The
inventor of instant noodles has passed away. Before I found out I'm diabetic, I ate ramen noodles occasionally. It's unfortunate that Momofuku Ando has passed away but he had a very long life and has left behind quite a legacy that's near and dear to the hearts of many people who've embraced frugality.

I'm not much on breakfast. It isn't that I don't like to eat breakfast foods so much as I have a difficult time eating before 11 or so in the morning. And considering that I'm diabetic and really NEED to eat within a few minutes of waking, I'm always on the search for food I can eat early in the morning.

This is a tasty breakfast a fellow diabetic told me about. Thanks, Jim! You don't have to be diabetic to enjoy it, though. Make some ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a quick and thrifty breakfast. We buy eggs when they're on sale and buy a lot of them. We also buy ground turkey for .79 to .99 a lb and make our own breakfast sausage.

Preheat oven to 350F. Decide what kind of meat you want to use. I've used homemade turkey sausage in mine and it works well but you can use whatever meat you prefer. If you use sausage or bacon, you'll need to par-bake the meat for about 10 minutes. I just make the sausage and press some into the bottom of each of 6 muffin tins. Pop it into the 350 oven, let it cook about 10 minutes, then remove the tin and drain any grease. You can also use bacon and wind it around the side of the muffin tin cups. Again, if you use bacon you need to par-bake it. So, just press the meat into the bottom of the muffin tin cup, par-bake if needed then crack an egg onto the top of each piece of meat. Bake it until the egg is cooked to desired doneness.

I over baked the first batch and although they tasted good, the yolk made this weird plastic looking bubble on top. I just popped the bubble and used scissors to cut it off. So, don't over bake them. When they're done, remove them, blot off any excess grease, and store them in the fridge for a quick breakfast.

Cheese, salsa, and green onions are all great additions to this, by the way.

This is another of our favorites from More-With-Less. I generally use turnips rather than potatoes because they're easier on our blood sugar but cauliflower, cut up in chunks, works well for the potatoes, too. When my kids were younger, I'd add carrots and peas to this, also. They ate it all!

Meat, Cheese & Potato Scallop

Make a cheese sauce with

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk (powdered milk works well)
3/4 cup cheese (I use 4 to 6 oz cheddar)

Combine in a greased casserole:

1 medium onion, sliced
4 medium potatoes, sliced
2 1/2 cups canned lunch meat or leftover ham, diced (I use turkey ham)

Pour cheese sauce over meat and potatoes mixture. Cover and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake 15 more minutes.

Another great and versatile More-With-Less recipe. I've used this one for about 15 years and it's one of our favorites for using up cooked chicken. Make extra and use the leftovers for chicken pot pie, chicken a la king, chicken soup, served over dressing, etc.

Heat in skillet or saucepan, 1/4 c margarine or butter or chicken broth.
Add and saute just until soft:
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
Add, stir, and cook until bubbly:
1/4 c flour
Add:
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (I use powdered)
salt and pepper to taste
Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth.
Add:
2 to 3 cups cooked diced chicken
1 Tbsp parsley
Heat through and serve over rice, noodles, potatoes, etc.

This is another recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook and is one I really like a lot. For carb purposes, I cut the bread crumbs in half.

Combine and mix well:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I use .79 a lb turkey)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs or crushed crackers
1/2 cup water
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Pat out about 3/4 inch thick on cookie sheet. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into pieces, dip in flour, and brown in small amount of hot fat.
Preheat oven to 300. Lay pieces in baking dish or roaster and pour over:
1 to 2 cups mushroom or tomato sauce
Bake 1 1/2 hours.

I'm roasting two hens for Sticky Chicken and potatoes, carrots, and onion are being roasted with them. I'm making the Buttery Breadsticks I was going to make before and didn't. One of the hens will be eaten tonight and anything left (ha! they eat Sticky Chicken like most people eat steak) will be de-boned and put in the fridge with the other hen for later use.

I think I'll use some of those leftovers in a day or so for chicken fajitas. Yum!

I know I am not the only person in a serious money crunch. In my stack of printed recipes and frugal meals I have a wonderful article written by Dee Ann Guzman.

Meals for hard times explains how to feed your family on $30 or even $20. I've used her plan a few times and it's really gotten us through some rough spots. Maybe it will help someone here, too.

I got this recipe from hillbillyhousewife.com and they're so easy and so tasty! We like them with parmesan cheese sprinkled on them.

1/2 cup margarine (I use less)
2 cups flour (whole wheat works well)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (approximately)

Place the margarine in a 9 by 13 rectangular pan. Put this into the oven at 425° and melt the margarine. When margarine is melted, remove the pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a fork to stir, gradually mix in the milk. You might need a bit more milk. Stir the dough until it forms a soft ball. Coat the ball with flour if it seems sticky. Pat or roll the dough out on top of waxed paper. You should make a roughly rectangular shape which will fit into the hot pan.

Gently place the large sheet of dough into the pan, on top of the hot margarine. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into thin strips. The margarine will ooze up between the sticks. If desired, you may sprinkle the bread sticks with parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, etc. at this time or you can put the seasoning into the butter before adding the dough.

