Personally, I find a lunch consisting of a warm grilled cheese sandwich and a hot bowl of tomato soup to be one of the all-time great comfort foods that exists. Brings back warm, fuzzy memories of both my mom and my grandma. Continue reading
Debi’s Evolving Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Filed under brunch, brunch recipes, budget meals, cheese, family, food, frugal living, frugality, kitchen ideas, lunch, recipe, recipes, sandwiches, saving money, simple living
A Secret to a Relaxed Holiday Dinner
Can you imagine a relaxed Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without needing to actually cook a turkey on the big day? You’d be able to enjoy the festivities as much as your friends and family!
Believe it or not, it’s possible to roast your turkey ahead of time and store the cooked meat in the freezer to reheat and serve on the big day. If this sounds a bit too much like eating leftovers, let me assure you that by following these simple freezing and reheating instructions, you’ll have moist, delicious turkey — and not one of your guests will suspect you didn’t spend the entire holiday slaving away in the kitchen keeping watch over a hot oven. Continue reading
Filed under cooking, dinner, family, freezer cooking, holidays, homemaking, meal planning, Thanksgiving
Got Budget Woes? Simple Grocery Savings Ideas
Groceries are one of the few flexible items in a family budget, but it can sometimes be challenging to find creative ways to save on regular family food costs. The following are some simple tips for reducing your grocery expenses. If you’re an old pro at frugal living, some of these may be old hat, but I’m amazed at how many people still find these types of tips helpful.
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Plan ahead. Whether you’re cooking your meals ahead of time to store in the freezer, or just planning your menu and shopping lists in advance, it helps to know what you’re going to eat, and when. With fewer last minute food-related decisions, this also helps keep your family away from developing a first-name relationship with the pizza delivery guy! (And your own home cooking is probably a lot healthier than the pizza guy’s wares, anyway.) Continue reading
Filed under budget, family, food, frugal, frugal living, frugality, homemaking, saving money, simple living
Debi’s Favorite Easter Recipe: Make-Ahead Chicken Packets
It was truly a sad day in our house when three of the four of us could no longer eat this particular meal. This recipe had become my go-to meal for Easter brunch — they’re actually quite elegant looking and they taste heavenly.
But sadly, now I’m the only person in our immediate family who can eat this anymore. I think I might make up a batch of them just for myself, however. It’s also a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken. 
Serve this with steamed asparagus and a fresh tossed salad. Yum! Continue reading
Filed under brunch, brunch recipes, budget meals, chicken, cooking, dinner, entertaining, family, food, freezer, freezer cooking, freezer meals, homemaking, kitchen ideas, leftovers, make-ahead, meal planning, meals, OAMC, once a month cooking, party food, recipe, recipes, simple living
Mix-and-Match Skillet Meals
The following recipe is one I prepare regularly to use up leftovers or clear out the cupboards. I keep a copy of this taped to the inside of my pantry door at all times.
This recipe is adapted from my book, Mix-n-Match Recipes (now out-of-print). I’m always amazed at the meals I can create from these simple, basic formulas. I also save money by choosing ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I even surprise myself with a delicious nearly-gourmet combination or two!
Also an excellent way to use up leftover turkey or ham from your holiday dinners. Continue reading
Filed under budget, budget meals, casseroles, cooking, dinner, food, frugality, ground beef, ham, hamburger, kitchen ideas, leftovers, lunch, meal planning, pasta
Debi’s Baked Ziti
This is one of those recipes my family can never get enough. I remember my youngest daughter when she was about three, holding out her plate with a huge smile and asking in a sweet little voice, “More yummy noodles, Mommy?” Always a pleasure when the kiddos enjoy an easy meal the grown-up folks love, too. Continue reading
Filed under budget, budget meals, casseroles, cooking, dinner, family, food, freezer, freezer cooking, freezer meals, frugal, frugal living, frugality, ground beef, homemaking, kitchen ideas, make-ahead, meals, OAMC, once a month cooking, pasta, recipe, recipes, saving money
It’s National Frozen Foods Month! Come celebrate with me!
To celebrate National Frozen Foods Month, I’m going to be posting at least one freezer-related article, link, resource, or tip everyday throughout March on my Facebook Fan Page. Just “like” the page while you’re there so you’ll get the latest daily updates.
Click here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Simple-Mom/203857025823
Be sure to tell your freezer-cooking, convenience-loving, and money-saving friends!
Filed under appetizers, breakfast, budget meals, casseroles, dinner, entertaining, freezer, kitchen ideas, leftovers, lunch, meal planning, meals, mothers
Debi’s Hacienda Breakfast Sandwich
In a hurry for breakfast but have a few minutes to scramble an egg? With no more effort, you can make this simple breakfast sandwich (or substitute the English Muffin for a corn tortilla for a gluten-free burrito option).
This recipe is for a single serving, but simply multiply each ingredient by the number of people you’re feeding. It doesn’t take much longer to scramble one egg for yourself or four for the family.
And making a breakfast sandwich at home is so much cheaper than buying one on the way to work at the local drive-thru. Tastes better, too.
Enjoy! 
Continue reading
Filed under breakfast, budget, budget meals, cooking, eggs, family, food, frugal, frugal living, frugality, gluten-free, homemaking, kitchen ideas, meal planning, meals, recipe, recipes, sandwiches, saving money, simple living, tortillas
Debi’s Mix-n-Match Quick Bread & Muffin Recipe
I’m always on the look out for recipes that are quick, easy, family-friendly, inexpensive and flexible. This quick bread meets all of my criteria for a budget-worthy recipe. Plus it’s tasty and super-simple, too!
Quick Bread Tips: When making any quick bread (banana bread, zuchini bread, cornbread, etc.) be careful not to overmix. Stir mixture until just combined or it may become heavy and too dense. Also, be sure to bake in the center of the oven where the temperature is the most consistent. Continue reading
Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day, Eat for a Month (42% off!)
Not sure how long this special deal/sale will last, but I thought I’d let you all know that the original Frozen Assets book is currently discounted by 42% on Amazon! That’s actually more of a discount than what I get when I order these books myself directly from my publisher. Seriously!
Frozen Assets – 42% off at Amazon.com
So if you’ve been meaning to order your own copy of Frozen Assets, this is definitely the time to do it.
Filed under budget, budget meals, casseroles, entertaining, family, food, freezer, frugality, kitchen ideas, make-ahead, meal planning, meals, saving money
