Fab Frugal Food’s First Anniversary GIVEAWAY ! ! !
Written by Anne on January 8, 2010 in Frugal Tips
We at FFF are celebrating because exactly one year ago today – on January 8, 2009 – FFF was born! We posted our first post!
We want to share the joy by giving away a beautiful 90th Anniversary KitchenAid mixer to some lucky FFF reader. This is the most gorgeous kitchen appliance ever to grace Donna’s kitchen (Santa brought one!) and we decided that it is the perfect first giveaway! This candy-apple red beauty has a suggested retail price of $399.00 – so don’t pass up your chance to win!
For the next 30 days, you can earn points and on February 14, 2010 we will pick a winner! Every point you earn means one chance to win!
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OFFICIAL FAB FRUGAL FOOD GIVEAWAY RULES:
Here’s how to increase your chance to win by earning points:
One point for every comment you leave to this post before February 8, 2010 – you can post up to one comment per day!
Two points for every Frugal Food Tip you leave on a comment to this post before February 8, 2010 – you can post up to one Frugal Food Tip per day!
One point for blogging about it on your own blog. Include a link to this post AND leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.
One point for following us on Twitter (leave a comment here telling us when you started following). And another point for every Twitter post containing the link to this post – you can post one link per day on Twitter (leave this as a separate post)! Click on the link in the sidebar to follow us on Twitter.
One point for friending us on Facebook (again, leave a comment here telling us when you did so). And another point for every Facebook post containing the link to this post – you can post one link per day on Facebook (remember, leave this as a separate post)! As with Twitter, click on the link in the sidebar to get to our fan page.
Let people know about this giveaway, and if someone you contact about this giveaway makes a comment to this post we will give BOTH you and that person one point (make sure they mention your name in their comment).
Winner will be selected by an independent agency such as random.org on February 14, 2010. Winner will be posted on this blog on February 14, 2010 – so be sure to check on Valentine’s Day to see who wins this sweetheart of a mixer! Winner needs to confirm with us within 48 hours of winning!
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Any questions? Post a comment below or email us at fabfrugalfoodie@gmail.com.
Good luck, wonderful readers!
– posted by Donna and Anne
Of course I’d like a chance on a red KA Mixer! Thanks fo the invite!
I do love a wonderful giveaway!
This is the most gorgeous kitchen appliance ever! Gosh…can’t take my eyes off it! WOW… fingers crossed!!
Right am following you on twitter… thank you for the mail. Happy 2010 to you!!
well, amy sent me here! so one point for me one point for amy? also, i am already your fan on facebook, i became a fan a while ago, but i can’t find out when.
3 points for me! hahaha
Wow…Donna & Anne….cool giveaway and thanks for contacting me! I would LUV to win a mixer like this…awesome!
Enjoy!
Awesome giveaway! Happy 1 year anniversary!
Oh it is SO ON! How about a point for blogging about it? Eh, eh? and Yay Karlee!
Congrats on your one year anniversary! Donna is sooooo talented!
Wow this is a beautiful piece of Kitchen art work. I love it.
Happy anniversary.
Amy Jane, you are so right. Points for blogging about it too!
Congratulations on the one year anniversary. Truly I was shocked when Donna told me you had just started blogging this year!
Congratulations on your anniversary. thanks for the invite.
Oh, what an awesome contest! Congrats on the one year anniversary!
I’m following you on twitter since about 2 minutes ago.
Congratulations on a great 1st year! Great giveaway!
You girls are so fabulous! What a perfect first giveaway!
Happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!!! Oh yes!! I would like one of these please!!!
)
What a fun idea and great blog! I’m in.
SQUEAL!! Happy anniversary!! I do follow you on Facebook already, BTW!
Wow! What a great giveaway! I love our Dinner Divas group and hope one of us wins!
Frugal Food Tip: Did you know that brown sugar keeps great in your fridge and freezer? It doesn’t go hard when stored this way!
As I’ve no room for a KA at the moment, I’ll just wish everyone else luck in the contest and congratulate you fabulous ladies on a terrific site!
Wonderful blog and awsome giveaway~ Diane Robison sent me the link and I love it. Thanks!
What a great idea to increase activity on blogs. Good luck! You will like Diane Robison’s blog called Journeyings. It goes along with your theme.
Happy Blogaversary! What a great giveaway!
Hi Donna and Anne!
Happy New Year and best wishes for your Blogiversary.
Just friended you on FB.
I could so use a new mixer. I only have a hand held and this would look fantastic in my upcoming newly painted kitchen!
I just friended you on Facebook.
Just followed you on twitter. I’m @bfmom. Added you to one of my lists: Foodie Folks too
[Connie wrote a comment concerning an issue with an email announcement we were unaware of. We have corrected for the future! Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention, and we sincerely apologize for ANY inconvenience.]
Thank you. And good luck with your contest.
Am now a fan on facebook, and following on twitter! Happy Anniversary!
Hooray! That mixer has been the candy apple of my eye since I first saw it!
Count me in
Oooh Oooh…that would match my kitchen perfectly. Thanks!
Fab frugal food is the best! I would LOVE to win this mixer, so I hope that I rack up enough points! Anne and Donna are definitely a dynamic duo in the kitchen!
Brought it up on my blog:
http://urbanluddite.blogspot.com/2010/01/kitchenaid.html
Here’s my frugal food tip of the day: Don’t throw away over ripe bananas – freeze them in a zip lock bag and use them frozen in smoothies.
Count me in. I’ve seen that mixer in person. It’s AWESOME!
Its so pretty! Maybe I’ll get lucky….
Wow! Donna, this is Briana Taylor from HR. I had no idea you were up to such fabulousness! Amazing! And of course, I’d love a chance to win one of these! I’ve always wanted one….
Food Tip: crack an egg using the counter top, not the side of a bowl to reduce introducing itty bitty shells into your food.
http://tinyurl.com/ya993hl
Donna, you are amazing. What a considerate thing to do for people. I’m so impressed by your skill, knowledge, ability and generosity. Wow! Happy blogging.
I’d love a chance to win the mixer. I found about this through Amy Welch’s blog!
Food tip: Eat more beans. Dry re-hydrated garbanzos are yummier than canned from the store.
Happy anniversary! What a great idea to have a giveaway. And red is my favorite color!
Nice give away!
http://rowenasrantings.blogspot.com/2010/01/foodies.html
i would love to win this for mom- she has been dying for one of these!
Put me in the drawing! Looks like you already have tons of fans! I’ve become a fan of you on Facebook too. That’s 2 entries!!
What a great giveaway. I’ve been lusting over them for the longest time!
Fabulous giveaway! That anniversary mixer is truly gorgeous – I can’t even imagine how wonderful it would be to have the glass bowl especially!
What an awesome mixer!
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
Happy Blogaversary!
I wouldn’t be opposed to mixing with this beauty! Thanks for the giveaway!
OOOH I so need one of these because I used mine so much that my motor burnt up. I would love to win!
I would LOVE a Kitchen Aid!
wow! Count me in on the giveaway! I am a fan on facebook too!
Thanks for the giveaway! Diane Robison sent me a linl
I just became a fan on facebook
I blogged about the giveaway:
http://babysrockin.blogspot.com/2010/01/mixer-giveaway.html
Everyone wants one of these in their kitchen! Thanks for this giveaway!
I follow on Twitter (@channynn).
Tweet! http://twitter.com/FabFrugalFood/status/7520186288
Just “befriended” Fab Frugal Food on FB (Shannon Carman Finer).
The fabulous frugal tip I learned from my mother is to use pasta, rice, or potatoes in the majority of the meals you create. These staples are low cost, filling, and stretches the meal!
This is such a great opportunity…thanks. I will soon be blogging about this in my blog
I also have a frugal food tip for people. Using a little bit of oil in the boiling water when making pasta will prevent the pasta from sticking!
Congratulations on a wonderful site! Love that gorgeous Kitchen Aide
I’ve become a fan of you on Facebook too
I just became a fan!!
HI I am Laura. My sister Diana sent me to your blog. I am excited for all the great recipes. Winning something, is exciting too!
would LOVE to win this!
Zap lemons, limes, or oranges for 15 seconds in the microwave before squeezing them. The fruit will yield twice as much juice.
Sorry that was for Diana Alldredge
My tip is probably something everyone does. Plan the meals, write the list. Making frequent trips to the grocery store is killer for me. I always spend too much money. When I have a plan in place and stick to it my money stretches farther, we eat heathier (less likely to eat out).
Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! and Congratulations!
THANK YOU READERS!
At the end of the first day of our giveaway, I wanted to let you all know that we are thrilled with the response and all your comments.
We hope that you will all return often to our blog in the next 30 days, not only to re-enter the giveaway, but to try out the blog and give our fabulous recipes a try!
We are looking forward to the next 30 days and all your comments.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHO WILL WIN!
Donna & Anne
I’m Lisa N.’s sister in law
This is cool and that lovely KA would match my toaster!
Tip: If it’s on sale, I buy two–even veggies! Fresh stuff can be chopped and frozen, shelf stable stuff goes out to shelf in the garage. Things like onions, celery and mushrooms don’t retain their texture when frozen, but they still work great in spaghetti sauce, soup, chili and stroganoff–things that usually turn them half to squish anyway
Hey there. It was nice to meet you at Williams Sonoma. Everyone make sure to check out our cooking/technique classes most Saturday mornings through March in the Riverwood’s location. Classes begin at 9am.
I like Shannon F.’s cooking tip. After all of these years, how have I never thought to use pastas and rice for economic reasons. Interesting! Thanks Shannon.
Kitchen Aid mixer? All right.
I posted your link on my FB. One more point.
Great website, what a culinary find… Congratulations on your anniversary!
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!!
You are fabulous cooks!!!!
l
This is the most beautiful KitchenAid. When I have seen it in person it just glimmers. I would love to win.
I am loving this Stand mixer.
Frugal Food Tip: Dump your food waste, coffee grounds, apple cores, etc. into a kitty-litter bucket with a snap lid. Once a week or so take it outside and dump it on the compost heap. Great for the garden and cuts down on trash – you save money on garden compost AND on trash pickup!
I’ve been thinking about how lovely my kitchen would look with this bad boy!
We throw all our compost-able waste off the deck into the woods!
Would love to have this!
Always love new ideas. I love it. BTW Diane Robison sent me a link to your site.
Awesome & appropriate idea!
I would love to give this beautiful red kitchen aid to my dear sister who gave me hers because she moved to a foreign country! She moves back soon so this would be perfect timing
Good luck to all.
I’d love to have a mixer in my kitchen again! On a side note… I’m now friending you on FaceBook!
I am YOUR fan on facebook!!! Jachaaaa…
AND I added your link to my blog!!! Double Jachaaaa…
Had a dream about a pretty red kitchenaid last night….I’m not sure what that means, but maybe its a good thing!
I’m a fan of yours on facebook now. Holla!
I love FFF and I love Kitchen Aid!!!!
I am a FB fan and I am following on Twitter!!
Tweeted it. I’m @bfmom http://bit.ly/6WOksR Giveaway for a Candy Apple Red Kitchen Aid Mixer @FabFrugalFood less than 5 seconds ago
I just posted this giveaway on my Facebook page.
Awesome! I learned about this on Kate’s blog. Enter me in! I’d love to win.
thanks for the opportunity to enter!
I so want this! Here’s my food tip ( learned this from the produce man at the grocery store
): if you want your fruit to ripen faster put it next to some bananas on the counter. The bananas send off chemicals that help speed up the ripening process. You no longer have to wait forever for your fruit to get ripe!
