Search Results for: blog homemade chicken nuggets

Frugal Meal: Breaded Chicken

I cringe when I think about how much money I’ve spent over the years for pre-breaded chicken, including chicken nuggets, when breaded chicken is so easy to make at home and costs so much less than the prepared kind. Your own breaded chicken can be prepared ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator for a day or two, just like the expensive kind you will find in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, or cooked ahead and then frozen for convenience. You can also take your savings to an even higher degree when you use your own bread crumbs … Continue reading →

School Brunch

What time does your child eat lunch at school? The answer to that question created quite a stir among parents in cyberspace last week. Several media outlets, most notably NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News with Brian Williams decided to shine the national spotlight on the fact that some kids eat school lunch as early as 9:30 a.m. Thankfully, my daughter is not one of them. Rather, she dines in the school cafeteria at a more socially “acceptable” hour of 11 a.m. However, she attends a small Catholic elementary school which houses kids from preschool through fifth grade only. If … Continue reading →

Summer Reading Series: Pink-a-Rama

There’s nothing quite like a package full of pink to beat the summer blues. Enter Pinkalicious: Pink-a-Rama. The new box set filled with five fabulous Pinkalicious titles is the perfect addition to a family vacation. Whether you are traveling by air, land or sea, the collection of Level One, I Can Read stories by Victoria Kann couldn’t be easier to tote. Not only can your pretty princess escape to the world of Pinkalicious during a family getaway, she can do so in style. Pink-a-Rama comes packaged in a sturdy box with Velcro closures and a hot pink handle. Inside the … Continue reading →

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

It’s been a year of firsts for my first grader: First time attending all-day school, first time riding a school bus and the first time eating lunch in the cafeteria. Granted, I pack her lunch the majority of the time, but there have been days when she’s opted for the school’s hot lunch. So far she has only done so on the days that feature pepperoni pizza or chicken nuggets, but, hey, it’s a start, and given that it frees me from wracking my brain at 11 at night trying to figure out what to pack in her lunch bag, … Continue reading →

Forced to Pay for School Lunches

A new trend seems to be emerging. Some schools are now banning lunches made at home and are requiring kids to buy lunch at the school. The reasoning behind the decision is stated as a need for kids to eat healthier lunches, but is it just a ploy to get you to spend? First, let us tackle the financial aspect of it. I really don’t think that this is not, yes, not, a new revenue stream for most schools. School lunches are subsidized by the government, event the ones that parents pay for. A standard lunch usually costs a student … Continue reading →

McDonald’s: Foods Less Than 300 Calories

We all know that fast foods are not a good thing to have especially if you are trying to lose weight. When I totally cut out fast foods a few years back the weight dropped off me a whole lot faster. Since that time I have eased up on myself a bit and allowed some fast foods back into my life. However, I have a rule for myself that only certain things are allowed. The rule for me is that the item has to be less than 300 calories or I cannot have it. Here is a list of allowable, … Continue reading →

How to Have Healthy but Cheap Food

Many people on tight budgets forego healthy food because they think it is expensive. While some organic choices and produce can cost more than some processed foods, the truth is that there are many good ways to eat healthy but cheaply. Substitutes Instead of buying inexpensive white bread (it is cheaper than whole grain) learn how to make your own wheat bread. A bread maker can be picked up at Target or even a thrift store. Just add the ingredients and let the machine do the work. Hot dogs are cheap, but they are loaded with nitrates, preservatives, fats and … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Month in Review: July 2008

July went by so quickly for us! There were so many fun and frugal activities and events for us to explore, from a science camp to free movies and sand sculpting. I hope your July was equally fun and frugal. Summer is a busy time, I know. Did you miss any frugal articles last month? If so, here is an opportunity to catch up on what you missed. There are new ways to save money on food, clothing, kids, gas and more. Feel free to leave a comment on any frugal post. I read all of the comments myself, no … Continue reading →

No Bones about It

I have an ongoing beef with residents of this apartment complex who don’t treat it like a home. The people who don’t pick up after their dogs are a big part of my irritation; people who are irresponsible with garbage are another. I’ve lost count of how many time Moose has found some kind of vaguely edible treat on the ground — bread, fast food wrappers, bones, and more. I hope the litter is accidental, but when I think of how often Moose has crunched down on a chicken bone in the parking lot, I fear that it’s not. I’ll … Continue reading →

Loving Less Expensive (and Junky) Food

Are the rising food prices killing your budget? Why not make some changes to adapt your family to more home cooked meals. They are generally less expensive and offer better nutrition. This is the third article in a series today in which I talk about how our food palate can influence our food choices and our budget. By training your pallet, to less expensive food, you can seriously reduce your food bill. If you missed the two earlier articles, click here: The Frugal Palate Phenomena and Training the Frugal Palate. Let’s continue. My own kids tend to prefer home cooked … Continue reading →