Bake the bread sticks at 425° for about 15 to 20 minutes. They will bake up golden brown, crunchy on the outside and soft in the center.

Cinnamon Dips: Combine 1/4-cup of sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle this liberally about the bread sticks right before baking. This makes a very nice and quick treat for the kids right after school.

I have some cooked chicken that was de-boned and put in the fridge two days ago. I also have a little of the chicken pot pie from a couple of days ago left. There's very little breading but some of the creamy chicken filling. Then I have the leftover veggies from last night's beef roast but no beef left! So I'm going to use the creamy stuff from the chicken pot pie with the cooked chicken and last night's vegetables to make chicken and vegetable soup. It will use up three bowls of leftover stuff and be very frugal indeed. I'll probably make buttery bread sticks to go with it and it will be filling and frugal.

This is another substitute for cream of whatever soups. It works very well and tastes great.

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
Salt & Pepper to taste or other spices/vegetables for flavor (mushrooms, celery, chicken bouillon, etc.)

Mix equal parts of butter & flour, stirring into a paste. Freeze in 1 T. balls or in the cubes of an ice tray. To make quick white sauce, simmer 2- T. cubes of the frozen butter & flour mixture w/ milk, then salt & pepper to taste. To make cheese sauce, just add shredded cheese to the white sauce.

I try to keep tabs on my MSG intake so I've collected a few MSG free recipes. Here's one that is excellent!

1/2 cup dried minced onion
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch (I usually use 1 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp oregano
2 Tbsp cumin

Combine all ingredients and run through blender if you want for finger consistency. Store it in an airtight container. Use 2 Tbsp and 1/2 cup water to 1 lb. of meat or meat and TVP mixture. Simmer 10 minutes.

One of the recipes I posted yesterday calls for soup mix but I said you can use a homemade equivalent and another blogger wants to know what's in that.

Here's the recipe for the onion soup mix:

3/4 cup dry minced onion
1/3 cup beef bouillon powder
4 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed celery seed
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar (this can be omitted)

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an tight fitting container. About 5 tablespoons of mix are equal to a 1-1/4 ounce package.

I don't remember where I found this but it's a fantastic recipe when one wants a treat and has no eggs.

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour (cake flour if you have it)
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup salad dressing
1 cup room temperature water
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix everything together, and bake for 30 minutes in an oven that's been preheated for at least 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with whipped cream, syrup or ice cream.

There's no need to buy those expensive vegetables with the cheese sauce mixed in. You can make your own for a lot less and it's healthier, too.

1 oz butter
3 oz grated cheese
3/4 pint milk (powdered milk and canned milk work very well in this)
1 oz flour

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook and stir the flour in it for a few minutes. Whisk in the milk to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes, whisking the entire time.
Add a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the cheese. Taste and season as needed. I love chopped garlic and onion and crumbled fried turkey bacon in this sauce.

These are delicious made with whole wheat flour and put in soup, either with meat or without. And they're easy, too.

1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp milk (powdered milk or water work too)
1 cup flour

Mix egg, salt and milk. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Roll thin, let stand 20 minutes. Roll up and slice 1/8" thick. Spread to dry for about 2 hours. Drop in boiling broth and cook 10 min.

Another one from the More-With-Less Cookbook. My kids gobbled these up like crazy and still love it when I make them.

Combine:

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt and dash pepper
1 1/4 cup flour

Cut in with pastry blender:

1/3 cup butter

Sprinkle with:

3 Tbsp milk

Toss with fork. Form into ball. Preheat oven to 375.

Turn dough onto floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds and run rolling pin over dough. Prick dough all over with a fork. Cut into 1x2 sticks or 2 inch squares and then into triangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes or until golden.

These are great with spices, other cheeses, onions, etc added. I love to play with the basic recipe and see what I can create.

This is from the More-With-Less Cookbook, my all time favorite cookbook.

My youngest son really loved this when he was a kid but all the kids really like it. Seldom is there anything leftover. It's very thrifty if you buy the ingredients on sale and it's filling! We like it with homemade bread or rolls and some green beans or a salad.

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut in 1 inch rounds:

3-4 medium zucchini squash or other summer squash, unpeeled

Cook in small amount of water until tender. Drain and mash with a fork.

Saute:

1 T butter
1 small onion, chopped

Combine:

mashed squash
sauteed onion
2 cups corn
1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 t. salt
2 beaten eggs

Turn into 1 qt greased casserole.

Combine and sprinkle on top:
1/4 c dry bread crumbs
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T melted butter

Place casserole on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Dutch hats are something I learned about from a woman on a message board I frequent. These are so good! I use low carb syrup and whole wheat or soy flour.

4 Tbsp butter
6 eggs, scrambled
1 c flour
1 c milk
1 -2 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

Melt the butter in the 9x13 pan in a 400* oven. While it is melting, add the remaining ingredients to the eggs in order and mix well. When the butter is completely melted, pour the mixture on top of butter and bake for 20 minutes.