I blogged! http://iliveforfood.blogspot.com/
The secret to fluffy white rice is to soak and rinse it at least 3 times prior to cooking it. http://tinyurl.com/ydsysdz
Cool prize. Would be glad and lucky to win. Thank you:)
My tip for today is about deviled eggs. Using older eggs is KEY (easier to shell)! The night before you make them, lay the eggs horizontal to help center the yoke. Take eggs out of fridge 30min to an hour before boiling them (less temperature change, less cracking).
http://thegoudeye.blogspot.com/2010/01/dreaming.html
I wrote a post about the contest, I’m so in love with this mixer.
It was nice to learn about your blog today in the food technique class
Thanks!!!!
Is it too late? I want to enter!!!
Great prize! One of these days my kitchen will get one of these, one way or another.
I would love to win this appliance! I also think your recipes are great!
Cooking tip: When making flour tortillas from scratch, you should make sure and use warm/hot water when mixing the dough. It will help your tortillas roll out with smoother edges. I also found that if you let the dough rest for 15 minutes a couple of times before rolling them out, they will stay together better when eating them.
Thank you!
Yes I posted your fabulous giveaway on my blog;
http://theadventuresoftigger.blogspot.com/2010/01/foodies.html
Thanks Sara – I am definitely going to try these tips – I grew up a few miles from the Mexican border and ate tortillas every single day. Only during the last few years have I learned how to make them, and I love making my own!
Diana (my awesome sister) sent me the link to this wonderful blog
Donna – so fun to have you as a regular customer at WS! It’s been fun to look through your blog. I love our parmesan pumpkin pasta sauce and it’s only available in the fall… so I’m excited to try out your recipe!
I think the Anniversary addition, beautiful red KA would be a great Valentine’s Day gift!! = ) Here’s hoping! =)
Put your citrus peels in your microwave for 2-3 minutes covered in a bowl of water. They will release a chemical that will loosen all the grime off your microwave – then use the peels to rub the inside of your appliance… finish with a cloth and you’ll be amazed!
I have always wanted a mixer like this. Thank you so much for the opportunity to enter my name in your giveaway.
I’ll take Frugal Food Tips for 2 points, Alex (sorry, I am a Jeopardy fan and couldn’t resist)LOL
Anyway, every bought a great bottle of wine for cooking but can’t use it all in one recipe. Don’t let it go to waste, just pour the leftover wine into a plastic ice cube tray and freeze. Then pop out frozen wine into a ziplock freezer baggie. Next time you need wine for a soup, stew or other recipe, just drop a couple in. No fuss, no muss and definitely no waste.
I follow you on twitter as of today 1/10/2010 @HeartnSoulmom
Tweet
http://twitter.com/HeartnSoulmom/status/7589838710
I am a friend on Facebook (Became a friend 1/10/2010)
Posted this link on my facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fab-Frugal-Food/135373674644?v=wall#/profile.php?v=feed&story_fbid=407050525343&id=100000340624870&ref=mf
This is so beautiful. I would love to make desserts with this.
I ususally have to bring a food to work as a pot luck each month and this is such a great kitchen item it would be a pleasure using.
Yay, I’m so excited about this! I added the link to my facebook, and I added Fab Frugal Foods as a friend as welL! http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=193306009
Okay, I am a friend now of Fab Frugal Foods on Facebook. I also added a link to this site there- it’s http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=193306009 And my tip of the day is for the fried apple slices- make sure to watch the oil temperature carefully, mine got too hot and started on fire!
Oh, that’s one red-hot mama!
I am a Twitter follower.
Tweeted! http://twitter.com/toontz/status/7605033203
Became a fan on Facebook.
Did you know you can freeze mushrooms? Slice, saute, cool and freeze: http://tinyurl.com/yaz674o
I posted on my facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/DivaDiana?ref=nf
oops sorry bad link. Here’s the link http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/DivaDiana?ref=profile
I became a fan on facebook!
I really thought I was getting one of these for Christmas, but alas, I didn’t. I’d sure love to win one!
I’m following you on twitter!
I twittered it!
http://twitter.com/sporadiccook/status/7610053302
Briana Blackwelder
I would love to win!!
Briana Blackwelder
love the red!
Briana Blackwelder would make good use of this!! She loves cooking and baking.
I just started following you on twitter
silverhartgirl
Frugal tip: Dehydrate fresh fruit in season to enjoy it for the rest of the year. You get tastier fruit at a better price that way!
Briana Blackwelder deserves this more than anyone I know.
This should belong to Briana Blackwelder! Go Bonanna!
Brianna Blackwelder!
Briana Blackwelder for pastry chef of the year!
Briana Blackwelder is my sister, I vote that she gets this Mixer! She has always wanted one and she loves to cook for friends and family.
I think Briana Blackwelder could make much better use of that kitchen aid than me.
I would love love love to win this amazing Kitchen Aid Miracle!!!
Frugal Tip: try out to make your own Rouladen, that’s a german recipe classic!!! use thin long slices of beef, spread on one side mustard, use salt and pepper, put on one end onions, pickels, bacon and little bit of garlic, roll it and be careful that the filling doesnt’t come out on the sides and braise it!!! Add beef broth, tomato paste and left ofter onion, pickels, .. and let it sit in the slow cooker for 4 hours and enjoy with Kloesse and german red cabbage!!! OH that is soooo good.
i have no clue what twitter is good for, but I am a follower!!!
the last 3 comments need to count for the 10th
it’s only 11.47 pm 
not midnight yet, puh 
please let it count!!!
I would love Briana Blackwelder to win!!
cooking tip: add a little bit of butter and everything turns out better
i posted sth on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fab-Frugal-Food/135373674644?ref=nf
What a wonderful giveaway.
How great it would be to use this when making cookies and desserts.
Here’s a great money saving frugal tip! Take inventory of the food in your fridge and pantry before you go grocery shopping. So many times people go and buy food they already have!
Man, I would love to win!
I second the folks who think Briana Blackwelder should win this. Her friends and family would benefit tremendously from her use of it!
I forgot to mention before that I read about your website, and this giveaway on my sister’s blog:
http://rowenasrantings.blogspot.com/
I am now a huge fan of your website! I love your recipes, and I got a hoot out of your “Mammory Graham” recipe. I’ll have to remember that one this October! I also think Anne was awesome on the Food Network Channel, I never thought to put cashews in vegetarian chili. I think she would have won if the first judge got a cashew in his first bite too. Awesome! I want to try out that chili!
Briana Blackwelder!
Tip: Along with drying fresh seasonal produce, if you over buy produce, dry the extras before they go bad. Onions, garlic, celery, parsley, basil, etc. This way it does not take up freezer space and you have it on hand without having to waste fresh and purchase dry. It’s especially useful to take the dried spices camping, when fresh could go bad easily!
Wow….I dream of owning a KitchenAid mixer! A red one would be even better! :0)
I would love to win this mixer for my wife Brenda. I don’t do a ton of cooking but am the recipient of good cooking for all of my life from my grandma’s to my mom to my wife I’m lucky to have people who can make great tasting food.
Thanks for the chance to win this fabulous giveaway!
Following you on Twitter as stickyprints
Ooooo, pretty mixer!! I just found out about this blog through the Deseret News. I’m vegan, and just glanced at the vegetarian entrees section and found several promising recipes. I’m clicking the link to follow you on FB.
Briana Blackwelder introduced me to this site.
I love the KitchenAid with the glass measuring bowl, great idea.
I am now going to go and snoop through all the great looking recipes on this site.
Oh, I’ve always wanted one of those!
What an awesome giveaway!
Tip: At least twice a year I try to do a pantry and freezer cleanout. I look though the depths of food pushed to the back of the freezer and plan meals around it so it does’t go to waste!
Oh my goodness! I would love love love to win!
I love your website!
Tip: Save the rind from your Parmesan cheese and freeze it. Then you can add it to soups and sauces for extra flavor.
Happy Anniversary!
Here’s a cool way to organize your freezer by purchasing plastic baskets at the dollar store: http://tinyurl.com/ydvgvkm
My tip for today: Save leftover cuttings of vegetables for making vegetable stock, such as celery heads, carrot leftovers, onions, etc. You can freeze these if you don’t have time, or if you have time, boil them into a stock, strain, and freeze them in freezer bags or leftover sour cream / cottage cheese containers.
This is a great site! Thanks Briana Blackwelder for emailing me about it!
love it!
Tip: Cut about a third of the meat out of any recipe calling for it. You still get enough, you save money, and it’s better for you.
I love my KitchenAid, I hope Brianna Blackwelder wins this one!
Just became a Facebook fan!
Whenever you make recipes calling for only egg yolks (like lemon curd or pudding) save the whites for another recipe that calls for only whites (such as angel food cake, or macaroons). My favorite combination is lemon curd and macaroons, yum.
-Briana Blackwelder
Tweeted again. I’m @bfmom http://bit.ly/6WOksR Giveaway for a Candy Apple Red Kitchen Aid Mixer @FabFrugalFood
I just started following on twitter.
-Briana Blackwelder
I just started following you on Twitter today (1/11/10).
curried potato, apple, and kale soup looks amazing!!! http://www.fabfrugalfood.com/appetizers/health-and-prosperity-new-years-soup-curried-potato-apple-and-kale-soup-recipe/
perfect for a winter day. i love this idea.
–briana blackwelder
My frugal tip is I love incorporating older fruits in smoothies and older veggies into soup. An overripe banana frozen is such a good additon to a smoothie.
I think Briana Blackwelder would make the most use out of this giveaway. She is always up to some fantastic project.
Briana Blackwelder could totally use this! She is my culinary hero!
I plan my meals around what’s on sale. If there is a good sale on Chicken, I pick a recipe from 101 Things To Do With Chicken.
I just posted about your blog and giveaway!
http://savvysavingstucson.blogspot.com/2010/01/kitchenaid-mixer-giveaway.html
Following you on Twitter!
Count me in and wish me luck!!!
I just added a post to my blog of this link! http://syrate.blogspot.com/ And my tip of the day is to add cauliflower to your mashed potatoes (1/2 and 1/2)…it tastes GREAT and you can get all the best nutrients from cauliflower!
Stephanie! So good to hear from you!! I hope all is well with you – come and visit our blog often! – Donna
If you want to get cheap and tasty fruits and vegetables, go to Sunflower Market!!! I love that place and on Wednesday you get sales from last week and the sales for the new week!!!
I would love an extra stand mixer, beautiful red stand mixer.
I would love to have Kerstin M win the kitchen aid because her cooking is heavenly!
My mom uses evaporated milk in her mashed potatoes to make them extra soft and fluffy.
made another comment on facebook and of course on the fried apple rings
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fab-Frugal-Food/135373674644?ref=ts
Count me in! I would lOVE this, I have been wanting one for a while
Well, I just became your friend on facebook. I must say that I want this kitchenaid like a fat kid at fat camp wants cake, so I need to get my act together and comment like crazy! Hooray for blog giveaways! (and tofu mac)
I would so love to win the kitchenaid! Just met you site today, and I love it already!
I love that red. Such a beautiful color. Would love to win one. wish me luck.
I would love a chance to win this!! Thanks for all the great recipes.
Beautiful mixer! Thank you for the chance.
I come from Stephanie Ashcraft’s post about your mixer give-away on her blog:
http://savvysavingstucson.blogspot.com/
I’ll check out your Fab Frugal Food blog now…..
What a beautiful addition it would make to any kitchen.
I know that my wife and I would love to make great things with this or even just cookies.
What a wonderful giveaway and a great blog! :O)
Frugal food tip: when I make pancakes for my kids in the morning, I make freeze the leftovers for days I’m in a hurry.
Awwwww…. a red KA Mixer! It is beautiful! Would love to add this to my kitchen!
waHOOO! what a gorgeous mixer!!! Happy anniversary!
