade applesauce for serving, and a second post later will provide instructions for canning it for enjoyment during the off-season. 

While applesauce can be made with some spice like ginger or cinnamon, I prefer to keep mine fairly basic by letting the apples be the predominant flavor. Certain apples are naturally sweet, and so by selecting these varieties I can reduce the amount of sugar I need to add. A great chart for selecting apples can be found at Pick Your Own. When we have apples in the pantry, it's usually Galas which work well for sauce as well as eating. For my husband and I, I will use about 2-3 apples to make sauce. (The following instructions are for two servings, and so you may need to make adjustments to the quantity if you're serving more people). 

Peel and cut the apples into small pieces. The smaller the pieces the faster they will cook. 


Place in a pot and add about 1/4 c. of water. (The amount doesn't have to be precise. You're not boiling the apples like you would potatoes. The water is just to get the pieces cooking.)

Continue cooking until the pieces easily mash with a fork. For chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to blend. For smoother sauce, a Stick Hand Blender  is wonderful. (I rather like the chunks of apples, so I just get it mostly smooth.)


If you wanted to add sugar, cinnamon or any other flavors then add them now. Whether you add additional flavors or not, the final step is to simply chill and then serve. Enjoy!

Up Next: Canning Homemade Applesauce

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Monday, September 23, 2013

3 Ways to Use a Whole Chicken & Homemaking Link-up #4



     Purchasing a whole chicken is the most economical way to meet the need for the majority of our uses . I can get three different purposes out of the one purchase. Furthermore, I can spend a few hours preparing and packaging the products for future use. When I'm short on time, the ability to simply pull out of the freezer the baggie of what I need is fabulous! Did I mention that it also saves us money? I'm all about saving time and money without compromising homemaking or wholesome foods. 
   
      I spent a few days recently preparing two chickens. From these two chickens I was able to put in the freezer: 4 uncooked chicken breasts and tenderloins, 5 quarts of stock, and 7 cups of cooked chicken shred. I can use the chicken breasts for whatever meal necessary. The stock will be great to have for soups and such as that this winter. Finally, the shred is great to have on hand for chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie, pizza, soups, etc.

1) Chicken Stock


Ingredients:
*Note: The ingredients listed below are estimates. I rarely measure stock ingredients. Making stock is essentially tossing in whatever I happen to have on hand. 
1 whole chicken
3 carrots
3 celery stalks (I have used dried celery seed if I'm out of celery)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
about 8-10 whole peppercorns 
couple of teaspoons to tablespoon each of dried thyme, parsley

 Directions
1) I prefer to cut the breast and tenderloin meat off and freeze it separately. 
2) Roughly chop the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and add to 7 quart pot. Add remaining ingredients.
3) Add enough water to cover the chicken plus an inch or so more. 
4) Simmer until meat pulls away from leg bones or chicken falls apart when lifted from pot. 
5) Allow to cool. Remove chicken from pot to cool some more. 
6) Strain stock and pour into labeled baggies or freezer containers. 

2) Uncooked Breast Meat

     While the stock is simmering, I wrap each piece of breast meat in aluminum foil. Then, I simply place all in a gallon size freezer bag. Whenever I have a meal requiring chicken breast, I simply take the appropriate amount out of the freezer to thaw the night before or morning of use. This would be the equivalent to those big bags of chicken breasts sold in the grocery at a higher price and lower quality. 

3) Chicken Shred

      Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, I pick all the meat off the bones. I then portion about a cup of meat per baggie. I prefer to do a cup at a time because many meals like chicken pot pie, enchiladas and others only require a small amount of chicken. If I need more I can always pull out more than one bag. It's easier to do it this way than to thaw two cups or more of meat and not need that much. 

 The result:

One chicken produced 2.5 quarts stock, 2 uncooked breasts, and four cups of shred. 
 From two chickens I was able to put in the freezer: 5 pints & 2 quarts of stock, 4 uncooked breasts, and 6 cups shred. That should give me a good start to preparing future meals!


Linked up at: A Mama's Story, The Modest Mom Blog, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom, An Original Belle, Mom's the Word, Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, Serving Joyfully

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      Welcome to the Weekly Homemaking Link-up!   

