Frugal Friday #7

What is on the menu for your Friday evening...

...dinner?

....entertainment?

Why not turn your dinner into entertainment.

I know so many families that have a tradition of getting pizza on Friday nights.  Sounds good to me.

Pizza...a nice slightly crisp yet slightly chewy crust, a nice hearty sauce, topped with whatever you like, and then mounded with melted mozzarella cheese....

Instead of ordering out...make your own.

Take your dinner and make it a family activity - get your kitchen dirty, hear the laughter, the talk, watch the flour fly, and then sit down and eat together. 

A family of four - six ordering two large pizzas...would cost at least $20 bucks...

Buying a jar of sauce
Making your own crust out of flour, yeast, water, and some oil
A bag of cheese
And various toppings...will not surpass the price of 20 bucks...

And you can freeze the items you don't use up and use them the next Friday night.  Initially the cost could add up (flour, olive oil, cheese, sauce, yeast, toppings)  but many of ingredients you will then have on hand in your pantry.

Your whole family can have a fun night of making individual small pizzas or you can make two large pizzas just the way you like.   A two year old can even have fun making a pizza!

I have tried various pizza dough recipes and have not found one I like enough but last night I found it!  And it comes from...yes, you guessed!  The Pioneer Woman has once again proven spectacular.  Her pizza dough recipe is not on her website...that I could find.  It is in her cookbook.  I don't quite know what the etiquette is for sharing a recipe..is it okay to share a recipe out of a cookbook...I think it is.  Especially when her cookbook is worth still buying because the step by step pictures are priceless!  They make me love the book most.

So here is a pizza dough recipe that is SO EASY!  There is no way to get this wrong because it doesn't require any fancy kneading.  And it can be frozen or kept in the fridge to be used at a later date!

You will need:

1 teaspoon or 1/2 packet of active dry yeast

4 cups all- purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1.  Pour 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a bowl.  Sprinkle yeast over the bowl.

2.  Combine the flour and salt in a different bowl.

3.  Using a mixer on low, sprinkle olive oil into flour mixture until just incorporated.

4.  Stir up the yeast/water mixture and then slowly add to the four/oil mixture.  Mix until dough forms a ball.

5.  Take a little olive oil and coat the sides of a bowl and then turn the dough ball around in the bowl until the ball is coated lightly in oil.

6.  Cover with a warm moist kitchen towel and set in a warm spot for 1-2 hours.  Or cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To prepare, preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Divide the dough in half.  She advises to lightly drizzle the pan with olive oil (but I skipped that because I was using pizza stones).  Use your fingers to stretch and shape the dough.  The thinner the better.  Top with your goodies and bake 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden brown.

Last night I was anxious and wanted both pizzas cooking at the same time.  The pizza that cooked on top had crust that wasn't done for my liking.  The pizza that cooked on the bottom was done fabulously!  So I would encourage you to relax and bake them one at a time!

SERIOUSLY - her cookbook is so fun because of all the step by step pictures!

So you can make pizza for 2-3 nights for the price of one ordered out pizza.  Plus you can splurge on a bottle of wine for the price of two glasses at a restaurant!  And stop at a Redbox and pick up a flick for $1.00. 

I can not argue that having your husband pick up the pizza on his way home and not having to clean up the kitchen is a HUGE TREAT!  However, if you are living frugal this could be an idea to try.

Happy Friday night!

Sarah

Frugal Friday #6

I am going to take an easy out and just link to a pro money saving foodie.  She is also giving away 5 of her cookbooks!  I find her book to be full of money saving tips....and the few she shares today are great.

Check this out!

Merry Christmas!

Frugal Friday #5 - a little late

1.  Need a last minute Christmas present for someone.  Amazon has a bunch of magazine deals that cost only $5 and will be enjoyed for an entire year.  This mom writes about them here. 

2.  I have been taking a chance and leaving comments on various blogs trying to win some of the fun giveaways that they are having.  And I have WON twice!  I won recently on this blog.  It isn't a new camera or a gift card for $200...but heck - it is so fun to get an email that says your name was randomly picked.  I can't wait to see what product!  This win made me giggle.

3.  This past weekend we did the whole 6 hour drive to my parents.  Over Thanksgiving when we traveled we realized that a family of four to eat while on the road costs about $20...and we happened to travel over meal times everytime we were in the car...so we ended up spending 60 or so bucks on fast food - FELT SO YUCKY!  So this trip we packed food.  It was totally worth it.  We not only saved the money - but we all were feeling much better.  And we didn't have to even stop on the way TO my parents - six hours non-stop!  Bam!

4.  My goal in the last year has been to buy less of the individually wrapped snacks.  Instead I buy a large container of the item and then separate them out into little snack containers when we need some.  The snack size containers are convenient...especially when making lunches (so I am guessing at some point we will begin investing) but for right now this saves us money.  A box of 6 snack packs of goldfish crackers can cost the same as a large box that would make way more snack baggies.  It also is a lot less trash!