Briana Blackwelder is the perfect person to win a red mixer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love that you are giving away a red mixer! So chic!!
Red is one of my all time favorite colors! I would so love one
I would truly LOVE to win! Thanks for the chance!
The last comment did not have my correct email address.
Wait, now I don’t see my original entry saying I would truly LOVE to win and thanks for the chance to enter!
ooh I love the red! Pick me Pick me!!
I’ve been wanting one of these, but couldn’t bring myself to splurge on that price
My frugal food tip is knowing the rock bottom prices of your meats, then when a great sale comes along you know when to stock up and freeze.
Congratulations on your Anniversary! It was so nice to meet you at Williams Sonoma last week. I love this beautiful Kitchen Aid.
As of a few minutes ago, I am now a facbook fan and our nessages are showing up on my home page.
I absolutely love the red KA mixer … it would look wonderful sitting on my counter!
Am now following you on twitter!
Frugal Food Tip: An oldie but goodie …. I turned some stale croissants into Caramel Croissant Pudding.
Save money by baking your own meatballs and freezing them. They keep their shape and taste SO much better than the warehouse variety: http://tinyurl.com/ylffz4s
Congrats on 1 year! The KitchenAid mixer has been on my wish list for years!
Soooooo want one of these!
This would be a fabulous addition to my kitchen! Thanks!
I am a facebook fan!
I don’t really care if I win the Kitchen Aid but if it is red it would look fabulous in my kitchen. Keep the good recipes coming…I look forward to them.
My food tip for today:
Use up those lemons and limes on the verge of going bad by zesting them first and then squeezing the juice into ziplock bags. Keep the zest and juice in the same bag to preserve the zest and then you can unfreeze them when you’re making something that calls for zest & juice (lemon bars, key lime pie, lemon poppyseed cake, etc)
-Briana Blackwelder
I made a twitter post yesterday, forgot to mention that.
-Briana Blackwelder
Count me in!
My Frugal Tip: using a mixer such as the one being given away, combine 8 oz of softened butter with 8 oz of canola oil and whip until it turns white – about ten minutes or so (start the mixer slowly until it starts to thicken a bit and then crank up the RPMs). Put the whipped mixture into a crock with a lid and store it in the fridge. It will taste like butter, spread like soft margarine, save money over the price of just butter, and you’ll receive the health benefits of canola oil in your diet!
Happy Tuesday everyone!! I see more and more people are getting excited for the beautiful kitchenaid machine
Competition competition 
My food tip today: smash garlic with a knife before you cut it, your food will turn out so much more flavorfull!!
i made a comment on twitter
https://twitter.com/?status=@FabFrugalFood&in_reply_to_status_id=7509019372&in_reply_to=FabFrugalFood
Kerstin made amazing mashed potatos today!!! Food tip: Add Butter Smart, delicousness of bacon, garlic, salt and milk and stirr it until it is super doooper creamy!! You could add some caramelized onions as well!!!
This kitchenaid machine would look amazing in my kitchen!!
thanks for the chance to win
Frugal Tip: To save money, but still have fun in your menu, make artisan breads at home. When you place your dough on a surface covered in cornmeal to rest for a while before baking, make sure and place a fairly thick layer of cornmeal down. If you don’t the dough will stick and become difficult to move onto a baking stone. If you have lots of corn meal, it should glide on easily and stay wonderful for baking!
Happy cooking!
Jim – Wow! is this a really fab tip! I am going to try this soon – and look for it one one of our upcoming Fab Frugal Friday tips!
Sara N. – I am going to try to do more of my own breads this year. Do you have a favorite artisan bread recipe? I’d love to hear about it!
Kerstin – I thought this was just an easy way to peel the garlic – I didn’t know it increased the garlic’s flavor! Thx for your great tip!
Briana – Too many of my lemons/limes/oranges go unused and get like hard rocks and I throw them out. Great frugal tip!
Frieda – You bake your meatballs? What a great idea! I hate standing and turning, turning, turning them. Do you have a favorite meatball recipe? We’d love to see it!
Debbie – Croissants and caramel . . .M m m m mmmm . . . you must send us the recipe!
Janae – OK – I’m going to put this on my “must memorize” list!
Jill – And pop them in the toaster in the a.m., I assuming, or how do you re-heat them?
Amber – You are awesome! Come cook with me soooooon!
Joshua – I DARE you to find a more fab apple recipe! So, so amazing when a random culinary thought becomes a delicious reality! My fave 100 per cent “Donna” creation on the blog!
Kerstin – Will do! See you there on Wed!
Syrell – I love it when frugal meets healthy!!! Thanks!
Stephanie – You are still awesome, it appears! Thanks for your fabulous frugal-ness!
Briana – You are so right about this! I throw them away much too often!
Kimberly – Great, great idea. Have you heard about Meatless Mondays? I’m going to join this cause this year!
Jen – Great idea. What veggies make the best stock??? Send us your fave recipe!
Frieda – Oh boy will this save me lots of cash – I throw away way too much unrecognizable “stuff” from the bottom of my freezer!
Briana – I just used a Parmesan rind in a vegetarian bolognese sauce, and – you are right! – it really did enhance the flavor! Watch for my upcoming post about that soon.
Ashley – This will definitely be on my To-Do list. And my pantry next . . . .
Sara – Do you dry things in your oven or do you have a special dryer? What’s your fave method?
Sara – Thanks so much! I think Anne’s chili is the best on the planet! Put it on your “must try” list for 2010!
Lauren – Check! I always do better when I am prepared!
Kerstin – Wow! Could you just come to my kitchen and make some?!
Frieda – Wow! I had no idea. Thanks – we will definitely put this on one of our Fab Frugal Friday Tips!
Syrell – Yes, watch the heat closely – they will burn quickly!
Cheryl – This is a great tip for me, because I don’t buy wine too often, and when I do it always goes to waste. Thanks!
Kitty – And I bet it makes your kitchen smell great too!
If Briana Blackwelder wins I certainly hope I get some cookies or something!! {=o) Miss you Bri!
Love the chance to win this mixer!
I really would love to win this Kitchen Aid.
I have made space on my kitchen counter … just in case!
Frugal Food Tip: I make sure that I use proper wrapping for items that I am going to freeze. I have a friend who does not take care wiuth this and is constantly throwing things away she has frozen. What a waste!
Need an easier/cleaner way to measure cocoa powder? Use a knife to cut only half of the plastic top liner on a new box and use it as a way to level your cocoa powder: http://tinyurl.com/yax2t75
Donna, here’s my meatball recipe. Enjoy! http://friedalovesbread.blogspot.com/2009/05/marvelous-meatballs.html
Donna-
My sister got a book called something like “Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day” for Christmas. She shared a great recipe with me, and I think she will be blogging about it soon. When she does I’ll leave a link for you.
I have a “Nesco Snack Master” food dehydrator. I love it and I use it often. If you don’t dry things very often, just use your oven. Herbs are more delicate so you should just use the “warm” setting. Or about 95 degrees.
Today’s frugal tip…
When you make all breads at home to save money and rotate wheat food storage, use cold water to rinse all dishes before submersing in warm soapy water. Dough cleans off so much easier with cold water rather than warm/hot.
Sara – Ok Thanks – but could you just come to my house and make bread for me? What’s better than the smell of bread baking in your kitchen?!
Frieda – What a great thing to have stashed in your freezer! I love your baking-not-frying tip. Will definitely try this next time I attempt meatballs!
Debbie – I agree – do you use zip lock bags or layers of plastic wrap?
Fingers crossed for that awesome KitchenAid mixer!!
When my husband asked if I wanted a kitchen aide for Christmas I said no because I guess I don’t know what I’m missing. I’ve never had anything but a little hand mixer. My friend said she can’t live without her kitchen aide. So, I’m hopeful that I might be able to win something for once in my life.
The mixer looks fabulous! If I don’t win it, I’m going to go out and buy it anyways. I should also get extra points because I’m a DK Trifecta Addict: French Toast, Tofu, & Tortilla Soup. Bring it on Fab Frugal Food!
A really economical way to get fresh herbs is to freeze your homegrown garden herbs. Chop them up and put them in ice cubes trays, fill up the trays with water and freeze. Once they’re frozen then bag them up in ziplocks and store in the freezer for later use.
Briana Blackwelder
Would love this!
Just became a fan on facebook.
Donna, I am Sara’s sister with that artisan bread book, and I LOVE it. I think you and Anne would like “Healthy bread in five minutes a day,” one that they came out with after the first one was such a hit.
Here is a bread tip: if you want that crust that crackles, put a broiler pan on the bottomest rack of your oven, heat the oven super hot (450+) and pour a cup of water in the pan right as you stick your bread in. The high heat and steam are what makes a crackle crust.
Also, in answer to your comment, my favorite vegetable broth comes from a mire poix (meer pwa), which is the french name for 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery, simmered for three hours. I also usually add a tsp. of chicken bouillon per quart of water and some fresh minced garlic. It makes the best chicken soup ever!
Thanks Jen – I’d love to make healthy artisan bread, so maybe I should invest in the book. So many cookbooks . . . so little time. . .
This sure is filling up quick! I have a tip for everyone! When making shakes in the morning with fruit, protein, yogurt, or whatever you want, add spinach in it too! You can’t taste it at all, and you get a serving of dark green vegetables to start your day off right!! I LOVE doing this EVERY morning!
Donna,
What a great idea!!! Thanks for all you do for the dinner divas group. I love getting new recipes and ideas.
tip of the day: when you prepare your cookie dough, add ingredients one by one, e.g. add one egg and mix it in and then add the next one, you will be surprised what a difference it makes in the texture of the cookie.
This night I dreamed about the kitchenaid machine in my kitchen, oh what a sweet dream it was – let it become reality, pleeeease
don’t put salad dressing in your rama noodles to make it taste better!!!
Wow, you even have an impact on Kerstin’s dreams, I think she really needs it!!
Kerstin – I had no idea – will try this next time I’m snickerdoodling!
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!
This is so beautiful
How I would love to work with this machine.
Congratulations to you on your 1 YR!!!!
oh I’d love a kitchenaid!!
I’d love this mixer! Thanks for the chance to win!!
What a cool retro mixer!
I really really want this Kitchen aid!
Food tip-Buy bulk chicken breasts when they go on sale and cook them all in a slow cooker with chicken broth, garlic and salt and pepper. After it is cooked shred it and freeze it. Use it to make chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, chicken soup, bbqu chicken sandwiches and anything else you can use chicken it.
Do you love the fresh taste of ginger root, but find it dries out in your fridge? Peel your ginger root and store it in your freezer. When you need it, just take it out and grate what you need. http://tinyurl.com/yaogv9r
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that KitchenAid mixer!
I am loving this mixer!!
Frugal Tip- I awlways make a little extra of my dinner so I can pack it up for my husband to eat for lunch. This saves us a lot of money that would be spent on fast food!
Ashley – Smart! I think we all underestimate how much we spend on convenience and fast foods!
Frieda – I have never tried this – what if you left the peel on before freezing it? Would the peel come off easier when thawed? Great frugal tip, though, because I wind up wasting a lot of ginger root!
Nicky – such a great idea to cook it first! I have lots of uncooked chicken breasts in my freezer, but this would be a great idea for saving time as well as money!
Psst, Donna – that’s part of the beauty, you don’t actually have to thaw the ginger to use it. You just grate it up with the microplane frozen! I usually let it soften up a tiny bit in the fridge if I have the foresight to remember, but it can be used straight from the freezer. So, yes, peel it first.
What a perfect first giveaway.
tip of the day: having a pizza stone makes totally a difference in the outcome of your pizza!! and if you don’t want to make your own dough, just get it from a pizza place, there are some really good locations in provo, where you can get cheap dough, and then use whatever toppings you like!! I prefer lots of fresh pineapple chunks and ham!! for the sauce just get some tomato paste, italian spices and diced tomatos and mix it well!! oh lecker und of course lots of good cheese!!!
this website gives me tons of great cooking ideas!!! i love it!!
