Search Results for: blog more tips on using your crock pot

Oven Saving Strategies

With the warm weather coming, I am reluctant to use my oven. Not only because the heat of it will add to the warmth of the house when we don’t need it, but also because of the cost of the energy involved. With summer, our electric bills rise because of the need for air conditioning. Using the oven in a smart way, or finding alternatives is one way to balance out the extra summer energy cost. Using the Bread Machine If you have a decent bread machine, you may be able to use it for cooking items other than bread, … Continue reading →

Crockpot Mac & Cheese II

You can make comfort food, such as macaroni and cheese on a hot summer day. Just use your crockpot instead of your oven. This macaroni and cheese dish can be paired with a salad to make a full meal, or used as a side dish. It will freeze well, too. Just make sure to reheat it and eat it within three to six months for optimal flavor. If you have a food sealer, you can keep it even longer. This variation on the original crockpot macaroni and cheese sneaks in some extra lycopene for good eye health through the addition … Continue reading →

Less Time Cooking = More Time Working

Home-based professionals are often juggling many roles and responsibilities at once. From child care to cooking and cleaning and oh yes running our businesses, we have a lot on our plates including making sure that the family has plenty of nutritious food on their plates at meal time. Cooking is something that I enjoy very much, but I am keenly aware of just how much time goes into making many of the meals that I like to make. There must be a way that at least on some days, cooking and cleaning up can take up a little less of … Continue reading →

Frugal Fun Resolutions for the New Year

Being frugal can be fun, just as long as you keep some fun in your life. Sure there is joy in the fun of finding the best deal and feeling like you are stealing, but being frugal day after day, can be a downer if you shut the joy out of your life in your pursuit of frugality. With that said, here are my frugal resolutions for 2010. Frugal fun resolutions #1: Find free community activities to do and do them at least once a month. There are movies in the park. There are free museum days. There are local … Continue reading →

Save Time and Money with a Crock Pot

The second appliance I consider essential in the kitchen, and nowhere near as expense as an upright freezer, is the crock pot. It is a useful way of using cheaper cuts of meat and making it mouth wateringly tender. It also saves money. When you’ve been out at work all day, or even if you’re a stay at home Mom running around after a young family, the last thing you need when you’re tired is to think about preparing a meal. Rather than opting for take out, you can have a healthy meal cooking during the day. It means a … Continue reading →

Five Tips for Great Slow Cooker Meals

Using your slow cooker or crockpot is a great money saving idea. You can use inexpensive ingredients and have dinner ready with ease, avoiding the cost of eating out. I often get a lot of questions about using slow cookers, especially from people who find that their meals are dried out, tasteless, over or under seasoned or a strange texture. But most of the time, this can be corrected easily by following some basic guidelines or tips to freezer cooking. Here are five tips for great slow cooker meals. Be careful about opening the lid. While some recipes do benefit … Continue reading →

Convenience Meals without the Convenience Foods

Did you know that a recent survey declared that the number one consideration when people are deciding on dinner is convenience? Convenience trumps cost, nutrition and even taste. Modern food manufacturers understand this information all too well. They use it to their advantage to provide high cost convenience foods in small portions. What is more, these foods usually contain quite a number of artificial ingredients. There are more and more convenience foods on the market than ever before and less staples out there. Did you know that cereal was once the ultimate convenience food? Now it is often seen as … Continue reading →

Inventive Meals on the Road

After traveling and lodging, food is the biggest expense while traveling. But you can get in some great meals for $10, $5 or less when you cook them yourself. How can you cook while traveling? There are a few fun and inventive ways to be frugal here. Bring the slow cooker While many hotels don’t allow cooking in the room unless you have a suite that includes a kitchen, you can still use your crockpot in your car! If you have a long trip, at least four hours, then you are all set for a great meal. Add a liner … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Save Money on Food

Doing without things is a great way to save money. For example, you can cut out the cable bill, eliminate the cell phone and go without the vacations. But food is one area that is well, impossible to cut out of your life, since you need it to survive. Fortunately, there are many ways to save on food. Try some of the following tips. 1. Eat at home. Ingredients are usually less than prepared meals. The next time you are out and are tempted to stop for dinner on the way home, stop at the grocery store instead. Some inexpensive … Continue reading →

How to Save on Summer Food

When summer comes, your food budget can go out of the open window. Here are some tips on how to keep it all under control. Why does food cost more in the summer? There are several factors that can raise your food bill in the summer. With the heat, it is likely that you won’t be using the oven very often, meaning that those inexpensive casseroles and whole roasted turkeys, chicken and beef dishes are going by the wayside for more expensive steaks, fish and chicken breasts on the grill. There is a lot of fresh produce, to be had, … Continue reading →