5.  Cheap entertainment for car travel - THESE!  Car Bingo Cards!  St. Nick brought Charley a couple...if you live local let me know and I will tell you where St. Nick got them, because he and I share our secrets.  Charley enjoyed them and so did I.  They kept us busy for about an hour - taking in the sites around us as we drove..instead of zoned out in front of a movie, which we do too! 

Frugal Friday #4 - a little of this and a little of that

This week I have a little food idea and then some frugal entertainment for this time of year.  Notice I am changing it from Frugal FOOD to just Frugal Friday....

This week's grocery tip has to do with side dishes.  Instead of buying a bag of frozen carrots or a can of carrots plus a bag of mini/carrots for lunches....buy one large bag of normal good old carrots.  Take 20 minutes to wash, peel, and slice them up to meet your needs....slice them in sticks for lunches or dipping (I store them in a container with some water to keep them crisp), cut them in circles for steaming, casseroles, or salad toppers.  The price will be better, the carrots last a long time in the veggie drawer - and the taste- WAY better than canned, frozen, or baby.  Nothing beats a "real" carrot.

And just a reminder...tomorrow when you wake up and decide to make pancakes for the family on a cold and cozy morning...make an extra batch and freeze them up.  Freeze them on a sheet first and then bag them and they will pop out of the bag easily...or freeze them together with a piece of wax paper between each one.  Think of how many pancakes you make ...compared to a box of 10 eggo waffles.  And they are homemade and you know everything that went into them.  Money saved!


2.  Entertainment:

During this month take an evening and bundle everyone up.  Give the kids a lollipop or a bag of crackers and go for a drive.  Look at Christmas lights...make it your mission to find the best house of lights...or the house that maybe should have just not attempted.  We did this the other night and it was delightful.  The boys loved it and it gave us all a moment to calm down.  We turned on the Christmas radio channel and listened to holiday carols.

Another little activity....turn out the lights and sit in front of your tree with your little ones.  Give everyone their own flashlight.  Have the Xmas lights on.  Play I spy (I spy Santa holding a fishing pole....I spy Thomas the Train...I spy a candy cane) and have the kids shine their light on the ornament when they find it.  Turn the tree lights off for an added challenge.  

My frugal moment of the week:  I bought my Xmas cards at Walgreens this year.  I did them online and was able to pick them up in an hour.  I think that is pretty good!  When I picked them up they printed off my reciept and along with it came a coupon...that I just threw in the basket.  Then Henry and I were on a mission to find a box of something for someone on my list.  They sell them there 2 for 5 bucks...they didn't have them out but they did have 2 for 3$ boxes...unfortunatley they only had one.  So I asked for help...she found the 2 for $5 in back and so I settled on those..then she ran up and had another box of the 2 for $3.  So I took those and put the 2/$5 back.  The man checking me out was diligant and looked at the coupon in the basket that I threw aside.  My bill came $3.21....he then said, "are you sure you don't want to find something else.  If you buy $5 worth of stuff you will get $5 off."  So I ran and got those other two boxes.  My bill was $3.21 and I got all four boxes!  SCORE!  I hear about people that use coupons and get things for free...never happens to me.  SCORE!

I did not grocery shop this week..instead picked up a few fruits, veggies, and bread.  We survived the week without a big shop.  Nice to do around the holidays.  Meal group really helps with that.  I have a nice stash that we are eating through.  

Frugal Friday #3

We just returned from the library..this is the scene in our house.

Don't forget that one of the most valuable resources available to you for FREE is the public library. When I taught I was saddened by how many children don't have the opportunity to go and pick out books. Not because there isn't a library, but rather it isn't a choice their parents make.

So many parents were frustrated over getting their children to read at night for their 20 recommended minutes. I grew up with the library as a weekly errand stop with my mom. To this day I use the online reservation/ and renewal service. I admit that going to the library and expecting to find a book on the shelf is overwhelming and not likely. However, sitting down once in a while and opening Amazon or Barnes and Noble's website and bouncing back and forth reserving all the books that look great on the top 100 list is a great way to do it. Then all you have to do is walk in, present your card, and you are gifted a stack of books to devour. Or if you are a mama who needs some time alone...grab a hot chocolate or coffee and go browse a bookstore with a little pad of paper in hand and write down all the ones you would fill your cart with. Did you know many libraries will allow you to recommend books if they don't own them already? They do!

And your children - they will love it! At school they can't wait to go and exchange their books...imagine the excitement of being able to pick out more than one. And parents - the number one way to gift a child with the love of reading is to read to them. Read all types of books. Read books over and over. And let them see you reading! As a mom who reads to both boys nightly (well Ed reads many many nights too) but to have different books makes reading fun for me too.

FREE! -- If you organize it and have a place to keep the books. I find when we go to the library weekly we have less late fees. And when we do get a late fee...I like to think that we are supporting the public resource (Yes, Ed, let's think like that!). Thinking along those lines...Has anyone seen the book "Watch out Jabba the Hut" I am looking for that one momentarily.