Frugal Tip: Buy flour, rice, and other staples in bulk. Most areas have a co-op or a grocery store with a bulk section, and you can bring your own refillable container. Better for the environment AND the pocketbook.
its still the 14th in Provo!! right now it is 10.21 pm
So,My kitchen aid just broke two days ago! I was devastated! I would love to win a replacement!
Frugal tip: I have lots! today’s will be…. Make your own chicken broth! I always put whole chicken on my shopping list. It is just so yummy to have roasted chicken for Sunday dinner. I now boil my whole chicken to make chicken broth…find a recipe you like. It makes about 4 quarts of broth. I then put spices on the chicken and throw it in the oven to broil for a minute for that roasted chicken crust! yummy!
Johanna – I should always do this! What else do you add to the broth? Onion? Carrot? Celery?
I think the red would go perfect in my kitchen!
Frugal tip: I like to buy my meat in bulk and then bag it up into smaller portions and put it in the freezer. It save money and you always have some chicken on hand for a last min. dinner!
I have spent the last couple of days reading back posts from your blog! I love it.
Frugal tip: Slow cooking sauces from Williams Sonoma. At first glace they may seem expensive but you are really saving money not buying all of the ingredients you would need to make the sauce.
Donna, I am amazed by you!! I often wonder how you do all that you do in the same 24 hours that we all have!!! I am so looking forward to Dinner Divas and a BEAUTIFUL NEW MIXER!! (I am thinking positivly) Thanks!!
My tip for the day: if you have a lot of wheat and have to grind it to make your own inexpensive whole wheat bread but don’t like the heaviness of whole wheat bread, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. Costco always has good prices on bagged flour, in my experience.
A good wheat bread recipe will include softeners for the wheat, such as a dairy product (milk, sour cream, cream, or yogurt), or honey.
thanps!ks to everyone for all the helpful tips!
Next time you are making mashed potatoes for a crowd (like Thanksgiving) prepare them early and keep them warm in the crockpot.
Donna, Anne is right, you don’t have to thaw the ginger out. Just use is straight from the freezer. The microplane does a fabulous job of grating the amount I need. I don’t even let it thaw in the fridge.
Jen – I never thought about the liquids softening the wheat. Great tip on the ratio – thanks!
Frieda – I’ll be using this tip next Thanksgiving!
Frugal Tip: Grow your own herbs in pots on the window sill. Perfect fresh-herb flavor for pennies on the dollar.
Donna- put the chicken in 6 quarts of water add 2 tsp salt, bring to a boil then turn heat down and simmer for 45 min. Then add 4 bay leaves and 1/4 tsp ginger. let simmer for 1.5 more hours. Take the chicken out and simmer for one more hour. then you’re done! you can can it or freeze it!
This is the first recipe I have tried….it is ok but I am going to experiment a little more. I will put the final recipe up on my blog when it is ready!
I just figured out you can click on the name to get sent to that persons blog! Cool!
Today’s Frugal Tip: A great way to teach children about appropriate manners in restaurants without the massive bill from taking out the whole family is to make restaurant-style meals at home. Set the table extra nice and use dishes you don’t normally use. It is significantly cheaper, possibly healthier (depending on what you make), and just as fun as going out.
frugal tip: Make your own laundry soap! My blog has a great and EASY recipe for soap! just click on my name!
What a way to celebrate.
I think someone on the Brennan side was supposed to get me a mixer as a wedding gift, but it never happened! Sad day. Some one dropped the ball on that one. Anyways, I’d love love love to win!
Here’s a great tip! If you notice some of your produce is going bad, cook it and then freeze it! For example, if you have some tomatoes that are looking a little sad, make some spaghetti sauce. Divide it up, keep it in the freezer and voila! Dinner in a flash! And, you don’t have to feel guilty about wasting any food either!
Ok, one more tip for the day! Buy heads of lettuce that are on sale, cut them up how you like, wash them thoroughly and then store them in ziploc bags with paper towels to soak up any extra moisture. Its just like the pre washed stuff at the store, but so much cheaper!
really really need one of these!
Here is a frugal and healthier tip! when you make tacos brown the meat and then add 1-2 cans of drained black beans then season with the taco seasoning. You get more fiber and lower fat protein from the beans and it extends the meat.
Join a Co- oplike bountiful baskets that saves money on high quality produce!
Whitney – Such a great idea – I love black beans in almost anything!
Hi Lauren – thanks for this tip. I sometimes cut the core out of tomatoes and then just throw them in a zip lock bag and freeze them whole. Then, later when I need to make sauce, I will thaw them and throw them in my food processor and process until smooth, then make into sauce! The texture of the thawed tomatoes doesn’t matter if you’re going to do sauce anyway!
Sara N. – what a great idea for kids! I will definitely try this out on my (future) grandkids!
Johanna – I’ll definitely watch for your adventures with broth on your blog!
I keep forgetting to post here every day! I just need to remember.. Because I REALLY need a Kitchen Aid.
Oh, for the love of Cupcakes!!
hallo hallo, its still the 15th
i can not wait to make my favorite sugar cookies with the best red kitchenaid machine in the whole world. 
food tip of the day: to have a german version of hash browns and fried potatoes, put in caraway seeds!!! and lots of onions!!!
I keep a container of dried onions in the spice shelf. These always work in a pinch for a bit of extra flavor in soups, quiches and roasted chicken.
I am loving this beautiful machine.
Hi Donna,
Thank you for the invite to join you on your website and enter your contest to win a KA mixer. We met at Williams-Sonoma cooking class. I’m going to try your suggestion of using Doctor Pepper and spices in my slow cooker with a sauteing chuck roast. Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary of your website!
Hilarey – Thank you for your find words. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you at W-S!
Maureen – Great idea. Do you buy them in the spice aisle at the grocery store, or somewhere else?
Be careful when buying potatoes in bulk…you may be buying “last season’s” potatoes and they will begin sprouting. Store potatoes in a cool, dry place around 40ºF and place some apples nearby to prevent sprouting. Storing potatoes in your fridge will make them go sweet. And, do not place onions next to your potatoes….they produce gases that spoil both…
It ’s purty and I love the color red. This almost would make me cook something up fierce…….course a dremel whips things up good to. Congrats on FFF anniversay. You are the best ever.
would love the chance to win!
woohoo now im a facebook friend!
Love the Mamo-Grahams! Thanks for the chance to win
I think this lovely red kitchen aid is calling my name!!!!!!
Love your blog AND that KithchenAid mixer! :0)
I just watched your food network clip..very fun!
Donna! Good to see you at Curves today
Tip of the day: To clean microwave put a bowl half full of water and cook on high for 10 minutes. Let sit in microwave for ten minutes then wipe the condensation off around microwave. SO EASY! No scrubbing!
frugal tip: shop at nps….I bought a super huge roll of plastic wrap therefor about $3.00 and it has lasted me 2 years! They have lots of good deals there.
frugal tip: you don’t need to buy expensive cleaning products to have a clean kitchen. Just have some baking soda and chlorine in the house, it lasts a long time and if you have some cleaning gloves the chlorine won’t dry out your skin. Also if you are kind of lazy and don’t wanna do the dishes, just rinse the plates after eating and put in in a bowl of water and a little bit of chlorine and take care of it the next day.
ich liebe die KitchenAid Maschine!!!! I love it!!
Tweet
http://twitter.com/HeartnSoulmom/status/7854250242
I have a long list of things I would make if I won that purdy little machine!
Here’s a tip! If you buy scallions (or green onions) and keep them in the fridge with the root (the white parts) in a little water, then the greens keep growing and rejuvenating themselves! So, if you snip a few here and there, no worries cause they’ll just grow back!
Frugal tip: If you have a recipe that requires buttermilk, instead of buying buttermilk–make your own sour milk. Just add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to a cup of milk. Stir it, then let it sit for about five minutes. Voila–great inexpensive buttermilk substitute.
Donna and Anne,
Thank you for having this giveaway! Along with secretly hoping that I win the Kitchen Aid Mixer I am thoroughly enjoying reading and learning all the frugal food tips being shared! Thank you!
Sara
Oh the wonderful items I could make with this beautiful machine.
I love the red color of the KitchenAid. I am drawn to this color.
Can I say that RED is my favorite? Well it is
TIP OF THE DAY! Put honey in your yeast/water mixture when making bread, it makes it sweeter and yummier!
Tip: Buy dried beans in bulk (nothing’s cheaper!), soak them overnight, and simmer them in a crockpot or on the stovetop until they’re done. Drain and keep in the fridge for quick, easy meals all week – you can throw them into soups, wrap them up in tortillas with a little cheese, toss them into salads, etc. Healthy protein on the fly.
Tip of the day: Do you want a cheaper alternative to a pizza stone and still acheive similar results? Just use unglazed quarry tiles. You can get them anywhere they sell tile. Measure the diminsions of your oven rack and have the tiles cut to size. It makes it so easy to slide pizza’s in and out of the oven and not the usual routine of sliding off the stone. Just heat your oven to 450 to 500 degrees, throw on some semolina flour or corn meal on the tiles to act as ball bearings to slide your pizza on and off the tiles and keep the dough from sticking and you will achieve the best pizza crusts ever! Works great when baking cookies too.
Jeff -Food geek Alton Brown recommends keeping such a stone in your oven 24/7 because he says it stabilizes oven heat. Thanks for the idea for quarry tile – do you have to make sure they are unglazed or untreated or can you buy any style?
Kimberly – The more convenient things are, the more you will use them, so this is a great tip!
Sara N. – We feel the same way! Many of the frugal tips will wind up as a post on this blog for our Fab Frugal Friday tip of the week!
Sara N – Amen! to the idea of soured milk. I always waste lots of buttermilk when I buy it because I usually only need a little.
Lauren – I will definitely try this. Reminds me of my old junior high days and growing an avocado from a seed!
Kerstin – I like this! Especially NOT doing dishes after a meal!
Johanna – I like to shop at restaurant supplies stores for the same reason. I bought a pack of 1,000 sheets of parchment paper 2 years ago, and I still have lots left. It is sheets that are cut to fit a baking sheet perfectly. So handy!
Syrell Ash – I need to stop typing and go do this right now – my microwave is usually a disaster!
Don’t throw out the egg whites when a recipe calls only for egg yolks…freeze each egg white in an ice cube tray. (1 cube=1 egg white) When frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Use the thawed out whites for angel food cake, meringues, macaroons, or a facial~
http://tinyurl.com/yj38bw4
Frieda – I never knew you could freeze egg whites! Such a fab and frugal idea!
Anything I can do to save money, I’m all for!
I’m all for making my own buttermilk, I do it all the time when I don’t have the real thing, but I have to say there is nothing like making pancakes with Real Buttermilk! They are so moist and yummy!
frugal tip: Make your own pancake batter. There is a really yummy recipe for pancakes in better homes and gardens cookbook. It is so much cheaper if you make your own and in my opinion much tastier!
Johanna – what’s better on a Saturday morning than homemade pancakes?! They are cheaper than spendy boxed cereals, that’s for sure!
red?! my favorite color!
Syrell Ash – I’ll bet the yeast loves to feast on honey – it probably works better, too!
frugal tip: buy vegetables and fruits during the right time of the year, strawberries are e.g. way cheaper during the summer time than during the winter. But beets are for example cheaper in the winter than in the summer.
I need this beautiful red kitchenaid machine to make your peppermint mousse chocolate layer cake!!!
This beautiful KitchenAid caps off a wonderful year.
