Simple, Frugal Cooking!

**Shell** · 08-30-2005, 08:38 PM

I thought this was a great article on keeping cooking simple and frugal!

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03aug11g.cfm

**SHOPGIRL** · 08-30-2005, 09:12 PM

Good article. My grandmother and mother still use this strategy. I never use box food; except for the occasional cake max. Cereal bars, granola bars I buy just for convenience in the morning. I only buy them when they are on sale and I have a coupon.

**britbunny** · 08-31-2005, 06:30 AM

That's a good article.

We work along similar lines these days.

Breakfast is cold cereal or toast. Weekend breakfast is a treat for us, we have a "fry up" or Dh makes scones for me.

Lunch is fruit, at the weekends DH will have a bagel and I'll probably have leftovers and my special treat which is organic plum yoghurt, mmmm.

Dinner usually whatever vegetables we have on hand in a sauce with potatoes, rice, pasta or pitta bread.

We don't have cakes or anything like that when we're at home, we save them as extra special treats when we go out.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we try to have special food or treats from food that we would buy anyway. DH sees a fry up as a real treat even though we would have eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes in at all times. And I love scones and the fact that Scott makes them for me makes them even nicer!

DH likes the meals best when he thinks there's nothing in and I make something out of nothing. then he calls me "back to the wall swiff"! LOL

**Hollyhandi** · 08-31-2005, 07:41 AM

This article brings back childhood memories.
My mom would freeze leftovers and the last week of the month everything that could be would be put into soup. ( We called it Ethel's end of the month soup , without the kitchen sink )
When my cousin was grown up married with 2 boys of her own
she said her favorite thing about comming to our house was moms end of the month soup.
It was never the same twice.
I do the same thing now and it helps those last few days.

**Shell** · 08-31-2005, 10:23 AM

Great idea Hollyhandi. I read something like that in the Tightwad Gazette. I've been meaning to do that.

**peanut** · 08-31-2005, 02:05 PM

Good article. We do a lot of these things too. I must admit, the one area where our community has fallen down in modern times is sharing of food. Not much of that happens anymore.

**Lucky Star** · 08-31-2005, 02:27 PM

Thank you, Shell, for the link. Lot's of food for thought in that article (no pun intended

)

**KimSecret** · 08-31-2005, 06:56 PM

Thanks for sharing!

**sarathom** · 08-31-2005, 07:02 PM

I loved the article!

Over the past few years, I finally have changed how I view everything in our lives. Simplicity rules!!!!!

For example, I always thought I had to have a HUGE variety of fruits on hand at all times. Now, I usually have apples, bananas and oranges and the occasional seasonal fruit. I freeze lots of berries and make a variety of things from those.

Grocery shopping is easier and cooking is easier because I use basic, simple ingredients.

Thanks again for the great article....it reinforces my beliefs!