Cut slices and add spoons of plain or vanilla yogurt, fruit or fruit salad and then drizzle with maple syrup.

This is one of the "desperate measures" recipes I use. It's tasty and served with some side vegetables or a salad and some homemade bread, it's quite filling!

1 cup raw rice
1/2 pkg. Lipton onion dry soup mix or homemade equivalent
2-1/2 lb. fryer, cut up
1 can cream of chicken soup or homemade equivalent
1 to 1-1/2 cups cold water
paprika, optional

Put the 1/2 pkg. of onion on the bottom of an 9"x13" baking pan. Then put the rice on top of that. Mix the soup with the water. Put that on top of the rice. Then put the raw on top of the soup and do not salt. You can put the paprika on top of the chicken if using. Bake covered for 1 1⁄4 to an 1 1⁄2 hour and the 15 minutes bake uncovered.

We had a quickie version of this last night. It's always a hit and the horde rarely leaves any uneaten. We make it without a bottom crust (fewer carbs that way) and it's just as good as if it had one.

Boil or bake a chicken and debone it. For a 9 x 13 pan of pie, I use two breasts or a breast and a thigh and leg. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and put it into a large bowl. To that add one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of cream of chicken soup (or use homemade equivalents as I do) and enough milk to make it all smooth and creamy. Add seasonings to taste; I use garlic pepper seasoning salt, a bit of sage, basil and some chopped garlic. Mix well and add vegetables. You can use any kind you want but in the effort to save on carbs I generally use leftover green beans and broccoli, a little bit of cooked carrot, and some cooked squash. Once it's all mixed well, set aside.

To make the crust, into a large bowl put put 3 cups flour, 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, about 1/2 tsp salt, and about a teaspoon of baking powder. Mix all that well. You might need to add more flour or more water to get the consistency right. You want it about like biscuit dough. If you want the top crust to be fluffy rather than flat, add more baking powder. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness. It doesn't have to be perfect but try to get it roughly the size and shape of your pan.

Put the soup/vegetable/chicken mixture in the pan first then gently lay the rolled out crust on top of it. If it doesn't go to the edges don't worry about it. It will be scarfed down, anyway! If I'm in a hurry, rather than roll the crust, I just put dollops of dough on the top of the soup mixture. That works well, too.

Once it's assembled pop it into a 350 degree oven and bake til the top is light brown. We usually have this with a salad and it's a hearty and frugal meal, specially when leftovers are used.

The chicken is cooked, cooled, and de-boned. I made a quickie version of my chicken pot pie and it's okay. Not great but not bad, either. The horde will eat it. What chicken didn't get used in that is now in the fridge awaiting use later this week.

I got the clothes washed and hung on the line and they're dry, folded, and put away now. A few of them were just slightly damp so I draped them here and there to finish drying. Doing that costs less than running to the laundromat to finish the drying. I saved about .75 plus the little bit of gas to drive 3 miles. Not a big savings but I'll add a dollar to my $20 challenge jar.

I did a little bit of online work today. There wasn't a lot to do but I made a few bucks. I won't get paid for it until late next week but that's okay. It will be a little bit toward the big payment to the bank later this month.

All in all, it was a pretty cheap day!

I know that menu planning really helps with the food budget but I can't seem to stick with it. I think it's because I keep the file on my computer and well, if I forget to look at it, I forget to look at it! It's one of those out of sight out of mind things. I keep a homemaking notebook that has all kinds of lists and schedules in it but I never remember to put menus in it! I do keep a file of about 60 menus and I rotate those but it would be nice to work some new meals into our lives.

Rather than plan what we'll have each night I think I'll just plan a week's worth of menus and decide in the mornings what we'll have that night. I'll give it a go and we'll see how that works.

Tonight we had baked flounder, blackeye peas, and hot water cornbread.

We still have some canned chicken in the fridge and it needs to be used so tomorrow night's supper will be creamed chicken over dinner rolls purchased 2 pkg for $1. We'll have it with a salad and some green beans.

The remaining five meals will be:

Hamburger steak with gravy
Homemade chicken pot pie
Meat loaf
Scrambled eggs and cheese toast
Chicken salad sandwiches or roll ups

I love chicken salad and to make it easier on my blood sugar I make it with mayo rather than salad dressing, dill pickle relish rather than sweet pickle relish, and some green onion and garlic. I spread it on leaf lettuce and roll it up. It's tasty, it's cheap and it's easy on the blood sugar. What more can I ask for?

DH had breakfast of eggs and toast this morning. I just couldn't make myself eat though I know I need to eat breakfast every morning. I just have such a hard time eating before 11 or so.

Lunch was chicken & dumplings leftover from last night's dinner. There weren't many dumplings left so I whipped some more up and dropped them in the pot, let it cook a bit and it was very good.

Supper was baked flounder, blackeye peas, and hot water cornbread. Oh, I love that cornbread but my blood sugar doesn't! I ate too much of it, I'm sure. Fortunately, we don't eat it very often.

But today's eats were cheap and good! And here's hopin' the rest of the year's eats are the same.