This would be agran help in the kitchen.
Kerstin – Yes indeed – I bought a full sized freezer 2 years ago for this very reason!
Make your meats go farther in your recipe by slicing them thinly. How? Partially thaw out frozen meat (or partially freeze fresh meat) and slice it against the grain. This is shown in my General Tsao’s Chicken recipe:
http://tinyurl.com/ya4cbfp
All the things you could make! Pasta! I love it!
I am in love with that mixer.
Another tip: Try growing your own herbs in small flower pots on your window sills in the kitchen. It’ll cost you a little bit at first to buy the seeds, but they grow all year round and it is so much cheaper than buying them from the store! It might even inspire you to try different herbs in different recipes too!
That KitchenAid mixer wants to live at my house. ;0)
Frugal tip: Make your own Windex, If you haven’t noticed I make a lot of my own cleaning supplies. It is just so much cheaper.
Donna- I don’t even buy syrup either. It is cheaper and tastier then store bought!
This kitchen aid would be perfect for making my chocolate chip cookies!!!!
Freida, your blog is awesome too. A frugal tip from Freida could be to make your own cheeses. If you invest the 20 dollars, and have cows it is definitely cheaper in the long run when you make your own cheese, possibly if you don’t have cows too. Anyway, the process is neat, and looks very doable. I think I am going to try and make my own mozzarella cheese this week.
I think someone already posted about buying dry beans in bulk and cooking them each week. Buying beans in bulk is definitely cheaper! Another idea would be to take a day every so often and bottle your dry beans, then you don’t have to refrigerate them, but you still have the convenience of just opening a jar with a fraction of the cost of cans.
Lauren – Which herbs have you had luck with? I have never grown any!
Johanna – I just visited your blog and now I MUST clean out all my closets!
Basil, parsley and chives for me are the easiest herbs to grow! Just make sure they get some sun! I’ve heard thyme is easy too, but I haven’t tried that one yet.
the most important thing for herbs is the sun, i tried to grow herbs during the winter time
didnt work. But every year in spring i have the tradition to grow herbs, just because i love seeing the sprouts coming through the ground. It’s always so exciting for me to see. Can not wait for the warm weather.
food tip: dry your herbs and put them in glass jars, last fall i dried tons of peppermint and now I can enjoy peppermint tee during cold winter days.
That is a gorgeous mixer! Now that I’ve left my comment, I need to go explore your blog. THanks!
To answer your question about the pizza stone tiles.. Yes, it is true that they do stabilize the heat for all your baking needs. And yes, It is recommended that you use only unglazed or untreated tiles. You don’t want to be baking food on any harsh chemicals and glazes that may be released while cooking at high temperatures. Look for the ones that are plain Terra Cotta in color and just wash and dry thoroughly before your first use.
To add to the links regarding fresh herbs… since it’s difficult to find fresh herb plants in the winter months, Target stores now sells fresh herbs in their produce department with the root ball still attached. Just snip off what you need and then plant the rest in a flower pot, place it in your window and keep growing it to use later.
Frugal Tip: Go in with a friend or two and purchase half a cow from a farm just before slaughtering time in the fall. You can load up your freezer with high-quality grassfed beef for $1-$2 per pound! Half a cow will provide enough beef to feed several people for a year.
When a recipe calls for butter or margarine, not all margarines are created equal. Choose a margarine that is at least 60% vegetable oil for baking. Margarines with less than 60% vegetable oil have more water and will give your baking less than desirable results. Avoid margarines labeled diet, whipped, liquid or soft.
Sara, making your own mozzarella is definitely worth it! I tried two times before making a successful mozzarella. Definitely a good investment as a gallon of milk is just under $2 and produces about a pound of cheese whereas I’ve seen fresh for $6 or more~
Kimberly- where do you find people selling cows?
frugal tip: Make your own baby food. Steam the vegies then put them in the food processor. put the puree in ice cube trays then freeze. Put the cubes in a freezer bag, and reheat a couple cubes for your little one!
Frugal Tip: Make your own sprouts. The bean sprouts that are called for in egg rolls or stir fries are called Mung Beans. You can also easily make your own alfalfa sprouts for a fraction of the cost for already sprouted alfalfa in the grocery store.
That red mixer if so fitting for valentines day! I love the giveaway! Such a cute idea! Thanks Donna and Anne for giving me a chance to win!
Here’s a cute idea that uses all that cheap pancake batter everyone was talking about a few posts back. Try filling mini muffin tins with it and baking them in the oven so they become pancake poppers! They freeze well and are great for kids! All you need is a little syrup to dunk and you’re good to go! Or make apple cinnamon or chocolate chip pancake poppers so no syrup is needed! It’s an awesome breakfast on the go!
would love to win!
Dang it! I forgot to comment yesterday. Oh well! Here is today’s comment. I WANT THIS.
Frugal Food Tip:
To prevent mold from growing on cheese, wrap it tightly with a sugar cube and store it in the refrigerator.
OMG, I just learned this today and am going to do it! I always buy blocks of cheese ’cause it’s cheaper, but I can’t eat it fast enough before I have to start cutting mold off of it. Hooray for non-moldy cheese!!!
Kayleigh – such a great frugal tip! I just threw out some cheese this weekend – will definitely try this.
Lauren – I love pancake batter for lots of things. They make a great batter to bake or deep fry things – like onion rings, zucchini sticks etc.
Sara N – Do you have to have a special jar or other equipment? I’ve never grown sprouts before, but would like to try.
Frieda – can you post a link of the recipe/instructions you use for making fresh mozzarella? Thanks!
Frieda – I am assuming that all butters are the same ratio of fat to water – am I right?
Jeff – I’m going to go to Target tonite – Thanks for this tip!
Great tip Kaleigh! Good luck everyone!!
I would love a kitchen aid!
You can also do the same thing with the cheese by wrapping it in tin foil.
fabfrugalfood tip: a harvest tip, this late fall i learned that your green tomatoes are not lost, when the winter comes unexpectedly. Just pick all of your tomatoes, even the small and super green ones and put them in a dark place in brown paper bags and put an apple in. Just wait a week or little longer, they will turn red and will be super tasty. The best thing you can do with garden grown tomatoes is tomato mozzarella salad!! Just slice tomatoes and yummy mozzarella (the best mozzarella is the one in the plastic bag, laid in water) and decorate your plate with it, sprinkle over it olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh basil!! Oh yes!!
fabfrugalfood tip: way to much cookie dough? you don’t have to throw dough away or bake too many cookies, you won’t eat anyway, just form the dough into a zylindershape and freeze it and when your next craving for cookies comes up, just unfreeze the dough and reuse it.
I added a picture of this great machine on my blog!! Just click on my name and check it out!!
i clicked on my name and it didnt work, does it work now??
Kerstin – This is so much better than baking them and then freezing – you can have that “fresh baked” taste!
MMMmmmmmm . . . garden tomatoes . . . . what I wouldn’t give to walk out to my garden and pick one right now! We had lots of leftover tomatoes this fall, and we knew about the cool, dark place, but I didn’t know about adding an apple to the box. Great tip.
This is just such a beautifu item. I love the bowl.
To answer the sprouting question, they sell sprouting trays at most nutrition stores. Mine are rectangular and have a screenish bottom. This enables the sprouts to drain while they grow, but they also remain moist. I have had much better luck with those than with the bottle. I soak the seeds in the bottle first, then sprout in trays. The trays are kind of expensive, but in the long run if you sprout regularly they save a lot of money.
My tip for the day is if you want your kids to eat more vegetables, you can put V8 in homemade bread, or pureed squash, etc. Pumpkin makes excellent muffins.
Also, saving water from boiling potatoes and using it in bread makes the bread’s texture really nice.
Here’s a two-fer tip: To bring eggs quickly to room temperature, put the eggs in a drinking glass and fill with the hottest tap water you have. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Kerstin’s cookie dough tip is great, and here’s another tip: Use a 2 T. cookie scoop for the left over dough and put on a cookie sheet or pan that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours and then transfer to a freezer bag. When baking, no need to thaw out or adjust baking times.
Here’s my fresh homemade mozzarella link: http://tinyurl.com/n3bcfr
Okay, tip of the day: Save money on groceries by PRICE MATCHING at Wal-Mart. All you have to do is make a list of all the items you want to buy from the weeks ads, and when you check out, tell them which items you will be price matching- it saves tons of money!!
I love the tips on here- so helpful!
Kerstin – what is this “too much cookie dough” you speak of? I have never seen nor heard of such a thing!
;^) Okay, despite the fact that any leftover dough in MY house would surely just get eaten straight-up, I thought of another possibility – what about rolling it into little balls and folding that into some vanilla ice cream? Homemade cookie dough ice cream. NOM!
I have loved this mixer since i first saw it! I hope i win it!!!
Love your site!
frugal tip:
make your own baby food. It not only saves you tons of money, but you know exactly what you baby is eating! Healthy and cheap!
became a fan on facebook
I want this Kitchen Aid.
thanks for all the tips -
Kelsey – you have a very lucky baby! Thanks and come and visit our site often.
I especially love the glass bowl. What a beaut!
Fab Frugal Tip:
Is your granulated sugar lumpy? Place several saltine crackers in the container and cover it tightly.
Ok, I know about the bread in brown sugar, but never though about regular granulated sugar. How do people discover these things? BRILLIANT! I hate lumpy sugar, it’s so hard to measure into a cup!
Johanna – Look on Craigslist or check online for farms in your area. Cattle farmers cull the herd in the autumn (they don’t want to have to feed all of them hay through the winter) so they do the bulk of their slaughtering then, but they often have extra meat in the freezer for the rest of the year.
Frugal Tip: Buy high-quality butter like Tillamook instead of the cheap tub margarine. The good butter tastes better so you don’t need to use as much of it to get the flavor.
Kimberly – Yes! Yes! Yes! I totally agree with using the good stuff when it comes to butter! A little of the real stuff is all you need.
frugal tip: build up your own food storage, buy items you love and a lot of them, when they are on sale, storage those items in darker places, not too close to the oven/stove and wet environment, put flour, sugar etc in food storage containers, buy spices in glas jars and rather in smaller amounts, they loose flavour fast. Mark everything with the date of purchase, esp. the items you freeze (meats, ..), use older items first. Food storage is smart and saves you a lot of money.
Soon is Valentines day!! Does the Kitchenaid machine want to be my valentine???
Congratulations on your milestone.
Donna, butter is the same fat/water ratio. It’s margarine that you have to watch out for. They are all different and will affect your baking.
Tip: Don’t throw away the over-ripe bananas. Mash or throw them into the blender and pour them into ice cube trays; freeze. Put cubes in freezer bag and throw in a cube or two in your favorite smoothie.
woooow wonderful!
Can the Kitchenaid want to be my valentine???
follow on twitter
i’m : https://twitter.com/zarpandit88
I like Frieda’s banana tip.
Part of being frugal is not throwing away spoiled food. Lettuce does not brown as fast if you tear it rather than cutting with a knife.
Now, if I could master the art of cooking for exactly two adults and two children with no leftovers, my life would be complete.
Frugal Tip: Make your own bread. It’s easy and very cheap, and you can make it just the way you like it without all the added chemicals and preservatives.
I am in desperate need of a kitchen aid!
totally want this mixer
frugal tip of tthe day:
When i buy chicken, i normally buy ALOT at a time when its a really good deal, then i cook about half of it and package it in 2 or 3 C incraments (chopped) in a baggie with some chick broth and freeze it. That way when i forgot to set some out, or just dont want to take the time to cook raw chicken, i have a backup. it super fast and easy way to do it.
Oooh, I never put Valentine’s and the red Kitchen Aid together!! I would make it my Valentine by giving it lots of love.
