I have quite a collection of herbs and spices, so instead of buying preservative and salt-laden seasoning packs, I make my own. It’s frugal, and less expensive. And with taco seasoning, you never know if it’s going to end up being spicy. I love spice, but my kids don’t. I add salt while cooking the beef initially, before adding the seasoning. You can play around with the recipe according to your tastes, but there is my recipe for taco seasoning:
For Christmas, my mom got me a Ninja 3-in-1 slow cooker. This is no ordinary slow cooker, it has stove top, oven, steam and slow cooker options. Not to mention this appliance has an automatic warming function, which means I can be away for the day without something overcooking. I can set a dish for 5 hours, and then it turns to warm. This really helps me, because modern slow cookers don’t cook very slowly, and I find being gone all day doesn’t work for many recipes.
My sister is visiting for Christmas, and she is a vegetarian. Well, sort of a vegetarian. She eats bacon, but who can blame her? Bacon rules. Not only does she not eat meat, but she is a tad particular, so I’m always excited when I make something she loves. Tonight I made broccoli cheese soup, and she gave it a thumbs-up. My kids love it too, and so will yours.
This summer I got blackberries for 50 cents a pint, so of course I bought countless boxes. I dehydrated some, and froze what ever didn’t get eaten. My kids had purple smiles and seeds in their teeth for days. I love cooking fruit in savory dishes, so I decided to get creative with my frozen stash.
Aldi has boneless, skinless chicken breasts this week for $1.49 a pound. Yippeee!!! That is the lowest I have ever paid. You must stock up at this price. But instead of just freezing them just plain, freeze some in marinade. Also, freeze some pre-cooked and shredded for a quick dinner. You can also grill some of the chicken and freeze.
