The Frugal Food Column

Image by Downing Street via Flickr

If you want to take the time to check out the left sidebar on this blog, you will see a number of categories of articles and whatnot. Notice the category Shannon L. Buck on Experts123. That is me! My very own food column, called Frugal Food. I am very excited over this column, as it is helping me to market the Frugal Recipes blog, which is also mine

I already have an accumulation of column articles, as well as a question on Experts123.com answered. Feel free to check each of them out. The current column article series is about growing your own food organically and frugally, perfect reads for the homesteader.

I hope that you enjoy the articles.

Shannon

 

Related Articles

• Frugal Recipes Happenings for 11/13/ 2010 (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Frugal Recipes Happenings for 10/23/2010 (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Feature Article: Top Ten Tips for Eating Frugally (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Gardening Articles (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Frugal Recipes Happenings for 1/15/2011 (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Favorite Frugal Recipes Blog Articles from 2010 (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)

Homemade Food Gifts: Herbed Butters

Image via Wikipedia

(This was first posted to the Frugal Recipes blog this morning. I am sharing all of the gift making ideas from that blog with all of you. I hope you enjoy the posts.)

Purchase sweet butter in large packages, preferably on sale. Generic and store brand butter is fine. Use a coupon if you have one.

Herbed butters are simple to make, and can be made up to three months before the date they will be given as gifts. Simply freeze them in 1/2 or 1 pint canning jars, or other thick jars that have been saved and cleaned for this purpose. Be sure to sterilize the jars before using them for the butter.

Two days before you wish to give the gifts, take the butters out of the freezer and place them into the refrigerator. The next day, you will want to tie a square or round of fabric over the jars’ lid with raffia or twine. Add a tag or a sticker with the name of each butter and its’ ingredients, as well as a line that reads ‘From the Kitchen of (Your Name).’

RATIO: 1/2 cup butter to 1 Tablespoon of herb or herb combination.

USE: Herbs fresh from the garden. Wash and mince them before use.

Variations:

• Dill and mint
• Garlic and marjoram

Experiment with different herbs and combinations of herbs.

NOTE: These jars of butter do not need processing.

What combinations of herbs do you use when making butter? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below.

Shannon

References:

Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (1987, Rodale Press)

Related Articles

• Homemade Food Gifts: Dried Herbs (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Homemade Food Gifts: Herbed Vinegars (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Homemade Food Gifts: Herbed Oils (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)

A Thanksgiving Post

Image by Scorpions and Centaurs via Flickr

I love Thanksgiving. I love all of the baking and stove top cooking. I love the decorating. I love having my family gathered within my home. I love the aromas of the food cooking, and of the candles. It is a wonderful time. This is about how it is (planned) to go at my home this year:

The day before: Be sure I have everything I need. Bake 4 types of breads, and two pies. See which of these Zowie wants to make. Pick up the house in preparation for company. Be sure to freshen blankets in the dryer for Skye and Jonas to use. Remind Skye to bring pillows. Make sure all dishes are clean.

Thanksgiving morning: Get the mulled cider warming in the slowcooker. Put the bird and the vegetables in the oven. Set out the breads for snacking. Have Skye make the cheesecakes. Make sure everything else is ready for the cooktop.

Afternoon: Set out all food, plates, beverages, etc. Eat with my daughters (Skye and Zowie), Jonas (Skye’s boyfriend), my sister and my nephews. Great times! Sitting around the living room, eating, laughing and joking. My kitchen is too small for a table . After dinner clean-up. Bringing out of Yule and Christmas decors. Watching Thanksgiving shows, taking down decors and decorating the Yule tree! Skye, Zowie and Jonas all spending the night.

The morning after: Jonas makes breakfast I relax. I will, however, clean up after breakfast.

Sounds like a great time to me

I love Thanksgiving. I do not celebrate the Thanksgiving that is normally celebrated, as it is not historically correct – and not good. But I celebrate family, and all of the things that I am grateful for. I love staying home on this day and cooking. And I love my family being here. It is all so homey.