Frugal tip: Make special note of when the grocery store marks down the meat that’s approaching its sell-by date. Meat is then purchased at a steep discount and either made into a meal shortly after the purchase, or placed in the freezer for later use.
My parents did this a lot of the time growing up when we were tight on money! You just have to stay on your toes to find these deals
Here’s a foodie tip:
Have a candle burning next to your cutting board while you chop onions to keep from crying.
I’m gonna tweet this giveaway.
I would love to have one of these beauties!
Oh Linda, if this works for me you will be my hero! I cry every single time I slice an onion!
You can clean your stove top thingys, you know the things under the burner ( I can’t think of what they are called) with Ammonia. Put them in a ziploc bag with a generous amount of ammonia and put in the oven overnight (don’t turn the oven on it would be bad.) Then rinse and scrub. It gets the gunk off really well.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to really stock up on shelf stable items when there is a sale. My favorite organic pasta sauce was BOGO and I bought 40 jars! I have saved a ton of money and it is so nice not having to worry about buying more.
frugal tip: instead of drinking sodas and juices, drink water!!! back in germany i was addicted to juice and soda and drinking water that would have never come to my mind. since i moved here i learned to love water!!! and it cost you nothing. The best investment is to buy a water filter and then you can use your water out of the zink and store it in the fridge. It is tasty and so good for you. No worries about gaining weight and saving money at the same time. YES.
I see RED!!! in my kitchen
SOON!! 
I so love your blog.
Kerstin – And water is so much healthier than sodas!
Sarah – Don’t you just love having lots of stress reliever foods on the shelf that you can just grab and use at the last minute?
I just read about your 5 minute puff pastry recipe! I can’t believe its only 5 minutes to do! I will be trying it soon! And, I’d love to own a kitchenaid soon! It would be the perfect Valentines Day gift. My husband would be eternally grateful!
Here’s a tip concerning fresh pineapple. The day before you’re going to eat it, turn it upside down to equally distribute the sugars. Typically the bottom is more ripe than the top, but if you flip it upside down, everything kind of evens out to give you equally sweet and delicious pineapple. Yum!
I have 2 cool ways of measuring shortening without using a fancy gadget.
1- Using a liquid measuring cup, fill it up to 1 c. of cold water. Add shortening until the water level reaches the desired mark. (for 1/3 c., the line will go up to 1 1/3 c.) Make sure the shortening does not touch the sides. Drain the shortening.
2. Use a plastic measuring cup and pack the shortening tightly. Using the back (straight) edge of a table knife, run the knife around the inside edge, all the way around, about 4 times. The shortening will ‘pop’ out, leaving a virtually clean cup!
To view: http://tinyurl.com/yd63eg9
Lauren – Great tip on the pineapple – there’s nothing better to eat than perfectly ripe pineapple!
Frieda – Thanks for the tip from an experienced baker!
I really want this mixer!!!!
make your own pie crusts when you need them. even though they are not very expensive to buy, they are sooo much cheaper to make, and realtively easy.
I am interested to see who wins the mixer!
Frugal Tip: Invest in a BPA-free refillable water bottle and carry your own water around with you wherever you go. I used to get so thirsty when out running errands that I’d stop in and buy a drink somewhere, but now I can just refill my water bottle wherever I find a sink or a fountain.
I am REALLY hoping for that KitchenAid mixer!!
I love the story of your blog! And all the tips are wonderful!
Thanks!
The onion tip doesn’t work! I swear, I’ve tried it a million times and I still cry.
Ok, not necessarily a tip, but I still think it qualifies. I just learned about this product:
http://www.sodaclub.com/sodaclubsystem
It’s a HOME soda machine! I think it would definitely add up and save you money (instead of buying soda). If I had the money I would SO buy one. How fun!
I need mixer!
Tip of the day: Replace your mashed potatoes with cauliflower, it tastes great and it has way less calories!
Great to see you last night Donna, hope you felt as inspired as I did!
Syrell – I say ‘Amen’ to this – even half cauliflower would be fab and frugal!
Tip for the day: Homemade fruit leather is much less expensive, and it is nice to know what is in your food. I have experimented with several different recipes.
I find that cooking the fruit lends flexibility to the texture. If you just puree fresh apples and throw in some jello or sugar it turns into fruit crisp in the dryer, but if you cook the puree for awhile, it will make the leather nice and chewy. Homemade applesauce makes awesome fruit leather.
Also, don’t forget to rub a dot of oil on your fruit leather trays or plastic wrap. The leather will come off much more easily.
Jen – can;t wait to try this. What temperature do you use and how long does it take?
I am now a new facebook fan, btw.
I am also a facebook fan. Just forgot to post it!
Kayleigh- I have a way I chop onions with out crying, it works every time. No fail, guaranteed…I make my husband do it!
Frugal Tip: If you have a head of lettuce that is starting to wilt in your fridge, Don’t Throw It Away! Wash the lettuce, cut or tear it up, then place the damp lettuce in a plastic bag for about 15 minutes. It will crisp back up for use in a salad (or whatever else you want to use it for).
This is a beautfiul machine
great web site. glad I stumbled on it
Sara N. – I saw Giada make a lettuce soup recently- I have vowed to try it with my next wilted head!
Johanna – Great tip on the onion chopping! My husband is my kitchen slave, too! In fact, he’s my food blog photographer!
Tip: Leftover tomato paste from a can? Don’t throw it away. Drop it by Tablespoonfuls onto wax paper or plastic wrap lined cookie sheet and freeze for about 2 hours. Transfer those little red discs of frozen tomato paste into a freezer bag and you’re good to go for your next recipe!
Frieda – I have wasted so much tomato paste in my life!!! No longer!
frugal tip: do you want to eat cake or bread? you have the mix at home, but not enough time to wait for the oven to heat up and wait for it to be done? then this is they easiest way to go! get your mix ready (add eggs, milk …) and turn your waffle maker on (needs 2 min to get hot) and add your mixture into the waffle maker, wait (2 min
) and DONE, you can eat. It’s fast, yamme and you save money. woot woot.
Donna, I missed you at Williams-Sonoma this morning!!
Can’t wait for the giveaway. FFF is really outdoing themselves!
Frugal Tip: Grease a pan by pouring in a small amount of canola oil and then rubbing it throughout the pan with a paper towel. The towel will soak up the excess but still leave a nice even coating over the inside of the pan. Saves you money on cake and bread that stick in places and fall apart, and it saves the pricier butter you might use instead.
tip: Save clean carrot scrapings, celery leaves, outer onion layers, vegetable peels and freeze them in a ziploc bag. When you have a soup bone or chicken carcass, throw everything in a pot to make a lovely homemade soup stock
i need this!
frugal tip: plan out your meals for the upcoming week and only then are you ready to go shopping. without a plan you can end up buying things you don’t really need and you will forget the things you actually need and that requires you to go to the store later the week again. Also I discovered for myself that it is not wise to go grocery shopping when I am hungry. With an empty belly I would buy way to much food (esp junk food), because in those situations I have cravings for anything. Being full, I can way better concentrate on the necessary things and that saves me money.
It’s cold outside. What a good day to stay inside and make some cookies and icing with the red Kitchenaid machine!!!
With the glass bowl this would be a delight as I make cakes and dinners and other items.
The right kind of freezer and how you store your food in it will save you a LOT of money. Look for a traditional (not frost free) freezer as frost free dries out your foods more quickly. I found an upright freezer (through the want ads); it takes up less floor space than a chest freezer and it also easier to find the foods.
Wrap your foods in freezer wrap, vacuum saver bags, freezer bags, or plastic wrap & aluminum foil. Label and date.
Cut back on thick frost build up by filling your ENTIRE freezer with food or the empty spaces with water filled milk jugs, newspaper, or empty boxes. Because I do this, I only get 1/2″ of frost each year, which makes defrosting so much easier.
Frugal Tip: Buy the cheap, tougher cuts of beef when they’re on sale. When you get home, whip up a quick marinade (like a little oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, coffee, whatever) and put it in a baggie with the meat. Squeeze the air out, seal tightly, and freeze. The marinade will get into the meat and break up the fibers as it freezes, tenderizing it, and then when you pull it out to thaw it’s already marinating, which saves you time!
Tip: Buy fresh fruits in bulk when they’re in season and make your own jams & jellies. They’re much healthier for you and can be quite frugal (better yet if you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own fruits)
I like the tomato paste idea too!
Kerstin – Sorry I missed W-S, too. Love your frugal tips!
Kimberly – LOVE the thought of adding marinade before freezing! Great Idea. Balsamic vinaigrette makes a fabulous marinade – I use it a lot.
am loving all the helpful tips!
Found you via the Urban Luddite. Would love a KA mixer, of course! I’ll also mention you in my next blog post. Thanks!
mmmh, what could be my frugal tip today?? i start running out of ideas
BUT i read an article about the cheapest family in the US. This family is coupon/items on sales crazy and buys everything in bulk and freezes as much as possible. They pay $ 350 for the whole month for 7 people. That’s pretty amazing. They devote a few days a month to cooking all their family meals then store 13 to 17 meals in the freezer each time And those are their tips:
#1 Plan. Saving a lot of money begins with serious and meticulous planning.
#2 Organize. Good organizational habits help you achieve successful money management.
#3 Shop wisely. A super-saver is an intelligent and determined shopper.
#4 Communicate effectively. It’s a family project.
#5 Make sacrifices. The fruits of sacrifice do add up.
#6 Embrace teamwork. Two frugalists are better than one.
#7 Prioritize frugality. Simplicity and frugality are lifestyle choices.
#8 Stay determined. Saving money takes commitment, discipline and dedication.
I learned lately so much through this website!!! Frugal and fabulous meals ARE possible!! Thanks to all of you!
Frugal tip: When there is an overabundance of swiss chard, beet tops, or any leafy greens that you usually saute or put in soup, here’s how I save them for the winter. Bring a big pot of water to a slow boil, wash the greens and start blanching handfuls of them. Scoop them with a big slotted spoon into a clean sink or onto a drain rack. Just as soon as they are cool enough to touch, take handfuls and wring out as much water as possible, squishing and twisting the wad of greens (don’t tear them!). Freeze the wads (without touching, so they are separate). I pull out what I need for a dish and either throw them in whole, or chop them coarsely while still frozen. Do this also with parlsey and you will be delighted to have “fresh” pot herbs for your winter meals.
I LOVE red, especially for the kitchen!
Oh, I found this giveaway through Rowena’s Rantings.
I just linked the giveaway too…gotta get everything done at once
http://strangelyblogging.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-just-love-kitchenaid-and-red.html
Food tip.
There is the I can’t believe it is not butter spray and according to my husband it is fabulous on popcorn.
Maureen – I will look for this at my next shopping trip – saves money AND calories!
Druh – Love those dark greens! Thanks for the freezer method!
Kerstin – Love these ideas – especially the “it’s a family project” concept! I think people eat better when they participate in the whole process.
Frugal Tip: If you’re making a meringue or something that calls for only egg whites, whip up the yolks with a little coconut oil or olive oil and give yourself a high-protein hair treatment. Just let it sit in your dry ends for 10 or 15 minutes and then gently shampoo and condition as normal. It makes your hair very glossy and soft! Much better than tossing the yolks down the sink.
Frugal Tip: If your salt gets moisture in it and becomes clumpy–mix some rice in it when you put it in a salt shaker. The rice will absorb the moisture and only you salt will shake out of the shaker.
Waste not, want not–right?
ooh, it’s so lovely! i’ve wanted one forever…here goes!
I like Johanna’s tip on canning your own jams and jellies… There are neighbors that are willing to practically give away their fruit here and it is so easy to can your own.
You can purchase a canning kit for under $50 or even better, can with a friend or neighbor.