     Each Wednesday will feature an opportunity to link-up your posts, as well as read through many others linked-up here. Connecting and sharing with others is a wonderful way to preserve and grow in the art of homemaking! Topics to consider include, but are not limited to:

  • ·         Simple and economical living (one-income living, frugal ways, simplifying etc.)
  • ·         Food (selecting and preparing various types, recipes, menu planning etc).
  • ·         Kitchen skills/tips (essential tools, knife skills, cooking techniques etc.)
  • ·         Home Organization (small space living, storage solutions, function + style etc)
  • ·         Personal Organization (routines, planning etc)
  • ·         Clothing (sewing, modesty, outfit ideas etc)
  • ·         Sewing (needlework, pattern construction etc)
  • ·         Marriage and family (tips for building strong home, family, and marriage)
  • ·         Cleaning (homemade products, management etc)
  • ·         Christian faith

To enter:
     - Enter the direct link to your post (not your blog)
     - Please reserve links to product sales, Etsy shops, consultant sales or other business 
          related links for the Small Business Saturday Link-up. Links of such content may be 
          referred to this second link-up instead of published here. 
     - When you leave a link, visit the link before and after yours. Let's encourage the 
          homemaking community! 
     - Note: You will be required to enter a back link. (In other words, you must have 
          somewhere on your post that it is linked-up here)The back link will be the 
          web address for this specific post. . Thanks!

*Note: I reserve the right to accept or reject link submissions. I maintain a priority of protecting the interest of the blog and readers by displaying only information and links that are appropriate for the audience (ie obscene or otherwise disrespectful content will not be published). 



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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

5 Simple Ways To Save Water



      One discovery that is made when you move frequently is that rates for utility services are not the same everywhere. I was rather shocked when I received our first water bill in our current home. I initially thought that perhaps we had gotten into poor habits of greater water consumption. However, after comparing our current usage with our usage at our previous residence I learned that despite the gallons consumed being the same our bill is 60% higher now than before. Ouch! I then determined to try to make some simple changes that would better conserve water usage in our home.

       Conserving water isn't just a matter of financial concern. It's also a matter of preserving the environment. Environmental concern can become pushed to the side when supply is seemingly abundantly available. However, the truth is that the supply is relatively small and the processes for purifying and transporting it are complex. According to the EPA:

       less than 1% of all the water on Earth can be used by people .. The rest is salt water (the
      kind you find in the ocean) or is frozen. Communities across the country are starting to
      face challenges in maintaining healthy and affordable water supplies; that's why it's more
      important than ever to use our water wisely and not waste it. In addition, it takes large 
      amounts of energy to produce and transport clean water and to process waste water.

       It's so easy to simply turn on the faucet and let the water run unnecessarily. Or, perhaps enjoy that hot shower a bit too long. These expenditures come at a cost. Interestingly, many times when an issue is unsustainable to the environment it is also unsustainable for my family budget. And so, my husband and I determined five very simple ways that we could begin to conserve water in our home.

5 Simple Ways to Conserve Water
1. Place a bottle of water in the toilet tank
      We used a 1 Liter water bottle. The water in the bottle displaces the water stored in the tank. The tank then uses 1 L. less water with each flush. 

 2. Replace shower head with a water conservation/low flow head
     This was the one area that I was really hesitant to change. I was dreading having to shower with a low flow shower head that left me cold and with suds in my hair. But, we looked carefully at the various models available and purchased a multi-setting shower head that permits 2.0 gal/min. flow. It even has a drip setting for when you're not needing full water flow. Yet, we've found that this setting is sufficient to keep it on at all times. 
     Waterpik has a great calculator that can be used to determine the savings produced by investing in an "eco flow" shower head. According to the calculator, we're now saving  9,855 gallons of water! Hooray!

 3.Shorten showers
     I will admit that I'm notorious for taking long hot showers. Nevertheless, we've set a goal to limit showers to 10-15 minutes. 

 4. Rinse dishes in filled sink instead of running water
     I habitually rise my dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, which lessens the workload placed on my dishwasher. A lot of water is wasted by leaving the water running while rinsing each dish. Instead, I plug the sink to fill with a small amount of water. Since the dishes are merely being rinsed and then loaded into the dishwasher, I'm not overly concerned if the water gets a little dirty. Periodically, I let the water drain out and then refill. I actually save quite a bit of water this way.