So if you go to the library give yourself a pat on the back and bring a little plate of cookies for those lovely workers who check in and out those books. If you haven't been to the library in weeks, months, or sadly years....get your butt up and go! You will be surprised how quick and easy it can be.

Tis the season to cuddle up with a book by the light of the Christmas tree...with your children, with your husband, or with a glass of wine. Cheers!

** oh! And note the book sitting amongst the kid books: "Scream Free Parenting". WHA ha ha ha! That would be my evil laugh. Patience...always a goal in my house. I DO NOT SCREAM but I thought it might give me some ways to keep my cool.

Frugal Food Friday #2

You will probably notice that one of the ways I save is by using our freezers. Our freezer in the kitchen is packed full and our deep freezer in the basement is too full too. I am campaigning for another freezer because I really think it saves us time and money.

Tips today:

1. When you buy things like applesauce or spaghetti sauce buy them in large containers. If you are like us - we don't eat a ton of sauce on our spaghetti. And sometimes we head out of town and the applesauce or spaghetti sauce go bad before I am able to use it. Why buy large containers...well for the price. It is way cheaper to buy a large jar than a smaller jar. So take the large jar and portion it out in zip bags...I usually do one cup servings or two if I know I will want more. If you lay them flat in the freezer they will freeze in nice flat packs. They will stack easy. They pop right out of the bag when you want to thaw or they can thaw in the bag in the fridge over night. When I had baby food eaters I bought applesauce in a large organic jug and then froze it in ice cube trays, popped them out, and stuck them all in one Ziploc bag and when I needed a serving I just grabbed what I needed. That works for any baby food you make.

2. A cheaper way to get a nice amount of chicken for soups, casseroles, enchiladas etc...buy a whole chicken. Wash it, throw it in the crock pot with a cup of water, and cook it for 8 hours. When you get home you can take the chicken off the bone and you have yourself way more for way less money. I think you can buy a small Golden Plump Chicken for $3.59 at Target. And organic ones or cage free birds there are only a few bucks more...I hate taking the meat off the bone when it is all hot and juicy and slimy. So I usually put it in the fridge over night and take it off the next day when it is cold. But it is way cheaper...

3. And yesterdays potato egg recipe really is quite affordable. Give it a try. I dare you!

This week I am excited that green grapes were on sale at Target for $0.49 a pound on Monday! And they were good. Sometimes grapes aren't good ones - these were.

I also found today that Nathan's hot dogs...our favorite were on sale for $1.79 a pack...instead of their normal $3.99-4.99 a pack. I bought three packs. Threw two in the freezer and have one ready for the boys.

Frugal Food Friday #1

Someone asked me for some tips on cheap meals and to motivate me to continue my goal of grocery shopping on a budget I am going to try and post a tip or two on Fridays...how we try, and I mean TRY, to live frugal with our food. If you have any tricks email me and I will give you credit and share!

Today I started brainstorming and so I will just grab three items off my list to share. I am no expert and many of the ideas I have gotten from other blogs or books or friends...and many of them are obvious but for me, when I read a tip from someone it motivates me and reminds me what I already know...or it makes me think about something I do in a different way. So some of these things might be so dumb. But like I said, I think this will motivate me to keep up the frugal shopping.

Many grocery stores give you credit if you bring your own bags to haul your goods home in. Target now is doing this too! You get 5 cents off your bill for each bag you use. It might be small...but think about how many times you run into Target and how many bags you carry home. You could easily pay for a can of cream of mushroom soup with the bags alone!

Second, Big savings for us has always been taking a recipe and splitting it in half and making a 9x13 pan of something in two 8x8 pans. Freezing one for another night. Ed and I tend to overeat when we make a whole pan of something and I get lazier about making side dishes if we have a huge pan of something. So by making a half pan I have to supply sides that give us a healthier meal and better portions. I also found that sometimes the leftovers would end up getting tossed because life got busy and they just sat there. Just an idea.

Third, One of the ways I have started saving on our grocery bill is committing to only buying meat when it is on sale. If chicken isn't on sale then we eat something different that week. If a meat item is really nicely priced I will stock up a bit. Another thing I have noticed at Target is they discount their meat if it is going to expire. The other day I bought ground turkey and it was $2.50 off making it under 2 dollars for the pound. If you do this you do have to commit to freezing it right away, cooking it up and freezing it, or using it. But you can really score some deals if you catch one of these deals. I have noticed them more often.

Off the topic....

One other thing that has been on my mind....please do not heat anything in plastic. I know everyone knows this, but periodically I read an article about this and it reminds me how careful you have to be about reheating. I freeze in plastic but I haven't microwaved in plastic for years. Every Christmas I ask for more Pyrex storage bowls...if you are stumped on what to ask the "Big Red Man" for Christmas this year...Pyrex storage dishes. Don't chance it!