Tip: I borrowed a pressure canner from a friend and I am learning that you can bottle/can without using salt. Last year, I found boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.19 per pound. All I had to do was trim the chicken, cut into strips, pack tightly in the jars and put them in the pressure canner. No salt needed. In the end, you have fully cooked chicken that is ready to put in any meal.
tip: if your honey gets crystallized, don’t throw it away, just place the jar in a bowl of hot water, it will go back to normal!
Thanks for the tips everyone! I can’t wait to try some of these, and I have already tried some of them.
Thank you!
re homemade fruit leather: I can’t remember how long I cooked my fruit last time, but I think I cooked the puree over medium heat until it changed from a frothy foamy blended look to a more syrupy look. The time would also depend on the size of the batch of fruit. I think mine took a long time (maybe half hour?) because it was several pitchers full of puree, but a smaller batch would probably not take long at all.
Homemade applesauce is already cooked, so you can just pour it on, spread it out, and dry. In fact, I bet you could do it with store canned, too.
Tip for the day: if you are going to be canning stuff, do it with someone else. When you do it alone, one hour lasts 90 minutes. If you do it with someone you like, the time will pass at about 30 to 45 minutes per hour.
Still want and need this mixer… so bad
Frugal tip… If you dont eat a whole loaf of bread before it goes bad, just freeze some. It freezes great, and thaws really fast. And if you just want it for toast, just pull it our frozen, pop it in the toaster and it will toast just like thawed bread.
I love to cook and try new things, one of my tips are try to have dinner ready before my hubby gets home, then we are less likely to eat out
I would really like that mixer, my mixer is 10 years old and its seen better days!
Hollie – I agree! After 5 p.m., it’s so tempting just to go out!!
Jen – watch for your fruit leather tip soon on our Fab Frugal Friday post!
Baking Tip- If you use tempered glass such as Pyrex, which holds heat more efficiently, lower the suggested oven temperature by 25 degrees F and bake for 10 percent time.
Please enter my name for the Kitchen Aid drawing-
“People may not remember what you served them or which china you served it on, but they will always remember how you made them feel at your table”-unknown
Love kitchenAid!! Love red!! Love this giveaway!!
Just linked your blog post to my fun, hobby food blog called “scrumdiddlyumptious” – http://emilykayner.blogspot.com/2010/01/great-giveaway.html
Tip of the Day! If you LOVE rolls but HATE making them, when you make a batch double it, and freeze half…that way the next time you want them all you have to do is let them thaw and cook!
RED is the color of my KITCHEN
There are a whole lot of comments!
Tip: Make your own lard from fat you’ve trimmed from meat.
Frieda- I bought chicken breast for .99 cents this last year and also canned it. I love salt though, so I added it. I have everything you need to can, and do it every summer, and winter for that matter. When you find ground beef on sale you can cook it up with onions and can it. It makes really good tacos! I end up doing fruits and veggies in the summer and meat in the winter. It saves so much on food storage!
Just checking in! Trying to get my name in the drawing as much as possible!
frugal tip: eat more potatoes!! its so easy to find good potatoes on sale. I got a big bag of potatoes for $ 1.50 this week. And you can cook so many different things with potatoes!! And potato dishes are always filling and give you energy. You can make delicious german potato soup, potato casserole, mashed potatoes, potato salads, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, potato puffs, roasted potatoes, potato latkes, scalloped potatoes, potato pancakes, potato wedges, potato stew, …
just imagine mashed potatoes made in the kitchen aid mixer!!! how fluffy they would turn out!!
I’m following you on Twitter.
I’m a fan on facebook.
I’d love to win!!
LOVE this mixer!
frugal tip- veggies like broccoli and califlower can br frozen if you wont use it all… that way it does not go bad
started following you on twitter yesterday!
frugal tip: cut your week’s veggies ahead of time using a food processor – i do it on the weekends and am MUCH more likely to cook (rather than giving up and going out) during the week when we get super busy. cheaper than pre-cut, and fresher!
and yeah, i want to win!
just became a fan on facebook!
Just found lean ground beef on sale and I’m canning chili…Yum!
Tip: Do not put homemade bread in the fridge. It will become stale and dry out faster. The best way to store it is in a plastic bread bag for about 2-3 days on the counter top.
If you need to store it longer, slice it first, and then freeze it in a bread bag, with as much air as you can get out. Then when you need a slice, just pull it out of the freezer and it only takes a minute to thaw out. (this echoes Kelsey’s tip)
Oh dear. I was way too swamped to post yesterday!
I can’t believe its almost February! Excited to see who wins the drawing!
Here’s a tip concerning those leftover mashed potatoes that we all have from time to time. Instead of reheating them or turning them into hash browns, scoop the cold mashed potatoes into small balls, the size of a walnut (I use a small cookie scoop). Then roll the cold potato balls into some milk or beaten egg, then dust in equal parts flour and corn starch. Store in the fridge until ready to fry! Fry these little babies until you get a golden brown crust. Sprinkle with salt once they are fresh out of the grease. So so good! And it changes some plain leftovers into something new!
Tip: Buy vanilla beans in bulk. Instead of buying one for 8 dollars you can get a few pounds for 20-30$. Like maple syrup grade B is not lower quality than grade A. Grade B beans are better for cooking and they are cheaper.
Monica and Kelsey – such a great idea to have prepped veggies on hand – you talked about making it easier to cook on weekdays, but it would also encourage more healthy snacking!
Frieda – Thanks for the tips on bread from a woman who loves bread!
Lauren – great idea to keep these on hand and cook as needed – so easy and the taste is much better than reheating cooked croquettes!
Sarah – Fabulous! Where do you buy said beans in bulk?
Nicky – I say “Amen” to this quote = That “anonymous” is a very wise person!
Another bread tip, since that’s the thing I experiment with the most:
If you are really angry and need therapy, save money by making bread without a mixer. As you punch the dough, the kneading will relieve your tension. Then you can give the bread to someone you love or someone who makes you angry. Maybe the mean person will then be nice. Either way it’s good for your stress level.
red is my favorite color!
Frugal Tip: After rehydrating dried mushrooms, save the liquid to use in stock, spaghetti sauce, gravy, or almost anything else you would add water to. You get the water but with a nice rich mushroom flavor!
Kimberly – Excellent EXCELLENT tip! Mushroom water is full of umami!
Jen – I like your style! And bread kneading is cheaper than therapy!
Tip of the day is to put GROUND flaxseed (you can buy it at Sunflower, etc) in your cooking! Sprinkle ground flax seed on your cereal and salads. Substitute flax seed mixture for eggs in home baking such as muffin and pancake (1 tbsp milled flax seed, plus 3 tbsp water = 1 egg). Final products will have less volume and taste gummier. Or, include in other recipe when nutty flavor is preferred. Ground is the only way to use it because our bodies cannot break it down without being ground up first.
WHY Flaxseed?
Research shows that benefits of flax seed include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
I can’t wait to make the sweet potato chips, seriously. Off to the store I go!!
I love the sweet potato chip idea as well!!! Hopefully I can find the store!! Usually Yams are on sale, sweet potatoes can be expensive. So lets get them!!
frugal tip of the day: Go to fabfrugalfood.com and steal Donna’s ideas
like the sweet potato chip recipe!! 
Does that count?
Hope that you have another fabulous year.
Frugal Tip: I’ve seen a lot of people here say to do your planning first, then your shopping, and only buy what’s on your list. That’s never worked for me. I go, see what’s on sale or clearance, and buy that; when I get home, I figure out what I can make with it all and do my planning then.
In response to Linda’s tip on using a candle while cutting onions, I discovered (after chopping 4 cups of onions) that if you breathe through your mouth only, you will NOT cry. It really worked!
Also, leftover chopped onions store well in the freezer. Use them only in cooking, not raw like in a salsa.
Frieda and Linda – I love onions, but hate onion prep – so THANKS!
Kerstin – This is the greatest tip of all!!!! Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Donna- this is where I bought my beans from
http://stores.ebay.com/Vanilla-Products-USA?_rdc=1
Very pleased with my purchase. Store them in 3 freezer bags to keep fresh.
The first thing I made was a huge bottle of vanilla extract! Just buy a bottle of vodka and stick a few cut up beans inside. Let age for a few months.
Donna, Way to go you are totally fun, friendly and full of the best cooking tips.
I have reserved a space for the mixer in my kitchen, right next to my box marked recipes by Donna.
Frugal Tip: Never throw away that last cup of crumbs in the bottom of you box of Raisin Bran. Make muffins! Just add the crumbs to muffin batter to make raisin bran muffins. This way you don’t have to buy bran and you can still make high fiber muffins.
I don’t think I posted today.. so here it is! I hope I win!
Frugal food tip:
If you have garlic that is starting to sprout, plant it. Separate it into cloves. Each clove should produce a head of garlic. In the spring and early summer, I plant them outside, and even here in Alaska, they are ready to harvest in the fall. In the fall and winter, they can be planted and kept inside.
I totally had one of these the other night! Too bad I didn’t know this until now.
i have the worst luck and never win anything… but im hoping my luck will change with this one!
frugal tip- make a menu- it saves you from the “i dont know what we are going to have” thing, and then caving and going out. I have learned that it helps a ton.
Thanks Sarah – I have never purchased a vanilla bean – will have to take the leap!
Mandy – Thanks for your kind words – and don’t forget to check out Anne’s gluten free recipes!
Kayleigh – Whoa! garlic bulbs – will have to tell this to my husband gardener!
can’t wait until the drawing!
another frugal tip: take the root ends left over after you use your green onions, put them in some water until the roots sprout and them plant them. you can just snip off the top and use like chives!
Hey there, it was good to see you at the Williams Sonoma technique class again last week. Get ready for the next class on February 6th.
I’m sure if someone has already posted this with the latest “Vanilla” entry but some of my favorite Food Network stars put Vanilla beans/pods in an enclosed canister of granulated sugar and after days it turns to Vanilla sugar. It’s great for adding to whatever you need to sweeten(cereal, cinnamon toast, hot cocoa/coffee, fruit, etc). The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) does it all of the time. Try it out.
Mark – will you be teaching? I wouldn’t miss that!
Mark – I think Ina is my favorite – so REAL. No glitz, no high-fiving, just real classy home cooking!
I like the vanilla sugar idea!
Don’t throw out bread, use it to make croutons, bread crumbs or meat ball filler!
Of course I want to win, also friended on FB, and forwarded info… hehe
Use fresh Rosemarey right off the plant whenever possible. They are a hardy plant.
Happy Thursday, Everyone!!!!!
frugal tip: Have potlucks at work!!! Everyone brings different kinds of food and you can eat until your buttons pop off. Big money saver!!!
Looking forward to reading and learning. Thanks to family member Ursina Williams for alerting me to the site.
Oh I NEED that!!!
What a fun giveaway!
Frugal Tip: My best frugal tip right now that is keeping us within our food budget is for me to make a master 4 week rotating meal plan and grocery lists to go with it (shopping 2 weeks at a time). And then sticking to it!
I’m a friend on Facebook, btw. =)
If I won that mixer, I would purchase the pasta maker attachment and make one awesome dinner! Yum!
Here’s a tip: try making your own pasta! It’s cheaper and healthier for you. It might take a little effort, but the finished product is great!
Frugal tip: When you use lemons, take a few strips of the yellow part of the peel off with a vegetable peeler and set aside to dry. Even without using a dehydrator they will dry just fine sitting on a bit of toweling. Save up the dry bits of peel in a glass jar in your spice area. You never know when you might want some lemon peel to add to muffins or some other baked goods. I used some in scones the other day. Mmmmm.
Love the vanilla sugar idea!
After reading Kayleigh’s comment, I never realized that I could grow my own garlic!