 5. Thaw frozen foods overnight instead of under running water
      The ideal method of thawing frozen foods like meat is placing it in a dish and then in the refrigerator for a period of time (typically overnight). When in a time pinch, an alternate method is to place the food under running water. Some foods, like fish, can take up to 15 minutes using this method. Yikes, the waste of water! A little thinking ahead and planning early for meals can prevent needing to resort to this unnecessarily consumptive method. 


Linked up at: A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, The Modest Mom Blog, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom,  Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife

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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

How To Make a Tablecloth From a Sheet


     When we moved into our current home, I decided to change my color scheme up a bit.  I had previously done bold primary colors and now desired some cooler tones. The new color scheme also allows me to incorporate my favorite color- gray! My current room project is our dining room. I wanted to replace (or at least have a second) the red tablecloth with a gray one. I soon discovered that gray is not a very popular color for a tablecloth, or, at least, not as popular within my desired price range. I then discovered the local discount store was having a white sale. I found a king size set of sheets for $20 and instantly envisioned the set being transformed into a tablecloth and seat cushions. The pillowcases will be used to make pillowcase dresses to send to organizations like Dress A Girl Around the World. That's a lot of material and potential for the typical price of a single store-bought tablecloth. 

       The skill level for sewing a tablecloth from a sheet is that of beginner. If you can sew a straight line, then you can do this project. The most difficult part for me was my sheet material being rather thin and lacking in structure. This is one area in which the rougher tougher sheets are better than the "luxury." 

        Below is a tutorial for making the tablecloth. If you would prefer printable versions of the tutorial than follow either link below.



Tutorial: How To Make a (52"x70") Tablecloth From a Sheet
1. Begin by washing and drying your material to account for any shrinking. Next, iron the material. 

2. Lay material out on a large flat surface. If you have an existing tablecloth, then you can lay it on top, and use it as a size guide. You will then measure one inch extra around all sides to allow for a 1/2'' hem.  If not using a guide, then measure out a rectangle that is 53'' x 71''.


3. Cut out measured amount.  

4. The edges will be finished with a 1/2'' hem. A beginner's tip is to use a fabric glue stick and disappearing ink pen to ensure all parts align properly. Using the disappearing ink pen, measure and draw a line 1'' and then a second line1/2'' from the first around all edges. This acts as a guide for folding the edges and making sure they are straight. The corner markings will also be helpful in creating the mitered corner. 


5. Fold edge of material to meet first line marking. The folded section will be about 1/2'' wide. Do the same for all four edges of the material. (It may be helpful to add some glue and then iron to keep it in place). 


6. Next, fold the tip of the corner corner piece to the innermost crossing of the line marks. Press the bottom edge of that fold with an iron to maintain marking of the edge. (I've demonstrated it with a dotted line in the photo below). 

7. Unfold the corner. Cut along this line. This will reduce bulk within the corner once sewn. 


8. Ever so slightly turn the raw edge of the cut corner under (towards wrong side of material) and secure by ironing it in place (may be helpful to add a dab of glue). 


9. Fold one edge of the tablecloth material so that the corner edge of the cut corner meets the innermost crossing of the marked lines. Do the same for the other side.  


The corner edges should meet and now look like this. 

10. Fold side edges again to meet innermost marked line. You should now have a 1/2'' hem and mitered corners all around the material. 


11. To finish, simply top stitch 1/4'' along the perimeter of the tablecloth. 


12. You will probably want to add a waterproofing to the material since spills are bound to happen at the dining table. Scotch Guard is a common product for waterproofing. You could also just lay a clear vinyl tablecloth over everything while eating. 


Finished!


One of the fun aspects of having a solid tablecloth is the potential to change up the look with various centerpieces and even cloth napkins. Textiles are fantastic for adding a lot of color and life to home decor while still being budget-friendly!

Linked up at: An Original Belle, A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, The Modest Mom, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Growing Home A Mama's Story, The Alabaster Jar, The Modest Mom Blog, What Joy Is Mine, The Better Mom,  Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions

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