Beef Stock Recipe

1 lb Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, sliced lengthwise or 2-3 handfuls of baby carrots
1 large celery stalk, halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled or dried garlic powder
4 quarts cold water
1 bunch parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
6 whole black peppercorns
1 large bay leaf
1 large tomato, halved (optional)

Place beef, onion and carrot in large greased roasting pan and roast 20-30 minutes in 400 degree oven until browned. Transfer vegetables and meat to stockpot, pouring any juices into stockpot as well. Bring mixture to simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 3 hours. Do not boil - this will produce a nasty looking foam that you will need to skim off. Strain stock through sieve. Chill stock and remove any fat that rises to the top. Stock can be frozen up to 3 month's.

Personally, I prefer to not skim off the fat because that acts as a "second seal" to keep out the freezer smell. When your ready to use it, after it's defrosted, then skim off the fat and use as you normally would.

GF/VG/ETC-FREE Waffles

Yay! Okay, so I played around and found a recipe that produced a really yummy and crispy waffle.

1 c. white rice flour
1/2 c. potato starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vegan rice protein powder
1 1/4 c. rice milk or alternative
1/4 c. oil

Mix dry ingredients, whisk in wet, add any additions. Next pour 3/4 c. into your waffle maker and follow appliance directions.


Cinnamon Raisin Waffles -
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T. raisins

Banana Waffles -
1/2 smooshed banana
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Blueberry Cinnamon Waffles -
1/4 c. whole blueberries
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Savory Pizza Waffles (Whodathunkit, right?)
1 Plain Waffle, toasted
1-2 T. pizza sauce, per waffle
2 T. Rice Cheese, mozzarella flavor, per waffle
Sprinkling of olives, GF pepperoni, thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced bell pepper, etc. Whatever you like.

Assemble pizza waffle's on cookie sheet and broil until cheese melts completely. Enjoy!

Supermarket Guru Product Reviews

Found this site on redplum.com and Phil Lempert is the product reviewer. He reviews a good bit of natural/organic products with a few regular stuff tossed in.

CHECK IT OUT

Vegan/Kosher/GF Crockpot Baked Beans

4 cans (15oz ea) Northern Beans
2 small onions, diced
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. brown sugar (I use light but dark will add a hint of molasses)
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. brown rice syrup (Lundberg is GF) or maple syrup
1 c. tomato sauce (or thin some tomato paste with water to equal this amount)

Pour all ingredients into a crockpot and stir to combine thoroughly. Turn crockpot on low and allow to slowly heat for 6-8 hours. Watch consistency of bean sauce, taste test throughout the time to see if it needs more sweetness or salt for your personal tastes. I dip potato chips into baked beans so I prefer a bit more sauce but cook to your tastes.

GF/Egg/Dairy & Vegan Potato Salad

3 c. peeled and diced cooked potatoes
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion (if you don't have raw onion use onion powder to taste)
2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 c. vegenaise (click here for website info)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Place potatoes, celery and onion in large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Pour over potato mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate until serving time.

Awesome Produce Deals

Now is the time for berries so get them fresh while you can, the crops in Starke were pretty badly damaged so they are most likely Driscoll's brand which I believe are coming out of California.

Food Lion
Strawberries/1lb $2.50 ea
Blueberries/1 Pint $2.50 ea
Mangos $.99 ea
Sweet Potatoes $.89lb

Winn Dixie
Strawberries/1lb $2.50ea
Blueberries/1 Pint $2.50ea
5lb Bag Russet Potatoes/ 5lb Bag $2.00

Publix
Organic Strawberries/ 1lb $2.50 ea
Cantaloupes / $2.00ea (not bad in comparison to the normal $3.99 ea)
Commercial Strawberries 1lb Container 2/$4
Raspberries 5.6oz 2/$4

Modest Women's Apparel

Seems to be a pretty upstanding company and the clothes are pretty stylish. Their sizes due however range from XS (2) to XL (16), so technically they have a smidgen of plus size clothing. They also have a cute swim suit that's pretty darn modest in comparison to what's on the market today. Their clothing is a bit on the pricey side but their products are made here in the US, so I can understand the higher pricing. Do check out their clearance section for discounted modest items.

Christa Taylor

Indian Fry Bread

This is a recipe that my grandmother taught my mom to make and it originates from Indians (aka Native Americans) during very poor times to help fill empty stomachs. Corn was a big staple of Indian tribes and this was one of the variations of "Poor Man's Bread". Also, due to white men's introduction of lard, this was pan fried traditional but to cut down on the cardiac arrest risk I used canola pan spray.

2 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches baking soda
1/4 c. white rice flour
2 T. potato starch
1 scant cup of water
1/4 of bacon drippings or oil
1/2 c. rice milk (you can use whatever milk your family drinks)

Whisk dry ingredients together to get out any lumps, add wet liquids. Heat up frying pan and drop 1/4 c. blobs onto a hot skillet and cook the way you would pancakes. Serve savory with rice and beans or serve as a breakfast dish with butter and syrup.

Frugal Tips - Babies/Kids

(1) Never buy new clothes or shoes, if you have the time you can check out garage sales being held in nearby neighborhoods or church/organizations. If your lucky enough to have a consignment store, find out what days they have specials and head in only on those day.

(2) Let your friends hold a baby shower for you, if they have the desire then by all means, let them have fun. You will get tons of clothing, shoes, diapers, etc. Keep all receipts so that you can return copies to the store and any extra items you won't need.

(3) Breast feed if possible, formula runs anywhere from $10 - $30 a can depending on whether it's on sale or full price. Consult nurses and lactation consultants to see if your able to get your baby to nurse. If your unable to breast feed, contact as many formula companies and sign up to get coupons. Combine sale formula and coupons to save even more money.

(4) Make baby food at home from foods that your family regularly eats, but don't waste money on special food processor's when most families already have a full size food processor that will work just fine. If your baby absolutely turns his/her nose up at the consistency you create, buy a few jars from the store (using COUPONS) and attempt to get the right consistency. If all else fails, only buy baby food when it's on sale and you have coupons to go with it.

(5) Have a kids clothing swap with your friends, your kids will have the chance to get a new wardrobe as well as new shoes or toys.

(6) If you know someone that got kids just a bit older then yours, ask if you can have the hand-me-down's for your child.

(7) Don't give your kiddos juice, it's very expensive and it's bad for their teeth. Water is super cheap and much healthier than the most 100% juice product out there. If they want to toddle around with a sippy cup in their hand or take one to bed, fill it with water. No matter how cheap you think juice is, the end results is cavities and fillings are pretty expensive and stressful for your kid to go through.

(8) Don't buy into those little jars of diced fruit and vegetables, just purchase regular cans of fruit (in natural juice) and vegetables. You can cut these up into small bite size pieces for a fraction of the cost.

(9) Don't buy snacks foods (even those marketed for kids), if you start your kid on an early path to junk food they will grow up expecting that as part of their daily meals. Even snacks marketed for children are not a necessity if they have variety in their diets. Snack foods are one of the most expensive products in the grocery store.

(10) Don't sign your kids up for ballet, soccer or basketball in their toddler years, rarely will kids stick to one thing for their entire life. If you need some type of outing, look in a local family magazine for free things to do as a family. When the time comes for them to get involved in extra curricular activities, they should be old enough to take small jobs to earn money to pay for what they want. This method should quickly show children just how far $1 goes in today's world.

The WOOMbie

These are a type of swaddle bag that has lots of testimonials and looks really beneficial.

CHECK EM' OUT!