Instead, I have kept the entire head of garlic in a freezer bag in my freezer. I break off the number of cloves that I need and the peel just comes right off. So easy. The only thing you need to remember is that the garlic will become stronger with age. As a result, I use less, but still get that great fresh garlic taste in all my dishes~
Druh – This is a fabulous tip – whenever I need lemon zest in a recipe, I buy a whole lemon, but most of it goes to waste. Most recipes only call for a tiny bit of zest. This way, I’ll always have a little on hand!
Lauren – I just bought a pasta attachment and am excited to experiment. Do you have a pasta recipe that you like? Post it here if you do – would love to see it!
Kerstin – Love the work potluck idea. I enjoy the social part of lunch with co-workers, so I often go along and spend too much money!
Maureen – I am going to try a pot of rosemary on my kitchen counter! Dried rosemary in a jar just doesn’t have the same taste or texture.
Comment for the day
Okay, I hope this frugal tip is acceptable. I am not a gourmet cook, and I usually end up needing to come up with a some kind of substitutions in my recipes. (Like sour milk instead of buttermilk–I love buttermilk, but it is expensive.)
Today’s Frugal Tip: I made Chili last night and after I started I realized I used all of my onion on the relish I had bottled the day before. So, I chopped up celery to give the same look and texture as onion, then I just added onion powder. It actually turned out really yummy! The coloring of the white center and green outer stalks of the celery was nice in it too. . . So, if you don’t have onion, instead of running to the store, use celery and onion powder.
It’s not exactly the same as fresh onion, but it is the frugal thing to do when your in a pinch…
Frugal Tip: Learn to forage for wild food in your neighborhood. Dandelion greens grow almost everywhere, and they’re delicious! Depending on where you live, you can find blackberries, herbs, chickweed, burdock, and other tasty foods free for the taking. Here in Oregon I find entire fields of wild blackberries free for the taking when they’re in season. Beats the heck out of paying $5 per half-pint at the store, and I can pick enough for jam to enjoy all year!
Here’s my daily post: I want to win!!!
Frugal food tip:
Don’t Want Leftovers? Recycle
Recycle your dinner. Funny how much difference the term we use makes. A friend won’t serve “leftovers.” But, she excitedly told me her new strategy for spending less on groceries. She is now recycling in the kitchen and she doesn’t mean reusing the grocery bags. She now takes the meatloaf that remains after dinner, cuts it up into chunks, adds a can of spaghetti sauce, and serves it over pasta for the next day’s dinner. If she cooks too much pasta, she takes what they don’t eat for dinner, adds a can of tuna, sweet pickle relish, and salad dressing — and has just recycled it into tuna salad for the next day’s lunch.
Kayleigh- I have been doing this for years, but I personally love leftovers. We will typically have a mustgo meal when the leftovers start piling up!
tip: sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of trash cans to stop garbage odor.
Fab Frugal Tip: If your microwave has been hit with a tsunami, there is an easy way to clean it without having to scrub til your arm falls off. Put a medium sized bowl half full of water in the microwave and cook it for 10 minutes. Then let it sit for 10 minutes. Then simly wipe away all of the grime in seconds. It’s as easy as that!
Food tip
When needing to butter the inside of the pan used the wax or the paper wrapper of the butter stick. that way you will be sure to get the last little bits of butter left on it.
Frugal Tip: If a recipe calls for a whole onion, you can almost always use half an onion without knowing the difference. You still get the flavor and texture of the onion, but your onions will last twice as long.
Tip: Shop online! For example, I buy all of my organic oils (olive, coconut) online and it is much cheaper than buying at the supermarket. I even buy all of my dog food online!
Here’s my tip for today: When you are making muffins or dessert breads and you don’t have any shortening–substitute applesauce and/or butter. I sub half and half. I love the taste of butter, so I use some, but I also use applesauce to fill in the rest of the amount the recipe calls for. This way, muffins or other dessert breads are still buttery and yummy, but they are a little healthier with less butter or no shortening.
Have I mentioned I drool every time I look at this gorgeous Candy Apple Red Kitchen Aid! It is soooo gorgeous!
I had a recipe the other day that only called for a Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice.
Last year, I found a great deal on limes. I rolled them on the counter firmly (to get more juice), zested and squeezed them all.
Poured the lime juice in my handy dandy ice cube tray and transferred them into a freezer bag when they were fully frozen. I also put the zest into another freezer bag as well. The ice cube size thaws out quickly and the lime was just as fragrant and tasty as the day I squeezed it.
I love all these tips…great ideas
Happy Blog Birthday! Want to know a secret? Your one of my favorite food blogs (: shh don’t tell! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!
This is a kitchen cleaning tip. Read the labels of bleach and ammonia. They can clean a lot of things in varying solutions, which are usually listed on the label. Pure ammonia and pure bleach are much less expensive than pre-mixed sprays and cleansers, and if you buy a few spray bottles and label what is in them at what solution, you only pay for the bottles one time.
* Loved the “kitchen recycling” tip. I do that all the time. We had awesome roasted red pepper filled burritos last night that were just held together with a little refried beans, rice, corn, and black beans leftover from our dinner salad a day or two ago.
Wow, TGIF! Just a few more weeks until the giveaway is over!
Frugal tip:
Pop over to the bakery. Check out your store’s bakery counter. Store-made baked goods are often cheaper — and fresher — than are commercial brands. You can also save by buying day-old baked goods. When you get home pop the bread in the freezer — then you can use it as you need it and keep it from going bad.
Frugal Tip: Eat smaller portions. Your body will eventually get used to it. Most people in our society eat just way too much. When you go to a restaurant the plates are usually twice as big as in other countries.
2 more weeks
Kerstin -I agree! A friend of mine asks for a take home baoix at the beginning of every restaurant meal she orders. She puts half od her meal in the box before she even takes a bite. That way, she has the right amount to eat AND a bonus meal for the next day! Smart!
Kayleigh – Bakery bread is about a million per cent better than it was even a few years ago. Most bakeries will give you samples of their specialty breads now so you can ssample before buying.
Sara N. – Great idea and a big healthy improvement!
Kimberly – I use onion in almost everything – great frugal tip.
Syrell – Frugal and chemical free – what could be better?
I want this very badly!
Tip: Don’t let food go bad. The most expensive food is the food you throw out. Either make just enough so that there are no leftovers, have a plan for your leftovers, or throw them in the freezer in individual portions making lunches very easy.
I forgot yesterday! It has been busy:(
Food tip: take freshly washed basil leaves and pack ‘em in a food processor. Add just enough olive oil to make a runny paste. You may add minced garlic, chopped nuts and Parmesan if desired. Put into ice cube trays or other freezer safe containers. Pour a light layer of olive oil on top of the chopped basil to keep from turning black. Freeze until firm. Great for throwing into a soup or with pasta!
Jen just reminded me of some other great tips: Do not leave your oven baking racks in your oven during its cleaning cycle. The racks will discolor and will not slide in and out easily.
Instead, put the racks in a large black garbage bag and place a paper towel soaked with ammonia in it. Tie it closed tightly with a rubber band. You may want to leave this outside or in the garage over night.
The next morning, hot soapy water will get most of the baked on stuff with little or no scrubbing!
Happy Blog Anniversary!
Frieda – Love the frozen pesto idea – I didn’t know it woould freeze well!~
Tip: When baking something sticky like lasagna that needs to covered with foil before cooking, simply use Pam or hand oil the downside of the foil so the food won’t stick to it. This way the food won’t stick, and the foil can easily be reused.
I so want to win. Here’s my tip – Line you baking dish with foil when making brownies or bars. It makes them so much easier to remove from the pan and cut into perfect squares.
Laura – I am definitely going to try this one.
This mixer is beautiful!
Frugal Tip: Mix honey into softened butter and use it as a spread for breads and sweet potatoes. It has a more complex and interesting flavor and you don’t need to use as much of it; a little goes a long way.
Hi Donna-
For the pasta recipes, I’ve tried one by Mario Batali (from the food networks website) and one from Pioneer Woman (taken from her website). Although they were good, I couldn’t cut all my pasta exactly even making cooking a little difficult. This is why I need to win that pretty little machine! So I can make oodles of noodles.
Just to add to Kimberly’s comment, honey butter is great, but if you make a citrus honey butter, you’ll seriously impress some people (and won’t come close to breaking the bank).
All you do is whip up some softened butter with honey (I do 1/2 cup salted butter to 3 tablespoons honey). Then mix in some grated orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit zest. It it so delicious. Orange and grapefruit are my favorite. Delicious with scones, biscuits or just plain old toast.
OOOh please let it be me who wins!!
We call left over night Buffet night or chuck-o-rama night. My kids enjoy left over’s much more when I do this, They really savor making their choice instead of having to eat just what was made.
Lauren – I saw Giada making pasta one night and it was very interesting – it had olive oil in it. I plan on trying it out and if it is a success, I’ll blog it soon!
Lauren – I have just discovered using zest in the last few years of cooking. I love zest in so many things! Have you tried making our five minute grapefruit gelato? It is one of the first posts on this blog – it is an amazing dessert – so refreshing with grapefruit zest!
Whitney – I’ll bet you are a fun mom! We’ll have to have a Buffet Night soon!
I am your fan on Twitter, of course!
Happy Sunday, Everyone!!!
Frugal tip: skip the grocery cart and go with the hand basket
grocery carts are getting bigger and bigger in stores. have you noticed that? they just want you to buy more and spend more money. always choose the smaller cart or the hand basket.
The Kitchenaid is such a beautiful piece of artwork.
I’m a fan on facebook.
Love your frugal recipes and tips.
I love your website and would love to win!!! =]
Frugal tip: Cut your cleaning sponges in half. They last twice as long and are still plenty big
I’ve always wanted one of those!
I became a follower on twitter 1/31/10 and a fan on facebook too!
Ursina – And so easy to clean – just throw them in your dishwasher with the dishes!
ooh pick me!
I need this mixer!
Frugal tip- dont go shopping when you are hungry. No good comes out of it!
Tip: During the winter, I occasionally use my garage as a fridge. I have a thermometer in there that tells me how cold it is. 40ºF or colder is what it should be.
This is great for when I have a large group of people come over and not a whole lot of room to store the party foods in a fridge for a short period of time.
This tip is also great for making a large sheet of cinnamon rolls (which currently doesn’t fit in my fridge). I put the unbaked rolls, covered in plastic wrap, into the garage over night. They will rise, but slowly. In the morning, let them sit on the counter while your oven is heating up, and viola ~ you have hot, fresh cinnamon buns for breakfast!
Frieda – Especially handy for the holidays~
Tip: For a family of five grabbing a basket to shop with just doesn’t cut it…might have gotten away with it before I was married:) but going with a list makes a huge difference. And as Kelsey mentioned never ever go shopping hungry!
I miss my mixer so bad! My husband told me we could get my old one fixed if I don’t win this one though. Don’t ever buy your kitchen aid at walmart it broke in a year!
Frugal Tip: Restaurant leftovers can be repurposed, even the tiny bits that are too small to make a meal themselves. A few bites’ worth of steak can be sliced into an omelette the next morning; a handful of leftover veggies can be stir-fried and served over a big pile of rice for a filling lunch. You can even save the parsley garnishes for cooking with. It helps to justify high restaurant prices if you get several meals out of it!
Another reason why I want to win: so I can make fresh bread more often! Thinking about kneading keeps me from making it now.
Something else you can do with leftover mashed potatoes is make gnocchi! Mix your potatoes with flour, eggs and salt to form a dough. Roll, cut and boil! Or freeze on a sheet pan and then transfer to a ziploc bag. Dinner in a snap!
Such great tips!!
Lauren – I have never tried making gnocchi – do you have a favorite recipe?