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Do you make wonderful decorations for your table?

Possibly decorating with a gourd theme? Napkins, placemats, and candle holders can be created easily.

Maybe pumpkins are more your style. If so, consider these napkins, placemats and candle holders.

Still, you may prefer to decorate with apples. If this is the case, then try these crafts: Napkins, placemats and candle holders.

You may also wish to make pumpkin bowls to serve soups in.

And, let’s not forget about all of those wonderful leftovers. So many dishes can be created using them, that are quite tasty

I hope that each and everyone of of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving. One filled with joy and love.

Shannon

Cats’ Stew # 2

This is the second stew that I made for my cats, and they loved it as they did the first recipe. I do not really measure ingredients. I just sort of throw everything into a pot. and boil for 45 minutes to an hour.

Ingredients:

water

liquid from a roasted chicken (we made the chicken for our dinner yesterday)

2 celery stalks, chopped

chopped tomatoes

1/2 bag frozen carrots

1 leftover potato, chopped

leftover chicken and chicken skin

• Just throw everything into a pot.
• Cook until celery is mushable.
• Take the potato masher to it some, but not completely.
• Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Serve in a big bowl or two.
• Refrigerate the rest.
• If the cats won’t eat it in two days, freeze the rest.

Cats’ Stew #1

This is the first stew that I made for my cats, and they loved it. I do not really measure ingredients. I just sort of throw everything into a pot and boil for 45 minutes to an hour.

Ingredients:

water

vegetable stock

2 celery stalks, chopped

some mashed sweet potato

some mashed squash

1/2 bag frozen carrots

2 tbsp olive oil

leftover chicken and chicken skin

• Just throw everything into a pot.
• Cook until celery is mushable.
• Take the potato masher to it some, but not completely.
• Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Serve in a big bowl or two.
• Refrigerate the rest.
• If the cats won’t eat it in two days, freeze the rest.

Homemade Shampoo Recipes

I just wanted to post a link to a website that has recipes for homemade shampoo. I thought that some of my readers may benefit from the recipes. I hope to try them as well. I have posted the link to the sidebar as well.

http://hairrecipes.homestead.com/shampoorecipes.html

Have a nice day!

Shannon

Mini Homestead Happenings for 5/21/2009

So, I have been cleaning out and washing the food shelves as part of my spring cleaning and organizing efforts. The food stores are almost gone, so I am going to need to be making a shopping trip soon. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do.

I recently tried on some clothes that were previously to small for me. I now have a few articles of clothing that fit me, that were too small last year. Go me!

Spring is here, and I am eating more fresh(er) fruits and veggies throughout the day. I love apples, oranges and bananas especially. And here is a melon recipe that I also love:

cantaloupe chunks

watermelon chucks

honey dew melon chunks

Place in a bowl and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.

Yum!

Have a nice day.

Shannon

Black Bean Soup in the Slowcooker

This recipe was originally posted on my Frugal Recipes blog. Feel free to visit the blog for more recipes.

Actually, I changed this one slightly from a Sandra Lee Recipe. Her recipe would have made too much for a try it meal. This one will be perfect for my daughter and nephew. I don’t eat onions, though, so I won’t eat it like this.

They loved it.

In a slow cooker, put:

1 can black beans, and liquid

10 oz. chicken broth

10 oz. diced tomatoes, and liquid

1 chopped, fresh tomato

1/3 cup diced onion

1/2 cup carrots, canned, and liquid

1/3 Tbsp. paprika

2/3 tsp. ground cumin

1/3 tsp. garlic powder

1 pinch ground cloves

 

Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Eating from My Garden, and a Salad Recipe

So far this year, we have been enjoying some very simple salads which have come solely from my very own garden. I am very excited about this, as I love fresh produce in my salads. The produce is so much tastier than what I can find in the store.

Ingredients:

lettuce, whatever you are growing

cherry tomatoes

peas in pods

 

Rince the dirt off the lettuce and chop. Put on plates and top with pea pods and tomatoes.

Happy eating!

Shannon