Search Results for: blog 5 great recipes to throw in the crock pot

$5 Dinners

Feed a family of five for only $5 or less? Yes it can be done. Here are my favorite $5 dinners that we incorporate into our meal planning on a regular basis. Vegetarian Baked Beans Make your baked beans in the crockpot. Slow cooking all day doesn’t have to be work, and in fact, it is pretty convenient. Use dry Great Northern or Navy beans, which cost next to nothing. There is are several great recipes in the crockpot book, Fix It or Forget It. You can pair the beans with some cornbread for a meal, and then serve the … Continue reading →

More Ham Freezer Cooking

Today I woke up knowing that I had to do some freezer cooking. Remember all of that inexpensive ham I have been telling you about? Well, it was time turn the last ham deals into some freezer meals. I’m still in the process of finishing up actually. In the oven now, excuse me when the timer beeps, are the second batch of ham and cheese hot pockets. These will be great for quick out-the-door lunches or take-to-work lunches. I tried a new dough recipe this time. The previous one, using bread flour and a pizza dough recipe seemed to make … Continue reading →

Dicing Up Dinner

Meal preparation can be tricky with a baby. My baby takes up a lot of my mental capacity. Some days, the last thing I want to do is think about what to make for lunch or supper, especially when I want my meals to be healthy. My baby makes grocery shopping more complicated. If she’s in a good mood, it can be a fun experience. I get to get out of the house, and my baby gets to see and hear interesting new things. However, if my baby is fussy, it’s a whole different story. Even after I decide what … Continue reading →

5 Ways a Crockpot Will Save You Money

The crockpot or slow cooker is a frugal person’s best friend. With this little unassuming device, you can really save money. If you don’t have a crockpot yet, I trongly suggest that you purchase one as soon as you can (Used is fine. My best crockpot was bought at a local thrift store). Then get some good recipes and fire it up to save. Here are five great ways that a crockpot will save you money. 1. It makes it easier to prepare dinner. Throwing a few ingredients into the crockpot in the morning before work, school or family obligations … Continue reading →

A Unique and Memorable Wedding Gift

Some people come up with great ideas for weddings. This is one of them, which was planned and put together at least six months before the wedding by the mother of the bride. As soon as she knew the wedding date, the mother of the bride contacted all members of the family and asked them for their favorite recipe. The plan was each person would have an A4 page on which they were encouraged to print their favorite recipe, whether it was for main meal, dessert, cakes etc. After each person had printed out the recipe they were asked to … Continue reading →

A Favorite Recipe and More Tips for Stress Free Entertaining

Here are the final tips for stress free entertaining for you and your spouse, followed by the recipe of my husband’s favorite dessert. 9. If dinner feels like too much hassle, invite friends for afternoon tea at your home instead. Or invite them out for coffee at the local coffee shop 10. Check when making arrangements for a meal of afternoon tea that the person has no allergies. I once made a chicken dinner only to find out as it was being served that the person was allergic to chicken. Now I ask beforehand if they have any allergies. 11. … Continue reading →

Sweet Autumn Recipes

Two of the three farms we visited this fall sold honey fresh from the hive. In fact, both farms had several glass cases on display so patrons could watch thousands of busy bees fill hive cells with fresh honey. It was fascinating, and naturally, a great marketing tactic to get us city folk to purchase a few jars of honey on the way out. Of course, it was only after I got into the car that I realized that I don’t really use honey all that much (occasionally on fresh biscuits and in tea, but not often in main dishes). … Continue reading →

Autumn Recipes: C is for Comfort Food

Fall’s cooler weather makes piping hot, down home comfort food taste that much better. When I think of comfort food thoughts of my grandfather’s famous pot roast and my dad’s incredible meatloaf and my grandmother’s warm potato salad (featuring chunks of fall apples and thick smoky bacon) come to mind. Both take prep time that you might not have on a busy weeknight, but on a late Sunday afternoon when a stiff wind is blowing leaves across your yard a hot homemade meal is the perfect way to embrace the season. OLD FASHION MEATLOAF Ingredients: 1 cup of finely chopped … Continue reading →

Cornish Game Hens—Cooking the Other “Bird”

My young daughter loves “bird.” Meaning she happily devours anything that has wings—-chicken, turkey, quail, and yes, even Cornish game hens. Only she thinks all white meat is chicken (including pork). Not wanting to mess with a good thing (she eats every bite of white meat without complaint) I simply refer to dishes with white meat as “bird.” And it’s not as though she hasn’t seen me prepare the recipes. She simply accepts that birds come in different sizes and as long as the cooked meat is not over seasoned, drenched in gravy or (Heaven forbid) touching any other food … Continue reading →

The Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is packet of herbs and spices that you put with your pot roast to help flavor the cooking juices. It gives your finished product a hint of whatever you put in it. I should note that typically, a bouquet garni is comprised of parsley, thyme and bay leaf, however, the sky is the limit and you can put just about any type of flavors in your bouquet garni. How To Make One You’ll need to buy some cheesecloth for this–preferably double layered 100% cotton cheesecloth. You’ll also need 100% cotton string. You can get these from the … Continue reading →